Ver. 5,6. the Epiftle to the Romans. 2Ó)i be gratefúll to their nts. A mote hap- py eftate,to be fruittulin good workes through the Spirit ofhrilt, to whom we are joyned in fpiituall marriage. T1 M. Is not this the dill of our being j y- 4.1' art. red in marriage with Chrift, that we may abound in the fruitsof the Spirit ? S i L. It is fo, as the chiefe effe& of natural! marriage is the begetting of Children, whom the Hebrews call, The fruit of the womb:, Pfal. 127.8c 128. So the main fruit of our fpiritual marriage, is the bringing forth firth fruits as are commanded in the Law. This cloth firft of all encourage us to labour in every good worke, becaufe God will accept it as a pleafant fruit. Secondly, it repro - veth filch as are either utterly and whol- ly, or partly unfruitfull in the workes of righteoufaeffe : for as the barrennes of the wombe was a reproach amongft the Jewes;fo barrenneffe in good works is much more reproachfiill to a Chri- ftian who is ele &ed, redeemed, called, joynedand efpoufed to Chrift, fan &ifi - ed alto to this end to glorifie God by fruits of new obedience. DIALOGUE III. Verts 5, 6. For when we were in the flefb, the affeifiont offinne which were by the Law, had force in our members to bring forth fruiter to death. But now ye are delivered front the L ow, he being dead in whomye were bol- deny that we fnould ferve in newn*fe of f pirit, and not in the oldnejJ" of the letter. TIMO THEUS. Hat it the drift of this Scripture? S I L. To confirme the exhor n>Ao " °tl° fation of bringing forth fruits to God mrsorts rt rnni., by comparifon of contraries, wherein l' °raw' our old and firft marriagewith finne, is compared with our Iatter and new mar - riage to Chrift. The fumme whereof is this : If in our first marriage finne was effeftuall in us by theLaw to bring forth evil! workes, as fruits to death; now that we are freed from finne and the Law, and be married to Chrift, let his Spirit be effe&uall in us to bring forth good workes as fruits toGod:if before we brought forth evill fruits unto de- ftru&ion, much more now let us bring forth fruit pleafingtoGod,and whole- , forme to our felves. T o art. What then be the parts of' this Text ? S I t, Two : the firft bath the con- dition of our firft marriage with fin, in the 5. verf. The fecond part bath the condition of our fecond marriage with Chrift), in the fixth verle. T s m. Now expound the word, and tell us what is meant here by the flefh, and by be- ing in the flefb? S r L. By the flesh is meant our fin- full corruption,fuch as we bring with us into the world, through carnal genera- tion : and by being in the flefh is meant to remaine or abide fecurely in the eftate of corruption,our f nne and our nature being united together as husband and wife. And this is here to be noted, that it is one thing to have flefh in us, and a- nother thing to be in the flesh. For the regenerate have flefh, that is, forne fin - full corruption in them, becaufe their fan&ilcation is unperfelt s but they are not in theßefh,becaufe their finfull na- ture is mortified and reformed : before their new birth they are in the fiery, be- ing every way obnoxious unto finne:af- ternewbirth the flefh is in them, be- caufe finne Rill dwell in them. T I M What are we to learne from this k ndof(peecb? S r L. That all the ere& before their converfion, are fo neerely línkt to fin, as they and frnne are but one,even as the woman coupled in marriage unto the man, they are no more twaine, but one. And note here,that in this comparifon Gone anfwereth the Husband, and wee our felves the wife, married firft unto finne,and then to Chrift. TIM. What is meant here by of íllons; and why are they called the affei: ions of fin? S f L. The word fignifies paffions, which with great forceaffe& the foule, and generally all evill motions. But more particularly by affe &ions,is meant not onely the lulls which be in the infe- riour part of our foule, as in our will, but I.Paré> Tobe.liveÿ and walke afrer she Aelh here & Itoo,.S. 2.2 Cor. 10.3.15.' to follow carnal) lolls gree- dily as un. regenerate j perrons doò
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