2. The new nature put into us ; you have an opposite principle to check it : 1 John iii. 9, ' Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin, for his seed remaineth in him, and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.' Since Christ hath intrusted us with such a talent as the new nature, and hath put grace into our hearts to resist sin, it is our duty not to suffer it to be idle and unfruitful. Though there be in the regenerate a seed of corruption, yet that is or should be mortified ; there is also in them a seed of grace, and tliat is to be cherished. Now surely where this is, sin cannot carry a full sway, and break out without stop and interruption ; for the new nature will appear by way of check
276 SERMONS UPON ROBIANS VI. [SfiR. XIV.
and dislike ; one that hath a new nature cannot make sin his trade, custom, and delight. Why ? Because his seed abideth in him, which is the principle of grace wrought in him by the Spirit of God. There is a settled, fixed frame and bent of heart towards God, and so by consequence against sin, for it is irreconcilable with the motions and tendencies of the new nature to live in sin ; and therefore it is as natural to the new nature to hate sin as to love God : Ps. xcvii. 18, ' Ye that love the Lord, hate evil.' There is an irreconcilable hatred and enmity against sin. There is a twofold hatred — odium ahominationis and odium inimicitia'. The hatred of abomination or offence is a turn- ing away of the soul from what is apprehended as repugnant and pre- judicial to us : so to sin is repugnant and contrary to the renewed will ; it is agreeable and suitable to the unregenerate, as drafi'to the appetite of a swine, or grass and hay to a bullock or horse. Now, there being in all those that are born of God this kind of hatred, it must needs weaken sin ; for the mortification of sin standeth principally in the hatred of it. Sin dieth when it dieth in the affections, when it is an offence to us, and we have an antipathy against it, as some creatures have one against another. The new nature is a divine nature, 2 Peter i. 4 ; in some measure it hath the same aversations and afi'ections which God hath; we hate what he hateth, love what he loveth : Prov. viii. 13, ' The fear of the Lord is to hate evil : pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the fro ward mouth, do I hate.' There is another kind of hatred, odium inimiciiice. Now this hatred is nothing else but a willing evil or mischief to the thing or person hated, out of that dislike, offence, and distaste we take against them : Ps. xviii. 37, ' I have pur- sued mine enemies, and overtaken them ; neither did I turn again till they were consumed.' This is different from the former, for there may be an aversation or an offence from some things, which yet I do not malign or pursue to the death. But by this hatred also do the regenerate hate their sins ; they hate sin so as to mortify and subdue it, and get it destroyed in themselves : Eom. vi. 6, ' Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin ; ' Gal. v. 24, ' They that are Christ's have crucified the flesh, with the afi'ections and lusts thereof.' Grace within will not let a man alone in his sins, but rouseth up the soul against it, 7ion cessat in Icesione peccati, sed exterminio ; it is still taking away somewhat from sin, its damning power, its reigning power, its being : Eom. vii. 24, ' 0 wretched man that I am ! who shall deliver me from the body of this death ? ' They would be free from all sin, groan under the relics of it as a sore burden ; there- fore certainly the new nature, which hath such a lively hatred against sin, must needs give us a great advantage against it. I would not flatter you with the show of an argument, nor put you off with a half truth ; therefore I must needs tell you, that though the former things alleged be true, yet —
[1.] You must not forget the back-bias of corruption and the flesh, which still remaineth with us, and is importunate to be pleased ; and though it be not superior in the soul, yet it hath a great deal of strength, that still we need even to the very last to keep watching and striving : the best of God's children must resolve to be deaf to its entreaties and
VeR. 14.] SERMONS UPON ROMANS VI. 277