Seven Treatises, Treatise 2 · Chapter 5
CHAP. 5. Of the renouncing of all ſinne: which is the first effect of a renued heart in the true beleeuer.
We muſt be changed before our liues can be amended.NOw the heart being renued and changed, muſt be kept ſo: but of that afterwards, in more fit place. In the meane ſeaſon, I will paſſe to the effect of this clenſing and change of the heart, and ſhew what worke it bringeth forth in him that is thus renued and changed. For I hauing ſpoken of the clenſing of it, as I purpoſed, namely, that it muſt, with the whole man, be changed and renued, before the life can be amended; it followeth,What the life of the beleeuer is. that I ſhould now further proceede to this; that is, to the deſcription of the chriſtian life, whereby I meane true repentance; or the life of the beleeuer, as I propounded: which is the building that muſt be ſet on that foundation: and that conuerſation, which commeth from the forenamed change; and is a renouncing of all ſinne, and a care to walke in a new life, (to glorifie God thereby, euen vntounto death) as was ſaid before. Concerning which, more particularlie (as I promiſed) this firſt is to be marked, that (the godly life ſtanding in theſe two parts: that is, the renouncing of ſinne, and practiſing of godly duties) all vngodlines,All vngodlines, not ſome onelyonly is to be renounced. and not ſome part or kinde only, is renounced of the true beleeuer, and of him who will ſoundly profeſſe to liue godly: and they are brought to this power and grace, who truſt in the liuing God, and are indeede godly, that they are out of louelove and fauour with the whole courſe of iniquitie, which was their only delight, and pleaſure before. They are ſo changed from that which they were, that now they hauing taſted of heauen and happines (being become the beloued of the Lord:) they freely and willingly bid farewell to all the follies of their former times, and the vnlawfull liberties, (with the which they were deceiued) at leaſt in affection and deſire, as their frailtie doth permit: for they know (who hauehave ſo farre been inſtructed) that they cannot loath ſome ſinne and louelove other; that were but halting: but as he who taught them that they ſhould not commit adulterie, taught alſo they ſhould not lie, nor ſteale: in like manner they, who are taught of him, doe ſo iudge, and therefore diſclaime the one and the other. For how can they loath one ſinne, and louelove another? which were to do contraries? And as pure and ſweete water, and filthie cannot come from one fountaine: ſo neither doth the heart reformed, ſend foorth good and euill. So that as one in priſon hardly dieted, feedeth with great appetite and greedines vppon ſcrappes and parings, and is well at eaſe if he may fill his bellie with them;The beleeuer loatheth his former filthie life. who yet when he is ſet at libertie, and conuerſant with his friends, where hee findeth varietie and plentie, cannot fall to his old fare againe; but wondreth now, how he could finde ſauour in eueryevery mans leauings: euen ſo it is with him who hath beſotted, and made drunken himſelfe with the deceitfull baits of ſinne, who if like a ſwine he may fill himſelfe with that which his heart deſireth, and his eye luſteth after, he is ſafe and hath what he would: but when he ſhall ſee his eſtate as in a glaſſe, how ſhamefull and daungerous it is, and hath but taſted of the heauenly priuiledges and liberties of a Chriſtian, he caſteth out that former draffe as vomite, and by no meanes can be brought to be in louelove with it againe. Behold ſuch honour giueth God to his ſeruants, that their old conuerſation wherein they liued ſometimes with the reſt of the world, and could by no meanes be drawne from it,Reuel. 3.9. they hauehave it in moſt vile account and deteſtation, and they which were of the ſynagogue of Sathan ſhall worſhip God among the faithfull. This is the power of faith (which hath changed their heart) that it is able to make him, who hath it, to ouercome, I ſay not, himſelfe, but euen the ſpirituall craftines, whereby the diuell deceiueth many thouſands, and euen the poyſoned baites and allurements of the world alſo.
O power vnconquerable, and not to be matched!Power of faith, and gaine thereby. If there were any earthly ſtay or fleſhly hold in any ſort comparable to it (which is impoſſible) in what price and reckoning ſhould it be had, think we? If there were any thing which at mens requeſt, could giuegive the life of their enemie into their hands, or helpe them with long life, or ſatisfie their deſire with abundance of wealth, and varietie of ſinfull pleaſure, oh how welcome ſhould that be? But conſiſider (O ye ſeruants of God) and behold it, ye mightie and wiſe of the world, here is a greater, and another manner of treaſure, then all theſe: and bringeth other delights, then theſe are able. This ſuffereth you not to pine away with deſire of your enemies death: but it will make you as it did Dauid, 1. Sam. 24.10.11.to turne your hearts towards your greateſt enemie (which is true manhood and wiſedome) and to preſerue his life, when you had him in your hands to kill him. And this ſuffereth not you to hunt about the world for varietie of ſinful pleaſures, as though there were no better vſe to bee made of the time, which is ſo pretious: but this will make you (with Moſes) to renounce them when yee might hauehave them, and to finde greateſt pleaſure in doing ſo,Heb. 11.24. and yet in forgoing them, to thinke your ſelues plentifully rewarded.Heb. 11.6.
