BELIEVERS Mortification Of SIN by the SPIRIT OR GOSPEL-HOLINESS Advanced by the Power of the Holy Ghost on the hearts of the Faithful Whereunto is added the Authors Three last Sermons on Gen. 3.15 By the Learned and Pious Mr. Alexander Carmichael formerly of Scotland and late Preacher of the Gospel in London Published by his own Copy LONDON Printed for Dorman Newman at the Kings-Arms in the Poultrey 1677. To the Christian Reader especially the Godly and Reverend Allies and Acquaintance of Mr. C. deceased Dear Sirs T This little Posthume left very fairly Transcribed yet not intended for the Press humbly begs your Patronage shall I say or rather perusal When our Friends are gone down to the Chambers of Darkness we are then apt highly to value their Pictures when we cannot enjoy their Persons And why then may not these Papers find grace in your Eyes for in them you will find worthy Mr. C's very Picture drawn to the life Here Sirs you have the genuine off-spring of those two great burning shining Lights of yours Knox and Gillaspy exactly Lim'd out by his own Pencil Sic occulos sic ille manus sic ora ferebat Whoever intimately knew the Original will easily conclude these to be the Copy the real Transcript both of his Brain and Life the most Lovely pourtrait both of judicious Learning and mortified Conversation As to the Work it needs neither Bush nor Paint Let it be but seriously perus'd by a person really vers'd in that great and Heavenly though now horribly neglected Work of Mortification and it will certainly be priz'd at no little Rate As to the truly Worthy Author himself It had been impossible for me so far to have curb'd in my Zeal as not to have attempted at least a display of those many and great Excellencies which with so much modesty and humility he endeavour'd to conceal from the World but that his dying breath fixt a Lock upon my lips and utterly denied me the liberty of being but just in his Commendation Only this he left as his grand Depositum with me to be faithfully declared by me That he died with very great peace of Conscience with full satisfaction of Soul in those wayes of God wherein he had walked and wherein he died in particular That God as a gracious Father had abundantly made good to him that faithful Promise Matth. 19.29 Mark 10.30 Thus for him that 's gone before As for that flesh of his flesh and the fruit of his Loins as for that Ruth and Gershom that he hath left behind him I question not but so long as the Saints among you continue to bear your old Name Philadelphia so the old Puritans of England have us'd to stile you you will not you cannot forget to shew kindness to Mephibosheth for Jonathan's sake No more but the Psalmists prayer for every one of the faithful Brethren in the whole Church and Nation Psalm 122. 6 to the end with his Amen Amen Who is Your real Brother and Companion in the Kingdom and Patience of Jesus Christ Tho. Lye ROM VIII 13. If ye through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live HEre is Life and Death laid down before you If ye walk after the flesh ye shall die a dreadful word spoke even to those who are in Christ and to whom there is no Condemnation who yet need to be warned of their danger Conditional-threatnings may be mustered to them without bringing them back to a spirit of bondage and the Lord works on their fear as well as on their love and will have them keep one eye on Hell and another on Heaven or rather he 'l sometimes have them look behind them that at the sight of Hell and Wrath they may flye the faster to the Hope that 's set before them do not deceive your selves with an opinion of your Priviledges Well then What must we do that we may be saved the words of the Text tells you where mark that the Apostle is speaking to such as are in Christ If ye ask what an unrenewed man should do to be saved the Scripture Answers Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ Act. 16. 1 Joh. 3.23 Get into Christ But if ye ask What the man that is in Christ shall do the Text tells you which takes in or rather supposes holy walking or walking after the Spirit for as light comes in darkness goes out so that Mortification is one part of the Condition upon which we attain the possession of eternal Life though it be by faith by our first believing that we acquire a right to it Now in the words we have 1. The Act enjoyned Mortifie 2. The Object about which it is conversant 3. The way or the means by which this is to be effected through the Spirit 4. The Promise annexed Ye shall live 5. The Conditionality of the Promise If c. For the first What it is we shall after shew only now the Original word signifies to slay to pursue to Death Sin is not at once slain itgets a deaths-stroke by the first saving-work of grace it never recovers that but yet it dies but lingringly therefore called a Crucifixion and it s a great part of the Christians work to follow it to death to be driving nails into it and keep it bleeding till it expire For the second Let us observe the various Scripture-expressions as 1. Flesh so frequently in this Chapter this sometimes signifies the state of the natural man he that is in the flesh cannot please God so John 3.6 Sometimes the remainder of sin in the Regenerate Gal. 5.16 And so we read of the works of the flesh Gal. 5.19 these are the deeds of the flesh 2. Sin is spoke of as a body as in the Text sometimes called a body of sin Rom. 6.6 Sometimes the body of this death Rom. 7.24 It 's a Body not a Phantasm we are to conflict with it 's not to beat the air we are called to its weight is not found because it is in its place in its Element Now this Body hath various Members these we are to mortifie Col. 3.5 The stump of sin cannot be got out but we must be daily mutilating it and cutting off its members the stump we cannot pluck up the body and mass of in-dwelling sin we cannot discern nor reach but its deeds and workings we feel And albeit Gods faving-work upon the Soul wherein we are passive does wound and weaken the Body sin yet any work of grace wherein we are active does immediately only strike at the members of sin and at the deeds of it therefore says the Text If c. mortifie the deeds of the body 3. Sin is called a Man an old Man to hold forth the strength and cunning of it and its interest in the soul and body of a man It 's not a dead Carcass nor is it seated only in the outward members of a man Now we read of the deeds of this old man
