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obedience, and so to call our performing those works, which have many imperfections adhering to them, a state of perfection, which is to make it an easier matter to be a Christian than God has made it. Thus concerning the thing supposed in this answer, viz. that the work of sanctification is imperfect in this life.

But before we dismiss this head, we shall enquire, why God does not bring this work to perfection at once, which he could easily have done, and, as it is certain, will do, when he brings the soul to heaven. In answer to which, we shall consider in general, that it is not meet for us to say unto God, Why dost thou thus especially considering that this, as well as many of his other works, is designed to display the glory of his sovereignty, which very eminently appears in the beginning, carrying on, and perfecting the work of grace; we may as well ask the reason, why he did not begin the work of sanctification sooner? or, why he makes use of this or that instrument, or means, to effect it rather than another? which things are to be resolved into his own pleasure: but since it is evident that he does not bring this work to perfection in this world, we may adore his wisdom herein, as well as his sovereignty. For,

1. Hereby he gives his people occasion to exercise repentance and godly sorrow for their former sins committed before they were converted. Perfect holiness would admit of no occasion to bring past sins to remembrance; whereas, when we sin daily, and have daily need of the exercise of repentance and godly sorrow, this gives us a more sensible view of past sins. When corrupt nature discovers itself in those that are converted, they take occasion hereby to consider how they have been transgressors from the womb; as David, when he repented of his sin in the matter of Uriah, at the same time that he aggravated the guilt of his crime, as it justly deserved, he calls to mind his former sins, from his very infancy, and charges that guilt upon himself which he brought into the world; Be hold I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me, Psal, li, 5. And when Job considers God's afflictive pro vidences towards him, as designed to bring sin to remembrance, and desires that he would make him to know his transgression and his sin; he adds, Thou writest bitter things against me, and makest me to possess the iniquities of my youth, Job. xiii. 23, 26. sins committed after conversion were brought to mind, and ordered as a means to humble him for those that were committed before it. As for sins committed before conversion, they could not, at that time, be said truly to be repented of, since that would be to suppose the grace of repentance antecedent to conversion; therefore if the work of sanctification were to be immediately brought to perfection, this

perfect holiness would be as much attended with perfect happiness, as it is in heaven, and consequently godly sorrow would be no more exercised on earth, than it is there; whereas God, in ordering the gradual progress of the work of sanctification, attended with the remainders of sin, gives occasion to many humbling reflections, tending to excite unfeigned repentance, not only for those sins committed after they had experienced the grace of God; but for those great lengths they ran in sin before they had tasted that the Lord was gracious; and therefore he does not bring the work of sanctification to perfection in this present world.

2. Another reason of this dispensation of providence, is, that believers, from their own experience of the breakings forth of corruption, together with the guilt they contract thereby, and the advantage they receive in gaining any victory over it, may be furnished to administer suitable advice, and give warning to those who are in a state of unregeneracy, that they may be persuaded to see the evil of sin, which, at present, they do not.

3. God farther orders this, that he may give occasion to his people to exercise a daily conflict with indwelling sin.. He suffers it to give them great disturbance and uneasiness, that hereby they may be induced to endeavour to mortify it, and be found in the exercise of those graces which are adapted to an imperfect state, such as cannot be exercised in heaven; nor could they be exercised here on earth, were they to be brought into and remain while here in a sinless state; particularly there could not be any acts of faith, in managing that conflict, whereby they endeavour to stand their ground while exposed to those difficulties that arise from the perpetual lustings of the flesh against the spirit; which leads us to consider,

II. In what the imperfection of sanctification more especially discovers itself. This it does, not only in the weakness of every grace, which we are at any time enabled to act; and the many failures we are chargeable with in the performance of every duty incumbent upon us; so that if an exact scrutiny were made into our best actions, and they weighed in the balance, they would be found very defective; as appears from what has been said under the foregoing head, concerning perfection, as not attainable in this life.

But this more particularly appears, as it is observed in this answer, from the perpetual lustings of the flesh against the spirit. Thus the apostle speaks of, the flesh lusting against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh, Gal. v. 19. and so of the contrariety of the one to the other; so that we cannot do the things that we would, and points out himself as an instance hereof, when he says, I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing; for to will is present with me, but

how to perform that which is good, I find not; the good that I would I do not, but the evil which I would not, that I do, Rom. vii. 18-23. and this reluctancy and opposition to what is good, he lays to the charge of sin that dwelt in him, which he con siders as having, as it were, the force of a law; and in particular he styles it the law of his members warring against the law of his mind, which is the same thing with the lusting of the flesh, against the spirit: so that from hence it appears, that when God implants a principle of grace in regeneration, and carries on the work of sanctification in believers, he does not wholly destroy, or root out those habits of sin which were in the soul before this, but enables us to militate against, and overcome them by his implanting and exciting a principle of grace; and from hence arises this conflict that we are to con

sider.

Indwelling sin is constantly opposing; but it does not always prevail against the principle of grace. The event or success of this combat is various, at different times. When corrupt nature prevails, the principle of grace, though not wholly extinguished, remains unactive, or does not exert itself, as at other times; all grace becomes languid, and there appears but little difference between him and an unbeliever; he falls into very great sins, whereby he wounds his own conscience, grieves the holy Spirit, and makes sad work for a bitter repentance, which will afterwards ensue: but inasmuch as the principle of spiritual life and grace is not wholly lost, it will some time or other be excited, and then will oppose, and maintain its ground against, the flesh, or the corruption of nature; and, as the consequence hereof, those acts of grace will be again put forth, which were before suspended.

