flesh is against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh and then I call it an irreconcileable contrariety because though enemies may be reconciled yet contraries never In the handling of which point I shall onely demonstrate the truth of it and then conclude with a practical application Demonst 1 And first this contrariety appears by the contrary names given both to the flesh and Spirit in Scripture as here in the Text corruption it is called flesh and grace is called the Spirit corruption is called darknesse but grace is called light Rom. 13.12 Rom. 13 12. It is called a law of death Rom. 8.2 2 Cor. 7.1 1 Tim. 4.12 but grace is called the law of the Spirit of life Rom. 8.2 Corruption is called filthinesse of the flesh 2 Cor. 7.1 but grace is called purity of spirit 1 Tim. 4.12 So that by the these contrary names given both to the flesh and the Spirit the contrariety of both is set out 2. They are both contrary principled and origined for First corruption it is called the work of the devill and For this purpose was the Son of God manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil John 3.8 1 John 3.8 but grace is called the work of God Phil. 1.6 Phil. 1.6 Again corruption it is called the lust of the devil John 8.44 John 8.44 but grace is called the fruit of the Spirit Gal. 5.22 Gal. 5.22 so that these proceed from a contrary original That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit John 3.6 3. They have contrary acts and contrary uses the flesh is said to lust against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh they are contrary in their works and hence in Scripture sin it is called a work contrary to God Levit. 26. sin makes a man walk contrary to God but the Spirit drawes a man to walk in the wayes of God sinne is the Dalilah that will never let a man alone but presse him with importunity to yield to the temptations thereof 4. They are contrary in their ends and issues the end of the flesh is to damne the soul but the Spirit its motions and workings are to save the soule We are commanded to abstain from fleshly lusts which warre against the soule and the Apostle tells us That if we live after the flesh we shall die but if we through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body we shall live Rom. 8.13 The tendency of sin is unto death but of grace unto eternal life And therefore saith the same Apostle The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death Rom. 8.2 Upon these demonstrations it appears the flesh and the Spirit are contrary the one to the other Vse 1 Of instruction If so be these are contrary the one to the other first let us consider the contrariety of the flesh against the Spirit and thence learn these three inclinations 1. Learn to admire the free grace and mercy of God that notwithstanding this contrariety of the flesh against the Spirit in thee yet that this should not stirre up anger and fury in God but rather pity and mercy herein is Gods great love shewed to his people God doth to us as we would do to a man that hath taken poyson we pity such a man but poison in a tode that we hate when God sees sinne in his people tormenting them as poison in the body though they have such sinful natures and so contrary to grace yet this stirres not up fury but favour and pity in God It is a note worth your observation by comparing two Scriptures together Gen. 6.5,6 Compared with Gen. 8.21 Gen. 6.5,6 with Gen. 8.21 In the sixth of Genesis it is said there that the Lord saw that the imaginations of mans heart were evill and only evill and that continually and therefore saith God I will destroy man from the earth there their corrupt nature and the issues and acts of it provoked God to fury but compare that place with Chapt. 8.21 and there you read that God will not any more curse the ground for mans sake because the imagination of his heart is evill from his youth this is a strange reason one would think it should be on the contrary but God doth not bring a curse but annexeth a promise as if he should say though I might destroy man as I did in the flood yet I will not do it though the imagination of his heart be evill and that continually no though his heart be so bad this should teach us to admire the grace of God that notwithstanding the contrariety of our natures unto holinesse yet that this should not stirre up fury but rather pity and mercy in God to us 2. Learn to admire the grace and mercy of God that notwithstanding the contrariety that is in our natures against the Spirit that yet there is an irresistiblenesse in the Spirits working converting grace that the Spirit should conquer a man and break down the strong holds of nature 2 Cor. 10.4 that the Spirit of God should out of these contraries bring other contraries for so the Lord doth commanding light to shine out of darknesse Oh admire the omnipotency of Gods grace 2 Cor. 4.6 that notwithstanding the contrariety of thy nature yet it hath not been able to resist converting grace 3. Admire the grace of God that notwithstanding the contrariety of thy nature yet that there should be in the regenerate either activity or perpetuity of grace that thou doest act grace seeing thou hast a principle of sin in thee Gratia in nobis est flamma in extingui bilis in med â—o mari and that thou hast a perpetuity in the state of grace that this contrariety should never be able either totally or finally to conquer grace admire that this spark of fire should not be drowned by this flood of corruption that this contrariety in thy heart against grace should not destroy grace if thou art once in the state of grace thou art ever so and therefore let this heighten your admiration Adam had perfect grace and yet not perpetuity in it but thou hast imperfect grace and yet thou art established therein that thou shalt not fall Vse 2 Of humiliation and indeed these doctrines about corruption of nature they tend chiefly to debase this proud heart of man that is degenerated and fallen from so glorious an estate Be humble oh man though thou hast a principle of grace yet thou hast something in thee that carries a contrariety to grace thou hast a contrary principle to a gracious principle The flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other now here I shall speak not onely to unregenerate men but to the regenerate also and there are these seven
the difference between that conflict which arises from natural conscience and that opposition against sin which comes from the Spirit of God This Question is handled by many late Authours Perkins in his Treatise concerning the flesh and the Spirit and so Downam and many others Vide Amesium de conscientiâ lib. 2. cap. 11. therefore I would refer you to read them but yet I would not leave the point wholly and that you may know the difference I shall lay it down in these particulars There is a difference 1. In the manner of this conflict 2. In the extent of it 3. In regard of the principles from whence this conflict arises 4. In the time of duration And 5. In regard of the issue and end of this conflict First in regard of the manner of this conflict there is a threefold difference about the manner 1. That opposition which is in the unregenerate it is an involuntary opposition if conscience did not trouble him he would never trouble sin he comes to this battel not as a voluntier but rather as one imprest to this service by the impressions of a natural conscience he comes not to the field like a stout Champion but is dragged thither Conscience is Gods spie and mans overseer and therefore whether a man will or no it will fly in his face so that the opposition from natural conscience it is an involuntary opposition the commission of sin is voluntary but the opposition is involuntary Conscience in a wicked man is like the light of a candle to a thief it is still shining in his face whilest he is in the act of stealing But in the godly it is quite contrary the commission of sin is unvoluntary Rom. 7.19 the opposition in them it is a voluntary opposition they rejoyce when the Spirit does its office when grace in the renewed part doth suppresse the corruption of their hearts Wicked men are said to be willingly ignorant Heb. 13.18 but the Apostle tells you that the godly are willing in all things to live honestly Indeed a wicked man is loath to conflict with corruption his heart would alwayes be in the house of mirth as the wise man tells you Eccles 7.4 he is loath that his conscience should trouble him he would fain strangle conscience he is unwilling to conflict with the flesh but a godly man is most willing therefore you read that they groan to be unburthened for sin is the greatest burthen they lie under sin as a burthen 2 Cor. 5.4 and would fain cast it off 2. The conflict which is in the wicked it is but a jesting conflict it is like childrens playing together who will wrastle and strive but it is only for sport not to hurt one another or as Fencers who will make many flourishes and give one another some slight hurts but intend not to kill it is not like that of the warriour who comes into the field with an intent to kill his enemy but thus it is with the regenerate in their conflict with sin they indeavor in good earnest to kill it as the Apostle Paul sayes So fight I sayes he not as one that beateth the aire but I keep under my body and bring it into subjection 1 Cor. 9.26,27 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dicuntur Pugiles cùm pugnis aut coestibus antagonistam obtundunt Pareus Gal. 5.24 Rom. 8.13 The words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are very emphatical it is a metaphor drawne from wrastlers wherein the Champions did strive for life the word imports the beating of an enemy black and blue to do him all the hurt I can therefore sayes Paul I do not beat the aire but do beat down my body in good earnest They which are Christs have crucified the flesh saith the same Apostle unto which also we have a promise That if we through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body we shall live 3. The conflict proceeding from natural conscience it is a disorderly opposition just like men fighting in a tumult but the regenerate fight against sin as men in an Army Video meliora probóque deteriora sequor Sen. Med. The disorderlinesse of the unregenerates conflict appears in this because it is found in different faculties a wicked man hath a will and desire to commit such or such a sin now there is no regenerate part in their will there is nothing in the will against the will but there may be something in the understanding and oftentimes there is and therefore wicked men though they desire to do such or such an act of wickednesse yet their understandings tell them that sin will not only disgrace them here but will damne them hereafter Thus the conflict in the wicked is in several faculties and so is disorderly but in the regene rate the combate it is an orderly combate in the same faculty not the will against the understanding and the understanding against the will but the will against the will and the understanding against the understanding and the affections against the affections the renewed part of these do warre against the unrenewed part So the memory as farre as it is converted it labours to retain holy truths and to justle out the retention of evill the regenerate part opposes the unregenerate in the affections the warre is in the same faculty the love that we bear to God and heavenly things warres against selfe-love the love of the world and love to sin These are the differences between that conflict found in the regenerate unregenerate against sin in reference to this manner of the combat 2. In regard of the extent of this conflict the difference appears in these three particulars 1. The conflict of a natural conscience against sin reaches onely to the opposing of sins of life to outward sins but extends not to the sin of nature inward sins and the reason is this because natural conscience doth not know natural corruption to be a sin and if nature wants an eye to discover sin Rom. 7.12 it will also want a hand to oppose it Paul while he was unregenerate knew not that lust was a sin therefore original sin falls not under the cognizance of a natural conscience We read of wicked men that natural conscience hath gone so far as to check them for sins of life as Cain for his murder Ahab for his idolatry Saul for his cruelty and Judas for his treachery but nature cannot oppose nature it may oppose the branch but not the root but it is otherwise with a conscience enlightened by the Spirit of God it warres with the inward motions and workings of sin Paul after he was converted complains of a law of sin which was in his members and of a body of death and therefore you have him crying out Rom. 7.24 O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me therefrom natural conscience may check a man for sin of life but onely a renewed conscience will
