had no holdfast at all of Him When Lazarus was raised It is said that Hee came forth bound hand and foote with Grave cloathes to note that Hee came not out as a victor over Death unto which He was to returne againe but when Christ rose Hee left them behinde because death was to have no more power over Him Thus by His resurrection He was declared to have gone through the whole punishment which Hee was to suffer for sinne and being thus justified himselfe that hee was able also to justifie others that beleeved in him This is the reason why the Apostle useth these words to prove the resurrection of Christ I will give you the sure mercies of David for none of Gods mercies had been sure to us if Christ had been held under by death Our faith had been vaine we had been yet in our sinnes But his worke being fully finished the mercy which thereupon depended was made certaine and as the Apostle speakes sure unto all the 〈◊〉 Thus as the Day wherein Redemption is victorious and consummate is cald the day of Redemption so the worke wherein the merits of Christ were declar'd victorious is said to have been for our justification because they were thereby made appliable unto that purpose The second worke of the Power of Christs Resurrection is to overcome all death in vs and restore vs to life againe Therfore he is cald the Lord of the living and the Prince of life to note that his life is operative unto others wee are by his Resurrection secur'd first against the death and Law which wee were held under for euery sinneâ—… is condemn'd already Now when Christ was condemned for sinne hee thereby deliver'd us from the death of the Law which is the curse so that though some of the grave cloathes may not be quite shaken off but that wee may be subject to the workings feares of the Law upon some occasions yet the malediction thereof is for ever removed Secondly we are secured against the death in sinne regenerated quickned renued fashioned by the power of godlinesse which tameth our rebellions subdueth our corruptions and turneth all our affections another way Thirdly against the hold-fast and conquest of death in the grave from whence wee shall bee translated unto glory a specimen and resemblance of this was shewed at the resurrection of Christ when the graves were opened and many dead bodies of the Saints arose and entred into the Citie As a Prince in his inauguration or sosemne state openeth prisons and unlooseth many which there were bound to honour his solemnitie so did Christ do to those Saints at his resurrection and in them gave assurance to all his of their conquest over the last Enemy What a fearefull condition then are all men out of Christ in who shall have no interest in His resurrection Rise indeed they shall but barely by his power as their Iudge not by fellowship with him as the first fruites and first borne of the dead and therefore theirs shall not be properly or at least comfortably a Resurrection no more than a condemn'd persons going from the prison to his execution may be cald an enlargement Pharaohâ—… Butler and Baker went both out of prison but they were not both delivered so the righteous and the wicked shall all appeare before Christ and bee gathered out of their graves but they shall not all bee Children of the Resurrection for that belongs onely to the just The wicked shall be dead everlastingly to all the pleasures and wayes of sin which here they wallowed in As there remaines nothing to a drunkard or adulterer after all his youthfull excesses but crudities rottennesse diseases and the worme of Conscience so the wicked shall carry no worlds nor satisfactions of lust to hell with them their glorie shall not descend after them These things are truths written with a sunne beame in the booke of God First That none out of Christ shall rise unto Glorie Secondly That all who are in him are purged from the Love and power of sinne are made a people willingly obedient unto his scepter and the government of his grace and spirit and have eyes given them to see no beauty but in his kingdome Thirdly Hereupon it is manifest that no uncleane thing shall rise unto glory A prince in the day of his state or any roiall solemnitie wil not admit beggers or base companions into his presence Hee is of purer eyes then to behold much lesse to communicate with uncleane persons None but the pure in heart shal see God Fourthly that every wicked man waxeth worse and worse that hee who is filthy growes more filthy that sinne hardneth the heart and infidelitie hasteneth perdition Whence the conclusion is evident That every impenitent sinner who without any inward hatred purposes of revenge against sinne without godly sorrow forepast and spirituall renovation for after-times allowes himselfe to continue in any course of uncleannesse spends all his time and strength to no other purpose then onely to heape up coales of Iuniper against his owne soule and to gather together a treasure of sins and wrath like an infinite pile of wood to burne himselfe in Again this power of Christs resurrection is a ground of solid and invincible comfort to the faithfull in any pressures or calamities though never so desperate because God hath power and promises to raise them up againe This is a sufficient supportance first Against any either publike or privat afflictions However the Church may seeme to be reduc'd to as low and uncureable an estate as dried bones in a grave or the brands of wood in a fire yet it shall be but like the darknesse of a night after two daies he will revive againe His goings forth in the defence of his Church are prepared as the morning When Iob was upon a dunghill and his reines were consumed within him When Ionah was at the bottome of the Mountaines and the weedes wrapped about his head and the great billowes and waves went over him so that he seemed as cast out of Gods sight When David was in the midst of troubles and Ezekiah in great bitternesse this power of God to raise unto life againe was the onely refuge and comfort they had Secondly against all temptations and discomforts Satans traines and policies come too late after once Christ is risen from the dead for in his resurrection the Church is discharged and set at large Thirdly against Death it selfe because wee shall come out of our graves as gold out of the fire or miners out of their pits laden with gold and glory at the last Lastly wee must from hence learne to seeke those things that are above whither Christ is gone Christs Kingdome is not here and therefore our hearts should not be here Hee is ascended
the branches yet the rootes are so fastened to the joynts and intralls of the wall that till the stones be puld all asunder it will not be quite rooted out As that house wherein there was a fretting and spreading Leprosie though it might bee scrap'd round about and much rubbish and corrupt materialls removed yet the Leprosie did not cease till the house with the stones and timber and morter of it was broken downe so originall concupiscence cleaveth so close to our nature that though we may bee much repair'd yet corruption will not leave us till our house be dissolved As long as Corne is in the field it will have refuse and chaffe about it as long as water remaines in the Sea it will retaine it saltnesse till it be defecated and clensed in its passage into the Land and so is it with the Church while it is in the world it will have the body of sinne about it it will bee beset with this Sinne. In the Apostle it is for this reason call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an encompassing sinne a sinne that will not be cast off that doth easily occupate and possesse all our members and faculties a man may as easily shake off the skin from his backe or poure out his bowels out of his body as rid himselfe of this evill inhabitant It is an evill that is ever present with us and dwelling in us But it may be objected Doth not the Apostle say that by being baptized into Christ or planted into the likenesse of his death our old man is crucified the body of sinne is destroyed we are freed from sinne as a woman is from a dead husband we have put off the body of the sinnes of the flesh by the Circumcision made without hands that is by Baptisme and the Spirit Doth not the Apostle Saint Iohn say He that is borne of God that is he that is Regenerate by Water and the Spirit sinneth not neither can sinne To this I answer in generall with the same Apostle If we say wee have no sinne we deceive our selves and there is no truth in us More particularly wee must distingvish both of Death and of sinne There is a twofold Death an Actuall or Naturall Death when the essentiall parts of a living Creature are taken asunder and the whole dissolved and a Virtuall or Legall Death when though the party bee naturally Alive yet hee is Dead in Law and that notes two things First a designation unto a certaine Death at hand and ready to bee executed Secondly a disabilitie unto many purposes which lay before in the mans power as a man condemn'd though hee have his life out of indulgence for a short space yet hee is then set apart and appointed for death and in the very sentence disabled to order or dispose of any thing which was then his owne When a woman is divorced for adultery from her husband though she bee Alive naturally yet Legally and to the purpose of marriage she is Dead to her husband so that though shee should live in the same house yet she should have nothing to doe with his bed or body And thus the Apostle speaketh of sinfull Widowes that they are Dead while they Live 1. Tim. 5. 6. In sin likewise we may consider The guilt of it whereby it makes us accursed and the dominion of it wherewith it bringeth us into bondage in these two principally consists the life and the strength of sinne which it hath from the Law Now by being baptized into Christ wee are delivered from the Law Rom. 6. 14. Gal. 3. 25. First from the covenant of the Law Christ hath put an utter period to the Law quoad officium Iustificandi hee is the end of the Law for righteousnesse Wee are righteous now by Grace and Donation not by nature or operation by the righteousnesse of God not that whereby God is righteous but that which God is pleased to give us and stands in opposition to a mans owne righteousnesse which is by working Secondly from the Rigor of the Law which requires perfect and perpetuall obedience Gal. 3. 10. Though the Gospell command holinesse Matth. 5. 48. and promise it Luk. 1. 74. and worke it in us Tit. 2. 10. 11. yet when the Conscience is summon'd before God to bee justified or condemned to resolve upon what it will stand to for its last triall there is so much mixture of sinne that it dares trust none but Christs owne adequate performance of the Law this is all the salvation the maine charter and priviledge of the church Wee are not therefore rigorously bound either to a full habituall holinesse in our persons which is supplied by the merit of Christ nor to a through actuall obedience in our services which are covered with the Intercession of Christ. Wee are at the best full of weakenesse many remnants of the old Adam hang about us this is all the comfort of a man in Christ that his desires are accepted God regards the sincerity of his heart and will spare his failings even as a man spareth his Sonne that desires to please him but comes short in his endeavours that he will not looke on the iniquitie of his holy things but when he fals will pitty him and take him up and heale him and teach him to goe thus wee are delivered from the rigour of the Law which yet is thus to be understood That though wee bee still bound to all the Law as much as ever under perill of sinne for so much as the best come short of fullfilling all the Law so much they sinne yet not under paine of Death which is the rigour of the Law And therefore Thirdly wee are delivered from the Curse of the Law from the vengeance and wrath of God against sin Christ was made a curse for us Lastly from the Irritation of the Law and all compulsorie and slavish obedience we love by Christ all the principles and grounds of true obedience put into vs. First knowledge of Gods will the spirit of Revelation wisedome and spirituall understanding Secondly will to embrace and love what wee know Thirdly strength in some measure to performe it And by these meanes the Saints serve God without feare with delight willingnesse love liberty power the Law is to them a new Law a Law of liberty a light yoke the Commandements of God are not grievous to them Being thus Dead to the Law we are truly Dead to sinne likewise and sinne to us but not universally Dead in regard of its strength but not in regard of its beeing To apply then the premisses Sin is Dead naturally quoad Reatum in regard of the gvilt of it that is that actuall guilt of sin wherby every man is borne a child of wrath and made obnoxious to vengeance is done quite away in our regeneration and the obligations cancell'd Col. 2. 14. Secondly sinne is Dead Legally
men change their glory for that which doth not profit forsake the Fountaine and hâ—…w outbroken Cisternes which will hold no water â—…owe nothing but winde and reape nothing but shame and reproach Our Saviour assures us that it is no valuable price to get the whole World by sione and Saint Austen hath assur'd us that the salvation of the World if possible oughtâ—…ot to be procurd by but an officious lie But now how many times doe we sinne even for base and dishonourable endâ—… lie for a farthing sweare for a complement swagger for a fashion flatter for a preferment murder for a revâ—…ge pawne our soules which are more worth then the whole frame of nature for a very trifle Seventhly all this evill hitherto staies at home but the great scandall that comes of sinne addes much to the life of it the perniciousnesse and offence of the example to others Scandall to the weake and that twofold an active scandall to mis-guide them Gal. 2. 14. 1. Cor. 8. 10. or a passive scandall to grieve them Rom. 14. 15. and beget in them jealousies and suspitions against our persons and professions Scandall to the wicked and that twofold also the one giving them occasion to blaspheme that holy Name and profession which we beare 2. Sam. 12. 14. 2. Cor. 6. 3. 4. 1. Pet. 2. 13. The other hardning and encouraging comforting and justifying them by our evill example Ezek. 16. 51 54. Eighthly the evill doth not reach to men onely but the scandall and indignity over-spreads the Gospell a great part of the life of sinne is drawne from the severall respects it hath to Gods will acknowledged When we sâ—…e not onely against the Law of Nature in our hearts but against the written Law nor onely against the truth but against the mercy and Spirit of God too this must be a heavy aggravation O what a hell must it bee to a soule in hell to recount so many Sabbaths God reached fâ—…rth his Word unto me so many Sermons he knock'd at my doore and beseeched me to be reconciled he woâ—…d me in his Word allured me by his promises expected me in much patience enriched me with the liberty of his owne pâ—…etious Oracles reached forth his blood to wash me poured forth his teares over me but against all this I have stopped the â—…are and pulled away the shoulder and hardned the heart and received all this grace in â—…ine and not withstanding all the raine which fell upon me continued barren still God might have cut me off in the wombe and made me there a brand of hell as I was by nature a Childe of wrath he might have brought me forth into the world out of the pale of his visible Church 〈◊〉 into a corrupted Synagogue or into a place full of ignorance atheisme and profanenesse but he hath cast my lot in a beautifull place and given me a goodly heritage and now hee requires nothing of me but to doe justly and worke righteousnesse and walke humbly before God and I requite evill for good to the hurt of mine owne soule Ninthly the manner of committing these sinnesis is full of life too Peradventure they are Kings have a court and regiment in my heart at best they will be Tyrants in mee they have been committed with much strength power service attendance with obstinacy frowardnesse perseverance without such sense sorrow or apprehension as things of so great a guiltinesse did require Lastly in good duties whereas grace should bee ever quick and operative make us conformable to our head walke worthy of our high calling and as becommeth godlinesse as men that have learned and received Christ how much unprofitablenesse unspiritualnesse distractions formality want of rellish failings intermissions deadnesse uncomfortablenesse do shew themselves How much flesh with spirit how much wantonnesse with grace how much of the world with the word how much of the weeke in the Sabbath how much of the bag or barne in the Temple how much superstition with the worship how wuch security with the feare how much vaine-glory in the honour of God in one word How much of my selfe and therefore how much of my sinne in all my services and duties which I performe These and a world the like aggravations serve to lay open the life of actuall sinnes Thus have I at large opened the first of the three things proposed namely that the spirit by opening the Rule doth convince men that they are in the state of sin both originall and actuall The next thing proposed was to shew what kinde of condition or estate the state of sinne is And here are two things principally remarkeable first it is an estate of most extreme impotency and disability unto any good Secondly of most extreme enmity against the holinesse and wayes of God First it is an estate of impotency and Disability to any good Paul in his pharisaicall condition thought himselfe able to live without blame Phil. 3. 6. But when the commandement came he found all his former moralities to have been but dung Our naturall estate is without any strength Rom. 5. 6. so weake that it makes the Law it selfe weake Rom. 8. 3. as unable to doe the workes of a spirituall as a dead man of a naturall life for wee are by nature Dead in sinne Eph. 2. 1. and held under by it Rom. 7. 6. And this is a wofull aggravation of the state of sinne that a man lies in mischiefe 1. Ioh. 5. 19. as a carkasse in rottennesse and dishonour without any power to deliver himselfe He that raised up Lazarus out of his grave must by his owne voyce raise up us from sinne The dead shall heare the voyce of the Sonne of man and they that heare shall live Ioh. 5. 25. All men are by nature strangers to the life of God Eph. 4. 18. and sorreiners from his household Eph. 2. 19. Able without him to doe Nothing no more then a branch is to beare any fruit when it is cut of from the fellowship of the roote which should quicken it Ioh. 15. 4. 5. In me saith the Apostle that is in my flesh there dwelleth no good thing Rom. 7. 18. a man is as unable to breake through the debt of the Law or his subjection to death and bondage as a beast to shake of his yoke Act. 15. 10. or a dead man his funerall clothes Ioh. 11. 44. In one word so great is this impotencie which is in us by sinne that we are not sufficient to thinke a good thing 2. Cor. 3. 5. not able to understand a good thing nor to comprehend the light when it shines upon us 1. Cor. 2. 14. Ioh. 1. 5. Our tongues unable to speake a good word How can yee being evill speake good things Matth. 12. 34. Our eares unable to heare a good word To whom shall I speake and give warning that they may heare behold their eare is uncircumcised and they cannot hearken Ier. 6. 10. our whole man
