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
PAVLS COMPLAINT AGAINST HIS NATVRALL CORRVPTION WITH THE MEANES HOW TO BEE DELIVERED FROM the power of the same Set forth in two Sermons vpon the 24 verse of the 7. Chapter of his Epistle to the Romanes Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from this bodie of death By me WILLIAM TEELINCK Preacher of the Word of GOD at MIDDLEBVRGH LONDON Printed by Iohn Dawson for Iohn Bellamie 1621. TO THE WORSHIPFVLL HIS VVORTHIE FRIEND M r THOMAS NICHOLAS Esquire As also To the vertuous Gentlewoman M rs IANE NICHOLAS his wife Grace and peace in this life with perfection of glory and happinesse in that to come WORSHIPFVLL The consideration of the dutie which euery Christan is in Conscience bound to performe namely To aduance the glory of God by whom he was created and vpon whom he wholy dependeth and also to further the good of his Brother the Image of God and fellow member with him of the same misticall bodie of Christ compelled me to take in hand the Translation of these two Sermons following as being the good which I hauing opportunitie of time and place to accomplish might in no wise omit They were first preached and published in the Netherlandish Dutch for the benefit of the people of God in those parts which being also my desire in this place I according to my slender ability haue translated and published them here and as a token of the respect I beare vnto your worth and of the thanks I owe vnto you for the many fauourable fruites of your loue am bold to tender them vnto your acceptance and commit them vnto your Patronage They may fitly be tearmed the Anatomizing of the body of sinne a touch stone for a Christian or a Receipt for a sicke soule for they ioyntly containe matter suting vnto these three titles and vse full for all sortes of men as well those that have a name to be aliue but are dead hauing a shew of Religion but want substance as those that are Christians indeed and in truth Whose prayse is not of men but of God But being loath to be too troublesome vnto you with abundance of words I referre you vnto the booke it selfe which being iealous of mine owne errors and insufficiencie I submit vnto your judicious censure euer consecrating my selfe vnto you for your seruice in all that I am or shal be able to performe and my prayers vnto God for your safetie and protection in bodie and soule and thus I humbly take my leaue euer remaining your Worships to be commanded in whatsoeuer C◠HARMAR ¶ The Author his Epistle to the Reader ALthough in all the holy Scripture the word of truth it be found to be most true that in the world there is nothing more hatefull and fearefull then sinne yet daily experience teacheth that there are very few which are grieued and troubled therewith there are to bee found in this cursed world multitudes of them that mourne for their temporall losses and crosses the fruit of sinne one complaineth pittifully of his pouertie of the losse and damage he hath susteined another of his sicknesse of the griefe and paine that he hath suffered a third of the shame contempt disgrace or iniurie which this or that man hath offered vnto him but few consider that sinne is the mother of all this mischiefe yea when they are free from the foresaid inconueniences though they lie plunged and smoothered in sinne they are neuer touched therewith but passe away their time carelesly and securely Let them care that care will onely some few whose eyes God hath opened for to see the mysteries of his kingdome doe make their sinnes their greatest trouble and griefe and not without good cause for it is most certaine and true that he shall neuer see God with ioy hereafter in heauen which commeth not to see his sinnes with a holy and godly sorrow here vpon earth In this sense those that mourne are called blessed of our Sauiour himselfe Therefore for to moue men unto this godly sorrow for their sins and to stirre them vp vnto an holy zeale against all sinnes I haue published these Sermons following wherein I haue shewed how we may be deliuered both from the condemning and commanding power of sinne unto our eternall comfort whereby if any man reape benefit I shall highly reioyce in my labour herein bestowed Farewell in the Lord. Middleburgh the 21. of Iuly 1620. Thine in the Lord WILLIAM TEELINCK PAVL HIS COMPLAINT AGAINST HIS NATVRALL CORRVPTION WITH THE MEANES HOW TO be deliuered from the power of the same Set forth in two Sermons vpon the 24. verse of the 7. Chapter of his Epistle to the Romaynes O miserable man that I am who shall deliuer mee from this body of death THE Apostle Paul hauing declared at large in the foregoing verses the cumbersome contention he had with his flesh and naturall Corruption the which was alwayes in his way and exceedingly hindered him in the seruice of his God and now finding himselfe dangerously beset with this enemy he cryeth out for helpe as it were with a loud voyce saying O miserable man that I am who shall deliuer me from this body of death The summe A mournefull Lamentation or Complaint against that naturall corruption wherwith the Apostle found himselfe oppressed The parts are these 1. Against what hee complaineth against the body of death 2. Who complaineth The Apostle himselfe I miserable man 3. How he complaineth Two manner of wayes First he declareth himselfe therefore to be miserable in that he hath this body of death about him secondly he wisheth to bee deliuered from it 1. Of what he Complaineth He complaineth of the body of death by which we must vnderstand as it appeareth in the former Verses our naturall corruption which makes vs in our selues vnapt to any good and prone and readie to all euill euen that originall sinne wherin we were conceiued and borne concerning which the Apostle formerly testifieth that it worketh death Ver. 13. And in another place is termed by him the body of sinne Rom. 6.6 in which respect also he declareth himselfe to be carnall sold vnder sinne ver 14. and witnesseth that it is in him a Law in his members whereby he is greatly hindered in the performance of obedience vnto the Law of God ver 22.23 But we shall better iudge of the meaning of this manner of speech if so be we obserue the reasons why originall sinne or naturall corruption is called a body yea a body of death Our naturall corruption is named a body for these reasons following 1. As a body hath many members so also hath this naturall corruption it is a coniunction or knitting together of many euill members or rather it spreadeth it selfe through all the powers and parts of the whole man therefore it is not onely called a body but also a Man even the olde Man Ephes 4.22 Implying that there is nothing in man which
