Lectures Upon Colossians, Lecture 24
THE XXIIII. LECTVRE VPONUPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL to the Coloſſains.
COLOS. Chap. 3. verſ. 4. 5.
4 When Christ which is our life, ſhall appeare, then ſhall ye alſo appeare with him in glory.
5 Mortifie therefore your members which are on the earth, fornication, vncleannes, the inordinate affection, euill concupiſcence,
THe laſt day (brethren) we entred into the exhortation to true godlines and holines of life. In the firſt three verſes of this chapter we had two exhortations, and both were to things that are aboue, to heauenly things. The firſt exhortation was to ſeeke them: the ſecond was to be wiſe in theſe heauenly things. There were ſundry arguments which the Apoſtle vſed for this purpoſe, ye heard eueryevery one of them as they occurred in their own place. The laſt argument whereby he would moue them to be wiſe in theſe heauenly things was, that life that was hid vp with Chriſt in God, euen that life which is the perfecting of this ſpirituall life begun here. The perfect life of glorie is with Chriſt, therefore they ſhould ſet their eye on heauen and heauenly things. Now to go forward: they might hauehave demaunded, when ſhall wee hauehave that life, and when ſhall it be manifeſted? To this, the Apoſtle in the firſt verſe which I hauehave now read, anſwereth and ſaith, it ſhall be reuealed to you; yea rather, ye ſhall appeare as ſoone as Ieſus Chriſt the Lord of life ſhall be reuealed. After this followeth another exhortation, grounded vponupon this anſwere and promiſe of life to be reuealed, as we ſhall heare.
To come then to the firſt part of their demaund and queſtion they moue: I marke this firſt, when once any hath begun to taſte of that life to come, and of heauenly things, as the Coloſſians did, there is a continuall longing and deſire to hauehave the fulnes and accompliſhment thereof. If thou hadſt taſted it, thou wilt long for it, and aske when it ſhall be fully reuealed. Such as hauehave taſted Chriſt effectually long to ſee him.And therefore Paul to the Romanes chap. 8. verſ. 23. ſaith, We that hauehave receiued the first fruites of the ſpirit (there is the beginning of the life ſpirituall and of heauen) we ſigh within our ſelues, waiting for the adoption euen the redemption of our bodies. What thing can be more cleere then this? And in the 2. Cor. chap. 5. verſ. 2. We (ſaith he) being burdened with this mortalitie, we ſigh; not that we would cast away theſe bodies, but that we would be cloathed vponupon. Then he expoundeth himſelfe, that mortalitie might be ſwallowed of life. So the taſte of a ſpirituall life here, hath euer a continuall longing and a deſire to hauehave it fully manifeſted, that it might appeare as it is. It is euer enquiring The first obſeruation.when it ſhall be fulfilled: but thou that haſt not taſted it, thou canſt not ſeeke after it; and thou that haſt not taſted it in this life, thou ſhalt neuer finde it hereafter. But I debarre thee from heauen, and this life of Ieſus (play thy part as thou wilt, and reele here and there at thy pleaſure, if thou hauehave not a taſte of heauen and of the life of Ieſus here) thou ſhalt neuer ſee it hereafter; I giuegive thee this doome.
The next thing I obſerue about this demaund is: They aske not ſo ſoone, but as ſoone they are anſwered; yea they are preuented, The ſecond obſeruatiō.and they get no leaſure as it were to aske. So thou that ſeekeſt for comfort, ſhalt get comfort; & they that ſeeke for that life euerlaſting, ſhall get a meeting, and finde a comfortable anſwere. It cannot faile; at the leaſt while they be put in poſſeſſion of it, they ſhall be fed with the promiſe of that life, and ſhall no ſooner aske for it, but the anſwere ſhall be made to them: When Chriſt ſhall appeare, then ſhall ye alſo appeare with him in glorie. And leaſt (brethren) ye ſhould thinke theſe promiſes to be but bare words: Peter in his firſt Epiſtle and firſt chapter reſolueth you when he ſaith, beleeuing in the promiſe, ye reioyce with a ioy vnſpeakable and glorious. The faith in the promiſe of things that are not yet come, filleth the heart with ioy, and bringeth ſome ſenſe of that we long for: for the faith in the promiſe ſucketh that life out of heauen. Therefore beleeue while thou ſeeſt, let faith hold vp thy heart vntill thou be put in the full poſſeſſion of the things beleeued in.
