OF INDWELLING SIV. 193
worst of their fears and trials. It is such as they would not part withal for all the world ; and upon all occasions they retreat in their minds unto it, for comfort and relief.
Now all this by the power of sin are they prevailed withal to forego. Let heaven go if it will, a blessed immor- tality with the enjoyment of God himself, sin must be served, and provision made to fulfil the lusts thereof. > .= ;':"■:
If a man, in the things of this world, had such a hope of a large inheritance, of a kingdom, as wherein he is satis- fied that it will not fail him, but that in the issue he shall surely enjoy it, and lead a happy and a glorious life in the possession of it many days ; if one should go to him and tell him. It is true, the kingdom you look for is an ample and honourable dominion, full of all good things desirable, and you may attain it ; but come, cast away all hopes and expectations of it, and come join with me in the service and slavery of such or such an oppressing tyrant. You will easily grant, he must have some strange bewitching power with him, that should prevail with a man in his wits to follow his advice. Yet thus it is, and much more so, in the case we have in hand. Sin itself cannot deny, but that the kingdom of heaven, which the soul is in hope and expectation of, is glorious and excellent, nor doth it go about to convince him that his thoughts of it are vain, and such as will de- ceive him, but plainly prevails with him to cast away his hopes, to despise his kingdom that he was in expectation of, and that upon no other motive but that he may serve some worldly, cruel, or filthy and sensual lust ; certainly here lies a secret efficacy, whose depths can not be fathomed.
(3.) The apostle manifests the power of the entan- glements of sin in and upon apostates, in that it turns them off from * the way of righteousness after they have known it ;' 2 Pet. ii. 21. It will be found at the last day an evil thing and a bitter, that men live all their days in the service of sin, self, and the world, refusing to make any trial of the ways of God whereunto they are invited ; though they have no experience of their excellency, beauty, plea- santness, safety ; yet, having evidence brought unto them from God himself, that they are so, the refusal of them will. I say, be bitterness in the latter end. But their loudition VOL. xni. o
194 THE NATURi: AND POWER
is yet far worse, who, as the apostle speaks, having known the way of righteousness, are by the power of indwelling sin, turned aside from the holy commandment. To leave God for the devil, after a man hath made some trial of him and his service ; heaven for hell, after a man hath had some cheering, refreshing thoughts of it ; the fellowship of the saints, for an ale-house or a brothel-house, after a man hath been admitted unto their communion, and tasted of the pleasantness of it ; to leave walking in pure, clear, straight paths, to wallow in mire, draughts and filth, this will be for a lamentation ; yet this doth sin prevail upon apostates unto ; and that against all their light, conviction, expe- riences, professions, engagements, or whatever may be strong upon them to keep them up to the known ways of righteousness.
(4.) It evinces its strength in them by prevailing with them unto a total renunciation of God as revealed in Christ, and the power of all gospel truth, in the sin against the Holy Ghost. I do not now precisely determine what is the sin against the Holy Ghost ; nor wherein it doth con- sist. There are different apprehensions of it ; all agree in this ; that by it an end is put to all dealings between God and man in a way of grace. It is a sin unto death. And this doth the hardness and blindness of many men's hearts bring them to ; they are by them at length set out of the reach of mercy. They choose to have no more to do with God; and God swears that they shall never enter into his rest. So sin brings forth death. A man by it is brought to renounce the end for which he was made ; wilfully to reject the means of his coming to the enjoyment of God, to provoke him to his face ; and so to perish in his rebellion.
I have not mentioned these things, as though I hoped by them to set out to the full the power of indwelling sin in unregenerate men : only by a few instances I thought to give a glimpse of it. He that would have a fuller view of it, had need only to open his eyes, to take a little view of that wickedness which reigneth, yea, rageth all the world over. Let him consider the prevailing flood of the things mentioned by Paul to be 'the fruits of the flesh,' Gal. v. 19 — 21. that is, among the sons of men, in all places, na- tions, cities, towns, parishes ; and then let him add there-