You have cause to blesse God because otherwise you would commit more sinnes then you do and those which you do commit after a worse manner more willingly more eagerly more wilfully blesse God therefore in this regard for his holy Spirit Vse 2 You may learne the happinesse of a godly man and the misery of a wicked man The happinesse of a godly man that thou hast the Spirit to keep thee from sinning so as other men sinne 1 John 3.9 Non homines sed monstra Hominum sunt Pelagiani Cathari Caelestiani Donatistae A nabaptistae Libertini qui ex hoc loco perfectionem illam somniant à qua absunt ipsi emnium hon inum longissimi Beza Chap. 2.1 Job 1.22 Job 5.24 and the Scripture speaks of a godly man in this regard as if he had no sinne at all Whosoever is borne of God sayes the Apostle doth not commit sinne for his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sinne because he is borne of God It is not to be taken absolutely as if we had no sinne but comparatively he cannot sinne so as wicked men These things write I unto you that ye sinne not saith the Apostle And as it is said of Job that in all this he sinned not These expressions are not to be taken absolutely but comparatively not that godly men sinne not at all but that they sinne not after that manâ—er wicked men do Thou shalt visit thy habitation and shalt not sinne saith Job What an honour then is this put upon the godly that because they sinne not as the wicked therefore the Scripture makes mention of them as if they did not sin at all But farther see the misery of the wicked what a case are they in who have not the Spirit of God to lay a controule upon their sinful natures what servants to sin are they what vassals to their own lusts when the devil tempts from without and their own lusts from within they have no Spirit of God to withhold them Wicked men they sin so as no godly men can and therefore saith the Lord Deut. 32.5 They have corrupted themselves and their spot is not the spot of my children It is true I confesse there may be a spice of those particulars I mentioned in thy practice there may be something of the will in sin some delectation some deliberation yet do not be discouraged if thy heart yield not fully if there be not such a strong bent of will to sin as is found in wicked men SERMON XII At Lawrence Jury London Decemb. 15. 1650. GAL. 5. verse 17. For the flesh lusteth 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 HAving treated in several Sermons upon the Verse foregoing concerning walking in the Spirit I come now to handle this Verse which containes in it the combate between the flesh and the Spirit I shall only open the first clause of the Text at this time and dispatch the other in order The first onset given in this spiritual combate is by the flesh The flesh lusts against the Spirit to open which two things must be unfolded Quest 1 1. What is meant by flesh 2. What is meant by the Spirit and then what by the lusting of the flesh against the Spirit Answ By flesh is to be understood the corruption of mans nature by original sinne which corruption may be understood either as an habâ—t or as an act If you consider the flesh as an habit then it notes that primitive radical and original indisposition in mans nature to good But if it be taken as an act then it notes our corrupt motions against grace and so I take it in this place The flesh lusteth against the Spirit that is when the Spirit of God doth by divine pulsations beat upon the heart in holy motions then there is a contrariety in the flesh against these motions suppressing them and carrying the heart to evill The corruption of nature may be called flesh for these reasons 1. Because the soul was defiled with corruption immediately upon its union and conjunction with the body It is true there is a contest among Divines when the soul comes to be corrupted seeing it is infused by creation and is therefore pure But the generality of Authors conclude upon this that immediately upon the conjunction of the soul with the body the creature is said to have natural corruption and for this reason some think that corrupt nature is called flesh because man is naturally corrupted assoon as soule and body joyne together 2. Corrupt nature is called flesh because this corruption of nature remaines as long as we carry flesh and blood about with us as long as you have flesh you shall have sin The body of death is not destroyed but by the death of the body and therefore corruption may be called flesh 3. Because the motions of corrupt nature are naturally as deare to a man Ephes 5.29 as his own flesh No man yet ever hated his own flesh and this is the reason why the Scripture calls it a right hand Math. 5.29,30 and a right eye corruption of nature it is closely joyned to a man Quest 2 What is meant by the spirit Answ By spirit some understand the soul of a regenerate man but this seems to be incoherent the scope of the place carrying it to something else though this also may be included Therefore by spirit is to be understood the holy motions and workings of Gods Spirit and there the flesh is said to lust against Gal. 3.2,14 Gal 4.6,29 Gal. 5.5,16,17 18,22,25 and it is apparent that it is thus to be understood because spirit is so taken in the foregoing Verse and also in the Verse following my Text so that by spirit I understand the motions and workings of Gods Spirit in the soule And in this sense is the word spirit taken in most places of this Epistle Quest 3 What is meant here by lust Answ When it is said to lust against the Spirit you may observe that it is not said to work against the Spirit nor act against the Spirit though sin be of an active nature yet it is not alwayes in the act but though it be not alwayes acting yet it is alwayes lusting there is an opposite disposition in nature to the work of Gods Spirit upon the heart In the words you may observe three parts 1. A double conflict The flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh 2. A double cause These are contrary the one to the other the flesh contrary to the Spirit and the Spirit contrary to the flesh 3. Here is a double consequent So that ye cannot do the things ye would the flesh lusts against the Spirit so that ye cannot do the good ye would and the Spirit against the flesh so that ye cannot do the evil ye would Before I raise the
