then the paâ—ting of soul and body for affection to temporal peâ—ishing things unites the soul so unto them that there is no parting without pain no dissolution of that continuity without much vexation and yet the soul must suffer many such tortures in one day because the things are perishing in their own nature and uncertain What is sleep which devours the most part of our time but the very image and picture of death a visible and daily representation of the long cessation of the sensitive life in the grave and yet truly it is the best and most innocent part of our time though we accuse it often there is both lesse sin and lesse misery in it for it is almost the only leniment and refreshment we get in all our miseries Iobâ—ought â—ought it to asswage his grief and ease his body but it was the extremity of his misery that he could not find it Now my beloved when you find that which is called life subject to so much misery that you are constrained often to desire you had never been born you find it a valley of tears a house of mourning from whence all true delight and solid happiness is banished seing the very Officers and Serjeants of death are continually surrounding us and walk alongs with us though unpleasant company in our greatest contentments and are putting marks upon your doors as in the time of the Plague upon houses infected Lord have mercy upon us and are continually bearing this motto to our view and â—ounding this direction to our earâ— cito procul diu to get soon out of Sodom that is appointed for destruction to fly quickly out of our selves to the refuge appointed of God even one that was dead and is alive and hath redeemed us by his blood and to get far off from our selves and take up dwelling in the blessed Son oâ— God through whose flesh there is accesse to the Father seing all these I say are so why do not we awake our selves upon the sound of the promise of immortality and life brought to our ears in the Gospel Mortality hath already seized upon our bodies but why do ye not catch hold of this opportunity of releasing your souls from the chains and setters of eternal dâ—ath Truly my beloved all that can be spoken of torments and miseries in this life I suppose we could imagine all the exquisite torments invented by the most cruel tyrants since the beginning to be combined in some one kind of torture and would tâ—â—n stâ—etch our imagination beyond that as far as that which is compoâ—ed of all torments surpasseth the simplest death yet we do not conceive nor expresse unto you that death to come Believe it when the soul is out of the body it is a most pure activity all sense all knowledge and seing where it is dulled and dampished in the body it is capable of so much grief or joy pleasure or pain we may conclude That being loosed from these stupifying earthly chains that it is capable of infinit more vexation or contentation in a higher anâ— purer strain Therefore we may conclude with the Apostle that all men by nature are miserable in life but infinitly more miserable in death only the man who is in Jesus Christ in whose spirit Christ dwells and hath made a temple of his body for offering up reasonable service in it that man only is happy in life but far happier in death happy that he was born but infinitly more happy that he was born mortal born to die for if the body be dead because of sin the spirit is life because of righteousnesse Men commonly make their accompts and calculat their time so as if death were the end of it truly it were happinesse in the generality of men that that computation were true either that it had never begâ—n or that it might end here for that which is the greatest dignity and glory of a man his immortal soul it is truly the greatest misery of sinful men because it capacitats them for eternal misery But if we make our accompts right and take the right period truly death is but the beginning of our Time of endlesse and unchangeable endurance either in happinesse or misery and this life in the body which is only in the view of the short-sighted sons of men is but a strait and narrow passage into the infinit ocean of eternity but so inconsiderable it is that according as the spirit in this passage is fashioned and formed so it must continue for ever for where the tree falleth there it lyeth There may be hope that a tree will sprout again but truly there is no hope that ever the damned soul shall see a spring of joy and no fear that ever the blessed spirits shall find a winter of grief such is the evennesse of eternity that there is no shadow of change in it O then how happy are they in whose souls this life is already begun which shal then come to its Meridian when the glory of the flesh falls down like withered hay into the dust the life as well as the light of the righteouâ— is progressive its shining more and more till that day come the day of Death onâ—y worthy to be called the present day becâ—â—se it brings perfection it mounts the soul in the highest point of the Orb and there is no declining from that again The spirit is now alive in some holy affâ—ctions and motions breathing upwards wrestling towards that point the soul is now in paâ—t united to the fountain of life by loving attendance and obedience and it iâ— longing to be more clâ—â—ly united the inward senses are exercisâ—â— about spiritual thingâ— but the burden of this clayie mansion dotâ— much dull and damp them and proves a great Remora to the spiriâ— the body indispoâ—es and weakens the soul much its life as in an Infant though a reasonable soul be there yet overwhelmed with the incapacity of the organs this body is truly a prison of restraint and confinement to the â—oul and often loathsome and ugly through the filthinesse of sin But when the spirit is delivered from this necessary burden and impediment O how lively is that life it then lives then the life peace joy love and delight of the soul surmounts all that is possible here further then the highest exercise of the soul of the wisest men surpasses the bruitish-like apprehensions of an infant and indeed then the Christian comes to his full stature and is a perfect man when he ceaseth to be a man How will you not be perswaded beloved in the Lord to long after this life to have Christ foâ—med in your hearts foâ— truly the generality have not so much as Christ fashioned in their outward habit but aâ—e within daâ—knâ—sse and eaâ—thinesse and wickednesse and without impiety and prâ—fanity will you not long for this life for now you are dead while you live as the Apostle speaks of widows that live in pleasure
groundless opinions never to question the matter is to leave it alwise uncertain If ye would judge your selves according to the Scriptures many of you have the marks and characters of these who are kept without the City and are to have their part in the lake of fire Is there no condemnation for you who have never condemned your selves Certainly the more you are averse to condemn your selves this sticks the closser to you You are not all in Christ all are not Israel who are of Israel many nay the most part are but said Christians have no real union with Christ or principle of life from him your love you carry to your selves makes you easily believe well of your selves know that self-love can blind the eyes and make you apprehend that God loves you also Nay every one readily fancies that to be which he desires to be I beseech you consider if you have any ground for your hopes and confidences but such as these that will not bear out alwayes It would be no disadvantage to you to have your hope shaken that in stead of a vain presumption you may have the Anchor of hope which shall be fixed within the vail I think one thing keeps men far from the Kingdom of God because they know not that they believe not in him we had gained much ground on you by the Word if we could perswade you that ye believe not and have not believed from the Womb. We might then say to you as Christ to his Disciples ye believe in God believe also in me Ye have given credit to God the Judge and Law-giver pronouncing a curse on â—ou and a sentence that ye have hearts desperatly wicked now believe also in me the Redeemer Ye have believed God in the Law in as far as ye have judged your selves under sin and wrath now believe Me in the Gospel that brings a ransome from wrath and a remedy for sin It s this very unbelief that is the original of the woâ—lds perishing unbelief of the Law ye do not consider ye are under the condemnation of it ye do not believe that ye have not yet â—ed to Jesus Christ to escape and these two keeps souls in a deep sleep till judgement awake them But unto every one of you I would give this Direction Let not examination of what you are hinder you from that which is your chief duty and his chief commandment to believe in him I know many Christians are puzled in the matter of their interest and alwise wavering because they are more taken up with that which is but a matter of comfort and joy then that which is His greatest honour and glory I say to consider the precious promises to believe the excellâ—â—cy and vertue of Jesus Christ and love him in your souls and delight in him is the weightiest matter of the Gospel to go out of your selves daily into his fulness to endeavour new discoveries of your own naughtiness and his grace this is the new and great commandment of the Gospel the obedience of it is the most essential part of a Christian-walk Now again to know that ye do believe and to discern your interest in Christ this is but a matter of comfort and of second concernment Therefore I say when ever ye cannot be clear in this ye should be alwise exercised in the first For its that we are first called to and if Souls were more exercised that way in the consideration and belief of the very general truths and promises of the Gospel I doubt not but the light of these would clear up their particular interest in due time these things ye ought to have done and not to leave the other undone It is still safest to wave such a question of interest when its plunging because it puts you off your special duty and its Satans intent in it It were better if ye do question presently to believe and abide in him till it were put out of question SERMON IV. Vers. 1. That walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit CHrist is made to us of God both righteousness and sanctification And therefore these who are in Christ do not only escape condemnation but they walk according to the spirit and not according to the flesh These two are the sum of the Gospel there is not a greater argument