cry; but Chrift cried not from want of the ftrength of patience, but from the feeling of the firength of fin, the whole power and force of the fiery law.

2. Was not Chrift the Captain of all that were to fuffer afterwards? How came the martyrs to fuffer with joy, and yet the Captain to fall to the ground, and cry out of exceeding forrow? Was it not thro' the ftrength of Chrift, that all that ever did fuffer, were enabled to fuffer for his name what they did? Yea, but the matter was, he had fome ather thing to fuffer than they had; he had even the wrath of God, and the firength of fin to grapple with, which they had nothing to do with, he having thus taken it away.

3. Did not Chrift know what infinite good his fuffering would do, that he was to fave f many thousands of thoufands of figners, and that thus he was to reconcile God and man to glorify his Father, and to do the greatest work for God that ever was done, and to bring in a tribute of eternal praife from men and angels? And did he not know, that though his fufferings were extreme, yet they were to laft but a few hours, and then he was to be glorified? Why then was his fuffering fo dreadful to him? Why, becaufe then the whole ftrength of fin was preffing him, the whole ftrength of a broken law.

4. Had not Chrift the ftrength of an infinite Deity to fupport him? the divine nature to fupport the human? Was there not a perfonal union betwixt the divine and human nature at that time? Was he not God-man in one perfon? Yea, why then was his fuffering fo dreadful to him? Why, the strength of fin lighted on him with its whole weight, and the ftrength of fin brought on him the strength of the law, the ftrength of the broken law brought on him the ftrength of offended juftice, the ftrength of infinite juftice, brought on him the ftrength of infinite wrath and vengeance for fin; and therefore, though his ftrength was the ftrength of God, he behoved to cry and roar, and die under the strength of fin.

O my dear friends, you cannot conceive how infinite wisdom, though inventing a way from all eternity, to

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difcover the ftrength and dreadfulness of fin, could do it fo much to the life, as it is difcovered in the death and fufferings of the Son of God. If ever you see the evil and ftrength of fin here, you will fee it to be fin indeed.

IV. The Fourth head propofed was, to fhow whence the ftrength of fin comes, and where it lies. I fhall very fhortly fpeak to this, in thefe four particulars.

1. As the frength of a tree lies in the root of it, and the frength of the water lies in the fountain; so the ftrength of fin lies in the root and fountain of fin, viz. The original violation of the covenant of works, by our firft parents; the righteous imputation of that guilt unto us; and the total depravation of our nature, iffuing from thence, and called, A body of fin and death. Hence, no le's power can deftroy the ftrength of fin, than that power that can pull up the root, and dry up the foun

tain of fin.

2. As the ftrength of an army lies much in their general; fo the strength of fin and Iufts lies in their com mander the devil. I faid before, that fin is ftronger than the devil; and yet the devil may be faid to be the ftrength of fin, as a general or commander is the ftrength of an army; for, though the army may be ftronger than the general that commands it, yet his skill and management may be the principal caufe of their victorious power, while his leading and directing them gives them great advantage against their enemies. Thus the devil is the commander in fin's army, and the great quarter-mafter that fills the finner's heart, as it is faid of Ananias, Acts v. 3. "Why hath Satan filled thine heart to lye to the Holy Ghoft ?" It is the devil that fills the hearts of people to lye, and drink, and fwear, and do other acts of wickednefs; for, he rules in the children of difobedience, Eph. ii. 2. and the god of this world blinds the minds of them that believe not; and fo holds them under the ftrength of fin, in chains of darkness and ignorance. No lefs power, then, can fubdue the ftrength of fin, than that power that can deftroy the devil and his works.

3. As the ftrength of Samfon lay in his locks, and the ftrength of a fociety lies in their unity, or the ftrength of a company lies in their conjunction; fo the ftrength of fin lies in its union with the finner, and in its conjunction with and relation to him: the ftrength of finful lufts lies in their onenefs with, and relation to ourfelves. And for a man to deftroy his lufts, is to deny himself: they are fuch a part of a man's felf, that they feem to be the best part, and the moft powerful part of himself; his right-hand, his right-eye, his moft ufeful and powerful members; Mortify therefore your members that are upon the earth, Col. iii. 5. The power then that can deftroy the power and strength of fin, is fuch as can pull down felf, and all the members of it, and divide one member from another. The power that is neceffary for deftroying fin, is that divine power that can divide and feparate a man from himfelf, and even deflroy nature itfelf by a new creation.

