The Christian Warfare Part 3, Book 2 · Chapter 6
CHAP. VI. Of the maner of the conflict betweene the fleſh and ſpirit in the will heart and affections:
§ Sect. 1. Of the conflict betweene the carnall and renued will.ANd thus hauehave wee ſhewed the conflict betweene the fleſh and the ſpirit in the minde and vnderſtanding with thoſe faculties which belong vntounto it. Come wee now to that fight which is betweene them in the will; the which is much more ſharpe and ſenſible; for it likewiſe being partly regenerate and partly vnregenerate, there is a continuall combate betweene theſe contrary factions, whileſt the regenerate part willeth and enforceth that which is good, and nilleth and reiecteth that which is euill; and contrariwiſe the part vnregenerate willeth and chooſeth that which is euill, and nilleth and refuſeth that which is good. As for example the ſpirituall part being guided by the vnderſtanding, inlightened with ſauing knowledge chooſeth & embraceth God as the chife goodneſſe, his kingdome and righteouſneſſe as the chiefe happineſſe and refuſeth and contemneth the world and earthly vanities, the ſeruice of Sathan, and the momentany pleaſures of ſinne, which in the ende bring death and deſtruction, though they for the preſent be bitter to the fleſh, and much more imbittered by afflictions, and theſe be ſweete and delightfull to the carnall appetite. But contrariwiſe that part of the will which remaineth vnregenerate, being directed by that wiſedome of the which is worldly, ſenſuall and diuelliſh, neglecteth and refuſeth the preſent comforts of grace which it reliſheth not, and the future hopes of heauenly happineſſe, which it knoweth not, as being out of ſight and beyond the apprehenſion of ſenſe, vncertaine and not to bee compaſſed without great difficultie; and contrariwiſe chooſeth and embraceth this preſent world with the vaine honours, vncertaine riches, and ſinnefull pleaſures of it becauſe they are ſubiect to the ſenſes and may bee had in preſent poſſeſſion. In which conflict they mutually encounter one another; and as they get their aduantages, ſometimes the one and ſometimes the other preuaile, and cauſe the aduerſe part to giuegive ground. And this conflict with the iſſue of it the Apoſtle felft in himſelfe, Rom. 7. 15.Rom. 7. 15. For that which I doe I allow not; for what I would, that doe I not, but what I hate that doe I. And againe. Cui rei ego ſuſpicabam ligatus, non ferro alieno ſed meaferre a voluntate &c. Aug. confeſ. lib. 8. cap. 5.To will is preſent with me, but how to performe that which is good I finde not; for the good I would I doe not, but the euill which I would not, that I doe. So Auſtine confeſſeth, that whileſt he deſired his ſound conuerſion, be found himſelfe bound, not with other mens chaines, but by his owne yron and obdurate will. The enemy (ſaith he) did hold my will, and thereof made a ſtrong chaine to binde mee; for out of peruerſe will, ſprung vnlawfull luſt, and whileſt I obeyed luſt, it became a cuſtome, and whileſt cuſtome was not infringed it became neceſſitie, with which linkes infolded one in another a chaine, as I ſaide, was made, and held mee bound in a miſerable ſeruitude. And my will renewed which begunne to moue mee to worſhippe and enioy thee freely my God, and onelyonly ſure ioy, was not yet fit to ouercome the other confirmed by age. And ſo my two willes, one olde, the other new, that carnall and this ſpirituall, did fight betweene themſelues renting my ſoule in ſunder by this their diſcords And ſo I vnderſtood in mine owne experience that which I had reade, how that the fleſh luſteth againſt the ſpirit, and the ſpirit againſt the fleſh. And I ſurely was in both, but yet more I in that which I approued in my ſelfe, then in that which I diſallowed. For in this rather I was not I, becauſe for the moſt part I did ſuffer that vnwillingly which I did Confeſſ. Lib. 8. Cap. 10.willing. And a litle after. Doe not diuers wils diſtract the heart of man when hee deliberateth what to preferre in his choyſe. And all appeare good and ſtriue with themſelues, till at length one thing be chooſen, vntounto which all the will is caried together which before was deuided in ſunder. And ſo when eternitie delighteth aboue, and the pleaſure of temporall good detaineth below, the ſame ſoule doeth not with the whole will, will this or that, and therefore it is diſtracted with much griefe, whileſt it preferreth that in true iudgement, and yet cannot part with this through long acquaintance.
