Mans Active Obedience, Chapter 22
CHAP. XXII.
Of the lets of true ioy, and first of ſinne: And how the Lord raiſeth thence maater of reioycing to beleeuers.
OF all the things that are of this nature and kinde, the greateſt doubt (ſo farre as I conceiue) may be made of theſe two in particular: viz. either of ſuch things as doe reſpect our dealing againſt God by ſinning and diſobeying of him, or doe reſpect Gods dealing againſt vsus by chaftiſing and not ſparing of vsus, and that either by his withdrawing himſelfe from vsus in hiding his owne countenauce, or by his comming neere vntounto vsus in iudgement to ſmite vsus with his rod, laying on heauy chaſtiſements, and bringing ſore and great troubles vponupon vsus. For as for all elſe that doe befall vntounto vsus, by any other meanes of men or diuels, or any other the creatures, if they were not armed and made ſtrong againſt vsus by our ſinnes, or were not ſent and ſet on by Gods owne hand his warrant and allowance, he being thereunto iuſtly prouoked by vsus to ſet them vponupon vsus, and to ſet them againſt vsus, wee need not weigh them a ruſh, nor care at all what they al together could poſſibly do, for the doing to vsus any hurt, or any way to hinder our ſteady comfort. But euen in thoſe things whereof the greateſt doubt may be made: if there can for the preſent no manner of cauſe be found why in any reſpect a true beleeuer may hauehave his ioy in the Lord euen then ſtill abiding, and ſome kinde of lawfull reioyeing in the Lord yet allowed vntounto him; it is not becauſe there is wholly wanting all manner of ground from whence may be raiſed a true and warrantable kind of reioycing, but becauſe we cannot ſee it till our eyes be opened, and the ſame be ſhewed vntounto vsus, as the Angell did ſh…w Hagar the well and fountaine from whence ſhe Gen. 21. 19.fetched water for her refreſhing in time of her great thirſt, when ſhe thought there was no way but periſhing, both for her and her child too in that her diſtreſſe.
If we conſider of our ſinnes againſt God, which of all things elſe may iuſtly be thought to be the greateſt let of our ioy, and that which doth moſt hinder our reioycing, it cannot be denied, if there be any one thing more then other in the world (in reſpect of our ſelues alone) that may caſt vsus loweſt downe, and make vsus vile in our owne eyes, which may cleaue the reines of our backe aſunder, load our hearts with heauie griefe, and fill them brimme full of ſorrow and woe, which may take all ioy and gladnes from vsus, and cauſe our harpes to be turned into mourning▪ Iob. 30. 31.and our organs into the voyce of them that weepe, and make our ſongs be turned into howlings, as the ProphetAmos 8. 3. ſ…keth: it is this that wee not onelyonly doe know that in vsus, that is in our fl…ſh no good thing is abiding, but that there is ſuch a perpetuall rebellion found to be in vsus, and ſuch a law in our members rebelling againſt the law of our mindes, Rom. 7. 23.as is often c…rrying vsus captiue vntounto the committing of ſinne, whereby our owne conſciences are deeply wounded, God diſhonoured and much diſpleaſed, and thereby enough done to incenſe his wrath, and to cauſe the fire of his anger to be kindled and flame out againſt vsus: in regard whereof wee hauehave cauſe to take vp that ſorrowfull mourning and lamentation of Ieremiah: Woe to vsus that Lam. 3. 16.euer wee hauehave thus ſinned, and eueryevery one to crie out with the Apoſtle, Oh wr…tched man that I am, who ſhall now deliuer Rom. 7. 24.me from this body of death!
Howbeit, as the Apoſtle Paul feeling that pricke and thorn… in the fleſh▪ the meſſenger of Satan which was ſent to buff…t him, and praying earneſtly to the Lord that it might be taken from him, when hee once had receiued anſwere from the Lord, that he would hauehave his owne ſtrength made perfect in his weakneſſe, did reſt in that anſwere, and was content to hauehave his owne weakneſſe made knowne vntounto him, that ſo the power of Chriſt might the rather reſt vponupon him, for the Lord would hauehave that continued ſtill, cauſing it to turne to the ſingular good of the Apoſtle, which he was ſo much afraid of, and did ſo earneſtly pray that it might be remoued and taken quite away from him, thereby wholly diſappointing Satan of his malitious purpoſe, in turning that to a ſoueraigne remedie and preſeruatiue medicine for the good of his ſeruant, which Satan had prepared and iniected into him as a moſt pernicious poyſon to doe him hurt withall.
