have none and let the heart be once taken off from sin then corruption dyeth and when the heart shall be perfectly separated from it then corrupt nature will be quite dead and we shall be perfectly freed from it Seventhly As the body is still breeding filth flegm choler and divers excrements hair nails and that which is not handsom plainly to mention but Christ saith it goes to the draught so the body of sin is still breeding that which is filth in the sight of God and the eye of an enlightned Conscience it 's still sending forth divers excrements whereto the Apostle James may have respect when he saith lay aside all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness Eightly As there is a natural inclination in the body to generation to the propagation of its kind so in the body of sin to beget its like hence the Devil who hath though no visible body yet a body of sin tempted our great Grand-mother or first Mother Eve and as I may so say begat the body of sin in her he knew her in a spiritual sense e're Adam knew her in a natural way and then by Eves help he knew Adam and begat the body of sin in him and all sinners under the power of sin seek to make others like themselves they compass saith Christ Sea and Land to make a proselyte Mat. 23.15 Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites for ye compass Sea and Land to make one proselyte and when he is made ye make him two fold more the Child of hell than your selves where Christ speaks of an Apostate or Christ speaks of one who having been openly profane and grossly wicked outwardly becometh a close Pharisaical Hypocrite The Apostle Paul saith 1 Tim. 1.13 he was before a blasphemer and what did he do when he was a blasphemer Acts 26.11 he compelled others to blaspheme 9ly There is such an union between the soul and body while together that the soul no where in nothing acts without it the soul acts much according as it is with the body whether it be sick or well weak or strong and the soul is much hindred in acting according to its own proper nature as a spirit by the body so while corruption is in the soul the soul acts not without it all the actings of the soul have a tincture and defilement more or less from it according to the strength or weakness of corruption so the soul acts less or more sinfully and it is mightily hindered in acting according to its own nature as a spirit thereby But not to carry this too far Lastly As the body is still craving one thing or other meat drink sleep cloaths the cool shade or warm fire c. So corrupt nature is still craving now to have this and then to have that iust satisfied this or that motion fulfilled And as Solomon saith the eye is not satisfied with seeing nor the ear with hearing so corrupt nature is never satisfied with sinning but as the more many times a man sees and hears of that which delights the more he desires to see and to hear so the more corrupt nature in its lustings is answered the more doth it call the more doth it lust it 's like the Horse-Leech that still crieth give give and like the fire and those other things which Solomon saith never say it is enough Q. 2. What are we to understand by the deeds of the body A. The deeds of the body of sin must needs be sinful deeds what are the deeds of your natural body as men they are natural deeds suitable to it such as seeing speaking laughing weeping going running and the rest So what are the deeds of the body of corruption they are deeds agreeable to it corrupt deeds such as coveting lying boasting vain glorying murmuring dissembling with those many other of that evil kind that cursed generation The deeds of the body are the fruits and births of it which are sometimes called the works of the flesh as in that Gal. 5.19 sometimes the members of the flesh or our members which are upon the earth Col. 3.5 Mortifie therefore your members which are upon the earth uncleanness inordinate affection evil concupiscence and covetousness which is Idolatry these are the deeds of the body or the deeds of the old man as it 's exprest Col. 3.9 lye not one to another seeing ye have put off the old man with his deeds In other places these deeds are called the desires or wills and motions of the flesh in those places formerly cited It is to be noted well that the Apostle calls all the outgoings and movings of corruption deeds and works though they break not forth into outward actions If some were bid or exhorted to repent of their wicked deeds and evil works they would be ready to say what what evil deeds what wicked works have I done or do I because it may be they cannot be charged with any great matter by man But consider look inward have you not had many lustings many motions of corruption this way and that many evil affections stirring these are deeds and works before God they have as real evil and offensiveness in them in Gods eye as any outward actions and therefore ought not to be made light but our hearts should mourn be ashamed humbled and broken for them as well as for outward sins Some one may here ask why saith our Apostle if ye mortifie the deeds of the body why saith he not if ye mortifie the body it may be thought he should rather have spoke of mortifying the body of corruption it self than the deeds of it I answer 1. The Apostle may thus express himself because the deeds of corrupt nature are those we are sensible of we are not sensible of the body of sin it self directly but by some or other of its deeds but for its lustings affections and motions we should not know it to be in us Secondly the way to mortifie the body