Finally, this will not ſuffer you to fret and to be vnquiet in thinking vponupon the day of death, and to put the remembrance of it farre from you by wiſhing long life: but it will make you ſigh and groane to be out of your life, and with Paul to account it a priſon to liue in the bodie ſtill: 2. Cor. 5.3.and as the Preacher ſaith, to reckon the day of death when you muſt liue here no longer,Eccleſ. 7.1. better then the day of birth, which is the beginning of life. O ye men of this world! if ye can tell vsus of greater commodities, and tidings of better things then theſe, and aſſure vsus how we may come by them, wee will forſake and leaue all, and reioyce with you:Vanitie of worldly ioyes. If ye cannot, but rather your beſt things are thoſe which I hauehave ſpoken of alreadie; namely, great riches, pleaſures, your enemies death, and deſire of long life to your ſelues, the vanitie, vncertaintie, and danger of the which I hauehave ſet downe alreadie;1. Timot. 3. then renounce you all that ye cannot ſafely keepe; and reioyce with vsus: doe but taſte and ſee how good the Lord is: and when you ſee what is beſt, imbrace it: or els I will pronounce the ſaying of the Prophet againſt you: which in time ſhall moſt ſurely finde you out, and take holde of you,Act. 13.41. although you hide your ſelues from it. Behold, and wonder, and vaniſh away: for I will worke a worke in your daies, that if a man tell you the truth, ye ſhall not beleeue it.
More might be ſaid of this point, but the treatiſe is too long: now I will returne againe to ſhew that the beleeuing Chriſtian doth renounce the ſinfull courſe,1. Ioh. 5.19. which all the world beſides lieth and walloweth in though ſome more then others) who, as I hauehave ſhewed, that he renounceth al kinds of wickednes: ſo hee doth it not in ſome good moode onelyonly, neither crieth out of his old conuerſation,He renounceth ſinne in good aduiſednes, and not in ſome good mood onelyonly. Hoſ. 14.9. Epheſ. 4.24. when he ſeeth ſhame or daunger approch, he doth not (I ſay) then onelyonly ſignifie his miſlike of it; but vponupon good deliberation, hee maketh proteſtation no more to hauehave to doe with it: as Ephraim was counſelled to ſay, being called to repentance: What hauehave I to doe with Idols, which yet before had been her glorie? So whatſoeuer others doe, he is reſolued to forſake it: and caſteth off all ſuch behauiour, as a loathſome and ragged garment. And this is it which our Sauiour acquainted his Diſciples and followers with,Matth. 16.24. after that they had teſtified (Peter anſwering for the reſt) that they beleeued in him vntounto ſaluation: He that will be my diſciple, muſt denie himſelfe, which is as much as vngodlines, and worldly luſts: for then onelyonly indeed, and not till then, are men fit to heare of any ſuch thing; but doe keepe out of the ſound of ſuch doctrine,For want of this ſetled denying our ſelues, diuers neuer attaine true godlines. as much as they can: which is the cauſe at this day, that many profeſſing the Goſpell, yet neuer know what this meaneth, namely, to abſtaine from the filthie luſts which fight againſt their ſoule.
Others which doe, and muſt needs heare ſuch things taught, that all Gods ſeruants doe, and ſhall diſclaime their liues paſt, and be aſhamed of them, it is pitie to thinke how coldly they receiue it. Some of them ſcorne it and mock, and ſo turne it off that way: ſome neuer conceiue it: ſome are often accuſed and made afraid to ſee their liues ſo farre off from that which is taught them, but ſoone forget it, becauſe they ſee the moſt of the world to doe ſo. Some are euer in learning how to depart from euill, and to forſake their ſinnes: but the diuell holdeth them at a ſtay, that they neuer obtaine it, becauſe they goe about it prepoſterouſly, not yet beleeuing aſſuredly that they ſhall be ſaued. A few find the way, the Lord directing them to beleeue: which, others, who will not be taught of God how they ſhould beleeue, but by their owne reaſon, doe neuer reach vntounto.
