(1) Act Faith peculiarly upon the Death, Blood and Cross of Christ; that is, on Christ as crucified and slain. Mortification of Sin is peculiarly from the Death of Christ. It is one peculiar, yea eminent End of the Death of Christ, which shall assuredly be accomplished by it. He died to destroy the works of the Devil; whatever came upon our Natures by his first Temptation, whatever receiv•• strength in our Persons by his daily suggestions, Christ died to destroy it all. He ⟨p. 174⟩gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works, Tit. 2.14. This was his Aim and Intendment (wherein he will not fail) in his giving himself for us. That we might be freed from the Power of our Sins, and purified from all our defiling Lusts, was his Design. He gave himself for the Church, that he might sanctify and cleanse it, that he might present it to himself a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish, Eph. 5.25, 26, 27. And this by virtue of his death, in various and several degrees shall be accomplished. Hence our washing, purging and cleansing is every where ascribed to his Blood, 1 Joh. 1.7. Heb. 1.3. Revelat. 1.5. That being sprinkled on us, Purge• our Consciences from dead works to serve the living God, Heb. 9.14. This is that we aim at, this we are in pursuit of; that our Consciences may be purged from dead works; that they may be rooted out, destroyed, and have place in us no more. This shall certainly be brought about by the Death of Christ: There will virtue go out from thence to this purpose. Indeed, all Supplies of the Spirit,1 all Communications of Grace and Power, are from hence, as I have elsewhere showed. ⟨p. 175⟩Thus the Apostle states it; Rom. 6. vers. 2. is the Case proposed that we have in hand; How shall we that are dead unto sin live any longer therein? Dead to Sin by Profession; dead to Sin by Obligation to be so; dead, to Sin by a Participation of Virtue and Power for the Killing of it; dead to Sin by Union and Interest in Christ, in and by whom it is killed: How shall we live therein? This he presses by sundry Considerations, all taken from the Death of Christ, in the ensuing Verses. This must not be, vers. 3. Know you not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his Death?
(1) Act Faith peculiarly upon the Death, Blood and Cross of Christ; that is, on Christ as crucified and slain. Mortification of Sin is peculiarly from the Death of Christ. It is one peculiar, yea eminent End of the Death of Christ, which shall assuredly be accomplished by it. He died to destroy the works of the Devil; whatever came upon our Natures by his first Temptation, whatever receiv•• strength in our Persons by his daily suggestions, Christ died to destroy it all. He ⟨p. 174⟩gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purifie unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works, Tit. 2.14. This was his Aym and Intendment (wherein he will not fail) in his giving himself for us. That we might be freed from the Power of our Sins, and purified from all our defiling Lusts, was his Design. He gave himself for the Church, that he might sanctifie and cleanse it, that he might present it to himself a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish, Eph. 5.25, 26, 27. And this by virtue of his death, in various and several degrees shall be accomplished. Hence our washing, purging and cleansing is every where ascribed to his Blood, 1 Joh. 1.7. Heb. 1.3. Revelat. 1.5. That being sprinkled on us, Purge• our Consciences from dead works to serve the living God, Heb. 9.14. This is that we aim at, this we are in pursuit of; that our Consciences may be purged from dead works; that they may be rooted out, destroyed, and have place in us no more. This shall certainly be brought about by the Death of Christ: There will virtue go out from thence to this purpose. Indeed, all Supplies of the Spirit,1 all Communications of Grace and Power, are from hence, as I have elsewhere shewed. ⟨p. 175⟩Thus the Apostle states it; Rom. 6. vers. 2. is the Case proposed that we have in hand; How shall we that are dead unto sin live any longer therein? Dead to Sin by Profession; dead to Sin by Obligation to be so; dead, to Sin by a Participation of Virtue and Power for the Killing of it; dead to Sin by Ʋnion and Interest in Christ, in and by whom it is killed: How shall we live therein? This he presses by sundry Considerations, all taken from the Death of Christ, in the ensuing Verses. This must not be, vers. 3. Know you not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his Death?
- 1Communion with Christ, chap. 7, 8.
