in whom is the fulnesse of truth and grace Look as it is in the naturall body so it is in the misticall body as in the naturall body all the naturall motion proceeds from the head and from the vertue that is derived from the head to the members so in the mysticall body all the spirituall motion it proceeds from the influence of the head Christ is the head and from him as from the head is derived all the vertue to the members of Christ by which the death to sinne and the life of grace is wrought in us likewise Looke as it was in the oyle of Aaron the oyle that was powred on the head of Aaron it stayd not on his head but descended to the skirts of his cloathing So the Spirit of Christ it rests not on Christ onely but from Christ as the head it descends upon all the members of Christ The reason thereof why as our death to sinne so the life of grace proceeds from Christ is because both are the workes of grace according to that of the Evangelist in him dwells all the fulnesse of grace and in Collos 2. the Apostle saith In him dwells the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily For the better and fuller opening of the point give me leave to propose and resolve one question and that is this Quest If our death to sinne and our life of grace both proceede from Christ that Christ is the author of them actions then how is Christ the author of them what kinde of cause is Christ sayd to be both of our death to sinne and of the life of grace I answer briefly Answ Christ may be sayd to be the cause both of our death to sin and of the life of grace in a fourefold respect or hee is a fourefold kind of cause Christ is the 1 meritorious 2 exemplary 3 morall 4 efficient Cause as of our death to sin so likewise of our life to grace First Christ is the meritorious cause for Christ did by his death and obedience not onely purchase for us a release and freedome from hell and consequently title to heaven but Christ merited for us the donation of the Spirit of God whereby we are made fit for and capable of that inheritance Christ not onely purchased a right to heaven but grace holines whereby we might come at last to jus in re For as I sayd before by the righteousnes of Christ onely we come to have right to heaven but it is our owne righteousnesse whereby we come to be made capable of that right to heaven for saith the Apostle flesh and blood shal not enter into the kingdome of heaven Flesh and blood that is nature uncorrected unsanctified and uncontrolled it shall not inherit the kingdome of God therefore Christ hath purchased not onely redemption from hell and title to heaven but the donation of the Spirit of God whereby we are made fit and capable of heaven whereby wee are made meete as the Apostle saith to be partakers of the inheritance with the Saints in light Ioh. 17.19 So saith the Evangelist Ioh. 17.19 For their sakes saith our Saviour I sanctifie my selfe that they also may be sanctified through the truth Christ sanctified himselfe not onely to redeeme us from hell and to procure title to heaven but he sanctified himselfe that his members might bee sanctified that by the merit and vertue of Christs sanctification we might be sanctified So saith the Apostle to Titus he hath bestowed on us the spirit through Christ Tit. 3.5 Tit. 3.5 not by the workes of righteousnesse that wee had done but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the holy Ghost which he shed on us abundantly through Iesus Christ our Saviour It is through Christ onely as through the meritorious cause by whom wee obtaine the Spirit of God by which Spirit our sinfull lusts are mortified in us and by which we are quickned and revived to the life of grace so Christ is the meritorious cause hee deserved the donation of the Spirit from his Father Secondly Christ as hee is the meritorious so he is the exemplary cause as of death to sinne so of our life to grace Christ in dying to sinne he set himselfe as a patterne to us to teach us also that wee should dye to sinne Christ in rising from the grave hee set himselfe a patterne to us to teach us to rise from sinne so he is the exemplary cause For Christ is a patterne for our immitation in his morall actions and wee must resemble after a sort some of his Mediatorious actions also not onely in the good duties that are commanded in the Law but in those that he performed for our redemption It is true in a different manner Christ is a patterne to us in actions morall that is in the good things that he performed that are commanded in the Law he is our patterne to be imitated in the same kinde As Christ was gracious to the poore so should wee to them that are poore and in distresse in the same kind as he was temperate so may wee imitate him in the same kinde though not in the same degree But for his actions Mediatorious we are to resemble some of them too though not in the same kinde yet in some way of use As hee died for sinne so wee should dye to sinne as he rose from the grave so wee should rise from sinne to newnesse of life so still Christ is our patterne As Saint Austin saith Christ came not onely to helpe us and to performe the things that wee ought to have done but he came to teach us by his example what we ought to do And he teacheth us he is our Schoolemaster not only in his actions morall but in his actions mediatorious in the former we may imitate him in the same kind though we cannot in the same degree in the latter wee cannot imitate him in the same kinde yet in some sort wee may We should be as the Heletropium that opens and shuts with the Sunne so wee may follow the lambe wheresoever he goeth as hee dyed for sinne so we must dye to sinne as hee rose from the grave so we must rise from the death of sinne to newnesse of life so Christ is the exemplary cause of our death to sinne and the life of grace Thirdly Christ is the morall moving perswading cause of both That the Apostle wills Timothy to remember 2 Tim. 2.8 Remember saith hee that Iesus Christ of the seede of David was raised from the dead according to my Gospel he bids him remember it why remember it because the very thought and remembrance that Christ dyed and rose againe it cannot chuse but be a powerful motive to holinesse for it makes men conclude argue with themselves what did Christ lay downe his life for us and shall not wee lay downe our lusts for him Did Christ arise againe the third day
when a man dies Simile the soule of a man and the body of a man continue still but there is no life because the soule is not united to the body so I say there may be a spirituall death though there bee the Spirit of God and the Soule if the spirit be not united to the soule that is the first thing Secondly where the Spirit of God is as a consequent of the other there followes the faculties and acts of life the habituall presence of all the graces of the Spirit band the actuall exercise of them In these two consists the nature of this life These things premised I come to shew the necessary conjunction of this spirituall life that I have explained in the kind and nature of it with spirituall death If wee be dead with Christ wee beleeve that wee shall also live with him Which Hupotheticall proposition or supposition affords us this Catagoricall Position that Those that are dead with Christ shall live with him For when the Apostle saith If wee be dead with Christ we beleeve that wee shall also live with him This is supposed as much as if he had said in effect They that are dead with Christ shall live with him Or They that are dead to sinne shall live the life of grace Looke as it was with Christ so it is with the members of Christ as hee being dead rose againe and could not choose but rise againe Act. 2. As it is said Act. 2. the chaines of death the cords of death could not hold him So it is with every member of Christ hee that is dead with Christ must needes live with Christ Death cannot hold him not death in sinne The Apostle affirmes as much in this Chapter verse 5. For as wee are planted into the likenesse of his death so wee shall be also into the likenesse of his resurrection If wee be planted with Christ into his death there is our death with Christ we shall be also in his Resurrection there is the conjunction and connexion of our life with Christ where the Apostle not only averres the truth of the former proposition but withall insinuates the reason of it those that are planted with Christ into the similitude of his death shall also into the similitude of his Resurrection Why because they are planted with Christ As a Plant that is grafted into a stocke it partakes of the whole vertue of the stocke so every member of Christ hee that by faith is grafted into Christ and made partaker of the vertue of Christs death to the mortification of sinne that man also is made partaker of the vertue of his Resurrection to the reviving and quickening of him to a new life of grace The ground of it is this First to whomsoever Christ communicates himselfe hee communicates himselfe wholly to whomsoever hee imparts the vertue of his death for the killing of sinne to him hee imparts the vertue of his Resurrection to revive and quicken him to a new life of grace If wee be planted with Christ into the similitude of his death wee shall be also into the similitude of his Resurrection because wee are planted with him Every plant partakes of the whole vertue of the roote and by consequent wee partake as well of the quickening vertue of Christ to raise us to the life of grace as of his crucifying vertue to kill sinne The second reason is from the insufficiencie of the one without the other If wee be dead with Christ we beleeve that wee shall also live with him Why because death with Christ is insufficient unlesse wee live with Christ Philosophie saith that nature doth nothing in vaine much lesse doth Christ the God of Nature Now as in Christ it was in vaine for him to die for us unlesse hee had risen againe so it is in vaine and ineffectuall for the members of Christ to die to sin if they be not quickened to the life of grace The reason is this that death to sinne indeed defaceth the Image of sinne but it doth not renew in us the Image of God Now it is the Image of God that makes us fit and capable of eternall life It is true the righteousnesse of Christ gives us title to eternall life but our owne inherent righteousnesse qualifies us and disposeth and makes us fit and capable of it for without holinesse no man shall see God Flesh and bloud shall not enter into the kingdome of God By mortifying of sinne wee cease to be sinners by mortifying of sinne wee have the Image of Satan defaced but the Image of God is not renewed in us therefore besides our death with Christ there is required our life with Christ that so besides the defacing of Satans Image wee may have the Image of God renewed that wee may be capable of eternall life and be qualified and disposed and made fit to partake of the inheritance with the Saints in light The third Argument is drawne from the opposition betweene the life of sinne and the life of grace Philosophy tells us that in those opposites that are immediatly opposite that is such opposites where one must of necessitie be in the subject if one be removed the other of necessitie followes the subject Health and sicknesse are immediate objects a man must either bee sicke or well Now that which removes sicknesse restores health that that expells darknesse out of the Ayre it brings light Now the life of sinne and grace are thus opposite that that takes away the life of sinne then it must of necessitie bring with it the life of grace If Christ mortifie sinne in us and take away the life and vigour of sinne Christ of necessitie must bring into the same subject the life of grace because these are immediate objects hee that takes away the one must bring in the other as that that takes away sicknesse brings in health This shall suffice for the proofe of the point I come to make use of it Vse If wee be dead with Christ wee shall also live with him Those that are dead with Christ to sinne as Christ died for sinne those shall live the life of grace If it bee so if there be such a necessary connexion betweene these two then it followes backe againe that those that doe not live with Christ those are not dead with Christ For looke as it is betweene Faith and good Workes if good workes be necessarily joyned with Faith then where there are no good workes there is no faith So thus it followes if spirituall life the life of grace bee necessarily joyned with death to sinne then where there is no life of grace there is no death to sinne According to that of Saint Chrysostome S. Chrysost saith hee it is true indeed faith without workes is dead so it is true on the other side workes without faith is dead No man can performe good workes though hee may for substance yet not formaliter without Faith hee that hath not
