Gospel Holiness, Part 2 · Sermon 4
SERMON IIII.
Rom. 8. 4. That the righteouſneſſe of the law might be fullfilled in us who walke not after the fleſh, but after the ſpirit.
THERE were three Leſſons that the Lord did Teach us from theſe words.
The Firſt is implied in the begining of the Verſe: that
Every man is bound to get him a righteouſneſs to fulfill the law of God.
And Secondly, that
All thoſe that rightly beleive in Chriſt have in them a righteouſneſſe perfectly to fulfill it.
And Thirdly, that
Thoſe that thus beleive, and have this great priviledg (for it is the Foundation of all others) they are knowne, or deſcribed by this, they walk not after the Fleſh, but after the ſpirit.
The two former I have finiſhed, I entred upon the third the laſt day; I opened it at larg, and prooved it to you, and came to make one Uſe of it.
That from hence we may learne how to judg of Uſe. How to judge who are Saints and who are not.Perſons, how to judg of thoſe that are Saints, and thoſe that are not Saints, not according to ſome kind of holyneſſe they may come up to, but according to the principles they walk by, eyther as they walk according to the Fleſh, or according to the ſpirit. For I told you there be diverſe Profeſors among us, that it may be, are emynent in the eye of the World, before men, yet when all coms to all, their faſting, and praying, and preaching, and repeating, &c. will be found to be nothing in the World but a walking according to the Fleſh, that is, according to the refined, well educated principles of old Adam. But I ſhall goe on a little further.
Therfore in the next place, the Queſtion will be: how ſhall I know whether I walk according Uſe. 2. How to know whether we walk according to the ſpirit.to the fleſh or according to the ſpirit? How ſhall I know whether I be one of thoſe that walk according to the ſpirit?
I will only give you a few expreſſions of it. (I will not ſay ſignes; for it may be you could not all beare that word) and theſe expreſſions are moſt of them layd downe in this Chapter, and hereabout; whereby you may have a gueſs of it, whether you be men that walk according to the ſpirit or no.
Firſt you ſhall find in Rom. 6. that thoſe that 1. Such are dead to ſin.are under grace, or that walk according to the ſpirit, ſin is deſtroyed in them, they are dead to ſin, and alive to righteouſneſſe. And there are many expreſſions of the ſame thing in diverſe phraſes. As in Verſ. 6. Knowing this, that our old man is crucified, that the bodie of ſin might be destroyed that henceforth we ſhould not ſerve ſin. If thou be a man that walkeſt according to the ſpirit, thou canſt ſay the body of ſin is deſtroyed, and thou doeſt not ſerve ſin, Then it is ſayd in Verſ. 11. That thoſe that are under grace, they are dead indeed to ſin, and alive to God; that is another expreſſion. And in Verſ. 12. Sin ſhall not raigne in their Mortall bodies, that they ſhould obey it in the luſts thereof. And in Verſ. 13. Yeild not your members as inſtruments of unrighteouſneſſe. And in Verſ. 14. Sin ſhall not have dominion over them. So, there are diverſe expreſſions of one, and the ſame thing. Now from all (for I cannot open them particularly, how much is held forth in each of theſe expreſſions, but to help thee to ſee a little the State of thy ſoule) I would gather theſe three things from all theſe expreſſions, there is I ſay meant by them theſe three things.
The firſt thing is this, that thoſe that walk according 1. Sin is dead in reſpect of guilt.to grace, and according to the ſpirit, ſin is dead in them. That is, they are dead, in reſpect of the guilt of ſin, they doe ſee, and underſtand in ſome meaſure, that Jeſus Chriſt by his death hath aboliſhed, and deſtroyed, and done away all their ſins, in reſpect of the guilt of them; they are not under the law in that reſpect. They ſee that there is a full righteouſneſſe in Jeſus Chriſt, that hath ſatisfied the law, and ſo their ſins are done away, that they ſhall never condemne them. This is one thing.
Now a man that walks according to the fleſh, he ſees not that, neyther can ſee it: for theſe things are ſpirituall. Now take a man that walks according to the fleſh, that is, according to the moſt refined principles of old Adam; and he alway carries guilt upon his Conſcience, he will alway be as a man that is rouling of a Snow-ball, the more he goes on in his Service, the more guilt, and horrour. But a man that walks according to the ſpirit, let him be weake or ſtrong, he ſees this in ſome meaſure (and probably for the moſt part) that his ſins are done away, and that there is no condemnation to him, becauſe he is in Chriſt, and beleives in him: therfore as it is. Rom. 5. 7. He that is dead is freed from ſin, or juſtified from ſin. That is one thing.
