Scandalous Sinning for a Act of a life after the flesh draws with it the fear of Everlasting Death 2ly They would beware of Impenitency for their old sins before Conversion Pâ— was an man that Exercised Repentance continually for his old Persecution and therefore we do not much read that he was troubled with the Spirit of Bondage after 3ly Beware of Relapses in Predominants for these always break the peace of Conscience 4ly Beware of indifferency as to grouth and of contentment with your present Attainements in Religion For it is only such who make progress in the way of God that enjoys most of the Comforts of the Gospel and are freest of Tormenting Fears these that walk in the fear of God walk also in the Comforts of the Holy Ghost Acts 9.31 5ly Beware of these Sins mentioned Eph. 4.30 which greives the Spirit of God and makes him forbear to discover to the Godly that they belong to God as his peculiar Treasure and where that discovery is wanting the Heart cannot but be subject to Tormenting Fears Observe 4ly That the native effect of the presence of the Spirit of Adoption in a Believer is Spiritual freedom it is here opposed to the Spirit of Bondage this spiritual liberty appears from the Christians freedom from these Fears that are awakned in him through the Accusations of his Conscience for Guilt 2ly In his freedom from the Fears of Death 3ly In his freedom from the Fears of severe Judgements 4ly In his freedom from the fear of Gods Wrath and frightful Dispensations 2ly As the Spirit of Freedom lyes in a being quite of these Tormenting Fears so it lyes in a ready and dareing Application of Gods Promises suiteable to our Exigence when we reckon it no presumption to apply promises as we need them 3ly It lyes in a Liberty for supplication when we have no Jealousy of God that he will take advantage of us in our low condition but when we can with great freedom of spirit open our own Heart befor him as an Affectionate Father In a word Faith hath its fullest freedom in Prayer where the spirit of freedom is therein is Believing the acceptance of our Prayers the prevalency of our Prayers and the fullest accomplishment of the promises that are in our view 4ly The Spirit of Liberty lyes in this that with great facility we get our duty done by the presence of this Spirit Mastering our Corruptions and repelling the Devills Temptations that may obstruct us in our Duty We walk at liberty in keeping Gods Precepts 5ly The Spirit of Liberty where it is it keeps us from the crushing weight of Crosses because it lets us see that all our Crosses are totally free of the Curse of the Law and so the Man has Internal Freedom of Spirit and rest in his Soul under outward Trouble And this holds out the greatness of the benefite of the Spirit of Adoption Observe 5ly That Familiarity in Prayer is the special effect of the Spirit of Adoption This Familiarity in Prayer appears in an free and fearless Confession of our Guilt and Heart-Plagues before God 2ly In a humble and submissive Representation of the difficulties of our case to him 3ly In the reasoning with him for supply strength and delivery upon the account of his promises as Nehemiah did Neh. 1. 4ly In peremptor Desires after spiritual Good when with Jacob we will not let him goe untill he Bless us Motives to this Familiarity are 1st Gods Fatherly Relation to us 2ly His sitting upon a Throne of Grace and not upon a Throne of Justice he follows a method of Grace and not of strict Justice in his dispensations towards his People 3d. Motive is Christs Sympathy is the spring of his Intercession for his People A 4th is The example of the Saints using this Familiarity with God is proposed in the Scripture for our Imitation The means to win to this Familiarity Are 1st We should study singleness and sincerity Heb. 10.22 2ly We should beware of these Sins we have repented of Vowed against and have born Chastisements from the hand of God for them 3ly We would beware of Formality and study Seriousness and Forvour in our Devotions Verse 16. The Spirit it self bears witness with our Spirit that we are the Chilren of God HEre the Apostle proves That the Sons of God may be Familiar with him because they may be assured of their Sonship Likeas here he proves that the Children of God must live by a second Argument He proves their Sonship because it is witnessed by the Testimony of Gods Spirit and by the Testimony of their own Conscience Observe 1st That Gods People may be assured of Sonship Observe 2ly That the manner of attaining it is by the Testimony of the Spirit and by the Testimony of Conscience For the First Observation I clear the attainableness of assurance by these Four Grounds 1st God Commands to endeavour to attain it 2 Pet 1.11 12. 