and all for life will a man give Death imports a destruction of being which every thing naturally seeks to preserve But O! what a dreadful life is it worse then death when men will chose death rather then life O! how terrible will it be to hear that word Hills and mountains fall on us and cover us Men newly risen their bodies and souls meet again after a long separation and this to be their mutual entertainment one to another the body to wish it were still in the dust and the soul to desire it might never be in the body Surely if we had so much grace as to believe this and tremble at it before we be forced to act it there were some hope if we could perswade our selves once of this that the wayes of sin all of them how pleasant how profitable soever whatsoever gain they bring in whatsoever satisfaction they give that they are nothing else but the wayes of death and goe down to the chambers of hell that they will delude and deceive us and so in end destroy us If we might once believe this with our heart there were some hope that we would break off from them and choose the untroden paths of Godlinesse which are pleasantnesse and peace However this is the condition of all men once to be under sin and under a sentence of death for sin It s the unbelief of this and a conceit of freedom that securely and certainly destroyes the world by keeping souls from Jesus Christ the prince of life But there is a delivery and that is the thing expressed in the words there is freedom from both attainable and I think the very hearing of such a thing that there is a redemption from sin and misery possible yea and that some are actually delivered from it This might stir up in our hearts some holy ambition and earnest desire after such a state how might it awake our hearts after it but this is the wofulnesse of a natural condition that a soul under the power of sin can neither help it self nor rightly desire help from another because the will is captive too this makes it a very desperat and remedilesse businesse to any humane expectation because such a soul is well pleased with its own setters and loves its own prison and so can neither long for freedom nor welcom the Son who is come to make free But yet there is a freedom and delivery and if ye ask who are partakers of it the text declares it to you even these who are in Iesus Christ and walk according to the Spirit of Christ. These all and these only who finding-themselves dead in sins and trespasses under the power and dominion of sin and likewise under the sentence of death and condemnation begin to lift up their heads upon the hope of a Saviour and to look unto their Redeemer as poor prisoners whose eyes and looks are strong intreaties and in stead of many requests such as give an intire renounce unto their former wayes and prevailing lusts and give up themselves in testimony of their sense of his unspeakable favour of redemption to be wholly his and not their own There are some souls who are free from the dominion of sin and from the danger of death some who were once led about with divers lusts as well as others who walked after the course of this world and fulfilled the desires of the flesh and were children of wrath as well as others but now they are quickned in Christ Iesus and have abandoned their former way they have another rule another way another principles their study is now to please God and grow in holinesse the wayes they delighted in in former times are now loathsome they think that a filthy puddle which they drank greedily of and now it s all or their chiefest grief and burden that so much of that old man must be carried about with them and so this expresseth many groans from them with Paul waâ— is me miserable man who shall deliver me Such souls are in a manner to speak so half redeemed who being made sensible of their bondage groan and panâ— for a Redeemer The day of their compleat redemption is at hand all of you are witnesses of this that there are some thus freed but they are signes and wonders indeed to the world their kinsmen their acquaintance their friends and neighbours wonder what is become of them they think it strange they walk not and run not into that same excess of riot with them But whosoever thou art that is escaped from under the slavery of sin wonder at the world that doth run so madly on their own destruction think is strange that thou ran so long with them and that all will not run in these pleasant wayes with thee think it strange that thou runs so slowly when so great a prize is to be obtained an immortal and never fading Crown If mortifying and crucifying the lusts of the flesh if dying to the world and to thy self seem very hard and unpleasant to thee if it be as the plucking out of thine eye and cutting off thine hand know then that corruption is much alive yet and hath much power in thee but remember that if thou can have but so much grace and resolution as to kill and crucifie these lusts without foolish and hurtful pity if thou canst attain that victory over thy self thou shall never be a loser thou cannot repent it afterward To die to our selves and the world to kill sin within O! that makes way to a life hid from the world one hour whereof is better than many ages in sinful pleasure Quicken thy self often with this thought that there is a true life after such a death and that thou canst not passe into it but by the valley of the death of thy lusts remember that thou dost but kill thine enemies which embrace that they may strangle thee and then stir up your self with this consideration the life of sin will be thy death better enter heaven without these lusts then go to hell with them SERMON IX Vers. 2. For the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Iesus hath made me free c. THat which makes the delivery of men from the tyranny of sin and death most diâ—â—icult and utterly impossible unto nature is that sinners have given up themselves unto it as if it were true liberty that the will and affections of men are conquered and sin hath its impeâ—ial throne seated there Other conquerours invade men against their will and so they rule against their will they contain men in subjection by fear and not by love and so when ever any occasion offers they are glad to cast off the yoke of unwilling obedience But sin hath first conquered mens judgement by blinding it putting out the eye of the understanding and then invaded the affections of men drawn them over to its side and by these it keeps all in a most willing obedience Now
what hopes are there then of delivery when the prisoner accounts his bondage liberty and his prison a palace what expectation of freedom when all that is within us conspires to the upholding that tyrranous dominion of sin against all that would cast it out of its usurpation as if they were mortal enemies Yet there is a delivery possible but such as would not have entered in the heart of man to imagine and it is here expressed the Law of the Spirit of Life c. this declares how and by what means we may be made free Not indeed by any power within us not by any created power without us sin is stronger then all these because its imperial seat is within far without the reach of all created power there may be some means used by men to beat it out of the out-works of the outward man to chase it out of the external members some means to restrain it from such gross out-breakingâ— but therâ— is none can lay â—iedge to the soul wiâ—hin or sâ—orm the undeâ—standing and will where it hath its pâ—incipal residence its inaccessible and impregnable by any humane power no intreaties or perswasions no terrors or threatnings can prevail it can neither be stormed by violence nor undermined by skill because it is within the spirit of the mind Untill at length some other spirit stronger then our spirit come till the Spirit of life which is in Christ come and bind the strong man and so make the poor soul free You heard that we were under a law of death and under the power of sin now there is another Law answering this law and a power to overcome this power You may indeed ask by what law of authority can a sinner that is bound over by Gods Justice unto death and condemnation be released Is there any law above Gods Law and the sentence of his Justice The Apostle answers that there is a Law above it a Law after it the Law of the Spirit of Life Jesus Christ opposes Law unto law the Law of life unto the law of death the Gospel unto the Law the second Covenant unto the first Thus it is then Iesus Christ the eternal Son of God full of grace and truth did come in mans stead when the law and sentence of death was past upon all mankind and there was no expectation from the terms of the first Covenant that there should be any dispensation or mitigation of the rigour of it he obtains this that so many as God had chosen unto life their sins and their punishment might be laid on him and so he took part of our flesh for this end that he might be made a curse for us and so redeem us from the curse Thus having satisfied Justice and fulfilled the sentence of death by suffering death him hath God exalted to be a Prince and Saviour and the head of all things In compensation of this great and weighty work given him by his Father all judgment is committed to him and so he sends out and proclaims another Law in Sion another sentence even of life and absolution unto all and upon all them that shall believe in his Name Thus you see the law of death abrogated by a new Law of life because our Lord and Saviour was made under the law of death and suffered under it and satisfied it that all his seed might be freed from it and might come under a life-giving law so that it appears to be true that was said at