is that which is the impossible thing of the Law that which is impossible for the Law to do The Law is the holy Commandements of the Eternal God Maker of all things these discover sinne and condemne the sinner but they deliver not from either That which is of use and is of this nature to shew and sentence for sinne cannot possibly work deliverance to a sinner but it is the Gospel that Law of faith that discovereth a Saviour Jesus Christ and in Jesus Christ how a sinner may be made righteous and so be delivered from sinne and how one condemned by the righteous Law may be delivered from that condemning sentence and so be set free from death which sinne deserved God sending his own Sonne c. where it appears that a sinner may be delivered from his sinne and made riâ—hteous and delivered from the Law and not condemned What the Law could not do in that it was weak through â—â—e flesh God sending his own Sonne c. The former Objection may yet be urged for it may be said the Law is righteous and can it not then give righteousnesse and life Answ The Apostle explaineth the Yet the Law is in no fault thing and amplifieth it the Law cannot do it not that there is fault in the Law this impossibility cometh through the weaknesse of mankinde now fallen who are not able to keep the Law The Law is not weak as if not perfectly righteous and holy or as if it had not a promise of life annexed to it but you are weak who are not able to keep it It is through mans weaknesse who is not able to performe the righteousnesse thereof that the Law is become weak the perfect exact holinesse thereof makes through our weaknesse weakning it that none can stand righteous by it nor live by it Hence ariseth the inpossibility of help by the Law Thus the Law is still preserved honourable and is magnified when yet it cannot help us and we are in the fault the fault is wholly ours Again the Apostle displayeth the Gospel 2. By opening the causes of a sinners salvation glory and displayeth the mystery thereof by opening the causes of the salvation of a sinner 1. The outward impulsive cause the impossibility and impotency of the Law to save through the impotency of man who stands bound to keep the Law this is the external impulsive this very thing that the Law cannot help us but condemns our sins and us for our sinnes and curseth us which is not thorough any fault in the Law of it self but only by accident by reason of our corrupt nature this this is that outward thing which moveth God to save sinners that which might move God to come and execute the sentence of the Law that moved God to provide a Saviour That which the Law cannot do through mans default that God doth by sending his own Son 2. The efficient or working cause the first working cause in saving a sinner God God set the accent there it must be noted with emphasis lift up the voice and stay the heart upon that Word write it in great letters It is not my observation that you must not slip over this one syllable but the Apostles divinely inspired as afterwards in this chapter when he saith If GOD be for us and again It is GOD that justifieth God against whom our sins are God whose righteous and eternal Law we have rendred uselesse to an utter impossibility to do us good and that for ever until He put us into another state He is the first agent in the work of our salvation 3. The material cause What course doth God take to save a sinner God sends his own Sonne Gods own Sonne doth take away sin by his passion bearing our sins in his own body his own Son in our flesh in which he was incarnate kept the Law for us and so the righteousnesse of the Law is fulfilled 4. The final cause which is this Redemption is wrought by the Christ of God that the righteousnesse of the Law might be fulfilled in us in us who have made the Law unable to do us any good who have made it to the Law impossible to set us free from sin and death 3. In us may some say in whom lest 3. By describing the persons for whom this salvation is wrought we should be deceived herein to our everlasting undoing while there is such a Gospel such a Saviour we have the persons described for whom all this is done In us who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit that is in us that believe in Jesus Christ but because many do deceive themselves in saying we believe and do not believe the Apostle useth not those words but taketh up this description which noteth out a believer by the Spirit he hath received and the Spirit by the rule and dominion he hath now in and over him and this rule of the Spirit over believers by this that sin doth not now reign in them though sinne be in them and the ruling of the Spirit and the dethroning of sinne by their walk it is not ordered by the flesh nor at the will of the flesh but their life is ordered by the Spirit of Jesus Christ through the Word of this his grace dwelling in their hearts Thus we see proved in these words that there â—an be no condemnation to those that are in Christ for though the Law would condemn them because they are sinners and there is sinne in them that deserves condemnation yet their sinnes being condemned in Jesus Christ by a righteous God God may pardon them with the good leave of his justice doing no wrong at all to the holy Law SECT 3. For the further opening of the words here are Three things of special observation three things of special observation 1. The diverse acceptation of the word flesh in the compasse of this Text. First it notes mankinde with all its abilities and excellencies upheld in men of 1. The word flesh taken four wayes here God himself in his long-suffering since the fall in these words weak through the flesh Secondly it notes out the humane nature as corrupted with sinne in the words sinful flesh for the flesh of sinne that is mankinde such as sin hath made it not such as God made it soaked with sin under the power of sin weak frail flesh the soul and its endowments beslaved to the flesh to the senses to the sensual apperite to the things the outward man the flesh desireth insomuch that the whole man may well be called flesh Thirdly It notes the humane nature frail and mortal but not polluted with sin In the words condemned sinne in the flesh that is in the flesh of Jesus Christ Fourthly it notes the corruption or sinfulnesse of mans nature in the words walk not after the flesh Now from these several acceptations of the word flesh we gather Four observations from that
First what man is since the fall of Adam Take him with all abilities in his best estate here out of Christ he is but weak frail mortal and sinful flesh mortal and sinful man he is flesh that is carnal sensual and wholly corrupted with sin he is utterly unable to keep the holy Law of God to fulfill the righteousnesse of the Law to make satisfaction to Gods justice for the least sin by all the righteousnesse he can by himself attain unto And therefore wholly unable to escape condemnation Secondly We may here learn that the flesh that is man consisting of body and soul though frail and mortal even weak dying flesh enfeebled in his abilities and operations both of body and mind is not in that regard sinful for then the Son of God who became flesh who took on him our nature a true humane soul and body and our nature infirme frail and mortal our very flesh and blood must needs have been defiled with sinne but he knew no sinne he was the Lamb without spot and blemish therefore the flesh or body of man is not evil as it is flesh and blood nor the desires appetite or weaknesse frailties and diseases that attend it no more than the minde the top of the soul the will and affections of the soul are in themselves evil God is the former of our bodies as well as the Father of our spirits and God is not the Author of sinne this is diligently to be heeded against the dreams of most Hereticks old and new against the general sayings of Philosophers and the common and usual conceits all men have of the flesh or body as if that were the evil sinning blame-worthy part in them but their souls their hearts their minds the spirit of the minde that they think to be good and holy and to receive its defilement from the body And therefore men place all Religion in some observations of abstinence bodily bodily exercises as Touch not this taste not that and handle not the other or in some neglecting of the body macerating and punishing it and denying satisfaction to the poor flesh in the natural desires thereof unto which weak body there is an honour due whereas all that defiles a man is from within from the heart and soul of man from these good hearts of ours comes all wickednesse as our Lord Jesus teacheth Thirdly here we are taught that there is something in man farre worse than death mortality frailty or any disease or pain even that which brought all this upon him and that is sinne which we make so light of sinne is the worst thing in the world sin is farre worse than affliction than all deaths Fourthly here may be seen how near the Lord Jesus Christ the Sonne of God came unto us he came so near that he took to himself in nearest union not only our souls which are spiritual substances but our very bodies he took to him our flesh and blood he took to him our whole nature and that in the condition which sinne had brought it unto the very likenesse of sinful flesh our infirme nature a soul subject to some kind of ignorance to affections of love anger and sorrow a body subject to hunger thirst nakedness cold wearinesse a frail mortal man he was but wholly without sinne yea tempted as we are like us in all things sin only excepted he became flesh He did not assume our nature as it was in our first Parents in their innocency but as it is now since the fall he came not into the world in the form of a King or some great Monarch or of an honourable person or rich and wealthy no nor of a free-man but of a servant he became Phil. 2. 7. poor and destitute of all naked flesh 2 Cor. 8. 9. Behold the grace the great love of the Lord Jesus Christ behold it till thy heart be loose from all that men here admire and doat upon and begin to draw towards this Lord the Son of the most High who disdained not to come so low to seek after and exalt thee 2. Here we have the persons distinct 2. Three distinct persons and works of those persons distinct in a sinners salvation with their distinct workings who are employed in the salvation of the Elect 1. God the Father he is sending his own Son he is condemning sin he is salving and keeping whole and untoucht the righteousnesse of the Law 2. Then the Sonne of God Jesus Christ he is incarnate he becomes flesh he payes the price of Redemption by suffering the damnatory sentence of the Law he fulfills the righteousness required in the commands of the Law And lastly The Spirit he unites to Christ that this might he in us through faith he applies and brings home with power all this that the Father and Son have done he thrusts out the flesh the power of corrupt nature and regenerates sanctifies and rules in them so mightily that they walk after the Spirit In us who walke not after the flesh but after the Spirit Who 2 Sam. 7. 23 Deut 33. 29 are like unto Gods chosen who are thus saved of the Lord whom God the Father and the Sonne and the Spirit thus redeeme for whom these three yet one God do thus go forth and work and are so employed to deliver from sinne and damnation Blessed and happy art thou O Israel of God whether Jew or Gentile thus saved of the Lord 3. We have also here the summary 3. The two wayes given to mankind in which everlasting life might be obtained comprehension of all the wayes that ever God gave to mankinde to obtaine life by that is the Law and the Gospel We have likewise the onely way by which mankinde fallen can possibly be delivered and obtaine everlasting life which is the Gospel And further how these two the Law and the Gospel mutually do work The Law comes but is found weak unable and the deliverance of a sinner thereby a thing impossible yet this Law takes off the sinner from his great confidence leaves him at a losse shuts him up to Christ and to faith in him when that shall come to help The Doctrine or Law of Faith in Christ Jesus that establsheth the Law every way and doth that for the sinner which the Law could not do By it Gods love and Christ Jesus the Sonne of God the Saviour God in Christ is made known the Spirit is given the flesh oâ— corruption of nature subdued righteousnesse fulfilled sinne condemned and the sinner saved And withal the words are so composed that the summe of the Gospel is briefly orderly plainly practically or as it may and must fall into practice and fully set down here to our edification and consolation abundantly SECT 4. Having thus farre unfolded the words here are four precious and important 4. grand truths truths three in the text and one in the context We have three most glorious and necessary truths
Law might be fulfilled in us In the Law there is the righteousnesse of the commands and the righteous just damnatory sentence of threatnings against the transgressors of those holy commands Now God sent his Sonne and held the fore-mentioned course in laying our sinnes upon him that the whole righteousnesse which the Law requireth of us might be fulfilled in us who are in Christ by faith whiles by Jesus Christ it is fulfilled for us and for our sakes in our roome and stead and so the Law is while fulfilled for us fulfilled in us who are in Christ by faith And then secondly the holinesse and righteousnesse of the precepts is fulfilled in us whiles by this faith which unites us to Christ receiveth his Spirit draweth from Christ sanctifying grace and purifieth the heart a new obedience in all uprightnesse and integrity respecting the whole Law is begun and more and more encreaseth in us in this life is of that growing nature that it will go forwards hold on fight out its way persevere and overcome and at last be perfected in glory thus the righteousnesse of the Law is in us by faith Christs righteousnesse in obedience and sufferings for us reckoned to us as ours and by the same faith holinesse in truth begunne and growing up to perfection in us See here the Gospel fights not against the Law as the Law is not against the Gospel The Gospel acquits those whom the Law pronounceth guilty but not as considered nakedly in their guilt that were against the Jus the right of the Law but by the intervening of and the guilty considered in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the price and satisfaction of the Sonne of God and this is agreeable to the jus the right of the Law The Gospel sets them free from condemnation notwithstanding their sinnes because it brings in God condemning their sinnes in the flesh of his Sonne and the Sonne bearing the condemnation of sinne laid on him of God in his own flesh The Gospel while it acquits from the Law purifieth the sinner and gives him an heart and power to judge himself to love the holinesse and righteousnesse which the Law requireth and in this work upholds him with delight in the inward man till holiness be perfected So the Gospel fulfills the Law every way in Christ and in us fulfills the righteousness of the Law for us and in us and while for us in us 6. The person applying and the manner of application of this salvation even the Spirit the Spirit of Jesus Christ who in all those that are delivered from condemnation by Jesus Christ is uniting them to Christ and regenerating and sanctifying them This Spirit sets himself up in the throne and pulls the flesh out of the throne and he reignes in them and orders their lives This person even the holy Ghost and his work making this salvation to come home with saving efficacy is mentioned implyedly in these words In us who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit Thus the Apostle hath set out lively the second great Doctrine The third is a description of those for The third whom God sent his Sonne to become flesh to condemn their sin in his flesh and to fulfill the righteousness of the Law in them these persons are plainly and lively described thus they are those who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit They are known by their walks that is by the tenour and course of their lives in which they deliberately set themselves with continuance and progress which course of life is framed after the guidance and rule not of the flesh that is of their corrupted nature but of the Spirit that is the Spirit of Christ which by the Word ingraffed in them dwells in them and orders their conversation 4. We have also a fourth point of excellent worth for the comfort of sin-burdened and mortified souls which the word of connexion for leadeth us unto There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ though there be much sin in them for the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus and from him coming into them is as a Law that hath delivered them from the Law of sin and so from the Law of death and all this is most evident for in Christ their sins are condemned and they justified and sanctified for see they as men set at liberty do walk after the Spirit and not after the flesh This then is the precious truth which lyeth in the coherence concerning the riches of their assurance and consolation who are in Jesus Christ The sins of those that walk after the Spâ—râ—t shall never be to their condemnation neither shall hinder from them the benefit of all the salvation that cometh by Christ nor â—et ought they in the least kind to hinder their full assurance their comfortable walking in their obedience their constant combating against the flesh nor their full dedition to the Law of the Spirit of life as to that which will give them full deliverance from the Law of sinne and death CHAP. II Containing the first great truth which is this that there is no salvation for any man by the Law or by any other means save onely by Jesus Christ. SECT 1. Having drawn up four choice truths of saving knowledge absolutely necessary to everlasting blessedness and sound comfort compactly delivered by the holy Apostle in this portion of Scripture I 1. Doct. No salvation but by Christ Gal. 3. 21 22. come now to handle those four truths at large the first of them is this There is no salvation for any man by the Law or by any other meanes whatsoever but onely by Jesus Christ. If there had been a Law given which could have given life Verily righteousnesse should have been by the Law but the Scripture hath concluded all under sinne saith this Apostle that the promise of faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that beleeve These are opposite the Law and the Promise the concluding of all under sin and the giving of life and righteousness the faith of Jesus Christ whereby we believe and the works of the Law the giving of the promise which is a reward reckoned of grace to him that believeth Rom. 4. 3 4 5 and the paying of a debt which is a reward to him that worketh If then the Law could save there had been no need of the Promise the Promise were in vain nevertheless the Law is not against the Promise but it shuts all men up to the Promise where life and righteousness is alone to be had by believing in Iesus Christ But may there not be found some other name besides or together with Iesus Christ by which a sinner may be saved for answer hear the Apostle Peter as the mouth all the rest of the Apostles saâ—ing to all men and to all the people oâ— Israel Jesus Christ Acts 4. 10 11 12 of Nazareth whom ye crucified whom God raised from the dead
