Sermons Volume 2, Romans 8 · Sermon 16
SERMON XVI.
ROM. VIII.13.
If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die.—
HERE is another Reason rendred why Christians should not live after the flesh; before, a debito; now a damno; or if you will take the whole Verse, you have the danger of the carnal life, and the benefit of the spiritual; both Propositions are hypothetical or conditional, both include perseverance in either course: The Apostle saith not, If you have lived after the flesh, ye shall die: All have lived after the flesh before they lived after the spirit; and in the other part, if ye go on to mortifie; in the one branch the doom is heavy death, not only temporal, but eternal; in the other the boon or benefit is as much as we can desire, and far more than we can ever deserve or requite; both have their use, for man is apt to be moved by hope or fear; if honesty and duty will not perswade us, yet danger and benefit may have an influence upon us.
Let us now consider the first clause, where death is propounded as the necessary consequent of carnal living; we need not only milk, but salt; as milk to nourish the new creature, so salt to fret out the corruption of the old man: A sore penalty is threatned to them that fulfil the desires and inclinations of the flesh; we buy carnal delights at too dear a rate, when we must die eternally to enjoy them.
Doct. That God threatneth those that live after the flesh, with eternal death and destructiion.
I shall speak to this Point.
1. By way of Explication.
2. By way of Confirmation.
In the Explication I shall shew you,
1. What is meant by flesh.
2. What by living after the flesh.
3. What is the death threatned.
2. By way of Confirmation. 1. That this threatning is every way consistent with the Wisdom, and Goodness of God. Secondly, The certainty of its being accomplished and fulfilled.
First, by way of Explication. 1. What is meant by flesh.
1. The flesh is sometimes taken for the natural bodily substance, that corporeal mass we carry about us: so 'tis said, No man ever hated his own flesh, but nourisheth it, and cherisheth it, Eph. 5.29. The body is a part of us, and deserveth due care, that it might be an holy Temple for the Spirit to dwell in, and sanctifie, and make use of it for God.
2. For corruption of nature, which inclineth us wholly to things grateful to the body and bodily life, with the neglect of God, and our precious immortal souls, John 3.6. That which is born of flesh, is flesh: Now flesh in this latter sense is taken,
1. Largely.
2. Strictly.
First, Largely, For the whole dunghil of Corruption, in whatever faculty it is seated, in the Understanding, Will, or rational Appetite; so Gal. 5.17. The flesh lusteth against the spirit; that is, corrupt nature.
2. Strictly, Or in a limited sense, for the corruption of the sensual Appetite, 1 John 2.16. All that is in the world is either the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, or pride of life. Sensuality is expressed by the lust of the flesh; and Eph. 2.3. Fulfilling the wills of the flesh, and of the mind. As 'tis taken more generally for natural corruption, both in Will, Mind, and Affections; so more particularly for the disorder of the sensual Appetite, which carrieth us to Meats, Drinks, Riches, Pleasures, Honours; therefore there are two Branches, foreign. Flesh must not be confined to this latter sense, but taken in the latitude of the former; we read of foreign, The wisdom of the flesh, Rom. 8.7. and of a fleshly mind, Col. 2.18. Man is a corrupt carnal creature in all his faculties of the soul, even those which are more noble, the Understanding and Will; and when the Apostle reckoneth up the works of the flesh, Gal. 5.19. He doth not only reckon up Fornication, and Adultery, Uncleanness, Wantonness, which belong to the sensual Appetite; but Idolatry, and Heresie, which are the fruits of blind and corrupt Reason; and Witchcraft, Hatred, Variance, Emulations, Wrath, Strife, Sedition, Envyings, Murther, which belong to the depraved Will; we must take flesh then in the largest sense.
Secondly, What it is to live after the flesh. Living doth not note one single action, but the trade, course, and strain of our conversations; they are said to live after the flesh, where the flesh is their principle, their work, and their scope.
