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fuch as hold forth truth to others, would be careful to forecaft and obviate what any can fay against the truth, and folidly to refute the fame, after the example of Paul here, who fays, the law entered, &c. and therein is answering a great objection against his doctrine.

diftinct thing; and by law he doth not mean the moral law which was ftill in the church, but only the legal external difpenfation of the covenant of grace.

V. Albeit the law of nature which was written in the hearts of people, even before Mofes's days, and God's judgments against tranfgreffors, and other things, might then have ferved, in fome measure, to have difcovered fin and iniquity; yet fin and wickednefs was more fully difcovered when the law was promulgated on mount Sinai, and the more fully and throughly the law be held forth and studied, fin will appear more in its own colours: the law entered that fin might abound.

II. Men of corrupt principles, and blinded with prejudice and error, are ready to look upon every ordinance of God, and every difpenfation as altogether useless and unprofitable, if it be not for the promoting of their fancied ends; as those here were ready to think the law was given to no purpose, if men were not justified thereby, but behoved to look fomewhere elfe for righteoufnefs: for this is the objection, If VI. The Lord's end in promulgating we be justified by the righteoufnefs of the law upon Mount Sinai, was not to eChrift, and not by the law, then the law ftablish a covenant of works, or proclaim is altogether ufelefs; wherefore was it juftification by the works of the law, howgiven? Gal. iii. 19. It was added be-ever for the further humbling of these stiffcaufe of tranfgreffions.

III. Howbeit the only wife God, for his own glory, and other holy ends, thought fit that the covenant of grace (the only way of wining to heaven, fince the fall) fhould be held forth and administered under different difpenfations, and not always after one and the fame manner, upon which score we hear of an old and of a new covenant, Heb. viii. 13. and of the first and fecond, Heb. viii. 7.; yet it was ftill one and the fame for fubftance, in all ages, both before and after the law, and before and after Chrift; and fince the fall the law or covenant of works was never the way: for the law only entered, or intervened, and came in (as it were) in the midft, for other ends. IV. Tho' even under the law, there was no other covenant by which juftification and falvation was had, but the coverant of grace; yet its adminiftration was then more legal-like than now, the promises being held forth fparingly and darkly, and the curfes more frequently and clearly, and the church then being under a yoke of ceremonies; and thus the law is faid to have entered, and fo feemed to be fome

necked people, there was many a fad and heavy curfe added, and it was published in fuch a terrible manner, with fire and thundering, as if it had fmelled of no gofpel at all; but to convince thofe felf-conceity people of their need of a cautioner, and fo to humble thofe proud jufticiaries, who would reft upon their own works: the law entered that fin might abound.

VII. Men are fo blinded with felf-love, that they will never perceive their own fpots and filthinefs, nor be throughly acquainted with their wicked, perverfe, abominable and rebellious hearts, until the law be cleared, and they fee themfelves diftinctly in it; conviction of folks neceffity of a Mediator will never be purpofe-like untill the law be clearly born in upon the confcience: the law entered that fin migh abound.

VIII. The more a man be acquainted with himself, and fee the numberless num ber of his abominations, the stubbornne of his own heart, and the vaft gulf an fink of all mischief in himself, the mor high thoughts will he have of the fra and matchlefs grace of God, in comin

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ever fo many mountains, and pardoning fuch a multitude of tranfgreffions, iniquities and fins, and washing and purging fuch a naftly, filthy, abominable heart: where fin abounded grace did much more abound.

IX. How hainous and how numerous foever a man's iniquities be, he needs not defpair, or think that they could overcome the grace and mercy of God; but if he will welcome the offers of a Mediator in the covenant of grace, he may be fure that there is a fuper-abundance (to speak fo) in grace: where fin abounded, grace did much more abound.

