(2.) The other is an assertion ; that there are habitual, positive, inordinate inclinations to sensual things both in the understanding and will ; for (f)p6vrj/jLa adpKo<i, ' The carnal mind is enmity against God,' Kom. viii. 7. The mind doth not only befriend the lusts of the flesh, and seek to palliate and excuse them, but opposeth whatever would reduce us from the love of them. And the will is biassed by
VeR. 12.] SERMONS UPON ROMANS VI. 239
such sensual inclinations : 1 Tim. vi. 10, ' For the love of money is the root of all evil.' Our reason doth often contrive and approve sin, and the will embraceth it. So that you see the reason why sin is said to reign in our bodies, because of the strong inclination of our souls to present things, or things conducing to the contenting of the flesh, or gratifying the bodily life.
Secondly, Why doth the apostle say, ' In your mortal bodies ' ? I answer — For sundry reasons.
1. To put us in mind of the first rise of sin ; for sin brought in death : Rom. v. 12, ' As by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.' And so while we live this mortal bodily life, we are subject to these desires, swarms of sinful motions and inclinations to evil remain within us, we are prone to them, and give way to them, and are too slack in the resistance of them, and through the ignorance and inat- tentiveness of our minds cannot discern or distinguish between what regular nature desireth and lust craveth. There are lawful desires of ihe body, and prohibited desires of the body ; through the crafty convey- ance between the understanding and the false heart, we easily give way to what is inordinate, under the pretence of what is lawful and convenient, and so insensibly slide into compliance with the plain prohibited desires of the body. Lust is headstrong, and the empire and government of the will feeble, and so we are led on to obey them ; that is, we become servants and slaves to sin. And though the regenerate be delivered from the power of sin, yet much of this corruption remaineth in them for their exercise and humiliation ; and if they be not watchful, and obey not the motions of the Spirit, it will soon recover its power, and men will be brought into their old slavery and captivity : Gal. v. 16, 17, ' Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh; for the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit lusteth against the flesh.' So that this mortal body giveth sin many advantages.
2. This term, mortal body, puts us in mind of its punishment ; it tendeth to death and destruction. We considered it before as it pointed at the rise, now at the fruit itself. The apostle telleth us, Rom. viii. 10, ' The body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.' He speaketh there of believers, or those who have the Spirit of Christ dwelling in them, who, being once sinners, tbe punish- ment of sin, death, befalleth them, and so their bodies must die and return to dust, yet they shall live a happy and blessed life both in body and soul. If they labour to mortify and suppress sin, and return sincerely to newness of life, though they are still mortal and subject to corporal death because of sin, yet it shall not be eternal death. The renewed soul is a partaker of eternal life, and shall always live with God in glory, and though the body be put off for a time, yet in time it shall be partaker of this life also.
3. To show us the transitoriness of these delights. You gratify a mortal body with the neglect of a precious and immortal soul ; now the mortal body should not be pampered with so great a loss and inconvenience to our souLs. All the good things which the flesh aimeth at, they perish with the mortal body, but the guilt and punishment of this diaorderly life remaineth for ever. All fleshly pleasure ceaseth at
240 SERMONS UPON ROMANS VI, [SeR. X.
the grave's mouth, and wealth, pleasure, carnal rest, worldly honour, are no longer of use to us when we are to be laid in the dust. One would think this should cure the mad desires of all mortal creatures : 1 John ii. 17, * The world passeth away, and the lusts thereof; but he that doeth the will of God shall endure for ever.' When we come to die, neither can the thing do us good, and the very lust and desire is gone, and is bitter in the remembrance of it. Pray, how little can all the world then do for you ? When you have most need of comfort, the taste of these things is gone, and the sting remaineth ; the pampered flesh must then be cast into the dust, and all its pleasure will then be at an end ; which will be a doleful day to those that had their good things here, and all their portion in this life. When that is gone which is so much valued and sought after, and the true felicity forfeited because it was undervalued and contemned, how will they be ashamed of the folly of their perverse choice ! Therefore, if we would joyfully bear, or contentedly yield to the dissolution of our bodies, we should now master and mortify the desires of the flesh.