put his spirit within his people to save them from their sins and when are we saved from our sins when they are killed we are saved from them this also is promised v. 25. I 'le sprinkle clean water upon you I 'le give you that is my spirit and ye shall be clean from all your filthiness viz. spiritual filthiness or sinfulness This also is included in that promise Isa 44.3 4. I 'le pour my spirit upon thy seed and they shall spring up as among the grass as willows by the water courses that is they shall thrive and flourish spiritually they shall grow in knowledge and grace go forward in good but there is no thriving spiritually encreasing or growing in grace without the mortification of sin only so far as sin dyeth doth grace grow therefore God there by consequence or in effect promiseth his spirit to slay sin in his people Sixthly God hath actually given his spirit to his people all who are effectually called all who are in Christ for this end hast thou the spirit of God in thee it was given thee as by God so for some end what end partly this that thereby thou mightest mortifie the deeds of the body of sin For that for which God promiseth his spirit to his people for that he giveth it to them yea and it doth work powerfully in the Saints of God this way Ezek. 39. last neither will I bide my face any more from them for I have poured out my spirit upon the bouse of Israel saith the Lord God Gods hiding his face is for fins unmortified therefore when he saith I will not hide my face from them for I have poured out my spirit upon them this is signified I have given them my spirit to subdue their sins and it shall subdue them and so I will not hide my face any more as heretofore from them and from these things it follows that it is the work and business of the spirit it 's part of its office to help the people of God in slaying their lusts the spirit hath undertaken to be our helper therein that work for which God hath promised and given his spirit to us that work it hath undertaken and is engaged to help us in the doing of Lastly We honour the spirit when we give our selves through it to mortifie out corruptions as it is an honour to the spirit that it is promised and given to help us in this work so do we honour it when accordingly we make use of it But if we seek the destruction of our sins and not through the spirit then do we highly dishonour it we put it out of office As if any shall think to satisfie for their sins they greatly dishonour Christ so if any think to mortifie their sins of themselves this is a high dishonour to the Holy Spirit Q. 3. How are the deeds of the body of sin to be mortified through the Spirit A. This is to be done through the help by the assistance of the Spirit As that good that is in men is frequently mortified through the evil Spirit through him the Image of God was mortified in our first Parents so though with a difference that evil that is in Gods chosen is mortified through the good Spirit There are two things I shall speak to in answering this enquiry 1. I shall endeavour to shew what it is that the Spirit doth in helping us to mortifie our sins 2. What we are to do that we may have the help of the Spirit in this work 1. What is it that the Spirit doth in enabling us to mortifie the deeds of the body A. 1. The Spirit of God doth shew a soul its sin we are naturally exceeding unwilling to behold our iniquities and we are very blind at home more apt are we as our Lord teacheth us to see a more in our Brothers than to perceive or be sensible of a beam in our own eye many of our evils lye quite out of our sight though great and heinous as Saul's persecuting Christ till he was convinc'd thereof from Heaven as himself saith he verily thought he ought to do what he did so naturally men sin fouly and think they ought to do as they do or they see no evil therein hence those speeches what hurt is there in this and what hurt is there in that and as for those sins we do see we have naturally a weak and slight sight of them we do'nt think them to be so evil as indeed they are Mal. 1.6 Where is my fear saith the Lord of hosts unto you O Priests that despise my Name and ye say wherein have we despised thy Name ch 2.17 Ye have wearied the Lord with your words yet ye say wherein have we wearied him Chap. 3.13 Your words have been stout against me saith the Lord Yet ye say what have we spoken so much against thee Some sins they denyed quite and others they denyed in part though they had spoken yet not so much against the Lord as an Antient saith men use to deny and excuse their sin saying I have not done it or if I have done it I have not done ill or if ill not very ill or if very ill not with an ill intention c. therefore a sight of sin being necessary to the death of sin the Spirit comes and openeth the eyes of our understandings sets our transgressions before us points as it were to this and that sin and holds our thoughts upon it 1 Cor. 2.10 The Spirit searcheth all things even the deep things of God so it searcheth the deep things of our hearts discovering our secret evils to us as hereafter all the hidden things of darkness shall be brought to light and in that day the councels of the hearts shall be made manifest 1 Cor. 4.5 So now when the Spirit gives its assistance to any in destroying their sins it doth bring to light unto them those lustings that were secret to them before it doth make manifest to them the evil councels of their heart it declares and makes evident to them their secret purposes desires and the other hidden workings of sin in them the Spirit evidenceth both that they are guilty of such sins and it reveals the sinfulness of them causing the soul to view them till it be soundly convinced John 16.8 when the Spirit comes it reproves or convinceth the world of sin Secondly The Spirit doth bow our wills and make us sincerely willing to have our sins subdued no man by nature hath a true will to this the destruction of his sin hence such ado in men to save their sins when they are told of them or the word meets with them never did any one seek so or more industriously to save the nearest relation the dearest friend as a natural man his sin by using all cuning to hide it by denying it or cloaking and excusing it as a man at Cudgels seeks to save his head so doth a natural man to
