yet the innocent bloud of thy brother Abel which thou hast shed doth speak yea cry aloud for vengeance x Etsi nomo hominum te accuset quippe cùm nemo tri sceleris fit conscius tamâ—n est qui te accusâ—t apud me videlicet itse sauguis fra tris tui â—â—nocenter per te sâ—suâ— Iste inquam sanguis lo quitur coram me vindictam sui à me tanquam justo judice postulavi â—iscaâ— in Gen. 4.10 But now the bloud of Christ hath a voice too and that speakes better things than the bloud of Abel The bloud of Christ pleads for the Saints crying not for vengeance but for mercy and pardon for them y Non vindictam clamat sed veniam Pataeus ad loc Sanguis Abel vindictam loquebatur Sanguis autem Christi melius loquitur quia veniam loquitur gratiam Estius ad loâ— and by this meanes they are freed from the accusation and condemnation of the Law whereunto otherwise by reason of renewed transgressions they doe every day become obnoxious And hence it is that Paul throws down the gaunt-let as it were and maketh that triumphant challenge Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect It is God that justifieth Who is he that condemneth It is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us Rom. 8.33 34. Lastly There is a time approaching and not far off when believers shall be freed from the very being of sin Here indeed in this life they are under a sinfull necessity and sin dwelleth in them and will dwell in them whether they will or no insomuch that the pious soul often cryes out with David Woe is me that I dwell in Mesech that I sojourn in the tents of Kedar Psal 120.5 How long shall I be pestered with this troublesome inmate And with the Apostle Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death Rom. 7.24 But at death Saints shall be delivered from sin When the body of flesh dieth this body of death shall be quite destroyed Corruption shall be then totally destroyed when this mortall shall put on immortality and this corruptible shall put on incorruption z 1 Cor. 15.53 The Saints shall never after death be proud more nor grieve the Spirit of God more nor have cause any more to complain of the hardness of their hearts and the earthliness of their mindes and the vanity of their thoughts Their sins may accompany them to death but they cannot proceed one step further It is with the people of God in this life as it was with the people of Israel they were delivered from their Aegyptian Taskmasters and that was a sweet mercy to them but presently they see them at their heels and upon their backs again and this was exceeding bitter and therefore the Lord to comfort them tells them Exod. 14.13 Those Aegyptians whom ye have seen to day ye shall see them again no more for ever So that it is with the the children of God in reference to their sins they are delivered from the bondage of their sins but yet their sins may trouble them and put them into frights and raise in them many imbondageing thoughts of fear afterward but yet at death their deliverance shall be compleated and then they may stand upon the shore of the other world and see all these Aegyptians drowned in the red sea of Christs bloud and may say in the highest triumph and exultation of Spirit concerning sin and Sathan and whatsoever else hath the face or deserves to beare the name of a mysticall Aegyptian These Aegyptians which we have seen and felt so often in the dayes of our mortality we shall not feel nor so much as see them again for ever Consider what I have said and the Lord give you understanding in all things FINIS Through the Authors absence many faults have escaped the Press The smaller literall mistakes and mispointings they indulgence I hope will pardon Other more material mistakes thou art desired to correct with thy pen. Errata PAge 1. line penult read Brethren p. 3. l. 16. r. precedent ib. l. 26. r. sufficient p. 5. l. 17. r. reasons p. 9. l. 21. r. condemning p. 10. l. 15. r. pardoning p. 12. l. 4. r. Christs ib. l. 26. r. Scripture p. 14. l. 2. r. there ib. l. 5. r. there p. 15. l. 24 25. r. finally p. 16. l. 10. r inhaerens p. 18. l. 15. r. into p. 20. l. antepâ—nult r wherein p. 21. l. 22. dele also p. 22. l. 9. r. permits ib. l. 22 r. râ—doundeth p. 23. l. 24. r righteousness p. 24. l. antepenult r. as I. p. 15. l. 2. r. confident p. 31. l. 13. r servants p. 32. l. 20. r. lusts p. 33. l. 13. r. imperious ib. l. 18. r. heartily l. 20. r. he p. 34. l. 24. for after r against p. 38. l. 3. r sins p. 41. l. 8. r. practises p. 43. l. 3. r. fatigatus p. 47 l. 4. dele us ib. l. 6. r. absolute l. 23. for Doct. r. Vse p. 48. l. 22. r. there p. 50. l. 16. r. faithfull â—b l. 22. r. Pharaoh p. 51. l 22. r. attainable p. 58. l. 25. r therefore p. 64. l. 15 r. there p 66 l 22. r dear p. 67. l. 10. r poenae p. 68. l. 16 r fullfilled p. 76. l. 12. r smallness p. 78. l. â— r. Saints ib. l. 7 r. grievous p. 8â— l. 5. r. thee p. 84. l. 12. r. jealousie p. 85. l. 6. presented l. antepenult r. example p. 86 l. 3. r. being there resolved p. 90 l. 16. r. companion p. 91. l. 3. dâ—le as ib. l. 8 r sate p. 93. l. 2. r occasion p. 97. l. 25. r. might ib l 26 r. divine p. 98 l. 14. r. overscers ib l. 16. r kept â—ult dele comma p. 100. l. antepenult r. violence p. 101. l. 22. r. bless p. 110. l. 8. r there ib. l. 14. r surely In the margin â—ag 6. r semirutâ p. 12. r Newcomen p. 15. r. mysticall 16. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p 20. r concupiscentiam p. 32. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 il r. consâ—etudo p. 56. l penult r ut p. 64. r. sapiamus p. 67. r paeâ— tentes ib r poenâ ib. r. castigatoriâ ib. r. Daven ib r. Cant p. 77. r Tert. p. 90. r loco p. 93. r. hab bat p. 94 r. compleaâ—
and pronounce their own doome The second argument is laid down in my Text and it is drawn à communj hominum fragilitate (b) Pareus ad loc from that common frailty which is incident to all men In many things we offend all It is an unrighteous thing to deny our Brethren that tenderness which we need our selves and to judg and condemn others for those failings from which the best of men are not free (c) Inique facit qui veniam quâ opus habet alijs negat Calvin ad loc In many things we offend all We the Apostle doeth not except himself though he was an Apostle of singular holyness and of such exact strictness that he was therefore sirnamed the just (d) Euseb Eccl. Hist lib. 2. c. 1. Offend 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is in the present tense and noteth assiduity and frequency as a learned writer observeth upon the Text (e) Vult assiduitatem quandam frequentiam significare Estius ad loc I shall not handle the words with relation to the percedent verse but consider them as an intire proposition and being so considered they cleerly hold forth this Observation Doct. The best of men are not so freed from sin in this life but that in many things they offend all The Proposition lyes clear in this Text so that had I no other proof the Text it selfe were sufficient but it is easy to multiply other Scriptures which hold forth the same truth I shall onely desire you to read two or three Texts of Scripture which give in evidence thereunto and then I shall proceed See what a challenge Solomon maketh to all the world Prov. 20.9 Who can say I have made my heart clean I am pure from sin Many indeed may say so boldly but who can say so truly The interrogation hath the force of an emphaticall negation So likewise Eccle. 7.20 There is not a just man upon the earth that doth good and sinneth not I hope none will be so vain as to except against these proofes because out of the Old Testament seeing St. James in my Text which is a part of the New Testament affirmeth as much In many things we offend all And lest you may think that it was onely one Doctors opinion you may see St. John the beloved disciple that leaned on Jesus his brest John 13.23 he in other words speaketh the same thing 1 Joh. 1.8 If we say that we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us And you have St. Paul bitterly complaining of that body of sin and death that he carried about with him and should carry about with him to his dying day Rom. 7.14 ad finem The Point you see is cleer in the prosecution of it I shall observe this method First I shall shew you how beleevers are freed from sin in this life Secondly I shall shew you how they are not freed from sin in this life Thirdly I shall lay down the reason of the Doctrine for the confirmation of it Fourthly I shall shew you what is the difference between the Godly and the wicked in their sinning Lastly I shall apply the Doctrine I beginne with the first and shall shew you how beleevers are freed from sin in this life Beleevers are freed from sin in this life in three respects First Quoad vim dominandi In respect of the dominion of it The great Apostle of the Gentiles expressely affirmes it Rom. 6.14 Sin shall not have dominion over you for you are not under the Law but under Grace Sin indeed hath a being in beleevers but it doth not reign in them as formerly Though sin act the part of a Tyrant yet it cannot act the part of a King in a beleever God sending his son in the likeness of sinfull flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh Rom 8.3 Sin is condemned it is dead judicially It received its deaths blow in the death of Christ though it lives yet it raigneth not it hath lost its strength because a beleever is not under the Law which is the strength of sin (g) 1 Cor. 15.56 but under Grace Indeed its true that as it