The Christians Apparelling, Part 3 · Section 52 – Section 55
Section 52.
In caſe he bee foyled, yet hee faints not;1 In caſe he be foyled. he hath learned by his owne experiēce that he that is indeed a man,foreign. though ſometimes he flye, yet he will turne his face on his enemie and fight againe. Hee therefore being downe, riſeth againe,Hee riſeth againe. and though a juſt man fall ſeuen times, yet by the power of ſauing grace in him, hee riſeth vp againe, whereas the wicked falleth into miſchiefe. Pro. 24.16.Now this he doth, Firſt,1 By good conſideration. by good conſideration, whiles, though in his experience he find the way of vertue hard & difficult to him, yet he conſiders, that, though he for his eaſe, ſhould chuſe the way of ſinne and of the world, yet he ſhould be but deceiued in his expectation, ſeeing hee ſhould neuer be wholly free from difficulties, aduerſitie, labour, loſſe, ſorrow and vexation, which euen the beſt things of the world would bring vponupon him, yea, and that both longer and in a ſorer manner, and with leſſe eaſe, comfort and fruite, then he finds and ſhall vndoubtedly find a ſtriuing againſt the Fleſh, world and Deuill: for in the former he finds that labour is the end of labour, and one ſorrow the beginning of another, without any ſound comfort or content, and at laſt, death eternall to follow, and puniſhment without end. If then hee muſt ſtriue and take paines, he reſolues it ſhall bee where his paines and combating may and ſhall receiue eaſe and comfort, both here and eternally hereafter. Hereupon, finding little content in ſinne, and farre ſhort of his expectation from the world (vntounto the baites of which he hath now ſtouped) he reſolues he will ſerue his old Maſter Chriſt, againe; and, with the Prodigall, leaue of feeding on huskes, and returne to his Father by confeſsion and Prayer: which is the ſecond thing he doth after hee is foyled; he returnes to God by a humble confeſsion of his ſinne,2 By humble Confeſſion and Prayer. out of a true hatred of ſoule conceiued againſt it, as diſhonourable to his gracious God, ſaying, in the deepeneſſe of his ſorrow,Luk. 15.18.19. Father I hauehave ſinned, &c. and praying, firſt, for acceptation againe by Chriſt into his fauour; make me as one of thy hyred ſeruants; Pſal. 51.12.and and then for further ſtrength and aſsiſtances, with Dauid, vphold me with thy free ſpirit. Luk. 11.4.Firſt, forgiue me my ſinne, and then, lead me not into tentation, but deliuer me from euill. This he prayes indeede from the heart and ſoule, not with his lippes only (as doth the Hypocrite), and ſo according to Gods promiſe, obtaines what he prayes for; firſt, remiſsion of his ſinne, and the comfort thereof, in the aſſurance of his iuſtification by Chriſt, and then perſeuerance and further grace to ſtand out againſt temptation.
Whereunto adde in the third place, that thus by the foyle,3 By circumſpect walking. hee being reſtored againe, is made more circumſpect, whiles taking notice and knowing where hee is weakeſt, he fortifies there, moſt of all, and ſo preuents the like ſinne, being kept from falling (at leaſt) into it againe, when perhaps hee ſhall bee more ſtrongly tempted, and when Gods honour would be more indangered. This is whiles, firſt, in the experience of his owne weakenes, he renounceth his owne ſtrength, and flyes only to the power of Chriſt, being tempted; and ſecondly, is made more wiſe and watchfull againſt the occaſions of ſinne: as it was in Peter, firſt foyled, whileſt he denyed his Maſter; afterwards, by that fall, fortified to confeſſe in ſtronger temptations,Par. 3. §. 53 euen to the death.
Thus hee is neuer ſo ouercome as to fall away, either wholly or finally. All is contrary in the wicked and hypocrite, who perhaps now and then, in the hearing of Gods word, may hauehave his conſcience ſomewhat awaked, and herevpon begin to reſolue againſt his ſinne, and to withſtand it; but being already downe on his backe, he is eaſily kept downe, & finding it hard to caſt off his ſin, he yeelds vntounto it; hee ſees he hath a whole army to deale withal, & therfore deſpaires of victory, and ſo reſolues to tumble and wallow in the delights and pleaſures of ſin.
Section 53.
Againe, in caſe the true Chriſtian,2 How in caſe of victory. not onelyonly withſtanding, but aſſaulting ſin, obtaine the victory, yet herein he ſhewes his ſtrength and wiſdome,He will yet 1 expect new aſſaults. Firſt, in as much as, though hee hauehave ouercome one temptation, yet he will not be ſecure, but expect another, as knowing the deuill goeth about, ſeeking whom hee may deuoure, euen like a roaring lyon; therfore he ſerues God in feare, & cryeth with that watchman, A lyon; Iſa. 21.8.I ſtand continually vponupon my watch-tower, and I am ſet in my ward whole nights. As therfore when he aſſailes & fights, he aymes at victory, and at a perpetuall peace, which he knowes God will giuegive him, either in this life, if hee pleaſe, or for euer heereafter: ſo, when he hath maſtred his ſinne, he ſo carries himſelfe as if hee were going to the field againe: ſo that in his conflict he thinkes of victory, and in his victory, of a new conflict.
Secondly, 2 Watch againſt all occaſion.in as much as though he feele himſelfe well fenced and armed, yet hee will not be ſecure, but alwayes flies and auoyds all occaſions of ſinne, to his knowledge, remembring what is ſaid, Hee that loueth danger, ſhall periſh in it: and if it in any meaſure preuaile, and begin to bee formed in him, he takes it whiles it is yong, and daſheth theſe children of Babylon, and of confuſion, againſt the ſtone,Sero medicina paratur. which ſtone and rocke is Chriſt, as knowing elſe, that the medicine may bee prouided too late.
