bee said to doe it as the second Person is said to die and God is said to shed his bloud because that nature which obeyed the Law was the nature of God The second thing is a very great act Christ thus as God and man gave himself up to the obedience of the Law for beleevers Oh consider and admire it What a wonderful thing is this that he that was the Law-giver should put himself to be under the Law for beleevers and so become for them the Law-keeper Thirdly and lastly The last particular to which Christ gave himself for beleevers was to suffering Christ gave himself to death for beleevers Here for the understanding of this you must know That there are two kinds of sufferings to which the Lord Christ gave up himself for beleevers First sufferings in body Secondly sufferings in soul First the suffering of mans wrath Secondly the suffering of Gods wrath Christ for beleevers gave up himself to both these First Christ gave himself up to the sufferings in body to the suffering of the wrath of man for beleevers you that are acquainted with the Historie of the Gospel know the truth of this How did Christ suffer himself to bee scorned to be hated to be reviled and persecured by men Christ he gave himself up in his passion First to be arrained attached by souldiers with staves and holberts as a malefactor after that he gave himself up to be reproached his ears to be filled with blasphemies and with mocks his face to be buffeted to be spit upon his head to be all wounded with thornes his hands and his feet to be pierced with nails and his side with a spear Thus Christ gave up his body to the suffering of the wrath of man in bodily tortures for beleevers and in the last place he gave himself up to the suffering of a dissolution of soul and body that which we call death This is the first sort of suffering to which Christ gave up himself for beleevers to the suffering of bodily tortures to the suffering of the wrath of men There is no kind of suffering that man is outwardly subject to but Christ endured in every member of his body and in his name his ears with their mocking speeches and his eyes with their mocking gestures when as they clothed him with purple and gave him a reed in his hand and bowed to him and mocked him calling him the King of the Jews by derision Again in the second place Christ he gave himself up to the sufferings of soul to the sufferings of the wrath of God for beleevers and this is a great deal more Christ he did not only suffer in body but he also suffered in soul You may gather it from that in Mar. 14.32 33 34. He taketh with him Peter James and John and began to be sore amazed and to be very heavie and saith unto them my soul is exceeding sorrowfull unto death and afterward he goeth from them and prayeth three times that if it were possible the cup might be taken from him If so be that Christs suffering was only the wrath of men and bodily tortures Christ had been very pusillanimous and faint-hearted that would bee so fearfull at the apprehension of death We have many men that can expect death without any amazement or fainting of heart therefore if there had been no more then the bodily suffering Christ had been weaker then men who was thus amazed and affrighted and prayed three times that the Cup might passe from him And further that Christ suffered in soul wil appear by that in Luke 22.44 there saith the Text Being in an agonie he prayed more earnestly and his sweat was as it were great drops of bloud falling to the ground If Christ had only suffered in body how had it been possible that the fear of death could have made him sweat great drops of bloud Many through fear have sweat great drops of water but never any did sweat drops of bloud for never did any man feel such a bloodie wrath as Christ felt at this time And yet further in that Mark 14.34 our Saviour saith it himself in express termes My soul is exceeding sorrowfull unto death Here he saith plainly that his soul suffered And likewise in Luke 22.43 it is said That an Angel appeared to him from heaven strengthning him If Christ had nothing to doe but suffer the death of his bodie what need an Angel come to strengthen him Men are able to bear the apprehension of a bodily death and shall we conceive Christ could not bear it without the strengthning of an Angel These things plainly shew that Christ did not onely give himself up to the suffering of bodily wrath but to the suffering of soul the suffering of the wrath of God And it must be so for if Christ had not suffered the wrath of God as well as the wrath of man Christ had never done beleevers any good at all for the same nature that had sinned must suffer and the soul of beleevers sinned as well as the body therefore the soul of beleevers must suffer as well as the body The wrath of God is spirituall and therefore reacheth the soul as well as the body so that Christ could never have been a ransome to beleevers from the wrath of God nor a satisfaction to his justice if the soul of Christ had not suffered the wrath of God as well as his bodie the wrath of men Thus you see the second thing whereto Christ gave himself for beleevers and that was to the suffering both of man and of God the tortures both of body and soul And to the end you may a little better conceive it consider I beseech you what the tortures of soul and wrath of God is that Christ gave himself up to suffer It is in brief First a losse in regard of sense of all the apprehension of Gods love and a sensible feeling of the immortall and eternall and infinite wrath of God The suffring of Gods wrath includeth these two things A privation in regard of sense of all the of favour God and an enduring in regard of sense of all the anger of God these two things did Christ indure First he lost in regard of sense all the apprehension of Gods favour he had not the least apprehension and sense of the love and favour of God but even as the world is when the Sun is set without all light so was the soul of Christ in regard of sense without all love without all favour without all presence of God at all My God my God Why hast thou forsaken me In regard of sense he suffered the losse of God the losse of his love and favour and this was more to Christ then a thousand deaths Indeed Christ had the favour and the love of God but all sense of it was perfectly withdrawn Secondly Christ also suffered the full sense of the wrath of God the arrows of the divine displeasure were
all those in whom Christ is a death of the bodie of sin and a resurrection in regard of the life of righteousnesse This the Apostle plainly and largely proveth in that place For the further opening of this Point you must consider that there are divers degrees both of the death of sin and of the life of righteousnesse First there is a perfect death of sin when the whole body of sin is altogether destroyed and perfectly rooted out of a man And there is an imperfect death of sin when the whole body of sin and every particular of it is in part and but in part destroyed and rooted out of a man Again on the other side there is a perfect life of righteousnesse when the whole frame of holiness is perfectly and compleatly set up in a man and an imperfect life of righteousnesse when the same frame is in every particular of it yet but imperfectly set up My brethren that I chiefly desire you should mark is this That in the imperfect death of sin and in the imperfect life of righteousnesse there is a kind of perfection in regard of the particular parts both of the body of sin and of the frame of holiness There is no part no member of the body of sin that is not destroyed and supprest onely it is destroyed but in part and not perfectly Every member I say of the body of sin doth in part suffer death Therefore the Scripture calleth it the destruction of the body Rom. 6. 6. Our old man saith the Apostle is crucified with Christ that the body of sin might be destroyed It cannot be said that the old man is crucified or the body of sin destroyed if so be that every part of the old man and every member of the body of sin bee not in some measure destroyed But although every part and particular of the body of sin be destroyed yet here is no part no particular but is still alive and unsubdued even in the people of God Even in them that be in Christ there are the seeds of all corruptions to be found there are the reliques of every kind of sin there are the lustings of every fruit of the flesh and sometime one part of the body of sin sometime another part according as God is pleased to leave them for their tryall doth break out and manifest it self in them So it is also in regard of the life of righteousnesse That same imperfect life of righteousnesse hath in it every part of holinesse so that there is no grace that is not in part quickned no piece of the Image of God that is not in part stamped upon the soul Thereupon it is said That the godly have the seed of God remaining in them that they are partakers of that divine nature that they have the Law of God written in their hearts that they bear the Image of God that they be the children of God None of these things could be said of them if they had not every part and particular of grace and holines in some measure in them yet notwithstanding there is no part no particular of the body and frame of holiness perfectly in them but onely imperfectly and in degrees Thus you see what is here meant by the death of sin and the life of righteousnesse not that which is perfect for that shall never be attained to till after the death of the bodie but that which is imperfect and that is infallibly in all in whomsoever Christ is Yea and not onely one of these but joyntly both of them are imperfectly in all these that are in Christ and therefore the Apostle in the Text joyneth them both together For howsoever we will not now stand to dispute whether the life of righteousnesse be the cause or spring of the death of sin as the coming in of light is the cause of the expulsion of darknesse yet this is sure that they are alwayes inseparable and go together there is no life of righteousness where there is not a death of sin and there is no death of sin where there is not a life of righteousnesse Now then my brethren the sense and meaning of all this Point that I have thus opened and proved to you cometh to thus much That who-ever have Christ in them they have the whole body of sin in every part of it weakned and destroyed and the whole frame of holinesse and righteousnesse in every part of it begun in them though both but in part Give me leave now as briefly as I can to make application First then here you have a cleer locking-glasse wherein you may be able to judge of the faces of the state and temper of your souls I beseech you consider it well and the Lord set it home upon your hearts either you have Christ in you or you have him not in you If Christ be in you then you have this imperfect death of sin and life of righteousnesse but if you have not this then Christ is not in you Be exhorted therefore I beseech you to try your selves by this touchstone But some will say How shall I be able to know whether I have this same death of sin and life of righteousnesse in mee yea or no This is shewen already yet to help you more particularly I will shew you how you may judge of that imperfect death of sin and life of righteousnesse which is to be found in us in this world And first for the death of sin you must know that there is a great deal of difference between the restraint or the sleep of sin and this death of sin Many people deceive themselves with taking the restraining or sleep of sin for the death of sin And indeed many times a sin that is restrained or asleep may appear to others and to a mans self to be more dead then a sin that is dead indeed For this same death of sin that is to be in all those that have Christ in them is not as I said before an utter destruction a plenary and full abolishment of sin but it is onely a weakning a lessening and diminishing thereof Now a sin that is onely weakned and yet stirreth may be more manifest then a sin that is restrained or asleep and stirreth not for the present One that is shut up in a prison cannot do so much in the street as a weak and dying man that is in the streets and one that is asleep cannot doe so much as a weak and dying man that is not asleep Even thus many times sin so long as the sit of restraint or sleep lasteth doth not manifest it self so much as when it is dead with this imperfect death for then it is onely weakned and lessened in the strength of it Therefore I say it concerneth us much to know the difference And I conceive you may know it by the effects of the death of sin which are these First of all where the body of sin is lessened and weakned