To come to the words of the text. The promiſe is this: Ye ſhall appeare in glorie, and ye ſhall ſee your life. There is the promiſe. The time is defined here, when Chriſt ſhall appeare: vponupon this defining of the time, ye ſhall note: Our life dependeth vponupon Chriſt: the time of it dependeth vponupon his time, all the time from the beginning to his firſt comming in our nature, as hee was hid and was not yet manifeſted. So that heauenly life lay hid, and ſhined not in the world: and more I tell you, few gat it, and few ſaw it. Then againe, when hee begun to come out, and manifeſt himſelfe in our nature, then our life came out and begun to appeare. Laſtly, when hee ſhall come againe in this full manifeſtation of his glorie, that that thou now haſt, is but little in reſpect of that which thou ſhalt ſee. It was but a ſmall ſight the Iewes gat, in reſpect of that thou ſhalt get then: for then ſhall thy life appeare in the fulnes of it: there ſhall nothing be hidden, but all ſhall be made manifeſt. And ſeeing then our life dependeth on him alwaies, hang thou on him by faith, and waite for his comming. Alas cannot thy eye once in the day be lifted vp to heauen to waite for him? Paul maketh the promiſe to none, but to thoſe who waite for his laſt comming; and ſo it ſhall not pertaine to thee, if thou waite not for his comming.
Againe, another thing followeth cleerely of theſe words, and The third obſeruatiō.this manifeſtation: The glorie of Chriſt muſt be in the firſt place, it muſt be formoſt. Then ſecondly followeth thy life, and thy glorie, as one pendicle of his glorie: for thy life is manifeſted with him; when hee ſhall appeare, who is thy life, then ſhalt thou appeare. So his life and glorie goeth firſt, and then thine followeth after. And when Chriſt ſhal come in that day, the chiefeſt reſpect he ſhal hauehave ſhall be to his own glory. And therefore 2. Theſſ. chap. 1. verſ. 10. it is ſaid, when he ſhall come, he ſhall come that he may be glorified among his Saints. So the end of his comming, is his glorie, that hee may be admirable; that all The manifeſtation of Chriſt in his compleate glorie vntounto men and Angels with admiration.the Angels and all the Saints may ſtand about to giuegive glorie to Ieſus. Nay there ſhall not be ſuch a wondring at the elects glorie, as at his glorie; he ſhall be a perpetuall admiration to man and Angell. Then the leſſon is: ſeeing it is his glorie that firſt ſhall appeare, giuegive it the firſt place, and let it be deerer to thee then thy life, and thy glorie both. Thou ſhalt not diminiſh one iot of that; yea chuſe rather to goe to hell, then that he ſhould not hauehave his glorie: yea if thou account more of thy life, then his of glorie, thou ſhalt neither get life nor glorie. In ſome meaſure thou muſt do as Moſes and Paul did, rather then hee ſhould want his glorie, deſire rather to be raſed out of the booke of life, and to be Anathema, accurſed: for therein thou ſhalt loſe nothing, but thou preferring his glorie to thy very life and ſaluation, ſhalt find life, glorie and ſaluation for euer; for he loueth them decrely that louelove him.
