The Sinners Sanctuary, Sermon 19
SERMON XIX.
Rom. 8.6.
For to be carnally minded, is death: but to be spiritually minded, is life and peace.
IT is true, this time is short, and so short, that scarce can similitudes or comparisons be had to shadow it out unto us; its a dream, a moment, a vapour, a flood, a flower, and whatsoever can be more fading or perishing; and the…e…ore it is not in it self very considerable, yet in another respect, it is of all things the m…st precious, and worthy of the deepest attention, and most serious consideration; and that is, because it is linked unto eternity, there is an indissolvable knot between them, that no power or art can break or loose. The beginning of eternity, is continuedly united to the end of time; and you know all, the infinit extension o… eternity is uniform, it admits of no change in it, from better to worse, or worse to better; and therefore the beginning of our eternity, whether it be happiness or misery, is but one perpetuated and eternized moment, so to speak. Seing then we are into the body, and sent unto the world for this end, that we may passe through into an unchangeable eternal estate: Truly, of all things it is most concerning and weighty, what way we choose to this journeys end; seing the time is short, in which we have to walk, and it is uncertain too, we ought, as the Apostle Peter speaks, give all diligence; as long as the day remains, we should drive the harder, lest that eternal night overtake us. The shortness and uncertainty of time, should constrain us to take the present opportunity, and not to let it slip over as we do, seing it is not at all in our hand, either what is past, or what is to come; the one cannot be recalled, the other is not in our power, to call and bring forward, therefore the present moment that God hath given us, should be catched hold on, and redeemed, as the Apostle speaks, Eph. 5.16. We should buy it at the dearest rate of pains, and expenses, from all those vain, impertinent, and trifling diversions, that take it up, that we may imploy it as it becomes, suitable to eternity that is posting on. And then as the shortness of it makes it the more precious and considerable, in regard of the end of it, eternity: as the scantnesse of a thing increases the rate of it, so that same consideration should make all worldly things, that are confined either in their being, or use, within it, to be incosiderable, as Paul, 1 Cor. 7.29, 30, 31. shews, seing the time is short, it remaineth, that we should rejoice, as not rejoicing; weep, as not weeping; buy, as if we possessed not; use the world, as not abusing it: Seing all its worth is to be esteemed from the end of it, eternity, never ending; then certainly whatsover in time doth not reach that end, and hath no connexion with it, we should give it but such intertainment, as a passing bird, that is pleasant to the eye, gets of a beholder, while it is in its flight: the shortness of the day should make us double our diligence, and put on the harder in our walk or race, that so we may come in time to our place of rest; and that same should make the passenger give an overly and passing look to all things that are by the way, and which he must of necessity leave behind him. Seing these things then are so important, let us draw our hearts together to consider what the Lord speaks to us in this word, for in it you have two wayes, and two ends, opposite and contrary wayes and walks, and as contrary ends; the wayes are walking after the flesh, and walking after the Spirit; the ends to which they lead, are death and life. We spoke something of the wayes, and the wide difference that is between them, what excellency is in the one beyond the other; but truly it is hard to perswade you to take off your accustomed wayes and walks, because your inward sense, and the inclination of your hearts is wholly perverted and corrupted by nature. You know the moving faculty is subordinat in its operations, unto the knowing, feeling, and apprehending-faculties: The locomotive power is given for a subsidiary and help to the apprehensive and appetitive powers, because things are convenient and disconvenient, good or evil, to the nature of the living creature, are without it; and it could not by meer knowledge, or desire, or hatred of things, either come in possession of them, or eschew them, therefore God hath given them a faculty of moving themselves to the prosecution and attainment of any apprehended good, or to the eschewing and aversion from any conceived evil. Thus when beasts savour or smell that food which is fit for them, their appetite stirs them up to motion … it, to obtain it: Now, I say, if this inward sense be …orrup…d, th…n things that are destructive will be conceived good, because they are suitable to that corrupt humor or quality that possessed the senses, and thus all the motion and walk will be disordered. The truth is, my beloved, our spirits and minds are infected with a poysonable humour, fleshly passions and lusts are predominant naturally; and as in them that are in a feaver, their organ being distempered with a bitten unsavoury humour, the pleasantest