The Christians Apparelling, Part 3 · Section 15 – Section 16
Section. 15.
1. There is that contrarietie in nature betweene Gods Spirit,It ſhewes it's holines. 1 In oppoſing of ſinne and corruption. 2 Cor. 6.15 16. and mans corruption, that they can neuer be together without oppoſition and conflict, wherby one ſeeks the expulſion of the other: and indeed what agreement or concord hath Chriſt with Belial? the Temple of God (which wee are through the reſidence of the ſpirit in vsus) with Idoles (eueryevery ſinne which we giuegive intertainement to, being our Idole and god?) Where then Gods holy Spirit is, there will be a conflict: there ſhall not any ſinfull thought, affection, deſire, purpoſe or indeauour ſhew it ſelfe, but it ſhall finde it ſelfe incountred with a contrary holy thought, affection, deſire, purpoſe and indeauour, either for the preſent, or not long after; and ſo on the contrary. This is that which the godly find continually in themſelues, being in this life but in part ſanctified.Where gods ſpirit is, there is a conflictt & a combate. There being in them both grace and corruption, they finde both grace thwarting their corruptions, and corruption thwarting grace. When they find euill and ſinne ſtrong in them, they allow it not; yea, though they doe it, yet they neither allow it,Rom. 7.15. & 21.22.23. nor would doe it, but euen hate what they do; and when they would doe good, they finde euill preſent with them; and when they delight in the Lawe of God, after the inward man, they ſee another Law in their memhers, warring againſt the law of their minds, &c. as Paul found it in his experience, being therfore better able to deſcribe this combate, which hee doth in theſe words,Gal. 5.17. The fleſh luſteth againſt the ſpirit, and the ſpirit againſt the fleſh, and theſe are contrary the one to the other. As therefore corruption cannot indure grace, ſo neither can grace indure corruption. Wee are ſure the fleſh wil euer hinder the work of the ſpirit, as much as in it lies; and we muſt ſee we cry quittance with it, by reſiſting through the ſpirit, the works of the fleſh. We cannot looke to bee in this life, quite freed from the moleſtations of the fleſh; we muſt therefore ſee that the motions thereof be moleſtfull vntounto vsus; which if we find, we are ſo farre from hauing cauſe of diſcouragement (though the indwelling of ſinne ſhould be a burthen to vsus) that we hauehave thence a comfortable teſtimony of Gods grace and ſpirit in vsus, by which we feele and diſtaſte our corruptions; for it is not corruption, but grace that can iudge of corruption. Where then in a man, all is at peace and in quiet, and that hee finds no diſturbance in his ſoule, no oppoſition when he would doe either good or euill, it is a ſigne all is not well. Hauing grace, he cannot but (when hee would doe good) find oppoſition by the fleſh, (for that is vndoubtedly in all men, euen in the beſt;) and when he would doe euill, vnleſſe he alſo finde in him an oppoſition made againſt the fleſh, and corruptions of it (which it will not doe of it ſelfe) he may conclude, he hath not Gods holy and ſanctifying Spirit at all: for as corruption will not let Gods ſanctifying ſpirit bee quiet where it is; ſo wil not grace ſuffer corruption to enioy for any long time, peaceable poſſeſsion. Hath then corruption her full ſwinge and ſway in thee? Is it not thwarted by contrary deſires, affections, and indeauours? It is a fearefull ſigne that Chriſt hath no part in thee, or poſſeſsion of thee by his Spirit, but that the ſtrong man, Satan, by thy ſin (is not yet caſt out, but) holdeth his owne, and wholly poſſeſſeth thee, & that thou art as yet but a meere naturall man and ſenſuall, hauing not the ſpirit, Iude 19.wheras they that are in Chriſt Ieſus, are ſuch as, though the fleſh moleſt, and now and then hinder them, yet, walke not after the fleſh, Rom. 8.1.but after the ſpirit: that is, though the fleſh be a ſtumbling blocke in their way, and cauſe them now and then trip, or ſtop, or turne aſide; yet they go not on, they walk not in the way therof, but riſe and returne, and walke in the wayes of God, after the direction of his Word and ſpirit. There is now and then warre within; but this warre is a ſigne of peace. In this combate the victory in the midſt, is often vncertaine and doubtfull, (in regard of this or that particular action) for ſometime Amalek preuailes, and ſometimes Iſraels; this is becauſe the godly doe not at all times, as they ought, fight praying, but truſt too much to their owne ſtrength; but yet in the end the ſpirit preuailes, & the victory is alwayes on Gods part. It is here as in the pleading of a Caſe of law, which being toſſed by diuers Lawyers, goes doubtfully a long time, ſomtimes for the plaintife, ſometimes for the defendant, till in the end the Iudge decide it. Now in the caſe of ſinne, they are euer ſure to get the plea, that doe but make reſiſtance, and by the Spirit plead their owne cauſe.
