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II. The fecond thing promifed here was, To fhew what ftrength it is that fin hath from the law. In general, all the strength it hath is from that violated law of works; it would have no ftrength to enflave us; no ftrength to ruin us, if there were no law violated thereby; Rom. iv. 15. "Where no law is, there is no tranfgreffion," no fin: and where no fin is, there is no ftrength of fin; confequently, where a broken law is, there is fin and its ftrength; and fo the ftrength of fin is the broken law: thus, whatever ftrength fin hath, it is from the law. But more particularly, I name only a fix-fold ftrength that fin hath from the violated law of works,

viz.

1. The commanding ftrength of fin is from the law; hence fin is faid to have dominion over all that are under the law, Rom. vi. 16. For it is there declared, that it shall not have dominion over them that are not under it and juft it is, that man, who would not remain under the command of God, fhould be put under the command of fin; yea, it follows neceffarily, that these who cannot be fubject to the law of God, must be subject to the law of fin. Sin receives from the law a kind of title to the dominion and rule over all the breakers of it, that remain under it, and through unbelief abide out of Chrift, the end of the law for righteoufnefs. How the commanding ftrength of fin is from the law, may appear more clearly afterwards; only, it cannot be otherwife, if you confider it as a broken law. Where the law is not broken, the law hath the command; but where the law is broken, which is a tranfgreflion of the law, there fin hath the command. It is true, the commanding power of the law ftill remains in point of cbligation, infomuch, that all that are under it are obliged to obey it upon pain of death; but the tranfgreffor of the law is under the commanding power of fin, in point of fubjection; infomuch, if he is enflaved to it, and willingly captivated by it: the broken law then is the strength of fin, because the breaking of the command of the law neceffarily brings a man under the command of fin. Though he remain under the command of the law, in

point of original, righteous, and indiffolvable obligation; yet he is under the command of fin, in point of fubjection: hence the strength of fin to command, is the law as it is broken by fin; the refufing of fubjection to the law of God, is a chufing of fubjection to the law of fin: to break the command of God, is to give the command to fin; and therefore the commanding ftrength of fin ne ceffarily iffues from the law, as it is broken by fin.

2. The condemning ftrength of fin, is from the law; this is more eafy to be understood, therefore I infift not much upon it: fin would have no ftrength to condemn us, if the law did not condemn fin, faying, Curfed be the breaker of it, Gal. ii. 10. Now, all men are included under fin; therefore, all are under the curfe that remain under the law. The law hath paft a fentence of condemnation upon all finners; and this gives fin a firength to condemn. It is true, fin hath no frength to condemn a believer; "There is no condemnation to them that are in Chrift," becaufe the law is fatisfied, both in the commanding and curfing part thereof, in and by their head Jefus Chrift; yea, they are not under the law, but under grace, being united to Chrift, the end of the law: therefore, though the law ftill condemn their fin, yet it cannot condemn their perfon, nor involve a member of Chrift under the curfe. They may be afraid of condemnation through unbelief; but they are more frighted than hurt. But as to all that are out of Chrift, fin hath a condemning power over them; and this it hath from the law, which not only condemns their fin, but their perfon: the condemning fentence lights and terminates on the finner, that hath no covert to fecure him therefrom.

3. The working ftrength of fin is from the law: finis no idle thing in the finner; nay, it is a working thing; and whence its working ftrength flows, fee Rom. vii. 5. 8. The motions of fin that are by the law, did work in our members, to bring forth fruit unto death." Why are the motions of fin faid to be from the law, and thefe motions faid to work in our members, but to fhew that the working ftrength of fin is from the law? And how

that

that is, the apoftle explains, verfe 8. "For fin, taking occafion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupifence." Hence,

2. The warring ftrength of fia is from the law; hence, Rom. vii. 23. it is called the law in the members, warring against the law in the mind: yea, it wars and wins both; for it conquers and captivates even the children of grace, leading them captive to the law of fin and death. This warring ftrength of fin iffues out of the working ftrength of it, for the work of it is the warfare of it; therefore, if the working strength of it be from the law, so must the warring ftrength of it be and if it work, and war in believers, how powerfully does it work and carry all before it in thefe that have no true grace, and when it meets with no oppofition? It is true, the ftrength of it appears moit, where there is moft oppofition to it; but yet they are most under the ftrength of it, to whom the itrength of it does leaft appear.

