You have cause to blesse God because otherwise you would commit more sinnes then you do and those which you do commit after a worse manner more willingly more eagerly more wilfully blesse God therefore in this regard for his holy Spirit Vse 2 You may learne the happinesse of a godly man and the misery of a wicked man The happinesse of a godly man that thou hast the Spirit to keep thee from sinning so as other men sinne 1 John 3.9 Non homines sed monstra Hominum sunt Pelagiani Cathari Caelestiani Donatistae A nabaptistae Libertini qui ex hoc loco perfectionem illam somniant à qua absunt ipsi emnium hon inum longissimi Beza Chap. 2.1 Job 1.22 Job 5.24 and the Scripture speaks of a godly man in this regard as if he had no sinne at all Whosoever is borne of God sayes the Apostle doth not commit sinne for his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sinne because he is borne of God It is not to be taken absolutely as if we had no sinne but comparatively he cannot sinne so as wicked men These things write I unto you that ye sinne not saith the Apostle And as it is said of Job that in all this he sinned not These expressions are not to be taken absolutely but comparatively not that godly men sinne not at all but that they sinne not after that manâ—er wicked men do Thou shalt visit thy habitation and shalt not sinne saith Job What an honour then is this put upon the godly that because they sinne not as the wicked therefore the Scripture makes mention of them as if they did not sin at all But farther see the misery of the wicked what a case are they in who have not the Spirit of God to lay a controule upon their sinful natures what servants to sin are they what vassals to their own lusts when the devil tempts from without and their own lusts from within they have no Spirit of God to withhold them Wicked men they sin so as no godly men can and therefore saith the Lord Deut. 32.5 They have corrupted themselves and their spot is not the spot of my children It is true I confesse there may be a spice of those particulars I mentioned in thy practice there may be something of the will in sin some delectation some deliberation yet do not be discouraged if thy heart yield not fully if there be not such a strong bent of will to sin as is found in wicked men SERMON XII At Lawrence Jury London Decemb. 15. 1650. GAL. 5. verse 17. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other so that ye cannot do the things that ye would HAving treated in several Sermons upon the Verse foregoing concerning walking in the Spirit I come now to handle this Verse which containes in it the combate between the flesh and the Spirit I shall only open the first clause of the Text at this time and dispatch the other in order The first onset given in this spiritual combate is by the flesh The flesh lusts against the Spirit to open which two things must be unfolded Quest 1 1. What is meant by flesh 2. What is meant by the Spirit and then what by the lusting of the flesh against the Spirit Answ By flesh is to be understood the corruption of mans nature by original sinne which corruption may be understood either as an habâ—t or as an act If you consider the flesh as an habit then it notes that primitive radical and original indisposition in mans nature to good But if it be taken as an act then it notes our corrupt motions against grace and so I take it in this place The flesh lusteth against the Spirit that is when the Spirit of God doth by divine pulsations beat upon the heart in holy motions then there is a contrariety in the flesh against these motions suppressing them and carrying the heart to evill The corruption of nature may be called flesh for these reasons 1. Because the soul was defiled with corruption immediately upon its union and conjunction with the body It is true there is a contest among Divines when the soul comes to be corrupted seeing it is infused by creation and is therefore pure But the generality of Authors conclude upon this that immediately upon the conjunction of the soul with the body the creature is said to have natural corruption and for this reason some think that corrupt nature is called flesh because man is naturally corrupted assoon as soule and body joyne together 2. Corrupt nature is called flesh because this corruption of nature remaines as long as we carry flesh and blood about with us as long as you have flesh you shall have sin The body of death is not destroyed but by the death of the body and therefore corruption may be called flesh 3. Because the motions of corrupt nature are naturally as deare to a man Ephes 5.29 as his own flesh No man yet ever hated his own flesh and this is the reason why the Scripture calls it a right hand Math. 5.29,30 and a right eye corruption of nature it is closely joyned to a man Quest 2 What is meant by the spirit Answ By spirit some understand the soul of a regenerate man but this seems to be incoherent the scope of the place carrying it to something else though this also may be included Therefore by spirit is to be understood the holy motions and workings of Gods Spirit and there the flesh is said to lust against Gal. 3.2,14 Gal 4.6,29 Gal. 5.5,16,17 18,22,25 and it is apparent that it is thus to be understood because spirit is so taken in the foregoing Verse and also in the Verse following my Text so that by spirit I understand the motions and workings of Gods Spirit in the soule And in this sense is the word spirit taken in most places of this Epistle Quest 3 What is meant here by lust Answ When it is said to lust against the Spirit you may observe that it is not said to work against the Spirit nor act against the Spirit though sin be of an active nature yet it is not alwayes in the act but though it be not alwayes acting yet it is alwayes lusting there is an opposite disposition in nature to the work of Gods Spirit upon the heart In the words you may observe three parts 1. A double conflict The flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh 2. A double cause These are contrary the one to the other the flesh contrary to the Spirit and the Spirit contrary to the flesh 3. Here is a double consequent So that ye cannot do the things ye would the flesh lusts against the Spirit so that ye cannot do the good ye would and the Spirit against the flesh so that ye cannot do the evil ye would Before I raise the
the Scripture which forbids that we should do evil Rom. 3.8 Job 13.7 that good may come thereon Will ye talk wickedly for God and deal deceitfully for him and if upon pretence of good we may commit evil by the same rule Judas his treason may be excused because of the great good coming by Christs death But let me tell you farther that if you sin that good may come thereby it is the way to lose the good you aime at It is very remarkable concerning Saul being to pursue the Philistines he gave out a very cruell and harsh command 1 Sam. 14.24 he commanded the people and bound them under an oath that they should not eat a bit of meat untill evening that he might be avenged of his enemies Sauls pretence was good but using an unlawful means the people became feeble and faint for food who otherwise might have obtained afar more glorious victory When men therefore shall use sinfull means for the obtaining of good it is just with God to disappoint them of the good they aime at 7. And lastly thy corrupt heart will tell thee though thou may'st not boldly act sin yet thou may'st safely venture on the occasion of sinne and yet be preserved Thus Peters heart deceived him he would go into the high Priests Hall venture upon the occasion of sin thinking that he should not be taken in it And thus the Israelites they would marry strange wives and this was an occasion whereby at last they fell to worship strange gods keep off therefore from the occasion of sin Solomon hath a good saying Can a man tread upon fire and not be burned his meaning is that a man cannot keep company with a harlot and be chast running upon the occasions of sinne brings to the acting of sin you will not venture upon ice or slippery places because of the occasion of falling and if you desire to be freed of the one be not bold to venter upon the other Vse 1 You that carry flesh and blood about with you and sinfull natures and do perceive the conflicts of the flesh against the Spirit weigh with your selves what it is the flesh conflicts with you for it is no lesse then for your immortall soules as the Apostle Peter tells you 1 Peter 2.11 I beseech you sayes he as strangers and pilgrims abstaine from fleshly lusts which warre against the soul The flesh aimes to damne the soul It is in this conflict as Cesar said in the battel he had once in Africa with the children and partakers of Pompey that in other battels he was wont to fight for glory but there and then he was faine to fight for his life remember thy precious soul lyes at stake in this combate therefore I beseech you take part with Gods Spirit against the flesh and not with the flesh against the Spirit Vse 2 When thou art overtaken with sinne blame none but thy own heart blame neither God nor the Devil 1. Not God for he made man upright Eccles 7.29 he gave a pure and unspotted soul to man but they have sought out many inventions therefore blame thy own self James 1.13,14 Let no man say when he is tempted that he is tempted of God for every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his owne lust and inticed 2. Blame not the Devil it is naturall to men to take off the blame from their own vicious natures when they fall into sin and to lay all upon the Devill but if you observe the Scripture you shall never finde that a godly man did ever lay the blame upon the Devil after he fell into sin It is true Adam and Eve did but there was some reason for that because they had no sinful nature to tempt them but after being fallen their sinful nature did tempt them not the Devil It is said of David that Satan stood up and provoked him to number the people 1 Chron. 21.1 but David he doth not say so himself Vers 8. but sayes he I have sinned greatly and I have done very foolishly David he charges his own heart and the reason is because the heart of man hath a greater stroak in provoking a man to sin then the Devil hath alas what could the Devil do if we had not a sinful inclination within The Devil when he came to tempt Christ he found no matter in him to fasten upon him and therefore he could not prevaile The Prince of this world cometh and findeth nothing in me said Christ But 't is otherwise with us temptations meet with corruptions that do suit them The Devil when he comes to thee thy heart it is as flax among fire or as gunpowder which having a spark of fire in it is suddenly blown up therefore blame not the Devil but thine own heart neither the Devil nor the world could hate thee were it not for thine own heart which like a false Trayter lodgeth within thy breast and betrayes the soul to the snares and temptations of the Devil Sermon XIII At Lawrence Jury London Decemb. 22. 1650. GAL. 5. verse 17. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other so that ye cannot do the things that ye would I Come now to give you the properties of this enmity and of this conflict and there are nine or ten qualities of this enemy corrupt nature 1. The flesh it is a potent enemy against the Spirit it is no weak enemy but it 's strong and therefore sayes the Apostle Rom. 6.12 Let not sin reigne in your mortal bodies In the unregenerate the flesh is as a mighty Monarch which rules without controule the flesh the power or a Law over them And in the regenerate sin is an usurping tyrant which gets a great deal of the Beleevers soul into his hands Rom. 7.14 Paul complaines that he was sold under sin though after his regeneration he did not sell himself to work wickednesse yet he was taken captive by the flesh as by a powerful and prevailing adversary and as conquerors sell their prisoners so was Paul Divines do usually compare corrupt nature to great Goliah and grace to little David Goliah had more strength yet David gets the victory though corruption be potent yet grace in the end will get the victory The potency of the flesh may appear by these demonstrations 1. By the names which in Scripture are attributed to corrupt nature 2 Cor 10.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is called a strong hold a man may easily win an ordinary dwelling house but it is hard taking a strong hold Rom. 7.23 It is called a Law The Law of sin it hath that power over the soul as the Law hath over the subjects of a Kingdome it is said to reigne having the power that a Prince hath over his people 2. It appeares to be potent by that mighty power which must be
