a secret curse upon all that live after the flesh upon all they have all they do which curse is a sore death all who are cursed are dead while they live Fifthly If ye live after the flesh so as hath been declared ye will at last not only dye a natural but a cursed death when you come to dye naturally you 'l dye cursedly wretchedly as Christ saith ye shall dye in your sins if you live in them you shall dye in them under the curse of God due to them And so ye shall dye the second death when your bodies shall dye and go to the grave your souls shall dye and go to hell when your souls shall leave your bodies God will wholly leave them when they shall be separated from their earthly Tabernacle they shall be shut out from that building which is eternal in the heavens and from God perfectly ye shall so dye that ye shall be killed and killed with death Rev. 2.23 death will come upon you and hell at the heels of it Rev. 6.8 So shall ye be killed with death and Devils In which condition your souls will abide to the appearing of Christ and then your bodies shall be raised to partake with them in misery raised to the resurrection of damnation which is opposed to the resurrection of life Joh. 5.29 so your whole man your souls and bodies together will remain in a forlorn dead woeful state without end for ever and ever Q. 4. How doth this appear how may it be proved that they who live after the flesh shall dye A. It appears many wayes by many arguments from Scripture and sound reason take a hint of some 1. They who live after the flesh are not truely in Christ Rom. 8.1 they who are in Christ walk not after the flesh therefore they who do live after the flesh are not in Christ they have no interest in him no part in him so they must needs dye for not being in Christ they are not under Christ's righteousness they have nothing to do with that v. 4. the righteousness of the Law is fulfilled in us in our nature for us who walk not after the flesh Christ performed righteousness only for such It is applyed accounted to such and no other therefore they who live after the flesh are unrighteous in the sight of God they stand guilty before the justice of God dye then they must because not partakers of that righteousness which justifieth to life and as they are not in Christ so Christ is not in them Christ hath not taken hold of them his spirit is not in them therefore they belong not to him they are none of his Rom. 8.9 and if they are none of his then life is none of theirs the Fathe bath given to the Son to have life in himself he quickens whom he will but none have life from him unless they belong to him Secondly They who live after the flesh are in the flesh they are in its hands under its power therefore shall dye as one who is in the hand of his mortal enemy and while any are in the flesh they cannot please God Rom. 8.8 and whoever cannot please God shall not be pleased with life by God but shall dye Thirdly To live after the flesh is to live in a direct contrariety to God to his will his law his nature He is a pure spirit not flesh at all in any sense much less in the worst sense he is holy holy holy in him is no darkness at all not any appearance or shadow of sin so that whoever live after the flesh do turn their backs upon God they depart they go far from him they live most directly contrary to him how then can they but dye forasmuch as God is the fountain of living waters the living God for they who live not shall dye none can live unless God give them life God will not give life to any who continue his enemies to depart from him in a direct opposition to him Gods soul cannot but depart from such his wrath cannot but be kindled against them shall they not then dye for as in his favour is life so in his wrath is death Fourthly They who live after the flesh are the servants of it living after it being a doing service to it the flesh is their Lord and Mâ—ster therefore they must have the wages of the flesh Rom. 6.16 his servants ye are to whom ye obey if of sin then unto death how so v. last for the wages of sin is death God in justice as the Judg of the world is engaged to see to it that they who live to sin have the wages of sin Destâ—uction and misery are in the wayes of the flesh Rom. 3.16 therefore they who live in those wayes cannot but dye as surely as he that drinks and continues to drink the most deadly poyson He that walks in any way will come to the end of it at last therefore the end of the wayes of sin bring death they who continue therein will surely dye in the end If the wind blow direct to the shore and the Ship sail just before the wind the helm not being turn'd where will it be by and by will it not be on shore on the ground if the Boat still continue going down the stream it will be in the Sea e're long into which all Rivers run the flesh that is as the wind that blows direct hellward as the stream that runs directly into the bottomless pit he that lives after the flesh he sails before the wind he goes down with the stream think then where will he be after a little while if he turn if he stop not That which every man sows that shall be reap reason and experience say that 's past question beyond any doubt if a man sow tares he cannot reap wheat but must have his harvest of tares so he that sowes to the flesh shall of the flesh reap Corruption destruction Gal. 6.7 8. Be not deceived which intimates many are so God is not mocked couzened though men oft are so whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap you know it is so outwardly and so it is as sure spiritually for he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap Corruption spiritual Corruption which is the worst Ag. If any live after the flesh it hath their heart it hath seized on their heart it hath possession and dominion there therefore they 'l dye as when a grievous Disease gets to the heart suppose the Plague if once it get to the heart you know what follows unless it be speedily expelled or driven thence Lust is to the soul that which the Plague is to the body if ye live after the flesh the Plague is now already at in your heart it hath the command of your will and affections Moreover to live after the flesh is to live after Satan 1 Tim. 5.15 some are already turned aside after Satan though he be not
flesh in one sense because he hath no body yet he is altogether Flesh in a spiritual sense i. e. sinful and he draws those and leads them after the Flesh who live after it they do follow him though they think not so they know it not Eph 2.2 they who walk according to the course of this world they do walk according to the Prince of the power of the air so v. 3. they fulfill the desires or wills of the flesh therefore they shall dye for Satan is a dead creature and he is reserved to a farther degree of death and misery Satan also is a deadly enemy to men he seeks with all diligence to entice allure and draw us to his condition will he not be killed who follows a subtle enemy that plots his death Shall not he dye who yields himself up to his enemies who christ to have his blood and are implacably bent upon his ruine but thus do they who live after the Flesh they yield themselves up to Satan who as I may say hath sworn and more chan sworn the death of all he can prevail against and they give up themselves into the hand of the Lusts of the Flesh which war against their souls 1 Pet. 2.11 Dearly beloved abstain from steshly Lusts which war against your souls how then can he escape death who surrenders himself thereto Lastly Those many threatnings of the God of truth against such who live in sin that he will whet his Sword against them wound their hairy sculp turn them into hell Ps 9.17 the word into is doubled in the Hebrew either to note the certainty thereof as if he had said the wicked shall be turned into yea surely into hell or to signifie the greatness and the endlesseness of their punishment they shall be turned into and into hell over head and eats as we say they shall be cast deep very deep into the bottomless pit they shall still be falling as it were lower and lower or their souls and at last their bodies shall be cast into hell their souls into and their bodies into hell or when their bodies into the grave then their souls into hell and the like they all demonstrate and establish this truth so sure as God is true those threatnings are true So then it is abundantly manifest most undeniable as clear as the Sun as sure as sure can be that if we if any of us all live after the flesh dye we shall perish we shall without remedy Sermon 2. Q. 5. VVHy should such Doctrine be preached to believers A. Not as if they who have true faith shall ever any of them so live after the flesh as at last to dye the second death this is not intended nor implyed either in my Text or any other like Sentence of Scripture for it 's certain nothing is meant or can by right consequence be deduced from one place of Scripture which is contrary to any thing expressed in another but it is expressly asserted that God who hath begun a good work in his people will perform carry it on to the day of Christ Phil. 1.6 he that layes the foundation of true grace in any soul will go forward with his work till he hath laid the top stone and that because he is faithful 1 Cor. 1.8 9. Who shall also confirm you to the end that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ for God is faithful by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of Jesus Christ our Lord so 1 Thess last 24 and 2 Thess 3.3 and as God is faithful so it 's sure he is able otherwise he would never have begun his work in us as may be argued from those words of Christ Luke 14.28 29 30. which of you intending to build a Tower sitteth not down first and counteth the cost whether he have sufficient to finish it lest haply after he hath said the foundation and is not able to finish it all that behold it begin to mock him saying this man began to build and was not able to finish How much wiser is God than man none shall have cause to mock him therefore he both can and will finish his building the Church and the work of grace in every one of his effectually called ones But why then is it said to Believers If ye live after the Flesh ye shall dye A. 1. All Believers are not such in truth all who make a profession have not been under the power of God to their saving Conversion when God sows wheat the Devil sows tares when God makes true Converts the Devil makes Hypocrites Mat. 13.38 39. Hypocrites especially are the Devils Children the tares are the Children of the wicked one all wicked ones are Children of that wicked one chiefly Hypocrites these are as his first born and have most of his likeness There ever were and will be during the state of things such as Judas Symon Magus Demas c. hereafter all such shall be gathered out of Gods Kingdom No Hypocrite shall be in the New Jerusalem but now there are foolish as well as wise Virgins workers of iniquity who hear Christs word and eat and drink in his presence at his Table with respect to this it is needfull there should be such Doctrine Preached now in the Church ye shal dye if c the rather because men know not the hearts of those to whom they Preach Mal. 3. last Then shall ye return and discern between the righteous and the wicked now there is not a certain Infallible discerning and false unsound hearted ones are frequently very confident of their state that it is good that it is safe As men in a dream while dreaming are very confident of this or that concerning themselves the contrary whereto they find true when they awake hence this truth is to be taught to awaken such if it may be and to shew them their great and sad mistake Secondly Though it shall never be because of Gods faithfulness as also because of Gods election Christ's death c. that true Believers shall so live after the flesh that they shall perish yet the thing is possible in it self and as to themselves Did not Adam in innocency fall and come under the sentence of death so would the best men fall into perdition if left to themselves as Peter had sunk quite down and drowned if left to himself and when he denied Christ so far he had denied him utterly Corruption because natural hath great advantage against grace in us and Satan by all means layes about him to draw it forth so that if we had no keeper no guid or better Pilot than our selves we should live after the Flesh and split dash in pieces on that rock therefore that none may have confidence in themselves but all of us be kept constantly trusting in the living God in Christ the power of God and that we may not be high minded but fear hence the Apostle having given that
Five dores I shall open or five questions I shall briefly Answer to make way for and let in the Application of this truth I shall shew briefly 1. What 's meant by flesh and why it 's so called 2. What by living after the flesh 3. What by dying ye shall dye 4. How doth it appear that they who live after the flesh shall dye 5. Why should such Doctrine as this be preached to believers to Saints by calling Q. 1. What 's meant by flesh and why it is so called A. By flesh here as oft in other places corrupt nature is understood or the corruption of nature as when it 's said that which is born of the flesh is flesh flesh is opposed to the new man the new creature the image of God the Divine nature And corruption of nature may be called flesh for divers reasons such as these 1. Because it is derived to us with our flesh our body from Adom We have bad saith the Apostle Fathers of our flesh who corrected us Fathers of our fleshly part of our body and they who are fathers of that are fathers of our corrupt nature i. e. we have it from them for when any are conceived in sin are they conceived 2. Corruption of nature is naturally as dear to men as their flesh their very body and as near to them No man hates his own flesh but cherisheth it so no man naturally hates his corrupt nature which he brings into the world with him but every one cherisheth and nourisheth his corruption and makes provision for it till he be renewed Yea how many shew more love more tenderness towards their Corruption than to their very body how many endure much suffer greatly in their bodies and venter and lose not unusually their life it self from their love to some vile lust which is to them as their right eye their right hand or right foot and as their life it self skin for skin and all that a man hath will he give for his life only a mans lust that 's many times so dear to him he 'l hazard his life to satisfie it rather than lay it aside or part with it 3. Corruption grows with the flesh and as the flesh is strong or weak so frequently are the workings of lust hence the Apostle saith he kept under his body in fickness in bodily weakness this and that sin doth not ordinarily move so much or stir so strongly 4. Corrupt nature doth never quite cease in any till they lay down put off the tabernacle of their flesh while the best are here in the body much sin abides in them the old man will in part remain in all untill the Tabernacle of their body be quite pulled down to the ground as we read concerning the Leprosie among the Jews it getting into their houses would not out till they were took quite down and destroyed 5. Corruption of nature inclines men to do many things pleasing to their flesh and which give the body ease content and