a secret curse upon all that live after the flesh upon all they have all they do which curse is a sore death all who are cursed are dead while they live Fifthly If ye live after the flesh so as hath been declared ye will at last not only dye a natural but a cursed death when you come to dye naturally you 'l dye cursedly wretchedly as Christ saith ye shall dye in your sins if you live in them you shall dye in them under the curse of God due to them And so ye shall dye the second death when your bodies shall dye and go to the grave your souls shall dye and go to hell when your souls shall leave your bodies God will wholly leave them when they shall be separated from their earthly Tabernacle they shall be shut out from that building which is eternal in the heavens and from God perfectly ye shall so dye that ye shall be killed and killed with death Rev. 2.23 death will come upon you and hell at the heels of it Rev. 6.8 So shall ye be killed with death and Devils In which condition your souls will abide to the appearing of Christ and then your bodies shall be raised to partake with them in misery raised to the resurrection of damnation which is opposed to the resurrection of life Joh. 5.29 so your whole man your souls and bodies together will remain in a forlorn dead woeful state without end for ever and ever Q. 4. How doth this appear how may it be proved that they who live after the flesh shall dye A. It appears many wayes by many arguments from Scripture and sound reason take a hint of some 1. They who live after the flesh are not truely in Christ Rom. 8.1 they who are in Christ walk not after the flesh therefore they who do live after the flesh are not in Christ they have no interest in him no part in him so they must needs dye for not being in Christ they are not under Christ's righteousness they have nothing to do with that v. 4. the righteousness of the Law is fulfilled in us in our nature for us who walk not after the flesh Christ performed righteousness only for such It is applyed accounted to such and no other therefore they who live after the flesh are unrighteous in the sight of God they stand guilty before the justice of God dye then they must because not partakers of that righteousness which justifieth to life and as they are not in Christ so Christ is not in them Christ hath not taken hold of them his spirit is not in them therefore they belong not to him they are none of his Rom. 8.9 and if they are none of his then life is none of theirs the Fathe bath given to the Son to have life in himself he quickens whom he will but none have life from him unless they belong to him Secondly They who live after the flesh are in the flesh they are in its hands under its power therefore shall dye as one who is in the hand of his mortal enemy and while any are in the flesh they cannot please God Rom. 8.8 and whoever cannot please God shall not be pleased with life by God but shall dye Thirdly To live after the flesh is to live in a direct contrariety to God to his will his law his nature He is a pure spirit not flesh at all in any sense much less in the worst sense he is holy holy holy in him is no darkness at all not any appearance or shadow of sin so that whoever live after the flesh do turn their backs upon God they depart they go far from him they live most directly contrary to him how then can they but dye forasmuch as God is the fountain of living waters the living God for they who live not shall dye none can live unless God give them life God will not give life to any who continue his enemies to depart from him in a direct opposition to him Gods soul cannot but depart from such his wrath cannot but be kindled against them shall they not then dye for as in his favour is life so in his wrath is death Fourthly They who live after the flesh are the servants of it living after it being a doing service to it the flesh is their Lord and Mâ—ster therefore they must have the wages of the flesh Rom. 6.16 his servants ye are to whom ye obey if of sin then unto death how so v. last for the wages of sin is death God in justice as the Judg of the world is engaged to see to it that they who live to sin have the wages of sin Destâ—uction and misery are in the wayes of the flesh Rom. 3.16 therefore they who live in those wayes cannot but dye as surely as he that drinks and continues to drink the most deadly poyson He that walks in any way will come to the end of it at last therefore the end of the wayes of sin bring death they who continue therein will surely dye in the end If the wind blow direct to the shore and the Ship sail just before the wind the helm not being turn'd where will it be by and by will it not be on shore on the ground if the Boat still continue going down the stream it will be in the Sea e're long into which all Rivers run the flesh that is as the wind that blows direct hellward as the stream that runs directly into the bottomless pit he that lives after the flesh he sails before the wind he goes down with the stream think then where will he be after a little while if he turn if he stop not That which every man sows that shall be reap reason and experience say that 's past question beyond any doubt if a man sow tares he cannot reap wheat but must have his harvest of tares so he that sowes to the flesh shall of the flesh reap Corruption destruction Gal. 6.7 8. Be not deceived which intimates many are so God is not mocked couzened though men oft are so whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap you know it is so outwardly and so it is as sure spiritually for he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap Corruption spiritual Corruption which is the worst Ag. If any live after the flesh it hath their heart it hath seized on their heart it hath possession and dominion there therefore they 'l dye as when a grievous Disease gets to the heart suppose the Plague if once it get to the heart you know what follows unless it be speedily expelled or driven thence Lust is to the soul that which the Plague is to the body if ye live after the flesh the Plague is now already at in your heart it hath the command of your will and affections Moreover to live after the flesh is to live after Satan 1 Tim. 5.15 some are already turned aside after Satan though he be not
