6 SER M O N S upon Serm. I. which is done, and fo build again the things we have defbroyed, if while wefeelt to be juffi- fred by Chrift, we are All found (inners, 6a1. 2. 17, x8. a man that truly feeks after par- don , feeks with it the ruine and deftruEtion of fin. Sin was his greaten trouble, the burden that lay upon his Confcience , the grievance from which he fought cafe , the wound which pained him at heart , the difeafe that his Soul was Fick of ; is all this real ? What will you fay , if this man fhould delight in his former trouble? and take up his burden that he groaned under ? and prefer it before liberty ? to tear open the wounds which were in a fair way of healing ? willingly relapfe into the likenefs, out of which he is recovered with fo much ado? if he fhould defire the bonds and chains again , of which he was freed by infinite mercy ? Surely then you may queftion the reality of all that he bath done 5 in the anguifh of our Souls we groaned under fin , as the heavieft and moft intolerable burden we could ever feel ; now fhould we ftoop to it, and take it on again, after it was lifted from our backs, who would pity us ? 2. There is a renouncing and forfaking of fin : it is called Repentance from dead works , Heb. 6. 1. not only Repentance for but from them. The heart is fo turned from fin, that it is turned againft it: we do not repent of the fins we Rill live in. Now if Grace be difpenfed in this order, what more contrary to the Tenour of the Gofpel- Covenant ? 3. This Faith and Repentance are folemnly profeffed in Baptifm , which is the ini- tiating Ordinance , wherein we profefs to be baptized into the Death of Chrift , that is to fay , to exprefs the virtue , to be conformed to the likenefs of it , and dye unto fin. When we fire gave our Names to Chrift, our Baptifm ftri &ly obligeth us to con. tinue no longer in tan ; it is a vowed death to fin , therefore if we continue in it , we renounce or forget our Baptifm, 2 Pet. 1. 9. if we wallow again in the mire, after we are once wanted , all that is done in Baptifm is but a Nullity , or empty Formality : That is the Apofles Argument here , Flow (ball we, that are dead to fin , bye any longer therein ? There you folemnly renounced fin, that you might have no more commerce with it , than the dead have with the living; therefore for us to continue in tan, and indulge fin, is to break our folemn Covenant with God. You have promifed to give neither mind, nor heart , nor Cafe, nor any faculty or member of Soul or body to ac- complifh it, but fo carry your (elves, as if you were dead. And befrdes, you deprive your (elves of the Grace of the. Covena t,which you might have; if you did not ponere obicem, you might be delivered from the reigning power of indwelling fin; therefore you mull carefully fee, that it have not the upper hand in your Souls , that the Flefh be made (ubjea to the Spirit , that the Reign and Dominion of Sin be indeed broken, that you run into no wilful fin, and walk with all holy Manes and watchfulnefs. 4. ft is contrary to Gods defign to call us out of our tanful elate to ftncere reforma- tion : this was Gods end , that we that fly from him as a condemning God , might re- turn to his love and fervice as a pardoning God ; Pfal. 13o. 4. There is forgivenefs with thee , that thou mightefi be feared : he pardoneth what is pall upon condition of future obedience : he calleth us to Repentance, Aefr 17.30. Now he commandeth all men eve- ry where to repent : not to encourage them to continue, or go on a minute longer in a courfe of lin, or flatter them with hope of impunity , if they do fo, ask t 8. 3o. Re- pent , and turn your flver from all your tran(refion: , fo iniquity fball not be your ruine. Ifa. 55.7. Let the wicked forfal¿e his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, and be will have mercy upon him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardah. Thirdly, It is wicked and blafphemous. i. Becaufe, as much as in you lyeth, you make Chrift a Minder of fin, or an incou- rager of fin , Gal. 2. 7. If while we feek to be jufüfred by Chrifl, we are found inners , is Chrifi a miner of fn? God forbid. 2. They prevent the highell Inlitution in the World for the recovery of men to God, yude 4. werwríOe;fes, turning the grace of God into wantonnefr. The Gofpel is the only way of taking away fin , you make it the only way to.countenance fin. Grace is there taken for obj. ¿five Grace, viz. Grace held forth to us in the Do&rine of the Go- fpel. The Do&rine of the Gofpel doth not tend to make men tanners, nor incourage them to lay alide all care of Holinels or good Works. Zlfe I. Caution againl this abufe. 1. be not prejudiced againft the Do&rine of Grace, as if it yielded thefeconclufrons it is a mifimderlood and mifapplied Gofpel, the World hath not a right underlanding in
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