considerations to provoke you to be humbled 1. Consider that the flesh and thereby this contrariety against grace it was more ancient in thee then grace was in thee it was in thee before the Spirit of grace was Divines make the strugling of Esau and Jacob in the womb of Rebeccah an embleme of corruption and grace in a regenerate man they strugled in the womb and it is observed that Esau the bad sonne was born first and Jacob the good son born last it is a fit resemblance of nature and grace which strive in the heart of a regenerate man but remember this that sin is the elder of the twaine before thou hadst the Spirit thou hadst the flesh nature is the elder brother nay assoon as ever there was an union between the soul and body sin was in the soule nay not only before thou couldst act grace thou hadst sin but before thou couldst act reason I remember Augustine hath a relation in his Confessions concerning a little childe Vidi infantulum Zelantem c. which saw another childe suck his mothers brest and sayes he before the childe spake I saw an envious nature in it the child grew pale to see the other suck his mothers brest this sayes he made me call to mind my original sin and truly this is a great advantage to the flesh that the flesh is first in a man as if two Armies come to fight a pitcht battel that Army which first comes to the field hath much advantage against the other that come after into the field the flesh hath gotten the sunne and winde against us it hath many advantages upon this consideration that it was first in thee and therefore be humbled 2. Be humbled on this consideration that the flesh and this contrariety of the flesh against grace in thy nature 't is more abundant in thee then grace is 't is not onely more timely but also more abundant though a Christian hath the Spirit yet every regenerate man hath more of the flesh you have now received but the first fruits of the Spirit but you have the whole crop of sin the whole harvest of original corruption in a regenerate man there are more swarms of lusts and unholy thoughts then there are gracious thoughts as in every hedge there are more briars and thornes then fruitful trees so in every mans heart more briars and thornes of corruption then of the fruitful trees of grace And as in every field there are more thistles and weeds then lilies and roses so in every heart there is more of corrupt nature then of true grace Sin growes naturally but grace only by divine culture Corruption is natural but grace is supernatural That of the Apostle is observable to this purpose Rom 6.19 where he exhorts us As we have yielded our members to uncleannesse and to iniquity unto iniquity so now to yield cur members servants to righteousnesse unto holinesse Divines gather hence that the Apostle speaking of sin maketh mention of three To 's there is to uncleannesse to iniquity and unto iniquity but when he speaks of grace and holinesse he mentions but two To 's to note that there is more abundance of sin in thee then grace Ransack a believer in every faculty and in every faculty you shall finde more sin then grace First look into the understanding Hoc tantum scio me nihil scire Hieronym and there you shall finde more ignorance then knowledge and so Hierom himselfe confesseth that he was ignorant of more truths then he did understand In the memory there is more forgetfulnesse then retention of good thou forgettest more good then thou doest remember Heb. 2.1 the best man alive doth not remember so much of a Sermon as he doth forget And therefore the Apostle gives this counsell that we should give the more earnest heed to those things which we have heard lest we let them slip as a broken and leaking vessel runs out for the word signifies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is a metaphor taken from leaking vessels And so likewise in the fancy there are more vain sinful and unclean speculations then there are divine and holy contemplations In the affections there is more love to earthly things then to heavenly thou more fearest man then God and grievest more for affliction then sin for the punishment more then for the evill of sin if you ransack all men you shall finde more corruption of nature then holinesse and grace in them Gal. 5.19,20 this the Apostle hints in that catalogue which he gives of the works of the flesh and the fruits of the Spirit where he reckons up seventeen sins and but seven graces to note that there is more sinne then grace in men Corruption it is like great Goliah and grace is but like little David but yet though corruption be strong there be more of it in us then grace yet we shall get the victory in the close though Goliah be stronger then David yet as David so all the regenerate shall have the final successe and conquest 3. That you may be humbled consider that this contrariety of nature to grace it works unweariedly in you if this contrariety did shew it selfe now and then upon some extraordinary occasion it were not so much but this corruption it works unweariedly against grace grace and good motions are supernatural and therefore are sometimes irksome to us that are flesh and blood but corrupt motions to sinne they are natural to a man and things which act naturally act unweariedly as the Sea it 's never weary of flowing nor the Sunne of running its course and as the fire is never weary of burning so neither is corrupt nature of opposing the holy Spirit our whole course and way to heaven is up the hill and against the tide and winde both of corruptions and temptations 4. Be humbled also on this ground that this contrariety of nature it will work continually against grace even to thy dying day if it did but oppose sometimes and then would be weary or else if it were stinted to some age of a mans life it were something but this corruption will shew it self contrary to grace as long as thou livest thou mayest get rid of actual sin but thou canst never rid thy heart of this habitual corrupt nature It is a notable saying of Cyprian to this purpose It is more sayes he to take away one sin then many sins his meaning is this that it is harder to take away this one sin of nature then to take away many sins of life as for actual sins the sinnes thou wast haunted with the last year thou mayest not be troubled with them now nor the sins that now thou art troubled with hereafter but the sin of thy nature it hath troubled thee the last year and this year also and it will do all thy dayes that as Ivy in a wall though you lop off the branches yet it is so
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
manner in every part of the body as it is in the whole body it is more eminently in the whole then in part but corrupt nature it is more in man then the soule is in the body for though the soule be in the body yet it is but in the members of the body for particular uses it is in the eye to see not to work and in the hand to work and not to see it is in the ear to hear and not to go and in the foot to walk and not to hear but sinne is in the soul not for particular acts but it is in every man and in every part of man provoking and enticing to all kinde of evil this the universality of that corruption found in mans nature for which we have great cause to be humbled Sermon XIX At Lawrence Jewry London Januar. 19. 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 HAving opened the enmity and contrariety that is between the flesh and the Spirit I come now to answer two cases of conscience relating to this Doctrine and the first is this 1. If the flesh doth carry such a contrariety to grace what are the reasons why God is pleased to leave such contrary principles in the hearts of regenerate men 2. If there be such a contrariety which can never be reconciled then to what end is it for a man to oppose the flesh Quest 1 What are the reasons why even in regenerate men God suffers such a contrariety against grace Answ 1 I shall answer the question by these four particulars 1. God doth it for the clearer illustration of his mercy God would have shewed his goodnesse if man had never fallen but being fallen Rom. 5.