Secondly, in all theſe phraſes this is held forth 2. Sin is dead in reſpect of the power.to us (as I underſtand) that a beleiver being planted into Chriſt (for ſo he looks upon himſelfe) and ingrafted and united to Chriſt, in reſpect of the power of ſin he accounts it as dead: that is, when he ſees any ſin ſtirring in him, he conſiders, I am one with Chriſt, I am planted with him in his death and reſurrection, and this ſin was condemned when Chriſt was condemned, and as ſure as Chriſt did die, this ſin muſt die; therfore he looks upon all his ſins and luſts, as things that are gaſping for life, as things that are ready to die, and that will ſurely die, as ſurely as Chriſt did die.
Another man that walks according to the law, when he ſees ſin in him, and finds luſts to riſe in his ſoul, he ſayth as David in another caſe. Surely I ſhall one day fall by the hands of Saul. Surely, I ſhall prove an Hypocrite, one time or other, this ſin will break my neck, and ſo he is diſcouraged, and his heart is hardened. But a man that is under grace, that walks according to the Goſpell, let ſin be never ſo ſtrong and prevalent, he looks on it as a condemned thing, he can triumph over it when it is ſtrongeſt, and can ſay, I know thou muſt be layd in the Grave with Jeſus Chriſt; he reckons himſelfe dead to ſin. That is another thing.
Thirdly, and laſtly, from all theſe expreſſions 3. They are more holy then others.here in Rom. 6. We gather this, that ſurely all thoſe, that are under grace, or that walk according to the ſpirit, in ſome eminent way, are more holy, and more freed from ſin then once they were, and then all thoſe are that walk under the law, in ſome eminent way I ſay they are more holy, though I doe not ſay there is no ſin in them, for then we ſhould lye as John ſayth, but certainly there is a power in their ſoules againſt ſin, that is exceedingly tranſcendent in reſpect of the beſt morall men, in reſpect of the exacteſt men in the World, that walk according to the law, what elſe is the meaning of all this. Yee are dead to ſin, and ſin ſhall not reigne and have dominion over you, and you ſhall not yeild your members as inſtruments to ſin? Shall we turne all this into ſpeculation? No, certainly, there is ſome eminent, reall holyneſſe and power againſt ſin that they had not before. Therfore ſaith he, VVhat pleaſure had you in thoſe things whereof ye are now aſhamed? thoſe ſins that you committed before, you are now aſhamed of them.
And let me looke a little upon my owne ſoule, or appeale to you, take any man, or woman, that underſtands what it is to be under the law, what it is to walke according to the Covenant of works, and according to the fleſh, and what covenants, and reſolutions, and promiſes, and faſtings he had, and let him looke upon himſelfe, what he is now ſince he hath knowen a little of Chriſt, and hath knowen that he is a juſtified Perſon, and that he is dead to the law, and the like. I appeale to you, whether you doe not feele a ſtrange power in your ſoules killing, and ſubduing ſin, that you never imagined before, or almoſt hoped to have. There are ſome Saints that I know, that when they came to know a little of Jeſus Chriſt, they have found a power to ſubdue their ſins, that they did not hope for in their other condition, they were ſo ſtrong; it is an emynent power. A poore Saint that ſees another tugging, and ſtriveing, and wraſtling, and buſtling with his corruptions, he knowes that there is a ſweet power in his ſoule that pulls downe the higheſt, and proudeſt imaginations. As a godly man ſayth, there is as much difference between a man that walks after the fleſh, according to the law, and he that walks according to the ſpirit, as betweene a man that is in a great Lyter or in a great Boat, that is faſt upon the ſand, and there are it may be a dozen or twenty men tugging and ſtriving to get it off, and yet it ſticks: and another man that is in a Boat upon the water, and needs onelyonly to hoiſt ſayle, and ſit downe and it is gone, he goes with winde, and tide. So a man that walks according to grace, he can go as a child, and ſpeake loving, and plaine words to his Father, and get power over his ſins, that all the bowling, and roaring, and crying of another a whole Yeare together cannot doe. It is ſo, and all you that know what grace is, know it. That is one thing: therefore conſider this, if thou walke according to the ſpirit, thou art dead to ſin. That is, in reſpect of the condemnation, and guilt of it, thou heareſt that Chriſt hath fulfilled the law, and that ſin is done away.