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
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
and so shall not fall into mischief as the following words teach but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief he that feareth alwayes is not self confident but watchful and wary circumspect and careful and so he will be kept from those transgressions others fall into therefore he is truely wise Prov. 14.16 A wise man feareth and departeth from evil the Scripture knows and owns no other as a wise man but such a one who fears himself lest he sin and feareth God so as to watch against sin Wherefore fear thou do so as to former iniquities which have prevailed in thee consider how often thou hast offended so and so consider how subject thou art in thy self to transgress consider how watchful Satan is to cause thee to transgress so fear lest as it hath been it be again Yea fear thy self as to those evils which hitherto thou hast seldom or not at all been overtaken with Though thou beest as good a Disciple as Peter thou should'st fear lest some time or other thou deny thy Lord and Master though thou be as Patient as Job thou should'st fear lest under some notable tryal that may come thou shew great impatience though thou art as meek as Moses thou should'st fear left thou be overtaken with unadvisedness and sinful anger though thou art or wert as Righteous as Lot as holy as David thou should'st fear lest thou be captivated by such corruptions as they were though thou wert as strong in faith as Abraham thou would'st have reason to fear the prevailing of unbelief and no doubt one great end why the miscarriages of those and other good men are recorded is to keep all even the best fearful of themselves watchful and careful while they live in this evil world Secondly Store your minds with the principal Scriptures against the several deeds of the flesh Jer. 23.29 is not my word like the fire saith the Lord and like the hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces Yes God's Word is like the fire and like the hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces so thou shalt find it to be to thy corruptions if thou make a right use thereof chiefly should you treasure up in your hearts Scriptures relating to those sins whereto you are more especially inclined either by constitution calling education custom or some temptation Whatever thou readest or hearest against any such deed of the flesh lay it up take it home to thy self and apply it to thine own sin principally labour to retain and oft think of that which at any time thou hast found or findest most to work upon thee for one word worketh most upon one temper another word upon another temper most and that which hath at any time done you good or affected you is more likely to prevail with you and keep you from such a sin for time to come Thirdly Seek to the Lord to help thee not only as to the present but with respect to hereafter and seek earnestly seek as for thy life as thou would'st beg to be kept from Thieves and Robbers and Murderers lying in wait for thee Be sure also to trust in God for his preservation his keeping thee from all evil deeds as thou would'st trust in the Lord to be kept from the arrows of the Pestilence in a very hot time of the sickness or from a great storm in the mid'st of the rocks but let your trust in God be upon the account of his Word such and such promises as he hath made for the keeping his people and the subduing their iniquities As Jehosaphat exhorted the people 2 Chron. 20.20 Jehosaphat stood and said Hear me O Judah and ye Inhabitants of Jerusalem believe in the Lord your God so shall ye be established believe his Prophets that is believe in him because of his Word spoken by his Prophets so shall ye prosper thus do ye O Christians so shall ye prosper in this blessed work of mortifying your sins Fourthly When thou seest any one fall into sin bless not thy self as if thou wert in thy self better than he nor despise him nor revile him these things are themselves from the flesh fruits of corruption and they will harden thee and they will provoke the Lord to leave thee to the like or worse Above all take heed that thy heart be never secretly glad of another's falling as sometimes the heart of some is either because they desire their shame whom they see to sin or because they think themselves commended by the fall of others But let us ever remember when we see others sin to bless God God who keeps us from doing the same things and let 's pity those who sin as we pity such who are carried captive by some cruel enemy or such who are besides themselves and therefore hurt and wound themselves Let 's also pray much for those that sin and let 's by the sin of others take occasion to humble our selves for the corruption of our nature as that good man who saw no man so bad but he would say such a one am I as bad by nature And as that father who seeing one fall would say he to day