misery the spirit is willing but the flesh is weake there is so much weaknesse and earthinesse and frailty somtimes a mans heart is right for God yet his head akes or his stomack is full of wind or he is weary and wants sleep there is some frailty or other This is all earthly Adam all this shall be gone and this kind of body and soul shall be altered and changed to the Image of the blessed second Adam we shall put off our earthiness as well as our sinfulness and have his blessed compleat image Now how glorious that shall be as you never saw the first Adam but onely by hear-say and by reading the word of God so you have not seen the second Adam but you may partly know by the manifestation of his glory on earth you have heard much of his glory We saw his glory as of the only begotten Son of God we shall then see him Phil. 3. 19. Our conversation is in Heaven from whence we look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ who shall change our vile bodies He meanes vile not onely in respect of sinfulness but of dustiness of earthyness and weakness that they may be like his glorious body according to his mighty working whereby he is able to subdue all things to himselfe that is according to his usuall manner of working he can doe what he will in Heaven and Earth We cannot conceive what an image we shall have upon our bodies and souls but according to his wisdome and mighty power whereby he is able to subdue all things he will do it Therefore let me tell you this I finde few or none that have those lively expectations in these times of that glory that is to be revealed that the Saints of old had See how they speak of it What manner of love is this that we should be called the Sons of God but yet it doth not appear what we shall be for we shall be like him and Gird up the loyns of your mindes be sober and watch for the glory that shall be revealed The Saints heretofore more then half their hearts were in Heaven beforehand that is the meaning of that Our conversation is in heaven Just as you see men that go a long journey or as you see people that have been plundered that are returning to their own homes their conversation is there half a year before their hearts and their thoughts are there and they wish they were there and are thinking what they will do and what they will be when they come there So Our conversation is in heaven the Saints do so long after the glory that is to be revealed in the day of Adoption and Redemption of our bodies that the most part of them is there already Now we do not consider of this because the New Jerusalem is not yet come into our hearts we have not that Gospel-temper and frame of spirit that the Saints had before That which remains is a little to shew you what your duty is that the Lord hath brought up to walk according to the Spirit And two or three words I have to shew you how you should every one endeavour to attain to it or to attain it more and more But I shall leave that till the Afternoon SERMON V. Rom. 8. 4. That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit IT is the foundation of all our happiness to have the righteousness of the law fulfilled in us for thereby we are exempted from all misery freed from all our enemies and thereby we are made capable to enjoy all happiness and blessedness for all the misery that man suffers here and hereafter is because he hath not a righteousness to fulfil the law And therefore whatsoever man or woman it is that the Lord hath bestowed this great priviledge upon they must needs be in a blessed condition Now that we may know whether we are of that number the Apostle tells us that they that have this priviledge they walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit which was the last thing I was upon I told you what was meant by walking after the flesh and what by walking after the Spirit I gave the Reasons of it and made two or three Uses There are two things remain which I shall endeavour to speak of at this time Vse 4. of Exhortation First you that have received the Spirit of God and in some measure do walk according to the Spirit not according to the flesh that the New Jerusalem from Heaven is in some measure come into your hearts I will give you a few Exhortations from the Lord how you should carry your selves That is the first thing I shall do and that shall be in four or five short words 1. The first is this that the Lord having called you to this glorious free estate to this free condition that you would take heed of turning the grace of God into wantonness as many do And by that I mean but two things 1. That you would take heed of using your liberty as an occasion to the flesh 2. Of using your liberty so as to give offence to your Brethren or indeed to any I say first beware of using your liberty for an occasion to the flesh That you shall have Gal. 5. 13. For brethren saith the Apostle you have been called to liberty only use not your liberty for an occasion to the flesh but by love serve one another The Apostle shews them in that Epistle the glorious condition and estate that they were in through grace and here in this Verse there are two things that he tells them the one is implied it is worth observing ye are called to liberty that is there is a freedome there is a liberty in the Gospel in divers things that did seem to be sinful when ye were under the law or else what sense can you make of this Ye are called to liberty onely use not your liberty for an occasion to the flesh For we finde that the people under the law either they made the law stricter or looser then it was And there is no man in the world that walks according to the law but he makes many laws to himself that Christ hath not made Now when the Gospel comes in clearly all those laws that you made of your own head vanish Ye are called to liberty that is you see more freedome you are not bound to every thing that before you were Before you must not smile it was a sin if you seemed to laugh or smile and a hundred such things Now you are called to liberty but use it not as an occasion for the flesh that is take not occasion from your liberty to live more sinfully to say you are made free and others are tyed by the law and therefore you will live more carelesly and loosely and sinfully take heed and beware of that There were
other is to be pleased with one that was an Enemy before one that was against me that is now received to favour So I have told you briefly some Scriptures to shew you that the flesh is taken in this sense Now the main Reason of it why I believe this to be the chief meaning of it is because that I see clearly that this is the chief drift and scope of this Epistle and if I may speak without disparagement there is nothing more methodically laid down and this is spoken to bring them from the way of works to the way of faith But I hasten Why doth the holy Ghost call walking after the Covenant of Works and after the law walking after the flesh and the other walking after the Spirit The Reason is Because there is so great affinity and nearness between walking legally and walking sinfully that they are promiscuously in Scripture taken one for another For let a man walk and endeavour and do his best according to the Law and not by the Gospel he shall be sure to walk sinfully and carnally there is no help for it If he be under the law sin will have dominion over him and if he go after the flesh the motions of the flesh will bring forth fruit unto death Sin and the law are as it were of so near a kin that the law makes sin more sinful and the more a man strives to keep the law the more he sins The Apostle brought it so near that people were ready to speak non-sense that the law was sin He prevents the objection Is the law sin O no faith he sin is the transgression of the law So that a man that walks according to the law and not according to the way of the Gospel in spight of his heart he shall walk according to the flesh that is according to the lusts of nature he can never walk holily let him do what he can A second Reason why it is called flesh is in allusion to the two Sons of Abraham as we see in Gal. 4. 21. The Apostle there speaking of these two Covenants he saith Abraham had two sons the one by a bond-maid the other by a free woman but he who was of the bond-woman was born after the flesh but he of the free woman was by promise which things are an allegory or a comparison for these are the two Covenants the one from mount Sinai which gendereth to bondage which is Agar for this Agar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and answereth to Jerusalem which now is and is in bondage with her children but Jerusalem which is above is free which is the mother of us all He is proving that the old Covenant was to be done away Agar was to be thrown out with her children He proves that those two Sons of Abraham Ishmael and Isaac were types of the two Covenants that God made with mankinde the Covenant of Works and the Covenant of Grace Now the Covenant of Works he compares to Ishmael that was born after the flesh as other children were Abraham went in to Hagar and she conceived and bare a childe as other women but Isaac was not born after the flesh all fleshly wayes could not produce Isaac he was a childe of Promise and the Spirit of God breathing in the promise and working mightily in Abraham and Sarah Isaac was produced This is an Allegory there is a great Mysterie that you think not of when you reade of Ishmael and Isaac By Ishmael is meant the Covenant of Works and the principles of it and the practitioners of it and they walk according to the flesh as Ishmael did and by Isaac is meant the Covenant of Grace and those that go that way are children of the promise as Isaac was So God hath set this Comparison and I conceive the Apostle alludes to it and calls it a walking according to the flesh As if he had said Thou shalt never have this righteousness by walking in the way of thy father Ishmael by Mount Sinai in Arabia by walking in the law to turn away the wrath of God but if thou wilt get this righteousness thou must walk according to the Spirit thou must get the Spirit and be a childe of promise The third and last Reason that I shall give why it is called walking according to the Flesh is because of weakness for flesh is put for weakness as the Scripture saith They are Flesh and not Spirit that is they are poor weak things so those that walk in that way in the way of the law they are weak creatures there is nothing but wishing and woulding and covenanting and promising and protesting and vexing and fretting but there is no strength Now one Saint that is truly planted in Christ and the Gospel hath truly taken place in his heart he hath more strength then five hundred of the other Saith Paul I can do all things I can want and I can abound I can go to prison freely I can rejoyce with them that rejoyce and mourn with them that mourn Because the same Spirit that dwells in Christ and works effectually the same Spirit dwells in us and works in us Therefore that is the meaning of it They that walk after the flesh that is they that go after the law they are weak they tug and are never the nearer Heaven and if they should live a thousand years they would be no better but wishers and woulders and say I have a good desire to do as the Preacher saith but I have no power Vse Let me conclude with one word of Use from all this that hath been said which I hope you will consider of From this Doctrine thus opened you may hence see the saying of our Lord Jesus Christ verified and made good that few shall enter into the kingdome of Heaven Doubtless Paul did not look on sinners and Saints as we do we account every Professor let his principles be what they will either from the first or second Adam if he begin to leave sin and to perform duties we account him a good man But when the Lord comes to judge he will look further and examine us and will I fear finde abundance that shall never enter into the kingdome of Heaven even of those that follow good old Adam I mean there are abundance of Professors that have left corrupt Adam in his grossness and follow good old Adam that is a sprig from that they will abstain from sins and they will perform duties and they will do no wrong and all is but old Adam still Therefore you that are Professors look to your selves for the Lords sake I am mistaken if there be not many hundreds of us that will be found the Sons of Ishmael at the last day many that make a great Profession and many that make a greater Profession then others that are honest spiritual Saints before the world before men for when a man goes to keep the law every light that comes into his
