in a manner dead but when any adversary appears when our lusts and humors are crossed then they unite their strength against any such opposition and brings forth more sinful sin The knowledge and conscience that many have serves for nothing but to make their sins greater to exasperat and imbitter their spirits and lusts against God why torments thou me before the time It s a devilish disposition that is in us all we cannot indure the light because our deeds are evil Let us but consider these particulars and we shall know the power and dominion of sin First Consider the extent of its dominion both in regard of all men and all in every man I say all men there is none of us exempted from it the most noble and the most base Sin is the Catholick king the universal king or rather satan who is the prince of this world and he rules the world by this law of sin which is even the contradiction of the Law of God Who of you believes this that satans kindom is so spacious that it is even over the most part in the visible Church this is the Emperour of the world The Turk vainly arrogats this title to himself but the devil is truly so and we have Gods own testimony for it All Kings all Nobles all Princes all People rich and poor high and low are once subjects of this prince ruled by this black law of sin Oh! know your condition whose servants ye are think not within your selves we have Abraham for our father we are baptized Christians No know that all of us are once the children of satan and do his works and fulfil his will But moreover all that is in us is subject to this law of sin all the faculties of the soul the understanding is under the power of darkness the affections under the power of corruption the mind is blinded and the heart is hardened the soul alienated from God who is its life all the members and powers of a man yielded up as instruments of unrighteousnesse every one to execute that wicked law and fulfill the lusts oâ— the flesh This dominion is over all a mans actions even those that are in best account and esteem among men your honest upright dealing with men your most religious performances to God they are more conformed to the law of sin then to the law of God Hag. 2.14 this nation and the work of their hands and that which they offer is unclean All your works your good works are infected with this pollution sin hath defiled your persons and they defile all your actions the infection is mutual these actions again defiles your persons still more To the impure all things are impure even their mind and conscience is defiled Tit. 1.15 Do what you can ye who are in nature cannot please God it s but obedience to the law of sin that is in you Buâ— 2. Consider the intensness and force of this power how mighty it is in working against all oppositions whatsoever unless it be overcome by Almighty power Nothing but All-might can conquer this power The spirit that works in men by nature is of such activity and efficacy that it drives men on furiously as if they were possessed to their own ruine How much hath it of a mans consent and so it drives him strongly and irresistibly Much will desire and greediness will make corruption run like a River over all its Banks set in the way thereof Counsel Perswasion Law Heaven Hell yet mens corruption must be over all those Preaching Threatnings Convictions of Conscience are but as flaxen ropes to bind a Sampson sin within easily breaks them In a word no created power is of sufficient vertue to bind the strong man it must be one mightier then he and that is the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Do ye not see men daily drawn after their lusts as beasts following their senses as violently as a horse rusheth to the battel If there be any gain or advantage to oyl the wheels of affection O how runs men head-long there is no crying will hold them In sum sin is become all one with us its incorporat into the man and become one with his affections and then these command SERMON VIII Vers. 2. For the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Iesus hath made me free c. THat whereabout the thoughts and discourses of men now run is freedom and liberty or bondage and slavery All men are afâ—aid to lose their liberties and be made servants to strangers And indeed liberty whether National or personal even in civil respects is a great mercy and priviledge but alace men know not neither do they consider what is the ground and reason of such changes and from what fountain it flows that a Nation of a long time â—ree from a forraign yoke should now be made to submit their necks unto it Many wonder that our Nation unconquered in the dayes of ignorance and darkness should now be conquered in the days of the Gospel and there want not many ungodly spirits that will rather impute the fault unto the Reformation of Religion that take it to themselves There are many secret heart-jealousies among us that Christ is a hard Master and cannot be served But would you know the true original of our apparent and threatned bondage Come and see come and consider something expressed in these words All your thoughts are busied about civil liberty but you do not consider that you are in bondage while you are free and that to worse masters than you fear We are under a law of sin and death that hath the dominion and sway in all mens affections and conversations and when the glorious liberty of the Sons of God is offered unto us in the Gospel when the Son hath come to make us free we love our own chains and will not suffer them to be loosed therefore it is that a Nation that hath despised such a gracious offer of peace and freedom in Jesus Christ is robbed and spoiled of peace and freedom When this Law of the Spirit of life in Christ is published and proclaimed openly unto Congregations unto Judicatories and unto persons yet few do regard it the generality are in bondage to a contrary law of sin and this they serve in the lusts thereof Yea which most of all aggravats and heightens the offence even after we have all of us professed a subjection to the Law of God and to Jesus Christ the King and Law-giver we are in an extraordinaâ—y way ingaged to the Lord by many Oaths and Covenants to be his people we did consent that he should be our King and that we should be ruled in our profession and practice by his Word and will as the fundamental Laws of this his Kingdom we did solemnly renounce all strange lords that had tyrannized over us and did swear against them never to yeeld willing obedience unto them namely the lusts of the world ignorance of
