our selues and looke about vs and ioyne all our forces together to kill and destroy this fell and cruell monster Seâ—ing it hath beene so manifestly and vndeniably made to appeare vnto vs that vnlesse we kill it it will kill and destroy vs and that eternally Rom. 8.13 And to the end that the Apostle might the more thoroughly make vs to vnderstand this and consequently the better deterre and affright vs from the loue and seruice of this our corrupt flesh which we so gladly and readily obey he calls it in our Text a bodie of death now there is nothing more terrible and fearefull to man then death yet there is nothing more pleasing vnto him then to obey his corruption in all its filthy lustes notwithstanding the Apostle declareth it how-soeuer it slatteringly laugheth and smileth vpon a man to be a deadly and destroying monster a body of death hauing in it selfe the sting both of temporall and eternall death wherwith it giueth the deaths-wound to euery carelesse and vnprouident person which serueth and obeyeth it euen as Ioab did vnto Amasa when he embraced him 2. Sam. 3. Wherefore euery one that loueth his soule must lay to heart the Apostles admonition Rom. 13.14 Put ye on the Lord Iesus Christ and take no care for the flesh to obey it in the lustes thereof yea hee must set himselfe against his corrupt flesh which is no other thing then a most dangerous monster how sweet and louely soeuer it seemeth to be he must in nothing take care to please and obey it for then it will grow more strong and hurtfull but he must weine it of its lust and denie it of whatsoeuer it desireth and so crucifie it and by little and little as it were hunger-sterue it that he himselfe may liue What we are to know and doe further as touching this body of death shall be declared in the parts of the Text which now follow to be handled 2. Who it is which here complaineth against this body of death IT is the Apostle himselfe which complaineth against the body of death which was in him for in the verse following he speaketh of himselfe and sayth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I my selfe and thus speaketh he euery where not as being vnregenerate but as hauing an vnfained and sincere loue and delight in the law of God which flesh and bloud did neuer teach him in which regard also by the testimony of the Psalmist he may be knowne to bee blessed Psal 1.2 From hence followeth this obseruation The body of sinne and of death is in the best that is the naturall corruption which maketh man of himselfe vnapt and vnfit to any good and prone and readie to all euill is euen in the best and most holy of all This appeareth out of that the Apostle himselfe here complaineth that it was in him who without doubt was one of the best Christians in the world at that time and he further declareth vnto vs that the faithfull among whom he shuts himselfe also while they are here vpon earth how farre soeuer they are proceeded in the new birth doe know but in part 1. Cor. 9.10.11.12 And he sayth of the Thessalonians that there was something wanting in their faith 1. Thes 3.10 When in another place he witnesseth of them that vnto other Christians they were notable examples and patternes of true faith 1 Thes 1.7.8 Yea in this regard Elias himselfe was subiect vnto the same passions vnto which other of Gods children are Iam. 5.17 and all the children of God are sayd to haue in them fleshly concupiscences which striue against their soule 1. Pet. 2.11 The best as long as they remaine in this life haue alwayes somewhat in them which they must crucifie which they must mortifie thorough the spirit Whereby it manifestly appeareth that there is in euery one an euill eye which must be pluckt out and a bad hand that must be cut off Mar. 9.43 c. Here it may be asked why God doth suffer his best Children thus to be oppressed and cumbered with this body of death so long as they liue here vpon earth First God doth it for the greater glory of himselfe and of his children and the greater shame and disgrace of the Diuell for truely it tendeth greatly to the prayse and glory of God and to the honour of his children and to the shaming of the Diuell that he knoweth how is able to keepe and preserue such weake and feeble vessels against all the power of Hell and to make them conquerours ouer Sathan in that very flesh which is so polluted with sinne and was once depraued by the Diuell Secondly the Lord doth it because it is fit that there should bee a difference put betweene the cursed earth and blessed heauen to be without finne and free from combat with it is a prerogatiue and priuiledge belonging onely to the seate royall and court of heauen it cannot be that we should enioy it here vpon earth no we must long after the fruition of it in heauen It may be demanded againe that seeing the very best are polluted with this naturall corruption what difference is there then betweene the children of God and the children of the world betweene true beleeuers and carnall men There is as great difference betweene them as is betweene the darkenesse of the darkest night and the light of the morning at the breake of the day as we heard before yea the difference betweene the carnall and spirituall man in respect of this inherent corruption is great euery manner of way