Lectures Upon Psalm 51, Part 5 · Lecture 64
Lecture LXIIII. On Psalme 51.5. Iuly 17. 1627.
FIrst.Means 1 He that desireth to mortifie corruption in himselfe, and to keep it from raigning in him, must observe and make conscience of the very first stirrings and beginnings of it, even in his heart. Observe them I say first, that so we may know what are the sins we are most inclined unto, and then make conscience of them, tread upon these eggs of the cockatrice (as the Prophet calleth them. Esay 59.5.) while our heart is hatching of them. Keep the heart with all diligence, saith the holy Ghost, Prov. 4.23. Take heed (saith the Apostle, Hebr. 3.12.) left there bee in any of you an evill heart of unbeliefe, to depart from the living God. The unbeliefe of the heart, the motion, and inclination of the heart, to depart from God must be taken heed of. They that are Christs (saith the Apostle, Gal. 5.24.) have crucified the flesh, with the affections and lusts. The very affections and lusts of the flesh, must be crucified. This is the way to keep sin from reigning. Take heed to your spirit (saith the Prophet Mal. 2.15.) and let none deale treacherously against the wise of his youth; and againe verse 16. Take heed to your spirit, that ye deale not treacherously. The way for a man to keep himselfe from falling into any actuall sin, against God or man, is to take heed to his spirit. And certainly the man that hath no care to observe his owne evill inclinations, and the first workings of corruption in his heart, that maketh no conscience of the vanity and wickednesse of his thoughts, and affections, hath no true desire to mortifie sin in himselfe, or to keepe it from reigning in him.
Secondly.Means 2 He that desireth to mortifie sin in himselfe, and to keepe it from reigning, must so soone as he spyeth it, set himselfe against it, as against a mortall enemy that warreth against his soule, 1 Pet. 2.11. and be content, even to offer violence to himselfe, and to his owne nature in it. Certainly the corruption of our nature, will not be weakened, and kept under, without putting our selves to much paine, without doing violence to our selves. This worke of mortification which is the first part of true repentance, is compared to the plucking out of our right eye, and casting it from us with detestation, Matth. 5.29. It is called a sacrificing of our selves, Rom. 12.1. And a crucifying of our flesh, with the lusts and affections of it, Gal. 5.24. All these were most painfull things. See this in three particulers.
First. Wee must resist, and fight against every corruption wee find, not consent, not yeeld unto it, but maintaine a conflict in our selves against it; That I doe, I allow not, Romans 7.15. The spirit lusteth against the flesh (saith the Apostle, Galat. 5.17.) and th…se two bee contrary the one to the other. If the spirit bee in us, wee shall find him (like Iacob in his mothers womb, Gen. 25.22) strugling with this Esan. And certainly, where there is not this resisting of corruption, there is no truth of grace; and where this conflict is maintained, there corruption shall not reigne, but will be kept under. That which the Apostle saith of Satan himselfe, Iam. 4.7. may be also said of this imp of Satan, if we can but conscionably resist him, we may be sure to overcome him.
Secondly, We must heartily dislike and hate every corruption we discerne in our selves, and be angry and displeased with our selves for it. What I hate (saith Paul; Rom. 7.15.) that do I. See two notable examples of this holy indignation against themselves. The one in Ephraim; Ier. 31.19. After I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh. The other in the Publican, Luk. 18.13. who smote himselfe upon his breast. As if either of them should have said, ô what a wretch am I that have in me so cursed a nature, so apt to offend God? Certainly where there is truth of grace, the heart will rise against our own corruptions. The righteous soule (as we see in the example of Lot, 2 Pet. 2.8.) will vex it selfe even for the sins of others, & therfore much more for his own. And where this anger & indignation against sin, is nourished there sin cannot reigne. That which Solomon saith of a backbiter, Pro. 25.23. may be said of our lusts, An angry countenance will drive them away. They will soon grow out of heart, if they be not much made of.
Thirdly, and lastly, We must be unfeignedly sorry and grieved in our selves for our corruption. Even our spirituall poverty (the consideration of this, that in us that is in our flesh dwelleth no good thing, Rom. 7.18 but an utter unaptnesse, and untowardnesse to that that is good) should be a just cause of mourning unto us; upon poverty of spirit followeth mourning. Mat. 5.3, 4. how much more these strong inclinations, we find continually in our selves, unto that that is evill. And even this grieving for our sins, hath great force to weaken the strength of sin and to mortifie it in us. By the sadnesse of the countenance, (saith the Holy Ghost, Eccle. 7.3.) the heart is made better. And 2 Cor. 7.10. Godly sorrow worketh repentance unto salvation, not to be repented of. Certainely if we could thus resist our lusts, and be displeased, and mourne heartily for them, our corruptions would not be so strong in us as they are. On the other side, how can it be avoided but they must needs grow headstrong in us, and carry us whither they list, when we are so farre from killing and crucifying them, that we cannot abide to be at any trouble with them at all, to put our selves to any paine for the subduing of them; we never set our selves in opposition unto them, nor are vexed or grieved in our selves for them, but make them our best playfellowes, and (as Zophar speaketh, Iob 20.12, 13.) wickednesse is sweet in our mouth, wee hide it under our tongue, we spare it, and forsake it not.
