called the spirit which hee substituteth as his vicegerent and chiefe deputie in the regenerate man And though he doth not quite expell the flesh Sathans lieutenant out of vs yet at the first entrance he giueth him a mortall wound of which he neuer recouereth and deposeth him from his vice-gerencie so that howsoeuer it still dwelleth yet it reigneth not in our mortall bodies as in former times Onely Rom. 6. 12. Gods spirit suffereth this enemy to inhabite still with vs that by the opposition which it maketh it might exercise the spirituall part in the Christian Warfare that hereby it might bee made more vigilant and diligent more strong and actiue and in the end obtaining victory might bee crowned with the greater glory In which combate and conflict he leaueth not the spirituall man to himselfe but continually sendeth vnto him fresh aydes of renewed graces whereby he is inabled to ouercome Euen as on the other side Sathan the prince of darknesse though hee bee thrust out of his possession and regency yet he leaueth and forsaketh not his wounded and weakned deputy the flesh but laboureth continually to recure his wound ministreth vnto him new strength by his hellish tentations and suggestions and by breathing and infusing into him the poyson of enmity and malice against God and all goodnesse stirreth him vp to rebellion against his holy spirit and to make warre against that garrison of his graces which hee hath placed in vs. §. Sect. 4. The former poynt proued by diuers reasons So that not onely the qualitie of holinesse but the holy spirit not onely the gifts and graces of the spirit but the holy Ghost himselfe dwelleth and raigneth in the man regenerate keeping still possession after that Sathan is driuen out and strengthening the regenerate part against all the assaults of the flesh and the lustes thereof The which may appeare by these reasons first because we are called the habitation 1 Cor. 3. 16 6. 19. of God and the temples of the holy Ghost which cannot be vnderstood of his giftes and graces onely which are improperly saide to dwell in Temples seeing this belongeth rather to persons then vnto things and qualities but of the holy spirit himselfe Secondly the spirit of God and not his gifts and graces onely are the bond of the spirituall vnion which wee haue with Christ for dwelling in Christ our head and in vs likewise who are his members it maketh vs to become one mysticall body with him euen as the head and diuers members make one naturall body being animated quickned by the same soule Thirdly the actiōs which in the Scriptures are attributed to the spirit dwelling in vs cānot fitly be applied to bare qualities but properly belong to the spirit it selfe For this spirit dwelling in vs is said to rule and gouerne vs to guide direct teach and instruct vs to sanctifie and purifie vs to conuince vs of sinne and to replenish vs with all sauing graces Now the qualitie of holinesse and the author by whom it is created the graces themselues and he that infuseth them and worketh them in vs are diuers Fourthly as Sathan keepeth his residence in wicked men working them vnto all maner of sinne and holding them so captiue that they doe his will for so the Apostle saith that the Ephesians walked in time past according Eph. 2. 2. to the prince of the power of the ayre the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience c. So the spirit of God comming and thrusting him out of possession dwelleth in vs leading vs into all trueth replenishing vs with all grace and enclining vs to all holy obedience and to the performance of all good and Christian duties Lastly the spirit dwelling in vs and the new man are plainely distinguished in the Scriptures For so the Apostle saith yee are not in the flesh but in the spirit if so be that the spirit of God Rom. 8. 9. dwell in you now if any man haue not the spirit of Christ that is the same holy spirit which dwelleth in our head and Sauiour Christ he is none of his And else where he prayeth that God would grant vnto the Ephesians according to the riches Eph. 3. 16. of his grace to be strengthened with might by his spirit in the inner man By all which it appeareth that not onely the qualitie of holinesse wrought in vs by the spirit and the sauing graces thereof but also the spirit it selfe dwelleth in vs assisting and strengthening vs in this christian warfare against the diuell and the flesh with the lusts thereof §. Sect. 5. That the spirit-doth not dwell in vs essentially more then in other creatures Notwithstanding I doe not nor dare affirme that the spirit of God dwelleth in vs essentially more then in any other creature communicating his essence with vs as an essentiall part of vs. For his nature and essence being most simple and indiuisible in comprehensible and omnipresent filling all places without repletion and containing all it selfe being infinite and contained of nothing cannot be saide thus to dwell in man for this were to deifie and make a God of him much lesse doe I say that the spirit assumeth our nature as the second person assumed the nature of Christ to subsist in him by personall vnion and to become one with him and he with vs for thus also we should fall into the same errour of deifying man and besides then the third person in Trinity should be incarnate as well as the second Yea contrariwise we are to knowe that the spirit is said to be giuen vs in the same sense as he is said to be sent forth vnto vs Because ye are sons God hath sent forth the spirit Gal. 4. 6. of his sonne into your hearts crying Abba father Now by this phrase of sending forth the holy Ghost teacheth vs that the spirit is in one maner in Christ in another maner in vs for he is in him most properly substantially essentially as being his spirit coessentiall with him coeternall in which respect the Apostle maketh him and the spirit all one 2. Cor. 3. 17. The Lord is that spirit and where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty Col. 2. 9. he saith that in him dwelleth the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily but in vs not primarily and originally but as he is sent forth of Christ vnto vs by whom Col. 2. 9. we haue speciall right vnto him since his resurrection by Iohn 16. 7 vertue of his promise Iohn 16. 7. If I goe not away the comforter will not come vnto you but if I depart I will send him vnto you And by his mediation and intercession now sitting at the right hand of his father according to that I will pray the father and he will giue you another comforter that he Iohn 14. 16. may abide with you for euer So that the spirit is in
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
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
flesh but onely in regard of their actions and operations which for a time through the strength and violence of corruption may bee hindred intermitted yea in outward appearance wholly annihilated and abolished But wee must take heede that wee doe not ascribe the permanency and growth of these sauing graces to any propertie or excellency which they haue in themselues as though they were able in their owne vertue and strength to withstand all temptations and to continue and increase in their perfection For if Adam in the state of innocency could not thus stand in the strength of his graces which were farre more perfect and excellent then any meere man euer since the fall attained vnto then how much lesse can we whose graces are Math. 12. 20. 17. 