first there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ there is no Law no Justice against them But then another difficulty as great as the former is in the way though such a law and sentence of life and absolution be pronounced in the Gospel in Christs Name yet we are dead in sins and trespasses we neither know nor feel our misery nor can we come to a Redeemer as there was a law of death above our head so there is a law of sin within our hearts which rules and commands us and there is neither will nor ability to escape from under it It is true life and freedom is preached in Christ to all that come to him for life to all that renounce sins dominion is remission of sin preached But here is the greatest difficulty how can a dead soul stir rise and walk how can a slave to sin and a willing captive renounce it when he hath neither to will nor to do Indeed if all had been purchased for us if eternal life and forgiveness of sins had been brought near us and all the business done to our conâ—ent and that only wanting if these had been the terms I have purchased life now rise and embrace it of your selves truly it had been an unsuccessful buâ—ineâ—â— Christ had lost all that was given him if the moment and weight of our salvation had been hung upon oâ—r acceptation Tâ—erefore it is well provided foâ— this alâ—o that there should be a power to overcome this power a spirit of life in Christ to quicken dead sinnerâ— and â—aise them â—p and draw them to him And so the second Adamâ—ath â—ath this prerogative beyond the fiâ—st that he is only a living soul in himself but a quickening spirit to all that aâ—e given him of the Father 1 Cor. 15.45 So then as Christ Jesus hath law and right on his side to free us from death so he hath vertue and power in him to accomplish our delivery from sin as he hath fair law to loose the chains of condemnation and to repeal the sentence past against us without prejudice to Gods justice he having fully satisfied the same in our name so he hath sufficient power given him to loose the fetters oâ— sin from off us When he hath pay'd the price and satisfied the Father so that justice can crave nothing Yet he hath one adversary to deal with Satan hath sinners bound with the cords of their own lusts in a prison of darkness and unbelief Jesus Christ therefore comes out to conquer this enemy and to redeem his elect Ones from that unjust usurpation of sin to bring them out of the prison by the strong hand and therefore he is one mighty and able to save to the uttermost he hath might to do it as well as right to it Consider then my beloved these two things which are the breasts of our consolation and the foundation of our hope we are once lost and utterly undone both in regard of Gods justice and our own utter inability to help our selves which is strengthned by our unwillingness and thus made a more desperat busineâ—s now God hath provided a suitable remedy he hath laid help on one that is mighty indeed who hath almighty power and by his power he fiâ—st conflicted with the punishment of our sins and with his Fathers wrath and hath overcome discharged and satisfied that and so hath purchased a right unto us to give salvation to whom he will be conquered
subordination to God and sowen a perpetual discord and enmity between them this hath conquered all mankind and among the rest even the elect and chosen of God these whom God had in his eternal Council predesâ—inated to life and salvation sin brings all in bondage and exerciseth the most perfect tyranny over them that can be imagined makes men to serve all its imperious lusts and then all the wages is death it binds them over to Judgment Now this sedition and rebellion being arisen in the world and one of the most noble creatures carried away in this revolt from allegiance to the Divine Majesty the most holy and wise Council of Heaven concludes to send the Kings Son to compesce this rebellion to reduce men again unto obedience and to destroy that arch traitor sin which his nature most abhoâ—s And for this end the Son of the great King Jesus Christ came down into the world to deliver captive man and to condemn conquering sin There is no object that God hath so pure and perfect displeasure at as sin therefore he sent to condemn that which he hates most and perfectly he hates it to condemn sin and this is expressed as the errand of his coming 1 Ioh. 3.5 8. to destroy the works of the devil all his wicked and hellish plots and contrivances against man all that poyson of enmity and sin that out of envy and malice he spued out upon man and instilled into his nature all these works of that Prince of Darkness in enticing man from obedience to rebellion and tyrannizing over him since by the imperious laws of his own lusts in a word all that work that was contrived in hell to bring poor man down to that same misery with devils all that Christ the only begotten Son of the great King came for this noble businesse to destroy it That Tower which Satan was building up against Heaven and had laid the foundation of it as low as hell this was Christs business down among men to destroy that Babylon that Tower of darkness and confusion and to build up a Tower of light and life to which Tower sinners might come and be safe and by which they might really ascend into Heaven Some do by these words for sin understand the occasion and reason of Christs coming that it was because sin had conquered the world and subjected man to condemnation therefore Jesus Christ came into the world to conquer sin and condemn it that we might be free from condemnation by sin And this was the special cause of his taking on flesh if sin had not entered in the world Christ had not come into it and if sin had not erected a Throne in mans flesh Christ had not taken on flesh he had not come in the likenesse of sinful flesh So that this may administer unto us abundant consolation If this was the very cause of his coming that which drew him down from that delightful and blessed bosome of the Father then he will certainly do that which he came for he cannot fail of his purpose he cannot misse his end he must condemn sin and save sinners And truly this is wonderful love that he took sin only for his party and came only for sin or against sin and not against poor sinners He had no commission of the Father but this as himself declares Ioh. 3.17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved As one observes well Christ would never have hinted at such a jealousie or suggested such a thought to mens minds had it not been in them before but this we are naturally inclined unto to think hard of God and can hardly be perswaded of his love when once we are perswaded of our enmity Indeed the most part of the world fancy a perswasion of Gods love and have not many jealousies of it because they know not their own enmity against God but let a man see himself indeed Gods enemy and it is very hard to make him believe any other thing of God but that he carries a hostile mind against him and therefore Christ to take off this perswades and assures us that neither the Father nor he had any design upon poor sinners nor any ambushmâ—nt agâ—inst them but mainly if not only this was his purpose in sending and Christs in coming not against man but against sin not to condemn sinners but to condemn sin and save sinners O blessed and unparallel'd love that made such a real distinction between sin and sinners who were so really one Shall not we be content to have that wofull and accursed union with sin dissolved Shall not we be willing to let sin be condemned in us and to have our own souls saved I beseech you beloved in the Lord do not think to maintain alwayes Christs enemy that great traitor against which he came from Heaven Wonder that he doth not prosecute both as enemies but iâ— he will destroy the one and save the other O let it be destroyed not you and so much the more for that it will destroy you Look to him so iniquity shall not be your ruine but he shall be the ruine of iniquity but if you will not admit of such a division between you and your sins take heed that you be not eteâ—nally undivided that you have not one common lot for ever that is condemnation Many would be saved but they would be saved with sin too Alace that will condemn thee as for sin he hath proclaimed irreconciliable enmity against it he hath no quarter to give it he will never come in terms of composition with it and all because it is his mortal enemy therefore let sin be condemned that thou may be saved It cannot be saved with thee but thou may be condemned with it The word for sin may be taken in another sense as fitly a sacrifice for sin so that the meaning is Jesus Christ came to condemn and overthrow sin in its plea against us by a sacrifice for sin that iâ— by offering up his own body or flesh And thuâ— you have the way and means how Christ conquered sin and accomplished the business he was sent for It was by offering a sacâ—â—fice for sin to expiat wrath and to satiâ—fie justice The sting and strength of death is sin and the strength of sin is the Law as the Apostle speaks it 1 Cor. 15.55 we had two great enemies against us two great tyrants over us sin and death Death had past upon all mankind not only the miseries of this life and temporal death had subjected â—ll men but the fear of an eternal death of an everlasting separation from the blessed face of God might have seized upon all and subjected them to bondage Heb. 2.15 But the strength and sting of that is sin it is sin that arms death and hell against us take away sin and you take away the sting the strength of death it