3 Take aduantage of his enemie.Laſtly, in as much as not contenting himſelfe with his victory, whereby hee ouercomes Satans temptation, hee thence alſo takes occaſion of ſome further good, euen from that thing by which Satan ſought aduantage. As for example: When Satan, by ſhewing him ſome good and worthy worke of his, would draw him to vaineglory and pride; hee not onelyonly is not proud, but in all humilitie acknowledgeth it not to be his own worke, but the worke of Gods grace & mercy in him, confeſſeth his owne vnworthineſſe, and vnthankfulneſſe, and giues all the honour and praiſe of it to God, ſaying for his part,Pſal. 115.1. Not vntounto vsus, O Lord, not vntounto vsus, but vntounto thy name giuegive glory: and ſo the like in other temptations.
On the contrary,Par. 3. § 54. the counterfet Chriſtian, neuer ſo ſtrongly and conſtantly aſſaulting ſinne, as the other doth, obtaines no victory ouer his ſinne, feares no euill, watcheth not, ſeekes no aduantage either by his foyles, or ſeeming victories; and by theſe, ſhewes himſelfe vnſound, and deuoid of Gods ſpirit, which in the true Chriſtian is a ſpirit of ſtrength, inabling him acceptably both to reſiſt the aſſaults of ſinne, and alſo to aſſault and expell ſin out of him, at leaſt, for raigning in him. Both which he the rather and more eaſily doth,The ſanctified Chriſtian hath (proper to him) diuers helpes. 1 Faith. in as much as by the ſame ſpirit he hath affoorded him diuers helpes, from his faith and ſanctified affections, which the other wants.
Section. 54.
The firſt helpe is Faith and Confidence, ioyned with Humilitie, whiles hee, not truſting his owne ſtrength, ſeekes ſuccour, being tempted, from Chriſt, and from the power of his death, neuer thinking himſelfe, of himſelfe, able to ſtand, leſt ſo thinking, hee fall, but truſting to Gods grace and faithfulneſſe,1 Cor. 10.12.13. who will not ſuffer him to bee tempted aboue that hee is able. Whileſt then he reſiſts, hee doth it, ſtedfaſt in the faith, as is ſaid. Which faith the hypocrite ſheweth himſelfe to want, whileſt he truſts more to himſelfe, then to the power & aſſiſtance of Chriſt, which hee neuer in temptation flies to,Which is ſtrengthned by his experience. or truſts in. Yet moreouer, the true Chriſtians faith, in his reſiſting of temptation, is further ſtrengthened from former experience: for hauing formerly ouercome temptation, hee hath found that comfort and ſweet content thence, that no pleaſure of ſinne, or content from it, in regard of profit, credit with men, or any thing elſe, can make him yeeld to ſinne, though in the conflict of temptation, the combate prooue ſore and difficult, and it go doubtfully with him a while. He finds more true comfort and delight in his victory ouer tēptation (whiles thus he finds Chriſt ſtrong, and ſin weake in him) then euer he found, or can find, by yeelding to his ſin, whereunto either his nature, couetouſnes luſt, ambition, or other euill affection doth incline him; he hereby plainely differeth from the wicked and hypocrites, who herein deceiue themſelues, in as much as being tempted to ſinne, (though they may carry it faire in the world, yet) they neuer compare the ſweetnes of the victory with the ſweetnes of ſinne, (which the godly man doth) but they compare only the combate and difficulties therein with the pleaſure of ſinne, and therfore to auoid the incumbrance of the conflict, more eaſily yeeld to ſinne: whereas, if, as they hauehave often tryed what it is to yeeld to temptation, ſo they would once trie what it is to ouercome temptation, they would preferre the pleaſure of ſuch a victory, before the content that ſinne can affoard and account it alſo eueryevery way able to counteruaile the difficulties of the conqueſt.Par. 3. §. 55 But this experience onelyonly the godly hauehave, who onelyonly therefore both reſiſt ſinne and impugne it, not the other.
Section 55.
Secondly, the godly Chriſtian truely feares God, 2 Feare of God.and in that feare he works out and finiſheth his ſaluation; euer ſetting God before him, as did Ioſeph when hee was tempted to folly by his Miſtreſſe. Whereas the wicked, not fearing God, ruſheth into miſchiefe, as hath been ſaid. Moderate feare alſo of a mans own weaknes, leaſt it betray him, is good, and I may call it, as Salomon doth the feare of God, the beginning of wiſedome. Now this feare is alſo in Gods children, whereby, hauing themſelues in a holy iealouſie, and vponupon former experience of weaknes in themſelues,And diſtruſt of himſelfe. miſtruſting their own ſtrength, they are made more wearie, they vponupon eueryevery occaſion of temptation, aduiſe and conſult with themſelues, which conſultation and deliberation cauſeth wiſdome: they deale with the fleſh, which they know to bee treacherous, as ſome men deale with others in their trading, bargaining, buying & ſelling with them; they will ſuppoſe eueryevery one they deale with (though he be neuer ſo much commended for honeſty and faithfulneſſe) to meane deceitfully, and ſo they will deale with him, that by this means they, as they think, may make aſure bargaine for themſelues. This, to practiſe generally, though it bee an vncharitable and vnchriſtian courſe in our dealings with others, (whom, God forbid wee ſhould thinke to be vniuerſally falſe, ſeeing alſo our charitie ſhould neuer bee diuided from wiſedome) yet it is wiſdome thus euer to ſuſpect our owne falſe hearts, the fleſh and the allurements of ſinne, which, like the Deuill who makes vſe of them, euer intend deceite.Par. 3. §. 56