20. mingled with imperfections and stained with corruptions especially the weakest of Gods children whose faith is like the smoking flax and bruised reede which in their owne nature are soone quenched and easily broken or like the graine of mustard-seede which is as our Sauiour speaketh the least of all other but yet euen of their first and smallest seedes of graces it may bee as truely saide as of the strongest that they are not no not in respect of their degree abated and impaired for then being already the least degree if they should fall from that they should come to nothing but that in the middest of the temptations of Sathan and their owne flesh they still growe from one degree to another vnto a perfect age in Christ euen as the little infant thriueth as certainly in the naturall growth notwithstanding his weakenesse and all outward lets and impediments to childhood and youth as the youth doeth to ripe and perfect age But this our standing and thriuing in the state of sauing graces is to be ascribed to the power and promises of God to our vnion with Christ from whom wee receiue liuely sap and iuice by which we are nourished in all grace and goodnesse and to the continuall and gracious assistance of our good God who strengtheneth and supporteth vs against all the power of hell § Sect 11. An obiection against the former doctrin answered But some will say that this doctrine is lyable to much abuse seeing many will take occasion hereby to become presumptuous and secure because being as they suppose indued with these graces which are essentiall to a Christian they shall neuer loose them no not so much as in some degrees but euen when they sinne their graces are in the spirituall growth vnto perfection To which I answere that so is the doctrine of iustification through Gods free grace by faith yea of Gods mercy redemption by Christ and all the promises of the Gospell For where as the Apostle taught that where sinne abounded grace abounded much more Rom. 3. 7. 8. 6. 1. Rom. 1. 16. 2 Cor. 2. 16. some were ready to say Let vs sin thē that grace may abound and when with best caution we deliuer the truth wee shall finde that that which to some will be the strong power of God to saluation will bee to others a stumbling blocke of offence to others foolishnesse and that the same Word of God wil be as to the elect the sauour of life vnto life so to the wicked and reprobate the sauour of death to their deeper condemnation But it is not possible that any sound Christian who is indued with these graces in truth should thus abuse that which hath beene said to securitie and presumption for though the spirit of God fighting in them against the flesh cannot be ouercome yet may it be shrewdly shaken and foyled in the conflict though wee cannot loose these fundamentall vertues neither in whole nor in part yet through our negligence vnworthinesse and corruption they may bee suspended by God from their functions and operations and all their sweet fruits and effects the peace of conscience assurance of Gods loue and ioy in the holy Ghost may bee taken from them which is their chiefe comfort and the very life of their life without which it is but a continuall torment and painefull agony of bitter death they may loose the sense and feeling of all these graces themselues and be brought into such an apolepticall fit that no life of grace will appeare in them either to themselues or others In which estate there can be to them nothing but horrour and vexation of spirit and out of which they cannot recouer but with great difficultie and appearance of danger For before they can purchase their former peace they must passe through the painefull purgatorie of bitter repentance shed from their eyes many a salt and brinish teare if not from their hearts drops of bloud they must send forth many a deepe sigh and bitter grone haue outwardly leane bodies and pale visages and inwardly afflicted mindes and many a pinch and pange in their wounded conscience and the longer that they lye securely snorting in their sinnes without bringing forth the timely fruit of repentance the liker it is to be the Hedgehogs birth which the longer it is deferred the more dangerous and painefull it alwaies proueth For if we be presumptuous children the Lord like a wise father will make vs drinke so deepe of the cup of his wrath and feele the waight of his heauy hand that after we haue tasted of this bitter potion we will euer after be more carefull of preseruing our health that wee may not be forced againe to take such physick and hauing felt his strength we will neuer willingly neglect any meanes of maintaining Esa 27 5. peace with him as the Prophet speaketh Which who so well 1 Cor. 10. 12. Phil. 2. 13. considereth he will worke out his saluation with feare and trembling and whilest he thinketh that hee standeth hee will take heede of falling Hee will giue kinde entertainment to the good spirit of God auoiding all things which might vexe and grieue it he will earnestly vse all meanes whereby the graces thereof may be increased and diligently auoide the contrarie meanes whereby they might bee weakened and impaired hee will keepe a narrow watch ouer all his waies and buckle close vnto him the whole Christian armour whereby he may be able to stand in the day of tentation he will labour and striue with all diligence to make his calling and election sure and couragiously resist all the encounters of his spirituall enemies and knowing that he standeth more firmely in the power of Gods promises then in his owne strength hee will oftentimes lay claime and challenge to them by feruent prayer crying out with Dauid O Lord remember the promise made to thy seruant wherein thou hast caused me to trust Psal 419. 49. § Sect. 12. Of the assured victorie which the spirit obtaineth ouer the flesh in this conflict The second thing to bee considered in the successe of this conflict is the assured victorie which the Spirit alwaies obtaineth ouer
doeth make our sinnes as it were the flesh of the Viper a most holesome preseruatiue and cordiall for the dispelling from our hearts more daungerous poysons §. Sect. 4. This conflict is effectuall to make vs deny our selues Secondly whereas we cannot be Christs Disciples vnlesse we deny our selues nor bee partakers of his righteousnes for our iustification vnlesse we renounce our own nothing can be more effectuall to this purpose then the sight and sense of our owne imperfections and corruptions for when wee plainely discerne that there is nothing in our selues to rest vpon for the satisfying of Gods iustice this will make vs to flee vnto Christ to hunger and thirst after his perfect and al-sufficient righteousnesse and to make vs wholly to relye vpon him for our iustification and saluation Which when we doe we may be more secure and better assured of heauenly happinesse then if we were as perfect in our owne inherent righteousnesse as our first parents in the state of innocency seeing they fell into sinne and misery through the strength of Sathans temptations but wee cannot so long as wee wholly rest vpon Christ and are vpheld by his omnipotency And as hereby our selues haue great assurance of our happy condition so doe we more glorifie our Lord and redeemer seeing we acknowledge the al-sufficiency of his grace and yeelde vnto him the whole glory of our saluation § Sect. 5. By this conflict we are moued the more to hate sinne Thirdly we are hereby moued to abhorre sinne which God so hateth with greater detestation when as by our owne experience we finde and feele the venome and poyson of it working in our selues and to bewaile and forsake it with more earnest endeauour when we discerne and see what miserable effects it produceth and what bitter and cursed fruits it bringeth forth in vs. As namely that it hath corrupted our whole nature disabled al our strength defaced in vs Gods glorious image incensed his wrath against vs made vs subiect to the curse of the lawe depriued vs of the glory of God and made vs guiltie of eternall damnation From all which miseries nothing could free vs vnlesse the sonne of God had dyed for vs and washed vs from the guilt and punishment of all our sinnes in his most precious blood All which plainely discouereth the haynousnes and tyranny of sinne and maketh vs thankefull vnto our Sauiour who hath freed vs from it § Sect. 6. Wee are moued hereby to fly vnto God by frequent and feruent prayers Fourthly by the sight and sense of these sinnefull corruptions still dwelling in vs wee are occasioned to flee oftener vnto God by feruent prayers acknowledging and bewayling them before the throne of grace earnestly crauing the remission of them and the assistance of Gods grace and holy spirit whereby we may be inabled to mortifie our corruptions and to flee all sinne for the time to come and to returne vnto him praise and thankesgiuing when we haue receiued these graces from him Fifthly whereas there is nothing more daungerous vnto vs then sloth and securitie we haue through these corruptions dwelling in vs the benefit of spirituall exercise whilest wee make warre against them withstand their assaults prepare our selues for the conflict watch ouer our owne hearts that wee bee not surprised at anawares with their deceiptfull pollicies mortifie and subdue them with the sword of the spirit exercise the spirituall graces receiued from God and our selues in all holy duties which God requireth for the obtaining of victory by which they are more and more confirmed and encreased So also hereby wee haue great cause to bee more carefull and watchfull ouer our hearts and wayes seeing we haue dwelling in vs a secrete enemy who watcheth all opportunities to supplant vs and to betray vs into the hands of Sathan and the world the which should make vs worke out our saluation with feare and trembling and vvhilest vve stand to take heede of falling this should cause vs to Phil. 2. 