house hath to do, (that so we may keep to the allusion of indwelling, used by the apostle.) But it is so with this law, it so dwells in us, that it will be present with us in every thing we do; yea, oftentimes when with most earnestness we desire to be quit of it, with most violence it will put itself upon us: "when I would do good, it is present with me." Would you pray? would you hear? would you give alms? would you meditate? would you be in any duty acting faith on God, and love towards him? would you work righteousness? would you resist temptations? this troublesome perplexing indweller will still more or less put itself upon you, and be present with you; so that you cannot perfectly and completely accomplish the thing that is good, as our apostle speaks, ver. 18. Sometimes men, by hearkening to their temptations, stir up, excite, and provoke their lusts, and no wonder if then they find them present and active. But it will be so, when with all our endeavours we labour to be free from them. This law of sin dwells in us; that is, it adheres as a depraved principle to our minds in darkness and vanity, to our affections in sensuality, to our wills in a loathing of, and aversion from, that which is good; and by some more, or all of these, is continually putting itself upon us, in inclinations, motions, or suggestions to evil, when we would be most gladly quit of it.

Thirdly, It being an indwelling law, it applies itself to its work with great facility and easiness, like "the sin that doth so easily beset us." It hath a great facility and easiness in the application of itself to its work; it needs no doors to be opened to

it, it needs no engines to work by. The soul cannot apply itself to any duty of a man, but it must be by the exercise of those faculties wherein this law hath its residence. Is the understanding or the mind to be applied to any thing? there it is ignorance, darkness, vanity, folly, madness. Is the will to be engaged? there it is also in spiritual deadness, stubbornness, and the roots of obstinacy. Are the

heart and affections to be set on work? there it is in inclinations to the world, and present things, and sensuality, with proneness to all manner of defilements. Hence it is easy for it to insinuate itself into all that we do, and to hinder all that is good, and to further all sin and wickedness. It hath an intimacy, an inwardness with the soul, and therefore in all that we do, doth easily beset us. It possesseth those very faculties of the soul, whereby we must do what we do, whatever it be, good or evil. Now all these advantages it hath as it is a law, as an indwelling law, which manifests its power and efficacy. It is always resident in the soul, it insinuates itself into all its actings, and that with easiness and facility.

This is that law, which the apostle affirms that he found in himself; this is the title that he gives to the powerful and effectual remainders of indwelling sin even in believers, and these general evidences of its power have we from that appellation. Many there are in the world who find not this law in them, who, whatever they have been taught in the word, have not a spiritual sense and experience of the power of indwelling sin, and that because they are wholly under the dominion of it. They find not that

there is darkness and folly in their minds, because they are darkness itself, and darkness will discover nothing. They find not deadness, and an indisposition in their hearts and wills to God, because they are dead wholly in trespasses and sins. They are at peace with their lusts, by being in bondage to them. And this is the state of most men in the world, which makes them wofully despise all their eternal concerns. Whence is it that men follow and pursue the world with so much greediness, that they neglect heaven, and life, and immortality for it every day? Whence is it that some pursue their sensuality with delight? they will drink, and revel, and have their sports, let others say what they please. Whence is it that so many live so unprofitably under the word, that they understand so little of what is spoken to them, that they practise less of what they understand, and will by no means be stirred up to answer the mind of God in his calls to them? It is all from this law of sin, and the power of it that rules and bears sway in men, that all these things proceed; but it is not such persons of whom at present we particularly treat.

From what has been said, it will follow, that if there be such a law in believers, it is doubtless their duty to find it out, to find it so to be.

The more they find its power, the less they will feel its effects. It will not at all advantage a man to have a hectical distemper, and not discover it; a fire lying secretly in his house, and not to know it. So much as men find of this law in them, so much they will abhor it and themselves, and no more. Proportionably also to their discovery of it will be their

earnestness for grace, nor will it rise higher; all watchfulness and diligence in obedience will be answerable also thereto. Upon this hinge, or finding out, and experiencing the power and the efficacy of this law of sin, turns the whole course of our lives. Ignorance of it breeds senselessness, carelessness, sloth, security, and pride, all which the Lord's soul abhors. Eruptions into great, open, consciencewasting, scandalous sins, are from want of a due spiritual consideration of this law. Inquire then how it is with your souls; what do you find of this law, what experience have you of its power and efficacy? Do you find it dwelling in you, always present with you, exciting itself, or putting forth its poison with facility and easiness at all times in your duties, "when you would do good?" What humiliation, what self-abasement, what intenseness in prayer, what diligence, what watchfulness doth this call for at your hands! What spiritual wisdom do you stand in need of! What support of grace, what assistance of the Holy Ghost, will be hence also dis.covered! I fear we have few of us a diligence proportionable to our danger.

CHAPTER III.

The seat or subject of the law of Sin, the Heart. What meant thereby. Properties of the Heart, as possessed by Sin; unsearchable, deceitful. Whence that deceit ariseth. Improvement of these considerations.

HAVING manifested the remainders of indwelling sin in believers to be a law, and evinced in general the power of it from thence, we shall now proceed to give particular instances of its efficacy and advantages, from some things that generally relate to it as such. And these are three: first, its seat and subject; secondly, its natural properties; and thirdly, its operations, and the manner thereof, which principally we aim at, and shall attend to.

First, For the seat and subject of the law of sin, the Scripture everywhere assigns it to be the heart. There indwelling sin keeps its special residence. It hath invaded and possessed the throne of God himself: "Madness is in the heart of men whilst they live."

This is their madness, or the root of all that madness which appears in their lives: "Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies," &c. There are many outward temptations and provocations that befal men, which excite and stir them up to these evils. But they do but, as it were, open the vessel, and let out what is laid up and stored in it. The root, rise, and spring of all