The Anatomy of Secret Sins, Chapter 4 · Section 2 – Section 3
SECT. II.Whether ſin in dominion may befal a regenerate perſon.
Queſt. VVHither ſin in dominion may befal a David, or regenerate perſon?
For the reſolution of this queſtion remember theſe particulars.There is a difference betwixt a conqueſt by ſin, and the dominion of it.
1. That there is a difference twixt peccatum vincens, and peccatum regnans, 'twixt a conqueſt by ſin and the dominion of ſin: A Conqueſt is when ſin prevailes: Dominion is when ſin Rules: The Conqueſt reſpects power, Dominion reſpects the will; In Conqueſt the perſon reſiſts, but his ſtrength is too weak: In dominion the perſon yeelds up himſelf to the Will, and Law, and Power of another. Sin may overcome a Regenerate perſon, but it hath not dominion in him.
2. There is Dominium Tyranni, and Dominium Domini; There is a tyrannical dominion and aregal dominion.A tyrannical Dominion is by force and conſtraint, a Regall dominion is by conſent and choice; the former is incident to the Regenerate: Paul complaines that he is ſold under ſinne, Rom. 7. But Ahab ſold himſelf to work wickedneſs. Paul is brought into captivity to the Law of ſinne, but Judas willingly offers himſelf to betray Chriſt: In tyrannical dominion there is unwillingneſſe, hatred, diſlike, conflict, wearineſs, trouble, and deſire to be freed: In Regall Dominion there is chiefe Contentment, Delight, and Reſt, &c.
3. The Dominion of ſin may be taken either,The dominion of ſin taken Strictly.
1. Strictly and Properly: where ſin is abſolute, and full, and uncontrolled, and the ſinner freely and totally Reſignes up himſelfe to the luſts, and will, and commands of ſinne.
2. Largely, and in ſome reſpect, when as to ſome particular Largely.act of ſin, there is not (for a time) any actual or prevalent preſent reſiſtance: even the will it ſelfe is ſurpriſed by carnal affections, but yet in the event, and at length, it is revived, and grace doth reſume its imperium, and recovers the perſon again: In this ſenſe ſin may be ſaid to reign, or to have dominion in a Regenerate perſon; But it is as Simile.a Thief or Robber raigning and ruling in a royal Caſtle, which (ſhortly) he is forced to quit and leave.
But for a compleat, uncontrolled, habitual, final dominion of A compleat dominion cannot befal the regenerate. Reaſons of it.ſin, this cannot befal the regenerate.
1. The Dominion of grace and Chriſt is eternal: True grace is an immortal ſeed, it cannot be totally quenched: a well of water ſpringing to everlaſting life.
2. The union with Chriſt is inſeparable, and inſuperable, which could not be, if a regenerate perſon might fall under ſuch a dominion of ſin.
3. The promiſe of grace must not faile, ſin ſhall not have dominion over us, Rom. 6. 14. I will ſubdue their iniquities, Micha 7. 19.
4. The Covenant of God is, I will put my fear into their hearts that they ſhall not depart from me, Jer. 32. 40.
5. Jeſus Chriſt hath conquered, as well as other enemies, ſo our ſins.
Queſt. If ſin in dominion cannot happen to the Regenerate, Why then doth David pray againſt it. Reaſons of it.why doth David pray, &c.
Sol. Three things may be ſaid of this,
1. If David or any regenerate perſon ſhould be left unto himſelf, ſin would have dominion over him: therefore he prays, acknowledging that it muſt be a ſtrength greater then his own, &c.
2. Prayers are a means to fetch us out of the Dominion of ſin, and keep off ſin from having dominion over us: upon Pauls prayer, the anſwer was, my grace is ſufficient for thee.
3. Although habitual, and univerſal, and final dominion of ſin be incompetible or inconſiſtent with the ſtate of grace, yet actual and particular dominion is poſſible, and there are great reaſons for a regenerate perſon to pray, if it were no more then againſt particular, and temporary dominion of ſin; but of this more diſtinctly in the next Section.
SECT. III.
Queſt. 3. WHy David prayes againſt ſin in dominion? Why David prays againſt ſin in dominion.Sol. Remember that precedent diſtinction of actual dominion, which comprehended a particular prevalency over the ſoul for particular acts of ſinning: and of habitual dominion which intimated the full reſignation of the heart to the commands of corruption.
In both reſpects there may be great reaſons, why any man ſhould pray againſt the dominion of ſin.Reaſons of praying againſt actual dominion. Actual dominion of ſin is very bad.
1. Againſt actual dominion.
1. Becauſe though actual dominion doth not infallibly teſtifie the perſon to be bad: yet it is ever a breaking forth of what is very bad: for as much as the action in this caſe is but ſinne acted.
