The Christian Warfare Part 3, Book 1 · Chapter 11
CHAP. XI. Of certaine particular deceipts of the fleſh reſpecting our perſons.
§. Sect. 1. The firſt deceipt that wee are nothing ſo euill as in truth we areBVt come we from the generall to ſome particulars, which as they are moſt common and ordinarie, ſo alſo moſt dangerous and pernicious, for more eaſily might I number the hayres of a mans head, or the ſtarres of heauen. Yea the graſſe in a large field, or ſtones vpō the ſea ſhore, then al the deceipts of our corrupt fleſh. Beſides my late worthy aſsiſtant in the worke of my miniſterie, that excellent light of Gods Church, which (ah) M. Daniell Dike.too ſoone did ſet vntounto vsus, that he might for euer gloriouſly ſhine in heauen, hath in his booke of the deceitfulneſſe of the heart ſo ſweetly and diuinely diſcourſed on this ſubiect, that hee hath eaſed me of this labour. Yet this diſcourſe ſo neceſſarily requiring, that I ſhould ſay ſomething of this argument, as that it will ſeeme maymed if it goe without it, I wil a little inſiſt vponupon it, and for our more orderly proceeding I will referre theſe deceipts of the fleſh to two principall heads. The firſt ſuch as reſpect our perſons and ſtates, the other ſuch as concerne certaine duties which God requireth of vsus. For the former, it is a common and moſt pernicious policy of the fleſh to perſwade vsus, that wee are nothing ſo euill, corrupt and wicked as in truth we are. To the entertaining of which conceipt we are the more eaſily induced by reaſon of ignorance and blindneſſe of minde, pride and ſelfe-louelove which naturally raigns and rule in vsus. For though we be wholly, from the crowne of the head to the ſole of the foote, defiled with ſinne, and thereby vtterly diſabled vntounto any good dutie; yet wee ſee that the moſt hauehave an opinion of their owne worth and excellencie; For many boaſt themſelues in the goodneſſe of their natures, as though therein they might be accepted, not only of men, but alſo of God himſelfe; many vaunt of their pure naturals, and workes of congruitie, which before grace receiued they are able to performe in the ſtrength of their naturall abilities; many doe reſt in their owne ciuill iuſtice and honeſtie as though it were ſufficient to iuſtifie them in Gods ſight, many bleſſe themſelues in their legall righteouſneſſe, as though therby they could merit heauen with ſome ſmall helpe; and finally many with the Angell of the Church of Laodicia doe thinke themſelues rich and ſo increaſed in goods, that they ſtand in neede of nothing; when as in truth they are wretched and miſerable, poore, blinde and Apoc. 3. 17.naked. But let vsus take heede of this policie as beeing moſt dangerous & pernicious, ſeeing it maketh men reſt in themſelues and vponupon the weake reede of their owne righteouſneſſe to their vtter perdition, and keepeth them from flying vntounto Chriſt, and from hungring after his righteouſnes by which alone we are iuſtified and ſaued. And as it keepeth vsus from imbracing Chriſt by faith, ſo alſo it hindreth our repentance, and nouriſheth in vsus carnall ſecuritie and hardneſſe of heart: for we muſt firſt ſee our ſinnes before we can euer bewaile or turne from them, and whileſt we hauehave any opinion of our owne good natures, or our legall righteouſneſſe, wee can neuer as wee ſhould bewaile our ſinfull corruptions, nor carefully vſe any meanes to bee purged from them.
