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and there is none in all the earth that I defire befides thee."

4. The believer's living unto God, imports, his living in conformity to God; and indeed, fo far as we enjoy God, fo far will we be conform to him. As it will be in glory, "We fhall be like him, for, we fhall fee him as he is;" fo it is in grace here: the more the foul fees and enjoys him, the more is he like unto him; "Beholding his glory, we are changed into the fame image, from glory to glory." And fo this living unto God, it is a living in conformity to God's nature; being holy as he is holy; perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect. Is he a perfect God? Then, to live to him, is to go on to perfection, Heb. vi. 1.-It is a living in conformity to his way of living; God's way of living is a holy, juft, good, faithful, merciful way; having a general good-will to all, and a fpecial good-will to fome: and fo ought our ways to be. It is a living in conformity to God's ends: God's great end, that he fets before himfelf, is the glory of his name, the honour of his Son, the advancement of Chrift's kingdom, the ruin of Satan's kingdom, and in all, the praife of his rich and free grace and furely we live to God, when we have thefe ends alfo which are God's ends. It is a living in conformity to his law as a rule, which is the tranfcript of his communicable nature, for our practice; " If ye love me, keep my commandments;" we do not love him, if we do not fo. They then that live to him, they do, from love as well as confcience, obey him.-Thefe things might be greatly enlarged; however, thus you fee, in fhort, what it is to live unto God. We are telling, and you are hearing, what this life is; but, O that we could live this life, as well as speak and hear of it! Look to the Lord, that he may make you know it to your experience. It is called a living to God, 1. Because it hath the Spirit of God for the principle of it. 2. Because it hath the word of God for the rule of it. Because it hath the love of God for the motive of it. And, 4. Because it hath the glory of God for the ultimate end of it.

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IV. The Fourth thing propofed was, to fhew the INFLUENCE that this being dead to the law, hath upon! living to God; or the NECESSITY of this death, in order to this life. Here I might fhew, 1. That it is neceffary. 2. Whence it is neceflary.

ift, That it is neceffary that we die to the law, in point of juftification, before we can live to God in point of fanctification: befides what was faid upon the firft head, for the confirmation of the doctrine, thefe following confiderations, or remarks, may difcover the neceffity of being dead to the law, in order to our living to God.

1. Remark, That a man that is under the law, can perform no holy act: he may do fome things that are materially good, but nothing can he do that is formally good, or holy and his work, inftead of fanctifying him, does ftill more and more pollute him; "To the pure all things are pure; but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving, is nothing pure; but even their mind. and confcience is defiled," Titus i. 5. He then that is alive to the law, and under the covenant of works, his works can never make him holy, but rather more? and more unholy.

2. Remark, The man that is under the law, hath no promife of holinefs or fanctification by that law. The law only promifes life, upon perfect obedience, in our own perfon; and if true fanctification may be in one that is under the covenant of works, then we must change the articles of the covenant, and promises of the covenant of grace, and make fanctification no promife of it we muft blot out these promifes, "I will put a new Spirit within you, and, I will write my law. in your hearts:" and all other promifes of the like nature, must be razed out of the covenant of grace: If one under the covenant of works may attain to fanctification by his own works, there is no need of this promise.

3. Remark, That the man that is under the law, hath no principle of holiness. The grand principle of true holiness, is the Spirit dwelling in the man how does one receive the Spirit of fanctification?" Is it

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by the works of the law? No; but by the hearing of faith," Gal. iii. 2. It is the doctrine of grace, not of works, that makes us partake of this Spirit. It is the new teftament, or new covenant, that is the manifef tation of the Spirit, 2 Cor. iii. 6. Thereby the Spirit is miniftred, or conveyed to us, but not by the law. It is the gofpel that calls us effectually to fanctification, 2 Theff. ii. 13, 14. We received the promife of the Spirit through faith, and not by the works of the law, Gal, iii, 14.

4. Remark, That the man that is under the law, is without Chrift, in whom fanctification only is to be found; they that are faints, are faints in Chrift Jefus, as the apoftle defigns them; and fanctified in Chrift: and our implantation into Chrift, is only from grace, and not from the works of the law; and fo is our fanctification only from grace, and only in Christ, who gave himfelf for his church, that he might fanctify it, Eph. v. 25.