And ſecondly in reſpect of the power of it; thou canſt looke upon it as a dying, gaſping thing, that muſt die, and thou canſt tread on it through the death of Christ.
Thirdly, thou findeſt no luſt ſo ſtrong in thy ſoul, but thou canſt ordinarily bring it downe; thou canſt bring it to the obedience of Jeſus Chriſt: another man may throw his cap at his ſins, and be wiſhing, and woulding all the year long, but there are ſtrong luſts in his ſoule that will not out. Therefore ſayth the Apoſtle, when you walked according to the law, the motions of ſin brought forth fruit unto death: inevitably it will be ſo.
Then further you ſhall finde the fruits of walking Fruits of walking according to the ſpirit.according to the ſpirit. I will but name them to you, and wiſh you to conſider of them. You have many ſet downe in this Eighth to the Romanes.
When a man walks according to the ſpirit, you ſhall ſee this is one fruit of it, a ſpirit of adoption whereby we crie abba Father. As many as A ſpirit of adoption.are led by the ſpirit of God, they are the Sons of God: for ye have not received the ſpirit of bondage againe to feare; but ye have received the ſpirit of adoption wherby we crie abba Father. That is one fruit of it, as ſoone as a man comes to walk according to the ſpirit, he hath not a ſpirit of bondage any more. What is that? It is nothing but this, a temper of ſoule like a ſlave, juſt as you may conceive of a Spirit of bondage what.man that is taken Priſoner in Turkie what temper he is of, he is glad of a cruſt of bread, and he feares whipping and beating, and (it may be) killing: ſuch is the temper of a mans ſoule in a ſpirit of bondage: when one is in ſuch a temper that he is alway in feare of being whipped, and ſcourged, and he hath hard thoughts of God, and he feares that he ſhall proove an hypocrite, and the like. Now ſayth the Apoſtle we have not that ſpirit, but we have the ſpirit of adoption, whereby we crie abba Father. That is, there is a ſweet temper, ſuch as is in a loving Child to his deare Father, there is a boldneſse, a love, and delight, and rejoycing and a ſweetneſſe, &c. This is one fruit of it, therefore as far as thou art under horrour, and mopeing, and howling, and crying, thou commeſt ſhort of walking according to the ſpirit: for thy ſoule would be alway full of ſweetneſſe, in the greateſt affliction, if there were a ſpirit of adoption; and under the worſt ſins thou doeſt commit, though their would be ſorrow yet thou wouldeſt be full of ſweetneſſe and joy. That is one thing.
Againe, another fruit, and conſequent of it, is Rayſing up of the ſpirit.that the ſpirit of God beares witneſse with our ſpirits that we are the Children of God. If thou wilt be lead by the ſpirit, and walk after the ſpirit, the ſpirit of God will witneſse with thy ſpirit that thou art the Child of God. What is that? the meaning of it is this (as I underſtand) the ſpirit of God will rayſe up my ſpirit, to be able to ſee, and know, that I am the Child of God, for the ſpirit of a man, knowes the naturall things of a man, and no more. But the ſpirit of God witneſſeth with my ſpirit, that I am the Childe of God, that is, hee rayſeth up my ſpirit whereby I may ſee, and know, that I am the Childe of God: that as before by my owne ſpirit I was able to know whether I were poore, or rich, whether I were ſick, or well, whether I were beloved, or hated: So now my ſpirit is rayſed by the ſpirit of God, I am able to reflect upon my ſelfe ſpiritually, and look upon my ſelfe as beloved, and choſen, and holy, and called, and juſtified, and this in a ſpirituall way.
Thirdly, here is another expreſſion of it, and An earneſt hope.that is, an earneſt hope, or expectation, of the glory that is to be revealed. I find, and obſerve little of that to be in Profeſſors, and I have oft marvailed at it, and the reaſon is, becauſe they have not the ſpirit of adoption, and walk not fully according to the ſpirit, therfore they are not filled with thoſe expectations, and thoſe earneſt deſires, that the Saints were ordinarily in the primitive times. Sayth the Apoſtle in this Chapter. The creature groaneth and deſires to be delivered: and not only they, but we our ſelves, which have the firſt fruits of the ſpirit, we groane within our ſelves, waiting for the adoption, to wit the redemption of our bodie. The meaning is, there is no man knowes what that glory is, that is to be revealed; nor no man what it is to looke for it, and expect it. The word in the Originall is (as one ſayth) as a woman looks for deliverance when her paines are on her. O! ſhe would faine be delivered, or as a man in Priſon that looks for his freind out of a window, he puts out his head, and looks, but he cannot get out, though he faine would. Such an earnest hope, and expectation, and deſire there is in the Saints that walke according to the ſpirit, to ſee Jeſus Chriſt come, and to enjoy that glory that is to be revealed.
