insomuch that he was sick And how sick was Ahab for Naboths vineyard they were so intently bent upon their lusts But good men though they sinne yet they do not sinne so eagerly and therefore the Apostle he makes this a difference between godly and wicked men the wicked they commit all iniquity Eph. 4.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ezekiel 11.21 and all iniquity with greedinesse It is said of the wicked that their heart walketh after their detestable things 8. Godly men they do not sin so resolvedly as wicked men do wicked men are so resolved upon their lusts that there is no taking of them off When God bids the people leave their Idolatry they say No we have loved strangers and after them we will go Jer. 2.25 as if they should say we have done evil and we will do evil still Thus at another time when they had burned incense to the Queen of heaven and the Lord had commanded them to leave their Idolatry Jer. 44.16 and threatened to punish them yet say they As for the word which thou hast spoken to us in the name of the Lord we will not hearken unto thee They were resolved to follow their wickednesse A wicked man is so set upon his sinne Prov. 4.16 that it takes away his sleep He sleeps not unlesse he hath done some mischief and his sleep is taken away unlesse he cause some to fall but godly men they do not sin so resolvedly It is true a godly man may have a purpose to act a sinne though he may know it to be a sinne but a little good counsel will take him off That of David is very remarkable how resolved was he to kill Nabal and all his family and what a bloody resolution was it nay he had bound himself under an oath and was going up to execute his bloody resolution but at last Abigail meets him and by her good counsel how soone was he brought off from his resolution And blessed be the Lord God of Israel 1 Sam. 15.32,33 sayes he which sent thee this day to meet me and blessed be thy advice and blessed be thou which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood Godly men they are not so resolved upon wickednesse a little good advice will bring them off and they will blesse God for such preventing counsel and you for giving it them 9. They do not sinne so contentedly as wicked men Wicked men they sinne contentedly because they are in their proper element when they are sinning Nil gravitat in suo centro Now Philosophers say of the elements that the earth is not heavy in its proper place Wicked men they are as swine in the myre it pleases them to be there but for a sheep to be in the myre how doth it trouble it 't is their delight to be in the green Pastures Wicked men they not only walk and stand but sit down in sinne Psal 1.1 which argues their contentednesse therein But it is not so with the godly there is that difference between sinne in a good man and in a wicked man as there is between poyson being in a man and a toade poyson in the toade contents it because it is natural but poyson in a man how doth it offend him thus it is between sinne in the godly and the wicked Sinne in the wicked it contents him because it 's natural to him but sinne in the godly it is like poyson in a mans body it tortures and torments him 10. A godly man he doth not sinne so customarily as wicked men do A wicked man he makes it his custome to sinne it is his way wherein he walks and therefore sayes David Search me O God and know my heart and my thoughts And see if there be any wicked way in me Psal 139.23,24 There may be a work of wickednesse in a godly man but there is not a way of wickednesse in him The wicked are accustomed to a way of wickednesse and as the Prophet speaks If the Leopard can cleanse his spots or the blackmore his skin then may they also who are accustomed to do evil Sinne in a wicked man it is like water in a river you saw it there yesterday and you may see it to day alwayes it is there when they are in a way of sinne they are in their proper course but sinne in a godly man it is like the water of a land-flood you see it to day but to morrow it is gone sin it is not a customary thing to them 11. They who walk after the Spirit they yield not to sinne so indulgently as wicked men the Prophet he brands wicked men with this Psal 58.2 that in heart they work wickednesse they sinne with their hearts and in another place he saith Psal 5.9 Their inward part is very wickednesse that is their sinne it comes from their hearts Hence also they are described to be such Jer. 11.21 Whose heart walketh after detestable things they sinne affectionately but a good mans heart it is not so taken up with sinne The wicked are said to hide sinne under their tongues as a sweet morsel but the godly though they may have sin in their mouths yet it is there as a bitter morsel it is unpleasant to them A wicked man is as indulgent to his sinne though he know it will be his ruine as David was to Absolom and he deals gently with it but it 's otherwise with the godly for though he be overtaken with a sinne yet he takes revenge of it 2 Cor. 7.11 Rom. 7.21,22 and therefore sayes Paul I finde a law that when I would do good evil is present with me For I delight in the law of God after the inward man My inward man is changed Vers 25. and therefore sayes be With the minde I my self serve the law of God but with the flesh the law of sinne Godly men they do not delight in a course of sinne 12. And lastly they do not sinne so maliciously as wicked men The Psalmist hath a prophetical prayer against such Lord sayes he be not merciful to them that sinne of malicious wickednesse good men who walk after the Spirit they never sinne so as to despight the Spirit of grace they sinne inconsiderately but they never sinne maliciously Now summe up all these particulars and you will see the text is true that if ye walk in the Spirit ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh that is you shall not sinne after that manner and after that rate as wicked men sin Vse 1 You who have the Spirit of God blesse God that you have such a preservative to keep you from sinning so as wicked men sinne Why is it that the wicked sin so as they do but because they have not the Spirit of God Hast thou not the same sinful inclinations with the worst that are other mens abominable actions are but commentaries upon thy heart
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
the devil it is true the devil can disturb the fancy when there is no object but that is not so usual But we read of examples in Scripture of those that when occasions to sin have been present then they have been tempted thereunto Thus Eve when she saw that the tree was good for food Gen. 3.6 and pleasant to the eyes there was the object and then the devils temptation she took and did eat And thus it was with David when he fell into that sinne of uncleannesse when he went to the top of his house he had no thought then of being unclean but being on the top of his house seeing Bathsheba naked the devil tempted him the reto and then his nature closed with the temptation when the occasion was offered motions which come from corrupt nature are usually when there is no occasion offered and therefore when a man upon his bed shal have worldly and covetous thoughts when there is no occasion given this comes from the corruption of his heart and thus all those speculations and contemplations of the minde about evil they come meerly from thy own heart and I must tell you in occasions and temptations to sin though the devil may be first therein yet if after you yield to the occasion or temptation you are to blame your own heart more then the devil 5. Motions to sin that come from Satan they usually seize suddenly upon a man before that instant of time that such motions were suggested they were never thought of such motions as these come from the devil as Perkins sayes they flash like lightning into a house suddenly Thus you read in Luke 22.37 concerning Peter Simon Simon sayes Christ Satan hath desired to winnow thee now what is meant hereby why it was that temptation wherein the devil did tempt Peter to deny his Lord and Master now it is true that Peters heart was to be blamed for he had the seed of that sinne within him but yet the Scripture layes it upon the devil as being first in the temptation because that before that instant Peter had no forethought of such a thing but when he came to warm himself in the High-Priests Hall then did the devil tempt him thereunto and then was Peter overtaken therein so that those temptations which come into a mans minde which he never thought of before they come originally from the devil but motions to sinne which come from corrupt nature they are more deliberate and more lasting and come not with that violence and in such a hurry as temptations from the devill come and the reason is because they are more suitable to nature and so cause lesse violence in the mindes of men Vse 1 Of Caution Know that though there be these differences between motions to sin which come from the devill and those which come from corrupt nature yet know that there is no sin committed in the world but it might be committed though there were no devil to tempt though the devil should stand by as a looker on there is the seed of all sin in the heart of man and therefore sayes our Saviour Out of the heart proceed evill thoughts murders adulteries fornications thefts false witnesses blasphemies Mat. 15.19 Our Saâ—iour speaks of them in the plural number to shew that there is all kindes of sin in the heart of man and all sinne in all its degrees and if God should but let loose natures raines how soon wouldst thou runne into all manner of evill Caut. 2 Know that in all evill actions there is usually a joynt concurrence between Satan and the flesh as suppose the flesh begins to tempt the devil he backs that temptation and if the devil tempts the flesh cherisheth and yieldeth to the temptation so that though there be a difference between the temptations yet usually there is a concurrence between the flesh and the devil so that if corrupt nature begins the devil will second the assault and if the devil begins corrupt nature will agree and comply Corruption is the tide and temptation is the winde to make drive down faster the stream of a sinful course Although it may be true upon thy examination Caut. 3 that many motions to sinne as to unnatural sinnes may arise primarily from the devil yet if thou dost yield to these motions thou art chiefly to blame It is observeable in David 1 Chron. 21.1 it is said that the devil tempted him to number the people yet when David comes to call to minde that fact he mentions not one word of the devil but sayes he I have sinned I have done wickedly and very foolishly And so also Peter he denies Christ and the Scripture tells you that the first motion to that denial came from the devil Luke 22.31 Satan hath desired to winnow thee sayes Christ Now Feter might have said 'T is true I have denied my Master but Satan is in the fault but we finde not one word of Peters against the devil but out he goes and weeps bitterly so that hereby it appears though motions to sinne arise primarily from the devil yet if thou yieldest unto those motions thou art to blame thy selfe and not the devil Vse 2 Of reproof If it be so that the flesh carries an opposition against the Spirit then this reproves that Popish opinion which holds concupiscence to be no sinne The Papists they deny that an inclination or natural tendency in a man to sin is any evil or if it be they say it is done away in Baptisme And thus the Pharisees they were ignorant that the motions of the flesh to sin were evil and it was a tenent among them that the law of God did only reach to outward acts and that the inward motions of the minde were not any way sinful But Christ when he opened the nature of the Commandments he taught another doctrine and therefore sayes he Mat. 5.27,28 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time Thou shalt not commit Adultery But I say unto you that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart here Christ shewes that not only outward acts but inward motions to sin were forbidden by the law of God Thus Paul while he continued a Pharisee he judged his life by the outward letter of the Law and so thought himselfe as to the Law blamelesse Paul never knew the Law was spiritual until he was converted Rom. 7.7 and therefore sayes he I had not known lust to be sin if the Law had not said Thou shalt not covet take heed then not only to the outward actions of your life but to the inward motions and lustings of your hearts for the Law reacheth to these 2. It reproves those who when they have yielded to sinful motions are apt to lay the blame any where rather then upon their own hearts we are apt to transfer the guilt of sinne any where
righteous then he and that he had done wickedly in pursuing his life and yet notwithstanding all this Sauls unruly affections did overmaster Sauls unquiet conscience his ambition of the kingdom caused him yet to go on further in the pursuit of David So Pilate his conscience told him that Jesus Christ whom he was to judge was an innocent person and therefore he washed his hands and told the people that he found no cause of death in him this was his conscience but his ambitious affections did overpower it fearing lest he should hereby lose Cesars favour Luke 19.12 If thou let this man go say the people thou art not Cesars friend he feared this saying of the people and therefore went against his conscience And so also Pharaoh his conscience told him that he did wickedly in disobeying Gods command for letting the children of Israel go and he confesseth that he had sinned and done wickedly in the Lords sight and begged Moses to pray for him but observe Pharaohs ambitious affections did over-master his conscience and therefore when the plage was over he would continue in sinne still But when the Spirit of God comes to conflict with the lusts of the flesh though the affections be unbridled and unruly yet in time the Spirit of God will check and curb them and overcome though the Spirit cannot throw them out yet it will throw them down as the Apostle Paul speaks I keep under my body and bring it into subjection 1 Cor. 9.27 A godly man thus deals with sinne though he cannot give it an utter extirpation yet he will indeavour to bring it into subjection 2. Natural conscience in opposing sin it rests contented with a bare restraint of the Act though there be no mortification of the vicious inclination As it was with Pharaoh when the plagues were upon him then conscience wrought but yet his sin was not at all subdued but onely restrained and therefore sayes the Text Exod. 8.15 When Pharaoh saw that there was respite he hardened his heart and hearkened not unto them as the Lord had said And so Haman when he saw that Mordecai his mortal enemy was preferred by the King when he saw that he was taken into royal favour it is said that he refrained himselfe that is he would not now attempt to destroy him Esth 5.10 and though he refrained himself yet his revengefull disposition remained still unmortified Thus a drunkard may be outwardly restrained and yet his drunken inclination remain But the Spirit of God in its conflict it doth not only restrain the act but also weakens Rom. 8.12,13 and suppresses the inclination If ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the flesh ye shall live there is the mortifying of the act of sin and thus also we are commanded to mortify our members which are upon the earth as fornication uncleannesse inordinate affections evill concupiscence and covetousnesse Col. 3.5 and again to crucify the affections and lusts Gal. 5.24 that is not onely to restrain the act of sinne but to kill and mortify the sinful inclination 4. And lastly natural conscience conflicting with sin it works not more watchfulness in a man against the assaults of sin for the time to come but the Spirit of God when that conflicts with a sin this day it makes him watchful against all sinne the next day and all his dayes and thus you have the third Quere dispatched touching the difference that is between the conflict of the flesh and the Spirit and that combate which is onely between the naturall conscience of an unregenerate man and his lusts Quere 4 What rules may be given seeing the Spirit doth conflict against the flesh in us that by the following of them we may be able to prevail against the motions of the flesh to sinne Answ This is a practicall and an usefull question and for answer thereto I shall give you five directions 1. Listen to what conscience shall say to you when you are tempted to any sin conscience it is Gods spie mans overseer and the Spirits officer and in hearkening to its checks you take a ready way to imbrace the Spirits motions and deaf your ear to the motions of sin it is the Spirits office not only to witnesse with our Spirits but also to check and rebuke us for sin with our spirits therefore hearken to what your own conscience shall speak whether it will solicite thee after this manner saying Why wilt thou dishonour so good a God hazzard thy precious soul and break a good Law As sin gives a wound to conscience so conscience awakened enlightened and sanctified gives a great check to sinne that it shall not reign in a cihlde of God 2. If you would have the Spirit prevail over the flesh then be sure you minister no occasion of sin unto the flesh lest from vicious motions there come sinful actions This rule the Apostle gives to the Galatians Gal. 5.13 exhorting them not to use their liberty for an occasion to the flesh that is do nothing which may administer an occasion to the flesh to take hold on you It is true the flesh can sinne without an occasion and a man may be an adulterer though he never saw a woman and a man may be a thief though he never stole and a murtherer though he never spilt blood but occasions to sin they do the more strengthen corrupt nature as the Philosophers tells us that acts do strengthen habits so the more thou acts sin the more strength it gathers and hence it was Numb 6.9 that the Nazarites who were forbidden to drink wine were also forbidden to eat any thing that came of the Vine-tree they were not to eat the raisin nor the husk of the grape that an occasion of sinne might not be admitted to them And the wise man shewing the mischief of whoredome Prov. 5.8 exhorts not to come near the dore of her house it is no sinne in it selfe to come nigh any ones dore but because being nigh the dore of an harlot may occasion and stirre up unclean thoughts and lustful desires therefore we are commanded not to come near her dore It is observable that God would not be called Baali but Ishi there was no harm in the word Baali for it signified in the common use of the word my Husband Hosea 2.16 Isai 54.5 as Isai 54.5 Thy Maker is thy husband It is in the Hebrew thy Baal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dominus mariâ—us i. e. thy Lord or husband but this is forbidden that so the name of an Idol continued amongst them for they usually called their Idols Baalim might be no allurement to idolatry To this purpose Divines make much use of that place in Deuteron Deut. 25.13 25.13 where it is said Thou shalt not have in thy bag divers weights a great and a small the having of these weights in the bag you would think to be no sinne
of God but what doth he blame Rom. 7.25 not the devill or the world but it is sin which dwelleth in me And in the 25. verse he sayes With my minde I serve the law of God but with the flesh the law of sin It is the flesh which carries the force of a law whereby we sin in the service of God and therefore oh man do not blame the devill or the world but thy own heart 3. Another Position is this that the corruption of the flesh interrupting of us in duty it is manifest and violent both in secret as also in publick duties thy heart will be violent against thee when thou art alone between God and thy own soul as also when thou art in publick your own experience will contribute to the truth of this What roving mindes and what distracted thoughts are you haunted with in your secret retirements Yea also in publick duties how hard is it to bound the thoughts and to compose the minde to lay a restraint upon devotion 4. That a mans heart and corrupt nature is more apt to interrupt him in extraordinary duties then in common and ordinary duties A man therefore shall be more haunted with evill thoughts upon a solemn fast-day then upon an ordinary day did you ever set your selves upon the solemn duties of examination and meditation if you did you have found your hearts have more troubled you in those duties then in reading hearing and praying and the reason is this because those duties that are more solemn are most conducible to a Christians growth in grace and therefore in those duties nature will be most indefatigable to disturbe and interrupt you and the devill will not fail to set thy heart at work to disturb thee in those duties whereby his Kingdome is battered and assaulted 5. That the lesse men do prepare their hearts for duty the more they shall be disturbed by corrupt nature in duty Greonham in his observations takes notice of this What is the reason that Christians can never pray without distractions nor hear without wandring thoughts Oh man sayes he take my experience didst thou prepare more for duty thou wouldest be lesse distracted in duty Physick doth the body little good if it be taken on a full stomack and if the body be not prepared so it is with duties and Ordinances they will do thee little good unlesse thou doest first prepare thy selfe for them Posit 6 6. That the flesh interrupts us more in those duties which others perform then in those which we perform our selves A Preacher when he is preaching a Sermon he hath lesse wandring thoughts in preaching then he himself would have if he were a hearer and why but because at such a time his minde is busied in thinking of the matter he hath to deliver to his Auditors And so for any of you suppose you were praying in a company you would be lesse apt to be distracted in that duty because popular applause a respect to the company among whom you pray they binde your thoughts that they runne not astray lest you should be confused in the duty whereas if you did joyn in duty then you would be more carelesse and distracted and therefore you whose lot it is never to preach or pray in publick do you look to your own hearts for the flesh is more apt to interrupt you in those duties wherein you joyn with others thâ—n in those which you your selfe perform Posit 7 7. That in the corruption of the flesh in duties it may be more violent after a long standing in Religion then it did appear to be upon your first conversion At a mans first conversion happily he could pray and not be distracted but have his love his joy and his delight and all his soul taken up with the service but in processe of time and after some continuance in the wayes of Religion he may begin to grow flat and formal perfunctory accustomary in all his performances and this was that which Augustine observed Many at first conversion they will pray with much feeling and fervency but afterwards with coldnesse and deadnesse losing that vigour and warmth of affection which they found in themselves at first conversion Posit 8 8. That there is not a duty in all your life-time which you perform unto God but there is some evill tincture of the flesh cleaves to it though the duty is good in it self yet there is some evill in it as it comes from thee Prayer is good and hearing is good but these duties as they passe through the vessel of thy defiled soul they become defiled inso much that God might justly charge even upon regenerate men the sins of their holy duties When I would do good Rom. 7.15 sayes Paul evill is present with me It is true the natural motions of the flesh may be pared off but still there is a sinful tincture which cleaves to thy duties It is observable that the ceremonial law which you read of in the 28. of Exod. v. 38. Exod. 28.38 where you read that Aaron was to have a plate of pure gold upon his fore-head when he went into the holy of holiest that he mighe bear the iniquity of the holy things of the children of Israel And this notes sayes a Divine that Jesus Christ our fore-runner he is gone into the holy of holiest and he by his intercession and sitting at the right hand of his Father weares that plate of pure gold upon his fore-head and there beares not onely the iniquity of our lives but the inquity of our holy things and if this were not so and did there not a viciousnesse cleave unto all our holy duties then we might commend some duties to God without the mediation of Jesus Christ but because there is no duty can be done without a tincture of evill cleaving to it therefore you cannot stand before God in the best prayer that ever you made nor in the best service that ever you performed We have need of a Christ a Mediatour not only for our sins but also for our duties Posit 9 9. That it is the most difficult thing in the world to keep the minde so close to duty that the flesh shall not interrupt you in its performance As Eliphaz reasoned with Job Job 15.12,13 so may every man with his own heart Why doth thine heart carry thee away and what doth thine eyes winke at that thou turnest thy spirit against God and lettest such words go out of thy mouth Thus may every man reason with his own soule and say Why doth my heart carry me away when my spirit would keep close to God Augustine hath an excellent note upon 2 Sam. 7.27 2 Sam. 7.27 Dixit se invenisse cor suum quasi soleret fugere ille sequi quasi fugitivum August Nihil est corde meo fugacius Bernard Posit 10. upon Davids words I have found in my heart to make a prayer unto thee as if David
