weight of sin, a weight that lies heavy even upon God's mercy itself,-must needs have much strength and power in it. The second point from the connexion is, That our death with Christ unto sin, is a strong argument against the reign and power of sin in us. Else we make the death of Christ in vain; for in his death he came with water and blood"; not only with blood to justify our persons, but with water to wash away our sins. The reasons hereof are, first, Deadness argues disability to any such works, as did pertain unto that life unto which a man is dead. Such then as is the measure of our death to sin, such is our disability to fulfil the lusts of it. Now though sin be not quite expired, yet it is with Christ nailed upon a cross; "They that are Christ's, have crucified the flesh, with the affections and lusts"." So that, in a regenerate man, it is no more able to do all its own will, than a crucified man is to walk up and down, and to do those businesses which he was wont to delight in. "He that is born of God, sinneth not; neither can he sin, because he is born of God, and his seed abideth in him "." Secondly, Deadness argues disaffection. A condemned man cares not for the things of this world, because he is, in law, dead, and so reserved to an execution, and utterly divested of any right in the things he was wont to delight in the sight or remembrance of them doth but afflict him the more. A divorced man cares not for the things of his wife; because, in law, she is dead unto him, and he unto her. So should it be with us and sin; because we are dead with Christ, therefore we should shew it no affection. Thirdly, Deadness argues liberty, unsubjection, justification: he that is dead, is freed from sin, as the woman is from the husband, after death. And therefore being freed thus from sin, we should not bring ourselves into bondage again, but stand fast in the liberty, wherewith Christ hath set us free;' and sin should appear in our eyes, as it is in itself, a dead thing,-full of noisomeness, horror, and hideous qualities. We, therefore, should labour to shew forth the power of n lJohn v. 6. r Gal. v. 1. 3 • Gal. v. 24. p 1 Joh. iii. 9. Ephes. ii. 1. Heb. ix. 14. 9 Rom. vi. 7. vii. 1, 4. t Phil. iii. 10. a : the death of Christ in our dying to sin for this is certain,— we have no benefit by his sufferings, except we have fellowship in them; and we have no more fellowship in them, than we can give proof of by our dying daily to sin; for "his blood cleanseth from all sin "." Let us not, by reigning sin, crucify Christ again, for he dieth no more: "In that be died, he died once unto sin: death hath no more power over him "," to shew, that sin must have no power over us; but that, being once dead to sin 2, we should thenceforth live unto him that died for us. There is a speech in Tertullian, which though proceeding from Novatianism in him, doth yet, in a moderated and qualified sense, carry the strength of the apostle's argument in it; "Si possit fornicatio et mochia denuo admitti, poterit et Christus denuo mori;" If fornication and adultery may be again committed by a man dead to sin, in that raging and complete manner as before, if reigning sin, after it hath been ejected out of the throne, and nailed to a cross, can return to its total and absolute sovereignty as before, Christ may die again; for the sins of a justified and regenerate man are crucified upon his cross, and in his body. с Now I proceed to the main thing in the text, namely, the regal power of sin. It is an observation of Chrysostom and Theodoret on the text; which, though by some rejected as too nice, I shall yet make bold to commend for very pertinent and rational. "The apostle did not say, say they, Let not sin tyrannize, for that is sin's own work, and not ours; as the apostle saith, Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me'; all the service which is done to a tyrant, is out of violence, and not out of obedience :-But he says, Let it not reign in you: for to the reign of a king, the obedience of the subjects doth, as it were, actively concur; whereas the subjects are rather patients than agents in a tyranny." So then, in a reigning king, there is a more sovereign power than in a tyrant: for a tyrant hath only a V. u 1 Joh. i. 7. * Heb. vi. 6. y Rom. vi. 9. 10. 15. b Tertul. de Pudicit. cap. 17. Rom. vii. 4. • 2 Cor. • Εἶτα δεικνὺς ὅτι οὐ βίᾳ καὶ ἀνάγκῃ κατεχόμεθα ὑπὸ τῆς πονηρίας, ἀλλ ̓ ἐκόντως· οὐκ εἶπε Μὴ τυραννείτω, ὅπερ ἀναγκὲς ἦν ἀλλὰ Μὴ βασιλευέτω. Chr. d Non dicitne tyrannidem exerceat,' sed 'ne regnet. Illud enim est illius proprium; hoc verò, nostræ mentis. Theodor. Rom. vii. 20. coactive power over the persons; but a king hath a sweet power over the wills and affections of his subjects; they freely and heartily love his person, and rejoice in his service; which rule, though it be not perpetual, in the letter, and in civil governments (for the unwillingness of a people to serve a prince, may not only arise from his tyranny, but even, when he is just and moderate, from their own rebellion), yet it is most general and certain in the state of sin, which is never a king over rebellious subjects, who of themselves reject its yoke and government. For the better discovery, then, of the power of sin, we must note, first, That there are but three ways, after which sin may be in a man. First, as an usurping tyrant, and seditious commotioner, either by surprisal invading, or by violence holding under, or by projects circumventing a man against his will, taking advantage of some present distemper of mind, or difficulty of estate; as in David, of idleness; in Peter, of fear and danger; or the like. And thus sin doth often encroach upon the saints of God, and play the tyrant, use them like captives, that