set on work to suppresse this enemy no lesse then the power of an Almighty God can suppresse these corrupt motions and therefore sayes the Apostle The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds 2 Cor. 10.4 It is a weapon edged with the power of a Deity which must pull down these strong holds 3. Corrupt nature is strong because it is set on by a powerful spirit the Devil he provokes thee to sin and that makes the corruption of thy heart so potent The Sea will move of it self being a fleeting body but when a tempestuous storme arises then it rages and roares So is it with thy corrupt nature if there were no Devil yet thou wouldst be a Devil to thy self and wouldst commit sin but when the Devil shall set on this Sea of thy corrupt nature then how doth it rage and swell He is that Prince of the power of the Aire the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience Ephes 2.2 4. It argues the flesh is potent because it often prevailes over the Spirit The Apostle tells you that not only in wicked men but even in the regenerate the flesh doth many times carry a prevalence over the Spirit The Law is spiritual Rom. 7.14 sayes he but I am carnal sold under sin He speaks of himself as a regenerate man he doth not say he sold himself that was the property of wicked Ahab but it is meant that corrupt nature did carry him away captive to sinne just as a conquerour carries away his prisoner 5. The flesh is a potent enemy because there is a greater measure of the flesh in regenerate men then there is of the Spirit thou hast more sin in thee then grace more of a corrupted nature then of a renewed nature In the best of Gods children there is more ignorance then knowledge more pride then humility and generally more sin then obedience and this may be hinted from the catalogue here enumerated of the works of the flesh and of the fruits of the Spirit Gal. 5.19,20 There are seventeen sins as the fruit of the flesh and but seven graces as the fruit of the Spirit to note that there is more of the old nature in thy heart then of the new more of the old leaven then of the new lump more drosse then gold and this God suffers in his children to keep them humble and in a continual dependance upon him the spirits of just men are never made perfect till they come to heaven Heb. 12.21 and in the mean time it is the admirable power of Christ to keep alive a sparke of grace in the midst of a sea of corruption 2. As the flesh is a potent enemy so it is a malicious enemy against the Spirit Rom. 8.7 The carnal minde is enmity against God and its maliciousnesse against the Spirit appeares two wayes 1. It suffers no good to be left in it I know in me that is in my flesh dwells no good thing saith the Apostle Rom. 7.18 Caâ—o à carendo though there may be good in the man yet there is no good in the flesh that is in his sinful nature 2. It is content with nothing but with the death of the creature in whom it is and this is a very pernicious enemie it not only kills the Spirits motions but is malicious against the man Rom. 7.11 Chap. 8,13 and therefore sayes the Apostle Paul Sin taking occasion by the Commandment deceived me and by it slâ—w me And again If ye live after the flesh ye shall die nothing lesse then death and eternal damnation of the soul will content it this argues the maliciousnesse of the flesh â—o be great indeed 3. Corrupt nature it is an universal enemy against the Spirit and its universality appeares in three regards 1. The flesh it is seated in the whole man in all the parts of thy body and in all the powers of thy soul The flesh is in the soul just as the soul is in the body And Philosophers say that the soul is in the body the whole soul is in the whole body Anima est tota â—n toto corpâ—re tota in qualibet parte and the whole soul in every part of the body just so is corruption and sin in thy soul the whole corruption of nature is in the whole soul and in every part of it in thy body eyes eares hands in all the parts of it not only in the concupiscible and irrascible part but also in the more noble parts as in the will understanding reason it is universal in every part of man 2. It containes in it virtually all sin Nothing doth virtually containe all evil but corrupt nature As we may say of the first man Primus homo fuit omnis homo Rom. 7.8 Primum peccatum fwt omne peccatum that he was every man So we may say of sin the first sinne had every sin that is every sin virtually Sinne taking occasion by the Commandment wrought in me saies the Apostle all manner of concupiscence Corrupt nature it is an inclination to all actual evil in the world I may illustrate this by an egge An egge hath in it potentially and seminally all the parts of the bird only it wants the warmth of the hen to hatch and produce it So our corrupt flesh hath in it all sin the seed and spawne of all sin and as the hen produceth the chicken so doth the devil hatch sin 3. It opposes all the graces of Gods Spirit other sins take what sin you will it opposes but the contrary grace particular sins do carry but a particular opposition as for instance the sin of pride opposes humility lust opposeth charity drunkennesse sobriety in justice opposes righteousnesse wrath opposes meeknesse hatred opposes love and so of all other sins they carry but a particular opposition to particular graces but thy flesh it carries an universal opposition to all grace 4. The flesh it is an insatiable enemy insatiable in two regards 1. In regard of sin because if we yield to the motions of sinne to day corrupt nature will not be satisfied if thou yieldest to sin to day thou must to morrow yea all thy dayes Prov. 30.16 Corrupt nature is like those four things which Solomon speaks of which are never satisfied and as he elsewhere speaks Hell and destruction are never full so the eyes of man are never satisfied Prov. 27.20 that is corrupt nature in the eye sinful concupiscence in the heart causes an adulterous eye never to be satisfied 2. In regard of punishment as well as sin Suppose sin doth bring diseases upon thy body or poverty on thy estate yet thou wilt not leave it it aimes at no lesse then the damnation of thy soul 5. Corrupt nature it is an indefatigable enemy against the Spirit Suppose the flesh to have all the foregoing properties yet
considerations to provoke you to be humbled 1. Consider that the flesh and thereby this contrariety against grace it was more ancient in thee then grace was in thee it was in thee before the Spirit of grace was Divines make the strugling of Esau and Jacob in the womb of Rebeccah an embleme of corruption and grace in a regenerate man they strugled in the womb and it is observed that Esau the bad sonne was born first and Jacob the good son born last it is a fit resemblance of nature and grace which strive in the heart of a regenerate man but remember this that sin is the elder of the twaine before thou hadst the Spirit thou hadst the flesh nature is the elder brother nay assoon as ever there was an union between the soul and body sin was in the soule nay not only before thou couldst act grace thou hadst sin but before thou couldst act reason I remember Augustine hath a relation in his Confessions concerning a little childe Vidi infantulum Zelantem c. which saw another childe suck his mothers brest and sayes he before the childe spake I saw an envious nature in it the child grew pale to see the other suck his mothers brest this sayes he made me call to mind my original sin and truly this is a great advantage to the flesh that the flesh is first in a man as if two Armies come to fight a pitcht battel that Army which first comes to the field hath much advantage against the other that come after into the field the flesh hath gotten the sunne and winde against us it hath many advantages upon this consideration that it was first in thee and therefore be humbled 2. Be humbled on this consideration that the flesh and this contrariety of the flesh against grace in thy nature 't is more abundant in thee then grace is 't is not onely more timely but also more abundant though a Christian hath the Spirit yet every regenerate man hath more of the flesh you have now received but the first fruits of the Spirit but you have the whole crop of sin the whole harvest of original corruption in a regenerate man there are more swarms of lusts and unholy thoughts then there are gracious thoughts as in every hedge there are more briars and thornes then fruitful trees so in every mans heart more briars and thornes of corruption then of the fruitful trees of grace And as in every field there are more thistles and weeds then lilies and roses so in every heart there is more of corrupt nature then of true grace Sin growes naturally but grace only by divine culture Corruption is natural but grace is supernatural That of the Apostle is observable to this purpose Rom 6.19 where he exhorts us As we have yielded our members to uncleannesse and to iniquity unto iniquity so now to yield cur members servants to righteousnesse unto holinesse Divines gather hence that the Apostle speaking of sin maketh mention of three To 's there is to uncleannesse to iniquity and unto iniquity but when he speaks of grace and holinesse he mentions but two To 's to note that there is more abundance of sin in thee then grace Ransack a believer in every faculty and in every faculty you shall finde more sin then grace First look into the understanding Hoc tantum scio me nihil scire Hieronym and there you shall finde more ignorance then knowledge and so Hierom himselfe confesseth that he was ignorant of more truths then he did understand In the memory there is more forgetfulnesse then retention of good thou forgettest more good then thou doest remember Heb. 2.1 the best man alive doth not remember so much of a Sermon as he doth forget And therefore the Apostle gives this counsell that we should give the more earnest heed to those things which we have heard lest we let them slip as a broken and leaking vessel runs out for the word signifies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is a metaphor taken from leaking vessels And so likewise in the fancy there are more vain sinful and unclean speculations then there are divine and holy contemplations In the affections there is more love to earthly things then to heavenly thou more fearest man then God and grievest more for affliction then sin for the punishment more then for the evill of sin if you ransack all men you shall finde more corruption of nature then holinesse and grace in them Gal. 5.19,20 this the Apostle hints in that catalogue which he gives of the works of the flesh and the fruits of the Spirit where he reckons up seventeen sins and but seven graces to note that there is more sinne then grace in men Corruption it is like great Goliah and grace is but like little David but yet though corruption be strong there be more of it in us then grace yet we shall get the victory in the close though Goliah be stronger then David yet as David so all the regenerate shall have the final successe and conquest 3. That you may be humbled consider that this contrariety of nature to grace it works unweariedly in you if this contrariety did shew it selfe now and then upon some extraordinary occasion it were not so much but this corruption it works unweariedly against grace grace and good motions are supernatural and therefore are sometimes irksome to us that are flesh and blood but corrupt motions to sinne they are natural to a man and things which act naturally act unweariedly as the Sea it 's never weary of flowing nor the Sunne of running its course and as the fire is never weary of burning so neither is corrupt nature of opposing the holy Spirit our whole course and way to heaven is up the hill and against the tide and winde both of corruptions and temptations 4. Be humbled also on this ground that this contrariety of nature it will work continually against grace even to thy dying day if it did but oppose sometimes and then would be weary or else if it were stinted to some age of a mans life it were something but this corruption will shew it self contrary to grace as long as thou livest thou mayest get rid of actual sin but thou canst never rid thy heart of this habitual corrupt nature It is a notable saying of Cyprian to this purpose It is more sayes he to take away one sin then many sins his meaning is this that it is harder to take away this one sin of nature then to take away many sins of life as for actual sins the sinnes thou wast haunted with the last year thou mayest not be troubled with them now nor the sins that now thou art troubled with hereafter but the sin of thy nature it hath troubled thee the last year and this year also and it will do all thy dayes that as Ivy in a wall though you lop off the branches yet it is so
