42 SERMONS upon Serm. VII. more permit our felves to live in it, or be a led by it. Who are they that demonftrate themfelves to be freed from fin. r. Thofe whofe fetled purpofe is not to fin : t Soh. 2. 1. Thefe things 1 write unto`you that ye fie not. A carnal man non proponit peccare, a renewed man proponit non peccare; a carnal man doth not purpofe to fin, but he doth not purpofe againft fin ; but the godly purpofe not to fin in good earneft. Do you loath your felves for pa1t fins? Are you truly defirous to get rid of fin ? Is it a benefit or burden Chrift offereth to you ? 2. They are watchful, that they may not fin : Pfal. 39. 1. I faid , 1 will take heed to my ways , that I offend not with my tongue. Prov. 4. 23. Keep thy heart with all dili- gence; for out of it are the Ores of life, efpecially to watch over thofe corruptions and inclinations, which are the ftrongeft in them. 3. They are Driving and endeavouring to get more vi&ory every day. You mutt not only ftrive againft fin , but conquer the predominant love of every fin. Every man that hath a Confcience may Drive againft evil before he yield to it, while he liveth in it : But if it be your daily endeavour to mortifie the flefh , and mailer its oppofition to the Spirit, . and you fo far prevail as to live , walk and be led by the Spirit , fo that the courfe and drift of your life is fpiritual , then do you demonftrateyour felves to be freed from fin. SERMON VII. ROM. VI. 8. `Vow if we be dead with Chrift we believe , that we fhall alfo live with him. TH E Apofle now proveth the fecond part, That we are planted into the likenefs of his refurrecdion. He proveth it as a neceffary Confequent of the antecedent Priviledge. Now if we be dead with Chrifi, &c. In the words, a. A.Suppofition. 2. The Truth thence inferred. 3. The Certainty of the Inference. a. The Suppofirion , there, i. The thing fuppofed, Being dead with Chrifi. What that is, we have explained already : all that I (ball now add, is, That in Scripture it implieth two things. Firf, Conformity with Chrift in his Sufferings : fo we have a Saying like that in the Text, 2 Tim. 2. II. It is a faithful faying ; for if we be dead with him , we ¡ball a f live with him, which prefently is explained, verf 12. If we fufflr,we'hall alfa reign with him. Secondly, It implieth mortification of fin : fo it is underftood here, if we have com- munion and fellowfhip with his Death, for the mortification of fin. 2. The Term of Propofal, conditionally, If me. The Particle [if] hath fometimes the notion of a Caution, fee that ye be dead with Chrift: fometimes it is a note of Rela- tion, when one priviledge is deduced from another, as here, if we partake of the effel and likenefs of his Death in dying to fin , we (ball partake of the effe'e and likenefs of his Refurreition, in being quickened to live in Holinefs and Righteoufnefs all our days. Dying to fin and newnefs of life are infeparable; if we have the firft, we (hall have the other alto: they are branches of the Came work of Regeneration, and both proceed from the fame Caufe, Union with Chrift. 2. The Truth hence inferred, We ¡hall alfo live with him. This is meant both of the Lift: of Grace , and of the Life of Glory , Regeneration and Refurre& ion; the one is to newnefs
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