A Care Cloth, Sermon 1 · Chapter 14
CHAP. XIV. Containing a conſolation and encouragement to thoſe that hauehave been, and are painefull in the dutie of Mortification.
Vſe. 4 THere are alſo ſome,Comfort and incouragement to all truly mortified men. I make no queſtion, which hauehave done the office of valiant men, and can looke vponupon the carcaſſes of ſinnes, as Samſon did once of the dead Philiſtims. This worke, I know well, hath prooued painefull to them. It is a tedious buſineſſe to fight againſt the things that corrupt nature loueth ſo well. But as any dutie that God requireth, doth ſtand vsus in more labour, ſo ſhall it affoord vsus more comfort here, and more bliſſe hereafter. He that hath begun the worke of mortification ſo farre (as I told you before, in ſpeaking of the firſt degree of it) that now thoſe ſinnes which once raigned in him, are put downe from their regencie; and thoſe corruptions that once have was a ſlaue vntounto, are now depoſed from their throne, as it were, and doe ceaſe to command in his members, as once they did, hath much cauſe to reioyce in the ſaluation of GOD, although hee find theſe luſts ſtill ſtriuing, and labouring to recouer their ancient ſoueraigntie.
2. It is certaine, that the Spirit of GOD doth rule in him, in whom ſinne hath ceaſed to rule. Euerie man is vnderunder the command of the fleſh, or of the Spirit: euerie man is ſubiect to the Lord, ruling in him by Grace, or to the Deuill ruling in him by luſt. Satan is a verie ſtrong man, and our owne luſts are his weapons, none can bind this man, and caſt him out: but the Spirit of ſtrength, of which Saint Iohn ſaith, Stronger is he that is in vsus,1. Iohn 4.4. then hee that is in the world. Wherefore if any man that was once vnderunder the yoke of wrath, luſt, reuenge, couetouſneſſe, or any other vile affection, doe find now, that by feruent prayers to God, by the power of the Word in holy meditations applied to him, and by vertue of the death of Chriſt, and other like ſpirituall meanes by him vſed, the Lord hath pleaſed to pull this yoke from off his necke, ſo as now, in ſtead of taking delight in the euill motions of ſinne, hee is grieued in his ſoule, when ſuch thoughts doe ſtirre in his ſoule, and ceaſeth not to crie to Heauen, till he find them beaten backe againe, and doth not now yeeld vp himſelfe to follow theſe things with greedineſſe, but is vſually able to forbeare the palpable practice of ſinne; and if hee be ouertaken in any groſſe manner, hee is greatly humbled and abaſed, and recouers himſelfe with ſpeedie confeſſion, and lamentation, and renewing of his reſolutions: If any man, I ſay, doe find the caſe to ſtand thus with him, hee hath in ſome meaſure fought and preuailed; and now bleſſed bee hee of the Lord, let him looke vponupon the dead bodies of his luſts with much comfort, and let him triumph in God, that hath conquered for him; and let him encourage himſelfe ſtill to continue fighting, that ſtill his ſoule may increaſe in ſtrength, as the Houſe of Dauid is ſaid to hauehave done, and his ſinnes may grow weaker and weaker, as it was ſaid of the Houſe of Saul.
3. My Brethren, this warre whereinto you are entred, muſt laſt for terme of life. The fleſh and Spirit can neuer bee reconciled, there is no thinking of any peace, but that which will bee worſe then diſhonourable, euen damnable; and a ſure warre, is much rather to be choſen, then an vnſure peace, much more then a peace, which will be ſurely miſchieuous. Now by how much the warre will prooue of longer continuance, by ſo much had you need to put on more ſtrength, that you may endure; and a great part of your ſtrength muſt grow from your comforts in your good beginnings. Wherfore now, let euerie true mortified man (according to the riddle that Samſon once propounded to his companions) fetch ſweetneſſe out of the ſtrong, and meate out of the eater; let them find an Honie-combe in the carcaſſe of the Lyon which they hauehave ſlaine, and goe eating; let them, I meane, take great conſolation in the ſight of their happie proceedings in this heauenly worke.
4. There bee ſome Worthies of Iſrael, that hauehave lifted vp their ſpeares againſt many hundreds (as it were) and left them all dead in the place: the hearts of ſuch doe nto much need to bee wiſhed to take comfort. The content they find, in perceiuing the ſtrength of ſinne ſo much abated in them, is vnſpeakeable. Dauid was no more full of ioy, when hee ſaw Goliah come tumbling to the ground, then are their ſoules, when they looke vponupon this ſlaughter, that God hath inabled them to make among their luſts. No man is able to ſet forth in words, the ioy that growes to a man, who is hard ſet to by a cruell enemie, (of whom hee lookes for nothing but death, vnleſſe hee preuent it by giuing death) when hee ſees him fall downe wounded, and gaſping for breath. O, with what a countenance and cheere, did Iael runne to meete Barak, and to bring him to the ſight of dead Siſera? Surely the content of a ſpirituall man, in his ſpirituall victories, when now his ſinnes are euen breathing their laſt (as I may ſo ſpeake) is no whit leſſe; yea, it is much more ſolid, then that of ſuch a conquerour. Thoſe that hauehave happily paſſed the brunt of this battaile, and hauehave their enemies in the flight, rather then the conflict, are (and hauehave cauſe to bee) the chearefulleſt of all men, they bee like ſouldiers purſuing their foes with that ioyfull ſhoute of victorie, victorie in their mouthes, and they enioy the comfort of their former labour with much thankefulneſſe.