is inordinate that man is not fit to receive any instruction from any friend that goes about to comfort him Thus Asaph in Psal 27.2 when he was overwhelmed with sorrow his soul refused to be comforted they are then like Rachel that would not be comforted Matth. 2.18 In Rama was there a voice heard lamentation and weeping and great mourning Rachel weeping for her Children and would not be comforted because they were not The women of Bethlehem did weep and mourn and would not be comforted which did evidence their sorrow to be immoderate When no promise in the Bible no comfort nor support from the word will ease and quiet the heart this shews that such a spirit is too much overcome with sorrow vexation and grief for worldly crosses And thus I have done with the first caution to take heed when you are over much grieved for worldly afflictions that you do not then say it is only a naturall sensibleness of the hand of God upon you and no more Caution 2 2. Is it so that we must not be immoderate in our sorrows for worldly crosses but must weep as if we wept not then take heed ye do not judge that to be a mourning for sin which is only for outward troubles And beloved the reason why I give you this caution is because of that aptness and propensity there is in people when they have lost Husband or Wife or Children or Estate c. and are extreamly troubled and dejected If you aske them why they mourn and grieve so much they will answer it is for their sins and will say what will you not give me leave to mourn for my sins it is my sin that is the cause of all my grief and sorrow and teares and I hope you will allow me to do so yes mourn for your sins in Gods name Case 2 but because men are apt to deceive themselves in this particular I shall therefore handle another case of conscience concerning this How you may discerne when a man doth excessively sorrow whether he doth weep rather for his afflictions then for his sin rather for his troubles and worldly crosses then for his corruptions and offending and sinning against God I shall give you 4 plain discoveries of such a man 1. Then a man doth grieve under worldly crosses Discoveâ—ies of men that mourn rather for sin then for affliction rather for his sin then for his afflictions if so be that man did grieve and mourn for his sins before ever he was afflicted It is an Argument that your grief is rather for sin then for affliction if when you were in prosperity sin did break your heart and you could then have no rest nor quietness within you by reason of your sins and thus David did mourn for his sins when he did water his couch with his teares for defiling of Bathshebah for he had then no affliction or crosse lay upon him and yet David did roar in the disquietness of his soul and he had no rest in his bones by reason of his sin When David sate upon the Throne in worldly glory and prosperity yet then could he lie in the dust in spirituall shame and this before the Child was sick And therefore if upon examination you finde that you did weep and mourn for your sins and corruptions before ever you had this or any other crosse lying upon you then you may conclude that your sorrow is more for sin then for worldly afflictions but now when a man shall pretend to grieve for sin and yet that mans sins never troubled him all his lifetime before his corruptions never grieved his heart nor troubled his conscience before this showes it is more for afflictions then for his sin that such a man mourns and weeps Discov 2 2. Then a man mourns rather for sin then for affliction when he takes more care to remove his sins from his soul then his afflictions from his body VVhen thou canst make it the great request of thy soul and the care of thy heart rather to have thy sins removed then thy afflictions Hosea 14.2 Oh Lord take away all iniquity and receive us graciously they did not say Oh Lord take away affliction although they had many then upon them but say they Lord take away the iniquity of thy Servants and receive us graciously but he that desires rather to have his troubles removed then his sins it is a sign he does not mourn for sin but for affliction Thus Pharaoh when the Judgements of God were upon him when the Thunder and Hail came and the froggs and lice Exo. 9.28 and murrain of Beasts c. saies he to Moses intreat the Lord that there be no more mighty Thunderings and Hail he desired Moses to pray to God to remove the plagues from him but never desired that his sin and the hardness of his heart might be taken avvay You that can cry out oh Lord take avvay this crosse or this affliction from me but never pray to have your sins removed and your corruptions subdued this is an Argument you mourn for affliction more then for sin 3. If vvhen the committing of a sin and the removing of an affliction stand in competition together you would rather have the affliction continued then commit a sin this shevvs you grieve for sin rather then for affliction As for instance vvhen a man is brought to a lovv condition and a great decay in the vvorld his Trade fails and his stock is spent if that man be more troubled for his sin that brought him into that condition then for the affliction it self then he vvill not commit a sin to repair and make up his losses though he did knovv that the committing of such a sin vvould do it and so in any other case as I have read a story of a Noble man whose Sonne and Heire was supposed to have been bewitched and being advised by some to go to a Witch to have his Sonne helped and unbewitched again he answered no by no means for he had rather the Witch should have his Sonne then the Devill But if you make no conscience to commit a sin to avoid or remove an affliction if you will break the hedge of a command to avoid a little foul way of affliction it is a sign that you mourn for your crosses and afflictions more then for your sins and that you never grieved so much for your corruptions as you have done for your corrections Job 36.21 so those that in their distress go to VVitches and VVizzards and Fortune-tellers as Saul did to the vvitch at Endor shew that they grieve more for affliction then for sin 4. If you mourn for sin the true joy that ariseth from the forgiveness of sin will swallow up the grief that comes to thee through any worldly crosse or affliction and will likewise make thee to undergoe them with patience That man grieves for sin most who when his sin is pardoned grieves
Spirit when thou continuest in the use of duty not so spiritual as in former time This appears in two regards 1. When there is lesse grace exercised 2. When there are more sins committed in the performance of duty 1. When there is lesse grace exercised in duty as if there be lesse affection lesse zeal lesse delight lesse love lesse joy and lesse heavenly mindedness then there was found in thee in years past it is an argument of a gradual departure of the Spirit 2. If thou committest more sinnes in the doing of duty as if there be more spiritual pride more carnal dependance more selfe-ends more wandring thoughts more irreverence of God more hardnesse of heart and wearinesse of spirit in holy exercises this shews the abundance of sinne in thee and is an argument of the Spirits withdrawing I appeale to your own consciences judge your selves whether some or all of these symptoms may not be found in you and whether this in particular that thou doest duty less spiritually then formerly thou hast more sinnes and lesse grace exercised in it I may illustrate this by a Simile You never see a crow pitch upon a living man but if the man be dead and lie in a ditch then how will every bird of prey fasten on him You never see wormes creep upon a living man but let him be once dead and his soul once departed how soone will wormes and vermine devoure his carcase I only accomodate this Simile to this end That what the soul is to the body that is the Spirit of God to the soul while the soul is with the body a crow or a bird of prey will not fasten on it whilest the Spirit of God quickens thee vermine-lusts will not seize upon thee but if once the Spirit of God which is the life of thy soul be withdrawn then what swarmes of vermine-lusts will fasten on thy heart in all the dnties thou performest to God what a cage of unclean birds what a receptacle of devils will thy heart be if the Spirit of God be but once with-drawn from thee 9. Thou mayest know if the Spirit be withdrawn by this if thou settest not upon duty so carefully and diligently as thou hast done in former time thou dost with more negligence set upon the performance of duties rush hand over head as we say upon it When the Spirit of God is withdrawn from a soul it wiâ—… grow carelesse in holy duties in two respects 1. thou wilt be careless of the manner how thou dost it and never take care how to make thy Spirit meet for its performance And then secondly thou wilt never take care for the end of duty that thy soul may be bettered by it and thou made more meet for the enjoyment of God 10. If the Spirit be withdrawn thou mayest know it by this that thou continuest not in the use of duty so practically and influencially as in former time the meaning of this is in such a case Good duties done have not such an influence to the bettering of our conversation God never ordained duties for themselves that you might rest in them but for other ends Gal. 5.25 in order to your lives and conversations therefore sayes the Apostle If we live in the Spirit let us also walk in the Spirit Those duties wherein the Spirit assists us should have an influence upon our lives thou therefore which art constant in holy duties and those duties have no influence upon thy heart thou art a great hearer but not a godly liver a great professor but thy practice doth not hold-level with thy profession this is an argument that thy duties do not carry a saving influence unto thy life thou canst pray well but thou doest not live well thou art a good man upon thy knee but a bad man in thy trade this is an argument that the Spirit of God is withdrawn from thee Now look over your hearts and examine them in all these particulars and see whether the Spirit of God be not departed from thee yea or no I now come to the Application hereof Vse 1 Shall be of comfort lest any thing which I have said should be a discouragement to any perplexed conscience and there are four words of comfort I shall lay down for such 1. Consider that though the quickenings of the Spirit may be withdrawn from a godly man yet the presence of the Spirit can never be withdrawn and therefore oh beleever lie not down in despaire and despondence The Spirit to thee is but as the Sun under a cloud it is in the firmament still so is the Spirit in thy heart and though it be under a cloud as to the influence of it yet it is constantly with thee as to its presence A Believer may have the truth and being of grace in him though not the comfort of it 2. Consider then Oh childe of God who sayest that these symptoms discover the departure of the Spirit from thee Why remember that God did never continue the Spirit in its motions and workings alwayes alike in any godly man It is with thy soul in this case as with natural things in the water of the sea there is an Ebbing and Flowing in the seasons of the year there is the Winter as well as the Summer and the Autum as well as the Spring as it is thus with the times and seasons in natural things so also is it in Spiritual things the Spirit of God was never continued to all men alike but there are Ebbings and Flowings of it As it is in the Aire so it is in the heart sometimes it is clear and sometimes cloudy The Sunne in the firmament it is alwaies there yet it doth not always give the same warmth and heat and influence upon the earth What is true of the Sunne in this respect is also of the Spirit of God in the hearts of his it hath not always the same influence upon the heart The time may be that thou mayest be in thy winter wherein thy graces may not have a verdure and greennesse and yet still the Spirit is in thee and will in the spring-time cause thee to flourish The tree may have life in the root when during the Winter-season it may have neither leaves nor blosoms nor fruit A childe of God may have his life hid in Christ the root of all spiritual life though it may be winter-season sometimes with him both in respect of the growth exercise and comfort of grace 3. Jesus Christ is not onely a faithful but a merciful High-Priest Heb. 2.17 Remember that Jesus Christ doth know that thou canst not all thy life-time performe duâ—… without infirmity and therefore he had his perfect righteousnesse to cover thy imperfect duties and this should greatly establish the hearts of poor Christians It is a good note which one hath upon Cant. 3.6 It is said there Cant. 3.6 Who is this that cometh out of the wildernesse like pillars of