for in the vnregenerate man this monster of sinne sitteth as it were vpon a throne ruling and hauing dominion in his heart where it commandeth and is obeyed in euery thing For experience makes it plaine that there is nothing wherein worldly men doe take more delight and pleasure then in seruing their corrupt flesh in all its lustes whether it be in couetousnesse voluptuousnesse pride ambition or in any thing else whereunto their appetites carry them But on the contrary side in the children of God how s oeuer it hath place in them yet it sitteth not as vpon a throne ruling and commanding as a King but lyeth as it were stretched out vpon a racke where thorough the working of the spirit it is euery day more and more disâ—joynted weakned and mortified Furthermore the daily practise of the true Children of God is not to take care for the flesh to obey it in the lustes thereof as carnall men doe but to beate it downe and bring it in bondage to the will of God as the Apostle did 1. Cor. 9.27 Here by the way we may consider the exceeding sottishnesse of many poore and wretched persons which serue the flesh and liue in sinne who when they once heare that all men yea the very best are sinfull and that the most holy and sanctified haue their wants and defects and are clogged with the sinfull
greatest sinners but one of the holiest vpon the earth yet maketh the greatest complain against his corruptions he reckoneth vp 2 Cor. 11. many and sundry bitter afflictions and persecutions yet none of them maketh him cry out and complaine so mournefully as he doth here because of his naturall corruption which he saw to be the mother of all misery Thus Dauid when through his folly hee had wounded himselfe with sinne goeth weeping vnto the bosome of his heauenly Father and cryeth out with a loud voyce Heale my soule O Lord for against thee haue I sinned But the Children of the world in the same case wipe their mouth with the Harlot and aske what cuill they haue done Now the reasons for which the regenerate and true Children of God are so grieued with sinne whereas the children of the world are neuer touched much lesse troubled therewith are chiefly these First the regenerate and true Children of God haue receiued spirituall life in them whereby they haue a quicke and feeling conscience which the Lord giueth them to keepe them from sinne But on the contrary side the naturall man is dead in sinne Ephes 2.1 and hath a seared Conscience 1 Tim. 4. which is vtterly past feeling as it is sayd their heart is waxed fat that they cannot vnderstand Mat. 13.15 Hence it is that the Children of the world being dead in sinne and dead in conscience can so easily digest all manner of sinnes and make so light of them being accustomed neuer to lament for the iniquitie offence of their sins but for some outward inconuenience which they haue procured vnto themselues in the world by their sinnes as losse reproch or the like but the regenerate being liuing in soule and quicke in conscience are sensible of the least prick of sin the smart whereof causeth them to cry out O miserable c. Secondly the regenerate haue their eyes open to see the vglinesse of sinne and the hatefull deformitie of this body of death they see that it defaceth the image of God in Man maketh him vnfit for the seruice of God and lyable to the curse of God they see that it dishonoureth God and prouoketh him to anger scandalizeth the Church grieueth the godly and reioyceth the wicked and causeth the name of God to be blasphemed and his Gospell to be disgraced they see also that hell and eternall damnation doe hang at the tayle of sinne how sweete pleasing soeuer it seemeth to be all this doe they see as a people that is neere vnto God who giueth great light vnto all them that are about him they see also that it shutteth Heauen and openeth Hell encreaseth the heat of Hell-fire for the vngodly and hideth the comfortable light of Gods countenance many times from his owne children All this doe the Saints of God see which maketh them so lament and complaine of sinne but the children of the world because they neither see nor vnderstand this are nothing troubled with sinne notwithstanding they are from top to toe polluted therewith Thirdly the regenerate and true Children of God doe hate sinne with a perfect hatred Psalme 97.10 Where on the contrary side the vnregenerate doe loue it as much yea they haue their speciall beloued sinnes Iob 20.12 Now wee know it is a thing not a little grieuous for a man to haue one whom he hateth alwayes to be present with him in his house at his table at his fire in his bed and euery where els vnder his nose So it grieueth the children of God not a little that the bodie of sinne and of death is in them which they hate with all their hearts and wish that it were drowned in the bottome of the sea but it is not so with the children of the world for they louing sinne or not hating it are nothing troubled therewith although they know it to be in them Fourthly The Saints of God haue learned to judge of sin according to the word of God which declareth it to be the most odious and abhominable thing that is Deut. 25.16 and herein haue they also learned to renounce their owne vnderstanding but naturall men doe judge of sinne according to their owne carnall