3. Observe the apostle saith, ' That we should not serve sin.' It is one thing to sin, another thing to serve sin. Though sin doth remain in the godly, it doth not reign in them: to serve sin is to yield willing obedience to it. This may be done two ways : —
[1.] When men slavishly lie down in any habit and course of sin. There is 17 h KaKia Siarpi^r), a way of sinning, as David, Ps. cxxxix. 24, ' See if there be any way of wickedness in me.' David would not be corrupt in any of his ways. And again, Ps. cxix. 29, ' Remove from me the way of lying.' Some are given to one sin, some to another ; some covetous, others sensual ; some proud, others brutish ; there is some iniquity they regard in their hearts and make much of, and indulge in themselves, and so grow slaves to that iraperioiis lust. Now, whatever good properties we have otherwise, we must take heed of any one perverse habit or evil frame of spirit, lest it hamper us and make fools of us, and make us liable to be caught again after some show of escape. A beast escaped with a halter is easily caught again ; 80 this lust indulged will bring us into our old bondage.
[2.] When we willingly indulge any presumptuous acts ; for, John
196 SERMONS UPON ROMANS VI. [SeR. V.
viii. 34, ' He that committeth sin is the servant of sin.' If we allow ourselves to commit any one gross sin, we serve it. Other sins steal into the soul by degrees, but these at once ; therefore we must take heed that we run not wilfully into these inordinacies, and yet hope to escape the danger.
Now, all this must be improved by us : tovto <yivQ)aKoin€<;, ' know- ing this.' The word signifies — (1.) Knowledge ; (2.) Consideration ; (3.) Assent.
1. Knowledge, understand this. This is of use here ; for ignorance of Christ and his gospel is a great cause of sin, whereas a sound know- ledge produceth mortification. Ignorance causeth men to become brutish : 1 Peter i. 14, ' Not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance ;' 1 Cor. xv. 34, ' Some have not the knowledge of God ; I speak this to your sliame.' On the other side, knowledge is a help to mortification, provided it be sound, and such a knowledge both for matter and manner as it ought to be. For matter, that it be a thorough knowledge : Eph. iv. 20-22, * But ye have not so learned Christ, if so be that ye have heard him, and been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus, that ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts.' If men were thoroughly instructed in the christian doctrine they could not so easily sin against God ; but a partial knowledge encourages our boldness in sinning. For manner, it must be lively : 2 Peter ii. 20, ' If after they have escaped the polhitions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ ;' John viii. 32, ' And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make ye free;' Jer. xxxi. 19, 'After that I was instructed, I smote on my thigh : I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth.' It is but a form of knowledge, not the lively light of the Spirit, which doth not break the power of our lusts.
2. It may import consideration, and so ' knowing this' is seriously considering this. Many truths lie by neglected, unimproved, for want of consideration, and that is the cause of men's sins ; they consider not God's benefits : Isa. i. 3, ' The ox knows his owner, and the ass his master's crib ; but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider ;' nor his judgments : Job xxxiv. 27, ' They turned back from him, and would not consider his ways;' that is made the reason of their sin; ' they consider not his ways,' that is, the ways of his providence towards them and others. If men did consider and ponder with themselves how hateful sin is to God, with what severity he will punish it, what obligations they have to the contrary, it would much check the fervour of their lusts, and they could not go on so quietly in a course of disobe- dience against God ; but they do not seriously consider what they are a-doing. Above all, the death of Christ should be considered by us ; as, 1 Peter i. 18, 19, ' Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversations, received by tradition from your fathers ; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.' If men would know, that is, ponder these things in their hearts, and discourse with themselves, why was so great a price given for our reconciliation,
VeR. 6.] SERMONS UPON ROMANS VI. 197
but that sin might be destroyed, and the great makebate between God and us removed out of the way ?