souls. Though they have been taught somewhat of the doctrine of it, yet they know nothing of its power. They know it not so, as to deal with it as their mortal enemy. As a man, whatever he be told, cannot be said to know that he hath a hectical fever, if he love his life, and set not himself to stop its progress. This then the law doth, it discovers this enemy; it convinceth the soul that there is such a traitor harbouring in his bosom, Rom. vii. 7. 'I had not known sin but by the law, for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.' I had not known it, that is, fully, clearly, distinctly. Conscience will somewhat tumultuate about it; but a man cannot know it clearly and distinctly from thence. It gives a man such a sight of it, as the blind man had in the gospel upon the first touch of his eyes, 'He saw men like trees walking,' obscurely, confusedly; but when the law comes, that gives the soul a distinct sight of this indwelling sin. Again, I had not known it,' that is, the depths of it, the root, the habitual inclination of my nature to sin, which is here called lust; as it is by James, chap. i. 14. I had not known it or not known it to be sin, but by the law.' This then the law doth, it draws out this traitor from its secret lurking places, the intimate recesses of the soul. A man when the law comes is no more ignorant of his enemy; if he will now perish by him, it is openly and knowingly; he cannot but say that the law warned him of him, discovered him unto him, yea, and raised a concourse about him in the soul of various affections, as an officer doth, that discovers a thief or robber, calling out for assistance to apprehend him.

(2.) The law not only discovers sin, but discovers it to be a very bad inmate, dangerous, yea, pernicious to the soul; Rom. vii. 13. Was then that which is good,' that is, the law, 'made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good, that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.' There are many things in this verse wherein we are not at present concerned; that which I only aim at is, the manifestation of sin by the law, it appears to be sin; and the manifestation of it in its own colours, it appears to be exceeding sinful. The law gives the soul to know the filth

and guilt of this indwelling sin, how great they are, how vile it is; what an abomination, what an enmity to God, how hated of him, the soul shall never more look upon it as a small matter, what thoughts soever it had of it before, whereby it is greatly surprised. As a man that finds himself somewhat distempered, sending for a physician of skill, when he comes, requires his judgment of his distemper. He considering his condition, tells him, Alas, I am sorry for you, the case is far otherwise with you than you imagine, your disease is mortal, and it hath proceeded so far pressing upon your spirits, and infecting the whole mass of your blood, that I doubt unless most effectual remedies be used, you will live but very few hours. So is it in this case; a man may have some trouble in his mind and conscience about indwelling sin; he finds all not well, as it should be with him, more from the effects of sin, and its continual eruptions, than the nature of it, which he hopes to wrestle withal; but now, when the law comes, that lets the soul know, that its disease is deadly and mortal, that it is exceeding sinful, as being the root and cause of all his alienation from God; and thus also the law proceeds against it.

(3.) The law judgeth the person, or lets the sinner plainly know what he is to expect upon the account of this sin. This is the law's proper work, its discovering property is but preparative to its judging. The law is itself, when it is in the throne. Here it minceth not the matter with sinners, as we use to do one with another, but tells him plainly, 'Thou art the man,' in whom this exceeding sinful sin doth dwell, and you must answer for the guilt of it. And this, methinks, if any thing, should rouse up a man to set himself in opposition to it, yea, utterly to destroy it. The law lets him know that upon the account of this sin, he is obnoxious to the curse and wrath of the great God against him; yea, pronounceth the sentence of everlasting condemnation upon him upon that account: abide in this state and perish, is its language. It leaves not the soul without this warning in this world, and will leave it without excuse on that account in the world to come.

(4.) The law so follows on its sentence, that it disquiets and affrights the soul, and suffers it not to enjoy the least rest or quietness in harbouring its sinful inmate. When

ever the soul hath indulged to its commands, made provision for it, immediately the law flies upon it, with the wrath and terror of the Lord, makes it quake and tremble; it shall have no rest, but is like a poor beast that hath a deadly arrow sticking in its sides, that makes it restless wherever it is, and whatever it doth.

(5.) The law stays not here, but also it slays the soul, Rom. vii. 3. that is, by its conviction of the nature, power, and desert of this indwelling sin, it deprives him in whom it is of all that life of self-righteousness and hope, which formerly he sustained himself withal; it leaves him as a poor, dead, helpless, hopeless creature. And all this in the pursuit of that opposition that it makes against this sin. May we not now expect, that the power of it will be quelled, and its strength broken; that it will die away before these strokes of the law of God? but the truth is, such is its power and strength, that it is quite otherwise; like him whom the poets feign to be born of the earth, when one thought to slay him by casting him on the ground, by every fall he recovered new strength, and was more vigorous than formerly. So is it with all the falls and repulses that are given to indwelling sin by the law. For,

