Five dores I shall open or five questions I shall briefly Answer to make way for and let in the Application of this truth I shall shew briefly 1. What 's meant by flesh and why it 's so called 2. What by living after the flesh 3. What by dying ye shall dye 4. How doth it appear that they who live after the flesh shall dye 5. Why should such Doctrine as this be preached to believers to Saints by calling Q. 1. What 's meant by flesh and why it is so called A. By flesh here as oft in other places corrupt nature is understood or the corruption of nature as when it 's said that which is born of the flesh is flesh flesh is opposed to the new man the new creature the image of God the Divine nature And corruption of nature may be called flesh for divers reasons such as these 1. Because it is derived to us with our flesh our body from Adom We have bad saith the Apostle Fathers of our flesh who corrected us Fathers of our fleshly part of our body and they who are fathers of that are fathers of our corrupt nature i. e. we have it from them for when any are conceived in sin are they conceived 2. Corruption of nature is naturally as dear to men as their flesh their very body and as near to them No man hates his own flesh but cherisheth it so no man naturally hates his corrupt nature which he brings into the world with him but every one cherisheth and nourisheth his corruption and makes provision for it till he be renewed Yea how many shew more love more tenderness towards their Corruption than to their very body how many endure much suffer greatly in their bodies and venter and lose not unusually their life it self from their love to some vile lust which is to them as their right eye their right hand or right foot and as their life it self skin for skin and all that a man hath will he give for his life only a mans lust that 's many times so dear to him he 'l hazard his life to satisfie it rather than lay it aside or part with it 3. Corruption grows with the flesh and as the flesh is strong or weak so frequently are the workings of lust hence the Apostle saith he kept under his body in fickness in bodily weakness this and that sin doth not ordinarily move so much or stir so strongly 4. Corrupt nature doth never quite cease in any till they lay down put off the tabernacle of their flesh while the best are here in the body much sin abides in them the old man will in part remain in all untill the Tabernacle of their body be quite pulled down to the ground as we read concerning the Leprosie among the Jews it getting into their houses would not out till they were took quite down and destroyed 5. Corruption of nature inclines men to do many things pleasing to their flesh and which give the body ease content and delight so that sin seems a great friend thereto hence excessive eating drinking sleeping hence slothfulness uncleanness and the like though these things are really hurtful to the body not only as to hereafter or in their desert but in their present effect yet are they pleasing to it all which arise from corrupt nature 6. Corruption prevailing and reigning turns the soul of man as it were into flesh it makes a man's mind fleshly Col. 2.18 so it makes his will affections all fleshly so that though the soul of man in its own nature be a Spirit God is the father of Spirits of mens souls that is yet through inbred sin it minds not regards not spiritual things but fleshly bodily things which are delightful to the outward senses Sin when it hath Dominion in a man makes him to God ward and the things of God as if he were all flesh all body not spirit at all in any part of him it makes man backward to heavy and dull in spiritual duties and whatever tends to the Souls good It makes him dull in hearing in understanding spiritual things it makes him unfit for Communion with God unfit to receive spiritual good as if he were spiritless or had no better spirit than that the beasts have In many cases Lust takes away the use of a mans reason it causeth him to act as unreasonably irrationally as if he had not a reasonable Soul it makes many a man like Nebuchadnezar when his understanding went from him fitter for the Society of beasts than of reasonable creatures living like themselves when a lust prevailed in the Psalmist he saith I was as a beast before thee and hence graceless men under the full power of iniquity are compared to beasts in Scripture and called Dogs Swine c. Sin also makes the Soul lyable to and unless subdued it brings the Soul unto death the worst death the second death though the Soul be immortal in its essence and dyes not as the body yet sin makes it mortal in a sense it makes it subject to a death of misery And farther corruption lyes much in the body therefore the Apostle prays for the Thessalonians that they might be sanctified in their body as well as in their spirit And may it not be said that corruption is first in the body the body being shaped e're the soul comes into it and if the soul be as the Scripture seems to teach us immediately from God then it is by the body not by the soul that sin is propagated God is the Father of Spirits but he is not the father of sin that the soul gets from by or upon its union to the body though its difficult to apprehend how it is For these and such like reasons the corruption of nature may very fitly and significantly be called flesh Q. 2. What is it to live after the flesh how is this Phrase live after the flesh to be understood A. To live after the flesh is the same with walking after the flesh spoken of some verses before my Text It is to live an ill life to live sinfully as we say such a one doth not live well he lives an evil life he lives loosely c. He that so liveth doth live after the flesh The flesh gives Councel as it were to men so and so that they live thus and thus I consulted not saith the Apostle with flesh and when a man doth order his conversation according to the Counsels of the flesh then liveth he after the flesh when a man doth those things the flesh saith are best to be done The flesh hath many motions Rom. 7.5 It 's scarce ever still but is moving this way or that way and when any one doth follow the evil motions thereof when a man acts according to them then doth he live after the flesh Corruption of nature is called a Law Rom. 7.21 I find a Law that when I would do good evil is present with me which