and I to morrow Fifthly Consider well before hand what temptations you are like to meet with for the stirring up any sin in you and do what you may to prevent them As whatever may cause any sickness in your bodies so far as you can and know it you by all means avoid it lo and much more if more can be you should avoid whatever may excite or draw forth any lust in you When a man takes no care of himself but heats and cools eats any thing drinks unseasonably as when he 's very hot throws off his cloaths without any regard to the season or the like will you wonder if he be sick so when a man takes no care of his soul when he goes into and continues in any Company runs himself without heed into any Company upon occasions of sin needlessly doing things which stir up corruption No wonder if he abound in deeds of the body Sixthly When thou goest about any work into any Company use thy self to think what sin thou art most like to be tempted to where Satan is most like to get in or on what he most probably will take hold and fore-arm thy self by some sutable thoughts and serious arguments particularly praying against that sin thou art like to be drawn to or to have stirred up in thee And be sure to be alwayes well employed about some lawful profitable thing either advantagious to thy self or others diligence in good is a good help to mortifie sin Lastly Look upon the greatest friends of thy sin as the worst enemies of thy soul which it's sure they are for Satan is the greatest friend of thy corruption and the worst enemy of thy soul ever also look on the greatest enemies of thy sin as the best friends of thy soul as thou hast reason for God and Christ
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
than the mighty waves of the Sea so is no man Darius found himself too weak to deal with the waves when they broke his bridge of boats though he had a hundred thousand men at his command and is but laught at for his attempting by shackles and stripes to tame the tempestuous waters but Christ by commanding the sea to silence shew'd and made manifest the power of God Thus when our lusts lift up their voice when our flesh lifteth up its waves as it were in our souls the Lord is more mighty we are too weak to grapple with them but the spirit of the Lord is mightier than the strongest motions and most mighty lustings of sin within us It is sometimes thought by some when they feel this or that lust stirring strongly and when they have laboured long against it without conquest over it can this lust be subdued can it ever be mortified and sure it is we are all too full of unbelief as to God's power However some imagine they believe it enough hence they said can God prepare a Table in the wilderness yea Moses himself notwithstanding all he had heard seen and experienced of the power of God yet once spake doubtingly concerning it Numb 11.21 22. for which God rebuked him v. 23. saying is the Lords hand waxed short and hence though the Prophet makes a full confession of Gods power Jer. 32.17 Ah Lord God behold thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm and there is nothing too hard for thee yet observe in the following verses he seems to speak too unbelievingly concerning God's power so and so saith he it is with us yet v. 25. thou hast said unto me O Lord God buy the field for money and take witnesses for the City is given into the hands of the Caldeans therefore v. 26.27 Then came the word of the Lord unto Jeremiah saying Behold I am the Lord the God of all flesh is there any thing too hard for me As if the Lord had said thou say'st indeed there is nothing too hard for me but thou hast not so much faith of my power as thou oughtest to have thou hast too much doubting too much unbelief concerning my power it self But above all things a soul under a deep sense of the power of natural corruption is prone to doubt of Gods power as to the destruction thereof were there reason to doubt of the power of God in any thing there would be cause to question it in this if even any thing were too hard for the Lord this would to slay those lusts which grow in our corrupt nature the difficulty of destroying sin in us the Apostle intimates when he saith who shall deliver me from this body of death Wherefore this is needful to be declared and to be urged whatever our fins are the spirit of the Lord can mortifie them it can cause the body of sin and all the lusts thereof to wither and dye away as Christ did that fig tree which he cursed so that they should no more bring forth any fruit And the spirit of the Lord can so strengthen and assist us that though we be weak we shall be strong enough in its strength to lay dead every deed of sin 1 Cor. 1.27 God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the mighty out of the mouth of Babes and Sucklings he can perfect praise There have been many who have had such like lusts as ours are who have been able through the spirit to tread them under their feet we read of seven Devils cast out of Mary Magdalen not that she was possess'd in her body but she was a notorious sinner she had mighty lusts whereby the Devils had great power in and over-her soul If I saith Christ by the spirit cast out Devils there are no Devils and so no lusts but may be cast out by the spirit so strong was Paul's envy and malice before his Conversion that Acts 26.11 he was exceeding mad against the Christians yet by the spirit he of mad was made sober those his lusts were destroyed and instead of being mad against Christ he became as besides himself for Christ 2 Cor. 5.13 whether we be besides our selves it is to God some accounted them because of their