THE apostle had exhorted them to mortification, ver. 12; to vivification, ver. 13; in both to caution that sin may not usurp the power and place of God, who alone should command and govern both our souls and bodies. To fight for sin is to fight against God, which should be a horrid thing to Christians, who should employ all their powers and faculties to keep up God's interest in their souls, by maintaining that new life that is given them by God. If we have any weapons or instruments, they should be employed for God, and not for sin, because sin was not their lord now as heretofore; it neither had, nor shall have dominion over you. If a man should speak to any city (suppose in Hungary, or other frontier of Christendom), newly freed from Turkish slavery, Care not for the commands and threatenings of the Turks any more, they do not lord it over you as they were wont to do; the very same is the argument of the apostle; sin hath not the same strength against you which before it had, now you are regenerate and alive from the dead. Nay, he speaketh with more advantage of expression than any can in an outward case. Sin hath not, sin shall not have, dominion, &c., if you keep striving and fighting against it; this tyrant shall not recover the kingdom in you which he hath lost, but you shall become victorious by Christ. There are two things which encourage us to fight - (1.) The goodness of the cause; (2.) The assurance and hope of victory. The cause is good; for the business in debate is, to whom we should yield up ourselves? to sin, or to God? or in whose warfare we shall employ the faculties and powers of body and soul? If we take to God's side, the victory is clear, that grace which hath freed us from the tyranny of sin is able to free us still, that we shall no more come under that bondage. Strive we must, for unless we fight and make good our resignation, sin will reign; but let not the sense of our weakness discourage us in our endeavours against sin: though there be some relics of the flesh, yet the sanctification of the Spirit shall prevail, and therefore it is laziness and cowardice if we do not strive duly against sin: 'For sin shall not have dominion over you, for ye are not under the law, but under grace.' In the words observe -
1. The privilege of the renewed and striving Christian, 'Sin shall not have dominion over you.'
2. The reason of the certainty of it, 'For ye are not under the law, but under grace.' This reason is both negatively and affirmatively expressed.
[1.] Negatively, 'For ye are not under the law.'
[2.] Positively, 'But under grace.’ Both expressions have their proper emphasis, as you will see by and by.
1. The privilege of the renewed and striving Christian.
[1.] That the renewed Christian is here considered is plain from all the foregoing context. He speaketh of those that were ‘dead unto sin,' ver. 2, not only in profession and baptismal vow, but really by virtue of their union to Christ, ver. 5. But how is a Christian dead unto sin? Not so as that it should be wholly extinguished in us, but so as that it is a-dying, and the victory is sure to those that strive against it. Again, he speaketh of those 'that are alive from the dead,’ ver. 13, had a new life begun in them, and have renounced sin, and effectually presented and resigned up themselves to God's use and service.
[2.] That the renewed Christian is here considered as striving, because they are the same persons who were exhorted, ver. 12, 'not to let sin reign;' what is here a promise is there an exhortation. Again, they were such as had presented their members and faculties to the Lord as hopla dikaiosunès, 'weapons or instruments of righteousness.' Now, what are weapons but for warfare? They had undertaken in their covenant resignation not only to work, but fight for God. Rom. 13:12, the graces of the Spirit are called 'armour of light.' Christ doth array us non ad pompam, sed ad pugnam - not for show, but use. A Christian can do no good, but he must fight first. Again, carnal inferences are rejected with indignation: ver. 15, 'What then, shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid!’ and therefore the Christian here is not considered as loose and lazy, but as warring and fighting against sin. Once more, the argument here implieth it, 'Ye are under grace,' which impelleth and urgeth us to resist sin and the lusts thereof. God giveth power to overcome it. So then the apostle's purpose is to exhort the renewed Christian strongly to resist sin, because through grace he is sure to carry away the victory; whilst we work and concur with our wills and endeavours, 'God worketh in us both to will and to do,' Phil. 2:12.
