ver 16. Here the Spirit not casting out the Word but bringing it in plentifully and sweetly agreeing with it The Spirit that Christ sent did not put men above Ordinances but above corruptions and the body of death in them It s a poor and easie victory to subdue Grace and Ordinances every slave of the Devil doth that I fear as men and Angels fell from their own dignity by aspiring higher so these that will not be content with the estate of Christ and his Apostles but soar up in a higher strain of spirit and trample on that ministration as fleshly and carnal I fear they fall from Jesus Christ and come into greater condemnation It s true indeed 2 Cor. 3.6 The Letter killeth that is the Covenant of Works preacheth now nothing but condemnation to men but the Spirit of the Gospel giveth life nay even the Gospel separated from the Spirit of life in Jesus is but a savour of death to souls Shall we therefore separate the Spirit from the Gospel and Word because the Word alone cannot quicken us David knew how to reconcile this Quicken me O Lord according to thy Word Psal. 119.25 Thy Spirit is good lead me into the land of uprightness and quicken me Psal. 143.10 11. The Word was his rule and the Spirit applyed his soul to the rule the Word holds out the present patteâ—n we should be conformed unto now if there be no more a man may look all his dayes on it and yet not be changed but the Spirit within transforms and changes a mans soul to more and more conformity to that pattern by beholding it If a man shall shut his eyes on the pattern he cannot know what he is and ought to be if he look only on the Spirits work within and make that his rule he takes an imperfect rule and an incompleat copy and yet this is the highest attainment of these aspirers to new light they have forsaken the Word as their rule and instead of it have another Law within them as much as is already written on their hearts which is in substance this as they suppose I am bound to do no more then I have already power to do I am not to endeavour more holiness then I have already These men are indeed perfect here in their own apprehension and do not know in part and believe in part and obey in part because they are advanced the length of their own Law and rule their rule being of no perfection Paul was not so but forgetting what he had attained he followed on to what was before him and was still reaching forward Let not us my brethren believe every spirit and every doctrine that comes out under that name Christ hath forwarned us Let us pray for more of that Spirit which may quicken the Word to us and quicken us to obey the Word there must be a mutual enlivening the Word must be made the ministration of life by the Spirit of Jesus which can use it as a sword to divide the soul and spirit and we must be quickned to the obedience of the truth in the Word The Word is the seed incorruptible but it cannot beget us or be a principle of a new life within us except a living spirit come alongs to our hearts Know that the Word is your pattern and rule the Spirit your leader and helper whose vertue and power must conform you that rule 1 Pet. 1.22 Peter joyns these two the purification and cleansing of the soul which Christ attributes to the Word ye are clean through the word I have spoken Joh. 15.3 Peter attributes it to the Spirit working according to the pattern of truth It s true the Spirit of God needs no pattern to look to nay but we must have it and eye it else we know not the Spirit of truth from a lie and delusion we cannot try the spirits but by this rule and it is by making us stedfastly look on this glorious pattern in the Word and the example of Christ Jesus his life that we are conformed unto Christ as by the Spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 3.13 Certainly that must be fleshly walking which is rather conformed unto the imaginations of a mans own heart then the blessed will of God revealed in his Word Can such walking please God when a man will not so much as hearken to what is Gods will and pleasure As other heresies so especially this is a work of the flesh Now there is another principle amongst many of us we account it spiritual walking to be separated from the gross pollutions of the world to have a carriage blameless before men this is the notion that the multitude fancy of it Be not deceived you may pass the censure of all men and be unreproveable among them and yet be but walkers after the flesh It is not what ye are before the world can prove you spiritual men though it may prove many of your carnal Your out-side may demonstrate of many of you that ye walk after the flesh and if ye will not believe it I ask you if ye think drunkenness a walking in the Spirit Do ye think ye are following the Spirit of God in uncleanness Is it not that Holy Spirit that purgeth from all filthiness Look but what your walk is ye that are not so much as conformed to the Letter of the Word in any thing who cares not to read the Scriptures and meditate on them Is this walking after the Spirit of truth If drunkenness railing contention wrath envy covetousness and such like be the Spirits way then I confess many of you walks after the Spirit but if these be the manifest works of the flesh and manifestly your way and work then why dream ye that ye are Christians But I suppose that you could be charged with none of these outward things that you had a form of Religion and Godliness yet I say all that is visible before men cannot