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God shewes his mercy to him The end of our redemption is that Gods grace and mercy might reign And herein you may see a manifest signal thereof that God should work grace in thee when thou hadst such a contrariety in thy heart against it this is great mercy though thou hast a contrary principle in thy nature to grace yet converting grace will overcome and though it do not remove yet it will subdue corruption and grace though it be opposed yet it shall never be expelled grace shall be conquerer at last though it be alwayes fighting whilest we are in this life 2. God is pleased to leave such a contrariety against grace even in the hearts of regenerate men that they might put a higher estimation on Jesus Christ If you had not had a contrary principle to grace you would onely have admired God as a Creator but now having a principle of sinne within you you come to see the need you stand in of a Mediator Adam in innocency needed not a Saviour but now thou being fallen by sin and having a principle of enmity in thy nature nothing but the power of a Saviour can take away this enmity by the work of sanctification and nothing but a Saviour can free thee from the guilt of this enmity even Jesus Christ as the Apostle speaks Rom. 7.24,25 I thank God through Jesus Christ that hath delivered me from this body of death it is he by whom thou art delivered from this guilt and enmity 3. The Lord leaves this corruption of nature in the hearts of his people to stirre up in them a greater and deeper measure of humiliation Humiliation it had not been a duty in us if the Lord had not left the remainers of original corruption in the hearts of his chosen indeed thou shouldest have delighted in God to all eternity but thou shouldest not have had this ground of humiliation if sinne had been totally extirpated This was Pauls case 2 Cor. 12.7 an eminent Apostle There was given him a thorn in the flesh a messenger of Satan to buffet him lest he should be exalted above measure There are foure interpretations given of these words some referre this thorn in the flesh to be meant of Hymeneus and Alexander which did vex Paul so but this is groundlesse Others referre it to some exquisite bodily disease but that can harldy be proved 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cypr. Others referre it to the particular sinne of lust of uncleannesse but that cannot be admitted because Paul had the gift of continency and wished that all men were as himself as to that particular But here by the thorne in the flesh the most inquisitive and exquisite Interpreters understand it to be the sin of nature and it is called a messenger of Satan because the devil doth joyn with mans nature and doth set on the corruption of mans heart Now why was this thorn in the flesh left in Paul was it not to humble him lest he should be exalted above measure Deut. 8.15,16 Thus the Lord left the fiery scorpions in the wildernesse to humble the Israelites and the Lord leaves corruption in thy nature to humble thee that thou mightest not be puffed up in thy selfe but that when thou perceivest the corrupt workings of thy nature thou mayest be the more vile and base in thine own eyes 4. The Lord leaves this corrupt nature in thee for the exercise of thy grace Grace is never more exercised then when it is opposed hereby God will try the truth of thy grace and the honesty of thy heart whether thou wilt fall in with the Spirit and side with it against the flesh Thus the Lord left the Canaanites in the land to try whether the Israelites would joyn with them there is a contrary principle to grace left in us to try whether we will joyn with the flesh or follow the motions and dictates of the Lords Spirit Quest 2 The next Question is To what purpose is it for a man to contest with the corruption of his heart seeing that we shall carry this corruption to our grave we have heard that contraries can never be reconciled therefore to what end is it to strive against corruption when there will be no end of the combate I shall name three reasons that though it be true you cannot remove the contrariety that is in your hearts against grace yet there is just reason why you should maintain a contest against it 1. If you will not oppose corruption of nature it will break forth with greater rage and violence in your lives thou hast now an unclean nature but if thou dost not oppose it thou wilt have a vicious life let but thy nature alone and it will be like a field unmanured over-runne with briars and thornes Out of the heart proceed evill thoughts murders adulteries fornication thefts false witnesse blasphemies Matth. 15.19 if we stifle not evil thoughts in the heart they will break out you see into evill and inordinate practices of life so that herein though you cannot remove original
very full of affections and of singular tendernesse towards his dearly-beloved wife and children yet he had not onely conquered such sinful distempers as too frequently prevaile wofully amongst common Professors of Religion but had also in such measure got above natural exorbitances that having by Faith and Prayer put his nearest Relations into the bosome of his God and father he went to the Block without any expression of perplexity Oh that his experience might encourage both the endeavours and hopes of other Christians to attaine the like gracious frame of heart which would tend much to the credit of the Gospel for this end we commend thee in the use of this Book and all other holy helps unto the blessing of the Almighty desiring thy prayers Thy Friends and Servants in Christ EDM. CALAMY SIM ASHE JER WHITAKER January 26. 1653. ERRATA In the Christian Directory in p. 56. l. 28. â—â—ot out one grace hindered and interrupted another in p. 57 l. 12. after sinfull read one grace doeh not justle out another therefore SERMON I. At Lawrence Jury London October 27. 1650. GEN. 6. verse 3. And the Lord said My Spirit shall not alwayes strive with man for that he also is flesh yet his dayes shall be an hundred and twenty yeers THis chapter containes in it two parts 1. Gods determination to destroy the world by a deluge 2. Gods provision that he made in this general judgement to save Noah and his family by preparing an Arke The text is under the first head Gods determination to destroy the world by a flood Touching which judgement the procuring cause is here laid down When men begun to increase in number by reason of Polygamy first practised by Lamech they increased in sinne and therefore God will decrease the number of the world that he may decrease the sinnes of the world The particular sinne here specified why God would destroy the world is laid down in the second vers where it is said that the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were faire and they took them wives of all which they chose By the sonnes of God here spoken of Job 1.7 Job 38.7 cannot be meant the Angels as Tertullian and some other of the Ancients thought though it is true elsewhere they are called by this name Christ speaking of Angels saies of them Matth. 