things seems unsavoury, because not suitable to that predominant humour; even so it is wi…h you by nature. That which puts all upon motion, is out of course, since the fi…st distemper of m…n; your spirits and minds are fleshly and carnal, they have a strong and deep impression of all the lusts that are in the body, and are accordingly affected; and therefore you cannot fitly judge what is good or evil for you, but as these, Isai. 5.20. You m…st call evil good, and good evil, bitter sweet, and sweet bitter, because you are already prepossessed thus. And therefore the wayes of the flesh, those paths that lead to destruction, you cannot but look on them as plea…ant, because they suit and please your corrupted sense or spirit; and so this disordered savour or smell of some fragrant perfume in the ways of the flesh, puts you upon walking in these wayes; and being thus possessed and ingaged, you cannot but stop your ears to all contrary perswasions; you think it against-your sense and reason, to tell you that these are loathsome and unsavoury, and that the other wayes of widom and spirit, are pleasantness and peace: I say, you cannot believe this, till your hearts and spirits be purged, and your taste be pure and uncorrupted. It is certainly upon this ground that our Saviour puts such characters upon the way to Heaven and Hell, to life and death; the one is strait and narrow, and few walk in it, the other broad and easie, and many walk in it, Matth. 7.13. Certainly, it is not the way in it self simply, that admit… of such a motion, to speak properly, as the thing is, the way to life▪ by the guiding of the Spirit, is easiest, plainest, shortest, and broadest: it hath all the properties of a good way, none so pleasant and plain; how sweet and pleasant sights all the way! its an Alley of delight, the way of his Commandments, it wants not accommodation in it to refresh the Traveller; the most delightful company is here; the Father and the Son, who sought no other company from all eternity, but were abundantly satisfied and rejoiced one another; this fellowship the Christian hath to solace himself with, and he is admitted to be partaker of that joy: There is nothing that doth disbu…den the soul so of care and anxiety, nothing doth rid a man of so many perplexities and troubles, as this way. But the way of sin in it self is most laborious, most difficult: it hath infinite bywayes that it leads a man into, and he must turn and return, and run in a circle all the day, all his time, to satisfie the infinit lusts and insatiable desires of sin. O! how painful and laborious is it to fulfill the lusts of the flesh; how much service doth it impose? how serious attention? what perplexing c…res and tormenting thoughts? how many sorrows and griefs are in every step of this way? Do you not perceive what drudges and slaves sin makes you? how much labour you have to satisfie your lusts? and you are alwayes to begin, as near that which you seek in the end of your years, as in the beginning. How thorny, how myry is the way of covetousness? Are you not alwayes out of one thorn into another, and cut asunder, or pierced through with many sorrows, 1 Tim. 6.10. Mat. 13.22. Is that a pleasant and easie way, I pray you, that makes all your sorrow and your travel grief, and suffers not your heart to take rest in the night? Eccles. 2.22, 23. What pains of body? What plotting o… mind? What labour and vexation of both, must a sinner have as his constant attendants in this way? The way is intricat, deep, unpassable, that leads to that satisfaction you desire to your lusts; your desires are impotent and impatient, the means to carry you on are weak and lame, nothing accommodat or fit for such a journey; and this puts you alwayes, as it were, on the rack, tormented between the impatience of your lusts, and the impotency of means, and impossibility to fulfill them. Desires and disappointments▪ hopes and fears, divide your souls between them: Such is the way after the flesh, an endle…s labyrinth of woes and miseries, of pain… and cares, ever while here.
But these wayes receive such names from the common opinion and apprehension of men; because of our flesh, which is predominant; the way after the flesh being suitable to it, though in it self infinitely more …oy…ome, seems easie and plain; but the way after the Spirit seems str…it, n…rrow, toy…some and laborious. Though there be infini…e more room in the way to life; because it leads to that … universal good, it exp…ti…ts toward the Al-fulness of God; yet to flesh, how narrow and strait is it, because it cannot admit of these inordinat lusts, that have swelled so immeasurably towards narrow and scant things? The true latitude of the way of flesh is not great, for it is all inclosed within poor, lean, narrow, created objects; but because the im…gin…tion of men supplies what is wanting really, and fancies an infinite or boundless extent of goodness in these things; therefore the sinner walks easily, without straitning to his flesh, it is not pinched in this way of fleshly lusts: But alas, the Spirit is wofully straitned, fettered and imprisoned, though it be not sensibly found!