I do not say that the Lord would have the Believer content to lie under the impressions of wrath much less content to be damned but he would have the man lie at his feet under chese and bear witness to his holy Justice when under outward or inward troubles Now the more spiritual mens sins be and the more refined these lusts are they are the more provoking 2. As the sins of Believers are in some respect more exceeding sinful than the sins of others so the more grace one have his sin is proportionably aggravated Moses suffers more for a word than many others for deeds 3. As afflictions are Covenant-mercies and fruits of fatherly affections to all the children of God so the more dutiful any child of God be the greater may his Corrections be when he does fault and so God is most gracious to him yet the more a man tolerate any sin if he be not more afflicted than others there 's at least more anger in his afflictions which is the soul and spirit of afflictions or the more spiritual are his punishments Finally The reason why some eminently godly are under many outward afflictions may be because they have some time or other may be dishonoured God by some publick sin whether before or after conversion and as they are provoking to God and scandalous to others so he manifests greater severity on such this is plain in Davids case so that it 's still some unmortified sin that brings on trouble A second prejudice that comes by the prevalency of any Corruption it keeps the Soul lean and low and makes it a Cripple in Duties it not only mar◠Confidence and Chearfulness in Duties but diligence and activity also for these may be separated yea it insensibly hardens the heart What a fearful security and stupidity brought on sin upon David Where was Davids tenderness now when he can plot Vriahs death it's as sickness to the Soul for sin is the Souls disease that does enervate its strength and make it languish What is said of whoredom and wine is true of every sin they take away the heart yea and the hand too the man as he is like a silly Dove without heart he cannot behave himself a right in Gods presence so he cannot speed at Gods work for he works cum laesis facultalibus his foul hands blackens holy Duties his fingers drop much sin upon them the old man leaves the print of his heels upon them O what is it that keeps you out of Heaven at least from seeing it afar off it's some sin that besets you and hinders your motion Heaven-ward how few paces have you advanced for these many days Heb. 12.1 2 Whence is it that you see not so much as the top of the Towers of the new Jerusalem How come many that did begin after you yet to get before you some weight presses you down some corrupt affection like a long-garment entangles you or you stumble and fall often in the way It is not so much external Duties as the secret exercise of Mortification that keeps grace lively and when this is neglected and any sin prevails Grace withers and often the Lord blasts a mans gifts also or if gifts be intire they are left for a share as Eccles 2.9 It was Solomons snare that when he was pursuing vanity My wisdom remained with me says he It is the Curse of many this day and that which hardens them in their ill way that their Gifts and Learning rémain with them 3. Think what loss of Communion with God you sustain by your Idol or your unmortified corruption Sampsons Delilah cost him his two Eyes his Liberty and at length his Life But the departing of the Spirit of the Lord was the saddest of all by letting the king of your lusts live as Saul did Agag you hazard your Crown of Glory at least you have little of Heaven upon Earth Tell me Christian when was you last in Heaven it may be not for many days and know you not what keeps you out It 's a sad word Ezek. 14.5 They are all estranged from me through their idols Isa 59.2 Your iniquities have separated betwixt you and God and your sins have hid his face from you yea and often-times prevailing-sin does blot out the impression and sometimes the remembrance of that solacing sweetness that the Soul had in his Company begets some satisfaction in this dreadful state of distance from God thy Idols of Jealousie separate thee from thy chief Friend by this means thou wears out thy intimacy if not thy Acquaintance may be thou makest not a visit to Heaven in many days and if the Lord at any time come to thee thou art not at leisure but busied entertaining thy Idols Ah! have you no sense of these things I need not tell you what 's the mournful moan and ruful complaint of many Souls Ah! it was well with me till such a time O how many good days had I what a Heaven upon Earth had I what Communion with God in Prayer in the Lords Supper and other Ordinances till I did begin to dally with such an Idol till such a Corruption began to get power of me but since thou intermitted the vigorous exercise of Mortification where are thy Trophies and Triumphs where are thy Bethels thy Penuels thy Eben-ezers And it 's well for thee if ever thou recover this Distance from God and indisposition to Duty grows more in one day than thou canst make up or wear out in many I doubt if ever Davids bones were as sound as before if ever he had such Joy and gladness in Gods Company in the Sanctuary or elsewhere as before or that ever God appeared to Solomon as he had done twice before his fall I doubt the holy Lord deals with many of his people in this life as he did with the Levites Ezek 14.44 who had gone astray from him after their Idols they were to be keepers of the charge of the House for the service thereof as keeping the Gates and slaying the Sacrifices but they shall bear their iniquity and they shall not come near unto me to do the office of a Priest unto me nor come near to any of my holy things in the most holy place c. See ver 11.12 13 14 He will not put thee out of doors yet may never let thee come where thou hast been and never set thee so high on this side of Eternity 4. Any Idol or unmortified lust will clip the wings of Prayer and intercept the return of it Isa 59.1 2 The Lords hand is not shortned nor his ear heavy c. But c. Ezek. 14.3 4 and 20 31 As I live saith the Lord I will not be enquired c. Psalm 66.18 If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me the man that has his Idols set up in his heart he grieves the Spirit who helps our infirmities in Prayer c. if he has any pleasure
for mortifying sin nor can you expect that your sins should be all killed at once nay indeed a man that desires not and seeks not the death of every sin cannot without a contradiction be said to desire or seek Heaven nay put an unmortified man in Heaven and it would be a Prison to him as a stately Palace would be to Swine Seneca brings in Nero knocking at Heavens-gate Answer is made That there was nothing there wherein he delighted whereupon Hercules is ordered to beat him away with his Club. It 's by our success in Mortification that we make our access to and acquire a fitness for Heaven Can ye love and cherish sin here and think to hate it in Heaven Ye mistake Heaven if ye think it stands so much in freedom from trouble as in freedom from sin and indeed the successful practice of Mortification will clear more what Heaven is to you than all your studies and speculative Contemplations of it If any Object that if sin hinder our Union Acceptance or Communion with God how can any on Earth enjoy these since every sin is not actually slain in any Soul Answer 1. The Soul wherein sin lives and reigns can have no fellowship with God that of 1 Joh. 1.6 does hold all you say of it and expect of it as a lye and will prove such 2. While sin the dreg of our Disease remains with us there 's no perfect Communion with God nor is the Soul so compleatly united and sodered to him but there 's some disjuncture as it were and what makes eclipses in the Soul but the interposition of some sin 3. Our Union and Communion with God in Christ is by the new Nature through the Spirit it 's only in so far as we are freed from sin Now whatever sin be in the person there 's none in this new Divine Nature the seed of God is pure and undefiled with sin 4. While we are pursuing sin