self denyal and fervency in Preaching the Word whereby they spent themselves as besides themselves what lusts had they 1 Cor. 6.9 10 11. they were some of them for nicators Idolaters Adulterers Abusers of themselves with mankind Thieves Covetous Drunkards Extortioners the worst of sinners yet were they sanctified by the spirit of our God and if they were sanctified then their lusts were mortified through the spirit Therefore believe that your sins by the spirit may also be destroyed it is a good step towards the doing this to believe that through the spirit it may be done and the believing this is necessary Mat. 9.28 29. Believe ye that I am able to do this they said yea Lord then touched he their eyes saying according to your faith be it unto you i. e. according to their faith of Christ's ability so were their eyes opened Thirdly All whom the Lord hath chosen to salvation he hath elected them to this way through mortification of their sin by the spirit 1 Pet. 1.2 elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father through sanctification of the spirit unto obedience through sanctification and therefore through mortification how by the spirit so 2 Thes 2.13 We are bound to give thanks alway to God for you Brethren beloved of God because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the spirit but no more sanctification of our souls than there is mortification of our lusts Fourthly Jesus Christ dyed for this 1 Joh. 3.5 he was manifested to take away our sins and in him is no sin to take them away that is not only in the guilt of them but in the power and life of them and it is of the latter he there speaks as the context shews v. 6. whosoever abideth in him sinneth not that is he hath his sins taken away by him and so he sinneth not as he did nor as others do not with his whole man not with delight c. and as Christ came and dyed for this that our sins might be mortified so that this might be done by the spirit in that it cannot be done without it and hence Christ speaks of sending the spirit after his Crucisixion Resurrection and Ascension to deal with men about their fins and why but in order to the subduing them and that because for this he dyed and also rose and ascended and interceeds that those whom he saves may have the spirit to help them in this work Fifthly God hath promised his spirit to his people for this Ezek. 36.27 I will put my spirit within you for what v. 29. I will save you from all your uncleannesses that is God will
flesh So say I yeild to the Spirit to along with it so shal ye mortifie any deed of the Flesh If the Spirit go one way you will go another if the Spirit call and you 'l not hearken if that speak and you 'l not hear if that move and you 'l not follow the motions thereof then will the Spirit leave you to your selves See the V. following my Text the Apostle having said if ye through the spirit mortifie the deeds of the Body he adds in the next words Rom. 8.14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God whereby he teacheth us that if we would mortifie the deeds of the Body through the spirit then we must be led by the spirit we must resign our selves to the conduct and guidance thereof Sixthly We must wait on the spirit if it doe not come in to our assistance if it do not help us as we desire we must continue waiting hold on looking for it begging it and using the means it hath ordained As they waited at the Pool of Bethesda for the moving of the waters by the Angel that they might be healed If the Angel came not and moved not the waters one day nor the next yea though he stayed one week and another still they waited there till he should come When Saul waited not for Samuel Samuel told him he did foolishly and he should lose his Kingdome So do they exceeding foolishly who wait not for the spirit of God and hence it is that many lose the Kingdom of Heaven and never get victory over their corruption because they will not continue waiting till the spirit come in to their assistance These six things we are to do that we may mortifie our sins through the spirit but it is to be remembred that neither can any of these be done without the spirit therefore we must ask it that we by it may be enabled to do these things Yet must we not sit still but we must put forth our selves stir up our selves and go as far as we can as well as we can It should be well noted The Apostle saith not If the spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body in you but if ye through the spirit do mortifie them plainly declaring and testifying to us that though we can do nothing of our selves that shall be effectuall we must not be idle we must not sit still but we must rouze up our selves and as the little child that can't go alone yet strives to go when lead it moves it's leggs and doth what it can towards it's going so must we do to the utmost what lyes in us towards the mortification of our sins and so look for the spirit to carry us on in the work prosperously Application USe 1. Learn by the Truth to understand aright the councels exhortations and commands of Scripture this and that the Scripture saith you must do and you are oft call'd upon to do such things from the Word of God but how is it that you are to do them Remember alwayes though this be not every where or every time exprest this is meant this is alwayes understood you must do so and so through the spirit you must get the spirit and give up your selves to the spirit that you may do all and every of the things whereto you are counselled exhorted or commanded For this work of mortifying our sins is a generall work that hath an influence into even