delight so that sin seems a great friend thereto hence excessive eating drinking sleeping hence slothfulness uncleanness and the like though these things are really hurtful to the body not only as to hereafter or in their desert but in their present effect yet are they pleasing to it all which arise from corrupt nature 6. Corruption prevailing and reigning turns the soul of man as it were into flesh it makes a man's mind fleshly Col. 2.18 so it makes his will affections all fleshly so that though the soul of man in its own nature be a Spirit God is the father of Spirits of mens souls that is yet through inbred sin it minds not regards not spiritual things but fleshly bodily things which are delightful to the outward senses Sin when it hath Dominion in a man makes him to God ward and the things of God as if he were all flesh all body not spirit at all in any part of him it makes man backward to heavy and dull in spiritual duties and whatever tends to the Souls good It makes him dull in hearing in understanding spiritual things it makes him unfit for Communion with God unfit to receive spiritual good as if he were spiritless or had no better spirit than that the beasts have In many cases Lust takes away the use of a mans reason it causeth him to act as unreasonably irrationally as if he had not a reasonable Soul it makes many a man like Nebuchadnezar when his understanding went from him fitter for the Society of beasts than of reasonable creatures living like themselves when a lust prevailed in the Psalmist he saith I was as a beast before thee and hence graceless men under the full power of iniquity are compared to beasts in Scripture and called Dogs Swine c. Sin also makes the Soul lyable to and unless subdued it brings the Soul unto death the worst death the second death though the Soul be immortal in its essence and dyes not as the body yet sin makes it mortal in a sense it makes it subject to a death of misery And farther corruption lyes much in the body therefore the Apostle prays for the Thessalonians that they might be sanctified in their body as well as in their spirit And may it not be said that corruption is first in the body the body being shaped e're the soul comes into it and if the soul be as the Scripture seems to teach us immediately from God then it is by the body not by the soul that sin is propagated God is the Father of Spirits but he is not the father of sin that the soul gets from by or upon its union to the body though its difficult to apprehend how it is For these and such like reasons the corruption of nature may very fitly and significantly be called flesh Q. 2. What is it to live after the flesh how is this Phrase live after the flesh to be understood A. To live after the flesh is the same with walking after the flesh spoken of some verses before my Text It is to live an ill life to live sinfully as we say such a one doth not live well he lives an evil life he lives loosely c. He that so liveth doth live after the flesh The flesh gives Councel as it were to men so and so that they live thus and thus I consulted not saith the Apostle with flesh and when a man doth order his conversation according to the Counsels of the flesh then liveth he after the flesh when a man doth those things the flesh saith are best to be done The flesh hath many motions Rom. 7.5 It 's scarce ever still but is moving this way or that way and when any one doth follow the evil motions thereof when a man acts according to them then doth he live after the flesh Corruption of nature is called a Law Rom. 7.21 I find a Law that when I would do good evil is present with me which
and bears sway in us or we do live after the Flesh Thus much for the first use let not these things be spoken in vain make application of them to your selves try your selves by them pray over them rest not till you know what your life is how it is that you do live for this is one Word of God by which we shall be judged hereafter when the great Judge shall come to execute the final dismal Sentence of Death then will it be enquired and published who have lived after the flesh Use 2. Let the second Use be to convince those whose life is after the flesh of their misery art thou such a one and yet dost think thou shalt not dye not dye the second the worst death thou deceivest thy self thou dost contradict my Text belye the Word of the Lord so art thou the more guilty and while senseless of thy miserable state that thy senslessness is a bar to thy repenting How art thou like to turn who walkest in the way of Death and wilt not believe it is such a way or that thou art in it No wonder if all calls are ineffectual though God saith turn ye turn ye why will ye dye yet thou art like the deaf Adder Therefore let me perswade thee who dost live after the flesh to receive this as a truth though uncomfortable yet profitable shouldest thou dye presently a natural death thou wouldest in dying dye dying naturally thou wouldst dye everlastingly and unless thou livest a new life thus will it be whenever death comes It will come double when a visible death shall arrest thy body an invisible death will arrest thy soul even thine for God will stand to his word he will not forget any one word that he hath spoken by any of his Servants Isa 44.26 he confirmeth the word of his Servant and performeth the counsel of his Messengers God never goeth back from any word that he absolutely uttereth as this without any If expressed or intended only this if ye live after the flesh ye shall dye certainly unavoidably It is most undeniable God is able to execute his word he is able as Christ saith to destroy soul and body If a man a beast a small creature a very gnat or a disease can kill thy body how much more can he who made thee kill thee soul and body destroy thee with an everlasting destruction what are we to the Angels that sinned yet the Lord God hath clapt them all though many Legions though mighty spirits though very subtle and cunning he that almighty only wise one hath put them all under everlasting chains of darkness How able then is he to crush us as moths to trample under his feet us poor worms to break us as a Potters Vessel and as God is able to fulfill his threatning so is he resolved to do it his word tells us his setled purpose his eternal will and unalterable Counsel as his threatnings are written in the same book with his promises so have they the same confirmation his oath as well as his bare word and determinate counsel Am. 8.7 The Lord hath sworn by the excellency of Jacob surely I 'le never forget any of their works I 'le that is eternally punish impenitent sinners for all their iniquities Solomon saith where the word of a King is there 's power much more where the word of the great King is the Lord of Heaven and Earth there 's power all power to put his Word in execution but behold here 's the Word of God see it read it ye shall Dye Almighty power is tyed to see this word accomplished Bear with me a little I beseech you while I speak in love for good Who what shall can let or hinder thy death If thou livest after the Flesh shall thy riches estate any thing of this world No Riches profit not we read in the day of wrath what 's Gold and Silver what 's all the rubbish of this world when the Lord shall come forth as a consuming fire when the earth shall be burnt up and the works thereof will fallen Angels who now deceive help they could not save themselves they seek to devour but will good Angels they will be evil Angels in respect of the execution of evil to evil men they alwayes hearken to God's voice and obey the word of his Command they Christ saith shall gather the tarts and cast them into unquenchable fire or will Christ himself stay the execution of this word No he 'l see it executed he 'l come in flaming fire taking vengeance on all who know not God 2. Thess 1.8 and obey not the Gospel of his Son though Christ hath dyed for sins he hath said impenitent sinners shall dye in their sins and he puts the question himself to such how can ye escape the damnation of hell Mat. 23.33 I may say Christ himself could not answer it how they who continue living in their sins shall escape because it 's not to be answered there 's no answer can be given to that Quaerie Shall sinners be able to save one another Nay no more than the men of the old world than the men of Sodom did who perish'd all together Shall sinners prayers shall all that they can do or say save them No all will be charged upon them as sin Is 1.15 God declares though they make many Prayers he 'l not hear whereof Christ also gives assurance testifying before hand when they shall hereafter say Lord Lord open to us c. he 'l say depart I know you not Shall the mercy of God save such No for it is holy faithfull mercy therefore cannot save any against his word How sure then is the death of all who live after the flesh Therefore if thou so livest and yet thinkest thou shalt not dye thou art deceived by sin by Satan yea thou art a self deceiver and wilfull in thy deceiving thy self Do ye not know I pray remember this day God said to Adam in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye but he deceived by Satan thought though he did eat he should not dye Now doth not woful experience to this day teach us the truth of Gods Word for hence we were all born in sin hence the grave so filled with the bodies of Adam's posterity hence the world so full of misery as now and as it hath been in all ages hence you women bring forth in sorrow hence we men get our bread with the sweat of our brows hence all our labour all our toyl hence the earth brings forth bryars and thorns hence all afflictions And as sure as that word proved true which God spake to Adam notwithstanding what Satan insinuated to the contrary so sure is this word true if thou O man if thou O woman livest after the flesh thou shalt dye whatever Satan may whisper in thee to the contrary wherefore shut thine ear to all thoughts that contradict this truth and take it into thy
are the greatest enemies of all to thy sin and they are the best friends of all to thy soul therefore the more any one is a friend to thy sin the worse enemy he is to thy soul and the more any one is an enemy to thy sin the better friend he is to thy soul do thou so account be so perswaded this will help to the mortifying thy sin for it will keep thine ear open to reproof and make way for the sinking of wholsom words into thine heart whereas if thou thinkest he that hates thy sin hates thee which is too ordinary and he that flatters and humors thee in thy evil affections and so is a friend to them loves thee this will keep thy sin alive and nourish it greatly for it will cause thee to give ear to those things that will feed thy corruption Much more might have been said and more may be spoken afterward let thus much suffice at present Sermon 4. Q. 4. WHy is it a necessary duty to mortifie the deeds of the body A. It is most manifest that this is a necessary duty that there is an Absolute necessity lying upon us all and upon me and thee every one of you not only because it is commanded but it is necessary in it self and for our own good It is necessary that we may escape death for if we do not mortifie the deeds of the flesh we shall live after the flesh and so dye at last They say a Crocodile and a man seldom meet but one of them dyeth for it if the man kill not the Crocodile the Crocodile will kill the man This is true of every deed of the body of sin either a man must kill it or he will be killed by it kill or be killed is most true as to all sin The words I am upon teach this is necessary to life and that must be if it be necessary to the escaping death But to evince this by some particulars First Is it not necessary that a deadly disease be mortified you know it is it will mortifie if it be not mortified but sin is the disease of the soul and it 's deadly as the Apostle James saith when it 's finished it brings forth death and as the Apostle Paul saith it brings forth fruit unto death No disease whatever more deadly to the body than every unmortified deed of the flesh is to the soul a bodily disease hurts not the soul but an unmortified lust hurts soul and body with the greatest hurt is it not necessary then to be mortified or is it not necessary that a mettal enemy that 's near a man be slain if possible there being no other way to avoid death by his hands but to lay him dead at ones feet much more is it necessary to destroy our sins there being no other way to escape death by them or no way effectual without this and no enemy hurtful as our lusts unsubdued are It is indeed only sin unmortified that can do us any hurt real or abiding hurt the world could not mischief us Satan could not prejudice us were all our lusts laid dead as they should be therefore well said one of the Martyrs in a letter to his Wife be alwayes an enemy to the world and to the Devil but especially to your own flesh your own corruption But we lye open to the malice of all enemies if any sin be suffered to live in us a lust unmortified is as an open door to let Satan into our souls it gives him hold of us it is as dry tinder whereby we may presently be set on fire or as a Barrel of Gun-powder as I may say within us whereby he may come and blow us up If we mortifie our sins then do we mortifie the world and Satan in their power over us but if we do not then will the world be our Master and Satan will be Lord over us Secondly Is it not necessary that we love God and Christ and his Commandments and our own souls and one another but we love none of these unless we mortifie the deeds of the body we love not God because he hates those Deeds he is dishonored by them offended and provoked and his Spirit is grieved and quenched thereby Jam. 4.4 the friendship of the world is enmity to God whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God so as to every deed of the flesh the friendship thereof is enmity to God whosoever therefore is a friend thereof is an enemy of God Nor do we love Christ because the deeds of the body put him to death and are quite contrary to the deeds which he did If ye love me saith Christ keep my Commandments and if we keep his Commandments we must needs break the Commandments of sin and so mortifie the deeds of the body Nor do we love the Commandments of God and Christ because all sinful deeds are directly opposite thereto and this is one of the Lords Commandments that we mortifie our sins yea every Commandment implyes this in that we can keep no Command truely heartily unless our lusts are mortified Nor do we love our own souls because all the deeds of the body war against it and are destructive to it to let sin live quietly in us is too plainly to hate our souls for it is to give entertainment to the enemy the worst enemy of them Prov. 29.24 he that is partner with a Thief hateth his own soul he heareth cursing and bewrayeth it not so doth he hate his own soul who hath this and that lust stirring in him and destroyeth it not Nor do we love or can we love one another in truth for true love only groweth in a pure heart hence it 's said 1 Pet. 1.22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently but no heart purity except the corruptions of the heart be slain Jam. 4.1 from whence come wars and fightings among you he meaneth quarrels strifes and contentions which are caused by want of love come they not saith he even of your lusts that war in your members Yes thence it 's sure they come there would be no wars nor fightings of any kind but for the lusts that are in men and whence is it that mens lusts do cause any such things but because they are not mortified Thirdly Let me ask is it not necessary that we hate our corruptions either we must hate them or we shall love them but we do not hate them in good earnest with a right hatred except we seek the mortification of them no hatred of sin is true and right which is not deadly which doth not carry us forth in endeavours to trample it dead under our feet to crucifie it and let out it's heart blood As when Cain hated his brother he kill'd him all heart hatred inclines a man to
