Therefore they hardly have the Spirit in a special saving way at least working with them who only seek to get sin down but mind not to get grace up Sixthly This is a sure rule whatever the Spirit helps us to do it causeth us to do from a gracious principle to a gracious end so in the present case if the Spirit stir up any to mortifie their sins it causeth them to endeavour the death thereof from a principle of hatred of sin love to God and faith of his Word and if the Spirit work with us it causeth us to strive to ruine sin not only as contrary to us but as contrary to the law nature and name of God and honour of Christ Whoever aims only at himself in what he doth he acts from and of himself and is not acted by the Spirit For though the Spirit love all in whom it is it loves God more and Christ more than it loves us Though the Spirit aims at our good yet more at the honour of God Jesus Christ Seventhly Though the Spirit if you are acted by it do put you on to pursue all your sins to death yet some of them principally as the more strongly and lively any sin is the more it steals or keeps the heart from God the more it hinders you in religious services the more hurt it causeth you to do to others by offending by hardning and causing them to stumble and whatever sin it be by which Gods name your profession and your souls most suffer that you especially strike at and war upon chiefly your chief sin your iniquity your master corruption which is in you the worst for the Spirit of God is a Spirit of wisdom and when it affords its assistance it is according to true wisdom Therefore it spake Saul to be acted by his own Spirit in that he spared Agag the chief of the Amalekits against whom God sent him whereas of all other he should have put him to death so when any indulge and are tender to their head sin that which sits upon the throne in them which above all should be mortified Eighthly If you have the Spirits assistance then you do ordinarily mortifie your sinful motions under strong temptations as well as under weak for all things are alike to the Spirit whose power and whose understanding are infinite Strong and weak temptations differ as to us not as to the Spirit therefore when it vouchsafeth its assisting presence it doth help under and against all sorts and kinds of temptations It may be objected hath it not been known and do we not read that the best men under very strong temptations do greatly miscarry For answer to that it 's true but it 's also true that even they who have the Spirit of God do sometimes turn out of the way under weak temptations God so ordering it that they may the better know themselves and be the more humbled yea it is known that they who stand out against very mighty temptations are for a time born down by some that are of no great strength compared with those which they withstand David's temptation to take away the life of Shimei who cursed him flung stones at him then when he was King and had reigned long his Servants also pressing him to let them go and take off the head of that dead Dog seems much stronger than his temptation to cut off Nabal and all the males of his house because he refused to shew him kindness yet David absolutely refused to give way that Shimei should be medled with whereas he vowed the death of Nabal and of all the men of his house and armed himself and march'd forth to execute his purpose against him which he had done had he not been stopt as himself confesseth 1 Sam. 25.34 In very deed as the Lord God of Israel liveth which hath kept me back from hurting thee except thou had'st hasted and come to meet me surely there had not been left unto Nabal by the morning light any that pisseth against the wall So then it is not barely the greatness of the temptation that makes a good man to stumble but the withdrawing of the Spirit at such a time and then whether the temptation be small or great he is carried away thereby Wherefore I say if the Spirit of God be in you and work with you for the most part you mortifie the motions of sin under all kinds of temptations as you usually stand out against small so usually against great temptations also Lastly You ascribe all that victory that at any time you gain against any sin to the Spirit if you are acted by it for when the Spirit helps it makes the soul sensible that it could not do what it doth of it self Luke 1.49 He that is mighty hath done for me great things and holy is his name so saith the soul that is in a truely gracious frame and is carried forth against sin by the Spirit Not I have done great things to the curbing quelling and killing my sins but he that 's mighty the mighty Spirit of God hath done great things in me for me and by me as Isa 26.12 he hath wrought all our works in us not we our selves of our selves but he yea he hath wrought not some but all our works in us Sermon 7. Use 9. SEe how great need they have to seek the Spirit who have it not so necessary as the mortifying any sin is so necessary is the having of the Spirit for as hath been said we must have the Spirit e're we can do any thing by it to the slaying our sins therefore so many lusts so many evil affections and motions so many sins as are in any one of us so many engagements to seek the Spirit without which not one of them can be subdued They who have not the Spirit of the Lord they do they will walk after their lusts nor can they walk otherwise Jude 17 18. Beloved remember ye the words that were spoken before of the Apostles of our Lord Jesus how that they told you there should be mockers in the last time who should walk after their own ungodly lusts how so v. 19. these be they who separate themselves i. e. from ordinances from the Societies of Saints sensual not having the spirit hence they did they could not but walk after their lusts because though they pretended high as if they had the spirit and that in a larger measure than others yet in truth they had it not Whoever are without the Spirit are in the flesh Rom. 8.9 Ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit if so be the Spirit of Christ dwell in you but which is implyed if the Spirit of Christ dwell not in you then are you in the flesh in the hands under the power of corrupt nature therefore cannot possibly mortifie the deeds of the flesh But get the Spirit once so shall you through it be able to bring under and tread
DEATH AND LIFE OR Sins Life the Sinners Death Sins Death the Saints Life BEING The Sum of Eight SERMONS on Romans 8.13 By Samuel Malbon Preacher of the Word of life in Amsterdam Deut. 32.29 O that they were wise that they understood this that they would consider their latter end London Printed for John Allen living in Wentworth-street near Bell-Lane 1669. Christian Reader THe Author of these Sermons having for several years been absent from this his Native Country being Pastor to a Church of Christ at Amsterdam may be under some disadvantage as to his esteem in the hearts of those that fear the Lord by reason that neither his person nor his name is well known unto them And so through ignorance or misapprehension they may omit the purchase of this Book which may through grace be of much use and benefit to their souls Therefore we have thought it meet and a duty for thy good to prefix a few words in a way of recommendation of the person to thee that as his name is sweet and precious amongst those Saints and people to whom he Preaches so both himself and this his work may be readily and cheerfully received by Thee and others of God's life-breathing ones here in England He is a man ready in the Scriptures and much acquainted with the mind of God therein painful spiritual and powerful in his Preaching to the conviction conversion and edification of many souls Having large experiences of God's goings in and dealings with his own soul in a way of grace by his Spirit And one who lives in the Spirit and walks up exemplarily to that light and life which is communicated freely and richly to him by Jesus Christ the Mediator who is the soul fountain of both And as for this his work it carries its own praise with it and needs not our Testimony only give us leave to say thus much that it is plain sound spiritual lively and practical well suited to every capacity You will find the Text with many other Scriptures truely and clearly opened The Doctrines genuinely deduced rightly stated fully proved and Illustrated doubts assoiled Mistakes rectified Errors enervated Objections answered and the Application faithful home searching pathetical full of perswasion and life In sum the Design and Endeavour of this sweet Preacher in these Sermons is very glorious viz. To discover lurking soul beguiling and destroying Hypocrisie To lay open the false bottoms that many stand upon for eternity To bring souls to a full and entire close with Jesus Christ by faith the only foundation of eternal salvation and to entertain and cherish the Holy Spirit in its workings To eradicate soul-polluring corruption and further the true mortification of internal bosom lusts By shewing whence and how