refreshment of it and yet this may not be had they shall seek death and it shall flee from them Now my beloved I would desire this discourse might open way for the hearty and cordial intertainment of the Gospel and that you might be perswaded to awake unto righteousness and sin no more 1 Cor. 15.34 Be not deceived my brethren flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God Certainly if you have no other image then what you came in the world withall you cannot have this hope to be conformed one day to the glorious Body of Christ What will become of you in that day who declare now by the continued vent of your hearts that this holy Spirit dwells not in you and alas how many are such Oh pity your selves your souls and bodies both If for love to your bodies ye will follow its present lusts and care only for the things of the body you act the greatest enmity and hostility against your own bodies Consider I beseech you the eternal state of both and your care and study will run in another channel And for you who have any working of the Spirit in you whether convicing you of sin and misery and of righteousness in Christ or sometimes comforting you by the word applyed to your heart or teaching you another way then the world walks into I recommend unto you that of the Apostles 1 Cor. 15.58 Wherefore my brethren be stedfast c. alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord knowing your Labour is not in vain SERMON XXXII Rom. 8.12 Therefore brethren we are debters not to the flesh to live after the flesh c. ALL things in Christianity have a near and strait conjunction it is so intire and absolute a piece that if one link be loosed all the chain falls to the ground and if one be well fastned upon the heart it brings all alongs with it some speak of all truths even in nature that they are knit so together that any truth may be concluded out of every truth at least by a long circuit of deduction and reasoning but whatsoever be of that certainly Religion is a more intire thing and all the parts of it more nearly conjoyned together that they may mutually enforce one another Precepts and promises are thus linked together that if any soul lay hold indeed upon any promise of grace he draws alongs with it the obligation of some precept to walk suitable to such precious promises There is no encouragement you can indeed fasten upon but it will joyn you as nearly to the commandment and no consolation in the Gospel that doth not carry within its bosome an exhortation to holy walking Again on the other hand there is no precept but it should lead you straight way to a promise no exhortation but it is invironed before and behind with a strong consolation to make it pierce the deeper and go down the sweeter Therefore you see how easily the Apostle digresseth from the one to the other how sweetly and pertinently these are interwoven in his discourse The first word of the Chapter is a word of strong consolation there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ and this like a flood carries all down with it all precepts and exhortations and the soul of a believer with them and therefore he subjoyns an exhortation to holy and spiritual walking upon that very ground and because commandments of this nature will not float so to speak unlesse they have much water of that kind and cannot have such a swift course except the tide of such encouragements flow fast therefore he openeth that spring again in the preceeding words and letteth the rivers of consolation flow forth even the hope of immortality and eternal life and this certainâ—y will raise up a soul that was on ground and carry him above in motion of obedience and therefore he may well in the next place stir them up to their duty and mind them of their obligation Therefore brethren we are debters not to the flâ—sh To make this the more effectual he drops it in with affection in a sweet compellâ—â—ion of love and equality Brethren There is nothing so powerful in perswation as love it will sweeten a bitter and unpleasant reproof and make it go down more easily though it maketh lesse noise than threatnings and severity and authority yet it is more forcible for it insinuats it self and in a manner surpriseth the soul and so preventeth all resistance as when the Sun maâ—e the traveller part with his cloak whereas the wind and rain made him hold it faster so affection will prevail where authority and terrour cannot it will melt that which a stronger power cannot break the story of Elijah 1 King 19. may give some representation of this the Lord was not in the strong wind nor in terrible earth-quake nor yet in the fire but in the calm still voice The Lord hath chosen this way of publishing his grace in the Gospel because the sum of it is love to sinners and good-will towards men he holds it forth in the calm voice of love and these who are his ambassadors should be cloathed with such an affection iâ— they intend to prevail with men to engage their affections O that we were possessed with that brotherly love one towards anotâ—er for the salvation one of another especially that the Preachers of the Gospel might be thus kindly affectioned towards others and that ye would take it thus the calling you off the wayes of sin as the act of the greatest love But then consider the equality oâ— this obligation for there is nothing pressed upon you but what lyeth as heavily upon them that presseth it this debt binds all O that the Ministers of the Gospel could carry the impression of this on their hearts that when they perswade others they may withall perswade themselves and when they speak to others they may sit down among the hearers If an Apostle of so eminent dignity levelleth himself in this consideration Therefore brethren we are debters how much more ought Pastors and Teachers come in the same rank and degree of debt and obligation with others Truly this is the great obstruction of the successe of the Gospel that these who bind on burdens on others do not themselves touch them with one of their fingers and while they seem serious in perswading others yet withall declare by their carriage that they do not believe themselves what they bear upon others so that preaching seemeth to be an imposture and affections in perswading â—f otheâ—â— to be borrowed as it were in a scene to be laid down again out of it But then again there is a misconceit among people that this holy and spiritual walking is not of common obligation but peculiar to the preachers of the Gospel Many make their reckoning so as if they were not called to such high aims and great endeavours but truly my beloved this is a thing of common concernment
How shall any venture to look in to these secrets of the Lambs book of life and read their name there undoubtedly they belong not to us they are a light inaccessible that will but conâ—ound anâ— darken us more Therefore whoever would know their election according to the Scriptures must read the transcript and copy of the Book of Life which is written in the hearts and souls of the elect the thoughts of God are written in his works upon the spirits of men his election hath a seal upon it The Lord knoweth who are his and who can break up this seal Who hath understood the mind of the Lord None can untill the Lord write over his thoughts in some characters of his Spirit and of the new creature in some lineaments and draughts of his own Image that it may be known they are the Epistle of Christ not written with ink and paper but with the Spirit of the living God not in tables of stone but in the fleshly tables of the heart 2 Cor. 3.3 Christ writes his everlasting thoughts oâ— love and good-will to us in this Epistle and that we may not think this doth extol the creature and abase Christ it is added vers 5. Not that we are sufficient of our selves but our suffiâ—iency is of Goâ— The seeing of grace in our selves doth not prejudge the gâ—ace oâ— God unless we see it independent of the fountain and behold not the true rise of it that we may have no matter to glory of It is not a safe way of beholding the Sun to look straight on it it is too dazling to our weak