formerly spoken of will be to little purpose if they make no further progresse in the wayes of God Then the flesh vseth more refined and subtill pollicies and condemning as much as any others carnall Gospellers ciuill iusticiaries and grosse hypocrites it perswadeth them to be like Agryppa almost and but almost Christians and to rest in some shadowes and meere counterfaits of sauing graces and Christian obedience which are so like vnto them that vnlesse they bee brought to the all discouering light of Gods word and diligently examined by this touch stone of trueth they can hardly be discerned I will not say by others which is meerely impossible but euen by those that haue them And this is the estate of temporarie beleeuers in whom there is almost nothing wanting which is in sound Christians but sinceritie and trueth For they are allowed by their sinnefull flesh to bee as like Christians as possibly may be so they be not so indeed and to runne before many true beleeuers in outward duties and euen to knocke at heauen gates so that they will there rest but for a time and neuer enter They haue knowledge often times in farre greater measure then many of Gods deare children faith repentance obedience and that in such a degree that in outward appearance many true Christians come farre short of them And therefore seeing aboue all deceipts this is most deceitfull we are to bend all our care and study that we may discouer and defeate it §. Sect. 2. That we must labour to haue all spirituall graces in sincerity and truth and first our knowledg To which purpose wee must not onely labour to haue all sauing graces and to be enabled vnto the performance of all Christian duties but also after assurance that they are in vs and done by vs in sinceritie and trueth And to this purpose wee are often to examine and waigh them in the ballance of the sanctuary and to obserue the infallible markes and signes whereby our true graces and vertuous actions may be discerned not onely from vices and grosse corruptions but also from these neere counterfaits and shadowes of them which are insubtill hypocrites and temporary beleeuers For there wee shall finde that though the knowledge of temporaries bee in respect of the measure very great yet it faileth in the qualitie and effects for it is barely learned by hearing and reading and not taught by the spirituall annoynting whereof the Apostle speaketh 1 Ioh. 2. 20. which the faithfull onely receiue it is much inspeculation and theorie and little in practise spirituall power feeling and repentance and they know the things of God appertaining to saluation as a man knoweth a strange land by reading which he neuer trauailed whereby hee is enabled to discourse of it and of the fruites and benefits contained in it though hee neuer tasted them nor hath any hope euer to enioy them whereas the true beleeuer though he be in his pilgrimage yet knoweth heauen and heauenly things as his owne countrey and the blessings contained in it of which he hath already tasted and had feeling experience and is assured after a while when hee hath finished his iourney to haue the full fruition of them And hereof it is that the knowledge of the hypocrite bringeth small ioy and comfort with it and though it exceede in measure yet it cheareth not the heart like the least knowledge of a sound Christian euen as the knowledge of the Lawyer in the euidences of a mans lands may be greater then the owners but yet hee cannot reade them with like comfort because he hath no right vnto them §. Sect. 3. How wee may discerne a true iustifing faith from that which is temporarie So also hypocrites and temporaries haue faith whereby they not onely know and beleeue the whole word of God and the promises of the Gospell to be true but also giue their assent vnto them yea make some kind of application of them vnto themselues And yet there are diuers essentiall differences betweene this faith of hypocrites and of true beleeuers For first they differ in their causes the one being wrought by the ministery of the Gospell made effectuall by the inward cooperation of Gods Spirit the other by Sathan carnal corruption abusing and misapplying of these promises in Christ Secondly in their grounds for a liuely faith is grounded vpon Gods reuealed trueth but the faith of hypocrites vpon no other ground then the false suggestions of Sathan vnwarranted conceipts carnall securitie and fond presumption which cause the hypocrite to apply vnto himselfe the mercies of God merits of Christ and the sweete promises of the Gospell when as he is in no sort qualified and fitted according to the word to receiue or haue any interest in them For before we can beleeue with a true faith we must be humbled in the sight and sense of our sinnes wee must deny our selues and become vile in our own eyes and haue an hungring and thirsting after Christ and his righteousnesse and an high valuation and esteeme of them aboue all things in the world all which are wanting in the saith of hypocrites Thirdly true faith is ioyned with vnfained loue of God for he that is assured that much is forgiuen him he loueth much not only God himselfe but his neighbours yea euen his enemies for Gods sake and those aboue all the rest in whom he discerneth the image of God mâ—st clearely shining But the faith of hypocrites being alwayes accompanied with self-selfe-loue maketh a man to value himselfe aboue all things yea God himselfe the chiefe goodnesse Fourthly where there is true faith there is alwayes a sore combate and conflict betweene the flesh and the spirit betweene faith purifying the heart and vnbeliefe labouring to retaine the pleasures of sinne and all our â—nbred corruptions which are pleasing or profitable but the faith of hypocrites is still quiet and peaceable because it is nothing but carnall presumption which being corrupt and sinnefull agreeth well with other corruptions neither doeth Sathan moue or as much as in him lyeth suffer to be moued of any questions because hee would possesse all things in peace and not haue his kingdome diuided in it selfe Secondly true faith is the instrument of a mutuall donation for as it receiueth Christ who is giuen vs of God so it offereth and consecrateth our bodies and soules vnto Christ who by the gift of God hath as much right vnto vs as we vnto him But the faith of hypocrites would haue part in Christ and all his benefits but Christ must haue no part in them or if any at all hee must be contented with their tongue onely whereas the world and the diuell must haue their hearts Secondly true faith is not easily daunted or dismayed but commonly shineth most clearely in the darke night of afflictions and manifesteth it selfe in it chiefe strength when carnall reason will minister no comfort but the faith of hypocrites resteth
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
man regenerate with more care and diligence to obserue his owne heart and more conscionably to watch ouer all his wayes that hee giue no aduantage to his sinfull flesh It causeth him studiously to affect and earnestly to endeauour in the vse of all good meanes whereby the spirituall part may be more and more strengthened and the flesh with all carnall lustes may be mortified and subdued that so it may not rebell and gather strength to preuaile against it as wee see in the example of the Apostle But the conflict of conscience 1 Cor. 9. 27 is commonly ioyned with secure retchlesnesse whereby the vnregenerate man doeth car lesly neglct the causes and occasions of this bitter conflict vntill he be ouertaken with them and onely auoideth the punishment and not the sinne which causeth it oâ— the sinne onely when hee is sensible of the punishment it worketh in him no care to mortifie his sinnes vnlesse it bee onely in outward fact and that alone for seruile feare of paine and smart and not in loue and obedience vnto God yea still he loueth them as his dearest darlings and when he dare not giue them place and entertainment in his workes and actions as it were in his outward roomes he secretly lodgeth them in his heart as in his secrete closet or priuate chamber It doeth not make him vse any meanes to subdue his flesh and mortifie his corruptions yea rather it bringeth him into a sluggish despaire which maketh him to cry out that there is a Lyon in the streete to starue his soule because hee will not take paines to plucke his hand out of his bosome and put it to his mouth to stop his eares against all good counsel and to harden his heart against all instruction 〈…〉 exhortation whereby he is taught the way wh 〈…〉 may come out of his misery or is incited and stirred vp to walke in it complaining that all these meanes are vnto him vselesse and bootelesse seeing he is already irrecouerably plunged into a desperate condition Or else if he vse at all the meanes of his recouery it is onely inhypocrisie not with a desire to profite by them but onely to stop the cry of conscience vpon this perswasion that God will bee contented with this formall seruice notwithstanding that he still goeth on in his wicked courses § Sect. 8. The first difference is in the subiect matter or occasion The fift difference is the subiect matter or occasion about which these conflicts are made by these diuers enemies For the Flesh and the Spirit doe in all things oppose against one another the spirit the flesh in all that is euill the flesh the spirit in all that is good For there is no good action which the spirituall man performeth but the flesh interposing hindreth and interrupteth him as in prayer hearing the word receiuing the sacrament sanctification of the Sabbath the workes of iustice and mercie temperance and sobrietie sometime wholly withdrawing him from them and sometime distracting and disabling him in them which maketh him to complaine with the Apostle To will is present with me but I finde not how to performe that which is good For I finde a law that when I would doe good euill is present Rom. 7. 18 21. with me the which is to be vnderstood not only of particular actions but also of our whole life and conuersatition And contrariwise there is no euill knowne to the spirit and done by the flesh wherein the spirit doth not crosse and oppose it no not those sinnes which by carnall men are thought sleight and veniall either hindering and restraining the regenerate man that hee may not fall into it or mouing him being fallen to rise againe by vnfained repentance But the conflict of conscience extendeth not to the whole course of life but onely to some particular actions and yeelding vnto the will and affections in lesser common and ordinarie sinnes it onely con 〈…〉 h with them about the committing of such sinnes as 〈…〉 â—nd outragious and especially those which are against the second Table not so much regarding or restraining them in those which are committed against the first § Sect. 9 The last differeÌ„ce is in respect of time The last difference betweene these diuers conflicts is in respect of time for the combate betweene the flesh and the spirit beginneth at the time of our regeneration conuersion and not before and being begunne it is constant and continuall to the very end of our liues though it may haue some intermissions in respect of our sense and feeling as when the spirit through the thicke vapour of corruption raised by the flesh is cast into a slumber or by some mighty blowe wounding the conscience astonishing the senses and hardening the heart is as it were cast into a sowne and hath no signes of spirituall life remaining in it out of which it alwayes recouereth being excited and reenlyued by Gods quickening spirit But the combate of conscience doth begin oftentimes long before conuersion euen as soone as we haue the vse of reason and vnderstanding receiuing common notions from the light of nature but it is neither constant and continuall but onely by panges and fits vpon the occasion of some grieuous sinne already acted or about to be committed nor yet alwayes permanent and lasting to the end of life seeing oftentimes by customable sinning the conscience becommeth so deadded and seared that it taketh no notice of sin nor opposeth against the will and affections but as it were casteth the reines in their necke neuer at all checking or curbing them in but suffering them to runne on in an headlong course vnto the committing of all manner of wickednesse CHAP. IX That the Conflict of Conscience is not in all that are vnregenerate nor in them onely § Sect. 1 That no comfort arisetth out of the conflict of conscience AND thus we haue shewed the many differences betweene the combate of the flesh and spirit and of the conscience and affections Whereby it is plaine that as the former giueth vnto vs comfortable assurance of our regeneration adoption and saluation so there can no such hope arise from the other For as we see it may be and most commonly is in the wicked and reprobate it hath no reference to God nor springeth from faith loue filiall feare and obedience but from carnall selfe-loue and seruile feare of iudgement and punishment not from any dislike of sinne the which the wicked in the hottest of this conflict doe loue with all their heart but onely because they desire to auoide the punishment like vnto children whose teeth water when they seâ— lâ—â—â—rous meates but yet dare not touch them for feare of the rod. An example whereof we haue in Balaam who with all is heart would haue sinned in cursing Gods people that hee might haue gained the reward of vnrighteousnesse but yet durst not doe it for Balaacs kingdome because he was affraid to
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