was said of Carthage that Rome was more troubled with it after it was subdued than before (h) Plus Romae negotij fuit cum semivictâ Carthagine quâm cum integrà Flor. by reason of frequent rebellions afterwards so a Godly man may be more troubled and vexed with sin when it is conquered then he was while it raigned But yet though it may be turbulent it shall not be prevalent It was before a King but now a Captive in him before upon a throne now in chains Sin may molest and vex even where it doth not raign What is spoken Dan. 7.12 in another case As concerning the rest of the beasts they had their dominion taken away yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time We may say by way of allusion concerning sin Its dominion is taken away though its life be prolonged for a season Now my beloved what a happiness is this and what a mercy is it that when others are under the command of every lust and led captive by every sin beleevers are freed from the commanding power of sin sin doth not raigne in them for they are not under the Law but under Grace Secondly Quoad reatum Beleevers are freed from sin in respect of its guilt Jesus Christ hath freed them from the guilt of those sins which otherwise would have sunk their souls irrecoverably to the bottome of the nethermost hell so that now there is no sin can be charged upon beleevers account Christ hath fully paid their debt of sin and therefore God cannot in justice require it of them Had the guilt of any one sin of beleevers been unsatisfied for it would have detained Jesus Christ under the power of the Grave He could never have risen from the dead nor have ascended into heaven if he had not paid the uttermost farthing of that debt which beleevers sinnes had contracted He hath so freed beleevers from the guilt of sin that their sinnes shall never be charged upon them The Lord hath laid upon him the iniquities of all beleevers Esa 55.6 And they cannot be laid upon him and upon beleevers too but are in Gods account as if they had never been committed never to be laid to their charge more Therefore it is called A taking away their iniquities Hos 14.2 And a takeing away the sins of the world Joh. 1.29 Behold the lamb of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world And sometimes it is called a blotting out transgressions Esa 43.25 I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions As a debt-book is crossed and the debt blotted out so God blotteth out the sinnes of his people that they shall never be charged upon their account The promise is very emphaticall I will blot out thy transgressions
broken down (p) Dr. Ed. Reynolds ubi supra Mr. Watson in his Christians Charter Sin cleaves so fast to our nature that it will never totally and finnally leave us till these houses of clay be demollished It sticks as fast to us as blackness to an Ethiopian all the water in the Ocean cannot wash it off As long as there is wheat in the field it will have chaff about it as long as there is water in the sea it will retain its saltness so sin will cleave and adhere to us as long as we live Hence the Apostle calleth it an encompassing sin (q) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 12.1 Erasmus rendereth the word Peccatum tenaciter inherens (r) Leigh Crit. Sac. A sin that doth so tenaciously cleave to us that it will not be shaken off A man may as soon shake of his skinne from his back as shake of this evill inhabitant It will dwell in us while we dwell in these Tabernacles of clay Secondly Non quoad vim inficiendi Beleevers are not freed from sin in respect of its infectious property for it not onely cleaveth to our natures but it defiles our best performances Hence sometimes duties are in Scripture called dung Mal. 2.3 I will spread dung upon your faces even the dung of your solemn feasts sc Because of the iniquity that cleaveth to them That the sinnes of unregenerate men are defiled with sin is beyond dispute their best services as they come from them are sinfull for bad trees cannot bring forth good fruit The question is concerning the services of regenerate men And indeed it is a truth concerning the best works of regenerate men Though they are not sins and hatefull to God for to affirm so were to reproch the spirit and grace of Christ by which they are wrought yet this I dare boldly say there is aboundance of iniquity cleaving even to their holy things and to their best services that are done by the concurrence and contribution of their own faculties insomuch that did not Jesus Christ their High Priest take away the iniquities of their holy things and perfume them with his sweet odours they would not find acceptance Should God be severe to mark what is amisse in our best services he would find enough