A Care Cloth, Sermon 1 · Chapter 2
CHAP. II. Declaring ſome reaſons of the point from the neceſsitie of the dutie.
BVt what ſhould I heape vp Texts of Scripture, to confirme a moſt confeſſed truth?reaſons of the point. onelyonly for the better prouoking of your ſoules to the practice of the duty, let it not ſeeme amiſſe, that I ſtād ſomwhat largely, to acquaint you with ſtore of ſound reaſons, why you ſhould doe it. Know then, that this worke of mortification, is a worke needfull, profitable, equall, and ſucceſſefull. Need compelleth, profit allureth, equitie conuinceth, and ſucceſſe encourageth. You muſt doe it, or doe worſe; you ſhall be gainers by doing it; it is moſt righteous that you doe it; and in labouring about it, you ſhall not loſe your labour; therefore about it with all ſpeed, and with all diligence.
2. Firſt,1. Fromthe neceſſitie of it. for the neceſſitie of mortifying our earthly members. This ariſeth partly from Gods commandement, partly from the great danger that will ſurely befall vsus, vponupon our negligence herein. We all yeeld, that the commandement of a ſuperiour, doth tie thoſe that are vnderunder his authority,In regard of Gods commandement. and makes that thing needfull for them to doe, which before was left to their owne pleaſure and liking. His commandements therefore, that is the higheſt Superiour, doe lay the moſt abſolute neceſſitie vponupon his inferiours. Muſt is for the King, we ſay; How much more for the King of Kings? His commandement binds our conſciences, & impoſeth vponupon our ſoules, a neceſſitie of doing, what hee commands: ſo nothing can bee thought more needfull, then to doe what God requireth; and we hauehave ſhewed you before, that God hath often, and expreſſely required you, to plye this worke. Vnleſſe therefore you will become extremely rebellious againſt the manifeſt will of the greateſt Commander that is, or can be; you muſt endure the paines (though a paineful paines it will prooue) of putting your luſts to death. This is none of the things which you may do, if you pleaſe; if not, it is at your libertie; the matter is not great, if it bee left vndone. Nay, the ſtrongeſt bond in the world doth oblige you to it; the bond of your dutie to God, that made you. We may make vſe of Pauls words in this matter; Neceſſitie lyeth vponupon you, and wo vntounto you if you doe it not; for the commandements that require this dutie, will neuer admit of a diſpenſation.
3.In regard of the danger that will elſe inſue. But if God did not command it, yet the miſchiefe that will follow, if we be careleſſe of it, will make a wiſe man to perceiue a neceſſitie of doing it. We ſay in our common ſpeech, That we muſt needs doe that, the not-doing whereof will procure vsus ſuch inconueniences, as a man of vnderſtanding ſhould not bee willing to hazard himſelfe vntounto. Now doubtleſſe, if wee ſet not forward the worke of mortification with conſtant care, the miſchiefes that will enſue, are inſufferable; for wee hauehave a whole world of corruptions in vsus, which, if wee fight not againſt them continually, will gather ſtrength, and become mightie, to the great diſquietneſſe of our ſoules. He that findeth many diſeaſes growing vponupon him, ſaith, He muſt needs take phyſick to cure thoſe diſeaſes: he that hath diuers deadly wounds in his body, thinkes he cannot chuſe but vſe plaiſters to heale thoſe wounds: and wee that hauehave many corruptions, muſt needs take care to keepe vnderunder thoſe corruptions. For tho the ſeruants of God, at the time of their regeneration, doe receiue power ouer their corruptions, yet they bee not wholly ride of them. The dominion of ſinne is taken away, at the conuerſion of our ſoules to, God, the preſence of them is not taken away: they rule no longer in vsus, but ſtill they remaine in vsus; and that ſo, as, if they be not with daily labour kept vnderunder, they wil grow violent and head-ſtrong, and goe neere to recouer their ancient ſoueraigntie, at leaſt, to bring vsus into great thraldome, as the remnant of the Canaanites did the Iſraelites, that were ſlack in rooting them out. As therefore they that hauehave many enemies, muſt fight, ſo muſt we; the caſe ſtanding with vsus here, as with ſouldiers in the field, or with combatants in the liſts, that muſt kill or bee killed, at leaſt kill, or