25.30 the Angels of God neither marry nor are given in marriage Quest 1 Quest But whom shall we understand by the Sonnes of God in this place Answ Answ Good interpreters conceive that hereby was meant the posterity of godly Seth who because they had the true worship of God amongst them are called the sonnes of God and these sonnes of God saw the daughters of men that is the posterity of godly Seth did joyne in marriage with the posterity of wicked Cain and so by these marriages and mixtures between the wicked Cainites and those that professed to worship the true God Religion began to decay and wickednesse to abound in the world for which God is resolved to destroy the world In the whole verse you have three parts 1. A general judgement and grievous punishment threatned And the Lord said My Spirit shall not alwayes strive with man 2. The reason of this assigned For he also is flesh 3. A mitigation and respiting of this punishment Yet his dayes shall be an hundred and twenty yeers There are these difficulties in the text to be explain'd as 1. What is meant by this My Spirit shall not alwayes strive with man 2. What is meant by the reason assigned for he also is flesh one would think it should be a reason on the contrary to this asserted that therfore God should indulge man yet here it is a reason of the punishment though in other places it is a reason of a mercy 3. What is meant by this yet his dayes shall be an hundred and twenty yeares Quest 1 1. Qu. What is meant by this My Spirit shall not c. Answ Answ That by Spirit some understand the soul of man and so the vulgar Latine renders this phrase understanding it of mans soul and it is called my Spirit say they because God did infuse the soul into man and they would have the sense to be my Spirit i.e. the soul of man shall not alwayes abide in man but he shall die But our best interpreters do reject this interpretation Not to trouble you with other opinions about this text the current of the best interpreters as Mercer Musculus Rivet c. go this way My Spirit shall not alwayes strive with man By Spirit is not meant mans spirit but Gods Spirit the third person in the blessed Trinity and when he saies his Spirit shall not strive with man it is to be meant in its operations and workings that it shal not attend the Ministery of Noah who was a preacher of righteousnesse and the Patriarchs as if he should say I will now take away my Spirit from my Ordinances it shall not alwayes strive with man As if God should have more at large expressed himselfe I see that though my servant Noah protest and preach against the increasing wickednesse of the world yet all is but in vaine I am now weary of their rebellious obstinacy and therefore I am now come to a final resolution for their utter destruction I will bear and forbear them no longer 1 Pet. 3.19,20 My Spirit shall no longer strive c. Quest 2. Quest. 2. What force is there in this reason for he also is flesh one would think this should not be a reason of so grievous a judgement God remembers we are but flesh and why should he be so severe Answ Answ For answer to this we must know that by flesh here spoken of is not to be understood the natural substance of mans body but corrupt nature I will withdraw my Spirit why because you are wholly given up to the lusts and dictates of the flesh you are fleshly and carnal and given up to the concupiscence of the flesh and therefore my Spirit shall not strive with you Quest. 3. 3. Quest What is the meaning of these words yet his dayes shall be an hundred and twenty years what is to be understood by this Answ Answ 1. For answer hereto it cannot be meant as Tostatus and others of the age of mans life as if man should now because of their wickednesse have shorter lives because after the flood men did live longer then the terme of an hundred and twenty yeares Sem lived 600 yeares Arphaxad 425 yeares and Serug 230. Abraham 175. Isaac 180. The meaning then is this although I will remove my Spirit from my Ordinances yet his dayes shall be an hundred and twenty years that is it shall be an hundred and twenty yeares before the flood come upon them But now there is an objection lies in this how it should be an hundred and twenty years before the flood
to Vse 1 Of comfort Consider in the general what cause of comfort we have in that the Lord hath promised to us more of his Spirit then he gave out under the law It shall come to passe in the last dayes Acts 2.17 saith God that I will power out my Spirit upon all flesh The Spirit it reveales things now more clearly and more abundantly In the last dayes the Spirit speaks expresly before they saw things darkly but now we see face to face that is more plainly there shall be a more full revelation of the Spirit Isaiah 30.26 When the light of the Moone shall be as the light of the Sunne and the light of the Sunne sevenfold as the light of seven dayes Eph. 3 5. And hence is that promise that knowledge shall fill the earth as water filleth the sea In other ages the Mystery of Christ was not made known unto the sons of men as it is now revealed unto us by the Spirit Blesse God then this is a general comfort that more of the Spirit was reserved under the New Testament then was dispensed under the Old In particular there are six comforts which I shall lay down for such who walk after the guidance and motions of Gods Spirit 1. The Spirit of God will be a sure guide to you to discover to you John 16.13 and to lead you in all truth so saith our Saviour He will guide you into all truth that is into all truth necessary to salvation A like place you have in the same Evangelist John 14.26 where it is said that the Spirit shall teach you all things that is all things needful for an elect man to know that he may be saved The Spirit of God reveales the Mysteries of salvation to his people 1 Cor. 2.9,10 and therefore you read that eye hath not seen nor eare heard neither have entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them which love him but God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit The Spirit it makes known to us Gospel-truths and reveals Gospel-Mysteries 1 Cor. 2.15 The spiritual man judgeth all things yet he himselfe is judged of no man he hath the Spirit of God inabling him to discerne of Doctrines whether they be true or false and sayes the Apostle he himselfe is judged of no man that is he is so assured of the truth of his Doctrine Hildersam on Psalme 51. pag. 774. that other men cannot pervert him 2. The Spirit will not be only a guide to lead you but a seale to assure you of your Adoption Rom. 8.14 As many as are led by the Spirit of God that is which walk after its motions and guidance they are the Sonnes of God And because ye are sonnes God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Sonne into your hearts crying Abba Father Gal. 4.6 that is giving you a farther assurance and Seale of your Sonneship that you may with more boldnesse poure out your hearts into the bosome of your Father 3. The Spirit will be an evidence unto thee of thy union with Jesus Christ So saith the Apostle Hereby we know that he abideth in us by the Spirit which he hath given to us And hereby we know that we dwell in him and he in us because he hath given