the senses Secondly this pollution is innate and connate it is born in us and born with us It is as old as we are It was in us in our very conception it is bred up with us It discovers it self as we discover the use of our reason and it will be in us while we are in this frame and building Thirdly because we are as tender of it as we are of our very flesh Fourthly because there is a body of it a whole consisting of many members joynted together and ministring nourishment to every part for the encrease of the whole A whole composed heap not only spreading it self through the whole man and discovering it self in every member of the body but having also all the several wickednesses which ever were committed in it in the seed and spawn of them It is not some one transgression but many as the body is not one member but many and these many are knit together in an hellish order Fifthly because this is propagated as our bodies and flesh is propagated but our souls are not God is the Father of our spirits but men the fathers of our bodies therefore it may well be called flesh Sixthly because the motions of this original pollution are in the members of our bodies By spirit is meant not the soul nor the mind or understanding faculty the highest that is in man nor conscience the Character of the reasonable creature But by spirit is meant the Spirit of Christ sanctifying the man and dwelling in him through the Word of God engraffed and the regenerate part the Divine nature or disposition wrought by the Spirit of God the holy Ghost and conformable to the Image of Jesus Christ Iâ— this work there is the seed first of all grace and that under the New Testament in a largenesse Secondly it is in the whole man in soul spirit and body Thirdly and that too in truth or sincerity Fourthly it is of God in Christ for its original And fifthly for its continuance it is of incorruptible seed and abideth for ever Sixthly for its piercing effectualnesse in operation it leavens the whole man It is deepest and chiefest in the soul It is spreading and thorow in what it works It is active according to its own sphere which is supernatural and celestial yea supercelestial and according to its rise which is from the Spirit for whatsoever is of the Spirit is Spirit After notes the rule and guide and from that rule the force which swaies and carries out the man in his actions Walking notes 1. The course taken upon choice and 2. The progresse in that course or way with 3. Pressing on still forwards and 4. With perseverance and constancy till we come to the end Not after the flesh but after the Spirit That is refusing that and choosing this for guide and removing from the wayes and walks of the flesh to go in these that are after the Spirit Walking after the flesh is mentioned to shew that Original sinne is the sinne that reigns every actual sinne hath its strength in the corruption of nature Thither we must ascend in the work of mortification if we would kill sinne dead the root Crucifie the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof The lopping of a tree destroyes not the tree he that would not serve any sinne must destroy the body of sinne and not some one or two members only and he that would destroy the body of sinne must crucifie the old man Walking after the Spirit sheweth that all grace is brought into us from without from above from the holy Ghost It is not from a seed in us which is born with us and lyeth as the seed of Corn doth awhile buried in the earth It is not from any power or spirit that is in the Creature or in this visible Globe or in the Creatures Angelical It is from the Spirit of the Father and of the Sonne Again this sheweth that all grace is yet truely in us from the holy Ghost dwelling in us through the Word engraffed or the revealed truth of the Gospel from the holy Ghost thus dwelling in us and renewing sanctifying acting and leading of us And lastly that we are born anew of the Spirit are in the Spirit do live in the Spirit and are after the Spirit and then we walk after the Spirit We must first be and live and afterwards walk Thus you have the force of the words SECT 2. The particular truths or doctrines which 2. The words taken asunderin nine doctrines are wrapped in this description are these 1. In those that are in Christ in them there is the Spirit of Christ The Spirit in renewing unites to Christ their union with Christ is spiritual not physical not moral alone not personal at all The Spirit of Christ is in them and uniteth them to Christ and Christ and they are one Spirit as Man and Wife are one flesh this truth ariseth from this description as it is referred to the words before in ver 1. of this Chapter To them that are in Christ there is no condemnation Now this is to be understood of the holy Ghost as he is the Anointing wherewith Christ is anointed even Jesus Christ not considered as he is the Sonne of God simply and absolutely but as he is the Christ God-man and wherewith from Christ that Holy One they are anointed the work is the work of the third Person but not a work that makes a personal union of them to the Holy Ghost 2. Where the Spirit of Christ is in any there is also flesh whiles they are in this life where there is grace there is corruption though it holds not on the contrary where ever there is corruption there is grace also Nay it is far otherwise untill regeneration there is nothing but corruption in any or all the men in the world no not in the elect of God but where the Spirit is there is flesh although not walked after This is gathered from the description as made up of a negative first and then of an affirmative which sheweth a nature or disposition in the described here which is declining and renouncing one principle and cleaving to and following sweetly another principle Therefore with the regenerate it is thus their works are mixed their actings of their graces are mixt and maimed All their best duties smell strong of the flesh therefore the Regenerate ought to be watchful and jealous over themselves humble to God-ward meek towards man and making use of Christ and faith in him in all doing all in his name or mediation and looking for acceptation of all in him alone 3. That flesh even in the regenerate and spiritual is so sinful that if it were followed it would destroy them therefore it is sinne in it self and in the lusts of it even in the regenerate for if it were not sinful why should it be renounced why should it not at some times and in some cases be allowed 4.
Sonne in the likenesse of sinful flesh and for sinne condemned sin in the flesh Ver. 4. That the righteousnesse of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit CHAP. I. Containeth an Explication of the Text in its dependance and manner of laying down with three special Observations giving further light to the words and with the four great truths of Doctrine three of them expressed and the fourth implyed in the cohaerence SECT 1. THe whole Chapter is the Conclusion The dependance of the words on the former part of the Epistle Their scope is comfort of the large treatise and disputation of the holy Apostle Paul writing to the Romans concerning the Justification and Sanctification of believers in Jesus Christ The Apostle drawes up all that he had delivered in this Epistle for the practice of the Saints and especially for their consolation against all sorts of evils that may befal them in this present Two evils sinne and affliction world Now because there are two sorts of evils which assault their faith and that sorely and dangerously which are the sense of the remainders of sin within them and the manifold afflictions tribulations and temptations that befal them from without two evils sinne and the Crosse sin that dwells in them and the Comfort in Christ to believers against both Cross that attends them from abroad The Apostle against both these doth exceedingly comfort all believers And this he doth not without cause They that believe in Christ do they not finde sinful corruption working in them and is it not as a law in their members doth it not sometimes carry them away captives and is it not alwayes averse and adverse to their holy inclinations unto and delight in the law of the Lord Paul in his own person sets out the estate of a believer to be such in the latter end of the seventh chapter If this be the estate of those that believe and that have in them the beginnings of grace and sanctification How can they be comforted for is not sin to be regarded is not sin the more grievous the more good and gracious God is to them and ought it not so to be do not their souls hate sin the more and are therefore the more troubled because such corruptions stir in them and break forth against God the Apostle grants it all but for full consolation sets Jesus Christ against this evil of sin and asserts that their sins shall not condemn them There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit This is haâ—dled from the first verse to the middle of the seventeenth verse For the second evil true believers are subject to persecutions to afflictions before and above any others they are the 〈◊〉 of contradiction the very strife of tongues how then shall they have comfort Where is the gaine of godlinesse The Apostle saith there is this certaine truth full of Consolation that all afflictions that can befal the believer are so farre from prejudicing his salvation that they promote and assure unto him his greater glory in verse 17. and this argument is continued unto the 31. verse And then in the 31. verse to the end the Apostle breaks out into a triumph of faith over both evil sin and affliction over all that may stand in the way of their comfort not leaving until he hath raised them together with himself in despight of all adverse things to the height of one more than a Conquerour and to the glorying of one that is fully assured In the words of these two verses The The dependance of the words on the former verses To them that are in Christ comfort against the evil of sin proposition for comfort against the sense of sin laid down in the first verse is proved and demonstrated and the meaning of the probation of that proposition given in the second verse is also in these words cleared There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus That 's the proposition whereof these words in verse 3 4. give the full demonstration and 't is this In Jesus Christ their sins are condemned and the righteousnesse of the Law which is the strength of sin is fulfilled What condemnation can there be where sin is condemned and where all righteousnesse is fulfilled and this is the true case of all that are in Christ besides they are under another law even the command of the Spirit of Jesus Christ after whom they walk and who from Christ is in them lawing of them So that they who are in Christ Jesus are not onely under another Law but the Spirit of life which is in Christ Jesus and from him a their Head and as the second Adam is in them as a Law even the Law of the Spirit of life which delivers them from the Law of sin and death this is the summe of the second verse what is this law of the Spirit It is the Spirit of grace and What is the Law of the Spirit What is the Law of sin holinesse dwelling in us by the Word of the Gospel which hath in us the power and force of a Law What is the Law of sin and death It is the deadly power of sin which hath in all men by nature the strength of a Law to command and commanding reigns through the strength of the holy Law of God unto death or condemnation Now â— observe how the third and fourth verses clear up this nothing but the living spiritual law of the Spirit which is in Christ Jesus can give a sinner an Apostle a Paul deliverance from the power of sin and death but this can this Law of the Spirit of life hath delivered me This is thus made out The Law of God could not do it for that doth not give this Spirit but the Gospel onely can do it because the Gospel giveth the Spirit the Spirit of life which sets free from the Law and power of sin and death This is the dependance of these verses upon the former SECT 2. The words are the summe of the Gospel The manner of laying down the Doctrine of the Gospel here 1. By prevention of an objection Object Might not the Law deliver a sinner explaining the great mystery of salvation which God himself first preached in Paradise to our first Parents miserably fallen which the holy Apostle openeth in this manner He layeth it down first by prevention of an Objection and then by reckoning up the causes of salvation and lastly by re-assuming the description of the persons that have their part therein The Objection is this How doth the Law of the Spirit alone deliver the sinner might not the holy Law of God deliver from sin and death Answ The Law cannot deliver The deliverance of a sinner from sinne and Answ It is the thing impossible to the Law from the damnation of sinne
5. â—1 4. 9. of the salvation of Gods people for 1. In this Son is our eternal life placed This is the Record the summe of Gods Testimony witnessed in the Bible that God hath given to us eternal life and this life is in his Sonne God sent his only begotten Sonne into the world that we might live through him In this Sonne the beloved Pro. 8. 30. Mat. 3. 17. the Sonne of his bosome his eternal delights God the Father doth rest well-pleased for ever 2. This assure the absolute sufficiency of Christ Jesus for his Office he is the Mediatour who is the Son of God The Son is the Prophet he declares the Father Joh. 1. 18. Joh. 3. 32. 6. 68 96 Joh. 5. 25 28. Heb. 1. 8. Joh. 1. 49. 10 30. he testifies what he hath seen and heard he hath the words of eternal life his voice raiseth the dead the dead spiritually out of their sinnes the dead Corporally out of their graves The Sonne is the King greater than all who hath all Soveraignty authority and power The Sonne is the Priest who is consecrâ—â—ed Heb. 4. 14. 7. 28. for ever more who hath the heart and eare of the Father alwayes 3. This puts a value and worth of infinite price upon all that he hath done or 1 Joh. 1. 7. doth for us now in heaven into his sufferings and into his intercession The blood of Gods Sonne clerâ—seth us from all sinne the Sonne is consecrated for evermore 4. He can do all that we stand in need Joh. 1. 51. 3. 13. of because he is the Sonne of God He can create the heart anew and give the Holy Ghost He baptizeth with the Holy Ghost and with fire He opens heaven and brings in the Angels-service that they may minister unto us He seeth the truth of grace in our hearts He knoweth the workings beatings and breathings of our Joh. 1. 47 48. 10. 28 29 30. Joh. 5. 26 28. Heb. 12. 16 23. Psa 89. 27. Jer. 31. 8. Exod. 4. 22 Psa 89. 19. spirits and all our secret duties the guilelesse spirited Nathanaels their most retired meditations and prayers under the fig-tree He gives the power or priviledge to be Sonnes of God he makes free indeed he gives life to whom he will he preserveth the life spiritual given and gives eternal life he fetcheth out of the graves he makes us a Congregation of Gods first-born God hath laid help for us upon one that is mighty 5. There is no danger to adventure Jer. 17. 7. Joh. 3. 16. 36. Joh. 14. 9. here No feare of that curse Cursed be the man that trusteth in man for Jesus Christ is the Lord Jehovah It is no fault to believe on him to worship to serve to call upon to obey him There is no perishing to a believer There is nothing but wrath to him that believeth not on him Here is the only way to see the Father SECT 4. For the Application and Use Improve it The Use thus 1. By this Doctrine Inform thy self 1. Of Information First of the excellency of the word of Scripture which revealeth this truth and especially of the glory of the New Testament which is the Gospel of the Sonne of God Secondly of the honour conferred on sinful men called to the faith of Jesus Christ they are called to fellowship with the Sonne of God Thirdly 1 Cor. 1. 