there no sin can command the whole soul but howsoever it may command part of the man yet there is no part that will be wholly commanded by it This Saint Paul expresly sheweth Rom. 7. from the 15. verse to the end of the Chapter It is true saith he with my flesh that is with my unregenerate part for by flesh there he doth not mean his bodie but the naturall part both of soul and bodie I serve the law of sin but with my minde that is with the regenerate part of soul and bodie I serve the Law of God Whereever there is a death of sin there will be a part in every part of a man that will not be subjected or commanded by any sin This I take to be the meaning of that 1 joh 3. 9. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin for his seed remaineth in him and hee cannot sin because he is born of God That is so far as he is born of God that same part in him which is the seed of God the off-spring of God it cannot sin sin cannot command that though it command all the rest Thereupon it is called the divine nature and the spirit because as the Spirit and the divine nature will not be masterd by corruption so the regenerated part of a man will not be commanded by any sin whatsoever Secondly which is indeed a fruit of the former and a further expression of it where there is this death of sin there sin is never committed with full consent delight and purpose of heart They that have sin alive in them drink down iniquitie like water and draw sin unto them as it were with cart-ropes And that I conceive the Psalmist meaneth by departing wickedly from God Psal 18. 21. They that have sin dead in them imperfectly may depart from God but they doe not wickedly depart from him not with full consent content delight and purpose of heart And the Apostle saith Rom. 8. 5. They that are after the flesh doe minde the things of the flesh A man that hath sin dead in him may commit sin but hee doth not minde sin We may conceive what this minding is by this similitude When a woman that is with child strongly longs after something she doth minde that thing How her mind is continually upon it her ele her heart her fancis her thoughts her whole self as it were is taken up with it Thus is it with those that have sin alive in them their particular corruptions are minded by them they doe with full gale post after the satisfying their lusts They are said to make provision for the slesh to fulfill the lusts thereof Rom. 13. 14. But now they that have sin dead in them doe never commit sin with the full bent of their spirit with the full consent and delight of their will but there is ever an antipathy to the sin a with-drawing from the corruption something that doth lust against it as well as something that doth lust after it Thirdly he that hath sin dead in him is freed from many particular sins that he did formerly commit Rom. 7. 5. When we were in the flesh that is when sin was alive in us the mations of sins which were by the law did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death While sin is alive it is perfectly fruitfull but when it is dead the fruitfulness thereof is much lessened Such saith the Apostle were some of you 1 Cor. 6. 11. implying that now they were not such though formerly they had been There is in the regenerate a ceasing of many though not of all the actions of sin The power of sin in them is weakned therefore the fruitfulness of sin must needs be diminished There is a great alteration wrought in their wills and affections in their thoughts words and actions in their generall and particular calling in their duties towards God and man They do not bring forth so many fruits of sin as they were wont at least they doe now for the ordinary course of their lives refrain from bearing the fruit of such sins as are grosse or scandalous Fourthly the godly in whom sin is dead doe not onely cease bearing the fruits of grosse and scandalous sins but oftentimes though not perpetually are able to deny and forbear the committing of any particular sin even those that are most naturall to them most strong in them that are wont to catch them on a sudden and to prevail over them even those the godly have power oftentimes to resist and overcome A man that is in the flesh that hath sin alive in him is described Ephes 2. 3. to be such a one as doth fulfill the desires of the flesh and therein appeareth the life of sin when the desires of the flesh are alwaies fulfilled But now on the other side the imperfect death of sin appeareth in this that not onely some of the desires of the flesh are never fulfilled but even all the desires of the flesh are alwayes more or lesse crossed and not fulfilled And this I take to be the meaning of that Gal. 5. 17. The flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other so that you cannot doe the things that you would I suppose that latter clause You cannot doe the things that you would is not onely meant of the Spirit that by the flesh the Spirit is disabled to doe the things that it would but it is also meant of the flesh that by reason of the Spirit the flesh cannot doe the things it would that look as sometimes the remnants of the flesh doe hinder the Spirit that it cannot doe as it would so also the beginnings of the Spirit do hinder the flesh that in nothing it is able to do the things it would This is a fourth Effect whereby the weakning of corruption doth appear That sin is not able to work in us that which it would no not in any particular whatsoever but in those sins that are most naturall many times there is a denying of them and a forbearing to commit them and to fulfill the desires of them Now to these you must in the last place add that which is a propertie accompanying all of them and is the last particular whereby the death of sin appeareth and that is That this same weakning and lessening of corruption discovered in these Effects that I have opened unto you is both universall and also durable and permanent First it is universall there is not onely a weakning and lessening of corruption in some parts but in all And herein it differeth from all counterfeit death of sin in which there may be a weakning of some sins yet not of all but though some happily be weaker then they were others are as strong as ever But where-ever this death of sin is indeed there sin is universally weakned and this also will appear in all the particulars and parts
shot in the spirit and soul of Christ To be brief this you must know whatsoever beleevers should have suffered for their sins whether it be in the losse of the sense of Gods love or in the sensible feeling of the wrath and divine displeasure of Almightie God all that Christ suffered so far as can be suffered without sin and without the guilt of a defiled conscience Now to all this did Christ give up himself for beleevers to the end that beleevers who have lost the love of God might have it Christ gave up himself in regard of sense for a while to lose all sense of Gods love to the end that beleevers might not feel the insupportable burthen of the infinite wrath of God Christ took it upon him and endured it and all this Christ did willingly and freely and of his own accord therefore the Phrase in the Text is Emphaticall Who gave himself and Christ saith of himself I lay down my life Beleevers did with full consent sin Christ must with full consent suffer or else Christ could not deliver beleevers from the wrath of God This appeareth because that Christ when hee knew that Judas should betray him he goeth to that place where he was wont and knew that Judas would come there After that Judas and the Souldiers come out of seek Christ Christ cometh and offereth himself Whom is it that you seek saith he We seek Jesus of Nazareth I am he saith he he offereth and declareth himself to them putteth himself into their hands and whereas he makes them to let all his Disciples scape yet he suffereth them to take himself Could Christ make them let the Disciples go and could hee not have made them let himself go Again our Saviour did but speak and they went backward and fell to the ground he that could throw them down backward could be not have killed them with his word if he pleased Again when Peter drew out his sword and went about to defend him Peter saith he put up thy sword I can pray to my Father and hee shall presently give me more then twelve Legions of Angels One Angel in one night slew in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand men and what then could twelve Legions of Angels have done This Christ could have had for a word speaking to his Father but he did freely and willingly give up himself to all these torments for beleevers and he did not onely suffer them as a man but as a God For as I told you in his obedience so I tell you in his passion you must not sever the Divinitie of Christ from his humanitie For howsoever the Godhead could not suffer yet notwithstanding the Godhead did these things it was the nature of Christ that suffered Whatsoever a man doth with any part of himself though it be with his bodie the whole man is said to doe it because all actions are attributed to the person it was that nature that subsisted in the Divine Person that endured all these things therefore it is said that God shed his bloud Again the Godhead did withdraw it self and so had a hand in the passion of Christ the Godhead did withdraw it self from the revelation and manifestation of it self to Christ Again the Godhead did suffer it self to be eclipsed to be vail'd to be obscured and so may have a hand in suffering Again the Godhead of Christ did support the humane nature to bear the other wayes insupportable wrath of God But in all these respects the Lord Christ as God as well as man gave up himself to this for beleevers Hence is that Emphaticall speech Zach. 13.7 Awake O sword against my Shepherd and against the man that is my fellow Observe that speech Awake O sword here God speaks to his wrath to his divine vengeance to fall upon the man that is his fellow Christ as Gods fellow did suffer the wrath of God now Christ is not Gods fellow but as Christ is God Christ as Gods fellow suffered the wrath of God therefore Christ as God gave himself up even to suffer for beleevers And observe the Phrase Awake O sword against the man that is my fellow the very justice of God could not tel how to lay stroaks upon this Son of God til God bid it it stood as it were in amazement for to strike the man that was Gods own fellow What for God to strike his fellow that man that was God how could justice doe this Nay justice could not till God bad it Awake O sword Thus you have seen the Doctrine opened to you what the things are to which the Lord Christ freely disposeth and bequeatheth himself for beleevers To Incarnation he that was God became man To the obedience of the Law he that was the Law-giver became the Law-keeper To suffering both in body and in soul both the wrath of man and the wrath of God This is the meaning of these words Hee gave himself for us Now as briefly as I can to make some Use of the Point and so to passe on to somewhat else First of all this Doctrine serveth to shew us the wonderfull love of Christ to beleevers Can there be greater love then for a man to give himself to one We count it the greatest love that can be between creatures that of the man to the wife and the wife to the man and why so because there is a giving themselves one to another which no creature else doth This Christ hath done he hath given himself to beleevers and he cannot shew greater love because he cannot do a greater thing and yet behold a greater than this he hath not only given himself to them but for them and that is a little more You may conceive it by a similitude If a man give himself to a woman to become her husband there is a great-matter in that but if the man shall give himself for the woman when shee is to die to die for her that is more he that giveth himself to her doth yet injoy himself but he that giveth himself for her doth lose himself he that giveth himself to men hath himself but hee that giveth himself for men hath given away himself Oh this this is the love of Christ to all beleevers He hath given himself for us he that was God made himself of no reputation made himself nothing for so the word is in the Originall he that was above the Law he hath put himself under the Law he that was a Soveraign is become a Subject he that was the God of life is become a man under the power of death he that was the Judge standeth as the person guiltie and suffereth the judgement Here is his love you that are beleevers to the end that you might enjoy Gods favour he hath given himself to lose Gods favour for the sense of it to the end that you might never go to hell he hath suffered himself to endure the uttermost
torments of hell was there ever love like this Suppose that Christ had given himself to die ten thousand times over and over again a bodily death it had not been in the least degree so much as is one giving of himself some six hours to the enduring of the infinite wrath of God Here is the first Use remember it and admire it and be overcome with the love of Christ Oh that God would shed abroad this love in our hearts would it not constrain us as Saint Paul said of himself In the second place as it serveth to shew the love of Christ so it serveth for a great matter and ground of assurance and consolation to you that are beleevers of having all from Christ whatsoever you stand in need of for he hath given himself for you and will he not give you all things else What is it that your souls want Do you desire Christ you shall certainly have Christ he that hath given himself for thee will he not give himself to thee If we shall see a man giving of himself to death for a woman shall we question whether that man will give himself as a husband to the woman No certainly So when thou seest alreadie that Christ hath given himself for thee doest thou think Christ will not give himself to thee when he gave himself for thee he abased himself when he giveth himself to thee he exalteth himself When he gave himself for thee he was below his condition when he giveth himself to thee hee reserveth his condition for he giveth himself to be thy God and thy King to be above thee to command thee therefore he that hath done the greater will certainly doe the lesser And if Christ will give himself to thee what else is there that thou wantest that Christ will not give thee What Saint Paul saith in regard of God the Father that may I speak in regard of God the Son Rom. 8.32 He that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all how shall hee not with him freely give us all things So do I say to all you that are beleevers he that spared not himself but gave himself for you how much more shall hee freely with himself give you all things Do you want the Spirit of Christ He that hath given himself for you will much more give his Spirit to you It is more for Christ to give himself to you then for Christ to give his Spirit to you the Spirit is the Spirit of Christ and he that hath given himself must needs give whatsoever he hath together with himself The Spirit is but one of his Priviledges and his Jewels I mean the sanctifying operations of the Spirit If a man have given himself to a woman will he not give her his name his honour his wealth will he not give her all that he hath Even so consider it and apply it for your comfort and assurance he that hath given himself for you will he not give you all that he hath He that suffered the wrath of God to doe you good will hee not sanctifie your souls to doe you good Hee that lost his own peace for you will hee not give you that peace of conscience which passeth all understanding Thus it is a notable ground of strong assurance confidently to perswade our hearts of this that there is nothing we want that is good for us but Christ will give it us who hath given himself for us Again thirdly Let this be a motive strongly to perswade you to give up your selves to Christ he hath given himself to you will you