His Grace leads us to walk in Newness of Life:

71

fhall we that are dead to have difclaimed the Confequence above, (Chap. Se&t. 12. Sin, live any longer therein? iii. 7, 8.) and we moft folemnly difclaim it again. We, who are dead to Sin (b), we, who Rom. VI. 2, by our Profeffion are under fuch facred Engagements to mortify it with the greatest Care, how Shall we yet live in it? Surely it were the groffeft Contradiction that can be imagined. On the contrary it is apparent, that nothing has fo great a Tendency to animate us to avoid Sin, and to enable us to conquer it, as this Doctrine of Gofpel Grace.

What, Sirs, know ye not, and is it poffible, that 3
any of you should be ignorant of this great and
obvious Truth, that as many of us as have been
baptized unto Jefus Chrift (c), that is, into the Pro-
feffion of the Chriftian Faith; which is the Cafe
of us all; have been baptized into his Death, and
engaged to conform to the great Purposes of it;
which we know were to abolish Sin? (1 Pet. iv.
I, 2. 1 John iii. 5.) Therefore, as this is 4
the known Obligation of this folemn initiatory
Ordinance, it may be faid, that we are buried
with him in that Baptifm (d) which we received,
as bringing us into a Kind of Fellowship in [his]
Death; moft evidently for this Purpofe, that as
Chrift was raifed from the Dead by the Glory of
the Father, and the Operation of his illuftrious,
tho' mysterious Power; fo we also fhould conti-
nue, during the Remainder of our Days, to
walk in Newness of Life; maintaining a Courfe

of

(b) Dead to Sin.] Elfner fhews, how frequently moral Writers among the Heathens fpeak of wife and good Men, as dead to Senfualities and animal Pleasures. Elfner, Obferv. Vol. ii. pag. 28.

(c) Baptized into Jefus Chrift.] As the Church at Rome feems to have been planted about the Year 43, and this Epifle was written in the Year 58, that is fifteen Years after, and yet the Apostle fpeaks of the converted Romans in general as baptized, it must be fuppofed, as Dr. Gale well argues, that Baptifm was adminiftered to thofe, whofe Parents had been Chriftians at the Time of their Birth. Compare Col. ii. 12. See Gale's Sermons, Vol. ii. pag.

202, 203.

(d) Buried with him in Baptifm.] It feems the Part of Candor to confefs, that here is an Allufion to the Manner of baptizing by Immerfion, as moft ufual in thefe early Times; but that will not prove this particular Circumftance to be effential to the Ordinance; and, in whatever Manner it was adminiftered, if it were intended as a Declaration of Faith in the Death and Refurrection of Chrift; as it is well known Chrift died for Sin; it would infer an Obligation to die to it, and rife again to a holy Life, which is the main Point the Apostle labours.

(e) Made

7.2

For the old Man is crucified with Chrift.

go to

Sect. 12. of Conduct and Actions intirely different from
the former. For furely these two muft
Rom. VI. 5.gether; and we may conclude, that if we are
thus made to grow together in the Likeness of his
Death (e) fo alfo fhall we be united [in the Like-
nefs] of [his] Refurrection, and fhall rise up to a
Life fpiritually new, as he rose to immortal Life
6 and Vigour;
As we know this, that our old
Man, that is, the whole Syftem of our former
Inclinations and Difpofitions, which did by a
fatal Contagion spread themselves over the whole
Man, and were incorporated with it, hath now,
as it were, been crucified together [with Chrift,]
the Remembrance and Confideration of his Crofs
co-operating in the most powerful Manner with
all the other Motives, which the Gospel fuggefts,
to destroy the former Habits of Sin, and to in-
fpire us with an Averfion to it; that fo the Body
of Sin, of which this old Man did as it were
confift, might be enervated, depofed and destroy-
ed (f); that we might no longer be in Bondage to
Sin; as we were, before we were so happy, as to
know the Gospel, and the Efficacy of this great
Doctrine of a crucified Saviour. For he that is
thus dead with Chrift is fet at Liberty from Sin (g);
Sin being crucified to him and he to Sin, on the

7

Principles

(e) Made to grow together.] Dr. Wells obferves, that this is the most exact Import of ovupulo, and that it don't fignify merely being planted together.-As there is something harth in the Conftruction of " and ɑa here, Beza would for a read αμα; but Raphelius in his Notes from Herodotus has produced many parallel Conftructions in which ana fignifies fo. As for the Future ou, he fhews that it fignifies a neceflary Confequence from thePremises.