eyes you shall not well take it up so but the best way is to look on it in water then we shall more stedfastly behold it Gods everlasting love and the redemption of Jesus Christ is too glorious an object to behold with the eyes of flesh such objects certainly must astonish and strike the spirits of men with their transcendent brightness therefore we must look on the beams of this Sun as they are reflected in our hearts and so behold the conformity of our souls wrought by his Spirit unto his will and then we shall know the thoughts of his soul to us If men shall at the first â—â—ight climb so high as to be perswaded of Gods eternal love and Christs purchase for them in particular they can do no more but scorch their wings and melt the wax off them till they fall down from that heaven of their ungrounded perswasion into a pit of desperation The Scripture-way is to go downward once that ye may go up first go down in your selves and make your calling sure and then you may rise up to God and make your election sure You must come by this circle there is no passing by a direct line and straight thorow unless by the immediat revelation of the Spirit which is not ordinary and constant and so not to pretended unto I confess that sometimes the Spirit may intimate to the Soul Gods thoughts towards it and its own state and condition by an immediat overpowering testimony that puts to silence all doubts and obejctions that needs no other work or mark to evidence the sincerity and reality of it that light of the Spirit shall be seen in its own light and needs not that any witness of it The Spirit of God sometimes may speak to a Soul Son be of good comfort thy sins are forgiven thee This may break into the Soul as a beam darted from heaven without reference to any work of the Spirit upon the heart or word of Scripture as a mids and mean to apply it But this is more extraordinary the ordinary testimony of the Spirit is certainly conjoined with the testimony of our own consciences Rom. 8.16 and our consciences beares witness of the work of the Sâ—irit in us which the Spirit discovers to be according to the Woâ—d The spirit makes known to us things that are freely given but by comparing things Spiritual with Spiritual 1 Cor. 2.10.13 The fruit and special work of the Holy Ghost in us is the medium and the Spirits light irradiats and shines upon it and makes the heart see the same clearly For though we be the children of light yet our light hath so much darkness as there must be a supervenient and accessory light of the Spirit to discover that light unto us Now what is all this to us I fear that there be many ungrounded perswasions amongst us that many build on a sandy foundation even a strong opinion that it is well with them without any examination of their Souls and conversations according to the Word and this certainly when the tempest blows cannot stand Some teach that no man should question whether he believe or not but presently believe I think none can believe too suddenly it s alwise in season nunquam sera est fides nec paenitentia its never late in respect of the promise and its never too early in respect of a mans case But I cannot think any man can â—elieve till the Spirit have convinced him of his unbelief And tâ—erefore I would think the most part of men nearer faith in Jesus Christ if they knew they wanted faith Nay it s a part of faith and believing God in his word and setting to our Seal that God is true for a man to â—ake with his unbelief and his natural inability yea aveâ—sness to it I would think that these who could not believe in Christ because they â—ought honouâ— one of another and went about to kill him they had done well to have taken with that challenge of Christs and if men ought to take with their sin they ought to search and try their sin that they may find it out to take with it I wonder since Antinomians make unbebelief the only sin in the world that they cannot endure the discovery and confession of it it seems they do not think it so heinous a sin I confesse no man should of purpose abstain from believing in Christ till he find out whether he hath believed or not but what ever have been he is bound presently to act saith in Jesus Christ to flee unto him as a lost sinner to a saving Mediator But that every man is bound to perswade himself at the first that God hath loved him and Christ redeemed him is the hope of the Hypocrite like a spiders web which when leaned to it shall not stand that mans expectation shall perish he hath kindled sparks of his own a wilde fire and walketh not in the true light of the Word and so must ly down in sorrow Many of you deceive your selves and none can perswade you that ye do deceive your selves such is the strength of that delusion and dream It s the great part of the hearts deceitfulness to flatter it self in its own eyes to make a man conceive well of himself and his heart I beseech you do not venture your souls salvation to such
There is no toleration of sin within this City and Kingdom sinners are indeed pardoned yea received and accepted drunkards unclean persons c. are not excluded from entering here but they must renounce these lusts if they would stay here Christ will not keep both he must either cast out the sin or the sinner with it if he will not part with it I beseech you know what ye walk after the flesh is your leader and whither will it lead you O! its sad to think on it to perdition vers 8. If ye live after the flesh ye shall die Ye think flesh your great friend ye do all ye can to satifie and please it and O how pleasant is the satisfaction of your flesh to you Ye think it liberty to follow it and counts it bonds and cords to be restrained But Oh! know and consider that flesh will lead you by the Kingdom that guide of your way to which ye committed your self will lead you by Heaven Gal. 5.21 It s a blind guide corruption and humour and will have no eyes no discerning of that pit of eternal misery they choose the way that is best pathed and troden that is easiest and most walk into and this certainly will lead you straight into this pit of darkness Be called off this way from following your blind lusts and rather suffer them to be crucified be avenged on them for your two eyes that they have put out and their treacherous dealing to you in leading you to destruction the high way Come in to Christ Jesus and ye shall get a new guide of the way the Spirit that shall lead you in all truth unto the blessed and eternal life Christ is the way ye must walk in and the life that we must go in to at the end of our way and the truth according to which we must walk now he hath given his Spirit the Comforter to be our leader in this way according to this rule and pattern unto that life In a word the Spirit shall lead you the straight way unto Christ you shall begin in him and end in him he shall lead you from grace to glory the Spirit that came down from Heaven shall lead you back to Heaven All your walk is within the compass of Christ out of him is no way to Heaven But we must not take this so grosly as if no other thing were a walking after the flesh but the gross abominations among men though even these will scrape a great number from being in Christ Jesus but it must be further enlarged to the motions affections of the unrenewed spirit and the common principles according to