Pauls complaint against his naturall corruption With the meanes how to bee delivered from the power of the same. Set forth in two sermons vpon the 24 verse of the 7. chapter of his epistle to the Romanes. By me William Teelinck, preacher of the word of God at Middleburgh.

Vses.

First, Here is matter of mourning, and lamen∣tation, euen that there are so few that labour, and exercise themselues in this, notwithstanding it be matter of such necessitie, and consequence. You shall find men that are plunged vp to the eares in sinne, yet neuerthelesse take no paines at all to get out of it: yea, they are so farre from vsing any di∣ligence of themselues, to worke out their libertie, and freedome from the bondage of sinne, as that they cannot suffer any man to admonish them of their sinnes, or to lend them a hand to pluck them out of them, being in madnesse, and folly like vn∣to him which being possessed with a deep sleepe, and hauing an Adder creeping vpon him is angry and taketh it in ill part, when his friend awaketh him, to the end, that he might auoyd the present danger: so truely is it a miserable, and lamentable thing (and yet common) that worldly men, which doe lie in wickednesse, 1 Ioh. 5.19. as a beast lyeth in hay, (for so the word there signifieth) 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, are so farre from stirring, and rousing vp themselues to rise out of their sinnes, and to harken vnto the voyce which cryeth, awake thou that sleepest, stand vp from the dead, and Christ shall giue thee light, as that they had rather goe seeke some bodie to set a cushin vnder their elbow, to the end that they might sleepe the more easily, and soundly in their sinnes: but it shall be with them as the Lord pro∣testeth, Ezech. 13.18.19.

Secondly, let this moue vs to stirre vp our selues aboue all things (according to the manner of the Apostle) to labour, and endeuour to haue our selues deliuered from the body of death, and set free from the power thereof; for, we see that we are al∣together, and wholly in the captiuitie, and bon∣dage of sinne, therefore to endeuour to get our libertie, must we preferre before all our workes; and especially, seeing the glory of our good, and gracious God, and the eternall well-fare of our owne soules, doe stand vpon it: yea, it is most cer∣taine, that whosoeuer setteth not himselfe against his sinnes, for to be freed, and deliuered from his sinnes, shall die in his sinnes, Iohn 8.24. For this body of sinne shall peirce him with the venemous, and cursed sting thereof, which shall bring him, not onely to temporall, but also to eternall death, 1 Cor. 15.56. For as those that die in the Lord, are blessed, and rest from their labours, and enioy eternall happinesse, Reuel: 14.13. So those that die in their sinnes, are certainely accursed, and shall haue their part in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone: Reuel: 21.8. Therefore must wee make it our chiefest worke to get our selues deli∣uered from the power of sinne, vnlesse we be wil∣ling thereby to bee brought into eternall con∣demnation.

But if we find our selues to bee alreadie truely deliuered from the power of sinne, so that it hath no dominion ouer vs, howsoeuer it remaineth in vs, Rom. 6.12. yet we must with the Apostle Paul, earnestly labour, and endeuour more and more to

be freed from it, because the comfort of our souls, and the peace of our consciences, doe stand vpon it: for it is most sure and certaine, that we can no further reioyce, & comfort our selues in our faith, and good conscience, then we refraine our selues from sinne, and endeuour in all things to walke honestly, Psal. 119.101. Heb. 13.18.

Here may some man demand, What are we to doe, to the end that we may be deliuered from the power of sinne, and more and more set free from the bondage thereof?

To the end, that we may be set free from the power, and seruitude of sin, we must be made par∣takers of Iesus Christ, for his death is the death of our death, and by his wounds are we healed, his bloud being the medicine of our soules, Esay 53. Heb. 9.14. Now that we may be made partakers of Christ, we must beleeue in him, for it is faith in him that maketh vs free, Ioh: 8.31.32.36. Which the Apostle hauing in the verse following our text, he thanketh God through our Lord Iesus Christ, namely, for this, that he, thorough the Lord Iesus Christ was deliuered from the body of death. Therfore thus speaketh Christ of himselfe, Ioh: 8.36. If the sonne make you free, you shall be free indeed: thus doth Iohn also testifie, euen that wee thorough faith in Christ doe ouercome the world, Iohn 15.5.