this place dehorteth us Having in the former Chapter set forth the doctrine of Iustification with those many comfortable fruites and effects that flow from it he here passeth over to another head of Christian Doctrine namely Sanctification and Conformitie to the holinesse of Christ the ground wherof he maketh to be our Fellowship with him in his death and Resurrection for Christ carried our sinnes upon the Tree with him and therefore we ought with him to die daily unto sin and to live unto God This is the whole argument of the precedent parts of the Chapter and frequently elsewhere used by the Apostle and others 2. Cor. 5. 14 15. Gal. 2. 20. 3. 27. 5. 24. Ephes. 2. 6. Phil. 3. 10. Col. 2. 12. 13. 26. 3. 1. 4. Heb. 9. 14 1. Pet. 4. 1. 2. Now the words of the Text are as I conceive a Prolepsis or answer to a tacite objection which might be made A weake Christian might thus alledge If our fellowship in the death of Christ doe bring along with it a death of sinne in us then surely I have little to doe with his death For alas sinne is still alive in me and daily bringeth forth the workes of life To this the Apostle answeres Though sinne dwell in you yet let it not raigne in you nor have its wonted hold and power over you Impossible it is while you carry about these tabernacles of flesh these mortall bodies that sinne should not lodge within you yet your care must be to give the kingdome unto Christ to let him have the honour in you which his father hath given him in the Church to Rule in the midst of his enemies those fleshly lusts which fight against him By Mortall bodie we here understand the whole man in this present estate wherein he is obnoxious to death which is an usuall figure to take the part for the whole especially since the body is a weapon and instrument to reduce into act and to execute the will of sinne Before I speake of the power of sinne here are Two points offer themselves from the connexion of the words to those preceding which I will but only name First Sinne will abide for the time of this mortall life in the most regenerate who can say I have made my heart cleane I am free from my sinne David had his secret sinnes which made him pray and Paul his thorne in his flesh which made him cry out against it To the reasons of this point before produc'd wee may adde that God suffers our sinnes to dwell in us first to magnifie the glory of his mercy that notwithstanding he be provoked every day yet he doth still spare us It is said in one place that when God saw that every Imagination of the thoughts of mans heart was continually evill he said I will destroy man whom I have created from off the face of the earth yet afterwards God said I will not againe curse the ground any more for mans sake for the imagination of mans heart is evill from his youth The places seeme at first view to be contradictory to one another But we are thus to reconcile them After there had been a propitiatory offering made by Noah unto God upon an Altar which was the type of Christ it is said that God smelt a sweete savour and resolved I will no more curse the earth not Because but Although the imagination of mans heart be evill from his youth that is though men are so wicked that if I would Iure meo uti take advantage to powre out againe my displeasure upon them I might doe it every day yet I will spare them notwithstanding their lusts continue in them For we are not to understand the place as if it tended to the extenuation of originall sinne as some doe I will take pitty upon them Because of their naturall infirmities but onely as tending to the magnifying of Gods mercy and patience I will take pitty upon them though I might destroy them For so the originall word is elsewhere taken Thou shalt drive out the Cananites Though they have iron chariots c. Secondly to magnifie the Glory of his powerfull patience that being daily provoked yet he hath power to be patient still In ordinary esteeme when an enemie is daily irritated and yet comes not to revenge his quarrell we accompt it impotency and unprovision but in God his patience is his power When the people of Israel murmured upon the report of giants in the land and would have made a Captaine to returne into Egypt and have stoned Ioshua and Caleb so that Gods wrath was ready to breake out upon them and to disinherite them this was the argument that Moses used to mediate for them Let the Power of my Lord be great according as thou hast spoken The Lord is long-suffering and of great mercy Thou hast shewed the Power of thy mercy from Egypt untill now even so pardon them still If we could conceive God to have his owne justice joyned with the impotency and impatiency of man wee could not conceive how the world should all this while have subsisted in the midst of such mighty provocations This is the only reason why he doth not execute the fiercenesse of his wrath and consume men because he is God and not man not subject to the same passions changes impotencies as men are If a house be very weake and ruinous clogg'd with a sore waight of heavy materials which presse it downe too there must be strength in the props that doe hold it up even so that patience of God which upholds these ruinous tabernacles of ours that are pressed downe with such a waight of sinne a waight that lies heavie even upon Gods mercy it selfe must needs have much strength and power in it The second point from the Connexion is That our Death with Christ unto sinne is a strong argument against the raigne and power of sinne in us Else wee make the death of Christ in vaine for in his death hee came with water and bloud not onely with bloud to justifie our persons but with water to wash away our sinnes The Reasons hereof are first Deadnesse argues disability to any such workes as did pertaine to that life unto which a man is dead Such then as is the measure of our death to sinne such is our disability to fulfill the lusts of it Now though sinne be not quite expir'd yet it is with Christ nail'd upon a crosse They that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts so that in a regenerate man it is no more able to doe all its owne will then a crucified man is to walke up and downe and to do those businesses which he was wont to delight in He that is borne of God sinneth not neither can sinne because he is borne of God and his seede abideth in him Secondly Deadnesse argues disaffection A condemned man
cares not for the things of this World because he is in Law dead and so reserv'd to an execution and utterly devested of any right in the things hee was wont to delight in the sight or remembrance of them doth but afflict him the more A divorc'd man cares not for the things of his wife because in law she is dead vnto him and hee unto her So should it bee with us and sin because we are dead with Christ therefore we should shew it no affection Thirdly Deadnesse argues liberty unsubjection justification He that is dead is freed from sinne as the woman is from the husband after death And therefore being freed thus from sinne we should not bring our selves into bondage againe but stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath set us free and sinne should appeare in our eyes as it is in it selfe a dead thing full of noisomenesse horrour and hideous qualities We therefore should labour to shew forth the power of the death of Christ in our dying to sinne for this is certaine we have no benefit by his sufferings except we have fellowship in them we have no more fellowship in them then we can give proofe of by our dying dayly to sinne For his blood clenseth from all sinne Let us not by raigning sinne Crucifie Christ againe for he dieth no more In that hee died hee died once unto sinne Death hath no more power ovâ—…r him to shew that sinne must have no more power over us but that being once dead to sinne we should thenceforth live unto him that died for us There is a speech in Tertullian which though proceeding from Novatianisme in him doth yet in a moderated and qualified sense carry the strength of the Apostles argument in it Si possit fornicatio moechia denno admitti poterit Christus denno mori If fornication and adultery may bee againe committed by a man dead to sinne in that raging and complete manner as before if raigning sinne after it hath beene ejected out of the Throne and nail'd to a Crosse can returne to its totall and absolute soveraigntie as before Christ may dye againe for the sinnes of a Iustified and regenerate man are Crucified upon his Crosse and in his body Now I proceede to the maine thing in the Text namely the Regall power of sinne It is an observation of Chrysostome and Theodoret on the Text which though by some rejected as too nice I shall yet make bold to commend for very pertinent and rationall The Apostle did not say say they Let not sinne Tyrannize for that is sius owne worke and not ours as the Apostle sayeth Now then is it no more I that doe it but sinne that dwelleth in me all the service which is done to a tyrant is out of violence and not out of obedience But he sayes Let it not raigne in you for to the raigne of a King the obedience of the Subjects doth as it were Actively concurre whereas the subjects are rather patients then agents in a tyranny So then in a Raigning King there is a more Soveraigne power then in a Tyrant for a Tyrant hath only a Coactive power over the persons but a King hath a sweete power over the wills and affections of his Subiects they freely and heartily love his person and rejoyce in his service which rule though it be not perpetuall in the letter and in civill governements for the unwillingnesse of a people to serve a Prince may not onely arise from his tyrannie but even when he is just and moderate from their owne rebellion yet it is most generall and certaine in the state of sinne which is never a King over rebellious subjects who of themselves reject its yoke and governement For the better discovery then of the power of sinne we must note first that there are but three wayes after which sinne may be in a man First as an usurping Tyrant and seditious commotioner either by surprizall invading or by violence holding under or by projects circumventing a man against his will taking advantage of some present distemper of minde or difficultie of estate as in David of idlenesse in Peter of teare and danger or the like And thus sinne doth often incroach upon the Saints of God and play rhe Tyrant use them like Captives that are sold under the power of sinne It was thus a Tyrant in Saint Paul we reade of him that hee was sold under sinne and wee read of Ahab that hee was sold to sinne but with great difference the one sold himselfe and so became willingly the servant of sinne the other was sold by Alam from which bondage hee could not utterly extricate himselfe though hee were in bondage to sinne as the Creatures are to vanity not willingly but by reason of his act that had subjected him long before Secondly As a stâ—…ve a Gibeonite or Tributarie Cananite as a spoyled mortified crucified dying decaying sinne like the house of Saul growing weaker and weaker and thus sinne is constantly in all the faithfull while they are iâ—… the field the chaste is about them Thirdly As a raging and commanding King having a throne the heart servants the members a counsell the world flesh and Divell a complete armorie of lusts and temptations fortifications of ignorance malice rebellion fleshly reasonings lawes and edicts lastly a strict judicature a wise and powerfull rule over men which the Scriptures call the gates of Hell And of the Power of this King we are to speake In a King there is a Two fold Power A Power to command and a Power to make his commands be obeyed Sinne properly hath no power to command because the kingdome of it is no way subordinated to Gods Kingdome over us but stands up against it And even in just and annointed kings there is no power to command any thing contrary to that Kingdome of Christ to which they are equally with other subject But though sinne have not a just power to command the soule yet it hath that upon which that power where it is is grounded namely a kinde of Title and right over the soule Sinne is a spirituall Death and man by his first fall did incurre a subjection to every thing which may be called Death so that then a man did passe into the possession of sinne whence that phrase spoken of before Thou hast sold thy selfe to worke evill Now Quod venditur transit in potestatem ementis when a thing is sold it passeth into the possession of that to which it is sold. This is the covenant or bargaine betweene a Sinner and Hell Man purchaseth the pleasures and wages of sinne and sinne takes the possession of man possession of his nature in Originall sinne and possession of his life in Actuall sinne The tryall of this title of sinne that wee may discerne whether we are under it or no must be as other Titles are we must first
of â—…ther else the Bodie of Christ would be a mangled and a maimed thing and not as Saint Paul calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fulnesse of Him that filleth all in all In the Body of Christ there is a supply to every joynt a measure of every part an edification and growth of the whole compacted body from Him who is equally the Head to all Being thus united unto Christ first the Death and Merit of Christ is ours whatsoever Hee really in His humane nature suffered for sinne wee are in moderated Iustice reputed to have suffered with Him The Apostle saith that we were crucified and dead with Christ and that as truely as the hand which steales is punish'd when the backe is beaten and surely if a man were crucified in and with Christ by reason of His mysticall communion with him then he was crucifi'd as Christ for al 〈◊〉 which should otherwise have laine upon him Hee was not in Christ to cleanse some sinnes and out of him to beare others himselfe For the Apostle assures us that the Merit of Christ is unconfined by any sinne The blood of Christ cleanseth from all sinne As Saint Ambrose said to Monica the mother of Austen when with many teares she bewailed her sonnes unconversion Non potest tot lacrymarum filius perire that is that it could not be that the Sonne of so many teares should perish so may I more certainely say to any Soule that is soundly and in truth humbled with the sense of any grievous relapse non potest tot lacrymarum frater perire It cannot bee that the brother of so many teares and so pretious blood which from Christ trickled downe with an unperishable soveraigntie unto the lowest and sinfullest of his bodie should perish for want of compassion in Him who felt the weight of our sufferings or for want of recovery from him who hath the fulnesse of Grace and Spirit Secondly the Life of Christ is ours likewise Christ liveth in me saith the Apostle Now the Life of Christ is free from the power and the reach of death If death could not hold Him when it had Him much lesse can it reach or overtake Him having once escaped Hee died once unto sinne but Hee liveth unto God likewise saith Saint Paul reckon you your selves to be dead unto sinne but alive unto God and that through or in Iesus Christ by whom wee in like manner are made partakers of that Life which Hee by rising againe from the Grave did assume as we were by AdaÌ„ made obnoxious to the same death which heby failing did incurre and contract For Christ is the second Adam and as wee have borne the Image of the earthly in sinne and guilt so must we beare the Image of the Heavenly in Life and righteousnesse and that which in us answereth to tâ—…e Resurrection and Life of Christ which Hee ever liveth is our holynesse and newnesse of life as the Apostle plainely shew's to note that our Renovation likewise ought to be perpetuall and constant not fraile and mutable as when it depended upon the life of the first Adam and not of the second Thirdly the Kingdome of Christ is ours also Now His Kingdome is not perishable but eternall a Kingdome which cannot be shaken or destroyed as the Apostle speakes Heb. 12. 28. Fourthly the Sonneship and by consequence â—…tance of Christ is ours I speake not of His personall Sonneship by eternall generation but of that dignitie and honour which He had as the first borne of every Creature and Heire of all things That Sonneship which Hee had as Hee was borne from the Dead Thou art my Sonne this day have I begotten thee namely in the Resurrection in which respect He is called the first borne and the first begotten of the Dead In this dignitie of Christ of being Heires and a kinde of first borne unto God doe wee in our measure partake for wee are called the Church of the first borne and a kinde of first fruites of His Creatures For though those attributes may be limited to the Iewes in regard of precedencie to the Gentiles yet in regard of the inheritance which was usually and properly to descend to the first borne they may bee applyed to all for of all beleevers the Apostle saith If you are Sonnes then are ye heires Coheires with Christ. We hold in chiefe under his guardianship and protection as his sequele and dependant Now from hence our Saviours argument may bring much comfort and assurance The Sonne abideth in the house for ever and the House of God is His Church not in Heaven onely but on Earth likewise as the Apostle shewes Fifthly Christs victories are ours Hee overcame the World and Temptations and Enemies and Sinnes for us And therefore they shall not bee able to overcome Him in us Hee is able to succour them that are tempted Hee who once overcame them for us will certainely subdue them in us Hee that will overcome the last Enemie will overcome all that are before for if any be left the last is not overcome Lastly we have the benefit of Christs Intercession I have prayed for thee that thy Faith faile not It is spoken of a saving Faith as the learned prove at large And I have shewed before that particular promises in Scripture are universally applyable to any man whose case is paralell to that particular If then Peters 〈◊〉 did not by reason of this prayer of Christ overturne his Salvation or bring a totall deficiencie upon his faith why should any man who is truely and deepely humbled with the sense of relapse or consciousnesse of some sinne not of ordinary guilt or dayly incursion but indeede very hainous and therefore to be repented of with teares of blood yet why should he in this case of sound humiliation stagger in the hope of forgivenesse or mistrust Gods mercie since a greater sinne then Peters in the grosse matter of it can I thinke hardly be committed by any justified man These are the comforts which may secure the Life of Christ in a lapsed but repenting sinner the summe of all is this Since we stand not like Adam upon our owne bottome but are branches of such a Vine as never withers Members of such a Head as never dies sharers in such a Spirit as cleanseth healeth and purifieth the heart partakers of such promises as are sealed with the Oath of God Since we live not by our owne life but by the Life of Christ are not ledde or sealed by our owne spirit but by the Spirit of Christ doe not obtaine mercie by our owne prayers but by the Intercession of Christ stand not reconciled unto God by our owne endevours but by the propitiation wrought by Christ who loved us when wee were enemies and in our blood who is both willing and able to save