down against the streame so is it with the gales of the Spirit they help a man to overcome the streame both of temptation and corruption too but when the Spirit is withdrawn then how venturous will a man be to commit sinne If thou art left of the Spirit thou wilt not only be apt and ready to yeeld unto sinful temptations but thou wilt suddenly and eagerly commit sinne We read of that young man being seduced by the flattering and faire speech of a Harlot that straight way he followed her Prov. 7.22 When the temptation is once given and the Spirit doth not disswade how suddenly will a man be surprized As Gun-powder to fire so is temptation to a corrupt heart if the disswasions of Gods Spirit do not fence and keep it But this is not all a man will not onely be apt to fall and fall suddenly but here is a farther mischief thou wilt commit a sinne eagerly thou wilt be mad upon thy lust thou wilt burne in the sinne thou wilt be poysoned with the evill and this the holy Ghost hints to us speaking of the Gentiles who were without the Spirit of God saies he They were past feeling that is Ephes 4.19 they had no motions of Gods Spirit they were without the operations of the quickening Spirit but then what followes saies he They have given themselves over unto lasciviousnesse to work all uncleannesse with greedines 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is they sinne and think they can never sin enough As a covetous man that is greedy of gaine thinks he can never have enough so these think they shall never have their fill of their lusts Observe a fivefold gradation in this sin 1. They were past feeling now what followes this it is not said they were carried away inconsiderately to sinne but they gave themselves to sinne when the Spirit is in a man and it doth disswade him from sinne he is never carried to it but he goes in a hurry he is carried with reluctancy but let the Spirits motions once be withdrawn and then he shall give himself to the Devill 2. When the Spirit is withdrawn they not onely give themselves but they give themselves over to lasciviousnesse that is they give themselves not partially but totally unto the wayes of sinne 3. It is said they give themselves and this was worse then Ahabs fact 1 King 21.25 for he sold himself to work wickednesse now for a man to sell himself to the Devill it is a great evill but when a man shall give himself and give himself over this is a farre greater wickednesse 4. Here was not only a giving themselves over to sin in thought but the text saith they gave themselves over to work uncleannesse they contented not themselves with contemplative wickednesse but they were workers of iniquity such as made a trade of sinne 5. It is said they gave themselves over to all uncleannesse not only to some sinnes but to all sinnes and that with greedinesse which is to my purpose Whither will that man runne whom the evill spirit drives if the Spirit of God doth not come in with contrary motions to the Devils motions with what a vehement eagernesse will a poor man damn his own soul such a man will never stay till he comes to Hell if the Spirit of God do not stop him in his careere and say to him this is the way walk in it but when the Spirit withdrawes every man turnes to his course as the horse into the battle Jer. 8.6 and how violently will a horse runne into the battle that is not restrained with bit and bridle Psalm 32.9 so is the man that hath neither checks of conscience nor the disswasions of the Spirit Thirdly A man being left of the Spirit of God when he is tempted unto sinne will not onely fall into it aptly suddenly and eagerly but also with complacency and this is worst of all so we reade of those that received not the truth in the love of it that they took pleasure in unrighteousnesse 2 Thes 2 12. they not only acted sin but acted it with delight Thus I have cleared the first particular that it is a grievous judgement to have the Spirit withheld before the commission of sinne Quest 2 How it appears to be so great and grievous a judgement to have the Spirit of God withheld from a man after the commission of sinne which may be thus evidenced 1. Because otherwise thou wilt never be convinced of the evill thou hast done John 16.8 it is the Spirit which convinceth the world of sin without the Spirits conviction there is no conviction 2. Thou canst never repent of sinne if the Spirit do not after its commission rebuke and convince thee for the Spirits conviction precedes repentance therefore saies the Prophet no man repents him of his wickednesse saying what have I done Jer. 8.6 a man must be convinced that what he hath done is evill before he repents of that evill We have a proverb amongst us that what the eye sees not the heart grieves not for so if the eye of the soul sees not sinne the heart will never be troubled for sinne 3. Thou canst never have thy nature sanctified from the filth of sin unlesse the Spirit work on thee after thy falling into sin sanctification it is by the Spirit of God And therfore the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians speaking of wicked and unregenerate men saies 1 Cor. 6.11 such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God Ephes 2.22 So believers they are said to be an habitation of God through the Spirit Whence you may observe the different works of the Trinity in the heart of a believer God the Father he chuseth this house God the Sonne he buyes it and God the holy Ghost he cleanseth and furnisheth this house else it would be a nasty and dark dungeon thou canst never have thy Spirit to be a house for God to dwell in unlesse the Spirit of God sweeps thee with the bosome of sanctifying grace 4. Thou canst never subdue the power of sin without the Spirit Rom. 8.13 Therefore saies the Apostle If ye live after the flesh ye shall die but if ye through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live It is by the Spirit that we mortifie sinne thus you see what a misery it is to want the Spirit in its disswasions and convictions both before and after the commission of sin Quest But why doth God withhold his Spirit that it shall not disswade men from sinne when they are tempted to it nor convince them for sin after they have committed it Answ In the general you are to know that God doth it not as an act of Sovereignty but as an act of Justice you wrong the Spirit and therefore God withholds the Spirit
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
sinne but that you shall not act sinne with such a strong and full consent of the will nor with such deliberation as unregenerate men who want the Spirit of God Quest 4 How can this be true that if we walk in the Spirit we shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh whereas experience tells us that set a man walk never so exactly and be never so spiritual yet that man he shall yield to and act the lusts of the flesh and those corruptions which are hid in his nature will break out in his life Answ I have two things to give you by way of answer hereto 1. Though it be true that a man walking in the Spirit shall have the lusts of the flesh yet it is as true that a godly man so walking shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh and the reason is this There is a difference between the acting and between the fulfilling of the lusts of the flesh a godly man when he sinnes he acts the lusts of the flesh yet he doth not fulfil it because when he sinnes he doth not sinne with such a full consent nor with such a deliberate and compleat act of the will as wicked men do Sinne carries wicked men with more force and violence and with a more deliberate act of the will so some Interpreters resolve this difficulty 2. Others answer it thus Walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh that is say they eatenus whilest you imbrace the Spirits motions Musculus in locum sinnes motions shall not prevaile so farre as you hearken to the Spirits good motions you shall not be overcome with the sinful motions of your own corrupt nature or of the devil You shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh so it is in the original and so it is translated in the singular number from whence Criticks shew that in that one sinne of nature there are many sinnes contained all the sinnes in the world being in the womb of original sin In the whole verse you have three parts 1. A duty injoyned Walk in the Spirit 2. A benefit annexed You shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh 3. The certainty of having this benefit This I say c. There are two observations I shall note from the words Doct. 1 That it ought to be the special care of Beleevers to walk after the motions and guidance of Gods Spirit Doct. 2 That those who walk after the motions and guidance of Gods Spirit they shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh In the opening of the first Doctrine there are several queries I shall dispatch Querie 1 Why must a beleever walk after the guidance of the Spirit of God and what are the reasons hereof Reas 1 Because it is a great part of the Spirits office after converting grace to excite and move the heart to more grace and to guide a man in the way wherein he should walk Thus it is expressed by the Prophet Isaiah Thine ears shall hear a word behinde thee saying This is the way walk in it when ye turne up to the right hand and when ye turne to the left Isa 30.21 As the starre was to the Shepherds Mat. 2.9 or as the fiery Pillar to the Israelites in their passage thorow the Wildernesse So is the Spirit to Beleevers to guide them in the way which is everlasting Therefore if thou walkest not after its motions and guidance thou doest as much as in thee lies to put the Spirit out of office Reas 2 Therefore oughtest thou to walk after the guidance of Gods Spirit because the devil he will be suggesting evil motions to thee he goes up and down compassing the earth not to do good but evil Job 1.7 1 Pet. 5.8 He walketh about seeking whom he may devour And not onely the devil but thine own spirit is a false spirit prompting and provoking thee to sinne that as the furnace casts out sparks and the Chimney smoak so doth thy spirit sinful motions therefore what causehast thou to follow the motions of the Spirit of God There are also many erroneous men Many false Prophets are gone out into the world 1 Joh. 4.1 Many seducing spirits and corrupt teachers are gon out into the world Believe not every spirit saith Saint John for many false Prophets are gone out into the world such which pretend they have the Spirit and are teachers of truth but indeed are broachers of errour A tempting devil without us an evil heart of unbelief within us and seducing teachers abroad in the world how should they make us to prize and to follow the motions and guidance of Gods Spirit Reas 3 Because the delusions and enthusiasmes of false teachers are so handed and suggested that they seeme like the motions of the Spirit And therefore is the Apostles caution to the Thessalonians Be not so soone shaken in minde neither by Spirit nor by Word nor by letter as from us that the day of Christ is at hand 2 Thes 2.2 Now if you ask what is meant here by the words Be not shaken in minde by any false spirit Learned Interpreters answer Sclater in Loc. by Spirit that is by revelations instincts and inspirirations that are pretended to come from the Spirit of Christ It was a wicked blasphemy in that wretched Impostor Mahomet to give out that those dead fits that came upon him by his falling sicknesse were raptures from the Spirit of God and that the Dove which he had taught to come feed at his eare was the holy Ghost which did from God reveal unto him the Laws which are set down in the Alchoran by which the pure Mahometans are deluded to this day And therefore seeing the devil hath helpt men in these dayes to such artificial dresses for their wicked errours and the devil himself seems so like an Angel of light we have the more need to walk after the guidance of the Spirit Reas 4 Another reason why you should walk after the motions of the Spirit is because that in so doing you shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh and this is the reason laid down in the text which because it will come pertinently to be handled in the second Doctrine I therefore wholly wave the handling of it here Querie 2 How we may know the Spirits motions from the natural motions of our own consciences Answ To resolve this point I shall lay down five markes or differences whereby we may know the one from the other 1. The Spirit when it moves a man to good it doth not onely excite him to it but doth also assist him in the doing of it Rom. 8.26 2 Tim. 1.7 Therefore the Spirit is said to help our infirmities making intercession for us with groans which cannot be uttered The Spirit of God it is a Spirit of power to enable us in good duties as it excites so also it assists in what it moves to But though
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
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
conscience may be termed a needlesse scrupulosity zeal may be called rashnesse holy walking needlesse and precise nicenesse patience in bearing suffering cowardise and lownesse of Spirit So thy corrupt heart on the contrary may paint over foule sinnes with the varnish of grace So many have painted over the foule sinne of covetousnesse with the vertue of frugality and thriftinesse pride called neatnesse drunkennesse good fellowship prodigality may be stiled generous magnanimity and such like varnish doth the world put upon the deformed face of sinne And as for practice so also for opinion how are old Heresies that may be found in Eusebius and other Authours how are they now termed new lights how are Satans delusions termed the Spirits motions how is loose walking termed Christian liberty This varnishing of sinne with the paint of seeming grace comes from our corrupt natures and is one way by which the flesh intices to sinne 2. By perswading thee that there are some sinnes that there is no fear of thy committing them The devil hath a great advantage over men in this regard Our own hearts sometimes tell us that there are some sinnes so foule and so contrary to our natural temper and we think we have such a measure of grace that certainly we shall never commit them thus it was with wiâ—ked Hazael when the Prophet told him what evil he should do unto Israel that he should burne their Cities slay their young men dash children against the stones and rip up women with childe 2 Kin. 8.12,13 Hazael could not believe this but sayes he Mat. 26.35 Is thy servant a dog that he should do this great thing Thus Peters heart deceived him Though all men forsake thee sayes he yet I will not but how did his heart deceive him even a godly man may be thus cheated by his own heart Men will not believe their hearts to be so bad as they are and when the heart is once brought to this to think that there are some sinnes which it shall never commit by that means a man grows secure and is thereby the more easier drawn unto it Thus David who made conscience of lesser matters for his conscience smote him for cutting off the lap of Sauls garment but he never thought that he should fall into those grosse and scandalous sinnes of adultery and murder and so his heart grew secure and deceived him 3. The flesh intices to sinne by promising to a man pleasure and delight in the commission of sinne but conceals the hurt and mischief which comes by it and how are thousands deceived hereby Every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and inticed James 1.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We are said to be enticed by our lusts the word is very emphatical being a Metaphor drawn from fishermen who will let the fish see the bait but not the hook and as the fisherman deals with the fish so also doth the devil and thy corrupt nature they will shew thee the pleasure but not the danger of sinne the bait but not the hook as the Apostle Peter speaks beguiling unstable souls 2 Pet 2.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is thy own heart which deceives thee As the devil before Adam had a sinful nature used this engine against him so now thy own heart uses it against thy self If you will eat sayes the devil you shall be as gods knowing good and evil and your eyes shall be opened the devil hid the hook did not shew them that they should be driven out of Paradise but hid their danger and so deceived them Now thy own corrupt heart sets upon thee in the same method The way of a wicked man seduces him Prov. 12.26 Prov. 11.18 saith Solomon The wicked worketh a deceitful work but to him that soweth righteousnesse shall be a sure reward Pro thesauro carbones The work of the wicked shews him a seeming reward but it is only the godly whose reward is sure 4 By perswading to entertain smal and lesser sins promising that if they will but yield to these they shall never be troubled to commit greater This is a great deceit of the heart wherein thousands have been taken whereas small sinnes they are as an inlet to greater sins A little thief put into a house may open the doores for greater and stronger to come in You know a wedge small and thin in one part makes way for a greater little sinnes they will draw us on to greater I have read a story of a young man that was tempted by the Devil and his own heart to three sins to kill his father to lie with his mother and to be drunk the two former he would not do being abhorrent to nature but thought he I will yield to the last because that was the least which was enough for being drunk he did in his drunkennesse kill his father and ravished his own mother Take heed therefore of this deceit of sin thy own heart will not prompt thee to all sin at first but will labour to draw thee on by degrees from lesse sins to greater untill thou become abominable therein Behold Isa 3.5 saith the Apostle James what a great matter a little fire kindleth Little sins yielded to may be occasions to bring forth many great sins therefore take heed you be not deceived by the corrupt dictates of nature 5. The flesh will tempt thee to sinne upon this ground because it is but a little one it is but a small sin as Lot said of Zoar Is it not a little one but consider that this is the meere policy of sin to undo thee for though there are some sins lesse then others are in respect of the act yet all are alike in regard of the object there is no little God to sin against and therefore there can be no little sin sinne must not be measured by its act but by its object A blow given to an ordinary man it is accompted as nothing but a blow given to a great man how hainous is it therefore if thy heart shall say to thee that it is but a little sin do thou say The God I sin against is no little God and thâ— merit which must procure pardon for this sin can be no small merit and the hell prepared for the punishment of a little sin is no small torment therefore take heed to thy heart in this regard 6. Thy heart may intice thee to sin upon pretence of good that may ensue upon thy committing of it and how many have been intangled in this snare Hereby were Lots daughters intangled to lie with their own father Gen. 19.32 upon this pretence that they might preserve seed of their father they saw there was no likelihood for a posterity to come from their father and so thought that the Church of God would cease here was their end and therefore for preserving a seed they would venture to sin This is expressely against
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
wanting this there would be hope that it would be tyred and wearied out at last but this is the nature of corruption it is unweariedly an enemy against the Spirit Things that act naturally act unweariedly the fire is never weary of burning nor the water of ebbing and flowing because it is natural to those creatures the Sun is never weary of going its course because its motion is natural sin it is a thing natural to thee thou wast borne in in it and bred up in it and therefore it acts unweariedly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This war between the flesh and Spirit is a truceless war 6. Corrupt nature it is an inward enemy it dwells not only with us but in us and therefore sayes Paul It is not I but sin that dwelleth in me Rom. 7.20 An enemy without to assault a City cannot do much hurt if the walls be strong and well mann'd but if there be traytors within as well as assailants without it will indanger that City Remember thou hast not only the Devil without but corrupt nature within a sin within which ever seeks to betray thee A little thief once gotten in there is more danger of him then of all the robbers without Corrupt nature is this little thief which alwayes will seek to betray thee to the Devil 7. This corruption of nature it is a continual enemy against the Spirit There is nothing which acts continually but corrupt nature the eye is not alwayes seeing the Sea not alwayes flowing the Sun not alwayes shining but corrupt nature it is alwayes working the Spirit cannot send forth a good motion but the flesh labours to send it back again and to quenâ—h it The Devil is not always tempting nor the world alwayes vexing but the flesh is alwayes resisting the Spirit 8. The flesh it is a politick enemy against the Spirit it works more by flattery James 1.14 then by force Every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed It is a Metaphor taken from fisher-men which shew the baite but hide the hook it works slyly and subtilly 9. It is an outragious enemy against the Spirit The Apostle exhorting the Thessalonians to holinesse and sanctification 1 Thes 4.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bids them not to walk in the lust of concupiscence as the Gentiles which knew not God Not in the passion of concupiscence as the original hath it corrupt nature it is inveterate against a man and therefore it is called a burning in lust Rom. 1.27 and what is more fierce and outragious then fire burning Corrupt nature it puts the soul on fire so also it is compared to a horse rushing into the battell It is called a drawing of sin with cart-ropes to note the eagernesse of a sinner it is fierce out ragious and violent 10. It is an equal enemy in all men it is not in one man more and in another lesse but in all alike all are equally tainted with it and there is this reason for it because all men are equally alike in Adam otherwise some men should be more in Adams sin then others which is impossible We are all sons of Adam and therefore are all equally polluted yet this is true that actuall corruption is more drawn out in some men then in others some are more profane some more incontinent some more passionate then others because in some there are strong natural inclinations and more prevalent corruptions then in others to some sins yet no man is more corrupted in his nature then another and therefore thou which art regenerate thou hast as much cause to bewaile a corrupt and sinful nature as any Devil in hell hath And these are the properties of this enemy which wars against the soul Vse 1 Let the consideration of this stirre you up to thankfulnesse that notwithstanding corrupting nature hath all these properties to wit that it is so powerfull so malicious so universal unsatiable indefatigable inward subtile and outragious an enemy yet that it could not hinder converting grace blesse God that converting grace hath conquered this enemy and notwithstanding all its potency malice and subtilty yet hath brought it into subjection 2. Blesse God for establishing grace This is one of the wonders of the world that a childe of God should have so much corruption in him and that that corruption should not destroy grace the wonder appeares in this Adam who had no sinful nature seeing only he was a mutable creature left to the liberty of his own will yet being tempted by the Devil fell And the Angels in heaven who neither had an evil nature within nor a tempting Devil without yet rhey fell also But thou who hast both a tempting Devil without and a corrupt nature within yet thou shalt not fall Oh blesse the Lord for this It comes from this thy being interessed in an unchangeable Covenant because thou art chosen by an unchangeable decree and kept by an unchangeable God therefore being once in the Covenant of Grace thon art alwayes kept therein Jude vers 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 1.5 blesse God for this unchangeable grace of his towards thy poor soul whereby thou art kept unto salvation whereby the people of God are kept from falling Vse 2 Let this also stirre you up to watchfulnesse against the motions of sin in your corrupt natures If the flesh hath all these properties have you not cause to keep watch and ward in your own hearts There is this reason why thou should'st be watchful because thy corrupt nature hath a manifold advantage against grace 1. It hath been longer in thee then grace hath been Therefore in the first place it is said The flesh lusteth against the Spirit which is a great advantage As we may observe in military affaires when a pitcht battel hath been fought that Army which first takes the field will be sure to chuse ground for their own advantage Thy corrupt nature which warres with the Spirit it was first in the field and so hath got wind and ground thou waft borne a sinner with an evil nature but not with a divine nature therefore here in the Text the flesh begins the conflict watch therefore against the flesh having this advantage against you 2. The flesh hath not only the advantage of time but of number there is more of flesh in thee then there is of the Spirit more kindes of sin then of grace there are more weeds then flowers in the best garden more corruptions then graces in the best soul I may appeal to your experience whether ever you have acted so many graces as sins in the Chapter wherein my Text is there are seventeen sins mentioned in the catalogue but there are but seven graces to shew that the flesh is more in us then the Spirit there are swarmes of lusts and vain thoughts but alas how few good thoughts and holy motions of the Spirit of God are there in
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
sin and if they act it to charge the devil with the blame and therefore it is good for us to know the difference for we must not wrong the devil but as they say give the devil his due for sometimes he is meerly a stander by and hath no hand in our sinnes 2. The decision of this question will be needful because regenerate men especially those troubled in conscience do charge those sins upon themselves which of right ought to be laid upon the devil as when the devil suggests thoughts of blasphemy which the nature of man rises against yet will they charge these upon themselves and therefore as the wicked on the one hand falsely charge the devil so the godly on the other hand untruly charge themselves 3. Because if motions to sin be made to arise meerly from the devil then those motions though they are our misery yet they are not our sins if we do not yeeld and consent to them The devil layes his baits at our dores and often as a thief would break into the soul but by faith he is resisted and when once entertained it 's not our sin It 's to sin to be tempted but the sinne is to yeeld to the temptation But wicked motions coming from corrupt nature hough you never consent unto them those first motions of the minde to sin they are materially sinful because they proced from an evil nature within you evil motions that do arise and spring from evil hearts they are such fruits that do spring from an evil root and therefore we should lament them For these reasons it is useful to answer this question but before I come to that remember these cautions 1. That whether temptations come from the devil or from the corrupt nature yet thou mayest be sure they are both sinful and â—herefore are both to be rejected 2. That we are not to be so careful to distinguish between these motions as to resist them for a man to be more curious how to distinguish then carefully to resist them it is but curiosity not sincerity 3. There is an apparent difference between motions to sin which come from the devil and those which come from corrupt nature and yet it is hard to shew where the indivisible part of the difference lies and there is this reason which a Modern Divine gives because the Scripture charges those temptations which the Scripture sayes are from the devil it layes them upon mens hearts therefore in the 5. Acts 5.3,5 Chap. of the Acts Ananias his lie is charged upon the devil in the third verse and upon the man in the fifth verse But to answer the question there are these characters I shall give you to difference those motions to sin which arise from the flesh and those which come from the devil 1. Motions to sin from Satan they are usually such which are abhorrent to natures light unnatural sinnes at which the very light of nature struggles and therefore Divines rank temptations to blasphemy against God and to lay violent hands upon a mans self to be from Satan because unnatural these motions do not arise primarily from the flesh but from the devil because they are contrary to nature and therefore not from nature Temptations unto unnatural evils are from Satan their horrour shews from whom they come and therefore to think ill of God is purely diabolical because it is against the light of nature to have any low or unfitting thought of God It is a good note upon that of Job Job 1.16 where it is said that the fire of God fell from heaven and burnt up Jobs sheep Now why doth not the devil strip him of his sheep as he did of the rest of cattel by the Caldeans and Sabeans who did steal them away There is this given as the reason thereof The devil he could not tell how to make Job blaspheme God and therefore he caused a fire from heaven to consume his sheep that so he â—…ight look upon it as that which came from God immediately and so might blaspheme him therefore all those temptations which provoke Gods people to blasphemy Satan is the chief instrument therein not but that there is in mans nature as the seed of all other sins so also of blasphemy there is a receptivenesse in mans nature of blasphemous temptations from the devil but yet the first suggestion comes thereof ordinarily and from the devil Luke 22.3 and therefore we read that when Judas went to betray Christ it is said that Satan entred into him the motion came from the devil because it was an unnatural sinne For a servant to betray a Master and a good Master this is accompted an unnatural sinne and therefore it is charged upon the devil Rom. 1.24 Though Judas was guilty for receiving this temptation yet the Scripture layes it upon the devil as the first motioner of this unnatural sin And yet the seeds of unnatural sinnes are in mans nature And so the Apostle charges the unnatural sinnes that he mentions of the Heathens upon the lusts of the heart 2. Motions from the devil they are usually to grosse acts of sinne which are not seated in the inclination and affections And the reason is this because sinnes which are grosse though there is the seed of these in the nature yet men naturally are most prone to spiritual sin and inward sinne nature prompts men to inward sinnes and the devil to gâ—osse and outward sinnes and this is the great misery of man that those sinnes the devil tempts not to those corrupt nature tempts to Acts 5.3 Matth. 5.37 Ananias his lie is charged upon the devil Why hath Satan filled thy heart And so is sinful swearing charged upon the devil it being a sin of a grosser nature it is the devils work to put men upon grosse outward acts of evil But corrupt nature it is still inticing thee to those sinnes which are most suitable to thy corrupt inclination as self-love vain-glory popular applause spiritual pride carnal confidence sinister aimes vain thoughts and such like these are â—…armes of inward lusts which are bred in thy corrupt nature and to these thy nature inclines thee 3. Temptations from Satan are usually accompanied with much horrour and fear when they are first suggested When a temptation is so strongly suggested that it makes a man quake and horrour comes upon it this is an argument it comes from the devil and the reason is this Because nature provokes to those sinnes which are most pleasing unto nature nature doth not raisea combustion in the minde 4. Satans temptations are usually suggested when a fit object and occasion to act a sin is presented As when a man troubled in minde shall see water the devil tempts him to drown himselfe or when he shall see a knife to cut his throat or when a man sees an object of beauty before him then to be tempted to incontinency such temptations as these usually come from
