drink in the comfort of it abundantly did I know it belongs to me but I fear whether I do truely mortifie my sin through the spirit or no. I answer the Apostle spake this by the Spirit which had never moved him so to speak had it not been a thing knowable it 's manifest this may be known and questionless they who have the help of the Spirit in mortifying their sin may if they have not have the testimony of it that they so do who helping his friend in any great work is unwilling he should know it A few things I shall propound over and above what you have heard that may be somewhat helpful to you in your knowing this First Is your eye much upon your sin is it much in your thoughts especially your chief iniquity have you many thoughts of that is your mind much exercised upon it Ps 51.3 my sin is ever before me When a man sights against an enemy he keeps him in his eye looks stedfastly on him so he that is bent upon the mortifying his sin hath his thoughts much on it not as some to be pleased therewith but so as to grieve for it to sigh because of it and to consider what he should do for the preventing and destroying it Secondly Doth the breaking forth of sin and your being at any time mastered hy it sadden your hearts as really and more than affliction sickness causeth sadness Neh. 2.2 Why is thy countenance sad seeing thou art not sick so doth other affliction but nothing saddeneth one who is intent and heartily engaged in war so much as the prevailing of the enemy if that question should be put to a gracious person why is thy countenance sad seeing thou art not sick nor in other great affliction he could oft answer it is because of my sin that hath prevailed against me though my body be not sick my soul which is worse alas that is sick through the prevalency of this or that iniquity The Apostle Paul upon occasion gives us a large relation concerning his exceeding great sufferings but saith not because of them but because of his sin O wretched man that I am Now can you say the breaking forth of worldliness troubles me more than the loss of the world the prevailing of pride grieveth me more than contempt and disgrace my neglecting to shew love and kindness to others afflicteth me as really as much and yet more than others not shewing love and kindness to me the discontentment of my Spirit lyeth heavier upon me than any worldly disappointment and the like this is a good demonstration that you mortifie your sin through the Spirit and the more if you can say the very stirring and moving of sin in you sadneth you heart though it do not outwardly shew it self and is known to none but God alone Thirdly The more sin is mortified in any are they the dearer to you or the more you perceive any are careful and watchful against sin doth your heart go forth the more in love and affection to them It may be the less this or that sin appeareth in another which is contrary to your temper humour or interest the more you may love him and yet be under the power of your sin but if your affection be drawn out to others according as you perceive them to be engaged against all their sin this speaks well and the sign is the clearer if you do in your hearts esteem and rejoyce in such who have got a greater conquest over their sin than you have yet attained to Fourthly It is a hopeful evidence if you have much tenderness towards such who are strugling and striving against their sin when you see them sometimes foiled thereby yet it appearing that they do wrestle against their sin your hearts are full of pitty towards them you have a tender respect to them and bear them upon your hearts before God When any are seen to be favourers of their sin and manifest that they nourish or countenance a lust then your hearts are offended and rise against them upon that account but for those who are enemies to their sin these you compassionate this speaks you know what it is to fight against sin and that the Spirit acts you therein Again it is a good mark if you have strong breathings after the motions of the Spirit if you long much for its moving in ordinances and that in order to the destroying your corruptions O that the holy mighty Spirit would move and work in this and the other duty that my sin may have some deadly blow thereby and it this be one principall thing you look at in all your duties and waiting on God in Ordinances that through the Spirit your iniquities may be mortified I shall now only give a short answer to three Objections and conclude this subject and shut up this Text. Obj. 1. Some sincere heart may object were my sin quite subdued I should not doubt but wo is me it liveth still Ans We read Heb. 11.17 Abraham offered Isaac yea it is there repeated he offered up his only begotten son yet his son lived still How so because in his will he did actually offer him at God's command and went a great way in offering him he took his son bound him and having built an Altar and laid on wood he laid his son thereon and took his knife in his hand and had gone farther had not God stopt him So if thy heart be indeed set against sin and they will thy purpose and resolution be utterly to slay thy sin and thou goest as far as ever thou canst therein though as yet it have life thy sin may be said to be mortified yea altogether so as to thy will thy desire and purpose Obj. 2. I have a long time laboured against this and that sin yet doth it oft get the mastery of me it hath much life much livelinesse and strength after years strugling against it had I the spirit helping me sure I should before this have gotten if not a perfect yet a greater victory over my sin Ans When an enemy prevails frequently greatly and holds out long very long it 's more honour to him that continues fighting against him when at last conquereth that his enemy and this gives good hope the spirit doth help thee that thou hast so long wrestled against thy corruption and yet holdest on thou faintest nor but maintainest the fight sighing crying out against it Obj. 3. But I see that some have got much more ground upon their sin and have it more under than I have though they began the fight a good while after me Ans It 's good to be lowly minded to think others better than thy self but perhaps their sin whom thou thinkest of may have more strength than thou knowest or though one fin be lesse in them than in thee another may be lesse in thee than in them or thou mayest have done much more against thy sin than they though it break forth more in thee yea thou mayest in a great degree have mortified thy sin and some who seem to have out gone thee in mortification have done nothing in it to purpose either because thy temptations are stronger or thy disadvantage greater through naturall weaknesse badnesse of constitution bodily distemper want of such education or some other cause Many a man whose sin never had one wound or stroke towards it's death never sined to appearance outwardly so much as Lot Noah David Jonah Peter and others in whom sin was truly mortified Some ground through it's natural quality or because more dunged or better watered may have it's weeds oft cut down and yet at times have more than another piece of ground which was never weeded at all The not knowing or not considering such things makes some go blessing themselves to Hell and others to go trembling to Heaven and causeth divers to become exceeding guilty by their self conceitednesse