But we finde by experience, that the faith of ma∣ny men consisteth onely in words, being nothing els but an idle conceit swimming in their braines: for there be many who when they vnderstand that men by faith are made free from their sinnes, and

blessed, doe presently perswade themselues, that they also beleeue, whereas alas, they know not what it is truly to beleeue in the Lord Iesus Christ, nor yet what is the nature, and vertue of true faith. Wherfore let euery one in few words vnderstand, that whosoeuer would be found truely to beleeue in Christ, must make it appeare, that he beleeueth, and holdeth for good all the words, & counsell of Christ, & consequently must practise the same, Ioh: 3.36. Luc: 6.46. Or els let him know that his faith is nothing worth; and that he shall not be saued, although he suffers himselfe a thousand times to be perswaded, that he shall obtaine saluation, and happinesse thorough Iesus Christ.

For as we know, it is not enough for one that would be cured of some perillous disease, onely to beleeue that such an expert Phisitian can, and will cure him; but if he will be holpen, he must follow the aduise of the Phisitian, and vse the medicines which shal be prescribed vnto him, or els he is like to be neuer the better: So it is not enough, that a man, to the end that he might be cured of the body of death, by the onely Phisitian of the soule, Iesus Christ, Mat. 9.12. perswadeth himselfe that Christ can, & will helpe him; but he must also follow the counsell of Christ, if he will be cured by him, ac∣cording to that which the holy Scripture so ex∣pressely declareth, euen that Christ is the author of saluation vnto all that obey, Heb. 5.9. In which sense also speaketh Iohn the Baptist most plainly, He that beleeueth in the sonne hath eternall life, but he that o∣beyth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God

abideth on him, Ioh: 3.36. From whence it may ful∣ly be gathered, that that faith which maketh not vs obedient to the sonne, is not that faith wherby we can be healed; so Iames also confidently affirm∣eth, that that faith is dead, and nothing worth, which maketh not vs as well followers, as beleeuers of the words, and will of Christ. For it is most certaine, that wheresoeuer true faith is, there is also the practise & endeuour of obedience vnto the will of Christ.

Now, what the will of God is in this, that men might thorough our Lord Iesus Christ be deliue∣red from the body of death, very much might be spoken thereof, but my purpose is here briefly, & in a word, to touch the most necessary things, and so to cōclude, because I haue largely handled it in another place; and, that wretched, and sinful man might be deliuered from the body of death, through our Lord Iesus Christ, the Prince of life, & be more and more set free from the power of sinne, he must practise, and endeuour these three things accor∣ding to the will, and counsell of Christ.

First, he must forsake himselfe, He that will follow me (sayth Christ, namely, that will be led & healed by me) let him for sake himselfe, Mat. 16.24. that is, let him cast away, and renounce his owne vnderstan∣ding, & judgement; let him breake himselfe of his owne will and affections: let him in nothing yeeld vnto his sinful flesh, nor take any care to obey it in the lustes thereof, Rom. 13.14. And let him not please, or vphold this body of sin, by giuing it any of those deadly, & pernicious things it lusteth after: but let him herin circumcise himself; let him deale harsh∣ly

