A Care Cloth, Sermon 1 · Chapter 5
CHAP. V. Shewing the certaintie of good ſucceſſe in fighting against our luſts.
BVt let vsus haſten to an end,Fourthly, from the certaintie of good ſucceſſe. and conſider, in the laſt place, what ſucceſſe we ſhall bee ſure to meete with, in this fight, if wee arme our ſelues with a conſtant reſolution to continue fighting, and neuer, for any feare, or any cauſe to giuegive ouer.We ſhall loſe nothing by mortifying the fleſh. Firſt, we ſhall loſe nothing at all, that is worth hauing. A man may enioy all lawfull conents, profits and pleaſures, and whatſoeuer is truly needfull to the comfort and welfare of his body, mind and ſtate; though he follow Gods direction, and mortifie theſe members that are vponupon the earth: and nothing ſhall we get by following, feeding, and nouriſhing them, but that which for the preſent is idle, vaine, needleſſe, ſuperfluous, and might better be ſpared then had; and for the time to come alſo, will prooue miſchieuous and banefull. A man may ſee well enough without that eye, that Chriſt bids him pull out, and caſt from him; he may well enough walke, and liue, and performe all actions of life for his benefit, without that foote and hand, which our Lord doth bid vsus to cut off, and fling from vsus. If it ſeeme to bring blindneſſe, lameneſſe and maimedneſſe, it is but a conceited and imaginarie lameneſſe, blindnes, and maimedneſſe, that appeareth ſo to vsus, and is not; as he that is borne a monſter with ſixe fingers, might very well cut off one, and yet ſtill hauehave a perfect hand, and better for vſe, then that that had ſuch ſuperfluitie of members. Adam and Euah might hauehave filled their bellies in Paradiſe, though they had neuer come neere to the tree of Knowledge of Good and Euill; God had prouided them ſtore of fruit to pleaſe their eye and taſte, and feed their bodies, though they had vtterly forborne that forbidden fruit. So doth the Lord allow to the ſonnes of Adam, ſufficient ſtore, and varietie of lawfull and warrantable things to enioy; ſo that wee may hauehave as much good, as our ſoules can wiſh, though we caſt from vsus all ſinfull luſts, and refuſe to follow the inclinations of them. The inordinate affections of our ſoule, are like the vnnaturall deſires of the ſtomake, when it longeth for things that are ſowre, and naught, and vnwholeſome, as it were for raw fleſh, vnripe fruite, or things farre worſe then theſe. There is wholeſome and neceſſary food enough in he world, though a man ſhould neuer eate dirt and coles, as ſome hauehave longed after. So wee can bee no loſers, by healing our ſelues of theſe diſeaſes of the mind, which carry vsus after nothing that is worth the hauing, if wee did meaſure things by a well-ordered iudgement.
2. But moreouer,God will accept our labor to mortifie ſinne. we ſhal be ſure to find acceptance with God, in this our endeauour of mortification, though we come farre ſhort of perfection, ſo long as wee doe heartily and ſincerely ſtriue to perfection. Hee that fights reſolutely againſt ſinne with ſpirituall weapons, ſhall bee accounted a good ſouldier, though he be wounded in the battell, and knocked downe, and taken priſoner, and the Lord will redeeme and ranſome him againe, and not ſuffer him to periſh, or be made a bond-ſlaue in that captiuitie. If we cannot make our corruptions grow ſo weake as we would, yet if wee be ſtill drawing forth the weapons of our Chriſtian warfare, and vſing them ſo well as we can, to fight againſt our luſts, wee ſhall inioy the eſteeme and reputation of faithfull ſubiects, and God and our conſciences will giuegive vsus this comfortable and honourable title of good ſouldiers of Chriſt Ieſus. And what an encouragement ought this to be, that we are certaine, our Lord and King will take well our paines, in fighting theſe battels of his, ſo well as wee can, though in many things we come too ſhort? The will and endeauour in this ſpirituall combate, is taken for the deed; he that earneſtly deſireth, and heartily labours to conquer his beloued corruptions, is accounted a conquerour, euen though, as yet, hee bee none. Hee that reſolues, he will neuer giuegive ouer the fight, but will vp againe after all foyles, and buckle his harneſſe to him againe, though the law of his members doe ſometimes draw him captiue, after the law of ſinne that is in his members; he, I ſay, that ſo reſolueth, and ſo reneweth his reſolutions and endeauours, is reputed by the mercy of God in Chriſt, to hauehave done that he would hauehave done, and to hauehave accompliſhed that, that he deſired to accompliſh. Aſſurance of good acceptance of the weakeſt endeauours, ſo long as they bee true, may make the weake, as the Prophet ſpeaketh, to ſay he is ſtrong, and forgetting his weakeneſſe, to ſet vponupon the worke as if hee were ſtrong, becauſe euen his weakeneſſe ſhall be accounted ſtrength, if his deſires, purpoſes, wiſhes, and reſolutions bee ſtrong. There is nothing that can animate a man more to march after Chriſt, then this conſideration.1. Sa. 30.21, 25. Dauid had two hundred ſouldiers that were faint, and could not follow the Amalekites that had burnt Ziglag, but were faine to ſtay behind, and doe a meaner ſeruice, of attending on the ſtuffe and carriages. Some of thoſe that fought, and vanquiſhed the Amalekites, would hauehave had theſe faint ones, to hauehave been turned off, without any part of the bootie. But Dauids anſwere was; Who will hearken to you in this? And he made it a law in Iſrael, that he which tarried by the ſtuffe, ſhould ſhare of the ſpoyle of the enemy with him that fought in the battell. Our King, our Dauid, keeps this law, If a mans heart be good to follow, and kill theſe Amalekites, though his body faint, and he be driuen to ſtay by the ſtuffe, he ſhal enioy the prey, and diuide the ſpoyle. O, who would not ſerue ſuch a Generall with all his might, where an vnvoluntary fainting, an vnpurpoſed weakeneſſe, ſhal not depriue him of the honour, or comfort of the victorie!
