made up with the Lord, that his righteoufness may cover our nakedness and vilenefs, and his graces may adorn us and make us comely; fo we must put him on, both as Jefus, and as Lord. 6. Then negatively; And make no provifion for the flesh to fulfil the lufts thereof: he would not have us taking too much pains upon the body, and to pamper the flesh, fo as the provifion fhall turn to excefs, and fo ftir up the lufts of the flesh, and provoke to them, as to pride, uncleanness, &c.

The arguments which he useth to prefs thefe duties are three, verf. 11. 12. 1. And knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of fleep; confidering how now it is more than time, that we awake out of that fleepy condition of fin and ignorance, wherein we have been lying fo long, we fhould ftir up ourselves to walk in knowledge and holiness. 2. For now is our falvation nearer than when we believed; that is, We are further on in our journey than when we began to ftart to the gate, and nearer to the end of the race, the end of our faith, the falvation of our fouls, 1 Pet. i. 9. and therefore we should now take courage and fhake off lazinefs and fecurity, and run out the race that is fet before us. 3. The night is far spent, the day is at hand; that is, The time of ignorance, and wherein fin is commited is near an end, and the time of light is partly come in your converfion; day is broken, and the light is growing, fo that the full light of holiness is coming fast on: therefore ye fhould be minding holinefs which is the work of this day of eternity.

OBSERVATIONS in general.

I. As minifters must prefs particular duties of Christianity upon particular perfons, according to their particular relations and conditions; fo muft they prefs a holy christian ftrain in all their converfation and in every piece thereof; for, after the particular duties preffed formerly, he now cometh to prefs holiness upon them in the general, 1 Pet. i. 15.

II. Ministers should not think that they have fufficiently discharged their duty in preffing holiness upon people, when they have diffuaded them from fome vices and finful actions, and fo lulled up people in the fleep of a formal civil life, and of a negative holiness; but fhould prefs upon people the pofitive part alfo; for fo doth Paul here prefs both negative and pofitive duties of holiness, and often elfewhere. See 1 Pet. i. 13. 14. 15. 16.

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III. It is not fufficient to diffuade people from finful courfes in the general, but there is a neceffity to mention particulars unto them, that fo the exhortations may not be fhifted; for Paul inftanceth feveral particulars. See Gal. v. 19. 20. 21.

IV. So averfe are people from the ftri&t way of holiness, it is fo cross to their carnal humours and difpofitions, that there is a neceffity of frequent inculcating the fame upon them, and they had need to be preffed to it again and again; for the apostle is preffing the fame thing here over and over again.

V. As minifters of the gofpel ought to be serious in all their deportment in and among people, fo efpecially when they are preffing them to ho'inefs, which is the uphot of all their minifterial carriage; for the apostle is very ferious here, and preffeth the bufinefs with weighty convincing arguments.

From verse 11. OBSERVE,

I. People before converfion are lying in a ftate of fleep and fecurity, fearing no danger, acting nothing for God, but resting over in the bed of fin and iniquity, lulled afleep by Satan, drowned in worldly cares, ignorance and finfulness, and there is much of this temper even upon believers who are but in part wakened: Now it is high time to awake out of fleep.

11. That confideration of the time and opportunity which we have granted to us is not rightly improven, which is not made ufe of as a fpur in our fide to stir us up to amendment of life, but as a wicked motive

to continue a while longer in the courfe of fin: the apostle would have them fo knowing the time as to look upon it as high time for them to awake out of fleep.

IIL The confideration of the doleful condition of such as are sleeping in black nature, unregenerated, and of fuch regenerated ones as are far fhort-coming in their duty of holinefs, and of the long time of their continuance in that ftate and condition, fhould ftrongly excite and ftir up all to a more fcrious and painful ftudy of holinefs, whereby God may be glorified and others edified; for this is the force of Paul's reafon, whereby he preffeth them to fanctification, viz. that it was now high time to awake out of fleep. See 1 Pet. iv. 3. IV. The life of a Chriftian is nothing but a continual motion, there is no ftanding fill for them here, they are upon their march and quick journey; hence it is often compared to a race, 1 Cor. ix. 24. Heb. xii. . and believers are faid to walk, Col. ii. 6. Gal. v. 16. Rom. vi. 4. and this is fuppofed when he fays, that their falvation is nearer than when they believed at first.

tho' they had never fo glancing a converfation outwardly, are not one itep advan ced in the road to heaven; Your falvation is nearer than when ye believed; believing was the first thing that brought falvation near,

VII. The greater progrefs a believer has made in Chriftianity, and the nearer he is unto the end of his journey, the more chearful, courageous and forward fhould he be in the fame; the end of their faith, the falvation of their fouls, approaching and drawing near, fhould make them run the rest of their race with alacrity and good will; for this is the apostle's argument, wherewith he preffeth holinets, viz. That their falvation was nearer than when they believed. See 2 Tim. iv. 7.

