Sermons Preached on Romans 8, Chapter 8
Rom. 8.2.
Reader, the Contents of this Chapter were inſiſted upon only in the cloſe of a Sermon; I having under the former Head (the Law of Sin) exceeded the bounds allowed by the Preſs, cannot upon this Head (the Law of Death) make any conſiderable enlargement.—From the Law of Sin and [Death].
CHAP. VIII.
Of the Law of Death. The connexion 'twixt Sin and Death. Where 'tis the Law of Sin there 'tis the Law of Death. Regenerate perſons are made free from this Law: that opened with reſpect to Death temporal and Death eternal. Ʋſe 1. Men perſuaded to believe that Sin and Death go together; dehorted from thence not to ſin. Ʋſe 2. Of the happineſs of Gods people.
Of the Law of Death.THe Apoſtle here ſets a twofold Law before us, the Law of Sin and the Law of Death; the former I have been large upon, the latter I muſt diſpatch in a few words.
—[And Death]: The word Law is not repeated, but (according to that interpretation which ſome put upon the Words) 'tis to be*Ut Lex ad utrumque ex aequo referatur. Eraſm. Of the twofold Senſe of the Words. repeated; 'tis the Law of Sin, and 'tis the Law of Death too: as if the Apoſtle had ſaid The Law, &c. hath made me free both from the Law of Sin, and alſo from the Law of Death.
In the*See pag. 152. opening of them I told you there is a twofold Senſe given of them: (1.) Some tell us there is in them the Figure foreign, wherein one thing is ſet forth by two words: therefore they render this [and Death] as being onelyonly an Adjective or Epethite of Sin; thus, the Law &c. from the Law of Sin and Death, that is, from deadly Sin, or from the Law of Sin which is of a deadly nature. (2.) Others take the word ſubſtantivè, making the Law of Death to be a Law by it ſelf as well as the Law of Sin; as if this Death was not to be melted into Sin, and the deliverance from it into the deliverance from Sin, but that they are diſtinct things and point to diſtinct deliverances.
Now both of theſe Senſes are very true and good, and indeed I know not which to prefer. From the Firſt, The Matter contained in them.one ſingle point offers it ſelf to us, viz. That Sin is a deadly thing: From the Second, theſe three (which mutatis mutandis perfectly anſwer to the three former under the Law of Sin);
1. That men by Nature, and before Regeneration, are under the Law of Death.
2. That upon Regeneration (or ſuch as are Regenerate) are made free from the Law of Death.
3. That 'tis the Law of the Spirit of Life which frees from the Law of Death.
The due handling of theſe Heads would take up a great deal of time; but I having already ſtaid too long upon this Verſe, and upon ſome other Conſiderations, I am neceſſitated to contract; and therefore (for the better ſhortning of the work) I muſt pitch upon another method, wherein I may draw all into a narrow compaſs.
Three things abſerv'd in the Words. That Sin and Death go together.Three things onelyonly ſhall be obſerv'd:
1. That Sin and Death go hand in hand together. There's an inſeperable connexion or conjunction betwixt them; they come here in the Text very near each to the other, there's but an [and] betwixt them, and that too is copulative, the Law of Sin and Death. And well might the Apoſtle put them together, when God himſelf in the methods of his Juſtice, and in the threatning of his Law hath ſo put them together, (and ſurely what he hath ſo joyn'd no man can put aſunder). When Sin came into the world Death came along with it, the one trod upon the heels of the other; if man will ſin, he ſhall dye. Rom. 5.12. Wherefore as by one man Sin entred into the world, and [Death by Sin], even ſo Death paſſed upon all men, for that all have ſinned:—Ver. 17. For if by one mans offence, Death reigned by one, &c. (here's Death and the Law of Death too; by Sin it hath got a power over men ſo as to reign over them). Had there been no Sin there had been no Death: if man had continued in his ſinleſs and innocent ſtate, he might have been*Vide Grot. de Sat. c. 1. p. 18. mortal (i. e.) under a poſſe mori, (he being but a Creature and made up of contrary principles); but he had not actually dyed, much leſs had he been under a neceſſity of dying if he had not ſinn'd. Death did not come into the world upon Gods meer dominion and Soveraignty, or meerly upon the frailty of the humane Nature (as Pelagians of old and(a)Mors non erat poena vel effectus tranſgreſſionis Adami; ſed conditionis naturalis conſequens. Socin, de Statu primi hominis. Vide Praelect. Cap. 1. & contra Paccium Cap. 5. Socinians of late aſſert); but as the(b)Calov. Soc. Proſt. p. 250. Hoorn. Soc. conf. vol. 1 l. 3. c. 4. p. 583, &c. Franz. Scho Sacr. Diſp. 1. p. 7. fruit and punniſhment of Sin. Immortality was a part of(c)Molin. Enod. Grav. Qu. de ſtatu Innoc. Tract. 