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A26811
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The sure trial of uprightness open'd in several sermons upon Psal. xviii, v. 23 ... / by William Bates.
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Bates, William, 1625-1699.
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1689
(1689)
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Wing B1129; ESTC R24838
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61,106
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151
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are capable of Instruction and Discipline and by coming near to Reason have a little imitation of Liberty they are rewarded or punished But Man in the condition wherein he was created had perfect freedom becoming the dignity of the reasonable Creature and was enrich'd with all the Graces of which Original Righteousness was compounded the harmonious Orders and coherent Dispositions of the Soul and Body qualified him for his Duty But in the state wherein his voluntary Sin has sunk him the Body is often distemper'd by the annoyance of the Mind and the Soul pays an unnatural and injurious Tribute to the vicious Appetites of the Body And when Corruption is heightned by Custom and the natural Propensity inflam'd by Temptations any Lust becomes more irresistible So that without a new Nature inspir'd from Above they cannot rescue themselves from the Bondage of Sin. Now the moral Impotence in Men to vanquish their Lusts tho it will be no Apology at the Day of Judgment yet it will discourage them from making resistance for who will attempt an impossibility Despair of Success relaxes the active Powers cuts the Nerves of our Endeavours and blunts the edg of Industry 'T is related of the West-Indians that upon the first incursion of the Spaniards into their Country they tamely yielded to their Tyranny for seeing them clad in Armour which their Spears could not pierce they fancied them to be the Children of the Sun invulnerable and immortal But an Indian carrying a Spaniard over a River resolved to try whether he were mortal and plung'd him under Water so long till he was drown'd From that Experiment they took courage and resolv'd to kill their Enemies who were capable of dying and recover their dear Liberty lost by so foolish a Conceit Thus Men will languish in a worse Servitude if they fancy the Lusts of the Flesh their intimate Enemies to be insuperable Fear congeals the Spirits and disables from noble Enterprises which Hope persuades and Courage executes Now we have an Army of Conquerors to encourage us in the Spiritual War with the Flesh the World and Satan Enemies in combination against us How many Saints have preserv'd themselves unspotted from the most alluring Temptations they were not Statues without sensible Faculties but ordered them according to the Rule of Life they were not without a conflict of Carnal Passions but by the Holy Spirit subdued them and though some obtain'd a clearer Victory than others yet all were victorious by Divine Grace The Examples of so many Holy and Heavenly Men prove as clearly and convincingly that the strongest Lusts may be subdued as the walking of Diogenes demonstrated there was progressive motion against the Sophistical Arguments of Zeno. I can do all things saith the Apostle through Christ that strengthens me To Omnipotent Grace all things are easy Our Saviour speaking of the extream difficulty of a Rich Man's Salvation That 't is as easy for a Camel to go through the Eye of a Needle as for a Rich Man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven presently mitigates the Difficulty what is impossible to Men is possible to God. He can sanctify a Rich Man that his Humility shall be as low as his Estate is rais'd above others that his Affection shall be Heavenly in the affluence of the World that trust in God shall be his dearest Treasure Divine Grace is a sure Fountain of Assistance to all that sincerely seek it 'T is the Promise of God Ephraim shall say What have I to do any more with Idols The Idols that charm'd their Imaginations should be rejected with deep abhorrence Our Saviour cur'd the Paralitick Person that for 38 Years had been in a desperate Case incurable by natural Remedies an Emblem of the Efficacy of Divine Grace in curing the most inveterate Habits of Sin. There are recorded some eminent Instances of the Power of Grace in changing the Nature of Men. Nicodemus came to our Saviour conceal'd at first by Night as being asham'd or afraid of Observation in the Day But when he was born again by the renovation of the Spirit what an admirable change