art That God that is the same God in thy fidelity and mercy as then thou wert and thy words be true and thou hast promised this goodnesse to thy servant therefore let it please thee to blesse the house of thy Servant c. Excellent to this purpose is that which S. Austin obserues of his mother who very often and earnestly prayed unto God for hâ—…r sonne when he was an Hereticke Chirographa tua ingerebat tibi Lord saith he she urged thee with thine owne hand-writing she challenged in an humble and fearefull confidence the performance of thine owne obligations Thirdly and lastly by this meanes wee hasten the performance of Gods decreed mercies we retardate yea quite hinder his almost purposed and decreed Iudgements The Lord had resolved to restore Israel to their wonted peace and honour yet for all these things will I be enquired vnto by the House of Israel to doe it for them saith He in the Prophet The Lord had threatned destruction against Israel for their Idolatry had not Moses stood before him in the breach to turne away his wrath as the Psalmist speakes And we reade of the Primitive Christians that their prayers procured raine from heaven when the Armies of the Emperours were even famished for want of water and that their very persecutors have begg'd their prayers Secondly as by prayer the Creature is sanctified in the procurement for no man hath reason to beleeue that there is any blessing intended vnto him by God in any of the good things which doe not come in vnto him by prayer so in the next place the Creature is by Prayer sanctified in the fruition thereof because to enjoy the portion allotted us and to rejoyce in our labour is the Gift of God as Salomon speakes The Creature of it selfe is not onely Dead and therefore unable to minister life by it selfe alone but which is worse by the meanes of mans sinne it is Deadly too and therefore apt to poyson the receivers of it without the corrective of Gods Grace Pleasure is a thing in it selfe lawfull but corruption of nature is apt to make a man a lover of pleasure more then a lover of God and then is that mans pleasure made unto him the metropolis of mischiefe as Clemens Alexandâ—…inus speakes A good name is better then sweet oyntment and more to be desired then much riches but corruption is apt to put a flie of vaine-glory and selfeaffectation into this oyntment to make a man foolishly feed upon his owne credit and with the Pharisies to doe all for applause and preferre the praise of men before the glory of God and then our sweet oyntment is degenerated into a curse Woe bee unto you when all men shall speake well of you Riches of themselves are the good gifts and blessings of God as Salomon saith The blessing of the Lord maketh rich but corruption is apt to breed by this meanes covetousnesse pride selfe-dependency forgetfulnesse of God scorne of the Gospell and the like and then these earthly blessings are turned into the curse of the earth into Thornes and Briers as the Apostle speakes They that will be rich pierce themselves thorow with many sorrowes Learning in it selfe is an honourable and a noble endowment it is recorded for the glory of Moses that hee was learned in all the wisedome of the Egyptians but corruption is apt to turne learning into leauen to infect the heart with pride which being arm'd and seconded with wit breakes forth into perverse disputes and corrupts the minde Therefore Saint Paul advised the Christians of his time to beware lest any man spoile them through Philosophy and begvile them with entising words And the ancient Fathers counted the Philosophers the Seminaries of heresie Proofe whereof to let passe the Antitrinitarians and Pelagians and other ancient Hereâ—…ikes who out of the nicenesse of a quaint wit perverted Gods truth to the patronage of their lyes and to passe by the Schoolemen and Iesuites of late Ages who haue made the way to heaven a very labyrinth of crooked subtilties and have weav'd Divinity into Cobwebs wee may have abundantly in those Libertines and Cyrenians who disputed with Stephen and those Stoicks that wrangled with Saint Paul about the resurrection And now learning being thus corrupted is not onely turned into wearinesse but into very notorious and damnable folly for thinking themselves wise saith the Apostle they became fooles and their folly shall be made kâ—…owne unto all men To get wealth in an honest and painefull Calling is a great blessing for the diligent hand maketh rich but corruption is apt to perswade unto cozenage lying equivocation fals weights ingrossements monopolies and other Arts of cruelty and unjustice and by this meanes ouâ—… law full Callings are turned into abominations mysteries of iniquity and a pursuit of death Every creature of God is good in it selfe and allowed both for necessitie and delight but corruption is apt to abuse the Creatures to luxury and excesse to drunkennesse gluttony and inordinate lusts and by this meanes a mans table is turned into a Snare as the Psalmist speakes Now then since all the world is thus bespread with ginnes it mainely concernes us alwayes to pray that we may use the world as not abusing it that wee may enjoy the Creatures with such wisedome temperance sobriety heavenly affections as may make them so many ascents to raise us neerer unto God as so many glasses in which to contemplate the wisedome providence and care of God to men as so many witnesses of his love and of our duty And thus doth prayer sanctifie the Creature in the use of it Lastly and in one word Prayer sanctifies the Creatures in the review and recognition of them and Gods mercy in them with thanksgiving and thoughts of praise as Iacob Gen. 32. 9. 10. and David 2. Sam. 7. 18. 21. looked upon God in the blessings with which hee had blessed them And now since Prayer doth thus sanctifie the Creatures unto us wee should make friends of the unrighteous Mammon that wee may by that meanes get the prayers of the poore Saints upon us and our estate that the eye which seeth us may blesse us and the care that heareth us may give witnesse to us that the loynes and the mouthes the backes and the bellies of the poore and fatherlesse may be as so many reall supplications unto God for us The third and last direction which I shall give you to finde life in the Creature shall bee to looke on it and love it in its right order with subordination to God and his promises to love it after God and for God as the beame which conveyes the influences of life from him as his instrument moved and moderated by him to those ends for which it serves to love it as the Cisterne not as the fountaine of life to make Christ the foundation and all other
that is requir'd then as that Persian King who could not find out a Law to warrant the particular which hee would have done found out another That hee might doe what hee would so sinne when it hath no reason to alleage yet it hath Selfe-will that is all Lawes in one Gen. 49. 6. 2. Pet. 2. 10. Rom. 7. 23. In one word the strong man is furnished with a whole Armour Secondly sinne is a Husband Rom. 7. 1. 5. and so it hath the power of love which the wise Man saith is as strong as death that will have no deniall when it comes S. Paul tels vs there is a constraining power in love 2. Cor. 5. 14. Who stronger then Sampson and who weaker then a woman yet by love she overcame him whom all the Philistimes were unable to deale with Now as betweene a man and a strumpet so betweene lust and the heart there are first certaine cursed dalliances and treaties by alluring temptations the heart is drawne away from the sight of God and his Law and enticed and then followes the accomplishment of uncleannesse Iam. 1. 14. 15. This in the generall is that life or strength of sinne here spoken of Wee are next to observe that the ground of all this is the Law The sting of Death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the Law 1. Cor. 15. 56 1. Ioh. ◅ 4. from the Law it is that sinne hath both strength to condemne and to command us or have dominion over us Rom. 6. 14. Now the Law gives life or strength to sin three wayes First by the curse and obligation of it binding the soule with the guilt of sin unto the Iudgement of the great Day Every sinner hath the sentence past upon him already and in part executed He that beleeveth not is condemned already the wrath of God abideth on him All men come into the world with the wrath of God like a talent of lead upon their soule and it may all be pour'd out within one houre upon them there is but a span betweene them and judgement In which interim First the Law stops the mouth of a sinner Shuts him in and holds him fast under the guilt of his sinne Secondly it passeth sentence upon his soule sealing the assurance of condemnation and wrath to come Thirdly it beginneth even to put that sentence in execution with the spirit of bondage and of feare shaking the conscience wounding the spirit and scorching the heart with the pre-apprehensions of Hell making the soule see some portion of that tempest which hangeth over it rising out of that sea of sinne which is in his life and nature as the Prophets servant did the Cloud and so terrifying the soule with a certaine fearefull expectation of Iudgement Thus the Law strengthens sinne by putting into it a condemning power Secondly by the Irritation of the Law Sin tooke occasion saith the Apostle by the Law so by the commandement became exceeding sinnefull Rom. 7. 8. when lust finds it selfe universally restrain'd meets with Death and Hell at every turne can have no subterfuge nor evasion from the rigor and inexorablenesse of the Law then like a River that is stopt it riseth and fomes and rebels against the Law of the minde and fetcheth in all its force and opposition to rescue it selfe from that sword which heweth it in pieces And thus the Law is said to strengthen sinne not perse out of the Intention of the Law but by Accident antiperistasis exciting and provoking that strength which was in sinne before though undiscern'd and lesse operative For as the presence of an enemie doth actuate and call forth that malice which lay habitually in the heart before so the purity of the Law presenting it selfe to concupisence in every one of those fundamentall obliquities wherein it lay before undisturb'd and way laying the lust of the heart that it may have no passage doth provoke that habituall fiercenesse and rebellion which was in it before to lay about on all sides for its owne safety Thirdly by the conviction and manifestation of the Law laying open the widenesse of sinne to the conscience Man naturally is full of pride and selfe-love apt to thinke well of his spirituall estate upon presumptions and principles of his owne and though many professe to expect salvation frō Christ only yet in as much as they will be in Christ no way but their owne that shewes that still they rest in themselves for salvation This is that deceite and Guile of spirit which the scripture mentions which makes the way of a foole right in his owne eyes The Philosopher tells us of a Sea wherein by the hollownesse of the earth under it or some whirling and attractive propertie that sucks the vessell into it ships use to be cast away in the mid'st of a calme even so many mens soules doe gently perish in the mid'st of their owne securities and presumptions As the fish Polypus changeth himselfe into the colour of the Rock and then devoures those that come thither for shelter so doe men shape their mis-perswasions into a forme of Christ and faith in him and destroy themselves How many men rest in pharisaicall generalities plod on in their owne civilities moralities externall Iustice and unblameablenesse account any thing indiscretion and unnecessary strictnes that exceeds their owne modell every man in Hell that is worse then themselves I am not as this Publican and others that are better but in a fooles paradise and all this out of ignorance of the Law This here was the Apostles Case when he lived after the strictest sect of the Pharisies sin was dead he esteemed himself blamelesse but when the Commandement came discoverd its owne spiritualnes the carnalnesse of all his performances remou'd his curtald glosses and presumptuous prejudices opened the inordinatenes of natural concupiscence shewd how the lest atome doth spot the soule the smallest omission qualifie for hel make the conscience see those infinite sparkles and swarmes of lust that rise out of the hart and that God is all eye to see and all fire to consume every unclean thing that the smallest sins that are require the pretiousest of Christs blood to expiate and wash them out then he began to be co◅vinc'd that he was all this while under the Hold of Sinne that his conscience was yet under the paw of the Lyon as the Serpent that was dead in snow was reviu'd at the fire so sinne that seemes dead when it lies hid under the ignorances and misperswasions of a secure heart when either the Word of God which the Prophet calls fire or the last Iudgement shall open it unto the conscience it will undoubtedly revive againe and make a man finde himselfe in the mouth of Death Thus wee see that unto the Law belongs the Conviction of sinne and that in the whole compasse of evill that is in it Three hatefull evils are in
more love then strength therefore if it did not of us require strength to love but onely suppose it it could require no love neither for the Apostle tels us that by nature we are without strength So that if the meaning of the Law be onely this Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all the strength which thou hast and not this Thou shalt love him with all the strength that I require thee 〈◊〉 have and that I at first gave thee so that the strength and faculty as well as the love and duty may câ—…dere sub prâ—…cepto fall under the command the meaning of the Law would amount but to this Thou shalt not or needest not to love the Lord thy God at all because thou hast no strength so to doe and art not to be blamed for having none Thirdly it is not the being voluntary or involuntâ—… that doth make a thing sinfull or not sinfull but being opposite to the Rule which requires complete strength to serve God withall Now all a mans strength is not in his will the understanding affections and bodie have their strength which failing though the will bee never so prompt yet the worke is not done with that perfection which the Law requires yet withall wee are to note in this point two things First That originall sinne is â—…do voluntarie too because brought in by that will which was originally ours for this is a true rule in divinity Voluntas capitis totius naturae voluntas reputatur that Adams will was the will of all mankind and therfore this sinne being voluntarie in him and hereditarie unto us is esteemed in some sort voluntary unto us too Secondly that a thing may be voluntarie two wayes First efficienter when the will doth positively concurre to the thing which is done Secondly Deficienter when the will is in fault for the thing which is done though it were not done by it selfe For wee must note that all other faculties were at first appointed to be subject to the will were not to move but upon her allowance and conduct and therefore when lust doth prevent the consent and command of the will it is then manifest that the will is wanting to her office for to her it belongs to suppresse all contumacie and to forbid the doing of any illegall thing And in this sense I understand that frequent speech of Saint Austen That sinne is not sin except it be voluntarie that is sinne might altogether be prevented if the will it selfe had its primitive strength and were able to exercise uprightly that office of government and moderation over the whole man which at first it was appointed unto Which thing the same Father divinely hath expressed in his confessions What a monstrous thing is this saith he that the minde should command the body and be obeyed and that it should command it selfe and bee resisted His answer is The will is not a totall will and therefore the command is not a totall command for if the will were so throughlie an enemie to lust as it ought to be it would not be quiet till it had dis-throned it These things being premised wee conclude That as our nature is universally vitiated and defil'd by Adam so that pollution which from him wee derive is not onely the languor of nature the condition and calamitie of mankinde the wombe seed fomenter formative vertue of other sins but is it self truly and properly sin or to speak in the phrase of the Church of England hath of it selfe the nature of sin First where there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 transgression there is sin in this sin there is more for there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rebellion and antipathie against the whole Law therefore concupiscence is sin Secondly That which inferres death and makes men naturally children of wrath is sinne but lust and fleshly concupiscence reviving bringeth death and wrath therefore it is sinne Thirdly where there is an excesse of sinne that thing must needs be sinfull but concupiscence by the commandement is exceeding sinfull ergo Fourthly that which is hatefull is evill and sinfull for God made all things beautifull and good and therefore very lovely but concupiscence is hatefull what I hate that I do Fifthly that which quickneth to all mischiefe and indisposeth to all good must needs be sinfull as shee that tempteth and solliciteth to adulterie may justly be esteem'd a harlot but concupiscence tempteth draweth enticeth begetteth conceiveth indisposeth to good and provoketh to evill therefore it is sinne Sixthly that which is hellish and divelish must needs be sinnefull for that is an argument in the Scripture to prove a thing to be exceeding evil but concupiscence is even the Hell of our nature and lusts are divelish Therefore they are sinfull too Nemo se palpet saith Saint Austen desus Satanas est de Deo beatus Let no man sooth or flatter himselfe his happinesse is from God for of himselfe he is altogether diuelish Seventhly that which was with Christ crucified is sinne for hee bore our sinne is his body upon the tree but our flesh and concupiscence was with Christ crucified They that are Christs have crucified the flâ—…sh with the affections and lusts Therefore it is sin Lastly that which is washed away in Baptisme is sinne for Baptisme is for remission of sinnes but concupiscence and the body of sinne is done away in Baptisme Therefore it is sinne And this is the frequent argument of the ancient Doctors against the Pelagians to prove that infants had sinne in their nature because they were baptized unto the remission of sinnes To give some answer then to those pretended reasons To the first wee confesse that nothing can bee toto genere Necessarie and yet sinfull neither is originall sinne in that sort necessary to the nature in it selfe though to the nature in persons proceeding from Adam it be necessarie For Adam had free will and wee in him to have kept that originall righteousnesse in which wee were created and what was to him sinfull was to us likewise because wee all were one in him Wee are then to distingvish of naturall and necessarie for it is either primitive and created or consequent and contracted necessity the former would indeed void sin because God doth never first make things impossible and then command them but the latter growing out of mans owne will originally must not therefore nullifie the Law of God because it disableth the power of man for that were to make man the Lord of the Law To the second three things are to be answer'd First The sinfulnesse of a thing is grounded on its disproportion to the Law of God not to the will of man Now Gods Law sets bounds and moderates the operations of all other powers and parts as well as of the wil. And therfore the Apostle complaines of his sinfull concupiscence even when his wil was in a readines to desire