of sin it self is to mortifie its deeds we cannot come at it to give it a blow but in its affections and motions and so far as the deeds of the body of sin are mortified so far is it mortified As break a mans head to pieces or stop his breathing and you kill his body If any say rather the way to mortifie the deeds of the body is to mortifie the body it self to mortifie the root is the best way to mortifie the fruit then I answer the Apostle intends that that we mortifie the deeds of the body by mortifying the body corrupt nature it self which must be done for if any could mortifie the deeds of the old man barely the body of sin still remaining unsubdued that would not avail Thirdly It is by the mortification of the deeds of the body that we know whether it be mortified yea or no as by the movings of the natural body by the eyes hands and nostrils we know a man's body to be alive or dead Fourthly
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
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
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
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
heart and soul will he embrace you and hold you fast and keep you till he hath brought you to heaven observe well how that good promise is shut up thus saith the Lord Almighty He who is as able to save as to destroy he that is almighty to pardon thy many sins he who is almighty to subdue thy mighty Corruptions and to deliver thee from the most mighty temptations he saith he will receive thee and that as Almighty so as to shew himself Almighty for thy salvation If thou desirest yet another Scripture to encourage thee read and ponder that word full of sweetness Jer. 31.18 19 20. and be assured Jesus Christ hath dyed that thou mightst not see death not tast the worst death or feel the curse of death if thou turn'st from the flesh to God in him Use 4. Let me press you all to take great heed that you never at all live after the flesh never take one step after it Beware my Brethren beware of that flesh that is within you of that corruption that is in you because it is so dangerous to live after it it is a deadly thing it is a subtle deceitful thing alluring ensnaring and powerfully moving let us all be very watchful against it consider a few words First so far as you give way to the flesh you 'l hinder your assurance what assurance considering this truth can I or you have unless our Conscience acquit us and bear witness in us that we live not after the flesh but you Christians know the worth of assurance say is it not a sad thing to have your assurance though but in some degree weakened clouded is it not very ill to have your evidences blotted to have any ground or so much as seeming cause to doubt concerning your state and to fear that you are among them that shall dye They who know not what it is to dye spiritually everlastingly may be in a state of death and make nothing of it but you who understand what this dying meaneth cannot live comfortably without good assurance that you shall not dye O let there be nothing of the reprobates mark found upon you Secondly So far as you yield to the flesh so far you feed you nourish it but would you feed a deadly disease If you feed your Corruption you starve your souls every degree of living all acting after the flesh all complying therewith strengtheneth it and weakneth your souls do not you O do not strengthen your enemy against your selves Thirdly so much as you are led by the flesh and let it have its will you honour it you commend you praise it as if it were a good thing a good Teacher a good Master but will you honour such a shameful thing will you commend will you praise that God so much condemns and abhorreth you honouring it dishonour your selves commending it you shame your selves Fourthly To fulfill the desires of the flesh is to speak as if you were Debtors to it as is intimated in the verse before my Text where we read thus Therefore brethren we are Debtors not to the flesh to live after the flesh No how can we be Debtors to it for it 's a poor thing it 's not worth any thing we never had or could have good by it therefore we cannot be Debtors to it except it should be by Gods Command or by compact and agreement or promise but Gods command runs contrary and as for agreement we have covenanted with God and promised oft to have nothing to do with the flesh therefore we are no way Debtors to it unless it shall be said we owe it hatred and all that we can do for it's destruction so indeed we are Debtors to the flesh we owe it all possible hatred and the utmost of our endeavour's for the utter extirpation and ruining of it whereas if we let the flesh have its will then we act as if we owed it service and were indebted to it by the bond of love But this is sure you believers are exceedingly by all bonds and obligations engaged in love thankfulness obedience to the Father and Son and holy Spirit who have made you preserved you redeemed called and chosen you So far as you serve the flesh you rob God you do as pay money where you owe none and refuse or neglect to pay what you greatly stand indebted for Besides you believers have a principle of grace in you to that you are Debtors for it hath done you great good by the new man created in you your condition is altered of Children of Satan you are become Children of God by it you are fitted for fellowship with God by it you have had much peace comfort and God commands you to live after it and have you not promised so to do therefore spend not the money of your time strength service in acting