Yea, but is this ſtrife enough? then ſhall Herod and Pilate, and many a wicked man hauehave this holy Spirit of God, who are not drawne to ſinne, but with great reluctance & ſtrife within themſelues. Is eueryevery ſtrife then an argument of ſauing grace, and of the ſpirit? I anſwere, Not eueryevery ſtrife, but that cheifly which is betweene grace and corruption: Par. 3. §. 16.for there being, as is ſaid, in eueryevery man, firſt nature intire, and ſecondly, the corruption of nature; naturall reaſon, will and affections, which are good; and carnall reaſon, will and affections, which are bad; and moreouer beſides theſe two, there being thirdly in the godly man who hath put on Chriſt, & in him onelyonly, grace and Gods ſanctifying ſpirit. Hence it is,There is a threefold combate. that there is a threefold combate, the firſt, but eſpecially the laſt whereof onelyonly is proper to thoſe that are Chriſts. 1. Betweene Grace and Nature. 2. Betweene Nature and Corruption. 3. Between Corruption and Grace.
Section. 16.
1. Betweene Grace and Nature not ſinfull.1 Betweene grace and nature intire. Nature deſires its own preſeruation, and a man may doe it without ſin: for a man is bound to preſerue his owne life by all lawfull meanes, & to repell death, and ſuch euils as are hurtfull to his health, eaſe, peace, life, and to ſuch things as are naturall vntounto him. But it falls out often in the courſe of Chriſtianity, that there is ſome greater good to bee reſpected then this temporall life, or any thing belonging to it, and that is our ſpirituall life, and the ſaluation of our ſoules; yea, then that alſo; and that is Gods glory, and the manifeſtation thereof in the Goſpell of his Sonne. Now in ſuch caſes as wherein our natural good and our ſpirituall good, and Gods glorie cannot ſtand together,This is in the beſt. there Nature muſt yeeld; which cannot be vſually but with ſome kinde of ſtrife and reluctancie betweene Nature & Grace: though properly theſe be not contrary but onelyonly diuers; the one, (nature) ſubordinate to the other (grace.) This ſtrife was in our Sauiour Chriſt in his agony; where, nature in him ſeeking its owne preſeruation, made him pray,Mat. 26.39. O Father, if it bee poſsible, let this cup paſſe from mee: yet it yeelded to a greater good,Par. 3. §. 13 Gods glory and mans ſaluation, ſo that he added, Neuertheleſſe not as I will, but as thou wilt. This combate was alſo in Moſes, who though he could not but deſire his owne good and ſaluation,Exod. 32.32. yet hee preferres Gods glory before it, in the ſparing and preſeruation of his people, ſaying; If thou wilt not forgiue their ſinne, blot me I pray thee, out of thy booke which thou haſt written. And in Paul, Rom. 9.3.who in like caſe could wiſh that himſelfe were accurſed from Chriſt, for his brethren, his kinſmen according to the fleſh. Though this be not that combate I meane of chiefely, yet hereby wee may and ſhould try our ſelues; when we cannot inioy our libertie, goods, eaſe, life, with Gods glory and the honour of the Goſpell, & the good of our ſoules,Marke 8.34.35.-38. there we muſt yeeld and forſake all for Chriſt and the Goſpell; elſe we are not worthy of him, we are none of his.