can do a little from the Spirit of Jesus Christ and if God will frame my heart from the Lord Christ and his Spirit to speak a few words to my Father this is all I care for And so for other things Therefore I beseech you let this sink into you That makes you proud that you cannot rule your hearts but you are lifted up with pride when you have done duties it is because every fine thing you do from old Adam makes you proud you take all in the bulk and consider not whence you do things you consider not how much of the old Adam or of the new there is in your Prayers and duties Therefore let this be an universal eternal rule to know the worth of all your services and actions by whatsoever is of the flesh is flesh and whatsoever of my Preaching and of your praying and lending and giving and of your publick actions if it be not from a Spiritual Principle from Jesus Christ according to the Gospel planted in you it is of old Adam and it is condemned labour to leave that Vse 4. I shall conclude with one word more and that is this That this being so that this is to walk according to the Spirit Then we should long very much for the fulfilling of those Prophesies and Promises that God hath made unto us concerning the latter times There is no Saint almost now that I know but expects glorious times onely one Saint thinks that the glory of the Saints shall be in this thing and another in that thing but every Saint expects continually the fulfilling of those Prophesies and Promises set down in the latter end of the Revelations and they are glorious ones whatsoever the meaning of them is and I think the chief thing there promised which shall be the height of our happiness that the New Jerusalem shall come down from heaven mistake me not though it be a consequent yet it is not chiefly and properly such a way of Government this or that or the other way though it be true that Government will follow upon it yet if the meaning of it were onely to Reform our Churches though that were a blessing or that Christ should come and reign here temporally and give us Inheritances and Riches and the like truly a Saint would not long much for these things But the New Jerusalem shall come down from heaven and abundance of blessings that shall go along with it What is that The meaning of it is we shall have the light of the Gospel clearly revealed unto us and we shall have Gospel-principles fully put into our souls which by Antichrist by Babylon we have been sednced of these thirteen or fourteen hundred years For that was the mischief of Antichrist he hath kept us all his reign under the Old Testament with Altars and Sacrifices and Priests and I know not what every thing just as they used under Moses and we are not wholly gone out of Antichrist yet But the Lord will send a light into our hearts to know the truth in the power and to square our hearts to it For that is New Jerusalem if you compare it with Heb. 12. where the holy Jerusalem the heavenly Jerusalem is clearly opposite to Mount Sinai So compare it with Gal. 4. he tells us that Jerusalem which is above is the mother of us all that is the Covenant of grace and the principles thereof in the souls of men Therefore I wish that the Lord would set your hearts and mine longing after that that we may have more of the spirit of the Gospel and of the Principles of the New Testament in us and then for matter of Government of Churches those things would follow For to set up Government and Discipline before this comes into the soule truely it is to build Castles in the ayre for let a man take us and frame us in the Independent or Presbyterian way in what way he will unlesse the Principles of Jesus Christ in the Gospel be spiritually planted it will be a fleshly Independent and a fleshly Presbyterian service Therefore labour chiefly for that and pray the Lord to fulfil that and then your Government whatsoever it shall be God will reveale it more fully People are now generally going to build and order Churches and I know not what unlesse the spirit of the New Testament govern in the New Testament it is a vain thing for if we have our former fleshly hearts that walke according to the law and according to the flesh all the Government in the World will never doe us good because God hath cursed flesh and it will never be regulated and brought to good And this also should move us exceedingly to long for the comming of Jesus Christ to glory for his comming to us or our comming to him and the reason of that you shall have in 1 Cor. 15. 49. a glorious word that hath dwelt much in my thoughts I told you the reason why every man must dye a naturall death because of that absolute grand curse that Adam did fall in as a publick person and we being from him we must dye Now here is the comfort of it a blessed word it is As we have born the image of the earthly so we shall bear also the image of the heavenly that is when the redemption of our bodies comes at the day of Christ then as we have borne the Image of the earthly so we shall bear the Image of the heavenly We have born hitherto and do beare the Image of naturall Adam we are all his Sons and his Daughters just like him in our wisdom and understandings and bodies and soules poore earthly creatures naturall frail creatures we are and by that curse that was layd upon him we must all dye and lay downe these earthly Tabernacles these earthly creatures must be dissolved As we have born the Image of the earthly not only as we have born the Image of old Adam sin and wickednesse and pride and frowardnesse so now we shall bear the Image of the new not only in respect of grace and holinesse and righteousnesse that if I be in him all those corruptions of nature shall out and I shall have a new nature That is true but that is not all but as I wholly beare the Image and shape of old Adam his body and soule and senses and all those must dye so when these bodies shall be raised we shall as absolutely and largely beare the Image of the new Adam the Lord Jesus in our body senses and all our whole man soule and body in respect of substance as well as quality we shall bear the Image of the second Adam as lively and in as large an extent as ever wee bore the Image of the earthly Adam Therefore that is a great comfort I will tell you why because it is not onely the sinfulnesse of a Christian that troubles him but his earthinesse so many distempers and troubles that it is a
in this world yet the power of Christ hath brought them under when all their Fastings and Humiliations would never do it when they were in that way without the clear knowledge of Christ but when they have come to Christ they have found it done In 2 Pet. 3. you shall finde there men that were carnal men that were as dogs that returned to their vomit yet the common knowledge of Jesus Christ did make them clean from the pollutions of the world and did give them power against their sins what then will the spiritual effectual knowledge of Christ do Therefore never entertain any prejudice against Christ or against his Gospel or against his Spirit and his Wayes for if there be any power in this world it is there all the rest is but a flourish but a shew of mortification when the heart is as full of lusts as a Toad is of poyson There is no true mortification or holiness but what comes from Christ and his holy Spirit SERMON VI. Rom. 8. 5. For they that are after the flesh do minde the things of the flesh but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit IN the former Verse you remember how I shewed you that there was a great priviledge to all true Beleevers which indeed is the chiefe of all Priviledge for it is the inlet of all mercies and the principall deliverance from all evills It is contained in the beginning of Verse 4. That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us In the latter end of the Verse I shewed the person more largely described to whom this priviledge doth belong that is Not those that walk after the flesh but those that walk after the spirit And I have as God enabled me opened the meaning of that to you what it was to walk after the Flesh and what to walk after the spirit Now the Apostle in this fifth Verse goes forward a little more particularly to discover those that have a right to this priviledge by drawing one thing from another The main was They walk not after the flesh but after the spirit I but that is a generall word and how shall we know that Saith he you shall know that also by this They that are after the flesh do mind fleshly things and they that are after the spirit do minde spirituall things You shall know whether you have the righteousness of the law fulfilled in you if you walk not after the flesh but after the spirit And you shall know that also by your minding by the frame of your mindes if you walk after the flesh you will mind fleshly things if you walk after the spirit you will mind spirituall things And then he goes on to prove that also as we see oft in Scripture as in 1 John 5. where one thing is made the mark of another by a gradation there are five or six things and one thing proves another we know that we are the children of God if we keep his Commandements and we know we keep his Commandements by another thing and we know that by another thing So that I say the Scope of the Apostle is to cleare unto the Saints their right title to this great priviledge and also withall to convince those that are carnal that they are without it and to shew them their great miserie in being so for you shall see after how as he discovers them so also he shews their misery he saith they are enmity to God and they that walk after the flesh must dye c. Now that we may go on breifly to handle this a little to you you may take the Doctrine as it lyes here in the words for I will not nor need not frame it otherwise Doct. That those that are after the flesh do minde the things of the flesh Only remember what I said before for it is of great concernment for that great priviledge depends upon this if you have the righteousness of the law fulfilled in you you must be those that walk according to the spirit and not according to the flesh And then would you know that saith the Apostle Those that are after the flesh do minde the things of the flesh and those that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit so let that be the Doctrine or Lesson I will give you but two short words to prove this to you and then to open it as God shall help us Reas 1. The first thing to prove it is this that it must be so because every thing in the world in all the Creation of God doth act according to the nature of its principle from whence it flows As James saith Jam. 3. 