S6 SERMONS upon Senn. X11I. Gal. g. s4. They that are Chrifls have crucified the flefh with the affetlians and lulls thereof How (hall we interpret this Scripture , and reconcile it with the Carriage of molt Chri- flians, de jure all will grant , that they lhould crucifie the flefh with the affe&ions and lufts thereof: But the Apoftle feemeth to (peak de faIo, they have, and that maketh the difficulty. Alf true Chriltians indeed have done fo 5 Chriltians in the letter are bound to do fo, and let them look to k, how they will anfwer it to Chrift another day : All in their Baptifm have renounced the delires of the fleth, and the pafffons of it alfo, they are ingaged to do it , and all that are ferious and real have begun to do this a& of mor- tifying fin, and mutt gò on yet more and more to fmother the endeavours and effe&s of it. Becaufe this is a momentous bufinefs, and it is charged on us as. we are Chrifts, as we profefs our felves to be fo , and take our felves to be fo; let us fee what it import- etb. They mutt , all are bound ; they really have crucified the fle(] , mortified and deadned the root of corruption, that it (hall not ealily fprout and put forth its luflingsg carnal Nature in them is weakened , it is not fo vigorous and flirting as it was wont to be, there is Come preventing of the firft rifings , though fin dwell in them , and work in them : fo far all that are Chrifts have put to death their fle(hly corruption. But now as to the feveral ways of venting of it expreffed by 11E011 and ?v& 4ái, either by finful Pallions , as malice, envy, hatred, variance, emulation; wrath, flrife , they do in a great meafure and confrderable degree get above thefe : or by Lull is meant all flethly and worldly delires, which carry us out of the Pleafures , and Profits , and Honours of the World, the pleating baits and inticements of Senfe, they are dead to thefe alto: all mo- tions to Uncleannefs, Intemperance, Ambition, Love of Riches and vain Pleafures: all the Children of God have a &ually begun this work , and are (fill fuppreffrng thefe things ; for they have refigned their hearts for Chrift to dwell in , and they are advan- cing his Scepter and Rule continually , for they have given up themfelves to be guided by him ; whether they be pleafant fins or vexatious evils , the heart of a Chriftian is let againft them : and therefore you fee how unfuitable it is for thofe that are Chritts, his redeemed ones, and his covenanted ones, to give way to the reign of fin. 4. My fail Argument to evince this neceffity that is incumbent on the People of God, that this Dominion of Sin be not let up in their hearts is, becaufe otherwife they cannot maintain and keep up any lively hope of Glory. That I ¡hall evidence by fore Scri- ptures , Rom. 6. 8. If we be dead with Chrift, we believe that we (hall alfo live with him. If we dye to fin fo as never to allow it , or to return to the love and pra &ice of it any more, than the Chriftian Faith promifeth fore good to us , we have hopes of living with Chrift , or a joyful Refurre&ion to eternal Life : for the Chriftian Life is an en- trance and introdu &ion into the Life of Glory. So Rom. 8. 13. If ye through the Spirit mortifie the deeds of the body , ye (hall live. The Scripture is plain in fetting down the Chara&ers of thofe that (hall go to Heaven, or to Hell, and very decifive and per- emptory ; If we live after the fi fh , we (hall dye; it doth not fay, if we have lived after the fleth, for that would cut off the hope of all the living; one man was fire( good, and after bad, as Adam ; another never bad, always good , as Chrift ; of all the refs , none ever proved good, who was not fometimes bad, we all lived after the Flefh, before we come to live after the Spirit : But if we do (till accommodate our felves to obey and fulfil the motions of the flefh, Chrift fpeaketh no good to fuch. But now fee the Pro - mife of God to thofe that keep mortifying of fin , ftriving againft fin , they [hall live, not only the Life of Grace, for furely by their progrefs in Mortification, Vivification is furthered and increafed ; as we grow dead to fin , we are more alive to righteoufnefs 5 but the Life of Glory is a greater Boon than we can deferve , as much as we can delire, more than we can make any part of requital for. There is fcarce any one Scripture, by which a man may fooner come to a decifion of his fpiritual Efate than this, for it puts it to a (bort iffue; prevent the reign of fin , and your Title to everlafling Glory will not be fo dark and litigious ; make confcience of fubduing and fupprefíing the fecret inclina- tions and delires of the flefh by the Spirit, and you have by Warrant of Scripture a full and fufficient evidence: all the deeds of the flea] mutt be mortified before we can fee our intereft, though not univerfally and totally, yet (till we mull go on with it : Sin is mor- tal, if it be not mortified ; fo that a neceffity is laid upon us of killing our Lulls, or be- ing .killed by them. The Apolle doth not fay, If the deeds of the ftefh be mortified in you through the Spirit ; but if ye through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body. We mutt not dream of a Mortification to be wrought in us without our confent or endea- vours, as well whilft we are afleep, as while( we are waking, as if it were wrought in our Cradles, while( we are paffing our time in childi(h play and paftiwe, or Ihould be done
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