do why am I so heedless what mean I to shew any friendship to to hold correspondence with or at all to countenance the flesh that Traytor to the Majesty of heaven that deadly enemy to my soul doth not the Scripture say if I whatever I am live after the flesh I shall dye O that the Lord would make use of this word pray you that he would as he did of the Stone that David slung whereby he killed that Gyant Goliah our flesh corruption is as a mighty Gyant he that speaks the word is of no strength but if God set in with it it shall knock our flesh on the head and lay it dead as that stone little David slung run into the head of that Philistine and brought him down dead to the Ground so that David whom he defyed came and stood upon him and cut off his head In a word when ever the flesh calls you after it answer it with this whenever Satan tempts you to follow it let this be your reply so and so the Scripture saith And do you Parents Preach this to your Children you friends and companions tell one another of this when you see one another acting sinfully Children Friends Companions the Lord God by his Apostle hath spoken it If ye live after the flesh ye shall dye Lastly See what cause you have to bless the Lord who once did live after the flesh but now do not O mercy rich mercy that God hath turn'd you from that way wherein had you still lived it would have carried you from God from Heaven into the bottomless pit that place a thousand times worse than Nebuchadnezar's fiery Furnace when heated seventimes hotter than it used to be while you live praise God for this that you live not after the flesh And let this bear up your spirits under all afflictions though you live a life of affliction now yet not a life of corruption though an afflicted life yet not that life that will end in endless death Sermon 3. I shall now fall upon the second part of the Text But if ye through the shirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live IN these words we have a Character and evident sign of those who shall live with a promise of life to them or this sentence hath three things contained in it 1. A necessary constant duty that is incumbent and lyes upon us all that is to mortifie the deeds of the body 2. The great means prescribed for our doing this and that 's through the spirit 3. The great advantage that cometh by so doing and that 's life ye shall live I intend to speak to these three things in three Doctrines distinctly the first whereof the Doctrine now to be discussed is this Doct. 1. That it is a necessary and constant duty incumbent or lying upon us all to mortifie that is to kill slay and destroy the deeds of the body In the management of this truth I am to shew First What 's meant by the body and why it is so called Secondly what 's meant by the deeds of the body and why they are so named Thirdly what is it to mortifie the deeds thereof and how is that to be done Fourthly why is this a necessary duty Fifthly why is it a constant duty Q. 1. What 's meant by the body and why is it so called A. Body here signifyeth the same thing with flesh in the foregoing part of the Text corrupt nature or the corruption of nature natural corruption that sin we all brought into the world with us in us which is called the body of the sins of the flesh Col. 2.11 in whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands in puting off the body of the sins of the flesh and this is that which is tearmed the body of Sin Rom. 6.6 Knowing this that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed where by our old man and the body of sin the same thing is understood our old man corrupt nature is the body of sin it 's altogether made up of sin it 's nothing else but sin this also is that the Apostle calleth the body of this death Rom. 7.24 O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death or as it may be read from this body of death But why is the corruption of nature called the body A. For the same reasons before given why it 's called the flesh and besides those corrupt nature may be called the body for these reasons following 1. The body hath many parts and members which being united make one body together and each of those members differ the one from the other in their proper nature and use Rom. 12.4 We have many members in one body and all members have not the same office so is the mystical body of Christ his Church and thus is it with the body of sin it hath divers parts and members and therefore may be called in that place to the Colossians even now cited the body of the Sins of the flesh There is pride hatred hypocrisie covetousness unbelief with many more all which are as members of the body of sin there is a kind of union between them they all together make one corrupt nature and each of them differeth in the proper nature thereof and in its working or acting as the hand is one thing and acts in one manner the foot another thing and acts in another manner the eye differeth from the ear and the ear from the eye so is it with the several parts of corrupt nature And it may be observed as some parts of the body are inward not ordinarily seen or easie to be seen others are outward without and manifest to all so some lusts are more secret and not so commonly or easily perceived as others are which daily shew themselves as also the being and subsistence or life of the body lyeth chiefly in those parts that are within as the Heart Liver Lungs which are more necessary to the body it's subsisting than the outward parts as hands legs so the body of sin hath its being principally in those sins that are more secret less obvious such as hypocrifie unbelief formality covetousness vanity of mind these are as the Heart Liver and Lungs of the body of sin it would no longer subsist were there nothing of such sins within us whereas the body of sin may and oft doth continue and that strong and lusty without some outward more manifest sins such as Drunkenness Adultery Swearing and such like Moreover a man hath all the members of his body from the womb though he doth not use some of them so soon as others the Child useth not its tongue and legs so soon as its eyes and ears though it be born with them all so we bring all lusts into the world with us though some shew themselves and are exerted much sooner than others as pride