11 12. Doth a fountain send forth from the same place sweet water and bitter Can a figtree my Brethren bear olive-berries or can a Vine bear figs You know that a Fig-tree bears Figs and a Vine-tree bears Grapes and an Apple-tree bears Apples and a Pear-tree Pears and every Tree and every thing will work according to its principle Make the tree good saith Christ and then the fruit will be good such as the tree is such will be the fruit such as the fountain is such will be the stream and when a mans principles the frame of his heart is nothing but flesh then of necessity his actions must be fleshly his affections must be fleshly If he have a fleshly minde he must have a fleshly will a fleshly love fleshly hatred a fleshly life fleshly prayers fleshly Sacraments fleshly every thing for every thing must be according to its principle So on the other side where the principle is spiritual there a man will minde spiritual things he will love spiritual things he will do spiritual things he will delight in spirituall things That is one Reason of it Reas 2. And the second is this for I will give you but these two because the chief thing that I intend at this time is the opening of it fleshly carnal men that are after the flesh they must minde fleshly things because they know not spiritual things they understand not spiritual things Or if you will and it may be that word hath something more in it 1 Cor. 2. they perceive not spiritual things they do not ken and perceive them Now you know that a man mindes not I mean look upon it as the acting of the understanding a man cannot minde but what he knows a man cannot think of things he knows not That is the reason to prove that poor ignorant people speak an untruth and deceive themselves when they say we remember God we minde God wheresoever we are and yet they know not God for God is not minded but when he is known As in that place of the Corinthians A natural man cannot perceive the things of the spirit he doth not know Jesus Christ therefore he cannot minde him he doth not know the things of the spirit of God therefore he cannot set his heart upon them Without
Mount Sion OR The Priviledge and Practice OF THE SAINTS Opened and Applied By that faithful Dispenser of the Mysteries of Christ WALTER CRADOCK late Preacher at Alhaâ—â—ws the Great in London Heb. 12. 22. But ye are come unto Mount Sion and unto the City of the living God c. Gal. 4. 26. But Jerusalem which is above is free which is the Mother of us all CAMBRIDGE Printed by M. J. 1673. To the Reader THese Sermons being exactly penned from the Authors own mouth are now brought to publick view though when he preached them had not the least thought to suffer them to be Printed but since they were thus prepared to come abroad into the world the pious Author finding so much of the sweetness of Christ in viewing of them could not turn his back upon them As for this godly Author his worth and excellency is so eminently known it would be vanity in me to speak any thing in relation to his praise let this and other of his own works praise him Yet thus much I shall say That I do verily believe that he preached these choyce Lectures from the bosome of Jesus Christ that these things were the very experiments of his own soul and the lively actings of the Spirit of God within him What he hath seen and heard he hath declared that we might have fellowship with him whose fellowship is with the Eather and the Son 1 Joh. 1. 3. and therein shall our joy be full These Sermons are not clothed with humane Art quaint expressions eloquent Speculations but choose rather to come forth in the nakedness of truth not with the enticing words of mans wisdome but in the demonstration of the Spirit and of power Here is nothing to fill thy head with barren notions fruitless opinions or meer speculations but here is that to fill thy heart with the glory of God the life of Christ and light of his Spirit I shall in a few words hint out what thou shalt finde in these ensuing Discourses 1. Mans fleshly righteousness is the great Idol of the world every one is ready to fall down unto it and call it blessed This is Antichrist coming forth in the habit of Christ being arrayed and decked with gold precious stones and pearls whereby the Nations are deceived but when we know the righteousness of the Lord we shall cast away our own righteousness and as the Prophet speaks say unto iâ— Get ye hence Isa 30. 22. 2. Formality is in no less esteem among us then the former What is the Religion of most people but a meer form without any life or power at all Astronomers tell us that the upper Planets have their Stations and Retrogradations as well as their direct Motions So 't is with most in their Religion sometimes they move forwards sometimes backward sometimes stand at a stay and thus they tread alwayes in one circle or round turning like a door upon the hinges but never from off the place where they were As for most mens hearing praying fasting what is it but as a task performed so coldly that there is no principle of divine life in it and thus they go on but are never at their journeys end Men commonly use what they should enjoy and enjoy that they should use they will use the Lord whom they should enjoy and they will enjoy their duties and performances that they should onely use thus they starve their souls by formality in Religion 3. The third thing we may take notice of is the righteousness of Christ commended to us before the righteousness of Adam Most of the worlds righteousness proceeds from the principles of the old Adam which is corrupt and fleshly what is this but to be born of Ishmael the son of the bond-woman to come unto Mount Sinai in Arabia viz. the Covenant of Works but Jerusalem which is above is free which is the Mother of all the first-born of God viz. the Covenant of Grace Vain man thinks to climb to heaven by his own righteousness when alas it is but of the first Adam natural weak and fleshly All the wisdome knowledge in 〈…〉 tion of man as Tongues Arts and Sciences as Philosophy Logick Rhetorick c. all these are but to repair those reliques of the first Adams corrupted principles of reason and understanding therefore if we go to patch up a righteousness of these we do but build what the Lord will have destroyed But that which is able to restore us is an establishment of the righteousness of Christ upon our hearts by the participation of the divine Nature Christ performs all righteousness for his Saints and then works all righteousness in them The divine Will of God is righteousness now Christ is that divine Will brought forth in a Saint working after the Lords own pleasure The Civil Law doth account Elephants and Camels to have the nature of wilde Beasts though they do the work of tame beasts So Adams righteousness commends not to God we are onely accepted in the beloved 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or ingratiated through that beloved The divine treasures of righteousness are first in Christ and by our union with him we come to enjoy them by way of participation 4. Substantial and reall Holiness set out to be farre more excellent then all empty Forms or meer Professions Holiness is God stamped and printed upon the soul 't is Christ formed in the heart 't is the very image frame and disposition of the holy Spirit within us The Philosopher could say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That God was but an empty name without vertue so are all our professions of Christ without holiness that being the very marrow and quintessence of all Religion Holiness is something of God in us it proceeds from him it lives in him God can no more be separated from it then the beams from the Sun Holiness is happiness and the more of it we have the more we have of the life and image of God upon us Holiness is nothing but our conformity to God and our being like him to be as he is Holiness is the new frame the new creation the wormanship of the Lord in our hearts it is the Lord building and setting up his own Temple Tabernacle and new Jerusalem within us filling of us with his own glory writing his name in our foreheads by imprinting his own divine image upon us Oh what happiness what sweet delight and harmony of heart what Soul-musick and spiritual joy is there in having our soul wrapt up in the divine life light and beauty of the Lords holiness 5. Thou hast a discovery of the inability of mans carnal principles or reason to judge of spiritual things or the things of God every truth is discovered by principles of light suitable to it self Hence it is that the Apostle tells us of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an animate sensuall or naturall man and of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a spiritual man one enlightned by the Spirit of
