ledge, against grace and mercy, fecret and open fins; fins before and after conversion; fins of thought, word, and deed, of omiffion and commiffion; all fins, past, present, and to come; all are fully and freely pardoned through the blood of Chrift, according to the riches of God's grace; grace! rich grace indeed! What reafon had a David, a Manaffeb, a Mary Magdalen, a Peter, to admire this abounding grace in the pardon of their fins? Nay, has not every pardoned foul reafon fo to do? What grace is it, that God fhould lay our iniquities on Chrift, and that he should bear them, and take them away? that God should remove them as far from us as the eaft is from the west, and bloc them out, and remember them no more; that when they are fought for, they fhall not be found, because he hath pardoned those, whom he hath referved for himself!

So also it does appear in our adoption; that we, who are by nature children of wrath, even as others, whofe carnal minds have been at enmity against God, should be adopted into his family, is grace indeed; had he made us his fervants, it had been an act of grace; but to make us his fons, is an act of fuperabounding grace; fo that we have reafon to fay as the apostle John: Behold what manner of love bath the Father beftowed upon us, that we should be called the fons of God*. If we confider what we were by nature, how unlovely and undefirable, and that God flood in no need of us, we need not wonder to hear him thus faying, bow Shall I put thee among the children, and give thee a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the bofts of nations? though we have a great deal of reason to wonder and be amazed to hear him fay, thou shalt call me my father, and shalt not turn away from me'.

Now as the fuperabounding grace of God does thus appear in our regeneration, justification, remiffion and adoption, fo also it will in our glorification; for our falvation is all of grace, from first to laft. If it is an act of abounding grace to beget us again to a lively hope of an incorruptible inheritance, and to make us heirs of it, then will it be much more fo, to put us into the poffeffion of it; if we can obferve fuperabounding grace now, we shall be much more capable of observing it in that ftate where all imperfection will be done away; then fhall we bring forth the head-ftone with fhoutings, crying, grace, grace, unto it. This will be the delightful theme and happy subject, which the faints shall be entertained with throughout the endless ages of eternity.

But before I difmifs this fecond general head, I would juft obferve to you, that this clause in the text feems to be added to prevent despondency, and to comfort diftreffed minds, who, feeing that the law was fo far from justifying from fin, or diminishing it in them, that, on the contrary, it abounded by it, might imagine that there was no room to hope for deliverance, and fo give way

to

i Jer. 1. 20.

k 1 John iii. 1.

1 Jer. iii. 19.

to diffidence and defpair; the apostle, I say, feems to add thefe words, to prevent this, and administer comfort, but where fin abounded, grace did much more abound; that though fin has overflowed all human nature, and spread itself over all the powers and faculties of the foul of man, yet there is an infinite fulness of grace with God, which grace he plentifully fheds abroad in the hearts of poor finners: Therefore let Ifrael hope in the Lord, for with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemptionTM.

Also these words may be confidered as the end of the permiffion of fin, and the entrance of the law, that it might abound. God voluntarily permitted the fin of Adam, and that with a design to magnify the glory of his grace in the falvation of finners; he suffered that first sin to enter into the world, which was the foundation of all after ones, that he might have an opportunity of displaying the perfections of his grace and mercy; then he fends the law into the world, that thereby, that fin, and all others, might appear in their proper colours, as they are in themselves, exceeding finful; that fo the finner himself, in the light of the fpirit, might more eafily obferve the fuperabounding grace of God in his deliverance from them. This may fuffice for the fecond head of difcourfe. I now proceed to discourse,

III. Concerning the reign of grace, in oppofition to the reign of fin. It may be very proper, in the first place, to fay fomething concerning the reign of fin, which the apoftle affirms was unto death.