anger lying some Lusts in some men lye unacted long and at last apppear as some seed is much longer e're it come up than other though sown at the fame time hence it 's sometimes said I wonder that such a man should so fall do such an evil I thought it had not been in him And I may add as the Apostle saith some members of the body are more others less comely and these we cover so some members of the body of sin have a kind of comliness in the eye of men others appear shameful to all these men especially hide and cloak Secondly as the body of every man is alike in the main the body of one man hath the same parts that the body of another man hath and there is a likeness between the several parts of the body of one and of another yet so that there is some difference also whereby one is known from another The body of one is bigger taller stronger fairer than the body of another some are of one Constitution and Complexion some of another thus is corrupt nature the body of sin in the main all bring into the world with them the very same corruptions lusts therefore saith Solomon as face answereth to face in water so doth the heart of man to man look what lusts and corruptions there are in one man's nature there are such in another's Yet with some difference the body of sin in some is naturally as I may say bigger stronger fairer than it is in others corruption vents it self and works in one differently from what it doth in another in some it acts more covertly closely in others more obviously openly in some more smoothly and pleasingly in others more roughly offensively and to displeasing So that one man may as well think himself not to have such a body as another man hath in the main because he is less and more fair as he may think himself not to have such a corrupt nature because it doth not shew it self so grossly evidently or just in that way or manner as in another As one man excells in one member and another man excelleth in another member of his body one hath better eyes another better ears another better legs but still they have the same kind of parts So one man is more notable or notorious in one lust another in another lust one is famous or rather infamous for his pride another for his dissembling a third for his covetousness but all have the same lusts by nature You may say some men never commit some sins some are never drunk never commit fornication therefore corrupt nature seems to have more members in one than in another A. A man may have hands and legs or ears though he never use them because of some weakness or impediment so some may not put forth this or that lust and yet have it in them for it may be impeded or hindred through their bodily constitution education or some other cause so that they don't exercise exert or shew it as others do And though all men are not outwardly guilty of all kinds of sin yet there is hardly one sin but they are sometime or other less or more guilty of it inwardly before Conscience though not before men or before God though Conscience see it not at present for as the Apostle John saith God is greater than Conscience and seeth all things whereby he insinuates that Conscience sees not all There is a committing Adultery with the heart as well as with the body as you know Christ saith he that looks lustfully he hath committed Adultery already in his heart there is also spiritual Adultery spiritual Whoredom spiritual Drunkenness spiritual Idolatry of which all are too guilty one way or other before God happy he who is duely sensible thereof Yet perhaps as some have monstrous bodies such as are not usual they have some parts extraordinary some have six Toes six fingers instead of five so the body of sin may be in some as a monster in respect of something extraordinary that is to be found in it or because of something unusual it moveth and causeth those in whom it is to do Thirdly Corruption of nature acts in and through the whole body of man in all the members and parts thereof Rom. 6.19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh for as ye have yielded your members not this or that member but your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity c. Corruption issueth forth through the eyes hence we read of the lust of the eyes and Job made a covenant with his eyes through the ears hence the Scripture speaks of itching ears deaf heavy ears stop'd with sin through or by the feet hence we have mention made of feet swift to evil and of the foot of pride through or by the tongue therefore saith the Apostle James the tongue is a world of evil set on fire of hell and the Scripture telleth us of a lying tongue a false tongue and a tongue that hath as the gall of Asps under it so as to all other parts of the body sin within sets all on work and that not only the outward but the inward parts also it stirs a mans blood moveth his heart it opens and shuts it empties and fills the heart c. Fourthly Corruption of nature chiefly acts in every one according to the temperament or constitution of his body if a man be of a sanguine complexion his corruption works sutably to that as is observ'd in David who was of a ruddy countenance or if a man be of a cholerick melancholy or phlegmatick temper accordingly natural sin doth discover it self and it's fruits are answerable Fifthly As the body and soul of man are separable so corruption and man's soul though it be natural yet it may be separated from the soul and the soul may be quite rid of its sin as of its body corrupt nature may be killed as the body and so the soul released from it though not so easily an easie matter is it to kill the body wherein the soul dwells not so to kill that sin that naturally dwells in the soul yet both are alike easie to God it is as facile or easie to him to destroy our body which we have as sinners as it is for him to kill our body which we have as men he can run it through and pierce the very heart of the body of sin in us by the sword of his spirit much more easily than Goliah had he been near David could have run him through with his Sword Sixthly As the body doth nothing acts not moves not without the soul and if the soul be once gone it 's dead without any motion or ability to move so corrupt nature acts not without our soul it works by the understanding by the will by this and that affection had not a man an Immortal soul he would have no corruption as beasts