according to the Flesh to which you owe nothing but pay your Debts to the new man that seed of grace that is in you quench alwayes the motions of the Flesh but blow up nourish cherish all holy motions grieve the flesh as much as ever you can but please the spirit to the utmost To live after the flesh is to countenance the old and discountenance the new man to give way at all to the flesh it is to favour to smile upon your corruption and frown upon the seed of God in you Yea it is to resist the spirit for that draws you from the flesh a contrary way to that wherein the flesh would lead you Ag. To comply with the flesh speaks no or little love to Jesus Christ for the flesh it was the corruption of man that murdered him and it is against the death of Christ for the Gospel tells us Christ dyed that we should not live after the Flesh but to him that dyed for us I shall not hold you longer on this only do you make good use of the Apostles argument though you are sure that you are in Christ yet make use of this word if ye live after the flesh ye shall dye but remember to use it lawfully 1 Tim. 1.8 We know that the Law is good if a man use it lawfully so is this truth good very good if it be used lawfully not to hinder but to help to a right grounded assurance not to terrifie but to awaken your spirits not to overses but to ballast them to poize them and this word is to be made use of seasonably There is a great deal of Christian wisdom in the seasonable making use of truths sometimes your souls may be in a desponding fainting sinking frame full of discouragement and fear then call to mind promises gracious invitations the comfortable words of Scripture but too oft your spirits are in a light vain temper inclining to carnal confidence presumption fearlesseness and carelessness they begin to be somewhat bold and ventrous upon evil then is a fit season to meditate on this truth and to think what do I
anger lying some Lusts in some men lye unacted long and at last apppear as some seed is much longer e're it come up than other though sown at the fame time hence it 's sometimes said I wonder that such a man should so fall do such an evil I thought it had not been in him And I may add as the Apostle saith some members of the body are more others less comely and these we cover so some members of the body of sin have a kind of comliness in the eye of men others appear shameful to all these men especially hide and cloak Secondly as the body of every man is alike in the main the body of one man hath the same parts that the body of another man hath and there is a likeness between the several parts of the body of one and of another yet so that there is some difference also whereby one is known from another The body of one is bigger taller stronger fairer than the body of another some are of one Constitution and Complexion some of another thus is corrupt nature the body of sin in the main all bring into the world with them the very same corruptions lusts therefore saith Solomon as face answereth to face in water so doth the heart of man to man look what lusts and corruptions there are in one man's nature there are such in another's Yet with some difference the body of sin in some is naturally as I may say bigger stronger fairer than it is in others corruption vents it self and works in one differently from what it doth in another in some it acts more covertly closely in others more obviously openly in some more smoothly and pleasingly in others more roughly offensively and to displeasing So that one man may as well think himself not to have such a body as another man hath in the main because he is less and more fair as he may think himself not to have such a corrupt nature because it doth not shew it self so grossly evidently or just in that way or manner as in another As one man excells in one member and another man excelleth in another member of his body one hath better eyes another better ears another better legs but still they have the same kind of parts So one man is more notable or notorious in one lust another in another lust one is famous or rather infamous for his pride another for his dissembling a third for his covetousness but all have the same lusts by nature You may say some men never commit some sins some are never drunk never commit fornication therefore corrupt nature seems to have more members in one than in another A. A man may have hands and legs or ears though he never use them because of some weakness or impediment so some may not put forth this or that lust and yet have it in them for it may be impeded or hindred through their bodily constitution education or some other cause so that they don't exercise exert or shew it as others do And though all men are not outwardly guilty of all kinds of sin yet there is hardly one sin but they are sometime or other less or more guilty of it inwardly before Conscience though not before men or before God though Conscience see it not at present for as the Apostle John saith God is greater than Conscience and seeth all things whereby he insinuates that Conscience sees not all There is a committing Adultery with the heart as well as with the body as you know Christ saith he that looks lustfully he hath committed Adultery already in his heart there is also spiritual Adultery spiritual Whoredom spiritual Drunkenness spiritual Idolatry of which all are too guilty one way or other before God happy he who is duely sensible thereof Yet perhaps as some have monstrous bodies such as are not usual they have some parts extraordinary some have six Toes