to holy walking then this there is no condemnation for you â—â—â—ther is there a greater evidence of a Soul escaped condemnation then walking â—ccording to the Spirit We have spoken something in general of the evidence that may be had of a mans state from his walking and the Spirits work in him we would now speak of the conjunction of these two and the influence that that priviledge hath on this duty and something of the nature of this description who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit In the creation of man man was composed of soul and body there was a right order and subordination of these suitable to their nature in his soul he reached Angels above in his body he was like the beasts below and this part his flesh was a servant to the Soul that was acted and affected according to the desires and motives of the Soul Now sin entring as it hath defaced all the beauty of the creation as it hath misplaced man and driven him out from that due line of subordination to God his Maker for he would have been equal to God so it hath perverted this beautiful order in men and turned it just contrary hath made the servant to ride on horses and the prince to walk on foot This is the just punishment of our first sin Adams soul was placed by creation under the sole command of its Creator above all the creatures and his own senses but in one sin he proudly exalted himself above God and lamentably subjected himself below his senses by hearkening to their perswasion he saw it was good and tasted it and it was sweet and so he ate of it What a strange way was this to be like God he made himself unlike himself liker the miserable beasts Now I say this is the deserved punishment of man his soul that was a free Prince is made a bond slave to the lusts of his flesh flesh hath gotten the Throne and keeps it and lords over the whole man Now therefore it is that the whole man unregenerat is called flesh as if he had no immortal spirit Iohn 3.6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh and this Chap. vers 8. here a description of natural men they that are in the flesh Because flesh is the predominant part that hath captivat a mans reason and will Nay not only the grosser corruptions in a man that have their use and seat in his flesh and body are under that name but take the whole nature of man that which is most excellent in him his Soul and Spirit his Light and Understanding the most refined principles of his
very image of a beast upon his nature to look on that slavery and bondage of his far better part to the worst and bruitish part in him his flesh If a man did wisely consider the constitution of his nature from its first divine original and what a thing the soul is which is truly and more properly himself then his body what excellency is in the soul beyond the body and so what preheminency it advanceth a man unto beyond a beast He could not but account Religion the very ornament and perfection of his nature Reason will say that the spirit should rule and command the body that flesh is but the minister and servant of the spirit that there is nothing the proper and peculiar good of man but that which adorns and rectifies the spirit that all these external things which mens senses are carried after with so much violence do not better a man as man but are common to beasts that in these things mans happiness as man doth not at all consist but in some higher and more transcending good which beasts are not capable of and which may satisfie the immortal spirit and not perish in the using but live with it All these things the very natural frame and constitution of man doth convincingly perswade Now then may a soul think within it self O how far am I departed from my original how far degenerated from that noble and royal dignity that God by the stamp of his image once put upon me How is it that I am become a slave and drudge to that baser and brutish part the flesh I would have you retire into your own hearts and ask such things at them Man being in honour and understanding not is even like the beasts that perish Truly we are become like beasts because we consider not that we are men and so advanced by creation far above beasts The not reflecting on the immortal spiritual nature of our souls hath transformed us in a manner into the nature of beasts perishing beasts Christianity is the very transforming of a beast into a man as sin was the deforming of a man into a beast This is the proper effect of Christianity to restore humanity to elevat it and purifie it from all those defilements and corruptions that were ingrossed and incorporated into it by the state of subjection to the flesh and therefore the Apostle delineats the nature of it unto us and draws the difference wide between the natural man and a Christian The natures of things are dark and hidden in themselves but they come to be known to us by there operations and acting their inclinations and instincts are known this way Grace is truly a very spiritual thing and the nature of it lyes high yet as Christ could not be hid in the house neither can grace be hid in the heart it will be known by its working Christ can better be hid in a house then in the heart because when he is in a heart he is ingadged to restore that heart and soul to its native dignity and preheminency over the flesh and this cannot but cause much disturbance in the man for a season to change governments to cast out usurpers and to restore the lawful and righteous owner to the possession of his right cannot be done secretly and easily it will shake the very foundations of a Kingdom to accomplish it so it is here the restitution of the soul to the possession of its right and dominion over the flesh the casting out of that tyrannous and base usurper the flesh cannot be done except all the man know it feel it and in a manner be pained with it Now the nature of Christianity doth lay it self open to us in these two especially in what it minds and savours and how it causeth to walk life is known especially by affection and motion A feeling thinking â—avouring power is a living power so a moving walking power is a living power and these are here the Christian is shortly described by his nature he is one after the Spirit not after the flesh and by the proper characteristical operations of that nature first minding or savouring the things of the Spirit which comprehends his inward thoughts affections intentions and cogitations all his inward senses are exercised about such objects and then he is one walking after the Spirit his motions are in a course of obedience proceeding from that inward relish or taste that he hath of the things of God It is not without very good reason that the name of a Christian is thus expâ—essed one after the Spirit that is his character that expressed his nature unto us whether ye look to the original of Christianity or the prime subject of it or the chief end of it it deserves to be called by this name The original of it is very high as high as that eternal Spirit as high as the God of the spirits of all flesh Things are like their original and some way participat of the nature of their causes that which is born of the spirit is spirit Joh. 3.6 that which is born of God who is a Spirit must be spirit 1 Joh. 5.1 How royal a descent is that how doth it nobilitat a mans nature Truly all other degrees of birth among men are vain imaginary things that hath no worth at all but in the fancies of men they put no real excellency in men But this is only true nobility this alone doth extract a man deface vulgi out of the dregs of the multitude There is no intrinsick difference between bloods or natures but what this make this divine birth this second birth all other differences are but in opinion this is reality it puts the image of that blessed Spirit upon a man Truly such a creature is not begotten in the womb of any natural cause of any humane perswasion or intising words of mans wisdom of any external mercy or judgment no instruction no peâ—swasion no allurement nor afrightment can make you Christians in the Spirit till the Spirit blow when he pleaseth and creat you again It must come from above that power that can set your hearts aright and make them to look straight above Christ Jesus came down from Heaven into the earth and took on our flesh that so the Almighty Spirit might come down to transform our spirits and lift them up from the earth to the Heaven We cast the seed into the ground of mens hearts and alace it gets entry but in few souls it is scattered rather on the high-way side and cannot reach into the arrable ground of the heart but it can do nothing without the influence of Heaven except the Spirit beget you again by that immortal seed of the Word Therefore we would cease our wondering that all the means of Gods Word and Works do not beget moe true Christians I do rather wonder that any of Adams wretched posterity should be begotten again and advanced to so high a dignity to
raised up Christ the very first fruits of all the rest so that Christs resurrection is a sure pledge and token of yours and both together are the main basis and ground work of all our hope and salvation the neglect and inconsideration whereof makes the most part of pretended Christians to walk according to that Epicurean principle let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall die as if there were no life to come they withold nothing from their carnal minds that can satisfie or please their lusts But for you who desire a part in this resurrection and daâ—e scarcely believe so great a thing or entertain such a high hope because of the â—ight of your unworthinesse as ye would be awaked by this hope to righteousnesse and to sin no more vers 34. of that Chap. So you may encourage your selves to that hope by the resurrection of Christ for it is that which hath the mighty influence to beget you to a lively hope 1 Pet. 1.3 Look upon this as the grand intent and special design of Christs both dying and rising again that he might be the first fruits to sanctifie all the lump Nevertheless it is not he defect of your bodies for they are often a great impediment and retardment to the spirit and lodgeth the enemy within their walls when he is chased out of the mind by the Law of the Spirit of life but it is the great design of God through the whole work of redemption and the desert of Christ your head and therefore you may entertain that hope but take heed to walk worthy of it and that is if we have this hope let us purifie our selves let us who believe that we are risen with Christ set our affections on things