9. of the faithfulnesse of God in the wayes of his free and saving grace he failed not to send his own Sonne into the world according to his promise We may trust him to make good all that he hath spoken the heaven of heavens and blessed life and immortality there is not too much nor too good for believers It is not so good as his own Son 2. Be perswaded to dwell upon these 2. Of Exhortation Ephes 4. 13. Gal. 2. 20. meditations untill thy heart be winned and perswaded first to believe in the Sonne of God secondly to seek growth in the knowledge of the Sonne of God and then thirdly to live by faith of the Sonne of God and fourthly to digest this truth in the power of it that thou mayest triumph over all Brethren beloved look above all to this faith that Joh. 20. 31 1 Joh. 5. 12. you may receive and have the Sonne in you and that you may know you have him Let there be the hearing of faith the Confession of faith the emptyings of faith to reject all for him to forget all for him the application of faith that makes us apply our selves to him to draw near to the saving of the soul and not to Mark this distination of the applying act of faith draw back that applies him to our selves in desires of the hungry and thirsty and in high prizings of the poor in spirit and in the repoâ—e of the weary and laden and in the breathings and aspirings of the lowly and in the waitings of those that know no other door of mercy till we come to the applications of comfortable perswasions the obedience of faith the betrothed Mat. 22. 12 love which faith worketh and the wedding garment of all Gospel-dresse that may become the Espousals of such a Bridegroom 3. And why should we not delight our 3. Of Consolation Isa 8. 9 10 9 5 6. Psa 2. 1 2 5 6. 1 Joh. 5. 5. souls in this glorious principle of Christian Religion which leads us unto the holy One the mighty One of Israel for here we see and from hence we meditate and threaten terrour to the associations of all enemies We carry victories over the world's lusts and lyes errours and terrours vanities and violence We know the advancing and amplitude of the Kingdome of Jesus Christ We are confirmed Psa 2. 6 8. Ro. 8. 32. Heb. 2. 2 3 12. 25 26. 10. 29. Joh. â—7 26 1 Joh. 4. 9. Rom. 8. 31. 32 39. in the stability of all the promises and in the greatnesse of the sin and misery of all the disobedient and contemners of the Gospel We have the love of God manifested the love wherewith he loves his own Sonne reaching and clasping us A love that cannot but freely give us all things a love that assures God is for us a love from which nothing can separate us CHAP. VII Treateth of the fulnesse of salvation manifested in the way God taketh to save sinners by his Son SECT 1. 3. THe third truth demonstrating the 3. The way God took to condemn sin in the flesh of his Son and so to take it away provs the salvation full perfect fulnesse of salvation by Jesus Christ cometh now under consideration which is from the way and course God in his good pleasure took and held in saving sinners by his Sonne This is held out in these words Sending his own Sonne in the likenesse of sinful flesh and for sinne condemned sinne in the flesh which
this care and concerning whom he had all these thoughts of peace for good Hitherto of the third special truth demonstrating that the salvation by Christ is a full salvation the fourth followeth CHAP. VII The fulnesse of a sinners salvation evinced in the outward cause moving God to give his own Sonne and to take such a way to save which was the impotency and impossibility of the Law to save and the lost estate of the sinner SECT 1. 4. THe outward impulsive cause of Gods giving his Sonne in the flesh to redeem and save is in these words what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sending his own Sonne c. these words considered of themselves as one entire proposition namely this the Law could not deliver a sinner for it was weak through the flesh do contain that first great truth handled before in the second Chapter of this Treatise but now take them as the Apostle here puts them in their Syntax in the Contexture woven in together with that which followeth to this effect what the Law could not do that God did by sending his own Son and then we have that which moved God to set forth this way of Redemption by his own Sonne God gave the Law and sin was provoked and the sinner dyed the sinner looked to it stood convinced it was holy just and good but the more seeking righteousnesse and life by it his weaknesse the more appearing and he unable to keep it the more he lay under the curse of it God then takes this course he 'le send his own Sonne and he shall bring righteousnesse and life to this helplesse sinner hence a fourth special doctrine offers it self proving the second general which sheweth that this salvation in Christ must needs be compleat and admirable It is this The very impossibility of the justification 4. The impotency and impossibility of the Law to save and the lost estate of the sinner is the outward thing that moved God to save him by Jesus Christ Proved ten wayes life and salvation of a sinner by the Law and the sinfulnesse of miserable fallen man which brought that utter weaknesse upon the Law was that and that onely from without that moved God to justifie and save a sinner by Christ and therefore it is a salvation glorious gracious and all-sufficient This truth is evident divers wayes 1. That which is the help when the Law cannot help must needs be high and powerful for first The Law is the only way of life which God as Creator doth give to a reasonable creature and secondly The Law is so able that being perfect and Gods own Covenant it cannot be weakned but onely by accident not by its own failing but by ours it is weak but through the flesh 2. The Law for righteousnesse and Christ for righteousnesse do stand in direct Gal. 2. 16 21. opposition yet the Law is not against the Gospel the Law drives to Christ alone the Law is fulfill'd when Christ is Gal. 3. 21 22. received the Law comes in that the offers of Christ might be esteemed which else a proud sinner would wholly neglect Rom. 10. 4 or pervert and never understand aright this is the help given of God which is the end of the Law 3. That help that is able to set flesh sinful weak flesh right in Gods High Court of Justice recta in curiâ as Lawyers speak and to put strength into it and so make up the breach so that both the Law shall stand in its full force and strength and yet the sinner be righteous and live that is altogether a Soveraign salvation but such is the help which Gods grace in Jesus Christ doth bring it puts forth its power gloriously efficacious for and upon and in sinful weak flesh 4. When that which deserves that God should cast off reprobate and condemn to hell for ever and so glorifie his justice is made the ground of giving Christ what now can be alledged to hinder if the Omnipotent All-wise and All-gracious God be able to save a poor perishing creature if Christ the Sonne of God be able to help sinfulnesse of flesh is the very ground It deserves damnation as we see in the righteous sentences of the Law in the casting away of Angels fallen in men whom God reprobates the same reprobablenesse is in the very Elect men in all of them and therefore Isa 43. 22 25. Eph. 2. 1 2 3 4 5. is this Saviour given The Prophet Isaiah pleaded for God with Israel long ago bringing in the Lord speaking in his own words on this wise Thou hast not called upon me O Jacob thou hast been weary of me O Israel thou hast made me to serve with thy sinnes thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake and will not remember thy sinnes 5. When this that all help failes and through mans own fault shall be the rise and advantage that God will take to give Isa 63. 5. his Sonne to be the Christ and Saviour this answers all objections Now thus it stands here none to help none to uphold therefore saith God my arme Isa 41. 27 28. saves No intercessor no man what no counsellor Behold saith the Lord I give one that bringeth good tydings what can no God Idol god no worship no sacrifice Lambs Rams Bullocks Rivers of oyle no price of silver or gold nor prayers nor tears of blood give help Isa 45. 20 21 22. behold a just God and a Saviour I am and there is none besides me look unto me saith God and be ye saved all the ends of the earth behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world 6. Therefore mercy was the onely motive mercy hath the miserable for its object An unchangeable purpose of love within God himself according to the good pleasure of his will was the onely proper cause causing salvation and therefore it must needs be firme as a foundation of God by grace are we saved above and against desert It is the glory of free-grace and 't is to the glory of free-grace to save Gratia non est gratia ullo modo si non sit gratuita omni modo Rom. 5 20. 3. 27 Eph. 1. 6 7. 2. 8 9. a sinner Grace is not grace any way if it be not frank and free every way 7. It must needs be done thus to shew the glory of grace superabounding when sinne and the Laws curse cannot hinder but where sinne hath abounded grace aboundeth much more and to exclude boasting that glorious superabounding grace may have the praise for ever 8. If it had been grounded upon any thing in us as the cause of this saving love we should never have dared to come near unto the holy God because we are sinful nor could our hearts have stood stable in his presence because
cures of bodily miseries here on earth were all to direct us where to seek and finde the cure of all spiritual maladies Christ Jesus loosed the cords of afflictions by loosing the cords of sinne the true method in taking away the cause and thereby the sad effects sheweth the skill of a Physician indeed 4. Here be advised what is the greatest and most shameful perversnesse and that is to continue in sinne that grace may abound Rom. 6. 1. to turn this grace into wantonnesse and lasciviousnesse to professe Christ and live Heathenishly Grace free-grace and not the Law breaks down the dominion of sinne Christ dissolves the works of the Divel he was manifested Rom. 6. 14 1 Joh. 3. 8 5. to take away sinne and in him is no sin he is not faulty in the work he undertook 2. Be perswaded to come to Christ let rhis love draw thee will God take the Use 2. To exhort rise and ground of shewing mercy from thy undone estate there also do thou take thy rise and from thence look unto him what can stand in the way to hinder that love which sinne cannot hinder which sinne drew forth to full manifestations think on 't seriously frequently believingly to turn thee quite about after this God Again be ravished with desires and admiration Oh the heights depths lengths and breadths of this love of God! The Lord strengthen us with might by his Spirit in the inner man that we may comprehend with all the Saints the love of God in Christ in all its dimensions and Ephes 3. 16 18 19. measures to the filling of us with all the fulness of God the fulnesse of this his revealed glory And while thou contemplatest the wayes of Gods grace admiring astonishment will cause thee to cry out Oh the depths both of the knowledge and wisdome of God! how unsearchable are his judgments and his wayes past finding Rom. 11. 33 34 35. out who hath given to him first let him stand forth and it shall be recompensed unto him who hath known the minde of the Lord or who hath been his Counsellor Use 3. To comfort 3. Comfort also springs out and flows hence in abundance first under sinnes guilt and under sinnes motions Die under Rom. 7. 9 13. the feeling thereof let sinne in the thought thereof grow exceeding sinful and abominable in thine eyes as indeed it is in it self view thy self a sinner in the perfect glasse of the pure Law of God behold it in the reflexion of the crucifying death and burial of the Sonne of God for the sinne of the world and let free-grace be glorified and then thou art safe Secondly under temptations of presumption and of despair under the temptation of presumption either that of carnal confidence or that of carnal conceptions of mercy Nothing in us or in any other creature or thing out of God himself was the cause of Gods love to any Christ himself is but the gift of this love of God when thou lookest upon thy self dwell upon thy guilt and filth that thou mayest by faith alone dwell in God and God dwell in thee he sindes thee sinful lost and forlorn and he will save and in saving cannot leave thee such for then he did not save Under the temptation of despair what support is here No sinne no Law made God to loath as in justice he should but to pity and to redeeme Thirdly under the power of enemies Isa 49. 24 25 26. Behold here sinne that sells the sinner occasions the workings of the tender bowels and mercies of the infinite God of God the Father to save Behold here the Lawful Captive the Captive of the Mighty is redeemed and delivered Hitherto of the fourth truth demonsâ—rating the second great doctrine concerning the full salvation which is in Jesus Christ Now let us come to the fifth medium which the Apostle giveth to demonstrate the All-sufficiency of this salvation CHAP. VIII Treating of the fulnesse of salvation by Jesus Christ proved from the end of the sending of Christ intended and attained which was the expiation of sin and the fulfilling of the righteousnesse of the Law both for and in the sinners that shall be saved SECT 1. 5. THe words of the Apostle now to 5. Salvation is full where sin is expiated and the righteousnesse of the Law is fulfilled for and in us sinners be handled are these And for sinne condemning sinne in the flesh that the righteousnesse of the Law might be fulfilled in us did God send his own Sonne here is delivered this glorious truth viz. That the end of Christs mission incarnation and passion being to expiate sinne and to fulfill the righteousnesse of the Law both for and in us doth abundantly prove the salvation of those that are in Christ to be absolute and full Here three affrighting and sinking sentences Opened and while opened demonstrated are savingly and everlastingly answered The awakened sinner when he considers the Law of God and the Bonds of his obedience thereunto as he is a reasonable creature cannot but reason thus 1. I am a sinner and sinne condemns me by the righteous sentence of the Law which I have broken It is answered The Sonne of God is sent in the flesh for sin to be the sacrifice to take it away the Lamb of God slain in sacrifice for the sin of the world God condemns sinne which would condemn thee God condemns it in the flesh of his own Sonne as the Syriack readeth the words in his flesh and the connexion of the words in these two verses doth inforce that sense for he that sent his own Sonne in the flesh to condemn sinne in the flesh and so save the sinner must needs condemn sinne in his flesh and not in our flesh for had we born in our bodies the condemnation due by the Law for our sinnes we had perished everlastingly and had for ever layn under the curse of the Almighty Law-giver but sinne is expiated by a sacrifice of infinite value sinne is condemned in the flesh of Gods own Sonne therefore thou shalt never be condemned for thy sinne 2. The Law requireth perfect obedience and righteousnesse of the creature and continuance in the same I cannot perform the obedience which the Law requireth and were all my former sinnes forgiven I shall sinne again It is answered the Sonne of God hath fulfill'd the righteousnesse of the Law in thy nature for thee for God sent him in the likenesse of sinful flesh he sent him about sinne that he in the flesh the humane nature might fulfill the righteousnesse of the Law therefore he was sent not for himself who was not obliged to the Law but for us to fulfill it for us therefore his obedience is thy obedience his righteousnesse thy righteousnesse The righteousnesse of Christ Jesus the righteousness performed by him is performed for thee not for himself it is thine it is the righteousnesse of God