corruption yet if you do not oppose it you will not only have it in your hearts but also visible in your lives 2. Though you cannot remove and destroy this contrariety of nature yet you may be able to suppresse it it is true destroy it you cannot but weaken it you may remove it you cannot but represse it you may You may do with it as Joshua did by the Gibeonites he saved their lives but made them hewers of wood and drawers of water and as the Israelites did with the Canaanites they did not throw them out but made them tributaries so though thou canst not drive out corruption of nature yet thou mayest keep it under and the more thou dost contest with thy corrupt heart the more thou wilt be able to keep iâ— under Lev. 14.41,46 It is an observable Law which the Lord gave the Jews touching an house that was infected with the pâ—aguâ— of Leprosie God bid the people do this that if the Leprosie were in the house they should scrape every stone in this house and if it could not be clean by scraping afterwards they were to pull the house down Thy nature it is this leprous house the plague of leprosie hath defiled thy nature and the Lord bids thee do with thy nature as the Jewes were to do with their houses they were to scrape every stone so do you labour to cleanse your hearts sweep thy heart with the beesom of sanctification and if all will not do when this house of thine shall be pulled down by death then it shall be cleansed But as long as thou livest in the world be contesting against the workings of corrupt nature and though thou canst not expell it yet thou mayest subdue it Though our grace in this life will never be so strong as to expell and utterly subdue our corruption yet by our striving and labouring to keep up this contest thou wilt keep thy corruption at such an under as it shall never extinguish grace 3. Consider that not to conflict with thy corrupt nature it is an argument that thou hast no grace in thee Between one there is no opposition opposition must be betweeen two These are contaary the one to the other as corrupt nature is contrary to grace so grace is contrary to corrupt nature and therefore if thou doest lie still and not conflict with corruption it is an evident argument thou hast no grace Vse 1 Let this contrariety that is in our hearts against grace Libera me Domine à meipso Aug. make us ever watchful and jealous over our own hearts you know not how farre the contrariety and corruption of your hearts may carry you before you die do not think surely I shall never fall into such a sin and such a sin be not secure thou hast a nature in thee that may prompt thee to the worst sin that ever was commited upon the earth I told you of an observation of Mr. Capels that a Christian before he died should be tempted to break every Commandment of the Law and to doubt of every Article in the Creed thou hast a contrariety against all grace and therefore an inclination to all sin carry therefore a jealous eye over thy selfe Peter he was not suspicious enough of himselfe when he told Christ That though all should forsake him yet he would not Nay sayes he though I die with thee yet I will not deny thee and yet Peter he did both he forsook him and denied him Matth. 26.35 and that with a curse and an oath Had Peter known his own heart he would never have said so Good men know not to what the corruption of their natures may carry them it may be thou art a holy and a gracious Christian thou walkest unblameably in the place where thou livest but consider if God should let thy nature loose with what impetuous violence wilt thou be drawne to sin Hazael as I noted before thought not that there was that wickednesse in his heart which the Prophet foretold him of 2 Kings 8.13 and therefore sayes he Is thy servant a dog that he should do this wickednesse Nay Christ himselfe forewarnes his disciples Luke 21.34 That they should beware of surfetting and drunkennesse and the cares of this world a strange exhortation one would think to such as they were one would think it had been a uselesse caution to such good men the disciples they were not at that time hunger-bitten and that they should be guilty of surfetting and they who had not a house to put their heads in that they should be overtaken with drunkennesse that they who had not the things of this life should be careful about them this was very strange yet Christ he knew that they had the feeds of these sinnes in their natures and as they so also have all we and therefore we ought to have a suspicious eye over our own hearts As in the first creation all creatures were seminally in the Chaos and there wanted onely the motion of the Spirit to bring them forth so in our natures there is the seed of all evil and there wants but occasion and temptation to draw it forth Remember Direction 2 though there be this contrariety in thy heart against grace yet be not discouraged though thou discernest this corruption in thy nature more then ever thou didst in all thy life-time past yet be not disheartened there are many godly soules in this case who never saw more corruption nor more violence then now they do they thought sin was dead but now they see it alive they thought the power of it was weakened but now they see the edge of it sharpened There are these considerations why such should not be discouraged 1. Because it may proceed not from an increase of sin in thy nature but from a clearer discovery of sinne not that the object is multiplied and greatened but because thy sight is cleared a godly man he sees more corruption in his nature then ever he saw before this proceeds not because there is more corruption then indeed was before but because the Lord hath given him a clearer inspection into his own heart I may illustrate it by this comparison In a dark and gloomy day you see no dust nor motes flying up and down your chamber but let the bright beames of the Sunne shine in there and then you see abundance of dust now the dust was there before but you saw it not because the Sunne made it not appear to you thus it is with men Before conversion they have an abundance of lusts in their hearts but they see them not because the Sunne of righteousnesse hath not shined into them You have a notable passage of Paul in Rom. 7.13 Rom. 7.13 But sin sayes he that it might appear to be sin wrought death in me sin was sin before but sin did not appear to be sin untill he was converted and now sayes he I perceive the workings
There may be five reasons laid down as the ground why God withholds his Spirit in its strivings with men 1. Because in times past you have refused to hearken to the frequent motions and perswasions of Gods Spirit the Spirit of God hath told you that if you walk in such wicked wayes the end of them will be death how often hath it suggested unto you that if you go on in such and such courses you will be undone for ever and yet you have gone on in sinne and would not hearken unto the Spirit thus God complaines of his people by the Psalmist Psal 81.11,12 My people would not hearken my voice and Israel would have none of me so I gave them up unto their own hearts lust and they walked in their own counsels as if he should say they would not hearken unto me and therefore my Spirit shall disswade them no more I will leave them to themselves and let them take their own course 2. Because it may be you have fastened and fathered sinful affections that arise from the flesh upon the Spirits motions and this is such an injury to the Spirit that he will not bear as when men shall say their wrath kindled from hell is the zeale of the Spirit coming down from Heaven that their erroneous opinions are the Spirits teachings when he is the Spirit of truth and Satanical delusions divine inspirations And this is an indignity not inferiour then if some subject should lay his bastard at his Princes gate and this some think is understood by the vexing of the Spirit mentioned by the Prophet Isaiah Isa 63.10 this may be another cause why the Lord may withhold his Spirit 3. Because men do more easily listen to the suggestions of the evill Spirit then to the motions of the good Spirit it makes your friend deny to come to your house when you shall give entertainment to his enemy when the Devill shall come and easily prevaile with you when you shall either sinne upon no temptation or upon a smal temptation this is a high provocation to Gods Spirit and this is a reason why there is so severe a judgment annexed to the third Commandment that God will not hold them guiltlesse that take his name in vaine because there is lesse temptation to the sinne of swearing then to any other sinne in the world Other sinnes they are more consonant to flesh and blood but swearing of all sinnes men have the least temptation to it The swearer serves the Devill gratis and hath neither profit nor pleasure by his sinne and therefore God annexes so severe a punishment When thou shalt runne unto sinne upon an easie tâ—mptation and wilt not hearken to Gods Spirit upon an earnest motion this provokes the Lord to withhold the strivings of his Spirit from thee 4. Because in former time thou hast plotted and deliberated how to commit sinne therefore the Spirit will withdraw from thee for time to come There are many that do commit sinne with deliberation premeditation and consultation and that man which commits a sinne deliberately and contrivedly he doth greatly provoke the Spirit of God Pro. v 16.30 It is said of a wicked man that he shutteth his eyes to devise mischief shutting of the eye is a studying plotting and deliberating posture As it is with a friend if you shall give him a blow at peradventure though he may be angry at first yet when he shall understand that it was against your will he will be quickly pacified but if he sees that you plot and contrive his death this makes him that he will never come into your company more Thus it is with the Spirit of God when he sees thee fall into sinne inconsiderately and unadvisedly he will not withdraw from thee for this but when the Spirit shall see that we way-lay him and do deliberate and contrive how to commit sin this provokes him if not for ever yet for a long departure Such deliberate acts of the soul they are more directly against God 1 King 15.5 and to this purpose is observable what you reade concerning David that he did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord all the dayes of his life save onely in the matter ofVriah the Hittite Now why doth not the text say rather that he was perfect or did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord save onely in the matter of Bathsheba for that was the foulest sinne There is this reason given hereof why the Spirit of God should say that he was a perfect man save onely in the matter of Vriah rather then in that of Bathsheba because his sinne in the matter of Bathsheba it was done rashly and inconsiderately he was suddenly surprized with a temptation but the matter of Vriah 2 Sam. ch 11. it was done more deliberately plottingly and contrivedly for first he sends for him home from the warres that so he might cloak his foul fact then he makes him drunk and after he makes him carry the contrivance of his own death in a letter to Joab so that it was a sinne so deliberately acted that the Spirit of God put a brand upon him for it take heed therefore of deliberate acts of sinne I censure none every one of you must stand or fall to your own Master but this I say that it is a sinne which gives an especial provocation to the Spirit of God It is the saying of a Modern Divine and a true one That a deliberate will to sinne without the act is more sinful then the act of sinne without a deliberate will and thus in the case of Peter that man does worse who purposes to deny Christ though he never doth it then Peter that did actually deny Christ and never intended it therefore look to your purposes and deliberations if you sinne deliberately it is the next step to the sinne of those against whom the Prophet prayes Lord be not merciful to those that sinne maliciously 5. The Spirit of God will withdraw from a man when men prostitute the holy Spirit to base lusts as all hypocrites do who do talk of the Spirit onely to commit sinne and enjoy their lusts more securely Thus Simon Magus he desired the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit that he might seeme some body and enrich himself this was but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Apostle speaks 1 Thes 2.5 a cloak for his covetousnesse Many grieve and provoke the Spirit to depart when they themselves do not serve God but rather serve themselves on God SERMON IV. At Lawrence Jury London Novemb. 