are sold under the power of sin. It was thus a tyrant in St. Paul: we read of him, that he was sold under sin. And we read of Ahab', that he was sold to sin;' but with great difference; the one sold himself, and so became willingly the servant of sin; the other was sold by Adam, from which bondage he could not utterly extricate himself, though he were in bondage to sin, as the creatures are to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of his act that had subjected him long before. Secondly, as a slave, a Gibeonite, or tributary Canaanite1; as a spoiled, mortified, crucified', dying, decaying sin; like the house of Saul, growing weaker and weaker: and thus sin is constantly in all the faithful; while they are in the field, the chaff is about them. Thirdly, as a raging and commanding king, having a throne, the heart; servants, the members; a counsel, the world, flesh, and Devil; a complete armoury of lusts and temptations"; fortifications of ignorance, e Rom. vii. 14, 15. f 1 Kings xxi. 20. g Adam vendidit se primo; ac, per hoc, omne semen subjectum est peccato. Ambros. in Rom. vii. Venundatus in prima transgressione. Aug. cont. 2 ep. Pel. 1. i. c. 10. Josh. ix. 23. i Josh. xvii. 13. k Luke xi. 22 1 Rom. vi. 6. m Col. iii. 5. málice, rebellion, fleshly reasonings, laws and edicts; lastly, a strict judicature, a wise and powerful rule over men, which the Scriptures call the gates of Hell". And of the power of this king we are to speak. In a king, there is a twofold power. A power to command, and a power to make his commands be obeyed. Sin properly hath no power to command, because the kingdom of it is no way subordinated to God's kingdom over us, but stands up against it. And even, in just and anointed kings, there is no power to command any thing, contrary to that kingdom of Christ, to which they are equally with other subject. But though sin hath not a just power to command the soul, yet it hath that upon which that power, where it is, is grounded, namely, a kind of title and right over the soul. Sin is a spiritual death; and man, by his first fall, did incur a subjection to every thing which may be called death; so that then a man did pass into the possession of sin. Whence that phrase spoken of before, "Thou hast sold thyself to work evil." Now Quod venditur, transit in potestatem ementis;' when a thing is sold, it passeth into the possession of that to which it is sold. This is the covenant or bargain between a sinner and Hell; man purchaseth the pleasures and wages of sin, and sin takes the possession of man; possession of his nature, in original sin, and possession of his life, in actual sin. The trial of this title of sin, that we may discern whether we are under it or no, must be as other titles are: we must first enquire who they are, unto whose right and possession a man may belong; and then examine the evidences which either can make for himself. To sin, we know, doth appertain the primitive of every natural and lapsed man (for we are, by nature, the children of wrath); a purchase, that there must come between, before a man can pass over into another's right:-this purchase was made by PChrist, who bought us with his blood. And the treaty in this purchase was not between Christ and sin, but between him and his Father; "Thine they were, and thou gavest them me;" for the fall of man could not nullify God's dominion or right n Matth. xvi. 18. • Isa. xxviii. 15. P1 Cor. vi. 20. 1 Pet. i. 18. 19. r unto him. For when man ceased to be God's servant, he then began to be his prisoner; and though sin and Satan were, in regard of man, lords,-yet they were, in regard of God, but gaolers, to keep or part from his prisoners at his pleasure. Besides, though Christ got man by purchase, yet sin and Satan lost him by forfeiture; for the prince of this world seized upon Christ, in whom he had no right, (for " he found nothing of his own in him ") and did by that means forfeit his former right, which he had in men of the same nature. We see then, all the claim that can be made, is either by Christ, or sin; by that strong man, or him that is stronger; a man must have evidences for Christ, or else he belongs unto the power of sin. The evidences of Christ are his name, his seal, and his witnesses. His name a new name,— a name better than of sons and daughters, even Christ formed in the heart ", and his law engraven in the inner man. As it is fabled of Ignatius, that there was found the name of Jesus written in his heart; so must every one of God's house be named by him with this new name; of him are all the families in heaven and in earth named *. The seal of Christ in his spirit, witnessing unto, and securing our spirits that we belong unto him; for he that hath not the spirit of Christ, the same is none of his; and by this we know that he dwelleth in us, and we in him, because he hath given us of his Spirit. The witnesses of Christ are three, the Spirit, the water, and blood. The testimony of adoption, sealing the fatherly care of God to our souls, saying to our souls, That he is our salvation and inheritance: the testimony of justification, our faith in the blood and price of Christ and the testimony of sanctification, in our being cleansed from dead works; for he came to destroy the works of the Devil; he came with "refiner's fire, and with fuller's soap, and with healing under his wings;" that is, as I conceive, under the preaching of his gospel, which, as the beams of the sun, make "manifest the savour of him in every place," and by which he cometh and goeth abroad" to those that are afar e r John xiv. 33,-Arma tenenti Omnia dat qui justa negat. Luc. : Revel. ii. 17. * Eph, iii. 15. y Eph. i. 14. iv. 30. 24. 1 John iv. 13. b 1 John v. 8. • Mal. iv. 2. f2 Cor. ii. 14. |