and doest not studie to obey and please them but seekest by the spirit to mortifie and kill them know I say that thou art a childe of God continue therefore in thy spirituall combat fight valiantly and put on all the Christian armour of proofe and let this serue to make thee long and desire to be deliuered from this body of death and to be with Christ and in the meane time be humbled in thy selfe and patient toward thy brother out of the sense of thine owne imperfections and striue not onely against this or that sinne according to the manner of worldly men whereby it appeareth that their heart is not vpright with God but with the Apostle fight against the whole bodie of sinne vsing the meanes that God hath ordained whereby thou mayest ouercome and auoiding all occasions that may make thee fall and so doing be assured in thy selfe that thus to striue against thy naturall corruption is an infallible marke that thou art a Childe of God and a sure ground of vnspeakeable comfort ⸪ ⧠The second Sermon Thirdly How the Apostle lamenteth ouer the bodie of Death The Apostle his lamentation is two-fold first he declareth himselfe therefore to be miserable secondly he wisheth to bee deliuered Of both which wee shall speake by Gods assistance and first of this that the Apostle declareth himselfe to beo miserable because he had the bodie of death in him O miserable man sayth the Apostle who shall deliuer me It is very strange the Apostle lamenteth here after this manner in other places he affirmeth and that confidently that hee reioyced euen in the greatest tribulations 2 Cor. 4.8 c. 2 Cor. 6.4 c. How doth he here then so mournefully complaine Did he speake from his heart when he said O miserable man Was he not then a man blessed of the Lord Was he not then assured of his saluation How commeth it then that he calleth himselfe miserable Without doubt the Apostle speaketh here in good earnest for he was then in a hot skirmish and had little time or cause to dally or lest yea he spake not onely in earnest but also vpon good groundes for the other afflictions wherein hee sayth he did glory and reioyce were outward afflictions wherein in truth hee might well reioyce but here he speaketh as wee haue heard before of his naturall corruption of the sinne that hanged fast vpon him and of the olde man which he began to behold in all the parts and members thereof The which made him lament and complaine in good earnest as being a thing out of which he could draw no comfort at all in which regard he might instly account himselfe to be miserable For this body of death considered in it selfe maketh a man truely wretched and miserable the which may sufficiently be gathered out of the first part of our Text whereunto wee will briefely adde that the body of death in respect of which the Apostle so earnestly complaineth hath these miserable and cursed effects which follow First it defaceth and depraueth the Image of God the which is a thing altogether lamentable and miserable If a man doth breake a leg or an arme how doth he cry out and complaine of his misery What cause then is there of mourning and complaint when the soule of man is broken to peeces and made vnfit for euery good vse When the most noble and eminent of man is â—â—terly depraued and corrupted Wee see that in a mans body when any member is wounded or afflicted with any griefe the more worthie and excellent that member is the greater is both the griefe and danger of the sore prick a man in the arme or the legg with the point of a Needle and he will both feele it complaine of it but pricke him in the apple of his eye and that shall pierce him to the heart and make him cry out If it bee so with the eye of the body how great is the paine and griefe when the eye of the minde is not onely prickt but wholly put out When the most noble and precious soule is wounded and that to death this is it that made the Apostle cry out O miserable man Secondly Man thus depraued in soule by originall corruption is by nature a childe of disobedience and a child of wrath Ephes 2.2.2 That is vnfit for the seruice of God liable to the curse of God both which are miseries beyond comparison First he cannot doe the workes of God for he is as a broken tooth which serueth for no vse at all and as a broken arme wherewith a man cannot worke As soone as a man beginnes to frame himselfe vnto the seruice of God hee findeth his corruption euer to be in his way so that the good that he willingly would doe he cannot doe as he would With this are the children of God greatly moued howsoeuer the children of the world which put not forth their strength to the seruice of God feele no inconuenience herein euen as one that hath a broken legge and lyeth still feeleth not the smart thereof so much as he that is euer assaying to walke and therefore they complaine not neuerthelesse this exceedingly grieueth the seruants of God and they account it as a great misery that they can no better performe their dutie to God