(f) Enervated, depofed and deftroyed: alapynen.] We render it destroyed, not only tormented or enfeebled, but utterly flain; and fo the fame Word is rendered 2 Theff. ii. 18. and I Cor. xv. 26. perhaps not with exact Propriety, Heb. ii. 14. The utter Deftruction of the Body of Sin in us is certainly intended in the Gofpel, but the particular Import of this Word is to make void, debilitate, enervate, difanul, abolish, or depofe. Compare Rom. iii. 31. Chap. iv. 14. I Cor. ii. 6. Chap. xiii. 8. Chap. xv. 24. Eph. ii. 15. 2 Tim. i. 10. I have joined the Significations in the Paraphrafe, and given the Verfion, which appears to me moft exactly to answer the Import of the Original. The Body of Sin in Believers is indeed an enfeebled, conquered and depofed Tyrant, and the Stroke of Death finifhes its Destruction.

(g) Set at Liberty.] Adinalas fignifies to be juftified, or vindicated; and here it seems to import being delivered from future Claims of Subjection. But this Senfe is fo uncommon, that I am much in Doubt, whether it might not be rendered juftified here, to intimate that a Senfe of Juftification by the Crofs of Chrift is the great Means of our Delivery from the Bondage of Sin, as it animates and excites us to fhake off its Yoke. 3

(b) Inftrument

And Chriftians, being dead with Chrift, fhall also live with him.

Rom. VI. 7.

9

ΙΟ

73Principles mentioned before: Juft as the Death Sect. 12. either of the Mafter or the Slave, and much more evidently of both, diffolves the Relation, and destroys the oppreffive Power which might before be exercifed. And let me farther re- 8 mind you, that, as we are Chriftians, we believe that if we be thus dead with Chrift, we shall also live together with him. We expect ere long.to share with Chrift in the compleat Holiness and Glory of the Heavenly World; and you will eafily understand, and I hope, eafily feel the Obligation, which that Hope lays upon us, not only to ceafe from Sin, but thro' his Grace to cultivate univerfal Holiness. We should ever be under the Influence of these Views, even to the very End of our Courfe, as we know that Chrift being raised from the Dead, dies no more; Death no more reigneth over him, as it feemed for a while to do. And thus your immortal Life and Happiness, if you purfue it according to his Direction and Intention, is fecure. For whereas 10 he died, he died once for all, as a Sacrifice for Sin, to attone the injured Justice of GOD, and repair the Honours of his violated Law. And as he liveth, be liveth to GOD for ever: His immortal Life is intirely appropriated and devoted to his Service, wherein we ought to make it our conftant Care to imitate his Example. Suffer therefore the II Word of Exhortation, grounded on this important Principle, and fo do ye alfo reckon yourselves to be once for all dead unto Sin, never to return under its Power any more; and being thus made alive, let it be your Care, in Imitation of your Divine Mafter, to devote your recovered Life to the Honour and Service of GOD in Chrift Jefus our Lord, whofe Pattern and Authority, in fuch a Relation, concur to demand it of us. There- 12 fore let not Sin reign as an uncontroulable Sovereign, now you have another Lord, fo much greater and better; let not the irregular Inclinations of your Minds, when they may move in your mortal Bodies, give Law to them. The early Conqueft of Sin over human Nature hath, alas, reduced them to the fad State of Mortality: But K

do

74

13 Neither yield ye your Members as Inftruments of

Unrighteoufnefs unto Sin:
But yield yourselves unto
GoD, as thofe that are alive

from the Dead; and your
Members as Inftruments of
Righteousness unto God.