eye which would make offend and stumble in the way but let the remembrance of the life to come sweeten it all when men undergo the hazard of losing life for a little pleasure when for a poor petty advantage men will endure so much pains and trouble O what should eternal life and such a life as the best liâ—e here is but death to it how should it mitigat and sweeten the bitterness of mortification how should it fortifie our spirits to much endurance and patience A battel we must have for these lusts that we disingage from the Devil and the World besides will lay wait for us in this way but when for such small and inconsiderable advantages men will endure all the disadvantage of war of a long war O how should the expectation of this peace which incloses and comprehends all felicity all well-being animat and strengthen us to fight in into the City of life and peace eternal SERMON XX. Rom. 8.7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God and is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be UNbelief is that which condemns the world it involves in more condemnation then many other sins not only because more universal but especially because it shuts up men in their misery and secludes them from the remedy that is brought to light in the Gospel By unbelief I mean not only that careless neglect of Jesus Christ offered for salvation but that which is the root of that The inconsideration and ignorance of our desperat sinfulness and irremediless misery without Christ which not being laid to heart seriously makes such slight and superficial intertainment of a Saviour and Redeemer Man is truly miserable and unhappy whether he know it or not but truly it is an accession to his misery that he knows it not that he neither apprehends what he is now by nature nor what he must shortly be made by Justice Indeed if there were no remedy to be â—ound it were a happy ignorance To be ignorant of misery the knowledge and remembrance of it could do nothing but add unto the bitterness of it if a man might bury it in eternal forgetfulness it were some ease But now when God hath in His mercy so appointed it that the beginning of the belief of sin and misery shall in a manner be the end of miserâ— and seing whether men know it or not they must shortly be made sensible of it when there is no remedy to be â—ound then certainly it is the hight of mans misery That he knows and considers it not If we would apply our hearts at length to hear what God the Lord speaks for he only can give account of man to himselâ— we might have a survey of both in these words and the preceeding of our desperat wickedness and of our intollerable misery for the present by nature we are enemies to God and shortly we must be dealt with as enemies as rebels to the most potent and glorious King be punished with death an endless living death Experience shews how hard a thing it is to perswade you that you are really under the sentence of death you will not suffer your hearts to believe your danger left it interrupt your present pleasures of sin Nay you will flatter your selves with the fancied hope of immunity from this curse and account it a cruel and rigorous Doctrine That so many creatures made by God should be eternally miserable or a sentence of it should be past on all flesh Now that which makes us hardly to believe this is the unbelief and deep inconsideration of your sinfulnesse therefore the Apostle to make way for the former adds Because the carnal mind is enmity against God Do not wonder then that your wayes and courses your affections and inclinations bring forth that ghostly and dreadfull end of death seing all these are enmity to the greatest King who alone hath the power of life and death They have a perfect contâ—ariety to His holy Nature and righteous Will not only is the carnal mind an enemy but enmity it self and therefore it is most suitable that the soveraign power of that King oâ— kings stretched out to the vindication of His Holiness and Righâ—eousness by taking vengeance on all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men If rebellion in a State or Monarchy against these petty mortal gods who shall die as men be so hainous as to deâ—erve death by the consent of all Nations how much more shall enmity and rebellion against the immortal eteâ—nal King who hath absolute right and dominion over his creatures as over the clay have such a suitable recompence of eternal death Now my beloved if you once believed this the enmity and opposition of your whole natures to God you could not but fearfully apprehend what might be the issue of it you could not blesse your selves as you do and put the evil day far off but certainly you would be affrighted with the terrour and Majesty of that God you have to do with whom when he awakes to judgment you can neither resist nor escape no standing against his wrath and no fleeing from it out of His Dominions and this would dispose and incline your minds in time to heaâ—ken â—o the treaty of peace which is holden out in the Gospel and to lay down the weapons of your enmity and make peace with Him in His Son the Peace-maker Amity and Unity is the very being and beauty of the world This universe is made up of innumerable different kinds and natures and all these climb and walk together by the bond of peace and concord among themselves and with that One high understanding that directs all and supream will of God that moves all It is that link of union with God that gives and preserves being and beauty in all the creatures as the dependence of the ray upon the Sun or the stream on the fountain makes them what they are which being interrupted they cease to be what they were All things continue as thou hast ordained them for all are thy servants Ps. 119.91 You see then this amity and union of subordination of the creatures to God is not dissolved to this day But woâ—ull and wretched man alone hath withdrawn from this subordination and dissolved this sacred tye of happy friendship which at first he was liâ—ted up unto and priviledged with Amity and friendship you know consists in an union of hearts and wills and a communion of all good things it makes two one as much as two can be by the conspiracy of their affections in one thing and the joynt concurrence of their endeavours to communicat to one another what each hath it takes away propriety and it makes a community between persons Now how happy was that amity how blessed that friendship between God and man Though mans goodness could not extend to God yet his soul united to God by love and delight and all that God had given him returning that to
wrath consider what is your advantage O consider your dignity ye are advanced unto that ye may engadge your hearts to him to become his and his wholly for you are bought with a price and are no more your own he gave himself for you and was made a curse to redeem you from the curse O how should ye walk as priviledged men as redeemed ones I beseech you all to call home your thoughts to consider and ponder on this sentence that is past against us there is now hope of delivery from it if ye will take it home unto you but if ye will still continue in the wayes of sin without returning know this that ye are but multiplying those curses platting many cords of your iniquities to bind you in everlasting chains ye are but digging a pit for your souls ye that sweat in your sins and travel in them and will not embrace this ransome offered the key and lock of that pit is eternal despair O consider how quickly your pleasures and gains will end and spare some of your thoughts from present things to give them to eternity that threed spun out for ever and ever the very length of the dayes of the Ancient of Dayes who hath no beginning of dayes nor end of time Remember now of it least ye become as long miserable as God is blessed and that is for ever All men would desire to have priviledges beyond others but there is one that carries it away from all the world and that is the believer in Jesus Christ who is said to be in Christ implanted in him by faith as a lively member of that body whereof Christ is the head Christ Jesus is the head of that body the Church and this head communicats life unto all the members for be fills all in all there is a mighty working power in the head which diffuseth it self throughout the members Ephes. 1.19 22 23. There are many expressions of union between Christ and believers therâ— is no near conjunction among men but this spiritual union of Christ with believers is represented to us under it The foundation and the building have a near dependence the corner stone and the wall these knit together and Christ Iesus is the foundation and the chief cornerstone in whom all the building fitly joyned together groweth up into an holy temple Ephes. 2 20 21. The head and members are near united so is Christ and believers they grow up into him Ephes. 