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out Fear, in Holiness and Righteoufnefs. It was that for which he made Man at firft, and it is that for which h hath made him again, created unto goo Works, Eph. ii. 8. It was a higher Defign certainly, for which the Son of God became Partaker of our Nature, than on ly to deliver us from Hell; no doubt i was to make us Partakers of the Divine Nature, 2 Pet. i. 4. and this is the very Nature of God, Holiness and Goodness. As Sin is the very Nature and Image of the Devil, fo the great Breach of the Crea tion was the breaking off of this Image of God, that was the heaviest Fall of Man, from the Top of Divine Excellency, into the Bottom of devilish Deformity. Now it is this that is the great Plot for which Chrift came into the World, to make up that Breach, to restore Man to that Dignity again; fo that Redemption from Wrath is but a Step to afcend upon, to that which is truly God's Defign, and Man's Dignity, Conformity with God in Holiness and Righteoufnefs.

O that you could be perfwaded of this, that Chrift's Bufinefs in the World, was not to bring a Notion of an imaginary Righteoufnefs only, by meer Imputation, but to bring forth a folid and real Righteousness in our Hearts, by the Operation of his Spirit: I fay, Imputation, or accounting righteous, is but a meer Imagination, if this lively Operation do not follow. He came not only to fpread his Garment over our Nakednefs and Deformity, but really and effectually to be a Physician to fave our Souls, to cure all our inward Distempers. The Goipel is not only a Doctrine of a Righteoufnefs without us, but of a Righteoufnefs both without, for, and within us too; that the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us, &c. Chrift without, Happiness it felf without,

cannot make us happy, till they come in within us, and take up a Dwelling in our Souls. Therefore I declare unto the noft Part of you who pretend to exect Salvation by Jefus Chrift, that you Are yet in your Sins, and as yet you have ao Fellowship in this Redemption. Do ou think to walk after the Course of the World, and the Lufts of the Flesh, to wallow in these common Pollutions and Uncleanneffes among Men, Swearing, Lying, Contention, Railing, Wrath, Malice, Envy, Drunkenness, Uncleanness, and fuch like, and yet be in Chrift Jefus? Do not deceive your, felves, God is not mocked: He that is in Chrift, is a new Creature, his Endeavour and Study, his Affection and Defire is toward a new Walk after the Spirit. Are not moft of you carnal, all Flesh; the Flesh gives Laws, and you obey, them? Are not your immortal Souls enflaved to base Lufts, to the bafe Love of the World? Are they not prone to proftitute themfelves to the Service of your fleshly and brutish Part? Why do you then imagine, that you are in Christ Jesus, Partakers of his Righteoufnefs? Confider it in Time, that fo you may be indeed, what you now are not, but pretend to be. It is the Opinion that you are in Chrift already, that keeps you out of him.

But on the other Hand again, there is nothing here to difcourage a poor Soul, that thinks Subjection to Sin the greatest Slavery, who would as gladly be redeem ed from the Power of it, as from Hell: I fay. to fuch, whofe Soul's Defire it is to be purged from all that Filthiness of Flefb and Spirit, and whofe continued Aim it is to walk in Obedience. Though you have many Failings, and often fall and defile your self again, yet this Comfort is holden out here unto you, there is no

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Condemnation to you, Jefus Chrift hath | Righteoufness of Chrift's, and go under condemned Sin, to fave you, he hath ful- the Covering of it, and take Heart from filled all Righteousness for you; and there- it, if fo be the Defire and Affection of fore lay you the Weight of your Accepta- their Soul be directed to a further End, tion and Confolation upon what he hath to have his Spirit dwelling within them, done himself, and not upon what is but yet for the renewing of their Heart, in Righ. a doing in you. Do you not find, I fay, teousness and true Holiness. I do not that the Grace of Jefus Chrift, revealed in say that this is a Condition which you the Gospel, is that which melts your Hearts muft perform before you venture to lay moft? Is not the Goodness of the Lord held on Chrift's Righteousness without that which perfuades you moft? And do you; no ways, but rather I would declare not these make you lothe your felf, and unto you the very Nature of Faith in love Holiness? Encourage your felves Chrift, that it feeks Delivery from Wrath therefore in him, hold fast the Righteouf in him, not fimply and lastly, but that nefs that is without you, by Faith, and a Way may be made for Redemption from certainly you shall find that Righteoufnefs Sin, and that there may be a Participatiand Holiness fhall in due Time be fulfilled on of that Divine Nature, which is most within you. I know no Soul fo wretch in its Eye. ed, but it may lay hold on that perfect |