Sin therefore fhould have no Dominion over them. Sect. 12. do not go on, after fuch a Deliverance hath been that ye fhould obey it in the wrought out for you, in a fervile and wretched Lufts thereof. Rom. VI.13: Manner, to obey it in its licentious Defires and Demands: Neither prefent your Members to Sin [as] Weapons, and Inftruments of Unrighteousness; but with all devout Affection and holy Zeal, prefent your felves to GOD as thofe who by his rich Mercy and almighty Power, are now made fpiritually alive, and called out from that wretched State, in which you lay as among the Dead. Confcious therefore of the Obligations you lie under to him, who hath raised you to this new and glorious Life, prefent all your Members and Powers to GOD, as Weapons and Inftruments of Righteousness, to fight his Battles (b) 14 and to be for ever devoted to his Service. Do it boldly and refolutely, and not as if you feared that your former Mafter should recover his Power and prove a feverer Tyrant, after you had thus attempted to revolt; for you may on the contra ry be affured that Sin fhall not have any more Dominion over you, as you are not under the Law (i), a Difpenfation of Bondage and Ter ror, but under Grace, under the merciful Difpenfation of the Gofpel; which affords fuch Confolations, and infpires fuch Hopes, as may animate the Soul to a much more fuccefsful Combat with Sin, than the Law could do, and give a much nobler Affurance of a compleat Victory over it. Rom. viii. 1-4.

14 For Sin fhall not have Dominion over you: For ye are not under the Law, but under Grace.

(b) Inftruments to fight his Battles.] The Word on properly fignifies Weapons, and in this Senfe it has a beautiful Propriety.

(i) Under the Law.] The Mofaick Law may be particularly intended; and the Propriety of what is here faid, when confidered in Reference to that, is illuftrated by that excellent Difcourfe of the Apostle in the vii. Chapter: But it may very well imply that we are not fo under any Law, as to be utterly condemned for Want of a legal, that is, a perfect Righteoufnefs: An Apprehenfion of which would tend utterly to discourage the Soul, in all its Attempts to free itself for the future from the Dominion of Sin.

Reflections on our Obligations to Holiness from the Grace of Christ.

L

IMPROVEMENT.

75

ÉT our Hearts rife with Indignation at the Thoughts of fo ungrate- Sect. 12. ful an Abuse of the Divine Goodness, as to take Encouragement

from the Aboundings of Grace to continue in Sin. Are not we likewise by Ver. 1. Profeffion dead to it? Are not we bound by our baptifmal Vow, as the an- Ver. 2. cient Chriftians, to whom Paul addreffes himself, were? Or has the Use and Purpose of Baptifm been fince altered, fo as to allow a Covenant with Sin, and an Agreement with Hell, even to those who are lifted under the Banners of a Saviour? Is Chrift then become the Minifter of Sin, or fhall his Death lofe all its Effect, while we profefs to honour the folemn Memorials of it? Recollecting that we are not under the Law, but Ver. 14. under Grace, let fo glorious a Dispensation animate us to Refolutions proportionably heroick; and may the Remembrance of the Death of the Ver. 4. Son of GOD, in Concurrence with that of his Refurrection, engage us to walk in Newness of Life, if we defire another Day to be planted into the Likeness of that Refurrection, and to rise victorious and triumphant from the Grave.

Ver. 5.

No more let us return under the Power of that spiritual Death, from which Christ, at the Price of his own Life, hath delivered us; but let us Ver. 10, 13. live to GOD; folemnly prefenting our Bodies, and our Souls to him, to be honoured as the Inftruments of his Service, and employing each of our Members, according to its proper Office, for his Glory. We are alive from the Dead, we are raifed by a Divine Power. Let us therefore daily set ourselves as in the Prefence of the God of our renewed Lives, and account that Time loft, in which we are not acting for him. Without this, in vain do we know the vital Truths of his Gospel, in vain do we plead for them, and amufe ourselves with a fanguine Hope of bearing the Image of Chrift in Glory, if all these powerful Arguments cannot now engage us to bear it in Holiness.