332 MORTIFICAT an outward representation, as some imagine, of being dipped under the water, and taken up again (which were to make one'sign the sign of another)but in a powerful participation of the virtue of the death and life f Christ, in a death unto sin, and newness of life in holy obedience, which baptism is a pledge of, as it is a token ofour initiation and implanting into him. So are we said to be baptized into his death, or into the likeness of it, that is, into its power, ver. 3. (3.) The old man - is said to be crucified with Christ, or sin to be morti- fied by the death of Christ, as was in part, before ob- served, on two accounts: (1.) Of conformity. Christ is the head, the begin- ning or idea of the new creation; the firstborn of every creature. Whatever God designeth unto us therein, he first exemplified in Jesus Christ; and we arepredes- tinated to be conformed to the imageofhis Son, Rom. viii. 29. Hereof the apostlegives us an express instance in the resurrection. Christ the first fruits, afterwards they that are Christ's, at his coming, 1 Cor. xv. 23. It is so in all things; all that is wrought in us, it is in resemblance and conformity unto Christ. Particularly, we are by grace planted into the likeness of his death, Rom. vi. 5. being madeconformable unto his death, Phil. iii. to. and so tobe deadwith .Christ, Col. ii. 20. Now, this conformity is not in our natural death, nor in our being put to death, as he was; for it is that which we are made partakersof in this life, and that in a way of grace and mercy. But Christ died for sin, for our sin, which was the meritorious procuringcause thereof. And he lived again by the power of God. A likeness and conformity hereunto God will work in all believers. There is, by nature, a life of sin in them, as bath been declared. This life must be destroyed, sin most die in us, and we thereby become dead unto sin. And, as he rose again, so are we to be quickened in and unto new- ness of life. In this death of sin consists that mortifi- cation which wetreat about; and without which wecan- not be conformed unto Christ in his death, which we are designed unto. And the same Spirit which wrought these things in Christ, will, in the pursuit of his design, work that which answers unto them in all his members. Sect. 34. (2.) In respect of efficacy; virtue goeth forth from the death of Christ, for the subduing and destruction of sin. It was not designed to be a dead, unactive, passive example, but it is accompanied with ION OF SIN, a power conforming and changing us into its own like- ness. It is the ordinance of God unto that end, which he therefore gives efficacy unto. It is by a fellowship or participation in his sufferings, that weare made con- formable to his death, Phil. iii. 10. this ra9q- eisr,r , is an interest in the benefit ofhis suffering; we also are made partakers thereof. This makes us conform- able to his death, in the death of sin in us. The death of Christ is designed to be the death of 'sin; let them who are dead in sin deride it whilst they please. If Christ had not died, sin had never died its any sinner unto eternity. Wherefore, that there is a virtue and efficacy in the death of Christ unto this purpose, can- not be denied without a renunciation of all the benefits thereof. On the one hand, the scripture tells us, that he is our life, our spirituallife, the spring, fountain, and oause of it; we have nothing therefore that be- longs thereunto but what is derived from him. They cast themselves out of the 'verge of Christianity, who suppose that the Lord Christ is no otherwise our life, or the author of life unto us, but as he bath revealed and taught the way of life unto us. He is our life as he is our head. And it would be a sorry head that should only teach the feet to go, and not communicate strength to the whole body so to do. And that wehave real influences of life from Christ, I, have sufficiently proved before. Unto our spiritual life doth ensue the death of sin; for this, on the other hand, is peculiarly assigned unto his death in the testimonies before pro- duced. This, therefore,, is by virtue derived from Christ, that is, in an especial manner front his death, as the scripture testifies. Sect. 35. All the inquiry is, how the death of Christ is applied unto us? or, which is the same, how we ap- ply ourselves to the death of Christ for this purpose? And, I answer, we do it two. ways: (1.) By faith. The way to derive virtue fromChrist, is by touching of him. So the diseased woman in the gospel touched but the hem of his garment, and virtue wentforthfrom hint to stayher bloody issue, Matth. ix. 22. It was not her touching him outwardly, but her faith which she acted then and thereby, that derived virtue from him. For so our Saviour tells her, in his an- swer Daughter, be ofgood comfort, thyfaith hath made thee whole. But unto what end was-this touching of his garment? It was only a pledge and token of the parti-
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