Sermons Volume 2, Romans 8 · Sermon 20
SERMON XX.
ROM. VIII.13.
—ye shall live.
WE come now to the Promise (ye shall live).
Doct. That life is promised to those that seriously improve the assistances of the spirit, for the mortifying of sin.
1. What is the life here promised; the life of Grace, or the life of Glory? I shall give my Answer in Three Considerations.
1. The more we die unto sin, the more fit we are to live that new life, which becometh Christians, or new creatures: For Mortification and Vivification do mutually help one another: So much sin as remaineth in us, so far is the spiritual life clogged and obstructed; therefore it is called a weight that hangeth upon us, and retardeth and hindreth us in all our heavenly flights and motion, Heb. 12.1. That weight is there explained to be sin, that doth easily befet us; 'tis the great impediment to the heavenly life, and maketh our progress therein, slow and troublesom. Well then, the more these inordinate inclinations are broken, and mortifyed, the more we are alive unto Righteousness; as the Scripture every where witnesseth; and the more we tame and subdue the flesh, the more doth the spirit or better part thrive and prosper; therefore it may be truly said, If ye through the spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body, ye shall live: That is, spiritually.
2. The spiritual life is the pledg and beginning of the life of glory. Here 'tis begun by the spirit, and there perfected; the spirit of holiness is the surest pledg of a Resurrection to eternal life, as I proved, v. 10, 11. The reasonable nature inferreth Immortality, and the new nature a blessed Immortality; every where the new birth, 'tis made the seed of Eternity, called therefore the immortal seed, 1 Pet. 1.23. And he that is born of God is said to have eternal life abiding in him; he hath the pledg and earnest, and first fruits of it; the spiritual life consists in the knowledg, love, and contemplation of God, and perfect love and subjection to him; so that if it were meant of the Life of Grace, the Life of Glory cannot be excluded.
3. As it cannot be excluded, so 'tis principally intended; as is evident; partly, because 'tis put in opposition to death, which is the fruit of the carnal life; if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die. Such a life is intended, as is directly opposite to that death; and partly, because 'tis propounded by way of motive, and motives are seldom taken from things co-ordinate, such as are vivification and mortification, a dying to sin; but from things of a superior rank and order, as the glorious reward is to duty; and partly, because this suiteth with the Apostles scope, That justified Persons shall not be condemned, but glorified, because of the life of the spirit in them.
2. To confirm the point; First, by Scripture: The offer of eternal life is every where propounded in Scripture, as the great encouragement of all our endeavours, either in subduing sin, or perfecting holiness, as Prov. 12.28. The way of righteousness is life, and in the path thereof is no death. There is the hope of life asserted, and the fear of death removed: death elsewhere is propounded as the reward of sin; and life as the great motive to keep us in the true love and obedience of God, Gal. 6.8. He that soweth to the spirit, shall of the spirit reap life everlasting; so Ezek. 18.18. Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions, which he hath committed, he shall live and not die. The one is removed, the other asserted; the one is the wages of sin, the other the fruit of Gods Mercy, and free Gift; death we naturally abhor, and life we naturally love, therefore the one is threatned, the other promised.
2. To prove it by reasons.
1. If we partake with Christ in one act, we shall share with him in all: If dead with him, we shall live with him, Rom. 6.8. If we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall live with him. That is, if we imitate Christ in his Death, then we have sure grounds of believing, that after his example we shall have a joyful Resurrection to eternal life; he had said before, v. 5. If we be planted into the likeness of his Resurrection: That is, be first raised from the death of sin, to the Life of Grace; and then the Life of Grace shall be swallowed up in the Life of Glory.
2. The mortified soul is prepared to enjoy the heavenly life; as being weaned from worldly and sensual delights, Col. 1.12. Who hath made us meet to be partakers of the Saints in light. There is a double meetness; first, a meetness in point of right; secondly, a meetness in point of congruity and preparation of heart; the one respects Gods Appointment, those who are qualified according to the Covenant; the other the suitableness of our affections. 1. They are in respect of God deemed meet and worthy, whom God vouchsafeth to account worthy: Thus he doth the mortified, as we proved before; he then that would live when he is dead, must die when he is alive. 2. Preparation of heart; Heaven would be a burden to a carnal heart, that hath no delight in, Communion with God, or the company of the Saints, or an holy life: What would he do with Heaven? A Turkish Paradise would suit better with such sensual and brutish souls; now those who are dead to the flesh and the world, do the better relish those things which are heavenly: 'Tis not their trouble, but their happiness; they have the consummation of their hopes and aims.