the King of Canaan untill they had destroyed Jabin King of Canaan i. e. as if it had been said that great that potent destroying King Jabin therefore his name is so repeated Therefore that thou mayest sing now and much more hereafter and sing for ever stir up thy self take hold of the Lord march out against every sin in his name and strength for so shalt thou prevail be not discouraged Read and consider weigh that well Jud. 6.12 13. The Angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon and said unto him the Lord is with thee thou mighty man of valour Gideon replyed Oh my Lord if the Lord be with us why then is all this befaln us c. V. 14 15 16. And the Lord looked upon him and said go in this thy might and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites have not I sent thee and he said oh my Lord wherewith shall I save Israel Behold my family is poor in Manasseth a poor Tribe and I am the least in my Fathers house and the Lord said unto him surely I will be with thee and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man Secondly If God intend to save us he will take some severe course or other with us for the destroying our sin if we will not be perswaded by fair means by his word to seek it's destruction whence was it that the incestuous Corinthan was delivered up to Satan and thereupon had so much sorrow that he was ready to be swallowed up thereby it vvas for the destruction of his sin the ruining vvhereof he neglected the Psalmist saith fools because of their transgression are afflicted because they countenance their sin and are too tender tovvards it vvhich is their folly therefore God makes them smart Hence Davids bones vvere broken because he did not mortifie the lustfull motions that vvere in him but gave vvay thereto Remember vvhat Christ saith Rev. 3.19 As many as I love I rebuke and chasten be zealous therefore and repent Thirdly What is the end aim and tendency of every deed of the body of sin every sinfull motion It is your death Abstain saith the Apostle Peter from fleshly lusts which war against your souls Why do they vvar but to kill your souls and so far as Satan hath a hand in stirring up your lusts he directly aims at your utter ruin therefore seek the death of your lusts Is it not better for sin to dy than for your souls to dy No man can be so irrationall as to think and say plainly that it 's vvorse for him to slay his sin than it vvill be to be slain by it This is even the farthest step from vvisdom for any to please his flesh and Satan his vvorst enemies to his ovvn eternall undoing Fourthly While any sin is in you unmortified you cannot be so usefull to others you 'l not have a heart no◠〈◊〉 capacity or fitnesse to do that good you might in your generation that you say or do vvill not be so advantagious to others yea sin being unmortified you vvill thereby do much hurt by stumbling them hardning them causing them to blaspheme as David by his sin opened the mouths of the enemies of the Lord in blaspheming And hovv sad is this for a man that ought still to do good to do much hurt for a man to be an instrument of Satan as every one is vvho doth hurt to others souls it may be by some one corruption in you not subdued but prevailing you may be in a great degree a means through your ill example or otherwise of the damnation of some of your Relations Acquaintance or such with whom you have to do certainly a man that understands himself had rather lye rotting in the grave than live to do mischief especially so great hurt Fifthly there cannot be the least shew or shadow of reason why we should spare any sin Good reason there may be for a man to spare outward enemies and to do those good who hate him This may be an honour to a man Theodosius the Emperour is highly commended for that when he was moved to execute one who reviled him he said that were it in his power he had rather raise his dead enemies than put to death his living Or there may be hope that a mans enemies will grow better in time if spared or they living may be of some use one way or other or some friends may interceed for them c. But if you let go your sin this is the greatest disgrace shame and dishonour that can be to you it 's impossible sin should grow better but the longer you let it live unmortified it will still grow worse as to you Sin it self cannot be of any good use There is no one who will be pleased by your sparing sin unless you shall take Satan for your friend or some one in whom he ruleth Nor is there or can there be any other reason why you should forbear or defer to seek the death of every sin Again Consider the smallest sin not mortified is far worse than the greatest grossest sin that hath never so oft broke forth if it be at length brought under for the least deed of the body of sin let alone is mortal to you it will kill you but the greatest being mortified will be no bar to or at all prejudice your salvation for if ye mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live how great heinous mighty prevailing and provoking soever those deeds have been Therefore be fully resolved through the spirit to endeavour the death of every of your sins seeing sin hath already done us so much hurt by wounding by defiling 〈◊〉 souls by separating between God and us and causing many wayes much sorrow to us it is but just revenge to seek its death it 's said indeed avenge not your selves but you know that is not spoken as to our sins the Israelites were to destroy the Amalekits and Midianites when God commanded them and that utterly because of the hurt they had done to Israel and the Apostle makes holy revenge one sign of true repentance 2 Cor. 7.11 How do wicked men mortifie the deeds of the Spirit its motions and convictions how much have we all been guilty thereof O that for time to come we may wholly addict our selves to the mortifying of the deeds of the body of sin Remember be you faithful in this combate for a while and yet after a little time it will be perfectly dead and buried as I may say and that never to have any resurrection our visible body shall rise again not the body of sin nor any member thereof when once quite destroyed I shall here add three or four directions besides those formerly mentioned First Look upon and account this to be one end of all Gods providences towards you to stir you up to this duty hence your afflictions which you perhaps speak of as so many so great they are to take away your
anger lying some Lusts in some men lye unacted long and at last apppear as some seed is much longer e're it come up than other though sown at the fame time hence it 's sometimes said I wonder that such a man should so fall do such an evil I thought it had not been in him And I may add as the Apostle saith some members of the body are more others less comely and these we cover so some members of the body of sin have a kind of comliness in the eye of men others appear shameful to all these men especially hide and cloak Secondly as the body of every man is alike in the main the body of one man hath the same parts that the body of another man hath and there is a likeness between the several parts of the body of one and of another yet so that there is some difference also whereby one is known from another The body of one is bigger taller stronger fairer than the body of another some are of one Constitution and Complexion some of another thus is corrupt nature the body of sin in the main all bring into the world with them the very same corruptions lusts therefore saith Solomon as face answereth to face in water so doth the heart of man to man look what lusts and corruptions there are in one man's nature there are such in another's Yet with some difference the body of sin in some is naturally as I may say bigger stronger fairer than it is in others corruption vents it self and works in one differently from what it doth in another in some it acts more covertly closely in others more obviously openly in some more smoothly and pleasingly in others more roughly offensively and to displeasing So that one man may as well think himself not to have such a body as another man hath in the main because he is less and more fair as he may think himself not to have such a corrupt nature because it doth not shew it self so grossly evidently or just in that way or manner as in another As one man excells in one member and another man excelleth in another member of his body one hath better eyes another better ears another better legs but still they have the same kind of parts So one man is more notable or notorious in one lust another in another lust one is famous or rather infamous for his pride another for his dissembling a third for his covetousness but all have the same lusts by nature You may say some men never commit some sins some are never drunk never commit fornication therefore corrupt nature seems to have more members in one than in another A. A man may have hands and legs or ears though he never use them because of some weakness or impediment so some may not put forth this or that lust and yet have it in them for it may be impeded or hindred through their bodily constitution education or some other cause so that they don't exercise exert or shew it as others do And though all men are not outwardly guilty of all kinds of sin yet there is hardly one sin but they are sometime or other less or more guilty of it inwardly before Conscience though not before men or before God though Conscience see it not at present for as the Apostle John saith God is greater than Conscience and seeth all things whereby he insinuates that Conscience sees not all There is a committing Adultery with the heart as well as with the body as you know Christ saith he that looks lustfully he hath committed Adultery already in his heart there is also spiritual Adultery spiritual Whoredom spiritual Drunkenness spiritual Idolatry of which all are too guilty one way or other before God happy he who is duely sensible thereof Yet perhaps as some have monstrous bodies such as are not usual they have some parts extraordinary some have six Toes six fingers instead of five so the body of sin may be in some as a monster in respect of something extraordinary that is to be found in it or because of something unusual it moveth and causeth those in whom it is to do Thirdly Corruption of nature acts in and through the whole body of man in all the members and parts thereof Rom. 6.19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh for as ye have yielded your members not this or that member but your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity c. Corruption issueth forth through the eyes hence we read of the lust of the eyes and Job made a covenant with his eyes through the ears hence the Scripture speaks of itching ears deaf heavy ears stop'd with sin through or by the feet hence we have mention made of feet swift to evil and of the foot of pride through or by the tongue therefore saith the Apostle James the tongue is a world of evil set on fire of hell and the Scripture telleth us of a lying tongue a false tongue and a tongue that hath as the gall of Asps under it so as to all other parts of the body sin within sets all on work and that not only the outward but the inward parts also it stirs a mans blood moveth his heart it opens and shuts it empties and fills the heart c. Fourthly Corruption of nature chiefly acts in every one according to the temperament or constitution of his body if a man be of a sanguine complexion his corruption works sutably to that as is observ'd in David who was of a ruddy countenance or if a man be of a cholerick melancholy or phlegmatick temper accordingly natural sin doth discover it self and it's fruits are answerable Fifthly As the body and soul of man are separable so corruption and man's soul though it be natural yet it may be separated from the soul and the soul may be quite rid of its sin as of its body corrupt nature may be killed as the body and so the soul released from it though not so easily an easie matter is it to kill the body wherein the soul dwells not so to kill that sin that naturally dwells in the soul yet both are alike easie to God it is as facile or easie to him to destroy our body which we have as sinners as it is for him to kill our body which we have as men he can run it through and pierce the very heart of the body of sin in us by the sword of his spirit much more easily than Goliah had he been near David could have run him through with his Sword Sixthly As the body doth nothing acts not moves not without the soul and if the soul be once gone it 's dead without any motion or ability to move so corrupt nature acts not without our soul it works by the understanding by the will by this and that affection had not a man an Immortal soul he would have no corruption as beasts