above else we dishonour Him that is risen in our name and we dishonour that Temple of the Holy Ghost which he will one day make so glorious SERMON XXXI Rom. 8.11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Christ from the dead c. AS there is a twofold death the death of the soul and the death of the body so there is a double resurrection the resurrection of the soul from the power of sin and the resurrection of the body from the grave as the first death is that which is spiritual then that which is bodily so the first resurrection is of the Spirit then the second of the body and these two have a connexion together therefore saith the Apostle Iohn Blessed are they who have part in the first resurrection for on such the second death hath no power but they shall be Priests to God c. Rom. 20.6 Although death must 〈…〉 their bodies yet the sting wherein the strength of it lyes is taken away by Christ that it hath no power to hurt him whose spirit is raised out of the grave of sin and truly it is hard to tell which is the greatest change or the most dificult to raise a Body out of corruption to life or to to raise a Soul out of sin to grace But both are the greatest changes that can be and shadowed out under the similitude of the greatest in nature for our conversion to God is a new birth a new creation and a resurrection in Scripture style and so both require one and the same power the almighty power of his Spirit you who were dead in sin hath He quickned c. O what a notable change it maketh them no longer the same men but new creatures and therefore it is the death of sin and the resurrection of the soul for as long as it is under the chains of darknesse and power of sin it is free among the dead it is buried in the vilest sepulchre old graves and these full of rottennesse and dead mens bones are nothing to â—xpresse the lamentable case of such a soul and yet such are all by nature whatsoever excellency or endowment men have from their birth or education yet certainly they are but apparitions rather then any real substance and which is worse their bodies is the sepulchre of their souls and if the corruption of a soul were sensible we would think all the putrifactions of bodily things but shadows of it And therefore no sooner is there any inward life begotten in a soul but this is the very fiâ—st exercise of it the abhorrency of the soul upon the sight and smell of its own loathsomnesse Now there is no hope of any reviving though all the wisdom and art of men and Angels were imployed in this businesse there is nothing able to quicken one such soul untill it please the Lord to speak such a word as he did to Lazarus Arise come forth and send his Spirit to accomplish his word and this will do it when the Spirit cometh into the soul he quickeneth it and this is the first â—esurrection O blessed are they who have part in this whose souls are drawen out of the dungeon of darknesse and ignorance and brought â—orth to behold this glorious light that shineth in the Gospel and raised out of the grave of the lusts of ignorance to live â—nto God henceforth for such they have their part in the second resurrection to life for you see these are conjoyned If the Spirit dwell in you He shall raise you c. You see here two grounds and reasons of the resurrection of the body Christs rising and the Spirits indwelling now I find these in Scripture made the two fountains of all Christianity both of the fiâ—st and second resurrection The â—esurrection of Christ is an evidence of our Justification the the cause of our quickening or vivification and the ground and pledge of our last resurrection and all these are grounds of strong consolation The first you have Rom. 4.25 Christ died for our sins and rose for our Iustification and the vers 34. of this Chap. Christ is dead yea rather that is risen again who then shall condemn Here is a clear evidence that He hath payed the debt wholly and satisfied Justice fully since He was under the power of death imprisoned by Justice certainly he would not have won free if he had not payed the uttermost farthing therefore his glorious resurrection is a sure manifestation of his present satisfaction it is a publick acquittance and absolution of him from all our debt and so by consequence of all he died for for their debt was laid upon him and now He is discharged and therefore the believing soul may tremblingly boast who shall condemn me for it is God that justifieth Why because all my sins were laid on Christ and God hath in a most solemn manner acquited and discharged him from all when he raised him from the dead and therefore he cannot and none other can sue me or prosecute a plea against me since my Cautioner is fully exonered of this undertaking even by the great Creditor God himself But then his resurrection is a pawn or pledge of the spiritual raising of the soul
The love of Christ would be an inward principle of motion and would make our spiritual actings as easie and pleasant as natural motions are Fear is but a violent principle that is like the impulse of a stone thrown upward as long as that external impression remains it moves but still slower and slower and at length evanisheth But if ye believed in him and your hearts were engaged to love him O! how would it be a pleasant and native thing to walk in his way as a stone goeth downward Consider your principles that acts you to matters and duties of Religion Many men there be in whom appears no difference of their work to beholders but O! how wide a difference doth God discern in them Ingines and artifice may make dead and lifeless things move and walk as orderly as things that have life But the principle of this motion makes a huge difference the one is moved from without the other from it self The most part of us act as irrational and bruit beasts in Religion nay we walk as inanimat and senseless creatures It s some one or other consideration without us moves us Custome censure education and such like Ah! these are the principles of our Religion How many would have no Religion no form of it if they were not among such company and therefore we see many change it according to companies as the fish doth its skin according to the colour of that which is nearest it How many would do many things they dare not for punishment and censure and for that same daâ— not leaveâ— other things undone In a word the most part of us are such as would walk in no path of godliness if it were not the custome of the time and â—ear of men that constrained us But my brethren let it not be so among you you who are in Christ Iesus let this be the predominant in your hearts to constrain you not to live to your selves but unto God even this that ye believe Christ hath died for sinners that they might live from sin and from this let your hearts be inflamed with his love that it may carry you on in a sweet and blessed necessity to walk in all well pleasing Let the consideration of his love lay on a constraint but a constraint of willingness to live to him who hath thus loved you But as the principle is spiritual so must the end be and I think these two compleat the mystery of the practice of Christianity to act from another principle unto another end even as these two make up the mystery oâ— iniquity in our hearts to act from our selves unto our selves every man naturally makes a god of himself is his own Alpha and Omega the beginning of his actionâ— and the end of them which is proper to God As the fall hath cut off the subordination of the soul to God in its actions that it cannot now derive all from that blessed fountain of all-being and well-being so is this channel of reference of all our actions to God stopped that they do not tend unto him as they are not derived from him and thus they return unto a mans self again There is one point of self and making it our aim and design which possibly many doth not take heed unto It is ordinary for us to act and walk in Christian duties for our salvation for obtaining of life eternal as our chief and only end which is but an inferiour end because we ought not to walk mainly for life but to life we should not walk after the command only for Heaven but in the way of it unto Heaven Our spiritual walking can never purchase us right unto the leaâ—t of his mercies when we have done all this should be our souls language we are unprofitable servants our righteousness extends not to thee What gain is it to the Almighty that thou art righteous Yet for the most part we make our walking as a hire for the reward The Covenant of Works doing for life is some way naturally imprinted in our hearts and we cannot do but we would live in doing we cannot walk unto all well-pleasing but we would also walk unto pacifying of God Self-righteousness is mens great idol which when all other baser and grosser idols are down they do still seek to establish But Christians observe this evil in your selves and suffer this mystery of godliness to be wrought in you the abasing of your selves the denyal of your selves I would have you in respect of diligence and earnestness doing walking and running as if ye were to be saved by it only But again you must deny all that and no more consider it or lean weight upon it then if ye ought to do nothing or did nothing But your ends should be more divine and high as your nature is to glorifie God in your mortal bodies since ye are hiâ— and bought with a price O how ought ye not to be your own The great purpose of your obedience should be a declaration of your sense of his love and of your obligation to him Ye ought to walk in his way because ye are escaped condemnation and saved by him and not that ye may be saved only It is the glory of our Heavenly Father and the honour of the Redeemer for Christians to walk even as he walked and follow his footsteps it commends the grace of Jesus Christ exceedingly Therefore this cannot but be the choise and delight of a believing soul to walk unto all well-pleasing to have the glory of him as their great design to aim at who for our salvation laid aside his glory and embraced shame and reproach We use to walk in obedience to God that we may pacifie God for our disobedience but let a Christian abhor such a thought Christs blood must pacifie but the walking of his child pleaseth him in his welbeloved Son When he is once pacified for sin when he once accepts your persons your performances are his delight Now this should be the great scope of a soul that all its powers should be fixed on to please him and live to him Now these three being established we must conceive that the chief agent and party in this walking must be spiritual therefore mens bodies are not capable of this walk after the Spirit principally Outward Ordinances are but the shell wherein the kirnel must be inclosed all our walkings that is visible to men is but like a painted or engraven Image and Statue that hath no breath or life in it unless the Spirit actuat and quicken the same I say not only the Spirit of God but the spirit and soul in man for the Spirits immediat and divine operations are upon such a suitable subject as the immortal soul. Verily there is a spirit in man and the inspiration of the Almighty gives him understanding We must not abolish the outward â—oâ—m because it hath some divinity in it even the stamp of Gods authority and therefore these who