not give up your selves to him It is that which the Scripture often speaks of Rom 6.13 Give up your selves as a reasonable sacrifice unto God And again Give up your members weapons of righteousness unto God Here now is an Argument above all Arguments why should you deny to give up your selves to him who hath not denyed to give himself to you why should you not give up your understandings your naturall parts to doe him service why should you not give up your hearts to be possest by him Why should you not give up all the members of your bodies to be instruments of doing his will of furthering his honour whereas he hath given up himself for you There is a great difference between Christs giving himself for us and between our giving up our selves to him When Christ gave himself for us he chang'd from the better to the worse when we give up our selves to Christ we change from the worse to the better for till we give up our selves to Christ we are the worlds sins and the Divels we are slaves vassals and drudges then onely come we to be Lords and to be Freemen and to be happie when we give up our selves to Christ Now then if he have changed from the better to the worser for your sakes will not you change from the worser to the better for his sake Consider this seriously there is no argument in the world stronger to perswade the soul to give up it self to Christ then to consider this that Christ hath given himself to us Become Christs altogether be not any longer the worlds nor your own but the Christs and Christs altogether give up your names for Christ be content the world should take away your name for the sake of the Gospel of Christ give up your goods for Christ suffer even with joy the spoyling of your goods for the sake of Christ and of the Gospel give up your liberties for Christ be content to be deprived of all your freedoms and contentments that you injoy for Christ give up your lives for Christ for he hath given up his life for you And if all this then much more give up your sins for Christ What doth Christ require of thee that art a profaner of his day but to abandon that sin to crucifie that sin Oh doe it Christ hath given himself for thee thou hast a sin perhaps that is neer and dear to thee Christ calleth for it Oh give it up to the sword of his word to be mortified and crucified he gave up his dearest life for thee Thus me thinks this same is a notable motive to perswade us to mortification to die to sin and to vivification to live to Christ to devote our selves in every thing to the Lord Jesus Let us not let us not I beseech you live any longer to our selves but to Christ who hath loved us so as to give himself for us And lastly to conclude this point let me perswade all such of you as are not yet beleevers that you would labour above all things to become beleevers Oh my brethren thrice happie are they of whom this may be said Christ hath given himself for us This is onely the happiness of beleevers they whose hearts are purified they that have a working love they that have a brestplate that secures their souls against all the wounds of the world
the wrath of God due for the breaking of the Law To doe both these the Lord Christ hath given himself and if Christ have certainly done it what need men come after to add any thing to it The Church of Rome hath a Doctrine of Satisfaction and it telleth us That men must satisfie in this life and after this life All this is needlesse and derogatorie to Jesus Christ as if men should come after and adde any thing to what he hath done as if the redemption of Christ were not perfect as if Christs giving of himself were not enough to redeem us from all iniquitie Learn this therefore that so you may abhor that Doctrine and here is the first instruction The Second is to teach us the great bondage and slavery that iniquitie holdeth them in that are under it for if so be that Christ gave himself to fetch beleevers out of iniquitie then certainly it is a miserable thing to be under iniquitie It were a silly thing that Christ should be at so much cost as to give himself to free beleevers from iniquitie if it were not a miserable thing for beleevers to be under iniquitie the very Phrase teacheth us that it is a bondage to be under sin he gave himself to redeem us from iniquitie therefore to bee under iniquitie is a bondage for redemption supposeth a slaverie Oh it is a bondage indeed and a slaverie worse then that of the Turks or Moors For first the slaverie of the Turk is but of the bodie but the slaverie to sin is of the bodie and soul both The slaverie to the Turk is but to men the slaverie to sin is a slaverie to the Devill The slaverie to the Turk is but for a while at the longest but for a mans life but the slaverie to sin is for ever Again the slaverie to the Turk a man may be redeemed from it by some ordinary price by a certain sum of Gold and Silver but the slaverie to sin a man can never be freed out of that but by the precious bloud of the Lord Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 1.18 Yee were not redeemed from your vain conversation redemption from sins slaverie is not attainable by silver and gold and corruptible things but by the precious bloud of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot Blood must be shed before freedome from the slaverie from sin can be attained and the bloud of one that is innocent and the blood of one that is the Son of God Oh what a slaverie is this our of which nothing can redeem but blood innocent blood even the blood of the Son of God Certainly either it is an infinite miserie to be under sins slaverie or Christ was very foolish to give such an infinite price to redeem us from it For what is it for Christ to give himself but for Christ to give an infinite price For is not Christ God whom the Angels worship who made the world Christ gave himself to redeem people therefore it is an infinite miserie under which they are or he had been infinitely unwise to give so great a price Learn then That Christ gave himself to redeem from sin therefore sin is an infinite bondage and slaverie give no reft therefore to your souls till you come out of it Thirdly and lastly Hath Christ given himself for this end Oh then let all that are beleevers know that is their duty to love the Lord Jesus Christ Now I shall speak to all of you for there is none of you but say you are beleevers there is none of you but think that Christ gave himself for you Is there any of you here present that doe not think Christ gave himself for you If you did not thinke so you would despair presently If you doe thinke so see your dutie hath Christ given himself to ransome you oh then what a love do you owe to Christ Consider but these particulars in Christs giving of himself for your ransome First he hath given a great price he hath given himself for our ransome it is the most costly ransome that ever friend gave to ransome a friend Many men have given money but Christ hath given himself to redeem you Secondly It is a perfect ransome he hath redeemed you from all iniquitie Thirdly It is a perpetuall ransome he hath for ever redeemed you Fourthly It is an undeserved ransome What did you deserve when Christ gave himself to ransome you from sin you were enemies to Christ you hated him you persecuted him you rejected him There is no nation in the world so bitter an enemie to our nation as you were to Christ when he gave himself to ransome you On then behold a costly ransome a perfect ransome a perpetuall ransome an underserved ransome What doth this deserve but wonderfull love at your hands If there were a man that were to lie in prison all his life long for debt and one should come to him that he never knew of whom hee never deserved any kindnesse if this man should set him free how would he love that man and truly there were great cause that he should Suppose a man were a slave to the Turk and there for ought he knew he was to spend all his dayes in that drudgerie and a man comes and payes an exceeding great ransome even as much every farthing as is desired would that man that is thus redeemed thinke it too much to be a servant to him that set him free No surely I remember what the men of Israel said once to Gideon Judg. 8.22 Rule thou over us both thou and thy son and thy sons son for thou hast delivered us out of the hand of Midian Because he had delivered them they give their Crown and Scepter to him and to his posteritie for divers generations and Gideon deserved it These persons shall rise up in judgement against you that will not love the Lord Jesus Christ Never did any Creditor never did any redeemer that ransomed a slave from drudgerie never did this Gide on doe half so much for them as Christ hath done for you They did not give themselves Christ hath given himself and that to redeem you from iniquitie therefore as the work is of infinite worth so your love should be abundant Oh love Christ therefore above all above your sins above the world above your friends above your liberties above your goods above your lives for he hath loved you above his life he hath given himself to redeem you from all iniquitie let it be said of you as the Apostle speaks of those beleevers in 1 Pet. 1.8 Whom though yee see not yet yee love though you see not Jesus Christ yet love him for he hath done these things for you But how shall you be assured that you are in the number of them for whom Christ gave himself to redeem from all iniquitie If you finde your souls to love the Lord Christ above all things but on the other side if
my brethren is Christ said to be in the soul of every beleever because the vertue and influence of Christ is working in them as truly as it is in himself onely differing in regard of degrees and perfection Now for the fuller illustration of the Point give me leave in the last place to shew you the means whereby Christ is in all them that are justified They are these two First the grace of Faith For this in-being of Christ in all justified persons is the consequent of their union with him Now by faith they are joyned to Christ and Christ being joyned to them and they to him Christ is in them as well as they in him Therefore in that forenamed place Eph. 3.17 Christ is said to dwell in our hearts by faith Another means is The abiding of Christs word in us John 15.7 If ye abide in me and my words abide in you In the fourth Verse our Saviour had said thus Abide in me and I in you now repeating that again he somewhat altereth it and saith If ye abide in me and my words abide in you I conceive the ground of the alteration is onely this because the abiding of Christs word in people is a means whereby Christ doth abide in them By the words of Christ I take it is meant the Gospel of Christ with all the commandments instructions and promises that are contained in it Now when this Word of Christ doth abide in people which it doth when understood remembred practised and observed by this means Christ is said and made to abide in them The words of Christ are as so many plants which he doth ingraft into a poor soul as we doe ingraft Cions into a stock Therefore the Apostle calls it the ingrafted word which is able to save your souls Jam 1.21 Now look as the stock cometh to have the nature and to bear the fruit of the Cion by having the Cion implanted and ingrafted into it even so by ingrafting the word of Christ into us we come to have the sap and life of the Spirit of Christ and consequently Christ himself to abide in us For the further understanding of the Point you must in the last place know That however the Lord Christ is in all justified persons yet he is not wholly and compleatly in them not so as to exclude sin and Satan out of them Christ is in them and sin and Satan are in them also so that Christs dwelling in them is but imperfect yet notwithstanding it is perfecting and in the end shall be consummate and then Christ shall onely be in them and sin and Satan altogether shut out This serveth my brethren to teach us all which is the readiest and surest way to become justified persons and partakers of Christ and all his priviledges to wit to get Christ to be in us In vain dost thou hope for any Christian priviledge in vain dost thou indeavour after any thing that is necessary to salvation if by faith Christ is not brought to be in thee People doe oft trouble themselves many waies but most are ignorant or negligent of this way whereas our hope of happinesse of the forgivenesse of our sins our labours and endeavours after heaven are all in vain if we doe not labour by beleeving to get the Lord Jesus Christ to be in us Many conceit that Christ will be for them but he will be for none but for them in whom he is I mean not now to dispute whether Christ be for us or in us first but this is sure he will be for none but such as he is in also Therefore saith the Apostle Col. 1.27 Christ in you the hope of glory The Connexion is to be observed Christ the hope of glory but Christ in you implying that as we must have no hope but Christ and therefore Christ is called our hope so we can never have Christ to be our hope if we have not Christ to be in us Learn this therefore I say above all things to labour to be joyned to Christ by a lively faith that so you may come to have him in you and then he shall be for you and never till then Thus much for the first thing The condition of all such as are justified They have Christ in them Now for the second which is the main thing the Apostle aimeth at the Evidences or Signs whereby it may be known who have Christ in them Yee have them in the next words The body is dead because of sin but the Spirit is life because of righteousnesse Give me leave first to open the words unto you By Sin you know is meant the transgression of Gods law the going beside the rule of Gods Commandment either in neglecting what is enjoyned or in doing what is prohibited this is sin By Righteousness also must be meant the contrary to this For howsoever righteousness is sometime in the Scripture taken strictly for the observation of those duties that concern men which the second Table injoyneth yet sometime it is taken largely for the observation of the whole Law of God and all duties concerning God and us and thus it is usually taken when as it is not joyned with something else that doth restrain it Here it is opposed to sin and therefore as by sin is meant the going beside the Commandment of God so by righteousnesse is meant the observation or doing of the Commandment of God Thus you see what is meant by sin and what by righteousnesse But it is more difficult to know what is meant by the bodie and what by the Spirit The bodie is dead because of sin but the spirit is life because of righteousnesse I take it here by the bodie is meant the bodie of corruption the bodie of sin that same Original corruption that is in all of us by nature It cannot be understood of the natural body because of the opposition to spirit for by the spirit here cannot be understood our soul or our spirit for it cannot be said that any mans spirit or soul is life to righteousnesse it may be said that it is enlivened to righteousness but it cannot be said to be life to righteousnesse therefore seeeing by the spirit the soul of a man cannot be meant I thinke it is clear that by the the body the bodie of man cannot be meant But by the body I conceive as I said is meant the body of sin for so Saint Paul calleth it Rom. 6.6 That the bodie of sin might be destroyed Now this Originall corruption is called a bodie in these respects 1. Because that it commeth to us by propagation from the parents of our bodies 2. To expresse the baseness of it for our bodies are but base and vile as Saint Paul calleth them Phil. 3.21 3. To expresse the fadingness of it for that is our comfort as our naturall bodies are mortall so the body of sin originall corruption is also mortall to all the Saints Therefore it is called flesh