and roughly with this body of sin, keeping from it, and denying it of euery thing it would haue, so shall the strength therof decay; for as it was the meat of Christ, to do his Fathers will, Io: 4.4. So is it the nourishment, & strength of the corrupt flesh to doe against the will of God, by committing sin, from which we must bridle it, if we will kill it. Be∣hold, this is the counsell of Christ, speaking after the manner of a Phisitian, who when he taketh a man in hand to cure him, requireth of him, that by all meanes he would keepe a good dyer, & re∣fraine to eate those things which nourish, & feede his disease, the which the Christian man must doe that willingly would be cured of the body of death; for we find it to be a common, and familiar thing, that those which be sicke in body, doe most desire those things that doe them least good; So is it also with men that are sick in soule: they euermore de∣sire, & lust after sinne, which is most hurtfull vnto them: therfore those that would be cured in their soules, must deny themselues, according to the pre∣script rule of Christ: yea, they must renounce, and forsake the whole body of death (as the Apostle cry∣eth out against the whole body of death) & not only this, or that part, or member thereof, as some doe, who, to be cured forsake, & striue against some sins retaining stil other some pleasing & beloued ones, whereby they become the more incurable, & con∣tinue sick euen vnto the death, as the scripture tea∣cheth vs, Eze: 18.31.32. for although the very best, so long as they remaine here, are not free from all sinnes, yet, euery one that would be cured, & hea∣led

of his sinnes, must striue, and fight against all of them, Iob 20.12.

But this is very grieuous vnto a naturall, and corrupt man, to weane his lustes of their desires, and to depriue himselfe of those thinges with which his heart is most in loue: Oh, it is as death vnto sinfull man: it is, as if he should put out his eye, or cut off his hand, as Christ himselfe giues vs to vnderstand, Mat: 5. Neuerthelesse, it must be done, as he that cannot lye teacheth vs in the same place, vers: 29.30. And looke, by how much the more this body of death, that hatefull monster, the corrupt flesh, doth flatter, and em∣brace vs, for to entice vs to serue it in the lustes thereof, by so much the more, must wee set our selues against it, and seeke to subdue it, and bring it vnder, 1 Cor. 9.27. For our sinfull flesh is like vnto a wicked Enchantresse, which smileth vpon vs when she purposeth to destroy vs; the pleasing and delightfull concupiscences thereof, are like Ioabs kisses, who killed Amasa when he seemed to kisse him, 2 Sam: 20.9.10. Therefore wee must not fauour and please this monster of sinne: but we must in this thing, denie our selues, and kill our earthly members, Col. 3.5. And crucifie our old man, Gal. 5.24. If we will liue, and be deliuered from the eternall crosse, and the eternall death. Nei∣ther must we shrinke, or be afrayd to doe it; for, the lustes of our flesh, which we are to cut off, are as rotten members; members of the bodie of death, cankered, and putrified members, which if we cut them not off in time, will corrupt, and destroy our

whole man; yea, and bring vs also into eternall death, as the truth it selfe teacheth vs expressely, testifying, that if we fauour and make much of the members of this body of death, that is, our sinfull lustes, and cut them not off, we shall with them be cast into hell, where the Worme neuer dyeth, and the fire neuer goeth out, Mar. 9.44.

Secondly, the man that would willingly bee more and more deliuered from the body of death, thorough Iesus Christ our Lord, must not onely denie, and forsake himselfe, but also, with all his affections, and the deepest desires of his heart, make all possible speede to come vnto Christ, that he may be cured of him, as he himselfe tea∣cheth, namely, that all that are wearie, and laden must come vnto him, and he will ease them, Mat. 11.28.29. and Mat. 13.15. He then that would be healed by Christ, and deliuered from the bodie of death, must giue vp himselfe vnto him, to be cu∣red by him, euen as a poore patient which hauing long beene possessed with a grieuous disease, put∣teth himselfe into the hands of a skilfull Phisitian (which by Gods helpe can cure him) to be ruled and handled according vnto his will, & prescrip∣tion.

Now the dyet, the phisicke, the receipts which Christ the onely Phisitian of the soule prescribeth vnto his patients (that I may so speake) for their curing, are found onely in the holy Scripture, Ioh: 5.39. which is the Phisick booke wherein are plentifully conteined the words, which are life to them that finde them; and health vnto their flesh,