3. p. 62. Gerhard: Loc. Com. de Imag &c. t. 1. c. 4. p. 199. Z…em. de Imag. &c. c. 8. Art. 2. Moret…n's threefold ſtate of man, p. 1. c. 2. p. 35. Gods Image at firſt imprinted upon man; that image being defac'd, mortality took place. You know in Gods dealing with our firſt Parents, how he back'd his Command (or Prohibition) with the threatning of death; Gen. 2.17. Of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou ſhalt not eat of it; for in the day thou eateſt thereof, thou ſhalt ſurely dye: they diſobeyed this moſt equitable Commandment, and thereby brought death both upon themſelves (Gen. 3.19), and alſo upon all their poſterity. Beſides the guilt of this Sin (made over to all mankind by imputation), there is mens perſonal ſin (habitual and actual) which renders them yet more obnoxious unto death; and that too not onelyonly to temporal but alſo to eternal death: Rom. 6.21. the end of thoſe things is death; (v. 23.) the wages of ſin is death: The Apoſtle in James 1.14.15. treats of the firſt and laſt of Sin, ſhows where it begins and where it ends, ſets down its riſe, progreſs, and final iſſue; But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own luſt, and enticed; Then when luſt hath conceived it bringeth forth ſin, and ſin when it is finiſhed [it bringeth forth death]: (Sin is the iſſue of Luſt, and Death is the iſſue of Sin). So that our Apoſtle here in the Text might upon very good grounds link and couple Sin and Death.
Where 'tis the Law of Sin there 'tis the Law of Death.2. Obſerve, that 'tis the Law of Sin and the Law of Death which is here coupled together: ſo that where 'tis the Law of Sin there (and there only) 'tis the Law of Death. When Sin is reigning and commanding then 'tis ruining and condemning; 'tis the power of Sin that expoſes to the power of death. Rom. 6.16. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield your ſelves ſervants to obey, his ſervants ye are to whom ye obey, whether [of ſin unto death], or of obedience unto righteouſneſs? 'Tis true every ſin in its own nature deſerves death, the Scripture knows no ſuch thing as venial ſin, it being judge all and every ſin is mortal: indeed as to event the Apoſtle ſaith there is a Sin not unto death 1 Joh. 5.17. but as to merit every Sin (be it what it will) deſerves death: Yet God is ſo gracious as that Sin ſhall not condemn and end in death where it doth not command. 'Pray mark it, how in the words the Law of the Spirit is join'd with Life, and the Law of Sin with Death; as where the power of the Spirit is there is Life, ſo where the power of Sin is there is Death. I know the Death in the latter Clauſe doth not carry a direct oppoſition to the Life in the former; for the Life there referring to Grace and Regeneration and not to Glory hereafter, the Death, which refers to eternal Condemnation and the miſery of the future ſtate, cannot be look'd upon as directly oppoſite to that Life; yet there is a truth in the Parallel: As upon the Law of the Spirit there is Life (ſpiritual and eternal), ſo upon the Law of Sin there is 'Death (ſpiritual and eternal too). Further I know there is a great diſparity betwixt the Spirits working Life, and Sins working Death; the Law of the Spirit works Life in the way of proper Efficiency and Cauſality, the Law of Sin works Death only in a final, conſequential, meritorious way; yet here alſo we may ſpeak by way of Parallel: as the power of the Spirit works Life in its way, ſo the power of Sin works Death too in its way. (That which I drive at is very plain if I be ſo happy as to expreſs my ſelf clearly about it).
