2. Seek an effectual cure ; seek not only to be saved from wrath, but to be saved from sin. He doth not only procure it for us by his merit, but worketh it in us by his Spirit, and giveth a penitent heart, as well as absolution from sin. Man's misery consists of two parts — sin and condemnation for sin ; man's salvation therefore must have two parts opposite to these evils — sanctification, which is salvation from sin, and pardon of sin and justification, whereby a man is delivered from guilt and condemnation. These two are inseparable ; we must have both or none : 1 Cor. i. 30, ' But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, and sanctification, and redemp- tion ; ' 1 Cor. vi. 11, ' Such were some of you ; but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the S{)irit of our God.' Man's justification is not the cause of his sanctification, nor his sanctification the cause of his justification, but Christ is the cause of both ; but yet he is first sanctified, then justified. First we recover his image, then his favour, then his fellow- ship. Now you must look after both these, not to be eased of the fear of hell only, but to be fitted for God. Tlie penitent heart seeketh both : 1 John i. i>, ' If we confess our sins, lie is faitliful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.' He were a foolish man that, having his leg broken, should only seek to be eased
168 SERMONS UPON LUKE XIX. 10.
of the smart, and not to have his leg set right again. Sin is the mire that carnal persons stick in, and are unwilling to be drawn out of it. Therefore you are rightly affected when you seek not the one onl}'-, but the other also ; to have sin subdued as well as pardoned.
3. Being justified and sanctified, you must live to the glory of God. For you were not only lost to yourselves, but to God ; and you must be recovered not to yourselves only, but to God also. You are redeemed to God : ' Thou hast redeemed us to God ; ' Rev. v. 9 ; and this redemp- tion is applied to you : Heb. ix. 14, ' How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, ])urge your consciences from dead works, to serve the living God.' You are mortified to the law : Gal. ii. 19, 'I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.' You are married to Christ : Rom. vii. 4, ' That you should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that ye should bring forth fruit unto God.' In short, as we are under the new covenant, we are obliged to live unto God ; as we are justified and pardoned, we are encouraged to live unto God ; as we are sanctified, we have a principle of grace to incline us to live unto God ; and we shall have, besides this habitual principle, his Spirit to work in us what is pleasing in his sight.
4. You must continue with patience in well-doing till you come to live with God. Till then Christ's salvation is not perfect; he hath not saved us to the uttermost ; nor is our recovery perfect ; we are not fully cleansed from all sin, nor do we serve God perfectly, nor enjoy full communion with him. Here Christ seeketh, and there he saveth us; indeed here he puts us into the way of salvation, but then are we com- pletely saved. A wicked man is gone out of the way, losing himself more and more ; but the regenerate person, though he be put into the way, yet he is not come to the end of the journey, and therefore now we are but expecting and waiting for the salvation of God. It is said, Heb. ix. 28, ' That unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time, without sin, unto salvation.' Then he will reward all his faithful servants that look for him. Heretofore he came to purchase salvation, then to confer and bestow salvation. Then man shall be delivered from all sin, and all the sad and woful consequents of sin, and that for ever. Now this is that we look for and wait for, and that in the way of well-doing ; for when Christ hath sought us out and brought us home, we must wander no more. Well, then, being renewed and justified, we must wait for the time when we shall be rid and freed from sin and sorrow for ever.
Use 3. Is to press us to thanksgiving that the Son of God should come from heaven to seek and save those that are lost, and us in par- ticular. Thankfulness for redemption and salvation by Christ being the great duty of christians, I shall a little enlarge upon it.
1. Consider how sad was thy condition in thy lost estate. You were fallen from God, and become an enemy to him in thy mind by evil works: Col. i. 21, 'And you, that were sometimes alienated, and enemies in your minds by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled ; ' and were a wretched bondslave to Satan, led captive by him at his will : 2 Tim. ii. 26, ' And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.' And thy