to do is universally to deny themselves; which if they can attain unto, they are freed from every weight, and are expedite in their course. And this exposition we may abide in.

But because there is another great gospel rule in the same case, which restrains this self-denial unto one sort of things, which the word seems to point unto, and which falls in also with experience, it may have here an especial regard. And this rule we may learn from the words of our Saviour also, Matt. xix. 23, 24, Jesus said unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven; and again, I say unto you, that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.' Nothing but the exceeding greatness of the power of God, and his grace, can carry a rich man safely in a time of suffering, unto heaven and glory. And it is confirmed by the apostle, 1 Tim. vi. 9, 10, For they that will be rich, fall into temptations and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition,' &c. The riches of this world, and the love of them, are a peculiar obstruction unto constancy in the profession of the gospel, on many accounts. These, therefore, seem to be a burden, hindering us in our race in an especial manner.

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If when

And these things are called a weight,' not from their own nature, for they are light as vanity; but from the consequent of our setting our hearts and affections upon them. When we so embrace them, so adhere unto them, as to take them into our minds and affections, they are a weight wherewith no man is able to run a Christian race. we are called to sufferings, the love of this world, and the things of it, with our lives in the enjoyment of them, be prevalent in us, we shall find them such a weight upon us, as will utterly disable us for our duty. A man may burden himself with feathers or chaff, as well as with things in themselves more ponderous.

That which remains unto the exposition of these words is, how this weight should be laid aside; which although it be the principal thing to be regarded, yet is wholly overlooked by expositors, as most things practical are. Suppose the weight to be laid aside to be the good things of this life, with the engagement of our affections unto them; then unto this laying them aside,

1. It is not ordinarily required that we should absolutely part with them, and forego our lawful possession of them: I say, it is not so ordinarily. But there have been, and may be seasons, wherein that direction of our Saviour unto the young man, 'Go sell what thou hast, and give to the poor, and follow me,' must take place. So many in the primitive times sold their possessions, distributing what they had to the poor, Acts v. And that example may be obliging, where there is a coincidence of great persecution in any one nation, and great opportu nities of propagating the gospel elsewhere, as the case then was. But ordinarily this is not required of us. Yea, there are times wherein some men's enjoyments and possession of riches may be no hinderance unto themselves, and of great use unto the whole church, by their contributions unto its relief, which are frequently directed by the apostles. And in the discharge of this duty, will lie a decretory determination of the sincerity of their faith and profession.

2. This laying them aside, includes a willingness, a readiness, a resolution to part with them cheerfully for the sake of Christ and the gospel, if called thereunto. So was it with them that took joyfully the spoiling of their goods. When this resolution is prevalent in the mind, the soul will be much eased of that weight of those things which would hinder it in its race. But whilst our hearts cleave unto them with an undue valuation, whilst we cannot attain unto a cheerful willingness to have them taken from us, or to be taken ourselves from them, for the sake of the gospel, they will be an intolerable burden unto us in our course. For hence will the mind dispute every dangerous duty, hearken to every sinful contrivance for safety, be surprised out of its own power by every appearing danger, and be discomposed in its frame on all occasions. Such a burden can no man carry in a race.

Mortifi

3. Sedulous and daily mortification of our hearts and affections, with respect unto all things of this nature, is that which is principally prescribed unto us in this command of laying them aside as a weight. This will take out of them whatever is really burdensome unto us. cation is the dissolution of the conjunction or league that is between our affections and earthly things, which alone gives them their weight and cumbrance. See Col. iii. 1-5. Where this grace and duty are in their due exercise, these things cannot influence the mind into any disorder, nor make it unready for its race, or unwieldy or inexpedite in it. This is that which is enjoined us in this expression; and therefore to declare the whole of the duty required of us, it were necessary the nature of mortification in general, with its causes, means, and effects, should be opened, which, because I have done elsewhere at large, I shall here omit.

4. There is required hereunto continual observation of what difficulties and hinderances these things are apt to cast on our minds, either in our general course, or with respect unto particular duties. They operate on our minds by love, fear, care, delight, contrivances, with a multitude of perplexing thoughts about them. Unless we continually watch against all these ways of engaging our minds to obviate their insinuations, we shall find them a weight and burden in all parts of our race.

These are some of the ways and means whereby those who engage their hearts unto a constant, patient perseverance in the profession of the gospel, may so far lay aside the weight of earthly things, and disentangle their affections from them, as that they may comfortably pass on, and go through with their engagement.

