Riches of mercy to men in misery, or, Certain excellent treatises concerning the dignity…

First of all, That there is a Law of sin in every mans nature, strongly inclining him to that which is evil. Secondly, That in every regenerate man there is a Law of grace resisting that, and strongly inclining him to that which is good. To begin with the first; I say,

There is a law of sin in every mans nature strongly inclining ¹him to that which evil.

1. 1Doct. There is a law of sin in everymans nature inclining him to that which is evil.Doct. There is a law of sin in everymans nature enclining him to that which is evil.

For the better understanding of this, we must know that there are two laws on both sides. There is the Law of God expressed in the Scriptures which is without, and there is a Law within every regenerate man, that is, the regenerate part, that which the Scripture calls the spirit, and this agreeth with the Law of God in every thing; so far forth as a man is regenerate, so far he agrees with the Law of God. Even as you see one tally agrees with another, so doth the regenerate part within, and the Law of God without, agree together. On the other side again there are two Laws likewise. First the Law of sin which is without us; that is, the very decalogue (as I may call it) or the summary of evil which the Devil prescribes to his servants; and then there is answerable within, another Law paralleling that Law of sin without, and that is a strong habit, a strong inclination which carrieth the unregenerate man violently to sin against God; and this the Scripture calls by divers names, sometimes it calls it The old Adam, sometimes it calls it flesh; because it deeds and dulls the spirit. Sometimes it is called the body of sin, because it is the very heap of lusts. Sometimes it is called the body of death, because it leads to death and destruction.