over they are no such men so is it in this case all this combate is but a meere shew 2 In a true combate there are some scarres some thing that stickes to him after the battell and some booty is carried away as a testimony of his valour so a Christian that hath got some ground against his enemy hee hath got some strength against his lusts as it was said of the house of David and Saul that Davids house did increase and Sauls decrease so is it here grace it gaines something at every combate now after the combate is over the melancholy person is as he was there is no alteration if hee was prophane before so hee is still or if hee was civill before he is civill still 3 They differ in their cure a distempered body is cured with physicke good ayre and temperate diet but who is hee that can cure a sicke and distempered soule not all the Physitians in the world Nay let mee speake a bold word not all the Angels in heaven are able by all their wisdome to helpe a wounded spirit it must be no lesse than the blood of the Lamb of God that takes away sin and heales a sicke distressed destempered soule 2 Againe the seate of this warre is sometimes among the passions Num. 13.32 so as one standeth in opposition to another Nay as the spyes that went to view the land of Canaan said unto Moses that the land they went to search was a land that did eate up the inhabitants of it so it is with our lusts one lust is so predominant that it eates up another as you have an example in Herod who being ambitious did favour Iohn Mark 6. Euseb lib. 8. cap. 17. because hee look't at the applause of the people for all held Iohn as a Prophet yet such was his lust to Herodias Libido potias quam iracundia tenebat imperium paulo post dicit author quod Christiana continentia neque morte neque pecunia expugnari potest that for her sake hee cast him into prison and afterwards cut off his head So it is sayd of Maxontius that as hee was cruell so was he incontinent and sometime his lust of incontinencie prevailed against that of cruelty as instance is given in a Christian Virgin whom hee had attempted to have defiled in which case sayth my Author that his incontinencie got the victory of his fury but now this warre is not a warre amongst them but against them all as they that are Christs doe crucifie the flesh with the affections and lusts Gal. 5.24 and the truth is that when as a man doth suffer his lust to rule is as if a man should suffer his feete to guide his head or the handmaid to rule over the mistresse so is it in this case for our passion should be guided by reason and reason rectified by the spirit and then things would goe in a right order therefore our Apostle doth shew that the flesh lusts against the spirit not that the flesh lusts against the flesh for though the lusts of the flesh may be at discord one with another it is but like that which was betweene Pilate and Herod which albeit there was some contention betweene them Luk. 23.12 yet they both joyned together against Christ so that howsoever it be that one lust may in some cases overthrow another yet they will all conspire against Christ CAP. XI Showing certaine other differences that are betweene them in this relactancie of the flesh against the spirit 3 In the time 3 THirdly they differ in the time of their combate the naturall combate oft-times comes as soone as reason can make a difference betweene good and bad and it is that which may be in a very heathen Ro. 2.15 for the Gentiles that had no law to goe by besides that which was written in their hearts yet by that were a law to themselves their consciences either excusing on accusing of them now conscience according to that light that it hath is alway at hand to contend against the workes of sinne and that fleshly appetite that is in us howbeit conscience may trouble us yet it is commonly for greater sinnes and not for lesser as Pharaoh for his great cruelty confesseth I have sinned and so we read did Nero and others but now for lesser them they easily passe over Saint Paul cryes out of the body of sinne that was within him and David of the cutting off Sauls garment his heart smote him for that but in this case the naturall conscience hath little to say because it knowes little therefore Saint Paul saith Rom. 7.7 I had not knowne lust except the Law had said thou shalt not lust that is his naturall conscience did not discover it unto him but it was given him by a higher and a clearer light Our Saviour Christ sheweth that while the strong man keepes the house all that a man possesseth is in peace but when a stronger than hee commeth then hee begins the combate so long as a man is in the state of nature the prince of the aire rules in his heart and hath quiet possession for although there may be a contention as hath beene shewed among the passions and lusts yet so as there is no hinderance to Sathan by that at all for the lesser footing hee hath in one lust the stronger hee is in another as it is among a company of gamesters looke what one loseth another winnes and suppose