all other things that concern us to do or whereto we are obliged in our whole conversation nothing can be done as God requireth if this be not done every command of God implyes the subduing of some lust or other even lust being contrary to some command If then we are to mortifie our sins through the spirit through it therefore we are to yeild obedience to all the commands of the Lord. Use 2. Learn whence it is that the purposes resolutions and endeavours of men against their sin are so fruitlesse and ineffectuall how oft is it that men purpose resolve and take great pains to bring under this or that lust in them yet it retains it's strength yet it continueth your master notwithstanding Why whence is this It is because they have not learnt to put themselves into the hand of the spirit and to take that along with them in what they do They resolve but not through the spirit they strive they weep but they trust in themselves they call not for their eye is not to the spirit of God so all their resolutions vanish wither away all their attempts pains and industry prove abortive and in vain As it 's said concerning prayer Jam. 4.2.3 Ye lust and have not ye kill desire to have and cannot obtain ye fight and war yet ye have not because ye ask not ye ask and receive not because ye ask amisse so many do much they make a great deal of stir about the conquering their corruptions yet prevail not because they do all amisse as Christ saith Many shal strive to enter shal not be able so many strive to destroy their sin but are not able because they have not learnt to go forth against their evill motions under the conduct and in the power of the Holy Ghost Hath it not been thus sometimes with you Such a sin you have found working strongly in you you have made war upon it sought it's death resolved upon it's destruction but to no purpose It hath continued still living lively stirring as before learn then this day learn it well what hath been the cause even this know this to have been the reason you have not taken the right course you have not duly sought therefore have not truly had the spirit helping you which only hath power to strengthen and skill to direct you in that you have endeavoured As the Apostle saith the spirit helpeth our infirmities for we know not what to pray for as we ought So the spirit must help our infirmities or we know not in any case or matter relating to the good of our souls what to do as we ought When any labour against their sin without the spirit they do as one that takes a great deal of pains to open a dore without the right key or to cause a vessell to sail against the stream without any wind in a calm And perhaps you have observed that others they have got great victory over their sins in much lesse time you have striven long and yet are as trodden under foot by this and that base lust and another who began to look heavenward a great while after you is able to trample his sin under his feet How so because he is wise and being taught by the spirit hath taken the spirit along with him in all his endeavours and then no wonder As suppose two vessels set forth to one Port from severall harbours the one long after the other having divers leagues more to sail yet if
this vessel have a good gale of wind and the other be becalmed and have only the strength of the marriners to put it forward by Poles and Oars you will not marvel if that which set out last and hath the longest way to go be first at the intended haven leaving the other behind basking and tossing in the waves possibly till she be foundred or wrackt through a great storm arising Use 3. Let this cause you to magnifie the Gospel the Doctrine of Christ because this tells you how you shall slay your worst most hurtful deadly and powerful enemies and lay them dead at your feet The Law that discovers sin Rom. 7.7 I had not known sin but by the Law for I had not known lust except the Law had said thou shalt not covet The Law also denounceth a sore curse to them who walk after their lusts but the Law telleth us not of a remedy how we shall have help against them it is the Gospel that teacheth us to mortifie the deeds of sin through the spirit The meer light of nature saith of many sins they must be mortified but is at a stand as to this the only way for the mortification of them hence those great Moralists and wise Philosophers who speak much against many impieties and give divers rules good in their place for the getting rid of them yet are silent in this some of those wise men gave strange rules for the mortifying of lust as that of Crates famish thy self noting that it was not feasable and all their precepts are ineffectual for the real destroying any lust therefore the best of those men are noted to have lived under the dominion of some destroying corruption covetousness ambition envy or such like They write of one Democritus he put out his eyes because he could not look without lusting but did that mortifie his sin No though his eyes were out his corruption continued still within There are two great things only to be known by the Gospel the one is how we may have peace with God be accepted of him and justified in his sight the Gospel only holds forth justifying righteousness the other is this I am now upon how we may get our sins destroyed and so our hearts purified Vse 4. You may make use of this truth by way of tryal whether you have the spirit of Christ in you or no The greatest question in the world is whether you are in Christ Jesus the Answer to that is he that hath not the spirit of Christ as the Apostle saith is none of his but he that hath the spirit of Christ in him is in