VerC i q.. the fzxth Chapter to the ROMANS. $9 emphatical , Nin ou %n!(974d4vo,'raw aire9areor , though now you have more knowledge , more grace to incline your hearts to God, and fo by confequence againft fin; yet former lufts are but in part fubdued , and therefore our old love to them is loon kindled , and the gates of the fenfes are always open to let in fuch obje &s as take part with the flab , and there is an hazard in the belt of complying with the finful mo- tions of corrupt.Nature ; and therefore you mutt not fo take it, as if there were no need of diligence, and watching, and ftriving , and confiant progrefs in Mortification: even holy Pax!, mortified Paul law a continual need of beating down the body, left after he had preached to others , he himfelf fhauld be a caft -away, 1 Cor. 9.27., This great Champion after fo many years fervice in the Caule of Cbrift , was not fecure of the Ad- verfary which he carried about with him : And therefore though we fpeak of the ad- vantage of the new Nature, it is only for our incouragement in the Conflitcr, there is (till need of caution , that we do not revert into our old Slavery. And though it be troublefom to relft the pleating motions of the Fle(h, yet there is great hopes of fuccefs, we do not fight as thofe that are uncertain ; the Grace given us is a fixed rooted Prin- ciple, and the Lofts we contend with are but the relicts of an Enemy routed and foiled, though not utterly and totally fubdued. Though there be a contrary Principle in us, that retaineth Come life and vigour, yec furely in the llegenerate it is much abated, there is not fuch a connaturality and agreement between the heart and fin as there was before; Grace is a real, attive, working thing, and where the new Nature doth prevail, certain- ly old things are pafed away, 2 Cor. g. 17. Every Creature atteth according to its kind, the Lamb according to the nature of a Lamb, and a Toad according to the nature of a Toad ; as a Thorn cannot fend forth Grapes , nor a Thiftle produce Figs ; fo on the contrary, Vines do not yield Haws, nor the Fig -tree Thiltles. Men , now they have renewed Principles , cannot be at the power of Satan , nor at the command of every Luft, as they were before. How are all things become new, how are old things patted away , if it (hould be fo, if they had the old thoughts and defigns fä11, the old affe&i- ons [till , the old pa(iions they ufed to have , the old difcourfes, the old coverfation? Surely Grace will not let a man alone , nor give him any re(t and quiet , if he ihould a& and walkaccording to the old tenour and manner ; certainly the Grace given fer- veth for fome ufe, and giveth fonte (ttrength. 2. 1 mutt interpole one Confideration more for the full underftanding of this Truth, That Grace is operative indeed, a real, attive, working thing ; but yet it doth not work neceffarily, as fire burneth, or light bodies move upward., but voluntarily ; therefore it mull be excited and Purred up, both by the Spirit of God, who worketh in us both to will and to do , Phil. 2. 13. and b} our Celves, we mull a'var vnvpi4v, fur sip the grace of God that is in IN 2 Tim. s. 6. we mutt hill be blowing up this holy fire, as the Prielts do the fire of the Altar, (till keep it burning i and its motions mull be hearkened to and complied withal , Gal. 6.16. Walk in the Spirit, and ye fhall not fulfil the hills of the fle/h: cherifh and obey the direttions of the renewed part, and this will keep the carnal part under; ló that though the motions of it be not totally fuppret %d , yet they (hall not be compleated and fulfilled, not fo eafily contented unto, nor fo often break out into iltameful ads; but as thefe are flighted, fin reigneth. 3. The Spirit ofSan&ification Rill dwelling and working in us. Herein the Law was a dead Letter, it only afforded us bare Inftru &ion, without the help and power of Grace; but the Gofpel is the mitoiftration of the Spirit, 2 Cor. 3.8. There is a life and power , which goeth along with every Gofpel -truth , to finable us to do what it requi- reth of us. The Renewed certainly feel this benefit by it ; and the Truths of the Go- fpel, which to others talle are like-ordinary running water, cold and Cpiritlefs, are to them like Strong water, comfortable and full of virtue ; firong water and running wa- ter are alike for colour and (how, but not for virtue and talle. All that repent and be- lieve in Chrilt, have the gift of the Holy Gholt, Ally 2.,38. Repent and be baptized eve- ry one of you in the name of plus Chrift, for the remiiGon of fins, and ye (hall receive the gift of the Holy Ghofl. He dwelleth and refideth in their hearts, and is the great caufe of the mortifying of fin, Rom. 8. 13. If ye through the Spirit mortifre the deeds of the bo- dy, ye fhall live. The Spirit will not without us, and we cannot without the Spirit Sub- due our finful inclinations; at fielt indeed he worketh upon us as objetts, as a Spirit only moving upon u s, but afterwards he worketh by us as initruments , as a Spirit in- dwelling: at firfl he regenerateth us anei converteth us , when we were dead , and wholly feollefi; man at firlt was a pafftve fubjeet , when the Holy Chott infufed life, and made him partaker of a Divine Nature; we were by Nature all dead in trefpaffes Mmmmm and
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=