that have been tempted, and we shall find a great inconsistency in these things. And many things of the like nature might be here added, upon the consideration of this woful effect of indwelling sin. The way of opposing and defeating its design herein shall be afterwards considered.

CHAPTER VII.

The captivating power of indwelling sin, wherein it consisteth. The prevalency of sin, when from itself, when from temptation. The rage and madness that is in sin.

THE third thing assigned to this law of sin, in its opposition to God and the law of his grace, is, that it leads the soul captive: "I find a law leading me captive" (captivating me) "unto the law of sin," And this is the utmost height to which the Apostle in that place carries the opposition and warring of the remainders of indwelling sin, closing the consideration of it with a complaint of the state and condition of believers thereby, and an earnest prayer for deliverance from it: "O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body of death?" What is contained in this expression, and intended by it, shall be declared in the ensuing observations.

[1] It is not directly the power and actings of the law of sin that are here expressed, but its success in its actings. But success is the greatest evidence of power; and leading captive in war, is the height of success. None can aim at greater success than to lead their enemies captive. And it is a peculiar expression, in the Scripture, of great success. So the Lord Christ, on his victory over Satan, is said to have "led captivity captive;" that is, to conquer him who had conquered and prevailed over others. And this he did, when by death he

"destroyed him that had the power of death, that is, the devil." Here, then, a great prevalency and power of sin, in its warring against the soul, is discovered. It so wars, as to lead captive; which, had it not greater power, it could not do, especially against that resistance of the soul, which is included in this expression.

[2.] It is said, that it leads the soul captive to the law of sin. Not to this or that particular sin, or actual sin, but to the law of sin. God, for the most part, ordereth things so, and gives out such supplies of grace to believers, as that they shall not be made a prey to this or that particular sin; that it should prevail in them, and compel them to serve it in the lusts thereof; that it should have dominion over them; that they should be captives and slaves to it.

This is that which David prays so earnestly against: "Cleanse thou me from secret faults; keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright." He supposes the continuance of the law of sin in him, which will bring forth errors of life; and secret sins, against which he findeth relief in pardoning and cleansing mercy, which he prays for. This, saith he, will be my condition. But for sins of pride and boldness, such as all sins are that get dominion in a man, that make a captive of a man, the Lord restrain thy servant from them! For whatever sin gets such power in a man, be it in its own nature small or great, it becomes, in him in whom it is, a sin of boldness, pride, and presump

tion.

For these things are not reckoned from the

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nature or kind of the sin, but from its prevalency and customariness, wherein its pride, boldness, and contempt of God doth consist. To the same purpose, if I mistake not, prays Jabez: "O that thou wouldst bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast; and that thine hand may be with me, and that thou wouldst keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me." The holy man took occasion from his own name to pray against sin, that that might not be a grief and sorrow to him, by its power and prevalency. I confess, sometimes it may come to this with a believer, that for a season he may be led captive by some particular sin. It may have so much prevalency in him as to have power over him. it seems to have been with David when he lay so long in his sin without repentance and was plainly so with those of whom God speaks in the prophet: "For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and smote him: I hid me, and was wroth, and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart. I have seen his ways, and will heal him." They continued under the power of their covetousness; so that no dealings of God with them, for so long a time could reclaim them. But, for the most part, when any lust or sin doth so prevail, it is from the advantage and furtherance that it hath got by some powerful temptation of Satan. He hath poisoned it, inflamed it, and entangled the soul. So the Apostle, speaking of such as through sin were fallen off from their holiness, says, "They were in the snare of the devil, being taken captive by him at his will." Though it were their own lusts that they served, yet they

were brought into bondage thereunto, by being entangled in some snare of Satan; and thence they are said to be taken alive, as a poor beast in a toil.

And here, by the way, we may a little inquire, whether the prevailing power of a particular sin in any, be from itself, or from the influence of temptation upon it; concerning which, at present take only these two observations:

ner.

1. Much of the prevalency of sin upon the soul is certainly from Satan, when the perplexing and captivating sin hath no peculiar footing nor advantage in the nature, constitution, or condition of the sinWhen any lust grows high and prevailing, more than others, upon its own account, it is from the peculiar advantage that it hath in the natural constitution, or the station or condition of the person in the world. For, otherwise, the law of sin gives an equal propensity to all evil, an equal vigour to every lust. When, therefore, it cannot be discerned that the captivating sin is peculiarly fixed in the nature of the sinner, or is advantaged from his education or employment in the world, the prevalency of it is peculiarly from Satan. He hath got to the root of it, and hath given it poison and strength. Yea, perhaps sometimes that which may seem to the soul to be the corrupt lusting of the heart, is nothing but Satan's imposing his suggestions on the imagination. If, then, a man find an importunate rage from any corruption that is not evidently seated in his nature, let him, as the Papists say, cross himself, or fly by faith to the cross of Christ, for the devil is nigh at hand.

2. When a lust is prevalent to captivity, where it