(2.) It doth not only thus discourage, but abundantly increased every sin. Sin takes advantage of being by the law; the motions of sin are by the law. Where no law is, there is no transgression (Rom 4:15, 7:5). Sin takes an occasion to live by the law: 'When the commandment came, sin revived; for without the law, sin was dead' (Rom 7:8,9). Sin takes an occasion to multiply by the law: 'The law entered, that the offense might abound' (Rom 5:20). 'And the strength of sin is the law' (1 Cor 15:56). 'That sin by the commandment might become' outrageous, 'exceeding sinful' (Rom 7:13). 'What shall we say then? Is the law a sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all concupiscence. For without the law, sin was dead' (Rom 7:7,8)
These things are not infused or operated by the law from its own nature or doctrine, but are occasioned by the meeting of, and having to do with, a thing directly opposite. 'The law is spiritual, I am carnal'; therefore every imposition is rejected and rebelled against. Strike a steel against a flint, and the fireflies about you; strike the law against a carnal heart, and sin appears, sin multiplies, sin rages, sin is strengthened! And hence arises all these doubts, murmurings, and sinful complaining found in the hearts of the people of God; they have too much to do with the law; the law of works is now in the conscience, imposing a duty upon the carnal part. This is the reason of the noise that you hear, and of the sin that you see, and of the horror that you feel in your own souls when tempted. But to pass this digression.
The law, then, having to do with carnal men, by this, they become worse sinners than before; for their heart now recoiled desperately, opposed blasphemously; it giveth way to despair; and then to conclude there is no hope for hereafter; and so goes on in a sordid, ungodly course of life, till his time comes to die and be damned unless a miracle of grace prevents. From all this I conclude, that 'a man cannot stand just from the curse, in the sight of God but while sinful in himself.' But,
3. As the law gives neither strength nor life to keep it, so it neither gives nor works repentance unto life if thou break it. Do this and live, break it and die; this is the voice of the law. All the repentance that such men have, it is but that of themselves, the sorrow of the world, that ended in death, as Cain's and Judas' did, even such a repentance as must be repented of either here or in hell-fire (2 Cor 7:10).
4. As it giveth none, so it accepted none of them that are under the law (Gal 5:4). Sin and die, is forever its language; there is no middle way in the law; they must bear their judgment, whosoever they are, that stand and fall to the law. Therefore Cain was a vagabond still, and Judas hanged himself; their repentance could not save them, they fell headlong under the law. The law stays no man from the due reward of his deeds; it hath no ears to hear nor heart to pity its penitent ones (Gen 4:9-11; Matt 27:3).
