The Nature, Power, Deceit, and Prevalency of Indwelling Sin

First, It is not conquered. A conquest infers two things in respect of the conquered: First, Loss of Dominion; and, secondly, loss of strength. Where ever any one is conquered, he is despoiled of both these. He loseth both his authority and his power. So the strong man armed, being prevailed against, he is bound, and his goods are spoiled. But now neither of these befalls Indwelling-sin by the assaults of the Law; it loseth not one jot of its dominion nor strength by all the blows that are given unto it. The Law cannot do this thing, Rom. 8. 3. it cannot deprive sin of its power and d• minion; for he that is under the L•w is also […] ⟨p. 288⟩sin; that is, what ever power the Law gets upon the conscience of a man, so that he fears to sin, lest the sentence and curse of it should befall him, yet sin still reigns and rules in his heart. Therefore saith the Apostle, Rom. 6. 14. Sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under the Law but under Grace; intimating plainly that though a Person be in never so much subjection to the Authority of the Law, yet that will not exempt and acquit him from the dominion of sin. Yea, the Law by all its work upon the Soul, instead of freeing and acquitting it from the reign of sin, and bondage unto it, doth accidentally greatly increase its misery and bondage; As the sentence of the Judge on the Bench against a Malefactor adds to his misery. The Soul is under the dominion of sin, and it may be, abides in its woeful condition in much security; fearing neither Sin nor Judgement. The Law setting upon him in this condition by all the ways forementioned, brings him into great trouble and perplexity, fear and terror, but delivers him not at all. So that it is with the Soul, as it was with the Israelites when Moses had delivered his Message unto Pharaoh, they were so far from getting liberty by it, that their bondage was increased, and they found that they were in a very evil case; Exod. 5. 17. yea and we shall see, that sin doth like Pharaoh; finding its rule disturbed, it grows more outrageously oppressive, and doubles the bondage of their Souls. This is not then the work of the Law to destroy sin, or deprive it of that dominion which it hath by nature.