2. The reason of it -
[1.] Negatively expressed, 'Ye are not under the law,’ By the law is meant the covenant of works, which requireth exact obedience, but giveth no strength to obey; the law requireth what we must do, but giveth no power to do what it commandeth; it forbiddeth sin, and denounceth judgment; it terrifieth by its threatenings, and raiseth a tempest in the conscience; but it doth not afford us any help and relief, and so rather irritateth and provoketh the power of sin than suppresseth it: Rom. 7:8, 'Sin taking occasion, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence; for without the law sin was dead.' As a river swelleth the more it is restrained by any let or dam, so is corruption stirred, and then a man is discouraged, giveth over all endeavour of repressing it. So 2 Cor. 3:6, 'The letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life.' The first covenant did only denounce and aggravate our condemnation, and put us in despair.
[2.] Affirmatively and positively expressed: 'But under grace,' under the new covenant, or under the grace of Jesus Christ, who hath not only redeemed us from the guilt of sin, but also from the power of sin. The grace of remission is our encouragement, and the grace of sanctification our help and relief.
(1.) The grace of remission is a great encouragement, freeth us from the bondage of despairing thoughts, which weaken our endeavours; therefore the apostle opposeth the spirit of power to the spirit of fear. Christ offering a pardon upon repentance, doth strengthen our hands in our work.
(2.) The grace of sanctification is our help. God, by his Spirit, giveth life and strength to do what he requires of us, and power to resist sin, that we may overcome it: Rom. 8:2, 'The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death;' 1 John 5:4, 'Whosoever is born of God overcometh the world, and this is the victory whereby we overcome the world, even our faith.' Lux jubet, gratia juvat - the law commandeth, but grace helpeth.
Doct. That sin should not, and shall not, reign over those who are under the sacred power and influence of Jesus Christ
1. De jure, it should not reign over them; it hath no right to rule, it is a usurper. They who are redeemed by Christ should bind this duty upon their hearts, charge themselves with it, to take heed that sin doth not reign. It was once our lord and master, but we have changed masters, and profess ourselves now to be dead to sin and alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord; therefore we should strive against it, lest it recover its old dominion over us.
2. De facto, it is not fully obeyed; it doth not absolutely get the victory, and bear rule in our hearts, but is weakened more and more in them who have given up themselves to the regimen and government of grace. Here -
[1.] What is the dominion of sin?
[2.] What need the children of God to take heed it be not set up in their hearts?
[3.] What hopes and encouragements they have by the gospel or grace of Jesus Christ whilst they are striving against it?
First, What is the dominion of sin? That will be best known by some distinctions and propositions.
1. We must distinguish between the being and reign of sin. The apostle doth not say, 'Ye shall not sin any more, because ye are not under the law, but under grace;' but 'sin shall not have dominion over you,’ it shall not get the better. Sin doth remain and dwell in the saints, though not reign over them; as the beasts in Dan. 7:12, their dominion was taken away, yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time. It is cast down in regard of regency, but not cast out in regard of inherency; grace doth not wholly extinguish it, but only repel the motions of it. Sin will rebel, but it shall not reign; they do not give way to it, nor actually obey and embrace the commands of it; they do not do all that sin would have them to do. If the apostle had said, Let not sin be in your mortal bodies, as long as we carry flesh about us, he would not have expected the exhortation to have been fully answered; but he saith, Let it not reign, which as well can as it ought to be complied with.
2. Sin doth reign when either it is not opposed, or when it is opposed weakly and with a faint resistance. Where it is not opposed, there it remaineth in its full strength; and where it is opposed weakly, and without any victory and success, it argueth only a sense of duty, but no effect of grace.