2ly The Saints have attained it before Rom. 8. Last Ye see the experience of David frequently in the Psalms 3ly He hath laid down positive marks in th Scripture evidenceing the state of Sonship many of these are set down in the 1 Epist John and it cannot be conceived that the Spirit of God should lay down these Marks but for this end that the People of God by discerning them in themselves may attain to Assurance thereby 4th Ground is the necessity and usefulness of Assurance to Gods People Without Assurance they cannot win to the Love of God which is a necessary Principle for Gospel-Obedience without it we cannot râ—joice in Tribulation which is their necessary Duty and approveable temper Rom. 5.3 Without it they cannot rejoice in God as their Covenanted Portion ibid 10. Without this we cannot be cheerful in Obedidience We cannot rejoice and work Righteousness As also without Assurance they cannot rejoice in the hope of the Glory of God Likeas it should be considered That Gods promises into his People are made for that end that they may be applyed and without this Assurance Believers can have no freedom to apply these Promses The Apostasie of Temporary Believers speaks nothing against this Assurance Because true Believers have Attainments that Temporary Believers are wholly Strangers to Heb. 6.9 And albeit the Holy Ghost does dispense Threatnings in the word against Apostates Gods method in that militates nothing against Assurance And that first because these Threatnings are given out indefinitly against the whole Members of the Visible Church amongst whom there are many Hypocrites And 2ly Because the Holy Ghost makes use of these Threatnings to beget in the Heart of true Believers a Cautelous Fear and abstaining from Sins against Light which sins in their own nature have a Tendency to Apostasie Use of this serves To reprove the Error of the Roman Church which maintains that true Believers can attain to no more then a conjectural Opinion anent their sonship 2ly It reproves the Carnal Professors of
their Corruption By the things of the flesh are meant either such outward Enjoyments as are gratifying to our Corrupt Lusts or such sinful methods as Corrupt Men ordinarly chuse to attain these Enjoyments by or both By â—ding the things of the flesh is meant Corrupt Men their high esteem of strong desires after and solicitous care about these Enjoyments of the World that gratify unrenewed Lust That Unrenewed Men thus mind the things of the flesh appears Because to enjoy the Objects of their Lusts they will not stand to commit the greatest of crimes Jeroboam would not stand to commit Idolatry to gratify his Ambition Judas would not stick to betray his Master to gratify his Covetousness 2ly Unrenewed Men will expose themselves to much to ill of Spirit and Labour of Body to obtain these Enjoyments 3ly They expose themselves to many Bodily dangers to enjoy them 4ly They have great fears of loseng them they have a great confidence and rejoiceing in the enjoyment of them Luke 12. The Rich Man bad his Soul take rest and be Merry 5ly Unrenewed Folks have an exceeding greif when they want these Enjoyments The Causes why Unrenewed Fold mind the things of the Flesh are first Ignorance of and Infidelity about an other Life A second cause is a wrong Set of heart whereby they love to have their satisfaction placed in outward things more than in God A Third is the Devil hurries Corrupt Men to follow sinful courses who by that can get no leisure to reflect on the Vanity of these Enjoyments The Evils of their thus minding the things of the flesh Are 1st This practice ordinarly hardens People and gathers strength to Corruption and makes customary sin hard to be overcome Jer. 13.23 2ly This course is very scandalous and offensive to others 3ly It exposes Men to great smarting of Conscience for it 4ly It exposes them to many snares and destuction 1 Tim. 6.9 10. 