5. The wounding ftrength of fin is from the law. Whence comes a wounded spirit, but from fin? Whence comes the wounded strength of fin, but from the law? A wounded Spirit who can bear? Why, what makes it intolerable? Even because the broken law prefents the intolerable wrath of God, the interminable wrath of God, the everlafting wrath of God, as the native fruit of fin: and when eternal wrath and eternal death is ftinging and tormenting the man's confcience, what is then a-doing? Why, the matter is, The fting of death is fin, and the Strength of fin is the law; and that fting is fticking in the heart, and wounding the fpirit. Many, indeed, are not wounded by fin, because fin is fleeping, and the guilty confcience fleeping; but, the lefs they fee of the wounding ftrength of fin, the more wounds are abiding them, when fin revives and confcience wakens.

6. The killing ftrength of fin is from the law, and the deltroying power thereof; for the wages of fin is death by the law, Rom. vi. 23.; foul-death, as well as bodily death: and the text fays, that as fin is the fling of death, fo the law is the ftrength of fin. And thus the law not only hath a condemning ftrength, that it derives from fin, but a damning and deftroying ftrength alfo; fin

could

could not damn the finner, if the law did not damn fin, and give a damning ftrength thereunto. All that die out of Christ, and under the law, will ly under the damning and destroying strength of fin for ever, which it derives from the law. Thus the most part are miferably flain by fin to eternity. There are fome few, that are mercifully flain by it in time, as the apofile fays, Rom. vii. 11. "For fin, taking occafion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it flew me :" it flew him, and put an end to his felf-righteous life; "I was alive without the law once; but when the commandment came, fin revived, and I died," ver. 9. This is when the Spirit of God fhews to a man the spirit of the law, that had ftudied nothing before but the letter of it, and fo kills all his hopes of life and juftification by the deeds of the law. Thus you have a hint at the ftrength that fin derives from the law; and whatever other ftrength it hath, is reducible to these particulars named.

III. The third thing propofed, was, To fhew, what fin the law is the ftrength of. In general, the law is the firength of all fin, whether original or actual. The apoftle fpeaks here of fin in general; The strength of fin is the law. More particularly,

[1] The law is the ftrength of original fin, whether imputed or inherent. Imputed original fin, you know, is the guilt of Adam's first fin, which is ours by imputation inherent original fin is the total want of original righteousness, and the corruption of the whole nature, which we have by derivation from Adam. Now, the ftrength of both is the law, and the ftrength of both remains in all that are under the law, and out of Chrift; for, while men are under the law, they are members of the first Adam, in whom as their federal head, they ftand guilty of the first fin, the violation of the law, or covenant of works; and from whom, as their natural root, they derive the whole depravation and corruption of their nature: for, By the offence of one, judgment came upon all men unto condemnation; and, By one man fin entered into the world, Rom. v. 12. 18. The ftrength then of this original guilt and corruption flows from the vio

lated

lated law all that are under the law, are guilty and filthy by nature, before ever they be capable of actual fin. The most innocent-like children that are born, and come of Adam, are nothing but a generation of vipers by nature; the venom of the ferpent is in

them.

[2.] The law is the ftrength of all actual fin: it is not only the ftrength of the root, but the strength of the fruit; and, indeed, being the ftrength of the fountain, it must be the ftrength of the ftreams. The fountain of fin is the ftrength of fin; and if the law be the ftrength of the fountain, it is the ftrength of the streams of fin. While a man is out of Chrift, the ftrength of fin remains, even though it were poffible that he had not been guilty of any actual fin; because the strength of original fin, both imputed and inherent, remains, while he remains under the power of a violated law. But with respect to actual fin, both inward and outward, the ftrength thereof is this broken law, that men remain under, while they remain in unbelief, and out of Christ. For inftance,

4. The ftrength of Atheism arifes from the broken law that men are under; hence, all that are without Christ, are faid to be without God, [or, ATHEISTS,] in the world, Eph. ii. 12. The power of Atheism is never broken, while people are under the law; because, as the broken law can give them no right notions of God, being never defigned of God as the mean of the faving knowledge of God to a finner, fo it fills the finner with wrong notions of God, who is not to be found in the law, but in the gospel. Since the violation of the law by fin, God, in a manner, is gone out of the law, and is to be found no where but in Chrift and the gospel. Now, when the finners, that are under the law, cannot apprehend God, or feek him any-where but where they themfelves are, namely, in the law, and under the law; and as he is not there to be feen and found, no wonder that they begin to think that he is no-where, and confequently to fay in their heart, There is no God, and thus Atheism is ftrengthened: and hence the most part of men have no clear notions of God at all, because they

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