to death there 's no remainders of it that debars us from Communion with God according to the Covenant of Grace None were cut off of old from the congregation for being defiled that did not neglect the appointed Purifications Hear the rule of our acceptance with God and of continued Communion with him If ye through the Spirit do mortifie c. Finally the Christian that makes conscience of Mortification is helped in his work by his Union and Communion with God in Christ there 's some Union necessary to the taking away of sin and there is some that is the reward of Mortification Our Lord took not his Church to be one with him to be his Spouse because she was pure but that he might make her so Ephes 5.25 26 27. In a word we cannot have full nor immediate Union and Communion with God till we be like the Angels in Heaven nay till we be like God which is the highest description of Heaven 6. Ponder the weight of the first word of the Verse If ye live c. Compare with Col. 3.6 which shews the necessity of it Finally Consider the necessity of it in order to Eternal life Ye shall live Compare the Text with Col. 3.4 5. Mortifie therefore c. In the fourth place we should consider what is the Spirits work in Mortification Of this a word only I Answer 1. The Spirit discovers sin sin is the fruit of Ignorance Acts 26.18 Satans Kingdom is a Kingdom of darkness Sin reigns by Deceit it entices James 1.14 There the Apostle speaks not of outward Objects allureing Now the Spirits Light makes sin manifest Gal. 5.18 19. It discovers that to be sin which the light of Nature never charged a man with John 16.8 1 John 2.20 Now discover sin once and you ruine it it cannot abide the light this sets a man a-work to War with it and destroy it 2. The Spirit affects with shame and sorrow for sin it lets the Soul see sin not only in the glass of the Law but of the Gospel as it is against Christ and the love of God and this imbitters it and raises the heart against it The Soul cannot endure that that which was the death of Christ should live in it Zech. 12.10 The Spirit also lets a man see sin practising and warring against his Soul plotting and acting against his life and so true self-love sets a man to seek its death 1 Pet. 2.11 yea and lets him taste so much bitterness in it and gives such experimental knowledg of the malignant nature of it that makes a man weary of it and seek to extirpate it 3. The New Nature which is born of the Spirit cannot bear it the Spirit hence is said to lust against the flesh there 's a contrariety between them that like Fire and Water in the Cloud make a thunder in the Soul the man that wants the Spirit has no principle in him that opposes sin as sin or that seeks the death of sin 4. By the Spirit we are united to Christ and by vertue of this Union with Christ we are enabled to overcome sin we thereby receive strength and supplies of Grace and are made conformable to him we are crucified with him and die with him and rise with him Gal. 6.14 The Soul sees not only a Pattern of Holiness and mortification to sin in Christ but is made partaker of the same holiness that is in Christ and so has the same abhorrence of sin and the nearer it be to the Soul the Lord Jesus had no sin in his person the more it loaths it That which put him on destroying the works of the Devil prompts them to seek the destruction of sin 5. The Spirit promotes Mortification by actuating assisting and strengthning Grace in us the Spirit excites the exercise of Grace Now says Paul If ye walk after the Spirit ye shall not c. Gal. 5.16 Compare it with John 7.38 The exercise of Grace engages the Spirit to assist his own work and this he will do if not grieved And thus the Spirit does not only hinder the fulfilling or bringing forth the lusts of the flesh but also marrs the conception of them the Spirit by filling with the fruits of holiness and righteousness leaves no room for the works of the flesh Gal. 5.19 21. Phil. 1.11 2 Pet. 1.9 Now these Acts of holiness c. the Apostle calls the fruits of the Spirit for these the Spirit excites and produces not by moral means only but by an internal immediate effectual work for which end especially he dwells in them viz. to cherish his own work and to excite the actings of Grace as in the old Creation the Spirit moved upon the waters c. and they brought forth living creatures so does he move upon the New Creature in the Soul and it brings forth fruits which for this reason I say are called the fruits of the Spirit Gal. 5.19 The Spirit draws forth godly sorrow and that is like poison to sin the Spirit draws forth Acts
more especially sometimes Temptations seize upon our Judgments and sometimes upon our Affections unawares and when they have tainted the Affections they have easie access to the Mind and need to be carefully watched Look to the first springs of Sin when we are asleep the Enemy is sowing tares and they quickly grow up Temptations do often suddenly assault and the thoughts and motions of the Heart are nimble they are swift and instantaneous a spark of fire does no sooner kindle Powder than a Temptation does excite some inordinate motion of the Heart If all the doors and windows of the Soul be not kept close there will be fiery dants flung in and some sparks of temptations will take fire and thou can never shut doors and windows so close but when thou hast done all thou hast need to watch Satan can espy a passage into thy heart that thou didst not think of he has a party and thou hast an Enemy within thee that will let him in If thou be asleep it may be indeed thy severity to indwelling sin will irritate it and provoke it to mutiny and so occasion greater confusion in thy Soul but dread not this nor ever look for good from thy indulgence and tenderness to thy corrupt lusts or affections their war is better than their peace suspect that inward quiet that comes from any favour to sin or connivance at it The Apostle tells us Rom. 7.8 That sin took occasion by the Commandment c. One great hinderance of Mortification is that sin is thought not so noisom as it is but when the Commandment comes when the Word beats down that conceit by exacting thorough Obedience upon the highest peril and laying bonds on the very thoughts this inrages Corruption and it grows more unruly It is not the proper effect of the Law to stir up sin more than the impetuous ' running of water is the proper effect of a Bank of Earth which was made to dam it up nor is it the proper effect of diligent endeavours for mortifying all inward motions to excite them and make them more tumultuous Sometimes strict watching of sin makes it more cunning sometimes it provokes an eruption of it and then the poor Believer is apt to think his case worse than before But was it worse with Paul Rom. 7 than formerly Indeed it 's hard to keep Corruption in close Prison and to marr all communication between Satan and it to suffer none to go out or come in But Watchfuln ss will do much thoughts will be stirring and affections will be stirring therefore it were our wisdom to ask them whence they come and whither they go if from Satan or from the flesh if from Heaven or from the Spirit and arrest what have an evil aspect or tendency or favour and do Justice upon them what are dubious keep them Prisoners till thou has