GOD fending his own Son in the Likeness of finful

Flesh, and for Sin condemned Sin in the Flesh;

4 That the Righteouf

nefs of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who walk

3.

91

GOD beving fent bis Son, to condemn Sin in the Flesh. vide (t): [He.] I fay, the great Father of Mercies, Sect. 11. by fending his own well beloved Son, in the Likeness of finful Flesh (u), with all thofe innocent Rom. VIII. Infirmities, which the firft Apoftacy of our Nature brought upon human Flesh, and by appointing him to be a Sacrifice to make Expiation for Sin (w), hath condemned Sin in the Flesh. Inftead of being victorious, it is now brought under a Sentence of Death and Destruction, which we, animated by these glorious Motives of the Gofpel, are enabled to put into Execution: That the Righteousness of the Law, in all its 4 fundamental Branches, may with greater Ardor of holy Zeal be fulfilled in us, who answer the Engagements of our Chriftian Profeffion, and, in the Tenor of our Lives, walk not after the Flesh to indulge its Defires and Demands, but after the Spirit; that is, who under the Influences of the Spirit of GoD abound in the Sentiments and Duties of a truly fpiritual Life. You fee therefore, my dear Brethren, by the whole Series of this Difcourfe, not only how fafely you may cease the Obfervation of the Mofaick Law, but how abfolutely neceffary it is, that you fhould look beyond that, and confequently beyond any other Law, natural or revealed; as ever you expect Juftification before GOD, and defire to be animated to serve him in an acceptable Manner.

not after the Flesh, but after the Spirit.

(t) Merely by its own Principles, fufficiently provide.] By this Claufe I endeavour to lay in an effectual Answer to that Objection, which might lie against the Apofile's Argument, and our Explication of it, from the eminent Heights of Goodness, attained by fome holy Men under the Law. It was not by the Law, tho' under it, that they obtained them; but by thofe Evangilical Promifes, which mingled with the Law, tho' they did not make a Part of it, but fprang from the Abrahamick Covenant, which, as the Apoftle elsewhere urges, was unrepealed by the Law; and this, which the Jews were fo ready to forget, (Rom. *. 3) is the Point that he fo particularly labours, both in this Epifile, and that to the Galatians, to inculcate.

(u) The Likeness of finful Flefh.] Thofe Writers, who imagine, that our firft Parents were, in their original State, cloathed with a vifible Luftre, which was loft by their Tranfgreffion, in Reference to which it is faid, that they knew they were naked, naturally explains this Claufe by that Hypothefis.

(w) For Sin.] That auapia fignifies a Sacrifice for Sin, is very apparent, from Heb. x. 6. 2 Cor. v. ult. and a vaft many other Paffages. The Reader will obferve, how very eafy this little Tranfpofition, on Account of what is fo plainly a Parenthefis, makes this Pallage, which is generally thought fo obfcure.

92

Sect. 13.

Ver. 3.

Ver. I.

Ver. 2.

A

Reflections on GOD's fending his own Son,OD

IMPROVEMENT.

DMIRABLE and adorable indeed were the Condefcenfions of the bleffed GOD, in fending his own Son in the Likeness of our finful Flesh, ftript of its original Glories, that he might become an expiatory Sacrifice for Sin. Let us remember the grand Purpose for which he did it; that he might condemn Sin in our Flefh, that he might enable us to do Execution on Sin as a condemned Malefactor. In his Name therefore let us purfue the Victory, and rejecting every Overture of Accommodation, with determined Zeal do Juftice upon it. it. And may what we have been reading, establish our Refolution of walking, not after the Flesh, but after the Spirit, fince we are now delivered from the Curfe of a broken Law, and bleffed with a Difpenfation, so properly called the Law of the Spirit of Life in Chrift Jefus: A Difpenfation, by attending to the Peculiarities of which, we may be enabled to extend our Conquefts over Sin in the most effectual Manner, and to attain Heights of Virtue and Piety, to which no legal Confiderations and Motives alone could raife us.