remembrance of that Originall corruption that was in his soul and could never be rooted out this made him to cry out for deliverance Again Fourthly Wheresoever there is the life of righteousnesse there is a discovering and discerning of the severall Particulars of sin and of unrighteousnesse Light it doth discover all things that are foul and are amisse and life doth oftentimes discover weaknesses and illnesse and straightness we know discovers crookedness so where ever there is the life of righteousness there is a discerning of that inward contrarietie of unrighteousness that is in that heart I know that no man can discern all the evils that are in his soul because the life of righteousness is not perfect but imperfect in this world but yet notwithstanding he that hath the life or righteousness he doth in part discover every corruption in his soul he doth see in himself the corruptions that are contrary to the whole frame of righteousnes he doth see in himself the iniquities that are the transgressions of the whole Law of God Hence it is that the children of God are so humbled for a child of God one that hath the life of righteousnesse in him cannot be proud for he having a life of righteousness commeth to see the death of sin in him and to disscern in himself an universall contrarietie in part to the whole Law of God Hence it is also that they thinke worse of themselves then of any other because by the life of righteousness they discern the remnants of an universall contrarietie that is in them to the whole Law of God Lastly The fifth Effect of the life of righteousness it is this Where ever there is the life of righteousness there are all the fruits of the Spirit in some part and in some measure begun in them The life of righteousness it is not the springing up of one grace but it is the quickning of the whole body of grace in us the whole frame of holiness it is begun in them that have the life of righteousness there are all the fruits of the Spirit to be found in that soul What they are you may read in Gal. 5.22 Love joy peace long-suffering gentleness faith meekness temperance c. I say there are all the fruits of the Spirit begun in that soul so that there is no grace that the word of God calleth for that Christ hath that the Saints of God ever shewed forth but he that hath the life of righteousness can discern it in some measure begun or beginning in himself Take the lowest and meanest Christian of all others if he have the life of righteousness he can finde in himself if he doe not judge falsely at least the buddings and blossomings of the fruits of the Spirit of God of that which God requireth of his children By the beginnings and buddings of grace I mean First a discerning of the wants of grace for usually the first work of grace is a discerning of the want of grace The first work of the grace of humilitie is a discerning of the want of humilitie the first work of the grace of Faith is a discerning of the want of Faith c. So that there is I say a discerning of the want of such and such graces but that is not all hypocrites may sometime see the want of grace but there is together with a discerning of the want of grace an apprehension of the excellencie of grace a hungring and thirsting after the getting of it a high valuing of those that have it and a constant use of the Ordinances for the obtaining of it And to all these Effects of the life of righteousnesse as to the former Effects of the death of sin you must add that Propertie that it is lasting it is a never-dying life When this life of righteousness is quickned and begun in any it increaseth and groweth up it never dyeth and is finally extinguished Thus I have as briefly as I can shewed you how you may trie your selves whether you have this death of sin and life of righteousnesse that is in all those in whom the Lord Jesus Christ is Now then my brethren be exhorted I beseech you in the fear of God to put in practise and to make use of this Touchstone and looking-glasse It is of use to all of us not onely to you that are the people of God but to you that are not not onely to you that are not but to you that are the people of God These touchstones of the Scripture these scales and weights of the Sanctuarie they are of use to all sorts of people First To you that have the truth of grace in you it is of great use to you to trie your selves by for by often tryall you come to be setled and assured of the truth of your grace And for want of this you want the comfort of your interest in the Lord Christ the comfort of your justification and of your sanctification and consequently of your salvation You cannot but want comfort so long as you want assured Evidences of the truth of grace in you Again you doe not onely want comfort but you are disinabled to the service of God and growth in righteousness by discouragements Discouragements are to the people of God as the cold winde and frosts are to yong buds and whence cometh discouragements Because people are not assured of the truth of their grace And not onely so but lastly you are not so careful and thankfull to God as you should onely because you are not rooted in the certaintie of the goodness of your estate Therefore these tryals are of use to you And much more to you that are not yet in the state of grace What is the reason that so many drop into hell and are tumbled down into the pit of destruction notwithstanding they live under the Gospel and the preaching of it It is because the Devill hath begotten in them vain hopes groundless perswasions of their part in Christ of the forgiveness of their sins and salvation of their souls and so while they have vain and groundlesse hopes hence it is that they goe to hell with a dream and conceit that they go to heaven Could we but once convince people that they are not yet in a right state and that all their vain hopes and imaginarie conceits are false and will prove deceitful there were a great deal of likelihood that they would obtain true grace and so consequently come to be everlastingly saved Therefore I say it is of use to all sorts I beseech you therefore make use of those signs that the Scripture giveth you whereby you may trie your selves Doe not thinke that it is an irregular way to put people upon signs and tryals I confesse there are some particular cases wherein it is not safe for some particular persons at that time and in that case to put them to try themselves by signs But for the generall it is necessary and it is the
carefull fear the Lord doth keep them that they shall never fall And another end is in regard of the wicked world the world lieth in wickedness and it is cursed and hated of God and intended to damnation and there are a generation in the Church which the Lord hateth and abhorreth and hath appointed to wrath and there are some that hate God and Religion and are glad of any occasion whereby they may reproach God and Religion and may harden their hearts from the power and practise of Religion Now in regard of these desperate wretches the Lord hath appointed it that in all ages some professors shall fall scandalously that they that have a minde to have their hearts hardned against God and Religion should have them hardned with a vengeance that even as a man that is running in a way and another having a minde to make him fall casteth some stone or block before him that may make him stumble and fall Even so when the Lord seeth men desperately cavilling against Religion studying how to harden their own hearts and the hearts of others the Lord will make his own children sometimes to fall though that it is not so common but ordinarily hypocrites to fall and lie in their way as stones that they may stumble and fall and perish for ever There is a woe to them that take scandals all profane ones that will stumble at Religion and reproach professors and profession because of scandalls there is a woe to them and what woe Even this that those scandalls are as so many stones tumbled in the way to make them break their necks in the pit of everlasting perdition And therefore thus you shall finde that usually where the ministry of the Gospell hath been any long time and people have not been wrought upon by the preaching of the Gospel are not brought to a powerfull profession of religion you shall usually finde it that the Lord doth suffer some professors or other in these places to fall scandalously Is it not so in many places in this City And therefore I beseech my brethren think of it as you are afraid to be hardened and to have a blacknesse upon you of Gods wrath take heed of making this use of the fals and scandals of any to harden your hearts against religion or to tip your tongues with reproaches against the Gospel and professors and so to grow to a hatred of the truth and power of godlinesse But the use you are to make of it is this Let him that standeth take heed least he fall Is one fallen take heed thou doest not fall also and to the end thou doest not fall have a care to trie and examine thy selfe Looke to thy selfe that thou have a sure standing Therefore I beseech you make use of this Looking-glasse take this text of Scripture and by it try your selves if you be right Christ is in you if Christ be in you there is a death or sinne and a life of righteousnesse Thus much for the first Use The second Use in a word and that is for Comfort and Terror Is it so that those that have Christ in them have a death of sinne and a life of righteousnesse then here is comfort to some of you and terror to others of you Comfort to all such of you as finde in your selves this death of sinne and this life of righteousnesse Doest thou find that there is this death of sinne in thee this life of righteousnesse in thee Oh then be comforted for thou hast Christ in thee and thou art certainly in Christ God is reconciled to thee thy person is justified thy sinnes are forgiven and thy soule must be everlastingly saved therefore be thou comforted It may be there is not so great a death of sinne in thee as there is in others but there is a death of sinne in thee It may be there is not so full a life of righteousnesse in thee as there is in others but there is a life of righteousnesse in thee If there be a death of sinne and a life of righteousnesse Christ is in thee though thou come short of that death and life that is in others I pray is not the soule of man as truly in an Infant in the wombe as in that childe that is borne and grown to some strength Is not the soule of man as truly in a weak and sickly man as in a strong and lusty man Is not the life and sap of a tree in a plant that is truly ingrafted though but newly and standeth in a manner loose and scarse buddeth or blossometh is it not as truly in that graft as in a graft that is grown strong and hath borne much fruit Even so is it in thee and therefore be comforted I desire to joy and glad your hearts that are in Christ and have Christ in you and I could not tell what better subject to pitch upon to bring you to comfort because I know this is the maine ground of all your discomfort a doubt whether Christ be in you or not therefore I thought it fit to shew you your faces in this Looking-glasse If then you finde in you a death of sinne and a life of righteousnesse know that Christ is in you When as the Scriptures and Ministers from the Scriptures doe open to you cleare signes and certaine evidences of the goodnesse and truth of your estates if you put away comfort then you put away comfort when God speakes to you you refuse to be comforted when the Lord will comfort you you give the lie to God and to his Word therefore take heed what you doe if by these signes or any such which are cleare and evident grounded upon the word of God you finde your estates to be good know then and assuredly beleeve them to be good It is true I confesse the heart of man is so deceitfull that a man cannot try his own heart and therefore the heart of man is so deceitfull that Ministers cannot try other mens hearts none but the Lord Jesus Christ is onely able to know the heart none but the King is able to discerne the man that had not on the wedding garment you may passe the judgement of all the Ministers and Servants of the King and be let in to the feast Yet notwithstanding though neither man himselfe nor Minister is able to try the heart yet this I confidently beleeve that a man himselfe and a Minister also may know and try the hearts of people if so be they deale faithfully and plainly with him Though no man can discover the secret windings of the heart yet the word of God doth this word of God doth not onely lay down infallible signes whereby people may know whether they are in the truth of grace but the word of God doth lay down signes whereby we may know whether we have those signes or no therefore if people will in the humility of their soules nakedly so farre as they know their own