God Now the natural man is not able to judge of things above the principles of Nature The Apostle tells us No man knows the things of a man but the spirit of man which is in him 1 Cor. 2. 11. The things of man are all created things man is therefore said to be as it were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a little world or an Epitome or Compendium wherein all created things are described as in a Map or short Abridgement Now the principle of reason in mans heart is able to search out the hidden things of nature But this large principle of man is too narrow to search into the things of the Spirit so saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 2. 11 12 14 15. The things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God The Spirit searcheth the deep things of God And again he saith The wisdome of the Spirit is but foolishness to the naturall man And why so because saith he Spiritual things are spiritually discerned that is they are to be understood in a spiritual sense to which mans carnal reason cannot reach But now saith he the spirituall man discerneth all things so that divine things are onely known by the Spirit 't is the Spirit of all Truth that leads into all Truth Then 't is not all Maximes and Rules 't is not Sy 〈…〉 gistical Reasonings and Disputes 't is not Books an◠Treatises 't is not all Systems and Bodies of Divinity that can reveal the secret mysteries of Truth but it is the work of the Spirit for the mystery of Christ is not meerly letter and form without but a quickning Spirit within us Yet 6. We are taught that there is a most profound spiritual reasoning in godliness and that it is the highest act of the minde which is the highest faculty of the soul The minde of a Saint is Gods Throne and the motions of the minde or the reasonings thereof is nothing but Christ swaying the soul according to his good pleasure It 's true that reason as 't is in man is a most imperfect and weak light and falls short of the light of God being depraved and mixt with much darkness and so is unsuitable to judge divine things but reason considered in its height and excellency is no other then Jesus Christ and the Spirit then so much as reason hath of the light of God so much it hath of Jesus Christ Then the most excellent the most supreme and the sublimest reason is in godliness because in it is the greatest clearness certainty and light The Apostle calls it Demonstration now divine reason is demonstration which is an evidencing of things by the clearest surest and most irresistible light that can be Now Christ is this spiritual reason for saith the Apostle that which manifests is light Eph. 5. 13. And what is that light but Christ and his Spirit Thus I have given thee a taste of things to set an edge to thy appetite that thou mayest make a fuller meal of Divine Dainties by reading the ensuing Treatise where thou hast a Table richly spread Now if thou art one of Christs Friends then come and eat of this honey and drink of this wine yea eat and drink abundantly O beloved Here thou mayest eat and not 〈…〉 et here thou mayest drink and not be drunken the more thou earest the stronger will thy appetite be and the more thou drinkest the more wilt thou thirst and yet with the greatest saturation and content To conclude Thou mayest finde much of Christ in this Book but see whether thou canst finde much of him also in thine own heart Now that these things which are here written with Paper and Ink may be written upon the Table of thy soul by the finger of the Spirit is the prayer of him who is Thine in the Service of Christ John Robotham Octob. 24. 1650. SERMON I. Rom. 8. 4. That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit THe main drift of the Apostle in this Epistle is to hold forth Justification by Faith or by Free-grace without the works of the Law And in Chap. 7. the Apostle doth answer an Objection for they might say What then shall we do with the Law if it cannot justifie us There the Apostle tells us that though the Law cannot justifie us yet there are many blessed uses both for Sinners and Saints to make of the Law of which I shall not now speak Now in this eighth Chapter the Apostle draws this conclusion from what he had said before There is therefore from what I have said it is evident that there is no condemnation there is no damnation there is no danger of Hell to them which are in Christ Jesus Now he opens who those are he saith they are those who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit And he gives a reason of it in ver 2. why there is no damnation to those people For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made us free from the law of sin and of death Now he amplifies that in ver 3. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh As if he should have said Thus it comes about that we are now free from the law and that there is no damnation to us because saith he that God hath sent his Son in the likeness of sinful flesh like one of us and he hath fulfilled the law of God and condemned sin therefore there is no sin to condemn us nor no jot of the law that is not fulfilled therefore we are just and righteous and clear There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus for God hath sent his Son to condemn sin c. Now in the fourth Verse it is more particularly expressed That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit I shall not orderly go over to shew the Coherence distinctly as I might but briefly as I can come to those Lessons that the Lord is to teach us That the Righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us c. There are in the words two things Here is a great Priviledge as any can be to have the righteousness of the law fulfilled in us And here are secondly the parties that have the benefit of this Priviledge Those that walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit Concerning the Priviledge to understand the words a little That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us That the law might be fully satisfied in point of righteousness that the law might have such a righteousness which indeed the law requires that it might have a full and compleat righteousness in us So that briefly these are the Lessons which I shall open from hence which I desire
is nothing but a transforming them from one lust another Saith Peter you must not do so but as obedient children if God have justified you if Christ have fulfilled the law perfectly for you that you dare Sin and Hell and Satan and tread all under feet doth it become you to fashion your hearts and lives to your lusts Is that a good rule no you must not do so 2. Another Rule is this world Rom. 12. 2. Be not conformed to this world It is the Copy of many men the Looking-glass that they dress themselves by every day how to square it in the world how to keep their port with their Neighbours and Gentlemen they converse with and with great men that have command of them and with their fellow-Officers c. And so women how they may go brave as their Neighbours do and get credit in their eyes So most people their main Rule is they care not whether it please God and conform them to his Son at all so they can keep correspondency with the world now you must not do so for they are yet in their sins poor wretches therefore let them conform to their lusts and they that are of the world let them conform to it but 3. Since God hath redeemed you from the wicked world by the blood of his Son and hath brought you to this condition and bestowed glorious and unspeakable Priviledges on you you should conform your selves to the Image and Example of Jesus Christ and to the Rules of Jesus Christ in the New Testament in all your actions and wayes You cannot write without looking on your Copie the best Saint cannot write one line without viewing and looking on his Copy for every letter For all your actions you are to have two things in your eye that you may do the action right and carry your selves right 1. Either eye Jesus Christ and his Example how would Christ have done if he had been here what did Christ do in the like case in the Gospel So by eying that there will be a power as in Jacobs sheep by beholding the rods the Spirit of God will convey a power looking upon the picture that is before us that is Jesus Christ to transform us into his likeness Or 2. Think of the Rules of Jesus Christ the Rules of the New Testament this blessed Word Have frequent recourse to the Spiritual Rules of the New Testament that should be your Copy When any case comes follow not your lusts and act not according to the wisdome of the flesh to say this or that I will do but consider what is your Rule you walk by another Rule What have I to do what such a man and such a man doth but what is my Rule how must I carry my self As for instance when you come among people that rejoice for any mercy what is the Rule Rejoice with them that rejoice and weep with them that weep It may be a man hath received great unkindness and is wrong'd by him that he hath been most kinde to of all the men of the world and yet he proves most ungrateful if a man should go to flesh and blood he would hate and abhor him and not indure him man in his best naturals would not bear it he would not bear ungratefulness and wrong but labour to requite it But what is the Rule The Lord is good to the wicked and unthankeful therefore Lend freely looking for nothing again Presently God will bring a Spiritual Rule to your minde and God will give you power to do it And so suppose a man should charge and challenge you with a debt and would you pay such a debt you perhaps know no such thing and are perswaded of the contrary What now You know what most men think I will never pay him I were a fool if I should give away my estate and be a beggar when I have done but what is the rule If thine enemy sue thee at the law and take away thy cloke give him thy coat also A Christian comes to this law he consults not with flesh and blood when a case comes but he thinks what is the rule in this case But all the misery is you will be fingering with justification which you should leave alone upon Christs death and refurrection you should be working out your holiness every day that should be your way God will bring it in So when a woman is putting on her clothes and making her fine clothes and thinks to be as fine as her neighbours she should think but what is my Rule Not to conform my self to others in embroidered hair and fine apparel and gold but with the ornament of a meek spirit So you have the New Testament full for every case there is something that will direct and lead you that thereby you may conform to Jesus Christ I give you but general instances if God open your eyes to see your glorious condition in the New Testament you must resolve on this to walk according to the copy and the rules of it that in any case you may ask What is my rule as I am a Christian as I am a free man one with God that I may walk by it Now I exhort you to this because if a thousand Devils should preach in stead of men and tell you what the Torments of Hell are all would not be so great a motive by half to walk holily as to tell you that the righteousness of the law is fulfilled by Christ that you are righteous and just and all your sins are done away by Christ Therefore O love him and live to him comform to your copy Let your Neighbours conform to their copy to the World and others conform to their lusts as too many do but do you conform to Jesus Christ Think what would Christ do if he had my opportunity what would he have taken in hand And whatever occasion you have with God or man ask What is my rule in the New Testament and conform to that Blessed is the man or woman to whom God gives a heart so to do There remains one word more of this and the third Lesson which is the principal thing the description of those persons that have this Priviledge They walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit But because the time is gone and my strength also I shall leave that till God give another opportunity SERMON III. Rom. 8. 4. That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit THere were three Lessons that we may learn from these words The first is implied namely That the righteousness of the law must be fulfilled by every man Or Every man is bound to fulfill the law of God And Secondly That the Law of God is perfectly fulfilled in all true Believers And Thirdly That true Believers are they who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit We were the last time