1. Where it is the governing principle, or that spring which sets all the Wheels a going. Once it was thus with us all; we were wholly acted by the inclinations and desires of the flesh, and did nothing but what the flesh moved us unto, and therefore natural men are said to be in the esh, Rom. 8.8. and after the flesh, v. 5. and to serve divers lusts and pleasures, Tit. 3.3. But when our cure is wrought, we are acted by another principle, the spirit or new nature, Rom. 8.1. and Gal. 5.16. Not that the old principle is quite abolished, 'tis in us still, Gal. 5.17. The flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit lusteth against the flesh. And 'tis in us not as dead, but as working and operative, and there is a mixture of the respective influence and efficacy of these two principles in every action; yea, in some actions a prevalency of the one above the other: The worser part in a particular conflict may get the upper hand; yet there is a sensible difference between the people of God and others; the better principle is habitual and constant, and in predominancy, and doth not only check and thwart the other, but overcome it; and the interest of the flesh decreaseth, and that of the spirit prevaileth, and keepeth the carnal part in subjection; but when the flesh is the chiefest principle that beareth rule in our hearts, and we are acted and guided by it in our course of life, we live after the flesh.
2. Their work and trade, or the business of their lives; men are said to live after the flesh, that wholly mind the things of the flesh, Rom. 8.5. That take no other care, but to spend their time, wit, and estate upon the service of their own fleshly lusts; their whole life, study, and labour is to please the flesh, and satisfie the flesh: If God gets any thing from them, 'tis but for fashion sake, and 'tis only the flesh's leavings, so Gal. 5.8. To sow to the flesh; there is their business, To make provision for the flesh, Rom. 13.14. Neglecting God, and the eternal welfare of their precious and immortal souls; be it in the way of sensuality, or be it in the way of worldliness, all their toiling, and excessive care and pains, are for the worldly life; in short, they follow after earthly things with greatest earnestness, and spiritual things in an overly, formal and careless manner. A carnal man may do many things in Religion, which are good and worthy: Man that hath an Appetite, hath also a conscience; tho the flesh is importunate to be pleased, and unwilling to be crossed, that it giveth way to a little superficial duty, that conscience may be pacified, and so its self may be pleased with the less disturbance. Religion is but taken on as a matter by the by, as you give way to a servant to go upon his own errand. Nay, sometimes the flesh doth not only give leave, but it sets them a work to hide a lust, or feed a lust; to hide a lust from the world, as in Hypocrites, as the Pharisees made their worship serve their rapine, Matth. 3.14. Or from their own consciences; every man must have some Religion; therefore the flesh alloweth a few services that it may the more securely possess the heart; 'tis not for the interest of the flesh, to have too much Religion, nor none at all; the carnal life must have some devotion to cover i…, that men may take courage in sin the more freely: Or feed a lust; pride or vain-glory may put men on preaching or praying before others, Phil. 1.16, 17. The one preac…eth Christ out of contention. Or give alms, Matth: 6.1. take heed that you do not your alms before men, to be seen of men; and a sacrifice may be brought with an evil mind, Prov. 21.27. The devil careth not what means we use, so he may have his ends; that is, to keep men in a carnal condition.
3. That make it their scope, end, and happiness. That is our scope and end that solaceth our minds, and sweetneth our labours; that which they aim at is to be rich and great in the world, or enjoy their pleasure without remorse, Phil. 3.19. Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, they mind earthly things. That is our God which lieth next our hearts, to which we offer our actions, and from which we fetch our inward complacency, be it the pleasing of the flesh, or being accepted with God; all their delight and contentment is to have the flesh pleased in some worldly thing; this giveth them a joy and rest of mind, and quencheth all sentiments of Religion, and delight in God; they that aim at Pardon, Grace, and Glory, no worldly thing will satisfie them: God and Heaven are preferred above all the Pleasures, Honours and Profits they can enjoy here, Psal. 4.7. Thou hast put gladness into my heart, more than at the time when their corn and wine increased. But 'tis otherwise with the carnal, for their hearts run out more pleasingly after some worldly thing, and when they obtain it, it keepeth them quiet, under the guilt of wilful sin, and all their soul-dangers, and forget eternity, because they have their hearts desire already, Luke 12.19, 20. And I will say to my soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years, take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry; but God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee, then whose shall these things be thou hast provided? And the peace and pleasure which they dayly live upon, is fetched more from the World, than from God, and Christ, and Heaven; the flesh is at ease, and hath nothing to disturb it; and they designed the conveniencies of the flesh in their whole lives; this is their principle, their chief scope and aim; whatsoever he doth, he still designeth the contentment of the flesh, or some temporal good that shall accrue to him. Thus you see who live after the flesh: Where no contrary principle is set up to check it, where 'tis our daily work to please the flesh, and our great scope and solace to have it pleased.