conceite and good meaning and being by nature louers of sin they cannot nor will not vnderstand that it is so hatefull as truely it is and therefore where they should condemne themselues for sinne they condemne the law as if it were too strickt and iudged too seuerely of sinne Lastly as no element in his proper place is heauie So sinne in the naturall man being in its right place is not grieuous but it is otherwise with the children of God Now come we to the Vses that may be made of this that hath beene spoken and the first shall be for Examination and triall for by this Doctrine may euery man proue and try himselfe whether he be a childe of God or not in which the most part of men are wanting suffering themselues to be deceiued in the case of assurance of saluation but it must not be so for would a man be willing without proofe and triall of himselfe to go along merrily and laughing with a hope of inheriting eternall life and at last thorough want of tryall and examination finde himselfe deceiued in his expectation and be cast into eternall damnation without hope of euer being deliuered Verily I thinke not therefore enery one must take the paines to proue and examine himselfe Now here is an infallible Rule for proofe and tryall See how thou art minded concerning sin is it so that when thou hast thoroughly considered thy whole estate and condition and weighed in thy heart how euery thing standeth with thee thou findest nothing that troubleth and grieueth thee so much as sinne and canst thou hauing all things at will sit downe with the Apostle and mourne because of thy finnes and cry out vnfainedly O miserable man who shall deliuer me Wishing aboue all things to be deliuered from the bodie of sinne and to be freed from the power therof oh that is a good signe that there is spirituall life in thee that thou hast a spirituall eye open to see the hatefulnesse of sinne that thou thy selfe hatest sinne and iudgest thereof according to the word of God denying thine owne carnall conceit therein and that sinne being in thee is not in its proper place But on the contrary side if it bee so with thee that thou canst lament and bewayle thy losses and crosses in outward things and art nothing troubled for thy sins it is a very euill signe canst thou mourne grieue when thou hast wounded thine arme and doest thou make nothing of it when sin hath wounded thy soule euen to death canst thou frowne when others haue displeased thee and art thou not mooued at all when thou thy selfe hast displeased the God of heauen and earth canst thou rage and take on with thy seruants for breaking a glasse or a pot
flesh then beginne they to iustifie themselues and to say we haue all drunke of one cup he that is without sinne let him cast the first stone at me haue I my imperfections Another hath his I am not alone I hope I shall get into heauen as well as another and so they set themselues in equall degree with the true Children of God they themselues being no other then fleshly men and children of the world But thou miserable man which speakest after this manner vnderstandest thou not or wilt thou not vnderstand that there is a great difference betweene hauing the sinfull flesh in one and fighting with it and hauing it in one and louing and seruing it in the lustes thereof Is there no difference betweene chast Ioseph who being set vpon by Potiphars wife and tempted to commit folly ranne away and betweene the light and wanton woman who sought to draw him vnto it Is there no difference betweene a modest and chast Matron who hauing a Ruffian in her house resisteth him striueth against him seeketh by all meanes to driue him out and cryeth out earnestly O wretched woman that I am who shall deliuer me from this wicked villaine and betweene a lasciuious woman which reioyceth and is glad that the Ruffian is in her house which maketh a bed for him and solaceth her selfe with him so is there great difference betweene you which let sin raigne in your mortall bodies that you might obey it in the lusts thereof Rom. 6.12 and betweene the seruants of God which wrestle and fight with it and labour to beat it downe and bring it in subiection 1 Cor. 9 27. Yea there is so great difference marke it well that you with your sinfull flesh shall be cast into Hell where you shall eternally be tormented if in time you repent not where on the contrary side the Children of God shall be freed and deliuered from their sinfull flesh and be exalted into Heauen yea behold there is so great difference betweene you two that the one shall be damned and the other saued the one goe to heauen and the other to hell But although this naturall corruption is not alike in all men yet it is truely in all men and that in the very best as daily experience teacheth for who is there among the most holy and sanctified that liue which feeleth not in himselfe the pricke of the corrupt flesh and findeth not something to be in him which standeth in his way keepeth him from doing the good which he would doe greatly hindering him in the seruice of the most high First this serueth to incite and stirre vp euery one to walke warily and circumspectly seeing that we carry about vs and in vs such a bodie of sinne and of death such a deadly and deceitfull monster as the flattering flesh