truly these are but shadows and that is the body or substance and because an union that is mutual is nearest it is often so expressed as it imports an interchangeable relation a reciprocal conjunction with Christ. The knot is cast on both sides to make it strong Christ in us and we in him God dwelling in us and we in Him and both by this one Spirit 1 Joh. 4.13 Hereby we know that God dwelleth in us and we in him by his Spirit which he hath given us You find it often in Iohn who being most possessed with the love of Christ and most sensible of his love could best expresse it I in them and they in me He that keepeth his commands dwelleth in Him and he in Him as the names of married persons are spelled through other so doth he spell out this in-dwelling it s not cohabitation but inhabitation neither that alone singlely but mutual inhabitation which amounts to a kind of Penetration the most intimat and immediat presence imaginable Christ â—welleth in our hearts by faith and we dwell in Christ by love Eph. 17. and 1 John 4. Death bringeth him into the heart for it is the very â—pplication of a Saviour to a sinfull soul. It is the very applying of his blood and sufferings to the wound that sin hath made in the conscience the laying of that sacrifice propitiatory to the wounded conscience is that which heals it pacifies it and calms it A Christian by receiving the offer of the Gospel cordially and affectionatly brings in Christ offered into his house and then salvation comes with him Therefore believing is receiving John 1. the very opening of the heart to let in an offered Saviour and then Christ thus possessing the heart by faith He works by love and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him Love hath this special vertue in it that it transports the soul in a manner out of it self to the beloved Cant. 1.9 anima est ubi amat non ubi animat the fixing and establishing of the heart on God is a dwelling in Him for the constant and most continued residence of the most serious thoughts and aâ—fections will be their dwelling in the all fulness and riches of grace in Jesus Christ as the spirit dwelleth where he worketh so the soul dwelleth where it delighteth its complacency in God maketh a frequent issue or outgoing to Him in desires and breathings after Him And by means of this same God dwelleth in the heart for love is the opening up of the inmost chamber of the heart to Him it brings in the beloved in to the very secrets of the soul to lye all night betwixt His breasts as a bundle of myrrhe Cant. 1.13 And indeed all the sweet odours of holy duties and all the performing of good works and edifying speeches spring out only and are sent forth from this bundle of myrrhe that lyes betwixt the breasts of a Christian in the inmost of his heart from Christ dwelling in the affections of the soul. Now this being the bond of union betwixt Christ and us it follows necessarily that whoever hath not the Spirit of Christ he is none of His and this is subjoyned for prevention or removal of the misapprehensions and delusions of men in their self-judgings Because self-love blinds our eyes and maketh our hearts deceive themselves we are given to this self-flattery to pretend and claim to an interest in Jesus Christ even though there be no more evidence for it then the external relation that we have to Christ as members of his visible body or partakers of a common influence of his Spirit There are some external bonds and tyes to Christ which are like a knot that may easily be loosed if any thing get hold of the end of it as by our relations to Christ by baptisme hearing the word your outward covenanting to be his people all these are loose unsure knots It is as easie to untie them as to tie them yea and more easie and yet many have no other relation to Christ then what these make But it is only the Spirit of Christ given to us that intitles and interesseth us in Him and Him in us it s the Spirit working in your souls mightily and continually making your hearts temples for the offering of the sacrifice of prayer and praises casting out all idols out of these temples that He alone may be adored and worshipped by the affectionate service of the heart purging them from all filthinesse of flesh and spirit It is the Spirit I say thus dwelling in men that maketh them living members of the true body of Christ lively joyned to the head Christ this maketh him yours and you his by vertue of this He may command you as His own and you may use and imploy Him as your own Now for want of this in most part of men they also want this living saving-interest in Christ they have no real but an imaginary and notional propriety and right to the Lord Jesus for Christ must first take possession of us by His Spirit before we have any true right to Him or can willingly resign our selves to Him and give Him right over us What shall it profite us my beloved to be called Christians and to esteem our selves so if really we be none of Christs shall it not highten our condemnation so much the more that we desire to passe for such and give out our selves so and yet have no inward aquaintance and interest in Him whose name we love to bear Are not the most part shadows and pictures of true Christians bodies without the soul of Christianity that is the Spirit of Christ whose hearts are treasures of wickednesse and deceit and storâ—-houses of iniquity and ignorance It may be known what treasure fills the heart by that which is the constant and common vent of it as our Saviour speakes Matth 15.19 and 12.34 35. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks the feet walks and the hand works Consider then if the Spirit of God dwelleth in such unclean habitations and dark dungeons certainly no uncleanness or darkness of the house can hinder him to come in but â—t is a sure argument and evidence That he is not as yet come in becausâ— the Prince of darkness is not yet cast out of many souls nor yet the unclean spirits that lodge within these haunt your hearts and are as familiar now as ever Sure I am many souls have never yet changed their guests and it is as sure that the fiâ—st guest that taketh up the soul iâ— darkness and desperat wickedness with imparalelled deceitfulness there is an accurâ—ed trinity in stead of that blessed Tâ—inity the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit and when this holy Tâ—inity cometh in to dwell that other of Hell must go out Now my beloved do you think this a light matter To be disowned by Jesus Christ Truly the word of Christ which is the
ver 16. Here the Spirit not casting out the Word but bringing it in plentifully and sweetly agreeing with it The Spirit that Christ sent did not put men above Ordinances but above corruptions and the body of death in them It s a poor and easie victory to subdue Grace and Ordinances every slave of the Devil doth that I fear as men and Angels fell from their own dignity by aspiring higher so these that will not be content with the estate of Christ and his Apostles but soar up in a higher strain of spirit and trample on that ministration as fleshly and carnal I fear they fall from Jesus Christ and come into greater condemnation It s true indeed 2 Cor. 3.6 The Letter killeth that is the Covenant of Works preacheth now nothing but condemnation to men but the Spirit of the Gospel giveth life nay even the Gospel separated from the Spirit of life in Jesus is but a savour of death to souls Shall we therefore separate the Spirit from the Gospel and Word because the Word alone cannot quicken us David knew how to reconcile this Quicken me O Lord according to thy Word Psal. 119.25 Thy Spirit is good lead me into the land of uprightness and quicken me Psal. 143.10 11. The Word was his rule and the Spirit applyed his soul to the rule the Word holds out the present patteâ—n we should be conformed unto now if there be no more a man may look all his dayes on it and yet not be changed but the Spirit within transforms and changes a mans soul to more and more conformity to that pattern by beholding it If a man shall shut his eyes on the pattern he cannot know what he is and ought to be if he look only on the Spirits work within and make that his rule he takes an imperfect rule and an incompleat copy and yet this is the highest attainment of these aspirers to new light they have forsaken the Word as their rule and instead of it have another Law within them as much as is already written on their hearts which is in substance this as they suppose I am bound to do no more then I have already power to do I am not to endeavour more holiness then I have already These men are indeed perfect here in their own apprehension and do not know in part and believe in part and obey in part because they are advanced the length of their own Law and rule their rule being of no perfection Paul was not so but forgetting what he had attained he followed on to what was before him and was still reaching forward Let not us my brethren believe every spirit and every doctrine that comes out under that name Christ hath forwarned us Let us pray for more of that Spirit which may quicken the Word to us and quicken us to obey the Word there must be a mutual enlivening the Word must be made the ministration of life by the Spirit of Jesus which can use it as a sword to divide the soul and spirit and we must be quickned to the obedience of the truth in the Word The Word is the seed incorruptible but it cannot beget us or be a principle of a new life within us except a living spirit come alongs to our hearts Know that the Word is your pattern and rule the Spirit your leader and helper whose vertue and power must conform you that rule 1 Pet. 1.22 Peter joyns these two the purification and cleansing of the soul which Christ attributes to the Word ye are clean through the word I have spoken Joh. 15.3 Peter attributes it to the Spirit working according to the pattern of truth It s true the Spirit of God needs no pattern to look to nay but we must have it and eye it else we know not the Spirit of truth from a lie and delusion we cannot try the spirits but by this rule and it is by making us stedfastly look on this glorious pattern in the Word and the example of Christ Jesus his life that we are conformed unto Christ as by the Spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 3.13 Certainly that must be fleshly walking which is rather conformed unto the imaginations of a mans own heart then the blessed will of God revealed in his Word Can such walking please God when a man will not so much as hearken to what is Gods will and pleasure As other heresies so especially