But Oh, what Reafon of Humiliation is there, that we improve it no better, and that these melancholy Strains fhould fo well become us! That inftead of preffing forward daily to fresh Victories, and making new Improvements in the Divine Life, we should fo often complain, Ver. 23, 24. and have fo much Caufe to complain, of a Law in our Members not only warring against the Law of our Minds, but even, in many Inftances, bringing us into Captivity to the Law of Sin and Death; fo that we Chriftians fhould cry out, like thofe under the Mofaick Oeconomy, Ob wretched Men, that we are, who fhall deliver us! Let renewed Views of Christ Jefus animate us to renewed Vigour in this Warfare; left when we are delivered from thofe fervile Terrors, which the legal Difpen

Ver. 25.

Ver. 13.

邊

+ more

Ver. 8, 11. fation, under a Confcioufnefs of Guilt, might have awakened, Sin, no longer able to take this Occafion from the Law, fhould appear exceeding finful, by taking Occafion, in another View, even from the Gospel itself; which in many Inftances it feems to do.

Ver. 12.

Ver. 22.

Let us remember, that the Law of GOD is holy, just and good; delighting in it more and more after our inner Man, and taking Heed, that we do not deceive ourselves by fuch a Paffage as this, into a fecret, but vain and fatal Hope, that because we are convinced of our Duty, and feel in our Confcience a Senfe of the Evil of Sin, we might be faid to ferve the Law of GOD, while by abandoning ourselves to known Acts of wilful Tranfgreffion, we are in our Flesh ferving the Law of Sin. Habitually to allow ourselves in neglecting the Good we approve, and committing the Evils we condemn, is the readiest Way, that Hell itself can

9.3

to free us from the Condemnation and Burden of Sin. point out, for the Ruin of immortal Souls; in fuch a Cafe, all that we Sect. 15. know, and all that we feel, concerning the Obligations of Duty, and the Excellence of Holiness, aggravate, rather than extenuate, our Failures; and though the fublime Views, which eminently good Men under the Gospel have of Religion, may fometimes incline them to adopt fuch Complaints as thefe, in Reference to the unallowed and lamented Deficiencies and Infirmities of a truly upright and pious Life; it remains an eternal Truth, which inftead of being abrogated under the New-Teftament, is most exprefsly confirmed, that he who doth Righteoufness is righ- Ver. 21, 24. teous, and not he that merely wishes to do it: And be, who committeth Sin, is of the Devil, even though he fhould fpeak against it like an Apoftle, or an Angel.

It is indeed impoffible, exactly to lay the Line, that feparates the Boundaries of the Kingdom of Chrift and of Satan; nor is it by any Means a defirable Thing, that we should know the loweft State of Weaknefs and Degeneracy, into which a Chriftian may fall, while he continues in the main a Chriftian. We have great Reafon to doubt, whether we be really Christians ourselves, if for our own Sakes we wish to know it. Our Calling obliges us to afpire after the moft eminent Attainments in Religion; it obliges us never to reft till we find ourselves dead indeed unto Sin, and alive to GOD thro' Jefus Chrift; fo as to abound in all the vital Fruits of Righteoufnefs unto his Praife and Glory.

The Obligations, which the Gospel lays upon us, to a holy Life, are farther urged, and especially thofe arifing from the Communication of the Spirit of GOD to Believers. Rom.

I

ROMANS VIII. 5.

VIII.

Rom. VIII.

5.

HAVE, in the preceding Difcourfe, urged Sect. 16.. it again and again, that we who profefs ourfelves Chriftians fhould walk, not after the Flesh but after the Spirit, as ever we defire to rejoice in the glorious Deliverance which the Gospel brings; and with the greatest Reafon : For this is indeed the most important Distinction in the Character of Men, and not any Form of outward Profef

fion

94

5.