dominion over you For the understanding of this you must know there is a double dominion of sinne the one is when sinne reigneth to obedience the other is when sinne reigneth to death First I say there is a reign or dominion of sinne to obedience that is it which is spoken of in the 12. verse of this Chapter Let not sinne reign in you that you should obey it in the lusts thereof This dominion of sinne is when as sinne doth sit in the soule as a King sitteth upon his Throne and commandeth the heart of a man and all the members of his body as a lawfull Soveraigne doth command his Subjects The other reign of sinne which is a reign unto death is that which is spoken of in Rom. 5. 21. there the text saith Sinne hath reigned unto death and that is nothing but the power that sinne hath to damn all those whom it hath lorded it over Now both these are meant in the Text for both of them goe together the reign of sinne to obedience and the reign of sinne to death and damnation even as the light and heat of the Sun goe together so doth the dominion of sin to obedience and damnation goe together Where-ever sinne reigneth to obedience that is where-ever sin is in the soul of a man as a King making a man to obey it in his commands as a Subject doth his Prince there also will that sin reign to the damnation of that man Both of them are meant in the words So then the meaning of the words comes to this effect that sinne shall neither have dominion over you to obedience nor to damnation sinne shall neither reign over you to make you obey it as a Subject his Soveraigne nor to damn you for obedience of it This is the meaning of the promise and this is a promise that is made to all beleevers to all that are members of Jesus Christ And the observation that I note from thence is thus much that Sinne shall never reign in the children of God so as to make them obey it as a Subject their King nor so as to damn them for obeying of it The Point you sâ—e is no more than the words of the Text explained sinne may dwell with a child of God and sinne may dwell in a child of God Rom. 7. 17. It is no more I but sinne that dwelleth in me But sinne shall never reign over a child of God neither to make him obey it with full consent of will as a Servant doth his Masters commands or as a Subject doth his Soveraignes laws nor yet to damne him for obeying of it thus sinne shall never reign over any child of God though it may be in him and dwell with him yet it shall never reign over him The truth of this you may see in Rom. 6. 18. Being then made free from sinne you became the servants of righteousnesse He is not made free from the presence of sinne nor from the power of sinne for Saint Paul prosesseth of himselfe Rom. 7. 23. I find a law in my members that is sinne rebelling against the law of my mind that is the grace of God that is in me and bringing me into captivity to the law of sinne Therefore sinne may be in a man A child of God is not free from the guilt of sinne neither But how then is he free from sinne Thus he is free from the dominion of sinne sinne doth not reign in them as a Lord and King sinne doth not reign in them so as to damn them for it This is that also in Luke 1. 74. 75. That he would grant us that we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies might serve him without feare in holinesse and righteousnesse all the daies of our life Observe this Text Every one that is a child of God is delivered out of the hands of his enemies that is out of the hands of his spirituall enemies the world and the flesh and the Devill and he is delivered out of the hands of these enemies that he might serve God without fear in holiness and righteousnesse But how can any man be thus delivered from hell and sin and the Devill to serve God without fear in holiness and righteousness if he be not delivered from the reign and dominion of sin both as a King and as a Judge to damn him So that you see the Doctrine is cleared That all that are Gods people are delivered from the reign of sin sin neither reigneth in them to Lord it over them nor to damn them I will briefly give you the grounds of the point and so come to apply it The first Reason why all Gods children are delivered from the domnion of sin is because that all the reign of sin both as a Lord and as a Judge both to damnation and to obedience it all cometh through the justice of God which hath lest us thereto to punish all sins in Adam Now Jesus Christ he satisfieth the justice of God he appeaseth the wrath of God in all particulars wherein we have provoked him Gods justice being satisfied he takes off the punishment and so delivereth his people for whom Christ hath satisfied from the dominion of sin both to obedience and to damnation This then is the first Reason Because Christ he hath satisfied the justice of God and hath delivered all his people from that curse and that misery that lay upon them by the Law This is that you have in Gal. 4. 5. God sent his Son made of a woman made under the Law to redeem them that were under the Law We are under the Law in a twofold respect First we were under the accidentall power of the Law whereby the Law through our corruption did multiply transgressions in our souls and beget sin upon us as a man begetteth children Secondly We were under the Law in respect of the curse of the Law the Law cursing all that broke it and cursing of them to damnation we were under the curse of the Law in this respect Now Christ hath redeemed all his children from under the Law in both these respects First in the first respect he hath redeemed all his children from under that accidentall power of the Law where by the Law had power through our corruption to multiply transgression upon occasion of every Commandement it gave for the Law of God commanding and forbidding and our corruption being strong in us we broke every Commandement and so the Law occasioned a multiplication of transgression Now the Lord Christ hath delivered us from under this accidentall power of the Law in some measure so that how soever still through the remainder of corruption the Law occasioneth a great many sins in us because it commandeth and we doe not obey yet the Law doeth not occasion any reigning sin because there is nothing the Law commandeth but we obey it in some measure I pray observe it They love the Law of God they strive to
obey it they grieve when they cannot obey it now this according to the Gospel is counted obedience Thus Christ hath delivered us from the Law as it did occasion sin to reign in us Again secondly Christ hath delivered us from the curse of the Law for Christ having satisfied the justice and wrath of God for our transgressing the Law the Law can have no force to curse us Here is the first reason why sin cannot have dominion over Gods people Because Christ hath satisfied God for the sins of his people redeeming them from under the Law Secondly Because all that are Christs people must be like unto Christ Thereupon it is that the children of God are said to put on Christ they are said to live the life of Christ to be the members of Christ to be the brethren of Christ the branches of Christ All these Metaphors are to shew us that there is a likeness between Christ and all that are his people Now as they are to be like Christ in other things so in these two things First sin had no dominion over Christ it never Lorded over him to obedience Secondly Death and damnation never had power over Christ First sin had no dominion no power over him Christ indeed was oft tempted to sin but he never obeyed sin The world set it self to insnare him the Devill set himself to draw him into sin but neither world nor Devill could never have any power over him to bring him under sin Indeed Christ was under the guilt of sin for hee bore our transgressions but Christ was never under the reign of sin sin had never any power over him to make him obey it In this must all the people of God be like unto Christ that as sin had no power of Christ to make him obey it so sin must have no power over any of Gods people to make them obey it Now there is a double obedience The one is when as sin is obeyed at all the other is when as sin is obeyed with full consent of the will The first when sin is obeyed at all though it be with grief and opposition from this obedience of sin shall the people of God be delivered in due time in the world to come after death then they shall be perfectly like Christ when they shall be perfectly freed from doing the commands of sin But from that other obedience of sin to obey it with full consent of will as a child doth the father as a subject doth the law and commands of his Soveraign from this obedience of sin Christ delivereth his people in this world and so in part they are made like unto him in this life while they are freed from the reign of sin so that though sin captive them yet sin doth not Lord it over them neither doe they obey sin fully with consent as a Subject his Soveraign Again secondly death had no power over Christ Rom. 6. 9. Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more death hath no more dominion over him The Lord Christ indeed was once seized upon by death he was once under the power of a temporall death but he being once raised from death death now never can reach Christ any more In this also must all Gods people be like unto Christ Indeed it is true once death and damnation had dominion over us we were under the guilt and sentence of condemnation as Christ was once under death but as Christ once being delivered from death death never after had dominion over him so all that are the people of God being by Christ delivered from the sentence of damnation it shall never come to have dominion over them Once they were under the power of sin to damnation but now by Christ they are delivered from it death hath no more dominion over them howsoever a bodily death prevaileth so far as to part body and soul for a while yet not so as to expose them to damnation To the end therefore that there may be a proportion between the root and the branches between the head and the members between the elder brother and the rest of the brethren between Christ and the people of God hence it cometh of necessitie that sin must not have dominion over any of Gods people To apply this Point now thus opened and cleared It serveth first for Instruction to teach us the falsenesse of that Position that is in the world That all men are sinners alike that there is no difference between sinners in the world When any of Gods Children come to a wicked man a drunkard a whoremaster a swearer c. and tells him of his sin saith he presently we are all sinners alike I have my vice and you have your vice one man hath one sin and another man another but sinners we are all alike This is a damnable opinion and a mark and brand of a wretched person But now this Doctrine teacheth us that howsoever it is true that Gods people and others are all sinners and alike by nature yet there is a great deal of difference between Gods people that are under sin and the unregenerate man Indeed Gods children they are under sin but mark it they are not under the dominion of sin thou art under the dominion of sin but they are not under that There is the difference we are all sinners but we are not all alike sinners We that are the people of God are under the guilt and power of some sins but yet we are not under the dominion of any sin Sin hath neither dominion over us to rule us as a Soveraign doth his subjects nor to damn us as it shall doe them that are not in Christ But as for thee that art a carnall wretch thou art under the dominion of sin thou doest obey sin in the lusts thereof if sinne bid thee doe a thing thou doest it and doest it withall thy heart and so as thou art under the reign of sinne so thou art under the damnation of sinne except by faith and repentance thou commeth out of this condition Therefore learn that there is a difference between the people of God and the men of the world we are all under sinne but not under the dominion of sinne as the world is Secondly The second Use is for Consolation and it is a point of wonderfull comfort to all the people of God I doe not speake now to them that are unregenerated that are Aliens to the Common-wealth of Israel strangers to the Covenant of promise that are without Christ and God in the world this is childrens bread and it belongeth not to such dogs as they are But I speak this to all that are in the Covenant to all that are borne againe And that you may know to whom I speak take this one signe such of you as are as truly burthened with the presence of sinne as with the guilt of sinne such of you as are as truly offended with the filth of sinne as