in them to condemne us (ſ) Nullum unquam extitit pii hominis opus quod si severo Dei judicio examinaretur non esset damnabile Calv. Inst l. 3. c. 14. § 11. For our righteousnesses are as filthy rags and as a menstruous cloth Esa 64.6 Thirdly Beleevers are not freed from sin in this life Non quoad vim seducendi in respect of its seduceing and deceiveing power It still retaineth a power to seduce us and draw us into sinfull practises in so much that too often it salleth out that what we would and should doe we doe not and what we neither would nor should doe that we doe t Rom. 7.15 and when we would doe good evill is present with us and by this law in our members which continually warreth against the law in our minds we are too often brought in captivity to the law of sin so that we have too often cause to cry out with the Apostle Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death Rom. 7.23 24. And thus I have also discovered to you how beleevers are freed from sin in this life I proceed now in the third place according to my proposed method to lay down the Reasons of the Doctrine and they are of two sorts First I shall give you a few reasons why God hath not wholly freed his people from sin in this life but suffereth them to carry about with them the remainders of corruption unpurged out while they abide in the flesh Secondly I shall also lay down some reasons why the Lord suffereth corruption so farre to prevail even in Godly men as to lead them into the acts of sin insomuch that it is true even of the best men that In many things they offend all First then Why hath not God wholly freed his people from sin in this life but suffers them to carry about with them the remainders of corruption unpurged out to their dying day I answer it may be for these reasons First Reas 1 That the power of his grace might be the more conspicuous in their perseverance Hence it is apparent that it is onely by grace they have their standing as well as their being in grace and that it is onely by the mighty power of God that they are kept through faith unto salvation 1 Pet. 1.5 It must wonderfully magnify the power of Gods grace that a spark of grace should be kept alive in the midst of a sea of corruption Secondly Reas 2 That the people of God might have matter of humiliation God was pleased to suffer the Israelites in the wilderness to be stung with fiery serpents and scorpions to humble them u Deut. 8.15.16 So while we are in this world God suffereth us to be stung with the fiery serpent of sin that we might be humble before him Paul had a thorn in his flesh and a messenger of Sathan to buffet him that he might not be exalted above measure 2 Cor. 12.7 Beza thinketh that this thorn in the flesh was inherent corruption x Concupicentiam intelligit quae teli instar nobis inhaeret Beza and that it is call'd a messenger of Sathan because he doth kindle those corruptions y Qui illas cupiditates incendit idem Thirdly Reas 3 That saints might be brought into a love with and desire after that estate where they shall be wholly freed from sin Hereby God would have us to see the difference between a state of grace and a state of glory and we shall by this meanes find heaven the more sweet to us in the end where we shall be beyond all possibility of sinning Our corruptions now as the Children of Anak dismay us and as the Canaanites in Israel they are left for pricks in our sides and thornes in our eyes that so we may the more long after that estate of glory in which sin shall be no more And so I have done with the first sort of Reasons Secondly I come now to give you an account why the Lord suffers this corruption of nature so farre to prevail even in Godly men as to leade them into the wayes of sin insomuch that it is true even of the best of men that in many things they offend all And the reasons hereof are also of two sorts viz. 1. First there are some Reasons that respect God and Christ 2. Secondly There are some that respect beleevers I shall begin with those Reasons that respect God and Christ and they are these two viz. 1. First God permits it for the glory of his power and faithfullness and 2. Secondly For the glory of his justifying grace by the righteousness of Jesus
