• [5.] By way of pattern. Christ hath taught us how to die to sin by the example of his own death, that is, he denied himself for us, that we might deny ourselves for him, and suffered pain for us, that we might the more willingly digest the trouble of mortification.
VeR. 14.] SERMONS UPON 2 CORINTHIANS V. 197
"When Christ pleased not himself, will you make it your business to please the flesh and gratify the flesh ? When he loved you, and gave himself for you, will not you give up your lusts, which are not worth the keeping ? It is true our sinful nature is not extinguished without grief, and pain, and trouble ; but was not Christ's death a death of sorrow and trouble, of all deaths most painful and shameful ? Shall we wallow in fleshly delights, when Christ was a man of sorrows ? The world must be crucified, Gal. vi. 14 ; and the flesh crucified, Gal. V, 24 — that is, it is to be put to death. It implieth crucifixion with grief and shame ; as sin is rooted in self-love, and a love of pleasure, so it must be mortified by self-denial and godly sorrow. If nature shrink and cannot brook this discipline, remember Christ's agonies.
Use 1. To press us to make use of Christ's death for the mortifying of sin. It is useful two ways especially.
1. By way of obligation and engagement. As Christ dying bound all those that profess union with him to die also ; to die to sin, as lie died for sin ; which obligation we consented to in baptism ; therefore unless we mean to disclaim all union with Christ, to rescind and disannul our baptismal vow, or make it a mere mockery, we are strongly engaged to oppose, resist, and set about the mortification of sin, in which the spectacle of Christ's hanging and dying upon a cross will be a great help to us, and his love showed therein strengthen the obligation, and his self-denial and not pleasing himself, a notable pattern for us to write after him. Christ undertook that serious worshippers should serve him ; it was a part of his stipulation on the cross. We that are baptized into Christ have put on Christ, consented to his engagement, and count ourselves dead in his death ; therefore we should cast away sin with indignation : Hos. xiv. 8, ' What have I any more to do with idols ? ' But because it is not done in act, as soon as it is done in vow and resolution, therefore let us every day grow more sensible of the evil of it, Jer. xxxi. 18 ; more careful to eschew the occasions of it : Job xxxi. 1 , 'I made a covenant with mine eyes,' Let us use all the means which tend to the subduing of it by prayer. ' For this I sought the Lord thrice,' 2 Cor. xii. 8 ; and, Col. iii. 5, 'Mortify your members which are upon earth.' Let us weaken the root of it, which is an inordinate love of the world, and hear the word with this end, that sin may be laid aside, and we grow in mortification, as well as vivification, 1 Peter ii. 1, 2. Let us deal with it as the Jews served Christ, and let this be our daily task.
2. By way of encouragement. Depend on the virtue and grace purchased by his blood and sufi'erings. There is a double encourage- ment in this work.
[1.] Because of the gi-eat virtue purchased ; and strength and assistance vouchsafed : Phil. iv. 13, ' I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me.'
[2.] The certiiinty of the event. It is secured to the serious christian, and therefore the scripture speaketh of it as done already : ' We are dead, your old man is crucified with Christ' ' I am crucified with Christ,' which giveth great strength and courage in our conflicts with sin ; we may triumph before the victory.
198 SERMONS UPON 2 CORINTHIANS Y. [SeK. XXIX.
SERMON XXIX.
But to Mm that died, and rose again. — 2 Cor. v. 15.
From these words we have the second fruit of Christ's death and purchase, he died that we might die in conformity unto his death, and he died that we might live with a respect to his resurrection ; and therefore, as I have spoken of our dying by the death of Christ, so must I speak now of our living in the life and in the resurrection of Christ. His death is the merit of it, but his resurrection is the pattern and fountain of it. His death is the merit of it, for it is repeated here again. He did not only die that we might die, but he died that we might live — ' He died for all, that they which live should not hence- tbrth live unto themselves,' &c. But then his resurrection is the pattern and the fountain of it ; for therefore is the clause inserted, That they might live to him that died for them, and rose again.' Now in this verse there are two things.
1. The fruit itself — the new life, with respect to the resurrection of Christ : Aiid he died for all, that they might live.