onely vpon the proppe of worldly prosperitie which being pulled away sinketh and fayleth and whilest this faire greene blade which springeth out of the stonie ground is moystened with the dewe of temporall benefits it sprouteth vp and flowrisheth but no sooner doeth the sunne of affliction and persecution arise but presently it withereth and fadeth Lastly true faith is alwayes a liuing and fruitfull faith and is continually exercised in good workes and Christian duties and in loue and obedience towards God but the faith of hypocrites is dead barren and fruitelesse or if it beare any fruits at all yet haue they no respect to God but are done out of pride or self-selfe-loue for feare of punishments or hope of rewards But more of this afterwards §. Sect. 4. The difference betweene true and false repentance Thus also the hypocrite hath some kinde of repentance the which the flesh commendeth vnto him as greeing well enough with it selfe and that to this ende that he may content himselfe with it and neuer labour after sound repentance Which deceipt that we may preuent we are to learne and obserue the many differences betweene this counterfaite and false repentance and that which is sound and sincere For true repentance springeth from a liuely faith assuring vs of Gods loue which causeth vs to bewaile our Zach. 12. 10 Luk. 15. 18. sinnes because by them wee haue displeased our gratious God who so loueth vs and whom we so loue but the sorrow of hypocrites riseth from infidelitie and selfe-loue which maketh vs mourne because by our sinnes wee haue made our selues obnoxious to punishments Godly sorrow ariseth from a true hatred of sinne which being odious vnto vs as an vgly serpent or grieuous as an heauy burthen doth cause vs to sorrow and mourne because we cannot be ridde of it nor shake it off but worldly sorrowe from our loue of sinne because wee are loath to leaue it and yet must needes for feare of further punishment Godly sorrowe driueth the sinner to God with Dauid and maketh him to humble himselfe acknowledge his sinne and aske pardon But the sorrowe of hypocrites driueth men from God maketh them to deny their sinne or to excuse and and minse it Godly sorrowe worketh a change and alteration to amendment of life but the hypocrite though he hangeth downe his head like a bulrush for a day and blubbreth his cheekes with teares yet either hee leaueth not his sinne at all or onely as he leaueth and putteth of his clothes with a purpose to resume and put them on the next day Godly sorrowe doeth chiefely respect the sinne whereby the Christian hath offended God but the sorrow of hypocrites looketh chiefely to the punishment whereby they haue displeased themselues Finally the sorrowe of the faithfull is constant and continual from the first day of conuersion to the ende of their liues but the sorrow of hypocrites is but by flashes and spurts and commonly ceaseth when they are freed from their smart and paine § Sct. 5. The differences betweene the obedience of the faithfull and of hypocrites The like differences also wee may obserue in the other part of repentance which is amendment of life and newe obedience For the obedience of the faithfull springeth from their faith and loue of God but the obedience of hypocrites from selfe-loue and carnall respects the faithfull propound vnto all their good workes the glory of God as their chiefe ende but the hypocrite propoundeth to himselfe chiefely his own good and that in worldly and carnall repects The true beleeuer performeth totall obedience in respect of the subiect with all the powers and parts of his soule and body but the hypocrite contenteth himselfe with bodily exercise which is without the power of godlinesse and doeth not worship God in spirit and trueth nor with a willing and chearefull heart but contradicting the Rom. 7. Apostles speech he may say the euill which I loue that doe I not but the good which I hate that doe I. So also the faithfull Christian performeth totall obedience in respect of Psal 119. 6. the obiect and hauing regard vnto all Gods Commandements he fleeth from all sinne and embraceth all holy duties yea aboue all sinnes hateth those most which cleaue fastest vnto him and laboureth most to bring his heart to the loue of those duties to which naturally he is most backward But the hypocrite seeming to make conscience of one table neglecteth the other or if hee forsaketh many sinnes and doeth many duties yet he hath some darling sinnes which he holdeth as sweete vnder his tongue which hee will by no Iob. 20. 12. meanes part with and some duties there are so contrary to his corrupt nature that there is no arguments that can bee vsed which can moue him to practise them Finally the obedience of the faithfull is constant and permanent and the longer it continueth the more it groweth and encreaseth but the obedience of hypocrites is vnconstant and by fits onely and flashes and commonly like a naughtie iade hee is most free and forward in the beginning of the iourney but quite tyred before he come neere vnto the end § Sect 6. The fleshes deceipt in mouing vs to leaue of from doing good duties that wee may auoide hypocrisy And thus we may defeate the policies of the flesh wherby it draweth vs to hypocrisie wherewith if it cannot preuaile with vs it will labour to draw vs into the contrary extreame and because hypocrisie is odious vnto vs it will moue vs more to disguise and bide our profession of religion to refraine from all good speeches which might glorifie God and edifie our brethren to conforme our selues to their fashions which beare vs company in outward shew though in heart we be farre vnlike them and to neglect all good actions and holy duties as meditation fasting prayer giuing of almes or to doe them in great secrecie and â—s it were by stealth for feare lest men taking notice of them should thinke vs too glorious in our outward shew and condemne vs of hypocrisie The which conceipt so ouerswayeth with diuers who are otherwise good Christians that they are ashamed and ready to bâ—ush when they are taken at vnawares in doing religious duties as though they were guiltie of some great fault And so much the rather because the most godly Christians hauing the reliques of hypocrisie as of all other sinnes remaining in them are guilty to themselues of this corruption as finding it often to preuaile with them and therefore labour with so much the more diligence to auoide all semblance and appearance of it With which deceipt that we may not be ouertaken let vs consider that we ought not so to auoide the shew of hypocrisie as that wee doe in truth shun Christian apologie and profession whereby God is to bee glorified and our neighbours edified that we fall into the sinne of hypocrisie indeede whilest we thus labour to flie the
appearance of it for it is hypocrisie to seeme that we are not and disguising and dissembling our religious and honest hearts vnder the outward shew of a carnall conuersation to appeare worldlings when in truth wee are sincere though weake Christians as Iacob though to a better end tooke vpon him the habite of Esau whose prophanenesse hee hated Let vs know that we dishonour God when we hide and dissemble his gifts and graces in vs and wrong our neighbours who might walke in our light if wee did not couer it as it were vnder a bushell and that they in some degree are ashamed of Christ and his truth who dare not before worldlings either professe it in their words or practise it in their workes Let vs remember that our Sauiour requireth not onely that we should haue the light of holinesse in our selues but that we should also let it shine before men that Mat. 5. 8. they seeing our good workes may glorifie our Father which is in heauen onely hee condemneth these outward shewes of good workes when as thereby we doe not seeke Gods glorie but our owne And the Apostle chargeth Christians to haue their conuersation honest among the Gentiles that whereas 1 Pet 2. 11. they spake against them as euill doers they might by their good workes which they should behold glorifie God in the day of Psal 119 46. visitation That Dauid professed his loue to Gods commandements before Princes and was not ashamed and that Daniel would not smother for a few daies his practicall profession of religious duties though it were to the extreame hazard of his life Let vs consider that one speciall dutie of Christianitie which we owe vnto our neighbours is that wee shine before them by our holy example which is required in the sixt commandement as a meanes of preseruing the life of their soules and therefore that we are guiltie of spirituall murther if we neglect it Finally seeing carnall worldlings are not ashamed to professe their seruice and allegeance to their maister Sathan but with all boldnesse vtter blasphemous oathes ribald words and rotten speeches which corrupt the hearers and audaciously performe all sinfull actions which are without the compasse of mens law not caring who heare or see them let it be our shame to be ashamed of the seruice of our great Lord and Master who is so infinitely good in himselfe and gracious towards vs but let vs with all confidence and courage performe all holy Christian duties which wee owe vnto him though wee liue in the middest of an adulterous and sinfull generation lest being ashamed before such of Christ Mark 8. 38. and his words hee be ashamed of vs when he commeth in the glory of his Father with his holy Angels CHAP. XIIII Of the policies of the flesh in alluring and perswading vs to sinne § Sect 1. The first pollicie to perswade vs that sin is no sin WE haue spoken briefely of the deceipts of the flesh which respect our persons and estates and now we are to speake of the other which concerne certaine duties which God requireth the which are of two sorts the first respect the withstanding subduing and mortifying of our sinnes the other the exercise and practise of vertuous actions Concerning sinne God requireth two things of vs the first that we should not commit or fall into it the second that being fallen wee should not securely liue and lye in it but rise out of it by vnfained repentance Against both which the flesh opposeth vsing many policies and deceipts first to draw vs to the committing of sinne and hauing committed it to continue in it without repentance To the former purpose it vseth diuers deceipts As first it putteth vpon the foule face of sin a faire vizard dresseth this filthy strumpet in the habite of vertue it adorneth it with borrowed ornaments and beautifieth it with false colours in titling wicked vices with vertuous names â—s though it would commend nothing vnto vs but what God himselfe commandeth Thus that wee may imbrace and liue in it the flesh graceth superstition with the name of deuotion doubting and infidelitie with the name of humilitie securitie and presumption it calleth faith and affiance in God Choller and vniust anger zeale for Gods glory lust it tearmeth loue drunkennesse good fellowship prodigalitie bounty and munificence and base niggardlinesse and couetousnesse good husbandry and frugalitie And hauing thus marshalled and raunged these foule vices in the ranke of vertues and beautified them with these false and borrowed colours it doth further authorize them by testimonies of Scriptures and not onely offreth them to our choise as things indifferent or tollerable but presseth them vpon vs as profitable and necessarie Which policie of the flesh if we would defeate wee must first labour to be illightened with the knowledge of Gods truth and with the inward illumination of Gods Spirit that so wee may discerne betweene vertue and vice good and euill which are easily confounded and mistaken the one for the other in the darke night of ignorance and through the naturall blindnesse of our mindes Secondly we must not take nor imbrace any thing suddenly and rashly which Sathan or our owne corrupt flesh commendeth vnto vs but examine and try all things by the light of Gods Word and the touchstone of truth which will plainely discouer vnto vs what is to be imbraced and what auoided what to bee treasured vp in our hearts as pure gold and good treasure and what to be reiected as drosse and base metall Finally wee must labour to purge our hearts from pride and self-selfe-loue which aboue all other things corrupt our iudgements making those things to seeme louely which wee loue and worthy our choise because we haue chosen them And contrariwise we must adorne our selues with humilitie denying our owne wils and carnall lusts make the will of God reuealed in the Scriptures to be the rule of our wils and the guide of our affections § Sect. 2. The â—ecâ—nd policie to tell vâ— that the sinne is but small which it perswadeth vs to committ In the second place if the flesh cannot perswade vs that our sinnes are no sinnes but rather vertues then it will intice vs to commit them vnder this colour that they are but small sinnes telling vs that wee cannot be Saints on earth and pure from all sinne but must of necessitie bee subiect to many infirmities and frailties that in many things wee sinne all and that there is no man so iust on earth that sinneth not that the righteous fall seuen times a day and therefore that it is too much precisenes to stand so strictly on euery triffle and finally that the best of Gods children which euer liued haue had their imperfections as Abraham his lie Ioseph his vaine oath Moses his vnbeliefe Peter his dissimulation c. and that these are so veniall in their own nature that either God will not punish them at all
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 self-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
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
chearefull readinesse to suffer any thing which it pleaseth God to cal him vnto for his sake vntill at last it come to that plerophory and full perswasion of Gods vnchangeable loue and our Election Rom. 8. 38. 39. 1 Ioh. 4. 18. Adoption and Saluation which was in the Apostle Paule who was fully perswaded that nothing in the world was 1. Pet. 1. 8. Rom. 5. 3. able to seperate betweene Gods loue and him And this is accompanied with such peace of conscience as passeth all vnderstanding For when we are assured that wee haue the remission of our sinnes and are quite freed from them both in respect of their guilt and punishment then the terrours and feares which did accompany them are taken away and both Sathan and our owne consciences which did continually accuse vs are put to silence so as they can no longer affright vs nor disturbe our peace From whence springeth spirituall ioy vnspeakeable and glorious whereby we reioyce not onely in the fruition of Gods benefits but also in afflictions and tribulations as the Apostle witnesseth when as we see our selues freed out of the hands of all our spirituall enemies the wrath of God the curse of the lawe death hell and condemnation and now brought into an happy and blessed estate of grace and saluation in and by Iesus Christ and and his benefits apprehended and applied by faith Which effects who so finde thus wrought in them they may be assured that they haue the spirit which is the cause and authour by which they are wrought euen as the light bringeth vs the Sunne the streames to the fountaine and the branches and fruite vnto the roote from which they flow and spring § Sect. 7 The differences betweene a iustifying faith and the faith of presumptuous ciuill worldlings Yea but hypocrites and vnregenerate men doe boast most of their faith and assurance of saluation and therefore they also may haue the spirit or else this faith is no infallible signe of it To which I answere that they haue no true faith but as it were in a dreame and dotage they delude themselues by mistaking their carnall and secure presumption for a liuely and iustifying faith But how shall we discerne the one from the other seeing they seeme to haue oftentimes as strong confidence assurance of their saluation as the best Christians I answere that though there be betweene them some seeming similitude yet there is as great difference as betweene pure gold a rotten post guilded ouer For first true faith is grounded on the Scriptures the word of God but presumption hath no ground but an idle conceipt arising cut of pride and self-selfe-loue True faith alwayes followeth vnfained humiliation in the sight and sense of our sinne and misery whereas the presumptuous man was neuer humbled but hath a proude conceipt of his owne righteousnesse and worthinesse Faith followeth illumination and knowledge and first we must know God and his Christ before we can truely beleeue in them but presumption riseth commonly out of ignorance and the more destitute the woldly man is of the knowledge of God and his wayes the more bold and confident hee is in his perswasion True faith is ioyned with all other graces as loue zeale of Gods glory humilitie patience and obedience manifesting it selfe by the fruites that it bringeth foorth in good workes But presumption is seuered from them all and goeth alone without any such company and attendants True faith is not discerned before sound conuersion and then it beginneth in some small and weake degrees but presumption is borne and bred with vs and in an instant commeth to its full strength which maketh the secure worldling to bragge that he hath alwayes beleeued and is so strong in faith that he neuer doubted of his saluation True faith is not attained vnto without great difficulty it being no lesse a worke to beleeue the Gospell then to fulfill the Lawe but presumption voluntarily creepeth into our hearts and the lesse paines wee take in the vse of Gods holy ordinances the more easily it entreth and the stronger it waxeth Faith is alwayes assaulted with doubting and the one being a fruite of the spirit the other of the flesh there is a great and continuall conflict betweene them but presumption is bold and confident and he who is possessed of it professeth that hee neuer doubted of his saluation neither feeleth he any conflict in him because he is wholly carnall and corruption warreth not against corruption but onely runneth out of one extreame into another for when the secure worldling being by some meanes awakened out of his lethargy ceaseth to presume then he beginneth to despaire Faith purifieth the heart and worketh by loue and is neuer seuered from vnfained repentance but presumption nourisheth and increaseth all sinfull corruptions and they who most presume are most destitute of all true loue towards God and their neighbours And howsoeuer they leaue some grosse sinnes forworldly respects yet they repent of none there being no charge in their affections but onely in their actions yea in this respect also they nourish many sins in their bosomes which they thinke most sweete and aduantageable and will by no meanes be perswaded to part with them Faith vniteth and applieth Christ vnto the beleeuer for all vses for which God gaue him that is as well for sanctification as for iustification and saluation and applieth the vertue of his precious Rom. 12. 1. blood for the taking and purging away of the pollution and corruption of sinne as well as the guilt and punishment and as it taketh hold of Christ to make him ours so it giueth and offereth our soules and bodies vnto Christ that we may become his and be wholly deuoted and dedicated to his worship and seruice but presumption onely apprehendeth Christ for the remission of sinne and the obtaining of euerlasting life and not for the mortification of sinne by vertue of his death nor spirituall quickening and renewing by power of his resurrection and so also it is onely a receiuer but no giuer it taketh all in shewe which Christ offereth but it will in loue of thankefulnesse returne nothing vnto him againe Faith finding it owne weakenes and the sharpe encounters of doubting and incredulity laboureth earnestly in the vse of all good meanes whereby it may bee more and more encreased and confirmed as hearing the word receiuing the Sacrament reacing prayer meditation and such like but presumption finding no such assaults securely neglecteth all these helpes feeling it selfe then the strongest when it is most destitute of them Finally true faith endureth in the day of fiery tryall and temptation and euen when God seemeth to frowne to withdrawe outward testimonies of his loue and in stead of them sendeth afflictions and crosses then the beleeuer with Abraham hopeth aboue hope and beleeueth against beliefe it Rom. 4. 18. Iob. 13. 15. 19. 25. pearceth through all these cloudes of