12. 1 Cor. 12. 13. Eph. 6. 10. stand daily and howerly vpon our guard and to keepe the spirituall armour girded fast vpon vs as the Apostle exhorteth vs. § Sect. 7 It serueth to worke in vs patience and contentment Lam. 3. 39. Sixtly it may serue to make vs goe on in our pilgrimage vvith contentment and to beare all afflictions vvhich are layde vpon vs vvith meekenesse and patience not onely because vve haue deserued them by this sinne that dwelleth in vs according to that in the Lamentations Wherefore doeth a liuing man complaine seeing he suffereth for his sinned but also because wee knowe and haue experience that these corrections are necessary to bridle mortifie the flesh with the lustes thereof and serue as drawing salues to drawe out the core of our corruptions as the launcher and searing yron to helpe and heale our impostumations of sinne as bitter potions to purge away our corrupt humours and as salt to season vs that we may not be tainted and perish in our fleshly puterfaction and to make vs more wise wary that we may not nourish our enemy but mortifie crucifie it seeing it is the chiefe authour of all our calamities § Sect. 8. By this conflict our heartes are weaned from the world Seauenthly it is profitable for the weaning of our hearts and affections from the world and to make vs long after our heauenly happinesse when as wee finde our selues tyred and wearied in fighting not onely with forraigne foes but with these intestine and secret traytors in our owne bowels whereas if hauing gotten full conquest we should haue continuall peace and our victory crowned with earthly prosperitie wee would neuer so much long after our heauenly happinesse And this chiefely made the Apostle to long after his dissolution and to be with Christ because he found himselfe so often foyled with this lawe of his members and Phil. 1. 21. Rom. 7. 23. led away captiue by his sinnefull flesh Eightly as it maketh vs to long after the crown of victory so it will make it when we shall obtaine it much more glorious for the Lord will haue vs first to fight and ouercome our spirituall enemies and then hee will reward vs with the crowne of victory first he will haue our spirituall graces exercised and manifested in the conflict and then being approued he will giue vs a proportion of glory according to the propertion of our graces So our Sauiour promiseth not to the Souldiars which lye quietly in their garrison assaulted with no enemy but to them who fighting ouercome that they shall sitte with him on his throne cloathed with white rayment and shall eate of the tree of life which is in the middest of the Paradise of God And this order Paul vseth in Apoc. 2. 3. laying hold on these blessed hopes first to fight the combate and then to receiue the crowne I haue saith hee fought a good fight
nature of man as it is born in corruption polluted with originall sin And thus our Sauiour saith that that which is born of the flesh is flesh that is if Iohn 3. 6. the parents be defiled with sin then needs must the childrē be polluted with their corruption for a stinking fountaine cannot bring forth sweet waters and who as Iob saith can bring a cleane thing out of filthinesse And thus the Apostle Iob 14. 4. saith that they who are in the flesh that is remaine in that Rom. 8. 8. corrupt and sinfull condition in which they were borne cannot please God But in none of these senses are we to conceiue the flesh to be our enemie for neither may wee Timon-like be at enmitie with mankinde nor like mad men make warre and offer violence against our owne persons nor ought we with the Baalites and Papists to fight against our owne bodies neither is there any warre in the naturall man borne in corruption seeing he is wholly flesh and vnder Sathans gouernment who like the strong man whilest he keepeth the house possesseth all in peace sauing that now and then there is some ciuill dissension and small iarres betweene the will and conscience and one passion with another which are quickly taken vp as wee shall shew hereafter §. Sect. 3. Diuers significations of the word flesh taken for accidents and qualities But we are further to consider that the flesh is not onely thus substantially taken for things really and materially by themselues subsisting but also for accidents and qualities In which sense it is taken two wayes in the Scriptures First for that qualitie of corruption frailetie and infirmitie of the humane nature which is not sinne but rather the effect and punishment which attendeth and waiteth vpon it and in this sense it is said of the Israelites that he turned away his wrath from them because hee remembred that they were but 1. Cor. 15. 50. flesh and a winde that passeth away and commeth not againe Thus also it is said that flesh and bloud cannot inherite the Kingdome of God and what this flesh and bloud is hee expoundeth in the next words neither doth corruption in herit 2. Cor. 10. 2 3 4 corruption And thus the Apostle saith that though hee walked in the flesh yet he did not warre after the flesh not with weake and carnall but with strong and mighty weapons which were able to cast downe all that opposed against them and in this sense as I take it are wee to vnderstand the speech of our Sauiour to his Apostles The Spirit indeed is willing but the Flesh is weake And in this signification Mat. 26. 41. the flesh is not to be taken for a malicious enemie but rather a weake and feeble friend which is not to be opposed in hostile manner as it were with a sword and speare but rather to be strengthned with the cordials of comfort after that the corruption of sinne which is the cause thereof by the physicke of the Word is purged away §. Sect. 4. The flesh taken for the corruption of nature Secondly the flesh is taken for the whole corruption of nature or for that originall sinne whereby the whole nature of man with all the powers and faculties of his soule and body ate wholly defiled the image of God vtterly defaced and he quite disabled vnto all good and made prone vnto all manner of euill the which as it is the child and off-spring of our first parents sinne so is it the mother and nurse of all actuall transgressions and of all our rebellion against God and his will And this carnall corruption possesseth and ouer-spreadeth the whole man before regeneration defiling and disabling his body and soule with all the members parts and faculties of them raigning and ruling in him in his full strength as a King and soueraigne and making him obedient to the sinfull lusts thereof and after regeneration it still remaineth and dwelleth in him although wounded and weakned like a wicked enemie and false traitor rebelling against the Spirit and resisting the good motions thereof and though it be deposed from the regencie and expelled as it were out of the heart of the Kingdome yet like the cursed Cananites it still keepeth residence in the borders of the land and after it is beaten out of the Citie doth still dwell in the Suburbs whence it much molesteth the spirituall part and is to the regenerate man a snare to intangle him and a trap to catch him a scourge to his Ios 23. 13. sides and a thorne in his eyes sometime assaulting him by open violence and sometime indangering him by secret ambushments and hidden vnderminings In which sence the flesh is taken either for the whole nature of man as it commeth into the world corrupted and defiled with sinne seeing he is nothing but a masse of corruption and a sinke of all filthinesse till he be regenerate by the Spirit of God or else for that part of a Christian which remaineth still vnregenerate after his effectuall calling and sound conuersion vnto God In the former signification we are to vnderstand all those places where vnregenerate and wicked men are called flesh as where our Sauiour saith that that which is Ioh. 3. 