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SERMON XVI.

Verfe 4, 5. Who walk not after the Flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the Flesh, &c.

F there were nothing elfe to engage | comely for Man, as Man; you may our Hearts to Religion, I think this might do it, that there is fo much Reafon in it. Truly it is the most rational Thing in the World, except fome revealed Myfteries of Faith, which are far above Reafon, but not contrary to it; there is nothing befides in it, but that which is the pureft Reason. Even that Part of it which is moft difficult to Man, that which concerns the moderating of his Lufts and Affections, and the regulating his Walk and Carriage: There is nothing that Chriftianity requires in thefe Matters, but that which may be perfuaded, by most convincing Reafons, to be moft fuitable and

take it in the Subject in Hand; there is nothing founds harfher to Men, and feems harder in Religion, than fuch a Victory over the Flesh,such an Abstractedness from fenfual and earthly Things; and yet, truly, there is nothing in the World, that more adorns and beautifies a Man, nothing fo elevates him above Beasts, as this, in fo much that many natural Spirits, void of this faving Light, have notwithstanding been taken with somewhat of the Beauty of it, and so far enamoured with the Love of it, as to account all the World mad and brutish, that followed thefe lower Things, and inflaved themselves

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unto them. I take the two Fountains of all the Pollutions, Disorders, and Defilements among Men, to be the Inconfideration and Ignorance of God, that eternal Spirit, and Fountain-being, and the Ignorance of our own Souls, thefe immortal Spirits within us, which are derived from that Fountain fpirit. This is the Mifery of Men, that fcarce do they once feriously reflect upon their own Spirits, or think what im mortal Souls is within them, and what Affinity thefe have to the Fountain of all Spirits; therefore, do Men bafely throw down themselves to the Satisfaction of the Lufts of the Flesh. Now indeed, this is the very Beginning of Chriftianity, to reduce Men from these bafer Thoughts and Employments, to the Confideration of their immortal Souls within. And O! how will a Chriftian blush to behold himfelf in that Light, to fee the very Image of a Beast upon his Nature, to look on that Slavery and Bondage of his far bet ter Part, to the worst and brutish Part in him, bis Flefb.

If a Man did wifely confider the Conftitution of his Nature, from its firft Divine Original, and what a Thing the Soul is, which is truly, and more properly, bimfelf, than his Body; what Excellency is in the Soul beyond the Body, and fo, what Preheminency it advanceth a Man unto, beyond a Beaft: He could not but account Religion the very Ornament and Perfection of his Nature. Reafon will fay, that the Spirit fhould rule and command the Body, that Flesh is but the Minifter and Servant of the Spirit, that there is nothing the proper and peculiar Good of Man, but that which adorns and rectifies the Spirit; that all thefe external Things which Mens Senfes are carried after, with fo much Violence, do not bet ter a Man, as Man, but are common to Beafts; that in these Things, Man's

