The Complaint of a Sanctified Sinner Answered, Verse 20
VERS. 20.
Now if I doe that I would not, it is no more I that doe it, but the ſinne that dwelleth in me.
IN this Verſe our Apoſtle further confirmes that Propoſition, that howſoeuer, as he was regenerate, he willed good, yet hee was not able to performe it, from the cauſe of hinderance. He here points out the true and right cauſe of it, whence it was that hee was hindred in doing of good, that he could not doe it, namely, his owne in-dwelling corruption; yea, he ſaith, that it was from his owne in-dwelling corruption, that he did the euill that hee would not hauehave done. And this Verſe containes in it an inference brought in, on that hee ſaid Verſe before, that the euill hee would not doe, that hee did. Thereupon the Apoſtle concludes, that it was not he that did the euill. If (ſaith he) I doe that I would not, it is not I that doe it. And he amplifies that by a note of difference touching himſelfe, in regard of his preſent condition compared with his former, that howſoeuer in former times it was he that did it, yet now it was no more hee that did the euill that was done by him. If I doe that I would not, it is no more I that doe it. And then hee further ſhewes, what it was that did it, namely, his owne indwelling corruption: but, ſaith he, the ſinne that dwelleth in me, that doth it.
The Apoſtle heere, as I ſaid, repeates the ſelfe-ſame thing hee deliuered Verſe 16, 17. and in the very ſame words: and therefore we need not ſtand on the opening of them, but onelyonly call to mind and remember how they hauehave beene formerly expounded. And thus, as you may remember, we expounded them, and thus they are to be conceiued, as if the Apoſtle had ſaid,
Now then, if I doe that euill which I would not doe, Interpretationit is no longer I as I am regenerate, and ſo farre forth as I am regenerate, that doe that euill, but the ſinfull corruption that ſtill in part remaines in mee, and hath a powerfull and working preſence in mee, euen forcibly croſsing the motions of the Spirit in mee, and haling and pulling me to euill, that is it that doth the euill that is done.
Now this Verſe being but a repetition of that which was before deliuered, I will paſſe by things formerly handled, and onelyonly ſpeake of ſuch things as may hence be further gathered. The Papiſts, but to point at a note of theirs on theſe two Verſes 19, 20. hauehave this annotation: ſay they, That which the Apoſtle heere ſpeakes of himſelfe, makes nothing againſt Free-will, but plainely proues it: and how ſo? Why (ſay they) becauſe the proper act of the will, namely, to will or nill, to conſent or diſſent, is euer free in it ſelfe, as heere wee may ſee in the Apoſtle, though the operation may bee hindred by ſome externall force: yea, (ſay they) in that the Apoſtle ſaith, How the will of man is free.If I doe that I would not, it is no more I that doe it, it doth moſt euidently proue Free-will: that is their note on this place.
To this I anſwere, It is true indeed, that the act of the will, namely, to will or nill, to conſent or diſſent, is euer free: but how? Surely thus; in the vnregenerate it is free from coaction and compulſion, but not from a neceſſitie alwayes of willing that which is euill, and in the regenerate, of which ſtate the Apoſtle here ſpeakes in his owne perſon, the will is reformed by grace, and made free to will that which is truely good, as Chriſt ſaith, Ioh. 8.36. If the Sonne make you free, Ioh. 8.36.then yee ſhall be free indeed. And ſo this place makes nothing for the proofe of the naturall ſtrength and power of the will to that which is good, that the will of man hath a power in it ſelfe, and by it ſelfe, to will that which is good, either in the ſtate of Nature or Grace, which is the point in queſtion betweene vsus and the Papiſts. No, this place ſhewes plainely, that the will regenerate, is onelyonly by grace enabled to will that which is good, and that the will hath power, not in it ſelfe, or by it ſelfe, but by grace to will good, and to nill euill, and that onelyonly in part, and not perfectly. So much theſe two Verſes will affoord to vsus touching freedome of will, and no more.