3. What is this death that is here threatned (ye shall dye). Surely the natural death is not intended, for that is common to all, both to those that please the flesh, and those that crucifie the flesh, Heb. 9.27. 'Tis appointed for all men once to die; And besides, to the godly it is matter of comfort, a thing which they should rather desire than fear, 1 Cor. 3.22. Death is theirs; therefore death is but a softer word for eternal damnation, yet used with good Reason; the Apostle saith, Ye shall die, rather than ye shall be damned; first, because death to the wicked is an inlet to their final and eternal misery. 'Tis dreadful to them, not only as a natural evil, as it puts an end to their worldly comforts, but as a penal evil, Heb. 2.14, 15. Who are all their life time subject to bondage through fear of death; because of the consequences of it, then their torment beginneth. Secondly, because 'tis more liable to sense. We know hell by faith, and death by sense; now that notion that is more known, affects us more; all abhor death as a fearful thing. Briefly then, this death consists not in an extinction and abolition of the creature, but in a deprivation of the favour and presence of the blessed God, who is the fountain of all comfort; and the everlasting pains and torments which the soul and body being cast out of Gods presence feeleth in hell; all that weeping and g…ashing of teeth, that bitter remembrance of what is past, the acute sense of what is present, that despair and fearful looking for of the fiery indignation of the Lord; what the Scripture speaketh of, 'tis all included in this word (ye shall die); 'tis in short, to be separated from God and Christ, and the Saints and Angels, and to have eternal fellowship with Devils, and damned Spirits, together with those unknown pains inflicted on us by the Wrath of God in the other world.
3. It would not be sufficient to restrain men from sin, if God should only threaten temporal death, and not eternal; every murtherer would venture to execute his maliee, every adulterer follow his lusts, and voluptuous man his swinish and brutish pleasure, if it were only to endure a short pain at death, and then be free from misery for ever after: We see how offenders venture on mans punishment, and how many shorten their days for their vain pleasure; therefore unless the death were everlasting, the world would be little awed by it, unless the bitterness be greater than the present sinful pleasure; therefore eternal torment is that which God threatneth, and will surely execute on the sensual and carnal; so that the sinner hath no hope to escape, unless by repentance, and breaking this course of living after the flesh.
Secondly, Now by way of Confirmation, We must shew the fit Connexion between these Two Things, the carnal living, and this terrible Death; and there we must shew you,
