G 396 The NATUI EaIUiPoW R up unto, and confequently bringing forth aftions conformable, and like unto it, of the fame kind and nature with its felf. And it is alto called atreafure for its abundance: It will never be exhaufted, it is not wafted by mens fpending on it : yea, the more lavilh men are of this flock, the more they draw out of this treafure, the more it grows and abounds: as men do not fpend their grace, but increafe it by its exercife, no more do-they their indwelling fin. The more men exercife'their'grace in t duties of obedience, themore it is flrengthened and encreafed.. And the more men exert and put forth the fruits of their loft, the more is that enraged and encreafed in them. It feeds upon itfelf, fwallows up its own poifon, and grows thereby. The more men fin, the more are they en- dined unto fin. It is from the deceitfulnefs of this law of fin, whereof we fhall fpeak afterwards at large, that men perfuade themfelves, that by this or that particular fin, they (hall fo fatisfy their tufts, as that they (hall need to fin no more. Every fin increafeth the principle, and fortifieth the habit of finning. It is an evil treafure that increafeth by doing evil. And where doth this treafure lye ? It is in the heart, there it is laid up, there it is kept in fafety. All the men in the world, ali the angels in heaven, cannot, difpoffefs a man of this treafure, it is fo fafely bred in the heart. The heart in the fcripture is varioufly ufed. Sometimes for the mind and underftanding ; fometimes for the will ; fometimes for the aff'eli- ons; fometimes for the confcience; fometimes for the whole foul. Ge- nerally it denotes the whole foul of man, and all the faculties of it, not abfolutely, but as they are all one principle of moral' operations, as they all concur in our doing good or evil. The mind as it engoireth, difcerneth, and judgeth what is to be done, what refufed ; the will, as it chufeth or refufeth, and avoids; the affellions as they like or diflike, cleave to, or have an averfation from that which is propofed to them. The conference as it warns, and determines, are altogether called the heart. And, in this fenfe it is that we fay the feat and fubjeft of this law of fin is the heart of man. Only we may add, that the fcripture fpeaking of the heart, as the principle of mens good or evil a£rons, loth ufually infinuate together with it two things belonging unto the manner of their performance, 1. A fuitablenefs and pleafin nefs unto the foul in the things that are done. When men take delight, and are pleafed in and with what they do, they are Paid to do it heartily, with their whole hearts. Thus when God lumfelf blefl'eth his people in love and delight, he fays, lie dots it with his whole heart, and his whole foul, Jer. mil. 41. 2. Refolution and conftancy in Such aftions. And this alto is denoted, in the metaphorical expreflion before ufed of a treafure, from whence men do conftantly take out the things which either they band in need of, or do intend to oft. This is the fubjeft, the feat, the dwelling place of this law of fin. The Heart as it is the entire principle ofmoral operations, of doing good or evil, as out of it proceed good or evil. Here dwells our enemy this is the fort, the citadel of this tyrant, where it maintains a rebelli- on againft God all our days. Sometimes it bath more brength, and confequently more fuccefs fometimes lets of the one, and of the other,' but is always in rebellion whillt we live. That we may in our paffage take a little view of the ílrength and power of fin from this feat and fubjeft of it, we may confider one or two
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