in lesser things and shall we be mad self-willed and refractory in the greatest thing that concerns us eternally O! unbelief is that which will condemn the world the unbelief of this one thing that the walking aâ—â—er and minding of the flesh is mortal and deadly Though all men confesse with their tongues this to be a truth yet it is not really believed the deep inconsideration and slight apprehension of this truth makes men boldly to walk and violently to run on to perdition Did you indeed believe that eternal misery is before you at the end of this way and would you be so cruel to your selves as to walk in it for any allurement that is in it Did you really believe That there is a precipice into utter darkness and everlasting death at the end of this alley would the pleasure and sweetness of it be able to inâ—atuat you and besott you so far as to lead you on into it like an Ox to the slaughter and a fool to the correction of the stocks It is strange indeed thou you neither will believe that death is the end of these things nor yet can you be perswaded that you do not believe it there is a twofold delusion that possesses the hearts of men one is a dream and â—ancy of escaping death though they live in sin another is a dream and fancy that they do believe that death is the wages of sin We might wonder how they consist together if we did not find it by so many experiences Your way proves that you do not believe it that death is the end of it and then your words evidence that you do not believe That you are unbelievers of that O! how desperat is the wickedness and how great is the deceitfulness of the heart The false Prophet that is in every mans bosome deceives him that it may destroy him As Satan is a liar and murderer and murders by lying so the heart of man is a self-murderer and self-destroyer and that is done by lying and dâ—ceiving There is some lie in every â—in but there is this grosse black fundamental lie at the bottom of all sin A conceit of immunity and freedom from death and hell a strong imagination of escaping danger even though such a way be chosen and walked into as of its own nature inevitably leads to destruction And there is something of this bloody murdering flattery even in the hearts of Christians therefore this Apostle gives us an antidot against it and labours often to purge it out by stirring up that knowledge they have received Know you not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 6.9 Be not deceived God is not mocked for what a man soweth that he shall reap he that soweth to the flesh shall reap corruption c. Gal. 6.7 8. O! that you might listen to this word to this watch word given you and stop your course at least for a season to think what shall be the latter end know ye not that such shall not inherit the Kingdom know you not that the way to heaven lyes upward know you not that your way lyes downward towards the flesh and the earth are you so far demented as to think to come to Heaven by walking just downward in the lusts of the flesh Truly this is the strongest and strangest inchantment that can be that you think to sow one thing and reap another thing to sow darkness and reap light to sow corruption and reap incorruption Is that possible in nature to sow nettle-seed and think to â—eap barley or wheat Be not deceived O that you would undeceive your poor deluded souls and know that is as natural for Death and Hell to grow out of sin and walking after the flesh as it is for every seed to yeeld its own fruit and herb Do you then think to disolve the course and order of nature Truly the flesh is mortal in it self it s ordained for corruption you see what it turns to after the life is out that is an embleme of the state of the fleshly soul after death As you did abase your spirits to the service of the flesh here and all your plowing and labouring and sowing was about it the seed which you did cast in the ground was Fleshly lusts earthly things for the satisfaction of your flesh so you shall reap of the flesh Corruption death and destruction that shall make your immortal spirits mortal and corruptible and subject them to death and corruption with the body as far as they are capable it shall deprive them of all that which is their proper life and refreshment and separat them eternally from the fountain of blessedness and banish them out of Heaven unto the fellowship of devils and Oh! that corruption of the incoruptible spiâ—it is worse then the corruption of the mortall flesh corruptio optimi pessima Now who ever of you is thus far undeceived as to believe your danger and misery and to discern that imbred delusion of your hearts be not discouraged utterly there may be hope of recovery when you see your disease I say if you see that hell is at the end of your way then know that He who sent that voice to call you off that way of death He leaves you not to your own wits to guide you into the right way but He follows with a voice behind you â—aying Here is the way walk in it turn not out of it to the right hand or left and this voice sounds plainly in the Word and it is nothing elâ—e but the sound of the Gospel that blessed sound that invites and allures you to come in to Jesus Christ the way truth and life the true way to the true life All other wayes all other lifes have no truth in them it s but a cloud a fancy that men apprehend and lay hold on But come to this way and it will truly lead thee to the true life eternal life if you flee unto him out of the apprehension of your danger you have a clear way to come to God and as plain a way to attain life and peace Being in Christ you have assurance of not falling into condemnation He is such a way as will hold you in and not suffer you to go out of it again to the way of Death And therefore he will give you a Tutor a guider and directer in this way to life and peace and that is the Holy Spirit to lead in all truth and to guide your feet in the way of his Commandments so that in this new and living way of Christ you shall have both light of the Word to know where to walk and life of the Spirit to make you walk toward that eternal life and thus grace and truth is come by Christ. Indeed you must suffer the mortification of your flesh you must endure the pain of the death of your lusts the cutting off your right hand and plucking out your right
groundless opinions never to question the matter is to leave it alwise uncertain If ye would judge your selves according to the Scriptures many of you have the marks and characters of these who are kept without the City and are to have their part in the lake of fire Is there no condemnation for you who have never condemned your selves Certainly the more you are averse to condemn your selves this sticks the closser to you You are not all in Christ all are not Israel who are of Israel many nay the most part are but said Christians have no real union with Christ or principle of life from him your love you carry to your selves makes you easily believe well of your selves know that self-love can blind the eyes and make you apprehend that God loves you also Nay every one readily fancies that to be which he desires to be I beseech you consider if you have any ground for your hopes and confidences but such as these that will not bear out alwayes It would be no disadvantage to you to have your hope shaken that in stead of a vain presumption you may have the Anchor of hope which shall be fixed within the vail I think one thing keeps men far from the Kingdom of God because they know not that they believe not in him we had gained much ground on you by the Word if we could perswade you that ye believe not and have not believed from the Womb. We might then say to you as Christ to his Disciples ye believe in God believe also in me Ye have given credit to God the Judge and Law-giver pronouncing a curse on â—ou and a sentence that ye have hearts desperatly wicked now believe also in me the Redeemer Ye have believed God in the Law in as far as ye have judged your selves under sin and wrath now believe Me in the Gospel that brings a ransome from wrath and a remedy for sin It s this very unbelief that is the original of the woâ—lds perishing unbelief of the Law ye do not consider ye are under the condemnation of it ye do not believe that ye have not yet â—ed to Jesus Christ to escape and these two keeps souls in a deep sleep till judgement awake them But unto every one of you I would give this Direction Let not examination of what you are hinder you from that which is your chief duty and his chief commandment to believe in him I know many Christians are puzled in the matter of their interest and alwise wavering because they are more taken up with that which is but a matter of comfort and joy then that which is His greatest honour and glory I say to consider the precious promises to believe the excellâ—â—cy and vertue of Jesus Christ and love him in your souls and delight in him is the weightiest matter of the Gospel to go out of your selves daily into his fulness to endeavour new discoveries of your own naughtiness and his grace this is the new and great commandment of the Gospel the obedience of it is the most essential part of a Christian-walk Now again to know that ye do believe and to discern your interest in Christ this is but a matter of comfort and of second concernment Therefore I say when ever ye cannot be clear in this ye should be alwise exercised in the first For its that we are first called to and if Souls were more exercised that way in the consideration and belief of the very general truths and promises of the Gospel I doubt not but the light of these would clear up their particular interest in due time these things ye ought to have done and not to leave the other undone It is still safest to wave such a question of interest when its plunging because it puts you off your special duty and its Satans intent in it It were better if ye do question presently to believe and abide in him till it were put out of question SERMON IV. Vers. 1. That walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit CHrist is made to us of God both righteousness and sanctification And therefore these who are in Christ do not only escape condemnation but they walk according to the spirit and not according to the flesh These two are the sum of the Gospel there is not a greater argument to holy walking then this there is no condemnation for you â—â—â—ther is there a greater evidence of a Soul escaped condemnation then walking â—ccording to the Spirit We have spoken something in general of the evidence that may be had of a mans state from his walking and the Spirits work in him we would now speak of the conjunction of these two and the influence that that priviledge hath on this duty and something of the nature of this description who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit In the creation of man man was composed of soul and body there was a right order and subordination of these suitable to their nature in his soul he reached Angels above in his body he was like the beasts below and this part his flesh was a servant to the Soul that was acted and affected according to the desires and motives of the Soul Now sin entring as it hath defaced all the beauty of the creation as it hath misplaced man and driven him out from that due line of subordination to God his Maker for he would have been equal to God so it hath perverted this beautiful order in men and turned it just contrary hath made the servant to ride on horses and the prince to walk on foot This is the just punishment of our first sin Adams soul was placed by creation under the sole command of its Creator above all the creatures and his own senses but in one sin he proudly exalted himself above God and lamentably subjected himself below his senses by hearkening to their perswasion he saw it was good and tasted it and it was sweet and so he ate of it What a strange way was this to be like God he made himself unlike himself liker the miserable beasts Now I say this is the deserved punishment of man his soul that was a free Prince is made a bond slave to the lusts of his flesh flesh hath gotten the Throne and keeps it and lords over the whole man Now therefore it is that the whole man unregenerat is called flesh as if he had no immortal spirit Iohn 3.6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh and this Chap. vers 8. here a description of natural men they that are in the flesh Because flesh is the predominant part that hath captivat a mans reason and will Nay not only the grosser corruptions in a man that have their use and seat in his flesh and body are under that name but take the whole nature of man that which is most excellent in him his Soul and Spirit his Light and Understanding the most refined principles of his
conversation all these are now but flesh Nay not only such natural gifts and illuminations but even the light of the Gospel and Law of God that someway enters his soul changeth the nature and name it s all but darkness and flesh in him because the flesh hath a dominion over all that the clouds and vapours that ariseth from the flesh bemists and obscures all these the corruptions of the soul is most strengthned in this fort and most vented here Sins become connatural to the flesh and so a man by the flesh is ensnared and subjected to sin Christ comprehends all our prerogatives and indowments under this Iohn 1.13 born not of flesh and blood And Matth. 16.17 flesh and blood hath not revealed these things to thee Even all the outwards of Religion and all the common priviledges of Christians may be called so What hath Abraham sound according to the flesh Rom. 4.1 Phil. 3.3 Which imports so much that all those outward priviledges many illuminations and reformations may so far consist with the corruption of mans nature may unite so with that as to have one name with it it s not all able to conquer our flesh but our flesh rather subdues all that and makes it serve it self till a stronger than it come even the Spirit to subdue it and cast it out of the house Thus the Image of God in man is defaced Nay the very image and nature of man as man spoyled the first creation sin hath marr'd and disordere'd it Now when this second creation or regeneration comes the creature is made new and formed again by the powerful Spirit of Jesus Christ this change is made flesh is put out of the Throne as an usurper the spirit and soul of a man is put in a Throne above it but is placed according to its due order under a holy and spiritual Law of God And thus Jesus Christ is the repairer of the breaches and restorer of the ancient paths and old waâ—â—s to dwell in Now the soul hath a new rule established to act according to and new principles to act from He whose course of walking was after the corrupt dictates and commands of his fleshly affections and was of no higher strain then his own sparks of nature and acquired light would lead him to now he hath a new rule established the Spirit speaking in the Word to him and pointing out the way to him and there is a new principle that Spirit leading him in all truth and quickning him to walk in it Now this is the souls perfect liberty to be from under the dominion of sin and lusts and thus the Son makes free indeed by the free Spirit the Son was made a servant that we might be made free no more servants of sin in the lusts thereof and the Spirit of the Lord where he comes there is liberty there the Spirit and reasonable soul of a man is elevated into its first native dignity there the base flesh is dethroned and made to serve the spirit and soul in a man Christ is indeed the greatest friend of men as they are men sin made us beasts Christ makes us men Unbelievers are unreasonable men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 brutish yea in a manner beasts this is an ordinary compellation in Scripture faith makes a man reasonable it gives the saving and sanctified use of reason it s a shame for any man to be a slave to his lusts and passions it s the character of a beast upon him he that is led by senses and affections is degenerated from humane nature and yet such are all out of Christ sin reigns in them and flesh reigns and the principles of light and reason within are captivated incarcerated within a corner of their minds We see the generally received truths among men that God is that he is holy and just and good that Heaven and hell is these are altogether ineffectual and have no influence on mens conversations no more then if they were not known even because the truth is detained in unrighteousness the corruptions of mens flesh are so rank that they overgrow all this seed of truth and choaks it as the thorns did the seed Matth. 