3. They desire this life, and groan and wait for it; Which desires, groans, and longings, being stirred up in them by Gods Spirit, will not be in vain: They cannot be satisfied with the Wealth, Pleasures and Honours of the World; they must enjoy something beyond all these things, and that is God; and here they enjoy him but imperfectly: The more the flesh is mortified, our desires to love, know, and enjoy God, are more kindled in us: Now by this these are marked out as heirs of promise; for God infuseth the desire, that they may be satisfied; and where they are laborious, they will certainly be satisfied, for otherwise God would intice us to the pursuit of an happiness, which he never meaneth to give.
4. God promiseth it to the mortified, the more to sweeten the duty. Those that think it is easie to forsake sin, never tried it; Mortification is of an harsh sound in a carnal ear; to contradict our carnal desires, and displease the flesh, which is so near and dear to us, will not easily down with us; God might exact it out of Soveraignty, but he propoundeth rewards: If we must pass thorough a streight gate and narrow way, it leadeth unto life, Matth. 7.14. Sin is such a disorderly thing, and doth so invert the course of a rational nature, that we should part with it by any means; but especially when the case is so stated, that we must live or die for ever. This motive should work upon us, because of our Desires and Fears.
1. Our desi…es. Corrupt nature will teach us to love our selves, and so to desire happiness, which we cannot enjoy, if we live not; for the dead are neither capable of happiness nor misery; tho we are unwilling to deny the flesh, or renounce the Credit, Profit, or Pleasure of sin, or grow dead to the world, or worldly things, yet we are willing enough of life and happiness; therefore God promiseth that we desire, that we may submit to those things which we are against; as we sweeten bitter Pills to Children, that they may swallow them down the better; they love the Sugar, tho they loathe the Aloes. So God would invite us to our duty by our interest; if Mortification be an unpleasing task, it conduceth to our life, Prov. 8.35, 36. He that findeth me, findeth life, (saith Wisdom) and he that sinneth against me, wrongeth his own soul; and he that hateth me, loveth death. Who would be so unnatural as to wrong his own soul? To murder himself, to court his own death and destruction? 'Tis not only against the Dictates of Grace, but the desires of Nature: There is nothing can be supposed to enfeeble this Argument, but these Two things. 1. Mens vehement addictedness to their carnal courses, that they will rather die, than part with them. 2. That this life, which the Promises of the Gospel offer, is an unknown thing, it being to be injoyed in the other world: Both are truths, yet the Motive is still forcible.
1. How addicted soever men are to any outward thing, yet to preserve life, they will deny themselves, Job 2.4. Skin for skin, and all that a man hath will he give for his life. It was a truth tho it came out of the Devils Mouth. Nothing is so dear to a man as his own life; men will spend all that they have upon the Physitian to recover their health, Luke 8.43. Yea, they will hazzard the members of their own body, cut off a Leg or an Arm for preserving life; and shall not we part with a lust to get life? Who would sell his precious life, at such a cheap rate, as the pleasing of a vain and wanton humour?