After this manner may the true ſeruants of God, when the Lord either leaues them to themſelues to fall through their owne infirmitie, or giueth Satan leaue not only to buffet them, as hee did Paul, but to beate them quite downe and ouercome them, ſo farre as to make them fall to the committing of ſome groſſe and grieuous ſinne: if by that meanes (the Lord being mercifull vntounto them)What gaine out of ſinne. through the ſupplie of his grace giuen) they may bee brought the more to be humbled, and the better to know their owne frailtie and weakneſſe how great it is, and to be the more carefull for euer after with feare and trembling to worke out their owne ſaluation. If the riches of Gods grace, and ſuperabounding of Gods merciemercy may be occaſioned to be ſhewed foorth the rather, and to ſhine out the more to his praiſe, in pardoning the ſinnes, and paſſing by the tranſgreſſions of his people, by the meanes of Satans great malice, in drawing Gods ſeruants to commit both many and moſt heinous offences, vntill ſinne eueryevery way may be ſeene to hauehave abounded in thē ▪ If the glorious excellencie of Gods almightie power may be made cleerely to appeare in raiſing vp againe his fallen ſeruants from vnderunder ſo great a weakneſſe, giuing ſuch new ſtrength vntounto them, as whereby for euer after they are made to ſtand much more firme and ſure, then they did before they ſo fearefully and dangerouſly did fall: If Gods infinite wiſedome, and the wonderfulnes of his working, who hath giuen skill to the Phyſition by his art to take the fleſh of the viper, which is poyſon, and to temper it ſo with healthſome things, and to correct it ſo with cordials, as of poyſon hee can make ſoueraigne triacle that ſhall expell poyſon, and ſo make that which would hauehave cauſed death, to become an excellent meanes of preſeruing life: ſhall in like manner appeare in ſo ordering and vſing the ſinnes of his ſeruants, after they hauehave once been committed, yea euen the greateſt and grieuouſeſt of them (which are the deadlieſt venome of all other, and the rankeſt poyſon that can be, which doth not only kill with death, but with death euerlaſting), as by thoſe ſinnes they hauehave ſo committed, hee cureth them of many ſinnes paſt, and preſerueth them from many ſins for time to come, fetching from them, and cauſing to be expelled out of them a deale of inueterated naughtineſſe and poyſonfull corruption that was ſo habituated in them, that hardly by any other meanes would euer hauehave bin drawne from them, or any way got out of them: If by ſeeing and ſuffering them to bee caſt into ſuch filthie ſloughs, ſuch puddle and mire and ſinkes of loathſome ſinnes, he forceth them by occaſion thereof to goe waſh and rinſe themſelues cleaner, purer and whiter from them, and all other their ſins, then euer they were before: If by their falling away for a time, and departing from him for a ſeaſon, as did Oneſimus from Philemon, hee recouereth them to a better condition, and thereby maketh them his own for euer, that now they may no more depart away from him, but cleaue faſter to the Lord with purpoſe of heart then euer they did before: If by the committing of ſome enormious vice, ſome moſt hainous and flagitious wickedneſſe, in committing whereof the very deedes of the wicked may ſeeme to be exceeded, the Lord ſhall bring his hard-hearted ſeruant, whoſe heart was harder then the nether milſtone, that could not before by any meanes be broken, now to be ſo ſuppled and ſoftned, ſo mollified and made to melt, as did the heart of Ioſiah, in ſuch ſort as 1. King. 22. 19.that the ſame ſin of his which was moſt dammable, & would hauehave cauſed death, is now made to be a meanes of ſuch humiliation in him and godly ſorrowing, as cauſeth and worketh … in him, euen repentance vntounto life. In theſe2. Cor. 7. 10. and the like reſpects a true ſeruant of God (notwithſtanding his manifold ſinning) may and ought to hauehave ioy and hi… reioycing in the Lord.