§ Sect. 2. Of the conflict betweene faith and infidelitie & pr…ſumption.And thus we hauehave ſeene the combate betweene the fleſh and the ſpirit in the vnderſtanding and will ſeuerally; now let vsus come to that conflict which …s in them being ioyntly conſidered, betweene faith and the contrary extreames infidelitie and vaine preſumption. The which I referre to both theſe faculties, becauſe (as I take it) the firſt beginnings and leaſt degrees of faith are chiefely in the will and heart, euen as the perfection and higheſt degrees of it are in the minde and vnderſtanding. For after a man by humiliation and contrition is fitted and prepared to receiue faith, and after that the lawe hath brought him to a true ſight & ſenſe …f his ſins▪ of the puniſhmēts which by them he hath deſerued, and that by himſelfe his eſtate is deſpeperate and remedileſſe, being vtterly vnable to come out of this miſerable and forlorne condition; and that the Goſpell hath generally ſhewed that Ieſus Chriſt, ſent into the world by his father to this ende, is an al-ſufficient Sauiour who by his blood purgeth vsus from the guilt and puniſhment of all our ſinnes, and by his righteouſneſſe and obedience iuſtifieth ſinners, then the ſpirit of God aſſiſting the miniſtery of the word worketh thereby in his heart ſome earneſt deſires to be made partaker of Chriſt & theſe benefits, which we call hungring & thirſting after his righteouſneſſe, and this I affirme to be the firſt degree of iuſtifying faith and not onelyonly a preparation vntounto it, becauſe they are pronounced bleſſed who thus hunger and thirſt after Chriſt and his righteouſneſſe, and there is no bleſſedneſſe to thoſe who liue in the ſtate of infidelitie. Then there Mat. 5. 6.is wrought in his will a firme reſolution to chuſe Chriſt alone for his Sauiour, and to reſt and relye vponupon him onelyonly for his ſaluation, which is the ſecond degree of true faith, vntounto which when the Chriſtian hath attained by the liuely ſenſe & experimentiall feeling of Gods louelove in his holy ordinances of the vertue and power of Chriſts death and reſurrection for the mortifying of his ſinnes, and the renewing and quickening of him in all ſauing graces, and finally by his daily walking with God in the workes of holineſſe and righteouſneſſe, and that ſweete communion which he hath with him in ſpirituall exerciſes, he groweth from one degree of faith to another, till at laſt there bee wrought in the minde not onelyonly a certaine, but alſo a full perſwaſion of Gods louelove, the remiſſion of his ſinnes and his owne ſaluation. But yet the fleſh and reliques of corruption remaining in vsus, when wee hauehave attained vntounto the greateſt perfection which this life yeeldeth, as in the part regenerate, there is full and certaine perſwaſion, ſo in the vnregenerate part dwelleth doubting, infidelitie & vaine preſumption, which continually aſſault one another, and ſometimes the one, ſometimes the other preuaileth and getteth the better in the particular skirmiſh, although in the concluſion & ende of the fight, faith alwayes ouercommeth and a obtaineth a full and finall victory. In the meane time, euen after that by faith wee hauehave laide hold on the promiſes, and hauehave growne to a great meaſure of ſtrength and to an high degree of perſwaſion, doubting and infidelitie taking the opportunitie of ſome grieuous temptation, doe giuegive vntounto our faith many wounds and foyles, of which notwithſtanding it recouereth vponupon the renewing of our couenant with God, receiuing the Sacrament which is the ſeale of it, the applying afreſh of Gods gracious promiſes, the remembrance of his former mercies, and the renewing of our repentance, eſpecially for our latter ſlippes and fall. And this Heb. 11. 11. Rom. 4. 