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
you will say though I have them in my house yet I never buy nor sell by them you may say they are only in my bag not in my scale but sayes God Thou shalt not have them in thy bag lest it be a temptation to thee to bring them from thy bag into thy scale So the Israelites were commanded not to eat swines flesh Levit. 11.7,8 Levit. 11.7,8 Now you shall read in Isaiah 65.4 how the Lord blames the Israelites for two things They eat swines flesh sayes he and the broth of abominable things are in their vessels God did onely forbid the eating of swines flesh and yet here he condemns the broth also And why but because the eating of the broth might be a temptation to them to eat the flesh also therefore take heed that you minister no occasion to the flesh lest you be intangled thereby An example you have of this related by Augustine of one Allipius Aug. Confes lâ—b 6. cap. 8. that was drawn by importunity of friends to be present at the Gladiatory games of the Romanes but being there resolved to shut his eyes all the while that so though he was present in body yet he might be absent in heart but upon a great shout the people gave at the fail of one of the Combatants he opened his eyes and became an approver of that bloody and barbarous spectacle and therefore take heed of yielding to occasions of sin 3. If you would not have the flesh prevaile against the Spirit roll not sinne in your thoughts and contemplations rolling of sinne in the fancie and speculation is that which weakens the Spirits motions and workings and doth strengthen the motions of sinne in thy heart Ezek. 23.19 This the Prophet Ezekiel speaks of in Chap. 23. and verse 19. She multiplied her whoredomes in calling to remembrance the dayes of her youth bodily uncleannesse is caused by contemplating the sinne in ones minde and is the way to fence thy heart against the Spirits motions 4. If you would have the Spirit prevail resist and conflict with your lusts timely do not stay too long before you beginne to conflict many times men stay so long before they beginne Principiis obsta c. that they are vanquisht before they fight Be ready therefore to oppose sin in the birth do as Pharaoh who would not let the children of the Hebrewes grow to men of yeares but killed them assoon as they were born so deal thou by thy sinnes 5. Cherish and entertain the Spirits motions Intus existens Pâ—ohibet alienum whensoever you finde them disswade you from sinne let the motions of the Spirit be within and they will keep the motions of the flesh without 6. Entertain no Treaty with sinne if you parley with sinne you have reason to suspect the conquest the flesh is a mortal enemy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Qui deliberant desciverunt and you must either kill or be killed There is no Treaty of Peace to be obtained betwen the flesh and the Spirit this combate is of such a nature that there is neither a Treaty of Peace nor a cessation of armes all your life-long It is a notable observation if you compare the first of the Galatians verse 16. Gal. 1.16 compared with Acts 26.19 with the twenty sixth of the Acts verse 19. In the Galatians you there read the story of Pauls conversion and sayes he Immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood that is with my corrupt heart what dangers I should meet with and what hazards I should go through and in the Acts where you have Paul relating the same story to King Agrippa he sayes Oh King I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision To note sayes a learned man that consulting and debating with flesh and blood it is a kinde of disobedience to the heavenly vision though thou doest not yield to the flesh yet it is a kinde of disobedience to consult with the flesh and therefore never enter into a Treaty with thy sinne 7. Resist sinne impartially that is every sinne and do this in sincerity if thou wilt hate the garment spotted with the flesh then also thou wilt hate the flesh Herod did many things but left not his Herodias Serm. XVIII At Lawrence Jewry London Januar. 5. 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 cause of this conflict whence it is that the flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh and the Apostle assignes the reson these being contrary the one to the other The words need not much explaining only the saying of the Apostle when he tells you that the flesh and the Spirit are in the same man and that these are contrary the one to the other Touching which I shall lay down this conclusion That contraries may be found in the same subject It is true that contraries cannot be in the same subject in an intense and highest degree but they may be in a lesser and lower degree and thus it is here The Apostle tells you of the flesh and the Spirit in the same regenerate man Contraria non possunt esse in eodem subjecto in gradu intenso and of these being contrary the one to the other that is not in the highest but in a more remisse degree In the highest degree they cannot be found because in heaven there is perfect grace without sin and in hell there is all sin and no grace but on earth we are partly sinful ann partly gracious and therefore these two contrarieties being in a regenerate man in a more remisse degree they may be very fairly consistent These two are contrary the one to the other it is impossible to conceive a more bitter opposition and direct contrariety between any thing in the world then between the flesh and the Spirit there is not more contrariety between light and darknesse between heaven and hell fire and water then between the flesh and the Spirit Contrariety it is more then enmity enemies may be reconciled but contraries never indeed one contrary may expell another but one contrary cannot be reconciled to another water may quench fire but it cannot be reconciled to fire and light may expell darknesse but they are not to be reconciled The contrariety of the flesh against the Spirit consists in this that whatsoever good the Spirit wills the flesh wills and what good the Spirit excites to the Spirit disswades from this is the contrariety and this is the cause of the conflict in regenerate men Doct. The Doctrine is this That there is a mutual and irreconcileable contrariety between the flesh and the Spirit between nature and grace in the hearts of regenerate men I call it a mutual contrariety because it is not a single opposition the
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
of my corrupt nature whilest I was a Pharisee I did not then see nor know my selfe to be so vile and sinful as now I do and so when light breaks into the soul those sins appeared which lay hid and those which seemed but as motes now appeare beames and those which seemed as little as gnats now appeare as bigge as Camels 2. It may proceed from a more gracious and tender sincerity in thy conscience then there was in times past In former time thy conscience was hard seared and senselesse fighting against the sense of sinne but now God hath melted and mollified it God hath made thy conscience to be not as seared but as raw flesh godly men may complain of corruption and think they have more then ever they had but it is because they are more tender and more sensible When a man hath hurt his finger he thinks he doth never so much touch it as then and this ariseth from the tendernesse of the part so God having made thy heart a broken and a soft heart therefore the corruption of thy heart is more felt then before Prov. 7 2◠Sin to a wicked man is as a blow on the back but sin to a godly man is as a blow upon the eye 3. Consider this though you discern the corruptions of your nature and see more of it then ever you saw before yet be confidently assured of this that thou shalt have the final victory To this purpose I may accommodate that passage concerning Rebecca who having conceived the children strugled together within her and she said Lord Why am I thus And the Lord said unto her Two Nations are in thy womb that is the rise of two Nations Gen. 25.22,23 Esau and Jacob two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels and the one people shall be stronger then the ether and the elder shall serve the younger Whence mark 1. It is said There was two manner of people in her womb and these separated Thus is Sin and Grace 2. The one is said to be stronger then the other that is the posterity of Esau they shall be stronger fot a while then the Israelites Numb 22.18 for they did defeat them once but now what is the comfort Why The elder shall serve the younger and so it came to passe that the Edomites did serve the Israelites 2 Sam. 8.14 1 Kings 22 47. Obad. 8.17,18 Thus I may say as of Esau and Jacob Corruption of nature is stronger then Grace in many good men and it is elder then grace but here is your comfort The elder shall serve the younger Grace shall get the final victory Direction 3 I inferre hence that though you are not to be discouraged considering this corruption yet you are greatly to be humbled in the sense of this contrariety that is in your natures against grace If you had onely a disability as to grace it were matter of humiliation for you if you had onely an opposition against grace that would be cause of more humiliation but having an utter contrariety against grace here is greater cause for you to be humbled A carnal minde is not onely an enemy to God but enmity it selfe What the Spirit perswades to that the flesh disswades from Rom. 8.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and what the Spirit wills that the flesh wills and therefore you have great cause of humiliation 4. Learn to reduce all actual sins that have broke out in your lives to their original that is to this contrariety of nature Thou dost not sin because the devill tempts thee nor because thou art in bad company but because thou hast a corrupt nature It is a saying of a learned Divine that a Christian hath many enemies to fight withall but he hath onely one which overcomes grace and that is the flesh Were it not for corruption within all temptations would be no other to thee then they were unto Christ the Tempter came to him but he found nothing in him his temptations were but as a spark of fire cast into the sea but the devil comes to thee and the world comes to thee and they find fit matter in thee a suitablenes in thy nature to fall into and close with the temptation and therefore reduce actual sin to its original thus Paul did It is no more I that sins sayes he but who doth he blame Rom 7.20 not the devil nor the world but sin that dwelleth in me that is an evill and corrupt nature it is my corrrupt nature which drawes me to evill and hinders me from good and if you would thus reduce your sinne to its original what cause of sorrow and debasement would it give unto you It is said of David that the devil moved him to number the people but he doth not charge it upon the devil 1 Chr. 21.1 2 Sam. 24.10 but upon himself and sayes he I have sinned and I have done foolishly we are all transgressours from the womb Complain not of the evill that is in thy life but charge it upon thy corrupt nature and thus also David in another place Isai 48.8 he duces those two great evils of murther and adultery to the corruption of his nature and sayes he I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me And thus Augustine in his Confessions Psal 51.5 when he confesseth how he robbed an Orchard he saith neither hunger nor want of the fruit he stole for he had better at home but it was meerly to gratifie corrupt nature 5. If there be contrariety in thy nature against grace oh then do not joyn in with this contrariety against the Spirit wouldst thou joyn with an enemy this contrariety why is it in thee is it not to damne and destroy thy soule 1 Pet. 2.11 therefore sayes the Apostle Abstain from fleshly lusts because they warre against the soule the flesh strives to damne you but the Spirit strives to save you therefore do not take part with thy enemy Yet how many men are there that joyn with the corrupt motions of their hearts when they prompt them to evill and how unreasonable is this the Apostle tells us that We are not debtors to the flesh to live after the flesh Rom. 8.12 as if he should say You owe nothing to corrupt nature and why will you yield thereunto It is honesty in every man to pay his debts But you owe nothing to corrupt nature but you are Debtors to the Spirit and if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body ye shall live Therefore indulge not the flesh or as the same Apostle speakes Make no provision for the flesh Rom. 13.14 If an enemy come into your houses will you victual his camp will you send in Armes to an enemy to destroy you this is that which men do when they joyn with the flesh against the Spirit By how much any man makes provision for the flesh by
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
how far the Spirit of God may be withheld before and then secondly after the commission of sin The Spirit of God in a fivefold respect may be said to be withdrawn from a godly man before the commission of sinne 1. That it shall not enlighten thee to make thee know it is a sinne thou art tempted unto and thus we read of the Patriarchs that married divers wives The Spirit of God in that dark age of the world the Patriarchs was so withheld that it did not enlighten them no not till their dying day that we read of that Poligamy was a sinne and therefore they lived and died in it 2. Though thou mayest be enlightened to know that it is a sinne thou art tempted unto yet thou mayest be so left of the Spirit that through the impetuousnesse of thy lust and the violence of the tempâ—…tion thou mayest be carried to commit that sin and thus we find plainin the case of David David he could not but know that Adultery was a sin and yet being left of the Spirit of God the strength of his lust and the violence of his temptation was such that he was carried to commit it 3. A godly man may be so farre left by the Spirit that when he is tempted to a sinne he may rather consult with flesh and blood then with the Spirit of God whether he should commit the sinne yea or no And thus a godly man when life liberty and estate lie at stake doth often consult his own safety rather then inward peace and this is very much 2. Sam. 11. and yet thus it was with David in the matter of Vriah 4. Godly men may be so left that they may contrive and deliberate how to commit a sinne before they commit it Divines do usually give it as a difference between godly and wicked men that the one sinnes deliberately the other not yet there are instances in Scripture that shew that godly men may contrive and deliberate how to commit a sinne now this as Divines shew is at the threshold of hell there is but a little between them and damnation and thus David it is true the sinne of adultery it was not so deliberate as the murther of Vriah for there David did contrive the meanes whereby he should be killed and the time when with the manner how and the instrument by whom now this was a very deliberate act of sinne yet thus farre may agodly man be left therefore what cause have they to blesse and magnifie the free grace of God that come so near hell and yet never come there you may have your garments smell of hell-fire yet you may never come into burning Deliberate acts of sinne tend unto that unpardonable sinne against the holy Ghost which is of malice therefore take heed of such sins 5. The Spirit of God may so leave thee though a godly man that thou mayest fall into those sinnes that are contrary to those graces wherein thou art most eminent For a man that is chaste to keep from those sinnes which are not so contrary to his native disposition is not so much but for a chaste man to be so left of God as to fall into adultery for a meek man to fall into passion this is a great evill I shall lay down severall instances hereof of godly men that have been thus left by the Spirit of God Abraham you finde him in Scripture recorded to be the father of the faithful Rom. 4. what a large encomium doth the Apostle make of Abrahams faith and God did so leave him that he fell into unbelief and distrust of God Gen. 12.11,12 by denying his own wife which was most contrary to that grace wherein he was so eminent You finde also of Noah that in the Scripture he is commended for a very sober man and that when all the world were eating and drinking marrying and giving in marriage it was a very drunken excessive and luxurious age and Noah he was commended by God for his sobriety Gen. 9.21 but yet through drunkennesse was the sinne most contrary to that excellent grace of sobriety he was so eminent in yet was he overtaken therewith Likewise Lot he is commended by the holy Ghost for disliking the filthy conversation of the Sodomites and it is strange that Lot himself should be overtaken with the sinne of uncleannesse and that he should fall into the abominable sinne of Incest for so you finde it related of him Gen. 19.33,35 he lay with his two daughters So also Moses the Scripture tells you of him that he was the meekest man upon the earth Num. 12.3 Now of all sinnes you would least suspect that he should fall into passion but yet you finde Moses his meeknesse turned into passionatenesse insomuch that he spake unadvisedly with his lips Psal 106.33 Num. 11.15 and thus speaks unto God If thou deale thus with me kill me I pray thee out of hand David the book of Psalms tels you how eminent he was for patience 2 Sam. 16.10 how quietly he bore Gods afflicting hand how patient was he when Shimei did so curse and revile him And yet meeting but with a churlish carriage from Nabal his Spirit was all in a rage insomuch that he went with a purposed revenge to kill Nabal and all his family 1 Sam. 25.13 Job you know the Scripture tells of him that he was the most eminently and exemplarily patient would you think that ever he should fall into impatiency why yes he falls into that sinne which was most contrary to that grace wherein he was most eminent how doth he curse the day of his birth Job 3.3 Let the day perish saith he wherein I was borne and the night in which it was said There is a man-childe conceived and so he prayes earnestly for the day of his death Job 6.8,9 Oh saies he that I might have my request and that God would grant me the thing that I long for even that it would please God to destroy me that he would let loose his hand and cut me off Here you see the impatiency of Jobs spirit this I mention to you to let you see what a poor thing man is if Gods Spirit leave him that he shall not onely fall into those sinnes which are pleasing unto nature but into those sinnes which are most contrary to his nature thus you see how farre the Spirit may leave a man before the commission of sinne Quest 2 How farre may the Spirit of God leave a man after the commission of sinne Answ 1 The Spirit it may not convince thee that it is a sinne thou hast done after thou hast committed it and thus it was with the Patriarchs in the first age of the world they were given to marry many wives and it was as in doubtlesse because it did crosse the first institution of marriage which was between one man and one woman now the Spirit of God was
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
their preparations rob themselves of much time which they ought to imploy in the maine duties themselves but the Spirit of God doth so gird up the loyns of our mind 1 Per. 1.13 that it makes us succinct in the dispatch of his duties 12. Motions to good come from the Divel in case thou art moved to it that so it may be a cloak to thee to do wickedly with the less suspition and with the more boldness Thus it was with Absolom it was a good thing in him that he would do justice to all the people and when they came for justice to his father he would speak friendly to them and kiss them 2 Sam. 15.3,4 but all this was meerly in a pretence that so they might not entertain the suspition of his usurping his fathers Kingdome And so also the Scribes and Pharisees they devoured widows houses and for a pretence made long prayers Mat. 23.14 It was good to make long prayers but to do it for so wicked an end was most abominable So that if a mans motions to good be for this end that he may sin with more freedome and less suspition they come from the Divel not from God The Devil cares not how good you seem so you may but be really evil and sinful vse 1 Oh then do not conclude that you are in the state of grace because sometimes good motions come into your mindes thou mayest have good motions and yet thou mayest be a bad man all fire is not the fire of the Sanctuary Remember therefore that you may have a thousand good motions and yet you may go to hell It was a good motion in Balaam O that I might die the death of the righteous and yet he was one who loved the wages of unrighteousness 2 Pet. 2.15 Though I would not discourage good motions yet I say such you may have and they may come rather from the Devil then the Spirit of God therefore survey your wayes and your motions to good and see whether they come from the strivings of the Spirit of God in you or from the excitations of the evil Spirit which is against you SERMON VI. At Lawrence Jury London Novemb. 24. 1650. GEN. 6. verse 3. And the Lord said My Spirit shall not alwayes strive with man c. Quest 3 I Proceed now to a third Question and that is Why or for what reason it is that God doth withdraw or withhold the strivings of his Spirit from the souls of men I shall say down four reasons as the cause of this judgement Answ 1 Because you quench the motions of Gods Spirit therefore he withdraws the Spirit in its motions from you Res delicatula est Spiritus Dei it à nos tractat sicut tractatur Tertullian Psal 81.11,12 The Spirit of God is a delicate thing it must not be injured no◠abused if it be it wil deal with us as we deal with him Your act is a sinful act and Gods act is in a way of justice Because Israel would not hear therfore God gave them up to their hearts lusts Thus it was with the Spouse in the Cantieles Cant. 5.2,3,6 Christ he came knocking at the door saying Open to me my sister my love my dove my undefiled for my head is filled with dew and my looks with the drops of the nigh But sayes she I have put off my coat how shall I put it on I have washed my feet how shall I defile them Thus she puts off Christ and hereupon Christ withdrawes himself and then she seeks him in bitterness but cannot finde him I opened sayes she to my beloved but he had withdrawn himself and was gone my soul failed when he spake I sought him but I could not finde him I called him but he gave me no answer Because we refuse Christ and quench the motions of his blessed Spirit therefore he in an act of his justice departs from us There are three sorts of spiritual desertions 1. Cautional for preventing of sin so was Paul buffeted by Satan lest he should be exalted above measure 2 Cor. 12.7 2. Probational for trial and exercise of grace and thus it was with holy Job 3. Penal and castigatory for chastisement of spiritual sloth and so in the example of the Spouse before mentioned 2. Because men are more ready to entertaine evil motions to sin then the Spirits motions to good This is another reason When a friend shall see that an old acquaintance will rather hearken to the solicitations of an enemy then himself this will provoke him to break off intimacy with him thus the Spirit of God which hath been thy old friend thy best friend when he shall see thee hearken to the suggestions of the evil spirit rather then to his motions this provokes him to a departure I may accommodate the History of Rehoboam to this purpose When the grave sage Ancients of the children of Israel saw that that inconsiderate King had forsaken their advice and did adhere to the raw and rash advice of a company of green-headed young men they left him and ten parts of twelve fell from him even so doth the holy Spirit leave them that do slight his motions and saving counsels 3. Because men have abused the motions and workings of the Spirit to base and sinful ends as for popular applause vaine glory secret advantage for a cloak to hide some secret lust when the Spirit of God in its workings is made so ill an use of as to be made an excuse for a mans lusts this provokes the Spirit of God to leave a man to prostitute spiritual gifts to base imployments What is this but for a man to light his Lanthorne at the Lamp of the Sanctuary that he may see to steal by it And this was the sin of Simon Magus Acts 8.19 he would faine with money have bought the gift of the Spirit that so he might have prostituted it to an ill use This is a high provocation to the Spirit of God 4. Because men have fathered and fastned those sinful affections which proceed from the flesh upon the Spirit when men shall accompt their own wrath kindled from hell to be the zeal of the Spirit coming from heaven Satans delusions the Spirits motions licentious living a Christians Spiritual liberty erroneous opinions the Spirits teaching when men shall intitle a presumptuous peace the Spirits testimony this is as if an adulterous begger should lay his brat at the Kings door this is such a high provocation that the Spirit of God cannot but withdraw from such I now come to lay down the Symptom's or signes of the Spirits withdrawings and when I mention a withdrawing of the Spirit I do not mean a total but a gradual with-drawing and there are ten symptomes I shall lay down any of which if you sinde you may be able to pass a righteous sentence upon your selves 1. If the Spirit be with-drawn thou settest