against the Kingdome of Christ in â—…e and I find by daylie experience what foiles he gives me what captivitie he holds me under how unable I am to hold conflict with but some one of his Lusts how unfurnish'd with such generall strength as is requisite to meet so potent an adversary in this case a man will bee very apt to faint and bee wearied in his striving against sinne And therefore to encourage and quicken us unto patience wee must not seeke our selves in our selves nor fix upon the measure and proportion of our former graces but runne to our faith and hold fast our confidence which will make us hope above hope and bee strong when wee are weake Wee must looke unto Iesus and consider first his grace which is sufficient for us Secondly his power which hath already begunne faith and a good worke in us Thirdly his promise which is to finish it for us Fourthly his compassion and assistance he is our second ready to come in in any danger and undertake the quarrell Fifthly his example he passed through alike contradiction of sinners as wee doe of lusts Sixthly his neerenesse he is at the dore it is yet but a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry Seventhly his Glory which is in our quarrell engaged and in our weakenesse perfected Eighthly his reward which hee brings with him it is for an eternall weight of glory that wee wrestle Ninthly his faithfulnesse to all that Clowd of witnesses those armies of Saints whome he hath carried through the same way of combates and temptations before us and whose warfare is now accomplished Lastly his performances already First he maketh the combate every day easier then before our Inner man growes day by day the house of David is stronger and stronger and the house of Saul weaker and weaker And Secondly as in all other afflictions so in this especially hee giveth unto us a peaceable fruit of righteousnesse after wee have beene exercised in it But you will say these are good encouragements to him that knowes How to do this worke but how shall I that am Ignorant and impotent know how to suppresse and keepe downe so strong an enemie with any patience or constancy that all this workes in me To this I answere first consider wherein mainely the strength of lust lies and then applie your preventions and oppositions accordingly The strength of lust is in these particulars First it 's wisdome and cunning craftinesse whereby it lies in waite and is upon the catch of every advantage to set forward its owne ends Secondly it's suggestions perswasions titillations treaties flatteries dalliances with the soule which like the smiles of a harlot entice and allure the heart to condescend to some experience and practice with it Thus Evah being deceived fell into the transgression For the suggestion quickly begets delight and delight as easily growes into consent and when the Will like the Master-Fort is taken the inferiour members 〈◊〉 no longer stand out Thirdly its promises and presumptions its threatnings and affrightments for Hopes and fear as are the edges of temptation Lust seldome or never prevailes till it have begotten some expectation of fruit in it till it can propose some wages and pleasures of iniquitie some peace and immunitie against dangers or judgements denounced wherewith men may flatter themselves some unprofitablenesse toyle and inconvenience in a contrary strictnesse Lust deales with the soule as Iael with Sisera first it calls a man in gives him milke and butter coveâ—…s him with a mantle and casts him into a quiet and secure sleepe and then after brings out the naile and hammer to fasten him unto death and yet all this while a man saith not within himselfe What have I done there is no hope after all this my wearinesse in the tent of Iael in the promises of lust but like the Mother of Sisera cherisheth vast expectations and returneth answers of spoyles and purchases to himselfe We will 〈◊〉 Incense to the Queene of Heaven say the people to â—…my we have not onely great and publike examples 〈◊〉 Fathers our Kings our Princes our Cities but great Rewards to encourage us thereunto for then had wee pleâ—…y of victuals and wâ—…re well and saw no evill I will go after my Lovers that give me my bread and my water my wool and my flax mine oyle and my drinke neither did shee ever returne to her first husband till shee found by evident experience that it was then better with her then amongst her idoles So that which made that hypocriticall people weary of the wayes and worship of God was the unprofitablenesse which they conceiv'd to be in his service and the unequalnesse of his wayes whereas indeed the fault was in their owne unsincerity and evill ends For the Word of the Lord doth good to those that walke vprightly as the Prophet speakes Fourthly its Lawes and Edicts whereby it setteth the members aworke and publisheth its owne will and that either under the shew of reason for sinne hath certaine Maximes and principles of corrupted reason which it takes for indubitable and secure wherewith to countenance its tyrannicall commands or else under the shape of Emoluments and Exigences and Inevitablenesse which may serve to warrant those commands that are otherwise destitute even of the colour of reason Like that device of Caiaphas when they knew not how to accuse Christ or charge him with any face of capitall crimes yet hee had found out a way that though there were no personall reasons nor iust grounds to proceede upon yet admitting and confessing the innocencie of the person of Christ the Expedience notwithstanding and Exigencie of state so requiring it fitter it was for one innocent person to perish and thereby the safety of the common wealth which depended upon their homage to the Romanes to be secur'd then by the preservation of one man to have the welfare of the whole people lie at hazard and exposed to the feaâ—…es and jealousies and displeasures of the Romans who by publike fame were very suspicious of an universall prince which was to arise out of Iudea and none so likely to be the man as he who could raise dead men out of their graves and so be never destitute of armies to helpe him so though there was no â—…quum est yet there was an expâ—…dit though no reason or iustice yet there was Exigence and Expediencie why hee ought to die though not as a malefactor to satisfie for his owne offence yet as a sacrifice to expiate and to prevent those evils of state which the fame of his mighty workes might have occasion'd And thus doth sinne deale with men sometimes by the helpe of corrupt reason and counterfeite maxi neâ—… it makes the sinnes which are commanded seeme warrantable and equall sometimes where the things are apparantly evill and cannot bee iustified yet by pretence of
much set forward by the Word because therein is made more apparant to the Soule the Glory and the Power of God therefore the Two Prophets are said to Torment the inhabitants of the Earth and the Law is said to make men guilty and to kill to hew smite and destroy those whom it deales with all Secondly such a faith as the Divels have begotten by the Word and assented unto by the secret suggestions of the heart witnessing to it selfe that it hath deserved more then yet it feeles and this begets a fearefull expectation of being devoured surpriseth the heart with horrid tremblings and presumptions of the vengeance to come which the Apostle calls the Spirit of bondage and feare But all this being an Assent perforce extorted for wicked men confesse their sinnes as the Divels confessed Christ more out of Torment then out of Love to God or humiliation under his mighty hand amounts to no more then a Naturall Conviction Secondly there is a Spirituall and Evangelicall Conviction of the Guilt of sinne and the damnation due thereunto arising from the Law written in the heart and tempered with the apprehension of mercie in the new Covenant which begets such a paine under the Guilt of sin as a plaister doth to the impostumation which withall it cures such a Conviction as is a manuduction unto righteousnesse And that is when the Conscience doth not onely perforce feele it selfe dead but hath wrought in it by the Spirit the same affection towards it selfe for sinne which the word hath is willing to charge it selfe and acquit God to endite accuse arraigne testifie condemne it selfe meete the Lord in the way of his Iudgements and cast downe it selfe under his mighty hand That man who can in secret and truth of heart willingly and uncompulsorily thus stand on Gods side against sinne and against himselfe for it giving God the Gloâ—ie of his righteousnesse if he should condemne him and of his uâ—searchable and rich mercie that hee doth offer to forgive him I dare pronounce that man to haue the Spirit of Christ. For no man by nature can willingly and uprightly Owne damnation and charge himselfe with it as his due portion and most just inheritance This can never arise but from a deepe sense and hate of sinne from a most ardent zeale for the Glory and Righteousnesse of God Now then since the Conviction of sinne and of the death and Guilt thereof are not to drive men to despaire or blasphemie but that they may beleeve and lay hold on the righteousnesse of Christ which they are then most likely to doe when sinne is made exceeding sinfull and by consequence death exceeding deadly give mee leave to set forth in two words what this Guilt of sinne is that the necessitie of righteousnesse from Christ may appeare the greater and his mercie therein bee the more glorified Guilt is the Demerit of sinne binding and subjecting the person in whom it is to undergoe all the punishments legally due the reunto This Demerit is founded not only in the Constitution Will and Power of God over his owne Creatures of whom hee may justly require whatsoever obedience hee giveth power to performe but in the nature of his owne Holinesse and Iustice which in sinne is violated and turned from and this Guilt is after a sort Infinite because it springeth out of the aversion from an Infinite Good the violation of an infinite Holynesse and Iustice and the Conversion to the Creatures infinitely if men could live ever to commit adultery with them And as the Consequence and reward of obedience was the favour of God conferring life and blessednesse to the Creature so the wages of sinne which this Guilt assureth a sinner of is the wrath of God which the Scripture calleth Death and the Curse This Guilt being an Obligation unto punishment leadeth us to consider what the nature of that curse and death is unto which it bindeth us over Punishment bearing necessarie relation to a command the trangression whereof is therein recompenced taketh in these considerations First on the part of the Commander a will to which the Actions of the subject must conforme reveal'd and signified under the nature of a Law Secondly a justice which will and thirdly a power which can punish the transgressors of that Law Secondly on the part of the subject commanded there is requir'd first Reason and free-will originally without which there can be no sinne for though man by his brutishnesse and impotency which he doth coÌ„tract cannot make void the commands of God but that they now binde men who have put out their light and lost their libertie yet originally God made no law to binde under paine of sinne but that unto the obedience whereof hee gave reason and free-will Secondly a debt and obligation either by voluntarie subjection as man to man or naturall as the creature to God or both sealed and acknowledged in the covenants betweene God and man whereby man is bound to fulfill that law which it was originally enabled to observe Thirdly a forfeiture guilt and demerit upon the violation of that Law Thirdly and lastly the evill it selfe inflicted wherein we consider first the nature and qualitie of it which is to have a destructive power to oppresse and dis quiet the offender and to violate the integritie of his well being For as sinne is a violation offered by man to the Law so punishment is a violation retorted from the Law to man Secondly the Proportion of it to the offence the greatnesse whereof is manifested in the majestie of God offended and those severall relations of goodnesse patience creation redemption which he hath to man in the quality of the creature offending being the chiefe and lord of all the rest below him in the easinesse of the primitive obedience in the unprofitablenesse of the wayes of sinne and a world of the like aggravations Thirdly the end of it which is not the destruction of the creature whom as a creature God loveth but the satisfaction of justice the declaration of divine displeasure against sinne and the manifestation of the glory of his power and terrour So then Punishment is an evill or pressure of the Creature proceeding from a Law giver just and powerfull inflicted on a reasonable Creature for and proportionable unto the breach of such a Law unto the performance and obedience whereof the Creature was originally enabled wherein is intended the glory of Gods just displeasure and great power against sinne which hee naturally hateth Now these punishments are Temporall Spirituall and Eternall Temporall and those first without a man The vanitie of the Creatures which were at first made full of goodnesse and beautie but doe now mourne and grone under the bondage of our sinnes The wrath of God revealing it selfe from heaven and the curse of God over-growing the earth Secondly within him All the Harbingers and Fore-runners of death sicknesse paine povertie reproach feare and
cannot cease from sinne Now where there is All of a strong thing that must needes be exceeding strong If all the foure windes should meete together in their full strength what mountaines would they not roote up by the foundation What a mighty rage and strength is there in the sea onely because it is full of waters and All water belongs unto it Who is able to looke upon the sunne or endure the brightnesse of that glorious Creature onely because it is Full of light the same reason is in fleshly lusts they are very strong in us because our nature is full of them and because all their fulnesse is in our nature Now this strength which is thus made up of so many ingredients doth further appeare in the Effects of it which are these Three all comprised in the generall word of Obeying it in the Lusts thereof which denotes a full uncontroled Power in sin First the somenting entertaining cherishing of lust shaping of it delighting in it consenting unto it when a man doth joine himselfe to sin and setle himselfe upon it set his heart to it and respect it in his heart and studie consult it and resolve upon it Secondly Executing of it and bringing into act the suggestions of the flesh thus conceived yeelding to the commands drudging in the service drawing iniquitie with cords and cartropes resigning both heart and hand to the obedience of sin Thirdly Finishing it going on without wearinesse or murmuring without repenting or repining in the waies of Lust running in one constant chanell till like the waters of Iordan the soule drop into the dead lake All these three Saint Iames hath put together to shew the gradations and the danger of fleshly Lusts. Euery man is Tempted when he is drawne away of his owne Lusts and enticed Lust when it hath Conceiued bringeth forth sinne and sinne when it is Finished bringeth forth Death First there is the Suggestion Lust draweth away and enticeth Secondly the Conception and formation in the delight and consent of the will Thirdly the Execution and bringing into act Fourthly the Consummation and accomplishment of Lust filling vp the measure going on vnweariedly to the last till there is no hope and so abusing the patience and long suffering of God unto destruction Sinne growes till it be ripe for the slaughter now if men in the interim cut off their sinnes and turne to God before the decree be sealed before he stirre up all his wrath and will suffer his Spirit no longer to strive if they cōsecrate that litle time strength they have left to Gods Service then the kingdome of sin is pull'd downe in them To this purpose is the Counsell of Daniel to Nebuchadnezar That he should breake off his sinnes by righteousnesse and his iniquities by shewing mercie to the poore that is he should relinquish those sins which were most predominant in him his unjustice and oppression and tyrannie against poore men thus Paul preached of righteousnesse and temperance and judgement to come to Felix a corrupt and lascivious Governor by that meanes his tranquillitie should be lengthened not by way of merit for a theefe deserves no pardon because he gives over stealing but by way of mercie and favour Hitherto I have but shewed that sin is a strong king But this is not enough to d◅ive men to Christ which is my principall scope It is further required that men bee Convinc'd of being under this power of sinne The first use then which I shall shew you may bee made of this Doctrine is for Conviction and tryall of