6. Rom. 7. 5. borne of the flesh is flesh and the Apostle Paul that when we were in the flesh the motions of sinne which were by the Law did worke in our members to bring forth fruit vnto death and that they who are in the flesh cannot please God In the later Rom. 8. 8. we are to vnderstand it when it is applied vnto the faithfull who are but in part regenerate to signifie the reliques of naturall corruption and the vicious qualitie of sinne which still dwell and remaine in them vnmortified and vnsubdued So the Apostle complaineth that there was giuen him a pricke in the flesh that in his flesh dwelled 2. Cor. 12. 7. Rom. 7. 18. 25. no good thing and that in the flesh hee serued the Law of sinne And thus he would haue the incestuous person deliuered to Sathan for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit 1. Cor. 5. 5. that is the regenerate man might bee saued in the day of the Lord Iesus But most plainely and distinctly doth hee speake of it where he saith that the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and that these are contrarie Gal. 5. 17. the one to the other bringing forth in the same man diuers and contrarie fruits as hee there at large describeth them §. Sect. 5. That the flesh in this discourse signifieth the part vnregenerate in a christian or the reliques of corruption remaining after sanctification Now in this last sense we are to take the word flesh in the following discourse vnderstanding thereby those reliques of corruption which after regeneration doe still remaine in vs the corrupt qualitie of sinne
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
Gods mercy truth prouidence securitie impenitency and hardnesse of heart Now of what are they thus tempted but as the Apostle telleth vs of their owne concupiscence and therefore this concupiscence extendeth as well to the superiour as the inferiour faculties of the soule Yea not onely are they tempted but often are foyled by yeelding to the tentation of which I neede no other proofe but that experience which euery Christian may haue in himselfe if without partialitie he will examine his owne conscience for who is so inlightned that doth not finde in his minde much darknesse who so sanctified that doth not acknowledge many errours whereby he hath been ouertaken in his iudgement and much vanity in his cogitations Who is so humbled and hath so denied himselfe that doth not feele in his will much peruersenesse and rebellion against the will of God Finally who hath his remembrance so confirmed and strengthned in grace that doth not see his forgetfulnesse of God and of holy duties And who is so strong in his faith that doth not finde many assaults of doubting and infidelitie All which doth plainely proue that euen in the regenerate the reliques of carnall corruption doe remaine not onely in the inferiour and sensitiue faculties of the soule but also in the superiour and intellectuall CHAP. VI. Testimonies of Fathers to prooue that the body alone is not our enemy the flesh §. Sect. 1. Testimonies to proue that the bodie is not our sinfull flesh VNto these reasons we may adde diuers testimonies for the better clearing of this August de ciuit Dei lib. 14. cap. 3. tit 5. col 7â—5 point And first Saint Augustine telleth vs that the corruption of the body which ouerburtheneth the soule is not the cause of the first sinne but the punishment Neither doeth the corruptible flesh make the soule sinfull but the sinfull soule maketh the flesh corruptible From which corruption of the flesh although there arise many prouocations of vices and vicious desires yet not all the vices of a wicked life are to be imputed to the flesh that is the body least hereby wee acquite the diuell of them who hath no flesh Againe he that magnifieth the nature of the soule as though it were the chiefe goodnesse and accuseth the nature of the flesh as euill without doubt hee doeth August de ciuit dei lib. 14. cap. 5. tit 5. col 758 carnally affect the soule and after a fleshly manner shun the flesh because he so iudgeth out of humaine vanitie and not out of diuine trueth So in another place the soule is not better then August in psal 145. the body in merit but in nature for the soule is sinfull and stained with many corruptioÌ„s of concupiscence But yet impure gold is better then the most purified lead And else where he saith The flesh therefore is not euill if it want euill that is sinne wherewith August de continent cap. 8. Tit. 4. col 998. man is corrupted neither is he euill made but doeth euill for in both parts soule and body he was made good of our good God but he doeth euill whereby he is made euill Now as by all these testimonies he sheweth what the flesh is not namely not the nature or substaÌ„ce of the body so in many other places he sheweth what it is namely the lawe of sinne and corruption of nature which hath ouerspread and defiled the soule and body To name one or two for all In his booke of retractations he saith that the Apostle by the names of flesh and blood vnderstandeth the corruption of them both And againe Carnis et Sanguinis nomine ipsam corruptionem carnis et sanguinis intelligendus est apostolus nuncupasse August retract Lib. 2. cap. 3. August de fide et Symb. c. 10. Chrysost in Gal. 6. Chry. in Gen. 6. Homil. 24. Gregor moral lib. 3. c. 11. Moral lib. 14. cap. 29. the soule when as it affecteth those things which are carnally good is named the flesh With him agreeth Chrysostome for writing on the words of the Apostle they haue crucified the flesh with the lustes of it he saith that he here calleth their euill deedes the flesh for if they should haue crucified their bodies how then could they haue liued And againe it is the manner of the Scriptures to call by the name of flesh those who onely minde carnall things and neuer thinke on that which is heauenly Thus also Gregorie saith that the Scriptures are accustomed to signifie by the names of flesh and blood the sinnes of the flesh And in another place It is written saith he that flesh and blood cannot inherite the kingdome of heauen and how then shall I beleue that in truth the flesh shall arise at the last day I answere in the holy Scriptures the flesh is sometime taken according to nature and sometime according to fault and corruption in the former sense this now is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh and againe the word was made flesh In the other sense is it to be taken my spirit shall not striue in these men because they are flesh and the speach of the Apostle but you are not in the flesh but in the spirit not that they were not in the flesh to whom the Apostle wrote but because they had ouercome the passions of their carnall desires c. So Hierome on the Hieron in Rom 8. eight of the Romanes saith It is to be noted that the Apostle there accuseth the workes of the flesh and not the substance And thus also Basill vnderstandeth it for saith he he that is called the olde man signifieth together all sinnes and Basil de baptis lib. 1. Theod. in Gal. 5. 17. Ibidem defilements particularly as it were in his parts So Theoderet The Apostle calleth flesh the inclination of the minde vnto those things which are euill and the spirit grace which inhabiteth and guideth the minde vnto those things which are good And againe it is manifest that idolatry witchcraft and such like sinnes are not proper to the flesh that is the body but to the soule and therefore he doth not accuse the flesh but the wicked and slothfull cogitation §. Sect. 2. That Sathan hath assaulted not onely the body affections but the minde and vnderstanstanding And thus haue I shewed by the Scriptures and fathers that by the flesh we are not to vnderstand the body and the sensitiue part of the soule alone but the sinfull corruption of our nature and that this hath ouerspread and infected not the flesh or affections alone but euen the minde and will For Sathan hauing a desire to conquer vs and to hold vs for euer vnder his subiection did not onely by assault take in the body and sensitiue faculties as it were the out-sconces but hath also skaled and surprised the reason and vnderstanding which is the strong tower and castle of our soule through the strength whereof