six fingers instead of five so the body of sin may be in some as a monster in respect of something extraordinary that is to be found in it or because of something unusual it moveth and causeth those in whom it is to do Thirdly Corruption of nature acts in and through the whole body of man in all the members and parts thereof Rom. 6.19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh for as ye have yielded your members not this or that member but your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity c. Corruption issueth forth through the eyes hence we read of the lust of the eyes and Job made a covenant with his eyes through the ears hence the Scripture speaks of itching ears deaf heavy ears stop'd with sin through or by the feet hence we have mention made of feet swift to evil and of the foot of pride through or by the tongue therefore saith the Apostle James the tongue is a world of evil set on fire of hell and the Scripture telleth us of a lying tongue a false tongue and a tongue that hath as the gall of Asps under it so as to all other parts of the body sin within sets all on work and that not only the outward but the inward parts also it stirs a mans blood moveth his heart it opens and shuts it empties and fills the heart c. Fourthly Corruption of nature chiefly acts in every one according to the temperament or constitution of his body if a man be of a sanguine complexion his corruption works sutably to that as is observ'd in David who was of a ruddy countenance or if a man be of a cholerick melancholy or phlegmatick temper accordingly natural sin doth discover it self and it's fruits are answerable Fifthly As the body and soul of man are separable so corruption and man's soul though it be natural yet it may be separated from the soul and the soul may be quite rid of its sin as of its body corrupt nature may be killed as the body and so the soul released from it though not so easily an easie matter is it to kill the body wherein the soul dwells not so to kill that sin that naturally dwells in the soul yet both are alike easie to God it is as facile or easie to him to destroy our body which we have as sinners as it is for him to kill our body which we have as men he can run it through and pierce the very heart of the body of sin in us by the sword of his spirit much more easily than Goliah had he been near David could have run him through with his Sword Sixthly As the body doth nothing acts not moves not without the soul and if the soul be once gone it 's dead without any motion or ability to move so corrupt nature acts not without our soul it works by the understanding by the will by this and that affection had not a man an Immortal soul he would have no corruption as beasts
the most peace is it not then when you are most eagerly ingaged against and hot in the pursuit of sin plotting contriving and by all means you can working its death The experience of all Christians I doubt not gives in restimony that this is true Sermon 5. THe second thing in the latter part of my Text now offereth it self to our serious consideration this necessary duty is to be performed through the Spirit whence the Doctrine is this D. 2. That the great work of mortifying killing or destroying the deeds of the body of sin is to be managed through the Spirit when we are called upon to mortifie our sinful affections our evil motions and the corrupt lustings within us the meaning is that this is to be done through the Spirit No truth more useful than this if well understood and received this is the principal thing that I would commend to you All know or generally it is confest that sins must be mortified but that this is to be done by in with or through the Spirit few in comparison understand I know nothing that needs to be taught among and prest upon Christians and more frequently to be inculcated than this There are three Queries concerning the truth now proposed which call for some Answer for the explication of it 1. What 's meant by the Spirit 2. Why is this work to be done through the Spirit 3. How is it thus to be done Q. 1. What 's meant by the Spirit A. Spirit signifieth diverse things in Scripture it hath several acceptations 4 of which I shall here take notice 1. By spirit is meant our spirit our heart and soul so the Apostle saith he did serve God with his spirit and Christ saith God is to be worshipped in spirit so we must mortifie the deeds of the body of sin in spirit with our whole heart and soul otherwise we shall not prosper in what we do all will be to no purpose if we have not a thorow will and sincere endeavour Christ saith many shall seek to enter in at the strait gate and not be able so many seek to mortifie their sins and are not able because they are not thorowly willing and resolved And then our main endeavour must be to mortifie sin within of which I spake before when sins are only kept from outward outbreakings they are no more mortified than Lions and Bears or such wild creatures when shut up and kept from ranging abroad Secondly Sometimes by spirit in Scripture is understood new nature the new man as it may be taken and seems to be in that 5. Gal. 17. where the Apostle saith the spirit lusteth against the flesh and the flesh against the spirit thus we must mortifie our sins in by or through the spirit by the new creature through a principle of true grace acted and stirred up in us This is most certain no man can mortifie the deeds of sin without he have a contrary principle of grace for till the new man be formed in one there 's no good nothing but flesh but sin and