Mortification with some other things of Affinitie with them are well laid down in the Sermons following Some straines I beleeve thou wilt meet withall that have beene strangers to thee heretofore and which will doe lively execution and quit themselves like the words of the wise whose propertie is as the wise man informes to be as goades or nailes throughly fastned Holy and learned men amongst whom not to number wer doubtlesse to injure much mine Author are not to bee too deeply charged or too troublesomely expostulated with for some peculiarities of expressions wherein perhaps they give themselves more satisfaction than others And indeed it is a hard thing for any man to write so savourly or warily but that the Reader hath need still to bring a graine of salt with him to make the nourishment wholsome The blessing of the God of heaven bee with this little peece in its going forth into the world that it may goe forth in its might and doe worthily in Israel teaching perswading many to desire with Paul the knowledge of the fellowship of Christs sufferings and how to bee made conformable to his death which is one of the greatest and most hidden misteries of Christianitie and requireth the best and greatest Masters in Israel for its Teachers Thine in the Lord Jesus IOHN GOODWINE The Contents of the ensuing Treatises Treatise 1. To be dead with Christ what Page 5 Propos 1. Wee must die with Christ first if wee will live with him pag. 10 Reason 1. From the contrarietie between sin and grace 12 Reas 2. Else the Spirit dwells not in us 13 Reas 3. Because it is hard to be a Christian ibid. Use 1. Reproofe of men dead in sinne 14 Morall death to sinne distinguished from true death to sinne 16 1. In the Essence of it ibid. 2. In the efficient cause 17 3. In the latitude ibid. 4. In the issue 18 Popish mortification differs from true mortification 1. In the object 19 2. The efficient cause ibid. 3. The formall cause 20 4. The finall cause ibid. Characters of a man dead to sinne 1. When occasions to sinne worke not 21 2. When all sinne is dead in us 22 3. When we doe not the service of sinne 23 4. When we abhorre sinne ibid. 5. When sinnes power is daily abated 24 6. When we can willingly have our sins wounded 25 Meanes to be dead with Christ 1. The Spirit of God 27 2. Faith in Christ ibid. 3. Prayer 28 4. Submission to the ministerie of the Word ibid. Motives to die to sinne 1. The necessitie 29 2. The commoditie ibid. 3. The facilitie 30 4. The equitie 31 5. The treacherie of sinne 32 6. The example of others ibid. The difficultie of being a Christian 33 The method to come to live with Christ 36 Spirituall death what 40 Spirituall life what 41 Propos 2. Those that are dead with Christ shall live with him 42 Reas 1. To whom Christ communicates himselfe he doth it wholly 43 Reas 2. Death with Christ insufficient with out we live with him 44 Reas 3. From the opposition betweene the life of sinne and grace 45 Use Those that are not dead with Christ doe not live with him 46 How to know wee are alive with Christ 1. By the cause of spirituall life 47 2. By the exercises of spirituall life 48 3. By the properties of spirituall life 49 1 Nourishment ibid. 2 Augmentation 50 3 Generation 51 Use 2. To labour for death with Christ 52 1. Because by him wee shall enjoy a spirituall life 53 2. An eternall life ibid. Propos 3. The knowledge of Mortification seales up the assurance of salvation 55 Reason The promises of eternall life are made to the mortified 68 Use 1. For confutation of Bellarmine 72 Use 2. To labour for Mortification 75 Use 3. Those that are not dead with Christ cannot be assured of life with him 77 Propos 4. As our death to sinne so our life to grace both proceed from Christ 80 Reason They are both the worke of grace 81 Christ is the author of the death of sinne and the life of grace 1. As a meritorious cause 83 2. As the exemplarie cause 85 3. The morall cause 86 4. The efficient cause 87 Christ is the efficient cause First in the first working of it three wayes 88 1. By his Spirit ibid. 2. By the Word 89 3. By Baptisme 90 Baptisme is a cause instrumentall 3 wayes 1. As a resembling cause 91 2. As a concurring meanes ibid. 3. By Stipulation ibid. Secondly for the increase of it 2 wayes 1. By Faith 92 2. The Lords Supper 94 Use To indevour to be in Christ 95 Use 2. To returne the praise of grace to Christ 97 Use 3. What to judge of men out of Christ 98 Treatise 2. Observ 1. What Christ suffred was not for his own sin 104 Use 1. To shew how Christ could beare the punishment of sinne 108 Use 2. To discover the malice of the Iewes against Christ 110 Use 3. To condemne those that judge by successe in outward things 114 Use 4. To reade us a Lecture of patience 115 Use 5. Comfort for distressed consciences 116 Obser 2. Christ suffered all for our sinnes 118 Reas 1. The love of Christ ibid. Reas 2. The love of God the Father 119 Use 1. To admire Gods wisedome 120 Use 2. To see the haynousnesse of our sinnes 121 Use 3. To provoke us to sorrow for sinne 123 Use 4. For Consolation 125 Use 5. To set forth Gods love to us 126 Use 6. To returne love againe 127 Treatise 3. Conclus 1. SVrfeiting and Drunkennesse and Covetousnesse to be taken heed of 134 Reas 1. There is danger in these sinnes 137 Reas 2. There is danger of falling into them 139 Use 1. Complaint of neglect of this dutie 141 Use 2. Exhortation to Caution 143 4 Helpes to Caution ibid. Conclus 2. The best men to take heed of these sinnes 149 Reas 1. Because they are but men ibid. Reas 2. Satan envies them most 150 Reas 3. Their falling make others fall ibid. Use 1. To shew the best men are fraile 151 Use 2. Why the best should suffer admonition 152 Use 3. How to demeane our selves 153 Conclus 3. Our care and caution must be continuall 154 Reason Because there is danger of the sinnes judgement 155 Use To discover the abounding of these sinnes 156 Conclus 4. Drunkennesse and Covetousnesse overcharge the heart 161 Reas 1. They presse the soule from heaven to earth 162 Reas 2. They presse it from earth to Hell 166 Use 1. To take heed of these sinnes 167 Use 2. To use Remedies against them 171 Meanes to be disburdened of these sinnes 172 Use 3. To see the false judgement of the world 175 Conclus 5. We should not be overcharged with immoderate eating 177 Danger in conversing with Epicures 178 Reas 1. It unfits us for good Duties 179 Reas 2. It is the nurse of securitie 180 Reas 3. It breeds many lusts 181
Reas 4 It brings Gods judgements 182 Reas 5. It hurts the body 183 Reas 6. It hurts a mans state 184 Reas 7. It hurts the Common-wealth ibid. Reas 8. It wrongs the poore 185 Use To take heed of surfeiting ibid. Many wayes of surfeiting 186 Treatise 4. SEeking things aboue enforced 196 1. In respect of God 197 2. In respect of our selves 204 Things above what 209 Why so called 211 Seeking What. 212 Propos Those that are risen with Christ must seeke the things above 213 Conditions requisite in seeking 3. 214 Meanes of seeking 218 Signes of seeking 223 Use Exhortation to seeking 226 FINIS THE GATE TO HAPPINESSE ROM 6.8 Now if we be dead with Christ we beleeve that we shall also live with him THe aime and scope of the Apostle in this place Scope of the words is by the occasion of an objection proposed verse 1. to shew the necessary coherence of sanctification with justification The objection is this If where sinne hath abounded grace doth much more abound which the Apostle S. Paul affirmes in the former Chapter treating of free justification by grace then saith the carnalist let us continue in sinne that grace may abound this is the objection To this the Apostle answers two wayes First by way of detestation Secondly by way of confutation By way of detestation in the beginning of the second verse God forbid farre be it from such gracious premises to make so dangerous and pestilent an inference What saith he shall we continue in sinne that grace may abound God forbid Secondly by way of confutation and that by a double argument answerable to the two parts of Sanctification Mortification and Vivification both of them pregnant and full of sinewes to enforce and presse the cause and conclusion in hand The first argument is thus such as are dead to sinne with Christ they cannot wilfully and wilingly live and continue in sinne but such as are justified from their sinnes by Christ they are dead to sinne with Christ therefore such as are justified by Christ they cannot live and continue in sinne The Minor proposition the Apostle proves First by the efficacie of baptisme vers 4. and 5. and by conformitie to Christ in his crucifying and sufferings verse 6. The second argument as a consequent and dependent upon the former is thus Those that are quickned by Christ to a new life of grace they cannot willingly and wilfully continue in sinne but those that are justified by Christ are quickned to a new life of grace they cannot therefore willingly and wilfully continue in sinne The Minor proposition the Apostle proves thus those that are dead with Christ are quickned to a new life of grace Such as are justified by Christ are dead with Christ therefore they are quickned to a new life with Christ and therefore they cannot continue in sinne The Major proposition is in the words of the Text Now if wee be dead with Christ wee beleeve that we shall also live with him You see the Logicke and argumentation of the Apostle which words being a proposition and argument hupotheticall observe in them two parts First an Antecedent according to the law of such propositions And then a Consequent Or more properly one thing supposed and another thing inferred First the thing supposed in the former part of the verse that we are dead with Christ The other inferred in the latter part wee beleeve that we shall also live with him More particularly you may please to observe these foure parts First the method and order of the parts first we must be dead with Christ before we can live with him If wee be dead with Christ wee beleeve that wee shall also live with him Wee must first die with Christ before wee can live with him Secondly the inseparable connexion and conjunction and union of these two though the one goe before yet the other followes inseparably and unavoydably as Iacob tooke Esau by the heele In the latter part Now if we be dead with Christ we beleeve that we shall also live with him there is the conjunction of these two Thirdly the assurance of this connexion or conjunction if we be dead with Christ wee beleeve we shall live with him Fourthly and lastly the cause and ground as of the two former so of the latter both of our death with Christ and of our life with Christ it is Christ Christ is the cause of both If we be dead with Christ that is as Aquinas rightly interprets the place through or by the vertue of Christ Wee beleeve that wee shall also live with him or bee raised to the life of grace by the same vertue Thus you have the parts If wee be dead with Christ wee beleeve that we shall also live with him First of the order and method of the parts which is the first part or proposition Wee must first die with Christ before we can live with him To be dead with Christ To be dead with Christ what is in imitation or conformitie with Christ to be dead to sinne as Christ dyed for sinne So we are sayd to dye with Christ when we dye to sinne Now we are sayd to be dead to sinne when sinne is dead in us when the command and dominion of sinne is broken downe when the power and force of it is enfeebled when we doe what we can that sinne may not have any vigour or power or command no nor quiet being in us then sinne is sayd to be properly dead in us Now we must not conceive that as long as we live sinne will utterly and totally dye The reason is this S. Basil it is a comparison of St. Basil saith hee it is with sinne and with the corruption of nature as it is with the Ivie Simile and the wall when the Ivie is fastned and incorporated into the wall a man may cut the boughes and branches but hee can never roote it out except hee pull downe the wall As Ivie is to the wall so is sin and corruption to our nature it is so scrued and got into our nature that so long as we live so long as this house of clay stands wee cannot utterly roote it out wee may mortifie and kill it in some measure but when this house of clay shall be demolished and dissolved then sinne shall be utterly extinguished I say then we must not conceive sinne to be so dead as that it hath utterly no life in it but it is sayd to be dead in a double respect First it is dead Civilly Secondly it is dead Naturally It is a rule among Civillians he that is a servant is halfe a dead man The reason is because hee is no longer at his owne command but what he is he is that he is as hee is inspired and animated by the command of his master So sinne is said to bee dead because it is made a servant it is forced to undergoe the yoake to be subject to the
Spirit of grace therefore it is sayd to bee dead civilly Secondly it is sayd to bee dead naturally too the reason is this because howsoever there bee some life left in it yet it hath its deaths wound that wil cause it to die at the last In the meane while it is in the wane and languisheth away so that as a man that hath received a mortall wound he is a dead man the reason is because that wound will bring death at the last So we may say though sinne have some life in it yet it is dead naturally too the reason is this because by the death of Christ it hath received its deaths blow that it will never recover and so at the last it will altogether die As sinne is thus sayd to bee dead in us so we are sayd to be dead to sinne in a three sold respect You know death is nothing but the separation of the soule from the body the separation of that that is the principle of life Now looke what the soule is to the body the same is sinne in a sort in a naturall unregenerate man hee lives not so much by his soule as by his sinne his sinne is the life of his life it is that that enacts and enlivens and animates him therefore it is called the body of sinne why because sinne is in an unregenerate mans body as the soule is in the body it gives life to it A naturall man esteemes sinne as his soule and life so the members of his body are called the members of sinne the reason is because looke as in nature the members exercise their functions by the influence and vertue of the soule so an unregenerate man in the corrupt estate of depraved nature such a man his members worke as they are inabled and commanded by sinne that dwells in him Secondly we are sayd to be dead to sinne in respect of those antecedent convulsions and pangs that goe before death Ordinarily there is no death without pangs and convulsions Now as it is in naturall death so it is in this there is no part of crucifying and mortifying of sinne without paine and dolour therefore it is justly called death the mortifying of sinne wee are said to be dead to sinne when we mortifie sinne because it is with so much paine with convulsions and anguish So saith Peter Martyr The parting of a naturall man the foregoing of his sin it is not without much torment and anguish so in that respect it is said to be a death in regard of those convulsions and pangs that usually are the forerunners and harbingers of death Thirdly wee are dead to sinne in another respect for as a dead servant is no longer at the command of his Master let him command what hee will hee heares him not hee doth nothing So it is with a man that is dead to sin let sin command what it will he heares not hee listens not to the suggestions he practiseth not the commands of sinne he is as a dead man to sinne As a dead man performes not the offices of the living a dead servant doth not obey the commands of his master so it is with a man that is dead to sinne Let this be sufficient to be spoken for the meaning of that phrase If we be dead to sinne that is as Christ dyed for sinne Secondly saith the Apostle If wee be dead with Christ we beleeve that we shall also live with him There is a twofold life Naturall Spirituall The naturall life is not here meant but the spirituall life that is principally the life of grace