The Christians Apparelling, Part 3 · Section 44 – Section 48
Section. 44.
Hauing conſidered the Chriſtian mans ſtrength by the ſpirit,2 Gods ſpirit, ſtrengthens the true Chriſtian againſt the inticements of ſinne. in withſtanding and reſiſting Satan, the Authour of euill; Par. 3. §. 44.wee are now to take further notice of it, as it hath to deale with euill it ſelfe; which is, firſt the euill of ſinne.
Sinne and vice is of a bewitching nature; it kils whiles it fawnes vponupon vsus and flatters vsus, and by the allurements and inticements of it, vnſound and vnarmed Chriſtians are drawn aſide and maſtered. It hath conquered the ſtrongeſt,Which though ſtrong. that hath not been ſtrengthened with this ſpirit of might. Was not great Alexander (otherwiſe inuincible) ouercome of wine & wrath? 1 Eſdras. 3.18.21.22. & 4.26.How exceeding ſtrong is wine? It cauſeth all men to erre that drinke it. It makes the coward draw his ſword, It makes men ſpeak all things by talents: yea, how much more ſtrong are women, and the louelove of them? Many (ſtrong men otherwiſe) hauehave runne out of their wits for women, and become ſeruants for their ſakes, &c. Sampſon the ſtrong, by his luſt, became a prey to Dalilah. The like preuailing power hath all ſinne ouer the ſonnes of men, who are drawen away of their owne luſt and concupiſcence, Iam. 1.14.15and are entiſed: then, when luſt hath conceiued, it bringeth forth ſinne, and ſin, when it is finiſhed, bringeth forth death. This is that ſtrong King, which raigneth in the mortall bodies of natural men, and hath them at like commaund as the Centurion had his ſeruants, to one ſaying, Go, and he goeth, to another, come, & he commeth, to a third, doe this, and he doth it: ſo, mens ſpeciall corruptions hauehave that command ouer them, through the inticements of pleaſure, profit, pride, and the like, that at the firſt motion they come, they goe, they run, they ride, they lye, they ſweare, they fawne, they flatter; in a word, they ſticke at nothing, but yeeld themſelues and their members ſeruants to vncleanneſſe, and to all ſin, which is vncleanneſſe. How weak are their hearts whiles thus they doe? and how doe they plainely thus ſhew themſelues to want the Spirit of Chriſt, which is a ſpirit of ſtrēgth? Where then any ſinne raignes, and is not, at leaſt, reſiſted; there is no Spirit of Chriſt, though there bee the Name and Profeſsion of Chriſt.
But the true Chriſtian,It inables him to reſiſt and keepe vnderunder. clothed with the Lyons skin of the tribe of Iudah, ſhewes himſelfe a true and valiant Hercules, to cut and ſtrike off the Hydra-heads of ſin, ſprout they neuer ſo faſt, and at length to kill the body of ſinne; ſo that howſoeuer it bee euer moleſting him, or alluring him, yet hee withſtands it, reſiſts, repels, and at length ouercomes it. He ſo keeps his heart, as one that is watchfull and carefull, would keepe a tree, which he is ſet to watch, leſt the birds build their neſts in it: though hee cannot wholly hinder them from fluttering about it, and ſometimes lighting on the branches, yet he can and doth by diligence keep them from neſtling in it: ſo, though the beſt Chriſtian cannot wholly driue ſin from him,Par. 3. §. 45. nor bee free from the allurements and inticements of it, but that ſometimes it will, whiles hee is negligent, reſt vponupon him, and find place and ſome footing; yea hinder him, and creepe into his beſt actions & ſacrifices; yet, as when the foules came downe vponupon the carkeiſes of Abrahams ſacrifice, hee droue them away,Gen. 15.11 and offered his ſacrifice: ſo doth the other reſiſt and withſtand ſin and corruption, that it neither reſts nor neſtles in his heart, nor yet hinders the acceptation of his ſpirituall ſacrifices of Prayer, Praiſe, Almes, &c. Now this ſinne is either that part of Originall ſinne, which we call naturall corruption, and the fleſh, or it is actuall and more outward ſinne.
Section. 45.