have none and let the heart be once taken off from sin then corruption dyeth and when the heart shall be perfectly separated from it then corrupt nature will be quite dead and we shall be perfectly freed from it Seventhly As the body is still breeding filth flegm choler and divers excrements hair nails and that which is not handsom plainly to mention but Christ saith it goes to the draught so the body of sin is still breeding that which is filth in the sight of God and the eye of an enlightned Conscience it 's still sending forth divers excrements whereto the Apostle James may have respect when he saith lay aside all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness Eightly As there is a natural inclination in the body to generation to the propagation of its kind so in the body of sin to beget its like hence the Devil who hath though no visible body yet a body of sin tempted our great Grand-mother or first Mother Eve and as I may so say begat the body of sin in her he knew her in a spiritual sense e're Adam knew her in a natural way and then by Eves help he knew Adam and begat the body of sin in him and all sinners under the power of sin seek to make others like themselves they compass saith Christ Sea and Land to make a proselyte Mat. 23.15 Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites for ye compass Sea and Land to make one proselyte and when he is made ye make him two fold more the Child of hell than your selves where Christ speaks of an Apostate or Christ speaks of one who having been openly profane and grossly wicked outwardly becometh a close Pharisaical Hypocrite The Apostle Paul saith 1 Tim. 1.13 he was before a blasphemer and what did he do when he was a blasphemer Acts 26.11 he compelled others to blaspheme 9ly There is such an union between the soul and body while together that the soul no where in nothing acts without it the soul acts much according as it is with the body whether it be sick or well weak or strong and the soul is much hindred in acting according to its own proper nature as a spirit by the body so while corruption is in the soul the soul acts not without it all the actings of the soul have a tincture and defilement more or less from it according to the strength or weakness of corruption so the soul acts less or more sinfully and it is mightily hindered in acting according to its own nature as a spirit thereby But not to carry this too far Lastly As the body is still craving one thing or other meat drink sleep cloaths the cool shade or warm fire c. So corrupt nature is still craving now to have this and then to have that iust satisfied this or that motion fulfilled And as Solomon saith the eye is not satisfied with seeing nor the ear with hearing so corrupt nature is never satisfied with sinning but as the more many times a man sees and hears of that which delights the more he desires to see and to hear so the more corrupt nature in its lustings is answered the more doth it call the more doth it lust it 's like the Horse-Leech that still crieth give give and like the fire and those other things which Solomon saith never say it is enough Q. 2. What are we to understand by the deeds of the body A. The deeds of the body of sin must needs be sinful deeds what are the deeds of your natural body as men they are natural deeds suitable to it such as seeing speaking laughing weeping going running and the rest So what are the deeds of the body of corruption they are deeds agreeable to it corrupt deeds such as coveting lying boasting vain glorying murmuring dissembling with those many other of that evil kind that cursed generation The deeds of the body are the fruits and births of it which are sometimes called the works of the flesh as in that Gal. 5.19 sometimes the members of the flesh or our members which are upon the earth Col. 3.5 Mortifie therefore your members which are upon the earth uncleanness inordinate affection evil concupiscence and covetousness which is Idolatry these are the deeds of the body or the deeds of the old man as it 's exprest Col. 3.9 lye not one to another seeing ye have put off the old man with his deeds In other places these deeds are called the desires or wills and motions of the flesh in those places formerly cited It is to be noted well that the Apostle calls all the outgoings and movings of corruption deeds and works though they break not forth into outward actions If some were bid or exhorted to repent of their wicked deeds and evil works they would be ready to say what what evil deeds what wicked works have I done or do I because it may be they cannot be charged with any great matter by man But consider look inward have you not had many lustings many motions of corruption this way and that many evil affections stirring these are deeds and works before God they have as real evil and offensiveness in them in Gods eye as any outward actions and therefore ought not to be made light but our hearts should mourn be ashamed humbled and broken for them as well as for outward sins Some one may here ask why saith our Apostle if ye mortifie the deeds of the body why saith he not if ye mortifie the body it may be thought he should rather have spoke of mortifying the body of corruption it self than the deeds of it I answer 1. The Apostle may thus express himself because the deeds of corrupt nature are those we are sensible of we are not sensible of the body of sin it self directly but by some or other of its deeds but for its lustings affections and motions we should not know it to be in us Secondly the way to mortifie the body of sin it self is to mortifie its deeds we cannot come at it to give it a blow but in its affections and motions and so far as the deeds of the body of sin are mortified so far is it mortified As break a mans head to pieces or stop his breathing and you kill his body If any say rather the way to mortifie the deeds of the body is to mortifie the body it self to mortifie the root is the best way to mortifie the fruit then I answer the Apostle intends that that we mortifie the deeds of the body by mortifying the body corrupt nature it self which must be done for if any could mortifie the deeds of the old man barely the body of sin still remaining unsubdued that would not avail Thirdly It is by the mortification of the deeds of the body that we know whether it be mortified yea or no as by the movings of the natural body by the eyes hands and nostrils we know a man's body to be alive or dead Fourthly
the Apostle may hereby teach us we must fight against the body of sin in a particular distinct way taking our aim now at this and then at that member of it working and motion of it according to its stirring in us Or perhaps the Apostle might choose to say the deeds of the body because the body of sin it self will still abide in a great measure all our dayes here but divers of the deeds of it may be even wholly mortifyed in this life and particular motions they may be quite mortified the moving of this and that lust at this and that time may be quite destroyed Q. 3. What is it to mortifie kill and destroy the deeds of the body and how is that to be done A. No one of us but hath a body of sin in him as really as every one hath a body of flesh visible wherein his soul dwelleth so really hath every one an invisible body of sin dwelling in his soul which body of sin hath had many deeds lustings evil motions in time past and it hath many still and so still will it have while we are here for it is even â—ontinually lusting stirring one way or other I shall therefore 1. speak somewhat concerning the mortifying the deeds of the body past 2. Concerning the mortifying of the deeds of the body of sin as to time present 3. Concerning the mortifying thereof with respect to time to come 1. For the deeds of the body of sin past those lustings those evil affections sinful motions that heretofore you have had they in a sense are to be mortifyed How is that to be done How shall they that are past be destroyed Ans By a hearty confession before God with Godly sorrow and faith acted in Prayer on the Word of God and blood of Christ for the pardon of them through his grace This is the way to mortifie any and all the deeds of the body that have been found with you in times past you must get them forgiven and then they will be mortified they are as dead in Law they are as if they had never been they will not and cannot be charged upon you When a suit is commenced a charge brought against any and it 's discharged no more to be medled with it is then mortifyed in Law so when your sins are pardoned to you by God they are then buried they are blotted out they are cast into the depths of the sea Therefore the way to get what 's past mortifyed is to get it remitted taken off the file to seek to have the book of Divine Justice cross't where your debts and offences stand as fair written till forgiven And the way for that is heartily to confess so far as you may before God all the former stirrings and workings of your corruption which have been in you and which have shewn themselves in your conversations if we confess God will forgive but then our confession must be with contrition brokenness of heart and humiliation and we must act faith on the sufferings of Christ and the promises of the Covenant we must also beg the remission of our past sins through the grace of God in Christ Do this in truth so will all the deeds of your corrupt nature be done away by the hand of pardoning grace and so will they be mortifyed as Debts are when the Debtor is acquitted Which though it be not directly intended in my Text yet is it implyed for without this the deeds of the flesh present or to come will never be truely mortifyed None have any corruption indeed subdued unless they are pardoned and justified Mortification of sin is included in sanctification and sanctification is never without justification Nor ever did will or can any set upon the destroying the deeds of the flesh present and to come unless they confess and mourn for what 's past and sue out a pardon according to the Gospel Therefore look to this that you seek to have what 's past forgiven so as hath been express'd 2. For the mortifying the deeds of the body as to time present This must be or nothing will be done with respect to time to come There must be a beginning and setting upon the laying dead present sinful motions If ye mortifie saith my Text it speaks in the present tense If ye now stir up your selves in this work What is this to mortifie the deeds of the body present A. It is to put a stop to the movings of sin so that they may cease as the Psalmist Ps 73.15 If I say I will speak thus that is sinfully as before in the foregoing words behold I should offend against the generation of thy children He found envy because of the prosperity of the wicked stirring in him and discontent because of his own afflicted condition whereupon he set himself to mortifie those lusts in the present motions thereof and he did so he stopt their mouth So when unbelief moved in him Ps 77. and caused him to begin to say will the Lord be favourable no more hath he forgotten to be gracious he tells us he said this is my infirmity v. 10. thus he put a bar against the working of his unbelief so we should still mortifie every lusting and motion of sin as men mortifie a sore or disease by using all means to put a stop to it that it encrease and spread not We should not rest till corruption be silenced and give over its sollicitations and if it will be stirring still we should labour to weaken the strength of it as much as possible so far as it 's weakned it 's mortified as the weaker our body groweth the nearer it is to death there is a degree of death in weakness But how shall we thus mortifie the present deeds of the flesh A. In a few particulars at this time First Keep an observing eye upon the body of sin mind carefully observe diligently what deeds it brings forth what motions it hath at this and that time as in sight they eye and mark every motion of the enemy There are who though they have many and mighty workings of corruption they are ignorant of them or they little regard them except in some more than ordinary case but forasmuch as we have a body of sin that is very fruitful we should still take good notice what fruit it doth yield which way it moveth How shall we mortifie the things we are unacquainted with How oft is it that the body of sin works covetously How oft that it moves proudly How frequent that it lusteth enviously in this or that man and he is not apprehensive or sensible thereof and then how is he like to do any thing towards the killing its fruits to bar its out-goings Secondly When you perceive any rising or motion of corruption it 's good to consider what it is that giveth occasion thereto or by what it is that it takes occasion whether it be some object of sense something you see or
the most peace is it not then when you are most eagerly ingaged against and hot in the pursuit of sin plotting contriving and by all means you can working its death The experience of all Christians I doubt not gives in restimony that this is true Sermon 5. THe second thing in the latter part of my Text now offereth it self to our serious consideration this necessary duty is to be performed through the Spirit whence the Doctrine is this D. 2. That the great work of mortifying killing or destroying the deeds of the body of sin is to be managed through the Spirit when we are called upon to mortifie our sinful affections our evil motions and the corrupt lustings within us the meaning is that this is to be done through the Spirit No truth more useful than this if well understood and received this is the principal thing that I would commend to you All know or generally it is confest that sins must be mortified but that this is to be done by in with or through the Spirit few in comparison understand I know nothing that needs to be taught among and prest upon Christians and more frequently to be inculcated than this There are three Queries concerning the truth now proposed which call for some Answer for the explication of it 1. What 's meant by the Spirit 2. Why is this work to be done through the Spirit 3. How is it thus to be done Q. 1. What 's meant by the Spirit A. Spirit signifieth diverse things in Scripture it hath several acceptations 4 of which I shall here take notice 1. By spirit is meant our spirit our heart and soul so the Apostle saith he did serve God with his spirit and Christ saith God is to be worshipped in spirit so we must mortifie the deeds of the body of sin in spirit with our whole heart and soul otherwise we shall not prosper in what we do all will be to no purpose if we have not a thorow will and sincere endeavour Christ saith many shall seek to enter in at the strait gate and not be able so many seek to mortifie their sins and are not able because they are not thorowly willing and resolved And then our main endeavour must be to mortifie sin within of which I spake before when sins are only kept from outward outbreakings they are no more mortified than Lions and Bears or such wild creatures when shut up and kept from ranging abroad Secondly Sometimes by spirit in Scripture is understood new nature the new man as it may be taken and seems to be in that 5. Gal. 17. where the Apostle saith the spirit lusteth against the flesh and the flesh against the spirit thus we must mortifie our sins in by or through the spirit by the new creature through a principle of true grace acted and stirred up in us This is most certain no man can mortifie the deeds of sin without he have a contrary principle of grace for till the new man be formed in one there 's no good nothing but flesh but sin and the flesh neither will nor can mortifie it self as Satan casteth not out Satan neither doth lust cast out or destroy lust though it 's true sometimes one lust doth keep under another and hinder anothers working this or that way as a mans pride may put a stop to his covetousness though he have a covetous heart yet through predominant pride he scorns to be base and niggardly so covetousness may hold in pride as to it 's shewing it self in such or such a way because the man is coverous therefore he will not wear such cloths or do some other things which pride otherwise would cause him to do that he might have respect among men But sin cannot truely subdue sin no more than water can dry up water though one stream being stronger may stop and turn the course of another that hath less strength so pride may command covetousness or covetousness pride yet do they both live before God as the greater light may drown the less yet doth not extinguish it He that hath not a principle of true grace is under the power of fin therefore is not at liberty to mortifie or to will the mortification of his lusts in truth If there be war if there be killing and slaying there must be two parties the one against the other but in a graceless man there 's only one party one nature one kind of principles all sinful therefore he cannot kill or in truth set upon the slaying of his sin though he may possibly upon some outward account or to quiet conscience seek to curb some evil motions As it is against our nature as men to hurt our bodies so is it against our nature as sinful men to do any thing in good earnest and truth of heart towards the death of our sin Therefore a man must have a new nature which whosoever hath then he cannot but be striking at and wounding the deeds of corrupt nature because these two are perfectly contrary Yet they who have true grace need to be awakned and excited thereto more and more to lay out themselves therein through that grace they have received could it be that the actings of sin should be destroyed without contrary workings of grace it would little avail a man would not thereby be in the way of life but no lusting of corruption can be truely killed without a lusting and stirring of grace in opposition thereto as darkness is only dispelled removed by the shining forth of some light Therefore look O soul well to this that thou hast a new nature that thou beest a new Creature in Christ Jesus Thirdly Spirit is sometimes taken for the Gospel as opposed to the Covenant of works 2 Cor. 3.8 where the Apostle speaks of the ministration of the Spirit in opposition to the ministration of Death mentioned in the foregoing verse and verse 6. he saith we are Ministers of the New Testament not of the Letter but of the Spirit for the Letter killeth but the Spirit giveth life and thus some take Spirit 1 John 5.8 There are three that bear witness on earth the Spirit the Water and the Blood i. e. the Word the Gospel Baptism and the Lords Supper If we take Spirit in my Text in this sense It 's true the deeds of the body are to be mortified through the Gospel by Gospel truths and considerations for it is the Gospel only that is effectual to destroy our sins the Law is not sufficient to kill any Lust in us It may be by legal truths men may be frighted and chained as it were with the heavy chain of slavish fear so that they dare not sin as they used to do but the Law alone never was or can be sufficient to lay any sin dead The Law alone rather quickneth and stirreth up sin than destroyeth it sin is thereby revived not mortified Rom. 7.8 Without the Law sin was dead i. e. it lay as if