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
breake then bowe and incline to any good the spirit of God maketh it to melt like the heart of Iosiah and so suppleth and softneth â—t that it becommeth flexible to Gods wil and fit to receiue any impression which he is pleased to stampe vpon it or any forme which hee will frame it vnto as if it were no more yron but now become clay or waxe So whereas he is naturally of a more then earthy coldnes Eph. 2. 1 Psal 34. 38. and like yron which maketh other things colde with the very touch thereof Gods spirit so heateth and inflameth him with feruent loue and ardent zeale that hee hath not onely liuely heate in himselfe but euen like spirituall fire he communicateth his heate and warmth of holinesse and righteousnesse to all that are neare vnto him making them which were colde and dull hot and zealously feruent in all Christian and holy duties Finally whereas like yron hee is naturally so lumpish and heauy that hee is wholly fixed and fastened to the earth minding onely worldly things and can no more mount vp aloft in holy heauenly meditations then yron of it selfe can ascend into the ayre or if by some outward force his thoughts be raised vp to minde those things which are aboue no sooner is the strength of the outward agent spent but presently like an yron bullet it falleth downe againe and euen presseth into the earth with more then wonted waight violence Contrariwise when as his earthy massinesse is attenuated with the fire of Gods spirit hee not onely becommeth more light but being throughly heated in this holy forge he sendeth vp the sparkes of spirituall meditations and now forgetting his olde earthy nature hee doeth no longer lye groueling on the ground minding onely earthly things but being risen with Christ he seeketh not things beneath but those things that are aboue and euen whilest his body is on earth Col. 3. 2. Phil. 3. 20 his conuersation is in heauen and though hee cannot corporally ascend yet he continually sendeth vp the therward the sparkles of holy heauenly thoughts and euen taketh his chiefe comfort and delight to spend his spirits in diuine contemplation Lastly as fire by the warmth and heate thereof refresheth and cheareth those creatures which are frozen and benummed with colde and communicateth vnto them the operations of life strength and nimblenes So this holy fire of the spirit giueth spirituall life and quickening vnto vs who are dead in trespasses and sinnes and by the diuine heate of Gods loue it warmeth cheareth and refresheth our icy and benummed hearts inflameth them with a feruent zeale of his glory and an ardent loue towards him who hath so loued vs and also to our neighbours for his sake whereby it commeth to passe that we who were frozen in the dregges of our sinnes and so weake and stiffe that we were not able to stirre a limbe for the doing of any good action are now made by this vitall heate strong and actiue for all good duties So our Sauiour saith that it is the spirit that quickneth the flesh profiteth nothing and the Apostle telleth vs that the spirit giueth life And Ioh. 6. 63. 2 Cor. 3. 6. Rom. 8. 2. 10. therefore he calleth him the lawe of the spirit of life and saith that this spirit is life because of righteousnesse § Sect. 11 That we may know that the spirit dwelleth in vs by the operations signified by the former metaphors If therefore we would knowe whether the spirit of God dwell in vs or no wee must examine our owne hearts and try our selues whether there be in vs these operations and effects of the spirit which are resembled by these metaphors and similitudes as first if it haue like a mighty winde cast downe the strong holds of sinne and as it were laide flat on the ground our proude carnall reason and rebellious will subiecting them to the will of God and the rule of his word if it hath caused vs not onely to burne in loue of Gods Maiesty but euen to blaze out in the zeale of his glory and if it hath cleansed vs like pure wheate from the chaffe of our corruptions and from the light corne of humaine inuentions and vngrounded superstitions Secondly let vs consider and try our selues if like an oyle it hath suppled and softned our hard and stony hearts so as they are pliable to Gods will if by this spirituall annoyting wee be made more strong actiue and nimble to performe holy and Christian duties then euer wee haue beene in time past and finally if it haue comforted and cheared our hearts in the assurance of our reconciliation with God and remission of our sinnes filling them with spirituall ioy and hath brought peace of conscience which maketh vs to looke with a chearefull countenance euen whilest the world frowneth vpon vs. Thirdly let vs examine if like water it hath cleared the eyes of our mindes and hath giuen vnto vs a sauing feeling and experimentall knowledge of God our selues and his holy trueth if it hath cooled and refreshed vs who were scorched with the apprehension of Gods anger for our sinnes or with the heate of troubles and afflictions and hath quenched our spirituall thirst by applying vnto vs Christs righteousnesse and blood-shead as it were a fountaine of liuing waters if it hath by applying vnto vs the vertue of Christs death cleansed and purged vs not onely from the guilt and punishment but also from the corruption of our sinnes so as though they dwell yet they doe not raigne in our mortall bodie and lastly if it haue watered our hearts as it were dry and barraigne grounds and hath made them like a fertile soyle to bring foorth plentifull fruites of holinesse and righteousnesse Finally let vs examine and try our selues if it haue beene vnto vs a spirituall fire to giue vnto vs light who sate in darkenesse and in the shadow of death if like a fire it haue consumed the drosse and rust of our corruptions and in some measure hath refined vs and made vs vessels of grace fit for Gods vse and finally if it hath warmed our colde and frozen hearts with the zeale of Gods glory and with the loue of him and our neighbours so as wee who were stiffe and benummed are become strong liuely and actiue in performing all holy and Christian duties which wee owe vnto them And if wee finde these effects and operations in vs then may wee be assured that the spirit of God which is the cause and authour of them dwelleth in vs though they be not in vs in perfection if they be in sincerity and truth but if vpon trial we finde that they are altogether wanting then haue we not the spirit of God which can no more be seuered from these effects and signes of it then light from the Sunne or those effects before spoken of from the wind and oyle the water and the fire § Sect 12.
Of speciall fruites of the spirit whereby wee may know that it dwelleth in vs. The last effects which are infallible signes of the spirits dwelling in vs are all the sauing and sanctifying gifts and graces which it worketh in vs as first a liuely faith apprehending the promises and applying vnto vs Christ Iesus and all his benefits of which I haue already spoken The second fruite of the spirit is vnfained loue of God not onely for his benefits receiued or expected present prosperitie the confluence of worldly benefits and euerlasting saluation but also in his owne nature and in respect of his 2 Tim. 1. 7. goodnesse mercy iustice holinesse and all other his sauing attributes In which the faithfull in their loue resemble children who loue their parents out of naturall affection simply and sincerely when as they haue no other outward motiue euen when they crosse them in their desires and doe correct and chastise them for their amendment For such is the loue of Gods children free and generous although their loue may be encreased and made vnto them much more sensible by temporall benefits and heauenly hopes in which respect they are saide to haue receiued a free spirit and so serue God in the libertie of it Whereas contrariwise if there be any loue towards God in the wicked it is onely seruile and slauish not for his owne sake or out of their owne disposition and naturall affection but onely for the hyre of worldly prosperity honours riches pleasures peace health ease and such like temporary benefits the which when he doeth at any time take from them and inflict vpon them the contrary crosses then the cause of their loue ceasing their loue it selfe also ceaseth as we see in the example of Saul Iehu Iudas Demas and many others Thirdly the spirit bringeth with it peace of conscience Rom. 5. 1. Gal. 5. 17. which is a fruite of faith that the spirit worketh in vs assuring vs of the remission of our sinnes and our reconciliation with God for so the Apostle saith that being iustified by faith wee haue peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ and therefore hee also reckoneth it among the fruits of the spirit Fourthly by this assurance of faith and inward peace it also worketh in vs inward comfort and consolation which maketh vs with patience to indure all afflictions and to stand against all the temptations of our spirituall enemies in which respect our Sauiour Christ calleth Ioh. 15. 26. the holy spirit the Comforter because he is the authour and fountaine of all consolation Fourthly from this peace and comfort he raiseth spirituall ioy and reioycing in God our hearts being rauished in the assurance of his mercy and the sense and feeling of his loue and fauour in Iesus Christ in the freedome out of the hands of all our spirituall enemies and our assured hopes of heauenly happinesse the which also is a fruite of the spirit as the Apostle reckoneth Gal. 5. 22. it in the same place and is so to be seene in the faithfull not onely when their wine and oyle aboundeth in which Psal 4. 6. 7. the wicked also may reioyce but also when in the absence of these the light of Gods countenance doeth shine vpon them which causeth vs to ioy and reioyce euen in the middest of crosses and tribulations as the Apostle telleth vs. Rom. 5. 3. Fiftly from all these ariseth thankefulnesse vnto God from whom wee haue receiued all these benefits the which is shewed not with our lippes alone but by our conscionable care and zealous endeauour to glorifie God in all our thoughts words and actions and our earnest desire to approue our selues vnto God in all things and to retaine his loue and auoide his displeasure in louing and practising whatsoeuer he loueth and requireth and in hating and forsaking all that he abhorreth and forbiddeth § Sect. 13. Of other speciall fruiâ—tes of the spirit respecting our neighbours Vnto which duties immediately respecting God the Apostle also ioyneth as fruits of the spirit diuers others respecting our neighbours and our owne persons As first long suffering when as considering how the Lord hath borne with vs when he might haue consumed vs with his wrath we doe also beare with our brethren and when the wrong and iniure vs indure it with patience or else at least deferre and put off our anger or restraine and moderate the rage and heate of it according to that of the Apostle Put on as the elect of God holy and beloued bowels of mercies Col. 3. 12. kindnesse humblenesse of minde meekenesse long-suffering forbearing one another and forgiuing one another if any man haue a quarrell against any euen as Christ forgaue you so also doe yee The second is gentlenesse whereby a man carryeth himselfe courteously and affably in his words and friendly and kindely in all his actions vnto all men mildely to his inferiours and reuerently and respectiuely to his superiours And this the Apostle requireth that we should be no brawlers Tit. 3. 2 but gentle shewing all kindnesse vnto all men The third is goodnesse whereby we are ready by all meanes wee can to doe good vnto our neighbours both in the duties of iustice and mercie vnto their persons and states soules bodies and name And this we are bound vnto by Gods commandement namely that we should by loue serue one another Gal. 5. 13. and also by that bond of the Spirit which vniteth vs together in our body vnder one head Christ which should cause vs to demeane our selues towards one another as it be commeth members of the same body The fourth is faith or fidelitie whereby in our words we keepe all our lawfull promises and couenants though it be to our owne hinderance and in our actions carrie our selues truely and honestly without falshood lying and deceipt The fift is meekenesse which consisteth in two things the first patience in forbearing Mat. 5. to reuenge by our owne priuate meanes wrongs and iniuries from which our Sauiour would haue vs so farre that wee should rather offer our selues to beare new iniuries then reuenge the old and the other lowlinesse whereby laying aside all proud conceipt of our own worth and excellencie wee thinke better of others then of our selues and in giuing honour striue and labour to goe before them 2 Sect 14. Of some other speciall fruites of the spirit respecting our owne persons In respect of our owne persons the fruits of the spirit are principally two the first whereof is temperance whereby a man rightly ordereth ruleth and moderateth his appetite in his meate drinke and apparell pleasures and recreations according to the rules of Gods Word hating and forsaking gluttonie and drunkennesse excessiue brauerie and strange fashions sinfull delights and vnlawful and excessiue pastimes The other is sobrietie which especially teacheth vs the right vse of all Gods blessings and benefits both temporall and spirituall And for the
