(3.) There must be a difference between a man carnal and regene- rate ; and what is the difference, since sin remaineth in both ? The one serveth sin, and the other serveth God. Though we cannot do all that we would and ought, yet something must be done to distinguish you from the carnal world. Wherein do you differ ? Certainly if there be no difference, the godly would be ungodly, and as bad as others. But the difference is manifest ; and what is that difference ? 1 John iii. 10, ' In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil ; whosoever doth not righteousness is not of God.' He that doth sin is of the devil, and he that is born of God sinneth not, that is, not customarily, frequently, easily, as the carnal and ungodly do, who are carried away with every return of the temp- tation. In short, they conquer gross sin, and are always striving against infirmities, and that with some effect and success. A holy life is the proper and genuine product of this discriminating grace.
2. It is his privilege; being crucified with Christ, he hath a right, and not a right only, but his justification is executed and applied to him by the gift of the sanctifying Spirit, which is the surest token of God's love, and the true effect of his approbation, adopting us into his family : Gal. iv. 6, ' Because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.' The mission or sending down of the Holy Ghost was the visible pledge of Christ's making the atonement, and the sending him into our hearts, of our receiving the atonement.
The work being begun by converting grace, there is the less for confirming grace to do, and ' God, that hath begun a good work, will perform it to the day of Christ,' Phil. i. 6. He will not fail the serious and sincere christian, that doth still continue to make use of his grace. In short, they are dead, as they entered into a solemn covenant with God to die unto sin, which they make conscience of ; they are dead, as they have a contrary principle of life within them, which they neglect not, but improve ; they are dead, as they often and solemnly meditate on Christ's death, as the price of their blessings and pattern of their obedience ; they are dead, as they seriously attend upon the ordinances of God, and all holy means which he hath appointed to communi- cate to tliem the fruits of Christ's death ; and therefore the Lord vouchsaf'eth further grace, whereby they may be more and more freed from sin. Let a man be but serious in his Christianity, especially in this matter, that is, daily renew his repentance for his old sins, thank- fulness for the pardon of them, watchfulness against the like for the future, and it will be no nice case to determine his condition ; he will soon appear to be one freed from the reign of sin.
Use 1. To inform us of the intimate connection between all the parts and branches of the grace of the gospel. We are absolved and discharged from the power of sin as well as from the guilt of it. All will grant that justification respects the guilt of sin ; but the apostle telleth us here, that justification respects the power of sin also. The penalty was the loss of God's image as well as of his favour ; so that
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pardon is executed and applied when our natures are sanctified and healed. The privation of the Spirit being the great punishment, the gift of the Spirit is a great branch of our absolution, and so Christ's reconciling and renewing grace fairly accord and agree.
Use 2. Direction. What we should do to be freed from sin. Meditate upon and improve the death of Christ, that we may be planted into the likeness of it : ' For he that is dead is freed from sin.' When we commemorate his death, we do it not only to increase our confidence of deliverance from the flames of hell, but to encourage and engage ourselves to the mortifying of sin, and to make it more hateful to us. What can stand before the all-conquering Spirit of Christ? Certainly Christ came to renew the world, as well as to redeem it from the curse : Titus iii. 5, 6, ' He saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour.'
Use 3. Exhortation.
1. To be dead with Christ. All that are baptized into Christ have undertaken to accompany him in his death, so far as to die unto sin and the world. To die unto sin is under our consideration. Once let it receive its death-wound, the privilege is great, freedom from the guilt and dominion of sin, from the curse of the law, the wrath of God and eternal death. Let the remembrance of Christ's death breed con- fidence in us ; thence I expect all my strength. Oh ! let us be dead to sin, let us never more have a favourable thought of sin, or slight thoughts of God's justice, or be fond and tender of the flesh (as if it were so great a matter to gratify it), or despair of mortifying sin more.