it had been so in comparison of those stirrings of it which he found when the Law came to his conscience verse 9. When the Commandement came sin revived and I dyed and the commandement which was ordained to life I found to be unto Death to his own death the death of his former hope and comfort not the death of his sin and thus he saith it was with others before converted verse 5. When we were in the flesh the motions of sin which were by the Law did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death the motions of sin which were by the Law i. e. which were begotten or drawn forth by the Law through our corruption Therefore they are Gospel Truths especially and no Truths without these that are an efficacious means for the mortifying of sin These are the weapons of our warfare as the Apostle calls them 2 Cor. 10.4 which are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds they are spiritual and so effectual through God to the subduing our carnal affections As the work of mortification is begun so it is carried on but it is begun in regeneration and that 's by the Gospel as we read we are begotten again by that 1 Cor. 4.15 In Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the Gospel Therefore the Gospel and the truths thereof should principally be made use of The curse of the Law should be considered but if a man would get his sin indeed destroyed let him seek a spiritual understanding of and let him be much in meditating on the grace of the Gospel the doctrine of Christ Fourthly By the Spirit is understood the Holy Ghost the third Person in the Trinity thus it 's taken both before my Text ver 9 and 11. as also after my Text ver 14 15 and 16 c. and in this sense we are to take it in the words I am upon if ye through the Spirit through the Holy Ghost i. e. through the Spirit of God do mortifie the deeds of the body Yet this includes the three other acceptations of the word Spirit for whoever do mortifie any sin through the Holy Ghost they are engaged in the work with their whole souls their whole heart is in it and they do destroy the deeds of the flesh by acting and exercising grace and this they do through hearing considering and acting Faith on Gospel Truths as will be shewn afterward Q. 2. Why is this work of mortifying our sins to be done by the Spirit of God A. 1. Because it cannot possibly be done without the Spirit of God Whatever is done against sin without the Spirit gives it no deaths wound it only covers or somewhat curbeth sin but doth not at all destroy it Christ saith John 6.63 It 's the Spirit that giveth life or that quickneth so it 's the Spirit that mortifieth the Spirit quickneth the Soul and the Spirit mortifieth sin in the Soul A dead carkass shall as soon maintain a fight against and kill a powerful enemy as any man slay his sin any one lust without the Spirit of God As it is natural to our visible body to save it self and every member thereof so is it natural to the body of sin and every member of that to save it self and as it is natural to a Father to save his Child so to Satan to do his utmost to defend and preserve fin in us Therefore it cannot be that we should of our selves or by the help of any creature alone mortifie any lust could we without the Spirit of Christ destroy our sin then might we be in a great part our own Saviours He that knows not the necessity of the Spirits special assistance in this work is certainly a great stranger to the mortification of sin that is most true in this case Zech. 4.6 Not by might nor by power but by my Spirit saith the Lord of Hosts It is too great a work too mighty and too honourable for any one of himself to get the victory over sin which is our strongest and our worst enemy Outward enemies cannot be destroyed without the help of God especially when many and potent much less can spiritual enemies which are the worst and strongest Psal 33.16 17. There is no King saved by the multitude of an host a mighty man is not delivered by much strength an horse is a vain thing for safety neither shall he deliver any by his great strength So all Means Duties Ordinances Power and Ability of the Creature is vain weak and to no purpose to deliver and save a man from his sin unless the Spirit of the Lord put its hand to the work and by its might effect it Secondly As this cannot be done without the Spirit so may it be done by the Spirit what though our lusts are never so many It 's all one as we read with the Lord to save with many or with few so is it all one with him to destroy many or few what was that great Host of Senacherib which came against Jerusalem one Angel of the Lord destroyed it in one night we read of the deceitfulness of sin Heb. 3.13 Exhort one another daily while it is called to day lest any be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin every sin is exceeding deceitful besides how deceitful is the heart how deceitful is Satan how deceitful is the world which is one great reason why we cannot mortifie our evil affections of our selves we want not only strength but understanding also our Lusts seem dead while in truth they live they make us think we wound them when the blow falls quite beside we seem many times to do all we can against our sins when it s nothing so that sin seems least in us which is greatest and most hurtful Now the spirit of God is a spirit of wisdom therefore through it we may destroy our sin notwithstanding its deceitfulness though we oft are the spirit of God cannot be deceived What though our iniquities are never so mighty the spirit of God is Almighty Ps 74.15 thou driedst up mighty rivers yet dryed and dryed up though rivers though mighty rivers or as the word is rivers of strength what great things did the spirit of God do in the creation when it moved on the face of the waters such like things it can do and doth when it moveth powerfully in our hearts Psal 93.3 The floods have lifted up O Lord the floods have Dfted up their voice the floods lift up their waves what then who can still them can any man No they as the Psalmist speaks make the Marriners at their wits end they know not how to save themselves much less to quell and calm the floods when they do lift up their voice and their waves to the highest I but the Lord the Spirit of our God is able to command them silence as it there follows verse 4. The Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters yea
than the mighty waves of the Sea so is no man Darius found himself too weak to deal with the waves when they broke his bridge of boats though he had a hundred thousand men at his command and is but laught at for his attempting by shackles and stripes to tame the tempestuous waters but Christ by commanding the sea to silence shew'd and made manifest the power of God Thus when our lusts lift up their voice when our flesh lifteth up its waves as it were in our souls the Lord is more mighty we are too weak to grapple with them but the spirit of the Lord is mightier than the strongest motions and most mighty lustings of sin within us It is sometimes thought by some when they feel this or that lust stirring strongly and when they have laboured long against it without conquest over it can this lust be subdued can it ever be mortified and sure it is we are all too full of unbelief as to God's power However some imagine they believe it enough hence they said can God prepare a Table in the wilderness yea Moses himself notwithstanding all he had heard seen and experienced of the power of God yet once spake doubtingly concerning it Numb 11.21 22. for which God rebuked him v. 23. saying is the Lords hand waxed short and hence though the Prophet makes a full confession of Gods power Jer. 32.17 Ah Lord God behold thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm and there is nothing too hard for thee yet observe in the following verses he seems to speak too unbelievingly concerning God's power so and so saith he it is with us yet v. 25. thou hast said unto me O Lord God buy the field for money and take witnesses for the City is given into the hands of the Caldeans therefore v. 26.27 Then came the word of the Lord unto Jeremiah saying Behold I am the Lord the God of all flesh is there any thing too hard for me As if the Lord had said thou say'st indeed there is nothing too hard for me but thou hast not so much faith of my power as thou oughtest to have thou hast too much doubting too much unbelief concerning my power it self But above all things a soul under a deep sense of the power of natural corruption is prone to doubt of Gods power as to the destruction thereof were there reason to doubt of the power of God in any thing there would be cause to question it in this if even any thing were too hard for the Lord this would to slay those lusts which grow in our corrupt nature the difficulty of destroying sin in us the Apostle intimates when he saith who shall deliver me from this body of death Wherefore this is needful to be declared and to be urged whatever our fins are the spirit of the Lord can mortifie them it can cause the body of sin and all the lusts thereof to wither and dye away as Christ did that fig tree which he cursed so that they should no more bring forth any fruit And the spirit of the Lord can so strengthen and assist us that though we be weak we shall be strong enough in its strength to lay dead every deed of sin 1 Cor. 1.27 God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the mighty out of the mouth of Babes and Sucklings he can perfect praise There have been many who have had such like lusts as ours are who have been able through the spirit to tread them under their feet we read of seven Devils cast out of Mary Magdalen not that she was possess'd in her body but she was a notorious sinner she had mighty lusts whereby the Devils had great power in and over-her soul If I saith Christ by the spirit cast out Devils there are no Devils and so no lusts but may be cast out by the spirit so strong was Paul's envy and malice before his Conversion that Acts 26.11 he was exceeding mad against the Christians yet by the spirit he of mad was made sober those his lusts were destroyed and instead of being mad against Christ he became as besides himself for Christ 2 Cor. 5.13 whether we be besides our selves it is to God some accounted them because of their self denyal and fervency in Preaching the Word whereby they spent themselves as besides themselves what lusts had they 1 Cor. 6.9 10 11. they were some of them for nicators Idolaters Adulterers Abusers of themselves with mankind Thieves Covetous Drunkards Extortioners the worst of sinners yet were they sanctified by the spirit of our God and if they were sanctified then their lusts were mortified through the spirit Therefore believe that your sins by the spirit may also be destroyed it is a good step towards the doing this to believe that through the spirit it may be done and the believing this is necessary Mat. 9.28 29. Believe ye that I am able to do this they said yea Lord then touched he their eyes saying according to your faith be it unto you i. e. according to their faith of Christ's ability so were their eyes opened Thirdly All whom the Lord hath chosen to salvation he hath elected them to this way through mortification of their sin by the spirit 1 Pet. 1.2 elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father through sanctification of the spirit unto obedience through sanctification and therefore through mortification how by the spirit so 2 Thes 2.13 We are bound to give thanks alway to God for you Brethren beloved of God because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the spirit but no more sanctification of our souls than there is mortification of our lusts Fourthly Jesus Christ dyed for this 1 Joh. 3.5 he was manifested to take away our sins and in him is no sin to take them away that is not only in the guilt of them but in the power and life of them and it is of the latter he there speaks as the context shews v. 6. whosoever abideth in him sinneth not that is he hath his sins taken away by him and so he sinneth not as he did nor as others do not with his whole man not with delight c. and as Christ came and dyed for this that our sins might be mortified so that this might be done by the spirit in that it cannot be done without it and hence Christ speaks of sending the spirit after his Crucisixion Resurrection and Ascension to deal with men about their fins and why but in order to the subduing them and that because for this he dyed and also rose and ascended and interceeds that those whom he saves may have the spirit to help them in this work Fifthly God hath promised his spirit to his people for this Ezek. 36.27 I will put my spirit within you for what v. 29. I will save you from all your uncleannesses that is God will
