a secret curse upon all that live after the flesh upon all they have all they do which curse is a sore death all who are cursed are dead while they live Fifthly If ye live after the flesh so as hath been declared ye will at last not only dye a natural but a cursed death when you come to dye naturally you 'l dye cursedly wretchedly as Christ saith ye shall dye in your sins if you live in them you shall dye in them under the curse of God due to them And so ye shall dye the second death when your bodies shall dye and go to the grave your souls shall dye and go to hell when your souls shall leave your bodies God will wholly leave them when they shall be separated from their earthly Tabernacle they shall be shut out from that building which is eternal in the heavens and from God perfectly ye shall so dye that ye shall be killed and killed with death Rev. 2.23 death will come upon you and hell at the heels of it Rev. 6.8 So shall ye be killed with death and Devils In which condition your souls will abide to the appearing of Christ and then your bodies shall be raised to partake with them in misery raised to the resurrection of damnation which is opposed to the resurrection of life Joh. 5.29 so your whole man your souls and bodies together will remain in a forlorn dead woeful state without end for ever and ever Q. 4. How doth this appear how may it be proved that they who live after the flesh shall dye A. It appears many wayes by many arguments from Scripture and sound reason take a hint of some 1. They who live after the flesh are not truely in Christ Rom. 8.1 they who are in Christ walk not after the flesh therefore they who do live after the flesh are not in Christ they have no interest in him no part in him so they must needs dye for not being in Christ they are not under Christ's righteousness they have nothing to do with that v. 4. the righteousness of the Law is fulfilled in us in our nature for us who walk not after the flesh Christ performed righteousness only for such It is applyed accounted to such and no other therefore they who live after the flesh are unrighteous in the sight of God they stand guilty before the justice of God dye then they must because not partakers of that righteousness which justifieth to life and as they are not in Christ so Christ is not in them Christ hath not taken hold of them his spirit is not in them therefore they belong not to him they are none of his Rom. 8.9 and if they are none of his then life is none of theirs the Fathe bath given to the Son to have life in himself he quickens whom he will but none have life from him unless they belong to him Secondly They who live after the flesh are in the flesh they are in its hands under its power therefore shall dye as one who is in the hand of his mortal enemy and while any are in the flesh they cannot please God Rom. 8.8 and whoever cannot please God shall not be pleased with life by God but shall dye Thirdly To live after the flesh is to live in a direct contrariety to God to his will his law his nature He is a pure spirit not flesh at all in any sense much less in the worst sense he is holy holy holy in him is no darkness at all not any appearance or shadow of sin so that whoever live after the flesh do turn their backs upon God they depart they go far from him they live most directly contrary to him how then can they but dye forasmuch as God is the fountain of living waters the living God for they who live not shall dye none can live unless God give them life God will not give life to any who continue his enemies to depart from him in a direct opposition to him Gods soul cannot but depart from such his wrath cannot but be kindled against them shall they not then dye for as in his favour is life so in his wrath is death Fourthly They who live after the flesh are the servants of it living after it being a doing service to it the flesh is their Lord and Mâ—ster therefore they must have the wages of the flesh Rom. 6.16 his servants ye are to whom ye obey if of sin then unto death how so v. last for the wages of sin is death God in justice as the Judg of the world is engaged to see to it that they who live to sin have the wages of sin Destâ—uction and misery are in the wayes of the flesh Rom. 3.16 therefore they who live in those wayes cannot but dye as surely as he that drinks and continues to drink the most deadly poyson He that walks in any way will come to the end of it at last therefore the end of the wayes of sin bring death they who continue therein will surely dye in the end If the wind blow direct to the shore and the Ship sail just before the wind the helm not being turn'd where will it be by and by will it not be on shore on the ground if the Boat still continue going down the stream it will be in the Sea e're long into which all Rivers run the flesh that is as the wind that blows direct hellward as the stream that runs directly into the bottomless pit he that lives after the flesh he sails before the wind he goes down with the stream think then where will he be after a little while if he turn if he stop not That which every man sows that shall be reap reason and experience say that 's past question beyond any doubt if a man sow tares he cannot reap wheat but must have his harvest of tares so he that sowes to the flesh shall of the flesh reap Corruption destruction Gal. 6.7 8. Be not deceived which intimates many are so God is not mocked couzened though men oft are so whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap you know it is so outwardly and so it is as sure spiritually for he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap Corruption spiritual Corruption which is the worst Ag. If any live after the flesh it hath their heart it hath seized on their heart it hath possession and dominion there therefore they 'l dye as when a grievous Disease gets to the heart suppose the Plague if once it get to the heart you know what follows unless it be speedily expelled or driven thence Lust is to the soul that which the Plague is to the body if ye live after the flesh the Plague is now already at in your heart it hath the command of your will and affections Moreover to live after the flesh is to live after Satan 1 Tim. 5.15 some are already turned aside after Satan though he be not
Rev. 4.4 I saw twenty four Elders sitting clothed in white raiment and they had on their heads crowns of gold That is durable glorious crowns given them with respect to their conquering And what then V. 10. They fall down before the throne and woâ—ship him that liveth for ever and ever and cast their crowns before the throne saying thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory honour and power as if they had said though we are crowned yet we in our selves are not worthy of our crowns but thou art worthy of glory honour and power for by the power of thy spirit it is that we have vanquished our enemies and have won these Crowns It 's another principal way of grieving the spirit when we mortifying any sin through it do take the glory to our selves which we do when we grow high minded and puf't up in our spirits thereby And it 's one of the best evidences that our sins are indeed mortified by the holy spirit when our pride is mortified so that we are still humble as well when we overcome this or that lust as when we are overcome by it There is no sin more hatefull to the spirit of God than pride is therefore it helping us against other sins it will surely smite that Lastly Be exhorted to get more of the spirit you who are endued with it who have it dwelling in you Ephes 5.18 Be filled with the spirit the spirit is given by degrees and in divers measures the more you are filled with it the more you 'l be emptied of your lusts through it the more effectually and easily will you prevail against every sin that hath been too hard for you But how shall we gain more of the spirit I answer The same way the spirit is received at first more thereof is to be attained and that 's by faith The more we act faith on Christ and on the promises and the more we earnestly pray in faith the more shall we receive and be filled with that mighty sin-killing lust destroying spirit of the Lord. Sermon 8. and Last I Am now come to the last thing to be considered in this Text which I shall briefly dispatch and put an issue thereto D. 3. That they who do mortifie the deeds of the body of sin through the spirit they shall live As they who live after the flesh shall dy so they who do mortifie the affections lusts and motions of the flesh shall live so be it that they do this through the spirit because else it s not done in truth and to purpose And there is this difference to be remembred they who live after the flesh deserve tody they earn the wages of death it 's not so here that they who mortifie the deeds of sin do deserve to live for though as the Apostle saith Ro. 6. last The wages of sin is death yet the gift of God is eternall life through Jesus Christ God freely gives life and Christ hath by his obedience to death obtain'd it 1 Joh. 3.9 In this was manifested the love of God towards us because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him Christ was sent to dye that we might live otherwise we could never by any means have had life yet is this the mortification of sin the way to though not the cause of life it necessarily preceeds life Two things I shall speak a little to before I come to the Application 1. Shew how they shall live who do this 2. Give some reasons for the confirmation of the truth How shall they live who do this answer look how they shall dye who live after the flesh in a contrary way shall they live who mortifie the deeds of the flesh First If we do this we shall live the life of grace of holiness which is called the life of God Eph. 4.18 Having the understanding darkned being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their heart How excellent how desirable is their life which is the life of God even that life shall we live let us but get our sin dead through the Spirit of God Christ the Son of God will live in us Gal. 2.20 I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me He did through Christ dwelling in him live a spiritual holy life so shall we live it 's true none can do any thing this way to purpose till they are quickned and have some spiritual life in them can those who lye dead in their graves kill the worms that feed upon them No more can any while they lye dead in their sins mortifie their sins they have not the spirit therefore cannot act through it But if we do destroy our corruptions through the spirit then we are quickned and we shall retain that spiritual life we have 2 Pet. 1.10 If ye do these things ye shall never fall never fall as Adam did so as to lose our spiritual life as they of whom the Apostle speaks that they are twice dead though he means not that ever they had a reall principle of spiritual life should it be that any of us who have the spirit should grow quite negligent in this work of subduing our sins should we altogether give it over then should we become like those twice dead sin as I may say would choak would strangle our souls or the new creature in us But we continuing to keep under and to slay our sins so the life of grace we have shall be retained and we shall not fall into a dead frame yea thus shall we have life more abundantly we shall be more lively God-ward in all duties and good works Rev. 3.2 3. Christ exhorteth the Church of Sardis to strengthen the things that did remain which were ready to dye and for that end biddeth them repent mortifie their sin through the neglect whereof some good things were even as dead already and others were in a dying case it will not be so with us if we herein do our duty but all good will live in us and it will grow more lively so we shall be farther and farther from dying Secondly We shall live a life of peace and comfort as it is Gal. 5.25 we shall live in the spirit in the peace comfort and joy thereof the Kingdom of God we read consists in righteousness peace and joy in the Holy Ghost but the more we mortifie our sin through the spirit the more of the Kingdom of God as it consists in righteousness whereupon also we shall have the more of the Kingdom of God as it consists in peace and joy in the Holy Ghost we shall have the more sense of our justification and of our peace with God a more clear discerning of the forgiveness of our iniquities a more quiet and acquitting conscience more of the rejoycing of the testimony of a good conscience and the very slaying of our corruptions because they are
DEATH AND LIFE OR Sins Life the Sinners Death Sins Death the Saints Life BEING The Sum of Eight SERMONS on Romans 8.13 By Samuel Malbon Preacher of the Word of life in Amsterdam Deut. 32.29 O that they were wise that they understood this that they would consider their latter end London Printed for John Allen living in Wentworth-street near Bell-Lane 1669. Christian Reader THe Author of these Sermons having for several years been absent from this his Native Country being Pastor to a Church of Christ at Amsterdam may be under some disadvantage as to his esteem in the hearts of those that fear the Lord by reason that neither his person nor his name is well known unto them And so through ignorance or misapprehension they may omit the purchase of this Book which may through grace be of much use and benefit to their souls Therefore we have thought it meet and a duty for thy good to prefix a few words in a way of recommendation of the person to thee that as his name is sweet and precious amongst those Saints and people to whom he Preaches so both himself and this his work may be readily and cheerfully received by Thee and others of God's life-breathing ones here in England He is a man ready in the Scriptures and much acquainted with the mind of God therein painful spiritual and powerful in his Preaching to the conviction conversion and edification of many souls Having large experiences of God's goings in and dealings with his own soul in a way of grace by his Spirit And one who lives in the Spirit and walks up exemplarily to that light and life which is communicated freely and richly to him by Jesus Christ the Mediator who is the soul fountain of both And as for this his work it carries its own praise with it and needs not our Testimony only give us leave to say thus much that it is plain sound spiritual lively and practical well suited to every capacity You will find the Text with many other Scriptures truely and clearly opened The Doctrines genuinely deduced rightly stated fully proved and Illustrated doubts assoiled Mistakes rectified Errors enervated Objections answered and the Application faithful home searching pathetical full of perswasion and life In sum the Design and Endeavour of this sweet Preacher in these Sermons is very glorious viz. To discover lurking soul beguiling and destroying Hypocrisie To lay open the false bottoms that many stand upon for eternity To bring souls to a full and entire close with Jesus Christ by faith the only foundation of eternal salvation and to entertain and cherish the Holy Spirit in its workings To eradicate soul-polluring corruption and further the true mortification of internal bosom lusts By shewing whence and how it is effected what is the power that produces carries on and perfects it And to work up Saints to a living unto God in the life of God that they may escape death and attain at last everlasting life in the vision of God The footsteps of which design are manifestly apparent in these Sermons And the fruits of his faithful and laborious Endeavours are to be seen and read in the hearts and lives of many of his hearers which through the blessing of God upon thy diligent and serious perusal thereof may be experienced by Thee also so as Thou mayest in Christ's strength come in as a Conquerour over all thy spiritual enemies and joyn with those mentioned in the close of this Book who have the Palms of victory and Harps of joy in their hands to sing praises to the Lord and say Glory Honour and Dominion be unto our God Father Son and Holy Ghost Father who hath sealed and freely sent his only begotten and dearly beloved Son into the world that by his death I might have life Son who hath finished the work the Father gave him to do who hath dyed is risen again and ascended and as a fruit of all hath received and sent the Holy Ghost to apply and produce that spiritual life And Holy Ghost who as the Comforter is come and hath sweetly graciously wisely faithfully and all-prevailingly accomplish'd that living work in my soul Therefore buy and read this Book Reading meditate Meditating pray and Praying remember Thy real Friends and Soul's Welwishers William Greenehill Joseph Caryl Thomas Malery Richard Lawrence To the Reader YOur greatest good is aimed at in this little Book Let me ask you a plain but serious question how fareth your Soul that pretious that immortal Soul within you As by natural sense you could soon answer a like question concerning your Body so by a quick spirituall sense may this be answered Christ our Saviour speaks Luke 16.11 of the true riches outward riches are not the true riches so there is a true health bodily health is not the true health 3 Ep. John v 2. Beloved saith that beloved Disciple I wish above all things thou majest prosper and be in health even as thy soul prospereth but to the generality there is cause to wish that they may prosper and be in health as their body prospereth for the most have far more prosperity health in their outward than in their inward man Either you are under the foot of your natural Lusts or they are in a good degree under your foot either you are overcome by them or you overcome them If the former either you are so and yet senselesse and secure which is the miserable condition of the greater part of men then here 's a word of conviction continuing as you are the word of truth saith you shall dy or being sensible and awake you do strive and strugle against your corruptions without victory which is the sad case of many then here 's a rule of direction all your endeavours against your sin must be through the spirit If the latter if you are victorious over your lusts which war against your souls which is the happinesse but of a comparative few then here 's a Cup of consolation for you he who cannot ly saith you shall live Take thine own portion learn thine own Lesson In that great day when the Books shall be opened then shall this Book with all other have a far more open publication and how it came to be printed and what my end in it is and what the fruit of it shall be will be revealed men's writings are called their works we say the works of such a one and not without reason according to these works shall it be rendred by that just that wise Judge in that day to every one who worketh in this kind I had much rather therefore write that which is profitable though not honourable than that which is honourable and not profitable or that which is good meanly than any thing that is evill eligantly Seeing the Scriptures themselves are so dislik't and found fault with by so many no wonder if this piece meet with hard censures Rom. 14.4 Who art thou that judgest
flesh willeth and his doing thereof be a real trouble a heart grief to him if the flesh its commands be grievous as the overflowings of the gall very bitter as the workings of a sick Stomach if a man's heart be afflected and humbled if it mourn and sigh when he is led away at any time by any fleshly motion then doth he not live after the flesh but rather dyeth after it or is dead to it for it is as death to him that he sins Eccles 7.26 Fourthly Living after the flesh takes in constantness continualness doing the will of the flesh continually as while life lasteth a man liveth daily hourly though not alwayes alike and he be not still busied about the same things but sometimes he 's more lively sometimes lest now he eats then he sleeps sometimes follows his calling or talks or walks Thus a man who liveth after the flesh he is even continually fulfilling one Lust or other thereof one way or other either more or less openly vigorously actively still he acts according to the dictates or movings of sin within him according as the flesh commands and moves which is somtimes more sometimes less strongly absolutely peremptorily and forcibly so he obeys that is ever commanding somthing as there is opportunity occasion temptation and the man who liveth after it is even ever doing inwardly if not outwardly something in obedience to its command When you say of a man he liveth after a high rate he liveth prodigally you do not mean that only now and then he makes an extraordinary meal or is at some extraordinary expense but that in his ordinary course he 's extravagant expensive above his estate ability and quality so to live after the flesh is not now and then in some extraordinary case to follow the flesh but for a man to act according to it in ordinary Fifthly Living after the flesh includes continuance and perseverance as every man liveth till he dyeth so that man who lives after the flesh and shall dye he doth live after it till he dye for if any man hath followed his lust though very much as before express'd willingly freely and wilfully affectionately and continually for a long time yet he at length truely ceasing while here so to live if he heartily turn and alter his course notwithstanding all that 's past he shall not dye in the sense of my text Ezek. 18.21.22 In a word if you spend your life as the fresh moves you to spend it if you order your conversation while you live after the inclinations of that corruption that is in you then ye shall dye I desire that this may be well understood what living after the flesh is for on your right understanding thereof depends you profiting by this truth two things are necessary thaâ— this Doctrine may become effectual and do us good the one is that we beleive in our hearts that if wâ— thus live the end thereof will be our death thâ— other is that we be enlightned rightly to perceive and judge what living after the flesh meaneth therefore I purpose to lay this open more particularly when I come to the use of examination Q. 3. How shall they dye who do live after thâ— flesh A. I suppose none of you need to be told a meer natural death is nothere intended seeing it 's appointed once to all men to dye that death whatever their life be But a spiritual dying is understood that respects the soul and whole man in a spiritual sense Sometimes to dye in Scripture is used for being near death lyable to or in danger of dying so the Apostle saith I dye daily we are killed all the day long thus it 's true ye shall dye ye will be in great danger of dying yea though ye live after the flesh only in some degree you 'l deserve death you 'l be deservedly liable thereto whenever you do but begin to step after the flesh into the hands of death even the worst death will ye fall unless infinite mercy prevent But my Text speaks of more than a bare lyableness or danger as in the following words if ye through the spirit mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live more is meant than barely a hope of life so by ye shall dye more is intended than danger of death ye shall dye actually certainly unavoidably but how A. First Ye shall dye in this world as to the loss of Gods special gracious presence God is our life so far as God leaves us and departs from us so much death but if we live after the flesh God will depart his soul will depart from us Jer. 6.8 He 'l leave us as he left Saul who thereupon dyed before he dyed because God was gone his life was gone so God will go from us he 'l draw in the beams of his favour he 'l hide himself he 'l take his good spirit from us And thereupon Secondly You 'l dye as to all Spiritual good that you have or seem to have you will by degrees lose your light your convictions gracious motions I and your very profession it self or the liveliness of it and that good that may have been in your conversation it will be with you at best as with the Church of Sardis Rev. 3.1 if you retain a name to live yet will you he dead dead as 1. Tim. 5.9 she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth you 'l be twice dead as it 's said elsewhere some are dead dead by nature dead in sin and dead as to the loss of that conviction that light that affection that holiness they made a shew off Thirdly Ye shall dye as to inward peace comfort joy as Nabal's heart dyed within him it lost that comfort mirth it had before and through grief became as dead so your heart will dye you 'l either have no peace no joy or none that 's worth the having none but such as you had better be without such as is rather the death than the life of the soul Rom. 7.9 Sin revived and I dyed and the Commandment which was ordained to life I found to be unto death he intends he lost his former considence hope peace and joy so shall ye dye Fourthly Ye shall dye ye shall lose the blessing of God in all you are all ye have and all ye do whatever any have without Gods blessing they are dead in the possession of it whatever they do they are dead in doing it it is a dead enjoyment a dead work that is not blessed of God life is but a death if it be not blessed every comfort of life is as without life it 's not a living comfort if not blessed to us but living after the flesh removes the blessing far from us and brings a curse upon us as it 's said I 'le curse thee in thy basket in thy store in all thou settest thy hand to and I will curse thy blessings there is it not a manifest yet