19.we ſee in the example of Sara and Abraham, who after that by faith they had receiued Gods promiſe, were ſo farre foyled with doubting, that they could thinke of no meanes of bringing it to paſſe, but by ſuſtituting Hagar in her place. Of Peter who beleeuing in his Lord and Maiſter, ſo reſted vponupon his word and power that hee walked towards him on the waters, but ſunke into the water, after hee had firſt ſunke through doubting and vnbelife, when hee ſawe Mat. 14 30.a boyſterous blaſt of winde threatning a ſtorme and therefore was reproued for his doubting. So the father of the poſſeſſed childe cryeth out, I beleeue, Lord helpe thou mine vnbeliefe. But moſt notably doeth this appeare in the example Iob: 3. 1. 3. & 7, 20. & 6. 4.of thoſe great worthies Iob and Dauid; for for the former wee ſhall ſee him ſometime complaining as a man Iod. 13. 15. & 19 25.vtterly deſperate, curſing the day of his natiuitie, and challenging God as his enemy, and at another time profeſſing Pſal. 42. 6. & 73 13. 77. 10. & 23 4. 31. 23. 46. 2.his faith and aſſurance of ſaluation, and reſoluing that though God ſhould kill him yet he would ſtill truſt in him. And for the other wee ſhall ſee him in the booke of the Pſalmes one while as it were a man vtterly reiected of God and forſaken, and ſoone after as it were riding in triumph after victory, and euen glorying in the ſtrength of his faith and confidence in God. Whereby it appeareth that there is in eueryevery man regenerate a notable conflict between faith and vnbeliefe, whereof it commeth to paſſe, that Gods deareſt children may oftentimes not onelyonly be foyled with diffidence and doubting, but alſo in ſome grieuous temptations may fall into ſome deſpaire of Gods merciemercy and louelove towards them; the which notwithſtanding differeth from that deſpaire which is in the wicked and reprobate, in that theirs is totall and finall, whereas the faithfull lye in it onelyonly for a time, whileſt the violence of the temptation preſſed vponupon them by the diuel and the fleſh laſt, and is not totall, ſeeing their faith euen in the greateſt brunt fighteth and ſtriueth againſt it, and in the ende getteth the vpper hand. Contrariwiſe our faith is ſometime aſſaulted with preſumption, whereby the fleſh moueth vsus falſely to apply the promiſes and to preſume of Gods louelove & our owne ſaluation, for though theſe doe potentially belong to all the faithful, yet they cannot actually be applied vntounto them, ſo long as they liue and lye ſecurely in ſome knowne ſins without repentance, eſpecially thoſe promiſes which concerne temporary benefites which are preſent pledges and pawnes of Gods louelove and fauour. But againſt theſe alſo faith preuaileth, when as it purifieth our hearts, bringing vsus to a ſight and ſence of our ſinnes, to a loathing and deteſtation of them, and to a conſtant reſolution and earneſt endeauour to labour and forſake them for the time to come; and ſo againe afreſh applyeth the promiſes vntounto vsus, as hauing now iuſt interreſt and right vntounto them.
§ Sect, 3. That the conflict betweene the Fleſh and the Spirit is moſt turbulent and ſenſible in the afeections and ſenſuall appetite.And thus hauehave we ſeene the conflict betweene the fleſh and the ſpirit in the ſuperiour faculties: the like may be obſerued in the inferiour ſeated in the heart, as the affections paſſions and ſenſuall appetite; the which though they bee no more corrupted then the other, yet the corruption in them is much more ſenſible, and though the conflict be no more daungerous, yet is it much more turbulent and violent. For as the poyſon in the braine is as mortall and pernitious as any other, and not reſting there alone but diffuſing it ſelfe into all the parts of the body, doeth benum and dead them, but that which is receiued into the ſtomach is much more raging and painefull, ſending vp poyſonous vapours into the head wherewith it is annoied and mortally affected: ſo the poyſon of corruption hauing tainted the vnderſtanding faculties, doeth from thence deſcend to the heart and affections infecting them with their malignitie; but that which is infuſed into them, doeth cauſe a more raging and violent diſeaſe, which is more ſenſible and grieuous, and becommeth more dangerous to the ſoule ſicke in ſinne, becauſe theſe inferiour faculties being corrupted doe worke alſo vponupon the will and vnderſtanding, ſtriking