prove you to be spiritual walkers Remember it is a spirit ye must walk after now what shall be the chief agent here sure not the body what fellowship can your body have with him that is a Spirit the body indeed may worship that eternal Spirit being acted by the Spirit but I say that alone can never prove you to be Christians we must then layaside a number of Professors who have no other ground of confidence but such things as may be seen of men if they would enter their hearts how many vain thoughts lodge there how litle of God is there God is not almost in all our thoughts we give a morning and evening salutation but there is no more of God all the day throughout and is this walking after the Spirit which imports a constancy And what part can be spared most but the spirit of a man The body is distracted with other necessary things but we might alwayes spare our souls to God Now thus should a man obey that command Pray alwayes
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
not desire to come again But how inconstrained how free are all other thoughts our minds can roave who le days about vanity about fancies dreams nothings but you nâ—ither like to admit nor retain the knowledge of God in your mind Rom. 1.28 Do you not intertain any sâ—rious weighty thoughts of Religion that by occasion may enter as fire-brandâ— as hot coals in your bosome how glad are you to get any diversion to other things how willing to shun them or cast them out but if it be any temporal thing any thing relating to this flesh your thoughts come freely off are steady and fixed as long as you please your minds can travel through all the ends of the earth to bring in some fancy of gain or advantage or to steal by precious time and that without wearying Now all these thingâ— considered my beloved are you not carnal I speak to the most of you are you not these who are born of the flesh since you mind nothing seriously resolutely constantly and willingly but the things of the flesh and the things of this life O! it is no light matter to be born of the flesh if you continue so you are ordained for corruption for death to be carnally minded is death vers 6. of this Chap. But I am perswaded better things of some of you that the true light of God hath shined into your hearts and revealed more excellent things unto you then these perishing fleshly things Heavenly substantiall and eternal things in the Gospel which you account only worthy of the fixed and continued meditation of your spirits I am sure you perceive another beauty and excellency in these things then the world doth because the Spirit hath revealed them unto you It is true that your minds are yet much darkned in the apprehension of spiritual things they are not so willing to receive them nor so ready to retain them as you desire they are very unsetled and unstudy in the meditations of spiritual things and there are innumerable thoughts of other things that pass through your hearts like common Innâ— uncontrolled at their pleasure all this is true but I am sure it is the grief of your souls that your hearts are not so fixed and stablished as the excellency of these spiritual things require I know it will be the aim and real indeavour of any spiritual heart to be shutting up all the entries and doors of the mind that vain thoughts enter not yet enter they will there are so many porches to enter in at and our narrow spirits cannot watch at all every sense will let in objects and imagination it self will be active in â—raming them and presenting them but yet the indeavour of a Christian will be not to let them lodge long within Ier. 4.14 If they come in unawars he will labour to make a diversion to a â—etter purpose and so still it holds good that the current and course of a Christians thoughts and cogitations arâ— upon the things of the Spirit how to get his own hâ—art washed and cleansed how to be more holy and conformed to Christ how to be at peace with God and keep that peace unbroken how to walk in obedience to God and in duty towaâ—ds men how to forsake himself and withall to deny himself in all theâ—e I â—ay his most serious and solemn thoughts are about these things his resolved and advised thoughts run most on tâ—is stâ—ain though it be true that whether he will or not other vain and impertinent or not concerning thoughts will passe more lightly and too frequently through his heart The other thing in which this spiritual life doth appear is the current of the affections or that relish and taste of the sweetness of the things of the Spirit flowing from the apprehension of them in the mind When the light iâ— discovered indeed and O! it is a pleasant thing for the eye to behold it as Solomon speaks then the spirit hath found an object suitable to its nature and so it relisheth and delighteth in it Therefore the word is not simple minding or thinking but savouring thinking with affection upon them tasting and seeding upon the knowledge oâ— them it is a minding of them with caâ—e and delight with eaâ—nestness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O taste and see how good the Lord is Psal. 34.8 Some things cannot be indeed known but by some sense you cannot make a blind man apprehend what light is till he see it a deaâ— man cannot form a notion of sounds in his mind except he once heard them neither can a man understand the sweetnesse of honey but by tasting it Truly spiritual things are of that nature there is some hidden vertue and