have none and let the heart be once taken off from sin then corruption dyeth and when the heart shall be perfectly separated from it then corrupt nature will be quite dead and we shall be perfectly freed from it Seventhly As the body is still breeding filth flegm choler and divers excrements hair nails and that which is not handsom plainly to mention but Christ saith it goes to the draught so the body of sin is still breeding that which is filth in the sight of God and the eye of an enlightned Conscience it 's still sending forth divers excrements whereto the Apostle James may have respect when he saith lay aside all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness Eightly As there is a natural inclination in the body to generation to the propagation of its kind so in the body of sin to beget its like hence the Devil who hath though no visible body yet a body of sin tempted our great Grand-mother or first Mother Eve and as I may so say begat the body of sin in her he knew her in a spiritual sense e're Adam knew her in a natural way and then by Eves help he knew Adam and begat the body of sin in him and all sinners under the power of sin seek to make others like themselves they compass saith Christ Sea and Land to make a proselyte Mat. 23.15 Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites for ye compass Sea and Land to make one proselyte and when he is made ye make him two fold more the Child of hell than your selves where Christ speaks of an Apostate or Christ speaks of one who having been openly profane and grossly wicked outwardly becometh a close Pharisaical Hypocrite The Apostle Paul saith 1 Tim. 1.13 he was before a blasphemer and what did he do when he was a blasphemer Acts 26.11 he compelled others to blaspheme 9ly There is such an union between the soul and body while together that the soul no where in nothing acts without it the soul acts much according as it is with the body whether it be sick or well weak or strong and the soul is much hindred in acting according to its own proper nature as a spirit by the body so while corruption is in the soul the soul acts not without it all the actings of the soul have a tincture and defilement more or less from it according to the strength or weakness of corruption so the soul acts less or more sinfully and it is mightily hindered in acting according to its own nature as a spirit thereby But not to carry this too far Lastly As the body is still craving one thing or other meat drink sleep cloaths the cool shade or warm fire c. So corrupt nature is still craving now to have this and then to have that iust satisfied this or that motion fulfilled And as Solomon saith the eye is not satisfied with seeing nor the ear with hearing so corrupt nature is never satisfied with sinning but as the more many times a man sees and hears of that which delights the more he desires to see and to hear so the more corrupt nature in its lustings is answered the more doth it call the more doth it lust it 's like the Horse-Leech that still crieth give give and like the fire and those other things which Solomon saith never say it is enough Q. 2. What are we to understand by the deeds of the body A. The deeds of the body of sin must needs be sinful deeds what are the deeds of your natural body as men they are natural deeds suitable to it such as seeing speaking laughing weeping going running and the rest So what are the deeds of the body of corruption they are deeds agreeable to it corrupt deeds such as coveting lying boasting vain glorying murmuring dissembling with those many other of that evil kind that cursed generation The deeds of the body are the fruits and births of it which are sometimes called the works of the flesh as in that Gal. 5.19 sometimes the members of the flesh or our members which are upon the earth Col. 3.5 Mortifie therefore your members which are upon the earth uncleanness inordinate affection evil concupiscence and covetousness which is Idolatry these are the deeds of the body or the deeds of the old man as it 's exprest Col. 3.9 lye not one to another seeing ye have put off the old man with his deeds In other places these deeds are called the desires or wills and motions of the flesh in those places formerly cited It is to be noted well that the Apostle calls all the outgoings and movings of corruption deeds and works though they break not forth into outward actions If some were bid or exhorted to repent of their wicked deeds and evil works they would be ready to say what what evil deeds what wicked works have I done or do I because it may be they cannot be charged with any great matter by man But consider look inward have you not had many lustings many motions of corruption this way and that many evil affections stirring these are deeds and works before God they have as real evil and offensiveness in them in Gods eye as any outward actions and therefore ought not to be made light but our hearts should mourn be ashamed humbled and broken for them as well as for outward sins Some one may here ask why saith our Apostle if ye mortifie the deeds of the body why saith he not if ye mortifie the body it may be thought he should rather have spoke of mortifying the body of corruption it self than the deeds of it I answer 1. The Apostle may thus express himself because the deeds of corrupt nature are those we are sensible of we are not sensible of the body of sin it self directly but by some or other of its deeds but for its lustings affections and motions we should not know it to be in us Secondly the way to mortifie the body of sin it self is to mortifie its deeds we cannot come at it to give it a blow but in its affections and motions and so far as the deeds of the body of sin are mortified so far is it mortified As break a mans head to pieces or stop his breathing and you kill his body If any say rather the way to mortifie the deeds of the body is to mortifie the body it self to mortifie the root is the best way to mortifie the fruit then I answer the Apostle intends that that we mortifie the deeds of the body by mortifying the body corrupt nature it self which must be done for if any could mortifie the deeds of the old man barely the body of sin still remaining unsubdued that would not avail Thirdly It is by the mortification of the deeds of the body that we know whether it be mortified yea or no as by the movings of the natural body by the eyes hands and nostrils we know a man's body to be alive or dead Fourthly