5ly It exposes them to great Torment through disapointment of their expectations The Use of this serves First for Tryal Those that mind the things of the flesh are in a state of Nature 2ly It bids us pity those those that are in an unrenewed state For they have a pityful Employment minding always the things of the Flesh 3ly It exhorts such as are unrenewed to seek the Renovation of their Nature by Prayer to God for it and the use of the means of Grace see Peter's Exhortation to to Simon Magus Acts 8.22 and Ezek. 36.37 The last part of the verse is contained in these words Those that are after the Spirit mind the things of the Spirit Now First By those that are after the Spirit are meaned Such who have an renewed Nature whose Conversation flows from Faith and Love who are led by the Spirits motions whose Conversations are regulated by the Law in its spiritual meaning whose Conversation hath an tendency to promote spiritual Ends viz. The Glory of God and the pleasing of him their own Salvation the preserving Peace of Conscience the attaining of Communion with God in the World and the Edification of theâ— Neighbour By the things of the Spirit are meant these Duties the New Man exerciseth himself in with Delight and these Comforts that please the new Nature and its Felicity By the minding of the things of the Spirit is meant thâ— Christians esteem of and concernment about thâ— enjoyment of spiritual Good We may observe here the Renewed Man mind the things of the Spirit that is he minds the Dutiâ— that are pleasant and profitable to the New Naturâ— As 1st The duties of the Moral Law Paul tells 〈◊〉 in the 7 Rom. That he delights in the Law of Goâ— after the inward Man 2ly He minds the Exerciâ— of Faith he sits down under Christ's shadow witâ— great delight Câ—râ— 2.3 3ly He is much taken 〈◊〉 about the guiding of his Conscience 1st That 〈◊〉 Conscience may witness for his Integrity 2 Cor. â— 12. 2ly That his Conscience may testify his Tendeâ—ness 1 Cor. 4.2 3ly That it may testify his 〈◊〉 offensive walking Acts 24.16 4ly That his Coâ—science may testify for him that he hath an Intenâ— in Christ's Blood Heb. 10.22 4ly The reneâ—ed man minds Duty if you consider that he is careful to mix the Exercise of Grace with the Exercise of Gifts 1 Tim. 1 14. 5ly He is careful to Exercise the various Graces of the Spirit as providence calls him to it 2 Pet. 1.5 Next as to the Comforts of the New Nature he is an Man that hath a panting desire after fellowship with God Psal 63.8 and that either in Ordinances Psal 27.4 or in Providences Psal 34.7.8 In the last place the renewed man is taken up about his Felicity As 1st To make his Title sure to it Phi. 3.9.10 2ly That he may hastily enjoy it Phil. 3.14 3ly That he may keep entire friendship with God who is the giver of it 2 Cor. 5.8 4ly That he may taste something of it before he enjoy it fully Philip. 3. penulâ— And 5ly He commits the keeping of it to God till he come to the Actual Enjoyment of it 2 Tim. 1.12 From this we make an Use of Tryal of our renewed state And 2ly We would be exhorted if we would be in capacity to mind the things of the Spirit to study more Heart-renovation by labouring to entertain the impressions of the word without prejudice Rom. 6.17 Verse 6 For to be carnally minded is Death But to be spiritually minded is Life and Peace HEre the Apostle proves That those that walk after the flesh are lyable to Condemnation Because to be Carnally minded tends to Death and the truth is that these Objects which gratify Lust or rather those sinful courses that corrupt Nature takes for to attain the Enjoyment of these gratifying objects certainly tends to Death many times the wickedness of men brings them to an untimeous Natural Death and always Mens acting of Wickedness encreaseth Spiritual Death which stands in the Alâ—e nation of the Heart of Man from conversing with God whether to converse with him by Prayer in the use of publick Ordinances or in conscientious Reflections upon and improvement of the course of Divine Prvoidence Now since Sin encreases our Alienation from God it cannot but encrease our Spiritual Death for the Life of the Soul lyes in Communion and fellowship with God 2ly The Carnal Acts of the carnal mind encrease Spiritual Death because they encrease in us an impotency to do that which is spiritually good and they encrease in us a Readiness and Ability to do that which is Evil so then Sin cannot but encrease Siritual Death Because Spiritual Death consists in an Aversion from doing good and a readyness to do Evil. Likeas there is a strict Connection between the sinful course of the Carnal unrenewed Mind and Eternal Death which stands in the Eternal separation of an Man from the favourable presence of God And the Intimation and Expressions of his special Love