it is effected what is the power that produces carries on and perfects it And to work up Saints to a living unto God in the life of God that they may escape death and attain at last everlasting life in the vision of God The footsteps of which design are manifestly apparent in these Sermons And the fruits of his faithful and laborious Endeavours are to be seen and read in the hearts and lives of many of his hearers which through the blessing of God upon thy diligent and serious perusal thereof may be experienced by Thee also so as Thou mayest in Christ's strength come in as a Conquerour over all thy spiritual enemies and joyn with those mentioned in the close of this Book who have the Palms of victory and Harps of joy in their hands to sing praises to the Lord and say Glory Honour and Dominion be unto our God Father Son and Holy Ghost Father who hath sealed and freely sent his only begotten and dearly beloved Son into the world that by his death I might have life Son who hath finished the work the Father gave him to do who hath dyed is risen again and ascended and as a fruit of all hath received and sent the Holy Ghost to apply and produce that spiritual life And Holy Ghost who as the Comforter is come and hath sweetly graciously wisely faithfully and all-prevailingly accomplish'd that living work in my soul Therefore buy and read this Book Reading meditate Meditating pray and Praying remember Thy real Friends and Soul's Welwishers William Greenehill Joseph Caryl Thomas Malery Richard Lawrence To the Reader YOur greatest good is aimed at in this little Book Let me ask you a plain but serious question how fareth your Soul that pretious that immortal Soul within you As by natural sense you could soon answer a like question concerning your Body so by a quick spirituall sense may this be answered Christ our Saviour speaks Luke 16.11 of the true riches outward riches are not the true riches so there is a true health bodily health is not the true health 3 Ep. John v 2. Beloved saith that beloved Disciple I wish above all things thou majest prosper and be in health even as thy soul prospereth but to the generality there is cause to wish that they may prosper and be in health as their body prospereth for the most have far more prosperity health in their outward than in their inward man Either you are under the foot of your natural Lusts or they are in a good degree under your foot either you are overcome by them or you overcome them If the former either you are so and yet senselesse and secure which is the miserable condition of the greater part of men then here 's a word of conviction continuing as you are the word of truth saith you shall dy or being sensible and awake you do strive and strugle against your corruptions without victory which is the sad case of many then here 's a rule of direction all your endeavours against your sin must be through the spirit If the latter if you are victorious over your lusts which war against your souls which is the happinesse but of a comparative few then here 's a Cup of consolation for you he who cannot ly saith you shall live Take thine own portion learn thine own Lesson In that great day when the Books shall be opened then shall this Book with all other have a far more open publication and how it came to be printed and what my end in it is and what the fruit of it shall be will be revealed men's writings are called their works we say the works of such a one and not without reason according to these works shall it be rendred by that just that wise Judge in that day to every one who worketh in this kind I had much rather therefore write that which is profitable though not honourable than that which is honourable and not profitable or that which is good meanly than any thing that is evill eligantly Seeing the Scriptures themselves are so dislik't and found fault with by so many no wonder if this piece meet with hard censures Rom. 14.4 Who art thou that judgest
flesh in one sense because he hath no body yet he is altogether Flesh in a spiritual sense i. e. sinful and he draws those and leads them after the Flesh who live after it they do follow him though they think not so they know it not Eph 2.2 they who walk according to the course of this world they do walk according to the Prince of the power of the air so v. 3. they fulfill the desires or wills of the flesh therefore they shall dye for Satan is a dead creature and he is reserved to a farther degree of death and misery Satan also is a deadly enemy to men he seeks with all diligence to entice allure and draw us to his condition will he not be killed who follows a subtle enemy that plots his death Shall not he dye who yields himself up to his enemies who christ to have his blood and are implacably bent upon his ruine but thus do they who live after the Flesh they yield themselves up to Satan who as I may say hath sworn and more chan sworn the death of all he can prevail against and they give up themselves into the hand of the Lusts of the Flesh which war against their souls 1 Pet. 2.11 Dearly beloved abstain from steshly Lusts which war against your souls how then can he escape death who surrenders himself thereto Lastly Those many threatnings of the God of truth against such who live in sin that he will whet his Sword against them wound their hairy sculp turn them into hell Ps 9.17 the word into is doubled in the Hebrew either to note the certainty thereof as if he had said the wicked shall be turned into yea surely into hell or to signifie the greatness and the endlesseness of their punishment they shall be turned into and into hell over head and eats as we say they shall be cast deep very deep into the bottomless pit they shall still be falling as it were lower and lower or their souls and at last their bodies shall be cast into hell their souls into and their bodies into hell or when their bodies into the grave then their souls into hell and the like they all demonstrate and establish this truth so sure as God is true those threatnings are true So then it is abundantly manifest most undeniable as clear as the Sun as sure as sure can be that if we if any of us all live after the flesh dye we shall perish we shall without remedy Sermon 2. Q. 5. VVHy should such Doctrine be preached to believers A. Not as if they who have true faith shall ever any of them so live after the flesh as at last to dye the second death this is not intended nor implyed either in my Text or any other like Sentence of Scripture for it 's certain nothing is meant or can by right consequence be deduced from one place of Scripture which is contrary to any thing expressed in another but it is expressly asserted that God who hath begun a good work in his people will perform carry it on to the day of Christ Phil. 1.6 he that layes the foundation of true grace in any soul will go forward with his work till he hath laid the top stone and that because he is faithful 1 Cor. 1.8 9. Who shall also confirm you to the end that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ for God is faithful by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of Jesus Christ our Lord so 1 Thess last 24 and 2 Thess 3.3 and as God is faithful so it 's sure he is able otherwise he would never have begun his work in us as may be argued from those words of Christ Luke 14.28 29 30. which of you intending to build a Tower sitteth not down first and counteth the cost whether he have sufficient to finish it lest haply after he hath said the foundation and is not able to finish it all that behold it begin to mock him saying this man began to build and was not able to finish How much wiser is God than man none shall have cause to mock him therefore he both can and will finish his building the Church and the work of grace in every one of his effectually called ones But why then is it said to Believers If ye live after the Flesh ye shall dye A. 1. All Believers are not such in truth all who make a profession have not been under the power of God to their saving Conversion when God sows wheat the Devil sows tares when God makes true Converts the Devil makes Hypocrites Mat. 13.38 39. Hypocrites especially are the Devils Children the tares are the Children of the wicked one all wicked ones are Children of that wicked one chiefly Hypocrites these are as his first born and have most of his likeness There ever were and will be during the state of things such as Judas Symon Magus Demas c. hereafter all such shall be gathered out of Gods Kingdom No Hypocrite shall be in the New Jerusalem but now there are foolish as well as wise Virgins workers of iniquity who hear Christs word and eat and drink in his presence at his Table with respect to this it is needfull there should be such Doctrine Preached now in the Church ye shal dye if c the rather because men know not the hearts of those to whom they Preach Mal. 3. last Then shall ye return and discern between the righteous and the wicked now there is not a certain Infallible discerning and false unsound hearted ones are frequently very confident of their state that it is good that it is safe As men in a dream while dreaming are very confident of this or that concerning themselves the contrary whereto they find true when they awake hence this truth is to be taught to awaken such if it may be and to shew them their great and sad mistake Secondly Though it shall never be because of Gods faithfulness as also because of Gods election Christ's death c. that true Believers shall so live after the flesh that they shall perish yet the thing is possible in it self and as to themselves Did not Adam in innocency fall and come under the sentence of death so would the best men fall into perdition if left to themselves as Peter had sunk quite down and drowned if left to himself and when he denied Christ so far he had denied him utterly Corruption because natural hath great advantage against grace in us and Satan by all means layes about him to draw it forth so that if we had no keeper no guid or better Pilot than our selves we should live after the Flesh and split dash in pieces on that rock therefore that none may have confidence in themselves but all of us be kept constantly trusting in the living God in Christ the power of God and that we may not be high minded but fear hence the Apostle having given that