There are many more expreſsions there, that are the fruits of it, as the ſpirit of ſupplication, Verſ. 26. And there is alſo a triumphing over all our ſpirituall enemies. Verſ. 31. What ſhall we ſay then if God be for us, who can be againſt us? &c. And then, there is an abſolute dependance upon God for all things. He that ſpared not his owne Son, but delivered him up for us all, how ſhall he not with him give us all things. And then there is alſo a patient ſuffering of all afflictions. Sayth the Apoſtle Verſ. 18. I neckon that the ſufferings of this preſent time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that ſhall be revealed. And then there is laſtly, an abſolute, eternal union with Chriſt Jeſus, in reſpect of his love. I am perſwaded that neither death, nor life, nor Angels, nor principalities, nor any thing ſhall ever be able to ſeperate us from the love of God, which is in Chriſt Jeſus our lord: theſe are the expreſſions of the fruits of the ſpirit of God in the ſoule; when men walk according to the ſpirit, when they walk according to grace. Take a man that walks according to the fleſh, or according to the law, you ſhall find none of theſe kind of things in his ſoule. So much concerning that Uſe.
In the next place, as this Doctrine is a Touchſtone, Ʋſe 3. Tryall of our actions.whereby you may trie, and judg of mens perſons: ſo hereby alſo you may trie your ſervices and actions. I ſay this is a rule whereby you may come to know what your ſervices are, what worth is in them. For as they only are Saints, who walk according to the ſpirit (let the World judg how they will) and thoſe that walk carnally, according to the fleſh, according to the law, are not Saints: ſo I ſay thoſe actions or ſervices of ours, that proceed from the ſpirit of God, they are only pleaſing to God, and thoſe that proceed from the fleſh, from Old Adam, thoſe are not pleaſing to him. Now I ſay, by this we may trie our ſervices, and actions, as well as our perſons; for there is the ſame reaſon for both, in all my actions, all that I expect from them, is that they be pleaſing to God: that is the end of all that we doe; for they cannot juſtifie us, that is done already, or if it be not they cannot doe it; but all is to be pleaſing to God. Now then the maine rule by which I am to judg of my actions, it is this, not to judg of them according as they are plauſible to men, or according as they have affection, or enlargment in them (as we call it) but we are to judg of our actions cheifly (if not principally) by the principle that they flow from, if it be the weakeſt, and meaneſt action, if it be the leaſt ſigh, or prayer, if it proceed from the new Adam, the Lord Jeſus, it is ſweet, and pleaſing to God, it is an acceptable Sacrifice. But if it be the moſt glorious thing in the World, if it proceed from old Adam, not only from ſinfull Adam, but from naturall Adam, as he is called the naturall man, 1. Cor. 15. I ſay that that riſeth from naturall wiſdome, and invention, and underſtanding, and memory, &c. it is but fleſh, and Whatſoever is borne of fleſh is fleſh, and as we ſay, Pepper is Pepper, that is, it is deare; ſo fleſh is fleſh, that is, it is a filthy abominable thing to God. As it is in this Chapter, they that walk according to the fleſh cannot pleaſe God. So that that is borne of the fleſh, that ſervice that ariſeth from the fleſh, that is done from the fleſh cannot pleaſe God.
But you will ſay, cannot the actions that proceed Queſt. from the principles of naturall Adam be pleaſing to God?—Every man knowes, that of corrupt Adam cannot; but cannot that of naturall Adam? as a man may pray meerly by a naturall wit, and bravely to pleaſe man, and to pleaſe himſelf, and he may preach by a naturall wit, and doe other Excerciſes, and doe them finely, cannot they be pleaſing to God?
No, this is a certaine rule, that there is nothing Anſw. Nothing that comes from naturall Adam pleaſeth God.that comes from fleſh, from a principle of old Adam whither it be naturally good, or evill, there is nothing whether from pure Adam, or corrupt Adam, that is pleaſing to God.
