The Souls Conflict With Itself, Chapter 12
CAP. XII.
Of originall righteousnesse, naturall corruption, Satans joyning with it, and our duty thereupon.
§. 1.
BVt here marke a plot of spirituall treason; Sathan joyning with our corruption, setteth the wit on worke to perswade the soule, that this inward rebellion is not so bad, because it is naturall to us, as a condition of nature, rising out of the first principles in our Most of the most dangerous opinions of Popery, as Justification by works, state of perfection, merit, satisfaction, supererogation, &c. spring frō hence that they have sleight cō ceits of cō cupiscence as a condition of nature; Yet some of them as Michael Bayns professor at Lovane, &c. are sound in the point.creation, and was curbed in by the bridle of original righteousnesse, which they would have accessary and supernaturall, and therefore alledge that concupiscence is lesse odious and more excusable in us, and so, no great danger in yeelding and betraying our Soule… unto it, and by that meanes perswading us, that that which is our deadliest enemie, hath no harme in it, nor meaneth any to us.
This rebellion of lusts against the understanding, is not naturall, as our nature came out of Gods hands at the first: For this being evill and the ca… of evill, could not come from God wh… is Good, and the cause of all good, and nothing but good: who upon the creation of all things pronounced them good, and after the creation of man pronounced of all things that they were very good. Now that which is ill and very ill, cannot be seated at the same Answ.time in that which is good and very Gen. 1.good: God created man at the first, right, he of himselfe sought out many inventions. As God beautified the heaven with starres, and decked the earth with variety of plants, and hearbs, and flowers, So hee adorned man his prime creature here below, with all those endowments that were fit for a happy condition, and originall righteousnesse was fit and due to an originall and happy condition. Therefore as the Angels were created with all Angelicall perfections, and as our bodies were created in an absolute temper of all the humours; so the soule was created in that sweet harmony wherein there was no discord, as an instrument in tune fit to be moved to any duty; as a cleane neat glasse the soule represented Gods image and holinesse.
§. 2.
Therefore it is so farre, that concupiscence should be naturall, that the contrary to it, namely, Righteousnesse, wherein Adam was created, was naturall to him; though it were planted in mans nature by God, and so in regard of the cause of it, was supernaturall, yet because it was agreeable to that happy condition, without which he could not subsist, in that respect i… was naturall, and should have beene derived (if hee had stood) together with his nature, to his posterity. As hear i… the ayre, though it hath its first impression from the heate of the Sunne, yet is naturall, because it agreeth … the nature of that element: and though man be compounded of a spirituall and earthly substance, yet it is naturall that the baser earthly part should be subject to the Superiour, because where th… is different degrees of worthinesse, it is fit there should be a subordination of the meaner to that which is in ord… higher. The body naturally de… food and bodily contentments, yet i… a man indued with reason, this desire i… governed so as it becomes not inor… nate: A beast sinnes not in its appet… because it hath no power above to order it. A man that lives in a soli… place farre remote from company, may take his liberty to live as it pleas… him; but if he comes to live under the government of some well ordered Citie; then hee is bound to submit to the …wes, and customes of that Citie, under penalty, upon any breach of order: So the risings of the soule, howsoever in other creatures they are not blameable, having no commander in themselves above them, yet in man they are to bee ordered by reason and judgement.
Therefore it cannot be, that concupiscence should be naturall, in regard of the state of creation; It was Adams sin which had many sinnes in the wombe of it, that brought this disorder upon the Soule; Adams person first corrupted our nature, and nature being corrupted, corrupts our persons, and our persons being corrupted, encrease the corruption of our nature, by custome of sinning, which is another nature in us; as a streame the farther it runnes from the spring head, the more it enlargeth its channell, by the running of lesser rivers unto it, untill it empties it selfe into the Sea; So corruption, till it be overpowred by grace, swelleth bigger and bigger, so that though this disorder was not naturall, in regard of the first creation, yet since the fall it is become naturall, even as wee call that which is common to the whole kinde, and propagated from parents to their children, to bee naturall; So that it is both naturall and against nature, naturall now, but against nature in its first perfection.
And because corruption is naturall to us, therefore 1. we delight in it, whence it comes to passe, that our soules are 1carried along in an easie current, to the committing of any sinne without opposition. 2. Because it is naturall, therefore it is unwearied and restlesse, … 2.light bodies are not wearied in th… motion upwards, nor heavie bodies i… their motion downwards, nor a streame in its running to the Sea, because it … naturall: Hence it is that the old man … never tyred in the works of the flesh, … never drawne dry. When men cannot act sinne, yet they will love sinne, and act it over againe by pleasing though… of it, and by sinfull speculation suck out the delight of sinne; and are grieved, not for their sinne, but because they want strength and opportunity to commit it; If sinne would not leave them, they would never leave sinne. This corruption of our nature is not wrought in us by reason and perswasions, for then it might be satisfied with reasons, but it is in us by way of a naturall inclination, as iron is caried to the Loadstone; And till our natures be altered, no reason will long prevaile, but our sinful disposition as a streame stopt for a little while, will breake out with greater violence. 3. Being naturall it needs no help, as the earth needs no tillage 3.to bring forth weeds. Whē our corrupt nature is carried contrary to that which is good, it is caried of it selfe. As when Sathan lyes or murthers, it comes from his owne cursed nature; and though Sathan joyneth with our corrupt nature, yet the pronenesse to sinne and the consent unto it, is of our selves.