which men walk And therefore the Apostle Col. 3 and Gal. 5. nameth many things among the works of the flesh and members of the old man which I doubt many will account so of Some natural passions that we account nothing of because common as anger wrath covetousness what man is there amongst us in whom some of these mentioned stirs not Many of your hearts and eyes are given to covetousness your souls bow downward as your bodies do and many times before your bodies Is not the heart of men upon this world and cannot rise above to a treasure in Heaven and therefore your Callings otherwayes lawful and all your pains and endeavours in them hath this seal of the flesh stamped on them and passeth no otherwayes with God We see how rank the corruptions of men are anger domineering in them and leading them often captive and this is counted a light matter but it is not so in Scripture How often is it branded with folly by the wise man and this folly is even the natural fleshly corruption that men are born with and in how many doth it rise up to the elevation of malice and hatred of others and then it carries the image of the devil rather then of humane infirmity And if we suppose a man not much given to any of these yet what a spirt of pride and self-love is in every man even these that carry the lowest sail and the meanest port among men these that are affable and courteous and these that seem most condescending to inferiours and equals yet alas this evil is more deeply engraven on the spirt If a man could but watch over his heart and observe all the secret reflections of it all the comparisons it makes all the desires of applause and favour among men all the surmises and stirrings of spirit upon any affront O how would they discover diabolick pride This sin is the more natural inbred for that it is our mother-sin that brought us down from our excellency this weed grows upon a glass-window and upon a dunghill it lodges in Palaces and Cottages nay it will spring and grow out of a pretended humility and low carriage In a word the ambitious designs of men the large appetite of earthly things the over-weaning conceit of our selves love to our selves the flirring of our affections without observing a rule upon unlawful objects or in an unlawful manner all these are common to men and men walk after them Every man hath some predominant or idol that takes him most up some are finer and subtiler than others some their pleasures and gains without others their own gifts and parts within but both are alike odious before God and both gross flesh and corruption before him There are two errours among men concerning this spiritual walking the one is the Doctrine of some in these dayes the other is the practical error of many of us Many pretending to some near and high discoveries as to Christ and the Spirit have fallen upon the most refined and spiritualized flesh instead of the Spirit indeed they separate the Spirit from the Word and reckons the Word and Law of God which was a Lamp to Davids feet among the fleshly rudiments of the world But if they speak not according to the Law and Testimony saith Isaiah it is because there is no light in them Thus their new light is but an old darkness that could not endure even the darker light of the Prophets If they speak not according to the Word it is because there is no spirit in them It is not the Spirit the Comforter which Christ promised to send to the Apostles and all that should believe in his Name through their word for that Spirit was a Spirit of truth that should lead into all truth and lest men should father their own fancies and imaginations on the Spirit of God Christ adds he shall bring all things to your remembrance These things that Christ hath spoken and we have here written The holy Apostle to the Col. 3. when he reproves the works of the flesh and declares they had put them off he commends unto them in opposition to these Let the word of Christ dwell in your richly in all wisdom teaching one another in Psalms and spiritual songs with grace in your hearts to the Lord
man lying under a sentence of death Cursed is he that abides not in all things c. How then can hâ— escape condemnation Again you speak of walking after the Spirit as proper to the Christian but whose walk is not carnal Who is it that doth not often step aside out of the way and follow the conduct and counsel of flesh and blood Is not sin dwelling here in our mortal bodies Who can say my heart or way is clean Therefore both that priviledge and this property of a Christian seems to be but big words no real thing And indeed I confess the multitude of men hath no other opinion of them but as fancied imaginary thingâ— few believes the report of the Gospel concerning the salvation of elect ones and few understands what this spiritual walking is many conceive it is not a thing that belongs to men who are led about with passions and affections but rather to Angels or Spirits perfected However we have in these words an answer to satisfie both objections He grants something implicitely and it is this it is true indeed Christians are under a twoâ—old Law captives and bondmen to these A law of sin in their members bringing them in subjection to the lusts of the flesh Sin hath a powerful dominion and tyranny over every man by nature it hath a sort of right and power over him and likewise every one was under a law of death the Law of God cuâ—sing him and sentencing him to condemnation because of sin these two were joynt conquerours of all mankind But saith he there is a delivery from this bondage freedom is obtained to believers by Jesus Christ and so there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ and so they walk not after the leading and direction of that law of sin within them but after the guiding of our blessed Tutor the Spirit of God If you ask how this comes to pass by what authority or law or power is this releasement and freedom obtained Here it is by the Law of the Spirit of life which is in Christ. Christ is not an invader or unjust conquerour he hath fair Law for what he doth even against these Laws which detains unbelievers in bondage There is a higher and later Law on his side and he hath power and strength to accomplish his design He opposes Law unto Law and life unto death and spirit unto flesh a Law of Spirit unto a Law of sin and flesh a Law of life unto a Law of death In a word the Gospel or Covenant of Grace unto the Law or Covenant of Woâ—ks the powerful and living Spirit of grace that wrought mightily in him is set â—â—re-against the power of sin and Satan in us and against us the one gives him right and title to conquer the other accomplisheth him for the work and by these two are believers in Jesus Christ made free-men who were bond-men That then which we would speak from these words is the common lot of all men by nature viz. to be under the power of sin and sentence of death the special exemption of believers in Christ and immunity from this or delivery from it and then the true ground and cause of this delivery from that bondage which three are contained in the words It is a purpose indeed of a high nature and of high conceâ—nment to us all our life and death is wrapt up in this you may hear maâ—y things more gladly but if ye knew it none so profitable Therefore let us gather our spirits to the consideration