The reaſon is this, becauſe, as it is Gen. 3. 5. That when Adam ſinned againſt God, you know his puniſhment was, that he ſhould die: he was not to eat, or touch the forbidden fruit, leaſt he ſhould die. Now when Adam eat of that fruit, you know the curſe came upon him. And in reference to this you ſhall find thoſe phraſes in this Epiſtle, whoſoever walks according to the fleſh ſhall die, whoſoever walks as old Adam, is in the State of the old curſe, he ſhall die, and O miſerable man, who ſhall deliver me from this body of death. He calls it a body of death, alluding to the maine curſe of old Adam, which was that he ſhould die.
Now when the Lord ſayd that Adam ſhould Adam to dye as a publick perſon.die for ſin, conceive not, that the meaning is only, that he ſhould die perſonally, that his perſon now ſhould be ſubject to the wrath of God, to damnation of ſoule, and body, for ever in Hell: that is not the only meaning of it; it is true, he fell under that, but the meaning is this alſo, that whole Adam, Adam as thou art a publike perſon thou ſhalt die, that whereas I made, and appoynted thee to be the ſpring, and Foundation, of all mankind, and every man in the World is to have thy Image on him, and I have filled thee with righteouſneſſe, and wiſdome, and good things, that may tend much to thy happineſſe, and thy poſteritie, that thou mayeſt derive a principle to them to be like thee in good, and to be pleaſing to me. But when Adam ſinned, now ſayth God, thou ſhalt die, I made thee a happie creature, and put abundance of excellencies in thee for thy ſelfe, and thy poſterity as a publike perſon: but now thou haſt ſinned, and extinguiſhed all that good. Now I will blast them all, thy wiſdome, and thy righteouſneſſe, thy ſoule, and thy body, thy very being, Adam ſhall die. Thy perſon as thou art a private man, and as thou art a publike man, ſoule, and body, fleſh, and bone, all that is in the, and all that comes from thee, ſhall die: this is that great curſe that God laid on him, a curſe of a great extent.
Therefore I ſay, whatſoever now ariſeth from All that ſprings from old Adam condemned.the Sons of Adam, that ſprings from old Adam, be it good, or evill it is condemned to die, it muſt die, it cannot pleaſe God. As Adam when he had eaten the forbidden fruit, the Lord ſet an Angell with a Sword to keep the Garden, that he ſhould come in no more. Juſt ſo now ſince Adams fall the Lord hath ſet a Sword as it were to keep men from all the principles of Adam, that thoſe things ſhall never pleaſe God any more. Or I may ſay of it as Joſuah ſpeakes of Jericho when hee had pulled down and deſtroyed it; Curſed be the man that buildeth this Citty any more. So when God pulled downe Adam for ſin, the Lord layd that curſe upon him, that he ſhould never be a bleſsing that way any more, God would never looke on him, or any thing that ſhould come from him any more: God would bethink himſelfe of another way, but that way he would not meddle with. But now this is our fault, wee are ſtill going to build Jericho againe. We are every man more apt to righteouſneſſe then to ſin, ſuch a righteouſneſſe as it is; we are apt to goe, and build up the ruines of old Adam; when we goe about the ſervice of God, and to doe any thing for him: or as the people of Iſrael, Deut. 1. God bids them ariſe, and goe into Canaan, and then they would not, but by and by they would goe, and then God tells them they ſhould never goe: So the time was that we might have gone the way of old Adam, when God made him righteous; if we had continued ſo, it had been well, and the more we had endeavoured to be righteous that way, the more bleſſed we had been. But now we are fallen, and God hath curſed Adam to dye: now any one that goes that way is curſed, that goes about to repaire thoſe old ruines; no, ſaith God, doe not now anger me in ſeeking to be holy in that way as old Adam was: We muſt labour now to goe a new way and get the new Adam, Jeſus Chriſt into our ſoules.
This is the reaſon why (as it is cleare, in 1 Cor. Why godly men dye as well as other.15.) men muſt dye, why godly men muſt dye as well as the wicked, It is appointed to all men to dye. Why ſo? The reaſon is this, becauſe God in Paradiſe condemned old Adam wholly to dye; therefore Fleſh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdome of God, no peice of old Adam: therefore he being a publike perſon, and we being in him, that curſe muſt be fulfilled, and wee muſt dye. All that belongs to old Adam muſt dye one time or other, Nolens, volens. Therefore as we beare the Image of old Adam, though we have ſome beginnings of new Adam, yet becauſe we have the diſpoſition of old Adam (I ſpeake not of ſin, but) of naturall Adam, wee are earthly as Adam was; therefore we muſt lay downe this fleſh and body, becauſe of that great curſe in Paradiſe, that Adam ſhould dye, and all that are of him.