the raigne of sinne in our selves for the more distinct expediting whereof I shall propose these three cases to be resolved First whether sin may raigne in a Regenerate man so as that this power and kingdome of sinne shall consist with the righteousnesse of Christ Secondly How wicked men may be Convinc'd that sinne raignes in them and what difference there is betweene the power of sinne in them and in the regenerate Thirdly why every sinne doth not raigne in every unregenerate man For the first of these we must remember in the generall that sinne doth then raigne when a man doth obey it in the lusts thereof when he doth yeelde up himselfe to execute all the commands of sinne when he is held under the power of Sathan and of darkenesse And for the regenerate wee must likewise note what Saint Paul and Saint Iohn have spoken in generall of this point Sinne shall not have dominion over you for you are not under the Law but under Grace saith Saint Paul when a man is delivered from the Obligations of the Law he is then delivered from the strength of sinne for the strength of sinne is the Law And he that is borne of God sinneth not neither can sinne saith Saint Iohn that is cannot obey sinne in all the lusts and commands thereof as a servant to sinne from which service hee hath ceased by being borne of God for no man can bee Gods Sonne and sinnes servant for we are to distinguish betweene doing the worke of sinne and obeying sinne in the lusts thereof As a man may doe divine workes and yet not ever in obedience to God so a man may be subject as a Captiue in this or that particular tyrannie of sinne who is not obedient as a servant to all the governement of sinne for that takes in the whole will and an Adequate submission thereof to the peaceable and uncontroll'd power of sinne Let us then inquire how farre the power of sinne may discover itselfe in the most regenerate First the best have flesh about them and that flesh where ever it is worketh and rebelleth against the Spirit of Christ so that they cannot doe the things which they would Secondly this flesh is of itselfe indifferent to great sinnes as well as to small and therefore by some strong temptation it may prevaile to carrie the Saints unto great sins as it did David Peter and others Thirdly this fleshis as much in the will as in any other part of regenerate men and therefore when they commit great sinnes they may commit them with consent delight and willingnesse of heart Fourthly this flesh is in their members as well as in their wills and therefote they may actuate and execute those wills of sinne which they have consented unto Fifthly we confesse that by these sinnes thus committed the Conscience of a regenerat man is wasted and wounded and overcome by the power of sinne and such a particular grievous Guilt contracted as must first bee washed away by some particular repentance before that man can be againe qualified to take actuall possession of his inheritance or to be admitted unto glory In which case that of the apostle is most certaine that the very righteous shall scarsely be saved For wee are to note that as some things may indispose a man for the present use or dispossesse him of the
childe may be borne a king and be crowned in his cradle so sinne in the wombe may raigne And indeed Concupiscence is of all other the sinning sinne and most exceeding sinfull So that as there is virtually and radically more water in a fountaine though it seeme very narrow then in the streames which flow from it though farre wider because though the streames should all dry up yet there is enough in the fountaine to supply all againe so the sinne of nature hath indeed more fundamentall foulâ—…nesse in it then the actuall sinnes which arise from it as being the adulterous wombe which is ever of it selfe prostituted to the injections of any diabolicall or worldly temptations and greedy to claspe cherish and organize the seeds of any sinne So that properly the raigne of sinne is founded in Lust for they are ouâ—… lusts which are to be satisfied in any sinfull obedience All the subsidies succours contributions which are brought in are spent upon Lust and therefore not to mourne for and bewaile this naturall concupiscence as David and Paul did is a manifest signe of the raigne of lust For there is no medium if sin which cannot be avoided be not lamented neither it is undoubtedly obeyed The last Question is Whether sinnes of omission may be esteemed raigning sinnes To which I answere That the wicked in Scripture are Character'd by such kinde of sinnes Powre out thy vengeance upon the heathen that know thee not and upon the families that call not upon thy name The wicked through the pride of his heart will not seeke after God God is not in all his thoughts There is no truth nor mercy nor knowledge of God in the land I was an hungred and you gave me no meate thirsty and you gave me no drinke a stranger and you tooke me not in c. As in matters of governement a Princes negative voyce whereby he hinders the doing of a thing is oftentimes as great an argument of his royalty as his positive commands to have a thing done nay a Prince hath power to command that to be done which he hath no power to prohibite as Iosias commanded the people to serve the Lord So in sinne the power which it hath to dead and take off the heart from Christian duties from Communion with God from knowledge of his will from delight in his word from mutuall Edification from a constant and spirituall watch over our thoughts and wayes and the like is a notorious fruit of the raigne of sinne So then as he said of the Romane Senate that it was an assembly of kings so we may say of sinfull lusts in the heart That they are indeed a Throng and a people of kings The second Exception where with the more moderate sort of unregenerate men seeme to shift off from themselves the charge of being subject to the raigne of sinne is that sinne hath not over them an universall dominion in as much as they abhorre many sinnes and doe many things which the rule requires All these things saith the young man in the Gospell have I done from my youth And Hazael to the Prophet Is thy servant a dog to rip up women and dash infants to piâ—…ces He seemed at that time to abhorre so deteâ—…able facts as the Prophet foretold Come saith Iâ—…hu and see my zeale for the Lord of hoasts Ahab humbled himselfe Herod heard Iohâ—… gladly and did many things the foolish virgins and apostate abstained from many pollutions of the world and from such abstinencies and performances as these men seeme invincibly to conclude that they are not under an universall raigne of sinne For clearing this Exception we must know that there are other causes besides the power and kingdome of the spirit of Christ which may worke a partiall abstinence in some sins and conformitie in some duties First the Power of a generall restraining Grace which I suppose is meant in Gods with-holding Abimelech from touching Sarah As there are generall Gifts of the Spirit in regard of illumination so likewise in order to conversation and practice It is said that Christ beholding the young man Loved him and that even when he was under the raigne of Covetousnesse He had nothing from himselfe worthy of love therefore something though more generall it was which the spirit had wrought in him Suppose we his ingenuitie moralitie care of Salvation or the like As Abraham gave portions to Ishmael but the inheritance to Isaac so doth the Lord on the children of the flesh and of the bond woman bestow common gifts but the Inheritance and Adoption is for the Saints his choisest Iewels are for the Kings Daughter There is great difference betwixt Restraining and Renewing Grace the one onely charmes and chaines up sinne the other crucifies and weakens it whereby the vigor of it is not withheld onely but abated the one turnes the motions and streame of the heart to another channell the other keepes it in bounds onely though still it runne its naturall course the one is contrarie to the Raigne the other onely to the Rage of sinne And now these graces being so differing needs must the abstaining from sinnes or amendment of life according as it riseth from one or other be likewise exceeding different First that which riseth from Renewing Grace is Internall in the disposition and frame of the heart the law and the spirit are put in there to purifie the Fountaine whereas the other is but externall in the course of the life without any inward and secret care to governe the thoughts to moderate the passions to suppresse the motions and risings of lust to cleanse the conscience from dead workes to banish privie pride speculative uncleannesse vaine emptie impertinent unprofitable desires out of the heart The Law is Spirituall and therefore it is not a conformity to the letter barely but to the Spiritualnesse of the Law which makes our actions to be right before God Thy Law is pure saith David therefore thy Servant loveth it And this spiritualnesse of obedience is discerned by the Inwardnesse of it when all other respects being removed a man can be Holy there where there is no eye to see no object to move him none but onely hee and the Law together When a man can be as much grieved with the sinfulnesse of his thoughts with the disproportion which he findes betweene the Law and his innerman as with those evils which being more exposed to the view of the World have an accidentall restraint from men whose ill opinious we are loth to provoke when from the Spirituall and sincere obedience of the hart doth issue forth an universall Holinesse like lines from a center unto the whole circumference of our lives without any mercenary or reserv'd respects wherein men oftentimes in steade of the Lord make their owne passions and affections their ends or their feares their God Secondly that which riseth from Renewing grace is
would not be beholden to an infamous branded person And surely Almighty God can as little endure to be honored by wicked men or to have his Name and Truth by them usurped in a false profession When the Divell who useth to bee the father of lies would needes confesse the Truth of Christ I know who thou art even Iesus the Sonne of the Living God we finde our Saviour as well rebuking him for his confession as at other times for his Temptations Because when the Divell speakes a lie he speakes De suo he doth that which becomes him but when he speakes the Truth and Glorifies God hee doth that which is improper for his place and station for who shall praise thee in the pit Hee speakes then De alieno of that which is none of his owne and then he is not a lyer onely by professing that which he hates but a theefe too And surely when men take upon them the Name of Christ and a shew of religion and yet deny the power thereof they are not only liers in professing a false love but theeves too in usurping an interest in Christ which indeede they have not and are like to have no happier successe with God who cannot be mocked then false pretenders have with men who under assumed titles of princes deceased have laid claime to kingdomes God will deale with such men as we teade that Tiberius dealt with a base pretender to a Crowne when after long examination hee could not catch the impostor tripping in his tale at last he consulted with the habite and shape of his body and finding there not the delicacie and softnesse of a Prince but the brawinnesse and servile fashion of a Mechanick he startled the man with so unexpected a triall and so wrung from him a confession of the Truth And surely just so will God deale with such men as usurpe a claime unto his Kingdome and prevaricate with his Name he will not take them on their owne words or empty professions but examine their hands If hee finde them hardned in the service of sinne hee will then stop their mouth with their owne hand and make themselves the argument of their owne conviction Thirdly the Power of pious and vertuous education for many men have their manners as the Colliar had his faith meerely by tradition and upon credit from their forefathers So saint Paul before his Conversion liv'd as touching the Law unblameably in his owne esteeme because he had beene a Pharisce of the Pharisees Many times we may observe amongst men that contrarietiâ—… of affections proceede from causes homogeneall and uniforme and that the same temper and disposition of minde will serve to produce effects in apparance contrary When two men contend with much violence to maintaine two different opinions it may easily bee discerned by a judicious stander by that it is the same love of victory the same contentious constitution of Spirit which did foster those extreme discourses and many times men would not be at such distance in tenents if they did not too much concurre in the pride and vaine glory of an opinionative minde And surely so is it in matters of religion and practise many times courses extremely opposite are embrac'd out of the selfe same uniforme frame and temper of spirit a humor pertinaciously to adhere to the wayes which a man hath beene bred in may upon contrary educations produce contrary effects and yet the principall reason bee the same as it is the same vigor and vertue of the earth which from different seedes put into it produceth different fruites So then a man may abstaine from many evils and doe many good things meerely out of respect to their breeding out of a native ingenuitie and faire opinion of their fathers pietie without any such experimentall and convincing evidence of the truth or Spirituall and Holy love of the goodnesse by which the true members of Christ are moved unto the same observances Fourthly the Legall and Affrighting Power which is in the Word when it is set on by a skilfull master of the assemblies For though nothing but the Evangelicall vertue of the Word begets true and spirituall obedience yet outward conformitie may be fashioned by the terror of it As nothing but vitall seminall and fleshly principles can organize a living and true man yet the strokes and violence of hammers and other instruments being moderated by the hand of a cunning worker can fashion the shape of a man in a dead stone As Ahab was humbled by the Word in some degree when yet he was not converted by it Fifthly the power of a naturall illightned Conscience either a wakened by some heavie affliction or affrighted with the feare of Iudgement or at best assisted with a temper of generousnesse and ingenuitie a certaine noblenesse of disposition which can by no meanes endure to be condemned by its owne witnesse nor to adventure on courses which doe directly the wart the practicall principles to which they subscribe For as I observed before many men who will not do good Obedientially with faith in the Power with submission to the Will with aime at the Glory of him that commands it will yet doe it Rationally out of the conviction and evidence of their owne principles And this the Apostle cals a doing by Nature the things contained in the Law and a being a Law to a mans selfe Now though this may carry a man farre yet it cannot pull downe the kingdome of sinne in him for these reasons First it doth not subdue All sinne All filthinesse of the flesh and spirit and so perfect â—…olynesse in the feare of God Drive a swine out of one dirty way and he will presently into another because it was not his disposition but his feare which turned him aside Where there are many of a royall race though hundreds be destroyed yet if any one that can prove his descent do remaine alive the title and soveraigntie runnes into him as wee see in the slaughter which Athaliah made so in sinne if any one bee left to exercise power over the Conscience without controle the kingdome over a mans soule belongs unto that sinne Secondly though it were possible which yet cannot be supposed for a Naturall conscience to restraine and kill all the children of sinne yet it cannot rippe up nor make barren the wombe of sinne that is Lust and Concupiscence in which the raigne of sinne is sounded Nature cannot discover much lesse can it bewaile or subdue it As long as there is a Divell to cast in the seedes of temptations and lusts to cherish forme quicken ripen them impossible it is but sinne must have an of-spring to raigne over the soule of man Thirdly all the Proficiencies of Nature cannot make a mans indeavours good before God though they may serve to excuse a man to himselfe yet not unto God If one beare holy flesh in the skirt of his garment and