I proceed: If I doe that I would not, it is no more I that doe it, but the ſinne that dwelleth in me. The Apoſtle ſtill (which likewiſe I wil note in a word) calls concupiſcence that remained in him, Sinne, and he giues to it the name of Sinne. Yea, ſay the Papiſts, it is called ſinne, but not properly and truely, but improperly, either becauſe it is the effect of ſinne, as the Writing is called the Hand, becauſe it was written with the hand, or for that it is the cauſe of ſinne; as Cold is called Slothfull, becauſe it makes a man ſlothfull. Concupiſcence is both the effect of ſinne, the cauſe of ſinne, and ſinne alſo truely and properly.A ſilly ſhift! For concupiſcence may be, and indeed is, both the effect of ſinne, the cauſe of ſinne, and ſinne alſo truely and properly in diuers reſpects.
In reſpect of the fall of Adam, it is the effect of ſinne; in regard of actuall ſinnes, it is the mother and cauſe of ſinne; and it is alſo in it ſelfe truely and properly ſinne, becauſe it is not agreeable to Gods Law, but directly contrary to it, and ſhould not hauehave beene in man, if man had kept his ſtate of Innocencie, and had not broken the Law of God. And as one ſaith well, What can be more abſurd, then to deny that to bee ſinne properly, that is contrary to God, to his Spirit, and to the Law of God? Therefore this is but a poore ſhift of the Papiſts, to ſay, that Concupiſcence is the effect of ſin, or cauſe of ſinne, and therefore not properly ſinne. I leaue them.
In the next place obſerue we, the Apoſtle blames his owne corruption, as the roote and cauſe of the euill he did vnwillingly; hee layes the fault and blame where it ought to lye, namely, on his owne in-dwelling corruption, that hee did the euill hee would not hauehave done: ſaith he, It is not I, but the ſinne that dwelleth in mee, that doth it.
And indeed thus it ought to be with vsus: Our owne corruption is the true proper cauſe of eueryevery euill thing we doe.We are to lay the fault of eueryevery euill thing we doe, on the rottenneſſe and corruption of our owne hearts, and we are to blame that as the true and proper cauſe of that euill: for why? as it is Iam. 1.14. EueryEvery man is tempted, when he is drawne away by his owne concupiſcence, and is intiſed. It is a mans owne concupiſcence, and the corruption of his owne heart, that drawes eueryevery man to ſinne, and were there not corruption of nature ſtill in part abiding in Gods children, the Deuill could neuer faſten any temptation on them, neither could the world nor any thing in the world draw them on any ſinne.
The Deuil ſet on Chriſt and tempted him, but in vaine: for he found nought in him, Ioh. 14.30. And ſo, if Gods children were altogether without corruption, the Deuill could not force any temptation on them, & they ſhould neuer ſinne at all: and therefore we are to lay the fault of eueryevery euill thing we doe, on the corruption of our owne hearts, and blame that as the true and proper cauſe of it. Lay not the fault of that euill thou doſt, on any thing out of thy ſelfe as the cauſe of it. For example: thou being brought into pouerty, or into ſome trouble, it may be, thou falleſt by indirect meanes to helpe thy ſelfe; thou betrayeſt the good cauſe thou haſt in hand, if thou ſo do: lay not the fault of that euill thou doſt, on thy pouerty, or on the extreme hard dealing of men. No, no: thy pouerty, and the extreme dealing of men, may be an occaſion of that euill thou doſt, but certainly, the cauſe of it is in thy ſelfe, euen in thine owne boſome, the corruption of thine owne heart. It was not the want of the feare of God in the place that cauſed ABRAHAM to lye, Gen. 20.2. That indeed was the occaſion of his lying; but the cauſe of it was his owne thought, his owne doubting & feare, ariſing from the corruption of his owne heart, as appears plainly, Gen. 20.2, 11.Verſ. 11. Saith ABRAHAM, I thought this ſurely, The feare of God is not in this place, and they will ſlay me for my wiues ſake.
We muſt learne then, when wee doe any euill, not to blame any thing out of our ſelues, but to lay the fault where it ought to lye, namely, on the naughtineſſe of our owne hearts, as the true and proper cauſe of it, and wee are to bee humbled for that, as for the euill it ſelfe; that is our dutie. I only point at it in a word, becauſe we ſpake of it at large, Verſ. 5.