of Gods appointing ordained for thee it is the righteousnesse of faith thine by believing not by working thou hast not a righteousnesse of works for thou art a sinner but here is a righteousnesse provided for a sinner believe and it is thine it is an everlasting righteousnesse live ever by believing and all thy sinnes are covered thou art clothed for ever The Sonne of God Jesus Christ is the Lord our righteousnesse 3. But man is yet a creature and though he be not under the curse and be acquitted of his sin yet is he bound to obedience and not the lesse bound but the more because God so loveth as to give Christ his own Son my bonds of obedience are greater and yet I sin daily my sin is the more aggravated because they are against such a gracious God and Father and against such a Lord Redeemer it is answered The Son of God is sent to fulfill the righteousnesse of the Law in us how may you say 1. By setting out to the world and to the heart of a sinner sinne more vile and the more condemned in and by the heart of the sinner which is one point of righteousness to hate judge sin And God most holy while most of love and most just while most of mercy now this heals us of profaness whilst it allures draws with cords of love whiles it fills with holy fear sin is hated and God loved the name of the Lord Christ is named with an heart departing with a blessed Apostasie from iniquity as love abounds just abomination of sin encreaseth with self-loathing and self-abhorrency 2. By shewing a crucified Christ which sight wounâ—s to the quick perswades to Zach. 12. 10. Joh. 12. 32 33. Joh. 3. 14 15 16. Gal. 2. 19 20. believe in God so loving as not to spare but to deliver up his own for us so faithful of his word performing in due time the greatest unlikeliest and ancientest promise he ever spake to believe in Christ so gracious to believe his promises threatnings commandments and all his words This sight crucifies us with Christ yeâ— causes to live to God and to live in and through crucifyings 3. By this faith the sinner is united to Christ not by a moral union as love uniteth but by a mystical receiving his Spirit not by a Physical or natural union but by a supernatural Christ of whom the Word the Spirit do therein testifie faith receiveth faith receiveth Christ in the Word justifieth and Christ is formed in the heart faith brings home the love of God in Christ as the Holy Ghost in the Word of the Gospel revealeth and by that Word reveals the Sonne in the sinners heart believing this faith works love this faith works by love which is the fulfilling of the Law 4. By this faith Christ is received not only as satisfying Gods justice punishing and commanding but as purchasing grace glory and all good things else yea as purchasing the blessing of the promise even the Holy Ghost who reneweth after Gal. 3. 12. the image of God and sets the heart on high in hope of the glory to come eternal life 5. Christ coming into the believer breaks down sinnes dominion and sets up his own government in the soul the Rom. 6. 14 authority of the Law-giver the spiritualnesse of the Law and his delight in all this 6. By his Spirit he creates us anew he confers all principles of obedience he comes and dwells there in the new creature he is in the seed abiding in them he enables he excites that ability he imparts to them the promises he puts life into the Word and Ordinances that they may be in power 7. By his exemplary life in holinesse both in doing and suffering he beats out before us the way of righteousnesse as our pattern which draws out imitation man being a creature prone to be led by examples and his imitating inclination in his new Creation sanctified now we would walk as Christ walked the heart is set on high and perfect patterns even on Gods holinesse and on Christs purity 8. Here is the image of God to be beheld in a mirrour in liberty and in great 1 Cor. 3. 17 18. glory the image of God lost but in Christ found again begetting in us the very same image we see and are transformed we see are assimilated made like unto it All this work is in true and powerful beginnings which tend to and are growing towards perfection and shall be perfect with perfection of degrees and fulnesse as here it is of parts and of uprightnesse SECT 2. This Doctrine is of singular use to wipe Uses 1. To vindicate the Gospel Gal. 2. 17 18 19. off all aspersion cast upon the Doctrine of justification of a sinner by faith in Jesus Christ without the works of the Law as if it were a Doctrine of loosnesse for see here Christ is not the minister of sin he destroyeth sinne in believers he by faith purifieth them to the very heart the preaching of this Gospel of forgivenesse of sinnes out of free-grace by faith in Jesus Christ destroyeth sin it makes the believer to live to God through a double death and the latter of them which this Gospel by faith puts the sinner unto is no less than crucifying yet a death to the believer most desirable because it is a crucifying of him with Christ And now this believer cannot but abhor the thought of being such a transgressor as to go about to build again that which by receiving and professing and preaching if he be a Minister this Gospel he destroyed was there ever the like effectual way of destroying sin and fulfilling the Law in a sinner as this here sin is made hateful in the heart of the sinner profanesse of heart healed the heart formerly alienated now drawn to God the old man crucified which Christ and the believer lives yet or rather Christ lives in him faith uniting to Christ and receiving Christ works by love love constraining to live to him that dyed for them the Holy Ghost is received the Son of God revealed in the soul Christs government is set up and sins dominion is broken down the heart is created anew and the sinner enabled to walk in Gods statutes to do his commandments with delight in the spiritualness and purity of the Law he would be holy as his heavenly Father is holy and pure as Christ is pure and walk he would as Christ walked by faith beholding God in Christ all of love he suffers a change from glory unto glory which shall be perfected in both body and soul in glory Was there ever such a fulfilling of the righteousness of the Law by weak sinful man as this which is wrought by faith in the Sonne of God sent into the world to take away sin by one offering and sacrifice once for ever Jesus Christ was a curse for sinne not a cloak for sinne he fulfilled
all righteousnesse but nulled no Law he fulfills the Law in us whiles he enables ro believe that he fulfilled it for us The Ministry of the Gospel is the Ministry of Rom. 3. 31 life of righteousnesse and of the Spirit we establish the Law by faith we magnifie it and make it honourable we bring to glorious liberty not to base licentiousnesse which is most absolute slavery We advance godlinesse while our Doctrine forms it in power and destroyes a powerlesse form of it we maintaine good workes while through the Gospel the sinner is called to come to God through Christ alone and God takes him into his own gracious and powerful hands and makes molds fashions him in his own workmanship in Christ Jesus created anew unto good Eph. 2. 10. works O ye Pontificians ye Papists and all others to whom the Gospel comes know ye The Law is not against the Promise The Promise ingraves the Law in the fleshly tables of the heart This Doctrine also tries and differenceth 2. To try Professors Believers and Believers Christians and Christians upon the Believer and Christian indeed the former three sentences are deeply fastened and the answers are experimentally and sweetly resented in the heart that closeth with them and receiveth the mould of them such a heart is truly believing and Christian and no other Go over them again and again in thy thoughts and try how it is with thee CHAP. IX Sheweth that the fulnesse of salvation shines in the Person who maketh saving application thereof dethâ—oning corruption of nature and ruling the whole man even the Spirit the Holy Ghost the Spirit of the Father and of the Sonne SECT 1. THe person applying and the manner of his application of the salvation by Christ is implied in these words who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit here the Spirit is the person that brings home this work with efficacy and power for here we have a double consideration of the Spirits work in the saved ones the first presupposed and implied namely that God the Father and Jesus Christ his Son do give to those that shall be saved the Spirit who applyeth savingly all the love of the Father and the grace of the Son who pulls the flesh or mans natural corruption out of the Throne and sets up himself to rule the man mention is made in these words of such a Spirit and who can be able to do such a work but the Spirit who is the power of the most High who will be willing but the Holy Spirit or as we usually speak the Holy Ghost likewise either sinners have this Spirit of themselves and so none have for if they had him in them by nature how is it that he ruled not how is it all by nature are under the power of the flesh living and walking in their sins or else he must be given and who can give him but God the Father and Christ his only Son this giving and working of the Spirit for the bringing home the Redemption which is in Jesus Christ is therefore necessarily implied in these words The second work of the Spirit is expressed in a Description of the Redeemed ones They walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit both these considerations are in the subject persons made partakers of that work of the Spirit two wayes commended in the words us who walk c. first that the Jews and the Gentiles the Apostles and all others that belong to God are all alike sharers in this mercy and work of the giving of the Spirit to them to apply savingâ—y this salvation and to reign in them and frame their conversation although they have not all alike this Spirit in the same measure and degree Us who walk saith the Apostle we Apostles we Jewes and you the believers at Rome to whom he wrote you that were sinners of the Gentiles us you as well as we who walk after the Spirit Secondly that neither the one nor the other of them have respect with God but in Christ No were he an Apostle not Paul himself nor do they look for part in this salvation upon lower or other termes but as they fall within this Description Hence therefore we have two things before us 1. The sixth branch of truth that proves the fulnesse of salvation in Christ 2. The third great doctrine which is The description of a true Christian The sixth branch is this The salvation of sinners by Christ is compleat Doct. 6. The Spirit of the as being savingly applied by the Spirit given of God the Father and of Christ Father and the Son applies the salvation by Christ dethroning corruption and ruling the whole man 1 Cor. 6. 11 his own Sonne to them that shall be saved In which application the Spirit dethrones the flesh and rules the whole man The sinners which are washed justified and sanctified in the name of the Lord Jesus have this so great a change wrought by the Spirit of our God saith the Apostle God who sent the Redeemer hath covenanted that his Word and Spirit shall be in the seed and seeds seed of the Redeemer to whom the Father gave them that he should save them as the Prophet Isaiah sheweth saying The Redeemer shall Isa 59. 21. come to Zion As for me this is my Covenant with them saith the Lord my Spirit that is upon thee that is upon Christ the Redeemer and my words which I have put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed for whom the Redeemer gave his soul an offering for sin and went in travel with them on the Crosse nor out of the mouth of thy seeds seed from henceforth Isa 53. 10. Gal. 3. 14. 1 Joh. 4. 13. 3 24 and for ever Christ hath purchased it and the believer is possessed of it Hereby we know saith the Apostle that we dwell in God and God in us even by the Spirit which he hath given us This is that way in which he saveth even by the renewing Tit. 3. 3 5. 2 Thes 2. 13 14. 1 Thes 1. 3 4 5. of the Holy Ghost which he sheds on us abundantly through our Lord and Saviour and through this way even the sanctification of the Spirit God bringeth his chosen unto glory Hereby our election is known The Son of God the wisdome of the Father subdueth us by his Spirit poured out unto us by which he makes known his words to us This is called the Communion Pro. 1. 23. 2 Cor. 13. 14. Joh. 3. 3 5 of the holy Ghost And this is so absolutely necessary that unlesse a man be born from above of water and of the holy Ghost he can never see the Kingdome of God that is he cannot come into and enjoy eternal life in heaven he can never enter into it unlest he be born again of the holy Spirit now poured out as plentifully as water
with wisdome irresistible to witnesse to the truth with courage undaunted yet attended with love meeknesse and soundnesse of mind and to suffer for the truth with patience invincible of which it may be said Here is tâ—e patience of the Saints These are victors Renowned Conquerors the Churches Heroes the Lords Worthies the noble Army of the Lamb. 4. Such works of the holy Ghost as respect the Ordinances as The Word In the Word the Spirit speaketh to the Churches he gave the Rev. 2. 7. 3. 22. 1 Tim. 4. 1 Act. 11. 2 Rev. 14. â—â— Word by breathing it at first into the holy men of God he by Covenant goeth along with it breaths and works in it speaks in it writes it in the fleshly Tables of the heart every part of the Word is the speaking of the Spirit even that wherein he warnes of seducing spirits and doctrines of Devils And he saith yea to Gospel sentences The Sacraments Baptisme and the 1 Cor. 12. Lords Supper The Spirit accompanieth both as the band of union he maketh the partakers to be one body together of one head By one Spirit are all believers Baptized into one body and in the Lords Supper they all drink into one Spirit All these mighty works the Holy Spirit doth in order to the work of saving application of the grace of the Son our Lord Jesus Christ and of the love of â—od the Father This is the fourth thing proposed for explication The fifth followeth which also doth greatly commend the saving work and that is SECT 6. 5. The Inhabitation of the Holy Ghost Where the Holy Ghost is given manifesting his presence in his saving working 5. The inhabitation of the Spirit where he is thus given Rom. 8. 9 11. 1 Joh. 4. 13 3. 24. there he inhabiteth or dwelleth in them the Apostle distinguishingly and searchingly putting all believers upon the trial of their estates saith Ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you and this is so Characteristical that he adjoyneth now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his He that hath the Spirit hath him dwelling in him hereby also we know that God dwelleth in us and that we dwel in God and they that have the Spirit given and dwelling in them they know it 1 Cor. 3. 16 Know ye not that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you And for this condescension of exceeding grace how great is it for he dwelleth in them first as in his Temple his holy consecrated house and habitation he knowes no Temple or house on earth but the broken and contrite heart the poor in spirit and when he had a Temple at Jerusalem it was to signifie this and not owned of God but with respect to this Temple The regenerate Isa 57. 15. 66. 1 2 3. are his Temples the Holy Ghost makes himself an habitation and then dwels in the Temple which he hath made the glory of the work is heavenly and excellent for this Temple is an house not made with hands no nor of this building 1 Cor. 6. 19. of this kinde of make of which is this fabrick of soul and body in this visible creation although it be reared and set up in this building Again The very bodies of the regenerate are the Temples of the Holy Ghost though they be houses of clay and the leprosie of sin is not clean washed and scraped out while they live in this world Secondly he dwelleth in them as in the living members of Christs Rom. 8. 2. mystical body he is the Spirit of life in Jesus Christ their Head and from him as from their Head floweth into each of them Thirdly he dwelleth in them as he is the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus Rom. 8. 11 from the dead even in the exceeding greatnesse of that power according to the working of the might of that power which he wrought and put forth in Christ when he raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand in the above-heavenlies Ephes 1. 19 20 21 22 23. far above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name of Renown that is named and Renowned not only in this world but also in that which is to come and put all things under his feet and gave him to be the head over all things to the Church which is his body the fulnesse of him that filleth all in all Fourthly he dwelleth in them as the Spirit of the Father and as the Spirit of the â—onne he who taketh them to be his Sonnes by Adoption he sends the Spirit of his Sonne into their Gal. 4. 6. 1 Joh. 4. 8 9 10 13. hearts God is love here is love God the Father sends his Sonne into the world God the Father and God the Sonne send the Spirit into the hearts of those that shall be saved God the holy Ghost given unto them sheds abroad upon their hearts this love he dwels in them doing this work and by him the Father and the Son dwell in them from hence they cannot but say with the beloved Disciple Here is love that God through Christ by his Spirit should dwell in them that by the Spirit through Christ they should have accesse unto the Father Fifthly he dwelleth in them in all the fâ—re-named eminent and peculiar works of saving application in the presence efficacy of all his glorious salvifical Epithetes and Appellations Names and Titles he is in them the Spirit of faith the Spirit of truth the Spirit of grace and prayer the comforted the anointing the earnest and so of the rest and in this glory the Spirit dwelleth in them the Holy Ghost delighteth to fill his house with his glory and to rest there this is his in-dwelling which raiseth and advanceth all which hath been hitherto delivered SECT 7. 6. The time of the coming of the Holy Ghost Now for this great work there is a season 6. The special season of his coming in which the Spirit hath his day for as the Son came down from heaven in the fulnesse of time sent of God the Father according to the promises in the Old Testament delivered and had his day with the Church of God on earth so the Holy Ghost he came down from heaven in his proper time according to promise sent of God the Father and of our Lord Jesus Christ And although the Spirit of God was given and wrought by the Word savingly in the times of the Old Testament and from the first preaching of the Gospel to our fallen first Parents in Paradise and down-wards in the old world and from the flood till the giving of the Law by Moses yet in respect of the promised effusion or pourings out of the Spirit and in regard of the clearnesse eminency and ample largenesse of his presence and workings as such his giving
