CHAPTER VI.

The Work of this Enmity against God, by way of opposition. First, it lusteth. Wherein the Lusting of Sin consisteth. In surprising of the Soul; Readiness to close with Temptations; Its fighting and warring. (1) In Rebellion against the Law of Grace. (2) In assaulting the Soul.

How this enmity worketh by way of aversation hath been declared, as also the means that the soul.is to use for the preventing of its effects and prevalency. The second way whereby it exerts itself is opposition. Enmity will oppose and contend with that wherewith it is at enmity. It is so in things natural and moral. As light and darkness, heat and cold, so virtue and vice oppose each other. So it is with sin and grace, saith the apostle," these are contrary one to the other," ANTIKEITAI ALLELOIS, Gal. v. 17; they are placed and set in mutual opposition, and that continually and constantly, as we shall see.

Now there are two ways whereby enemies manage an opposition. First, By force; and, Secondly, By fraud and deceit. So when the Egyptians became enemies to the children of Israel, and managed an enmity against them, Pharoah said, "Let us deal wisely,' Exod. i. 10, or rather cunningly and subtilly, with this people; for so Stephen, with respect to this word, expresseth it by KATASOPHISAMENOS, Acts vii. 19, he used all manner of fraudulent sophistry. And unto this deceit, they added force, in their grievous oppres sions. This is the way and manner of things where there is a prevailing enmity. And both these are made use of by the law of sin, in its enmity against God and our souls.

I shall begin with the first, or its actings, as it were

in a way of force, in an open downright opposition to God and his law; or the good that a believing soul would do in obedience unto God and his law. And in this whole matter we must be careful to steer our course aright, taking the Scripture for our guide, with spiritual reason and experience for our companions. For there are many shelves in our course, which must be diligently avoided, that none who consider these things be troubled without cause, or comforted without a just foundation.

In this first way whereby this sin exerts its enmity in opposition, namely, as it were by force or strength, there are four things, expressing so many distinct degrees, in its progress and procedure in the pursuit of its enmity.

First, Its general inclination, it "lusteth," Gal. v. 17.

Secondly, Its particular way of contending, "it fights, or wars," Rom. vii. 23, James iv. 1, 1 Pet. ii. 11.

Thirdly, Its success in this contest, it brings the soul into "captivity to the law of sin," Romans vii. 23.

Fourthly, Its growth and rage upon success, it comes up to madness, Eccl. ix. 3, as an enraged enemy will do. All which we must speak to in order.

First, In general, it is said to lust. "The flesh lusteth against the spirit," Gal. v. 17. This word expresseth the general nature of that opposition which the law of sin maketh against God, and the rule of his spirit or grace in them that believe. And therefore the least degree of that opposition is expressed hereby. When it doth any thing it lusteth. As because burning is the general acting of fire, whatever it doth else, it doth also burn. When fire doth any thing, it burns: and when the law of sin doth any thing, it lusts.

Hence all the actings of this law of sin are called the lusts of the flesh. "Ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh," Gal. v. 16. "Make no provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof," Rom. xiii. 14. Nor are these lusts of the flesh those only whereby men

act their sensuality in riot, drunkenness, uncleanness, and the like; but they comprehend all the actings of the law of sin whatever, in all the faculties and affections of the soul. Thus we have mention of the desires, or wills, or lusts of the mind, Ephes. ii. 3, as well as of the flesh. The mind, the most spiritual part of the soul, hath its lusts, no less than the sensual appetite which seems sometimes more properly to be called the flesh. And in the products of these lusts, there are defilements of the spirit, as well as of the flesh, 2 Cor. vii. 1; that is, of the mind and understanding, as well as of the appetite and affections, and the body that attends their service. And in the blamelessness of all these, consists our holiness. "The God of peace sanctify you wholly, and I pray God your whole spirit, and soul, and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 Thes. v. 23. Yea, by the flesh in this matter, the whole old man, or the law of sin is intended: "That which is born of the flesh, is flesh," John iii. 6; that is, it is also, and nothing else. And whatever remains of the old nature in the new man, is flesh still. And this flesh lusteth; this law of sin doth so, which is the general bottom and foundation of all its opposition unto God. And this it doth two ways.