put his spirit within his people to save them from their sins and when are we saved from our sins when they are killed we are saved from them this also is promised v. 25. I 'le sprinkle clean water upon you I 'le give you that is my spirit and ye shall be clean from all your filthiness viz. spiritual filthiness or sinfulness This also is included in that promise Isa 44.3 4. I 'le pour my spirit upon thy seed and they shall spring up as among the grass as willows by the water courses that is they shall thrive and flourish spiritually they shall grow in knowledge and grace go forward in good but there is no thriving spiritually encreasing or growing in grace without the mortification of sin only so far as sin dyeth doth grace grow therefore God there by consequence or in effect promiseth his spirit to slay sin in his people Sixthly God hath actually given his spirit to his people all who are effectually called all who are in Christ for this end hast thou the spirit of God in thee it was given thee as by God so for some end what end partly this that thereby thou mightest mortifie the deeds of the body of sin For that for which God promiseth his spirit to his people for that he giveth it to them yea and it doth work powerfully in the Saints of God this way Ezek. 39. last neither will I bide my face any more from them for I have poured out my spirit upon the bouse of Israel saith the Lord God Gods hiding his face is for fins unmortified therefore when he saith I will not hide my face from them for I have poured out my spirit upon them this is signified I have given them my spirit to subdue their sins and it shall subdue them and so I will not hide my face any more as heretofore from them and from these things it follows that it is the work and business of the spirit it 's part of its office to help the people of God in slaying their lusts the spirit hath undertaken to be our helper therein that work for which God hath promised and given his spirit to us that work it hath undertaken and is engaged to help us in the doing of Lastly We honour the spirit when we give our selves through it to mortifie out corruptions as it is an honour to the spirit that it is promised and given to help us in this work so do we honour it when accordingly we make use of it But if we seek the destruction of our sins and not through the spirit then do we highly dishonour it we put it out of office As if any shall think to satisfie for their sins they greatly dishonour Christ so if any think to mortifie their sins of themselves this is a high dishonour to the Holy Spirit Q. 3. How are the deeds of the body of sin to be mortified through the Spirit A. This is to be done through the help by the assistance of the Spirit As that good that is in men is frequently mortified through the evil Spirit through him the Image of God was mortified in our first Parents so though with a difference that evil that is in Gods chosen is mortified through the good Spirit There are two things I shall speak to in answering this enquiry 1. I shall endeavour to shew what it is that the Spirit doth in helping us to mortifie our sins 2. What we are to do that we may have the help of the Spirit in this work 1. What is it that the Spirit doth in enabling us to mortifie the deeds of the body A. 1. The Spirit of God doth shew a soul its sin we are naturally exceeding unwilling to behold our iniquities and we are very blind at home more apt are we as our Lord teacheth us to see a more in our Brothers than to perceive or be sensible of a beam in our own eye many of our evils lye quite out of our sight though great and heinous as Saul's persecuting Christ till he was convinc'd thereof from Heaven as himself saith he verily thought he ought to do what he did so naturally men sin fouly and think they ought to do as they do or they see no evil therein hence those speeches what hurt is there in this and what hurt is there in that and as for those sins we do see we have naturally a weak and slight sight of them we do'nt think them to be so evil as indeed they are Mal. 1.6 Where is my fear saith the Lord of hosts unto you O Priests that despise my Name and ye say wherein have we despised thy Name ch 2.17 Ye have wearied the Lord with your words yet ye say wherein have we wearied him Chap. 3.13 Your words have been stout against me saith the Lord Yet ye say what have we spoken so much against thee Some sins they denyed quite and others they denyed in part though they had spoken yet not so much against the Lord as an Antient saith men use to deny and excuse their sin saying I have not done it or if I have done it I have not done ill or if ill not very ill or if very ill not with an ill intention c. therefore a sight of sin being necessary to the death of sin the Spirit comes and openeth the eyes of our understandings sets our transgressions before us points as it were to this and that sin and holds our thoughts upon it 1 Cor. 2.10 The Spirit searcheth all things even the deep things of God so it searcheth the deep things of our hearts discovering our secret evils to us as hereafter all the hidden things of darkness shall be brought to light and in that day the councels of the hearts shall be made manifest 1 Cor. 4.5 So now when the Spirit gives its assistance to any in destroying their sins it doth bring to light unto them those lustings that were secret to them before it doth make manifest to them the evil councels of their heart it declares and makes evident to them their secret purposes desires and the other hidden workings of sin in them the Spirit evidenceth both that they are guilty of such sins and it reveals the sinfulness of them causing the soul to view them till it be soundly convinced John 16.8 when the Spirit comes it reproves or convinceth the world of sin Secondly The Spirit doth bow our wills and make us sincerely willing to have our sins subdued no man by nature hath a true will to this the destruction of his sin hence such ado in men to save their sins when they are told of them or the word meets with them never did any one seek so or more industriously to save the nearest relation the dearest friend as a natural man his sin by using all cuning to hide it by denying it or cloaking and excusing it as a man at Cudgels seeks to save his head so doth a natural man to
save his sin But when the spirit comes then it makes the soul willing to have its lusts slain Psal 1â—0 2 3. Rule thou in the mid'st of thine enemies thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power willing to what willing to this that Christ should rule in the midst of his enemies in their souls so as to beat them down and destroy them as he pleaseth Naturally men defend their lusts as the Benjamits those filthy persons who ravished the Levit's Concubine but when the spirit comes and deals with the soul as that woman with the men of Abel 2 Sam. 20.22 who by her wisdom perswaded them to cut off the head of Sheba the Son of Bichri who rebelled against David and to cast it out to Joab so then is the soul willing yea it desires and by all means seeks to have the head of every lust cut off it being an enemy to Christ the Son of David Thirdly The spirit doth help our infirmities in prayer by sighs and groans which cannot be uttered as the Apostle saith some verses after my Text it causeth us to sigh because sin is in us and so works in us and to groan to the Lord to be delivered from the bondage of this and that corruption till the spirit comes a man rather sighs when his sin is discovered and reproved he groans when he is stopt in the fulfilling of his lusts but if the spirit once begin to work thorowly then the man sighs to be rid of his sin and groaneth because he is so led captive by it it was by the spirit that the Apostle said O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death None can say so as he did but by the spirit and when any are enabled so to say sighingly and groaningly as he then doth the Lord hear and help as he did the Israelites against the Egyptians Exod. 2.23 24. the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage and they cryed and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage and God heard their groaning and God remembred his Covenant and God looked upon the Children of Israel and God had respect unto them so God hears much more groanings because of spiritual bondage and the cry of souls wrestling against their lusts comes up to him and God looks with an eye of pity on such and hath respect to them and so comes their deliverance by the death of the Egyptians their corruptions through the hand of Christ tipyfied by Moses and their sins not only in the guilt but also in the power of them are destroyed in the red sea by the virtue of the bloud of Christ Fourthly The spirit causeth and enables the soul to hearken and listen to the Word of God when it reads or hears or thinks thereof and it makes a suitable application of truths to the soul according as it knows is best and most proper for it so that a man looks upon and takes this or that word as belonging to him as spoken to him with respect to his sin we are very subject to pass over the truths of God slightly and to put them off as not appertaining or spoken to us but the spirit opens the heart as we read it did Lydia's it causeth the soul to hear and to hear diligently for it self and to apply such and such words to it 's own case and its own corruptions such a threatning belongs to me and will surely be executed upon me if such a sin still live in me and have dominion over me such a promise is to me and will be fulfilled to me if I repent these and these sins crucified Christ he bare them they lay as a heavy weight upon him they joyned with other to squeeze to press out the very heart bloud of Christ and the like thus saith the soul by the spirit when the spirit helps it in mortifying its sins the soul doth Preach to it self argue and plead with it self in order to the slaying leaving and casting away its sins And because we are very apt to forget things especially then when the remembrance of them is most needful when sin is stirring in us therefore the spirit strengthens our memory or helps it by bringing things formerly read and heard to our remembrance seasonably when we most need them when Iust prevails in us Joh. 14.26 the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my name he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you Fifthly For as much as believing is very necessary to the subduing our sins this is our victory saith the Apostle John even our faith therefore the spirit helps us in overcoming our sins by working in us a spirit of faith by stirring up faith in us and causing us to act faith on the sufferings of Christ by whose stripes as we read we are healed as our bodies are healed by the destroying our diseases so our souls by the mortifying our sins which is by the vertue of Christ's stripes but not without faith acted thereon therefore the spirit helps in this and also in acting faith on the several truths of Scripture to believe what the Scripture speaks concerning our sins themselves and the fruit of them what will follow if they dye not to believe the threatnings and the promises which is a special means to destroy sin especially faith acted on the promises for by the promises we escape the corruption that is in the world through lust 2 Pet. 1.4 and hence that exhortation 2 Cor. 7.1 having these promises let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness c. but the promises unless mixt with faith profit not Sixthly the spirit doth in a secret way powerfully by the Word smite and wound our sins as with a sword for the word is the sword of the spirit Eph. 6.17 as a man in fight takes up his sword puts to his strength and layes on upon his enemies therewith so the spirit takes the word or accompanyeth it and puts to its own power smiting our lusts thereby hence we read Heb. 4.12 the word of God is quick and powerful sharper than any two edged sword not that the bare word written or spoken is so in it self alone it hath no life nor power nor edge without the spirit or it can do no execution without it but the spirit makes it effectual Psa 110.4 5. the Lord at thy right hand shall strike through Kings so the Spirit when it pleaseth strikes through our King-like lusts that have had dominion over us and thus it doth by it's own sword the word the Spirit is to our sins a Spirit of judgment and a Spirit of burning as it 's called Isa 4.4 as a Judg to a malefactor yea and as Executioner too as fire to fuell so is the Spirit in it's working with the Word to our Lusts As it 's said in another sense I have slain them by my
Prophets and hewn them with the word of my mouth so the Spirit by Scripture words slayes hacks and hews our sins as Antichrist is consumed by the breath of the Lords mouth so is sin within us which is the worst Antichrist of all and but for which there had been no Antichrist at all Lastly The Spirit mortifieth our sins by producing and begetting fruits in us contrary thereto such as those Gal. 5.22 23. the Apostle in the foregoing verses declares what are the fruits of the Flesh thereupon makes mention of the fruits of the Spirit such as love peace long-suffering goodness faith meekness whereby he teacheth us that the Spirit by causing these good things in us doth expell and destroy the fruits of the Elesh which are contrary thereto and there is one fruit of the spirit not there mentioned but implyed in love which the spirit works whereby the power and life of Sin is greatly abated yea even taken away according to the measurc and strength of it and that 's hatred hatred of all Sin which makes us eager in seeking the utter extirpation of it out of our Souls I might have added The Spirit breaks the force of Satan's temptations who seeks to defend Sin and keeps it upon the throne in us and therefore tempts violently stirs up and doth all he can to kindle it and feed it by pouring in such and such thoughts as by other means but the Spirit opposeth and withstands him to which that may be applyed Isa 59.19 When the enemy shall come in like a floud the Spirit of the Lord shal lift up a Standard against him The Spirit well understands all Satans wiles and what correspondence he hath with Sin in us and the Spirit either driveth him away and makes him flee from us or counterworks him dictating answers to all his temptations and as casting water on the fire which Satan endeavours to blow up in us Sermon 6. I Am now in the second place to shew what we are to do that we may have the help of the Spirit in mortifying the deeds of the body For answer whereto briefly in a few particulars First We must receive the Spirit we can do nothing this way through the Spirit unless it be in us dwelling and abiding in our Souls which it will not be except it be received by us 1 Cor. 2.12 We have received the Spirit which is of God So have all we who truly believe and they who have not must receive it or never will they give any of their sins a deadly wound through it If any keep their hearts shur against the Spirit they cannot have the help of it in the work of mortification or any other work to their Salvation As till the Soul come into the Body and dwell in it the Body doth not cannot work act or do any thing by it so till the Spirit come into the Soul and be received to dwell there the Soul doth nothing by it to the subduing it's lusts Secondly They who have received the Spirit must call in or call for it's help and assistance when you find corruption stirring when you go about the killing your sins you must desire and ask the Spirit 's co-working with you O that the Spirit of the Lord may now work with me O that it may now assist me let it now please to help me in destroying this evill affection in mortifying this and that sinfull motion I feel