Christ And if you would know whether the spirit of Christ be in you this is one answer if it be in you it works in you it helps and assists you and that in mortifying your sins Have your sins deadly wounds is there any thing done really and considerably towards the ruining them If so then you have the spirit of Christ in you because this is to be done only through the spirit Vse 5. Adore the Lord and greatly praise him that he is pleased not only to acquaint us with the necessity of mortifying the deeds of sin but also to direct us how we shall do it and that in such a way as this through his own spirit God might have told us of the desert of our sins the danger of living in them and what would follow thereupon and so left us to pine away in them which had been a most woeful doleful case But behold the riches of his grace he shews us a way in the Gospel both for our attaining pardon of our transgressions and victory over all our corruptions It may be objected Alas what is this that we hear we must mortifie our sins through the spirit we may hear of this as many do and yet be far enough from being freed from the power of our sins I answer true no doubt many hear of this who yet continue to live after the flesh and so dye eternally having not one of all their lusts destroyed But then it is their own fault because they follow not the Counsel of God in his Word it is the love and goodness of a friend if be tell you a soveraign effectual remedy for any mortal Disease under which you labour though at length you dye thereof because you will not use the means he prescribes or directs you to So is it the grace of God that he declares to us how our sins may be killed and our souls saved though many hear thereof and yet dye in their sins because they take not the good counsel given them It may be again objected is the spirit at our command can we mortifie our sins through it if we will I answer Though the spirit be not at our command it is at our entreaty so be it we heartily seek it as we are directed which how it is will after be shewn So that this truth leaves all those utterly in excusable who still live in their sins after their hearing it and it will aggravate their condemnation in that though they heard from the Word of God how they should destroy their lusts they continued still enslaved by them and lived under the power of them all their dayes Yet is this Doctrine a great discovery of the grace of God to all men in general to whom the Gospel is published Especially doth this speak the grace of God to you who are in Christ for he hath already actually given you his spirit and all that he now requireth of you is that you improve it and make use of it as of a great and most Noble friend who is able and ready at all times upon all occasions to help you Know therefore the Lord your God is full of grace towards you He indeed calls you to great work to warring and fighting against your strong corruptions from which if he pleased he could easily suddenly altogether perfectly deliver you while here as he will hereafter This may seem hard and seem to speak some want of fatherly love and kindness but think not so seeing he hath given you an all sufficient helper fully answerable to the greatness of the work which he puts you upon Use 6. Let the sixth use be to convince all such of great error who think they can mortifie their sins of themselves or that any thing they can do can be effectual to the mortification thereof without the spirit It is one of the grand errors of the Antichristian party to think that their vows fastings penance c. can mortifie sin and they give themselves divers of them to severe courses and put others on to such and such things as effectual means to slay their lusts without looking after the spirit of Christ for it's assistance Wherein too too many who oppose Popery are too like to Papists as in other things for are there not many who hearing the absolute necessity of having their sins
with you and makes a tender of its assistance But more especially doth the spirit offer its help when it begins to move and breath and work in any soul Give ear I pray have you no movings no workings no stirrings or convictions of the Spirit do you barely hear a sound of words do you feel â—â—thing within doth not the Spirit many times convince you doth it not frequently stir you up against your sins and against this or that sin in particular have you not now some stirrings of the Spirit Remember this whenever the Spirit moveth in you it offereth you its assistance therefore if you have any hatred of your sins any love of your souls any desire to be helpt by the Spirit against your corruption accept its offer now accept it and set upon this good and necessary work forthwith take up arms and use them against your sin giving up yourself to the Spirit that it may enable you to do that for which you are utterly impotent and insufficient in your selves Go along with the Spirit that way it moves you that way go what it putteth you on to that do It is a most dangerous thing to neglect the offer of the holy good Spirit of God to slight or let slip any of its counsels or motions as Christ said to Jerusalem so may the Spirit now say to many a one Mat. 23.37 38. how oft would I have helped you and you would not behold your soul is left unto you desolate Use 11. Take heed all you who have the Spirit that you do no way provoke it no way grieve it because the great war you are still while you live to carry on against corrupt nature and its lustings can only be effectually managed by the help thereof Why is it that the Spirit of grace doth assist us no more in this