The fleſh is that corruption of nature which is in eueryevery part and power of ſoule & body,1 How he deales with the fleſh & with inbred corruption. conſiſting in a depriuation of the image of God, and of that rectitude & righteouſneſſe which was in vsus at our firſt creation in Adam; and in a deprauation of thoſe powers, wherby the whole ſoule is both forward and proue vntounto all euill, onelyonly and continually; and froward, & backward in regard of all goodneſſe; in which regards, the ſoule is laid open vntounto ſin in act, and to Satan, which, as an home-bred traytor, is ready to take part with him, to let him into the ſoule, and to giuegive him the full poſſeſſion of it. And this effect it hath in the vnregenerate and hypocrite. As for the true Chriſtian, though this corruption of his nature be couered with the righteouſneſſe of Chriſt, with which he ſtands clothed; yet it is not taken away for being; God hauing left it in our nature, as for other ends, ſo doubtleſſe for this one, to exerciſe his graces and the power of the Spirit in vsus, euen as he left many nations vndriuen out of the land of promiſe, that by them he might not only proue Jſrael, but alſo teach them warre. Theſe remnants of ſin,Iudg. 2.22. & 3.1.2. as thoſe nations left, doe euer, either moleſt Gods ſeruants, or allure and intice them to actuall ſinne, as the other were euer either making warre againſt Iſrael, or inticing them to their Idolatries: and being ſo neer vsus, euen within vsus, they proue moſt treacherous and dangerous enemies; euen as if a citie, being beſieged by forrain forces, ſhould harbour within it ſelfe a company of traytors, who ſhould either hinder aſſaults to bee giuen vponupon the enemies, or bee ready to open the gates, and betray the city into the enemies hands.
Now, wheras the vnſound Chriſtian, being either ſecure, fearing no danger from the fleſh, or weake, and giuing it its will, is foyled thereby, and giuen ouer vntounto ſin, and into the hands of Satan by ſin; the ſound Chriſtian deales other wiſe with it: hee, knowing what aduantage Satan ſeekes from his fleſh, as alſo the treachery of the fleſh, watcheth ouer it, and not only preuenteth the treacheries of it, ſo that it cannot doe the euill it would, but proceeds againſt it as a traytor, and by the ſtrength of grace, and ſword of the Spirit, kils, mortifies, and aboliſheth the fleſh; or at leaſt, if hee finde it too ſtrong as yet for him, hee wiſely withdrawes from it food and nouriſhment, by keeping vnderunder the body, by temperance, faſtings, or the like; or howſoeuer, as the fleſh in him luſteth againſt the Spirit, ſo he ſtirres vp the Spirit to luſt againſt the fleſh, Gal. 5.17.and when all helpes faile, hee cries out of it to God, ſaying, Miſerable man that I am, who ſhall deliuer mee from the bodie of this death? yea, implores the aid and aſſiſtance of Gods Spirit, by which he ouercommeth; and for which hee can accordingly praiſe God, ſaying with the ſame Paul, 1 Cor. 15.57. & Rom. 7.25.But thankes be to God, which giueth vsus the victory, through our Lord Ieſus Chriſt: Par. 3. §. 46and, I thanke God through Jeſus Chriſt our Lord.
Section. 46.
This inbred corruption of ours is neuer in this life ſo wholly ſubdued,2 How he by this ſtrong ſpirit deales with ſinfull affections & motions. but that it remaines ſtill in the beſt, both for the being of it, and for the motions of it, whereby a man ſhall find himſelfe inticed to actuall and outward ſins, & that (through the ſubtiltie of Satan) moſt, according to his ſpeciall inclination, calling, age, occaſion, place or time wherein he liues; according to theſe, Satan ſeekes and takes his aduantage from our fleſh, from our naturall inclination and affection to any ſinne more then other, to tempt vsus accordingly, by the baites and bribes of pleaſure, profit or preferment. Now, neither good nor bad, neither ſound nor vnſound Chriſtian is free at all times, from ſuch temptations to one ſin or other, by which Satan ſeekes to get or keepe poſſeſsion of him. But the difference is to be obſerued betweene them,Par. 3. §. 49 which generally is,The difference betweene the ſound and vnſound Chriſtian, in temptation to ſin. 1 Generall. that by the power of ſauing grace, the former, maſters and mortifies all kind of ſinne and vice in him, how pleaſing, how gainefull, how aduantagious ſoeuer in the world it may proue vntounto him, though it be to the pulling out of a right eye, to the cutting off of a right hand or foote, not ſuffering any boſome or beloued ſinne to keepe the hold of his heart, but keeping eueryevery ſinne and ſinfull affection vnderunder, & himſelfe free for eueryevery good duty and exerciſe: for hee knowes, that there can be nothing but a bare forme of godlineſſe without, where the power of any one ſinne is within: and by this mortification of ſinne and of his ſpeciall corruption, he giues euidence of the preſence of this powerfull ſpirit in him; whereas the other, by ſuffering ſome ſinne or other to ſway his affection, and to remaine indeed vnmortified in him, ſhewes the contrary. But of this thus generally long ſince,Par. 3. §. 47. more particulally, we ſhall find the ſincere Chriſtian to hauehave this ſpirit of ſtrength, in as much as hee both makes reſiſtance againſt ſinne and the temptations thereof;Particularly. as alſo impugnes and aſſailes his ſinne, continually labouring to diſlodge it, and roote it out.