and consequently the life of glory The reason is this because the life of grace glory be not two lives but one and the selfe same life they differ onely in degrees Looke as the life of the child in the wombe is the same life that the child enjoyes when it comes to bee borne and brought to light in the world so the life of a Christian in this world it is in a manner the same that he lives in heaven onely I say it differs in degrees For looke as grace is nothing but glory begun so glory is nothing but grace consummate But if he meane the life of grace Quest why doth the Apostle say shall live If we be borne with Christ we shall live with him I answer briefly for two reasons First Answ to denote the time when wee shall enjoy this life perfectly that shall be hereafter When this naturall life shall have an end then wee shall enjoy that spirituall life perfectly therefore the Apostle reflects on that life respectively to that time and saith wee shall live the life of grace because then wee shall enjoy this life perfectly whereas here we have it but in some measure and degree with interruption Secondly it is sayd in the future we shall live to affirme the perpetuity of this life this life is not like the life of nature a fading and perishing life of its owne nature It is the observation of Tolet the Iesuite upon the place saith hee though the Apostle meane the life of grace as we see by the 11. Verse yet hee useth the future tense to shew that this life is a perpetuall life and such a life as hath no date nor period I say it is in the future tense to signifie that the life of grace once begunne it never hath date Well the words being cleared I come to speake of the first thing proposed the order and method of the Apostle in these words If we be dead with Christ wee beleeve that wee shall also live with him Wee must first die with Christ if wee Propos 1 will live with him We must first die with Christ if we will live with him For looke as it was with Christ so it shall bee with every member of Christ Christ first dyed before hee was raised to life hee was first brought low and humbled before he was exalted before he had his glory As it was with Christ so it must bee with every member of Christ hee must first die before he can live he must first have his Good Friday before hee have his Easter day hee must first die to sinne before he can live to God It is otherwise in the life of nature then it is in the life of grace there a man must live before he die but here hee must die before he can live So saith S. Paul Ephes 4.22.24 Ephe. 4.22.24 Put off concerning your conversation the old man which is corrupt according to the deceive able lusts look in Ver. 24. then saith he put on the new man which after God is created in holinesse and righteousnesse Then the Apostle here compares the life of grace to a new garment before wee can put on the white and pure Stole of Christs righteousnssse we must first put off the filthy ragges of our owne corruption put off concerning your conversation the old man which is corrupt according to the
deceivable lusts So in Ephes 5 Eph. 5.8 8. The life of grace is compared o light the life of sinne is compared to darkenesse you know before the Medium be enlightned the darknesse must be dispelled First the darkenesse must be dispelled before it can be lightned So this new life it is sayd to be a new Image it is a new Image indeede but it is such an Image as we are not capable of till first wee be made pure Tables the former Image of Sathan and the Characters of sinne be defaced till then wee are not capable of the Image of God and the faire impressions of Grace It is called an ingrafting or inocculating now wee cannot bee grafted into Christ till we be cut off from the old stocke I say generally as wee must die to nature before we can live to glory so wee must die to sinne before wee can live to God Looke what the Angell commanded Ioshua Iosh 5.8 to put off his shooes before he came to converse with God If you please to take the allusion of Philo which is this and it is pertinent to our purpose put off thy shooes before thou come to God that is put off dead workes because shooes are made of the skins of dead beasts I say before wee can live with Christ wee must die with Christ we must die to sinne before wee can live the life of grace The reason is plaine Reas 1 First because of the contrarietie and opposition betweene the life of grace From the contrarietie betweene sin and grace and a life in sinne A man may live many lives if one bee subordinate to another as a mâ—n lives a vegetative a sensative and a reasonable life because these are subordinate one to another but to live in sinne and to God a man cannot because these lives are contrary they come from contrary principles they cannot consist in the same subject It is an ordinary saying The Bed and and the Throne admit not of partners It is true as Christ saith No man can serve two masters It is true when they command contrary things Now sinne and grace command contrary things therefore no man can serve them both eyther he will cleave to the one and deny the other or forsake the one and cleave to the other No man can serve sinne and Christ because they are contrary masters No man can serve two masters when they command contrary things that is the first reason Wee must first die to sinne before wee can live the life of grace because they are opposites that will not admit of one another in the same subject Secondly till we be dead to sinne we cannot Reas 2 live the life of grace Else the spirit dwells not in us because we cannot till then admit of the principles of the life of grace where sinne raignes and dominiers the Spirit of grace dwells not and where that is not there is no life of grace Therefore wee must first die to sinne before wee can live the life of grace because before wee be dead to sinne the Spirit of grace that quickens and revives us doth not dwell in us Thirdly if it were not needefull first to die Reas 3 to sinne before wee live the life of grace Because it is hard to be a Christian wherein consisted the hard taske of a Christian How easie were it for a man to bee a Christian if a man might bee a Christian and live after the lusts of his owne heart if he might take libertie to doe what his corruptions prompt and suggest if a man that were ignorant might bee ignorant still and yet be a Christian if hee that is a swearer might sweare still and hee that is proud bee proud still and he that is prophane might be so still what great matter were it to bee a Christian how easie were it to perswade Agrippa not to be almost but to be altogether a Christian Therefore wee must first die to sinne before we can live to grace before we can be true Christians the reason is because the taske of a Christian is a hard taske such a taske as a man cannot performe without denying of himselfe without crucifying and mortifying of his lusts This shall suffice to have spoken for the confirmation of that point by occasion of the method of the Apostle If we be dead with Christ we shall also live with him That wee must first be dead As Christ died for sinne so wee must die to sinne before wee can live the life of grace Now I come to make use and application of it Vse 1 Reproofes of men dead in sinne Which if it be so how justly doth the censure of Christ Revel 3.1 fall upon many Christians that of the Angell of the Church Reas 3 of Sardis that they have a name to lâ—ve but are dead why dead dead because they are not dead dead to grace because they are not dead to sinne many men though they seeme to be lively and active are no better then walking breathing Carkasses The reason is this because till a man be dead to sinne hee cannot live the life of grace wee must first die to sinne with Christ before wee can live the life of grace with Christ Gal. 5. In Gallat 5. Those that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts Why then on the contrary such as have not crucified the lusts and affections of the flesh they are not Christs Wheresoever any sinne reignes in whom soever any lust dominiers what lust soever it be that man is a dead man there is no true life of grace in him The reason the Apostle gives in these words because wee must bee first dead to sinne before wee can live the life of grace first our lusts must bee mortified and crucified in us before wee can live with Christ the life of grace wee must first passe this red Sea that is to die with Christ before we can enter into the Land of Canaan to this life with Christ But that I may make it more usefull to you let me shew you these foure things First let mee discover to you some false deaths for as there is a false and counterfeit life of grace so there are false and counterfeit deaths to sinne Secondly let mee shew you some characters whereby a man may know a true death to sinne whereby hee may judge and examine himselfe and know whether hee be dead to sinne or no. In the third place I will shew you the meanes whereby if a man bee not dead a man may get this death whereby hee may come to mortifie and crucifie the lusts and affections of the flesh and if hee bee dead whereby hee may proceede on in the worke of mortification because mortification is not one individuall act but hath a latitude and admits of degrees Fourthly I will shew you arguments to perswade you to this death to sinne with Christ especially such as are immergent
arising from the words of the Text Of all which briefly First then of false deaths that seeme to be true in shew but are counterfeit deaths There is a threefold death to sinne A Morall Popish Christian death to sinne The morall death to sinne is distinguished from the true death to sinne especially in foure things First the maine difference is in the Essence of it the truth is a morall death is indeede no death hee that is morally dead to sinne is not indeede dead to sinne for such a mortification takes away not the life of sinne but the harshnesse and rudenesse of sinne it takes it and restraines it it makes sin more tractable and smooth and subtill but it takes not away the life of sinne that is the first Secondly it differs in the efficient cause the efficient cause of a Christians mortification is the Spirit of God Rom. 8.13 Rom. 8.13 If yee mortifie the deeds of the flesh through the Spirit but the cause efficient of morall mortification it is from the temper of the body or good education or the like Consider therefore if it proceede from the Spirit from the generall common operation of the Spirit or from the speciall saving and sanctifying vertue of Gods Spirit Thridly morall mortification differs from that which is true in respect of the Latitude he that is morally mortified he is mortified onely in respect of outward grosse sinnes in respect of such things as are more notorious such as run in the eyes of men such as cause disgrace and dishonour and obloquie but secret spirituall sinnes are unmortified nay it is the observation of Saint Austin that a morall man though he seeme to the eye to be never so much mortified as indeede if a man looke on their formal austerity to looke on Cato or such a one a man would judge them mortified yet commonly they feede one lust and for the sake of that they curbe the rest So Saint Austin upon the Romans observes the lust of covetousnesse of injustice of intemperance c. they curbe them being over borne with the lust of ambition saith he they keepe down all other lusts that they may give more scope to this one lust in his fift booke de Civit. dei Chap. 12. But a true Christians mortification is universall hee doth not kill some sinnes as Saul killed the small Cattell and left Agag and the great ones but he mortifies and crucifies all sinne true mortification will not suffer a man to allow himselfe in the practice of any one sinne Fourthly morall mortification differs from Christian in respect of the issue hee that is truly mortified in such a one sinne hath received its deaths wound in him it never comes fully to be healed and recovered it selfe againe Indeede if hee be negligent in the exercise of mortification it may get strength upon us as the Canaanites being neglected of the Israelites grew stronger but they never obtayned that absolute command and dominion in Canaan as before but for a morrall man because sin is not truly mortified in him therefore when those restraints and retentives are taken away that kept in sinne it rages and dominiers as much as it did before in him or as it doth in another man Let this suffice to be spoken of the difference of morall mortification from that of a true Christian Secondly Popish mortification differs from true mortification in all the degrees and causes It differs from Christian mortification In the efficient materiall formall finall cause First Popish mortification differs from Christian in respect of the object matter the principall object in Popish mortification is not so much perhaps sinne in the members but the members themselves they lash and teare them with scourges and whips their ayme is not so much against sinne as the members whereas true mortification is a revenge on the members as they are instruments of sinne a mans principall grudge is against sinne in his members and not against the members that sinne dwells in Secondly they differ in the efficient cause the cause efficient of true mortification is the Spirit of God Rom. 8.13 Rom. 8.13 If yee through the Spirit doe mortifie the deeds of the body but the cause efficient in Popish mortification is among too many themselves they offer violence to themselves selfe considerations is the summe of their mortification Thirdly the formall cause of Popish mortification is humbling the body abstinence and rending the humane body by whippes and scourges this they make the true bearing of the dying of Christ in their members Getzer 2. booke discipline chap. 8. So saith Getzer in his second booke of discipline Chap. 8. They beare the dying of Christ in their body that shed their blood with whipping and lashing themselves willingly for Christ such a man is sayd to mortifie himselfe It is a strange thing as if wee should goe about to please the divinitie by inhumanitie Fourthly they differ in respect of the end and ayme of both Popish mortification ends not in the destruction of sinne and infeebling the power of it so much as the satisfying of God for sinne Heare what Getzer saith in the same place in his second booke of discipline Chap. 8. saith he such as whip themselves till the blood come for their sinnes by such whipping of themselves they satisfie Gods justice for their sinnes What Christian heart can heare such Doctrine and his heart not ake his ears not glow and his joynts tremble Blessed Saviour that they that stile themselves by thy name should derogate from thee by their blasphemies Wee say the blood of Christ expiates sinne they say their owne blood wilfully shed satisfies God for their sinnes whereas the end of Christian an mortification is not to satisfie God for sinne but to infeeble the power of sinne to breake downe the command and dominion of sinne This shall suffice to bee spoken concerning the first point proposed the false deaths to sinne and those are two Morall and Popish Now I come to shew the Characters of a man that is truly dead to sinne with Christ The first signe of a man that is dead to sinne is this that when occasions are offered and invite him to sinne hee doth not yeeld this is an argument that that man is dead to sinne It is true I confesse there is great power in occasions that except wee keepe a jealous guard they are able to transport a holy sanctifyed man and so they have done the best but I say such a man as when no sooner an occasion is presented but hee is ready to give way to satisfie his lust such a man let him pretend what he will hee is not dead to sinne He is like a tree wee know in winter there is no visible apparent difference betweene a dead tree and that that is alive Simile neither of them have eyther fruite or leaves they differ not in outward view but when the spring comes againe and