of these particulars As the first all men are under the bondage of a twofold Law the law of sin within them and the law of death without them Man was created righteous but saith the wise man he found out many inventions a sad invention indeed he found but misery and slavery to himself who was made free and happy His freedom and happiness was to be in subjection to his Maker under the just and holy commands of his Lord who had given him breath and being it was no captivity or restraint to be compassed about with the hedges of the Lords holy Law no more then it is a restraint on a mans liberty to have his way hedged in where he may safely walk that he may keep himself within it from pits and snares on every hand But alace if we may say alace when we have such a redemption in Jesus Christ. Adam was not content with that happiness but seeking after more liberty he sold himself into the hands of strange lords first sin and then death Other lords besides thee O Lord have dominion over us Isa. 26.13 This is too true in this sense Adam seeking to be as the Lord himself lost his own lordship and dominion over all the works of Gods hands and became a servant to the basest and most abominable of all even that which is most hateful to the Lord to sin and death And this is the condition we are now born into Consider it I pray you we are born captives and slaves the most noble the most ingenuous and the most free of us all Paul speaks of it as a priviledge to be born free to be free in mans Common-wealth It is counted a dignity to be a free Citizen or Burgess of a Town Liberty is the great claim of people now a dayes and indeed it is the great advantage of a people to enjoy that mother and womb-priviledge and right But alace what is all this to be free-born in a civil society it is but the state of a man among men it reaches no further then the outward man his life or estate But here is a matter of greater moment know ye what state your souls are in your souls are incomparably more worth than your bodies as much as eternity surpasseth this inch of time or immortality exceeds mortality your souls are your selves indeed your bodies are but your house or tabernacle ye lodge into for a season Now then I beseech you ask whether ye be born free or not if your souls be slaves ye are slaves indeed for so the Evangelist changeth these Matthew saith in ch 16. â—6 What hath a man gained if he lose his soul And Luke 9.25 saith What hath he gained if he lose himself Therefore you are not free indeed except your souls be fâ—ee What is it I pray you to enjoy freedom among men I aâ—k you what are ye before God whether bond or free this is the business inâ—eed The Phariâ—ees pleaded a claim to the liberty and priviledge of being Abrahams sons and children and thought they might hence conclude they were Gods children But our Lord Jeâ—us discovers this misâ—ake when he tells them of a freedom and libeâ—ty that he came to proclaim to men to purchase to them and bestow on them they stumbled at this Doctrine What say they talkest thou to us of making us free we were never in bondage for we be Abrahams chilâ—ren This is
God unbelief and disobedience Now what became of all this work you may know the generality of all ranks have rebelled against that Lord and Prince and withdrawn from his allegiance and revolted unto the same lusts and wayes these same courses against which we had both by our profession of Christianity and solemn oaths engaged our selves and so men have voluntarily and heartily subjected themselves unto the laws of sin and desires of the flesh Hence is the beginning of our ruine because we would not serve our own God and Lord in our own land therefore are so many led away captive to serve strangers in another land therefore we are like to be captives in our own land because we refused homage to our God and obeyed strange lords within therefore are we given up to the lust of strangers without I would have you thinking and that seriously that there are worse masters you serve then these you most hate and that there is a worse bondage whereof you are insensiâ—le then that you fear most you fear strangers but your greatest evil is within you you might retire within and behold worâ—e masters and moâ—e pernicious and mortal enemies to your well-being Tâ—is is the case of all men by nature and of all men as far as in nature sin ruling commanding in them and lording it over them and they willingly following after the commandment and so oppressed and broken in judgement If you could but rightly look upon other men you might see that they who are servants oâ— diverse lusts are not their own men so to speak they have not the command of themselves Look upon a man given to drunkenness and what a slave is he whither doth not his lust drive him let him bind himself with resolutions with vows yet he cannot be holden by them shame before men losse of estate decay of health temporal punishment nay eternal all set together cannot keep him from fulfilling the desires of that lust when he hath opportunity A man given to covetousness how doth he serve that idol how doth he forget himself to be a man or to have a reasonable â—oul within him he is so devoted to it and thus it is with every man by nature there may be many petty little gods that he worships upon occasion but every unrenewed man hath some one thing predominant in him unto which he hath sworn obedience and devotion The man most civilized most abstract from the grosser outward pollutions yet certainly his heart within is but a temple full of idols to the love and service of which he is devoted There is some of the fundamental laws of satans kingdom that rules in every natural man either the lust of the eyes or the lust of the flesh or the pride of life every man sacrificeth to one of these his credit and honour or his pleasure or his profite Self whatever way refined and subtillized in some yet at best it is but an enemy to God and without that sphear of self cannot a man act upon natural principles till a higher spirit come in which is here spoken of Oh! that you would take this for bondage to be under this woful necessity of satisfying and fulfilling the desires of your flesh and mind Eph. 2.2 many account it only liberty and freedom therefore they look upon the laws of the spirit of life as cords and bonds and consult to cast them off and cut them asunder but consider what a wretched life you have with your imperious lusts The truth is sin is for the most part its own punishment I am sure you have more labour and toyl in fulfilling the lusts of sin then you might have in serving God mens lusts are never at quiet they are continually putting you on service they are still driving and dragging men headlong hurrying them to and fro and they cannot get rest what is the cause of all the disquiet disorder confusion trouble and wars in the world from whence do contentions arise come they not hence saith Iames 4.1 even of the lusts that war in our members It is these that trouble the world and these are the troublers of Israels peace these take away both inward peace domestick peace and national peace These lusts Covetousness Ambition Pride Passion Self-love and such like do set nation against nation men and men people and people by the ears These multiply businesses beyond necessity these multiply cares without