are the greatest enemies of all to thy sin and they are the best friends of all to thy soul therefore the more any one is a friend to thy sin the worse enemy he is to thy soul and the more any one is an enemy to thy sin the better friend he is to thy soul do thou so account be so perswaded this will help to the mortifying thy sin for it will keep thine ear open to reproof and make way for the sinking of wholsom words into thine heart whereas if thou thinkest he that hates thy sin hates thee which is too ordinary and he that flatters and humors thee in thy evil affections and so is a friend to them loves thee this will keep thy sin alive and nourish it greatly for it will cause thee to give ear to those things that will feed thy corruption Much more might have been said and more may be spoken afterward let thus much suffice at present Sermon 4. Q. 4. WHy is it a necessary duty to mortifie the deeds of the body A. It is most manifest that this is a necessary duty that there is an Absolute necessity lying upon us all and upon me and thee every one of you not only because it is commanded but it is necessary in it self and for our own good It is necessary that we may escape death for if we do not mortifie the deeds of the flesh we shall live after the flesh and so dye at last They say a Crocodile and a man seldom meet but one of them dyeth for it if the man kill not the Crocodile the Crocodile will kill the man This is true of every deed of the body of sin either a man must kill it or he will be killed by it kill or be killed is most true as to all sin The words I am upon teach this is necessary to life and that must be if it be necessary to the escaping death But to evince this by some particulars First Is it not necessary that a deadly disease be mortified you know it is it will mortifie if it be not mortified but sin is the disease of the soul and it 's deadly as the Apostle James saith when it 's finished it brings forth death and as the Apostle Paul saith it brings forth fruit unto death No disease whatever more deadly to the body than every unmortified deed of the flesh is to the soul a bodily disease hurts not the soul but an unmortified lust hurts soul and body with the greatest hurt is it not necessary then to be mortified or is it not necessary that a mettal enemy that 's near a man be slain if possible there being no other way to avoid death by his hands but to lay him dead at ones feet much more is it necessary to destroy our sins there being no other way to escape death by them or no way effectual without this and no enemy hurtful as our lusts unsubdued are It is indeed only sin unmortified that can do us any hurt real or abiding hurt the world could not mischief us Satan could not prejudice us were all our lusts laid dead as they should be therefore well said one of the Martyrs in a letter to his Wife be alwayes an enemy to the world and to the Devil but especially to your own flesh your own corruption But we lye open to the malice of all enemies if any sin be suffered to live in us a lust unmortified is as an open door to let Satan into our souls it gives him hold of us it is as dry tinder whereby we may presently be set on fire or as a Barrel of Gun-powder as I may say within us whereby he may come and blow us up If we mortifie our sins then do we mortifie the world and Satan in their power over us but if we do not then will the world be our Master and Satan will be Lord over us Secondly Is it not necessary that we love God and Christ and his Commandments and our own souls and one another but we love none of these unless we mortifie the deeds of the body we love not God because he hates those Deeds he is dishonored by them offended and provoked and his Spirit is grieved and quenched thereby Jam. 4.4 the friendship of the world is enmity to God whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God so as to every deed of the flesh the friendship thereof is enmity to God whosoever therefore is a friend thereof is an enemy of God Nor do we love Christ because the deeds of the body put him to death and are quite contrary to the deeds which he did If ye love me saith Christ keep my Commandments and if we keep his Commandments we must needs break the Commandments of sin and so mortifie the deeds of the body Nor do we love the Commandments of God and Christ because all sinful deeds are directly opposite thereto and this is one of the Lords Commandments that we mortifie our sins yea every Commandment implyes this in that we can keep no Command truely heartily unless our lusts are mortified Nor do we love our own souls because all the deeds of the body war against it and are destructive to it to let sin live quietly in us is too plainly to hate our souls for it is to give entertainment to the enemy the worst enemy of them Prov. 29.24 he that is partner with a Thief hateth his own soul he heareth cursing and bewrayeth it not so doth he hate his own soul who hath this and that lust stirring in him and destroyeth it not Nor do we love or can we love one another in truth for true love only groweth in a pure heart hence it 's said 1 Pet. 1.22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently but no heart purity except the corruptions of the heart be slain Jam. 4.1 from whence come wars and fightings among you he meaneth quarrels strifes and contentions which are caused by want of love come they not saith he even of your lusts that war in your members Yes thence it 's sure they come there would be no wars nor fightings of any kind but for the lusts that are in men and whence is it that mens lusts do cause any such things but because they are not mortified Thirdly Let me ask is it not necessary that we hate our corruptions either we must hate them or we shall love them but we do not hate them in good earnest with a right hatred except we seek the mortification of them no hatred of sin is true and right which is not deadly which doth not carry us forth in endeavours to trample it dead under our feet to crucifie it and let out it's heart blood As when Cain hated his brother he kill'd him all heart hatred inclines a man to
wish and if it may be to seek the death of its object Hence we read 1 Joh. 3.15 Whoso hateth his brother is a Murderer and ye know that no Murderer hath eternal life abiding in him Fourthly Is it not necessary that we escape condemnation in the day of judgment but this we cannot unless we mortifie the deeds of the body for the Scripture assures us in that day the Lord will render to every one according to his deeds Rom. 2.5 6. Now is the day of salvation now is the accepted time 2 Cor. 6.2 but yet after a little while there will be a day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God and then O then even then will the Lord God himself render to every one of us according to our deeds but what are our deeds A. The deeds of the body of sin are our deeds if we mortifie them not for then we allow them as they say the receiver is as bad as the thief so if we entertain and give way to the lustings and out-goings of corrupt nature we make our selves even as bad as it we are as guilty as the old man the body of sin is they are as partners with their corruption who seek not its destruction therefore according to all the deeds of our corruption will the Lord render to us in that day if we mortifie them not but O! Alas what a recompense what wo what sore punishment when God even the most High and Almighty one himself and that in the day of wrath shall render to a poor creature a miserable man according to all the lusts and lustings of sin all the members and motions and works of the body of sin in him Fifthly Is it not necessary that we perform acceptable service to God This will not be cannot be that we serve or worship God so that what we do should be accepted of him unless we mortifie the affections and motions of sin within us for our iniquities if not subdued will defile all we do so that it will be loathsom and abominable to God our lusts if suffered to live in us will either quite draw us off from serving God or they will mortifie all our services they will make them as dead services altogether odious and hateful to the Lord Isa 1.11 12 c. To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me saith the Lord c. bring no more vain oblations Incense is an abomination to me the new Moons and Sabbaths the calling of Assemblies I cannot away with it is iniquity the solemn meeting Your new Moons and your appointted Feasts my soul hateth they are a trouble unto me I am weary to hear them Why because their lusts were unmortified therefore it 's said v. 16. Wash ye make you clean put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes cease to do evil And no wonder for if our lusts are let alone and entertained as friends not dealt with as enemies then are not our hearts upright with God we are no better than Hypocrites in all that we do Corruption living and prevailing keeps our hearts from God it fetters imprisoneth and shackles our souls that they cannot follow after God Every lust any one sin not mortified it doth bind a man hand and foot as to any right performance to God so it will be most just for Christ to say to all whose sins are not mortified as he foretells us he will say Take them bind them hand and foot and cast them into outer darkness because they suffered themselves as if Christ should say to be taken and bound hand and foot by their corruptions And would not endeavour by destroying them to set themselves at liberty that they might walk in the light therefore take them you Executioners of my wrath take them and bind them hand and foot and cast them into outer darkness Sixthly Let me add but this is it not necessary that we should have Communion with God fellowship with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ but how shall this be sure our sins must first be mortified because the Father is most holy and the Son is most holy should God grant us Communion with himself while any of our corruptions are harboured and not wounded not brought under but have dominion in us he must have fellowship with them even with our sins which is impossible 2 Cor. 6.14 15. What fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness and what Communion hath light with darkness and what Concord hath Christ with Belial We are exhorted to have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but we have fellowship with the deeds of the body of sin if we comply with them and mortifie them not and we thereby have Communion with Satan It is as sure some have Communion with Satan in this world as it is that some have fellowship with God and who are they who have Communion with Satan but such whose hearts are in league with their sins therefore such can have no fellowship with God nor can it be that God should draw nigh to them in a way of Communion So then I need say no more it abundantly appears it is necessary of exceeding great necessity that we do mortifie the deeds of the body Q. 5. Why is this to be done constantly A. This is a duty and work about which we must be conversant wherein we must be exercised continually all the dayes of our life therefore the Apostle saith if ye mortifie not if ye have mortified noting to us that this is a business we are daily all our life long to be employed in And the reasons hereof are manifest First Because as hath before been said the body of sin continueth in all while their natural visible body liveth in this world the Apostle Paul himself complains and cryeth out because of this body of death of sin which is as death and this body of sin is still bringing forth sowr grapes vile fruit there are new lustings of corruption every day hence we read the flesh lusteth against the spirit that is constantly daily and Jam. 4.5 the spirit that is in us lusteth to envy so it lusteth to worldliness to discontent impatience pride wrath c. Therefore we must constantly keep warring against our sin its motions are still renewed therefore we must still renew our blows our opposition our endeavour for their mortification a if fire break forth and it be beaten in or quench't yet so that it is still burning still flaming and issuing forth again then there is greet need why there should be still endeavours to extinguish it But the bare continuance and constant working of corruption is not all Secondly Satan is still endeavouring to quicken the deeds of the body he is still seeking to stir up this and the other lust in us to ingender hatch or beget new sinful motions in us in our corrupt nature The body of sin is as I may call it
with themselves but they carried their lusts away with them as Ahitophel and Judas some have macerated themselves almost starved themselves yet the body of sin and the deeds thereof have been fat and flourishing they have put themselves to much suffering and yet their lusts have lived still and some are much mortified in their outward man by great afflictions by old age yet their sinful affections have had no wound thereby though perhaps through the weakness of their bodies some of them have not so much appeared as they were wont Yet in some cases keeping under the body is a helpful means to the subduing of lust so be it it be not in a superstitious way hence that 1 Cor. 9.27 I keep under my body and bring it into subjection lest that by any means when I have preached to others I my self should be a cast away Secondly The Apostle speaks not of mortifying your temptations to sin though these are to be avoided a man may not have those temptations â—â—ich he had his temptations may be as mortified 〈◊〉 â—emoved and yet his corruptions be the same as 〈◊〉 is the same in a storm and in a calm when 〈◊〉 â—nd is still that is still but the nature of the sea is not changed so a mans corruption may not work as it did though it be the same that it was because he is not tempted as he was Thirdly The Apostle speaks not of hiding covering and cloaking the deeds of the flesh so that they should not appear to men this may be a mans sins may be hid and yet be as and more lively in him than when they did shew themselves Absalom hid his malice against his brother Amnon but it lived and increased in him all the while the Scribes and Pharisees covered their malice against Christ when they came to him and gave him good words but never more malicious than at that very time so Judas cloaked his covetousness the truth is this hiding and cloaking sin is a great deed of the flesh it is Hypocrisie a Hypocrite through his shews and pretenses may seem to others yea and to himself for many Hypocrites deceive themselves to have his lusts in a great degree destroyed and yet they have as much and more life than ever Fourthly The Apostle saith not if ye restrain hold or stop the working of sin this may also be corruption may be a while restrained through afflictions conviction common workings and yet be far from any degree of death as Saul's envy was restrained and stop'd insomuch that he ceased his pursuing David yet his heart was full of envy still Fifthly The Apostle speaks not of changing the deeds of the body one for another as Prodigality for covetousness open prophaness for formality or the like this oft is a man steps out of one dirty path into another he leaves one way of death and walks in another but so that he is never the nearer life because though his sin be changed it 's not mortified These things might have been enlarged but I have only hinted them yet are they worthy of great consideration it 's not said if ye mortifie your selves nor if ye mortifie your temptations or they be mortified nor if ye cover and cloak your sins nor if ye restrain and stop your lusts in their workings nor if you change your corruptions one for another but if you mortifie your iniquities if you kill and truely destroy the deeds of the body of sin it is this and nothing less than this the actual real slaying our lustings and lusts that is necessarily required to life See then that you mistake nor search examine prove your selves concerning this is it so that ye do actually truly kill slay your sins take away their very life are you really bent in your hearts to this work and intent upon this business Q. How shall we know that A. 1. If so you make use of all means you know or hear of in seeking the mortification of the deeds of the flesh If men seek to kill any hurtful creature to destroy an enemy they not only do something but every thing they know or are told may conduce thereto till their design be accomplish'd If one means do not do they use another and another till there be no more that they can do So you use all means to destroy the deeds of sin in you there is no one thing you know or are told that is a good lawful means for the ruining the lustings of the flesh but you give your selves to the practise thereof yea you are inquisitive still what is yet to be done as that young man said to Christ What lack I yet so you say what is more to be done for the slaying my sin And you have a readiness to embrace any direction that from Scripture or good and warrantable experience you may be acquainted with Yea it is no small joy and delight to you to hear how you may overcome your iniquities if you hear any thing you before have not known or taken notice of it is to you as if you heard some means to cure a sore and deadly disease Secondly You endeavour to mortifie inward secret sins as really as cordially as outward open sins those which are known only to God as well and as much as those which are manifest in the sight of men And you do follow every sin to its natural seat to your heart and there seek to destroy it as men that follow their enemies to their doors and seek to ruine them there where they dwell or are entrench'd so you follow your corruptions and do your utmost to destroy them not only in their appearances abroad but within where they dwell and lodge Thirdly You search after your sins not being content your selves to mortifie those you know but you enquire and look without and within and round about whether there be not some that you know not as one who in war searcheth after his enemies to find out those that hide themselves in the hedges behind the bushes among the trees or in any secret place It 's said of ungodly men they make a diligent search after the sins of those they bare ill will to Ps 64.6 they search out iniquities they accomplish a diligent search So a gracious soul who hates his sins with a perfect deadly hatred he searcheth out his own iniquities he accomplisheth not only begins but goes through stitch with a diligent search divers sins lye secret so deep and stick so close they are not easily to be perceived therefore one whose heart is truly stirred in holy zeal against his sins he searcheth narrowly diligently as that woman Christ speaks of for her lost groat that he may come to the knowledge of them in order to their mortification Fourthly If you are engaged with your whole soul in this work then you do get ground upon the deeds of the flesh they are really weakned and impaired as the house of
it had been so in comparison of those stirrings of it which he found when the Law came to his conscience verse 9. When the Commandement came sin revived and I dyed and the commandement which was ordained to life I found to be unto Death to his own death the death of his former hope and comfort not the death of his sin and thus he saith it was with others before converted verse 5. When we were in the flesh the motions of sin which were by the Law did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death the motions of sin which were by the Law i. e. which were begotten or drawn forth by the Law through our corruption Therefore they are Gospel Truths especially and no Truths without these that are an efficacious means for the mortifying of sin These are the weapons of our warfare as the Apostle calls them 2 Cor. 10.4 which are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds they are spiritual and so effectual through God to the subduing our carnal affections As the work of mortification is begun so it is carried on but it is begun in regeneration and that 's by the Gospel as we read we are begotten again by that 1 Cor. 4.15 In Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the Gospel Therefore the Gospel and the truths thereof should principally be made use of The curse of the Law should be considered but if a man would get his sin indeed destroyed let him seek a spiritual understanding of and let him be much in meditating on the grace of the Gospel the doctrine of Christ Fourthly By the Spirit is understood the Holy Ghost the third Person in the Trinity thus it 's taken both before my Text ver 9 and 11. as also after my Text ver 14 15 and 16 c. and in this sense we are to take it in the words I am upon if ye through the Spirit through the Holy Ghost i. e. through the Spirit of God do mortifie the deeds of the body Yet this includes the three other acceptations of the word Spirit for whoever do mortifie any sin through the Holy Ghost they are engaged in the work with their whole souls their whole heart is in it and they do destroy the deeds of the flesh by acting and exercising grace and this they do through hearing considering and acting Faith on Gospel Truths as will be shewn afterward Q. 2. Why is this work of mortifying our sins to be done by the Spirit of God A. 1. Because it cannot possibly be done without the Spirit of God Whatever is done against sin without the Spirit gives it no deaths wound it only covers or somewhat curbeth sin but doth not at all destroy it Christ saith John 6.63 It 's the Spirit that giveth life or that quickneth so it 's the Spirit that mortifieth the Spirit quickneth the Soul and the Spirit mortifieth sin in the Soul A dead carkass shall as soon maintain a fight against and kill a powerful enemy as any man slay his sin any one lust without the Spirit of God As it is natural to our visible body to save it self and every member thereof so is it natural to the body of sin and every member of that to save it self and as it is natural to a Father to save his Child so to Satan to do his utmost to defend and preserve fin in us Therefore it cannot be that we should of our selves or by the help of any creature alone mortifie any lust could we without the Spirit of Christ destroy our sin then might we be in a great part our own Saviours He that knows not the necessity of the Spirits special assistance in this work is certainly a great stranger to the mortification of sin that is most true in this case Zech. 4.6 Not by might nor by power but by my Spirit saith the Lord of Hosts It is too great a work too mighty and too honourable for any one of himself to get the victory over sin which is our strongest and our worst enemy Outward enemies cannot be destroyed without the help of God especially when many and potent much less can spiritual enemies which are the worst and strongest Psal 33.16 17. There is no King saved by the multitude of an host a mighty man is not delivered by much strength an horse is a vain thing for safety neither shall he deliver any by his great strength So all Means Duties Ordinances Power and Ability of the Creature is vain weak and to no purpose to deliver and save a man from his sin unless the Spirit of the Lord put its hand to the work and by its might effect it Secondly As this cannot be done without the Spirit so may it be done by the Spirit what though our lusts are never so many It 's all one as we read with the Lord to save with many or with few so is it all one with him to destroy many or few what was that great Host of Senacherib which came against Jerusalem one Angel of the Lord destroyed it in one night we read of the deceitfulness of sin Heb. 3.13 Exhort one another daily while it is called to day lest any be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin every sin is exceeding deceitful besides how deceitful is the heart how deceitful is Satan how deceitful is the world which is one great reason why we cannot mortifie our evil affections of our selves we want not only strength but understanding also our Lusts seem dead while in truth they live they make us think we wound them when the blow falls quite beside we seem many times to do all we can against our sins when it s nothing so that sin seems least in us which is greatest and most hurtful Now the spirit of God is a spirit of wisdom therefore through it we may destroy our sin notwithstanding its deceitfulness though we oft are the spirit of God cannot be deceived What though our iniquities are never so mighty the spirit of God is Almighty Ps 74.15 thou driedst up mighty rivers yet dryed and dryed up though rivers though mighty rivers or as the word is rivers of strength what great things did the spirit of God do in the creation when it moved on the face of the waters such like things it can do and doth when it moveth powerfully in our hearts Psal 93.3 The floods have lifted up O Lord the floods have Dfted up their voice the floods lift up their waves what then who can still them can any man No they as the Psalmist speaks make the Marriners at their wits end they know not how to save themselves much less to quell and calm the floods when they do lift up their voice and their waves to the highest I but the Lord the Spirit of our God is able to command them silence as it there follows verse 4. The Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters yea
