“Now sin reigns in the soul, when the soul willingly and readily obeys
it, and submits to its commands, as subjects do actively obey and
embrace the commands of their prince. The commands of a king are
readily embraced and obeyed by his subjects—but the commands of a
tyrant are embraced and obeyed unwillingly. All the service that is
done to a tyrant, is out of violence, and not out of loving obedience. A
free and willing subjection to the commands of sin speaks out the
soul to be under the reign and dominion of sin; but from this plague,
this hell, Christ frees all believers. It is a sign that sin has not gained
your consent—but committed a rape upon your souls, when you cry
out to God. If the ravished virgin under the law cried out—she was
guiltless (Deut. 22:27); so when sin plays the tyrant over the soul,
and the soul cries out, it is guiltless; those sins shall not be charged
upon the soul.” Thomas Brooks
Deut: 22:25-27
25 But if out in the country a man happens to meet a young woman pledged to be married and rapes her, only the man who has done this shall die. 26 Do nothing to the woman; she has committed no sin deserving death. This case is like that of someone who attacks and murders a neighbor, 27 for the man found the young woman out in the country, and though the betrothed woman screamed, there was no one to rescue her.
Sometimes I get so busy trying to make things complicated that I miss the obvious.
it, and submits to its commands, as subjects do actively obey and
embrace the commands of their prince. The commands of a king are
readily embraced and obeyed by his subjects—but the commands of a
tyrant are embraced and obeyed unwillingly. All the service that is
done to a tyrant, is out of violence, and not out of loving obedience. A
free and willing subjection to the commands of sin speaks out the
soul to be under the reign and dominion of sin; but from this plague,
this hell, Christ frees all believers. It is a sign that sin has not gained
your consent—but committed a rape upon your souls, when you cry
out to God. If the ravished virgin under the law cried out—she was
guiltless (Deut. 22:27); so when sin plays the tyrant over the soul,
and the soul cries out, it is guiltless; those sins shall not be charged
upon the soul.” Thomas Brooks
Deut: 22:25-27
25 But if out in the country a man happens to meet a young woman pledged to be married and rapes her, only the man who has done this shall die. 26 Do nothing to the woman; she has committed no sin deserving death. This case is like that of someone who attacks and murders a neighbor, 27 for the man found the young woman out in the country, and though the betrothed woman screamed, there was no one to rescue her.
Sometimes I get so busy trying to make things complicated that I miss the obvious.