thou finde that God commandeth thee much and thou doest little but yet thou art in a condition wherein the Lord hath promised so thou wilt use the means and trust upon him to make thee able in an acceptable manner to doe all that he biddeth thee doe Doth the Law threaten doth the Law curse yet thou art in a condition wherein neither the threatning nor curse of the Law shall ever reach thee to condemnation Findest thou mighty rebellions in thy nature against the Law of God yet thou art in a condition wherein is promised a new nature which shall be made conformable and subjected to the Law of God What should make thee therefore hang down thy head Sharply are such Christians to be reproved that being in Christ lead lives as if they were out of Christ Doest not thou make the world to thinke that that is false which Christ saith That his yoke is easie and his burthen light If Christs yoke be easie and his burthen light why is it saith the world that the servants of Christ walk so disconsolately and complain of heavie burthens You shall find an exhortation of the Apostle in 2 Cor. 6.1 We beseech you that you receive not the grace of God in vain There is a double receiving of Gods grace in vain The one is when as Gods grace is offered and preached to people and out of love to the world and to their sins they slight it and will not receive it Another receiving the grace of God in vain it is when as people have entertained the grace of God and have entred into Covenant with Christ and yet notwithstanding doe not take the comforts that the grace of God affordeth them This is also a receiving the grace of God in vain This is thy case whoever thou art that art a beleever and yet notwithstanding doest not make melodie in thy heart and triumph over thy enemies What have the redeemed of the Lord to doe but to praise the Lord What have the members of Christ to doe but to rejoyce in Christ Doe you thinke when the Lord giveth that Commandement Phil 4. Rejoyce alwaies in the Lord and again I say rejoyce he doth not bid them rejoyce in riches in friends in honours in pleasures c. this is worldly this is damuable but he biddeth us rejoyce in the Lord in the priviledges we have by Christ through the New Covenant of Grace he biddeth us rejoyce and always rejoyce Do you thinke I say when God gave you that Commandment he had forgotten the state in which he left you that he had left you under the power of many sins subject to many failings unable to perfect obedience Doe you thinke I say again that God forgot the condition wherein he left you No God knew well enough what state he left you in that you are as Israel mingled with the Canaanites and yet he biddeth you to rejoyce why so There is ground enough for your rejoyceing because you are not under the Law but under grace and if under grace surely there is ground enough for your rejoycing notwithstanding all your failings Consider therefore then my brethren I beseech you doe not you receive the grace of God in vain doe not you slight as it were and not make use of the grace of God which thus administreth matter of rejoycing in all conditions to you that are in Christ when as you walke so lumpishly because of sin formerly committed or because of corruptions that for the present lie upon you Indeed I deny not but it becommeth Christians to mourn and they that doe not mourn shall never rejoyce in the day of judgement and the people of God are mourners in Zion Yet what kind of mourning There is a double sorrow A godly sorrow and a worldly sorrow A godly sorrow is this when as a soul melteth into tears upon the consideration of his sins and wants because he beleeveth that God through Christ will accept him notwithstanding them all this sorrow the more of it the better this sorrow melloweth the heart softneth the heart makes it frameable to the impressions of the word of God But now the other sorrow which is a worldly sorrow when as a soul is beaten out of heart because of sin formerly committed because of mighty corruptions that doe annoy him to mourn without hope and confidence of acceptance this is worldly sorrow and causeth death this is altogether unbeseeming Christians Receive now this sharp reprehension and be humbled for it and labour to remember your condition You are not come to mount Sinai but to mount Zion You are not under the Law but under Grace Therefore rejoyce in the Lord alwaies and be so cheerfull that the world may see that the service of Christ is a sweet service Here is the second Use The third is for Instruction to them that are not in Christ to such of you as remaine yet in your naturall estate The condition of them that are in Christ is this they are not under the Law but under Grace Thy condition who art not yet in Christ is just the contrary thou art not under grace but under the Law There are none that doe more assume to themselves the priviledges of grace then they that are not under grace You shall have your profane Wretch your painted Civillian your formall Hypocrite men that are dead in trespasses and sinnes that are servants to sinne while with full consent they obey sinne in the lusts thereof yet you shall have these challenge to themselves the priviledges of the Covenant of grace you shall have one swear an Oath and when he hath done say God forgive me you shall have another say I am a great sinner but I hope God will be mercifull to me Another I cannot keep the Commandements but I hope God will accept me thus these wretches that are in the gall of bitternesse and in the bond of iniquity they claime the priviledges of grace But I would have them know so many of you as have no evidences that you are translated out of the state of nature and ingrafted into Christ by his holy Spirit that you are not under grace but under the Law What is that You are in such a condition wherein nothing but perfect obedience shall stand you in stead If you pray as well as you can yet if you doe not pray as perfectly as God commanded in the Law you shall never be heard If you keep all the Commandements of God and faile but in one yet you shall be damned there is no accepting of imperfect obedience of you because you are not under Christ but under the Law And I tell thee this the Saints of God shall commit greater sinnes and goe to Heaven when thou lesser and goe to Hell Peter forsweareth his Master with an Oath and Curse and yet he is pardoned thou shalt not sweare and curse or deny Christ for the ordinary matter and shalt be damned Saul yeeldeth God imperfect
hear you But that is not all I beseech you to hear it and tremble The Lord at that day will not only neglect a man that hath neglected him but he will also rejoyce at his destruction and laugh when his fear cometh Mark what the Text saith and remember it for ever Prov. 1.24 Because I have called and ye refused I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded but yee have set at naught all my counsell and would none of my reproof I also will laugh at your calamity I will mock when your fear cometh What a fearfull thing is this that the God of heaven the God of mercy should solace himself in the ruine of all such rebellious wretches as would not hear and imbrace his blessed truth when he delivered and manifested it to them When Christ shall say This is that drunkard that will not part with his cup for all my perswasions and intreaties This is that adulterer that would not part with his lust notwithstanding all my calling upon him and reproving of him Here is a man that loved his ease his pleasure his comforts his worldly contentments more then me Here stands he that hearkned to the advice of his carnall friends and wicked companions and set at nought all my counsels and admonitions Oh my brethren then shall the just judgement of God sink these down to the everlasting pit where there is weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth for ever I say no more but I beseech you hear me now that God may hear you at that day You will have need of a Saviour and of mercy then The soul longs for nothing in the day of death but pitty and pardon O make Christ your friend now hear him now obey him now receive him now that it may go well with you for ever If now the command of God cannot carry you nor these Arguments which I have used draw you to yeeld obedience to this truth yet remember that passage Deut. 5.27 29. with which I will conclude and me thinks if you have any good nature in you it should work much upon you When the people of Israel had said unto Moses after they had heard God speak unto them out of the midst of the thunder and lightning Go thou neer and hear all that the Lord our God shall say and speak thou unto us all that the Lord our God shall speak unto thee and we will hear it and doe it The Lord saith the Text heard the voice of their words the Lord said I have heard the voice of the words of this people which they have spoken unto thee they have well said all that they have spoken Oh that there were such an heart in them that they would fear me and keep all my Commandements alwaies that it might be well with them for ever Mark my brethren it is the Lords own request that there may be an heart in you to hear and obey that so yee may live for ever Oh therefore if a man cannot prevail with you yet let the Lord Jesus Christ beg so much of you You may think it strange that the Lord should desire this at your hands but it is true he desireth it heartily and he will be exceedingly pleased if you satisfie his desire Well now seeing it is the great request that the Lord by me hath made unto you ask your own souls commune with your own hearts and tell me what answer I shall return to the Lord Shall I say you will not hear My brethren it is a grievous and tedious thing for a poor Minister to give up such an answer unto God I would not willingly have this answer from you therefore I beseech you answer again Tell me what shall I say Speak comfortably as they did Whatsoever the Lord our God shall say that will we hear and doe If so then let me conclude with the answer of God O that there were such a heart in you and that you would fear the Lord and keep his Commandements that it might be well with you for ever FINIS THE ACTIVITIE OF FAITH OR ABRAHAM'S IMITATORS By that Reverend Divine THOMAS HOOKER Late Preacher in New England JAM 2.17 Even so faith if it hath not works is dead being alone LONDON Printed by G. D. for Francis Eglesfield and are to be sold at the Sign of the Marigold in Pauls Church-yard 1651. The Activity of Faith OR Abraham's Imitators SERMON V. ROM 4.12 And the Father of Circumcision to them who are not of circumcision onely but also walk in the steps of that Faith of our father Abraham which he had being yet uncircumcised THe blessed Apostle Saint Paul from the 20. verse of the former Chapter to the end disputeth that great question of justification by the free grace of God and after many Arguments alledged to prove that it is by grace and not by works he concludeth in the 28. verse Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by Faith with the works of the Law Having dispatched this and setled his assertion by strength of argument in this fourth Chapter wherein my Text is he laboureth to make the truth yet more clearer and evident by way of example and to the end he setteth it forth in the lively colour of that faith of Abraham giving us an instance of this truth in the example of him who was the father of the faithfull a father not by naturall generation but by imitation the Lord having appointed him to be the coppy to all the Beleevers of succeeding ages that as he beleeved and by faith was saved so they that doe expect to receive salvation must walk in that way if they purpose to partake of that end Now touching this example of Abraham that I may not be long before I come to that which is the principall point I intend to deliver at this time the Apostle doth two things first he layeth down the pattern it selfe clearly both in Gods vouchsafing justification to Abraham and also in Gods sealing this by the seale of circumcision and this he doth in the 11. verse And as he hath propounded it thus both in Gods gift and in Gods sealing thereof so in the words of the Text he maketh an application of both applying it to all Abrahams children that shall live to the end of the world whether Jewes or Gentiles and in effect it is as if he had said thus Abraham when he was uncircumcised did beleeve and so was justified therefore they that are uncircumcised may beleeve and be also justified Abraham when he did beleeve was circumcised and that hindered not so those that are circumcised may beleeve and be justified that is the Jewes and the Gentiles have both liberty to come into the Covenant of grace and so also to be happy by that Covenant as Abraham was In the words therefore you have an application of the former patterne to the particular use of every faithfull servant of God that look what good Abraham
Abraham That man that not onely enjoyeth the Priviledges of the Church but yeeldeth the obedience of faith according to the Word of God revealed and walketh in obedience that man alone shall be blessed with faithfull Abraham Two points may be hence raised but I shall hardly handle them both therefore I will passe over the first onely with a touch and that lieth closely couched in the Text That Faith causeth fruitfulness in the hearts and lives of those in whom it is Mark what I say A faithfull man is a fruitfull man Faith inableth a man to be doing Ask the Question By what power was it whereby Abraham was inabled to yeeld obedience to the Lord The Text answereth you They that walke in the footsteps not of Abraham but in the footsteps of the faith of Abraham A man would have thought the Text should have run thus They that walk in the footsteps of Abraham that is true too but the Apostle had another end therefore he saith They that walk in the footsteps of the faith of Abraham implying that it was the grace of faith that God bestowed on Abraham that quickned and inabled him to every duty that God required of him and called him to the performance of So that I say the Question being Whence came it that Abraham was so fruitfull a Christian what inabled him to do and to suffer what he did Surely it was faith that was the cause that produced such Effects that helped him to perform such actions The Point then you see is evident Faith is it that causoth fruit Hence it is that of almost all the actions that a Christian haah to doe faith is still said to be the worker If a man pray as he should it is the prayer of faith Jam. 5.15 If a man obey as he should it is the obedience of faith Rom. 16.26 If a man war in the Church militant it is the fight of faith 1 Tim. 6.12 2 Tim. 4.7 If a man live as a Christian and holy man he liveth by fasth Gal. 2.20 Nay shall I say yet more if he die as he ought he dieth by faith Heb. 11.13 These all died in faith What is that by the power of faith that directed and ordered them in the course of their death furnished them with grounds and principles of aflurance of the love of God made them carry themselves patiently in death I can say no more but with the Apostle 2 Cor. 13.5 Examine your selves whether yee bee in the faith Why doth not the Apostle say Examine whether faith be in you but whether yee bee in the faith His meaning is that as a man is said to be in drinke or to be in love or to bee in passion that is under the command of drinke or love or passion so the whole man must be under the command of faith as you shall see more afterwards If he pray faith must indite his prayer If he obey faith must work If hee live it is faith that must quicken him and if he die it is faith that must order him in death And wheresoever faith is it will doe wonders in the soul of that man where it is it cannot be idle it will have footsteps it sets the whole man on work it moveth feet and hands and cies and all parts of the bodie Mark how the Apostle disputeth 2 Cor 4.13 We having the same spirit of faith according as it is written I beleeved and therefore have I spoken we also believe and therefore