204 THE NATURE AND POWER
power of sin. And this is the state of most men tliat are kept in bondage under the power of conviction. Hell, death, and the wrath of God, are continually presented unto their consciences ; this makes them labour with all their strength against that in sin which most enrageth their con- sciences, and most increaseth their fears; that is, the actual eruption of it; for, for the most part, while they are freed from that they are safe ; though in the mean time, sin lie tumultuating in, and defiling of, the heart continually. As with running sores, outward repelling medicines may skin them over, and hinder their corruption from coming forth ; but the issue of them is, that they cause them to fester in- wardly, and so prove, though it may be not so noisome and offensive as they were before, yet far more dangerous. So is it with this repelling of the power of corruption by men's vows, and promises against it ; external eruptions are it may be restrained for a season ; but the inward root and principle is not weakened in the least. And most com- monly this is the issue of this way ; that sin having gotten more strength, and being enraged by its restraint, breaks all its bounds, and captivates the soul unto all filthy abo- minations ; which is the principle, as was before observed, of most of the visible apostacies which we have in the world, 2 Pet. ii. 19, 20.
The Holy Ghost compares sinners, because of the odious, fierce, poisonous nature of this indwelling sin, unto lions, bears, and asps, Isa. xi. 6 — 9. Now this is the excellency of gospel-grace, that it changes the nature and inward prin- ciples of these otherwise passionate and untamed beasts ; making the wolf as the kid, the lion as the lamb, and the bear as the cow. When this is effected, they may safely be trusted in ; 'a little child may lead them.' But these self-endeavours do not at all change the nature, but restrain their outward violence : he that takes a lion, or a wolf, and shuts him up from ravening, whilst yet his inward violence remains, may well expect that at one time or other they will break their bonds, and fall to their former ways of rapine and violence. However, shutting them up, doth not, as we see, change their natures, but only restrain their rage from doing open spoil. So it is in this case ; it is grace alone that changeth the heart, and takes away that poison and
"' OK INDWELLING SIN. 205
fierceness that is in them by nature; men's self-endeavours do but coerce them as to some outward eruptions. But,
(2.) Beyond bare vows and promises, with some watch- fulness to observe them in a rational use of ordinary means, men have put, and some do yet put themselves on extra- ordinary ways of mortifying sin. This is the foundation of all that hath a shew of wisdom and religion in the pa- pacy ; their hours of prayer, fastings, their immuring and cloistering themselves, their pilgrimages, penances, and self-torturing discipline, spring all from this root. I shall not speak of the innumerable evils that have attended these self-invented ways of mortification, and how they all of them have been turned into means, occasions, and ad- vantages of sinning ; nor of the horrible hypocrisy which evidently cleaves unto the most of their observers ; nor of that superstition which gives life to them all, being a thing rivetted in the natures of some, and their constitutions; fixed on others by inveterate prejudices ; and the same by others taken up for secular advantages ; but I will suppose the best that can be made of it, and it will be found to be a self-invented design of men ignorant of the righteousness of God, to give a check to this power of indwelling sin whereof we speak. And it is almost incredible, what fearful self-macerations, and horrible sufferings this design hath carried men out unto : and undoubtedly their blind zeal and superstition will rise in judgment, and condemn the horrible sloth and negligence of the most of them to whom the Lord hath granted the saving light of the gospel. But what is the end of these things ? The apostle in brief gives us an account, Rom. ix. 31,32. They attain not the righteousness aimed at; they come not up unto a con- formity to the law ; sin is not mortified ; no, nor the power of it weakened ; but what it loses in sensual, in carnal pleasures, it takes up with great advantage, in blindness, darkness, superstition, self-righteousness and soul-pride, contempt of the gospel and the righteousness of it, and reigns no less than in the most profligate sinners in the world.
(3.) The strength, efficacy, and power of this law of sin, may be farther evidenced from its life and in-being in the soul, notwithstanding the wound that is given unto it.
200 THE NATURE AND POWEU, &C.
in the first conversion of the soul to God ; and in the con- tinual opposition that is made unto it by grace. But this is the subject and design of another endeavour.
It may now be expected, that we should here add the especial uses of all this discovery that hath been made of the power, deceit, prevalency, and success, of this great adversary of our souls. But as for what concerns that humility, self-abasement, watchfulness, diligence, and ap- plication unto the Lord Christ for lelief, which will become those who find in themselves by experience the power of this law of sin, have been occasionally mentioned and in- culcated through the whole preceding discourse; so for what concerns the actual mortification of it, I shall only recom- mend unto the reader for his direction, another small treatise written long since unto that purpose, which I suppose he may do well to consider together with this, if he find these things to be his concernment.