§. Sect. 2. The meanes to defeate the former policie.Whereby it appeareth that no policie is more pernicious if it preuaile againſt vsus, ſeeing it ſpoileth vsus of our Sauiour Chriſt, and of all the gracious promiſes of life and ſaluation contained in the Goſpell, which are all made on the condition of faith approued to bee liuely and iuſtifying by the fruits thereof in vnfained repentance. The which ſhould moue vsus to vſe all our care and indeauour that wee may defeare it: to which purpoſe wee muſt not looke vponupon our ſelues as we appeare in the twilight, or rather in the darke night of naturall knowledge, nor yet through the falſe ſpectacles of pride and ſelfe-louelove, which will hide and diſguiſe our vices and corruptions and make them to ſhew themſelues in vertues colours; but wee muſt looke vponupon our ſelues in the glaſſe of the lawe, and try our thoughts and words, our workes and our wayes by the rule of Gods word, and ſo ſhall wee plainely diſcouer our blemiſhes and difilements, yea our monſterous deformities and vgly corruptions, with the auerſeneſſe of our willes to all good, and the peruerſeneſſe and crookedneſſe of our hearts affections. For there ſhall wee ſee that our vnderſtandings are ſo blinded that though they be wiſe vntounto euill, yet to doe good Eph. 4. 18.they hauehave no knowledge; that our iudgements are wholly Ier. 4. 22.corrupted, miſtaking euill for good, and good for euill, right for wrong, and wrong for right, trueth for falſhood, and falſhood for trueth; that our imaginations are euill and that continually; that our conſciences are either ſeared through ſecuritie or affrighted with terrours and horrours through deſpaire, and either accuſing when they ſhould excuſe, or excuſing when they ſhould accuſe; that our memories are ſlippery to retaine any good thing, and retentiue like braſſe or yron in keeping and preſeruing ſinfull and wicked impreſſions, that our willes ſtand in open rebellion againſt God nilling what he willeth, and willeth what he nilleth. That our hearts are auerſe to all goodneſſe and cleaue faſt to all worldly and ſinnefull vanities; that our affections are wholly corrupted and diſordered and all the members of our bodies are the ready inſtruments of ſinne. There ſhall wee finde that by reaſon of this corruption we are notable to thinke a good thought, nor ſo much as will that which is good, that we are altogether vnprofitable ſeruants, yea 1 Cor. 3. 5. Phill. 2. 12. Eph 2. 1. 3.rather the ſlaues of ſinne and Sathan▪ the children of wrath, and not onelyonly ſicke but euen ſtarke dead in our ſinnes; that we hauehave not onelyonly in vsus vtter barrenneſſe of all good, but the ſeedes of all wickedneſſe, lurking and lying hid, which ſproute foorth vponupon all occaſions, when as they receiue any warmth and moyſture from the temptations of Sathan and Ier. 13. 23.the world; yea would of themſelues daily come to growth and ripeneſſe if they were not continually nipped and reſtrained by the common grace of Gods ſpirit, Finally that the blacke-moore may as eaſily change his blackeneſſe, and the leopard his ſpots, as we our ſinnefull condition into a better eſtate; yea that in ſtead of making any ſatisfaction by paying the olde ſcore, we are ready to encreaſe our debt by adding new ſins vntounto the olde, and ſo plunge our ſelues into more fearefull condemnation. And thus may we defeate this pollicy of the fleſh and comming vntounto a true ſight of our owne naturall vildeneſſe, we may abhorre our ſelues in ſackcloath and aſhes, and renouncing our owne righteouſneſſe, may hunger after the all-ſufficient righteouſneſſe of Iob. 42.Chriſt, and applying it vntounto vsus by a liuely faith may find it effectuall for our iuſtification and ſaluation.
§ Sect 3. The ſecond pollicie that the good things in vsus are much better then in truth they areSecondly as the fleſh perſwadeth vsus that we are nothing ſo ill as we are in reſpect of our ſinnefull condition, ſo that the good things which wee ſeeme to hauehave are farre better and of much greater excellency then in truth they are, and as there it lookes vponupon our faults and vices though the thick fogge of ignorance which maketh them to bee ſcarce viſible and diſcernable; ſo when it beholdeth any appearance of good in vsus it putteth on the ſpectakles of pride and ſelfe-louelove which make them ſeeme to be farre greater then they are in deede; eueryevery moal-hill a great mountaine, and eueryevery ſmall ſtarre as large as the Sunne it ſelfe. Thus it magnifieth to a meere worldly man the goodneſſe of his nature, as though this alone without any further helpe would bring him to heauen; and maketh him beleeue that his common guifts are ſpeciall endowments, that Gods reſtrayning grace in him, is ſanctifying and ſauing grace, and his moderated and blunted vices and corruptions to bee ſingular vertues and great perfections. Thus it perſwadeth the proude iuſtifiarie to reſt in his inhaerent righteouſneſſe and legall obedience for his iuſtification and ſaluation. And to this ende it bleareth his eyes ſo as he cannot ſee any wants and imperfections in it, and worketh in him a conceipt, that it is moſt perfect both in the parts and degrees, when as there is nothing but defects and corruptions. Thus it made the younge man in the Goſpell to boaſt that he had done all commaunded in the law, when Mat. 19. 