Gospel Holiness, Part 2 · Sermon 10
SERMON X.
Rom. 8. 5. For they that are after the fleſh doe minde the things of the fleſh, but they that are after the ſpirit, the things of the ſpirit.
BEloved I would willngly end what I had to ſay to this text at this time, and I doubt not but by Gods aſſiſtance I ſhall doe it, and therefore I would but only lead you a little, becauſe we were driven to break off abruply that you may underſtand which way we have been going, when the Lord hath been teaching us hitherto from theſe words.
I told you the Apoſtle in the 4. verſe had laid downe a great priviledge, and then he ſhewes who are the partakers of this priviledge; They that walke after the ſpirit, and not after the fleſh; but this is but generall, and therefore he ſhews it more particularly, by the beſt part of the man, the minde.
Beloved I have ſpoken a little in generall concerning the minde, and to follow the Apoſtles method, I have culd out the chiefe thing in the minde, the chiefe act of it is the reaſoning. The minde, that is the reaſoning of the minde, from whence I have taught you this Leſſon.
That, thoſe that are fleſhly, they are led, and ſwayed with fleſhly reaſoning, and thoſe that are ſpirituall, they are led and ſwayed by ſpirituall reaſoning.
My end is to diſcover to you, whether you have this priviledge or no, and therefore in the Apoſtles method, I would bolt it out as farr as I could. I told you man is a rationall creature, and no man doth any action, but there is ſome reaſoning about it, and though the action be never ſo ſuddain, yet the mind is ſo quick, that it hath ſome kinde of reaſoning or other.
Now for the explication, I told you there was three mindes, carnall, corrupt, and ſpirituall; and from thoſe three minds, flowed three reaſonings, corrupt, naturall, and ſpirituall.
Now for the further proſecution of it, I told you there were three things I had to premiſe before hand, before I came to proove it.
One is, that there is the beſt reaſon in the world in godlineſſe, and religion; godlineſſe hath in it, all along, the excellenteſt, the beſt, the profoundeſt reaſon that can be, this I prooved at large: godlineſſe is not as ſome carnall people account it, a vaine giddy thing, but goes all upon reaſon, it is the act of reaſoning, as they ſay of Logick, and not like our naturall Logick from probabilitis, and the like; but it is all upon demonſtration: that's one thing I opened to you, and we had divers Uſes then, with which I will not now trouble you.
Now the ſecond thing I was to premiſe, was this,
That the reaſoning of the ſoule, it is the higheſt act of the mind.
As I told you the mind is the higheſt faculty in the ſoule: ſo the reaſoning is the firſt, and ſtrongeſt and moſt immediate act of the minde, and therefore as the minde is the chiefeſt ſeate of Chriſt, if he dwell there; or the chiefest garriſon of the Devill if he dwell there: So the reaſonings of the ſoule, are the chiefeſt weapons of the minde, becauſe I told you that theſe they doe come immediately from it.
The third thing was, that the reaſoning is the chief character of a man as reaſon in a man, conſidered in a naturall way, is the moſt proper way of diſtinguiſhing of him from other things, becauſe it is moſt eſſentiall to him; for you cannot diſtinguiſh a man ſo properly from a horſe becauſe he hath two leggs, and that a horſe hath foure, but by his eſſence, he is a rationall creature, and therefore I told you a man may know good excellently, a man may love good, and godlines, and a man may do good, and ſuffer for good, and yet be an hypocrite, yet be a carnall man. Why? Becauſe he may doe good and love good, and ſuffer for good, and all out of carnall reaſoning, he may love the good becauſe of ſome fine circumſtantiall things.
And therefore I concluded laſt day with two words of uſe, but I muſt endeavor to make good my promiſe. Now the laſt thing is, how it comes to paſſe, for I have as in reference to the Doctrine you heard, That ſpirituall men are ſwayed 3. How it comes that Saints are guided by ſpirituall reaſon.with ſpirituall reaſons. How comes it to paſſe that they are enabled ſo to reaſon, and to be ſo guided by ſuch Reaſons.