1. That this threatning is every way consistent with the Justice, and Wisdom, and Goodness of God.
2. Since 'tis threatned, the certainty of its accomplishment.
1. Its consistency with the Justice, Wisdom, and Goodness of God.
1. His Justice: First, Because those that live in the flesh, continue in the defection and apostacy of mankind. And so the old sentence is in force against them, In the day thou eatest thereof, thou shalt die, Gen. 2.17. To shew you this; let me tell you, That by the Creation Man was to be subject to God, and by his own make and constitution was composed of a body and a soul, which two parts were to be regarded according to the worth and dignity of each; the body was subordinated to the soul, and both body and soul to God: The flesh was a servant to the spirit, and both flesh and spirit unto the Lord; but sin entring, defaced the beauty, and disturbed the order and harmony of the Creation, for man withdrew his Subordination and Obedience unto God his Maker, and set up himself instead of God, and the flesh is preferred before the soul; reason and conscience are inslaved to sense and appetite, and the beast doth ride the man, the flesh becoming our Principle, Rule, and End; now 'tis horrible wickedness if you consider either of these disorders; our contempt of God, for it is great depreciation, and disesteem of his holy and blessed Majesty, which is neglected and slighted for a little carnal satisfaction and every perishing vanity is preferred before his favour; the hainousness of the sin is to be measured by the greatness of him who is offended by it, 1 Sam. 2.25. If one man sin against another, the Judg shall judg him: but if a man sin against the Lord, who shall intreat for him? Now for creatures to seek their happiness without God, and apart from God, in such base things, deserveth the greater punishment. The other disorder is, we love the happiness of the body above that of the soul; man carrieth it as if he had not an Immortal Spirit in him, Psal. 49.12. is as the beast that perisheth: And is altogether flesh, his Wisdom and Spirit is sunk into flesh, and sin hath transformed him into a brutish nature. Well now, if men will continue in this apostacy; what then more just, than that God should stand to his old sentence, and deprive him of that happiness which he despiseth, that those who dishonour their own souls, should never be acquainted with a blessed Immortality; and those that contemn their God, and banish him out of their thoughts, and do in effect say to the Almighty, Job 21.14. Depart from us, we desire not the knowledge of thy ways. That they may spend their days in mirth; that God should banish them out of his presence with a curse never to be reversed; they do in effect bid God be gone, the very thoughts of him are an interruption to that sort of life they have chosen, that he should bid them depart ye cursed, who bid him depart first. In short, that the carnal life, which is but a spiritual death, should be punished with eternal death, 1 Tim. 3.6. She that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth. A kind of carcase, or rather a living creature dead, estranged from the life of God, and then deprived of eternal life.
2. They refuse the remedy. The great business of the Christian Religion, is to dispossess us of the brutish Nature which is gotten into us. I say, this is the drift and tenure of Christianity, to recover us from the flesh, to God: To turn man into man again, that was become a beast; to draw him off from the Animal life, to life Spiritual and Eternal: To drive out the Spirit of the World, and introduce a Divine and Heavenly Spirit purchased by Jesus Christ, and offered to us in the promises of the Gospel. The World is mad, and brutish, enslaved to lower things; but this healing institution of Christ, is to make us Wise and Heavenly; to recover the immortal Soul, that was Imbondaged to earthly things, and depressed and tainted by the objects of sence, into its former liberty and perfection, that the Spirit might command the flesh, and man may seek his happiness and blessedness in some higher and transcending good, than the beasts are capable of. In short, as sin was the transforming of a man into a beast; so Christianity is the transforming of beasts into man again: To restore humanity, and elivate it from the state of subjection to the flesh; Joh. 3.6. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the spirit is spirit. 2 Pet. 1.4. Whereby are given us great and precious promises, that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature; having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 1 Cor. 2.12. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God, that we may know the things that are freely given us of God. Now after this is done with such cost and care, if men will love their bondage, despise their remedy, surely they are worthy of the severest punishment, Joh. 3.19. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil. If they refuse this Spirit that is offered to change our natures, and lift us up from earth to Heaven, and we will not be changed, and healed, but wallow in this filth and puddle still, we are doubly culpable for not doing our duty, and refusing our remedy.
But you will say, The punishment is Eternal; how will that stand with the justice of God to inflict it, for temporal offences?
1. Answer. 'Till the carnal life ceaseth, the full punishment doth not begin or take place; as when men have done their work they receive their wages. 'Tis not inflicted till after death, and in the other world there is no change of state: our tryal is over, our sentence is past, the gulph is fixed between Hell and Heaven, that the inhabitants of the one cannot come into the other place, Luke 16.26.
2. There was Eternal life in the offer. Now if men will part with this for one morsel of meat, this is prophaness indeed. Heb. 12.15, 16. The things propounded to their choice, are Eternal happiness, and Eternal misery; if they refuse the one, they in justice deserve the other.