Secondly the naturall man is liable to the curse of God Deut. 27.26 He that destroyeth the image of God him will God destroy This is it that did cast many of the Angells out of heauen into hell this droue Adam out of Paradise and maketh all the sonnes of men subiect vnto eternall death and from hence doe arise all the plagues and punishments which are inflicted vpon man now as a man hauing committed murther being come to himselfe accounteth himselfe to be miserable in regard of the offence which maketh him worthie of death although he be neither apprehended nor condemned to die euen so it is with the children of God who notwithstanding that they are deliuered as the Apostle was from the feare of death thorough our Lord Iesus Christ Heb. 2.15 yet because they know that their sinfulnesse causeth God to hide his cheareful countenance from them Esay 59.2 Which is vnto them as bitter as death it selfe therefore they cry out vnfainedly because of this bodie of death O miserable man Now in that the Apostle himselfe which had alreadie in a great measure mortified and subdued this body of death 1 Cor. 9.27 yet neuerthelesse so pitifully complaineth against it whereas there are many thousands that goe frolikely along being neuer touched much lesse troubled therewith yet are as it were wrapped and plunged ouer head and cares in sinne and iniquitie from thence followeth this Doctrine The more sanctified and holy that a man is the more sensible is he of his corruptions and the more troublesome are they vnto him This is manifest in that the Apostle that was none of the
and iniquitie of our sinnes I say for the transgression iniquitie of our sins because they are contrary to the will of God and do displease him the children of the world which are dead in sinne can mourne and lament enough for the punishment which is or they feare will come vpon them by reason of their sinnes but it is the propertie of the children of God to sorrow and grieue because by their sins they haue offended and displeased their good and gracious Father so then goe forwardes thus must it be with you if you will haue it be well with you step one step further with the Apostle and as with him you mourne because of the wickednesse of your sins so cease not and giue your selues no rest till with him also you finde your selues to bee deliuered both from the guilt dominion of sin thorough Iesus Christ our Lord whereof by his assistance wee purpose to speake in this part of the Text which now followeth HEre the Apostle wisheth to be deliuered from the bady of death O miserable man sayth he who shall deliuer me from this body of death Now we are deliuered from the body of death in this life for therunto hath the Apostle respect as it appeareth in the verse following when in this life we are saved from our sinnes Mat. 1.21 namely when we haue not onely obteined forgiuenesse of our sins but are also strengthened against the power of sin more and more set free from the bondage therof Ioh. 8.32.36 thus the Apostle wisheth here that the power of his corruptions might more more be broken and decayed Moreouer the Apostle here wishing asketh who shall deliuer him which we must not vnderstand as though he did not know thorough whom hee should be deliuered for he declareth in the verse following that he knew it well enough but here he asketh the question onely to let vs vnderstand that in himselfe he found no meanes whereby he might be deliuered Like Iosaphat being enuironed with his enemies seeing no way to escape cryed vnto God for helpe 2 Chron. 18.31 Or as the sea-faring men who in time of storme and tempest when their owne art and industrie cannot helpe them doe cry vnto the Lord Psal 107.28.29 So the Apostle cryeth here as out of great miserie and affliction vnto God for helpe knowing that it must come onely from him for sinne maketh man so miserable that nothing but the almightie power of God can deliuer him for by sinne we are cast vnder the feete of Sathan we lie condemned vnto eternall death and the wrath of God is incensed kindled against our soules for which who knoweth in himselfe any remedy Iudas finding none ran vnto the tree but Paul runneth vnto Christ vers 25. For it is the sonne of God alone which can deliuer the wretched sons of men from the misery of their sinnes But some man may aske how commeth it to passe that the Apostle Paul which was none of the greatest sinners yea which was alreadie in a great measure freed from the might of sinne yet wisheth thus earnestly to bee deliuered more and more from it whereas the children of the world which lie euen drowned therein and are very slaues vnto it yet speake not once of this deliuerance Beloued it came from this that the Apostle had a feeling and experimentall knowledge of the misery that ariseth from sinne and therefore hee wisheth to be deliuered from it this the children of the world doe not feele and therefore they thinke not of deliuerance he that can feelingly and vnfainedly complaine