And the days wherein we live will give us a better understanding of the duty here prescribed unto us, than any we are like to learn from the conjectures of men at ease, about the precise signification of this or that word, which being metaphorically used, is capable of various applications. But the world is at present filled with fears, dangers, and persecutions for the gospel. Those who will live godly in Christ Jesus must expect persecution. Loss of goods, estates, liberties, lives, is continually before them. They, and no others, know how far the minds of believers are solicited with these things; what impressions they make on them, and what encumbrance they design to be, and in some measure are, unto them in their progress; and they alone understand what it is to lay aside the weight of them, in the exercise of the graces and duties

before mentioned. Faith, prayer, mortification, a high valuation of things invisible and eternal, a continual preference of them unto all things, present and seen, are enjoined in this word of laying aside every weight.'

Secondly. The second thing to be laid aside is, rηv áμaρtiav εUTEPLOTаTOV, the sin that doth so easily beset us.' I intimated before, that as this word is nowhere else used in the whole Scripture, many have multiplied their conjectures concerning the meaning of it. I shall, without any great examination of them, make that inquiry into the mind. of the Holy Ghost herein, which God shall direct and enable unto.

1. The great variety of translations in rendering the word, make it apparent that no determinate sense could be gathered from its precise signification. For otherwise, both in its original and its double composition, the words themselves are ordinary, and of common use. See the various translations before mentioned, whereunto many others may be added, scarce two agreeing in the same words.

2. We may be satisfied that no bare consideration of the word, either as simple, or in its composition, or its use in other authors, will of itself give us the full and proper signification of it in this place. And it is evident unto me from hence, in that those who have made the most diligent inquisition into it, and traced it through all forms, are most remote from agreeing what is, or should be, the precise signification of it, but close their disquisitions with various and opposite conjectures. And, which is yet worse, that which they mostly fix upon is but a sound of words, which convey no real sense unto the experience of them that do believe. Howbeit, it was no part of the design of the apostle to give us a perplexity, by the use of an ambiguous word; but the thing he intended was at that time commonly known, and not obscured by the new clothing given it, to accommodate the expression of it unto the present metaphor.

3. I shall therefore attend unto the guides before mentioned; namely, other Scripture directions and rules in the same case, with the experience of believers who are exercised in it, and the use of those other words with which this anak λeyouevov is here joined.

First. The word anоrinu, to lay aside,' is never used in the Scripture with respect unto that which is evil and sinful, except with regard unto the original depravation of nature, and the vicious habits wherein. it consists, with the effects of them. The places are these alone: Eph. iv. 22, aπodεoda iuas, that you put off concerning the former conversation, the old man which is corrupt, according to deceitful lusts.' None doubts but that it is the original pravity of our nature that is here intended. Ver. 25, dio aπоeμEVOL TO VEVdoç, 'wherefore, putting away lying,' a branch springing from the same root. Col. iii. 8, νυνι δε αποθεσθε και ύμεις τα παντα, 6 but now you also put off all these, that is, the things which he discourseth of, or original corruption, with all the fruits and effects of it. James i. 21, dio añoɛμεvoi maσav puñаplav, wherefore, lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness;' which is the same. 1 Pet. ii. 1, αποθέμενοι ουν πασαν κακίαν, 'laying aside all malice,' to the same purpose. Elsewhere this word is not used. It is therefore evident, that in all other places it is applied

only unto our duty and acting, with reference unto the original pravity of our nature, with the vicious habits wherein it consists, and the sinful effects or consequents of it. And why it should have another intention here, seeing that it is not only suited unto the analogy of faith, but most agreeable unto the design of the apostle, I know not. And the truth is, the want of a due consideration of this one word, with its use, which expositors have universally overlooked, hath occasioned many fruitless conjectures on the place.

