The Christians Apparelling, Part 3 · Section 60
Section. 60.
Now in the next, or ſecond place, let vsus conſider, to the ſame end,2 Trialls of our putting on Chriſt from two Properties therefore. theſe two properties of the ſame. The firſt whereof is, Vniuerſalitie; the ſecond, Conſtancie, to name no more. Firſt, he that truly is a Chriſtian, and not in name onelyonly, as he puts off the whole old man, and that wholly, ſo eſpecially he puts on the whole new man, or whole Chriſt wholly. 1 Property. is vniuerſality.He ſo doth both, as that he neuer liueth in the liking of any one ſinne, neither is hee an enemy to any one grace. That old apparell which is to bee put off, is alſo an old man, old Adam, namely a body of ſinne, conſiſting of many parts or members animated with with a ſpirit of life,The true Chriſtian, 1 puts of ſin: 1 whole, or the whole body of it. by being allowed a kinde of Soueraigntie, with approbation and liking.
Now the godly Chriſtian, as he, in the matter of Iuſtification wholly puts off himſelfe, & ſtrips himſelfe ſtarke naked of all the garmēts of old Adam, not leauing ſo much on him as the ſhirt, nay, not ſo much as the Figge-leaues of excuſe or extenuation in the leaſt manner to iuſtifie his owne doings,Not for being. or yet his beſt actions without grace; ſo, in the matter of Sanctification, though his ſinne and Originall corruption, not only, for the nature and being of it, remaines with him ſtill,but, but alſo in regard of the motions of it (as hath often binne ſaid) and ſo doth beſet him,Heb. 12.1. and as it were, in regard of the attempts of it, cloth and incompaſſe him round about;1 For complacency in it. yet hee puts it off, Firſt in regard of his vniuerſall diſlike of it, wherby, being ſenſible of the burthen and annoyance of it,Rom. 7.24. hee can truly in ſoule cry out with Paul, wretched man that I am, who ſhall deliuer me from the body of this death? which indeed is, the body of ſin, which cauſeth death; and ſo ſhew himſelfe truly diſpleaſed with all ſinne, euen with the whole body of it, yet not without the comfort of victory; being alſo able to ſay with him, vponupon it,& 25. I thanke God through Ieſus Chriſt our Lord: 2 For dominion.and ſo, ſecondly, he puts it off in regard of dominion; no one ſinne raignes in his mortall body, but that he labours the mortification of it, and ſo puts it off whole; wherein hee may bee obſerued to ſtrike at the whole body of it, and at all the ſeuerall members and branches thereof; he lops not off ſome fewe twigs or branches, but fells the very trunke, and aimes at the pith and life of it, and comes as neere the roote of it as he can. His old man is crucified with Chriſt, Rom 6.6.that the body of ſinne might bee deſtroyed. Hee, being circumciſed in Chriſt, with the circumciſion made without hands, Coloſ. 2.11.puts off the body of the ſins of the fleſh, by the circumciſion of Chriſt: ſo that whereas circumciſion made with hands cuts off only one part and particle of the body, this puts off the whole ſinfull body of the fleſh, whereby he mortifieth (all) his members which are vponupon the earth, & 3.5.8.9.fornication, vncleanneſſe, inordinate affection, euill concupiſcence, and couetouſneſſe,— and puts off all theſe, anger, wrath, malice, blasphemie, filthy communication, &c. and all the deeds of the old man. Thus Dauid, I hauehave refrained my feete from eueryevery euill way, Pſal. 119.101. & 128.and I (both) eſteeme all thy precepts, concerning all things to be right, and J hate eueryevery falſe way. And this vniuerſall putting off ſinne, ſhall witneſſe his vprightneſſe and ſincerity, for ſaith he,& Pſal. 18.22.23. all his Iudgements were before me, and I did not put away (any of) his Statutes from me, I was alſo vpright before him, and I kept my ſelfe from mine iniquitie, that is, from that ſin, which in regard of former affection to it, might be called his. Euen ſo is it generally with ſuch as are vpright and ſincere Chriſtians: for they know, that if they (with their hearts) offend in one, they had as good offend in all, in as much as there is one common nature of all ſinnes, all and each being a diſobedience, vnthankefullneſſe, and diſhonour vntounto God, all and each therefore ſeuering and excludidg from God; ſo that if they hate not ſuch ſinnes, as they would ſeeme to mortyfie, in ſuch reſpects they hate no ſin as they ſhould, but would vponupon like occaſion and temptation commit all ſinne as well as any; and ſo Saint Iames is to be vnderſtood,Iam. 2.10. expounded. ſaying, Whoſoeuer ſhall keep the whole Law, and yet offend in one point he is guilty of all, namely, not in regard of action but affection and readineſſe to doe and act any other ſinne, being vponupon priuate reſpects, & like occaſions, tempted thereunto, as not hating and abhorring ſinne as it is ſinne, and ſo, vniuerſally all ſinne, (in each there being the ſame common nature of all) but this or that ſinne more then another, as it toucheth him in his priuate and particular aimes, &c. but the ſincere Chriſtian knowes, he that (thus) hath one ſinne, can want no ſinne, and he that hath any one vice, hath them all, and that by one hee as well departs from God, and forſakes him as by any, or all; ſeeing, all ſinnes are coupled together, though not in regard of conuerſion to temporall good, (for ſome looke to the good of gaine, ſome of glory, ſome of pleaſure, &c. yet in regard of auerſion from eternall good, which is, God.
And as thus the true Chriſtian puts off whole ſinne, ſo alſo wholly, 2 Wholly.in regard, not of the beeing of ſinne, but of himſelfe, and of all parts both of body and ſoule:Iob. 31.1 with his eies hee makes a couenant, as did Iob, not ſinfully to behold vanitie; his feete he refraines from eueryevery euill way, with Dauid, Pſa. 119.101and ſo in all other parts of body and ſoule, not walking as formerly, and as the Gentiles doe, in vanity of mind, in darkneſſe of vnderſtanding, Epheſ. 4.17.18.19.in blindneſſe of heart, in ſenceleſſeneſſe of ſinne, in laſciuiouſneſſe of affection, in workes of vncleannes:& 26.28.29 but, as the Apoſtle dehorts, hee puts off ſinne, in heart and affection, in hand, in tongue.
This being the propertie of a ſincere Chriſtian,Par. 3. §. 61 all things are contrary in the vnſound Profeſſor of Religion,Not ſo the Hypocrite. Mar. 6.17.20. 2 King. 10.16.28. & 31 who with Herod, Iehue, Iudas &c. may doe much, and forbeare many euills, yet retaine ſome one ſinne in heart & affection, which ſhall witneſſe his vnſoundneſſe; as the firſt did his whore, the ſecond, his Idolatrous Calues, Mat 26.22and the third his bagge, & couetouſneſſe, though for other euills vnreprouable of man, and of his fellow Apoſtles. So many may ſeeme to put off Ignorance and Errour in the vnderſtanding, by being turned from errour to truth, but not euill and ſinfulnes in their wills and affections, as thoſe Papiſts who turne looſe & vnreformed Proteſtants, & thoſe Proteſtants who comming to knowledge, yet liue in profannes; and contrarywiſe, many others ſeeme deuout in their affections, & zealous in their actiōs & forwardneſſe, but without knowledge as the blinded Papiſt, and without diſcretion as the vngrounded Proteſtant.