was wrought in him with a holy heat of Affection he defended our Saviour when alive in the presence of the Pharisees his unrighteous and implacable Enemies he brought costly Preparations for his Funeral when dead And these two glorious effects of his Valour are recorded by St. John with this addition This is that Nicodemus that came to Jesus by Night No Passion is more ungovernable than Fear yet even the Apostles did not express such fidelity and fervency for the Honour of their Master Another Instance is of the Jaylor that kept the Apostles Prisoners he was of a harsh cruel Temper a quality adherent to his Office but Grace so intenerated and softned his Heart that he took them the same hour of the Night and washed their Stripes Acts 16. 33. A visible and suddain effect of the Spirit of Love and Power and of a sound Mind 'T is recorded of many who used curious Arts they brought their magical Books though counted worth fifty thousand pieces of Silver and burnt them so mightily grew the Word of God and prevail'd How insuperable soever Sin is to naked Nature it may be subdued by Grace St. John gives an honourable Testimony of the Christians to whom he wrote My little Children ye are of God and have overcome the evil One for the Spirit that is in you is greater than that which is in the World. The Holy Spirit is not only greater in himself than the Tempter but as fortifying weak Christians is superior to the Evil Spirit with all his Train of Artillery the manifold Temptations which the World affords in his War against our Souls Satan takes advantage not only from our Security but our Pusillanimity we are therefore commanded to resist the Devil and he will flee from us What is observed of the Crocodile is applicable to the great Enemy of our Salvation He is terrible in his Assaults upon the faint-hearted but flies from those who are watchful to resist his Temptations To excite Christians to make serious and hopeful Trials for the subduing the strongest Corruptions I will select two Examples of the vertuous Heathens who restrain'd Anger and Lust that are the most rebellious Passions against the Empire of the Mind Socrates by natural Temper was Cholerick yet he had so far reduc'd his Passions under the command of Reason that upon any violent Provocation his Countenance was more placid and calm his Voice more temperate and his Words more obliging Thus by wise Counsel and Circumspection he obtain'd a happy Victory over himself The other is of young Scipio the Roman General in Spain who when a Virgin of exquisite Beauty was presented to him among other Captives religiously abstained from touching her and restor'd her to the Prince to whom she was espous'd How do such Examples of the poor Pagans who in the glimmerings of
from him Of our selves we cannot conceive a good Thought through Christ strengthening us we can do all things Spiritual Blessings he purchas'd for us by his Humiliation and confers in his Exaltation He gave himself for his Church that he might sanctify it and cleanse it by the washing of Water and the Word Being risen and ascended he received of his Father Divine Gifts and gives Grace unto Men. He gives Repentance which principally consists in the mortifying Sin he blesses us in turning us from our Iniquities The Mortification of Sin is peculiarly attributed to his Death 1. With respect to its meritorious Causality that reconcil'd God to us and obtain'd of him the sanctifying Spirit that is the Seal of his Love to communicate the Divine Nature to us by which we escape the Corruption that is in the World through Lust. The Redemption of a Captive may illustrate the Redemption of Sinners for as in restoring a Captive to Liberty there must be the payment of the Ransom and the breaking of his Chains so in redeeming a Sinner there was the price laid down the unvaluable Blood of the Son of God to procure our spiritual Freedom for the ignominious and cruel Bondage under Satan was the penal Effect of the first Transgression and the invisible Chains the Darkness of Mind the Hardness of Heart the Rebellion of Will the Disorder of Affections and all the vicious Habits that kept him in the Bondage of Satan are to be broken and removed For this reason 't is said God sending his Son in the likeness of sinful Flesh and for Sin condemning Sin in the Flesh that is Christ dying as a Sacrifice for Sin reconciled God and the Fruit of that Reconciliation is the breaking the Tyrannous Empire of Sin under which we were involv'd that we may enjoy the Liberty of the Sons of God. Sin brought our Saviour to the Cross and he brought Sin to the Cross when he dy'd naturally Sin dyed legally that is was condemn'd to