after their first sleepe when they are come to themselves So take not a wicked man now in the fulfilling of his lusts but looke on that man when hee hath slept and you will judge otherwise of him he cannot chuse but give a good testimony of a mortified man Fourthly consider the Equitie of it Christ died for sinne that wee might die to sinne 1 Pet. 2.24 1 Pet. 2.24 who his owne selfe bare our sinnes in his owne body on the tree that we being dead to sinne should live unto righteousnesse What did Christ lay downe his life for our lusts and shall not wee lay downe our lusts for Christ did Christ die for our sinnes and shall not we for Christ die to our sinnes Fiftly consider our sins are Traytors and rebels against heaven Tertul. Apol. cap. 2. Well saith Tertullian in his Apologie for the Christians in his second Chapter against Traytors and such as are common enemies every man must be a common Souldier Now our sinnes are Traytors against heaven we cannot better expresse our loyaltie and alleagance to our great Master God then to kill and put to death these rebels it is a most acceptable sacrifice to God Sixtly and lastly consider the example of other men we see what care men take and what paine they will undergoe not for the avoyding but for the putting off a naturall a temporall death for a while Men for the preserving of this temporall life they are content not onely to take harsh Physick but to indure launcing and searing and cutting off the parts a leg or an arme c. so to preserve naturall life if they doe so for preserving of this naturall life Oh what should wee doe for the gaining of eternall life It is true Christ compares lusts to eyes and hands and feete it is true they are eyes but such as when they are pulled out wee may see well enough They are hands but such hands as when they are cut off wee may still doe what wee have to doe without them Now shall a man for the preserving of his temporall life indure a member to be cut off shall not we cut off our superfluous lusts for the gaining of eternal life shal they not for the avoyding but for the respiting of death indure this pain S. Aug. Epist 45. and shal not we for the avoyding of eternall death S. Austin presseth this excellent well in his Epist 45. They doe this not as if there were any hope to put off death quite but only to adjourne and put it off for the present if they do this for the respite of death what should we do for the avoiding of eternal death saith he They undergoe many certaine torments perhaps that they may have hope but of a few uncertaine dayes what do they thus for a temporal life shal not we much more for the procuring of an eternal life Do they so much for the adjourning of a temporall death and shall not wee for the avoyding a perpetuall and eternall death If these arguments perswade us not none can so much for the fourth point the Motives to this death to sin Fiftly if we must die with Christ before we can live with him S. Ierome then as Saint Ierome somewhere hath it It is not so easie a thing as some happily conceive it to bee a Christian It was Iulians scoffe of Constantine Iulian. and in him of all Christians To be a Christian there is no more required but to wash themselves with a little water that is to bee baptised and how great soever their sinnes were before this cleanseth them saith Iulian or if it chance that a man fall into the same sinnes againe saith Iulian It is no more for these Christians but to beat their breasts and to smite their heads and all is well againe in the conclusion of his Caesars But the best is it matters not greatly what Iulian saith it concerned him to speake evill of that saith he was fallen away from if he had spoken well of it hee had spoken against himselfe But he that knew better then Iulian saith Mat. 7.14 straite if the gate and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life Math. 7.14 The way to heaven is straite he that will enter in this way must strippe and divest himselfe of his old lusts The way of Christianitie is a narrow way nay that is not all it is a way full of paine and pressures to the flesh as Camerarius interprets that place Narrow is the way and full of paine to the flesh He that walkes this way must resolve to meet with difficulties hee must take out lessons that are harsh to flesh and bloud to mortifie nay to crucifie the flesh Gal. 5.24 They that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts Every death is not sufficient to expresse the paine hee must undergoe but crucifying only the death that Christ died that was both a lingring and painfull death Thus every man that will live with Christ must first crucifie his sinfull lusts and affections Which notwithstanding I speake not to deterre or discourage any from entring into the way of Christianitie or having entred for going on in the same way No God-forbid that I should like the ten spies that Moses sent to spie out the land of Canaan bring an ill report upon the wayes of godlinesse but to informe us and arme us Hee that is to travaile into a farre Countrey on which his life and livelihood depends and should meet with a friend that should tell him the way were deepe and troublesome and that there were such difficulties did stand in the way hee would easily perceive that hee did tell him this not to discourage and dishearten him because hee is his friend nor to stay his journey because hee knowes it is upon his life his life lies on it but to arme and prepare him before hand that when he should meet with the difficulties hee might the better encounter them and goe over them I apply it thus Heaven is our countrey we all pretend wee are Pilgrims travelling to heaven the way that leads to heaven is this narrow way our death with Christ the necessitie of walking this way appeares in Math. 7.14 This way Mat. 7.114 and only this leades to life it is the straite gate and the narrow way that leads to life Now when wee tell you of Lyons and Beares in the way the difficulties and incombrances that you shall meet with it is not to discourage you but to arme and provide you It is not to dishearten you you must needs goe your life lies upon it but to arme and prepare you that when you meet with these difficulties you may be the better provided to encounter them It is good saith the Proverbe to know the worst of things before hand lest otherwise after wee have walked in the way we meet with incombrances and dreaming of nothing but delicacies
our hearts faile us as the hearts of the Israelites in the report of the tenne spies Like the foolish builder in Luke 4. Luke 4. that was not able to goe on with his building because hee did not sit downe first and reckon what it would cost him Sixtly and lastly if wee must first die with Christ before we can live with him it serves for direction to teach us what order and methode to take to come to live with Christ He that will live with Christ must be sure to begin at the right end to die with Christ first he that will performe holy duties gracious actions that man must labour to crucifie and mortifie sinfull affections Sinfull affections are like weedes the Husbandman that desires his corne should thrive and live hee labours first to kill the weedes I say sinfull affections in the soule are like weedes in the ground or soyle if wee desire that grace should thrive and to performe gracious duties with content to our selves and to God we must labour to kill our lusts When wee find in our selves an unaptnesse and an indisposition to the performance of gracious duties suppose it bee to prayer to humble ourselves before God to heare the word of God c. let us then reflect on our selves and see what sinfull lusts there have gotten strength and labour to abate the power of that and then certainly wee shall live with Christ wee shall bee enabled to performe holy duties So saith the Apostle in the second place If wee bee dead with Christ wee beleeve that wee shall also live with him Which is the second thing I proposed in the beginning The connexion and conjunction of these two If wee bee dead with Christ wee shall also live with him Where first give me leave to remember you of what I formerly delivered in the unfolding of these words that the life that the Apostle here meanes when he saith If wee bee dead with Christ wee shall also live with him it is the same that in verse 4. hee calls Newnesse of life Therefore wee are buried with him by baptisme into death that as Christ was raised by the glory of the Father so wee should walke in newnesse of life I say the Apostle meanes here the life of Grace which in verse 4. hee calls newnesse of life And in verse 11. hee calls it living to God Likewise reckon yee your selves dead to sinne but alive to God Though secondarily and by consequent I deny not but that the Apostle meanes living with God in life eternall And the reason is as I shewed before that the difference of the life of grace and the life of glory it is not in Nature but in degrees Grace is Glory begun and glory is nothing but grace perfected As the childe in the wombe hath the same life that it enjoyes in the world only then it is in a further degree so the life that a Christian enjoyes in this world it is the same life in nature though it differ in degrees from that hee enjoyes in heaven The Apostle useth the future tense If we bee dead with Christ wee believe that wee shall live with him for these three reasons First to shew the order and Methode betweene this life and the former death because this life in nature though not in time is after our death with Christ As it is in nature the introducing of habites in nature is after the expelling of privations as the enlightning of the ayre in nature is after the dispelling of darknesse Secondly the Apostle useth the future tense because though the life of Grace bee here begunne yet it is not consumate till afterward in which respect the Apostle saith Wee beleeve that wee shall live with him Hee makes this life in respect of the complement and consummation an act of faith according to that in the Creed I beleeve the life everlasting Thirdly because the life of grace doth not fade as the naturall life perrisheth but it is an induring life As Christ being once raised he died no more verse 9. so every member of Christ he that is once quickned and raised with Christ from sinne hee dieth no more so saith Christ Ioh. 5.24 hee that beleeveth hath eternall life What hath every one that beleeveth life eternall Yes every one that beleeveth hath life eternall in hope and in the beginning of grace because hee hath that life for the present that doth not fade and perish but endure to eternitie Verily I say unto you hee that heareth my word and beleeveth in him that sent mee hath eternall life and shall not come into condemnation which expresseth the former Now what this life of grace is this spirituall life will appeare by comparing it with spirituall death It is the propertie of opposites being set together as to impugne and fight against the nature one of another so to discover the nature one of another Now spirituall death as the Naturall includes two things First a separation from the fountaine and principle of life And as a consequent of that a privation of the faculties and acts of life Looke what the soule is to the body the same is the Spirit of Christ to the Soule it is that that enlivens and quickens it so saith Christ Joh. 6.63 Ioh. 6.63 It is the Spirit that quickens Now looke as upon the parting of the soule from the body the body dies so upon the separation of the Spirit of God from the soule the soule dies So it was in Adam when by eating the forbidden fruit hee had cut off and separated himselfe from the fountaine and principle of life he died spiritually I say as when the Soule that enlivens and quickens the body when that is separated the body dies so the Spirit of Christ that enlivens and quickens the soule when that is separated from the soule the soule dies Secondly looke as upon the separation of the soule from the body there follows a deprivation of the faculties and acts of life so upon the separation of the Spirit of God from the Soule there followes a deprivation of the habits and acts of grace The gifts and habits of grace are as the faculties the acts and operations of grace are as the acts of those faculties and as upon the separation of the soule from the body there followes a deprivation of the faculties and acts of life so upon the separation of the Spirit of Christ from the Soule there followes a deprivation of the habites and acts of grace If it be so then spirituall life includes two things First the having of the Spring and fountaine of life the Spirit of God and an union of it to the soule Secondly the having the habites and acts of this spirituall life First the having of the principle of spirituall life the having the Spirit of God in our soules for it is not sufficient that there be a quickening Spirit unlesse it bee united to us For looke as