Rev. 4.4 I saw twenty four Elders sitting clothed in white raiment and they had on their heads crowns of gold That is durable glorious crowns given them with respect to their conquering And what then V. 10. They fall down before the throne and woâ—ship him that liveth for ever and ever and cast their crowns before the throne saying thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory honour and power as if they had said though we are crowned yet we in our selves are not worthy of our crowns but thou art worthy of glory honour and power for by the power of thy spirit it is that we have vanquished our enemies and have won these Crowns It 's another principal way of grieving the spirit when we mortifying any sin through it do take the glory to our selves which we do when we grow high minded and puf't up in our spirits thereby And it 's one of the best evidences that our sins are indeed mortified by the holy spirit when our pride is mortified so that we are still humble as well when we overcome this or that lust as when we are overcome by it There is no sin more hatefull to the spirit of God than pride is therefore it helping us against other sins it will surely smite that Lastly Be exhorted to get more of the spirit you who are endued with it who have it dwelling in you Ephes 5.18 Be filled with the spirit the spirit is given by degrees and in divers measures the more you are filled with it the more you 'l be emptied of your lusts through it the more effectually and easily will you prevail against every sin that hath been too hard for you But how shall we gain more of the spirit I answer The same way the spirit is received at first more thereof is to be attained and that 's by faith The more we act faith on Christ and on the promises and the more we earnestly pray in faith the more shall we receive and be filled with that mighty sin-killing lust destroying spirit of the Lord. Sermon 8. and Last I Am now come to the last thing to be considered in this Text which I shall briefly dispatch and put an issue thereto D. 3. That they who do mortifie the deeds of the body of sin through the spirit they shall live As they who live after the flesh shall dy so they who do mortifie the affections lusts and motions of the flesh shall live so be it that they do this through the spirit because else it s not done in truth and to purpose And there is this difference to be remembred they who live after the flesh deserve tody they earn the wages of death it 's not so here that they who mortifie the deeds of sin do deserve to live for though as the Apostle saith Ro. 6. last The wages of sin is death yet the gift of God is eternall life through Jesus Christ God freely gives life and Christ hath by his obedience to death obtain'd it 1 Joh. 3.9 In this was manifested the love of God towards us because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him Christ was sent to dye that we might live otherwise we could never by any means have had life yet is this the mortification of sin the way to though not the cause of life it necessarily preceeds life Two things I shall speak a little to before I come to the Application 1. Shew how they shall live who do this 2. Give some reasons for the confirmation of the truth How shall they live who do this answer look how they shall dye who live after the flesh in a contrary way shall they live who mortifie the deeds of the flesh First If we do this we shall live the life of grace of holiness which is called the life of God Eph. 4.18 Having the understanding darkned being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their heart How excellent how desirable is their life which is the life of God even that life shall we live let us but get our sin dead through the Spirit of God Christ the Son of God will live in us Gal. 2.20 I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me He did through Christ dwelling in him live a spiritual holy life so shall we live it 's true none can do any thing this way to purpose till they are quickned and have some spiritual life in them can those who lye dead in their graves kill the worms that feed upon them No more can any while they lye dead in their sins mortifie their sins they have not the spirit therefore cannot act through it But if we do destroy our corruptions through the spirit then we are quickned and we shall retain that spiritual life we have 2 Pet. 1.10 If ye do these things ye shall never fall never fall as Adam did so as to lose our spiritual life as they of whom the Apostle speaks that they are twice dead though he means not that ever they had a reall principle of spiritual life should it be that any of us who have the spirit should grow quite negligent in this work of subduing our sins should we altogether give it over then should we become like those twice dead sin as I may say would choak would strangle our souls or the new creature in us But we continuing to keep under and to slay our sins so the life of grace we have shall be retained and we shall not fall into a dead frame yea thus shall we have life more abundantly we shall be more lively God-ward in all duties and good works Rev. 3.2 3. Christ exhorteth the Church of Sardis to strengthen the things that did remain which were ready to dye and for that end biddeth them repent mortifie their sin through the neglect whereof some good things were even as dead already and others were in a dying case it will not be so with us if we herein do our duty but all good will live in us and it will grow more lively so we shall be farther and farther from dying Secondly We shall live a life of peace and comfort as it is Gal. 5.25 we shall live in the spirit in the peace comfort and joy thereof the Kingdom of God we read consists in righteousness peace and joy in the Holy Ghost but the more we mortifie our sin through the spirit the more of the Kingdom of God as it consists in righteousness whereupon also we shall have the more of the Kingdom of God as it consists in peace and joy in the Holy Ghost we shall have the more sense of our justification and of our peace with God a more clear discerning of the forgiveness of our iniquities a more quiet and acquitting conscience more of the rejoycing of the testimony of a good conscience and the very slaying of our corruptions because they are