further examined them for Satans messengers oft-times come disguised and with Christs Word in their mouths and the motions of sin are often mistaken for spiritual motions as the Porters stood continually at the door of the Temple to keep out the unclean of all sorts so must you do with all that defile or is like to defile if you be holy Temples to God to dwell in Yet for all that I have said of them a Believer must not be too much in examining of them so as to be taken off more profitable work nor indeed can we ever keep account of them they are so innumerable should we ever be pursuing and tracing them there should be room for no Duty else And finally because as they come suddenly so often they fly as swiftly away Now under this Head I would commend unto you a careful search into and intimate acquaintance with thy own heart that thou may know where thou art weakest and what advantages Satan has against thee What sin does most intirely beset thee which is the soft place of thy Soul which Satans darts do with most ease enter into What corrupt passions and affections are most easily kindled in thee And where thou sees the greatest danger keep the strongest watch and do not only keep at distance from such occasions and temptations as may most likely draw out thy Corruptions but keep thy very thoughts at the greatest distance from these suffer not thy self to think of them except it be to reproach them or to provoke greater abhorrence of them and this also must be prudentially managed 2. Endeavour to keep your hearts under a deep sense of the sinfulness of Sin even of these first motions a Natural man is not troubled for the sin of these or for the disconformity of them to any Law though he may for outward actings of sin because Natures light does not discover the sinfulness of them though it may be he may be angry at them as they molest him or tend to something that he abhors and here lies one difference between the truly godly and others yet we must grant that oft-times the godly think but too meanly of these and do not apprehend so much ill in them as there is and hence guard not sufficiently against them nor yet do sufficiently bewail them may be you are easily satisfied with your Repentance for these and think general confessions and complaints sufficient Do you use to make an Errand to God to confess these and to beg a particular pardon for them Peter makes a Peradventure of the forgiveness of Simon Magus's thought Acts 8.22 True that â—â—s a more deliberate approved thought but an exercised Soul will many times make a peradventure to it self of the forgiveness of a more imperfect and rejected Thought I would not grieve such but for others let me ask you Do you not know that God is a Jealous God Jealousie amongst men importeth an aptness to suspect an Jnjury a Husband viz. is jealous when he is apt to suspect his Wifes want of love or loyalty to him upon small circumstances without evident ground so to do and withall it imports indignation against the smallest ground of suspition this it cannot endure viz. Any thing that looks like the inclination of the heart to another says Joshua You cannot serve the Lord for he is a holy God Chap. 24. ver 19. It 's true He hath manifested this especially in the matters of his Worship and Institutions according to his threatning annexed to the second Commandment as in the instance of Aaron's two Sons and Vzza and the Bethshemites c. But may we not think that God is as jealous of the heart as of any thing and that he will take notice of every motion of it and will resent every disloyal glance of the thoughts though it come not the length of a purpose nay nor any deliberation in order to a purpose or resolution Is there not more sin in many sudden-passing thoughts though rejected than in Vzza's hasty catching hold of the Ark or in the Bethshemites looking into it or is
heart and affections too against it If you will now awake your self as the Psalmist when his heart is fixed and when he has awaked his tongue and his harp Psalm 57.7 8 I my self also will awake You may cut the sinews of your predominant sin but if you shrink back and comply no further with the Spirit than your carnal ease or interest will admit you cannot but look for the withdrawing of the Spirit and the prevalency of some evil Spirit And suppose you only resisted the Spirit in some things you cannot but think it righteous that he should not afford you his assistance in other things but leave you to your own lusts and to the swing of your own hearts When the Spirit then does animate thee against any sin hath bended thy heart and raised or corroborated holy resolutions against it maintain them for the heart is naturally like a miscarrying womb pray as 1 Chron. 29.18 and fall instantly on the mortifying of that sin Holy endeavours strengthen holy purposes and if these be vigorous and strong thou mayest now get over the difficulties that used to hinder the mortification of that sin and may do so hereafter that is may hinder hereafter if through delays or neglect of present endeavours you let not your purposes cool or slacken whereas probably if this difficulty be overcome thy Conquest of sin may ever after go better on But do not think that when you are aided by the Spirit you shall meet with no difficulties or that because of sins vigorous opposition you are not influenced or aided by the Spirit There is no War without trouble and difficulty and danger the Spirit does not altogether remove difficulties the lusting of the Spirit does not extinguish the lusting of the flesh yea the Spirit may be stirring the heart even when the flesh is prevailing the groans of a holy Soul even when overcome by sin are from the Spirit but it 's the Spirit 's work to help over these difficulties which were otherwise insuperable and this he will do if there be no failing on our part But ah the Spirit 's aid meets with such opposition and reluctancy from the Soul in so far as it is unrenewed that neither spiritual purposes nor endeavours can be mantain'd and kept up without striving and earnest contending on our part and this must be done maugre our ease humour and the mighty opposition of the body of death He that would not be worsted by sin must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 13.24 Strive as in an Army there 's no striving with other things that will put the Soul in an Agony set aside Sin there 's no difficulty besides this in the way to Heaven see Heb. 12.4 The power of sin will put any sensible Soul in an agony as well as the guilt of it Paul seems acquainted with it Rom. 7.24 and no doubt he had much of the Spirit even when he thus cryed out Do not then expect such assistance from the Spirit as will kill thy Corruption at one stroke the truer thou art to thy help the more thou shall have and the more the Spirit does the more thou must do 4. When the Spirit who is a spirit of supplication does strongly influence thy heart in Prayer improve it unto the mortification of sin for the necessity and usefulness of Prayer in reference to Mortification I have spoke to already and now urge the improvement of the Spirit 's assistance in Prayer as one of those ways whereby through the Spirit we are to mortifie sin And in order to this whatsoever measure of the Spirit 's aid and