slain do thereupon resolve and strive with their eye off from the spirit and how frequent is it for sins to be cryed down and people to be stirred up to put away leave forsake and destroy their sins but as to the spirit's help and mens seeking that there is a deep silence It is evident that men commonly imagine there 's no necessity of any help or at least that there is no necessity of any special help of the spirit in this work But remember you I pray these three words 1. Such a thought is full of falshood and deceit very cross to plain Scripture exceeding contrary to the Gospel so it hath much sin in it 2. It 's very injurious to the blessed spirit it derogates from his honour denyeth it that which is it's prerogative and it affronts Christ who hath obtained the spirit to help in this work yea it makes the promise of the spirit vain and needless and so its full of wickedness 3. Such a thought is exceeding prejudicial to all in whom it hath place for they who conceit or imagine they can deal with their soul enemies without the spirit are not like to have its help nor will they look for nor do they care for its assistance When we suppose we can do a work that concerns us of our selves we look not forth for a helper Is it not said sometimes I care not whether you or he or any one will afford me help I 'le do such a thing my self I can do it without you c. O look to your own hearts for ordinary is it that men have truth in their heads and tongues yet the contrary error deeply strongly rooted in their hearts and thriving there As in other things so in this an usual evil is it for men to hold the truth in unrighteousness they say they cannot mortifie any sin without the spirit yet let them but faithfully examine themselves and they shall find that they do attempt to get the conquest of this and that sin and imagine that they shall without the spirit Wherefore let the seventh use be Use 7. To put you upon considering whether is this Doctrine printed in your hearts have you a sound conviction have you a heart perswasion of it that none no not one of your sins not the least of your many iniquities evil affections and sinful motions not your worldliness not your vanity not your pride not your unbelief not any other sin can be executed crucified and slain but by the spirit of the Lord. How shall we know you may say whether our hearts are thus instructed and possest by this truth I answer 1. If you are thus perswaded then you do honour the spirit in your hearts and greatly prize it value and highly esteem it there is a generation who notoriously slight the holy spirit yea who scoff at and deride it such say they jeeringly are men of the spirit all for the spirit but let such profane and brutish ones say what they will you who are indeed convinced that you can get no real conquest over any sin without it you make exceeding much of it upon that account and had much rather be men of the spirit than men of estate and honour Therefore the great thing you pray daily for is an abundance thereof as the Psalmist saith take not thy holy spirit from me you pray Lord give thy holy spirit to me O continue it with me let me be filled therewith And when you pray against your sins you do not ask the destruction of them directly or not only but you ask the spirit that through it you may mortifie them 2. The promise of the spirit is exceeding precious to you no promise more sweet and refreshing to your souls no promise of forgivenesse delights you more than a promise of the holy spirit every such promise you embrace and lay up in your hearts as there is great reason why you should and that rather more than other promises because it is by the spirit that other promises are accomplished all promises of grace are included in the promise of the spirit they all being fulfilled thereby 3. When you find you can't get any sin under that any lust is too hard for you then you not only are troubled mourn and sigh by reason of the life and strength of sin and your own weakness to master it but also as much or more for want of the spirit whence your weakness to mortifie it doth arise A man not gracious not truely enlightned may be much upon some accounts grieved because some lust in him is so strong and prevalent but an ungracious man hardly comes to this to mourn for his want of the spirit 4. You make much of the convictions of the spirit you do not seek to smother them when it convinceth you of sin but you are glad of them and cherish them As you entertain a good friend whose company you desire whose help you need and whom you would fain have to abide with you though he be somewhat free with you in telling you of some things he likes not Or as wounded persons if they are bent to have their cure receive with kindness a skilful Chyrurgion though he open their wounds and in his work put them to pain So you give entertainment to the spirit though it work for the causing you to see and for the humbling you for your sins Use 8. In the eighth place let me put you again upon the tryal whether you have learnt and do follow this necessary counsel do you doth every one of you mortifie your sin through the spirit I hope there is no one of you so fearless of the great only true God so faithless of the word of truth so careless of his precious immortal foul so mindless of his future eternal condition so wedded to and in league with sin as that he is wholly negligent in seeking to get it mortified Therefore the question I now put to you is how is it that you endeavour this is it in a right manner is it according to the Gospel as my Text directeth It may be said I hope yes but how shall I discern and prove to my self or any other if need were that I indeed so do for answer to that take these things in short If so then First you have felt your need of the spirit and from soul hunger and thirst after it you have gone to Jesus Christ for it he saith John 7.37 If any one thirst let him come to me and drink now you thirsting have gone to Christ and drunk received from him this water of life the spirit which is as a water of death to the sins of those in whom it dwells and so as water of life to their souls Secondly If you mortifie your sins through the spirit then you seek the mortification of them universally and thorowly even of all your sins in all the workings thereof so that if it might be you could
righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us in our nature for us who walk not after the slesh but after the Spirit and it 's sure we do walk after the Spirit if we mortifie our sins through the Spirit Fourthly the Apostle gives us another Argument in the words next following my Text Rom. 8.14 for saith he As many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God for that is for this reason it must be so that if we through the Spirit mortifie the deeds of the body we shall live because we so doing are led by the Spirit which ever leadeth souls led by it to life as Satan leads souls that walk after him to death and our being led by the Spirit proves that we are the Children of the living God whose Children shall surely live the fountain of life will give life the best all life to his Children and those whom he makes his Children are therefore so made by him that they might live in him to him and with him for ever As Christ faith God is not the God of the dead but of the living so he is not the Father of the dead but of the living only of such to whom he doth and will give life all his Children shall have life from him he will be their life Fifthly Either we shall dye or live there is no middle between death and life but if we through the Spirit put sin to death if we mortifie it then we shall not dye because none dye but it is by sin as by the guilt so by the power of sin sin kills all who perish but if sin be killed in us we shall not be killed or destroyed by it He that slayeth his enemies shall not be slain by them He that mortifieth the diseases that seize on his body shall not by them be mortified in his body It may be said if we could mortifie sin so as never to sin more then no doubt we should live but Alas whatever we do against sin still we sin yea even continually one way or other A. But it shall not be alway so the day will come when you shall sin no more and in the mean time there is a party in you that sinneth not the Spirit sinneth not nor doth the seed of God in you the new man the new creature and if you through the Spirit do seek and are set upon a hearty endeavouring the death of sin then the sin that comes from you is rather to be look'd upon as from corruption remaining than from you because you have a contrary principle and the sin that flows from you is against your will as it is not the Palsey man that shakes his head or hand but the Palsey Rom. 7.16 If then I do that which I would not it is no more I that do it but sin that dwelleth in me should any one take your hand and smite another therewith against your will would you not say you did not smite him so your sin whose hearts are in truth bent against it is not accounted to you that it should prejudice you and hinder your attaining life but you shall live as surely as if you were wholly freed from sin and did never sin at all I know that speech of the Apostle may be hath been and is no doubt much abused by such who understand it not or use it to harden themselves to stop the mouth of conscience and of such who justly reprove them as it was wrested and misused by that Antinomian Maid who being ask'd how stolen Cloaths came to be in her Chest answered it was not I but sin that dwelleth in me But if that Scripture be rightly understood and applyed it is of great good use and it doth establish and confirm the present truth Sixthly The Apostle saith if God be for us who can be against us but if we through the Spirit make war to purpose against our sin then God is for us we are on God's side who is on my side who said Jehu whereupon one looking out at a window he bid him throw Jezabel down who was his enemy whereby that man shewed himself to be on Jehu's side so when we heartily seek to throw out and break the neck of that Jezabel sin that is within us which is enmity to God then are we on God's side and God is on our side he is for us if we are for him As he is cursed who helps not the Lord against the mighty so he is blessed that doth go forth against his sin that may be applyed to sin which is spoken of Babylon Ps 137. 2 last O corruption O lust which art to be destroyed happy shall he be who rewardeth thee as thou hast served us happy shall he be that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones who seeks thy utter destruction In a word sin hath not dominion over those who mortifie it through the Spirit therefore they are under grace therefore they shall live through grace they are in the covenant of grace which is a covenant of life therefore they shall have life according to and by the covenant Application Use 1. LEarn hence a reason of that deadness that is upon the Spirits of men of professors too commonly how many have a name to live yet are dead and how many are under great deadness as to all holy duties all ordinances all good works reprobate or much like such who are reprobate to every good work Tit. 1. last speak to them call cry aloud and tell them this that is their duty shew it them by Scripture yet O sadness they have no life no heart to it you had even as good call upon a dead man to eat to drink or hear and do any thing you shall say to him Why what 's the matter with men that they are thus dead their hearts their consciences their wills and affections dead the cause is palpable their sin liveth lust is unmortified Know it whoever of you are under prevailing deadness of spirit to or in that which is good and your duty deadness of heart God-ward there is some lust or other that is lively in you seeing they shall live who do mortifie the deeds of sin And as for those who are dead at heart especially if they are daily so be it as to any good or as to joy peace and comfort let them consider whether it arise not hence the prevalency of some sin in them the death whereof they have not industriously sought through the Spirit Or if any are without the life of happiness by God's countenance shining upon them look well into thy self search and see is there not earthly mindedness worldliness love of the world pride impatience hypocrisie envy or some other iniquity unmortified and which through the Spirit thou seekest not the destruction of Or if any are born down with fear overcome with doubts concerning their living hereafter though this through temptation may be the case
of a very gracious soul yet it 's not without ground to advise and perswade such also to try themselves in this matter whether there be no lust they seek not the death of or whether what they do be not through themselves rather than through the Spirit Because this is given as an evidence of life therefore usually the Spirit of God doth bear witness with their Spirits who do through it mortifie their sins that they shall live In the general this is a truth and setting aside some particular special cases it will be found true as to all whatever death or deadness any lye under it is caused by some sin open or secret which they don't use means by the Spirit to destroy And therefore let the second use be Use 2. To perswade you all yet once again to this so great a duty be perswaded one and all particularly you who are under deadnesse to mortifie your sin through the spirit you who have not yet begun O that you would enter upon this combate you who have begun hold on go forward and be more industrious here in in this time of wars and rumours of wars which may as yet increase with other destroying killing judgments let this be your war your daily fight because this is the way to life Is there any one of you but desireth to live in the sense of my Text Can you be content with a short uncertain natural life and not look after that which is far better seeing it may be attained and the way to attain it is laid plain before you Say I pray say in your hearts say before God Would you not Do you not desire to live a life of holinesse a life of spiritual peace comfort and joy a life of happinesse under the warm most refreshing beams of Gods face and favour Would you not Wish you not that you may live for ever with Christ in glory when your natural life shall end Doth not thy heart sometimes at least say O that my Soul may go into life when my body shall dy and that my body may be raised to the resurrection of life Some possibly may think it strange that I propound such queries saying in themselves who is there but would and desireth so to live I answer well is it for those who have a thorow will and desire thereto for they will undoubtedly industrously seek to walk in the way of life they will hearken to this counsel and make it their study and businesse to mortifie their sin through the spirit It was the saying of one as I have read that he would swim through a Sea of Brimstone to get to heaven strong desires causeth strong endeavours and carrieth through great difficulties hunger we say breaketh through stone walls but if thy heart be right that which is required of thee being to be done through the spirit is not of extream difficulty I beseech you what think you hath that man a mind to live in good earnest who will not seek the life of his deadly enemies who unlesse destroyed will surely destroy him Or who will not give himself to the use of good and effectuall means prescribed to him for the removing a disease or healing of a wound which unlesse cured will certainly be his death verily no more have they a thorow sound will or fervent desire to live spiritually happily and eternally who hearing what must be done in order thereunto cast the counsell of God behind their back not giving up themselves to the obedience thereof But wilt thou O Soul be so unwise be not thou whatever any other is so foolish as not to thirst after such life If thou sayest thou dost long for it shew the truth and strength of thy desire by thy diligence in practising daily this exhortation which if thou dost not but shalt neglect and despise instruction then truly thou wilt not can'st not live that 's implyed when it 's said He that doth this shall live he that doth it not shall not live Remember saith Christ Lot's wife So remember other Scripture examples particularly that 1 Kings 20.35 One of the Sons of the Prophets said to his neighbour in the word of the Lord smite me I pray thee and the man refused to smite him then said the Prophet because thou hast not obeyed the voice of the Lord as soon as thou art departed from me a Lyon shall slay thee and it was so as soon as the man was departed from him a Lyon sound him and slew him So it 's said to thee this day in the word of the Lord smite I pray thee kill destroy thy sin if thou refusest then ere long thou knowest not how soon a Lion will slay thee thy lust and Satan that devouring Lion yea the wrath of the Almighty worse than a thousand Lions will slay thee with a slaughter far more terrible and dreadfull than that was wherewith that man was slain thou wilt find and feel the truth of this as he experienced to the losse of his life the truth of the Prophet's word You may also observe in the same Chapter V. 42. The Prophet said to Ahab King of Israel Thus saith the Lord because thou hast let go out of thine hand a man whom I appointed to utter destruction therefore thy life shall go for his life So assuredly if thou shalt let thy sin escape which God hath appointed to utter destruction in the ruining whereof thou mayest have the assistance of the spirit then shall thy life go for it's life Must it not needs be so if the not smiting a Prophet when God commanded it cost a man his life against the doing of which he had a seeming fair objection and excuse if the not slaying Benhadad a King when God would have him slain though we read not God had so expresly declared cost Ahab a King his life then how sure the not slaying thy sin which God so oft calls upon thee and presseth thee to mortifie will cost thee thy life Fain would I may it please the Lord to work that this counsell may become rivered and rooted in all our hearts Therefore I shall hint a few moving perswasions First Set forth up and be fighting couragiously and constantly against your corruptions and iniquities by the spirit so shall you have many victories you will oft get the better of them and every victory will be a cordiall a cup of consolation to your hearts much joy will you thereby have now much more hereafter when the fight shall be quite ended Nothing gladdeth more in this world than victory over strong mighty inveterate enemies how did Deborah and Barak rejoyce when they came off victorious with Palms in their hands Jud. 5.1 2. c. Then sang Deborah Barak the son of Abinoam on that day saying praise ye the Lord for the avenging of Israel c. Then they sang When Ch. 4. last The hand of the children of Israel prospered and prevailed against Jabin
sin hence your mercies which when fewest and least are more and greater than your afflictions they also are to excite you against your sins for the goodness of God leadeth to repentance and if you thus account and reckon it will be a good help to awaken you thereto 2 Pet. 3.15 account that the long suffering of our Lord is salvation account so thus think and judge in your selves but why should we so account because this will be a means to put us upon our duty as may appear by the 14 v. upon which he brings in that exhortation be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace without spot and blameless then comes in that as a help thereunto and account that the long-suffering of God is salvation do so and thereby you will be quickned to be diligent that you may be found of him in peace so you should account of all God's providences they are salvation in order to the salvation of your souls and consequently to the destruction of your sins Secondly Think not a little pains enough for the mortifying any sin though all our pains be nothing without the spirit yet the spirit will have us not only to do but to do with all our might There must be violence used against our sin which Christ teacheth when he saith cut off thy right hand right foot and pluck out thy right eye that offends thee touching it a little smiting it is not enough it must be cut off and pluck'd out all that we do should be done with all our might much more this If we did strive more the Spirit would help us more But Thirdly Let nothing quiet thee unless thy conscience tells thee thou art hearty and zealous in this work and dost get some ground upon thy sin it 's cross to Scripture for a man under the power of sin he not bearing up and wrestling sincerely and stoutly against it to bless himself in or quiet himself by any thing and this hardens the heart nourisheth sin strengthneth and increaseth it when a man upon any account speaks peace to his soul while he lives in sin hence that terrible word Deut. 29.20 God saith his anger and his jealousie shall smoke against that man who giving way to sin blesseth himself and all the curses shall lye upon him c. if a man flatter himself that he shall do well because he hath had such comforts doth perform such duties God is merciful Christ hath dyed c. though he live after the flesh in this or that evil deed or motion thereof then will that man's sin prevail more and more and it 's not like to be mortified or that he should seek the mortification thereof Fourthly Beware of all lessening and extenuating thoughts of your sin to beget such thoughts in us is Satan's way to defend our sin and deaden our hearts to the seeking the death thereof as that we cannot help it which is no extenuation but an aggravation of sin when it ariseth from the strength of sin in our hearts 2 Pet. 2.14 it 's express'd to aggravate or shew the greatness of their sin they cannot cease to sin or that our sin is not so great as some others I am not said the Pharisee like this Publican or I have such a temptation the woman said Adam thou gavest me she gave me and I did eat or any other excuse while a man's mind is so exercised and busied to make his sin appear as little as possibly he can it roots and grows in him he 'l not strike hard at it if he think it small he 'l give it a weak blow if he think it weak no great stroke if he imagine it not to be great as if a man be to kill a little creature a flye suppose he 'l put forth but little strength for that he thinks enough Labour therefore to see your sin as it is in its greatness heinousness and utmost sinfulness so far as may be and for that purpose view your sin in the glass of the word see how it 's set â—â—â—th there in the word of truth applying all that 's spoken against such and such a sin to your sin that sin in you consider how it is in God's eye how he looks upon it as also how it will appear to you when you come to dye or stand in judgment and loâ—k round it weigh the aggravating circumstances of it the love the goodness of God to you your knowledge means of sanctification and checks of conscience your profession your hope your prayers with other such things Use 3. All you who do mortifie your sin in truth through the Spirit be assured this day you shall live for you to believe is as really your duty as it is for you to do any thing against your sin and the more you believe it the more will you do against sin a man may conceit he shall live and therefore let his sin live but he that hath a true faith grounded on the Word of God particularly my Text that he shall live he 'l become thereby more industrious in warring against sin for faith is a purifying grace Believe then live you shall spiritually while you live naturally if at present you have not you shall have peace and joy God's favour is towards you and you shall have a sense of it if now you are without it and eternal life is yours you are heirs of it Dye you may a natural but not a cursed death not the second death as she said who going cheerfully to Prison and hearing one say to her you have not yet tasted death true answered she nor ever shall I for Christ saith Joh. 8.51 if a man keep my saying he shall not see death so you who keep this saying shall not see death but you shall see life and enjoy it for ever you are written among the living in Jerusalem Isa 4.3 or as it 's otherwise read you are written unto life your names are in the book of life see by faith there is a book of life where the names of all that shall live are fairly indelibly recorded and among others there even there stands thy name your mortifying your sin through the Spirit is a sure evidence to you hereof therefore by it mortifie your doubts and let your assurance be raised and let it give life to your hearts even the life of comfort This promise ye shall live contains in it more than tongue can express it is comprehensive of all you desire or can reasonably wish for Let not thy soul refuse to be comforted by it it matters not much what now is think thou of what shall be Now thou mayest be as dead as to thy name estate health this or that good but doubt not thou shalt live so live that there shall not any shadow of death remain in thee upon or to thee You may say this is a good word to them who can rightly apply it and me thinks I could