the flesh neither will nor can mortifie it self as Satan casteth not out Satan neither doth lust cast out or destroy lust though it 's true sometimes one lust doth keep under another and hinder anothers working this or that way as a mans pride may put a stop to his covetousness though he have a covetous heart yet through predominant pride he scorns to be base and niggardly so covetousness may hold in pride as to it 's shewing it self in such or such a way because the man is coverous therefore he will not wear such cloths or do some other things which pride otherwise would cause him to do that he might have respect among men But sin cannot truely subdue sin no more than water can dry up water though one stream being stronger may stop and turn the course of another that hath less strength so pride may command covetousness or covetousness pride yet do they both live before God as the greater light may drown the less yet doth not extinguish it He that hath not a principle of true grace is under the power of fin therefore is not at liberty to mortifie or to will the mortification of his lusts in truth If there be war if there be killing and slaying there must be two parties the one against the other but in a graceless man there 's only one party one nature one kind of principles all sinful therefore he cannot kill or in truth set upon the slaying of his sin though he may possibly upon some outward account or to quiet conscience seek to curb some evil motions As it is against our nature as men to hurt our bodies so is it against our nature as sinful men to do any thing in good earnest and truth of heart towards the death of our sin Therefore a man must have a new nature which whosoever hath then he cannot but be striking at and wounding the deeds of corrupt nature because these two are perfectly contrary Yet they who have true grace need to be awakned and excited thereto more and more to lay out themselves therein through that grace they have received could it be that the actings of sin should be destroyed without contrary workings of grace it would little avail a man would not thereby be in the way of life but no lusting of corruption can be truely killed without a lusting and stirring of grace in opposition thereto as darkness is only dispelled removed by the shining forth of some light Therefore look O soul well to this that thou hast a new nature that thou beest a new Creature in Christ Jesus Thirdly Spirit is sometimes taken for the Gospel as opposed to the Covenant of works 2 Cor. 3.8 where the Apostle speaks of the ministration of the Spirit in opposition to the ministration of Death mentioned in the foregoing verse and verse 6. he saith we are Ministers of the New Testament not of the Letter but of the Spirit for the Letter killeth but the Spirit giveth life and thus some take Spirit 1 John 5.8 There are three that bear witness on earth the Spirit the Water and the Blood i. e. the Word the Gospel Baptism and the Lords Supper If we take Spirit in my Text in this sense It 's true the deeds of the body are to be mortified through the Gospel by Gospel truths and considerations for it is the Gospel only that is effectual to destroy our sins the Law is not sufficient to kill any Lust in us It may be by legal truths men may be frighted and chained as it were with the heavy chain of slavish fear so that they dare not sin as they used to do but the Law alone never was or can be sufficient to lay any sin dead The Law alone rather quickneth and stirreth up sin than destroyeth it sin is thereby revived not mortified Rom. 7.8 Without the Law sin was dead i. e. it lay as if
it had been so in comparison of those stirrings of it which he found when the Law came to his conscience verse 9. When the Commandement came sin revived and I dyed and the commandement which was ordained to life I found to be unto Death to his own death the death of his former hope and comfort not the death of his sin and thus he saith it was with others before converted verse 5. When we were in the flesh the motions of sin which were by the Law did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death the motions of sin which were by the Law i. e. which were begotten or drawn forth by the Law through our corruption Therefore they are Gospel Truths especially and no Truths without these that are an efficacious means for the mortifying of sin These are the weapons of our warfare as the Apostle calls them 2 Cor. 10.4 which are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds they are spiritual and so effectual through God to the subduing our carnal affections As the work of mortification is begun so it is carried on but it is begun in regeneration and that 's by the Gospel as we read we are begotten again by that 1 Cor. 4.15 In Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the Gospel Therefore the Gospel and the truths thereof should principally be made use of The curse of the Law should be considered but if a man would get his sin indeed destroyed let him seek a spiritual understanding of and let him be much in meditating on the grace of the Gospel the doctrine of Christ Fourthly By the Spirit is understood the Holy Ghost the third Person in the Trinity thus it 's taken both before my Text ver 9 and 11. as also after my Text ver 14 15 and 16 c. and in this sense we are to take it in the words I am upon if ye through the Spirit through the Holy Ghost i. e. through the Spirit of God do mortifie the deeds of the body Yet this includes the three other acceptations of the word Spirit for whoever do mortifie any