livering us from a state of nature, and bring-flavery of fin and Satan, into the kingdom

of his dear Son, Acts xxvi. 18. is by working wonderfully upon their wills, and powerfully inclining them to yield obedience to the gospel of Jefus Chrift, and to give up themfelves thereunto: But ye have obeyed that form of doctrine. See Pial. cx. VIII. It is not a bare profeffion of fub

ing us into a flate of grace, but our hearts fhould fwell with the praifes of God, and we should, with thankful hearts, in fincerity fing a fong of praife unto his name; fuch fenfe fhould we have of the match leffness of that unfpeakable mercy, as we are taught by the apoftle's faying, God be thanked, when he is mentioning this mercy.jection and obedience to the gofpel, that IV. A gracious foul that has ever tafted of the fweetness of the work of God in his own foul, will be unfeignedly glad at the work of God in others; the converfion of others will be laid hold on by them, as an occafion whereupon to magnify and extol the name of the Lord, efpecially if they be minifters, whofe work it is to draw folks in to Chrift: therefore, when Paul is mentioning this, he cannot but cry out, God be thanked.

will do the turn, but it must be real, inward, hearty, and fincere; ye have obeyed from the heart. The heart it is which God calleth for.

IX. Where-ever the gospel of Jefus Chrift is kindly, heartily, and fincerely welcomed and embraced, it will not be halved, or any way divided, but wholly accepted of, as all neceffary, ufeful, and defirable; the whole draught, form, and plot of it, will be fweet to a fincere foul, and heartily fubmited unto, nothing in it will be balked, or waved, it will be found fo well ordered in all things: Ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine; not this or that piece of it, but the whole draught and platform of it.

X. Where ever the gofpel is kindly en

V. It is profitable now and then to be calling to mind the black and doleful ftate of nature which fometimes we were in, and out of which we are now delivered thro' free grace, that the unspeakable riches of his grace may never grow little bulked in our estimation, and that our fouls may be the more elevated, and made willing chear-tertained: it imprinteth a ftamp of itself fully to fing a fong of praise to him who is worthy; God be thanked, that ye were the fervants of fin; but ye have obeyed, &c. VI. When we call to mind the wonderful change that is made in us, we ought to look beyond ourselves, as having no hand therein, being dead in fins and trefpaffes, till free love breathed upon us; and fill runing away from God and all good, till irrefiftible grace drew us back; and look to God as the prime and principal agent, the only worker of the work, and he on ly who is worthy of all the praife: God be thanked, leads them up to him as the main worker.

VII. The way how God, by his moft powerful grace, begeteth a foul to himfelf, and worketh this real change in their ftate and condition, bringing them out of darkness into light, and from under the

on the foul, fo that a true believer has a foul refembling the draught of the gospel, cut out, as it were, according to the gofpel, having a lively image and picture of the frame of the gofpel upon it, and, as it were, caften into the mould of the gospel; there is a metaphor here from a flamp leaving a vive reprefentation and refemblance of itself upon wax or any foft matter that form of doctrine (or ftamp of doctrine) which was delivered to you; or rather, which ye were delivered up unto.

XI. Though many true believers do in many things look often unlike the gospel, and come fhort of that comely picture, and draught or image which they should carry about with them; yet there is none who have fincerely clofed with Chrift in the gofpel, but in fome measure or degree the image of the gofpel is drawn on their

hearts:

hearts: all who have obeyed the form of doctrine, have been delivered up to it; you have obeyed from the heart the form of doctrine to which ye were delivered up.

XII. The best way of obeying, fubmiting unto, and clofing with the defign, frame, and draught of the gofpel, is, to give up ourselves thereunto, to receive the impresion thereof, and to have every draught drawn upon our fouls, that so our hearts may answer every line thereof: yeobeyed, fays he, that form of doctrine, when ye delivered up yourselves unto it, to receive the impreffion thereof, as it were.

XIII. This hearty fubmiting, accepting, embracing, and according with the gospel, is the only way of wining to freedom from under the tyranny, oppreffion and flavery of fin; and only fuch as have this ftamp of the gofpel upon their hearts, have the ftamp and impreffion of the old man of fin fo obliterated, as that it fhall not be fo legible: being then made free from fin.

