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

And this also lies in it as it is enmity, that every part and parcel of it, if we may so speak, the least degree of it that can possibly remain in any one, whilst, and where there is any thing of its nature, is enmity still. It may not be so effectual and powerful in operation, as where it hath more life and vigour, but it is enmity still. As every drop of poison, is poison, and will infect, and every spark of fire, is fire, and will burn; so is every thing of the Law of Sin, the last, the least of it, it is enmity, it will poison, it will burn. That which is any thing in the abstract is still so; whilst it hath any being at all. Our Apostle who may well be supposed to have made as great a progress in the subduing of it, as any one on the earth, yet after all cries out for deliverance, as from an irreconcilable Enemy, Rom. 7. 24. The meanest acting, the meanest and most imperceptible working of it, is the acting and working of enmity. Mortification abates of its force, but doth not change its nature. Grace changeth the nature of man, but nothing can change the nature of sin. What ever effect be wrought upon it, there is no effect wrought in it, but that it is enmity still, sin still. This then by it is ⟨p. 38⟩our estate and condition, God is love, 1 John. 4. 8. He is so in himself, eternally excellent and desirable above all. He is so to us, he is so in the blood of his Son, and in all the inexpressible fruits of it, by which we are what we are, and wherein all our future hopes and expectations are wrapped up. Against this God we carry about us an enmity, all our days. An enmity that hath this from its nature, that it is incapable of cure or reconciliation. Destroyed it may be it shall be, but cured it cannot be. If a man hath an Enemy to deal withal that is too mighty for him, as David had with Saul, he may take the course that he did; consider what it is that provoked his Enemy against him, & so address himself to remove the cause and make up his peace, 1 Sam. 26. 19. If the Lord have stirred thee up against me, let him accept an Offering, but if they be the Children of men, cursed be they of the Lord; come it from God or man, there is yet hopes of peace. But when a man hath enmity it self to deal withal, nothing is to be expected but continual fighting to the destruction of the one party.