1st. By a tacit concession that they will both of them be found true towards all who live and die under the law, without an interest in Jesus Christ; for, affirming that " there is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus," he grants that those who are not so cannot avoid it. Such is the guilt of this sin, and such are the fruits of it, in all in whomsoever it abides, that it makes them obnoxious unto condemnation. But,—
2cUi/. There is a deliverance from this condemnation and from all
CHAP. VIII.] THE NATURE AND CAUSES OF IT. 549
liahleness thereunto, by free justification in the blood of Christ, RoiQ. viii. 1. For those who liave an interest in him, and are made partakers thereof, although sin may grieve them, trouble and perplex them, and, by its deceit and violence, cause them to contract much guilt in their surprisals, yet they need not despond or be utterly cast down ; there is a stable ground of consolation provided for them, in that " there is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus."
3dli/. That none may abuse this consolation of the gospel to counte- nance themselves unto a continuance in the service of sin, he gives a limitation of the subjects unto whom it doth belong, — namely, all them, and only them, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit ^ verse 1. As for those who give up themselves unto the conduct of this principle of indwelling sin, who comply with its motions and in- clinations, being acted wholly by its power, let them neither flatter nor deceive themselves; there is nothing in Christ nor the gospel to free them from condemnation. It is they only who give up them- selves to the conduct of the Sj^irit of sanctification and holiness that have an interest in this privilege.
4thlj/. As to the other conclusion, taken from the consideration of the power and prevalence of this principle of sin, he prevents or removes it by a full discovery how and by what means that power of it shall be so broken, its strength abated, its prevalency disappointed, and itself destroyed, as that we need not fear the consequents of it before mentioned, but rather may secure ourselves that we shall be the death thereof, and not that the death of our souls. Now this is, saith he, " by the law" or power " of the Spirit of life which is in Christ Jesus," verse 2. And thereon he proceeds to declare, that it is by the eftectual working of this Spirit in us alone that we are enabled to overcome this spiritual adversary. This being sufficiently evident, it remaineth only that we declare, —
[2.] The luay and manner how he produceth this effect of his grace.
Is^. The foundation of all mortification of sin is from the inhabi- tation of the Spirit in us. He dwells in the persons of believers as in his temple, and so he prepares it for himself. Those defilements or pollutions which render the souls of men unmeet habitations for the Spirit of God do all of them consist in sin inherent and its effects. These, therefore, he will remove and subdue, that he may dwell in us suitably unto his holiness: verse 11, "If the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you." Our "mortal bodies" are our bodies as obnoxious unto death by reason of sin, as verse 10; and the "quickening" of these mortal bodies is their being freed from the prin- ciple of sin, or death and its power, by a contrary principle of life and
550 MORTIFICATION OF SIN, [BOOK IV.
righteousness. It is the freeing of us from being " iu the flesh," that we may be "in the Spirit," verse 9. And by what means is this effected ? It is by "the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead," verse 11, — that is, of the Father; which also is called the "Spirit of God," and the " Spirit of Christ," verse 9, for he is equally the Spirit of the Father and the Son. And he is described by this periphrasis, both because there is a similitude between that work, as to its greatness and power, Avhich God wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead, and what he worketh in believers in their sanctificatioUj Eph. i. 19, 20, and because this work is wrought in us by virtue of the resurrection of Christ. But under what especial consideration doth he effect this work of mortifying sin in us? It is as he dwelleth in us. God doth it "by his Spirit that dwelleth in us," Rom. viii. 11. As it is a work of grace, it is said to be wrought by the Spirit ; and as it is our duty, we are said to work it " through the Spirit," verse 1 3. And let men pretend what they please, if they have not the Spirit of Christ dwelling in them, they have not mortified any sin, but do yet walk after the flesh, and, continuing so to do, shall die.
Moreover, as this is the only spring of mortification in us as it is a grace, so the consideration of it is the principal motive unto it as it is a duty. So our apostle pressing unto it doth it by this argu- ment : " Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God?" 1 Cor. vi. 19. To which we may add that weighty caution which he gives us to the same purpose: chap. iii. 16, 17, "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are."