those excellent qualities and rich ornaments of heauenly wisedome holinesse and righteousnesse wherewith they were beautified after Gods owne image were quite taken away The which being as it were the strong garrison which kept the Citie were no sooner expelled but the sinnefull lusts triumphing in their victory held all vnder their subiection to the diuels vse as their chiefe Soueraigne § Sect. 3. No conflict betweene the Flesh and the Spirit in the state of corruption Now there was not in eitheir of these estates this combate and conflict in vs betweene the flesh and the spirit whereof we intreate not in the state of innocency for then was there in vs a sweete harmony and consent betweene all our powers and parts of soule and body and there being no sinfull lust or vnruly passion in vs but a great multitude of well-agreeing graces wee enioyed a blessed peace Nor in the state of corruption was there any such conflict because the strong man Sathan possessing all all that hee possessed was in peace onely as it happeneth often among soldiars of the same band who striue one with another about the booty and prey there was some contention betweene the will and the conscience and betweene one vnruly passion and another but it was onely like those hot contentions betweene the Iesuits and the Priests who much disagreeing about profit and soueraigntie one with another yet all agreed and ioyned together as one man like true vassals to doe all seruice to their Lord God the Pope yea as it may probably be suspected euen their quarrels and contentions were part of his seruice and in their disagreeing they yeelded obedience to their holy father for so in like manner in the hottest contention betweene our sinnefull lusts they yeelded their obedience to the diuell as their chiefe soueraigne who if he sawe by this strife any disaduantage arising to his hellish kingdome through this hot contention was both able and ready to accord their differences as the Pope did those betweene the Priests and Iesuites and so to ioyne them together like friends in doing him seruice §. Sect. 4. The peace of the vnregenerate more pernicious then the most daungerous warre But this hellish peace was ten thousand times more dangerous pernitious to our poore soules and bodies then the most cruell and perillous war to the weakest enemy and so much the rather because we had no apprehensioÌ„ of the danger nor feeling of our own misery Because we were borne the bondslaues of the diuell and so still brought vp in doing him seruice in the vnfruitfull workes of darkenesse for which wee had onely the present pay of worldly vanities though when wee had laboured most in his toylesome workes we were oftentimes cozened of our wages Herein like vnto the Israelits vnder the Egyptian Pharaoh who when they were best vsed had but their onions garlicke and flesh pottes wherby onely they were but better enabled to doe their drudgery and worke in their bricke-kils and somtime in stead of these poore comforts they had for all their labour sore beatings and cruell blowes and yet being bred in this seruitude and knowing no better they rather chuse to returne vnto it againe then to take any paines in going to the land of promise So and much worse was our miserable bondage to the Pharaoh of hell for at the best we had for all our drudgery but the stincking garlicke and onyons of worldly vanitie which he gaue not for loue to vs but in loue to himselfe giuing vs this food as the rider giueth prouender to his horse that wee might bee the more hartened to doe him seruice And out of his hellish hatred and cruelty towards vs he often withheld from those who did him most faithfull seruice this pay of earthly prosperitie and in stead thereof afflicted and misused them with the blowes and stripes of misery and afflictioon Neuerthelesse being borne and inured to this hellish thraldome such was the height of our misery wee desired still to liue and dye in it taking our whole delight and placing our chiefe happinesse in pleasing our tyrannicall maister by seruing him in the workes of darkenesse and doing all abhominable wickednesse although wee were sure after that wee had beene toyled in his seruice and scorched in his bricke-killes we should for the accomplishment of our reward be cast into the fire of hell § Sect 5. Gods infinite loue in sending his only soone to redeeme vs made waâ— for this spirituall conflict But when we were in this desperate condition and now come to this height of misery that we desired still to liue in it and like the Israelits with Moses would haue beene angry with any who should haue offered vnto vs meanes of deliuerance because not onely our other parts and faculties but also our willes and hearts our loue and liking with all other our affections were enthralled in this seruice and voluntarily leauing their Lord and creatour wholly adhaered to Sathan and delighted to doe his will euen then our gracious God infinite in all mercy and goodnesse of his meere grace and free good will sent his onely sonne into world to redeeme vs with his precious death to vanquish and subdue all the enemies of our saluation and to set vs at liberty who were embondaged and were so in loue with our thraldome that wee did not so much as desire to bee freed from it Who hauing thus paide the price of our redemption and prouided a soueraigne salue for all our sores of sinne doeth not so leaue vs for then wee should haue ben neuer the better but applyeth the power and efficacy of his merits vnto vs and as it were with his owne hand â—ayeth the plaister vpon our mortall wounds whilest by his word made effectuall by his spirit he maketh knowne vnto vs this excellent worke of our redemption and the promises of grace and saluation made to all beleeuing and repentant sinners by which he begetteth this faith in vs wherewith as with an hand we lay hold on and apply vnto vs his righteousnesse death and obedience for our iustification and redemption and so in respect of right we are freed from our sinnes so as they cannot condemne vs because God in Christ hath forgiuen them and also from the tyranny and thraldome of Sathan death hell and condemnation Rom. 8. 1. 3â— so as they shal be neuer able to hurt vs or lay any thing to our charge And not resting here our powerfull Sauiour sendeth his spirit with many legions of his graces into our hearts who pul vs out of the dominion of sinne and Sathan so as they cannot rule and raigne in vs as in times past regenerate and purifie vs from the filth and corruption of sin by power of the same death which deliuered vs from the guilt and punishment due vnto it and enable vs to serue God in newnesse of life by applying likewise vnto vs the vertue of his
best wines when they taste them but leaue and let them goe when as they heare how deare they are prized §. Sect. 10 The third difference betweene them is in their properties Thirdly iustifying and temporarie faith doe differ one from another in their properties and qualities For true faith is heartie and vnfained and therefore is called by the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 faith that is not fained and if there be any hypocrisie lurking in the heart it is an enemie vnto 2. Tim. 1. 1. 5. it and laboureth to purge and roote it out but the faith of temporaries is hypocriticall and purposely affecteth and delighteth in disguizing and dissimulation Againe true faith is constant and couragious to indure the fiery triall It will come vnto God and catch hold on him for mercie when hee frowneth and seemeth angry It applyeth the promises when they seeme voide and hopelesse and waiteth Esa 28. 26. Habac. 2. 3. Gods leysure when hee deferreth to performe them For hee that beleeueth as the Prophet speaketh shall not make hast It cleaueth vnto the Lord when he seemeth to reiect and shake vs off and will not leaue the profession and practise of his truth when it is beaten from it by afflictions and persecutions But temporarie faith though it make a glorious and golden shew in the time of prosperity yet it becommeth drosse in the fierie tryall and though it commeth ioyfully to God when he inuiteth with benefits yet it will cowardly runne away when hee threatneth or correcteth It springeth and sprouteth when it is watetered with the showers of prosperitie but withereth and sadeth when the hot sunne of persecution ariseth and though the temporarie bee ready to receiue all good from God yet he is not patient with Iob of receiuing euill also § Sect 11. The fourth difference in respect of their concomitants Fourthly iustifying faith differeth from the faith of temporaries in respect of the companions which doe accompapanie them For true faith is ioyned alwayes with a great conflict betweene it doubting which maketh the poore Christian to cry out with the father of the possessed child I beleeue Lord help mine vnbeliefe and with the Apostles Saue Mark 9. 24 Mat. 8. 25. vs Lord we perish Neither doth it obtaine the victorie ouer vnbeliefe and get quiet possession of our hearts without much struggling striuing and painefull labouring in the vse of all good meanes whereby it may strengthen it selfe and weaken its enemie But the faith of temporaries is easily attained without any great opposition or long labour for no sooner doth he heare the Word but presently he receiueth it with ioy and as soone as the seede is cast Mat. 13. 20. into the stonie ground it forthwith springeth and sheweth it selfe in the greene blade of a glorious profession It reioyceth before it grieueth and comfort commeth before mourning It is exalted before there was any humiliation and triumpheth in victorie without any conflict And the reason is because the temporary beleeuer is not much crossed in his presumptuous conceipt by Sathan or his owne flesh who are content to let him flatter himselfe with a shaddow and semblance of faith which is without vse or fruit that resting in this he may neuer labour after such a faith as is sound and substantiall knowing well enough that it will nothing profit him seeing within a while his inlightning will turne to greater darknes his beleeuing to desperate denying or deepe despairing his washing and cleansing to greater pollution and defiling and that hee may at pleasure make his re-entrance with seuen spirits worse then himselfe and so make the last end of this man worse Heb. 6. 4. 5. 6. Mat. 12. 44. 45. 2 Pet. 2. 20. then his beginning Againe true faith is ioyned with all other sanctifying and sauing graces for from this fire of faith riseth the flame of loue and zeale from this holy roote springeth the fruit of all new and true obedience From this fountaine floweth affiance in God feare hope humilitie and the rest all which as they are the effects of faith in respect of their birth and being so are they companions props and stayes of it after they are wrought in vs. But especially the most knowne and apparant companion of a liuely faith is a good conscience For he that assuredly apprehendeth Gods loue in Christ maketh conscience of all his workes and wayes carefully doing those things which may please him who hath so loued him and whom hee so loueth and flying those things which may offend him 1 Tim. 1. 5. 3 9. Whereof it is that the Apostle ioyneth them together The end saith he of the commandement is charitie out of a pure Heb. 10. 23. heart and good conscience and faith vnfained And againe Let vs draw neere with a true heart in full assurance of faith hauing our hearts sprinckled from an euill conscience and our bodies washed with pure water But the temporarie as he hath onely a seeming faith so hath hee also but counterfeit and seeming graces he hath no true loue of God and his brethren but such as springeth from selfe loue and loue of the world no affiance in God longer then he vnderproppeth it with secundarie meanes and sensible helpes no hope longer then the promises are ioyned with present performance no feare of God but seruile and slauish no zeale but like that of Iehu such as will further his worldly ends neither doth hee make conscience of imbracing and practising all duties commaunded but some onely which best fit or least crosse his carnall affections nor of mortifying and forsaking all manner of sinne but of such onely as bring least pleasure or profit and that little which he doth is not performed in loue and obedience towards God but out of pride and vaine-glorie selfe-loue seruile feare or worldly respects § Sect 12. The fift differēce in their effects 1 True faith purifieth the heart Lastly iustifying faith differeth from that which is temporarie in their fruits and effects For true faith purifyeth the heart from all manner of sinne especially those inward and secret corruptions which are knowne onely to God and a mans owne conscience and not onely bindeth the hands to the good behauiour but reneweth and changeth the affections of the heart causing it to hate mortally those vices which it formerly loued and to resist and subdue them in their birth and first beginnings But the faith of temporaries doth not purifie the heart but onely seemingly reformeth the outward actions or if it purgeth it from any sinnes it is from such as are contrarie to naturall appetite or from those which are lesse pleasing and profitable and not from those wherevnto nature chiefely inclineth and wherein the corrupt heart doth especially delight § Sect. 13 The 2 effect wher in they differ is in respect of their operation Secondly iustifying faith worketh by loue and is fruitfull in the duties
is likened to a filthy harlot which by her alluring baytes inticeth to commit folly with her vpon which followeth the conception and birth of sinne and death And our Sauiour Christ telleth I am 1. 14. 15. vs that from within euen in the heart that is the sinnefull Mat 14. 18. 19. flesh and naturall corruption which chiefely resideth in the heart proceede euill thoughts adulteries fornications murthers thefts couetousnes wickednesse deceipt lasciuiousnes an euill eye blasphemy pride foolishnesse c. Contrary to this is the lusting of the spirit which endeauoureth to stirre vp perseuer good motions inclinations in vs as good meditations in the mind good resolutions in the will good desires and affections in the heart which are conformable and agreeable to the holy will and word of God Thus the Apostle Iohn saith that we haue receiued an vnction from 1 Ioh. 2. 10. the holy one whereby wee knowe all things And Saint Paul exhorteth vs not to quench the spirit that is the good motions which arise from it as it were sparkes from the fire So Dauid I will blesse the Lord who hath giuen mee 1 Thes 5. 19. Psal 16. 7. counsell my raynes also instruct me in the night season that is those sweete meditations and motions which the spirit secretly in the night season putteth into our mindes and hearts And the Prophet Esay saith that the eares of the faithfull shall heare a voyce behinde them saying This is the Esa 30. 21. way walke yee in it when they turned to the right hand and when they turned to the left Which is to be vnderstood not onely of the voyce of Gods Ministers outwardly speaking vnto vs in the ministery of the word but also of the voyce of the spirit secretly by the good motions thereof leading vs into all truth For so our Sauiour accordingly promiseth that hee would send his spirit the comforter who should conuince the world of sinne righteousnesse and iudgement and that when hee was come hee should leade the faithfull into all trueth and reueale vnto them things to Ioh. 16. 8. 13. come § Sect. 6. The second many end at which the flesh aymeth in lusting against the spirit The second maine thing at which the flesh aymeth in this conflict is either to represse and smother the good motions and inclinations which the spirit exciteth and stirreth vp in vs or else to poyson and corrupt them that they may become vnprofitable and turned into sinne So when the spirit moueth vs to performe some good duty of Gods seruice of iustice or mercy it will labour to quench this motion and to withdrawe vs from it either by alluring vs vtterly to neglect it and to spend our time rather in pursuing worldly vanities or by perswading vs that there is such difficultie in it that wee shall not bee possibly able to compasse and atchieue it or if we doe that it will not bee worth our labour or finally by intycing vs to deferre and delay it because we may be fitter or haue better opportunitie to performe it hereafter then at this present in which respect the Apostle saith that through this opposite lusting of the flesh we cannot doe the good we would But if it cannot Gal. 5. 17. perswade vs either vtterly to neglect the duties of Gods seruice which he commaundeth or to deferre them till we get some better opportunity then it will endeauour to inturrupt and distract vs in them and to staine them with our corruptions and imperfections that they may not bee acceptable As when we set our selues to pray or heare the word it will put into our mindes worldly cogitations and wandring thoughts that so we may not intende these holy exercises or else oppresse our hearts with drowsie dulnesse deadnesse of spirit and carnall wearinesse so as we cannot performe them with any chearefulnesse And of this the Apostle complaineth namely that when he delighted in the lawe of God in the inner man he sawe another lawe in his members Rom. 7. 22. 23. warring against the lawe of his minde and bringing him into captiuitie to the lawe of sinne which was in his members Esa 64. 6. And this is the cause why our best righteousnesse becommeth like a menstrous cloth and why our best prayers neede to be perfumed with the sweete odours of Christs intercession before they can ascend vnto God and become sweete incense in his nostrils § Sect. 7. The ends at which the spirit aymeth in lusting against the flesh Contrariwise the spirit laboureth and endeauoueeth to suppresse and subdue those euill motions which the flesh rayseth in vs and still moueth vs to take the first and best opportunities of seruing God and doing his will So also it purifieth our hearts by faith from all our sinnefull corruptions and maketh vs to labour and striue against our infirmities and imperfections that wee may with feruency of spirit and chearefulnesse of heart performe all holy service vnto God and when in these our endeauours wee come short of our desires through this sinfull flesh which doth so easily encompasse vs it moueth vs to bewaile our imperfections Hhb 12. 1. and still more and more to labour in the vse of all good meanes whereby wee may attaine vnto more perfection as wee see in the example of the Apostle Paul who kept vnder this body of corruption beating it as it were blacke and blewe that he might hold it with the lusts thereof in subiection whereof when hee fayled and was 1 Cor. 9. 27. Rom. 7. 23. 24. either hindred from doing good or led captiue vnto sinne he makes lamentable complaints of these rebellious lustes and not contenting himselfe with that portion of grace and godlinesse vnto which hee had attained hee forgate what was past and still did labour and striue to attaine vnto Phil. 3. 12. more perfection And thus the spirit mastereth and subdueth the flesh so as it cannot haue full libertie and take it full swinge in sinne as it desireth according to that of the Apostle Whosoeuer is borne of God doeth not commit sinne for his 1 Ioh 3. 9. seede remaineth in him and hee cannot sinne namely like the vnregenerate with full swing and consent of will because he is borne of God CHAP. V. Of the manner of the fight betweene the flesh and the spirit in our seuerall faculties and parts § Sect. 1. The conflict betweene the flesh and the spirit in the minde BVt let vs descend to some particulars and consider the maner of this fight betweene the flesh and the spirit in our seuerall faculties and parts And that both the superiour and inferiour faculties In the superiour as both the minde and the will whether we consider them seuerally or ioyntly Concerning the former the minde of the faithfull being but in part renewed and regenerate the reliques Est mihi mens duplex altera bona et boni sequax at