withdrawing it is but in some things not in all in some motions and in some asistance not in other some The Spirit is never totally witdrawn from godly men the presence of the Spirit is not withdrawn though the comfort and assurance of it may be Vse 2 It is with a soul in this case as it is with the herbs and trees in winter the whole sap is not gone but retired into the root Let this be thy comfort that the departures of the Spirit they are temporary not eternal the Spirit is onely gone for a season Isaiah 54.8 In a little wrath I hid my face from thâ—e for a moment It is but in a little wrath and for a little while That which Christ said of his person to his Disciples I will go away but I will come again the same may be said of the Spirit though he may be withdrawn yet after a while he will returne again Vse 3 Thou sayest the Spirit is withdrawn but it may be it is a sensible not a real withdrawing My meaning is this it may be thou apprehendest it to be so when in relity it is not so for of all men the godly they are most apt to have suspitions of their own hearts and of their own estates Gen. 44.2 Thou mayest have as Benjamin a golden cup in thy sacks mouth a pledge of Joseph's love and thou mayest not know it Out of thy belly may flow a fountain of living water and yet thou mayest not know it even as Hagar when she was ready to die for thirst had a well of water by her and yet knew it not therefore it may be it is but a sensible not a real withdrawing It is with the soul in respect of the Spirit of Christ as it was with Mary Magdalen who when she was speaking with Christ knew it not but asked Christ whither they had carried him John 20.15 Vse 4 Consider that Jesus Christ may depart from you not out of hatred but out of trial to see whether thou wilt follow him As a Mother will sometimes run into a corner and hide her self from her childe but it is not to leave her child shiftless but to see its love whether it will seek after her or not So Jesus Christ he may sometimes leave you and withdraw his Spirit to see whether you will follow hard after him account the motions of his Spirit worth seeking after And thus I have briefly given you an account of the withdrawings of the Spirit of Christ from ordinances and from our souls I have shewed you both the cause and the cure of this miserable estate The Lord give you understanding in all things SERM. VIII At Lawrence Jury London Decemb. 1. 1650. GAL. 5. verse 16. This I say then Walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh HAving lately treated of the misery of those from whom the motions of Gods Spirit were withdrawn I am now to treat of the happinesse of others who walk after the motions and guidance of the Spirit which I shall do out of these words Walk in the Spirit and yee shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh Which words are an Apostical direction or caution being intire in themselves and therefore I shall handle them without reference to what goes before or what follows after The method I observe shall be this First I shall explaine the words Secondly divide them then deduce some observations and lastly make application of all 1. In the explanatory part there are four things to be unfolded 1. What is here to be meant by the Spirit 2. What is meant by walking in the Spirit 3. What by not fulfilling the lusts of the flesh 4. How can it be said that men shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh Quest 1 What is meant by the Spirit Answ 1 In general it doth denote the whole divine essence distinguished into three persons God is a Spirit John 4.24 i. e. a spiritual Essence 2 Cor. 3.17 Answ 2 More particularly it notes the third person in the blessed Trinity 1 John 5.6 Answ 3 By Spirit is understood the gifts of the Spirit Luk. 1.15 Quest 2 What is meant here by walking in the Spirit Answ 1 For answer hereunto there is something must be paraphrased upon as conducible to the explaining of it As first Gal. 3.2 Verse 25. Gal. 5.18 there is mention made in Gal. 3.2 of receiving the Spirit Secondly of living in the Spirit Gal. 5.25 Thirdly of being led by the Spirit Gal. 5.18 And fourthly of walking in the Spirit and that in the words of my text Now by receiving and living in the Spirit is set out to us the first implantation or work of Gods Spirit on us in our regeneration And by the other two phrases of being led by the Spirit and walking in the Spirit these two are one and the same and set out to us the progressive work of the Spirit upon the soul in the work of sanctification so that he that would walk in the Spirit must follow the motions and instructions of it Therefore if you would walk in the Spirit you must not follow the impulses of your own spirits Quicquid somniant Fanatici volunt esse Spiritum sanctum Melanchton they follow the instinct of their own spirits Of such Melanchton speaks that they think their own dreams as Canonical as Gods Word and thereby are so far from abolishing the lusts of the flesh that they gratifie the lusts of the flesh The genuine sense therefore of these words of walking in the Spirit is to walk after the Spirit and so it is an expression of the same importance with those words in Rom. 8.1 Rom. 8.1 There is therefore no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit That is if we follow the motions and instructions of Gods Spirit then may we be said to walk in it Quest 3 But what benefit will accrue hereupon Ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh Answ Now before I answer this particular I must give you caution The Apostle doth not say you shall not have the lusts of the flesh for you know that he which doth most follow the motions and directions of the Spirit in his practice he finds in himselfe the workings of corrupt nature whilest you have this natural body you will have these lusts of the flesh in you But saith the Apostle Ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh Now by the lusts of the flesh you must not understand it in a limited sense of the sinne of incontinency or uncleannesse which elsewhere is truly called the lust of the flesh but you are to take it in a comprehensive sense for all those corrupt and irregular inclinations to sinne which are in the nature of man Now when the Apostle saith you shall not fulfil these lusts his meaning is not that you shall not
natural motions from conscience may put a man upon the doing of a good thing Video meliora probóque Deteriora sequor yet it cannot give any power for its performance it leaves thee like Ovids Medea that saw good yet would not do it Natural motions to the soul are as Pharaoh to the Israelites who moved them to make brick but gave them no materials Natural conscience moves to duty but conveighs no power to do it withal therefore you read that the law is weak through the flesh Rom. 8 3. weak as to justification thereby there being no power in man to fulfil it 2. Virtutis amore non formidine poenae 2 Tim. 1.7 The Spirit it moves a man to do good more out of the lovelinesse and beauty that is in holinesse then out of fear of hells torments Hence we read that God hath not given us the Spirit of fear but of power of love and of a sound minde we do not do things meerely out of fear of hell but out of love to God and holinesse So the Apostle Paul sayes he As many as are led by the Spirit are the Sonnes of God for ye have not received the Spirit of bondage again to fear but ye have received the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father Rom. 8.14,15 Ducuur à spiritu non trahâ—tur The Spirit of God makes a man do a thing as a childe out of love to his father and not out of fear this is the effect of the Spirit of God But now the motions of natural conscience to good are not out of any excellency a man seeth in the good he doth but meerly out of feare of punishment he seeth damnation if he doth otherwise 3. The Spirit of God moves a man to do good in things not only good for the matter but to make conscience of the end why he doth such a thing that he be sound in his aime and therefore sayes the Apostle 2 Tim. 17. We have received the Spirit of a sound minde that is the Spirit it puts a man not only upon the doing of a good duty but makes him have a sincere end in the doing thereof But the natural conscience it rests in the duty in case it be done though done never so corruptly Prov. 7.14 As the harlot Solomon speaks of who had sacrificed and paid her vows though her end was most abominable and base viz. that she might the more uncontrolable play the harlot she first playes the hypocrite and then the harlot 4. The Spirit of God moving men to do good it regulates them in the manner of doing good the duty it must be done with affection with love with faith fervency and composednesse of minde but natural conscience moving a man to duty takes no farther care so it be done not how it be done it may move to prayer and to hearing but never moves to take heed how these duties are done 5. The Spirit of God moves a man so powerfully that it carrieth him to do good notwithstanding difficulty and danger and neither shall hinder him in its performance The Spirits motions are like unto new wine in a barrel that wanting vent is ready to burst holy motions will break forth into holy actions Wicked men are sick till they act their wickednesse and cannot be satisfied till they have done sinfully But those who have natural motions to good they go no farther but rest in them and never bring forth good accomplishments Balaam he had a good motion Num. 23.10 oh sayes he that I might die the death of the righteous and that my latter end might be like unto his What a heavenly ejaculation was here it was a very good wish but yet it was a lazie one he wisht to die the death of the righteous but yet would not live the life of the righteous he would not practise what he prayed for Natural motions in men freeze between their lips they only deâ—re but never break out into the acting of duty Difficulties do discourage natural men from following their good resolutions with constant practice and the sluggard will not plow because of the cold Prov. 20.4 Querie 3 How may we know the Spirits motions from Satanical delusions The devils suggestions they are like unto the Spirits motions and there have been men in all ages which have taken phantastical illusions for the Spirits motions therefore to difference the one from the other Consider 1. That the motions of Gods Spirit are alwayes agreeable to a written word the words prescript and the Spirits motions are correspondent the one to the other You have both joyned together by Solomon I will poure out my Spirit upon you I will make known my words unto you Prov. 1.23 So the Prophet Isaiah My Spirit that is upon thee and my words which I have put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth c. Isa 59.21 The motions of the Spirit of God they are alwayes suitable to the Word of God To the law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to them it is because there is no light in them Isa 8.20 and therefore all that are contrary they are the delusions of the evil spirit 2. The motions of Gods Spirit in men are not now to foretell future events but they are holy motions pressing to duty Therefore the Papists who boast of a prophetical Spirit and of foretelling things to come and your starre-gazers and sooth-sayers who pretend to tell future contingent events telling you this party shall prevaile this moneth and that party another moneth these are diabolical delusions and not from the Spirit of God who since the Canon of the Scripture hath been established refers us to the Word as a rule of our obedience 3. The Spirits motions where ever they are they stirre up grace and keep under sinne they stir up grace and therefore we read of the assisting exciting and supplying work of the Spirit those motions which stirre up sinne and cherish corruption are diabolical Rom. 8.13 Therefore saith the Apostle Paul If ye live after the flesh ye shall die but if 〈◊〉 through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live Motions from the Spirit of God they are holy motions exciting grace and depressing sin Micah 2.11 And therefore it is said if a man walk in the Spirit and do lie that is if a man will pretend a message from the Spirit of God and yet Prophesie of wine and strong drink that is by his Doctrine incourage drunkennesse or any sin that man lies he comes not from the holy Spirit but from the devil SERMON IX 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 A third Querie I Proceed now to a third thing to be enquired into and that is How we may know the
There is a universality in the motions of Gods Spirit upon the hearts of the godly The whole heart being moved unto all good and that alwayes 6. Motions of the Spirit in the wicked they are fruitlesse motions which have no influence upon their lives One saith that the heart of a fool is like unto a cart-wheel his thoughts like a roving a xletree as a cart-wheel it goes round and round all the day 2 Cor. 1.17 Isa 51.1 Daniel 1.8 yet still abides where it used to be so wicked men it may be sometimes they have good thoughts and good motions but yet these have not an influence upon his life his motions to good are fruitlesse motions But motions to good in the godly are joyned with practice and holy purposes joyned with prayer Psal 119.2 7. The motions of Gods Spirit in Reprobates they are for good things done in publick not in private thou wilt do good that thy name may be cryed up The winde of vaine glory may blow the saile of thy heart and fill it with good motions Simile Wicked men may be compared to a nightingal they say of that bird if it sees a man listen to her it will sing the more sweetly thus it is with wicked men they are better to men then they are unto God and better in the Church then they are in the closet It is reported of one that could fast several dayes in a Monastery but not halfe a day in the Wildernesse and being asked the reason he gave this answer When I fast in the Monastery I feed upon vain glory and the praise of men but not so in the Wildernesse It is so with formal professors their motions are such which put them upon outward and visible good but never upon inward and secret duties to examine their hearts to watch over them to keep close communion with God in secret if thou comest short of this thou comest short of the effectual and saving motions of the Spirit The use I shall make of this point shall be twofold First of humiliation Use of humiliation Secondly by way of instruction to draw out some practical inferences from the point If it be the duty of Gods people to walk after the guidance and motions of the Spirit of God then Vse 1 Be humbled for that inobservancy that is in us of the Spirits motions As it is with the winde to which the Spirit is compared Joh. 3.8 The winde it bloweth where it listeth but who takes notice of the winde How often do men walk in the streets and yet observe not which way the winde blowes as it is with the winde so is it with the Spirit the Spirit comes with many a sweet gale and yet we do not observe it That as Job said of the Lord He passed by and he saw him not Job 9.11 so may we say of the Spirit of God It was nigh me and I perceived it not Thus our Saviour speaks of the world that they cannot receive the Spirit of truth Because they neither see him nor know him The meaning is not John 14.17 as if they could see the Spirit with a bodily eye for the Spirit is not a bodily substance but they neither see him nor know him that is they see not his motions neither have any experimental knowledge of the Spirits workings Natural men are unacquainted with their own Spirits and much more with the motions of Gods Spirit We cannot see the Sunne but by its own light nor observe the Spirit without the Spirit There are many in the world like unto that Ruler of the feast when Christ turned the water into wine Joh. 2.9 it is said He knew not whence it was I may allude to this Scripture thus there are many men whose water the Spirit would turne unto wine that is their corrupt motions into holy and gracious motions yet they do not know it neither will they see it 2. If you are not guilty of inobservancy of the Spirits motions yet be humbled for the infirmity of the flesh that you cannot alwayes imbrace the Spirits motions when you know them You read in Joh. 14. where Christ speaks concerning the sending of the Spirit That the world cannot receive him He doth not say John 14.17 the world doth not receive him but the world cannot receive him to note a debility in the flesh that men cannot entertaine holy motions Rolloc on this place compares the heart of natural men unto wet wood 1 Cor. 2.14 which is not so easily set one fire The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnesse unto him neither can he know them because they are Spiritâ—ally discerned And the carnal minde is enmity against God for it is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can be Rom. 8.7 There is not onely a meer suspension of the act but a disability in the soul this is our infirmity that we cannot imbrace the Spirits motions in the flesh though we know them 3. Be humbled though knowing them yet because you cannot bring these motions into holy practice there are many men who entertaine the Spirits motions but alas they act not these gracious motions The Spirit moves to pray better to heare better to live more holily and yet still they remain as they were and though sometimes they may resolve to live better yet how soon are these resolutions forgotten such may complaine with Job in this case Job 17.11 My purposes are broken off even the thoughts of my heart Doubtlesse these were good thoughts as if he should have said I have purposed to live thus and thus if God had kept me in prosperity but now they are broken off and I am disappointed in my own thoughts many of us may take up this complaint that our purposes are disappointed many a good motions hath the Spiritâ— stirred up in thy heart and yet thou couldest not bring that holy motion into action But it will become every childe of God to say and hold to purpose and practice and with David to say I will confesse my sinne and so to confesse then Psalme 32.2,3 4. Be humbled for that receptivenesse that is in our natures to imbrace all sinful motions How unlike are we unto our Saviour John 14.30 the Tempter came unto him but found nothing in him he found no matter for his temptation to fasten upon but the Tempter comes to thee and he findes something in thee he findes in thee a receptive nature to close with the temptation he suggests unto thee Christs nature it was like unto a Crystal-glasse filled with pure water the devil shook the glasse but it was still clear but when the devil comes to us he findes us as a puddle of water and he doth but take into this puddle and how doth the mudde appear A dunghill may have herbes and flowers grow upon it but if you rake and
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
be we were not to have any lusts of the flesh in us But secondly that if you walk after the Spirits motions you shall not yield to the motions of sinne with so strong an inclination and bent of the will as wicked and unregenerate men do so you shall nor fulfill the lusts of the flesh Before I come to handle the Doctrine I shall premise these particulars 1. This benefit here annexed may be understood either preceptively or promissively either as a precept what you should do or as a promise what you shall do And the Translators of the Bible it seemes were at a stand how to render these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beza renders them ne perficite preceptively fulfill not the vulgar ne perficietis you shall not fulfill Which our translatours followed but as you may perceive put also the other rendering and reading in the Margin But it is not material which way you take it 2. This promise for so it seems to be taken it is not to be taken absolutely but conditionally my meaning is this God doth not promise this absolutely but upon this condition If you walk in the Spirit on this condition you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh 3. It is not said you shall not have the lusts of the flesh for what man is there which hath them noâ— but you shall not fulfil them 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We read in our translation the lusts of the flesh but it is in the Greek The lust of the flesh in the singular number Now what may be the reason that though the Word be in the singular number yet it is read in the plural For this reason because the sinne of nature though it be but one Masse of sin yet it hath many sinsin the womb of it and there may be this use made of the translation That though the sinne of nature be but one yet seminally there are all the sinnes in the world contained in it 5. Touching the benefit annexed there is no cause of doubting to be left in your mindes that this benefit shall not be yours if you perform the condition Do you walk in the Spirit and God will keep you that you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh and this I draw from the Apostles Assertion in these words This I say then Walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh This I say as if the Apostle should say This is that which I have to speak unto you in the name of the Lord that if you walk in the Spirit you shall not fulfill c. Now having premised these particulars the Doctrine is this Doct. That Walking after the guidance or motions of the Spirit is an especiall means to keep men that they shall not yeeld to the lusts of the flesh with so strong and full a bent of the will as wicked and ungodly men when they sin against God This is a very fruitfull point the promise is not to be taken absolutely you shall not fulfill them at all but comparatively you shall not sin as wicked men do you may sin but you shall not regard iniquity in your heart as the phrase is Psal 66.18 you shall not commit sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Joh. 3.9 as wicked men do who make a trade of sin In the handling of this point I shall onely dispatch this one thing to shew you how the wicked do sin and fulfill the lusts of the flesh that all godly men which walk after the guidance of the Spirit shall not so sin 1. They who walk after the Spirit they shall not sin so wilfully Heb. 10 26. nor so voluntarily as wicked men do If we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin Godly men they do not sin with so strong a bent of will as wicked men do sin they do and they sin with their wils too but there is much resistenice in the will against the will it is not a full consent of the will nor a full bent and tendencie of the heart and therefore sayes the Apostle Paul The evil that I would not that I do Rom. 7.19 Paul he tels you he did evil but he tels you also that he did not will the evil he did A godly man he sometimes yeelds to sin as to an usurping Tyrant but never as to his naturall Lord. Wicked men they will the evil they do but godly men will the good they do not Wicked men they sin with all their will because there is no part of their will regenerated Psal 50.19 Impii delectontar impiâ—tate bellâ—m inâ—…cunt perspectâ—e veritati uti sccit Saul Abab Julianus Apestata Arrius alii quorum exceranda est memoria Beza Rom. 7.14 1 King 21,25 and therefore sayes the Psalmist speaking of a wicked man Thou givest thy self to speak evil It is remarkable that variation of expression concerning Ahab and Paul Ahab it is said of him that he sold himself to work wickednesse but of Paul it is said that he was sold under sin They were both sold but there is this difference Ahab he sold himself but Paul was sold he did not sell himself Ahabs act was a voluntary act he sold himself but Paul was sold under sin it was not voluntary but against his will 2. Those who walk after the Spirit they do not fulfill the lusts of the flesh so impudently as wicked men do Wicked men they commit wickednesse before the Sun and are not ashamed therefore sayes the Lord by his Prophet Jer 6.15 Chap. 8.12 Were they ashamed when they had câ—mmitted abominations nay they were not at all ashamed neither could they blush Thou hast a whores forehead sayes the same Prophet thou refusedst to be ashamed Jer. 3.3 The wicked they have cast off shame and therefore sayes the Prophet Zephaniah The unjust knoweth no shams Zeph. 3.5 they will not be ashamed when they have done wickedly as that whore she findes a young man Pro 7.13,14 and she caught him and kissed him and with an impudent face said unto him I have peace-offerings with me this day have I payed my vows Thus wicked men they sin impudently and are not ashamed when they have committed abomination but the godly they do not so sin Rom. 6.21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed saith the Apostle And Ezra Oh God our iniquities are increased I blush and am ashamed to look up Ezra 9.6 The godly they do not sin so impudently as wicked men do 3. Neither so boastingly as wicked men ungodly men they boast in their ungodly deeds and therefore sayes the Psalmist to Doeg Why boastest thou thy self in mischief oh mighty man Psal 52 1. It seems Doeg did not onely kill those innocent Priests but boasted of his villany and wickednesse Hence it is said
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
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