and proud censoâ—iousnesse However sincerity in this as in all things is that God accepts though the more it be done the better For a Conclusion of all Praise the Lord greatly ye upright in heart Rev. 5 8. We read The 24 Elders have every one of them Harps and Golden Viols full of Odours which are the Prayers of Saints teaching us that Saints are not only much in praying but much in praising also they have every one Harps and V. 9. they sung a new song Take you your Harps and sing a new song give great glory to God For what you may say for these five things First Bless God for Christ who hath obtained and as your Head received the Spirit for you Second Bless God for his Covenant wherein he hath promised his Spirit to you and your interest therein as also in Christs Third Bless God for the Gospell which teacheth you this use of the Spirit to mortifie your sins through it this excellent direction and only effectuall means for the destroying all your lusts Fourth Bless God that he hath given you his Spirit and that you do at least many times feel it helping you against your iniquities and that you have begun to destroy them through it Last Bless God for the promise of Life and that you have this Scripture evidence and certain assurance that you shall live
another mans servant to his own Master he standeth or falleth so may it be said of another mans service I have sometime thought why did not all the Apostles write something for publick common use or why have we not somewhat of the writing of them all who since like them yet what volumes have been written and preserved and brought down to us through the severall ages since their time No doubt more things were written by the Pen-men of Scripture than we have more Epistles by the Apostles than are come to us some of which it 's very like we would have judg'd mere usefull and should have preferred before some that we have Luke 1.1 For as much as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us V. 3. It seemed good to me also though many yea because many had written be wrote too and that about the same things Had printing been found out in Christ's time or the Apostles dayes how much more of their sayings doings and writings might we have had But God's providence over-ruleth all things in infinite wisdome not to be fathomed by the short line of our reason or understanding How unsearchable are his wayes To say the truth as these Sermons were preached upon the desire of a Friend so are they published upon the serious request of severall backt with some remarkable passages of providence and by grave advice otherwise I had not any mind or thought in my mind to let them passe the Press than which even nothing farther from my thoughts when I preach't them As they were delivered in my constant course of preaching so neer as well could be come they here to you in a homely dresse Eccl. 11.6 In the morning fow thy seed and in the evening withhold not thine hand for thou knowest not whether shall prosper either this or that or whether they both shall be alike good So may it be said read one and read another Book for thou knowest not whether shall advantage thee either this or that or whether they shall be both alike gainfull or succesfull They say it 's an ill wind that blows no one any good I am not without hope those things printed may do some good as I have ground to believe when preached they did If they become beneficiall to any I shall account that alone a great reward and he that shall say contemptuously pâ—sh they had better never seen the light doth he not sâ—y withall better that good some may gain thereby had not been done but when the least good is done to the least Christ will not say so for he saith Verily he that gives a Cup of cold water to a Disciple in the name of a Disciple shall not lose his reward so doth he love Disciples Christians it is his saying Feed my Lambs as well as feed my Sheep and he wiâ—l have him that hath but one talent to improve it That place hath many times given me great encouragement in my hard work 1 Cor. 1.26 27. c. For ye see your calling brethren how that not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty nor many noble are called but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to consound the things which are mighty and base things of the world and things which are despised hath God chosen and things that are not to bring to nought things that are that no flesh should glory in his presence We read Luke 24.11 Their words seemed to them as idle tales because they believed them not Pray O therefore pray much for Faith lest these words of truth be but to you as idle tales and therewith mix all the truths of God The way to experience promâ—ses and the goodnesse of Scripture counsels is to believe them but he that believeth not shall feel in due time the certainty of all Scripture threatnings If every idle word spoken must be given an account of then sure every good and usefull word heard or read must be accounted for Hos 2.8 9. She did not know that I gave her Corn and Wine and Oyl c. therefore will I return and take away my Corn and my Wine and will recover my Wool and my Flax c. Doth the Lord regard what use men put his Corn Wine Wool and Flax to and doth he not observe how men entertain and deal with his Words The good Lord deliver thee from that wosull yet prevailing frame of Spirit to be serious about trifles and triflng about serious things He in whom are all the Treasures of Wisdom make you wise to Salvation your own your everlasting Salvation from the worst death to the best life cause you to know savingly in this your day the things that concern your peace lest the night the dismal night come wherein they will wholly and for ever be hid from thine eyes Skin for skin and all that a man hath will he give for his life the fountain of light and life give you proportionably O that at least it might be so much to value life spiritual and eternal In a word my Pen already having run too far and beyond my purpose If thou art a careless sighty one O that thou wouldst sit down and ponder till thou feelest those words come home with power to thy heart Prov. 1.24.25 c. art thou one that mournest because of the prevalency of sin in thee remember the Spirit is a Spirit of love and power therefore ready and able to enable thee heartily seeking it to tread upon the nâ—ck of all thy sins as they did upon the necks of those Kings Josh 10 24. and to lead thee in the way everlasting till thou attainest to the full possession of that never ending Life of Glory If in reading thou findest thy heart stirred up to pray then lift up a request for him who is Thy hearty Soul-Friend S. M. Rom. 8.13 If ye live after the flesh ye shall die but if ye c. AS Moses told the people he had set life and death before them Deut. 30.19 upon the account whereof he there calls heaven and earth to record against them so are these two great things Death and Life set before us in the Scripture throughout especially in some places among which my Text is one what is the great question that all do or should put and labour to get answered Is it not this which of those two things shall we have shall we have Death or shall we have life to which grand enquiry the Apostle here from the Lord gives a short but full answer in two conditional propositions The first hath the force of a Divine threatning and is a plain Character of those who shall dye The other carrieth in it a sure promise from God and gives a certain note of such who shall live I begin with the first If