Beloved, in generall, certainly it is only by the ſame ſpirit of God, for I muſt advance the ſpirit ſtill. Not in oppoſition to the Scriptures, miſtake me not, for the ſpirit takes of the things of By the ſpirit.Chriſt, and in the Scriptures, ſheweth you them; but it is the Spirits teaching you. And therefore it is ſaid they are after the ſpirit that doe mind ſpirituall things, becauſe it is the ſpirit that doth worke them to mind ſpirituall things, yee would never mind ſpirituall things elſe. All the Learning in the World, and all the wit in the World, will never teach a man to make one ſincere argument, to doe good, or draw him from evill.
But you will ſay, how doth the Spirit doe this?
Beloved, I told you heretofore that I doe not approove of thoſe that doe endeavour to ſhew you too particularly and disbiaſtly, how the ſpirit of God works in the ſoule, as many men have done, and many a godly man, but they have loſt much time, and have puzelled the ſoules of poore people, for thou knoweſt not how a Child is formed in the VVombe, how his eye is made, and how his Noſe is made. And how are we able to diſcover how the Spirit of God works grace in the ſoule, which ordinarily is done that he doth this firſt, and then that, and will not doe this, untill he hath done that, which hath brought forth a deale of curioſitie and needleſſe diſtinctions troubling the People of God.
But I will give you ſome particulars how he doth it. The wayes whereby he doth it, without curioſitie, not ſaying he doth this firſt, or that firſt.
He doth it by a Creation, by ſpirituall Creation, 1. By a creation.he doth make a Caeation in the ſoule, which is called the new man.
Thou that art there now ſitting in the Pew, that creature, that old creature cannot reach the ſpirit of God. It cannot be mended, for we have hearts of stone, that will not be cobled nor mended, but taken out wholly: our natures are ſo naught that they cannot be mended: but God comes, and by his Holy ſpirit makes a new Creature in the ſoule,
As man is ſaid to be a man and hath not his denomination from the groſſer part, as his Legs, or the like; but from the more noble part, his ſoule, and his mind, for where as in one place it is ſaid, What will it availe a man, to get the World and looſe his ſoule; in another it is looſe himſelfe: So as my ſoule is my ſelfe. So there is an old man not according to outward age, but according to the inward. Now he makes thee a new creature, not New legs, and hands, but new mind, new affections, and new powers in thy ſoule.
Now moſt people ſay, that the Lord doth infuſe new qualities into the ſoule, that whereas thou haſt an under standing and it is rotten, and all is full of bad qualities, thou ſhalt have new qualities, thou ſhalt have an under standing that will mind More then new qualities in Saints.Heavenly things. Beloved, that is true, but I very much doubt whiter there be not ſomething more, becauſe the Lord calls it a man, and we never Reade in the Scripture where he will worke new qualities; but a new man. We are created a new Creature. Now that is the way, and therefore if ever thou wilt be a ſpirituall man, thou muſt have the Lord to make thee a new creature. Now the Saints heretofore (pray underſtand me) did not looke upon things as we doe, we have had ſo many falſe diſtinctions, and ſubdiſtinctions: we have not the ſame notions, and diſtinctions they had. They alwayes looked upon rhe inward man, or the new craature. Now we looke without, ſaith Paul, my inward man gaineth dayly. If any man be in Chriſt he is a new Creature.
Beloved, that ye may underſtand this, beare with me a little, I doe find in the Scripture that a man is made a Saint, made ſpirituall, and holy, two wayes.
One is by renewing a man to that which he was in Old Adam.