which alwayes lieth in ambush to entrap the soule and is conspired with the Diuell to bring it vnto destruction Shall we not then stand vpon our gard Shall wee not watch and pray and put on all the Christian Armour of proofe to defend our selues withall how can a poore man escape destruction and condemnation if he looketh not well to himselfe seeing he is so beset on euery side within and without with such dangerous and cruell enemies Admit that a Frontier towne be straightly besieged with a strong Army without and hath within it mutinous souldiers which alwayes seeke their opportunitie to betray and deliuer it ouer into the enemies handes how can such a Towne bee safe if good watch be not kept Must it not of necessitie be wasted and ransacked vnlesse the Citizens doe take more then common care and diligence to secure themselues We see it is bad enough with a Cittie in such a case let it doe the best it can and euen thus standeth it with vs the Diuell runneth round about vs seeking to deuoure our soules the corrupt flesh is within vs readie to betray our soules into his hands how then can wee auoid destruction if we be secure and negligent For this cause sayth the Scripture If the righteous shall scarcely be saned where shall the sinner and vngodly man appeare 1. Pet. 4.18 If that the Apostle Paul was thus troubled and grieued with the sin that cleaued so fast vnto him which was then vpon his guard and stroue manfully with it which had then denied himselfe and made it his continuall practise and trade to beate downe and kill this bodie of sinne 1. Cor. 9.27 What will then become of secure and negligent men that take no more care for their noble and precious soule then as though there were no deceitfull Sathan alwayes seeking his aduantages to enter vpon it nor any corrupt flesh and body of death to kill and putrifie it It shall surely come vnto them as the Apostle sayth when they shall say peace and safetie then shall come vpon them suddaine destruction as the trauayle vpon a woman with childe and they shall not escape 1. Thes 5.3 vnlesse in time they preuent it And it is most certaine that all this securitie which is in worldly and carnall men ariseth onely from this that they neither thinke nor consider that there is a whole kingdome of darknesse and all the power of hell vp in armes for to destroy their soule and a whole bodie of death and of sinne within them which is euermore readie to betray them into the hands of the destroyer this ignorance is the cause and ground of all their securitie for did they but see how mighty and cruell their enemies are and what deadly and poysonous concupiscences they carry in their bosomes they would surely be affrighted and tremble and cry out with the Apostle as if they were in some great exigent O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from this bodie of death Wherefore we must suffer our selues to be admonished euermore to stand vpon our guard to pray to haue God alwayes before our eyes and often to heare read and meditate on his Word and to follow his will reuealed therein those that are subiect to any disease in their bodie as the stone the gout or the like when they beginne to perceiue any signe of their old griefe they presently make their moane and complaine of it and liue more carefully respectiuely auoiding whatsoeuer may further and encrease their disease vsing all meanes to haue it cured so must we also doe for our soules vnlesse by giuing ouer all care of them we brand our selues with the marke of men reprobated and giuen vp of God In the second place this serueth for the iust reproofe of the exceeding great blindnesse and sottishnesse of many worldly and carnall men who because they lead an outward ciuill life among their neighbours paying euery man his owne and defrauding no man of a penny as their manner of speech is are therefore accustomed to iustifie themselues before God and beare themselues in hand that they haue no
body of death thorough this Prince of life as we should that then we betake our selues vnto a serious and due consideration of the manifold and wonderfull hatefulnesse and vilenesse of our sinnes how miserably the image of God is thereby depraued and defaced in vs how vnfit it maketh vs for the seruice of God how fearefully by it the wrath of God is kindled against vs how thereby wee haue deserued eternall death and damnation and consequently what great neede we haue of the mediation of Iesus Christ and this will make vs aboue all things vnlesse we are dead in sinne seeke our deliuerance from this body of death thorough Iesus Christ our Lord as the Apostle did Now in that the Apostle thus earnestly and aboue all things in the world as here it is manifest wisheth desireth and longeth more and more to be deliuered and freed from the power of sinne and in as much as he elsewhere requireth vs to be his followers from hence ariseth this instruction that it behooueth vs aboue all things in the world with all diligâ—nce to endeuour more and more to be deliuered from the power of sinne We see here in our Text that it is the practise of the Apostle and his example being good we ought to make it our rule This hath euermore beene the opinion and practise of all the seruants of God as it is here the out-cry of the Apostle