Sweet and Soul-Persuading Inducements Leading Unto Christ, Chapter 2
CHAP. II. Laying downe foure grounds of carnall Mans Alienation from Chriſt.
THe Alienation of corrupt and ſinfull men from Chriſt is very apparant and manifeſt.4. Grounds or demonſtratiōs of this Alienation.
1. In regard of corrupt and carnall mans plenary and totall ſubiection under ſinne: lGal 3. 2. 2. Subjection under ſinne.The Scripture (ſaith Paul) hath concluded all under ſinne. All men, and all the ſervices of men, in their unregenerate eſtate, are concluded, demonſtrated, and determined by the Scripture to be under ſinne, under the plenary poſſeſſion of ſinne, as a houſe is under the poſſeſſion of the dweller: The whole houſe and all the roomes thereof are poſſeſſed and ordered by the dweller; the whole of a corrupt and carnall man, all the faculties of his ſoule, and all the members of his body are poſſeſſed and ordered by ſinne; under the dominion of ſinne, as a ſervant under the dominion of his Lord, and a dead man under the dominion of death, therefore ſtiled the m2 Pet. 2.19.ſervants of corruption, and dead in ſinnes and treſpaſſes. Under the captivity of ſinne, as a n2 Tim. 3.6.ſlave under the command of the Conquerour, as voluntary ſlaves borne under the bondage of corruption, ignorant of, and deſpiſing Chriſtian freedome: Under the love of ſinne,oIer. 5.31. as an Adulterer is under the love of the harlot. The young man in Salomon was under the power of the whoriſh woman,Prov. 7. ſhe cauſed him to yeeld with her faire speech, and forced him with the flattering of her lips, and he went after her as an Oxe to the ſlaughter, and as a foole to the correction of the ſtocks: The corrupt and vicious man is under the power of his luſts, he yeeldeth to them, is led by them, followes after them, and fulfils the will of his fleſh, as an Adulterer the will of the harlot; and alſo under the guilt and condemnation of ſinne, as a guilty, convicted, and condemned malefactor is under the ſentence of the Law to dye; and carnall man being thus under ſinne, he cannot be under Chriſt; fulneſſe of ſubjection under ſinne annihilates Chriſts gracious dominion in the ſoule of man: The more man applyes himſelfe to his luſt, the more he is eſtranged from Chriſt. He that is the friend and ſervant of ſinne, is an enemy and oppoſer of Chriſt. The fulneſſe of ſinne leaves no roome for Chriſt in the heart of meere naturall and corrupt man.
2. Vncapablenes of Chriſt.2. In regard of carnall mans uncapableneſſe of Chriſt. The kingdome of Iſrael was uncapable of David untill Saul and his houſe was depoſed: The ſoule of man is uncapable of Chriſt, untill ſinne is depoſed: There is no ſetting up of Chriſt and his Kingdome, as long as ſinne doth beare dominion;Mundus neque duos ſoles, Aſia neque duos Reges ſimul capere poteſt. Alexander told Darius that the world was uncapable of two Sunnes, and Aſia could not endure two Kings: Chriſt will not divide his Kingdome with mans corruption, the ſoule is not at once capable of the Kingdome and dominion of Chriſt, and of ſinne: If the one reigne the other muſt fall, there is no competition between Chriſt and an unregenerate heart: The Fort of Sion was uncapable of David, untill the blind and lame were removed: The heart of man is a Fort uncapable of Chriſt, untill the blindneſſe of the underſtanding, and the lameneſſe of the affections are removed, and taken away.Cauſes of this uncapableneſſe Such is the blindneſſe of carnall mans underſtanding, that he is uncapable of the knowledge of Chriſt, as the blinde eye is uncapable of the Sun. The light (ſaith the Evangeliſt) ſhineth in the darkneſſe, and the darkeneſſe pIoh. 1.5.comprehendeth it not. The Egyptians darkneſſe was ſo thicke, that it comprehended not the light which ſhined thereupon. Such is the darkeneſſe of unregenerate mans underſtanding, that it comprehends not the Sun of Righteouſneſſe ſhining in the Goſpell: q1 Cor 2 14.The naturall man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are fooliſhneſſe unto him, neither can he know them becauſe they are ſpiritually diſcerned. The carnall mans heart is ſo rEzek. 33.31.wedded to the world, and his luſts, that as a woman joyned in wedlocke is uncapable of a ſecond husband, untill her former husband is dead: ſo is man uncapable of Chriſt, he cannot receive Chriſt, as the husband of his ſoule, untill his luſts are mortified and put to death: Such is the ſIohn. 5 44.infidelity of corrupt man, that as Ieroboam could make no uſe of his withered hand, he could neither put it forth, nor pull it in, no more can carnall man make any uſe of faith, he cannot put it forth to the receiving and embracing of Chriſt; and becauſe of unbeliefe, when Chriſt came among his owne, his owne received him not; and ſuch is their uCol. 2.13.death in ſinne,tIohn 1.11. that as the dead are uncapable of the voice of the living, they heare it not, of the ſociety of the living, they rejoyce not in it, and of all feaſts and proviſion made for them by the living, they feed not upon it. Thus are they uncapable of Chriſt, they cannot heare him ſpeake to them in the Goſpell, they have no communion nor fellowſhip with him, they feed not upon him: He is a wRev. 2.17.hidden Manna of whom they taſte not, and a ſealed Well of whom they drinke not: There is no ſutableneſſe betweene their ſoules and Chriſt, all his Ordinances are unto them as an empty veſſell, they ſavingly partake of nothing of Chriſt in them.