visible and scandalous blame Secondly the naturall is onely a combate there is no victory followes it sinne is committed with delight and persisted in still but the spirituall diminisheth the power and strength of sinne Thirdly the naturall if it doe overcome yet it doth onely represse or repell sinne for the time like the victory of Saul over Agag it is kept alive hath no hurt done it but the spirituall doth mortifie crucifie subdue sinne Some plaisters skinne but they do not cure give present ease but no abiding remedie against the roote of the disease so some attempts against sinne may onely for the present pacifie but not truely clense the conscience from dead workes Fourthly the naturall makes a man never a whit the stronger against the next assault of Temptation whereas the spirituall begets usually more circumspection prayer faith humiliation growth acquaintance with the depth and mysteries of sinne skill to manage the spirituall armour experience of the truth power and promises of God c. Lastly they differ in their end The naturall is onely to pacifie the clamors of an unquiet conscience which ever takes Gods part and pleads for his service against the sinnes of men The spirituall is with an intent to please and obey God and to magnifie his Grace which is made perfect in our weakenesse Now for a word of the third Case Why every sinne doth not raigne in every wicked man for answere whereunto we must First know that Properly it is originall sinne which raignes and this king is very wise and therefore sends forth into a man members and life as into severall provinces such viceroâ—…es such actuall sinnes as may best keepe the person in peace and encouragement as may least disquiet his estate and provoke rebellion Secondly we are to distinguish betweene the Raigne of sinne actuall and viâ—…tuall or in praeparatione animi for if the state of the king requires it a man will be apt to obey those commands of â—…ust which now haply his heart riseth against as savage and belluine practices as we see in Hazael Thirdly though Originall sinne be equall in All and to all purposes yet Actuall sinne for the most pâ—…t followes the temper of a mans minde bodie place calling abilities estate conversings relations and a world of the like variable particulars Now as a river would of it selfe caeteris paribus goe the neerest way unto the sea but yet according to the qualities and exigencies of the earth through which it passeth or by the arts of men it is crooked and wried into many turnings So Originall siâ—…e would of it selfe carry a man the neerest way to hell through the midst of the most divellish and hideous abominations but yet meeting with severall tempers and conditions in men it rather chooseth in many men the safest then the speediest way carries them in a compasse by a gentler and a blinder path then through such notorious and horrid courses as wherein having hell still in their view they might haply be brought some time or other to start backe and bethinke themselves But lastly and principally the different administration of Gods generall restraining Grace which upon unsearchable and most wise and just reasons he is pleased in severall measures to distribute unto severall men may bee conceived a full reason why some men are not given over to the rage and frenzie of many lusts who yet live in a voluntary and plenary obedience unto many others To conclude By all this which hath beene spoken we should bee exhorted to goe over unto Christ that wee may be translated from the power of Sathan for he only is able to strike through these our kings in the day of his wrath Consider the issue of the raigne of sinne wherein it differs from a true King and sympathizeth with Tyrants for it intendeth mischiefe and misery to those that obey it First sinne raignes unto Death that which is here called the raigne of sinne â—…s before called the raigne of Death and the raigne of sinne unto Death Rom. 5. 17. 21. Rom. 6. 16. Secondly Sinne raigneth unto feare and bondage by reason of the death which it brings Heb. 2. 15. Thirdly Sinne raigneth unto shame even in those who escape both the death and bondage of it Fourthly It raigneth without any fruite hope or benefit What fruit had you then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed Rom. 6. 21. Lastly the raigne of sin is but momentary at the length both it selfe and all its subjects shall be subdued The World passeth away and the lusts thereof but he that doth the Will of God abideth for ever 1. Ioh. 2. 17. Of Christs Kingdome there is no end We shall reape if we faint not Our combate is short our victorie is sure our Crowne is safe our triumph is eternall his Grace is All-sufficient here to helpe us and his Glory is All-sufficient hereafter to reward us THE POLLVTION OF SINNE AND VSE OF THE PROMISES 2. COR. 7. 1. Having therefore these Promises dearely beloved Let us clense our selves from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit Perfecting holinesse in the feare of God HAving set forth the State Guilt and Power of Sinne I shall now in the last place for the further opening the exceeding sinfulnesse thereof discover the pollution and filthinesse which therefrom both the flesh and spirit the Body and Soule doe contract The Apostle in the former chapter had exhorted the Corinthians to abstaine from all communion with Idolaters and from all fellowship in their evill courses Severall arguments he useth to enforce his exhortation First from the Inequality of Christians and unbeleevers Bee not yee unequally yoked with unbeleevers v. 14. It hath a relation to the Law of Moses which prohibited to plow with an Oxe and anâ—… Asse or to put into one yoke things disproportionable Secondly from their contrarietse and by consequence uncommunicablenesse to each other there is as everlasting and unreconciliable an hatred betweene Christ and Beâ—…al righteousnesse and unrighteousnesse as betweene light and darknesse ver 14. 15. Thirdly from those pretious and excellent Promises which are made to Christians they are the Temples of God his people and peculiar inheritance hâ—… is their Father and they his Sonnes and daughters ver 16 17 18. And there are many reasons in this one argument drawn from the Promises to inferre the Apostles conclusion First by that unction and consecration whereby they are made Temples unto God they are separated from profane uses designed to Divine and more noble imployments sealed and set apart for God himselfe and therefore they must not be profaned by the uncleane touch of evill society Secondly by being Gods Temples they are lâ—…fted to a new station the eyes of men and Angels are upon them they offend the weake they blemish and deface their Christian reputation they justifie comfort encourage settle the wicked in their sinfull courses by a deepe pollicie of the deceitfull heart of man apt to
comprehending the head and the members in the unitie of one body So then every Promise carrying us to that Vnitie which we have with Christ by his spirit who is therefore call'd a spirit of Adoption because he vesteth us with the sonneship of Christ and a spirit of holinesse and renovation because he sanctifieth us by the resurrection of Christ doth thereby purifie us from dead workes and conforme the members to the Head building them up in an holy Temple and into an habitation of God through that spirit by whom we are in Christ. In one word Our interest in the Promises is grounded upon our being in Christ and being one with him and our being in him is the ground of our purification Every branch in me that bringeth forth fruite my father purgeth that it may bring forth more fruite And in this respect the promises may be said to purifie as still carrying us to our interest in Christ in whom they are founded Fifthly and lastly the Promises are causes of our purification as Exemplars patterns and seeds of purity unto us For the Promises are in themselves Exceeding great and pretious Every Word of God is pure and tryed like gold seven times in the fire it is right and cleane and true and altogether righteous and therefore very lovely and attractive apt to sanctifie and cleanse the soule Sanctifie them by thy truth saith Christ thy Word is truth and againe Now ye are cleane through the Word which I have spoken unto you For the Word is Seed and seede a similates earth and dirt into its owne pure and cleane nature So by the Word there is a trans-elementation as it were and conforming of our foule and earthie nature to the spiritualnesse of it selfe Therefore the Apostle useth this for an argument why the regenerate cannot siâ— namely in that universall and complete manner as others doe because they have the seed of God abiding in them that is his Word Spirit and Promises abating the strength of lust and swaying them to a contrary point For thus the Word of promise makes a mans heart to argue Hath God of meere Grace made assurance of so pretious things to me who by nature am a filthy and uncleane Creature obnoxious to all the curses and vengeance in his booke Hath he wrought so great deliverance and laid up such unsearchable riches for my soule and should I againe breake his Commandements and joyne in the abominations of other men Would he not be angry till he had consumed me so that there should be no escaping Should I not rather labour to feele the comforts and power of these Promises encouraging mee to walke worthy of so great meroy and so high a calling to walke meete for the participation of the Inheritance of the Saints in light Shall I that am reserv'd to such honour live in the meane time after the lusts of the Gentiles who have no hope Hath God distinguished me by his Spirit and Promises from the world and shall I confound my selfe againe Shall I requite evill for good to the hurt of mine owne soule These and the like are the reasonings of the heart from the beauty and purity of the Promises Thirdly and lastly Promises are Arguments to inferre our Purification because in many of them that is the very Matter of which they consist and so the power and fidelity of God is engag'd for our Purification I will clense them from all their iniquity whereby they haue sinned against me saith the Lord. And againe I will sprinkle cleane water vpon you and you shall be cleane from all your filthinesse and from all your idoles will I clense you c. And againe They shall not defile themselues any more with their idoles nor with their detestable things nor with any of their transgressions but I will save them and I will cleanse them And againe I will heale their backeslidings I will Love them freely The Lord will wash away the filth of the daughters of Sion purge the bloud of Ierusalem from the midst thereof by the Spirit of Iudgement and by the spirit of burning Which Promises bringing along the fidelity and power of God to our faith doe settle our hearts amidst all the corruptions and impotencies of our nature When the conscience is once throughly acquainted with the sight of its owne foulnesse with the sense of that life and power which is in concupiscence it findes it then a great difficultie to rest in any hope of having lusts either subdued or forgiuen The Psalmist when his sore ranne and ceased not refused to be comforted thought himselfe cast out of Gods fauour as if his mercies were exhausted and his promises come to an end and his compassions were shut up and would shew themselves no more Therefore in this case the Lord carries our Faith to the consideration of his Power Grace and Fidelity which surpasseth not onely the knowledge but the very coniectures and contrivances of the hearts of men The Apostle saith That Christ was declared to be the Sonne of God with power according to the Spirit of holinesse by the resurrection from the dead That Spirit which raised Him from the dead is therefore called a spirit of Holinesse because the sanctifying of a sinner is a resurrection and requires the same power to effect it which raised Christ from the dead When Saint Paul had such a bitter conflict with the thorne in his flesh the vigor and stirrings of concupiscence within him he had no refuge nor comfort but onely in the sufficiencie of Gods grace which was able in due time to worke away and purge out his lusts And the prophet makes this an argument of Gods great power above all other Gods that he subdueth iniquities and blotteth out transgressions Though wee know not how this can be done that such dead bones soules that are even rotten in their sinnes should be cleansed from their filthinesse and live againe yet he knowes and therefore when wee are at a stand and know not what to doe to Cure our lusts then wee may by faith fix our Eyes upon him whose grace power wisedome fidelity is all in these his promises put to gage for our purification Thus wee see how promises in generall doe worke to the Cleansing of us from filthinesse of flesh and spirit The same might at large be shewed in many particulars I will but name those in the words before the Text to which it referres The Lord promiseth to Dwell in us as in spirituall Temples and this proves that wee ought to keepe our selues Cleane that wee may be fit habitations for so Dovelike and pure a spirit Flee forâ—…ication saith the Apostle why know you not that your bodie is the Temple of the holy Ghost which is in you therefore glorifie God in your bodies and spirits for they are Gods And againe If any man defile the Temple of God
Loved us when wee were his enemies and enemies we were not but by wicked workes Now then if wicked workes could not prevent the Love of God why should wee thinke that they can nullyfie or destroy it If His Grace did prevent sinners before their repentance that they might returne shall it not much more preserve repenting sinners that they may not perish If the masse guilt and greatnesse of Adams sinne in which all men were equally sharers and in which equalitie God looked upon us with Love and Grace then which sinne a greater I thinke cannot be committed against the Law of God If the bloody and crimsin sinnes of the unconverted part of our life wherein we drew iniquitie with cordes of vanitie and sinne as it were with cart-ropes If neither iniquitie transgression nor sinne neither sin of nature nor sinne of course and custome nor sinne of rebellion and contumacie could pose the goodnesse and favour of God to us then nor intercept or frustrate his Counsell of loving us when wee were his enemies why should any other sinnes overturne the stability of the same love and counsell when we are once his Sonnes and have a spirit given us to bewaile and lament our falls I cannot here omit the excellent words of P Fulgentius to this purpose The same Grace saith he of Gods Immutable Counsell doth both beginne our merit unto righteousnesse and consummate it unto Glorie doth here make the will not to yeelde to the infirmitie of the flesh and doth hereafter free it from all infirmitie doth here renew it Continuo Iuvamine and elsewhere Iugi auxilio with an uninterrupted supportance and at last bring it to a full Glory Secondly Gods Promise flowing from this Love and Grace An everlasting Covenant will I make saith God and observe how it comes to be everlasting and not frustrated or made temporary by us I will not turne away from them saith the Lord to doe them good True Lord wee know thou dost not repent thee of thy Love but though thou turne not from us O how fraile how apt are wee to turne away from thee and so to nullifie this thy Covenant of mercie unto our selves Nay saith the Lord I will put my feare into their hearts and they shall not depart from me So elsewhere the Lord tels us that his Covenant should be as the water of Noah the sinnes of men can no more utterly cancell or reverse Gods Covenant of mercie towards them then they can bring backe Noahs flood into the World againe though for a moment he may bee angry and hide His face yet His mercie in the maine is great and everlasting The Promises of God as they have Truth so they have Power in them they doe not depend upon our resolutions whether they shall bee executed or no but by Faith apprehending them and by Hope waiting upon God in them they frame and accommodate the heart to those conditions which introduce then Execution God maketh us to doe the things which He commandeth we do not make Him to doe the things which He promiseth Tee are kept saith the Apostle by the Power of God through Faith unto Salvation Faith is first by Gods Power wrought and preserved It is the Faith of the operation of God namely that powerfull operation which raised Christ from the dead and your Faith standeth not in the wisedome of men but in the Power of God And then it becomes an effectuall instrument of the same power to preserve us unto Salvation They shall be all taught of God and every man that hath heard and learned of the Father commeth unto mee There is a voluntarie attendance of the heart of man upon the ineffable sweetnesse of the Fathers teaching to conclude this point with that excellent and comfortable speech of the Lord in the prophet I the Lord change not therefore ye Sonnes of Iacob are not consumed It is nothing in or from your selves but onely the immutabilitie of my Grace and Promises which preserveth you from being consumed Thirdly the Obsignation of the Spirit ratifying and securing these promises to the hearts of the faithfull for the spirit is the hansell earnest and seale of our Redemption and it is not onely an obsignation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unto redemption arguing the certainty of the end upon condition of the meanes but it is an establishing of us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 too into Christ as a meanes unto that end so that from the first fruites of the Spirit a man may conclude his interest in the whole at last as Saint Paul from the resurrection of Christ the first fruites argueth to the finall accomplishment of the resurrection Fourthly the nature and effects of Faith whose propertie it is to make future things present to the beleever and to give them a Being and by consequence a necessitie and certaintie to the apprehensions of the Soule even when they have not a Being in themselves Saint Paul call's it the subsistencie of things to come and the evidence and demonstration of things not seene which our Saviours words doe more fully explaine He that drinketh my blood hath eternall Life and shall never thirst Though Eternall Life bee to come in regard of the full fruition yet it is present already in regard of the first fruites of it And therefore wee finde our Saviour take a future medium to prove a present Blessednesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yee are blessed when men shall hate you c for great is your reward in Heaven Which inference could not be sound unlesse that future medium were certaine by the Power of Faith giving unto the promises of God as it were a presubsistencie For it is the priviledge of Faith to looke upon things to come as if they were alreadie conferr'd upon us And the Apostle useth the like argument Sinne shall not have dominion over you for you are not under the Law but under Grace This were a strange inference in naturall or civill things to say you shall not die because you are in health or you shall not be rejected because you are in favour But the Covenant of Grace being seall'd by an Oath makes all the grants which therein are made irreversible and constant So that now as when a man is dead to the Being of sinne as the Saints departed this life are the Being of sinne doth no more trouble them nor returne upon them so when a man is dead to the dominion of sinne that dominion shall never any more returne upon him Consider further the formall effect of Faith which is to unite a man unto Christ. By meanes of which vnion Christ and we are made one Bodie for He that is joyned to Christ is one and the Apostle saith that He is the Saviour of his Bodie and then surely of every member of his Bodie too for the members have all care one