that they should be all losers yet the house where they game would be a gainer so is it here that as long as there is no other strife but amongst themselves men are still as bad or worse than they were and Sathan that keepes the house gaineâ— by them Againe suppose wee some strange man should come into this gaming house and should take away their money and burne the dice and cause the house to be pulled downe and bind the strong man and lay him in prison would not this breed hot blood and occasion strife So it is in this case for when the spirit comes then it comes with such might as beares downe all before it and overthroweth the strong holds of Sathan and every high thought that doth exalt it selfe against God by what as hath beene said you may easily see how this naturall combate differs from the spirituall in regard of the time 4 In the end 4 They differ in their ends that they have in their combate there are three ends for which a man doth undertake warre namely peace honour and terrour first this warre is undertaken for peace sake both peace of conscience and peace with God now howsoever a wicked man may seeme to humble himselfe for his sinne and to make up his peace with God yet it is but like those truces that are made in the warres for some short time for some private reasons knowne to themselves so is it in this case 1
undertooke any speciall office so Christians when they are made by grace Kings and Priests unto God they have this oyle of the spirit powred into their hearts our blessed Saviour confirmes this unto us in that speech to Nichodemus that which is borne of the spirit is spirit Ioh. 3.6 As Adam begot a man in his owne likenesse so the spirit it begetteth us like unto it selfe holy as it is holy heavenly as it is heavenly For the better understanding of the point in hand know that the spirit is to be considered 2. waies either according to its essence or according to his guifts graces now according to its essence and being it is every where it filleth heaven earth as it is excluded out of no place so neither is it included in any but in this sense wee can no more be said to have the spirit than other men and creatures can in whom and by whom wee all live move have our being Act. 17.28 but in the second sense in respect of its guifts and graces so some men are said in speciall to have the spirit as the spirit quickens 2 Cor. 3.6 and conveyeth a principle of life into us whereby wee live the life of grace and that is called spiritus inhabitans that takes up his seate in our heart and spiritus obsignans Iam. 4.5 that sealing spirit whereby the spirit witnesseth with our spirits that wee are the sonnes of God now in this sense we may be said to have the spirit Rom. 8.16 2 That there must by the helpe assistance of the spirit Mortifie the deeds of the body Ez. 36.27 a new bea rt will I give you and I will take away your stony heart c. that is that this mighty power of the spirit is that which will helpe forward to the taking away of this stony heart the Lord is said to wash away the filth of the daughter of Zion and to purge the blood of Jerusalem by the spirit of Judgement Esa 41.4 and the spirit of burning that is this spirit shall be in us and shall enable us to judge our selves and kindle such a fire in us as shall melt away the drosse of our corruption That you may the better understand what assistance it is that the spirit giveth unto us in this worke of mortification give mee leave to lay downe unto you these three things 1 By what meanes the spirit workes or helpeth forward this worke of mortification although I deny not but the spirit may can work where it listeth and when it listeth Ioh. 3.8 either by meanes or above meanes yet our taske is at this time to shew how it worketh by meanes 1 It awakeneth conscience it doth convince us of sinne and discovereth unto us the greatnesse of their number and the foulenesse of their nature thence it is that Christ when hee commeth doth convince the world of sinne of righteousnesse and of judgement of sinne because they believe not on him that howsoever the guilt of the Law lye heavie Ioh. 16.8 9 10. and the weight there of as a penalty greater than a man can tell how to beare yet then to have added hereunto another conviction that is the conderâ—ning sinne of infidelity Ioh. 3.18 this doth much aggravate Mar. 16.16 and make sinne out of measure sinfull therefore it is that our Saviour Christ saith that he that beleeveth not is condemned already as if hee should have sayd if a man were a drunkard or a swearer or a profane person and yet if he can beleeve there is hope of pardon but so long as hee doth not beleeve there is no hope at all for as much as hee is without God and without the Covenant of Grace Eph. 2.12 now the spirit when it commeth convinceth our judgments of this till such time as the spirit hath done this wee are like Ionah fast asleepe in the bottime of the ship the sea rageth the Mariners rowe the waves beate the ship is tossed up and downe yet all this doth but rocke Ionah