10. 1650. GEN. 6. verse 3. And the Lord said My Spirit shall not alwayes strive with man c. I Proceed now to answer another Quere or case of Conscience very usefull which is this Quest How farre the Spirit of God may be withheld or withdrawn even from a godly man both before and after the commission of sinnes First I shall shew you
so withheld from them that after they fell into that sinne they were not convinced of it and therefore they lived and died in it Answ 2 The Spirit may be so farre from convincing a man of sinne and may so withdraw from a man that after he hath sinned he may go about to defend and justifie the sinne he hath committed and thus Jonah he sinned in not obeying Gods commandment of going to Nineveh and when God spared Nineveh Jonah was very angry and when God comes to reason with him asking him whether he did well to be angry why yes saies he I do well to be angry even unto death Jonah 4.9 Here was a good man in a pettish mood and to Gods face would justifie his own passion So Israel under the name of Ephraim they would justifie their own wickednesse Ephraim is a Merchant saith the Prophet Hosea 12.7,8 the balances of deceit are in his hand he loveth to oppresse But what said Ephraim yet saies he I am become rich I have found me out substance in all my labours they shall finde no iniquity in me that were sinne and yet God charges them with the balances of deceit Answ 3 A godly man he may for a long time yea many years lie under sinne and the Spirit of God may not work remorse of conscience in him for the sinne he hath committed and this is very sad thus the Spirit was withdrawn from David he commits adultery with Bathsheba and till the childe was borne and Nathan the Prophet came to him we never read that he was troubled for his sinne the Spirit did not work remorse of conscience in him which must be nine moneths after the manner of women Nay we read of Josephs brethren that they cast him into a pit and sold him unto the Ishmaelites and though they dealt thus unnaturally with their brother yet the Scripture tells us that it was about one and twenty years before they were troubled for this sin when they were in prison in Egypt then they said one to another Verily we are guilty of our brothers blood and therefore is this evill come upon us Gen. 42 21. Answ 4 The Spirit of God may so farre withdraw from a godly man after he hath committed sinne that he may rather commit more sinnes to hide that one sinne then to repent of it and this is a high step how near hell it is Yet thus David after he had fallen into adultery he doth not put his conscience on work to repent of this sinne but puts his wits on work how to cover this sinne and for that end sends for Vriah home to lie with his wife to cover his own sinfull fact and makes him drunk and when he could not bring that to passe then he contrives his death and makes him the messenger of death to himself So Peter a good man and yet Peter committed many sinnes to excuse one sinne nay he committed many sinnes sooner then he did repent of one sinne when he denied Christ First he denies him Then he denies him with an oath And thirdly he denies him with a curse whether he cursed Christ or himself or both it is not certaine Thus committed he many sinnes to excuse one This is a farre degree and yet thus farre may a godly man go Answ 5 A godly man after he hath committed sinne may be so farre from having power to mortifie that sinne that he may fall into it often and again Gen. 12.13 Gen. 20.2 We have many Scripture-instances hereof Abraham he fell twice into the sinne of lying in denying his own wife so Joseph Gen. 42.15,16 1 Kings 11.9 he fell twice into the sinne of swearing Solomon he sinned against the Lord after he had twice appeared to him And so the children of Israel Num. 14.22 they fell into the sinne of murmuring against God ten times together one after a-another 1 Kings 22.49 2 Chron. 18.2 Thus Jehosaphat sinned in sinfull compliance with wicked men twice as may be gathered I do not mention this to boulster any man in a ventrous way of sinning but only for the ease of afflicted consciences the Spirit may leave thee thus farre both before and after the commission of sin Before I come to handle the witholdings of the Spirit in reference to that which is good I shall give you the use of the former points If the Spirit of God do leave you thus farre then I inferre Inference 1 That you are not to impute it to God as an act of Sovereignty but as an act of Justice God is provoked to do it Why doth the Spirit of God say to thee as the Lord to Ephraâ—m He is given to Idols let him alone Hosea 4.17 why is it that Gods Spirit leaves thee some affront or other thou hast done to the Spirit either thou hast quenched the Spirits motions or grieved the Spirit or vexed the Spirit or resisted the Spirit in its operations and therefore thou shalt hear no more of the disswasions of the Spirit in thy heart Inference 2 Do not censure a man when thou seest him fall into sinne be not severe against him if Gods Spirit should be withdrawn from thee thou wouldest sinne a thousand times more then that man The Scripture commands that you should restore men fallen with the spirit of meeknesse considering your selves lest you also be tempted Gal. 6. i. Tu hodie Ego cras Aug. Doest thou see another man sinne do not judge him consider thy self if the Devill should tempt thee to a worse sinne and the Spirit withdraw from thee thou wouldest sinne worse then that man hath sinned Inference 3 What cause have you to blesse God that he hath given the strivings of his Spirit both to your selves and other men 1. Blesse God the Spirit is given to you The Spirit in the Word is the voice behinde thee saying This is the Way walk in it and by this meanes you are renced from many temptations and freed from many evils should a tempting Devill and thy corrupt heart meet and Gods Spirit but withdraw into what evill wouldest thou runne Even such a man in such a case would rush on in evill as the horse rushes on into the battle if the Spirit should not restraine him from sin Secondly blesse God for other men that by the common restraining power of the Spirit he laies a check and controll upon the spirits of men were it not for this there would be no living in the world Homo hominis Lupus how would humane socies be destroied every man would be savage and cruell each to other we should kill and murther every man that angered us deceive every man that dealt with us tell a lie to every man that speaks to us we should commit all sinne There is great wickednesse done in this last and worst age of the world but there would be more evill done did not the Spirit lay curbâ— and restraints
digge into it how quickly will the stench thereof take away the sweetnesse of the flowers though our natures seem not to be so bad as they are yet if the devil do but rake into them then will it appear what we are The heart of man may be compared to a tinder-box the corruption of nature to the tinder in this box now let but the devil strike flint and steele together that is suite a temptation to our corruption and how soone are we set on fire Christs nature it was like Iron it would not take with the sparks but the devil he tempts us and our natures are like tinder to the temptation What cause have we therefore to be humbled and greatly to be abased in the rememberance of the receptivenesse of our natures to take in the devils suggestions 5. Be humbled for that antipathy that is in our natures against the Spirits motions Our natures in innocency they were like the rivers of Egypt before they were turned into blood they were then the proper element for fish to live in but being once turned into blood all the fish die In innocency thy nature it was the proper element for the motions of the Spirit of God to be in but when thy nature was turned into blood by degeneration then the Spirits motions depart The words following my Text set out the contrariety of our natures Gal. 5.17 The flesh lusteth against the Spirit by Spirit is not meant the regenerate part but the motions of Gods Spirit corrupt nature warres against Gods Spirit in its motions and workings There are three expressions in Scripture which set out the enmity of mans nature against the Spirit of God As Isa 63.10 Acts 7.51 Heb. 10.29 1. A vexing of the Spirit 2. A resisting of the Spirit And 3. A doing despight to the spirit of grace Now all these expressiotions they denote the very height of enmity and that the nature of man it carries a deadly enmity to the Spirits motions Vse 2 I come now by way of instruction to lay down some inferences that may be drawn from this Doctrine and they shall be of two sorts First I shall lay down some general positions Secondly some particular directions about the Spirits motions Position 1 That the motions of the Spirit they are free and voluntary they are in whom and in what measure the Spirit pleases John 3.8 The winde blowes where it listeth that is the Spirits motions are imparted to whom God pleases The Spirit of God it is called a free Spirit Psal 51.12 it is a holy Spirit if you regard the effects of it but a free Spirit if you regard the grounds of its working And therefore the Apostle James sayes he Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth James 1.18 The Spirit of God it is a free agent Position 2 No man doth enjoy the Spirits motions alwayes alike That as the Sunne in the firmament though it be alwayes there yet it hath not alwayes the same influence so the same Spirit it is not alwayes in the same measure in regenerate men As it is with the winde in the aire sometimes it is calme at other times it is boysterous thus it is with the Spirit in the hearts of the godly they have it not alwayes in the same measure Posit 3 That men do more walke after the motions of the evil spirit then after the motions of the good Spirit It is a note which Divines commonly gather from Verse 19. and 22. following my Text where it is said that the works of the flesh are manifest Gal. 5.19,22 and there he layes down a catalogue of them But when he comes to speak of the works of the Spirit he doth not give them that name but calls them the fruits of the Spirit to let us know that men do more walke after the flesh then after the Spirit The wayes of most men are rather to follow manifestly the guidance of the flesh then of the Spirit Eph. 2.2 And so the Apostle speaks of men Who walk after the course of this world and according to the Spirit