profit and so bring forth vexation and torment If a man had his lusts subdued and his affections composed unto moderation and sobriety O what a multitude of noysom and hurtful cares should he then be freed from what a sweet calmness should possess that spirit Will you be perswaded of it Beloved in the Lord that it were easier to serve the Lord then to serve your lusts that they cost you more labour disquiet perplexity and sorrow than the Lords service will that so you may weary of such masters and groan to be from under such a law of sin But if that will not suffice to perswade you then consider in the next room if you will needs serve a law of sin you must needs be subject to a law of death if you will not be perswaded to quite the service of sin then tell me what think you of your wages The wages of sin is death that you may certainly expect and can you look and long for such wages God hath joyned these together by a perpetual ordinance they come in the world together sin entered and death by sin and they have gone hand in hand together since and think you to dissolve what God hath joyned Before you go further and obey sin more think I pray you what it can give you what doth it give you for the present but much pain and toyl and vexation in stead of promised pleasure and satisfaction Sin doth with all men as the devil doth with some of his sworn vassals and servants they have a poor wretched life with him they are wearied and troubled to satisfie all his unreasonable and imperious commands he loadens them with base service and they are still kept in expectation of some great reward but for the present they have nothing but misery and trouble and at length he becomes the executioneâ— and perpetual tormenter of them whom he made to serve him such a master is sin and such wages you may expect Consider then what your expectation is before you go on or engage further death We are under a law of bodily death therefore we are mortal our house is like a ruinous lodge that drops through and one day or other it must fall sin hath brought in the seeds of corruption in mens nature which dissolves it else it had been immortal But there is a worse deâ—th after this a living death in respect of which simple death would be chosen rather men will rather live very miserably then die nature hath an aversation of it skin for skin
SERMON XI Rom. 8.3 For what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sending his own Son c. FOr what purpose do we meet thus together I would we knew it then it might be to some better purpose In all other things we are rational and do nothing of moment without some end and purpose but alace in this matter of greatest moment our going about Divine Ordinances we have scarce any distinct or deliberat thought of the end and rise of them Sure I am we must all confess this that all other businesses in our life is almost impertinent to the great end the salvation of our souls in respect of these in which God in a manner trysts with men and comes to dwell with them these have the nearest and most immediat connexion with Gods glory and our happiness and yet so wretched and unhappy are we that we study and endeavour a kind of wisdom and diligence in other petty things which are to perish with the using and have no great reach to make our condition either better or worse and yet we have no wisdom nor consideration or attention to this great and momentous matter the salvation of our souls Is it not high time we were shaken out of our empty vain and unreasonable custom in going about such solemn duties when the wrath of God is already kindled and his mighty arm is shaking terribly the earth and shaking us out of all our nests of quietness and consolation which we did build in the creature God calls for a reasonable service but I must say the service of the most is an unreasonable and bruitish kind of work little or no consideration of what we are about little or no purpose or aim at any real soul-advantage Consider my beloved what ye are doing undoing your selves with ignorance of your own estate and unacquaintedness with a better whence it comes that you live contented in your misery and have no lively stirrings after this blessed remedy That for which we meet together is to learn these two things and alwayes to be learning them to know sensibly our own wretched misery and that blessed remedy which God hath provided it 's the sum of the Scriptures and we desire daily to lay it out before you if at length it may please the Lord to awake you out of your dream and give you the light of his salvation You hear of a weaknesse of the flesh but you would understand it aright it s not properly and simply a weakness that supposeth alwayes some life and some strength remaining it s not like an infirmity that only in disposeth to wonted action in the wonted vigour but it s such a weaknesse as the Apostle elsewhere Eph. 2.1 calls deadness it s such a weakness as may be called wickedness yea enmity to God as it is here our souls are not diseased properly for that supposeth there is some remnant of spiritual life but they are dead in sins and trespasses and so it s not infirmity but impossibility such a weaknesse as makes life and salvation impossible by us both utter unwillingnesse and extream inability these two concurrs in all mankind no strength to satisfie justice or obey the Law and no willingnesse either There is a general practical mistake in this men conceive that their natures are weak to good but few apprehend the wickednesse and enmity that is in them to God and all goodness all will grant some defect and inability and its a general complaint but to consider that this inability is an impossibility that this defect is a destruction of all spiritual good in us the saving knowledge of this is given to few and to these only whose eyes the spirit opens There may be some struglings and wrestlings of natural spirits to help themselves and upon the apprehension of their own weakness to raise up themselves by serious consideration and earnest diligence to some pitch of serving God and to some hope of heaven But I do suspect that it proceeds in many from the want of this through and deep conviction of desperate wickedness few really believes that testimony which God hath given of man he is not only weak but wicked and not only so but dâ—speratly wicked and that is not all the heart is deceitfull too and to compleat the account deceitful above all things Jer. 17.15 A strange character of man given by him that formed the spirit of man within and made it once upright and so knows best how far it hath departed from the first pattern O! who of us believes this in our hearts but that is the deceitfulness of our hearts to cover our desperatâ— wickedness from our own discerning and flatter ourselves with self-pleasing thoughts If once this testimony were received that the weakness of the flesh is a desperate wickedness such a wretched and accursed conditiâ—n as there is no hope therein as is incurable to any created power and makes us incurable and certainly lost then I say the deceitfulness of the heart were in some measure cured believe the desperate wickedness of your natures and then you have deceived the deceitfulness of your hearts to your own advantage then you have known that which non can know aright till the searcher of the