are the greatest enemies of all to thy sin and they are the best friends of all to thy soul therefore the more any one is a friend to thy sin the worse enemy he is to thy soul and the more any one is an enemy to thy sin the better friend he is to thy soul do thou so account be so perswaded this will help to the mortifying thy sin for it will keep thine ear open to reproof and make way for the sinking of wholsom words into thine heart whereas if thou thinkest he that hates thy sin hates thee which is too ordinary and he that flatters and humors thee in thy evil affections and so is a friend to them loves thee this will keep thy sin alive and nourish it greatly for it will cause thee to give ear to those things that will feed thy corruption Much more might have been said and more may be spoken afterward let thus much suffice at present Sermon 4. Q. 4. WHy is it a necessary duty to mortifie the deeds of the body A. It is most manifest that this is a necessary duty that there is an Absolute necessity lying upon us all and upon me and thee every one of you not only because it is commanded but it is necessary in it self and for our own good It is necessary that we may escape death for if we do not mortifie the deeds of the flesh we shall live after the flesh and so dye at last They say a Crocodile and a man seldom meet but one of them dyeth for it if the man kill not the Crocodile the Crocodile will kill the man This is true of every deed of the body of sin either a man must kill it or he will be killed by it kill or be killed is most true as to all sin The words I am upon teach this is necessary to life and that must be if it be necessary to the escaping death But to evince this by some particulars First Is it not necessary that a deadly disease be mortified you know it is it will mortifie if it be not mortified but sin is the disease of the soul and it 's deadly as the Apostle James saith when it 's finished it brings forth death and as the Apostle Paul saith it brings forth fruit unto death No disease whatever more deadly to the body than every unmortified deed of the flesh is to the soul a bodily disease hurts not the soul but an unmortified lust hurts soul and body with the greatest hurt is it not necessary then to be mortified or is it not necessary that a mettal enemy that 's near a man be slain if possible there being no other way to avoid death by his hands but to lay him dead at ones feet much more is it necessary to destroy our sins there being no other way to escape death by them or no way effectual without this and no enemy hurtful as our lusts unsubdued are It is indeed only sin unmortified that can do us any hurt real or abiding hurt the world could not mischief us Satan could not prejudice us were all our lusts laid dead as they should be therefore well said one of the Martyrs in a letter to his Wife be alwayes an enemy to the world and to the Devil but especially to your own flesh your own corruption But we lye open to the malice of all enemies if any sin be suffered to live in us a lust unmortified is as an open door to let Satan into our souls it gives him hold of us it is as dry tinder whereby we may presently be set on fire or as a Barrel of Gun-powder as I may say within us whereby he may come and blow us up If we mortifie our sins then do we mortifie the world and Satan in their power over us but if we do not then will the world be our Master and Satan will be Lord over us Secondly Is it not necessary that we love God and Christ and his Commandments and our own souls and one another but we love none of these unless we mortifie the deeds of the body we love not God because he hates those Deeds he is dishonored by them offended and provoked and his Spirit is grieved and quenched thereby Jam. 4.4 the friendship of the world is enmity to God whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God so as to every deed of the flesh the friendship thereof is enmity to God whosoever therefore is a friend thereof is an enemy of God Nor do we love Christ because the deeds of the body put him to death and are quite contrary to the deeds which he did If ye love me saith Christ keep my Commandments and if we keep his Commandments we must needs break the Commandments of sin and so mortifie the deeds of the body Nor do we love the Commandments of God and Christ because all sinful deeds are directly opposite thereto and this is one of the Lords Commandments that we mortifie our sins yea every Commandment implyes this in that we can keep no Command truely heartily unless our lusts are mortified Nor do we love our own souls because all the deeds of the body war against it and are destructive to it to let sin live quietly in us is too plainly to hate our souls for it is to give entertainment to the enemy the worst enemy of them Prov. 29.24 he that is partner with a Thief hateth his own soul he heareth cursing and bewrayeth it not so doth he hate his own soul who hath this and that lust stirring in him and destroyeth it not Nor do we love or can we love one another in truth for true love only groweth in a pure heart hence it 's said 1 Pet. 1.22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently but no heart purity except the corruptions of the heart be slain Jam. 4.1 from whence come wars and fightings among you he meaneth quarrels strifes and contentions which are caused by want of love come they not saith he even of your lusts that war in your members Yes thence it 's sure they come there would be no wars nor fightings of any kind but for the lusts that are in men and whence is it that mens lusts do cause any such things but because they are not mortified Thirdly Let me ask is it not necessary that we hate our corruptions either we must hate them or we shall love them but we do not hate them in good earnest with a right hatred except we seek the mortification of them no hatred of sin is true and right which is not deadly which doth not carry us forth in endeavours to trample it dead under our feet to crucifie it and let out it's heart blood As when Cain hated his brother he kill'd him all heart hatred inclines a man to
exhortation Rom. 11.20 be not high minded but fear he adds v. 21 22. if God spared not the natural broaches take heed lest he spare not thee behold therefore the goodness and severity of God on them that fell severity but towards thee goodness if thou continue in his goodness otherwise thou also shalt be cut off As a Mother leading her little Child it goes towards the fire or water and though she hold it fast sure that it shall not fall in yet to make it careful she saith take heed if you fall into the fire you 'l be burn't if into the water you 'l be drowned so that we may not be secure and careless and self confident we have divers such If 's in Scripture spoken to Gods Children Thirdly True Believers may have and too oft have through compliance with the Flesh great falls though they live not after the Flesh they act much according to it therefore to cause them to maintain a continual sight against the Flesh and to keep at the farthest distance from it and to quicken them to repentance when they have turned aside therefore are they to be put in mind what an enemy the Flesh is even such that if