A Body of Practical Divinity

1. The Saints at Death have great Immunities and Freedoms: A Prentice when out of his time is made Free: When the Saints are out of their time of living, then they are made Free; not made Free till Death. 1. At Death they are freed from a Body of Sin. There are in the best reliquiae peccati, some Remainders and Relics of Corruption, Rom. 7.24. O wretched Man that I am, who shall deliver me from this Body of Death! By the Body of Death is meant the Congeries, the Mass and lump of Sin. It may well be called a Body for its weightiness, and a Body of Death for its noisomness. (1.) It weighs us down; sin hinders us from doing good. A Christian is like a Bird that would be flying up, but hath a string tied to its Legs to hinder it; so he would be flying up to Heaven with the Wings of desire, but sin hinders him, Rom. 7.15. The good that I would, I do not. A Christian is like a Ship that is under Sail and at Anchor. Grace would sail forward, but Sin is the Anchor that holds it back. (2.) Sin is oft more active in its Sphere than Grace. How stirring was Lust in David, when his Grace lay dormant? (3.) Sin sometimes gets the Mastery, and leads a Saint Captive, Rom. 7.19. The evil I would not, that do I. Paul was like a Man carried down the stream, and could not bear up against it. How oft is a Child of God over-powered with Pride and Passion? Therefore Paul calls sin, [Greek or Hebrew], a Law in his Members, Rom. 7.24. it binds as a Law, it hath a kind of Jurisdiction over the Soul, as Cesar had over the Senate. (4.) Sin defiles the Soul, it is like a stain to Beauty, it turns the Souls Azure Brightness into Sables. (5.) Sin debilitates us, it disarms us of our strength, 2 Sam. 3.39. I am this day weak though anointed King. So though a Saint is ⟨p. 229⟩crowned with Grace, yet he is weak, though anointed a Spiritual King. (6.) Sin is ever Restless, Gal. 5.17. The flesh lusts against the Spirit. It is an Inmate that is always quarrelling: Like Marcellus that Roman Captain, of whom Hannibal said, Whether he did beat or was beaten, he would never be quiet. (7.) Sin adheres to us, we cannot get rid of it. It may be compared to a wild Fig-tree growing on a Wall; though the Roots are pulled up, yet there are some Fibres, some stings of it in the joints of the stone-work which cannot be gotten out. (8.) Sin mingles with our Duties and Graces;