warfare whence is it that the enemies of our Spirits so oft prevail and get us under Is it because the Spirit in us is not able to help us that cannot be it hath given our souls life when quite dead therefore it can lay our sins quite dead at its pleasure and give our souls life more abundantly Is it because the spirit is not willing or ready to afford us its assistance neither can that be it being given to us to help us to think it unwilling is to think it unfaithful but the holy spirit cannot be unfaithful and to think it unwilling is to think it unloving unkind uncompassionate but that spirit that works all kindness love and compassion that is gracious in every soul must needs be exceeding loving kind and full of compassion it self What 's the reason then that this that and the other sin so oft gets the mastery in us who have the spirit in us Whence is it that spiritual slothfulness so much prevails in some worldliness in others lukewarmness pride envy c. in others whence are some so unstable in the truth so unconstant in that which is good whence such dead heartedness such carnality such vain-glory such discontent and uncircumspect walking among us Sure the Spirit is not kindly entertained by us as it ought to be we grieve it we offend and displease it As Israel was never beaten by their enemies but still prevailed against them unless God were some way greatly provoked by them and so left them in a great degree to themselves to their own strength and counsels which ever proved too weak short and foolish to hold them up when the Lord was withdrawn from them So it is when our foul enemies prevail the Spirit of God is displeased by us Therefore be more kind to be more tender towards it Let us ever be careful as for our lives that we never grieve our great and only helper There are many wayes that the Spirit is offended one is that even now mentioned neglecting its motions not working when it calls upon and puts us on to work not fighting when it moves us or not as it moveth us to fight against our lusts Besides which there are five or six wayes I shall now mention of grieving the Spirit First Running upon temptation when you do so you tempt the Spirit which tempting it is grieving it when you needlessely run upon an occasion of sin and venter upon any foreseen temptation having no call hoping the Spirit will help you against it Secondly Willing or careless neglect of any duty Believe O that you would believe me when I speak truth you never willingly or carelessely neglect a duty but you grieve the Spirit You may pretend one and another thing but the Spirit cannot be deceived it searcheth all things and as for you in whom it dwells know you it doth more especially observe your whole conversation and all the workings of your spirits Thirdly Yielding to any thing at any time against your conscience when you offend conscience you grieve the spirit if conscience be displeased the spirit is displeased though not alway in the same respect thy conscience saith doing such a thing thou dost not do well yet wilt thou do it now dost thou provoke the spirit Fourthly Not trying those motions that are in you by the word what they are or whence they come For hereupon you oftner then you are aware of give entertainment to Satan's motions and yield to them as if they were from the spirit of holiness especially then when Salan transforms himself notably into an Angel of light and what a grieving the spirit this is it 's easie to conceive for you through negligence rashness or inconsiderateness and not trying things as you ought to follow the wicked one instead of the Holy one Fifthly Despising the counsel of such who have the spirit which is too ordinary a case I suppose it will be confess'd this is a grieving the spirit and it must be granted it is too too common Either the counsel of such is despised by not seeking it when it is needful the law should be sought at their mouth who have the teaching of the spirit Mal. 2.7 Hagg. 2.11 or when good counsel is given and is not followed but is neglected be it through flightiness obstinacy conceit of your own understanding or a being bent to your own mind 1. Cor. 7. last it is so after my judgment and I think I have the spirit of God he means as to that his Advice and therefore as if he should have said beware that you despise not my counsel lest you grieve the spirit whose counsel it is by me Sixthly Giving way to unbelieving thoughts the suffering to lodg in you any evil thought grieves the spirit particularly and especially a thought of unbelief when you entertain it nourish it or strive not to turn it out Now let the consideration of your need of the spirit and the great work you have to do by it which can by no means be done without it make you heedful that the spirit be not grieved by you these or any