God beleeve and all this strength and comfort is thine leane not upon thine owne wisedome trust not thine owne righteousnesse arrogate nothing to thy selfe but impotencie to good no strength of thy selfe but against thy selfe and Gods Grace no power but to resist and withstand the Spirit But rest only upon the Promises and Power of Him who is Alpha and Omega the Author and Finisher of thy Faith Who is a Head to take care of his weakest members When thou art as weake as a worme in thine owne sense yet feare not O worme Iacob be not dismaide O Men of Israel saith the Lord for I am thy God I will strengthen thee yea I will helpe thee yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousnesse that is with the strength of my Truth and Promises How shall I give thee up Ephraim It is spoken to backsliding Ephraim How shall I deliver thee Israel How shall I make thee as Admah how shall I set thee as Zeboim That is How shall I make mine owne Church as the cities of Sodome My heart is turned within me my repentings are kindled together and marke the reason of all I am God and not man Though you are Men subject to many changes and miscarriages yet I am not a Man that I should repent of my goodnesse and therefore I will not turne to destroy Ephraim But now as men who looke upon the Sunne when they looke downward againe upon darker objects can scarse see or distinguish any thing so ought it to bee with us our looking up unto God should make us see nothing in ourselves but matter to be humbled by and driven backe unto him againe If once the strong man beginne to glorie in his strength or the wise man in his wisedome If our prosperity and security make us resolve with David that we shall never be moved If because we finde our corruptions wounded and mortified wee beginne to insult over them more with our pride then with our faith How easie and just is it with God to let in Satan upon us to remove his hand from under us to overshadow and withdraw His countenance from us to set on our very wounded corruptious upon us to burne up our citie and peradventure to plunge us in the guilt of some such fearefull sinnes as at the very names and first suggestions whereof wee would haply before have beene startled and amazed Alas what are wee to David and Peter to Salomon and Hezekiah men of such dayly communion and intimate acquaintance with the Almightie And yet notwithstanding what fearefull testimonies have they left upon record for all posteritie to take notice what a fraile and inconstant creature man is when once Gods Spirit departs from him That the strength of the greatest champions in the Church of God is but like the strength of Sampson of whom in all his great exployts the Scripture saith that The Spirit of the Lord came upon him and when hee was overcome that the Lord was departed from him We should therefore labour to rejoyce in the Lord with trembling to worke out our salvation with feare to pray that wee may be delivered from our selves and from the traines of Satan that wee may never know by our owne fearefull experience into what an incredible excesse of sinning our flesh though otherwise mortified would breake forth if God should a little subduct his hand and give us over a while to the violence of our owne passions to the treacherie of our owne hearts Wee should be very watchfull and cautious against our selvees that wee presume not to sinne because Grace hath abounded How shall wee that are dead to sinne live any longer therein saith the Apostle What a monstrous perverting of the grace and mercie of God is this to build straw and stubble upon so pretious a foundation Surely wee would esteeme that man prodigiously foolish and contumelious unto nature who should spend his time substance and industrie to finde out a perverse philosophers stone that should turne all the gold it touched into lead or drosse how injurious then and reprochfull are they to the grace of God who extract their owne presumptions out of His mercie and turne the redundancie of divine Grace into an advantage and priviledge of sinning As if Gods mercie had no other use then a dogges grasse or a drunkards vomit or a Papists confession to his Priest to absolve us for some sinnes that there might be roome made for more Surely Grace teacheth men to make other conclusions from Gods mercie Deale bouâ—…tifully with thy seruant that I may keepe thy Word was Davids inference from Gods favour And Saint Paul assures us that none but hard and impenitent hearts despise the goodnesse and riches of Gods patience and forbearance not knowing that the goodnesse of God should lead them to repentance It is the worke of grace to re-imprint the image of God in us to conforme us unto Christ to bend and incline the heart to a Spirituall delight in the Law to remoove in some measure the ignorance of our mindes that wee may see the beautie and wonders of Gods Law and the difficultie and frowardnesse of the fleshly will against grace that Gods Commands may not be grievous but sweete unto us These are the branches and properties of that Life which we have from Christ. And wee have them from Him at the Sonne as a middle person betweene us and his Father First because the Sonne hath His Fathers Seale Hath Iudgement Power libertie to dispose of and dispense Life and Salvation to whom He will Labour for the Meate that endureth unto Eternall Life which the Sonne of Man shall give unto you for Him hath God the Father sealed Secondly because the Son is in his Fathers bosome hath His heart His eare His affections and therefore He is heard alwayes in whatsoever Hee desireth for any of His members and this interest in His Fathers Love was that by which He raised Lazarus unto Life againe Lastly he that hath the Sonne hath the greatest gift which the Father ever gave unto the World Hee cannot denie Life where He hath given the Sonne He cannot with-hold silver where Hee hath given gold and Diamonds If He spared not His Son but delivered Him up for us all how shall He not with Him freely give us all things Now our life is conveyed from Christ unto us First by Imputation of His merit whereby our persons are made righteous and acceptable unto God Secondly by Infusion or communion with His Spirit which sanctifies our nature and enables us to doe spirituall services For though we exclude workes from Iustification formally considered yet we require them of every Iustified man neither doth any Faith Iustifie but that which worketh by Love though it justifie not under that reason as a working Faith but under that relative office of receiving and applying Christ. Thirdly by
and Christians That which makes us to be in Christ after any kinde of way is Faith And according to the differences of Faith are these differences of being in Christ to bee discerned Saint Iames makes mention of a dead Faith when men are in Christ by some generall acknowledgement by externall profession by a partiall dependence comming to Him only as to a Iesus for roome and shelter to keepe them from the fire not as to a Christ for grace and government in His service not by any particular and willing attraction of those vitall influences those working principles of grace and obedience which are from him shed abroad upon true beleevers And this is the semi-conversion and imperfect renovation of many men whereby they receive from Him onely generall light of truth and common vertues which make them visibly and externally branches in Him But Saint Paul makes mention of a lively operative unfained faith which in true beleevers draweth in the power of Christs death and the vertue of His resurrection unto the mortification of sinne and quickning of Spirit and bringing forth fâ—…uite unto God and this onely is that which is the ground of our life from Him The Life that I live I live by the Faith of the Sonne of God Lastly this Vnion unto Christ is compared unto Marriage Psal. 45. Eph. 5. 32 whereby the Church hath a right and proprietie created to the body name goods table possessions purchases of Christ and doth reciprocally become all His resigning its will wayes desires unto His governement Now for the discovery of this we may consider either the essentials or the consequents of marriage The former hath for the genuâ—… the most generall requisite consent and that must have these differencies and restrictions First it must bee a mutuall consent for though Christ declare His good will when He knocketh at our doores and beseecheth us in the ministry of His Word yet if we keepe our distance reject His tokens of Love and Favour and stop our eares to His invitations there is then no covenant made this is but a wooing and no marriage Secondly it must bee a present consent and in words de prâ—…senti or else it is onely a Promise but no Contract Many men like Balaam would faine die the death of the righteous but live their owne lives would faine belong to Christ at the last and have nothing to doe with Him ever before would have Him out of neede but not at all out of love and therefoâ—… for the present they put Him off Many other suiters they have whom they cannot deferre or denie till at last peradventure Hee grow jealous and wearie departs from them and turnes unto those who will esteeme Him worthy of more acceptation Seeing you put the Word from you faith the Apostle and judge your selves unworthy of Eternall Life Lo wee turne unto the Gentiles Thirdly it must be free and unconstrained for compulsion makes it a ravishment and not a marriage They who must be but one Bodie ought first to agree in the same free and willing resolution Many men when God slayes them will enquire earely after Him when Hee puts them upon a racke will give a forced consent to serve Him when Hee sends His Lions amongst them will send for His Priests to instruct them how to worship Him but this is onely to flatter with their lippes that they may escape the present paine like the howling devotion of some desperate Mariner in a storme not at all out of cordiall and sinceere affection wicked men deale no better with God then the froggs in the fable with the blocke which was throwne in to be their king When He makes a noyse and disturbes their peace when He falls heavie upon them they are sore affrighted and seeme to reverence His Power but if He suffer their streame to bee calme about them and stir not up His wrath they securely dance about Him and re-assume their wonted loosenesse Fourthly it must be without errour for hee that erres cannot consent If a woman take her selfe upon some absence of her husband to be now free from him and conceive him dead and thereupon marry againe if it appeare that the former husband is yet living there was a mistake and error in the person and so a nullity in the contract So if a man mistake himselfe judge himselfe free from his former tie unto sinne and the Law and yet live in obedience to his lusts still and is not cleansed from â—…is filthinesse he cannot give any full consent to Christ who â—…ill have a chaste spouse without adulterers or corrivals Lastly It must be an universall and perpetuall consent for all time and in all states and conditions This is a great difference betweene a wife and a strumpet A wife takes her husband upon all tearmes his burdens as well as his goods his troubles as well as his pleasures whereas a strumpet is onely for hire and lust when the purse is emptied or the body wasted the love is at an end So here He that will have Christ must have Him All for Christ is not divided must entertaine Him to all purposes must follow the Lambe wheresoever He goeth must leave Father Mother Wife Children his owne life for Christ must take as well His Yoake as His Crowne as well His Sufferings as His Salvation as well His Grace as His Mercie as well His Spirit to leade as His Blood to redeeme He that will be his owne Master to doe the workes of his owne will must if hee can bee his owne Saviour too to deliver his soule from the wrath to come The consequents and intendments of marriage are two Convictus Proles First mutuall societie Christ and a Christian must live together have intimate and deare acquaintance with each other the spirit of a Christian must solace it selfe in the armes and embracements in the riches and lovelinesse of Christ in his absence and removes long after Him in His presence and returnes delight in Him and entertaine Him with such pure affections and Heavenly desires as may make him take pleasure in His Beautie Secondly there must be a fruitfulnesse in us we must bring forth unto God Christ will not have a barren Spouse every one that loveth Him keepeth His Commandements Now then in one word to unfold the more distinct qualitie of this our union to Christ wee may consider a threefold unitie Of Persons in one nature of natures in one Person of natures and Persons in one qualitie In the first is one God In the second is one Christ. In the third is one Church Our union unto Christ is the last of these whereby Hee and we are all spiritually united to the making up of one mysticall Body The formall reason or bond of this union is the Spirit of Christ by which as by immortall and abiding seede we are begotten a new unto Christ. For He being the
principall discovery that Faith makes in Christ and that it fixeth upon is His love to us and this is a most soveraigne and superlative love Herein saith the Apostle God commended God heaped together His Love toward us in that while wee were yet sinners Christ died for us Rom. 5. 8. Secondly Faith having thus revealed to our hearts the Love of God in Christ doth kindle in them a reciprocall Love towards Christ againe working in us the same minde that is in Christ Phil. 2. 5. and enflaming our spirits to a retribution of Love for Love We have beleeved the Love that God hath to us saith the Apostle and therefore saith he we love Him because He loved us first 1. Ioh. 4. 16 19. Thus Faith worketh Love But now thirdly there is a further power in Faith for it doth not onely work Love but it worketh by Love as the text speakes that is it maketh use of that Love which it hath thus kindled as of a goad and incentive to further obedience for that Love which we repay unto Christ againe stirreth us unto an intimate and Heavenly communion with Him unto an entire and spirituall conformitie unto Him And the reason is because it is a conjugall Love and therefore a fruitefull love for the end of marriage is fructification Yee are become dead to the Law saith the Apostle by the body of Christ that yee should be married to another even to Him who is raised from the dead and the end of this spirituall marriage is added That we should bring forth fruite unto God which is presently after expounded That wee should serve in newnesse of Spirit Rom. 7 4 6. If a man Love mee saith our saviour he will keepe my Words and this obedience is the childe of Faith as it is set downe in the same place yee shall know that I am in my Father and you in me and I in you and immediately upon this Faith it followes He that bath my Commandements and keepeth them hee it is that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and will manifest my selfe unto Him Ioh. 14. 20. 21 22 23. In which place there are these things of excellent observation First the noble objects that Faith doth contemplate even the excellencie of Gods Love unto us in Christ. You shall know that I am in my Father in His bosome in His bowels in His dearest affection One with Him in mercie in counsell in power That He and I both goe one way have both one decree and resolution of Grace and compassion towards sinners And that you are in mee your nature in me your infirmities in me the punishment of your sinnes upon me that I am bone of your bone and flesh of your flesh that you are in my heart and in my tenderest affections that you were crucifiâ—…a together with me that you live togâ—…ther with 〈◊〉 that you sit together with mee in Heavenly places that â—… died your death that you rose my resurrection that I pray your prayers that you were my righteousnesse and that I am in you by my merits to justifie you by my Grace and Spirit to renew and purifie you by my Power to keep you by my wisedome to leade you by my Communion and Compassion to share with you in all your troubles these are the mysteries of the Love of the Father and the Sonne to us Now this Love kindleth a Love in us againe and that Love sheweth it selfe in two things First in having the Commandements of Christ that is in accepting of them in giving audience unto them in opening our eyes to see and our hearts to entertaine the wonders of the Law And secondly in keeping of them in putting to the strength of our Love for Love is as strong as Death it will make a man neglectfull of his owne life to serve and please the person whom he loves that so wee may performe the duties which so good a Saviour requires of us And now as our Love was not the first mover we loved Him because He loved us first So neither shall it be the last as the Father and the Son did by their first Love provoke ours so will they by their second Love reward ours And therefore it sollowes He that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him This is not ment of a new Love but of a further declaration of their former Love namely in a more close and familiar communion and Heavenly cohabitation with them wee will come unto Him and make our abode with Him we will shew Him our face we will make all our goodnesse to passe before Him wee will converse and commune with His Spirit we will Suppe with Him we will provide Him a feast of fatted things and of refined wine wee will open the breasts of consolation and delight Him with the aboundance of Glory Excellent to the purpose of the present point is that place of the Apostle 2. Cor. 5. 14 15. The Love of Christ saith he constraineth us that is either Christs Love to us by Faith apprehended or our Love to Christ by the apprehension of His Love wrought in us doth by a kinde of sweete and lovely violence winne and overrule our hearts not to live henceforth unto our selves but unto Him that died for us and rose againe and the roote of this strong perswasion is adjoyned namely because wee thus â—…udge because we know and beleeve that if one died for all then all are dead to the guilt and to the power of sinne and ought to live a new life conformable to the resurrection of Christ againe Therefore in two paralell places the Apostle useth promiscuously Faith and a new Creature In Christ Iesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but Faith which worketh by Love neither circumcision nor uncircumcision but a new creature The reason of which promiscuous acceptation the Apostle renders the inseparable union between faith and renovation If any man be in Christ he is a new Creature Secondly Faith gives us all good things requisite to our condition Adam was created Lord of his fellow inferiour Creatures invested with proprietie to them all In his fall hee made a forfeiture of every good thing which God gave him In the second Covenant a reconciliation being procur'd Faith entitling a man to the Covenant doth likewise re-invest him with the Creatures againe All things saith the Apostle are yours and hee opens the title and conveyance of them you are Christs and Christ is Gods 1. Cor. 3. 23. So elsewhere hee saith that the living God giveth us all things richly to enjoy that is not onely the possession but the use of the things 1. Tim. 6. 17. where by all things wee may understand first the libertie and enlargement of Christians as it stands in opposition to the pedagogie and discipline of Moses Law which distinguished the Creatures into cleane and
