VeR. 13.] SERMONS UPON ROMANS VIII. 75
to it, as having contrary operations and tendencies. Now how doth this new hfe discover its enmity ? Partly by complaining of it, as a sore burden and annoyance: Rom. vii. 24, '0 wretched man that I ira ! who shall deliver me from this body of death ? ' Paul was whipped, scourged, imprisoned, exercised with many vexations and sorrows ; but the relics of the corruption were his greatest burden. Not, When shall I come out of these afflictions ? but. Who shall deliver me from this body of death? Partly, by endeavours and striving against it. There may be some dislike of sin in a natural heart, for conscience will sometimes take God's part, and quarrel against our lusts ; otherwise a wicked man could not be self-condemned, and hold the truth in unrighteousness ; but checks of conscience are distinct things from the repugnancies of a renewed heart; a wicked man's conscience telletii him he should do otherwise, when his heart inclineth him to do so still. But a renewed heart hateth sin, and therefore there is a con- stant earnest endeavour to get it subdued ; and doth watch, pray, plead for God; use means; dare not rest in sin, or live in sin. Yea, also prevail against it so far, that the heart is never turned away from God to sin : 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.' His heart cannot easily be brought to it ; he looketh upon it as a monstrous incongruity : Gen. xxxix. 9, ' How can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God ? ' 2 Cor. xiii. 8, ' For we can do nothing against the truth ; ' and Acts iv. 20, ' For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.' There is a natural cannot, and a moral cannot ; the natural cannot is an utter impossil)ility ; the moral cannot is a great absurdity ; the new life breedeth such an aversion of heart and mind from sin, such constant rebukes and dislikes of the new nature. A child of God is never in a right posture, till he doth look upon sin not only as contrary to his duty, but his nature ; they have no satisfaction in themselves till it be utterly destroyed.
[3.] As a Spirit of love. The great work of the Spirit is to reveal the love of God to us, and to recover our love to God ; for the Spirit Cometh to us as the Spirit of Christ, by virtue of his redemption. Now the infinite goodness and love of God doth shine most brightly to us in the face of our Eedeemer ; in the great things which he hath done and purchased for us, and offered to us, we have the fullest expression and demonstration of the love of God, which we are capable of, and which is most apt to kindle love in us to God again : Eom. v. 8, ' God commendeth his love to us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us;' and 1 John ii. 1, 2, 'My little children, the.se things write I unto you, that ye sin not ; and if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And he is the propitia- tion for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.' And Eph iii. 18, 19, ' That you may be rooted and grounded in love, and comprehend with all saints, what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height ; and may know the love of Christ which passeth all knowledge.' Now the Spirit attending this dispen- sation, surely his great work and office is to shed abroad the love of God in our hearts, Pvom. v. 5 ; and Gal. iv. 6, ' Because ye are sons,
76 SERMONS UPON ROMANS VIII. [SeR. XIX.
God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father ; ' that being persuaded of God's fatherly love, we may love him again, and study to please him. Therefore nothing doth stir us up against sin, so much as the sense of God's love in Christ. Shall sin live, which is so contrary to God? Shall I take delight in that which is a grief to his Holy Spirit? cherish that which Christ came to destroy ? live to myself, who am so many ways obliged to God ? Displease my Father to gratify the flesh ? Alas ! how many read and hear of this, who are no way moved into an indignation against sin ! It is not the love of God called to mind by a few cold thoughts of ours, that worketh so, but the love of God shed abroad in our hearts by the Spirit. That melts the heart, maketh us ashamed of our unkindness to God, and stirretli up an hatred against sin.
6. After conversion, and the Spirit's becoming a spirit of light, life, and love to us ; after grace is put into our hearts to weaken sin, still we need the help of the Spirit. Partly, because habitual grace is a created thing ; and the same grace that made us new creatures, is necessary to continue us so. For no creature can be good indefjend- ently, without the influence of the prime good ; all things depend in esse, conservare, operari, on him that made them. ' In him we live, and move, and have our being,' Acts xvii. 28. If God suspend his influence, natural agents cannot work, as the fire cannot burn, as in the case of the three children ; much less voluntary. And if there be this depend- ence in natural things, much more in supernatural, Phil ii. 12, 13. Will and deed are from God ; first principles of operation, and final accomplishment. Partly, because iu the very heart tliere is great opposition against it ; there is flesh still, the warring law, Rom. vii. 23, Gratia non totaliter satiat ; the cure is not total as yet, but partial ; therefore they need the Spiiit to guide, and quicken, and strengthen them. Partly, as it moeteth with much opposition within, so it is exposed to temptations without. Satan watchetii all advantages against us ; and the soul is strangely deluded by the treachery of the senses, and the revolt of the passions, and our corrupt inclinations, when temptations assault us ; so that unless we have seasonable relief, how soon are we overtaken or overborne ! Adam had habitual grace, but gave out at the first assault. A city besieged, unless it be relieved, compoundeth and yieldeth ; so without the supply of the Spirit, we cannot stand out in the hour of trial: Eph. iii. 16, 'That he would grant you according to the riclies of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit iu the inner man.'