4.15 Parents and children are almost one â—o is Christ Jesus the everlasting Father and he shews to the Father the children which he hath given him we are his brethren and he is not ashamed to call us so But which is more we are one flesh with him There is a marriage between Christ and the Church and this is the great meditation of the Song of Solomon He is the vine tree and we are branches planted in him Nay this union is so strict that it is mutual I in them and they in me Christ dwelleth in us by faith by making us to believe in him and love him we dwell in Christ by that same faith and love by believing in him and loving him Christ Jesus is our house where we get all our furniture he is our store-house and treasure our place of strength and pleasure a city of refuge a strong tower and a pleasant river to refresh us We again are his habitation where he dwelleth by his Spirit we are his work-house where he works all his curious pieces of the new creature forming it unto the day of Espousals the great day of Redemption This gives us to understand what we once were we may stand here and look back upon our former condition and find matter both of delight and sorrow We were once without Christ in the world and if without Christ then without God and hope in the world Eph. 2.12 I wish this were engraven on the hearts of men that they are born out of Christ Jesus wild Olives growing up in the stock of degenerated Adam He was once planted a noble Vine but how quickly turned he into a degenerate plant and instead of Grapes brought forth wilde Grapes and sowre We all grow upon an Olive tree that is wilde by nature Rom. 11.24 It grows out of the Garden of God in the barren wilderness and is meet for nothing but to bring forth fruit unto death to be cut down and cast into the fire It s a tree which the Lord hath cursed never more fruit grow upon thee henceforth This was the fatal sentence pronounced on Adam Oh that you would know your condition by nature how all your good inclinations dispositions and educations cannot make your stock good and your fruit good Ephraim is an empty vine this is ouâ— name Nay but many thinks they bring forth fruit Hath not Heathens spread forth their branches and brought foâ—th many pleasant fâ—uits of â—emporal patience sobriety magnanimity prudence and such like Doth not some civil men many acts of civility profitable to men Do not many a man pray and read the Scriptures from his youth up Yes indeed these are fruits but for all that he is an empty Vine for he brings forth fruit to himself and so as in the Original he is a Vine emptying the fruit which it gives Hos. 10.1 All these fruits are but to himself and from himself he knows not to direct those to Gods glory but to his own praise or advantage to make them his ornament and he knows not his own emptiness to seek all his furniture and sap from another What were all these â—air blossoms and fruits of Heathens indeed they were more and better than any now upon the multitude of professed Christians and yet these were but splendida peccata shining sins What is all your praying and fasting but to your selves as the Lord charges the people Zech. 7. Do you fast at all to me no ye do it to your selves Here is the wildness and degeneraâ—ness of your natures either you bring forth very bitter fruits such as intemperance avarice contention swearing c. or else fruits that have nothing but a fair skin like apples of Sodom that are beautiful on the tree but being handled turn to ashes so there is nothing of them from God or to God I think every man almost intertains this secret perswasion in his breast that his nature it may be weak yet it is not wicked it may be helped with education and care and diligence and dressed till it please God and profite others Who is perswaded in heart that he is an enemy to God and cannot be subject to Gods Law Who believes that theiâ— â—eart is desperatly wicked Oh! it s indeed deceitful above all things and in this most deceitful that it perswadeâ— you ye have a good heart to God Will not proâ—ane men whose hands are defiâ—ed maintain the uprightness of their hearts Nâ—mo nascitur bonus sed fu I beseech you once consider
ver 16. Here the Spirit not casting out the Word but bringing it in plentifully and sweetly agreeing with it The Spirit that Christ sent did not put men above Ordinances but above corruptions and the body of death in them It s a poor and easie victory to subdue Grace and Ordinances every slave of the Devil doth that I fear as men and Angels fell from their own dignity by aspiring higher so these that will not be content with the estate of Christ and his Apostles but soar up in a higher strain of spirit and trample on that ministration as fleshly and carnal I fear they fall from Jesus Christ and come into greater condemnation It s true indeed 2 Cor. 3.6 The Letter killeth that is the Covenant of Works preacheth now nothing but condemnation to men but the Spirit of the Gospel giveth life nay even the Gospel separated from the Spirit of life in Jesus is but a savour of death to souls Shall we therefore separate the Spirit from the Gospel and Word because the Word alone cannot quicken us David knew how to reconcile this Quicken me O Lord according to thy Word Psal. 119.25 Thy Spirit is good lead me into the land of uprightness and quicken me Psal. 143.10 11. The Word was his rule and the Spirit applyed his soul to the rule the Word holds out the present patteâ—n we should be conformed unto now if there be no more a man may look all his dayes on it and yet not be changed but the Spirit within transforms and changes a mans soul to more and more conformity to that pattern by beholding it If a man shall shut his eyes on the pattern he cannot know what he is and ought to be if he look only on the Spirits work within and make that his rule he takes an imperfect rule and an incompleat copy and yet this is the highest attainment of these aspirers to new light they have forsaken the Word as their rule and instead of it have another Law within them as much as is already written on their hearts which is in substance this as they suppose I am bound to do no more then I have already power to do I am not to endeavour more holiness then I have already These men are indeed perfect here in their own apprehension and do not know in part and believe in part and obey in part because they are advanced the length of their own Law and rule their rule being of no perfection Paul was not so but forgetting what he had attained he followed on to what was before him and was still reaching forward Let not us my brethren believe every spirit and every doctrine that comes out under that name Christ hath forwarned us Let us pray for more of that Spirit which may quicken the Word to us and quicken us to obey the Word there must be a mutual enlivening the Word must be made the ministration of life by the Spirit of Jesus which can use it as a sword to divide the soul and spirit and we must be quickned to the obedience of the truth in the Word The Word is the seed incorruptible but it cannot beget us or be a principle of a new life within us except a living spirit come alongs to our hearts Know that the Word is your pattern and rule the Spirit your leader and helper whose vertue and power must conform you that rule 1 Pet. 1.22 Peter joyns these two the purification and cleansing of the soul which Christ attributes to the Word ye are clean through the word I have spoken Joh. 15.3 Peter attributes it to the Spirit working according to the pattern of truth It s true the Spirit of God needs no pattern to look to nay but we must have it and eye it else we know not the Spirit of truth from a lie and delusion we cannot try the spirits but by this rule and it is by making us stedfastly look on this glorious pattern in the Word and the example of Christ Jesus his life that we are conformed unto Christ as by the Spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 3.13 Certainly that must be fleshly walking which is rather conformed unto the imaginations of a mans own heart then the blessed will of God revealed in his Word Can such walking please God when a man will not so much as hearken to what is Gods will and pleasure As other heresies so especially this is a work of the flesh Now there is another principle amongst many of us we account it spiritual walking to be separated from the gross pollutions of the world to have a carriage blameless before men this is the notion that the multitude fancy of it Be not deceived you may pass the censure of all men and be unreproveable among them and yet be but walkers after the flesh It is not what ye are before the world can prove you spiritual men though it may prove many of your carnal Your out-side may demonstrate of many of you that ye walk after the flesh and if ye will not believe it I ask you if ye think drunkenness a walking in the Spirit Do ye think ye are following the Spirit of God in uncleanness Is it not that Holy Spirit that purgeth from all filthiness Look but what your walk is ye that are not so much as conformed to the Letter of the Word in any thing who cares not to read the Scriptures and meditate on them Is this walking after the Spirit of truth If drunkenness railing contention wrath envy covetousness and such like be the Spirits way then I confess many of you walks after the Spirit but if these be the manifest works of the flesh and manifestly your way and work then why dream ye that ye are Christians But I suppose that you could be charged with none of these outward things that you had a form of Religion and Godliness yet I say all that is visible before men cannot prove you to be spiritual walkers Remember it is a spirit ye must walk after now what shall be the chief agent here sure not the body what fellowship can your body have with him that is a Spirit the body indeed may worship that eternal Spirit being acted by the Spirit but I say that alone can never prove you to be Christians we must then layaside a number of Professors who have no other ground of confidence but such things as may be seen of men if they would enter their hearts how many vain thoughts lodge there how litle of God is there God is not almost in all our thoughts we give a morning and evening salutation but there is no more of God all the day throughout and is this walking after the Spirit which imports a constancy And what part can be spared most but the spirit of a man The body is distracted with other necessary things but we might alwayes spare our souls to God Now thus should a man obey that command Pray alwayes