15.7 Now for you who are called of Jesus Christ O know what ye are called unto It s a liberty indeed a priviledge indeed ye are no more debtors to the flesh Christ hath loosed that obligation of servitude to it O let it be a shame unto you who are Christians to walk so any more to be entangled any more in that yoke of bondage He that ruleth his spirit is greater then the mighty then he that taketh a city Thus we are called to be more then conquerours others when they conquer the world they are slaves to their own lusts but let it be far from you to be so ye ought to conquer your self which is more then to conquer the World it s not only unbeseeming a Christian to beled with passions and lusts but it s below a man if men were not now through sin below beasts I beseech you aspire unto and hold fast the liberty Christ hath obtained to you be not fashioned any more according to former lusts know ye are men that ye have reasonable and immortal spirits in you why will ye then walk as beasts Understand O brutish and ye fools when will ye be wise But I say more know ye are Christians and this is more then to be a man it s to be a divine man one partaker of the divine Nature and who is to walk accordingly Christians are called to a new manner of walking and this walking is a fruit that comes out of the root of faith whereby they are implanted in Christ You see these agree well together these who are in Christ walk not after the flesh c. Walking after the flesh is the common walk of the World who are without God and without Christ But Christ gives no latitude to such a walk this is a new nature to be in Christ and therefore it must have new operations to walk after the Spirit While we look upon the conversations of the most part of men they may be a commentary to expound this part of the words what it is to walk after the flesh The works of the flesh saith the Apostle to Gal 5.19 are manifest and indeed they are manifest because written in great letters on the out-side of many in the visible Church that who runs may read them do but read that Catalogue in Paul and then come and see them in Congregations It is not so doubtful and subtile a matter to know that many are yet without the verge of Christ Jesus without the City of refuge you may see their mark on their brow Is not drunkenness which is so frequent a palpable evidence of this your envyings revilings wrath strife seditions fornications and such like Oh do not deceive your selves there is no room in Jesus Christ for such impurities and impieties
There is no toleration of sin within this City and Kingdom sinners are indeed pardoned yea received and accepted drunkards unclean persons c. are not excluded from entering here but they must renounce these lusts if they would stay here Christ will not keep both he must either cast out the sin or the sinner with it if he will not part with it I beseech you know what ye walk after the flesh is your leader and whither will it lead you O! its sad to think on it to perdition vers 8. If ye live after the flesh ye shall die Ye think flesh your great friend ye do all ye can to satifie and please it and O how pleasant is the satisfaction of your flesh to you Ye think it liberty to follow it and counts it bonds and cords to be restrained But Oh! know and consider that flesh will lead you by the Kingdom that guide of your way to which ye committed your self will lead you by Heaven Gal. 5.21 It s a blind guide corruption and humour and will have no eyes no discerning of that pit of eternal misery they choose the way that is best pathed and troden that is easiest and most walk into and this certainly will lead you straight into this pit of darkness Be called off this way from following your blind lusts and rather suffer them to be crucified be avenged on them for your two eyes that they have put out and their treacherous dealing to you in leading you to destruction the high way Come in to Christ Jesus and ye shall get a new guide of the way the Spirit that shall lead you in all truth unto the blessed and eternal life Christ is the way ye must walk in and the life that we must go in to at the end of our way and the truth according to which we must walk now he hath given his Spirit the Comforter to be our leader in this way according to this rule and pattern unto that life In a word the Spirit shall lead you the straight way unto Christ you shall begin in him and end in him he shall lead you from grace to glory the Spirit that came down from Heaven shall lead you back to Heaven All your walk is within the compass of Christ out of him is no way to Heaven But we must not take this so grosly as if no other thing were a walking after the flesh but the gross abominations among men though even these will scrape a great number from being in Christ Jesus but it must be further enlarged to the motions affections of the unrenewed spirit and the common principles according to which men walk And therefore the Apostle Col. 3 and Gal. 5. nameth many things among the works of the flesh and members of the old man which I doubt many will account so of Some natural passions that we account nothing of because common as anger wrath covetousness what man is there amongst us in whom some of these mentioned stirs not Many of your hearts and eyes are given to covetousness your souls bow downward as your bodies do and many times before your bodies Is not the heart of men upon this world and cannot rise above to a treasure in Heaven and therefore your Callings otherwayes lawful and all your pains and endeavours in them hath this seal of the flesh stamped on them and passeth no otherwayes with God We see how rank the corruptions of men are anger domineering in them and leading them often captive and this is counted a light matter but it is not so in Scripture How often is it branded with folly by the wise man and this folly is even the natural fleshly corruption that men are born with and in how many doth it rise up to the elevation of malice and hatred of others and then it carries the image of the devil rather then of humane infirmity And if we suppose a man not much given to any of these yet what a spirt of pride and self-love is in every man even these that carry the lowest sail and the meanest port among men these that are affable and courteous and these that seem most condescending to inferiours and equals yet alas this evil is more deeply engraven on the spirt If a man could but watch over his heart and observe all the secret reflections of it all the comparisons it makes all the desires of applause and favour among men all the surmises and stirrings of spirit upon any affront O how would they discover diabolick pride This sin is the more natural inbred for that it is our mother-sin that brought us down from our excellency this weed grows upon a glass-window and upon a dunghill it lodges in Palaces and Cottages nay it will spring and grow out of a pretended humility and low carriage In a word the ambitious designs of men the large appetite of earthly things the over-weaning conceit of our selves love to our selves the flirring of our affections without observing a rule upon unlawful objects or in an unlawful manner all these are common to men and men walk after them Every man hath some predominant or idol that takes him most up some are finer and subtiler than others some their pleasures and gains without others their own gifts and parts within but both are alike odious before God and both gross flesh and corruption before him There are two errours among men concerning this spiritual walking the one is the Doctrine of some in these dayes the other is the practical error of many of us Many pretending to some near and high discoveries as to Christ and the Spirit have fallen upon the most refined and spiritualized flesh instead of the Spirit indeed they separate the Spirit from the Word and reckons the Word and Law of God which was a Lamp to Davids feet among the fleshly rudiments of the world But if they speak not according to the Law and Testimony saith Isaiah it is because there is no light in them Thus their new light is but an old darkness that could not endure even the darker light of the Prophets If they speak not according to the Word it is because there is no spirit in them It is not the Spirit the Comforter which Christ promised to send to the Apostles and all that should believe in his Name through their word for that Spirit was a Spirit of truth that should lead into all truth and lest men should father their own fancies and imaginations on the Spirit of God Christ adds he shall bring all things to your remembrance These things that Christ hath spoken and we have here written The holy Apostle to the Col. 3. when he reproves the works of the flesh and declares they had put them off he commends unto them in opposition to these Let the word of Christ dwell in your richly in all wisdom teaching one another in Psalms and spiritual songs with grace in your hearts to the Lord
and by his power obtain this supream authoâ—y of life and death Now having his authority established in hiâ— person the next work is to apply this purchase actâ—ally to conâ—er this liâ—e and therefore he hath almighty power to raise up dead sinners to creat us again to good works to redeem us from the tyâ—anny oâ— sin and satan whose slaves we are He hath a spirit of liâ—e which he communicats to his seed he breaths it into these souls that he died for and dispossesseth that powerful corruption that dwells in us Hence it comes to passe that they walk after the Spirit though they be in the flesh because the powerful Spirit of Christ hath entered and taken possession of their spirits Isa. 59.20 21. Let us not be discouraged in our apprehensions of Christ when we look on our ruinous and desperatâ— estate let us not conclude it is past hope and past his help too We do proclaim in the name of Jesus Christ that there is no sinner howsoever justly under a sentence of death and damnation but they may in him find a relaxation from that sentence and that without the impairing of Gods justice and this is a marvelous ground of comfort that may establish our souls 1 Iohn 1.9 even this that law and justice is upon Christs side and nothing to accuse or plead against a sinner that imploys him for his Advocat But know this also that you are not delivered from death that you may live under sin nay you are redeemed from death that you may be freed from the law of sin but that must be done by his almighty Spirit and cannot be otherwayes done I know not whether of these is matter of greatest comfort that there is in Christ a redemption from the wrath of God and from hell and that there is a redemption too from sin and corruption which dwells within us but sure I am both of them will be most sweet and comfortable to a believer and without both Christ were not a compleat Redeemer nor we compleatly redeemed Nâ—itheâ— would a believing soul in which there is any measure of this new law and divine life be satisfied without both these Many are miserably deluded in their apprehensions of the Gospel they take it up thus as if it were nothing but a proclamation of freedom from misery from death and damnation and so the most part catch at nothing else in it and from thence takes liberty to walk after their former lusts and courses this is the woful practical uâ—e that the generality of hearers make of the free intimation of pardon and forgiveness of sin and delivery from wrath they admit some general notion of that and stops there and examines not what further is in the Gospel and so you will see the slaves of sin professing a kind of hope of freedom from death the servants and vassals of corruption who walk after the course of this world and fulfill the lusts and desires of their mind and flesh yet fancying a freedom and immunity from condemnation men living in sin yet thinking of escaping wrath which dreams could not be entertained in men if they did drink in all the truth and open both their ears to the Gospel if our spirits were not narrow and limited and so excluded the one half of the Gospel that is our redemption from sin There is too much of this even among the children of God a strange narrowness of spirit which admits not whole and intire truth it falls out often that when we think of delivery from death and wrath we forget in the mean time the end and purpose of that which is that we may be freed from sin and serve the living God without fear And if at any time we consider and busie our thoughts about freedom from the law of sin and victory over corruption such is the scantness of room and capacity in our spirits that we loss the remembrance of delivery from death and condemnation in Christ Jesus thus we are tossed between two extreams the quick-sands of presumption and wantonness and the rocks of unbelief and despair or discouragement both of which do kill the Christians life and make all to fade and wither But this were the way and only way to preserve the soul in good case even to keep these two continually in our â—ight that we are redeemed from death and misery in Christ and that not to serve our selves or to continue in our sins but that we may be redeemed from that sin that dwells in us and that both these are purchased by Jesus Christ and done by his power the one in his own person the other by his Spirit within us I would have you correcting your misapprehensions of the Gospel do not so much look on victory and freedom from sin as a duty and task though we be infinitly bound to it but rather as a priviledge and dignity conferred upon us by Christ Look not upon it I say only as your duty as many do and by this means are discouraged from the sight of their own infirmity and weakness as being too weak for such a strong party but look upon it as the one half and greater half of the benefite conferred by Christs death as the greater hall of the redemptiâ—n which the Redeemer by his office is bound to accomplish He will redeem Israel from all his iniquities with him is plenteous redâ—mpâ—ion Pâ—al 130.7 8. This is the plenty this is the sufficiency of iâ— that he redeems not only from misery but from iniquity and that all iniquities I would not desire a believers soul to be in a better posture here-away then this to be looking upon sin inâ—dwelling aâ— his bondage and redemption â—rom it as freedom to account â—imâ—elf in so far free as tâ—e free Spirit of Christ enters and wâ—ites that â—â—ee Law of love and obedience in his heart and blots out these base characters of the law of sin It were a good temper to be groaning for the redemption of the soul and why doth a believer groan for the redemption of the body but because he shall then be freed wholly from the law oâ— sin and from the presence of sin I know not a greater argument to a gracious heart to subdue his corruption and strive for freedom from the law of sin then the freedom obtained from the law of death nor is there any clearer aâ—gument and evidence of a soul delivered from death then to strive for the freedom of the Spirit from the law of sin there jointly help one another freedom from death will raise up a Christians heart to aspire to a freedom and liberty from sin And again freedom from sin will wiâ—ness and evidence that such a one is delivered from death When freedom from death is an inducement to seek after freedom from sin and freedom from sin a declaration of freedom from death then all is well and indeed thus it will be in some meaâ—uâ—e with every soul