and vntill he apply the vertue of this victory vnto vs and by his powerful spirit which is infinitely stronger then all men and Angels doe vanquish this mighty tyrant giue him a deadly wound of which he continually languisheth and deposing him from his regency doe set vp in our hearts the gracious and glorious kingdome of our blessed Sauiour So that we may conclude this In Iohan. lib. 3. cap. 34. point with the saying of Cyrill The voluptuous lustes of the flesh without doubt are of mightie power by which the mindes of men are wholly diuerted from all honestie and goodnesse § Sect. 2 Of the strength of the flesh being considered in it selfe But least those who are regenerate should contemne this enemy as being weake and impotent because it is in part mortified the strength thereof abated by vertue of Gods spirit dwelling in them let vs in the next place know that though it bee not in them so puissant and powerfull as in those who remaine in their naturall corruption yet it is exceeding strong and mighty whether wee consider it simply in it selfe as it worketh and rebelleth in those who are sanctified or compare it with the spirituall and regenerate part The former is notably set downe by the Apostle in his owne person in the seauenth chapter of the Epistle to the Romanes where he sheweth that this corrupt and sinfull flesh is so farre off from any conformity to the lawe that taking occasion by the commaundement it wrought in him all maner of concupiscence and so abused the lawe which was purposely giuen to restraine him from sinne and to subdue and mortifie his corruptions as a meanes to giue strength life and vigour vnto it Whereby the lawe which was ordained to life became to be vnto death Further shewing vers 8. the power of his fleshly corruption he saith that it tooke occasion by the commaundement to deceiue and slay him working vers 9. death vnto him by that which is good that it ouercame him vers 10. and like a slaue sold him vnder sinne that it made him to doe that which he allowed not to omit the good which he affected and vers 11. commit the euill which he hated that though he were delighted vers 12. in the lawe of God and desired to obey it yet euill was present with bim That though he constantly resolued to serue vers 13. God yet the flesh like a strong rebell making warre against vers 14. him did often foyle and ouercome him and carried him into captiuitie to the lawe of sinne Yea of such force and might did this holy Apostle find the flesh in him that it forced him to crye out wretched man that I am who shall deliuer mee from the body of this death So else where he telleth vs that Gal. 5. 17. the flesh is not so subdued but that it continually maketh warre against the part regenerate and standeth in such strong opposition against it that the godly cannot doe the good they would With whom the Apostle Peter agreeing telleth 1 Pet. 2. 11. vs that the fleshly lustes doe fight against our soules Finally as it hindreth vs often times from yeelding any obedience to the law and enforceth vs to transgresse it so when we doe performe any duties which it requireth it so defileth and staineth them that we haue iust cause to acknowledge with the Prophet that our best righteousnesse is but like a polluted Esa 64. 6. cloath Now this strength of the flesh vnlesse it be wounded subdued and kept vnder by Gods spirit is alwayes in it full vigour yea in daily growth notwithstanding all naturall meanes which can be vsed For the decay of nature it selfe doeth not make it decay but euen in sicknesse it retaineth health and vigour and when through olde age the body is weake and decrepite it continueth firme and strong § Sect 3. That the flesh it mightie being considered comparatiuely with the spirit So also if wee compare it with the spirituall part the flesh is much greater and stronger and therefore would easily ouercome it and quench al Gods graces in vs if God should leaue vs to our selues to be supported and defended by the strength which we haue receiued and not continually send vs new supplies and vphold vs with the power of his owne spirit For the Apostle telleth vs that in this life we haue receiued but first fruits of the spirit which is but an handfull Rom. 8. 23. in comparison of the haruest the whole croppe of grace being reserued till we shall receiue with it the fullnes of glory And in regard that the flesh in quantiiy did so much exceede the spirit he sticketh not to say that the Corinthyans though sanctified in Christ Iesus and called to be saints were carnall and but babes in Christ yea hauing himselfe 1 Cor. 1. 2. chap. 1. 2. receiued such a great measure of grace he notwithstanding in the sight and sence of his great corruption acknowlegeth Rom. 7. 14. that he was carnall and sould vnder sinne Hereof it is that Diuines compare the flesh to the great gyant Goliah and the spirit to little Dauid and not vnfitly for as Dauid was farre vnequall to the mightie Gyant and therefore preuayled not against him by his owne strength but by the power of God assisting him in whose name he came against him so by the same meanes only the spirit getteth victorie ouer the flesh God giuing it strength to ouercome because it fighteth his owne battayles §. Sect. 4. Of the multitude of â—â— fleshly lust Finally vnto the strength of our enemie we may adde their multitude for though they be one in name to note that they are all of the like sinfull nature and as one combined in malice to worke our destruction so are they many in number euen whole legions of vnlawfull lusts which continually multiply themselues by begetting a new offspring after the ould are killed and subdued Wherof it is that the apostle Peter willeth vs to abstaine from fleshly lusts which fight against the soule speaking plurally of them as being many euen a whole army which maketh warre against vs. § Sect. 5. That the power of our enemies 〈…〉 vs tâ— shake of all securitie The consideration wherof should moue vs to shake of all securitie arising from contempt of our enemies and seeing they are so mightie in strength and many in number let vs vse so much the more care dilligence and vigilance to defend our selues against their furie buckling vnto our selues the whole armour of God and vsing all meanes both for the vveakning of our enemies and the nourishing and strengthening of Gods graces in vs. Especially let vs call vpon God the Lord of boasts desiring him by our feruent prayers that he vvill by his spirit abate the power of the flesh the sinfull lusts thereof and re inforce and strengthen the armie of
backsliding from our former sinceritie but forgetting that which is behinde let vs reach vnto those things which are before and presse hard towards the marke for the price of the high Phil. 3. 13. 14 calling of God in Christ Iesus For if we slacken our pace in the wayes of godlinesse and sit still though but a little while we shall grow so stiffe and sore that we shall haue little desire to goe on in our iourney And by our negligence we shall loose our sweet communion with God the light of his countenance the sense of his loue and ioy and comfort of his spirit which are our chiefe encouragements that make vs goe on in the way of godlines Of the liuely feeling whereof when we are depriued we shall either disconsolately sit downe and loose our crowne or faintly proceede with much weakenesse and wearinesse § Sect. 4. How the flesh perswadeth vs to rest in that which wee haue all ready done or suffered Another deceipt like vnto this whereby the flesh allureth vs to desist from vertuous actions is to make vs to rest in that which we haue already either done or suffered as being aboundantly sufficient for our saluation Which that we may defeate let vs consider that though it vvere true yet it is of no force to make vs leaue off or intermit our vertuous actions For what ingratitude and grosse negligence were this in a seruant who hauing done a little worke would loyter and surcease his paines because he is assured that his Lord is so bountifull that hee would not hold backe any part of his wages And how much more in vs seeing the riches of our reward is so inestimable and permanent that we haue iust cause to thinke our whole life which is but short and momentanie to bee too too little though we could attaine to the age of Methuselah if it were solye imployed in