adhering to all the parts and faculties of our soules and bodies vnmortified and vncrucified or that part of a Christian which is vnregenerate and continually fighteth and striueth against the spirit And this is the malicions enemie that assisteth Sathan and the world to worke our vtter ouerthrow vnto which the Scriptures haue giuen many names whereby the nature and qualities there of are implyed that we may the better know it and arme our selues to fight against it For it is called the a Rom. 6. 6. Ephes 4. 22. Col. 3. 9. old man not onely because in age and antiquitie it almost matcheth humane nature but rather to imply vnto vs that like those who by reason of their old age haue had much experience it is very subtle and politique and so full of sleights and stratagems that if wee be not exceeding wary and watchfull it will easily circumuent vs. It is called also the b 1. Cor. 2. 14. naturall man because this corruption ouerspreadeth the whole nature of all men who are vnregenerate for howsoeuer in the first creation we were good free from sinne yet after the fall of our first parents wee were so degenerate and infected in our natures with the poison of their corruption that it is as naturall familiar and easie to sin and offend God as for a man to eate drink and sleepe for a fish to swim a bird to flie or for a stone to descend downwards It is called the old Adam to leade vs vnto the fountaine from which it sprung that is not God who made all things good but our first parents who as they lost the image of God by their fall and were wholly corrupted in their owne natures so they deriued their corruption vnto all their posteritie and hauing first defiled themselues with this spirituall Leprosie did also infect therewith all that numerous of-spring which descended of them It is called the c 2. Cor. 9. 17. Rom. 8. 10. body because this corruption dwelleth in the bodie and exerciseth it selfe in it by it as by it instrument in the committing and perpetrating of all the workes of darknes and that we may the more clearely discerne what body the Apostle meaneth he calleth it the d Rom. 6. 6. body of sinne and the e Col. 2. 11. body of the sinnes of the flesh because the flesh by the bodie committeth all manner of sinne and wickednesse It is called the body of death because it is the cause of death and f Rom. 7. 24. condemnation in which sense Elizaus his Disciples said that death was in the pot that is deadly poysonous hearbs which would cause them to dye who had tasted of them It is called also g Rom. 7. 8. 11 sinne not onely because it selfe is sinne but also the roote and fountaine of all other wickednesse and the h Rom. 7. 17. sinne that dwelleth in vs because like the strong man it keepeth sure possession till a stronger commeth and dispossesseth it euen the Spirit of God dwelling in vs. It is called i Iam. 1. 13. 14. euill concupiscence because it filleth vs with sinfull lusts and maketh vs to to stand in opposition against the will of God desiring and willing that which he nilleth and condemneth It is called k Heb. 12. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sin which encloseth or besetteth vs about because this hellish Captaine with a whole armie of sinfull lusts enuiron vs on euery side so as wee cannot possibly of our selues escape out of their ambushments Finally it is called the law of sinne the l Rom. 7. 23. law of the members and the m Rom 8. 2. law of death because it is the rule of all the naturall mans actions guiding him into all wickednesse the commander of all his parts and members vnto whose iniunctions they doe like subiects yeeld free and willing obedience the which their seruice and subiection is in the end rewarded with euerlasting death of bodie and soule CHAP. III. What wee are to vnderstand by the Spirit in this discourse §. Sect. 1. That the word Spirit is diuersly taken in the Scriptures AND thus wee haue shewed what the flesh is which is one of the champions in this spirituall combate now wee are to consider of the other which is the Spirit and that wee may the more distinctly know what it is wee must vnderstand that the word Spirit is diuersly taken in the Scriptures and to omit many acceptations which are altogether impertinent to our present purpose we may obserue that it is sometimes taken generally for all spirituall and incorporeall substances and sometimes more specially for some one of them And thus it sometime signifieth the whole a Ioh. 4. 24. deitie and sometime euery one of the persons the Father the b Ioh. 6. 63. Sonne in respect of his diuine nature and the c 1. Ioh. 5. 6. 7. holy Ghost who hath this name of spirit after a vsuall and peculiar manner giuen vnto him But howsoeuer God and euery of these holy and diuine persons doe fight in vs and for vs against the flesh seeing it is their grace that supporteth vs and their strength whereby wee ouercome yet we are not to vnderstand by spirit in the following discourse this diuine nature who being omnipotent none is able to resist Sometime it signifieth the d Eccles 12. 7. Act. 7. 59. 2. Cor. 7. 1. soule of man euen as the flesh is taken for the bodie but these are not opposites and enemies but deare friends who so entirely loue that they feare nothing more then to be separated and to part company Sometime it signifieth that chiefe and excellent facultie of the soule called e 1. Cor. 2. 11. Rom. 12. 2. Luke 1. 47. reason and vnderstanding but neither can it here be taken in this sense because this spirit it selfe is corrupt and sinfull and this naturall reason and wisedome is enmitie against God and against this spirit whereof we speake which opposeth and fighteth against it as against his chiefest enemie Sometime it is taken for the vigour and efficacie of the vnderstanding and reason it selfe as where the Apostle exhorteth the Ephesians to be renued in the spirit of their minde Sometime by spirit we vnderstand the f Luke 1. 15. Gal. 3. 2. Act. 2. 18. gifts and graces of the spirit as Faith Loue Hope Ioy and the rest which being fruits of the Spirit do stand in opposition to the lusts of the flesh and in some sort doe fight against them they being contrarie the one to the other Finally the Spirit sometime signifieth a new qualitie of holinesse created and wrought in all the Elect by the Spirit of God whereby all the powers and faculties of his soule and body are renewed according to the image of God in wisedome holinesse and righteousnesse In which sense wee are to vnderstand it in this place §. Sect. 2. What wee are
imperfections in it and worketh in him a conceipt that it is most perfect both in the parts and degrees when as there is nothing but defects and corruptions Thus it made the younge man in the Gospell to boast that he had done all commaunded in the law when Mat. 19. 20. he had transgressed all and to aske after a greater taske what lacke I yet when as his worke was not so much as begunne Luke 18. 11. 23. 23. and as yet he had done nothing Thus it made the proude Pharisie to bragge of his legall righteousnesse euen vnto God himselfe and to rest in his paying of smal tithes minte commine and Annise as though he had done the waightie things of the lawe Finally thus it perswadeth the sincere professor to ouerweene his guifts and to magnifie aboue measure the graces which he hath receiued It maketh him beleeue that his little mite is a rich treasury and his small graine of musterseede and first degrees of faith to be already a great tree that hee is good wheate able to indure the fanne or the blasts of any temptations whereas if Christ prayed not for him that his faith might not faile hee would when Sathan should sift him prooue but light corne if not very chaffe Finally that hee is so strong in Christ that he can willingly suffer martyrdome for his name sake and with Peter to presume that though all the world should forsake him yet he would not when as the voyce of a poore damosell will make him start backe and the smallest losse of goods or impeachment to his credit will easily moue him to abiure his profession The issue of which deceipt is most dangerous if by Gods grace it bee not preuented for the maine ende at which our deceitfull flesh herein aymeth is either to puffe vs vp so in pride that wee forget God the sole authour of our guifts and spoyle him of his praise by arrogating it vnto our selues and that we growe insolent in respect of men contemning those who in our false conceipt come short of vs. And secondly that we rest contented with that measure of grace which we haue as being abundantly sufficient and neuer vse any meanes whereby our imperfect and defectiue graces may be encreased and growe to greater perfection §. Sect. 4. The meanes to defeate the former pollicie Now if we would stand in the day of temptation and not be ouertaken with this deceipt of the flesh the best way is first that we decke our selues with humilitie as the Apostle exhorteth remembring that the way to obtaine 1 Pet. 5. 5. more grace at the hands of our heauenly father is to bemoane our small measure to bee emptie in our owne conceipt to hunger and thirst after more for he resisteth the proude but giueth his grace to the humble hee filleth the Lucke 1. 53. hungry with good things but sendeth the rich empty away neither doeth he euer raise and build the goodly pallace of his grace and vertue but where he hath first laid the foundation of humilitie And therefore let vs not as the Apostle Rom. 12. 3. exhorteth vs thinke of our selues more highly then wee ought to thinke but thinke soberly according as God hath dealt to euery man the measure of faith Secondly let vs cast away those false spectakles of pride and self-selfe-loue which make our small guifts to seeme so great and examine our graces by the neuer-deceiuing light of Gods word And there we shall plainely see how farre we come short of that perfection which God requireth what a little pittance it is we haue in comparison of that which we want and how our small measure is blotted and stained with the flesh of our corruptions Thirdly let vs not commend our graces to the eye of our deluded iudgements as shopkeepers doe their courser wares by setting courser by them wee haue in our sight the example of others who come short of vs but let vs compaire our little sparkes of grace with those bright flames which haue shonne in the Patriarches Prophets and Apostles yea in our Sauiour Christ himselfe and so we shall not be proude of our progresse but ashamed rather of our small profitiencie and with the Apostle forgetting those things which are behinde and reaching foorth Phil. 3. 13. to those things which are before wee shall presse towards the marke for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus CHAP. XII Of the fleshes policies respecting our estates § Sect 1. The first pollicie respecting our estate is to perswade the faithful that they are hated of God because they are afflicted ANd these were the chiefe deceipts of our flesh respecting our persons Now concerning our estate it vseth a wicked policie whereby all men are exceedingly abused deluded which is to draw vs vnto a false iudgement concerning our estate as either to think our selues miserable when we are in the way to happinesse or happy when wee are in the way to perdition Concerning the former it is commonly vsed by the flesh towards the children of God when they are in the state of affliction either of body or minde For when pouerty pincheth them or reproaches are cast vpon them or sicknes seâ—zeth on their bodies or griefes vpon their mindes when they are cast downe in the sight of their sinnes and are terrified in their consciences with the apprehension of Gods displeasure then the flesh is ready to perswade them that these are signes of Gods wrath and of their reprobation and damnation But concerning this policy I shall not neede heere to say much seeing I haue sufficiently armed the Christian against it in the first and third part of this Christian warfare where I haue prooued that this is a false iudgment of the flesh quite contrary to the Scriptures which teach vs that afflictions either of body or minde are vnto vs markes of Gods loue and signes of our adoption when as we make a right vse of them and are by these fatherly chastisements reformed and amended § Sect. 2. The second pollicie to perswade vs that we are in an happie condition when our state is most miserable But the contrary vnto this as it is much more daungerous so also much more frequent and common namely for the flesh to perswade vs that wee are in an happy and blessed condition when as in trueth wee are in the very lawes of eternall death and condemnation And thus the flesh abuseth either those who being in the bosome of the Church are professed worldings or such as in their profession and conuersation doe make some shew of Christianitie Concerning the former how many are there that beare the name of Christians who are slaues to the world and their own lustes and the very bondslaues of the diuell making no conscience of their wayes but giuen ouer to all liscentiousnesse and to commit all maner of sinne with greedinesse and yet are deluded
people of God subdued and led into miserable captiuitie And the experience of our own times teacheth vs that we cannot conclude that we are in Gods fauour and in the state of saluation because we thriue in the world and haue good successe in all our endeauours seeing by this reason we might inferre that the great Magor the Turke Persian and many other Infidels and Pagans were better beloued of God then Christian Princes and among Christians many prophane and carnall men then the sincere louers of Gods trueth because they more abound in these worldly blessings But of this point I shall neede to say little here seeing I haue written so much of this argument in my second part of this Christian War-fare § Sect. 5. That a ciuill life is not sure signe that we are in the state of grace and saluation And thus the flesh abuseth those who are professed worldlings Neither doth it deale lesse deceiptfully with those that make some shew of religion the which are of two sorts ciuill iusticiaries and temporarie hypocrites Concerning the former it perswadeth them that they are in good estate because they liue ciuilly and vnblameably among their neighbours in respect of notorious crimes which are punishable by the lawes of men and maketh them to blesse themselues because they are no murtherers adulterers drunkards theeues periured persons and couenant breakers but contrariwise deale honestly with all men keepe their word pay euery one their due and sometimes also giue an almes to those that are in want and misery And because in respect of their dutie towards God they are of that religion which the Prince is of and the Law requireth and are no recusants but come to the Church with the rest of their neighbours and there heare diuine seruice and the word preached and receiue the Sacrament as oft as the law inioyneth Though in the meane time they are vtterly ignorant of the true God his persons nature and attributes of Iesus Christ and his natures and offices and the great worke of redemption and in a word of all the principles of true religion And though they make no conscience of performing any duties of the first table as of Prayer hearing the Word receiuing the Sacrament sanctifying the Sabbath in spirit and in truth as God requireth but onely formally for custome and fashion sake yet their corrupt flesh maketh them beleeue that God will accept of their good meaning and superstitious deuotion and will be well satisfied with their bodily exercise and lip-labour though their hearts be farre from him yea though in the very time of his seruice they set vp idols in their hearts and haue all their cogitations wholly taken vp with their pleasures profits and other vanities of the world But that we may not be ouertaken with this deceit let vs know and remember that God will not accept of vs vnlesse with Dauid we haue respect vnto all his commandements and make Psal 119. 6. conscience of performing as well yea principally the duties of the first table as of the second that the feare of God and his true religion is the head and first beginning of sauing wisedome and that it is but a counterfet and carnall Psal 111. 10. righteousnesse such as was in the heathens which doth not spring from the roote of piety that wee cannot haue a liuely faith without sauing knowledge nor doe any good workes without faith that without faith wee cannot please Heb. 11. 