The Sinners Sanctuary, Sermon 18
SERMON XVIII.
Rom. 8.5, 6.
For they that are after the flesh, do mind, &c. For to be carnally minded, is death: but to be spiritually minminded, is life and peace.
THere are many differences among men in this world, that as to outward appea…ance, are great and wide, and indeed they are so eagerly pursued, and seriously minded by men, as if they were great and momentous. You see what a strife and contention there …s among men, how to be extracted out of the dregs of the multitude, and set a little higher in dignity and degree then they; how do men affect to be honourable above the base? how do they seek to be rich, and hate poverty? These differences of poor and rich, high and low, noble and ignoble, learned and unlearned; the thoughts of men are wholly taken up with: But there is one great difference, that is most in Gods eye, and is both substantial and eternal, and so infinitely surpasseth all these d…ffe…ences that the minds of men most run out upon; and it is he…e, the great difference between flesh and spirit, and them that are after the flesh, and them that are after the sp…rit. This is of all other, most considerable, because widest, and durablest. I say, it is the widest of all, for all other… put no great difference between men, as men, they do reach the peculia… excellency of a man, that is, the true and proper good of his spiritual and immortal part; they are such as befalls alike, to good and bad, and so cannot have either much good, or much evil in them. I have seen folly set in great dignity, and Princes walking on foot, Eccle…. 10.6, 7. Then certainly, such titles of honour and dignity, such places of eminency, erected above the multitude, have little or nothing worth the spirit of a man in them, seeing a fool, a wicked man, is as capable of them, as a wise man, or a man of a princely spirit; and …o of all others, they do not elevat a man, as a man, above others. A poor, unlearned, mean man, may have more real excellency in him, then a rich, learned, and great person: But thi… draws a substantial and vast difference indeed, such as is between flesh and spirit, such as is between men and beasts. You know what p…eheminency, a man hath over a beast, there is no such wide distance among the s…ns of men, as between the lowest and meanest man, and the chiefest beast; There is a spirit in man, saith, Elihu, Job. 32.8. An immortal, eternal substance, of a far higher nature and comprehension. You know what excellency is in the spirit beyond the flesh, such as is in heaven beyond the earth, for the one is breathed from Heaven, and the other is taken out of the dust of the earth; the one is corruptible, yea corruption it self, the other incorruptible. How swi…t and nimble are the motions of the Spirit, from the one end of Heaven to the other? How can it compasse the earth in a moment? Do but look, and see what a hudge difference is between a beautiful living body, and the same when its a dead carcass, rotten and corrupted? It is the spirit dwelling within, that makes the odds, that makes it active, beautiful, and comely; but in the removal of the spirit, it becometh a piece of the most defiled, and loathsome dust in the world.
Now, I say, such a vast and wide difference there is between a true Christian, and a natural man, even taking him in with all his common indowments and excellencies; the one is a man, the other a beast, the one is after the flesh, the other after the spirit. It is the ordinary compellation of the Holy Ghost, man being in honour, and understanding not, is like the beasts that perish, Psal. 49.20. and Psal. 94.8. Vnderstand ye bruitish among the people, &c. and Psal. 92.6. The bruitish man understands not this: And Eccles. 3.18. That they themselves may know that they are but beasts. Therefore you find the Lord often turning to beasts, to insensible creatures, thereby to reprove the folly and madness of men, Isa. 1.2. and Ier. 8.7. Man hath two parts in him, by which he hath affinity to the two m…st distant natures, he stands in the midle, between Angels and beasts; in his spirit he riseth up to an Angelick dignity, and in his body he fall… down to a bruitish condition. Now which of these hath the preheminency, that he is? If the spirit be indeed elevated above all sensual and earthly things, to the life of Angels, that is, to communion with God, then a man is one after the Spirit, an Angel incarnat, an Angel dwelling in flesh; but if his spirit throw it self down to the service of the f…esh, minding and favouring only things sensual and visible, then indeed a man puts off humanity, and hath associated himself to beasts, to be as one of them. And indeed, a man made thus like a beast, is worse then a beast, because he ought to be far better: it is no disparagement to a beast to mind only the flesh, but it is greatest abasement of a man, that