solicitations, and not accommodate themselves to please the flesh: 'Not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignor- ance,' 1 Peter i. 14 ; that is, they must take heed they do not cast their conversations into a carnal mould, and suffer their choices and actions to be directed and governed by their lusts. ' In your ignorance,' when you knew not the terror of the Lord, nor sweetness of the Lord, you could not be deterred from delighting in this slavery ; your lusts influenced all your actions, and you wholly gave yourselves to the satis- faction of your sinful desires, shaping and moulding all your actions and undertakings by this scope and aim, The apostle's word is very emphatical, ixi^ ava-^Tjfian^o/Lievoi, ral^ irporepov eVt^u/itai?, though now you have more knowledge, more grace to incline your hearts to God, and so by consequence against sin, yet former lusts are but in part subdued, and therefore our old love to them is soon kindled, and the gates of the senses are always open to let iu such objects as take part with the flesh ; and there is a hazard in the best of complying with the sinful motions of corrupt nature, and therefore you must not so take it as if there were no need of diligence, and watching, and striving, and constant progress in mortification. Even holy Paul, mortified Paul, saw a continual need of beating down the body, lest after he had preached to others he himself should be a castaway, 1 Cor. ix. 27. This great champion, after so many years' service in the cause of Christ, was not secure of the adversary which he carried about with him ; and therefore, though we speak of the advantage of the new nature, it is only for our encouragement in the conflict ; there is still need of caution, that we do not revert into our old slavery. And though it be troublesome to resist the pleasing motions of the flesh, yet there is great hopes of success ; we do not fight as those that are uncertain ; the grace given us is a fixed rooted principle, and the lusts we contend with are but the relics of an enemy routed and foiled, though not utterly and totally subdued. Though there be a contrary principle in us, that retaineth some life and vigour, yet surely in the regenerate it is much abated ; there is not sucli a connaturality and agreement be- tween the heart and sin as there was before ; grace is a real, active, working thing, and where the new nature doth prevail, certainly ' old things are passed away,' 2 Cor. v. 17. Every creature acteth according to its kind, the lamb according to the nature of a lamb, and a toad according to the nature of a toad , as a thorn cannot send forth grapes, nor a thistle produce figs, so, on the contrary, vines do not yield haws, nor the fig-tree thistles. Men, now they have renewed principles, can- not be at the power Satan, nor at the command of every lust, as they were before. How ai'e all things become new, how are old things passed away, if it should be so, if they had the old thoughts and designs still, the old aff"ections still, the old passions they used to have, the old discourses, the old conversation ? Surely grace will not let a man alone, nor give him any rest and quiet, if he should act and walk according to the old tenor and manner. Certainly the grace given serveth for some u.se, and giveth some strength.
[2.] I must interpose one consideration more for the full understand- ing of this truth. That grace is opei-ative indeed, a real, active, work- ing thing ; but yet it doth not work necessarily, as fire burneth, or
278 SlillMONS UPON EOMANS VI. [SeR. XIV.
light bodies move upward, but voluntarily ; therefore it must be excited and stirred up, both by the Spirit of God, ' who worketli in us both to will and to do/ Phil. ii. 13, and by ourselves ; we must ava^wirvpelv, ' stir up the grace of God that is in us,' 2 Tim. i. 6 ; we must still be blowing up this holy fire, as the priests do the fire of the altar, still keep it burning ; and its motions must be hearkened to and complied withal : Gal. vi. 16, ' Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh.' Cherish and obey the directions of the renewed part, and this will keep the carnal part under ; so that though the motions of it be not totally suppressed, yet they shall not be completed and fulfilled, not so easily consented unto, nor so often break out into shameful acts ; but as these are slighted, sin reigneth.
3. The Spirit of sanctification still dwelling and working in us. Herein the law was a dead letter ; it only afforded us bare instruction, without the help and power of grace ; but the gospel is ' the ministra- tion of the Spirit,' 2 Cor. iii. 8. There is a life and power which goetli along with every gospel truth, to enable us to do what it requireth of us. The renewed certainly feel this benefit by it ; and the truths of the gospel, which to others' taste are like ordinary running water, cold and spiritless, are to them like strong water, comfortable and full of virtue : strong water and running water are alike for colour and show, but not for virtue and taste. All that repent and believe in Christ have the gift of the Holy Ghost : Acts ii. 38, ' Kepent and be baptized every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.' He dvvelleth and resideth in their hearts, and is the great cause of the mortifying of sin : Kom. viii. 13, ' If ye through the Spirit mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.' The Spirit will not without us, and we cannot without the Spirit, subdue our sinful inclinations. At first indeed he worketli upon us as objects, as a Spirit only moving upon us, but afterwards he worketli by us as instruments, as a Spirit indwelling. At first he regenerateth us and converteth us, when wo were dead and wholly senseless. Man at first was a passive subject, when the Holy Ghost infused life, and made him partaker of a divine nature. We were by nature all dead in trespasses and sins, did not only deserve death by original sin, but did also deserve to be denied the grace of Jesus Christ by some following actual sins ; but when we were all equally involved in misery, the secret working of divine grace did begin the difference : Eph. ii. 4, 5, * God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when were dead in trespasses and sins, hath quickened us together withsChrist : by grace ye are saved.' This saving grace is not given to all, though all have many both ex- ternal and internal helps sufficient to make them better ; that any have his special efficacy and converting grace is the mere favour and bounty of God ; if any want it, it is long of themselves, because by their neglect and abuse of common grace they deserve that want. Well, then, at first God giveth the Spirit, and all his purifying and sanctifying works upon the soul are by his mere grace, which the gospel ofiereth to all, till they exclude themselves ; but then, after we are converted, we shall have more sins to remove by further sanctifi- cation, now the Spirit dwelleth in us to give us his special assistance.