upon the Elect but it is common the world thus far feels the mighty power of Tit. 3. 4 5 6. Joh. 16. 13 14 15. the working of the Spirit in the Gospel but the work of the Spirit on the Church of the saved ones is conversion or regeneration as was said before in this work the light is the light of life the knowledge in renewing In this renewing there are two works of the Spirit the taking out of the sinner the heart of stone and the giving to them an heart of flesh the Spirit so applieth the love of God in Christ that it melts the flinty heart down to godly sorrow for sinne as against such a God so gracious it turns it quite about to God and centers it on God and Christ it cures the soul of three evils otherwise incurable alienations of minde and heart from Timor cultus culpa the life of God offence-taking at his Works and Word and Impenitency it puts into it the holy fear of reverence and to offend it raiseth high estimation of God in Christ as of our chief good with hungrings and thirstings out of poverty of spirit a meekned soul and contrite heart it raiseth appetite to the means sanctified of God and having the promise of the Spirit as after the Word the Sabbath the Ordinancâ—s of Ministery and Worship the Ordinances for fellowship and for the exercise of the power of the Keyes as to means of communion with God and Christ this making anew is with union and unction union to Christ and Christians by union with Christ they have union with the Father and this union is to Adoption and marriage-union and from this union cometh continual influences and for ever unction is to be Kings and Priests to God the Father of our Lord Jesus this first work of grace is wholly above the work of conviction and the Spirit worketh that and all the rest as an Agent within thus you have the seven things proposed for explication It is also profitable before we come to application of this Doctrine that we briefly shew thee why the grounds and reasons SECT 9. The Holy Ghost is the applier of salvation The reasons why the work of the Spirit is to apply 1. Because salvation is the work of God who is three in persons it is the work of the three persons in the manifestation of their distinct glory which is ad intra within the God-head mark that I say the manifestation of the distinct glory of each wherein each person being distinct and the works of each distinct the Father begets the Sonne the Sonne is begotten of the Father the Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father and the Sonne the glory of each distinctly is manifested as far as it can be communicable in this work of salvation the Father loves with the love wherewith he loves the Son and is Father to them in his Sonne this is the love of the Father the Sonne is the Mediator to bring them to the Father by redeeming them giving himself a ransome to his Fathers justice bringing in an everlasting righteousnesse to cloath them withall purchasing for them the Spirit and all spiritual blessings in the heavenly places wherewith his Father may blesse them this is the grace of the Sonne the Holy Ghost he communicates the love of the Father and the grace of the Sonne and is the Spirit of Regeneration the Spirit of Adoption the Spirit of sanctification the Spirit of union and unction abiding in them for ever to their preservation in Christ Jesus and in the Father so that they are and continue in the Father and in the Sonne this is the communion of the Holy Ghost 2. Because this is the order of the working of the three persons in the God-head God the Father beginneth the work God the Son is the person through whom as his eternal wisdome he doth the work God the Holy Ghost is the person by whom as by the eternal power of the most High both the Father and the Sonne do compleat the work therefore in the work of salvation God willing and determining to imprint upon the saved ones the name of the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost in their distinct glory to Mat. 28. 19 the uttermost according to the distinct manner of subsisting or existing distinctly that each of them might be experimentally known believed in and worshipped of them he will save the work of application is proper to God the Holy Ghost 3. God the Holy Ghost must be the Applier the Comforter or else none could be saved none partake of the comfort of this salvation for all men are dead in sinne lie among the dead none can quicken their own souls they are from beneath under the power of sin and Satan and the Law they are in a state of enmity alienation impenitency and unbelief invincible to any created power or means there is a Christ there is a Father and let this be told us a thousand times over and we left to our best abilities to receive this declared love and grace this is all we can do we can draw back but cannot draw near to the saving of the soul we can behold with our rational abilities and wonder but then we despise and so perish we can discern it but under carnal notions and count it foolishnesse we can but receive it in vain we can but turn his grace into wantonnesse we will be establishing our own righteousnesse by all that is delivered in the Gospel and so become more stout proud formal and secure and Christ crucified who should be precious and our only glory and rejoycing will be to us a stumbling block and a Rock of offence and under the form we will be the more stiffe though perhaps the more secret sometimes and ever among men the more plausible deniers of the power of godlinesse Oh let the holy Spirit of life and power come by the Gospel and bring it home with much power and much assurance or else all perish we all perish for ever with Christ in our ears in our mouths in our best natural understandings with the Gospel preached in our streets with high and low applauding of the mercies of God 4. God the Holy Ghost must be the applier that all the love of God the Father and the grace of the Sonne set forth in the Gospel may be thorough and effectual even to one awakened to see his sinne and cursednesse and that we once brought to faith in Christ might be for ever safe An awakened sinner how will he runne from God runne into the gulf of despair or gad about to change his way or catcht at straws to save from sinking but when Christ is proposed he cannot lift up himself to draw near to meet him in the wayes of his grace No the Spirit of truth must come as the Comforter as the Arme and right hand of the Lord to bring Christ and the soul together to comfoâ—t
ought to strive and wrestle taking the Gospels part against the adversaries thereof and this we should do together with all the Saints and faithful especially with those with whom we live and with them let us stand fast in one Spirit The unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Sonne of God in his Gospel which is but one and the same word of truth should unite us in love and bind us to the peace with lowlinesse and forbearance and with due respect to the variety of the gifts of the Spirit which are the Spirits rich embroidery the ornament of the Church no way of themselves hindering unity and orderly employed and improved are to the singular profit and benefit of all and every one of the members of Christs mystical body 4. Sow to the Spirit lay out your substance Gal. 6. 8. and your worldly goods to spiritual uses to the maintenance of Christs Ministery and Ordinances to the promoting of the Gospel the Church all grace and holinesse and the hopes of glory Seek first Gods Kingdome and righteousnesse Mat. 6. 33. buy the truth and sell it not say not I must provide estates for my children maintain my family raise my posterity God cannot be mocked if thou honour not the Lord with thy substance thou doest but sow to the flesh and of the flesh thou shalt reap corruption but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting Say not I have already done this and that good work hast thou an opportunity do still more with thy wealth and temporals be not weary of well-doing the reaping time will come in due season Faint not therefore neither flag in the sowing time there is now the seed time the harvest day is to come in another world 5. Lastly as it is in this Text Walk after the Spirit and not after the flesh this duty makes up the description of the spirituals of the true Christian the person whom God hath loved to life everlasting and for whom the Sonne of God came into the world and gave himself to the death This is the second Consideration of the words of the Apostle which now cometh to be perused and that as they give us the third Doctrine which is the more necessary the more excellent than the two former are and the more desirable the more searching and differencing the children of God from the men of the world CHAP. X. Treating of the third great truth The lively description of the persons that shall be saved and do partake of this salvation by Jesus Christ viz. They are such who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit SECT 1. Doctrin 3. The persons for whom God gave his Son and the Son came into the world and gave himself are those that walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit THe third great doctrine delivered by our Apostle in these verses this They that walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit these are they for whom God sent his own Sonne to become flesh in the likenesse of sinful flesh to be a sacrifice for their sinnes and whose sinnes God condemned in the flesh of his Son that in and for them the righteousnesse of the Law might be fulfilled or take it thus Those in whom the Spirit dwels applying savingly the love of the Father and the grace of the Sonne in them he so mightily rules that they walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit That we may not be deceived in a matter of such importance as this is of let us 1. Understand the force of the words 2. Take them asunder in particular Opened in six particulars doctrines 3. And then Consider the Regency of the flesh 4. The Regency of the Spirit 5. The walk after the flesh 6. The walk after the Spirit And seventhly the uses of the whole First for the meaning of the words By flesh is meant the unregenerate part 1. The meaning and force of the words Col. 2. 18. Mat. 15. 19 20. in the sanctified believer the man as defiled with sinne the nature of man of man corrupted by sinne By flesh is not meant 1. Flesh in the substance of it the body opposed to the soul but both body and soul made flesh and carnal as carnal is opposed to spiritual there is the fleshly mind the soul as well as the body is defiled with sinne and depraved the soul defiles the body out of the heart cometh that which defiles the man by flesh therefore we must not understand the substance of flesh which is Gods Creature and therefore good and hath no cause of sinne in it for God is not the Author of sin neither may his workmanship be blamed without committing that great wickednesse of casting reproach upon our Maker This is to be held firm against the vile and pernicious opinions of all ancient Heretiques and our newly up-start erroneous spirits and against the received sayings of Philosophers and the dangerous tenets and expressions of some Divines as if the mind and soul were pure and receiveth its defilement from the body By flesh is not meant 2. Flesh in the natural desires of food sleep generation rayment recreation motion rest and if there be any thing else that accompanies the life of man in this world These are not evil in themselves it is inordinacy that makes them evil faulty and sinful Nor doth flesh note out 3. Humane wisdome and reason and the moral actings and projectings thereof All which kept within their own sphere and acting regularly are most useful to societies commendable among all and serviceable to the Kingdome of Jesus Christ Nor much lesse by flesh may be understood 4. The sparkles of the light that is born with us and in us or the reliques of Gods Image in body or soul or in the whole man Nor yet under the word flesh may we understand 5. The necessary helps of this present life as lands money friends with the like subsidiary ayds Nor 6. Natural diseases infirmities or defects of body or mind In this sense there is an honour due to the flesh and a lawful satisfying of its desires and needs and to deny them to it though Col. 2. 23. upon devout pretence is sinful and falls under that Commandment Thou shalt not kill But by flesh is meant the sinful disposition and this is called flesh not as if this sinfulnesse were first in the body for the soul the fairest part of it the top of it the mind is polluted we are strangers from God in our mindes the spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 4. 23. Col. 1. 21. of the mind must be renewed ere ever it will be good Quest Why then may it be said Is corruption of nature which is first and most notably in the chiefest faculties of the soul called flesh Answ First Because the very soul is flesh that is it is defiled with sinne and tyed down to
because we pray we now think our selves free to commit sinne we have been at prayer therefore we may be at our lewdnesse we have been at Church in the fore-noon of the Lords day therefore we may dance about the May-pole and keep Revels in the after-noon this is like the Harlot who saith to the young Wanton I have peace-offerings with me this day have I paid Prov. 7. 14 15. my vows therefore came I forth to meet thee 2. In reference to the Law of God for though the flesh is not nor will be subject 2. In reference to the holy Law Sixwayes to the holy Law yet the wily wisdome and subtilty thereof will make use of that also and that most perniciously And the Reign of the flesh sheweth it self herein diversly as First when we seek righteousnesse and Rom. 6. 14. 9. 32. 10. 3. salvation by the Law while under the Law we are under the Dominion of sin so long as we go about to establish our own righteousnesse as did the Jewes and as it is found in all men by nature a Phil. 3. 4 5 draught whereof we have excellently and to the life drawn up in Mat. 19. 16 17. to ver 24. this is to have confidence in the flesh Secondly when we take the Law to be no more than as a Law commanding the Ro. 7. 7 9. Mat. 5. 21. to the end of the ch outward man and to forbid nothing but grosse acts of sinne or to require no more than the outward duty and so we are alive we know not sinne which reacheth to the heart and hath its seat there in the deceitfulnesse and wickednesse thereof nor know we lust or inordinate affections and concupiscence to be sinne and therefore we blesse our selves or flatter our selves in our own eyes in our natural estate Thirdly when and whilest that we cannot endure to hear the holinesse of the Law opened and urged and we love not the righteousnesse and purity of the Commandments yet we will have the saying of the Commandments and the publick reading of them as part of Divine service and hold this better than all preaching and without this we care not for Minister or preaching Fourthly when all the fruit of the coming of the Law and Commandment is onely to revive sin and to strike us dead I take the Apoâ—â—les phrase the meaning whereof is this That the Spirit of God doth accompany the Law and the spiritualnesse of the Law being such as Rom. 7. 9. reaches to the thoughts and desires of the heart as well as to our words and deeds when it is opened the Spirit of God brings it home to the conscience with power this is the coming of the Law now when the fruit of it thus coming is this onely to revive sinne and to kill the sinner to ptovoke sinne so that it works in the sinner all manner of concupiscence and then comes the threatning and the curse and slays us and strikes us dead if this be all that we receive by the Law the flesh yet will hold the Chair for we wiâ—l dislike the preaching of the Law we cannot endure these men of sowre spirits these Legal Preachers we will lay the fault on the Minister and if we can but get from under this dinne oh we like the respousal to every Commandment Lord have mtrcy upon us and incline our hearts to keep this Law this God shall have and then we are at quiet and alive again though our sinnes live in us and we live and continue in them love and plead for them Fifthly when there is nothing in us that is subject to the Law of God nothing that holdeth proportion with the platforme of holinesse laid down in the Law Rom. 8. 7. but that only is found in us which rebels frets pulls away the shoulder and esteems all grievous for then we are wholly flesh Sixthly when we never received any further work of the Spirit than that of the spirit of bondage and yet because thereof we conclude we have repented and our estate is good whereas by the Law we should be shut up to the faith of Christ in the Gospel which having changed and made us anew we should live to God and delight in the spiritualnesse and purity of the Law with judging and condemning our selves thereby and justifying God therein the work of the spirit of bondage is to bring to the knowledge of sinne to work the sense of Gods wrath against sinne and to fill with terrours upon awakenings and there is no further work of the Spirit when there is no hâ—tred of the pollution of sinne no heart-forsaking of the sinnes of the heart no hatred of sinne in the sinfulnesse of our nature whence all transgressions do come when no further work did we ever finde than the convictions of rhe spirit light great and convictions strong but the will the heart not created anew that there might be conversion and healing now though these convictions may be not onely of sinne through the Law but of the sinne of unbelief and of righteousnesse and of judgment even of Christ and his Kingdome and righteousnesse through all the good Word of the Gospel yet the flesh may and will still keep the Chair 3. In reference to God and his worship 3. In reference to God and his worship Two wayes Col. 1. 21 22. Isa 66. 1 3 Psal 106. the flesh can yield to assume unto it and choose both Gods name and service with great state and thereby perk up the higher First with the mixture and blending of mens devices our own inventions the commandments of men to teach the fear and worship of God and the rudiments of the world these are savoury these are devotions humility and wisdome these are the rules to which the flesh lyeth level Secondly with philosophical speculations wisdome of words great swelling words of vanity and the worshipping of Angels disputes about words and genealogies Col. 1. 18. 1 Cor. 2. 3 1 Tim. 6. oppositions of science fables depths unwritten traditions vented for Apostolical these and such like the fleshly-minded is puffed up withall it loves to be intruding into things it knows not it would be reputed seraphical by amazing the simple with high-flown notions 4. In reference to Christ and to his 4. In reference unto Christ Eminently in Antichristianisme Gospel his Profession Ministry and Ordinances all these to choose never did the flesh get more by any thing she appears like a Lamb she puts forth the two Horns of Christs vicegerency and beauty external she gets on the sheeps skin and cloathing she hasps to her both the Keyes the Key of knowledge and the Key of Discipline the Keyes of the Kingdome of heaven she will be infallible and give the sense of Scripture unerringly be the Holy Father and the Holy Mother-Church she will exercise and conjure the Divel and cast him out and do a thousand more such
