Ver. 13. the 8th Chapter to the R OM A NS. 139 SERMON XX. R. O M. VIII. ié --ye (hall live. E come new to the Promife (ye //call Prue ). Dolt. That life is promifid to thofe that ferionfly improve the aifiaíl. ces of the fpirit, for the mortifying of fn. t. What is the life here promifed ; the life Of Grace , or the life of Glory? I. (hall give my Anfwer in Three Confderations. I. The more roe die unto fin, the more fit we are to live that new life, which becometh Chri fiiani, or new creatures : For Mortification and Vivification do mutually help one ano- ther : So much fin as remaineth in us, fo far is the fpiritual Iife clogged and obltrnfted therefore it is called a weight thathangeth upon us,and retardeth and hindreth us in all our heavenly flights and rnotions,Heb.r 2. I. That weight is there explained to be fcn,that doth eafily befet ut ; 'cis the great impediment to the heavenly li fe, and maketh our pro. grefs therein,.flow and troublefom. Well then, the more there inordinate inclinations are broken, and mortifyed, the more we arealive unto R ighteoufnefs ; as the Scripture every where witneffeth ; and the more we tame and fubduethe flefh, the more doth the fpirit or better part thrive and p'tofper ; therefore it may be truly faid, If ye through the fpirit do mortifr'e the deeds of the body; ye fhalllive : That is, fpiritually. 2. The fpirituallifeis the pledg and beginning of the life of glory. Here 'tis begun by the fpirit, and thereperfefted; the fpirit of holinefs is the fureft pledg of a Ptefurre&i- on to eternal life, asI proved, v. to, sr. The reafonable nature inferreth Immortality, and the new nature a bleffed Immortality ; every where the new birth, 'tis made the feed of Eternity , called therefore the immortalfeed, r Pet. r. 23. And he that is born of God is faid to have eternal life abiding in him ; he hath the pledg and earneft, and firft fruits of it ; thefpiritual life conflits in the knowledg, love, and contemplation of God, and perfeft love and fubjefkion to him ; fo that if it were meant of the Life of Grace Life of Glory cannot be excluded. 3. As it cannot be excluded, fo'tis principally intended; as is evident ; partly, becaufe 'cis put in oppoücion to death, which is the fruit of the carnal life ; if ye live after the fiefh, ye fhall die. Such a life is intended, asis direftly oppofite to that death ; andppartly; becaufe 'tis propounded by way of motive, and motives 'are feldom taken hot, things co-ordinate, fuch as are vivification and mortification, a dying to fin ; but from things of a fuperior rank and order, as the glorious reward is to duty ; and partly, becaufe this fuiteth with theApo(tles fcope, That jullified Perfons (haft not be condemned, but glori. fled, becaufe of the life of the fpirit in them. 2. To confirm the point ; Firfi, by Scripture : The offer of eternal life is every where propounded in Scripture, as the great encouragement of all our endeavours, either in fubduing fin, or perfe ling holinefs, as Prov. 12. 28. The way of righteoufnef is life, and in the path thereof is no death. There is the hope of life affected, and the fear of death removed : death elfewhere is propounded as the reward of fin ; and life as the great mo. 8 S a. rive
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