the former Verse He in this Verse preoccupies an Objection that they might have made against the Application of the Priviledge of Non-condemnation It might have been said that since Believers must dye what benefite can be expected by them as enjoying that Priviledge It is Answered they must dye because of inherent Sin For God to shew his indignation against all sin appointed Death Likeways they must dye for the abolition of it God appointing the dissolution of our Nature to be the Method for its perfect cure yet the comfort is that tho the body dye yet the Soul lives because of Christs Righteousness And a second Comfort is that the Souls Life is an Pledge of the Resurrection of the Body Here we may see that Christ dweâ—ls in his Peoples Hearts by his Spirit 1 John 3. last And ye may Observe 1st That there may be Inherent Sin in those in whom Christ dwells though it reign not Rom. 7. last The Lord does not perfect our Cure all at once he leaves this evil Neighbour in our Hearts to embitter the Worlds Comforts to us to try our Faith of Justification and to call us to a vigilant and dependant frame upon himself Observe 2ly That the Godly must dye For albeit Christ hath removed the whole Curse of the Law and satisfyed Justice compleatly for all our sins and has the Fathers Promise that he shall free his People from all the bad Consequences of sin yet a present total freedom from all these Consequences that followes on sin upon their first believing is not promised by the Father to him or to them It is secured that it shall be done in Gods time and way but mortality is not removed from them presently If ye shall say they are freed from the Curse of the Law in Justification why then and they not freed presently from all the effects of that Curse Answer Mortality continues on the Justified not by vertue of a curseing Law as though it would be a Reflection upon Justice if God should deliver the Believer upon his first Faith altogether from Mortality But Mortality is continued by the Soveraign God for wise Ends not to make a particular satisfaction to Justice for our sin that Christ hath left unmade but because God will have the whole Mystical Body its perfection to be all at once and he will have his People to live in this World by Faith and therefore he makes the Mortality of Believers a vail to hide their promised Felicity from Sense And that the Mortality of Believers is not continued upon them as the Effect of a curseing Law is clear from what the Apostle says 1 Cor. 15. That their Death wants its Sting Next we see Death inflicted as a Chastisement upon some of the Godly See 1 Cor. 11.30 31 32 And it is clear in the Instance of Josia who dyed in peace and yet was chastised with a violent Death for his rash engagement in a War Now God inflicting Death upon Believers testifies his Fatherly Displeasure against sin but not his Justice against them as a just Judge for Affliction is sent upon them as an Accomplishment of the Threatning annext to the Covenant of Grace but not as an Accomplishment of the Law-curse Psal 89.32 This is much for the Comfort of Believers Use of this is since Believers must die They would prepare for Death and if they would be prepared they would make use of these Directions 1st Labour to be sure of the indwelling Spirit for that is the only sure mark of an interest in Christ they would not lean to an empty profession a great measure of common gifts or meer Morality A 2d Direction is They would found their Title to Life only upon the Righteousness of Christ and not upon their own merite A 3d. is They would be willing to dye and therefore they would mortify their Covetousness and their Security and they would labour for a firm Faith in Divine Providence whereby they may committ the disposal of all their concerns and the concerns of the Church to God as Joseph did Gen. last 4th Direction is They would labour to have peace of Conscience at Death and for this effect they would beware of lying under impenitency for old or new contracted Guilt Likeas they would labour for a Testimony from their Conscience that they have readily accepted of the Gospel-Offer 2ly They would labour to have the Conscience witnessing their singleness in their Conversation at Death as Hezekiah had in his sickness Isai 38. Likeas they would have the Conscience witnessing their Diligence in Duty That so an entrance may be Administred to them