wish and if it may be to seek the death of its object Hence we read 1 Joh. 3.15 Whoso hateth his brother is a Murderer and ye know that no Murderer hath eternal life abiding in him Fourthly Is it not necessary that we escape condemnation in the day of judgment but this we cannot unless we mortifie the deeds of the body for the Scripture assures us in that day the Lord will render to every one according to his deeds Rom. 2.5 6. Now is the day of salvation now is the accepted time 2 Cor. 6.2 but yet after a little while there will be a day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God and then O then even then will the Lord God himself render to every one of us according to our deeds but what are our deeds A. The deeds of the body of sin are our deeds if we mortifie them not for then we allow them as they say the receiver is as bad as the thief so if we entertain and give way to the lustings and out-goings of corrupt nature we make our selves even as bad as it we are as guilty as the old man the body of sin is they are as partners with their corruption who seek not its destruction therefore according to all the deeds of our corruption will the Lord render to us in that day if we mortifie them not but O! Alas what a recompense what wo what sore punishment when God even the most High and Almighty one himself and that in the day of wrath shall render to a poor creature a miserable man according to all the lusts and lustings of sin all the members and motions and works of the body of sin in him Fifthly Is it not necessary that we perform acceptable service to God This will not be cannot be that we serve or worship God so that what we do should be accepted of him unless we mortifie the affections and motions of sin within us for our iniquities if not subdued will defile all we do so that it will be loathsom and abominable to God our lusts if suffered to live in us will either quite draw us off from serving God or they will mortifie all our services they will make them as dead services altogether odious and hateful to the Lord Isa 1.11 12 c. To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me saith the Lord c. bring no more vain oblations Incense is an abomination to me the new Moons and Sabbaths the calling of Assemblies I cannot away with it is iniquity the solemn meeting Your new Moons and your appointted Feasts my soul hateth they are a trouble unto me I am weary to hear them Why because their lusts were unmortified therefore it 's said v. 16. Wash ye make you clean put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes cease to do evil And no wonder for if our lusts are let alone and entertained as friends not dealt with as enemies then are not our hearts upright with God we are no better than Hypocrites in all that we do Corruption living and prevailing keeps our hearts from God it fetters imprisoneth and shackles our souls that they cannot follow after God Every lust any one sin not mortified it doth bind a man hand and foot as to any right performance to God so it will be most just for Christ to say to all whose sins are not mortified as he foretells us he will say Take them bind them hand and foot and cast them into outer darkness because they suffered themselves as if Christ should say to be taken and bound hand and foot by their corruptions And would not endeavour by destroying them to set themselves at liberty that they might walk in the light therefore take them you Executioners of my wrath take them and bind them hand and foot and cast them into outer darkness Sixthly Let me add but this is it not necessary that we should have Communion with God fellowship with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ but how shall this be sure our sins must first be mortified because the Father is most holy and the Son is most holy should God grant us Communion with himself while any of our corruptions are harboured and not wounded not brought under but have dominion in us he must have fellowship with them even with our sins which is impossible 2 Cor. 6.14 15. What fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness and what Communion hath light with darkness and what Concord hath Christ with Belial We are exhorted to have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but we have fellowship with the deeds of the body of sin if we comply with them and mortifie them not and we thereby have Communion with Satan It is as sure some have Communion with Satan in this world as it is that some have fellowship with God and who are they who have Communion with Satan but such whose hearts are in league with their sins therefore such can have no fellowship with God nor can it be that God should draw nigh to them in a way of Communion So then I need say no more it abundantly appears it is necessary of exceeding great necessity that we do mortifie the deeds of the body Q. 5. Why is this to be done constantly A. This is a duty and work about which we must be conversant wherein we must be exercised continually all the dayes of our life therefore the Apostle saith if ye mortifie not if ye have mortified noting to us that this is a business we are daily all our life long to be employed in And the reasons hereof are manifest First Because as hath before been said the body of sin continueth in all while their natural visible body liveth in this world the Apostle Paul himself complains and cryeth out because of this body of death of sin which is as death and this body of sin is still bringing forth sowr grapes vile fruit there are new lustings of corruption every day hence we read the flesh lusteth against the spirit that is constantly daily and Jam. 4.5 the spirit that is in us lusteth to envy so it lusteth to worldliness to discontent impatience pride wrath c. Therefore we must constantly keep warring against our sin its motions are still renewed therefore we must still renew our blows our opposition our endeavour for their mortification a if fire break forth and it be beaten in or quench't yet so that it is still burning still flaming and issuing forth again then there is greet need why there should be still endeavours to extinguish it But the bare continuance and constant working of corruption is not all Secondly Satan is still endeavouring to quicken the deeds of the body he is still seeking to stir up this and the other lust in us to ingender hatch or beget new sinful motions in us in our corrupt nature The body of sin is as I may call it