sin hence your mercies which when fewest and least are more and greater than your afflictions they also are to excite you against your sins for the goodness of God leadeth to repentance and if you thus account and reckon it will be a good help to awaken you thereto 2 Pet. 3.15 account that the long suffering of our Lord is salvation account so thus think and judge in your selves but why should we so account because this will be a means to put us upon our duty as may appear by the 14 v. upon which he brings in that exhortation be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace without spot and blameless then comes in that as a help thereunto and account that the long-suffering of God is salvation do so and thereby you will be quickned to be diligent that you may be found of him in peace so you should account of all God's providences they are salvation in order to the salvation of your souls and consequently to the destruction of your sins Secondly Think not a little pains enough for the mortifying any sin though all our pains be nothing without the spirit yet the spirit will have us not only to do but to do with all our might There must be violence used against our sin which Christ teacheth when he saith cut off thy right hand right foot and pluck out thy right eye that offends thee touching it a little smiting it is not enough it must be cut off and pluck'd out all that we do should be done with all our might much more this If we did strive more the Spirit would help us more But Thirdly Let nothing quiet thee unless thy conscience tells thee thou art hearty and zealous in this work and dost get some ground upon thy sin it 's cross to Scripture for a man under the power of sin he not bearing up and wrestling sincerely and stoutly against it to bless himself in or quiet himself by any thing and this hardens the heart nourisheth sin strengthneth and increaseth it when a man upon any account speaks peace to his soul while he lives in sin hence that terrible word Deut. 29.20 God saith his anger and his jealousie shall smoke against that man who giving way to sin blesseth himself and all the curses shall lye upon him c. if a man flatter himself that he shall do well because he hath had such comforts doth perform such duties God is merciful Christ hath dyed c. though he live after the flesh in this or that evil deed or motion thereof then will that man's sin prevail more and more and it 's not like to be mortified or that he should seek the mortification thereof Fourthly Beware of all lessening and extenuating thoughts of your sin to beget such thoughts in us is Satan's way to defend our sin and deaden our hearts to the seeking the death thereof as that we cannot help it which is no extenuation but an aggravation of sin when it ariseth from the strength of sin in our hearts 2 Pet. 2.14 it 's express'd to aggravate or shew the greatness of their sin they cannot cease to sin or that our sin is not so great as some others I am not said the Pharisee like this Publican or I have such a temptation the woman said Adam thou gavest me she gave me and I did eat or any other excuse while a man's mind is so exercised and busied to make his sin appear as little as possibly he can it roots and grows in him he 'l not strike hard at it if he think it small he 'l give it a weak blow if he think it weak no great stroke if he imagine it not to be great as if a man be to kill a little creature a flye suppose he 'l put forth but little strength for that he thinks enough Labour therefore to see your sin as it is in its greatness heinousness and utmost sinfulness so far as may be and for that purpose view your sin in the glass of the word see how it 's set â—â—â—th there in the word of truth applying all that 's spoken against such and such a sin to your sin that sin in you consider how it is in God's eye how he looks upon it as also how it will appear to you when you come to dye or stand in judgment and loâ—k round it weigh the aggravating circumstances of it the love the goodness of God to you your knowledge means of sanctification and checks of conscience your profession your hope your prayers with other such things Use 3. All you who do mortifie your sin in truth through the Spirit be assured this day you shall live for you to believe is as really your duty as it is for you to do any thing against your sin and the more you believe it the more will you do against sin a man may conceit he shall live and therefore let his sin live but he that hath a true faith grounded on the Word of God particularly my Text that he shall live he 'l become thereby more industrious in warring against sin for faith is a purifying grace Believe then live you shall spiritually while you live naturally if at present you have not you shall have peace and joy God's favour is towards you and you shall have a sense of it if now you are without it and eternal life is yours you are heirs of it Dye you may a natural but not a cursed death not the second death as she said who going cheerfully to Prison and hearing one say to her you have not yet tasted death true answered she nor ever shall I for Christ saith Joh. 8.51 if a man keep my saying he shall not see death so you who keep this saying shall not see death but you shall see life and enjoy it for ever you are written among the living in Jerusalem Isa 4.3 or as it 's otherwise read you are written unto life your names are in the book of life see by faith there is a book of life where the names of all that shall live are fairly indelibly recorded and among others there even there stands thy name your mortifying your sin through the Spirit is a sure evidence to you hereof therefore by it mortifie your doubts and let your assurance be raised and let it give life to your hearts even the life of comfort This promise ye shall live contains in it more than tongue can express it is comprehensive of all you desire or can reasonably wish for Let not thy soul refuse to be comforted by it it matters not much what now is think thou of what shall be Now thou mayest be as dead as to thy name estate health this or that good but doubt not thou shalt live so live that there shall not any shadow of death remain in thee upon or to thee You may say this is a good word to them who can rightly apply it and me thinks I could