(1.) Proposito, in the settled purpose of their hearts, as Christ ceased not till he had done his work ; so a christian : 1 Peter iv. 1, ' Foras- much as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind ; for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin.' Now a work is spoken of as done when it is thoroughly purposed to be done ; as a fire is said to have taken a house when it hath only taken a little corner of the house, because if it be not quenched, it will in time consume all. There is a fixed purpose to get rid of it.
(2.) Voto, in desire, in their constant prayer accompanied with hearty groans : Eom. vii. 24, ' 0 wretched man that I am ! who shall deliver me from the body of this death ? ' Ps. cxix. 133, ' Order my steps in thy word, and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.' Nothing less will content them than a total extirpation of sin.
(3.) Conaiu, they have begun it with a mind to finish it, and are always thwarting and curbing the desires of corrupt nature : 1 Cor. ix. 27, ' I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection, lest after I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.'
(4.) Eventu, the work is not only really begun, but they have some success in it, and while it is a-doing, they have the comfort of it. The reign of sin is broken : Kom. vi. 14, ' Sin shall not have dominion over you ; for you are not under the law, but under grace,' They are somewhat enabled to prevail over it, so far that there is a manifest difference between them and the carnal ; whilst others cherish their lusts, and make provision for them, they crucify them, and are freed from that base servitude.
Thirdly, What man must do, or the obligation lying upon us, ' That henceforth we should not serve sin.' Here observe —
1. The word ' henceforth.' We did before serve sin ; before re- generation we were all slaves : Titus iii. 3, ' Serving divers lusts and pleasures.' There is a double notion of servitude intimated in scrip- ture, and confirmed by the practice of all nations. One is of those that yield up themselves, by their own consent and willing subjection, in bondage to another, of which that text speaketh, Kom. vi. 16, * Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are whom ye obey. These are servants by consent, that yield up their time and strength and life to be disposed of by another, to whom they have sold themselves. The other is of that slavery which is introduced by conquest ; as those that were taken in war were at the dispose of him that took them. That is spoken of, 2 Peter ii. 19, ' While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption ; for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.' The first deliver up themselves as servants and slaves by their own consent ; the other by conquest : for by the law of nature victory giveth dominion, and though men had a mind to do otherwise, they cannot help themselves. Both notions express the reign of sin, and our servitude under it, which is both voluntary and
VeR. 6.] SERMONS UPON ROMANS VI. 105
unavoidable; at first it is voluntary, afterwards unavoidable; they first yielded up themselves, and then are overcome by their base and brutish lusts, and so lose all liberty and strength of will to help them- selves. First willingly and by our own default we run into it, and afterwards we are captivated, and though we are convinced of better, we shall do that which is worse, being overcome by our lusts. Though they see their duty, they are not able to perform it, they have some kind of remorse and trouble, but they cannot help or free themselves,
2. Observe that the gospel looketh forward to the time to come. It respecteth not what believers have been before conversion and turning to God ; but thenceforward they must forsake their sinful lusts, and turn to God. So 1 Peter iv. 2, ' That he no more should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.' Time is short, work is great, since it is not enough for a christian to cut off one member, but the whole body of sin must be destroyed, and they have been too long dishonouring God, and destroying their own souls, and cherishing divers lusts in themselves. Therefore now they should more earnestly set about the mortifying of sin. Now, as this is an encouragement to those that have long been serving their base lusts and vile affections, and been eminent in wickedness, so it is an engagement to them to double their diligence for the future to serve God, by virtue of their deliverance by Christ : Heb. ix. 14, ' How much more sluill the blood of Christ, Avho through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your consciences from dead works to serve the living God?' Luke i. 74, 75, ' That we, being delivered out of the hands of our enemies, might serve him witiiout fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life.' If the gospel doth not look backward, surely it looketh forward, it obligeth us to be more assiduous and serious in the study of holiness after conversion, that, if it be possible, they may restore the Lord to his honour, reclaim those whom they have hardened in sin, and get their own hearts more loosened from it, since custom hath deeply rooted it in them.