Secondly, The con-espondency ; it is such a dying and living as doth answer Christ's dying and living. We must .^o die and forsake sin as that we need not to die any more. We may never return to our sins again, so as that they may have any dominion over us; and that is done when sin hath its death-wound given it by a sincere conversion to God, then ' we put off the body of the sins of the flesh,' Col. ii. 11. Though tlie final death be not by and by, yet, as a man is said to be killed when he hath received his death- wound, so he that never reverts to his old slavery is said indeed to be dead unto sin. On the other side, for our new christian life, we are to take care that it may be eternal, carried on in such an uninterrupted course of holiness as may at length end in everlasting life. When we are first converted, we see that man was made for other things than he hath hitherto minded ; therefore we resolve to seek after them, and so must persevere in living to God, till we come to live with him. God or none, heaven or nothing, must serve our turn : Ps. Ixxiii. 25, 'Whom have I in heaven but thee, and there is none on earth I desire besides thee.' Nothing else will satisfy and content the soul. When we live from an everlasting prin- ciple to an everlasting end, then we live to God as Christ did.
Thirdly, The order is to be regarded also. We first die to sin, and then live to God ; for till we die to sin we are disabled from the duties, and incapable of the comforts of the new life.
1. We are disabled from the duties of it; for without mortification the duties will be unpleasant and unacceptable to you, as being against your carnal inclination and design: Kom. viii. 7, ' Because the carnal mind is enmity against God ; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.' We may affect the repute of religion, but can- not endure the work of religion. And besides, sin allowed and indulged begets a trouble in the conscience, and then no wonder if we be loath seriously to exercise ourselves unto godliness ; for when the bone is out of joint, and the wound unhealed, a man certainly hath no mind to his work. The apostle telleth us : Heb. xii. 13, ' That which is lame is soon turned out of the way, but let it rather be healed.' A worldly carnal bias upon the heart will make us warp and decline from our duty. There can be no spiritual strength and vigour of heavenly motion whilst sin remaineth unmortified ; for the love of ease and worldly enjoyments will soon pervert us. Well, then, sin must be mortified before we can live unto God. On the other side, grace cureth sin, as fire refresheth us against the cold, and health taketh away sick- ness : so far as God is admitted, Satan is shut out : Eph. iv. 25, 'Wherefore, putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neigh- bour ; ' and as Christ is valued, worldly things are neglected and be- C'«me less in our eyes: Phil. iii. 8, 'Yea, doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and I do >jount them but dung, that I may win Christ ; ' as heavenly things are
VeR. 11.] SERMONS UPON ROMANS VI. 231
prized, the world is undervalued. When grace hath- recovered the heart to God, the world, that first stole it from God, is despised ; but the first work of grace is to cast out the usurper, and then set up God. Darkness goeth out of the room when light comes in, so doth the love of the world depart as the love of God prevaileth in the soul.^
2. While sin prevaileth and reigneth in the soul, we are incapable of the comforts of the Spirit, and are full of bondage and guilty fears ; afraid of God, that should be our joy and delight, deprived of any sweet sense of his love ; for the Spirit of adoption is given to those that obey him: Kora. viii. 13-16, ' If ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear ; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby ye cry Abba, Father. Tlie Spirit itself also beareth witness with our spirits, that we are children of God.' Others are tormented between their corruptions and convictions, and can have no boldness in their access to God, nor freedom in their commerce with him.
Fourthly, The certain connection of these things ; this ' dying to sin,' and this ' living to God/ must be both evident in us, for they are intimately conjoined. A man cannot remain in his sins, and be a christian or a believer, or accounted one that is in Christ, and hath right to the privileges of the new covenant ; these, ' have but a name to live, and are dead,' Kev. iii. 1. Again, on the other side, some never break out into shameful disorders, but yet love not God, nor do they make it their business to obey him ; they never felt the power of the heavenly mind, or make conscience of living godly in Christ Jesus; as the pharisees' religion ran upon negatives: Luke xviii. 11, ' God, I thank thee that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.' These seem to be dead to sin, but are alive, whilst worldly things sit nearest their hearts.