removeing discouragements and imbondageing thoughts of fear out of the hearts of weake Christians and also for the preventing and removing of carnall confidence which may possibly arise in the hearts of others from what hath been delivered For my beloved the sins and the falls of Saints doe usually very much disturb the peace of their own consciences and they are as frequently a snare to carnall hearts to encourage them to sin and therefore it will be worth the while to resolve this question viz. What is the difference between the Godly and the wicked in their sinning between the infirmities of Saints and the falls of wicked men Godly men sin and wicked men sin and yet there is a vast disparity and a manyfold difference between the sinning of the one and the other and what that difference is I shall now discover to you First Differ 1 A Godly man doth not make a trade of sin he is not a customary sinner Though possibly he may sometimes sin over the same sin and renew the same transgression yet the soul putteh in its plea and complaint against it as the Apostle doth Rom. 7.24 where he cryes out Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death It is here as in civill matters if we make our challenge or demand a custome is at an end though possibly such may be the power of the opposite party that the acts may be renewed So a Godly man putteth in his plea against sin and although possibly through his own weakness and the violence of Sathans temptations he may be once and againe overtaken with it yet he resolveth against it and prayes against it and complaineth to God of the strength of his corruptions and doth not allow himself in the least sin David professeth that he had chosen the way of truth Psal 119.30 and yet he slipt with his tongue more than once as when he answered Ahimelech the Priest the King hath commanded me a business and he hath said unto me let not any man know any thing of the business whereabout I send thee and what I have commanded thee and I have appointed my servant to such a place 1 Sam. 21.2 and faulters again with his tongue and speaketh either falsely or doubtfully when the King of the Philistims asked him whether have ye made a rode to day And David said Against the south of Judah and against the south of the Jerahmeelites and against the south of the Kenites 1 Sam. 27.10 When as his invasion was against other countreyes verse 8. Nevertheless David did not make a trade of lying for he had chosen the way of truth Psal 119.30 and he professeth afterwards in the same Psalm that he hated every false way verse 104. And this is the meaning of that place 1 John 3.9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he doth not trade in sin and make it his work and his business But wicked men drive a trade of sin they devise plot and contrive sin which acts denominate them workers of iniquity They are so far from putting in a plea against sin that they will as I shall shew you afterwards rather plead for their sins and they will labour more to make excuses for them than to get the conquest over them They are so far from makeing preparation to resist the lusts of the flesh that they make provision for the flesh to fullfill the lust thereof Rom. 13.14 Wicked men by makeing a trade of sin contract upon themselves a kind of cursed necessity of sinning Sin by custom becometh as it were another nature to them d Consutudo quasi secunda quasi affabricata natura Aug. lib. 6. de music so that they can almost as soon cease to be as cease to sin Secondly Differ 2 A Godly man doth not sin with a full consent of his will he doth not yeeld a willing subjection to the commands of sin He doth not yeeld a ready and free obedience to it as to a naturall Lord but onely a forced and involuntary obedience as to a tyrant Sin cannot say of beleevers as the Centurion of his servants I say to this man go and he goeth and to another come and he cometh and to my servant doe this and doeth it Mat. 8.9 For a Saints heart riseth against the imperius commands of sin and the soul complaineth and cryeth to God for helpe against it A Godly man sinneth with much reluctancy e non voluntate plenâ sed semiplenâ his heart never cometh up heartly to the commands of sin but the evill which he would not doe that be doeth Rom. 7.19 There may be indeed a kind of negative consent in a Godly man as to some particular acts of sin into which he may perhaps be carryed forth without any open resistance as when a thing is put to the question a man that is silent may be said to give some kind of consent when he doth suspend his own vote and not openly declare his consent nor yet directly enter his dissent But yet beloved though a Godly man may be over-born sometimes and hurryed into some particular acts of sin yet he doth not directly or determinately consent thereunto It is the sad complaint and the mournfull voice of grace the evill which I would not that I doe But I doe sin and I will sin I doe work iniquity and I will work it that 's the stubborn voice of a sinfull nature Even then when a Godly man through violence of temptation is drawn to the acting of sin yet there remaineth in the will a principle of opposition against it As Jacob and Esau struggled together in Rebeccahs womb so there is constantly a