they do live after it they shall dye eternally and so far as they act according to it they do dye spiritually For such reasons as these the Apostle speaks that Heb. 10.26 If we sin wilfully he faith not you but we if we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins but a certain fearful looking for of judgment c. that is even for us if we so sin It may be objected is this a sit and proper argument to work upon true Believers to keep them from the wayes of the flesh or to bring them to repentance when they are seduced thereby should not such rather have other things Preached to them A. Other things should be Preached and that chiefly as the death of Christ love and grace of God c. but this also ye shall dye if c. all considerations are needful in this world to keep us awake God thought it a proper and fit argument to lay before Adam when he had no Flesh no corruption in him in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye why then is it not a proper and fit argument to be propounded to those who have much sin remaining in them though they being in Christ are not under that Covenant under which Adam was and cannot fall as he did yet is this argument rather more suitable to them than to Adam even the argument of death in this respect because they have much Flesh in them which both in it self deserves death and enclines them or moves them to walk in the wayes thereof sweet arguments may more take with the renewed part but this may more curb remaining Corruption and work upon the heart when in a fearless careless frame and if the soul be in never so good a frame to hear that they who live after the Flesh shall dye may stir it up to thankfulness that through and in Christ it is secure and the more thankful the more obedient shall we be to God If any say that grace most works upon them I answer the more any are drawn by Grace the less do they need to be driven by this truth yet even this truth minds us of and sets forth to us the grace of God in that but for it we had all lived after the flesh and there is love in this very truth that the Lord is thus pleased to warn us It may again be said but is this right to avoid or turn from the wayes of the Flash because they bring to death A. We are bound to believe all the word of God and it 's the nature of true faith to Believe all believing all things saith the Apostle that are written in the Law and the Prophets Acts 24.14 therefore all Scripture truth is to be Preached and whatever we do in faith from true faith is as so well done and acceptable to God as Noah's building an Ark because through faith he was moved with fear c. besides death implyes separation from God and this is very good it is love to God to avoid sin that by it we may not be separated from him Application Use 1. Whether do you or any of you live after the Flesh It is as great a question as whether you shall dye Be the more inquisitive each one as to himself because multitudes are strangely mistaken some seem as if they did live after the flesh yet really before God they do not 2 Cor 10.2 I beseech you that I may not be bold with that confidence wherewith I think to be bold against some which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh the Apostles themselves seemed to some so to walk yet were they far from so walking On the other hand there are and that many more who make a shew as if they did not live after the flesh yet in truth after it do they live Thus men also mistake concerning themselves thinking that of themselves which is contrary to truth It 's like if the question were put in the general to any of you whether think you not there are some here present who live after the Flesh you would every one say if you should speak your thoughts yes some here do so live or I fear there are some whose life is such but let every one be ask'd as to his own particular probably he would say I do not or I hope I do not live after the Flesh I beseech you Brethren deceive not your selves for if you do thus live whether you think so or no of your selves you will find this true that ye shall dye I would be helpful to you in this enquiry for which purpose I shall briefly offer divers things to your serious thoughts to be made use of in self examination I say self examination for you know it 's not that God requires of you nor that which concerns you or not so much to try others as each one himself and her self 1. Whoever hath not had a great change in his heart a mighty turn he doth live after the Flesh however he may seem to live for all by nature are dead in their sins and the uncircumcision of their Flesh Col. 2.13 all naturally are born of Flesh and are Flesh having no good thing in them and if the tree be bad the fruit cannot but be bad also if any are dead in the Uncircumcision of their flesh it 's certain they live after it Secondly To live in the doing of any of the works of the Flesh though it be but in some one or two of them is to live after the Flesh Q. What are the works of the Flesh A. They are very many and they are all or most of them very manifest as the Apostle tells us Gal. 5.19 The
Prophets and hewn them with the word of my mouth so the Spirit by Scripture words slayes hacks and hews our sins as Antichrist is consumed by the breath of the Lords mouth so is sin within us which is the worst Antichrist of all and but for which there had been no Antichrist at all Lastly The Spirit mortifieth our sins by producing and begetting fruits in us contrary thereto such as those Gal. 5.22 23. the Apostle in the foregoing verses declares what are the fruits of the Flesh thereupon makes mention of the fruits of the Spirit such as love peace long-suffering goodness faith meekness whereby he teacheth us that the Spirit by causing these good things in us doth expell and destroy the fruits of the Elesh which are contrary thereto and there is one fruit of the spirit not there mentioned but implyed in love which the spirit works whereby the power and life of Sin is greatly abated yea even taken away according to the measurc and strength of it and that 's hatred hatred of all Sin which makes us eager in seeking the utter extirpation of it out of our Souls I might have added The Spirit breaks the force of Satan's temptations who seeks to defend Sin and keeps it upon the throne in us and therefore tempts violently stirs up and doth all he can to kindle it and feed it by pouring in such and such thoughts as by other means but the Spirit opposeth and withstands him to which that may be applyed Isa 59.19 When the enemy shall come in like a floud the Spirit of the Lord shal lift up a Standard against him The Spirit well understands all Satans wiles and what correspondence he hath with Sin in us and the Spirit either driveth him away and makes him flee from us or counterworks him dictating answers to all his temptations and as casting water on the fire which Satan endeavours to blow up in us Sermon 6. I Am now in the second place to shew what we are to do that we may have the help of the Spirit in mortifying the deeds of the body For answer whereto briefly in a few particulars First We must receive the Spirit we can do nothing this way through the Spirit unless it be in us dwelling and abiding in our Souls which it will not be except it be received by us 1 Cor. 2.12 We have received the Spirit which is of God So have all we who truly believe and they who have