glorifying our gracious God by our faithfull seruice which if we doe not but content our selues onely with that which standeth vpon the necessitie of our saluation we plainely shew that all we haue done is but false and counterfeit obedience seeing it did spring and flow onely from foolish selfe-loue and not from the sincere loue of God Foolish I say because it shall surely be frustrate of it end or though it should not yet of that measure of glory which those who are wise will labour after for according to that measure of grace we haue receiued and obedience which we haue performed we shall haue our portion proportion in that heauenly happines But be it that thou art not so ambitious of blessednes but that the least part and lowest place will well content thee consider in the next place that in this life wee are neuer so rich in grace and the fruits of obedience that we may now giue ouer and spend vpon the stocke vnlesse wee meane to be bankerupts in goodnes for if there be not a growth there will be a decrease if not a progresse then a regresse in the wayes of godlinesse and when we neglect the seruice of God then doe we begin to serue the Diuell the world and our owne flesh Besides true sauing grace is not like the Moone sometime in the full and sometime in the waine but like the light of the morning which still increaseth till it be perfect day It is alwayes in the growth vntill we come vnto a perfect age in Christ which perfection we shall not attaine vnto till wee haue layed downe Pro. 4. 18. these bodies of flesh And that which a while groweth and Phil. 1. 6. then standeth at a stay was but a false conception and like an Embrio in the wombe which though it may delude a woman with a deceiuing hope yet this ioy will bring bitter Mat. 24. 13. sorrow without all comfort in the end Againe consider that all Gods promises are made to those alone who continue Apoc. 2. 10. 3. 21. constant in their faith and obedience to the end Hee that indureth to the end shall be saued and be faithfull vnto Eccles 11. 3. the death and I will giue thee the crowne of life and to him that ouercommeth I will grant to sit with me in my throne c. And as the tree falleth so shall it lye And therefore our former graces and good workes should not make vs slothfull and sluggish for the time to come but much more painefull and diligent in imbracing and practising them seeing if we now desist we shall surely loose all our former labour Finally what souldiour will thus foolishly reason I haue fought long and indured many brunts in the battell and now I will take my ease because I haue almost obtained the victory what traueller will sit downe in the middest of his iourney because hee hath gone farre and taken much paines seeing all his labour is lost if he come not to the end And who running in a race will giue ouer before he come to the goale excusing himselfe that he hath runne well in the beginning because he is sure to loose the garland with all his former paines Yea rather because they haue begunne well they will continue till by their constant labours they haue obtained their reward And therefore let vs not be lesse wise or industrious for the assured gayning of heauenly and euerlasting happinesse then we are for the momentany and vncertaine possession of earthly trifles but after we haue done much good let vs still hold on to doe more for blessed is the seruant not who hath done well in former times but who when his master commeth shall be found so doing Mat. 24. 46. CHAP. XVIII Of certaine aduantages which the flesh hath against vs in the spirituall Conflict §. Sect. 1. That this enemie the flesh hath great aduātages against vs because it dwelleth within vs. HAuing discouered the dangerousnes of this enemie the flesh in it owne nature it now followeth according to our order propounded that we further consider that this perill is much intended and increased in respect of diuers aduantages which it hath against vs in the spirituall Conflict And these are principally two the first is that this enemy is not farre off whereby we might haue leysure and opportunitie of fitting and preparing our selues against the Conflict before he could approch vnto vs but dwelleth with vs yea in vs. He is not onely neere at hand and as it were in the Suburbs close vnto the gate of our soules but it lodgeth euen within the walles of the Citie not in the out-parts and backe lanes but it keepeth strong possession in the chiefe forts and castle of our mindes wils our hearts and affections where our chiefe strength and Ipsi gestamus laqueum nostrum nobiscum circumferimus inimicum Bernard de Quadrages serm 5. treasure lyeth And as one saith wee beare our snare with vs and carry our enemy about vs whether so euer we goe
suffer the pricke in the flesh to molest the Apostle and the messenger of Sathan to buffet him notwithstanding he so earnestly prayed to be deliuered from 2 Cor. 12. 9. them that the al-sufficiency of his grace assisting him might appeare and his power might bee gloriously manifested in his vveakenesse and infirmitie Secondly God is more glorified when as vvee seeing the strength of our flesh and naturall corruptions and our frailtie and vveakenesse vvants and many infirmities of our spirituall part are moued hereby to attribute the vvhole glory and prayse of our saluation to the alone mercy of God both in respect of the beginning and persecting thereof and vtterly denying our selues and our owne righteousnesse doe wholly rest and rely vpon the perfect and al-sufficient righteousnesse and obedience of his sonne Iesus Christ where as if there were in vs perfection in holinesse vvee vvould hardly acknowledge the Lord to be all in all in the worke of our saluation but would bee ready to attribute something vnto our selues Thirdly the wisedome and power of God is more manifested and glorified when as he doth his great works by contrary meanes and causes which in their owne nature would rather hinder them And therefore hee will haue vs Ioh. 9. 41. 1 Cor. 3. 18. Apoc. 3. 18. 2 Cor. 12. 9. blinde that we may see foolish that we may become wise poore that he may inrich vs weake that we may be strong imperfect in our graces that wee may bee endued with more perfection and finally will haue vs passe by the gates of hell that we may come to a greater measure of heauenly happinesse It were not so much if the Lord should perfectly sanctifie vs and presently giue vs eternall glory but to giue this blessednesse to vs who haue so many wants and corruptions yea to make our imperfections to serue as meanes for the increasing of our happinesse this doeth exceedingly magnifie his power and wisedome Fourthly we are hereby made more thankefull vnto the Lord and more chearefull in singing to his praise when wee are supported and saued notwithstanding our imperfections then if hee should indue vs at the first with all perfection For the more sensible wee are of Gods benefits the better wee esteeme them and so consequently receiue them with greater thankfulnesse but the more wee haue found the want of them and how little we haue deserued them the more sensibly doe we apprehend their excellency when wee enioy them the more wee haue groaned and laboured vnder the burthen of our infirmities and corruptions the more weereioyce when wee a 〈…〉 ed from them and our restoring out of a state of in perfection vnto perfection is much more acceptable then if we 〈◊〉 alwayes beene preserued in it Euen as iâ— giues vs more contentment hauing beene poore to be made then to bee borne rich to enioy our libertie after thraldome theâ— if we had neuer beene embondaged and makes vs more thank full to our benefactors when as by them vve haue beene adopted then vvhen vve haue beene borne to a goodly inheritaÌ„ce And so in the like case we are more thankefull vnto God for freeing vs from our sinfull corruptions by litle and litle then if at the first he had made vs pure and perfect and for giuing vs victory ouer the flesh after a painefull and doubtfull conflict then if vvee had neuer beene assaulted but had alwayes enioyed a secure peace And this vve may see in the example of the Apostle who hauing through the violence of the flesh beene led captiue vnto sinne and thereby forced lamentably to cry out O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the body of Rom. 7. 24. 