some it seems I am sure there are some now that all the liberty and freedome they hear of from the Gospel or by getting off from the law it is nothing in the world but that they may go on more in sin and enjoy their lusts more freely this is to pervert the Gospel And what the end of these people shall be you may see in 2 Pet. 1. and in the Epistle of Jude they are appointed to damnation and their damnation slumbereth and sleepeth not that is they are going on amain they are going faster towards Hell then any Drunkard or Whoremonger A Malefactor never goeth so fast to death as these do to destruction when all the knowledge of liberty that they have is onely to give occasion to provide more for their lusts then before Let us consider and take heed of that 2. Another thing is seeing you have liberty by walking according to the Spirit for where the Spirit is there is freedome that is certain use it not for the offence of your Brethren As some there are that when they hear they are free are ready to say I care not what all the world say I know this is not a sin and therefore I will do it Beloved that is far from walking worthy according to the Gospel I became all things saith Paul to all men that I might win sâ—me I am under the law to them that are under the law and without law to them that are without law I became all things to all men that I might gain some so we must not please our selves but one another for edification Rom. 15. and condescend to men of low sort Rom 12. Who is weak saith the Apostle and I am not weak If thou see a man under the law fumbling and wallowing upon Mount Sinai without the knowledge of the Gospel despise him not and say He is a Legallist and what have we to do with him but endeavour to frame thy heart and thy language and carriage so suitable to him that thou mayest win upon him and so with others This is the language of the Gospel and the true way of the Spirit of God when a man knows his freedome and yet he becomes all things to all men that he may do them good There is one word that I think is the word and will of God and I desire that thou mayest take it so and carry it with thee 2. A second thing that I advise you to that are Spiritual that the Lord hath revealed a little of the Gospel to it is this that you would endeavour to walk humbly O walk humbly Why so I will tell you why because a man when he is under the law he shall be twenty years striving for a little knowledge or grace and shall hardly get them but as soon as ever a man comes rightly to Christ and to know him then there is such a flood of grace and such abundance of revelations it is the Scriptures word there is such abundance of manifestations of God and of the Image of God when they begin to come in that it is a hard thing then to keep the soul down for Spiritual things when they come in rightly when the flood-gates are open they come in as waves one upon the neck of another For Spiritual Gospel-truths multiply in the Soul a thousand-fold one lesson from another and one Scripture opens another and then there is no end and then it is hard to keep the soul humble Therefore in 2 Cor. 12. when Paul was wrapt into the third Heavens because of the abundance of revelations that he had seen for he had seen and heard things that he could not utter and speak to others he was ready to be proud to be lifted up and lest he should be so God sent a messenger of Satan to buffet him It implies it was a hard thing for Paul the Apostle when abundance of revelations came into his soul not to be lifted up And this spoils some honest hearts I hope they are so and that God will bring them home that having been kept bare of food as some Souldiers that went to relieve Glocester when they came home to the City they killed themselves with eating full and good food so when poor souls have gone upon the bare Mountains of Sinai and then have come to the Pastures of righteousness they go so greedily and are so taken that if God be not wonderful merciful they will be undone by being lifted up Therefore beware of this learn from Paul's example to seek to the Lord to keep your hearts humble 3. A third thing is this Endeavour to walk simply I mean to keep to the simplicity of the Gospel The Gospel though there be glorious Mysteries in it to feed the soul yet notwithstanding it is a plain simple thing Now here the Devil endeavours to undo souls as it is ordinary in this City when men come once to understand a little of the Gospel and to taste the sweetness of it the Devil screws them up to sublimare all Religion into Notions to cleave a hair and Religion will be all in Idea's and conceits of the Nature of God and of the Creature whereas the Gospel is a plain thing Paul desired to know the death of Christ and the power of his resurrection and Paul teacheth Servants how to obey their Masters and Masters how to carry themselves to their Servants and Wives to their Husbands and such simple plain things Now these are accounted nothing and that is the reason that many among us they do more and more lose the Word of God unless it be about some sublime Notions If a Minister be upon such Points some high Idea's for they feed upon such that is worth the while but if a Minister speak of things that concern their Calling or their Sex and Condition that is plain it hath no taste in it no more then the white of an Egge It is a hard thing to keep to the simplicity of the Gospel As the Devil tempted our first Parents God gave Adam and Eve sufficient knowledge to do his will and they had sufficient Natural knowledge for they named all the Creatures yet notwithstanding she must needs go from the simplicity of Gods will and be curious and she must know good and evil there was the distinction good and evil thought she what kinde of good and evil she goes to this sublime conceit and so was lost Now saith Paul I am afraid of you lest the Devil should beguile you so I am loth to offend you for I had rather win you or else I could instance in twenty or forty conceits and distinctions of things Idea's that are above the simplicity of the Gospel and that is enough to make us leave them because they are above the simplicity of the Gospel and the excellency of the Gospel is not in those Idea's but in knowing the power of plain things as the death of Jesus Christ Every man in Jerusalem
the Spirit of God as long as they do so they shall never know the will of God We are not debtors to the flesh but we must be debtors to the Spirit if we will have one true thought of Jesus Christ O praise the Spirit and prize the Spirit If you have any thought of Christ thank the Spirit if you have any glimpse of him in your souls worth any thing praise the Spirit That is the reason that the Saints in the Book of God speak not of the Spirit of God without some special Epithite of Commendation Guide me by thy HOLY Spirit and saith another thy BLESSED Spirit and thy GRACIOVS Spirit and the Spirit of GRACE faith another They never speak of it without some word that shewed their love to it and high esteem of it When the Lord shall come and his Spirit shall be advanced in the hearts of men we shall have glorious times and never before that and those times will come I remember Calvin on those Prophesies in Isaiah and Joel The SVN shall be darkened and the MOON shall be turned into blood in that day Saith he the meaning is all the excellency that a man naturally hath his Learning and Endowments in the dayes of the Gospel when the Spirit shall come with his light when God shall exalt the Spirit The Sun shall be turned into darkness and the Moon into blood Men shall not so much esteem Learning from Books but learned and great men and Scholars shall come to one Classis and one Rank and Form with simple people all waiting on God by his Word through the Spirit A man can take his Boy from School that hath his Latine and Greek and send him to the University and he assures himself that he shall be as good a Minister as his other Son that it may be hath served the Spirit seven years this is our way and a hundred more whereby we basely slight and disdain the Spirit of God and do not honour him and therefore he will not honour us 3. If ever you will be true Gospel-Saints you must suffer your selves to be led by the Spirit of God That phrase you finde oft in Rom. 8. Gal. 5. If you live in the Spirit Walk in the Spirit Be led by the Spirit We are not complementary to commend the Spirit of God c. but give it scope to lead us You must heed more what the Spirit of God saith to you and what he works on you If there come a place of Scripture in your minde hear and consider whether the Spirit of God hath not put it in thy minde and would have thee study it and would have thee compare Scriptures And when thou comest to do any action whatsoever not so much to advise with this man or that man but what saith the Spirit I mean according to the light of the Scriptures hearken to that more then what all the world saith Therefore I have known some men that in their whole lives have often mâ—st the will of God in circumstantial things usually it may be for a year or two or three and they have mist it again in another thing and in another thing and when they have examined how this comes about they can say If they had hearkned to the Spirit they had not done so but they hearkned to men and so went against the dictates of the Spirit in their Conscience they would hear what this man said and what the other man did But now the Spirit will say to them You see I would have shewed you the right way but you would not give me scope but made a cypher of me And for my one particular I do not yet see how I should ever have mist the will of God since I knew him if I had hearkned to the Spirit of God if I had but observed so much light as the Spirit had put into my heart Now we ballance the Spirit with this mans example and with the other mans opinion and so come home by Weeping Cross Therefore give scope to the Spirit I mean not against the Word or above the Word but still I mean the Spirit of God working according to the Scriptures and no otherwise 4. Another thing and a special one is I wish you for the Mysteries of the Gospel to study the Scriptures in the simplicity of them without the glosses of men for a man in extremity must do that that a man that is not in extremity would not do We have brought our selves in such slavery to men that we must take that course that another sober man should not I mean thus when ever we go to look for any truth of God for the will of God we have notions in our mindes beforehand according to the times and places we live in As concerning Baptism what need I go to the Scriptures saith one we have it in such and such mens Writings and so we forestall the will of God that we are blinded and cannot see it Therefore if you will see the will of God I wish you for a while to look on the naked Scriptures And for my part I know but three uses to be made of other Books 1. As first there is this use of Books you have Books that will read the Scriptures in divers languages and shew the Originall and open the tongues now when I see a word in English and doubt of the meaning of it then I will go to the Greek or Hebrew as God hath endowed me with knowledge 2. Then there is another use of Books when I reade one single Scripture it may be I have a Book that will point out halfe a dozen Scriptures to open one Scripture by 3. And it may be I have some Books that take some Scripture and presse it upon my soule as Doctor Prestons and other godly Books But to take Books and say Jerome thinks this and Austin that and fill our heads with notions they blind us that we cannot see the will of God Therefore in reading of the Scriptures there should be this difference from our reading of other Books I mean in respect of age When we are Children and young we use not Spectacles it may be at twenty or thirty or fourty yeares old we can reade without Spectacles but when we come tofifty or sixty then we can see nothing but through Spectacles It should be just contrary with us when we are Christians When we are young we usually never read the word of God but through the Spectacles of mens glosses but when we are older Christians and stronger Saints we should learne to read better without Spectacles we should daily make lesse use of Mens Books and more of Gods Book That whereas before a man turned over twenty Authors upon a point Now he can go humbly to God with his Bible and without Spectacles he can see what the will of God is Therefore lay aside Spectacles sometimes and only take the spirit of God and compare Scripture