not must receive it or never will they give any of their sins a deadly wound through it If any keep their hearts shur against the Spirit they cannot have the help of it in the work of mortification or any other work to their Salvation As till the Soul come into the Body and dwell in it the Body doth not cannot work act or do any thing by it so till the Spirit come into the Soul and be received to dwell there the Soul doth nothing by it to the subduing it's lusts Secondly They who have received the Spirit must call in or call for it's help and assistance when you find corruption stirring when you go about the killing your sins you must desire and ask the Spirit 's co-working with you O that the Spirit of the Lord may now work with me O that it may now assist me let it now please to help me in destroying this evill affection in mortifying this and that sinfull motion I feel stirring in me You must never attempt any thing without looking for and seeking the Spirit 's assistance Ps 143.10 Thy Spirit is good it 's a good guide lead me into the Land of uprightness by it O Lord be pleased to lead me in the good and upright way in the strait path the way everlasting till I shall come to that place appointed for upright ones and where nothing of hypocrisie is but all uprightness and sincerity only grows So you should pray Lord thy Spirit is holy and mighty it is every way able to help me O let it assist me in mortifying mine iniquities till they shall be all destroyed till I come to that Country where no such poysonous hurtful thing as sin doth grow or live or hath any being Thirdly You must wholly rely on and trust in the Spirit for its direction and powerfull co-operation with you in this work not having any thought as if you could put to death or do any thing for the destruction of any sin of your selves but knowing remembring and acknowledging also your own utter weakness and insufficiency your trust confidence relyance must be altogether on the Spirit As Jehosaphat said We know not what to do but our eyes are to thee which implyes trust and dependance on God so your eyes must be to the Spirit Psal 38.19 Mine enemies are lively and they are strong i. e. they are too strong for me what then V. 15. In thee O Lord do I hope So when our Spiritual enemies are lively and when they are as indeed they alwayes are too strong for us we must hope in the Spirit of God for strength from it Ps 47.3 He shall subdue the People under us and the Nations under our feet we will not think or attempt it in our own strength but as elsewhere it is In the name of the Lord I will destroy them yea in the Lords name will I destroy them I will not trust in my bow nor shall my sword save me c. So we must not think that any means we can use can lay dead any sin but we must still purpose resolve and endeavour the slaying of every sin in the power and strength of the Spirit Fourthly You must lye in the way of the Spirits working as Marriners do lay their Vessell in the way of the wind or the Miller turns his Mill that way the wind blows because the Ship will not sail nor the Mill grind without the wind So you must lay your selves in the way of the Spirits breathing and turn your Souls to that blessed wind that way it bloweth I mean you must attend under Ordinances you must give your selves to religious holy duties to hear to read to meditate on the Word of God to confer with others and joyn in prayer with them as you have opportunity c. John 3.8 The Spirit worketh As the wind bloweth where it listeth not where we list but where it self pleaseth and where is it that the Spirit listeth to work sure it is in the way of it 's own appointments Fifthly We must yeild up our selves to the Spirit to be acted moved and ruled according to it's pleasure as Souldiers follow your Leader observe his Commands yea every beck or wagging of his head or hand and accordingly order themselves so we must well mind all the dictates take notice of all the movings of the Spirit in us and comply therewith Gal. 5.16 This I say then walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the
this vessel have a good gale of wind and the other be becalmed and have only the strength of the marriners to put it forward by Poles and Oars you will not marvel if that which set out last and hath the longest way to go be first at the intended haven leaving the other behind basking and tossing in the waves possibly till she be foundred or wrackt through a great storm arising Use 3. Let this cause you to magnifie the Gospel the Doctrine of Christ because this tells you how you shall slay your worst most hurtful deadly and powerful enemies and lay them dead at your feet The Law that discovers sin Rom. 7.7 I had not known sin but by the Law for I had not known lust except the Law had said thou shalt not covet The Law also denounceth a sore curse to them who walk after their lusts but the Law telleth us not of a remedy how we shall have help against them it is the Gospel that teacheth us to mortifie the deeds of sin through the spirit The meer light of nature saith of many sins they must be mortified but is at a stand as to this the only way for the mortification of them hence those great Moralists and wise Philosophers who speak much against many impieties and give divers rules good in their place for the getting rid of them yet are silent in this some of those wise men gave strange rules for the mortifying of lust as that of Crates famish thy self noting that it was not feasable and all their precepts are ineffectual for the real destroying any lust therefore the best of those men are noted to have lived under the dominion of some destroying corruption covetousness ambition envy or such like They write of one Democritus he put out his eyes because he could not look without lusting but did that mortifie his sin No though his eyes were out his corruption continued still within There are two great things only to be known by the Gospel the one is how we may have peace with God be accepted of him and justified in his sight the Gospel only holds forth justifying righteousness the other is this I am now upon how we may get our sins destroyed and so our hearts purified Vse 4. You may make use of this truth by way of tryal whether you have the spirit of Christ in you or no The greatest question in the world is whether you are in Christ Jesus the Answer to that is he that hath not the spirit of Christ as the Apostle saith is none of his but he that hath the spirit of Christ in him is in Christ And if you would know whether the spirit of Christ be in you this is one answer if it be in you it works in you it helps and assists you and that in mortifying your sins Have your sins deadly wounds is there any thing done really and considerably towards the ruining them If so then you have the spirit of Christ in you because this is to be done only through the spirit Vse 5. Adore the Lord and greatly praise him that he is pleased not only to acquaint us with the necessity of mortifying the deeds of sin but also to direct us how we shall do it and that in such a way as this through his own spirit God might have told us of the desert of our sins the danger of living in them and what would follow thereupon and so left us to pine away in them which had been a most woeful doleful case But behold the riches of his grace he shews us a way in the Gospel both for our attaining