2. But this life, which is not a matter of sense, but of faith, is not likely to be much valued.
Answer. There is some inclination in the heart of man to eternal life; nature gropeth and feeleth about for an eternal good, and an eternal good in the enjoyment of God, Act. 17.27. as blind men do in the dark. Tho man by nature lyeth in gross ignorance of the true God, as our Lord and Happiness; yet the sense of an Immortality is not altogether a stranger to nature: such a conceit hath been rooted in the minds of all Nations, and Religions, not only Greeks and Romans, but Barbarians, and People least civilized; they have thought so, and been solicitous of a life after this life; Herodotus telleth us, that the ancient Goths thought their souls perished not, but went to Zamblaxis the Captain of their Colony, or Founder of their Nation; and Diodorus Siculus, of the Egyptians, that their Parents and Friends when they died, went to some eternal habitation: Moderate Heathens, when they are asked about Eternal Life, and Judgment to come; as to Judgment to come, they know it not; but this thing they know, that the condition of men and beasts is different; but what their condition after this life is, they cannot tell; whether they live above or below the earth; but that they subsist and have a being, is their firm perswasion; and therefore are wont to assign to the dead, part of the goods which they possessed; if they lose any thing, they think some of their friends in the other world have taken it to supply their wants there. The Chineses are fully perswaded of a state of happiness and torment after this world. Acosta telleth us, in Peru they were wont to kill some of their slaves, to attend the dead in the world to come; and so Mexico, and other places. 'Tis enough for us, that be it an inbred notion, or tradition received from hand to hand by their Ancestors, such a conception is not a stranger to humane nature; and the nearer any lived to the first Original of Mankind, the more clear and pressing hath been the opinion hereof; lapse of time, which ordinarily decayeth all things, hath not been able to deface it out of the minds of men; who tho they have been gradually depraved and degenerated, according to the distance by which they have been removed from their first originals, yet they could never wholly blot out the sense of an Immortal Condition after this life; nor could any solid, and undubitable reasons he brought against it, to convince it of falsity. Well then, this perswasion being spread through the Universe, and with extreme forwardness received by all nations, and hath born up against all encounters of time, and constantly maintained its self in the midst of so many revolutions of humane affairs, even among them with whom other truths are lost, and in a great degree have forgotten humanity its felf: Certainly this motive hath its use, for the reduceing of man to God, especially of those who have been bred in the bosome of the Church.
2. The argument is of great force in regard of our fears. We desire life, but guilt maketh us fear death. Sin impresseth this torment upon the consciences even of those which little know what sin meaneth: Rom. 1.32. They know the judgment of God, and that those who commit such things as they do, are worthy of death. Natural conscience looketh upon sin as mortal and baneful, and know not how to be delivered from this fear; nature owneth a distinction between good and evil; and for evil, feareth a punishment; because of those natural sentiments which we have of God, as an Holy and Just God. Therefore now this tender of life is made to them that not only desire happiness, but are in bondage through fear of death, and by the Christian doctrine involved in the curse of the law, and obnoxious to the flames of Hell. Therefore for sinners to hear of life, must needs be an inviting motive: Mortifie sin, and it shall not hurt you, you shall live. The sting of sin, which so torments you, shall be plucked out, Ezek 18.13. repent, and iniquity shall not be your ruin. We are all sinners; but how shall we do that sin may not be baneful to us? Deal gently with it, and it stingeth you to the death; deal severely with it, and it shall do you no harm. When we are dead to sin, we shall not die by sin; you have deserved death, but life is offered, if you will use Gods healing methods to get rid of so great a mischief.
Thirdly, I will shew you the expediency of the promise; and that we may make use of such a motive as is drawn from the consequence; The death which followeth the carnal life, and that eternal life which by the merciful grant of God is the fruit of mortification. For many question, whether it be a true Mortification which looketh to the reward; they say we must work for our life, but not for life.
I Answer, 1. To be over spiritual and nice above the word, which is the true instrument of sanctification, doth not cherish Religion, but quench it; we may make use of Gods Motives, without sin; why doth God plead with us so often upon the terms of life and death, but that we may plead with our selves? I know no reason to press men to an Holiness abstracted from all respect to the reward. I confess 'tis abase self-seeking, to eye outward advantages in religious endeavours; for then the end is far beneath the work, and the spirit is made to serve the flesh, but not the flesh the spirit; and by-ends taint us, but do not refine us:
2. The doubt proceedeth upon a mistake of the reward; what is this life propounded, but the seeing, loving, and injoyment of God, and the adoring and praising of God? And can it be a fault to aim at these things? Doth not the tendency of the new nature directly carry us to them, as the perfection of that estate, unto which we are called by Christ, as naturally as the seed cast into the earth, works through the clods to get up into stalk and flower? Indeed the objection is fit for them that look for a carnal Heaven, as the Jews did for a carnal Messiah, an Heaven that consists in ease, and fleshly delights. However, to deal throughly in this Argument, in the life and happiness which we expect, two things may be considered;