Having thus given an account of the conflict between indwelling sin and grace, we shall now more particularly shew, how the habits of sin exert themselves in those who are unregenerate, where there is no principle of grace to oppose them. And then, how they exert themselves in believers; and what opposition is made thereunto by the principle of grace in them; and how it comes to pass that sometimes one prevails, at other times the other.

1. We shall consider those violent efforts that are made by corrupt nature, in those who are unregenerate, in whom, though there be no principle of grace to enable them to withstand them; yet they have a conflict in their own spirits. There is something in nature, that, for a time, keeps them from complying with temptations to the greatest sins; though the flesh, or that propensity that is in them to sin, will prevail at last, and lead them from one degree of impiety to another, unless prevented by the grace of God. In this case the conflict is be

tween corrupt nature and an enlightened conscience; and that more especially in those who have had the advantage of a religious education, and the good example of some whom they have conversed with, whereby they have contracted some habits of moral virtue, which are not immediately extinguished: it is not an easy matter to persuade them to commit those gross, and scandalous sins, which others, whose minds are blinded, and their hearts hardened to a greater degree by the deceitfulness of sin, commit with greediness and without remorse. The principles of education are not immediately broke through; for in this case men meet with a great struggle in their own breasts, before they entirely lose them; and they proceed, by various steps, from one degree of wickedness unto another *. A breach is first made in the fence, and afterwards widened by a continuance in the same sins, or committing new ones, especially such as have in them a greater degree of presumption. And this disposes the soul to comply with temptations to greater sins; whereas, it would be to no purpose to tempt him at first, to be openly profane, blaspheme the name of God, or cast off all external acts of religion, and abandon himself to those immoralities which the most notoriously wicked, and profligate sinners commit, without shame, till he has paved the way to them by the commission of other sins that lead there

unto.

That which at first prevents or restrains him from the commission of them, is something short of a principle of grace which we call the dictates of a natural conscience, which often check and reproves him: his natural temper or disposition is not so far vitiated, at present as to allow of, or incline him to pursue and thing that is openly vile and scandalous; he abhors, and, as it were, trembles at the thoughts of it. Thus when the prophet Elisha told Hazael of all the evil that he would do unto the children of Israel, that he would set their strong holds on fire, slay their young men with a sword, dush their children, and rip up their women with child; when he heard this, he entertained the thought with a kind of abhorrence, and said, But what, is thy servant a dog, that he should do this great thing, 2 Kings viii. 12, 13. Yet afterwards, when king of Syria, we find him of another mind; for he was a greater scourge to the people of God than any of the neighbouring princes, and smote them in all the coasts of Israel, chap. x. 32.

Now that which prevents these greater sins, is generally fear or shame; their consciences terrify them with the thoughts of the wrath of God, which they would hereby expose themselves to; or they are apprehensive that such a course of life would • It is a true observation which some have laid down in this known aphorism, Nemo repente fit turpissimus.

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blast their reputation amongst men, and be altogether inconsistent with that form of godliness which they have had a liking to from their childhood. But since these restraints do not proceed from the internal and powerful influence of regenerating grace, being excited by lower motives than those which the Spirit of God suggests, in them who are converted; since natural conscience is the main thing that restrains them, corrupt nature first endeavours to counteract the dictates thereof, and, by degrees, gets the mastery over them. When conscience reproves them, they first offer a bribe to it, by performing some moral duties, to silence its accusations for presumptuous sins, and pretend that their crimes fall short of those committed by many others; at other times they complain of its being too strict in its demands of duty, or severe in its reproofs for sin. And if all this will not prevail against it, but it will, notwithstanding, perform the office of a faithful reprover, then the sinner resolves to stop his ears against it, but it will, notwithstanding, perform the office of a faithful reprover, then the sinner resolves to stop his ears against convictions; and if this will not altogether prevent his being made uneasy thereby, he betakes himself to those diversions that may give another turn to his thoughts, and will not allow himself time for serious reflection; and associates himself with those whose conversation will effectually tend to extinguish all his former impressions of moral virtue; and by this means, at last he stupifies his conscience, and it becomes, as the apostle expresses it, seared with a hot iron, 1 Tim. iv. 2. and so he gets, as I may express it, a fatal victory over himself; and from that time meets with no reluctancy or opposition in his own breast, while being past feeling, he gives himself over unto lasciviousness, to work uncleanness, and all manner of iniquity with greediness, Eph. iv. 19. which leads us to consider,

2. That conflict which is between the flesh and spirit, in those in whom the work of sanctification is begun. Here we shall first observe, the lustings of the flesh; and then the opposition that it meets with from that principle of grace which is implanted and excited in them, which is called the lusting of the spirit against it.

(1.) How corrupt nature exerts itself in believers, to prevent the actings of grace. Here it may be observed,

[1.] That that which gives occasion to this, is the Spirit's withdrawing his powerful influences, which, when the soul is favoured with, have a tendency to prevent those pernicious consequences which will otherwise ensue. And God withdraws these powerful influences sometimes in a way of sovereignty, to shew him that it is not in his own power to avoid sin when he will; or that he cannot, without the aids of his grace, withstand those temptations which are offered to him to commit it.