But you will ſay, why then doth not corruption Queſt. (that is a part of old Adam) dye in the wicked in Hell? You ſay whole Adam, corrupt Adam, and naturall Adam muſt dye: Now the wicked in Hell, they have ſin and corruption World without end: for Caine is a murderer, and Judas is a Traytor to this time.
It is true, that corrupt Adam in the Saints muſt Anſw. Sin remaining in the wicked in Hell, it is a curſe.dye; but that comes not by the curſe, but it is by Chriſt, and is a bleſſing, and that corrupt Adam, ſinfull Adam, lives for ever in them in Hell, it is a part of the curſe; for to live in ſin, is to dye properly. Now in that wee ſhall have this fleſh and blood diſſolved, and ſhall have naturall wiſedome and the like all daſhed out, therein wee are common with them, that is of the curſe, though God after (by an after game as we may ſpeake with reverence) turned it to a bleſsing. But for the dying of corruption in us, that is the bleſsing of Jeſus Chriſt, and no curſe. It is a curſe to live in ſin; therefore though Adam be wholly to dye, yet the wicked continue in ſin, World without end, even in Hell. I meane there are the ſins of the heart at the leaſt. And in thoſe places of the New Teſtament I conceive the holy Ghoſt alludes to this, as that in Rom. 8. They that walke after the fleſh ſhall dye: Why doth he not ſay the plague of God ſhall come on them, but they ſhal dye? It is as if he had ſaid, doe you not remember that God threatned a curſe in Paradiſe to fleſh, and he that walkes after that ſhall dye; for God hath ſayd, Fleſh, and Adam ſhall dye. And ſo Rom. 7. Who ſhall deliver mee from this body of death? that is, from this body that God hath condemned to dye. Therefore I ſay whatſoever ſprings in us, and comes from us, from old Adam, it is a dead thing, that God curſed even in Paradice, and therfore cannot be acceptable to him.
Take the beſt piece of old Adam, and offer it to God, and it is as that ſtrange fire that Nadab and Abihu offered, it cannot pleaſe God. Let me give you one chiefe inſtance that makes Divinity miſtaken.my heart bleed when I think of it. That thing that you call Divinity, or thoſe that you call Divines, they are good words of themſelves; for John is called the Divine: But that which you call Divinity, which is the great Idoll of the World, it is nothing but old Adam, a kind of godlineſſe learned in a naturall way, a man learned after the old Adam as we learne Logick, or other things in the Univerſities; and ſuch a one comes and ſcatters this among people, and this you call Divinity, and he is a Divine, and yet this is abominable to God. And that is the reaſon why there are many Divines that Preach excellently, and yet God curſeth it, Why? It is old Adams wiſedome, and invention, and brave parts, but God curſeth the ſoule; he curſeth that Fig tree that it ſhall bring forth no more.
O Beloved that we would not ſuffer our ſelves as children (I had almoſt ſayd as fooles) to be carried on wheeling in a profeſſion of Religion, and to think it enough to carry it plauſibly in duties, in obſerving fast dayes, and dayes of humiliation, &c. But that thou and I may be content to let all the Profeſſors in the Towne to goe before us that way, let them be more gallant Profeſſors in outward performances in all they doe: let it be thy care and mine to gleane the ſpirit of God after them; let people ſay there is ſuch a man made ſuch a brave peice of worke, and ſuch a man prayed excellent well, and prayed ſo long; let us paſſe by theſe things, and if I can doe a little from the ſpirit of Jeſus Chriſt; and if God will frame my heart from the Lord Chriſt, and his ſpirit, to ſpeake a few words to my Father, this is all I care for. And ſo for other things.
Therfore I beſeech you, let this ſinck into you. VVhy men are proud of their duties.That makes you proud; that you cannot rule your hearts, but you are lifted up with pride, when you have done duties, it is becauſe every fine thing you doe from old Adam makes you proud, you take all in the bulke, and conſider not whence you doe things, you conſider not how much of the old Adam, or of the new there is in your Prayers, and Duties. Therfore, let this be an univerſall, eternall rule, to know the worth of all your ſervices and actions by, whatſoever is of the fleſh is fleſh, and whatſoever of my Preaching, and of your praying, and lending, and giving, and of your publike actions, if it be not from a ſpirituall principle, from Jeſus Chriſt, according to the Goſpell planted in you, it is of old Adam, and it is condemned, labour to leave that.