VIII. Tho' believers being bemisted and overclouded with darknefs and temptation, may mifs the fight of heaven, and queftion their intereft thereto; yet it is a truth that they may reft upon, that the longer it is fince they clofed a bargain with Chrift, and the longer they have walked in the way of God, heaven is fo much nearer unto them, and they to it: Your falvation is nearer than when ye believed. See Phil. iii. 12. 1 Tim. vi. 12.

From verfe 12. OBSERVE,

VI. Howbeit poor unbelievers be deceived by Satan, and made to believe that they are fure enough of heaven; yet faith in Jefus Chrift, and the clofing of a bargain with the offered Mediator, is the only door to life eternal, and the very entry into the way and road which leadeth to heaven; it is, as it were, the first mile in the wav, fo that whofoever have not clofed with Chrift,

ignorance, blindnefs and confufion, like folk walking out of the way in midnight grofs darkness, 1 Theff. v. 4. 5. Eph. v. 8. so the state of believers (tho' in respect of the condition of unbelievers it be clear light and day, yet) in regard of the mafs of corruption that ftill attends them, and comparative to the great light that is coming, when they fhall thine in light and in glory, is but a night, at least not very clear day: The night is fur fpent; it is not all fpent, but it is fpending.

II. Tho' the cafe and condition of believ ers be a day in comparison of the dead dark condition of unbelievers, yet their clearest day is but coming, when eternity fhall dawn, and they fhall enter within the ports of

the

the New Jerufalem, where they fhall need BO fun; and the clearest time that they have here, is but like the dawning and firft breaking up of this day: The day is at band; the clear day is not yet come, but in coming.

III. The nearer we conceive eternity to be, and the dawning of that lightfome day that shall never have a night on the back thereof; the more defirous fhould we be to grow in grace and advance in holiness, and to shake off corruption and other works of darkness; for thus reafoneth the apoftle: The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of dark nefs. See Pet. iv. 7.

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IV. Believers, however renewed and fanctified in part, yet have ftill fome of the old rags of fin and corruption sticking faft unto them, and are in part cloathed with thefe night-cloaths of fin and iniquity, and will have caufe ftill to be minding this exhortation, to be puting them off; Let us caft off the works of darkness.

V. Tho' Satan bufk up fin, fo as it appeareth beautiful and desirable unto poor deluded fouls; yet fin is nothing but a work of darkness flowing from darknefs and ignorance, Acts iii. 17. and the inftigation of the prince of darkness, Eph. vi. 12. more fuitable for to be commited in the dark, than in the day, and which accordingly is commonly fo done, Theff. v. 7. and in end, of themfelves, lead and draw the poor foul unto blackness of darkness; for they are here called works of darkness.

VI. It is not fufficient that we shake off vices and outward abominations, and fo become free of grofs outbreakings, but we mut also labour for pofitive holiness and fanctity; we must not only cast off the works of darkness, but we must put on the armour of light.

VII. However many look on holiness with an evil eye, and are ashamed to profefs and avouch the fame; yet it is a most glorious, excellent, lightfome, fhining thing; it is here called light, as wrought

by the Sun of Righteoufnefs, who is a Spirit of light, and coming from clear. knowledge and understanding, and leading in the ways of God towards everlasting. light and falvation: The armour of light. See Matth. v. 16.

VIII. Tho' holiness and fanctification cannot be fufficient to justify a man before God, which the righteoufnefs of Christ, apprehended by faith, can only do; yet it will do much to defend a man from the injuries of Satan, and fit him more to engage with Satan, and to ftand out against his fharp affaults, whileas fin expofeth the foul to further slavery; therefore is it called the armour of light.