The dominion of fin is univerfal; it has extended its empire over the whole race of human creatures: Elect, as well as non-elect, are under the power and dominion of it, until by irrefiftible, powerful, and efficacious grace, they are tranflated out of that kingdom into the kingdom of God's dear Son; and then fin shall not have dominion", xupie," shall not lord it over them," because they are not under the law, but under grace; they are then no longer the subjects of fin, because tranflated into another kingdom, and fo become the fubjects of Chrift; who is the head of the covenant of grace, as Adam was of the covenant of works; by whom fin, and death by fin, fet up their empire in the world. Now it does not become any of thofe who profefs themfelves to be Chrift's fubjects, to yield any obedience to the laws or lufts of fin; let not fin, therefore, reign in your mortal body, that ye fhould obey it in the lufts thereof.

And as fin's empire is univerfal over every man, in a natural state, so its feat and throne are in every heart which is in the fame condition; from thence it iffues forth its laws, which have a mighty power in them to enforce obedience thereunto, from the feveral parts, both of foul and body: Hence you read of the law of fin, in oppofition to the law of the mind, which law of fin has fomeVOLT I. Y y times

times very great strength in a regenerate man, and is a ruling governing principle in an unregenerate one; even as the law of the mind, or the law of grace, is a ruling governing principle in a believer: alfo mention is made of it, in oppofition to the law of God, the one requiring obedience thereunto, equally as the other; as also you will find that and the law of death coupled together, because the kingdoms of both are of the fame beginning, extent and duration; when fin entered into the world, death did fo too; when fin fet up its empire, death did likewife: over whom fin reigns, death does alfo; and when the one ceases, then will the other; their laws, interefts, and kingdoms stand and fall together P.

And as it has erected a government in the world, and iffues forth its laws, fo it has its voluntary fubjects, who observe these laws, not out of fear, but love; though while they promise themselves liberty, they become the fervants of corruption; and are mere flaves and vaffals to fin, while they are fo greedily fulfilling the defires of the flesh, and of the mind: And for all this hearty and chearful fervice, they will have no other ftipend paid them, than death; for the wages of fin is death; which is what our apostle intends, when he here fays, that fin bath reigned unto death: and how it has done fo, will deferve our confideration. Sin bath reigned unto death,

1. By fubjecting all to a corporal death; this is what is intended in the threatening annexed to that pofitive law given to Adam, as a public perfon, mentioned in Genefis ii. 17. though not to be understood exclufive, either of a fpiritual or eternal death. Now Adam breaking that law, he himself immediately entered into a state of mortality; from that time his body became mortal, and a sentence of death paffed upon him, and all his pofterity; fo that from that time this kind of death, or what is equivalent to it, has reigned, and will continue to the end of the world to reign over all the fons and daughters of Adam. But here a question arifes, which deferves confideration, and that is this, namely, How comes it to pass that believers are not exempted from this kind of death, feeing Chrift has undergone it in their room and ftead, and made fatisfaction for that fin, and all other fins of theirs, which firft introduced it? I answer, It is true, Chrift has done all this for them, and yet they are not exempted from death; nevertheless, through Chrift's death and fatisfaction, it ceafes to be a penal evil, it is difarmed of its fting, and becomes one of the believers privileges, death is yours'. So that now, bleffed are the dead that die in the Lord; the faints may, as often they do, in their last moments, when God puts it in their mouths, fing that fong, O death where is thy fting! O grave where is thy victory! For death to them is the end of all forrow, a total abolition of fin,

P Rom. v. 12, 14.

¡ Cor. xv. 55.

Rom. vi. 23.

II Cor. iii. 22.

6

fin, and a happy tranfitus or paffage to the heavenly glory; and therefore it is they are not exempted from it.

2. Sin hath reigned unto death, by bringing upon all a spiritual death, whereby they are deftitute of all spiritual life and motion, and incapacitated to perform any spiritual action; and in this condition are all the elect of God, as well as others, till the Spirit of life from God enters and speaks life into them; and you bath be quickened, who were dead in trefpaffes and fins; where the apostle does not only observe, to the believing Ephefians, the bleffing of grace which was then bestowed on them, and that deplorable condition which they were formerly in; but also what it was which brought them into it, namely, their fins and trefpaffes; for, if it had not been for grace, they had never been quickened, fo if it had not been for fin, they had never been dead. But,