and all for life will a man give Death imports a destruction of being which every thing naturally seeks to preserve But O! what a dreadful life is it worse then death when men will chose death rather then life O! how terrible will it be to hear that word Hills and mountains fall on us and cover us Men newly risen their bodies and souls meet again after a long separation and this to be their mutual entertainment one to another the body to wish it were still in the dust and the soul to desire it might never be in the body Surely if we had so much grace as to believe this and tremble at it before we be forced to act it there were some hope if we could perswade our selves once of this that the wayes of sin all of them how pleasant how profitable soever whatsoever gain they bring in whatsoever satisfaction they give that they are nothing else but the wayes of death and goe down to the chambers of hell that they will delude and deceive us and so in end destroy us If we might once believe this with our heart there were some hope that we would break off from them and choose the untroden paths of Godlinesse which are pleasantnesse and peace However this is the condition of all men once to be under sin and under a sentence of death for sin It s the unbelief of this and a conceit of freedom that securely and certainly destroyes the world by keeping souls from Jesus Christ the prince of life But there is a delivery and that is the thing expressed in the words there is freedom from both attainable and I think the very hearing of such a thing that there is a redemption from sin and misery possible yea and that some are actually delivered from it This might stir up in our hearts some holy ambition and earnest desire after such a state how might it awake our hearts after it but this is the wofulnesse of a natural condition that a soul under the power of sin can neither help it self nor rightly desire help from another because the will is captive too this makes it a very desperat and remedilesse businesse to any humane expectation because such a soul is well pleased with its own setters and loves its own prison and so can neither long for freedom nor welcom the Son who is come to make free But yet there is a freedom and delivery and if ye ask who are partakers of it the text declares it to you even these who are in Iesus Christ and walk according to the Spirit of Christ. These all and these only who finding-themselves dead in sins and trespasses under the power and dominion of sin and likewise under the sentence of death and condemnation begin to lift up their heads upon the hope of a Saviour and to look unto their Redeemer as poor prisoners whose eyes and looks are strong intreaties and in stead of many requests such as give an intire renounce unto their former wayes and prevailing lusts and give up themselves in testimony of their sense of his unspeakable favour of redemption to be wholly his and not their own There are some souls who are free from the dominion of sin and from the danger of death some who were once led about with divers lusts as well as others who walked after the course of this world and fulfilled the desires of the flesh and were children of wrath as well as others but now they are quickned in Christ Iesus and have abandoned their former way they have another rule another way another principles their study is now to please God and grow in holinesse the wayes they delighted in in former times are now loathsome they think that a filthy puddle which they drank greedily of and now it s all or their chiefest grief and burden that so much of that old man must be carried about with them and so this expresseth many groans from them with Paul waâ— is me miserable man who shall deliver me Such souls are in a manner to speak so half redeemed who being made sensible of their bondage groan and panâ— for a Redeemer The day of their compleat redemption is at hand all of you are witnesses of this that there are some thus freed but they are signes and wonders indeed to the world their kinsmen their acquaintance their friends and neighbours wonder what is become of them they think it strange they walk not and run not into that same excess of riot with them But whosoever thou art that is escaped from under the slavery of sin wonder at the world that doth run so madly on their own destruction think is strange that thou ran so long with them and that all will not run in these pleasant wayes with thee think it strange that thou runs so slowly when so great a prize is to be obtained an immortal and never fading Crown If mortifying and crucifying the lusts of the flesh if dying to the world and to thy self seem very hard and unpleasant to thee if it be as the plucking out of thine eye and cutting off thine hand know then that corruption is much alive yet and hath much power in thee but remember that if thou can have but so much grace and resolution as to kill and crucifie these lusts without foolish and hurtful pity if thou canst attain that victory over thy self thou shall never be a loser thou cannot repent it afterward To die to our selves and the world to kill sin within O! that makes way to a life hid from the world one hour whereof is better than many ages in sinful pleasure Quicken thy self often with this thought that there is a true life after such a death and that thou canst not passe into it but by the valley of the death of thy lusts remember that thou dost but kill thine enemies which embrace that they may strangle thee and then stir up your self with this consideration the life of sin will be thy death better enter heaven without these lusts then go to hell with them SERMON IX Vers. 2. For the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Iesus hath made me free c. THat which makes the delivery of men from the tyranny of sin and death most diâ—â—icult and utterly impossible unto nature is that sinners have given up themselves unto it as if it were true liberty that the will and affections of men are conquered and sin hath its impeâ—ial throne seated there Other conquerours invade men against their will and so they rule against their will they contain men in subjection by fear and not by love and so when ever any occasion offers they are glad to cast off the yoke of unwilling obedience But sin hath first conquered mens judgement by blinding it putting out the eye of the understanding and then invaded the affections of men drawn them over to its side and by these it keeps all in a most willing obedience Now
heaven and earth to be so busied abroad to know other things and then to know and consider nothing of that which of all things most nearly concâ—rns us our selves what shall it profite a man if he gain the whole world and lose his soul for that is himself And what shall it proâ—â—t to know all and not know his soul to be every where but where he ought to be Well a Christian is one called home from vain impertinent diversions one that is occupyed most about his soul and spirit how to have all the disorders hâ—â—â—â—ds in himself ordâ—rd all these distempers cured all these defilements washed this is the business he is about in this world to wash his heart from wickedness Jer. 4.14 To cleanse even vain thoughts and shut up from that ordinary repair his own heart he is about the inclosing it to be a garden to the welbeloved to bâ—ing forth sweet fruits he is about the renewing of it the adorning of it with the new man against that day of our Bridegrooms appearing and bringing him up to celebrate the marriage Though he be in the flesh yet he is most taken up with his Spirit how to have it restored to that primitive beauty and excellency the Image of God in it how to be cloathed with humility and to put on the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit that he accounts his beauty how to rule his own spirit that he accounts only true fortitude and thinks it a greater vassalage and victory to overcome himself then his enemy and esteems it the noblest revenge not to be like to other men that wrong him he is occupyed about the highest gain and advantage viz to save his spirit and soul and accounts all loss to this to bring Jesus Christ into the heart that is the jewel he digs for and esteems all duâ—g in comparison of it If you be Christians after the Spirit no doubt you are busied this way about your spirits For others they are busied about the flesh to make provision for its lusts and there needs no other mark to know them by Alas poor souls that you have never yet adverted that you have spirits immortal beings within you which must survive this dust this corruptible flesh What will you do when you cannot have flesh to care for when your spirits can have nothing to be carried forth into but must eterternally dwell within the bosome of an evil conscience and be tormented with that worm the bitter remembrance of the neglect of your spirits and utter estrangement from them while you were in the body then you must be confined within your own evil consciences and be imprisoned there for ever because while yet there was time and season you were alwayes abroad and every where but within your own hearts and consciences and is not that a just recompence Then again as Christianity descends from the Father of spirits into the spirit of a man to lodge there for a while it doth at length bring up the spirit of a man and unites it to that eternal Spirit and so as the Original was high and divine the end is high â—oo It issues out of that fountain and returns with the heart of man to imbosome it self in that agâ—in And truly this is the great excellency of true Religion above all these things you are busied about that it elevats the spirit of a man to God that it will never rest till it have carried it above to the fountain-spirit Our spirits are sparks and chips to speak so with reverence of that divine beeing but now they are wholly immersed and sunk into the flesh and into the earth by sin till grace come down and renew them and extract them out of that dung-hill and purifie them and then they are as in a state of violence alwise striving to mount upwards till they be embodied or rather inspirited so to speak in that Original spirit till they be wholly united to their own element the Divine Nature You know Christs Prayer Ioh 17. that they may be one as we are one I in them and they in me that they may may be made perfect in one v. 22 23. then spirits have attained their perfection then will they rest from their labours when they are one with him this is the only Center of spirits in which they can rest immoveable You find all the desires and affections of the Saints are as so many breathings upward pantings after union with him and longings to be intimatly present with the Lord therefore a Christian is one after the spirit groaning to be all spirit to have the earthly house of this tabernacle dissolved and to be cloathed upon with that house from heaven He knows with Paul that he is not at home though he be at home in in the body because the body is that which separats from the Lord which partition wall he would willingly have taken down that his spirit might be at home present with the Lord 2 Cor. 6.1 c. Who knoweth saith Solomon the spirit of a man that ascends upward and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth Eccles. 