I ſhall conclude with one Word more, and Ʋſe 4. To expect the fulfilling of Propheſies and promiſes.that is this, that this beeing ſo, that this is to walk according to the ſpirit. Then we ſhould long very much for the fulfilling of thoſe Propheſies, and Promiſes, that God hath made unto us concerning the latter times. There is no Saint almoſt now, that I know, but expects glorious times, only one Saint thinks that the glory of the Saints ſhall be in this thing, and another in that thing, but every Saint expects continually the fulfilling of thoſe Propheſies, and promiſes ſet downe in the latter end of the Revelations, and they are glorious ones, whatſoever the meaning of them is, and I think the cheife thing there promiſed which ſhall be the height of our happineſſe, that the new Jeruſalem ſhall come downe from Heaven, miſtake me not, though it be a conſequent, yet it is not cheifly, and properly ſuch a way of government, this, or that, or the other way, though it be true that Government will follow upon it, yet if the meaning of it were only to reforme our Churches (though that were a bleſſing) or that Chriſt, ſhould come, and reigne here temporally, and give us Inheritances, and riches, and the like, truly a Saint would not long much for theſe things. But the New—Jeruſalem ſhall come downe from Heaven, and abundance of bleſſings that ſhall goe along with it. What is that? The meaning of New Jeruſalem comming downe from Heaven, what.it is, we ſhall have the light of the Goſpell clearly revealed unto us, and we ſhall have Goſpell principles fully put into our ſoules, which by Antichriſt, by Babilon we have been ſeduced of theſe thirteene or fourteene hundred yeares. For that was the miſcheife of Antichriſt, he hath kept us all his reigne under the old Teſtament with Altars, and Sacrifices, and Preiſts, and I know not what: every thing juſt as they uſed under Moſes, and we are not wholly gone out of Antichriſt yet. But the Lord will ſend a light into our hearts, to know the truth, in the power, and ſpirit, and to ſquare our hearts to it. For that is new Jeruſalem, if you compare it with Heb. 12. where the holy Jeruſalem, the heavenly Jeruſalem is clearly oppoſite to Mount Sinai: So compare it with Gal. 4. he tells us that Jeruſalem which is above us is Mother of us all; that is, the Covenant of grace, and the principles thereof in the ſoules of men. Therefore I wiſh that the Lord would ſet your hearts and mine a longing after that, that we may have more of the ſpirit of the Goſpel, and of the Principles of the New Teſtament in us; and then for matter of Government of Churches, thoſe things would follow. For to ſet up Government and Diſcipline before this comes into the ſoule, truely it is to build Caſtles in the ayre; for let a man take us, and frame us in the Independent, or Presbyterian way, in what way he will, unleſſe the Principles of Jeſus Chriſt in the Goſpel be ſpiritually planted, it will be a fleſhly Independent, and a fleſhly Presbyterian ſervice. Therefore labour chiefly for that, and pray the Lord to fulfill that, and then your Government whatſoever it ſhall be God will reveale it more fully. People are now generally going to build and order Churches, and I know not what, unleſſe the ſpirit (of the New Teſtament) governe in the New Teſtament, it is a vaine thing thing; for if wee have our former fleſhly hearts, that walke according to the Law, and according to the fleſh, all the Government in the World will never doe us good, becauſe God hath curſed Fleſh, and it will never be regulated, and brought to good.