In the beginning of this verſe, there is a ſhort deſcription of Chriſt, when Christ that is our life. This ſhort deſcription containeth the cauſe wherefore when he ſhall be glorified and appeare, thou ſhalt be glorified: The cauſe is, becauſe hee is thy life, and then hee appearing, of force thou muſt appeare, becauſe his life is thine. Is not this comfortable, that the glorie The glorie of Chriſt and thy life cannot be parted.of Ieſus and thy life cannot bee parted? Thou canſt not liue without him, and hee will not want thee. Againe, as ſoone as his life ſhall appeare, thou ſhalt appeare. It is very comfortable: yet the phraſe is to be marked. He ſaith not, when Chriſt of whom wee hauehave our life ſhall appeare, but hee ſaith, when Chriſt who is our life ſhall appeare. This is a more effectuall ſpeaking, and the very manner of ſpeech noteth this, that that ſpirituall life that we begin to liue here, is not ſo much a life different from his life, as it is the very life that Chriſt liueth himſelfe. Chriſt hath a life, and wee hauehave the ſame in number, the life of Chriſt ouerſhadoweth vsus. That ſame very life and no other extendeth to vsus ſo farre as wee are capable of it. Brethren, ye may perceiue this to be a ſimilitude. Liueth the bodie another life then the head? No: There is but one life in the man, and that that the head hath, the ſame the whole bodiehath, and it quickeneth eueryevery member of the bodie: Euen ſo is it to be thought of the life of Ieſus our ſpirituall head. There is a neerer coniunction betwixt vsus and him, then there is betweene this head of ours and the bodie: ſo that of neceſsitie there is but one life of Chriſt and ours; and we liue that ſame life of Ieſus as members of that myſticall bodie, whereof he is the head. Paul Galath. chap. 2. verſ. 20. he ſaith not, by Chriſt I liue, but he ſaith, Chriſt liueth in me. And Epheſ. chap. 3. verſ. 17. he dwelleth in me. So his life is mine: And the 2. Cor. chap. 4. verſ. 10. the life of Ieſus is manifested in me. The life of Ieſus was Pauls life. What elſe then is thy life, but this ſame life of Ieſus? This is comfortable, he hath made thee a fellow companion to himſelfe: he will not giuegive thee another life, but his owne life. O that this miſerable world wiſt what it were to liue the life of God, to hauehave Chriſt and his life in it! It is no ſmall glorie to liue the life of Ieſus.
In the laſt words, he ſaith not, when Chriſt, who is your life ſhall appeare, your life ſhall appeare: but he ſaith, ye ſhall appeare, euen ye your ſelues in proper perſon, and none others for you, but ye your ſelues ſhall appeare with Ieſus in that day. For their demaund would ſeeme to meane another thing; to wit, that howſoeuer Chriſt ſhould appeare, who was their life, yet they would be farre to ſeeke, as we ſay. But hee anſwereth them more comfortably, ye your ſelues ſhall appeare at that day, and not your life onelyonly. For your life ſhall not ſo ſoone appeare, but as ſoone incontinently thereafter, within the ſpace of the twinckling of an eye, ye your ſelues ſhall appeare: ſo this ſpeech telleth vsus, that there is a ſpace of time, wherein the ſonnes of God are not knowne in the world: the Lord hath children here and the world knoweth them not; yea The world knowes not the Saints.ſcarſely they themſelues ſee it, much leſſe the world. Then againe, they hauehave a time when they are made knowne to be Kings ſonnes, the leaſt of them (eueryevery one is the Kings ſonne) 1. Ioh. 3. 2. 3.and they themſelues will know themſelues then. When is it that they are not knowne? when his glorie is not ſeene. What difference is there betweene a Kings ſonne and another, when he is not in his own place and dignitie? So is it with thee: thou art not in thine owne place and honour. When ſhalt thou be knowne to be the ſonne of God? when the ſonne of glorie Simile.ſhall appeare, then thou ſhalt be knowne to be the ſonne of God. Then the diuell ſhall be compelled to ſay, there is the ſonne of God; there is a Kings ſonne, and an heire of the euerlaſting kingdome. Then againe, when appeares not thine honour? when the honour of thy eldeſt brother appeareth not: ſo long as he is obſcured, ſo long thou art obſcured. When ſhall it appeare? when thy eldeſt brother ſhall appeare, then thou, if thou be firſt, ſecond, third, fourth; yea if ye were tenne thouſand, the honour of the eldeſt brother ſhall reach to all. Then in one word, the manifeſtation of the ſonnes of God dependeth vponupon the appearance of Ieſus Chriſt the firſt borne our eldeſt brother. When he ſhall appeare, then thy glorie and honour ſhall appeare. Therefore yee pray, Let thy kingdome come, that is, let Ieſus appeare in his glorie, and let me next appeare. This is the effect of the prayer.