Secondly. The general nature of the evil to be disposed or laid aside is expressed by ἁμαρτια, and that with the article prefixed, την ἁμαρτίαν, 'that sin.' Now this, if there be nothing to limit it, is to be taken in its largest, most usual, and eminent signification. And that this is the original depravation of our natures, cannot be denied. So it is in an especial manner stated, Rom. vii. where it is constantly called by that name; ver. 13, ǹ àμapria, 'sin,' that is, the sin of our nature. And the okovσa Ev εμoi àμаoтia, ver. 17, the sin that dwelleth in me,' is of the same force and signification with ἡ ἁμαρτία ευπερίστατος, ' the sin that doth so easily beset us; though the allusions are various, the one is taken from within, the other from without. See also verses 20, 23. But,

Thirdly. I do not judge that original sin is here absolutely intended; but only with respect unto an especial way of exerting its efficacy, and unto a certain end; namely, as it works by unbelief to obstruct us in, and turn us away from the profession of the gospel. And so the instruction falls in with the rule given us in the same case, in other places of the Epistle, as ch. iii. 12, Take heed lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.' To depart from the living God, and to forsake the course of our profession, are the And the cause of them is, an evil heart of unbelief. For so it is expounded in the next verse, that ye be not hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.' And the like rule is given us in this chapter, ver. 15. The sin, therefore, intended, is indwelling sin, which, with respect unto the profession of the gospel, and permanency therein with patience, worketh by unbelief, whereby it exposeth us unto all sorts of temptations, gives advantage unto all disheartening, weakening, discouraging considerations, still aiming to make us faint, and so at length to depart from the living God.

same.

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These things being fixed, it is all one whether we interpret EvπEpioTaroç, that which doth easily beset us, that is, is in a readiness always so to do, or that doth easily expose us to evil; which are the two senses of the word, with any probability contended for. Both come to the

same.

There are two things yet remaining for the exposition of these words. 1. How this sin is said easily to beset us; and 2. How we must lay it aside.

1st. Consider why this sin is said easily to beset us. This is affirmed of it because it had all advantages to solicit and draw off our minds from this duty, as also to weaken us in the discharge of it. This is confirmed by the experience of all who have been exercised in this case, who have met with great difficulties in, and have been called to suffer

for, the profession of the gospel. Ask of them what they have found in such cases to be their most dangerous enemy; what hath had the most easy and frequent access unto their minds, to disturb and dishearten them, of the power whereof they have been most afraid; they will all answer with one voice, it is the evil of their own unbelieving hearts. This hath continually attempted to entangle them, to betray them, in taking part with all outward temptations. When this is conquered, all things are plain and easy unto them. It may be, some of them have had their particular temptations which they may reflect upon, but any other evil by sin, which is common unto them all, as this is unto all in the like case, they can fix on none. And this known experience of the thing in this case, I prefer before all conjectures at the signification of the word made by men, who either never suffered, or never well considered what it is so to do. This sin is that which hath an easy access unto our minds, unto their hinderance in our race, or doth easily expose us unto danger, by the advantage which it hath unto these ends. For,

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1. It is always present with us, and so never wanting unto any occasion. It stands in need of no help or furtherance from any outward advantages to attempt our minds. Dwelling in us, abiding with us, cleaving unto us, it is always ready to clog, to hinder, and disturb us. Doth any difficulty or danger appear in the way? It is at hand to cry, Spare thyself,' working by fear. Is any sinful compliance proposed unto us? It is ready to argue for its embracement, working by carnal wisdom. Doth the weariness of the flesh decline perseverance in necessary duties? It wants not arguments to promote its inclinations, working by the dispositions of remaining enmity and vanity. Doth the whole matter and cause of our profession come into question, as in a time of severe persecution? It is ready to set all its engines on work for our ruin; fear of danger, love of things present, hopes of recovery, reserves for a better season, the examples of others esteemed good and wise, shall all be put into the hands of unbelief, to be managed against faith, patience, constancy, and perseverance.

2. It hath this advantage, because it hath a remaining interest in all the faculties of our souls. It is not in us, as a disease that attempts and weakens one single part of the body, but as an evil habit that infects and weakens the whole. Hence it hath a readiness to oppose all the actings of grace in every faculty of the soul. The flesh always, and in all things, lusteth against the spirit. But the whole discourse, which I have long since published, of the nature and power of the remainders of indwelling sin in believers, being only a full exposition of this expression, the sin that doth so easily beset us,' I shall not farther here again

insist on it.

2dly. The last inquiry is, how we may lay it aside, or put it from us. One learned man thinks it a sufficient reason to prove, that the sin of nature is not here intended, because we cannot lay that aside, whilst we are in this life. But I have shown that the word is never used, when a duty is in it enjoined unto us, but it is with respect unto this sin. Wherefore,

1. We are to lay it aside absolutely and universally, as unto design