speak The faith of the Apostle which he had in his heart set his tongue a going If a man have faith within it will break forth at his mouth This shall suffice for the proof of the point I thought to have pressed it further but if I should I see the time would prevent me The Use therefore in a word is this If this be so then it falleth soul and is a heavie Bill of Indictment against many that live in the bosome of the Church Go thy wayes home and read but this Text and consider seriously but this one thing in it That whosoever is the son of Abraham hath faith and whosoever hath faith is a walker is a worker by the footsteps of faith you may see where faith hath been Will not this then I say fall marvellous heavie upon many souls that live in the bosome of the Church who are confident and put it out of all Question that they are true beleevers and make no doubt but that they have faith But look to it wheresoever faith is it is fruitfull If thou art fruitlesse say what thou wilt thou hast no faith at all Alas these idle Drones these idle Christians the Church is too too full of them Men are continually hearing and yet remain fruitless and unprofitable whereas if there were more faith in the world we should have more work done in the world faith would set feet and hands and eies and all on work Men go under the name of professors but alas they are but Pictures they stir not a whit Mark Where you found them in the beginning of the yeer there you shall find them in the end of the yeer as profane as worldly as loose in their conversations as formall in dutie as ever And is this faith Oh faith would work other matters and provoke a soul to other passages then these But you wil say May not a man have faith and not that fruit you speak of May not a man have a good heart to God-ward although he cannot find that abilitie in matter of fruitfulnesse My brethren be not deceived Such an opinion is a meer delusion of Satan whereever faith is it bringeth Christ into the soul Mark that Whosoever beleeveth Christ dwelleth in his heart by faith Eph. 3.17 And If Christ be in you saith the Apostle the body is dead because of sin but the spirit is life because of righteousness Rom. 8.10 If Christ be in you that is Whosoever beleeveth in the Lord Jesus Christ dwels in such a man by faith now if Christ be in the soul the bodie cannot be dead but a man is alive and quick and active to holy duties ready and willing and cheerfull in the performance of whatsoever God requireth Christ is not a dead Saviour nor the Spirit a dead Spirit The second Adam is made a quickning spirit 1 Cor. 15.45 And wherever the Spirit is it works Effects suteable to it The Spirit is a Spirit of puritie a spirit of zeal c. and where it is it maketh pure and zealous c. When a man will say he hath faith and in the mean time can be content to be idle and unfruitfull in the work of the Lord can bee content to be a dead Christian let him know that his case is marvellously fearfull For if faith were in him indeed it would appear yee cannot keep your good hearts to your selves where ever fire is it will burn and where ever faith is it cannot be
title to the Lord Jesus and the promises of God revealed in the Church Let us try a few And first this falleth marvellous heavy upon and casteth out all ignorant persons that were never inlightned never quickned never had their mindes informed touching Christ and the promises Alas they know not what faith meaneth and what Christ meaneth and how can these walk in the footsteps of the faith of Abraham when they never saw the way of Abraham But let them goe my heart pittieth them I rather chuse to grapple with those that think themselves in a better estate and condition And the first of this rank are profane persons those that live and lie in sinne in Sabbath-breaking swearing drunkennesse adultery and the like The case of such is clear and evident These are so farre from treading in the steps of Abraham that they hate purity and holinesse and goodnesse And as for these if any such be here let them not be deceived but let me tell them out of Gods Word that as yet they have not faith as yet they are not the sonnes of Abraham What they may be I know not I leave them to the Lord and wish them a sight and apprehension of their own condition and that they may be brought out of that gall of bitternesse wherein they are but as yet I dare say they are not the sonnes of Abraham Whose sonnes are they then My brethren I am loth to speak it and I will not men will not beare these words from us but think that we goe beyond our commission for my own part my soule trembleth to think of them their case is so fearfull The Lord therefore shall speak and I will say nothing Look into John 8. The Scribes and Pharisees came to Christ and began to quarrell with him and to provoke him to say many things that they might catch him in his speech opposing our Saviour in the course of his ministry and labouring to suppresse his Doctrine mark how Christ reasoneth there I doe saith he the works of my Father Yee doe the deeds of your father But say they Abraham is our father and again We be not born of fornication we have one Father even God but mark our Saviours answer verse 44. Yee are of your father the Devil and the lusts of your father yee will doe Thus Christ speakes to the Scribes and Pharisees great men of place and of great abilities You of your father Abraham No you are of your father the Devill My brethren I will not say it I beseech you be not offended it is the Lord that speaks and I would fain know that man that date contradict his Word the case is clear and the Lord will make it good upon his soule in another world His lusts saith Christ you doe What are those He is an accuser of the brethren so are these He crieth out against and opposeth the purity of Religion so doe these men exclaime against the nicenesse and precisenesse of Christians and blame those that are holy and sincere The Devill continued not in the truth no more doe these they are not governed by the truth they stoop not to it they yeeld not obedience to it The Divell is a lyer and speaketh not the truth so these men are contented to lie shamefully of their brethren to broach scandalous things of those that they know to be holy and sincere In a word the Devill is malicious and envious so are all these profane ones desperate unreasonable creatures that cast off Gods commands that neglect the Ordinances and wallow in the mire of their sins that hate the sinceritie and power of Relgion that envie and malign the true professors of godliness If the Devill himself were incarnate he could doe no more and surely if there were ever a child like the father these are like him I will say nothing the Lord himself speak to your consciences Yea but you will say It is true Christ knew who were the children of the Devill but can you discern them I say nothing but I can tell you how you may discern them A child of the Devill doth not go invisible but may be known and the Apostle tels you 1 Joh. 3.10 In this the children of God are manifest and the children of the Devill Mark that Whosoever doth not righteousnesse is not of God neither he that loveth not his brother I observe three things in this Text 1. That there are children of God and children of the devill 2. That a man may know them The Text saith so plainly they are not my own words Consult I beseech you with the place In this the children of God are manifest and the children of the Devill 3. How a man shall know a child of the Devill He that worketh not righteousness and he that hateth his brother is of the devill Hee that worketh not righteousnesse that is he that is not willing and contented constantly to take up a Christian course to walk according to the rule of Gods word to abstain from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit to live in all holiness of life and conversation to studie and indeavour to keep a good conscience in all things both towards God and towards men and he that loveth not his brother That is he that hateth holiness where he sees it that hates a good man and one that is sincere whose colour riseth at such a one where ever he meets him who can brook a drunkard or a swearer or an adulterer but cannot endure a righteous man a holy man one that makes conscience of his waies If there be any such in this Congregation I desire to speak a word to them in the name of the Lord Let them consider that what I speak is not my own and I profesle that what I say is not out of passion or a desire to slander any but the desire of my soul is that they may come to the knowledge of the truth that they may be saved You therefore that are given to these sins and are walking in this way of death consider and bethinke your selves and say to your selves Oh Lord how neerly doth this I have heard this day concern me Alas I thought not of this before I am one that never was a worker of righteousness in all my life I am one that have hated the servants of God that have scorned and loathed the puritie of Religion and now the Lord hath said it Christ hath spoke it his word hath spoke it that I am the child of the Devill Alas it is too too manifest to my self that such a one I am and God knoweth it much more What shall I doe Now I pray thee go thy waies home break off thy sins by repentance and labour to make thy peace with God forthwith and of the son of the Devill to be the Son of God be mightie with God in prayer to make you his child And this is all I have to speak to these 2. Let me
are God respecteth no mans person if you would arrive at the same haven you must saile thorough the same sea you must walk the same way of grace if you would come to the same kingdome of glory It is a conceit that harboureth in the hearts of many men nay of most men in generall specially your great wise men and your great rich men that have better places and estates in the world then ordinary What think they may not a man be saved without all this adoe what needs all this is there not another way besides this Surely my brethren you must teach our Saviour Christ and the Apostle Paul another way I am sure they never knew other and he that dreameth of another way must be content to goe beside There is no such matter as the Devill would perswade you it is but his delusion to keep you under infidelity and to shut you up to destruction under false and vain conceits The truth is here is the way and the onely way and you must walk here if ever you come to life and happinesse therefore be not deceived suffer not your eyes to be blinded but know what Abraham did you must doe the same if not in action yet in affection If God say forsake all thou must doe it at least in affection thou must still wait upon his power and providence yeeld obedience to him in all things be content to submit thy selfe to his will This is the way you must walk in if you ever come to heaven The last Use shall be a Use of Comfort to all the Saints and people of God whose consciences can witnesse that they have laboured to walk in the uprightnesse of their heart as Abraham did I have two or three words to speak to these Be perswaded out of the Word of God that your course is good and goe on with comfort and the God of Heaven be with you and be sure of it that you that walk with Abraham shall be at rest with Abraham and it shall never repent you of all the paines that you have taken Happily it may seem painfull and tedious to you yet what Abigail said to David let me say to you Oh saith she let not my Lord doe this when the Lord shall have done to my Lord according to all the good that he hath spoken concerning thee and shall have appointed thee Ruler over Israel this shall be no greife unto thee nor offence of heart that thou hast shed blood causelesse or that my Lord hath avenged himselfe 1 Sam. 25.30 31. My brethren let me say so to you You will finde trouble and inconveniencies and hard measure at the hands of the wicked in this world many Nabals and Chins will set themselves against you but goe on and beat it patiently know it is a troublesome way but a true way it is grievous but yet good and the end will be happy it will never repent you when the Lord hath performed all the good that he hath spoken concerning you Oh! to see a man drawing his breath low and short after he hath spent many houres and dayes in prayer to the Lord grapling with his corruptions and striving to pull down his base lusts after he hath waited upon the Lord in a constant course of obedience take but such a man and ask him now his conscience is opened whether the wayes of holinesse and sincerity be not irksome to him whether he be not grieved with himselfe for undergoing so much needlesse trouble as the world thinks it and his soul will then clear this matter it is true he hath had a tedious course of it but now his death will be blessed he hath striven for a Crown and now behold a Crown now he is beyond the waves all the contempts and imprisonments and outrages of wicked men are now too short to reach him he is so farre from repenting that he rejoyceth and triumpheth in reflecting back upon all the pains and care and labour of love whereby he hath loved the Lord Jesus in submitting his heart unto him Take me another man that hath lived here in pompe and jollity hath had many livings great preferments much honour abundance of pleasure yet hath been ever carelesse of God and of his Word profane in his course loose in his conversation and ask him upon his death-bed how it standeth with him Oh! woe the time that ever he spent it as he hath done now the soule begins to hate the man and the very sight of him that hath been the instrument with it in the committing of sinne now nothing but gall and wormwood remaineth now the sweetnesse of the Adulterers lust is gone and nothing but the sting of conscience remaineth now the covetous man must part with his goods and the gall of Aspes must stick behinde now the soul sinks within and the heart is overwhelmed with sorrow Take but these two men I say and judge by their ends whether ever it will repent you that you have done well that you have walked in the steps of the faith of Abraham My brethren howsoever you have had many miseries yet the Lord hath many mercies for you God dealeth with his servants as a father doth with his son after he hath sent him on a great journey to doe some busines the weather falleth foul and the way proveth dangerous and many a storm and great difficulties are to be gone through oh how the heart of that father pittieth his son how doth he resolve to requite him if he ever live to come home again what preparation doth he make to entertain and welcome him and how doth he study to doe good unto him My brethren so it is here I beseech you think of it you that are the Saints and people of God You must finde in your way many troubles and greifes and we ought to find them but be not discouraged the more misery the greater mercy God the father seeth his servants and if they suffer and indure for a good conscience as his eye seeth them so his soul pittieth them his heart bleeds within him for them that is he hath a tender compassion of them and he saith within himselfe Well I will requite them if ever they come into my Kingdome all their patience and care and conscience in walking in my wayes I will requite and they shall receive a double reward from me even a Crown of eternall glory Think of those things that are not seen they are eternall the things that are seen are temporall and they will deceive us let our hearts be carried after the other and rest in them for ever FINIS CULPABLE IGNORANCE OR THE Danger of Ignorance UNDER MEANES By that Reverend Divine THOMAS HOOKER Late Preacher in New England 2 THES 1.7 8. The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty Angels In flaming fire taking vengeance of them that know not God and which obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ
