INIìWEI.LINCI SIN. 475 cidents, the hand of God is in them all 5. and that á merciful had if not defpifed : if it be, yet God doth good to others by it, the world is the better, and you are not fo wicked as you would be. [6.] We may alfa fee hence the great ufe of.magifiracy in the world, that great appointment of God. Amongft other things, it is peculiarly fubfervient to this holy providence, in ob'tru&ing thebringing forthofcon- ceived fn, namely, by the terrour of himthat bears the fword: God fixes that on the hearts of evil men which he expreffeth, Rom. 13.4. If thou do thatwhich is evil, be afraid, for thepower beareth not thefwordin vain, for'he is the miller ofGod, a revenger to execute wrath on them that do e- vil. God fixes this on the hearts of men, and by the dread and terrour of it clofeth the womb offin, that it 'ball not bring forth: When there was no king in Iliad, none to put to rebuke, and none of whom evil men were afraid, therewas woful work and havoclt anaongft the children of men made in the world, as we may fee in the lift chaptersof the book ofJudges. The greateft mercies and bleflings that in this world we are made partak- ers of next to them of the gofpel and covenant of grace, come to us.thrd this channel and conduit. And indeed, this whereof we have been (peak- ing, is the proper work ofmagiftracy, namely, tobe fubferiient to the pro- vidence of God in obítrufting the bringingforth of Conceived fin, Thefe then are fomeof the ways whereby God providentially prevents the bringing forth of fin, by oppofing obftacles to the power of the finner. And by them fin is not confurned, but 'hut up in the womb. Men are not burthened for it, but with it; not laden in their hearts and confcienes with its guilt, but perplexed with its power, which they are not able to exert and fatisfy. Theway that yet remains for confideration, whereby God obviates the produftion of conceived fin, is his working on the will of the finners, fd making fin to confurne away in the womb. There are two ways in general whereby God thus prevents the bringing forthofconceived fin, byworking on the will of the finner, and they are, r.) By reftraining grace. 2.) By renewing grace. He doch it foinetimes the one way, Sometimes the other, The firft of thefe is common to,reges nerate and unregenerate perfons, the latter peculiar to believers; and God doth it varioufly as to particulars by them both: We 'hall beginwith the firft of them. t.) God doch this in the way ofrefttaining grace, by font arrow of par. ticular conviftion, fixed in the heartand conference of the firmer, in refe- rence unto the particular fin which he had conceited. This ftaggers and changes the mind, as to the particular intended, caufeth the hands to hang down,and the weapons of tuft to fall out ofthem. Herebyconceived fin proves abortive, How God doth this work, by what immediate touches, ftrokes, blows, rebukes of his fpirit, by what reafonings, arguments, and commo_ tions of -teens own confciences, is not for ut tlaroughly to find out, it is done, as was faid, in unfpeakahle variety, and the works of God are paft finding out. But as to what light may be given unto it from fctipture in- fiances after we have manifefted the general way of God's procedure, it 'hall be infifted on. Thus then God dealt in the cafe of .Efaü and Jacob. Efau bad long conceivedhis brother's death, he comforted himfelf with the thoughts of it, and refolutions about it, Gen. xxvii. 4!. Al is the manner of profit- gate finners. Upon lais firft opportunity he comes forth to execute his in- tended rage, and Jaccob concludes that he would finite the mother witli the children, Gen..xxxii. ta. An opportunity is prefented unto this wick- ed
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