ad sinners; to create us again to good works;
to redeem us from the tyranny of sin and Satan, whose slaves we are. He
hath a Spirit of life, which he communicates to his seed; he breathes it
into those souls that he died for, and dispossesseth that powerful
corruption that dwells in us. Hence it comes to pass, that they walk after
the Spirit, though they be in the flesh; because the powerful Spirit of
Christ hath entered, and taken possession of their spirits, Isa. lix. 20,
21.

Let us not be discouraged in our apprehensions of Christ. When we look on
our ruinous and desperate estate, let us not conclude, it is past hope,
and past his help too. We do proclaim, in the name of Jesus Christ, that
there is no sinner, howsoever justly under a sentence of death and
damnation, but they may in him find a relaxation from that sentence, and
that without the impairing of God's justice. And this is a marvellous
ground of comfort, that may establish our souls, (1 John i. 9.) even this,
that law and justice is upon Christ's side, and nothing to accuse or plead
against a sinner that employs him for his advocate. But know this also,
that you are not delivered from death that you may live under sin; nay,
you are redeemed from death, that you may be freed from the law of sin.
But that must be done by his almighty Spirit, and cannot be otherwise
done.

I know not whether of these is matter of greatest comfort,--that there is
in Christ a redemption from the wrath of God and from hell; and that there
is a redemption too, from sin, and corruption which dwells within us. But
sure I am, both of them will be most sweet and comfortable to a believer;
and without both, Christ were not a complete Redeemer, nor we completely
redeemed. Neither would a believing soul, in which there is any measure of
this new law and divine life, be satisfied without both these. Many are
miserably deluded in their apprehensions of the gospel. They take it up
thus, as if it were nothing but a proclamation of freedom from misery,
from death and damnation; and so the most part catch at nothing else in
it, and from thence take liberty to walk after their former lusts and
courses. This is the woful practical use that the generality of hearers
make of the free intimation of pardon, and forgiveness of sin, and
delivery from wrath. They admit some general notion of that, and stop
there, and examine not what further is in the gospel; and so you will see
the slaves of sin pro