PAVLS COMPLAINT AGAINST HIS NATVRALL CORRVPTION WITH THE MEANES HOW TO BEE DELIVERED FROM the power of the same Set forth in two Sermons vpon the 24 verse of the 7. Chapter of his Epistle to the Romanes Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from this bodie of death By me WILLIAM TEELINCK Preacher of the Word of GOD at MIDDLEBVRGH LONDON Printed by Iohn Dawson for Iohn Bellamie 1621. TO THE WORSHIPFVLL HIS VVORTHIE FRIEND M r THOMAS NICHOLAS Esquire As also To the vertuous Gentlewoman M rs IANE NICHOLAS his wife Grace and peace in this life with perfection of glory and happinesse in that to come WORSHIPFVLL The consideration of the dutie which euery Christan is in Conscience bound to performe namely To aduance the glory of God by whom he was created and vpon whom he wholy dependeth and also to further the good of his Brother the Image of God and fellow member with him of the same misticall bodie of Christ compelled me to take in hand the Translation of these two Sermons following as being the good which I hauing opportunitie of time and place to accomplish might in no wise omit They were first preached and published in the Netherlandish Dutch for the benefit of the people of God in those parts which being also my desire in this place I according to my slender ability haue translated and published them here and as a token of the respect I beare vnto your worth and of the thanks I owe vnto you for the many fauourable fruites of your loue am bold to tender them vnto your acceptance and commit them vnto your Patronage They may fitly be tearmed the Anatomizing of the body of sinne a touch stone for a Christian or a Receipt for a sicke soule for they ioyntly containe matter suting vnto these three titles and vse full for all sortes of men as well those that have a name to be aliue but are dead hauing a shew of Religion but want substance as those that are Christians indeed and in truth Whose prayse is not of men but of God But being loath to be too troublesome vnto you with abundance of words I referre you vnto the booke it selfe which being iealous of mine owne errors and insufficiencie I submit vnto your judicious censure euer consecrating my selfe vnto you for your seruice in all that I am or shal be able to performe and my prayers vnto God for your safetie and protection in bodie and soule and thus I humbly take my leaue euer remaining your Worships to be commanded in whatsoeuer C◠HARMAR ¶ The Author his Epistle to the Reader ALthough in all the holy Scripture the word of truth it be found to be most true that in the world there is nothing more hatefull and fearefull then sinne yet daily experience teacheth that there are very few which are grieued and troubled therewith there are to bee found in this cursed world multitudes of them that mourne for their temporall losses and crosses the fruit of sinne one complaineth pittifully of his pouertie of the losse and damage he hath susteined another of his sicknesse of the griefe and paine that he hath suffered a third of the shame contempt disgrace or iniurie which this or that man hath offered vnto him but few consider that sinne is the mother of all this mischiefe yea when they are free from the foresaid inconueniences though they lie plunged and smoothered in sinne they are neuer touched therewith but passe away their time carelesly and securely Let them care that care will onely some few whose eyes God hath opened for to see the mysteries of his kingdome doe make their sinnes their greatest trouble and griefe and not without good cause for it is most certaine and true that he shall neuer see God with ioy hereafter in heauen which commeth not to see his sinnes with a holy and godly sorrow here vpon earth In this sense those that mourne are called blessed of our Sauiour himselfe Therefore for to moue men unto this godly sorrow for their sins and to stirre them vp vnto an holy zeale against all sinnes I haue published these Sermons following wherein I haue shewed how we may be deliuered both from the condemning and commanding power of sinne unto our eternall comfort whereby if any man reape benefit I shall highly reioyce in my labour herein bestowed Farewell in the Lord. Middleburgh the 21. of Iuly 1620. Thine in the Lord WILLIAM TEELINCK PAVL HIS COMPLAINT AGAINST HIS NATVRALL CORRVPTION WITH THE MEANES HOW TO be deliuered from the power of the same Set forth in two Sermons vpon the 24. verse of the 7. Chapter of his Epistle to the Romaynes O miserable man that I am who shall deliuer mee from this body of death THE Apostle Paul hauing declared at large in the foregoing verses the cumbersome contention he had with his flesh and naturall Corruption the which was alwayes in his way and exceedingly hindered him in the seruice of his