rather then charge it upon our selves There are three things which men usually lay the blame upon Either upon God the devil or else upon other men 1. Upon God and so did Adam The woman whom thou gavest to be with me she gave me of the tree and I did eat Gen. 3.12 thus he layes the blame of his fall upon God himselfe if thou hadst not given me this woman she had not tempted me and I had not eaten 2. Others say the blame upon the devil and yet if there were no devil to tempt us weshould tempt ourown selves and indeed neither the one nor the other is to be blamed God is never to be blamed though the devil be sometimes to be blamed the Apostle James tells you that God tempts no man James 1.13 And the devil sometimes is not to be blamed James 1.14 because thy own nature is a tempter to thee so the same Apostle declares that every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and entised Lust conceives sin the devill may be the Father to beget sin but the flesh is the mother which conceives nourisheth and bringeth forth sin and the reason is this because the devils suggestions could do no harm were it not for our vicious inclinations The devill came to Christ but he found nothing in him the devil shak't the bottle but it was a Crystal glasse of pure water there was no mud in it but thou though thou hast a fair appearance yet if the devil do but rake into thy heart the mud of thy corruption doth quickly appear 3. Again some there are who will lay the blame of their sinne upon men and thus did Aaron when Moses chode him for his Idolatry Exod. 32.22 Thou knowest the people sayes he that they are set on mischief he would fain shift off and excuse his own wickednesse by laying it upon the people yet this would not serve his turn for God charges the sin upon him Nothing is more natural then to excuse and hide our sin Job 31.33 and therefore it is said that men cover their transgression as Adam if thy heart were not in the fault examples of sin would rather provoke to detestation then imitation Others there are who will lay the blame upon the badnesse of the times whereas if thou hadst not a bad heart thou wouldest be good in bad times if thou hadst a good heart the worse the times were the better thou wouldest be and therefore lay the blame of thy sin where it ought to be upon the naughtinesse of thy evill heart Vse 3 Of exhortation doth the flesh lust against the Spirit oh then joyn with the motions of the Spirit against the flesh though thou art a godly man and sin shall not damne thy soul yet it may wound thy conscience and will eclipse thy comfort And though thy sirs cannot as to damnation huurt thee who art a childe of God yet they may hurt others As Tostatus oâ—seves upon the 1 Chron 21.1 where it is said That Satan stood up against Israel and provoked David to number the people Observe it is not said that Satan stood up against David but against Israel and the reason is this David was a publick person and the devil knew if he could provoke him to sinne Israel should smart for it and therefore the devil in tempting David stood up against Israel so that if thou art a publick man and the devill get thee to yield to sin others will be hurt by it Vse 4 Lastly you who are regenerate remember that you carry flesh and blood about with you you have the flesh lusting against the Spirit and there is a repugnancy in your spirits to the holy Spirit of God go home therefore and complain of the contrariety and naughtinesse of your hearts Gen. 25.22 and say as Rebecca when she had two babes strugling in her womb Why am I thus thou hast an Esau and a Jacob within thee nature and grace evill motions strugling against good motions go unto the Lord and say Rom. 7.24 Why am I thus and with Paul Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death 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 Now proceed to the second part of the conflict the Spirits lusting against the flesh the flesh began the onset first because there was flesh in us before the Spirit but the Spirit doth undertake the war and as the flesh lusts against the Spirit so the Spirit against the flesh Before I draw out the point I shall clear one Scripture which seems to contradict this which is in Ephes 6.12 where it is said that we wrastle not with flesh and blood but against Principalities and Powers against the Rulers of the darknes of this world against spiritual wickednes in high places This place may be renonciled with the Text two wayes First when the Apostle sayes we wrastle not with flesh and blood but against Principalities and Powers the words may be understood not simply or absolutely but comparatively and if you take flesh and blood there for corrupt nature then the meaning is this that we do not only wrastle with flesh and blood corrupt nature within but we have also the devil without against whom we are to stirre But the more likely reconciliation of this place is this it is said in the Text that we do warre with the flesh and in the Ephesians that we do not warre with the flesh now though the same word be used in both places yet it is used in a different sense and that you may know how it is used in both places â—ake these three acceptations of the word 1. Flesh and blood is sometimes taken for corrupt nature and so is that saying of Christ to be understood Matth. 16.17 Flesh and blood hath not revealed these things unto thee 2. Flesh and blood is taken for the natural body of man so it is used in 1 Cor. 15.50 1 Cor 15.50 Flesh blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God that is as now we are living in the world as our bodies are now natural corruptible mortal bodies they are not capable of the glory and happines of Heaven 3. Flesh and blood it is taken for wicked men in Scripture and so it is taken in Ephes 6.12 Isay 66.16,23 Ier. 25.31 Zech. 2.13 Gal. 1.1 We wrastle not against flesh and blood that is not so much against wicked men as against the devil the ruser of the darknesse of this world and thus you have the reconciliation of these places The flesh lusts against the Spirit that is the motions and workings of Gods Spirit they do oppose the motions to sin of corrupt nature so that
from hence take this doctrine Doct. That the motions and workings of Gods Spirit in the regenerate do warre and conflict with the motions of sin which flow from corrupt nature In the handling of which point I shall do these four things 1. Shew what the nature of this conflict is 2. Wherein it consists 3. How you may know that conflict which the Spirit hath against the motions of sin from that conflict against sin which may be found in a natural mans conscience 4. Give you rules about this conflict Quest 1 What this conflict is Answ Negatively There are four sorts of conflicts against sinne which come short of the Spirits conflict 1. There may be a conflict against sin by sin one corruption may conflict with another and a lesser sin may oftentimes be overcome by a greater and this oftentimes is found in natural men as pride and covetousnesse a man that is proud he must have something to feed his pride and because he is proud therefore he will be in high company and in brave and rich apparel now covetousnesse being a contrary vice may give a check to pride So a man that is prodigal that spends his dayes in revelling and roaring inordinate love of the world will tell him that he spends too much in money thus one corruption may contest with another and yet may come short of the Spirits conflict against sin 2. There may be a conflict against sin in the natural affections wherein nature seeks to preserve it selfe As it is with brute creatures fear many times keeps them from that which their natural appetite would carry them unto the wolfe would fain worry the sheep but his fear of the shepherd restraines him so between anger and fear a man that is angry his anger puts him upon it that he would fain be revenged on the man whom he is angry with but another passion fear tells him if thou killest the man thou art angry with the Law will take hold on thee this arises not at all from the Spirit 3. There is a conflict which arises from a mans natural disposition some men have such heroick and generous dispositions that they naturally conflict with many vices as Luther said of himselfe that he was never tempted to the sin of covetousnesse he was of such a generous and free spirit It was a saying of Plutarch I had rather said he that men should say there was never any such person in the world as Plutarch rather then say Plutarch is unfaithful or unconstant of such a noble disposition was this Heathen to scorn all basenesse 4. There is a conflict which arises from the light of reason helped by a natural conscience which checks and controls a man for sin The Heathens could by the light of natural conscience see and detest sinne they counted it a base thing to prostitute themselves to base and beastly lusts Conscience it is Gods spy and mans overseer Major sum ad majora natus quam ut corporis mei sim mancipium it is Gods officer in man to warne him against sin now this is found in unregenerate men and falls short of the Spirits conflict against the flesh as shall be shewed afterwards But to shew you positively what this conflict is I answer that the conflict of the Spirit against the flesh it is a mighty and irreconcileable opposition stirred up by the motions of Gods Spirit in regenerate soules against all the motions of sin proceeding from corrupt nature this is a plain and full description of this conflict Quest 2 The next question is wherein the conflict of the Spirit against the flesh consists Answ This conflict of the Spirit against the flesh hath a double reference First to sin to prevent it Secondly to good to provoke it In reference to sin the Spirit doth these five things 1. It enlightens a man and discovers sin to a man which he never saw before Thus saith Paul Rom. 7.7 John 16.8 I had not known lust to be sin except the Law had said Thou shalt not covet The Spirit of God by the Law discovered sin to Paul and the discovery of an enemy is a degree of opposition 2. The Spirit doth not rest only in discovering sin but resists the motions of sin which proceed from corrupt nature the Spirit it lusts against the flesh that is it opposes the workings of corrupt nature this is in the Text. 3. The Spirit puts conscience on work to check and rebuke a man for entertaining evil motions for making his heart a lodging for sin It convinces the world of sin John 16.8 4. The Spirit it sanctifies the nature of a man and washes him from the filth of sin 1 Cor. 6.11 and therefore the Spirit of Christ is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the holy Spirit because of the sanctifying work of the Spirit upon the hearts of Gods people the Spirit is not only holy himself but the Author and maker of holines in the hearts of believers 5. The Spirit of God it suppresseth the motions of sin ' it not only resists but helps a man to mortify the motions of sin Rom. 8.13 If ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body ye shall live saith the Apostle and you have a promise for this in the verse before my Text Gal. 5.16 That if ye walk in the Spirit ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh he doth not say you shall not act but you shall not fulfill them it shall not have so much power and prevalency over you as over wicked men thus as to sin you see how the Spirit conflicts with the flesh 2. In reference to the doing of good the Spirit opposeth the flesh several wayes 1. By enlightening and discovering to a man what is good Isay 30.21 thus the Lord promiseth by the Prophet Thou shalt hear a voice behinde thee saying This is the way walk ye in it the Spirit discovers to a man his way his work and his duty 2. Not only so but the Spirit stirres up holy motions and holy resolutions in thee to do that duty it not only shewes thee the way but presses thee to walk therein 3. The Spirit assists a man in the doing of good when the flesh hinders Rom. 8.26 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We know not what to pray for as we ought but the Spirit it self maketh intercession for us and helps our infirmities 4. It more and more communicates grace to his people whereby they may be inabled to do that which is good it gives continual supplies of help and therefore you read of the supplies of the Spirit of Jesus Christ Phil. 1.19 Thus you see wherein the conflict of the flesh against the Spirit consists both in reference to sinne and in reference to good Quest 3 Seeing there may be a conflict in wicked men against sin as I have shewed you arising from natural conscience wherein then appeares
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
gall of bitternesse and in the bond of iniquity But the time when the Spirits conflict begins is not till God brings you into the state of grace 2. Touching the time of duration how long this conflict continues it lasts but a while it is but a transient rebuke given in by conscience like unto a flash of lightning in a mans face it comes suddenly and is suddenly gone just so is that opposition which is in a mans natural conscience either jovial meetings or sensual delights will quickly deface obliterate and extinguish the impressions of natural conscience But on the contrary the conflict of the Spirit it is an abiding conflict untill the regenerate part in some measure hath got the victory over that lust which it doth oppose it stayes with a man all his life-time from the first day of his conversion to the last day of his dissolution 3. The conflict of a natural conscience it comes but seldome it checks a man but now and then by fits and starts as the Apostle Paul speaking of the Gentiles shewes Rom. 2.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that their consciences between whiles accused them for so the words are to be read the opposition in the unregenerate it is not a constant opposition but the conflict of the Spirit it is an abiding conflict in the godly and as it continues long so it comes often hardly can a godly man be tempted to a grosse sin but the Spirit will cast in a crosse suggestion to that sin this is the third difference whereby the conslict of the Spirit may be known from the conflict of a natural conscience 4. It differs in regard of the principle A fourth difference between the conflict between the flesh and Spirit and that conflict which is only between a natural conscience and sin Gen. 4.13 or moving cause from whence this conflict arises as 1. The opposition that is in a natural conscience it arises from a principle of slavish fear but the opposition that is in the godly from the Spirit it comes from a principle of love to God and hatred to sin it appears thus Cain he cries out Oh sayes he my punishment is greater then I am able to bear He complaines not that his sin was greater then he was able to bear but of his punishment A wicked man that opposeth sinne from a natural conscience may be compared to a thief that refuseth and abstaineth from stealing not out of any hatred of theft or out of any love to justice but only because he is afraid of being hanged for his theft even so it is with wicked men they abstain from sin and acting of sin meerly out of slavish fear of hell and condemnation not out of love to God I may further exemplisie it thus you know there is this difference between a Collier and a cleanly man a Collier will not touch charcole if they be burning coles but he will touch them though they be black coles but a cleanly man will not touch them neither as they are burning nor black coles Wicked men will forbear sinne because it is a cole of fire but the godly will reluct at sin because it is a black cole they love God and they hate sin and therefore sayes the Apostle Paul What I would that I do not but what I hate that do I. Rom. 7.15 He doth not say the evil I would not do and the evil I would fain forbear but the evil I hate that I do Divines gather thence that a godly man conflicts with corruption out of a hatred to corruption not because he feares the punishment but hates the sin wicked men reluct at sin but it is not because they hate the evil of sin but because they fear the punishment thereof as Balaam he would not curse the people yet it is said of him that he loved the wages of unrighteousnesse 2 Pet. 2.15 though he feared the punishment yet he did not hate the sin Godly men reluct at sin from a principle of hatred thereof and there are four spiritual principles from whence the conflict of a godly man arises 1. Because that sin it is against a holy God and this was Josephs principle How can I do this great wickednesse and sin against God Gen. 39 9. 2. Because it is the breach of a holy Law thus Paul What I hate sayes he that I do Rom. 7.16 if then I do that which I would not I consent unto the Law that it is good as if he should say I oppose sin out of the consent that is in my conscience unto ths Law that it is good 3. Another principle upon which the godly oppose sin is a hatred to the very nature of sin it self and thus David professes of himselfe that through the precepts of God he got understanding Psal 119.104 and therefore hated every false way 4. He opposeth sin out of love to Jesus Christ seeing that Christ died for sin they will labour to die to sin as the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 5.14,15 The love of Christ constraineth us because we thus judge that if one died for all then were all dead and that he died for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him which died for them and rose again 5. The fifth difference is this the conflict between the flesh and Spirit and the conflict between natural conscience and sin differ in regard of the event and issue thereof and there is a fourfold different event and issue 1. The issue of the conflict of a natural conscience and sin is this that it leaves a man unquiet and the sin unmortified Matth. 27.5 and this was the very case of Judas his conscience told him that he had sinned in betraying his Master and thereupon he was so troubled that he went and hanged himselfe yet notwithstanding his sinne remained unmortified but it is contrary with the Spirits conflict that not only quiets the minde but mortifies the sin and therefore you finde the Apostle after he had been speaking of the Spirits conflict with the flesh Gal. 5.22 telling you That the fruit of the Spirit is joy and peace this was the issue of the conflict of the Spirit it will not only quiet the minde but kill the sinne Rom. 8.13 If ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body ye shall live 2. Another event of the conflict of natural conscience is that the unruly affections of a man they are too hard for a natural conscience to oppose and subdue Wicked men will many times contend with sin but mark the issue and you shall finde that the strong inclinations of their hearts to sin do overcome them I shall give you three instances hereof in Saul Pilate and Pharaoh As for Saul his conscience told him that he did ill in pursuing David 1 Sam. 24 17. and his conscience constrained him to confesse that David was more
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
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
in the world and this some will make a hinderance to duty They will tell you that their conditions are necessitous and that they have time little enough to follow their callings and therefore they hope God will dispense with them though they be not so much in duty as other men Such as these were they who were bidden to that great Supper mentioned by Luke Luke 14.18 to 26. who with one consent began to make excuse One had bought a piece of ground and he must needs go and see it another a yoke of Oxen and he must go and prove them and another married a wife and he could not come Such pretences as these are found in corrupt nature to make callings in the world to be a dispensation to duty to God and that I may take off this mistake I shall lay down these three particulars 1. That God never ordained our particular callings as men to justle out our general callings as we are Christians or that civil duties should justle out Divine duties A wise management of and forecast in your worldly affaires would give you time enough to set about divine duties a holy prudence and providence will redeem time for prayer hearing c. 2. Consider that the way for God to blesse you in your outward callings is to be much imployed in religious duties It is the saying of one that had but two acres of ground and a rich Lords land was by his the poor mans was fruitful and the Lords was barren whereupon the Lord came to him and ask't him the reason Oh Sir sayes he I water my little ground with prayers and teares every morning this is the way to be blessed in the world Psal 34.10 Mat. 6.33 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 give God his due and he will give you yours Seek ye first the Kingdome of God and his righteousnesse and then all other things shall be given in unto you 3. Thou sayest thou must follow thy calling and so neglectest thy duty to God consider that for this God may be provoked to blast thy outward imployments without Gods blessing it is in vain to rise up early and to sit down late and to eat the bread of sorrowes Psal 127.2 as the Psalmist speaks God doth many times curse thy outward condition because thou deniest him duties of religious worship 4. And lastly God was angry with Moses for neglecting duty and with the Israelites also though they had more urgent affaires to plead then all you have Moses though he were in a journey and one would have thought that might have been a good excuse for him for the not circumcising of his childe and yet the Lord was so displeased at this neglect of his that he met him in his Inne Exod. 4.24 and had like to have killed him God would not dispense with the neglect of his Ordinance though the necessity of a journey might have pleaded an excuse for Moses So the children of Israel whilest they were in the wildernesse God was angry with them because they neglected this Ordinance of circumcision and yet they might have pleaded for themselves that they were moving from place to place pitching their Tents now here now there and though this pretence may seem very fair Josh 5.5,6 yet God was not pleased with them which may teach us that it is not our worldly imployments nor necessary affaires in the world that can give us a dispensation in the performance of our duty to God 3. Another stratagem of corrupt nature in this point is this Semper incipio vivere That a man will purpose and promise to do duties but not till his present estate and condition is changged when a man shall sit down and say If I were in another condition God should have more duty and service from me then now he hath but in this condition that I am now in I have not time nor opportunity This is a most plausible stratagem whereby your corrupt hearts labour to take you off from duty Suppose thou art a young man and a servant thy heart will suggest unto thee thus but if thou wert then a Master Oh how many houres wouldest thou spend in Gods service thou art a poor man and thou sayest Oh if I were a rich man how liberal would I be Thou art a private man but if thou wert a Magistrate what good wouldest thou do this was Absalom's vain conceit But remember this if thy condition should be changed and thy heart remain unchanged thou wouldst still be the same man though thy condition were altered and to you that have been or may be thus deceived by your deceitfull hearts I would lay down these partilars 1. Know that it is a meer deceit of heart to think that if thy condition were changed thou wouldest be a changed man it appeares to be a deceit upon this ground because if thou art not good in thy present condition thou canst not be good in any condition if thy heart be the same and the reason is it is thy naughty heart which makes thee bad in thy present condition Coelum non animum mutat and if that continues with thee thou wilt be bad in another condition if thou art a bad servant thou wilt be a bad Master and if a bad childe thou wilt be a bad father if thou art not good in a single condition thou wilt not be good in a married estate unlesse thy heart be changed if thy heart be not changed thy lifee will not 2. Consider that every other condition which thou dost so admire and desire after it hath peradventure more snares more incumbrances and inconveniences then the present condition thou complainest of thou art now a young man and thou complainest that thou hast not time to pray what wouldest thou do 1 Cor. 7.34 if thou hadst the charge of a house and family a publick condition hath more distractions and encumbrances then any private condition and therefore do not deceive your selves 4. Another stratagem of corrupt nature to keep a man from duty is by putting a foule vizard upon the beautiful face of religious duties Just as the flesh to provoke a man to sin will smear over sin and make it appear like the beautiful face of grace so the heart on the other side to keep a man from duty will smear over the beautiful face of godlinesse with carnal prejudices even as Judas did disparage that most excellent and memorable act of Mary in that honourable liberality she shewed unto Christ in breaking the boxe of ointment as a profuse and riotous waste Matth. 26.8 So thy corrupt heart will suggest to thee what is zeal for God but rashnesse and indiscretion and what is holinesse but basenesse of minde what is patience not to give injury for injury but a sordid temper and what is walking with God but a Monkish kinde of life what is a consciencious care to sanctify a Sabbath it is
argument that you should be more therein for time to come 3. You which plead you have been much in duty for time past and are negligent in that which at present you ought to do you would not reason thus in things of this life where is the man that will say thus I have gotten so much money this last year that I will get none this thus you see the unreasonablenesse of this plea. Men think they can never enough abound in temporals but any measure of spirituals will serve the turn and satisfy them 11. Another plea of corrupt nature is this The flesh will tell you you have not been so much in sin and therefore you need not be so much in duty we are not men who break out into notorious evils This is a cunning deceit of the corruption of mens hearts and therefore I shall speak the more to this plea and there are five particulars which I shall lay down by way of answer 1. This plea savours of pride sloth and ignorance of pride as if muchnesse of duty could expiate the sinfulnesse of sinne it savours of much idlenesse when the heart will take hold on such poor shifts and excuses to take you off from or make you neglective in the performance of religious duties and then it savours of much ignorance as if a man could be much in duty that is much in sin the more thou art in sin the lesse thou art in duty and if thy duties do not abate thy sins thy sinnes will abate thy duties 2. Consider that the Angels and Saints in heaven they are not at all guilty of sin yet they are much in duty alwayes in duty though never in sinne ever singing praises and hallelujahs to God but never sin and our duty is to do the will of God as it is done in heaven that is constantly and cheerfully 3. Consider though thou hadst lesse sin then thou hast yet thou hast more guilt which cleaves to little sins then all thy duties can expiate or take away that man will deceive himselfe who thinks to set his duty over against his sin by way of expiation because there guilt and sin cleaves to our duties 4. This which thou makest to be a plea why thou shouldest not be much in duty if it be well weighed will rather prove an argument why thou shouldest be much in duty As thus if thou art not much in sinne thou hast the more cause to be much in duty and to praise God that he hath kept thee from those sins which other men have fallen into thou hast cause to be much in prayer to God for preventing grace that thou mayest not fall into sinne for the time to come 5. Consider that those men who have been least in sin the Scripture tells us they have been most in duty Zacharias Luke 1. it is said of him that he walked in all the Commandments of God blameless and yet the Scripture commends him in this that he was often in the Temple And Cornelius Acts 10.2 the Scripture reports him to be a devout man and one that feared God with all his house who gave much almes to the poor and prayed to God alway though he was a devout and holy man yet he prayed to God alwayes he was much in duty though he was not much in sin So it is said of Anna Luke 2.37 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And of the Primitive Church that they continued in the doctrine of the Apostles c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 12. The flesh will tell you that they who have formerly been much in duty they have now cast off duty and you will say Why may not I do so too I see those men that formerly were desirous to hear Sermons they now hear not those who prayed much and often formerly now never pray those that formerly were much in duty have now cast off duty this is a plea which mans naughty heart takes notice of and to it I have three things to say 1. It is true the more is the pity that many who have formerly much used duty have now cast off duty and yet though this be true do you take heed that you fall not into the same sin same condemnation The Scripture layes a great blame and blemish upon such there are two Texts to this purpose the one is in Hos 4.10 where the Lord complains Hos 4.10 that they had left off to take heed unto him they did once seek after God and did take heed unto his wayes but now they had left it off Another passage to this purpose also you have of the Psalmist They have left off to be wise sayes he and to do good Psal 26.3 they did formerly do much good but now they have left it off the Scripture brands such men as these for wicked Apostates 2. Consider that you would account this a vain plea in other things you that account this rational in spiritual things you judge irrational in worldly things If a man should tell you that other men had left off trading and turned bankrupts and therefore why should not you do so too you would account it very irrational and say Though other men have played the fooles and run themselves out of their estates yet that is no warrant for you to do so 3. Know that those who have been much in duty and have now cast it off if they belong unto God he will bring them home by weeping crosse God will make them see their folly to their shame An example hereof you have in the second of Hos ver 7. Hosea 2.7 The Church did there apostatize from God but sayes she I will return to my first husband for then was it better with me then now then when I served my God and walked in his wayes which now I have gone astray from therefore will I return This will be the language of all those who have cast off duty if they belong unto God 13. This is the plea of some that they abstain from the doing of duty because they would avoid more evill thereby and this is a cunning insinuation of the flesh and thus as on the one hand men are deceived by their corrupt hearts to commit sin that good may come thereon so on the other hand Sunt quidam homines qui cùm audierint quòd humiles esse debent nihil volunt discere putantes si aliquid didicerunt se superbos fore August in Psal 130. their hearts would perswade them to omit duty that evill might not come thereon both the deceits are the delusions of corrupt nature and this Papists are guilty of for they under a pretence that the common people should not run into error detain the reading of the Bible from them And to this purpose Austin mentions some that would not hear the Word nor get knowledge upon this pretence that some men have grown proud of their parts and knowledge to this