Five dores I shall open or five questions I shall briefly Answer to make way for and let in the Application of this truth I shall shew briefly 1. What 's meant by flesh and why it 's so called 2. What by living after the flesh 3. What by dying ye shall dye 4. How doth it appear that they who live after the flesh shall dye 5. Why should such Doctrine as this be preached to believers to Saints by calling Q. 1. What 's meant by flesh and why it is so called A. By flesh here as oft in other places corrupt nature is understood or the corruption of nature as when it 's said that which is born of the flesh is flesh flesh is opposed to the new man the new creature the image of God the Divine nature And corruption of nature may be called flesh for divers reasons such as these 1. Because it is derived to us with our flesh our body from Adom We have bad saith the Apostle Fathers of our flesh who corrected us Fathers of our fleshly part of our body and they who are fathers of that are fathers of our corrupt nature i. e. we have it from them for when any are conceived in sin are they conceived 2. Corruption of nature is naturally as dear to men as their flesh their very body and as near to them No man hates his own flesh but cherisheth it so no man naturally hates his corrupt nature which he brings into the world with him but every one cherisheth and nourisheth his corruption and makes provision for it till he be renewed Yea how many shew more love more tenderness towards their Corruption than to their very body how many endure much suffer greatly in their bodies and venter and lose not unusually their life it self from their love to some vile lust which is to them as their right eye their right hand or right foot and as their life it self skin for skin and all that a man hath will he give for his life only a mans lust that 's many times so dear to him he 'l hazard his life to satisfie it rather than lay it aside or part with it 3. Corruption grows with the flesh and as the flesh is strong or weak so frequently are the workings of lust hence the Apostle saith he kept under his body in fickness in bodily weakness this and that sin doth not ordinarily move so much or stir so strongly 4. Corrupt nature doth never quite cease in any till they lay down put off the tabernacle of their flesh while the best are here in the body much sin abides in them the old man will in part remain in all untill the Tabernacle of their body be quite pulled down to the ground as we read concerning the Leprosie among the Jews it getting into their houses would not out till they were took quite down and destroyed 5. Corruption of nature inclines men to do many things pleasing to their flesh and which give the body ease content and delight so that sin seems a great friend thereto hence excessive eating drinking sleeping hence slothfulness uncleanness and the like though these things are really hurtful to the body not only as to hereafter or in their desert but in their present effect yet are they pleasing to it all which arise from corrupt nature 6. Corruption prevailing and reigning turns the soul of man as it were into flesh it makes a man's mind fleshly Col. 2.18 so it makes his will affections all fleshly so that though the soul of man in its own nature be a Spirit God is the father of Spirits of mens souls that is yet through inbred sin it minds not regards not spiritual things but fleshly bodily things which are delightful to the outward senses Sin when it hath Dominion in a man makes him to God ward and the things of God as if he were all flesh all body not spirit at all in any part of him it makes man backward to heavy and dull in spiritual duties and whatever tends to the Souls good It makes him dull in hearing in understanding spiritual things it makes him unfit for Communion with God unfit to receive spiritual good as if he were spiritless or had no better spirit than that the beasts have In many cases Lust takes away the use of a mans reason it causeth him to act as unreasonably irrationally as if he had not a reasonable Soul it makes many a man like Nebuchadnezar when his understanding went from him fitter for the Society of beasts than of reasonable creatures living like themselves when a lust prevailed in the Psalmist he saith I was as a beast before thee and hence graceless men under the full power of iniquity are compared to beasts in Scripture and called Dogs Swine c. Sin also makes the Soul lyable to and unless subdued it brings the Soul unto death the worst death the second death though the Soul be immortal in its essence and dyes not as the body yet sin makes it mortal in a sense it makes it subject to a death of misery And farther corruption lyes much in the body therefore the Apostle prays for the Thessalonians that they might be sanctified in their body as well as in their spirit And may it not be said that corruption is first in the body the body being shaped e're the soul comes into it and if the soul be as the Scripture seems to teach us immediately from God then it is by the body not by the soul that sin is propagated God is the Father of Spirits but he is not the father of sin that the soul gets from by or upon its union to the body though its difficult to apprehend how it is For these and such like reasons the corruption of nature may very fitly and significantly be called flesh Q. 2. What is it to live after the flesh how is this Phrase live after the flesh to be understood A. To live after the flesh is the same with walking after the flesh spoken of some verses before my Text It is to live an ill life to live sinfully as we say such a one doth not live well he lives an evil life he lives loosely c. He that so liveth doth live after the flesh The flesh gives Councel as it were to men so and so that they live thus and thus I consulted not saith the Apostle with flesh and when a man doth order his conversation according to the Counsels of the flesh then liveth he after the flesh when a man doth those things the flesh saith are best to be done The flesh hath many motions Rom. 7.5 It 's scarce ever still but is moving this way or that way and when any one doth follow the evil motions thereof when a man acts according to them then doth he live after the flesh Corruption of nature is called a Law Rom. 7.21 I find a Law that when I would do good evil is present with me which
flesh in one sense because he hath no body yet he is altogether Flesh in a spiritual sense i. e. sinful and he draws those and leads them after the Flesh who live after it they do follow him though they think not so they know it not Eph 2.2 they who walk according to the course of this world they do walk according to the Prince of the power of the air so v. 3. they fulfill the desires or wills of the flesh therefore they shall dye for Satan is a dead creature and he is reserved to a farther degree of death and misery Satan also is a deadly enemy to men he seeks with all diligence to entice allure and draw us to his condition will he not be killed who follows a subtle enemy that plots his death Shall not he dye who yields himself up to his enemies who christ to have his blood and are implacably bent upon his ruine but thus do they who live after the Flesh they yield themselves up to Satan who as I may say hath sworn and more chan sworn the death of all he can prevail against and they give up themselves into the hand of the Lusts of the Flesh which war against their souls 1 Pet. 2.11 Dearly beloved abstain from steshly Lusts which war against your souls how then can he escape death who surrenders himself thereto Lastly Those many threatnings of the God of truth against such who live in sin that he will whet his Sword against them wound their hairy sculp turn them into hell Ps 9.17 the word into is doubled in the Hebrew either to note the certainty thereof as if he had said the wicked shall be turned into yea surely into hell or to signifie the greatness and the endlesseness of their punishment they shall be turned into and into hell over head and eats as we say they shall be cast deep very deep into the bottomless pit they shall still be falling as it were lower and lower or their souls and at last their bodies shall be cast into hell their souls into and their bodies into hell or when their bodies into the grave then their souls into hell and the like they all demonstrate and establish this truth so sure as God is true those threatnings are true So then it is abundantly manifest most undeniable as clear as the Sun as sure as sure can be that if we if any of us all live after the flesh dye we shall perish we shall without remedy Sermon 2. Q. 5. VVHy should such Doctrine be preached to believers A. Not as if they who have true faith shall ever any of them so live after the flesh as at last to dye the second death this is not intended nor implyed either in my Text or any other like Sentence of Scripture for it 's certain nothing is meant or can by right consequence be deduced from one place of Scripture which is contrary to any thing expressed in another but it is expressly asserted that God who hath begun a good work in his people will perform carry it on to the day of Christ Phil. 1.6 he that layes the foundation of true grace in any soul will go forward with his work till he hath laid the top stone and that because he is faithful 1 Cor. 1.8 9. Who shall also confirm you to the end that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ for God is faithful by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of Jesus Christ our Lord so 1 Thess last 24 and 2 Thess 3.3 and as God is faithful so it 's sure he is able otherwise he would never have begun his work in us as may be argued from those words of Christ Luke 14.28 29 30. which of you intending to build a Tower sitteth not down first and counteth the cost whether he have sufficient to finish it lest haply after he hath said the foundation and is not able to finish it all that behold it begin to mock him saying this man began to build and was not able to finish How much wiser is God than man none shall have cause to mock him therefore he both can and will finish his building the Church and the work of grace in every one of his effectually called ones But why then is it said to Believers If ye live after the Flesh ye shall dye A. 1. All Believers are not such in truth all who make a profession have not been under the power of God to their saving Conversion when God sows wheat the Devil sows tares when God makes true Converts the Devil makes Hypocrites Mat. 13.38 39. Hypocrites especially are the Devils Children the tares are the Children of the wicked one all wicked ones are Children of that wicked one chiefly Hypocrites these are as his first born and have most of his likeness There ever were and will be during the state of things such as Judas Symon Magus Demas c. hereafter all such shall be gathered out of Gods Kingdom No Hypocrite shall be in the New Jerusalem but now there are foolish as well as wise Virgins workers of iniquity who hear Christs word and eat and drink in his presence at his Table with respect to this it is needfull there should be such Doctrine Preached now in the Church ye shal dye if c the rather because men know not the hearts of those to whom they Preach Mal. 3. last Then shall ye return and discern between the righteous and the wicked now there is not a certain Infallible discerning and false unsound hearted ones are frequently very confident of their state that it is good that it is safe As men in a dream while dreaming are very confident of this or that concerning themselves the contrary whereto they find true when they awake hence this truth is to be taught to awaken such if it may be and to shew them their great and sad mistake Secondly Though it shall never be because of Gods faithfulness as also because of Gods election Christ's death c. that true Believers shall so live after the flesh that they shall perish yet the thing is possible in it self and as to themselves Did not Adam in innocency fall and come under the sentence of death so would the best men fall into perdition if left to themselves as Peter had sunk quite down and drowned if left to himself and when he denied Christ so far he had denied him utterly Corruption because natural hath great advantage against grace in us and Satan by all means layes about him to draw it forth so that if we had no keeper no guid or better Pilot than our selves we should live after the Flesh and split dash in pieces on that rock therefore that none may have confidence in themselves but all of us be kept constantly trusting in the living God in Christ the power of God and that we may not be high minded but fear hence the Apostle having given that
exhortation Rom. 11.20 be not high minded but fear he adds v. 21 22. if God spared not the natural broaches take heed lest he spare not thee behold therefore the goodness and severity of God on them that fell severity but towards thee goodness if thou continue in his goodness otherwise thou also shalt be cut off As a Mother leading her little Child it goes towards the fire or water and though she hold it fast sure that it shall not fall in yet to make it careful she saith take heed if you fall into the fire you 'l be burn't if into the water you 'l be drowned so that we may not be secure and careless and self confident we have divers such If 's in Scripture spoken to Gods Children Thirdly True Believers may have and too oft have through compliance with the Flesh great falls though they live not after the Flesh they act much according to it therefore to cause them to maintain a continual sight against the Flesh and to keep at the farthest distance from it and to quicken them to repentance when they have turned aside therefore are they to be put in mind what an enemy the Flesh is even such that if they do live after it they shall dye eternally and so far as they act according to it they do dye spiritually For such reasons as these the Apostle speaks that Heb. 10.26 If we sin wilfully he faith not you but we if we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins but a certain fearful looking for of judgment c. that is even for us if we so sin It may be objected is this a sit and proper argument to work upon true Believers to keep them from the wayes of the flesh or to bring them to repentance when they are seduced thereby should not such rather have other things Preached to them A. Other things should be Preached and that chiefly as the death of Christ love and grace of God c. but this also ye shall dye if c. all considerations are needful in this world to keep us awake God thought it a proper and fit argument to lay before Adam when he had no Flesh no corruption in him in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye why then is it not a proper and fit argument to be propounded to those who have much sin remaining in them though they being in Christ are not under that Covenant under which Adam was and cannot fall as he did yet is this argument rather more suitable to them than to Adam even the argument of death in this respect because they have much Flesh in them which both in it self deserves death and enclines them or moves them to walk in the wayes thereof sweet arguments may more take with the renewed part but this may more curb remaining Corruption and work upon the heart when in a fearless careless frame and if the soul be in never so good a frame to hear that they who live after the Flesh shall dye may stir it up to thankfulness that through and in Christ it is secure and the more thankful the more obedient shall we be to God If any say that grace most works upon them I answer the more any are drawn by Grace the less do they need to be driven by this truth yet even this truth minds us of and sets forth to us the grace of God in that but for it we had all lived after the flesh and there is love in this very truth that the Lord is thus pleased to warn us It may again be said but is this right to avoid or turn from the wayes of the Flash because they bring to death A. We are bound to believe all the word of God and it 's the nature of true faith to Believe all believing all things saith the Apostle that are written in the Law and the Prophets Acts 24.14 therefore all Scripture truth is to be Preached and whatever we do in faith from true faith is as so well done and acceptable to God as Noah's building an Ark because through faith he was moved with fear c. besides death implyes separation from God and this is very good it is love to God to avoid sin that by it we may not be separated from him Application Use 1. Whether do you or any of you live after the Flesh It is as great a question as whether you shall dye Be the more inquisitive each one as to himself because multitudes are strangely mistaken some seem as if they did live after the flesh yet really before God they do not 2 Cor 10.2 I beseech you that I may not be bold with that confidence wherewith I think to be bold against some which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh the Apostles themselves seemed to some so to walk yet were they far from so walking On the other hand there are and that many more who make a shew as if they did not live after the flesh yet in truth after it do they live Thus men also mistake concerning themselves thinking that of themselves which is contrary to truth It 's like if the question were put in the general to any of you whether think you not there are some here present who live after the Flesh you would every one say if you should speak your thoughts yes some here do so live or I fear there are some whose life is such but let every one be ask'd as to his own particular probably he would say I do not or I hope I do not live after the Flesh I beseech you Brethren deceive not your selves for if you do thus live whether you think so or no of your selves you will find this true that ye shall dye I would be helpful to you in this enquiry for which purpose I shall briefly offer divers things to your serious thoughts to be made use of in self examination I say self examination for you know it 's not that God requires of you nor that which concerns you or not so much to try others as each one himself and her self 1. Whoever hath not had a great change in his heart a mighty turn he doth live after the Flesh however he may seem to live for all by nature are dead in their sins and the uncircumcision of their Flesh Col. 2.13 all naturally are born of Flesh and are Flesh having no good thing in them and if the tree be bad the fruit cannot but be bad also if any are dead in the Uncircumcision of their flesh it 's certain they live after it Secondly To live in the doing of any of the works of the Flesh though it be but in some one or two of them is to live after the Flesh Q. What are the works of the Flesh A. They are very many and they are all or most of them very manifest as the Apostle tells us Gal. 5.19 The
and bears sway in us or we do live after the Flesh Thus much for the first use let not these things be spoken in vain make application of them to your selves try your selves by them pray over them rest not till you know what your life is how it is that you do live for this is one Word of God by which we shall be judged hereafter when the great Judge shall come to execute the final dismal Sentence of Death then will it be enquired and published who have lived after the flesh Use 2. Let the second Use be to convince those whose life is after the flesh of their misery art thou such a one and yet dost think thou shalt not dye not dye the second the worst death thou deceivest thy self thou dost contradict my Text belye the Word of the Lord so art thou the more guilty and while senseless of thy miserable state that thy senslessness is a bar to thy repenting How art thou like to turn who walkest in the way of Death and wilt not believe it is such a way or that thou art in it No wonder if all calls are ineffectual though God saith turn ye turn ye why will ye dye yet thou art like the deaf Adder Therefore let me perswade thee who dost live after the flesh to receive this as a truth though uncomfortable yet profitable shouldest thou dye presently a natural death thou wouldest in dying dye dying naturally thou wouldst dye everlastingly and unless thou livest a new life thus will it be whenever death comes It will come double when a visible death shall arrest thy body an invisible death will arrest thy soul even thine for God will stand to his word he will not forget any one word that he hath spoken by any of his Servants Isa 44.26 he confirmeth the word of his Servant and performeth the counsel of his Messengers God never goeth back from any word that he absolutely uttereth as this without any If expressed or intended only this if ye live after the flesh ye shall dye certainly unavoidably It is most undeniable God is able to execute his word he is able as Christ saith to destroy soul and body If a man a beast a small creature a very gnat or a disease can kill thy body how much more can he who made thee kill thee soul and body destroy thee with an everlasting destruction what are we to the Angels that sinned yet the Lord God hath clapt them all though many Legions though mighty spirits though very subtle and cunning he that almighty only wise one hath put them all under everlasting chains of darkness How able then is he to crush us as moths to trample under his feet us poor worms to break us as a Potters Vessel and as God is able to fulfill his threatning so is he resolved to do it his word tells us his setled purpose his eternal will and unalterable Counsel as his threatnings are written in the same book with his promises so have they the same confirmation his oath as well as his bare word and determinate counsel Am. 8.7 The Lord hath sworn by the excellency of Jacob surely I 'le never forget any of their works I 'le that is eternally punish impenitent sinners for all their iniquities Solomon saith where the word of a King is there 's power much more where the word of the great King is the Lord of Heaven and Earth there 's power all power to put his Word in execution but behold here 's the Word of God see it read it ye shall Dye Almighty power is tyed to see this word accomplished Bear with me a little I beseech you while I speak in love for good Who what shall can let or hinder thy death If thou livest after the Flesh shall thy riches estate any thing of this world No Riches profit not we read in the day of wrath what 's Gold and Silver what 's all the rubbish of this world when the Lord shall come forth as a consuming fire when the earth shall be burnt up and the works thereof will fallen Angels who now deceive help they could not save themselves they seek to devour but will good Angels they will be evil Angels in respect of the execution of evil to evil men they alwayes hearken to God's voice and obey the word of his Command they Christ saith shall gather the tarts and cast them into unquenchable fire or will Christ himself stay the execution of this word No he 'l see it executed he 'l come in flaming fire taking vengeance on all who know not God 2. Thess 1.8 and obey not the Gospel of his Son though Christ hath dyed for sins he hath said impenitent sinners shall dye in their sins and he puts the question himself to such how can ye escape the damnation of hell Mat. 23.33 I may say Christ himself could not answer it how they who continue living in their sins shall escape because it 's not to be answered there 's no answer can be given to that Quaerie Shall sinners be able to save one another Nay no more than the men of the old world than the men of Sodom did who perish'd all together Shall sinners prayers shall all that they can do or say save them No all will be charged upon them as sin Is 1.15 God declares though they make many Prayers he 'l not hear whereof Christ also gives assurance testifying before hand when they shall hereafter say Lord Lord open to us c. he 'l say depart I know you not Shall the mercy of God save such No for it is holy faithfull mercy therefore cannot save any against his word How sure then is the death of all who live after the flesh Therefore if thou so livest and yet thinkest thou shalt not dye thou art deceived by sin by Satan yea thou art a self deceiver and wilfull in thy deceiving thy self Do ye not know I pray remember this day God said to Adam in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye but he deceived by Satan thought though he did eat he should not dye Now doth not woful experience to this day teach us the truth of Gods Word for hence we were all born in sin hence the grave so filled with the bodies of Adam's posterity hence the world so full of misery as now and as it hath been in all ages hence you women bring forth in sorrow hence we men get our bread with the sweat of our brows hence all our labour all our toyl hence the earth brings forth bryars and thorns hence all afflictions And as sure as that word proved true which God spake to Adam notwithstanding what Satan insinuated to the contrary so sure is this word true if thou O man if thou O woman livest after the flesh thou shalt dye whatever Satan may whisper in thee to the contrary wherefore shut thine ear to all thoughts that contradict this truth and take it into thy