loue our owne saluation for though these doe potentially belong to all the faithful yet they cannot actually be applied vnto them so long as they liue and lye securely in some knowne sins without repentance especially those promises which concerne temporary benefites which are present pledges and pawnes of Gods loue and fauour But against these also faith preuaileth when as it purifieth our hearts bringing vs to a sight and sence of our sinnes to a loathing and detestation of them and to a constant resolution and earnest endeauour to labour and forsake them for the time to come and so againe afresh applyeth the promises vnto vs as hauing now iust interrest and right vnto them § Sect 3. That the conflict betweene the Flesh and the Spirit is most turbulent and sensible in the afeections and sensuall appetite And thus haue we seene the conflict betweene the flesh and the spirit in the superiour faculties the like may be obserued in the inferiour seated in the heart as the affections passions and sensuall appetite the which though they bee no more corrupted then the other yet the corruption in them is much more sensible and though the conflict be no more daungerous yet is it much more turbulent and violent For as the poyson in the braine is as mortall and pernitious as any other and not resting there alone but diffusing it selfe into all the parts of the body doeth benum and dead them but that which is receiued into the stomach is much more raging and painefull sending vp poysonous vapours into the head wherewith it is annoied and mortally affected so the poyson of corruption hauing tainted the vnderstanding faculties doeth from thence descend to the heart and affections infecting them with their malignitie but that which is infused into them doeth cause a more raging and violent disease which is more sensible and grieuous and becommeth more dangerous to the soule sicke in sinne because these inferiour faculties being corrupted doe worke also vpon the will and vnderstanding striking vp their poyson backe againe vnto them with redoubled violence For as the outward obiects moue and affect the senses and they the heart and affections so they being thus moued doe moue the will and the will draweth also the iudgement and vnderstanding But though these sensuall faculties are more grossely poysoned and therefore seeme more desperately incurable yet the spirit of God working also vpon these parts doeth purge them from their contagious humours and comforteth the heart with such spirituall cordials and strengtheneth it with such heauenly antidotes that spirituall health is in some measure recouered but for as much as in this life the poyson of corruption is not wholly expelled so they are not fully perfected there is a continuall conflict betweene health and sicknesse the antidotes and the poyson the heart and affections as they are renewed and sanctified and as they remaine corrupted and vnregenerate For the hard stone in the heart striueth with the soft flesh rebellion with obedience corrupâ—on with grace and whilest the spirit draweth the heart vnto God and spirituall and heauenly things that it may inseparably cleaue and adhaere vnto them the flesh pulleth it backe and withdraweth it from them and laboureth to keepe it still fixed and fasted vpon earthly and worldly vanities §. Sect. 4. of the conflict betweene the affections and passions And from the same cause springeth that continuall conflict which is betweene the affections and passions wherein sometimes the same affections deuided as it were betweene grace and corruption doe fight and striue against themselues and sometimes being crosse matched doe mutually oppose and encounter other affections and passions which are contrary and opposite vnto them the former combate being exercised in contrary the latter about the same subiects Thus the loue of God and of spirituall and heauenly things is assaulted with selfe loue loue of the world and hatred of those Diuines excellencies Affiance in God his prouidence and promises with confidence in the creatures and diffidence in the all-sufficient creatour zeale of Gods glory with carnall blinde zeale coldnesse and lukewarmenesse the feare of God which is ingenuous and filiall with feare of men and that feare of God which is slauish and seruile Hope in God with earthly hopes and also with presumption and despaire sorrow for sinne with worldly sorrowe which causeth death also with wretchlesnesse and carnall securitie ioy in the holy Ghost and spirituall reioycing in God with carnal ioy in the pleasures of sinne and desperate griefe for worldly losses Alacritie and chearefulnesse in Gods seruice with carnall chearefulnesse in pursuing our sensuall and sinnefull lustes and also with lumpish heauinesse dulnesse deadnesse of heart and carnall wearinesse In which conflict though the spirit receiue many foyles through the raging violence of these wilde and rebellious passions and is oftentimes so wounded that in outward appearance there seemeth to be no life remaining yet it proueth to be but a daungerous sownde out of which recouering with redoubled valure it reneweth the conflict and getteth the victory Though it seeme but a small sparke remaining of a great fire almost extinguished with a flood of passions and so couered vnder the ashes of corruptions that it scarce appeareth yet when the spirit of God doeth blowe vpon it it encreaseth in strength to a great flame and finally though whilest the storme lasteth like a shippe in a mighty tempest it is so hidde vnder the waues of sinfull passions that scarce any shew or semblance of grace remaineth yet the good spirit of God asswaging the tempest and becalming these rough and raging Seas like the shippe which seemed lately suncke they re appeare shew themselues in their former beautie and being helped on with that diuine breath they carry vs forward in all Christian courses as it were vnderfull sayles with a prosperous winde and tide CHAP. VII Of the effects which this Conflict betweene the flesh and the spirit produceth in vs. § Sect. 1. That the man regenerate cannot with full consent of will chuse or refuse either good or euill WEe haue seene the manner of the conflict betweene the flesh and the spirit in our seuerall parts and faculties now let vs briefly consider of the effects which it produceth in vs. And these are either in the will and desires or in the workes and actions Concerning the former from this conflict betweene the flesh and the spirit arising from the imperfection of our regeneration this effect is wrought and caused in the man regenerate that hee cannot with his whole will and full consent either choose and embrace or refuse and reiect either good or euill because being partly regenerate and partly vnregenerate his will is deuided and accordingly doeth at the same time refuse and choose both the euill and the good For when the will as it is regenerate would doe that which is good or auoide and shun that which is euill that part
the spirit the reason minde and conscience not excepted But in the combate which is in the vnregenerate the conflict is betweene diuers faculties which are all carnall and corrupted fighting one of them against another as betweene the reason and the will the conscience and the carnall concupiscence passions Rom. 2. 15. and affections in which whether soeuer party preuaileth still the vnsanctified man is drawne vnto sinne And so also they differ in the manner of the fight for that which is betweene the spirit and the flesh is done by contrary lusting the one against the other in a practicall reall and effectuall maner but that which is betweene the reason and the will the conscience and the affections is maintained by logicall disputes and mentall discourses whilest the conscience inferres fearefull conclusions of punishments Gods ensuing iudgements vpon the wicked choyse of the will and their yeelding to satisfie their carnall affections For though in the creation the wil was in subiection to reason and embraced or shunned that which it approued or disalowed and though this order bee commonly obserued betweene the faculties euen in this state of corrupion yet after that man rebelled against his chiefe Soueraigne there followed rebelliō therupon in the inferior faculties against their superiour in the little commonwealth of man and now the will yeelding obedience no further then it liketh and lusteth doeth often resist reason which is his King and refuseth to follow it directions and to allow of it conclusions but rather embraceth the cleane contrary Now whilest reason is earnest in perswading by arguments and the will rebellious and violent in crossing and thawarting it the conscience being awakened and rowsed vp commeth in to the rescue of reason restraining the will from embracing that euill it liketh by the terrours of punishment which it adiudgeth the offender vnto vpon the committing of the sinne wherewith oftentimes when the violence of the will is abated and the courage thereof cooled so that it beginneth to stagger and faint in its resolution then enters in a tumultuous troope of passions and affections as fresh aydes to strengthen the will in rebellion which being themselues first hyred and corrupted to doe seruice vnto Sathan in sinnefull desires and actions with the present pay or expected wages of worldly vanities doe by the same proffers perswade the will to continue stiffe and obdurate in rebellious courses and with all resolution to oppose it selfe against reason and conscience But yet consider that in all this conflict betweene these diuers faculties there is no enmitie contrariety betweene them in their natures neither is there more grace or lesse corruption in the reason and conscience then in the will and affections for they as well as these doe like and loue sinne with the pleasures and profits of it in it owne nature if they were not deterred with the fearefull consequents of Gods iudgments and punishments which they see will necessarily follow vpon such sinnefull praemises Nor is there lesse emnitie betweene them and Gods grace and goodnesse for were they out of the gunshot of daunger they would as willingly embrace the pleasures of sinne as doe the affections and will but heere onely is the difference that they are more pollitique enemies to God and all goodnesse and more wisely louing themselues dare not seeke pleasure in such sinfull attempts as will cause more bitternesse sorrow in the ende through sense of punishment then can be counteruailed with the short ioy which they shall take in the fruition of their wicked delights whereas the other being more rude and sensuall doe onely looke vpon present obiects and therefore when they see a bayte and booty of sinne set out before them they runne vnto it with a headlong violence not fearing nor caring for the imminent daunger of denounced punishments § Sect. 6. The conflict betweene the flesh the spirit is in the same saculties But it is farre otherwise in the conflict betweene the spirit and the flesh which is not betweene diuers faculties all still remaining and agreeing in their naturall corruption and onely differing one with another like Souldiars in the same Campe and fighting vnder the same Generall vpon their diuers reasons and grounds in the managing of the War the one being more willing in running into dangers the other more wary to auoide and escape them but it is betweene the same faculties fighting against themselues reason against reason and will against will not arysing from a syllogisticall discourse vpon outward grounds of ensuing mischiefes but from a reall change of their nature wrought by Gods spirit the which because it is but begun and imperfect the reliques of sinnefull corruption remaining and dwelling in the same house and heart with spirituall and renewed graces these being euen in their owne nature as contrary one to another as fire to water light to darknesse good to euill there necessarily followeth a continuall conflict betweene them in which as vnreconciable enemies they seeke to destroy one another not moued hereunto by discourse of reason no more then in the fight betweene the Lyon and the Dragon the Dogge and the Beate the fire and water but by the antipathy and contrarietie which is in their natures Whereof it is that a new borne babe in Christ who hath litle learning and a small degree of knowledge and spirituall vnderstanding doeth with as great resolution withstand the encounters and motions of sinne and endeauours to please God though he be scarce able to render a reason of his doings as those who are growne vnto a riper age and haue attained vnto an higher degree of learning and wisedome An example whereof wee haue in many poore simple illiterate men who as conscionably auoide all sin and practise the holy duties of a Christian life as other Christ ans who are learned and haue a greater measure of knowledge and wisedome and also in many martyres who being vnlearned and not able to maintaine the trueth of their cause by syllogisticall disputes did yet as resolutly oppose themselues against idolatry and popish heresies and as willingly and couragiously seale the trueth with their blood as others who had attained to the greatest learning Which plainely sheweth that their opposition to errour and falsehood was not chiefly grounded on mentall discourses for then those who most excelled in learning knowledge should haue as much exceeded in their resolution and opposition but vpon that secret change of nature made in them by Gods spirit by which they opposed that which was euil not onely in their reason and vnderstanding but also in their will hearts and affections with all other powers and parts of their soules and bodies By which it appeareth that the Christian is no sooner conceiued of the seede of the spirit and by communication of sauing grace receiueth spirituall life birth and being but hee presently becommeth one of Gods souldiars and as naturally and voluntarily by vertue
direction It much cheareth and delighteth this heauenly counsellour when as wee hearken to his counsels and be aduised by him in all our courses whereas there can be no comfort to any Prince in his gouernment when as his subiects vpon euery occasion stand out in open rebellion and continually resist him in all his lawfull Commaundements and who would not refuse it as an irksome office to be still aduising a man of such a refractory spirit as will either neuer followe his counsaile or make it vnseasonable and vnprofitable by vnnecessary delayes If therefore we would comfort and cherish the spirit let vs willingly entertaine the good motions which it putteth into our minds and speedily put them in practise and execution As for example when as fit oportunitie being offered it moueth vs to call vpon God by prayer either to begge the graces which wee want or to giue him thankes for benefits receiued we are not to tread this motion vnder foote by vtter neglect nor yet to coole or quench it by casting vpon it the cold water of delaies but wee must presently nourish the motion and not deferre to put it in execution when it moueth vs to attend vnto the hearing of the word either on the Lords day when as we are bound to meete in the holy assemblies or on the weeke day when as our necessary imployments in the workes of our callings will giue vs reasonable opportunitie we are to take hold of the occasion offred and not deferre it by causelesse delaies And when God presenteth vs with an obiect of misery and his spirit moueth vs to take the present occasion of doing a worke of mercy as by giuing an almes to the needy visiting the sicke and such as are in prison helping the impotent and comforting the comforâ—les and afflicted wee must not neglect these workes of charitie nor put them off to another time but as willingly and chearefully apprehend the present opportunitie as the husbandman doeth the season of sowing the Merchant of trading and the Marriner of hoysing vp sayles when as hee hath gotten a good gale of winde seeing otherwise God may iustly punish our negligence by neuer granting vs againe such seasonable occasions §. Sect 4. The fourth meanes is serious care to maintaine our peace with God and the peace of conscience The fourth meanes of cherishing and strengthening of the spirit is to bee carefull of maintaining our peace with God and our assurance of his loue and fauour the which is best done by preseruing peace in our owne consciences and by keeping them cleare of knowne voluntary sinnes whereby the anger of our heauenly Father is prouoked against vs and we exposed to his heauy iudgements For if God bee offended how shall his spirit bee well pleased with vs how shall hee be willing to renewe our strength and to send vnto vs fresh supplies of his graces to aide and assist vs against our spirituall enemies or how shall the created spirit dwelling in vs with courage and comfort fight against the diuell the world and the flesh when as it is depriued of the light of Gods countenance and hath its peace interrupted with him yea when it apprehendeth his wrathfull displeasure and as it was with Iob and Dauid conceiueth that God hath not onely forsaken him but is also become his enemie how shall the streames of Gods graces continue running when as they are stopped and cut off from the spring and fountaine or how should our strength hold out when the God of our strength doeth withdrawe himselfe from vs If therefore we would haue the spirit in vs strong and uigorous let vs preserue as much as in vs lieth our intercourse with God and vse all good meanes to strengthen our faith in the assurance of his loue and our reconciliation and peace with him for if God be with it the spirit will be so couragious and magnanimous that it will not care who opposeth against it Yea our care must bee not onely to strengthen our faith in this assurance that God who hath chosen vs will neuer leaue vs and that hauing begun the good worke of regeneration he will neuer giue it ouer till he hath fully finished it because hee is vnchangeable in his loue and his gifts and calling are without repentance but if wee would haue the spirit strong and vigorous wee most not neglect the feelings of faith nor the sensible comforts of Gods loue warming and comforting our hearts but wee must labour to finde the vertue and efficacy of his grace working in vs and haue the experimentall apprehension of the comforts of his spirit Wee must endeauour to haue not onely Gods graces habitually but to feele their seuerall actions and operations working our hearts to all good duties For though the sunshine of Gods fauour once shining vpon vs can neuer vtterly faile yet the beames thereof may by the interposition of our sins bee ecclypsed from vs for a time though the fountaine of his grace towards vs can neuer be dried vp yet the streames thereof may bee so stopped that wee can by present apprehension feele little comfort by it And though our faith which is the life of our spirit cannot be lost of those who euer had it yet when the life of our life the comfortable seelings of faith our communion with God peace of conscience ioy in the holy Ghost are taken away or for a time suspended and hid from vs we are exceedingly weakened in the spirituall part and haue litle comfort or courage in maintaining the fight against our spirituall enemies Now these feelings of faith and comforts of the spirit are best obtained and kept when as wee preserue our Communion fellowship and familiar acquaintance with God in the conscionable and frequent vse of his holy ordinances the hearing of his word Prayer the vse of the Sacraments keeping company with him in his holy assemblies where he is present by his spirit when as with the spouse in the Canticles we reioice in his coÌ„pany and with Dauid bee rauished with ioy and delight when as wee meete him in his holy Temple and when as with them Psal 84. 