Regenerate perſons are made free from the Law of Death.3. Obſerve, that ſuch who are brought under the power of the regenerating Spirit, they are made free from the Law of Death. This was Paul's happineſs here laid down, and 'tis the ſame to all that are regenerate; the proof of which I need not inſiſt upon: for this deliverance undeniably follows from the former; they who are made free from the Law of Sin, by that Grace are alſo made free from the Law of Death, it being the Law of Sin which ſubjects the Creature to the Law of Death. The power (or right) of Death ſtands or falls by the power of Sin; ſo that if the perſon be freed from the latter (as you have heard every regenerate perſon is), it certainly follows in the courſe and methods of Gods Grace, that every ſuch perſon ſhall be freed from the former too: for the Law of Death is penal, or the effect of the Law of Sin, now take away the Cauſe and the Effect ceaſes.
Queſt. How is this to be underſtood?But a little explication will be neceſſary. How may Regenerate Perſons be ſaid to be made free from the Law of Death?
For anſwer to this,Anſw. you know Death is either temporal or eternal; (I do not inſtance in ſpiritual Death, becauſe though 'tis very true that the Saints upon the Law of the Spirit are made free from this Death, yet I conceive that is not ſo much intended here): the former lies in the ſeparation of the Soul from the Body for a time, the latter in the everlaſting ſeparation of both Soul and Body from the love and favour and preſence of God. This ſeparation from God is the death of this Death (or that wherein it mainly conſiſts); hence though it doth not carry in it any annihilation, yea though it be attended with a kind of Life (both Soul and Body retaining their phyſical being, exiſtence, and union); yet 'tis called Death, becauſe there is in it a ſeparation from the fountain of true Life and of all bleſſedneſs: upon which account 'tis not only Death but the worſt Death; and this too is the worſt part of this worſt Death, for though there be more included in it than the loſs of Gods preſence, (viz. the punniſhment of ſenſe, eternal torment in Hell-fire), yet it might eaſily be prov'd that herein lies its greateſt evil; theMat. 25.41. departing from God is worſe than the going into everlaſting fire. But to apply this diſtinction to the buſineſs in hand!
How Believers are made free from the Law of temporal death.1. The Law of the Spirit of Life frees the Regenerate from death temporal. Not ſimply and abſolutely, from death conſidered abſtractly and in it-ſelf, for ſo all muſt dye; Believers themſelves are within the compaſs of the general Statute Heb. 9.27. It is appointed unto men once to dye; Pſal. 89.48. What man is he that liveth, and ſhall not ſee death? ſhall he deliver his ſoul from the hand of the grave? but it frees from death as ſo qualified and ſo circumſtantiated; in the language of the Text it frees from the Law of Death: How's that? why, take a gracious man Death hath not a full right or an abſolute power over him, ſo as to keep him under its dominion forever, (for ſo I ſhow'd you ſome open this Law of Death). Such an one may dye but he ſhall live again, the grave ſhall not always hold him, he may be thrown into priſon for a time but Chriſt will fetch him out; and then death ſhall never again exerciſe its power over him, after he hath died once he ſhall dye no more (as 'tis ſaid of Chriſt Rom. 6.9.) Again, Grace frees from the Law of this Death, (that is) from the hurtfulneſs, ſting, and curſe of it: Death carries much of a curſe in it, 'tis the reſult and fruit of the primitive *Gen. 2.17.curſe: now in this notion ſanctified perſons are freed from it. The nature and property of death is altered to a godly man; to him 'tis now but the paying of that debt or tribute which is due to Nature, but a(a)1. Theſ. 4.14. ſleep, but a(b)Job 14.14. change, but a(c)Luk. 2.29. departure or going out of priſon, but a(d)If. 57.2. going to bed, but an(e)2 Cor. 5.4. uncloathing, but a paſſage into an endleſs and everlaſting life, an inlet into the immediate fruition of God. O (ſet but ſenſe aſide) what an harmleſs, innocent thing is this death to ſuch a perſon! the Lion being ſlain (by Chriſt) there's hony now in the belly of it, (I allude to that of Sampſon Judg. 14.8.) 1 Cor. 15.55. O death, where is thy ſting? ô grave, where is thy victory? The ſting of death is ſin, and the ſtrength of ſin is the Law; but thanks be to God, which give thus the victory through our Lord Jeſus Chriſt. Chriſt by death hath overcome death, unſtung it and taken off its hurtful quality; by dying himſelf he hath expiated Sin, vanquiſhed Satan, atoned God, ſatisfied the Law, ſecured from Hell, purchaſed eternal life; and (theſe things being done) where is now the Law of Death? Heb 2.14, 15 Foraſmuch then as the children are partakers of fleſh and blood, he alſo himſelf likewiſe took part of the ſame, that through death he might deſtroy him that had the power of death, that is the Devil: And deliver them, who through fear of d…ath were all their life time ſubject to bondage.