But I hauehave not yet ſpoken of the worſt ſort of all, who heare this doctrine:VVorſt ſort of Proteſtants, who hate this doctrine. For they hate them who teach it, moſt deadly: they raile on them and diſgrace both them and it; and if they can, bring them into danger for teaching of it: although their pretence ſhall be another thing. Yea doubtleſſe (I ſay more) if by her Maieſties gracious authoritie and protection wee did it not, (which more preuaileth with them then the authoritie of God, from whom and in whoſe name wee teach it) their poyſoned and malicious ſtomackes would ſuffer none to walke peaceablie, who plainly and ſoundly publiſh it. Theſe therefore are farre from ouercomming themſelues: and yet whiles many ſorts in the world are thus farre off (as I hauehave ſhewed) from victorie getting ouer their wicked hearts, and conſequently their liues;Gods ſeruants are at vtter defiance with the world. in the meane while the ſeruants of God, who know what the Lord hath done for their ſoules, renounce all inordinate deſires, and wicked actions: that they hauehave afterward no more fellowſhip with the vnfruitfull workes of darknes, howſoeuer they were ſometime chiefe doers in committing of them. So that as the true repentant people of Iuda, who had before offended God by Idolatrie, when they were brought captiues into Babylon, loathed the ſight of falſe gods: and as the good people, who repented by Ezra his preaching,Ezra. 10.12. did put away their ſtrange wiues, how deare ſoeuer they had been vntounto them: and as Ephraim was heard complaining thus; I am aſhamed and bluſh, Iere. 31.19.that now I beare the reproches of my youth; ſo loathſome and weariſome it was vntounto her: So are they who hauehave felt the ſaluation of God, at vtter defiance with the corruption of the world. And yet if this were done but for a time, or for companie,They leaue not ſin for a time, nor by conſtraint, or for company, feare, &c. or by conſtraint, and for feare, or any ſuch like corrupt end, it were not worth the ſpeaking of: for it is to be ſeene that after theſe ſorts, iniquitie is left of many: which kind of renouncing euill is little to their reioycing, and ſhalbe to their reproch, when it ſhall appeare in how euill manner they hauehave gone about it. I will not digreſſe, but this I muſt ſay: wee hauehave had too much experience in our parts, and (I doubt not) ſo hauehave others, of ſundrie perſons, who once accounted their teachers burning lights, and for a ſeaſon they receiued and reioyced in them, caſting off their old courſe in the ſight of men readily: but ſome for companie of thoſe, who perſwaded them; ſome for feare of the woe which hung ouer them; and others for good report, as long as they could hold out: but theſe, becauſe they renounced them not, neither vponupon good conſideration abiured them, they returned to them againe, as the dogge to his vomite: Whereas ſuch, who truly beleeuing do of conſcience renounce ſinne, doe as they in Nehemiah, came to the oath and the couenant, Nehem. 10.29. Abiure ſinne.that they would neuer take againe their ſtrange wiues, which they were commaunded to put away, nor looke back to Sodome any more: nor (being waſhed) wallow againe in the mire. Not our owne ſtrength.Which I ſay not as though their word, proteſtation, or oath, could alone by any ſtrength thereof, performe ſuch a weightie vow: but becauſe therewith they duly conſidered what cauſe they had to doe ſo: how infinitly they were bound to God to diſcharge it: and how firmely they were perſwaded,Phil. 4.13. Rom. 9.31. that God would make them (who had made them willing alreadie) able alſo to doe it.
And therefore although they ſaw not that helpe preſent, with eye; yet they hoped for that which they ſaw not, and therefore waited patiently for it, till it ſhould be granted them. And thus both faith and hope being nouriſhed and ſtrengthened in them from day to day, they who are the Lords, do finde both will to deſire, and ſtrength (though not perfect) to accompliſh, to the peace of their hearts, that which they hauehave ſet vponupon and attempted; I meane a departing, and that with willingnes, from their former intemperance.Got with much ſtriuing. Indeede it muſt be graunted, that this is not obtained without much ſtriuing againſt the ſame, and that it will coſt many prayers to weaken ſuch corruption, and to hold ſuch rebellion vnderunder: of meditating vppon Gods promiſes alſo: much ſighing, and ſorrow to ſee what vnlikelihoods there are of ſubduing ſuch vnruly paſſions, through our owne manifold weakneſſes. But what then? Is it much, if ſo great a worke require our watching thereto, and diligence, when God is pleaſed that it be beſtowed that way, and without it no common worke will goe forward?No diſcouragement. Matth. 19.29. Or is that any iuſt cauſe of diſcouragement to vsus, to take paine for ſo great profit, when we are ſure of it before we goe about it?