3. If they be Christians, they do not pay their great debt, or fulfil their Covenant-Vow, and so make the forfeiture. The Apostle here inferreth the great danger out of the debt, Ye are debtors; that if we live after the flesh, we shall die; they are entered into the bond of the holy oath. So elsewhere, Gal. 5.24. They that are Christs, have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof. How are we Christs? as dedicated to him in Baptism, they have renounced the Devil, the World, and the flesh? they are Christs not only de jure, they ought to do so; but de facto, they have crucified the flesh: 'Tis hypocrisie and perjury that the carnal and bruitish nature should reign in us; baptism implyeth a vow, we are baptized into the likeness of his death, Rom. 6.3. Christ bound himself to communicate the vertue of his death; and we bind our selves to die unto sin, and to use all Christs instituted means to that end and purpose; now if after that we are washed, we still wallow in the mire, and effect that life which we have renounced, and gratifie what we should crucifie; cherish the flesh, rather than use Christs healing means to subdue it, and purge it out, our very baptism will sollicite the more severe vengeance, and be a swift witness against us. It were better scalding oyl had been poured upon us, than the water of baptism; and if there be any place in hell hotter than others, 'tis for hypocrites and perjured persons that have broken the vow of their God which is upon them; this should the more sink into us, because every covenant hath a curse included in it, implicite or explicite foreign as Plutarch. A Consecration implieth an execration or imprecation of vengeance if we do contrary; the Scripture abhoreth not this notion; 'tis said Neh. 10.29. they entered into a curse and an oath to walk in Gods law. So it is in the new Covenant, for all Christians do consent to the threats and punishments of the Gospel in case of failing in their duty; as the Israelites were to give their Amen, Deut. 29.41. to the curses of the law; so we profess to submit to the law of grace, and tenor of it. In Mark 16.16. He that believeth not, shall be damned. We profess our consent to this law, not to a part only, but to the whole. Now what ever Faith and Baptism calleth for, that must be done; or if it be wilfully left undone, we approve the penalty as just, and that God may rightly inflict it upon us. Thus for the Justice of God.
2. Now for the Wisdom. The punishment is the greater to check the greatness of the temptation. Much of the fleshly life is pleasant, like the Eden of God to the besotted soul; therefore God hath guarded it with a flaming Sword, that fear may counterballance our delight: 'Tis an hard thing to bring a man to strive against his own flesh, 'tis born and bred with us, and is importunate to be pleased, but the end is death; there must be a separation between the soul and sin; or beeween the soul and God; milder motives would do us no good against boisterous lusts, and are not powerful enough to wean us from accustomed delights; therefore is the punishment threatned the more dreadful, and the sinful fear is checked by the severity of the intermination; tho sense-pleasing, and flesh-pleasing be sweet to a carnal heart, 'twill cost him dear. The Wisdom of God is seen in Three Things.
1. In punishing sin, which is a moral evil, with death and misery, which is a natural evil; In appointing that it should be ill with them that do evil; these are fitly sorted, Deut. 30.15. See, I have set before thee life and good, death and evil. The evil of sin is against our duty, and the evil of punishment against our interest and happiness; now if men will willingly do what they should not, 'tis equal they should suffer what they would not, what is against their wills; these two are natural relatives, sin and misery, good and happiness; we find some of this in our selves, we have compassion of a miserable man, whom we esteem not deserving his misery, we think 'tis ill placed there; and we are also moved with indignation against one that is fortunate and successful, but unworthy the happiness he enjoys, which sheweth man hath an apprehension of a natural harmony and order between these things, sin and misery, goodness and felicity.
2. The Wisdom of God lyeth in this, that the love of pleasure which is the root of all sin, should end in a sense of pain. Man is a very slave to pleasure, Tit. 3.3. Serving divers lusts and pleasures. 'Tis ingrained in our natures, therefore to check it, the Lord hath threatned the pains of the second death, and this method our Lord approveth as most useful to draw us from our beloved sin, Matth. 5.29, 30. Better one member suffer, than the whole body to be cast into hell. In short, God hath so proportioned the dispensation of joy and sorrow, pleasure and pain, that 'tis left to our choice, whether we will have it here or hereafter, whether we will have pleasure as the fruit of sin, or as the reward of well-doing; both we cannot have, you must not expect to enjoy the pleasures of Earth and Heaven too, and think to pass from Delilahs Lap into Abrahams Bosom, Luke 16.25. Son, in thy life time thou receivedst thy good things; and Jam. 5.5. Ye have lived in pleasure upon earth. You have been merry and jocund, but your time of howling and lamenting then cometh, far beyond the degree of your former rejoycing.