4. Rom. 14. 23. God and whatsoeuer we doe without it is sinne That if our iustice arise not from godlinesse it is but meerely morall ciuilitie and if our loue of our brethren spring not from the cleere fountaine of Gods loue then it streameth from the filthy puddle of selfe-loue Let vs know that God will bee worshipped not after the commandements of men but after his owne reuealed will and that whosoeuer serue GOD principally because the princes law requireth it and not because God commandeth it hee worshippeth his King aboue his God That bodily exercise profiteth 1 Tim. 4. 8. nothing and that the Lord wil be worshipped in spirit and Ioh. 4. 24. truth that God regardeth not formall seruice which riseth rather from custome then conscience and that the religion of the soule is the soule of religion without which it is but a dead carkase That God can indure no riuals in his seruice nor no halting betweene Iehouah and Baal God and the world he cannot abide a double or diuided heart but he will either haue all or leaue all to the Diuell and the world and finally that our good meaning will be no currant payment in the day of accompt seeing it hath not Gods image and stampe vpon it but is coined in the forge of our owne braine and hath on it the print of our owne inuentions which the Lord esteemeth no better then high treason against his royall crowne and dignitie § Sect. 6. That a bare profession of the true religion is not sufficient for saluation And thus the flesh deceiueth ciuill iusticiaries the like deceit it vseth towards hypocrites with whom it dealeth diuersly according to their diuers kindes For either they are grosse hypocrites who though they make a great shew of religion yet their liues are so euill and scandalous that their hypocrisie is detected and manifest not onely vnto others but also to their owne hearts and consciences or more cunning and subtle who by their outward profession and seeming conformitie to the law deceiue not onely other men but themselues also Concerning the former the flesh deceiueth them with a vaine conceipt that the bare profession of the true religion is sufficient for their saluation without all practise and obedience that it is inough to say that they haue faith though they bee vtterly barren of all good Workes to cry Lord Lord though they neglect the will of our heauenly Father that they be hearers of the word though they be not doers of it and that they professe that they know God though in their workes they deny him being abominable disobedient and to euery good worke reprobate But this is so contrary to the whole course T◠1. 16. of the Scriptures that who so is but a little conuersant in them may plainely see yea palpably feele this deceipt neither is it possible that any should be deluded with it but those whom the god of this world hath blinded and for want of loue to the truth are giuen vp of God to bee seduced 2 Thes 2. 11. with strong delusions and to beleeue lies For there we shall Rom. 2. 13. plainely see that these conceits are crossed and contradicted in direct and expresse tearmes namely that not the hearers but the doers of the word are iustified that if we heare Iam. 1. 22. Ioh. 13. 17. Luke 11. 28. Mat 7. 21. Iam. 2. 14. 17. 26 and doe not we doe but deceiue our selues that they onely
seeing the fault is in themselues who despise it neither is the infinitenesse thereof at all limited or shadowed because it is not extended to those who reiect it no more then the mercy of the Prince is ecclypsed who sendeth his pardon to a malefactour with this condition that he shall haue the benefite of it if he will receiue and pleade it and for the time present be sorry for his fault and for the time to come endeauour to amend and yet afterwards hangeth the offender when he refuseth to receiue it and withall professeth his resolution to continue in his wicked courses Besides the infinitnesse of Gods mercy is not onely manifested by the number which he forgiueth but also by the quality and greatnesse of the debt which he pardoneth and remitteth In which regard the infinite grace and goodnesse of God would clearely shine in the saluation of one sinner though there were no more then he because he forgiueth the infinite guilt and punishment of his sinne whereby he hath offended his infinite maiestie §. Sect. 8. The seuenth pollicie of the flesh in perswading vs to deferre our repentance Lastly if the flesh cannot drawe vs to a resolution of liuing in our sinnes without repentance then it allureth vs to deferre it from time to time because it will neuer be too late to performe this duty though it were delayed to the last houre of our liues which deceipt that we may defeate let vs know that this is a like abuse of Gods infinite mercy and goodnesse when as by our presumption we make it serue as a reason to continue vs in our sins which should be the chiefest motiue to hasten our repentance Secondly let vs consider that we haue no assurance of our liues for the space of one houre nor that we shall haue power to repent if we despise Gods present grace though our liues should be prolonged for many yeeres Thirdly that without repentance there can be no saluation which being the chiefe thing deserueth our first and best endeauours and what folly is it to seeke first for vaine and momentary trifles and to defer this greatest and most important businesse to our last and vncertaine times seeing if we be preuented by death there is no hope but that we shall goe vnto hell Fourthly let vs knowe that the longer we deferre our repentance the more hard and difficult shall we finde it to be done for if we cannot shake off our sins when like strangers they are first entertained much lesse shall wee bee able to doe it when they are of familiar acquaintance yea by long custome become habituall and as it were turned into a second nature Finally let vs remember that this late repentance is commonly false and counterfaite not springing out of faith and the loue of God but out of selfe-loue and feare of approaching iudgements The which lamentable experience maketh too manifest seeing few among many hundreds performe that which they promised when the hand of God correcting them is pulled backe but after their recouery out of those sickenesses which they thought mortall returne to their former courses yea become more worldly and wicked then euer they were before But of this argument I haue largely intreated in the first part of this Christian warfare and therefore will content my selfe heere to haue so briefely touched it CHAP. XVI Of the pollicies of the flesh which it vseth to hinder vs from performing holy duties and vertuous actions § Sect 1. Of the first policie of the flesh in blinding our mindes and corrupting our iudgments that we may not discerne betweene good and euill WE haue heard of some notable deceipts which the flesh vseth to drawe vs vnto sinne and being fallen to make vs lye in it without repentance now let vs consider of some chiefe pollicies which it vseth about holy duties and vertuous actions And these are of three sorts the first it vseth to hinder vs from embracing and practising them The second to disturbe and inturrupt vs in them the third to alinate our hearts and withdrawe vs from them For the first it vseth many deceipts to keepe vs from embracing vertue and bringing forth the fruits of new obedience As first of all when wee haue some inclination to embrace vertue and to practise Christian duties in the generall it cunningly indeauoureth to dazle the eyes of our minde and to corrupt our iudgements that wee may mistake vertue for vice and good for euill To which ende it either moueth vs to iudge of them according to common error and the false opinion of worldly men who by selfe-loue are easily brought to condemne that as naught which is most contrary to their carnall appetite or else it disguiseth vertues beautie with the foule and vgly vizard of vice and sinne or so besprinkleth and besmeareth them with the blacke colours of false imputations that wee are ready to abhorre and reiect them at the first view without any further triall or examination Thus it brandeth a Christian conuersatiō with the name of a malancholick or monkish life deuotion with the name of superstition and a conscionable care to approue our hearts and all our wayes vnto God it tearmeth nice scrupulositie and needlesse yea peeuish precisenesse Thus a religious care to sanctifie the Sabbath it calleth Iudaisme zeale fury and madnesse or at best rashnesse and indiscretion humilitie it tearmeth basenesse magnanimitie pride bounty lauishnesse frugalitie niggardlinesse meekenesse cowardize and Christian courage and fortitude it intitleth with the name of desperate and audatious boldnesse Now the meanes to preserue vs from being ouertaken with this deceipt is to pull of these deformed vizards and to behold vertue and all Christian duties in their owne natiue beauty by the neuer deceiuing light of Gods word And not to listen to the false opinion of the world and the flesh which make light darknesse and sweet sower but to examine by the Scriptures what God approueth and what he disliketh and condemneth To which purpose wee must daily exercise our selues in the study and meditation of Gods word which will so enlighten rectifie and informe our iudgements that we shall neuer be deceiued by those foggy and false mistes which the diuell the world or our owne corrupt flesh doe cast before them § Sect 2. The second policy in alledginge difficulties that are in christian duties A second deceipt which the flesh vseth to discourage vs from seeking after vertue and endeauouring to practise Christian duties is to perswade vs that the house of vertue is scituated on so high an hill that wee shall be out of breath and quite tyred before we can clime vnto it and that there is so much difficultie and so many discouragements in a Christian life that it would be but in vaine to enter into it it being impossible that we should goe forward and that better it were not to giue the onset then in the first skirmish to bee foyled and forced to make
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
of perfection there could be no conflict because there could be no flesh nor yet in the state of corruption because there could bee no spirit yet they may when their degrees are abated and their vigour and full strength is somewhat blunted and deadded In which respect this residence of the flesh and spirit is fitly compared to the residence of the light and darkenesse in the ayre in the twilight or dawning of the day when as there is not one part of the ayre darke and another light but the whole ayre partly light and partly darke he darkenesse and light being mingled together or of heate and colde in the same luke-warme water where they are not diuided in place but the whole water is partly cold and partly hot or of water and wine in the same vessell in which there is not one part wine and another water but the whole mixture is partly water and partly wine or of sicknes and health in those which we call weake and sickly through some spice or reliques of an Ague or Feauer of whom it cannot be saide that hee is sicke in one part and sound in another but that he is partly healthy in his whole body so far forth as he is recoured and partly sicke so farre forth as the reliques of his sicknes remaine in him In all which these contrary qualities doe not friendly conioyne themselues nor agree one with another neither doe they communicate their properties vertues and contrary qualities to produce this mixture but both of them stand still in hostile tearmes in the same subiect labouring continually to get the victory and wholly abolish his enemy opposite CHAP. IIII. Of the Combate it selfe and the manner how it is fought in vs. § Sect. 1. When wee are called by God to this conflict WEe haue shewed what are the causes of this conflict and now we are in the next place to speake of the combate it selfe of the manner how it is fought in vs. To which purpose we are to know that the acceptable time and day of saluation being come when as the Lord is purposed to deliuer vs eternally out of the hands and power of sinne and Sathan raigning and ruling in our hearts as Kings yea Gods as the Scripture speaketh holding the Rom. 6. 12. 2 Cor. 4. 4. 2 Tim. 2. 26. whole man with all the powers and faculties of his soule and body in subiection to doe their will that for the time which remaineth we may be his seruants and souldiars to obey him in all things and to make warre vnder his standard against the spirituall enemies of our saluation it pleaseth him by the ministry of his word made effectuall by the operation of his spirit to open our blinde eyes that we may see and plainly discerne that wretched bondage vnder sinne and Sathan in which we liue the innumerable miseries into which it plungeth vs for this present life and that hellish condemnation and euerlasting torments which if we liue die in this thraldome doe attend vs in the life to come Thereby is discouered vnto vs the tyranny of the diuell whereby he raigneth and rageth in vs working our hearts to his will and inclyning vs to drudge in his seruice for no other reward but the vncertaine pay of worldly vanities which shall be accompanied with endlesse destruction the vglinesse and intollerable waight of sinne which as an heauy burthen presseth vs downe to hell the terrible wrath of God inflamed against vs by our sinnes and the curse of the lawe ready to attach vs. Finally that our liues be momentary and vncertaine and therefore also the pleasures of sinne can bee but alike vnsure and of short continuance but the life to come and both the pleasures and ioyes and the paines and torments of it are euerlasting and there is no hope to enioy the one and escape the other if wee liue and dye in our present condition And thus when by the ministery of the word wee are brought to a sight and sense our damnable and wretched estate our sleeping consciences are awakened our hard and flintie hearts are throughly humbled and softned bruised and made contrite so as our former carnall securitie being shaken of we relent and mourne in the sight of our sinne and misery Being thus cast downe and humbled the Lord by the preaching of the Gospell maketh knowne vnto vs his loue in Christ the infinitenesse of his mercy and goodnesse together with that singular pledge there of his deare and onely sonne giuen to the death for our redemption the sweete promises of the Gospel assuring all of the mercy forgiuenesse of their sins deliuerance out of the hands of all our spirituall enemies whom Christ by his death hath vanquished and subdued and of eternall life and saluation of body and soule if wee will lay hold vpon Christ and his righteousnesse by a liuing faith and bring forth the fruits thereof by forsaking our sinnes and turning vnto God by vnfained repentance Which meanes of comming out of our present misery and of attaining to a better estate being made knowne vnto vs we begin to conceiue that there is some possibilitie of comming out of the thraldome of sinne and Sathan and of attaining to saluation the which inflameth our hearts with an earnest to come out of our bondage and to this ende to be made partakers of Christ and his righteousnesse who alone can helpe vs and a firme resolution to deny our selues and all other meanes as vaine and vnprofitable and to cast our selues wholly vpon our Sauiour Christ for our iustification and saluation From hence ariseth a constant endeauour in the vse of all good meanes to attaine vnto faith whereby we may be assured of Christ and his benefits and particularly apply them vnto our selues for our owne vse which being likewise wrought in vs by the sweete and gracious promises of the Gospell and we thereby perswaded of the pardon of our sinnes of Gods loue and our owne saluation in the next place we desire to haue our assurance confirmed more and more by a liuely sâ—nâ—e and feeling and an experimentall knowledge Phil. 3. that wee are by Christ our redeemer deliuered out of the hands of our spirituall enemies To which ende we desire the assistance of Gods grace and holy spirit by which wee may be actually deliuered out of the bondage of sinne and Sathan that they may no longer haue dominion ouer vs and to finde and feele the vertue and power of Christ Iesus his death as effectuall or our sanctification as our iustification for the inriching vs with sauing grace as for the assuring vs of eternall glory for the mortifying and subduing of the corruption of sinne as for the fâ—â—â—ng of vs from the guilt and punishment § Sect. 2. The second summons to this conflict Which desires are no sooner wrought in vs by the ministery of the word made effectuall by the inward operation of Gods