exhortation Rom. 11.20 be not high minded but fear he adds v. 21 22. if God spared not the natural broaches take heed lest he spare not thee behold therefore the goodness and severity of God on them that fell severity but towards thee goodness if thou continue in his goodness otherwise thou also shalt be cut off As a Mother leading her little Child it goes towards the fire or water and though she hold it fast sure that it shall not fall in yet to make it careful she saith take heed if you fall into the fire you 'l be burn't if into the water you 'l be drowned so that we may not be secure and careless and self confident we have divers such If 's in Scripture spoken to Gods Children Thirdly True Believers may have and too oft have through compliance with the Flesh great falls though they live not after the Flesh they act much according to it therefore to cause them to maintain a continual sight against the Flesh and to keep at the farthest distance from it and to quicken them to repentance when they have turned aside therefore are they to be put in mind what an enemy the Flesh is even such that if they do live after it they shall dye eternally and so far as they act according to it they do dye spiritually For such reasons as these the Apostle speaks that Heb. 10.26 If we sin wilfully he faith not you but we if we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins but a certain fearful looking for of judgment c. that is even for us if we so sin It may be objected is this a sit and proper argument to work upon true Believers to keep them from the wayes of the flesh or to bring them to repentance when they are seduced thereby should not such rather have other things Preached to them A. Other things should be Preached and that chiefly as the death of Christ love and grace of God c. but this also ye shall dye if c. all considerations are needful in this world to keep us awake God thought it a proper and fit argument to lay before Adam when he had no Flesh no corruption in him in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye why then is it not a proper and fit argument to be propounded to those who have much sin remaining in them though they being in Christ are not under that Covenant under which Adam was and cannot fall as he did yet is this argument rather more suitable to them than to Adam even the argument of death in this respect because they have much Flesh in them which both in it self deserves death and enclines them or moves them to walk in the wayes thereof sweet arguments may more take with the renewed part but this may more curb remaining Corruption and work upon the heart when in a fearless careless frame and if the soul be in never so good a frame to hear that they who live after the Flesh shall dye may stir it up to thankfulness that through and in Christ it is secure and the more thankful the more obedient shall we be to God If any say that grace most works upon them I answer the more any are drawn by Grace the less do they need to be driven by this truth yet even this truth minds us of and sets forth to us the grace of God in that but for it we had all lived after the flesh and there is love in this very truth that the Lord is thus pleased to warn us It may again be said but is this right to avoid or turn from the wayes of the Flash because they bring to death A. We are bound to believe all the word of God and it 's the nature of true faith to Believe all believing all things saith the Apostle that are written in the Law and the Prophets Acts 24.14 therefore all Scripture truth is to be Preached and whatever we do in faith from true faith is as so well done and acceptable to God as Noah's building an Ark because through faith he was moved with fear c. besides death implyes separation from God and this is very good it is love to God to avoid sin that by it we may not be separated from him Application Use 1. Whether do you or any of you live after the Flesh It is as great a question as whether you shall dye Be the more inquisitive each one as to himself because multitudes are strangely mistaken some seem as if they did live after the flesh yet really before God they do not 2 Cor 10.2 I beseech you that I may not be bold with that confidence wherewith I think to be bold against some which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh the Apostles themselves seemed to some so to walk yet were they far from so walking On the other hand there are and that many more who make a shew as if they did not live after the flesh yet in truth after it do they live Thus men also mistake concerning themselves thinking that of themselves which is contrary to truth It 's like if the question were put in the general to any of you whether think you not there are some here present who live after the Flesh you would every one say if you should speak your thoughts yes some here do so live or I fear there are some whose life is such but let every one be ask'd as to his own particular probably he would say I do not or I hope I do not live after the Flesh I beseech you Brethren deceive not your selves for if you do thus live whether you think so or no of your selves you will find this true that ye shall dye I would be helpful to you in this enquiry for which purpose I shall briefly offer divers things to your serious thoughts to be made use of in self examination I say self examination for you know it 's not that God requires of you nor that which concerns you or not so much to try others as each one himself and her self 1. Whoever hath not had a great change in his heart a mighty turn he doth live after the Flesh however he may seem to live for all by nature are dead in their sins and the uncircumcision of their Flesh Col. 2.13 all naturally are born of Flesh and are Flesh having no good thing in them and if the tree be bad the fruit cannot but be bad also if any are dead in the Uncircumcision of their flesh it 's certain they live after it Secondly To live in the doing of any of the works of the Flesh though it be but in some one or two of them is to live after the Flesh Q. What are the works of the Flesh A. They are very many and they are all or most of them very manifest as the Apostle tells us Gal. 5.19 The
heart as that which all who are disobedient will feel at last to be most true I might here desire you to think or ask you what you do think in your souls whether in your consciences you think not this word being true there be not a multitude of poor creatures high and low rich and poor who are woefully deceived Doth it not appear there are great swarms and droves of men and women many and many in all places who live evidently after the flesh yet who almost but thinks he shall escape death though he live as he doth How sad is this O sadness lamentation that so great a number of our father Adam's Children are so deceived not taking warning by his being deceived and Alas alas that such a number of people must dye eternally dye even all that multitude who live after the flesh Did you hear of a 1000 or a 100 to be executed on the Scaffold to be broken upon the wheel would not your bowels earn should you not be much troubled and shall not this move you and cause you to weep and pray much to hear from the word of truth that all those many and many who live after the flesh shall dye the second death be tormented in that lake which burns with fire and brimstone for ever and ever Ah how great our unbelief how little our love to those made of one blood with us how rocky our hearts O our want of bowels that this affects us no more But Use 3. Hear me O precious immortal soul every one who lives after the flesh give ear turn O turn repent O repent I beseech thee for thine own good for thy greatest good Live a new life that thou mayest not dye Be not angry with