heart as that which all who are disobedient will feel at last to be most true I might here desire you to think or ask you what you do think in your souls whether in your consciences you think not this word being true there be not a multitude of poor creatures high and low rich and poor who are woefully deceived Doth it not appear there are great swarms and droves of men and women many and many in all places who live evidently after the flesh yet who almost but thinks he shall escape death though he live as he doth How sad is this O sadness lamentation that so great a number of our father Adam's Children are so deceived not taking warning by his being deceived and Alas alas that such a number of people must dye eternally dye even all that multitude who live after the flesh Did you hear of a 1000 or a 100 to be executed on the Scaffold to be broken upon the wheel would not your bowels earn should you not be much troubled and shall not this move you and cause you to weep and pray much to hear from the word of truth that all those many and many who live after the flesh shall dye the second death be tormented in that lake which burns with fire and brimstone for ever and ever Ah how great our unbelief how little our love to those made of one blood with us how rocky our hearts O our want of bowels that this affects us no more But Use 3. Hear me O precious immortal soul every one who lives after the flesh give ear turn O turn repent O repent I beseech thee for thine own good for thy greatest good Live a new life that thou mayest not dye Be not angry with the Word of God be not angry with him that speaks it but be angry with thy sinful life God saith Ezek. 38.18 It shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the Land of Israel saith the Lord God that my fury shall come up in my face so when any lust stirs in thee and warreth against thy soul O let thy fury come up in thy face deal with it as with thy worst enemy be entreated so to love thy self as to turn over a new leaf to write after a new Copy Turn thy face from the flesh turn thy back upon it Should I tel you that if you live after such a custom such an old new fashion or the like ye shall dye by the hand of man would you not be perswaded to leave that custom that fashion and thank me for my pains in perswading you can you think dying by the hand of man worse than dying by the hand of God is not the hand of the Almighty heavier than the hand of man have you not heard have you not read what the Apostle saith It 's a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God even of him in whom ye live and move and do you not believe he saith true that it is so indeed Truely friend if thou art one who livest after the flesh it is a wonder thou art not actually dead under the second death already in the paws Jaws of everlasting death that that is not now at this day feeding upon thee but God hath spared thee hitherto why why thinkest thou is it Is' t not that thou mayest repent Yes the long suffering of God saith the Scripture is salvation and so thou thouldest account 2. Pet. 3.15 account that the long suffering of our God is salvation even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the Wisdom given unto him hath written unto you Rom. 2.4 or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long-suffering not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance Is not this mercy O great mercy that yet that after so long a time God waits for thy turning and thou hast once again a fair warning How woefully guilty wi lt thou be of thine own death if being thus warned thou shalt turn a deaf ear How inexcusable wilt thou be whatever thou shalt plead for thy self It will be answered thou wert plainly told what would be the end of thy fleshly life thou thoughtest thou shouldst not dye but thy thought contradicted that word of truth which was Preached to thee Doth not this word sound terribly in thine ears thou shalt dye dye in thy soul dye in thy whole man dye a death of the greatest of unspeakable misery dye eternally why then let it awaken thee to repentance how canst thou sleep in thy sin how canst thou rest and be quiet with such a terrible word sounding in thine ears will not dying it self be far more dreadful than to hear of it is or can be I shall not now stand to use more words if any soul will not hear the blood of such a one will be upon his own head and let me mind thee my friend that the longer thou livest in thy sin before death comes to thee the more sore grievous and tormenting will it be when it comes I wonder what impenitent sinners think of that word Rom. 2.5 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thy self wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God who will render to every man according to his deeds wilt thou believe it and turn from the wayes of the flesh If not thou must experience it and shalt find it to be as true as he is true whose word it is It may be some one may think Is there hope yet hope for me after all my sinning for so long a time A. There is a certain hope hast thou a mind a heart to turn in good earnest lift up thy head fear not doubt not Turn heartily God is ready to receive thee and he will receive thee graciously for so he hath promised 2 Cor. 6.17 Come out from among them come away in thy heart and life from all that live after the flesh touch not the unclean thing Let thy repentance be thorow and sound what then if I so turn who will receive me God answers I will receive thee I will that is receive thee graciously I will receive thee to my mercy into the bosome of my grace as the Prodâ—gals father received him therefore it follows and I will be a Father to you saith the Lord God Almighty yea and ye shall be my Sons and my Daughters I 'le receive you as a most tender father his Children when they are in great streights and and dangers consider the Lord's promise think how a Father doth catch his dear Child when falling into the water or fire or when his Child runs to him from one that would kill him so even so and with much more readiness and tenderness will the Lord God receive you if ye run to him in Christ from your sins he 'l speedily receive you into the arms of his mercy with all his
the Apostle may hereby teach us we must fight against the body of sin in a particular distinct way taking our aim now at this and then at that member of it working and motion of it according to its stirring in us Or perhaps the Apostle might choose to say the deeds of the body because the body of sin it self will still abide in a great measure all our dayes here but divers of the deeds of it may be even wholly mortifyed in this life and particular motions they may be quite mortified the moving of this and that lust at this and that time may be quite destroyed Q. 3. What is it to mortifie kill and destroy the deeds of the body and how is that to be done A. No one of us but hath a body of sin in him as really as every one hath a body of flesh visible wherein his soul dwelleth so really hath every one an invisible body of sin dwelling in his soul which body of sin hath had many deeds lustings evil motions in time past and it hath many still and so still will it have while we are here for it is even â—ontinually lusting stirring one way or other I shall therefore 1. speak somewhat concerning the mortifying the deeds of the body past 2. Concerning the mortifying of the deeds of the body of sin as to time present 3. Concerning the mortifying thereof with respect to time to come 1. For the deeds of the body of sin past those lustings those evil affections sinful motions that heretofore you have had they in a sense are to be mortifyed How is that to be done How shall they that are past be destroyed Ans By a hearty confession before God with Godly sorrow and faith acted in Prayer on the Word of God and blood of Christ for the pardon of them through his grace This is the way to mortifie any and all the deeds of the body that have been found with you in times past you must get them forgiven and then they will be mortified they are as dead in Law they are as if they had never been they will not and cannot be charged upon you When a suit is commenced a charge brought against any and it 's discharged no more to be medled with it is then mortifyed in Law so when your sins are pardoned to you by God they are then buried they are blotted out they are cast into the depths of the sea Therefore the way to get what 's past mortifyed is to get it remitted taken off the file to seek to have the book of Divine Justice cross't where your debts and offences stand as fair written till forgiven And the way for that is heartily to confess so far as you may before God all the former stirrings and workings of your corruption which have been in you and which have shewn themselves in your conversations if we confess God will forgive but then our confession must be with contrition brokenness of heart and humiliation and we must act faith on the sufferings of Christ and the promises of the Covenant we must also beg the remission of our past sins through the grace of God in Christ Do this in truth so will all the deeds of your corrupt nature be done away by the hand of pardoning grace and so will they be mortifyed as Debts are when the Debtor is acquitted Which though it be not directly intended in my Text yet is it implyed for without this the deeds of the flesh present or to come will never be truely mortifyed None have any corruption indeed subdued unless they are pardoned and justified Mortification of sin is included in sanctification and sanctification is never without justification Nor ever did will or can any set upon the destroying the deeds of the flesh present and to come unless they confess and mourn for what 's past and sue out a pardon according to the Gospel Therefore look to this that you seek to have what 's past forgiven so as hath been express'd 2. For the mortifying the deeds of the body as to time present This must be or nothing will be done with respect to time to come There must be a beginning and setting upon the laying dead present sinful motions If ye mortifie saith my Text it speaks in the present tense If ye now stir up your selves in this work What is this to mortifie the deeds of the body present A. It is to put a stop to the movings of sin so that they may cease as the Psalmist Ps 73.15 If I say I will speak thus that is sinfully as before in the foregoing words behold I should offend against the generation of thy children He found envy because of the prosperity of the wicked stirring in him and discontent because of his own afflicted condition whereupon he set himself to mortifie those lusts in the present motions thereof and he did so he stopt their mouth So when unbelief moved in him Ps 77. and caused him to begin to say will the Lord be favourable no more hath he forgotten to be gracious he tells us he said this is my infirmity v. 10. thus he put a bar against the working of his unbelief so we should still mortifie every lusting and motion of sin as men mortifie a sore or disease by using all means to put a stop to it that it encrease and spread not We should not rest till corruption be silenced and give over its sollicitations and if it will be stirring still we should labour to weaken the strength of it as much as possible so far as it 's weakned it 's mortified as the weaker our body groweth the nearer it is to death there is a degree of death in weakness But how shall we thus mortifie the present deeds of the flesh A. In a few particulars at this time First Keep an observing eye upon the body of sin mind carefully observe diligently what deeds it brings forth what motions it hath at this and that time as in sight they eye and mark every motion of the enemy There are who though they have many and mighty workings of corruption they are ignorant of them or they little regard them except in some more than ordinary case but forasmuch as we have a body of sin that is very fruitful we should still take good notice what fruit it doth yield which way it moveth How shall we mortifie the things we are unacquainted with How oft is it that the body of sin works covetously How oft that it moves proudly How frequent that it lusteth enviously in this or that man and he is not apprehensive or sensible thereof and then how is he like to do any thing towards the killing its fruits to bar its out-goings Secondly When you perceive any rising or motion of corruption it 's good to consider what it is that giveth occasion thereto or by what it is that it takes occasion whether it be some object of sense something you see or
Satan's daughter yet harlot he is still doing all he can to cause new births to make corruption fruitful therefore we should still be mortifying our sins or we give him encouragement we yield to him if one be endeavouring still to burn down your house your city had you not need still to stand ready with water and whenever any flame appears to bestir your selves Thirdly What ever arguments or reasons there are why we should begin and at any time mortifie the deeds of corruption the same arguments the same reasons there are why we should continue and hold on in so doing our lusts are still the same in their own nature at one time as at another God abhors them alwayes alike they are still as contrary to him as full of enmity to our souls the lustings of sin at all times deserve death and have a tendency to bring us unto death so in all other respects we have the same motives to quicken us in the carrying on this holy war Fourthly they who have begun to seek the death of their sins have more reason to go forward even than they had to begin hast thou begun to destroy the viperous brood of lusts in thy soul reason enough thou hadst to begin and wo had been to thee if thou hadst never begun to destroy these Vermin Serpents and much worse but yet thou having begun hast more reason to go on and continue destroying them while thou liv'st For First The more thou hast done the less thou hast to do if thou holdest on or the more thou hast done the more easie will it be for thee to go forward in so doing every work is hardest at first and so is this the longer the Souldier hath been in the war and the more execution he hath done the better may he hold on in his warfare and ordinarily the more is he encouraged the more resolute and couragious is he as also the more able old Souldiers are look'd upon as the best Secondly The longer thou hast been occupied or busied in this work the less while hast thou to sweat in it Rom. 13.11 Knowing the times that now it is high time to awake out of sleep for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed So the utter destruction of our sin is nearer than when we began to make war upon it so long as thou hast been mortifying thy lusts so much shorter thy life and therefore the life of thy lusts also thy end and therefore their end is so much the nearer and thou art so much the nearer heaven where thou shalt have no more such work to do where thou shalt neither have any sinful lusting nor any sin remaining in thee Thirdly To give over having begun is a hainous crime a greater evil than to have never begun he that never listeth himself or never marcheth forth offends less than he that doth and runs from his Colours or returns before the fight be ended unless his Captain send him back which the Captain of our salvation never doth any but in this spiritual warfare it 's yet much worse for he that desisteth who holds his hand he as it were enters into a new league and makes a new composition with his sin and that after light and conviction for none begin but such who are inlightned and convinced which aggravates greatly their Complyance with their sin He mortifieth his convictions who keeps not on in mortifying his corruptions Yea if thou yieldest thy self after resistance made against thy sin to be carried down the stream thou dost then resist the spirit for that it was that put thee on at first to strike at and attempt the death of thy lusts Fourthly Thou wilt lose all thy former labour and endeavour and worse than lose it Lose it it 's sure thou wilt for thou wilt be overcome by thy sins he that doth his utmost may be and is sometimes captivated as the Apostle saith he was by sin but they who lay down their Arms or stand still will be quite conquered as suppose an Enemy scale the Walls of a City if those within only knock down and kill for a while those who seek to enter and don 't continue to slay while there are more and more still powred in upon them notwithstanding all that have been slain the City will soon be taken mastered and brought under the Enemies power So it is here and if any are quite overcome by their corruptions they will perish by them notwithstanding any former conquest gained against or over them Though thou hast mortified a 100 and a 100 lustings of the flesh though thou hast kept under thy sins never so long if after all thou sittest still they 'l become thy Master and they 'l strangle thy soul they 'l stab thee to thy heart and carry thee to perdition So will all thy former pains and warring be lost be as if it had not been Yea I say it will be worse than lost for thy corruption will grow the more violent as a stream that 's stop'd a while thy lusts will become the more furious as an Enemy that hath been of 't beaten and at length gets the upper hand he is the worse he 's the more cruel And God will punish the more sorely all who don't continue but let fall the war against their lusts If any think this not true but shall bless themselves in what 's past and grow secure slothful careless and take their ease giving their corruption leave even to work as it will and putting themselves under the feet of their flesh let such read and reading tremble those words of the Apostle Peter in his 2 Epistle 2. Chap. 19 and 20 v. while they promise others liberty they themselves are the servants of corruption for of whom a man is overcome of the same is he brought in bondage for if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ they are again entangled therein and overcome the latter end is worse with them than the beginning the more a deadly disease is medled with if after it be let alone and prevail it will kill the sooner But I pass to the Application Vses Use 1. It is a great mistake if thou O soul thinkest thy condition good who hast not as yet begun this work who hast not as yet struck one stroke in it who hast not to this day given thy lusts one blow but hast suffered them to live quietly and peaceably in thee without any disturbance or opposition Know thou thy condition is not good for thou hast not yet begun to do that which is necessary to be done Or if any one have begun and given over be it through weariness laziness wordliness or carelessness let such know this speaks ill concerning them It may be the time was when thou didst bestir thy self against thy sin but now though thy sin stir mightily in thee thou movest not against
we are double-minded and double-hearted in our approaching the Presence of God Secondly If we do not mortifie our corruptions they will yea they 'l cause us to mortifie whatever good motions or purposes are in us one of these two must be either we must destroy our sins or through them we shall destroy that which is contrary thereto for good and evil cannot both be together in the soul with allowance if we so allow that which is evil as not to seek the destruction of it we shall so disallow all good that 's contrary to it as not to suffer it to live in us And so we shall joyn hands with Satan for that 's it he seeketh Rev. 12.4 The Dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered for to devour her Child as soon as it was born so he stands ready to devour the child of every good motion purpose conviction or working that is at any time in us Take heed therefore that you do not put that good that is in you as it were into Satan's mouth Thirdly Have you not listed your selves under Christs Banner have you not taken Christ's Name upon you therefore you ought to war against and seek the death of all sin in you Christ Jesus the Captain of our Salvation expects this of all who enroll their Names as Souldiers under him Col. 3.9 Lie not one to another seeing ye have put off the old man with his deeds Ye who make a profession of Christ have done this at least by profession professing Christ ye do profess to have put off your former corrupt nature with the deeds thereof if then you mortifie them not you contradict your profession And if you are as you would seem Christians indeed then are you members of Christ therefore are you obliged to mortifie your members that are on the earth you are of the Mystical Body of Christ therefore should withal industry seek to destroy the deeds of the body of sin and that the more because this was one end of Christs death Rom. 6.6 Knowing this that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin and consequently that we should morrifie it for either we are shall and must be the enemies of sin or we are and shall be the Servants of it 1 Pet. 2.24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the Tree that we being dead to sin should live unto righteousness but we are not dead to sin nor can we live unto righteousness if we subdue not the evil deeds of the Flesh Fourthly This is acceptable service to God because our corruptions are enemies to him as well as to us and he calls us forth to war against them therefore when we endeavour their ruine we serve God and God takes it as service to himself and he will graciously therefore reward it at last with his blessings Heb. 7.1 Melchizedeck King of Salem Priest of the most High God met with Abraham returning from the slaughter of the Kings and blessed him Melchizedeck was a type of Christ who is said to be a Priest after the order of Melchizedeck In the foregoing words chap. 6. last verse Abraham the Father of the faithful signifieth all Believers his seed his children The Kings may signifie our lusts which naturally reign as Kings in us Lot whom the Kings took captive notes our souls captivated by our lusts Abraham's destroying those Kings imports our destroying our corruptions as Believers through faith Melchizedech his blessing Abraham thereupon speaks and gives assurance of a blessing to us from Christ we so doing Would you that when you have finish'd your course and fought the good fight of Faith Christ Jesus should so come forth and meet you and bless you then up and be doing up and be fighting smite kill and slay all your iniquities This is fighting the Lords battel therefore as it is said of Meroz Curse them because they came not forth to the help of the Lord against the mighty so cursed is every one that goes not forth with all his might against his mighty sins But blessed he that takes Babilon 's children yea her little ones as the Psalmist speaks and dasheth them against the stones In a word though to wound your natural visible body or any member thereof be an unnatural thing causing grief and pain to destroy the body of sin and its deeds is a gracious work from whence flow peace and joy Great peace have they who love thy Law saith the Scripture but the more any fight against their sins and destroy them the more they do and the more they thereby will love the Law of God Therefore awake to this good work Use last Be ye constant in this work Never give over in any case any place at any time for you carry the body of sin about you wherever you go and there are allurements every where and baits to draw it forth in evil lustings It is too common a thing and one of the greatest faults amongst Christians that they are no more constant in this blessed work sometimes they bestir themselves herein but at other times how negligent are they they sit down and fall asleep at this great and necessary duty Which how dangerous is it to stand still though but one hour one quarter of an hour in a hot close fight hand to hand is it not full of danger ten to one the man that doth so is knockt down dead But if by negligence in this work you should get no deadly wound you would not escape some wound which perhaps you shall not have cured a long while it may be not while you live and you 'l find the work harder when you begin again then you left it when you left off Some they grow weary and faint in this spiritual combate but let them remember if they stop they must renew the fight again and then however difficult it be now it will be more hard to them for sin gains ground when we sit still But hold on and thus shall you find the work easier and thus shall you have constant peace without any considerable or long continued breach thereof though sin stir strongly yea though it prevail much yet while you keep diligent and constant in resisting and opposing and beating it down your peace will abide There is no inward true peace but where there is inward war against sin and while this war is maintained and carried on heartily and vigorously there is inward peace for this is exceeding pleasing to conscience that sits as it were looking on and is greatly pleased delighted to see the soul lustily wrestling with contending against and pursuing to death its lusts and sinful lustings Yea the Lord the Captain of our salvation is highly pleased to behold this and therefore will speak peace to those thus employed and daily exercised Go over your experience and say when have you