Faith hath not Workes If good Workes be necessarily joyned with Faith then where there are no good Workes there is no Faith so if our life with Christ bee necessarily joyned with death to sin then where there is no life with Christ there is no death to sinne You will say how shall wee know that we are alive with Christ and dead to sin I answer you shall know it by three Characters First that which is the cause of spirituall life as that which is the cause of naturall life is union with that which is the principle and fountaine of life Now the fountaine of life is Christ so saith the Apostle in 1 Ioh. 5.12 1 Joh. 5.12 He that hath the Sonne hath life hee that hath not the Sonne hath not life Now what is it that unites us to Christ Gal. 2.20 It is faith that knits us to Christ so saith the Apostle Gal. 2.20 The life that I live is by faith in the Son of God Looke as the cause of the naturall life is the union to the principle of naturall life so the cause of spirituall life is union to that which is the principle of spirituall life Now the cause and fountaine of spirituall life is Christ so saith the Apostle in this chapter verse 11. Rom 6.11 Likewise reckon yee your selves dead to sinne but alive to God through Iesus Christ our Lord. It is through Christ that wee are alive to God Now I say that that knits and unites us to the fountaine of spirituall life it is Faith Hee then that hath Faith that man is alive to God but hee that hath no faith that man is dead in sinne that is the first character by which wee may know whether we be alive with Christ or no if we have this spirituall life Secondly we may know it if wee have the exercises of this spirituall life Every thing delights to operate and exercise answerable to its life where there is a naturall life there is a delight in actions that are naturall where there is a sinfull life there is a delight in actions that are sinfull Take a man that sinne lives and reignes in it is life to such a man to serve sinne to performe and satisfie his sinfull lusts so where there is delight in performing spirituall duties it is an undoubted argument that that man hath spirituall life in him Take a man that delights in prayer in hearing the Word in contemplating and meditating of Gods goodnesse towards him and in other spirituall duties this is an argument that that man hath spirituall life because he delights in spirituall actions The ground of it is this all delight proceeds from similitude and conformity wee delight in things that are like us Now when a man is spirituall there is some likenesse betweene him and spirituall actions and so hee delights in them Take a carnall naturall man he delights not in spirituall duties it is death to him to doe that which is good when he comes to betake himselfe to prayer to performe religious duties to sanctifie the Lords day to keepe a watch over himselfe to checke his sinfull lusts it is death to a naturall man Why hee hath no delight in spirituall actions because hee hath nothing in him that is spirituall all delight proceeds from likenesse and similitude that is the second Character that wee have this spirituall life if we delight in spirituall actions Thirdly and lastly another Argument of spirituall life is if we have the properties of life and they are three as Philosophers say The first is nourishment The second is augmentation The third is generation or production of the like So answerable wheresoever there is spirituall life in some proportion there is all these three First there is nourishment As new borne babes desire the sincere milke of the Word 2 Pet. 1.2 2 Pet. 1.2 Where there is a new life there is a desire of the sincere milke of the Word Take a man that is a dead man hee desires no meate Why there is no life in him Now looke as a man that lives a naturall life hee desires naturall food so hee that is spirituall hee that lives a spirituall life hee hungers and thirsts after the word As where there is the life of sinne in a man that man desires after all things that may fill and increase and preserve that life in him so in spirituall life there is a desire after the spirituall food of the Word to preserve this life The ground of it is this God never gives any grace to a man but hee gives a man a care and indeavour to preserve that grace God never gives a man spirituall life but he gives withall a desire to preserve that life Now how can a man preserve it How should a man preserve life but by food by diligent repayring to the places where the spirituall food of his soule is provided It is with this spirituall life as it was with the fire on the Altar Simile The fire on the Altar though it came from heaven yet when it was kindled they were bound to preserve it by ordinary meanes to put fuell to it so when God hath kindled that spirituall life wee must not turne off all the care on God let God take care for the life hee hath wrought in us but God will give a desire to a man to keepe that fire to put continuall fuell to it to preserve and nourish it That is the first propertie of life to looke for nourishment God never gives a man grace but he workes in that man a desire and indeavour to preserve it The second propertie is Augmentation and growth and proceeding from one degree of grace to another when wee find our selves more strong to performe the duties that are spirituall when wee find sinne more weakened This spirituall growth in grace is a propertie of this spirituall life If divers Plants bee planted if wee see some of them grow and others doe not wee conclude this is dead why it growes not As it is in nature so it is in this spirituall life where there is no growth there is no life Every thing that lives hath the property of life it hath the facultie of growing Which I would notwithstanding have to be understood not but that this life may admit of a Winter there may bee an increase and decrease but yet there is a continuall strayning after perfection Though sometimes the streame may be so strong that it may carry them downe yet they bend their strength against the streame they labour to grow up more and more That is the second propertie of life augmentation where there is spirituall life there is growth The third is Generation where there is life there is a facultie and power to beget As in a coale a live coale will kindle a dead one a dead coale cannot kindle another there is no heat in it So it is in this spirituall life where it is
there is a desire to beget others as Christ saith When thou art converted strengthen thy brethren When thou hast spirituall life begotten in thee labour to beget it in others Wee see it exemplified in Ioh. 1.44 Joh. 1.44 no sooner had Christ called Philip but presently Philip calls Nathaniel No sooner had Christ by his Word begotten spirituall life in Philip but Philip indeavours to beget the same in Nathaniel This is the difference betweene a live and a dead coale a live coale can beget life in another coale and kindle the same fire in another but a dead coale cannot That man that hath spirituall life in him hee will improve all opportunities and occasions that are offered to beget others to a spirituall life The ground of it is hee findes a sweetnesse and a goodnesse in spirituall life and that is the reason out of love to his brethren and an indeavour to glorifie God he desires to beget others to this spirituall life This is the first use The Characters by which we may know whether wee have this life or no. Secondly if such as be dead with Christ shall live with him This should be an argument to perswade us to labour for death with Christ Can any prize be propounded better to a man then life what will not a man doe for life S. Austin in his 45. Epistle saith hee Wee see men indure death almost for life for the enjoying of it for a little while Shall men doe so for a naturall life shall not wee much more for a spirituall life If these bee necessarily joyned if he that is dead with Christ shall certainly live with him then this should bee an argument to perswade us to die with Christ that we may come to live with him And this the rather because by dying with Christ wee shall enjoy not onely a fading perishing naturall life but A Spirituall Eternall Life First a spirituall life in Ephes 1.4 Ephes 1.14 it is called the life of God because it resembleth the life of God Now that which is spirituall is more excellent than that which is naturall and corporall The ground of it is this because the nearer a thing approacheth to that which is more excellent the more excellent that must be Now the life spirituall as it approacheth more neare to the life of God the more excellent it must needes bee it must needs bee more excellent then the naturall life that is the first reason By dying with Christ we shall live with Christ not onely a naturall but a spirituall life such a life as approacheth nearer to God then the life of nature Secondly we shall enjoy a life not fading and momentary but an eternall life for as I sayd the difference betweene the life of grace and glory is not in the nature but in the degrees in whomsoever there is a sparke of true grace begun it will certainly hold out till it grow to a flame of immortality if like the fire upon the Altar it bee nourished with fuell so that a man that is once dead with Christ he shall not live onely a spirituall life for a while but an eternall life in this world and in the world to come and both these should be arguments to stirre us up to labour for this death with Christ because wee shall live with him not onely a spirituall life but such a spirituall life as is eternall So much for the second proposition Now I addresse my selfe to the third If we be dead with Christ we beleeve that we shall also live with him We beleeve Or we are perswaded or wee are assured saith Cardinall Caietane upon this place wee are undoubtedly assured The word in this place is a word of affiance and confidence As if he had sayd in more words thus not onely the thing is sure and certaine in it selfe that they that are dead with Christ shall live with him for so many things are sure and certaine in themselves and yet wee may remaine uncertaine of them The reason is because the assurance of them proceedes not so much from the certainty of the thing as from our apprehending and knowing that certainty It is not a thing onely sure in it selfe but it is a thing whereof they themselves are sure and certaine If we be dead with Christ we beleeve we are perswaded or assured that we shall live with Christ Which being so the conclusion is That the knowledge of a mans owne mortification doth seale up to a mans soule and conscience the assurance of his salvation Or thus They that are dead with Christ may beleeve or rest assured that they shall also live with him Not onely with the life of grace although as I heretofore proved from the scope and drift of the Apostle in this place this life the Apostle principally intends for this they actually doe they that are dead with Christ actually for the present live to God vers 11. but they shall live also the other life of glory they that are dead with Christ may be assured that they shall live with the life of glory not onely of grace here but of glory hereafter Where first that you may not mistake or misconsture me observe I doe not say that he that is dead with Christ or mortified is presently assured that hee shall live with Christ The reason is because a man may be mortified and yet not know that hee is mortified at some time Now our assurance springs not so much from our mortification as from the assurance and knowledge of our mortification In which respect it is ordinary for those that are babes in Christ and young beginners to make doubt and question of their title to heaven as the aged also in Christ sometimes may doe The reason is because though they be mortified in part yet because grace is weake it is almost undicernable in respect of the infinite masse of corruption In which respect it is with them as it is with the Marriners needle which though it be truly touched yet it takes not the North point at the first Simile but it first shakes and trembles and then is fixed So a man that is regenerate and mortified presently as soone as he is regenerate he is not assured of salvation but first shakes and trembles there is a kinde of spirituall palsey a trepedation in the soule The reason is not because of mortification it proceeds not from the nature of it but because mortification is weak therefore he cannot have great assurance for assurance comes from the long continuance and experience of the power and practise of mortification And as it is in young beginners in respect of the weakenesse of grace so it may be in a growne man in Christ in respect of the strength of temptation He that hath beene assured of his salvation by the evidence of his owne conscience and Gods Spirit that he hath the beginnings in truth and sinceritie of mortification yet he may have his