§. 3.
But how shall we know, that Satan Quest.joynes with our nature, in those actions unto which nature it selfe is pro…? Then Satan addes his helpe, when … Answ.nature is carried more eagerly then ordinary to sinne; as when a streame runnes violently, wee may know t… there is not onelyonly the tide, but the winde that carrieth it.
So in sudden and violent rebellious it is Satan that pusheth on nature … to it selfe of God. A stone falls downward by its owne weight, but if it … very swiftly, wee know it is thro… downe by an outward mover. Though there were no Devill, yet our corrupt nature would act Satans part against … selfe, it would have a supply of wickednesse, Nemo se palpet de suo, Satan est, &c. Aug,(as a Serpent hath poyson) from it selfe, it hath a spring to feed ….
But that man whilest he lives here … not altogether excluded from hope … happinesse, and hath a nature not … large and capable of sinne as Sat… whereupon hee is not so obstinate … hating God, and working mischiefe as hee, &c. Otherwise there is for kinde the same cursed disposition, and malice of nature against true goodnes in man, which is in the devils and damned spirits themselves.
It is no mitigation of sinne, to plead it is naturall, for naturall diseases (as leprosies) that are derived from Parents, are most dangerous, and least curable; Neither is this any excuse, for because as it is naturall, so it is voluntary, not onelyonly in Adam, in whose loines wee were, and therefore sinned; but likewise in regard of our selves, who are so farre from stopping the course of sin either in our selves or others, that wee feed and strengthen it, or at least give more way to it, and provide lesse against it then wee should, untill wee come under the government of grace; and by that meanes, we justifie Adams sinne, and that corrupt estate that followeth upon it, and shew, that if we had beene in Adams condition our selves, wee would have made that ill choice which hee made. And though this corruption of our nature be necessary to us, yet it is no violent necessity from an outward cause, but a necessity that we willingly pull upon our selves, and therefore ought the more to humble us; for the more necessarily we sin, Suspira…a ligatus, non ferro aliqu…, sed mea ferreavolūtate, vellē meum tenebet ini…icus & inde mihi catenam secerit, Aug. Confess.the more voluntarily, and the more voluntarily, the more necessarily; the will putting it selfe voluntarilie into these fetters of sinne. Necessity is no plea, when the will is the immediate cause of any action: Mens hearts tell them they might rule their desires if they would; For tell a man of any dish which hee liketh, that there is poyson in it, and he will not meddle with it; So tell him Quicquid si… imperavit animus, …. Seneca.that death is in that sinne which hee is about to commit, and he will abstaine if hee beleeve it be so; if hee beleeve it not, it is his voluntary unbeleefe and atheisme.
If the will would use that soveraigntie it should, and could at the first, wee should bee altogether freed from this necessity. Men are not damned because they cannot do better, but because they will do no better; If there were no will there would be no hell; For men willingly submit to the rule and law of sin, C…sset voluntas propria & non erit infernusthey plead for it, and like it so well, as they hate nothing so much as that which any way withstandeth those lawlesse lawes.
Those that thinke it their happinesse to doe what they will, that they might bee free, crosse their owne desires, for this is the way to make them most perfect slaves. When our will is the next immediate cause of sinne, and our consciences beare witnesse to us that it is so; then conscience is ready to take Gods part in accusing our selves: Our consciences tell us to our faces, that we might doe more then wee doe to hinder sinne; and that when wee sinne, it is not through weaknesse, but out of the wickednesse of our nature:
Our Consciences tell us that wee sinne not onelyonly willingly, but often with delight, (so farre forth as wee are not subdued by grace, or awed by something above us,) and that wee esteeme any restraint to bee our misery. And where by grace the will is strengthened, so, that it yeelds not a full consent, yet a gracious soule is humbled even for the sudden risings of corruption that prevent deliberation. As here David, though he withstood the risings of his heart, yet hee was troubled, that hee had so vile a heart that would rise up against God, and therefore takes it downe. Who is there that hath not cause to be humbled, not only for his corruption, but that hee do… not resist it with that strength, nor labour to prevent it with that diligence, which his heart tells him he might?