the Word of God be not angry with him that speaks it but be angry with thy sinful life God saith Ezek. 38.18 It shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the Land of Israel saith the Lord God that my fury shall come up in my face so when any lust stirs in thee and warreth against thy soul O let thy fury come up in thy face deal with it as with thy worst enemy be entreated so to love thy self as to turn over a new leaf to write after a new Copy Turn thy face from the flesh turn thy back upon it Should I tel you that if you live after such a custom such an old new fashion or the like ye shall dye by the hand of man would you not be perswaded to leave that custom that fashion and thank me for my pains in perswading you can you think dying by the hand of man worse than dying by the hand of God is not the hand of the Almighty heavier than the hand of man have you not heard have you not read what the Apostle saith It 's a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God even of him in whom ye live and move and do you not believe he saith true that it is so indeed Truely friend if thou art one who livest after the flesh it is a wonder thou art not actually dead under the second death already in the paws Jaws of everlasting death that that is not now at this day feeding upon thee but God hath spared thee hitherto why why thinkest thou is it Is' t not that thou mayest repent Yes the long suffering of God saith the Scripture is salvation and so thou thouldest account 2. Pet. 3.15 account that the long suffering of our God is salvation even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the Wisdom given unto him hath written unto you Rom. 2.4 or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long-suffering not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance Is not this mercy O great mercy that yet that after so long a time God waits for thy turning and thou hast once again a fair warning How woefully guilty wi lt thou be of thine own death if being thus warned thou shalt turn a deaf ear How inexcusable wilt thou be whatever thou shalt plead for thy self It will be answered thou wert plainly told what would be the end of thy fleshly life thou thoughtest thou shouldst not dye but thy thought contradicted that word of truth which was Preached to thee Doth not this word sound terribly in thine ears thou shalt dye dye in thy soul dye in thy whole man dye a death of the greatest of unspeakable misery dye eternally why then let it awaken thee to repentance how canst thou sleep in thy sin how canst thou rest and be quiet with such a terrible word sounding in thine ears will not dying it self be far more dreadful than to hear of it is or can be I shall not now stand to use more words if any soul will not hear the blood of such a one will be upon his own head and let me mind thee my friend that the longer thou livest in thy sin before death comes to thee the more sore grievous and tormenting will it be when it comes I wonder what impenitent sinners think of that word Rom. 2.5 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thy self wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God who will render to every man according to his deeds wilt thou believe it and turn from the wayes of the flesh If not thou must experience it and shalt find it to be as true as he is true whose word it is It may be some one may think Is there hope yet hope for me after all my sinning for so long a time A. There is a certain hope hast thou a mind a heart to turn in good earnest lift up thy head fear not doubt not Turn heartily God is ready to receive thee and he will receive thee graciously for so he hath promised 2 Cor. 6.17 Come out from among them come away in thy heart and life from all that live after the flesh touch not the unclean thing Let thy repentance be thorow and sound what then if I so turn who will receive me God answers I will receive thee I will that is receive thee graciously I will receive thee to my mercy into the bosome of my grace as the Prodâ—gals father received him therefore it follows and I will be a Father to you saith the Lord God Almighty yea and ye shall be my Sons and my Daughters I 'le receive you as a most tender father his Children when they are in great streights and and dangers consider the Lord's promise think how a Father doth catch his dear Child when falling into the water or fire or when his Child runs to him from one that would kill him so even so and with much more readiness and tenderness will the Lord God receive you if ye run to him in Christ from your sins he 'l speedily receive you into the arms of his mercy with all his
the most peace is it not then when you are most eagerly ingaged against and hot in the pursuit of sin plotting contriving and by all means you can working its death The experience of all Christians I doubt not gives in restimony that this is true Sermon 5. THe second thing in the latter part of my Text now offereth it self to our serious consideration this necessary duty is to be performed through the Spirit whence the Doctrine is this D. 2. That the great work of mortifying killing or destroying the deeds of the body of sin is to be managed through the Spirit when we are called upon to mortifie our sinful affections our evil motions and the corrupt lustings within us the meaning is that this is to be done through the Spirit No truth more useful than this if well understood and received this is the principal thing that I would commend to you All know or generally it is confest that sins must be mortified but that this is to be done by in with or through the Spirit few in comparison understand I know nothing that needs to be taught among and prest upon Christians and more frequently to be inculcated than this There are three Queries concerning the truth now proposed which call for some Answer for the explication of it 1. What 's meant by the Spirit 2. Why is this work to be done through the Spirit 3. How is it thus to be done Q. 1. What 's meant by the Spirit A. Spirit signifieth diverse things in Scripture it hath several acceptations 4 of which I shall here take notice 1. By spirit is meant our spirit our heart and soul so the Apostle saith he did serve God with his spirit and Christ saith God is to be worshipped in spirit so we must mortifie the deeds of the body of sin in spirit with our whole heart and soul otherwise we shall not prosper in what we do all will be to no purpose if we have not a thorow will and sincere endeavour Christ saith many shall seek to enter in at the strait gate and not be able so many seek to mortifie their sins and are not able because they are not thorowly willing and resolved And then our main endeavour must be to mortifie sin within of which I spake before when sins are only kept from outward outbreakings they are no more mortified than Lions and Bears or such wild creatures when shut up and kept from ranging abroad Secondly Sometimes by spirit in Scripture is understood new nature the new man as it may be taken and seems to be in that 5. Gal. 17. where the Apostle saith the spirit lusteth against the flesh and the flesh against the spirit thus we must mortifie our sins in by or through the spirit by the new creature through a principle of true grace acted and stirred up in us This is most certain no man can mortifie the deeds of sin without he have a contrary principle of grace for till the new man be formed in one there 's no good nothing but flesh but sin and the flesh neither will nor can mortifie it self as Satan casteth not out Satan neither doth lust cast out or destroy lust though it 's true sometimes one lust doth keep under another and hinder anothers working this or that way as a mans pride may put a stop to his covetousness though he have a covetous heart yet through predominant pride he scorns to be base and niggardly so covetousness may hold in pride as to it 's shewing it self in such or such a way because the man is coverous therefore he will not wear such cloths or do some other things which pride otherwise would cause him to do that he might have respect among men But sin cannot truely subdue sin no more than water can dry up water though one stream being stronger may stop and turn the course of another that hath less strength so pride may command covetousness or covetousness pride yet do they both live before God as the greater light may drown the less yet doth not extinguish it He that hath not a principle of true grace is under the power of fin therefore is not at liberty to mortifie or to will the mortification of his lusts in truth If there be war if there be killing and slaying there must be two parties the one against the other but in a graceless man there 's only one party one nature one kind of principles all sinful therefore he cannot kill or in truth set upon the slaying of his sin though he may possibly upon some outward account or to quiet conscience seek to curb some evil motions As it is against our nature as men to hurt our bodies so is it against our nature as sinful