against the flesh And I surely was in both but yet more I in that which I approued in my selfe then in that which I disallowed For in this rather I was not I because for the most part I did suffer that vnwillingly which I did Confess Lib. 8. Cap. 10. willing And a litle after Doe not diuers wils distract the heart of man when hee deliberateth what to preferre in his choyse And all appeare good and striue with themselues till at length one thing be choosen vnto which all the will is caried together which before was deuided in sunder And so when eternitie delighteth aboue and the pleasure of temporall good detaineth below the same soule doeth not with the whole will will this or that and therefore it is distracted with much griefe whilest it preferreth that in true iudgement and yet cannot part with this through long acquaintance § Sect. 2. Of the conflict betweene faith and infidelitie prâ—sumption And thus we haue seene the combate betweene the flesh and the spirit in the vnderstanding and will seuerally now let vs come to that conflict which â—s in them being ioyntly considered betweene faith and the contrary extreames infidelitie and vaine presumption The which I referre to both these faculties because as I take it the first beginnings and least degrees of faith are chiefely in the will and heart euen as the perfection and highest degrees of it are in the minde and vnderstanding For after a man by humiliation and contrition is fitted and prepared to receiue faith and after that the lawe hath brought him to a true sight sense â—f his sins of the punishmeÌ„ts which by them he hath deserued and that by himselfe his estate is despeperate and remedilesse being vtterly vnable to come out of this miserable and forlorne condition and that the Gospell hath generally shewed that Iesus Christ sent into the world by his father to this ende is an al-sufficient Sauiour who by his blood purgeth vs from the guilt and punishment of all our sinnes and by his righteousnesse and obedience iustifieth sinners then the spirit of God assisting the ministery of the word worketh thereby in his heart some earnest desires to be made partaker of Christ these benefits which we call hungring thirsting after his righteousnesse and this I affirme to be the first degree of iustifying faith and not onely a preparation vnto it because they are pronounced blessed who thus hunger and thirst after Christ and his righteousnesse and there is no blessednesse to those who liue in the state of infidelitie Then there Mat. 5. 6. is wrought in his will a firme resolution to chuse Christ alone for his Sauiour and to rest and relye vpon him onely for his saluation which is the second degree of true faith vnto which when the Christian hath attained by the liuely sense experimentiall feeling of Gods loue in his holy ordinances of the vertue and power of Christs death and resurrection for the mortifying of his sinnes and the renewing and quickening of him in all sauing graces and finally by his daily walking with God in the workes of holinesse and righteousnesse and that sweete communion which he hath with him in spirituall exercises he groweth from one degree of faith to another till at last there bee wrought in the minde not onely a certaine but also a full perswasion of Gods loue the remission of his sinnes and his owne saluation But yet the flesh and reliques of corruption remaining in vs when wee haue attained vnto the greatest perfection which this life yeeldeth as in the part regenerate there is full and certaine perswasion so in the vnregenerate part dwelleth doubting infidelitie vaine presumption which continually assault one another and sometimes the one sometimes the other preuaileth and getteth the better in the particular skirmish although in the conclusion ende of the fight faith alwayes ouercommeth and a obtaineth a full and finall victory In the meane time euen after that by faith wee haue laide hold on the promises and haue growne to a great measure of strength and to an high degree of perswasion doubting and infidelitie taking the opportunitie of some grieuous temptation doe giue vnto our faith many wounds and foyles of which notwithstanding it recouereth vpon the renewing of our couenant with God receiuing the Sacrament which is the seale of it the applying afresh of Gods gracious promises the remembrance of his former mercies and the renewing of our repentance especially for our latter slippes and fall And this Heb. 11. 11. Rom. 4. 19. we see in the example of Sara and Abraham who after that by faith they had receiued Gods promise were so farre foyled with doubting that they could thinke of no meanes of bringing it to passe but by sustituting Hagar in her place Of Peter who beleeuing in his Lord and Maister so rested vpon his word and power that hee walked towards him on the waters but sunke into the water after hee had first sunke through doubting and vnbelife when hee sawe Mat. 14 30. a boysterous blast of winde threatning a storme and therefore was reproued for his doubting So the father of the possessed childe cryeth out I beleeue Lord helpe thou mine vnbeliefe But most notably doeth this appeare in the example Iob 3. 1. 3. 7 20. 6. 4. of those great worthies Iob and Dauid for for the former wee shall see him sometime complaining as a man Iod. 13. 15. 19 25. vtterly desperate cursing the day of his natiuitie and challenging God as his enemy and at another time professing Psal 42. 6. 73 13. 77. 10. 23 4. 31. 23. 46. 2. his faith and assurance of saluation and resoluing that though God should kill him yet he would still trust in him And for the other wee shall see him in the booke of the Psalmes one while as it were a man vtterly reiected of God and forsaken and soone after as it were riding in triumph after victory and euen glorying in the strength of his faith and confidence in God Whereby it appeareth that there is in euery man regenerate a notable conflict between faith and vnbeliefe whereof it commeth to passe that Gods dearest children may oftentimes not onely be foyled with diffidence and doubting but also in some grieuous temptations may fall into some despaire of Gods mercie and loue towards them the which notwithstanding differeth from that despaire which is in the wicked and reprobate in that theirs is totall and finall whereas the faithfull lye in it onely for a time whilest the violence of the temptation pressed vpon them by the diuel and the flesh last and is not totall seeing their faith euen in the greatest brunt fighteth and striueth against it and in the ende getteth the vpper hand Contrariwise our faith is sometime assaulted with presumption whereby the flesh moueth vs falsely to apply the promises and to presume of Gods
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
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
That this spirituall conflict is in all the regenerate that are of yeares WEe haue shewed that the conflict betweene the flesh and the spirit is onely in the regenerate and how it differeth from that conflict of conscience which is oftentimes in many of the wicked now let vs consider whether that combate be in all the regenerate Secondly whether it be in all in the same maner and measure Thirdly how wee may knowe whether this conflict be in vs or no. And lastly if it bee when it beginneth and how long this conflict i◠to continue Concerning the first we are to knowe that this conflict betweene the flesh and spirit is in all the regenerate who haue receiued spirituall illumination and haue the vse of their reason and vnderstanding being possessed of Gods sanctifying graces not onely in their habites but also in their actes and opperations not in the faculties alone but also in their functions and exercises For as long as these cursed corruptions like the Cananite in the land doe coinhabite with vs they will continually be a◠scourges Iosu 23. 13. to our fides and thornes in our eyes and still there will bee warre betweene vs whilest they labour to hold their possession and wee endeauour to roote them out And howsoeuer our chiefe Commaunder may sometime sound a retraite and giue vs some intermissions for the renewing of our forces and recouery of our breath yet vtter dismissions we shall not haue from this warlicke seruice till hauing like our head and Sauiour by death ouercome all our enemies we shall receiue the crowne of victory and for euer triumphantly reioyce in the security of our peace § Sect 2. What wee are to thinke of Infants and Ideotts But whereas I say that this conflict is in all the regenerate who haue the vse of reason and vnderstanding I doe from among them exempt such infants and ideots as want the vse of reason and yet belong to Gods election in whom God worketh for their iustification sanctification and saluation after an extraordinary secrete and wonderfull maner applying Christ vnto them his righteousnesse obedience and the vertue of his death and resurrection by his holy spirit who al-sufficiently supplieth vnto them the defect of all inferiour istruments and meanes and here by purgeth and cleanseth them from the guilt punishment and corruption of all their sinnes Now in these there cannot actually bee this conflict betweene the spirit 〈…〉 flesh because they haue not the actes and operations o◠spirituall graces but onely the seedes of them which though they may haue their potentiall inclinations to this conflict yet no present actuall exercise and voluntary imployment of them in this spirituall warrefare Although it may bee thus much may be granted that seeing by their regeneration there is a change in their nature by which they are spiritually renewed in all their powers and faculties there may be in them all an auersenesse in their renewed nature to their olde corruptions as it were by an holy instinct and disposition wrought in them by Gods spirit although there be no discourse of reason or vse of vnderstanding euen as wee see by naturall antipathy fire and water light and darkenesse contending and striuing against one another though they haue no will or reason to stirre them vnto the fight For though as we haue shewed the conflict of conscience ariseth out of logicall disputes and the discourse of reason and vnderstanding and therefore can onely be in them who haue the vse of these yet this combate of the spirit springing from another fountaine euen the change of an nature through spirituall regeneration there may in that sense which I haue shewed euen in children and ideots bee some kinde of conflict betweene the spirit and the flesh the seede of grace and of corruption striuing against one another All which is to be vnderstood not of all infants belonging to Gods Election but onely of those which dye in their infancy who hauing much to bee done for the quicke perfecting of that great worke of their saluation whilest they are going that short passage betweene the wombe and their heauenly inheritance God to manifest his infinite wisedome power and goodnesse doeth thus worke in them after a wonderfull and extraordinary maner And as for these who liue to riper age and vntill they haue the vse of reason and vnderstanding they haue not this conflict in them before their regeneration and conuersion because then onely the spirit and in sanctifying graces doe begin to dwell in them and to make warre against their carnall corruptions § Sect. 3 That this conflict is not in al the regenerate in like manner and measure As touching the second point we are to know that the conflict betweene the spirit and the flesh is not in all the regenerate after the same maner nor in the same measure but diuersly as it pleaseth the Lord to glorifie himselfe in the manifestation of his wisedome goodnesse and omnipotencie either by giuing vnto his seruants a great measure of strength and spirituall grace by which they obtaine an easie victorie wherein the bounty of his goodnes clearely shineth or a lesse and scanter proportion by which notwithstanding they are inabled as certainely though not so speedily to ouercome hereby magnifying the all-sufficiencie of his power which more manifestly appeareth in our 2 Cor. 12. 9. greater weakenesse For according as the measure of our spirituall strength and riches of Gods grace as also of carnall corruption differ in respect of their diuers proportions such is the difference in this Christian combate betweene one faithfull man and another For some receiue but a small measure of spirituall illumination the least degrees of faith confidence loue and other spirituall graces and these through their weakenesse commonly make weake assaults against the flesh and fleshly lusts and as weakely withstand their encounters whereof it commeth to passe that they stand in the battaile with much faintnesse and frailetie and receiue many wounds foyles and fals before they obtaine the victory Though the Lord performing euen to these his gracious promises doth not suffer them to be tempted aboue their power but either assisteth them by his owne might or fitteth them with slight tentations according to their weakenesse Sometimes there is in the regenerate lesse reformation of their corrupt natures by the restraining grace of God and the common gifts of the spirit by reason whereof the flesh is of greater strength and the corruptions thereof are much more malignant raging and violent in all the faculties of their soules especially in their wils passions and affections So that though they haue a great measure of strength and spirituall grace yet they cannot with any ease or in short time get the vpper hand but there is much strugling and wrastling sharpe and fierce assaults on both sides as is betweene mighty enemies equally matched and sometimes the one sometimes the other preuaileth and woundeth
