is in man For this cause also euen as the naturall body of man hath diuerse members so there are ascribed members to the old man as when he saith Mortifie therefore your earthly members Colos 3. And then reconeth vp particularly those members of the old man euen vnclean vices as you may reade in that Chap. Then he saith Knowing this that our old man is crucified with him Here the manner of the death is noted by which this our old corruption of sinne is slaine teaching withall that it is not crucified but in the crosse of Christ for he saith With him This our old man will retaine his force and power vntill hee be slaine it is not in man to come out of the bondage of his natiue corruption vntil it be wounded to death and nothing there is that can giue that deadly stroke vnto it but onely the death of Christ wherfore it is said to be crucified with him When a man is in Christ and so the efficacy of Christs death hath crucified his old mā yet there is still a body of sinne there doth remaine that whole dead carkasse though not with the force and dominion it had before which daylie by little and little is consumed abolished for so the words of the Apostle are that the body of sinne might be destroyed First the old man is crucified that so the body of sin may be destroyed Behold here what is wroght by the redeemer Sinne in mans nature may be espied and many goodly precepts may be giuen against it with perswasions to come out of it but all in vaine vntill it be crucified with Christ Moreouer this we are to note that the slaine body of sinne though through the burial of christ it do cōsume is diminished in the regenerate so that frō day to day the remnāts of sin haue lesse lesse force in thē yet it remaineth in them none are fully deliuered from it so long as they liue in this world for you may reade what the great Apostle cryeth out touching himselfe O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from this body of death Rom. 7.24 This slaine body of sinne doth still annoy al the faithfull but as he giueth thanks there we shal bee fully deliuered by Christ Iesus our Lord. Nowe followeth the end why our old man is crucified namely that henceforth wee should not serue sin By nature we are all in bondage wee are vnder a most tyrannous Lord that ruleth ouer vs euen sin wee doe our seruice and obedience thereto Christ doth set vs free from this bondage as he saith If the sonne make you free then are you free indeede Iohn 8. and it is by slaying the tyrant wherefore he saith He that is dead is free from sinne Wee all knowe this that death setteth the bond seruant free from his master Here-upon S. Paule doth reason that if we be dead with Christ vnto sinne then are we freed from it So that you may plainely see that they that doe in such sort professe the Gospell of Christ as that they doe continue still in sin are little acquainted with this that Christ came to slay sin that wee by dying there-unto might be set free frō the seruice and bondage thereof And now to the other point which is that hee which is once crucified with Christ so is ded to sin the same must needs as we shewed before rise with him liue with him wherevpō it followeth that he which so hath died risen with Christ can neuer returne againe vnto the spiritual death which is to liue to sin This point is not common I meane euery one doth not vnderstand it and therefore I doe pray you to marke well the speeches of the holy Apostle Wherefore if we be dead with Christ wee beleeue that we shal also liue with him This hath a necessary consequence as you haue seene before in the similitude of a plant where the science grafted in growing to the stocke doeth die and liue with it If thē we be dead with Christ vnto sinne If the power of his death hath crucified our old man then doe we beleeue that we also rise with him vnto the new life for hee rising vp to life how should we being plāted into him and growing vnto him but rise also to life with him This is the first step vnto the matter now in hand Then in the next place he addeth that Christ being enrred into that heauenly life neuer returneth out of it to die anie more This is so euident that he saith Knowing that Christ beeing raised from the deade dieth no more death hath no more dominion ouer him If death haue no more dominion ouer him then can he neuer returne from that glorious life for life is not taken away but by death Nowe that death shall haue no more dominion ouer him he sheweth by this reason that in that he dyed he dyed once to sinne but in that he lyueth he lyueth to God This was the cause why Christ dyed euen that he might satisfie for the sinne of the world and that he might destroye sinne This being once done there is now no cause why it should euer bee done againe for the full satisfaction is made at once for euer and sinne by his crosse shall bee vtterly dissolued But touching his life the Apostle saith he liueth to God his life then is perpetuall and euerlasting Thus much touching Christ the head And now hee commeth to the application of it in the members Likewise thinke yee also that ye are dead to sinne but are aliue to GOD in Iesus Christ our Lord. First in these wordes the Apostle willeth vs not barely as the worde is translated to thinke for that is but an opinion but to conclude as it were necessarie by a Syllogisme for that speech he vseth that wee are deade to sinne and are aliue to God through Christ Iesus our Lord. Here now lyeth the force of his matter as Christ dyed but once for to satisfie for sinne to slay it so all the true members of Christ can but once die to sinne Sinne or the olde man being once crucified in them and hauing receiued the deaths wound can neuer reuiue againe Christ dyed once to sinne so his must die but once to sin for being in him can they be off and on now dead to sin now aliue vnto it Most true it is that sinne is in the faithfull by degrees put downe and not at once but yet it is at once by the death of Christ slaine Then the partie in whome the old man is once crucified and slaine is also rysen with Christ and is partaker of the new life and so with him or rather in him is aliue to God Then marke the drift of the Apostle If Christ could die but once to sinne and then liueth for euer then they that be in Christ can die but once to sinne and likewise doe liue with him to God for