but it is called so because the devil is an instrument to set on our sinful nature to sin this thorn in the flesh was left in Paul to humble him and this is the true and proper reason why God will not have regeneration to be as perfect as Creation because he would keep us humble So it is that humility the best of graces comes from the worst root our sin and pride the worst of sins comes from the best root our graces How wise and how good is God that by this thorn in the flesh he doth prick thereby let out the impostumation of pride out of our hearts 2. To make the regenerate put a difference between earth and heaven between being in a course of pilgrimage and in their fathers house Heb. 12.22 In heaven the spirits of just men are made perfect but they are not so on earth if the spirit were made perfect we should have all spirit and no flesh In the wildernesse there were scorpions and fiery serpents but in Canaan there were none this world is a wildernesse and whilest we live here the fiery serpents of sin will sting us but when we come to heaven we shall be above sin Corruption now dwells in the soul as the body in a house and so long as the soul dwells in the body sin will dwell there in the soul but when we come to heaven then corruption shall put on incorruption And we shall be freed not onely from the natural corruption of the body but also from the moral corruption of the soul by sin 3. Which is the chief reason of all God suffers it that so you may the more prize a Mediator if you had no sinne you would prize God only as a Creator and not Christ as a Mediator Sin makes you to prize a Saviour thus it was with Paul O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord Rom. 7.24 as if he should say if I had been perfect I should have thanked God as a Creator as Adam in Paradise but now having a sinful nature it makes me to prize Christ as a Mediator delivering me from sin I may exemplify this by an Elephant which as some say if it once falls to the earth cannot rise again and therefore Naturalists say that the Elephant doth not lie down to sleep but doth sleep leaning to a tree now the story is this An Elephant being fallen to the earth and a man having helped him to rise the Elephant like Andronicus his grateful Lion followed his Benefactor whereever he went so it is with us we were fallen and no help but Christs could raise us up how should we then be lift up with humble thankfulnesse to God who hath therefore suffered us to fall that we might thereby learn to prize the help we have and hope to have by Jesus Christ 4. God suffers corruption in nature to try his people which side they will take in this conflict here are two Camps pitcht army against army and the Lord leaves the flesh in thee to try which side thou wilt take wilt thou cleave to the strongest side wilt thou worship the rising Sun why then thou wilt side with the flesh for many times and for the present that conquers though indeed the final issue and conquest will be on the Spirits side Now will you war against the flesh and side with the Spirit in opposing the motions of sin hereby will the Lord make a trial of you Deut. 8.2 The Canaanites and Jebusites were left in the land on purpose to try whether the Israelites would cleave unto the true worship of God so God suffers corruption to bein us to try the truth of our grace 5. The Lord suffers motions to sin to be in the hearts of his own people that so he might make use of the motions of sin to keep men from the acting of sin and this is a mysterious consideration God so disposes of it that those sins which we most are frequently tempted unto we shall be most watchful against A man that is suddenly tempted may yield but a man often haunted with motions to sin God in his wisdome makes use of these motions to prevent the action Had David been often haunted with motions to those great and abominable sins of adultery and murder he might happily had time to have bethought himselfe and so prevented the acting of them and the like of Peters denial of Christ but both these servants of God were suddenly surprized And these are the reasons why God leaves regeneration so imperfect The next Quere is to shew what rules you should follow that so the motions of the flesh exciting to sin may not prevaile against the Spirit 1 If you would not have the flesh in its sinful motions prevaile over you then resist them whilest they are but bare motions before they break forth into actions Crush the Cockatrice in the egge tread out sin which is the fire of Hell while it is in the spark the suggestion and motion As we say It is easier to keep out an enemy then to beat him out being once gotten in so it is easier to keep out sin then to beat out sin sin in the motion it is like an enemy in the suburbs not got into the city and if thou wouldst not yeeld to these motions resist them whilest they are so quench them while they are motions A disease if it be taken in time Principiis obsta serò meâ—icina paratur Cùm mala per longas invaluêre moras before the humours be gathered together may easily be cured Do to thy sins as Pharaoh gave command should be done to the Israelites children he would not stay till the children were grown up to yeares but commanded the Midwives to kill them assoon as they were born this was a cruel act in him but thus do thou to thy sins and it will be a merciful act in thee to thy soul what Pharaoh did most cruelly do thou do prudently against thy sins kill them when they are in the birth and there are three cogent reasons why you should take this course 1. Because if you resist motions whilest they are motions you shall be sure not to find the devils suggestions to joyn against you with the fleshes motions take but this experiment if thou hast a motion in thy nature to sin and doest act that motion the devil will then joyn with thy corruption to make thee act that sin again The devil he knowes not the motions to sin that are in thy heart but as thou actest such motions as suppose thou art tempted to lust and thou yeeldest to it hereby the devil knowes what motion there was in thy heart and thy love to that sin and so will be ready to tempt thee to the committing of that sin again therefore resist motions while they are so and by this meanes you will
hinder the devil that he shall not joyn his suggestions to the sinful motions of your own hearts 2. If you do not resist motions while they are motions there will be a more eager vehement pronenesse to sin in your natures then was before acting of sin is not the way to cease and quell a sinful motion but to increase it it is as it were a casâ—ing oile into the fire to make it burn the more the way therefore to quell sinful motions is to withstand whilest they are so In Philosophy we say that acts do strengthen habits Habitus acquiritur actibus actus confirmant habitum if a man hath a habit of any grace acting of that grace makes the habit more strong thus it is in sin acting of sin begets a greater pronenesse thereunto and therefore it behoves you to keep under sins motions lest they lead you farther to sinful actions For sinful suggestions when they meet with our sinful inclinations the inclination begets consent consent acting acting continuance of act then delight then security and then scornful contempt of all reproof and means of amendment If you keep not under sin in its motion it will be more difficult for thee to suppresse corruption if a house be on fire and you can keep the fire within there is no danger of a great conflagration but if it break out into the aire and the winde take hold on it then it will burn exceedingly thus it will be with thee in regard of thy sin if thou keepest it not under in the motion it will be hard for thee to suppresse it afterwards We take physick by way of prevention health of body and soul too is more easily preserved then restored A sore neglected growes a gangrene one part being infected after another till there be no soundnesse in the flesh 2. Keep off from all external occasions of that sin which thou hast a motion to commit whatever thy sin be suppose it be pride wear not that apparel which may minister an occasion of pride suppose drunkennesse keep from bad company if it be uncleannesse Prov. 5.8 keep off from the dore of the harlot carefully avoid occasions of sin This is very imitable in Joseph Gen 39.10 it is said that as his Mistresse spake to him day by day that he hearkened not unto her to lie by her or to be with her he kept out of her company as much as might be And this is the counsel and command of the Lord Keep thee far from a false matter Exod. 23.7 the occasions of sin are as it were the awakening of corrupt nature what else should be the reason that a man not thinking of sin when he hath an occasion hath a motion to commit it therefore be not ventrous to run upon occasions of sin and whensoever thou art moved to any sin keep off from the external occasion thereof A Divine sets out men ventring upon occasions of sin to be like those who pray to God they may not be burned and yet will thrust their fingers into the fire thou which prayest against sins motions have a care also to keep from sinnes occasions 2 Thess 5.27 Gods children are bound to abstain from all appearance of evil 1 Thess 5.17 and to hate the garment spotted with the flesh Jude 25. Jude 25. The Nazarite was not only to abstain from wine but also from touching the very husk of the grape Numb 6.3,4 Numb 6 3,4 3. Labour to unarm the flesh As the godly have armour and the peeces thereof are registred in the 6 Chap. to the Ephes So the flesh hath armour to fortify it self it is armed with power labour to conquer it with malice with an insatiable desire of thy ruine with manifold solicitations to sin Now labour to disarm it of all its pretences of all its policies You must do with sinne in this case as the Philistines with the Israelites they fearing that the Israelites would wage warre against them used this stratagem they would suffer no iron weapon to be found among them nor no Smith in Israel to make these weapons Do you as the Philistines did unarm sin take away any occasion which corrupt nature may have to act transgression in you you must do as the Rechabites did they were commanded not to drink wine and they would not yeeld to any temptation or solicitation to break that Commandment disarm sinne by taking away its occasions 4. Do not so much dispute with evil motions as resist them It is the folly of many that they will dispute with sins temptations whereas there is no man that hath ever consulted with flesh and blood but at last hath been overcome by it Count the flesh as thy enemy but never let it be thy Counsellor the flesh is a great dissembler it hath such subtile insinuations such slie evasions that it will cheat a man into sin and therefore do not dispute with it you will do with disputing with flesh as our first parents with the devil after disputing they fall to eating the flesh will tell thee this sin is profitable for thee and the other sin is pleasurable and suitable and therefore beware of sin and be more in resisting then in disputing with the flesh 5. Give thy selfe much to the exercises of mortification and the exercises of those duties which tend thereunto and this will be an especial means to preserve thee There are three duties I shall commend to you for this end Spiritual watchfulnesse prayer and fasting You have two of these duties prescribed by our Saviour together Mat. 26.41 Watch and pray sayes he that ye enter not into temptation The flesh will be still assaulting thee and Satan by thy flesh and therefore we had need to be still watching and praying the warre between the flesh and Spirit is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be much in watchfulnesse against the occasions of sin Watch over the outward senses of thy body and over the inward faculties of thy minde be much in prayer that sinful motions may be suppressed and subdued Do not pray as Austin Metuebam nè me exaudiret Deus Aug. who confessed that before his conversion through the light of a natural conscience he prayed against the lust of incontinence and the sins of his youth but was afraid that God should hear his prayer do not you so pray And joyn fasting with the duty of prayer it was Pauls custom 1 Cor. 9.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vox à pugi ibus derivata qui propriè di cuntur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. cum pugnis aut coestibus An tagomstam obtundere sayes he I keep under my body and bring it into subjection that is corrupt nature By the body cannot be meant the body in a natural sense who hereupon do excruciate and torment their body by whippings fastings and pilgrimage but the body here is termed the body of death by fasting prayer and
