of waters, and all waters belong unto it! Who is able to look upon the sun, or endure the brightness of that glorious creature, only because it is full of light? The same reason is in fleshly lusts; they are very strong in us, because our nature is full of them, and because all their fulness is in our nature. Now this strength which is thus made up of so many ingredients, doth further appear in the effects of it--which are these three, all comprised in the general word of obeying' it in the lusts thereof, which denotes a full and uncontrolled power" in sin. First, the fomenting, entertaining, cherishing of lust, shaping of it, delighting in it, consenting to it; when a man doth join himself to sin, and settle himself upon it, and set his heart to it, and respect it in his heart, and study and consult it, and resolve upon it. Secondly, executing of it, and bringing into act the suggestions of the flesh thus conceived; yielding to the commands, drudging in the service, drawing iniquity with cords and cart-ropes, resigning both heart and hand to the obedience of sin. Thirdly, finishing it, going on without weariness, or murmuring, without repenting or repining, in the ways of lust; running in one constant channel, till, like the waters of Jordan, the soul drop into the Dead Lake. All these three, St. James hath put together to shew the gradations, and the danger of fleshly lusts: "Every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lusts, and enticed lust, when it hath conceived, bringeth forth sin; and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." First, there is the suggestion; lust draweth away and enticeth. Secondly, the conception and formation, in the delight and consent of the will. Thirdly, the execution and bringing into act. Fourthly, the consummation and accomplishment of lust, filling up the measure, going on unweariedly to the last, till there is no hope, and so abusing the patience and long-suffering of God unto destruction. Sin grows till it be ripe for the slaughter. Now if men, in the interim, cut off their sins, and turn to God before the decree be sealed, before he stir up all his wrath, and will suffer his Spirit no longer to strive; if they consecrate that little time and

u Hosea ix. 7. Eph. i. 12. Psal. xvi. 18. Hosea iv. 8. Mic. ii. 1. Ezek. xxxiii. 31. * Rom. vi. 19, 20. y Isai. v. 18.

strength they have left, to God's service, then the kingdom of sin is pulled down in them. To this purpose is the counsel of Daniel to Nebuchadnezzar," "That he should break off his sins by righteousness, and his iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor;" that is, he should relinquish those sins which were most predominate in him-his injustice, and oppression, and tyranny against poor men (thus Paul preached of righteousness, and temperance, and judgment to come, to Felix, a corrupt and lascivious governor), and by that means his tranquillity should be lengthened; not by way of merit (for a thief deserves no pardon because he gives over stealing), but by way of mercy and favour.

Hitherto I have but shewed, that sin is a strong king: but this is not enough to drive men to Christ; which is my principal scope. It is further required, that men be convinced of being under this power of sin. The first use then which I shall shew you may be made of this doctrine, is, for the conviction and trial of the reign of sin in ourselves. For the more distinct expediting whereof, I shall produce these three cases to be resolved: First, Whether sin may reign in a regenerate man so, as that this power and kingdom of sin shall consist with the righteousness of Christ? Secondly, How wicked men may be convinced, that sin reigns in them; and what difference there is between the power of sin in them, and in the regenerate? Thirdly, Why every sin doth not reign in every unregenerate man?

For the first of these, we must remember in the general, that sin doth then reign, when a man doth obey it in the Justs thereof;' when he doth yield up himself to execute all the commands of sin; when he is held under the power of Satan and of darkness: and for the regenerate, we must likewise note what St. Paul and St. John have spoken in general of this point: "Sin shall not have dominion over you; for ye are not under the law, but under grace," saith St. Paul. When a man is delivered from the obligations of the law, he is then delivered from the strength of sin (for 'the strength of sin is the law 'd); "And he that is born of God, sinneth not, neither can sin," saith St. John, that is,

е

cannot obey sin in all the lusts and commands thereof, as a servant to sin; from which service he hath ceased by being born of God; for no man can be God's son and sin's servant for we are to distinguish between doing the work of sin, and obeying sin in the lusts thereof. As a man may do divine works, and yet not ever in obedience to God; so a man may be subject as a captive, in this or that particular tyranny of sin, who is not obedient as servant to all the government of sin: for that takes in the whole will, and an adequate submission thereof to the peaceable and uncontrolled power of sin. Let us then enquire, how far the power of sin may discover itself in the most regenerate. First, The best have flesh about them; and that flesh, wherever it is, worketh and rebelleth against the Spirit of Christ, "so that they cannot do the things which they would." Secondly, This flesh is of itself indifferent to great sins as well as to small: and therefore by some strong temptation it may prevail to carry the saints unto great sins, as it did David, Peter, and others. Thirdly, This flesh is as much in the will as in any other part of regenerate men; and therefore when they commit great sins, they may commit them with consent, delight, and willingness of heart. Fourthly, This flesh is in their members as well as in their wills; and therefore they may actuate, and execute those wills of sin, which they have consented unto. Fifthly, We confess, that, by these sins thus committed, the conscience of a regenerate man is wasted and wounded, and overcome by the power of sin, and such a particular grievous guilt contracted, as must first be washed away by some particular repentance, before that man can be again qualified to take actual possession of his inheritance, or be admitted unto glory. In which case that of the apostle is most certain, that "the very righteous shall scarcely be saved." For we are to note, that as some things may indispose a man for the present use, or dispossess him of the comforts and emoluments, which yet are not valid enough to divest him of the whole right and state in a living; so some sins may be of so heavy a nature, as may unqualify a man for an actual admittance into Heaven, or possession of glory, which yet do not nullify his faith, nor ex