God and now finding himselfe dangerously beset with this enemy he cryeth out for helpe as it were with a loud voyce saying O miserable man that I am who shall deliuer me from this body of death The summe A mournefull Lamentation or Complaint against that naturall corruption wherwith the Apostle found himselfe oppressed The parts are these 1. Against what hee complaineth against the body of death 2. Who complaineth The Apostle himselfe I miserable man 3. How he complaineth Two manner of wayes First he declareth himselfe therefore to be miserable in that he hath this body of death about him secondly he wisheth to bee deliuered from it 1. Of what he Complaineth He complaineth of the body of death by which we must vnderstand as it appeareth in the former Verses our naturall corruption which makes vs in our selues vnapt to any good and prone and readie to all euill euen that originall sinne wherin we were conceiued and borne concerning which the Apostle formerly testifieth that it worketh death Ver. 13. And in another place is termed by him the body of sinne Rom. 6.6 in which respect also he declareth himselfe to be carnall sold vnder sinne ver 14. and witnesseth that it is in him a Law in his members whereby he is greatly hindered in the performance of obedience vnto the Law of God ver 22.23 But we shall better iudge of the meaning of this manner of speech if so be we obserue the reasons why originall sinne or naturall corruption is called a body yea a body of death Our naturall corruption is named a body for these reasons following 1. As a body hath many members so also hath this naturall corruption it is a coniunction or knitting together of many euill members or rather it spreadeth it selfe through all the powers and parts of the whole man therefore it is not onely called a body but also a Man even the olde Man Ephes 4.22 Implying that there is nothing in man which
our selues and looke about vs and ioyne all our forces together to kill and destroy this fell and cruell monster Seâ—ing it hath beene so manifestly and vndeniably made to appeare vnto vs that vnlesse we kill it it will kill and destroy vs and that eternally Rom. 8.13 And to the end that the Apostle might the more thoroughly make vs to vnderstand this and consequently the better deterre and affright vs from the loue and seruice of this our corrupt flesh which we so gladly and readily obey he calls it in our Text a bodie of death now there is nothing more terrible and fearefull to man then death yet there is nothing more pleasing vnto him then to obey his corruption in all its filthy lustes notwithstanding the Apostle declareth it how-soeuer it slatteringly laugheth and smileth vpon a man to be a deadly and destroying monster a body of death hauing in it selfe the sting both of temporall and eternall death wherwith it giueth the deaths-wound to euery carelesse and vnprouident person which serueth and obeyeth it euen as Ioab did vnto Amasa when he embraced him 2. Sam. 3. Wherefore euery one that loueth his soule must lay to heart the Apostles admonition Rom. 13.14 Put ye on the Lord Iesus Christ and take no care for the flesh to obey it in the lustes thereof yea hee must set himselfe against his corrupt flesh which is no other thing then a most dangerous monster how sweet and louely soeuer it seemeth to be he must in nothing take care to please and obey it for then it will grow more strong and hurtfull but he must weine it of its lust and denie it of whatsoeuer it desireth and so crucifie it and by little and little as it were hunger-sterue it that he himselfe may liue What we are to know and doe further as touching this body of death shall be declared in the parts of the Text which now follow to be handled 2. Who it is which here complaineth against this body of death IT is the Apostle himselfe which complaineth against the body of death which was in him for in the verse following he speaketh of himselfe and sayth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I my selfe and thus speaketh he euery where not as being vnregenerate but as hauing an vnfained and sincere loue and delight in the law of God which flesh and bloud did neuer teach him in which regard also by the testimony of the Psalmist he may be knowne to bee blessed Psal 1.2 From hence followeth this obseruation The body of sinne and of death is in the best that is the naturall corruption which maketh man of himselfe vnapt and vnfit to any good and prone and readie to all euill is euen in the best and most holy of all This appeareth out of that the Apostle himselfe here complaineth that it was in him who without doubt was one of the best Christians in the world at that time and he further declareth vnto vs that the faithfull among whom he shuts himselfe also