Covenant of Grace I will put my Spirit in you and cause you walk in my wayes there is first quickening and then walking You who were dead in sins hath he quickned together with Christ Eph. 2.1 5. and then it follows in due order I will cause you to walk in my wayes Ezek. 36 27. Christ comes into the heart to dwell and then he walks in it 2 Cor. 6.16 And what is that Christ to walk in believers it is nothing else but Christ by his Spirit making them to walk in his way there is so little in us to principle a spiritual action even when renewed and quickned that we should look on our selves not so much as workers with him but as being acted by him we should look on soul and body as pieces of organized clay that cannot move but as it is moved by him as the soul and life of it so that according to the Scriptures diâ—lect a Christian is nothing else but Christ living and waâ—king in such a person This is it which Christ when he is to go out of the world instructs his Disciples into Iob. 15.1 He is the vine and we the branches the branch must first be united to the tree and implanted into the tree ere it bring forth fruit without the tree it withers So must a soul be fust ingrast in Jesus Christ implanted in him by â—aith in his death and sufferings before it can grow up into the similitude of his resurrection or walk in newness of life as Paul speaks Rom. 6.4 5. Without me ye can do nothing ye must first be one with him by believing in him and receiving him as a compleat Saviour and then the sap and vertue of the tree flows into the dead branch and it shoots forth and blossoms and bears Now if this Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles were duly pondered and believed O what a change would it make on the lives and spirits of Christians since this is the order established in the Gospel and an order suitable both to his grace and our necessity as all that is in it speaketh forth an excellent contriver when we go about to establish our souls in another method how is it possible that we should not weary and vex our souls in vain how can we choose but torment our selves and intricat our selves still more Our method and way is just contrary we perplex our souls how to find the fruits of the Spirit of Christ how to walk after the Spirit without fiâ—st closing intirely with Christ himself We trouble our selves to find the operations of a spiritual life before we lay hold on Christ who is the life of our souls It is made an argument by many to keep them from believing in Christ because they do not find that spiritual life stirring in them How cross is this to the declared mind of Christ in the Gospel It cannot choose but both darken the spirit more and dry up the influences of the Spirit of God because it keeps thee from the fountain of all consolation You may disquiet your souls by this means but you shall never make advantage this way without him ye can do nothing and yet ye will not come to him because you have done nothing It s strange how little reason is in it if your eyes were opened you refuse or delay to abide in the vine till you bring forth fruit and fruit you cannot bring forth till you be in the vine you would walk and you will not have the life from which you must walk Paul lived indeed but what a life the life that I live is by the faith of the Son of God faith in Christ transported him out of himself to Christ or received Christ into the soul and Christ in the soul was the life of his soul Gal. 2.20 your walking is as if a dead man essay to go Will one expect figs of thorns or grapes of thistles I beseech you know what wrong ye do to your selves and to Christ ye wrong your selves because ye stand in the way of your own mercy ye stand a back from your life him that is the way the truth and the life You would walk in the way but no man can walk in this way but by this way Christ must quicken you to walk in himself ye must get life in him and not bring it You are in a vain expectation of fruits from your selves they will never see the Sun and when you have wearied your self in such a vain pursuit you must at length come and begin here Ye wrong Christ his grace and mercy this order is suited of purpose for our desperat condition and yet ye presume to reject it and seek another You prescribe to your skilful tender Physician that which would undo you I beseech you know the original of your miseries doubts barrenness and darknesse Here it is you are still puzling your selves about grace and duties how to fill your eyes with these and ye neglect Christ as your righteousnesse as one dead and risen again and now sitting at Gods right hand for us you must first close with him as ungodly men though you were godly you must shut your eyes on any such thing and lay living Jesus upon your dead and benumb'd hearts answer all your challenges with his absolution and stand before God in his cloathing put his garment immediately on your nakednesse and vilenesse and we may perswade you it shall yield you abundant consolation and life because he lives ye shall live and walk If you were more frequent and serious in the consideration of his excellent Majesty of his beautiful and lovely qualifications as the Mediator for sinners and of the precious promises which are all Yea and Amen confirmed in him and lesse in the vain and unprofitable debates of self-interest and such like I am perswaded ye would be more fruitful Christians This is not as the business of a holy-day to be done at your first coming to Christ and no more no it must run alongst all your life the aged experienced Christian must come alongs as an ungodly sinner to a blessed and living Saviour and have no other ground of glory or confidence before God but Christ Jesus crucified SERMON VII Vers. 2. For the Law of the Spirit of life in Iesus Christ hath made me free c. YOU know there are two principal things in the preceeding verse the priviledge of a Christian and the property or character of a Christian he is one that never enters into condemnation he that believeth shall not perish Joh. 3.15 And then he is one that walks not after the flesh though he be in the flesh but in a more elevat way above men after the guiding and leading of the Holy Spirit of God Now it may be objected in many consciences how can these things be Have not all sinned and come â—â—ort of the glory of God and so the whole world is become guilty before God Is not every
man lying under a sentence of death Cursed is he that abides not in all things c. How then can hâ— escape condemnation Again you speak of walking after the Spirit as proper to the Christian but whose walk is not carnal Who is it that doth not often step aside out of the way and follow the conduct and counsel of flesh and blood Is not sin dwelling here in our mortal bodies Who can say my heart or way is clean Therefore both that priviledge and this property of a Christian seems to be but big words no real thing And indeed I confess the multitude of men hath no other opinion of them but as fancied imaginary thingâ— few believes the report of the Gospel concerning the salvation of elect ones and few understands what this spiritual walking is many conceive it is not a thing that belongs to men who are led about with passions and affections but rather to Angels or Spirits perfected However we have in these words an answer to satisfie both objections He grants something implicitely and it is this it is true indeed Christians are under a twoâ—old Law captives and bondmen to these A law of sin in their members bringing them in subjection to the lusts of the flesh Sin hath a powerful dominion and tyranny over every man by nature it hath a sort of right and power over him and likewise every one was under a law of death the Law of God cuâ—sing him and sentencing him to condemnation because of sin these two were joynt conquerours of all mankind But saith he there is a delivery from this bondage freedom is obtained to believers by Jesus Christ and so there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ and so they walk not after the leading and direction of that law of sin within them but after the guiding of our blessed Tutor the Spirit of God If you ask how this comes to pass by what authority or law or power is this releasement and freedom obtained Here it is by the Law of the Spirit of life which is in Christ. Christ is not an invader or unjust conquerour he hath fair Law for what he doth even against these Laws which detains unbelievers in bondage There is a higher and later Law on his side and he hath power and strength to accomplish his design He opposes Law unto Law and life unto death and spirit unto flesh a Law of Spirit unto a Law of sin and flesh a Law of life unto a Law of death In a word the Gospel or Covenant of Grace unto the Law or Covenant of Woâ—ks the powerful and living Spirit of grace that wrought mightily in him is set â—â—re-against the power of sin and Satan in us and against us the one gives him right and title to conquer the other accomplisheth him for the work and by these two are believers in Jesus Christ made free-men who were bond-men That then which we would speak from these words is the common lot of all men by nature viz. to be under the power of sin and sentence of death the special exemption of believers in Christ and immunity from this or delivery from it and then the true ground and cause of this delivery from that bondage which three are contained in the words It is a purpose indeed of a high nature and of high conceâ—nment to us all our life and death is wrapt up in this you may hear maâ—y things more gladly but if ye knew it none so profitable Therefore let us gather our spirits to the consideration of these particulars As the first all men are under the bondage of a twofold Law