stirring in me You must never attempt any thing without looking for and seeking the Spirit 's assistance Ps 143.10 Thy Spirit is good it 's a good guide lead me into the Land of uprightness by it O Lord be pleased to lead me in the good and upright way in the strait path the way everlasting till I shall come to that place appointed for upright ones and where nothing of hypocrisie is but all uprightness and sincerity only grows So you should pray Lord thy Spirit is holy and mighty it is every way able to help me O let it assist me in mortifying mine iniquities till they shall be all destroyed till I come to that Country where no such poysonous hurtful thing as sin doth grow or live or hath any being Thirdly You must wholly rely on and trust in the Spirit for its direction and powerfull co-operation with you in this work not having any thought as if you could put to death or do any thing for the destruction of any sin of your selves but knowing remembring and acknowledging also your own utter weakness and insufficiency your trust confidence relyance must be altogether on the Spirit As Jehosaphat said We know not what to do but our eyes are to thee which implyes trust and dependance on God so your eyes must be to the Spirit Psal 38.19 Mine enemies are lively and they are strong i. e. they are too strong for me what then V. 15. In thee O Lord do I hope So when our Spiritual enemies are lively and when they are as indeed they alwayes are too strong for us we must hope in the Spirit of God for strength from it Ps 47.3 He shall subdue the People under us and the Nations under our feet we will not think or attempt it in our own strength but as elsewhere it is In the name of the Lord I will destroy them yea in the Lords name will I destroy them I will not trust in my bow nor shall my sword save me c. So we must not think that any means we can use can lay dead any sin but we must still purpose resolve and endeavour the slaying of every sin in the power and strength of the Spirit Fourthly You must lye in the way of the Spirits working as Marriners do lay their Vessell in the way of the wind or the Miller turns his Mill that way the wind blows because the Ship will not sail nor the Mill grind without the wind So you must lay your selves in the way of the Spirits breathing and turn your Souls to that blessed wind that way it bloweth I mean you must attend under Ordinances you must give your selves to religious holy duties to hear to read to meditate on the Word of God to confer with others and joyn in prayer with them as you have opportunity c. John 3.8 The Spirit worketh As the wind bloweth where it listeth not where we list but where it self pleaseth and where is it that the Spirit listeth to work sure it is in the way of it 's own appointments Fifthly We must yeild up our selves to the Spirit to be acted moved and ruled according to it's pleasure as Souldiers follow your Leader observe his Commands yea every beck or wagging of his head or hand and accordingly order themselves so we must well mind all the dictates take notice of all the movings of the Spirit in us and comply therewith Gal. 5.16 This I say then walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the
sin keep these three things in your mind First Though sin hath overcome you it hath not overcome the spirit in you had he pleased he could have prevented it's having the mastery a sure truth but not thought of in discouragement Secondly You are never so mastered by sin but the spirit can easily suddenly help you to recover your ground and to trample under foot that sin which hath got you under it 's as easie with the spirit to subdue your sin as it was before it prevailed yea he will he surely will help you to repent which when you do in truth then you get the day of sin repenting if hearty is overcoming and call to mind have you not oft after the prevailing of this or that sin soon recovered your selves through the spirit when even as beaten out of the field have you not regain'd your ground and sometimes been stronger than before and more successfull in your combat Thirdly The spirit would never suffer you at any time to be worsted by any sin but for some wise ends with respect both to your good and it's glory First Your good though to be foiled by a base lust be not good the effect of it may be good and the spirit would not permit it but that he intends your good thereby even your sins getting the upperhand of you the spirit intendeth to make use of for the subduing it by humbling you by making the blood of Christ more pretious to you by causing you to hate your sin the more c. Secondly With respect to the spirit 's own glory we by being mastered dishonour the spirit so far as it is our fault which it alway is one way or other too much but the spirit will thereby take occasion to glorifie it self by beating down that sin which hath so strongly wrought in us to the throwing us down The spirit's power against sin and it's love to us will be the more manifested it coming in to our relief when wely as it were under the feet of such a corruption ready to have our throat cut or heart stab'd thereby When one comes in to the help of a friend who is beaten out of the field or just upon being killed at his strong enemies feet and recovers the field for him lifts him up and strengthens him to drive out and destroy that his enemy this is more honour to such a one and evidenceth his valour strength and friendship more than it would if he had been present to help before Use 13. When you pray for any that their sin may be destroyed as you should make this prayer for your relations friends and others then pray for the spirit for them seeing through it your prayer for them only can be answered It 's a great argument of the carnality of Christians if they pray that the bodies of their children and other relations may be healed when sick they pray not for the healing of their souls or if they ask any outward gift for them and not the spirit it were well if some would give fewer blows and angry provoking words to their children and put up more and more fervent prayers for them And it speaks to little understanding of the Gospel when any pray for themselves or others that they may sin lesse be delivered from the power of sin but ask not the spirit to help them All your prayers must be according to scripture for that you seek in that way the word declares God useth to grant it And in all counsells and exhortations which at any time you give to any concerning their getting rid of their sins be sure to instruct them in and mind them of this tell them this and the other sin in them it must be mortified but through the spirit Otherwise you do but teach them to skin over the sore keep the disease inward but not to heal it which may be more dangerous than if it were left to break forth as it is with some diseases when they strike out they are not so dangerous as when kept all within the breaking forth of sin may help to conviction whereas if kept in unmortified one is ready to say or think what do I who can lay any thing to my charge he is clean to appearance but not cleansed from his filthinesse or stirring up any to mortifie their sin and not through the spirit but in their own strength you teach them so to sin you put them upon an impossibility your counsel may do more hurt than good how can you expect it should be blessed by God when it 's not according to his word And no wonder if the person to whom it 's given sight it putting it off with this I cannot I am not able c. I believe Satan may move men against some sins in their own strength to seek freedome from them that he may weary and vex them and make them desperate as I think it not improble that he may rather further than hinder some in the preventing the breakings forth of this or that sin outwardly that so they may blesse themselves as if all were well with them and not seek to have their sin truly mortified and killed in the root through the spirit Use 14. See what cause you have to be humble very humble though you do get great victory over your sins there is even nothing a soul is more subject to be lifted up by than this when he begins to get the better of those sins which have much prevailed in him when he feels a strong corruption weakned But let us remember the Angels who never sin'd are exceeding humble Rev. 7.11 John saw all the Angels standing round about the throne and falling on their faces and worshipping God surely then we who have sin'd greatly who do sin daily though we sin much lesse than we did or then others do should alway fall on our faces before God we should be very humble before him I and before men too The rather because whatever we have done against sin to any purpose hath neither been by our own power nor understanding but by the strength and wisdome of the spirit of God If a man do a great work by another's help hath he any cause to boast if one should heal a great and sore Disease by another's prescription or write well having his hand guided by another hath he reason to glory Ps 44.3 their own Arm did not save them but thy right hand and thine arm so not your power but the power of Gods spirit hath brought under your sins and saved you from them wherefore all the glory is due to him you should be as humble as if there were nothing done We read of a crown of life and glory promised to them who overcome How so not because they deserve it by their overcoming therefore when Saints shall be crowned they will ascribe all the glory unto God and to Jesus Christ by whose spirit they have been made victorious
enemies will administer joy yea peace shall we have in great trouble joy in the midst of great sorrow for it s not affliction so much as corruption that deprives our heart of comfort peace and joy Nor can any trouble drown our consolation and chearfulness of spirit wholly if our sin be but mortified by the spirit 1 Pet. 1.6 though in heaviness by manifold temptations yet shall our hearts greatly rejoyce As Solomon saith of the worldly man's mirth Prov. 14.13 even in laughter the qeart is sorrowful and the end of that mirth is heaviness so as to a Godly man's sorrow if he keep constant and diligent in warring against his sin even in his mourning his his heart is joyful and the end of that heaviness is gladness Perhaps God may withdraw and much try such a one and â—o his heart will have great sorrow yet not without a secret mixture of joy and if his comfort seem to be dead it is but as a sleep it will soon awake and no true joy or peace can be while sin is permitted to bear sway in the soul and is not heartily opposed Thirdly We shall live a life of all true spiritual happiness while we are here we shall have God's favour wherein as the Psalmist saith there is life and which is better than life yea for the most part at least we shall or may have the shining of it into us the light of God's countenance ever and anon lifted up upon us we shall have the blessing of God all things will be blest to us many afflictions will graciously be prevented those that come will be sanctified to us so that they shall not hurt us spiritually no more than the fiery furnace did the three Children outwardly our souls thereby shall not be so much as singed as their clothes were not by that devouring fire nothing shall befall us that will be evil to us in it's effect No good thing shall be wanting to us we shall thrive under ordinances we shall hear and live we shall be fed with and feed on the bread of life our duties and our labours shall live we shall experience the truth of those and other like words Psal 1.3 we shall be like a tree planted by the Rivers of water that bringeth forth its fruit in its season our leaf shall not wither and whatsoever we do shall prosper so the blessing of God will attend us and his favour compass us Fourthly When we come to dye a natural death we shall live much better we shall presently live in our souls perfectly and so shall we after a while live in our whole man Joh. 5.29 we shall come out of our graves to the resurrection of life as Christ liveth so shall we live and O how doth he live now there above 2 Cor. 13.4 though he was crucified through weakness yet he liveth by the power of God we also are weak in or with him but we shall live with him if sin dye in us through the spirit of Christ thereby we have great assurance that we shall live with Christ Rom. 6.8 if we be dead with Christ we believe that we shall also live with him to him that overcometh saith the faithful and true witness Rev. 2.7 will I give to eat of the tree of life which is in the midst of the Paradise of God which words seem to have respect to that spoken to Adam after he had sinned Gen. 3.22 23. lest he put forth his hand and take also of the tree of life and live for ever therefore the Lord God sent him forth out of Paradise now saith Christ though Adam having sin'd and being mortified by sin might not eat of or touch or come near the tree of life that he should live for ever as he hoped or supposed he thereby should yet to him that overcometh his temptations and corruptions will I give to eat I 'le not only permit him to eat but I 'le give him to eat of the tree of life in the midst of the Paradise of God even the third heavens that best place of all the creation as Paradise was of all the earth and so he shall live for ever far better than Adam in that state could have lived Hear men and brethren thus O thus shall ye live if ye will so fight against your sins as not to let them live in you They said of Paul Acts. 22.22 it 's not fit that he should live so the world may say of us and we considered in our selves have great reason to acknowledge we are not fit to live any life no not here in this present evil world but through grace we shall live a life ten thousand and ten thousand times ten thousand much better a life glorious and everlasting 2 Pet. 1.11 we shall have an entrance administred abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Now for a few arguments to demonstrate and help faith as to this truth that they who so do as is express'd shall so live as is declared First it must be so because otherwise the spirit's work in us should be lost the spirit 's helping and assisting us against our sins should be in vain to what purpose should the spirit of the Lord enable us in this work if we being help'd should not live but dye at last Therefore shall we live for the spirit 's almighty special work cannot be lost our working alone might well be and would be in vain and disowned by God but that which we do through the powerful assistance and effectual workings of the Holy Ghost will surely be owned by the Father for the spirit's sake and his own sake who sent it to strengthen us and Christ's sake also who obtained it for us Secondly The Spirit is the Spirit of life it 's he that quickneth Joh. 6.63 it is the living water the Scripture speaks of and if we mortifie our sins through it it hath quickned us we begin already to live through it and it dwelleth in us therefore we shall live more and more till we come to live the life of perfection and glory Rom. 8.11 If the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwel in you he that hath raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you and in the mean time it will be quickning our immortal souls as to that death whereto by sin they are obnoxious or lyable Thirdly Having the Spirit of Christ we are in him we are one with him and this is a sure evidence and infallible testimony that Christ hath dyed for us he hath so taken our sins upon him that he hath taken them away he hath so born them that he hath born them away for ever from us he hath satisfied divine justice as to all our iniquities and fulfilled the law and now appears in the presence of God for us Rom. 8.3 4. God sent Christ that the
righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us in our nature for us who walk not after the slesh but after the Spirit and it 's sure we do walk after the Spirit if we mortifie our sins through the Spirit Fourthly the Apostle gives us another Argument in the words next following my Text Rom. 8.14 for saith he As many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God for that is for this reason it must be so that if we through the Spirit mortifie the deeds of the body we shall live because we so doing are led by the Spirit which ever leadeth souls led by it to life as Satan leads souls that walk after him to death and our being led by the Spirit proves that we are the Children of the living God whose Children shall surely live the fountain of life will give life the best all life to his Children and those whom he makes his Children are therefore so made by him that they might live in him to him and with him for ever As Christ faith God is not the God of the dead but of the living so he is not the Father of the dead but of the living only of such to whom he doth and will give life all his Children shall have life from him he will be their life Fifthly Either we shall dye or live there is no middle between death and life but if we through the Spirit put sin to death if we mortifie it then we shall not dye because none dye but it is by sin as by the guilt so by the power of sin sin kills all who perish but if sin be killed in us we shall not be killed or destroyed by it He that slayeth his enemies shall not be slain by them He that mortifieth the diseases that seize on his body shall not by them be mortified in his body It may be said if we could mortifie sin so as never to sin more then no doubt we should live but Alas whatever we do against sin still we sin yea even continually one way or other A. But it shall not be alway so the day will come when you shall sin no more and in the mean time there is a party in you that sinneth not the Spirit sinneth not nor doth the seed of God in you the new man the new creature and if you through the Spirit do seek and are set upon a hearty endeavouring the death of sin then the sin that comes from you is rather to be look'd upon as from corruption remaining than from you because you have a contrary principle and the sin that flows from you is against your will as it is not the Palsey man that shakes his head or hand but the Palsey Rom. 7.16 If then I do that which I would not it is no more I that do it but sin that dwelleth in me should any one take your hand and smite another therewith against your will would you not say you did not smite him so your sin whose hearts are in truth bent against it is not accounted to you that it should prejudice you and hinder your attaining life but you shall live as surely as if you were wholly freed from sin and did never sin at all I know that speech of the Apostle may be hath been and is no doubt much abused by such who understand it not or use it to harden themselves to stop the mouth of conscience and of such who justly reprove them as it was wrested and misused by that Antinomian Maid who being ask'd how stolen Cloaths came to be in her Chest answered it was not I but sin that dwelleth in me But if that Scripture be rightly understood and applyed it is of great good use and it doth establish and confirm the present truth Sixthly The Apostle saith if God be for us who can be against us but if we through the Spirit make war to purpose against our sin then God is for us we are on God's side who is on my side who said Jehu whereupon one looking out at a window he bid him throw Jezabel down who was his enemy whereby that man shewed himself to be on Jehu's side so when we heartily seek to throw out and break the neck of that Jezabel sin that is within us which is enmity to God then are we on God's side and God is on our side he is for us if we are for him As he is cursed who helps not the Lord against the mighty so he is blessed that doth go forth against his sin that may be applyed to sin which is spoken of Babylon Ps 137. 2 last O corruption O lust which art to be destroyed happy shall he be who rewardeth thee as thou hast served us happy shall he be that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones who seeks thy utter destruction In a word sin hath not dominion over those who mortifie it through the Spirit therefore they are under grace therefore they shall live through grace they are in the covenant of grace which is a covenant of life therefore they shall have life according to and by the covenant Application Use 1. LEarn hence a reason of that deadness that is upon the Spirits of men of professors too commonly how many have a name to live yet are dead and how many are under great deadness as to all holy duties all ordinances all good works reprobate or much like such who are reprobate to every good work Tit. 1. last speak to them call cry aloud and tell them this that is their duty shew it them by Scripture yet O sadness they have no life no heart to it you had even as good call upon a dead man to eat to drink or hear and do any thing you shall say to him Why what 's the matter with men that they are thus dead their hearts their consciences their wills and affections dead the cause is palpable their sin liveth lust is unmortified Know it whoever of you are under prevailing deadness of spirit to or in that which is good and your duty deadness of heart God-ward there is some lust or other that is lively in you seeing they shall live who do mortifie the deeds of sin And as for those who are dead at heart especially if they are daily so be it as to any good or as to joy peace and comfort let them consider whether it arise not hence the prevalency of some sin in them the death whereof they have not industriously sought through the Spirit Or if any are without the life of happiness by God's countenance shining upon them look well into thy self search and see is there not earthly mindedness worldliness love of the world pride impatience hypocrisie envy or some other iniquity unmortified and which through the Spirit thou seekest not the destruction of Or if any are born down with fear overcome with doubts concerning their living hereafter though this through temptation may be the case
drink in the comfort of it abundantly did I know it belongs to me but I fear whether I do truely mortifie my sin through the spirit or no. I answer the Apostle spake this by the Spirit which had never moved him so to speak had it not been a thing knowable it 's manifest this may be known and questionless they who have the help of the Spirit in mortifying their sin may if they have not have the testimony of it that they so do who helping his friend in any great work is unwilling he should know it A few things I shall propound over and above what you have heard that may be somewhat helpful to you in your knowing this First Is your eye much upon your sin is it much in your thoughts especially your chief iniquity have you many thoughts of that is your mind much exercised upon it Ps 51.3 my sin is ever before me When a man sights against an enemy he keeps him in his eye looks stedfastly on him so he that is bent upon the mortifying his sin hath his thoughts much on it not as some to be pleased therewith but so as to grieve for it to sigh because of it and to consider what he should do for the preventing and destroying it Secondly Doth the breaking forth of sin and your being at any time mastered hy it sadden your hearts as really and more than affliction sickness causeth sadness Neh. 2.2 Why is thy countenance sad seeing thou art not sick so doth other affliction but nothing saddeneth one who is intent and heartily engaged in war so much as the prevailing of the enemy if that question should be put to a gracious person why is thy countenance sad seeing thou art not sick nor in other great affliction he could oft answer it is because of my sin that hath prevailed against me though my body be not sick my soul which is worse alas that is sick through the prevalency of this or that iniquity The Apostle Paul upon occasion gives us a large relation concerning his exceeding great sufferings but saith not because of them but because of his sin O wretched man that I am Now can you say the breaking forth of worldliness troubles me more than the loss of the world the prevailing of pride grieveth me more than contempt and disgrace my neglecting to shew love and kindness to others afflicteth me as really as much and yet more than others not shewing love and kindness to me the discontentment of my Spirit lyeth heavier upon me than any worldly disappointment and the like this is a good demonstration that you mortifie your sin through the Spirit and the more if you can say the very stirring and moving of sin in you sadneth you heart though it do not outwardly shew it self and is known to none but God alone Thirdly The more sin is mortified in any are they the dearer to you or the more you perceive any are careful and watchful against sin doth your heart go forth the more in love and affection to them It may be the less this or that sin appeareth in another which is contrary to your temper humour or interest the more you may love him and yet be under the power of your sin but if your affection be drawn out to others according as you perceive them to be engaged against all their sin this speaks well and the sign is the clearer if you do in your hearts esteem and rejoyce in such who have got a greater conquest over their sin than you have yet attained to Fourthly It is a hopeful evidence if you have much tenderness towards such who are strugling and striving against their sin when you see them sometimes foiled thereby yet it appearing that they do wrestle against their sin your hearts are full of pitty towards them you have a tender respect to them and bear them upon your hearts before God When any are seen to be favourers of their sin and manifest that they nourish or countenance a lust then your hearts are offended and rise against them upon that account but for those who are enemies to their sin these you compassionate this speaks you know what it is to fight against sin and that the Spirit acts you therein Again it is a good mark if you have strong breathings after the motions of the Spirit if you long much for its moving in ordinances and that in order to the destroying your corruptions O that the holy mighty Spirit would move and work in this and the other duty that my sin may have some deadly blow thereby and it this be one principall thing you look at in all your duties and waiting on God in Ordinances that through the Spirit your iniquities may be mortified I shall now only give a short answer to three Objections and conclude this subject and shut up this Text. Obj. 1. Some sincere heart may object were my sin quite subdued I should not doubt but wo is me it liveth still Ans We read Heb. 11.17 Abraham offered Isaac yea it is there repeated he offered up his only begotten son yet his son lived still How so because in his will he did actually offer him at God's command and went a great way in offering him he took his son bound him and having built an Altar and laid on wood he laid his son thereon and took his knife in his hand and had gone farther had not God stopt him So if thy heart be indeed set against sin and they will thy purpose and resolution be utterly to slay thy sin and thou goest as far as ever thou canst therein though as yet it have life thy sin may be said to be mortified yea altogether so as to thy will thy desire and purpose Obj. 2. I have a long time laboured against this and that sin yet doth it oft get the mastery of me it hath much life much livelinesse and strength after years strugling against it had I the spirit helping me sure I should before this have gotten if not a perfect yet a greater victory over my sin Ans When an enemy prevails frequently greatly and holds out long very long it 's more honour to him that continues fighting against him when at last conquereth that his enemy and this gives good hope the spirit doth help thee that thou hast so long wrestled against thy corruption and yet holdest on thou faintest nor but maintainest the fight sighing crying out against it Obj. 3. But I see that some have got much more ground upon their sin and have it more under than I have though they began the fight a good while after me Ans It 's good to be lowly minded to think others better than thy self but perhaps their sin whom thou thinkest of may have more strength than thou knowest or though one fin be lesse in them than in thee another may be lesse in thee than in them or thou mayest have done much more against thy sin than they though it break forth more in thee yea thou mayest in a great degree have mortified thy sin and some who seem to have out gone thee in mortification have done nothing in it to purpose either because thy temptations are stronger or thy disadvantage greater through naturall weaknesse badnesse of constitution bodily distemper want of such education or some other cause Many a man whose sin never had one wound or stroke towards it's death never sined to appearance outwardly so much as Lot Noah David Jonah Peter and others in whom sin was truly mortified Some ground through it's natural quality or because more dunged or better watered may have it's weeds oft cut down and yet at times have more than another piece of ground which was never weeded at all The not knowing or not considering such things makes some go blessing themselves to Hell and others to go trembling to Heaven and causeth divers to become exceeding guilty by their self conceitednesse and proud censoâ—iousnesse However sincerity in this as in all things is that God accepts though the more it be done the better For a Conclusion of all Praise the Lord greatly ye upright in heart Rev. 5 8. We read The 24 Elders have every one of them Harps and Golden Viols full of Odours which are the Prayers of Saints teaching us that Saints are not only much in praying but much in praising also they have every one Harps and V. 9. they sung a new song Take you your Harps and sing a new song give great glory to God For what you may say for these five things First Bless God for Christ who hath obtained and as your Head received the Spirit for you Second Bless God for his Covenant wherein he hath promised his Spirit to you and your interest therein as also in Christs Third Bless God for the Gospell which teacheth you this use of the Spirit to mortifie your sins through it this excellent direction and only effectuall means for the destroying all your lusts Fourth Bless God that he hath given you his Spirit and that you do at least many times feel it helping you against your iniquities and that you have begun to destroy them through it Last Bless God for the promise of Life and that you have this Scripture evidence and certain assurance that you shall live