spirituall struggling betwen the flesh and the spirit in a beleeving soul The flesh lusteth after the spirit and the spirit against the flesh Gal. 5.17 Now where there is this lusting and struggling against corruption there cannot be a full consent or compliance of the will with corruption I told you before that sin acteth the part of a Tyrant in a Godly man Now you know all the service that is don to a Tyrant is out of of violence not out of obedience A Tyrant hath onely a coactive power over the persons but a King besides that hath a sweet power over the wills and affections of his Subjects f His duobus differt justum regimen à Tyrannide Regi legitimo subditi libenter obediunt quicquid praeceperit Tyranno inviti obtemperant c. Pareus in Rom. 6. they love his person and delight in his service which rule though it be not alwayes true in civill governments for the unwillingness of some to obey their Soveraigne may arise from their own rebellion and not from his Tyranny yet it is most generall and certain in the state of sin which is never a King over rebellious subjects who reject its yoke and government Sin may play the
reines m Psal 16.7 You might have remained under the raign and dominion of sin and have gone on after the counsels of your own hearts to this day had not the Lord graciously turned you out of that way Oh! belsse God that hath overpowered your souls and made you willing in the day of his power to forsake your sinfull wayes so that although sin dwells in you yet it raignes not as in times past Oh! blesse God that hath given you counsell and caused you to understand aright Certainly this is no other but a beam of divine light darted into your souls certainly this is no other than a voice from Heaven that hath said unto you This is the way walk ye in it Secondly Be exhorted to admire the justifying grace of God by the righteousness of Jesus Christ When the Apostle had in the seventh chapter of the Epistle to the Romans at large complained of the remainders of sin in him of the Law in his members that warred against the law in his minde after he had cryed out oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death verse 24. then he is presently rapt up in admiration of the justifying grace of God by the righteousness of Jesus Christ I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord verse 25. and then chap. 8. verse 1. he maketh that triumphant conclusion There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus A worthy divine now alive n Dr. Tho. Goodwine in his tryall of a Christians growth p. 47. in a treatise by him published observes an Emphasis in that little word now mark saith he that word now that now after such bloudy wounds and gashes there should yet be no condemnation this exceedingly exalts this grace for if ever thought he I was in danger of condemnation it was upon the riseing and rebelling of these my corruptions which when they had carryed me captive I might well have expected the sentence of condemnation to have followed but I finde saith he that God still pardones me and accepts me as much as ever upon my returning to him and therefore doe proclaim with wonder to all the world that Gods justifying grace in Christ is exceeding large and rich Thus farre the aforesaid Author My beloved this must needs extoll the justifying grace of Christ that where there is so much matter of condemnation there should not be condemnation it selfe that not onely all the sins of the elect of God before conversion are pardoned but sins after regeneration and though we run upon new scores every day yet these should be still paid and that there should be riches of grace enough and merit enough to pardon us this exceedingly advanceth the justifying grace of God and the righteousness of Jesus Christ Thirdly Blesse God for establishing grace This is indeed a great wonder that a childe of God should have so much corruption left in him and that that corruption should not destroy grace but that this heavenly plant should thrive in the midst of weeds and this spark be kept alive in the midst of a sea of corruption Our first parents had no sinfull nature in them and yet being tempted by the Devil they fell but now that beleevers who have both a tempting Devil without and a corrupt nature within should stand and not fall away this is the Lords doing and it should be marvelous in our eyes o Psal 118.23 That we should be kept by the mighty power of God through faith unto salvation p 1 Pet. 1. that we should have such strong corruptions within us warring against our souls and yet not be finally overcome by them this magnifieth the establishing grace of God Grace cannot perserve it selfe of its felfe in the midst of so much corruption We should quickly turn