25. this death doeth presently in the sense of Gods mercy which had deliuered him burst forth into thankful prayses I thanke God through Iesus Christ my Lord. Lastly hereby vve more glorifie God when we are assured by our growth in sanctification and in all sauing graces of the spirit by vvhich vve are inabled to resist the flesh and the lusts thereof that they are the free guifts of God and that hee beginneth continueth and increaseth them in vs vvhich if they vvere alwayes from the beginning perfect in vs vve would thinke them to be some naturall faculties and abilities and not giuen vs of God And these are the reasons vvhich doe chiefely respect the glory of God §. Sect. 3. That this conflict â—â— profitable for the faithfull to traine them vp in humility Secondly the Lord suffereth the flesh still to dwell in vs and daily to assault vs because it is profitable for our owne good and the furthering and assuring of our heauenly happinesse First because it is a notable meanes to traine vs vp in humilitie vvhich is a grace most acceptable vnto God and to subdue our pride and all vaine-glorious conceipt vvhich aboue all other vices is most odious and hatefull vvhen as vvee see and consider vvhat a miserable vastation and spoyle of all those graces and excellent endowments which we had by creation sinne hath made in vs how it hath poysoned corrupted and disabled all the powers and faculties of our soules and bodies how it hath made vs vnfit for any good thing and prone vnto all euill and that these staines and blots of sinfull corruption doe in a great part remaine in vs after our regeneration so assaulting vs with all malice and furie darkening our vnderstandings wounding our consciences peruerting our wils hardening our hearts and corrupting and disordering all our affections that were wee not continually assisted and vpheld by the spirituall grace of the Almightie God we should sinke and fall in the conflict and bee made an easie pray to our malitious enemies this may well subdue our loftie and proude conceipts and make vs pull downe with shame our peacockes plumes when as wee looke to the foule feete of our filthy corruptions see the ruines remaining of Gods goodly building and how all our naturall forces doe quite faile vs and forsake vs when as we most relye on them yea when as wee see euen after regeneration such reliques of corruption and rebellion remaining in vs that did not the Lord coÌ„tinually send vnto vs fresh aides of renewed graces we were not able to stand nor maintaine the fight against ouâ— carnall corruptions In consideration whereof wee are iustly moued to humble our selues and to giue all glory vnto God who worketh in vs the will and the deede and not onely beginneth but continueth and perfecteth the worke of our saluation and finally to acknowledge that what grace or spirituall strength we haue more then others we 1 Cor. â— 7. haue it from God and not from our selues and therefore that wee haue no cause to boast of it seeing it is receiued but must returne God the glory of his owne guifts And thus doth the Lord in his infinite power and wisdome turne euill into good and like the most skilfull Physition
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
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
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.
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
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
hiding from our sight his fatherly countenance and the bright beames of his fauourable countenance in the apprehension whereof the life of our life consisteth and depriueth vs of the peace of conscience and ioy in the holy Ghost by which wee are in the spirituall man made strong and couragious in the day of tentation after that wee haue receiued wounds of the flesh in the spirituall fight it hindreth their cure and causeth them to fester and ranckle and to growe euery day more dangerous and incurable then other And after wee haue beene allured to drinke the sweet poisons of the fleshes bewitching cup this impanitencie doth cause vs to retayne them in the stomacke vntill working they doe make vs sicke vnto death where as they would not be hurtfull and pernicious if as soone as they were swallowed they vvere cast vp againe by vnfained repentance The fourth sin that weakeneth the spirit is carnall security and hardnes of heart whereby wee blesse our selues when our estate is dangerous and haue no sense and feeling neither of Gods mercie and loue nor of his anger and displeasure by the one whereof the spirit is strengthened vnto Gods seruice and by the other preserued from sinning against him So also the strength of the spirit is by this carnall securitie much impayred because it maketh vs to put the euill day far from vs and vtterly to neglect our spirituall enemies as though we had a secure peace and all cause of danger were farre remoued it causeth vs to neglect our Christian watch and so to lye open to the malicious and secret assaults of our spirituall enemies and to neglect the meanes of our safety and defence our spirituall foode and prouision our weapons and munition our fortifications and all other prepararations which should be any meanes of defence in the day of battell whereby the spiritual part is betrayed suddenly surprized before it expecteth any danger The last speciall sin wherby the spirit is weakened and all the good motions thereof quenched is the loue of the world which like birdlime so besmeareth the spirituall part and the wings of the soule that it cannot flee aloft but is intangled and catched fixed and fastened to the earth and worldly vanities More especially the loue of honours and the glory of the world doth make the spirituall man slacke and sluggish in the pursuite of eternall glory and heauenly happinesse The loue of riches hindreth him from seeking with all earnestnesse spirituall graces and those incomparable treasures which are laide vp for vs in Gods Kingdome it choaketh the seede of the Word so as it cannot take roote and beare fruit frustrateth all the good motions of the spirit so as they cannot take effect it exposeth vs to many tentations and snares and causeth vs to fall into many foolish hurtfull lusts which drowne men in destruction and perdition And so also the loue of earthly pleasures doth much enfeeble 1 Tim. 6. 9. 10 the spirituall part in the pursuit of those eternall pleasures and fulnesse of ioy which are at Gods right hand for euermore and as they weaken the body and effeminate the minde so as they are made vnfit euen for any warlike imployments in the world so much more doe they disable the soule and spirit for this warfare against the enemies of our saluation For when the flesh is pampered with these carnall delights the soule is starued and pined when it is distended and growne fat grosse with gluttony and belly-cheare the spirit is made leane and infeebled when it reuelleth in fleshly ioy the regenerate part droopeth and mourneth beeing spoyled and robbed of the ioyes of the holy Ghost When it is filled and euen glutted with excesse the spirit is straitened of roome and hath no place where it may reside and therefore the Apostle requireth first emptinesse of wine and then that wee should be filled Eph. 5. 18. with the spirit to note vnto vs that fulnesse of both will not stand together § Sect. 2. We must not prouide for the spirit poyson instead of holesome foode nor carnall weapons instead of spirituall A second meanes of weakening and disabling the spirit which is to be auoided respecteth our prouision which we are to make for the armie of Gods graces as first that we doe not prouide for their nourishment poyson in steade of holesome foode as for example in stead of the pure word of God the spirituall Manna the sincere milke of the Gospell and Sacraments instituted by our Sauiour Christ humane traditions and inuentions will-worship and our owne superstitious deuotions which haue no ground or warrant out of the scriptures nor scarce any resemblance of that holy and holesome foode which is by God appointed for our nourishment Of which meate the more liberally we feede the more leane and lanke we waxe in our spirituall strength and stature the more feeble and faint we growe in all sauing graces because howsoeuer it be sweet to our naturall and carnall appetite yet it is of a quite contrarie qualitie to the spirit and the graces and gifts thereof and it is no better then the Diuels most artificiall poysons which cause them that taste and feede of them to waste and weare away in a continuall consumption of all pietie and true godlinesse Secondly we must beware that we doe not prouide for this spiritual Warfare carnall weapons and munition For as the Apostle saith the weapons of our warfare 2 Cor. 10. 