which draws him down from that higher station God had set him into, to the lowest station, that of beasts; and truly a Nebu…hadnezzar among beasts, is the greatest beast of all, far more bruitish then any beast. Now such is every man by nature, that which is born of the flesh, is flesh, even man, as he comes out of the womb, is degenerated, and fallen down into this bruitish estate, to mind, to savour, to relish nothing, but what relates to this fleshly or temporal being. The utmost sphear, and comprehension of man, is now of no larger extent then this visible world, and this present life: He is blind, and seeth not far off, 2 Pet. 1.9. Truly, such is every man by nature; whereas the proper native sphear of the spirits motion, and comprehension, is as large, as its endurance, that is, as long as eternity, and as broad as to reach the infinitness of God, the God of all spirits, now through the slavery and bondage of mens spirits, to their flesh, its contracted into as narrow bounds, as this poor life in the flesh; he that ought to look beyond time, as far as eternity, and hath an immortal spi…it given …or that end, he is now half blind; the eye of the mind is so over-clouded with lusts and passions, that it cannot see far off, not so far as to the morrow after death, not so far as to the entry of eternity. And truly, if you compare the context, you will find, that whosoever doth not give all diligence to add to faith, vertue, to vertue, knowledge, to knowledge, temperance, to temperance, patience, and to patience, godliness, &c. He that is not exercised and imployed about this study, how to adorn his spirit with these graces, how to have a victory over himself and the world, and in respect of these, accounts all things, beside, indifferent, such a man is blind, and seeth not far off; he hath not gotten the sight of eternity, he hath not taken up that everlasting endurance, else he could not spend his time upon the provision for the lusts of the flesh, but he behoved to lay such a good foundation for the time to come, as is here mentioned: If he saw afar off, he could not but make acquaintance with those courtiers of Heaven, which will minister an entrance into that everlasting Kingdom. But truly, while this is not your study, you have no purpose for Heaven, you see nothing but what is just before your eye, and almost toucheth it, and so you savour and mind only what you see.
Is not this then a wide difference between the children of this world, and the children of God? Is it not very substantial, all others are circumstantial in respect of this, this only puts a real difference in that which is best in men, viz. their spirits? The excellency of nature, is known by their affections and motions, so are these here; the spiritual man savours spiritual things, the carnal man carnal things; every thing symphathizes with that which is like it self, and is ready to incorporat into it: things are nou…ished and preserved by things like themselves. You see the Swine embraces the dung-hill, that stink is only savoury smell to them, because its suitable to their nature; but a man hath a more excellent taste and smell, and he savours finer and sweeter things: Truly it cannot choose, but that it must be a nature more swinish, or bruitish then … swine, that can relish and savour such filthy abominable works of the flesh, as abound amongst some of you. The works of the flesh are manifest, Gal. 5.19. and indeed they are manifest upon you, acted in the very day time, out-facing the very light of the Gospel▪ you may read them, and see if they be not too manifest in you. Now, what a base nature, what abominable and bruitish spirits must possesse men, that they apprehend a sweetnesse and fragrancy in the…e corrupt and stinking works of the old man? O how base a scent is it, to smell and savour nothing but this present world, and satisfaction to your senses? Truly your scent and smell, your relish and taste, argues your base degenerat and bruitish natures; that you are on the worst side of this division, after the flesh. But alace, it is not possible to perswade you that there is no swee…ness…, no fragrancy, nothing but corruption and rottennesse, such as comes out of Sepulchres opened, in all these wo…ks of the flesh, till once a new spirit be put in you, and your natures changed; no more then you can by eloquence, perswade a sick man, who…e pallat is possessed with a vitiated bitter humour, that such things as are suitable to his vitiated taste, are indeed bitter, or make a swine to believe that the dunghill is stinking and unpleasant. Truly it is as impossible to make the multitude of men to apprehend, to relish or savour any bitterness or loathsomnesse in the wayes and courses they …ollow, or any sweetness and fragrancy in the wayes of Godlinesse, till once your tastes be rectified, your spirits be transformed and renewed.