Now to come to the next verſe vponupon this promiſe of appearing and life to be manifeſted: he groundeth his exhortation, and ſaith, therefore mortifie your earthly members; as if he would ſay, your glorie is to bee reuealed, yee ſhall once appeare the ſonnes of God in glorie and dignitie: what ſhall ye then doe in the meane time? Be occupied (ſaith hee) in mortifying the members of your bodie, that ye may be found cleane; otherwiſe ye ſhall not ſee that life to come. Now to obſerue this ere wee goe further. Such a glorious life requires a death; thou ſhalt neuer get it, if there be not a death in thee: thinke not to come to it, with all thy luſts with thee, if thou fall not to the mortification of that hand that hath ſlaine thy eldeſt brother the Lord Ieſus; thou ſhalt neuer get that life. This vaine world thinketh to carrie vp a bloudie hand, and a wicked eye to heauen: no, if thou take it with thee, thou ſhalt not get entrance, the gate ſhall be hurled on thy face. The harlot thinketh that ſhe ſhall get heauen with her harlotrie: No, ſhe and her harlotrie ſhall goe to hell; no vncleane thing ſhall enter there: if thou be not holie and in ſome meaſure ſanctified, and that filthie 1. Cor. 6. 9luſt of thine ſlaine, thou ſhalt neuer get heauen, deceiue not your ſelues. Yet to marke the words, he ſaith, mortifie, ſlay. Hee ſaid before they were dead, meaning to ſinne; now hee biddeth them, ſlay on, and die on: thou that haſt begun to die, continue, otherwiſe thou wilt not liue. This telleth vsus, ſin is not ſlaine in an inſtant: yea if thou ſhouldeſt liue a thouſand Sinne is not ſlaine in an inſtant.yeeres, it will liue with thee as long as thou liueſt, ere thou die it ſhall not die: it hath a quicker life then thou haſt: thou art but a bubble of water: all the Kings of the earth cannot ſlay ſinne; yea when this life is gone, that ſame originall ſin goeth to the graue with thee, and reſolueth the bodie into aſhes; Originall ſin liueth after death in the aſhes.and after that, lieth in the aſhes and leaueth thee not, vntill Chriſt come and take vp the bodie; and ſo ſinne is not a light thing. Seeing then it is ſo hard to ſlay theſe affections, continue in ſlaying them, and thinke it not enough thou haſt giuen ſinne a wound to day, and ſo leaue off: I tell thee, it will ſlay thee, if thou ſlay not it daily and hourely. For that is it Paul ſaith, Rom. chap. 7. verſ. 18. 19. A wanton girle and a wanton fellow, they thinke they are liuing; but I ſay there is not a ſparke of life in them, and well were they that they had not that life. Therefore continue in ſlaying of ſinne, or elſe thou ſhalt be ſlaine of ſinne, and the life of lifes ſhall be taken from thee. Ye that hauehave bin occupied in ſlaying of others, ſlay your ſelues, and your affections. But how ſhall ye ſlay your affection? It lieth not in thy hand to doe it, there is no vertue in thee: thou canſt not ſlay one affection: I will tell thee. The meanes are two, the firſt is faith in Ieſus, and in his death, that is the death of Ieſus apprehended by faith, draw him as greedily Two means to kill ſin.to thee, as thou ſuckeſt ſinne. It is the vertue of the croſſe of Ieſus that ſlayeth ſinne, and thy foule affections; ſo that if thou hauehave not faith in him and his death, thou ſhalt neuer be Gal. 6. 14. 15.able to ſlay ſinne in thee, nor to mortifie one foule affection.
