Christ Dying and Drawing Sinners to Himself

It was then Paul's sin, and is the sinful scrupulosity of unbelievers to say, being once justified, Sin dwells in me, and there is a law in my members, rebelling against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity unto the law of sin; and I am carnal, and sold under sin; and I do evil, even that which I hate; for all these are lies, and speeches of unbelief: The justified man sinneth not, his heart is clean, he doth nothing against a law. But I well remember that our Divines, and particularly, Chemnitius, Calvin, Beza, prove against Papists, that concupiscence is sin after baptism, even in the regenerate; and it is called eleven or twelve times with the name of sin, Rom. c. 6. c. 7. c. 8. and they teach that of Augustine as a truth, Inest non ut non sit, sed ut non imputetur. So we may use all these Arguments against Libertines, to prove we are, even being justified, such as can sin, and do transgress the Law; and therefore ought to confess these sins, be troubled in conscience for them, complain and sigh in our fetters, though we know that we are justified and freed from the guilt of sin, and the obligation to eternal wrath. But sin is one thing, and the obligation to eternal wrath is another thing: Antinomians confound them, and so mistake grossly the nature of sin, and of the Law, and of Justification. Some imprudently go so far on, that they teach,¹ That believers are to be troubled in heart for nothing that befalls them, either in sin, or in affliction. If their meaning were, that they should not doubtingly, and from the principle of unbelief call in question their once sealed Justification, we should not oppose such a tenet; but their reasons do conclude, That we should no more be shaken in mind with sin, then with afflictions, and the punishments of sin; and that notwithstanding of the highest provocation we are guilty of, we are always to rejoice, to feast on the consolations of Christ. 1. Because trouble for sin ariseth from ignorance, or unbelief, that believers understand not the work of God for them, in the three Persons; the Fathers everlasting decree about them; the Sons union with them, and headship to them, his merits, and intercession; the holy Spirits inhabitation ⟨p. 26⟩in them, and his office toward them, to work all their works for them, till he make them meet for glory. 2.