excellency in them which is not obvious to every man that hath bare knowledge of the letter there is a spirit and life in them that cannot be transmitted into your ears with the sound of words or infused into ink and paper it s only the inspiration of the Almighty can inspire this sensible preception and â—eall taste of spiâ—itual things some powders do not smell till they be beaten truly till these truths be well powdered and beaten small by meditation they cannot smell so fragrantly to the spirit As meats do not nourish till they be chewed and digested so spiritual things do not relish to a soul nor can they truly feed the soul till they be chewed and digested into the heart by serious and earnest consideration this is that which makes these same truths to be someway not the same these very principles of Religion received and confessed by all to be lively in one and dead in another it is the living consideâ—ation of living truth the application of truth to the heart that makes it lively in one whereas others keep it only besidâ— them in a corner of their minds or in a book in the corner of one houâ—e the same meat is laid to you all the most part look on it others contemplat it and exercise only their understandings aboâ—t it but there are some who taste it and find sweetneâ—â— in it who digest it by meditation and solemn a vocation of their hearts from the things of the world and therefore some are fed some are starved Need we to enlarge much upon this subject Is it not too too palpable that many who fill up our Churches are in the flesh because they do mind and savour only the things of the flesh and not of the spirit Will you seriously search your hearts ask what relishes most with them Can you say that it is the Kingdom of God or the righteousness thereof Or is not rather these other things of food and raiment and suchlike that have no extent beyond this narrow span of time I am perswaded the hearts of many taste no sweetness in Religion else they would fix more upon it and pursue it more earnestly Are not the things of another world the great things of the Gospel counted all strange
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
the proper owner acknowledging his absolute dependence on him and claiming interest and propriety in nothing not in himself and then on the other hand the love and good-will of infinit God placed on man and from that fountain all the streams of happiness issuing forth towards man the fulness of God opening up it self to him and laying out it self towards him God so far descending as in a manner to become the creatures to expose and dispose Himself and all in him for poor mans use and comfort How joyful was that amity but the breaking of this bond of peace is as sad and grievous There was a woful interposal between God and us which hath separated these chief friends ever since the beginning and that is sin the seeds of all enmity and discord this hath rent asunder the bond of amity this hath made such a total aversion of the soul from God and imprinted such an irreconciliable eâ—mity in the heart against the holy will of God that there is no possibility to reunite again and restore the old friendship as long as the soul is not quite changed and transformed that first creation is so marred and defaced that there is no mending of it till a second creation come The carnal mind is not simply an enemy but enmity it self an enemy may reconcile again and accept terms of peace but enmity cannot reconcile to amity without the very destruction of it self the opposition of the heart is so perfect that as soon may enmity unite with amity and become one with it as a carnal natural-mind can submit to Gods holy will That which was at the beginning voluntary is become necessary and turned into the nature of an in-bred antipathy that no art can cure The fall was such a disjoynting of the soul from God that no skill but infinit wisdom no strength but Almighty power can set it right and put it in the first posture again It is true there are not many who will openly and expresly denounce war against Heaven it is not so incident that any man should have explicit plain thoughts of hatred against God there are some common principles engraven by God in all mens minds which serve as his witnesses against men that God should be loved served adored and worshipped that there is nothing so worthy of the desires of the soul. Now this general acknowledgment deludes the most part for they take it for granted that they do love God with their heart because their consciences bears witness that they ought to love him as if it were all one to know our duty and to do it Who is there but he intertains himself with this good opinion of himself that his heart is good and true to God for say you Whâ—m should I love if I love not God I were not worthy to live if I love not Him It is true indeed that you say but if you did know your hearts you would find their faces turned backward and averted from God and â—ould no more please your selves in such a confession of the truth then the Devil hath reason to think himself a believer because he is convinced that Christ is the Son of God and confessed it too no more then the son that promised to go to the Garden to work and went not had ground to think himself an obedient son Mat. 21.30 Such a confession of duty may be extorted from damned spirits and therefore you would not draw this vail over the wretched wickedness of your natures to the end