328 SEllMONS UPON ROMANS VI. [SeR. XIX.
Cor. X. 13, ' There hath no temptation taken you but such as is avOpoi- TTw^o?, human, or common to men ; ' 2 Sam. vii. 14, ' I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men ; ' that is, not in rigour, but with a gentle and fatherly hand.
2. The matter is delivered by comparison of what is now due with what was formerly done by them when they were under the slavery of sin.
[1.] What they had done ; they ' Yielded their members to unclean- ness, and to iniquity unto iniquity.' Mark here, two sins are men- tioned, uncleanness and iniquity. By uncleanness some understand carnal sins ; by iniquity, spiritual wickedness. Others by uncleanness understand those sins whereby the pleasure of the carnal inclination is gratified ; by iniquity the violence of the passions. But the words are taken in a larger sense ; all sin is uncleanness, as defiling the soul ; all sin is iniquity, as disagreeing with the equity of God's law. But divers words are heaped up to show — (1.) That they stuck at no sin ; and whereas it is said, they ' Yielded up themselves to unclean- ness, and to iniquity unto iniquity,' it teacheth us, that seldom doth sin stand alone ; one doth as it were impel and bind us to another, venture a little and you have a tie upon you to go further. (2.) That they rested not in the inward consent or lust, but added iniquity unto iniquity, that is, from the habitual inclination they proceeded to actual sin.
[2.] What they should now do ; they should ' yield up their mem- bers servants to righteousness unto holiness ; ' that is, employ their time and strength to serve and please Grod, and continually to grow in grace.
Doct. Those that are recovered from sin to God should show the reality of their change by being as earnest in holiness as before they were in sinning.
In all reason this may be required of you, and less we cannot re- quire. Let me so open the point that you may take along with you the sense of the words of the text.
1. That there is a great change wrought in all them that are brought home to God is evident by the wliole scripture, which sets them forth as those that have been ' Called out of darkness into light,' 1 Peter ii. 9 ; ' Who have passed from death to life,' John iii. 24 ; ' Translated from the power of Satan into the kingdom of Christ,' Col. i. 13 ; and many other such expressions. And therefore every one that would judge of his own estate must look after this change of state, and wherein he differeth from' himself unconverted, when un- converted, not only from others, but from himself, when and how the case is altered with him, since he was acquainted with God in Christ.
2. The difierence between the two estates is chiefly seen in the change of masters, or the dominating principle in the soul ; what governeth the man ? for that determines our estate. There are some who are under the reign of sin, even ' Those who are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness,' Rom. ii. 9. But there are others who are under the empire and sovereignty of grace, who are fitted and framed for what is right, good, and holy, and hate the contrary : Eph. iv. 24, * And that ye put on the new man,
Vers. 18, 19.] sermons upon Romans vi. 329
which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness/ The constitution of their souls is for holiness and against sin. Therefoie we must see what governeth us.
3. The two masters are sin and righteousness : as ver. 18, ' Being then made free from sin, ye hecame the servants of righteousness.' Kighteousness is the opposite master to sin ; before sin was their master, now righteousness governs them. He doth not say, Being now made free from sin, ye became the servants of God, but servants of righteousness. All will pretend they are servants of God ; but if you be so, you will be servants of righteousness, that is, do those things which right and reason calleth for at your hands. Therefore, if you be servants of God, you will not neglect his precepts. What do you for him ?
4. The difference between the two services is very great: the service of sin is a captivity and bondage, but the service of righteous- ness is true liberty, In the general they agree that both are service ; committing sin or living in sin is a servitude : John viii. 34, ' Who- soever committeth sin is the servant of sin ; ' and living to righteous- ness is a service also, not a slavery, but a voluntary service, as we oblige ourselves to God to live righteously ever after the time we enter into his peace and obedience. Therefore both are expressed in the text by terms that imply serving. Our emancipation from sin implieth a slavery before, and our giving up ourselves to God an obedience for the time to come ; therefore we are said to be servants of righteousness ; it is service in regard of the strictness of the bond, but liberty in regard of the sweetness of the work ; it is service, because we live according to the will of another ; but it is liberty, because of our inclination and delight to do it. In short, though we are said to be the servants to righteousness, yet there is no work more pleasant, more honourable, more profitable.