Faithfull alwaies preuaile not.But it may bee demaunded, doe God ſeruants alwaies preuaile in ſtriuing againſt euill? and obtaine that which they ſeeke thereby? for otherwiſe (ſay ſome) what diſcomfort and diſmaiednes will come thereby? I ſay, that as God oftē helpeth them, that they ouercome; ſo they are oft ouercome themſelues of their affections againſt which they ſtriue: but yet they hauehave learned not to be troubled at this,Yet finde comfort. 1. Pet. 1.5. as at any ſtrange thing, as if their hope were either wholy or chiefly vpholden hereby, and as though they held their happines by feeling onelyonly; when they are taught, that by grace they ſtand. Neither yet on the other ſide, doe they make light of it, when they are foiled and preuailed againſt:2. Cor. 12.6. Pſal. 116.11. but as they reioyced in meaſure, and gaue God the glorie, when they felt ſtrength of grace againſt their temptations: ſo after they come to themſelues againe, they are troubled, and ſorrowfull chiefly for diſpleaſing God,2. Cor. 7.8.9. & they take view of their owne frailtie, ignorance, & negligence better, and confeſſe the ſame to God, and take ſhame to themſelues: and caſt not away their confidence, but bee incouraged, and heartened both to hope for pardon, and alſo to bee more circumſpect in looking to their waies afterwards.
No hurt by abaſing.Now tell me, if Gods children be thus brought low and abaſed, ſomtimes to pull downe and aſſwage the ſtrength of pride in them, what fearefull matter is hereby fallen out? what raſing out of their faith is there hereby procured? or what great cauſe of complaining is this? when it is manifeſt to all who can iudge, that the thing which through ignorance and weake faith they feared would ſeparate them from God, doth faſten them more neerely vntounto him: and through his working, that which they thinke to bee cauſe of great ſorrowing, is turned indeede into ſound reioycing, and that for this cauſe eſpecially, that they doe better know themſelues hereby, and hauehave experience of his grace working in them; which otherwiſe they ſhould not hauehave had.
Gaine of our falles to purge vsus.I cannot more liuely compare the malice of Sathan in this caſe, then to one who thruſting thorough his enemie, and purpoſing to kill him, doth thereby let out the vlcer and corruption out of his bodie, and ſo preſerue him. After the ſame manner is it with Gods children: much priuie pride remaineth yet; and much ſecret fauouring of, and bearing with themſelues is in them; which is like to worke them great ſorrow and daunger: the diuell therefore ſore thruſting at them, and ſeeking to wound them with the feare of Gods anger, becauſe of their ſinnes, or ſome eſpeciall fall, doth thereby purge that corruption out of them by their ſeeing and confeſſing & forſaking the ſame, preuenting and watching againſt it afterward, and reſorting vntounto God by prayer of faith for pardon thereof, and that in earneſt ſort; ſo that they doe,Prou. 28.13. or may thereupon, obtaine it.
And thus we may ſee that euen then when Gods ſeruants are maſtered of their affections, and in fighting againſt them, are found the weaker: yet euen thoſe falles of theirs, doe turne to their exceeding good, afterwards. And therefore it is not their vndoing, when any ſuch thing falleth out,This is only to the beleeuer. as for want of faith, and experience many doe often feare. But yet let this (which I ſay) be wiſely receiued: that to the true beleeuers it ſhall thus come to paſſe, and not els: leaſt any hearing this, ſhould after he hath fallen, be little carefull to riſe vp againe in ſuch manner as I hauehave ſhewed, and yet thinke all ſhould bee well with him notwithſtanding, which is not poſſible.
Thus by occaſion of this obiection I hauehave bin longer then I had purpoſed in this matter. By this it may appeare,Beleeuers can renounce all. that how vnskilful ſoeuer the Chriſtian beleeuer was, and as vnable, as he was vnskilfull to renounce his ignorant and ſinfull luſts before the Lord became his teacher; yet ſince that he taught him to fight, he hath growne expert in that ſpirituall battell:Vnbeleeuers cannot. whereas others who hauehave not beleeued truly, ſhall find it is as poſſible for a black Moore to chaunge his skinne, or the Cattamountaine her ſpots, as for a man accustomed to euill, to leaue it. As Chriſt ſaid of the rich man: It is as eaſie for a camell to goe thorough the eye of a needle, as for a rich man to enter into the kingdome of heauen: ſo no more can a wicked man renounce his courſe: for the wiſedome of the fleſh, that is, of man vnrenued, is an enemie to God, becauſe it neither is, nor can be ſubiect vntounto him. If this were throughly ſetled in mens hearts,No dramme of goodnes in a naturall man. that there is no dramme of goodnes in them, by which they might be able to turne from their former wicked waies, but that their carnall wiſedome and reaſon, to the which they moſt cleaue, doe hinder and hold them backe from it; whereby it commeth to paſſe that it is ſo hard for them to renounce al that which is euill: would they not thinke it worth all labour and trauaile to come by it? who now are content to be deceiued in thinking that they hauehave it, and yet are vtterly without it? Neither can this bee otherwiſe with them whiles their hearts are vntamed, and remaining in their old eſtate: but when they be indued with new qualities, they ſhall finde this both poſſible and eaſie (as hath been ſaid) to commaund their luſts and deſires (which were ſometimes vnruly) and hauehave them in ſubiection by little and little.