Wee cannot have too deepe apprehensions of this breeding sinne, the … ther and nurse of all abominations, for the more we consider the height, the depth, the breadth, and length of it, the more shall wee bee humbled in our selves, and magnifie the height, the Ephes. 3. 18depth, the breadth, and the length of Gods mercy in CHRIST. The favourers of nature are alwayes the enemies of grace; This which some think and speake so weakly and faintly of, is a worse enemy to us then the devill himselfe; a more neere, a more restlesse, a more traiterous enemy, for by intelligence with it the Devill doth us all the hurt he doth, and by it maintaines …orts in us against goodnesse. This is that which either by discouragement or contrariety hinders us from good; or else by deadnesse, tediousnesse, distractions, or corrupt aimes hinders us in doing good, this putteth us on to evill, and abuseth what is good i… us, or from us, to cover or colour sinne; and furnishes us with reasons either to maintaine what is evill, or shifts to translate it upon false causes, or sences to arme us against whatsoever shall oppose us in our wicked waies: Though it neither can nor will be good, yet it would bee thought to be so by others, and enforces a conceit upon it selfe that it is good. It imprisons and keepes downe all light that may discover it, both within it selfe, and without it self, if it lie in its power: It flatters it selfe, and would have all the world flatter it too, which if it doth not, it frets; especially if it bee once discovered and crossed: hence comes all the plotting against goodnesse, that sinne may reigne without controule. Is it not a lamentable case that man, who out of the very principles of nature cannot but desire happinesse and abhorre misery, yet should bee in love with eternall misery in the causes of it, and abhorre happinesse in the wayes that leade unto it? This sheweth us what a wonderfull deordination and disorder is brought upon mans nature; For every other creature is naturally carried to that which is helpfull unto it, and shunneth that which is any way hurtfull and offensive; OnelyOnly man is in love with his owne bane, and fights for those lusts that fight against his soule.
§. 4.
Our duty is, 1. to labour to see this sinfull disposition of ours not onelyonly as Sixefold duty in respect of naturall corruption.it is discovered in the Scriptures, but as it discovers it selfe in our owne hearts; this must must be done by the 1.light and teaching of Gods Spirit, who knowes us and all the turnings and windings and by-wayes of our soules, better then wee know our selves. Wee must see it as the most odious and lothsome thing in the world, making our natures contrary to Gods pure nature, and of all other duties making us most indisposed to spirituall duties, wherein wee should have neerest communion with God; because it seizeth on the very spirits of our mindes.
2. Wee should looke upon it, as worse then any of those filthy streames 2.that come from it, nay then all the impure issues of our lives together; there is more fire in the fornace then in the sparkles; There is more poyson in the root then in all the branches; for if the streame were stopt, & the branches cut off, and the sparkles quenched, yet there would bee a perpetuall supply; as in good things, the cause is better then the effect, so in ill things the cause is worse. Every fruit should make this poysonfull root more hatefull to us, and the root should make us hate the fruit more, as comming from so bad a root, as being worse in the cause, then in it selfe; the affection is worse then the action, which may be forced or counterfeited. Wee cry out upon partic…r Evills of not bewailing our corrupt nature.sinnes, but are not humbled as wee should be for our impure dispositions; Without the sight of which there … be no sound repentance arising from the 1deep and through consideration of sin; no desire to be new moulded, without which we can never enter into so holy 2.a place as heaven; no selfe deniall till 3.we see the best things in us are enmity against God; no high prizing of Christ, 4.without whō our natures, our perso…, and our actions are abominable in Go… 5.sight; nor any solid peace setled in the soule which peace ariseth not from the ignorance of our corruption, or compounding with it, but from sight and hatred of it, and strength against it.
3. Consider the spiritualnesse and large extent of the law of God, together 3.with the curse annexed, which forbids not onelyonly particular sinnes, but all the kindes, degrees, occasions, and furtherances of sinne in the whole breadth and depth of it, and our very nature it selfe so farre as it is corrupted; For want of which, we see many alive without the law, joviall and merry from ignorance Rom. 7. 9.of their misery, who if they did but once see their natures and lives in that glasse, it would take away that livelinesse and courage from them, and make them vile in their owne eyes; Men usually looke themselves in the lawes of the State wherin they live, and thinke themselves good enough, if they are free from the danger of penall statutes; this glasse discovers onelyonly foule spots, grosse scandalls, and breakings out: Or else they judge of themselves by parts of nature, or common grace, or by outward conformity to Religion, or else by that light they have to guide themselves in the affaires of this life, by their faire and civill carriage, &c. and thereupon live and die without any sense of the power of godlinesse, which begins in the right knowledge of our selves, and ends in the right knowledge of God. The spiritualnesse and purity of the law should teach us to consider the purity and holinesse of God; the bringing of our soules into whose presence will make us to abhorre our selves Iob 42. 6.(with Iob) in dust and ashes; contraries are best seene by setting one neere the other; Whilest we looke onelyonly on o… selves, and upon others amongst whom we live, we think our selves to be some body. It is an evidence of some sincerity wrought in the soule, not to shunne that light which may let us see the soul corners of our hearts and lives.
