And, in order hereunto, we take encouragement, from the promises of God; and the connexion that there is between Christ's having made satisfaction for sin, and his delivering those who are redeemed, from the power of it, as the apostle says, Sin shall not have dominion over you; for ye are not under the law, that is, under the condemning sentence of it, but under grace, chap. vi. 14. as having an interest in that grace which has engaged to deliver from sin: in both these respects we consider Christ not only as able, but as having undertaken to deliver his people from all their spiritual enemies, to relieve them in all their straits and exigences, and to bring them off.· safe and victorious. This is the method which we are to take to mortify sin; and it is a never-failing remedy. What was before observed, under the foregoing heads, concerning our endeavouring to see the evil of sin, and exercising that watchfulness against the occasions thereof, are necessary duties, without which sin will gain strength: nevertheless the victory over it is principally owing to our deriving righteousness and strength, by faith, from Christ; whereby he has the glory of a conqueror over it, and we have the advantage of receiving. this privilege as applying ourselves to, and relying on him for it.

Having considered the way in which sin is to be mortified, agreeably to the gospel-rule; we shall, before we close this head, take notice of some other methods which many rest in, thinking thereby to free themselves from the dominion of sin, which will not answer that end. Some have no other notion of sin, but as it discovers itself in those gross enormities which are matter of public scandal or reproach in the eye of the world, who do not duly consider the spirituality of the law of God; such-like sentiments of moral evil, the apostle Paul had, before his conversion, as he says, I was alive without the law once, chap. vii. 9. compared with 7. and I had not known lust, except the law had said, thou shalt not covet. Sin did not appear to be sin, ver. 13. that is, nothing was thought sin by him, but that which was openly scandalous, and deemed so by universal consent; and therefore he says elsewhere, that touching the righteousness which is in the law, he was blameless, Phil. iii. 6. or, as Ephraim is represented, saying, In all my labour they shall find none iniquity in me that were sin, Hos. xii. 8. These persons think they shall come off well, if they can say, that they are not guilty of some enormous crimes; so that none can charge them with those open debaucheries, or other sins, that are not to be mentioned among Christians; or if, through any change in their condition of life, or being delivered from those temptations that gave occasion to them; or if there natura! temper be less inclined to them than before, and, as the result

hereof, they abstain from them, this they call a mortifying of sin; though the most that can be said of it is, that sin is only curbed, confined, and their natural inclinations to it abated, while it is far from being dead.

Others, who will allow that sin is of a far larger extent, and includes in it that which prevails in the heart, as well as renders itself visible in the life, or contains in it the omission of duties, as well as the actual commission of known sins; these often take a preposterous method to mortify it: if they are sensible of the guilt that is contracted hereby, they use no other. method to be discharged from it, but by pretending to make atonement, either by confessing their sins, using endeavours to abstain from them, or by the performance of some duties of religion, by which they think to make God amends for the injuries they have offered to him thereby but this is so far from mortifying sin, that it increases the guilt thereof, and causes it to take deeper root, and afterwards to break forth in a greater degree; or else tends to stupify the conscience, after which they go on in a way of sin, with carnal security, and without

remorse.

Others think, that to mortify sin, is nothing else but to subdue and keep under their passions, at least, to such a degree that they may not, through the irregularity and impetuous violence thereof, commit those sins which they cannot but reflect upon with shame, when brought into a more calm and considerate temper of mind; and, in order thereunto, they subject themselves to certain rules, which the light of nature will suggest, and the wiser Heathen have laid down to induce persons to lead a virtuous life; and they argue thus with themselves, that it is below the dignity of the human nature, for men to suffer their passions to lead their reason captive, or to do that which betrays a want of wisdom as well as temper; and if by this means the exorbitancy of their passions is abated, and many sins, which are occasioned thereby, prevented, they conclude their lives to be unblemished, and sin subdued; whereas this is nothing else but restraining the fury of their temper, or giving a check to some sins, while sin in general remains unmortified.

As to the methods prescribed by some Popish casuists, of emaciating, or keeping under the body by physic, or a sparing diet, and submitting to hard penances, not only to atone for past sins, but prevent them for the future, these have not a tendency to strike at the root of sin, and therefore are unjustly called a mortifying of it. For though an abstemious regular way of living be conducive to answer soine valuable ends, and without it men are led to the commission of many sins; yet this is no expedient to take away the guilt thereof; neither is the ensla

ving, captivating, and prevailing power of indwelling sin, that discovers itself in various shapes, and attends every condition and circumstance of life, sufficiently subdued hereby.

And those common methods that many others take, which are of a different nature, namely, when they resolve, though in their own strength, to break off their sins by repentance; or, if their resolutions to lead a virtuous life are weak, and not much regarded by them, endeavour to strengthen them, this will not answer their end, sin will be too strong for all their resolutions, and the engagements with which they bind them. selves, will be like the cords with which Sampson was bound, which were broken by him like threads. If we rely on our own strength, how much soever we may be resolved to ab. stain from sin at present, God will make us sensible of our weakness, by leaving us to ourselves; and then, how much soever we resolve to abstain from sin, it will appear that it is far from being mortified, or subdued by us. Therefore we conclude, that this cannot be performed, but by going forth in the name and strength of Christ, who is able to keep us from falling; or, when fallen, to recover us: and this will be found, in the end, to be the best expedient for the promoting this branch of our sanctification; which leads us to consider,

III. That, in the farther carrying on of this work of sanctification, we are enabled to walk with God, or before him, in holiness and righteousness. We are first made alive in regeneration, and then put forth living actions, which some call vivification, as distinguished from that part of sanctification, which has been already considered, namely, mortification of sin.