3. Further,God will reward our paines taken in mortifying ſinne. wee ſhall be rewarded, as well as accepted, if we fight theſe battailes with an vpright heart. Sinne is like a traytor, whoſe head is ſet to ſale; hee that can bring it, ſhall hauehave a large recompence. The Lord hath ſet a great price vponupon the head of our luſts; kill them, and we ſhall be greatly comforted here, and hauehave ſo much more glorie and happineſſe in heauen, by how much we hauehave taken more labour and paines here. Pay will make any ſouldiers fight: If Chriſts ſouldiers will but ſticke to it couragiouſly, they ſhall want no pay of comfort, glorie, immortalitie; and if they fight, they ſhall bee crowned. When Caleb fought againſt Debir, he made this Proclamation among his ſouldiers;Iudg. 1.22. To him that ſmiteth, and taketh the Citie, will I giuegive Achſah my daughter to wife: and quickly Othniel was incouraged, and tooke it. Now how much more excellēt are the promiſes which the Lord hath made, to encourage vsus in this ſpirituall battaile, ſaying? If you mortifie the deeds of the fleſh by the Spirit, yee ſhall liue? What wife, or what portion with a wife, is comparable to this bleſſed and glorious life, which God hath promiſed, and will giuegive to thoſe, that take their luſts and ſmite them? Why then ſhould we not animate our ſelues, and doe valiantly, to take and kill theſe ſpirituall Canaanites, and to deſtroy all the Cities of them? If any ſay, This promiſe is made alone to thoſe that ouercome, and how ſhall we be certaine of victorie? The anſwere is, that it is true indeed, thoſe alone that ouercome, ſhall obtaine this reward; but eueryevery one that will fight reſolutely in this battaile, ſhall ouercome. And that is the laſt incouragement, in reſpect of our ſucceſſe; as wee ſhall loſe nothing, and be accepted, and be rewarded; ſo wee ſhall preuaile alſo, and get the better of our foes.
4. Sinne ſhall ſurely be ſlaine,We ſhall ſurely ouercome ſin, if we fight againſt it. and fall downe dead before vsus: It cannot poſſibly defend or ſaue it ſelfe againſt the blowes, which by the weapons of God are giuen vntounto it. It hath already receiued its deaths wound from the death of Chriſt; we fight againſt an enemy that is more then half diſcomfited, and ſlaine vntounto our hands. Through God wee ſhall doe valiantly, and hee will tread downe our enemies vnderunder our feete. When Iſrael fought againſt the inhabitants of Canaan, the Lord fought for them; and though their enemies were ſtrong in body, and many in number, and had Cities fenced and walled vp to heauen, yet they proſpered whitherſoeuer they went, and none was able to ſtand againſt them. This was a figure of our good ſucceſſe in fighting againſt the luſts of our fleſh. They cannot eſcape our hands, if we giuegive them not leaue to recouer themſelues. So mightie is the Word of God, ſo ſtrong the Spirit of God, ſo certaine the diuine aſſiſtance, that wee are ſure of an happy victorie, if wee cloathe our ſelues with courage and confidence, and perſiſt in the battaile to the end of our liues. The Lord that fought for Iſrael, will fight for vsus, and worke great ſaluation. The land of Canaan was inhabited with Giants, and men of huge ſtature, but all theſe fell before the Hoſt of God; our Giant-like ſinnes ſhall bee but meate for our ſwords, and we ſhall preuaile againſt them, though they be neuer ſo many and ſtrong. Wherefore let vsus conclude with the words of Ioſhua to the mē of Ephraim, Ioſh. 17.18.Thou ſhalt driue out the Canaanites, though they hauehave iron Chariots, and though they be ſtrong: And with the words that the Prieſts were appointed to vſe vntounto the people in the day of battaile; Heare O Iſrael, Deut. 20.3.you approach this day vntounto battaile againſt your enemies, let not your hearts faint, feare not, and doe not tremble, neither be yee terrified, becauſe of them; for the Lord your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you againſt your enemies and to ſaue you. And thus hauehave we cleared the poynt, and laid before your eyes abundance of good reaſons, to induce you to this battell. Now that wee may make way for the vſes, and that you may better practiſe the dutie, wee muſt giuegive you ſome directions about it, ſhewing you three things. Firſt, the degrees of mortification. Secondly, the meanes of mortification. And laſtly, the manner of vſing theſe meanes that wee may ſpeed by them.