heard or understood any thing of them that God hath prepared for them that love him They are as we see there afterwards clearly the things of the Spirit of God They are called the deep things of God ver 10. they are deep because no carnal man can reach them and in ver 11. they are called the things of God and in ver 12. The things that are freely given to us of God And in ver 14. they are called the the things of the Spirit of God The things of the Spirit of God are foolishness to him In 2 Cor. 4. ult there you shall have both these things described for in that we shall have a little light from that description of it the things of the flesh are called there the things that are seen and the things of the Spirit are called the things that are not seen the one are said to be temporal and the other eternal The things of the flesh are temporal things that may be seen that is not so much seen with the eyes of the body but he means that a man every carnal man may perceive and understand them All the things of Old Adam a meer natural man is able to comprehend them but the other things are things that are not seen that is that eye hath not seen nor ear heard nor hath entred into the heart of man Therefore Christ in Mat. 11. 25. saith I thank thee O heavenly Father that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them to babes What were these things the things of the spirit of God they are the things that are hid from the wise and prudent of the world they are not possible to be seen of them but God reveals them to the least babe of his own kingdome In Coloss 3. 1 2. you have another description for you may put these together and so the better understand them In ver 2. the things of the flesh are called things on earth and the things of the Spirit are called the things that are above The things of the flesh are the things that are beneath as it were things on the earth that is though in Old Adam there be many excellent things you must not conceive Earth here in a gross sense there is fine refined wisdome and understanding and prudence which the spirit of God usually slights and despiseth Where is the wise and the disputer c. notwithstanding all Old Adam is but earthly all the spirituality as it were of Old Adam are but things on the earth It is no wonder they are called things of the Earth when the Doctrine and Preaching of John Baptist he himself calls it Earthly I am from the earth I speak earthly He is from above he speaks heavenly and spiritually It was earthly in comparison of Christ though there was some Gospel in it Much more earthly is all the devotion and Religion and what is best in fleshly man that hath nothing in him but Old Adam In Phil. 3. 7. there is another large description of these things The things of the flesh there they are those things that Paul once accounted gaine to him and those things that Paul now accounted losse to him see there what those things are those excellent fine things the things of the flesh a man while he is in the flesh accounts them gaine a great gaine to him he lives by his wit and his wisedome and it is a mighty gaine to him to increase and build up old Adam in him But when a man comes to spirituall things he accounts all these things loss I account them loss saith Paul Now the things of the spirit were those things that Paul desired to win and to gain in the verses following That I may gain Christ and his righteousness and a little further you shall see Paul calls the things of the flesh the things behinde and the things of the Spirit the things before And in ver 19. the things of the flesh he calls them earthly things They minde earthly things and so by contraries the other things are heavenly I cannot open every particular expression onely I would point out the descriptions to you as the Holy Ghost layes them down In 2 Cor. 5. there the things of the flesh are called old things and the things of the Spirit are called new things for saith the Apostle We know no man after the flesh yea though we have known Christ after the flesh yet know we him so no more therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new creature old things are passed away all the things of the Flesh are old things the things of the Spirit of God are new things Therefore in the Acts the Athenians desired to know the new strange doctrine that Paul brought What was this new doctrine Onely the things concerning the Spirit of God the other things are old things Gal. 2. 18. there the things of the flesh are described to be the things that Paul destroyed and the things of the Spirit the things that Paul sought to build up 1 Cor. 7. 32 33. the things of the flesh are called the things of the world but the things of the Spirit are called there the things of the Lord The married cares for the things of the world but the unmarried for the things of the Lord. Phil. 2. 23. the things of the flesh are called our own things and the things of the Spirit are called the things of Jesus Christ Saith the Apostle I have no man like minded who will naturally care for your state Mark that expression it is well worth observing in these self-seeking times We may well say so now if Paul said so then I have no man like minded who will naturally care for your estate A man can hardly finde a Professor in a multitude that will naturally and freely care for the state of others of the Saints for saith he All seek their own and not the things that are Jesus Christs all seek their own things the things that make for old Adam that make for the Flesh and for mans self Joh. 6. 27. the things of the Flesh are called meat that perisheth and the things of the Spirit meat that endureth to everlasting life Luke 10. 41. they are called many things and the things of the Spirit are called one thing Martha Martha thou art cumbred about many things for indeed there are many distracting businesses in the things of the world therefore in Mat. 13. when the seed was sown among thorns it is said the deceitfulness of riches and pleasures and the lusts of other things who knows how many it may be a thousand two thousand other things the things of the Flesh are endless but the things of the Spirit are called one thing the ruinous building of old Adam is going into a thousand pieces but there is but one Jesus Christ and in the things of Jesus Christ there is a greater union then in the things of the
things of the Spirit are comprehended in these three First the things of Faith They minde the things of the Spirit that is they alway minde and study how to believe in Jesus Christ and how to lay firmer and righter hold of him how they may know him more distinctly and hold him more firmly and get fuller assurance this is their work 2. Or they are exercised about the things of Hope that is they are contemplating and rejoycing in their Happiness by Christ how their persons are justified and their sins pardoned and the righteousness of the law fulfilled in them and all in Heaven and Earth bestowed on them As Paul saith Phil. 3. this is our Religion we glory in the flesh as if not but we rejoyce in Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh but we rejoyce in Jesus that is in all the happiness we have in Jesus Christ 3. Or thirdly and lastly the things of the Spirit are the will of God or the Commands of Jesus Christ they alway study how they may obey and fulfill the good and acceptable and perfect will of God So that a Saint if he be spiritual he is alway either acting his Faith and increasing and strengthning that or he is contemplating his Happiness in Jesus Christ or studying which way to glorifie God to know what part of the will of God he knows not and to study what part of the will of God he knows and remembers this is his exercise And let this suffice to shew what the things of the flesh and what the things of the Spirit are Now the third question briefly is What is meant by the minding of the things of the Flesh and the things of the Spirit 1. You must under stand first that the meaning is not as though a man might not think upon fleshly things for a spiritual Saint oft thinks upon fleshly things in a spiritual manner as to consider his sins to bewail and to mourn for them and he may minde earthly worldly things to provide things honest to provide for his Family as the Apostle saith he may think of his business Therefore the Holy Ghost here doth not use the word Frounesis but Frounena Frounesis signifies prudence or discretion or providence in business he doth not use that lest we should think that the Holy Ghost forbids to provide to be mindful and careful of worldly business but Frounena that signifies a further thing as I shall shew presently 2. Now then you must understand this also that when the Apostle saith they minde the things of the flesh the word doth not onely signifie the understanding but it signifies all the affections also I could give you divers places of Scripture where this word is set downe to expresse the working of any affection in the soul Therefore the meaning is not only of the mind that studies but his affections his will the way of his delight his joy is in earthly things his care is after fleshly things But in particular there are these four or five things implied in the word when they are said to mind the things of the flesh The first is that the very care of his heart as I told you before is Fleshly and carnall A Christian hath outward worldly things in an outward room and Jesus Christ next his heart There is saith one godly man a closet in the heart of a Saint only to entertaine Jesus Christ which the Scripture calls the spirit frequently I worship God in my spirit Rom. 1. And in 1 Thes 5. That ye may be sanctified in your spirit That is in the very coare and quintessence of the soul Now a godly man may have many hurries of wordly things and lusts cross and come through but the coar of his heart is for God and for Holiness Therefore saith Paul Rom. 7. I serve the law of the flesh with my members and the law of Christ with my mind That is inwardly with the care of my heart I shewed the meaning of that word before I shall not now go further in that Secondly a man is said to minde wordly things when a man not only thinks of worldly and fleshly things but savours of worldly and Fleshly things therefore the same word Frounena that is here minding is oft read to savour As in the Speech of Christ to Peter thou savourest the things of the world thou hast a smack of it thou hast a relish of carnall things So then to mind fleshly things is when a man not only thinks of them and considers them but when a man finds most joy and rast and delight in such kind of things But a Fleshly man about worldly or carnal or if you will about sinful businesse O there he is as a fish in the water there he is his own man he is well but put him about any spirituall thing let him come to learne a little for his soul or let his Neighbour come to teach him and admonish and reprove him he is upon thornes then he hath no tast of it at all now if thou be a fleshly man thou mindest fleshly things that is thou doest not only in thy understanding consider of them but thy soul relisheth them there thou art thy owne man when thou art in the middest of the world and the flesh and earth and hell therefore look to thy self Thirdly to mind fleshly things is when the streame the main of the soul goes upon fleshly earthly carnall things when the things of God are but by businesse to a man It is no so in a spirituall man 1 Cor. 7. He useth the world as if he used it not he mindes little of the world as little as may be but the main stream of his soul is upon Jesus Christ there he exerciseth himself day and night as David speaks Fourthly when a man doth study and plod continually upon worldly things upon fleshly carnal things When a man takes care for so the word is used oft in Scripture as it is used Rom. 14. 