4. are not carnall but sutable vnto the Spirit it selfe and mighty through God to the pulling downe of strong holds As for example we must not fight against the flesh with fleshly anger and carnall reuenge for here especially the saying Iam. 1. 20. of the Apostle is verified The wrath of man worketh not the righteousnesse of God we must not fight against and indeauour to subdue it with spirituall watchings as resting in the deed done and not destinating it to a superiour end namely in the imploying of our time in prayer with it Watch and pray and the watching ouer our hearts that wee doe not sinne rather then ouer our eyes that we doe not sleep Wee must not seeke to subdue it by popish fasting which is nothing else but like all other their deuotions a bodily exercise consisting in their superstitious abstinence from certaine meates contrary to the Word of God which calleth it a doctrine of Diuels and teacheth vs that all the creatures 1 Tim. 4. 1. 3. 1 of God are cleane if they be sanctified by the Word and Prayer and allowing the vse of all the daintiest fish and delicatest wines and fruits which pamper the flesh more then the moderate vse of ordinarie dyet But as occasion serueth we must vse totall abstinence when we would tame the flesh and humble our selues before God yet not like them resting in the deede done much lesse esteeming it satisfactorie and meritorious but onely vsing it as
to vnderstand by Spirit in the following discourse The spirit then whereof we intreat is the new man or the regenerate part of a Christian which is nothing else but a created qualitie of wisedome holinesse and righteousnesse whereby we are in the whole man renewed vnto Gods image which continually fighteth against and in the end ouercommeth the flesh with all the lusts thereof And Ephes 4. 24. Col. 3. 10. this is the other champion in the spirituall combate which also is described vnto vs in the Scriptures by diuers names that wee might the better conceiue of the nature thereof For first it is called the Spirit both to note the cause and author of it which is the Spirit of God and to teach vs Ioh. 3. 6. Rom. 7. 6. that it is of a simple pure and immortall nature and most opposite to that which is carnall earthly and sensuall It is called the new man in opposition to the old Adam and that corruption of nature which was deriued immediately from Ephes 4. 22. Col. 3. 10. him and to point out the difference betweene the flesh and the spirit in respect of their causes for the cause of the flesh was the old man our first parent Adam from whom it was propagated the cause of the other was the new man or second Adam Christ Iesus who by his Spirit hath regenerated 2 Cor. 2. 15. and begotten vs vnto God making vs to become new creatures renewed according to the image of God It is called the spirituall man both to point out the cause from which it hath it being euen the Spirit of God which regenerateth Gal. 6. 1. and sanctifieth vs and also in respect that it selfe is the cause of many spirituall actions and is wholly taken vp and exercised about spirituall and diuine obiects aboue all things seeking to bee inriched with Gods sauing graces and to haue sure title and iust claime to the Kingdome of heauen which is the inheritance of the blessed Angels and holy spirits And finally to put a difference betweene him who is led by the spirit and him who is meerely natural and worldly the one resembling and imitating the old Adam who was from the earth earthly the other the second Adam who was from heauen heauenly the one led by the sense and seeking onely things sensuall and carnall the other soaring aloft and minding those things which are diuine and spirituall It is called the a Ioh. 3. â— 1 Pet. 1. 23. regenerate man to note that wee haue it not by naturall propagation but by spirituall regeneration and new birth wherby being begotten by the word and spirit wee are borne vnto God It is called the inner man and the c 1 Pet. 3. 4. hidden man of the heart because it swayeth ruleth principally in the soule mind and b Rom. 7. 22. Eph. 3. 16. heart inlightning the vnderstanding sanctifying the will and affections and so making them conformable to the word and will of God and cannot be discerned outwardly by the sense but only when it sheweth it selfe in the effects and fruits thereof It is called a d 2 Cor. 5. 17. Gal. 6. 15. new creature because it is no relique or remainder of that image of God according to which we were at the first created but a new work of Gods holy spirit by his sole omnipotent power made of nothing and not of any praeexistent matter which it found in vs. Finally it is called the law of the spirit and the law of the e Rom. 8. 2. 7. 23. minde because it is ingrauen and written in our hearts ruling and gouerning vs directing and inclining vs both in our soules and bodies vnto all holy obedience f Rom. 8. 1. 14. and inciting vs to the performance of all Christian duties wherein this lawe of the Spirit differeth from the lawes of men for although it bee the intention of lawgiuers to make men good yet their lawes doe this onely thus far forth as they giue notice vnto them what they ought to doe and leaue vndone but the holy spirit dwelling in vs doth not onely by inlightning our vnderstanding teach vs what is our dutie but also inclineth our hearts and affections vnto obedience causing vs to put in practise the things we know And it is called the Law of the spirit of life For as the naturall spirit or soule is the cause of our naturall life so Gods holy spirit is the cause of the life of Grace according to the saying of our Sauiour It is the spirit which quickneth and the words which I speake vnto Iohn 6. 63. you are spirit and life The which spirit of life is originally in our Sauiour Christ and from him deriued vnto vs who are vnited vnto him and to no other For as the naturall spirit extendeth vnto no member which hath not connexion with the head so this holy spirit of life is deriued vnto none who is not ioyned in communion with Christ our head according to that 1. Ioh. 4. 13. Hereby wee know that 1. Ioh. 4. 13. we dwell in him and he in vs because hee hath giuen vs of his spirit §. Sect. 3. That this combate is not maintained betweene bare qualities onely but as they are backed by the holy spirit and Sathan the wicked spirit And thus haue I shewed what the flesh and the spirit are which are the combatants in this spirituall Warfare the one being that naturall corruption and carnall concupiscence in which wee are conceiued and borne the other a created qualitie of holinesse whereby we are renewed vnto Gods image which through the sinne of Adam was defaced in him and his posteritie and is continually preserued supported and strengthned by the Spirit of God dwelling in vs from which also it had first â—t being Neither are we so to vnderstand it as though this combate were onely maintained by bare and naked qualities of renewed puritie and old corruption but that they are also backed and vpheld by those spirits which are the causes and the authors of them namely the holy Spirit of God and the impure and wicked spirit Sathan the author of all sinne and wickednesse For whilest men remaine in the state of infidelitie the strong man Sathan keepeth possession and dwelleth in them though not after a grosse and sensible manner as in demoniacks yet inuisibly and spiritually ruling and reigning in them and as the Apostle speaketh holding them captiue to doe his will In which his regiment and gouernement hee imployeth the 2. Tim. 2. 26. flesh and our carnal concupiscence as his deputie and chiefe instrument to leade sinfull men into all wickednesse the which he continually animateth inrageth and strengthneth vnto all euill But when a stronger then hee commeth euen the good spirit of God he casteth him out and taking possession dwelleth reigneth and ruleth in our soules and bodie creating in vs that qualitie of holinesse and righteousnesse