which worketh in the children of disobedience not according to the motions and suggestions of the holy Spirit of God Posit 4 That there is more fruit and profit to be found in walking after the motions of Gods Spirit then after the sinful motions of the evil spirit And this I gather from the variation of the phrase when the Apostle makes a catalogue of the workes of the flesh and of the Spirit sayes he The works of the flesh are manifest but the fruits of the Spirit are c. Gal. 5.19,22 To let you know that there is no fruit nor profit in sinne and therefore sayes the Apostle elsewhere Rom. 6.21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof yee are now ashamed for the end of those things is death Sinne brings forth no fruit but sorrow and shame sinne it is a work of the flesh it is the devils drudgery sinne is a work and it is a work of the flesh and there is no profit in it but there is fruit in the Spirit to let you know that if you imbrace the Spirits motions there will fruit and profit redound unto you thereby He that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting Gal. 6.8 There is no profit in following the flesh but much in following the Spirit Luther hath a good glosse upon that of Paul Let us cast off the work of darknesse and put on the armour of light Rom. 13.12 Sinne is called a work of darknesse and if you regard the antithesis grace should be called the work of light but it is not called so it is called the armour of light not the garment but the armour of light now why is the opposition carried on so unevenly it is sayes Luther for this reason sinne is called a work of darknesse not armour to note that there is no force in it against the wrath of God but grace it is called the â—rmour of light that as armour is for ornament and defence so grace it is that which beautifies the soul and keeps you from the wrath which is to come I shall conclude this particular with that of the Apostle Paul to be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace there is peace in this world and eternal life in the world to come much profit to a man which walkes after the Spirits guidance here but everlasting life and happinesse hereafter SERMON X. At Lawrence Jury London Decemb. 8. 1650. GAL. 5. verse 16. This I say then Walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh I Come now to the particular directions touching the motions of the Spirit of God Direct 1 1. When the Spirit of God suggests holy motions
Phil. 3.18,19 that the Apostle Paul wept over some that were enemies to the crosse of Christ whose glory was in their shame that is in their sin A regenerate man may act sin and hide sin nay he may extenuate sin he may mince the matter and put off and excuse it all he can but we never read of a regenerate man which did boast in his sin A godly man may go neer Jer. 11.15 ever to the suburbs of hell by his sin but he never glories in shame nor boasts of his sin 4. Godly men they sin not so rejoycingly as wicked men do The Prophet Jeremiah tels you of some Prov. 10.23 that when they did evil they rejoyced It is a sport to a fool to do mischief as the wise man tels you Chap. 2 14. By Solomons fool is meant a wicked man and such are they who rejoyce to do evil and delight in the frowardnesse of the wicked Ungodlinesse it is a wicked mans sport he makes a jest of sin Prov. 10.23 but a man of understanding hath wisdom that is he hath more wisdom then to make a sport of sin he knows that they shall be damned that have pleasure in unrighteousnesse and therefore he dares not sin rejoycingly as other men do he hath wisdom rather to mourn for it as David I will declare mine iniquity I will be sorry for my sin Psal 38.18 5. Godly men they sin not so plottingly and contrivingly as unregenerate men It is true godly men they may yeeld to the lusts of the flesh and act sin but they are not so cunning to contrive it 1 John 3.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 differt ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beza in loc Jer. 4.22 Ezek. 21.31 I sal 119.69 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 concinnârunt à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 conjunxit metaphora à Fabris Psal 50.19 He that committeth sin is of the Devil It is not said He that sins but he that commits sin that is he that makes sin The word is taken from Artificers that are skilfull and cunning about their work Godly men are bunglers about sin but wicked men they do it artificially Hence it is said that they are wise to do evil And skilfull to destroy David he tells you The proud have forged a lie against me It is bad to tell a lie but worse to forge a lie It is an expression drawn from Smiths that when they would bring a piece of iron into any curious frame they bring it to the forge Wicked men they are as skilfull in the way of sin as if they were bound aprentice to it Therefore we read of them that their tongues are said to frame deceit It is said that Christ at last day will put away those who are workers of iniquity all are actours of iniquity but all do not work iniquity that is they do not make a trade of sin neither are cunning in the cursed craft of sin 6. Godly men they sin not so deliberately as wicked men do A godly man it is true may be carried to sin through the violence of temptation and through the treacherousnesse of his own spirit but he doth not deliberate sin pause and consider with himself how he may commit it Micah 2.1 Wo be to them that devise iniquity and work evil upon their beds and when the morning is light they practise it Wicked men are said to shut their eyes to devise froward things Prov. 16.30 Which is a posture which argues the intentnes of the minde because by opening of the eyes many objects are administered whereby the minde is distracted Thus wicked men they plot contrive and deliberate how they may commit sin wicked men are students in sin But remember that at the day of judgement God will not onely call thee to an account for thy actions but for thy deliberations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 4.12 and the debates of thy minde how thou mightest commit such a sin though it were never acted by thee 1 Cor. 4.5 then will God make manifest the counsells of the heart all those deliberate thoughts and purposes that were in your minde to sin these will God make manifest and judge you even for the counsels of the heart Psal 36.4 The Psalmist tells you that a wicked man he deviseth mischief upon his bed he setteth himself in a way that is not good He deviseth mischief there is his deliberation and sets himself in a way that is not good that is a further expression of it A godly man may be turned aside by the Devil and his own heart Gal. 6.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 si praeoccupatus sit à carne Satana in cantus incidit in insidias Beza but the wicked they set themselves in a way of sin A godly man may be overtaken with sin as the Apostle tells you which intimates that he is going from it but a wicked man he goes not from sin but sets himself in a way which is not good It is true I must confesse as Divines upon this case that in a sense there may be deliberation in a godly man to sin yet there is great difference between the godly and the wicked herein There is difference betwixt the deliberating about the act of sin between a deliberation to find out an occasion how to commit sin A godly man he may be deliberate about the act he may rowl the Sun in his fancie but a godly man doth not deliberate how to finde an occasion whereby he may be wicked There was a deliberation in David when he committed adultery but he did not deliberate about the occasion to finde it out he did not go to his house-top thinking with himself that there he should see a woman to lust after but when he was there the Devil presented him with an occasion and when the occasion was found out then he did not deliberate how to commit that foul sin The like may be said about his deliberation in the death of Vriah for though he did it deliberately yet the violence of the temptation that then was upon him pressed him thereunto But now wicked men they deliberate how they may finde occasions to sin they are Devils to themselves plotting how they may do mischief they tempt the Devils to tempt them 7. Godly men they do not fulfill the lusts of the flesh so eagerly and intently as wicked men do who are eagerly set upon their lusts The adulterous thoughts of the wicked are compared to the neighing of a well-fed horse which is a very strong desire Jer. 5.8 and to the fury of a horse rushing into the battel Chap. 8.6 wicked men are as eager in the pursuit of their lusts as ever a horse was to rush into the battel Exod. 32.22 You read in Exod. 32. that the people were set on mischief which intimated their eagernesse to do wickedly How eager was Amnon to satisfie his lust
doctrine I shall premise a few particulars to be considered of 1. This conflict between the flesh and the Spirit it was not found in innocency then there was an harmony between the motions of Gods Spirit and all the powers and faculties both of soule and body God made man upright 2. This conflict it shall not be found in a state of glory for then thou shalt be all Spirit and no corrupt flesh for then the flesh shall be utterly abolished 3. This opposition it is not found in infancy it is true there is a corrupt nature in infants sinful motions in children but there is not that which we call actual opposition because they cannot exercise neither grace nor sin 4. This conflict it is not found in the state of unregeneracy while a man is wholly unregenerate he hath no saving motions in him and there cannot be an opposition but where there are two contraries 5. That the time of this life is the time how long this conflict shall last it cannot be ended untill this life be ended untill thou castest off the body of flesh thou shalt not be rid of the motions of sin 6. That even in the most holy that are there will be this conflict between the flesh and Spirit and those who have most grace are most sensible of the contest of the flesh against the Spirit 7. That even regenerate men do more often side with the motions of the flesh then close with the motions of the Spirit they are more in sin then in obedience more in imbracing sinfull motions then in entertaining divine motions some gather this from the Apostles vatiation of speech when he sayes The works of the flesh are manifest but he doth not say so of the fruits of the Spirit intimating that mâ—n are apt to close with the flesh rather then with the Spirit 7. These motions of corrupt nature they do not only reside in the inferiour part of man as the concupiscible faculty exciting to gluttony and lusts and irascible to envy and wrath but also in the superiour part though the Papists would make us believe otherwise The more noble and rational faculties of man are become corrupt thou art become vain in thy reason and in thy imagination thy understanding is tainted and thy will rebellious thy affections displaced thy superiour faculties are defiled Now having laid down these particulars I come to raise the Doctrine which is this Doctr. That the motions or inclinations in our natures to sin do ever conflict or warre against the motions of Gods Spirit pressing us to good I shall not dilate upon the proving of this point it is written legibly in the Word and engraven in every mans experience Therefore in the handling thereof there are several Queries I shall dispatch and then shall give you the use Querie 1 Wherein consists this conflict between the flesh and the Spirit Answ 1 In stirring up in the heart motions to sinne when the Spirit disswades from sinne Thus the Apostle Paul Rom. 7.5 he speaks it in the name of the regenerate sayes he When we were in the flesh the motions of sinne which were by the law accidentally did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death Not only in unregeneracy do motions arise from corrupt nature James 1.7,14 contrary