men to do any thing in good earnest and truth of heart towards the death of our sin Therefore a man must have a new nature which whosoever hath then he cannot but be striking at and wounding the deeds of corrupt nature because these two are perfectly contrary Yet they who have true grace need to be awakned and excited thereto more and more to lay out themselves therein through that grace they have received could it be that the actings of sin should be destroyed without contrary workings of grace it would little avail a man would not thereby be in the way of life but no lusting of corruption can be truely killed without a lusting and stirring of grace in opposition thereto as darkness is only dispelled removed by the shining forth of some light Therefore look O soul well to this that thou hast a new nature that thou beest a new Creature in Christ Jesus Thirdly Spirit is sometimes taken for the Gospel as opposed to the Covenant of works 2 Cor. 3.8 where the Apostle speaks of the ministration of the Spirit in opposition to the ministration of Death mentioned in the foregoing verse and verse 6. he saith we are Ministers of the New Testament not of the Letter but of the Spirit for the Letter killeth but the Spirit giveth life and thus some take Spirit 1 John 5.8 There are three that bear witness on earth the Spirit the Water and the Blood i. e. the Word the Gospel Baptism and the Lords Supper If we take Spirit in my Text in this sense It 's true the deeds of the body are to be mortified through the Gospel by Gospel truths and considerations for it is the Gospel only that is effectual to destroy our sins the Law is not sufficient to kill any Lust in us It may be by legal truths men may be frighted and chained as it were with the heavy chain of slavish fear so that they dare not sin as they used to do but the Law alone never was or can be sufficient to lay any sin dead The Law alone rather quickneth and stirreth up sin than destroyeth it sin is thereby revived not mortified Rom. 7.8 Without the Law sin was dead i. e. it lay as if it had been so in comparison of those stirrings of it which he found when the Law came to his conscience verse 9. When the Commandement came sin revived and I dyed and the commandement which was ordained to life I found to be unto Death to his own death the death of his former hope and comfort not the death of his sin and
thus he saith it was with others before converted verse 5. When we were in the flesh the motions of sin which were by the Law did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death the motions of sin which were by the Law i. e. which were begotten or drawn forth by the Law through our corruption Therefore they are Gospel Truths especially and no Truths without these that are an efficacious means for the mortifying of sin These are the weapons of our warfare as the Apostle calls them 2 Cor. 10.4 which are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds they are spiritual and so effectual through God to the subduing our carnal affections As the work of mortification is begun so it is carried on but it is begun in regeneration and that 's by the Gospel as we read we are begotten again by that 1 Cor. 4.15 In Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the Gospel Therefore the Gospel and the truths thereof should principally be made use of The curse of the Law should be considered but if a man would get his sin indeed destroyed let him seek a spiritual understanding of and let him be much in meditating on the grace of the Gospel the doctrine of Christ Fourthly By the Spirit is understood the Holy Ghost the third Person in the Trinity thus it 's taken both before my Text ver 9 and 11. as also after my Text ver 14 15 and 16 c. and in this sense we are to take it in the words I am upon if ye through the Spirit through the Holy Ghost i. e. through the Spirit of God do mortifie the deeds of the body Yet this includes the three other acceptations of the word Spirit for whoever do mortifie any sin through the Holy Ghost they are engaged in the work with their whole souls their whole heart is in it and they do destroy the deeds of the flesh by acting and exercising grace and this they do through hearing considering and acting Faith on Gospel Truths as will be shewn afterward Q. 2. Why is this work of mortifying our sins to be done by the Spirit of God A. 1. Because it cannot possibly be done without the Spirit of God Whatever is done against sin without the Spirit gives it no deaths wound it only covers or somewhat curbeth sin but doth not at all destroy it Christ saith John 6.63 It 's the Spirit that giveth life or that quickneth so it 's the Spirit that mortifieth the Spirit quickneth the Soul and the Spirit mortifieth sin in the Soul A dead carkass shall as soon maintain a fight against and kill a powerful enemy as any man slay his sin any one lust without the Spirit of God As it is natural to our visible body to save it self and every member thereof so is it natural to the body of sin and every member of that to save it self and as it is natural to a Father to save his Child so to Satan to do his utmost to defend and preserve fin in us Therefore it cannot be that we should of our selves or by the help of any creature alone mortifie any lust could we without the Spirit of Christ destroy our sin then might we be in a great part our own Saviours He that knows not the necessity of the Spirits special assistance in this work is certainly a great stranger to the mortification of sin that is most true in this case Zech. 4.6 Not by might nor by power but by my Spirit saith the Lord of Hosts It is too great a work too mighty and too honourable for any one of himself to get the victory over sin which is our strongest and our worst enemy Outward enemies cannot be destroyed without the help of God especially when many and potent much less can spiritual enemies which are the worst and strongest Psal 33.16 17. There is no King saved by the multitude of an host a mighty man is not delivered by much strength an horse is a vain thing for safety neither shall he deliver any by his great strength So all Means Duties Ordinances Power and Ability of the Creature is vain weak and to no purpose to deliver and save a man from his sin unless the Spirit of the Lord put its hand to the work and by its might effect it Secondly As this cannot be done without the Spirit so may it be done by the Spirit what though our lusts are never so many It 's all one as we read with the Lord to save with many or with few so is it all one with him to destroy many or few what was that great Host of Senacherib which came against Jerusalem one Angel of the Lord destroyed it in one night we read of the deceitfulness of sin Heb. 3.13 Exhort one another daily while it is called to day lest any be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin every sin is exceeding deceitful besides how deceitful is the heart how deceitful is Satan how deceitful is the world which is one great reason why we cannot mortifie our evil affections of our selves we want not only strength but understanding also our Lusts seem dead while in truth they live they make us think we wound them when the blow falls quite beside we seem many times to do all we can against our sins when it s nothing so that sin seems least in us which is greatest and most hurtful Now the spirit of God is a spirit of wisdom therefore through it we may destroy our sin notwithstanding its deceitfulness though we oft are the spirit of God cannot be deceived What though our iniquities are never so mighty the spirit of God is Almighty Ps 74.15 thou driedst up mighty rivers yet dryed and dryed up though rivers though mighty rivers or as the word is rivers of strength what great things did the spirit of God do in the creation when it moved on the face of the waters such like things it can do and doth when it moveth powerfully in our hearts Psal 93.3 The floods have lifted up O Lord the floods have Dfted up their voice the floods lift up their waves what then who can still them can any man No they as the Psalmist speaks make the Marriners at their wits end they know not how to save themselves much less to quell and calm the floods when they do lift up their voice and their waves to the highest I but the Lord the Spirit of our God is able to command them silence as it there follows verse 4. The Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters yea