watchfulnesse hereby he kept under the sinful workings of corrupt nature and a little care will not serve the turn but we must be as vigilant as wrestlers or fencers who are very ready to beat down their adversaries before them 6. And lastly be skilful in the Word of righteousnesse and this will be a great means to keep the flesh from prevailing over the Spirit As Christ did to the devil so must thou do to the devil of thy flesh It is written sayes he do thou come with a written Word against the devil and thy own heart be so skilful in the Word of God that there may no temptation offer it selfe to thee but thou mayest draw arguments out of the Word against it we ought to be very careful to use the sword of the Spirit the Word of God and sheath it in the bowels of sinful flesh And if this course were taken in this particular you would be lesse pester'd with a tempting devil and corrupt heart then you are Vse Vse he use which I shall make from what you have heard shall be of comfort to dejected consciences me thinks I hear many a godly man say Wo is me I have a sensible experience in my own soul that my evil heart hath all those evil properties you named and my soul bears me witnesse I use those means you prescribed I do keep off from occasions of sin I watch and pray against sin and yet God knowes I cannot keep under a naughty heart To any man that in the sincerity of his heart and sense of his sinnes doth make this complaint I have four words of comfort 1. Thou must never expect a total extirpation of the corruption of thy nature whilest thou livest here only a partial suppression Corrupt nature will be in thee That as those beasts mentioned by Daniel their dominion was taken aâ—cay yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time Dan. 7.12 so the dominion of sin is taken away sin shall not reign over you but yet the life of sin remaines the body of death will live in us as long as we live in the body Corrupt nature it will live in thee though it shall not reign like unto that tree mentioned by Daniel whose branches were cut off Dan. 4.15 yet the stump remained in the earth thou mayest lop off actual evils yet remember the root will remain that as it is with Ivie which growes on a wall it cannot be rooted up untill the wall be pulled down so untill thy body be pulled down sin in thy nature which is as Ivie gotten into the wall cannot be gotten out We have a promise made to Gods children that sin shall not have dominion in them but no where it is said that sin shall have no being in them while they are in being here 2. There is great difference between yeelding to the corrupt motions of thy nature to sin and between fulfiling the lusts of the flesh I know there is none of us all but do in some things yeeld to the motions of the flesh but yet all do not fulfill the lusts of the flesh thou mayest imbrace the motion thy sinful heart stirres thee up unto yet thou mayest not fulfill the motions of sin the Scripture gives you this difference Rom. 13.14 Make not provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof godly men may commit the lusts of the flesh but they do not make provision for them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou doest not provide for sin as a man for his family because he would have them live thou art not a Caterer for sin therefore bear up thy heart with comfort though sin be in thee yet thou shalt not perish for it Thou who hast used all means and yet findest the flesh prevailing against the Spirit consider that strong and potent motions to sin do not alwayes argue sinnes strength but sins weaknesse rather that sin is decaying then in its full strength It is observed that dying things they strive and struggle with most strength a bird a weak creature yet if you pull off its head with what strength will it flutter this doth not argue that the bird is gathering strength but that its strength is departing it may be thus with thee thou hast strong motions to sin and thou discernest it it may be sinne is now playing its last game Lusts in the Scriptures are said to be crucified now it is with sin crucified as it was with the wicked and impenitent thief he was bound and nailed hand and foot and yet he raved and raged so it is when lust is dying yet it may be raging and as we see in the taking of Physick when it is first taken it will make a man more sick then the disease made him not that a man is indeed worse but only from the Physick searching his body thus it may be with thee sins struglings is Gods giving of thee Physick and though it be strong yet in the end God will make it tend to the purging out of evil humours out of thy soule 4. If corrupt motions be strong in thy soule then bend the strength of thy heart in prayer to God for the subduing of these corruptions If a Virgin that was ravished did not cry out by the law she was accounted guilty and consenting the more the devil and thy corruptions do attempt thee the more earnestly must thou pray and cry to God for help Complain upon those frequent incursions which corrupt nature and the devil makes upon thee and flying unto God for help and succour thy soul shall never perish for thy iniquity Sermon XV. At Lawrence Jury London Decemb. 29. 1650. GAL. 5. verse 17. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other so that ye cannot do the things that ye would I Proceed now to the last Question and that is How you may know when motions to sin do arise from the flesh or when they come meerly from the devil and so are purely diabolical Before I answer the Question I shall first shew of what use it is Secondly premise some positions about it and then give you the resolution to this Question There is a threefold use of this Question 1. It is needful to know it because unregenerate men when they are tempted to sin they lay all the fault upon the devil and none upon their own hearts These men when they put all their sins upon the score of Satan they do not give the devil his due Thus Eve she laid all the fault upon the Serpent Gen. 3.13 The Serpent beguiled me and I did eat Though David was of another mind for he when he was tempted and stirred up to sin in his numbering of the people and that by Satan yet he doth acknowledge 2 Sam. 24.17 I have sinned and I have done wickedly It is natural to men when they are tempted to
fastened in the joints and intrals of the wall that till you pluck down the wall you cannot root up the the Ivy so it is with us till God pull down this wall of your body the root of your sin cannot be plucked up This was typified under the Levitical Law Lev. 14.41,45 in that house which was infected with a fretting Leprosie all their scraping and pouring out of the dust thereof could not make the house clean and therefore God commanded that the house should be pulled down and be removâ—d The corruption of our natures is like this Leprosy which nothing but the pulling down of the wall of the house would remedy so nothing but the death of the body will perfectly destroy the body of death This leprous house is a type of thy defiled body and the scraping thereof an embleme of thy indeavour to sweep thy heart of sin and yet for all this the house could not be cleansed till it was pulled down neither can the house of thy body be wholly purified and sin quite extirpated untill it be plucked down and laid in the dust I remember a learned Authour Luke 23.40 he makes the impenitent thief on the Crosse an embleme of the sin of our natures when he was nailed to the Crosse and as we say bound hand and foot he had onely one member untied and that was his tongue and with that he falls a reviling on Jesus Christ just so sayes this Authour are our natures when a man lies on his death-bed and cannot stirre hand nor foot even then hath he a nature kindled with fire from hell wherewith he sinnes against God Oh let this greatly humble us in the sight of God 5. Consider that this contrariety in thy nature against grace though it be repugnant to grace yet it is suitable to thy nature Corrupt nature will tempt men to those sins which are most suitable to flesh and blood as the devil when he tempted Christ in the wildernesse being an hungry Command sayes he Matth. 4.3 that these stones be made bread this was a very suitable temptation to Christs condition for he had fasted fourty dayes and fourty nights and was hungry the devil did suit him with a temptation and if the devil do suit temptations to our condition our natures will much more because a mans owne heart knowes what is more suitable to his inclination then the devil doth it is true the devil knowes what a mans inclination is by his actions otherwise he cannot know but our natures are so corrupted that they will propose temptations that are most pleasing to flesh and blood and to those sinnes which either by custome or inclination we are most inclined to And this the Apostle James speakes of as I have formerly noted Jam. 1.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when he sayes that every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lusts and enticed It is a metaphor taken from fisher-men who will suit their bait to the fish which they desire to take and will not alwayes fish with the same bait thus it is here thy corrupt nature doth play the fisherman and layes such a bait which is most suitable to every mans inclination therefore on this consideration be humbled that sin is so suitable to thy corrupt nature 6. Be humbled on this ground that thy corrupt nature will carry thee to commit such sinnes which thou didst believe in thy heart thou shouldst never fall into an eminent example hereof we have in Hazael who when he was told by the Prophet Elisha what evil he should do unto the children of Israel That he should set their strong holds on fire and slay their young men with the sword dash their children against the stones and rip up women with childe Oh sayes he is thy servant a dog that he should do these things 2 Kings 8.12 he could not believe it and yet this he did and worse then there the Prophet had told him Here is cause therefore to be humbled there is that evil seminally in thy nature that will provoke to sinne which thou couldst not imagine to be there why else should Christ admonish his Disciples Luke 21.34 to take heed that their hearts were not overcharged with surfetting and drunkennesse and worldly cares Alasâ— what danger was there for poor Disciples to be overtaken with these sins yet Christ knew that there was cause for them to take heed though they were eminent Apostles of Christ yet they had the seed of those evils in their natures It is an observation of Mr. Capel Capel of temptations that a godly man at one time or other before his death shall be tempted either by the devil or his own heart to break every Commandment of the Law and to doubt of every article in the Creed and therefore do not think thou art so well setled in thy judgement that thou shalt never fall into errour and thou which livest holily be not over-confident nor too secure thinking that thou shalt never fall as such a man fell remember thou hast as bad a heart and if God should suffer the devil thy own corrupt nature and an occasion to concurre together thou wouldest fall into as bad a sinne as ever any in the world fell into there is such a contrariety in thy nature against grace that it would carry thee to the most unnatural and grosse sinnes that are in the world Augustine had a good saying when he saw a man fall into sinne Tu hodie ego cras Thou fallest to day and I to morrow if God help me not 7. Consider that this contrariety in thee it is an universal contrariety if there were a contrariety against some grace and not against all it were somewhat excusable or if there were onely a contrariety in some parts not in all it were somewhat tolerable but when this contrariety is universal in every respect how intolerable is this though thou art a godly man not only the wicked but even thou who art a godly man all thy body and all thy soul is defiled it is true there is grace in every part of thy soul so there is sinne too There is ignorance in thy understanding forgetfulnesse in thy memory stubbornnesse in thy will disorder in thy affections hardnesse in thy heart searednesse in thy conscience now it is true though every faculty be infected yet also is every part regenerated too in those that are godly Corruption it is in the soule as the soul is in the body the whole soul is in the whole body and the whole soul is in every part of the body just so it is with original corruption it is whole in every man and it is whole in every part of a man One hath this note that corrupt nature it is more in the soule then the soule is in the body for though the whole soule be in the whole body and every part of it yet it is not in that