us of his Spirit 1 John 3.24 Chap. 4 13 Get therefore the Spirit into thy heart and follow its motions and guidance and hereby wilt thou be assured of thy union with Christ 4. Walk in the Spirit and it will be a sure pledge to thee that thou art exempted from damnation and brought into a state of salvation Rom. 8.1 There is no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit It will be an evidence to you that you are past damnation 5. That you are free from the curse and power of the law If ye be led of the Spirit ye are not under the law Gal. 5.18 Liberati sumas per Christum à damnatione non à directione legis You must not understand it as if you were not under the moral law as a rule of life but only that you are freed from the curse of it so you are not under it 6. And lastly if ye have the Spirit of God and walk after its guidance here will be your comfort that ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh And this brings me to the second Doctrine to wit That walking after the Spirit is an especial help to Beleevers that they shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh though they may act the lusts of the flesh and commit those sinnes which the devil and their own hearts may move them to yet they shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh But more of this in the following Sermons SERMON XI At Lawrence Jury London Decemb. 15. 1650. GAL. 5. verse 16. And ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh I Have hitherto treated on the duty Walk in the Spirit And am now to treat of the benefit annexed to this duty And ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh In the handling of which I shall first explaine it and then give you the Doctrine There are two things to be opened First what is meant by the lusts of the flesh Secondly what is meant by fulfilling these lusts Quest 1 What is meant by this phrase the lusts of the flesh Answ 1 By the lusts of the flesh if you take them for the natural desires of the body then this Text cannot be made true for we may and do fulfill the natural appetite of the body if it be hungry we give it meat if thirsty we give it drink if weary we give it rest So that the lusts of the flesh if you take them for the natural desires of the body these ye may lawfully fulfill therefore it cannot be so taken here 2. Neither is it to be confined to the sinne of incontinency but to be taken more comprehensively for the sinfulnesse of our corrupt nature the lusts and motions whereof you must not fulfill 3. These motions and lusts of corrupt nature must be considered two wayes First either as a power Or secondly as an act 1. As a power and so they nore that radical indisposition that is in mans nature to good and its proneness to evil Or 2. As an act and so it notes those sinful motions to sinne that come from corrupt nature and so I take the meaning of this place 1 Pet. 2.11 You shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh that is walk according to the dictates and motions of the Spirit and you shall not act those sinful motions which arise from corrupt nature Quest 2 But then a farther question is what is meant by not fulfilling these lusts of the flesh Answ To which I answer 1. Negatively we must not understand this as if so
the best 3. In regard of constitution the flesh hath a great advantage corruption is more suitable to thy nature then grace grace it is above nature but sin it is in nature and with nature the way of grace is all up the hill the way to heaven is against both wind and tyde so is not corruption for that is favoured by both therefore watch your hearts upon this consideration Vse 3 Break out in the praise of God that being corrupt nature hath so many evil properties yet that thou hast no more evil practices It is a mercy that from such a mischievous root there should come no more poysonful fruit if God should let alone the Devil and thy own heart and leave thee to thy own inclinations there would be no sin committed by any man which thou also wouldst not commit thou wouldst be an incarnate devil blesse God therefore that thy practices do not carry correspondence with thy disposition and that thy life is not as bad as thy heart 2. Blesse God for other men It is a wonder that wicked men having no new nature to oppose the old nature that they do no more evil in the world it is God which layes a curbe upon and restraines their wicked natures If God did not restraine the wickednesse of the wicked the world had long ago been overwhelmed in confusion through the exorbitancy of their wicked practices Vse 4 If it be so that corrupt nature hath all these properties then be humbled in the sense of thy corrupt nature notwithstanding thou may'st be endowed with many excellent gifts and graces yet be humbled on this ground that though thou hast a divine nature yet thou hast also a corrupt nature which is alwayes opposing it As it is with the Peacock though it hath the finest feathers of any bird on earth yet it hath foule feet and as the Swan though it is of the whitest colour yet it hath a black skin and black feet So thou who art white or innocent in thy life yet remember thou hast a black skin and foule feet sinful affections and vicious motions which arise from a corrupted nature There are these considerations to provoke us to remember and to be watchful against corrupt nature in us 1. It is a sad consideration to provoke us to humility and watchfulness that thou hast as much evil in thy heart as the worst man living upon earth 2. It is ancient in us it was in us before we were borne before thou waft in the world sin was in thy nature for assoon as ever thou hadst life thou hadst sin 3. This corruption of nature it will be continually with us while we live in the world Our bodies are compared to earthen vessels and the Scripture tells you that the leprosie of a vessel of earth if any unclean thing were put into it all the washing and scouring that could be should not make it clean Levit. 11.35 Chap. 15.12 but it must be broken so it is with thee the vessel of thy body must be broken before thy corruption can be done away 4. This corruption it is that which doth easily beset thee Motions of sin in thy nature they are like sparkes of fire in a heap of flax Heb. 12.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they easily take with thy nature and put thee upon the acting of evil and therefore from hence be perswaded to a strict and diligent watchfulnesse over thy own heart Sermon XIV At Lawrence Jury London Decemb. 24. 