to Gods Spirit but in a regenerate man Every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lusts and enticed that is by original sinne and thus Paul he speakes of himself as converted Rom. 7.23 sayes he I see another law in my members warring against the law of my minde and bringing me into captivity to the law of sinne which is in my members the Apostle he calls sinne a law because it had a force over him and brought him into captivity the law of his members did warre against the law of his minde by provoking him to sin Answ 2 By quenching and stifling the good motions of the Spirit that presses us to good The Spirits office is not only to testifie to us our graces and to evidence to us our interest in Christ but also to excite and stir up holy motions in the heart Now the flesh it doth what it can to quench all these good motions Rom 7.19 hence it is that Paul complaines of himself that the good he would do he did not and the evil he would not do that he did and this arose from that corruption of nature which in the whole Chapter he complaines of and herein chiefly consists the opposition that is between the flesh and the Spirit Answ 3 By inturrupting you when you are about good duties if the flesh cannot prevaile with you to make you not do it will labour to make you misdo duty herein is the great sinfulnesse of it To will is present with me Rom. 7.18 saith Paul but how to performe that which is good I finde not as if he should say I have alwayes an evil nature within me which is interrupting me and debilitating me that I cannot do the good I would herein consists the conflict between the flesh and the Spirit Querie 2 How doth the flesh oppose the Spirit and provoke to sinne the Spirit disswades from sinne the flesh intices to sinne Now what way doth the flesh take to intice to sinne so as thereby to conflict with the Spirit Answ 1 In general the way and manner which the flesh takes to oppose the Spirit it is very sly and subtil Hence is that of Paul Rom. 7.11 sayes he Sinne taking occasion by the commandment deceived me and by it slew me by sinne he means not actual but original sin the sin of nature is very subtil to deceive as will appear 1 By the names the Scripture gives to the sin of nature They are called deceitful lusts Eph. 4.22 There is great deceitfulnesse in sin according to that exhortation of the Apostle Exhort one another daily while it is called to day lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulnesse of sinne Heb. 3.13 2. The sin of nature it is deceitful as appears by the experience of Gods people Rom. 7.11 Sinne taking occasion saith Paul by the commandment deceived me and by it slew me 3. Because this sinne of nature it is that which makes the heart deceitful above all things and desparately wicked Jer. 17.9 Quicquid efficit tale est magis tale the heart is deceitful and is very subtill therein Answ 2 In particular there are seven wayes by which corrupt nature intices men to sin 1. By varnishing over sinne with the colour and paint of grace As a light woman may sometimes dress her self in modest attire that so she may not be suspected so thy heart may varnish over sinne that thereby it may the sooner deceive thee As it is usual that the beautiful face of grace by the corruption of our hearts may be smeared over with deformity as that tendernesse of
the Scripture which forbids that we should do evil Rom. 3.8 Job 13.7 that good may come thereon Will ye talk wickedly for God and deal deceitfully for him and if upon pretence of good we may commit evil by the same rule Judas his treason may be excused because of the great good coming by Christs death But let me tell you farther that if you sin that good may come thereby it is the way to lose the good you aime at It is very remarkable concerning Saul being to pursue the Philistines he gave out a very cruell and harsh command 1 Sam. 14.24 he commanded the people and bound them under an oath that they should not eat a bit of meat untill evening that he might be avenged of his enemies Sauls pretence was good but using an unlawful means the people became feeble and faint for food who otherwise might have obtained afar more glorious victory When men therefore shall use sinfull means for the obtaining of good it is just with God to disappoint them of the good they aime at 7. And lastly thy corrupt heart will tell thee though thou may'st not boldly act sin yet thou may'st safely venture on the occasion of sinne and yet be preserved Thus Peters heart deceived him he would go into the high Priests Hall venture upon the occasion of sin thinking that he should not be taken in it And thus the Israelites they would marry strange wives and this was an occasion whereby at last they fell to worship strange gods keep off therefore from the occasion of sin Solomon hath a good saying Can a man tread upon fire and not be burned his meaning is that a man cannot keep company with a harlot and be chast running upon the occasions of sinne brings to the acting of sin you will not venture upon ice or slippery places because of the occasion of falling and if you desire to be freed of the one be not bold to venter upon the other Vse 1 You that carry flesh and blood about with you and sinfull natures and do perceive the conflicts of the flesh against the Spirit weigh with your selves what it is the flesh conflicts with you for it is no lesse then for your immortall soules as the Apostle Peter tells you 1 Peter 2.11 I beseech you sayes he as strangers and pilgrims abstaine from fleshly lusts which warre against the soul The flesh aimes to damne the soul It is in this conflict as Cesar said in the battel he had once in Africa with the children and partakers of Pompey that in other battels he was wont to fight for glory but there and then he was faine to fight for his life remember thy precious soul lyes at stake in this combate therefore I beseech you take part with Gods Spirit against the flesh and not with the flesh against the Spirit Vse 2 When thou art overtaken with sinne blame none but thy own heart blame neither God nor the Devil 1. Not God for he made man upright Eccles 7.29 he gave a pure and unspotted soul to man but they have sought out many inventions therefore blame thy own self James 1.13,14 Let no man say when he is tempted that he is tempted of God for every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his owne lust and inticed 2. Blame not the Devil it is naturall to men to take off the blame from their own vicious natures when they fall into sin and to lay all upon the Devill but if you observe the Scripture you shall never finde that a godly man did ever lay the blame upon the Devil after he fell into sin It is true Adam and Eve did but there was some reason for that because they had no sinful nature to tempt them but after being fallen their sinful nature did tempt them not the Devil It is said of David that Satan stood up and provoked him to number the people 1 Chron. 21.1 but David he doth not say so himself Vers 8. but sayes he I have sinned greatly and I have done very foolishly David he charges his own heart and the reason is because the heart of man hath a greater stroak in provoking a man to sin then the Devil hath alas what could the Devil do if we had not a sinful inclination within The Devil when he came to tempt Christ he found no matter in him to fasten upon him and therefore he could not prevaile The Prince of this world cometh and findeth nothing in me said Christ But 't is otherwise with us temptations meet with corruptions that do suit them The Devil when he comes to thee thy heart it is as flax among fire or as gunpowder which having a spark of fire in it is suddenly blown up therefore blame not the Devil but thine own heart neither the Devil nor the world could hate thee were it not for thine own heart which like a false Trayter lodgeth within thy breast and betrayes the soul to the snares and temptations of the Devil Sermon XIII At Lawrence Jury London Decemb. 22. 1650. GAL. 5. verse 17. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other so that ye cannot do the things that ye would I Come now to give you the properties of this enmity and of this conflict and there are nine or ten qualities of this enemy corrupt nature 1. The flesh it is a potent enemy against the Spirit it is no weak enemy but it 's strong and therefore sayes the Apostle Rom. 6.12 Let not sin reigne in your mortal bodies In the unregenerate the flesh is as a mighty Monarch which rules without controule the flesh the power or a Law over them And in the regenerate sin is an usurping tyrant which gets a great deal of the Beleevers soul into his hands Rom. 7.14 Paul complaines that he was sold under sin though after his regeneration he did not sell himself to work wickednesse yet he was taken captive by the flesh as by a powerful and prevailing adversary and as conquerors sell their prisoners so was Paul Divines do usually compare corrupt nature to great Goliah and grace to little David Goliah had more strength yet David gets the victory though corruption be potent yet grace in the end will get the victory The potency of the flesh may appear by these demonstrations 1. By the names which in Scripture are attributed to corrupt nature 2 Cor 10.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is called a strong hold a man may easily win an ordinary dwelling house but it is hard taking a strong hold Rom. 7.23 It is called a Law The Law of sin it hath that power over the soul as the Law hath over the subjects of a Kingdome it is said to reigne having the power that a Prince hath over his people 2. It appeares to be potent by that mighty power which must be
set on work to suppresse this enemy no lesse then the power of an Almighty God can suppresse these corrupt motions and therefore sayes the Apostle The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds 2 Cor. 10.4 It is a weapon edged with the power of a Deity which must pull down these strong holds 3. Corrupt nature is strong because it is set on by a powerful spirit the Devil he provokes thee to sin and that makes the corruption of thy heart so potent The Sea will move of it self being a fleeting body but when a tempestuous storme arises then it rages and roares So is it with thy corrupt nature if there were no Devil yet thou wouldst be a Devil to thy self and wouldst commit sin but when the Devil shall set on this Sea of thy corrupt nature then how doth it rage and swell He is that Prince of the power of the Aire the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience Ephes 2.2 4. It argues the flesh is potent because it often prevailes over the Spirit The Apostle tells you that not only in wicked men but even in the regenerate the flesh doth many times carry a prevalence over the Spirit The Law is spiritual Rom. 7.14 sayes he but I am carnal sold under sin He speaks of himself as a regenerate man he doth not say he sold himself that was the property of wicked Ahab but it is meant that corrupt nature did carry him away captive to sinne just as a conquerour carries away his prisoner 5. The flesh is a potent enemy because there is a greater measure of the flesh in regenerate men then there is of the Spirit thou hast more sin in thee then grace more of a corrupted nature then of a renewed nature In the best of Gods children there is more ignorance then knowledge more pride then humility and generally more sin then obedience and this may be hinted from the catalogue here enumerated of the works of the flesh and of the fruits of the Spirit Gal. 5.19,20 There are seventeen sins as the fruit of the flesh and but seven graces as the fruit of the Spirit to note that there is more of the old nature in thy heart then of the new more of the old leaven then of the new lump more drosse then gold and this God suffers in his children to keep them humble and in a continual dependance upon him the spirits of just men are never made perfect till they come to heaven Heb. 12.21 and in the mean time it is the admirable