What is the reason then that so many walk in the way to death; but because their flesh finds no straitning, no pressure in it? it is an easie way to their natures, because suitable to the corruption that is in them; therefore men walk on without consideration of what follows: its like a descent or going down a hill, so easie to our flesh; and on the other hand, the way to life, after the Spirit, is an ascent upward, and it is very difficult to our earthy and lumpish flesh. Our spirits by communion with, and subjection to, the flesh, are made of an earthly quality, near the element of the flesh, and so they bow naturally downward; but if once they were purified and purged, and unfettered by the Spirit of God, and restored to their native purity, they would more easily and willingly move upward, as you see the flame doth: and till this be done in you, we cannot expect that you will willingly and pleasantly walk in these pleasant walks after the Spirit; your walk will never be free and unconstrained in the paths of godliness. You may from some external motives and impulses move upward for a season, in some particular duties of Religion, as a stone cast up; but that impression is not from an inward principle, so it will not be constant and durable, but you will …all down to your old byasse in other things, and move quite contrary, when the external impression of fear of savour, of custome or education, or such like, wears out. But the true Christian hath a spirit within him, the root of the matter in him, this carries him upward in the wayes of obedience, after the motions and directions of Gods Spirit. At the beginning, indeed it is strait and uneasie to his flesh, but the difficulty is overcome, if once you begin well: The beginning (as you use to say) is the half of the whole. Truly, to be well entred, is half progresse, afterward the bulksom and burdensome lusts of the flesh are stript off, at least in a greater measure, and then the spirit moves easily and willingly; this walk becomes a recreation, that at first was a labour. Now delight and desire are as wings to mount the soul aloft; now its the good pleasure of the soul to walk to all well-pleasing. Indeed the way of this world is dirty and filthy; and therefore a Christian had need to watch continually, and to gird up his loyns, that his thoughts and affections hang not down to the earth, else they will take up much fi…th, and cannot but clog and burden the spirit, and make it drive heavily and slowly, as Pharaoh did his Chariots, when the wheels are off. We had need to flee aloft above the ground, and not to come down too low near it, thinking withall to double out our journey, for we shall find, that because of the remnants of flesh within us, that this world hath a magnetical attractive vertue, to draw us down to it, if we be within the sphear of its activity. It is not good coming near fire with flax; we would endeavour to keep our hearts at much distance, and disingage them from lower consolations. This world is like the pestiferous Lake of Sodom, that kills all that flees over it, and makes them fall down into it; If we flie low upon the surface of it, we cannot choose but that spiritual life will be much extinguished; but to prevent this, we would take our flight straight upward after the Spirit, (for that is the proper motion of the more pure and spiritual part of this world) and give no rest, till we be out of the reach of that infection, till you be fully escaped the pollutions of the world.
But if you cannot be perswaded to come off this way, that seems so pleasant to your flesh, that way which is the very course of the world, (for these are joyned, Eph. 2.2.) Then I beseech you, stand still, and consider whither it will lead; do but stop a little, and bethink your selves sadly and seriously whither this will take you, where it shall end? And truly that is dread…ul, the end o… it is death, a never-ending death. I am sure, if you were walking by the way, and one came and told you gravely and seriously, That that way is full of dangerous pits, that there are many robbers in it, waiting to cut your throat, you would count the admonition worthy of so much notice, as to halt, and consider what to do: But now, when the Lord himself, that deserves infin…t more respect and credit then men, gives you warning once, and often, day after day repeats this admonition to you, sends out many ambassadors to call you off, makes this word to sound dayly in your ear, Oh! why will yee die? such wayes lead down to the chambers of death and hell; to be carnally minded, in the issue, is death, whatsoever you may promise to your selves. I say, when he makes a voice to accompany us in all our walkings, this is not the way that leads to life; why do you not think it worthy of so much consideration, as once to stop and sift your progresse, till you examine what will come of it? Are we so credulous to men, and shall we not believe God, who is truth it self, who affirms it so constantly, and ob…e…ts us so earnestly? Are we so wise and prudent in lesser things, and shall we be mad, self-willed, and refractory in the greatest thing that concerns us eternally? O! unbelief is that which will condemn the world, the unbelief of this one thing, that the walking a…er, and minding of the flesh, is mortal and deadly. Though all men confesse with their tongues this to be a truth, yet it is not really believed; the deep inconsideration and slight apprehension of this truth, makes men boldly to walk, and violently to run on to perdition. Did you indeed believe that eternal misery is before you at the end of this way, and would you be so cruel to your selves, as to walk in it for any allurement that is in it? Did you really believe That there is a precipice into utter darkness and everlasting death at the end of this alley, would the pleasure and sweetness of it be able to in…atuat you, and besott you so far, as to lead you on into it, like an Ox to the slaughter, and a fool to the correction of the stocks? It is strange indeed, thou you neither will believe that death is the end of these things, nor yet can you be perswaded that you do not believe it: there is a twofold delusion that possesses the hearts