f 1 Pet. iv. 18.

tinguish his title and interest unto it. Thus we see, that sin may, in the most holy, have great power: the examples whereof are all written for our learning, to teach us what is indeed within us, how circumspectly we should walk, how watchfully over our hearts, how steadfast in our covenant,lest we fall after the example of those men, and so break our bones, as David did. For one great sin, presumptuously committed, will bring either such a hardness of heart, as will make thee live in a wretched security and neglect of thy service and peace with God; or such a woful experience of his wrath and heavy displeasure against sin, as will even bruise thy conscience, and burn up thy bowels, and make thee go drooping and disconsolate, it may be, all thy days.

But yet, though sin may thus far proceed against a regenerate man, all this doth not amount to a complete reign. Though sin may have a victory in the faithful, and that even over their wills, yet it hath not a kingdom; which imports a complete and universal resignation of the whole will and man to the obedience of it. It is one thing to have the whole consent of the will, unto some one sin, stolen away by some particular temptation; and another, to be wholly addicted and devoted to the ways of sin, to have the whole heart universally married to lust, and filled with Satan, whereby it bringeth forth fruit unto death. Into the former of these, we grant the faithful may fall: and yet even in that case, the seed of God which abideth in them, though it did not operate to prevent sin, will yet undoubtedly serve to supply repentance in due time and though consent went before to conceive sin, yet it shall not follow after to allow it being committed; but they review their sin with much hatred, and self-displacency, with affliction of Spirit, humiliation of heart, admiration of God's patience and forbearance, with renewing their covenant, with complaints and heavy bewailings of their own frowardness, with a filial mourning for their ingratitude and undutifulness unto God. But that a regenerate man should totally addict himself to the ways of sin, is repugnant to the Scripture, and

g Admodum piè et (more suo) doctissimè controversiam hanc expedivit suavissimæ memoriæ Præsul Robertus Abbot, Episcopus Salisburiensis, Animad. in Thomsoni Diatrib. c. 21.

extremely contrary to that throne, which Christ hath in the heart of such a man.

For the second case, how unregenerate men may be convinced that sin doth reign in them, we must observe that the complete reign of sin denotes two things; First, that strength, power, sovereignty, and dominion of sin, which hath been already opened; Secondly, a peaceable, uncontrolled, willing, universal subjection of all the members unto the obedience of that king.

Now to measure the unregenerate by this adequate rule, we must know, that they first are of several sorts and stamps. Some are, apparently and in conspectu hominum,' outrageous sinners; upon whom every man that sees them, and is well acquainted with the trade and course of sin which they live in, may, without breach of charity, pass this sentence; -There goes a man who declares himself, in the eyes of the world, to be a servant of sin.' I speak not this for liberty of censuring, but for evidence and easiness of discerning only. Every man that thinks it baseness, and below the strain of his spirit to tremble at God's word, to fear judgment against sin denounced; who, with a presumptuous and high hand, rejects the warnings which God sends him; who, in his practice and sinful conformities, makes more account of the course of the world, than of the curse of God; of the fashions of men, than of the will of the Spirit; of the estimation of men, than of the opinion of Christ. And such is every one that allows himself in the same excess of rage and riot, of swearing, swaggering, and uncleanness, with his devilish associates; in the name and authority of the Lord Jesus, I pronounce that man to be a servant of sin and if he continue sin's servant, he shall undoubtedly have sin's wages; “The wages of sin is death," even the everlasting vengeance and wrath to come: and if he despise that warning, the word which I have spoken, shall rise against him at the last day.

Others there are of a more calm, civil, composed course, men much wiser, but not a dram holier than those before. And here mainly sticks the enquiry, and that upon three exceptions, with which they may seem to evade and shift off this power of sin.

First, In those men there appeareth not so sovereign and absolute a dominion of sin as hath been spoken of, inasmuch