our nature.

If men find the efficacy of it, what should, what consideration can be more powerful, to bring them to humble walking with God? That after all the discoveries that God hath made of himself to them, all the kindness they have received from him, his doing them good, and not evil, in all things, there should be yet such a heart of unkindness and unbelief still abiding, as to have an aversion lying in it to communion with him. How ought the thoughts of it to cast us into the dust, to fill us with shame and self-abhorrence all our days! What have we found in God, in any of our approaches or addresses to him, that it should be thus with us? What iniquity hath we found in him? Hath he been a wilderness to us, or a land of darkness? Did we ever lose any thing by drawing nigh to him? Nay, hath not therein lain all the rest and peace which we have obtained? Is not he the fountain and spring of all our mercies, of all our desirable things? Hath he not bid us welcome at our coming? Have we not received from him more than heart can conceive, or tongue express? What ails then our foolish and wretched hearts, to harbour such a cursed secret dislike of him and his ways? Let us be ashamed and astonished at the consideration of it, and walk in an humbling sense of it all our days. Let us carry it about with us in the most secret of our thoughts. And as this is a duty in itself acceptable to God, who delights to dwell with them that are of an humble and contrite spirit, so it is of exceeding efficacy to the weakening of the evil of which we are treating.

Fifthly, Labour to possess the mind with the

beauty and excellency of spiritual things, that so they may be presented lovely and desirable to the soul, and this cursed aversion of sin will thereby be awakened. It is an innate acknowledged principle, that the soul of man will not keep up cheerfully to the worship of God, unless it have a discovery of beauty and comeliness in it. Hence, when men had lost all spiritual sense and savour of the things of God, to supply the want that was in their own souls, they invented outwardly pompous and gorgeous ways of worship, in images, paintings, pictures, and I know not what carnal ornaments, which they have called · the beauties of holiness. Thus much, however, was discovered by this, that the mind of man must see a beauty, a desirableness in the things of God's worship, or it will not delight in it, aversion will prevail. Let then the soul labour to acquaint itself with the spiritual beauty of obedience, of communion with God, and of all duties of immediate approach to him, that it may be filled with delight in them. It is not my present design to discover the springs of that beauty and desirableness which is in spiritual duties in their relation to God, the eternal spring of all beauty; to Christ, the love, desire, and hope of all nations; to the Spirit, the great beautifier of souls, rendering them by his grace all glorious within; in their suitableness to the souls of men as to their actings towards their ultimate design, in the rectitude and holiness of the rule, to be observed when they are to be performed; but at present I only say, in general, that to acquaint the soul thoroughly with these things, is an eminent way of weakening the aversion spoken of.

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 aversion hath been stated, as also the means the soul is to use for the preventing of its effects and prevalency. The second way whereby it exerts itself is opposi tion. Enmity will oppose and contend with that with which 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,” ἀλλήλοις ἀντίκειται; they are placed and set in mutual opposition, and that continually and constantly, as we shall see.

Now, there are two ways whereby enemies carry on opposition. First, By force; and, secondly, By fraud and deceit. So when the Egyptians became enemies to the children of Isracl, and exercised their enmity against them, Pharaoh said, "Let us deal wisely," or rather cunningly and subtly, with this people; for so Stephen, with respect to this word, expresses it by xαтασopioάμeros, Acts vii. 19. he used all manner of fraudulent sophistry. to this deceit they added force, in their grievous

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oppressions. 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 to 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."

Secondly, Its particular way of contending, "it fights, or wars."

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

Fourthly, Its growth and rage upon success, it comes up to madness, Eccl. ix. 3. as an enraged enemy will do.

First, In general, it is said to lust: "The flesh lusteth against the Spirit." This word expresseth the general nature of that opposition which the law of sin maketh against God, and the rule of his Spi

rit 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, so 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." "Make no provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof." 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, 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; 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 holy; and I pray God your whole spirit, and soul, and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." 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;" that is, it is also, and nothing else. And whatever remains of the old nature in the new