The other meane to ſlay ſinne and foule affections, is the ſpirit of Ieſus, that accompanieth the croſſe of Ieſus (take away the croſſe of Ieſus, no ſpirit.) Then this ſpirit comming into thy heart, it falleth to and putteth his hand in that ſinne which is within thee, and killeth it by little and little: for as hee is a quickening ſpirit, ſo hee is a ſlaying ſpirit of ſinne. So Chriſts croſſe embraced by faith, & then his ſpirit, they are the meanes to ſlay ſinne in thee. Then thou haſt no more to doe, but by faith to entertaine that croſſe of Chriſt and his ſpirit: for woe Rom. 8. 2. 3. 4.is that heart that is without the ſpirit of Chriſt. But how ſhall this be? I tell thee faith is by hearing: heare the Goſpell then; for if thou take no pleaſure in the Goſpell, faith, Chriſt, and his ſpirit ſhall goe from thee. Beſides theſe two, there are other godly exerciſes, profitable to the ſame purpoſe, continuall prayer; for that is the exerciſe that God delighteth in: Meanes to come by & to increaſe ſaith.earneſt exerciſing of the workes of charitie; if thou leaue off theſe exerciſes, thou ſhalt loſe Chriſt and his ſpirit, and ſhalt grow in ſinne, and then thou ſhalt be caſt into damnation for euer. Gods iudgement ſhall light on thy necke, and ſhall cruſh thee downe to hell, and thy ſinne both. This for the word mortifying.
The next is, what ſhould wee mortifie? Hee ſaith not thy neighbour: no, no, but hee ſaith, mortifie thy cancred affection that moueth thee to ſlay thy neighbour; ſlay thy ſelfe, that is, that maſſe of ſinne, that is within thee, and cut off from thy bodie eueryevery vncleane thing, and ſlay eueryevery member thereof, and leaue not ſo much as thy little finger vnſlaine. By the mē bers Members of ſinne.I vnderſtand the foule affections in thy heart, which run thorough the whole bodie, and fill the eye with pride, with adulterie, with wrath, and crueltie: in ſuch ſort, that the very looke of the eye is defiled, and will runne to vncleannes. The hand is defiled, and runneth to bloud: the foote is defiled, and haſteth to murther: yea thy foule affections in the heart, they will come to the tongue, and imploy it all in their ſeruice; ſo that thou maiſt perceiue, what a ſinne lieth in thy heart, that infecteth all the members. Therefore this is the exhortation of the Apoſtle, ſlay the foule affections in thy members: if it be in thy eye, plucke it away, that is, plucke away that foule affection in thy eye; for better it is for thee to bee crooked and blinde, then to be caſt into hell, and there to curſe thy hand and feete, and all the members of thy bodie euerlaſtingly. Now then of this briefly. Ye ſee how farre ſinne ſpreadeth in man and woman: it is not content to occupie one part onelyonly of man: it will not be content with thy ſoule, but it runneth through all. It leaueth not one part free, but filleth al the parts of man and woman. Therefore mortification muſt not bee in one part; it muſt not be in the ſoule onelyonly, but as farre as ſin Mortification in all parts.reacheth, ſo farre muſt thy mortification reach. Then begin at thy heart, and next come to the outward members of the bodie; for it auaileth nothing to hauehave a faire counterfaite face without, if thou hauehave a foule heart within. Yet the ſtile is to be noted, that he giueth the members, he calleth them earthly, not heauenly. All theſe foule affections are called earthly, becauſe in themſelues they are groſſe and earthly, and their obiects are earthly: And what matter (brethren) if theſe affections were made of the beſt part of the earth, they are made of the dirt of the earth, of theſe ofſcourings of the dirt, that thou wouldeſt lothe to look to. Note.Indeed there are ſome that be of the good earth, as eating, drinking, and ſleeping, &c. therefore are lawfull being ſanctified: but as for theſe affections of harlotrie, of concupiſcence, of murther, of couetouſnes, they are vnlawful and vncleane: wilt thou then foſter them? No, mortifie them, ſlay them, and cut them away. Chriſt came not to make thy harlotrie cleane to thee: no, no, thou lies in thy throate; cut it away therefore, otherwiſe thou and it both ſhal periſh. This for the generall. Now I come to the particular members.