that you may conceive well of yourselves It is so far from extenuating or excusing that the very conviction of the great obligation to love and obey God is the greatest aggravation of the enmity it is this which makes it the purest malice and perâ—â—ctest hatred that knowing the goodness of God convinced of our bound duty to love and serve him yet in the very light of such a shining truth to turn our hearts away from him and exercise all acts of hostility against him That you may know then wherein the enmity of your hearts consists I shall instance it in three branches or evidences There is an enmity in the understanding that it cannot stoop to believing of the truth there is an enmity in the will that it cannot subject to obedience of Gods holy cammands and this is extended also to a stubborn rebellion against the will of God manifested in the dispensations of his providence In a word the natural and carnal mind is incapable of faith of obedience and of submission There are many truths revealed in the Scripture that the natural man cannot receive or know for they are foolishness to him 1 Cor. 2.14 Some spirits there are lifted up above others either by nature or education in which this rebellion doth more evidently appear reason in them contends with Religion and they will believe no more then they can give a reason for There is a wisdom in some men that despiseth the simplicity or the inevidence of the Gospel and accounts it foolishness The carnal mind will needs start out â—rom implicit trusting of God when once it s possessed with some imagination of wisdom therefore how many are the insurrections of of mens spirits against Gods absolute power over the creatures against the mysteries of the holy Trinity and Incarnation against the resurrection of our bodies In these and such like the pretended wisdom of men hath taken liberty to act enmity and to dispute against God But truly the rebellion and insubjection against the truth of God is more generally practised even by the multitude of men though in an unfree hidden way How few do believe their own desperat wickedness though God hath testified it of man Doth not every one apprehend some good to remain in his nature and some power to good what an impossibility is it to perswade you that all mankind are under the sentence of eternal condemnatioâ— that children who have not done good or evil are involved in it also Your hearts riseth against such doctrines as if they were bloody and cruel inventions To tell you that many are called and few chosen that the most part of them who prosesse the truth are walking in the way to Hell and shall undoubtedly fall into it you may hear such things but you blesse your selves from them and cannot be perswaded to admit them into your mindâ— The hearts of men will be giving the very lie to the God of truth when he speaks these things in his word God forbid that all that be true If we should expound the Law unto you and shew you that the least idle word the lightest thought the smallest inward motion of the heart deserves eternal misery that anger is murder in Gods sight that lusting is fornication that covetousness and love of the world is idolatry these things you cannot know them or receive them therâ— are so many high imaginations in your minds that exalts themselves against the knowledge
can strike hands and engage to serve the Lord as easily as that people in Ioshua 24.18 19. But we may say Oh that there were such a heart in you but alas such a heart is not in you you cannot serve the Lord for He is holy and jealous and ye are not only weak but wicked I beseech you then believe this one testimony that God hath given of man even the choisest thing in man the very wisdom of a natural man It is not subject to Gods Law and it cannot be better neither can it be subject resolution industry vowes and covenants will not effect this till the most High break and bow the heart And not only is this enmity against the old law of commandments an antipathy at them as crossing our lusts but even against the new and living Law of the spirit of life in Christ. Here is your misery you can neither be subject to the Law as commanding to obey it or threatning for disobedience to it nor to the Gospel as promising to believe and receive it The Law commands but your law countermands within The Law threatens and sentences you with condemnation but you have some self-pleasing delusion and dream in your heads and blesses your selves in your own hearts even though ye walk in the imagination of your hearts contrary to the Law Deut. 29. It is strange that you do not sore-apprehend and fear hell but it s this delusion possesses the heart you shall not die It was the first act of enmity not only the transgression of the command but unbelief of the truth of the curse and that which fiâ—st encouraged man to sin encourages you all to ly into it and continue in it a fancy of escaping wrath This noise fills the heart Satan whispers it in the ear go on you shall not die Thus it appears that the natural mind cannot be subject to the Law of God no perswasion no instruction can inforce this belief of your damnable condition upon you But then when the enmity is beaten out of this sort and a soul is really convinced of its desperat and lost estate when the heart is brought down to subjection to take with that dreadful sentence yet there is another tower of enmity in the heart that can keep out against the weapons of the Gospel such as Paul