the most peace is it not then when you are most eagerly ingaged against and hot in the pursuit of sin plotting contriving and by all means you can working its death The experience of all Christians I doubt not gives in restimony that this is true Sermon 5. THe second thing in the latter part of my Text now offereth it self to our serious consideration this necessary duty is to be performed through the Spirit whence the Doctrine is this D. 2. That the great work of mortifying killing or destroying the deeds of the body of sin is to be managed through the Spirit when we are called upon to mortifie our sinful affections our evil motions and the corrupt lustings within us the meaning is that this is to be done through the Spirit No truth more useful than this if well understood and received this is the principal thing that I would commend to you All know or generally it is confest that sins must be mortified but that this is to be done by in with or through the Spirit few in comparison understand I know nothing that needs to be taught among and prest upon Christians and more frequently to be inculcated than this There are three Queries concerning the truth now proposed which call for some Answer for the explication of it 1. What 's meant by the Spirit 2. Why is this work to be done through the Spirit 3. How is it thus to be done Q. 1. What 's meant by the Spirit A. Spirit signifieth diverse things in Scripture it hath several acceptations 4 of which I shall here take notice 1. By spirit is meant our spirit our heart and soul so the Apostle saith he did serve God with his spirit and Christ saith God is to be worshipped in spirit so we must mortifie the deeds of the body of sin in spirit with our whole heart and soul otherwise we shall not prosper in what we do all will be to no purpose if we have not a thorow will and sincere endeavour Christ saith many shall seek to enter in at the strait gate and not be able so many seek to mortifie their sins and are not able because they are not thorowly willing and resolved And then our main endeavour must be to mortifie sin within of which I spake before when sins are only kept from outward outbreakings they are no more mortified than Lions and Bears or such wild creatures when shut up and kept from ranging abroad Secondly Sometimes by spirit in Scripture is understood new nature the new man as it may be taken and seems to be in that 5. Gal. 17. where the Apostle saith the spirit lusteth against the flesh and the flesh against the spirit thus we must mortifie our sins in by or through the spirit by the new creature through a principle of true grace acted and stirred up in us This is most certain no man can mortifie the deeds of sin without he have a contrary principle of grace for till the new man be formed in one there 's no good nothing but flesh but sin and the flesh neither will nor can mortifie it self as Satan casteth not out Satan neither doth lust cast out or destroy lust though it 's true sometimes one lust doth keep under another and hinder anothers working this or that way as a mans pride may put a stop to his covetousness though he have a covetous heart yet through predominant pride he scorns to be base and niggardly so covetousness may hold in pride as to it 's shewing it self in such or such a way because the man is coverous therefore he will not wear such cloths or do some other things which pride otherwise would cause him to do that he might have respect among men But sin cannot truely subdue sin no more than water can dry up water though one stream being stronger may stop and turn the course of another that hath less strength so pride may command covetousness or covetousness pride yet do they both live before God as the greater light may drown the less yet doth not extinguish it He that hath not a principle of true grace is under the power of fin therefore is not at liberty to mortifie or to will the mortification of his lusts in truth If there be war if there be killing and slaying there must be two parties the one against the other but in a graceless man there 's only one party one nature one kind of principles all sinful therefore he cannot kill or in truth set upon the slaying of his sin though he may possibly upon some outward account or to quiet conscience seek to curb some evil motions As it is against our nature as men to hurt our bodies so is it against our nature as sinful men to do any thing in good earnest and truth of heart towards the death of our sin Therefore a man must have a new nature which whosoever hath then he cannot but be striking at and wounding the deeds of corrupt nature because these two are perfectly contrary Yet they who have true grace need to be awakned and excited thereto more and more to lay out themselves therein through that grace they have received could it be that the actings of sin should be destroyed without contrary workings of grace it would little avail a man would not thereby be in the way of life but no lusting of corruption can be truely killed without a lusting and stirring of grace in opposition thereto as darkness is only dispelled removed by the shining forth of some light Therefore look O soul well to this that thou hast a new nature that thou beest a new Creature in Christ Jesus Thirdly Spirit is sometimes taken for the Gospel as opposed to the Covenant of works 2 Cor. 3.8 where the Apostle speaks of the ministration of the Spirit in opposition to the ministration of Death mentioned in the foregoing verse and verse 6. he saith we are Ministers of the New Testament not of the Letter but of the Spirit for the Letter killeth but the Spirit giveth life and thus some take Spirit 1 John 5.8 There are three that bear witness on earth the Spirit the Water and the Blood i. e. the Word the Gospel Baptism and the Lords Supper If we take Spirit in my Text in this sense It 's true the deeds of the body are to be mortified through the Gospel by Gospel truths and considerations for it is the Gospel only that is effectual to destroy our sins the Law is not sufficient to kill any Lust in us It may be by legal truths men may be frighted and chained as it were with the heavy chain of slavish fear so that they dare not sin as they used to do but the Law alone never was or can be sufficient to lay any sin dead The Law alone rather quickneth and stirreth up sin than destroyeth it sin is thereby revived not mortified Rom. 7.8 Without the Law sin was dead i. e. it lay as if
than the mighty waves of the Sea so is no man Darius found himself too weak to deal with the waves when they broke his bridge of boats though he had a hundred thousand men at his command and is but laught at for his attempting by shackles and stripes to tame the tempestuous waters but Christ by commanding the sea to silence shew'd and made manifest the power of God Thus when our lusts lift up their voice when our flesh lifteth up its waves as it were in our souls the Lord is more mighty we are too weak to grapple with them but the spirit of the Lord is mightier than the strongest motions and most mighty lustings of sin within us It is sometimes thought by some when they feel this or that lust stirring strongly and when they have laboured long against it without conquest over it can this lust be subdued can it ever be mortified and sure it is we are all too full of unbelief as to God's power However some imagine they believe it enough hence they said can God prepare a Table in the wilderness yea Moses himself notwithstanding all he had heard seen and experienced of the power of God yet once spake doubtingly concerning it Numb 11.21 22. for which God rebuked him v. 23. saying is the Lords hand waxed short and hence though the Prophet makes a full confession of Gods power Jer. 32.17 Ah Lord God behold thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm and there is nothing too hard for thee yet observe in the following verses he seems to speak too unbelievingly concerning God's power so and so saith he it is with us yet v. 25. thou hast said unto me O Lord God buy the field for money and take witnesses for the City is given into the hands of the Caldeans therefore v. 26.27 Then came the word of the Lord unto Jeremiah saying Behold I am the Lord the God of all flesh is there any thing too hard for me As if the Lord had said thou say'st indeed there is nothing too hard for me but thou hast not so much faith of my power as thou oughtest to have thou hast too much doubting too much unbelief concerning my power it self But above all things a soul under a deep sense of the power of natural corruption is prone to doubt of Gods power as to the destruction thereof were there reason to doubt of the power of God in any thing there would be cause to question it in this if even any thing were too hard for the Lord this would to slay those lusts which grow in our corrupt nature the difficulty of destroying sin in us the Apostle intimates when he saith who shall deliver me from this body of death Wherefore this is needful to be declared and to be urged whatever our fins are the spirit of the Lord can mortifie them it can cause the body of sin and all the lusts thereof to wither and dye away as Christ did that fig tree which he cursed so that they should no more bring forth any fruit And the spirit of the Lord can so strengthen and assist us that though we be weak we shall be strong enough in its strength to lay dead every deed of sin 1 Cor. 1.27 God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the mighty out of the mouth of Babes and Sucklings he can perfect praise There have been many who have had such like lusts as ours are who have been able through the spirit to tread them under their feet we read of seven Devils cast out of Mary Magdalen not that she was possess'd in her body but she was a notorious sinner she had mighty lusts whereby the Devils had great power in and over-her soul If I saith Christ by the spirit cast out Devils there are no Devils and so no lusts but may be cast out by the spirit so strong was Paul's envy and malice before his Conversion that Acts 26.11 he was exceeding mad against the Christians yet by the spirit he of mad was made sober those his lusts were destroyed and instead of being mad against Christ he became as besides himself for Christ 2 Cor. 5.13 whether we be besides our selves it is to God some accounted them because of their self denyal and fervency in Preaching the Word whereby they spent themselves as besides themselves what lusts had they 1 Cor. 6.9 10 11. they were some of them for nicators Idolaters Adulterers Abusers of themselves with mankind Thieves Covetous Drunkards Extortioners the worst of sinners yet were they sanctified by the spirit of our God and if they were sanctified then their lusts were mortified through the spirit Therefore believe that your sins by the spirit may also be destroyed it is a good step towards the doing this to believe that through the spirit it may be done and the believing this is necessary Mat. 9.28 29. Believe ye that I am able to do this they said yea Lord then touched he their eyes saying according to your faith be it unto you i. e. according to their faith of Christ's ability so were their eyes opened Thirdly All whom the Lord hath chosen to salvation he hath elected them to this way through mortification of their sin by the spirit 1 Pet. 1.2 elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father through sanctification of the spirit unto obedience through sanctification and therefore through mortification how by the spirit so 2 Thes 2.13 We are bound to give thanks alway to God for you Brethren beloved of God because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the spirit but no more sanctification of our souls than there is mortification of our lusts Fourthly Jesus Christ dyed for this 1 Joh. 3.5 he was manifested to take away our sins and in him is no sin to take them away that is not only in the guilt of them but in the power and life of them and it is of the latter he there speaks as the context shews v. 6. whosoever abideth in him sinneth not that is he hath his sins taken away by him and so he sinneth not as he did nor as others do not with his whole man not with delight c. and as Christ came and dyed for this that our sins might be mortified so that this might be done by the spirit in that it cannot be done without it and hence Christ speaks of sending the spirit after his Crucisixion Resurrection and Ascension to deal with men about their fins and why but in order to the subduing them and that because for this he dyed and also rose and ascended and interceeds that those whom he saves may have the spirit to help them in this work Fifthly God hath promised his spirit to his people for this Ezek. 36.27 I will put my spirit within you for what v. 29. I will save you from all your uncleannesses that is God will
put his spirit within his people to save them from their sins and when are we saved from our sins when they are killed we are saved from them this also is promised v. 25. I 'le sprinkle clean water upon you I 'le give you that is my spirit and ye shall be clean from all your filthiness viz. spiritual filthiness or sinfulness This also is included in that promise Isa 44.3 4. I 'le pour my spirit upon thy seed and they shall spring up as among the grass as willows by the water courses that is they shall thrive and flourish spiritually they shall grow in knowledge and grace go forward in good but there is no thriving spiritually encreasing or growing in grace without the mortification of sin only so far as sin dyeth doth grace grow therefore God there by consequence or in effect promiseth his spirit to slay sin in his people Sixthly God hath actually given his spirit to his people all who are effectually called all who are in Christ for this end hast thou the spirit of God in thee it was given thee as by God so for some end what end partly this that thereby thou mightest mortifie the deeds of the body of sin For that for which God promiseth his spirit to his people for that he giveth it to them yea and it doth work powerfully in the Saints of God this way Ezek. 39. last neither will I bide my face any more from them for I have poured out my spirit upon the bouse of Israel saith the Lord God Gods hiding his face is for fins unmortified therefore when he saith I will not hide my face from them for I have poured out my spirit upon them this is signified I have given them my spirit to subdue their sins and it shall subdue them and so I will not hide my face any more as heretofore from them and from these things it follows that it is the work and business of the spirit it 's part of its office to help the people of God in slaying their lusts the spirit hath undertaken to be our helper therein that work for which God hath promised and given his spirit to us that work it hath undertaken and is engaged to help us in the doing of Lastly We honour the spirit when we give our selves through it to mortifie out corruptions as it is an honour to the spirit that it is promised and given to help us in this work so do we honour it when accordingly we make use of it But if we seek the destruction of our sins and not through the spirit then do we highly dishonour it we put it out of office As if any shall think to satisfie for their sins they greatly dishonour Christ so if any think to mortifie their sins of themselves this is a high dishonour to the Holy Spirit Q. 3. How are the deeds of the body of sin to be mortified through the Spirit A. This is to be done through the help by the assistance of the Spirit As that good that is in men is frequently mortified through the evil Spirit through him the Image of God was mortified in our first Parents so though with a difference that evil that is in Gods chosen is mortified through the good Spirit There are two things I shall speak to in answering this enquiry 1. I shall endeavour to shew what it is that the Spirit doth in helping us to mortifie our sins 2. What we are to do that we may have the help of the Spirit in this work 1. What is it that the Spirit doth in enabling us to mortifie the deeds of the body A. 1. The Spirit of God doth shew a soul its sin we are naturally exceeding unwilling to behold our iniquities and we are very blind at home more apt are we as our Lord teacheth us to see a more in our Brothers than to perceive or be sensible of a beam in our own eye many of our evils lye quite out of our sight though great and heinous as Saul's persecuting Christ till he was convinc'd thereof from Heaven as himself saith he verily thought he ought to do what he did so naturally men sin fouly and think they ought to do as they do or they see no evil therein hence those speeches what hurt is there in this and what hurt is there in that and as for those sins we do see we have naturally a weak and slight sight of them we do'nt think them to be so evil as indeed they are Mal. 1.6 Where is my fear saith the Lord of hosts unto you O Priests that despise my Name and ye say wherein have we despised thy Name ch 2.17 Ye have wearied the Lord with your words yet ye say wherein have we wearied him Chap. 3.13 Your words have been stout against me saith the Lord Yet ye say what have we spoken so much against thee Some sins they denyed quite and others they denyed in part though they had spoken yet not so much against the Lord as an Antient saith men use to deny and excuse their sin saying I have not done it or if I have done it I have not done ill or if ill not very ill or if very ill not with an ill intention c. therefore a sight of sin being necessary to the death of sin the Spirit comes and openeth the eyes of our understandings sets our transgressions before us points as it were to this and that sin and holds our thoughts upon it 1 Cor. 2.10 The Spirit searcheth all things even the deep things of God so it searcheth the deep things of our hearts discovering our secret evils to us as hereafter all the hidden things of darkness shall be brought to light and in that day the councels of the hearts shall be made manifest 1 Cor. 4.5 So now when the Spirit gives its assistance to any in destroying their sins it doth bring to light unto them those lustings that were secret to them before it doth make manifest to them the evil councels of their heart it declares and makes evident to them their secret purposes desires and the other hidden workings of sin in them the Spirit evidenceth both that they are guilty of such sins and it reveals the sinfulness of them causing the soul to view them till it be soundly convinced John 16.8 when the Spirit comes it reproves or convinceth the world of sin Secondly The Spirit doth bow our wills and make us sincerely willing to have our sins subdued no man by nature hath a true will to this the destruction of his sin hence such ado in men to save their sins when they are told of them or the word meets with them never did any one seek so or more industriously to save the nearest relation the dearest friend as a natural man his sin by using all cuning to hide it by denying it or cloaking and excusing it as a man at Cudgels seeks to save his head so doth a natural man to
save his sin But when the spirit comes then it makes the soul willing to have its lusts slain Psal 1â—0 2 3. Rule thou in the mid'st of thine enemies thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power willing to what willing to this that Christ should rule in the midst of his enemies in their souls so as to beat them down and destroy them as he pleaseth Naturally men defend their lusts as the Benjamits those filthy persons who ravished the Levit's Concubine but when the spirit comes and deals with the soul as that woman with the men of Abel 2 Sam. 20.22 who by her wisdom perswaded them to cut off the head of Sheba the Son of Bichri who rebelled against David and to cast it out to Joab so then is the soul willing yea it desires and by all means seeks to have the head of every lust cut off it being an enemy to Christ the Son of David Thirdly The spirit doth help our infirmities in prayer by sighs and groans which cannot be uttered as the Apostle saith some verses after my Text it causeth us to sigh because sin is in us and so works in us and to groan to the Lord to be delivered from the bondage of this and that corruption till the spirit comes a man rather sighs when his sin is discovered and reproved he groans when he is stopt in the fulfilling of his lusts but if the spirit once begin to work thorowly then the man sighs to be rid of his sin and groaneth because he is so led captive by it it was by the spirit that the Apostle said O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death None can say so as he did but by the spirit and when any are enabled so to say sighingly and groaningly as he then doth the Lord hear and help as he did the Israelites against the Egyptians Exod. 2.23 24. the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage and they cryed and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage and God heard their groaning and God remembred his Covenant and God looked upon the Children of Israel and God had respect unto them so God hears much more groanings because of spiritual bondage and the cry of souls wrestling against their lusts comes up to him and God looks with an eye of pity on such and hath respect to them and so comes their deliverance by the death of the Egyptians their corruptions through the hand of Christ tipyfied by Moses and their sins not only in the guilt but also in the power of them are destroyed in the red sea by the virtue of the bloud of Christ Fourthly The spirit causeth and enables the soul to hearken and listen to the Word of God when it reads or hears or thinks thereof and it makes a suitable application of truths to the soul according as it knows is best and most proper for it so that a man looks upon and takes this or that word as belonging to him as spoken to him with respect to his sin we are very subject to pass over the truths of God slightly and to put them off as not appertaining or spoken to us but the spirit opens the heart as we read it did Lydia's it causeth the soul to hear and to hear diligently for it self and to apply such and such words to it 's own case and its own corruptions such a threatning belongs to me and will surely be executed upon me if such a sin still live in me and have dominion over me such a promise is to me and will be fulfilled to me if I repent these and these sins crucified Christ he bare them they lay as a heavy weight upon him they joyned with other to squeeze to press out the very heart bloud of Christ and the like thus saith the soul by the spirit when the spirit helps it in mortifying its sins the soul doth Preach to it self argue and plead with it self in order to the slaying leaving and casting away its sins And because we are very apt to forget things especially then when the remembrance of them is most needful when sin is stirring in us therefore the spirit strengthens our memory or helps it by bringing things formerly read and heard to our remembrance seasonably when we most need them when Iust prevails in us Joh. 14.26 the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my name he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you Fifthly For as much as believing is very necessary to the subduing our sins this is our victory saith the Apostle John even our faith therefore the spirit helps us in overcoming our sins by working in us a spirit of faith by stirring up faith in us and causing us to act faith on the sufferings of Christ by whose stripes as we read we are healed as our bodies are healed by the destroying our diseases so our souls by the mortifying our sins which is by the vertue of Christ's stripes but not without faith acted thereon therefore the spirit helps in this and also in acting faith on the several truths of Scripture to believe what the Scripture speaks concerning our sins themselves and the fruit of them what will follow if they dye not to believe the threatnings and the promises which is a special means to destroy sin especially faith acted on the promises for by the promises we escape the corruption that is in the world through lust 2 Pet. 1.4 and hence that exhortation 2 Cor. 7.1 having these promises let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness c. but the promises unless mixt with faith profit not Sixthly the spirit doth in a secret way powerfully by the Word smite and wound our sins as with a sword for the word is the sword of the spirit Eph. 6.17 as a man in fight takes up his sword puts to his strength and layes on upon his enemies therewith so the spirit takes the word or accompanyeth it and puts to its own power smiting our lusts thereby hence we read Heb. 4.12 the word of God is quick and powerful sharper than any two edged sword not that the bare word written or spoken is so in it self alone it hath no life nor power nor edge without the spirit or it can do no execution without it but the spirit makes it effectual Psa 110.4 5. the Lord at thy right hand shall strike through Kings so the Spirit when it pleaseth strikes through our King-like lusts that have had dominion over us and thus it doth by it's own sword the word the Spirit is to our sins a Spirit of judgment and a Spirit of burning as it 's called Isa 4.4 as a Judg to a malefactor yea and as Executioner too as fire to fuell so is the Spirit in it's working with the Word to our Lusts As it 's said in another sense I have slain them by my