Now conſider,
1. That every ſin (as acted) is therefore the worſe: you know Note.that ſin, though it be a vile thing, yet it tends towards a perfection Every ſin as acted is therefore the worſe.(in its kinde) luſ…, when it hath conceived, bringe…h forth ſin, and ſin when it is finiſhed, &c. Jam. 1. 15. He alludes to a childe in the womb, which in the conception is not ſo perfect and compleat, as in the birth and life: ſin is naturally bad, if it be at all, it is evil, if in inclination it is evil, if in thought evil, if in acting, then much worſe; when it is brought forth, then it is more ripened, and therefore the more ſinful; now where ſin hath but actual dominion, there it prevails, thou…h not alwayes to a full conſent, yet to a ſinful ſervice or act: the perſon doth the thing which is evil.
2. That the acting of the greater ſin is always a greater kinde The acting of the greater ſin is a greater kinde of ſinning.of ſinning: I mean, caeteris paribus, if things be equally ſet together.
A high ſin, a preſumptuous ſin in temptation is not ſo guilty, as the ſame preſumptuous ſin in dominion; for all ſin in ſervice is ever worſe then any ſinne in conflict: though ſinne may trouble a man more when it inclines and tempts, yet it wounds a man more, when it prevailes and overcomes.
Secondly, actuall dominion though it doth not alwayes conclud Actuall Dominion weakens the ſtrength of grace. ſin prevailing doth not infer. Privation of grace.the abſence of grace, yet it alwayes impaires and weakens the ſtrength of grace.
There are two things which ſin prevailing to act, doth not neceſſarily inferre.
One is Privation of grace: for even a good man may ſtoop and fall, a good man may yet do that evill which he would not: an honeſt traveller may be ſtruck down, and a faithful ſouldier may be taken captive, though to ſin be the evill mans worke, yet it may poſſible be the good mans action.
2. Another is Annihilation of grace: There is a great difference Annihilation of grace.twixt ſickneſſe and death: ſickneſſe though it removes health, yet it doth not remove life, it is death which doth that; particular dominion, or prevalence, it may lay flat, wound deeply, leave a man in a ſwoon (as ye ſhall hear preſently) yet it is the habituall dominion which denies life.
Nevertheleſſe, particular dominion doth even weaken grace (i.) any ſin (much more a preſumptuous ſin at which David ſeems Yet it may weaken grace.here to touch) prevails and winnes ground on the ſoule to yeeld to act, there the Corrupt nature improves it ſelfe, it hath the better: And this is certaine that ſin is never improved but grace is weakned: weakned much in its meaſure, and in its ſtrength; as all health by the prevalency of ſickneſs, and all heat by the victoriouſneſſe of cold, ſinful actings doe abate the vitality of grace, the edge and the ſpirit of it, and lay it in a ſwoone, ſo that a man may now have little heart to pray, Infinite diſtruſt toward God, and which is as bad as the reſt, if he takes not heed, actuall prevalencies (at the leaſt) incline and tempt him ſhrewdly to habituall actings, ſo a man ſhall hardly doe ſin any one ſervice, but ſin to recompence him, will impoſe the reupon many Commands for more.
3. Becauſe actuall dominion, though it doth not alwayes cut off Actuall dominion doth check the comforts.the union, yet it may and doth diſperſe and check the comforts. It is an eclipſe though it be not a night, He who made the Leproſie, though he loſt not right to his tent or houſe, yet he was interdicted the uſe and benefit of either. A Child who offends his father, though he doth not therefore preſently ceaſe to be a childe, yet his offence doth turne and change the countenance of his father. Though it doth not break off the relation, yet i… doth the reſpect; he ſhall not eaſily be admitted into his fathers preſen…, and then, he ſhall ſee bended browes inſtead of ſmiles, an… ſharp rebukes, and upbraidings inſtead of kinde and wonted wel-comes: ſo ſhall even David himſelfe finde, if that great ſins get dominion over him, if they doe prevaile, if he doth act them, though God doth not caſt off his perſon, yet he will draw off his Countenance: why hideſt thou thy face? He ſhall quickly finde the difference twixt the ſervice of God, and the ſervice of ſin: when he goes to pray, his ſin ſhall meet him, and when he goes to heare, the Ordinances ſhall caſt his ſinne into his face: As Sampſon, when he loſt his haire, he could not doe as formerly, as at other times, ſo even actuall dominion of ſin, though it doth not nullify. the relations, yet it wonderfully varies the condition: The Sun ſeemes to be darkned at noon-day, the Ayre is filled with tempeſt, and thunders, which lately was overſpread with beautifull light; God lookes in terror and diſpleaſure, and the conſcience wounds with cloſeſt bitterneſs: all former comforts ſeem to take leave of us; ſomtimes we are ſo diſtreſſed that we fear we are loſt for ever: one ſuch ſinning may coſt us many yeares of cruell vexation, and of this we may be ſure, that till we are ſoundly humbled and renew our repentance, we ſhall never ſee a ſmile in Gods countenance, nor heare a good word from conſcience: Now this is a dolefull caſe that a man ſhall heare the ſame promiſes from which he ſuckt much comfort, and yet he may not taſte (now he cannot rejoyce) and that God whoſe communion was ſo ſweet, now through his ſinning, becomes ſo bitter and heavy, &c.