vp their poyſon backe againe vntounto them with redoubled violence. For as the outward obiects moue and affect the ſenſes, and they the heart and affections, ſo they being thus moued doe moue the will, and the will draweth alſo the iudgement and vnderſtanding. But though theſe ſenſuall faculties are more groſſely poyſoned, and therefore ſeeme more deſperately incurable; yet the ſpirit of God working alſo vponupon theſe parts doeth purge them from their contagious humours, and comforteth the heart with ſuch ſpirituall cordials, and ſtrengtheneth it with ſuch heauenly antidotes, that ſpirituall health is in ſome meaſure recouered, but for as much as in this life the poyſon of corruption is not wholly expelled & ſo they are not fully perfected there is a continuall conflict betweene health and ſickneſſe the antidotes and the poyſon, the heart and affections as they are renewed and ſanctified and as they remaine corrupted and vnregenerate. For the hard ſtone in the heart ſtriueth with the ſoft fleſh, rebellion with obedience, corrup…on with grace, and whileſt the ſpirit draweth the heart vntounto God, and ſpirituall and heauenly things, that it may inſeparably cleaue and adhaere vntounto them, the fleſh pulleth it backe and withdraweth it from them, and laboureth to keepe it ſtill fixed and faſted vponupon earthly and worldly vanities.
§. Sect. 4. of the conflict betweene the affections and paſſions.And from the ſame cauſe ſpringeth that continuall conflict which is betweene the affections and paſſions, wherein ſometimes the ſame affections deuided (as it were) betweene grace and corruption doe fight and ſtriue againſt themſelues, and ſometimes being croſſe matched doe mutually oppoſe and encounter other affections and paſſions which are contrary and oppoſite vntounto them; the former combate being exerciſed in contrary, the latter about the ſame ſubiects. Thus the louelove of God, and of ſpirituall and heauenly things is aſſaulted with ſelfe▪louelove, louelove of the world, and hatred of thoſe Diuines excellencies; Affiance in God, his prouidence and promiſes, with confidence in the creatures, and diffidence in the all-ſufficient creatour; zeale of Gods glory with carnall blinde zeale, coldneſſe and lukewarmeneſſe: the feare of God which is ingenuous and filiall, with feare of men, and that feare of God which is ſlauiſh and ſeruile; Hope in God, with earthly hopes, and alſo with preſumption and deſpaire; ſorrow for ſinne, with worldly ſorrowe which cauſeth death & alſo with wretchleſneſſe and carnall ſecuritie; ioy in the holy Ghoſt and ſpirituall reioycing in God with carnal ioy in the pleaſures of ſinne, and deſperate griefe for worldly loſſes; Alacritie and chearefulneſſe in Gods ſeruice, with carnall chearefulneſſe in purſuing our ſenſuall and ſinnefull luſtes, and alſo with lumpiſh heauineſſe dulneſſe, deadneſſe of heart and carnall wearineſſe. In which conflict though the ſpirit receiue many foyles through the raging violence of theſe wilde and rebellious paſſions, and is oftentimes ſo wounded, that in outward appearance there ſeemeth to be no life remaining, yet it proueth to be but a daungerous ſownde out of which recouering with redoubled valure it reneweth the conflict and getteth the victory. Though it ſeeme but a ſmall ſparke remaining of a great fire, almoſt extinguiſhed with a flood of paſſions, and ſo couered vnderunder the aſhes of corruptions that it ſcarce appeareth, yet when the ſpirit of God doeth blowe vponupon it, it encreaſeth in ſtrength to a great flame; and finally though whileſt the ſtorme laſteth, like a ſhippe in a mighty tempeſt, it is ſo hidde vnderunder the waues of ſinfull paſſions, that ſcarce any ſhew or ſemblance of grace remaineth, yet the good ſpirit of God aſſwaging the tempeſt and becalming theſe rough and raging Seas, like the ſhippe which ſeemed lately ſuncke, they re appeare & ſhew themſelues in their former beautie, and being helped on with that diuine breath, they carry vsus forward in all Chriſtian courſes (as it were) vnderfull ſayles, with a proſperous winde and tide.