enmities that are grounded in the nature of the things themselves.
poor creatures spend their days in dismal superstitions, without any great reluctance from within, when others cannot be bothered freely to watch with Christ in a spiritual manner one hour. It is no wonder that men fight with carnal weapons for their superstitious exterior worship, when they have no interior fighting against it; for God is not in it, and the law of sin does not oppose duty, but God in every duty. This is our condition. All the opposition that arises in us to anything that is spiritually good, whether darkness in the mind, or aversion in the will, or sloth in the affections, all the secret arguings that are in the soul, the direct object of them is God himself. The enmity lies against him; which surely should influence us to constant watchfulness.
It is thus also in respect of all tendency to sin, as well as aversion from God. It is God himself that is aimed at. It is true, the pleasures, the wages of sin, greatly influence the sensual affections of men: but it is the holiness and authority of God that sin rises up against; it hates the yoke of the Lord. "You have been weary of me," says God to sinners; and that during their duties. Every act of sin results from being weary of God. Thus Job tells us what lies at the bottom in the heart of sinners: "They say to God, Depart from us;" - it is enmity against him and aversion from him. Here lies the nature of every sin: - it is opposition to God, casting off his yoke, breaking off the dependence which the creature ought to have on the Creator. And the apostle, Romans 8:7, gives the reason why he affirms "the carnal mind to be enmity against God," "because it is not subject to the will of God, nor indeed can be." It never is, nor will, nor can be subject to God; its whole nature is opposed to him. The soul may be subject to the law of God; but this law of sin sets up in opposition to it, and will not yield.
This law of sin, that is enmity against God, may be farther considered:
1. It is universal. The enmity is absolute and universal, as are all enmities that are grounded in the nature of the things themselves. Such enmity is against all aspects its object: for,
(1.) It is universal to all of God; and,
(2.) It is universal in all of the soul.
(1.) It is universal to all of God. If there were anything of God that sin had no enmity against, the soul might have a constant shelter within itself, by applying itself to duty towards him, to a communion with him, that sin would not oppose. But the enmity lies against all of God, and everything where we have to do with him. It is not subject to any part of the law. Sin is enmity to all of God. His goodness, his holiness, his mercy, his grace, his promises: it opposes it all; and all duty, private, public, in the heart, in external works. And the nearer anything is to God, the greater is its enmity to it. The more of spirituality and holiness is in anything, the greater is its enmity. Concerning them in whom this law is most predominant, God says,
"You have set at nought all my counsel, and would have none of my reproof," Proverbs 1:25.
Not this or that part of God's counsel is opposed, but all his counsel; whatever he calls for is set at nought, and nothing of his reproof attended to. A man would not think strange that sin should oppose God in his law, which comes to judge it; but it raises a greater enmity against him in his gospel, where he offers mercy and pardon as a deliverance from it; because more of the glorious properties of God's nature, more of his excellency is shown there.
(2.) It is universal in all of the soul. If this law of sin had been content to subdue any one faculty of the soul, or left any one affection free from its bondage, - it might possibly have been more easily subdued. But when Christ comes with his spiritual power on the soul, to conquer it, he has no quiet landing-place. He can set foot on no ground but what he must fight for. Not the mind, not an affection, not the will, but all is secured against him. And when grace has made its entrance, yet sin will dwell in all its coasts. Were anything in the soul at perfect liberty, there a stand might be made to drive it from all the rest of its