4. Becauſe actuall dominion, (eſpecially of great ſins, and over Actuall dominion is accompanied with great prejudice to divine glory.a David) is accompanied with great prejudice to Divine glory: As they ſay of Fevers, that they are uſually worſt in the ſtrongeſt conſtitutions; and of ſpots, that they are uſually the greateſt blemiſhes in the faireſt garments: that we may ſay of ſinnings: the better the man is, the more diſhonorably foule his offendings are: God loſeth more honour in the eyes of the world, by the ſlips of the good, then by the wallowings of the bad: evill men are hardned, good men derided, Satan and ſin advanced, and by all theſe God is infinitely diſhonoured: Therefore good reaſon hath David to pray, Let them not have dominion over me.
Secondly, Habituall Dominion.
But then in the Second place, if we interpret the dominion Reaſons of praying againſt habituall dominion.here of an Habituall dominion of ſin, the reaſons of prayer againſt ſinne, as in ſuch a dominion, are very ſtrong and urgent.
1. Habituall dominion decides the eſtate: the queſtion of a mans ſoul is, whoſe ſervant he is, whether he belong to God and Habituall dominion decides the eſtate.Chriſt, or to ſin and Satan.
Now particular failings doe not determine this, but the dominion of ſin doth, his ſervants we are whom we obey: you know what the Apoſtle hath ſaid, Rom: 6. 16. know ye not that to whom ye yield your ſelves ſervants to obey, his ſervants ye are to whom ye obey, whether of ſin unto death, or if obedience unto righteouſneſſe: if ſin doth rule, and the ſinner yields up his heart to the love and obedience of it: he profeſſeth thus much, that Chriſt is not his Lord, and the Law of Chriſt is not the law which he will obey, as theſe Rebells ſpake of David, what portion have we in the ſonne of Jeſſe? ſoe here the ſinner, I doe not belong to Chriſt, ſin is my Lord, The ſervant of ſin am I, that is the thing which I have Choſen, and that is it which I will ſerve; Soe that on may without any ſcruple conclude, that if ſin hath dominion, the man hath yet noe intereſt in Chriſt, noe one degree of true grace, he is a moſt wretched ſinner: ſin is his Lord, God is his enemy, Hell is his portion, unleſſe he get from under this Dominion.
Secondly, there is no Dominion in all the world ſo vile: whither you conſider it, Firſt, In the commands of ſin, or Secondly, Noe dominion ſo vile.In the ſervice of the ſinner.
Firſt, The Commands.
The commands of ſin are the vileſt commands. For,The commands of ſin are, Illegall.
1. They are Illegal, any command which findes ground and title may be defended, but ſin hath no reaſon to command: A condemned man loſeth all command; ſin is the only thing which Gods law hath condemned: And again, it hath no title to the ſoul, the ſoul owes not it ſelf to it, either by a natural, or by a purchaſed ſubjection: we owe a natural ſubjection to God, becauſe he made us; A purchaſed ſubjection to Chriſt, becauſe he redeemed and bought us; but ſins commands are meerly uſurped, and Inſolent.
2. They are purely ſinful: all its edicts and deſires are but Rebellions: that a man ſhould trangreſſe a righteous, and ſupreme, Purelly ſinfulland good, and holy law: there is not any one thing which ſin at any time commands, but it is that which God forbids, and which God will Judge the ſinner for.
3. They are extreamly unreaſonable; a command may be eſteemed unreaſonable, either when one ſervice runs contradictory Extremely unreaſonable.againſt another, as to command aman to run and yet to ſtand; ſo is it with ſin, it commands a man to ſuch a ſervice as is oppoſite in particulars, for as all ſin is oppoſite to grace, ſoe ſome ſins are oppoſite to others; though not in the fountaine, yet in the actings; or a command may be eſtemed unreaſonable when any ſervice tends to the ruine of the obedient; it were an unreaſonable thing, and unjuſt, to command a man to run into the fire and burne himſelfe, but the commands of ſin tend directly, and intentionally to the deſtruction of the ſinner, ſin injoynes a man much ſervice and paines, and all this is, to diſhonour God, and to damne his owne ſoule.
Secondly, the ſervice.The ſervice of ſin.
The ſervice of ſin: it is the moſt diſloyall ſervice in reſpect of God renouncing him, denying him his due, and conferring it on his only enemy.Is a diſloyall ſervice.