to coÌ„demne vs. Seeing then that as by the disobedieÌ„ce of Adam many were made sinners so by the obedience of Christ many are made righteous Why came the lawe To this Saint Paul answereth that the lawe entred that sinne might abounde but where sinne abounded there grace hath superabounded The greater the sinne was the more plenteous was the grace of God in Christ in taking it away That as sinne had raigned vnto death so grace should raigne through righteousnes vnto life eternall by Iesus Christ Then the more that sinne abounded the greater is the riches of the grace of God in Christ that doth pardon it and so the greater is the praise and glorie of God All this is true Now hereupon the wisedome of the flesh doth argue thus If the more the sinne be increased the greater is the glorie of God in pardoning it then is it good for those which beleeue in Christe to continue still in sinne to commit all abundance of sinne that so God may haue the greater glorie This is a pleasant doctrine to mans corrupt nature and much followed in all places for albeit you shall not heare many vse the same words which S. Paule setteth downe to bolden themselues to continue in sinne yet marke iâ— well and you shall perceiue that there is the same reason in effect Great multitudes as you knowe doe professe Christ and they say they looke to haue all their sinnes forgiuen only be his death and bloudshedding Look vpon then liues and you shall finde that the greatest paâ—â— are eueÌ„ ouerwhelmed and lie as it were drowned in all manner of vncleane and abominable vices Deale particularly with any one and say but thus vnto him These foule sinnes which you continue in and daylie commit are such as God doeth threaten vengeance against will he not answere I know they be grieuous sins but I hope to haue them al forgiueÌ„ me through the bloud of Iesus Christ yea are there not many which will say I hope I shall call for mercie and pardon at the last This is the doctrine of the holy Ghost the grace of God which bringeth saluation hath appeared vnto all men teaching vs to denie vngodlines worldly lustes and to liue soberly iustly and godly in this present world Tit. 2. ver 11.12 Behold how contrary to the doctrine of GOD such men be He saith that the grace giueÌ„ vs in Christ doth teach vs to deny all wicked waies and to liue a godly â—â—fer and they say because there is pardon in Christ we will continue still in our wickednes and â—all for mercy at the last Al such men doth the holy Apostle heere quite cut downe proâ—â—â—g indeed that they haue no part in Christ they doe but deceiue themselues Also he doth heere meete with the Papistes which are enimies to the crosse of Christ and can by no meanes indure to heare that we haue our iustification only in Christ but they will haue mens owne good works and merites to iustifie them before God And thus they cry out against vs you open a gappe vnto all loosenes and licentiousnes of life you destroy all zeale and care of good works when you teach that men are iustified onely by faith in Christ for if a man shall haue all his sinnes forgiuen by the grace of Christ what wil he eare what sinnes he commit Also if a man shall be made righteous only by grace in Christ and not by his own good deedes who will care to doe anie This also I say doth S. Paul here meete withal shewing and proouing by strong reasons that all they which haue a true faith in Christ and so haue al their sinnes forgiuen by his bloude and haue also his obedience imputed vnto them and be fully iustified cannot but liue a godly life Iustification in Christ and true sanctification cannot be parted asunder first therefore propounding the question Shall we continue still in sâ—â—â— that grace may abound he reiecteth it with detestation saying God forbid as if he should say It is a thinge that ought not to enter into our thoughts And then he propoundeth the first reason in these words How shall we that are dead to sinne yet liue therein This is a principle in the light of natural reason so that if a man haue not lost the common vnderstanding he cannot deny it We all doe know that contraries cannot be together in the same subiect at one time in the same part and in the same respect but the one necessarily doth exclude the other and if the one be it is vnpossible that the other should also be And that is the cause why S. Paule saith How can we which are dead to sinne yet liue therein As much as to say it is vnpossible for to be aliue to sinne and to be dead to sinne at the same time which are so flat and perfect contraries cannot be He that is aliue is not dead and he that is dead is not aliue Thus now the matter standeth wee that is all true Christians are dead to sinne howe can wee then liue to sinne And so if it bee vnpossible for a man which is a right Christian and therefore dead to sinne yet to liue in it how should wee continue still in sinne that grace may abounde Well may some man say This is a cleare case that such contraries as these to be aliue and to be dead cannot stand together but how shall thâ—â— appeare that a true Christian of necessitie is dead to sinnâ— for S. Paule hath but affirmed that we are deâ—d to sinne and therefore in the 