too much to acknowledge this cause thereof Secondly Remember to seek not only the spirit 's powerful but also its counselling and directing assistance we greatly need both we are weak therefore need the Spirit 's strength we are unwise and foolish therefore need its counsel As we have not power to do so neither understanding to discern what we should do against our sins what is the best way and course to mortifie them It is not unusual for men to take such a course for the destroying their sin as rather strengthneth than weakneth it Enemies are overcome as oft if not oftner by policy than by main force so our sins are to be conquered by wisdom as well as if not more than by strength Therefore look for the spirit to help you both as a spirit of power and also as a spirit of wisdom Thirdly Beg that the spirit would not only help you against your sins but that it would cause you to make use of and trust in it self for its help that it would shew you more and more your need of it convince you of your own weakness and foolishness that you may have no confidence in your selves but wholly depend on it Fourthly Set your selves against every sin through the spirit it may be you look for and desire the spirit's assistance against some special strong corruption but you must seek its help against all or you 'l hardly have it against any you must not think any sin so small that it needs not to be mortified nor any so weak that you can kill it of your selves it offends the spirit if you so think It 's much what a like evil to think any sin too strong to be subdued by the spirit and to think any so small that it need not or so weak that without the spirit it may be mortified Fifthly Make sure of this that you are in Christ and have received the spirit from him and then stedfastly expect its conduct powerful assistance and counsel for the destruction of your sins Look upon it as your helper and have a raised firm expectation without wavering of its help as the Apostle saith 2 Tim. 4.18 the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work and will preserve me unto his heavenly Kingdom so you may and should say the spirit of the Lord shall deliver me from every lust and will preserve me from the dominion of every corruption yea and destroy all my sins it will never leave me nor forsake me till it have brought me off victorious it will help me it will give me a full compleat victory overall mine iniquities But let this your confident expectation be rightly grounded How is that I answer you should confidently expect the spirits full help upon these and such like grounds First As it is the spirit of the Father that which the Father hath promised and given you the promise of the spirit is called the promise of the Father Acts. 1.4 and Christ saith it proceedeth from the Father therefore look for it as so think not it will help you only or so much because you need it or will to be help'd by it or for any other reason with respect to your selves as because the Father willeth it should help you and hath promised and given it for that purpose and so it 's the Father's work to do in you and with you Secondly Expect it's help as the spirit of Christ as that which proceeds from the Son which Christ hath obtained and sent to you from the Father Christ dyed and ascended to interceed that you might have it he shed his blood also that your sins might be destroyed through it he hath sent it into your hearts therefore look for it 's help upon Christ's account and as you belong to Christ as you are in him his members so that what the spirit doth for you it doth for Christ as they who shew kindnesse to any of Christ's members feeding visiting clothing them he saith shew kindnesse to himself so the spirit helping you helps Christ as you are of his mysticall body Thirdly Expect the spirit's help also for it's own sake because you are it's Temple 1 Cor. 6.19 It hath freely come to you it doth dwell in you and it is to abide with you for ever John 14.16 therefore the spirit is concern'd in your welfare it helping you to mortifie your sins honoureth itself destroying your sins he destroyeth his own enemies the enemies of his own habitation his own temple Fourthly Expect it's assistance upon the account of the everlastingnesse and freenesse of the Covenant wherein God hath said he will give us his spirit and cause us to walk in his statutes which is to be understood for all our life long the Covenant gives assurance of the constant assistance of the spirit to the end upon such accounts as these stedfastly look for strongly expect the spirits help so certainly you shall not misse of it you may upon the grounds mentioned say of your sins as David to Goliah 1 Sam. 17.46 47. The Lord will deliver thee into mine hand and I will smite thee and take thine head from thee and all shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword spear for the battell is the Lords he will give you into mine hands Our trust in the spirit is not right if we expect not it's help the greater our expectation is the greater our trust and the greater engagement upon our friend to help us Fifthly If after all you at any time find sin prevailing yet be not out of heart if you are that 's the way to have it prevail again and more but stir up your selves to your duty in your spirituall warfare renew your trust in the spirit be more earnest in calling for it's help As Israel when they fled before the men of Ai they went and humbled themselves fasted and prayed so when you as flee before your sin when beaten by your spiritual enemies go to God be more importunate and urgent for help say with the Psalmist Psal 35.1 2. Plead my cause O Lord with them that strive with me fight against them which fight against me take hold of shield buckler and stand up for my help draw out the spear and stop the way against them say unto my soul speak it feelingly to my sense I am thy salvation let them be confounded that seek after my soul c. And as it is in the Prophet Awake O arm of the Lord put on strength c. By no means give way to discouragement for that is unbelief and a dishonour to the spirit as also to your selves what is it but cowardise when a man is worsted and he falls down under discouragement in this he is more conquered than in the other A right souldier will stir up himself when foiled and prepare for a new assault with the more eagernesse That you may not at any time sinck under discouragement because of the prevalency of