[1.] Sin reigneth when it is not opposed, when a man doth yield up himself to execute all the commands thereof, and doth fulfil and obey its lusts; as the ambitious, the worldly, and the voluptuous do whatsoever their lusts command them, with a miserable bondage, yea, they willingly walk after it: Prov. 7:22, 'He goeth after her straightway as an ox to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks.' Sin is as a guest to evil men, but as a thief and robber to the godly, welcome to the one, but the other would not have it come into their hearts. It is one thing to wear a chain as an ornament, another as a bond and fetter; to give way to sin, or to have it break in upon us; to put it on willingly, or to have it put and forced upon us. It may be they may be sensible of it, they may purpose not to do it, or may complain of it; but this is a constant truth, that we oftener complain of sin than we do resist it, and oftener resist it than prevail against it. It is not enough for men to see their sins, or blame them in themselves, or to purpose to amend them and forsake them, but they must strive to overcome them, and in striving, prevail. But we speak now of the first complaining of sin. There is a double deceit of heart, whereby men harden themselves in complaining of sin without resistance of it. (1.) Either men complain of other sins, and not the main, as if a man should complain of an aching tooth when the disease hath seized upon the vitals; or of a cut finger when at the same time he is wounded at the heart; of wandering thoughts in prayer when at the same time the heart is habitually averse or estranged from God, through some idols which are set up there: Ezek. 14:3,5, 'Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumbling-block of their iniquity before their face; should I be inquired of at all by them?' and ver. 5, 'That I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols.' They complain of want of quickening grace, when it may be they want converting grace, as if we would have the Spirit of God to blow to a dead coal. So when we pray for strengthening grace, when we should ask renewing grace, and confess only the infirmities of the saints, when we should bewail the misery of an unregenerate carnal estate; and we cry out of some incident weaknesses, when we should first see that our habitual aversion from God is cured. As Moses pleaded many things why he should not be sent to Egypt, he was not eloquent, and the like: Exod. 4:19, ‘Go return into Egypt, for all the men are dead which sought thy life;' he had never pleaded this, but God knew where the pinch was, and that was the main ground of his tergiversation, and therefore gently toucheth his privy sore. So some complain of other things, this and that is amiss, but the main thing is neglected and lightly passed over. (2.) We rather complain than give over sinning; resistance is certainly a greater evidence of a sincere heart than complaining. We should not be so haunted with temptations if we did resist more: James 4:7, 'Resist the devil, and he shall flee from you.' Satan only hath weapons offensive, as fiery darts; he hath none defensive, as a Christian hath, namely, sword and shield; and we should not be so much troubled with the ill consequents of sin. Who will pity that man that complains of soreness and pain, and doth not take the gravel out of his shoe? If you wound and gore yourselves, no question but your smart and trouble is real, you do not complain in hypocrisy; but who is to be blamed? your business is to remove the cause. We read of the young man, Mat 10:22, 'He was sad at that saying, and went away grieved, for he had great possessions.' His grief was a real grief, but the cause was in himself; he would have Christ, and yet keep his love to the world still; so many complain of their lusts, not as a burden, for they indulge them, but because of their inconvenience; they cannot reconcile their sense of duty with those corrupt affections which it apparently disproveth.
[2.] When it is opposed weakly, and with a faint resistance. It is not enough for men to see their sins, and blame them in themselves, or purpose to amend and forsake them, but they must strive to overcome them, and in striving prevail, for otherwise sensuality carrieth it, because our reason and will make too weak an opposition. Jesus Christ our head and chief resisted Satan's motions with indignation, ‘Get thee behind me, Satan;' so must we. When we speak faintly and coldly, the devil reneweth the assault with the more violence; therefore our resistance must be valid and strong. Many purposes there are that come to nothing, because they are not deep and serious: Pharaoh in his qualms proposed to let the children of Israel go; and yet, when it came to it, he would not let them go: Saul purposed in is heart not to kill David, yea, bound it by an oath; yet afterwards he attempted it, 1 Sam. 19:6, compared with 10 and 11. So many times they purpose to avoid the sin by which they have been foiled; but when the temptation returneth, they are overborne with it, as marsh ground is drowned with the return of every tide. Many are persuaded that sin is evil, as contrary to God and hurtful to themselves; hereupon they have some mind to let it go, yea, some wishes and weak desires, that Christ would save them from it; yet still have a love that is greater than their dislike, the bent of their hearts is more for it than against it, and their habitual inclination is more to keep it than leave it. Therefore we must look not only to our endeavour, but to the success that we have against sin; for if our will were more strong, and our endeavour more serious, we should have more success; if there were a firm ratified resolution of mortifying and crucifying every sin, and an endeavouring against sin with all speed and diligence, the old man would more decay in us, and the life of grace be set up with greater power and efficacy. I would not leave this point without distinct information.
(1.) Then, there are certain unavoidable infirmities which the saints cannot get rid of, though they fain would; such as the apostle speaketh of, Rom. 7:19, 'When I would do good, evil is present with me.' As those swarms of noisome and unsavoury thoughts, which are injected on a sudden, and do hinder us and distract us in the best employment, wandering thoughts in the time of prayer, never distinctly consented to, rash words spoken of a sudden, sudden unpremeditated actions. In these cases watching and striving is conquering, for you do prevail in part, though not in whole; it preventeth many of them. Of this nature are want of degrees of love to God, and that liberty and purity in his service which the holy soul aimeth at, and the first stirrings and risings of corruption in the heart.