assurance interrupted there may be a kinde of interposition he may loose it in respect of the present sense and apprehension of assurance Simile Iust as it is with the Sunne so long as the Sunne is continued so long there is continuall ground and cause of light but notwithstanding the discerning and perceiving of the light may be taken from us by the night or by an eclipse or by clouds that may take away the sight of the Sunne Iust so it is with a regenerate man a mortified man hee that is not onely a babe in Christ and hath made some beginning in the course of mortification but he that is a growne man and gone on in the practice of mortification yet notwithstanding he may come to doubt and question his salvation and his right to heaven sometimes The reason is because sometimes by reason of temptations or after the committing of some great and haynous sinne mortification in him may be clouded for a time so that hee may loose his assurance the present sense and apprehension of that assurance that may bee lost for a time Iust as it was in Christ when hee was on the Crosse in combate for our sakes hee seemes to have lost for the present the assurance and apprehension of Gods love hee sayd My God my God why hast thou forsaken me The vaileing of the dietie was a kind of dissertion and forsaking of Christ in respect of evidence and assurance yet hee had the ground of his assurance still the humanitie of Christ was individually and inseparably united to the God-head which was the ground of this assurance I say then it is not every man that is mortified that hath presently assurance of salvation no nor every man that once hath had assurance of salvation that hath this assurance alway it hath ebbings and tides wanes and â—ulls but indifinitely true mortification seales up to a man the assurance of salvation hee that is dead with Christ that man may be assured he shall live with him Reas 1 And the reason is because God hath made a promise of life and hath intaled everlasting life as it were to those that are mortified Rom. 8.13 Rom. 8.13 If yee live after the flesh yee shall die but if through the Spirit you mortifie the deeds of the body yee shall live Looke as God threatneth death to men that walke after the flesh so he hath promised and covenanted to bestow life on those that mortifie the deeds of the flesh 2 Tim. 2.11 So in 2 Tim. 2.11 saith the Apostle This is a faithfull saying and worthy to be beleeved for if wee bee dead with him we shall also live with him It is a faithfull saying Now what firmer foundation or more pregnant rock can wee have of assurance then the promise of God saith Saint Austin S. Aug. lib. 12 cap. 1. he to whom truth it selfe hath made a promise how should hee be able to be deceived he that is truth cannot lye As God cannot be deceived so hee cannot deceiue S. August in the 12. Booke of his confessions Chap. 1. It is true saith Bellermine Bellarm. wee neede not feare in respect of God to whom hath God promised eternall life to them that are mortified and they shall certainly enjoy eternall life but here is the question How shall we know that we are mortified Quest I answer briefly Answ First where God gives a grace commonly at one time or other God gives a man a gift to discerne that grace I doe not say in the beginning when grace is as it were in its infancie and beginning or in temptation but at one time or other God gives another gift that is a gift whereby a man shall discerne that grace or else how shall God have the glory of his grace if we cannot be assured that we have it Or how shall we have comfort by the Grace of God if our selves cannot come to be assured of it But saith he Obiect Doe we not know that many men deceive themselves with false perswasions of mortification Many men thinke that sinne is dead in them when it is not dead but sleepeth As ignorant men thinke thinke the Flie in winter is dead when others know that the Flie is but benummed there is life in it though shee doe not exercise that life Answ But I answer what then what though that foolish and antick man at Athens thought all the Shippes that came to Beream were his owne because hee thought the Shippes his owne should the owners of them not thinke they were theirs If a man in a dreame think that hee eates shall not men therefore that are awake be assured that they eate It followes not that because some men are deceived with a perswasion of mortification when they have it not that therefore others that are indeed mortified should not bee perswaded of it Quest Well saith he how shall we know it Answ I answer a man may know it three wayes First by the Word of God which God hath left as a Test or Touch-stone whereby men may try the sinceritie and truth of their mortification Heretofore I have given some notes and characters whereby ye may discerne whether you are mortified or no out of the Scriptures The first thing whereby we may try the truth of our mortification is the Scripture which God hath left to bee a light to our feete and a Lanthorne to our paths to bee a Touch-stone whereby wee may discover whether our mortification bee sincere or counterfeit Secondly there is another testimonie and that is the testimonie of our owne conscience when the conscience being renewed and sanctified conscience beares witnesse before God out of long experience of the truth and sinceritie of mortification that wee are mortified for this assurance that ariseth from mortification ariseth not from one act but from long experience of mortification Now any man knowes that knowes the nature of experience that that ariseth from many acts The second meanes then to know we are mortified it is from the testimonie of our owne conscience and spirit as the Apostle saith Rom. 8.16 Rom. 8.16 that beares witnesse that wee are the children of God that we are mortified Thirdly and lastly there comes another testimonie as a meanes and that assures the rest that is of Gods Spirit that calmes the conscience and perswades of this that wee are mortified and so by consequent that wee have right to heaven That is the first reason then hee that is mortified that is dead with Christ hee is assured to live with him because God hath promised life and salvation to such as are dead with Christ and such as are dead with Christ they may know themselves at one time or other to bee dead with Christ Reas 2 Secondly Mortification seales up to a man the assurance of salvation because it seales to a man the assurance of his being in Christ The argument is this hee that may be assured that hee
is in Christ may bee assured that hee shall be saved but hee that knowes that hee is mortified and dead with Christ hee may be assured that hee is actually in Christ therefore he may be assured that hee shall be saved I aske whence comes this death with Christ Whence comes it that sinne is mortified in a man Is it not because hee is in Christ and is united to Christ and thence it is because hee is united to Christ that hee partakes of the vertue and Spirit of Christ whereby sinne is mortified Let this bee sufficient to bee spoken for the proofe of the point Vse 1 In the first place it serves for confutation for if they that are dead with Christ may be assured by this that they shall also live with Christ Then surely a man may attaine a greater assurance of salvation then Bellarmine and the rest of that faction perswade men he may They say a man cannot attaine it by the contemplating and viewing of the grace of God in him hee can but attaine a kind of hope of salvation a kind of doubting conjecturall morall assurance but for this assurance that we speake of our Countrey-men at Rhemes sticke not to say that it is a damnable false thing upon Rom. 9. Rhem. on Rom. 9. such an assurance as is impossible to bee attained in this life except it be by revelation and by extraordinary meanes And then they say moreover if it bee â—ttained it is perillous and dangerous to attaine because it opens to men a gappe to all licentiousnesse for say they if a man may be assured of his salvation let him doe what he will hee shall be saved I cannot now enter into the lists with these Rhemists at this time but give me leave to their objection to returne two things First say they it is impossible for a man by mortification to come to be assured of his salvation I desire them to unriddle me this They say a man by mortifying by macerating himselfe by fasting and sack-cloth and by whipping himselfe hee may merit salvation and heaven May hee merit heaven and not bee assured hee shall come to heaven What is it because God is ignorant and knowes not their good deeds or because hee is unjust and will not reward them If they say either it is blasphemie if they give way to either of them then they give way to this doctrine that wee speake of If a man by macerating himselfe in sack-cloth and ashes by whipping and bearing himselfe may merit heaven as the Papists joyntly affirme or most of them And Getzer in his second booke of Discipline Chap. 8. then certainly a man by mortification may come to have assurance of heaven for if a man bee not assured but doubts that doubt must come that either God knowes not that wee deserve heaven by our mortification and then God is not omniscient Or if hee doe know it hee will not reward us according to our merits and then hee is unjust either of which to affirme is blasphemy So their owne tenent overthrowes themselves See the difference betweene truth and errour one truth and vertue contraries not another but one vice and errour contradict each other as Covetousnesse opposeth Prodigalitie c. Secondly say they as it is impossible to attaine so it is dangerous to attaine this opens a gappe to licentiousnesse I wonder what feare there is of this since wee affirme that this assurance is to bee had by holinesse by mortifying of our sinfull lusts It is true indeed if we had assurance if we did maintaine that it might bee gotten notwithstanding that we went on in the practice of our sinfull lusts then it were another matter but wee affirme that this assurance is had only by the practice of mortification by mortifying and subduing our sinfull lusts And as it is gained by this so it is to be preserved by this I wonder then what feare here can be of opening a gappe to licentiousnesse and wickednesse by maintaining assurance of salvation when we maintaine here with that assurance is had by mortification and is to be kept and preserved only by it The rule of Philosophy here is true the same cause that produceth the same cause preserveth a thing but to let them passe and to returne to our selves If those that are dead with Christ may Vse 2 come to be assured that they shall also live with him how should this stirre up all of us to labour for mortification To indeavour to subdue and mortifie our sinfull lusts that we may come to bee assured that after wee shall live with God! It is that that the Apostle commands 2 Pet. 1.10 saith he 2 Pet. 1.10 Give diligence to make your calling and election sure Give diligence it is not a thing so easily attained as some dreame it is a thing that requires cost and paines a man hath it not but after long practise and indeavour of mortification Now I say it is that that the Apostle perswades us unto to give diligence to make our Calling and election sure It is sure enough in Gods counsell we should labour to make it sure in our owne conscience Wee may complaine men give diligence to make their houses sure to make their lands and preferments and offices and friends sure but how few give diligence to make their Calling and election sure Yet I know not when there was ever more need that wee of this place should labour to make our calling and election sure then now wee perceive already that wrath is gone out from God and the Angell of the Lord hath strucken some among us and they have fallen on the right hand and on the left hand before us and behind us and wee our selves know not when our turne may come Now the lesse assurance we have of being here on earth the more wee should labour for assurance of our well being hereafter in heaven And if wee have once this assurance this will bestead us and minister comfort in all calamities What though we bee poore if wee have this assurance wee know wee shall come there where there is durable unperishing riches What if we be in disgrace this will make us possesse our soules with patience and tell us that we shall come shortly to a place where wee are assured all teares shall be wiped from our eyes and all that blemisheth our name What though we bee sicke wee are assured that wee shall come to a place where we shall have no sicknesse but constant health What though death come It will make us chearfully to welcome it and it will make us call it as Saint Ciprian doth S. Cyprian the Midwife of immortalitie that shall translate and remove us from a fading perishing life to the everlasting life Then let us that God hath bin so gracious unto that he hath spared us and visited others labour to improve the time to practise mortification that in case worse come wee may yet be
provided If wee adresse our selves to this who knowes if God will not graciously spare us and not afflict us or if it come wee shall have infinite comfort then when our dores shall bee shut up and we have no other comfort yet then our conscience will witnesse comfortably that notwithstanding wee die yet wee shall come where wee shall live for ever Oh then as the Apostle saith let us give all diligence to make our calling and election sure It is a matter of paines it is not easily gotten but it will abundantly recompence the paines If wee looke and finde our sinfull lusts mortified in part let not that satisfie us let us not rest there but goe further and proceed in the worke of mortification for looke as our mortification is so is our assurance the weaker our mortification is the weaker our assurance of salvation the stronger our mortification the better assurance wee have of salvation Thirdly if they that are dead with Vse 3 Christ may rest assured that they shall live with him then by the rule of contraries they that are not dead with Christ cannot assure themselves that they shall live with him If only he can be assured of salvation in whō sinfull lusts are mortified then hee in whom they are not mortified that man cannot bee assured of salvation Indeed hee may have a kinde of a wilde hope a presumptuous confidence but it is such as will faile him in the time of need Like to your Winter brookes or land-floods In the time of Winter when a man hath no use of water they flow abundantly but in Summer in the time of drought when men have need they are gone they are not to bee had So that assurance that a man hath as long as hee goes on in the practice of his sinfull lusts it is a wild deceitfull presumption such an assurance as will doe him no good when hee comes to need it I have read it was the manner of tryall that was used when there was a controversie of land whether it belonged to Ireland or to England they did take Snakes and Toades and poysonous Serpents and put there and if they lived there they concluded it belonged to England if they died they judged it belonged to Ireland the reason was because no venemous thing will live there I apply it thus sinfull lusts are like Snakes and Toades and venemous creatures looke what soule they live in if they live in a mans soule it is an argument that hee belongs not to heaven and wee know what place he belongs to then onely to hell if it dye in us we may assure our selves that wee belong to heaven Hee in whom sinne lives and his lusts continue unmortified that man cannot assure himselfe of salvation The reason is because all assurance comes from the promise of God God hath made no promise to men that continue and goe on in the service and obedience of their sinfull lusts hee threatens nothing but death and destruction to such If yee live after the flesh yee shall dye Rom. 8.13 Rom. 8.13 This shall suffice to have spoken of the third point the certainty of this connexion If we be dead with Christ we