sin through the Holy Ghost they are engaged in the work with their whole souls their whole heart is in it and they do destroy the deeds of the flesh by acting and exercising grace and this they do through hearing considering and acting Faith on Gospel Truths as will be shewn afterward Q. 2. Why is this work of mortifying our sins to be done by the Spirit of God A. 1. Because it cannot possibly be done without the Spirit of God Whatever is done against sin without the Spirit gives it no deaths wound it only covers or somewhat curbeth sin but doth not at all destroy it Christ saith John 6.63 It 's the Spirit that giveth life or that quickneth so it 's the Spirit that mortifieth the Spirit quickneth the Soul and the Spirit mortifieth sin in the Soul A dead carkass shall as soon maintain a fight against and kill a powerful enemy as any man slay his sin any one lust without the Spirit of God As it is natural to our visible body to save it self and every member thereof so is it natural to the body of sin and every member of that to save it self and as it is natural to a Father to save his Child so to Satan to do his utmost to defend and preserve fin in us Therefore it cannot be that we should of our selves or by the help of any creature alone mortifie any lust could we without the Spirit of Christ destroy our sin then might we be in a great part our own Saviours He that knows not the necessity of the Spirits special assistance in this work is certainly a great stranger to the mortification of sin that is most true in this case Zech. 4.6 Not by might nor by power but by my Spirit saith the Lord of Hosts It is too great a work too mighty and too honourable for any one of himself to get the victory over sin which is our strongest and our worst enemy Outward enemies cannot be destroyed without the help of God especially when many and potent much less can spiritual enemies which are the worst and strongest Psal 33.16 17. There is no King saved by the multitude of an host a mighty man is not delivered by much strength an horse is a vain thing for safety neither shall he deliver any by his great strength So all Means Duties Ordinances Power and Ability of the Creature is vain weak and to no purpose to deliver and save a man from his sin unless the Spirit of the Lord put its hand to the work and by its might effect it Secondly As this cannot be done without the Spirit so may it be done by the Spirit what though our lusts are never so many It 's all one as we read with the Lord to save with many or with few so is it all one with him to destroy many or few what was that great Host of Senacherib which came against Jerusalem one Angel of the Lord destroyed it in one night we read of the deceitfulness of sin Heb. 3.13 Exhort one another daily while it is called to day lest any be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin every sin is exceeding deceitful besides how deceitful is the heart how deceitful is Satan how deceitful is the world which is one great reason why we cannot mortifie our evil affections of our selves we want not only strength but understanding also our Lusts seem dead while in truth they live they make us think we wound them when the blow falls quite beside we seem many times to do all we can against our sins when it s nothing so that sin seems least in us which is greatest and most hurtful Now the spirit of God is a spirit of wisdom therefore through it we may destroy our sin notwithstanding its deceitfulness though we oft are the spirit of God cannot be deceived What though our iniquities are never so mighty the spirit of God is Almighty Ps 74.15 thou driedst up mighty rivers yet dryed and dryed up though rivers though mighty rivers or as the word is rivers of strength what great things did the spirit of God do in the creation when it moved on the face of the waters such like things it can do and doth when it moveth powerfully in our hearts Psal 93.3 The floods have lifted up O Lord the floods have Dfted up their voice the floods lift up their waves what then who can still them can any man No they as the Psalmist speaks make the Marriners at their wits end they know not how to save themselves much less to quell and calm the floods when they do lift up their voice and their waves to the highest I but the Lord the Spirit of our God is able to command them silence as it there follows verse 4. The Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters yea
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
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
under your feet every sin that is in you God is able saith the Apostle to cause all grace to abound towards you so the Spirit of God is able to cause all sin to decay wither and dye in you Judg. 15.14 When Samson came to Lehi the Philistines shouted against him and the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him and the cords that were upon his arms became as flax that was burnt with fire and his hands loosed from off his hands Thus when the Spirit comes into any soul and works mightily in it all its lusts are as nothing of no strength Wherefore whoever yet hath not the Spirit let such a one be perswaded to look out for it with all earnestness and diligence to seek it should you not having the Spirit set your selves to mortifie your sins this as so would not be obedience to God nor pleasing to him because he requires you to do this work through the Spirit and consequently to get the Spirit that you may do it therefore they who have not and seek not the Spirit do not obey nor please God by the things