THE CHRISTIAN ROM. 6. 14. For finne fhall not have dominion over you; for ye are not under the law, but under grace. Hefe words are brought in thus; the Apostle exhorts them not to finne, but to give their members as inftruments unto righteousneffe: and to move them to this, hee tells them that finne was not their Lord now as it was hereto fore, and that it fhall have no more dominion over them, and therefore he bids them strive against it: Do&. I. and then he adds a reason of this, because they were not under the law, but under grace, now Chrift hath changed their hearts: for while a man is under the Law, finne hath dominion over him, it tells him what to doe, but gives him no power to doe it: but you have the grace of fanctification to change your hearts, and enable you to every good word and work, fo that you delight in the Law after the inner man, albeit you fee another law in your members warring against the Law of your minde, and bringing you into captivity to the law of finne which is in your members, as it is faid, Chap.7.ver.23. Whence wee may learne, That bee that is in the fate of grace, lyeih in no knowne finne; no finne baib do minion over him. Now, finne is faid to have no Dominion over a man, three manner of wayes, viz. in regard 1. It hath no right to rule over him; it is no more our Lord, but is as a fervant that hath no dominion, but is faid to offer violence to us: as if the King of Spaine should rule over us, hee hath no dominion over us. 2. In regard it is not obeyed, for there it hath dominion: as a Prince may have right to a Kingdome, yet if hee be not obeyed, hee hath no do minion. 3. In regard though it strive against us, yet it never gets the victory: for though it affault us, yet if it get not the victory, it hath no dominion over us: this is proved by three Similitudes which must be explaned, viz. Firft, it was our Master, and we its fervants; but now THE CHRISTIAN ROM. 6. 14. For finne fhall not have dominion over you; for ye are not under the law, but under grace. Hefe words are brought in thus ; the Apostle exhorts them not to finne, but to give their members as inftruments unto righteoufneffe: and to move them to this, hee tells them that finne was not their Lord now as it was hereto fore, and that it fhall have no more dominion over them, and therefore he bids them strive against it: Do&. I. and then he adds a reason of this, because they were not under the law, but under grace, now Chrift hath changed their hearts: for while a man is under the Law, finne hath dominion over him; it tells him what to doe, but gives him no power to doe it: but you have the grace of fanctification to change your hearts, and enable you to every good word and work, fo that you delight in the Law after the inner man, albeit you fee another law in your members warring against the Law of your minde, and bringing you into captivity to the law of finne which is in your members, as it is faid, Chap.7.ver.23. Whence wee may learne, That bee that is in the fate of grace, lyeth in no knowne finne; no finne haib do minion over him. Now, finne is faid to have no Dominion over a man, three manner of wayes, viz. in regard 1. It hath no right to rule over him; it is no more our Lord, but is as a fervant that hath no do-minion, but is faid to offer violence to us: as if the King of Spaine should rule over us, hee hath no dominion over us. 2. In regard it is not obeyed, for there it hath dominion: as a Prince may have right to a Kingdome, yet if hee be not obeyed, hee hath no do minion. 3. In regard though it ftrive against us, yet it never gets the victory: for though it affault us, yet if it get not the victory, it hath no dominion over us: this is proved by three Similitudes which must be explaned, viz. First, it was our Master, and we its fervants; but now now wee have changed our Master, and are become the fervants of righteoufneffe, ver. 18. Secondly, it is faid that we were married to fin, and it had dominion and command over us, as the husband over the wife; but now it is dead, and there is a divorce betweene us, and now wee are married to Chrift, and hee commands us, and wee obey. Thirdly, it is faid we are dead to finne, and alive to God, ver.11. and therefore we cannot live in finne : for,command a dead body to goe about a bufineffe, and he cannot, because he is dead. Now the reafons of the point be thefe. The first Reaf. 1. is taken from Chrift; wee are ingrafted into Chrift, and into his death,and into the fimilitude of his resurrecti on, verse 5. We are grafted as a graft into Chrift, and all the old fap is taken away, and wee have new fap, and bring forth new fruit, and have no other, because we grow in another tree, and we live to God: yet we may commit finne, though wee allow not our felves in it; for they that are Chrifts, have crucified the flesh with the affections and lufts thereof: if therefore there be any luft reigning in us,we are not in Christ. Againe, if any man be in Chrift, hee is a new creature, and therfore he doth not wallow in his old fins: fo faith God, Iwill give you a new heart; and, all things are become new; and, old things are done away: therefore wee cannot lye in any knowne finne. Againe, whofoever is in Christ, hath received of his fulnesse, and grace for grace; in him we are able to doe all things: and therefore if we cannot ftrive against old finnes, B 2 wec |