feats to admiration till she in her bastard imp the man of sin be brought to light and he exalt himself above all that is called God and worshipped and sit in the Temple of God shewing himself that he is God confirming his doctrines of Divels with mighty signs and lying wonders the Divel on the flesh got Antichrist the great and surrogates him as Beast under the mantle of sacred Christianity by the cunning of name and shew severed from the thing and verity for the flesh domineers and is discovered domineering as the Mistresse and Lady of Whoredomes in this respect these wayes First when Christianity is turned into And five wayes 2 Tim. 3. 5 a matter of form and into a theatrical pomp and show as when the temptations sufferings crucifyings and resurrection with the rest of the great works of Christ for our salvation are acted represented and learnt in a Lent a Maundie Thursday a Good Friday an Easter Festival an Holy Thursday a Whitsontide a Christmas a Candlemas as they are Idolatrously named with such goodly trash and trumpery when Christ crucified is learned in a Crucifix in the sâ—gn of the Crosse and the Lords Supper instituted for remembrance of Christ is turned into an Altar-service and Sacrifice with stately Altars Altar-cloaths Tapers Pavements Ascents Priests in rich embroidered Copes Surplisses Cringings and Bowings Elevation of the Host as it is fond and superstitiously called kneelings knocking 's of the breast and other gestures of Adoration sumptuous Temples Partitions and Chancels Processions carrying of the Host about sacring Bells and the like of that rabble What is Popery but the outside of Christian Religion dressed up with trappings and trinkets of humane inventions and ceremonies to take the outward man withall and keep that employed for which cause doctrines erroneous must be taught and added to the doctrine of the Gospel that whiles this is done covetousnesse pride and ambition may be fed and the head and members of a belly-God Clergy from the Pope to the Apparitour may be stuffed and ruffle and the Christian seduced people from the Emperour to the Vassal may give them the honour and cramme them with the best and choicest of all their temporals that they may have the favour to live on mans dung their own and others meritorious good works instead of the onely merits and Spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ there are degrees of this formality for although in the Papacy you have Pharisaisme enthroâ—iz'd yet where-ever the form of godlinesse is held to with disregard of the power of it there is Pharisaisme in the form though it hath not the upper-seat in the Temple of God and there the flesh hath the rule And how great is this wickednesse of formality that the Word of life from the living God setting forth Jesus Christ the Lord of life for the eternal life and salvation of the sinful children of men breathed by the Holy Ghost the Spirit of life and power should be turned into a dead powerlesse shew and the true Christian Religion be turned into a form a carcase and then all the care is to embalme it according to art to keep it from stinking and with such folly and madnesse to dote upon this form that they will perswade themselves it must needs commend them unto God and to Angels and to Men and if any would otherwise perswade them to be either sullen and pleas'd with nothing or in a rage and fury the formal have ever been the most absurd and unreasonable to deal with and the most fiery bloody persecutors of the godly in Christ Jesus Secondly when Christ the Gospel Profession with the rest is taken up to Gal. 6. 12 â—3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 make a faire shew in the flesh to carry a face and act a part which may please men and winne glory with those of corrupt judgements and thereby avoid persecutions for the Gospel and for righteousnesse sake This way they take out of softnesse and delicacy and out of ambition these are theologi gloriae not theologi crucis Divines that hunt after glory and not Divines of the Crosse These Christians are Christians of the Church triumphant and will not be of the Church militant they frame their Religion to â— doctore glorioso à pastore contentioso ab inutilibus quaestionibus liberet ecclesiam suam dominus Joh. 5. 44. hold with the times and to get reputation with men they will be godly because it is in fashion and that is now adayes their best interest in worldly and state affaires This course is inconsistent with faith in Christ as our Lord saith How can ye believe who râ—ceive honour one from another and seâ—k not the honour that cometh from God only this is altogether repugnant to the Character of a true Christian which is to be one crucified with Gal. 6. 14. Christ and to glory in the Crosse whereby he is crucified to the world and the world to him Thirdly when outward priviledges Phil. 3. 7. Judg. 17. 13. Joh. 8. 39 41. 9. 28 profession and performances are accounted gaine to us as Micah said Now know I that the Lord the Lord will do me good seeing I have a Levite to my Priest and the Jews stood upon this We have Abraham to our father We are not born of fornication we have one Father even God We are Moses Disciples Fourthly when we will heap to our selves teachers after our lusts having itching eares 2 Tim. 4. 3. but will not endure sound doctrine we will not be without Preachers but they shall be Women-Prophets such as dawbe and can sow pillowes under all arm-holes we love trencher-Chaplains Christ by his Spirit carrieth on his saving work by Preaching writing of good books Catechismes bodies and Systems of Divinity Rules of holy life Expositions of Scripture and Antichrist he will have his order of Preachers Colledge of Jesuites Monks Fryars of several orders Catechismes Books of good life Annotations upon the New Testament as that of the Rhemists and such Writings of all sorts to bolster their lyes and superstitions and hinder the propagation and obscure the light of the truth of the Gospel that he will herein out-bid all the Churches since so it is that they cannot keep up any longer grosse ignorance aâ—â— the Scripture and Religion in an unknown tongue Fifthly many there are who bear reverence and observance to the faithful and Mar. 6. 20. godly Ministers when yet with Herod they have their Herodias their Minionlust which they will not part with and here let many be warned who seem to be gracious how they put the stay of their hearts for their spiritual estate upon this that they hear choice Ministers as sweet men and call their preaching such or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon this that they tongue it now in the Dialect and language that hath a strain of more than common plain expression of the things of Christ and
minde and rellish the things of the Spirit new inclinations a new bent of soul a new by as on the will set fixed centered and pointed Heaven-Ward God-Ward Christ-Ward 5. The Spirit disposeth to do all good first from a spiritual principle of faith Ephes 5. 9 1 Tim. 1. 5 unfeigned of a heart purified of a good conscience and of love Secondly with a godly force and impulse Thirdly in obedience to the Word and by the Rule of the words of the new creature made up of the Word Fourthly with a searching heart a Spirit making diligent search that all be done with repentance because of the evils of the best we do and with faith in the blood of Jesus Christ for acceptation for our repentance needs still to be repented of and none can live an houre in the sight of God any other way than by faith in Jesus Christ Fifthly and unto high and supernatural ends as 1. To the glory of God and not to our own praise and glory 2 To the salvation of our own souls and others 3. To the increase of grace in our selves and in others 4. And to the adorning of the Gospel and of our holy profession And that all may thus be done the Spirit disposeth to delight in the Law in our inner man to rejoyce to work righteousnesse to glory and make our boast in the Lord Jesus and in him only to serve God with our spirits in the Gospel of his Sonne to solace our selves in fellowship with Christ and through him with the Father by the Holy Ghost according to the Covenant of Grace now set forth fully in the Gospel It disposeth to follow the Lord fully as did Caleb and Joshua Num. 14. 24. in the times of murmurings declinings and evil and hard reports brought upon the wayes of God to walk with a right foot in the Gospel when patties and divisions tempt to dissimulations and haltings To make more streight steps to our paths and strengthen our feeble hands and knees in all pursuits of holinesse with peace and quiet submission when sore persecutions abide or threaten us 6. The Spirit at his first entrance into a sinner in his renewing act and presence heals the soul for ever of sore and grievous wickednesses which shew their poyson with strength in every natural man they are four First Impenitency such a hardnesse of heart that it cannot repent but it abuseth Ro. 2. 3 4. the riches of the goodnesse of God their Creatour and the riches of the patience and long-suffering of a gracious God Repentance unto life Christ giveth and in the Regenerate a spring of godly sorrow is opened and the flint-stone of the heart before hard as a Rock now gives floods before he had a heart that could not repent and now he hath an heart that cannot but mourn for sinne Secondly Pronenesse to be scandalized and to take offence 1. At the afflictions Mat. 13. 21. tentations and persecutions which comes for the Gospels sake 2. At the fewnesse meannesse infirmities sinnes and sorrowes of the godly 3. At Joh. 6. 60 61. 1 Cor. 1. 23 the truths of the Gospel crosse to our corrupt sense and reason 4. At Christ crucified 5. At the simplicity of the Gospel and of the Gospel-Ordinances their poor mean out-side and among them of plain edifying preaching in demonstration of the Spirit and of Power and not with wisdome of words nor Philosophy and such vain deceits 6. At the purity of Gods commands the hardship of mortification the strangenesse and as we naturally think the unreasonablenesse and folly of a Saints life the life of a stranger and pilgrim the life of faith what can we be Saints on earth shall we live like no body we must live and wee 'le trust God with our souls when the Spirit comes he works such great love to the Word that nothing shall offend them such knowledge and assured faith of the Messiah the great Prophet who hath the words of eternal life and Ps 119. 165 Joh. 6. 68 69. none but he that they shall never go away from his blessed Gospel although at the first they are not able well to apprehend many truths there delivered Thirdly The hatred of the godly and of holinesse and the speaking evil of both when the Lord by his Spirit gâ—aciously visits their souls now they have another language they glorifie God for and in the godly to whom before they 1 Pet. 2. 12 could not afford a good word now they are to them the only excellent ones in the earth holinesse hath now their hearts and that for ever and therefore the Saints are their delight Fourthly Insensiblenesse of and under spiritual plagues now they feel and fear Isa 63. 17. Zeph. 3. 18. and pray against a heart hardening and hardened under afflictions and from Gods fear they mourn for the famine of the Word for the want of the solemn Assembly the taking away of faithful searching preaching they fear to be left to their own hearts to walk in their own counsels they are sensible of the hiding away of Gods face and of losse of the joy of Gods salvation they fear to have their Table made a snare and to have their temporal blessings cursed to them and not sanctified to them they know it for a great curse to have successe and prosperity in an evil way A spirit of slumber and carnal security they so dread that they love an awakened and preserve atender conscience an awakening Ministery and dare not live without a watch set chiefly over the heart and mouth and in holy jealousie over themselves they pray Ps 141. 3. Ps 141. 4. to God that he would set the watch they so fear the prosperity of wicked men and the heavy judgment to be left of God to incline in heart to the liking of their condition and estate that it is their earnest prayer that they may never choose or desire in heart to eat of their dainties Thus of the Regency of the Spirit SECT 6. 5. The walk after the flesh is a life led First After the course of the world 5. What the walk after the flesh is in eight things Eph. 2. 2 3 after the will of men in their religions idolatries superstitious vanities and the inventions of men in doctrine and worship in Philosophy and wisdome of words devotions and wayes of Religion Traditions and Commandments of men to teach the fear and service of God there are that speak of the world and the world will hear them the world hath not only his profane ones but his sacra his 1 Pet. 4. 3 holy things and the world hath his just ones and his devout and holy ones here lies one special part of the way and course of the world and so is the will of men that people should walk after that course but so is not the will of God To live after the course of the world is to live
he may so walk he shunnes all fellowship with the unfruitful works of darknesse these are his study and endeavour this is the way which he doth choose Thirdly After Christ as those that are betrothed unto him and cleansed by his blood and anointed by his Spirit are married unto him risen from the dead and now they would keep themselves chast to him in the simplicity and purity of his Gospel and Ordinances and in the sincerity and incorruption of the love of their hearts they would imitate him walk as he walked and be as he is even in this world would they be such they would maintain communion and fellowship with him in the bed of his green and flourishing Ordinances in their wayes conversings relations and enjoyments of the creatures and in the secret lonenesse and the chamber of their hearts Fourthly In light this they love and come unto because it is that which makes manifest they would walk as understanding Joh. 3. 20 21. Eph. 5. 10 17. Phil. 1. 10. wise and prudent proving what the will of the Lord is and approving what is excellent and things that differ this is their armour which they Rom. 13. 12. put on and wear knowing their spiritual holy walk cannot be kept further then it is maintained by a War Fifthly In searchings of heart awakenings of conscience and holy watchfulnesse God awakens theit ears morning by morning and with those awakenings bores the ears bows the heart and in the bowing makes teachable and godly wise that they hear as the learned as the taught of God these gracious walkers are inquisitive asking the way to Zion with their faces thitherward inquiring for the old and good way they are seekers of the Lord of his face and strength they seek and keep the Word of God they keep and seek it as not to seek of Word Ordinances and means of Gods own giving and sanctifying which have the promise of his presence and Spirit these they have and in them they seek the face of the God of Jacob they are full of the communings with their own hearts their spirits make diligent search within them that they may settle their state spiritual their doubts their wayes through serious examinations by the Word They come to the light daily to see whether their Joh. 3. 22. deeds be wrought in God or no this is the manner of their walk they consider Ps 119. 59 their wayes and turn their feet unto Gods testimonies Sixthly In the power of supernatural Phil. 1. 27. truths This walk is a Conversation becoming the Gospel the Gospel frames and influenceth their conversation It is a Conversation in heaven where their Saviour Phil. 3. 20 21. is and whence they look for him to change their vile bodies in the resurrection into the likenesse of his own glorious body these spiritual walkers do live their Creed Seventhly In sincerity such holy plainnesse 2 Cor. 1. 