X.. The Lord has fo contrived the bufinefs of falvation in the covenant of grace, as that his wonderful, free and efficacious grace, and matchlefs love might glorioufly fhine forth; and for this caufe he will have the ordinary way of bringing finners in within the covenant, to be by conviction, and making them fenfible of their loft condition in themselves, and of an impoffibility of ever being juftified or faved for any. thing in themselves, because of the multitude of their tranfgreffions: therefore fays he, where fin abounded, grace did much more abound, and that it might be fo, therefore the law entered..

From verfe 21. OBSERVE,

I. As fin and corruption hath a kingly power and authority within an unrenewed man, drawing him away to finful acts; fo has it a tyrannical force, draging them away to death, and the place of execution: fin reigns unto death.

II. All the tyranny, force and power which death hath over any, floweth from fin, fin being the fting thereof, and giving it power and authority over the guilty man for where he faid before, death reigned, now he fays, fir reigned unto death.

the more will the power of God's grace kyth in delivering us, in breaking the bars of death, and feting us free from the flavery of fin, and tyranny of death because of fin, that as fin hath reigned, even so grace might reign.

IV. Howbeit there be many and strong difficulties in a believer's way towards heaven, which may make him afraid that he fhall never reach the crown, but fhoot fhort thereof; yet God's matchlefs love and wonderful free grace and favour is fo powerful and efficacious, as they shall certainly inherit life, and win to the end of their journey; grace is able to carry them over all impediments whatfoever, it hath a fuper-eminent and tranfcendent power and efficacy for that end: therefore grace is faid to reign unto life..

V. As the condition of fuch as are now in Chrift is excellent, being in favour with God, and enjoying his good-will, and living under the warm rays of his love; fo that which they fhall be advanced to afterward, is a condition full of all bleffedness, contentment, and all things defirable, yea, and endless too; it is a life, and a life that fhall never have an end, and hence called eternal; even fo might grace-reign unto eternal life.

VI. There is no inheriting of life eternal, until first we be covered with a righteoufnefs, feeing we are altogether unclean and unholy of ourselves; and as grace certainly carries us to heaven, fo grace certainly provides the means, and the way how to win to it, and finds out a way how poor finners fhall become righteous faints; yea, and is excellent and glorious in every step of the way: fo might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life; grace reigns both as to the means and to the end..

VII. The righteoufnefs which grace III. The more we be convinced of the hath provided, and is the way by which greatnefs of our flavery under fin, being it carries believers to the poffeffion of eterbound hand and foot over unto death, fonal life, is no righteoufnefs of our own, but that we cannot efcape, if we get not help; the righteoufnefs of Jefus Christ, and here

in grace reigns, or fhines forth, in providing fuch a righteoufnefs as his: therefore it is added, by Jefus Christ our Lord. VIII. This Mediator, whofe righteoufnefs must be had ere we can win to glory, must be closed with by faith; and a gracious foul can never once name Jefus Chrift, and confider him as doing any thing of the work of redemption, for poor finners, but their affections muft warm within them, and their fouls muft clafp about him, in love and faith: therefore fays he, Jefus Christ our Lord.

IX. Whofoever refolveth to be carried by grace to heaven, muft refolve to take Chrift not only, as a mediator and cau

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tioner, or priest, but alfo they must take him as a king and commander, under whom they muft walk with all fubmiffion, and whofe yoke they must take on: therefore fays he, so grace might reign through righteoufnefs unto eternal life, by Fefus Christ our Lord.

X. There being but two captains, fin and grace, all are either under the one, or under the other; and even God's elect are under fin till grace make a change; and when they are once under the dominion of grace, they are no more under the flavery of fin unto death: therefore it is faid, as death hath reigned, in the bygone time, fo grace might reign.

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CHAPTER VI.