the law of sin within them and the law of death without them Man was created righteous but saith the wise man he found out many inventions a sad invention indeed he found but misery and slavery to himself who was made free and happy His freedom and happiness was to be in subjection to his Maker under the just and holy commands of his Lord who had given him breath and being it was no captivity or restraint to be compassed about with the hedges of the Lords holy Law no more then it is a restraint on a mans liberty to have his way hedged in where he may safely walk that he may keep himself within it from pits and snares on every hand But alace if we may say alace when we have such a redemption in Jesus Christ. Adam was not content with that happiness but seeking after more liberty he sold himself into the hands of strange lords first sin and then death Other lords besides thee O Lord have dominion over us Isa. 26.13 This is too true in this sense Adam seeking to be as the Lord himself lost his own lordship and dominion over all the works of Gods hands and became a servant to the basest and most abominable of all even that which is most hateful to the Lord to sin and death And this is the condition we are now born into Consider it I pray you we are born captives and slaves the most noble the most ingenuous and the most free of us all Paul speaks of it as a priviledge to be born free to be free in mans Common-wealth It is counted a dignity to be a free Citizen or Burgess of a Town Liberty is the great claim of people now a dayes and indeed it is the great advantage of a people to enjoy that mother and womb-priviledge and right But alace what is all this to be free-born in a civil society it is but the state of a man among men it reaches no further then the outward man his life or estate But here is a matter of greater moment know ye what state your souls are in your souls are incomparably more worth than your bodies as much as eternity surpasseth this inch of time or immortality exceeds mortality your souls are your selves indeed your bodies are but your house or tabernacle ye lodge into for a season Now then I beseech you ask whether ye be born free or not if your souls be slaves ye are slaves indeed for so the Evangelist changeth these Matthew saith in ch 16. â—6 What hath a man gained if he lose his soul And Luke 9.25 saith What hath he gained if he lose himself Therefore you are not free indeed except your souls be fâ—ee What is it I pray you to enjoy freedom among men I aâ—k you what are ye before God whether bond or free this is the business inâ—eed The Phariâ—ees pleaded a claim to the liberty and priviledge of being Abrahams sons and children and thought they might hence conclude they were Gods children But our Lord Jeâ—us discovers this misâ—ake when he tells them of a freedom and libeâ—ty that he came to proclaim to men to purchase to them and bestow on them they stumbled at this Doctrine What say they talkest thou to us of making us free we were never in bondage for we be Abrahams chilâ—ren This is
even the language of our hearts when we tell you that ye are born heirs of wrath and slaves of sin and satan heâ—e is the secret whispering of hearts we be Abrahams seed we were never in bondage to any We be baptized Christians we have a Church State have the priviledges and liberties not only of Subjectâ— in the State but of Members in the Church why sayest thou we are bond-men I would wish ye were all free indeed but that cannot be till ye know your bondage Consider then I beseech you that you may be free subjects in a State and free members in a Church and yet in bondage under the law of sin and death This was the mistake that was a ground of presumption in the Jews and occasioned their stumbling at this Stone of salvation laid in Sion you think you have Church-priviledges and what needs more Be not deceived you are servants of sin and therefore not free There are two sorts or rather two ranks of persons in Gods house Sons and slaves the son abides in the house for ever the slave but for a time when the time expires he must go out or be cast out The Church is Gods house but many are in it that will not dwell in it many have the outward liberties of this house that have no interest in the special mercies and loving kindnesse proper to children The time will come that the most part of the visible Church who are baptized and have eaten with him at his Table and had a kind of frienâ—ship to him here shall be cast out as bondmen and Isaac only shall be kept within the child of the promise The house that is here hath some inward Sanctuary and some utter Porches many have accesse to these that never enters within the secret of the Lord and so shall not dwell in the house above It is not so much the business who shall enter into the holy hill but who shall stand and dwell in it The day of Judgement wâ—ll be a great day of excommunication O how many thousands will be then cut off from the Church of the living God and delivered over â—o satan because they were â—eally â—nder his poweâ— while they were Church-mebers and Abrahams sons Let me tell you then that all of us were once in this state of bondage which Christ speaks of He that committeth sin is the servant of sin John 8.34 and the servant abids not in the house for ever So that I am aâ—raid many of us who are in the visible Church and stand in this Congregation shall not have liberty to stand in the assembly of the fiâ—st-born when all the Sons are gathered in one to the new Ierusalem sin hath a right over us and it hath a power over us and theâ—efore it is called a law of sin theâ—e is a kind of authority that it hath over uâ— by vertue of Gods Justice and our own voluntary consent The Lord in his righteouâ—nesse hath given over all the posterity of Adam for his sin which he sinned as â— common person representing us he hath given us all over to the power of a body of death within us Since man did choose to depaâ—t from his Lord he hath justly delivered him into the hands of a strange Lord to have dominion over him The transmitting of such an original pollution to all men is an act of glorious justice As he in jusâ—iâ—e gives men over to the lusts of their own hearts now for following of these lusts Contrary to his will so was it at first by one mans disobedience mâ—ny were mâ—de sinners and that in Gods holy righteousnesse sin entred into the World and had permission of God to subdue and conquer the World to it self because man would not be subject to God But as there is the justice of God in it so there is a voluntary choice and election which gives sin a power over us we choose a strange lord and he lords it over us We say to our lusts Come ye and rule over us we submit our reason our conscience and all to the guidance and leading of our blind affections and passions we choose our bondage for liberty and thus sin hâ—th a kind of law over us by our own consent it exerciseth a jurisdiction and when once it is installed in power and clothed with it it is not so easie again to put it out of that throne there is a conspiring so to speak of these two to make out the jurisdiction and authority of sin over us God gives us over to iniquity and unrighteousnesse and we yield our selves over to it Rom. 6.16.19 we yield our members servants to iniquitie a little pleasure or commodity is the bait that ensnares us to this we give up our selves and joyn to our idols and God ratifies it in a manner and passeth such a sentence Let them alone he sayes go ye every one and serve your idols Ezek. 23. since ye would not serve me be doing go serve your lusts look if they be better masters then I look what wages they will give you Now let us again consider what power sin hath being thus cloathed with a sort of authority O! but it is mighty and works mightily in men It reigns in our mortal bodies Rom. 6.12 here is the throne of sin established in the lusts and affections of the body and from hence it emits laws and statutes and sends out commands to the soul and whole man Man choose at first to hearken to the counsel of his senses that said it was pleasant and good to eat of the forbidden fruit but that counsel is now turned into a command sin hath gotten a scepter there to rule over the spirit which was born a free Prince sin hath conquered all our strength or we have given up unto it all our strength any truth that is in the conscience any knowledge of God or Religion all this is incarcerated detained in a prison of unrighteous affections sin hath many strong holds and bulwarks in our flesh and by these commands the whole spirit and soul in man and leads captive every thought to the obedience of the flesh You know how strong it was in holy Paul Rom. 7. what a mighty battel and wrestling he had and how near he was to fainting and giving over How then must it have an absolute and soveraign full dominion over men in nature there being no contrary principle within by nature to debate with it it rules without much controlment there may be many convictions of conscience and sparkles of light against sin but these are quickly extinguised and buried Nay all these principles of light and knowledge in the conscience do oftentimes strengthen sin as some things are confirmed not weakned by opposition unequal and saint opposition strengthens the adversary as cold compassing springs makes them hotter So it is here sin takes occasion by the command to work all manner of concupiscence Rom. 7.8 Without the Law sin is