we are double-minded and double-hearted in our approaching the Presence of God Secondly If we do not mortifie our corruptions they will yea they 'l cause us to mortifie whatever good motions or purposes are in us one of these two must be either we must destroy our sins or through them we shall destroy that which is contrary thereto for good and evil cannot both be together in the soul with allowance if we so allow that which is evil as not to seek the destruction of it we shall so disallow all good that 's contrary to it as not to suffer it to live in us And so we shall joyn hands with Satan for that 's it he seeketh Rev. 12.4 The Dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered for to devour her Child as soon as it was born so he stands ready to devour the child of every good motion purpose conviction or working that is at any time in us Take heed therefore that you do not put that good that is in you as it were into Satan's mouth Thirdly Have you not listed your selves under Christs Banner have you not taken Christ's Name upon you therefore you ought to war against and seek the death of all sin in you Christ Jesus the Captain of our Salvation expects this of all who enroll their Names as Souldiers under him Col. 3.9 Lie not one to another seeing ye have put off the old man with his deeds Ye who make a profession of Christ have done this at least by profession professing Christ ye do profess to have put off your former corrupt nature with the deeds thereof if then you mortifie them not you contradict your profession And if you are as you would seem Christians indeed then are you members of Christ therefore are you obliged to mortifie your members that are on the earth you are of the Mystical Body of Christ therefore should withal industry seek to destroy the deeds of the body of sin and that the more because this was one end of Christs death Rom. 6.6 Knowing this that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin and consequently that we should morrifie it for either we are shall and must be the enemies of sin or we are and shall be the Servants of it 1 Pet. 2.24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the Tree that we being dead to sin should live unto righteousness but we are not dead to sin nor can we live unto righteousness if we subdue not the evil deeds of the Flesh Fourthly This is acceptable service to God because our corruptions are enemies to him as well as to us and he calls us forth to war against them therefore when we endeavour their ruine we serve God and God takes it as service to himself and he will graciously therefore reward it at last with his blessings Heb. 7.1 Melchizedeck King of Salem Priest of the most High God met with Abraham returning from the slaughter of the Kings and blessed him Melchizedeck was a type of Christ who is said to be a Priest after the order of Melchizedeck In the foregoing words chap. 6. last verse Abraham the Father of the faithful signifieth all Believers his seed his children The Kings may signifie our lusts which naturally reign as Kings in us Lot whom the Kings took captive notes our souls captivated by our lusts Abraham's destroying those Kings imports our destroying our corruptions as Believers through faith Melchizedech his blessing Abraham thereupon speaks and gives assurance of a blessing to us from Christ we so doing Would you that when you have finish'd your course and fought the good fight of Faith Christ Jesus should so come forth and meet you and bless you then up and be doing up and be fighting smite kill and slay all your iniquities This is fighting the Lords battel therefore as it is said of Meroz Curse them because they came not forth to the help of the Lord against the mighty so cursed is every one that goes not forth with all his might against his mighty sins But blessed he that takes Babilon 's children yea her little ones as the Psalmist speaks and dasheth them against the stones In a word though to wound your natural visible body or any member thereof be an unnatural thing causing grief and pain to destroy the body of sin and its deeds is a gracious work from whence flow peace and joy Great peace have they who love thy Law saith the Scripture but the more any fight against their sins and destroy them the more they do and the more they thereby will love the Law of God Therefore awake to this good work Use last Be ye constant in this work Never give over in any case any place at any time for you carry the body of sin about you wherever you go and there are allurements every where and baits to draw it forth in evil lustings It is too common a thing and one of the greatest faults amongst Christians that they are no more constant in this blessed work sometimes they bestir themselves herein but at other times how negligent are they they sit down and fall asleep at this great and necessary duty Which how dangerous is it to stand still though but one hour one quarter of an hour in a hot close fight hand to hand is it not full of danger ten to one the man that doth so is knockt down dead But if by negligence in this work you should get no deadly wound you would not escape some wound which perhaps you shall not have cured a long while it may be not while you live and you 'l find the work harder when you begin again then you left it when you left off Some they grow weary and faint in this spiritual combate but let them remember if they stop they must renew the fight again and then however difficult it be now it will be more hard to them for sin gains ground when we sit still But hold on and thus shall you find the work easier and thus shall you have constant peace without any considerable or long continued breach thereof though sin stir strongly yea though it prevail much yet while you keep diligent and constant in resisting and opposing and beating it down your peace will abide There is no inward true peace but where there is inward war against sin and while this war is maintained and carried on heartily and vigorously there is inward peace for this is exceeding pleasing to conscience that sits as it were looking on and is greatly pleased delighted to see the soul lustily wrestling with contending against and pursuing to death its lusts and sinful lustings Yea the Lord the Captain of our salvation is highly pleased to behold this and therefore will speak peace to those thus employed and daily exercised Go over your experience and say when have you