5. Remark, The man that is under the law, is with out ftrength, and cannot perform obedience to the law: the law is weak through the flesh, and cannot justify him, neither can it fanctify him. In order to fancti fication, a new creation is neceffary: the clean heart must be created; and the man created unto good works; creating power must be put forth; and creation is a work of God. We must therefore make a God of our works, and deify them, and endow them with a creating power, if we think, by the works of the law, to be fanctified; or afcribe fuch efficacy to them, as to work true fanctification in us. No man, then, that is under the law, or covenant of works, by giv. ing himself to all holy duties and actions, and exercifing himself in them, can come to attain true holiness, or to be truly fanctified,

6. Remark, That the man that is under the power of the law, is under the power of fin. Whence is it, that the believer is freed from the power and domini on of fin? It is because he is under grace, and not un der the law, Rom. vi. 14. Shewing us, that thefe that are under the law, are under the power and dominion

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of fin. How fo? Even upon the account of all the reasons already affigned; and not only fo, but because the law is the strength of fin, 1 Cor. xv. 56. Particu larly as it irritates corruption, ftrengthening and flirring it up; "Sin taking occafion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupifcence." Sin, by occafion of the refifting command, brake out the more fiercely. Hence the law is only the occafion, and fin dwelling in us the caufe; as the fhining of the fun is the occafion, why a dung-hill fends forth its filthy favour, it is the corruption and putrification therein that is the caufe; fo here, the light of the law fhining, and difcovering fin and duty, is the occafion of fin's irritation and increafe, but corruption itfelf is the caufe. Well, fo it is, that a man being under the law, is under the power of fin; how then can he live unto God, while under the law? or, how can fanctification take place while he is alive to the law, or not dead thereto? These things may make it evident, I think, that it is neceffary that a man be dead to law, and brought from under it, before he can have true fanctification, or live unto God.

2dly, Whence it is neceffary, that a man be dead to the law in point of juftification, in order to his living to God in point of fanctification: These particulars already mentioned, afford fo many reasons of the neceffity there of yet fome things more may be faid, for the further clearing of this point, namely, The influence, that dying to the law, hath upon our living unto God. Here two queflions occur. 1. What influence living ro the law, hath upon a man's living in fin. 2. What influence a man's dying to the law, hath upon his dying to fin, and living UNTO God.

1. What influence a man's living ro the law, or being alive to the law, hath upon his living in fin.This is a frange doctrine, fome may think; but it is as true as ftrange, that the law, and our works of obedience to the law, while we are under it, is the cause of deftruction, instead of falvation, Romans ix. 31, 32. There you fee it deftroyed the whole Jewish nation;

nation; "Ifrael miffed righteoufnefs, because they fought it by the works of the law."-Now, a man's being alive to the law, hath influence upon his living in fin, and fo upon his deftruction, in the following ways. 1. Because hereby he becomes hardened in fin and fecurity, while he thinks he hath fome good work to bear him out, Prov. vii. 14. What made the filthy whore there, impudent and hardened in her fins? Why?" I have peace-offerings with me; this day I have paid my vows." Thus the Pharifees, for a pretence, made long prayers; and hereupon were hardened in their finful couries, fearlefs of wrath: Why, I have done fo and fo.

2. Hereby they are kept from Chrift, who only faves from fin. The works of the law ftep in betwixt them and Christ, and the man takes Christ's bargain off his hand, promifing the fame that Chrift promifed, even obedience to the law: "I delight to do thy will," fays Chrift; nay, I will do it myfelf, fays the man that is under the law: he makes himfelf his own faviour.— What! will not God accept of my good and honest endeavours? This is what he fets up on Chrift's throne; and if Christ be pulled down from his throne, will it be fufficient that we fet up an honeft prince in his room? They have fome things to fay for themselves, which, they hope, will bring them off before God. Thus they reject Chrift, "The Lamb of God, who takes away the fins of the world ;" and how can they but live unto fin, whatever they may think of themselves?

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3. Hereby their pride and boafting is foftered, Rom. iv. 4. 66 To him that worketh, is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt:" And the man expects his due for his work, which he glories in; for, "Boasting is not excluded by the law of works," Rom. iii. 27. And therefore the man is loath to part with his own righteousness, which is by the law: becaufe of his pride, he will not stoop to live upon another, while he can fhift for himself. Self-love will not fuffer a man to think the worst of himself, fo long as he is alive to the law: nay, I hope I have a good heart to God, and I will do fomething that will pleafe God; and fo it is no little thing

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