1. The nature of that life and happiness.
2. The personal benefit and comfort that hence results to us.
1. The nature of that happiness consisteth in seeing God, and being like him, 1 John 3.2. When he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. To aim at this, is a fruit of the new nature, which aimeth at a perfect fruition of God, and conformity to him. Surely this cannot be in any reason questioned or scrupled at, as our great end. For it is a pure motive, and doth engage the soul to the greatest and best tempered strictness that is imaginable, 1 John 3.3. He that hath this hope, (the hope spoken of in the former verse) purifieth himself as Christ is pure. Is every day growing up into a nearer conformity to Christ, whom he hopeth to see, and to be more perfectly like him hereafter; he whose heart is set upon the vision of God, and that pure and sinless estate, which he shall injoy in Heaven, that man hath not a light tincture of Religion, but is deeply dyed into the spirit of it; for such things cannot be seriously and really minded without grace; yea, no act we do is religious, unless it be directed and influenced by this aim and end; 'tis a rooted thought; or the impression of a powerful habit.
2. There is a personal benefit and happiness which resulteth to us from the fruition of God. As we are freed from the pain and sorrows of this life, in which respect 'tis often called a rest, especial as we are freed from the misery of those that die in their sins, in which respect 'tis often called salvation; and most especially, as the soul, fully sanctified, dwelleth in a glorified and immortal body, and injoying all the content and happiness belonging to such an estate. Now of this, the objection may be supposed to speak, namely, as we are without misery, in an endless state of blessedness both as to our souls and bodies. Now this is a matter of faith, and therefore cannot be the fuel of hypocrisie; temporal convenience may be such, as credit, reputation and respect in the world, are; and therefore this we labour for, and aim at.
2. We must distinguish between ratio formalis, & ratio motiva, our first motions and inducements, and the formal and proper reasons of our love to God; we first love God for his benefits, and they are still motives to quicken and increase our love; but afterwards we love and delight in him for his excellencies, both essential and moral, the perfection of his Being and Holiness. That which first draweth our hearts to God, in his benignity and bounty, his offers of pardon and life; and we must look at those, or we shall never begin with God; but afterwards we love him upon other reasons; and Holiness its self hath our heart and love.
To bring it to the case in hand. That hatred is most pure, which is carried out against sin, as sin: because of the contrariety that is in it, against the Pure and Holy Nature and Law of God; Psal. 119.140. Thy word is very pure, therefore thy servant loveth it. And so by consequence to hate sin as 'tis foreign, a transgression of this pure and righteous law; but this is not our first, nor only motive of our obedience, and thankfulness to God. Surely what things were necessary to preserve man in his natural frame, are necessary to reduce and bring him back again into it, and to preserve him in it, when once reduced: such were penalties and rewards, life and death; yea, much more now the enemy hath invaded us. Therefore besides the inclination of the new nature, which carrieth us to God, and Holiness, and Heaven; our happiness, well-being, and personnal benefit, are good and powerful motives.
4. There is a threefold use of the reward of life in this work of mortification.
1. To quicken a backward heart, which hangeth off because we are loath to come under so severe a discipline. Sorrow for sin is troublesom to the flesh, but the reward sweetneth it. A carnal man thinketh that if he should give up himself to this course, he shall never see merry day more, and grow mopish and melancholly. Now when the flesh paints out the spiritual life in such black and dark lineaments, 'tis good to reflect upon the Glorious life that shall ensue. There is some difficulty at first, though not so much as the flesh imagineth; but it will turn to eternal life and peace. Christ keepeth the best at last; Satan may set out his best commodities at first, but the worst come after. Christ may begin with you roughly; but the longer you are acquainted with him, the better. When you come to die, you will not repent that you have not pleased the flesh, and satisfied your carnal desires. 'Tis good to consider what things will be at the end, either of the carnal or spiritual life. The Devil seeketh to glut men in their best days with the sweetest pleasures and contentments; but at last, oh the misery, the shame, the horrour! Therefore 'tis good to reflect upon the issue of things, that we may not stand off from God: consider not what they are now, but what they will be hereafter, 2 Cor. 7.10. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation, not to be repented of. Many have repented of their carnal mirth, never any of their godly sorrow.