And this alſo ſhould move us exceedingly to Upon what ground to long for the comming of Chriſt.long for the comming of Jeſus Chriſt to glory, for his comming to us, or our comming to him, and the reaſon of that you ſhall have in 1 Cor. 15. 49. a glorious word that hath dwelt much in my thoughts. I told you the reaſon why every man muſt dye a naturall death, becauſe of that abſolute grand curſe that Adam did fall in as a publick perſon, and we being from him we muſt dye. Now here is the comfort of it; a bleſſed word it is, As we have borne the Image of the earthly, ſo we ſhall beare alſo the Image of the heavenly; that is, when the redemption of our bodies comes, at the day of Chriſt, then as we have borne the Image of the earthly, ſo we ſhall beare the Image of the heavenly. We have borne hitherto, and doe beare the Image of naturall Adam, we are all his Sons and Daughters, juſt like him in our wiſedome and underſtandings, and bodies, and ſoules, poore earthly creatures, naturall, fraile creatures we are, and by that curſe that was layd upon him we muſt all dye, and lay downe theſe earthly Tabernacles, theſe earthly creatures muſt be diſſolved: As we have borne the Image of the earthly, not onelyonly as we have borne the Image of old Adam, ſin, and wickedneſſe, and pride, and frowardneſſe; ſo now we ſhall beare the Image of the new, not onelyonly in reſpect of grace, and holineſſe, and righteouſneſſe, that if I be in him all thoſe corruptions of nature ſhall out, and I ſhall have a new nature. That is true, but that is not all; but as I wholly beare the Image and ſhape of old Adam, his body, and ſoule, and ſenſes, and all thoſe muſt dye; ſo when theſe bodies ſhall be raiſed, we ſhall as abſolutely, and largely beare the Image of the new Adam the Lord Jeſus in our body and ſenſes, and all our whole man, ſoule and body, in reſpect of ſubſtance as well as quality; we ſhall beare the Image of the ſecond dam as lively and in as large an extent as ever wee bore the Image of the earthly Adam. Therefore that is a Not onelyonly ſinfulneſſe but earthyneſſe troubles a Chriſtian.great comfort; I will tell you why, becauſe it is not onelyonly the ſinfulneſſe of a Chriſtian that troubles him, but his earthineſſe, ſo many diſtempers, and troubles, that it is a miſery, the ſpirit is willing but the fleſh is weake; there is ſo much weakneſſe, and earthineſſe, and frailty, ſometimes a mans heart is right for God, yet his head akes, or his ſtomack is full of wind, or he is weary, and wants ſleep, there is ſome frailty or other. This is all earthly Adam; all this ſhall be gone, and this kind of body and ſoule ſhall be altered and changed to the Image of the bleſſed ſecond Adam, we ſhall put off our earthyneſſe as well as our ſinfulneſſe, and have his bleſſed compleat Image.
Now how glorious that ſhall be, as you never The glory of Saints in Heaven unſpeakable.ſaw the firſt Adam, but onelyonly by hear-ſay, and by reading of the Word of God, ſo you have not ſeen the ſecond Adam, but you may partly know by the manifeſtation of his glory on earth, you have heard much of his glory, We ſaw his glory, as of the onelyonly begotten Son of God; we ſhall then ſee him, Phil. 3. 19. Our converſation is in Heaven, from whence we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, who ſhall change our vile bodies: He meanes vile, not onelyonly in reſpect of ſinfulneſſe, but of duſtineſſe, of earthyneſſe, and weakneſſe; that they may be like his glorious body, according to his mighty working whereby he is able to ſubdue all things to himſelfe; that is, according to his uſuall manner of working he can doe what he will in Heaven and Earth. We cannot conceive what an Imnge we ſhall have upon our bodies and ſoules, but according to his wiſedome and mighty power whereby he is able to ſubdue all things, he will doe it.
Therefore let me tell you this, I finde few, or Saints formerly had more lively expectations of glory by Chriſt.none that have thoſe live by expectations in theſe times of that glory that is to be revealed, that the Saints of old had; See how they ſpeake of it, What manner of love is this, that we ſhould be called the Sons of God? But yet it doth not appeare what we ſhall be; for we ſhall be like him. And gird up the loynes of your minds, be ſober and watch for the glory that ſhall be revealed. The Saints heretofore, more then halfe their hearts were in Heaven before hand. That is the meaning of that, Our converſation is in Heaven. Juſt as you ſee men that goe a long journey, or as you ſee people that have been plundered, that are returning to their owne homes, their converſation is there halfe a yeare before; their hearts and their thoughts are there, and they wiſh they were there, and think the time long, and are thinking what they will doe, and what they will be, when they come there.
So, our converſation is in Heaven, the Saints doe ſo long after the glory that is to be revealed in the day of adoption and redemption of our bodies, that the moſt part of them is there already.
Now we doe not conſider of this, becauſe the new Jeruſalem is not yet come into our hearts. We have not that Goſpel-temper, and frame of ſpirit that the Saints had before.
That which remaines, is a little to ſhew you what your duty is that the Lord hath brought up to walk according to the ſpirit.
And two or three words I have to ſhew you how you ſhould every one endeavour to attaine to it, or to attaine it more and more. But I ſhall leave that till the after-noone.