CHAPTER XIV.

The power of Sin farther demonstrated by the effects it hath had in the lives of professors. First, In actual sins: Secondly, In habitual declensions.

We now are to proceed to other evidences of that sad truth, which we are in the demonstration of. But, the main of our work being past through, I shall be more brief in the management of the arguments that do remain.

That, then, which in the next place may be fixed upon, is the demonstration which this law of sin hath in all ages given of its power and efficacy, by the woful fruits that it hath brought forth, even in believers themselves. Now, these are of two sorts: First, The great actual eruptions of sin in their lives. Secondly, Their habitual declensions from the frames, state, and condition of obedience, and communion with God, which they had obtained. Both which, by the rules of James before unfolded, are to be laid to the account of this law of sin, belong to the fourth head of its progress, and are both of them convincing evidences of its power and efficacy.

First, Consider the fearful eruptions of actual sins, that have been in the lives of believers, and we shall find our position evidenced. Should I go through at large with this consideration, I must recount all the sad and scandalous failings of the

saints, that are left on record in the Holy Scripture. But the particulars of them are known to all; so that I shall not need to mention them, nor the many aggravations that in their circumstances they are attended with; only some few things, tending to the rendering of our present consideration of them useful, may be remarked. As,

First, They are, most of them, in the lives of men that were not of the lowest form, or ordinary sort of believers, but of men that had a peculiar eminency in them, on the account of their walking with God in their generations. Such were Noah, Lot, David, Hezekiah, and others. They were not men of an ordinary size, but higher than their brethren, by the shoulders and upwards, in profession, yea, in real holiness. And surely that must needs be of a mighty efficacy, that could hurry such giants in the ways of God, into such abominable sins as they fell into. An ordinary engine could never have turned them out of the course of their

obedience. It was a poison that no athletic constitution of spiritual health, no antidote could withstand.

Secondly, And these very men fell not into their great sins at the beginning of their profession, when they had had but little experience of the goodness of God, of the sweetness and pleasantness of obedience, of the power and craft of sin, of its impulsions, solicitations, and surprisals, but after a long course of walking with God, and acquaintance with all these things, together with innumerable motives to watchfulness. Noah, according to the lives of men in those days of the world, had walked up

rightly with God some hundreds of years, before he was so surprised as he was. Righteous Lot appears to have been towards the end of his days, ere he defiled himself with the abominations recorded. David, in a short life, had as much experience of grace and sin, and as much close spiritual communion with God, as ever any of the sons of men had, before he was cast to the ground by this law of sin. So was it with Hezekiah, in his degree, which was none of the meanest. Now, to set upon such persons, so well acquainted with its power and deceit, so armed and provided against it, that had been conquerors over it for so many years, and to prevail against them, it argues a power and efficacy, too mighty for every thing but the Spirit of the Almighty to withstand. Who can look to have a greater stock of inherent grace than those men had? To have more experience of God, and the excellency of his ways, the sweetness of his love, and of communion with him, than they had? Who hath either better furniture to oppose sin withal, or more obligations so to do, than they? And yet we see how fearfully they were prevailed against!

Thirdly, As if God had permitted their falls on set purpose, that we might learn to be wary of this powerful enemy, they all of them fell out when they had newly received great and stupendous mercies from the hand of God, that ought to have been strong obligations to diligence and watchfulness in close obedience. Noah was but newly come forth of that world of waters, wherein he saw the ungodly world perishing for their sins, and himself preserved by that astonishing miracle, which all ages must ad

mire: whilst the world's desolation was an hourly remembrancer to him of his strange preservation by the immediate care and hand of God, he falls into drunkenness. Lot had newly seen that, at which every one that thinks on it cannot but tremble. He saw, as one speaks, hell coming out of heaven upon unclean sinners; the greatest evidence, except the cross of Christ, that God ever gave in his providence, of the judgment to come. He saw himself and children delivered by the special care and miraculous hand of God; and yet, while these strange mercies were fresh upon him, he fell into drunkenness and incest. David was delivered out of all his troubles, and had the necks of his enemies given him round about; and he makes use of his peace from a world of trials and troubles, to contrive murder and adultery. It was immediately after Hezekiah's great and miraculous deliverance, that he falls into his carnal pride and boasting. I say, their falls in such seasons seem to be permitted on set purpose, to instruct us all in the truth we have in hand; so that no persons, in no seasons, with what furniture of grace soever, can promise themselves security from its prevalency, any other way than by keeping close constantly to Him, who hath supplies to give out, that are above its reach and efficacy.Methinks this should make us look about us. we better than Noah, who had that testimony from God, that he was a "perfect man in his generation, and walked with God ?" Are we better than Lot, "whose righteous soul was vexed with the evil deeds of ungodly men," for which he is commended by the Holy Ghost? Are we more holy, wise, and

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watchful than David, who obtained this testimony, that he was 66 a man after God's own heart?" Or

better than Hezekiah, who appealed to God himself, that he had served him "uprightly with a perfect heart?" and yet we see what prevalency this law of sin wrought in and over them. And there is no end of the like examples. They are all set up as buoys, to discover to us the sands, the shelves, the rocks, upon which they made their shipwreck, to their hazard, danger, loss: yea, and would have done to their ruin, had not God been pleased, in his faithfulness, graciously to prevent it. And this is the first part of this evidence of the power of sin from its effects.

In the second part, it manifests its power in the habitual declensions from zeal and holiness, from the frames, state, and condition of obedience, and communion with God, whereunto they had attained, which are found in many believers. Promises of growth and improvement are many and precious, the means excellent and effectual, the benefits great and unspeakable, yet it often falls out, that instead hereof, decays and declensions are found upon professors, yea, in and upon many of the saints of God. Now, whereas this must need principally and chiefly be from the strength and efficacy of indwelling sin, and is therefore great evidence thereof, I shall first evince the observation itself to be true; namely, that some of the saints themselves do oftentimes so decline from that growth and improvement in faith, grace, and holiness, which might justly be expected from them; and then show that the cause of this evil lies in that of which we are treating: and that it is the cause of total apos