4. As the ftrength of a kingdom lies in the conflitution and government thereof; fo the firength of fin lies in the law of works: The Strength of fin is the law. Now, to fhew how the law is the ftrength of fin, is the fubject of the next doctrine, which I defign to treat of afterwards. In a word, as the command of the law irritates fin, and gives it a commanding power over the finner; and as the threatening of the law curfes fin, and gives it a condemning power over the finner; fo the power alone that can bring down the ftrength of fin, muft be fuch as can give full fatisfaction both to the precept and penalty of the law of works. And whereas fin draws its commanding ftrength from the violated precept, and its condemning firength from the incurred fanction of the law, and yet the precept of the law derives its ftrength from the holiness of God, and the fanction of the law derives its ftrength from the juftice of God; therefore, the power that can vanquish fin, muft be fuch as can give infinite holinefs all the obedience it commands in the precept, and infinite juftice all the fatisfaction it demands in the threatening of the Faw: confequently no man is freed from the power, ftrength, and dominion

of fin, till he be unbottomed from the law as a covenant of works, united to Chrift the fecond Adam, and invested with his everlafting law-biding righteoufnels.

V. The fifth thing propofed, was, to make fome application of this doctrine. Is it fo, that fin is fuch a ftrong and powerful thing as I have fhown? Then hence we may learn,

1. That it is no eafy matter to be delivered from the power and flrength of fin. Let Arminians magnify the power of man's nature and free-will as they please; yet let us hence fee the need of the power of God, and magnify the power of fovereign grace. If any man think fo proudly of himfelf, that he can, at his own will and pleafure, deliver himfelf from the bondage of corruption, he is both ignorant of the ftrength of fin, declaring himfelf to be under the power of it, and running on in the way to his own eternal ruin; yea, by fuch a conceit as this, fin gathers more and more ftrength, and holds finners fo much the fafter under its power; for thus they are hardened in a continuance in that courfe which they fancy they can reform when they will; and hence, though their time of returning to God is always, even when they will; yet that time never comes. To will is prefent with a child of God many times, Rom. vii. 18. when he finds an oppofing power of fin withstanding him but a prefent will to come to Chrift, and forfake all fin, is never prefent with a natural man. A future will be may have, thinking that after fuch or fuch a time he will repent, and reform, and come to Chrift; but that future will is a prefent nill and denial. The ftrength of fin remains in the will, and will remain there, unless a day of power come to make him willing.

2. If fin hath fuch a ftrength, then fee the miferable thraldom of Chriftlefs finners; they are flaves to the bafeft mafter in the world, namely, fin: and if they live and die in that flavery, they are to have the fearfulleft wages, and that is death. As nothing is more bafe than fin, fo nothing is more bitter than death. You have heard of the mifery of galley-flaves among the Turks, who ufe to chain

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them to their feats, and fcourge them cruelly with rods; how fweet is it to be delivered from fuch bondage! But, alas! what is a Turk to a devil? What is the labour of cars to the fervice of fin, and the torments of hell?

3. If fin hath fuch a ftrength, then fee the neceffity of regeneration, and the power of grace to break the power of fin. It was the fpeech of one to a fkilful philofopher, that upon the calculation of his nativity, had foretold him fome pecialities concerning his future ftate: he anfwered in this manner, Such, perhaps, I was born "at firft; but, fince that time, I have been born again; "and my fecond nativity hath croft my firft." Some will excufe their fin from their birth, and excufe their wickedness by their natural inclination, faying, I am born choleric, I am born covetous, I am born amorous, or born thus and thus vicious: why, indeed the power of nature is a plaufible plea for thefe that acknowledge no power above nature; but for a profeffed Chriftian to excufe his fin from his nature; is an apology worfe than the fault; for, wherefore ferves the power of godlinefs, but to fubdue the power of fin, and to govern nature? We are fo far Chriftians, indeed, as we have the power and government over ourfelves by the power of regenerating grace; and religion, without this, is nothing but form and fpeculation.

4. If fin be fo ftrong, then converfion is a miracle, an inward miracle. Outward miracles cannot convert a man, where there is no inward power accompanying them. Ten miraculous plagues could not convert Pharaoh; the thunder, and hail, and frogs, and flies, and lice, and locufts, were defiroying the land of Egypt, but could not deftroy Pharaoh's pride and obftinacy: nor could all the miracles that Chrift wrought, destroy the Pharifees pride and infidelity. And do we not daily' fee, from fad experience, how the ftrength of fin makes men break through the thousands of means, that might be thought would be effectual to converfion, fuch as vows, promifes, mercies, croffes, fick nefs, convictions, terrors, fermons, warnings, challenges; yea, and break

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