For ſome one or other of theſe reſpectes, or it may bee for them altogether, doth the Lord ſuffer many, and ſome of his moſt worthy and excellent ſeruants too, to hauehave beene ouertaken with many infirmities, yea ſometimesAs the mightie power of God in the beginning of the world did appeare, in bringing light out of darkeneſſe, and ſhall appeare in the end of the world, in bringing life out of death: ſo doth the ſame mighty power and wiſdome of God daily appeare, in bringing good out of euill. with very groſſe and grieuous ſinnes, yet alwaies ſo ordering and diſpoſing of eueryevery thing, as hee that is ſeene daily to bring light out of darkeneſſe, neuer hath failed to bring good out of all their euill, and ſuch good as hath been for the very good of thoſe his ſeruants themſelues that hauehave done all that euill, and made to the high honour and glory of his owne Maieſtie; who is ſo good in himſelfe, as he is goodneſſe it ſelfe, and maketh all things good that he medleth with, and is wrought by his hand. This is and hath been the Lords owne and onelyonly doing, and that from the beginning, and worthily may it be accounted marueilous in our eyes. In the firſt ſinne that euer was committed by man, how wonderfull hath been the Lords working therein, to bring ſo much good out of that great euill, as vntounto all Gods elect, and redeemed in Chriſt, their caſe is now made farre better then euer it was, farre happier and farre ſurer then either it was, or would hauehave been, if to this preſent Adam had kept his ſtanding, and ſhould ſtill hauehave kept his foot from ſlipping or ſtepping amiſſe. The Lord we know hath turned Adams fall to his higher riſing, and his dangerous ſlipping to a more ſure ſtanding, in ſo much as not praiſing the euill, but him that bringeth good out of euill, wee may ſay with that reuerend Beza, Oh happy fall which hath brought vsus higher! Oh moſt happy darkeneſſe, without which this truly Serm. on Cantic. cap. 2.group light had neuer appeared vntounto vsus. After this manner hath the Lord ſtill for the one improued the falles and foiles of his ſeruants euer to their more good. Dauid that fell ſo foulely, and committed ſo groſſe, and ſo hainous a ſinne, that gaue him cauſe to think of waſhing and cleanſing himſelfe from ſuch filth and pollution, that made him ſeeme loathſome euen in his owne eyes, was brought by meanes thereof to goe ranſack his whole life, and ſearch out all his other ſinnes, vntill he came to the gaging of the very belly and wombe of ſinne, where it firſt had the conception, and from whence originally it firſt tooke his beginning, and did firſt of all ſpring, and that he crieth out on, and bringeth it forth, doth diſgrace himſelfe therewith, confeſſing vntounto God, that beſide that great ſinne that he had now committed, he ſaw himſelfe to be an vncleane creature, ouer-run with a contagious leproſie of ſinne all ouer, and that from his conception: ſo as his falling into that one great ſin, became a meanes of his going in hand with the labour of getting himſelfe waſhed and cleanſed, not onelyonly from that, but from all the reſt of his ſinnes, euen his birth ſinne and all; and that not ſlightly, but earneſtly with a thorow rinſing and rubbing of himſelfe, till hee might become as cleare as the glaſſe, and as white as ſnow. Pſal. 51. 5. 7.Many are conceited of themſelues, and of their owne ſtrength, taking no notice of other filthineſſe of the fleſh and ſpirit, or corruption of ſinne that is within them, ſo long as they are kept from committing groſſe and enormious iniquities, the Lord is faine therefore to giuegive them ouer, and to leaue them to themſelues, that they may fall into ſuch groſſe ſinnes, as wherby their other hidden corruptions may break out, and manifeſtly be diſcerned both to themſelues and others how great it is. There bee that will neuer thinke of thorowly repenting themſelues, nor of Ier. 4. 14.cleanſing and waſhing their hearts from wickedneſſe, that they may be ſaued, vntill they be tumbled into ſome ſuch puddle as Dauid was, and bemired with ſuch filth, and then of force they are driuen to it, and made to ſet hand at once to that worke, vnleſſe they care not to ſee themſelues periſh for altogether. Thus the Lord is faine to make of the poiſon of ſome groſſe ſinne an antidote againſt the poiſon of other leſſer ſinnes, which of themſelues are baneable enough, if they be not in time expelied and purged out, to kill eueryevery ſoule in which they are retained, that ſo there may be a ridding away of all by a generall repenting for all, though the going in hand with ſuch repentance was at the firſt occaſioned by one. And thus we may perceiue, how as the Lord is ſaid to puniſh ſinne with ſinne in the wicked, ſo he knoweth how to cure ſinneSinne cured by ſinne. by ſinne in the godly, ſo making their ſinnes as well as all things elſe to turne to their good. Looke but vponupon the ſtrange cure of that one ſinne of pride, which is a ſinne as high-borne as any other, and ſpreadeth out it ſelfe as far, the whole race of mankind being either more or leſſe infectedPride. and tainted with the ſame. This ſinne will liue, when other ſinnes ſhall die, and will raiſe it ſelfe vp out of the ruines of them all, which is more to be feared among vertues, then found among other vices; it is the verie venome of vertue, and as a ſpreading cankar or gangrene, hauing once gotten to bee faſtned vponupon