the flesh all your time never once seriously to rise up in the consideration of eternity or lift up your heads above temporal and earthly things and yet in the close to ascend unto Heaven No no do not deceive your selves you must go forward this life and eternity makes one straight line either of ascent or descent of happinesâ— or misery and since you have bowed down alwayes while in the body there is no rising up after it forward you must go and that is downward to that element which you transformed your spirits into that is the earth or below the earth to hell your spirits hath most affinity with these and down they must go â—s â— stoâ—e to the earth But if you would desire to have your spirits ascending up to heaven when they are let out of this prison the body take heed which way they turn bend and strive while here in the body If your struglings be to be upward at God if you have discovered that blessedness is in him and if this be the predominant of your spirit that carries it upward in desires and endeavours and turns it off the base study of satisfying the flesh and the base love of the world if thy soul be mounting alost on these wings of holy desires of a better life then can be found in any thing below certainly the motion of thy spirit will be in â— straight line upward when thou leaves thy dust to the earth Anâ—els waits to carry that spirit to that bosomâ— of Christ where it longed and liked most to be but devils do attend the souls of most part of men to thrust them down below the earth because they did still bend down to the earth SERMON XVII Rom. 8.5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh c. THough sin hath taken up the principal and inmost Cabinet of the heart of man though it hath fixed its Imperial Throne in the spirit of man and makes use of all the powers and faculties in the soul to accomplish its accursed desires and fulfill its boâ—ndless lusts yet it is not without good reason expressed in Scripture ordinarily under the name of flesh and a body of death and men dead in sins are said to be yet in the â—lesh The reason is partly because this was the rise of mans first ruine or the chiefest ingredient in his first sin his hearkning to the suggestions of his flesh against the clear light and knowledge of his spirit The Apple was beautiful to look on and sweet to the taste and this engâ—ged man thus the voluntary debasement and subjection of the spirit which was breathed in of God unto the service of that dust which God had appointed to serve it hath turned into a necessary slavery so that the flesh being put in the Throne cannot be cast out and this is the righteous judgment of God upon man that he that would not serve so good and so high a Lord should be made a drudge and slave to the very dregs of the Creation Partly again because the flesh hath in it the seeds of the most part of these evil fruits which abound in the world the most part of our corruptions have either their rise or their increase from the flesh the most part of the evils of men are either conceived in the flesh or brought forth by it by the ministry and help of our degenerat spirits And truly this is it that makes our returning to God so hard and difficult a work because we are in the flesh which is like stubble disposed to conceive flame upon any sparkle of a temptation there are so many dispositions and inclinations in the body since our fall that are as powerful to carry us to excess and inordinatness in affection or conversation as the natural instincts of beasts do dâ—ive them on to their own proper operations You know the flesh is oftâ—n times the greatest impediment that the spirit hath because of its lumpishness and earthly qâ—ality how willing would the spirit be how nimble and active in the wayes of obedience if it were not â—etarded dulled and clogged with the heavy lump of our flesh The spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak saith Christ Matth. 26.41 Truly I think the great reâ—issness negligence weaknesâ— fainting of Christians in their race of Christianity ariseth ordinarily from this weight that is carried about with them that is must be some extraordinary impulse of a higher spirit to drive us on without wearying And because of this indisposition of the flesh we are not able to bear much of Gods presence in this life it would certainly confound mortality if so much were let out of it as is in Heaven no more then a weak eâ—e can endure to behold the Sun in its brightness Anâ— then the flesh as it is the greatest retardment in good it is the greatest incitement to evil it is a bosome-enemy that betrays us to Satan it is near us and connatural to us and this is the great advantage Satan hath of a Christian he hath a fâ—iend within every Christian that betrays him often You know the most part of temptationâ— from without could have no such force or strength against us if there were not some predisposition in the flesh some seeds of that evill within if they were not presented with some suitableness to our senses and they being once engaged on Satans side they easily draw the whole man with them under a false colour and pretence of friendship therefore they are said to war against the soul 1 Pet. 2.11 And they are said easily to beset us Heb. 12.1 Truly it is no wonder that the enemy storm our City when the out-works yea the very Ports of the City are possessed by traitors no wonder Satan approach near the walls with hiâ— temptations when our senses our fleshly part is so apt to receive him and ready to entertain all objects without difference that aâ—e suitable to affect them You see then how much power the flesh hath in man so that it is no wonder that every â—atural man hath this denomination one after the flesh one carnal from the predomining part though the worst part Every man by nature till a higher birth come may be called all flesh all fashioned and composed of the flesh and after the flesh even his spirit and mind fleshly and earthly sunk into the flesh and transformed into a bruitish quality or nature Now the great purpose of the Gospel is to bring alongs a deliverer unto your spirits for the releasing and unsettering of them from the chains of fleshly lusts This is the very work of Christianity to give liberty to the captive souls of men and the opening of the prison to them that are bound Isai. 63.1 The souls oâ— men are chained with their own fleshly â—usts and if at any time they can break these grosser chains aâ—â—ome â—iner spirits have escaped out of the vilest
things Hos. 8.12 As thingâ— that you have not much to do with Do you not let the Officers of Jesus Christ all the sweet invitations of the Gospel passe by as strangers and as if ye were unconcerned in them What taste have they more then the white of an egg How unsavoury a discourse or thought to a carnall heart is it to speak of subduing the lusts of the flesh of dying to the world of the world to come Who findeth their hearts inwardly stirred upon the proposal of Jesus Christ But if any matter of petty gain were proffeâ—ed O! how would men listen with both their ears How beautiful in the eyes of the covetous mind is any gain and advantage the sound of money is sweeter to him then this blessed sound of peace and salvation How sweet is pleasure to the voluptuous What suitablenesse and conveniency is apprehended in these perishing things but how little moment or weight is conceived and believed to be in things eternal O how substantial do things visible seem to men and how triffling do other things invisible appear But for you whose eyes are opened to you Christ is precious to you the things of the Spirit are beautiful and all your grief is that you cannot affect them according to their worth or love them according to their beauty I say some there are who do see a substance and subsistance only in things not seen Heb. 11.1 And for things that are seen and visible in this world they do account them shadows only in comparison of things invisible The world apprehend no realities but in what they see but a Christian apprehends no solide reality in that he sees but only in that he sees not and therefore as in his judgment he looks upon the one as a shadow the other as a substance so he labours to proportion and conform his affection to a suitable intertainment of them to give a shadow or show of affection to the things of this life but the marrow and substance of his heart to the things invisible of another life Thus the Apostle 1 Cor. 7.29 c. Rejoycing as if we rejoyced not enjoying as if we possessed not using as if we used not half acts for half objects if we give our whole spirits the strength of our souls and minds to them we are as foolish as he that strikes with all his strength at the air or a feather there is no solidity or reality in these things able to bottom much estimation or affection only mind them and use them as in the by as in passing through towards your Countrey SERMON XVIII Rom. 8.5 6. For they that are after the flesh do mind c. For to be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minminded is life and peace THere are many differences among men in this world that as to outward appeaâ—ance are great and wide and indeed they are so eagerly pursued and seriously minded by men as if they were great and momentous You see what a strife and contention there â—s among men how to be extracted out of the dregs of the multitude and set a little higher in dignity and degree then they how do men affect to be honourable above the base how do they seek to be rich and hate poverty These differences of poor and rich high and low noble and ignoble learned and unlearned the thoughts of men are wholly taken up with But there is one great difference that is most in Gods eye and is both substantial and eternal and so infinitely surpasseth all these dâ—ffeâ—ences that the minds of men most run out upon and it is heâ—e the great difference between flesh and spirit and them that are after the flesh and them that are after the spâ—rit This is of all other most considerable because widest and durablest I say it is the widest of all for all otherâ— put no great difference between men as men they do reach the peculiaâ— excellency of a man that is the true and proper good of his spiritual and immortal part they are such as befalls alike to good and bad and so cannot have either much good or much evil in them I have seen folly set in great dignity and Princes walking on foot Eccleâ— 10.6 7. Then certainly such titles of honour and dignity such places of eminency erected above the multitude have little or nothing worth the spirit of a man in them seeing a fool a wicked man is as capable of them as a wise man or a man of a princely spirit and â—o of all others they do not elevat a man as a man above others A poor unlearned mean man may have more real excellency in him then a rich learned and great person But thiâ— draws a substantial and vast difference indeed such as is between flesh and spirit such as is between men and beasts You know what pâ—eheminency a man hath over a beast there is no such wide distance among the sâ—ns of men as between the lowest and meanest man and the chiefest beast There is a spirit in man saith Elihu Job 32.8 An immortal eternal substance of a far higher nature and comprehension You know what excellency is in the spirit beyond the flesh such as is in heaven beyond the earth for the one is breathed from Heaven and the other is taken out of the dust of the earth the one is corruptible yea corruption it self the other incorruptible How swiâ—t and nimble are the motions of the Spirit from the one end of Heaven to the other How can it compasse the earth in a moment Do but look and see what a hudge difference is between a beautiful living body and the same when it s a dead carcass rotten and corrupted It is the spirit dwelling within that makes the odds that makes it active beautiful and comely but in the removal of the spirit it becometh a piece of the most defiled and loathsome dust in the world Now I say such a vast and wide difference there is between a true Christian and a natural man even taking him in with all his common indowments and excellencies the one is a man the other a beast the one is after the flesh the other after the spirit It is the ordinary compellation of the Holy Ghost man being in honour and understanding not is like the beasts that perish Psal. 49.20 and Psal. 94.8 Vnderstand ye bruitish among the people c. and Psal. 92.6 The bruitish man understands not this And Eccles. 3.18 That they themselves may know that they are but beasts Therefore you find the Lord often turning to beasts to insensible creatures thereby to reprove the folly and madness of men Isa. 1.2 and Ier. 8.7 Man hath two parts in him by which he hath affinity to the two mâ—st distant natures he stands in the midle between Angels and beasts in his spirit he riseth up to an Angelick dignity and in his body he fallâ— down to a bruitish condition Now which