How from the Law of eternal death.2. There is that death which is much worſe than this, (viz.) eternal death; that which indeed is the death incomparably ſurpaſſing any other: as no life like to eternal life ſo no death like to eternal death. To have the Body ſeparated for a while from the Soul is a thing to Nature very dreadful, but what is that to the ſeparation both of Body and Soul from God forever? This is ſometimes ſet forth by Death without the addition of any Epethite, as Joh. 8.51. If a man keep my ſayings he ſhall never ſee death; Rom. 6.23.—8.6. (& paſſim): Sometimes by the ſecond death; and 'tis ſo ſtiled becauſe it ſucceeds upon and doth not commence till after the firſt death: Rev. 2.11. He that overcometh ſhall not be hurt of the ſecond death: Rev, 20.6.—21.4. This is that death which the*Sicut is qui liberatur a Lege Spiritus vitae, permanet in Chriſto qui eſt vita; ita qui ſervit Lege peccati permanet in morte, quae venit ex damnatione peccati. Orig. unconverted and impenitent are obnoxious unto, but ſuch as turn to God by true repentance and live and holy life they are freed from it: And this deliverance is abſolute; the former was but in ſuch a qualified ſenſe, but this (I ſay) is abſolute. Even ſuch may (and ſhall) dye the firſt death, but they ſhall never dye this ſecond death; Rom. 20.6. Bleſſed and holy is he that hath part in the firſt reſurrection, on ſuch the ſecond death hath no power: You read of the aboliſhing of this death by Chriſt 2 Tim. 1.10. eternal death is quite aboliſhed to all regenerate perſons. But this very much falls in with the No-condemnation in the foregoing Verſe; of which having there ſaid enough I'le add nothing more.
ƲSE 1. Men exhorted to live in the belief of this, that 'tis Sin and Death.By way of Ʋſe, 1. I would exhort you all to live in the ſteady belief of this, and often to revive it upon your thoughts that 'tis Sin and Death. Eſpecially when at any time Satan and your own hearts ſollicit and tempt you to ſin, be ſure then you think of this, ſo as to retort it upon the temptation ſpeedily; what? ſhall I ſin and dye? ſhall I for the pleaſures, delights, ſatisfaction of ſin which are but*Heb. 11.25. for a ſeaſon expoſe my ſelf to death? yea, to eternal death? no, that I dare not, that I muſt not do. 'Tis good to break the force of a temptation by ſuch reaſonings as theſe; for though ('tis true) the great reſtraints from ſin ſhould be taken from the love of God, the fear of offending God, &c. yet it's good (and God allows it) to take in the advantage of ſelf-love too, and the fear of ſelf-deſtroying. Surely if men did indeed believe or did nor ſtrangely ſmother and ſuppreſs all ſerious convictions about this, that 'tis ſin and death, they durſt not ſin as they do. Where's the man, let him be never ſo thirſty or let the draught be never ſo alluring, that would venture upon it ſhould he be told there's poyſon in it, and that if he drinks it he's a dead man? ô the ſtupendious folly, nay madneſs of men! we tell them from Gods own mouth there's death at the bottom of ſinful practiſes, and yet (becauſe theſe ſuit with and pleaſe their ſenſual part) they will venture upon them. The fear of temporal death to be inflicted by the Magiſtrate, keeps off many from thoſe enormous acts which otherwiſe they would commit; they dare not thus and thus tranſgreſs the Law (by ſtealing, killing, &c.) though they have a good mind to it, why? becauſe they know if they ſo do, they muſt dye: Ah Sinner! God backs his Laws with the penalty of eternal death, to which thou makeſt thy ſelf liable by the violation of