the body of vertue, it neuer leaueth (vnleſſe it be the more timely cured) till going from ioynt to ioynt, it hath weakened and ouerthrowne that whole body, how beautifull ſoeuer it were otherwiſe and goodly to looke vponupon. This is the greateſt enemy to vertue that it hath, as that which hath vertue euer in chaſe, and ſtill is dogging it at the heeles. The Apoſtle himſelf after his high aduancement, and abundance of reuelations giuen him, when he had been wrapt vp into the third heauens, was not exempt from the perill therof, nor from the danger of the hot purſuit and aſſailement thereof, as which was ready to ſet vponupon him, if helpe and aide the ſooner had not been ſent; the meſſenger of Satan therefore was faine to bee ſped out apace▪ to ſtand Paul herein in ſome ſtead, who fell to beating and buffeting of him, 2. Cor. 12. 7.and brought him ſo low, as he was eueryevery way vnſitted for any manner of pride to ſet vponupon him, or once to meddle or make any whit at all with him, but was faine to leaue him as it found him. And ſo by one enemie he was holpen out of the hands of another enemy, eueryevery way as bad as hee. Though Satan ſending his meſſenger, aimed at nothing leſſe, then at ſuch an end: but God that ouer-powreth Satan, and ouer-ruleth in all things, would hauehave it ſo come to paſſe. But what is the cure of this miſchiefe of pride? ſurely as pride ſpoileth vertue, ſo vice ſpoileth pride againe. And as out of the aſhes of other ſinnes, pride is ſaid to ſpring vp; ſo out of the flouriſhing againe of other ſinnes, all that pride is plucked downe againe. And this may bee thought to bee one cauſe, why the Lord ſeeth it meete, not wholly to free his ſeruants from many infirmities, and much corruption of nature which is found ſtill remaining in them; namely, that as he would not caſt out all the enemies of his people out of that good land, to which he had brought them, leſt the wild beaſtes for want of their helpe ſhould preuaile againſt them: ſo doth the Lord ſuffer that ſtrength of corruption to remaine in his children, that they may be aided thereby againſt all the aſſailings of pride, which is ſuch a wild beaſt as otherwiſe could not well bee with-ſtood, but were likely otherwiſe to deuoure all vertue that it could find in them, and by ſo doing, come finally to ouerthrow them. Satan therefore that is ſo buſie with Gods children to bee euer tempting them to ſinne, and to one ſinne after another, doth therein but worke againſt himſelfe, and doth but lay a traine to blow vp the caſtles of pride, wherein himſelfe ſhould moſt ſtrongly and ſafely abide. And while he neuer leaueth, till he hauehave drawne the childe of God at the laſt to commit ſome great and hainous ſinne which proueth to be as a wakening ſinne vntounto him, who before was ſlumbring in ſecuritie, and maketh him to ſtart vp and ariſe out of his ſleepe, and conſidering his waies in his heart to humble himſelfe at once, and to repent for that, and for all his ſinnes beſide. Now Satan in this doing, doth but pull (as we vſe to ſay) an old houſe vponupon his head, for he pulleth downe, and ouerthroweth thereby the whole frame of all the other ſinnes which hee had built vp, and got to be planted in that mans heart before, and ſo by his reſtleſſe tentations, he deſtroyeth and croſſeth his owne worke, the Lord making him in deſpight of his teeth, to worke againſt himſelfe, who though he doe what he can, yet will the Lord euer be found to ouerſhoote Satan, euen in his own bowe. In all which reſpects, the Lord (through his infinite wiſedome, goodneſſe, and mercy) ſo ordering eueryevery thing, as he maketh the very ſinnes of his ſeruants committed by them, not a little to turne to the good of themſelues, by cauſing them therby the better to know their owne frailtie, and what ſtrength of corruption is ſtill abiding in them, that ſo they may be drawne to a greater humiliation, and more earneſt repenting not alone for their laſt ſinnes, but for ſuch ſinnes alſo as before, either were not knowne, or neuer at al ſoundly repented on, and withal to hauehave a far greater care bred in them, how to carry themſelues more warily for afterwards, euermore with feare and trembling working on their owne ſaluation. And when beſides Gods ſeruants ſhall ſee the workes of Satan thus diſtolued in them, that what he intended for their ouerthrow, doth now ſerue for their furtherance, and to their making for euer, the diuels poyſon being ſo altered and changed by the ouer-ruling hand, as it becommeth medicine, Satan tempting and drawing them to ſinne, and the Lord by that ſinne pulling them out of more ſinne, ſo curing ſinne by ſinne. And laſtly, and chiefly when they at the length doth ſee, how the Lord doth out of the ſinnes committed by them (how odious and abominable ſoeuer they hauehave been which they hauehave done), make way for his owne greater glory, and the more magnifying of the riches of thoſe his mercies, whereby both the ſame, their ſinnes are pardoned vntounto them, and they themſelues in like manner cleared and purged from the venemous infection, and ſtrong corruption of them; what ſhould let, but that (which being euer humbled in themſelues with godly ſorrow for their ſinnes, and going out of themſelues), yet the true ſeruants of God (their ſinnes notwithſtanding) may reioyce in the Lord, and alwaies reioyce in him, for the excellency of all this worke thus wrought by him?
