The Body of Death Anatomized, Title page
The Body of Death Anatomized.
A Brief ESSAY Concerning the Sorrows and the Deſires OF THE Regenerate, Upon their Senſe of INDWELLING SIN; Delivered at the Lecture in Boſton. 12. d. 7 m. 1706.
By Nehemiah Walter, Paſtor of the Church in Roxbury.
Antiquo Peccato, nihil ad Praedicandum notius, nihil ad Intelligendum Secretius.
Auguſt.
Nil de eo Legitur, quin amplius de eo Legi de…ideratur.
Eliſim, Piorum Clyp.
Boſton N. E. Printed by B. Green, for Samuel Phillips, 1707.
The Body of DEATH Anatomized,
ROM. VII. 24.
O wretched Man that I am: who ſhall deliver me from the body of this Death?
THESE Words are the doleful outcry of one of the moſt holy Men that ever lived: It is no leſs a Perſon than the Apoſtle Paul, that Great and Excellent Servant of Chriſt, who is here bitterly bemoaning himſelf. In this his Self-lamentation Obſerve.
1. The Matter of his Lamentation, or that which he complains of, Namely, The Body of Death in him: that's the Gravamen, the burden of his holy Soul. By the Body of Death is meant Inherent Corruption, which he ſometimes calls Sin, Indwelling Sin, a Law of Sin. — 'Tis called a Body, partly, becauſe it overſpreads the whole Body of Man. Original Sin eats into the Body, & diffuſes it ſelf thro' every Member thereof, and employs them as inſtruments to act by. Partly, becauſe it conſiſts of many Members or Parts. A Body is made up of many Members united one to another. Thus Original Sin has a great many Members and Branches: 'tis a Maſs of Corruption, a Collection of Luſts. The Members of this Body of Sin are far more numerous than the Members of our Humane Bodies: for there are many Luſts that have Poſſeſſion of, and act by, each ſingle Member of the Body. There is but One Tongue in the Body, yet the Sins of the Tongue are numberleſs.
Tis called a Body of Death, Partly, becauſe it makes men Dead unto and in Spiritual Duties. As for Natural men it makes them altogether Dead unto Spiritural Duties; either they perform them not at all, or they diſcharge them in a manner wholly Dead and Lifeleſs. As for the Regenerate, Indwelling Sin cauſes in them a great deal of Averſeneſs to and Deadneſs in Religious Duties; they do not diſcharge Duties with that Life, Vigour and Activity which they ought to do; and this is from the deadning Influence of Indwelling Sin.
Again, It is called a Body of Death, becauſe it tends to and iſſues in Death. Original Sin is a Deadly Principle. As for the Godly, it brings Temporal Death upon them: Becauſe they have Sin in them, they have the Seed of Death in them. As for the Unregenerate, this Indwelling Sin does bring upon them Eternal Death: It ceaſes not till it has accompliſhed their Everlaſting Deſtruction. 'Tis this Body of Death whereof the Apoſtle complains, which is the firſt thing Obſervable.
2. His complaint concerning it, O Wretched Man that I am: He cryes out and complains of himſelf as Wretched on the account of this Body of Death. Wretched, does not ſignify Curſed or Unhappy, but Weary and Tired: like a man that had fought till ſpent, and ready to ſink, unleſs ſome One come in to his help and ſupport.
3. His earneſt Deſire of Deliverance from it, Who ſhall deliver me from the Body of this Death? This is not the Voice of one Doubting of Deliverance, or at a loſs where to go for Deliverance; for he was ſure of Deliverance in due time, and knew from whom his Deliverance would come; as the next Verſe ſhows, I thank God through Jeſus Chriſt our Lord. It is therefore the Voice of one that longs for, that breathes and pants after Deliverance.