Of INDWELLING SIN. 45[ againft God, bywhom it was feverely forbidden. So the apoftle informs us, that in our dealing in any thing that is againft the law, our refped is ftill to be unto the lawgiverand his fovereignty ; James iv. tt, 12. If thou judge the law, thouart nota doer ofthe law, but a judge ; there is one lawgiver who 4 able to fave and to deflroy. Confider this always, there is one lawgiver, holy, righteous, armed with fovereign power and authority ; he is able to fave and deftroy. Hence fin iscalled a rebellion, a callingoffhis yoak,a defpi- ling of him, and that in his fovereignty, as thegreat lawgiver; and this ought the mindalways practically to attend unto,in all theluftings,adingsand fuggef- tions ofthe law of fin, efpecsallywhenadvantaged by any fuitableor vigorous temptation. It is God that hath forbidden this thing, the great lawgiver, under whofe abfolute fovereignty I am, in dependance on whom I live, and by whom I am to be difpofed of, as to my prefent and eternal con- dition. This Eve fixed on at thebeginning of her temptation, God bath faid, we mull not eat of this tree, Gen. iii. 3. but fhe kept not her ground,, 4he abode not by that confideration, but fuffered her mind to be diverted from it by the fubtilty of fatan, which was the entrance of her tranf greffron; and fo it is unto us all in our deviations from obedience. (2.) The deceit of fin, ofevery fin, the punifhment appointed unto it in the law, is another thing that .the mind ought adually to attend unto, in reference unto every particular evil. And thediverfions from this, that the minds of men have been doctrinally and pradicall attended withal, have been an inlet into all manner of abominations. yob profeffeth ano- ther frame in himfelf, chap. xxxi. 23. Deflrudion from God was a terreur unto one, and by reafon of his bighnefs I could not endure. Many evils he had mentioned in the foregoing.verfes, and pleads his innocency from them, although they were fuck as upon the account of his`greatnefs and power, he could have committed eafily without fear of danger from men. Here hegives the reafon that prevailed with him fo carefully toabstain from them, deflruliion from God was a terreur to me, and by reafon ofhis high- nefs I could not endure. I confidered, faith he, that God had appointed d ath and deftru&ion for the punifhment offin, and that fach was his great- net's, highnefs and power, that he could inflid it unto the uttermoft, in fuch a way as no creature is able to abide or to avoid, So the apoftle directs believers always to confider what a fearful thing it is tofall into the bands of the livingGod, Heb. x. 31. And that becaufe he hath laid,ven- geance is mine, I will recompence, ver. 3o. He is a fin avenging God, that will by no means acquit the guilty; as in the declaration of his gracious name, infinitely full of encouragements to poor finners in Chrift, he adds that in the clofe, that he will by no means clear the guilty, Exode xxxiv 7e That he may keep upon the minds of them whom he pardoneth, a due fenfe of the punifhment that is due from his vindictive juftice unto every fin. And fo the apoftle would have us mind, that even our God is a confuming fire, Heb. xii. 29. that is, that we fhould confider his hohinefs and vin- didive juftice, appointing unto fin a meet recompence of reward. And men's breaking through this confideration, lie reckons as the heighthof the aggravation of their fins, Rom. i. 32. They knew that it is the judgment of God, that they which commit fuch things were worthy of death, yet continued to do them? What hope is there for fuch perfons ? There is indeed relief againft this confideration for humbled believing fouls in the blood of Chrift ; but this relief is not to take off the mind from it, as it is appointed of God to be a reftrairit from fin. And both thefe considerations, even the fovereignty of Cod, and the punillunent of fin, are put together by our Saviour, Matha. 28. Fear not ahem
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