1. psal 42. 1. 2. wee mourne and grieue for his absence and when he with draweth himselfe doe seeke his face and fauour and aboue all things desire and long after his comfortable presence When as wee labour daily in the mortification of our sins which doe make a seperation betweene our God and vs and doe exercise our selues in all holy duties of his seruice thereby glorifying his holy name and edifying our neighbours by our good example Which if wee doe then shall the beames of Gods fauour and the streames of his graces haue a cleare passage vnto vs with which our spirituall part shall be so cheared cherished and encreased in strength that we shall easily withstand all the malice and fury of our spirituall enemies and obtaine an happy victory in our Christian warfare
to vnderstand by Spirit in the following discourse The spirit then whereof we intreat is the new man or the regenerate part of a Christian which is nothing else but a created qualitie of wisedome holinesse and righteousnesse whereby we are in the whole man renewed vnto Gods image which continually fighteth against and in the end ouercommeth the flesh with all the lusts thereof And Ephes 4. 24. Col. 3. 10. this is the other champion in the spirituall combate which also is described vnto vs in the Scriptures by diuers names that wee might the better conceiue of the nature thereof For first it is called the Spirit both to note the cause and author of it which is the Spirit of God and to teach vs Ioh. 3. 6. Rom. 7. 6. that it is of a simple pure and immortall nature and most opposite to that which is carnall earthly and sensuall It is called the new man in opposition to the old Adam and that corruption of nature which was deriued immediately from Ephes 4. 22. Col. 3. 10. him and to point out the difference betweene the flesh and the spirit in respect of their causes for the cause of the flesh was the old man our first parent Adam from whom it was propagated the cause of the other was the new man or second Adam Christ Iesus who by his Spirit hath regenerated 2 Cor. 2. 15. and begotten vs vnto God making vs to become new creatures renewed according to the image of God It is called the spirituall man both to point out the cause from which it hath it being euen the Spirit of God which regenerateth Gal. 6. 1. and sanctifieth vs and also in respect that it selfe is the cause of many spirituall actions and is wholly taken vp and exercised about spirituall and diuine obiects aboue all things seeking to bee inriched with Gods sauing graces and to haue sure title and iust claime to the Kingdome of heauen which is the inheritance of the blessed Angels and holy spirits And finally to put a difference betweene him who is led by the spirit and him who is meerely natural and worldly the one resembling and imitating the old Adam who was from the earth earthly the other the second Adam who was from heauen heauenly the one led by the sense and seeking onely things sensuall and carnall the other soaring aloft and minding those things which are diuine and spirituall It is called the a Ioh. 3. â— 1 Pet. 1. 23. regenerate man to note that wee haue it not by naturall propagation but by spirituall regeneration and new birth wherby being begotten by the word and spirit wee are borne vnto God It is called the inner man and the c 1 Pet. 3. 4. hidden man of the heart because it swayeth ruleth principally in the soule mind and b Rom. 7. 22. Eph. 3. 16. heart inlightning the vnderstanding sanctifying the will and affections and so making them conformable to the word and will of God and cannot be discerned outwardly by the sense but only when it sheweth it selfe in the effects and fruits thereof It is called a d 2 Cor. 5. 17. Gal. 6. 15. new creature because it is no relique or remainder of that image of God according to which we were at the first created but a new work of Gods holy spirit by his sole omnipotent power made of nothing and not of any praeexistent matter which it found in vs. Finally it is called the law of the spirit and the law of the e Rom. 8. 2. 7. 23. minde because it is ingrauen and written in our hearts ruling and gouerning vs directing and inclining vs both in our soules and bodies vnto all holy obedience f Rom. 8. 1. 14. and inciting vs to the performance of all Christian duties wherein this lawe of the Spirit differeth from the lawes of men for although it bee the intention of lawgiuers to make men good yet their lawes doe this onely thus far forth as they giue notice vnto them what they ought to doe and leaue vndone but the holy spirit dwelling in vs doth not onely by inlightning our vnderstanding teach vs what is our dutie but also inclineth our hearts and affections vnto obedience causing vs to put in practise the things we know And it is called the Law of the spirit of life For as the naturall spirit or soule is the cause of our naturall life so Gods holy spirit is the cause of the life of Grace according to the saying of our Sauiour It is the spirit which quickneth and the words which I speake vnto Iohn 6. 63. you are spirit and life The which spirit of life is originally in our Sauiour Christ and from him deriued vnto vs who are vnited vnto him and to no other For as the naturall spirit extendeth vnto no member which hath not connexion with the head so this holy spirit of life is deriued vnto none who is not ioyned in communion with Christ our head according to that 1. Ioh. 4. 13. Hereby wee know that 1. Ioh. 4. 13. we dwell in him and he in vs because hee hath giuen vs of his spirit §. Sect. 3. That this combate is not maintained betweene bare qualities onely but as they are backed by the holy spirit and Sathan the wicked spirit And thus haue I shewed what the flesh and the spirit are which are the combatants in this spirituall Warfare the one being that naturall corruption and carnall concupiscence in which wee are conceiued and borne the other a created qualitie of holinesse whereby we are renewed vnto Gods image which through the sinne of Adam was defaced in him and his posteritie and is continually preserued supported and strengthned by the Spirit of God dwelling in vs from which also it had first â—t being Neither are we so to vnderstand it as though this combate were onely maintained by bare and naked qualities of renewed puritie and old corruption but that they are also backed and vpheld by those spirits which are the causes and the authors of them namely the holy Spirit of God and the impure and wicked spirit Sathan the author of all sinne and wickednesse For whilest men remaine in the state of infidelitie the strong man Sathan keepeth possession and dwelleth in them though not after a grosse and sensible manner as in demoniacks yet inuisibly and spiritually ruling and reigning in them and as the Apostle speaketh holding them captiue to doe his will In which his regiment and gouernement hee imployeth the 2. Tim. 2. 26. flesh and our carnal concupiscence as his deputie and chiefe instrument to leade sinfull men into all wickednesse the which he continually animateth inrageth and strengthneth vnto all euill But when a stronger then hee commeth euen the good spirit of God he casteth him out and taking possession dwelleth reigneth and ruleth in our soules and bodie creating in vs that qualitie of holinesse and righteousnesse
Christ originally and aboue measure euen the fulnesse of the spirit Eph. 4. 7. Ioh. 1. 14. Psal 133. 2. but in vs in that measure which wee haue receiued from him according to that of the Apostle Eph. 4. 7. Vnto euery one of vs is giuen grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ and that of the Euangelist Ioh. 1. 14. The word was made flesh and dwelt among vs full of groce and trueth 16. and of his fulnesse haue all we receiued and grace for grace Finally this oyle of the spirit like that of Aarons was first powred vpon our head Iesus Christ and from him descended to vs as vpon the skirts of his cloathing or rather members of his body §. Sect. 5. That the spirit-doth not dwell in vs esscentially more then in other creatures Furthermore although the spirit of God doeth not essentially dwell in vs more then in all other creatures yet the elect and faithfull haue right vnto him aboue all others euen in respect of his essence and efficacy because he is ours by Gods free and gratious couenant wherein he hath promised that he will be our God and we shall be his people now Esa 59. 21. Eze. 11. 19. 36 26. 37. 14. he is ours in his sonne and by his holy spirit So in many places the Lord promiseth to giue vnto vs his holy spirit which is not onely to be vnderstood of the gifts and graces of the spirit but also of the vertue and efficacy of the spirit dwelling in vs and effectually working these graces in our hearts for so the Apostle saith that the Loue of God is shed abroad Rom. 5. 5. in our hearts by the holy Ghost which is giuen vnto vs where hee sheweth that by Gods gift wee haue right not onely to the graces of the spirit but euen after a speciall manner to the spirit himselfe Besides where Christ is said to dwell in vs and to be vnited vnto vs by his spirit we are to vnderstand that the bond of this vnion is not onely bare qualities and gifts and graces of the spirit but euen the spirit it selfe which dwelling in Christ our head essentially is after an vnspeakeable and mysticall manner yet really and truely communicated vnto vs who are the members of his body In which respects though the spirit of God in regard of his essence be alike present to all creatures yet is he not saide to be giuen vnto them or to be their spirit because they haue no right vnto him by couenant as we haue nor any interest by Iesus Christ neither yet any efficacy operation nor influence of sauing grace from him in all which he is proper onely to the Elect. Moreouer by vertue of this donation and right the holy spirit becomming ours doeth worke in vs after a speciall and powerfull manner he is intimate familiar and in neare acquaintance with vs like inmates or coinhabitants comforting directing ruling strengthening and cherishing vs. In which respect we are saide to be his a Cor. 3. 16. 6. 19. 2. Cor. 6. 16. houses and temples in which b Rom. 8. 9. 11 1. Cor. 3. 16. 2. Tim. 1. 14. he dwelleth Whereas contrariwise worldlings and infidels to all these purposes are meere strangers vnto him because they receiue him not but make their bodies habitations for vncleane spirits For so our Sauiour saith that the world cannot receiue this spirit of trueth because it seeth him not neither knoweth him but yee saith he to his Disciples and in them to all the faithfull knowe him for he dwelleth with you and Ioh. 4. 14. shall be in you Furthermore this holy spirit is giuen to the Elect and faithfull in a speciall manner not onely in the fruits and streames of his graces but also to be vnto them as the roote and fountaine from which they spring and flow and the authour worker preseruer and continuer of all grace and goodnesse in them according to that of our Sauiour Whosoeuer drinketh of the water that I shall giue him Ioh 7. 37. 38. shall neuer thirst but the water that I shall giue him shal be in him a well of water springing vnto euerlasting life And againe If any man thirst let him come vnto me and drinke He that beleeueth on me as the Scripture hath saide out of his belly shall flow riuers of liuing water But this saith the Euangelist be spake of his spirit which they that beleeue on him should receiue for the holy Ghost was not yet giuen because that Iesus was not yet glorified Now the streames of Gods graces and the euerlasting springing fountaine from which they flow are diuers and to be distinguished the one being the cause and the other the effect the one the tree the other the fruite Finally to conclude this point although the spirit dwelleth in vs in respect of essence as in other creatures yet he doth after an especiall manner exercise his nature and shewe his presence by his vertue and efficacie more in the faithfull then in the whole earth in that he chooseth them for his owne peculiar people taketh full possession of them as of his owne right raigneth and ruleth in their hearts and consciences as in the chiefe seate of his Kingdome vniteth them vnto Christ their head purgeth and purifieth them from their sinne and corruption replenisheth them with all sanctifying and sauing grace defendeth preserueth and strengtheneth them from all enemies and from the inundation of all daungers by his almightie power and especiall prouidence watching ouer them And finally inlighteneth them in all trueth and guideth and directeth them in the way of holinesse and righteousnesse which leadeth to Gods kingdome And euen thus doth Sathan dwell in the children of vnbeliefe not by communicating his essence vnto them for then they should be no more men but incarnate diuels but by taking full possession of them as his owne vassels by infusing malice into their hearts and all maner of corruption and sinne into all the powers of their soules and bodies by setting vp his throne in them and ruling them with his power according to his owne pleasure 2. Tim. 2. 26. and making them to become his slaues to doe his will finally by leading and guiding them into all manner of wickednesse through his tentations and suggestions vntill at last he bringeth them together with himselfe vnto condemnation and vtter destruction in the fire of hell CHAP. IIII. The erroneous conceipt of the Papists who by the flesh vnderstand the body and the sensuall faculties onely §. Sect. 1. That the Papists propound vnto vs a friend to fight against in stead of our enemy HAuing shewed what our enemies in this spirituall warfare are we should now proceede to warfare are we should now proceede to discouer their nature and properties were it not that these enemies were by the diuell and the world disguised yea quite hid from our sight in secrete