N this chapter the apostle illuftrateth the doctrine of juflification by faith in Chrift, by fhewing, how it is fo far from being an enemy unto holiness and fanctification, that on the contrary it has fanctification infeparably annexed to it, and they go always together. And this he doth, 1. By confuting an objection, which feemed to make out, that this doctrine of juftification by faith in Chrift, was a fofterer of wickedness, and loofed the reins to all lafciviousness, to verfe 12. 2. And from thence to the end, he preffeth the duty of holiness, as a native duty flowing from their state of juftification, and as most fuitable for them that are juftified by faith in Chrift.

VERSES 1. 2. What shall we fay then? Shall we continue in fin, that grace may

abound?

God forbid :

A

Second objection is here propofed, which feemeth to have its rife from that which the apoftle had faid in the laft chapter, verfe 20. viz. Where fin abounded, grace did much more abound; hence fome would be ready to object, and fay, If it be fo, that where fin abounds, grace. doth much more abound, then the best way for us to exalt grace, and make it to fhine, is to continue and abide in fin; and fo your doctrine of juftification by faith, which, you fay, tends fo much to exalt grace, is a doctrine which cafts folk loofe to fin, and encourageth them thereto :: But this is moft abfurd; Therefore your doctrine is false; and it is falfe, that thereby grace is exalted. This objection is couched up in a queftion, Shall we continue in fin, that grace may abound? To which he answereth, by denying the fame with abhorence and deteftation, faying, God forbid; what an abfurd inference is

this, and groundlefs? I never faid fo, nor any thing that might give any juft ground for fuch a conclufion. And the reasons of his denial he giveth in the following verfes..

OBSERVATIONS.

I. Men of corrupt minds, who are filled with prejudice against any truth, cannot be foon fatisfied with any answer that is made to any of the grounds of their ftumbling, and gained to the truth; but the more that is faid to fatisfy them, they will have the more still to reply: as here, one objection is raised out of the anfwering of another, What shall we fay then? fball we continue in fin? &c.

II. It is no new thing to fee men rife up against the true doctrine of juftification. by the imputed righteoufnefs of another, and to upbraid the maintainers thereof, as teaching doctrine tending to loofeness and profanity for here Paul faw it would be objected, shall we continue in fin, that grace may abound?

III. Erroneous perfons, where prejudice fets them on work, to carp at, and except against any thing that is faid, either for the confirmation of truth, or the anfwering of the grounds of their mistake, are ready to look a-fquint upon what is faid, and fortify their first mistake by fill mittaking, and turning awray what they hear; as here they wrefted Paul's fenfe, when he faid, Chap. v. 20. That where fin abounded, grace did much more abound; and fuppofed him to mean, that the abounding of fin was indeed the native caufe of the fuper-abounding of grace;. while as it was only an occafion, and an occafion by the goodness of God, who brings good things out of evil, and that only in fome few chofen ones, and not in all; and again the apoftle fpeaks of the fenfe of fin mainly, and that of fins commited before, and not of thefe commited after converfion: what fhall we fay then? fhall we continue in fin? &c...

IV. The doctrine of juftification by faith in Jefus Christ, is no de &trine giving way to men and women, to follow their lufts, whatever malicious cppofers fay; fhould any give way to their own corruption, under whatfoever pretext of magnifying God's grace: for the apostle denieth their alledgeance, faying, God forbid.

V. Souls that are truly tender, will be much affected, when they hear any thing fpoken to fofter fecurity and profanity; their hearts will rife at that, efpecially when it is fathered on truth: The apoftle evidenceth great indignation of spirit when he heareth this mentioned, and therefore fays, God forbid...

VERSES 2. 3. 4. How shall we that

are dead to fin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that fo many of us as were baptized into Jefus Chrift, were baptiz

ed into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptifm into death: that like as Chrift was raifed from the dead by the glory of the Father, even fo we alfo fhould walk in newness of life..