while they are here vpon earth how farre soeuer they are proceeded in the new birth doe know but in part 1. Cor. 9.10.11.12 And he sayth of the Thessalonians that there was something wanting in their faith 1. Thes 3.10 When in another place he witnesseth of them that vnto other Christians they were notable examples and patternes of true faith 1 Thes 1.7.8 Yea in this regard Elias himselfe was subiect vnto the same passions vnto which other of Gods children are Iam. 5.17 and all the children of God are sayd to haue in them fleshly concupiscences which striue against their soule 1. Pet. 2.11 The best as long as they remaine in this life haue alwayes somewhat in them which they must crucifie which they must mortifie thorough the spirit Whereby it manifestly appeareth that there is in euery one an euill eye which must be pluckt out and a bad hand that must be cut off Mar. 9.43 c. Here it may be asked why God doth suffer his best Children thus to be oppressed and cumbered with this body of death so long as they liue here vpon earth First God doth it for the greater glory of himselfe and of his children and the greater shame and disgrace of the Diuell for truely it tendeth greatly to the prayse and glory of God and to the honour of his children and to the shaming of the Diuell that he knoweth how is able to keepe and preserue such weake and feeble vessels against all the power of Hell and to make them conquerours ouer Sathan in that very flesh which is so polluted with sinne and was once depraued by the Diuell Secondly the Lord doth it because it is fit that there should bee a difference put betweene the cursed earth and blessed heauen to be without finne and free from combat with it is a prerogatiue and priuiledge belonging onely to the seate royall and court of heauen it cannot be that we should enioy it here vpon earth no we must long after the fruition of it in heauen It may be demanded againe that seeing the very best are polluted with this naturall corruption what difference is there then betweene the children of God and the children of the world betweene true beleeuers and carnall men There is as great difference betweene them as is betweene the darkenesse of the darkest night and the light of the morning at the breake of the day as we heard before yea the difference betweene the carnall and spirituall man in respect of this inherent corruption is great euery manner of way for in the vnregenerate man this monster of sinne sitteth as it were vpon a throne ruling and hauing dominion in his heart where it commandeth and is obeyed in euery thing For experience makes it plaine that there is nothing wherein worldly men doe take more delight and pleasure then in seruing their corrupt flesh in all its lustes whether it be in couetousnesse voluptuousnesse pride ambition or in any thing else whereunto their appetites carry them But on the contrary side in the children of God how s oeuer it hath place in them yet it sitteth not as vpon a throne ruling and commanding as a King but lyeth as it were stretched out vpon a racke where thorough the working of the spirit it is euery day more and more disâ—joynted weakned and mortified Furthermore the daily practise of the true Children of God is not to take care for the flesh to obey it in the lustes thereof as carnall men doe but to beate it downe and bring it in bondage to the will of God as the Apostle did 1. Cor. 9.27 Here by the way we may consider the exceeding sottishnesse of many poore and wretched persons which serue the flesh and liue in sinne who when they once heare that all men yea the very best are sinfull and that the most holy and sanctified haue their wants and defects and are clogged with the sinfull
nearer vnto them and demand of them vpon what ground they hope that God will be more mercifull vnto them for to saue them from hell and bring them to heauen then he is to many other whom he casteth into destruction then they are at a stand not knowing what to say or doe or it may be run vnto their workes for to seeke their saluation there or els answere you that it is too high a question for them and that they are not so deepely learned and albeit they are conuinced that they are ignorant of the meanes wherby they may be deliuered from eternall perdition yet they let it sticke there troubling themselues no further but goe on carelesly and securely not so much as once asking or inquiring of that man of God which hath so conuinced them how and which way they may be deliuered but let it so remaine being negligent of their eternall good and this their fearefull miserable blockishnesse and dotage ariseth onely from this that they haue no sense nor feeling of the miserable estate wherein they are by sinne but onely prate and discourse of it because