God unbelief and disobedience Now what became of all this work you may know the generality of all ranks have rebelled against that Lord and Prince and withdrawn from his allegiance and revolted unto the same lusts and wayes these same courses against which we had both by our profession of Christianity and solemn oaths engaged our selves and so men have voluntarily and heartily subjected themselves unto the laws of sin and desires of the flesh Hence is the beginning of our ruine because we would not serve our own God and Lord in our own land therefore are so many led away captive to serve strangers in another land therefore we are like to be captives in our own land because we refused homage to our God and obeyed strange lords within therefore are we given up to the lust of strangers without I would have you thinking and that seriously that there are worse masters you serve then these you most hate and that there is a worse bondage whereof you are insensiâ—le then that you fear most you fear strangers but your greatest evil is within you you might retire within and behold worâ—e masters and moâ—e pernicious and mortal enemies to your well-being Tâ—is is the case of all men by nature and of all men as far as in nature sin ruling commanding in them and lording it over them and they willingly following after the commandment and so oppressed and broken in judgement If you could but rightly look upon other men you might see that they who are servants oâ— diverse lusts are not their own men so to speak they have not the command of themselves Look upon a man given to drunkenness and what a slave is he whither doth not his lust drive him let him bind himself with resolutions with vows yet he cannot be holden by them shame before men losse of estate decay of health temporal punishment nay eternal all set together cannot keep him from fulfilling the desires of that lust when he hath opportunity A man given to covetousness how doth he serve that idol how doth he forget himself to be a man or to have a reasonable â—oul within him he is so devoted to it and thus it is with every man by nature there may be many petty little gods that he worships upon occasion but every unrenewed man hath some one thing predominant in him unto which he hath sworn obedience and devotion The man most civilized most abstract from the grosser outward pollutions yet certainly his heart within is but a temple full of idols to the love and service of which he is devoted There is some of the fundamental laws of satans kingdom that rules in every natural man either the lust of the eyes or the lust of the flesh or the pride of life every man sacrificeth to one of these his credit and honour or his pleasure or his profite Self whatever way refined and subtillized in some yet at best it is but an enemy to God and without that sphear of self cannot a man act upon natural principles till a higher spirit come in which is here spoken of Oh! that you would take this for bondage to be under this woful necessity of satisfying and fulfilling the desires of your flesh and mind Eph. 2.2 many account it only liberty and freedom therefore they look upon the laws of the spirit of life as cords and bonds and consult to cast them off and cut them asunder but consider what a wretched life you have with your imperious lusts The truth is sin is for the most part its own punishment I am sure you have more labour and toyl in fulfilling the lusts of sin then you might have in serving God mens lusts are never at quiet they are continually putting you on service they are still driving and dragging men headlong hurrying them to and fro and they cannot get rest what is the cause of all the disquiet disorder confusion trouble and wars in the world from whence do contentions arise come they not hence saith Iames 4.1 even of the lusts that war in our members It is these that trouble the world and these are the troublers of Israels peace these take away both inward peace domestick peace and national peace These lusts Covetousness Ambition Pride Passion Self-love and such like do set nation against nation men and men people and people by the ears These multiply businesses beyond necessity these multiply cares without profit and so bring forth vexation and torment If a man had his lusts subdued and his affections composed unto moderation and sobriety O what a multitude of noysom and hurtful cares should he then be freed from what a sweet calmness should possess that spirit Will you be perswaded of it Beloved in the Lord that it were easier to serve the Lord then to serve your lusts that they cost you more labour disquiet perplexity and sorrow than the Lords service will that so you may weary of such masters and groan to be from under such a law of sin But if that will not suffice to perswade you then consider in the next room if you will needs serve a law of sin you must needs be subject to a law of death if you will not be perswaded to quite the service of sin then tell me what think you of your wages The wages of sin is death that you may certainly expect and can you look and long for such wages God hath joyned these together by a perpetual ordinance they come in the world together sin entered and death by sin and they have gone hand in hand together since and think you to dissolve what God hath joyned Before you go further and obey sin more think I pray you what it can give you what doth it give you for the present but much pain and toyl and vexation in stead of promised pleasure and satisfaction Sin doth with all men as the devil doth with some of his sworn vassals and servants they have a poor wretched life with him they are wearied and troubled to satisfie all his unreasonable and imperious commands he loadens them with base service and they are still kept in expectation of some great reward but for the present they have nothing but misery and trouble and at length he becomes the executioneâ— and perpetual tormenter of them whom he made to serve him such a master is sin and such wages you may expect Consider then what your expectation is before you go on or engage further death We are under a law of bodily death therefore we are mortal our house is like a ruinous lodge that drops through and one day or other it must fall sin hath brought in the seeds of corruption in mens nature which dissolves it else it had been immortal But there is a worse deâ—th after this a living death in respect of which simple death would be chosen rather men will rather live very miserably then die nature hath an aversation of it skin for skin
Christ hath continued our mortality Else he would have abolished death it self if he had not meant to abolish sin by death and indeed it would appear this is the reason why the world must be consumed with fire at the last day and new Heavens and earth succeed in its room because as the little house the body so the great house the world was infected with this leprosie so subjected to vanity and corruption because of mans sin therefore that there might be no remnant of mans corruption and no memorial of sin to inteâ—upt his eternal joy the Lord will purify and change all all the members that were made instruments of unrighteousness all the creatures that were servants to mans lusts a new form and fashion shall be put on all that the body being restored may be a fit dwelling place for the purified soul and the world renewed may be a â—it house for righteous men Thus you see that Death to a Christian is not real death for it is not the death of a Christian but the death of sin his greatest enemy it is not a punishment but the enlargement of the soul. Now the next comfort is that which is is but partial it is but the dissolution of the lowest part in man his body so far from prejudging the immortal life of his spirit that it is rather the accomplishment of that Though the body must die yet eternal life is begun already within tâ—e soul for the Spirit of Christ hath brought in life the Righteousnesse of Christ hath purchased it and the Spirit hath performed it and applyed it to us not only there is an immortal being in a Christian that must survive the dust for that is common to all men but there is a new life begun in him an immortal well being in joy and happinesse which only deserveth the name of life that cometh never to its full perfection till the bodily and earthly house be taken down If you consider seriously what a new life a Câ—â—istâ—â—n is â—â—â—aâ—lated unto by the operation of the Holy Ghost and the ministration of the word it is then most active and lively when the soul is most retired from the body in meditation the new life of a Christian is most perfect in this life when it carrieth him the furthest distance from his bodily senses and is most abstracted from all sensible engagements as you heard for indeed it restores the spirit of a man to its native rule and dominion over the body so that it is then most perfect when it is most gâ—thered within it self and disingaged from all external intanglements Now certain it is since the perfection of the soul in this life consists in such a retirement from the body that when it is wholly separated from it then it is in the most absolute state of perfection and its life â—cts most purely and peâ—fectly when it hath no body to communicat with and to entangle it either with its lusts or necessities The Spirit is life it hath a life now which is then best when furthest from the body and therefore it cannot but be surpassing better when it is out of the body and all this is purchaâ—ed by Christs righteousnesse As mans disobedience made an end of his life Christs obedience hath made our life endlesse He suffered death to sting him and by this hath taken the sting from it and now there is a new statute and appointment of Heaven published in the Gospel whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have eternal life Now indeed this hath so intirely châ—nged the nature of death that