(2.) There are a smaller sort of sins, as the sins of daily incursion: James 3:2, 'In many things we offend all of us.' There is no man so exact but his watch is intermitted, and then he will be sinning; other cannot be looked for in this state of frailty wherein we now are. We bewray too much dulness, weariness, formality in our duties to God, our domestic crosses put us into fits of anger and discontent; in our public actions some intermixture of hypocrisy and vainglory, some high-mindedness in our prosperity, some distrust and uncomely disquiet of spirit in our adversity. Our Lord telleth us, John 13:10, ‘He that is washed, needeth not save to wash his feet.' They that are in a holy state, by walking up and down in the world, in the several businesses and employments thereof, contract some filth, which must be washed off every day by a renewed application of the blood of Christ, which is the fountain God hath opened for uncleanness. Though the saints do not (like swine) voluntarily wallow in the puddle, yet in a polluted world they contract some filth. In this case, every failing must make us more wary and watchful, and teach us wisdom, that we do not lapse another time.
(3.) By the sway of great and headstrong passions, some that make conscience of their ways in the general may fall into sins more heinous, but they do not make a trade of it, or settle in such an evil way. To lapse ordinarily, frequently, easily into these sins, will not stand with grace. The saints may fail in their duty strangely on occasions, as David, Peter, Lot, &c.; as a man sailing into France, a tempest may drive him into Spain, or some other country. Their face is towards heaven, but a sudden passion may drive them another way; as the wicked are good by fits, but evil by constitution. So the children of God, the constitution and bent of their hearts is towards God; for a fit or so they may do things misbecoming the new nature, but as soon as awakened, they retract their sins by a special repentance: Ps. 51:3,4, 'For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight.'
[3.] As sin in general should not bear sway in our hearts, so no one sin should have dominion over us: Ps. 119:133, 'Order my steps in thy word, and let not any iniquity have dominion over me;' neither this nor that. One sin allowed may keep God out of the throne, and may keep afoot Satan's interest in the soul. Certainly he that is in the state of grace lieth in no known sin. Every known sin sets up another god and lord, and all his actions will have an evil tincture from that sin; every action will be levelled with the main thing which he affects, be it what it will be; therefore it is dangerous to know anything to be sin, and yet to go on still to commit it, though it be not in materia gravi, in a heinous case; as for instance, vain speeches, wanton gestures, &c.; he knoweth it is a sin to be idle; it cometh into his mind; his conscience telleth him that he should not, yet he will: so for immoderate gaming, as to the expense of time or money, if one convinced that he should not yet will use it; these lesser failings persisted in, and kept up constantly against the light and checks of conscience, may amount to a dangerous evil. Surely all that fear and love God should be very tender of displeasing and dishonouring him. The domination of acts of sin is dangerous; though they be not settled so as to damn him, yet they may cause God to afflict you, hide his face from you, and humble you with a sense of his displeasure. Small sins continued in against checks of conscience may do us a great deal of harm, and get the upper hand of the sinner, and bring him under in time; after, if habituated by long custom, so as he cannot easily shake off the yoke, or redeem himself from the tyranny thereof, they steal into the soul insensibly, and get strength, as multiplied acts; but gross presumptuous sins by one single act bring a mighty advantage to the flesh, weaken the spirit, advance themselves suddenly.
[4.] As particular sins get into the throne by turns, sometimes one sometimes another, so there are evil frames of spirit that do more directly oppose the esteem and sovereignty and power of God in the heart; as those three mentioned: 1 John 2:16, 'The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life;' either voluptuousness or the inordinate love of pleasures, when men make it their business to gratify their senses, and glut and throng their hearts with all manner of delights; or else are surprised with an immeasurable desire of heaping up riches, or affectation of credit and honour. Now these evil frames of heart should be the more watched and striven against, because these sins rise up against God, as he is the last end and chief good; they set up idols instead of God, mammon instead of God. All that are carnal and unsanctified are under the power of these: Luke 8:14, 'That which fell among thorns are they, which when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring forth no fruit to perfection;' they never carry on religion to any good effect and purpose. And there are none of God's children but need constantly to be mortifying and subduing them. As in a garden the weeds will grow, because the roots are not quite plucked up, so there must be a constant mortification, because they are natural to us, and the back bias of corruption is not wholly taken off, even in the most mortified of God's children.