lose its Power in the Hearts and Lives of Believers The excellent Ends of our Saviour's Death are express'd by the Apostle He gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all Iniquity abolish the guilt of Sin and purify unto himself a peculiar People zealous of good Works 2. By way of Representation As Christ died for Sin we must die to Sin He expiated the guilt of all Sin for penitent Believers and a universal crucifixion of Sin is the imitation of his Death The Apostle insists on this as a Truth of the clearest Evidence to Christians Know ye not that so many as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his Death Therefore we are buried with him in Baptism that as Christ was raised up from the Dead by the Glory of the Father even so we also should walk in newness of Life For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his Death we shall be also in the likeness of his Resurrection 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. The sum of which Reasoning is that our crucifying the corrupt Nature with all its various Affections and Lusts is a lively resemblance of the Death of Christ which was design'd both to be operative in us of the Death of Sin and to be significative of it From whence it follows 't is the indispensable Duty of all Christians to transcribe the Copy of his Death in their Hearts and Lives 3. The Death of Christ mortifies Sin by moral Influence as 't is an Expression of God's transcendent Love to us and his Righteous and Holy severity against Sin both which are such powerful Motives to destroy Sin that whoever does not feel their Efficacy is dead as the Grave without the least vital Spark of grateful Love to Christ. Now the unfeigned belief of the meritorious and efficacious Sufferings of Christ is the means by which the Value of his Death is applied and the Vertue of it derived to us for the killing of our Sins 'T is by Faith we are united to him as our Head the Fountain of Spiritual Sense and Active Power He dwells in our Hearts by Faith and by the eminent Operations of his Spirit strengthens the inner Man. Faith excites us to mortify the inhabiting Corruption by arguing from the Love of Christ in dying for us He left Heaven for us shall not we leave Earth for him He denied his natural innocent Wills to submit to the Death of the Cross for our Salvation Shall not we deny our depraved rebellious Wills for his Glory And unless desperate Sinners who are fallen as low as Hell who can resist such melting Perswasions The Apostle speaks with the most feeling Expressions The Love of Christ constrains us has an absolute invincible Empire over us because we thus judg that if one died for all then were all dead that henceforth we should live to him who died for us And 't is the noble and sensible Effect of quickning Grace to mortify Sin. Faith as it obliges so it encourages to subdue our Sins by reflecting upon the End of Christ's Death which shall certainly be accomplish'd St. Paul in his conflict with an uncessant Enemy was fortified by an Assurance from God My Grace is sufficient for thee The Temptation was not presently removed but strength conveyed by which he was superior to it Our special Sins so easily encompass us that considering our imminent danger we may fear the Issue of the Fight but the believing remembrance of our Saviour's Death inspires new Life and Heat into us knowing that he hath not died in vain Faith raises the drooping Spirit by reflecting upon the compassionate willingness of Christ to relieve and strengthen us in the Holy War. When he was upon Earth he prayed his Father to keep us from the Evil of the World. This was the Copy of his continual Intercession for us in Heaven from whence we are infallibly assur'd that he is most tenderly inclin'd to assist us and preserve us from the malignant influence of the World. For these Reasons Faith in Christ has a cleansing Vertue a victorious Efficacy attributed to it Faith purifies the Heart and overcomes the World. A sincere Believer that makes use of the Divine Ordinances Prayer hearing the Word the confirming Sacrament and other holy Means for the subduing his Corruptions shall certainly obtain a final Victory and the reward of it a triumphant Felicity FINIS Some Divinity Books printed for and fold by Jonathan Robinson at the Golden Lion in St. Paul's Church-Yard MR. Pool's Annotations on the whole Bible in which the whole Sacred Text is inserted in two Volumes in Folio Useful for Families and Closets Dr. Goodwin's Works In two Volumes in Folio Viz. on the Ephesians Revelations The Kowledg of God the Father Election c. His Treatise of the Punishment of Sin in Hell In 8o. Dr. Manton's