tations, to oppose them; watch against the aversion that is in sin, to prevent it. As we are not to give place to Satan, no more are we to sin. If it be not prevented in its first attempts, it will prevail. My meaning is, whatever good, as the apostle speaks, we have to do, and find evil present with us, as we shall find it present, prevent its parleying with the soul, its insinuating of poison into the mind and affections, by a vigorous, holy, violent stirring up of the grace or graces that are to be acted and set at work peculiarly in that duty. Let Jacob come first into the world; or, if prevented by the violence of Esau, leț him lay hold on his heel to overthrow him, and obtain the birthright. Upon the very first motion of Peter to our Saviour, crying, Master, spare thyself, he immediately replies, Get thee behind me, Satan. So ought we to say, Get thee gone, thou law of sin, thou present evil; and it may be of the same use to us. Get grace then, up betimes to duty, and be early in the rebukes of sin.

Thirdly, Though it do its worst, yet be sure it never prevail to a conquest. Be sure you be not wearied out by its pertinancy, nor driven from your hold by its importunity; do not faint by its opposition. Take the apostle's advice, "We desire that every one of you do show the same diligence, to the full assurance of hope unto the end; that ye be not slothful." Still hold out in the same diligence. There are many ways whereby men are driven from a constant holy performance of duties, all of them dangerous, if not pernicious to the soul. Some are diverted by business, some by company, some by the power of temptations, some discouraged by their own

darkness; but none so dangerous as this, when the soul gives over in part, or in whole, as wearied by the aversion of sin to it, or to communion with God in it. This argues the soul's giving up of itself to the power of sin, which, unless the Lord break the snare of Satan therein, will assuredly prove ruinous. Our Saviour's instruction is, that we ought "always to pray, and not to faint." Opposition will arise, none so bitter and keen as that from our Own hearts; if we faint we perish. "Take heed lest you be wearied," saith the apostle, "and faint in your minds." Such a fainting as is attended with a weariness, and that with a giving place to the aversion working in our hearts, is to be avoided, if we would not perish. The caution is the same with that of the same apostle-" Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing instant in prayer." And in general with that other "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lust thereof." To cease from duty, in part or in whole, upon the aversion of sin to its spirituality, is to give sin the rule, and to obey it in the lust thereof. Yield not then to it, but hold out the conflict; wait on God, and ye shall prevail: "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, and they shall walk and not faint." But that which is now so difficult, will increase in difficulty, if we give way to it. But if we abide in our station we shall prevail, the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.

Fourthly, Carry about a constant humbling sense of this close aversion to spiritualness, that yet lies in

our nature.

If men find the efficacy of it, what should, what consideration can be more powerful, to bring them to humble walking with God? That after all the discoveries that God hath made of himself to them, all the kindness they have received from him, his doing them good, and not evil, in all things, there should be yet such a heart of unkindness and unbelief still abiding, as to have an aversion lying in it to communion with him. How ought the thoughts of it to cast us into the dust, to fill us with shame and self-abhorrence all our days! What have we found in God, in any of our approaches or addresses to him, that it should be thus with us? What iniquity hath we found in him?

Hath he been a wilderness to us, or a land of darkness? Did we ever lose any thing by drawing nigh to him? Nay, hath not therein lain all the rest and peace which we have obtained? Is not he the fountain and spring of all our mercies, of all our desirable things? Hath he not bid us welcome at our coming? Have we not received from him more than heart can conceive, or tongue express? What ails then our foolish and wretched hearts, to harbour such a cursed secret dislike of him and his ways? Let us be ashamed and astonished at the consideration of it, and walk in an humbling sense of it all our days. Let us carry it about with us in the most secret of our thoughts. And as this is a duty in itself acceptable to God, who delights to dwell with them that are of an humble and contrite spirit, so it is of exceeding efficacy to the weakening of the evil of which we are treating.

Fifthly, Labour to possess the mind with the

beauty and excellency of spiritual things, that so they may be presented lovely and desirable to the soul, and this cursed aversion of sin will thereby be awakened. It is an innate acknowledged principle, that the soul of man will not keep up cheerfully to the worship of God, unless it have a discovery of beauty and comeliness in it. Hence, when men had lost all spiritual sense and savour of the things of God, to supply the want that was in their own souls, they invented outwardly pompous and gorgeous ways of worship, in images, paintings, pictures, and I know not what carnal ornaments, which they have called the beauties of holiness. Thus much, however, was discovered by this, that the mind of man must see a beauty, a desirableness in the things of God's worship, or it will not delight in it, aversion will prevail. Let then the soul labour to acquaint itself with the spiritual beauty of obedience, of communion with God, and of all duties of immediate approach to him, that it may be filled with delight in them. It is not my present design to discover the springs of that beauty and desirableness which is in spiritual duties in their relation to God, the eternal spring of all beauty; to Christ, the love, desire, and hope of all nations; to the Spirit, the great beautifier of souls, rendering them by his grace all glorious within; in their suitableness to the souls of men as to their actings towards their ultimate design, in the rectitude and holiness of the rule, to be observed when they are to be performed; but at present I only say, in general, that to acquaint the soul thoroughly with these things, is an eminent way of weakening the aversion spoken of.

CHAPTER. 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 rebellion against the Law of Grace. (2.) In assaulting the Soul.

How this enmity worketh by way of aversion hath been stated, as also the means the soul is to use for the preventing of its effects and prevalency. The second way whereby it exerts itself is opposition. Enmity will oppose and contend with that with which it is at enmity. It is so in things natural and moral. As light and darkness, heat and cold, so virtue and vice oppose each other. So it is with sin and grace, saith the Apostle: "These are contrary one to the other,” ἀλλήλοις ἀντίκειται; they are placed and set in mutual opposition, and that continually and constantly, as we shall see.

Now, there are two ways whereby enemies carry on opposition. First, By force; and, secondly, By fraud and deceit. So when the Egyptians became enemies to the children of Israel, and exercised their enmity against them, Pharaoh said, "Let us deal wisely," or rather cunningly and subtly, with this people; for so Stephen, with respect to this word, expresses it by naтασopioάμeros, Acts vii. 19. he used all manner of fraudulent sophistry. And to this deceit they added force, in their grievous