this is a work of the flesh Now there is another principle amongst many of us we account it spiritual walking to be separated from the gross pollutions of the world to have a carriage blameless before men this is the notion that the multitude fancy of it Be not deceived you may pass the censure of all men and be unreproveable among them and yet be but walkers after the flesh It is not what ye are before the world can prove you spiritual men though it may prove many of your carnal Your out-side may demonstrate of many of you that ye walk after the flesh and if ye will not believe it I ask you if ye think drunkenness a walking in the Spirit Do ye think ye are following the Spirit of God in uncleanness Is it not that Holy Spirit that purgeth from all filthiness Look but what your walk is ye that are not so much as conformed to the Letter of the Word in any thing who cares not to read the Scriptures and meditate on them Is this walking after the Spirit of truth If drunkenness railing contention wrath envy covetousness and such like be the Spirits way then I confess many of you walks after the Spirit but if these be the manifest works of the flesh and manifestly your way and work then why dream ye that ye are Christians But I suppose that you could be charged with none of these outward things that you had a form of Religion and Godliness yet I say all that is visible before men cannot prove you to be spiritual walkers Remember it is a spirit ye must walk after now what shall be the chief agent here sure not the body what fellowship can your body have with him that is a Spirit the body indeed may worship that eternal Spirit being acted by the Spirit but I say that alone can never prove you to be Christians we must then layaside a number of Professors who have no other ground of confidence but such things as may be seen of men if they would enter their hearts how many vain thoughts lodge there how litle of God is there God is not almost in all our thoughts we give a morning and evening salutation but there is no more of God all the day throughout and is this walking after the Spirit which imports a constancy And what part can be spared most but the spirit of a man The body is distracted with other necessary things but we might alwayes spare our souls to God Now thus should a man obey that command Pray alwayes
in lesser things and shall we be mad self-willed and refractory in the greatest thing that concerns us eternally O! unbelief is that which will condemn the world the unbelief of this one thing that the walking aâ—â—er and minding of the flesh is mortal and deadly Though all men confesse with their tongues this to be a truth yet it is not really believed the deep inconsideration and slight apprehension of this truth makes men boldly to walk and violently to run on to perdition Did you indeed believe that eternal misery is before you at the end of this way and would you be so cruel to your selves as to walk in it for any allurement that is in it Did you really believe That there is a precipice into utter darkness and everlasting death at the end of this alley would the pleasure and sweetness of it be able to inâ—atuat you and besott you so far as to lead you on into it like an Ox to the slaughter and a fool to the correction of the stocks It is strange indeed thou you neither will believe that death is the end of these things nor yet can you be perswaded that you do not believe it there is a twofold delusion that possesses the hearts of men one is a dream and â—ancy of escaping death though they live in sin another is a dream and fancy that they do believe that death is the wages of sin We might wonder how they consist together if we did not find it by so many experiences Your way proves that you do not believe it that death is the end of it and then your words evidence that you do not believe That you are unbelievers of that O! how desperat is the wickedness and how great is the deceitfulness of the heart The false Prophet that is in every mans bosome deceives him that it may destroy him As Satan is a liar and murderer and murders by lying so the heart of man is a self-murderer and self-destroyer and that is done by lying and dâ—ceiving There is some lie in every â—in but there is this grosse black fundamental lie at the bottom of all sin A conceit of immunity and freedom from death and hell a strong imagination of escaping danger even though such a way be chosen and walked into as of its own nature inevitably leads to destruction And there is something of this bloody murdering flattery even in the hearts of Christians therefore this Apostle gives us an antidot against it and labours often to purge it out by stirring up that knowledge they have received Know you not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 6.9 Be not deceived God is not mocked for what a man soweth that he shall reap he that soweth to the flesh shall reap corruption c. Gal. 6.7 8. O! that you might listen to this word to this watch word given you and stop your course at least for a season to think what shall be the latter end know ye not that such shall not inherit the Kingdom know you not that the way to heaven lyes upward know you not that your way lyes downward towards the flesh and the earth are you so far demented as to think to come to Heaven by walking just downward in the lusts of the flesh Truly this is the strongest and strangest inchantment that can be that you think to sow one thing and reap another thing to sow darkness and reap light to sow corruption and reap incorruption Is that possible in nature to sow nettle-seed and think to â—eap barley or wheat Be not deceived O that you would undeceive your poor deluded souls and know that is as natural for Death and Hell to grow out of sin and walking after the flesh as it is for every seed to yeeld its own fruit and herb Do you then think to disolve the course and order of nature Truly the flesh is mortal in it self it s ordained for corruption you see what it turns to after the life is out that is an embleme of the state of the fleshly soul after death As you did abase your spirits to the service of the flesh here and all your plowing and labouring and sowing was about it the seed which you did cast in the ground was Fleshly lusts earthly things for the satisfaction of your flesh so you shall reap of the flesh Corruption death and destruction that shall make your immortal spirits mortal and corruptible and subject them to death and corruption with the body as far as they are capable it shall deprive them of all that which is their proper life and refreshment and separat them eternally from the fountain of blessedness and banish them out of Heaven unto the fellowship of devils and Oh! that corruption of the incoruptible spiâ—it is worse then the corruption of the mortall flesh corruptio optimi pessima Now who ever of you is thus far undeceived as to believe your danger and misery and to discern that imbred delusion of your hearts be not discouraged utterly there may be hope of recovery when you see your disease I say if you see that hell is at the end of your way then know that He who sent that voice to call you off that way of death He leaves you not to your own wits to guide you into the right way but He follows with a voice behind you â—aying Here is the way walk in it turn not out of it to the right hand or left and this voice sounds plainly in the Word and it is nothing elâ—e but the sound of the Gospel that blessed sound that invites and allures you to come in to Jesus Christ the way truth and life the true way to the true life All other wayes all other lifes have no truth in them it s but a cloud a fancy that men apprehend and lay hold on But come to this way and it will truly lead thee to the true life eternal life if you flee unto him out of the apprehension of your danger you have a clear way to come to God and as plain a way to attain life and peace Being in Christ you have assurance of not falling into condemnation He is such a way as will hold you in and not suffer you to go out of it again to the way of Death And therefore he will give you a Tutor a guider and directer in this way to life and peace and that is the Holy Spirit to lead in all truth and to guide your feet in the way of his Commandments so that in this new and living way of Christ you shall have both light of the Word to know where to walk and life of the Spirit to make you walk toward that eternal life and thus grace and truth is come by Christ. Indeed you must suffer the mortification of your flesh you must endure the pain of the death of your lusts the cutting off your right hand and plucking out your right
is the gâ—eatest fool in the world that would on that account venture on satisfaction to his lusts for though it be true that he be not in danger of eternal wrath yet he may find so much present wâ—ath in his conscience as may make him think it was a â—oolish bargain he may lose so much of the sweetnesse of the peace and joy of God as all the pleasures oâ— sin cannot compense Theâ—efore to the end that yâ—u whose souls aâ—e once pacified by the blood of Christ and composed by his word of promise may enjoy that constant rest and tranquility as not to be enthralled agâ—â—n to your old fears and terrours I would advise and recommend to you these two things one is that ye would be much in the studie of that allowance which the promises of Christ affords be much in the serious apprehension of the Gospel and certainly your doubts and feares would evainish at one puff of such a rooted and established meditation Think what you are called to not to fear again but to love rather and honour him as a Father and then take heed to walk suitably and preserve your seal of adoption unbâ—otted unrusted you would study so to walk as you may not cast dirt upon it or open any gap in the conscience for the re-entry of these hellish-like fears and dreadâ—ul apprehensions of God Câ—rtainly â—ts impossible to preserve the Spirit in freedom if a man be not watchfull against sin and corruption David prayes re-establish me with thy free Spirit as if his spirit had been abased embondaged and enthraled by the power of that corruption If you would have your spirits kept free from the â—ear of wrath study to keep them free from the power of sin for that is but a fâ—uit of this and it s most suitable that the soul that cares not to be in bondage to sinful lusts should by the righteousnesse of God tempered with love and wisdom be brought under the bondage he would not that is oâ—â—ear and terrour â—or by this means the Lord makes him know how evil the first