VeR. 13.] • SERMONS UPON ROMANS Viri. 8B
the apostle's scope, that justified persons shall not be condemned, but glorified, because of the life of the Spirit in them. Secondhj. To confirm the point ; —
1. By Scripture. The offer of eternal life is every where propounded in scripture, as the great encouragement of all our endeavours, either in subduing sin, or perfecting holiness : as Prov. xii. 28, ' The way of i-ighteousness is life, and in the path thereof is no death.' There is the hope of life asserted, and the fear of deatli removed. Death else- where is propounded a.s the reward of sin, and life as the great motive to keep us in the true love and obedience of God : Gal. vi. 8, ' He that soweth to the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting ; ' so Ezek. xviii. 18, 'Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions which he hath committed, he shall live and not die.' The one is removed, the other asserted ; the one is the wages of sin, the other the fruit of God's mercy and free gift ; death we naturally abhor ; and life we naturally love ; therefore the one is threatened, the other promised.
2. To prove it by reasons.
[1.] If we partake with Christ in one act, we shall share with him in all ; if dead with him, we shall live with him : Kom. vi. 8, ' If we bo dead witli Christ, we believe that we shall live with him.' That is, if we imitate Christ in his death, then we have sure grounds of believing that after his example we shall have a joyful resurrection to eternal life. He had said before, ver. 5, ' If we be planted in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection ; ' that is, be first raised from the death of sin to the life of grace ; and then the life of grace shall be swallowed up in the life of glory.
[2.] The mortified soul is prepared to enjoy the heavenly life ; as being weaned from worldly and sensual delights : Col. i. 12, ' Who hath made us meet to be partakers of the saints in light.' There is a double meetness ; first, a meetness in point of right ; secondly, a meetness in point of congruity and preparation of heart; the one respects God's appointment, those who are qualified according to the covenant ; the other, the suitableness of our affections.
(1) They are in respect of God deemed meet and worthy, whom God vouchsafeth to account worthy. Thus he doth the mortified, as we proved before ; he then that would live when he is dead, must die when he is alive.
(2.) Preparation of heart. Heaven would bo a burden to a carnal heart, that hath no delight in communion with God, or the company of the saints, or an holy life. What would he do with heaven? A Turkish paradise would suit better with such sensual and brutish souls Now those who are dead to the flesh and the world, do the better relish those things which are heavenly ; it is not their trouble, but their happiness ; they have the consummation of their hopes and aims.
[3.] They desire this life, and groan and wait for it ; which desires, groans, and longings, being stirred up in them by God's Spirit, will not be in vain. They cannot be satisfied with the wealth, pleasures, and honours of the world ; they must enjoy something beyond all these things, and that is God ; and here they enjoy him but imperfectly. The more the flesh is mortified, our desires to love, know, and enjoy God.
84 KEHMONS UPON ROMANS VIII. [SeR. XX.
are irmre kiudlod in iis. Now by this these are marked out as heirs of promise ; for God infuseth the desire, that they may he satisfied ; and where they are laborious, they will certainly be satisfied ; for otherwise God would entice us to the pursuit of a happiness, which he never meaneth to give.
[4.] God promiseth it to the mortified, the more to sweeten the duty. Those that think it is easy to forsake sin, never tried it. Blortification is of a harsh sound in a carnal ear ; to contradict our carnal desires, and displease the flesh, which is so near and dear to us, will not easily down with us. God might exact it out of sovereignty, but he propouudeth rewards ; if we must pass through a strait gate and narrow way, it leadeth unto life, Mat. 7. 14. Sin is such a disorderly thing, and doth so invert the course of a rational nature, that we should part with it by any means ; but especially when the case is so stated, ihat we must live or die for ever. This motive should work upon us, because of our desires and fears.
(1.) Our desires. Corrupt nature will teach us to love ourselves, and so to desire happiness, whicli we cannot enjoy, if we live not ; for tlie (lead are neither capable of happiness nor misery. Though we are unwilling to deny the flesh, or renounce the credit, profit, or pleasure of sin, or grow dead to the world, or worldly things, yet we are willing enough for life and happiness ; therefore God promiseth that we desire, that we may submit to tliose things which we are against ; :as we sweeten biUer pills to children that they may swallow them down the better ; they love the sugar, though they loathe the aloes. So God would invite us to our duty by our interest ; if mortification be an unpleasing task, it conduceth to our life : Prov. viii. 35, 36, ' He that findeth me, findetli life,' saitli wisdom, ' and he that sinneth against me, wrongeth his own soul; and he that hateth me, loveth death.' Who ■would be so unnatural as to wrong his own soul ? to murder himself, to court his own death and destruction ? It is not only against the dictates of grace, but the desires of nature. There is nothing can be supposed to enfeeble this argument, but these two things, — (1st.) Men's vehement addictedness to their carnal courses, that they will rather die than part witli them. (2nd.) That tiiis lite, which the promises of the gospel offer, is an unknown thing, it being to be enjoyed in the other world. Both are trutlis, yet the motive is still forcible.