subdue sin and put it to death, which are all fruitless, show the great
soon as the storm is over, they begin to lose that sense and the terror that was on them, and return to their former course in the service of sin. This was the state with Pharaoh once and again.
2dly. In such seasons sin is not conquered, but diverted. When it seems to fall under the power of the law, it is only turned into a new channel; it is not dried up. If you set a dam across a river, so that it turns all its streams in a new course, you will not say you have dried up that river, though some who look into the old channel may think that the waters are gone. So is it in this case. The streams of sin may run in open sensuality and profaneness; the preaching of the law sets a dam against these courses, - conscience is terrified, and the man dares not walk in his former ways. His companions in sin, not finding him in his old ways, begin to laugh at him for his scruples; believers begin to be persuaded that the work of God is on his heart, because they see his old streams dried up: but if there has been only a work of the law, the stream may be blocked, but the spring of sin is not dried up, only its streams are turned another way. Perhaps the man finds other more secret or more spiritual sins; or if he is turned from them also, all the strength of sin will take up residence in self-righteousness, and pour out filthy streams in the same way. So despite the work of the law on the souls of men, indwelling sin will keep alive in them still.
Some other evidences of the same truth.
1. The great labours of men ignorant of the righteousness of Christ, to subdue sin and put it to death, which are all fruitless, show the great strength and power of it.
Men who have no strength against sin may yet be made aware of the strength of sin. The way they usually come to that knowledge is by some previous sense they have of the guilt of sin. Men have this by the light of their consciences; they cannot avoid it. They have no choice; whether they will or not, they know sin to be evil, and such an evil that puts them under the judgement of God. This pricks the minds and consciences of some so far as that they are kept in awe, and dare not
sin as they would. Being awed with a sense of the guilt of sin and the terror of the Lord, men begin to abstain from sin, at least from such sins as they have been most terrified about. Whilst they have this design in hand, the strength and power of sin begins to reveal itself to them. They begin to find that there is something in them that is not in their own power; for, despite their resolutions, they sin still, in such a manner that their consciences tell them they must perish eternally. This puts them on self-efforts to suppress the eruption of sin, because they cannot be quiet unless so they do, nor have any peace within. Now, being ignorant of the only way that sin is to be put to death, - that is, by the Spirit of Christ, - they fix on many ways in their own strength to suppress it, if not to slay it; being ignorant of that only way where consciences burdened with the guilt of sin may be pacified, - that is, by the blood of Christ, - they labour in vain: for no man, by selfeffort, can obtain peace with God.
Some of the ways they labour to suppress the power of sin, which causes them distress due to their inability to do so, we must look into:
(1.) They will vow not to do the sins they have been most liable to, and been most perplexed with. The psalmist shows this to be the main method that hypocritices use to get themselves out of trouble. They make promises to God, which he calls flattering him with the mouth, Psalm 78:36. So, being pricked with the guilt of sins that they have frequently been overtaken in, they promise that, at least for some time, they will not commit that sin again; and this is prescribed by some who pretend to direct their consciences. Conscience now makes them watch over themselves regarding that sin; so it has one of two effects. Either they abstain from it for a time, or they do not. If they do not, their sin is increased, and so their terror, and they are discouraged in making any opposition to sin; so, after one or two attempts, knowing only this way, of vowing against it, they cease all resistance, and become wholly the servants of sin, restrained only by outward considerations, without any serious efforts to recover. But if they succeed in their resolutions, and abstain from actual sins for a while, then either they think they have done their duty, and may
now indulge their lusts, and so are entangled again in the same sin; or they reckon that their vow and promise has preserved them, and so sacrifice to their own virtue, setting up a righteousness of their own against the grace of God, which rather than weakening indwelling sin, strengthens it. The best success that can be ascribed to this approach is that it restrains some eruptions of sin; but it does not weaken its power; so such persons, by all their labours, are far from being freed from the perplexing power of sin. This is the state of most men under the power of conviction. Hell, death, and the wrath of God, are continually presented to their consciences; this makes them labour with all their strength against what most increases their fears, - that is, the actual eruption of sin: for while they are freed from that they feel safe, though sin defiles the heart continually. Outward medicines may cover running sores, and stop their corruption from coming forth, but they cause them to fester inwardly, and so, though it may be not so offensive as it was before, yet it is far more dangerous: so is it with this repelling of the power of corruption by men's vows against it, - external eruptions may be restrained for a time, but the inward root is not weakened in the least. And most commonly this is the result: - sin, having gained more strength, and being enraged by its restraint, breaks all its bounds, and captures the soul; which is the cause of most apostasies, 2 Peter 2:19, 20.
The Holy Ghost compares sinners, because of the fierce, poisonous nature of this indwelling sin, to lions, bears, and asps, Isaiah 11:6-9. Now, this is the excellency of gospel grace, that it changes the nature of these untamed beasts, making the wolf as the kid, the lion as the lamb, and the bear as the cow. When this is done, they may safely be trusted in, - "a little child may lead them." But self-effort does not change their nature; it only restrains their outward violence. He who takes a lion or a wolf and shuts him up from ravening, while his inward violence remains, will expect it to break its bonds, and fall to its former ways. Shutting them up does not change their natures, but only restrains their rage. So it is here: only grace can change the heart and take away the poison that is in it by nature; men's self-effort only