\\INTRODUCTION TO ROMANS 6\\

The Apostle having finished his design concerning the doctrine of
justification, refutes the charge brought against it as a licentious
doctrine, and prevents any ill use that might be made of it by men
of evil minds, justified persons by the strongest arguments, and
with the best of motives to holiness of life and conversation: he
saw, that whereas he had affirmed in the preceding chapter, that sin
being made to abound by the law, in the condemnation of sinners, the
grace of God the more abounded in their justification and pardon;
that some would rise up and object, that this doctrine countenances
men's continuance in sin, and opens a door to all manner of
iniquity; and that others would abuse this doctrine, and encourage
themselves in a vicious course of life, upon this mistaken notion,
that the grace of God would be the more illustrious by it; all which
is suggested in \\#Ro 6:1\\, to which an answer is returned in \\#Ro 6:2\\,
with an abhorrence of everything of this kind; and by an argument,
showing the absurdity and inconsistency of it, seeing persons dead
to sin, as justified ones are, cannot live in it: and that they are
dead to sin, and under obligation to live unto righteousness, he
argues from their baptism into Christ's death, which represents
their being dead with Christ, and buried with him, \\#Ro 6:3,4\\, and
likewise the resurrection of Christ from the dead, and theirs by
him, whereby they are both fitted and obliged to walk in newness of
life; since they are, and should be like him, as in his death, so in
his resurrection from the dead: and the rather, as they are
implanted in him, as the branches in the vine, \\#Ro 6:4,5\\, and
especially as it was the great end of his death, that by the
crucifixion of sin with him, it might so be destroyed, that his
people should be no more servants to it, \\#Ro 6:6\\, this being proved,
that justified ones are dead to sin, the apostle argues upon it,
that such are freed from sin, \\#Ro 6:7\\, and therefore ought not, and
cannot live in it; for this must be given into as an article of
faith, that such as are dead with Christ live, and shall live a life
of communion with him, \\#Ro 6:8\\, which is inconsistent with living in
sin: he further argues from the resurrection of Christ, which was
not to die more, \\#Ro 6:9\\, and suggests, that in like manner, those
who have been dead and buried, and risen with him, which their
baptism signifies, should not live in sin, which is no other than
dying again; and to strengthen this, directs to the ends of Christ's
death and resurrection, \\#Ro 6:10\\, the end of the one being unto sin,
to finish, make an end of that, and be the death of it, and the end
of the other, being living unto God; wherefore in like manner, such
who profess to be Christ's, to be justified by his righteousness, to
be baptized into his death, and to be risen with him, should account
themselves dead unto sin, and so not live in it, and alive to God
through the righteousness of Christ, and so live to his honour and
glory, \\#Ro 6:11\\, and having thus answered the objection, and removed
the calumny, and set this matter in a clear light, the apostle
proceeds to dehort from sinning, and to exhort to holiness of life,
\\#Ro 6:12,13\\, in which he compares sin to a tyrant, the lusts of it
to the laws of such an one, and which therefore should not be
obeyed; and the rather, as the wages of them are death, and have
made the body already mortal; wherefore the members of it should not
be employed in such service, but in the service of God: and whereas
it might be objected, that sin is too strong and prevalent, and has
got the mastery, and will keep its power, the apostle declares it as
a promise of grace, that sin shall not have the dominion, \\#Ro 6:14\\,
giving this as a reason, because such as are justified and
sanctified, are not under the law, as a covenant of works, but under
the covenant of grace, of which this promise is a part; and in order
to prevent an ill use of this doctrine, and remove an objection that
might be made, that if not under the law, men are under no
restraints, but may go on in sin without control, he answers it with
his usual detestation, \\#Ro 6:15\\, and argues the folly and absurdity
of living in sin upon such an account, because it would make them
servants of sin unto death, \\#Ro 6:16\\, and so they were before
conversion, but now were otherwise, for, which they had reason to be
thankful, \\#Ro 6:17\\, since through the grace of God they had yielded
an hearty obedience to the Gospel; wherefore to obey sin would be to
return to their former state of bondage; whereas being freed from
the power and dominion of sin, they were now the servants of
righteousness, and ought to act becoming such a character, \\#Ro 6:18\\,
wherefore it was but acting the part of reasonable men, it was but
their reasonable service, to yield themselves servants, not to sin
and uncleanness, but to righteousness and holiness, \\#Ro 6:19\\, in
order to engage to which, the apostle puts them in mind of their
former state; how that when they were in subjection to sin, they had
nothing to do with the exercise of righteousness, \\#Ro 6:20\\, and
therefore as there was an alteration made in them, they ought to be
just the reverse in their conduct and conversation; for he appeals
to them, that they had no pleasure nor profit in their former course
of life; which had brought upon them shame and confusion, and must
have ended in death, had it not been for the grace of God, \\#Ro 6:21\\,
but now as they were delivered from the slavery and dominion of sin,
they were under a better master, were servants to God; and the fruit
of their service was holiness, and the issue of all would be
everlasting life, \\#Ro 6:22\\, which is illustrated by the contrary,
\\#Ro 6:23\\, the wages due from the service of sin, and which only
could be expected from it, being death; whereas grace and holiness,
the gift of God, issue in eternal life by Christ Jesus; in whose
hands it is, and through whom it comes, and is enjoyed.