the most peace is it not then when you are most eagerly ingaged against and hot in the pursuit of sin plotting contriving and by all means you can working its death The experience of all Christians I doubt not gives in restimony that this is true Sermon 5. THe second thing in the latter part of my Text now offereth it self to our serious consideration this necessary duty is to be performed through the Spirit whence the Doctrine is this D. 2. That the great work of mortifying killing or destroying the deeds of the body of sin is to be managed through the Spirit when we are called upon to mortifie our sinful affections our evil motions and the corrupt lustings within us the meaning is that this is to be done through the Spirit No truth more useful than this if well understood and received this is the principal thing that I would commend to you All know or generally it is confest that sins must be mortified but that this is to be done by in with or through the Spirit few in comparison understand I know nothing that needs to be taught among and prest upon Christians and more frequently to be inculcated than this There are three Queries concerning the truth now proposed which call for some Answer for the explication of it 1. What 's meant by the Spirit 2. Why is this work to be done through the Spirit 3. How is it thus to be done Q. 1. What 's meant by the Spirit A. Spirit signifieth diverse things in Scripture it hath several acceptations 4 of which I shall here take notice 1. By spirit is meant our spirit our heart and soul so the Apostle saith he did serve God with his spirit and Christ saith God is to be worshipped in spirit so we must mortifie the deeds of the body of sin in spirit with our whole heart and soul otherwise we shall not prosper in what we do all will be to no purpose if we have not a thorow will and sincere endeavour Christ saith many shall seek to enter in at the strait gate and not be able so many seek to mortifie their sins and are not able because they are not thorowly willing and resolved And then our main endeavour must be to mortifie sin within of which I spake before when sins are only kept from outward outbreakings they are no more mortified than Lions and Bears or such wild creatures when shut up and kept from ranging abroad Secondly Sometimes by spirit in Scripture is understood new nature the new man as it may be taken and seems to be in that 5. Gal. 17. where the Apostle saith the spirit lusteth against the flesh and the flesh against the spirit thus we must mortifie our sins in by or through the spirit by the new creature through a principle of true grace acted and stirred up in us This is most certain no man can mortifie the deeds of sin without he have a contrary principle of grace for till the new man be formed in one there 's no good nothing but flesh but sin and the flesh neither will nor can mortifie it self as Satan casteth not out Satan neither doth lust cast out or destroy lust though it 's true sometimes one lust doth keep under another and hinder anothers working this or that way as a mans pride may put a stop to his covetousness though he have a covetous heart yet through predominant pride he scorns to be base and niggardly so covetousness may hold in pride as to it 's shewing it self in such or such a way because the man is coverous therefore he will not wear such cloths or do some other things which pride otherwise would cause him to do that he might have respect among men But sin cannot truely subdue sin no more than water can dry up water though one stream being stronger may stop and turn the course of another that hath less strength so pride may command covetousness or covetousness pride yet do they both live before God as the greater light may drown the less yet doth not extinguish it He that hath not a principle of true grace is under the power of fin therefore is not at liberty to mortifie or to will the mortification of his lusts in truth If there be war if there be killing and slaying there must be two parties the one against the other but in a graceless man there 's only one party one nature one kind of principles all sinful therefore he cannot kill or in truth set upon the slaying of his sin though he may possibly upon some outward account or to quiet conscience seek to curb some evil motions As it is against our nature as men to hurt our bodies so is it against our nature as sinful men to do any thing in good earnest and truth of heart towards the death of our sin Therefore a man must have a new nature which whosoever hath then he cannot but be striking at and wounding the deeds of corrupt nature because these two are perfectly contrary Yet they who have true grace need to be awakned and excited thereto more and more to lay out themselves therein through that grace they have received could it be that the actings of sin should be destroyed without contrary workings of grace it would little avail a man would not thereby be in the way of life but no lusting of corruption can be truely killed without a lusting and stirring of grace in opposition thereto as darkness is only dispelled removed by the shining forth of some light Therefore look O soul well to this that thou hast a new nature that thou beest a new Creature in Christ Jesus Thirdly Spirit is sometimes taken for the Gospel as opposed to the Covenant of works 2 Cor. 3.8 where the Apostle speaks of the ministration of the Spirit in opposition to the ministration of Death mentioned in the foregoing verse and verse 6. he saith we are Ministers of the New Testament not of the Letter but of the Spirit for the Letter killeth but the Spirit giveth life and thus some take Spirit 1 John 5.8 There are three that bear witness on earth the Spirit the Water and the Blood i. e. the Word the Gospel Baptism and the Lords Supper If we take Spirit in my Text in this sense It 's true the deeds of the body are to be mortified through the Gospel by Gospel truths and considerations for it is the Gospel only that is effectual to destroy our sins the Law is not sufficient to kill any Lust in us It may be by legal truths men may be frighted and chained as it were with the heavy chain of slavish fear so that they dare not sin as they used to do but the Law alone never was or can be sufficient to lay any sin dead The Law alone rather quickneth and stirreth up sin than destroyeth it sin is thereby revived not mortified Rom. 7.8 Without the Law sin was dead i. e. it lay as if