of these hath the preheminency that he is If the spirit be indeed elevated above all sensual and earthly things to the life of Angels that is to communion with God then a man is one after the Spirit an Angel incarnat an Angel dwelling in flesh but if his spirit throw it self down to the service of the fâ—esh minding and favouring only things sensual and visible then indeed a man puts off humanity and hath associated himself to beasts to be as one of them And indeed a man made thus like a beast is worse then a beast because he ought to be far better it is no disparagement to a beast to mind only the flesh but it is greatest abasement of a man that which draws him down from that higher station God had set him into to the lowest station that of beasts and truly a Nebuâ—hadnezzar among beasts is the greatest beast of all far more bruitish then any beast Now such is every man by nature that which is born of the flesh is flesh even man as he comes out of the womb is degenerated and fallen down into this bruitish estate to mind to savour to relish nothing but what relates to this fleshly or temporal being The utmost sphear and comprehension of man is now of no larger extent then this visible world and this present life He is blind and seeth not far off 2 Pet. 1.9 Truly such is every man by nature whereas the proper native sphear of the spirits motion and comprehension is as large as its endurance that is as long as eternity and as broad as to reach the infinitness of God the God of all spirits now through the slavery and bondage of mens spirits to their flesh it s contracted into as narrow bounds as this poor life in the flesh he that ought to look beyond time as far as eternity and hath an immortal spiâ—it given â—or that end he is now half blind the eye of the mind is so over-clouded with lusts and passions that it cannot see far off not so far as to the morrow after death not so far as to the entry of eternity And truly if you compare the context you will find that whosoever doth not give all diligence to add to faith vertue to vertue knowledge to knowledge temperance to temperance patience and to patience godliness c. He that is not exercised and imployed about this study how to adorn his spirit with these graces how to have a victory over himself and the world and in respect of these accounts all things beside indifferent such a man is blind and seeth not far off he hath not gotten the sight of eternity he hath not taken up that everlasting endurance else he could not spend his time upon the provision for the lusts of the flesh but he behoved to lay such a good foundation for the time to come as is here mentioned If he saw afar off he could not but make acquaintance with those courtiers of Heaven which will minister an entrance into that everlasting Kingdom But truly while this is not your study you have no purpose for Heaven you see nothing but what is just before your eye and almost toucheth it and so you savour and mind only what you see Is not this then a wide difference between the children of this world and the children of God Is it not very substantial all others are circumstantial in respect of this this only puts a real difference in that which is best in men viz. their spirits The excellency of nature is known by their affections and motions so are these here the spiritual man savours spiritual things the carnal man carnal things every thing symphathizes with that which is like it self and is ready to incorporat into it things are nouâ—ished and preserved by things like themselves You see the Swine embraces the dung-hill that stink is only savoury smell to them because its suitable to their nature but a man hath a more excellent taste and smell and he savours finer and sweeter things Truly it cannot choose but that it must be a nature more swinish or bruitish then â— swine that can relish and savour such filthy abominable works of the flesh as abound amongst some of you The works of the flesh are manifest Gal. 5.19 and indeed they are manifest upon you acted in the very day time out-facing the very light of the Gospel you may read them and see if they be not too manifest in you Now what a base nature what abominable and bruitish spirits must possesse men that they apprehend a sweetnesse and fragrancy in theâ—e corrupt and stinking works of the old man O how base a scent is it to smell and savour nothing but this present world and satisfaction to your senses Truly your scent and smell your relish and taste argues your base degenerat and bruitish natures that you are on the worst side of this division after the flesh But alace it is not possible to perswade you that there is no sweeâ—nessâ— no fragrancy nothing but corruption and rottennesse such as comes out of Sepulchres opened in all these woâ—ks of the flesh till once a new spirit be put in you and your natures changed no more then you can by eloquence perswade a sick man whoâ—e pallat is possessed with a vitiated bitter humour that such things as are suitable to his vitiated taste are indeed bitter or make a swine to believe that the dunghill is stinking and unpleasant Truly it is as impossible to make the multitude of men to apprehend to relish or savour any bitterness or loathsomnesse in the wayes and courses they â—ollow or any sweetness and fragrancy in the wayes of Godlinesse till once your tastes be rectified your spirits be transformed and renewed And indeed when once the spirit is renewed and dispossessed of that malignant humour of corruption and fleshly affection that did present all things contrary to what they are then it is like a healthful and wholsome pallat that tastes all things as they are and finds bitter bitter and sweet sweet or like a sound eye that beholds things just as they are both in colour quantity and distance Then the soul savours the sweet smell of the fruits of the Spirit vers 22. Love joy peace long-suffering meekness temperance c. these are fragrant and sweet to the soul and as a sweet perfume both to the person that hath them and to others round about him and to God also these cast a savour that allures a soul to seek them and being possessed of them they cast a sweet smell abroad to all that are round about and even as high as Heaven a soul that hath these planted in it and growing out of it is as a garden inclosed to God These fruits are both pleasant and sweet to the soul that eats them and as the pleasantness of the apple allured man to taste it and sin so the beauty and sweetnesse of these fruits of the Spirit
unpassable that leads to that satisfaction you desire to your lusts your desires are impotent and impatient the means to carry you on are weak and lame nothing accommodat or fit for such a journey and this puts you alwayes as it were on the rack tormented between the impatience of your lusts and the impotency of means and impossibility to fulfill them Desires and disappointments hopes and fears divide your souls between them Such is the way after the flesh an endleâ—s labyrinth of woes and miseries of painâ— and cares ever while here But these wayes receive such names from the common opinion and apprehension of men because of our flesh which is predominant the way after the flesh being suitable to it though in it self infinitely more â—oyâ—â—ome seems easie and plain but the way after the Spirit seems strâ—it nâ—rrow toyâ—some and laborious Though there be infiniâ—e more room in the way to life because it leads to that 〈◊〉 universal good it expâ—tiâ—ts toward the Al-fulness of God yet to flesh how narrow and strait is it because it cannot admit of these inordinat lusts that have swelled so immeasurably towards narrow and scant things The true latitude of the way of flesh is not great for it is all inclosed within poor lean narrow created objects but because the imâ—ginâ—tion of men supplies what is wanting really and fancies an infinite or boundless extent of goodness in these things therefore the sinner walks easily without straitning to his flesh it is not pinched in this way of fleshly lusts But alas the Spirit is wofully straitned fettered and imprisoned though it be not sensibly found What is the reason then that so many walk in the way to death but because their flesh finds no straitning no pressure in it it is an easie way to their natures because suitable to the corruption that is in them therefore men walk on without consideration of what follows it s like a descent or going down a hill so easie to our flesh and on the other hand the way to life after the Spirit is an ascent upward and it is very difficult to our earthy and lumpish flesh Our spirits by communion with and subjection to the flesh are made of an earthly quality near the element of the flesh and so they bow naturally downward but if once they were purified and purged and unfettered by the Spirit of God and restored to their native purity they would more easily and willingly move upward as you see the flame doth and till this be done in you we cannot expect that you will willingly and pleasantly walk in these pleasant walks after the Spirit your walk will never be free and unconstrained in the paths of godliness You may from some external motives and impulses move upward for a season in some particular duties of Religion as a stone cast up but that impression is not from an inward principle so it will not be constant and durable but you will â—all down to your old byasse in other things and move quite contrary when the external impression of fear of savour of custome or education or such like wears out But the true Christian hath a spirit within him the root of the matter in him this carries him upward in the wayes of obedience after the motions and directions of Gods Spirit At the beginning indeed it is strait and uneasie to his flesh but the difficulty is overcome if once you begin well The beginning as you use to say is the half of the whole Truly to be well entred is half progresse afterward the bulksom and burdensome lusts of the flesh are stript off at least in a greater measure and then the spirit moves easily and willingly this walk becomes a recreation that at first was a labour Now delight and desire are as wings to mount the soul aloft now it s the good pleasure of the soul to walk to all well-pleasing Indeed the way of this world is dirty and filthy and therefore a Christian had need to watch continually and to gird up his loyns that his thoughts and affections hang not down to the earth else they will take up much fiâ—th and cannot but clog and burden the spirit and make it drive heavily and slowly as Pharaoh did his Chariots when the wheels are off We had need to flee aloft above the ground and not to come down too low near it thinking withall to double out our journey for we shall find that because of the remnants of flesh within us that this world hath a magnetical attractive vertue to draw us down to it if we be within the sphear of its activity It is not good coming near fire with flax we would endeavour to keep our hearts at much distance and disingage them from lower consolations This world is like the pestiferous Lake of Sodom that kills all that flees over it and makes them fall down into it If we flie low upon the surface of it we cannot choose but that spiritual life will be much extinguished but to prevent this we would take our flight straight upward after the Spirit for that is the proper motion of the more pure and spiritual part of this world and give no rest till we be out of the reach of that infection till you be fully escaped the pollutions of the world But if you cannot be perswaded to come off this way that seems so pleasant to your flesh that way which is the very course of the world for these are joyned Eph. 2.2 Then I beseech you stand still and consider whither it will lead do but stop a little and bethink your selves sadly and seriously whither this will take you where it shall end And truly that is dreadâ—ul the end oâ— it is death a never-ending death I am sure if you were walking by the way and one came and told you gravely and seriously That that way is full of dangerous pits that there are many robbers in it waiting to cut your throat you would count the admonition worthy of so much notice as to halt and consider what to do But now when the Lord himself that deserves infinâ—t more respect and credit then men gives you warning once and often day after day repeats this admonition to you sends out many ambassadors to call you off makes this word to sound dayly in your ear Oh! why will yee die such wayes lead down to the chambers of death and hell to be carnally minded in the issue is death whatsoever you may promise to your selves I say when he makes a voice to accompany us in all our walkings this is not the way that leads to life why do you not think it worthy of so much consideration as once to stop and sift your progresse till you examine what will come of it Are we so credulous to men and shall we not believe God who is truth it self who affirms it so constantly and obâ—eâ—ts us so earnestly Are we so wise and prudent
to apply sucâ— things to themselves to the weakning of their own hâ—nds and sadning of their hearts as the upright-hearted Disciples were more ready to take with the challenge of betraying Christ than the false-hearted Iudas Therefore the Apostle prevents such an abuse of the Doctrine by making application of the better part unto the Romanes but for you ye are not of the flesh c. Indeed self-examination is necessary and it s like the chewing of the meat before it be sent into the stomack it is as necessary and precedent before right application I wish that every one of you would consider well what this living Word concerns you it is the ground of all our barrenness no man bringâ— this home to himself which is spoken to all but truly the Lord â—peaks to all that every man may speak to himself and ask at his own heart what is my concernment in it what is my portion As for you whom the Lord hath put upon this search of your selves and hath once made you to find your selves in the black roll of perdition under the hazard of the eternal weight of Gods displeasure and there hath shewed unto your souls a way of making peaâ—e with God and a place of refuge in Jesus Christ which hath sometimes refreshed and eased your hearts and only was able to purifie your consciences and calm the storms that did arise in them if it be henceforth your study To walk to please him and this engagement be on your hearts To make no peace with the flesh and corruption that dwells in you then I say the Lord he calls and accounts you not carnal but spiritual though there be much carnality in you yet he denominats from the better part not from the greatest part you are not after the flesh but after the spirit Though Isaac be a weak young child and Ishmael the son of the bond-woman be a strong man yet thou art in Gods account esteemed according to the promise which shall be the ground of thy stability Isaac must abide in the house for ever and grow stronger and stronger and Ishmael must be cast out and grow weaker and weaker the one is ordained for destruction and so is called the old man drawing near to its grave the other for life and so is a new man renewed day by day Thus they are in Gods promise and you would learn thus to look upon it not according to their present inequality in strength but that future inequality and difference which is wrapt up in the promise of God and the seed whereof is in you As there is a woful penury and scantnesse of examination in the most part of men who are wholly spent without and take no leasure to recognize their own souls so there is a miserable excesse and hurtful superfluity of examination and disputation among many of Gods children who are alwayes in reflection and almost never in action so much on knowing what is that they take not much leasure to do or pursue what is not Truly I think when the Apostle commands uâ— to examine whether we be in the faith and prove ourselves he did not mean to make it our perpetual exercise or so to presse it as we should not endeavour to be in the faith till we know whether we be in it that were no advancing-way to refuse to go on in our journey till we know what progresse we have made as the custome is But simply and plainly I think he intended to have Christianity begin at examination as the first returning of a soul must needs be upon some inquiry and search of the way and knowledge upon search that our former way was wrong and this is only right But if this be the Porch to enter at will you sit down and dwell in it and not go on into the Palace it self Because you must begin to search what you have learned wrong that now you may unleaâ—n it will you be ever about the learning to know your condition and by this means never attain to the knowledge of the truth But when you have upon any inquiry found your selves out of the way you should not entertain that dispute long but heaâ—ken to the plain voice of the Gospel that â—ounds unto you This is the way walk in it I am the way saith Christ enter at me by believing in me Now once having found that you are unbelievers by nature to suspend believing till you prove whether you be in the faith is unreasonable and impossible for certainly having once â—ound your selves void of it you must first have it before you know that you have it you must fiâ—st apply to action and afterward your examination shall be more easie But I would tell a more profitable improvement of such representations of the sinfull and miserable estate of the ungodly world then you use to make of it and I think it is that the Apostles intend in the frequent turning the eyes of Saints about to the accursed state of the world partly consolation and partly some provocation to suitable walking things that are opposite aâ—e best known by compaâ—ison one with another each of them casts abroad a light to see the other by Therefore it is that the Apostles do frequently remind the converted Gentiles of the wretched estate the world lyes into and themselves once were into You see it 1 Cor. 6.11 And such were some of you but now ye are washed And Ephes. 