assistance thou hast let thy Prayers be chiefly levelled against sin and that not only nor mostly against the guilt of sin but especially against the power of sin Nature may raise the desires of freedom from guilt high which may be mistaken for the influence of the Spirit It is true that Natural self-love may also draw out strong desires of freedom from the power of sin as their passions and corrupt contradictory lusts and affections do molest and trouble them but especially as they know them to be inconsistent with any well-grounded hope of Heaven as for unregenerate mens usual formal Petitions for deliverance from temptations and from the power of their sins there is ordinarily not so much as moral sincerity in them even when that may be in their Prayers for Pardon they really would not that God should hear them and are sometimes afraid he should so that what Augustine confesseth of himself before his Conversion is indeed a Common Case But to return When the Spirit makes intercession in thee helps thee to make intercession with groans which cannot be uttered Let these groans be against sin rather than for Divine Comforts Groan rather for Redemption from sin than from any other misery do you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the Spirit as the Apostle beseeches the Romans for the love of the Spirit to do with him Rom. 15.13 we render it Strive together the Spirit makes intercession with groans as if he were in an Agony O for the love of the Spirit strive together with him c. And when the Spirit gives greater enlargement and mightily draws out the heart in Prayer know that then the Lord is saying to the Soul as it were What is thy Request Thou hast now got the King's Ear then let thy Request be the death of thy sins and amongst all thy sins especially that he would give thee the head of thy greatest lust that has most dishonoured God and done the most mischief that has often left thee wounded and groaning Now thou hast an opportunity to be rid of it and avenged on it pursue thy advantage and return not from the pursuit till thou hast divided the spoil thou may now get more ground of sin than by many years praying against it in thine own spirit when your prayer is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the word is James 5.16 that is full of the holy Ghost or Prayer wherein the holy Spirit puts forth his Power and Energy and sets the whole Soul on work 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies one possessed with and acted by a spirit If it do not instantly kill sin and deliver thee from such a Corruption yet it avails much to the death of it and if continued in thy sin shall not so far prevail as to mar thy acceptance with God or Communion with him or darken thy evidence for Heaven 5. If you would by the Spirit mortifie sin comply with the Breathings and influences of the Spirit in Ordinances in the Word Sacraments This were the way says one to make Ordinances and the times also glorious the Apostle useth the dwelling of Christ and of the Word in us promiscuously men grieve the Spirit when they despise the Word or any helps that God hath given them Isa 7.13 they are the means whereby the Spirit discovers sin purges it away or kills it Psalm
solve the doubt and refers the reason that sin is not destroyed wholly in every believer to the good pleasure of God but the Hypothesis of free-will and sufficient-grace will never do it 2. Let the feeling of the reliques of sin further self-denial and humility and hide pride from thine eyes 2 Cor. 12.7 Let them provoke the lively exercised and train thee up in prayer ver 8 For this I besought the Lord c. and in dependance ver 9 My grace is sufficient for thee c. Admire the freeness of his grace and the greatness of his power in carrying a poor weak Creature to heaven which is more wonderful than the carrying of a small burning Candle through the tempestuous and blustering air 3. See the ugliness and the treachery of the old man and the misery that Christ came to deliver from If you credit not what the word says of it see it in your selves see the enmity that is in your nature to God If you see not evil enough in one lust look on more had you only seen this at your first Conversion you might have forgot the sin and miisery the Lord has delivered you from 4. Let this provoke compassion to such as are in bondage to sin and meekness to such as through weakness fall and are intangled with sin Gal. 6.1 Tit. 3.2.5 Let this confirm you also in the doctrine of Justification by free-grace all natural men go about to establish their own righteousness and in the renewed man there 's often some Inclination to it and some neglect of Christs righteousness this inclination may rise when other lusts are almost buried It troubled Mr. Knox when he was near to die yet was quickly overcome even when we have most need of it And hence our confidence grows as inherent righteousness grows O what then would we have done were there no sin in us nothing to necessitate us to flie to Christs righteousness if as it is there 's some inclination either to set up our own alone or in conjunction with Christ's The Lord will have his people looking both on their Justification and sanctification every day as new gifts and that song to be daily in our mouths Psal 103.1 3. Lastly Be longing for the coming of Christ and for thy full redemption welcome him for this final deliverance from sin Let this commend heaven to you and make it heaven indeed Mr. Carmichael's Three last Sermons GEN. III. 15. I 'le put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed it shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heel THE poor mans head was now upon the block and lo here 's the first intimation of Relief Sin and misery was now got into the World and mankind was now in a hopeless and helpless condition and here 's the first break of day and dawning of Deliverance and the first discovery of Compassion grace and tender mercy of God to Sinners In the words we have 1. A Promise of deliverance wrapt up in a Threatning against the Serpent 2. A hint of the manner of mans deliverance and of the Serpents Ruin For the Explication of the words 1. They are directed to the Serpent by which is to be chiefly understood Satan called the old Serpent the Devil for though some part of the Threatning belong to the Instrument he used ver 14 yet it 's plain from comparing the Text with Rom. 5.11 12 13 16.20 1 John 3.8 Rev. 20.2 3 that Satan is mostly meant It cannot be conceived how 〈…〉 â—â—eature should have been capable of such a Plot against the glory of God and the happiness of Man nor how it should have managed it with speech and so much seeming-Reason Some say That God indued the Serpent with Reason and Speech for that season but that is no small reflection on God indeed being used by Satan as the Instrument it is involved in the Curse and is become hateful to man there is an enmity between man and it and the sight of it ought to quicken our enmity against Satan yet every one of them have nor their head bruised and but very few of mankind have their heel bruised by that Creature so that we must not understand it literally By the Woman is not meant Evah only or one individual hence some infer that there 's a bitterer enmity between Satan and