power of Christ to keep alive a sparke of grace in the midst of a sea of corruption 2. As the flesh is a potent enemy so it is a malicious enemy against the Spirit Rom. 8.7 The carnal minde is enmity against God and its maliciousnesse against the Spirit appeares two wayes 1. It suffers no good to be left in it I know in me that is in my flesh dwells no good thing saith the Apostle Rom. 7.18 Caâ—o à carendo though there may be good in the man yet there is no good in the flesh that is in his sinful nature 2. It is content with nothing but with the death of the creature in whom it is and this is a very pernicious enemie it not only kills the Spirits motions but is malicious against the man Rom. 7.11 Chap. 8,13 and therefore sayes the Apostle Paul Sin taking occasion by the Commandment deceived me and by it slâ—w me And again If ye live after the flesh ye shall die nothing lesse then death and eternal damnation of the soul will content it this argues the maliciousnesse of the flesh â—o be great indeed 3. Corrupt nature it is an universal enemy against the Spirit and its universality appeares in three regards 1. The flesh it is seated in the whole man in all the parts of thy body and in all the powers of thy soul The flesh is in the soul just as the soul is in the body And Philosophers say that the soul is in the body the whole soul is in the whole body Anima est tota â—n toto corpâ—re tota in qualibet parte and the whole soul in every part of the body just so is corruption and sin in thy soul the whole corruption of nature is in the whole soul and in every part of it in thy body eyes eares hands in all the parts of it not only in the concupiscible and irrascible part but also in the more noble parts as in the will understanding reason it is universal in every part of man 2. It containes in it virtually all sin Nothing doth virtually containe all evil but corrupt nature As we may say of the first man Primus homo fuit omnis homo Rom. 7.8 Primum peccatum fwt omne peccatum that he was every man So we may say of sin the first sinne had every sin that is every sin virtually Sinne taking occasion by the Commandment wrought in me saies the Apostle all manner of concupiscence Corrupt nature it is an inclination to all actual evil in the world I may illustrate this by an egge An egge hath in it potentially and seminally all the parts of the bird only it wants the warmth of the hen to hatch and produce it So our corrupt flesh hath in it all sin the seed and spawne of all sin and as the hen produceth the chicken so doth the devil hatch sin 3. It opposes all the graces of Gods Spirit other sins take what sin you will it opposes but the contrary grace particular sins do carry but a particular opposition as for instance the sin of pride opposes humility lust opposeth charity drunkennesse sobriety in justice opposes righteousnesse wrath opposes meeknesse hatred opposes love and so of all other sins they carry but a particular opposition to particular graces but thy flesh it carries an universal opposition to all grace 4. The flesh it is an insatiable enemy insatiable in two regards 1. In regard of sin because if we yield to the motions of sinne to day corrupt nature will not be satisfied if thou yieldest to sin to day thou must to morrow yea all thy dayes Prov. 30.16 Corrupt nature is like those four things which Solomon speaks of which are never satisfied and as he elsewhere speaks Hell and destruction are never full so the eyes of man are never satisfied Prov. 27.20 that is corrupt nature in the eye sinful concupiscence in the heart causes an adulterous eye never to be satisfied 2. In regard of punishment as well as sin Suppose sin doth bring diseases upon thy body or poverty on thy estate yet thou wilt not leave it it aimes at no lesse then the damnation of thy soul 5. Corrupt nature it is an indefatigable enemy against the Spirit Suppose the flesh to have all the foregoing properties yet
fastened in the joints and intrals of the wall that till you pluck down the wall you cannot root up the the Ivy so it is with us till God pull down this wall of your body the root of your sin cannot be plucked up This was typified under the Levitical Law Lev. 14.41,45 in that house which was infected with a fretting Leprosie all their scraping and pouring out of the dust thereof could not make the house clean and therefore God commanded that the house should be pulled down and be removâ—d The corruption of our natures is like this Leprosy which nothing but the pulling down of the wall of the house would remedy so nothing but the death of the body will perfectly destroy the body of death This leprous house is a type of thy defiled body and the scraping thereof an embleme of thy indeavour to sweep thy heart of sin and yet for all this the house could not be cleansed till it was pulled down neither can the house of thy body be wholly purified and sin quite extirpated untill it be plucked down and laid in the dust I remember a learned Authour Luke 23.40 he makes the impenitent thief on the Crosse an embleme of the sin of our natures when he was nailed to the Crosse and as we say bound hand and foot he had onely one member untied and that was his tongue and with that he falls a reviling on Jesus Christ just so sayes this Authour are our natures when a man lies on his death-bed and cannot stirre hand nor foot even then hath he a nature kindled with fire from hell wherewith he sinnes against God Oh let this greatly humble us in the sight of God 5. Consider that this contrariety in thy nature against grace though it be repugnant to grace yet it is suitable to thy nature Corrupt nature will tempt men to those sins which are most suitable to flesh and blood as the devil when he tempted Christ in the wildernesse being an hungry Command sayes he Matth. 4.3 that these stones be made bread this was a very suitable temptation to Christs condition for he had fasted fourty dayes and fourty nights and was hungry the devil did suit him with a temptation and if the devil do suit temptations to our condition our natures will much more because a mans owne heart knowes what is more suitable to his inclination then the devil doth it is true the devil knowes what a mans inclination is by his actions otherwise he cannot know but our natures are so corrupted that they will propose temptations that are most pleasing to flesh and blood and to those sinnes which either by custome or inclination we are most inclined to And this the Apostle James speakes of as I have formerly noted Jam. 1.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when he sayes that every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lusts and enticed It is a metaphor taken from fisher-men who will suit their bait to the fish which they desire to take and will not alwayes fish with the same bait thus it is here thy corrupt nature doth play the fisherman and layes such a bait which is most suitable to every mans inclination therefore on this consideration be humbled that sin is so suitable to thy corrupt nature 6. Be humbled on this ground that thy corrupt nature will carry thee to commit such sinnes which thou didst believe in thy heart thou shouldst never fall into an eminent example hereof we have in Hazael who when he was told by the Prophet Elisha what evil he should do unto the children of Israel That he should set their strong holds on fire and slay their young men with the sword dash their children against the stones and rip up women with childe Oh sayes he is thy servant a dog that he should do these things 2 Kings 8.12 he could not believe it and yet this he did and worse then there the Prophet had told him Here is cause therefore to be humbled there is that evil seminally in thy nature that will provoke to sinne which thou couldst not imagine to be there why else should Christ admonish his Disciples Luke 21.34 to take heed that their hearts were not overcharged with surfetting and drunkennesse and worldly cares Alasâ— what danger was there for poor Disciples to be overtaken with these sins yet Christ knew that there was cause for them to take heed though they were eminent Apostles of Christ yet they had the seed of those evils in their natures It is an observation of Mr. Capel Capel of temptations that a godly man at one time or other before his death shall be tempted either by the devil or his own heart to break every Commandment of the Law and to doubt of every article in the Creed and therefore do not think thou art so well setled in thy judgement that thou shalt never fall into errour and thou which livest holily be not over-confident nor too secure thinking that thou shalt never fall as such a man fell remember thou hast as bad a heart and if God should suffer the devil thy own corrupt nature and an occasion to concurre together thou wouldest fall into as bad a sinne as ever any in the world fell into there is such a contrariety in thy nature against grace that it would carry thee to the most unnatural and grosse sinnes that are in the world Augustine had a good saying when he saw a man fall into sinne Tu hodie ego cras Thou fallest to day and I to morrow if God help me not 7. Consider that this contrariety in thee it is an universal contrariety if there were a contrariety against some grace and not against all it were somewhat excusable or if there were onely a contrariety in some parts not in all it were somewhat tolerable but when this contrariety is universal in every respect how intolerable is this though thou art a godly man not only the wicked but even thou who art a godly man all thy body and all thy soul is defiled it is true there is grace in every part of thy soul so there is sinne too There is ignorance in thy understanding forgetfulnesse in thy memory stubbornnesse in thy will disorder in thy affections hardnesse in thy heart searednesse in thy conscience now it is true though every faculty be infected yet also is every part regenerated too in those that are godly Corruption it is in the soule as the soul is in the body the whole soul is in the whole body and the whole soul is in every part of the body just so it is with original corruption it is whole in every man and it is whole in every part of a man One hath this note that corrupt nature it is more in the soule then the soule is in the body for though the whole soule be in the whole body and every part of it yet it is not in that