2.1 You who were dead in sins hath he quickned There is not any thing will more commend unto a Christian the grace of God towards him nor to look abroad round about him and take a view of the whole world lying in wickedness and then to lock backward to what himself once was and compare it with what the free grace of God hath made him O what a soul-ravishing contemplation is that 1 Ioh. 5 19. And we â—now that we are of God and the whole world lyes in wickednâ—sse how doth this highten the price of grace and how much doth it add to a souls inward contentment to think what it was of it self and what it would undoubtedly have been if not thus wonderfully surprized One used alwayes to look to those below him that he might nâ—â— enâ—y these above him Truly it might do well here when a Christian is grieved and disquieted because he hath not attained to that desired measure of the Image of God and fellowship with him To cast a look about him to the miserable and hopeless estate of so many thousands who have the image of Satan so visibly engraven on them and have no inward stirring after this blessed Image and reflect a little backward to the hole of the pit whence he was taken to look upon that primitive estate that grace found him into so loathsome as is described Ezek. 16. Would not such a double sight think you make him break out in admiration and be powerful to silence and compose his
are debters indeed but you owe nothing to the flesh but stripes and mortification SERMON XXXIV Rom. 8.13 For if ye live after the flesh ye shall die but if ye through the Spirit c. THough the Lord out of his absolute Soveraignty might deal with man in such a way as nothing should appear but his supream Will and Almighty Power he might simply command obedience and without any more perswasions either leave men to the frowardnesse of their own natures or else powerfully constrain them to their duty yet he hath chosen that way that is most suitable to his own wisdom and most connatural to mans nature To lay out before him the advantages and disadvantages and to use these as motives and perswasives of his Spirit for since He hath by his first creation implanted in mans soul such a principle as moveth it self upon the presentation of good or evil that this might not be in vain he administers all the dispensation of the Law and Gospel in a way suitable to that by propounding such powerful motives as may incline and perswade the heart of man It is true there is a secret drawing withall necessary the pull of the Fathers arm and power of the Holy Ghost yet that which is visible or sensible to the soul is the framing of all things so as to engage it upon rational terms it is set between two contraries death and life death which it naturally abhoâ—reth and life which it naturally loveth an even ballance is holden up before the light of the conscience in which obedience and sin are weighed and it is found even to the convincing of the spirit of man that there are as many disadvantages in the one as advantages in the other This was the way that God used fiâ—st with man in Paradise you remember the terms â—un to what day thou eats thou shalt die he hedged him in on the one side by a promisâ— of life on the other by a threatning of death and these two are very rational restraintâ— â—uited to â—he â—oul of man and in the inward principles of it which are a kind of instinct to that which is appâ—ehenâ—ed good or gainfull Now this vers â—uns even so in the form of words If ye live after the flesh ye shall die you see thiâ— method is not changed under the Gospel for indeed it is natuâ—al to the spiâ—it of man and he hath now much more need of all such peâ—swasions because there is a great change of mans inclination to the woâ—st side all within is so disordered and perverse that a thousand hedges of perswasive grounds cannot do that which one might have done at fiâ—st then they were added out of superabundance but now out of necessity then they were set about man to preserve him in his natural â—â—ame and inâ—linations but now they are needfull to change and alter them quite which is a kind of creation therefore sayeth David creat in me a new spirit and therefore the Gospel abounds in vaâ—ieâ—y of motives and inducementâ— in greater variety oâ— far moâ—e powerâ—ul inducements then the Law Heâ—e is that grâ—aâ— peâ—swasiâ—n tâ—kâ—n fâ—om the infinit gain or lâ—sse of â—â—e â—â—ul of man which is any thing be able to prevail this must do seing it is seconded wiâ—h some natural inclination in the soul of man to seek its own gain Yet there is a diâ—â—erence between the nature of such like promises and threatningâ— in the fiâ—st covenant and in the second In the fiâ—st covenant though life was freely promised â—et it was immediatly annexed to perâ—ect obedience as a consequent â—eward oâ— it it was fiâ—stly pâ—omised unto compleat â—ighteousnesse of mens persons But in the second covenant firstly and principally liâ—e eteâ—nal grace and glory is promised to Jesus Christ and his â—eed antecedent to any condition or qualification upon their part and then again all the promises that run in way of condition as he that believeth shâ—ll not perish c. If ye walk after the Spirit ye shall live these aâ—e all the consequent fruits of that absolute gracious disposition and resignation of grace and life to them whom Christ hath chosen and so their believing and walking and obeying cometh in principally as parts of the grace promised and as witnesses and evidences and confirmations of that life which is already begun and will not see an end Besides that by vertue of these absolute promises made to the seed of Christ and Christs compleat performance of all conditions in their name the promises of life are made to faith principally which hath this peculiar vertue To cary forth the soul to anothers righteousnesse and sufficiency and to bottom it upon another and in the next place to holy walking though mixed with many infirmities which promise in the first covenant was only annexed to perfect and absolute obedience You heard in the preceeding vers a strong inducement taken from the bond debt and duty we owe to the Spirit to walk after it and the want of all obligation to the flesh Now if honesty and duty will not suffiâ—e to perswade you as you know in other things it would do with any honest man plain equity is a sufficient bond to him yet consider what the Apostle subjoynes from the dammage and from the advantage which may of it self be the Topickes of perswasion and serves to drive in the nail of debt and duty to the head if ye will not take with this debt ye owe to the Spirit but still conceive there is some greater obligation lying on you to care for your bodies and satisfie them then I say behold the end of it what fruit you must one day reap of the flesh and service of sin If ye live after the flesh ye shall die but then consider the fruit you â—hall reap of the Spirit and holy walking ye shall live It is true the flesh may flatter you more for the present but the end of it will be bitter as death amplâ—ctitur ut strangulet the flesh imbraces you that it may strangle you and so if you knew all well you would not think you owed it any thing but enmity and hatred and mortification If your duty will not move you let the love of your selves and your souls perswade you for it is an irrepealable statute The wages of sin is death Every way you choose to fulfill the lusts of your flesh and to make provision for it neglecting the eternal welfare of your souls certainly it shall prove to you the tree of the knowledge of good and evil it shall be as the forbidden fruit which in stead of performing that was promised will bring forth death the eternal separation of the soul from God Adam's sin was an Breviary or Epitome of the multiplied and enâ—arged sins of mankind you may see in this tragedy all your fortuns so to speak you may behold in it the flattering insinuations and deceitful promises of sin and Satan who is a liar
work of our Spirits are a retrograde motion it makes no way but spends the time is a returning as we go whereas we ought to go straight forward I beseech you Christians consider what ye are doing if ye would prove your selves so indeed I know not how you can evidence it better then by honouring and esteeming his Word and Commandments exceeding large and precious no end of their perfection the word is much undervalued in the opinions of many but it is as little cared for in the practice of most there is certainly little of God there where this is not magnified and honoured There must be darkness in that way where this candle which was a lamp to Davids feet shines not Some promise to us liberty but they themselves are the servants of corruption it is no liberty to be above all law and rule It was innocent Adams liberty to be conformed to a holy and just command nay this was his beauty The Spirit indeed gives liberty where he is but this liberty is from our sins and corruptions not to them it looses the chains of a mans own corrupt lusts off him to walk at freedom in the way of his commandments the Spirit inlargeth the prisoners heart and then he runs but not at random but the way of his commands Psal. 119.32 It was our bondage to be as wilde Asses traversing our wayes to be gadding abroad to change our way Now here is the Spirits liberty to bring us into the way and that way is one Let us then learn this one principle the Word must be the rule of your walking both common and religious Alas it s not spiritual walking to confine Religion to some solemn duties Remember it s a walk a continued thing without interruption therefore your whole conversation ought to be as so many steps progressive to Heaven Your motion should not be to begin only when ye come to pray or read or hear as many men do they are in a quite different way and element when they step out of their civil callings into religious ordinances but Christians your motion should be continued in your eating and drinking and sleeping and acting in your callings that when ye come to pray or read ye may be but stepping forward in the way out of one darker obscurer path into a more beaten way Remember this word can make us perfect to Salvation It is a principle in the hearts of folks which is vented now by many that the Word doth not reach their particular carriages and conversations in civil matters these are apprehended to be without the sphear and compass of the Word while it is commonly cast up to Ministers meddle with the word and spiritual things and not with our matters Truly I think if we separate these from the Word we may quickly separat all Religion from such actions and if such actings and businesses be without the Court of the Word they are also without the Court of Conscience Conscience Religion and the Word being commensurable Therefore I beseech every one of you take the Word for the ruling of your callings and conversations among men extend it to all your actions that in all those ye may act as Christians as well as men It is certainly the licentiousness of the spirits of men that cannot endure the application of the Word unto their particular actions and conversations Now this spiritual walk proceeds from spiritual principles It is certain the Spirit of Jesus Christ is he in whom we live and move and have our being spiritually without him we can do nothing and therefore Christians ought to walk with such a subordination to and dependence on him as if they were meer instruments and patients under his hand though I think in regard of endeavoured activity they should bestir themselves and give all diligence as if they acted independently of the Spirit yet in regard of denial of himself and dependence on the Spirit each one ought to act as if he did not act at all but the Spirit only acted in him This is the Divinity of Paul I laboured more abundantly then they all yet not I but grace in me I live yet not I but Christ in me O how difficult a thing is it to reconcile these two in the practice of Christians which yet cannot really be except they be together It is certainly one of the great mysteries of Christianity to draw our strength and activity from another to look upon our selves and our actings as these that can do nothing as empty vines and that notwithstanding of all inâ—used and acquired principles Whatever we ought to do in judging and discerning of our condition yet sure I am Christians in the exercise and practice of godliness should look upon themselves void of any principle in themselves either to do or think not that we are sufficient of of our selves The proficient and growing Christian should look no moâ—e on his own inclinations and habits thâ—n if he had none he should consider himself an ungodly man that no fruit can grow upon one that cannot pray as he is in himself Buâ— alace we come to duties in the confidence of qualifications â—or duties acts more confidently in them because accustomed to them and so makes Grace and Religion a kind of Art and Discipline that use and experience makes expert into Learn now this one thing which would be in stead of many rules and doctrines to us to shut out of your eyes the consideration of what ye are by Gifts or Grace or experience Do not consider that but rather fix your eyes on the grace of Jesus Christ and upon the power and vertue of the Holy Spirit which is given by promise that when the way is all the easiest to you both by delight and custom yet ye may find it to your natural principles as insuperable as at the beginning and may still cry Draw me and I will run after thee lead me and I will walk with thee Do not measure thy call into duties by the strength thou finds in thy self but look unto him who strengtheneth us with all might Now the Spirit worketh in us by subordinat spiritual principles as believing in Christ and loving of him as our Lord and Saviour and these two acts drives on a soul sweetly in the way of obedience Fear where not mixt in its actings with faith and love is a spirit of bondage but the Christian ought to walk according to the Spirit of Adoption which cryes Abba Father Yet how many Christians are rather in a servile and slavish manner driven on by terrours and chastisements to their duty then by love There is a piece of liberty in Christian-walking when there is not a restraint upon the spirit by this slavish fear this I say is not beseeming these that are in Christ Jesus ye ought to have the Spirit of your Father for your leader and guide O! how sweet and how certain and necessary also would this walking be