they heare others doe so thinking that men must say so and because for the present they haue their bodily health and the things of this world at will and feele no smart in their consciences for they are dead in sinnes and trespasses and consequently without feeling therefore are they secure and seeke not to bee deliuered from their sinnes but liue taking their pleasure and delight therein for they haue neither true knowledge nor feeling of the misery and wretchednesse whereinto their sinnes haue brought them how their soule is depraued and corrupted and what a curse hangeth ouer them but this securitie of theirs is like vnto that of a condemned person who sleeping before execution is secure no longer then his sleepe dureth for from this that worldly men are ignorant of the misery wherein they are thorough their sinnes ariseth it that they are so negligent and carelesse not troubling not themselues with the Apostle about their deliuerance nor yet once looking after Christ Iesus vnfainedly and heartily whereas had they learned tightly to know and vnderstand the misery wherein they are by reason of their sinnes they would with all earnestnesse and vehemencie haue sought their deliuerance from the body of death as the Apostle did Secondly this sheweth how necessary it is that the Law should be thoroughly Preached to the end that men being made thereby to know the miserable and woefull estate whereinto their sins haue brought them might the better be driuen to seeke their deliuerance thorough Iesus Christ For it is most certain that neither the deliuerance is heartily sought after nor Iesus Christ the Physitian worthily esteemed there where the hate fulnesse of sinne and the greatnesse of the misery by reason of sinne is not thoroughly knowne Goe tell a man which feeleth no griefe and thinketh himselfe to be well and in health that he should seeke for helpe and goe vnto the Physitian for to be cured and he will mocke and deride you but one that findeth his disease and feeleth the paine thereof will thanke you for your counsell so vntill such time that men haue learned thoroughly to know their misery Iesus Christ the Physitian is not respected nor accounted off according to his worth and desert and although the Ministers of Christ come vnto them praying and beseeching them in the name of Christ and entreating them for the loue of Christ to carrie themselues so and so yet these men which know not their misery regard it not at all but set light by all the requestes and entreaties of Christ and suffer his Ministers to pray and entreate as much as they will passing away their time without any care or thought at all and no maruayle for they feele no want of Christ neither finde they any more sweetnesse in the Lord Iesus then in a dry Wort-stalke But on the contrary side those that haue learned truely to know their misery and which giue vp their hearts soules vnto Christ for to be deliuered thorough him those esteeme and count of all things as dung and drosse for the excellencie of the knowledge of Iesus Christ whatsoeuer is required of these in the name of Christ as soone as they truely know it to bee his will they fashion themselues according vnto it they onely being those that honour and esteeme of Christ according vnto his worth and excellencie as daily experience maketh it vndeniably manifest for this cause we see it to be most necessary that men should learne to know their misery by the preaching of the law to the end that they may come vnto the Gospell for their deliuerance in and thorough Iesus Christ Thirdly This serueth to admonish all those which seeke to be deliuered from the bodie of death that they willingly and gladly suffer the reproofe and reprehension of their sinnes and the discouery of the filthinesse and hatefulnesse of them but men are impatient of this auoyding shunning it as the death yet without this they cannot be deliuered from the body of death some when they heare sinne sharply reproued cry out that it is the way to preach men to destruction but truely they know not what they say are they those that thinke to bee deliuered by their owne workes that they cannot suffer to haue it truely declared vnto them that the very best of them according to the tenor and strictnesse of the Law hath by their owne actions deserned no lesse then hell and damnation But if they be wise right minded Christians let them be willing to heare their owne insufficiencie and vnworthinesse discouered and layd open vnto them that they may the more reuerence and esteeme of Iesus Christ and learne not in their owne workes but in his worthines and merites to seeke their deliuerance and saluation and to acknowledge and follow him not from the teeth outwardes like hypocrites but vnfainedly and from