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HE apoftle now cometh to give some

reafons of his denying the former falfe inference. And his firft argument may be thus taken up: Such as are in fuch a condition as fin hath no more any tyrannizing power over them, but are delivered from the tyranny of fin and corruption, fhould not live any more as flaves unto that tyrant: or, fuch as are loofed from the bondage of fin, and as free from the yoke thereof, as women are from: the yoke of their former husbands when dead, fhould not now entangle themselves, nor will not entangle themselves into the former yoke of bondage. This the apostle propofeth queftion-ways, as being moft clear and undeniable in itfelf; faying, How hall we that are dead to fin, live any longer therein? But fo it is, that all that are believers in Chrift, and juftified by faith in.

Chap. VI.

198 An Expofition of the Epistle to the Romans. him, are dead to fin; for of fuch he is now fpeaking, feeing he includeth himself, faying, we that are dead to fin, that is, as they are freed from the condemning power of fin, fo are they freed from the enflaving, tyrannizing, and domineering power thereof, under which they were while in black nature, fin has not fuch power now to lord it over them, and force them to acts of iniquity, and lead them as fo many drudges and under-flaves, into the service of fin, being weakened thro' the power of the Spirit of Chrift; therefore they cannot, nor will not live unto fin, that is, fulfil the lufts thereof, with full delight and defire, and carry themfelves as fworn fervants, labouring to promote the interest of corruption and fin in themfelves, as wholly devoted thereunto. The affumption, viz. That all believers in Christ are dead to fin, he proves, verfes 3.4. thus, They that are buried with Chrift unto death, that is, are fo united unto Chrift, as that they are made partakers of the fruits and efficacy of his death; thofe are dead to fin: But fo it is, that believers who are now juftified by faith in Chrift, are baptized into Chrift's death, and buried with him by baptifm into his death; Therefore, &c. The major is confirmed by the apoftle's authority; The affumption he doth again confirm thus, They that are baptized into Jefus Chrift, are baptized into his death: But believers (or fuch of us) are baptized into Chrift; Therefore, &c. His ufing the word baptized into Chrift, and into his death, ferves to illuftrate, clear and confirm this matter more, viz. that believers are both united unto Chrift and to his death, and made partakers of his death and burial; because baptifm is an ordinance of God, inftituted for this end, among others, to feal believers union with Chrift, both in his death, burial and refurrection, and communion in the fruits flowing therefrom; and they are baptized, and have now fled into Chrift by faith, which is the condition of that

then, to be baptized into Chrift, is fomecovenant whereof baptifm is a feal. So what else than to be baptized in his name, as we hear, Acts ii. 28. for to be baptized in his name, is to dedicate and, confecrate ourselves to him by baptifm, to profeis and avouch ourselves his, in taking his badge and livery: but to be baptized in him, is to be really united unto him; in a relative fenfe, to be implanted in him, and ingrafted by faith, and thereby made to participate of his influence and virtue, all which is the thing fignified, exhibited and fealed by baptifm. So to be baptized in his death and burial, or to be buried with him by baptifm, is, to be made partakers of the fruits and virtue of Chrift's death and burial, as fealed in baptifm for mortifying of fin.

words, That as Chrift was raifed up from This is further cleared from thefe the dead by the glory of his Father even fo we also should walk in newness of life; that is, our being united to Chrift in his death and burial, is not for nought, nor is it all that is held forth to us in baptifm; but also baptifm points forth our u nion to Chrift in his refurrection, and fealeth to us who have fled in to Christ, the fruits thereof, to wit, renovation of life, that, as fure as Chrift was raised from the dead by, or unto the glory of his Father, that is, by his glorious power, or for the manifeftation of his glory; fo we who are believers in Chrift fhould have influence, life and virtue communicated to us from Chrift our head and root, whereby we fhould become new creatures, and walk in newnefs of life.

OBSERVATIONS.

faith in Chrift, are not fo thoroughly fanci I. However fuch as are juftified thro fied, as that they fhall never be overtake in fin, feeing the beft falleth feven time a-day; yet they are not under the dom neering, commanding, and over-rulia power of corruption, as fometime the

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