6. If any man doth observe a day or care for a day Curare diem as we reade it in the Latine if one observe it and another will not or will not regard it When a man observes and regards and takes care and studies and plods for earthly fleshly things this is to minde Fleshly things Therefore in Phil. 4. 7. saith the Apostle I am glad that your care is renewed towards me saith Beza It is more then care there is a kinde of sollicitude it is addicere animam it is a word that signifies when a man addicts him when he is given wholly to a thing when a man is addicted and gives his minde wholly to the world to fulfill his lusts or to enjoy his pleasures this is to minde Fleshly things Then Fifthly and lastly it is when a man doth judge of things according to the Flesh Non est cogitare c. To minde is not onely to think of it but to judge of things As
I told you that these they do come immediately from it The third thing was that the reasoning is the chief character of a man as reason in a man considered in a natural way is the most proper way of distinguishing of him from other things because it is most essential to him for you cannot distinguish a man so properly from a horse because he hath two legs and that a horse hath four but by his essence he is a rational creature and therefore I told you a man may know good excellently a man may love good and godliness and a man may do good and suffer for good and yet be an Hypocrite yet be a carnal man Why Because he may do good and love good and suffer for good and all out of carnal reasoning he may love the good because of some fine circumstantial things And therefore I concluded last day with two words of use but I must endeavour to make good my promise Now the last thing is how it comes to pass for I have as in reference to the Doctrine you heard That spiritual men are swayed with spiritual reasons How comes it to pass that they are enabled so to reason and to be so guided by such Reasons Beloved in general certainly it is only by the same spirit of God for I must advance the spirit still not in opposition to the Scriptures mistake me not for the spirit takes of the things of Christ and in the Scriptures sheweth you them but it is the spirits teaching you And therefore it is said they are after the spirit that do minde spiritual things because it is the spirit that doth work them to mind spiritual things ye would never mind spiritual things else All the learning in the World and all the wit in the World will never teach a man to make one sincere Argument to do good or draw him from evil But you will say how doth the Spirit do this Beloved I told you heretofore that I do not approve of those that do endeavour to shew you too particularly and disbiastly how the spirit of God works in the soul as many men have done and many a godly man but they have lost much time and have puzelled the souls of poor people for thou knowest not how a child is formed in the wombe how his eye is made and how his nose is made And how are we able to discover how the Spirit of God works grace in the soul which ordinarily is done that he doth this first and then that and will not do this until he hath done that which hath brought forth a deal of curiosity and needless distinctions troubling the people of God But I will give you some particulars how he doth it The wayes whereby he doth without curiosity not saying he doth this first or that first He doth it by a Creation by spiritual Creation he doth make a Creation in the soul which is called the new man Thou that art there now sitting in a Pew that Creature that old Creature cannot reach the spirit of God It cannot be mended for we have hearts of stone that will not be cobled nor mended but taken out wholly our natures are so naught that they cannot be mended but God comes and by his holy spirit makes a new Creature in the soul As man is said to be a man and hath not his denomination from the grosser part as his Legs or the like but from the more noble part his soul and his minde for where as in one place it is said What will it avail a man to get the World and lose his Soul in another it is lose himself So as my soul is my self So there is an old man not according to outward age but according to the inward Now he makes thee a new Creature not new Legs and Hands but new minde new affections and new powers in thy soul Now most people say that the Lord doth infuse new qualities into ths soul that whereas thou hast an understanding and it is rotten and all is full of bad qualities thou shalt have new qualities thou shalt have an understanding that will minde heavenly things Beloved that is true but I very much doubt whether there be not something more because the Lord calls it a man and we never read in the Scripture where he will work new qualities but a new man we are created a new creature Now that is the way and therefore if ever thou wilt be a spiritual man thou must have the Lord to make thee a new Creature Now the Saints heretofore pray understand me did not look upon things as we do we have had so many false distinctions and subdistinctions we have not the same notions and distinctions they had They alwayes looked upon the inward man or the new Creature Now we look without saith Paul my inward man gaineth dayly If any man be in Christ he is a new creature Beloved that ye may understand this bear with me a little I do finde in the Scripture that a man is made a Saint made spiritual and holy two wayes One is by renewing a man to that which he was in old Adam Secondly by creating things in him that were never there before And we have these two expressions in Scripture Be renewed in the spirit of your mind and created unto good works So that a Saint he is made up unto that condition two wayes either God hath renewed in him those things he had in Adam or else God hath created in him that which was never there before As for instance God revealeth in him sobriety and continuance and the like these things were in Adam and now when a man is made a Saint they are renewed only upon a new foundation And withal the Lord creates something that was never in Adam as for instance he creates faith there that is the faith of the Gospel There was a faith in Adam without doubt but that faith of the Gospel to believe in another to renounce his own righteousness this was not in Adam because it was point-blank contrary to his own condition for he was to have righteousness in himself and to renounce it was contrary to his condition Now God creates such a faith in us And Beloved there is another thing and it may be there are many things more I have had many thoughts of it with submission to the godly and wise I think that Gospel goodness is a piece of the New man which was not in Adam as to do good to Enemies to love them that hate us to give drink to a thirsty Enemy When one is wicked and ungodly and doth deal despightfully with us as Christ saith then to do him good and bless when he curseth and pray for him that injureth us Beloved this is Gospel-goodness I have had many thoughts of it had I time to prove that this Gospel goodness is a piece of the New creature that was not in old Adam There was goodness in
Adam but not this as for instance there are divers things we finde among Professors that in the last day will be found to be nothing but the old Adam but Ishmaels that are humbled to the height and ye shall see in them a great deal of diligence in Gods service but where will you finde a Professor one of 500. and I speak with the least that you may clearly reade Gospel-goodness in him that you may say yonder is a man that if you curse him he will love you and if you do him hurt and that despitefully he will pray for you It is an easie thing to kindle a brand that hath been once lighted to do that which Adam did but to do this is a higher matter As man was created after the Image of God so the Creatures in a sort were created after the image of man now as in Creatures in a Dog there is love and the like But where is there a creature that if you do him mischief will not endeavour to do you the like again or at least wise run away But where is a piece in the old Creation that doth love his Enemies And whereas it is said Adam was created after the Image of God and God loves his Enemies I answer God then in that Covenant was not in a disposition to love his Enemies but to hate his Enemies and sinners and curse them and damn them but now in Jesus Christ he loves his Enemies and therefore according to his minde he revealed to Adam it was not so and many other reasons I had but this I present to you with submission I do not speak curiosities but I finde and see very little of this scarcely any there was a candid goodness in the Primitive Church which is not now to be which is not now to be found now nothing but biting and tearing and devouring one another well there is one word he doth it by a spirittal Creation Then Secondly he brings the soul to this way of spiritual reasoning by spiritual illumination he created faculties before and now he casteth in Light as he did in the old Creation you know he made Heaven and Earth in the lump and then said Let there be Light Now that is the reason when the Gospel is preached and there is the spirit of God going with the Word and thou art dark and canst not receive this light the new Creature is not framed in thee if thou hast no eyes thou canst not see and if a man have eyes he cannot see in a dark room Now when the new man is made then the Lord sends in light and it is not every light for there are many Lights a blinde man as it were an Hypocrite hath them but it is a powerful Light that God puts