is by the bitternesse of the second It is usual on such a Scripture as this to propound many questions and debate many practical cases as whether a soul after believing can be under legal bondage and wherein these dâ—ffer the bondage oâ— a soul after believing and in it fiâ—st conversion And how far that bondage oâ— fear is preparatory to faith and many such like but I choose rather to hold forth the simple and naked truth for your edification then put you upon or intertain you in such needlesse janglings and contentions All I desire to say to a soul in bondage is to exhort him to come to the Redeemer and to consider that his case calls and cryes for a delivery Come I say and he shall find rest and liberty to his soul. All I would say to souls delivered from this bondage is to request and beseech them to live in a holy fear of sin and jealousie over themselves that so they may not be readily brought under the bondage of the fear of wrath again Perfect love casts out the fear of hell but perfect love bâ—ings in the fear of sin Ye that love the Lord hate ill and if ye hate it ye will fear it in this state of infirmity and weaknesse wherein we are And if at any time ye through negligence and carelessness of walking lose the comfortable evidence oâ— the Fathers love and be reduced again to your old prison oâ— legal terrour do not despair for that do not think that such a thing could not beâ—all a child of God and from that ground do not raze former foundations for the Scriptures saith not that whosoever believes once in Christ and receives the Spirit of Adoption cannot fear again â—or we see it otherwise in David in Heman in Iob c. all holy Saints but the Scripture saith ye have not received the spirit of bondage for that end to fear again it is not the allowance of your Father your allowance is better and larger if you knew it and did not sit below it Now the great giâ—t and large allowance of our Father is expressed in the next words but ye have received the Spirit of Adoption c. Which Spirit of Adoption is a Spirit of Intercession to make us cry to God as our Father These are two gifts Adoption or the priviledge of Sons and the Spirit of Adoption revealing the love and mercy of God to the heart and framing it to a soul-like disposition compare the two states together and its a marvelous change a Rebel condemned and then pardoned and then adopted to be a Son of God a sinner under bondage a bound slave to sin and Satâ—n not only freed from that intollerable bondage but advanced to this liberty to be made a Son of God this will be the continued wonder of eternity and that whereabout the song oâ— Angels and Saints will be accursed rebels expecting nothing but present death sinners arraigned and sentenced beâ—ore his Tribunal and already tasting Hell in their Consciences and in fear of eternal perishing not only to be delivered from all that but to be dignified with this priviledge to be the Sons of God to be taken from the Gibbit to be Crowned that is the great myâ—tery of wisdom and grace revealed in the Gospel the proclaiming whereof will be the joynt labour of all the innumerable companies above for all eternity Now if you ask how this estâ—te is attainable Himself tells us Iohn 1.12 As many as believed or received him to them he gave the priviledge to be the Sons of God The way is made plain and easie Christ the Son of God the natural and eternal Son of God became the son of man to facilitate this he hath taken on the burden of mans sin the chastisement of our peace and so of the glorious Son of God he became like the wretched and accursed sons of men and thereâ—ore God hath proclaimed in the Gospel not only an immunity and freedom from wrath to all that in the sense of their own misery cordially receive him as he is offered but the unspeakable priviledge of Sonship and Adoption for his sake who became our elder brother Gal. 4.4 5. Men that want children use to supply their want by adopting some beloved friend in the place of a son and this is a kind of supply oâ— nature for the comfort of them that want But it is strange that God having a Son so glorious the very character of his Person and brightnesse of his glory in whom he delighted â—rom eternity strange I say that he should in a manner losse and give away his only begotten Son that he might by his means adopt others poor despicable creatures yea rebellious to be his sons and daughters Certainly this is an act infinitly transcending nature such an act that hath an unsearchable mystery in it into which Angels desire to look
of his children from necessities strength perfected in weaknesse grace sufficient in infirmities hath some greater glory then strength and grace alone Thereâ—ore he hath chosen this way as most fit for the advancing his glory and moâ—t suitable for our comfort and edification to give us but little in hand and environ us with a crowd of continued necessities and wants within and without that we may learn to cry to him as our Father and seek our supplies â—rom him and withall he hath not been sparing but liberal in promises of hearing our cryes and supplying our wants â—o that this way of narrow and hard dispensation that at first seems contrary to the love and bounty and riches of our Father in the perfect view of it appears to be the only way to perpetuat our communion with Him and often to renew the sense of His love and grace that would grow slack in our hearts if our needs did not every day stir-up fresh longings and his returns by this means are so much the more refreshing There is a time of childrens minority when they stand in need of continual supplies from their Parents or Tutors because they are not entered in possession of their inheritance and while they are in this state there is nothing more beseeming them then in all their wants to addresse to their Father and represent them to Him and it is fit they should be from hand to mouth as you say that they may know and acknowledge their dependance on their Father Tâ—uly this is our minority our presence in the body which because of sin that dwells in it and its own natural weaknesse and incapacity keeps us at much distance with the Lord that we cannot be intimatly present with him Now in this condition the most natural the most comely and becoming exercise of children is to cry to our Father to present all our grievances and thus to intertain some holy correspondence with our absent Father by the messenger of prayer and supplication which cannot return empty if it be not sent away too full of self-conceit This is the most natural breathing of a child of God in this world it is the most proper acting of his new life and the most suitable exspiration of that Spirit of Adoption that is inspired into him since there is so much life as to know what we want and our wants are infinite therefore that life cannot but beat this way in holy desires after God whose fulnesse can supplie all wants this is the Pulse of a Christian that goeth continually and there is much advantage to the continuity and interruptednesse of the motion from the infinitenesse and inexhaustednesse of our needs in this life and the continual assaults that are made by necessity and temptation on the heart But ye have received the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry c. He puts in his own Name in the latter parr though theirs was in the former part When he speaks of a donation or priviledge he applies to the meanest to shew that the lowest and most despised creature is not in any incapacity to receive the greatest gifts of God and then when he mentions the working of that Spirit in way of intercession because it imports necessity and want he cares not to commit some incongruity in the Language by changing the Person that he may teach us that weaknesse infirmities and wants are common to thebest and chiefest among Christians That the most eminent have continual need to cry and the lowest and obscurest believers have as good ground to believe the hearing and acceptance of their cryes that the highest are not above the weakest and lowest ordinanceâ— and that the lowest are not below the comfort of help and acceptation in him Nay the growth and increase of grace is so far from exempting men from or setting them above this duty of constant supplication that by the contrary this is the just measure of their growth and altitude in grace as the degrees of the hight of the Water of Nilus in its overflowing are a sure sign of the fertility or barrennesse of that year so the overflowings of the spirit of Prayer in one gives a present account how the heart is whether barren and unfruitful in the knowledge of Jesus Christ or fruitful and lively and vigorous in it It is certain that contraries do discover one another and the more the one be increased that is not only the more incompatible and inconsistent with the other but gives the most perfect discerning of it When grace is but as twi-light in the soul and as the dawning of the day only grosse darknesse and uncleanesse is seen but the more it grow to the perfect day the more sin is sin and the more its hated wants are discovered that did not appear and therefore it exerciseth its self the more in opposition to sin and supplication to God To speak the truth our growth here is but an advancement in the knowledge and sense of our own indigencey It s but a further entry into the idolatrous Temple of the heart which makes a man see daily new abominations worse then the former and therefore you may easily know that such repeated sights and discoveries will but presse out more earnest and frequent cryes from the heart and such a growth in humility and faith in Gods fulnesse will be but as oyl to feed the flame of supplication For what is Prayer indeed but the ardency of the affection after God flaming up to him in cryes and requests To speak of this exercise of an holy heart it would require more of the spirit of it then we have but truly this is to be lamented that though there be nothing more common among Christians in the outward practice of it yet that there is nothing more extraordinary and rare even among many that use it then to be acquainted with the inward nature of it Truly the most ordinary things in Religion are the greatest mysteries as to the true life of them we are strangers to the soul and life of these things which consists in the holy behavior and deportment of our Spirits before the Father of Spirits These words give some ground to speak of some special qualifications of prayer and the chief principle of it The chief principle and original of prayer is the Spirit of adoption received into the heart It is a businesse of a higher nature then can be taught by precepts or learned by custome and educationâ— there is a general mistake among men that the gift of prayer is attained by learning and that it consists in the freedom and plenty of expression But O! how many Doctors and disputers of the world that can defend all the articles of faith against the opposers of them Yet how unaquainted are they with this exercise that the poor and unlearned and nothings in the world who cannot dispute for Religion yet they send up a more â—avory and acceptable sacrifice and sweet