[5.] There is a dominion of sin, which is more gross and sensible, or more secret and close. More open; for though sin doth reign in every one by nature, yet this dominion doth more sensibly appear in some than others, who are judicially given up to be under the visible dominion of sin, as the just fruit of their voluntary living under that yoke, and are set forth as warnings to the rest of the world, as men hung up in chains of darkness; they are apparently and in conspectu luminum instances of this woful slavery; every man that seeth them, and is acquainted with their course of life, may without breach of charity say, There goeth one who declareth himself to be a servant to sin. This may be either as to sin in general, or to some particular sin.
(1.) To sin in general. Whosoever he be that, instead of trembling at God's word, scoffeth at it, and maketh more account of the course of this world than of the will of God, of the fashions of men than of God's word, and thinketh the scorn of a base worm, that would deride him for godliness, a greater terror than the wrath of the eternal God, and the love of his carnal companions is prized as a greater happiness than communion with Christ, and, instead of working out his salvation with fear and trembling, runneth into all excess of riot, or carelessly neglects his precious soul while he pampereth his vile body, and doth voluntarily and ordinarily leave the boat to the stream, and give up himself to serve his corruptions without resistance or seeking out for help; this man is without dispute, and in the eye of all the world, a slave to sin: Rom. 6:16, 'Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are, whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?' It is an apparent case; a man that giveth up himself to go on in the way of his own heart, restraineth himself in nothing which it affects, is one of sin's slaves. So our Lord Jesus: John 8:34, 'Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin;' there needeth no further doubt nor debate about the matter. He that goeth on in a trade of sin, and maketh that his work and business in the world, never seriously looking after the saving of his soul, this soul is one in whom sin reigneth.
(2.) To some particular sin. As we have instances of carnal wretches in the general, so of some poor captive souls that remain under the full power and tyranny of this or that lust, and are so remarkable for their slavery and bondage under it that the world will point at them, and say, There goeth a glutton, a drunkard, an adulterer, a covetous worldling and muckworm, a proud envious person; their sin is broken out in some filthy sore and scab, that is visible to every common eye and view, either their covetousness or gluttony, or ambitious affectation of greatness, &c. Observers may truly say, There is one whose god is his belly, a slave to appetite: 2 Peter 2:19, 'While they promise themselves liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption; for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.' They grow proverbial for giving up themselves wholly to such a conquering and prevailing lust. As in natural things, several men have their distinct excellences, some are famous for a strong sight, some for an exquisite ear, some for a nimble tongue, some for agility of body; so these have some notable excess in this or that sort of sin. Or as the saints of God are eminent for some special graces, Abraham for faith, Moses for meekness, Job for patience, Joseph for chastity, Timothy for temperance; so these have their notorious and contrary blemishes.
2. There is a more secret and close dominion of sin, that is varnished over with a fair appearance. Men have many good qualities, no notorious blemishes, but yet some sensitive good or other lieth nearest the heart, and occupieth the room and place of God; that is, it is loved, respected, and served instead of God, or more than God. That which is our chiefest good or last end is our god, or occupieth the room of God: Mat 6:24, 'No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other, or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other: ye cannot serve God and mammon;' John 5:44, 'How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?' Luke 14:26, 'If any come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.' We must be dead not only to carnal pleasures, but to relations, estate, yea, life and all; nothing on this side God must sit nearest the heart, nor bring us under its command and power: 1 Cor. 6:12, 'I will not be brought under the power of anything.' We are besotted and bewitched with some temporal thing, cannot part with it, or leave it for God's sake, or notwithstanding all the mischief it doth to his interest in the soul: though a man serve it cunningly, closely, and by a cleanly conveyance, yet all his religion is to hide and feed this lust.