abundantly to the Everlasting Kingdom of our Lord Jesus 2 Pet. 1.4 A 5th Direction is They would fix themselves in the faith of the Immortality of the Soul which Immortality appears from its conception of immaterial Objects 2ly From its Operâ—tions independent on the Body as in Extasies 3ly From the Moral Government of God in the World by Laws and Judgement considered jointly with the impartial Justice of God with the Miseries of the Godly and the Prosperity of the Wicked A 6th Direction is We would build our selves up in the faith of the Resurrection of the Body Observe 3ly That the Godly have a spiritual life in their Soul as appears by the spiritual sense they have of spiritual things They have an Hunger and Thirst after spiritual Food They have a spiritual sigh of spiritual Mysteries by Faith and they have a spiritual feeling of sin and misery Now this spiritual Life continues after Death as appears from Luke 16.23 and 23 43. Phil 1 23. 2 Cor 5 1 The Apostle supposeth that the continuance of this Life after Death is a sufficient comfort to the Godly under their present Mortality and these considerations may clear the sufficiency of this Comfort if ye consider First The great Good that is in it 1st There is a freedom in it from Trouble and Vexation Rev. 14.13 Isai 57.1 2ly The perfection of Holiness is in it Heb. 12.23 And sâ— there is freedom from Coâ—ruption and horrid Temptations much uninterrupted Peace and Joy in expectation of a future Blessedness 3ly Theâ— have much good Company in it they have the fellowship of Angels and Saints Heb 12.22 23 They have the fellowship of the Patriarchs Luke 16.25 They have the fellowship of Christ Philip. 1.23 2 Cor. 5.8 Use of this is Godly Folks would comfort themselves with this Consolation under their Mortality 1st Because this Comfort is a pure Comfort unmixed with Trouble 2ly It is a sure Comfort as appears by the Scriptures formerly cited 3ly It is a near Comfort they have it partly in possession and they are to have a great measure of it immediatly on their Death This speak the great misery of these Mortals who altogether want spiritual life they want the great support that can Support Sinners under the View of Mortality Likeas this calls to the Godly to have a great measure
Godly as the unquestionable Sign of Grace Heb. 6.12 And 4ly To remember former Experiences For the Object of the Creatures Hope it is said to be the manifestation of the Sons of God this Figurative Manifestation of the Sons of God is ascribed to the Creature because they will never attain to their Primitive Perfection and Beauty till the Sons of God be Glorifyed and untill the last Day At which time or rather the Beginning of Eternity when there shall be a Manifestation of the Sons of God It shall be manifested then how excellent a Dignity it is to be the Sons of God the outward Visible Effects of Adoption are delayed till that day and therefore the Redemption of the Body is called Adoption in the subsequent Verses It is true the adopted receive the Spirit of Adoption whereby they themselves may know they are adopted but that effect is not so discernible by others 2ly At that day it shall be manifested who are the Sons of God the Book of Life will be opened to the view of all and the Children will have the Sentence of the Judge for their Possession of this Inheritance see the Process of Judgement Mat. 25. 3ly It will be made manifest in that day what good Works the Children of God have done God will bring to light the hidden Counsels of the Heart and so every man shall have praise of God see 2 Cor. 4 This Description of the last Day affords us an Use of Consolation to the Christian that doubts of his Adoption 2ly To the Christian contemned by the World 3ly To the Christian censured by the World for his Hypocrisie A 2d Use is of Exhortation to exhort folks to live suitably to this Adoption seing its Manifestation is so certain From the 20. Verse Observe the Vanity of all this visible Creation and its Insufficiency to make men happy And therefore Folks 1st Should not have excessive Desires after it Our Desires should not be pâ—remptor like Racheâ—s after Children we should be content to want what God denyes 2ly It reproves these that have big Expectations from the World like that fool Luke 12. who builded his large Barnes We should not expect full contentment of Mind or quiet of Conscience from any thing here away 3ly It reproves those that are unsober in their