in for we do finde that there is a kinde of Light in Hypocrites but yet there is no power in them there is not Light to bring them to such kinde of reasoning as will bring them to any good or from any evil they will talk of Drunkenness and Whoredome and the like but have not power to bring them off from any of these things indeed a Saint may be overcome of his Lusts that war in his members but there is a Law in his minde that is there is a Light that is like unto a Law that hath power in it that he seeth Christ doing them away I am sorry I have not time to open this unto you further but remember it Thirdly the Lord will do it by suggestion that is the spirit of God puts light into the soul he puts a measure of light to dwell in every new creature and that powerfully But because the way of the saints are so dark in this World and thorow so much difficulty the spirit of God prompts a Saint alwayes when he is at a loss As among Schollars we shall see sometimes a man is almost born down and then another giveth him an Argument or Distinction to help him and then he carries it and so the flesh hath reason and arguments as we are going along and now though there be a measure of light a stock of light dwelling in us yet we are nonplussed by the flesh and then the spirit of God suggesteth somewhat to us and we are carried thorow as you have it in Mat. 20. When you are brought before Governours it is not you that speak but the spirit of God that prompteth you Fourthly the spirit doth it by conviction that is another way we have it Joh. 16. saith Christ when I go I will send my spirit and my spirit shall convince the World of sin reprove you have it he shall convince the World of sin of righteousness and Judgement The word signifies when he saith the spirit will convince that is by way of Argument the meaning is that in every carnal mans heart there are arguments against faith and for his own destruction and strong ones too And when we preach to you ye bring reason against reason and so go away unconvinced unconverted but the spirit will convince you that is he will bring such strong arguments as Doctor PRESTON saith from Heaven that will convince you As when a stronger man cometh he disarmeth the other as before we thought godliness nothing but Heresie and Puritanism and the like but now the Spirit convinceth you you see this is the onely way and out of this way I shall never see God and the like 5. Another way I find the spirit doth it by is commemoration by minding us of what we have heard of somthing we have known before it it is our remembrancer Therefore saith Christ I will send my Spirit and he shall bring to your remembrance what you have heard not that you shall remember a whole Sermon and Repeat it every word but thus it is he will either suggest thoughts we never had before or bring to our remembrance a word we have heard of such a preacher in such a place or read in such a place or thought in such a walke or the like and so setteth on and carrieth on the worke 6. And he doth it by consolation he is the Comforter the consolation of the spirit Beloved this is certaine that ye know trouble of minde exceedingly hinders the acts of reason That is the reason men are mad because some fumes rise up in the braine and trouble the minde that they cannot reason but are mad Beloved our troubles of minde and soule they are like fumes that come up into the braine and distract us A spirituall man is many times as it were a distracted man there are so many sumes such horrour and guilt that he is almost stark mad he can talke of naturall things but in spirituall things he is as it were mad the Chaine of spirituall reason is broken and now the spirit is the Comforter and he quiets the the spirits and when a man is in a quiet temper the disease is gone and the reason
comes into the minde and as the Philosopher said ye know in naturall things a man can reason when he is not troubled so it is in the spiritual 7. Another way is by Sanctification by the Spirit he is the Spirit of Sanctification it makes the soul holy it takes away lust and sin from the soul This I finde in Mat. 6. 22 23. I would open that place but cannot therefore pray consider saith Christ The light of the body is the eye if therefore thy eye be single thy whole body shall be full of light He doth oppose singleness unto evil if thine eye be single that is if thy eye be purged from all guile that there is no sin there not when a man hath one eye to God and the other to sin to the world but if thy eye be evil that is sinful then thy whole body is full of darkness Therefore blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God 8. Well lastly there is another way there are divers more but I will name but one more and that is The Spirit of God doth teach the Saints thus to reason by exercising that is helpeth them to exercise and improve that light that they have There is a little light natural light and there is a kinde of spiritual light that an hypocrite hath but the Spirit of God doth not help him to improve that light and therefore that light dieth he blows not up the fire you know men come to reason by reasoning and exercise of reason makes men rational I mean makes them know how to reason Now hypocrites do not thus as you may see Rom. 1. there they knew God and because they glorified him not as God they became vain in their imaginations or in their reasonings as it is in the Original God gave them up to a reprobate minde because they glorified not God Vse Beloved I have three or foure uses but I feare I shall not reach them all I am overloath to tire you and my self Therefore I will conclude with one word and that is this That from hence from this that hath been said you may see what is the Fountain of all goodness and of all evil in the soul 1. Of all good as I have at large lookt upon it but can but touch Take any good and you shall see it is carried on by spiritual reasoning as take Faith Abraham reasoned He that gave him a Son at a hundred years old could raise him up again Take your Consolation it comes out by spiritual reasoning take Paul and Silas they were in prison and ready to be brought out the next day to die now one would think they were mad there to sing but they did it upon spiritual reasons for they accounted themselves blessed to suffer for Christ and if they die they shall then be with Christ for hating of evil you shall see whence is it as pulling out the right eye or cutting off the right hand that is one would think a most unreasonable thing but Christ giveth a reason for it It is better to go into Heaven it is better to enter into life halt or maimed rather then having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire So a Saint can reason spiritually and thus he loves the Saints and hates sin and denieth himselfe and performeth every dutie he so reasoneth that it is the blessed will of God he should do it 2. And so for evill whence comes sin from vanity of the minde whence comes persecution they think they do God good service there is reason it is a good thing to suppress these Schismaticks say some and to have Conformity and be all of one minde and to banish them and let them all go whence is this it is either from corrupt or natural reason And so when men hear the Word of God and forget it they like it well as a man doth that sees his face in a glass but they go away and forget it and whence is it why James tells you Deceive not your selves Deceiving your selves the word in the Original is by false reasonings A man hears the Word and thinks surely I am in this evil condition and I am out of the way and I must look after Christ and the like but afterwards comes natural reason saying these are but new denies and what is become of our fathers and the like Beloved all good is carried into the soul upon the wings of spiritual reason and all evil upon natural and corrupt reason and therefore I conclude all beseeching you that you would study and endeavour to get up your souls and your conversations accordingly to be swayed and carried on by a spiritual minde by spiritual reasoning for here we speak of your Consciences not of your lives so much as of your hearts and mindes And that you may so do take the Motive which follows in the Text which I did purpose had God given me strength and time to open but take it in the gross For to be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace Be perswaded to go home and pray the Lord to create this in you yea and enlighten you For to be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace Two things I have here to say To be carnally minded is death you must expound it by the other that oposeth it its contrary to life and peace it is death and trouble and the other is life and peace Death and trouble if thou wilt be a carnal man and go on so there is nothing in all thy course but death and trouble that is there is death at the end of it Remember that the end of thy Journey is death Remember as the Apostle saith Phil. 3. They minde earthly things and I write weeping that their end is destruction It is a fine thing to be carried all our life long from one carnal thing to another and provide for my Honour and Wealth and Preferment and the like and do this and that good action upon carnal reasons and with a carnal eye but God hath put a sad end to it it is Death And now the other it is Life eternal life though it be rough for me every day to dispute with my carnal heart and not onely carry on good but deny my self in good upon spiritual reason this is a warfare but the end is life and it is peace too This is a hard work you will say and therefore we will take the easiest and smallest work Beloved I say there is more ease and sweetness and contentedness in going on in the wayes of God spiritually upon spiritual reasons an hundred-fold then in the other for the other will be rough and God hath cast it so God hath put a Curse upon all Old Adam he curseth it with death and therefore he must die that walks carnally and that is the reason all your natural thoughts and actions are so bitter God hath cursed them they must die and now all the wayes of Holiness have enough to induce thee to endeavour to walk holily as one saith The gleanings of the Saints are better then the harvest of the wicked men if there were no Hell nor Heaven hereafter but onely the wicked to have the pleasures of sin here and the Saints to have the Consolations of the Spirit dwelling in them it is more an hundred-fold the one is nothing but crackling of thorns under a pot and the end is smoke and stink and the other is sweet here and in the end blessed eternally if it were not suppose though the way to Heaven be bitter here yet it is sweet in the end and the way of the world sweet here and bitter in the end yet you should choose Holiness as a Philosopher said If a man were to take a bitter and sweet thing which were he best to take first saith he to take the sowre or the evil first and the sweet for the hope of the good to come will sweeten the present evil but when a man hath the good first the fear of the evil to come will marre all but therefore seeing there is a reward in the way in Holiness as well as in the end for Holiness it should move us to labour after Holiness FINIS