There is no toleration of sin within this City and Kingdom sinners are indeed pardoned yea received and accepted drunkards unclean persons c. are not excluded from entering here but they must renounce these lusts if they would stay here Christ will not keep both he must either cast out the sin or the sinner with it if he will not part with it I beseech you know what ye walk after the flesh is your leader and whither will it lead you O! its sad to think on it to perdition vers 8. If ye live after the flesh ye shall die Ye think flesh your great friend ye do all ye can to satifie and please it and O how pleasant is the satisfaction of your flesh to you Ye think it liberty to follow it and counts it bonds and cords to be restrained But Oh! know and consider that flesh will lead you by the Kingdom that guide of your way to which ye committed your self will lead you by Heaven Gal. 5.21 It s a blind guide corruption and humour and will have no eyes no discerning of that pit of eternal misery they choose the way that is best pathed and troden that is easiest and most walk into and this certainly will lead you straight into this pit of darkness Be called off this way from following your blind lusts and rather suffer them to be crucified be avenged on them for your two eyes that they have put out and their treacherous dealing to you in leading you to destruction the high way Come in to Christ Jesus and ye shall get a new guide of the way the Spirit that shall lead you in all truth unto the blessed and eternal life Christ is the way ye must walk in and the life that we must go in to at the end of our way and the truth according to which we must walk now he hath given his Spirit the Comforter to be our leader in this way according to this rule and pattern unto that life In a word the Spirit shall lead you the straight way unto Christ you shall begin in him and end in him he shall lead you from grace to glory the Spirit that came down from Heaven shall lead you back to Heaven All your walk is within the compass of Christ out of him is no way to Heaven But we must not take this so grosly as if no other thing were a walking after the flesh but the gross abominations among men though even these will scrape a great number from being in Christ Jesus but it must be further enlarged to the motions affections of the unrenewed spirit and the common principles according to which men walk And therefore the Apostle Col. 3 and Gal. 5. nameth many things among the works of the flesh and members of the old man which I doubt many will account so of Some natural passions that we account nothing of because common as anger wrath covetousness what man is there amongst us in whom some of these mentioned stirs not Many of your hearts and eyes are given to covetousness your souls bow downward as your bodies do and many times before your bodies Is not the heart of men upon this world and cannot rise above to a treasure in Heaven and therefore your Callings otherwayes lawful and all your pains and endeavours in them hath this seal of the flesh stamped on them and passeth no otherwayes with God We see how rank the corruptions of men are anger domineering in them and leading them often captive and this is counted a light matter but it is not so in Scripture How often is it branded with folly by the wise man and this folly is even the natural fleshly corruption that men are born with and in how many doth it rise up to the elevation of malice and hatred of others and then it carries the image of the devil rather then of humane infirmity And if we suppose a man not much given to any of these yet what a spirt of pride and self-love is in every man even these that carry the lowest sail and the meanest port among men these that are affable and courteous and these that seem most condescending to inferiours and equals yet alas this evil is more deeply engraven on the spirt If a man could but watch over his heart and observe all the secret reflections of it all the comparisons it makes all the desires of applause and favour among men all the surmises and stirrings of spirit upon any affront O how would they discover diabolick pride This sin is the more natural inbred for that it is our mother-sin that brought us down from our excellency this weed grows upon a glass-window and upon a dunghill it lodges in Palaces and Cottages nay it will spring and grow out of a pretended humility and low carriage In a word the ambitious designs of men the large appetite of earthly things the over-weaning conceit of our selves love to our selves the flirring of our affections without observing a rule upon unlawful objects or in an unlawful manner all these are common to men and men walk after them Every man hath some predominant or idol that takes him most up some are finer and subtiler than others some their pleasures and gains without others their own gifts and parts within but both are alike odious before God and both gross flesh and corruption before him There are two errours among men concerning this spiritual walking the one is the Doctrine of some in these dayes the other is the practical error of many of us Many pretending to some near and high discoveries as to Christ and the Spirit have fallen upon the most refined and spiritualized flesh instead of the Spirit indeed they separate the Spirit from the Word and reckons the Word and Law of God which was a Lamp to Davids feet among the fleshly rudiments of the world But if they speak not according to the Law and Testimony saith Isaiah it is because there is no light in them Thus their new light is but an old darkness that could not endure even the darker light of the Prophets If they speak not according to the Word it is because there is no spirit in them It is not the Spirit the Comforter which Christ promised to send to the Apostles and all that should believe in his Name through their word for that Spirit was a Spirit of truth that should lead into all truth and lest men should father their own fancies and imaginations on the Spirit of God Christ adds he shall bring all things to your remembrance These things that Christ hath spoken and we have here written The holy Apostle to the Col. 3. when he reproves the works of the flesh and declares they had put them off he commends unto them in opposition to these Let the word of Christ dwell in your richly in all wisdom teaching one another in Psalms and spiritual songs with grace in your hearts to the Lord
the proper owner acknowledging his absolute dependence on him and claiming interest and propriety in nothing not in himself and then on the other hand the love and good-will of infinit God placed on man and from that fountain all the streams of happiness issuing forth towards man the fulness of God opening up it self to him and laying out it self towards him God so far descending as in a manner to become the creatures to expose and dispose Himself and all in him for poor mans use and comfort How joyful was that amity but the breaking of this bond of peace is as sad and grievous There was a woful interposal between God and us which hath separated these chief friends ever since the beginning and that is sin the seeds of all enmity and discord this hath rent asunder the bond of amity this hath made such a total aversion of the soul from God and imprinted such an irreconciliable eâ—mity in the heart against the holy will of God that there is no possibility to reunite again and restore the old friendship as long as the soul is not quite changed and transformed that first creation is so marred and defaced that there is no mending of it till a second creation come The carnal mind is not simply an enemy but enmity it self an enemy may reconcile again and accept terms of peace but enmity cannot reconcile to amity without the very destruction of it self the opposition of the heart is so perfect that as soon may enmity unite with amity and become one with it as a carnal natural-mind can submit to Gods holy will That which was at the beginning voluntary is become necessary and turned into the nature of an in-bred antipathy that no art can cure The fall was such a disjoynting of the soul from God that no skill but infinit wisdom no strength but Almighty power can set it right and put it in the first posture again It is true there are not many who will openly and expresly denounce war against Heaven it is not so incident that any man should have explicit plain thoughts of hatred against God there are some common principles engraven by God in all mens minds which serve as his witnesses against men that God should be loved served adored and worshipped that there is nothing so worthy of the desires of the soul. Now this general acknowledgment deludes the most part for they take it for granted that they do love God with their heart because their consciences bears witness that they ought to love him as if it were all one to know our duty and to do it Who is there but he intertains himself with this good opinion of himself that his heart is good and true to God for say you Whâ—m should I love if I love not God I were not worthy to live if I love not Him It is true indeed that you say but if you did know your hearts you would find their faces turned backward and averted from God and â—ould no more please your selves in such a confession of the truth then the Devil hath reason to think himself a believer because he is convinced that Christ is the Son of God and confessed it too no more then the son that promised to go to the Garden to work and went not had ground to think himself an obedient son Mat. 21.30 Such a confession of duty may be extorted from damned spirits and therefore you would not draw this vail over the wretched wickedness of your natures to the end that you may conceive well of yourselves It is so far from extenuating or excusing that the very conviction of the great obligation to love and obey God is the greatest aggravation of the enmity it is this which makes it the purest malice and perâ—â—ctest hatred that knowing the