This Bleffing belongs to the Spiritually-minded,

10

6 For to be carnally minded. is Death; but to be fpiritually minded is Life and Peace: L

Sect. 16, fion or Rite of Worship and Devotion. They Things of the Flesh: But who are after the Flefb, that is, who remain un- they that are after the SpiRom. VIII. der the Influence of a corrupt and degenerate rit. rit, the Things of the Spirithelial Nature, do mind the Things of the Flesh; they prefer and purfue carnal and animal Gratifications: But they who are after the Spirit, that is, who know any Thing experimentally of that Spirit of Life which I mentioned above, (Ver. 2.) on re fiera [do mind] and purfue the Things of the Spirit: Their Minds are formed to a fuperior Relish of fpiritual, intellectual, and facred Pleasures, fuited to that nobler and immortal Part of their Nature. 6 Now as the Character of these Perfons is fo widely different, their End will be proportionably fo; for the Minding of the Flefb (a), the Preferring and pursuing its Interefts [is] Death; it is the greatest Mifery that can be imagined, and that which leads to everlasting Death and Ruin: Whereas the Minding, Preferring, and Purfuing the Interefts of the Spirit [is] Life and Peace; the greateft prefent Good and Happiness, which leads to Life and Glory everlasting. And it must needs be fo, because the carnal Mind, as I have defcribed it above, [is] in the very Effence of it an abfolute Enmity to the bleffed GOD; from whom all Life and Peace and Happiness proceed; and confequently it brings us into a State of Hoftility against him. For it is impoffible his Creatures should be in a State of Friendship with him, unun-20 lefs they are in a State of willing Subjection to him. Now as for the carnal Mind it is not fubject to the Law of GOD, neither indeed can it poffibly be [fo.] For, however you may suppose any Law of GOD to vary, as to ritual and ceremonial Institutions, while the Nature of GOD continues pure and holy, as it must eternally and immutably do; he cannot but require then id Obfervation of the grand Branches of moral Virtue, founded on the unalterable Nature and Relation of Things; he therefore must require

7

'us

7 Because the carnal GOD: For it is not fubject Mind is Enmity against to the Law of GOD, neither indeed can be.

(a) Now the minding, &c.] It is plain, deep mift here fignify new, for nothing could be more abfurd, than to fay, that fome minded the Things of the Flefh, because it is Death to

do it.

(b) The

:

For he that bath not the Spirit of Chrift, is not his.

8.

95

us to be fpiritually minded, and to prefer the In- Sect..16.
tereft of the Soul to that of the Body. So
that they who are in the Flesh, that is, under the Rom. VIII.
Government of a fleshly Principle, whatever cere-
monial Precepts they may obferve, or whatever
orthodox Principles of Faith they may profefs
and maintain, yet cannot poffibly please GOD.
He must either abhor and punish them, or dif-
honour his own Law, and contradict his pure,
holy, and unchangeable Nature. But bleffed 9
be Gon, you Chriftians are not in the Flesh in
that carnal enflaved State defcribed above, but in
the Spirit, and under his Influence; ye, my
Brethren, are certainly fo, if that the Spirit of
GOD dwelleth in you; for where-ever he dwells,
he reigns, and makes the Soul throughly holy.
And if any Man have not the Spirit of Chrift, thus
refiding and governing in him, then, whatever
he may pretend, he is none of his : He is not to
be reckoned as a Difciple of Chrift, and Christ
will difown him another Day, as having only
abufed his Name, while he wore it.

And by the Way, to animate your Hopes, and 10
all your Graces, remember, that if Chrift [be] thus
refident in you, by his fanctifying Spirit, though
the Body [is] indeed dead because of the first Sin,
that ever entered into the World (b), which as I
fhewed above, has brought on a Sentence of uni-
verfal Death; yet the Spirit [is] Life, and fhall
after Death continue living, active, and happy,
because of that Righteousness, of which our great
Head, the fecond Adam, is the Author, as I have
inculcated at large. And we have this farther
joyful Hope, that if the Spirit of him that raised
up Jefus, our great Covenant-Head, from the
Dead, dwell in you, be that fo powerfully and
gloriously raifed up Chrift from the Dead, will
alfo, in due Time, quicken your mortal Bodies,

tho'

(b) The Body is dead because of Sin, &c.] Some would render it, with Refpect to Sin;: but as there is no feeming Oppofition between a Death with Refpect to Sin, and a Life with Refpect to Righteousness, I think the Verfion here retained much preferable; and if this be admitted, it will certainly determine the Senfe of the next Verfe quite contrary to Mr. Locke's unnatural Glofs, which explains, quickening the mortal Body, by fanotifying the im mortal Spirit.

II