Means 3Thirdly, He that desireth to mortifie the corruption of his nature, and keepe it from reigning in him, must carefully shun all occasions and provocations unto it, and be content to weane and abridge himselfe, of all such things as he findeth do feed, and increase it, though the things be in themselves never so lawfull. We must lay aside (saith the Apostle, Heb. 12.1.) not onelyonly every sinne that hindreth us in our spirituall race, but every weight also, every clogg though it be no sin. The overmuch liberty that men have given to themselves in such things, as are in their owne nature lawfull, hath marvellously strengthened and increased the naturall corruption of their hearts, and made it out of measure sinfull. Looke into the description that our Saviour maketh, Luk. 17.27, 28. of the behaviour of the old world, and of Sodom at those very times when Gods vengeance fell upon them. What were they doing then? They did eate, and drinke (saith our Saviour) and marry, and buy, and sell, and plant, and build. Why what hurt was there in all this? Were not all these things most lawfull for them to do? Ye… verily. But by overu-sing of these lawfull things and setting their hearts upon them, they choaked all grace, and care of heavenly things, they fed and increased the pride and covetousnesse and cruelty and lust of their evill hearts, and so drowned themselves in perdition. All things are lawfull (saith the Apostle, 1 Cor. 6.12.) but all things are not profitable. And a Christian must have respect to this whether the thing that he useth be profitable for him, and will doe him good, as well as to that whether it be lawfull or no. When the Apostle Peter exhorteth the faithfull to take heed of their adversary the divell that he prevaile not over them, nor overcome them, 1 Pet. 5.8. he bids them be sober, and watch. The same may be said to them, that desire to be preserved from the power of their owne corruptions and to overcome it, they must not take too much of these outward comforts, not more then will do them good, not so much as will overcome them. See the necessity of this in two particulars.
First, To keepe company, and to refresh and make our selves merry by eating and drinking liberally and using of recreations as shooting, or bowling, or hawking, or hunting is in it selfe a thing very lawfull. It is spoken of as blessing of God upon his people in Solomons time, 1 King. 4.20. that they did eate, and drinke and make merry together. But a man may easily surfet of this and take more then will doe him good; as they did, Amos 6.5, 6. who by their drinking together, their recreation and their mirth, were made unsensible of the afflictions of Ioseph. Nay it is not possible but the corruption of the heart, must needs grow and increase in the best man that is, if he keepe not a measure in these things. When Solomon himselfe (as strong a man as he was) gave himselfe too much liberty this way that Whatsoever his eyes desired he kept not from them (as he saith, Eccle. 2.10.) he withheld not his heart, from any joy, he corrupted himselfe fearefully. And certainly of those men (whereof the world now is full) that give their nature the full swing in these matters of delight, that are never well but when they are in the ale-house and in good company as they call it; never well but when they are at one sport or other, make every day a festivall day as Dives did, Luk. 16.19. as if they had no other calling, or were borne for nothing els; of such men we may be bold to say there is no mortification in them, no care at all to subdue the corruption of their nature, such men care not how strong it grow, how much it increase in them. A Christian therefore is bound in the use of these things to enquire whether he be made the better or the worse by them; and to say as Eccl. 2.2. I said of mirth what dost thou? To use them with feare, lest he should take hurt by them, Iude 12. And when a man findeth that his weaknesse is such, that he cannot use recreations, nor keepe company as he hath done, but he is made the worse by it, apt to exceed and be overcome, more unapt to the service of God, and the duties of his calling, he is bound in conscience to abstaine, and weane himselfe from them. The Apostle give thus in his own example two notable rules for this. The first is 1 Cor. 6.12. All things are lawfull for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any thing. The other is in 1 Cor. 8.13. If meat make my brother to offend, I will never eat flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend. And much more should this be the resolution of every true Christian, if wine, and strong drinke, if such company and recreations as I have been wont to use, cause me to offend, I will never use them againe while I live.