Happiness, as Man, doth not all con. fift, but in fome higher and more tranfcending G ood, which Beasts are not capable of, and which may fatisfy the im mortal Spirit, and not perish in the ufing, but live with it: All these Things, the very natural Frame and Conftitution of Man doth convincingly perfuade. Now then, may a Soul think within it self, O how far am I departed from my Original? How far degenerated from that noble and royal Dignity, that God by the Stamp of his Image once put upon me? How is it that I am become a Slave and Drudge to that bafer and brutish Part, the Flesh? I would have you retire into your own Hearts, and ask fuch Things at them. Man being in Honour and understand. ing not, is even like the Beasts that pe.. rifb. Truly we are become like Beafts, because we confider not that we are Men, and fo advanced by Creation far above Beafts. The not reflecting on the immortal, fpiritual Nature of our Souls, hath transformed us, in a manner, into the Nature of Beafts, perishing Beafts. Chriftianity is the very transforming of a Beast into a Man, as Sin was the deforming of a Man into a Beaft: This is the proper Effect of Chriftianity, to restore Humanity, to elevate it, and purify it from all thofe Defilements and Corruptions that were ingroffed and incorporated into it, by the State of Subjection to the Fiefh; and therefore the Apoftle delineates the Nature of it unto us, and draws the Difference wide, between the natural Man and a Christian.

The Natures of Things are dark and hidden in themfelves, but they come to be known to us, by their Operations and acting; their Inclinations and Inftincts are known this Way. Grace is truly a very fpiritual Thing, and the Nature of it lies high; yet as Chrift could not be bid in

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the House, neither can Grace be hid in that expreffes his Nature unto us; whether the Heart, it will be known by its Work ye look to the Original of Chriftianity, ing. Chrift can be better hid in a Houfe, or the prime Subject of it, or the chief than in the Heart, because, when he is en- End of it, it deferves to be called by this gaged to restore that He art and Soul Name. The Original of it is very high, to its native Dignity and Preheminency as high as that eternal Spirit, as high as over the Flesh, this cannot but caufe the God of the Spirits of all Flefb. much Difturbance in the Man, for a Sea- Things are like their Original, and fome fon; to change Governments, to caft out Way participate of the Nature of their CauUfurpers, and to restore the lawful and fes; that which is born of the Spirit, is righteous Owner, to the Poffeffion of his Spirit, Joh. iii. 6. that which is born of Right, cannot be done fecretly and easily; God, who is a Spirit, must be Spirit, it will thake the very Foundations of a 1 Joh. v. 1. How royal a Defcent is that? Kingdom to accomplish it: So it is here, How doth it nobilitate a Man's Nature? the Reftitution of the Soul, to the Poffef Truly all other Degrees of Birth among fion of its Right and Dominion over the Men are vain imaginary Things, that Flesh, the cafting out of that tyrannous hath no Worth at all, but in the Fancies and bafe Ufurper, the Flesh, cannot be of Men, they put no real Excellency in done, except all the Man knew it, feel it Men. But this is only true Nobility, this and in manner be pained with it. Now alone doth extract a Man de face vulgi, the Nature of Chriftianity doth lay it out of the Dregs of the Multitude. There felf open to us in thefe two efpecially, is no intrinfick Difference between Bloods; in what it minds and favours, and how or Natures, but what this makes, this Diit causeth to walk. Life is known efpeci- vine Birth, this fecond Birth; all other ally by Affecton and Motion: A feeling, Differences are but in Opinion, this is in thinking, favouring Power, is a living Reality; it puts the Image of that bleffed Power, fo a moving, walking Power is Spirit upon a Man. Truly, fuch a Creaa living Power, and thefe are here. The ture is not begotten in the Womb of any Chriftian is fhortly defcribed by his Na- natural Caufe, of any humane Perfwalion ture, he is one after the Spirit, not after or inticing Words of Man's Wisdom, the Flefb, and by the proper Characte- of any external Mercy, or Judgment; no riftical Operations of that Nature, firft, Inftruction, no Perfwafion, no Allureminding or favouring the Things of the ment, nor Affrightment can make you Spirit, which comprehends his inward Chriftians in the Spirit, till the Spiris Thoughts, Affections, Intentions, and Cogi- blow when it pleaseth, and create you atations; all his inward Senfes are exer- gain. It must come from above, that cifed about fuch Objects: And then he is Power that can fet your Hearts a one walking after the Spirit, his Moti-right, and make them to look ftraight a ons are in a Course of Obedience, pro- bove. ceeding from that inward Relish or Tafte that he hath of the Things of God. It is not without very good Reason, that the Name of a Chriftian is thus expreffed One after the Spirit, that is his Character