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 Proceed now to a fourth Quere and that is why or for what reason is it that in regenerate men God should suffer corrupt nature thus to war with the Spirit Why doth not God deal with us in our regeneration as he did in creation make us perfect This is a question worth discussing God loves no sinne and yet he suffers all the sinnes that are and this Masse of sinne this one sinne which vertually is every sinne For answer hereto I shall lay down five Reasons First Corruption of nature is left remaining even in regenerate men to humble them even as it was with the Israelites in the wildernesse when they were stung with fiery Serpents and Scorpions Deut. 8.15,16 it was to humble them So we whil'st we are in the wildernesse of this world have a corrupt nature alwayes cleaving to us wherewith we are stung and this fiery Serpent of sinne should humble us before the Lord. God hath so ordered it in nature that creatures of the greatest excellency should have some manifest deformity if we look either among birds or beasts Among birds the Peacock a bird of the finest feathers yet it hath the foulest seet the Swan a bird of the whitest feathers yet of the blackest skin The Eagle a bird of the quickest sight and of the highest flight yet the most ravenous among birds Among beasts the Lion the most goodliest of all beasts yet the most fierce and cruel The Fox it is most subtile yet is a creature of the foulest smell Thus God hath ordained even in nature and thus it is with his own people in respect of grace though they may have many excellent endowments and gifts yet he leaves this corruption in them to humble them James 4.8,10 That of the Apostle James is observable Chap. 4. having spoken in the eight Verse of corrupt nature in the next Verse but one he exhorts men to be humbled to note that the consideration of a corrupt heart should be an incitement to humiliation It was a saying of Master Fax that his graces hurt him more then his sinnes which riddle he expounded thus that many times he was proud of his gifts and graces but humbled by reason of sinne The Apostle Paul after he had those extraordinary Revelations There was given him a thorne in the flesh the messenger of Satan to buffet him lest he should be exalted above measure 2 Cor. 12.7 It is true this Text is variously expounded Some expounding this thorne in the flesh to be the sinne of lust and incontinency But this cannot be because he affirmes of himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Morbus acutus that he had the gift of continency Others say that it was a bodily disease and that it was the Sciatica or Gowt or some exquisite paine in his body but the current of Interpreters vary from all these expounding it to be corrupt nature and the thorne in the flesh to be some sharp temptation and motion to sin which did arise from the corruption of his nature and the remainders of lust But then it will be objected how can corrupt nature be called the messenger of Satan To this Divines answer that it is called so not as if it were a temptation from the devil
but it is called so because the devil is an instrument to set on our sinful nature to sin this thorn in the flesh was left in Paul to humble him and this is the true and proper reason why God will not have regeneration to be as perfect as Creation because he would keep us humble So it is that humility the best of graces comes from the worst root our sin and pride the worst of sins comes from the best root our graces How wise and how good is God that by this thorn in the flesh he doth prick thereby let out the impostumation of pride out of our hearts 2. To make the regenerate put a difference between earth and heaven between being in a course of pilgrimage and in their fathers house Heb. 12.22 In heaven the spirits of just men are made perfect but they are not so on earth if the spirit were made perfect we should have all spirit and no flesh In the wildernesse there were scorpions and fiery serpents but in Canaan there were none this world is a wildernesse and whilest we live here the fiery serpents of sin will sting us but when we come to heaven we shall be above sin Corruption now dwells in the soul as the body in a house and so long as the soul dwells in the body sin will dwell there in the soul but when we come to heaven then corruption shall put on incorruption And we shall be freed not onely from the natural corruption of the body but also from the moral corruption of the soul by sin 3. Which is the chief reason of all God suffers it that so you may the more prize a Mediator if you had no sinne you would prize God only as a Creator and not Christ as a Mediator Sin makes you to prize a Saviour thus it was with Paul O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord Rom. 7.24 as if he should say if I had been perfect I should have thanked God as a Creator as Adam in Paradise but now having a sinful nature it makes me to prize Christ as a Mediator delivering me from sin I may exemplify this by an Elephant which as some say if it once falls to the earth cannot rise again and therefore Naturalists say that the Elephant doth not lie down to sleep but doth sleep leaning to a tree now the story is this An Elephant being fallen to the earth and a man having helped him to rise the Elephant like Andronicus his grateful Lion followed his Benefactor whereever he went so it is with us we were fallen and no help but Christs could raise us up how should we then be lift up with humble thankfulnesse to God who hath therefore suffered us to fall that we might thereby learn to prize the help we have and hope to have by Jesus Christ 4. God suffers corruption in nature to try his people which side they will take in this conflict here are two Camps pitcht army against army and the Lord leaves the flesh in thee to try which side thou wilt take wilt thou cleave to the strongest side wilt thou worship the rising Sun why then thou wilt side with the flesh for many times and for the present that conquers though indeed the final issue and conquest will be on the Spirits side Now will you war against the flesh and side with the Spirit in opposing the motions of sin hereby will the Lord make a trial of you Deut. 8.2 The Canaanites and Jebusites were left in the land on purpose to try whether the Israelites would cleave unto the true worship of God so God suffers corruption to bein us to try the truth of our grace 5. The Lord suffers motions to sin to be in the hearts of his own people that so he might make use of the motions of sin to keep men from the acting of sin and this is a mysterious consideration God so disposes of it that those sins which we most are frequently tempted unto we shall be most watchful against A man that is suddenly tempted may yield but a man often haunted with motions to sin God in his wisdome makes use of these motions to prevent the action Had David been often haunted with motions to those great and abominable sins of adultery and murder he might happily had time to have bethought himselfe and so prevented the acting of them and the like of Peters denial of Christ but both these servants of God were suddenly surprized And these are the reasons why God leaves regeneration so imperfect The next Quere is to shew what rules you should follow that so the motions of the flesh exciting to sin may not prevaile against the Spirit 1 If you would not have the flesh in its sinful motions prevaile over you then resist them whilest they are but bare motions before they break forth into actions Crush the Cockatrice in the egge tread out sin which is the fire of Hell while it is in the spark the suggestion and motion As we say It is easier to keep out an enemy then to beat him out being once gotten in so it is easier to keep out sin then to beat out sin sin in the motion it is