(1.) In an hidden close propensity unto all evil. This lies in it habitually. While a man is in the state of nature, fully under the power and dominion of this law of sin, it is said, that "every figment of his heart is evil, and that continually," Gen. vi. 5. It can frame, fashion, produce, or act nothing but what is evil; because this habitual propensity unto evil, that is in the law of sin, is absolutely predominant in such au one. It is in the heart, like poison, that hath nothing to allay its venomous qualities, and so infects whatever it touches. And where the power and dominion of it is broken, yet in its own nature, it hath still an habitual propensity unto that which is evil, wherein its lusting doth consist.

But here we must distinguish between the habitual frame of the heart, and the natural propensity or habitual inclination of the law of sin in the heart. The habitual inclination of the heart is denominated from the principle that bears chief or sovereign rule in it: and therefore in believers it is unto good, unto God, unto holiness, unto obedience. The heart is not habitually inclined unto evil by the remainders of indwelling sin, but this sin in the heart hath a constant habitual propensity unto evil in itself, or its own nature. This the apostle intends by its being present with us; it is present with me, that is, always, and for its own end, which is to lust unto sin.

It is with indwelling sin, as with a river; while the springs and fountains of it are open, and waters are continually supplied unto its streams, set a dam before it, and it causeth it to rise and swell, until it bear down all, or overthrow the banks about it. Let these waters be abated, dried up, in some good measure, in the springs of them, and the remainder may be checked and restrained. But still, as long as there is any running water, it will constantly press upon what stands before it, according to its weight and strength, because it is its nature so to do. And if by any means it make a passage, it will proceed. So is it with indwelling sin; while the springs and fountains of it are open, in vain is it for men to set a dam before it, by their convictions, resolutions, vows, and promises. They may check it for a while; but it will increase, rise high, and rage at one time or another, until it bears down all those convictions and resolutions, or makes itself an under-ground passage by some secret lust that shall give a full vent unto it. But now suppose that the springs of it are much dried up by regenerating grace, the streams or actings of it abated by holiness; yet whilst any thing remains of it, it will be pressing constantly to have vent, to press forward into actual sin. And this is its lusting.

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And this habitual propensity in it is discovered two ways.

1. In its unexpected surprisals of the soul into foolish sinful figments and imaginations, which it looked not for, nor was any occasion administered unto them. It is with indwelling sin, as it is with the contrary principle of sanctifying grace. This gives the soul, if I may so say, many a blessed surprisal. It often ingenerates and brings forth an holy spiritual frame in the heart and mind, when we have had no previous rational considerations to work them thereunto, and this manifests it to be an habitual principle prevailing in the mind: so we read, "Or ever I was aware, my soul made me as the chariots of Amminadib," Cant. vi. 12; that is, free, willing and ready for communion with Christ. I knew not; it was done by the power of the spirit of grace, so that I took no notice of it, as it were, until it was done. The frequent actings of grace in this manner, exciting acts of faith, love, and complacency in God, are evidences of much strength and prevalency of it in the soul. And thus also it is with indwelling sin; ere the soul is aware, without any provocation or temptation, when it knows not; it is cast into a vain and foolish frame. Sin produceth its figments secretly to the heart, and prevents the mind's consideration of what it is about. I mean hereby those actus primo primi, first acts of the soul, which are thus far involuntary, as that they have not the actual consent of the will unto them; but are voluntary, as far as sin hath its residence in the will. these surprisals, if the soul be not awake to take speedy care for the prevention of their tendency, do oftentimes set all, as it were, on fire, and engage the mind and affections into actual sin: for as by grace we are oftentimes, ere we are aware, made as the chariots of a willing people, and are far engaged in heavenly-mindedness, and communion with Christ, making speed in it as in a chariot; so by sin are we oftentimes ere we are aware, carried into distempered affections, foolish ima

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