manner in every part of the body as it is in the whole body it is more eminently in the whole then in part but corrupt nature it is more in man then the soule is in the body for though the soule be in the body yet it is but in the members of the body for particular uses it is in the eye to see not to work and in the hand to work and not to see it is in the ear to hear and not to go and in the foot to walk and not to hear but sinne is in the soul not for particular acts but it is in every man and in every part of man provoking and enticing to all kinde of evil this the universality of that corruption found in mans nature for which we have great cause to be humbled Sermon XIX At Lawrence Jewry London Januar. 19. 1650. GAL. 5. verse 17. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other so that ye cannot do the things that ye would HAving opened the enmity and contrariety that is between the flesh and the Spirit I come now to answer two cases of conscience relating to this Doctrine and the first is this 1. If the flesh doth carry such a contrariety to grace what are the reasons why God is pleased to leave such contrary principles in the hearts of regenerate men 2. If there be such a contrariety which can never be reconciled then to what end is it for a man to oppose the flesh Quest 1 What are the reasons why even in regenerate men God suffers such a contrariety against grace Answ 1 I shall answer the question by these four particulars 1. God doth it for the clearer illustration of his mercy God would have shewed his goodnesse if man had never fallen but being fallen Rom. 5.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God shewes his mercy to him The end of our redemption is that Gods grace and mercy might reign And herein you may see a manifest signal thereof that God should work grace in thee when thou hadst such a contrariety in thy heart against it this is great mercy though thou hast a contrary principle in thy nature to grace yet converting grace will overcome and though it do not remove yet it will subdue corruption and grace though it be opposed yet it shall never be expelled grace shall be conquerer at last though it be alwayes fighting whilest we are in this life 2. God is pleased to leave such a contrariety against grace even in the hearts of regenerate men that they might put a higher estimation on Jesus Christ If you had not had a contrary principle to grace you would onely have admired God as a Creator but now having a principle of sinne within you you come to see the need you stand in of a Mediator Adam in innocency needed not a Saviour but now thou being fallen by sin and having a principle of enmity in thy nature nothing but the power of a Saviour can take away this enmity by the work of sanctification and nothing but a Saviour can free thee from the guilt of this enmity even Jesus Christ as the Apostle speaks Rom. 7.24,25 I thank God through Jesus Christ that hath delivered me from this body of death it is he by whom thou art delivered from this guilt and enmity 3. The Lord leaves this corruption of nature in the hearts of his people to stirre up in them a greater and deeper measure of humiliation Humiliation it had not been a duty in us if the Lord had not left the remainers of original corruption in the hearts of his chosen indeed thou shouldest have delighted in God to all eternity but thou shouldest not have had this ground of humiliation if sinne had been totally extirpated This was Pauls case 2 Cor. 12.7 an eminent Apostle There was given him a thorn in the flesh a messenger of Satan to buffet him lest he should be exalted above measure There are foure interpretations given of these words some referre this thorn in the flesh to be meant of Hymeneus and Alexander which did vex Paul so but this is groundlesse Others referre it to some exquisite bodily disease but that can harldy be proved 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cypr. Others referre it to the particular sinne of lust of uncleannesse but that cannot be admitted because Paul had the gift of continency and wished that all men were as himself as to that particular But here by the thorne in the flesh the most inquisitive and exquisite Interpreters understand it to be the sin of nature and it is called a messenger of Satan because the devil doth joyn with mans nature and doth set on the corruption of mans heart Now why was this thorn in the flesh left in Paul was it not to humble him lest he should be exalted above measure Deut. 8.15,16 Thus the Lord left the fiery scorpions in the wildernesse to humble the Israelites and the Lord leaves corruption in thy nature to humble thee that thou mightest not be puffed up in thy selfe but that when thou perceivest the corrupt workings of thy nature thou mayest be the more vile and base in thine own eyes 4. The Lord leaves this corrupt nature in thee for the exercise of thy grace Grace is never more exercised then when it is opposed hereby God will try the truth of thy grace and the honesty of thy heart whether thou wilt fall in with the Spirit and side with it against the flesh Thus the Lord left the Canaanites in the land to try whether the Israelites would joyn with them there is a contrary principle to grace left in us to try whether we will joyn with the flesh or follow the motions and dictates of the Lords Spirit Quest 2 The next Question is To what purpose is it for a man to contest with the corruption of his heart seeing that we shall carry this corruption to our grave we have heard that contraries can never be reconciled therefore to what end is it to strive against corruption when there will be no end of the combate I shall name three reasons that though it be true you cannot remove the contrariety that is in your hearts against grace yet there is just reason why you should maintain a contest against it 1. If you will not oppose corruption of nature it will break forth with greater rage and violence in your lives thou hast now an unclean nature but if thou dost not oppose it thou wilt have a vicious life let but thy nature alone and it will be like a field unmanured over-runne with briars and thornes Out of the heart proceed evill thoughts murders adulteries fornication thefts false witnesse blasphemies Matth. 15.19 if we stifle not evil thoughts in the heart they will break out you see into evill and inordinate practices of life so that herein though you cannot remove original
Prophet speaks concerning Ephraim and sayes he Ephraim is a beifer that is taught and loveth to tread out the corne Ephraim loved duties Chap. 10. v. 11. but such which would bring in profit and advantage The flesh in duty never looks for spiritual benefit nor labours in duty and communion with Christ to get mortification for corruption and excitation of holy affections with a furtherance in a way of grace and holy experience 3. The flesh will put men upon duty rather to pacify then purify conscience just as a thief will give meat to a dog but it is to still the dogs barking that those which are in the house may not be awakened Just thus will men do with their consciences they will perform duty because their consciences are like barking dogs checking and accusing them and therefore they will perform duty that they may still the noyse of conscience Jonah 1.5 which otherwise will flie in their faces as the mariners in Jonah prayed but it was onely because danger of death awakened their natural conciences 4. The flesh will put men upon duty rather out of a fear of the threatenings for neglect of duty then out of love to the command which injoynes duty The flesh never cares for the commands of God all it feares is the terrifying threatenings of Gods law Were the Scripture all promises and precepts a wicked man would be idle and yet presume but because there are threatenings mixt with these therefore wicked men set upon duty Prov. 13.13 For nidine poenae and holy exercises It is said of a righteous man that he feares the command but a wicked man never feares the precept he may fear the threatening and the punishment but a godly man dares not neglect duty because of the command of God 5. The flesh will put upon the performance of duty rather out of the hope of the eternal reward of duty Mercedis amor vel amor mercenarius then out of any inward and spiritual excellency that the soule sees in them Now though God may allow us a love of the reward yet he doth not allow of a mercenary love 6. Corrupt nature will put men upon duty to remove outward judgements rather then inward judgements judgements upon the body rather then those on the soule Thus the Heathen mariners cried unto their gods when they were in a tempest and like to lose their lives Jonah 1.5 that they might have the storm abated and get safe to land every man falls to prayer now this is but a servile fleshly end of duty for a man to be put upon it rather to avoid bodily then soul-judgements and thus it was with the Egyptians when the Lord slew their first-born then it is said Exod. 12.32,33 that Pharaoh and the Egyptians cried unto the Israelites Rise up and be gone you and your flocks and your heards and go and serve the Lord your God and they were urgent with them for they said We are all dead men Pharaoh would not let them go before but when their going out would conduce to their safety then he bids them be gone this is the nature of all men naturally to set on duty rather to avoid bodily afflictions then inward judgements To this purpose the Prophet Jeremiah speaks Jer. 22.23 O inhabitant of Lebanon that makest thy nest in the Cedars how gracious shalt thou be when pangs come upon thee the pain as of a woman in travel Outward not inward judgements put wicked men upon the performance of duty 7. The flesh will put men upon performance of duty that they may sinne with more freedome and lesse suspition This the Apostle was driven to vindicate himselfe from 1 Thes 2.3,5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prov. 7.14 that he did not preach the Gospel to be a cloake unto sin This is natural to men as the Harlot would cover over her wickednesse with her peace-offerings so many wicked men they will cover over theâ—r sin with the garb of godliness thus our Saviour condemns the Scribes and Pharisees Mat. 23.14 who devoured widows houses for a pretence made long prayers They did not offend in the thing nor in the manner of their prayers for long prayer is not a sin but in the end of their prayers they made long prayers that they might devour widows houses they took upon them the profession of Religion that they might be esteemed just and righteous people and fit to be intrusted and so they might get widowes estates and widowes money into their hands and thereby deceive them for this I conceive is the particular scope of that place And thus I have finished the doctrinal part of this point The Use I shall make of this point shall be First by way of Instruction Secondly by way of Comfort And first there are seven practical inferences that I shall draw from this general head by way of Information of the flesh its hindering of regenerate men in doing duty 1. From hence see the great misery of unregenerate men if the flesh disables the godly in doing duty that have grace how doth the flesh disable wicked men that have no grace at all Eph. 2.1 men that remain in a natural estate they are in a dead condition Rom. 5.6 and dead men they cannot act men in a natural estate they have no strength as the Apostle speaks he compares a man unto one that is fallen into mud and dirt that hath no power to help himselfe Homo lapsus super acervum lapidum in luto Beruard 1 Cor. 15.43 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or a metaphor taken from a dead corps which is utterly unable to help it selfe or move it selfe and therefore the Apostles word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a body dead weak i.e. helplesse The Scripture sets out a natural man four wayes 1. As one that hath lost his strength thou canst not do any good action The imagination of mans heart is evill and onely evill and that continually mans heart it is evill Gen 6.5 there is no good in it and it is evill that is it is all evill and then it is evill that is it is aiwayes and that continually evill this is mans natural estate The carnall minde it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be Rom. 8.7 there is the feeblenesse of mans nature 2. Thou art without strength to have any good motion not onely to have good actions but good thoughts and this the Apostle Paul asserts but good thoughts and 2 Cor. 3.5 We are not sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God 3. A natural man is not able to speak one good word he can neither do good nor think good nor speak good Christ reproving the Pharisees sayes unto them Mat. 12.34 O generation of vipers how can ye being evill speak good for out of the abundance of the heart