[1.] It is not conquered. A conquest infers two things in respect of the conquered; first, loss of dominion; and secondly, loss of strength. Wherever any one is conquered, he is despoiled of both these. He loses both his authority and his power. So the strong man armed, being prevailed against, he is bound, and his goods are spoiled. But now neither of these befalls indwelling sin by the assaults of the law; it loseth not one jot of its dominion nor strength by all the blows that are given unto it. The law cannot do this thing, Rom. viii. 3. it cannot deprive sin of its power and dominion, for he that is under the law is also under sin ;' that is, whatever power the law gets upon the conscience of a man, so that he fear to sin, lest the sentence and curse of it should befall him, yet sin still reigns and rules in his heart. Therefore, saith the apostle, Rom. vi. 14. Sin shall not have dominion over you, for ye are not under the law but under grace;' intimating plainly, that though a person be in never so much subjection to the authority of the law, yet that will not exempt and acquit him from the dominion of

sin. Yea, the law by all its work upon the soul, instead of freeing and acquitting it from the reign of sin and bondage unto it, doth accidentally greatly increase its misery and bondage; as the sentence of the judge on the bench against a malefactor adds to his misery. The soul is under the dominion of sin, and it may be, abides in its woful condition in much security, fearing neither sin nor judgment. The law setting upon him in this condition by all the ways forementioned, brings him into great trouble and perplexity, fear, and terror, but delivers him not at all. So that it is with the soul, as it was with the Israelites when Moses had delivered his message unto Pharaoh, they were so far from getting liberty by it, that their bondage was increased, and 'they found that they were in a very evil case;' Exod. v. 17. Yea, and we shall see, that sin doth like Pharaoh, finding its rule disturbed, it grows more outrageously oppressive, and doubles the bondage of their souls. This is not then the work of the law to destroy sin, or deprive it of that dominion which it hath by nature. Nor doth it by all these strokes of the law lose any thing of its strength. It continues both its authority and its force; it is neither destroyed, nor weakened. Yea,

[2.] It is so far from being conquered, that it is only enraged. The whole work of the law, doth only provoke and enrage sin; and cause it, as it hath opportunity, to put out its strength with more power, and vigour, and force than formerly. This the apostle shews at large, Rom. vii. 9-13. But you will say, Do we not see it by experience, that many are wrought upon by the preaching of the law, to a relinquishment of many sins, and amendment of their lives, and to a great contending against the eruptions of those other corruptions which they cannot yet mortify? and it cannot be denied, but that great is the power and efficacy of the law, when preached and applied to the conscience in a due manner. I answer,

1st. It is acknowledged, that very great and effectual is the power of the law of God. Great are the effects that are wrought by it; and it shall surely accomplish every end for which of God it is appointed. But yet the subduing of sin, is none of its work; it is not designed of God unto that purpose; and therefore it is no dishonour, if it cannot do that which is not its proper work, Rom. viii. 3.

2dly. Whatever effects it have upon some, yet we see that in the most, such is the power and prevalency of sin, that it takes no impression at all upon them. May you not see every where men living many years in congregations where the law is powerfully preached, and applied unto the consciences as to all the ends and purposes for which the Lord is pleased to make use of it, and not once be moved by it; that receive no more impression from the stroke of it, than blows with a straw would give to an adamant? They are neither convinced by it, nor terrified, nor awed, nor instructed, but continue deaf, ignorant, senseless, secure, as if they had never been told of the guilt of sin, or terror of the Lord. Such as these are congregations full of, who proclaim the triumphing power of sin over the dispensation of the law.

3dly. When any of the effects mentioned are wrought, it is not from the power of the letter of the law, but from the actual efficacy of the Spirit of God, putting forth his virtue and power for that end and purpose; and we deny not but that the Spirit of the Lord is able to restrain and quell the power of lust when he pleaseth; and some ways whereby he is pleased so to do we have formerly considered. But,

4thly. Notwithstanding all that may be observed of the power of the law upon the souls of men, yet it is most evident that lust is not conquered, not subdued, nor mortified by it. For,

(1st.) Though the course of sin may be repelled for a season by the dispensation of the law, yet the spring and fountain of it, is not dried up thereby. Though it withdraws and hides itself for a season, it is, as I have elsewhere shewed, but to shift out of a storm, and then to return again. As a traveller, in his way meeting with a violent storm of thunder and rain, immediately turns out of his way, to some house or tree for his shelter; but yet this causeth him not to give over his journey; so soon as the storm is over, he returns to his way and progress again. So it is with men in bondage unto sin they are in a course of pursuing their lust; the law meets with them in a storm of thunder and lightning from heaven, terrifies and hinders them in their way; this turns them for a season out of their course; they will run