bee wounded. For, beſides the aptneſſe of our luſts to gather ſtrength, we hauehave the diuell alſo (a craftie, and a watchfull enemie) alwaies ſeeking after all occaſions of increaſing and ſtirring vp our corruptions, and labouring both to put fewell to the fire (as it were) and alſo to blow the coales too; that, if it bee poſſible, he may make them flame forth into ſome noyſome diſorder. Wherefore, if we doe not vſe ſome proportionable care to keepe downe ſinne, it cannot goe well with vsus. A King that hath not alone many mutinous perſons in his Kingdome, but alſo a ſtrong enemy without his Kingdome, readie to take all aduantages of inuading his dominions, and to draw thoſe Rebels together vntounto his partie, for the conquering of his Kingdome, muſt needs bee at the coſt and labour, to maintaine an Armie and Garriſons, to reſiſt ſuch an enemie, and repreſſe ſuch ſeditious perſons. Doubtleſſe, our caſe ſtands in ſuch termes. It is all Satans buſineſſe to make our luſts grow mightie, he cannot hurt vsus but by them, and therefore it is his greateſt labour to ſtrengthen them, by all the wayes hee can inuent. What can betide vsus then, but much miſerie, if wee bee ſlacke to performe on the contrarie, what in vsus lyeth, to infeeble them? Doubtleſſe, thoſe many diſordered paſſions that are in vsus, through the manifold deuices of Satan vſed for that purpoſe, will gaine to themſelues a great deale of ſtrength, and from their growth in ſtrength, will doe vsus a grat deale of hurt, vnleſſe we follow the Apoſtles counſell, to mortifie them.
4.Grieuing the Spirit. Amongſt, and aboue many other, foure euils will ſpring from hence: Firſt, wee ſhall grieue and quench the Spirit of God that is in vsus, and cauſe it to withdraw it ſelfe (as it were) and to forbeare thoſe comfortable operations, which it once did worke for our good; in ſo much, that at length, we ſhall hauehave no feeling of it, and ſcarce be able to diſcerne, whether it bee within vsus at all, yea, or no. The fleſh luſts againſt the Spirit, and the Spirit againſt the fleſh, and theſe two are contrarie one to the other: now the growth of one contrarie, is the diminiſhing of the other; ſo when the Saints are careleſſe to reſiſt the fleſh, they perceiue little or no power of the Spirit in them, and ſometimes alſo come to that paſſe, that they bee in a great feare and doubt, whether euer they had the Spirit, becauſe they thinke it is now ſo quite departed from them. If we fight mafully on the ſpirits ſide againſt carnall luſts, then the Spirit of Grace will worke, and ſhew it ſelfe mightie in vsus; if we ſit ſtill, and giuegive the fleſh leaue to hauehave its way, then the Spirit will leaue vsus, and alaſſe, it is wo with vsus, when that is cauſed to forſake vsus: for then our comfort, our peace, and our very life is gone.
5. But beſides this (and immediately vponupon it) our communion with God will bee interrupted,Interrupting our communion with God. and that comfortable ſence of his louelove (wherewith he was ſomtimes pleaſed to cheere vp, and reuiue our hearts,) will bee taken away from vsus. It is ſinne alone, that can make a ſeparation betwixt God and vsus, and (as a very makebate) ſets vsus againſt him, and him againſt vsus. So long as we continue, to vſe ſome good meaſure of care, to quell our wicked luſts, the Lord doth giuegive himſelfe (as it were) to be ſeene and felt of vsus; our ſoules enioy him, and doe taſte the vnſpeakeable ſweeteneſſe of his grace, reſting abundantly aſſured of his louelove, and ſatisfied in it; and finding him euer and anon, ſending meſſages of kindneſſe vntounto our ſoules, as a Generall that comes amongſt his ſouldiers, when they fight valiantly, and hartens them vp with his preſence and his ſpeech: but if the Lord find vsus dealing falſely, and treacherouſly with him, entring parley (as it were) with that Enemie, that he doth irreconcileably hate, and deteſt, and ready to make a truce with that foe, with whom hee would hauehave no truce taken, no, not for a moment; then doth he ceaſe to ſpeake friendly vntounto vsus (as there is great cauſe) and begins euen to chide, and reproue, and threaten, and ſend vsus tidings of great diſpleaſure. And ah, what ſoule can conceiue a more grieuous loſſe in this world, then the loſſe of the light of his countenance?