3.21 Truly the natural motion of mans spirit should be to ascend upward to God who gave it When this â—rail and broken Vessel of the body is dissolved into the Elements the higher and purer nature that lodged within it should flee upwards to Heaven even as the spirit of the beasts being but the prime and fiâ—er part of the body not different in nature from the earth naturally falls down to the earth with the body and is dissolved into the Elements But I think the consideration of that woful disorder that sin hath brought into the world that all things in man are so degenerated and become bruitish both his affections and his conversation that carnal and sensual lusts have the whole dominion over men I say the serious and earnest view of this might make a man suspect and call in question whether or not there be any difference between men and beasts whether or not there be any spirit in the one of an higher nature then in the other Truly it would halâ— peâ—swade that there is no immortal spirit in man else how could he be such a beast all his time serving diverse lusts Can it be possible might one think that there is any spirit in men that can ascend to heaven when there is no motion thither to be observed among men I beseech you consider this the spirit must either ascend or descend when it goes out of the body as now in affection and endeavour it ascends or descends while it is in the body there is an indispensible connexion between these what way soever the spirit aims at which way soever it turns and direct its flight thither it shall be constrained to go eternally Do you think my Beloved while you are in the body to bow down your selves to the Earth to descend unto the service of
things Hos. 8.12 As thingâ— that you have not much to do with Do you not let the Officers of Jesus Christ all the sweet invitations of the Gospel passe by as strangers and as if ye were unconcerned in them What taste have they more then the white of an egg How unsavoury a discourse or thought to a carnall heart is it to speak of subduing the lusts of the flesh of dying to the world of the world to come Who findeth their hearts inwardly stirred upon the proposal of Jesus Christ But if any matter of petty gain were proffeâ—ed O! how would men listen with both their ears How beautiful in the eyes of the covetous mind is any gain and advantage the sound of money is sweeter to him then this blessed sound of peace and salvation How sweet is pleasure to the voluptuous What suitablenesse and conveniency is apprehended in these perishing things but how little moment or weight is conceived and believed to be in things eternal O how substantial do things visible seem to men and how triffling do other things invisible appear But for you whose eyes are opened to you Christ is precious to you the things of the Spirit are beautiful and all your grief is that you cannot affect them according to their worth or love them according to their beauty I say some there are who do see a substance and subsistance only in things not seen Heb. 11.1 And for things that are seen and visible in this world they do account them shadows only in comparison of things invisible The world apprehend no realities but in what they see but a Christian apprehends no solide reality in that he sees but only in that he sees not and therefore as in his judgment he looks upon the one as a shadow the other as a substance so he labours to proportion and conform his affection to a suitable intertainment of them to give a shadow or show of affection to the things of this life but the marrow and substance of his heart to the things invisible of another life Thus the Apostle 1 Cor. 7.29 c. Rejoycing as if we rejoyced not enjoying as if we possessed not using as if we used not half acts for half objects if we give our whole spirits the strength of our souls and minds to them we are as foolish as he that strikes with all his strength at the air or a feather there is no solidity or reality in these things able to bottom much estimation or affection only mind them and use them as in the by as in passing through towards your Countrey SERMON XVIII Rom. 8.5 6. For they that are after the flesh do mind c. For to be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minminded is life and peace THere are many differences among men in this world that as to outward appeaâ—ance are great and wide and indeed they are so eagerly pursued and seriously minded by men as if they were great and momentous You see what a strife and contention there â—s among men how to be extracted out of the dregs of the multitude and set a little higher in dignity and degree then they how do men affect to be honourable above the base how do they seek to be rich and hate poverty These differences of poor and rich high and low noble and ignoble learned and unlearned the thoughts of men are wholly taken up with But there is one great difference that is most in Gods eye and is both substantial and eternal and so infinitely surpasseth all these dâ—ffeâ—ences that the minds of men most run out upon and it is heâ—e the great difference between flesh and spirit and them that are after the flesh and them that are after the spâ—rit This is of all other most considerable because widest and durablest I say it is the widest of all for all otherâ— put no great difference between men as men they do reach the peculiaâ— excellency of a man that is the true and proper good of his spiritual and immortal part they are such as befalls alike to good and bad and so cannot have either much good or much evil in them I have seen folly set in great dignity and Princes walking on foot Eccleâ— 10.6 7. Then certainly such titles of honour and dignity such places of eminency erected above the multitude have little or nothing worth the spirit of a man in them seeing a fool a wicked man is as capable of them as a wise man or a man of a princely spirit and â—o of all others they do not elevat a man as a man above others A poor unlearned mean man may have more real excellency in him then a rich learned and great person But thiâ— draws a substantial and vast difference indeed such as is between flesh and spirit such as is between men and beasts You know what pâ—eheminency a man hath over a beast there is no such wide distance among the sâ—ns of men as between the lowest and meanest man and the chiefest beast There is a spirit in man saith Elihu Job 32.8 An immortal eternal substance of a far higher nature and comprehension You know what excellency is in the spirit beyond the flesh such as is in heaven beyond the earth for the one is breathed from Heaven and the other is taken out of the dust of the earth the one is corruptible yea corruption it self the other incorruptible How swiâ—t and nimble are the motions of the Spirit from the one end of Heaven to the other How can it compasse the earth in a moment Do but look and see what a hudge difference is between a beautiful living body and the same when it s a dead carcass rotten and corrupted It is the spirit dwelling within that makes the odds that makes it active beautiful and comely but in the removal of the spirit it becometh a piece of the most defiled and loathsome dust in the world Now I say such a vast and wide difference there is between a true Christian and a natural man even taking him in with all his common indowments and excellencies the one is a man the other a beast the one is after the flesh the other after the spirit It is the ordinary compellation of the Holy Ghost man being in honour and understanding not is like the beasts that perish Psal. 49.20 and Psal. 94.8 Vnderstand ye bruitish among the people c. and Psal. 92.6 The bruitish man understands not this And Eccles. 3.18 That they themselves may know that they are but beasts Therefore you find the Lord often turning to beasts to insensible creatures thereby to reprove the folly and madness of men Isa. 1.2 and Ier. 8.7 Man hath two parts in him by which he hath affinity to the two mâ—st distant natures he stands in the midle between Angels and beasts in his spirit he riseth up to an Angelick dignity and in his body he fallâ— down to a bruitish condition Now which