to goe along with men in the use of the meanes is it possible that they should be effectuall Naturally men are carelesse and negligent to attend and wait upon God with faithfull painfulnesse in the use of the meanes and so they will continue till God put another spirit into them and work that in them which will enable them to doe what nature never can doe And hence it commeth to passe that so long as they continue meet naturall men they are not able to receive that sweetnesse nor reap that benefit that otherwise they might from the Word of God they have no mind to it they hear it may be but they are not whether they hear or no. Job telleth us that wicked men say unto God Depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes Job 21.14 It is a place worthy some observation They say unto God Depart from us How doth a man say to the Almighty Depart from me I doe not conceive that a company of men will be so desperate as openly to out-face God in his Ordinances and bid him depart from them or openly to professe it to all the world that they desire not the knowledge of God nor of his wayes But they said it in their hearts and professed it in their lives being carelesse of God and regardlesse of the meanes of life and salvation When the Word came with counsell with reproofe with admonition and the like alas they flighted it they made no regard of it they neglected it and as they behaved themselves toward the counsels and admonitions of the Word so they are said to have behaved themselves towards God And my brethren it is all one if hearing the Minister speak unto you the word of God and bring home to you the reproofes and admonitions and counsels thereof you kick his Word from you and happily take up armes against him it is all one I say as if you take up armes against God and despised him It is a plain case our Saviour himselfe hath said it He that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me Luke 10 16. And so those men Job speaketh of because they manifested a carelesse esteem of the ordinances are said to bid God depart from them and to professe they desired not the knowledge of his wayes as if they should say it is a tedious thing to us to be convinced out of the Word we doe not desire to be perswaded to doe this or that we have no heart to heare such things as these This is a generall fault among most that live in the bosome of the Church to manifest a want of desire of the knowledge of the wayes of God How many severall passages are continually extended to men in the preaching of the Word both counsels and reproofes some whereof it may be they receive but such as crosse their dispositions and thwart them in any pleasant or profitable course of sinne oh how tedious are they to their hearts how unwilling are they to be informed of them how willingly doe they reject those blessed meanes that God would put into their hands to helpe them to salvation Famous it that place 2 Pet. 3.5 Those mockers there spoken of that should come in the last dayes saying Where is the promise of his comming the Apostle saith of them This they are willingly ignorant of that the Heavens were of old by the Word of God c. They are willingly ignorant as if he should say they are ignorant because they will be ignorant they doe nto desire to know that which might convince and reforme them Look how it is with a truant Scholler though the Master be never so carefull in his teaching and take never so great paines with him yet it is impossible that he should thrive in his learning for happily he comes one day to Schoole and withdraweth himselfe a week after and loseth more in two dayes then he can get in four And you that are Tradesmen know that a runnagate Apprentise cannot possibly be informed in his trade so as to behave himselfe skilfully for his Masters profit for the present or his own benefit and comfort afterwards So the truth is if you ask me the cause why so few men are savingly inlightned and informed in the wayes of life and salvation notwithstanding the abundance of meanes that they injoy Oh it is because we have so many truant Schollers in Gods Schoole so many runnagate Apprentises from the meanes of salvation this is the cause that howsoever there be meanes and teaching enough yet men are not gainers by these good occasions and opportunities which God is pleased to put into their hands This I say is the very reason Let a Minister presse a man that is somewhat loose in his life to the performance of good duties urge him to prayer with his family to the sanctifying of the Lords day to leave his swearing and his vain company or the like he will turn the deafe eare to you and though happily he will not presently flie in the face of the Minister yet he will slight all that he saith he for his part hath other businesse in hand no wonder my brethren this man profiteth not by the Word seeing his heart is not set thereunto seeing he intendeth it not hath no mind nor desire of the knowledge of the wayes of God The last and indeed the main reason why in this last age of the world wherein the light of the Gospel shineth so bright yet men sit in darkness and in the shadow of death and remain stark blind in heavenly things and though waters are hard by us yet we continue like a dry and thirstie wildernesse is The corruption of mens hearts in which they are setled and in which they are resolved to continue come what will to the contrary A setled and secret resolution that harboureth in the souls of men to maintain some private lust or other is I say a speciall reason why the mindes of men are no more inlightned nor themselves informed in the waies of life and happiness Mark it I beseech you It is a thing that we may easily find to be true in our own experience The retaining of any private lust alwaies hinders a man from attaining to saving knowledge Look how it is with the bodie of a man if one have a foul stomack full of very bad and noisome humors commonly it breedeth a rheumatick eie and a sleepie and drowsie head Just so it is also with the soul if a mans heart harbour any noysome lusts if any sinfull corruption lodge there the truth is it alwaies breeds a blear-eyed judgement it sendeth up such streams and mists into the understanding as quite dazeleth it so that it cannot discern the truths of God and hence it cometh to passe that the soul being setled on its dregs speak as long as you will perswade as much as you can yet there is no way to prevail
of it Again it is constant not onely for a time but for ever Yea and there is a progress in it also sin still groweth weaker and the strength thereof daily more and more abateth But where is not such progress where there is not a continuance in the deaths-wound of sinne there the deaths-wound was never given to sin by the blessed spirit of Christ For howsoever Christ doth not kill the old man presently yet he killeth it cortainly and when once the deaths-wound is given it can never be recovered any more Hereby you may trie whether there be a death of sin in you however you may finde in your selves all the parts and kinds of sin and corruption the severall lusts and inclinations of the flesh rising and bubling up in you however some times particular corruptions may have a very strong hand and put forth abundance of might in you to the mastering and captivating of you so that you are for the present sold under sin as the A postle Paul speaks of himself Rom. 7. yet if there be this lessening and weakning of corruption and that universally and constantly it is most certain there is a death of sin in you Now on the other side let me shew you how you may know the life of righteousness and this will also help you the better to discover the death of sin For as yee have heard both goe together and the one helps to manifest the other Therefore I say in the next place let us consider the severall effects of the life of Righteousnesse which are these First where ever there is a life of righteousnesse there is a seeking after God and after the things of God Righteousnesse is of a divine nature and therefore it alwaies carrieth the soul wherein it is up to God from whence it came As the fire being heavenly doth alwaies move upward so righteousness because it is of God doth alwaies raise up the soul of that person in whom it is toward God Hence it is that the righteous are described to be a generation of them that seek the Lord Psal 24. and Psal 27. 8. the Psalmist professeth that he will seek the face of god People that have no life of righteousness are described Rom. 7 to be such as do not seek after God But whereever there is a life of righteousnesse there is a seeking after God God in himself God for himself God as he is accomplished with his holy excellencies and admirable Attributes and perfections God as he is take him altogether is alwaies the aim and scope end and object of the desire of that soul that is endued with the life of righteousnesse so that when he praies or receives the Sacrament or hears the word or whatsoever he doth he seeks after God in all And as he seeks after God so he seeks after the things of God the favour and mercie of God the presence and fellowship of God those glorious inheritances which are Gods and are called his because they are with him the things of the kingdome of God they are the things he seeks after that hath the life of righteousnesse in him Secondly where the life of righteousnesse is there is a sutableness of the spirit and an agreement of the heart to the whole law of God I beteech you observe this The body of righteousness is nothing else but as it were the stamp of Gods Law there is a proportion and conformitie between the one and the other therefore in whomsoever the life of righteousnesse is in his spirit there is a sutableness of disposition to the whole Law of God so that howsoever there is much antipathie and deformitie and unlikeness and disagreement from the Law of God yet notwithstanding there is something within that soul that is agreeable to the whole Law of God so that there is no particular branch nor part of the Commandment of God but it doth find a principle to which it is suted and agreeable in the heart of all them that have the life of righteousnesse in them And this I take it is the meaning of that of writing the Law of God in their hearts that is the very Law of God in all the parts of it it hath a stamp and impression and a resemblance in the spirit of all them that have the life of righteousnesse This the Apostle largely expresseth in that seventh of the Romans from the 15. Verse and so forward I consent saith he to the Law that it is good and that it is holy and just They that have the life of righteousnesse they doe not onely finde a truth and a justice in Gods Law but they doe finde a goodness a loveliness in Gods Law there is a sutableness and an agreement between their spirit and the whole Law of God not onely in some but in all particulars Those branches of Gods Law which are most contrary to their customes and naturall dispositions and inclinations they see them good they behold them amiable they finde a disposition in their souls suteable and agreeable thereunto And hence is that of David Psal 119.6 Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect to all thy Commandments There is the second thing The third Effect of this life of righteousness it is a discerning of the evill of sin The want of the life of righteousnesse is the very cause why people doe not see the evill of sin Many people doe see the evill of the consequences of sin the plagues and judgements that come for sin but they doe not see the evill of sin Take sin in its own nature as it is an unlikeness to the nature of God as it is a transgression and a going beside a swerving from the Commandment of God they doe not see any evill in sin thus But now where ever there is the life of righteousnesse there is an apprehension and feeling of the evill of sin as it is sin it self and the reason of it is cleer because that the life of righteousnesse is nothing but an impression of the Law of God upon a man therefore it must needs cause that soul in which it is to know and apprehend the Evill of the transgression of Gods Law In a word they that have the life of righteousnesse in them they doe in their hearts apprehend sin to be the greatest evill and the most bitter thing that is in the world whether it be a great sin or a small sin in regard of the matter of it whether it be a secret sin or a publike sin in regard of the circumstance however sin may differ yet they apprehend the greatest evill and bitterness to be in all sin thereupon it is that they are as truly though not as strongly shy of the least sin as of the greatest of the secretest sin as of the most publique and scandalous sin You have Saint Paul for this Rom. 7.24 Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the bodie of this death The