in these cases spirituall joy is immoderate which I shall prove to you by two places of Scripture the first is in the 12. Acts 12,14,15 there were many gathered together praying in the house of Mary the Mother of John and as Peter knocked at the dore of the Gate a Damsell came to hearken named Rhoda and when she knew Peters voice she opened not the gate for gladness but ran in again and told how Peter stood without at the Gate the Damsell rejoyced so much that Peter was at the dore that she could not open the dore which was a sin in her and her joy was excessive because it made her inconsiderate noâ— to open the dore when Peter stood without knocking she opened not the dore for gladness that is one Text to prove your joy may be excessive Another we have in Luke 24.39 This was spoken here after Christs Resurrection from the dead When Christ came and stood in the middst of his Disciples where they were together and shewed them his hands and his feet which were pierced that they might believe it was he and that he was risen from the dead it is said they believed not for joy This was a spirituall joy when Christ had conquered death and hell and the grave and was risen again from the dead they rejoyced so much that they could not believe it one grace hindered and interrupted another and therefore their joy was excessive I speak this only in reference to young Converts they may have much sin mingled with their joy And thus I have done with these eight Conclusions I shall now proceed to the dispatching of the Queries which will be more usefull in the prosecution of this Doctrine That Christians must not only take heed of being excessive in their sorrow for worldly crosses but also of being excessive in their joy for worldly comforts SERM. VII 1 Cor. 7.30,31 And they that rejoyce as though they rejoyced not I Shall at this time briefly speak to these two things First I shall shew you when your worldly joy is excessive And secondly I shall lay you down some Rules whereby to keep your joy within bounds Quest 1 Worldly joy when excessive in 8. particulars Q. 1. When is worldly joy excessive and inordinate and that I shall shew you in these 8. particulars Answ 1. Worldly joy is then excessive when it interrupts godly sorrow for sin when a man shall be of such a jolly and merry temper that he cries out hang sorrow and cast away care he will never be sorrowfull again â—or â—ver have any serious thoughts of sin such a joy as this is excessive and sinfull When one grace justles out another when worldly joy thrusts out sorrow for sin then it is inordinate Thus it was with Belshazzer in Dan. 5.2 He spent his dayes in mirth and jollity quaft and caroused in the Vessels of the Temple in one day he feasted a thousand of his Lords and was merry through wine but what was the issue of all you may see in the 20. verse his heart was lifted up and his mind hardned in pride his joy was excessive because it hardned his heart and hindred and interrupted him from mourning for sin Thus Saul called for Musick when he should have given himself to sorrow for sin 1 Sam. 16. Why now beloved look into your own bosoms though God allowes you to rejoyce moderately in his mercies yet if you be so taken up with joyes and pleasures that you are averse from sorrow and serious thoughts of heart in remembrance of your sins then your joy is excessive 2. Your rejoycing in worldly comforts is then excessive when it deprives and robs you of that fellow-feeling and compassionate affections which you should have toward the sorrows and afflictions of Gods Church and people This you have laid down as a mark of excessiveness of joy in Amos 6.4,5,6 They lie upon beds of Ivory and stretch themselves upon their couches and eat the Lambs out of the flock and the Calves out of the midst of the stall that chant to the sound of the violl and invent to themselves instruments of Musick that drink wine in Bowles and annoint themselves with chiefe ointments but they are not grieved for the afflictions of Joseph Israel here was wanton and spent their time in pleasures and jollity but they were not grieved for the afflictions of Joseph what is that why by the afflictions of Joseph are to be understood the miseries of the Tribe of Manasseh because that Tribe came from Joseph as the 10. Tribes were called Ephraim because Jeroboam the first King of the 10. Tribes came of the posterity of Ephraim and that one Tribe enduring great afflictions as we may read 2 Kings 13.7 under King Joash the nine Tribes were not mourning for them that was their sin and therein their joy was excessive Now beloved all you whose hearts do suggest this to you that you live merrily in the world and so spend your time in mirth and jollity that it quite eats out all compassion and fellow-feeling in you towards the miseries and afflictions of the Church of God that let Religion and the cause of God sink or swim and let the people of God stand or fall it shall never trouble you in this case your joy is excessive 3. When your worldly joy doth damp and dull your delight in God and in spirituall duties then is your joy excessive when thy delight and relish in the Creature is as sweet as hony but yet canst take no more joy in communion with God in performing duties to him and receiving grace and spirituall mercies from him then there is tast in the white of an Egge this is a sign thy joy is excessive as in Job 21.11,12.13,14,15 Job speaks there of the wicked that they send forth their little ones like a flock and their Children dance they take the Timbrel and Harp and rejoyce at the sound of the Organ they spend their dayes in mirth and in a moment go down into the grave here are jolly men indeed they spend their dayes merrily but what is the issue of all this therefore they say unto God depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes what is the Almighty that we should serve him and what profit should we have if we pray unto him Here you see their joy was excessive and immoderate because it did damp their love duty to God All recreation should be as a whetstone to sharpen us to duty as Physick to sharpen the stomack to relish food not to dog and dull our appetite to spiritual things 4. Your joy was excessive in that worldly comfort which you grieve too much in the losse and want of A man never grieves too much in the want of any mercy but he did rejoyce too much before in the enjoyment of it 5. Then your joy is excessive in outward comforts when it makes you insult and triumph over the
rebuke a man for sin of nature 2. Natural conscience as it doth not reach to sin of nature so neither to the nature of sin My meaning is this natural conscience it never conflicts against the nature of sin but only against the punishment of sin it rebukes not a man for sin under this consideration that it is against a holy God and contrary to a holy and pure Law it is the punishment of sin and not the nature of sin which natural conscience relucts at not because sin defiles the soul but because sin destroyes the soul not because sin blots out the image of God but because sin keeps men that they shall not see the face of God not because God hates sin but because God punisheth sin But the regenerate they do not only through the Spirit conflict with the sin of their nature but with the nature of their sin with their sin not as destroying their soules but as defiling their soules not as tormenting the conscience but as polluting the conscience not as damning the soul but polluting the heart A natural man may be afraid of sin as a childe is afraid of a fire-stick not that it feares to handle it because it will colly his hands but because it will scorch his fingers It is a main difference for a childe of God would abstain from sin because of God not only because of hell The godly would not offend against the purity holinesse authority and goodnesse of God and therefore abstaines from sin The natural man as Augustine saith metuit ardere non metuit peccare is afraid to burn in hell but is not afraid to sin 3. Natural conscience may conflict with sinne yet it comes farre short of the Spirits conflict because it reaches only to open and grosse sins not to secret and small evils Cursing it is so execrable an evill that a mans own heart wil tel him of it Eccles 7.22 as the wise man sayes Oftentimes thine own heart knoweth that thou thy selfe hast cursed others natural conscience will not so often check thee for secret and bosome-sins as spiritual pride wandring thoughts in holy duties and emptinesse of minde but a renewed conscience when the Spirit of God comes by it to convince of sin it reaches to secret sins it reaches to the very motions is well as to actions and thus it was with the Apostle Paul sayes he Sin taking occasion by the Commandment Wrought in me all manner of concupiscence Rom. 7.8 whilest original sin did work but in its motions before they were acted the Apostle was sensible of them And so Hezekiah a good man it is said that he humbled himself for the pride of his heart for the lifting up of his heart as in that no man could accuse him of These are the differences between the conflict which natural conscience hath against sin and that conflict which the Spirit hath against corruption Vse 1 If this be so that the Spirit doth as well lust against the flesh as the flesh against the Spirit in regenerate men Then first see the reason why regenerate men do not live so sinfully as the wicked do It is not as if good men had better natures then bad men for the best man on earth yea the most glorious Saint in heaven had as bad a nature as the worst man on earth The true reason is this because a godly man hath the Spirit to warre against the flesh he hath the Spirit to conflict with corruption Gal 5.16 and therefore he acts not sin as wicked men do If ye walk in the Spirit ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh 1 John 3.9 and according to this is that of the Apostle John Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sinne for his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sinne because he is born of God He cannot sin it is not to be taken absolutely but comparatively he shall not sin after that manner and in that measure with those circumstances as the wicked do because they are born of God have a seed of grace remaining in them this is the reason why godly men live not as the wicked do The godly have another kinde of spirit in them then the meer natural man hath he hath the Spirit of Christ whereas the other hath only the spirit of the world Vse 2 Learn to blesse God seeing thou hast so bad a nature that thou hast the Spirit within thee which is able to suppresse the workings of corrupt nature All you that are begotten again by the immortal seed of the Word that have the Spirit to keep under your corruption what evill would you not do and what good would you not leave undone if the Spirit were but withheld from you what will that man be that wants the Spirit will he not be an habitation for swarms of lusts and a cage for every unclean bird if thy heart be not a storehouse for the Spirit it will be a workhouse for the devil if it be not Christs garden wherein he sowes the seed of grace it will be the devils seminary wherein nothing but sin will thrive and grow oh therefore blesse God seeing thou hast such an evill heart that thou hast the motions of the Spirit to warre against the motions of the flesh 3. Pray unto God that his Spirit may do its office in thee thou needest not pray thy heart to tempt thee to sin but the Spirit needs intreaty to do its office in thy heart do thou every day put up that request of David Lord withhold not thy Spirit from me seeing every day I have sinful motions let me every day have the motions of thy Spirit seeing every day Satan perswades me to sin let thy Spirit every day perswade me to good Sermon XVI At Lawrence Jewry London Decemb. 29. 1650. GAL. 5. verse 17. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other so that ye cannot do the things that ye would I Come now to the third difference touching this conflict A third difference Of this conflict in an unregenerate and a regenerate person and that is in regard of time concerning which there are these particulars to be handled 1. The time when this conflict begins 2. The time of its continuance 3. The time how often this conflict comes 1. The conflict between natural conscience and sinne may begin assoon as ever a man hath light of nature whilst a man is in an unregenerate estate Rom. 2.14 The Apostle tells you that the Gentiles which have not the Law do by nature the things contained in the Law that is natural conscience it carries the force of a Law with it and hath power over them so that they shall not break out into many evils contrary to natures light so that the time when a natural conscience may conflict against sin may be whilest a man is in the