flesh willeth and his doing thereof be a real trouble a heart grief to him if the flesh its commands be grievous as the overflowings of the gall very bitter as the workings of a sick Stomach if a man's heart be afflected and humbled if it mourn and sigh when he is led away at any time by any fleshly motion then doth he not live after the flesh but rather dyeth after it or is dead to it for it is as death to him that he sins Eccles 7.26 Fourthly Living after the flesh takes in constantness continualness doing the will of the flesh continually as while life lasteth a man liveth daily hourly though not alwayes alike and he be not still busied about the same things but sometimes he 's more lively sometimes lest now he eats then he sleeps sometimes follows his calling or talks or walks Thus a man who liveth after the flesh he is even continually fulfilling one Lust or other thereof one way or other either more or less openly vigorously actively still he acts according to the dictates or movings of sin within him according as the flesh commands and moves which is somtimes more sometimes less strongly absolutely peremptorily and forcibly so he obeys that is ever commanding somthing as there is opportunity occasion temptation and the man who liveth after it is even ever doing inwardly if not outwardly something in obedience to its command When you say of a man he liveth after a high rate he liveth prodigally you do not mean that only now and then he makes an extraordinary meal or is at some extraordinary expense but that in his ordinary course he 's extravagant expensive above his estate ability and quality so to live after the flesh is not now and then in some extraordinary case to follow the flesh but for a man to act according to it in ordinary Fifthly Living after the flesh includes continuance and perseverance as every man liveth till he dyeth so that man who lives after the flesh and shall dye he doth live after it till he dye for if any man hath followed his lust though very much as before express'd willingly freely and wilfully affectionately and continually for a long time yet he at length truely ceasing while here so to live if he heartily turn and alter his course notwithstanding all that 's past he shall not dye in the sense of my text Ezek. 18.21.22 In a word if you spend your life as the fresh moves you to spend it if you order your conversation while you live after the inclinations of that corruption that is in you then ye shall dye I desire that this may be well understood what living after the flesh is for on your right understanding thereof depends you profiting by this truth two things are necessary thaâ— this Doctrine may become effectual and do us good the one is that we beleive in our hearts that if wâ— thus live the end thereof will be our death thâ— other is that we be enlightned rightly to perceive and judge what living after the flesh meaneth therefore I purpose to lay this open more particularly when I come to the use of examination Q. 3. How shall they dye who do live after thâ— flesh A. I suppose none of you need to be told a meer natural death is nothere intended seeing it 's appointed once to all men to dye that death whatever their life be But a spiritual dying is understood that respects the soul and whole man in a spiritual sense Sometimes to dye in Scripture is used for being near death lyable to or in danger of dying so the Apostle saith I dye daily we are killed all the day long thus it 's true ye shall dye ye will be in great danger of dying yea though ye live after the flesh only in some degree you 'l deserve death you 'l be deservedly liable thereto whenever you do but begin to step after the flesh into the hands of death even the worst death will ye fall unless infinite mercy prevent But my Text speaks of more than a bare lyableness or danger as in the following words if ye through the spirit mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live more is meant than barely a hope of life so by ye shall dye more is intended than danger of death ye shall dye actually certainly unavoidably but how A. First Ye shall dye in this world as to the loss of Gods special gracious presence God is our life so far as God leaves us and departs from us so much death but if we live after the flesh God will depart his soul will depart from us Jer. 6.8 He 'l leave us as he left Saul who thereupon dyed before he dyed because God was gone his life was gone so God will go from us he 'l draw in the beams of his favour he 'l hide himself he 'l take his good spirit from us And thereupon Secondly You 'l dye as to all Spiritual good that you have or seem to have you will by degrees lose your light your convictions gracious motions I and your very profession it self or the liveliness of it and that good that may have been in your conversation it will be with you at best as with the Church of Sardis Rev. 3.1 if you retain a name to live yet will you he dead dead as 1. Tim. 5.9 she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth you 'l be twice dead as it 's said elsewhere some are dead dead by nature dead in sin and dead as to the loss of that conviction that light that affection that holiness they made a shew off Thirdly Ye shall dye as to inward peace comfort joy as Nabal's heart dyed within him it lost that comfort mirth it had before and through grief became as dead so your heart will dye you 'l either have no peace no joy or none that 's worth the having none but such as you had better be without such as is rather the death than the life of the soul Rom. 7.9 Sin revived and I dyed and the Commandment which was ordained to life I found to be unto death he intends he lost his former considence hope peace and joy so shall ye dye Fourthly Ye shall dye ye shall lose the blessing of God in all you are all ye have and all ye do whatever any have without Gods blessing they are dead in the possession of it whatever they do they are dead in doing it it is a dead enjoyment a dead work that is not blessed of God life is but a death if it be not blessed every comfort of life is as without life it 's not a living comfort if not blessed to us but living after the flesh removes the blessing far from us and brings a curse upon us as it 's said I 'le curse thee in thy basket in thy store in all thou settest thy hand to and I will curse thy blessings there is it not a manifest yet
and bears sway in us or we do live after the Flesh Thus much for the first use let not these things be spoken in vain make application of them to your selves try your selves by them pray over them rest not till you know what your life is how it is that you do live for this is one Word of God by which we shall be judged hereafter when the great Judge shall come to execute the final dismal Sentence of Death then will it be enquired and published who have lived after the flesh Use 2. Let the second Use be to convince those whose life is after the flesh of their misery art thou such a one and yet dost think thou shalt not dye not dye the second the worst death thou deceivest thy self thou dost contradict my Text belye the Word of the Lord so art thou the more guilty and while senseless of thy miserable state that thy senslessness is a bar to thy repenting How art thou like to turn who walkest in the way of Death and wilt not believe it is such a way or that thou art in it No wonder if all calls are ineffectual though God saith turn ye turn ye why will ye dye yet thou art like the deaf Adder Therefore let me perswade thee who dost live after the flesh to receive this as a truth though uncomfortable yet profitable shouldest thou dye presently a natural death thou wouldest in dying dye dying naturally thou wouldst dye everlastingly and unless thou livest a new life thus will it be whenever death comes It will come double when a visible death shall arrest thy body an invisible death will arrest thy soul even thine for God will stand to his word he will not forget any one word that he hath spoken by any of his Servants Isa 44.26 he confirmeth the word of his Servant and performeth the counsel of his Messengers God never goeth back from any word that he absolutely uttereth as this without any If expressed or intended only this if ye live after the flesh ye shall dye certainly unavoidably It is most undeniable God is able to execute his word he is able as Christ saith to destroy soul and body If a man a beast a small creature a very gnat or a disease can kill thy body how much more can he who made thee kill thee soul and body destroy thee with an everlasting destruction what are we to the Angels that sinned yet the Lord God hath clapt them all though many Legions though mighty spirits though very subtle and cunning he that almighty only wise one hath put them all under everlasting chains of darkness How able then is he to crush us as moths to trample under his feet us poor worms to break us as a Potters Vessel and as God is able to fulfill his threatning so is he resolved to do it his word tells us his setled purpose his eternal will and unalterable Counsel as his threatnings are written in the same book with his promises so have they the same confirmation his oath as well as his bare word and determinate counsel Am. 8.7 The Lord hath sworn by the excellency of Jacob surely I 'le never forget any of their works I 'le that is eternally punish impenitent sinners for all their iniquities Solomon saith where the word of a King is there 's power much more where the word of the great King is the Lord of Heaven and Earth there 's power all power to put his Word in execution but behold here 's the Word of God see it read it ye shall Dye Almighty power