that he is miserable because he is sinfull he will also heartily cry out and wish to be deliuered from sinne from hence followeth this obseruation The true sense and feeling of the misery which sinne bringeth vs into causeth vs vnfainedly to seeke our deliuerance out of sinne by Iesus Christ This we see manifestly in the Apostle Paul For this cause was it that our Lord Iesus Christ according to his infinite wisedome sent Iohn the Baptist before him as a forerunner to prepare the way for him by teaching men to know their misery whereinto they were brought thorough sin to the end that they might seeke their deliuerance out of sinne thorough Christ Mat. 3. For this cause also is the law preached that me◠being thereby brought to the knowledg of their misery through sin Rom. 7.7 might the better be driuen to Christ in which respect the Law is called our leader to Christ Gal. 3.24 In this regard also Christ sayth that those that are whole haue no neede of the Physitian but those that feele their maladies they call and cry for him And the reason is because it is by nature ingrafted into all Creatures when they are in distresse and misery to seeke ease and deliuerance as the young Rauens in the wood when they are hungry doe cry vnto God Psal 147.9 And the greater the misery and affliction is the greater is the desire to be deliuered Now there is no smart like vnto the smart of sin vnto a feeling conscience and there is no affliction like vnto the affliction of the conscience for as wee sayd before the more noble and excellent that member is which is affected with any sore the greater is the griefe and paine thereof So the soule being the most worthie and eminent part of Man and in misery and distresse the sorrow and griefe must of necessitie be great and the desire to be deliuered from it equall thereunto Vses First this serueth for to discouer vnto vs from whence it commeth that there are so many which notwithstanding they are miserably possessed with this body of sinne and polluted with all manner of impious transgressiōs the damnable brood thereof yet neuer seeke for their deliuerance truly it commeth onely from this that they know not the misery wherein they are by sin yea from whence commeth it that many a man goeth vnder the curse of God because of his sinnes and neuer thinkes of his deliuerance passing along as it were with an easie gale in a smooth Sea without any perturbation at all and many also who knowing that they are sinfull and being ignorant of the meanes whereby they may be deliuered yet are not a whit troubled aske them haue you not sinned against God they will answere yes then aske them whether they by their sinnes haue not deserued eternall death euen as others they confesse that also aske them then what meanes they know whereby to be deliuered from the body of death they answere that God is mercifull and they trust that he will not cast them away because of their sinnes but will saue them for his mercies sake Demand of them then whether God saueth all and condemneth none they must needs acknowledge that the way is broad that leadeth into destruction and many there be that enter into it and that there be goates as well as sheepe then come
nearer vnto them and demand of them vpon what ground they hope that God will be more mercifull vnto them for to saue them from hell and bring them to heauen then he is to many other whom he casteth into destruction then they are at a stand not knowing what to say or doe or it may be run vnto their workes for to seeke their saluation there or els answere you that it is too high a question for them and that they are not so deepely learned and albeit they are conuinced that they are ignorant of the meanes wherby they may be deliuered from eternall perdition yet they let it sticke there troubling themselues no further but goe on carelesly and securely not so much as once asking or inquiring of that man of God which hath so conuinced them how and which way they may be deliuered but let it so remaine being negligent of their eternall good and this their fearefull miserable blockishnesse and dotage ariseth onely from this that they haue no sense nor feeling of the miserable estate wherein they are by sinne but onely prate and discourse of it because they heare others doe so thinking that men must say so and because for the present they haue their bodily health and the things of this world at will and feele no smart in their consciences for they are dead in sinnes and trespasses and consequently without feeling therefore are they secure and seeke not to bee deliuered from their sinnes but liue taking their pleasure and delight therein for they haue neither true knowledge nor feeling of the misery and wretchednesse whereinto their sinnes haue brought them how their soule is depraued and corrupted and what a curse hangeth ouer them but this securitie of theirs is like vnto that of a condemned person who sleeping before execution is secure no longer then his