Featly et. Al. - BV4275 T47 1672

422 The Death of Sin, and Firft , generally, how death, and life, exprefs the fine of them that are in Chrift. Secondly , confider them in their particular application ; how deathexpreffeth the firft part ofa mans change in fan&ification, and lifethe fecond part. Firft, we take them, in general, and let this be thepaint ; that, Aman that it indeedeel-10411y changed by vertue of bis union with Chrift ; Le bathfucb 4 changetorortgbtinhim, as in adead, and living man ; ae inlife, or in death. I. In general. Now, fide take it in general ; you know life, and death,they imply,firfia general J. A General change ; whena man is alive, or when a man is dead, there is not a change in fome change. part only, but in thewhole: So it is here, when aman iseftè&ually changed from what he was, by vertueofhisunion with Chrift. A member may be dead, and yet neverthelefs the man alive ; but ifthe than be dead, there is a general change that goes throughout, itpoffeffeth everypart, every member : fo that now there is no member ofhim, butdeath rules in it, then he is a dead man. So it isin this,when a man isdead fpiritually,there isnota change in fume particular a&ions only, in fome particular opinions only ; there is not analteration of fome of his old cultoms only ;. but it is a general change, fo it goes throughthe whole man. It is a change in theunderftanding,hejudgeththings otherwife than he was wont to do. And there is achange in the will ; the inclinationof it isto other objeas than hewaswontto be inclined to. And thence there is a change in hisinten- tions ; he propounds other endstohimfelfthanhewaswont. So there is a change inrefpeet of thewhole ; theWord is the ruleofall a mans a&ions. There isa change from particularevils, from one :as well as another ; that when any thing is difcover ed tohim to be a fin, tobe a tranfgreflion oftherule s he is turrad from it. So like. voile, vvhenany thingisdircovered to him to be a duty, agreeable to the rule accor- ding to thevvill ofGod revealed inhis:Word; he is a vc felofhonour prepared for it : and that if it theApr:kale efpecially means,vvlsen he comparesthem toveffels,and he defcribes them thus ; they are veffels ofhonour fitfor the ferviceof theirMafter.' preparedforevery goodvvork: %thatnovv,as theApoftle faith,thereremaineth no more confcienceoffin. That is, there remains not now any fm to cleave to the con- fcience to defile it, to cleave to the confciencefo, as a ruling enemy would do,that would take away all true and perfe& peace ; all boldncfs, andaccefs to the throne Of Grace, there is no filchconfcienceof fin. Thismaking confcience of every fin, is that that frees confciencefrom being defiled in that. fencewith any fin ; fo much, for the fiift. f fecondly it by death,and life,to thew the orderlinefs in thepro.. s The order- Well, lis.(s of it. cording of this change. Whenaman is changed by the efficacy and working f Chrift towhom heir united; it proceeds in filch a manner,as the change indeathdt life. You knowdeath,or life,begin within firft ; it begins inthe inward ;nan,irethe . heawt fin i..And as in naturald'eath,or natural life there is a dying firftof the root, and ti quidkning fink at theroot :',fe likewife in fpiritualdeath, or life.; itis'an or, deny proceeding, it beginsfirft within. Our Saviour Chrift gives this.diresiion t Fir(' snake the infrdedean, and then all will be clean ; againft the hypocrifie of the Scribes,andpharifees,thatlooked more tooutward aetions. So this change, itisnot only a meer civilikingofa man, a conforming ofhim to that fociety lieconverfeth twithiin outwarda&ions; but renewing ofa. manin thefpiritofhiemisel,Kout.ca.Z So the change begins from within. Hence it is, that firft heir good,andthen he Both good, accordingto the fpeech of Chri[l:, make+she:tree good, and thenthefruitnilfbegood, we will not ftand upon it t you fee the. Analogycandagreementholds between thefe two in general. e. The Ana- Now necome to take them apart more fpecially: Firft, how this being dead to logy in parti- fin, agrees with that changethat is ina man that isin Chrift from fin ;: Reckotn.thir, twat. faith the A.poftle, makeaccountof this, thatyouare dead to fin : that is, now there is filch changeand turning fromyour evil courfes,from whatfçcyer it is that istrt- ty

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