2. It is the moſt injurious ſervice to our ſouls.
3. It is the baſest ſervice: if a man did ſerve a dog or a toad, An injurious ſervice. The baſeſt ſervice.this were a vile abaſing of himſelfe, but it is far baſer to ſerve ſin, for thoſe creatures have ſome goodneſſe in them, but ſin is naturally bad: Nay, though we doe cry out at the devill, as vile and baſe, yet the Devil himſelf is better then ſin, for it is his ſin only which makes him ſo baſe, and he hath an abſolute being, which he owes to God; but ſin hath noe relation to God, and it is that which imbaſeth all beings.
4. It is the drudgingeſt ſervice: A man who is a ſervant to ſin, he is at the command of every luſt, and is taken captive at its pleaſure, The moſt drudging ſervice.and there is noe hoe, nor meaſure, nor end: all the day will not ſerve, nor will the night ſatisfie: an age of yeares is ſpent, and when a mans ſtrength doth faile him, yet ſin ſets him to work ſtill. The crueleſt Tyrant, wearies himſelfe ſometimes by his unwearied commands, but ſin never relents nor ſpares: Nay that which ſhewes the extremity of this vaſilladge, the ſinner continues ſervice there, and then, where he ſees and knowes his miſery; he hath felt the fruites, the bitter fruites of ſinning, yet ſin ſtill commandes and eaſily puts him upon the ſame ſervice afreſh: ſoe that he often tyers his thoughts, and ſpends his eſtate, and conſumes his ſtrength, and breakes his ſleep, and loſeth his friends, his God, his ſoule, his all, to drudge at the Commandes of his owne baſe luſts.
5. It is a moſt unprofitable ſervice: Though in ſome ſervice there The moſt unprofitable ſervice.may be but an uncertain gaine, yet in the ſervice of ſin, there is a moſt certaine and gre…t loſs, what profit had ye in thoſe things whereof ye are now aſhamed Rom. 6. 21. therefore ſinnes are ſaid to ſowe the winde, and to reap the whirl-winde, they deale in vanities which ſhall not profit, and every ſin is a lye, let it pretend much, yet it advantageth nothing. Suppoſe a man had an eſtate worth 10000 li. and he ſhould receive a baby for it, tell me what he got? O that precious ſoule of man which is more worth then a world, is uttelry loſt by ſin, what then, doth the ſervice of it profit him? for what is a man profited (ſaith our Saviour) though he gaine the whole world, if he loſe his own ſoule; thou Gets a little credit by thy ſinning, yea but whith whom? And what is that whiles the great God doth diſgrace thee: and thine own conſcience doth often ſhame thee? Thou gets a little wealth by thy ſinning, yea, but what is that Treaſure of wickedneſſe, but a Treaſury of wrath againſt the day of wrath? Thou gets a little pleaſure by thy ſinning; yea, but what are theſe ſhort minutes of joy to thoſe eternall nights of darkneſſe, in which they muſt end and be ſwallowed up? one fall breaks all the glaſſe to pieces, and one anguiſh of conſcience, or peal of death, blaſts and ſinkes all the vaine triumphings of a ſinfull heart: ſin may pretend faire, and promiſe much, but the wages thereof (i.) that which thou muſt expect for thy ſervice, is death: yea, that death which is oppoſed to eternall life, Rom. 6. vlt.
6. It is a moſt uncomfortable ſervice: How oft is the ſervant of A moſt uncomfortable ſervice.ſin in the depths of feare, and in the heights of trouble, his very ſinnings are more his torments then his joyes: he is many times vexed with thoughts how to ſin, and afterwards he is hewed in his conſcience for his ſinning; though he hath not grace to make him grieve, yet he hath a conſcience which can make him tremble: the very ſurfeits of his ſins do diſtaſte his ſoul, and make him of times weary of his very life; he is aſhamed of Company, and dares not yet to be ſolitary: The night is many times a terror unto him, and the day renewes his anguiſh: though the ſervant of ſin (in the tranſient flaſh of his ſpirit) out-braves al counſell, yet he doth ordinarily feel infinite gripes within, either he is utterly unſenſible of his miſery, (which is one of the greateſt judgements,) or he his ſenſible, and then he feeles a Hell of horror for his lewd obedience: Nay, ſo exceedingly high do the diſtreſſes ſometimes prevaile, that he his forced to diſparie of all mercy, and thinking to eaſe himſelfe of ſome flames, greedily throwes away himſelfe into the very gulfe of Hell-fire: what ſhall I ſay more, where ſin hath the dominion over a perſon, a man is a ſlave to the Devill, and a ſervant to that which will vex him and wound him, and damne him; he never enjoyes himſelfe, nor ſhall he ever enjoy God, unleſs that yoke of ſervice be broken: and therefore good reaſon hath any man to pray againſt the habituall dominion of ſin.