cast his goods over board in a storme because he cannot help it 5. Restraining grace though it keep a man from the act yet it stirres up a more vehement eagernesse to commit that sinne when the restraint is over though the act be suspended yet the desire is increased Just as it is with a river the more it is dammed up with the force and violence it will returne greater to its former course so restrained corruption when the restraint is over will returne upon a man with the greater eagernesse And as it is with a Smiths forge if ye cast much water upon it it will quench the fire but if you do but sprinkle some water it causes the fire to burne the hotter so it is with restraining grace it lets the lust out with greater violence renuing grace it suppresseth not only the act but takes away the impetuous and eager desire of committing sinne 6. Restraining grace it is but partial whether you respect the subject or the object 1. In respect of the subject restraining grace it bindes but one part of a man and leaves the other loose it bindes the tongue but not the hand it bindes the hand but not the ear and eye it bindes only one part of a man and not another But now renuing grace it is universal 1 Thes 5.23 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 5.17 Ezek. 36.26 and reaches to th whole man it is a throughout work as the Apostle speaks The very God of peace sanctifie you throughout both in body soul and spirit the work of Regeneration is not a new tongue or a new eare but all is become new in a new heart 2. Restraining grace it is partial in that it reaches but to part of the object as thus it reaches but to some sins not to all it keeps a man from one sin and gives him scope to another But renuing grace it is universal as it keeps under one sinne so it will labour to keep under all sins Psal 119.3 this is the particular and proper work of renuing grace that a man is thereby inabled to have respect unto all Gods commandments 7. Restraining and renuing grace they differ in their ends and that two wayes 1. In regard of Gods end 2. In regard of mans end 1. In regard of Gods end Gods end in giving restraining grace is to maintaine humane societies for the good of others but Gods end in giving renuing grace is that mans nature might be sanctified and that man may be saved 2. They differ in regard of mans end As first the end of men that have restraining grace is that they may preserve their souls in safety but a godly mans end in keeping under sinne is that he may keep the peace of his soul and this was Jabez his end you finde it mentioned in 1 Chron. 4.10 He called upon the God of Israel saying Oh that thou wouldst blesse me indeed and inlarge my coast and that thy hand might be with me and that thou wouldst keep me from evil that it may not grieve me 1 Chron. 4.10 A godly man aimes at the peace and purity of his soul but a wicked mans end is only that he might have his soul not disturbed by the present trouble for sin and condemned for the desert of sin Vse For the Use of this point I shall first give you some general Positions about the Spirits keeping of men from sin and then shall give you some particular Instructions Seeing that the Spirit of God doth often keep regenerate men that they cannot do the evill they would Then 1. You may gather hence that a man is not able to keep himself Hence Christ prayes to his Father for his people not that he would take them out of the world but keep them from the evil John 17.15 We are not able to keep our selves and this the Prophet Jeremiah acknowledgeth saying O Lord I know that the way of man is not in himselfe it is not in man that walkech to direct his steps Jer. 10.23 We cannot keep our selves from do committing evil 2. The Spirits keeping of us from evil doth not exclude our care and endeavour to keep our selves The Lord he makes a gracious Promise 1 Sam. 2.9 that he will keep the feet of his servants and yet the Scripture tells you that it is their care and their duty also to make streight paths for their feet and to ponder the path of our feet Prov. 4.23 as Solomon expresseth it Hence you finde in Scripture Promises not only of what God will do and of Christs Prayer that you may be delivered from evil but of the practice of the godly and their care in keeping themselves 1 John 5.18 and this is their duty He that is begotten of God keepeth himself and as the same Apostle saith Little children keep your selves We must not trust so in Gods keeping of us as to be idle but we must labour to keep our selves as the Psalmist did who kept himself from his iniquity Psalm 18.23 3. It is a great evidence of integrity and sincerity of heart when men labour to keep themselves from inward and constitution-sins as well as from grosse sins and this David did He kept himself from his iniquity that is from those sins which by constitution he was inclined to and this was an argument of his great sincerity 4 Consider that though the Spirit of God doth keep regenerate men from doing the evil they would yet the inclination and will to do any evil doth make us guilty in the sight of God as if we had actually done it That in Scripture sense is said to be done that is either purposed or intended to be done A notable passage to this purpose you have in Josh 24.9 Ihshua 24.9 where it is said that Balack King of Moab waged warre against Israel and yet if you read the History Numb 2.23 and 24. chap. in the 22.23 and 24. chapters of Numbers you shall not read one word of any such war Now the reconciliation of these two places are easie Balack did not actually wage warre against Israel but he did intend so to do and therefore he hired Balaam to curse the people and then saith he I shall prevaile I mention this to this purpose that you may not think your selves guiltlesse so ye keep out of the act of sin but if so be you have a will and an inclination to those evils you will be found guilty before God and hereupon it is that Christ tells us that He that is angry with his brother without a cause is guilty of murther and he that looks after a woman to lust on her hath committed adultery already in his heart Mat. 5.22 Ver. 28. This Position may greatly humble us we are guilty of many actual sins which we have committed and we are guilty of many sins which though we have not acted yet have they been in our purposes and
you there is a clashing between Gods will and yours as if God did not so well know how to deal with you as you do with your selves else you would quietly submit to his will 3. Another evill cause from whence this immoderate sorrow ariseth is ignorance both of the vanity of temporall things and the reality of spirituall things we discover thereby that we think temporall things to have more worth in them then indeed they have and spirituall things lesse But 2dly As it proceeds from evill causes so it produceth evill effects there are these five evill effects that immoderate sorrow produceth as 1. It prejudiceth your naturall health 2 Cor. 7.10 godly sorrow worketh repentance never to be repented of but worldly sorrow causeth death And Solomon tells us a sorrowfull spirit drieth up the bones Prov. 17.22 so saies David in Psal 31.10 my life is spent with grief and my years with sighing my bones are consumed 2. It is a blemish to Religion for a Christian to be excessive in his sorrows for the joy of the Lord should be his strength A godly Christian hath alwayes cause of joy unspeakable and full of glory therefore it is a blemish to Christianity to see a godly man overpressed with worldly sorrow it is an aspersion upon Religion for a godly man to hang down his head for the losse of any outward things as if he had no greater concernments to look after no joy nor comfort nor happiness to look after but here in this life 3. It exceedingly indisposeth the heart to holy and spirituall duties it hinders and interrupts you in hearing the word and prayer Exod. 6.9 They hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit and cruel bondage c. Psal 77.4 I am so troubled that I cannot speak 4. Excessive sorrow imbitters those sweet and comfortable mercies you do injoy a thousand mercies are buried under the excessive sorrow for one affliction as in Gen. 37.35 the place before quoted Jacob did so extreamly mourn for Joseph his youngest Sonne which he supposed to be dead that though he had eleven Sonnes and many Daughters and all of them came to comfort him yet he could take no comfort in any of them but resolved that his gray hairs should go down to the grave in mourning for him this one excessive sorrow for Joseph did imbitter many mercies and comforts which he did injoy So Esther 5.13 though Haman was admitted to the greatest intimacy familiarity with the King yet all this availed him nothing so long as he saw Mordecai sitting at the Kings Gate in this regard many men discover a temper much like the Hedg-hog which as naturalists tell us hath this property it will gather a great many apples or such like fruit upon his bristles and then go to a Hedge and eat them but it is so mournfull a Creature that if it chance but to let fall one of his apples by the way it will so vex and trouble him that he will throw down all the rest So many men if they meet but with one cross or affliction it will make them throw away all the other mercies they enjoy and take no comfort in any of them 5. Excessive sorrow for worldly crosses provokes God many times to send heavier and greater afflictions then ever yet you suffered As I told you before a stubborn Child that blubbers and cries and murmurs under the Fathers corrections will fare the worse and have the more blowes for it so the more we repine and immoderately grieve for any worldly afflictions the more crosses and troubles we are like to have And thus I have done with the second question why Christians should take heed of immoderacie and excessiveness in worldly sorrows We come now to lay down some considerations whereby to allay your sorrows but I must leave that till the afternoon I shall onely for the present make a short application of what hath been said and so have done Vse Vse Is it so that Christians should not be excessive in worldly sorrows but weep as if they wept not then this reproves those that can mourn for every crosse that befalls them but yet cannot shed a teare for any sin they commit Many men complain of small inconsiderable troubles and affliction but yet never complain of their sins and corruptions these never trouble them nor come near their hearts they can mourn for that which can but at most prejudice the body and yet never grieve for that which can prejudice and destroy their soules 2. I beseech you beloved take heed of being lavish of your teares for worldly crosses or afflictions it is pitty to wash a foul Room with sweet water I must needs tell you teares are too pretious to shâ—d for every trifle it were a great deal better you would keep this pretious water to wash away your sins for though it is Christs blood alone that can wash away the guilt of sin yet your teares may much conduce to wash away the filth and power of sin When you mourn for worldly crosses then weep as if you wept not but when you mourn for sin mourn as much as you can Be like yee before the Sun that will soon melt and convert into water you that are the Children of God know that you have greater things and of higher concernment to bestow your teares upon then any outward troubles you have daily failings and many sins and corruptions unmortified and unsubdued and the losse of the light of Gods countenance to mourn for your sorrows never run aright but when they run in this Channel when your tears run into the Mill-pond to grind your lusts and corruptions to consume and weaken them then are your sorrows right and regular Lastly Let me intreat and advise you not to mistake in reference to your sorrows to think you do mourn and grieve for sin when it is only for outward afflictions Many men when their Neighbours aske them why they are so sad and mournfull and weep so much will be ready to say it is for their sins and failings and corruptions that are too strong for them or the like when indeed it is only for some crosse or outward trouble they have met with therefore do not mistake that sorrow to be for your sins which is onely or especially for some outward affliction you have met with SERMON 2. WEe come now to the third Question which I shall spend this whole Aftemoon upon and that is this to lay down to you 12 considerations whereby to allay and keep under immoderateness and excessive sorrow for any worldly crosses or afflictions and how to keep our selves in the frame and temper of spirit which the Apostle here enjoyns us namely to weep as if we wept not I told you in the morning God would not have us stupid and insensible of his hand in any affliction but yet as we should not be stoicall so neither must we be excessive in our sorrows I have