4. The consideration of this likewise 4.should enforce us to carry a double guard over our soules, David was very watchfull, yet we see here he was surprized unawares by the sudden rebellion of his heart; we should observe our hearts as governours doe rebells and mutinous persons: Observation awes the heart; We see to what an excesse sinne groweth in those that deny themselves nothing, nor will be denied in any thing; who if they may doe what they will, will doe what they may; who turne liberty into licence, and make all their abilities and advantages to doe good, contributary to the commands of overruling and unruly lusts.
Were it not that God partly by his power suppresseth, and partly by his grace subdueth the disorders of mans nature for the good of society, and the gathering of a Church upon earth; Corruption would swell to that excesse, that it would overturne and confound all things together with it selfe. Although there bee a common corruption that cleaves to the nature of all men in generall, as men, (as distrust in GOD, selfe-love, a carnall and worldly disposition, &c.) yet God so ordereth it, that in some there is an ebbe and decrease, in others (God justly leaving them to themselves) a flow and encrease of sinfulnesse, even beyond the bounds of ordinary corruption, whereby they become worse then themselves, either like beasts in sensuality, or like devills in spirituall wickednesse; though all be blinde in spirituall things, yet some are more blinded: though all be hard hearted, yet some are more hardened: though all be corrupt in evill courses, yet some are more corrupted: and sinke deeper into rebellion then others.
Sometimes God suffers this corruption to breake out in civill men, ye… even in his owne children, that they may know themselves the better, and because sometimes corruption is weckned not onelyonly by smothering, but by having a vent, whereupon grace sti… up in the soule a fresh hatred and r… venge against it; and lets us see a necessity of hauing whole Christ, not onelyonly to pardon sinne, but to purge and cleanse our sinfull natures. But yet that which is ill in it selfe, must not be done for the good that comes by it by accident; Caution.this must be a comfort after … surprisalls, not an encouragement before.
5. And because the divine nat…, wrought in us by divine truth together 5.with the Spirit of God, is the onelyonly counter-poyson against all sinne, and whatsoever is contrary to God in us, therefore wee should labour that the truth of God may bee grafted in … hearts, that so all the powers of our soules may rellish of it; that there may be a sweet agreement betwixt the soule and all things that are spirituall, that truth being ingrafted in our hearts, we may be ingrafted into Christ, and grow up in him, and put him on more and more, and be changed into his likenesse. Nothing in heaven or earth will worke out corruption and change our dispositions but the spirit of Christ, clothing divine truths, with a divine power to this purpose.
6. When corruption rises pray it 6.downe, as S. Paul did, and to strengthen 2 Cor. 12. 8thy prayer, claime the promise of the new couenant that God would circumcise our hearts, and wash us with cleane water, Ezek. 36. 25. 27.that hee would write his law in our hearts and give us his holy spirit when we begge it; And looke upon Christ as a publique fountaine open for Iudah and Zach. 13.Ierusalem to wash in.
Herein consists our comfort, 1. that 1.Christ hath all fulnesse for us, and that our nature is perfect in him; 2. That 2.Christ in our nature hath satisfied divine justice, not onelyonly for the sinne of our lives, but for the sinne of our nature. And 3. that hee will never give over untill by his spirit hee hath made 3.our nature holy and pure as his owne, till hee hath taken away not onelyonly the reigne, but the very life and being of sinne out of our hearts. 4. That to this end he leaves his Spirit and truth in the 4.Church to the end of the world, that the seed of the Spirit may subdue the seed of the serpent in us, and that the Spirit may be a never-failing spring of all holy thoughts, desires, and endeavo… in us, and dry up the contrary issue and spring of corrupt nature.
And Christians must remember when they are much annoyed with their corruptions, that it is not their particular case alone, but the condition of all Gods people, least they be discouraged by looking on the ugly deformed visage of old Adam: which affrighteth some so farre, that it makes them think, No mans nature is so vile … theirs; which were well if it tended to humiliation onelyonly; but Sathan often abuseth it towards discouragement and desperation. Many out of a misconceit think that corruption is greatest when they feele it most, whereas indeed, the lesse wee see it and lament it, the more it is. Sighes and groanes of the soule are like the pores of the body, out of which in diseased persons sicke humours breake forth, and so become lesse. The more we see and grieve for pride, which is as immediate issue of our corrupted nature, the lesse it is, because wee see it by a contrary grace; the more sight the more hatred, the more hatred of sinne the more love of grace, and the more love the more life, which the more lively it is, the more it is sensible of the contrary: upon every discovery and conflict corruption loses some ground, and grace gaines upon it.