goodness of God convinced of our bound duty to love and serve him yet in the very light of such a shining truth to turn our hearts away from him and exercise all acts of hostility against him That you may know then wherein the enmity of your hearts consists I shall instance it in three branches or evidences There is an enmity in the understanding that it cannot stoop to believing of the truth there is an enmity in the will that it cannot subject to obedience of Gods holy cammands and this is extended also to a stubborn rebellion against the will of God manifested in the dispensations of his providence In a word the natural and carnal mind is incapable of faith of obedience and of submission There are many truths revealed in the Scripture that the natural man cannot receive or know for they are foolishness to him 1 Cor. 2.14 Some spirits there are lifted up above others either by nature or education in which this rebellion doth more evidently appear reason in them contends with Religion and they will believe no more then they can give a reason for There is a wisdom in some men that despiseth the simplicity or the inevidence of the Gospel and accounts it foolishness The carnal mind will needs start out â—rom implicit trusting of God when once it s possessed with some imagination of wisdom therefore how many are the insurrections of of mens spirits against Gods absolute power over the creatures against the mysteries of the holy Trinity and Incarnation against the resurrection of our bodies In these and such like the pretended wisdom of men hath taken liberty to act enmity and to dispute against God But truly the rebellion and insubjection against the truth of God is more generally practised even by the multitude of men though in an unfree hidden way How few do believe their own desperat wickedness though God hath testified it of man Doth not every one apprehend some good to remain in his nature and some power to good what an impossibility is it to perswade you that all mankind are under the sentence of eternal condemnatioâ— that children who have not done good or evil are involved in it also Your hearts riseth against such doctrines as if they were bloody and cruel inventions To tell you that many are called and few chosen that the most part of them who prosesse the truth are walking in the way to Hell and shall undoubtedly fall into it you may hear such things but you blesse your selves from them and cannot be perswaded to admit them into your mindâ— The hearts of men will be giving the very lie to the God of truth when he speaks these things in his word God forbid that all that be true If we should expound the Law unto you and shew you that the least idle word the lightest thought the smallest inward motion of the heart deserves eternal misery that anger is murder in Gods sight that lusting is fornication that covetousness and love of the world is idolatry these things you cannot know them or receive them therâ— are so many high imaginations in your minds that exalts themselves against the knowledge
of God so many thoughts that are mustred and set in battel array against the holy truths of God that truly no weapons of humane perswasion or instruction can be able to cast down your misapprehensions and imaginations or reasonings of your hearts or able to scatter these armies of rebellious thoughts and bring them in captivity 2 Cor. 10.4 5. Mans darkned mind is a strong hold that all the repeated and continued beatings of the word the multiplying precept upon precept and line upon line cannot storm it to make any true light shine into it It is a dungeon a pit so shut up and inclosed no door nor window in it so that albeit the Sun of Righteousness shine upon it and round about it there is no beam of that light can enter in the hearts of many thousands the generality are drowned as yet in a deludge of ignorance under the very light of dayly preaching It is a night of as thick darkness within mens souls as if there were no light about us Certainly this declares the hight of enmity the strength of the opposition this prison of your minds is a strong hold indeed that is proof of all preaching or instruction and certainly they will hold out till Almighty power storm them and beat or batter opâ—n some entry in your souls to receive this shining light of the Gospel Then there is a rebellion of the will against Gods holy will revealed in his Law or Word It cannot be subject to the Law of God It neither is nor can for enmity and antipathy is sunk into its nature so that it is the most deformed monstruous thing in the world If the disfigured face of mans soul were visible O how ugly were it How would you loath it If there were a creature that could do nothing but hate it self and sought its own destruction that were a hateful enough object but self-hatred and enmity is nothing so deformed and abominable as for the creatures will to be set in opposition to the holy will of Him that made it It needs not much demonstration this if you had but a little more consideration look back upon the â—enoâ— of your wayes set them beside the Will and Commands oâ— God and what find you whether agâ—eement or disagreement Take a view of the current of your inclinations and affections and compare that with the holy Will of God and what find you friendship or enmity You cannot digest the reproach of that to be called enemies to God but I pray you consider if there be not as perfect contrariety in your desires affections inclinations and actions to the will of God as if you did professe it what would you do if you professed your selves enemies to God could you possibly vent your enmity any other way then this in withdrawing from the yoke of his obedience in revolting from that alledgiance you owe to Him you could wrong him no further then by setting your hearts and wayes contrary to his heart and wayes in loving what he hates and hating what he loves for his own blessed beeing you could not impair it Now consider if that be not acted as really as if you did professe it Can you say that cursing swearing lying railing anger strife envy revenge and such like woâ—ks of darkness are the things which his soul loves Are these suitable to his holy will And yet these are your inveterated customs to which your natures are so inured and habituated that you can no more forsake thâ—m then hate your selves Are filthiness drunkenness Sabbath-breaking covetousness and love of the world are these his delight And yet these are your delight Again is it not his will that ye should purge your selves from all filthiness of flâ—sh spirit and perfect holiness is not righteousness that which he loves and truth in the inward parts Doth not he look to a contrite heart and account that a savoury sacrifice Is it not his royal statute and commandment of which not one jot shall fail that ye should deny yourselves love your enemies forgive them that offend you sanctifie his Name alwayes in your hearts and especially on the holy Sabbath That ye should watch unto prayer be sober in the use of the world be much in watching for his second coming again Now what repugnance is in your hearts and wayes to all these Do not the convâ—rsations of men display a Banner against the Gospel and proclaim as much in reality as is said in words in Psal. 2. Let us cast his cords behind us and cut his hands These things are unsavoury unto you you smell nothing pleasant in them but only in the puddle of the world in running at randome at your own liberty after your own imaginations That you account only liberty O! when shall your hearts be subdued and your affections brought in captivity to the obedience of Christ When shall you be delivered up to the truth and so made to obey from the heart that form of doctrine and sound words Rom. 6.17 This is the strongest hold that Satan hath in mans heart His will and affections and this keeps out longest against Jesus Christ till he that is stronger come and bind the strong man and cast out the enmity and make all captive to his loving obedience and willing subjection 2 Cor. 10.4 5. Then thirdly The enmity of the soul of man is acted in his rebellion against the will of God manifested in his works In his unsubjection and unsubmisive disposition towards the good pleasure of the Lord in carving out such and such a lot in the world It is certain that as the Will of God is the supream rule of righteousness so it is the soveraign cause and fountain of all things and therefore how infinitly is the creature bound to subject to him as a Law-giver by pleasant and willing obedience to his righteous and reasonable commands and to submit to him as the absolute ruler by quiet and humble condescendance to all the dispensations of his providence Now you know if you know any thing of your selves how crosse and opposit these hearts of yours are to His good pleasure how they are set just contrary and whence flowes all the murmurings grudgings discontents griefs cares and perplexities of men but from this fountain The rebellion of the heart against God There is nothing in all the creation mutinous and malecontent but the Heart of man You see frequent examples of it in the murmurations of the people in the wilderness It is frequently styled A tempting of the Lord Exod. 17.2 Importing a high provocation of his holy Majesty a special incitement as it were and motive to declare his absolute power and righteousness against such and therefore these are often conjoyned Psal. 78.17 18. They finned yet more by provoking the most High and they tempted God in their heart And it s added vers 19. Yea they speak against God Wherein you may observe a gradation of agrravations of this enmity