Q. Though there may be ſome cauſe of a Christians reioycing in the Lords bleſſed worke, whereby he bringeth good out of the euill of ſuch ſinnes as he hath committed, when once ſuch good effects are ſeene to be brought out, yet while this ſinne is ſtill abiding, without being put to any ſuch vſe, as you hauehave before ſpoken; I demaund what cauſe there can bee ſhewed, or any way found to bee, of a Christians reioycing in the Lords worke which hee is in hand with towards him at the very time of his ſinning, or ſtill abiding in his ſinne?
A. That I may not be miſtaken herein, I am ſo farre from either ſaying or thinking, that any ſeruant of God falling into ſinne, may any way reioyce in himſelfe, in reſpect of the ſinne that either he hath once fallen into, or ſtill is ſeene to continue and abide in; as confidently I doe affirme, he can neuer be ſufficiently caſt downe, nor grieued enough with godly ſorrowing for the ſame; and therefore according to the counſell giuen by the ApoſtleIames 4. 9. 10. Iames, I ſay, he ought to be afflicted, to mourne, and to weepe; letting his laughter be turned into mourning, and his ioy into heauineſſe▪ humbling himſelfe daily in the ſight of the Lord, till hauing obtained mercy from God, for hauing repentance vntounto life granted to him, whereby hee may turne from his ſinne, and bring forth fruites worthy of amendment of life, the Lord may then lift him vp, in giuing him ſound comfort, and true ioy againe. Howbeit, in reſpect of another worke which the Lord himſelfe is then in hand with, euen when his ſeruant is ſinning; or after hee hath ſinned, found ſtill abiding in that ſinne he hath committed (if that worke of God could be well ſeene into, and rightly and wiſely diſcerned), I ſee nothing to the contrary, but there might be found the like cauſe of reioycing therein, as the ſicke patient findeth cauſe to reioyce in the worke, which he ſeeth his skilfull Phyſitian to be in hand with, when he is tempering the potion, mixing the ingredients, preparing the medicine, and then doth adminiſter it vntounto him, and ſets it a working; the patient cannot all this time reioyce, as hauing ſeene and felt what is the good effect of that medicine, nor in perceiuing the cure to be fully wrought, and finiſhed vponupon him: but knowing that the Phyſitian, who hath taken him in hand, is both skilfull and faithfull, hee reioyceth to ſee him to bee about the worke, and ſo diligent therein, as to be a preparing the medicine within his beſt vnderſtanding, hee knoweth of all others to bee moſt fit for his curing. So when the Lord ſeeth no other meanes, to be ſo fit for the recouering of ſome dull and dead-hearted ſeruant of his, out of ſome ſinne that he is fallen into, and in which hee ſtill lieth ſlumbring, without any repenting for the ſame, but to leaue him to himſelfe, that the falling into a greater ſinne, may by occaſion of ſo great a fall, be made to awake out of his ſlumber, and be brought to a thorow and ſound repentance for all his ſinnes together: while ſuch a ſecure Chriſtian, thus ſicke and diſeaſed, is committing of ſome great and hainous ſinne, the Lord who is his Phyſitian, is in hand in the meane while with another worke of his owne, namely, to bee tempering of ſuch a medicine as ſhall not faile to cure him, the Lord taking the poyſon of that ſinne which he is a committing, and making thereof a moſt ſoueraigne medicine, it being the Lords manner, as hath bin ſpoken before, to cure ſinne with ſinne. Now this worke which the Lord is in hand with euen at that time, if it either can be ſeene by himſelfe (which is moſt hard ſo to be ſeene by any for the preſent time), or can be ſhewed him by any other to be ſo a working, hath matter in it ſufficient to beare out a warrantable reioycing for that the Lord is a doing, though otherwiſe there is moſt iuſt cauſe of deepe ſorrowing, and moſt bitter lamentation for that which already is done, and is yet further a doing by his owneſelfe in that thing.