of men, one is, a dream and …ancy of escaping death, though they live in sin; another is, a dream and fancy that they do believe that death is the wages of sin: We might wonder how they consist together, if we did not find it by so many experiences. Your way proves that you do not believe it, that death is the end of it; and then your words evidence that you do not believe That you are unbelievers of that. O! how desperat is the wickedness, and how great is the deceitfulness of the heart? The false Prophet that is in every mans bosome, deceives him, that it may destroy him. As Satan is a liar and murderer, and murders by lying, so the heart of man is a self-murderer, and self-destroyer, and that is done by lying and d…ceiving: There is some lie in every …in, but there is this grosse black fundamental lie at the bottom of all sin, A conceit of immunity and freedom from death and hell; a strong imagination of escaping danger, even though such a way be chosen and walked into, as of its own nature inevitably leads to destruction: And there is something of this bloody murdering flattery even in the hearts of Christians; therefore this Apostle gives us an antidot against it, and labours often to purge it out, by stirring up that knowledge they have received; Know you not, that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God? 1 Cor. 6.9. Be not deceived, God is not mocked, for what a man soweth that he shall reap, he that soweth to the flesh, shall reap corruption, &c. Gal. 6.7, 8. O! that you might listen to this word, to this watch word given you, and stop your course, at least, for a season, to think what shall be the latter end; know ye not, that such shall not inherit the Kingdom? know you not that the way to heaven lyes upward? know you not that your way lyes downward towards the flesh and the earth? are you so far demented, as to think to come to Heaven by walking just downward in the lusts of the flesh? Truly this is the strongest and strangest inchantment that can be, that you think to sow one thing, and reap another thing; to sow darkness, and reap light; to sow corruption, and reap incorruption: Is that possible in nature, to sow nettle-seed, and think to …eap barley or wheat? Be not deceived, O that you would undeceive your poor deluded souls! and know that is as natural for Death and Hell to grow out of sin, and walking after the flesh, as it is for every seed to yeeld its own fruit and herb. Do you then think to disolve the course and order of nature? Truly the flesh is mortal in it self, its ordained for corruption, you see what it turns to after the life is out, that is an embleme of the state of the fleshly soul after death. As you did abase your spirits to the service of the flesh here, and all your plowing, and labouring, and sowing was about it, the seed which you did cast in the ground was Fleshly lusts, earthly things, for the satisfaction of your flesh; so you shall reap of the flesh, Corruption, death and destruction, that shall make your immortal spirits mortal and corruptible, and subject them to death and corruption with the body, as far as they are capable; it shall deprive them of all that which is their proper life and refreshment, and separat them eternally from the fountain of blessedness, and banish them out of Heaven, unto the fellowship of devils; and Oh! that corruption of the incoruptible spi…it, is worse then the corruption of the mortall flesh, corruptio optimi pessima.
Now, who ever of you is thus far undeceived, as to believe your danger and misery, and to discern that imbred delusion of your hearts, be not discouraged utterly, there may be hope of recovery, when you see your disease. I say, if you see that hell is at the end of your way, then know that He who sent that voice to call you off that way of death, He leaves you not to your own wits to guide you into the right way, but He follows with a voice behind you, …aying, Here is the way, walk in it, turn not out of it to the right hand or left: and this voice sounds plainly in the Word, and it is nothing el…e but the sound of the Gospel, that blessed sound that invites and allures you to come in to Jesus Christ, the way, truth, and life, the true way to the true life: All other wayes, all other lifes, have no truth in them, its but a cloud, a fancy, that men apprehend and lay hold on. But come to this way, and it will truly lead thee to the true life, eternal life; if you flee unto him out of the apprehension of your danger, you have a clear way to come to God, and as plain a way to attain life and peace. Being in Christ you have assurance of not falling into condemnation; He is such a way as will hold you in, and not suffer you to go out of it again to the way of Death. And therefore he will give you a Tutor, a guider and directer in this way to life and peace, and that is the Holy Spirit, to lead in all truth, and to guide your feet in the way of his Commandments; so that in this new and living way of Christ, you shall have both light of the Word, to know where to walk, and life of the Spirit to make you walk toward that eternal life; and thus grace and truth is come by Christ. Indeed you must suffer the mortification of your flesh, you must endure the pain of the death of your lusts, the cutting off your right hand, and plucking out your right eye, which would make offend and stumble in the way; but let the remembrance of the life to come sweeten it all: when men undergo the hazard of losing life for a little pleasure, when for a poor petty advantage men will endure so much pains and trouble, O what should eternal life, and such a life, as the best li…e here is but death to it! how should it mitigat and sweeten the bitterness of mortification? how should it fortifie our spirits to much endurance and patience? A battel we must have for these lusts that we disingage from the Devil, and the World besides will lay wait for us in this way: but when for such small and inconsiderable advantages men will endure all the disadvantage of war, of a long war; O how should the expectation of this peace, which incloses and comprehends all felicity, all well-being, animat and strengthen us to fight in into the City of life and peace eternal!