Pro. 4.22. Therefore the poore sinfull man that would haue helpe, must order, and gouerne him∣selfe according to the rule, and true meaning of the holy Scripture, wherein is comprehended the great wisedome of God, and all the mysteries of spirituall Phisicke, according to which whosoe∣uer truely frameth, and carrieth himselfe, shall certainely, and vndoubtedly be healed. There∣fore it is the greatest folly, and madnesse in the world, and a sinne whereof very many stand guil∣tie before God, that wretched sinfull men should be slacke, and negligent to enquire, and search after the wisedome, and counsell of God, and to frame, and fashion themselues according vnto it, notwithstanding, the great, wife, and mercifull God hath reuealed vnto them in his word (which he hath put into our handes,) how they should walke, to the end, that they may be healed of the bodie of death; but run vnaduisedly after the blind conceipt of their owne head, without once right∣ly considering, what the Lord Iesus Christ, the onely Phisitian of the soule hath prescribed, and deliuered in the holy Scripture, for poore soule-sicke man to practise, and apply vnto himselfe, to the end that he may bee cured; yea, the great stayne of this sinne of the godlesse children of the world, shall neuer be purged from them vn∣lesse they amend, therefore those that would bee deliuered from the body of death, thorough our Lord Iesus Christ, must so giue themselues vp vn∣to him to be cured of him, as that they diligently

search, and learne out of his word how they must order, and addresse themselues, to the end, that they may bee healed.

Thirdly, He that would be deliuered from the body of death thorough our Lord Iesus Christ; must by all meanes endeuour to beleeue, and hold as firme, and certaine, that he thus denying, and giuing vp himselfe vnto Christ, shall truely bee deliuered, and cured by him: this did Christ require in the curing of bodily diseases, Marc. 9.23. and else-where; teaching vs thereby that this faith is aboue all things necessary, and requisite vnto the curing of the mortall disease of our soules, it being the Conduit which conueyeth vnto vs vertue from Christ, whereby we are hea∣led of our corruptions.

But the Diuell which setteth vp himselfe as a God of the world, laboureth by all his might, and pollicie, to hinder and stop this: for hee will eyther perswade a man that he shall liue, and bee saued by his faith, and beliefe in Christ, when hee liueth in a course of perdition, seruing the flesh, wherein if he continueth, it is not possible that he should be saued, Rom. 8.13. or else hee will make him beleeue if he can, that his sinnes are so great, that he shall not obteine pardon and remission of God, when he hath denied himselfe, forsaken his sinnes, laboureth to be conformed vnto the will of God, and is heartily grieued be∣cause he cannot performe such obedience vnto

him, as hee should, and as hee would: but let vs take heede of both these Rockes: let vs not pre∣sume of the mercy of God, when wee are not fit Objects of mercie, standing in open rebelli∣on against God, being friendes of sinne: and let it also bee farre from vs to thinke, that God will not haue mercy vpon vs, when wee come vnto him for mercie, with true sorrow and griefe because wee haue offended him; for it is his glo∣ry to haue mercie, and to haue respect vnto them that humble themselues: but let vs wrestle with our vnbeleiefe, and beleeue, that thorough the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ wee shall bee saued, Act. 15.11.

This faith, thus being founded, not vpon an idle conceipt of our owne braynes; but vpon the fore-named groundes, the word, and coun∣cell of Christ, wee accordingly endeuouring truely to forsake our selues, and to put our selues into his hands, to be ruled and gouerned by him: This faith (I say) is mightie, and worketh won∣ders; and there is no disease of the soule so mor∣tall, or incurable, of which wee shall not bee cu∣red, if so be wee hold fast, and continue in this our true, and holy faith, following the councell of Christ: for then may wee expect, the blessing of Christ, more and more to bee deliuered from the bodie of death: Then shall it bee done vnto vs, according to the words of Christ, Mathew the fifteenth Chapter, and the twentie eyght verse, Be it vnto thee as thou wilt; Then shall wee

be more and more freed from the power of sinne, and assured of our Saluation, to our great, and neuer ending comfort. ∵

Laus honor & gloria sole Deo.

FINIS.

Notes

• Vse 1. To inforce vs to mourne be∣cause men lie in their sinnes without once seeking any deliuerance.
• Vse 2. To teach vs to labour to be deliuered from the bodie of death.
• Quest. What must we doe to be deli∣uered from the power of sin.