in a manner dead but when any adversary appears when our lusts and humors are crossed then they unite their strength against any such opposition and brings forth more sinful sin The knowledge and conscience that many have serves for nothing but to make their sins greater to exasperat and imbitter their spirits and lusts against God why torments thou me before the time It s a devilish disposition that is in us all we cannot indure the light because our deeds are evil Let us but consider these particulars and we shall know the power and dominion of sin First Consider the extent of its dominion both in regard of all men and all in every man I say all men there is none of us exempted from it the most noble and the most base Sin is the Catholick king the universal king or rather satan who is the prince of this world and he rules the world by this law of sin which is even the contradiction of the Law of God Who of you believes this that satans kindom is so spacious that it is even over the most part in the visible Church this is the Emperour of the world The Turk vainly arrogats this title to himself but the devil is truly so and we have Gods own testimony for it All Kings all Nobles all Princes all People rich and poor high and low are once subjects of this prince ruled by this black law of sin Oh! know your condition whose servants ye are think not within your selves we have Abraham for our father we are baptized Christians No know that all of us are once the children of satan and do his works and fulfil his will But moreover all that is in us is subject to this law of sin all the faculties of the soul the understanding is under the power of darkness the affections under the power of corruption the mind is blinded and the heart is hardened the soul alienated from God who is its life all the members and powers of a man yielded up as instruments of unrighteousnesse every one to execute that wicked law and fulfill the lusts oâ— the flesh This dominion is over all a mans actions even those that are in best account and esteem among men your honest upright dealing with men your most religious performances to God they are more conformed to the law of sin then to the law of God Hag. 2.14 this nation and the work of their hands and that which they offer is unclean All your works your good works are infected with this pollution sin hath defiled your persons and they defile all your actions the infection is mutual these actions again defiles your persons still more To the impure all things are impure even their mind and conscience is defiled Tit. 1.15 Do what you can ye who are in nature cannot please God it s but obedience to the law of sin that is in you Buâ— 2. Consider the intensness and force of this power how mighty it is in working against all oppositions whatsoever unless it be overcome by Almighty power Nothing but All-might can conquer this power The spirit that works in men by nature is of such activity and efficacy that it drives men on furiously as if they were possessed to their own ruine How much hath it of a mans consent and so it drives him strongly and irresistibly Much will desire and greediness will make corruption run like a River over all its Banks set in the way thereof Counsel Perswasion Law Heaven Hell yet mens corruption must be over all those Preaching Threatnings Convictions of Conscience are but as flaxen ropes to bind a Sampson sin within easily breaks them In a word no created power is of sufficient vertue to bind the strong man it must be one mightier then he and that is the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Do ye not see men daily drawn after their lusts as beasts following their senses as violently as a horse rusheth to the battel If there be any gain or advantage to oyl the wheels of affection O how runs men head-long there is no crying will hold them In sum sin is become all one with us its incorporat into the man and become one with his affections and then these command SERMON VIII Vers. 2. For the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Iesus hath made me free c. THat whereabout the thoughts and discourses of men now run is freedom and liberty or bondage and slavery All men are afâ—aid to lose their liberties and be made servants to strangers And indeed liberty whether National or personal even in civil respects is a great mercy and priviledge but alace men know not neither do they consider what is the ground and reason of such changes and from what fountain it flows that a Nation of a long time â—ree from a forraign yoke should now be made to submit their necks unto it Many wonder that our Nation unconquered in the dayes of ignorance and darkness should now be conquered in the days of the Gospel and there want not many ungodly spirits that will rather impute the fault unto the Reformation of Religion that take it to themselves There are many secret heart-jealousies among us that Christ is a hard Master and cannot be served But would you know the true original of our apparent and threatned bondage Come and see come and consider something expressed in these words All your thoughts are busied about civil liberty but you do not consider that you are in bondage while you are free and that to worse masters than you fear We are under a law of sin and death that hath the dominion and sway in all mens affections and conversations and when the glorious liberty of the Sons of God is offered unto us in the Gospel when the Son hath come to make us free we love our own chains and will not suffer them to be loosed therefore it is that a Nation that hath despised such a gracious offer of peace and freedom in Jesus Christ is robbed and spoiled of peace and freedom When this Law of the Spirit of life in Christ is published and proclaimed openly unto Congregations unto Judicatories and unto persons yet few do regard it the generality are in bondage to a contrary law of sin and this they serve in the lusts thereof Yea which most of all aggravats and heightens the offence even after we have all of us professed a subjection to the Law of God and to Jesus Christ the King and Law-giver we are in an extraordinaâ—y way ingaged to the Lord by many Oaths and Covenants to be his people we did consent that he should be our King and that we should be ruled in our profession and practice by his Word and will as the fundamental Laws of this his Kingdom we did solemnly renounce all strange lords that had tyrannized over us and did swear against them never to yeeld willing obedience unto them namely the lusts of the world ignorance of
that is quickned by this new Law of the Spirit of Life for its the entry of this that expells its contrary the Law oâ— sin And indeed the Law must enter the command and the pâ—omise must enter into the soul and the affections of the soul be enlivened thereby or rather the soul changed into the similitude of that mould or else the having of it in a book or in ones memory and understanding will never make him the richer or freer A Châ—istian looks to the patern of the Law and the word of the Goâ—pel without but he must be changed into the image of it by beholding it and so he becomes a living Law to himself The Spirit writes these precepts and practices oâ— Christs in which he commands imitation upon the fleshly tables of the heart And now the Law is not a rod above his head as above a slave but it s turned into a Law oâ— love within his heart and hath something like a natural instinct in it all that men can do either to themselves or others will not purchase the least measure of â—â—eedom from predominant corruptions cannot deliver you from your sins till this free Spirit that blows where he pleases come It s our part to hoise up sails and wait for the wind to â—â—e means and wait on him in his way and oâ—der but all will be in vain till this stronger one come and cast out the strong man till this arbitrary and free wind blow from heaven and fill the sails SERMON X. Rom. 8.3 For what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sending his own Son c. THE greatest design that ever God had in the world is certainly the sending of his own Son into the world and it must needs be some great busines that drew so excellent and glorious a person out of Heaven the plot and contrivance of the world was a profound piâ—ce of wisdom and goodness the making of men after Gods image waâ— done by a high and glorious counsel Let us make man after our image there was some thing special in this expression importing â—ome peculiar excellency in the work it self or some special depth of design about it But what think you of this consultation let one of us be made man after mans image and likeness that must be a strange piece of wisdom and grace Great is the mystery of godliness God manifested in the flesh No wonder though Paul cryed out as one swallowed up with this mystery for indeed it must be some odd matter beyond all that is in the creation wherein thâ—â—e are many mysteries able to swallow up any understanding but that in which they were first formed This must be the chief of the works of God the rarest piece of them all God to become man the Creator of all to come in the likeness of a creature he by whom all things were created and do yet consist to come in the likeness of the most wretched of all Strange that we do not dwell more in our thoughts and affections on this subject either we do not believe it or if we did we could not but be ravished with admiration at it Iohn the beloved Disciple who was often nearest unto Christ dwelt most upon this and made it the subject of his preaching that which was from the beginning which we have heard and seen and handled c. Ioh. 1.1 He speaks of that mystery as if he were imbracing Jesus Christ in his arms and holding him out to others saying Come and see This divine mystery is the subject of these words read but the mystery is somewhat unfolded and opened up to you in them yet so as it will not diminish but increase the wonder of a believing soul. It is ignorance that magnifies other mysteries which viâ—ifie through knowledge but it is the true knowledge of this mystery that makes it the more wonderful whereas ignorance only makes it common and despicable There are three things then of special consideration in the words which may declare and open unto you something of this mystery Fiâ—st what was the ground and reason or occasion of the Sons sending into the world next what the Son being sent did in the world And the third for what end and use it was What fruit we have by it The ground and reason of Gods sending his Son is because there was an impossibility upon the Law to save man which impossibility was not the Laws fault but mans defect by reason of the weakness and impotency of our flesh to fulfill the Law Now God having chosen come to life and man having put this obstruction and impediment in his own way which made it impossible for the Law to give him life though it was first given out as the way of life therefore that God should not fail in this glorious design of saving his chosen he choosed to send his own Son in the likeness of flesh as the only remedy of the Laws impossibility That which Christ being sent into the likeness of flesh did is the condemning of sin in the flesh by a sacrifice offered for sin even the sacrifice of his own body upon the crosse He came in the likeness not of flesh simply for he was really a man but in the likeness of sinful flesh though without sin yet like a sinner as to the outward appearance a sinner because subject to all these infirmities and miseries which sin did first open a door for Sin was the in-let of afflictions of bodily infirmities and necessities of death it self and when the floods of these did overflow Christs Humane Nature it was a great presumption to the world who look and judge according to the outward appeaâ—ance tâ—at â—in was the â—lâ—ce opened to let in such an inundation of calamity Now he being thus in the likeness of a sinner though not a sinner he for sin that is because of sin that had entered upon man and made life impossible to him by the Law by occasion of that great enemy of God which had conquered mankind he condemned sin in his flesh he overthrew it in its plea and power against us he condemned that which condemned us overcame it in judgment and made us free by sustaining the curse of it in his flesh he cut off all its plea against us This is the great work and business which was worthy of so noble a Messenger his own Son sent to conquer his greatest enemy that he hates most And then in the third place you see what benefite or fruit redounds to us by it What was the end and purpose of it vers 4. That the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us that seing it was impossible for us to fulfill the righteousness of the Law and so became impossible to the Law to fulfill our reward of life it might be fulfilled by him in our name and so the righteousness of the Law being fulfilled in us by