character of all our evidences and rights for Heaven disowns many as bastards and dead members withered branches and certainly according to this word He will judge you the word that I have spoken shall judge you in the last day O that is a heavy word you have the very rule and method of proceeding laid down before you now which shall be punctually kept at that great day Now why do you not read your ditty and condemnatory sentence here registred If you do not read it now in your consciences he will one day read it before men and Angels and pronounce this I know you not for mine you are none of mine But if you would now take it to your hearts there might be hope that it should go no further and come to no more publick hearing there were hope that it should be repealed before that day because the fiâ—st entry of the Spirit of Christ is to convince men of sin that they are unbelievers and without God in the world and if this were done then it were more easie to convince you of Christs righteousnesse and perswade you to embrace it and this would lead in another link of the chain the conviction of judgement to perswade you to resign your selves to the Spirits rule and renounce the kingdom of Satan this were another trinity a trinity upon earth three bearing witnesse on the earth that you have the Spirit of God Vers. 10. All the preceeding verses seem to be purposly set down by the Apostle for the comfort oâ— Christians against the remnants of sin and corruption within them â—or in the preceeding Chapter he personâ—â—â— the whole body of Christ militant shewing in his own exâ—mple how much sin râ—mains in â—he â—â—lieâ—t in this life and this he rather instances in his own person then another that all may know that matter of continual sorrow and lamentation is furnished to the chiefest of Saints and yet in this chapter he propounds the consolation of Christâ—â—ns more generally that all may know That these priviledges and immunities belong even to the meanest and weakest of Christians that as the best have reason to mourn in themselves so the worst want not reason to rejoice in Jesus Christ. And this would alwayes be minded that the â—mplest grounds of strongest consolation are general to all that come indeed to Jesus Christ and are not restricted unto Saints of such and such a grouth and stature the common principles of the Gospel are more full of this milk of consolation if you would suck it out of them then many particular grounds which you are laying down for your selves God hath so disposed and contrived the work of our sâ—lvation that in this life he that hath gathâ—red much in some respect hath nothing over that is to say hath no more reason to boast then another but will be constrained to sit down and mourn over his own evil heart and the emptiness of it and he that hath gathered lesse hath in some sense no want I mean he is not excluded and shut out from the right to these glorious priviledges which may expresse gloriation and rejoycing from the heart that there might be an equality in the body he maketh the stronger Christian to partake with the weaker in his bitter things and the weaker with the stronger in his sweet things that none of them may conceive themselves either dispised or alone regarded that the Eunuoh may not have reason to say I am a dry tree Isa. 56.3 For behold the Lord will give even to such a place in his house and a name better then of sons and daughters The soul that is in sincerity aming at this walk and whose inward deâ—ires â—â—irrs after more of this holy Spirit he will not refuse to such that name and esteem that they dare not take to themselves because of their seen and selâ— unworthinesse Now in thiâ— vers he proceeds further to the fruits and effects of sin dwelling in us to enlarge the consolation against that too Now if Christ be in you the body c. Seeing the word of God hath made such a connexion between â—in and deâ—th and death is the wages of sin and that which is â—he 〈◊〉 compence of enmity and rebellion â—gainst God the poor tâ—oubled soul might be ready to conceive That is the body be adjudged to death for sin that â—he rest of the wages shall be payed and sin haviâ—g so much dominion as to kill the body that it should exerce its full power to destroy all seing we have a visible character of the curse of God engraven on us in the mortality of our bodies it may look with such a visage on a soul troubled for sin as if it were but earnest of the full curse and weight of wrath and that sin were not fully satisfied for nor Justice fully contented by Christs ransome Now he opposes to this misconception the strongest ground of consolation If Christ be in you though your bodies must die for sin because sin dwelleth in them yet that spirit of life that is in you hath begun eternal life in your soulâ— your spiâ—its are not only immortal in being but that eternal happy being is begun in you the seeds of it are cast into your souls and shall certainly grow up to perfection of holiness and happiness and this through the righteousnesse of Christ which assureth that state unto you The comfort is it is neither total for it is only the death of your bodie nor is it perpetual for your bodies shall be raised again to life eternal vers 11. And not only is it only part and for a season but it is for a blessed end and purpose it is that sin may be wholly cleansed out that this tabernacle is taken down as the â—eprous houses were to be taken down under the Law and as now we use to cast down Pest-lodges the better to cleanse them of the infection It is not to prejudge him of life but to install him in a better life Thus you see that it is neither total nor perpetual but it is medicinal and profitable to the soul it is but the death of the body for a moment and the life of the soul for ever SERMON XXVII Rom. 8.10 And if Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin c. THis is the high excellency of Christian Religion that it contains the most absolute precepts for an holy life and the greatest comforts in death for from theâ—e two the truth and excellency of Religion is to be measured if it have the highest and perfectest rule of walking and the chiefest comfort withall Now the perfection of Christianity you saw in the rule how spiritual it is how reasonable how divine how free from all corrupt mixture how transcending all the most exquiâ—ite precepts and laws of men deriving a holy converâ—ation from the highest fountain the Spirit of Christ and conforming it to the highest pattern the will of God And
indeed in the first word of this vers there is something of the excellent nature of Christianity holden out If Christ be in you which is the true description of a Christian one in whom Christ is which imports The divine principle and the spiritual subject of Chriâ—tianity The principle is Christ in a man Christ by His Spirit dwelling in him This great Apostâ—e knew thiâ— well in his own experience and therefore he can speak best in this style I live yet not I buâ— Christ in me Gal. 2.20 Importing that Christ and His Spirit is to the soul what the soul is to the body that there is a living influence from Heaven that acts and moves the soul of a Christian as powerfully yet as sweetly and pleasantly as if it were the natural motion of the soul and truly it is the natural motion of the soul it s that primitive life which was most connatural to the soul of man which sin did deprive us of all the powerful constraint and violence that Christ uses in drawing the souls of men to him and after him is as kindly unto them and perfects them as much as that impulse by which the soul moves and turns the body a sweet compuâ—â—ion and blessed violence Now this should make Christians often to reflect upon another principle of their life then themselves that by looking on Him who is the resurrection and the life who is the true Vine and abiding in Him by faith their life may be continued and incâ—eased It is certainly much reflection on Him who is all in all and lesse upon our selvâ—s that maintains this life and therefore the most part of men being wholly strangers to this whether in their purposes or practices or judgings of both unacquainted with any higher look in Religion then they use in their natural and civil actings it doth give ground to assure us that they are strangers alienated from the life of God without God and without Christ in the world But then the spiritual subject of Christianity is here Christ in you not Christ without you in ordinances in profession in some civil â—arriage but Christ within the heart of a man thâ—t as a Christian It is the receiving of Châ—ist into the soul and putting Him on upon the inner man and renewing it that makes a Christian not being externally cloathed with him or compassed about with him in the administration of the Ordinances It fears me most part of us who bear that name of Christianity have no character of it within if we were looked and searched Many are like the sepulchres Christ speaks of without painted and fair within nothing but rottennesse and dead bones What have many of you more oâ— Christ then what a blind man hath of light it is round about him but not within him The light hath shined in darknesse but your darknesse cannot comprehend it You are environed with the outward appearances of Christ in his Word and Ordinances and that is all but neither within you nor upon many of you is there any thing either of his light or life not so much as any outward profession or behaviour suitable to the revelation of Christ about you as if you were ashamed to be Christians you maintain grosse ignorance and practise manifest â—ebellion against his known will in the very light of the Gospel How few have so much tincture of Christ so much as to colour the external man or to cloath it with any blamelessness of walking or form of Religion How few so much as Christians in the Letter for you are not acquainted either with Letter or Spirit either with knowledge or affection or practice But suppose that some have put on Christ on their outward man and colour over themselves with some performances of religious duties and smooth themselves with civility in carriage yet alas How few are they who are renewed in the spirit of â—heir mind and have put Christ on their inward man who have opened the secrets of their hearts and received him to ly all night between their breasts How â—ew are busied about their hearts to have any new impression and dye upon their affections to mould them after a new manner to kill the love of this world and the lusts of it and cast out the rottenness and superfluity of naughtiness which â—bides within But some there are who are peâ—swaded thus to do to give up their spirits to Religion and all their business and care is To have Christ within as well as without Now if the â—est of you will not be perswaded to be of this number consider what you pre-judge your selves of of all the comfort of Religion and then Religion is no Religion and to no purpose if you have no benefit by it And certainly except Christ be in you as a King to rule you and a Prophet to teach you to subdue your lusts and to dispel your darknesse when he appears he cannot appear to your comfort and salvation You are deprived of this great cordial against death death must seise upon all that is within you soul and body since Christ the Spirit of life is not within you Happiness without you will not make you happy salvation round about you will not save you If you would be saved there must be a near and immediat union with happinesse Christ in the heart and salvation cometh with him A Christian is not only Christ without not imputing his sins to him clothing him with His righteousnesse but Christ within too cleansing the heart from the love of sin perfecting holinesse in the fear of God Do not think you have any share in Christ without you except you receive Christ within you because Christ is one within and without and His gifts are undivided Therefore true â—aith receives whole Christ as a compleat Saviour even as He is intirely offered so He is undividedly received as He is without saving us and within sanctifying us Christ without delivering from wrath and Christ within redeeming from all iniquity these cannot be parted more then His coat that had no seam It is a heavy and weighty word of this Apostles 2 Cor. 13.5 examine your selves whether ye be in the faith know ye not your selves that Christ is in you except you be reprobates I wish ye would lay it to heart who have never yet returned to your hearts If Christ be not formed in you as Gal. 4.19 You are as yet among the refuse drâ—sse and that which must be burnt with fire you cannot but be cast away in the day when he makes up his jewels Where Christ is He is the hope of glory he is an immortal seed of glory How can you hope for Christ who have nothing of Him within you Now the other touch-stone of true Religion is the great comfort it furnishes to the soul And of all comforts the greatest is that which is a cordial to the heart against the greatest fears and evils Now certainly the matter of