pardon of our transgressions and victory over all our corruptions It may be objected Alas what is this that we hear we must mortifie our sins through the spirit we may hear of this as many do and yet be far enough from being freed from the power of our sins I answer true no doubt many hear of this who yet continue to live after the flesh and so dye eternally having not one of all their lusts destroyed But then it is their own fault because they follow not the Counsel of God in his Word it is the love and goodness of a friend if be tell you a soveraign effectual remedy for any mortal Disease under which you labour though at length you dye thereof because you will not use the means he prescribes or directs you to So is it the grace of God that he declares to us how our sins may be killed and our souls saved though many hear thereof and yet dye in their sins because they take not the good counsel given them It may be again objected is the spirit at our command can we mortifie our sins through it if we will I answer Though the spirit be not at our command it is at our entreaty so be it we heartily seek it as we are directed which how it is will after be shewn So that this truth leaves all those utterly in excusable who still live in their sins after their hearing it and it will aggravate their condemnation in that though they heard from the Word of God how they should destroy their lusts they continued still enslaved by them and lived under the power of them all their dayes Yet is this Doctrine a great discovery of the grace of God to all men in general to whom the Gospel is published Especially doth this speak the grace of God to you who are in Christ for he hath already actually given you his spirit and all that he now requireth of you is that you improve it and make use of it as of a great and most Noble friend who is able and ready at all times upon all occasions to help you Know therefore the Lord your God is full of grace towards you He indeed calls you to great work to warring and fighting against your strong corruptions from which if he pleased he could easily suddenly altogether perfectly deliver you while here as he will hereafter This may seem hard and seem to speak some want of fatherly love and kindness but think not so seeing he hath given you an all sufficient helper fully answerable to the greatness of the work which he puts you upon Use 6. Let the sixth use be to convince all such of great error who think they can mortifie their sins of themselves or that any thing they can do can be effectual to the mortification thereof without the spirit It is one of the grand errors of the Antichristian party to think that their vows fastings penance c. can mortifie sin and they give themselves divers of them to severe courses and put others on to such and such things as effectual means to slay their lusts without looking after the spirit of Christ for it's assistance Wherein too too many who oppose Popery are too like to Papists as in other things for are there not many who hearing the absolute necessity of having their sins
with you and makes a tender of its assistance But more especially doth the spirit offer its help when it begins to move and breath and work in any soul Give ear I pray have you no movings no workings no stirrings or convictions of the Spirit do you barely hear a sound of words do you feel â—â—thing within doth not the Spirit many times convince you doth it not frequently stir you up against your sins and against this or that sin in particular have you not now some stirrings of the Spirit Remember this whenever the Spirit moveth in you it offereth you its assistance therefore if you have any hatred of your sins any love of your souls any desire to be helpt by the Spirit against your corruption accept its offer now accept it and set upon this good and necessary work forthwith take up arms and use them against your sin giving up yourself to the Spirit that it may enable you to do that for which you are utterly impotent and insufficient in your selves Go along with the Spirit that way it moves you that way go what it putteth you on to that do It is a most dangerous thing to neglect the offer of the holy good Spirit of God to slight or let slip any of its counsels or motions as Christ said to Jerusalem so may the Spirit now say to many a one Mat. 23.37 38. how oft would I have helped you and you would not behold your soul is left unto you desolate Use 11. Take heed all you who have the Spirit that you do no way provoke it no way grieve it because the great war you are still while you live to carry on against corrupt nature and its lustings can only be effectually managed by the help thereof Why is it that the Spirit of grace doth assist us no more in this warfare whence is it that the enemies of our Spirits so oft prevail and get us under Is it because the Spirit in us is not able to help us that cannot be it hath given our souls life when quite dead therefore it can lay our sins quite dead at its pleasure and give our souls life more abundantly Is it because the spirit is not willing or ready to afford us its assistance neither can that be it being given to us to help us to think it unwilling is to think it unfaithful but the holy spirit cannot be unfaithful and to think it unwilling is to think it unloving unkind uncompassionate but that spirit that works all kindness love and compassion that is gracious in every soul must needs be exceeding loving kind and full of compassion it self What 's the reason then that this that and the other sin so oft gets the mastery in us who have the spirit in us Whence is it that spiritual slothfulness so much prevails in some worldliness in others lukewarmness pride envy c. in others whence are some so unstable in the truth so unconstant in that which is good whence such dead heartedness such carnality such vain-glory such discontent and uncircumspect walking among us Sure the Spirit is not kindly entertained by us as it ought to be we grieve it we offend and displease it As Israel was never beaten by their enemies but still prevailed against them unless God were some way greatly provoked by them and so left them in a great degree to themselves to their own strength and counsels which ever proved too weak short and foolish to hold them up when the Lord was withdrawn from them So it is when our foul enemies prevail the Spirit of God is displeased by us Therefore be more kind to be more tender towards it Let us ever be careful as for our lives that we never grieve our great and only helper There are many wayes that the Spirit is offended one is that even now mentioned neglecting its motions not working when it calls upon and puts us on to work not fighting when it moves us or not as it moveth us to fight against our lusts Besides which there are five or six wayes I shall now mention of grieving the Spirit First Running upon temptation when you do so you tempt the Spirit which tempting it is grieving it when you needlessely run upon an occasion of sin and venter upon any foreseen temptation having no call hoping the Spirit will help you against it Secondly Willing or careless neglect of any duty Believe O that you would believe me when I speak truth you never willingly or carelessely neglect a duty but you grieve the Spirit You may pretend one and another thing but the Spirit cannot be deceived it searcheth all things