repose of their fearful condition. As "when the strong man armed keeps his palace all is in peace," so, while sin holds its undisturbed possession, they are in peace, though they are enemies to God in their hearts, and live in an utter forgetfulness of him. And it is a certain indication of spiritual death, when there are no strugglings of the renewed heart with sin, which reigns in their mortal bodies; a sure symptom that there is no principle of grace in the soul, when they feel not the warring of the Spirit against the flesh, and the flesh against the Spirit. Such a deadly of the inner man ought to force across their minds the troubling conviction that they have not yet passed from death unto life. This is a transition which must be made ere they can see the kingdom of God. And those who have made this transition, and have the principles of a new life implanted in their souls, will feel the force and significancy of the Apostle's declaration, when he speaks of "crucifying the flesh with its affections and lusts;" and of the severe conflict which they have to maintain with "principalities and powers, and spiritual wickedness;" and the hazard to which they are exposed from the "adversary, who goes about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour;" and above all the danger to be apprehended from the most treacherous and deceitful of all their enemies, an evil heart of unbelief, which is constantly leading them to depart from the living God. But those who experience no pain from the crucifixion of the flesh, nor any harassing warfare with their spiritual enemies, nor any sensitive alarm from the wiles of the adversary, nor any fear of being betrayed by their own de ceitful hearts—if they feel none of these plagues and annoyances which the believer who has acquired a new nature experiences in the divine life, then have they the most satisfying of all demonstrations, that no principle of grace has been infused into their souls that the god of this world holds his exclusive and undisturbed empire over their hearts-and that they still remain among those who shall not inherit the kingdom of God. it But on these fertile topics we must restrain ourselves, and leaving our readers to gather from this instructive Treatise the many salutary lessons and admonitions which it is fitted to communicate, we shall conclude our remarks with the practical exhortation of the Apostle. Let sin reside as it may, must not be permitted to reign. He may be put up with as a most offensive and unpleasant inmate in the house-but let him be curbed and guarded, and not one item of authority be conceded to him. It is enough that one has to bear his hateful presence, but his tyranny is not to be tolerated. Against this there is ever to be upheld a manful, and strenuous, and persevering resistance. tress, but he is not to influence us. a constant prompting on his part to that which is evil-but the evil thing is not to be done, and the desire which incites to that thing is not to be obeyed. This is the strong and visible line of demarcation between the wilful sinner and the aspiring saint. of them have vile bodies charged with the elements of corruption, and impregnated with a moral virus, the working of which is towards sin and ungodliness. Both have one and the same constitutional He may disThere will be Both tendency. But the one follows that tendency, the other resists it; and as the fruit of that resistance, though not freed from its detested presence, he is at least emancipated from its domineering power. It lives in the house, but it is not master of the house; and is there so starved, and buffeted, and subjected to such perpetual thwarting, and mortification of every sort, that it gradually languishes, and becomes weaker, and, at length, with the life of the natural body, it utterly expires. The soul which acquiesced in its dominion has been sowing all along to the flesh, and of the flesh it shall reap corruption. The soul that struggled against its dominion, and refused compliance therewith, has, through the Spirit, mortified the deeds of the body, and shall live,-has all along been sowing to the Spirit, and of the Spirit shall reap life everlasting. St. Andrews, July, 1825. T. C. E CONTENTS. called. What kind of law it is. An inward effective principle called a law, The power of sin thence evinced, CHAP. III. The seat or subject of the law of sin, the heart. What meant thereby. Properties of the heart, as possessed by sin; unsearchable, deceitful. Whence that deceit ariseth. Improvement of those considerations, CHAP. IV. Indwelling sin enmity against God. Thence its power. Admits of no peace nor rest: is against God him- self: acts itself in aversion to God, and propensity to evil. Is universal-To all of God-In all of the soul-Constant, 66 CHAP. V. Nature of sin farther discovered, as it is en- mity against God. Its aversion to all good opened. Means to prevent the effects of it prescribed, CHAP. VI. The work of this enmity against God, by way of opposition. First, it lusteth. Wherein the lusting of Sin consisteth. In surprising of the soul; readiness to close with temptations; its fighting and warring. (1.) In rebel- lion against the law of grace. (2.) In assaulting the soul, 88 CHAP. VII. The captivating power of indwelling sin, wherein it consisteth. The prevalency of sin, when from itself, when from temptation. The rage and madness that CHAP. VIII. Indwelling sin proved powerful from its de- ceit. Proved to be deceitful. The general nature of de- 112 |