This is what we may call leading an holy life, whereby we are to understand much more than many do, who suppose, that it consists only in the performance of some moral duties, that contain the external part of religion, without which there would not be the least shadow of holiness; and in performing those duties which we owe to men in the various relations which we stand in to them; or, at least, in keeping ourselves clear from those pollutions which are in the world through lust, 2 Pet. i. 4. The Pharisee, in the gospel, thought himself an extraordinary holy person, because he was no extortioner, nor unjust, nor adulterer; but fasted, paid tithes, and performed several works of charity; and many are great pretenders to it, who have no other than a form of godliness, without the power of it, or who are more than ordinarily diligent in their attendance on the ordinances of God's appointment; though they are far from doing this in a right way, like those whom the prophet speaks of, who are said to seek God daily, and to delight to know his ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the

ordinance of their God; though at the same time, they are said to fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness, Isa. lviii. 2. But, that we may consider several other things, which are contained in a person's leading an holy life, let it be observed,

1. That our natures must be changed, and therefore sanctification always supposes and flows from regeneration: there must be grace in the heart, or else it can never discover itself in the life; the root must be good, or else the tree cannot bring forth good fruit; the spring of action must be cleansed, other'wise the actions themselves will be impure. Some persons, who are generally strangers to the internal work of grace, are very apt to insist much on the goodness of their hearts, and this is sometimes pleaded in excuse for the badness of their lives; whereas they never had a due sense of the plague and perverseness of their own hearts. Good actions must proceed from a good principle, otherwise persons are in an unsanctified state; and, as they must be conformable to the rule laid down in the word of God, and performed in a right manner, and to the glory of God as to the end designed thereby; so they must be performed by faith, whereby we depend on Christ for assistance and acceptance, as being sensible of our constant work and business, whereby we are said to walk with God, as well as live to him.

2. In order to our leading an holy life, we must make use of those motives and inducements thereunto, that are contained in the gospel; and to encourage us herein,

(1.) We are to have in our view that perfect pattern of holiness which Christ has given us; he has left us an example that we should follow his steps, 1 Pet. ii. 21. Whatever we find in the life of Christ, prescribed for our imitation, should be improved to promote the work of sanctification; his humility, meekness, patience, submission to the divine will, his zeal for the glory of God, and the good of mankind, and his unfainting perseverance in pursuing the end for which he came into the world, are all mentioned, in scripture, not barely that we should yield an assent to the account we have thereof in the gospel history; but that the same mind should be in us, which was also in him, Phil. ii. 5. or, as the apostle says, He that saith he abideth in him, ought himself also to walk even as he walked, 1 John ii. 6. And to this we may add, that we ought to set before us the example of others, and be followers of them, so far as they followed him their example, indeed, is as much inferior to Christ's as imperfect holiness is to that which is perfect; but yet it is an encouragement to us, that in following the footsteps of the flock, we have many bright examples of those, who through faith and patience, inherit the promises.

(2.) Another motive to holiness is the love of Christ, expressed in the great work of our redemption, and in that care and compassion which he has extended towards us in the application thereof, in all the methods he has used in the beginning and carrying on the work of grace, in which we may say, hitherto he hath helped us: this ought to be improved so as to constrain ús, 2 Cor. v. 14. as he has hereby laid us under the highest obligation to live to him. And as love to Christ is the main ingredient in sanctification; so when by faith we behold him as the most engaging and desirable object, this will afford a constant inducement to holiness.

(3.) Another motive hereunto is our relation to God, as his children, and our professed subjection to him; as we gave up ourselves to him, when first we believed, avouched him to be our God, and, since then, have experienced many instances of his condescending goodness and faithfulness; as he has been pleased to grant us some degrees of communion with him, through Christ; and as he has given us many great and precious promises, and in various instances, made them good to us; and has reserved an inheritance for all that are sanctified in that better world, to which they shall be brought at last this should induce us to lead a life of holiness, as the apostle says, Having these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God, chap. vii. 1.

From what has been said in explaining the doctrine of sanctification, we may infer,

[1.] The difference that there is between moral virtue, so far as it may be attained by the light of nature, and the improvement of human reason; and that holiness of heart and life, which contains in it all Christian virtues, and is inseparably connected with salvation. All who are conversant in the writings of some of the Heathen moralists will find a great maný things that tend to regulate the conduct of life; and those precepts laid down, which, if followed, carry in them a great resemblance of the grace of sanctification; and herein some, who have been destitute of the light of the gospel, have very much excelled many who bear the Christian name: when we find a lively representation of the universal corruption and degeneracy of human nature, the disorder and irregularity of the affections, and man's natural propensity to vice, rules laid down for the attaining of virtue, by which means men are directed how to free themselves from that slavery which they are under to their lusts, and advice given to press after a resemblance and conformity to God; this carried in it a great shew of holiness.