Chrift Jefus came down from Heaven unto the Earth, and took on our Flesh, that fo the Almighty Spirit might come down to transform our Spirits, and lift them up from the Earth to the Heaven. We caft Hh2

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the Seed into the Ground of Mens Hearts, ful Things of this prefent World, yet cer(and alas, it gets Entry but in few Souls, tainly it is a great Shame for a Chriftian to it is fcattered rather on the High-way Side, glory in them, or esteem the better of and cannot reach into the arable Ground himself for them. If this were minded alof the Heart) but it can do nothing with- ways, that we are of God, born of God, out the Influence of Heaven, except the Spi- what Power do ye think Temptations or rit beget you again, by that immortal Seed Solicitations to Sin would have over us? of the Word. Therefore we would ceafe He that is born of God finneth not, be Our Wondering, that all the Means of keepeth bimfelf. and the wicked One God's Word and Works do not beget toucheth him not, 1 Joh. v. 18, 19. Trumore true Chriftians; I do rather won: ly this Confideration imprinted in the Heart, der that any of Adam's wretched Pofteri- would elevate us above all these baser ty should be begotten again, and advanced Perfuafions of the Flesh; this would make to fo high a Dignity, to be born of the Sin lothfome and despicable, as the greatSpirit. O that Chriftians would mind eft Indignity. we could do to our own their Original, and wonder at it, and Natures. The Strength and Advantage of study to be like it! If you believe and Sin, is to make us forget what we are, confider that your Defcent is from that whom we have Relation unto, to drink us uncreated Spirit, how powerful might that drunk with the Puddle of the World,or then be to conform you more and more to with our own Jealoufies and Sufpicions, him, and to transform more and more of that we may forget our Birth and State, your Flesh into Spirit? There is no- and fo be enticed to any Thing. If you thing will raise up the Spirits of the Chil- would have wherewith to beat back all the dren of Princes more, than to know their fiery Darts of the Devil, take the Shield royal Birth and Dignity: How should the of this Faith and Perfuafion; how would Confideration of this make your Spirits it filence Temptations? Shall I, who am a fuitable to your State or Fortunes, (as we Ruler, flee, faith Nebemiab? Shall I who ufe to say?) You would labour to raise am born of the Spirit? Shall I who am them up to that Height of your Origi of God in Chrift, abase my self to fuch nal, and to walk worthy of that high Cal unworthy and bafe Things? Shall I difling. O that we could learn that Inftruc- honour my Father, and difgrace my felf. tion from it, which Paul gives, 1 Cor. Then Christianity its chief Residence, i. 30, 31. But of bim are ye in its royal Seat, is in the Spirit of Man, and Chrift; therefore let him that glorieth, fo he is one after the Spirit. Be ye reglory in the Lord: Truly, a Soul pof-newed in the Spirit of your Minds, Eph. feffed with the Meditation of this royal iv. 23. As it is of a high Defcent, fo it Defcent from God, could not poffibly muft have the highest and most honourglory in these inglorious baser Things, in able Lodging in all the Creation, that which Men glory, and could not contain is, the Spirit of a Man; without this there or reftrain Gloriation and Boafting in him. is no Room elfe fit for it, and fuitable to The Glory of many is their Shame,because it, in this lower World; My Son give 'tis their Sin, of which they fhould be a- me thine Heart, faith Wisdom, Pro. fhamed: But fuppofe that in which Men xxiii. 26. It cares for nothing befides, glory, be not Shame in it self, as the law-if it get not the Heart, the inmoft Cabinet

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