not deceive your selves the true quarrel is because they run not to the same excesse of riot with you if they will lie cozen defraud swear and blaspheme as other men you could indure to make them companions as you do others and the principle of that is the enmity that was placed in the beginning that mortal irreconciliable feud betwixt the two families are two seeds of Christ and Satan But as I told you this enmity acts in a more subtile and invisible way in some and is painted over with some fair colours to hide the deformity of it not only the grosser corruptions of men carry this stamp but take even the most refined piece or part in man take his mind take the excellency of his mind even the wisdom of it yet that hath enmity incorporated into it and mixed with it throughout all for the wisdom of the flesh is enmity with God as it may be read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the very prudence and reason of a natural man which carries him to a distance from and opposition with the common defilements in the courses of men yet that hath in its bosome a more exquisite and refined enmity against God and so the more spiritual and purified it be from grosser corruptions it is the more active and powerful against God because it is as it were the very spirit and quintessence of enmity You see it 1 Cor. 1. how the wisdom of God is foolishness to the wisdom of the world and then again that the wisdom of the world is the greatest folly to the only wise God Men that have many natural advantages beyond others are at this great disadvantage They are more ready to despise godliness as too base and simple a thing to adorn their natures As Christ said of rich men it may be said of wise men of learned men of civil and blameless persons who have a smooth carriage before the world how hard is it for such to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven hard indeed for they must be stript naked of that ere they can enter through this narrow gate I mean the opinion and conceit of any worth or excellency and so diminished in their own eyes that they may go through this needles eye without crushing The stream of enmity runs under-ground often and so hides it self under some other notion till at length it burst forth openly I find it commonly run in the secret channel of amity or friendship to some other thing opposite to God So Iames 4.4 the amity of â—he world is enmity with God and 1 Joh. 2.15 He that loveth the world the love of the Father is not in him There are two dark and under-ground conduits to convey this enmity against God Amity to the world and Amity to our selves self-love and creature-love We cannot denounce war openly against Heaven but this is the next course To joyn to or associat with any party that is contrary to God and thus under the covert of friendship to our selves and love to the world we war against God and destroys our own souls I say first Amity to the world carries enmity to God in the bosome of it and if you believe not this hear the Apostles sharp and pungent question you adulterers and adulteresses know you not that the Amity of the world is Enmity with God He doth not speak only to persons guilty of that crime but to all natural men who are guilty of an adultery or whoredome of a more spiritual nature but as abominable and more dangerous There is a bond and special tye betwixt all men and God their Maker which oblidgeth them to consecrate and devout themselves their affections and endeavours to his honour especially when the Covenant of the Gospel is superadded unto that in which Jesus Christ our Lord reveals himself as having only right to us and our affections as willing to bestow himself upon us and notwithstanding of all the distance between him and wretched sinners yet filling it up with his infinit love and wonderful condescency dimitting himself to the form of a servant out of love that so he might take us up to be his chast Spouse and adorn us with his beauty This he challengeth of us whoever hear and profess the Gospel This is youâ— profession if you understood it That Iesus Christ shall be your well-beloved and ye his that you shall separate your self to him and admit no stranger in his place that the choice and marrow of your joy love and delight shall be bestowed on him Now this bond and tye of a professed relation to that glorious Husband is foully broken by the most part by espousing their affections to this base world Your hearts are turned off him unto strangers that is present perishing things whereas the intendment of the Gospel is To present you to Christ as pure Virgins 2 Cor. 11.2 Truly your hearts are gone a-whoring after other things the love of the world hath withdrawn you or kept you in chains these present things are as snares nets and bands as an harlots hands and heart Eccles. 7.26 they are powerful inchantments over you which bewitch you to a base love from an honourable and glorious love O that you would consider it my beloved what opposition there is betwixt the love of the world and the love of the Father betwixt amity to that which hath nothing in it but some present bait to your deceitful lusts and amity to God your only lawful Husband Affection is a transforming and conforming thing Si terram amas terra es the love of God would purify thy heart and lift it up to more similitude to him whom thou loves but the love of the world assimulats it unto the world makes it such a base and ignoble piece as the earth is Do you think marriage-affection can be parted My wel-beloved is mine therefore the Church is the Turtle the Dove to Christ of wonderful chastity it never joyns but to one and after the death of its marrow it sighs and mourns ever after and sits solitarily You must retire my beloved and disingage from the love of other things or you cannot love Christ and if you love not Christ you cannot have peace with the Father and if you have not that peace you cannot have life this is the chain of life the first link begins at the divorcement of all foâ—mer loves and beloved idols once the soul must be loosed in desire and delight and that link must be fastned upon the most lovely and desireable object Christ the desire of the Nations and this draws alongs another link of peace and life with it Do not mistake it Religion would not hinder or prejudge your lawful business in this world O it were the most compendious way to advance it with more ease to your souls But certainly it will teach you to exchange the love of these things for a better and more heart-contenting love Then Amity to our selves is Enmity to
Having the understanding darkned being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindnesse of their hearts You have both in that word dâ—rknesse and deadnesse want of that shining light of God in the mind â—o that it cannot discern spiritual things that makes to our eternal peace all the plainnesse and evidence of the Gospel though it did shine as a Sun about you cannot make you see or apprehend either your own misery or the way to help it because your dungeon is within the most part cannot form any â—ensible notion of spiritual things that are daily sounding unto them in the Word The eye of the mind is put ouâ— and if it be darknesse how great is that darknesse Certainly the whole man is without light and your way and walk must be in the dark and indeed it appears that it is dark night with many souls because if it were not dark they could not run out all their speed among pits and snares in the way to destruction And from this woful defect flows the alienation of the whole soul from the life of God that primitive light being eclipsed the soul is separated from the influence of Heaven and as Nebuchadnezzars soul acted only in a bruital way when driven out amongst beasts so the soul of man being driven out from the presence of the Lord may act in a way common to beasts or in some rational way in things that concern this life but it is wholly spoiled of that divine life of communion with God it cannot taste smell or savour such things O if it were visible unto us the state of the ruinous soul we would raise a more bitter lamentation over it then the Iews did over Ierusalem or the Kings and Merchants have reason to do over fallen Babylon Truly we might bemoan it thus how is the faithful city become a harlot righteousnesse lodged in it but now murderers Isa. 1.21 Man was once the dwelling place of princely and divine graces and veâ—tues the Lord himself was there and then how comely and beautiful was the soul But now it is like the desolate cities in which the beasts of the desertly and there houses are full of doleful creatures where Owls dwell and Satyrs dance where wilde beasts cry and Dragons in the pleasant Palaces Isa. 13.21 22 and Ier. 50.39 So mighty is the fall of the soul of man as of Babylon that it may be cryed It is fallen and become the habitation of devils and the hold of every foul spirit and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird Rev. 18.2 All the beasts flock now to it all the birds of darknesse take their lodging in it since this noble guest left it and took away the light from it for the Sun hath not shined on it since that day All unclean affections all beastly lusts all earthly desires all vain cogitations get lodging in this house the Bethel is become a Bethaven the house of God become a house of vanity by the continual repair of vain thoughts the house of prayer is turned in a den of theeves and robbers that which was at first created for the pure service and worship of God is now a receptacle of all the rebellious and idolatrous thoughts and affections the heart of every man is become a Temple full of Idols This is the state of it and worse then can be told you Now judge if there be not need of a better guest then these O what absolute necessity is there of such a Spirit as this to repair and reform the ruinous spirit of man to quicken and enlighten the darkned mind of man even that Spirit that made it at first a glorious Palace for God that Spirit that breathed the soul into the formed clay must repair these breaches and creat all again Now when the Spirit of Christ enters into this vile and ruinous cottage he repairs it and reforms it he strikes out lights in the heart and by a wonderful eye-salve makes the eyes open to see He creats a new light within which makes him behold the light shining in the Gospel and behold all things are new himself new because now most loath-some and vile the world new because now appears nothing but vanity in the very perfection of it and God new because another Majesty glory excellency and beauty shines into the soul then ever it apprehended And as the Spirit enlightens so He enlivens this Tabernacle or Temple He kindles a holy fire in his affections which must never go out it is such as cannot be kindled iâ— it go out but by the beams of the Sun as the Poets fancied the Vestalfire The spirit within the soul is a fire to consume his corruption to burn up his drosse and vanity Christ comes in like a refiner with the fire of the Spirit and purges away earthly lusts and makes the love of the heart pure and clean to burn upward toward Heaven This Spirit makes a Christian-soul move willingly toward God in the wayes that seemed most unpleasant It is an active principle within him that cannot rest till it rest in its place of eternal rest and delight in God And then the Spirit reforms this house by casting out all these wild beasts that lodged in it these savage and unruly affections that domineered in man this strong man entering in casts them out there is much rubbish in old waste Palaces Neb. 4.2 O how much pains is it to cleanse them â— our house is like the house of these Nobles Ier. 5.27 Full of deceit as a cage is full of birds and our heart full of wickednesse and vanity Jer. 4.14 Certainly it will be much labour to get your unclean spirits cast out that is the grosser and more palpable lusts that reign in you but when these are gone forth yet there is much wickednesse and uncleannesse in the heart of a more subtile nature and by long in dwelling almost incorporated and mingled with the soul and this will not be gotten out with gentle sweeping as was done Luk. 11.25 that takes away only the uppermost filth that lyes loosest but this must be gotten out by much washing and cleansing and therefore the Spirit enters by blood and water There are idols in the heart to which the soul is much engaged it unites and closes with them Ezek. 36. and these must be cleansed and washed out There is much deceit in the heart and this lyes clossest to it and is engrossed into it and indeed this will take the help of fire to separate it for that is of the most active nature to separate things of a diverse nature the Spirit must by these take out your drosse and all this the Spirit will not do alone but honours you with the fellowship of this work and therefore you must lay your account that the operation and reformation of this house for so glorious a Guest will be laborious in the mean time But
greatest fear is death not so much because of it self but chiefly because of that eternity of unchangeable misery that naturally it transmitts them unto Now it is only Christian Religion possessing the heart that aâ—mes a man compleatly against the fear either of death it self or the consequents of it it giveth the most powerful consolation that not only overcometh the bitternesse and taketh out the sting of death but changeth the nature of it so far as to make it the matter of triumph and gloriation There is something here supposed the worst that can befall a Christian it is the death of a part of him and that the worst and ignoblest part only the body is dead because of sin Then that wâ—ich is opposed by way oâ— comfort to counterballance it is the life of his better and more noble part And besides we have the fountaâ—ns both of that death and this life mans sin the cause of bodily death Christs righteousnesse the fountain of spiritual life Of death many have had sweet meditations even among these that the light of the Word hath not shined upon and indeed they mâ—y make us ashamed who prosesse Christianity and so the hope of the resurrection from the dead that they have accounted it only true wisdom and sound Philosophy To meditat often on death and made it the very principal point of living well To be alwayes learning to die and have applyed their whole studies that way neglecting present things that are in the by have given themselves to search out some comfort against death or from death Yea some have so profited in this that they have accounted death the greatest good that can befall man and perswaded others to think so Now what may we think of our selves who scarce apprehend mortality especially considering that we have the true fountain of it revealed to us and the true nature and consequents of it All men must needs know that death is the most universal King in the world that it reigns over all ages sexes conditions nations and times though few be willing to entertain thoughts of it yet sooner or later they must be constrained to give it lodging upon their eye lids and suffer it to storm the very strongest tower the heart and baâ—â—er it down and break the strings of it having no way either to flee from it or resist it Now the consideration of the general inundation of death over all mankind anâ— the certain approâ—ching of it to every particular mans door hath made many serious thoughts among the wise men of the world But being destitute of this heavenly light that â—hineth to us they could not attain to the original of it but have conceived that it was a common tribute of nature and an universal Law imposed upon all mankind by nature having the same reason that other mâ—tations and changes among the creatures here below have and â—o have thought it no more strange thing then to see other things dissolved in their elements Now indeed seeing they could apprehend no other bitter ingredient in it it was no wonder that the wisest of them could not fear it but rather wait and expect it as a rest from their labours as the end of all their miseries But the Lord hath revealed unto us in his Word the true cause of it and so the true nature of it The true cause of it is sin sin entred into the world and death past upon all for that all have sinned Rom. 5.12 Man was created for another purpose and upon other conditions and a Law of perpetual life and eternal happinesse was past in his â—avours he abiding in the favour and obeying the will of Him that gave him life and being Now sin inteâ—posing and separating between man and God loosing that blessed knot of union and communion it was this other law that succeeded as a suitable recompence Thou shall die It is resolved in the Council of Heaven That the union of man shall be dissolved his soul and body separated in just recompence of the breaking the bond of union with God This is it that hath opened the sluce to let in an inundation of misery on mankind this was the just occasion of that righteous but terrible appointment It is appointed that all men once should die and after death cometh to Iudgment Heb. 9.27 That since the body had inticed the soul and suggested unto it such unnatural and