12 perspicuity and transparent clearnesse which God worketh and witnesseth withall no way hypocritical and varnished over but in simplicity purging from and stirring up himself against the hypocrite and the hypocrisie of their own hearts And all this by the grace of God the free-grace of God which destroyes the dominion of sinne in them which thing the Law could not do and by the which they are what they are in things pertaining to salvation and by the gift of inherent grace which is now the leading principle guiding their conversation towards all men and in the Church of God Eighthly In repentance faith and love that is they make it their every dayes work to be renewing their repentance towards God their faith in Jesus Christ and their love to the Word to the Saints and to all men All this the spiritual do do not without the feelings and motions but with a contrary Gal. 5. 17. stirring egging and workings of the flesh insomuch that they cannot do what they would yet they truly would what they should and cannot do as they would In all the eight fore-named the flesh being contrary is in them lusting against the Spirit but is not yielded unto nay it is resisted with mighty lustings and still these walkings are chosen their hearts and lives speak thus Not the flesh but the spirit not the world but the Word not lust but grace not Satan but Christ not in darknesse as a night bird as one of the night and of darknesse but in light as a childe of light and of the day not in sleep of security but in awakings of tendernesse of a good conscience not in vanity but in the power of Gospel truths not in hypocrisie with fleshly wisdome but in godly sincerity by the grace of God not in with-drawings and forgetfulnesse of God but with drawings near of faith in power to the saving of the soul not in those but in these would I unfeignedly have my walks not after the flesh but after the Spirit will I walk is the language of the spiritual Again the order of placing is very significant in this description he that is now in the Spirit was first in the flesh he who now walks after the Spirit had his former Conversation corrupt and after the flesh therefore the spiritual mans walk is thus he is ever putting off and Eph. 4. 22 24 25 c. getting further from his former corrupt Conversation and is putting on a renewed Conversation day after day Beloved shall I hence present you The character of a spiritual man with the draught of a spiritual man The spiritual man is one who being regenerated and sanctified by the Holy Ghost who in that work gives him a new life no other than eternal life in the beginnings of it and comes into him to rule and frame the whole soul spirit and body in the power of the new life received he gives up himself unto the Word that he may be for ever under the governance of the Spirit he dares not compasse himself about with sparks nor walk in the light of a fire of his own or of mans kindling The Law of God is in his heart guiding his steps that none of them do slide he is a walking bible he is the Epistle of Christ of the best Edition so fair written that it is to be seen and read of all men Grace in his heart is stamped upon his daily course from a good treasure within he bringeth forth good things he is married to Christ risen from the dead that he might bring forth fruit unto God to him to live is Christ being of the truth and of the day he walks Gospelly-genteel * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 13. 13. in a truly honourable dresse comely beautiful and terrible as an Army with Banners That others sleep keeps him the more awake and his security is in his keeping the watch and ward of the awakened His conversation is on high as is his high and heavenly calling with
whereof there is but one body one Church and one way and all the particular Churches are all one in this that makes them Churches that is they are Churches of God which are in Christ 1 Thes 2. 14. Jesus holding the Commandments of God and the faith of Jesus and the note of distinction that differenceth them one from another and by which they are to be known one from the other is this one is in or at Jerusalem another in Ephesus some in Judea some in Macedonia with the like all that otherwise make Churches and Church-wayes which so hold and joyn together in they are held and reputed for a particular Church they make divisions and set bounds which Christ hath not set and therefore they walk as men and not as Christians whereas unity of the faith and of the Spirit which is one and the same thing and love which that faith worketh with humblenesse of minde and forbearance one of another expressed in our walks is that alone which becometh our holy calling by the Gospel Secondly they that go to be made perfect in the flesh by receiving the opinions Gal. 3. 1 3 that set up the power of mans free-will or the merits of mans works or the works of the Law for justification of a sinner in the sight of God or the sufficiency of the light in man as he cometh into the world or oâ—ght else that is of natural abilities or that tends to the exalting of mans worth or to boasting or glorying in man and not in the Lord Jesus alone and in the riches of Gods free-grace in Christ testifyed by the Holy Ghost in Scripture all such do savour of the flesh and look like carnal men and not like spiritual men Thirdly they that bite and devoure one Gal. 5. 13 15. another whereas they should serve one another by love Fouthly they that use their Christian liberty for an occasion to the flesh in Gal. 5. 13. with v. 11. Rom. 15. 1 2. Gal. 5. 26. 2 Pet. 2. 10. 1 Pet. 2. 13 16. self-pleasing in vain-glory in avoiding persecution by pleasing and humouring the persecutors in the matters of Religion and in despising dignities and disobeying their lawful though but humane and civil Laws Fifthly they that are worldly I mean that take licence to plunge themselves into too many affairs unnecessarily for profit sake or for honours or pleasures sake this is to live as the men of the world Ps 49. 11. 17. 14. Sixthly they that are sowing to the flesh more than to the Spirit that is who bestow their temporal goods and lay them out for the profits the honours Gal. 6. 6 7 8 10. the comforts the necessaries of this present life and not for the Gospel the good of the Church the upholding of the true Religion Ministry and Ordinances of Jesus Christ the relief of the necessities of others especially of the Saints nor to get wisdome and spirituals nor unto spiritual uses Seventhly they that are indulgent to the body in its vanities for attire culture and dresse beauty-spots paintings crispings and curlings and womanish excesses for delicious fare spotts idlenesse empty visits gossipings as they are termed expence of precious time in toyings and unprofitable talk and being busie bodies in other folks matters together with the unweaned use of things lawful and the unmanly vanities about the haire they that are moll soft and delicate ones are like the worlds minions and unlike Christians who are called to self-denial and to the Crosse and to converse like Citizens of the heavenly Jerusalem Eightly they that to enjoy their sensualities Jude 19. will separate themselves from the grave sober and mortified Christians Ninthly they that have the faith of our Lord Jesus Châ—ist with respect of persons one in gay cloathing is more set by than another Jam. 2. 1 2 3. though farre more gracious than he because he is but a poor man in poor cloathing and this respect of persons takes place in Church Assemblies Administrations and Affairs as well as in the heart the converse and the setting of our selves in Company keeping Tenthly they that grow carelesse and slighting of the Scriptures the Ordinances of Christ and means of grace upon what pretence soever as if they were above Ordinances or seekers of another more spiritual dispensation than that in and of the New Testament whereas this shall remain till the great day of judgment or as if they were fed by immediate revelations and impulses of the Spirit or growing loose or having a sufficient light within them or ought else which they may runne into being puffed up by their fleshly minds Eleventhly they that are in their sorrowes 1 Thess 4. 13. for the death of their friends immoderate and in their passions and affections violent in their speech foolish and jesting in their behaviour light and vain in their recreations excessive and under wrongs and injuries void of moderation of minde and rigid exactors of their own right whereas we should in our own right be ready to abate and moderate our minds and affairs bearing forbearing easie to be intreated and ready to forgive Phil. 4. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but in matters of Gods right we ought not yield an hairs breadth Twelfthly they that watch not against the sinnes of lying fraud and over-reaching in bargaining with all deceit and guile These sinnes chosen and lived in denominate us carnal and if the regenerate give way to them and they begin to deface their conversations they make them look like men carnal as if they would put on the old man again as if they were in the first Adam old Adam So far of this caveat and of the use of comfort SECT 11. Thirdly and lastly be exhorted and 3. Of Exhortation to keep down the flesh By using ten helps to tame the flesh Isa 40. 6. 2 Pet. 1. 24 25. perswaded to cherish the Spirit and keep down the flesh and for this end take the helpes which God giveth to tame the flesh they are these First the necessity of dying Cry cry to thine own soul All flesh is grasse the grasse withereth and the flower fadeth away Nothing will abide but that which is born of the incorruptible seed of the Word the Word which is preached which liveth and abideth ever Secondly The rejection of all excellencâ—es Mat. 11. 5 6. 1 Cor. 1. 26 27 28 29. in which the flesh glories their rejection in Christs Kingdome The poor are Gospellized when the wise and rich are scandalized God doth choose the foolish weak despised and things that are not and passeth by the mighty noble learned and brings to nought the things that are he doth not always the greatest works of conversion by the learnedst Ministers or by men of greatest parts and gifts Thirdly An irrevocable curse is upon all that the flesh likes best this the book called Ecclesiastes sheweth the whole visible Creation is
under bondage and subjected to vanity vanity and vexation of Spirit is attending man in the enjoyment of all things under the Sun Fourthly The harmlesse jollities of the Eccl. 11. 9. flesh shall be brought into judgment Fifthly A conscience checking galling and gnawing for the flesh's ryots Sixthly The flesh's naughtinesse is discovered in the Word of God 2 Cor. 10. 4 5 6. Ro. 8. 13. Seventhly powerful means are given of God to crucifie it The Ministery the Spirit the crucifyings of the Sonne of God and exceeding great and precious promises which present to us a draught of better things than the flesh can propose Eightly In the Word commands and directions are given how to use the flesh such are these be temperate be sober beat down your bodies bring them into subjection Accuse and condemn the flesh silence her reasonings lay-in distinguishing and mortifying principles they are such as these The belly for meat and meat for the belly but God shall destroy them both The body is for the Lord not for lust The body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost The body shall be raised out of the grave but not as it is sowen both soul and body are the more excellent as they are lesse fleshly All the things of this life are such as perish in the using The scheme or fashion of this world passeth away All that is in the world and is of the world as the lust of the flesh the lust of the eye and the pride of life is not of the Father All these things that are of this lower world shall be dissolved Ninthly A judgment day is appointed and it shall as surely come as it is sure that men dye then this whole visible Creation which the flesh abuseth shall be burnt with fire The heavens shall shrivel together as a scrole and the earth with the works thereon shall be burnt up Tenthly in the mean time bitters are cast into all our earthly sweets and wasting judgments are abroad in the visible Church at this day Meditate often upon these things inlarge your thoughts upon each of them All these will eat down proud-flesh Thus of the three grand doctrines more expressely delivered in this text the last of which concerns the lively description of the believer by his walks the fourth doctrine followeth CHAP. XI Containeth the fourth and last great truth which is The fulnesse of the assurance and of the Consolation of those who are in Christ and walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit SECT 1. The fourth doctrine ariseth from the The fourth doctrine coherence of these two verses with the words before and following when we observe how they are placed in the frame of the Apostles discourse and it is full of consolation for it concernes the full assurance and the safe estate of all those who are actually in Christ notwithstanding their sinnes They have flesh a corrupt How raised nature dwelling with them and many sinnes the issues of that flesh but walking not in them they are in Christ and therefore there is no condemnation to them as the 1. verse with these verses affirmes and proves for their sinnes God hath condemned in the flesh or body and soul of his own Sonne the benefit of the salvarion wrought by Jesus Christ cometh home to them for all that their flesh that body of death can do so that they may and ought to say I thank God through Jâ—sus Christ who hath and doth and will deliver me from the same this is evident by comparing these verses with the 25. ver of Chap. 7. They should also rest assured of their blessed estate when there is no condemnation to them and when the strength of this evidence of their interest in Christ from their spiritual-mindednesse and savour influencing their walk is life and peace as these words looking backwards to the 1. ver of this Chapter and forward to the 5. and 6. verses do plentifully shew And since the scope of the whole discourse from ver 1. to ver 17. of this chapter is to support and encourage these spiritual holy walkers in their way the burden and workings of sin in them should not break their spirits or discourage them in the course of their holy living the miserable conflicting toyle of a gracious heart with the sinne dwelling in him is the thing treated of in the person of holy Paul representing all the regenerate in chap. 7. the latter part of it and the 8. chapter to ver 17. thereof is on purpose adjoyned to back on those Combitants in their warre against the flesh their sinne must not dishearten them in the combate this is the force of that word Now it is a word of encouragement as if he said therefore since Christ is your deliverer for and through whom ye may blesse God and rejoyce with thankfulnesse in the very heat and worst of the battel with your sinnes since flesh and you who are under the Law of your minds and are regenerate are two Now Now therefore stand to it and fight it out there is no condemnation to such as you And let this word for in these verses of my Text be carried to the ver immediately going before it and then they perswade these holy walkers to give up themselves fully chearfully and without fear of miscarrying to the Law of the Spirit of life which is in Christ Jesus which will certainly carry through without peril from the Law of sin and death which threatens them Having shewed the coherence take the fourth doctrine in this proposition The sinnes of those that walk after the Spirit shall never be to their condemnation neither shall they hinder to them the benefit of all the salvation that cometh by Christ nor ought in the least kind to hinder their assurance or their comfortable walking in their obedience their constant combating against the flesh or their full dedition to the Law of the Spirit of life which is in Christ Jesus as to that which will deliver from the Law of sin and death For explication of this truth observe The explication 1. What is granted 4. things here in the first place what is granted 1. It is granted that the sinnes of those that walk after the Spirit are sinnes they are transgressions of Gods holy Commandments they are filthy and do make them guilty they are against God and against Christ and are repugnant to the holy Ghost they deserve condemnation though they redound not unto condemnation they redound to their fault and to their guilt though not to their châ—rge for they are not imputed nor to malediction these Christ hath borne nor to eternal punishment for Christ hath made full satisfaction That their sinnes condemne them not is not from any lesse desert they also strike at the life of grace though they cannot destroy the life of grace 2. It is granted that there is flesh in them the seed and spawne of all sin that