20.he had tranſgreſſed all; and to aske after a greater taske, what lacke I yet, when as his worke was not ſo much as begunne, Luke. 18. 11. & 23. 23.and as yet he had done nothing. Thus it made the proude Phariſie to bragge of his legall righteouſneſſe euen vntounto God himſelfe, and to reſt in his paying of ſmal tithes, minte, commine and Anniſe, as though he had done the waightie things of the lawe. Finally thus it perſwadeth the ſincere profeſſor to ouerweene his guifts, and to magnifie aboue meaſure the graces which he hath receiued. It maketh him beleeue that his little mite is a rich treaſury, and his ſmall graine of muſterſeede, and firſt degrees of faith, to be already a great tree; that hee is good wheate able to indure the fanne or the blaſts of any temptations, whereas if Chriſt prayed not for him, that his faith might not faile, hee would when Sathan ſhould ſift him, prooue but light corne, if not very chaffe; Finally that hee is ſo ſtrong in Chriſt, that he can willingly ſuffer martyrdome for his name ſake, and with Peter to preſume that though all the world ſhould forſake him, yet he would not; when as the voyce of a poore damoſell will make him ſtart backe, and the ſmalleſt loſſe of goods or impeachment to his credit, will eaſily moue him to abiure his profeſſion. The iſſue of which deceipt is moſt dangerous if by Gods grace it bee not preuented, for the maine ende at which our deceitfull fleſh herein aymeth is, either to puffe vsus vp ſo in pride, that wee forget God the ſole authour of our guifts, and ſpoyle him of his praiſe, by arrogating it vntounto our ſelues; and that we growe inſolent in reſpect of men, contemning thoſe who in our falſe conceipt come ſhort of vsus. And ſecondly that we reſt contented with that meaſure of grace which we hauehave, as being abundantly ſufficient; and neuer vſe any meanes, whereby our imperfect and defectiue graces may be encreaſed and growe to greater perfection.
§. Sect. 4. The meanes to defeate the former pollicie.Now if we would ſtand in the day of temptation, and not be ouertaken with this deceipt of the fleſh; the beſt way is firſt, that we decke our ſelues with humilitie, as the Apoſtle exhorteth: remembring that the way to obtaine 1 Pet. 5. 5.more grace at the hands of our heauenly father, is to bemoane our ſmall meaſure, to bee emptie in our owne conceipt, & to hunger and thirſt after more, for he reſiſteth the proude, but giueth his grace to the humble, hee filleth the Lucke. 1. 53.hungry with good things, but ſendeth the rich empty away; neither doeth he euer raiſe and build the goodly pallace of his grace and vertue, but where he hath firſt laid the foundation of humilitie. And therefore let vsus not (as the Apoſtle Rom. 12. 3.exhorteth vsus) thinke of our ſelues more highly then wee ought to thinke, but thinke ſoberly, according as God hath dealt to eueryevery man, the meaſure of faith. Secondly, let vsus caſt away thoſe falſe ſpectakles of pride and ſelfe-louelove, which make our ſmall guifts to ſeeme ſo great, and examine our graces by the neuer-deceiuing light of Gods word. And there we ſhall plainely ſee how farre we come ſhort of that perfection which God requireth, what a little pittance it is we hauehave in compariſon of that which we want, and how our ſmall meaſure is blotted and ſtained with the fleſh of our corruptions. Thirdly, let vsus not commend our graces to the eye of our deluded iudgements as ſhopkeepers doe their courſer wares, by ſetting courſer by them; wee hauehave in our ſight the example of others who come ſhort of vsus; but let vsus compaire our little ſparkes of grace with thoſe bright flames which hauehave ſhonne in the Patriarches, Prophets and Apoſtles, yea in our Sauiour Chriſt himſelfe, and ſo we ſhall not be proude of our progreſſe, but aſhamed rather of our ſmall, profitiencie; and with the Apoſtle forgetting thoſe things which are behinde, and reaching foorth Phil. 3. 13.to thoſe things which are before, wee ſhall preſſe towards the marke, for the price of the high calling of God, in Chriſt Ieſus.