the Woman than between him and men that Sex being the weakest and most subject to fears and suspitions and so the apter to conceive hatred By the seed of the woman is to be understood 1 and especially Jesus Christ in the same sense that he is called the seed of Abraham of David Sometimes seed is taken collectively for a Multitude sometimes for a single or particular person Gal. 3.16 To Abraham and his seed were the promises made he saith not and to seeds as of many but of one and to thy seed which is Christ It was Christ then that was mainly meant by seed in the promise to Abraham Gen. 12.1 2 3 18.18 22.18 which places are explicatory of this seed in the Text and a confinement of this Promise to the Family of Abraham Here he is called the seed of the woman It 's like with some respect to his taking flesh only of a woman Isa 7.14 Yet here 2. We must also take in Christ's select Seed Heb. 2.13 compare with Rom. 16.20 For they are parties in this quarrel and enmity they have their heel bruised and they bruise Satans head Rom. 16.20 And seeing all that 's here said of the womans seed agreeth to all the Elect why should we not think them included in this seed yet in a different sense the enmity and victory are perfect in Christ not in us It 's remarkable that when the Promise is made concerning the seed the believing Parents are included hence Gen. 22.17 I will multiply thy seed Heb. 6.14 I will bless thee and multiply thee even so when the promise is made to the believing Parent the believing seed are included Hence Gen. 12.3 In thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed Acts 3.25 the Apostle expounds it In thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed the enmity then is not only between Christ personal and the Devil but also between Christ mystical c. And the victory over Satan is promised not only to Christ personally considered but to Believers who are his seed yet in a secondary sense only Rom. 16.20 By the Serpents seed are meant the Reprobate World for so they are called Matth. 3.7 Matth. 23.33 Generation of vipers John 8.44 Ye are of your father the devil Acts 13.10 Child of the devil 1. Joh. 3.8 He that committeth sin is of the devil and to them agree what is spoke of the Serpents seed viz. their enmity and opposition to the godly as far as in them lyeth By the Serpents head is meant his craft and power his cunning he had contrived
in approaching to God yet he has no pleasure in God he comes not to him as his exceeding Joy though may be he cannot pass evening and morning without saluting him in a formal complementing way in such a manner as men use to many they care not for and indeed many know no other use of their prayers than of their formal Salutes and Complements viz. to keep fair terms with such as they care little for yet are not willing to disoblige Is it any wonder that God regard not such prayers any unmortified sin shuts Heaven and lays an Arrest upon the profit of thy Duties there 's no profitable trading between the Soul and Heaven there 's no profiting by Means or Ordinances if thou would lose the Arrest mortifie thy sin give up thy Idol cast over board thy Jonah's If thou hast any suit depending before the Throne of Grace if in the mean while thou offend God or grieve his Spirit thou art like to lose thy cause who will provoke the Judg when his cause is before him Hence that word Deut. 23.9 When thou goest forth against thine Enemies then keep thee from every wicked thing When a man has some special dependance on God and has some special expectation from him it 's unseasonable then to provoke him to Jealousie 5. Think what thou wouldst do in a dying day how will you look upon your Idols What will you do in the day of Visitation where will you hide your glory How would you look upon a Temptation or upon the tempting Objects of your darling lusts all your sweet morsels and stollen waters will then be bitter but the more sweetly any sin went down the bitterer will it be when it comes up again may be your Idols and you were pleasant in your lives but they are sad Company in the valley of Death Can the Camel go through the Needles-eye nay if there were no more to hinder but the bunch upon his back he could not Can you go through the strait gate if there were no more but one unmortified lust you cannot Can you think to leap into Heaven warm and smoaking with sin as many times you come to speak with God when the last word you spoke was with your Idol Can you sing that sweet triumphant Song O Death where is thy sting O Grave where is thy victory 1 Cor. 15.55 For lo here sin that is the sting of death and the victory of the Grave sticks in thee when others shall be singing Hallelujah and harping with Harps Death is no dark shade to the Son of Righte ousness having lightned it by his passing through it thou shalt be little better than the Hypocrite whom fearfulness surprizeth c. If the Master knock when thou art either asleep or wasting his goods or eating and drinking with the drunken thou will be afraid to go down and open he must break open the gates if he get in O what sad work will any living lust make when thou comes to die Let us now mention a few advantages you shall have by the mortification of sin especially your most potent sin 1. The mortification of your most predominant lust will be a great evidence to you of your sincerity Psalm 18.23 I was also upright before him c. When any lust is strong or when any Idol has a great interest in the Soul the heart is as 't were divided and then cannot know whether Christs interest or its prevails and bears most sway in the Soul but where there is no competition the case is clear when one can say If any thing interfere with Christ it 's this If any thing render my case suspicious or intrench upon Sincerity it 's this Corruption this Idol But sure I am this is so far under that it cannot disprove my integrity when the Lord tryes his peoples sincerity he uses to hit their sore to prove them in their Idols indeed when he intends to discover their weakness he puts them to tryal in the grace they excel most in as Peter in his Courage Moses in his Meekness if thou can deny thy self in this if thou can offer up thy Isaac hereby thou mayst know thou fears God and that thou loves God Now the knowledg of this fills the Soul with exceeding Joy 2 Cor. 1.12 O the sweet Calm it brings in it 's better felt than can be told whereas the prevalency of any Corruption deprives you both of the Testimony of the Spirit of God and of your own spirit 2. If thou can mortifie thy predominant lust thou may with the more ease mortifie other Corruptions Commonly all a mans lusts are made subservient to some one though indeed sometimes they thwart as pride and covetousness pride and sensuality or covetousness and sensuality if you can kill that the greatest difficulty in Mortification is over if you can take the strong City all the Villages and Countrey about will be subject to you If Goliah be slain the Philistins will fly may be you complain of many things and innumerable evils compass you about but see if some one unmortified Corruption do not maintain them all and you cannot conquer these till you have subdued that which sets these on work and which feeds and recruits them this would ease you of many evils you