CHAPTER IV.

Indwelling Sin Enmity against God.

Thence its power. Admits of no peace nor rest: is against God himself: acts itself in aversion to God, and propensity to evil. Is universal-To all of

God-In all of the soul-Constant.

I shall

We have seen the seat and subject of this law of sin. In the next place, we might take a view of its nature in general, which also will manifest its power and efficacy, but upon this I shall not enlarge, it being not my design to declare the nature of indwelling sin, as it hath been done by others. therefore only in reference to our special design in hand, consider one property of it, that belongs to its nature; and this always wherever it is. And this is that which is expressed by the apostle, "the carnal mind is enmity against God;" that which is here called φρονημα της σαρκος, the wisdom of the flesh, is the same with the law of sin, on which we insist. And what says he hereof? why it is ἔχθρα προς τον Θεον, enmity against God. It is not only an enemy, (for so possibly some reconciliation of it to God might be made,) but it is enmity itself, and not capable of accepting any terms of peace. Enemies may be reconciled, but enmity cannot. Yea, the only way to reconcile enemies is to destroy the enmity. So the apostle in another case tells us, we who were enemies are reconciled unto God; that is, a work compassed and brought

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about by the blood of Christ, the reconciling of the greatest enemies. But when he comes to speak of enmity, there is no way for it, but it must be abolished and destroyed, having abolished in his flesh the enmity," there is no way to deal with any enmity whatever, but by its abolition or destruction.

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And this also lies in it, as it is enmity, that every. part and parcel of it, if we may so speak, the least degree of it that can possibly remain in any one, whilst and where there is any thing of its nature, is enmity still. It may not be so effectual and powerful in operation as where it hath more life and vigour, but it is enmity still. As every drop of poison is poison, and will infect, as every spark of fire is fire, and will burn; so is every thing of the law of sin, the last, the least of it; it is enmity, it will poison, it will burn. That which is any thing in the abstract, is still so whilst it hath any being at all. Our apostle, who may well be supposed to have made as great a progress in the subduing of it as any one on the earth, yet, after all, cries out for deliverance, as from an irreconcilable enemy. "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" The meanest acting, the meanest and most imperceptible working of it, is the acting and working of enmity. Mortification abates its force, but doth not change its nature. Grace changeth the nature of man, but nothing can change the nature of sin. Whatever effect be wrought upon it, there is no effect wrought in it, but that it is enmity still, sin still. Thus then by it is our state and condition. "God is love." He is so in himself, eternally excellent and desirable above all.

He is so to us; he is so in the blood of his Son, and in all the inexpressible fruits of it, by which we are what we are, and wherein all our future hopes and expectations are wrapped up. Against this God we carry about us an enmity all our days. An enmity that hath this from its nature, that it is incapable of cure or reconciliation. Destroyed it may be, it shall be, but cured it cannot be. If a man have an enemy to deal with that is too mighty for him, as David had with Saul, he may take the course that he did; consider what it is that provoked his enemy against him, and so address himself to remove the cause, and make up his peace: "If the Lord have stirred thee up against me, let him accept an offering; but if they be the children of men, cursed be they of the Lord." Come it from God or man, there is yet hopes of peace. But when a man hath enmity itself to deal with, nothing is to be expected but continual fighting to the destruction of one party. it be not overcome and destroyed, it will overcome and destroy the soul.

If

And here lies no small part of its power after which we are inquiring; it can admit of no terms of peace, of no composition. There may be a composition where there is no reconciliation; there may be a truce where there is no peace. But with this enemy we can obtain neither the one nor the other. It is never quiet, conquering nor conquered, which was the only kind of enemy of whom the famous warrior of old complained. It is in vain for a man to have any expectation of rest from his lust, but by its death; of absolute freedom, but by his own. Some in the tumultuating of their corruptions, seek

for quietness by labouring to satisfy them, "making provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof," as the apostle speaks. This is to slake fire by wood and oil. As all the fuel in the world, all the fabric of the creation, that is combustible, being cast into the fire, will not at all satisfy it, but increase it; so is it with satisfaction given to sin by sinning, it doth but inflame and increase it. If a man will

part with some of his goods to an enemy, it may satisfy him; but enmity will have all, and is not one whit more satisfied, than if he had received nothing at all. Like the lean cattle, that were nevertheless hungry for having devoured the fat. You cannot bargain with the fire to take but so much of your houses; ye have no way but to quench it. It is in this case, as it is in the contest between a wise man and a fool; "whether he rage or laugh, there is no rest." Whatever frame or temper he be in, his importunate folly makes him troublesome. It is so with this indwelling sin, whether it rage or laugh, whether it violently tumultuate, as it will do on provocations and temptations, it will be outrageous in the soul; and whether it seem to be pleased and contented to be satisfied, is all one, there is no peace, no rest to be had with it, or by it. Had it been of any other nature, some other way might have been fixed on; but as it consists in enmity, all the relief the soul hath must lie in its ruin.

Secondly, It is not only said to be enmity, but it is said to be enmity against God. It hath chosen a great enemy indeed. It is in several places stated as our enemy" Abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul." They are enemies to the soul,

that is, to ourselves. Sometimes as an enemy to the spirit: "The flesh lusteth or fighteth against the spirit." It fights against the spirit, or the spiritual principle that is in us, to conquer it; it fights against our souls to destroy them. It hath special ends and designs against our souls, and against the principle of grace that is in us; but its proper formal object is God, it is enmity against God. It is its work to oppose grace, it is a consequent of its work to oppose our souls, which follows upon what it doth, more than what it intends; but its nature and formal design is to oppose God; God as the Lawgiver, God as holy, God as the author of the gospel; a way of salvation by grace and not by works, is the direct object of the law of sin. Why doth it oppose duty," so that the good we would do, we do not, either as to matter or manner? Why doth it render the soul carnal, indisposed, unbelieving, unspiritual, weary, wandering? It is because of its enmity to God, with whom the soul aims to have communion in duty. It hath, as it were, that command from Satan, which the Assyrians had from their king" Fight neither with small nor great, save only with the king of Israel.' It is neither great nor small, but God himself, the king of Israel, that sin sets itself against. There lies the secret formal reason of all its opposition to good, even because it relates to God. May a road, a trade, a way of duties be set up, where communion with God is not aimed at, but only the duty itself, as is the manner of men in most of their superstitious worship; the opposition that will lie against it from the law of sin will be very weak, easy, and gentle. Or, as the As