faster a sleepe Iona 1.6 till the ship-master comes to him and sayes What meanest thou c. thou sleeper arise and call upon thy God c. So it is with us while we are asleepe in our sinnes the heavie wrath of God hangs over our heads yea and the judgements of God are abroad in the world yet wee lye fast asleepe senselesse and secure not dreading any anger but now when this blessed spirit of Christ shall waken us and shew us the danger and aske us what wee meane to continue in this condition then wee beginne to bethinke our selves and to shake off sluggishnesse and to cast about for our owne safety Act. 9.1 2 3 4 5 6. Saul thought himselfe safe enough when hee was a persecutor and that authority that hee had from the High-priest was sufficient to beare him out that while hee did breath out slaughter against Christ Ioh. 16.2 he thought hee had done God good service till Christ caused a light to shine from heaven and a voyce saying Saul Saul why persecutest thou mee this indeed wakened him and made him shake and tremble and say Who art thou Lord and what wouldest thou have mee to doe by this meanes it was that Paul of a persecutor becometh a preacher had his corruptions and cruell dispositions changed in him that of a fierce lion hee became as meeke as a lambe 2 The spirit of Christ it setteth home the meanes that God useth for our mortification 2 Cor. 10.4 the weapons of our warfare are mighty through God it is God that puts vertue and strength into them now there are severall sorts of weapons that the Holy Ghost useth for this end as 1 The preaching of the Word of God it is called the ministration of the spirit 2 Cor. 3.8 it is called the two edged sword Heb. 4.12 that which is sharper that it cuts asunder the soule and the spirit the joynts and the maâ—row and discovereth the secret intents of our hearts 2 Cor. 4.7 but what is that that makes this word so powerfull Sure it is the Holy Spirit of God that doth it wee have this Word in earthen vessels that the excellencie of the power might be of God and not of us it is not the Ministrie that can make the word virtuall and powerfull nor is it in the letter of the Word but in the spirit therefore when you come to the Word and heare it opened unto you 1 Cor. 3.6 doe not looke at the man who hee is nor the instrument but at the power which is from the spirit Saint Paul may plant Apollos water but it is God that must give the increase when it pleaseth God to accompany his word Ier. 23.29 with the influence of his spirit then is it like fire to purge out our drosse and like the hammer that breakes in sunder
our hard hearts that as Moses when he smote with his rod the rock Num. 2â— 1â— the water came abundantly so when God smites our hearts with the rod of his Word it is able to dissolve our hearts into teares and godly sorrow unto repentance not to be repented of 2 The spirit sets home afflictions and troubles to make them vertuall and efficacious to the subduing of our corruptions Zach. 13.9 I will bring a third part through the fire I will refine them as silver is refined and will try them as gold is tryed and they shall call upon my name and I will heare them c. When God takes us in hand then all the hurt that wee receive by our afflictions Esa 27.7.9 is the taking away of our sinnes all the fruit of their afflictions was to the end that thereby the iniquity of Jacob might be purged God suffered the bush to burn but yet it was not consumed because the Lord was in the midst of it The Finer is most carefull of his gold when it is in the furnace and so is God for our good in the time of our afflictions as he said periissem nisi periissem I had perished if I had not perished Many good Christian may say that if he had not had crosses and losses in the world hee had lost his soule We read of some of the Martyrs that have blessed God that ever they came to prison for Christ's sake that when they became mans bondmen then were they Christs freemen and could as comfortably feed on browne bread rouse in the straw as on a bed of downe What a marvellous change was wrought in Manasse 2 Chro. 33. from v. 1. to 14. who in his prosperity was most wicked hee fell to the Idolatry of the Heathen used inchantment witchchraft caused Hierusalem to swimme with blood yet in his affliction how did he humble himselfe greatly How mightily was hee then wrought upon how did his heart smite him Whence was this but from the spirit of God that perswaded his heart unto it for if that Gods spirit goe not at long with those afflictions that are on men they are never the better but the worse for them as you see it said of him that said because the evill was from the Lord 2 King 6.33 hee saw no reason to waite any longer and so it was of King Ahaz 2 Cron. 28. that in his extremity he sinned yet more and more therefore the Holy Ghost doth brand him with this infamous note this is that King Ahaz that is hee that afflictions could not mend nor make better And indeed when as it is so that affliction doth men no good it is to be feared that they have