f INDWELLING SIN. 427 feulions, commonly the beginning of this evil is in them. They crofs one another, and torture the foul with their impetuous violence. By this way is the rule of the law of grace intercepted by the law of fin, even by impofing upon it in the whole feat of its government. When this is done, it is fad work that fin will make in the foul. The apoftle warns believers to take heed hereof Rom. vi. 12. Let notfin therefore reign in your mor- tal bodies that you fiould obey it in the lulls thereof. Look to it that it get not the dominion, that it ufurp not rule, no not for a moment. It will labour to intrude itfelf into the throne, watch againft it, or a woful Efate and condition lies at the door. This then accompanies this rage and madnefs of the law of fin. It calls off during its prevalency the rule of the law of grace wholly. It fpeaks in the foul, but is not heard ; it commands the contrary, but is not obeyed. It cries out, Do oat this a- bominable thing which the Lord hateth, but is not regarded ; that is, not fó far as to he able to put a prefent flop to the rage of fin, and to recover its own rule, which God in his own time reftores to it by the power of his fpirit dwelling in us. (2.) Nladnefs or rage are accompanied with fearlefnefs and contempt of danger. It takesaway the power of conftderation, and all that influence that it ought to have upon the foul. hence Boners that are wholly un- der the power of this rage, are faid, to run uponGod andthe thick boffer of bis buckler, Job xvi. 21. That wherein he is armed for their utter ruin. They defpife the utmoft that he can do to them, being fecretly re- folved to aecomplifh their lulls though it col them their fouls. Some few confiderations will farther clear this unto us. 2.1 Oft-times when the foul is broken lode from the power of renew- ing grace, God deals with it to keep it within bounds by preventing grace. So the Lord declares that he will deal with Ifricel, Hof. ii. 6.. feeing thou haft rejelledme, I will take another courfe with thee, I will lay obftacles before thee, that thou flialt not be able to pafs on whether the fury of thy tufts would drive thee. He will propofe that to them from without, that (hall obfirufl them in their progrefs. 2.) Thefe hinderances that God lays in the way of (inners, as (hall be afterwards at large declared ; are of two forts. (r. Rational confiderations taken from the confequence of the fin and evil that the foul is folicited unto, and perplexed withal. Such are the fear of death, judgment, and hell, falling into the hands of the liv- ing God, who is a confuming fire. Whilfl a man is under the power of the law of the fpirit of life, The love of Chris l conflraineth him, 2 Cor. v. 14. The principle of his doing good and abilaining from evil, is faith, working by love, accompanied with a following of Chrift becaufe of the fsveet favour of his name. But now when this bleffed eafy yoke is for a feafon calf off, fo as was manifefted before, God fets an hedge of terrour before the foul, minds it of death and judgment to come, flashes the flames of hell fire in the face, fills the foul with confideration of all the evil confequence of fin to deter it from its purpofe. To this end loth he make ufe of allthreatnings recorded in the law and Gofpel. To this head alfo may be referred all the confiderations, that may be taken from things temporal, as Shame, reproach, fcandal, punifhments, and the like. By the confederation of thefe things, I fay doth God fet an hedge before them. 2. Providential difpenfations are ufed by the Lord to the fame purpofe, and thefe are of two forts. a.] Such as are fuited to work upon the foul, and to caufe it to deBIt and give over in its lufings and purfuit of fin. Such are afiftions and mercies,
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