Secondly, by creating things in him that were never there before. And we have theſe two expreſſions A Saint made ſpirituall, howin Scripture. Be renewed in the ſpirit of your mind, and created unto good works. So that a Saint he is made up unto that condition two wayes. Either God hath renewed in him thoſe things he had in Adam. Or elſe God hath created in him, that which was never there before. As for inſtance, God revealeth in him Sobrietie, and continuance, and the like. Theſe things were in Adam, and now when a man is made a Saint, they are renewed only upon a new Foundation. And withall the Lord creates ſome things that were never in Adam; as for inſtance, he creates faith there, that is, the the faith of the Goſpell: There was a faith in Adam without doubt; but that faith of the Goſpell, to beleive in another, to renounce his owne righteouſneſſe, this was not in Adam, becauſe it was pointblanke contrary to his owne condition, for he was to have righteouſneſſe in himſelfe, and to renounce it was contrary to his condition. Now God Creates ſuch a faith in us.
And Beloved, there is another thing and it may be there are many things more. I have had many thoughts of it with ſubmiſſion to the godly, and wiſe, I thinke that Goſpell-goodneſſe, is a peice of the new man, which was not in Adam; Some thing in Saints that was not in Adam.as to doe good to Enemies, to love them that hate us; to give drinke to a thirſtie Enemy; When one is wicked, and ungodly, and doth deale deſpightfully with us, as Chriſt ſaith, then to doe him good; and bleſſe when he curſeth, and pray for him that injureth us. Beloved, this is Goſpell goodneſſe. I have had many thoughts of it, had I time to proove that this Goſpell goodneſſe is a peice of the new Creature, that was not in old Adam.
There was goodneſſe in Adam, but not this; as for inſtance, there are diverſe things we find among Profeſſors that in the laſt day will be found to be nothing but the Old Adam, but Iſhmaells, that are humbled to the height, and ye ſhall ſee in them a great deale of diligence in Gods ſervice, but where will you finde a Profeſſor, one of 500. and I ſpeake with the leaſt, that you may clearly reade Goſpell goodneſſe in him; that you may ſay, younder is a man, that if you curſe him, he will love you, and if you doe him hurt, and that deſpitefully, he will pray for you. It is an eaſie thing to kindle a brand that hath been once lighted, to doe that which Adam did, but to doe this is a higher matter.
As man was created after the Image of God: ſo the Creatures (in a ſort) were created after the Image of man: Now as in Creatures, in a Dogg there is love and the like. But where is there a Creature that if you doe him miſchiefe, will not endeavour to doe you the like againe, or at leaſt wiſe runne away.
But where is a piece in the Old creation that doth l…ve his enemies. And whereas it is ſaid, Adam was created after the image of God, and God loves his enmies. I anſwer, God then in that Covenant was not in a diſpoſition to love his enemies, but to hate his enemies, and ſinners, and curſe them, and damne them; but now in Jeſus Chriſt he loves his Enemies, and therefore according to his minde, he revealed to Adam, it was not ſo; and many other reaſons I had, but this I preſent to you with ſubmiſſion, I doe not ſpeake curioſities, but I finde and ſee very little of this, ſcarcely any; there was a candid goodneſſe in the primitive Church, which is not now to be: which is not now to be found; now nothing but biting, and teareing, and devouring one another, well there is one word, he doth it by a ſpirituall Creation.2. By ſpirituall illumination.
Then Secondly, he brings the ſoule to this way of ſpirituall reaſoning, by ſpirituall illumination, he created faculties before, and now he caſteth in light as he did in the old creation; you know he made Heaven and Earth in the lumpe, and then ſaid let there be light.