3.3 World hath full poſſeſſion in carnall man In regard of that full poſſeſſion which the world hath taken in corrupt and carnall man. The Inne where Chriſt was borne was ſo full, that there was no roome for Chriſt, but in a manger. The hearts of earthly men are ſo taken up with the world, ſo filled with the creature, that there is no roome for Chriſt; carnall perſons give every worldly buſineſſe preheminence above the Lord Jeſus. The world affoords Chriſt a very diſhonourable entertainment; unholy men are in ſuch ſubiection under the creature that they cannot ſerve Chriſt: He that ſerves the creature cannot have Chriſt for his Lord and Maſter, ye cannot xMat. 6.24.ſerve God and Mammon, ſaith our Saviour; the world hath ſo many yLuk. 14, 15.imployments for them, that they have no leiſure to come to Chriſt, their inclination to things earthly is ſo ſtrong, that they cannot come at Chriſts invitation, they are ſo wedded to this that they cannot come to the wedding feaſt, which Chriſt makes for his friends, and Spouſe in the Goſpell; Or if they doe come, they bring no zMat 22.12.wedding garment with them, and therefore are unwelcome: The creature is ſo glorious in their eyes, that they ſee no glory nor beauty in Chriſt for which they ſhould deſire him: Or if they have ſome weake and low apprehenſions of Chriſt, ſome ſlender inclinations after Chriſt, now and then ſtirred up within them; yet the price of enjoying Chriſt is ſo great, that rather then leave the world, they will aMat. 19 21.goe away ſorrowfull. It is impoſſible that the ſoule of man can receive Chriſt untill it is emptied of the world; Chriſt never appeares glorious and precious, till the world appeares bPhil. 3.8.baſe in our apprehenſions. When the world becomes bitter to our palates, then our ſoules reliſh much ſweetneſſe in Chriſt Jeſus.
4 Repugnance againſt Chriſt.4. In regard of the repugnancy of a carnall mans heart againſt Chriſt. There is no anſwerableneſſe, no ſutableneſſe between Chriſt and an unſanctified heart, the unregenerate ſoule is full of antipathy and oppoſition againſt Chriſt: The houſe of Saul oppoſed the houſe of David, the houſe and family, all that is in a corrupt and carnall man, doth oppoſe Chriſt in his Ordinances, in his Offices, and in his operations: As darkeneſſe oppoſeth light, ſickneſſe health, and death life: ſo doth corruption in ſinfull man oppoſe Chriſt, The carnall minde or wiſedome of the fleſh, the counſell, diſcourſe, reaſon, purpoſes, deſires, motions, and all the actions of carnall wiſedome, the very Principles and beginnings of them, in unregenerate man, with all the luſts and afections of the will, as anger, wrath, envy, covetouſneſſe, pride, emulation, &c. are all enmity againſt God, ſet in full and perpetuall oppoſition againſt God and Chriſt, the very whole of a carnall man, is an armed, and fighting enemy againſt God, it is not ſubject to the Law of God, neither indeed can be; loving that which Chriſt hateth, hating that which Chriſt loveth, practiſing that which Chriſt forbiddeth, and eſchewing that which Chriſt commandeth. The carnall man like an untamed Haifer, breakes Chriſts cPſal. 2.yoake, and caſts away his cords. The man in the countrey of the Gadarens poſſeſſed with an uncleane ſpirit, mentioned in the Goſpell, was ſo fierce that no man could binde him: He dMar. 5.plucked aſunder the chaines which were put upon him, and brake in pieces the fetters which tyed him, ſo that no man could tame him. Corrupt and carnall man is poſſeſſed with ſuch a ſpirit of uncleanneſſe, and power of prophaneneſſe, that he breakes aſunder all the chaines and fetters, all the Lawes and precepts which God hath given to binde him, his luſts are ſo rebellious and unruly that no man can tame him; the eIob 41.Leviathan laughs at the ſpeare, and cares not for barbed irons; the horſe mocketh at feare, and is not affrighted, neither turneth backe from the ſword; the carnall man laughs at the judgements denounced againſt him; he feares not the word of God, though ſharper then a two-edged ſword: No exhortation moves him, no invitation affects him, all inſtruction is but as the ſounding of a trumpet to the deafe, and the ſetting of a candle before the eyes of the blinde: Nothing can worke him to ſubjection under Chriſts Scepter, till God makes him a new creature. Every unregenerate perſon is unchangeable in his oppoſition againſt Heaven. Very great is the diſtance between Chriſt Jeſus and carnall perſons: There is not a greater Antipathy between fire and water, then between Chriſt, and prophane mans corrupt nature, and thus you ſee mans Alienation from Chriſt in his corrupt and ſinfull eſtate.