it runnes not so much for commissions as for omissions Matth. 25.41 that men shall be sentenced for Depart from me ye cursed sayes Christ for I was an hungred and ye gave me no meat I was was thirsty and ye gave me no drink a stranger and ye took me not in naked and ye clothed me not sick and in prison and ye visited me not Bonum est non fecisse malum malum est non fecisse bonum Meerly for omissions is the sentence pronounced against them it may be thou doest not die a drunkard an adulterer a swearer or a deceiver but doest thou die a man neglective of good duties I tell thee the indictment will be found against thee Matth. 25.30 It is likewise observed of the man that had but one talent Christ commanded that he should be cast into utter darkness what was the cause he did not imbezzel his Masters talent but because he did not improve it therefore did the sentence passe against him and therefore remember you that are omitters of good duty not for the imbezzelling or ill use of your time Matth. 3.10 but for the not improving of it you may go to hell The tree is threatened to be cut down not because it brought forth bad fruit but because it did not bring forth good fruit 2. Consider that the Scripture layes a brand of infamy upon those who do constantly neglect the duties of Religion they have left off to be wise and to do good Psal 6.3 Hosea 4.20 saith the Psalmist and they have left off to take heed unto the Lord saith the Prophet Hosea But above all consider that heavy imprecation of the Prophet Jeremiah Poure out thy fury saith he upon the Heathen that know thee not and upon the families that call not upon thy Name Jer. 10.5 And to this purpose that concerning the Ammonites and the Moabites is very remarkable Deut. 23.3,4 in Deut. 23.3,4 where because of an omission because they met not the Israelites and helped them not with bread and water in the way when they came out of Egypt they were excommunicated as I may say from the Tabernacle of Gods worship even to the tenth generation 3. Consider that omissions of duty they do unfit men for duty when they should begin it and set upon it Keys that are used keep clean but if they are thrown by how soon do they rust so it is with thy heart thou wilt gather rust if thou throwest thy duties aside Fire it is not only put out by water Prov. 26.20 but by the withdrawing of fuel Where no wood is the fire goeth out and therefore remember that if you do not adde fuel to your duty the heat of your affection will quickly go out The longer we disuse uny duty the lesse able are we to do it as a Scholar if he disuse his study he will be the more unfit for that exercise 4. God is more displeased with sinful and toral omissions of good then he is with many commissions of evill It is worth your noting that passage concerning Moses in Exod. Exod. 4.24 4.24 God was more angry with Moses there for a sin of omission then for any sin of commission which he had committed all his life It is said The Lord met him in his Inne and had like to have killed him what was the matter why it was onely this that he omitted the circumcision of his childe when he was eight dayes old this did so provoke God that he sought to kill Moses and yet Moses might have had more plausible pretences for his omission then we can have for many of the duties which we neglect I mention this to shew you the danger of the sin of omission 5. And lastly consider this that you will not admit of this plea in other things should your servants deal with you thus when you bid them go about such and such a businesse and command them to perform such a service if they are negligent and when you shall call them to an accompt will you admit of their excuse when they shall tell you that they do not steal your wares out of your shops nor your money out of your Cubboards we do not do you any injury will you suffer these excuses why no certainly Let me tell you you are all servants to the God of heaven he is your Master and though you can thus plead Lord I am not a grosse sinner I have not dishonoured thy Name as others have done and I am no blasphemer of thy Name yet God will reckon with you because you call not upon his Name therefore take heed of omissions of good duties and of all those secret insinuations of the flesh which lead into this sinne and make excuses for it Sermon XXII At Lawrence Jewry London Januar. 26. 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 formerly shewed by what meanes and ways the flesh labours to divert men from duty I come now to shew you also how it labours to interrupt men in duty and this is a very practical point and there are many cases of conscience which are incident and may pertinently fall in in the handling of this particular But before I come to give you the Queries I intend to handle I shall premise these ten Conclusions or Positions about the flesh its disturbing good men in good duties 1. The first is this that the corruption of the flesh it is more prevalent with good men to disturb them in then to divert them from holy duties Indeed with men unregenerate corrupt nature prevailes more to divert them from duty but it is contrary with the regenerate Godly men are not so subject to have diversions from as disturbances in holy performances neglects of duty they fall under the cognizance of a natural conscience and therefore good men are not so often overcome in that way but as for disturbances in duty they are not taken notice of by a natural conscience 2. A godly man is more interrupted in duty by his own bea rt then he is either by the devill or the world or any thing else beside We many times blame our callings and the devil that he is busie with us when we have more cause to blame our own naughty hearts As it is the property of good men when they sin to blame their corrupt natures and not the devill for so did David 2 Sam. 24.10 So on the contrary when good men are interrupted in duty they do not blame the devil or the world so much as their own hearts As the Apostle Pavl sayes of himselfe Rom. 7.18 To will is present with me but how to perform that which is good I finde not that is I finde not ability to be intent and serious in the worship
Prophet speaks concerning Ephraim and sayes he Ephraim is a beifer that is taught and loveth to tread out the corne Ephraim loved duties Chap. 10. v. 11. but such which would bring in profit and advantage The flesh in duty never looks for spiritual benefit nor labours in duty and communion with Christ to get mortification for corruption and excitation of holy affections with a furtherance in a way of grace and holy experience 3. The flesh will put men upon duty rather to pacify then purify conscience just as a thief will give meat to a dog but it is to still the dogs barking that those which are in the house may not be awakened Just thus will men do with their consciences they will perform duty because their consciences are like barking dogs checking and accusing them and therefore they will perform duty that they may still the noyse of conscience Jonah 1.5 which otherwise will flie in their faces as the mariners in Jonah prayed but it was onely because danger of death awakened their natural conciences 4. The flesh will put men upon duty rather out of a fear of the threatenings for neglect of duty then out of love to the command which injoynes duty The flesh never cares for the commands of God all it feares is the terrifying threatenings of Gods law Were the Scripture all promises and precepts a wicked man would be idle and yet presume but because there are threatenings mixt with these therefore wicked men set upon duty Prov. 13.13 For nidine poenae and holy exercises It is said of a righteous man that he feares the command but a wicked man never feares the precept he may fear the threatening and the punishment but a godly man dares not neglect duty because of the command of God 5. The flesh will put upon the performance of duty rather out of the hope of the eternal reward of duty Mercedis amor vel amor mercenarius then out of any inward and spiritual excellency that the soule sees in them Now though God may allow us a love of the reward yet he doth not allow of a mercenary love 6. Corrupt nature will put men upon duty to remove outward judgements rather then inward judgements judgements upon the body rather then those on the soule Thus the Heathen mariners cried unto their gods when they were in a tempest and like to lose their lives Jonah 1.5 that they might have the storm abated and get safe to land every man falls to prayer now this is but a servile fleshly end of duty for a man to be put upon it rather to avoid bodily then soul-judgements and thus it was with the Egyptians when the Lord slew their first-born then it is said Exod. 12.32,33 that Pharaoh and the Egyptians cried unto the Israelites Rise up and be gone you and your flocks and your heards and go and serve the Lord your God and they were urgent with them for they said We are all dead men Pharaoh would not let them go before but when their going out would conduce to their safety then he bids them be gone this is the nature of all men naturally to set on duty rather to avoid bodily afflictions then inward judgements To this purpose the Prophet Jeremiah speaks Jer. 22.23 O inhabitant of Lebanon that makest thy nest in the Cedars how gracious shalt thou be when pangs come upon thee the pain as of a woman in travel Outward not inward judgements put wicked men upon the performance of duty 7. The flesh will put men upon performance of duty that they may sinne with more freedome and lesse suspition This the Apostle was driven to vindicate himselfe from 1 Thes 2.3,5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prov. 7.14 that he did not preach the Gospel to be a cloake unto sin This is natural to men as the Harlot would cover over her wickednesse with her peace-offerings so many wicked men they will cover over theâ—r sin with the garb of godliness thus our Saviour condemns the Scribes and Pharisees Mat. 23.14 who devoured widows houses for a pretence made long prayers They did not offend in the thing nor in the manner of their prayers for long prayer is not a sin but in the end of their prayers they made long prayers that they might devour widows houses they took upon them the profession of Religion that they might be esteemed just and righteous people and fit to be intrusted and so they might get widowes estates and widowes money into their hands and thereby deceive them for this I conceive is the particular scope of that place And thus I have finished the doctrinal part of this point The Use I shall make of this point shall be First by way of Instruction Secondly by way of Comfort And first there are seven practical inferences that I shall draw from this general head by way of Information of the flesh its hindering of regenerate men in doing duty 1. From hence see the great misery of unregenerate men if the flesh disables the godly in doing duty that have grace how doth the flesh disable wicked men that have no grace at all Eph. 2.1 men that remain in a natural estate they are in a dead condition Rom. 5.6 and dead men they cannot act men in a natural estate they have no strength as the Apostle speaks he compares a man unto one that is fallen into mud and dirt that hath no power to help himselfe Homo lapsus super acervum lapidum in luto Beruard 1 Cor. 15.43 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or a metaphor taken from a dead corps which is utterly unable to help it selfe or move it selfe and therefore the Apostles word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a body dead weak i.e. helplesse The Scripture sets out a natural man four wayes 1. As one that hath lost his strength thou canst not do any good action The imagination of mans heart is evill and onely evill and that continually mans heart it is evill Gen 6.5 there is no good in it and it is evill that is it is all evill and then it is evill that is it is aiwayes and that continually evill this is mans natural estate The carnall minde it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be Rom. 8.7 there is the feeblenesse of mans nature 2. Thou art without strength to have any good motion not onely to have good actions but good thoughts and this the Apostle Paul asserts but good thoughts and 2 Cor. 3.5 We are not sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God 3. A natural man is not able to speak one good word he can neither do good nor think good nor speak good Christ reproving the Pharisees sayes unto them Mat. 12.34 O generation of vipers how can ye being evill speak good for out of the abundance of the heart
the mouth speaketh 4. A natural man he cannot savingly understand good He receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishâ—esse unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2.14 If a godly man be disabled in the performance of good duties then much more an unregenerate man Object But you will say Do not wicked men hear and pray and give almes and do many other duties and are not these good actions therefore how is a man disabled from doing good I answer that good works may be considered two wayes either formally or materially now indeed a wicked man he may do that which is materially good and so hearing and praying and giving of almes the matter of these duties is good he may do external good duties but to do good formally with all those requisites and concurrent circumstances required in a good work so no wicked man in this world is able to do good There are many concurring circumstances to a good action 1. The person must be in Christ which doth the action The same action which a wicked man doing shall go to hell for the same action a godly man performing in the doing thereof shall go to heaven so that the person must be interessed in Christ who doth good we must acknowledge every good thing which is in us in Jesus Christ Philem. 6. Joh. 15.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Non dicit nil difficile potest sed nihil nec dicit nil potest perficere sed nil potest facere August as the Apostle speaks so that the person must be in Christ and therefore though wicked men may do that which is morally good yet they can never do any action which is theologically good Object 2. But if wicked men cannot do good works but if when they do them they sin in doing of them then to what end should a wicked man do any good duty he sins if he doth not pray and he sins if he doth pray therefore to what purpose is it for him to do any of these duties Sol. For answer I confesse that this is an objection very suitable to flesh and blood Job 9.29 and Job he makes it in the person of a wicked man If I be wicked sayes he why then labour I in vain as if he should say if when I pray and when I hear I sin then why do I labour in vain this was an objection boyling in Job's brest But to answer the Question 1. Though a wicked man doth sin in duty yet he must do duty he is bound to duty though not to sinne in that dury that which is good in it selfe is not to be forborn though an accidental evil follow It is good in it selfe that a man should hear and pray and do other duties but it is onely casual that a man sins in these if this should be admitted by the same reason the Sunne should not shine because it over-heats some bodies and puts them into a fever or because it parches and over-dries the ground 2. You sinne lesse in doing duty though you sinne in the doing of it then if you did totally neglect it Object 3 Object 3. But you will say xIf a wicked man be thus disabled to do duty then to what purpose are Gods commands This is the Pelagian objection Doth not God mock men say they God bids wicked men to pray and repent but they are no more able to do these duties acceptably then to move the world I answer hereunto that though the wicked are thus unable yet there is great reason why God should command 1. To let them see what once they were in innocency they being perfectly able to do the will of God 2. Deus jubet non quod possumus sed quod debemus Though God commands men to do what they cannot do yet it is useful to humble them that thereby they might bewaile their impotency 3. Though God commands men what they are not able to performe yet to all elect men though unregenerate God sometime or other will send forth his owne power with his own command and make it efficacious in their soules Thus there went a power with Gods command to dead Lazarus whereby he came out of the grave Verbum Dei non est declarativum modò sed effectivum God who commands a wicked man to repent can convey a power into his heart to make him repent therefore there is great reason and use of Gods commands though natural men are not able to obey them Inference 2 2. I inferre hence If the flesh be thus disabled to good then this shewes the folly of Pelaegian Popish and Arminian doctrines which doth advance the power and ability of nature and the free will of man to good supernatural now how doth this Scripture confute them the flesh hinders even godly men that they cannot do the good they would What enemies of Gods graces are these who advance the power of nature above Sub laudibus gratiae latent inimici gratiae Aug. Non liberum sed servum arbitrium non liberum sed liberatum and beyond its bounds and that too under pretence of advancing Gods grace It is true man hath not lost the faculty but the form man hath lost the rectitude of his will I may say of them that their mistake arises from the same ground as Sampsons when his wife had cut off his locks he awoke out of sleep and said I will go out as at other times but he wist not the Lord was departed from him So I may say of such men as these they would stirre up themselves as at other times but their locks are cut by their fall in Adam that is cut off wherein their strength lay and if they would but study the fall of man more they would not advance and admire the power of nature so much Inference 3 3. I inferre hence that it is the duty of every Christian to give glory to God for all those saving abilities which any hath to do good 2 Sam. 12.27,28 if you are inabled to do any good it is of Gods grace Do as Joab to David when he had taken the skirts and suburbs of the City he then sends for David that he might have the glory of the conquest he that did the work would yet give David the glory do thou thus to Jesus Christ It may be thou dischargest the duty well do as Joab to David and do not say I have done thus and thus 1 Cor. 15.10 but Christ hath done it in me as the Apostle speakes I luboured more abundantly then they all yet not I but the grace of God which was with me and so the same Apostle in another place I live saith he Gal. 2.20 yet notâ— but Christ liveth in me He would arrogate nothing to himselfe It is Gods grace whereby we act and this that servant in the Parable acknowledgeth Lord saith he
but Thirdly from the devil are interruptions and hinderances cast in and in this case you are to do as Abraham did when the fowles did light upon his sacrifice he drove them away Gen. 15.11 By the fowles coming upon the carcases of Abrahams offering as Deodate saith it is an evident signe of the devils disturbing the elect when they are about any holy performance now as Abraham did so do you when these fowles as they are compared in Matth. 13.4 to the devil those foul and infernal spirits when they come to disturb you in worship you must drive them away all those impertinencies and vain thoughts which the devil casts in Job 1.6 In the first of Job you read that upon a certain day the Sons of God presented themselves before the Lord and Satan also came among them By the Sonnes of God there cannot be meant the Angels for then it would follow that the devils would be in heaven where the Angels are therefore by the Sonnes of God are meant the children of Iob and thus were the posterity of Seth called in Gen. 6. Gen. 6.2 See Zech. 3.1 The Sons of God saw that the daughters of men were fair Now to my purpose the children of Iob are said upon a certain day to appear before the Lord that is say Interpreters on the Sabbath-day now when they appeared on that day before the Lord it is said that Satan came among them Celeberrimum sabbati festum Pined and you may be sure the devil came for no good intent but to labour to interrupt and disturb them in those religious performances And therefore seeing that you have not onely your own hearts the world and natural infirmities but the devil also to hinder and divert you what cause have you with utmost diligence to watch over your selves 7. If the flesh doth interrupt you in Gods service then learn not to place any confidence in your most religious performances darest thou lay the weight of thy soul upon such a weak foundation if thy duties are tainted and mingled with so much evill how darest thou rest in thy duties It is the speech of Iob Though I were righteous yet would I not plead with thee Job 9.28 and again sayes he I am afraid of all my sorrowes I know that thou wilt hold me innocent In the vulgar translation it is I am afraid of all my good works and further sayes he Though I should wash my selfe with snow-water and make my selfe never so clean yet shalt thou plunge me in a ditch and my own clothes shall abhorre me Cap. 30.31 Though I should acquit my selfe never so well in duty yet thou wouldest finde much evil in me If then thy best services are mingled with sin rely only upon a Christ for salvation and here to set home this inference I shall lay down three cogent considerations 1. Thou hast more acts of sin that come from the flesh then acts of grace that come from the Siprit in thy duties and wilt thou rest upon such a duty that hath more sinne then grace acted in it more wandring thoughts then holy thoughts thou forgettest more of a Sermon then thou remembrest of a Sermon and the sin of thy nature doth cast in more wandring thoughts then the Spirit of God doth cast in holy thoughts thy graces are as the filings of gold but thy sinnes as heapes of dust and therefore how darest thou rest on thy duties expecting life and salvation by them 2. Consider that one circumstance in a duty is enough to make it evil but many concurring circumstances is not enough to make a duty good Suppose thou prayest one circumstance in thy prayer may make it sinful though thou prayest wel for the manner yet if thou art defective in the end or if the end be right yet if thou failest in thy principle it is not right It is a rule in moral Philosophy In moralibus plus circumstanti a quà m substantia actioâ—is that circumstances are more to be weighed then acts and so it is in Divinity One circumstance may make a duty defective but many circumstances concurring together cannot make a duty good 3. Consider that thou art guilty of many past sins and present duties cannot make a recompence for past sinnes Suppose a tenant who payes his rent duly for time present yet being in arrear it may be ten or twenty yeares his payment of his rent at present will not recompense his past arrear Thus it is with thee thou art much in debt and in arreare to God for past time and if there were merit in thy duties as there is not yet present duty could not expiate past sinnes therefore rely not upon duty 8. Doth the flesh thus interrupt us in duty then from hence we may see the evill nature of sin the mischievous quality of original corruption It is a doctrine which cau never be too much insisted upon and therefore from this doctrine I beseech you turn a little to see the evil nature of originall sin I may illustrate it by this example if you have a vessel full of liquor a little gall shall more imbitter it then a great deal of honey shall sweeten it behold the mischievous nature of sinee how doth it taint both thy person and performances You read of a Law in Numb Numb 19.22 19 22. that whatsoever an unclean person toucheth shall be uuclean this is spoken of ceremonial uncleannesse but it holds true also in spirituals thou art an unclean man all thou touchest becomes unclean thou defilest all thy duties There is an useful passage in Haggai 2.12,13 Hag. 2.12,13 there was an case of conscience which the people were to demand of the Priests concerning the Law The question was this If one beat holy flesh in the skirt of his garment and with his skirts do touch bread or pottage or wine or oile or any meat shall it be holy and the Priests said No. And then said Haggai If one that is unclean by a dead body touch any of these shall it be unclean and the Priest answered and said It shall be unclean Here you may observe that holy things could not make common things clean and holy but if a man that was unclean did but touch holy things they became unclean Now if you would know the meaning of this it is explained by the Prophet in the 14. verse Then answered Haggai and said So is this people and so is this Nation before me saith the Lord and so is every worke of their hands and that which they offer there is unclean that is every sacrifice and every duty is unclean In Gospel-language the meaning is this if a man be in the state of nature all his offerings and all his sacrifices Tit. 1.15 that is all his duties they are unclean unto him For unto the unclean all things are unclean Vse 2 The second Use I shall make of this point shall be
