PAVLS COMPLAINT AGAINST HIS NATVRALL CORRVPTION WITH THE MEANES HOW TO BEE DELIVERED FROM the power of the same Set forth in two Sermons vpon the 24 verse of the 7. Chapter of his Epistle to the Romanes Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from this bodie of death By me WILLIAM TEELINCK Preacher of the Word of GOD at MIDDLEBVRGH LONDON Printed by Iohn Dawson for Iohn Bellamie 1621. TO THE WORSHIPFVLL HIS VVORTHIE FRIEND M r THOMAS NICHOLAS Esquire As also To the vertuous Gentlewoman M rs IANE NICHOLAS his wife Grace and peace in this life with perfection of glory and happinesse in that to come WORSHIPFVLL The consideration of the dutie which euery Christan is in Conscience bound to performe namely To aduance the glory of God by whom he was created and vpon whom he wholy dependeth and also to further the good of his Brother the Image of God and fellow member with him of the same misticall bodie of Christ compelled me to take in hand the Translation of these two Sermons following as being the good which I hauing opportunitie of time and place to accomplish might in no wise omit They were first preached and published in the Netherlandish Dutch for the benefit of the people of God in those parts which being also my desire in this place I according to my slender ability haue translated and published them here and as a token of the respect I beare vnto your worth and of the thanks I owe vnto you for the many fauourable fruites of your loue am bold to tender them vnto your acceptance and commit them vnto your Patronage They may fitly be tearmed the Anatomizing of the body of sinne a touch stone for a Christian or a Receipt for a sicke soule for they ioyntly containe matter suting vnto these three titles and vse full for all sortes of men as well those that have a name to be aliue but are dead hauing a shew of Religion but want substance as those that are Christians indeed and in truth Whose prayse is not of men but of God But being loath to be too troublesome vnto you with abundance of words I referre you vnto the booke it selfe which being iealous of mine owne errors and insufficiencie I submit vnto your judicious censure euer consecrating my selfe vnto you for your seruice in all that I am or shal be able to performe and my prayers vnto God for your safetie and protection in bodie and soule and thus I humbly take my leaue euer remaining your Worships to be commanded in whatsoeuer C◠HARMAR ¶ The Author his Epistle to the Reader ALthough in all the holy Scripture the word of truth it be found to be most true that in the world there is nothing more hatefull and fearefull then sinne yet daily experience teacheth that there are very few which are grieued and troubled therewith there are to bee found in this cursed world multitudes of them that mourne for their temporall losses and crosses the fruit of sinne one complaineth pittifully of his pouertie of the losse and damage he hath susteined another of his sicknesse of the griefe and paine that he hath suffered a third of the shame contempt disgrace or iniurie which this or that man hath offered vnto him but few consider that sinne is the mother of all this mischiefe yea when they are free from the foresaid inconueniences though they lie plunged and smoothered in sinne they are neuer touched therewith but passe away their time carelesly and securely Let them care that care will onely some few whose eyes God hath opened for to see the mysteries of his kingdome doe make their sinnes their greatest trouble and griefe and not without good cause for it is most certaine and true that he shall neuer see God with ioy hereafter in heauen which commeth not to see his sinnes with a holy and godly sorrow here vpon earth In this sense those that mourne are called blessed of our Sauiour himselfe Therefore for to moue men unto this godly sorrow for their sins and to stirre them vp vnto an holy zeale against all sinnes I haue published these Sermons following wherein I haue shewed how we may be deliuered both from the condemning and commanding power of sinne unto our eternall comfort whereby if any man reape benefit I shall highly reioyce in my labour herein bestowed Farewell in the Lord. Middleburgh the 21. of Iuly 1620. Thine in the Lord WILLIAM TEELINCK PAVL HIS COMPLAINT AGAINST HIS NATVRALL CORRVPTION WITH THE MEANES HOW TO be deliuered from the power of the same Set forth in two Sermons vpon the 24. verse of the 7. Chapter of his Epistle to the Romaynes O miserable man that I am who shall deliuer mee from this body of death THE Apostle Paul hauing declared at large in the foregoing verses the cumbersome contention he had with his flesh and naturall Corruption the which was alwayes in his way and exceedingly hindered him in the seruice of his God and now finding himselfe dangerously beset with this enemy he cryeth out for helpe as it were with a loud voyce saying O miserable man that I am who shall deliuer me from this body of death The summe A mournefull Lamentation or Complaint against that naturall corruption wherwith the Apostle found himselfe oppressed The parts are these 1. Against what hee complaineth against the body of death 2. Who complaineth The Apostle himselfe I miserable man 3. How he complaineth Two manner of wayes First he declareth himselfe therefore to be miserable in that he hath this body of death about him secondly he wisheth to bee deliuered from it 1. Of what he Complaineth He complaineth of the body of death by which we must vnderstand as it appeareth in the former Verses our naturall corruption which makes vs in our selues vnapt to any good and prone and readie to all euill euen that originall sinne wherin we were conceiued and borne concerning which the Apostle formerly testifieth that it worketh death Ver. 13. And in another place is termed by him the body of sinne Rom. 6.6 in which respect also he declareth himselfe to be carnall sold vnder sinne ver 14. and witnesseth that it is in him a Law in his members whereby he is greatly hindered in the performance of obedience vnto the Law of God ver 22.23 But we shall better iudge of the meaning of this manner of speech if so be we obserue the reasons why originall sinne or naturall corruption is called a body yea a body of death Our naturall corruption is named a body for these reasons following 1. As a body hath many members so also hath this naturall corruption it is a coniunction or knitting together of many euill members or rather it spreadeth it selfe through all the powers and parts of the whole man therefore it is not onely called a body but also a Man even the olde Man Ephes 4.22 Implying that there is nothing in man which