rebellious motions of withdrawing from the blessed fountain of life to satisfie its pleasure the body should be under a sentence of deprivement and â—orfeitour of that great benefite and priviledge of life it had by the souls indwelling and condemned to return to its first base original the dust and to be made a feast of worms to lodge in the grave and be a subject of the greatest corruption and rottennesse because it became the instrument yea the incitement of the soul to sin against that God that had from Heaven breathed a spirit into it and exalted it above all the dust or clay in the world Now my beloved do we not get many remembrances of our sin Is not every day presenting our primitive departure from God our fiâ—st separation from the fountain of life by sin to our view and in such sad and woeful effects pointing out the hainousnesse of sin Do you not see mens bodies every day dissolved the tabernacle of earth taken down and the soul constrained to remove out of it But what influence hath it upon â—s what do the multiplied funeralls work upon us It may bâ— sorrow for our friends but little or no apprehension of our own mortality and base impression of sin that separats our souls from God Who is made sadly to reflect upon his original or to mind seriously that statute and appointment of Heaven in that day thou shalt die It is strange that all of us fear death and few are afraid of sin that carrieth death in its bosome That we are so unwilling to reâ—p corruption in our bodies and yet we â—re so earnest and lâ—borious in sowing to the flesh Be not deceived for you are dayly reaping what you have sowen And O that it were all the harvest but death is only the putting in of the sickle of vengeaâ—ce the first cut of it But O to think on what follows would certainly restrain men and cool them in their fervent pursuits after sin SERMON XXVIII Rom. 8.10 The body is dead because of sin but the Spirit is life because of righteousnesse THE sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the Law saith our Apostle 1 Cor. 15.56 These two concur to make man mortal and these two are the bitter ingredients of death Sin procured it and the Law appointed it And God hath seen to the exâ—ct execution of that Law in all ages for what man liveth and shall not taste of death Two only eâ—caped the common lot Enoch and Elias for they pleased God and God took them
from sin as the death of Christ is made the pledge of our dying to sin so his rising of our living to God Rom. 6.4 5. These are not meer paterns and examples of spiritual things but assured pledges of that divine vertue and power which he being raised again should send abroad throughout the world for as there are Coronation-gifts when Kings are solemnly installed in office so there are Coronation-mercies triumphal gifts when Christ rose and ascended he bestowed then on the world Eph. 4. And certainly these are the greatest the vertue of his death to kill the old man and the power of his resurrection to quicken the new and by faith a believer is united and ingraâ—ted into him as a plant into a choice stock and by vertue and sap coming from Christs death and resurrection he is transformed into the similitude of both he groweth into the likenesse of his death by dying to sin by crucifying these inward affections and inclinations to it and he groweth up into the similitude of his resurrection by newnesse of life or being alive to God in holy desires and endeavours after holinesse â—nd obedience And thus the first resurrection of the soul floweth from Christs resurrection But add unto this that Christs rising is the pledge and pawn of the second resurrection that is of the body for He is the head and we the members now it is most incongruous that the head should rise and not draw up the members after him certainly he will not cease till He have drawen up all his memâ—ers to him if the head be above water it is a sure pledge that the body will win out of the water if the root be alive certainly the branches will shoot out in Spring-time they shall live also There is that connexion betwixt Christ and believers that wonderful communication between them that Christ did nothing was nothing and had nothing done to him but what He did and was and sufferd personating them and all the benefiâ—e and advantage redounds to them He would not be considered of us as a person by himself but would rather be still taken in with the children as for love he came down and took flesh to be like them and did take their sin and misery off them and so was content to be looked upon by God as in the place of sinners as the chief sinner so he is content and desirous that we should look on him as in the place of sinners as dying as rising for us as having no excellency or privelege incommunicable to us And this was not hid from the Church of old but presented as the grand consolation Thy dead men shall live â—ogether with my dead body they shall rise and therefore may poor souls awake and sing though they must dwell in the dust yet as the dew and influence of Heaven maketh herbs to spring out of the earth so the vertue of this resurrection shall make the earth and sea and air to cast out and render their dead Isa. 26.19 Upon what a sure and strong chain hangs the salvation of poor sinners I wish Christians might salute one another with this Christ is risen and so comfort one another with these words or rather that every one would apply this cordial to his own heart Christ is risen and you know what a golden chain this draweth after it therefore we must rise and live The other cause which is more immediat and will actively accomplish it is the Spirit dwelling in us for there is a suitable method here too as the Lord first raised the Head Christ and will then raise the Members and he that doth the one cannot but do the other so the Spirit first raiseth the soul from that woful fall into sin which killed us and so maketh it a Temple and the body too for both are bought with a price and therefore the Spirit possesseth both but the inmost residence is in the soul and the bodily members are made servants of righteousness which is a great honour and dignity in regard of that base imployment they had once and so it is most suitable that he who hath thus dwelt in both repair his own dwelling-house for here it is ruinous and therefore must be cast down but because it was once a Temple for the Holy Ghost therefore it will be repaired and built again for he that once honoured it with his presence will not suffer corruption alwayes to dwell in it for what Christ by his humiliation and suffering purchased the Spirit hath this Commission to perform it aâ—d what is it but the restitution of mankind to an happier estate in the second Adam then ever the first was into Now since our Lord who pleased to take on our flesh did not put it off again but admits it to the fellowship of the same glory in heaven in that he died he dies no more death hath no more dominion over him he will never be wearied or ashamed of that humane clothing of flesh and therefore certainly that the children may be like the father the followers their Captain the members not disproportioned to the head the branches not different and heterogeneous to the stock and that our rising in Christ may leave no footstep of our falling no remainder of our misery therefore the Spirit of Christ will also quicken the mortal bodies of believers and make them like Christs glorious body This must be done with divine power and what more powerful then the Spirit for it is the spirits or subtil parts in all creatures that causeth all motions and worketh all effects What then is that Almighty Spirit not able to do You have shadows of this in nature yea convincing evidences for what is the Spring but a resurrection of the earth Is not the world every year renewed and riseth again out of the grave of Winter as you find it elegantly expressed Psal. 107. and doth not the grains of seed die in the â—lods beâ—ore they rise to the harvest 1 Cor. 15. All the vicissitudes and alterations in nature give us a plain draught of this great change and certainly it is one Spirit that effects all But though there be the same power required to raise up the bodies of the godly and ungodly yet O what infinit distance and difference in the nature and ends oâ— their resurrections there is the resurrection of life and the resurrection of condemnation Joh. 5.29 O happy they who rise to life that ever they died but O miserable thrice wretched are all others that they may not be dead for ever The immortality of the souls was infinit misery because it is that which eternizes their misery but when this overplus is added the incorruptibility of the body and so the whole man made an inconsumable subject for that fire to seed upon perpetually what heart can conceive it without horrour and yet we hear it often without any such affection It is a strange life that death is the only
is the gâ—eatest fool in the world that would on that account venture on satisfaction to his lusts for though it be true that he be not in danger of eternal wrath yet he may find so much present wâ—ath in his conscience as may make him think it was a â—oolish bargain he may lose so much of the sweetnesse of the peace and joy of God as all the pleasures oâ— sin cannot compense Theâ—efore to the end that yâ—u whose souls aâ—e once pacified by the blood of Christ and composed by his word of promise may enjoy that constant rest and tranquility as not to be enthralled agâ—â—n to your old fears and terrours I would advise and recommend to you these two things one is that ye would be much in the studie of that allowance which the promises of Christ affords be much in the serious apprehension of the Gospel and certainly your doubts and feares would evainish at one puff of such a rooted and established meditation Think what you are called to not to fear again but to love rather and honour him as a Father and then take heed to walk suitably and preserve your seal of adoption unbâ—otted unrusted you would study so to walk as you may not cast dirt upon it or open any gap in the conscience for the re-entry of these hellish-like fears and dreadâ—ul apprehensions of God Câ—rtainly â—ts impossible to preserve the Spirit in freedom if a man be not watchfull against sin and corruption David prayes re-establish me with thy free Spirit as if his spirit had been abased embondaged and enthraled by the power of that corruption If you would have your spirits kept free from the â—ear of wrath study to keep them free from the power of sin for that is but a fâ—uit of this and it s most suitable that the soul that cares not to be in bondage to sinful lusts should by the righteousnesse of God tempered with love and wisdom be brought under the bondage he would not that is oâ—â—ear and terrour â—or by this means the Lord makes him know how evil the first is by the bitternesse of the second It is usual on such a Scripture as this to propound many questions and debate many practical cases as whether a soul after believing can be under legal bondage and wherein these dâ—ffer the bondage oâ— a soul after believing and in it fiâ—st conversion And how far that bondage oâ— fear is preparatory to faith and many such like but I choose rather to hold forth the simple and naked truth for your edification then put you upon or intertain you in such needlesse janglings and contentions All I desire to say to a soul in bondage is to exhort him to come to the Redeemer and to consider that his case calls and cryes for a delivery Come I say and he shall find rest and liberty to his soul. All I would say to souls delivered from this bondage is to request and beseech them to live in a holy fear of sin and jealousie over themselves that so they may not be readily brought under the bondage of the fear of wrath again Perfect love casts out the fear of hell but perfect love bâ—ings in the fear of sin Ye that love the Lord hate ill and if ye hate it ye will fear it in this state of infirmity and weaknesse wherein we are And if at any time ye through negligence and carelessness of walking lose the comfortable evidence oâ— the Fathers love and be reduced again to your old prison oâ— legal terrour do not despair for that do not think that such a thing could not beâ—all a child of God and from that ground do not raze former foundations for the Scriptures saith not that whosoever believes once in Christ and receives the Spirit of Adoption cannot fear again â—or we see it otherwise in David in Heman in Iob c. all holy Saints but the Scripture saith ye have not received the spirit of bondage for that end to fear again it is not the allowance of your Father your allowance is better and larger if you knew it and did not sit below it Now the great giâ—t and large allowance of our Father is expressed in the next words but ye have received the Spirit of Adoption c. Which Spirit of Adoption is a Spirit of Intercession to make us cry to God as our Father These are two gifts Adoption or the priviledge of Sons and the Spirit of Adoption revealing the love and mercy of God to the heart and framing it to a soul-like disposition compare the two states together and its a marvelous change a Rebel condemned and then pardoned and then adopted to be a Son of God a sinner under bondage a bound slave to sin and Satâ—n not only freed from that intollerable bondage but advanced to this liberty to be made a Son of God this will be the continued wonder of eternity and that whereabout the song oâ— Angels and Saints will be accursed rebels expecting nothing but present death sinners arraigned and sentenced beâ—ore his Tribunal and already tasting Hell in their Consciences and in fear of eternal perishing not only to be delivered from all that but to be dignified with this priviledge to be the Sons of God to be taken from the Gibbit to be Crowned that is the great myâ—tery of wisdom and grace revealed in the Gospel the proclaiming whereof will be the joynt labour of all the innumerable companies above for all eternity Now if you ask how this estâ—te is attainable Himself tells us Iohn 1.12 As many as believed or received him to them he gave the priviledge to be the Sons of God The way is made plain and easie Christ the Son of God the natural and eternal Son of God became the son of man to facilitate this he hath taken on the burden of mans sin the chastisement of our peace and so of the glorious Son of God he became like the wretched and accursed sons of men and thereâ—ore God hath proclaimed in the Gospel not only an immunity and freedom from wrath to all that in the sense of their own misery cordially receive him as he is offered but the unspeakable priviledge of Sonship and Adoption for his sake who became our elder brother Gal. 4.4 5. Men that want children use to supply their want by adopting some beloved friend in the place of a son and this is a kind of supply oâ— nature for the comfort of them that want But it is strange that God having a Son so glorious the very character of his Person and brightnesse of his glory in whom he delighted â—rom eternity strange I say that he should in a manner losse and give away his only begotten Son that he might by his means adopt others poor despicable creatures yea rebellious to be his sons and daughters Certainly this is an act infinitly transcending nature such an act that hath an unsearchable mystery in it into which Angels desire to look