So under the New, when Faith subdues the inward Kingdom of Sin, it is by the Spirit strengthening the Believer to overcome it; the reign of Sin is broken, because he is under Grace. Here we see how old strong customary Sins, such as are a second nature in Men, come to be subdued; it would be an hard, nay almost impossible thing for a Moralist to unravel such a Sin, merely by contrary acts, and those acts done by his own power, and that power emasculated by a long tract of Sin: But Faith draws down an Almighty Power and Spirit to the work; that hyperbole of Power which raised up Christ from the dead, is towards the Believer, Ephes. 1.19. That Spirit of life which is in Christ, makes him free from the law of sin and death, Rom. 8.2, The bands of Sin can no more hold him than those of Death could Christ, when the glory of the Father came to raise him up. In doing this great work Faith goes by these steps; first, Faith lays down this as a foundation, That there is Power enough in God to subdue Sin, or else he should not be an Infinite God; and that Sin is capable of being subdued, or else it would be an Infinite Monster. That Power which can dry up the Sea, or shake the Earth out of her place, or raise up the Dead out of ⟨p. 281⟩the dust, or annihilate the World in a moment, must be able to subdue Sin. In the Prophet it is but the turn of his hand, I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away they dross, saith God, Isa. 1.25. And which comes nearer to us, Faith is sure, that this Power doth not stand off at a distance in the unapproachable Deity; but is made over to Christ, coming in the flesh, He was anointed with the Holy Ghost and Power. The fullness of the Godhead dwelt in him bodily. And going up to Heaven, he sate down at the right hand of Power, all things being put under his feet. And which yet is nearer, this Power is made over to Christ as trustee and treasurer for his Church; his Unction is to run down upon all Believers: The fullness of the Godhead dwelt in him, that they might be filled with it. He sits at the right hand of Power, that his enemies, among which Sin is a chief one, may be made his footstool: All things are put under him, that he might be Head over all to the Church, letting down his vital influences and motions to it; his great design is, to make an end of Sin, and to dissolve the works of the Devil.
So under the New, when Faith subdues the inward Kingdom of Sin, it is by the Spirit strengthening the Believer to overcome it; the reign of Sin is broken, because he is under Grace. Here we see how old strong customary Sins, such as are a second nature in Men, come to be subdued; it would be an hard, nay almost impossible thing for a Moralist to unravel such a Sin, meerly by contrary acts, and those acts done by his own power, and that power emasculated by a long tract of Sin: But Faith draws down an Almighty Power and Spirit to the work; that hyperbole of Power which raised up Christ from the dead, is towards the Believer, Ephes. 1.19. That Spirit of life which is in Christ, makes him free from the law of sin and death, Rom. 8.2, The bands of Sin can no more hold him than those of Death could Christ, when the glory of the Father came to raise him up. In doing this great work Faith goes by these steps; first, Faith lays down this as a foundation, That there is Power enough in God to subdue Sin, or else he should not be an Infinite God; and that Sin is capable of being subdued, or else it would be an Infinite Monster. That Power which can dry up the Sea, or shake the Earth out of her place, or raise up the Dead out of ⟨p. 281⟩the dust, or annihilate the World in a moment, must be able to subdue Sin. In the Prophet it is but the turn of his hand, I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away they dross, saith God, Isa. 1.25. And which comes nearer to us, Faith is sure, that this Power doth not stand off at a distance in the unapproachable Deity; but is made over to Christ, coming in the flesh, He was anointed with the Holy Ghost and Power. The fulness of the Godhead dwelt in him bodily. And going up to Heaven, he sate down at the right hand of Power, all things being put under his feet. And which yet is nearer, this Power is made over to Christ as trustee and treaurer for his Church; his Unction is to run down upon all Believers: The fulness of the Godhead dwelt in him, that they might be filled with it. He sits at the right hand of Power, that his enemies, among which Sin is a chief one, may be made his footstool: All things are put under him, that he might be Head over all to the Church, letting down his vital influences and motions to it; his great design is, to make an end of Sin, and to dissolve the works of the Devil.