rejected the last remedy that God meanes to bestow upon them and God may say to them Why should I smite them any more Isa 1.5 3 The spirit setteth home examples of good men and maketh them meanes to mortifie our sinnes when wee see men weaned from the world upright in their waies charitable to the poore temperate in the use of the creatures holy humble and full of good fruits such a mans life when God pleaseth to set it on doth make other men repent and by seeing their good workes to glorifie God Shew thy selfe in all things a patterne of good workes Mat. 5.16 now a patterne is a rule for others to follow Tit. 2.7 examples teach sooner than precepts and are more easie to the undestanding to learne and also are more speedily taken into practice Longum â—ter por praecepta officaâ— breve per exemplu Sen. A notionall goodnesse is little worth unlesse some demonstration may be given of it in point of practice this wee read of Hezekâ—ah 2 King 18.3 that hee did walke in all the waies of his father David 2 King 22.2 and of Iosiah after him much more are godly mens examples very efficacious in their sufferings and in their deaths when the spirit shall joyne with them Iam. 5.11 as how hath the patience of Iob beene a patterne unto succeeding posterities Iob 1.21 wee want not many examples to prove how the blood of the Martyrs have beene the seede of the Church 2 King 6.22 23. If Elisha did so calme the Syrians by that example of patience and kindnesse so that they came no more to annoy and infest their land how much more may the patience of godly men perswade others to lay aside their cruelty and mortifie their strong corruptions CAP. XIX The manner how the spirit doth mortifie corruption COme wee now to the manner how the spirit doth mortifie corruption 1 The spirit sheweth the way how wee should mortifie the corruptions Esa 30.21 thou shalt heare a voyce behind thee saying this is the way walke in it When ye turne to the left hand or to the right it carries us through were it not for this assistance wee should either stand still goe no further or else turne aside either on the right hand to superstition Esa 50. to walke in the light of our owne sparkes and in the fire that wee have kindled or on the left hand to profanesse and to hardnesse of heart to commit iniquity with unsatiable greedinesse therefore that prayer of Moses should be ours Exo. 33.13 O Lord if I have found grace in thy sight shew me thy way now a man is theÌ„ in Gods way when hee goeth about his worke with carefulnesse Prov. 45.10 15. when a man devotes himself to his worke and takes pleasure in it as it was said of the Kings daughter that shee should forget her owne people and her fathers house which is a hard businesse and this was to be done chearfully and freely so when we do leave our dearest lusts Ioh. 8.44 and cast off the yoke sathan Eph 2.1 who is a father to the children of Belial and a Prince that raigneth over their consciences we must do it cheerfully as it is in the sweet song of Deborah Iudg. 5.2 who praised the Lord for the avenging of Israel when the people willingly offered themselves It is certaine that wee have then cause to blesse the Lord Deut. 20.5 6. when that God makes our heart willing to serve the Lord. It was a rule in the Law that if any man had builded a new house or planted a Vineyard or married a wife that hee should not goe to warre that yeare the reason was because that hee could not do it willingly out of that love and affection he had unto his present expectation of gaine and comfort lest that which hee had left at home might make him lesse willing to adventure his life or at least to turne backe before the battell was ended so any man that goeth to warre against his corruptions let him know this that if there be any thing in the world that his heart stands affected unto which maketh him
in Law moritur causa cum corpore that if the man die the suite falleth so is it here that if wee die to sinne then this suite will fall betweene us and God where there is no wood saith Solomon the fire goeth out Proy 26.20 so where there is no talebearer the strife ceaseth what is this wood but sinne and what maketh so great a cry in the eares of God as sin doth therefore take away sinne and the contention will be at an end 3. The third instruction that we may observe hence is this that it is an hard thing to mortifie our sin it is as hard to finde out a disease as it is to cure it the Philistins did quickly over-come Sampson when they found where his great strength lay it is easie for a man in generall to say that he is a sinner and yet if you should runne over the Commandements and come to particulars he would cleare himselfe as not guilty of any and say as the young man did all these have I done and like the Harlot Mat. 19.20 Prov. 3.20 wipe her mouth and say I have done no wickednesse therefore your care must be to search out wherin the great strength of sinne doth lye and therefore we must labour to take the light of the word to direct us and desire God that he will