Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

SERMON XXIX.

The neceffity of crucifying our affections and lufts.

GALAT. v. 24.

And they that are Chrift's have crucified the flesh, with the affections and lufts.

T

HIS of crucifying the flesh is a figura- SER M. tive expreffion of a very large extent, XXIX. and comprehenfive fignification, and imports no less than the reftraining and mortifying all the corrupt and vitious inclinations of our nature, rectifying and correcting all the exceffes and irregularities of our appetites and paffions, and the gaining fuch a conqueft over them, that they shall be brought entirely under the direction and conduct of reafon and grace. The allufion of the phrafe is to the body of Christ, which was nailed hands and feet to a crofs, fixed fo, that it could neither ftir nor move, nor go whither it would (as Chrift himself speaks, alluding, as is conjectured, to the fame death of crucifixion, which St. Peter underwent for

ty

2

SER M. ty years after.) The body thus nailed and fastXXIX. ened, hath loft the ufe of all its members;

it is paft the exercife of any of its powers and faculties; it grows ftill more faint and languid, till at laft it expires, and has neither sense nor motion left. And that which makes this manner of speaking yet more apt and expreffive is, the fimilitude there is between the great trouble and uneafinefs men find in croffing and breaking the force and prevalence of their affections and lufts, and that pain and anguish endured by a body nailed to a cross. It is in allufion to this, that the style of the New Testament runs fo much upon our being dead to fin, and living to holiness. Rom. viii. 10. If Chrift be in you, the body is dead, because of fin; but the spirit is life, because of righteousness; confonant to which, the whole complex of all the evil propenfions and tendencies of our corrupt nature is called the body of fin. Our old man, fays St. Paul, Rom. vi. 6. is crucified with him, that the body of fin might be deftroyed. In other places, it is called the flesh, in which the fame Apostle fays there dwelleth no good thing, Rom. vii. 18. And in another place, Gal. v. 17, that the flesh lufteth against the fpirit, and the spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary the one to the other.

Thus we fee the great excellency of this manner of speaking, which is plain and easy, yet very expreflive and full of fignification, infomuch that the oppofition made between the flesh and fpirit, the crucifying the one, and

the

the cherishing and encouraging of the other, SE R M. together with the comparison fo frequently XXIX. made between the natural life and death of the body, and the good or ill condition of the mind, with respect to virtue or vice (the fure effect and confequence of which is, literally, either the everlasting life, or death of body and foul;) these obvious figures, I fay, and eafy comparisons, have given greater light into the knowledge, even of natural religion, than all the morality of the Heathen world; they enlarge our thoughts, and open to the mind a vast scene of the moft ufeful and neceffary knowledge, a diftinct knowledge, void of all confufion; it takes away all blindness and uncertainty concerning our greatest interest; our duty is hereby fixed and determined, and the work of our life plainly cut out for us; fo that there is no difficulty now left in the theory, but in the practice.

We must not mind the things of the flesh, to fulfil the lufts thereof: We are to mortify the deeds of the body; fo that our very members must be made inftruments of righteousness. And in the words of the text, we must crucify the flesh, with the affections and lufts; we must cleanfe ourselves from all filthiness of flesh and Spirit, and be renewed in the Spirit of our minds. This is the work that lies before us; in this confifts the true perfection of our nature; thus we are to be reftored to a state of innocence, to the favour of God; and thus we are to avoid the mifery, and attain to the happiness

SERM. happiness of another world; and thus we fee XXIX. that Chrift crucified, which to the Greeks was foolishness, appears to be in truth the power of God to reftore fallen man; and the wisdom of God in a mystery, which God ordained before the world for our glory.

In difcourfing of these words, I fhall obferve this method:

I. I fhall inftance thofe affections and lufts in particular, which are to be crucified.

II. I shall speak of the most effectual means and method of performing this.

III. I fhall obferve two or three things as rules of prudence, for our better conduct herein. IV. I fhall apply the motives implied in the text, to prevail on us to the performance of this great work.

And ift. As to the first then, St. Paul tells us, at the 19th verse of this chapter, that the works of the flesh, which are to be crucified, are manifest; i. e. they are well known by the light of reafon; they are against natural religion, and the common fentiments of the best informed part of mankind, which are thefe; Moxa Adultery, the wronging and defiling the marriage-bed; Tagveia Fornication, the defilements of perfons unmarried, either with one another, or with married perfons, anaJapoia Uncleanness, by which is fignified all manner of luftful actions that are incestuous or unnatural, and whatever is not referred to adultery and fornication; doéλyera, Lafciviousness, to which is to be referred all the unchaftity of the mind,

impure thoughts; all obfcenity in words and SE R M. expreffions; all wantonnefs in looks or gesture; XXIX. all incitements to luft, and whatsoever difpofes the body or mind for the committal of any groffer acts of this fin: So very particular hath the Apostle thought it neceffary to be, in enumerating the feveral inftances and degrees of this prevailing fin. And if the Apostle here affirms, that they who indulge themselves in any of these shall not inherit the kingdom of God, what fhall we think of fuch who have given themselves over to lafcivioufnefs, to work all uncleanness with greediness?

The next is sidλoλargeía, Idolatry. This was levelled by the Apostle at the Heathen practices in his days; but, if he were alive now, he would apply it to the practice of Chriftians in ours, who pay that worship, which is due to God alone, to wafers, images, and reliques, and to faints and angels, their fellow-creatures.

Paguantía, Witchcraft; which, befides the groffer act of compact with the devil, implies the confulting of fortune-tellers; ufing of any means of incantation by fpells or charms, which is at this day in practice among the ignorant and superstitious; though it be in truth no other than going to the devil for folution of their doubts, and repair of their loffes.

"Exogar, Hatred, manentia odia, fays Grotius; fettled inveterate hatred conceived against any one, or for any caufe, which prompts us to wish for and catch at all advantages against him we hate, to vent our rancour and fpleen VOL. II.

U

against

« AnteriorContinuar »