beleeve that we shall also live with him Mortification seales up to a mans soule and conscience the assurance of salvation for they that are dead with Christ may rest assured and perswaded that they shall live with him I come to the fourth and last point The cause and ground of this death to sinne and this life to grace which is Christ If wee be dead with Christ we beleeve that we shall also live with him If we be dead with Christ that is if we be dead by the vertue and power of Christ then wee beleeve that wee shall also live by vertue and power of the same Christ The conclusion is this that As our death to sinne so our life to grace they both proceede from Christ If we be dead with Christ saith the Apostle that is if wee be dead by the vertue and power of Christ if sinne be dead in us then wee beleeve that wee shall also live with Christ the life of grace here and of glory hereafter by the power and vertue of the same Christ I say the point on which I shall insist is this that as our death to sinne so the life of Grace they both proceede from Christ Christ is the author and the producer of both So saith Saint Paul in Gal. 2.20 Gal. 2.20 saith the Apostle I am crucified with Christ yet notwithstanding I live yet not I but Christ liveth in mee and the life that I live in the flesh is by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himselfe for me Looke what the Apostle Paul speakes of himselfe the same may every Christian in whom sinne is dead and mortified and the life of grace wrought speake of himselfe saith the Apostle I am crucified with Christ that is sin is crucified in me sinfull lusts are crucified and mortified in me by the vertue of Christ so saith he I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me I live by the faith of the Son of God As I am crucified to sinne by Christ so I live by the vertue of Christ Phil. 3.8 9 10 So in Phillip 3.8 9 10. He desires so earnestly to be found in Christ that he contemned and undervalued all things but this that he might be found in Christ saith he I account all losse for the excellent knowledge of Christ for whom I suffer the losse of all things nay I account them not onely losse but dung that I may winne Christ and be found in him we see in verse 10. the reason that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his suffeings being made conformable to his death The reason why the Apostle desired to be found in Christ and why in comparison of this he accounted all things as drosse it was because he might bee made partaker of Christs death What is the fellowship of Christs death but to bee partaker of the Spirit of Christ that raised him from the dead that by the same Spirit of Christ hee might bee raysed from the death of sinne to the life of grace The reason of it is this because as our death to sinne so our life to grace are both the worke of grace from whom can wee expect the worke of grace but from him in whom is the fulnesse of grace so saith Saint Iohn Ioh 1.14 The Word was made flesh Ioh. 1.14 that is Christ and dwelt among us and wee saw his glory as the glory of the onely begotten Sonne of God full of grace and truth Our death to sin and our life to Christ are both the effects of Gods grace Now from whom can we have the effects of Gods grace but from him in whom alone is the fulnesse of grace The word was made manifest among us
from the Grave and shall not wee rise from the death of sinne to newnesse of life Doe wee professe our selves to bee members of Christ and not indeavour conformitie with our head Christ Shall wee be like the Image or statue of Nebuchadnezar to have a head of gold and to have feet of mire and clay So Christ is not only the meritorious and exemplary but the moving perswading cause the very thought that Christ died for sin and rose againe it will move us to die to sin and to live the life of grace Fourthly and lastly Christ is the cause efficient as of our death to sinne so of the life of grace It were in vaine that Christ were the meritorious cause that hee had merited the donation of Gods Spirit whereby sinne might be killed and wee be quickened to the life of grace It were in vaine for him to set himselfe as a patterne for us to imitate and that hee is a morall cause to move and perswade us to imitate him unlesse hee were also the cause efficient to worke in us this death to sinne and this life of Grace therefore Christ also is the efficient cause hee workes in us both a death to sinne and the life of grace For the understanding of which know that Christ not only saves us by merit but hee saves us by efficacie too not only by Merite in deserving of life for us but in efficacie in fitting and preparing us to partake of life Hee not only by death hath abolished and removed death for sin but hee abates in us daily the power of sinne so hee is the efficient cause as well as the rest Quest But you will aske how comes Christ to be the efficient cause of death to sinne and of the life of grace by what meanes doth hee worke in us these two Answ I answer in Christs working in us these things there are some things that concurre in the first working of this life of grace and death to sinne and there are others that concurre not to the first worke but to the increasing and augmentation of it Those that concurre to the first worke are three 1. The Spirit of God 2. The Word of God 3. And Baptisme Now those againe that concurre not to the first worke of our death to sinne and kindling of this spirituall life but to the further increase and augmentation of it when it is wrought they are two 1. Faith 2. And the Lords Supper Of every one of these briefly First I say the principall cause of death to sinne and of the life of grace is the Spirit of Christ so saith the Apostle in that place before alledged Rom. 8.12.13 saith he Rom. 8.13 If yee live after the flesh yee shall die but if yee mortifie the deedes of the body through the Spirit yee shall live It is through the Spirit of Christ whereby sinne is mortified in us and through the Spirit of Christ that we are quickned to the life of grace In which respect it is called the quickning Spirit saith Christ Ioh. 8. The spirit quickneth Joh. 8. 1 Thess 2. It is called also the Spirit of sanctification 1 Thes 2. Why is it called the Sanctifying spirit because by it we are sanctified Now what are the parts of Sanctification They are two first our death to sinne the subduing of the power of sinne secondly our enlivening and quickning to grace Now the Spirit of God is said to be a sanctifying Spirit in respect of both these for from the Spirit of God it is that sinne is mortified in us and it is from the quickning Spirit that we are enlivened to a new life so the principall cause is the Spirit of God There are two other causes and those are instrumentall First the Word of God that is a powerfull meanes whereby God workes in us this death to sinne and the life of grace it is a powerfull meanes that God useth as the Apostle saith for the battering and demolution of all Satans strong holds Our lusts of themselves are too strong for us to vanquish it is the Spirit only that is mightier that can vanquish them but by what meanes doth the Spirit doe it It is by the Spirit as the principall cause but by the Word as the instrumentall cause or by the Spirit of God concurring with the Word For the Word of it selfe is not of power to mortifie sinne and to quicken us to a new life of grace but as it is a meanes to convey and derive to us the Spirit of God It is with us as it was with Lazarus when he was raised from the grave to a new life hee was raised by the word of Christ it was indeed by the word of Christ but it was not only the word of Christ that raised him but the vertue of Christs Spirit went along with that word and made that effectuall for the raising of him So it is with us it is not the Word only that is available for the mortifying of our sinfull lusts or that quickens us to the performance of the holy duties of a new life but the Word as it is the instrument of the Spirit of God which is the chiefe Agent Secondly another instrumentall cause is Baptisme that also is a meanes whereby the Spirit of God workes in us this death to sin and life of grace Now Baptisme is a cause of both these three wayes First as it is a cause resembling or as a type shadowing and pointing out to us our death to sinne and our life of grace which type and resemblance was farre more expresse in hotter clymates and Countreys in which in Baptisme they used to drench the child to dippe it in the water which dipping of the child in the water was a resemblance and type to them of their death to sinne with Christ and their rising out of the water exprest their rising to newnesse of life so by Baptisme wee are said to bee dead to sinne and alive to God through it as a resemblance expressing to us this death and life Secondly not only as a resemblance but as a speciall meanes whereby the Spirit of God concurres and goes along with the Element of water and makes it effectuall for the cleansing of us as from the guilt of sin so for the subduing the power of sinne and working in us a new life in which respect it is stiled by the Apostle in Titus 3. T it 3. The laver of regeneration that is it is that meanes whereby the Spirit of God workes regeneration this death to sinne and life of grace Thirdly and lastly Baptisme is said to be a cause as of our death to sinne so of the life of grace in regard of the stipulation or covenant because when wee are baptised wee enter into a solemne vow and covenant with God that we will forsake the Divell and all his workes there is mortification and that wee will lead a new life there is vivification So it is
said to be a cause in regard of the stipulation and contract that wee make then solemnly by our selves or by those that undertake for us that are our sureties our God-fathers and God-mothers It is a meanes in that regard Let this suffice to be spoken of the meanes whereby Christ as an efficient cause workes this death of sinne and life of grace Before I passe let me tell you as by these causes this death to sinne and life of grace is wrought so there are other causes that serve not to kindle this sacred sparke but to increase it and make it grow to a flame such meanes as doe not serve for the performing of the first act of mortification and vivification but when once there is mortification and quickning in the soule they increase both and those are principally two 1. Faith 2. The Lords Supper Col. 2.12 First Faith so saith the Apostle in Collos 2.12 Yee are buried with Christ in Baptisme wherein you are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God I say faith is not the meanes to give us the first assault and impression upon sinne to mortifie and subdue it at the first but when we are morfied Faith helpes and increaseth and perfects that worke of mortification So that the sophisme of our adversaries is easily answered say they if wee bee risen through Christ to a new life of grace and through faith then say they wee have Faith before wee be quickned for say they that which is the cause of the effect must goe before as the cause of that effect Now if Faith bee a meanes to raise us to a new life then before wee have a new life we have Faith for saith the Apostle Yee are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God therefore wee have Faith before wee can rise I answer with Amesius Faith is not the cause of the first mortification but the cause of the increase of mortification it is not that by which at the first wee are quickned but when once wee are quickned it is that by which the worke of vivification is more and more increased Conceive it thus The worke of grace is only the fruit and effect of the Spirit of grace Now when the Spirit of God enlivens and quickens us it begets in us as other graces so the grace of faith Now when this grace of faith is wrought in us by this wee are united more to Christ then before and so partake more of the vertue of Christ and so the worke of Mortification and vivification is more increased Faith then concurres not to the first act of mortification and vivification but it concurres to the increase and augmentation of both The second meanes or cause that concurres not to the first act but to the increase of mortification and vification it is the Lords Supper for that serves as the antient Father calls it as physicke received into the body not only for the checking and curbing and expelling of obnoxious humours but for the restoring of health by consequent so the Lords Supper duly received it serves as a meanes to abate sinfull lusts in us if it bee worthily received I say not by a dead faith hee that receives it worthily it is a meanes to mortifie sinne in him and so by consequent for the quickning of him to a new life the life of grace though not to the first act yet to the increase of that former life that was in him It is called meate Now as the meate that wee receive cannot availe to beget a new life in a man put meat into the mouth of a dead man it doth not quicken him put meate into the mouth of a living man and it increaseth his life So in the Lords Supper worthily received it is not a meanes to worke the first act of Mortificatification and vivification but when once Mortification and vivification are begun when there is a new life in a man this serves as spirituall food to strengthen and increase that life Let this suffice for the answer to the question proposed If Christ bee the cause of death to sinne and of the life of grace how hee is the cause hee is the cause meritorious the exemplary the morall and efficient cause hee is the cause efficient both by his Spirit by his Word and by Baptisme And then he is the cause efficient though not of the first act of mortification and vivification yet of the increase of them that is by Faith and the Lords Supper I come briefly to the use Well if through Christ alone Vse and by vertue derived from him as a head wee die to sinne and live to grace then this serves to stirre us all up to desire and indeavour to bee in Christ that wee may partake of the vertue of Christ whereby sinne may bee killed in us and mortified and whereby wee may be quickned to the life of grace It was the desire of Constantine and the glory of him too hee professed that hee had rather be a member of Christ then the Lord and King of the Empire Now if wee desire to partake of the vertue of Christ our first care must be to labour to be in Christ For looke as it is with a Plant it partakes not of the vertue of the stocke till it be grafted into it and then it doth so it is with us if we be grafted into Christ wee shall partake of the vertue of Christ by which sinne will be mortified in us and we shall be quickned to a new life of grace As it is in the naturall body the members partake not of the vertue of the head unlesse they be united to the head so it is with us except wee be united to Christ through a true and lively faith which is the sinew and ligament by which we are tyed to Christ we doe not partake of the vertue of Christ Indeede many of us desire the favour of great ones to receive benefit from them but there is no man no Monarch on the earth by whom wee can reape that benefit as we may by Christ if we be in him We acknowledge that Kings are Lords of life and death yet they are not Lords of this life and death All the Kings and Monarchs in the world though they may take away the life of their subjects yet they cannot take away the life of one lust or sinne though perhaps they may give life to a man that is not to take it away when they may yet they cannot give a new life to a man they cannot worke this new life the life of grace Therefore it should bee our desire and indeavour to be in Christ that wee may partake of the vertue of Christ since it is onely hee from whom the vertue comes by which sinne is mortified and wee are quickned to a new life Zach. 13.1 Let us labour to bee in him that wee may partake of this vertue In Zach. 13.1 It is