Prophets and hewn them with the word of my mouth so the Spirit by Scripture words slayes hacks and hews our sins as Antichrist is consumed by the breath of the Lords mouth so is sin within us which is the worst Antichrist of all and but for which there had been no Antichrist at all Lastly The Spirit mortifieth our sins by producing and begetting fruits in us contrary thereto such as those Gal. 5.22 23. the Apostle in the foregoing verses declares what are the fruits of the Flesh thereupon makes mention of the fruits of the Spirit such as love peace long-suffering goodness faith meekness whereby he teacheth us that the Spirit by causing these good things in us doth expell and destroy the fruits of the Elesh which are contrary thereto and there is one fruit of the spirit not there mentioned but implyed in love which the spirit works whereby the power and life of Sin is greatly abated yea even taken away according to the measurc and strength of it and that 's hatred hatred of all Sin which makes us eager in seeking the utter extirpation of it out of our Souls I might have added The Spirit breaks the force of Satan's temptations who seeks to defend Sin and keeps it upon the throne in us and therefore tempts violently stirs up and doth all he can to kindle it and feed it by pouring in such and such thoughts as by other means but the Spirit opposeth and withstands him to which that may be applyed Isa 59.19 When the enemy shall come in like a floud the Spirit of the Lord shal lift up a Standard against him The Spirit well understands all Satans wiles and what correspondence he hath with Sin in us and the Spirit either driveth him away and makes him flee from us or counterworks him dictating answers to all his temptations and as casting water on the fire which Satan endeavours to blow up in us Sermon 6. I Am now in the second place to shew what we are to do that we may have the help of the Spirit in mortifying the deeds of the body For answer whereto briefly in a few particulars First We must receive the Spirit we can do nothing this way through the Spirit unless it be in us dwelling and abiding in our Souls which it will not be except it be received by us 1 Cor. 2.12 We have received the Spirit which is of God So have all we who truly believe and they who have not must receive it or never will they give any of their sins a deadly wound through it If any keep their hearts shur against the Spirit they cannot have the help of it in the work of mortification or any other work to their Salvation As till the Soul come into the Body and dwell in it the Body doth not cannot work act or do any thing by it so till the Spirit come into the Soul and be received to dwell there the Soul doth nothing by it to the subduing it's lusts Secondly They who have received the Spirit must call in or call for it's help and assistance when you find corruption stirring when you go about the killing your sins you must desire and ask the Spirit 's co-working with you O that the Spirit of the Lord may now work with me O that it may now assist me let it now please to help me in destroying this evill affection in mortifying this and that sinfull motion I feel stirring in me You must never attempt any thing without looking for and seeking the Spirit 's assistance Ps 143.10 Thy Spirit is good it 's a good guide lead me into the Land of uprightness by it O Lord be pleased to lead me in the good and upright way in the strait path the way everlasting till I shall come to that place appointed for upright ones and where nothing of hypocrisie is but all uprightness and sincerity only grows So you should pray Lord thy Spirit is holy and mighty it is every way able to help me O let it assist me in mortifying mine iniquities till they shall be all destroyed till I come to that Country where no such poysonous hurtful thing as sin doth grow or live or hath any being Thirdly You must wholly rely on and trust in the Spirit for its direction and powerfull co-operation with you in this work not having any thought as if you could put to death or do any thing for the destruction of any sin of your selves but knowing remembring and acknowledging also your own utter weakness and insufficiency your trust confidence relyance must be altogether on the Spirit As Jehosaphat said We know not what to do but our eyes are to thee which implyes trust and dependance on God so your eyes must be to the Spirit Psal 38.19 Mine enemies are lively and they are strong i. e. they are too strong for me what then V. 15. In thee O Lord do I hope So when our Spiritual enemies are lively and when they are as indeed they alwayes are too strong for us we must hope in the Spirit of God for strength from it Ps 47.3 He shall subdue the People under us and the Nations under our feet we will not think or attempt it in our own strength but as elsewhere it is In the name of the Lord I will destroy them yea in the Lords name will I destroy them I will not trust in my bow nor shall my sword save me c. So we must not think that any means we can use can lay dead any sin but we must still purpose resolve and endeavour the slaying of every sin in the power and strength of the Spirit Fourthly You must lye in the way of the Spirits working as Marriners do lay their Vessell in the way of the wind or the Miller turns his Mill that way the wind blows because the Ship will not sail nor the Mill grind without the wind So you must lay your selves in the way of the Spirits breathing and turn your Souls to that blessed wind that way it bloweth I mean you must attend under Ordinances you must give your selves to religious holy duties to hear to read to meditate on the Word of God to confer with others and joyn in prayer with them as you have opportunity c. John 3.8 The Spirit worketh As the wind bloweth where it listeth not where we list but where it self pleaseth and where is it that the Spirit listeth to work sure it is in the way of it 's own appointments Fifthly We must yeild up our selves to the Spirit to be acted moved and ruled according to it's pleasure as Souldiers follow your Leader observe his Commands yea every beck or wagging of his head or hand and accordingly order themselves so we must well mind all the dictates take notice of all the movings of the Spirit in us and comply therewith Gal. 5.16 This I say then walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the
wish yea do desire that nothing of them or of any one of them might remain The holy spirit is an enemy to one sin as well as to another and to every degree of sin and all the outgoings or workings thereof therefore he that goeth forth against sin by the spirit he warreth against all sin one as well as another A sign Saul was not carried forth by the spirit against the Amalekits as to the frame of his spirit because he spared some he should have slain so a sign a man seeks not the death of his sin through the spirit if he spare any lust evil affection or motion And if the spirit act you then you lay out your selves will and labour to mortifie every sin in all it 's outbreaking which way soever it vents it self and moves For instance pride that works many wayes and shews it self by a mans habit gate looks thoughts c. Now if you only mind to destroy your pride as issuing forth or working one or two of these wayes and not all you have reason to doubt whether you are acted by the spirit in what you do against your pride So for covetousness that lust hath many streams and wayes of working as making hast to be rich not giving to good and charitable uses buying under and selling above the Market or due price not allowing a mans self or his Relations what is fitting thirsting after gain discontent because a man hath or gets no more of the world c. Now if you only seek to destroy your covetousness as moving and acting some and not all these wayes that speaks what you do against some is not of the spirit Or if you will and strive to mortifie any sin only in part in some degree that 's a bad token but this is a good sign when you are set against every sin in every motion in all the wayes of its working and less than its heart blood its utter ruine will not cannot content you Thirdly You use none but such means as the spirit hath prescribed for the slaying any lust you will not meddle with unlawful superstitious means nor any other but such as the Word of God directs to as praying reading hearing meditating good Company and such like for the spirit of God works not by unlawful means if any do war spiritually by the spirit they war lawfully whereby it appears that Papists and other superstitious persons who seem very strict are not led out against their sins by the spirit because they leave the right path and take strange courses which God hath not commanded Yea which he hath forbidden such a means is that when any mew themselves up in a Cell or lay aside their Calling avoid the Society of Relations and others with whom they ought to accompany c. I may add to this you chiefly use those means wherein the spirit principally delights as looking to the promises the sufferings the holy example of Christ c. It appears by the Apostles arguing Rom. 6.1 2 3 4 c. to what he especially lookt and we ought to look for the destroying our sin even the death the crucifixion of Christ which also may be gathered from Gal. 6.14 God forbid I should glory in any thing save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom or whereby by which Cross I am Crucified to the world and the world to me If you mortifie the deeds of the body by the spirit then this work is in a good degree facilitated and made easie to you though exceeding difficult in it self and grievous to the flesh It 's easie for one very weak to do a great work if he have a strong able helper it 's easie for a young beginner to make good Letters and write well if his hand be guided by a skilful Master So for a soul to beat down its lusts when it hath the powerful assistance of the Almighty most wise spirit And hence they who have the spirit helping them fight against their sins with delight it being a good work and they having good help what they do is not burthensom wearisom and irksom as it is to others therefore they are not apt to be discouraged and give over as others are Neh. 4.8 9. They conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God and set watch against them day and night Nehemiah was not disheartned because he was acted and assisted by the Spirit in the work whereto he was called Thus when a man is set on work against sin by the Spirit Only that none mistake let two things be here remembred First The Spirit of God seldom or never doth assist any in this life in their combating with sin as it can it puts not forth all its ability to the utmost in helping any here if it did farewel all sin presently but because it 's the will of God we should still be kept in exercise in this world and fight it through all the way to heaven therefore the Spirit of God helps those who have its help only in some degree so far as it pleaseth Secondly The Spirit strengthens some more others less and the same persons sometimes more sometimes less sometimes the Spirit almost quite leaves those who have it and are acted by it as to their sense they are even altogether left to themselves either because they have grieved the Spirit or for their tryal and to cause them to know more their own weakness and pray more earnestly for the Spirits help Hence it may be that they who have the Spirit and have gone far in the war against their sin by it may find the work so hard as to begin for a time to sink under it As Moses though in governing the people of Israel he was mightily enabled by the Spirit yet once we read Deut. 1.9 he complained of the burden of his work and said he was not able to bear it But it is not ordinarily or usually thus for the most part they who have the Spirit with them go forward couragiously and delightfully and thus is it still so far as the Spirit doth lead and carry them in what they do Fifthly If you mortifie your sins by the Spirit then as really as you endeavour the death of any sin you do labour to exercise that grace that 's contrary thereto every lust hath a grace opposite to it he that mortifies his lust by the Spirit doth also quicken his grace that stands in opposition to it for the Spirit is as great a friend to grace as it is an enemy to sin and by stirring up grace in us as was formerly said the Spirit doth help us in beating down our sin if then the Spirit help you to mortifie envie and malice it doth put you on to exercise charity kindness and mercy If it assist you against coverousness it doth enable you to exercise contentedness and thus as to other things
Therefore they hardly have the Spirit in a special saving way at least working with them who only seek to get sin down but mind not to get grace up Sixthly This is a sure rule whatever the Spirit helps us to do it causeth us to do from a gracious principle to a gracious end so in the present case if the Spirit stir up any to mortifie their sins it causeth them to endeavour the death thereof from a principle of hatred of sin love to God and faith of his Word and if the Spirit work with us it causeth us to strive to ruine sin not only as contrary to us but as contrary to the law nature and name of God and honour of Christ Whoever aims only at himself in what he doth he acts from and of himself and is not acted by the Spirit For though the Spirit love all in whom it is it loves God more and Christ more than it loves us Though the Spirit aims at our good yet more at the honour of God Jesus Christ Seventhly Though the Spirit if you are acted by it do put you on to pursue all your sins to death yet some of them principally as the more strongly and lively any sin is the more it steals or keeps the heart from God the more it hinders you in religious services the more hurt it causeth you to do to others by offending by hardning and causing them to stumble and whatever sin it be by which Gods name your profession and your souls most suffer that you especially strike at and war upon chiefly your chief sin your iniquity your master corruption which is in you the worst for the Spirit of God is a Spirit of wisdom and when it affords its assistance it is according to true wisdom Therefore it spake Saul to be acted by his own Spirit in that he spared Agag the chief of the Amalekits against whom God sent him whereas of all other he should have put him to death so when any indulge and are tender to their head sin that which sits upon the throne in them which above all should be mortified Eighthly If you have the Spirits assistance then you do ordinarily mortifie your sinful motions under strong temptations as well as under weak for all things are alike to the Spirit whose power and whose understanding are infinite Strong and weak temptations differ as to us not as to the Spirit therefore when it vouchsafeth its assisting presence it doth help under and against all sorts and kinds of temptations It may be objected hath it not been known and do we not read that the best men under very strong temptations do greatly miscarry For answer to that it 's true but it 's also true that even they who have the Spirit of God do sometimes turn out of the way under weak temptations God so ordering it that they may the better know themselves and be the more humbled yea it is known that they who stand out against very mighty temptations are for a time born down by some that are of no great strength compared with those which they withstand David's temptation to take away the life of Shimei who cursed him flung stones at him then when he was King and had reigned long his Servants also pressing him to let them go and take off the head of that dead Dog seems much stronger than his temptation to cut off Nabal and all the males of his house because he refused to shew him kindness yet David absolutely refused to give way that Shimei should be medled with whereas he vowed the death of Nabal and of all the men of his house and armed himself and march'd forth to execute his purpose against him which he had done had he not been stopt as himself confesseth 1 Sam. 25.34 In very deed as the Lord God of Israel liveth which hath kept me back from hurting thee except thou had'st hasted and come to meet me surely there had not been left unto Nabal by the morning light any that pisseth against the wall So then it is not barely the greatness of the temptation that makes a good man to stumble but the withdrawing of the Spirit at such a time and then whether the temptation be small or great he is carried away thereby Wherefore I say if the Spirit of God be in you and work with you for the most part you mortifie the motions of sin under all kinds of temptations as you usually stand out against small so usually against great temptations also Lastly You ascribe all that victory that at any time you gain against any sin to the Spirit if you are acted by it for when the Spirit helps it makes the soul sensible that it could not do what it doth of it self Luke 1.49 He that is mighty hath done for me great things and holy is his name so saith the soul that is in a truely gracious frame and is carried forth against sin by the Spirit Not I have done great things to the curbing quelling and killing my sins but he that 's mighty the mighty Spirit of God hath done great things in me for me and by me as Isa 26.12 he hath wrought all our works in us not we our selves of our selves but he yea he hath wrought not some but all our works in us Sermon 7. Use 9. SEe how great need they have to seek the Spirit who have it not so necessary as the mortifying any sin is so necessary is the having of the Spirit for as hath been said we must have the Spirit e're we can do any thing by it to the slaying our sins therefore so many lusts so many evil affections and motions so many sins as are in any one of us so many engagements to seek the Spirit without which not one of them can be subdued They who have not the Spirit of the Lord they do they will walk after their lusts nor can they walk otherwise Jude 17 18. Beloved remember ye the words that were spoken before of the Apostles of our Lord Jesus how that they told you there should be mockers in the last time who should walk after their own ungodly lusts how so v. 19. these be they who separate themselves i. e. from ordinances from the Societies of Saints sensual not having the spirit hence they did they could not but walk after their lusts because though they pretended high as if they had the spirit and that in a larger measure than others yet in truth they had it not Whoever are without the Spirit are in the flesh Rom. 8.9 Ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit if so be the Spirit of Christ dwell in you but which is implyed if the Spirit of Christ dwell not in you then are you in the flesh in the hands under the power of corrupt nature therefore cannot possibly mortifie the deeds of the flesh But get the Spirit once so shall you through it be able to bring under and tread
