Looking unto Jesus a view of the everlasting gospel, or, the souls eying of…

3. Christ's Death was a lingering death; he hung divers hours upon the Cross, From the first hour to the ninth hour, saith Matthew; (i.e.) from our twelve to three, before he gave up the Ghost. So is our mortification a lingering death; sin is not put ⟨p. 406⟩to death all at once, but languisheth by little and little; this is looked upon as one main difference betwixt justification and sanctification; the former is a perfect work, admitting of no degrees, but so is not the latter; though a Believer is freed perfectly from the guilt of sin, yet not so from the power of it; sin dwelleth in us, though it hath not altogether a dominion over us;¹ It is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me; like a rebellious Tenant, it keeps possession in despite of the owner, till the house be pulled down over his head. True indeed, the body of sin in a regenerate soul hath received its death-wound, and in that respect it may be said to be dead, but it is not quite dead; still it stirreth and moveth, dying but by degrees: What the Apostle saith of the renewing of the new man we may say of the destroying of the old man the inward man is renewed day by day, ²•nd the old man is destroyed d•y by day; or as Paul said of himself, in respect of his afflictions, we may say of a Christian in respect of his sins, I die daily; ³there is not the most sanctified soul upon earth but has some remainders of corruption left in it, which God in his wise providence permits for the trying, exercising, and humbling of our souls, and for the making his own rich Graces, in renewing and multiplying pardons, so much the more glorious.

3. Christ's Death was a lingring death; he hung divers hours upon the Cross, From the first hour to the ninth hour, saith Matthew; (i.e.) from our twelve to three, before he gave up the Ghost. So is our mortification a lingring death; sin is not put ⟨p. 406⟩