Now that is the reaſon when the Goſpell is Preched, and there is the ſpirit of God going with the Word, and thou are darke, and canſt not receive this light; the new creature is not framed in thee, if thou haſt no eyes, thou canſt not ſee, and if a man have eyes, he cannot ſee in a darke roome. Now when the new man is made, then the Lord ſends in light, and it is not every light, for there are many lights, a blind man (as it were) hath an Hypocrite hath them: but it is a powerfull light that God Saints have a powerfull light.puts in, for we doe finde that there is a kinde of light in Hypocrites; but yet there is not power in them, there is not light to bring them to ſuch kinde of reaſoning, as will bring them to any good or from any evill, they will talke of drunkneſſe, and Whoredome, and the like, but have not power to bring them off from any of theſe things: Indeed a Saint may be overcome of his luſts that warre in his Members, but there is a law in his mind…, that is, there is a light that is like unto a Law, that hath power in it, that he ſeeth Chriſt doing them away. I am ſorry I have not time to open this unto you farther, but remember it.
Thirdly, the Lord will doe it by ſuggeſtion, that is, the ſpirit of God puts light into the ſoule, he puts a meaſure of light to dwell in every new creature, and that powerfully. But becauſe the way of of the Saints are ſo darke in this World, and thorow ſo much difficulty, the ſpirit of God prompts a Saint allwayes, when he is at a loſs. As among Schollers, we ſhall ſee, ſomtimes a man is almoſt borne downe, and then another giveth him an Argument, or diſtinction to helpe him, and then he carries it: and ſo the fleſh hath reaſons and arguments as we are going along, and now though there be a meaſure of light, a ſtock of light dwelling in us, yet we are nonpluſſed by the fleſh, and then the ſpirit of God ſuggeſteth ſomwhat to us, and we are carried thorow, as you have it in, Mat. 20. When you are brought before Governours, it is not you that ſpeake, but the ſpirit of God that prompteth you.
Fourthly, the ſpirit doth it by Conviction, that 4. By convictionis another way, we have it, Joh. 16. Saith Chriſt, when I goe, I will ſend my ſpirit, and my ſpirit ſhall convince the World of ſin; reproove you have it, he ſhall convince the World, of ſin, of righteouſneſſe, & judgement. The word ſignifies, when he ſaith the ſpirit will convince, that is, by way of Argument, the meaning is, that in every carnall mans heart, there are arguments againſt faith, and for his owne deſtruction, and ſtrong ones too And when we Preach to you, ye bring reaſon againſt reaſon, and ſo goe away unconvinced, unconverted: but the ſpirit will ronvince you, that is, he will bring ſuch strong arguments (as Doctor PRESTON ſaith) from Heaven, that will convince you. As when a ſtronger man commeth, he diſarmeth the other: as before we thought godlineſſe nothing but Hereſie, and Puritanſme, and the like; but now the ſpirit convinceth you, you ſee this is the only way, and out of this way I ſhall never ſee God, and the like.
Another way I find the ſpirit doth it by, is, by 5. By commemoration.commemoration, by minding us of what we have heard, or ſomthing we have knowne before; it is our remembrance. Therefore ſaith Chriſt, I will ſend my ſpirit, and he ſhall bring to your remembrance, what you have heard, not that you ſhall remember a whole Sermon, and Repeate it every word; but thus it is, he will either ſuggeſt thoughts, Nenever had before, or bring to our remembrance, a word we have heard of ſuch a Preacher, in ſuch a place, or Read in ſuch a place, or thought in ſuch a walke, or the like: and ſo ſetteth on, and carrieth on the worke.
And he doth it by conſolation, he is the Comforter, 6. By conſolation.the conſolation of the ſpirit. Beloved, this is certaine, that ye know trouble of mind exceedingly hinders the acts of reaſon. That's the reaſon men are madd, becauſe ſome fumes riſe up in the braine and trouble the mind, that they cannot reaſon, but are madd. Beloved our troubles of mind, and ſoule, they are like fumes that come up into the braine and distract us. A ſpirituall man is many times, as it were, a diſtracted man; there are ſo many fumes, ſuch horrour and guilt; that he is almoſt ſtarck mad; he can talke of naturall things, but in ſpirituall things he is, as it were, mad; the Chaine of ſpirituall reaſon is broken, and now the ſpirit is the Comforter, and he quiets the ſpirits: and when a man is in a quiet temper, the diſeaſe is gone and reaſon comes into the mind, and as the Philoſopher ſaid, ye know in naturall things, a man can reaſon when he is not troubled, ſo is it in the ſpirituall.