3. By setting eternal pains against momentary pleasures, that ye may the better escape the temptation; Momemtaneum est, quod delectat, eternum quod cruciat; The pleasures of sin are but for a season, Heb. 11.25. But the pains of sin are for evermore; if the fearful end of this delightful course were soundly believed, or seriously considered, it would not so easily prevail upon us. 'Tis the Wisdom of our Lawgiver that things to come should have some advantage in the proposal above things present, that the joy and pain of the other world should be greater than the comfort and pleasure of this world, which is a matter of sense; for things at hand would certainly prevail with us, if things to come were not considerably greater; therefore here the pain is short, and so is the pleasure, but there 'tis eternal: Those that will have their pleasure here, they shall have it, but to their bitter cost; but those that will work out their salvation with fear and trembling, will by the spirit mortifie the deeds of the body, pass through the difficulties of Religion, shall have pleasure at his Right Hand for evermore, Psal. 16.11.
3. 'Tis consistent with his love and goodness: This is necessary to be considered; First, Because we are apt to think hardly of God for his threatnings. 'Tis for our profit to give warning, and to bring us to repentance, and that we may take heed and escape these things; he threatneth that he may not punish; and he punisheth in part, that he may not punish for ever: The first awakening is by fear, afterwards shame, sorrow and indignation; the curse driveth us to the promise: First, we look upon sin as damning, then as defiling; first, as it fits us for Hell, then as it unfits us for Heaven. 2. 'Tis a benefit to the world. Punishment among men, because of the degeneracy of the world, is a more powerful engine of Government than reward; we owe much of our safety to Prisons and Executions: so in Gods Government, tho love be the mighty Gospel Motive, yet fear hath its use, at least for those who will not serve God out of love; slavish fear tieth rheir hands from mischief.
3. For the converted they find all help in this part of the spirits discipline, to guard their love. When their minds are in danger of being inchanted by carnal delights, or perverted by the terrors of sense; when the flesh presents the bait, Faith shews the hook, Matth. 10.28. Or are apt to abuse our power, because none in the world can call us to an account, Job 3.23. Destruction from God was a terror to me. He stood in awe of God, who is a party against the oppressor, and will right the weak against the powerful.
2. Secondly, Since 'tis threatned, we may conclude the certainty of its accomplishment. The world will not easily believe that none shall be saved but the Regenerate, and those that live not after the flesh, but the spirit; and love God in Christ above all the world, even their own lives; that besides these few, all the rest shall be tormented in Hell for ever; flesh and blood cannot easily down with this Doctrine; but Gods threatnings are as sure as executions.
1. Because of the holinese of his nature, Psal. 11.6, 7. VponUpon the wicked he will rain snares, fire, and brimstone, and horrible tempest; this shall be the portion of their cup, for the righteous Lord loveth righteousness: But men feign God, as they would have him to be, and judg of Gods holiness by their own interest, Psal. 50.21. Thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one as thy self. As if God were less mindful, because he is so holy, and will not be so indulgent to their flesh and sin, as they are themselves, and would have him to be.
2. His unalterable truth. God cannot lie, Tit. 1.2. Tho the threatning in the present judgment doth not always shew the event, but merit; yet it follows afterward; for the Scripture must be fulfilled, or else all Religion will fall to the ground, he cannot endure any should question it, 'tis not a vain scare-crow, Deut. 30.19.20. I call Heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore chuse life, that thou and thy seed may live; that thou mayest love the Lord thy God, that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him, for he is thy life, and the length of thy days.
3. His all-sufficient Power, 2 Thes. 1.9. Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction, from the presence of the Lord, and the glory of his power; and Rom. 9.22. What if God willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, indureth with much long-suffering, the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction? If God will do so, surely he can, there is no let there, Heb. 10.29, 30. Vengeance belongeth to me, and I will recompence, saith the Lord: and again, the Lord shall judg his people. He liveth for ever to see vengeance executed; if it seem co be so terrible to you; God knoweth 'tis with a design of love to awaken those that are carnal: What a case am I in then! And to make the converted more cautious, that they do not border on the carnal life; God maketh no great difference here, between the righteous and the wicked; hereafter he will.