2. In your conflict, to baffle a temptation. Heaven and Hell should always be before the eyes of a watchful Christian, but especially in actual conflicts, that you may declare your higher esteem of your hopes, than all the baits that are presented to you in the temptation. God hath promised better things. Moses counterballanced the pleasures of sin, with the recompence of reward, Heb. 11.25, 26. The Devil offereth you to your loss; the glory set before you doth outweigh all.
3. To put us upon a conformity, and greater suitableness to our hopes, 1 John 3.3. He that hath this hope in him, purifieth himself as Christ is pure. I hope for such a pure estate; shall I allow either stains in my soul, or spots and blemishes in my conversation? 2 Pet. 3.14. Seeing ye look for such things, be diligent, that you may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. They do not look for such things, that are not careful to clarify and refine their souls for the present.
Fourthly. I shall shew the sufficiency and powerfulness of this motive.
1. Because of the certainty of this life promised. Surely there is a life after this life is ended: Nature guesseth at it, but Christ hath brought it to light, 2 Tim. 1.10. The Scripture revealeth it as the great benefit promised by Christ, 1 John 2.25. And this is the promise, that he hath promised us, even eternal life; it argueth for it, 1 Cor. 15.19. And if in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. God would not proselite us to a religion that should be our undoing, and make us more miserable than other men, by a voluntary denying of the pleasures of the flesh, and exposing us to sufferings from others: it giveth us a visible demonstration of it, by Christs resurrection and ascension. He is gone into that Glory which he spake of, 1 Pet. 1.2. Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory. Gods expressions about it, are strong and clear, but our perswasions of it are too weak, or else a small contentment would not so often perswade us from our duty. Surely we doubt of the reallity of the world to come, or else we would be sooner perswaded to curb the flesh, and restrain its desires, and wean our selves from a vain world, that we may be prepared for a better.
2. The excellency of this life above all other lives that may be compared with it.
1. With life natural: so 'tis a Glorious life, and 'its eternal: First a glorious life, for we live immediately upon God, who is all in all to us; not only the soul, but the body is incorruptible and spiritual. The contentments of the present life, are base and low, 'tis called the life of our hands, Isa. 25.10. Because with much labour we get the provisions necessary to supply it. 'Tis a life patched up by the creatures: we have our cloathing from the sheep, and Silk-worm; our food out of the earth, or things nourished by the earth. We are forced to ransack all the store-houses of nature, that we may keep up a ruinous fabrick, which is ready to drop down upon all accasions, 1 Cor. 6.13. Meats is for the belly, and the belly for meats, but God shall destroy both it and them. But there the contentments are high, and noble, and our faculties are more inlarged. Then (if ever) 'tis our meat and drink to do our Fathers will. Secondly, The life is Eternal; we are never weary of it, and never deprived of it. The present life 'tis a kind of death; like a stream, it floweth from us as fast as it cometh to us. 'Tis called a vapour, Jam. 4.14. that appeareth, and disappeareth; a flying shadow, Job 14.2. We die as fast as we live; 'tis no permanent thing; but there our years shall have no end; the pain and trouble of duty is short, but the reward is Eternal.
2. Compare it with life spiritual; This is like it, but differeth from it. 'Tis a blessed and perfect life. First, 'tis a blessed life, free from all miseries, all tears are wiped from our eyes, and sorrow and pain shall be no more; we shall always be before the Throne of God, and behold the Glory of Christ, and live in the company of Saints and Angels; but the spiritual life doth not exempt us from miseries, rather it exposeth us to them. To outward troubles it doth, 2 Tim 3.12. Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus, must suffer persecution. And as to inward troubles, we are not freed from all doubts of Gods love; tho the wounds are cured, the scars remain; Absolom when pardoned, was not to see the Kings face. Secondly, 'tis a perfect life. There is a perfect freedom, not only from misery, but from sin. There is no spot or wrinkle on the face of the glorified Saints, Eph. 5.27. Here the spiritual life is clogged with so many infirmities and corruptions, that the comfort of it is little perceived; as a Child in infancy, for all his reason, knoweth little of the delights of a man; here we only get so much grace as will keep us alive in the midst of defects and failings, and have much a do to mortifie and master corruption; but then it is nullified and quite abolished, that we shall never be in danger of sinning again. Oh, think then of this blessed estate! believe it, for God hath revealed it▪ hope for it, because Christ hath promised it: and if you submit to the discipline of the spirit, you shall be sure to find it. Christ when he went to Heaven, sent the spirit to lead us thither where he is; and the great preparation he worketh in us, to make us capable of this blessed estate, is by mortifying the deeds of the Body; the sooner that is done, the more meet and ready you are.