their hearts as the onely Physitian and sauiour of their soules Therefore most commendable is the practise of those Ministers of God which are carefull earnest to lay open before mens eyes their insufficiencie vilenesse and cursed estate by nature endeuouring by that meanes to bring men highly to esteeme of Christ whom the end of all our preaching is to make knowne vnto them for by experience we finde and the truth it selfe maketh it cleare that our Lord Iesus Christ is worthily esteemed and honoured of none but of such as by the feeling of their misery are brought into the estate of the Apostle when he cryed out O miserable man who shall deliuer me from this body of death Fourthly this serueth to admonish vs whensoeuer we finde our selues wanting in our loue and due estimation of Christ and feele that wee haue not such a heartie and grounded affection vnto him and such a hungry desire and longing after our deliuerance from the
filthy monster so that they cannot sleepe till such time as they haue giuen it its fill of disobedience and iniquitie when they once thorough some stirring of their conscience come to haue their eyes opened whereby they beginne to perceiue the terriblenesse of this monster they become hatefull and fearefull vnto their owne selues and oftentimes murther themselues hoping thereby to get out of the sight and presence of that grim hellish monster which now they begin to see in themselues whereat they are affrighted as it came to passe with Iudas and many others Now the reasons for which originall sinne or naturall corruption may truly be held to be such an hatefull and deadly monster may besides that which shall be hereafter spoken be taken out of those reasons which we haue already giuen in the opening of the Text wherein wee shewed wherefore this naturall corruption is termed a bodie of death And if so be that it bee a monstrous thing when in a bodie the members are all mishapen and misplaced and moreouer in themselues exceedingly depraued so must this naturall corruption needs be held to be a monstrous thing wherin the vnderstanding which should be gouernour and leader of the will and fleshly lustes and affections not onely lieth subdued vnder them both but also is in it selfe vtterly obscured darkned and the will and affections in themselues altogether peruerted and disordered Furthermore if the death and pollution of body and soule if a deadly broode of all manner of haynous and deadly sinnes nay if eternall death and damnation are most odious and terrible things then this naturall corruption must needes be judged to bee a hatefull and fearefull thing which occasioneth and bringeth forth all these things as was made manifest before in the opening of the Text Wherefore we conclude as wee beganne that the naturall corruption wherein we were all conceiued and borne and which we all brought into the world with vs from our mothers wombe is a most vgly deformed body of death a fearefull and deadly monster Now let vs see what Vse we can make of that which hath beene spoken and in the first place here is great cause of mourning and lamentation even because that although this body of death our naturall corruption which in euery place is knowne by the name of brittle weake and corrupt flesh bee such an abominable and deadly monster as that it deserues and ought to bee of euery one persecuted and hunted euen to death yet is so generally serued and obeyed in the lusts thereof as at this day it is Behold and marke the course of the world and consider well the actions of the most part of men and you shall finde that they tend chiefely to the fulfilling and satisfying the desires of this horrible monster their corrupt flesh to the susteyning and supporting of it and to the giuing it the fill of whatsoeuer it requireth if it will haue men eat till they surfet and drinke till they be drunke you shall find multitudes of them that will doe it although they should eat and drinke vp goods bodies and soule and all if it lusteth after wantonnesse you shall find those that fit and addresse themselues for that also by lurking here and there in corners gazing and staring out at Windowes and doores and frequenting dishonest places or by vsing idle and immodest exercises as lasciuious dauncing wanton sporting amorous songs corrupt and rotten communication stuffed with vaine and vnfruitfull iestes and prophane passages and that vpon the Sabboth day the which although some seeme to obserue and keepe by resting from the workes of their calling and seruing the world yet you shall haue the same men prophane and violate that blessed day which God hath set apart for his own seruice by doing the workes of their corrupt flesh and toyling to serue it in the lustes thereof as in taking their carnall