than the mighty waves of the Sea so is no man Darius found himself too weak to deal with the waves when they broke his bridge of boats though he had a hundred thousand men at his command and is but laught at for his attempting by shackles and stripes to tame the tempestuous waters but Christ by commanding the sea to silence shew'd and made manifest the power of God Thus when our lusts lift up their voice when our flesh lifteth up its waves as it were in our souls the Lord is more mighty we are too weak to grapple with them but the spirit of the Lord is mightier than the strongest motions and most mighty lustings of sin within us It is sometimes thought by some when they feel this or that lust stirring strongly and when they have laboured long against it without conquest over it can this lust be subdued can it ever be mortified and sure it is we are all too full of unbelief as to God's power However some imagine they believe it enough hence they said can God prepare a Table in the wilderness yea Moses himself notwithstanding all he had heard seen and experienced of the power of God yet once spake doubtingly concerning it Numb 11.21 22. for which God rebuked him v. 23. saying is the Lords hand waxed short and hence though the Prophet makes a full confession of Gods power Jer. 32.17 Ah Lord God behold thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm and there is nothing too hard for thee yet observe in the following verses he seems to speak too unbelievingly concerning God's power so and so saith he it is with us yet v. 25. thou hast said unto me O Lord God buy the field for money and take witnesses for the City is given into the hands of the Caldeans therefore v. 26.27 Then came the word of the Lord unto Jeremiah saying Behold I am the Lord the God of all flesh is there any thing too hard for me As if the Lord had said thou say'st indeed there is nothing too hard for me but thou hast not so much faith of my power as thou oughtest to have thou hast too much doubting too much unbelief concerning my power it self But above all things a soul under a deep sense of the power of natural corruption is prone to doubt of Gods power as to the destruction thereof were there reason to doubt of the power of God in any thing there would be cause to question it in this if even any thing were too hard for the Lord this would to slay those lusts which grow in our corrupt nature the difficulty of destroying sin in us the Apostle intimates when he saith who shall deliver me from this body of death Wherefore this is needful to be declared and to be urged whatever our fins are the spirit of the Lord can mortifie them it can cause the body of sin and all the lusts thereof to wither and dye away as Christ did that fig tree which he cursed so that they should no more bring forth any fruit And the spirit of the Lord can so strengthen and assist us that though we be weak we shall be strong enough in its strength to lay dead every deed of sin 1 Cor. 1.27 God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the mighty out of the mouth of Babes and Sucklings he can perfect praise There have been many who have had such like lusts as ours are who have been able through the spirit to tread them under their feet we read of seven Devils cast out of Mary Magdalen not that she was possess'd in her body but she was a notorious sinner she had mighty lusts whereby the Devils had great power in and over-her soul If I saith Christ by the spirit cast out Devils there are no Devils and so no lusts but may be cast out by the spirit so strong was Paul's envy and malice before his Conversion that Acts 26.11 he was exceeding mad against the Christians yet by the spirit he of mad was made sober those his lusts were destroyed and instead of being mad against Christ he became as besides himself for Christ 2 Cor. 5.13 whether we be besides our selves it is to God some accounted them because of their self denyal and fervency in Preaching the Word whereby they spent themselves as besides themselves what lusts had they 1 Cor. 6.9 10 11. they were some of them for nicators Idolaters Adulterers Abusers of themselves with mankind Thieves Covetous Drunkards Extortioners the worst of sinners yet were they sanctified by the spirit of our God and if they were sanctified then their lusts were mortified through the spirit Therefore believe that your sins by the spirit may also be destroyed it is a good step towards the doing this to believe that through the spirit it may be done and the believing this is necessary Mat. 9.28 29. Believe ye that I am able to do this they said yea Lord then touched he their eyes saying according to your faith be it unto you i. e. according to their faith of Christ's ability so were their eyes opened Thirdly All whom the Lord hath chosen to salvation he hath elected them to this way through mortification of their sin by the spirit 1 Pet. 1.2 elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father through sanctification of the spirit unto obedience through sanctification and therefore through mortification how by the spirit so 2 Thes 2.13 We are bound to give thanks alway to God for you Brethren beloved of God because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the spirit but no more sanctification of our souls than there is mortification of our lusts Fourthly Jesus Christ dyed for this 1 Joh. 3.5 he was manifested to take away our sins and in him is no sin to take them away that is not only in the guilt of them but in the power and life of them and it is of the latter he there speaks as the context shews v. 6. whosoever abideth in him sinneth not that is he hath his sins taken away by him and so he sinneth not as he did nor as others do not with his whole man not with delight c. and as Christ came and dyed for this that our sins might be mortified so that this might be done by the spirit in that it cannot be done without it and hence Christ speaks of sending the spirit after his Crucisixion Resurrection and Ascension to deal with men about their fins and why but in order to the subduing them and that because for this he dyed and also rose and ascended and interceeds that those whom he saves may have the spirit to help them in this work Fifthly God hath promised his spirit to his people for this Ezek. 36.27 I will put my spirit within you for what v. 29. I will save you from all your uncleannesses that is God will