him or else it worketh our minds to some carnall proiudice or dislike of our teachers or of some passages in his Sermon whereby we are affected with choller and spleene towards him or to thinke meanely and basely of him in respect of some naturall infirmities or defects or else because of the mediocritie of his guifts or it hangeth so heauily on vs that it maketh vs weary of these holy exercises before they be halfe ended Or if non of these yet it will neuer faile to distract our mindes with worldly cogitations and wandring thoughts so as wee cannot intend these religious duties but performe them with the lippes eares and outward man but not with the heart in shewe and ceremony but not in spirit and trueth And thus the flesh like Iudas waiteth vpon vs that it may betray vs it goeth with vs into Gods market that it may hinder vs from buying any spirituall merchandize it thrusteth in with vs into Gods armory when as we goe to furnish our selues with spirituall weapons that it may make vs neglect them and leaue them behinde vs or else so weaken vs that we cannot carry them with vs it will like Hushai force kindnesse vpon vs and by no perswasions will stay behinde vs but it is to this ende that by cunning pollicy it may frustrate our enterprises so betray vs into the hands of our enemies For the defeating of which pollicy our best course is to leaue behinde our chiefe corruptions by renewing of our repentance before we come to performe these holy exercises and keepe vnder those which we carry with vs watching ouer them with all diligence that they doe not distract nor hinder vs. To which ende wee must come vnto these holy duties with due preparation and being come we must meditate on Gods glorious presence before whom we stand we must with all diligence looke to our hearts because that the Lord chiefely requireth them in all duties of his seruice we must thinke of the excellency waight and fruite of these Religious exercises that our hearts being inflamed with the loue of them wee may performe them with all cheerefulnesse and delight And finally we must continually craue the assistance of Gods gracious spirit that thereby we may be in some good measure enabled to performe them so as that they may be acceptable to God and profitable for our owne saluation § Sect. 2. How 〈…〉 duties Thus also when wee haue in the regenerate part an earnest desire to embrace vertue and to bee inriched with sauing graces like a cunning sorceresse it laboureth to infect them with the poyson of corruption and like a subtill Merchant it sophisticates these pure wares and intermingleth with them the base refuse of sinneful vices that they with the other may become vendible Thus if wee be deuout and earnest in religion it seeketh to taint vs with wil-worship and superstition if we excell in knowledge it laboureth to puffe vs vp with selfe-conceipt to contemne plaine trueth and curiously to affect nice and vnprofitable speculations and to despise others in comparison of our selues whom wee thinke doe come short of our measure With our faith it intermingleth presumption and carnall securitie which our loue lust and iealousie with our zeale rashnesse and corrupt anger with our humilitie basenesse with our courage audatiousnesse with our constancy pertinacy and obstinate inflexiblenesse and finally with all our graces and excellent vertues pride and vaine glory whereby wee ouerweene them or arrogate the praise of them or magnifie our selues before others who haue not attained to our pitch and proportion And thus this cunning coyner embases the pure mettall of grace and vertue by mixing with it the copper or rather drosse of carnall corruptions setting notwithstanding vpon it vertues stampe and superscription that so it may goe for currant with vs and by mingling these poysons with our holesome food doeth make it become vnto vs mortall and pernitious For preuenting of which deceipt we are often to examine our vertues and to try if they be not tainted and infected with the contagion of the next extreames let vs often bring them to the touchstone of Gods trueth which is onely sufficient to make vs discerne the differences betweene the pure gold of Gods graces and the base mettals of our own corruptions let vs continually desire the helpe of Gods holy spirit which is that heauenly fire that can part and seuer the solid substance from the drosse purifying he on and consuming the other and the pure gold from other base metalles of any kinde § Sect. 3. How the flesh perswadeth vs to abate of our zeale and to intermit vertuous actions for a while The third and last kinde of policies which the flesh vseth are those whereby it seeketh to alienate our hearts and affections from imbracing and practising of holy vertues and Christian actions And first of all if it cannot perswade vs wholly to forsake them at once to desist from the exercise of them then it will allure vs to abate our feruour and zeale in piety to intermit all vertuous actions for a little while and not to fall altogether but in some degrees from our former sinceritie either pretending that if we goe more slowly we shall goe more surely or that we are more zealous then needs seeing with faire lesse strictnesse in our courses wee may attaine vnto happinesse or else though vpon some occasions we slacken our pace in the waies of godlinesse for a while we may hereafter make more speed and easily recouer and redeeme our lost time by our future diligence With which deceipt that we may not be ouertaken let vs consider that there is no standing still in the Christian course seeing he who doth not dayly goe forward in it will questionlesse goe backward and what then can become of them who are in the way of declination and backsliding That if we giue way to our spirituall enemies for a time and be perswaded to lay aside our Christian armour they will giue vnto vs deadly wounds before we shall be able to put it on againe and that we may much more easily keepe them out of the gates of our city then driue them backe when they are once entred Let vs know that if we slacken our hold we shall hardly recouer it in our fall and that we may be as desperately endangered by a lingring consumption of grace and goodnes as by a feuer of Apostacie Let vs remember that if our heate come once to lukewarmenesse it will within a while turne to keycoldnes and that if the Diuell and our owne corruption can but a little while disacquaint our hearts from God and his waies they will not leaue till they haue made them meere strangers if they haue a little loosened them from him they will with much more ease pull them quite asunder And therefore let vs carefully watch ouer our selues that there bee no declination in grace nor the least
seruant of God and a subiect of the kingdome of Iesus Christ And thus Austins vpon his second and sounder thoughts reuoking his former Ego enim putabam dici ista non posse nisi de ijs quos it a haberet carnis concupiscentia subiugatos vt facerent quicquid illa compelleret August contra Iulian Pelagian lib. 6. cap. 11. Col. 11 35. T. 7. Vide etiam retract lib 1. Cap. 23 et lib. 2. c. 1. Tom. 1. errour expoundeth this place I thought saith he that these things to wit I am carnall sold vnder sinne and led captiue vnto the lawe of sinne by the lawe of my members could not bee truely spoken of any but of such as are so inthralled of their carnall concupiscence that they did whatsoeuer it compelled them which to conceiue of the Apostle were meere madnesse seeing in many of the Saints the spirit so lusteth against the flesh that it canot thus preuaile But afterwards I gaue way to other of better iudgment or rather to the truth it selfe plainly perceiuing in these words of the Apostle the groaning and complaint of the Saints striuing against their carnall concupiscence c. Whereof it came to passe that I vnderstood this place as it was vnderstood by Hilarie Gregory Ambrose and the rest of the holy and famous Doctors of the Church who doe all thinke that the Apostle did couragiously fight against his carnall concupiscence which he had in him though hee desired to be freed from it and that in these wordes hee professeth this his conflict And a little after neither can well any mans spirit lust against his flesh vnlesse the spirit of Christ dwelled in him So Gregory Nazianzen acknowledgeth and deploreth this conflict vvhich he felt in himselfe betweene the flesh and the spirit Neither am I saith hee wholly minde or spirit that is pure nature nor on the other side wholly flesh that is nature corrupted but composed of both I am an other thing and yet both of them Whereof it is that I continually suffer perpetuall tumults of war the flesh and the spirit encamping against one another I am the image of God and am drawne into vice though I struggle and Greg. Nasian de animae â—uae calamitat pag. 93. 934. strine against it the worse part wickedly conflicting against the better so as not without great labour and daily wrastling the hand and helpe of God assisting me I flee and resist vice And these thus conflicting the one with the other the eye of God beholding them from heauen hath ayded the spirit subdued the tumult and rage of the trouble some flesh ad stilled the swelling waues of carnall preturbations And so also the flesh rageth with furious strength and neuer resteth from making cruell warre and though there may be sometime an intermission yet there is neuer a dismission from the fight §. Sect. 3. That all the regenerate haue feeling and experience of this conflict And these testimonies out of the Scriptures and Fathers may be sufficient to conuince the carnall and vnregenerate who hauing no feeling of this conflict in themselues because they are wholly flesh doe imagine that it is not in any other For as for those who are in part regenerate and yet haue the old man and the reliques of sinnefull corruption dwelling and remaining in them they will easily acknowledge this trueth euen out of their owne feeling and experience though no other testimony or reason could be alleadged Neither is it possible that this mortall combate should be sought in any but that they must easily feele the terrible encounters and cruell blowes giuen on either side Not betweene diuers faculties as the conscience and the will the minde and iudgement against the affections and the sensuall faculties the which is also in the vnregenerate but the selfe same faculties as they are regenerate fighting against themselues as they are vnregenerate as errour against trueth and trueth against errour in the same mind and vnderstanding faith against doubting and doubting against faith in the same heart willing against nilling and nilling against willing about the chusing and refusing of good and euill in the same will the loue of God conflicting and combating with the loue of the world the feare of God with the feare of men affiance in God with diffidence in him and confidence in the creatures hope of heauenly happinesse with hope of enioying earthly vanities as also with presumption and despaire and contrariwise obedience against disobedience and rebellion in the same desires and actions as we shall more fully and plainly shewe in the following discourse All which doth plainly proue that their whole man is diuided and part-takings in all their faculties and powers of body and minde the one adhering and deauing to God the other drawing to Sathan and the world the which is more feelingly discerned and experimentally felt by euery true Christian then it can be demonstrated and euidenced by any mans writing § Sect. 4 The contrarie effects which the Christian feeleth in himselfe doe proue plainly that this conflict is in them Finally the contrary effects which euery Christian may obserue in himselfe do sufficiently argue and demonstrate that there are contrary causes in him from vvhich they proceede and as it were many souldiers of contrary factions led vnder their Captaines the flesh and spirit which like mortall enemies continually make warre the one against the other For who findeth not after his regeneration and conuersion himselfe to bee as a kingdome diuided and that as in his spirituall and renewed part he hath a great desire to serue his Lord and redeemer and taketh delight in his lawes preferring them with Dauid before all Psal 119. manner of riches so in his fleshly part and the olde man that he is inclinable vnto the seruice of sinne and Sathan for the base hyre of worldly vanities that as in the one he affecteth and loueth piety and purity righteousnes mercy and holines of conuersation so in the other hee is transported Eph. 5. 9. with selfe loue and is much addicted to the pleasures of sinne As in the one hee beleeueth God and the truth of his promises and threatnings trusteth in his word power and prouidence loueth and feareth him aboue all things so in the other he is subiect to doubting and infidelitie to distrust in God and affiance in the creatures to the loue of earthly things and the immoderate feare of man Finally as in the one he aspireth vnto Immortalitie euerlasting happines and hauing his conuersation in heauen mindeth not earthly things out chiefely seeketh after Pâ—â—â— 3. 20. those things which are aboue so in the other he lyeth grouelling on the earth walloweth himselfe in the puddle of sensuall pleasures and vnlawfull lusts meditateth and thinketh onely on momentanie riches and murable preferments or the meanes whereby he may compasse them neuer seeing seeking nor regarding that heauenly happinesse and waight of
suffer the pricke in the flesh to molest the Apostle and the messenger of Sathan to buffet him notwithstanding he so earnestly prayed to be deliuered from 2 Cor. 12. 9. them that the al-sufficiency of his grace assisting him might appeare and his power might bee gloriously manifested in his vveakenesse and infirmitie Secondly God is more glorified when as vvee seeing the strength of our flesh and naturall corruptions and our frailtie and vveakenesse vvants and many infirmities of our spirituall part are moued hereby to attribute the vvhole glory and prayse of our saluation to the alone mercy of God both in respect of the beginning and persecting thereof and vtterly denying our selues and our owne righteousnesse doe wholly rest and rely vpon the perfect and al-sufficient righteousnesse and obedience of his sonne Iesus Christ where as if there were in vs perfection in holinesse vvee vvould hardly acknowledge the Lord to be all in all in the worke of our saluation but would bee ready to attribute something vnto our selues Thirdly the wisedome and power of God is more manifested and glorified when as he doth his great works by contrary meanes and causes which in their owne nature would rather hinder them And therefore hee will haue vs Ioh. 9. 41. 1 Cor. 3. 18. Apoc. 3. 18. 2 Cor. 12. 9. blinde that we may see foolish that we may become wise poore that he may inrich vs weake that we may be strong imperfect in our graces that wee may bee endued with more perfection and finally will haue vs passe by the gates of hell that we may come to a greater measure of heauenly happinesse It were not so much if the Lord should perfectly sanctifie vs and presently giue vs eternall glory but to giue this blessednesse to vs who haue so many wants and corruptions yea to make our imperfections to serue as meanes for the increasing of our happinesse this doeth exceedingly magnifie his power and wisedome Fourthly we are hereby made more thankefull vnto the Lord and more chearefull in singing to his praise when wee are supported and saued notwithstanding our imperfections then if hee should indue vs at the first with all perfection For the more sensible wee are of Gods benefits the better wee esteeme them and so consequently receiue them with greater thankfulnesse but the more wee haue found the want of them and how little we haue deserued them the more sensibly doe we apprehend their excellency when wee enioy them the more wee haue groaned and laboured vnder the burthen of our infirmities and corruptions the more weereioyce when wee a 〈…〉 ed from them and our restoring out of a state of in perfection vnto perfection is much more acceptable then if we 〈◊〉 alwayes beene preserued in it Euen as iâ— giues vs more contentment hauing beene poore to be made then to bee borne rich to enioy our libertie after thraldome theâ— if we had neuer beene embondaged and makes vs more thank full to our benefactors when as by them vve haue beene adopted then vvhen vve haue beene borne to a goodly inheritaÌ„ce And so in the like case we are more thankefull vnto God for freeing vs from our sinfull corruptions by litle and litle then if at the first he had made vs pure and perfect and for giuing vs victory ouer the flesh after a painefull and doubtfull conflict then if vvee had neuer beene assaulted but had alwayes enioyed a secure peace And this vve may see in the example of the Apostle who hauing through the violence of the flesh beene led captiue vnto sinne and thereby forced lamentably to cry out O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the body of Rom. 7. 24. 25. this death doeth presently in the sense of Gods mercy which had deliuered him burst forth into thankful prayses I thanke God through Iesus Christ my Lord. Lastly hereby vve more glorifie God when we are assured by our growth in sanctification and in all sauing graces of the spirit by vvhich vve are inabled to resist the flesh and the lusts thereof that they are the free guifts of God and that hee beginneth continueth and increaseth them in vs vvhich if they vvere alwayes from the beginning perfect in vs vve would thinke them to be some naturall faculties and abilities and not giuen vs of God And these are the reasons vvhich doe chiefely respect the glory of God §. Sect. 3. That this conflict â—â— profitable for the faithfull to traine them vp in humility Secondly the Lord suffereth the flesh still to dwell in vs and daily to assault vs because it is profitable for our owne good and the furthering and assuring of our heauenly happinesse First because it is a notable meanes to traine vs vp in humilitie vvhich is a grace most acceptable vnto God and to subdue our pride and all vaine-glorious conceipt vvhich aboue all other vices is most odious and hatefull vvhen as vvee see and consider vvhat a miserable vastation and spoyle of all those graces and excellent endowments which we had by creation sinne hath made in vs how it hath poysoned corrupted and disabled all the powers and faculties of our soules and bodies how it hath made vs vnfit for any good thing and prone vnto all euill and that these staines and blots of sinfull corruption doe in a great part remaine in vs after our regeneration so assaulting vs with all malice and furie darkening our vnderstandings wounding our consciences peruerting our wils hardening our hearts and corrupting and disordering all our affections that were wee not continually assisted and vpheld by the spirituall grace of the Almightie God we should sinke and fall in the conflict and bee made an easie pray to our malitious enemies this may well subdue our loftie and proude conceipts and make vs pull downe with shame our peacockes plumes when as wee looke to the foule feete of our filthy corruptions see the ruines remaining of Gods goodly building and how all our naturall forces doe quite faile vs and forsake vs when as we most relye on them yea when as wee see euen after regeneration such reliques of corruption and rebellion remaining in vs that did not the Lord coÌ„tinually send vnto vs fresh aides of renewed graces we were not able to stand nor maintaine the fight against ouâ— carnall corruptions In consideration whereof wee are iustly moued to humble our selues and to giue all glory vnto God who worketh in vs the will and the deede and not onely beginneth but continueth and perfecteth the worke of our saluation and finally to acknowledge that what grace or spirituall strength we haue more then others we 1 Cor. â— 7. haue it from God and not from our selues and therefore that wee haue no cause to boast of it seeing it is receiued but must returne God the glory of his owne guifts And thus doth the Lord in his infinite power and wisdome turne euill into good and like the most skilfull Physition