sleepe dureth for from this that worldly men are ignorant of the misery wherein they are thorough their sinnes ariseth it that they are so negligent and carelesse not troubling not themselues with the Apostle about their deliuerance nor yet once looking after Christ Iesus vnfainedly and heartily whereas had they learned tightly to know and vnderstand the misery wherein they are by reason of their sinnes they would with all earnestnesse and vehemencie haue sought their deliuerance from the body of death as the Apostle did Secondly this sheweth how necessary it is that the Law should be thoroughly Preached to the end that men being made thereby to know the miserable and woefull estate whereinto their sins haue brought them might the better be driuen to seeke their deliuerance thorough Iesus Christ For it is most certain that neither the deliuerance is heartily sought after nor Iesus Christ the Physitian worthily esteemed there where the hate fulnesse of sinne and the greatnesse of the misery by reason of sinne is not thoroughly knowne Goe tell a man which feeleth no griefe and thinketh himselfe to be well and in health that he should seeke for helpe and goe vnto the Physitian for to be cured and he will mocke and deride you but one that findeth his disease and feeleth the paine thereof will thanke you for your counsell so vntill such time that men haue learned thoroughly to know their misery Iesus Christ the Physitian is not respected nor accounted off according to his worth and desert and although the Ministers of Christ come vnto them praying and beseeching them in the name of Christ and entreating them for the loue of Christ to carrie themselues so and so yet these men which know not their misery regard it not at all but set light by all the requestes and entreaties of Christ and suffer his Ministers to pray and entreate as much as they will passing away their time without any care or thought at all and no maruayle for they feele no want of Christ neither finde they any more sweetnesse in the Lord Iesus then in a dry Wort-stalke But on the contrary side those that haue learned truely to know their misery and which giue vp their hearts soules vnto Christ for to be deliuered thorough him those esteeme and count of all things as dung and drosse for the excellencie of the knowledge of Iesus Christ whatsoeuer is required of these in the name of Christ as soone as they truely know it to bee his will they fashion themselues according vnto it they onely being those that honour and esteeme of Christ according vnto his worth and excellencie as daily experience maketh it vndeniably manifest for this cause we see it to be most necessary that men should learne to know their misery by the preaching of the law to the end that they may come vnto the Gospell for their deliuerance in and thorough Iesus Christ Thirdly This serueth to admonish all those which seeke to be deliuered from the bodie of death that they willingly and gladly suffer the reproofe and reprehension of their sinnes and the discouery of the filthinesse and hatefulnesse of them but men are impatient of this auoyding shunning it as the death yet without this they cannot be deliuered from the body of death some when they heare sinne sharply reproued cry out that it is the way to preach men to destruction but truely they know not what they say are they those that thinke to bee deliuered by their owne workes that they cannot suffer to haue it truely declared vnto them that the very best of them according to the tenor and strictnesse of the Law hath by their owne actions deserned no lesse then hell and damnation But if they be wise right minded Christians let them be willing to heare their owne insufficiencie and vnworthinesse discouered and layd open vnto them that they may the more reuerence and esteeme of Iesus Christ and learne not in their owne workes but in his worthines and merites to seeke their deliuerance and saluation and to acknowledge and follow him not from the teeth outwardes like hypocrites but vnfainedly and from their hearts as the onely Physitian and sauiour of their soules Therefore most commendable is the practise of those Ministers of God which are carefull earnest to lay open before mens eyes their insufficiencie vilenesse and cursed estate by nature endeuouring by that meanes to bring men highly to esteeme of Christ whom the end of all our preaching is to make knowne vnto them for by experience we finde and the truth it selfe maketh it cleare that our Lord Iesus Christ is worthily esteemed and honoured of none but of such as by the feeling of their misery are brought into the estate of the Apostle when he cryed out O miserable man who shall deliuer me from this body of death Fourthly this serueth to admonish vs whensoeuer we finde our selues wanting in our loue and due estimation of Christ and feele that wee haue not such a heartie and grounded affection vnto him and such a hungry desire and longing after our deliuerance from the