USE. Let all this that hath been spoken, quicken you to mortification. Many things are required of us, but the blessing of all cometh from the spirit. The two great means we have already handled; but now some more.
1. The heart must thoroughly be possessed of the evil of sin; we think it no great matter, and so give way to it, and pass it over as a matter of nought. Oh, let it not seem a light thing to you, do not dandle it, nor indulge it, nor stroke it with a gentle censure; 'tis the creatures disobedience and rebellion against the absolute and universal Sovereign, 1 John 3.4. He that commiteth sin, also transgresseth the law: for sin is a transgression of the law. 'Tis a depreciation and contempt of Gods Authority, 2 Sam. 12.9. Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in his sight? The deformity of the noblest creature upon earth, Rom. 3.24. We have sinned, and are come short of the Glory of God. A stain so deep, that nothing could wash it away but the Blood of Christ, Heb. 9.14. A flood that drowned a World of sinners, but did not wash away their sin, 2 Pet. 2.5. Bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; Hell its self can never end and purge it out; Therefore it hath no end. God loathed the creature for sin, and nothing else but sin; His own people, Deut. 32.1…. He abhored them because of the provoking of his sons, and of his daughters. God doth not make little reckoning of sin, he doth not overlook it, why should we?
2. Watchfulness not only against less acts, but lusts; not only lusts, but tendencies, especially an ill habit of soul, pride, worldliness, or sensuality, Mark 3.37. What I say unto you, I say unto all, Watch.
3. With watching must go prayer, Matth. 26.41. Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. For God is our preserver; we watch that we may not be careless; and we pray, that we may not be self-confident.
4. Keep up heart government, Pro. 25.28. He that ruleth not his spirit, is like a city, whose wall is broken down. A thoroughfar… for temptations, open to every comer. Unbridled passions and affections will soon betray us to evil, if anger, envy, grief, fear, be not under restraints, as in a Town that is broken down, and without walls; the inhabitants may go, and come at pleasure, night and day; there is nothing to hinder, no gates, no bars, friend or foe; there is nothing to hinder egress or regress; so it is with an ungoverned soul.
5. Live always as in the sight of God, John 3. Eph. 11. He that doth evil, hath not seen God, Job 31.3. Doth not he see my ways, and count all my steps? A serious sight of God, is a great check and aw to sin; will he force the Queen before my face? Shall we sin, when God looketh on?
6. Serious covenanting with God, or devoting our selves to him, 1 Pet. 4.12. For as much then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh; arm your selves likewise with the same mind; for he that hath suffered in the flesh, hath reased from sin, that he should no longer live the rest of his time in the flesh, to the lusts of men, but to the will of God; and Rom. 6.13. Neither yeild ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin; but yeild your selves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
7. Humiliation for sin; this checketh the pleasure we take in it; this is begun in fear, continued in shame, and carried on further by sorrow, and endeth in indignation; we fear it as dawning; we are ashamed of it as defiling; we sorrow for it, as 'tis an act of unkindness against God; and we have indignation against it, as unsuitable to our glorious hopes, and present interest, Isa. 30.22. And thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloath; thou shalt say unto it, Get ye hence, Hos. 14▪8. Ephraim shall say, What have I any more to do with idols? This is the souls expulsive faculty.
8. Thankefulness for the grace received, 1 Sam. 25.32. Blessed be God, that kept me from shedding of innocent blood, Gen. 20.6. I withheld thee from sinning against me. Disappointments of providence, restraints of grace, the power of saving grace, Rom. 7.25. I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
9. Diligence in Gods work; standing-pools are apt to putrifie; when men are not taken up for God, they are at leasure for evil, 2 Sam. 11.2. And it came to pass in the evening tide that David arose from his bed, and walked upon the roof of the Kings house, and from the roof he saw a woman washing her self; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon, and the king sent for her, &c.
10. The remembrance of the other world, whither you are hastening, 1 Pet. 2.11. I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul. You need not long for the flesh pots of Egypt, when you are going to a land that floweth with Milk and Honey.