XIV. Believers in clofing with Chrift, give up themselves to a new master, and take new work in hand, carrying a new image and fuperfcription upon their hearts, even the image of holiness, and of the doctrine of the gofpel; and whoever have fincerely welcomed the gofpel of Chrift, are now defigning righteoufnefs, and mak ing that their trade and conftant work: Je became fervants of righteousness.

XV. Before any can fincerely aim at holinefs, and carry themfelves as fervants of righteoufnefs, their hearts and hands must first be loofed from their old fervice and employment, and they must be loofed from the obligation of their old mafter; fo that whoever is not trading after righte. oufnefs, is ftill under the fetters of fin, none can be ferving both: being made free from fin, then ye became the fervants of rightecufness.

XVI. The obligation that lyeth upon believers, by their clofing with Chrift in the gofpel, and the vows and refolutions they took upon them, and the new en

gagements they took on them, should lay ftrong bonds upon them to study holmefs constantly, that they may daily look more and more like unto that ftamp of divine doctrine in the gofpel: This is the apostle's argument preffing them to holiness, being made free from fin, ye became fervants of righteoufnefs.

VERSE 19. I speak after the manner of men, because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members fervants to uncleannefs and to iniquity, unto iniquity; even jo now yield your members fervants to righteousness, unto holinefs.

A

Seventh argument is here fet down

to this purpose, It is all equity and reaton that you should be as diligent, painful and zealous fervants for righteousness and holinefs, now, after you have changed masters, as you were before for uncleannefs and inquity. And this argument he 1. ufhereth in with a kind of apology for his ufing of fuch fimilitudes; I speak after the manner of men, because of the infirmity of your flesh; that is, I make ufe of thofe homely and obvious fimilitudes, that you may be the more able to take up what I fay, and fee the equity of what is defired and preffed; for you are fo carnal, that you cannot eafily perceive and take up this, if it be not laid out before you in this homely manner, and not in fuch a fpiritual and fublime manner fuiting the purpose. 2. He illuftrateth it by clearing the two ftates, and comparing them together; and fhewing, what they did under the old ftate, and what, in equity, they fhould do now: And (1.) fays he, Your members and faculties were fervants unto uncleannefs and iniquity before, as devoted to that fervice; but now your members are fervants of righteoufnefs, devoted thereto. (2.) You yielded your members unto iniquity, you fifted them, and had them ready at a call for that work; and now you

E e

fhould

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fhould fift them, and have them in prompnefs for holiness. (3.) As you yielded your members fervants to fuch work before, that was but filthinefs and fin, or tranfgreffion of the holy law of God; fhould you not much more yield your members unto the work of fanctification and holiness?

OBSERVATIONS.

kinds of fin than others; yet all who are in nature, have a nature within them prone to all forts of fin and wickednefs, and members ready to run about every evil course, when temptation feteth on: and tho' the devil think fit to employ fome more in one piece of fervice, and others more in another; yet their foul and body is given up and devoted to fin, and nothing but fin, and the vileft fort of fin: ye yielded your members fervants to uncleanness and to ini

I. Though holy and heavenly truths fhould not be handled in an unfeemly fcur-quity; that is, all fort of fin. rile manner, rendering the fame contemptible unto hearers; yet they fhould be handled and held forth in fuch a cleanly, homely manner, as may be moft taking with, and beft understood by the hearers; and fo fometimes it is beft to forbear fuch a high, foaring, fpiritual, fuitable manner of expreffing truths, and chufe a way more after the manner of men; I speak after the manner of men, fays Paul: See John iii. 12.

II. So far out of frame may a people be for hearing the facred truths of God laid forth in a manner fuitable to their nature; that, of neceffity, neceffary truths muft be laid forth in a homely drefs: 1 fpeak after the manner of men, because of the infirmity of your flesh.

III. In the ftate of nature, tho' fome may have more polished difpofitions and inclinations than others; yet all in nature are wholly devoted and given up to fin, all the members of their body and the faculties of their foul are as hired, bound fervants unto fin: ye have yielded your members fervants of uncleanness, &c.

IV. As the whole man during his continuance in the ftate of nature, can do nothing but fin against God, his fervice being wholly given away to that exercife; fo men ufe not to be idle in that fervice, but with all alacrity, readinefs and promptitude, they attend that work, and with all diligence they run to thofe ways, and perform thefe works they are employed about; ye yielded your members unto iniquity.

