2. Let us distinguish of the kinds of justification. There is a two- fold justification — it is either constitutive or executive.
[1.] Constitutive justification is by the new covenant, when those who submit to the terms are constituted or made righteous : John v. 24, ' He that heareth my word, and believeth in him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death to life.' There is God's grant, and whosoever can make good his claim hath a right to justification by God's own grant; according to the law of grace, he is one freed from sin.
[2.] Executive, when God accordingly taketh off all penalties and evils, and giveth us all the good which belongeth to the righteous or justified ; as in the case in hand, when God giveth us tlie Spirit to break the power and reign of sin ; and therefore so often in scripture is God said to sanctify us as a God of peace, or as a God pacified and reconciled to us in Jesus Christ : Heb. xiii. 20, 21, ' Now the God oi peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you lliat which is well-pleasing in his sight ; ' 1 Tlies. v. 23, ' And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly,' &c. ; 2 Cor. v. 18, ' And all things are of God, wlio hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ.' This God doth as a judge, acting according to the rules of government con- stituted in the new covenant, upon the account of the merit of Christ, and our actual interest in him.
Secondly, As to tlie degree, how far we are freed from sin.
1. All tlie justified and converted to God are freed from the reign of it. The flesii, though it remaineth, is made subject to the Spirit, which by degrees doth destroy the relics of sin ; for it is said of the justified : Rom. viii. 1, ' Tliere is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.'
2. The more obedient we are to the motions of the snnctifying Spirit, the more power we have against sin : Gal. v. 18, ' If ye be led by the
204 SERMONS UPON ROMANS VI. [SliR. VI.
Spirit, 3'e are not under the law,' under the irritating power and curse of it. Many sins aic in a great measure left uncured as a part of our punishment. We should have more of his Spirit ; and so more of his grace to mortify sin, if we did mind more the covenant we have made with God as our sanctifier : but degrees of grace may be forfeited by our unworthy dealing with the Spirit : Eph. iv. 30, ' Grieve not the Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed to the day of redemption.' He seeketh by degrees to fit us for our everlasting estate and final deliver- ance from all sin, and the consequence of sin : 2 Cor. v, 5, 'Now he that hath wrought us for the self-same thing is God, who also hath given to us the earnest of his Spirit.' And therefore he must not be obstructed in his work while he is preparing the heirs of promise afore- hand unto glory, lest we lose not only the comfort of our future hopes, but also be set back in the spiritual life, and so grieve both our sancti- fier and our comforter.
3. If we fall into heinous wilful sin, God manifesteth his displeasure against the party sinning by withdrawing his Spirit. This was the evil that David was so much afraid of : Ps. li. 10-12, 'Create in me a clean heart, and renew a I'ight spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation, and uphold me by thy free Spirit.' In which expressions he desireth that God would not withdraw his grace and the influence of his Holy Spirit, which by that heinous sin he had so justly forfeited. This is the sorest judgment on this side hell, to be deprived of communion with God in point of grace. Though it may be not a total separation from his presence and grace, yet it is a degree of it, when God is strange to us, and suspendeth all the acts of his complacential love, leaving us dull and senseless, that we have no heart or life to anything that is spiritually good. Yea, if after such scandalous falls, we repent not the sooner, God may deliver us up to brutish lusts ; the evils are lesser and greater according to the rate of our sins or neglects of grace. These penal withdrawings of his Spirit should therefore be observed ; for God showeth much of his pleasure or displeasure by giving and withholding the Spirit. His blessing and favour is showed this way : Prov. i. 23. ' Turn ye at my reproof : be- hold I will pour out my Spirit upon you, and I will make known my words unto you.' But when God is refused, or neglected, or highly provoked : Ps. Ixxxi. 11, 12, ' My people would not hearken to my voice, and Israel would none of me ; so I gave them up unto their own hearts' lust, and they walked in their own counsels.' This is more than all the calamities of the world. ^