give us the light of his holy spirit to open our eyes that we may bee able to see and know our owne sinfull hearts and when wee have found it set upon this worke with courage and resolution 1. Againe another thing that makes sinne so hard to be mortified as that marriage that is made betweene sinne and us Rom. 7.4 after the people of Israel had mixed themselves among the Heathen and made marriages with them they were wonderfully hard to be brought to leave them Ezr. 10. so when as a man is married unto his lusts so it is a hard thing for a man to leave them but now for a man to kill his wife this is much more difficult It was a hard matter to flesh and bloud for Abraham to sacrifice his sonne and yet at the commandement of God he did it so must we doe our obedience to God must exceed our love of our sinnes though the matter be difficult yet it must be done as Iephtah when he had made a vow unto God though it turned afterward to his great griefe so to part with his onely daughter yet saith he I have opened my mouth to the Lord and I cannot goe backe so may we though that we finde the matter to be hard that we are about to doe to leave that we love so dearely yet resolve and vow against it and when we have so done then say as he did I have opened my mouth unto the Lord and I cannot goe backe nor can I alter what is gone out of my mouth 3. Another thing that maketh this worke of mortification hard and difficult is the close adherencie that sin hath unto us it winds it selfe so about us as the Ivy doth about the tree till it eate out the heart and sap of it so is it in this case corruption doth cleave unto us so as it is very hard to be freed from it 2 Sam. 2.21 Abner when he fled from Joah was so followed by Hazael that he had no way to be freed from him but by sheathing his speare in his bowels so it is in this case there is no way to be freed from these corruptions but by slaughter of them they will not be driven away with neither faire nor foule speeches you may scare away a dogge with harsh speeches but you cannot doe so with a Lion sinne is of the brood of the old Lion the Devill that will not bee easily driven away nor over-come therefore seeing it is that doth so beset us and doth cleave so hard unto us Heb. 12.1.2 let us shake off every thing that presseth downe and sin that doth disquiet us but how looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith as they that looked on the brazen Serpent were cured of the sting that they had received of the fiery Serpent so it is in this case when we looke up to Christ he it is that can onely stanch this bloody issue that sinne hath made in one word frequent the meanes that God hath appointed for curing of your soules John 17.17 the preaching of the word when you come with faith then there is hope of purging the word hath a cleansing power in it as the poole of Bethesda when it was troubled John 5.4 it had a healing vertue in it Chap. 22.4 so our hearts when they are troubled by the word God heales by it CAP. XXII Our weaknesse appeareth in this that we need the helpe of the spirit THis should teach us to take notice of our owne weakenesse and how without the spirit of Christ wee can doe nothing We beare about an ignorant mind a perverse will violent pasions that have in them an aptitude to all sin and wickednesse that as Adams actuall sinne corrupted his nature so our nature on the other side corrupteth and defileth our actions so as the streame cannot be good because the fountaine is corrupt fall wee may but rise wee cannot wee may plunge our selves deepe into the pit of finne but to recover our selves hoc opus hic labor est this is a worke beyond our strength wee cannot contract uncleannesse upon our selves but when wee have done wee cannot wash it off and though we should use never so many outward meanes to that enâ— yet were it not that the spirit goe along with us though we wash our selves with snow-water Iob 9.31.10.1 our own garmeÌ„t would defile us and make us uncleane Therefore it will be necessary that wee should examine whether we have the spirit of God yea or no which will be able to helpe up and beare us out in this businesse 1 It is the spirit of wisedome that doth enable us How you may know that you have the spirit to lay a sure foundation and to make such battell against the strong holds of sinne as these our lusts and corruptions cannot be able to withstand 2 Tim. 1.7 we have not received the spirit of feare but of power of love and of a sound mind where there is this sound mind there must needes be power and love such is the force of the spirit that it is set out by the rushing of a mighty winde and by the fire a mighty element so as nothing that is combustible can stand before it Now when God shall say awake O North Can. 4.16 and come thou South and blow upon my garden when he shall call the spirit of bondage which is as the North wind to terrifie and amaâ—e us for our sinnes and then shall send his spirit of adoption as the South wind to make us fruitfull in repentance and in the