sports and such pas times as their base and sensuall affections shal lead them vnto when they should be best employed in spirituall exercises Wheras if they saw their spirituall estate and were sensible of the wants thereof they would thinke one day too little for them to spend in bewayling their sins miseries in prayer meditation reading and hearing the word of God or if they did but know and duely consider the wonderfull bountifulnesse mercy patience and long-suffering of God who hath so safely protected them so carefully prouided for them and so mercifully spared them notwithstanding their sinnes vnworthinesse they would thinke that time rather too short then too long for them to blesse him and prayse him enough and to spend in godly and sanctified discourse and conference vpon those things which appertaine and tend to Gods glory and their owne mutuall comfort and edification in the knowledge of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ Furthermore how many doe wee see whose daily practise and trade of life is to fulfill and satisfie the lustes and desires of this vile and vgly monster their corrupt flesh in lying deceiuing vsury seeking vnlawfull and vngodly gaines slandering and backbiting their neighbours vndermining for offices and places of dignitie by a thousand vngodly and sinister meanes and deuises and infinite wayes els which would be too long here to be repeated so that it is a thing most lamentable and neuer enough to be bewayled that Man that excellent creature which at first was created to serue the Lord his God in holinesse and righteousnesse all the daies of his life to his euerlasting comfort should be found to be so base as to sell himselfe to be a slaue and a drudge to his corrupt and sinfull flesh and to serue it in the vile and contemptible lustes and appetites thereof to his euerlasting woe and destruction yea I say that it is a thing altogether lamentable that this bodie of death this pernicious and deadly monster our naturall corruption should be thus diligently obeyed and serued notwithstanding the wages thereof be death eternall both of soule and bodie when in the meane time the seruice of our good and gracious God is vtterly neglected and yet the reward which hee offereth is euerlasting ioy and happinesse In the second place this serues to warne and admonish all the children of men that they take good notice of this cruell and deadly monster which keepes all this quarter in the world and which they all haue brought with themselues into the world When some noysome beast is discouered to be in a Countrey the people of the same are not a little moued therewith how doe they bestirre themselues consult and lay their heads and helpes together to chase it or ensnare it that they might by some meanes bring it to death how shall we then behaue our selues which haue receiued such credible and certaine information that such a pernicious and deadly monster as the corrupt flesh is risen vp amongst men shall we be idle and secure shall wee not bestirre
need to feare hell yea heauen is their due notwithstanding they are conuinced in conscience that they are sinfull yet they know no other sinnes that they haue then some small sinnes which they hold to be veniall and those they thinke are so few in number that they need not to make any doubt of their saluation and in the meane time they forget that howsoever they carry it outwardly there is a whole body of death in them which maketh them accursed before God and lyable vnto eternall condemnation this they consider not but say in their heart I am no thiefe no murtherer no drunkard no cheater no whore-monger I can go to Church with my neighbours I need not hide my head for any man and why should they tell me then that I shall not come to heauen as well as another And in the meane while poore men they thinke nor what God hath to say vnto them and what he can alledge against them they weigh and consider not that there is a body of death in them which maketh them to be damnable and accursed before God yea though while they liue they should neither moue nor stirre and doe neither good nor bad But O thou poore man that art thus minded how lamentable is thy case Thou hasf a whole body of sinne with in thee and that as thou liest and sleepest there is a moustrous deformitie in thee which maketh thoe most abominable before God and being not couered will certeinly bring thee to hell thy naturall corruption possesseth thy soule killeth it and maketh it stinke before God Psal 53.2 It destroyeth thy body also for from whence thinkest thou doth it come that thy body is subiect vnto so many paines and difeases that it so decayeth and consumeth away commeth it not from this inward bodie of sinne which hath in it selfe the sting