doeth make our sinnes as it were the flesh of the Viper a most holesome preseruatiue and cordiall for the dispelling from our hearts more daungerous poysons §. Sect. 4. This conflict is effectuall to make vs deny our selues Secondly whereas we cannot be Christs Disciples vnlesse we deny our selues nor bee partakers of his righteousnes for our iustification vnlesse we renounce our own nothing can be more effectuall to this purpose then the sight and sense of our owne imperfections and corruptions for when wee plainely discerne that there is nothing in our selues to rest vpon for the satisfying of Gods iustice this will make vs to flee vnto Christ to hunger and thirst after his perfect and al-sufficient righteousnesse and to make vs wholly to relye vpon him for our iustification and saluation Which when we doe we may be more secure and better assured of heauenly happinesse then if we were as perfect in our owne inherent righteousnesse as our first parents in the state of innocency seeing they fell into sinne and misery through the strength of Sathans temptations but wee cannot so long as wee wholly rest vpon Christ and are vpheld by his omnipotency And as hereby our selues haue great assurance of our happy condition so doe we more glorifie our Lord and redeemer seeing we acknowledge the al-sufficiency of his grace and yeelde vnto him the whole glory of our saluation § Sect. 5. By this conflict we are moued the more to hate sinne Thirdly we are hereby moued to abhorre sinne which God so hateth with greater detestation when as by our owne experience we finde and feele the venome and poyson of it working in our selues and to bewaile and forsake it with more earnest endeauour when we discerne and see what miserable effects it produceth and what bitter and cursed fruits it bringeth forth in vs. As namely that it hath corrupted our whole nature disabled al our strength defaced in vs Gods glorious image incensed his wrath against vs made vs subiect to the curse of the lawe depriued vs of the glory of God and made vs guiltie of eternall damnation From all which miseries nothing could free vs vnlesse the sonne of God had dyed for vs and washed vs from the guilt and punishment of all our sinnes in his most precious blood All which plainely discouereth the haynousnes and tyranny of sinne and maketh vs thankefull vnto our Sauiour who hath freed vs from it § Sect. 6. Wee are moued hereby to fly vnto God by frequent and feruent prayers Fourthly by the sight and sense of these sinnefull corruptions still dwelling in vs wee are occasioned to flee oftener vnto God by feruent prayers acknowledging and bewayling them before the throne of grace earnestly crauing the remission of them and the assistance of Gods grace and holy spirit whereby we may be inabled to mortifie our corruptions and to flee all sinne for the time to come and to returne vnto him praise and thankesgiuing when we haue receiued these graces from him Fifthly whereas there is nothing more daungerous vnto vs then sloth and securitie we haue through these corruptions dwelling in vs the benefit of spirituall exercise whilest wee make warre against them withstand their assaults prepare our selues for the conflict watch ouer our owne hearts that wee bee not surprised at anawares with their deceiptfull pollicies mortifie and subdue them with the sword of the spirit exercise the spirituall graces receiued from God and our selues in all holy duties which God requireth for the obtaining of victory by which they are more and more confirmed and encreased So also hereby wee haue great cause to bee more carefull and watchfull ouer our hearts and wayes seeing we haue dwelling in vs a secrete enemy who watcheth all opportunities to supplant vs and to betray vs into the hands of Sathan and the world the which should make vs worke out our saluation with feare and trembling and vvhilest vve stand to take heede of falling this should cause vs to Phil. 2. 12. 1 Cor. 12. 13. Eph. 6. 10. stand daily and howerly vpon our guard and to keepe the spirituall armour girded fast vpon vs as the Apostle exhorteth vs. § Sect. 7 It serueth to worke in vs patience and contentment Lam. 3. 39. Sixtly it may serue to make vs goe on in our pilgrimage vvith contentment and to beare all afflictions vvhich are layde vpon vs vvith meekenesse and patience not onely because vve haue deserued them by this sinne that dwelleth in vs according to that in the Lamentations Wherefore doeth a liuing man complaine seeing he suffereth for his sinned but also because wee knowe and haue experience that these corrections are necessary to bridle mortifie the flesh with the lustes thereof and serue as drawing salues to drawe out the core of our corruptions as the launcher and searing yron to helpe and heale our impostumations of sinne as bitter potions to purge away our corrupt humours and as salt to season vs that we may not be tainted and perish in our fleshly puterfaction and to make vs more wise wary that we may not nourish our enemy but mortifie crucifie it seeing it is the chiefe authour of all our calamities § Sect. 8. By this conflict our heartes are weaned from the world Seauenthly it is profitable for the weaning of our hearts and affections from the world and to make vs long after our heauenly happinesse when as wee finde our selues tyred and wearied in fighting not onely with forraigne foes but with these intestine and secret traytors in our owne bowels whereas if hauing gotten full conquest we should haue continuall peace and our victory crowned with earthly prosperitie wee would neuer so much long after our heauenly happinesse And this chiefely made the Apostle to long after his dissolution and to be with Christ because he found himselfe so often foyled with this lawe of his members and Phil. 1. 21. Rom. 7. 23. led away captiue by his sinnefull flesh Eightly as it maketh vs to long after the crown of victory so it will make it when we shall obtaine it much more glorious for the Lord will haue vs first to fight and ouercome our spirituall enemies and then hee will reward vs with the crowne of victory first he will haue our spirituall graces exercised and manifested in the conflict and then being approued he will giue vs a proportion of glory according to the propertion of our graces So our Sauiour promiseth not to the Souldiars which lye quietly in their garrison assaulted with no enemy but to them who fighting ouercome that they shall sitte with him on his throne cloathed with white rayment and shall eate of the tree of life which is in the middest of the Paradise of God And this order Paul vseth in Apoc. 2. 3. laying hold on these blessed hopes first to fight the combate and then to receiue the crowne I haue saith hee fought a good fight
spirit but presently the Lord rich in mercy and goodnesse by the same meanes doeth satisfie them and sendeth his spirit accompanied with a strong army of sanctifying graces to take possession of vs for his vse to raigne and rule in vs and to thrust downe Sathan from his throne and to depose him from his regencie or rather tyranny ouer vs and to subdue kill and mortifie all those garrisons of sinnefull lustes so as they shall not be able vnder their great Generall to rule raigne in vs as they did in former times For example hee causeth knowledge spirituall wisedome iudgement discretion holy reason and spirituall cogitations to enter into the head and by stronge assault to encounter ignorance curiositie carnall wisedome errour rash giddinesse and carnall imagination Christian resolution and holy obedience to enter the will and to set vpon cowardly feare and vnconstancy vnflexible stubbornesse and stiffe rebellion faith and loue with innumerable numbers of holy affections to take possession of the heart and to subdue vanquish infidelitie selfe-loue and loue of the world with those many legions of vnlawfull lustes and vnruly passions which Sathan had placed in it spirituall concupiscence and holy desires temperance sobriety and chastity to seate themselues in the inferiour faculties and sensuall appetite and to thrust out and to hold possession against carnall concupiscence worldly lustes intemperance wantonnesse and vncleannesse with the rest of their opposites Finally puritie and honour to seaze vpon the body and all the members thereof and to driue out and cleanse it from all vncleannesse and noysomnesse wherewith it had beene defiled like a filthy stye of impure beastes through the inhabitation and abuse of sinfull lusts § Sect 3. The maner of the conflict it selfe Which royall and heauenly army of Gods sauing graces led vnder the conduct of his holy spirit doe no sooner enter the fielde and encounter their enemies but presently they put them to the worse and causing them to retire doe get the victory Sathan the strong tyrant that held all in quiet possession and ruled as hee list is put to flight spoyled of his power and regency and the spirit of God seateth himselfe vpon the throne and the flesh and the lusts thereof in the first conflict receiue such deadly wounds that they neuer recouer of them but languish in a continuall consumption till at last they bee wholly abolished And therefore being in the first battell thus weakened foyled and discomfited they haue neuer the courage afterwards in a martiall maner to proclaime warre against the spirit and the army of Gods graces which doe accompany i◠to bid thē battell and to fight against them in a pitched field but crafuly and cunningly reentrouping their scattered forces they like the sauadges or Irish kernes will onely fight vpon aduantages and therefore make secrete ambuscadoes and hide themselues as it were in the woods and thickers from which they sally out at vnawares when we are most secure and so skirmishing with vs they sometime wound and foyle vs and for a time cause vs to retire And so otherwhiles they set out some booty of worldly profit or pleasure with which they allure vs to come when wee thinke not of it within the danger of their shot somtimes as it were in the night when wee are brought into a deepe sleepe of retchlesse securitie they make some inuoades vpon vs wast and spoyle and doe much mischiefe firing our he 〈…〉 with vnlawful lusts corrupting or gagging the conscience which as the centinell should giue vs warning of their approach wounding and misleading the will vnto some peruersnesse and carrying the members of the body as captiues vnto sinne But when the spirit taking notice of these conflicts riseth vp to giue them battell gathereth his scattered forces and entring the field soundeth the alarem to the fight then the rebelles quit their standings and runne away or yeelde themselues as captiues to suffer the punishment which their rebellion hath deserued Howbeit they doe not long continue vnder subiection being onely kept vnder by slauish feare but vpon euery opportunitie they rebell againe and giue fresh assaults to Gods graces in vs though in the ende they are assured of an vtter ouerthrow like herein vnto theeues and cut purses who when they are apprehended and cast into prison are only restrained from their wicked courses but not reclaimed and amended or vnto gally-slaues who are forced to labour at the command of their enemies whilest they are tyed in chaines and feele the smart of the whip but no sooner doe they breake loose and make an escape but they are ready to encounter with all fury the same persons who not long since they so seruilely obeyed or finally like vnto their father diuell who though he be continually foyled and put to flight yet is so wholly transported with his inueterate mallice that hee continually opposeth God in all things especially in the saluation of his Elect and maketh continuall warre against Michaell the Arch-angell or the Prince of Angels Iesus Christ and the army of his Saints though he be not able to preuaile against them Now this fight betweene these enemies is maintained on both sides not by handy blowes swoord and shield pike and shot for of the fight of the spirit the Apostle saith that though we walke after the flesh yet we doe not warre after the flesh For the weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mightie through God to the pulling downe of strong holds casting 2 Cor. 10. 3. 4. 5 down imaginations and euery high thing that exalteth it selfe against the knowledge of God and bringing into captiuitie euery thought to the obedience of Christ And hauing in a readines to reuenge all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled But as the enemies are spirituall so is the maner of the fight spirituall by inward lusting and concupiscence whereby motions and inclinations either good or euill are stirred vp in the heart and soule And thus there is a contrary lusting betweene these enemies the flesh lusting against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh as the Apostle plainely teacheth vs. In which their contrary lusting they both of them mainely ayme at two generall ends Gal. 5. 17. § Sect. 5. The first end as which the flesh aymeth in lusting against the spirit The first ende at which the flesh in it lusting aymeth is to stirre vp and incline vs vnto such lustes desires and motions as are sinnefull and contrary to the lawe of God as to infidelitie impenitency pride selfe-loue hatred enuy vncleannesse couetousnesse and such like or to speake more distinctly it endeauoureth to beget and stirre vp preserue and nourish euill cogitations in the minde wicked inclinations in the will and sinnefull affections and desires in the heart in which respect it is fitly compared to a fiery furnace or boyling potte which continually send vp sparkes and smoke and by the Apostle Iames it
blocks in his way and often trippeth at his heeles to make him stumble fal though it cannot quench and extinguish his desire to serue and please God yet it much abateth the heate and feruour of his zeale and though it cannot quite crush and sincke him yet it will so shrewdly bowe and buckle him together that hee is ready to complaine with Dauid that he is crooked Psal 38. 6. and bowed downe greatly and therefore goeth mourning all the day long The consideration whereof should moue euery Christian to bee humbled in the sight of his owne frailtie wants and imperfections to deny himselfe and his owne righteousnesse that hee may wholly rest vpon the perfect and al-sufficient righteousnesse and obedience of Iesus Christ for his iustâ—fication and to ascribe vnto God the whole glory and praise of his saluation For the minde will heart and affections which are the causes and fountaines from which all our workes doe spring being in part regenerate and in part vnregenerate partly spirituall and Esa 64. 6. partly carnall all our workes and actions which proceede and spring from them must needes bee of the like nature 1. Cor 10. 12. Phil. 2. 12. So also it should moue vs to worke out our saluation with feare and trembling and whilest wee stand to take heede of falling seeing we are so full of frailty and are so much weakened vnto all good actions through the malignitie and continuall opposition of our sinnefull flesh This should make vs to keepe a narrowe watch ouer our hearts that they be not hardened through the deceitfulnesse of sinne and to Prou. 4. 24. Heb 3. 13. 32. 13. lift vp the hands which hang downe and the feeble knees and to make straight pathes for our feete least that which is lame be turned out of the way as the Apostle exhorteth It should cause vs to mourne and grone in the sight and sense of our carnall corruption hindering vs in all good actions and leading vs captiue vnto sinne and to cry out with the Apostle wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the body of this death Finally it should moue vs to poure forth Rom. 7. 23. daily vnto God most feruent and effectual prayers desiring Pro. 4. 23. Heb. 3. 13. him to annoynt our stiffe limbes with the oyle of his spirit and to enlarge our hearts that we may runne more chearefully and swiftly in the way of his Commaundements to Heb. 12. 13. strengthen vs daily with his might and to send continually into vs fresh aydes of his sanctifying graces whereby wee may be inabled to withstaÌ„d the coÌ„tinual assaults of the flesh to subdue and mortifie it with the lustes thereof that it may not be able to resist the good motions of his spirit and hinder our Christian course in the way of godlinesse and in his good time wholly to abolish this our enemy and to giue vnto vs a full a finall victory ouer it in Iesus Christ CHAP. VIII Of the subiect of this Conflict betweene the flesh and the spirit § Sect. 1. There can be no conflict in them that are perfectly sanctified THe next point to be considered in this conflict betweene the flesh and the spirit is the subiect of it where and in whom it is fought The which is such persons as are regenerate and the faithfull onely whilest they liue in the world for in them onely is the cause of this conflict which is the cohabitation of these enemies which assault and resist one another Neither can there be any such combate in the glorified Saints because they are perfectly sanctified and haue no reliques of the flesh or sinnefull corruption remaining in them and consequently no enemy to oppose and resist the spirit For whereas it may bee obiected that there was a conflict in our Sauiour who was perfectly holy when being in his agony hee prayed to haue the cup passe from him and then submitted his will to his fathers Not my will but thine be done To this I answere that this Mat. 26. 42. was not the conflict berweene the flesh and the spirit but as the Schoolemen speake betweene two willes in Christ the superiour and the inferiour or the will of reason and the will of sensuality the one being the will of the flesh or naturall appetite and concupiscence the other the will Ioh. 1. 13. of the man or the reasonable creature as the Apostle Iohn seemeth to distinguish them Thus the Disciples hauing long watched by their inferiour will and sensuall appetite desired sleepe But the will of reason should haue ouerruled this and therefore because it did not our Sauiour reproueth them Could you not watch with me one hower So Mat. 26. 42. a man may by his inferiour will desire to eate and drinke and in his superiour will may desire rather to abstaine that it may be conformable to Gods reuealed will requiring that wee should humble our selues by fasting and prayer So when death approacheth a man may in his inferiour will and naturall appetite desire to liue and yet in his reasonable will submit himselfe to Gods good pleasure Yea desire in many respects to be dissolued and to be with Christ And thus our Sauiour being man and in all things like vnto vs sinne onely excepted desired that the cuppe of his passion might passe from him in his inferiour will and naturall appetite which shunneth death and seeketh the preseruation of it selfe but in his reasonable will considering the ende why he came into the world which was by his death to glorifie God in perfecting the worke of our redemption he ouerruled the naturall appetite did wholly submit himselfe to the wil of his father Neither is the sensuall will sinnefull vnlawfull when it is subiected to the reasonable but wheÌ„ it goeth about of a subiect to become a Soueraigne and to resist and ouerrule that vnto which it should yeeld obedience Euen as it is no fault in a subiect to desire that his owne will in things lawfull or indifferent may be done so that when hearing the contrary pleasure of his Prince he doe not rebell against it but is content willingly to submit himselfe vnto it Or if wee would haue this strife and conflict to be in the same will of Christ wee may say that it was a combate not betweene grace and corruption but betweene diuers desires in the same will which may lawfully be in a man if they be grounded on diuers respects as a man may at the same time lawfully desire to liue that hee may glorifie God or to dye that hee may cease to sinne be glorified by him he may desire to eate for the refreshing of nature and the repelling of the paine of hunger and to fast that he may be fitted the better for some religious exercise And so our Sauiour desired to haue the cuppe passe from him hauing respect to the preseruation of his nature