Christ hath continued our mortality Else he would have abolished death it self if he had not meant to abolish sin by death and indeed it would appear this is the reason why the world must be consumed with fire at the last day and new Heavens and earth succeed in its room because as the little house the body so the great house the world was infected with this leprosie so subjected to vanity and corruption because of mans sin therefore that there might be no remnant of mans corruption and no memorial of sin to inteâ—upt his eternal joy the Lord will purify and change all all the members that were made instruments of unrighteousness all the creatures that were servants to mans lusts a new form and fashion shall be put on all that the body being restored may be a fit dwelling place for the purified soul and the world renewed may be a â—it house for righteous men Thus you see that Death to a Christian is not real death for it is not the death of a Christian but the death of sin his greatest enemy it is not a punishment but the enlargement of the soul. Now the next comfort is that which is is but partial it is but the dissolution of the lowest part in man his body so far from prejudging the immortal life of his spirit that it is rather the accomplishment of that Though the body must die yet eternal life is begun already within tâ—e soul for the Spirit of Christ hath brought in life the Righteousnesse of Christ hath purchased it and the Spirit hath performed it and applyed it to us not only there is an immortal being in a Christian that must survive the dust for that is common to all men but there is a new life begun in him an immortal well being in joy and happinesse which only deserveth the name of life that cometh never to its full perfection till the bodily and earthly house be taken down If you consider seriously what a new life a Câ—â—istâ—â—n is â—â—â—aâ—lated unto by the operation of the Holy Ghost and the ministration of the word it is then most active and lively when the soul is most retired from the body in meditation the new life of a Christian is most perfect in this life when it carrieth him the furthest distance from his bodily senses and is most abstracted from all sensible engagements as you heard for indeed it restores the spirit of a man to its native rule and dominion over the body so that it is then most perfect when it is most gâ—thered within it self and disingaged from all external intanglements Now certain it is since the perfection of the soul in this life consists in such a retirement from the body that when it is wholly separated from it then it is in the most absolute state of perfection and its life â—cts most purely and peâ—fectly when it hath no body to communicat with and to entangle it either with its lusts or necessities The Spirit is life it hath a life now which is then best when furthest from the body and therefore it cannot but be surpassing better when it is out of the body and all this is purchaâ—ed by Christs righteousnesse As mans disobedience made an end of his life Christs obedience hath made our life endlesse He suffered death to sting him and by this hath taken the sting from it and now there is a new statute and appointment of Heaven published in the Gospel whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have eternal life Now indeed this hath so intirely châ—nged the nature of death that iâ— hath noâ— the most lovely and desirable aspect on a Christian that it is no more an object of fear but of desire amicable not terrible unto him since there is no way to save the passenger but to let the vessel break he will be content to have the body splitted that himself that is his soul may escape for truly a mans soul is himself the body is but an earthly tabernacle that must be taken down to let the inhabitant win out to come near his Lord the body is the Prison-house that he groans to have opened that he may enjoy that liberty of the sons of God And now to a Christian death is not properly an object of patience but of desire rather I desire to be dissolved and be with Christ Phil. 1.23 He that hath but advanced little in Christianity will be content to die but because there is too much flesh he will desire to live but a Christian that is riper in knowledge and grace will rather desire to die and only be content to live he will exercise patience and submission about abiding here but groanings and pantings about removing hence because he knoweth that there is no choice between that bondage and this liberty SERMON XXIX Rom. 8.10 The body is dead because of sin but the Spirit is life c. IT was the first curse and threatning wherein God thought fit to comprehend all misery Thou shalt die the death in that day thou eatest though the sentence was not presently executed according to the letter yet from that day â—orward man was made mortal and there seemeth to be much mercy and goodness of God interveening to plead a delay of death it self that so the promise of life in the second Adam might come to the first and his posterity and they might be delivered â—rom the second death though not from the first Alwayes we bear about the markes of sin in our bodies to this day and in so far the threatning taketh place that this life that we live in the body is become nothing else but a dying life the life that the ungodly shall live out oâ— the body is a living death and either of these is worse then simple death or destruction of beeing The serious contemplation of the miseries of this life made wise Solomon to praise the dead more then the living contrary to the custom of men who rejoyce at the birth of a man-child and mourn at their death yea it pressed him further to think them which have not at all been better then both because they have not seen the evil under the Sun this world is such a Chaos such a masse of miseries that if men understood it before they came into it they would be far more loath to enter into it then they are now afraid to go out of it And truly we want not remembrances and representations of our misery every day in that children come weeping into the world as it were bewailing â—heir own misfortune that they were brought forth to be sensible subjects of misery And what is all our life-time but a repetition of sighs and groanâ— anxiety and satiety loathing and longing dividing our spiâ—its and our time between them How many deaths must we suffer before death come for the absence or losse of any thing much desired is a sepâ—ration no lesse gâ—ievous to the hearts of men
comprehensive of all that can be imagined to be the perfective good of man It is no wonder then that the Apostle reckon this Doctrine of the Resurrection amongst the foundations of Christianity Heb. 6.1 2 for truly these tâ—o the immortality of the soul and the resurrection of the mortal body are the two ground-stones or pillars of true Religion which if they be not well settled in the hearts of men all Religion is tottering and ruinous and unable to support it self That the soul cannot taste death or see corruption and that the body shall but taste it and as it were salute it and cannot alwayes abide under the power of it these are the prime foundations upon which all Christian perswasion is built for without these be laid down in the lowest and deepest part of the heart all exhortations to an holy and righteous life are weak and ineffectual all consolations are empty and vain in a word Religion is but an airy speculation that hath no consistence but in the imaginations of men it is an house upon sand that can abide no blast of temptation no wave of misery but must straight way fall to the ground From whence is it I pray you that the perswasions of the Gospel hath so little power upon men that the plain and plentiful publication of a Saviour is of so small vertue to stir up the hearts of men to take hold on him How comes it to passe that the preeepts and prohibitions of the most high God coming forth under his authority lays so little restraint on mens corruptions that so few will be perswaded to stop their course and come off the wayes they are accustomed that men pull away the shoulder and stop the ear and make their hearts as adamant incapable of being affected with either the authority or love of the Gospel that when He pipes unto us so few dance and when he mourns so few laments Is it not because these two foundations are not laid and mens hearts not digged deep by earnest consideration to receive these ground-stones of Christianity the belief of their souls eternal survivance after the dust and of the revivance and resurrection of the body after it hath slept a while in the dust I remember Heathens have had some noble and rare conceptions about vertue and some have laboured to enamour men with the native beauty of it and to perswade them that it was a sufficient reward to it self and truly it would far more become a Christian who knoweth the high and divine pattern of holinesse to be God himself and so must needs behold a far surpassing beauty and excellency in the Image of God than in all earthly things I say it would become him to accustome himself to a dutiful observance of Religion even without all respect to the reward of it he would train his heart to do homage to God out of a loyal affection and respect to His Majesty and from the love of the very intrinsick beauty of obedience without borrowing alwayes from such selfie considerations of our own happinesse or misery Notwithstanding such is the posture of mans spirit now that he cannot at all be engaged to the love of Religion except some Seen advantage concilat it and therefore the Lord makes use of such selfie principles in drawing men to Himself and keeping them still with Him and truly considering mans infirmity this is the spiâ—it and life of all Religion Immortality and Resurrection that which gives a lustre to all and quickens all that which makâ—s all to sink deep and that which makes a Christian stedfast and immovable 2 Cor. 5.8 It is certainly Hope that is the key of the heart that opens and shuts it to any thing These the Apostle Peter 1 Epist. 