Verf. 6. the fixth Chapter af'the ROMANS. 3 3 knowledge of the Lard and Saviour 3efus Chrifi, they are again intangled and overcome: Before men be overcome by Temptation, they are firft inticed by the apprehenfion of Tome pleafure or profit which is to be had by their fins, by which apprehenfion the danger of committing the fin is covered and hid, as the Fithers hook is by the bait, that is the Metaphor there, éµzrìaríTes ñzTmrrae, lapfe again into the flavery of the former fins, which they feemed to have efcaped. Therefore till we are dead to the fenfitive lure, and can be content to fuffer in the fiefh , and to deny the fatisfaetions of the ani- mal life , we Ihall never avoid the flavery of fin , nor know that our old man is crud- . fled. Now what is more powerful than the confideration of the Death and Example of Jefus Chrift ? In his wholeLife he was a Man of forrows , and fo tàught us to con. temn the world , and the pleafures of the flefh; but efpecially at his Death, w hen pain was poured in upon him by the Conduit of every Senfe , there he pleated not himfelf, Rom. 15. 3. but conquered the love of life , and all the natural contentments of life, that he might pleafe God, and procure our Salvation. Now we have not the Spirit of our Religion till we grow dead , not only to the pleafures of fin , but the natural plea -. fuies of life, yea life it felf, and can fubmit all to Gods glory. . 2. As it is an ad of Love, which thould beget Iove in us to God again , which love will make us tender of finning. There are many aggravations of finning; but the greateft of all is, becaufe we fin againft fo much Love, as God bath (hewed us in our Redemption by Chrift. Sin is aggravated by the greatnefs of the Perlon againft whom it is committed , againft the infinite Majefty of God.; as to ftrike an inferiour perfori is not fo hainous a crime, as to ftrike a Magiftrate or Prince ; but this will not hold in all cafes, for foul indignities and grievous wrongs offered to meaner perlons are a gteater offence, than the omit ion of a Ceremony to a Prince, as if a man through ignorance of the cuftoms of the Court, Ihould not be bare before his Chair of State. Therefore take in the other Confideration of the infinite Goodnefs and Love of God towards us in Chrift ; this doth exceedingl% aggravate our fins. They are ads of unkindnefs, Af- ter stitch a deliverance as this is , fhall we again break by commandments ? Ezra 9. 13, 14. after a deliverance out of Babylon, out of Hell. To fin againft the infinite Goodnefs of a Creator by eating the forbidden Fruit, we fee what mifchief it brought on Mankind g confcious of this tranfgreffion, the firft Actors hid themfelves from Gods prefence. But what is it to fin againft the infinite Goodnefs of a Redeemer, who came to recover us from this thraldom and bondage, and to draw us to himfelf with the cord of love ? He chofe rather to fuffer the punilhment due to our fins, than to fuffer fin (till to reign in us, whom he loved more dearly than his own life: Gal. 2. 20. Who loved me, and gave himfelf for me. Rev. r. 5. To him that loved us , and wafhed us from our fins in his own blood. Now if after this manifeftation of his Love we (ball (till continue in fin, the hainoufnefs of our offence is greatly increaled. 3. Chrilts Death is the heft Glafi, wherein to view the deadly nature of fin. It was fo great and hainous an evil in the fight of God, that nothing but the Blood of the Son of God could expiate it : Rom. 8. 3. For what the Law could not do, in that it was weak through the fefh, God finding his own Son in the likenefs of fnful flefh, and for fin con- demned fin in the flefh. Jefus Chrift mutt come and fuffer a fhameful Death ; this pain- ful, Ihameful , accurfed Death of the Son of God Iheweth Gods difpleafure againft fin, and what it will colt us, if we allow it, and indulge it in our hearts and lives ; for if this be done in the green tree, what (ball be done in the dry ? 4. It fbeweth us allo what a great benefit Mortification is. This among others was intended by him, and moved him to bear our fins in his Body on the Tree : r Pet. 2. 24. Who his own felf bare our fns ist his body on the tree, that we being dead to fin, fhould live unto righteoufnefs. To remember a good turn done by a Friend , and not to prize and value it as we ought, is rather to forget than to remember his friendline(s : So here, if we do not prize Chrifts benefits, we undervalue his Death, and a leffening of the benefits is à leffening the price : Now one of the chief of them is to take away fin, and to break the reign of it in the heart of his renewed ones. This Argument feemeth to be urged, i Per. 1. 18, i g. Forafmch as ye know , that ye were not redeemed with corru- ptible things, as filver andgold, from your vain converfations ; but with the precious blood ofChrifl, &c. If there be a liberty purchafed and bought at fo dear a rate, and then- 'proclaimed , and we will hot accept it ; it is a plain (lighting the benefit we have by Chrift. 5. The fins of Chrillians, who profefs a Co amunion with his Death, are more cri- minal and fcandalous than the fins of Heathens. They never heard of the Son of God, Eeeee that
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