they do against their sins yea they disobey God and highly offend him in that they take not his Counsel that holds true in this case Isa 30.1 Wo to the rebellious children saith the Lord that take counsel but not of me and that cover with a covering but not of my spirit that they may add sin to sin It is rebellion against God it is adding sin to sin when men think to help and save themselves outwardly much more when any think to save themselves spiritually from their sins without the spirit such do bring a heavy wo upon themselves Q. What then should one do that hath not the spirit that he may attain A. 1. It is a good step for one that hath not the spirit to 〈◊〉 convinc't that he is without it and that he stands in a most absolute necessity of it so that he is utterly and eternally undone if he have it not Many void empty of the spirit dream and strongly fansie that they have it yea many times when men are filled and acted by the evill lying spirit they are very big with a vain conceit that they have much an eminent measure of the holy spirit of truth 1 Kings 22.24 Zedekiah a man filled with the lying spirit went to the good Prophet and smote him on the cheek saying Which way went the spirit of the Lord from me to speak unto thee he verily supposed himself to have and to be moved by the good spirit of God and he seems to speak as if he only had it so that none could have it but from him or at least that he had it first Which way saith he went the spirit of the Lord from me to speak unto thee Which he spake scoffingly deriding the holy Prophet even thus are men oft most wofully deluded a strong perswasion have they that Gods spirit is in them whereas the truth is the evill spirit not the good rules and works in them Others they have no sense feeling or conviction of their need of the spirit so they have no desire after it hence they continue without and while it is so with any they are not like to become partakers of it labour then to know your want and to feell your need of the spirit in order to your seeking and attaining it Secondly The great thing of all to be done for the gaining of the spirit is believing Gal. 3.14 the promise of the spirit is received through faith there must be a heart receiving the Gospel and Jesus Christ held forth thereby there must be a soul setled perswasion of the undoubted certainty of the doctrin of Christ and a soul trust and rest on him to the receiving the promise of the spirit a right to that great promise and the fulfilling thereof That is a famous promise divers times repeated 1 Pet. 2.6 Behold I lay in Zion a chief corner-stone elect precious i. e. Jesus Christ and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded by what shall he not be confounded Not by any thing not by Satan not by sin in it's guilt or power not by any lust But how so For as he that believeth in Christ is cloathed with his righteousnesse so he is made partaker of his spirit Put then thy trust in Christ Jesus fasten upon him by faith and that for this end that thou mayest through and from him receive the spirit For these two things Christ is to be believed in for his righteousnesse to justifie us in the sight of God before the justice of God and for his spirit to mortifie our sins so to sanctifie our souls whoever beileved in Christ in good earnest and in truth for these things but they received them their persons are clothed with his most perfect righteousnesse their souls are endowed with his most holy blessed spirit Rev 4.1 2. I looked and behold a dore was opened in heaven and the first voice that I heard was as the voice of a trumpet talking with me which said come up hither and immediately I was in the spirit So when a soul doth hear the voice of God in the Gospel powerfully and effectually saying come up hither in thy heart come to Christ in Heaven by hearty faith then the soul obeying this voice immediately hath the spirit from Christ communicated to it There should be also a believing in particular the promises which God hath made of giving the spirit who ever embraceth by true faith any promise of the spirit as made in Christ he receiveth the accomplishment of that promise by Christ Christ graciously bestoweth the spirit upon him Thirdly None receive the spirit to dwell in them without turning from their evill wayes for there is no true faith without a heart turn from known sin and while any give up or yeild themselves to sin they do vex the spirit Isa 63.10 They rebelled and vexed his holy spirit But who is like to receive the spirit to dwell in him while he rebells and vexeth it Wherefore that word is to be remembred Prov. 1.23 Turn ye at my reproof Behold I will pour out my spirit unto you Then I 'le pour out my spirit unto you when you have a heart to turn till this be a man is a down right enemy to the spirit his heart is lock't and barr'd up against it who will go and dwell in the house of an enemy while he continues in open hostility against him A man must lay down arms and not maintain fight against him whom he needs and desires to come and dwell with him and if his desire be right he will do so A man cannot truly will to receive the spirit unlesse he will to leave his sin Fourthly That sweet word of Christ should be thought on Luke 11 13. How much more shall your heavenly Father give the holy spirit to them that ask him If asking follow or
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
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
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
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