iâ— hath noâ— the most lovely and desirable aspect on a Christian that it is no more an object of fear but of desire amicable not terrible unto him since there is no way to save the passenger but to let the vessel break he will be content to have the body splitted that himself that is his soul may escape for truly a mans soul is himself the body is but an earthly tabernacle that must be taken down to let the inhabitant win out to come near his Lord the body is the Prison-house that he groans to have opened that he may enjoy that liberty of the sons of God And now to a Christian death is not properly an object of patience but of desire rather I desire to be dissolved and be with Christ Phil. 1.23 He that hath but advanced little in Christianity will be content to die but because there is too much flesh he will desire to live but a Christian that is riper in knowledge and grace will rather desire to die and only be content to live he will exercise patience and submission about abiding here but groanings and pantings about removing hence because he knoweth that there is no choice between that bondage and this liberty SERMON XXIX Rom. 8.10 The body is dead because of sin but the Spirit is life c. IT was the first curse and threatning wherein God thought fit to comprehend all misery Thou shalt die the death in that day thou eatest though the sentence was not presently executed according to the letter yet from that day â—orward man was made mortal and there seemeth to be much mercy and goodness of God interveening to plead a delay of death it self that so the promise of life in the second Adam might come to the first and his posterity and they might be delivered â—rom the second death though not from the first Alwayes we bear about the markes of sin in our bodies to this day and in so far the threatning taketh place that this life that we live in the body is become nothing else but a dying life the life that the ungodly shall live out oâ— the body is a living death and either of these is worse then simple death or destruction of beeing The serious contemplation of the miseries of this life made wise Solomon to praise the dead more then the living contrary to the custom of men who rejoyce at the birth of a man-child and mourn at their death yea it pressed him further to think them which have not at all been better then both because they have not seen the evil under the Sun this world is such a Chaos such a masse of miseries that if men understood it before they came into it they would be far more loath to enter into it then they are now afraid to go out of it And truly we want not remembrances and representations of our misery every day in that children come weeping into the world as it were bewailing â—heir own misfortune that they were brought forth to be sensible subjects of misery And what is all our life-time but a repetition of sighs and groanâ— anxiety and satiety loathing and longing dividing our spiâ—its and our time between them How many deaths must we suffer before death come for the absence or losse of any thing much desired is a sepâ—ration no lesse gâ—ievous to the hearts of men
are debters indeed but you owe nothing to the flesh but stripes and mortification SERMON XXXIV Rom. 8.13 For if ye live after the flesh ye shall die but if ye through the Spirit c. THough the Lord out of his absolute Soveraignty might deal with man in such a way as nothing should appear but his supream Will and Almighty Power he might simply command obedience and without any more perswasions either leave men to the frowardnesse of their own natures or else powerfully constrain them to their duty yet he hath chosen that way that is most suitable to his own wisdom and most connatural to mans nature To lay out before him the advantages and disadvantages and to use these as motives and perswasives of his Spirit for since He hath by his first creation implanted in mans soul such a principle as moveth it self upon the presentation of good or evil that this might not be in vain he administers all the dispensation of the Law and Gospel in a way suitable to that by propounding such powerful motives as may incline and perswade the heart of man It is true there is a secret drawing withall necessary the pull of the Fathers arm and power of the Holy Ghost yet that which is visible or sensible to the soul is the framing of all things so as to engage it upon rational terms it is set between two contraries death and life death which it naturally abhoâ—reth and life which it naturally loveth an even ballance is holden up before the light of the conscience in which obedience and sin are weighed and it is found even to the convincing of the spirit of man that there are as many disadvantages in the one as advantages in the other This was the way that God used fiâ—st with man in Paradise you remember the terms â—un to what day thou eats thou shalt die he hedged him in on the one side by a promisâ— of life on the other by a threatning of death and these two are very rational restraintâ— â—uited to â—he â—oul of man and in the inward principles of it which are a kind of instinct to that which is appâ—ehenâ—ed good or gainfull Now this vers â—uns even so in the form of words If ye live after the flesh ye shall die you see thiâ— method is not changed under the Gospel for indeed it is natuâ—al to the spiâ—it of man and he hath now much more need of all such peâ—swasions because there is a great change of mans inclination to the woâ—st side all within is so disordered and perverse that a thousand hedges of perswasive grounds cannot do that which one might have done at fiâ—st then they were added out of superabundance but now out of necessity then they were set about man to preserve him in his natural â—â—ame and inâ—linations but now they are needfull to change and alter them quite which is a kind of creation therefore sayeth David creat in me a new spirit and therefore the Gospel abounds in vaâ—ieâ—y of motives and inducementâ— in greater variety oâ— far moâ—e powerâ—ul inducements then the Law Heâ—e is that grâ—aâ— peâ—swasiâ—n tâ—kâ—n fâ—om the infinit gain or lâ—sse of â—â—e â—â—ul of man which is any thing be able to prevail this must do seing it is seconded wiâ—h some natural inclination in the soul of man to seek its own gain Yet there is a diâ—â—erence between the nature of such like promises and threatningâ— in the fiâ—st covenant and in the second In the fiâ—st covenant though life was freely promised â—et it was immediatly annexed to perâ—ect obedience as a consequent â—eward oâ— it it was fiâ—stly pâ—omised unto compleat â—ighteousnesse of mens persons But in the second covenant firstly and principally liâ—e eteâ—nal grace and glory is promised to Jesus Christ and his â—eed antecedent to any condition or qualification upon their part and then again all the promises that run in way of condition as he that believeth shâ—ll not perish c. If ye walk after the Spirit ye shall live these aâ—e all the consequent fruits of that absolute gracious disposition and resignation of grace and life to them whom Christ hath chosen and so their believing and walking and obeying cometh in principally as parts of the grace promised and as witnesses and evidences and confirmations of that life which is already begun and will not see an end Besides that by vertue of these absolute promises made to the seed of Christ and Christs compleat performance of all conditions in their name the promises of life are made to faith principally which hath this peculiar vertue To cary forth the soul to anothers righteousnesse and sufficiency and to bottom it upon another and in the next place to holy walking though mixed with many infirmities which promise in the first covenant was only annexed to perfect and absolute obedience You heard in the preceeding vers a strong inducement taken from the bond debt and duty we owe to the Spirit to walk after it and the want of all obligation to the flesh Now if honesty and duty will not suffiâ—e to perswade you as you know in other things it would do with any honest man plain equity is a sufficient bond to him yet consider what the Apostle subjoynes from the dammage and from the advantage which may of it self be the Topickes of perswasion and serves to drive in the nail of debt and duty to the head if ye will not take with this debt ye owe to the Spirit but still conceive there is some greater obligation lying on you to care for your bodies and satisfie them then I say behold the end of it what fruit you must one day reap of the flesh and service of sin If ye live after the flesh ye shall die but then consider the fruit you â—hall reap of the Spirit and holy walking ye shall live It is true the flesh may flatter you more for the present but the end of it will be bitter as death amplâ—ctitur ut strangulet the flesh imbraces you that it may strangle you and so if you knew all well you would not think you owed it any thing but enmity and hatred and mortification If your duty will not move you let the love of your selves and your souls perswade you for it is an irrepealable statute The wages of sin is death Every way you choose to fulfill the lusts of your flesh and to make provision for it neglecting the eternal welfare of your souls certainly it shall prove to you the tree of the knowledge of good and evil it shall be as the forbidden fruit which in stead of performing that was promised will bring forth death the eternal separation of the soul from God Adam's sin was an Breviary or Epitome of the multiplied and enâ—arged sins of mankind you may see in this tragedy all your fortuns so to speak you may behold in it the flattering insinuations and deceitful promises of sin and Satan who is a liar