bankrupts and lose not only degrees of grace but all grace were it left in our own hands But that corruption that dwelleth in us and our frequent falls may teach us that it is as as necessary for God to afford us his preserving grace to continue what we had given us as his preventing grace to give us what we had not The body of sin dwelling in us may minde us that it is by grace we stand that were we left to our selves we should soon doe as our Father Adam did There is naturally the same revolting spirit in us that there was in him an aptnesse and inclination of heart ready to depart away Jer. 5.23 And we have the same enemy the same tempter to draw us away with the like temptations and in those that are not preserved by the mighty power of God these things scil corruption within and temptation without doe prevail so farre as to turn back many who seemed to begin in the spirit and to cause them to make an end in the flesh q Gal. 3.3 and to return with the dog to his former vomit and with the sow that is washed to her wallowing in the mire r 2 Pet. 2.22 It is by grace we stand (Å¿) 2 Co. 1.24 and should God but with draw the supply of his spirit and the instuences thereof from our souls we should be obnoxious and liable to all assaults not of flesh and bloud but of principalities and powers and spirituall wicked nesses in high places and open to all the furious attempts and all the fiery darts of the wicked Therefore blesse God for establishing and preserving grace Fourthly Blesse God for any disappointments that you meet withall in the wayes of sin Truly there is not a sadder judgment in the world than for God to suffer us to goe on in sin without restraint and it is as great a mercy when God is pleased to lay stumbling blocks in our way to hinder us in any course of sin It is promised as a mercy to the Church that she should meet with disappointments in the wayes of sin She shall follow after her lovers but shall not overtake them and she shall seek them but shall not finde them Hos 2.7 As satisfaction in sin is a great judgment whence that threatening the backslider in heart shall be filled with his own wayes Prov. 14.14 So disappointment in sin is a great mercy We should not therefore be troubled but blesse God when we cannot have our wills It is a mercy when carnall desires are disappointed Therefore God would have Abimelech acknowledge mercy in a restraint I withheld thee from sinning against me therefore suffered I thee not to touch her Gen. 20.6 And David blessed God for preventing his intended execution of his revenge against Naball when he said to Abigail Blessed be the Lord God of Israel which sent thee this day to meet me and blessed be thy advice and blessed be thou which hast kept me this day from coming to shed bloud and from avenging my selfe with mine owne hand c. 1 Sam. 25.32 33 34. Lastly Let us every day labour for
ΣΩΜΑ ΘΑÎΑΤΟγ THE BODY of DEATH Or A DISCOURSE Concerning the SAINTS Failings Infirmities Wherein this Position viz. That absolute freedome from sinne is not attainable in this life is both proved and improved in three SERMONS preached in St Edmunds Church in the City of New-Sarum The first upon Wednesday Novemb 24. 1658. being the weekly Lecture day The two last upon August 14. 1659. being the Lords day By JOSEPH SWAFFEILD Minister of the Gospel at Odstocke in the County of Wilts There is not a just man upon the earth that doth good and sinneth not Eccles 7.20 Quemlibet valdè justum discutias in hâc vitâ quamvis jam sit dignus justi vocabulo non est tamen sinè peccato Aug. Tom. 9. Tract 41. in Johan p. 210. Froben 1529. London Printed by A. M. for Francis Tyton at the three Daggers in Fleetstreet 1661. DIGNISSIMO VIRO JOHANNI BVLKELEY ARMIGERO PIETATIS AC LITERARUM FAUTORI EMINENTISSIMO TRES HASCE CONSCIONES QUALESCUNQUE SARISBVRIAE NUPER HABITAS NUNC PUBLICI JURIS FACTAS Tenue Quidem Perexiguum Perpetuae Tamen Observantiae TESTIMONIUM PER QUAM HUMILITER D. D. D. J.S. THE Epistle to the Reader Christian Reader WHen these Sermons were first preached I intended no further publication of them than from the Pulpit nor did I desire to have them any otherwise imprinted than upon the fleshly Tables of the hearts of those to whom they were delivered The truth is they had scarcely ever seen the light had I not been earnestly sollicited by some Christian friends for Copies thereof whose desires as I was not willing to deny so I have not been able through want of time hitherto to fullfill To spare therefore my pains in transcribing them was one inducement that moved me to communicate them in this way Moreover having been frequently with much importunity pressed by severall Christians to publish some other Meditations preached during the time of our