he converts me couldst thou have thought thou hadst had such a sinful nature as now thou findest and feelest or couldst thou ever have thought of the mighty and glorious power of the Spirit in the least spark of renewing grace which both lives and orders the whole man heart and life in the midst of such floods and seas of inbred ungodlinesse and lusts say not Why doth he give desires not to sinne and yet answers not satisfies not those desires they shall not perish they shall be satisfied and filled whereas the desires of the wicked shall perish besides than these desires there cannot be lesse if the heart be right than they there cannot be more as to the matter of desires say not How can I be comforted when yet sin remains rather here couldst thou be comforted in Christ if sinne were not how could all thy good be wholly of grace How altogether by faith say not how can I be right who sinne continually may it not be said How can he be but right who doth not and resolves never to walk after the flesh and lives judging himself continually say not Wherein hath God loved me he gives thee himself he gives thee his Son and it is undeniable for see he hath given thee his Spirit and thy walk testifyeth it Oh walk on and let it so witnesse for thee more and more silence thy reasonings prevent not the order which God hath set here we walk by faith not by sigâ—t that 's for the life to come Ninthly be not desponding and saying I shall perish one time or other the Spirit in thee is the anointing thou art King Elect and shalt thou perish who hast upon thee the holy oyle thine enemy the flesh yokes thee but the yokes shall be broken because of the anointing Isa 10. 27. Tenthly methinks I hear thee yet say I am weary of my life because of these daughters of Heth these issues of the flesh it were better for me to die than to live in this sinful world what good will my life do me if that which my soul hateth must still dwell with me hate thy sinnes yet more but when thou hatest them never so much art thou a greater hater of the flesh than God and Christ and the Holy Ghost And canst thou not abide where the Holy Ghost is willing to reside and dwell whom makest thou thy self consider who is thy next neighbour keep in the Communion of the Holy Ghost and solace thy self in thy Comforter who dwells in thee that thou mayest never walk in fellowship with the flesh Eleventhly why goest thou not the right way to work even to give up thy self unto the command of the Spirit who treats with thee by the Word and dwelleth in thee whiles the Word of Christ abideth in thee Twelfthly pay the flesh home for its naughtinesse and all its pranks but glorifie the Spirit Lastly believe in the Holy Ghost and walk in his comforts who will prompt thee and say This is the way walk in it Isa 30. 20 21. when thou art turning aside to the right hand or to the left My farewell to the brotherhood and to all walkers after the Spirit is this Now I commend you to God and to the Word of his grace the holy Scripture which the Holy Ghost breathed and which alone he accompanieth for the making sinners wise to salvation by faith which is in Jesus Christ that you all may be under the teachings guidance and leading of that one Spirit may in his light behold the glory of these three witnesses in heaven which three are one Jehovah and may in all Religious worship and service and in all your wayes acknowledge draw near and have accesse unto God the Father through Jesus Christ his onely begotten Sonne our Lord by the Spirit so be it even so be it FINIS Courteous Reader these books following are printed or sold by Adoniram Byfield at the three Bibles in Corn-hil next door to Popes-head Alley THe History of the Evangelical Churches of the Valleys of Piemont Containing a most exact Geographical Description of the place and a faithful Account of the doctrine life and persecutions of the Ancient Inhabitants Together with a most naked and punctual relation of the late bloody Massacre 1655. and a Narrative of all the following transactions to 1658. Justified partly by divers Ancient Manuscripts written many hundred years before Calvin or Luther By Samuel Morland Esq in fol. Divine Characters in two parts acutely distinguishing the more secret and undiscerned differences between the Hypocrite in his best dresse of seeming vertues and formal duties and the true Christian in his real graces and sincere obedience by Mr. Samuel Crook in fol. A Commentary upon the three first Chapters of Genesis by Mr. John White in fol. An Exposition upon Ezekiel by Mr. William Greenhil in 4. The humbled sinner resolved what he should do to be saved or faith in the Lord Jesus Christ the only way of salvation by Mr. Obadiah Sedgewick in 4. The Riches of grace displayed in the offer and tender of salvation to poor sinners by the same Authour in 12. The Fountain opened and the water of life flowing forth for the refreshing of thirsty sinners by the same Authour in 4. A short Catechisme by the same Authour Hidden Manna by Mr. Fenner in 12. Safe conduct or the Saints guidance to glory by Mr. Ralph Robinson in 4. The Saints longing after their heavenly Country by the same Authour in 4. A Sermon at a Fast by Mr. Nathaniel Ward in 4. Moses his death a Sermon at the Funeral of Mr. Edward Bright Minister by Mr. Samuel Jacomb in 4. A short and plain Catechisme instructing a learner of Christian Religion what he is to believe and what he is to practice by the same Authour The hypocritical Nation described with an Epistle prefixed by Mr. Samuel Jacomb in 4. A Sermon of the baptizing of Infants by Mr. Stephen Marshal in 4. The unity of the Saints with Christ the Head by the same Authour in 4. FINIS
the Moon under his feet and himself set above himself and above tâ—e world while he treads on mould and dwells in a leprous house of clay He cannot abide hypocrisie and loves nothing below that conversation which the grace of God in Christ teacheth He is passing on from faith to faith from glorious grace to glorious grace from strength to strength as one called to glory and vertue but speeding his way through daily mortifications and crucifixions of a home enemy within his own bowels he walks in the Spirit and so fulfills not the lusts of the flesh he walks not after the flesh that he might walk closely after the Spirit he that walks after the flesh knows not the flesh so well as he he avoids and passes by he comes not near but goes away from the flesh's walks for he hates the garment spotted with the flesh He would not defile his garments for fine linnen clean and white is his cloathing even the righteousnesses of the Saints all wrought without hands as himself is the workmanship of God in Christ Jesus by the Spirit in a new Creation yet since that the flesh will be with him the heighth of his spiritual temper is this he will take his garments and his fine array and wash them white in the blood of the Lamb. O spiritual man O Saint of the most high blessed be thou blessed be thy A blessing of his happy change way blessed be thy counsel in choosing this way thou art blessed in such a leader the Holy Ghost the Spirit of life and power what eye-salve but that which Christ alone is Merchant of by a Monopoly that enriches all the Church and infringes the liberty of none what eye-salve but that could have made thee so wel-sighted clearly to discern these two-fold leaders walks and walkers and as if thine eyes were in thy feet to turn thy way with such exactnesse from the one and turn thy walks unto this other Grace is in thy walk and Glory will be thy Crown Christ is not ashamed to call them brethren though he be in glory and they on the dung-hill Of this brood of travellers let my soul be it shall be my hiâ—hest honour among all men to be of this brother-hood which is so nearly allyed and so fast that they are all but one body animated acted and lead by one Spiriâ— and have all one way and walk and one description agreeing to one and all Thus far of the six things proposed for explication of this description which makes up the third great doctrine of this text now follow the uses to be made of this whole truth SECT 8. The use is three-fold 1. Of Tryal 2. Of comfort and 3. Of exhortation Three useâ— of the whole 1. Of tryal 1. This doctrine is full of tryal it is of a distinguishing and differencing nature such are all descriptions they describe not if they distinguish not that one thing may not be taken for another and the excellency of this description is that it is plain and manifest he that runnes may read who is in Christ by faith and who is not the Apostle would not have given it twice in one Context and in the same words in matters of such hiâ—h concernment and on purpose to settle us in sure consolation had it not been most easie to be discerned and palpable to all though malice will not suffer the tongue to own what they cannot but know in their heart The walk the conversation shews the man try then who hath the command of our lives observe that for if we live after the flesh we shall dye for ever but if through the Spirit we mortifie the deeds of the body our members that are on earth Rom. 8. 13 as uncleannesse covetousnesse and the like we shall live for ever and never be damned There are but two principles that rule the man one of these have the command of all men where the one commands there the other cannot that commands that hath power over the conversation It 's lustings and motions are reigning indeed that frame the walk of a man It is then no difficult thing to know what we are by our walks look upon your walk and see your estate The works of the flesh are manifest read and see Gal. 5. 19 20 21. And the fruits of the Spirit are many and go in a chain unsevered Gal. 5. 22. they are sweet and ripe not rotten not hedge-fruit they are such against which there is no Law although they are Gospel-fruit never grew but in that soil Did ever any men make a Law against them and the Law of God is wholly for them Be not deceived by profession and perswasion that thou hast spiritual life within thee if that inward spiritual life do not come forth in power to frame thy conversation after it and no more after Gal. 5. 25 26. the flesh If we saith our Apostle do live in the Spirit let us walk in the Spirit have you spiritual life in you have a spiritual conversation also have a spiritual conversation and you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh though you have flesh and the flesh lusting in you The sinnes of the godly are not as the sinnes of the wicked and the manifest difference is this the godly have no way of wickednesse in them no sinne is their way Ps 139. 24 and trade no sinne commands their walk they may fall into a sinne as a wicked man may sometimes fall upon a duty but that is not their course they up again and walk on in Gods way which their souls delight in and choose humbled and ashamed and speeding their way the more their delight is in the Law of the Lord now that allows no sinne neither do they every word of God is pure so is their way and purity of way is that they love there is no wickednesse in all the words of wisdome he that delights in the Word of God as his guide shall of necessity be led in wayes wholly differing from the counsel course and chair of sinners ungodly and scorners Gods children have spots too many but not the spots of unbelievers and hypocrites The spot of Gods children is not the spot of carnal Israelites or carnal professours of the Gospel whatever be the spot of the spiritual this is his beauty he walks after the Spirit he walks not after the flesh but after the Spirit Mark here these three distinguishing points in the trial of our estate First the spiritual takes the Spirit for the Commander and Orderer of his conversation as he would have the Holy Ghost live and rule in his heart and his soul live in the power of the Spirit given to him and dwelling in him so he resolves to walk in the Spirit the spiritual mans walk is a walk after the Spirit Secondly he walks thus refusing and watching against fleeing and warring against the flesh and against the affections and
the lusts thereof this the words import not after the flesh but after the Spirit is the spiritual mans walk Thirdly and whereas the flesh would impose upon the most spiritual he glorifies the Spirit and condemns the flesh the flesh is rejected but the Spirit is chosen for guide and leader this refusing and choosing is his daily work daily and continually in his wayes and walks he is refusing to walk after the flesh and choosing to walk after the Spirit the language of his walks and conversation is this not the flesh but the Spirit not the walk after the flesh but the walk after the Spirit 2. Therefore for the second use here is 2. Of comfort singular comfort to all whose wayes are holy who have the Spirit of Christ the orderer of their lives God will account of thee by the course of thy life the wicked while their lives are vain earthly carnal and they like not the way of the holy and choose not the Word and Spirit for their rule and guide they plead Ps 50. 16. and please themselves in the goodnesse of their hearts God knows them for wicked and so will judge them thou complainest of thy heart and mournest over thy vain thoughts thy weaknesses but holdest fast the way which is called holy thy walk is directed heaven-ward Remember now God reckons thee to be as the way is which thou hast chosen whose walks are spiritual they are spiritual they Rom. 8. 1. are in Christ Jesus and not in Adam flesh may lust in them but they fulfill not those lusts for look upon their conversation they walk in the Spirit they walk after the Spirit and that from the power of the Spirit in them as the spring of life as the quickning commanding renewing inward life The Holy Ghost hath his Throne in the heart of those whose walks he frames whose walks are after his minde these holy walkers are in the Spirit in the Sonne and in the Father as their walk doth evidence undoubtedly That this comfort may flow forth clear and strong it will be needful to give here somewhat of Consideration and somewhat of Caution SECT 9. For Consideration Consider seriously Where four relieving considerations 1. What of the flesh may be where the Spirit rules cast under seven heads Jam. 1. 14 15. these four things following First What of the flesh may be where the Spirit reigns there may be 1. The lustings of the flesh contrary to the Spirit In sinne there is first the evil suggestion or first motion the first rising and peering out of sinne This is in the most gracious and spiritual but with great difference for to the unregenerate and wicked it is the babe of his bosome but to the godly it is the brat of Babylon happy would he be esteemed of him that could take and dash them against the stones Secondly delight ensnaring and bird-liming the soul this may be in the godly but it is stollen and of treachery from the inmate the flesh for his chosen delight is in the Law of God his delight is to do Gods will that is within his bowels but as for the wicked his Psal 1. 2. 40. 8. inward parts are very wickednesse he looks and welcomes and with the whole heart closes with the ensnarings of sinnes motions he would not willingly have it to have check in any case no not so much as from his conscience within Thirdly Consent of will this in the godly is but partial but in the unregenerate it is a full consent Fourthly the Act or Commission in a formed thought in word or in deed This in the godly is seldome and then that which he would not but in the wicked it is common and usual and yet not so oft as he would Fifthly persisting in it and making the actings of sinne their way in which they choose to stand and walk taking pleasure therein this in the regenerate is never much lesse doth the godly man continue in sinne obstinately pleading for it and scorning reproof much lesse doth he take a pride in it and boast of accomplishing his sinful desires blessing the wicked whom the Lord abhorreth and hating the godly that fear to sinne in whom the Lord taketh pleasure 2. Sinnes motions may be lively in Ro. 7. 23. the members of the truly godly but not so as to be able to bring forth fruit unto death as the phrase is in ver 5. of Rom. 7. for as lively as they be the godly watch them the more that they shall not be fruitful Death is not their Lord nor hath them under its power now as it was while they stood married to the Law the Covenant of Works but God is their Lord unto whom they bring forth fruit as married to Christ risen from the dead Therefore sinne may stirre lively but not be fruit-bearing in them but in the ungodly the motions thrive as the birth in the belly which they seek carefully to midwife and suckle hugge in the bosome and dandle on their knees because there is no life of God in them they being altogether in death and abiding in death as the Apostle Johns expression is in 1 John 3. 14. 3. Evil may be present when they Rom. 7. 21 would do good To will that which is good is present with the godly but through the flesh that is by reason of the corruption of their natures in which no good dwelleth there is evil adjacent to that willing and easily beletteth them 4. Grievous untowardnesse awkernesse Rom. 7. 14 19 20. Heb. 12. 1 indisposednesse and aversenesse sometimes And this is the more burdening and pressing down begirting and encompassing the more they presse unto the spiritualnesse of any duty neverthelesse unto spiritualnesse in duty they presse on they stirre up themselves thereto and their backwardnesse dulnesse and deadnesse with all formality they mourn over and judge 5. The Law of the members or corruption of nature which no sooner stirs Ro. 7. 23. but it is presently in the members of the body and there is working as a Law this Law of the members making Warre and rebelling against the Law of their minds yet their inner man and such a man they have in them and others have not that is the Master they own his Law is their Law the other they own not but take for a Rebel and his Law for tyranny 6. Yea there may be a Captivity Rom. 7. 23 24 25. under the Law of the members but it is a captivity in their esteem under which they cry out of their wretched condition cry for deliverance and rest not untill they can upon experience blesse God for Christ their deliverer 7. Sometimes they may have a 2 Cor. 12. 7 thorne in the flesh Some special sinne troubling some great temptation or sore affliction or some Satanical molestation with which they may be buffered sorely that they might be kept more humble under choice