is tyed to see this word accomplished Bear with me a little I beseech you while I speak in love for good Who what shall can let or hinder thy death If thou livest after the Flesh shall thy riches estate any thing of this world No Riches profit not we read in the day of wrath what 's Gold and Silver what 's all the rubbish of this world when the Lord shall come forth as a consuming fire when the earth shall be burnt up and the works thereof will fallen Angels who now deceive help they could not save themselves they seek to devour but will good Angels they will be evil Angels in respect of the execution of evil to evil men they alwayes hearken to God's voice and obey the word of his Command they Christ saith shall gather the tarts and cast them into unquenchable fire or will Christ himself stay the execution of this word No he 'l see it executed he 'l come in flaming fire taking vengeance on all who know not God 2. Thess 1.8 and obey not the Gospel of his Son though Christ hath dyed for sins he hath said impenitent sinners shall dye in their sins and he puts the question himself to such how can ye escape the damnation of hell Mat. 23.33 I may say Christ himself could not answer it how they who continue living in their sins shall escape because it 's not to be answered there 's no answer can be given to that Quaerie Shall sinners be able to save one another Nay no more than the men of the old world than the men of Sodom did who perish'd all together Shall sinners prayers shall all that they can do or say save them No all will be charged upon them as sin Is 1.15 God declares though they make many Prayers he 'l not hear whereof Christ also gives assurance testifying before hand when they shall hereafter say Lord Lord open to us c. he 'l say depart I know you not Shall the mercy of God save such No for it is holy faithfull mercy therefore cannot save any against his word How sure then is the death of all who live after the flesh Therefore if thou so livest and yet thinkest thou shalt not dye thou art deceived by sin by Satan yea thou art a self deceiver and wilfull in thy deceiving thy self Do ye not know I pray remember this day God said to Adam in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye but he deceived by Satan thought though he did eat he should not dye Now doth not woful experience to this day teach us the truth of Gods Word for hence we were all born in sin hence the grave so filled with the bodies of Adam's posterity hence the world so full of misery as now and as it hath been in all ages hence you women bring forth in sorrow hence we men get our bread with the sweat of our brows hence all our labour all our toyl hence the earth brings forth bryars and thorns hence all afflictions And as sure as that word proved true which God spake to Adam notwithstanding what Satan insinuated to the contrary so sure is this word true if thou O man if thou O woman livest after the flesh thou shalt dye whatever Satan may whisper in thee to the contrary wherefore shut thine ear to all thoughts that contradict this truth and take it into thy
do why am I so heedless what mean I to shew any friendship to to hold correspondence with or at all to countenance the flesh that Traytor to the Majesty of heaven that deadly enemy to my soul doth not the Scripture say if I whatever I am live after the flesh I shall dye O that the Lord would make use of this word pray you that he would as he did of the Stone that David slung whereby he killed that Gyant Goliah our flesh corruption is as a mighty Gyant he that speaks the word is of no strength but if God set in with it it shall knock our flesh on the head and lay it dead as that stone little David slung run into the head of that Philistine and brought him down dead to the Ground so that David whom he defyed came and stood upon him and cut off his head In a word when ever the flesh calls you after it answer it with this whenever Satan tempts you to follow it let this be your reply so and so the Scripture saith And do you Parents Preach this to your Children you friends and companions tell one another of this when you see one another acting sinfully Children Friends Companions the Lord God by his Apostle hath spoken it If ye live after the flesh ye shall dye Lastly See what cause you have to bless the Lord who once did live after the flesh but now do not O mercy rich mercy that God hath turn'd you from that way wherein had you still lived it would have carried you from God from Heaven into the bottomless pit that place a thousand times worse than Nebuchadnezar's fiery Furnace when heated seventimes hotter than it used to be while you live praise God for this that you live not after the flesh And let this bear up your spirits under all afflictions though you live a life of affliction now yet not a life of corruption though an afflicted life yet not that life that will end in endless death Sermon 3. I shall now fall upon the second part of the Text But if ye through the shirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live IN these words we have a Character and evident sign of those who shall live with a promise of life to them or this sentence hath three things contained in it 1. A necessary constant duty that is incumbent and lyes upon us all that is to mortifie the deeds of the body 2. The great means prescribed for our doing this and that 's through the spirit 3. The great advantage that cometh by so doing and that 's life ye shall live I intend to speak to these three things in three Doctrines distinctly the first whereof the Doctrine now to be discussed is this Doct. 1. That it is a necessary and constant duty incumbent or lying upon us all to mortifie that is to kill slay and destroy the deeds of the body In the management of this truth I am to shew First What 's meant by the body and why it is so called Secondly what 's meant by the deeds of the body and why they are so named Thirdly what is it to mortifie the deeds thereof and how is that to be done Fourthly why is this a necessary duty Fifthly why is it a constant duty Q. 1. What 's meant by the body and why is it so called A. Body here signifyeth the same thing with flesh in the foregoing part of the Text corrupt nature or the corruption of nature natural corruption that sin we all brought into the world with us in us which is called the body of the sins of the flesh Col. 2.11 in whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands in puting off the body of the sins of the flesh and this is that which is tearmed the body of Sin Rom. 6.6 Knowing this that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed where by our old man and the body of sin the same thing is understood our old man corrupt nature is the body of sin it 's altogether made up of sin it 's nothing else but sin this also is that the Apostle calleth the body of this death Rom. 7.24 O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death or as it may be read from this body of death But why is the corruption of nature called the body A. For the same reasons before given why it 's called the flesh and besides those corrupt nature may be called the body for these reasons following 1. The body hath many parts and members which being united make one body together and each of those members differ the one from the other in their proper nature and use Rom. 12.4 We have many members in one body and all members have not the same office so is the mystical body of Christ his Church and thus is it with the body of sin it hath divers parts and members and therefore may be called in that place to the Colossians even now cited the body of the Sins of the flesh There is pride hatred hypocrisie covetousness unbelief with many more all which are as members of the body of sin there is a kind of union between them they all together make one corrupt nature and each of them differeth in the proper nature thereof and in its working or acting as the hand is one thing and acts in one manner the foot another thing and acts in another manner the eye differeth from the ear and the ear from the eye so is it with the several parts of corrupt nature And it may be observed as some parts of the body are inward not ordinarily seen or easie to be seen others are outward without and manifest to all so some lusts are more secret and not so commonly or easily perceived as others are which daily shew themselves as also the being and subsistence or life of the body lyeth chiefly in those parts that are within as the Heart Liver Lungs which are more necessary to the body it's subsisting than the outward parts as hands legs so the body of sin hath its being principally in those sins that are more secret less obvious such as hypocrifie unbelief formality covetousness vanity of mind these are as the Heart Liver and Lungs of the body of sin it would no longer subsist were there nothing of such sins within us whereas the body of sin may and oft doth continue and that strong and lusty without some outward more manifest sins such as Drunkenness Adultery Swearing and such like Moreover a man hath all the members of his body from the womb though he doth not use some of them so soon as others the Child useth not its tongue and legs so soon as its eyes and ears though it be born with them all so we bring all lusts into the world with us though some shew themselves and are exerted much sooner than others as pride