should buy it at the dearest rate of pains and expenses from all those vain impertinent and trifling diversions that take it up that we may imploy it as it becomes suitable to eternity that is posting on And then as the shortness of it makes it the more precious and considerable in regard of the end of it eternity as the scantnesse of a thing increases the rate of it so that same consideration should make all worldly things that are confined either in their being or use within it to be incosiderable as Paul 1 Cor. 7.29 30 31. shews seing the time is short it remaineth that we should rejoice as not rejoicing weep as not weeping buy as if we possessed not use the world as not abusing it Seing all its worth is to be esteemed from the end of it eternity never ending then certainly whatsover in time doth not reach that end and hath no connexion with it we should give it but such intertainment as a passing bird that is pleasant to the eye gets of a beholder while it is in its flight the shortness of the day should make us double our diligence and put on the harder in our walk or race that so we may come in time to our place of rest and that same should make the passenger give an overly and passing look to all things that are by the way and which he must of necessity leave behind him Seing these things then are so important let us draw our hearts together to consider what the Lord speaks to us in this word for in it you have two wayes and two ends opposite and contrary wayes and walks and as contrary ends the wayes are walking after the flesh and walking after the Spirit the ends to which they lead are death and life We spoke something of the wayes and the wide difference that is between them what excellency is in the one beyond the other but truly it is hard to perswade you to take off your accustomed wayes and walks because your inward sense and the inclination of your hearts is wholly perverted and corrupted by nature You know the moving faculty is subordinat in its operations unto the knowing feeling and apprehending-faculties The locomotive power is given for a subsidiary and help to the apprehensive and appetitive powers because things are convenient and disconvenient good or evil to the nature of the living creature are without it and it could not by meer knowledge or desire or hatred of things either come in possession of them or eschew them therefore God hath given them a faculty of moving themselves to the prosecution and attainment of any apprehended good or to the eschewing and aversion from any conceived evil Thus when beasts savour or smell that food which is fit for them their appetite stirs them up to motion 〈◊〉 it to obtain it Now I say if this inward sense be â—orrupâ—â—d thâ—n things that are destructive will be conceived good because they are suitable to that corrupt humor or quality that possessed the senses and thus all the motion and walk will be disordered The truth is my beloved our spirits and minds are infected with a poysonable humour fleshly passions and lusts are predominant naturally and as in them that are in a feaver their organ being distempered with a bitten unsavoury humour the pleasantest things seems unsavoury because not suitable to that predominant humour even so it is wiâ—h you by nature That which puts all upon motion is out of course since the fiâ—st distemper of mâ—n your spirits and minds are fleshly and carnal they have a strong and deep impression of all the lusts that are in the body and are accordingly affected and therefore you cannot fitly judge what is good or evil for you but as these Isai. 5.20 You mâ—st call evil good and good evil bitter sweet and sweet bitter because you are already prepossessed thus And therefore the wayes of the flesh those paths that lead to destruction you cannot but look on them as pleaâ—ant because they suit and please your corrupted sense or spirit and so this disordered savour or smell of some fragrant perfume in the ways of the flesh puts you upon walking in these wayes and being thus possessed and ingaged you cannot but stop your ears to all contrary perswasions you think it against-your sense and reason to tell you that these are loathsome and unsavoury and that the other wayes of widom and spirit are pleasantness and peace I say you cannot believe this till your hearts and spirits be purged and your taste be pure and uncorrupted It is certainly upon this ground that our Saviour puts such characters upon the way to Heaven and Hell to life and death the one is strait and narrow and few walk in it the other broad and easie and many walk in it Matth. 7.13 Certainly it is not the way in it self simply that admitâ— of such a motion to speak properly as the thing is the way to life by the guiding of the Spirit is easiest plainest shortest and broadest it hath all the properties of a good way none so pleasant and plain how sweet and pleasant sights all the way its an Alley of delight the way of his Commandments it wants not accommodation in it to refresh the Traveller the most delightful company is here the Father and the Son who sought no other company from all eternity but were abundantly satisfied and rejoiced one another this fellowship the Christian hath to solace himself with and he is admitted to be partaker of that joy There is nothing that doth disbuâ—den the soul so of care and anxiety nothing doth rid a man of so many perplexities and troubles as this way But the way of sin in it self is most laborious most difficult it hath infinite by-wayes that it leads a man into and he must turn and return and run in a circle all the day all his time to satisfie the infinit lusts and insatiable desires of sin O! how painful and laborious is it to fulfill the lusts of the flesh how much service doth it impose how serious attention what perplexing câ—res and tormenting thoughts how many sorrows and griefs are in every step of this way Do you not perceive what drudges and slaves sin makes you how much labour you have to satisfie your lusts and you are alwayes to begin as near that which you seek in the end of your years as in the beginning How thorny how myry is the way of covetousness Are you not alwayes out of one thorn into another and cut asunder or pierced through with many sorrows 1 Tim. 6.10 Mat. 13.22 Is that a pleasant and easie way I pray you that makes all your sorrow and your travel grief and suffers not your heart to take rest in the night Eccles. 2.22 23. What pains of body What plotting oâ— mind What labour and vexation of both must a sinner have as his constant attendants in this way The way is intricat deep
greatest fear is death not so much because of it self but chiefly because of that eternity of unchangeable misery that naturally it transmitts them unto Now it is only Christian Religion possessing the heart that aâ—mes a man compleatly against the fear either of death it self or the consequents of it it giveth the most powerful consolation that not only overcometh the bitternesse and taketh out the sting of death but changeth the nature of it so far as to make it the matter of triumph and gloriation There is something here supposed the worst that can befall a Christian it is the death of a part of him and that the worst and ignoblest part only the body is dead because of sin Then that wâ—ich is opposed by way oâ— comfort to counterballance it is the life of his better and more noble part And besides we have the fountaâ—ns both of that death and this life mans sin the cause of bodily death Christs righteousnesse the fountain of spiritual life Of death many have had sweet meditations even among these that the light of the Word hath not shined upon and indeed they mâ—y make us ashamed who prosesse Christianity and so the hope of the resurrection from the dead that they have accounted it only true wisdom and sound Philosophy To meditat often on death and made it the very principal point of living well To be alwayes learning to die and have applyed their whole studies that way neglecting present things that are in the by have given themselves to search out some comfort against death or from death Yea some have so profited in this that they have accounted death the greatest good that can befall man and perswaded others to think so Now what may we think of our selves who scarce apprehend mortality especially considering that we have the true fountain of it revealed to us and the true nature and consequents of it All men must needs know that death is the most universal King in the world that it reigns over all ages sexes conditions nations and times though few be willing to entertain thoughts of it yet sooner or later they must be constrained to give it lodging upon their eye lids and suffer it to storm the very strongest tower the heart and baâ—â—er it down and break the strings of it having no way either to flee from it or resist it Now the consideration of the general inundation of death over all mankind anâ— the certain approâ—ching of it to every particular mans door hath made many serious thoughts among the wise men of the world But being destitute of this heavenly light that â—hineth to us they could not attain to the original of it but have conceived that it was a common tribute of nature and an universal Law imposed upon all mankind by nature having the same reason that other mâ—tations and changes among the creatures here below have and â—o have thought it no more strange thing then to see other things dissolved in their elements Now indeed seeing they could apprehend no other bitter ingredient in it it was no wonder that the wisest of them could not fear it but rather wait and expect it as a rest from their labours as the end of all their miseries But the Lord hath revealed unto us in his Word the true cause of it and so the true nature of it The true cause of it is sin sin entred into the world and death past upon all for that all have sinned Rom. 5.12 Man was created for another purpose and upon other conditions and a Law of perpetual life and eternal happinesse was past in his â—avours he abiding in the favour and obeying the will of Him that gave him life and being Now sin inteâ—posing and separating between man and God loosing that blessed knot of union and communion it was this other law that succeeded as a suitable recompence Thou shall die It is resolved in the Council of Heaven That the union of man shall be dissolved his soul and body separated in just recompence of the breaking the bond of union with God This is it that hath opened the sluce to let in an inundation of misery on mankind this was the just occasion of that righteous but terrible appointment It is appointed that all men once should die and after death cometh to Iudgment Heb. 9.27 That since the body had inticed the soul and suggested unto it such unnatural and rebellious motions of withdrawing from the blessed fountain of life to satisfie its pleasure the body should be under a sentence of deprivement and â—orfeitour of that great benefite and priviledge of life it had by the souls indwelling and condemned to return to its first base original the dust and to be made a feast of worms to lodge in the grave and be a subject of the greatest corruption and rottennesse because it became the instrument yea the incitement of the soul to sin against that God that had from Heaven breathed a spirit into it and exalted it above all the dust or clay in the world Now my beloved do we not get many remembrances of our sin Is not every day presenting our primitive departure from God our fiâ—st separation from the fountain of