least for outward trouble when the comfort of his sins forgiveness doth more rejoyce him then the continuance of any affliction upon him can grieve him as in the 33 of Esay and the last The Inhabitants shall not say I am sick for the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity those people they were like a Ship in a great tempest their Mast broken and their sails loosed all their tackling lost and gone why what then yet the Inhabitants shall not say I am sick because the Lord hath forgiven them their sin he doth not say they shall not say they were sick but they shal not say they are sick because their sins are pardoned the sense of their pardon should take away the sense of their pains under their present sufferings now when it is thus with you it is an argumēt that your trouble was more for sin then for affliction But then is a man more troubled for his afflictions then for his sins when he will grieve though he be assured that his sins are pardoned and that he is an heir apparent unto glory All the perswasions he hath of sins forgiveness doth no whit allay his impatience And thus I have done with this second caution that you take heed you do not look upon that as a mourning for sin that is onely for some outward trouble and affliction Before I come to the third caution give me leave to lay all close to your hearts by a word or two of application and the use that I shall make of what hath been said in these two Queries shall be first for reproof Use of Reproofe and then for exhortation 1. For reproof to those that are so far from weeping as if they wept not for afflictions that they weep so excessively as if their whole bodies were made of a lump of Ice that does all dissolve into tears when the Sun of affliction does scorch them How many men are there that are easily drawn to sorrow immoderately for worldly crosses VVe use to say when a man weeps that he waters his plants and you know that when you water your plants in your Garden too much you drown and kill them and so when you weep over much for afflictions you drown your plants and discompose your spirits and make them unfit for any spirituall imployment 2. This reproves those that when they come to mourn and weep for their sins and corruptions they are so sparing of their teares that then they weep as if they wept not a slight superficiall sigh or some tear extracted by violence is the greatest sorrow that many men have for sin when men are like a Cloud that will easily drop down teares for any outward affliction but like a Rock that cannot shed a drop for sin for dishonouring and displeasing of God Many people are like to Lewis the ◅th King of France that did alwayes carry a Crucifix in his hat and when he committed any grosse and abominable sin would take off his hat and bow to his Crucifix and aske forgiveness and then thought all was well presently Most men are apt to be slight and superficiall in their griefs for sin why now how do you invert the Apostles Order and direction here when you weep for sin as if you wept not and are excessive and immoderate in your worldly sorrows 2. Use of Counsel By way of counsel be perswaded to look upon your sins as greater matter of sorrow and grief then all the afflictions that ever befell you oh weep and weep again for them for your sins are worser and greater evills then all your outward troubles and the better to encourage you to this duty consider First That sin is the cause or inlet of all your afflictions had it not been for sin you had undergone no suffeirngs◠rather therefore mourn for the cause then for the afflictions themselves Secondly Afflictions are not so bad as sin in regard God is the Authour of all our afflictions but sin is such an evill that God disclaims that though there be no evill in the City but God doth it that is he is the Authour of the evill of afflictions yet he disclaims being the Authour of sin Thirdly Consider that all outward afflictions are consistent with grace but many sins are utterly incompatible and inconsistent with grace Let your afflictions be never so great yet you may be a godly man for all that you may be as poor as Job was or as miserable as Lazarus and endure any afflictions whatsoever and yet all this be consistent with grace but all sin is not consistent with grace as the sin against the Holy Ghost the sin of finall impenitency or finall obduracy and hardness of heart these are not consistent with grace and therefore you have more cause to mourn for sin then for afflictions and 4thly Consider that afflictions they reach but to the body but sin that reaches to the soul afflictions can make but the outward man miserable but sin will destroy and undo the soul and make that miserable and therefore be perswaded rather to weep for your sins and corruptions then for your sufferings and corrections SERM. V. Caution 3 WEe come now to the third caution and that is this Conc concerning mourning for sin is it so that we must weep as if we wept not then take this caution that Christians are not only to take heed that they weep moderately for worldly afflictions but they are also to take care that they be not excessive in their sorrows for their sins and corruptions But before I handle this case of Conscience give me leave to premise three conclusions Con. 1 1. That a man may weep overmuch for his sins This you have laid down in 2 Cor. 2.7 The Corinthians did fear that the excommunicated person would be swallowed up with over much sorrow for his sin saies the Apostle ye ought rather to forgive him and to comfort him lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with over much sorrow 2. Con. 2 Take this conclusion that there be but few in the world that do overmuch grieve sorrow for their sins where one offends in sorrowing too much thousands and ten thousands do offend in sorrowing too little there are but few that are immoderate in their sorrows for sin 3. Con. 3 Consider that none but disconsolate and doubting and despairing sinners do over-much grieve for their sins Obdurate sinners do not grieve at all and assured Christians they will not grieve too much only disconsolate and despairing sinners do sorrow over-much And here comes in the third case of conscience Case of conscience when Christians may be said to grieve too much for sinne how or in what case a man may weep and sorrow over-much for sin I shall resolve this case very briefly First That sorrow for sin is excessive that makes a Christian pore so much upon his corruptions that he over-looks his graces A Child grieves
in your bellies 3. Suppose you may keep an Estate all your life-time yet you will be a great loser by the bargain for all that for what though you have gotten and kept your Estate yet you will lose your own soul by it And saies our Saviour what will it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his own soul Hab. 2.10 Thou hast by thy unjust gains consulted shame to thy house and sinned against thy own soul and thus much for the fift Consideration 6. Consider that by dishonest gains thou dost run the hazard of the greatest losse in all the world to wit a precious and immortall soul In that place before quoted Hab. 2.10 wo be to that man that gets wealth by dishonesty and oppression he sinneth against his own soul James 5.3 wo be to you rich men your gold and silver is cankered and the rust of them shall be a witness against you at the last day Heb. 2.11 The stone shall crie out of the wall and the beam out of the timber in the house which you have gotten unjustly shall cry for vengeance against you another day A Lapide hath a notable Fable to this purpose comparing men that are unjust in their dealings to Spiders the righteous man to a Bee The Spider upbraded the Bee for going up and down oh said the Bee stolidissimum est pro vita vitam evomere provilissima re charissimam medullam fundere pro incerto certum expendere pro minimo magnum perdere And therefore consider oh wicked man thou hast gotten a fair Estate but that Estate shall cost thee thy souls blood without repentance oh let this consideration lie near your hearts that you endanger your precious souls by your unjust gains And thus I have done with these three branches of the use directed to three sorts of people 1. To those that buy and sell in the world and can scarce bring the year about 2. To those that trade in the world and get great Estates but unjustly and dishonestly And lastly to those that have got great Estates and Possessions by just and commendable courses I shall now conclude all with another short and practical use and so have done I have already spent 4. Sermons about this business of commerce and trading in the world and all that I shall now say by way of use in the close of this subject shall be this earnestly to exhort and beseech you in the midst of all your buyings and sellings in the world to drive a Trade for Heaven and to labour to possess grace as well as worldly goods and to encourage you herein let me but offer these three things to your consideration 1. Do not you expect some gain and increase by your Trades there is not one of you but think to get by your Trading O therefore do not drive a Trade for Heaven and yet never labour to increase and grow better and better by it Luke 19.5 the Lord expects that we should improve our talent and gain by our trading for Heaven Do you expect to gain by your worldly Tradings and doth not God expect that in your Tradings for Heaven you should gain more grace and more knowledge more experience humility holiness heavenly mindedness and the like 2. Would it not be matter of grief to you to continue a long time buying and selling and trading in the world and yet not increase your stock would not this grieve you Beloved and shall it not grieve you too that you have been trading for Heaven a long time and yet from your first stepping forth to this instant have gotten no increase and would it not grieve you to decline in your Estates after all your labour and pains and trading in the world and should it not grieve you much more to be further off from Heaven now then you were at first Consid 3 3. Is it not unreasonable that all your pursuits and endeavours should be to gain and procure things for the body and to-take no care and make no provisions for the soul Beloved would you not count him an unnaturall man that should take care to cloath his slave and yet let his Child go naked so is it not unreasonable that you should take all pains for the body and none for the soul Beloved what a folly is it for you to be so sollicitous to preserve your bodies and never take any care concerning the welfare of your precious and immortall souls And thus now I have gone through these three parts of the Text. And they that weep as though they wept not and they that rejoyce as though they rejoyced not and they that buy as though they possessed not In the next place I shall proceed to handle the fourth and last part and they that use this world as not abusing of it for the fashion of this world passeth away SERM. XIII 1 Cor. 7.31 And they that use this world as not abusing of it for the fashion of this world passeth away IN which words there are these two generall parts 1. A duty commanded 2. The reason of it adjoyned First 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the duty commanded in these words and they that use this world as not abusing of it Secondly the reason of it affixt for the fashion or the scheme of this world passeth away The word signifies a mathematicall figure which is a meer notion and nothing in substance I shall principally insist upon the first part of the words Doct. And they that use this world as not abusing of it from whence observe this point of Doctrine That while men use their lawfull comforts in this world they must take a great deal of heed that they do not abuse them This is the Doctrine I shall spend this hower upon You must not only take heed of things sinfull but of some things lawfull too for though there be no sin in them yet there may be a snare in them In the prosecution of this point I shall thus proceed 1. To give you the reasons why you must not abuse the lawfull comforts of this world 2. I shall shew you when a man may be said in the use of lawfull comforts to abuse them And lastly I shall give you some directions how a Christian may so use the lawfull comforts of this life as not to abuse them I shall begin with the first and shew you the reasons why you must not abuse the lawfull comforts of this life There are four potent reasons for it two of them found in Scripture and the other two deduced from Scripture Reasons why we should not abuse the lawfull comforts of this life 1. Abuse nothing you use why because nothing that you use is your own but Gods he is the true owner of all that you possess and you know it is a part of dishonesty to abuse other mens goods All that you have is Gods the Cattle upon a thousand hills are his your Corn and wine are