and as for you in whom it dwells know you it doth more especially observe your whole conversation and all the workings of your spirits Thirdly Yielding to any thing at any time against your conscience when you offend conscience you grieve the spirit if conscience be displeased the spirit is displeased though not alway in the same respect thy conscience saith doing such a thing thou dost not do well yet wilt thou do it now dost thou provoke the spirit Fourthly Not trying those motions that are in you by the word what they are or whence they come For hereupon you oftner then you are aware of give entertainment to Satan's motions and yield to them as if they were from the spirit of holiness especially then when Salan transforms himself notably into an Angel of light and what a grieving the spirit this is it 's easie to conceive for you through negligence rashness or inconsiderateness and not trying things as you ought to follow the wicked one instead of the Holy one Fifthly Despising the counsel of such who have the spirit which is too ordinary a case I suppose it will be confess'd this is a grieving the spirit and it must be granted it is too too common Either the counsel of such is despised by not seeking it when it is needful the law should be sought at their mouth who have the teaching of the spirit Mal. 2.7 Hagg. 2.11 or when good counsel is given and is not followed but is neglected be it through flightiness obstinacy conceit of your own understanding or a being bent to your own mind 1. Cor. 7. last it is so after my judgment and I think I have the spirit of God he means as to that his Advice and therefore as if he should have said beware that you despise not my counsel lest you grieve the spirit whose counsel it is by me Sixthly Giving way to unbelieving thoughts the suffering to lodg in you any evil thought grieves the spirit particularly and especially a thought of unbelief when you entertain it nourish it or strive not to turn it out Now let the consideration of your need of the spirit and the great work you have to do by it which can by no means be done without it make you heedful that the spirit be not grieved by you these or any
Rev. 4.4 I saw twenty four Elders sitting clothed in white raiment and they had on their heads crowns of gold That is durable glorious crowns given them with respect to their conquering And what then V. 10. They fall down before the throne and woâ—ship him that liveth for ever and ever and cast their crowns before the throne saying thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory honour and power as if they had said though we are crowned yet we in our selves are not worthy of our crowns but thou art worthy of glory honour and power for by the power of thy spirit it is that we have vanquished our enemies and have won these Crowns It 's another principal way of grieving the spirit when we mortifying any sin through it do take the glory to our selves which we do when we grow high minded and puf't up in our spirits thereby And it 's one of the best evidences that our sins are indeed mortified by the holy spirit when our pride is mortified so that we are still humble as well when we overcome this or that lust as when we are overcome by it There is no sin more hatefull to the spirit of God than pride is therefore it helping us against other sins it will surely smite that Lastly Be exhorted to get more of the spirit you who are endued with it who have it dwelling in you Ephes 5.18 Be filled with the spirit the spirit is given by degrees and in divers measures the more you are filled with it the more you 'l be emptied of your lusts through it the more effectually and easily will you prevail against every sin that hath been too hard for you But how shall we gain more of the spirit I answer The same way the spirit is received at first more thereof is to be attained and that 's by faith The more we act faith on Christ and on the promises and the more we earnestly pray in faith the more shall we receive and be filled with that mighty sin-killing lust destroying spirit of the Lord. Sermon 8. and Last I Am now come to the last thing to be considered in this Text which I shall briefly dispatch and put an issue thereto D. 3. That they who do mortifie the deeds of the body of sin through the spirit they shall live As they who live after the flesh shall dy so they who do mortifie the affections lusts and motions of the flesh shall live so be it that they do this through the spirit because else it s not done in truth and to purpose And there is this difference to be remembred they who live after the flesh deserve tody they earn the wages of death it 's not so here that they who mortifie the deeds of sin do deserve to live for though as the Apostle saith Ro. 6. last The wages of sin is death yet the gift of God is eternall life through Jesus Christ God freely gives life and Christ hath by his obedience to death obtain'd it 1 Joh. 3.9 In this was manifested the love of God towards us because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him Christ was sent to dye that we might live otherwise we could never by any means have had life yet is this the mortification of sin the way to though not the cause of life it necessarily preceeds life Two things I shall speak a little to before I come to the Application 1. Shew how they shall live who do this 2. Give some reasons for the confirmation of the truth How shall they live who do this answer look how they shall dye who live after the flesh in a contrary way shall they live who mortifie the deeds of the flesh First If we do this we shall live the life of grace of holiness which is called the life of God Eph. 4.18 Having the understanding darkned being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their heart How excellent how desirable is their life which is the life of God even that life shall we live let us but get our sin dead through the Spirit of God Christ the Son of God will live in us Gal. 2.20 I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me He did through Christ dwelling in him live a spiritual holy life so shall we live it 's true none can do any thing this way to purpose till they are quickned and have some spiritual life in them can those who lye dead in their graves kill the worms that feed upon them No more can any while they lye dead in their sins mortifie their sins they have not the spirit therefore cannot act through it But if we do destroy our corruptions through the spirit then we are quickned and we shall retain that spiritual life we have 2 Pet. 1.10 If ye do these things ye shall never fall never fall as Adam did so as to lose our spiritual life as they of whom the Apostle speaks that they are twice dead though he means not that ever they had a reall principle of spiritual life should it be that any of us who have the spirit should grow quite negligent in this work of subduing our sins should we altogether give it over then should we become like those twice dead sin as I may say would choak would strangle our souls or the new creature in us But we continuing to keep under and to slay our sins so the life of grace we have shall be retained and we shall not fall into a dead frame yea thus shall we have life more abundantly we shall be more lively God-ward in all duties and good works Rev. 3.2 3. Christ exhorteth the Church of Sardis to strengthen the things that did remain which were ready to dye and for that end biddeth them repent mortifie their sin through the neglect whereof some good things were even as dead already and others were in a dying case it will not be so with us if we herein do our duty but all good will live in us and it will grow more lively so we shall be farther and farther from dying Secondly We shall live a life of peace and comfort as it is Gal. 5.25 we shall live in the spirit in the peace comfort and joy thereof the Kingdom of God we read consists in righteousness peace and joy in the Holy Ghost but the more we mortifie our sin through the spirit the more of the Kingdom of God as it consists in righteousness whereupon also we shall have the more of the Kingdom of God as it consists in peace and joy in the Holy Ghost we shall have the more sense of our justification and of our peace with God a more clear discerning of the forgiveness of our iniquities a more quiet and acquitting conscience more of the rejoycing of the testimony of a good conscience and the very slaying of our corruptions because they are