complain of the cutting off one member of sin will weaken the Body of sin they are so united that it will make all the other members of sin to languish and does help on to a through Conquest 3. Consider that there is more real satisfaction in mortifying lusts than in making provision for them or in fulfilling them There 's more true pleasure in crossing and pinching our flesh than in gratifying it were there any true pleasure in sin Hell would not be Hell for the more sin the more Joy you cannot satisfie one lust if you would do your utmost and make your self never so absolute a slave to it you think if you had your hearts desire you would be at rest you much mistake they had it Psalm 78.29 but yet they were not estranged from their lusts ver 30. How many a man in the fulness of his sufficiency is yet in pain for more Job 20.22 O but the mortification of that sin makes a Jubiles in the Soul Who are they that sing Triumphs here and set up Trophies of Victory and divide the spoils when others are living under troubles without and within and have their Soul removed far from peace who shall wear Crowns on their heads in Heaven and Palms in their hands and have High-praises in their mouths but they who turn the Battel to the Gate who have overcome their Enemies Would you be able to sing a Triumph even when drawing your last breath See what 's the Tune what 's the matter and the ground of Pauls Song 2 Tim. 4.8 and with what a Transport of Spirit he sings it as on the other hand it tells us that it 's faint or
after the Apostle has armed the Christian for his Conflict Ephes 6. He adds ver 18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance Set-times for Prayer are as necessary as constant Set-meals of meat for the Body How often I determine not the fewest we find is twice a day Morning and Evening Daniel prayed thrice a day yet it is not right when we limit our selves to times were it seven times aday We find Daniel Chap. 9.1 2 setting himself to pray as if his three times a-day had been nothing There are special Occasions that call for more fervent praying as our Lord conflicting in the Garden and being in an Agony prayed thrice and prayed yet more fervently Now this is a special season when attached by any Corruption we should sound an Alarm to Prayer and let every Prayer be as an Arrow shot against Sin and never think thou prays to any purpose but when thou wounds some Corruption O but blunt Prayers will never draw blood of sin nor will sleepy prayers hurt sin therefore thou must watch unto Prayer and must awake thy gift and thy grace and thy tongue too as the Psalmist does in praising Psalm 51.8 for that may further the fervour of the Spirit and some have judged meer mental Prayer in some cases to be a quenching of the holy Spirit of God It 's true that sometimes a poor Believer when buffetted by Satan and in an Agony through the power and violence of some Corruption cannot put his troubled thoughts into words when yet his unexpressible sighs and groans may make the old man groan as a deadly wounded Man Look to this inveterated Diseases strong Corruptions will not go out without much praying 2. You can mortifie no Corruption without exercising Faith much less your strongest Corruptions for you must not think first to mortifie Sin and then believe you must be in Christ and be a Believer before you can mortifie one Sin Nature prompts men to pray in every exigence but praying without believing will not do but no Corruptions can stand before Faith it can remove Mountains it can bring down strong-holds it can put to flight Armies of Aliens of lusts it can quench the greatest Combustions in the Soul kindled by Satans fiery Darts hence says the Apostle Above all things take unto you the shield of faith Ephes 6.16 The Lord lends Faith his power so to speak This is our victory whereby we overcome the world even our faith 1 John 5.4 Now what this World is see 1 John 2.16 For all that is in the world the lust of the flesh the lust of the eye c. Now how does Faith assist against these Answ 1. Faith giveth a true judgment of them and values all things aright when others are cheated by their corrupted Senses 2. By Faith we see into Eternity and what will be the fruit of gratifying our lusts what will be the reward of Sin A carnal Heart that had seen Dives at his sumptuous Table and in his gorgeous Apparel and Lazarus at the Gate and the dogs licking his sores would have blessed the one and saved himself from the other But Faith at first sight can see the one in Heaven and the other in Hell Psal 73.17 18. 3. By Faith we see that the best things of this World cannot further our Happiness nor the worst things of the World hinder it that worldly Honours and Pleasures are not all a-kin to everlasting Honour and Joy 4. By Faith we see that the design of Temptations is to deprive us of our Happiness and that Satan and the World who work upon our corrupt passions and minister fewel to our lusts have no good will to us even when they are courting us 5. Faith does not only assent to what God and Christ and Heaven and Holiness are but it makes proof and gets experimental discoveries of these and this makes a man despise the painted Beauty and sweetness of the Creatures the sight of Christs matchless Beauty and Excellency all a mans Idols are divorced When we see the Sun with our own eyes we believe the Moon is not the most glorious light it looks but like a clod in the Firmament many can speak contemptibly of the honours and riches and pleasures of the World who are not mortified to them but with all their might pursue them nor indeed will you ever be able by all the rational discoveries of the vanity of these to mortifie inordinate love to and delight in them till you taste and see something that 's better and this taste and sight Evangelical Faith can only afford No experiences of the Worlds vanity no Contemplations of an Immortal state can do it for Sense will still object Where can you do better and meer Contemplations breed only Notions this brings in the substance of things into the Soul Heb. 11.1 6. Faith does more especially contribute to the mortification of our Corruptions by its ingaging the assistance of Divine Power It 's on this account that there is a sort of Omnipotency attributed to Faith You do not doubt but the Lord Jesus is able to help against your strongest Corruptions But how shall we have his help I Answer You need not say Who shall ascend to heaven and bring him down c Rom. 10.6 7. This thou mayst do by Faith But how does Faith do it Answ 1. Faith does it as it is an assent to the Promises The Promises hold forth the power of Christ for subduing of Sin 2 Pet. 1.3 compared with Rom. 6.14 Now we are interested in these Promises by believing Heb. 4.2 when we believe that it â—â—â—ll be as he has said this some count a Phanatical point But is it phantastick or phanatick to rest upon an honest Mans word much lesser sure this gives more glory to God than all our endeavours to mortifie Sin yet takes not men off other subordinate means but puts them upon the use of them especially upon Prayer That it may be as he has said Rom. 6.14 Man fell at first by taking Satans word before the Lords And it were our wisdom in all Insinuations of the like nature to suspect the hand of Satan Now Faith does not only assent to the truth of the Promises of strength to overcome Sin but it rests and relies upon them all Grace comes through the Promises And indeed the first recumbency of Faith is a great and proper act of it and as they are blessed who have no assurance of their interest in the Promises and yet can resolutely rely on it for as those that seek the Lord are bidden to rejoice Psal 105.3 though they have not yet found him because of the Promise Isa 45.19 So may those encourage themselves in the hope of success against Sin who rest upon Gods Word though they have not yet obtained the victory for the Lord taketh pleasure in them that hope in his mercy Psal 147.11 The recumbency