Section. 47.
No man properly reſiſts ſinne by his owne ſtrength,1 He reſiſts and withſtands ſin. but by the ſtrength of Chriſt, and of grace in him: The power of our will by nature, is ſo diſabled, that it hath not any inclinatiō to good, much leſſe power ouer euill without a further power of grace from Chriſt, but is rather in bondage vnderunder it. And therefore that the godly reſiſt temptation, and withſtand ſinne as it is ſinne, is from the gift of God, not from any ſtrength of theirs.1 Cor. 10.13 It is God that will not ſuffer vsus to be tempted aboue that we (by his grace) are able, and it is he, that with the temptation will alſo make a way to eſcape, that we may be able to beare it. Wee are therefore bid reſiſt, 1 Pet. 5.9.ſtedfaſt in the faith. Now that wee doe by faith (which is the guift of God,) wee doe not of our ſelues: we are alſo, being to deale with temptation, bid to be ſtrong, not in our ſelues,Epheſ. 6.10.11. but in the Lord and in the power of his might, &c. If then any reſiſt and bee not wholly ouercome of ſinne, it is from Gods grace and ſtrength, as it was anſwered Paul vponupon his reſiſtance made by prayer, my grace is ſufficient for thee; 2 Cor. 12.9.for my ſtrength is made perfect in weakneſſe. This grace in the Godly makes them either, ſo ſoone as they are aſſaulted, to abhorre the temptation, and to giuegive no manner of conſent vntounto it, as being hatefull to God; or if they cannot be ſo ſoone quit of it, yet to account it a burthen and an affliction to them, that they are ſo ſong moleſted, and as it were, buffeted by it; and to make reſiſtance by prayer, and by wraſtling with page missing of ſinners, that they both thinke and ſay, they hauehave ſuch a ſtrong faith and ſuch peace of conſcience, that Satans temptations neuer trouble them, and hauehave no power ouer them; whereas there was neuer any ſo ſtrong in faith, but Satan durſt & did aſſault him; as the Apoſtles, Adam in Paradiſe, yea Chriſt himſelfe. Such againe is their ſecuritie & ſottiſhneſſe, that they are moſt of all captiuated vnderunder ſinne, when they ſleepe ſoundly and ſecurely in ſin, being moſt aſſaulted when they feele no aſſault, and therefore making no reſiſtance, becauſe they are ignorant of the aſſault. Yea, often they are not aſſaulted, or at leaſt, moleſted by Satan, and why? becauſe they are already by ſinne his ſubiects & ſlaues, and ſo when the ſtrong man, Luk 11.21.Satan, armed, by their ſinne, keepes the houſe, the things that he poſſeſſeth are in peace, though it be but a falſe peace, the temptations to ſinne doe pleaſe them,Par. 3. § 48. and therefore they reſolue to make no reſiſtance ſpiritually; and thus are they ouercome of the temptation.
Section. 48.
But the godly and truly ſpirituall Chriſtian,2 Hee impugnes and aſſayles it. doth not only reſiſt ſinne when it, or Satan by it, doth aſſault him, but he moreouer aſſaults and impugnes it, and, to the vtmoſt of his power and of grace receiued, he ſtriues to diſlodge and diſpoſſeſſe it out of his heart, ſo farre as it is in him, though it would let him be quiet, (and giuegive him ſuch content as ſinners ſeeke) yet he will not let it be quiet; but if it would lurke or hide it ſelfe, either vnderunder his tongue, or in ſome corner of his heart, either in his vnderſtanding by an ignorance of ſin in the nature of it, or in his wil, by obſtinacie or an affection of libertie, or in his affections by ſelfe-pride or ſelfe-louelove, which often, with the other, will not let a man ſee his ſinne; yet he, (hauing himſelfe