[6.] There is a predominancy of one sin over another, and the predominancy of sin over grace. In the first sense renewed men may be said to have some reigning corruption or predominant sin, namely, in comparison of other sins. That such predominant sins they have appeareth by the great sway and power they bear in commanding other evils to be committed or foreborne accordingly as they contribute to the advancement or hindrance of this sin; as in the body, a wen or strain draweth all the noxious humours to itself, and thereby groweth more great and monstrous. It appeareth also by the frequent relapses of the saints into them, and their unwillingness to admit admonition and reproof for them, and sometimes their falling into them out of an inward propensity, when outward temptations are none, or weak, or very few. Well, then, there are some sins which are less mortified than others, or unto which they are naturally carried by constitution, or education, natural inclination, or course of life. Thus David had his iniquity: Ps. 18:23, 'I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity;' whether it were hastiness or distrust of the promise, or also an inclination to revenge himself, some sins that men savour, or withstand less, or which are more urgent and importunate upon them, and steal away their hearts most from God, the great pond into which other rivulets or streams of sin do empty themselves, or that bough or limb which taketh away the nourishment from all the under-shrubs, that which is loved and delighted in above other sins, and when other sins will not prevail, the devil sets this a-work, as the disciples looked on the disciple whom Jesus loved: John 13:23,24, 'Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of the disciples whom Jesus loved. Simon Peter therefore beckoned unto him that he should ask who it should be of whom he spake.' Well, then, in regard of other sins, one may reign and sit in the throne of the heart, or be loved more than another; but not in regard of predominancy over grace, for that is contrary to the new nature, that sin should have the upper hand constantly and universally in the soul. For any one thing, though never so lawful in itself, habitually loved more than God, will not stand with sincerity: Luke 14:33, 'Whosoever he be that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.' If we must not keep our natural comforts, certainly not our carnal lusts. To love anything apart from Christ, or against Christ, or above Christ, is a dispossessing of Christ, or a casting him out of the throne.
[7.] There is a twofold prevalency and dominion - actual or habitual. Actual is only for a time, habitual for a constancy; though a regenerate man be not one that lets sin reign over him habitually, yet too often doth sin reign over him actually, as to some particular acts of sin.
(1.) The habitual reign of sin may be known by the general frame and state of the heart and life, where it is constantly yielded unto, and not controlled and opposed, but beareth sway with the contentment and delight of the party sinning. Men give the bridle to sin, and let it lead them whither it will, and generally walk after the flesh, and not after the Spirit. No doubt that is peccatum regnans, cui homo nec vult, nec potest resistere; the sinner hath neither will nor power, because usually after many lapses into heinous sin, God giveth up men to penal or judicial hardness of heart; they first voluntarily take on these bonds and chains upon themselves; these are said 'to walk after their own lusts,' 2 Peter 3:3; 'to continue or live in sin,' Rom. 6:2; 'to be dead in trespasses and sins,' Eph. 2:1; 'to serve divers lusts and pleasures,' Titus 3:3; 'to draw on iniquity with cart-ropes,' Isa. 5:18; to addict and give up themselves to a trade of sin with delight and consent. But, more closely, the reign of sin is never broken till the flesh be made subject to the Spirit; that will be found by examining every day what advantage the Spirit hath gotten against the flesh, or the flesh against the Spirit, how providences and ordinances are blessed for that end, or for the weakening of sin; for every day the one or the other gets ground. Dough once soured with leaven, will never lose the taste and smatch, but the sweetness of the corn may prevail above it. Sin dwelleth in the heart, but doth it decay? Gal. 5:16, 'This I say, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh,’ (2.) Actual sin may now and then get a victory over the faithful, but not a full quiet reign. Sin actually prevaileth when we do that which is evil against our consciences, or yield pro hic et nunc to obey sin in the lusts thereof. It gaineth our consent for the time, but the general frame and bent of the heart is against it. In short, when sin is perfected into some evil action, or 'lust hath conceived and brought forth sin,' James 1:15, that is, some heinous offence, for that time no question it hath the upper hand, and carrieth it from grace, and the flesh doth show itself in them more than the Spirit. A man may please a lesser friend before a greater in an act or two, but every presumptuous act of sin puts the sceptre into his hands. Note, that the predominancy spoken of in the former distinction and this do much prejudice a Christian, waste his conscience, hinder his joy of faith; and if not broken in time, or we sin often, we cannot be excused from the habitual reign of sin. Note again, every dislike doth not hinder the reign of sin; it doth constantly govern our lives, though there may be some resistance.
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