Of INDWELLING SIN. +77 Lion, but he feared the misltitude, becaufe they they accounted him as a prophet, Matth. xiv. 5. He had conceived his murder, and was free for the execution of it. God raifed this conlideration in his heart. If I kill him, the people will tumultuate, he hatha great party amonglt them, and feditionwill arifc that may colt me my life or kingdom. He feared the mul- titude, and durft nor execute the wirkednefs he had conceived, becaufe of the difficulty he forefaw he should be entangled withal. And. God made the argument effectual for the feafon ; for otherwifewe know that men will venture the utmoft hazards for the fatisfa&ionof their lulls, as -he alfo did afterwards. The Pharifees were in the very faine ftate and condition, Mat. xxi. 26. theywould fain have decried the minittryof John, but durst not for fear of the people , and verfe 46. of the faine chapter, by the faine ar- gument were they deterr'd from killing our faviour, who hadhighly pro- voked them by a parable, fetting out their deferved and approaching de- ftru&ion. They durst not do it for fear of a tumult among the people, feeing they looked on him as a prophet. Thus God over-awes the hearts of innumerable perfons in theworld every day, and caufeth them to de- felt from attempting to bring forth the fins which they had conceived. Difficulties they (hall be fore to meet withal, yea, it is likely, if they Ihould attempt ir, it would prove impoflible for them to áccomphfh. We owe much- of our quiet in this world unto the efficacy given to this confidera- tion in the hearts ofmen by the Holy Ghoft: adulteries, rapines, murders, are obviatedand ftifledby it. Men wouldengage into them daily, but that they judge it impoflible for them to fulfil what they aim at. [2. God doth it by an argument taken ab incommodo, from the intone ,iences, evils, and troubles that will. befal men in the purfuit of fin. If they follow it, this or that inçonvènience will enfue i this trouble, this evil, temporal or eternal. And this argument, as managed by the fpirit of God, is the great engine inhis hand, whereby he calls up banks, and gives bounds to the. l ifts of men, that they break not out to theconfufion of all that orderand beauty, whirls yet remains in the works of his hands. Paul gives us the generalimport of this argument, Rom. ii. 54, s 5. For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the lam, thefe having not the ldw, are a law unto themfelves, whichflew the work of the law written in their hearts, their confcience alfo bearing witnefs, and their thoughts the mean while accufing, or elfe excufing one another. If any men in the world may be thought- to be given up to purfue and fulfil all the fins that their lulls can conceive, it is thofe that have not the law, to whom the written lawof God doth not denounce the evil that attends it. > But though they have it not, faith the apoflle, they thew forth the work of it, they do many things which it requireth, and forbear or abftain from many things that it forbiddeth, and fo thew forth its work and efficacy. But whence is it that they fo do? Why, their thoughts ac- cufe, or excufe them. It is from the confideration andarguings that they have within thensfelves about fin, and its confequents, which prevail upon. them to abilain from many things that their hearts would carry them out unto. For Confcience is a man's prejudging ofhimfelf, with refpe& unto the future judgment of God. Thus Felixwas staggered in his purfuit of fin, when he trembled at Paul's preaching of righteoufnefs and judgment to come, Alts 24, 25. So Job tells us, that the confideration of punifhment from Godbath a ftrong influence on the minds of men, to keep them from fin, chap. xxxi. r, 2,3. How the Lord makes ufe of that confideration, e- ven towards his own, when they have broken the cords of his love, and colt off the rule of his grace for a feafon, I have before declar'd. Ee ee.ee [3. God
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