by way of comfort and there are eight consolations I shall give in to those that fear God and are sensible of the interruption of the flesh in duty of Gods worship 1. Know to your comfort that as you have the flesh to hinder so you have the Spirit to help you in duty The Spirit will help thy infirmities with sighes and groans which cannot be untered Rom 8.26 thou hast the flesh to harden thy heart and deaden thy spirit but thou hast the Spirit of God also to soften thy heart and quicken thy spirit to make thee pray with sighes 1 Joh. 4.4 and groans And though the devil be busie to tempt thee yet Stronger is he that is in you saith St. John then he that is in the world 2. Consider that a desire to do those duties you cannot do is in divine account a doing of them It is worth your noting what you finde recorded touching Nehemiah if you compare two Scripturts together The first is Nehem. Neh. 1.11 1.11 where he prayes Lord let thy eare be attentive unto the prayer of thy servant who desires to fear thy Name Compared with Neh. 5.15 And Nehem. 5.15 saith Nehemiah I did not oppresse the people as former Governours did because of the fear of the Lord. So that Nehemiahs desire to fear the Lord is accounted by God the fear of God a desire after any grace is in divine account the having of that grace The Lord he will accept the will for the deed If there be a willing minde it is accepted according to what a man hath and not according to that he hath not 2 Cor. 8.12 See Mat. 5.5 Joh. 7.37 Psal 10.17 Psal 145.19 Exod. 14.15 1 King 8.17,18 Therefore see what a good God you serve who will accept of purposes for performances and intentions for executions as may appeare by many testimonies of Scripture 3. Feeling the want of any grace or ability to discharge any duty and being grieved for that want is in the account of God as if that want were supplied Thou sayest thou canst not mourne but wouldst thou mourne for thy sinnes why a sense of the want of any grace is in divine acceptance the having of it and this some make to be the meaning of that place in Rom. 8.26 Rom. 8.26 We know not what to pray for as we ought but the Spirit it selfe maketh intercession for us with sighes and groans that is the Spirit helps us to grieve that we cannot pray nor repent nor do duty no better and herein is the assistance of Gods Spirit seen And this God will accept 4. Remember this that God accepts of sincerity of heart where there is not perfection of grace You live under a Covenant of grace wherein God accepts of sincerity instead of perfection and God had rather see truth of grace then strength of parts Thou complainest thou canst not pray it may be thou wantest the gift of prayer thou hast not a voluble tongue but thou doest not want truth of desire neither the ornament of a meek spirit a pure heart God had rather have truth of grace then strength of parts you may consider it in the case of Moses and Aaron in Exod. 4.4 I know saith God to Moses Exod. 4.4 that Aaron thy brother can speak well Now Moses he was a man of a stammering tongue but yet when Moses and Aaron was to be imployed in that great work of prayer when Joshua fought against Amaleck God makes choice not of elegant Aaron Exod. 17.11.12 but of stammering Moses to make the prayer Moses could pray better then Aaron though Aaron had better parts 5. Consider it may be thou complainest that it is the interruption of the flesh which hinders thee in duty when only it is the disability of thy natural body Thus godly men do many times charge their unfitnesse to duty upon their own hearts when it is only from an indisposed and disabled body You must know that sometimes the body doth disable a man to do duty and that disability is not sinful it is thy misery but not thy sinne Thus it was with Paul Gal 4.13,14 he speakes thus to the Galatians Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the Gospel to you at the first and my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not nor rejected but received me as an Angel of God even as Christ Jesus Jerome understands these words of a bodily weaknesse disabling Paul to preach and yet it is said the Galatians bore with him and rejected him not under this bodily infirmity Thus Paul tells the Thessalonians that he would have come unto them once and again but Satan hindred him 1 Thes 2.18 Some think this hindrance was persecution others that it was a tempest at Sea but most think that it was some bodily disease whereby the devil hindred him So that if thou hast a sick pained diseased body and thereby art disabled to duty this though it be thy misery yet it is not thy sinne and therefore in such a case do not lay the blame upon thy own heart Mat. 26.41 for it is with a man in this case as with a strong healthful man that rides upon a poore tired horse thus the soul though active and vigorous is sometimes forced to keep pace with a weak sick and tired body 6. Remember this that God accepts what is his own in duty and covers what is thine That water which is salt in the Sea is fresh in the river that duty which comes from thee is salt and brackish but coming through the river of Christs blood it loseth its unsavoury taste and what a great indulgence is this in God to cover what is ours and to accept what is his own It is a rule in Philosophy Denominatio sequitar majorent partem that the denomination is alwayes taken from the greater part God denominates a man from his better part be sinnes in prayer and he acts grace in prayer that as wine though it be mingled with water and that mixture doth in part debase the wine yet because the wine gives a relish and still retaines the colour of wine therefore the whole cup is called wine So though in thy heart there may be a mixture of sinne with thy grace in thy duty yet the whole shall be called gracious act 7. Though the flesh hinders you in the doing of duty yet there is a vast difference between a godly and a wicked man in this very case though the interruption be both in the one and the other as 1. The wicked they are interrupted by the flesh but they have not the Spirit to assist them against corruption as the godly have 2. The wicked have not renewed principles of grace in their hearts to withstand the corruptions of the flesh as the godly have Regenerate men they cannot sinne that is 1 Joh. 3.9 so sinne as the wicked because they
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
one to the other so that ye cannot do the things that ye would I Come now to handle the third Question which is this wherein doth the difference appear between the restraining grace of the Spirit in keeping wicked men from sinne and between the renewing grace of the Spirit which is in the godly For answer to this question Ishall lay down seven differencing marks 1. The restraining grace of the Spirit in wicked men Num. 23.13 it doth only suppresse and abate the acts but doth not alter the disposition and will of a man as to siune Restraning grace to a wicked man it is just as a chaine to a Lion or a prison to a thief which restraines the rage of the one and thy theft of the other but changes not at all the nature of either You have two Scripture-instances for the confirmation hereof The one is of Balaam who told Balack That if he would give him his house full of silver and gold he could not curse the people But this forbearance to curse them did not arise from any indisposition that he had thereunto Num. 23.1 â—4 ver 27. but only from Gods restraint The Scripture gives you a fourfold attempt of his to curse them and in Num. 24.1 Num. 24.1 you have there a high expression when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to blesse Israel he went not as at other times to seek for inchantments but he set his face towards the wildernesse The meaning is this Mr. Arthur Jackson his Annotations on Num. 24.1 as a learned Expositor observes that Balaam went three times to have the devil to curse the people but first he would aske Gods leave whether he should curse them or no. But now the text saith he did not aske God leave but did look toward the wildernesse that is toward the place where the people of Israel were incamped and so he attempted to curse the people without Gods leave and therefore he set his face toward the people to see if he were able to do it and the Apostle Peter tells us that though he did not curse the people yet he loved the wages of unrighteousness 2 Pet. 2.15 Est 5.9,10 So we read of Haman it is said when he saw Mordecai preferred that he was moved with indignation against him but yet the text saith that Haman refrained himself not that Hamans passion was subdued or altered against Mordecai but meerly God restrained and kept in his rage Restraining grace to a wicked man may be illustrated by these two example of the fiery furnace wherein the three children were cast and the den of Lions into which Daniel was thrown The fiery furnace it was as hot as ever and seventimes hotter then it formerly had been but at that time while the three children were in God did suspend or restraine the natural property of the fire to burne Thus it is with wicked men their lusts do burne as hot in them as ever only God by a mighty power keeps under their lusts Dan. 6.22 The Lions among whom Daniel was thrown they kept their ravenous disposition while Daniel was in the denne but God restrained it all the while Daniel was there thus God deals with wicked men he may restraine their sin but their disposition is toward sin still But now it is contrary with renuing grace it reaches not only to the suppressing of the act but works an alteration in the disposition of a man it doth not onely restraine a Lion but turnes a Lion into a Lamb Rom. 12.2 there is in the work of regeneration A renuing of the minde as the Apostle speaks there is a change in the minde that was not there before and therefore saith the same Apostle If ye through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live Rom. 8.13 not only restraine the act but mortifie the disposition this is the effect of renuing grace 2. Restraining grace makes a natural man refrain from sin more because of the severity of the law which condemnes then because of the purity of the law which forbids sin And this is it which Austin speaks of sayes he That man which feares hell Impii metuunt ardere non metuunt peccare ille autem peccare metuit qui peccatum iplum sicut Gehennam odit Aug. Epist 144. Ps 119.140 he doth not fear to sinne but fears to burne but that man fears to sinne that feares sinne as he would fear hell Restraining grace never makes a man thus fear sin but renuing grace doth and therefore saith the Psalmist Because sayes he thy Word is very pure therefore thy servant loveth it It is not only a threatening Word against sin but a pure Word which forbids sinne 3. Restraining grace it doth only make a man forbear grosse and palpable sins but doth not reach to any abstinence from secret and inward evils Outward restraint doth not reach to inward sinnes Natural conscience may see sinnes that are more grosse that as we have a sight of the stars in a bright night we may see the smallest starres but in a dark night we can only see those that are of a greater magnitude Thus it is with restraint which comes from natural conscience it only keeps in those sinnes which are of a more grosse nature whereas we are to mortifie our sinful and inordinate affections and thus the Apostle Paul commands Col. 3.5 Mortifie sayes he your members that are upon the earth fornication unclcannesse inordinate affection evil concupiscence and covetousnesse which is idolatry Here you see that not only the act but the disposition and not only irregular actions but inordinate affections are forbidden and hereupon it was that Hezekiah he humbled himselfe for the pride of his heart 2 Chron. 32.25 2 Sam. 24.10 and David also for the pride of his heart in numbering the people 4. Restrained corruption it is unwillingly left a man doth unwillingly leave that sinne he is kept from and this is hinted to us by that expression concerning Abimelech in Gen. 20.6 where the Lord said Gen. 20.6 I also withheld thee from sinning against me the word notes a forwardnesse on Abimelech his part to commit fornication with Abrahams wife Restraining grace makes a man leave his sinnes as unwillingly as a man that leaves his wife and children countrey and estate he leaves these with much regret and bids them farewell with tears in his eyes and sorrow in his heart but a man that hath renuing grace he is kept from sinne willingly he is as willing to leave a lust as a slave the gally a prisoner the dungeon or a begger his rags whereas a wicked man still in his natural contion doth as unwillingly leave his sin as Abraham did put Hagar and Ishmael out of dores Gen. 21.11 and as Phaltiel did take his leave of Michal 2 Sam. 3.16 where it is said that he followed her weeping even as the mariner doth
intentions and these the Law of God will judge 5. Judge not thy self to be righteous and gracious by bare restraints from sin in particular actions but if you would judge your selves judge by the ordinary course of your lives It is possible that in a particular act a good man may not be kept from that sin from which a wicked man may and it is possible that a wicked man may do that good which a godly man may not be able to do Now you are not to judge of your selves by particular acts but by the constant course of your lives for if you should do otherwise you would condemn the generation of the just I shall give an example by comparing together good King David and wicked King Abimelech they were both tempted to the same sin and should you have guessed at these two men by their particular restraints you would have taken Abimelech for the good King and David for the bad King Abimelech in his restraint was far better then David it is said of Abimelech that he took Sarah he did not know that she was Abrahams wife but David did know that Bathsheba was the wife of Vriah and then further Abimelech the Heathen King though he had Sarah in the house yet the Scripture tells you he did not defile her but David took Bathsheba into his house and was actually unclean with her Now should you look upon these two men in this particular case you would judge Abimelech to be the gracious King and David the Heathen King But now if you look upon David in the ordinary course of his life he was far better then Abimelech you are not therefore to passe a verdict upon any man that he is good or bad by any particular act that as it is a rule in Philosophy that one act doth not denominate so when you go to judge of men you must not look upon a particular act but upon the general scope and current of their lives Prov. 16.17 The high way of the righteous is to depart from evil Vse 2 The second Use is of Instruction and first to regenerate men who have the renewing work of the Spirit There are these three Instructions I would have you to learne 1. Blesse God that ever you have been crossed in the doing of those sins which you would have committed How near the brink of many a sin hath many a godly man been at when an occasion and an inclination hath met together but God hath put in a restraint O blesse God it is the greatest mercy next converting grace It was the prayer of Jabez O that thou wouldest blesse me indeed and O that thou wouldest keep me from evil let it be thy prayer also Sometimes men are angry when they are kept from an intended sin and this is just as if a man going to execution should be angry with a man for stopping him in his way Alas poor man thou art going to the execution of thy sin if any stop thee 't is the saving of thy soul at least the saving of thy peace therefore blesse God How did David blesse God when he intended to have cut off Nabal and all his family when Abigail came with smooth words and prevented him O then sayes he Blessed be God and blessed be thou and blessed be the Counsel thou hast given me 1 â—am 25.32 so it may be thou hast determined the Commission of a sin with all circumstances which may further thee in the execution of it and hath God stopped thee in thy way what great cause hast thou to magnifie him 2. From hence gathet what cause the people of God have to suspect their own hearts lest they should carry them to such evils which they think they should never have committed Suppose the Spirit should be suspended that it should not restrain thee what evil wouldest thou not commit There are Scripture-instances of godly men who have fallen into those sins that themselves never thought they should commit and such sins which were repugnant to those graces wherein they were most excellent Abraham he was the eminentest man alive in his age for faith Gal. 3.9 Abrahamus paâ—er fidelium non efficienter sed exemplariter and therefore was called the father of the faithful now would any man think that Abraham should fall into unbelief why yes he did for being distrustful of Gods Providence he told two lies one to Pharaoh King of Egypt Gen. 12.13 and the other to Abimelech King of Gerar. Likewise Moses the Scripture tell of him that he was the meekest man upon earth Psal 106.33 and yet he spake unadvisedly with his lips he fell into passion which was that sin which was contrary to that grace wherein he was most excellent And so also Iob Jam. 5.11 whom the Scripture tells you was the most patient man on earth and of all sins Iob was most hurried to impatiency Job 3. insomuch that he bitterly curseth the day of his birth and the night in which it is said A man-childe is conceived I name these examples to you to let you see what cause you have to blesse God for the sin you have been prevented from and what cause you have to suspect your hearts if the Spirit of God withdraw from you And so Moses he was noted to be the meekest man on earth Numb 12.3 And yet even this meek Moses is transported with passion and he speaks unadvisedly with his mouth 3. Pray unto God for the Spirit to do its office in thy soul Psal 106.33 that the Spirit may keep thee from doing the evil thou wouldest We read of David Psal 19.13 that he made this prayer Lord keep thy servant also from presumptuous sins Thou hast need to pray that the Spirit may check and curb thy corruptions when thou art tempted to sin because there is no man though never so good that can stand by his own strength though never so great and thereby avoid an evil when he is tempted to it though never so foule O therefore pray for preventing grace that God would keep thee by his Spirit that so thou mightest not do the works of the flesh And therefore Christ hath taught us to pray Lord deliver us from evil Mat. 6.13 viz. from that evil which we cannot of our selves avoid Secondly as this point refers to the unregenerate who have only restraining grace to hinder them from sin Let even such consider what cause they have to blesse God for this mercy though they shall go to hell yet they have cause to blesse God for restraining grace on earth for though it will not make you good yet it will and doth make you lesse evil and though it cannot make you spiritual yet it will make you good moral men By restraining grace a man may have this good 1. He may not commit so many and great sins 2. He may not incur so great punishment 3. He will bring the lesse scandal
be punished lesse then a drunken Christian 3. Consider that in keeping under sinne you will not so fearfully break the peace of your consciences open and grosse sinnes they lay the conscience open and fill it with terrour and amazement but the lesse thou actest sinne the lesse shall thy conscience be troubled 4. Hereby thou doest lesse scandal religion then otherwise thou wouldest have done lesser evils they give a scratch to the face of religion but open sinnes they give religion a stab at the heart religion receives not so much disreputation by close hypocrites as by open prophanenesse 5. Thou mightest do more hurt by thy sinnes example if God should leave thee then now thou doest Though thou art a bad man yet if God restraine sinne in thee thou doeâ—t not give so bad an example as otherwise thou wouldest do 6. Who knows but that these smal beginnings of restraining grace may be a forerunner of renuing grace thou which art restrained from evil though thou art at present wicked who knows but that God may turne restraining grace into râ—nâ—ing grace Vse 2 The next Use shall be of comfort to godly men and truly there are many gracious hearts which may upon what I have said raise to themselves many fears and doubts some such feare as this may be in the brests of many and they may say Object Sir you have been treating of the power of Gods Spirit even in its common workings by restraining grace to keep under sinne in wicked men and some may say that they fall short not only of godly but even of wicked men for a wicked man can refraine those sinnes which I cannot This objection may come from the heart of many a good man and to this I shall lay down three or foure words by way of answer and comfort and so conclude all Answer 1. Consider that to perceive the unbridled workings of sinne in your natures doth not argue the increase of sinne but your increase of light and tendernesse in conscience Paul while he was unconverted thought himself alive and in a very happy condition before he saw the spirituality of the Law Rom. 7.9 but when he was converted When the Commandment came sin revived and then he died that is the Law coming in power upon his conscience he then saw sin alive and yet then he was in a converted estate and in a happy condition As light breaking into a roome doth discover what wants and disorders are there which were unknown and unseen in the dark so doth light breaking into the understanding discover our spiritual wants 2. Do not judge your selves to be in a bad estate by the want of particular restraints under sinne but judge your selves by the powerful manifestations of habitual grace in your more ordinary and constant course and practice It may be one man can bridle his passion but thou canst not yet he may be a bad man and thou a good man A traveller perhaps may sometimes step into a wheel-tract but his ordinary course is in the beaten road so if thou fallest into sin and wantest restraining grace this may be thy falling into a wheele-tract Prov. 16.17 thy ordinary way is the beaten path It being the high way of the upright to depart from evil yet now then thou maist lose thy way You are not to judge of your selves by particular acts of restraint 3. Though thou art overtaken with a sin when other men are not who are worse then thy self yet consider thou hast more temptations unto sin then other men have It is true in some cases a godly mans sins they are more to be aggravated then a wicked mans yet in other cases a godly mans sin is not so to be aggravated The devil is more solicitous to tempt a godsy man to sin then he is a wicked man Job 1. Zeck 3.1,2 When the sons of God came together the devil came also in the midst of them He owes them a spite and therefore if they be now and then overtaken they should not judge themselves by those particular acts but by the constant course of their lives 4. Consider though thou doest yield to a sinful act Rom. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet if sin be not a Tyrant nor a Lord over thee thou hast no cause to fear Thou yieldest to sin as to an Vsurper not as to thy Liege Lord though thou wantest the restraint of the Spirit in some particular acts to keep thee from evil yet if thou art kept by God from the reigning power of sin be not discouraged thou art in a happy condition 5. Let this be your comfort though now and then thou canst not restraine the acts of sin yet ere long thou shalt be a compleat conquerour over all thy sins God shall tread down Satan under thy feet shortly now thou fightest with the devil hand to hand but then thou shalt trample him under thy feet and let this be your comfort who have the Spirit lusting against the Flesh your combate is but short your victory is certaine your conquest is great and your reward and Crown everlasting FINIS An ALPHABETICAL TABLE TO the foregoing Treatise of the conflict between the Flesh and Spirit A SPirit of God works not alike in all Page 66 Attendance on Ordinances p. 103 Affections unruly p. 179 Aptnesse to fall into any sinne p. 194 Spiritual Abatements p. 214 Christian Religion not Austere p. 218 Arminian objections answered p. 249 B Blame of sin onely due to us p. 131 132 And not to God or devil p. 161 Business of the world hinders holy duties p. 210 C Conviction for sin long after the Commission of it p. 40 We must not go out of our Calling p. 49 We must follow our particular Calling p. 52 Constancy in duty p. 65 Customary sinning p. 117 Conflict of Flesh and Spirit p. 124 Of Corruption of our natures p. 141 Concupiscence a sinne p. 160 Conflict against sinne fourefold p. 165 Conscience Gods spie p. 182 Contrariety of Flesh and Spirit p. 186 187 Why God suffers this Contrariety of our Corrupt natures to good p. 198 No Confidence to be put in duties p. 256 D Despising Ordinances p. 10 Depending on Ordinances ibid. Deliberate sinners p. 33 34 Devil may move a man to that which is good p. 48 We must not Depend on that we do p 54 Spiritual desertions of three sorts p. 59 Duties spiritually done p. 63 64 Duties diligently done p. 64 Satanical delusions p. 86 87 Difference between the godly sinning and the wicked p. 112 113 114. Diabolical motions p. 156 Corruption in us to our dying day p. 192 Sin diverts from and disturbs in duty p. 207 Gods decrees abused p. 216 Defilement cleaves to duty p. 233 Desire to do is doing p. 258 E Our Flesh a malicious enemy p. 135 An universal enemy p. 136 Other properties of this enmity p. 137 138 We can never do good enough p. 220 False ends of doing
duty p. 244 245 Education may restraine from evil p. 283 F Fervency and Frequency in duty p. 62 Fulfill lusts of the Flesh what p. 110 Flesh the meaning of it p. 121 How the Flesh opposeth the Spirit p. 120 Slavish Feare p. 176 177 G Spirit of God our Guide p. 82 Why we must follow the Spirits Guidance p. 83 84 We have more sin then Grace p. 191 H Health must be preserved p. 51 52 Humiliation for corruptions p. 144 Our corruption hinders us from doing good p. 208 I Jesus Christ a faithful High Priest p. 66 Inobservancy of the Spirit p. 92 93 Indulgence of sinne p. 118 Inticements to sinne p. 127 128 129 Inability to do good pretended p. 217 Of Interruptions in holy duties p. 231 232 K How godly kept from doing evil p. 262 c. The holy Spirit keepes us p. 265 We are not able to keepe our selves p 277 Gods keeping of us implies our care ibid. L Lusts of the Flesh p. 109 Of seeing Little sinnes p. 129 M Moral perswasions what p. 13 105 Sevcral Motions of the Spirit to good p. 45 Evil Motions of the heart p. 47 Misery of those from whom Gods Spirit is withdrawn p. 71 How we may know the Motions of the Spirit from the Motions of our natural conscience p. 84 85 Common and saving Motions of the Spirit p. 88 Our natures receptive of evil Motions p. 94 Mortification p 150 Mourne for corruption p. 251 N Great is our Need of Gods Spirit p. 70 Of a Natural conscience p. 175 176 Necessity of Ordinances p. 208 O A childe of God may Often commit the same sin p. 41 Avoid Occasions to sinne p. 149 Of Opposition of sinne by the godly and wicked p. 169 c. Of Original sinne p. 205 257 Of necessity of Ordinances p 209 Omission of good damnable p 228 P Pouring out of the Spirit in latter dayes p. 14 Pretending to have the Spirit p. 101 102 Potency of the Flesh p. 133 134 R Repentance a work of the Spirit p. 31 Motions of the Spirit in Reprobates p. 89 Rejoycing in evil p 113 Why corrupt nature remaines in the Regenerate p. 266 967 A Regenerate man doth not sin as he did before p. 134 144 Of Restraining grace p. 276 S Sons of God what it implies p. 2 Spirit of God withdrawing p. 6 Spirit of God works mediately p 16 17 Saints may fall into those sins which are contrary to their graces wherein they are most eminent p. 37 38 Signes of the Spirits withdrawing p 60 61 62 Sin causeth the Spirit to withdraw p 73 74 Sin brings no good fruit p. 97 How the Spirit is in us p. 100 Suppresse the first stirring of sin p. 147 148 Sense of sinne p. 202 203 204. Succeslesnesse in duty whence p. 226 Sincerity accepted p. 259 T Spirit of God keeps us from yielding to Temptations p. 28. Gods Spirit withdrawes but for a time p. 77 V Good unseasonably done p. 50 W Withdrawing of the Spirit p. 6 Wrong six fold to Gods Spirit p. 7 Withdrawing of Spirit from the Word p. 18 Symptomes of the Spirits withdrawing from the Word p. 23 24 Reasons of the Spirits withdrawing p. 32. Christians are weak to do good p. 69 Of walking in the Spirit p. 80 Of wearisomnesse in holy duties p. 238 We must watch our hearts p. 254 Wicked men restrained p. 271 272 c. Wicked men may abstaine from sinne and yet not upon gracious grounds p. 286 287 c. FINIS THE Christians Directory TENDING To guid him in those severall conditions which Gods providence may cast him into Digested in severall SERMONS BY The late faithful Servant of Jesus Christ Mr. CHRISTOPHER LOVE Minister of Laurence Jury LONDON Printed for John Rothwell at the Fountain and Bear in Goldsmiths Row in Cheapside 1653. TO THE READER Christian Reader THe experience which the World hath had of the worth of the works of this Reverend Author renders a commendatory Epistle needless to any thing of his Our business therefore at present is only to put this peece likewise into thy hands and according as we promised at the first to assure thee that it is genuine having been faithfully compared with and corrected by Mr Loves own notes Yet thus much we shall say of it that it cannot but be singularly useful unto Christians in regard that it contains directions how to carry themselves in the various and severall conditions they shall be in in this world whether their condition be afflicted or joyons whether they buy or sell or what way soever they make use of the world here is excellent advice and counsel for them And so beseeching the Lord to accompany it with his blessing and make it profitable to the souls of his people in him we rest Thy faithful Friends Edm Calamy Simeon Ash Jer Whitaker Will Taylor Allen Geere A CHRISTIANS DIRECTORY 1 Cor. 7.30,31 And they that weep as though they wept not and they that rejoyce as though they rejoyced not and they that buy as though they possessed not and they that use this world as not abusing of it for the fashion of this world passeth away I Have chosen this place of Scripture intending through Gods assistance to make many Sermons upon it being a Text that affords us so much variety of matter but I shall not stand long upon any one particular Doctrine because I would gladly end it in some convenient time This Text may well be called A Christians Directory to guide and direct him in his ordinary course and walking through all the various mutations vicissitudes alterations he may meet withall here in the world whatsoever his condition be here is matter of advice and Counsel for him If he meets with crosses troubles and afflictions then his duty is to weep as if he wept not if he meet with a gale of prosperity with an affluence and confluence of all outward happiness then his duty is to rejoyce as if he rejoyced not If he be a Tradesman and by buying and selling and trading in the world he gets a great estate then his duty is to use his wealth so as if he possessed it not And least these particular cases and directions should not reach every mans particular condition therefore the Apostle gives this generall rule to all that have any thing to do in the world whether in one kind or other that they that use this world must use it as not abusing of it because the fashion of this world passeth away Here you see what work I have cut out to you which will afford abundance of matter I shall only at present make a short entrance into the first direction the Apostle here gives to those that meet with crosses and afflictions in the world namely that they that weep be as if they wept not There is some disagreement in opinion amongst interpreters touching the scope of these words Pareus thinks this Text hath a special reference to