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IX. The nearer believers are unto the end of their journey, the less cause have they to be fecure; Satan, who is daily going about as a roaring lion, 1 Pet. v. 8. will then be most active and troublesome, knowing that the time is but short wherein they will ftand upon the field; and therefore believers have the greater need to be upon their guard, and to refolve to go out of the world fighting, and in the heat of war; tho' their falvation be now nearer than when they believed, and the night be far ffent, and the day at hand; yet they must refolve on fighting, and therefore must put. on armour, even the armour of light.

X. Affurance of falvation, and a fure perfuafion of a final day of victory over Satan and fin, is so far from cafting believ ers over into a deep fleep of fecurity and careleffnefs, that, on the contrary, it is a trong motive and inducement to vigilance and courageous fighting it out to the uttermoft; for the apostle told them, their falvation was near, and the day of a final delivery was at hand; and now he infereth hence, that they fhould fo much the more put on armour.

From verfe 13. OBSERVE,~

I. Tho' the sweet day that is dawned upon believers be not come to its height of glory ard fplendor, yet their condi tion is now very lightfome befide what it

was,

of fin and death, and bringing them into a ftate of life and friendship, light and knowledge, fhould lay ftrong bonds upon them to walk anfwerable unto fuch favours, and unto the ftate that God hath now tranflated them into: and feeing that daylight and grace is rifen upon them, they fhould labour to manifeft the fame in their walk, and walk as in the day.

III. Believers, in all the pieces of their carriage and converfation, fhould labour to be honeft, decent, modeft, and mannerly, and fo to shine forth in fobriety, righteousness, and godlinefs, that thereby they may gain others, and not be a fhame and a fcandal to the gofpel: Let us walk honeftly. See 1 Cor. xiv. 40. 1 Theff. iv. 12. IV. So ftrong is corruption in the beft, and fo unable are they when left to themfelves, to refift temptations to the most abominable and loathfome of vices, that they stand in great hazard to be drawn away with thofe evils, and have therefore need to be guarding against these, and dehorted from them by the fervants of God: for the apostle is here dehorting thefe Romans from grofs vices, as furfeiting, drunkennefs, chambering and wantonness, &c. See Noah's and David's cafe.

V. Luxurious feafting, and lafcivious banqueting, and excefs of belly chear, is unfuitable for Chriftians, and a heinous provoking of God, and which Chriftians fhould fhun by all means: Not in rioting. See Amos vi. 4. 5. 6. Ifa. v. 12. and xxii. 12. 13. Pet. iv. 3. Gal. v. 21.

VI. As drunkenness is a most infatuating, overcharging thing, Luke xxi. 34. Hof. iy. 11. caufing woe both to body and mind,

Prov. xxiii. 33.; fo it befmeareth and defileth a Chriftian's converfation, and makes his walk no way honeft and befeening: Not in chambering and wantonness. See Mark vii. 22. 2 Cor. xii. 21. Eph. iv. 19. Gal. v. 19.

VIII. It is an unchriftian carriage to be living in anger, ftrife, and debate with neighbours, and ftill quarrelling, brawling and fcolding for every thing that occurs, and mareth the modeft carriage of a Chriftian; Not in firife. See 1 Cor. i. 11. iii. 3. 2 Cor. xii. 20. Gal. v. 20. Phil. i. 15. 1 Tim. vi. 4. Tit. iii. 9%

IX. As grudging and grieving at the good and welfare of others is utterly unbefeeming a Chriftian, who fhould be filed with love, 1 Cor. xiii. 4.; fo doth it occafion much needlefs ftrife and debate: Strife and envy go oft together. See Acts xvii. 5. 1 Cor. iii. 3. 2 Cor. xii. 20. Gal. v. 20. James iii. 14.

From verfe 14. OBSERVE,

I. The not improving and ufe-making of the fpirit of Chrift, for renovation and fanctification, is the cause why the children of God come fo far fhort of their duty, and are fo oft furprized with temptation, and overcome by Satan, and drawn to act iniquity; for as an antidote against the vices mentioned in the former verfe, he exhorteth them to put on the Lord Jefus Chrift.

II. Howbeit all who have been baptifed, (and fo believers among the rest,) have o penly engaged and promifed to put on Christ, Rom. vi. 4. yet believers have need oftentimes to be put in mind of their duty, and of this among the reft; To put on the Lard Jefus Chrift.

III. Tho