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
and doest not studie to obey and please them but seekest by the spirit to mortifie and kill them know I say that thou art a childe of God continue therefore in thy spirituall combat fight valiantly and put on all the Christian armour of proofe and let this serue to make thee long and desire to be deliuered from this body of death and to be with Christ and in the meane time be humbled in thy selfe and patient toward thy brother out of the sense of thine owne imperfections and striue not onely against this or that sinne according to the manner of worldly men whereby it appeareth that their heart is not vpright with God but with the Apostle fight against the whole bodie of sinne vsing the meanes that God hath ordained whereby thou mayest ouercome and auoiding all occasions that may make thee fall and so doing be assured in thy selfe that thus to striue against thy naturall corruption is an infallible marke that thou art a Childe of God and a sure ground of vnspeakeable comfort ⸪ ⧠The second Sermon Thirdly How the Apostle lamenteth ouer the bodie of Death The Apostle his lamentation is two-fold first he declareth himselfe therefore to be miserable secondly he wisheth to bee deliuered Of both which wee shall speake by Gods assistance and first of this that the Apostle declareth himselfe to beo miserable because he had the bodie of death in him O miserable man sayth the Apostle who shall deliuer me It is very strange the Apostle lamenteth here after this manner in other places he affirmeth and that confidently that hee reioyced euen in the greatest tribulations 2 Cor. 4.8 c. 2 Cor. 6.4 c. How doth he here then so mournefully complaine Did he speake from his heart when he said O miserable man Was he not then a man blessed of the Lord Was he not then assured of his saluation How commeth it then that he calleth himselfe miserable Without doubt the Apostle speaketh here in good earnest for he was then in a hot skirmish and had little time or cause to dally or lest yea he spake not onely in earnest but also vpon good groundes for the other afflictions wherein hee sayth he did glory and reioyce were outward afflictions wherein in truth hee might well reioyce but here he speaketh as wee haue heard before of his naturall corruption of the sinne that hanged fast vpon him and of the olde man which he began to behold in all the parts and members thereof The which made him lament and complaine in good earnest as being a thing out of which he could draw no comfort at all in which regard he might instly account himselfe to be miserable For this body of death considered in it selfe maketh a man truely wretched and miserable the which may sufficiently be gathered out of the first part of our Text whereunto wee will briefely adde that the body of death in respect of which the Apostle so earnestly complaineth hath these miserable and cursed effects which follow First it defaceth and depraueth the Image of God the which is a thing altogether lamentable and miserable If a man doth breake a leg or an arme how doth he cry out and complaine of his misery What cause then is there of mourning and complaint when the soule of man is broken to peeces and made vnfit for euery good vse When the most noble and eminent of man is â—â—terly depraued and corrupted Wee see that in a mans body when any member is wounded or afflicted with any griefe the more worthie and excellent that member is the greater is both the griefe and danger of the sore prick a man in the arme or the legg with the point of a Needle and he will both feele it complaine of it but pricke him in the apple of his eye and that shall pierce him to the heart and make him cry out If it bee so with the eye of the body how great is the paine and griefe when the eye of the minde is not onely prickt but wholly put out When the most noble and precious soule is wounded and that to death this is it that made the Apostle cry out O miserable man Secondly Man thus depraued in soule by originall corruption is by nature a childe of disobedience and a child of wrath Ephes 2.2.2 That is vnfit for the seruice of God liable to the curse of God both which are miseries beyond comparison First he cannot doe the workes of God for he is as a broken tooth which serueth for no vse at all and as a broken arme wherewith a man cannot worke As soone as a man beginnes to frame himselfe vnto the seruice of God hee findeth his corruption euer to be in his way so that the good that he willingly would doe he cannot doe as he would With this are the children of God greatly moued howsoeuer the children of the world which put not forth their strength to the seruice of God feele no inconuenience herein euen as one that hath a broken legge and lyeth still feeleth not the smart thereof so much as he that is euer assaying to walke and therefore they complaine not neuerthelesse this exceedingly grieueth the seruants of God and they account it as a great misery that they can no better performe their dutie to God Secondly the naturall man is liable to the curse of God Deut. 27.26 He that destroyeth the image of God him will God destroy This is it that did cast many of the Angells out of heauen into hell this droue Adam out of Paradise and maketh all the sonnes of men subiect vnto eternall death and from hence doe arise all the plagues and punishments which are inflicted vpon man now as a man hauing committed murther being come to himselfe accounteth himselfe to be miserable in regard of the offence which maketh him worthie of death although he be neither apprehended nor condemned to die euen so it is with the children of God who notwithstanding that they are deliuered as the Apostle was from the feare of death thorough our Lord Iesus Christ Heb. 2.15 yet because they know that their sinfulnesse causeth God to hide his cheareful countenance from them Esay 59.2 Which is vnto them as bitter as death it selfe therefore they cry out vnfainedly because of this bodie of death O miserable man Now in that the Apostle himselfe which had alreadie in a great measure mortified and subdued this body of death 1 Cor. 9.27 yet neuerthelesse so pitifully complaineth against it whereas there are many thousands that goe frolikely along being neuer touched much lesse troubled therewith yet are as it were wrapped and plunged ouer head and cares in sinne and iniquitie from thence followeth this Doctrine The more sanctified and holy that a man is the more sensible is he of his corruptions and the more troublesome are they vnto him This is manifest in that the Apostle that was none of the
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