of old were persecuted 2. Why do they not hate the openly prophane who yet call themselves Christians and are angry when denied outward priviledges and the Seals of Christianity 3. How comes it that the holiest and sincerest are most hated and that the looser any Professor be he has the more favour from them let them run with them to the same excess of Riot and they can be one with them let them but see you have no more Religion than they have and you may gain their friendship Some pretend their disconformity to the publick Laws and indeed on this foundation were all the persecutions almost of former times bottomed the wiser Heathens even in the Primitive times brought it to this But 1. Whence is it that Laws comes to be enacted and levelled against the godly What disturbance does the purity of Religion create to the publick peace Is there no prejudice to the publick by Comedians and Stage-players and is there so much from Ministers preaching Jesus Christ Are Meetings for the worship of God the only dangerous Assemblies when yet our Adversaries do not so much as pretend that there is any thing in our Worship contrary to the Scriptures 2. Whence is it that everywhere these Laws that are levelled against Christ and his followers are with more care and severity executed than other laws yea than laws against such things and persons that are apparently dangerous to the Publick whence is it that ordinarily men outdo in the one and come short of the Law in other cases 2. This Enmity is universal in all the seed of the Serpent against all the seed of Christ it is not lately taken up but has shewed it self in all the Ages of the World and in every place where Christianity has been or is known Parents transmit it to their Posterity and the Children shew themselves heirs to it and consequently to all the effects of it from Cain c. Matth. 23.35 And is it not apparent that the calmest of them and such as have been much polished and civilized by Religion yet have a bitter prejudice and secret working of heart against the power of it and will upon occasions break forth in rage against it where it appears there wants not clear evidences of this even in the most calm and peaceable dispositions and such in whom this enmity is most restrained and who profess great friendship and favour to Christ and his followers yet cannot endure the shining and condemning-Light that 's in the truly godly but reproach censure and hate them for having that which themselves would be thought to have Mal. 3.1 3 Yea such is this Enmity that let the godly be never so quiet and peaceable and useful in the Societies they live in it is never the less yea such is it that no natural Bond nor Relation can extinguish it no Friendship and no Bond in Nature so firm but it can break and dissolve No sooner gets Christ a little footing in a Family or Town or Village but there 's discords and jarrings Satan and his party takes the Alarm as soon as any thing of Christ appears in one he is as a sign and a wonder to a prophane generation the World is like a Stepmother and nearest Friends change their countenance 3. This is an irreconcileable Enmity this Controversie could never be taken up nor composed the hatred is so rooted that the wisest and greatest Reconcilers and Peace-makers could never yet unite these two parties no more than they can alter mens Natures It 's folly to think or talk of reconciling them this Decree of Heaven is stronger than the Decree of the Medes and Persians Men may talk of Accommodations and Comprehensions and Condescensions they may talk of prudence and moderation and mutual forbearance and dispensing with some things for peace-sake But can light and darkness can Heaven and Hell agree There may be healing methods found out for uniting the godly when differing in some particulars their having one spirit and new Nature is a good foundation for agreement but for the unsanctified the godly differ from them not so much in opinions and outward practice as in their spirit so that though they should unite so far as to profess the same truths and worship God in the same outward manner were there never so much uniformity in these things yet can they never sement nor come to the kindly union of spirit And all this we may see in our day this Enmity was never more manifest there 's a party driving Satans design there be various forms amongst them but all conspire against the truly godly as Edom Ammon and Amalek and there is a party that maintain Christs cause that keep the Commandments of God and have the Testimony of Jesus though under divers denominations also and that the others quarrel with them is meerly from the old Enmity were easie to make out It is manifest that whatever different notions men have of forms of Worship and Church-discipline yet the matter lies not there for how unlike are they to many godly persons of the former generation and to some yet in outward Communion with them who professed the same principles And what a kindly sympathy and warm side have they to the prophane and to Papists from whom they would seem in their principles to differ more than from us Oh see here your temper and state by Nature and bless God if he has slain this enmity to Christ and brought you over to his side What remains in the Text I shall in a few words absolve 2. Then observe That as the Lord had decreed this Enmity so he has decreed that Satan shall vex Christ and his followers he shall bruise their heel think not to get to Heaven without some hurt or something that will make thee halt reckon upon it to bear the mark of Satan and his seeds malice Observ 3. That God has bounded the vexation that Satan and his party shall give to the godly Fear no great hurt from them their wound is not deadly it comes not near their heart indeed they are said to make war with the Saints and overcome them Rev. 13.7 but that 's only in their outward concerns and over their bodily lives the Lord would not have you to think much even of that but count temporal death as a hurt only in the heel compare that with Rev. 12.11 and Rom. 8.37 Psalm 44.17 18 19 20 see the worst Satan and his party can do you are above them if they bite your heel it 's no great damage Observ 4. That Christ and all that side with him shall certainly be victorious Satans head and the head of all his followers shall be bruised as sure as they now hurt your heel their head shall be bruised Think on this you who are ready to say That it 's but folly to essay to withstand the spite of the time and therefore would either yield when tryals are sharp or would be at