1. blesseth God heartily for the new birth and in the expressing of it makes hope the very term of that generation and so it must be a substantial thing Blessed be God who hath begotten us again to a lively hope Hope hath a quickning power in it it makes all new where it comes and is full of spirit it is the Helmet and Anchor of a Christian that which bears the dint of temptation and makes him steady in Religion No man will put in his plough in this ground or sow unto the Spirit but in hope for he that soweth must sow in hope else his Plough will not go deep 1 Cor. 9.10 This then is the very spirit and life of Religion the resurrection of the dead without which our faith were in vain and men would continue still in their sins Certainly it is the deep inconsideration of this never-ending endurance of our souls and restitution of our bodies to the same immortality that makes the most part of men so slight and superficial in Religion else it were not possible if that were laid to heart but men would make Religion their business and chief business We have here the two genuine causes of the resurection of the bodies of Christians the resurrection of Christ and the inhabitation of his Spirit The influence that the resurrection of Christ hath on ours is lively and fully holden out by this Apostle 1 Cor. 15. against them who deny the resurrection from the dead If Christ be not raised your faith is in vain ye are yet in your sins and they that are asleep are perished Religion were nothing but a number of empty words of show Preaching were a vanity and imposture Faith were a meer â—ancy if this be not laid down as the ground-stone Christ raised not as a natural person but as a common politick person as the first fruits of them that sleep vers 17 18 19 20. where he alludes to the ceremony of offering the first fruits of their harvest Lev. 23.10 for under the Law they might not eat of the fruits of the land till they were sanctified all was counted prophane till they were someway conâ—ecrated to the Lord. Now for this end the Lord appointed them to bring one sheaf for all and that was the representative oâ— all the rest of the heap and this was waved before the Lord and lifted up from the earth now according to the Apostles argument Rom. 11 16. If the first fruits be hâ—ly so is the lump for it represents all the lump and therefore Iesus Christ the chief of all his brethren was made the first fruits from the dead and lifted up from the grave as the representer of all the lump of his elect and so it must needs follow That they shall not continue in the grave but must in due time partake of that benefite which he was first entred in possession of in their name and for them for if this fiâ—st fruits be holy so the whole lump must be holy and if the first fruits be risen so must the lump You see then the force of the present reason If the Spirit that raised Christ dwell in you He shall also raise you namely because he
refreshment of it and yet this may not be had they shall seek death and it shall flee from them Now my beloved I would desire this discourse might open way for the hearty and cordial intertainment of the Gospel and that you might be perswaded to awake unto righteousness and sin no more 1 Cor. 15.34 Be not deceived my brethren flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God Certainly if you have no other image then what you came in the world withall you cannot have this hope to be conformed one day to the glorious Body of Christ What will become of you in that day who declare now by the continued vent of your hearts that this holy Spirit dwells not in you and alas how many are such Oh pity your selves your souls and bodies both If for love to your bodies ye will follow its present lusts and care only for the things of the body you act the greatest enmity and hostility against your own bodies Consider I beseech you the eternal state of both and your care and study will run in another channel And for you who have any working of the Spirit in you whether convicing you of sin and misery and of righteousness in Christ or sometimes comforting you by the word applyed to your heart or teaching you another way then the world walks into I recommend unto you that of the Apostles 1 Cor. 15.58 Wherefore my brethren be stedfast c. alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord knowing your Labour is not in vain SERMON XXXII Rom. 8.12 Therefore brethren we are debters not to the flesh to live after the flesh c. ALL things in Christianity have a near and strait conjunction it is so intire and absolute a piece that if one link be loosed all the chain falls to the ground and if one be well fastned upon the heart it brings all alongs with it some speak of all truths even in nature that they are knit so together that any truth may be concluded out of every truth at least by a long circuit of deduction and reasoning but whatsoever be of that certainly Religion is a more intire thing and all the parts of it more nearly conjoyned together that they may mutually enforce one another Precepts and promises are thus linked together that if any soul lay hold indeed upon any promise of grace he draws alongs with it the obligation of some precept to walk suitable to such precious promises There is no encouragement you can indeed fasten upon but it will joyn you as nearly to the commandment and no consolation in the Gospel that doth not carry within its bosome an exhortation to holy walking Again on the other hand there is no precept but it should lead you straight way to a promise no exhortation but it is invironed before and behind with a strong consolation to make it pierce the deeper and go down the sweeter Therefore you see how easily the Apostle digresseth from the one to the other how sweetly and pertinently these are interwoven in his discourse The first word of the Chapter is a word of strong consolation there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ and this like a flood carries all down with it all precepts and exhortations and the soul of a believer with them and therefore he subjoyns an exhortation to holy and spiritual walking upon that very ground and because commandments of this nature will not float so to speak unlesse they have much water of that kind and cannot have such a swift course except the tide of such encouragements flow fast therefore he openeth that spring again in the preceeding words and letteth the rivers of consolation flow forth even the hope of immortality and eternal life and this certainâ—y will raise up a soul that was on ground and carry him above in motion of obedience and therefore he may well in the next place stir them up to their duty and mind them of their obligation Therefore brethren we are debters not to the flâ—sh To make this the more effectual he drops it in with affection in a sweet compellâ—â—ion of love and equality Brethren There is nothing so powerful in perswation as love it will sweeten a bitter and unpleasant reproof and make it go down more easily though it maketh lesse noise than threatnings and severity and authority yet it is more forcible for it insinuats it self and in a manner surpriseth the soul and so preventeth all resistance as when the Sun maâ—e the traveller part with his cloak whereas the wind and rain made him hold it faster so affection will prevail where authority and terrour cannot it will melt that which a stronger power cannot break the story of Elijah 1 King 19. may give some representation of this the Lord was not in the strong wind nor in terrible earth-quake nor yet in the fire but in the calm still voice The Lord hath chosen this way of publishing his grace in the Gospel because the sum of it is love to sinners and good-will towards men he holds it forth in the calm voice of love and these who are his ambassadors should be cloathed with such an affection iâ— they intend to prevail with men to engage their affections O that we were possessed with that brotherly love one towards anotâ—er for the salvation one of another especially that the Preachers of the Gospel might be thus kindly affectioned towards others and that ye would take it thus the calling you off the wayes of sin as the act of the greatest love But then consider the equality oâ— this obligation for there is nothing pressed upon you but what lyeth as heavily upon them that presseth it this debt binds all O that the Ministers of the Gospel could carry the impression of this on their hearts that when they perswade others they may withall perswade themselves and when they speak to others they may sit down among the hearers If an Apostle of so eminent dignity levelleth himself in this consideration Therefore brethren we are debters how much more ought Pastors and Teachers come in the same rank and degree of debt and obligation with others Truly this is the great obstruction of the successe of the Gospel that these who bind on burdens on others do not themselves touch them with one of their fingers and while they seem serious in perswading others yet withall declare by their carriage that they do not believe themselves what they bear upon others so that preaching seemeth to be an imposture and affections in perswading â—f otheâ—â— to be borrowed as it were in a scene to be laid down again out of it But then again there is a misconceit among people that this holy and spiritual walking is not of common obligation but peculiar to the preachers of the Gospel Many make their reckoning so as if they were not called to such high aims and great endeavours but truly my beloved this is a thing of common concernment