heart and â—eins reveal it unto them Thus man stands invironed with impossibilities his own weakness and wickedness and the Laws impossibility by reason of that these do shut up all access to the tree of Life and are instead of a flaming sword to guard it our legs are cut off by sin and the Law cannot help us nay our life is put out and the Law cannot quickken us it declares our duty but gives no ability it teacheth well but it cannot make us learn While we are in this posture God himself steps in to succour miserable undone man and here is the way he sends his Son in the likeness of sinfull flesh and grace and truth comes by him which doth remove these impediments that stopt all accesse to life This is a high subject but it concerns the lowest and most wretched amongst us and that is indeed the wonder of it that there should be such a mystery such a depth in this work of redemption of poor sinners so much business made and such strange things done for repairing our ruines In the consideration of this we may borrow that meditation of the Psalmists Ps. 8.4 Lord what is man that thou should thus magnifie him and make him not a little lower then Angels but far higher for he took not on him the nature of Angels Heb. 2.14 16 But took part with the poor children of flesh and blood This deâ—erves a pause we shall stay a little and view it more fully in the steps and degrees that this mystery rises and ascends up by But Oh! for such an ascending frame of heart as this deserves it s a wonder it doth not draw us upward beyond our own elemâ—nt
of God so many thoughts that are mustred and set in battel array against the holy truths of God that truly no weapons of humane perswasion or instruction can be able to cast down your misapprehensions and imaginations or reasonings of your hearts or able to scatter these armies of rebellious thoughts and bring them in captivity 2 Cor. 10.4 5. Mans darkned mind is a strong hold that all the repeated and continued beatings of the word the multiplying precept upon precept and line upon line cannot storm it to make any true light shine into it It is a dungeon a pit so shut up and inclosed no door nor window in it so that albeit the Sun of Righteousness shine upon it and round about it there is no beam of that light can enter in the hearts of many thousands the generality are drowned as yet in a deludge of ignorance under the very light of dayly preaching It is a night of as thick darkness within mens souls as if there were no light about us Certainly this declares the hight of enmity the strength of the opposition this prison of your minds is a strong hold indeed that is proof of all preaching or instruction and certainly they will hold out till Almighty power storm them and beat or batter opâ—n some entry in your souls to receive this shining light of the Gospel Then there is a rebellion of the will against Gods holy will revealed in his Law or Word It cannot be subject to the Law of God It neither is nor can for enmity and antipathy is sunk into its nature so that it is the most deformed monstruous thing in the world If the disfigured face of mans soul were visible O how ugly were it How would you loath it If there were a creature that could do nothing but hate it self and sought its own destruction that were a hateful enough object but self-hatred and enmity is nothing so deformed and abominable as for the creatures will to be set in opposition to the holy will of Him that made it It needs not much demonstration this if you had but a little more consideration look back upon the â—enoâ— of your wayes set them beside the Will and Commands oâ— God and what find you whether agâ—eement or disagreement Take a view of the current of your inclinations and affections and compare that with the holy Will of God and what find you friendship or enmity You cannot digest the reproach of that to be called enemies to God but I pray you consider if there be not as perfect contrariety in your desires affections inclinations and actions to the will of God as if you did professe it what would you do if you professed your selves enemies to God could you possibly vent your enmity any other way then this in withdrawing from the yoke of his obedience in revolting from that alledgiance you owe to Him you could wrong him no further then by setting your hearts and wayes contrary to his heart and wayes in loving what he hates and hating what he loves for his own blessed beeing you could not impair it Now consider if that be not acted as really as if you did professe it Can you say that cursing swearing lying railing anger strife envy revenge and such like woâ—ks of darkness are the things which his soul loves Are these suitable to his holy will And yet these are your inveterated customs to which your natures are so inured and habituated that you can no more forsake thâ—m then hate your selves Are filthiness drunkenness Sabbath-breaking covetousness and love of the world are these his delight And yet these are your delight Again is it not his will that ye should purge your selves from all filthiness of flâ—sh spirit and perfect holiness is not righteousness that which he loves and truth in the inward parts Doth not he look to a contrite heart and account that a savoury sacrifice Is it not his royal statute and commandment of which not one jot shall fail that ye should deny yourselves love your enemies forgive them that offend you sanctifie his Name alwayes in your hearts and especially on the holy Sabbath That ye should watch unto prayer be sober in the use of the world be much in watching for his second coming again Now what repugnance is in your hearts and wayes to all these Do not the convâ—rsations of men display a Banner against the Gospel and proclaim as much in reality as is said in words in Psal. 2. Let us cast his cords behind us and cut his hands These things are unsavoury unto you you smell nothing pleasant in them but only in the puddle of the world in running at randome at your own liberty after your own imaginations That you account only liberty O! when shall your hearts be subdued and your affections brought in captivity to the obedience of Christ When shall you be delivered up to the truth and so made to obey from the heart that form of doctrine and sound words Rom. 6.17 This is the strongest hold that Satan hath in mans heart His will and affections and this keeps out longest against Jesus Christ till he that is stronger come and bind the strong man and cast out the enmity and make all captive to his loving obedience and willing subjection 2 Cor. 10.4 5. Then thirdly The enmity of the soul of man is acted in his rebellion against the will of God manifested in his works In his unsubjection and unsubmisive disposition towards the good pleasure of the Lord in carving out such and such a lot in the world It is certain that as the Will of God is the supream rule of righteousness so it is the soveraign cause and fountain of all things and therefore how infinitly is the creature bound to subject to him as a Law-giver by pleasant and willing obedience to his righteous and reasonable commands and to submit to him as the absolute ruler by quiet and humble condescendance to all the dispensations of his providence Now you know if you know any thing of your selves how crosse and opposit these hearts of yours are to His good pleasure how they are set just contrary and whence flowes all the murmurings grudgings discontents griefs cares and perplexities of men but from this fountain The rebellion of the heart against God There is nothing in all the creation mutinous and malecontent but the Heart of man You see frequent examples of it in the murmurations of the people in the wilderness It is frequently styled A tempting of the Lord Exod. 17.2 Importing a high provocation of his holy Majesty a special incitement as it were and motive to declare his absolute power and righteousness against such and therefore these are often conjoyned Psal. 78.17 18. They finned yet more by provoking the most High and they tempted God in their heart And it s added vers 19. Yea they speak against God Wherein you may observe a gradation of agrravations of this enmity