Becauſe the large diſpute vponupon the particulars fitteth not for this time, onelyonly I will ſpeake ſo farre, as ſerueth for the purpoſe of this text. Hee beginneth firſt at fornication. Then hee commeth to vncleanneſſe. Thirdly, to inordinate paſſions. Fourthly, to euill concupiſcence. And fiftly, he commeth to auarice: and he would hauehave all theſe cut away. Now to proſecute eueryevery one of theſe. The firſt is fornication, harlotrie, when whores and harlots go together. Paul to the Romanes chap. 1. verſ. 24. and Epheſ. chap. 5. verſ. 5. when hee counteth out the vices of the Gentiles, hee beginneth alwaies at harlotrie and fornication; and then from that hee commeth to other vices. In the firſt to the Corinthians chap. 6. he inſiſteth more largely Fornication.in condemning of that ſinne, then commonly yee ſhall finde him to doe in any other vice: and hee vſeth for the condemning of it, fiue or ſixe arguments. What meaneth this conſtant doing in condemning this vice? The ſpirit doth it not in vaine, no, not one word commeth from that holie ſpirit in vaine. I ſhall tel you the cauſe. This ſinne was a ſinne common among the Gentiles, and they thought it no ſinne; they thought it a thing indifferent, that might be done without any fault: they were come to that reprobate ſenſe, that nature condemneth. Therefore the Apoſtle to let them ſee that this was a ſinne, and one of the firſt, when he reckoneth the ſinnes of the Gentiles, he nameth fornication firſt to be the ring-leader to the reſt, and the more they extenuate it, the more the ſpirit aggrauateth it. The more thou ſhalt extenuate any ſinne, the more the ſpirit of God ſhall aggrauate it to thy conſcience. Wilt thou ſay, murther (which now is ſo rife) is no ſinne? The Lord will ſay to thee, it is a ſinne, and a huge great ſinne: if thou do not amend it, thou ſhalt neuer inherit the kingdome of heauen. Therefore wee learne, that theſe ſinnes, the world accounteth leaſt of, the Lord accounteth moſt of; and thou ſhouldeſt account moſt of them, and in condemning of them thou ſhouldeſt inſiſt. This harlotry is euer conioyned with prophanenes: Thou that takeſt pleaſure to defile thine owne bodie, thou groweſt a prophane bodie, and ſo thou art ready to be drawne to al miſchiefe, for thou art left of God. Heb. chap. 12. verſ. 16. Let no man be a harlot, or a prophane perſon, as Eſau was, meaning hereby, that a harlot is a prophane dogge, readie to be polluted with all vice.