Another way is by ſanctification, by the ſpirit, 7. By ſanctification.hee is the ſpirit of Sanctification, it makes the ſoule holy it takes away luſt, and ſin from the ſoule. This I find in Mat. 6. 22. 23. I would open that place, but cannot, therefore pray conſider it: ſaith Chriſt, the light of the body is the eye, if therefore thy eye be ſingle, thy whole body ſhall be full of light. He doth oppoſe ſingleneſse unto evill, if thy eye be ſingle, that is, if thy eye be purged from all guile, that there is no ſin there, not when a man hath one eye to God, and the other to ſin, to the World. But if thy eye be evill, that is ſinfull, then thy whole body is full of darkneſſe. Therefore bleſſed are the pure in heart for they ſhall ſee God.
Well Laſtly, there is another way, there are 8. By excerciſing.diverſe more, but I will name but one more. And that is, the ſpirit of God doth teach the Saints thus to reaſon, by excerciſing, that is, helpeth them to excerciſe and improove that light that they have. There is a little light, naturall light, and there is a kind of ſpirituall light that an Hypocrite hath: but the ſpirit of God doth not helpe him to improove that light, and therefore that light dyeth, he blowes not up the ſire, you know men come to reaſon, by reaſoning, and excerciſe of reaſon makes men rationall, I mean makes them know how to reaſon. Now Hypocrites doe not thus, as you may ſee. Rom. 1. There they knew God, and becauſe they glorified him not as God, they became vaine in their imaginations, or in their reaſonings, as it is in the Originall, God gave them up to a reprobate mind, becauſe they glorified not God.
Beloved, I have three or foure uſes but I feare Uſe. The Fountaine of all good and evill in the ſoule.I ſhall not reach them all, I am overloath to tire you and my ſelfe. Therefore I will conclude with one word, and that is this. That from hence, from this that hath been ſaid, you may ſee what is the Fountaine of all goodneſſe, and of all evill in the ſoule.
Of all good as I have at large lookt upon it, but 1. Of good.can but touch: take any good, and you ſhall ſee it is carried on by ſpirituall reaſoning, as take faith Abraham reaſoned, he that gave him a Sonne at a hundred yeares old, could raiſe him up againe. Take your conſolation it comes out by ſpirituall reaſoning, take Paul and Silas, they were in Priſon, and ready to be brought out the next day to die, now one would thinke they were madd there to ſing, but they did it upon ſpirituall reaſons, for they accounted themſelves bleſſed to ſuffer for Chriſt, and if they die they ſhall then be with Chriſt,—for hating of evill you ſhall ſee whence is it as pulling out the right eye, or cutting off the right hand; that is one would thinke, a moſt unreaſonable thing; but Chriſt giveth a reaſon for it, It is better to goe into Heaven, it is better to enter into life halt or maimed, rather then having two hands, or two feete to he caſt into everlaſting fire. So a Saint can reaſon ſpiricually, and thus he loves the Saints, and hates ſin, and denieth himſelfe, and performeth every dutie, he ſo reaſoneth that it is the bleſſed will of God he ſhould doe it.2. Evill.