as it were receiuing their deaths wound beganne presently to decay being in the first place depriued of that excellent beautie and luster wherewith they were cloathed For at first they were more glorious and beautifull in their bodies then the Lillyes in Paradise but when this filthie pollution had once ouerrunne them then beganne they to be ashamed of their owne bodies and to couer them yea this sinne so wrought vpon them that by reason therof they could not remaine in Paradise but went and hid themselues amongst the trees of the Garden Gen. 3. Such deadly and destroying poyson both to soule and bodie there is in this corruption This naturall corruption is also called a bodie of death because it engendreth and bringeth forth a broode of deadly sinnes Iam. 1.14.15 Which are nothing else but dead workes Heb. 6.1 Dauid hauing committed those two great and haynous sinnes of Adultery and Murther and being greatly humbled and broken in hart for the same went as one would say to seeke out the fountaine by the streame and to enquire how it might come to passe that he should so exceeding foolishly forget himselfe and he findes his naturall corruption to be the originall cause from whence those most hatefull and deadly crimes did proceede Psalme 51.5 Wherefore in this regard with good cause is it termed a bodie of death It is likewise called a body of death because it is destined to euerlasting death as the man in whom it raigneth Rom. 6.23 Euen as Dauid was called a Childe of death not onely because he had killed another but because he himselfe had deserued to die So this corruption is likewise called a bodie of death because it is condemned to die and to death it must goe Colos 3.5 Gal. 5.24 Yea it is a matter of such consequence that what man soeuer doth not in this life begin to kill and crucifie this monster he himselfe shall die eternally As the Apostle sayth Rom 8.13 If you liue after the flesh yee shall die that is to say eternally for wee must all die once Heb 9. ver 27. but if by the spirit yee mortifie the deedes of the bodie that is of this wicked body of sinne which is condemned to die Rom 6.6 yee shall liue Thus then stands it with this naturall corruption this hatefull vgly monster that vnlesse we begin to kill it while we are here it will not onely bring vpon vs the spirituall death of our soules and the temporall death of our bodies but also the eternall death of both whereby we shall perish for euer Yea wee haue all of vs alreadie deserued that we together with our naturall corruption or sinful flesh should be pluckt out of the Land of the liuing and cast into euerlasting darkenesse where is weeping wayling and gnashing of teeth But here in appeareth the wonderfull and vnspeakeable louing kindnesse patience and long suffering of God inviting vs to repentance and saluation in that there is space giuen vs here wherin to repent and crucifie this body of death Therefore it is the greatest madnesse that can be in the world that a poore wretched condemned caytiffe dares be so bold as to put off from day to day his Repentance and the mortifying of the wicked body of his originall corruption which he knowes not in how short a time may bring him into euerlasting perdition Behold these are the reasons for which the Apostle nameth our naturall corruption a bodie of death from whence ariseth this obseruation that the originall corruption wherein wee were all conceiued and borne is a most deformed mishapen bodie of death a monster altogether vgly and fearefull Which is manifest in that it not onely corrupteth and destroyeth soule and bodie but also bringeth them both into euerlasting condemnation vnlesse a course be taken in time as it was plainely proued in the opening of the Text and may also further be gathered out of this that the Apostle himselfe cryeth out so earnestly and complaineth that he is a miserable man because hee was troubled and oppressed therewith For this cause is it that naturall vnregenerate men in whom the corrupt flesh hath the vpperhand are so commonly in the Scriptures compared to most noysome and hurtfull Creatures as Serpents and Vipers Mat 23.33 Lyons Psal 10.9 Beares Pro 28.15 Rauening Wolues Mat 7.15 Wilde Swine Psal 80.13 wilde Asses Iob 1â— 12 Foxes and young Foxes which spoyle and bring to naught euery thing about which they come Cant 2.15 Yea the naturall man is sayd to haue the Diuell to his Father Ioh 8.44 So that a child is not more like to his Father then an vnregenerate man spiritually is to the Diuell and iudge you what a monstrous thing this is that man which was created after Gods owne image should now bee likened vnto those Creatures aforesaid not onely in some respects as God himselfe is vnto some of them but euen in the most odious and hatefull things that are in them and not onely so but in sinne and wickednesse to resemble the Diuell himselfe too therefore the Scripture sayth of carnall men which haue nothing in them but nature that their throte is an open Sepulcher the poyson of Aspes is under their lips their mouth is sull of cursing and bitternesse their feete are swift to shed bloud destruction and calamity are in their wayes as in the way of some deuouring Monster which destroyes and spoyles all things where he passeth or comes For this cause is it that the Saints of GOD whose eyes he hath opened for to see the hatefulnesse of this Monster our naturall corruption which wee all brought with vs into the world from our Mothers wombe had rather die then fulfill the lusts thereof which are alwayes against God and contrary to his holy Commandements Such is the nature of this body of death that it will no longer do any worke of God then it may with profit or pleasure and when eyther of these is crost then farewell obedience If Nabuchadnezzar commands contrary to the Law of God that all men must worship the Golden Image or els be cast into the fiery furnace naturall corruption flesh and bloud will straight way conclude that it is best to obey the King but the Saints of God which know the hatefulnesse of this Monster will rather vndergoe the punishment then giue it his desire If that adulterous woman Potiphars wife should goe about to draw Ioseph to commit folly with her this monster our naturall corruption would presently consent but Ioseph the seruant of God rather then he will doe so will leaue his garment behinde and venture his life too for he knoweth that this body of death is a fearefull vgly monster the lusts whereof are enmitie to God Yea the accursed vnregenerate wretches themselues whose ioy delight and chiefest happines is placed in pleasing their corrupt sinfull flesh and whose onely care and studie is to satisfie the lustes of this vile and
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