of his regeneration fighteth against the flesh the world and the diuel without any pressing by the conscience or inticement and enforcing by the terrours of the lawe denouncing punishment if hee goe not on this Warfare onely out of his loue and obedience towards God and his owns inclination carying him against these enemies as it were by a naturall antipathy and inward contrariety as the fire striueth against the water health against sickenesse or life against death § Sect. 7. The fourth difference is in their contrarie effectes The fourth difference betweene the combate of the spirit and the flesh in the regenerate and betweene the reason and will the conscience and affections in the vnregenerate is in their contrary effects for by the conflict betweene the flesh and the spirit our faith is confirmed in the assurance of our regeneration seeing the spirit of God which is one of the combattants dwelleth in vs of Gods loue and fauour seeing hee hath chosen vs for his souldiars to fight his battailes and of our owne saluation seeing Gods spirit fighting in and for vs we are assured of victory for who can withstand his power or resist his will and of the crowne of victory euerlasting glory promised by trueth it selfe to all those who ouercome But contrariwise from the conflict of coÌ„science in the vnregenerate where in oftentimes the worser part preuaileth ariseth doubting and incredulity terrours feares and vtter despaire in the apprehension of Gods wrath and those dreadfull punishments which sinne hath deserued Secondly from the combate of the flesh and spirit vnsained repentance is begunne or renewed and encreased in those who are regenerate for there is a change in them principally in their wils hearts and affection whereby in all things they oppose the flesh hating that which it loueth and louing that which it hateth willing what it nilleth and nilling that which it willeth vpon which followeth the purifying of the heart and the purging of it from all sinfull corruptions the hating and forsaking of all sinne and a hearty desire and earnest endeauour to serue the Lord in holinesse and newnes of life and not onely a reformation in part but totall obedience in all our affections and actions in the renouncing of all sin and the embracing of al good duties in the whole course of our liues But there is no such change following the conflict betweene the conscience and affections reason and will onely there may bee some pange of sorrowe and shedding of teares caused not by the loue of God or hatred of sinne but by the apprehension and expectation of deserued punishments There may be also some confession and acknowledgement of sinne whilest they are vpon the racke of conscience and are terrified with the feare and apprehension or pinched with the present sense and smart of punishment and some promise or it may be purposes of leauing and forsaking their wicked courses as wee see in the example of Pharaob who whilest the hand of God was vpon himselfe and his people confessed his sinne and promised amendment And finally they may out of this serude feare leaue the most of their sinnes and outwardly reforme themselues and conforme their practise in many things to Mark 6. 20. such obedience and to the performance of so many good duties that they may thinke themselues and perswade others that they are notable conuerts as we may see in the example of Herod and yet for all this there is in them no sound repentance no change of nature no purging and remouing but onely a temporary restraining of their corruptions wrought in them not by grace and the spirit but by other corruptions of a different nature namely seruile feare and terrour of conscience As hereby it plainely appeareth in that when as they are taken from the racke and secured â—n their conceipt from the feeling of further punishment they returne againe to their wicked courses and become more obdurate and rebellious then they were before or if there is any shewe of some amendment yet it is not a through reformation or a purging of the heart from all the filth of sinne such as followeth the conflict of the spirit and the flesh but a reducing of the vnregenerate man from extreamitie to some medioctitie from being a Publican and notorious sinner to be a Pharisee Hypocrite or at the best a meere ciuill man conformable to the politique lawes in the state and no opposer to outward discipline and order in the Church And this also is the worke of naturall reason which perswadeth them to this information for worldly respects whereas the other is the worke of the spirit which in loue and obedience to God beginneth and continueth this amendment in them the fruite and benefite whereof redoundeth chiefely to the preseruation of humaine societie the good of common wealthes in the maintayning of externall discipline which could not stand against the rage and fury of tumultuous passions and affections were it not that their strength is abated their violence restrained by the conflict of conscience whereas the fruits of the combate betweene the spirit the flesh are much better namely the aduancement of Gods glory by our worshipping seruing him in spirit truth the strengthening increasing of our faith the inward purging and purifying of the heart and conscience from the hidden and secrete corruption of all sinne humiliation in this life and glorification in the life to come for all that thus fight shall surely ouercome and receiue for thâ—â— reward the crown of victory euerlasting blessednes Thirdly the warre betweene the spirit and the flesh causeth vnto vs the most secure peace euen peace with God when as be comming his souldiaâ—s we fight vnder his standard against his and out enemies peace betweene the faculties of our soules when as the inferiour faculties are in quiet subiection to the superiour the affections harkening vnto and obeying the conscrence the will yeelding voluntary obedience to reason as Gods viceroy and all to God as their supreame soueraigne It bringeth also with it vnspeakeable comfort spirituall reioycing and ioy in the holy Ghost because it assureth vs of Gods loue and gracious assistance of a full and finall victory ouer all our enemies and the crowne of victory euerlasting glory but the conflict of conscience in the vnregenerate causeth continuall garboyles hot dissension tyranny in the superiour faculties ruling onely by seruile feare and rebellion in the inferiour when as they haue power to breake the yoke of gouernment horrour and anguish of minde disconsolate sorrow and hellish dispaire when the affrighted conscience beareth sway or the mad and tumultuous ioy of frantique men when the wilde affections and disordred passions by gagging and silencing the conscience doe get the vpper hand the which oftentimes lasting no longer then a blaze of thornes doth leaue behinde it redoubled griefe and desperate despaire Finally the conflict betweene the spirit and the flesh maketh the
maintaine peace because they are not able to discerne those iust causes which are offered of discording from one another like enemies who lye quietly in their tents in the darke night when the aduerse party doeth goe a spoyling and forraiging because they haue no light to discouer their attempts Opposite vnto these are those carnall men who hauing a great measure of speculatiue knowledge art and learning are able by their paralogismes and subtill sophistry their nice distinctions and cunning shifts to make blacke seeme white darkenesse light falsehood trueth and good euill whereby they blinde the eye of reason stoppe the mouth of conscience and so corrupt and dazle the iudgement that they can doe what euill they list and satisfie in all things their carnall lusts and affections vncontrouled and condemned Of these it is truely saide that they haue much science and litle conscience like these Lamie who were sharpesighted when they went abreade but starke blinde when they entred into their houses oâ— the Pharisees who sitting in Moses chaire were able to teach others Mat. 7. 5. their duties and to rebuke and controule them for their smallest sinne but were not able to see their owne carnall worldlinesse hellish pride and damnable hypocrisie and as our Sauiour chargeth them could discerne a mote in their neighbours eye though there were a beame in their owne In these there is no conflict of conscience because like crafty and skilfull Lawyers they can with false colours and collusions blinde the eyes of the Iudge making their euill cause seeme iust and good or like cunning theeues they doe so subtilly and secretly atchieue their wicked designes that when they come to be arraigned they shift off and elude the most pertinent accusations § Sect 5. That the conflict of conscience is not in proud iusticiaries and ciuill worldlings Vnto these we may adioyne proude iusticiaries who taking away from the lawe of God the life and rigour of spirituall sense doe expound it after a grosse and litterall manner that so they may satisfie it with their grosse obedience because their obedieÌ„ce caÌ„not reach to the spirituall meaning therfore they frame a meaning sutable to their carnal obedience And so iustifying them selues as though they had done all which the law requireth their consciences sleepe securely in all their sinfull courses neuer accuse them for any sinne of which wee haue an example in the Luk. 16. 15. Mat. 19. 20. Pharisees who iustified themselues when our Sauiour most condemned them in the young iusticiary who boasted that he had done all which was required when as hee had done nothing and in the vaine-glorious Papists who farre outstrip them both affirming that they can fulfill the Lawe and doe more then it requireth for which indeede they haue speciall helpes seeing they giue what sense they list to euery Commaundement and if they can make no sense seeme sensible and probable to their too dimsighted followers then for more surety they will quite cancell and blot it out as they deale with the second Commandement condemning their imagery and idolatry and hauing made none of one they make of one two by deuiding of the tenth and so filling vp the number that their theft and falsehood may not be discouered Like vnto these are our ciuill worldlings and ignorant Protestants who placing all Religion in out ward abstaining from haynous faults as periury whoredome drunkennesse and such like and in performing formall seruice to God according to the Princes lawes and mortall duties of honesty and iustice to one another doe thinke that God is throughly satisfied when they haue attained to this periode of perfection which themselues haue pitched And therefore their consciences are quiet and suffer them to enioy a secure peace though they liue in ignorance and vnbeliefe in the neglect of spirituall seruice swearers Sabaoth breakers and in all things followe those courses which ambition couetousnesse voluptuousnesse and selfe-loue will prescribe vnto them § Sect. 6. That the conflict of conscience is seldome in those who are transported with violent passions Finally we may adde vnto these such others who are violent and furious in their affections who whilest the fit and feauer of their passion lasteth can commit any wicked outrage and neuer feele any conflict of conscience Not because reason is quite blinde and conscience dumbe but because seeing and speaking they are not hard and discerned no more then the speech of a wise Citizen and Senatour in a tumultuous vproare of common people Not because they vtterly refuse to doe their office and make resistance but because they are so caried away and hurried with the violence of the throng that they are not able to keepe their standing or hinder their proceedings Or if wee will wee may here compare reason and conscience in them to that they are in drunkards which are so hindred and disabled with intoxicating fumeâ— that they are not able to doe their functions till by naturall heate they be spent and scantered But in these commonly when the heate and violence of passion is somewhat spent and abated reason and conscience especially doeth recouer strength and like a Prince foyled and put to flight by his rebellions subiects recouering by force his state and dignitie of a King becomes a tyrant and so much the more seuerely keepeth them vnder by how much be hath tasted more sensibly of the mischiefes accompanying their rage disloyaltie For thus experience teacheth vs that when conscience hath beene foyled and wounded with rage and passion their power being spent by their owne fury it doeth affresh set vpon them and beating them out of their holds doeth put into their place affrighting terrours and astonishing feares and so terrifieth the heart with his vehement accusations that oftentimes it sinketh into the gulfe of despaire the which we see manifest in the example of Caine Saâ—â—â— Iudas and many others And these are the men in whom either a peace or truce is maintained betweene the conscience and affections there being whilest it lasteth no conflict betweene them Now if we would knowe in whom principally this combate is fought it is in such vnregenerate men as haue still remaining in them some common notions of the light of nature encreased by their study in the volume of the creatures and in the booke of holy Scripture and their obseruation of the due execution of Gods fearefull iudgement In such whose conscience remaineth liuely and sensibly soft and vigorous because it is not yet cautherized and seared with the often and wilfull committing of haynous sinnes Finally in such whose affections are somewhat gentile and moderate and whose hearts are not so hardened not wholly taken vp with wicked infidelitie but that they giue some credite to Gods fearefull threatnings CHAP. X. Whether the conflict betweene the flesh and spirit bee in all the regenerate and whether if it be it be in the same manner and measure § Sect. 1
apply not or misapply they either apply all vnto others or apply falsely vnto themselues arrogating all the promises of life and saluation though they doe not all belong vnto them Fourthly the knowledge of the regenerate drawes them neerer vnto God and vnites them more firmely vnto him in loue true obedience first in loue of God and of that truth which he hath reuealed vnto them for when he hath made knowne vnto them not onely his infinitenesse in all perfection but also his goodnesse and mercy towards them then this flame of Gods loue kindleth in their cold hearts the fire of loue towards God againe which maketh them to thinke nothing too much or enough which they can doe or suffer for his sake whereby they are moued to make an holy vse of all they knowe both for the auoyding of all which God hateth whom they so loue and the embracing and practising of all which he loueth and and requireth But the knowledge of the vnregenerate is a light onely without heaâ—e which driueth them further from God and alienateth their hearts from him because they cannot apply to their owne vse his sauing attributes but rather are terrified with his wisedome power and iustice whereby he is able and willing to punish and take vengeance on all sinners Neither doeth it stirre them vp to any obedience vnlesse it be for seruile feare but rather enableth them to rebell and disobey more securely whilest by their great learning their subtill shifts and nice destinctions they can more cunningly vntwist the cords of Gods Commaundements which should bind them to their dutie and so winde themselues and slip their neckes out of the yoke of Gods Lawe that it cannot hold them and whilest thereby they are enabled to defend their sins with their subtill sophistry and to preserue themselues from iust censures their names from deserued shame to stoppe the crye of their consciences that they may not checke and accuse them for their sinnes Finally the knowledge of the regenerate bringeth them to true humilitie and the better and more clearely they conceiue of Gods goodnesse power and glorious maiestie and of their owne misery sins and imperfections the more they abase themselues and become vile in their owne sight as we see in the example of Abraham who when he most neerely and familiarly conuersed with God had the meanest conceipt of himselfe acknowledging that he was but dust and ashes in Dauid who hauing attained vnto a greater measure of spirituall Gen. 18. 27. knowledge then his teachers confesseth that hee was but a worme and no man in Iob who hauing come vnto psal 22. 6. a more cleare knowledge of God by seeing him with Iob. 42. 5. 6. his eyes abhorred himselfe in dust and ashes and in Agar who being inlightened with a large measure of heauenly Pro. 30. 2. wisedome professeth that hee was more brutish then any man and had not the vnderstanding of a man But contrariwise the knowledge of the vnregenerate puffeth them vp with pride according to that of the Apostle knowledge puffeth 1 Cor. 8. 1. vp loue edifieth and causeth them to vilefie and contemne others in comparison of themselues as wee see in the example of the Pharisees who despised all them who confessed the trueth concerning our Sauiour Christ as ignorant and simple ideots But this people who knowe not the law Ioh. 7. 48. 49 are cursed And the reason is because their knowledge is onely speculatiue confused and generall and doeth not bring them to any sense and feeling of their sinne and misery or to a liuely and experimentall apprehension of Gods sauing attributes § Sect. 6 The second effect of the spirit is to prepare our heartes for faith then to worke it in vs. A second effect of the spirit whereby we may be assured that it dwelleth in vs is the preparing of our hearts to receiue the grace of a liuely and iustifying faith and the effectuall working of it in vs being thus prepared It prepareth them first by enlightening our mindes and by shâ—wing vnto vs our sinne and misery by the lawe of God and that in respect of our selues wee are brought into a damnable and desperate condition out of which wee cannot recouer by any meanes of our owne nor by all the helpe of men and Angels And when her by it hath throughly humbled vs and made vs despaire of all our owne abilities then it reuealeth vnto vs the infinite mercies of God his free grace and eternall loue in his sonne and the al-sufficient merits of Christ together with the sweete promises of the Gospell made in him offring grace and mercy for the forgiuenesse of sinne and the saluation of our soules to all that will receiue them by the hand of faith and will turne vnto God by vnfained repentance vnto which truth of God reuealed in the ministery of the Word the holy spirit by a secrete operation worketh an assent as being most infallible seeing it proceedeth from him who is trueth it selfe and cannot lye which assent being effectuall worketh in our vnderstandings a perswasirn that our sinnes though many and haynous are yet pardonable and in our iudgements a most precious esteeme of Gods mercies and Christs merits from and by which alone we receiue remission In our hearts also this effectuall assent worketh an earnest and constant desire that they may be pardoned and to this ende an hungring and thirsting after Christ and his righteousnesse in our willes a firme resolution to rest vpon Christ alone for iustification and saluation and in our actions a conscionable endeauour in the vse of all good meanes whereby we may be more and more assured that we shall haue our part in the mercies of God and the merits of Christ And these are the first degrees of iustifying faith which who so want are destitute of it the which being wrought in vs the Lord blesseth the meanes of saluation which the beleeuer conscionably vseth with a desire to profit by them as the word Sacraments Prayer and the rest for the encreasing of these first degrees in vs vntil they growe from a graine of mustardseede to a great tree from an assent to an apprehension and application of the promises with some assurance that Gods mercy and Christs merits belong vnto vs. Vnto which degree the most Christians who labour after it doe attaine if death preuent them not and hinder them from comming from their spirituall infancy to their riper age in Christ Now this faith being come to application of Christ and the promises and some assurance that they belong to the beleeuer it groweth daily in the carefull and diligent Christian to more strength by his often feeling and experience of Gods loue by his acquaintance with him in his holy ordinances by testifying and approuing of his loue towards God againe in his continuall fruits of new obedience the exercises of a Christian life in good workes and by his