covetous practises on Gods owne Day count any time of their life any worke of their hand any sheaffe of their corne any penny of their purse throwne quite away even as so much bloud powr'd out of their veines which is bestow'd on the worship of God and on the service of the Altar but because men thinke that there is indeed more life in their monie and the fruits of their ground then in their God or the promises of his Gospell Else how could it possibly be if men did not in their hearts make God a lier as the Apostle speakes That the Lord should professe so plainely from this day upward since a stone hath beene layed of my house since you have put your selves to any charges for my worship I will surely blesse you and againe Bring all my tithes into my house and prove me if I will not open the windowes of heaven and powre a blessing upon you that there shall not be roome enough to hold it and againe He that hath pitty on the poore lendeth unto the Lord and that which he hath given will he pay him againe and againe If thou wilt hearken unto me and obserue to doe all these things then all these blessings shall come on thee and over-take thee blessings in the city and in the field c. If men did in good earnest personally and hypothetically beleeve and embrace these divine truths How could it be that men should grudge Almighty God and his worship every farthing which he requires from them of his owne gifts that they should date let the service and house of God lie dumbe and naked that they should shut up their bowels of compassion against their poore brethren and in them venture to denie Christ himselfe a morsell of bread or a mite of monie that they should neglect the obedience prophane the name word and worship of God use all base and unwarrantable arts of getting and all this out of love of that life and greedinesse of that gaine which yet themselves in their generall subscription to Gods truth have confessed will either never be gotten or at least never blessed by such cursed courses so prodigious a property is there in worldly things to obliterate all notions of God out of the heart of a man and to harden him to any impudent abominations I spake unto thee in thy prosperity saith the Lord but thou saidst I will not heare According to their pasture so were they filled they were filled and their heart was exalted therefore have they forgotten me Take heede lest when thou hast eaten and art full thine heart be lifted up and thou forget the Lord thy God Therefore it is that we reade of the Poorerich in faith and of the Gospell preached to the Poore and revealed unto babes because greatnesse and abundance stops the eare and hardens the heart and makes men stand at defiance with the simplicitie of the Gospell Now then that we may be instructed how to use the Creature as becommeth a dead and impotent thing wee may make use of these few directions First have thine Eye ever upon the Power of God which alone animateth and raiseth the Creature to that pitch of livelihood which is in it and who alone hath infinite wayes to weaken the strongest or to arme the weakest Creature against the stoutest sinner Peradventure thou hast as much lands and possessions as many sheepe and oxen as Iob or Nabal yet thou hast not the lordship of the clouds God can harden the heavens over thee hee can send the mildew and canker into thy corne the rot and murren into thy cattell though thy barnes bee full of corne and thy fats overflow with new wine yet he can breake the staffe of thy bread that the flowre and the winepresse shall not feed thee though thou have a house full of silver and gold he can put holes into every bagge and chinkes into every Cisterne that it shall all sinke away like a winter torrent God can either denie thee a power and will to enjoy it and this is as sore a disease as poverty it selfe or else hee can take away thy strength that thou shalt not relish any of thy choisest delicates he can send a stone or a gowte that shall make thee willing to buy with all thy riches a poore and a dishonorable health and which is yet worst of all he can open thy conscience and let in upon thy Soule that lyon which lies at the dore amaze thee with the sight of thine owne sinnes the historie of thine evill life the experience of his terrours the glimpses and preoccupations of hell the evident presumptions of irreconciliation with him the frenzie of Cain the despaire of Iudas the madnesse of Achitophel the trembling of Felix which will damp all thy delights and make all thy sweetest morsels as the white of an Egge at which pinch however now thou admire and adore thy thicke clay thou wouldest count it the wisest bargaine thou did'st ever make to give all thy goods to the poore to goe bare-foote the whole day with the Prophet Esay to dresse thy meate with the dung of a man as the Lord commanded the Prophet Ezekiel to feede with Micajah in a dungeon on bread of affliction and water of affliction for many yeeres together that by these or any other meanes thou mightest purchase that inestimable peace which the whole earth though changed into a Globe of Gold or Center of Diamond cannot procure So uttterly unable are all the Creatures in the world to give life as that they cannot preserue it intire from forraine or domestique assaults nor remove those dumps and pressures which doe any way disquiet it Secondly to remove this naturall deadnesse of the Creature or rather to recompence it by the accession of a Blessing from God use meanes to reduce it unto its primitive Goodnesse The Apostle shewes us the way Every Creature of God is good being sanctified by the Word of God and by Prayer In which place because it is a text then which there are few places of Scripture that come more into dayly and generall use with all sorts of men it will be needfull to unfold 1. What it meant by the sanctification of the Creature 2. How it is sanctified by the Word 3. How wee are to sanctifie it to our selves by Prayer For the first The Creature is then sanctified when the curse and poison which sin brought upon it is remooved when we can use the Creature with a cleane conscience and with assurance of a renewed and comfortable estate in them It is an Allusion to legall purifications and differences of meates Levit. 11. No Creature is impure of it selfe saith the Apostle in its owne simple created nature But in as much as the sinne of man forfeited all his interest in the Creature because eo ipso a man is legally dead and a condemn'd man is
utterly depriu'd the right of any worldly goods nothing is his ex jure but onely ex largitate and in as much as the sinne of man hath made him though not a sacrilegious intruder yet a prophane abuser of the good things which remaine partly by inditect procuring them partly by despising the author of them by mustering up Gods owne gifts against him in riot luxurie pride uncleanenesse earthly mindednesse hereby it comes to passe that to the uncleane all things are uncleane because their mindes and consciences are defiled Now the whole Creation being thus by the sinne of man uncleane and by consequence unfitted for humane use as Saint Peter intimates I never eate any thing common or uncleane it was therefore requisite that the Creature should have some Purification before it was unto men allowed Which was indeede legally done in the Ceremonie but really in the substance and body of the Ceremonie by Christ who hath now unto us in their use and will at last for themselves in their owne being deliver the Creatures from that vanity and malediction unto which by reason of the sinne of man they were subjected and fashion them unto the glorious liberty of the Children of God make them fit palaces for the saints to inhabit or conferre upon them a glory which shall bee in the proportion of their natures a suteable advancement unto them as the glory of the Children of God shall be unto them The bloud of Christ doth not onely renew and purifie the soule and body of man but washeth away the curse and dirt which adhereth to every Creature that man useth doth not only clense and sanctifie his church but reneweth all the Creatures Behold saith he I make All things New and if any man be in Christ not onely He is a New Creature but saith the Apostle All things are become New Those men then who keepe themselves out of Christ and are by consequence under the Curse as their persons so their possessions are still under the curse as their consciences so their estates are still uncleane they eate their meate like Swine rol'd up in dirt the dirt of their owne sinne and of Gods malediction So then the Creature is then sanctified when the curse thereof is washed away by Christ. Now secondly let us see How the Creature is sanctified by the Word By Word wee are not to understand the Word of Creation wherein God spake and all things were made Good and serviceable to the use of man For sinne came after that Word and defaced as well the goodnesse which God put into the Creature as his Image which he put into man But by Word I understand first in generall Gods Command and Blessing which strengtheneth the Creature unto those operations for which they serue in which sense our Saviour useth it Matth. 4. 4. and elsewhere If ye call those Gods unto whom the Word of God came that is who by Gods Authority and Commission are fitted for subordinate services of Gouernement under him say ye of him whom the Father hath sanctified that is to whom the Word of the Father and his Commission or Command came to whom the Father hath given Authoritie by his Power and fitnesse by his Spirit to Iudge and save the world Thou blasphemest because I said I am the Sonne of God Secondly by that Word I understand more particularly the Fountaine of that Blessing which the Apostle cals in generall the Word of Truth and more particularly The Gospell of Salvation and this word is a sanctifying Word Sanctifie them by thy truth thy Word is Truth and as it sanctifies us so it sanctifies the Creatures too it is the Fountaine not onely of Eternall but of Temporall Blessings And therefore we finde Christ did not onely say unto the sicke of the Palsie Thy sinnes are forgiven thee but also Arise and walke intimating that Temporall Blessings come along with the Gospell it hath the Promises as well of this life as that to come I never saw the righteous forsaken saith the Prophet David suteable to that of the Apostle He hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee nor their seed begging their bread That is never so wholly by God forsaken if they were the seed of the Righteous inheritors of their fathers hope and profession as to make a constant trade of begging their bread and so to expose the promises of Christ that they which seeke the kingdome of heaven shall have all other things added to them unto reproach and imputation from wicked men Or thus I never saw the righteous forsaken or their seede forsaken by God though they beg'd their bread but even in that extremitie God was present with them to sanctifie to their use and to give them a comfortable enjoyment of that very bread which the exigencie of their present condition had constrained them to begge Thus we see in generall That the Blessing or Command of God and the fountaine of that blessing the Gospell of Salvation doe sanctifie the Creature But yet neither by the Blessing nor the Gospell is the Creature effectually sanctified unto us till it be by us apprehended with the Word and Promise and this is done by Faith for the Word saith the Apostle profited not those that heard it because it was not mingled or temper'd with faith For Faith hath this singular operation to particularize and single out God and his Promises unto a mansselfe So then the Creature is sanctified by the Word and Blessing beleeved and embraced whereby we come to have a neerer right and peculiarity in the Creatures which we enjoy for being by Faith united unto Christ and made one with him which is that noble effect of faith to incorporate Christ and a Christian together we thereby share with him in the inheritance not onely of Eternall life but even of the common Creatures Fellow Heires we are and Copartners with him therefore in as much as God hath appointed him to be Heire of All things as the Apostle speakes we likewise in the vertue of our fellowship with him must in a subordinate sense be Heires of all things too All is yours saith the Apostle and you are Christs and Christ is Gods Fidelibus totus mundus divitiarum est The Saints saith Saint Austin have All the world for their possession And if it be here demanded how this can be true since wee finde the Saints of God often in great want and it would doubtlesse bee sinne in them to usurpe another mans goods upon presumption of that promise that Christ is theirs and with him all things To this I answere first in generall As Christ though he were the Heire of All things yet for our sakes became poore that we by his poverty might be made rich so God oftentimes pleaseth to make the faithfull partake not onely in the priviledges but in the poverty
quoad Regnum in regard of the dominion and government of it in regard of the vigorous operation which is in it First sinne is condemn'd Rom. 8. 3. and therein destinated and design'd to death It shall fully bee rooted out Secondly in the meane time it is disabled from a plenarie Rule over the conscience though the Christian be molested and pester'd with it yet he doth not henceforth serve it nor become its instrument to bee subject in every motion thereof as the weapon is to the hand that holds it but Christ and his love beare the sway and hold the Sterne in the heart Rom. 6 6. 〈◊〉 Cor. 5. 14 15. 1. Pet. 4. 1 2. Thirdly the sentence of the Law against sin is already in execution But we are to note that sinne though condemnd to die yet such is the severity of God against it it is adjudg'd to a lingring death a death upon the Crosse and in the faithfull sin is already upon a Crosse fainting struggling dying daily yet so as that it retaines some life still so long as we are here sinne will be as fast to our natures as a nailed man is to the Crosse that beares him Our Thorne will still bee in our flesh our Canaanite in our side our Twinns in our wombe our counterlustings and counterwillings though we be like unto Christ per primitias spiritus yet we are unlike him per Reliquias vetustatis by the remainders of our flesh not to sinne is here onely our Law but in heaven it shal be our Reward All our perfection here is imperfect Sinne hath its deaths blow given it but yet like fierce and implacable beasts it never le ts goe its hold till the last breath Animamque in vulnere ponit never ceaseth to infest us till it cease to bee in us Who can say I have made my heart cleane Cleanse thou be saith holy David from my secret sinnes Though I know nothing by my selfe yet am I not thereby iustified saith the Apostle and the reason is added He that iudgethme is the Lord which Saint Iohn further unfolds God is greater then our hearts and knoweth all things Which places though most dangerously perverted by some late Innovators which teach That a man may bee without secret sinnes that he may make his heart cleane from sinne and that Saint Paul was so doe yet in the experience of the holiest men that are or have been evince this truth that the lusts of the flesh will be and worke in us so long as we carry our mortall bodies about us And this God is pleased to suffer for these and like purposes First to convince and humble us in the experience of our owne vilenesse that wee may be the more to the prayse of the glory of his great grace As once Theophilus Bishop of Alexandria dealt with the Egyptian Idols after the embracement of Christianitie most he destroyed onely one of their Apes and Images he kept entire not as a monument of Idolatry but as a spectacle of sinne and misery that in the sight thereof the people might after learne to abhorre themselves that had liv'd in such abominable Idolatries Secondly to drive us still unto him to cast us alwayes upon the hold and use of our Faith that our prayers may still finde something to aske which hee may give and our repentance something to confesse which he may forgive Thirdly to proportion his mercy to his justice for as the wicked are not presently fully destroyed have not sentence speedily executed against them but are reserv'd unto their Day that they may be destroi'd together as the Psalmist speakes even so the righteous are not here fully saved but are reserv'd unto the great day of Redemption when they also shall be saved together as the Apostle intimates 1. Thess. 4. 17. Fourthly to worke in us a greater hatred of sinne and longing after glory therefore we have yet but the first fruites of the spirit that we should grone and waite for the Adoption and Redemption therfore are we burdened in our earthly tabernacle that we should the more earnestly groane to be cloathed upon with our House which is from Heaven Fiftly to magnifie the power of his Grace in the weakest of his members which notwithstanding that inhabiting Traytor which is ready to let in and entertaine every temptation shall yet make a poore sinfull man stronger in some respect then Adam was himselfe even able to overcome at last the powers of darkenesse and to be sufficient against all Satans buffets Lastly to commend the greatnesse of his mercy and salvation when we shall come to the full fruition of it by comparing it with the review of that sinfull estate in which here we lived when we were at the best without possibility of a totall deliverance Thirdly consider the great Contagion and pestilentiall humour which is in this sinne which doth not onely cleave unseparably to our nature but derives venome upon every action that comes from us For though we doe not say That the good works of the Regenerate are sinnes and so hatefull to God as our adversaries belie and misreport us for that were to reproach the spirit and the grace of Christ by which they are wrought yet this we affirme constantly unto the best worke that is done by the concurrence and contribution of our owne faculties such a vitiousnesse doth adhere such stubble of ours is superinduc'd as that God may justly charge us for defiling the grace he gave and for the evill which we mixe with them may turne away his eyes from his owne gifts in us Sinne in the facultie is poison in the fountaine that sheds infection into every thing that proceeds from it Ignorance and difficultie are two evill properties which from the fountaine doe in some measure diffuse themselves upon all our workes Whensoever thou art going about any good this evill will be present with thee to derive a deadnesse a dampe a dulnesse an indisposednesse upon all thy services an iniquitie upon thy holiest things which thou standest in neede of a priest to beare for thee Exod. 28. 38. and to remove from thee In the Law whatsoever an uncleane person touched was uncleane though it were holy flesh to note the evill quality of sinful nature to staine and blemish every good worke which commeth from it This is that which in thy prayers deads thy zeale fervencie humiliation selfe-abhorrencie thy importunitie faith and close attention this like an evill sauour mingleth with thy sacrifice casteth in impertinent thoughts wrong ends makes thee rest in the worke done and never enquire after the truth of thine owne heart or Gods blessing and successe to thy services This is it that in reading and hearing the Word throwes in so much prejudice blindnesse inadvertency security infidelity misapplication misconstruction wresting and shaping the word to our selves This is that which in thy meditations makes thee roving and unsetled