mentions Rom. 10.2 Being ignorant of the righteousnesse of God they went about to establish their own and could not submit to the righteousness of God There is a natural pride and stiffness of heart that we cannot endure but to have something in our selves to rest on and take pleasure into and when a soul sees nothing it rather vexes and torments it self as grieving because it hath no ornament or covering of its own nor rejoiceth and delighteth in that righteousness of God revealed in Christ. O the difficulty to bow down so low as to put on anothers righteousness over our nakedness and should it be called submission is it not rather the elevating and exâ—lting of a soul yet in respect of our natural posture of spirit it is a matter of great difficulty to make a self condemned sinner submit to thiâ— To be saved freely without money or price by anothers ransome What empty vain and frivolous expiation and satisfactions will souls invent rather then trust all to this How long will poor souls wander abroad from hill to mountain seeking some inherent qualification to commend them and leave this Garden and Paradise of delights which is opened up in Christ souls look every where for help till all hands fail and then necessity constrains them to come hither but indeed when necessity bâ—ought in charity and amity keeps in when once he knows what entertainment is in Christ. As for you who as yet have not stooped to the sentence of wrath how will you submit to the righteousness of God but I wonder how you imagine this to be so easie a thing To believe You say You did alwayes believe in Christ and that your hearts are still on him and that you do it night and day Now there needs no other argument to perswade that you do not at all believe in the Gospel who have not apprehended no more difficulty in it no more contrariety to your rebellious natures in it let this one word go home with you and convince you of your unbelief The natural minâ— is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can it be How then do you come so easily by it certainly it must be fained and counterfit SERMON XXII Rom 8.8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God IT is a kind of happiness to men to please them upon whom they depend and upon whose favour their well-being hangs It is the Servants happiness to please his Master the Courtiours to please his Prince and so generally whosoever they be that are joyned in mutual relations and depend one upon another that which makes all pleasant is this To please one another Now certainly all the dependencies of creatures one upon another are but shaddows unto the absolute dependance of creatures upon the Creator for in him we live and move and have our being the dependance of the ray upon the Sun of the stream upon the fountain is one of the greatest in nature but all creatures have a more necessary connexion with this fountain-being both in their being and well being they are nothing but a flux and emanation of his power and pleasure and as the Psalmist expresseth it he hides his face and they are troubled he takes away their breath and they die and return to their dust he sends forth his spirit and they are created and he renews the face of the earth Psal. 104.29 30. You may extend this to the being and well-being happiness and misery of creatures our souls which animat our bodies are but his breath which he breathed into the dust and can retract it when he pleaseth the life of our souls the peace and tranquility and satisfaction is another breathing of his spirit and another look of his countenance and as he pleases to withdraw it or interpose between his face and us so we live or die are blessed or miserable Our being or well-being hath a more indispensible dependance on him then the image in the glasse hath upon the living face If it be so then certainly of all things in the world it concerns us nearest how to please him and be at peace with him If we be in good terms with him in whose hand our breath is and whose are all our wayes Dan. 5.23 Upon whose countenance our misery or felicity hangs then certainly we are happy if we please him it matters not whom we displease for he alone hath absolute uncontrolled and universal power over us as our Saviour speaks over both soul and body We may expect that his good pleasure towards us will not be â—aiâ—fied but in communicating his fulness and manifesting his
God Isai. 66.2 Pâ—al 51.17 For the truth is God never begins to be pleasant and lovely to a soul till it begin to fall out of love with it self and grow loathsome in its own eyes Therefore you may conclude this of your selves That with many of you God is not well pleaseâ— although you be all baptized unto Christ and do all eat of that same spiritual meat and drink of that same spiritual drink though you have all Church-priviledges yet with many of you God is not well pleased as 1 Cor. 10.2 3 4 5. not only because these works of the flesh that are directly opposite to his known will such as fornication murmuring grudging at Gods dispensation cursing and swearing lying drunkenness anger malice striâ—e variance and such like abound as much among you as that old people But even these of you that may be free from gross opposition to his holy will your nature hath the seed of all that enmity and you act enmity in a more covered way you are so well pleased with your selves your chief study is to please men you have not given your selves to this study To conform