I24 SERMONSupon Serm.XVIII, you delay to fet it,' it never groweth firoa , or raight: Peter did not lie in the fin, but went out immediately and wept bitterly, Matth. 26. 75. The longer corruption is fpa- red, it acquirethlhe more ftrength, fecureth its interefi more firmly, and is more deeply rooted in the Soul, and bringeth acuffm on the body alto. 2. Why jxflifyed perfect mini morale the deed' of the body. i. l3/ith refpeti to Chrifi. 2. With refpeá to fin. 3. With refpea to grace received. I. With refpea to Chrifl; and there, i. What he did, and is to us. 2. Our relation to him. I. What be did, and is to ie: : For what end he fuffered for us, and for what end he is offered to us. He fuffered for us, to take away fin; or to purchafe grace whereby fin may be mortified : he paid the price to provoked juftice, i Pet. 2. 24. He bore our fins in his body upon the tree, that we being dead unto fin, fhould live to righteoufnef. Naturally we are dead to Righteoufnefs,and alive to fin; but Chrifts intention in dying for (inners; was to remedy this, that fin might die, and grace live : and therefore our old man is faid to be Crucified with Chrift, Rom. 6. 6. Then the Price was paid, and grace purchafed. He came not only to free us from punifhment,but cut alto the power of fin. The guilt of fin is contrary to our happinefs; the power of fin, to Gods Glory. 2. The end for which he is offered to us, God propoundeth Chrift not only, as a foundation of Comfort, but as a Fountain of grace and Holinefs, e Cor. r. 3o. Who of God is made to us, wifdmn, and righteoufnefs, and fantdifrcation, and redemption;to be our San&ification,as well as our Righteoufnefs; where he is the one,he is the other; one prin- cipal blefftng is to turn us from our fins, Alts 3. 36. and that is mortification,or weakning the power, and love of fin in our hearts ; now that we may receive him as God offereth him, and not rend and divide him by a broken and imperfect Faith; as we look for Comfort in Chrift in the fente of our juftification and pardon ; fo an experience of his power in mortifying fin, otherwife we have but half of Chrift. 2. Our relation to him, both by external profefon, and Real implantation; both bind us to mortifie fin. I. External profeffion obligeth us to die unto fin ; 'twas a part of our baptifmal vow, and we quite nullifie and fruftrate the intent of that Ordinance, unlefs we Mortifie the deeds of the body. The Flefh was renounced in our anfwer to Gods CóvenantQuefti- ons, r Pet. 3. 21. Baptifm is called the anfwer of a good confcience towards God: 'Tie an Anfwer to the Lords offers propounded in the Gofpel, when we were fitft confecra- ted to this warfare, and that dedication mutt never be forgotten, 2 Pet. i. 19. And bath forgotten that he was purged from his oldfins. To neglef4, is to forget 5 as to difiri- bute and communicate,forget not; that is, negleht not.So here,hath forgotten that he was purged from his old fins; while they pleafe the flefh, they negleEt their Baptifmal vow, and fo make thàt Ordinance of none effe6t to them: we are faid,Col. 2.13. To put of the body of the fins ofthe fiefh.That is,invow and obligation,being buried with him in baptifm.Now if we do not nand to our vow, our folemn admiffion into Chrifts family was in vain. 2. By real implantation; furely they that are united to Chrift, cannot live in the fervi- tude and flavery of fin; for by this union with him, they are affimulated, and conform- ed' to him, Gal. 2. an. I am crucified with Chrifl; and 'twas not his priviledg alone, but all the juftifyed, Gal. 5. 24. And they that are Chrìlis, have crucified the ftef)t, with the af- fel7ions and Info thereof. This conformity is called by the Apoflle, a be Mg planted into the likenefs of his death, Rom. 6. 5. Chrift was crucified in his human nature, and we in our corrupt nature. We crucified him by our fins, and we are cru- cified with him by his fpirit : Chrift dyed for fin, and a Chriftian unto fin. 2. With refpeEi to fin, which remaineth in us after we are jufled. Here are three eon- fid eratiens demonfirating why we fhould mortify fin. s. That fin frill abideth in us after we are taken into the jußifyed efiate : while we dwell in flefh, this woful and fad companion dwelleth with us 5 we cannot get rid of this curled limate, till the houle its felf be pulled down : we die ftruggling with it 5 and when one of our feet is within the borders of eternity, yet it departeth not as hair groweth after (having as long as the roots remain, fo is corruption fprouting ; there- fore mull be always mortifying : always cleanfing, 2 Cor. 7. 1. Having theft promifes, let us cleanfe os rfelves from all flthinet; of'flefb and fpirit. Always purifying, r john 3.3. He
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