Enjoyments who do not use the World as though they used it not such who look on their Injoyments as perpetual and suffers their heart so to run out after the Worlds Good that they turn incapable to enjoy God or the Priviledges of the Gospel 4ly It reproves those that gives way to anxious Care about obtaining of the Worlds Good which anxiety makes them with Martha neglect the one thing needful and choaks the Word and makes it become unfruitful see Phil. 4.6 5ly It reproves these that give way to Excess of Sorrow when Providence separates their Enjoyments from them sorrow is excessive when it hinders them always to rejoice in God and when it weakens their health A 2d Use of Exhortation from the Vanity of the Creature is People should be crucified to it That they may win to this they should labour 1st For Mortification of their Lusts 2ly They should labour for a lively Faith of a better World 3ly They should observe the frequent Disappointments they meet with from the Worlds Good From the Creatures aversion to this Vanity It is subject to Vanity not willingly Christians may learn they are allowed to have a lawful Aversion from the Cross which aversion kythes in their Prayers to remove the Cross and in using all lawful Endeavors for its removing From the Creatures being subject to Vanity by reason of Gods imposing it on them Christians should learn an entire submission to cross Providences Which submission kythes 1st In an grateful Acknowledgement of the present Mercies of their Lot 2ly In a cordial Complyance with their Duty notwithstanding of their Cross 3ly In a believing of Gods Promises made to them notwithstanding of it 4ly In a Justification of Gods Way towards them notwithstanding of the same 5ly In a refusing of all unwarrantable Ways for their relief Helps to win at this Submission Are 1st A full Conviction of their Guilt a living man should not complain for the punishment of his Sins A 2d Is the due consideration of the Goodness Justice and Soveraignty of God A 3d. Is the firm belief of Divine Wisdom which can extract our profite out of the most dark and cross Providences we can live under Rom. 8.28 The Text says that he subjected the same in Hope To hold out that God did not design to perpetuate its Vanity but had appointed its restauration to its primitive Perfection And this is set down here as an Ground of the Creatures Metaphorical Hope And from this we may learn from the Creatures Example to strengthen our Hope by the consideration of this That God designs not to keep us perpetually in Misery but there is a firm Determination in Heaven for our Relief we may put on the Breast-plate of Faith and Love because as the Apostle says to the Thessalonians God hath not appointed 〈◊〉 to Wrath but to obtain Salvation by Jesus Christ Verse 21. Because the Creature it self also shall be delivered from the Bondage of Corruption into the Glorious Liberty of the Sons of God THE Apostle having Verse 19. ascribed a Figurative Hope to the Creature in the 20. 21 Verses he lays down the Grounds of that Hope and in the 20 Verse there are Two Grounds laid down whereof one is That the Vanity to which it was subject was contrary to its natural Inclination and Gods primitive Institution in the state 〈◊〉 Innocence The Text says It was not subjected 〈◊〉 vanity willingly A 2d Ground is there was a fiâ—ed purpose in God for the restitution of the Creature to its Primitive Vigour and Beauty He subjecâ— the Creature to Vanity under Hope And there a 3d. Ground of the Creatures Hope laid down 〈◊〉 the 21. Verse Viz. The necessity of the Creature partaking according to its measure and capacity 〈◊〉 the glorious Liberty of the Sons of God And ther is a Reason given for this because Vanity was imposed on the Creature for the sins of Gods People and therefore when Gods Children are made free 〈◊〉 sin both as to its Guilt and Presence it is but reâ—sonable that the Creature should be liberate of iâ—â— Vanity also We may Observe here 1st That Gods Children are while they are here away under Bondage 〈◊〉 They shall certainly meet with a glorious Liberty from that Bondage 3ly When they meet with that Liberty the Creature shall then and not till then be liberate from their Bondage For the 1st Observation Tho' the Godly be not slaves to Satan nor to Sin yet they are under a sort of Captivity for while here away they are subject to Death and to the frailties of Nature and to great fears that Death may have its sting towards