have a seed of grace remaining in them 3. Wicked men they do not so clearly discerne and sensibly bewaile the interruptions of the flesh as those who are godly do 4. The wicked they shall never be rid of the evil workings of the flesh neither in this world nor in that which is to come Sinne in this life shall hinder duty and in the world to come they will cast off duty But the godly though pestered with the flesh yet they shall one day be rid of the flesh And thus I have finished the first part of the double consequent Sermon XXV At Lawrence Jewry London Februar 9. 1650. GAL. 5. verse 17. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other so that ye cannot do the things that ye would I Am now to proceed to the second reference of these words and that is the Spirits conflicts against the flesh so that men cannot do the evil they would And the observation is this Doct. That the Spirit of God keeps regenerate men oftentimes that they shall not do the evil they would In the handling of which Point there are three particulars in the doctrinal part that I shall insist on 1. I shall shew you how the Spirit doth keep a man from doing the evil he would do 2. Wherein consists this work of the Spirit 3. How you may know the difference between the restraining grace of the Spirit in keeping a wicked man from sinne and the renewing grace of the Spirit in keeping regenerate men from evil 1. How doth the Spirit keep a man from doing the evil that he would do To this question I shall give you five particulars by way of answer 1. The Spirit keeps a man from doing the evil he would by enlightening his judgement and making him to see the evil of sinne in its nature and the danger of sinne in its event Thus you read in Job 36.9 Job 36.9 He sheweth them their worke and their transgressions that they have exceeded here is the inlightening of their judgements and then it followes in the tenth verse He openeth also their eare to discipline and commandeth that they return from iniquity verse 10. vers 12. and in the twelfth verse If they obey not they shall perish by the sword and shall die without knowledge The sinne of nature it is described by a state of ignorance to note that a man without the Spirit is blinde and cannot see those evils which he commits the Spirit therefore enlightens a man and hence you read Acts 26.18 that the Apostle Paul was sent to open mens eyes and to turn them from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan unto God See 2 King 6.15 intimating that there must be first the opening of the eyes and the enlightening of the judgement before there can be a rescuing from sinne 2. The Spirit keeps a man from sinne by setting conscience on work to check and rebuke a man when he is tempted thereunto Conscience is Gods Officer and mans Overseer and were it not for a natural conscience a wicked man would commit all imaginable evills every wicked man would commit every sinne that he had opportunity to act Now as sinne wounds the conscience after commission so conscience checks for sinne before commission It is conscience which is as an iron gate and as a brazen wall to keep thee from many evills which otherwise thou wouldst run into And therefore Ioseph consults with his conscience How can I do this great wickednesse and this kept him from committing folly with his Mistresse 3. Another way whereby the Spirit keeps a man from sinne is by infusing into a man a principle of grace and holinesse repugnant to that principle of sinne which is in the nature and thus the Apostle John tells you that Whosoever iâ— born of God doth not commit sinne for the seed of God remaineth in him and he cannot sinne because he is born of God 1 Joh. 3.9 1 Joh. 5.18 He that is born of God hath a renewed nature and a new principle put into him contrary to the sin of his nature 4. The Spirit keeps a man from evil by calling to his remembrance some particular passage out of Sctipture against that sinne unto which he is tempted To this purpose David speakes that he had hid the Word of the Lord in his heart Psal 119.11 that he might not sinne against him This is the way whereby the Spirit fortifies the heart against sin you have it often mentioned in particular cases Solomon gives this counsel to his sonne that he should keep his words Prov. 7.1,5 and lay up his commandments and that to this end that they may keep thee from the strange woman and thus David Psal 17.4 saies he By the Word of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer Thus Augustine reports of a young man who was given to wantonnesse and it pleased God by bringing this passage to his remembrance Not in rioting and drunkennesse not in chambring and wantonnesse it pleased God to make this a meanes whereby he left off his dalliance and wantonnesse ever after 5. The Spirit keeps a man from doing the evil he would by possessing the heart with an awe and dread of the presence of God when he is tempted to evil Fear the Lord and depart from evil Prov. 37. the wise man joynes them both together to let you know that when the heart is possessed with the fear of God it keeps a man from evil And thus Solomon in a parallell place speaks to the same purpose Prov. 16.6 Prov. 14.16 that By the fear of the Lord men depart from evil An awefull fear of the great God is a good preservative gainst sin Quest 2 The next question is Wherein this worke of the Spirit in keeping a man from sinne consists And for answer hereto in the general it consists in three things 1. In regard of the kindes of sinne 2. In regard of the time and place where sinne would be committed 3. In regard of the manner of sin 1. In regard of the kindes of sinne so the Spirit keeps a regenerate man that he shall never commit the sinne against the Holy Ghost not but that there is the seed of that sinne in the godly as well as others this you have fully proved by John in 1 Joh. 5.18 1 Joh. 5.18 After he had been telling that there was a sinne unto death and saies he I do not say ye shall pray for it he tells you after in the eighteenth verse We know saith he that whosoever is born of God sinneth not but he that is begotten of God keepeth himselfe and that wicked one toucheth him not That is shall not prevaile over a godly man to sinne this sinne unto death grace in the hearr will keep a man that the wicked one shall not so touch
him 2. The Spirit of God will keep a man that he shall not commit sinne at that time and in that place where he would Thus the Spirit kept David in a pettish mood he resolves to kill Nabal and all his family but Abigail coming to meet David by good perswasions soon allayed Davids hot spirit and herein the work of Gods Spirit was exceedingly seen that though David resolved that at such a time and in such a place he would do thus and thus yet the overruling hand of Gods Spirit kept him back 3. And chiefly the Spirit keeps a man from sinne in respect of the manner how a man doth evil A regenerate man he shall not sinne after that manner as he did sinne before he was converted I shewed you before how the Spirit keeps a man from fulfilling sinne And now I shall shew you how the Spirit of God keeps a regenerate man from sinning after that manner as formerly he did And there are seven particulars which I shall mention in this Point 1. A regenerate man he shall not sinne so ignorantly as formerly he hath done Paul tells you of himselfe that during his unconverted state the Lord had mercy on him 1 Tim. 1.13 because he sinned of ignorance but when a man is once converted his eyes are then opened and he shall not sinne so ignorantly 1 Pet. 1.14 Hereunto referres that exhortation of the Apostle As obedient children not fashioning your selves according to the former lusts in your ignorance before conversion a man walks in darknesse and as the wise man speaks Prov. 4.19 Joh. 12.35 he knows not at what he stumbles An unconverted age is a dark age a man sins and he knows it not but after conversion God puts a light into the soul whereby he shall be able to see into the mischievous nature of sin 2. Thou canst not commit sin so stupidly and insensibly as formerly Before conversion sin did no more trouble thy conscience then gravel in the fingers of thy glove but now it is as gravel grating in thy bowels before thou waft stupid and as the Apostle speaks thou hadst thy conscience seared as with a hot iron 1 Tim. 4.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seared flesh is unsensible it is your raw and galled flesh which is tender formerly thy conscience was sensible of no sin whereas now if thou doest sin it is as the pricking of a sword into raw flesh before conversion the Law was cast behinde a mans back Eph. 4.17,18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but now a godly man sets it before his eyes before thou waft past feeling now sin is as a dagger at thy heart 3. Thou canst not sin so contentedly as in former time heretofore thou wallowedst in sin as a Sow in the mire but now thou art as a Sheep in the mire which would â—aine be in the green medows again I told you formerly Jude 18. that corruption in a godly man it was like poyson in a mans body troublesome and painful but sinne in the wicked it was but like poyson in a toade which was natural before thy conversion thou wast as much content with sin and corruption in thee as a toade that hath poyson naturally in it but now after conversion sinne troubles thee as if poyson were in thy bowels Prov. 13.23 2 Thes 2.12 sinne to a wicked man is his sport and pastime to the godly his grief and burden 4. Thou doest not so fearlesly commit sinne as in times past Formerly thou didst rush into sinne as a horse rusheth into the battel thou hadst not the impression of Gods fear stamped upon thy minde the dread of God did not keep thee from sin but when God hath converted a man he sinnes with more feare of heart then ever he did before and it is worthy your noting that when the Scripture speakes of a converted man it doth not speak of him as forbearing a sinne but fearing of it A good man is one who not only forbeareth idle swearing Eccles 9.2 Prov. 13.13 but feareth an oath And hence godly men are said to fear the command A wicked man may fear the threatening and the punishment but it is only a good man which fears the command and therefore will not sin because it is against a holy law 5 The Spirit will keep thee that thou shalt not sinne so maliciously as thou hast done formerly Before conversion the Scripture speakes of wicked men Judg 15. that the Lord shall convince them of their ungodly deeds which they have ungodlily committed The Scripture speaks not only of ungodly men and ungodly deeds but of committing ungodly deeds ungodlily that is after a most ungodly manner after a most wilful and malicious manner But so thou canst not commit sinne after conversion We reade of some who do despite unto the Spirit of grace Heb. 10.29 but a godly man shall never so sinne he may quench the Spirits motions and he may grieve the Spirit but he shall never do despite unto the Spirit A godly man shall never sinne out of malicious wickednesse Psal 59.5 6. Thou canst not do evil as to the maine not so voluntarily as thou hast formerly done before conversion thou didst rush into sinne voluntarily but now thou goest and yieldest to sinne with much unwillingnesse This change doth converting grace make in thee formerly thou didst sinne with all thy will but now there is one part of the will against the other and therefore saies the Apostle With my minde I serve the law of God but with my flesh the law of sinne Rom. 7.25 whereas before conversion the whole of man was given up to the service of sinne a childe of God when he is converted though he sinne yet it is upon some surprise as Peter rashly denied Christ but a wicked man sinnes deliberately even as Judas betrayed Christ 7. Not so impudently as before conversion then men sinned and were not ashamed as the Prophet Jeremy speakes but now with fear and blushing shame The next Question is seeing this is a blessing in common to wicked men as well as to the godly to be kept from evil then what difference is there between the restraining grace of the Spirit in wicked men Jer. 6.15 and the renewing grace of the Spirit in the godly But this question I shall not now handle but shall reserve it for the next Sermon That which I shall now do shall be to conclude this Sermon with some use of what you have heard Vse If it be so that the Spirit keeps regenerate men that they cannot do the evil they would then from hence see 1. The great misery of those men who are destitute of the Spirit to do this great and good office for them what slaves to sinne are they who are void of the Spirit they are liable to every incursion and invasion which the devil shall make upon them Now the Spirits motions and disswasions they