other wayes And if you find not the spirit helping you against your sin you may conclude one of these two things either you have it not and then you must seek it as before or you have some way grieved it and then you must consider wherein make confession beg pardon and amend Use 12. Be perswaded every one who hath the spirit in all you do against your sin to do it alway through the spirit for as much as this is a sure way and the only way of doing any thing successfully All remember it all is lost labour and worse than labour barely lost if not through the spirit for to attempt any thing without it is a slighting it and the mercy of God in bestowing it And this indeed is one principal way of grieving the spirit to seek or think to tread down your lusts without its help when any have a good friend who can assist them in a difficult matter necessary to be done by them for their good which they cannot bring about without him it is an offence to him it will grieve him if he be not made use of it s a part of friendship and a precept thereof to use our friend in a time of need a true friend is as much offended if you will not use him when you need his help as he is displeased if you refuse your assistance when he needs help from you I am apt to think we grieve the spirit as by nothing more greatly so by nothing more frequently than by this we forget the spirit we beg not its helping presence enough we trust not in it as we ought we have too much a secret considence in our own endeavours resolutions and duties or in grace received Thus the spirit is grieved so it assisteth us not as else it would hence our lusts are so strong what we do proves in vain If one sin be somewhat kept under another riseth up in its room and that retains its life also still and breaks forth again if outward acts of sin are somwhat prevented yet sin it continues and prevails within Hence also we are so oft almost quite discouraged in opposing sin and even sometimes ready to think it unconquerable and hence we undergoe more difficulty than we need as hath been said like as when one combats with an enemy alone too strong for him when he may have help he hath more trouble than he need to have this is folly it 's as when a Child will attempt and force it self to carry that alone which is too heavy for it and above its strength and is it not dangerous to set forth against an enemy too hard for us without that help we may have and God hath graciously afforded us This is presumption this provokes God to let us fall into and under temptation this encourageth Satan against us and strengthens him this is a wrong to the death of Christ whereby the spirit hath been obtained for us Therefore receive the counsel given you into your hearts let it be written and engraven there whenever you resolve against sin let it be through the spirit whenever you strive against any sin let it be through the spirit give your self up to the Spirit that you may be conducted led forth guided and strengthned by it This is an honourable way of spiritual fighting under the conduct of such a leader the mighty glorious Spirit our lusts are the basest enemies the worse is it to be overcome by them but the Spirit is a most excellent Leader Some may say I have endeavoured through the Spirit seeking it and trusting in it for the mortifying of my sin yet is it not mortified I answer don't you know it is so sometimes that a sick man thinks himself worse than he was when his Disease is much abated because he is more sensible of it than he was so is it as to sin And it is one part of Satan's work to bely the work of the Spirit As when men go forth against their sins without the Spirit Satan endeavours to cause them to think their sin dead when it lives as much as ever having no deadly wound at all so when any do resist and fight against their sin by the Spirit he bestirreth himself to cause them to think that their sin retaineth it's former life and strength when indeed it is dying and much weakned It cannot be but if you have truely opposed sin through the Spirit that it is mortified in a good degree it is mortifying dying though not quite mortified and dead altogether As you should not think your corruptions weaker so neither should you look upon them as stronger than they are It is a disgraceful injury to a Physician when his Patients get good by his prescriptions and are really better for them to say they are as bad as sick as ever they have gotten no good thereby So is it a dishonour and wrong to the blessed most precious spirit of grace for those who have it and are acted by it or make use of it to say they are never the better that their sins retain their former strength notwithstanding as if the Spirit of God were either weak unskilful or unfaithful It 's good for us to think and confess the worst of our selves and we should be humbled and ashamed that our sins are no more subdued but we must beware that we dishonour not the spirit nor speak more against our selves than is true as we must not speak falsly for God so not against our selves all false witness is a transgression of the Law Yet let me say our hearts are very deceitful in this thing we do not alway act through the spirit nor are we sensible of our need of it nor do we so heartily seek it or rely on it as we sometimes suppose I doubt not there are many who can testifie that they have experienced the deceitfulness of their hearts in this as well as in other things they have thought that they did resolve and strive through the spirit but afterward they have found that they did look too much to themselves and too little to the spirit that they had more self confidence than they were aware of Some may here desire farther advice how they shall do this work through the spirit how their hearts shall be brought to a thorow trust in the spirit that they may have its help against their sins To which I answer First When sin prevails in you not only confess that but this that you have not made use of the spirit nor relyed on it as you ought it will be a good help to your having more of the assistance of the spirit hereafter if you be sensible of and acknowledge with brokenness of heart your neglect of the spirit heretofore that you have not gone forth against your sin through it as you should There is too little of this confession we confess the stirrings and breakings forth of corruption but we forget altogether or
enemies will administer joy yea peace shall we have in great trouble joy in the midst of great sorrow for it s not affliction so much as corruption that deprives our heart of comfort peace and joy Nor can any trouble drown our consolation and chearfulness of spirit wholly if our sin be but mortified by the spirit 1 Pet. 1.6 though in heaviness by manifold temptations yet shall our hearts greatly rejoyce As Solomon saith of the worldly man's mirth Prov. 14.13 even in laughter the qeart is sorrowful and the end of that mirth is heaviness so as to a Godly man's sorrow if he keep constant and diligent in warring against his sin even in his mourning his his heart is joyful and the end of that heaviness is gladness Perhaps God may withdraw and much try such a one and â—o his heart will have great sorrow yet not without a secret mixture of joy and if his comfort seem to be dead it is but as a sleep it will soon awake and no true joy or peace can be while sin is permitted to bear sway in the soul and is not heartily opposed Thirdly We shall live a life of all true spiritual happiness while we are here we shall have God's favour wherein as the Psalmist saith there is life and which is better than life yea for the most part at least we shall or may have the shining of it into us the light of God's countenance ever and anon lifted up upon us we shall have the blessing of God all things will be blest to us many afflictions will graciously be prevented those that come will be sanctified to us so that they shall not hurt us spiritually no more than the fiery furnace did the three Children outwardly our souls thereby shall not be so much as singed as their clothes were not by that devouring fire nothing shall befall us that will be evil to us in it's effect No good thing shall be wanting to us we shall thrive under ordinances we shall hear and live we shall be fed with and feed on the bread of life our duties and our labours shall live we shall experience the truth of those and other like words Psal 1.3 we shall be like a tree planted by the Rivers of water that bringeth forth its fruit in its season our leaf shall not wither and whatsoever we do shall prosper so the blessing of God will attend us and his favour compass us Fourthly When we come to dye a natural death we shall live much better we shall presently live in our souls perfectly and so shall we after a while live in our whole man Joh. 5.29 we shall come out of our graves to the resurrection of life as Christ liveth so shall we live and O how doth he live now there above 2 Cor. 13.4 though he was crucified through weakness yet he liveth by the power of God we also are weak in or with him but we shall live with him if sin dye in us through the spirit of Christ thereby we have great assurance that we shall live with Christ Rom. 6.8 if we be dead with Christ we believe that we shall also live with him to him that overcometh saith the faithful and true witness Rev. 2.7 will I give to eat of the tree of life which is in the midst of the Paradise of God which words seem to have respect to that spoken to Adam after he had sinned Gen. 3.22 23. lest he put forth his hand and take also of the tree of life and live for ever therefore the Lord God sent him forth out of Paradise now saith Christ though Adam having sin'd and being mortified by sin might not eat of or touch or come near the tree of life that he should live for ever as he hoped or supposed he thereby should yet to him that overcometh his temptations and corruptions will I give to eat I 'le not only permit him to eat but I 'le give him to eat of the tree of life in the midst of the Paradise of God even the third heavens that best place of all the creation as Paradise was of all the earth and so he shall live for ever far better than Adam in that state could have lived Hear men and brethren thus O thus shall ye live if ye will so fight against your sins as not to let them live in you They said of Paul Acts. 22.22 it 's not fit that he should live so the world may say of us and we considered in our selves have great reason to acknowledge we are not fit to live any life no not here in this present evil world but through grace we shall live a life ten thousand and ten thousand times ten thousand much better a life glorious and everlasting 2 Pet. 1.11 we shall have an entrance administred abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Now for a few arguments to demonstrate and help faith as to this truth that they who so do as is express'd shall so live as is declared First it must be so because otherwise the spirit's work in us should be lost the spirit 's helping and assisting us against our sins should be in vain to what purpose should the spirit of the Lord enable us in this work if we being help'd should not live but dye at last Therefore shall we live for the spirit 's almighty special work cannot be lost our working alone might well be and would be in vain and disowned by God but that which we do through the powerful assistance and effectual workings of the Holy Ghost will surely be owned by the Father for the spirit's sake and his own sake who sent it to strengthen us and Christ's sake also who obtained it for us Secondly The Spirit is the Spirit of life it 's he that quickneth Joh. 6.63 it is the living water the Scripture speaks of and if we mortifie our sins through it it hath quickned us we begin already to live through it and it dwelleth in us therefore we shall live more and more till we come to live the life of perfection and glory Rom. 8.11 If the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwel in you he that hath raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you and in the mean time it will be quickning our immortal souls as to that death whereto by sin they are obnoxious or lyable Thirdly Having the Spirit of Christ we are in him we are one with him and this is a sure evidence and infallible testimony that Christ hath dyed for us he hath so taken our sins upon him that he hath taken them away he hath so born them that he hath born them away for ever from us he hath satisfied divine justice as to all our iniquities and fulfilled the law and now appears in the presence of God for us Rom. 8.3 4. God sent Christ that the
the King of Canaan untill they had destroyed Jabin King of Canaan i. e. as if it had been said that great that potent destroying King Jabin therefore his name is so repeated Therefore that thou mayest sing now and much more hereafter and sing for ever stir up thy self take hold of the Lord march out against every sin in his name and strength for so shalt thou prevail be not discouraged Read and consider weigh that well Jud. 6.12 13. The Angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon and said unto him the Lord is with thee thou mighty man of valour Gideon replyed Oh my Lord if the Lord be with us why then is all this befaln us c. V. 14 15 16. And the Lord looked upon him and said go in this thy might and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites have not I sent thee and he said oh my Lord wherewith shall I save Israel Behold my family is poor in Manasseth a poor Tribe and I am the least in my Fathers house and the Lord said unto him surely I will be with thee and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man Secondly If God intend to save us he will take some severe course or other with us for the destroying our sin if we will not be perswaded by fair means by his word to seek it's destruction whence was it that the incestuous Corinthan was delivered up to Satan and thereupon had so much sorrow that he was ready to be swallowed up thereby it vvas for the destruction of his sin the ruining vvhereof he neglected the Psalmist saith fools because of their transgression are afflicted because they countenance their sin and are too tender tovvards it vvhich is their folly therefore God makes them smart Hence Davids bones vvere broken because he did not mortifie the lustfull motions that vvere in him but gave vvay thereto Remember vvhat Christ saith Rev. 3.19 As many as I love I rebuke and chasten be zealous therefore and repent Thirdly What is the end aim and tendency of every deed of the body of sin every sinfull motion It is your death Abstain saith the Apostle Peter from fleshly lusts which war against your souls Why do they vvar but to kill your souls and so far as Satan hath a hand in stirring up your lusts he directly aims at your utter ruin therefore seek the death of your lusts Is it not better for sin to dy than for your souls to dy No man can be so irrationall as to think and say plainly that it 's vvorse for him to slay his sin than it vvill be to be slain by it This is even the farthest step from vvisdom for any to please his flesh and Satan his vvorst enemies to his ovvn eternall undoing Fourthly While any sin is in you unmortified you cannot be so usefull to others you 'l not have a heart no◠〈◊〉 capacity or fitnesse to do that good you might in your generation that you say or do vvill not be so advantagious to others yea sin being unmortified you vvill thereby do much hurt by stumbling them hardning them causing them to blaspheme as David by his sin opened the mouths of the enemies of the Lord in blaspheming And hovv sad is this for a man that ought still to do good to do much hurt for a man to be an instrument of Satan as every one is vvho doth hurt to others souls it may be by some one corruption in you not subdued but prevailing you may be in a great degree a means through your ill example or otherwise of the damnation of some of your Relations Acquaintance or such with whom you have to do certainly a man that understands himself had rather lye rotting in the grave than live to do mischief especially so great hurt Fifthly there cannot be the least shew or shadow of reason why we should spare any sin Good reason there may be for a man to spare outward enemies and to do those good who hate him This may be an honour to a man Theodosius the Emperour is highly commended for that when he was moved to execute one who reviled him he said that were it in his power he had rather raise his dead enemies than put to death his living Or there may be hope that a mans enemies will grow better in time if spared or they living may be of some use one way or other or some friends may interceed for them c. But if you let go your sin this is the greatest disgrace shame and dishonour that can be to you it 's impossible sin should grow better but the longer you let it live unmortified it will still grow worse as to you Sin it self cannot be of any good use There is no one who will be pleased by your sparing sin unless you shall take Satan for your friend or some one in whom he ruleth Nor is there or can there be any other reason why you should forbear or defer to seek the death of every sin Again Consider the smallest sin not mortified is far worse than the greatest grossest sin that hath never so oft broke forth if it be at length brought under for the least deed of the body of sin let alone is mortal to you it will kill you but the greatest being mortified will be no bar to or at all prejudice your salvation for if ye mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live how great heinous mighty prevailing and provoking soever those deeds have been Therefore be fully resolved through the spirit to endeavour the death of every of your sins seeing sin hath already done us so much hurt by wounding by defiling 〈◊〉 souls by separating between God and us and causing many wayes much sorrow to us it is but just revenge to seek its death it 's said indeed avenge not your selves but you know that is not spoken as to our sins the Israelites were to destroy the Amalekits and Midianites when God commanded them and that utterly because of the hurt they had done to Israel and the Apostle makes holy revenge one sign of true repentance 2 Cor. 7.11 How do wicked men mortifie the deeds of the Spirit its motions and convictions how much have we all been guilty thereof O that for time to come we may wholly addict our selves to the mortifying of the deeds of the body of sin Remember be you faithful in this combate for a while and yet after a little time it will be perfectly dead and buried as I may say and that never to have any resurrection our visible body shall rise again not the body of sin nor any member thereof when once quite destroyed I shall here add three or four directions besides those formerly mentioned First Look upon and account this to be one end of all Gods providences towards you to stir you up to this duty hence your afflictions which you perhaps speak of as so many so great they are to take away your
drink in the comfort of it abundantly did I know it belongs to me but I fear whether I do truely mortifie my sin through the spirit or no. I answer the Apostle spake this by the Spirit which had never moved him so to speak had it not been a thing knowable it 's manifest this may be known and questionless they who have the help of the Spirit in mortifying their sin may if they have not have the testimony of it that they so do who helping his friend in any great work is unwilling he should know it A few things I shall propound over and above what you have heard that may be somewhat helpful to you in your knowing this First Is your eye much upon your sin is it much in your thoughts especially your chief iniquity have you many thoughts of that is your mind much exercised upon it Ps 51.3 my sin is ever before me When a man sights against an enemy he keeps him in his eye looks stedfastly on him so he that is bent upon the mortifying his sin hath his thoughts much on it not as some to be pleased therewith but so as to grieve for it to sigh because of it and to consider what he should do for the preventing and destroying it Secondly Doth the breaking forth of sin and your being at any time mastered hy it sadden your hearts as really and more than affliction sickness causeth sadness Neh. 2.2 Why is thy countenance sad seeing thou art not sick so doth other affliction but nothing saddeneth one who is intent and heartily engaged in war so much as the prevailing of the enemy if that question should be put to a gracious person why is thy countenance sad seeing thou art not sick nor in other great affliction he could oft answer it is because of my sin that hath prevailed against me though my body be not sick my soul which is worse alas that is sick through the prevalency of this or that iniquity The Apostle Paul upon occasion gives us a large relation concerning his exceeding great sufferings but saith not because of them but because of his sin O wretched man that I am Now can you say the breaking forth of worldliness troubles me more than the loss of the world the prevailing of pride grieveth me more than contempt and disgrace my neglecting to shew love and kindness to others afflicteth me as really as much and yet more than others not shewing love and kindness to me the discontentment of my Spirit lyeth heavier upon me than any worldly disappointment and the like this is a good demonstration that you mortifie your sin through the Spirit and the more if you can say the very stirring and moving of sin in you sadneth you heart though it do not outwardly shew it self and is known to none but God alone Thirdly The more sin is mortified in any are they the dearer to you or the more you perceive any are careful and watchful against sin doth your heart go forth the more in love and affection to them It may be the less this or that sin appeareth in another which is contrary to your temper humour or interest the more you may love him and yet be under the power of your sin but if your affection be drawn out to others according as you perceive them to be engaged against all their sin this speaks well and the sign is the clearer if you do in your hearts esteem and rejoyce in such who have got a greater conquest over their sin than you have yet attained to Fourthly It is a hopeful evidence if you have much tenderness towards such who are strugling and striving against their sin when you see them sometimes foiled thereby yet it appearing that they do wrestle against their sin your hearts are full of pitty towards them you have a tender respect to them and bear them upon your hearts before God When any are seen to be favourers of their sin and manifest that they nourish or countenance a lust then your hearts are offended and rise against them upon that account but for those who are enemies to their sin these you compassionate this speaks you know what it is to fight against sin and that the Spirit acts you therein Again it is a good mark if you have strong breathings after the motions of the Spirit if you long much for its moving in ordinances and that in order to the destroying your corruptions O that the holy mighty Spirit would move and work in this and the other duty that my sin may have some deadly blow thereby and it this be one principall thing you look at in all your duties and waiting on God in Ordinances that through the Spirit your iniquities may be mortified I shall now only give a short answer to three Objections and conclude this subject and shut up this Text. Obj. 1. Some sincere heart may object were my sin quite subdued I should not doubt but wo is me it liveth still Ans We read Heb. 11.17 Abraham offered Isaac yea it is there repeated he offered up his only begotten son yet his son lived still How so because in his will he did actually offer him at God's command and went a great way in offering him he took his son bound him and having built an Altar and laid on wood he laid his son thereon and took his knife in his hand and had gone farther had not God stopt him So if thy heart be indeed set against sin and they will thy purpose and resolution be utterly to slay thy sin and thou goest as far as ever thou canst therein though as yet it have life thy sin may be said to be mortified yea altogether so as to thy will thy desire and purpose Obj. 2. I have a long time laboured against this and that sin yet doth it oft get the mastery of me it hath much life much livelinesse and strength after years strugling against it had I the spirit helping me sure I should before this have gotten if not a perfect yet a greater victory over my sin Ans When an enemy prevails frequently greatly and holds out long very long it 's more honour to him that continues fighting against him when at last conquereth that his enemy and this gives good hope the spirit doth help thee that thou hast so long wrestled against thy corruption and yet holdest on thou faintest nor but maintainest the fight sighing crying out against it Obj. 3. But I see that some have got much more ground upon their sin and have it more under than I have though they began the fight a good while after me Ans It 's good to be lowly minded to think others better than thy self but perhaps their sin whom thou thinkest of may have more strength than thou knowest or though one fin be lesse in them than in thee another may be lesse in thee than in them or thou mayest have done much more against thy sin than they though it break forth more in thee yea thou mayest in a great degree have mortified thy sin and some who seem to have out gone thee in mortification have done nothing in it to purpose either because thy temptations are stronger or thy disadvantage greater through naturall weaknesse badnesse of constitution bodily distemper want of such education or some other cause Many a man whose sin never had one wound or stroke towards it's death never sined to appearance outwardly so much as Lot Noah David Jonah Peter and others in whom sin was truly mortified Some ground through it's natural quality or because more dunged or better watered may have it's weeds oft cut down and yet at times have more than another piece of ground which was never weeded at all The not knowing or not considering such things makes some go blessing themselves to Hell and others to go trembling to Heaven and causeth divers to become exceeding guilty by their self conceitednesse and proud censoâ—iousnesse However sincerity in this as in all things is that God accepts though the more it be done the better For a Conclusion of all Praise the Lord greatly ye upright in heart Rev. 5 8. We read The 24 Elders have every one of them Harps and Golden Viols full of Odours which are the Prayers of Saints teaching us that Saints are not only much in praying but much in praising also they have every one Harps and V. 9. they sung a new song Take you your Harps and sing a new song give great glory to God For what you may say for these five things First Bless God for Christ who hath obtained and as your Head received the Spirit for you Second Bless God for his Covenant wherein he hath promised his Spirit to you and your interest therein as also in Christs Third Bless God for the Gospell which teacheth you this use of the Spirit to mortifie your sins through it this excellent direction and only effectuall means for the destroying all your lusts Fourth Bless God that he hath given you his Spirit and that you do at least many times feel it helping you against your iniquities and that you have begun to destroy them through it Last Bless God for the promise of Life and that you have this Scripture evidence and certain assurance that you shall live