And ſo for evill; whence comes ſin, from the vanitie of the mind whence comes perſecution, they thinke they doe God good ſervice. There is reaſon, it is a good thing to ſuppreſſe theſe Schiſmatiques ſay ſome, and to have Conformitie and be all of one mind, and to baniſh them and let them all goe, whence is this? it is either from corrupt or naturall reaſon. And ſo when men heare the Word of God, and forget it, they like it well; as a man doth, that ſees his face in a glaſs: but they goe away, and forget it, and whence is it? why James tells you, Deceive not your ſelves. Deceiving your ſelves; the word in the Originall is, by falſe reaſonings. A man heares the Word, and thinks ſurely I am in this evill condition, and I am out of the way, and I muſt looke after Chriſt, and the like. But afterwards, comes naturall reaſon, ſaying, theſe are but new denies, and what is become of our Fathers, and the like? Beloved, all good is carried into the ſoule upon the wings of ſpirituall reaſon, and all evill upon naturall and corrupt reaſon, and therefore I conclude all, beſeeching you that you would ſtudie and endeavour to get up your ſoules, To labour to be ſwayed by ſpirituall reaſoning.and your converſations accordingly to be ſwayed, and carried on by a ſpirituall mind, by ſpirituall reaſoning, for here we ſpeake of your Conſciences, not of your lives ſo much, as of your hearts, and minds. And that you may ſo doe, take the motive which followes in the Text, which I did purpoſe, had God given me ſtrength, and time to open but take it in the groſs.
For to be carnally minded is death, but to be ſpiritually minded, is life and peace.
Be perſwaded to goe home and pray the Lord to create this in you, yea and enlighten you, For to be carnally minded is death, but to be ſpiritually minded is life and peace.
Two things I have here to ſay; To be carnally Carnall reaſoning brings death.minded is death, you muſt expound it by the other that oppoſeth it; its contrary to life and peace, it is death and trouble, and the other is life and peace. Death and trouble, if thou wilt be a carnal man, and go on ſo, there is nothing in all thy courſe but death and trouble; that is, there is death at the end of it. Remember that the end of thy Journey is death. Remember as the Apoſtle ſaith, Phil. 3. they minde earthly things,, and I write weeping that there end is deſtruction. It is a fine thing to be carried all our life long, from one carnall thing to another, and provide for my Honour, and wealth, and preferment, and the like; and doe this and that good action upon carnall reaſons, and with a carnall eye, but God hath put a ſad end to it, it is Death.Spirituall reaſoning life.
And now the other it is life, it is eternall life though it be rough for me every day to diſpute with my carnall heart, and not only carry on good, but deny my ſelfe in good, upon ſpirituall reaſon, this is a warrefare, but the end is life, and it is peace too.
This is a hard worke you will ſay, and therefore we will take the eaſieſt and ſmalleſt worke.
Beloved, I ſay there is more eaſe, and ſweetneſſe, and contentedneſſe, in going on in the wayes of God ſpiritually, upon ſpirituall reaſons an hundred fold, than in the other; for the other will be rough, and God hath caſt it ſo, God hath put a curſe upon all Old Adam, he curſeth it with death, and therefore he muſt dye that walks carnally, and that is the reaſon all your naturall thoughts and actions are ſo bitter; God hath curſed them, they muſt dye, and now all the wayes of Holineſse, have enough to induce thee to endeavour to walke holily: as one ſaith, the gleanings of the Saints, are better than the harveſt of the wicked men, if there were no Hell nor Heaven hereafter, but only the wicked to have the pleaſures of ſinne here, and the Saints to have the conſolations of the Spirit dwelling in them, it is more an hundred fold; the one is nothing but crackling of Thornes under a Pot, and the end is ſmoake, and ſtinke, and the other is ſweet here, and in the end bleſsed eternally; if it were not, ſuppoſe though the way to Heaven be bitter here, yet it is ſweet in the End; and the way of the world ſweet here, and bitter in the end, yet you ſhould chooſe holineſſe; as a Philoſopher ſaid, if a man were to take a bitter and ſweet thing, which were he beſt to take firſt? ſaith he to take the ſower or the evill firſt; and the ſweet for the hope of the good to come, will ſweeten the preſent evill: but when a man hath the good firſt, the feare of the evill to come will marre al; but therefore ſeeing there is a reward in the way, in Holineſſe as well as in the end, for holineſſe, it ſhould move us to labour after holineſſe.