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
miseries and afflictions of other men that want those comforts that you enjoy Judges 16.23.25 Sampson you know when he discovered wherein his great strength lay the Philistins cut off his hair and then his strength was gone and he became as another man and the Philistins took him and put out his eyes and bound him in fetters of brasse and made him grind in the prison-house they made him their drudge and their slave and the Lords of the Philistins gathered themselves together to offer sacrifice to Dagon and to rejoyce and when their hearts were merry they called for Sampson to make them sport their immoderate joy did make them insult over this poor blind man in misery Beloved then is your joy excessive when you make the afflictions of other men to be matter of your Joy 6. Your Joy is excessive when it is mingled with luxury and sensuality 2 Sam. 13.28 Luke 15.23,14 Hence it is that you read so often in Scripture of mens being merry with wine in 1 Sam. 25.36 and as an Authour observes the same word in the Hebrew that signifies to be merry signifies to be drunk in the 43. Gen. last when mirth proceeds so far as to drunkenness and sensuality Eâ—h 1.10 then it is excessive 7. When worldly joy breeds security and insensibleness of Gods judgements approaching any place then it is inordinate Thus Ethiopia was called the rejoycing City that dwelt securely Zeph 2.16 and hence it is that in Psal 2.11 fear is adjoyned to rejoycing serve the Lord with fear and rejoyce with trembling And hence it is that Absolom when he would by treachery shed the blood of Amnon gave this Counsel to his Servants When you see Amnon merry then fall upon him as knowing that when his heart was merry he would then be secure And so those in Amos 6.3.6 that chant to the sound of the Violl and drink wine in Bowles are said to be men that put far away the evill day and were secure in their pleasures and so these in Esay 22.12.13 In the day that the Lord called for weeping and mourning and baldness and to girding with Sackcloth behold joy and gladness slaying Oxen and killing sheep eating flesh and drinking wine let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall die they would not believe the prophet that foretold them the Judgements of God that were coming upon them but in scoffing and jearing manner said one to another let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall die And so again in Esay 56.12 Come ye say they I will fetch wine and we will fill our selves with strong drink and to morrow shall be as this day and much more abundant they feared not want nor alteration of their condition which security of theirs declared their joy to be excessive and inordinate 8. When men will run to worldly joyes and pleasures to still and stifle the troubles and terrours of their consciences When a man shall have a conviction upon his conscience which troubles and perplexes him for some grosse evill he hath committed in his life and shall then run to his recreations and pleasures or get amongst jolly Company to cast away and shake off these troubles that are upon him this shews his joy is immoderate And thus Saul did discover a joviall and sensuall spirit 1 Sam. 16.15 when an evill spirit from the Lord troubled him that is when he had some guilt and terrour lying upon his Conscience then he commanded his Servants to seek him out a man skilfull in Musick to play before him but he had been better to have gone to prayer upon his knees then to call for Musick and run to sensuall delights to remove his trouble And thus it was with those Idolaters that sacrificed their Children unto Moloch they had Instruments of Musick but what to do why first it was to drown the cries of their Children and secondly to provoke them to merriment and jollity that their Consciences might not trouble them for so cruel a murther as the sacrificing their Children Why now beloved you that can when a Sermon hath come home to you and toucht you to the quick and the word of God hath come with power and wrought effectually upon you to the discovering and convincing you of your sin If you then run to your recreations and pleasures to company-keeping and Stage-playes or the like to divert your thoughts from your sins and remove the terrour and trouble of your conscience This is a sign your joy is excessive and sinfull indeed this is the way rather to increase then to quiet the checks of conscience The Pellican to put out the fire flaps it with her wings and so instead of putting it out kindles it the more burns her self so do those that seek by worldly pleasure and jollity to stifle the checks of conscience And thus I have very briefly run over these 8. particulars to shew you wherein a mans worldly joy for outward comforts is excessive I have only now a second thing to run over and then give you a short use and so have done Query 2 2. What Rules and directions can you prescribe us to keep our worldly joy for outward comforts within bounds Answ Answ I shall give you 3. or 4. 1. Consider that you have better things to rejoyce in then any thing here below Directions for mode rating our joyes in worldly comforts thou hast better objects to transport thy soul with joy as thy reconciliation with God communion with Christ the comforts of the Holy Ghost assurance of the pardon of sin the justification of thy person by the merits of Christ the sanctification of thy nature by the spirit of Christ Thou hast thy election vocation redemption glorification thou hast all these objects to provoke thy Joy and to fasten thy delight upon Would any man rejoyce and delight himself in Counters if he might have so many peeces of Gold in the room of them or would any man delight or rejoyce so much in Pibbles if he might have as many Pearls for them or in a flint stone that hath a Diamond oh beloved you have things of more worth then any thing in this world to rejoyce in There is a great deal vaster difference between the things of Heaven the mercies of eternity and these outward comforts here below then there is between Brasse and Gold between Pibbles Pearls between the Sun and a Candle Therefore Consider I have a God and Christ Heaven and happiness pardon reconciliation sanctification Justification redemption and glorification I have all these to fix and place my Joy upon and therefore why should I rejoyce so much in the things of this world The Disciples of Christ thought themselves some body and were puffed up because they could cast out Devills and work miracles but saies Christ to them rejoyce not in that the Devills are subject to you but rejoyce that your names are written in Heaven Luke 10.20 the
profane the Christian Sabbath but ought now to be kept as strictly as it was then And therefore beloved I cannot see but it is a sin for men to buy either wine or pepper or mustard or any other such like trifle that they may well be without it must needs be unlawfull and sinfull to buy any thing that you may well be without in that case you sin if you buy upon the Lords day and therefore let me intreat you rather to want such triviall things then to transgress Scripture Rules in buying of them upon this day Rule 9 9. Do not in buying of a Commodity work upon the necessities of a poor man that hath need of money to make him sell it at such low tearms as he cannot live by it this is a very great sin and oppression Many times rich men do work upon the necessities of the poor for they must sell of their Commodities it may be to buy bread or more materialls to set themselves at work upon now they will not buy their Commodities unless they may have it cheaper then they can afford it this is a great oppression therefore in Levit. 25.14 it is said if thou sellest ought to thy Neighbour or buyest ought of thy Neighbour ye shall not oppress one another There is an oppression in buying as well as in selling when a man does work upon the poverty of a poor man and will make him sell cheaper then he can afford it or else will not buy of him at all O beloved how few are there in the world that are consciencious in their buying in these regards 10. If you would not transgress Scripture Rules in baying then take heed that ye do not buy those things that are not fit and allowable to be bought and sold as first do not buy spirituall things as the gifts of the Holy Ghost Church-livings c. for these are not things to be bought This is call'd Simony Act. 8.20 When Simon Magus would have bought the gift of the Holy Ghost thy mony perish with thee said Peter because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money 2. Do not buy stolen goods they are not meet to be bought If thou knowest that the goods which are to be sold are stolen goods they are not to be bought but rather to be restored I am afraid that this is a sin that many men do not make conscience of in this City as we use to say the receiver is as bad as the Thief so let me tell you the buyer is as bad as the Thief likewise 3. Do not buy Monuments nor reliques of Idolatry as Crosses Beads Crucifixes Images and the like these ought not to be bought 4. Do not buy men for slaves this is that which is reproved Amos 8.6 That we may buy the poor for silver and the needy for a pair of shooes So in Deut. 27.7 If a man be found stealing of any of his Brethren of the Children of Israel and maketh merchandize of him or selleth him then that thief shall die thou must not steal a man and sell him And thus you see I have gone over very briefly these ten particulars And oh beloved let me tell you the fear of my heart is that there are few of you that keep within bounds in these particulars but in one or other of them you have transgressed in your buyings I shall only now make a short use of what hath been said Use 1 and so have done First then by way of exhortation in the fear of God all you that buy and sell and trade in the world take heed of these Rocks split not your souls upon them I shall shew you in the afternoon what you get by unjust practices Prov. 23.23 Rev. 3.18 and therefore avoid such courses and let me exhort you in buying Commodities amongst all your buyings in the world let me intreat you to buy that which Solomon bids you buy namely to buy the truth and sell it not and that which Christ counsels you to buy come buy of me gold that ye may be rich and white Rayment that you may be cloathed and buy that which the good Merchant sold all that he had to purchase Mat. 13.44 namely the Pearl in the field So do you sell all you have to buy this Pearl of great price the Lord Jesus but do not mistake me when I bid you buy spirituall things do not think they are to be purchased with money but I would have you labour and endeavour after them Esay 5.1 Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters and he that hath no money come ye buy and eat yea come buy wine and milk without money and without price these are not to be bought with money but by labours and endeavours and earnest prayers unto God for them you must give the rags of your sin and corruption for this white raiment of Christs righteousness Oh let not the Market-dayes of your soules slip over without buying something for your soules good buy the truth and sel it not buy the Pearl of grace look after spirituall things do not think the things of the world to be worth so much and grace and Christ Heaven and happiness and glory worth nothing There is nothing here below but we may give too much for we may buy gold too dear but we can never buy Christ and grace too dear we can never give too much for them one houres enjoyment of Christ will infinitely recompence all the troubles and miseries and losses we undergoe for him here and therefore beloved do not spend so much time and take so much pains for these transitory things here below these complementall and circumstantiall peeces of felicity and spend so little time and take so little pains after those perfections and essentiall points of happiness the getting an interest in Christ in his righteousness merits and satisfaction Diogenes taxed the folly of men in his time quod res praetiosas minimo emerent venderentque vilissimas plurimo they valued the most precious things little and the most vile at a great rate Woe to those that stop Religions Trade Luke 11.52 That take away the key of knowledg neither entring in themselves nor suffering those that would 2. If this be so that we ought not to transgress Scripture Rules in buying Commodities then let this be matter of humiliation to any of you that the word of God hath met with this day O beloved go home and humble your soules before God and bless his name that the word hath found out your transgressions beloved go home and do no more so wickedly if you have in any of these particulars transgressed Scripture Rules go home and acknowledge your sins unto the Lord and reform your lives lest the Lord breath a curse upon what you have gotten and say of your tradings as he did of those in Ezek. 28.18 Thou hast defiled thy sanctuariâ—s by the multitude of thine
gone that we may sell corn and the Sabbath that we may set forth wheat These greedy covetous muck-worms were so bent upon their gains that the six dayes of the week were not enough for them but they would sell upon the Sabbath too Neh. 13.21 this is that which Nehemiah was so carefull to reform when the Merchants came into Jerusalem to sell their commodities on the Sabbath-day he testified against them and contested with the Nobles of Judah and said unto them what evill thing is this that you do and profane the Sabbath-day and he told the Merchants and sellers of all kind of wares that if they did so again he would lay hands upon them so that from that time forth they cam no more on the Sabbath This condemns your common tipling-houses and small retail Trades that make nothing of selling small trifling things upon this day which is a great sin 9. When your cozenage and unjust dealings in your sellings are found out and discovered do not justifie your selves in your deceit Many men if you come and tell them that they sell dearer then others they will not be perswaded to it or if you tell them the commodity you bought of them is not good they will say it is as good as can be afforded of the price like those in Hosea 12.7 Ephraim is a Merchant the ballances of deceit are in his hand he loveth to oppress yet he saies I am become rich I have found me out substance and in all my labours they shall find no iniquity in me that were sin Though the ballances of deceit were in his hand yet saies he none can accuse me of sin or iniquity in my dealings 10. Do not sell those Commodities that are not vendible nor fit to be sold As first 1. Spirituall things they are not to be sold Simon Magus when he would have purchased the gift of the Holy Ghost with money saies the Apostle go thy way and thy money porish with thee 2. And so monuments of Idolatry Crucifixes Images Beads Conjuring Books and the like these are not fit to be sold Act. 19. Many of them that used curious arts came and brought their Books and burnt them and the price of them was valued to be 50000. peeces of silver These books here spoken of were Conjuring-books and though they were of so great value yet they would not sell them but burnt them 3. Do not sell men for slaves Deut. 24.7 If a man be found stealing any of his Brethren the Children of Israel and maketh merchandize of him or selleth him then that thief shall die and you shall put away evill from you 4. And again you must not sell your self as Ahab did to work wickedness and thus witches sell themselves to the Devill to be his Servants and thus do all licencious and loose livers Remember beloved you are not your own but are bought with a price even with the precious blood of Jesus Christ and therefore you must glorifie God in your soules and bodies that are his 5. You must not sell stollen goods these are not saleable as men should not buy so neither should they sell stollen goods And 6. You must not sell any thing that cannot be made use of without sin as stuff to paint faces with and such like It is true a man may sell those things that accidentally may be sinfull in the using of it but we must not sell such things as are only for sinfull uses And thus I have done with these ten particulars wherein you must not transgress Scripture Rules in selling I shall now handle some cases of conscience touching trading and commerce in the world As first Cases of Conscience concerning buying and selling the buyer may say How shall I know when I buy a Commodity too cheap and the seller may say How shall I know when I sell a Commodity too dear I answer that though it is true the Scripture is not express how much you should get whether a peny or two pence or 3. or 4. more or lesse in a shilling yet your gains ought to be no more then what is ordinarily gotten in such Commodities by men of your own Trade as the Market goes and as ordinarily things are valued in the place where you dwell those rates you ought to take 2. Sell as those men do that are most conscientious in their wayes as far as they go you may go Obj. But may not a man in some cases sell a Commodity for more then it is worth Answ In what cases a man may take more for a Commodity then it is worth 2 King 6.25 In some extraordinary cases it is lawfull as first in this case as suppose a man hath a quantity of goods by him and God by his providence orders it so that that place where he dwells be besieged so that those Commodities are very scarce in this case he may warrantably advance his price thus it was in the Siege of Samaria an Asses head and Doves dung were sold for a great price whereas before they were worth nothing but when the occasion is removed the Commodity must fall to its former price again 2. If a man be sollicited and importun'd to sell a commodity which he is unwilling to part withall and cannot well spare without dammage to himself yet being overcome with importunity is content to let his neighbour have it in that case he may take more for it then it is worth but in a usuall and ordinary way of Trade it is a sin to take more then is the common custom of the place to give Case 2 3. Whether if a man sells a Commodity for time is he bound to sell it as cheap as if he sold it for ready mony Answ Whether it be lawfull to sell dearer for time then for ready money Mr. Perkins in his first Volum upon the eighth Commandement determines the case and conceives it to be a sin to sell dearer for time then for ready money but certainly this opinion is not consistent with the Rules of reason and therefore I shall give you my judgement in this particular 1. Then I conceive it no breach of equity in trading to take the more for a commodity if the man that buyes it requires time for the payment of it then if he paid ready mony and my reason is this because the parting with a Commodity without money is a dammage and hinderance to the seller and therefore he may lawfully take more as in Levit. 25.14,15 saies God there if thou buyest ought of thy Neighbour or sellest ought to thy Neighbour you shall not oppress one another but according to the multitude of years thou shalt increas the price thereof and according to the fewness of years thou shalt diminish the price of it The case here is the same if you sell your commodity for a tearm of years before you have your money you may sell it for the more and if for ready money you
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
are as a bulwark and fence to guard the heart against sinne The Spirit it is as the sluce of a pond if the flood-gate be down it keeps the water within its bounds but if you pull up the sluce what an inundation of water will there be 2. If thou wouldst have the Spirit to keep thee from evil thou must labour to keep thy selfe the Spirits keeping of a man doth not exclude his holy care to keep himselfe Psal 18.23 this was Davids practice He kept himselfe from his iniquity he would not make Gods care to keep him an occasion for him to be idle Remember and take this for a rule that if you do not take care to keep your selves from the occasions of sinne the Spirit will never keep you from the execution thereof and therefore you reade 1 Joh. 5.18 that he that is begotten of God he keepeth himselfe that the evil one toucheth him not and so speaks Jude Keep your selves in the love of God Jude 23. 3. What cause have regenerate men to blesse God both in reference to themselves and in reference to wicked men 1. In reference to themselves to what evil would not the flesh have drawn you had it not been for the contrary working of the Spirit in you I appeale to your own conscience how often have you resolved to do wickedly nay how farre have you gone in it insomuch that you have resolved on the time when on the place where and the manner how to bring your intended evil about and yet God hath kept you from your intended purpose so that ye could not do the evil ye would what cause have you to blesse God for positive grace and not only so but for preventing grace that you have been restrained from sin It was thus with David with a full resolution he did resolve to kill Nabal and all his family but the Spirit of God prevented it by setting home the counsell of a poor woman and therefore here upon see what cause you have to blesse God for preventing grace and that you may be provoked hereunto I would leave with you some considerations upon a twofold account 1. If you consider the universality of that corruption that is in your natures 2. If you consider the strength of it 1. If you consider the universality of corruption in the universality of persons all the children of Adam are infected with this common contagion all having sinned in him and so are guilty of the punishment so are they obnoxious to the contagion of Adams sinne Rom. 5.12 2. If you consider the universality of parts there is never a part of man but it is defiled with sinne even regenerate men as there is something in every part sanctified so there is something in each part unsanctified as there is grace in every part so there is sinne in every part 3. In regard of the object a mans nature it is averse to all good and prone to all evil Corruption of nature it is set out by Divines by comparing it to that rude Chaos which was before the creation in which rude heap there was vertualiy all creatures which afterwards the Lord created So it is with corruption of nature it hath vertually in it all the sinnes acted in the world 4. There is an universality in respect of the time this corruption of nature it was not only in one age of the world and not in another but in all ages of the world It reigned from Adam to Moses Rom. 5.14 even over those who had not sinned after the similitude of Adams transgression Now put all these together that all persons and all parts of men are corrupted and that in all times and that this corruption prompts you to all sinne consider but all this and have you not great cause to admire that there is no more wickednesse committed in the world 2. Consider not only the universality of corruption but the strength of it If it were but a weak enemy it were not so much but there is great strength and potency in it and therefore it is called sometimes an enticing and sometimes a drawing enemy and if it cannot entice by policy it will draw by power 2. We are to magnifie Gods grace in reference to wicked men that are enemies to the Church of God if the restraining grace of Gods Spirit did not withhold wicked men from doing the evil they would there would be no living in the world if it were not thus every wicked man would murther every man that angred him and he would deceive every man that dealed with him we should have all humane societies overturned the Church of God rooted out from under Heaven did not God by the common workings of his Spirit restrain men Psalme 76.10 God he will turne the wrath of man to his praise and the remainder of wrath wilt thou restraine It is spoken of Gods enemies and God will restraine their wrath by the common workings of his Spirit and it shall evidentially turne to his praise and shall be conducible to the glory of God and the good of his people You have a famous instance in Laban and Jacob Laban came with a mischievous intent against Jacob but God meets with him Gen. 31.29 and gives him a charge that he should not meddle with Jacob no not so much as to speak against him God laid a mighty restraint upon Labans spirit so that he could not do the mischief he intended Gen. 33.4 So likewise in the case of Esau and Jacob Esau he pursued his brother with a deadly hatred insomuch as he resolved when the dayes of his fathers mourning were over to kill his brother but God did so alter his disposition and restrain his bloody intent that when he met with his brother he fell on his neck and kissed him To this purpose the Psalmist hath an expression that the Lord shall cut off the spirit of Princes he is terrible to the Kings of the earth Psal 76.12 In other translations it is The Lord shall restraine the spirit of Princes and it was so in all ages and it is so in this age Men that hate religion though they have much power in their hands yet the power of their hands shall not come into act and because there is no wicked man in the world which shall do the evill he would therefore you have much cause to blesse God Pharaoh though he had much power in his hands yet God delivered his people out of his hands and thus the Lord would not suffer Balaam to curse his people Num. 23. Psal 105.14,15 he will suffer no man to do them harme as David speaks yea He reproved Kings for their sakes saying Touch not mine anointed and do my Prophets no harme Sermon XXVI 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