them, and yet wilt thou dare to do it? ſhall the fear of this not at all reſtrain thee from what is evil? Here's the Devils cunning in his temptations, he preſents the bait but hides the hook, he tempts from and by the pleaſure, delight, contentment that is in ſin, but conceals the death that will follow upon it; nay, he doth not onelyonly conceal the evil threatned but (either in theſi or in hypotheſi) he flatly denies it: This lying Spirit will tell the Sinner he may ſin without danger, what? dye for it? no, there's no ſuch thing, thou ſhalt not dye: Thus he began in his firſt aſſault upon our firſt Parents, Gen. 3.4. And the ſerpent ſaid to the woman, ye ſhall not ſurely dye; and thus he doth with Sinners to this very day: He always ſharpens his temptations by blunting the edge of the Laws threatning, aſſuring the poor beſotted Creature that he may ſin and yet not dye. Now I beſeech you do not hearken to him or believe him, for he is what he always was a lyar, and ſo a murderer, Joh. 8.44. Let the temptation be never ſo inviting and alluring, yet 'pray conſider*2 Kings 4.40. death is in the pot, and therefore there is no meddling with it; let the enticements of Sin be never ſo ſpecious and plauſible, yet know nothing leſs than eternal death will inevitably follow upon it; and doth not the evil of that infinitely weigh down all the good which Sin promiſes? Sin is the falſeſt thing in all the world, its promiſes are very fair but its performances are quite contrary; it pretends to this and that (which takes with the Sinner exceedingly), but the very upſhot and end of all is everlaſting deſtruction: Suppoſe it be as good as its word (as to ſome temporal concerns), yet (alas) its good is ſoon over and gone, but its bad abides forever; the pleaſant taſte of its hony in the mouth is but ſhort, but its gall lies fretting in the bowels to all eternity: now what madneſs is it, for a man for a few minutes delight to run himſelf into everlaſting and endleſs torments! 'Tis one of the ſaddeſt things that is imaginable, that men do (and cannot but) know that 'tis Sin and Death; and yet in a ſt…nge defiance of God, and in a bold contemning of all that he threatens, yea even of eternal death it ſelf, they will venture upon Sin: Rom. 1.32. Who knowing the judgment of God, (that they which commit ſuch things are worthy of death) not onelyonly do the ſame, but have pleaſure in them that do them. But ſurely did they but know and conſider what this death is, they would not carry it thus; I cannot now enter upon any particular deſcription of it, onelyonly let me tell them what there is in it, the abſence of all good, the preſence of all evil; is not this enough? that (in ſhort) 'tis the ſummary and abridgment of all that miſery which the Humane Nature is capable of; and ſhould not ſuch a thing make a poor Creature tremble? As to this death the Sinner would fain dye, but cannot; he muſt live (though he be dead even whilſt he lives): at the*Mors prima pellit animam nolentem de corpore, mors ſecunda detinet animam nolentem in corpore. Aug. de Civit. Dei, l. 21. c. 3. firſt death the Body and Soul are loth to part, but in the ſecond death they would fain part if they might; but the juſt God will keep them together, that as they ſinn'd together ſo they ſhall ſuffer together. What a ſad meeting will there be 'twixt theſe two at the general Reſurrection? when they ſhall be reunited onelyonly in order to their being eternally miſerable? Now do not Sinners tremble at this? do they not dread that which will bring all this upon them? if not, what can we further ſay or do!