Secondly, To labour in our callings and to follow diligently the meanes of our thrift, is in it selfe a most lawfull thing. For God hath expressely allowed it, Exod. 20.9. Six daies shalt thou labour and doe all thy worke. And he that is not carefull to provide for his family is worse then an infidell, 1 Tim. 5.8. But a man may easily surfet and take more of this also then will do him good. For the cares of the world, and the deceitfullnesse of riches (saith our Saviour, Mat. 13.22.) choke the word, and make it unfruitfull, even under the best ministery in the world. Nay it is not possible, but the best man under heaven must needs surfet, and take hurt by it, if he keepe not a measure in it. Therefore the most wise God that knoweth us better then we doe our selves, hath seene it necessary to injoine unto his people one day in every weeke to be kept as a Sabbath, a day of rest from our worldly labours and affaires; and spent in spirituall duties, Exod. 20.8. Yea he saw it necessary even for Adam before his fall that he should not continually be imployed in dressing of Paradise, but that one day in seven he should rest from that labour, and be imployed wholly in spirituall duties, Gen. 2.3. Yea he hath ordained that no one of the weeke daies should be wholly spent in our wordly affaires, but that some part of every morning, and of every evening should be spared from them, and imployed in spirituall duties; As appeareth plainely in those two lawes; the one for the sacrifice, Exod. 29.38, 39. the other for the incense, Exod. 30.7, 8. which every morning and evening was to be offered up unto the Lord.
Object. 1If any man shall say, Tush, those were but ceremoniall lawes; what tell you us of them?
Answ.I answer, They were so indeed, but yet there is a morall equity of them, which is perpetuall. And of them I may say as the Apostle doth of another of the same kinde, 1 Cor. 9.10. For our sakes, no doubt, this is written; to teach us, that it is the will of God that every morning, and every evening, we should spend some time in his service.
Object. 2If any shall object againe, Tush, those lawes concerned the Priests onelyonly in the Temple, and serve well in the morall equity of them to prove that Ministers should do so, but what is that to the people?
Ans.I answer, That these lawes concerned the people as well as the Priests, as appeareth, Luke 1.10. The whole multitude were praying without (that is, in the courts of the Lords house which was the place allotted to them in the Temple, 2 Chron. 22.5.) at the time of incense.
You see then how dangerous the Lord seeth it is for us, to be alwaies imployed in the affaires of our worldly callings (be our callings what they may be, for some are certainely more toilesome then others are) how necessary it is for us to be oft taken off from them, and to have our hearts and minds turned another way. And certainely the man that hath most imployment in the world hath of all other men most cause to love the Sabbath, and praise God for it, and long for it, and acknowledge the necessity of it, yea to keepe his times constantly for religious duties every morning, and every evening; and to account it an happinesse if his occasions will also permit him to frequent Lectures; and to say with David, Psal. 84.4. Blessed are they that dwell in thy house, they will still be praising thee; Because he of all others is in most danger, to have his heart corrupted and glued to the world. See a notable proofe of this in that straight commandement that is given unto the King, Deut. 17.19. and Iosh. 1.8. to read every day some part of the Bible. And Daniel would not omit his constant course of praying three times a day, though he knew he was in danger to bee cast into the Lyons den for it, Dan. 6.10. And therefore those men that never have enough of toiling and moiling about the world, but as Solomon speaketh, Eccl. 4.8. There is no end of their labours, neither is their eye satisfied with riches; they thinke they never have enough. These long daies are not long enough for them to do their businesse in, they can spare no time morning nor evening for religious duties; nay six daies in a weeke is not time enough for them, but they must needs take some part of the Lords day to imploy in their worldly occasions; that see no necessity at all of spending any part of the weeke daies in religious duties either in hearing or reading of the Word, or praying with their families, but are apt to say of them that use it as Pharaoh did, Exod. 5.8. They are idle, and have nothing to do and therefore they cry, saying, let us go and sacrifice unto our God; yea that see no necessity of the Sabbath it selfe, specially not of those meanes God hath ordained for the sanctifying of it, but think they can do well enough without them; and are apt to say of it as those did, Mal. 1.13. Oh what a wearinesse is it? (And such men as I have described, the world, yea the Church of God is every where full of) Such men I may boldly say have no mortification, and consequently no true repentance in them at all, no care to keepe under the corruption of their own heart, such men certainely care not how strong it grow, how much it increase in them. And hee that hath no care of that, he that doth not study, and practise mortification, certainly hath not the spirit of Christ in him (as you have heard) and therefore is none of his, hee cannot possibly be saved. Take a notable proofe for this, in the speech and example of the blessed Apostle, who when he had said, 1 Cor 9.25. Every man that striveth for the mastery, is temperate in all things, And so hee that striveth to get the mastery over his owne corruption, must be temperate in all things, and not take too much, either of meate or drinke, or of company, or of recreation, or of worldly businesse; He addeth verse 27. I keepe under my body, and bring it into subjection; lest by any meanes, when I have preached unto others, I my selfe should bee a cast away. If Paul had not bin temperate in all things, taking no more of them then would stand with the health of his soule, Paul himselfe had bin a cast away, and could never have bin saved.