life by sin to our view and in such sad and woeful effects pointing out the hainousnesse of sin Do you not see mens bodies every day dissolved the tabernacle of earth taken down and the soul constrained to remove out of it But what influence hath it upon â—s what do the multiplied funeralls work upon us It may bâ— sorrow for our friends but little or no apprehension of our own mortality and base impression of sin that separats our souls from God Who is made sadly to reflect upon his original or to mind seriously that statute and appointment of Heaven in that day thou shalt die It is strange that all of us fear death and few are afraid of sin that carrieth death in its bosome That we are so unwilling to reâ—p corruption in our bodies and yet we â—re so earnest and lâ—borious in sowing to the flesh Be not deceived for you are dayly reaping what you have sowen And O that it were all the harvest but death is only the putting in of the sickle of vengeaâ—ce the first cut of it But O to think on what follows would certainly restrain men and cool them in their fervent pursuits after sin SERMON XXVIII Rom. 8.10 The body is dead because of sin but the Spirit is life because of righteousnesse THE sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the Law saith our Apostle 1 Cor. 15.56 These two concur to make man mortal and these two are the bitter ingredients of death Sin procured it and the Law appointed it And God hath seen to the exâ—ct execution of that Law in all ages for what man liveth and shall not taste of death Two only eâ—caped the common lot Enoch and Elias for they pleased God and God took them
from sin as the death of Christ is made the pledge of our dying to sin so his rising of our living to God Rom. 6.4 5. These are not meer paterns and examples of spiritual things but assured pledges of that divine vertue and power which he being raised again should send abroad throughout the world for as there are Coronation-gifts when Kings are solemnly installed in office so there are Coronation-mercies triumphal gifts when Christ rose and ascended he bestowed then on the world Eph. 4. And certainly these are the greatest the vertue of his death to kill the old man and the power of his resurrection to quicken the new and by faith a believer is united and ingraâ—ted into him as a plant into a choice stock and by vertue and sap coming from Christs death and resurrection he is transformed into the similitude of both he groweth into the likenesse of his death by dying to sin by crucifying these inward affections and inclinations to it and he groweth up into the similitude of his resurrection by newnesse of life or being alive to God in holy desires and endeavours after holinesse â—nd obedience And thus the first resurrection of the soul floweth from Christs resurrection But add unto this that Christs rising is the pledge and pawn of the second resurrection that is of the body for He is the head and we the members now it is most incongruous that the head should rise and not draw up the members after him certainly he will not cease till He have drawen up all his memâ—ers to him if the head be above water it is a sure pledge that the body will win out of the water if the root be alive certainly the branches will shoot out in Spring-time they shall live also There is that connexion betwixt Christ and believers that wonderful communication between them that Christ did nothing was nothing and had nothing done to him but what He did and was and sufferd personating them and all the benefiâ—e and advantage redounds to them He would not be considered of us as a person by himself but would rather be still taken in with the children as for love he came down and took flesh to be like them and did take their sin and misery off them and so was content to be looked upon by God as in the place of sinners as the chief sinner so he is content and desirous that we should look on him as in the place of sinners as dying as rising for us as having no excellency or privelege incommunicable to us And this was not hid from the Church of old but presented as the grand consolation Thy dead men shall live â—ogether with my dead body they shall rise and therefore may poor souls awake and sing though they must dwell in the dust yet as the dew and influence of Heaven maketh herbs to spring out of the earth so the vertue of this resurrection shall make the earth and sea and air to cast out and render their dead Isa. 26.19 Upon what a sure and strong chain hangs the salvation of poor sinners I wish Christians might salute one another with this Christ is risen and so comfort one another with these words or rather that every one would apply this cordial to his own heart Christ is risen and you know what a golden chain this draweth after it therefore we must rise and live The other cause which is more immediat and will actively accomplish it is the Spirit dwelling in us for there is a suitable method here too as the Lord first raised the Head Christ and will then raise the Members and he that doth the one cannot but do the other so the Spirit first raiseth the soul from that woful fall into sin which killed us and so maketh it a Temple and the body too for both are bought with a price and therefore the Spirit possesseth both but the inmost residence is in the soul and the bodily members are made servants of righteousness which is a great honour and dignity in regard of that base imployment they had once and so it is most suitable that he who hath thus dwelt in both repair his own dwelling-house for here it is ruinous and therefore must be cast down but because it was once a Temple for the Holy Ghost therefore it will be repaired and built again for he that once honoured it with his presence will not suffer corruption alwayes to dwell in it for what Christ by his humiliation and suffering purchased the Spirit hath this Commission to perform it aâ—d what is it but the restitution of mankind to an happier estate in the second Adam then ever the first was into Now since our Lord who pleased to take on our flesh did not put it off again but admits it to the fellowship of the same glory in heaven in that he died he dies no more death hath no more dominion over him he will never be wearied or ashamed of that humane clothing of flesh and therefore certainly that the children may be like the father the followers their Captain the members not disproportioned to the head the branches not different and heterogeneous to the stock and that our rising in Christ may leave no footstep of our falling no remainder of our misery therefore the Spirit of Christ will also quicken the mortal bodies of believers and make them like Christs glorious body This must be done with divine power and what more powerful then the Spirit for it is the spirits or subtil parts in all creatures that causeth all motions and worketh all effects What then is that Almighty Spirit not able to do You have shadows of this in nature yea convincing evidences for what is the Spring but a resurrection of the earth Is not the world every year renewed and riseth again out of the grave of Winter as you find it elegantly expressed Psal. 107. and doth not the grains of seed die in the â—lods beâ—ore they rise to the harvest 1 Cor. 15. All the vicissitudes and alterations in nature give us a plain draught of this great change and certainly it is one Spirit that effects all But though there be the same power required to raise up the bodies of the godly and ungodly yet O what infinit distance and difference in the nature and ends oâ— their resurrections there is the resurrection of life and the resurrection of condemnation Joh. 5.29 O happy they who rise to life that ever they died but O miserable thrice wretched are all others that they may not be dead for ever The immortality of the souls was infinit misery because it is that which eternizes their misery but when this overplus is added the incorruptibility of the body and so the whole man made an inconsumable subject for that fire to seed upon perpetually what heart can conceive it without horrour and yet we hear it often without any such affection It is a strange life that death is the only
and murderer from the beginning and murdered man at first by lying to him you find the hook covered over with the varnished bâ—it of an imaginary life and happinesse satisfaction promised to the eye to the taste and to the mind and upon these inticements man bewitched and withdrawn from his God after these vain and empty shadows which when he catched hold upon he himself was caught and laid hold upon by the wrath of God by death and all the miseries before it or alter it Now here is the Mapp of the World for all that is in the world is but a larger volume of that same kind the lust of the eyes the lust of the flesh and the pride of life Albeit they have been known and found to be the notablest and grossest deceivers and every man after he hath spent his dayes in pursuit and labour for them he is constrained to acknowledge at length though too late that all that is in the world is but an imposture a delusion a dream and worse yet eveâ—y man hearkens after these same flatteries and lies that hath cast down so many wounded and made so many strong ones to fall by them every man trusts the world and his own flesh as if they were of good report and of known integrity and this is mens misery that no man will learn wisdom upon others expences upon the woâ—ul and tragical example of so many others but go on as confidently now after the discoverie of these deceivers as if this were the first time they had made such promises and used such fair words to men Have they not been these six thousand years almost deluding the world And have we not as many testimonies of their falshood as there hath been persons in all ages before us After Adam hath tasted of this tree of pleasure and found another fruit growing on it that is death should the posterity be so mad as to be medling still with the forbidden tree and therefore forbidden because destructive to our selves Know then and consider beloved in the Lord that you shall reap no other thing of all your labours and endeavours after the flesh all your toyling and perplexing cares all your excessive pains in the making provision for your lusts and caring for the body only you shall reap no other harvest of all but death and corruption Death you think that is a common lot and you cannot eschew it however nay but the death here meant is of another sort in respect of which you may call death life it is the everlasting destruction of the soul from the presence of