But to come to the next vice. It followeth: Vncleannes. Harlotrie is one ſort of vncleannes. But now hee ſubioyneth, all manner of vncleannes: And from the leſſe member, which is harlotrie, he goeth to the greater. This teacheth vsus, that we are full of filthines. For if this vncleannes in all manner of waies were not in vsus, the Apoſtle would not bid vsus mortifie the generall vice that is in vsus: and ſo though thou were come of a King, thy nature is full of filth, and vncleannes. No, the ſow was neuer Greater filthines cō mitted by man then by a beaſt.ſo vncleane as thou art by nature: A ſow hath not the filth of ſinne; but thou haſt. There was neuer beaſt that will fall into ſuch filthines, as man will doe: wilt thou reade hiſtories, yea the Scriptures? thou ſhalt finde greater filthines committed by man, then by any beaſt. This thing and that will make thee loathe: but if thou hadſt an eye to ſee thy ſin, thou wouldeſt loathe it more then all the filthines in the world. The ſecond thing that we learne here is this: It is not enough to mortifie one ſort of vncleannes. In caſe thou be a drunkard, it is not enough to mortifie that ſinne: in caſe thou be an harlot, it is not enough for thee to mortifie this (howbeit it be well done to do it) but thou muſt paſſe from one ſinne to another, and neuer leaue it aliue in thee; but mortifie them all, ſlay all, cut all away: for I aſſure thee one vncleanenes will cauſe thee die; it will cauſe thee goe to hell. The Germanes thinke that drunkennes is no ſinne; but I ſay it is: and it is enough to cauſe thee die: as a ſicknes will cauſe thee die if thou mend it not, ſo one ſinne will cauſe thee die, if thou repent not.
Now to go to the next member. He calleth it foreign, an vnruly Vnruly affection.affection what euer it be. Here it is taken for a raging luſt, that ſetteth a man on fire, 1. Cor. chap. 7. verſ. 9. So yet I ſend you to nature, looke what ſtuffe it is made of. There is a fire in nature of foule luſt that will burne thee to death, and in the end put thee in hell, if it be not mortified. May ye not ſee this by experience? when ye ſee that which is fit for ye a bating and quenching of luſt, cannot quench it, but he will runne and mingle himſelfe with harlots; theſe harlots teſtifie of this fire. Looke to the adulterer, there is a fire. Yet more then that, when this fire hath burnt vp all the moyſture of the bodie, and waſted all; yet it burneth in the heart. Ye ſhall ſee this in filthie aged men, when the bodie is decrepit; yet the fire of this luſt will be burning ſtill in the heart, and it looſeth the tongue to filthines: fie on thee, it becommeth not an old man to ſpeak foule filthie talke. This is one thing. I marke another thing by ſubioyning firie luſt to vncleannes: It teacheth vsus, that among all vices we ſhould take heed of it. This burning loſt is not the leaſt; we ſhould put out that fire firſt: for I tell thee, if thou let it burne, all the things in the world will not quench it. Thou muſt get the water of the ſpirit of Chriſt to quench it. Therfore crie for that water, or els thou and it both will burne in hell for euer. When he hath ſpoken of this, he goeth to euill concupiſcence. It is not one filthie affection, but all filthie affections, and eueryevery kinde of them, which are many in number, Euill concupiſcence.that he will hauehave mortified. Thinkeſt thou there be no more but vncleannes and burning luſt in thee? Yea although they were taken away, yet thou art full of other affections. This letteth thee ſee yet, how foule thy nature is. The Papiſt ſaith, we aggrauate the filth of nature ouer much. Ah filthie creature, thou haſt not felt the ſtinke of nature, and therefore thou art Stinke of nature.the worſt teacher of nature: I ſay to thee, the filth of nature cannot be ſpoken of ſufficiently enough: yea an Angell can not paint out ſufficiently the myſterie of ſinne, and the filthines of thy nature. And therefore the Apoſtle teacheth vsus to enlarge our mortification; when thou haſt mortified one ſin, two ſins, three ſinnes, yea many ſins; think alwaies there are more behinde: when thou haſt mortified all theſe former ſins, yet auarice is behinde: ſuppoſe thou ſhouldeſt quit thy ſelfe of them all, yet if thou be auaritious, it ſhall cauſe thee die, thou ſhalt not inherit heauen. Then as there is no end of ſinne: ſo let there be no end of mortification of ſinne. There are more members of ſinne within thee, then there are members of thy bodie; and therefore be ſlaying one. And here I end, crauing of him, who is able to ſlay this filthines of nature, to graunt his holy ſpirit and faith in Ieſus Chriſt to that effect. To whom with the Father be all honour and thanks for euer,
Amen.