of temporall and eternall death 1 Cor. 15.56 So then yee need not be a thiefe or a murtherer or an adulterer or a drunkard or a deceiuer or an vsurer thou mayest chuse whether thou wilt take so much paines for to goe to hell remaine the same that thou art by nature and thou shalt not escape it continue still an olde wife vnto the olde Man as by nature thou art and thou canst not be saued thou must perish Luc. 13.3.5 if so be thou art not renewed in the spirit of thy minde if the hand of God come not vpon thee if his spirit worketh not in thy heart and create in thee a new heart and a new spirit if hee causeth not the light of his grace to arise in thy heart that thou mayest no longer remaine darkenesse but mayest be light as the day beginning to breake if this I say be not wrought in thy heart it is not possible that thou shouldest euer enter into the kingdome of heauen or inherite eternall life for thou hast a bodie of death in thee which will bring thee into euerlasting death except thou begin to kill the works of this body which thou canst not doe but thorough the spirit which by nature thou hast not neither canst haue but from God alone O what a lamentable thing is it that the naturall man is so blockish and dull that hee not so much as once thoroughly considereth this admonish and exhort these men to marke Gods word diligently to repaire to the Congregation of the faith to watch and pray to redeeme the time and to worke out their saluation with feare and trembling they cast it in the wind they see no reason why they should so trouble themselues they suppose it standeth well enough with them because they are not so openly scandalous and offensiue in their conuersation as others and peraduenture somewhat better then some of their neighbours of whom they report that there is no goodnes in them when as they themselues know not yet what it meaneth to be renewed in the spirit of their minde and what it is to mortifie the deeds of the body thorough the spirit Thirdly let this serue to exhort all the people of God to put farre from them this opinion and conceite of worldly and carnall men let vs giue out selues no rest till we finde that we are renewed in the spirit of our minde and that wee haue some power thorough the spirit to mortifie the workes of this body of death let vs also take heed that we be not so foolish as to seeke our iustification in our selues or in our owne works nothing but that which is perfect can stand before the judgement of God but wee haue a body of sinne in vs which hinders vs from perfection therfore let vs seeke it onely in Iesus Christ our Lord. Fourthly this may moue vs to humilitie shall we be proud and insolent which beare about vs and in vs a body of death which are condemned men vpon whom by the law of God the sentence of death hath already passed Is it a seemely thing that persons condemned and readie to be executed should be proud and arrogant shall we then be high minded and grudging shall we be enuious and malicious shall we be wanton and carelesse which haue in vs a body of death whereby we are lyable vnto eternall death Shall wee in the pride of our hearts make of our body of death a body of insolencie and murmuring a body of voluptuousnesse and mirth a body of wantonnesse and iesting let that be far from vs humilitie becommeth condemned men Abraham was humbled because he was but dust and ashes Gen. 18 27. and shall not we be so too which are nothing els but an accursed lumpe Iob was humbled because the fores had ouer-runne his body but the naturall corruption hath runne thorough all the parts and powers of our soule and body and shall we not be humbled shall a man be cast downe for a disease in the body and shall wee that are so deadly sicke in soule not be cast downe at all Fiftly here is matter of comfort and encouragement to all good hearts who knowing that there is a body of death in them are therewith vnfainedly grieued and troubled and earnestly busied and exercised in mortifying and killing the same by the spirit doe notwithstanding feele in themselues the prickes of the flesh and the continuall buffetts and assaults of this body of sinne Behold my beloued brothers and sisters bee not dismayed and thinke not therefore that you are Bastards among the sonnes of God No as you haue before heard it is the lot of all the Children of God marke in all the foregoing verses of the seuenth chapter to the Romanes what the Apostle himselfe had to doe with his naturall corruption be not then discouraged but stand to it stoutly and although the Deuill goes about to perswade thee that thou art no child of God because thou feelest the pricke of the flesh so strong in thee yet know for certaine that in as much as thou striuest manfully with thy corruptions