3. Sin bath reigned unto death, inafmuch as it hath rendered all deferving of eternal death; for the wages of fin is death, that is, eternal death, as is manifeft from the antithefis or oppofition, in the following words, but the gift of God is eternal life; and this bids fair to be the sense of the words in my text; for if the reign of grace be according to the reign of fin, and the reign of grace be unto eternal life, then the reign of fin must be unto eternal death. Now, I fay, all, by fin, are deserving of this death, though it is not inflicted upon fome, because of Christ's fatisfaction, only upon those who live and die in a state of impenitence and unbelief; for the fearful and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and forcerers, and idolaters, and liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the fecond death"; what in another place of fcripture is called eternal damnation, is here called the second death; a phrafe peculiar to John in his Revelation, though frequently made ufe of by the ancient Jews in the fame fenfe; thus you fee in what fenfe fin bath reigned unto death.

W

I shall now confider the reign of grace, in oppofition to this reign of fin. And we may, by grace here, understand either grace in the heart of God, which is gloriously displayed in our falvation, or else grace in our hearts, which is wrought there by the Spirit of God.

First, By grace may be meant, grace in the heart of God; and then taking it in this fenfe, we may obferve that God's grand design in the contrivance, accomplishment, and application of man's falvation, is to fet forth and magnify the glory of his grace; which end and defign of his are effectually answered; Y y 2 for

+ Ephes. ii. 1.

Rev. xxi. 8.

Thus Onkelos in his Targum, on Deut. xxxiii. 6. paraphrafes after this manner, let Reuben live in eternal life, and not die, N♪♫ , the fecond death; to the like purpose the Jerufalem Targum on the fame place, which adds, the death, which the wicked die in the world to come.

for grace reigns, and reigns gloriously in every part thereof; it is gloriously dif played in the election of a certain number in Chrift unto eternal life, and therefore called the election of grace; upon the very mention of which, the apostle in the next words thus argues: And if by grace, then is it no more of works; otherwife grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more of grace; otherwife work is no more work; an argument which the adverfaries of grace can never answer; a dilemma they are plunged into, out of which they can never emerge it is alfo gloriously difplayed in that everlafting covenant made with Chrift before the world began, which is fo well ftored with valuable bleffings, and exceeding great and precious promifes: It likewife gloriously appears in the miffion of Chrift into this world, to obtain eternal redemption for us; for God commended his love towards us, in that while we were yet finners, Chrift died for us": Grace alfo manifefts itfelf in effectual vocation; for he hath faved us, and called us with an holy calling; not according to our works, but according to his own purpofe and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jefus, before the world began'; and fo also in our justification, adoption, remiffion, and glorification, as has been more fully evinced under the fecond general head. And now let us not forget to take notice, that this grace reigns in a way of righteousness, consistent with the glorious perfections of God's holiness and righteoufnefs. God, in drawing the glorious model and platform of man's falvation, fo ordered it, that there should be no disagreement between the divine perfections, but that all should fhine with an equal glory; and therefore he fet forth Chrift to be a propitiation, through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness, that he might be just, and the juftifier of him, which believeth in Jefus: So that through Chrift's fulfilling the law, atoning for fin, and fatisfying divine justice, the honour of God's holinefs is effectually fecured, and the glory of his righteoufnefs difplayed, as well as his grace and mercy magnified; thus mercy and truth are met together, and righteousness and peace bave kissed each other. With this glorious scheme, and the sweet harmony of it, was our dear deceased friend often affected; and I scarce ever heard him mention this place of fcripture, which is the subject of our prefent difcourfe, but I always obferved, that he took it in the sense now delivered, which made me the more willing to take notice of it.

But then again, grace reigns unto eternal life, by Chrift; it shall never be fruftrated; God will never be disappointed of his end, to wit, the glory of his grace. It reigned from all eternity, it reigns in time, and it will reign to all eternity: It reigned in the contrivance; it reigned in the accomplishment, and it reigns in the application of it; for God has fo ordered it, that it should be by