called a fountaine opened for sinne and for trangression Christ is not onely a pond or a poole that is dryed up but a fountaine and perpetuall spring if wee desire to have our soules washed from corruption and sinne let us labour to wash them in this living spring and fountaine And then it is a fountaine opened not a sealed fountaine as wee reade in Scripture And then againe as it is a fountaine opened for the killing of sinne so for the quickning to a new life Looke as it was with that River that Naaman washed himselfe in he was not onely cleansed of his Leprosie but his flesh came againe as the flesh of a childe so every one that is washed in the blood of Christ he is not onely cleansed from the Leprosie and corruption of sinne but his flesh comes as the flesh of a childe the life that he formerly had in Adam comes againe to him by the vertue of Christ That is the first Vse if our death to sinne and life in grace proceede both from Christ this should be a motive to us to labour to be in Christ that we may die to sinne and live with him Vse 2 Secondly if our death to sinne To returne the prayse of grace to Christ and life in grace proceede from Christ then when wee finde in our selves sinne in any sort mortified and that wee are inabled to performe holy duties wee know from whom wee have it let us know to whom we ought to returne the glory of it Let us say as David through thee we have done valiantly It is through Christ and by vertue from him that wee overcome our lusts or else they are too strong for us If wee be enabled to doe holy duties let us lift up our eyes to heaven and say through thee O Christ wee are enabled to doe this As all the vertue whereby wee dye to sinne and live the life of grace is from Christ so it is equall that all the glory should bee returned to Christ It is the greatest sacriledge in the world to attribute any thing to us To mortifie sinne it is a part of Christs kingly power of his kingly office Now hee that chalengeth any vertue and power to mortifie sinne in himselfe or to raise himselfe to a new life of grace hee is guilty of high treason hee usurpes on the Kings prerogative It is Christs prerogative onely to mortifie sinne in us Thirdly if it come of Christ alone our death to sinne and our life of grace then wee see what to judge of them that are out of Christ sinne is neyther mortified in them nor they quickned to a new life of grace If all water proceede from one Fountaine then that that is seperate from that Fountaine must of necessitie be dry If Christ be the Fountaine of all Grace by which our sinnes are mortified and wee quickned to a new life then they that are out of Christ they cannot have eyther death to sinne or the life of grace Whatsoever is in them it is dead if there bee any thing that is good whatsoever it is it is dead whatsoever is alive in them it is but dead it makes them dead to grace here and assures them that except they be revived they shall goe from one death to another from spirituall death to eternall for evermore FINIS THE WOUNDED SAVIOVR ESAY 53.5 But he was wounded for our transgressions IT was not without good reason that among all the Prophets in the Old Testament our Prophet Isay onely should bee stiled by ancient and moderne writers the Evangelicall Prophet He that reades this Chapter whereof my Text is a portion will confesse as much The Chapter conteines a description of Christ of his comming into and his harsh entertainement in the world his sufferings and resurrection so fully and punctually that at the first view a man would think it were rather a History than a Prophesie and rather a relation of some what past then a prediction of any thing to come Wherein for the better distinct understanding of the method and coherence of the words know that Isay the Eagle-eyed Prophet as one calls him having in the second verse of this Chapter shewed how meane and contemptible in the eyes of men Christs incarnation should be In the fourth verse hee shewes what the judgement and censure of the world should bee concerning Christ how basely and indignly they should conceive of him not as hee was indeede the innocent immaculate Lambe of God but as a notorious malefactor one that for his owne sins was stricken of God and humbled But how unjust and impious their opinion was the Prophet shewes in Vers 5. whereof my Text is a part First by remooving the false cause of his suffering which was supposed to be his owne sinne in this particle But We judged him to be stricken and afflicted of God But As if he should say there was no such thing He first remooves the false cause of his suffering which was his owne sinne we judged it to be his owne sinne and deserving But. Secondly by assigning the true cause in these words Hee was wounded for our transsions not for any sinne of his owne but for our transgressions you see the coherence of the words and the context In which observe three parts for they being a discription of Christs sufferings First consider the patient or partie suffering Hee Christ God and man the second person in the Trinitie Hee was wounded Secondly the passion it selfe in these words He was wounded whereby not onely though principally is understood the torments that as * Preached on a good-Friday this day hee suffered on the Crosse but withall all the calamities and miseries that befell him through the whole course of his life For howsoever it be true that the great Captaine of our salvation as the Apostle saith Heb. 2.10 Hâ—b 2.10 did never till the last enter into the maine battell with the spirituall enemies of our salvation yet hee had many skirmishes with them before oft in his life-time he did taste and sippe as it were of the cuppe of Gods wrath but hee did never till then drinke and sucke up the dregges Hee was wounded for our transgressions Thirdly the cause or reason of these sufferings Our transgressions not for any sinnes or demerits of his owne no but hee was wounded for our sinnes and transgressions I shall not presently descend to these particulars I find a But in the entrance of the Text But hee was wounded for our transgressions Gold-smiths weigh their gold to the utmost weight and the priviledges of Scripture are such that there is not a word or tittle but it is as ful of weight as it is certaine of accomplishment This But is like a counterblast of a contrary wind that meetes a Ship in her full sayle and turnes her course another way Thus it runnes Wee judged him stricken of God as deserving it by his owne sins But. It
a surfeiting they filled themselves to the full then presently their soules are overborne every one neighs after his neighbours wife There is the third reason why wee should bee carefull not to have our hearts overcharged with surfeiting because it fills our soules full of lusts Reas 4 Jt brings Gods judgements on us Fourthly and lastly it brings on the judgements of God Looke as it was with Sodome they were eating and drinking and giving themselves to satisfie their sensuall appetites and the judgements of God came and swept them away suddenly and fearfully Ezek. 16.49 Ezek. 16.49 Behold this was the iniquitie of thy sister Sodome pride fulnesse of bread there is surfeiting Verse 50. Now in verse 50. Therefore I tooke them away as I saw good They gave themselves to pride and fulnesse of bread to surfeiting and drunkennesse and God tooke them away as hee saw good So in Amos 6.4 5 6. speaking against the wantonnesse of Israel Amos 6.4 5 6. he saith They stretch themselves on beds of Ivorie they eate the lambes of the flocke and the calves out of the middest of the stall that is they did yeeld too much to their sensuall appetite in the use of these things Verse 7. What then Therefore in verse 7. They shall goe captive with the first that goe captive and the banquet of them that stretched themselves shall be removed Because they gave themselves to satisfie their sensuall appetite and to the immoderate use of the creature God would cut them short and they should goe into captivitie where they should be pinched with want and penurie You see the reasons why wee should take heed that our hearts bee not overcharged with surfeiting First because it makes the soule unfit for spirituall duties Secondly it is the nurse of securitie Thirdly it fills the soule full of noysome lusts that fight against the soule Fourthly it provokes the judgements of God as against us so against others too These sinnes are such And against others that they provoke the judgements of God not only against us but against others Oft times poore people smart with famine and penurie the reason is because of the excesse and immoderate eating of great ones As in a mist Simile wee say it is a signe of raine and showers when the mists goe up by the mountaines so when surfeiting sends up a mist in those mountaines those that are eminent above others in power or place it is an argument it will bring raine not onely on the mountaines but on the holes and vallies it will cause a storme and tempest These sinnes are such sinnes as draw judgements not onely on them that are guiltie of them but on others also I might adde to these many other reasons Reas 5 as first we are to take heede of this It hurts the body because it doth not disable the soule onely but the body also it fills that full of diseases in respect of which it is growne now a disputable question and hath beene long whether surfeiting or the sword kill more We complaine that men in these times live not to the yeares of our forefathers It is true wee live a lesse time the reason is because wee eate more meate we kill our selves Every glutton is guilty of his owne death at least if hee be not guilty of his death manifestly yet he is obliquely he cuts his life short which hee might else enlarge I question not to the dayes of our forefathers if we were carefull of our lives Reas 6 It doth not onely disable our bodies but our estates It hurts his estate as we see it plainely in many of our gallants It was a good saying of Plato a heathen man a man undoes himselfe by giving way to his sensuall apetite hee devours his estate and patrimony Reas 7 It hurts not onely our selves in soule and body and estate It wrongs the common-wealth but it hurts others it hurts the common wealth because by prejudicing of our selves by consequent we prejudice the common wealth whereof we are a part You know what the Civillians say it concernes the communitie that every particular man use his estate well Now if wee use our estates ill and impoverish our selves in our estates by consequence we impoverish the common wealth if we make our bodies unfit by surfeiting to serve God and our countrey we impoverish the countrey Lastly we hurt not onely our selves but Reas 8 our brethren It wrongs the poore that might be relieved with our superfluitie we hurt our brethren and so by consequence we come to be guilty of a double murther by surfeiting wee murther our selves and our poore brethren that by our superfluitie might be relieved I will not insist further on the reasons but come to make some Vse Surely if ever it were seasonable to take heede of surfeiting Vse it is at this time seasonable not onely because it is a time wherein God calls for fasting and humiliation though in that respect we ought to take heed least we be overcharged with surfeiting but because of the commonnesse of this sinne it is so common that there is almost no notice taken of it We many times speake against drunkennesse and if there were not lawes made against it what could wee expect but an inundation and catoclisme and overwhelming Time was it was the fault of Beggers As drunke as a Begger they used to say but now it is the fault of great ones It is a fault not onely of the night and of the darkenesse but of the noone day but for gluttony we lift not up our voyces as trumpets as we should doe Simile It is true it fares with the diseases of the soule as it doth in the body Phisitians tell us and wee know by experience when a man is troubled with the stone and the goute if he have a pang and fit of the stone he feeles not the goute The reason is because of the violence of the stone it is so grievous a paine that it beares downe and takes away the sence of the goute Iust so it is with surfeiting and drunkennesse they are both grievous diseases of the soule but yet drunkennesse is the more grievous the reason is because of the violence of it we take no notice of gluttony but speake against drunkennesse though that be a worke of the flesh Gal. 5. as we see Gal. 5. As the goute is a grievous disease though the stone bee more grievous so gluttony is a grievous disease of the soule though drunkennesse be a more grievous And if wee that are Ministers had ever neede to speake against gluttony surely it is in this land as wee may see by that order lately set forth It is a sinne almost proper to this Land we make our selves a scorne by our intemperance in meate and if wee should speake against it in this nation I know not where it should bee more then in this place