discomfort with a liuely and spirituall eye and beholdeth the face of alouing father in Christ euen when hee still holdeth the rodde in his hand yea though it haue no sensible comfort nor present feeling of Gods fauour yet being the subsistance of things hoped for and the euidence of things not seene it still Heb. 11. 1. maketh the beleeuer to flee vnto God and to rest vpon him alone for freedome from euill or fruition of good But the presumptuous man swelled with the winde of confidence like a bladder letteth out all with the pricke of a pin and after all his Thrasonicall bragges of strength and fortitude hee fainteth and cowardly yeeldeth when he is first encountred with crosses and afflictions His courage is presently cooled his confidence turned into distrust his proude presumption into affrighting terrours and hellish despaire and as it was chiefely grounded on outward things and worldly prosperitie so when these are taken away then it also quaileth faileth and commeth to nothing § Sect. 8. The difference betweene iustifying faith that which is temporary and hypocriticall Luk. 8. 13. Ioh. 2 24. 1. But though presumptuous worldlings haue no true faith and consequently haue not the spirit dwelling in them yet perhaps temporaries and hypocrites may seeing in the Difference in preparation vnto them Scriptures they are said to beleeue and therefore they also may haue the spirit I answere that though this temporarie faith bee a common gift of the spirit yet it differeth much from a true iustifying faith and therefore is no signe that Gods sanctifying spirit doth dwell in them that haue it For first they differ in the preparation whereby men are fitted to receiue them For before true iustifying faith goeth sound humiliation a true sight and sense of sinne as sinne and not onely in regard of punishment and an earnest desire to be vnburthened of it But the temporarie is neuer thus throughly humbled for whilest he seeth some sinnes he winketh at others he grieueth and groneth rather vnder the punishment then vnder the sinne hee is willing to part with some sinnes which rather pinch his conscience then please his affection but esteemeth others no burthen yea rather his chiefe delight and though he leaueth many yet he truely reputeth of none because there is onely a surceasing of the action but no change of the heart and affection § Sect. 9. Second difference in their nature and parts Secondly they differ in their nature and parts For true faith highly esteemeth Christ and preferreth him and his righteousnesse before all the world counting all things in comparison of them dung and losse and therefore is ready to forsake all that it may inioy him but temporarie faith 1 Cor. 2. 2 Phil. 3. 9. Gal. 6. 14. preferreth the world before Christ and though it make some account of him in an inferiour place yet it will rather leaue him then leaue the world if the one of necessitie must be parted with Secondly true faith effectually assenteth to the whole Word of God as being his vndoubted truth and especially to the promises of the Gospell concerning the remission of sinne reconciliation with God and the eternall saluation of all that beleeue Whence arise those desires in the heart and resolution in the will before spoken off whereby the beleeuer hungreth after Christ and his benefits and casteth himselfe vpon him alone for iustification But temporarie faith either assenteth onely to the truth of some part of the word and not to some other as to that which will stand with humaine reason and a mans owne experience but not to that which is aboue or contrarie vnto them to the promises of the Gospell not to the threatnings of the law or to some of either and not all of both or if to all yet this assent is not effectuall as appeareth by the differences that are in the desires and resolutions of true beleeuers from those that are in temporaries hypocrites For the desires of the true beleeuer is to be made partaker of Christ and his benefits are exceeding feruent and earnest like the desires of a 2 Cor. 14. 1. couetous men after riches of b Gen. 30. 1 Rachel after children of the c Cant 2. 5. louing bride after her beloued bridegroome of the d Psal 143. 6. dry and chopped ground after pleasant showers e Mat. 5. 6. of the hungry and thirstie after meate and drinke of the f Psal 119. 20. 40. woman with childe after desired meates who so longeth that she is ready to miscarry and perish if her longing desire be not satisfied But the desires of temporarie faith are faint and cold and though they can be content to haue the things belonging to saluation if they will come with ease and small cost they choose rather to be without them then that they should be ouer chargeable or take vp too much of their time and labour Secondly the desires of true faith are alwayes ioyned with a carefull indeauour in the vse of all good meanes whereby they may be satisfied and in auoiding all contrary meanes whereby they may be hindred But the desires of temporarie faith are so idle and slothfull that they neglect all meanes wherby they might atchieue their desires as we see in Balaam who desired to dye the death o◠the righteous but could not bee content to imitate them in their liues Thirdly the desires of iustifying faith are constant and continuall like Dauids whose soule breaked for the longing that it had to Gods iudgements at all times but the desires of Psal 119. 21. temporarie faith are but by fits and flashes as when they are at a Sermon and haue their consciences conuinced with the powerfull ministerie of the Word when they are in the house of mourning and haue before their eyes spectacles of their mortalitie when they see some notable example of the worlds vanitie and mutabilitie or of the happinesse of those who feare God and make conscience of their wayes when they are cast downe by some grieuous affliction and finde themselues crossed in all their earthly desires Secondly there is great difference betweene the resolutions of faith in true beleeuers and those who are but temporaries and hypocrites For true iustifying faith resolueth to cleaue vnto Christ alone and to forsake all rather then to be seuered from him But the faith of temporaries causeth them to cleaue vnto Christ so farre forth as the world will let them and if they may share with him in his benefits and not be hindred of their worldly desires they are willing then to giue him entertainment but if they be put to part with all that they may haue him this is an hard saying and they cannot abide it but though they came reioycing to Christ they will goe away with the yong man sorrowfull and will not buy him and his benefits at so deare a price Like herein vnto Merchants who like the
spirit as our Sauiour speaketh conuinceth vs of sin shewing vnto vs both the hainousnesse of our sinnes together with their multitude and also the grieuous and endlesse punishments Ioh. 16. 8. which they haue deserued And this it doth commonly at the first in a more generall and confused maner amazing and astonishing vs with terrours and feares horrours of minde and panges of conscience when as wee see the huge masse or mountaine of our manifold and grieuous sinnes as it were in the whole lumpe and the wrath of God the curse of the Law the plagues and punishments of this life and the life to come which we haue by them deseruedly and in respect of our owne meanes ineuitably drawne vpon vs and afterwards more particularly and distinctly it setteth our sinnes in order before vs and especially presenteth to our viewe those sinnes which wee are most guiltie off and by which wee haue most dishonoured God and wounded our owne consciences By all which it worketh in vs that which we call penitence contrition and humiliation whereby we are cast downe vnder the heauie waight of our sinnes and lye grieuing and groning vnder them as it were vnder an intollerable burtheÌ„ finding no rest or comfort in our selues or in any worldly things besides And thus the spirit by the law as it were with an yron hammer battereth and bruiseth our hard and stony hearts in pieces that he may mixe with them beeing made contrite Ier. 4. 3. the oyle of his spirituall graces and vseth it like a plow to breake vp as it were these clunge stiffe and fallow grounds that being thus prepared he may sow in them these holy seedes For when hee hath thus cast vs downe and throughly humbled vs then he raiseth vs vp againe by reuealing vnto vs the mysterie of saluation the mercies of God and merits of Christ offered vnto all who will receiue them by saith And then as hath beene shewed it worketh in vs an hungring desire after Christ and his righteousnesse and a carefull earnest and constant endeauour in the vse of all good meanes as the hearing of the word prayer and the rest whereby wee may be made partakers of them The which by his inward and secret operation he so blesseth and sanctifieth vnto vs that they become effectuall to worke in vs a liuely faith whereby wee lay hold vpon Christ and his benefits and so are assured of the mercie of God and the remission and pardon of all our sinnes of Gods grace in this life and eternall glory in the life to come § Sect. 3 That faith is the cause and foundation of our repentance And thus being possessed by faith of all these inestimable benefits our hearts are rauished with the apprehension of the infinite loue of God and our Sauiour Christ and inflamed with vnsained loue towards them againe which faith thus working by loue doth cause a change and alteration which is called repentance beginning in the minde and heart and so proceeding to the outward parts and actions and worketh in vs a godly sorrow because by our sinnes we haue so much offended and displeased so gracious a God and good a father a true hatred of those sinnes and corruptions which wee haue either formerly committed or which yet adhere and cleaue vnto vs and a settled resolution and constant purpose to mortifie and subdue leaue and forsake them for the time to come and to serue the Lord in holinesse and newnesse of life All which wee doe not out of seruile feare but out of child-like loue and affection which maketh vs willing and desirous by our new obedience to please and glorifie our heauenly father not for feare of condemnation but because through the mercies of God and merits of Christ we are assured that we shall neuer be condemned Where by the way we may note a notable difference betweene that sorrow for sinne which the spirit worketh in the regenerate and that which is in carnall men For though these may sorrow and grieue after they haue sinned yet it is not for sinne it selfe the remembrance whereof is pleasant vnto them but for the punishments which they either presently feele or feare and expect in time to come where as the sorrow of Gods children is a floud or streame that springeth from faith and loue making vs to bewaile our sinnes because we haue offended and dishonoured so good a God who hath freed vs from the guilt and punishment of them by giuing his onely Sonne to death as the price of our redemption § Sect 4. That the spirit dwelling in vs purgeth vs from our naturall corruptions So that if the Spirit of God dwell in vs then hath it wrought in vs this worke of repentance in all the parts thereof and hath made in vs an happy and blessed change from euill to good from sinne to holinesse and from corruption to grace For as in nature corruption goeth before generation the abolishing of the old forme before the bringing in of the new so before wee can bee spiritually renewed the old man must bee killed and crucified and then the new man will bee quickned and reuiued sinne and corruption is purged away and then holinesse and righteousnesse is wrought in vs. First then in effecting this worke of repentance the Spirit of God dwelling in vs purgeth and purifyeth vs from all our sinfull corruptions in all the parts of our soules and bodies by applying vnto vs the efficacie and power of Christ Iesus his death which mortifith and crucifieth them in vs so as they doe no longer raigne in our mortall bodies as in time past As for example it causeth the scales of ignorance to fall from the eyes of our minde it freeth in some measure our iudgements from errour our imaginations from vanitie our consciences from dead workes our hearts from hardnesse our wils from peruersenesse and rebellion our affections from corruption and disorder and all the members of our bodies from the seruitude of sinne All which are the proper and peculiar workes of the spirit and the fruits of our regeneration and nâ—w birth according to that of the Apostle Whosoeuer is borne of God doth not commit sin for his seede remaineth in him and he cannot sinne because he is 1 Ioh. 3. 9. borne of God § Sect 6. That the spirit is knowne to be in vs by his quickning of vs in the inner man Yea but in the regenerate also there may seeme to bee some mortification some mourning for sinne some leauing and forsaking of it As we see in Herod who heard Iohn the Baptist gladly and did many things according to his instructions In Simon Magus who for a time left his forcerie beleeued and was baptized In Ahab who humbled himselfe before God wearing sackcloth and going mournfully In Iudas Demas Ananias and Sapphira with many such like and how then may we discerne the one from the other I answere that though there be some seeming