〈◊〉 words he proueth it for the death to sinne being proued the life to sinne is thereby of necessity excluded Knowe ye not sayth he that all wee which haue beene baptized into Iesus Christ haue beene baptized into his death Loe heere is his proofe and this is a plaine a strong and an inuincible demonstration that euery true christian is deade to sinne and so by consequence cannot possibly be aliue to sinne It is drawen from the vse of Baptisme or from that which Baptisme doth represent vnto vs. It representeth that we are ingrafted into Christ therefore he saith Knowe you not that wee which haue bene baptized into Iesus Christ Beeing then baptized into Christ the holie Baptisme doth represent vnto vs that wee are washed in his bloude and so haue the free remission of our sins but also that in him wee haue the new the spirituall and the heauenly birth Now the death of Christ is as it were the fountaine of this regeneration therefore the Apostle putteth vs in minde that wee are baptized into the death of Christ He that is baptized must remeÌ„ber that hee is baptized into Christ crucified and therefore into the death of Christ To what end then was the death of Christ Not onely to make satisfaction for sinnes but also to destroy and vtterly to abolish sâ—nne in his mistical bodie which is the Church 〈◊〉 Iohn
their euill lustes the more furiously the same doe seeme to rage Whereupon some doe giue ouer striuing feeling theÌ„selues so yoked as that they thinke it vnpossible to winde out For this cause S. Paule saith Sinne shall not haue doâ—â—â—â—â—â— ouer you As if he should say be of good courage and faint not resist sinne with all the force ye can for albeit the motioÌ„s thereof do arise in you very strong and seeme often times euen to leade you away captiue yet it shall not raigne Why may one say doth not sin raigne in you where the motioÌ„s which ariseth in the minde doth take place so that a man is carried into some sinfull actes Surely we must iudge thus that where a maÌ„ doth that which he vnfainedly hateth and is drawen thereunto euen against his will he doth not obey sinne neither can it be said that sinne doth raigne in him But is not such a man in daunger that hee shall be ouercome No verily for marke what a reason the holy Apostle doth render For yee are not saith he vnder the law but vnder grace The summe of the reason is this sinne hath lost his force in you and is vnarmed and you haue obtained an inuincible power against it therefore goe on vâ—â—â—ntly in resisting for you shal assuredly obtaine the victorie and sinne shall not haue the â—ominion ouer you Now sinne hath lost his force by this that you are not vnder the lawe and you haue obtained your power in this because you are vnder grace Is not this a maruelous encouragement The tyrant is vtterly weakned and you are mightily armed therefore goe to resist he shal not preuaile agianst you This you shall see plainely if you did vnderstand what it is not to be vnder the lawe and what it is to be vnder grace The lawe was Moral Iudiciall and ceremoniall Here wee must needes take it of the lawe Morall But now how is this to be vnderstood that he saith we are not vnder the morall lawe They bee vtterlie awrie which take it absolutely as if we had no more to doe with the lawe of GOD. The lawe is the rule of holy life all vices are condemned onelie by it and alone it commandeth all vertues what then can be more absurd then that Saint Paul vrging godlie life should abolish the onely rule thereof We are stil vnder the lawe thus to haue our minde our will our affections our thoughtes our wordes and our deedes wholie framed according to the same It is therefore but in some respecte that Saint Paul saith we are not vnder the lawe Some doe take it to be meant that we are not vnder the curse of the lawe Most true it is that Christ hath deliuered his from the curse of the lawe as it is written Gal. 3. but that appertaineth vnto iustification S. Paul doth not here deale about iustification but as we see plainely touching sanctification that is the godlinesse which is begun in all the faithfull Here then it must be vnderstood so as it is to be applied to the conflict that is betweene the fleshe and the spirite in the regenerate And that is thus ye are not now vnder the lawe as it is the strength of sinne 1. Cor. 15.56 This matter is handled at large in the next Chapter where he doth cleare the lawe from all blame that it is the strength of sinne or that the natiue corruption in vs which as an husband hath force by the lawe in our members to bring forth children vnto death that is to beget and to bring forth wicked deedes in the faculties of our soules and bodies being as the wife For it is accidentarie to the lawe to doe this For the lawe being spirituall and requiring an heauenlie puritie and lighting vpon our nature which is carnall or vtterlie corrupt onely shewing our vncleanenes and not healing it concupiscence becommeth more raging in vs which without the lawe lyeth as it were dead He that is in Christ and so endewed with grace or that is led by the spirit of sanctification Which doth mortifie the deedes of the fleshe is not so vnder the lawe any longer as that sinne should haue strength thereby Thus the holie Apostle then dooth encourage and comforte all those that striue to mortifie their sinfull lustes telling them that the tyrant hath lost his force which he had by the lawe in our corrupt nature and that we are armed with the mightie power of grace to subdue him and therefore hee shall not haue dominion ouer vs. What greater comfort then this why should we not take heart The Lord increase his grace in vs and make vs strong in renouncing all obedience to sinne and in giuing vp our selues wholy to his seruice Amen FINIS