6.Committing of groſſe ſinnes. But ſometimes there followes a farre greater miſchiefe, namely, that he which gaue ſinne leaue to get head through careleſneſſe, is at laſt ſo foyled by the wicked luſts of his heart, that he falles to commit ſome groſſe and grieuous ſinnes, very foule, very loathſome, very diſgracefull. For you muſt not thinke, that the man regenerate, is out of the danger of being ouertaken with hainous offences. Indeed, whileſt hee is earneſt, in beating downe his vnruly paſſions, though he find trouble, yet he enioyes ſafetie; and though his luſts ſtruggle and annoy him, yet they cannot breake forth in extremitie; but if he once become heedleſſe, and thinke it too much, to be at the paines of continually mortifying them, then they raiſe vp themſelues, and carrie him captiue, and cauſe him to giuegive his members as weapons of vnrighteouſneſſe, preuailing ſo farre at length, that if God himſelfe did not (out of his vnchangeable louelove) come in to his reſcue, he would be brought backe againe into Egypt (as it were;) his ſoule would be quite ſlaine, the life of Grace would bee quite extinguiſhed, and hee would returne the ſecond time to bee dead in ſinnes. And, ah, what wiſe man would ſuffer his ſinnes to become ſo violent, as to carrie him into ſuch enormous deeds, as Dauid, and Salomon, and Aſa, and Vzziah, fell into, and all for want of mortifying theſe members? A man once ſanctified, may aſſure himſelfe vponupon his faithfull and conſtant endeauours in mortification, that he ſhall eſcape ſuch foules: but if he grow ſlacke in this dutie, he can expect nothing, but to hauehave his conſcience thus wounded. Is it not more then needfull for vsus to looke to our ſelues?
7. For laſtly,Sore afflictions. to the preuenting of farre greater euils, our not-ſufficiently mortified luſts, will bring vponupon vsus exceeding ſore afflictions, becauſe the goodneſſe of God is ſuch, that he wil not ſee vsus periſh by them, as we ſhould periſh, if he did not apply ſuch coroſiues to cure them. If afflictions come not betwixt, neglect of the dutie of mortification will produce the euill effect I laſt named, viz. the perpetrating of ſome vile and notorious wickedneſſe; ſometimes the Lord makes haſte to ſtrike vsus, for the preuenting of ſuch falles: but if we be once falne, then is there no way of recouerie, but by ſome bitter croſſe, either inward or outward, or moſt times both wayes. So we doe inforce the Lord of neceſſitie to afflict vsus (vnleſſe we would hauehave him loſe vsus quite) when we waxe careleſſe of ſeeking, to preuaile more and more againſt ſinne. A crazie bodie, hauing diſordered himſelfe in diet, muſt needs hauehave very ſicke fits, and ſome ſicke-making phyſicke he muſt needs take, or elſe death would follow his intemperancie. So our weake and crazie ſoules, being brought to ſtrange diſtempers by our folly, in not reſiſting the ſinfull and inordinate diſpoſitions of our ſoules, could neuer be brought again to any tolerable ſoundneſſe, if God did not, by heauie calamities, helpe to purge out thoſe euill humours, which we had ſuffered to peſter vp our ſoules, as we may ſee in Dauid and Aſa, after their ſinnes. And certainly, the farre greater number of croſſes which befall the people of God, doe come from hence, that their heauenly Father is faine (vnleſſe hee would ſee them damned, which he will neuer doe) by miſerie to keepe downe luſts, which they might (but will not, without miſery) keepe downe, by the careful exerciſe of mortification, and to draw them to repentance for thoſe loathſome ſinnes, which for lacke of mortifying their earthly members, they hauehave falne into, and would neuer repent of otherwiſe: ſo that if we will not bee content to put our ſelues to the labour of working out our ſaluation, by crucifying the fleſh, God will put vsus to the paines of bearing heauie croſſes, that ſhall helpe to crucifie them (in a manner) whether we will or no. And doe we not ſee a neceſſitie of mortification?