102 SE R M O M S upon Serm: XV. the furrows of t he earth; but foweth it to receive it again with increade. 3. This right in us is fo inherent in God, and proper to him,that God bimfelf cannot com- municate it to anther; For he hath tolus that he will not give his glory to another ; to make the creature independent, is toma a it no creature: God is God (till, and the crea- ture is a creature Rill, obnoxions to thelawof its Creator, Or elle to his ppnifhment for the breach of it ; it implieth a contradiction, that he should cut off the creature from dependance upon himfelf, and therefore from fubjection to himfelf 5 while God is God, and we are creatures, there will be a debt due from ùs to him, becaufe we depend upon him for our being and prefervation ; our petty interens may be alienated, as a Lord may make his vaffal abfolutely free, or a Prince his Subje& ; as Saul proclaimed, That whofo- ever encountered Goliah, he would make his houle free in ¡frael, r Sam. 17.25. That is; free from Taxes, Impofts, Cervices in War, but not free from being a fubject ; but no creature can be exempted from duty to God,. or made free from this debt ; for depen- dance upon God, and our fubjeCtion to him, are fo twitted together, that the one cannot be without the other: We Wholly depend upon him for being, and all things elle, and therefore we muff be wholly fubje& to him. Well then, confider man in the order of Creation, and he is a debtor to God, nottohis own Beth; bound to refer his fervice, ftrength, time, care, life and love to him, from whom he received them ; there are found - reafonings not to be reproved. Secondly, By the conditionof their IPiritualbeing, fo they are much more debtors to God: and therein confider, I. The foundation on which this new efface is built, and that is our. Redemption by -Chriff. This doth infer the debt mentioned in the Text, whether we refpect the Rate from whence we were redeemed , the price paid for us , or the end why we were redeemed : The Rate from whence we were redeemed , was a flate of woful captivity; from Gods debtors we became Satan's haves : Now if a captive were ránfomed by another mans money, his life, fervice and nrength did belong to the buyer, for he is his money, Exod. 21. 21. Chrin hath bought us from a worfe flavery, there- fore all that we have, belongeth to him; we are debtors ; fo for the price that waspaid for our ranfom as from the worn navery, fo with the greaten price, z Pet. 1. a 8. We are not redeemedwith corruptible things, fuch as liver and gold, but with the precious blood of Chriff. Now this maketh us debtors, and deftroyeth all right and property in our felves, a Cor. 6. 19, 20. re are notyour own, ye are bought with a price, therefore glorifre God with your bodies and faul,whieh are Gods. Take in the end, and the Argument is,themore conclufrve ; he bath redeemed us to God, Rev. '5.8. Rom. r4.4. For to this end Chrifi both died and arofe again, and revived 5 that he might be Lord both of dead and living. Well then, we are not to live as we lift, but to live unto God; not debtors to the Beth, to live after the flefh, but debtors to the fpirit, to be led by the Spirit of God; ex or- dinejx.ffici, juftice requireththis, we are the Lords. 2. The benefit of this fpiritual new being its, felf, or oar regeneration inferreth it; For we are jynified and fanctified, and by both obliged, and allo inclined to live unto God ; obliged, for thefe benefits of Chriffs Righteoufnefs and Spirit given to us, are fuch excel- lent benefits, that for them we owe our whole felvesto God ; if Panl could tell Phile- mon, thou oweft thy felt tome, Phil. x.9. becaufe he had been an inftrument in con- verting him to God ; How much more is our obligation to Chrift, who is the principal Author and proper cfficient caufe of this grace ? furely we owe our whole felves, and ftrength,and time, and fervice to him, jure beneficciario, as Gods beneficiaries, we are in debt to him as our lìpnefa &or ; and not only obliged but inclined by the gift of Chrills Righteoufnefs and Spirit; he hath formed us for this very thing, and fitted to perform the more eafilÿ what we owe to God : Every thing is fitted for its ufe, fo we are prepa- red and fitted for the new life, and all the duties that belong thereunto, Eph. 2. 1o. We are his reorkmanjbip in Chrifi Jefus, created unto good works. The new creature is put by its proper ufe; if we live after the flefh; for all this con and workmanfhip is bellowed upon us in vain, if it doth not fit us to live unto God. 3. Oar own Vow and Covenant (worn, and entred into by Baptifm. Baptifm doth in. ferthis debt, for there we renounced the Befh, and gave up our (elves to God as our proper Lord ; Baptiím is a vowed death to fin, and a folemn obligation to live unto God ; therefore every Chrinian muff reckon himfelf dead to fin, Rom. 6.1r. Likewife reckonye a yo yourfelves to be dead unto fin, bat alive unto God ; and Col. 3. 3, 5. Te are, dead, thereforemortifie ,our members; and Rom. 6. 2. How fnall ye that are dead unto ?n, live any longer therein? He argueth not abimpoffibili,but ab incongruo; for a baptized per- fon
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