and foyleth the aduerse party like those warres of old betweene the Romanes and Carthaginians and those mighty enemies the Turkes and Persians in these dayes And because both parties continue in their great strength hereof it commeth to passe that these sharpe and fierce encounters doe also last euen to the end of their liues vntill the Lord by death doe put an end to the battaile giuing vnto the spirituall man full and finall victory ouer all his enemies and the crowne of victory euerlasting happinesse § Sect. 4. That this conflict is aften weake in strong Christians Finally the Lord to shew the riches of his bounty doth sometimes giue vnto his seruants such a large measure of spirituall strength sauing grace knowledge faith loue Christian magnanimitie and the rest that like those mightie worthies in the time of Dauid none of their spirituall enemies are able to withstand them but in the first encounters after this strength receiued they foile wound and vanquish them either leading them captiue without any great resistance or else putting them to a shamefull flight So as they neuer againe gather their scattered forces nor once dare to enter the field onely they may perhaps after a treacherous manner lye in ambushment and make some attempt vpon some great aduantage And in this case the spirituall sould our gloriously triumpheth ouer his spirituall enemies and keeping them vnder with vnresistable power doth enioy his victory with much peace and heauenly comfort But all this while we are to remember that the Christian Champian and the Lords great worthy doth not thus preuaile by vertue of any naturall strength which he hath aboue others of his fellow souldiers but like Sampson through the gifts of the spirit and the power of God communicated vnto him which because through their pride and selfe-loue they are apt to forget and beeing swollen vp in their owne conceipts to rob God of his glory by arrogating some part of the praise of their spirituall strength and victories vnto themselues the Lord leaueth them by spiritual desertions vnto their owne abilities and letteth loose their enemies to assault and encounter them In which case they are vtterly vnable to stand in the least conflict but are shamefully foyled put to flight and led captiue of sinne as we see in the example of Noah Lot Iob Dauid Peter and many others And then being discouraged and discomfited they complaine with Iob that God opposeth them as a mightie enemie making them his markes and shooting against them his enuenomed arrowes With Dauid that God hath forsaken them will be no Psal 22. 1. 77 7. 8. more intreated but hath shut vp his kindnesse in displeasure that his terrours doe fight against them dry their bones and drinke vp their spirits And finally with the Church they cry out O Lord why hast thou made vs to erre from thy Esa 63. 17. 64. 9. wayes and hardened our heart from thy feare Bee not wroth very sore O Lord neither remember iniquitie for euer On the other side the flesh all this while proudly swelleth in victorie insulteth ouer the spirit is this the man that tooke God for his hope Carryeth away the spoiles and vaunteth it selfe in a wicked triumph But though God hath withdrawne himselfe a little that the spirituall man might more carnestly seeke him yet hee doth not vtterly forsake his souldiers and seruants and those his graces in them though in respect of sense motion and outward operation they seeme quâ—â—e vtterly extinguished yet in truth they are but in a swound and as it were couered ouer with the ashes of corruption and therefore when the Lord reuiueth them bloweth vpon them with his spirit and cherisheth their inward heate by fresh fuell and a new accesse of sauing grace then Sampsons haire growing cut againe hee recouereth his strength and the Christian Champion being grieued and ashamed for his former foyles gatheteth together his scattered forces and with more then wonted valure and resolution encountering his enemies he putteth them to flight obtaineth the victorie and for euer after holdeth them vnder in more base subiection CHAP. XI How we may know whether this Conflict be fought in vs that is whether the spirit of God dwell in vs or no. § Sect. 1. That euery faith fall man may ought to be assured that the spirit of God dwelleth in him THE third point propounded iâ— how a Christian may know whether there bee in him this conflict betweene the spirit and the flesh or no which is in effect as much as to knowe whether wee be sound Christians whether we be the children of God whether wee belong to Gods election and finally whether we haue in vs any sauing grace yea or no seeing in all these and these onely this conflict is or wil be fought as soone as they are regenerate and conuerted vnto God The which waighty question hath already in part beene resolued when as I shewed the differences betweene the combate of the flesh and spirit and the conflict of conscience and the will and affections and now commeth to be more fully and directly handled For the clearing whereof we need not to make any further search but onely to examine whether the spirit of God accompanied with his sauing graces which is one of the combatants doth reside and dwell in vs. For if it doe theÌ„ there is no question but this conflict is in vs seeing it no sooner entreth and taketh possession of vs but presently it maketh warre against our flesh with all the carnall lusts thereof deposeth them from their regency giueth them deadly wounds holdeth them in subiection and laboureth all it may vtterly to desplace and roote them out Now euery faithfull man ought to be assured of this namely that the spirit of God dwelleth in him or if hee haue not this assurance as yet he is neuer to be at rest till it bee euident and cleare in his owne heart and conscience as being the greatest question and the waightiest and most important case of conscience that can bee propounded or knowne of vs. The which as it may bee knowne so no Christian ought to bee ignorant of it as the Apostle implyeth by that interrogation Know yee not that yee are the 1 Cor. 3. 16. 6. 19. Temple of God and that the spirit of God dwelleth in you And againe Know yee not that your bodies are the temples of the holy Ghost And therefore we must not content our selues with the doubtfull opinion of the Papists nor with the vncertaine and vngrounded hope of carnall gospellers but labour after certaine assurance that wee are the Temples of God and that his holy Spirit dwelleth in vs. Which that we may studiously indeauour to attaine vnto let vs consider first that God in his Word reuealeth this truth of the spirits dwelling in euery faithfull Christian by many infallible markes and signes to this end and purpose that we Deut. 29. 19.
of holinesse and righteousnesse and not by fits and starts but as an holy roote and tree of Gods planting it beareth and bringeth forth ripe fruits continually in due time and season and as a liuely fountaine of grace and goodnesse it sendeth forth the pleasant streames Gal. 5. 6. Psal 1. 3. Ioh. 4. 14 7. 37. 38. of good workes and vertuous actions But the faith of temporaries worketh seldome and but by fits and onely when they haue some pange of deuotion wrought in them by the power of the Word conuincing their consciences or out of naturall passion moued with some pitifull obiect Neither are these true fruits of holinesse and righteousnes because they spring not from a liuely faith vnfained loue true obedience but from selfe loue praise of men or other worldly respects they are not ripe fruits fit to bee reaped and carried into the barne but onely greene blades semblances and shewes which wither before the time of haruest § Sect. 14. The third effect respecteth ioy 1 Pet. 1. 8. Thirdly true faith causeth peace of conscience and ioy in the holy Ghost which is no slight nor flitting ioy but as the Apostle calleth it vnspeakeable and glorious the which in the nature of it is spirituall like the author which worketh iâ— and most sheweth it selfe when as wee are exercised about spirituall obiects and exercises as hearing the Word reading meditation praying holy conferences and such like But temporary faith bringeth no such peace For there is no peace saith my God to the wicked And howsoeuer sâ— 57. 21. they haue some ioy yet there is great difference betweene it and that which proceedeth from true faith For Mat. 13. â—â— the faithfull delight in the Word as being the word not of man but of God himselfe and because they finde it his 1 Thes 2. 13. Rom. 1. 17. strong power whatsoeuer the instruments be to their sanctification and saluation But temporaries reioyce in it for nouelties sake and as it is the word of man not so much in respect of the spirituall matter as the manner how and the person by whom it is deliuered because they loue him as a friend for worldly respects or for his naturall gifts and parts because hee is learned wittie and eloquent the which ioy ceaseth and turneth oftentimes into anger and spleene when as the word commeth home to the conscience and reproueth him sharpely for his darling sinnes Secondly the faithfull man reioyceth in spirituall things the assurance of Gods loue the remission of his sinnes and his owne saluation and though hee taketh some ioy and comfort in the things of this life yet it is but small in comparison of the other But the temporarie beleeuer contrariwise taketh some small ioy in spirituall things as hauing some little taste of them but his chiefe reioycing is in things worldly and earthly which maketh him to neglect the other ioy when as they crosse one another and will not stand together Thirdly the ioy of the faithfull like the cause of it which is our faith is small at the first but increaseth by degrees vntill it come to fulnesse of ioy like that of Dauids Thou hast put gladnesse in my heart more Psal 4. 7. then in the time that their corne and their wine encreased but the ioy of temporaries is greatest at the first entrance and then decayeth by little and little till at last it be vtterly consumed come to nothing Finally the ioy of true faith is strong constant and not only continueth in the fruition of worldly prosperity but also in affliction and persecution as we see in the example of the holy Apostles who reioyced and sung Psalmes vnto God when as they were persecuted for preaching the Gospell But the ioy oâ— temporaries like that of the Grashoppers continueth 〈…〉 whilest the summer of prosperity lasteth but decayeth and dyeth in the winter of afflictions § Sect 15. The fourth effect respecteth confession christian apologie Rom. 1â— 10. 1 Pet. 3. 15. Fourthly true faith as it inwardly in the heart beleeueth vnto righteousnesse so outwardly with the mouth it confesseth to saluation and the true Christian as he beleeueth in Iesus Christ so he is alwayes ready to render a reason of his faith and hope that is in him when the glory of God or good of his neighbours requireth it although it bee with the hazard and losse of his goods landes liberty and life And being indued with the spirit of faith he is ready to say with the Psalmist and Apostle I beleeued and therefore haue I spoken But the temporary beleeuer confesseth Psal 116. 10. 2 Cor. 4. 13. his faith when as it will stand with his worldly credit or aduantage but smothereth his profession in time of daunger and vtterly denyeth it rather then he will vndergoe any damage for it § Sect. 16 The fifth effect respecteth contentment 2 Cor. 5. 7. Rom. 1. 17. Heb. 13 5. Fiftly true faith giueth a Christian comfort and contentment in all estates for be liueth and walketh by faith and not by sense and therefore when hee wanteth friends or wealth and such like worldly helpes he resteth contented because his chiefe treasure and sufficiency is in Gods neuer fayling prouidence vpon which he chiefely relyeth according to that of the Apostle I haue learned that in whatsoeuer estate I am therewith to be content And againe Neuerthelesse Phil. 4. 12. Gal. 2. 20. I liue yet not I but Christ liueth in me and the life which I now liue in the flesh I liue by the faith of the sonne of God who hath loued mee and giuen himselfe for mee But the temporary beleeuer liueth by sense and not by faith and trusteth in God when as hee hath in his hands the pledges and pawnes of earthly benefits but distrusteth in his promises and prouidence when as secundary helpe and inferiour meanes faile and therefore vseth vnlawfull meanes to helpe himselfe § Sect. 17. The 6 effect is the ouercoming of the world 1 Ioh. 5. 4 5. Sixtly true saith ouercommeth the world according to that of the Apostle Whosoeuer is borne of God ouercommeth the world and this is the victory that ouercommeth the world euen our faith Who is he that ouercommeth the world but hee that beleeueth that Iesus is the Sonne of God And it contemneth all earthly things as vaine and worthlesse in comparison of spirituall grace and heauenly glory But the temporary beleeuer when hee is at the best is but a meere worldling and a deuoted slaue to his worldly lustes and desires after honours riches and pleasures And therefore embraceth grace and glory so farre forth onely as they will stand with the fruition of his earthly idols but reiecteth and renounceth his part and interest in them when as they crosse and will not stand with his earthly desires § Sect. 18. The last effect reioycing to thinke of christs comming to iudgment Lastly
true iustifying faith maketh vs to reioyce when as wee thinke of the appearing of our Sauiour Christ vnto iudgement and euen to long for this time as being the day of our full redemption when both in body and soule wee shall be freed from all sinne and misery and enioy all glory and endlesse happinesse according to that of our Sauiour When these things beginne to come to passe then looke vp and lift vp your heads for your redemption draweth nigh And so the Apostle saith that we which haue receiued the first fruites Luk. 21. 28. Rom. 8. 23. of the spirit euen we our selues groane within our selues waiting for the adoption to wit the redemption of our body The which ioy in thinking on this day and mourning because it is deferred commeth through our assurance of faith and confidence of hope For therefore doe we desire to leaue 2 Cor. 5. 1. 7. Gal. 5. 5. this world and to be dissolued because we knowe that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolued wee haue a building of God a house not made with handes but eternall in the heauens and because through the spirit wee waite for the hope of righteousnesse by faith But no such ioy or longing accompanieth the faith of temporaries because they haue no such assurance of this happinesse and are besides so besotted with the loue of worldly things that they cannot without terrour and amazement thinke of that day which when it commeth will wholly depriue them of all their earthly ioy § Sect. 19. The 3 effect is the spirit of adoption A third effect of the spirit dwelling in vs is to perswade and assure vs that we are the children of God and to entitle vs as heyres to our heauenly inheritance the which is a priuiledge and prerogatiue that belongeth to all the faithfull and to them alone according to that of the Euangelist But as many as receiued him to them gaue hee power to Ioh. 1. 12. become the sonnes of God euen to them that beleeue on his name And this is an vndoubted fruit of the spirit as the apostle witnesseth For yee haue not saith hee receiued the spirit of bondage againe to feare but yee haue receiued the spirit Rom. 8. 15. 16. Gal. 4. 6. of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father The spirit it selfe beareth witnesse to our spirit that wee are the children of God and if children then heyres heyres of God and ioynt heyres with Christ And againe Because yee are sonnes God hath sent forth the spirit of his sonne into your hearts crying Abba Father In which regard the spirit of God dwelling in vs 2 Cor. 5. 5. is called the spirit of adoption which doeth not giue vnto vs a doubtfull testimony of this inestimable priuiledge but certainely assureth vs that it doeth belong vnto vs. In which regard it is called an earnest which God therefore Eph. 1. 14. giueth vs to put vs out of all doubt that he wil make good this heauenly bargaine which hee hath promised vnto vs. Which is saith the Apostle the earnest of our inheritance vntill the redemption of the purchased possession And in the same respect it is called a seale which by the powerfull impression that it imprinteth in vs assureth vs that God will make good vnto vs the promise of grace and saluation in Iesus Christ So the Apostle saith In whom also after ye beleeued yee were sealed with that holy spirit of promise And Eph. 1. 13. 4. 30. grieue not the holy spirit of God whereby yee are sealed vnto the day of redemption If therefore by this earnest and seale we haue attained vnto this assurance of our adoption and right vnto our heauenly inheritance we may be assured also that the spirit of God dwelleth in vs for the cause and the effect cannot be seuered and our assurance of our heauenly bargaine doeth plainely argue that we haue receiued this earnest and seale by which alone it is confirmed vnto vs. But that we may not be deceiued with a false and counterfeite seale let vs remember that this seale onely is annexed vnto the couenant of grace which requireth on our part the condition of faith and repentance and as it is Gods priuy seale according to that the Lord knoweth them that are his so there is a broade seale ioyned with it let euery 2 Tim. 2. 