The saints dignity and duty· Together with the danger of ignorance and hardness. /…The saints dignitie and dutie· Together with the danger of ignorance and hardnesse. /…

So it is also in regard of the life of righteousness: That same imperfect life of righteousness hath in it every part of holiness, so that there is no grace that is not in part quickened, no piece of the Image of God, that is not in part stamped upon the soul. Thereupon it is said, That the godly have the seed of God remaining in them, that they are partakers of that divine nature, that they have the Law of God written in their hearts, that they bear the Image of God, that they be the children of God, None of these things could be said of them, if they had not every part and particular of grace and holiness in some measure in them; yet notwithstanding there is no part, no particular of the body, and frame of holiness perfectly in them, but only imperfectly, and in degrees. Thus you see what is here meant by the death of sin, and the life of righteousness; not that which is perfect, for that shall never be attained to till after the death of the body; but that which is imperfect, and that is infallibly in all in whomsoever Christ is. Yea, and not only one of these, but jointly both of them are imperfectly in all these that are in Christ; and therefore the Apostle in the Text joineth them both together. For howsoever we will not now stand to dispute, whether the life of righteousness be the cause or spring of the death of sin, as the coming in of light is the cause of the expulsion of darkness; yet this is sure, that they are always inseparable, and go together; there is no life of righteousness where there is not a death of sin; and there is no death of sin, where there is not a life of righteousness: Now then my brethren, the sense and meaning of all this Point, that I have thus opened and proved to you cometh to thus much: That who-ever have Christ in them, they have the whole body of sin in every part of it weakened and destroyed, and the whole frame of holiness and righteousness in every part of it begun in them, though both but in part.

So it is also in regard of the life of righteousnesse: That same imperfect life of righteousnesse hath in it every part of holinesse, so that there is no grace that is not in part quickned, no piece of the Image of God, that is not in part stamped upon the soul. Thereupon it is said, That the godly have the seed of God remaining in them, that they are partakers of that divine nature, that they have the Law of God written in their hearts, that they bear the Image of God, that they be the children of God, None of these things could be said of them, if they had not every part and particular of grace and holines in some measure in them; yet notwithstanding there is no part, no particular of the body, and frame of holiness perfectly in them, but onely imperfectly, and in degrees. Thus you see what is here meant by the death of sin, and the life of righteousnesse; not that which is perfect, for that shall never be attained to till after the death of the bodie; but that which is imperfect, and that is infallibly in all in whomsoever Christ is. Yea, and not onely one of these, but joyntly both of them are imperfectly in all these that are in Christ; and therefore the Apostle in the Text joyneth them both together. For howsoever we will not now stand to dispute, whether the life of righteousnesse be the cause or spring of the death of sin, as the coming in of light is the cause of the expulsion of darknesse; yet this is sure, that they are alwayes inseparable, and go together; there is no life of righteousness where there is not a death of sin; and there is no death of sin, where there is not a life of righteousnesse: Now then my brethren, the sense and meaning of all this Point, that I have thus opened and proved to you cometh to thus much: That who-ever have Christ in them, they have the whole body of sin in every part of it weakned and destroyed, and the whole frame of holinesse and righteousnesse in every part of it begun in them, though both but in part.