Who shall deliuer me from this body of death Such is Dauids wish Psal 119.5 O that my way were directed to keepe thy statutes and it hath not onely beene the longing and desire of the seruants of God but also their daily practise and endeuour to attaine vnto it as the Apostle Paul witnesseth of himselfe that he desired in all things to walke honestly Heb. 13.18 Yea that it was his daily occupation his greatest exercise and endeuour to haue alwayes a cleare conscience toward God and towardes men Act. 24.16 And Dauid also testifieth as much of himselfe that he refrained his feete from euery euill way that he might keepe Gods word Psal 119.101 First This must be the endeuour of euery one that will serue God because true Religion and vndefiled before God euen the Father is to visite the widdow and fatherlesse in their aduersitie and to keepe himselfe vnspotted of the world Secondly If so be we were in slauery vnder the Turkes should wee not by all meanes labour for our libertie If we were griped in the clawes of a Lyon should we not desire and striue to come forth If we were in danger of some fearefull fire or ouer-flowing of water should we not make the best speed we could to escape Now the bondage the tyranny the brunt the flood of sinne is worse then the bondage of the Turkes the crueltie of a Lyon or the vnmercifulnesse of fire or water for these fasten onely on the body and but for a short space but the other on the soule and that for euer Therefore vnlesse wee will make it appeare that we be vnbeleeuing contemners and mockers of the Doctrine of heauen and hell and whatsoeuer appertaineth thereunto accounting it as meerely verball and vaine babbling Let vs aboue all things in the world labour and endeuour more and more to be deliuered and freed from the bondage of sinne Vses First Here is matter of mourning and lamentation euen that there are so few that labour and exercise themselues in this notwithstanding it be matter of such necessitie and consequence You shall find men that are plunged vp to the eares in sinne yet neuerthelesse take no paines at all to get out of it yea they are so farre from vsing any diligence of themselues to worke out their libertie and freedome from the bondage of sinne as that they cannot suffer any man to admonish them of their sinnes or to lend them a hand to pluck them out of them being in madnesse and folly like vnto him which being possessed with a deep sleepe and hauing an Adder creeping vpon him is angry and taketh it in ill part when his friend awaketh him to the end that he might auoyd the present danger so truely is it a miserable and lamentable thing and yet common that worldly men which doe lie in wickednesse 1 Ioh. 5.19 as a beast lyeth in hay for so the word there signifieth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are so farre from stirring and rousing vp themselues to rise out of their sinnes and to harken vnto the voyce which cryeth awake thou that sleepest stand vp from the dead and Christ shall giue thee light as that they had rather goe seeke some bodie to set a cushin vnder their elbow to the end that they might sleepe the more easily and soundly in their sinnes but it shall be with them as the Lord protesteth Ezech. 13.18.19 Secondly let this moue vs to stirre vp our selues aboue all things according to the manner of the Apostle to labour and endeuour to haue our selues deliuered from the body of death and set free from the power thereof for we see that we are altogether and wholly in the captiuitie and bondage of sinne therefore to endeuour to get our libertie must we preferre before all our workes and especially seeing the glory of our good and gracious God and the eternall well-fare of our owne soules doe stand vpon it yea it is most certaine that whosoeuer setteth not himselfe against his sinnes for to be freed and deliuered from his sinnes shall die in his sinnes Iohn 8.24 For this body of sinne shall peirce him with the venemous and cursed sting thereof which shall bring him not onely to temporall but also to eternall death 1 Cor. 15.56 For as those that die in the Lord are blessed and rest from their labours and enioy eternall happinesse Reuel 14.13 So those that die in their sinnes are certainely accursed and shall haue their part in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone Reuel 21.8 Therefore must wee make it our chiefest worke to get our selues deliuered from the power of sinne vnlesse we be willing thereby to bee brought into eternall condemnation But if we find our selues to bee alreadie truely deliuered from the power of sinne so that it hath no dominion ouer vs howsoeuer it remaineth in vs Rom. 6.12 yet we must with the Apostle Paul earnestly labour and endeuour more and more to be freed from it because the comfort of our souls and the peace of our consciences doe stand vpon it for it is most sure and certaine that we can no further reioyce comfort our selues in our faith and good conscience then we refraine our selues from sinne and endeuour in all things to walke honestly Psal 119.101 Heb. 13.18 Here may some man demand What are we to doe to the end that we may be deliuered from the power of sinne and more and more set free from the bondage thereof To the end that we may be set free from the power