late Distractions and Confusions which though they were then seasonable and I hope not altogether unprofitable yet I hitherto judged it more convenient to suppress than to publish and at some time or other if providence should afford an opportunity to gratifie those my friends by putting some other Meditations into their hands which might be of more generall use I confess I am conscious of so many weaknesses and imperfections in this Work that had it not been for the Reasons above-mentioned I had never exposed it to publick view And I have hitherto judged the publication hereof the less necessary because just at the time while I was studying these Sermons after I had preached the first of them I met with a printed Sermon of Reverend Mr. Case entituled Eliah's Abatement or Corruption in the Saints preached at Chatham in Kent at the Funerall of Mr. Gualter Rosewell late Minister there in which Sermon the same truth that is here treated upon is excellently handled though in another manner and method But though I have upon that account hitherto for born the publication of these Notes yet being of late in some danger of being removed from the place where for eleven years last past I have exercised my Ministry and although that danger be through the good hand of Gods providence I hope now over yet considering the weakness of my body and my short time of sojourning here I became the more inclinable hereunto knowing that this may preach to my people when I cannot yea when I shall be no more And I was the rather inclined unto it because although the Reverend Author before-mentioned and my self prosecute the same Truth yet in a different method and the various method of handling the same Truth may render the repetition the less unpleasing I deny not but here and there in the two last Sermons I have borrowed a notion from him as I have also done throughout the whole from severall other known and approved Authors yet herein I trust I have not wronged either him or them having for the most part restored it to the right owner again in the Margin and I hope I may without vanity affirm that I have not only used but in some measure improved such borrowed notions For the style in which these Sermons were preached and in which they are now published I confess it is very plain But I hope the Truth therein contained will not find the less acceptance for the plainness of its dress I remember it was St. Pauls glory that he came not to the Corinthians with excellency of speech or wisdome to declare to them the testimony of God and his speech and his preaching was not with inticeing words of mans wisdome Salvian but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power 1 Cor. 2.1 4. Ministers should speak utilia potius quà m plausibilia rather such things as may profit than such as may please and they should follow St. Cyprians direction to Donatus to make choice not of diserta but fortia and study rather to work upon the affections than to tickle the fancies of their hearers and that rule of the Apostle should be much respected by them Let all things be done to edification 1 Cor. 14.26 This Discourse therefore such as it is is now tendred to thy view and thou art desired to peruse it and with those nohle Bereans Act. 17.11 to search the Scriptures whether these things are so I am sure if the matter of it be the truth of God how plain soever the style be it is worthy of all acceptation for the Lords sake If the Lord would but make it instrumentall for the least good to any one soul I have my desire With him therefore I leave it and unto him and to his grace I commend thee Christian Reader resting Thine in any Gospel-service J. Swaffeild Decemb. 18. 1660. The CONTENTS Doct. THe best of men are not freed from sin in this life but that in many things they offend all page 3 The Doctrine is proved by Scripture p. 4 How beleevers are freed from sin in this life viz. 1. In respect of its dominion p. 6 2. In respect of its guilt p. 7 3. In respect of its condemning power p. 13 How beleevers are not freed from sin in this life viz. 1. Not in respect of its inherence p. 14 2. Not in respect of its infectious property p. 16 3. Not in respect of its seducing and deceiving power p. 18 Reasons why God hath not wholly freed his people from sin in this life but suffereth them to carry about with them the remainders of corruption unpurged out while they abide in the flesh p. 19 1. That the power of his grace might be the more perspicuous in their perseverance ib. 2. That the people of God might have matter of humiliation p. 20 3. That Saints might be brought into a love with and desire after that estate wherein they shall be wholly freed from sin ib. Reasons why the Lord suffers this corruption of nature