And indeed, when once the spirit is renewed, and dispossessed of that malignant humour of corruption, and fleshly affection, that did present all things, contrary to what they are, then it is like a healthful and wholsome pallat, that tastes all things as they are, and finds bitter bitter, and sweet sweet; or like a sound eye, that beholds things just as they are, both in colour, quantity, and distance: Then the soul savours the sweet smell of the fruits of the Spirit, vers. 22. Love, joy, peace, long-suffering, meekness, temperance, &c. these are fragrant and sweet to the soul, and as a sweet perfume, both to the person that hath them, and to others round about him, and to God also; these cast a savour, that allures a soul to seek them, and being possessed of them, they cast a sweet smell abroad to all that are round about, and even as high as Heaven, a soul that hath these planted in it, and growing out of it, is as a garden inclosed, to God. These fruits are both pleasant, and sweet to the soul that eats them, and as the pleasantness of the apple, allured man to taste it, and sin, so the beauty and sweetnesse of these fruits of the Spirit, draws the spirit of a man after them, he hath found the savour, and seen the beauty, and this allures him to taste them, and then he invites the welbeloved to come, and taste also, to eat of these fruits with him. We might instance this in many things, a Christian relishes more sweetnesse in temperance, in beating down his body, and bringing it into subjection, in abstaining from fleshly lusts, then a carnal man tastes in the most exq…isite pleasures that the world can afford. A Christian he savours a sweetnesse in meeknesse, and long-suffering, he …ath more delight in forgiving, and forbearing, and praying for them that wrong him, then a natural man hath in the accomplishing of the most greedy desires of revenge. O what beauty hath gentlenesse, goodnesse, and patience, in his eye? what sweetness is in the love of God to his taste? How ravishing is the joy of the Holy Ghost? How contenting is that peace that passeth understanding? These are things of the Spirit, that he minds and savours. Know, Christians, that it is to this ye are called, to mind these things most, and to seek them most; beware lest the deceitfulness of sin intise you, through the treacherous and deceitful lusts that are yet living in your members: If you indeed mind these things, and out of the apprehension of the beauty, and savour of the sweetnesse, and smell of the fragrancy of them, would be content to quite all your corrupt lusts, for to be possessed with them, then you are on that blessed and happy side of this great and fundamental division of men; you have indeed the priviledge of all others who are not renewed, what ever be your condition in the world, you are of the Spirit; and this is better then to be rich, wise, great, and honourable: God hath not given you such things as the world go mad after, but envy them not, he hath given you better things, more real and substantial things, that makes you far better, and more excellent.
But then, this difference, as it is the widest, so it is the durablest; as it is substantial here, so it is perpetual hereafter. When all the other differences between men shall be abolished, this alone shall remain; and therefore you have it in the next vers. to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. This division that is begun here, shall g…ow wider fo… all ete…nity; there shall be a greater difference after this life, and a more sensible separation: Death and life, eternal death, and ete…nal life, are the two sides of this diffe…ence, as it shall shortly be stated. When all other degrees, and distances of men, sha…l be blotted out, and buried in eternal oblivion, there shall no ves…ge or ma…k remain, of either wisdom, or riches, or honour, o… such like, but al… mankind shall be, as to these outward things, levelled and equalized; this one unseen and neglected difference in the world, sha…l appear and shine, in that day when the Lord maketh up his jewels, then he will discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that feareth God, and him that feareth him not, Mal. 3.18 The carnal, and spiritual man, have opposite affections and motions; the spirit of the one is on a journey or walk upward, after the Spirit, and the spirit of the other is on a walk downward, towards the flesh; and the further they go, the further distant they are: the one shall be taken up, to the company of the spirits of just men made per…ect, and to the fellowship of Angels, the other shall be thrown down into the fellowship and society of Devils: and truly it is no wonder it …all so low, for all its motions in the body was downward, to the fulfilling of the lusts of the flesh. Thus, you see the difference will grow wider, and more sensible, then it is yet, between the godly and ungodly; in this world it doth not so evidently appear, as it will do a…terward. As two men, that leave one another, and have their faces on contrary ai…ts, at the beginning the distance and difference is not so great, and so sensible; but wait a little, and the further they go, the further they are distant, and the wider their separation is▪ Even so, when a Christian begins to break off his way, from the common cour…e of the world, it doth not appear to be so different from it, as to convince himself and others; but i… his face be towards Ierusalem above, and his heart thitherward, certainly he will be daily moving further from the world, till the distance be sensible both to himself and others; he will be more and more transformed, and renewed, till at length all be changed. No wonder then, that these two cannot meet together in the end of their course, whose course was so opposite: Though wicked men will desire to die the death of the righteous, yet it is no more possible they can meet in the end, then Hell and Heaven can reconcile together, because they walk to two contra…y points.