sin hence your mercies which when fewest and least are more and greater than your afflictions they also are to excite you against your sins for the goodness of God leadeth to repentance and if you thus account and reckon it will be a good help to awaken you thereto 2 Pet. 3.15 account that the long suffering of our Lord is salvation account so thus think and judge in your selves but why should we so account because this will be a means to put us upon our duty as may appear by the 14 v. upon which he brings in that exhortation be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace without spot and blameless then comes in that as a help thereunto and account that the long-suffering of God is salvation do so and thereby you will be quickned to be diligent that you may be found of him in peace so you should account of all God's providences they are salvation in order to the salvation of your souls and consequently to the destruction of your sins Secondly Think not a little pains enough for the mortifying any sin though all our pains be nothing without the spirit yet the spirit will have us not only to do but to do with all our might There must be violence used against our sin which Christ teacheth when he saith cut off thy right hand right foot and pluck out thy right eye that offends thee touching it a little smiting it is not enough it must be cut off and pluck'd out all that we do should be done with all our might much more this If we did strive more the Spirit would help us more But Thirdly Let nothing quiet thee unless thy conscience tells thee thou art hearty and zealous in this work and dost get some ground upon thy sin it 's cross to Scripture for a man under the power of sin he not bearing up and wrestling sincerely and stoutly against it to bless himself in or quiet himself by any thing and this hardens the heart nourisheth sin strengthneth and increaseth it when a man upon any account speaks peace to his soul while he lives in sin hence that terrible word Deut. 29.20 God saith his anger and his jealousie shall smoke against that man who giving way to sin blesseth himself and all the curses shall lye upon him c. if a man flatter himself that he shall do well because he hath had such comforts doth perform such duties God is merciful Christ hath dyed c. though he live after the flesh in this or that evil deed or motion thereof then will that man's sin prevail more and more and it 's not like to be mortified or that he should seek the mortification thereof Fourthly Beware of all lessening and extenuating thoughts of your sin to beget such thoughts in us is Satan's way to defend our sin and deaden our hearts to the seeking the death thereof as that we cannot help it which is no extenuation but an aggravation of sin when it ariseth from the strength of sin in our hearts 2 Pet. 2.14 it 's express'd to aggravate or shew the greatness of their sin they cannot cease to sin or that our sin is not so great as some others I am not said the Pharisee like this Publican or I have such a temptation the woman said Adam thou gavest me she gave me and I did eat or any other excuse while a man's mind is so exercised and busied to make his sin appear as little as possibly he can it roots and grows in him he 'l not strike hard at it if he think it small he 'l give it a weak blow if he think it weak no great stroke if he imagine it not to be great as if a man be to kill a little creature a flye suppose he 'l put forth but little strength for that he thinks enough Labour therefore to see your sin as it is in its greatness heinousness and utmost sinfulness so far as may be and for that purpose view your sin in the glass of the word see how it 's set â—â—â—th there in the word of truth applying all that 's spoken against such and such a sin to your sin that sin in you consider how it is in God's eye how he looks upon it as also how it will appear to you when you come to dye or stand in judgment and loâ—k round it weigh the aggravating circumstances of it the love the goodness of God to you your knowledge means of sanctification and checks of conscience your profession your hope your prayers with other such things Use 3. All you who do mortifie your sin in truth through the Spirit be assured this day you shall live for you to believe is as really your duty as it is for you to do any thing against your sin and the more you believe it the more will you do against sin a man may conceit he shall live and therefore let his sin live but he that hath a true faith grounded on the Word of God particularly my Text that he shall live he 'l become thereby more industrious in warring against sin for faith is a purifying grace Believe then live you shall spiritually while you live naturally if at present you have not you shall have peace and joy God's favour is towards you and you shall have a sense of it if now you are without it and eternal life is yours you are heirs of it Dye you may a natural but not a cursed death not the second death as she said who going cheerfully to Prison and hearing one say to her you have not yet tasted death true answered she nor ever shall I for Christ saith Joh. 8.51 if a man keep my saying he shall not see death so you who keep this saying shall not see death but you shall see life and enjoy it for ever you are written among the living in Jerusalem Isa 4.3 or as it 's otherwise read you are written unto life your names are in the book of life see by faith there is a book of life where the names of all that shall live are fairly indelibly recorded and among others there even there stands thy name your mortifying your sin through the Spirit is a sure evidence to you hereof therefore by it mortifie your doubts and let your assurance be raised and let it give life to your hearts even the life of comfort This promise ye shall live contains in it more than tongue can express it is comprehensive of all you desire or can reasonably wish for Let not thy soul refuse to be comforted by it it matters not much what now is think thou of what shall be Now thou mayest be as dead as to thy name estate health this or that good but doubt not thou shalt live so live that there shall not any shadow of death remain in thee upon or to thee You may say this is a good word to them who can rightly apply it and me thinks I could