your selves to the pleasure of God therefore know your dreadful condition you cannot please God without whose favour and pleasure you cannot but be eternally displeased and tormented in your selves Certainly though now you please your selves yet the day shâ—ll come that you shall be contrary to your selves and all to you as it is spoken as a punishment of the Iews 1 Thess 2 15. and theâ—e are some earnest of it in this life many wicked persons aâ—e set contrary to themselveâ— and all to them they are like Esau their hand against all and all mens hand against them yea their own consciences continually vexing them this is a fruit of that â—â—ndamental discord and enmity between men and God and if you find it not now you shall find it hereafter But as for you that are in Jesus Christ who being displeased with your selves have flâ—d in to the well-beloved in whom the Father is well pleased to escape Gods displeasure I say unto such your persons God is well pleased with in Christ and this shall make way and place for acceptance to your weak and imperfect performances this is the ground of your peace and acceptance and you would take it so and it shall yeeld you much peace when you cannot be pleased with your selves But I would charge that upon you that as you by believing are well pleased with Christ so you would henceforth study to walk worthy of your Lord into all well-pleasing being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God Col. 1 10. This is that to which you are called to such a work as may please him to conform your selves even to His pleasure and will If you love him you cannot but fashion your selves so as he may be pleased O how exact and observant is love of that which may ingratiat it fell in the beloveds favour It is the most studious thing to please and most afraid of displeasing Eneâ—h had a large and honourable testimony as ever was given to man that he pleased God Heb. 11.5 I beseech you be ambitious of this after a holy manner labour to know his will and that for this end that you may approve it and prove it that you may do that good and acceptable will of God let his pleasure be your rule your law to which all within you may conform it self Though you cannot attain an exact correspondence with his pleasure but in many things you will offend yet certainly this will be the resolved study of your hearts how to please him and in aâ— far as you cannot please him you will be displeased with your selves But then I would advise you in as far as you are displeased with your selves for not pleasing God be as much well pleased with Christ the pleasing-sacrifice and atonement and this shall please God as much as your obedience could do or your disobedience can displease him To Him be praise and glory SERMON XXIII Rom. 8.9 But ye are not in the flesh but in the spirit if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you Now if any man c. APplication is the very life of the Word at least it is a necessary condition for the living operation of it the application of the Word to the hearts of hearers by Preaching and the application of your hearts again to the Word by meditation these two meeting together and striking one upon another will yeeld fire Paul speaks of a right dividing of the word of truth 2 Tim. 2.13 not that ordinary way of cutting it all in parcells and dismembering it by manifold divisions which I judge makes it loss much of its vertue which consists in union though some have pleasure in it and think it profitable yet I do not see that this was the Apostolick way that either they preached it themselves or recommended it to others but rather he means the real distribution of the food of souls unto their various conditions as it is the duty of a Steward to be both faithful and wise in that to give every one their own portion And as it is the Pastors duty thus to distribute the Word of God unto you so it is your part to apply it home to your selves without which application the former division of the Word aright will not seed your souls If every man act not the Pastor to his own heart it cannot profit Now indeed the right application of the Word to souls is the difficultest part of Preaching and it is the hardest point of hearing in which there needs both much affection and much direction the one to be serious and earnest in it the other to be wise and prudent in it without suitable affection it will not passe into the substance of the soul to feed it no more then the stomack can digest meat that wants convenient heat and without discretion and wisdom to choose our own portion it will not yeeld convenient food but increase humours and superfluities or distemper our spirits That which I look at in these words is the discretion and prudence of this wise Steward in Gods House after he hath represented the wretched and woful estate of them that are in the flesh how their natures cannot but act enmity against God how their end is death and destruction he subjoyns in due season a suitable encouragement to believers you are not in the flesh c. Because there is no man so sensible of that corruption that dwells within as he that is in part renewed as pain to a healthful body is most sensible and as the abundance of light makes a larger discovery of what is disordered and defiled in the house therefore such upon the hearing of the accursed estate of men in nature of their natural rebellion against God and Gods displeasure against them they are most ready I say