V. Tho' fome are more addicted to all

VI. Believers being now devoted, soul and body, unto the works of God, and to do what is well-pleafing in his eyes, ought to give all diligence in their fervice of righteoufnefs and holiness, and to promote in that, and further that work what they can yield your members fervants to righte oufness unto holiness.

VII. A back-look which a believer may have unto their activity and diligence in runing the ways and commandments of the flesh, in the time that they were living in black nature, fhould be improven for their encouragement to run the ways of God's commandments, with, at least, no lefs alacrity, zeal, forwardness, conftancy, and unwcariablenefs; it being a fhame that they fhould be more flack and col3rife in the fervice of God than they were in the fervice of fin and Satan: For as ye have yielded your members fervants to uncleannifs and to iniquity, unto inquiry; even so now yield your members fervants to righteoufness, unto boliness.

VERSE 20. For when
VERSE 20. For when ye were the fervants
of fin, ye were free from righteousness.

N this verfe the apoftle answereth what

he faid, in the preceding verfe, touching their condition while they were lying in black nature; telling them, That while they were fervants of fin, they were free from righteoufnefs; their minds and all were alienated from the way of righteoufnefs, and they walked as fuch as had nothing to do

with that exercife, and as if they had a manumittimus from the Lord to do what mischief they pleased, they would not be bound with the yoke, and did nothing righteous at all. And in this he pointeth at an eighth argument, to this purpofe; It is a fhame that you fhould delight to be back to that condition, wherein you could do nothing but fin; and a fhame you should not now be doubling your diligence in holinefs, feeing the time was wherein you had no medling with it.

OBSERVATIONS.

I. However unregenerate perfons may do many things upon the matter right, and may walk unblameably; yet they are void of all true chriftian righteoufnefs, and come never under the bonds and obligations of righteoufnefs and holinefs, but walk as builocks unaccustomed to the yoke: they avere free from righteousness.

II. Tho' unregenerate perfons be not walking as under the tye of righteoufnefs, and be refufing to come under that eafy yoke, and will not have that bridle on their jars; yet they are not at perfect liberty, but rather the greater flaves, having the heavy yoke of fin and corruption lying upon their necks, and thefe bonds made frong: while they were free from righteoufnefs, they became the fervants of fin.

VERSES 21. 22. What fruit had ye then in thofe things, whereof ye are now afhamed? for the end of thofe things is

death.

But now being made free from fin, and become fervants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

Hefe verfes contain the apostle's two

TH

laft arguments whereby he preffeth them to holinefs; as ninthly, You cannot, for your part, tell any advantage, which you either have, or can reap, by your following a courfe and trade of fin: and he ufeth three expreffions to fet forth the fad effects and fruitleffness of the course of fin; as 1. What fruit had ye then in thofe things? He puts this queftion home to their own confciences, the more to bear home fome conviction upon them, Can ye now, for your heart, make any account of the good ye have reaped by fin? 2. Whereof ye are now ashamed; ye are fo far from being able to show any good fruit or advantage you have had by your finful courfes, that on the contrary, the fumma totalis of your reckoning, will be fhame and confufion of face; you are now afhamed of those ways, and your confcience is checking you for them, and is it fit that ye fhould be driving again that unprofitable, yea, that fhameful trade? 3. For the end of those things is death; this will be the end and upfhot of following a courfe of fin, not only fhame here, but death hereafter; and is it not beft then to forbear, and turn your back upon that way way of fin?

III. The confideration of the woful flavery that believers once were in, when unregenerated, how they could do nothing but fin against God, and run at random, as a young heifer, free of all bonds of righte The last argument is fet down, verse 22. cufnefs; fhould caufe believers loath fuch and it is taken from the rich and unfpeaka life, and ftudy fo much the more to walkable advantage which will follow upon now, as having devoted and given up themselves unto righteoufnefs, and having that bridle in their jaws: This is the force of the apoftle's argument to prefs them to holiness, That while they were the fervants of fin, they were free from righteoufness.

their walking in a state of friendship and reconciliation with God, in a ftate of freedom from fin, and fubjection to God; being made free from fin, fays he, and become fervants to God, 1. Ye have your fruit unto holiness; that is, Ye have this advantage thereby,, on this fide of time, even holiE e. 2

refs,

nefs, fan&ification, and further conformity | fhame, when the deceitfulness thereof is unto the image of Chrift: and 2. The end everlafling life; the upfhot of all will be a lafting life of communion with God in glory.