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
drink in the comfort of it abundantly did I know it belongs to me but I fear whether I do truely mortifie my sin through the spirit or no. I answer the Apostle spake this by the Spirit which had never moved him so to speak had it not been a thing knowable it 's manifest this may be known and questionless they who have the help of the Spirit in mortifying their sin may if they have not have the testimony of it that they so do who helping his friend in any great work is unwilling he should know it A few things I shall propound over and above what you have heard that may be somewhat helpful to you in your knowing this First Is your eye much upon your sin is it much in your thoughts especially your chief iniquity have you many thoughts of that is your mind much exercised upon it Ps 51.3 my sin is ever before me When a man sights against an enemy he keeps him in his eye looks stedfastly on him so he that is bent upon the mortifying his sin hath his thoughts much on it not as some to be pleased therewith but so as to grieve for it to sigh because of it and to consider what he should do for the preventing and destroying it Secondly Doth the breaking forth of sin and your being at any time mastered hy it sadden your hearts as really and more than affliction sickness causeth sadness Neh. 2.2 Why is thy countenance sad seeing thou art not sick so doth other affliction but nothing saddeneth one who is intent and heartily engaged in war so much as the prevailing of the enemy if that question should be put to a gracious person why is thy countenance sad seeing thou art not sick nor in other great affliction he could oft answer it is because of my sin that hath prevailed against me though my body be not sick my soul which is worse alas that is sick through the prevalency of this or that iniquity The Apostle Paul upon occasion gives us a large relation concerning his exceeding great sufferings but saith not because of them but because of his sin O wretched man that I am Now can you say the breaking forth of worldliness troubles me more than the loss of the world the prevailing of pride grieveth me more than contempt and disgrace my neglecting to shew love and kindness to others afflicteth me as really as much and yet more than others not shewing love and kindness to me the discontentment of my Spirit lyeth heavier upon me than any worldly disappointment and the like this is a good demonstration that you mortifie your sin through the Spirit and the more if you can say the very stirring and moving of sin in you sadneth you heart though it do not outwardly shew it self and is known to none but God alone Thirdly The more sin is mortified in any are they the dearer to you or the more you perceive any are careful and watchful against sin doth your heart go forth the more in love and affection to them It may be the less this or that sin appeareth in another which is contrary to your temper humour or interest the more you may love him and yet be under the power of your sin but if your affection be drawn out to others according as you perceive them to be engaged against all their sin this speaks well and the sign is the clearer if you do in your hearts esteem and rejoyce in such who have got a greater conquest over their sin than you have yet attained to Fourthly It is a hopeful evidence if you have much tenderness towards such who are strugling and striving against their sin when you see them sometimes foiled thereby yet it appearing that they do wrestle against their sin your hearts are full of pitty towards them you have a tender respect to them and bear them upon your hearts before God When any are seen to be favourers of their sin and manifest that they nourish or countenance a lust then your hearts are offended and rise against them upon that account but for those who are enemies to their sin these you compassionate this speaks you know what it is to fight against sin and that the Spirit acts you therein Again it is a good mark if you have strong breathings after the motions of the Spirit if you long much for its moving in ordinances and that in order to the destroying your corruptions O that the holy mighty Spirit would move and work in this and the other duty that my sin may have some deadly blow thereby and it this be one principall thing you look at in all your duties and waiting on God in Ordinances that through the Spirit your iniquities may be mortified I shall now only give a short answer to three Objections and conclude this subject and shut up this Text. Obj. 1. Some sincere heart may object were my sin quite subdued I should not doubt but wo is me it liveth still Ans We read Heb. 11.17 Abraham offered Isaac yea it is there repeated he offered up his only begotten son yet his son lived still How so because in his will he did actually offer him at God's command and went a great way in offering him he took his son bound him and having built an Altar and laid on wood he laid his son thereon and took his knife in his hand and had gone farther had not God stopt him So if thy heart be indeed set against sin and they will thy purpose and resolution be utterly to slay thy sin and thou goest as far as ever thou canst therein though as yet it have life thy sin may be said to be mortified yea altogether so as to thy will thy desire and purpose Obj. 2. I have a long time laboured against this and that sin yet doth it oft get the mastery of me it hath much life much livelinesse and strength after years strugling against it had I the spirit helping me sure I should before this have gotten if not a perfect yet a greater victory over my sin Ans When an enemy prevails frequently greatly and holds out long very long it 's more honour to him that continues fighting against him when at last conquereth that his enemy and this gives good hope the spirit doth help thee that thou hast so long wrestled against thy corruption and yet holdest on thou faintest nor but maintainest the fight sighing crying out against it Obj. 3. But I see that some have got much more ground upon their sin and have it more under than I have though they began the fight a good while after me Ans It 's good to be lowly minded to think others better than thy self but perhaps their sin whom thou thinkest of may have more strength than thou knowest or though one fin be lesse in them than in thee another may be lesse in thee than in them or thou mayest have done much more against thy sin than they though it break forth more in thee yea thou mayest in a great degree have mortified thy sin and some who seem to have out gone thee in mortification have done nothing in it to purpose either because thy temptations are stronger or thy disadvantage greater through naturall weaknesse badnesse of constitution bodily distemper want of such education or some other cause Many a man whose sin never had one wound or stroke towards it's death never sined to appearance outwardly so much as Lot Noah David Jonah Peter and others in whom sin was truly mortified Some ground through it's natural quality or because more dunged or better watered may have it's weeds oft cut down and yet at times have more than another piece of ground which was never weeded at all The not knowing or not considering such things makes some go blessing themselves to Hell and others to go trembling to Heaven and causeth divers to become exceeding guilty by their self conceitednesse and proud censoâ—iousnesse However sincerity in this as in all things is that God accepts though the more it be done the better For a Conclusion of all Praise the Lord greatly ye upright in heart Rev. 5 8. We read The 24 Elders have every one of them Harps and Golden Viols full of Odours which are the Prayers of Saints teaching us that Saints are not only much in praying but much in praising also they have every one Harps and V. 9. they sung a new song Take you your Harps and sing a new song give great glory to God For what you may say for these five things First Bless God for Christ who hath obtained and as your Head received the Spirit for you Second Bless God for his Covenant wherein he hath promised his Spirit to you and your interest therein as also in Christs Third Bless God for the Gospell which teacheth you this use of the Spirit to mortifie your sins through it this excellent direction and only effectuall means for the destroying all your lusts Fourth Bless God that he hath given you his Spirit and that you do at least many times feel it helping you against your iniquities and that you have begun to destroy them through it Last Bless God for the promise of Life and that you have this Scripture evidence and certain assurance that you shall live