Book X
That this state of guilt and natural corruption is the condition of all men
unregenerate, though they make an external profession of Christianity. A
discovery of the several sorts of such men, both the ignorant, the profane, and the civil and the formal Christian. And an answer to all those pleas by which they excuse, justify, or flatter themselves.
For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, hut mighty through God to
the pulling down of strong holds ; casting down imaginations, and every
high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. 2 COK. X. 4, 5.
CHAPTER I.
-.4s the strength of a kingdom consists in having places of defence, or forts built
to keep out an enemy from conquering it, so the strength of the kingdom of sin in unregenerate men consists in those arguments with which they defend their minds and hearts against all the forces which are brought out of the word to convince them of the misery of their condition.
HAVING thus discovered how great the sinfulness of man is, both on the account of Adam s first sin imputed, and of the corruption of nature, and how both these are matter of humiliation and repentance, that which next
lies in order before me is to prove that this guilt and sinfulness abides upon men, and that it is a sad wretched condition in which all the unregenerate
(as long as they are such) continue. And to prove this, it will be sufficient
to shew how vain and frivolous are all those pretences and pleas by which men would endeavour to shift off this condemnation from themselves, and to make out (if they could) their case to be good and safe, though it is extremely miserable and dangerous.
For this end I have chosen this text, and, indeed, if we can but cast down those strong holds wherein men fortify and defend themselves against all con
victions of their sin and danger, they will then easily be conquered, for the
strength of the kingdom of sin consists mainly in that assistance which the
corrupt reason of man draws up for its defence. The strength of all king doms lies in two things,
1. In a wise and able council, to advise, direct, and project its affairs.
2. In strong and potent preparations for war, and defence against all
foreign enemies, without which no kingdom can subsist.
The kingdom of sin answerably hath both its council, as hath been shewn ;* and also it hath within itself great strength, and many forces for war, both
offensive and defensive. The strength of other kingdoms for war lies in two
things
* Book VII.
378 AN UNREGENERATE MAN S GUILTINESS BEFORE GOD, [BOOK X.
1. In moveable armies, which are led out into the field, whereby they make excursions on their enemy s dominions, carry the peopb away captive, waste and spoil their territories by open force and violence. And answer-
ably such kind of forces hath also the kingdom of sin against the kingdom of
grace, viz., lusts, which do war in the members ; inordinate affections, which do carry us captive to sin, and which do make inroads upon that grace that
is in us, using our members as weapons of unrighteousness, and winning ground upon the spirit ; and these the apostle speaks of in the sixth and seventh chapters of his epistle to the Komans.
2. The strength of other kingdoms lies also in places of defence, as forti
fications and castles, &c. And such also hath this kingdom of sin, strong holds, and forts, and castles built and cast up, and fortified with much
ammunition, and that of a double use. They are both as places of refuge for their fleets and field armies to retire to, and find shelter in, and also for
defence against a foreign invasion, so that if an army comes in they are able
to hold out a siege. Till all these be taken, a kingdom is not overcome, and
they stand and hold out last.
Now of these this text, you see, speaks, and tells us that the kingdom of
sin in us hath great and strong holds, which are indeed carnal reasonings and
proud high thoughts. The word is Xo y/ff/Ao/, ratiocinia, reasonings ; and so
it is in the margin of your Bibles, which reasonings he also tells you are
built on purpose for defence in a time of war, to be used against the weapons of our warfare, who are ministers of the gospel ; and in these reasonings and
high thoughts the strength of sin, and of all sinful courses and practices, in themselves weak and indefensible, do especially lie. As rabbits, though a weak generation of animals, yet are strong in their holes which they make
in the rocks. These strongholds of sin, I say, are reasonings in the under
standing, for they especially oppose the knowledge of God, and therefore the ammunition within these holds must needs be reasonings and acts of know
ledge. These adversaries are matched and fitted with the same kind of
weapons as those who come against them are provided with, for as the
weapons of our warfare are spiritual, spiritual wisdom out of the word of God and the knowledge of God, so the inhabiters and possessors of these
strongholds are reasonings of carnal wisdom, and knowledge opposite there
unto.
These holds have high towers also of pride, for self-love, being king in un-
regenerate hearts, will not yield or bend in the least, and therefore it is not
strength of reason only makes them hold out, but a proud spirit also.
If you please, we will give another exemplification to clear this to you. As
the kingdom of popery and the doctrine of it, which is the devil s gospel, by which to advance antichrist, and to bring all into subjection to him (as ours
is God s gospel, the wisdom of God in a mystery to set forth Christ, and to
bring all in obedience to him) ; I say, as in this system of popery there is an
exact model of all the carnal reason which sin and the devil hath, and con
tains the quintessence of it, so there doth appear a double use and specimen of carnal reason in it.
1. In that all the opinions of that kingdom of darkness, and all the parts of the man of sin are so contrived as they all serve as maintainers of wicked ends and lusts, and to the advancement and profit of the pope and his clergy, there being no one point wherein they differ from us, but is some way ser
viceable to such ends, so as carnal reason hath first shewed its depth in
inventing, framing, and raising such a frame of religion, and therefore it is
: 2 Thes. ii. 7, For the mystery of iniquity doth already work. But,
called a mystery of iniquity
CHAP. II.] IN RESPECT OF SIN AND PUNISHMENT. 379
2. Carnal reason hath not shewed its strength only i n the inventing and
finding out such an image of religion, but it hath as fully played its part in
inventing shows of reason to uphold all these opinions, whereby this king dom is fortified with strong arguments out of Scripture wrested, and philo sophy abused, and is defended with strong pleas of universalit
ty, antiquity, and the like, so as a man rooted in the truth would wonder so much could be said for such gross opinions ; yea, and they do deceive many strong under
standings amongst them, so as to believe that great lie, 2 Thes. ii. 11. Thus likewise is it in the mystery of iniquity in man s heart, which advanceth sin and lusts against God, as popery doth the pope and his clergy
against Christ. There is a like double demonstration and discovery of the
strength of carnal reason in this matter.
1. In advising for, and plotting so many ways to attain our corrupt ends and desires, so as there is no consultation, no desire of the heart, but what
tends to this end.
2. That wherein it shews itself most witty, and draws out its depths, is
in finding out strong reasons to itself and others, to defend these sinful
courses and ways ; in inventing carnal pleas to justify its state, excuses to
extenuate sins, and those seemingly strong too, and specious exceptions and calumnies against the ways and the people of God, so as a man would wonder. These reasonings are the strongholds that the text mentions, with which we
are to encounter.