Now laſtly, in that the Apoſtle vſeth this phraſe, Sinne that dwelleth in me, he giues vsus to vnderſtand,
That the corruption of nature is a different thing from the powers of the ſoule: The corruption of nature is a different thing from the powers of the ſoule.for wee know that the dweller differs, and is really diſtinguiſhed from the houſe where he dwels: and ſo the corruption of nature dwelling in vsus, it muſt needes bee conceiued to bee a reall diſtinct thing from the ſoule, and from the powers and faculties of it, and it is not a corruption of the ſubſtance of the ſoule; for then the ſoule could not be immortal, if the ſubſtance of it were corrupted, neither could Chriſt hauehave taken on him mans Nature, without ſinne: but the corruption of Nature is a thing that dwels and abides in the ſoule, and a thing that cleaues to the faculties of it, and to the affections of the heart, and it is ſuch a thing as may be remoued from the ſoule by the powerfull worke of Gods Spirit. And hence it is called an euill that compaſſeth vsus about. Heb. 12. verſ. 1. Caſt away eueryevery thing, that preſſeth downe, and the ſinne that hangeth ſo faſt on, or, doth ſo eaſily compaſſe about; for ſo the word ſignifies. And thoſe exhortations that are frequent in the Scripture, Caſt, or Put off the old man, doe giuegive vsus to vnderſtand as much, That the corruption of Nature is not a corruption of the ſubſtance of the ſoule, but a reall diſtinct thing from the ſoule, and a thing that cleaues to the faculties of it, and to the affections of the heart, and a thing that may be ſeuered from the ſoule by the powerfull worke of Gods Spirit. And this for the vſe of it,
Teacheth vsus, Vſe 1 that regeneration doth not aboliſh any facultie of the ſoule, Regeneration doth not aboliſh any facultie of the ſoule or any affection of the hart, but it only takes away the filthineſſe of them.nor any naturall affection of the heart, but it onelyonly takes away the filthineſſe and corruption of them, euen that corruption that dwels in the ſoule and cleaues to the faculties and powers of it; and then indeede is a man truely regenerate, when that corruption that is naturally in the powers of his ſoule, and in the affections of his heart, is remoued: And a man may know that he is regenerate, by this, as by a ſpeciall note; If ſo be a man find the affections of his heart, eſpecially the chiefe and ruling affections of it, ſtill as ſtrong, and as powerfull in him as euer they were, and yet the corruption of them in a good meaſure remoued and taken away, then hee is truely regenerate. For example: Doſt thou find thy naturall affection of ioy, of delight, and reioycing, as ſtrong and as powerfull in thee as euer it was, and that the ſinfulneſſe and corruption of that affection is remoued? Doſt thou find now, that thou canſt as heartily reioyce and delight thy ſelfe as euer thou couldſt, not in ſinne and in outward things, not in carnall pleaſure, in Drunkenneſſe, in Good-fellowſhip and merry meetings, and ſuch like, but in the louelove & fauour of God in Chriſt, in obedience to his will, in the duties of his worſhip, in hearing the Word, in Prayer, and ſuch like, and it is now the ioy of thine heart to be exerciſed in holy things? Surely, that is a ſpeciall euidence and teſtimony that thou art truly regenerate, & that the Spirit of God hath wrought powerfully in thee.
So for the affection of anger: Doſt thou find that affection as ſtrong in thee as euer it was, and yet the ſinnefulneſſe of it remoued? Doſt thou find that now thine anger is ſtirred vp not on eueryevery trifling occaſion, nor expreſſed for meere priuate cauſes concerning thine owne perſon, but on waighty & great cauſes, the manifeſt offence of God, and that it is kindled in thee through deſire to maintayne the glorie of God, and out of a louelove of vertue and iuſtice, & directed againſt ſinne, and not the perſon of the ſinner? Surely, then thou maiſt thereupon conclude to the comfort of thine owne ſoule, that thou art truely regenerate, thy affection ſtill remaynes, but the corruption of it is in ſome good meaſure remoued and taken away, and ſo we may trie our ſelues in other affections: and let vsus remember this, that the corruption of nature is not a corruption of the ſubſtance of the ſoule, but a reall diſtinct thing from the ſoule, a thing that cleaues to the faculties of the ſoule, and the affections of the heart, and may be ſeuered from the ſoule, by the powerfull worke of Gods Spirit; and ſo Regeneration doth not aboliſh any facultie of the ſoule, nor any affection of the heart, but only takes away the filthineſſe and corruption that cleaues to them, and then indeed we are truely regenerate, when the affections of our hearts remayne in full force and ſtrength, and the ſinfulneſſe of them is remoued.