that euery branch that beareth fruite shall be purged that it may bring forth more fruite How bee it they may as I haue saide seemingly loose those graces which they keepe in trueth For example they may seemingly loose their illumination and sauing knowledge when as through the reliques of ignorance remaining in them they fall sometimes into grosse errours and when through the subtile sophistry of the world and the flesh they are already fallen or ready to fall into Schismes or heresies They may also seemingly loose their faith when as being violently assaulted with the temptations of their spirituall enemies it receiueth grieuous foyles and lyeth hid and couered with doubting and incredulitie like fire vnder the ashes or the Sunne beames vnder a darke clowde So they may seeme to haue lost the grace of repentance when as they are ouertaken afresh with their old sinnes and when their corruptions after they haue receiued a deadly wound doe seeme to reuiue againe and to recouer some strength by exercising their vigour in their earthly members especially when as after they are cleansed they relapse and fall into the same grosse sinnes not onely ignorantly and through infirmitie but also wittingly and willingly against their owne knowledge and conscience Finally when as they are growne colde or lukewarme in their loue and zeale and slacke and negligent in the performance of all Christian duties because they doe not stirre vp Gods graces in them or doe ouerwhelme them with fleshly cares or the eager pursuite of wordly vanities And yet all this while these sauing graces are not lost but onely hid and couered they are not outright killed but onely brought into a deadly sownde the faculties themselues are not quite perished but the functions and operations of them onely for a time are hindred and interrupted § Sect. 7 Other graces springing from those which are fundamentall may for a time be lost Hab. 2. 4. Secondly though the prime and principall the radicall and fundamentall graces which are essentiall to the life and being of a Christian cannot be lost as faith hope charitie affiance and the true feare of God without which a Christian ceaseth to be a Christ an and of the childe of God becommeth the childe of the diuell for the iust shall euer liue by their owne faith yet other graces which are secundary fruites springing from them and necessary to the wel-being of a Christian as fulnesse of perswasion peace of conscience zeale of Gods glory the sense and feeling of Gods loue fauour the comforts of the spirit familiar acquaintance with God and ioy in the holy Ghost which are the life of our life may for a time through the assaults of the flesh and violence of temptations be much blunted and deaded yea in respect of present apprehension quite lost and extinguished as we see in the example of Iob who sometimes conceiued of God as of his enemy and in Dauid who complaineth that hee was reiected and forsaken Psal 22. 1. 88. 51. 8. 10. 11. 12. and that the terrours of God did fight against him and prayeth that God would create in him a cleane heart and and renew a right spirit in him that he would make him to heare ioy and gladnesse and restore him to the ioy of his saluation Implying by these phrases that these graces were so vtterly lost in his sense and feeling that being quite abolished and adnihilated there needed not onely a renouation and repayring but a new making and creation Euen as a man by sicknesse may loose his beauty and complexion his flesh strength and the kindly motion of his pulse and vitall spirits his memory and discourse of vnderstanding and with them all the pleasure and comfort of his life and yet remaine a man because these are not essential to his humaine nature and being And when these are gone for a time the chiefe principles of nature the radicall heate and moysture the breath life and reasonable soule may still continue though much weakened in their functions and operations and within a while recouer and restore him to all which was lost in as great perfection as euer they were before And so a Christian may loose the fruites of his chiefe graces which are the delight and comfort of his life and being and yet those essentiall radicall and fundamentall vertues euer remaining he continueth still a Christian and the childe of God and these preseruing his life and being will recouer and restore the other to their former or greater perfection so that when hee dyeth hee shall be richer in all spirituall grace then he euer was in the whole course of his life Neither can grace and vertue more decay in the faithfull and regenerate then sinne and corruption in the wicked and vnregenerate in whom there may be some intermissions or temporary surceasing in respect of the actes of sinne and practise of wickednesse though they be habitually as corrupt as euer they were and the more they are for carnall and worldly respects restrained from the committing of sin the more in their longing desires hearts and affections they adhoore and cleaue vnto it for so also there may be some interruptions in the practise of godlinesse and some surceasing of the actes and operations of Gods sauing graces and yet the graces themselues doe not dye and perish and in these intermissions the sound Christian hath restlesse longings after the sense and feeling of renewed graces and shewes as much feruency of affection and entirenesse of loue towards them by his bitter mourning for their absence as he formerly did by his ioy and reioycing in their presence and his comfortable fruition of their sweete societie § Sect. 8. That sauing and fundamentall graces may be lost in some degrees at least in respect of their operations Lastly those fundamentall graces themselues howsoeuer they cannot by the assaults of the flesh be wholly or finally lost yet may they in some sense be weakened and impaired in respect of their degrees As for example the strong faith may bee shaken with doubting the most feruent loue may bee cooled and loose the first degrees of heate the most assured hope and affiance may somewhat quaile and bee abated and so in the rest The which we see in the example of Iob Dauid Peter the Galathians and the Angell of the Church of Ephesus who is reproued for hauing lost his first loue and of Sardis who is exhorted to strengthen the things that remained and were ready to dye Yea these graces Apoc. 2. 4. Apoc. 3. 2. may be not onely shrewly shaken and sore wounded but also cast into a dead sownde in which there wil appeare neither to others nor those that haue them any motion breathing or signe of life so as there shall be little difference betweene them whilest this trance lasteth and those carkases which are dead in sinne But yet as I take it submitting my iudgement herein to the godly learned all
the graces thereof increased in vs the Lord will satisfie our psal 145. 19. desires and bring this worke of grace begun to accomplishment Phil. 1. 6. and perfection For therefore doth the Lord inlarge our hearts with these longing desires that hee may satisfie them therefore doth he make vs to hunger after grace and to finde and feele our owne emptinesse that hee may fill and replenish vs with them Wee must not therefore rest contented and satisfied with that measure of grace vvhich wee haue receiued or that portion of the spirit wherewith wee are already indued but wee must hunger after more perfection and growe from grace to grace from strength to strength and from one degree of spirituall stature vnto another vntill wee come vnto a perfect age in Christ And this is an inseparable and infallible signe and property of the faithfull regenerate who are said to bee Psal 92. 14. trees of righteousnes of Gods owne planting which bring forth more plenty of fruit in their old age and are not doted Pro. 4. 18. and rotten with yeeres but when they are at the eldest they are most fat and flourishing They are like vnto the morning Eph. 2. 20. light which shineth more and more vnto the perfect day They are Gods building which is still in framing and setting vp vntill it bee fully finished They are Gods children who grow from strength to strength vntill they come to perfect stature neither haue they any time of olde age but are in a continuall spring of youth They are branches ingrafted into the true Vine Iesus Christ which bearing fruit in him â—e purgeth pruneth them that they may bring forth more fruit That therefore wee may approue our selues to bee in this number let vs not content our selues that we haue receiued some measure of the spirit but as the Apostle exhorteth vs let vs desire to grow in grace and in the knowledge Eph. 4. 12. 13. Ioh. 15. 2. 2 Pet. 3. 19. of our Lord IESVS CHRIST For they who haue once tasted of these spirituall excellencies are not satisfied vvith a small pittance but rather thereby their desire is inlarged their appetite sharpened and their hunger increased after a more full and perfect allowance § Sect. 2 The 2 meanes a carefull indeauour in the vse of all good meaÌ„es for the strengthening of it Now as we are thus to desire more and more an accesse of all spirituall grace vnto perfection so in the second place we are to endeauour in the vse of all good meanes appointed by God for the strengthening and increasing of Gal. 3. 2. them And first we must bee carefull and diligent in hearing reading and meditating in the word of God which is the ministery of grace and saluation and not onely the seede whereby wee are regenerate and made new borne babes in Christ but also the foode whereby we are nourished 1 Pet. 2. 1. 2. and increased in grace and spirituall strength vntill we come vnto a full age in Christ Milke for our tender infancy and more strong and perfect nourishment for our riper age Now because there may come a deare yeere when as this spirituall food will be very scarce so as wee may wander Amos. 8. 12. from sea to sea and runne to and fro from the North euen vnto the East to seeke the word of the Lord and shall not finde it as he threatneth by the Prophet therefore we must with Ioseph foreseeing this daunger in our yeeres of plentie lay vp store against the time of scarcitie and penury that our spirit doe not loose it strength nor our soules be famished with this spirituall famine and not like the foolish Egyptians for want of prouidence be driuen to seeke our foode with much inconueniency when as we should feede vpon it Yea wee are not onely to lay vp sufficient store for our owne prouision but as Ioseph did for the reliefe and comfort of all that sue and seeke vnto vs that their soules may blesse vs when as they finde themselues refreshed and comforted with this spirituall nourishment And this meanes of comforting and strengthening the spirit Cyrill commendeth vnto vs. If saith hee comming often vnto the Church thou giuest eare to the holy Scriptures and conceiuest Cyril in Leuit. lib. 9. Col. 129. the meaning of these diuine precepts then as the flesh is pampred with excesse of meates and daintie dishes so the spirit will grow strong by feeding on this heauenly Manna and becomming more powerfull then our sensuall desires and carnall lustes it will bring the flesh into subiection and make it to submit it selfe to be ruled by its lawes Whereas contrariwise if wee withdrawe this foode from the spirit it will growe so faint and languish in strength that it will not bee able to stand against the assaults of the flesh in the day of battell And vnto the ministery of the word we must adioyne the frequent vse of the Lords Supper which is a spirituall feast purposely ordained by our Sauiour Christ for the confirming and strengthening of our communion with him by his spirit and for the filling and replenishing of all those with his sanctifying and sauing graces who come with a good stomack and an hungring appetite to this holy table for the strengthening of those that are weake and faint the restoring of them who are entred into a spiritual consumption and for the confirming of such in their vigour and strength who already enioy desired health Finally we must vse the helpe of holy conferences instructing exhorting admonishing counselling and comforting one another Iud. 20. that wee may bee further edified in our holy faith for as stickes scattered asunder will hardly keepe fire but if they be laide together will quickly growe to a great flame so if we single our selues from one another and admit no communion by religious conferences wee shall quickly coole and quench the fire of the spirit but if wee meete together and exercise our selues in holy conferences wee shall hereby stirre vp Gods graces in vs wee shall like vnto kniues whetted one vpon another sharpen our gifts and set an edge on our desires to the performance of all good dutie we shall pile vp our graces one on another and with these bellowes of conference blowe vpon them vntill they grow to a great flame § Sect. 3. The 3 meanes is to nourish the good motions of the spirit The third meanes of cherishing and strengthening the spirit is to nourish the good motions thereof neither vtterly quenching them nor delaying to put them in practise but presently harkning vnto them and labouring after the first and best opportunitie of performing those duties which it requireth For it is a great comfort and encouragement to this spirituall Vice-roy whom God hath set vp in his stead to raigne and rule in vs when as wee yeelde obedience vnto him and suffer our selues willingly to bee gouerned by his
§ Sect 5. The 5 meanes is to preserue our selues pure and cleane from all pellution The fifth meanes to nourish and cherish the spirit in vs is to preserue our bodies and soules which are his temples in their cleannesse and puritie from all pollution of sinne and wickednesse for as a good ayre and sweete habitation doeth much refresh and strengthen our naturall and vitall spirits and preserue our bodies in health so no lesse doeth it comfort our comforter and cheare and cherish the spirit of God in vs if wee prouide for him a holesome and pleasant lodging cleansed and purged from all noisome filth of sinfull impuritie and sweetned and adorned with the incense and odours of our prayers and the flowers and fruits of our good workes and holy obedience § Sect. 6 The 6 meanes is to keepe the spirit and the graces thereof in continuall exercise The sixth meanes to preserue and strenthen the spirit and to increase in vs the graces and giftes thereof is to keepe them in continuall exercise and to cause these habits to shew themselues in their functions and operations For no more necessary is breathing and mouing for the preseruing the life of our bodies then fruitfull working and holy walking in all Christian duties is for the preseruing and cherishing the life of the spirit according to that of the Apostle If wee liue in the spirit let vs also walke in the Gal. 5. 25. spirit And as in naturall things the causes are preserued by producing their effects and habits and qualities confirmed and strengthened by their functions and operations so is it also in the spirit and spirituall graces We finde by experience that the sight is bettred by seeing and much weakened when it is depriued of fit obiects The habituall memory is much strengthened by the practical and made feeble and vnfaithfull when as it hath no exercise or imployment the vnderstanding becommeth more intelligent by minding and conceiuing and iâ— much impaired when it is not vsed the strength of the arme hand legge and the whole body is much strengthened and increased by action and exercise and decaieth and is greatly enfeebled by sloth and idlenesse And thus it is also with the spirit and spirituall graces let vs vse them and we shall haue them let these rootes of holinesse bring forth their boughes and branches their leaues of profession and their fruits of practise and they will liue and prosper spread inwardly and spring and sproute outwardly but if wee hinder them from bearing their leaues and rootes and bee still cutting and lopping of their boughes and branches they will in a while dye and perish Let this fire of the spirit haue fit vent to send out its flames of holy and righteous actions and it will still liue burne and blaze but if once wee beginne to stop this vent it will presently dye and turne to cold embers Let faith exercise it selfe in apprehending the promises in waiting for the performance in fighting against doubting and in bearing the fruits of good workes and from a graine of mustardseede it will growe to a great tree from smoking flaxe to a burning flame and from a feeble assent to a firme and full perswasion So let loue be exercised in doing and suffring for Gods sake in performing vnto him all holy seruice and Christian duties and in the workes of mercy and charitie towards our neighbours and of a litle sparke it will increase to a great fire let the shoulders of patience be inured to bearing of the Crosse and suffering afflictions in putting vp wrongs and ouercomming euill with good though they bee weake and tender at the first they will in a litle while become hard strong and so it is in all other graces by exercise they are increased by sloth and ease they are weakned and wasted And therefore Dauid no sooner thinketh of receiuing grace and strength from God then he resolueth to exercise them to the vttermost I will runne saith he the way of thy Commaundements when thou shalt inlarge my heart And againe teach me O Lord the way of thy Psal 119. 32. 33. 34. statutes and I will keepe them vnto the end Giue mee vnderstanding and I shall keepe thy lawe yea I shall obserue it with my whole heart § Sect. 7 The last meanes is frequent and feruent prayer The last principall meanes of strengthening and cherishing the spirit is earnest and effectual prayer vnto God that he will strengthen our weaknesse and quicken our dulnesse and support our faintnesse by continuall renewing his spirit in vs and sending fresh supplies of his sauing graces to re-enforce and refresh our decaied bands that by these new aides wee may be enabled to stand in the day of battell and to get the victory ouer all our spirituall enemies for it is this holy fire descended from heauen which kindleth this spirituall fire in vs whereby wee offer incense sacrifices and oblations acceptable vnto God the smoake whereof driueth away the enemies of our saluation His eternall spirit is the liuing fountaine of these cleare cristalline waters whereby our thirsty soules are refreshed in the spirituall conflict and our hands and eyes all other parts when they are wearied and tired doe receiue renewed Psal 144. 1. strength It is he that teacheth our hands to warre and our fingers to fight and giueth vnto vs full and finall victory ouer all our enemies and the crowne of victory euerlasting glory And therfore when we see the battell hot against vs 1 King 22. and ourselues weary and weake to make resistance let vs imitate the good King Iehosaphat and crie aloude vnto the Lord to succour and strengthen vs when wee see our graces spent and our spirituall strength wasted and weakened in making resistance let vs call vnto him for fresh aides and renewed strength whereby wee may bee enabled to hold oâ—t and ouercome § Sect. 8. The conclusion of the booke And thus haue I through Gods mighty and most mercifull assistance finished also this last part of the Christian Warfare a worke so much the more difficult because the flesh which is the enemy against whom I intend it holdeth a strong party in my selfe darkening my vnderstanding that I might not discouer its slights and subtilties malice and might nor discerne the best meanes for the defeating of its pollicies and subduing of it power The Lord make me euer truely thankefull vnto his holy Maiesty for this mercie and giue me grace alwayes to esteeme it as one of his his chiefest benefits in this life that hee hath vsed mee the weakest and vnworthiest of many hundreds of my brethren as his poore instrument in so good an imployment and stirre vp in his good time some other of his choysest and chiefest Worthies for the further perfecting of that which I in my mediocritie haue begun hitting the marke at which I haue but aymed and training exactly the Christian Souldiour in the feates of spirituall armes whom I as I was able haue but in some little measure acquainted with the knowledge of the Christian Warfare And the Lord giue his grace vnto vs all both strongest weakest that we may not onely instruct others in this spirituall art of fighting against the enemies of our saluation but that wee our selues muy put on the spirituall armour and fight continually with courage and resolution vnder the standard of the Lord of Hoasts and because we are vnskilfull and knowe not how to fight and exceeding weake and feeble in our strength and vnable to stand in the incounter and beare the brunt of the battell that hee will teach our hands or rather our hearts to warre and our fingers or rather our affections to fight and that hee will continually renew our strength and send vs dayly fresh supplyes of his spirituall and sauing graces whereby wee may be enabled vvith constancy and perseuerance to maintaine the fight vntill hauing gotten a full and finall victory wee be like conquerours crowned with glory and immortalitie the which he vouchsafe vnto vs euen for his Christs sake the Sonne of his loue and the author continuer and finisher of our saluation to whom with the blessed Father and holy Spirit be ascribed of vs and his whole Church all praise and glory power and dominion from this time forth and for euermore Amen FINIS