and sin hath its imperial throne seated
there. Other conquerors invade men against their will, and so they rule
against their will. They retain men in subjection by fear and not by love.
And so whenever any occasion offers, they are glad to cast off the yoke of
unwilling obedience. But sin hath first conquered men's judgment, by
blinding it,--putting out the eye of the understanding, and then invaded
the affections of men, drawn them over to its side; and by these, it keeps
all in a most willing obedience. Now, what hopes are there then of
delivery, when the prisoner accounts his bondage liberty, and his prison a
palace? What expectation of freedom, when all that is within us conspires
to the upholding that tyrannous dominion of sin, against all that would
cast off its usurpation, as if they were mortal enemies?

Yet there is a delivery possible, but such as would not have entered into
the heart of man to imagine; and it is here expressed,--"the law of the
Spirit of life," &c. This declares how, and by what means, we may be made
free. Not indeed by any power within us, not by any created power without
us. Sin is stronger than all these, because its imperial seat is within,
far without the reach of all created power. There may be some means used
by men, to beat it out of the outworks of the outward man, to chase it out
of the external members; some means to restrain it from such gross
out-breakings; but there is none can lay siege to the soul within, or
storm the understanding and will, where it hath its principal residence.
It is inaccessible, and impregnable by any human power. No entreaties or
persuasions, no terrors or threatenings, can prevail; it can neither be
stormed by violence, nor undermined by skill, because it is within the
spirit of the mind; until at length some other spirit stronger than our
spirit come; till the Spirit of life which is in Christ, come and bind the
strong man, and so make the poor soul free. You heard that we were under a
law of death, and under the power of sin. Now there is another law,
answering this law, and a power to overcome this power. You may indeed
ask, by what law or authority can a sinner that is bound over, by God's
justice, unto death and condemnation, be released? Is there any law above
God's law, and the sentence of his justice? The apostle answers, that
there is a law above it, a law after it,--"the law of the Spirit of life."
Jesus Christ opposes law unto law, the law of