God and the glory of his powerâ— it is the falling of that infinit weight of the wrath of the Lamb upon you in respect of which mountains and hills will be thought light and men would rather wish to be covered with them Rev. 6.16 Suppose now you could swim in a River of delights and pleasures which yet is given to none for truly upon a jâ—st reckoning it will be found that the anxiety and grief and bitteâ—nâ—sse that is inteâ—mingled with all earthly delights â—wallows up the sweetnesse of them yet it will but carry you down ere you be aware into the Seâ— oâ— deâ—th and destruction as the fish that swim and sport for a while in Iordan are carried down into the dead Sea of Sodom where they aâ—e presently suffocated and extinguished or as a Malefactor is carried through a pleasant Palace to the Gallows so men walk thâ—ough the delights of their flesh to their own endlesse torment and destruction Seing then my beloved that your sins and lusts which you are inclined and accustomed to will certainly kill you if you inteâ—tain them then nature it self would teach you the Law of self-defence To kill ere you be killed to kill sin eâ—e it kill you to mortifie the deeds and lusts of the body which aboâ—nd among you or they will certainly mortifie you that is make you die Now if self love could teach you this which the love of God cannot perswade you to yet it is well for being once led unto God and moved to change your course upon the fear and apprehension of the infinit danger that will ensue ceâ—tainly if you weâ—e but a little aâ—quainted with the sweetnesse of this life and goodnesse of your God you would find the power of the former aâ—gumenâ— Ã debito from debt and duty upon your spirit let this once lead you in to God and you will not want that which will constrain you to abide and never to depart from Him If you mortifie the deeds of the body you shall live as sin decayes you increase and grow as sins die your soulâ— live anâ— it shall be a sure pledge to you of that eternal life and though this be painful and laborious yet consider that it is but the cutting off of a rotten member that would corrupt the whole body and the want of it will never mâ—im or mâ—tilat the body for you shall live perâ—ectly when sin is perfectly expired and out of life and according aâ— sin is nearer expiring and nearer the grave your souls are neaâ—â—â— that endlesse life If this do not move us what can be said nâ—xt What shall he do more to his Vineyard SERMON XXXV Rom. 8.13 14. But if ye through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live Vers. 14. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the sons of God THE life and being of many things consists in union separat them and they remain not the same or they losse their vertue It is much more thus in Christianity the power and life of it consists in the union of these things that God hâ—th conjoyned so that if any man pretend to one thing of it and neglect the other he hath really none of them and to hold to the subject in hand there are three things which joyned together in the hearts of Christians have a great deal of force the duty of a Christian and his reward and his dignity his worke and labour seems hard and unpleasant when considered alone but the reward sweetens it when it is joyntly believed his duty seems too high and his labour great yet the consideration of the real dignity he is advanced unto and priviledge he hath received will raise up the spirit to great and high attempts and to sustain great labours Mortification is the work and labour life eternal life is the reward following the Spirit is the Christians duty but to be the son of God that is his dignity Mortification sounds very harsh at first the hearts of men say It is a hard saying who can bear it And indeed I cannot deny but it is so to our corrupt nature and therefore so holden out in Scripture the words chosen to press it express much pain and pains much torment and labour it is not so easie and trivial a business to forsake sin or subdue it as many think
God unbelief and disobedience Now what became of all this work you may know the generality of all ranks have rebelled against that Lord and Prince and withdrawn from his allegiance and revolted unto the same lusts and wayes these same courses against which we had both by our profession of Christianity and solemn oaths engaged our selves and so men have voluntarily and heartily subjected themselves unto the laws of sin and desires of the flesh Hence is the beginning of our ruine because we would not serve our own God and Lord in our own land therefore are so many led away captive to serve strangers in another land therefore we are like to be captives in our own land because we refused homage to our God and obeyed strange lords within therefore are we given up to the lust of strangers without I would have you thinking and that seriously that there are worse masters you serve then these you most hate and that there is a worse bondage whereof you are insensiâ—le then that you fear most you fear strangers but your greatest evil is within you you might retire within and behold worâ—e masters and moâ—e pernicious and mortal enemies to your well-being Tâ—is is the case of all men by nature and of all men as far as in nature sin ruling commanding in them and lording it over them and they willingly following after the commandment and so oppressed and broken in judgement If you could but rightly look upon other men you might see that they who are servants oâ— diverse lusts are not their own men so to speak they have not the command of themselves Look upon a man given to drunkenness and what a slave is he whither doth not his lust drive him let him bind himself with resolutions with vows yet he cannot be holden by them shame before men losse of estate decay of health temporal punishment nay eternal all set together cannot keep him from fulfilling the desires of that lust when he hath opportunity A man given to covetousness how doth he serve that idol how doth he forget himself to be a man or to have a reasonable â—oul within him he is so devoted to it and thus it is with every man by nature there may be many petty little gods that he worships upon occasion but every unrenewed man hath some one thing predominant in him unto which he hath sworn obedience and devotion The man most civilized most abstract from the grosser outward pollutions yet certainly his heart within is but a temple full of idols to the love and service of which he is devoted There is some of the fundamental laws of satans kingdom that rules in every natural man either the lust of the eyes or the lust of the flesh or the pride of life every man sacrificeth to one of these his credit and honour or his pleasure or his profite Self whatever way refined and subtillized in some yet at best it is but an enemy to God and without that sphear of self cannot a man act upon natural principles till a higher spirit come in which is here spoken of Oh! that you would take this for bondage to be under this woful necessity of satisfying and fulfilling the desires of your flesh and mind Eph. 2.2 many account it only liberty and freedom therefore they look upon the laws of the spirit of life as cords and bonds and consult to cast them off and cut them asunder but consider what a wretched life you have with your imperious lusts The truth is sin is for the most part its own punishment I am sure you have more labour and toyl in fulfilling the lusts of sin then you might have in serving God mens lusts are never at quiet they are continually putting you on service they are still driving and dragging men headlong hurrying them to and fro and they cannot get rest what is the cause of all the disquiet disorder confusion trouble and wars in the world from whence do contentions arise come they not hence saith Iames 4.1 even of the lusts that war in our members It is these that trouble the world and these are the troublers of Israels peace these take away both inward peace domestick peace and national peace These lusts Covetousness Ambition Pride Passion Self-love and such like do set nation against nation men and men people and people by the ears These multiply businesses beyond necessity these multiply cares without profit and so bring forth vexation and torment If a man had his lusts subdued and his affections composed unto moderation and sobriety O what a multitude of noysom and hurtful cares should he then be freed from what a sweet calmness should possess that spirit Will you be perswaded of it Beloved in the Lord that it were easier to serve the Lord then to serve your lusts that they cost you more labour disquiet perplexity and sorrow than the Lords service will that so you may weary of such masters and groan to be from under such a law of sin But if that will not suffice to perswade you then consider in the next room if you will needs serve a law of sin you must needs be subject to a law of death if you will not be perswaded to quite the service of sin then tell me what think you of your wages The wages of sin is death that you may certainly expect and can you look and long for such wages God hath joyned these together by a perpetual ordinance they come in the world together sin entered and death by sin and they have gone hand in hand together since and think you to dissolve what God hath joyned Before you go further and obey sin more think I pray you what it can give you what doth it give you for the present but much pain and toyl and vexation in stead of promised pleasure and satisfaction Sin doth with all men as the devil doth with some of his sworn vassals and servants they have a poor wretched life with him they are wearied and troubled to satisfie all his unreasonable and imperious commands he loadens them with base service and they are still kept in expectation of some great reward but for the present they have nothing but misery and trouble and at length he becomes the executioneâ— and perpetual tormenter of them whom he made to serve him such a master is sin and such wages you may expect Consider then what your expectation is before you go on or engage further death We are under a law of bodily death therefore we are mortal our house is like a ruinous lodge that drops through and one day or other it must fall sin hath brought in the seeds of corruption in mens nature which dissolves it else it had been immortal But there is a worse deâ—th after this a living death in respect of which simple death would be chosen rather men will rather live very miserably then die nature hath an aversation of it skin for skin