19. one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity and therefore those who liue in their infidelity and impenitency haue not receiued this seale for what haue they to doe with the seale to whom the couenant doeth not appertaine § Sect 20. The fourth effect is the spirit of supplication A fourth effect of the spirit is to enable vs vnto prayer and to powre forth our soules vnto God in such an acceptable manner as that our suites and petitions are hard and graunted by him whereof it is called by the Prophet Zachary the spirit of grace and supplication which the Lord promiseth to power vpon the house of Dauid and vpon the inhabitants Zach. 12. 10. of Ierusalam that is all the true members of the inuisible Church militant here on earth So the Apostle plainly Rom. 8. 26. telleth vs that we know not for what to pray as we ought but it is the spirit which helpeth our infirmities and maketh intercession Iud. ver 20. for vs with groanings which cannot bee vttered And therefore the Apostle Iude knowing our insufficiencie in our selues to performe this duty doeth exhort vs to pray in the holy Ghost Whereby it appeareth that the spirit of God dwelleth in all those who in the sight and sense of their owne spirituall wants doe powre foorth their hearts and soules vnto God in prayer with faith and feruency of spirit which properties I require in that prayer which assureth vs that the spirit dwelleth in vs and not ability on the sudden vpon euery occasion to conceiue a prayer and to vtter it in eloquence of words choyse phrases or a continued ready discourse of speach For it is not saide that the spirit teacheth vs wordes and fluent phrases but to pray in the heart and spirit with sighes and groanes which cannot bee vttered which language God that searcheth the heart vnderstandeth and accepteth as the Apostle speaketh yea being a spirit and requiring to be worshipped in spirit and Rom. 8. 27. Ioh. 4. 24 trueth hee esteemeth not the most eloquent prayers conceiued and vttered without this sight of our wants zeale and feruency of spirit and contrariwise where these are he heareth and granteth our fuites supplications though with Ezechias we are not able to expresse them but chatter like a Crawe or Swallow or with Hannah onely moue our Esa 38. 14. lippes yea in trueth though wee should not so much as moue them so that with her wee speake vnto him in our 1 Sam. 1. 13. hearts Neither hath the Lord promised that he
to be the childe of God a member of Christ and in the state of grace and saluation the like iudgement is not to be giuen of them for being once had they can neuer be lost nor bee vtterly extinguished with all the power and malice of the Diuell and the flesh seeing the gifts and calling of God are without repentance and Christ who holdeth them is stronger then all neither is there any power able to pull his sheepe out of his hand § Sect 5. Secondly the shewes and semblances of sauing graces â—â— temporaries may perish vtterly Secondly the sanctifying and sauing gifts and graces of the Spirit may be considered in their qualitie For they are either true sincere and substantiall or false hypocriticall and but in shew and semblance onely In which regard they haue their diuers subiects and persons in whom they are the former in the faithfull and regenerate alone the latter in hypocrites and temporaries who continue but only for a time Now these may loose their illumination faith loue and zeale whether we consider them as common gifts or as they are shewes and semblances both to themselues and others of sauing graces because in this sense they are not so in them in truth simple and sincere but hypocriticall counterfait and onely but in shew And thus our Sauiour hauing said that from him that hath not shal be taken away euen that which hee hath expoundeth his meaning by another Euangelist Whosoeuer hath not from him shal be taken euen that which hee seemeth to haue or thinketh that hee Mat. 25. 29. Luk. 8. 18 hath As though hee should say doe you aske how a man can haue that taken from him which hee hath not Why know that there are many men that haue no gifts truely that yet doe seeme to haue them and from these shal be truely taken the gifts that they seeme to haue or the shew and seeming of their gifts that is euen that apish imitation which they haue of Gods sauing graces shal be taken away and so their hypocrisie being discouered it shall plainely appeare that what shew so euer they haue made yet they neuer had them in sinceritie and trurh For example though the vnregenerate may haue some illightning in speculation which at the first appearance may resemble that sauing feeling and experimentall knowledge which is in the faithfull yet indeede there is as hath beene shewed many and great differences betweene them and therefore that shew and semblance whereby for a time they deceiue themselues and others will in a while vanish when as being seuered from all power of godlinesse and fruits of obedience it shal be discouered to haue been in respect of the qualitie of it false and counterfait Though they may seeme to haue a true and iustifying faith because they giue assent to the whole Word and especially to the gracious promises of the Gospell which causeth in them some temporarie ioy yet being vneffectual and neither working in their will any constant resolution to imbrace Christ and to be ready to forsake the world and earthly vanities nor in their hearts any hungring and thirsting desire after him and his righteousnesse for their iustification but onely as it may stand with their worldly designes and ends it continueth not in the time of tentation but either when they are allured with the baites of prosperitie or pressed and pinched with crosses and persecution they fall away and become apostates from the faith So though their mortification may seeme to resemble yea and sometimes to goe before that which is sincere and in truth yet it is not generall and indefinite but alwayes limited either to some few sinnes or all sauing some few and still the hypocrite and temporarie beleeuer hath some darling and beloued sinne which he nourisheth in his bosome and holdeth like sweete meates vnder his tongue as we see in Herod Iudas Demas Ioâ— â—0 12. and many other which as it presently discouereth to those that discerne it that their mortification is but counterfaite for if it proceeded from loue and obedience towards God and not from worldly respects it would as effectually crucifie all their corruptions as onely some of them so it will like a fretting canker eate out the hart of their mortification and put a quicke ende vnto it seeing those sinnes retained and nourished will make way for all the rest whilest they harden their heart against Gods feare and sâ—are and dead the conscience as it were with an hot iron whereby they will become secure and senselesse in the committing of any wickednesse In which respect the Apostle 1 Pet. 2. 22. fitly compareth such as by this counterfaite mortification and fained repentance cleanse themselues from many sinnes to the swine which being washed doeth soone after returne to wallow againe in the same myre because he was onely cleansed from the outward filth but not inwardly freed and purged from his swinish nature yea because not their quality but onely the outward act is changed they not onely returne to their olde course but also become much worse then they were before as the Apostle sheweth their restraint maketh them more eager in the pursuite of the sinnes they loue and to run with more headlong violence when as the bands that tyed them being vntwisted or broken they are now left to their licentious liberty Finally though there may seeme to bee in the vnregenerate some renouation and new obedience some heate of loue and zeale of Gods glory yet being not in trueth but springing out of selfe-loue and ayming onely at worldly endes there is no constancy and continuance in these seeming graces and counterfaite fruites but when the cause and foundation of them fayleth and sinketh then presently all vanisheth and all their goodly building commeth to vtter ruine But all this proueth not that the spirit or the sauing graces of it may in the conflict of temptations receiue deadly wounds dye perish in those who are truly regenerate because those which are but semblances shewes and apish imitations of them in the wicked and vnregenerate may be lost vtterly and quite extinguished § Sect 6. True sauing graces in the regenerate may be lost seemingly And thus wee haue shewed what graces of the spirit both in respect of their kinde and qualitie may be lost and quenced namely common gifts in all men and seeming sauing graces in the vnregenerate Now let vs consider a litle further of this question and examine whether in this spirituall conflict true sanctifying and sauing graces in the elect and regenerate may be vtterly killed or for a time quenched or no. For the answere whereof wee are to know first that as seeming graces in the vnregenerate may be truely lost so true graces in the faithfull may bee lost seemingly though not in deede for our Sauiour hath promised that to those that haue shall bee giuen and they shall Mat. 25. 29. Ioh. 15. 2. haue abundance and
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
an exercise of mortification and as an helpe for the increasing of our repentance and for our better fitting and inabling to call vpon God more earnestly by feruent prayers wherof it is that these are vsually ioyned together in the Scriptures Fast and pray the one being the end the other the meanes in abling vs therevnto Much lesse must wee vse those carnall weapons of whippes to torment our body which onely offend in yeelding themselues as instruments to our sinfull soules or of popish pennances and pilgrimages which are the meere inuentions of men and haue no warrant out of the Word of God and beeing carnall weapons doe as ill fit the spirit as the armour of Saul did fit Dauid and therefore doe but cumber and hinder it in the spirituall warfare Yea like Achilles launce doe cure the flesh in stead of killing it and make it more strong and full of courage by filling it with spirituall pride and a glorious opinion of our owne merits and well deseruing §. Sect 4. We must not remitt any thinge of our first zeale in holy duties The third meanes of weakening the spirit which we are to auoide is to remit any thing of our former zeale in the duties of Gods seruice and to giue way vnto any declination in grace and Christian duties For we may much more firmely stand in the highest pitch of our sinceritie as it were on the top of the mountaine then in our declinations discent from that measure of perfection vnto which wee had attained as it were on the side of the hill wee may more easily preserue the health and strength of the spirit whilest it is in the best plight then recouer it when it is impeached and in some degrees of declination Wee may liue much more comfortably and plentifully when our stocke is whole and dayly increasing then when it decayeth and is in some part spent and wasted wee may better defend our selues against our spirituall enemies when as wee are in our compleate armour then when we haue put off some pieces of it And wee shall much more easily discourage them and weaken their sury by taking away all hope of victory when wee haue remitted nothing of our Christian valour and fortitude but stand couragiously vpon hostile tearmes and at open defiance with them and when wee keepe them out from entring into our borders then when we growe to â— parley and yeeld a little to their conditions or when we haue suffered them to iâ—â—ade some part of our countrey and haue receiued some foyles in the spirituall conflict Againe the more resolutely we stand in the strength of grace receiued the more willing the Lord is to assist vs in fighting his battailes the more carefull wee are to increase his spirituall talents the more ready hee is to re-double them whereas it is iust with our great commander to leaue vs to our selues to deliuer vs into the hands of our enemies when we begin cowardly to leaue his standard and somewhat to incline to the enemies part by our remisnesse in fighting or faintnesse in yeelding it is a righteous thing with our Lord and Master when we waste his rich talents and spend ryotously some part of the stock to take that which remaineth from vs and giue it to another who wil be more carefull and faithfull in imploying of it Finally that we may not decline no not in the least degrees let vs consider that it is most dangerous for who can be assured if he begin once to slip that he can preserue himselfe from catching a fall or that hauing begun to runne downe the hill he can stay himselfe before he come to the bottome And therefore if wee would stand surely let vs stand in our sinceritie if wee would not weaken the spirit nor haue the gifts thereof to perish in vs let vs preserue them euen in their least degrees from vvasting and consuming § Sect. 5. That we must auoyde fleshly sloth and negligence The last meanes of weakening the spirit which wee are to take heede of is fleshly sloth and negligence when as hauing receiued Gods graces and gifts of the Spirit wee doe not imploy and exercise them in holy and Christian duties to the glory of him that gaue them and the edification of our neighbours for whose sake also wee haue receiued them For as the strength of the body is much weakened and impayred when as wee liue in sloth and idlenesse and neuer imploy it in any good exercise so is it also with our spirituall strength Our knowledge must be then exercised in the holy practise of that wee know our faith in good workes our loue towards God and our neighbours in performing all duties which wee owe vnto them our zeale in aduancing all meanes of Gods glory and in remouing all impediments wherby it is hindred and impeached And if we thus imploy Gods spirituall graces which are his talents committed vnto vs then will our Lord and Master increase and multiply them and we shall haue abundance but if with the slothfull and vnprofitable seruant wee hide them in a napkin neuer imploying our graces receiued to the glory of our Master nor the good of our fellowes in the same family he wil take these talents from vs and cast vs into outer darknes Finally though it were possible that we could abound in the graces of the spirit yet if we did not vse them for our owne defence and discomforting and indamaging of our enemies wee should be neuer the neerer the obtaining victory If wee haue the sword of the spirit and neuer smite with it nor draw it out but suffer it to rust in the scabbard if wee haue all the seuerall parts of the Christian Armour and neuer put it on and girt it to vs but suffer it as it were to hang rusting vpon the walles without vse if we haue powder and good peeces of Ordnance but neuer charge nor discharge them against the enemy wee shall neuer ouercome and put them to flight but notwithstanding our furniture and munition we shal be vanquished in the first assault and become an easie prey vnto them but if hauing these warlike preparations we doe imploy them in the spirituall Warfare with all care and diligence we shall be sure to obtaine the victory CHAP. XX. Of the meanes for the comforting choaring and strengthening of the spirit vnto the Conflict § Sect. 1. Earnest and longing desires after spirituall streÌ„gth THE second thing required is that wee vse all meanes for the comforting and cheering the strengthening and inabling of the spirit vnto this spirituall Conflict And first wee must earnestly desire to haue the spirit more strengthened and the gifts and graces thereof inlarged and and multiplyed in vs For as we haue Gods promise that if wanting the spitit we doe desire and pray for it he will giue him vnto vs so also when hauing it we desire to haue it and Luk. 11. 13.
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