like an enemy in the suburbs not got into the city and if thou wouldst not yeeld to these motions resist them whilest they are so quench them while they are motions A disease if it be taken in time Principiis obsta serò meâ—icina paratur Cùm mala per longas invaluêre moras before the humours be gathered together may easily be cured Do to thy sins as Pharaoh gave command should be done to the Israelites children he would not stay till the children were grown up to yeares but commanded the Midwives to kill them assoon as they were born this was a cruel act in him but thus do thou to thy sins and it will be a merciful act in thee to thy soul what Pharaoh did most cruelly do thou do prudently against thy sins kill them when they are in the birth and there are three cogent reasons why you should take this course 1. Because if you resist motions whilest they are motions you shall be sure not to find the devils suggestions to joyn against you with the fleshes motions take but this experiment if thou hast a motion in thy nature to sin and doest act that motion the devil will then joyn with thy corruption to make thee act that sin again The devil he knowes not the motions to sin that are in thy heart but as thou actest such motions as suppose thou art tempted to lust and thou yeeldest to it hereby the devil knowes what motion there was in thy heart and thy love to that sin and so will be ready to tempt thee to the committing of that sin again therefore resist motions while they are so and by this meanes you will
hinder the devil that he shall not joyn his suggestions to the sinful motions of your own hearts 2. If you do not resist motions while they are motions there will be a more eager vehement pronenesse to sin in your natures then was before acting of sin is not the way to cease and quell a sinful motion but to increase it it is as it were a casâ—ing oile into the fire to make it burn the more the way therefore to quell sinful motions is to withstand whilest they are so In Philosophy we say that acts do strengthen habits Habitus acquiritur actibus actus confirmant habitum if a man hath a habit of any grace acting of that grace makes the habit more strong thus it is in sin acting of sin begets a greater pronenesse thereunto and therefore it behoves you to keep under sins motions lest they lead you farther to sinful actions For sinful suggestions when they meet with our sinful inclinations the inclination begets consent consent acting acting continuance of act then delight then security and then scornful contempt of all reproof and means of amendment If you keep not under sin in its motion it will be more difficult for thee to suppresse corruption if a house be on fire and you can keep the fire within there is no danger of a great conflagration but if it break out into the aire and the winde take hold on it then it will burn exceedingly thus it will be with thee in regard of thy sin if thou keepest it not under in the motion it will be hard for thee to suppresse it afterwards We take physick by way of prevention health of body and soul too is more easily preserved then restored A sore neglected growes a gangrene one part being infected after another till there be no soundnesse in the flesh 2. Keep off from all external occasions of that sin which thou hast a motion to commit whatever thy sin be suppose it be pride wear not that apparel which may minister an occasion of pride suppose drunkennesse keep from bad company if it be uncleannesse Prov. 5.8 keep off from the dore of the harlot carefully avoid occasions of sin This is very imitable in Joseph Gen 39.10 it is said that as his Mistresse spake to him day by day that he hearkened not unto her to lie by her or to be with her he kept out of her company as much as might be And this is the counsel and command of the Lord Keep thee far from a false matter Exod. 23.7 the occasions of sin are as it were the awakening of corrupt nature what else should be the reason that a man not thinking of sin when he hath an occasion hath a motion to commit it therefore be not ventrous to run upon occasions of sin and whensoever thou art moved to any sin keep off from the external occasion thereof A Divine sets out men ventring upon occasions of sin to be like those who pray to God they may not be burned and yet will thrust their fingers into the fire thou which prayest against sins motions have a care also to keep from sinnes occasions 2 Thess 5.27 Gods children are bound to abstain from all appearance of evil 1 Thess 5.17 and to hate the garment spotted with the flesh Jude 25. Jude 25. The Nazarite was not only to abstain from wine but also from touching the very husk of the grape Numb 6.3,4 Numb 6 3,4 3. Labour to unarm the flesh As the godly have armour and the peeces thereof are registred in the 6 Chap. to the Ephes So the flesh hath armour to fortify it self it is armed with power labour to conquer it with malice with an insatiable desire of thy ruine with manifold solicitations to sin Now labour to disarm it of all its pretences of all its policies You must do with sinne in this case as the Philistines with the Israelites they fearing that the Israelites would wage warre against them used this stratagem they would suffer no iron weapon to be found among them nor no Smith in Israel to make these weapons Do you as the Philistines did unarm sin take away any occasion which corrupt nature may have to act transgression in you you must do as the Rechabites did they were commanded not to drink wine and they would not yeeld to any temptation or solicitation to break that Commandment disarm sinne by taking away its occasions 4. Do not so much dispute with evil motions as resist them It is the folly of many that they will dispute with sins temptations whereas there is no man that hath ever consulted with flesh and blood but at last hath been overcome by it Count the flesh as thy enemy but never let it be thy Counsellor the flesh is a great dissembler it hath such subtile insinuations such slie evasions that it will cheat a man into sin and therefore do not dispute with it you will do with disputing with flesh as our first parents with the devil after disputing they fall to eating the flesh will tell thee this sin is profitable for thee and the other sin is pleasurable and suitable and therefore beware of sin and be more in resisting then in disputing with the flesh 5. Give thy selfe much to the exercises of mortification and the exercises of those duties which tend thereunto and this will be an especial means to preserve thee There are three duties I shall commend to you for this end Spiritual watchfulnesse prayer and fasting You have two of these duties prescribed by our Saviour together Mat. 26.41 Watch and pray sayes he that ye enter not into temptation The flesh will be still assaulting thee and Satan by thy flesh and therefore we had need to be still watching and praying the warre between the flesh and Spirit is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be much in watchfulnesse against the occasions of sin Watch over the outward senses of thy body and over the inward faculties of thy minde be much in prayer that sinful motions may be suppressed and subdued Do not pray as Austin Metuebam nè me exaudiret Deus Aug. who confessed that before his conversion through the light of a natural conscience he prayed against the lust of incontinence and the sins of his youth but was afraid that God should hear his prayer do not you so pray And joyn fasting with the duty of prayer it was Pauls custom 1 Cor. 9.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vox à pugi ibus derivata qui propriè di cuntur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. cum pugnis aut coestibus An tagomstam obtundere sayes he I keep under my body and bring it into subjection that is corrupt nature By the body cannot be meant the body in a natural sense who hereupon do excruciate and torment their body by whippings fastings and pilgrimage but the body here is termed the body of death by fasting prayer and