5. But there are other ſome, that hauehave not yet attained ſo much ſtrength, nor gotten ſo much ground againſt their foes. They are now, as it were, in the verie hotteſt of the skirmiſh, the bullets flie about their eares, as I may ſo ſpeake, and their corruptions are violent within them, and doe often with great ſtrength hale them, and draw them captiue to the law of ſinne, which is in their members. They do ſometimes get the better, and beate back euill deſires, and find themſelues mightily reſolued to ſinne no more: at other times, euill deſires doe mightily afflict them, and they are wellneere readie to faint and fall, ſcarce able to retaine their purpoſe of goodneſſe, ſcarcely able to hold out in their reſolution of not ſinning; yea, it may bee contrarie to their reſolutions, pulled by the fleſh to do the euill that they hate; but then feeling themſelues wounded, they ſmart, and bleed, and ſtruggle with their foe, and get vp againe, and againe betake themſelues to their weapons of prayer and meditation, which were almoſt wreſted out of their hands for a time, and come crying and mourning before the Throne of Grace, begging pardon, begging helpe, and ſo againe confirme their Faith, and renew their repentance, and make vp the breaches of their new obedience. Theſe poore Saints (like ſouldiers, whoſe enemies doe yet hold their owne, and make ſtrong reſiſtance) are often full of feare, and care, and doubt, their hearts often droope, and they miſtruſt ſometimes, leſt they ſhall bee vanquiſhed, rather then ouercome. Let mee therefore apply my ſpeech to he encouragement of thoſe that need encouragement. I ſay vntounto thee whoſoeuer; that art in this caſe, that thy caſe is good and happy, and that thou haſt much cauſe of reioycing in God, notwithſtanding all the trouble and cumber that thou findeſt with thy ſinnes. It is a bleſſed thing, and a great and vnſpeakeable fauour of God, that to what luſts thou didſt once do ſeruice with all thy might, thoſe thou now oppoſeſt with all thy might; what corruptions thou didſt follow with greedineſſe, thou doeſt as it were with greedineſſe reſiſt; what thou didſt once place thine happineſſe in doing, now it is thy greateſt vnhappineſſe, that thou art inclined to doe. This, I ſay, is an eſtate that ſhould giuegive thee much comfort. Once thou didſt ſerue ſinne; now thou fighteſt againſt ſinne: once thou waſt a willing ſlaue to it; now thou art a reſolute ſouldier againſt it. Thou falleſt into ſinne verie ſeldome, which thou didſt runne into verie vſually. Thou falleſt into farre leſſe euils of that kind, wherein thou didſt once commit farre more grieuous; and now the leaſt degrees of ſinne doe more diſquiet thee, then once the higheſt did; and now thou letteſt not ſo much as the thought of that goe vnconfeſſed and vnlamented before God, the groſſeſt act of which thou waſt wont to hide, and couer, and excuſe, and not to confeſſe. Take courage to thy ſelfe therefore, and enioy the beginnings of victorie, and bee aſſured of the concluſion. Thou art now in killing ſinne, and thou ſhalt kill it; thou art now buſie in the conflict, and thou ſhalt deuide the ſpoile.
6. Now, all ye ſuldiers of Chriſt Ieſus, that find in your ſelues the beginnings of mortification, and a firme purpoſe of ſoule to continue, reſiſting, ſtriuing, fighting, bleſſe God, that hath giuen you his Spirit of libertie in ſome meaſure, and apply your ſelues now with all your might, to conſummate the worke begun: Let not your hands waxe feeble, nor your hearts faint. Remember the words of the Apoſtle,1. Cor. 16.13. Watch yee, ſtand faſt, quit you like men, be ſtrong. He that continueth to fight, ſhall ſurely ouercome. Let no doubt ſeize vponupon you, to weaken your hands: the Lord your God he fighteth for you: beleeue his promiſes, giuegive credit to his Word, and you ſhall proſper. Take comfort in your eſtate that hauehave entred into the battaile. The young men and the babes in Chriſt, which hauehave not yet ſo mightily preuailed in this warre, are happie, as well, though they doe not ſo fully feele their happineſſe, as the old beaten ſouldiers, and ancient Captaines, to whom a larger meaſure of ſucceſſe hath giuen a larger ſenſe of comfort. The weakeſt and feebleſt of all Chriſts ſouldiers, that layes at ſinne with as much ſtrength as his weake armes can, that beares a ſpight to it in his ſoule, that reſolues neuer to yeeld to it, whateuer come of him, and that wil neuer make peace with it, though hee may take foyles by it, nor neuer yeeld vp himſelfe into its hands, thought hee may bee wounded, hee doth mortifie the members that are vponupon earth, and hee is, and let him know himſelfe to be happy, that comfort may make him more couragious, and courage may make him more comfortable.
foreign.
FINIS.
Charitable Teares: OR A SERMON SHE WING HOW NEEDFVLL A THING IT IS FOR EVERY GODLY man to lament the common ſinnes of our Countrie.
Preached in Banburie.
Iſaiah 22.12, 13, 14.
In that day did the Lord God of Hoſtes call to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldneſſe, and to girding with ſackcloth:
And behold, ioy and gladneſſe, ſlaying oxen, and killing ſheepe, eating fleſh, and drinking wine. Let vsus eate and drinke: for tomorrow we ſhall die.
And it was reuealed in mine eares by the Lord of Hosts; Surely this iniquitie ſhall not be purged from you, till yee die, ſaith the Lord God of hoſts.
LONDON, Imprinted by Felix Kyngston for Thomas Man. 1623.