who only think it easie because they have never tryed it It is a Circumcision of the foreskin of the heart and you know how it disabled a whole City Gen. 34. and how it enraged the heart of a tender mother Exod. 4 26. It is the incision or cutting off a member and these the most dear and precious be it the right hand or right foot which is a living death as it were even to kill a man while he is alive It is a new birth and the pains and throws of the birth are known Regeneration certainly hath a travelling pain within it in so much that Paul travelled in pain till it were accomplished in these Galat. 4.19 Though men conceive sin in pleasure yet they cannot be rid of that deadly burden without throws and pain and to half this work or to be remiss and negligent in it is â—s foolish and unwise as for a child to stay long in the place of breaking forth as the Lord complains of Ephraim Hos. 13.13 He is an unwise son for he should not stay long in the place of breaking forth of children It is one of the greatest follies not to labour by all means to be rid of the inâ—umbrances of sin Much violence offered to it and a total resignation of our selves to God may be great pain but it is short pain then the pleasure is greater and continues But now Christians lengthen their pain and draw out their crosse and vexation to a great extent because they deal negligently in the businesse they suffer the Canaanites to live and these are thorns and briers in their sides continually Then this businesse is called Mortification as the word is here and Col. 3.5 which imports a higher degree of pain for the agonies of death are terrible and to hold it out yet more the most painful and lingering kind of death is chosen to expresse it Crucifiction Gal. 5.24 Now indeed that which makes the forsaking of sin so grievous to flesh and blood is the engagements of the soul to it the onenesse that is between it and our natures as they are now fallen for you know pain ariseth upon the dissolution or division of any thing that is continued or united and these things that are so nearly conjoyned it is hard to separat them without much violence And truly as the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence so we must offer violence to our selves to our lusts and inclinations who are almost our selves And if ye would be truly Christians this must be your businesse and imployment to cut off these things that are dearest unto you to cast out the very idols your hearts sacrifice unto and if there be any thing more one with you than another to endeavour to break the bond with that and to be at the furthest distance with it It is easie to perswade men to forsake some sins and courses that they are not much inâ—lined to and find not much pleasure or profit by them You may do that and be but dead in sins but if you aim at true mortification indeed you would consider what are the chief idols and predominant inclinations of your heart and as to set your self impartially against all known sin so particularly against the most beloved sin because it interrupts most the communion of God and separates from youâ— Beloved and the dearer it be the more dangerous certainly it is But to encourage and hearten you to this I would have you look back to that former victory that Christ hath gained in our name and look about you to the assistance you have for the present the Spirit to help you Truly my beloved this will be a dead businesse if you be not animated and quickned by these considerations that Christ died to sin and lived to God and that in this He was a publick person representing you that so you may conclude with Paul I am crucified with Christ Gal. 2.20 We are buried with him by baptism into his death Rom. 6.4 Consider that mystical union with Christ crucified and life shall spring out of his crosse out of his grave to kill sin in you That the great businesse is done already and victory gained in our head this is our victory even faith Believe and then you have overcome before you overcome and this will help you to overcome in your own persons And then conâ—ider and look round about to the strong helper you have the Spirit If ye through the Spirit mortifie c. Stronger is he that is in you then he that is in the world though he doth not vent all his power to you yet you may believe that there is a secret latent vertue in the seed of grace that it cannot be wholly overcome or conquered and there is one engaged in the warfare with us who will never leave us nor forsake us who of set purpose withdraweth his help now and then to discover our weaknesse to us that we may cleave the faster to Him who never letteth sin get any power or gather any strength but out of wisdom to make the final victory the more glorious in a word he leads us through weaknesses infirmities faintingâ— wrestlings that his strength may be perfected in weaknesse that when we are weak then we may be strongest in Him 2 Cor. 12 9. Our duty then is to follow this Spirit wheresoever he leadeth us Christ the Captain of our Salvation when he went to Heaven he sent the Spirit to be our guider to lead us thither where he is and therefore we should resign and give up our selves to His guidance and direction The nâ—ture of a creature is dependence so the very essence of a Christian consists in dependence and subordination to the Spirit of God Nature it self would teach them that want wisdom to commit themselves to these that have it and not to carry the reins of their own life themselves Truly not only the sense of our own imperfection of our folly and ignorance in these things that belong to life should make us willing to yeeld ourselves over to the Spirit of God as blind men to their leader as children to their nurses as orphans to their Tutors but also because the Spirit is made our Tutor and leader Christ our Father hath left us to the Spirit in his latter-will and therefore as we have absolute necessity so he hath both willingnesse and ability because it is his office O Lord I know saith Jeremiah the way of man is not in himself it is not in him that walketh to direct his steps Jer. 10.23 O! it were a great point of wisdom thus to know our ignorance and folly and this is the great qualification of Christs Disciples simple as children as little children as void of conceit of their own wisdom Mark 10.15 And this alone capacitats the soul to receive the impressions of wisdom as an empty table is fittest to write upon so a soul emptied of it self whereas self-conceit draweth a number of