watchfulnesse hereby he kept under the sinful workings of corrupt nature and a little care will not serve the turn but we must be as vigilant as wrestlers or fencers who are very ready to beat down their adversaries before them 6. And lastly be skilful in the Word of righteousnesse and this will be a great means to keep the flesh from prevailing over the Spirit As Christ did to the devil so must thou do to the devil of thy flesh It is written sayes he do thou come with a written Word against the devil and thy own heart be so skilful in the Word of God that there may no temptation offer it selfe to thee but thou mayest draw arguments out of the Word against it we ought to be very careful to use the sword of the Spirit the Word of God and sheath it in the bowels of sinful flesh And if this course were taken in this particular you would be lesse pester'd with a tempting devil and corrupt heart then you are Vse Vse he use which I shall make from what you have heard shall be of comfort to dejected consciences me thinks I hear many a godly man say Wo is me I have a sensible experience in my own soul that my evil heart hath all those evil properties you named and my soul bears me witnesse I use those means you prescribed I do keep off from occasions of sin I watch and pray against sin and yet God knowes I cannot keep under a naughty heart To any man that in the sincerity of his heart and sense of his sinnes doth make this complaint I have four words of comfort 1. Thou must never expect a total extirpation of the corruption of thy nature whilest thou livest here only a partial suppression Corrupt nature will be in thee That as those beasts mentioned by Daniel their dominion was taken aâ—cay yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time Dan. 7.12 so the dominion of sin is taken away sin shall not reign over you but yet the life of sin remaines the body of death will live in us as long as we live in the body Corrupt nature it will live in thee though it shall not reign like unto that tree mentioned by Daniel whose branches were cut off Dan. 4.15 yet the stump remained in the earth thou mayest lop off actual evils yet remember the root will remain that as it is with Ivie which growes on a wall it cannot be rooted up untill the wall be pulled down so untill thy body be pulled down sin in thy nature which is as Ivie gotten into the wall cannot be gotten out We have a promise made to Gods children that sin shall not have dominion in them but no where it is said that sin shall have no being in them while they are in being here 2. There is great difference between yeelding to the corrupt motions of thy nature to sin and between fulfiling the lusts of the flesh I know there is none of us all but do in some things yeeld to the motions of the flesh but yet all do not fulfill the lusts of the flesh thou mayest imbrace the motion thy sinful heart stirres thee up unto yet thou mayest not fulfill the motions of sin the Scripture gives you this difference Rom. 13.14 Make not provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof godly men may commit the lusts of the flesh but they do not make provision for them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou doest not provide for sin as a man for his family because he would have them live thou art not a Caterer for sin therefore bear up thy heart with comfort though sin be in thee yet thou shalt not perish for it Thou who hast used all means and yet findest the flesh prevailing against the Spirit consider that strong and potent motions to sin do not alwayes argue sinnes strength but sins weaknesse rather that sin is decaying then in its full strength It is observed that dying things they strive and struggle with most strength a bird a weak creature yet if you pull off its head with what strength will it flutter this doth not argue that the bird is gathering strength but that its strength is departing it may be thus with thee thou hast strong motions to sin and thou discernest it it may be sinne is now playing its last game Lusts in the Scriptures are said to be crucified now it is with sin crucified as it was with the wicked and impenitent thief he was bound and nailed hand and foot and yet he raved and raged so it is when lust is dying yet it may be raging and as we see in the taking of Physick when it is first taken it will make a man more sick then the disease made him not that a man is indeed worse but only from the Physick searching his body thus it may be with thee sins struglings is Gods giving of thee Physick and though it be strong yet in the end God will make it tend to the purging out of evil humours out of thy soule 4. If corrupt motions be strong in thy soule then bend the strength of thy heart in prayer to God for the subduing of these corruptions If a Virgin that was ravished did not cry out by the law she was accounted guilty and consenting the more the devil and thy corruptions do attempt thee the more earnestly must thou pray and cry to God for help Complain upon those frequent incursions which corrupt nature and the devil makes upon thee and flying unto God for help and succour thy soul shall never perish for thy iniquity Sermon XV. At Lawrence Jury 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 Proceed now to the last Question and that is How you may know when motions to sin do arise from the flesh or when they come meerly from the devil and so are purely diabolical Before I answer the Question I shall first shew of what use it is Secondly premise some positions about it and then give you the resolution to this Question There is a threefold use of this Question 1. It is needful to know it because unregenerate men when they are tempted to sin they lay all the fault upon the devil and none upon their own hearts These men when they put all their sins upon the score of Satan they do not give the devil his due Thus Eve she laid all the fault upon the Serpent Gen. 3.13 The Serpent beguiled me and I did eat Though David was of another mind for he when he was tempted and stirred up to sin in his numbering of the people and that by Satan yet he doth acknowledge 2 Sam. 24.17 I have sinned and I have done wickedly It is natural to men when they are tempted to
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
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