As to you (dearly Beloved) I hope you are not given up to a reprobate mind, to this deſperate hardneſs of heart to make nothing of dying eternally; 'pray therefore*Pſal. 4.4. ſtand in awe and ſin not, do not dare to live in that for which you muſt dye and periſh forever; let Sin dye that you may never dye, for it muſt be either its death or yours. If you live ſin you love death, and is death a thing to be lov'd? Prov. 8.36. He that ſinneth againſt me wrongeth his own Soul; all they that hate me love death. Methinks that's a very ſad deſcription of the carriage of the poor amorous Wanton under the enchantments of the whoriſh Woman; Prov. 7.21, 22, 23. With much fair ſpeech ſhe cauſed him to yield, with the flattering of her lips ſhe forced him. He goeth after her ſtraightway, as an oxe goeth to the ſlaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the ſtocks; Till a dart ſtrike thorow his liver, as a bird haſteth to the ſnare, and knoweth not that it is for his life. Sirs! will you carry it thus under Sins enchantments? not conſidering that it aims at your life and expoſes you to eternal death? A fool ſees but a little way, but a wiſe man looks to the iſſues and conſequences of things; you know what I mean. Simply to dye is not ſo much, but to dye eternally ô thats a formidable thing! as you would ſhun that, ſhun ſin for it… houſe is the way to Hell, going down to the chambers of death, Proverbs 7.27.
ƲSE 2. Comfort to all Regenerate Perſons.2. Let the people of God ſee their happineſs, and take the comfort of it. You that by the power of the regenerating. Spirit are made free from the Law of Sin, know that upon this you are alſo made free from the Law of death; ô precious and admirable mercy! what a cordial is this to revive you under all your faintings! As to temporal death you are not wholly exempted from it, that's common to you as well as to others; yet 'tis a quite other thing to you than what it is to others; ô whenever it ſhall come bid it welcome and do not*Non eſt formidandum quod liberat nos ab omni formidando. Tertull. Ejus eſt mortem timere, qui ad Chriſtum nollet ire. Cypr. fear it. For to you 'twill come without a ſting, and you know the Serpent that hath loſt its ſting may hiſs but cannot hurt; 'tis in it ſelf an enemy and the*1 Cor. 15.26. laſt enemy, but to you 'tis an harmleſs becauſe a conquer'd enemy; it may ſeem to threaten the greateſt evil but (in truth) it ſhall do you the greateſt good. But here lies your main happineſs you are wholly exempted from eternal death, the ſecond death; you ſhall dye but once and then live with God forever. 'Tis this ſecond death that makes the firſt to be ſo formidable; for a man to dye that he may live that's not at all dreadful; but to dye here in order to a worſer death hereafter there's the thing which is only dreadful. When death is but an inlet to eternal life, a departure to be*Phill. 1.23. with Chriſt, when there's no condemnation to follow after it, you may and you ſhould meet it with joy and holy triumph. And know, that to you it ſhall not be bare freedome from eternal death, but it ſhall alſo be the poſſeſſion of eternal life; there's very much in the privative part of the mercy, but when the poſitive part too is joined with it how high doth it riſe! ô admire and adore the Grace of God! The leaſt of your ſins deſerves death, the beſt of your duties doth not deſerve life; and yet you are freed from that which you ſo much deſerve, and ſhall be put into the poſſeſſion of that which you ſo little deſerve, here's the riches of the grace of God towards you. Sin and Death are the two*Peccatum & mors ſunt duae partes adaequatae humanae miſeriae; nam in culpâ & poenâ tota miſeria hominis conſiſtit. Streſo. comprehenſive evils, all evil is ſumm'd up in and under them, but you are freed from both; what reaſon have you to rejoice and to admire the Lords boundleſs goodneſs! ô the damned in hell (who are under this death and feel it,) what would they give to be freed from it? You through the merit of Chriſt and the power of the Spirit are made free from it, therefore you ſhould firſt be very thankeful and then very chearful. What great things hath the gracious God done for you! he hath delivered you from the Rule of ſin whilſt you live, from the hurt of death when you dye, have not you abundant cauſe of bleſſing and rejoicing? 'Twill not be long before this Death will look you in the face and lay its cold hands upon you; 'tis every minute making its nearer approaches to you, by every breath you draw it gets ground upon you: well! be not troubled at this you know the worſt on't; 'tis death but not damnation, 'tis the parting of the Soul from the Body but no parting of the Soul from God; 'tis but dying temporally that you may live eternally: how great is your happineſs! proportionable to which how great ſhould your thankefulneſs and holy joy be! (So much for this Verſe).