The Complaint of a Sanctified Sinner Answered, Verse 21
VERS. 21.
I find then by the Law (or this Law: for ſo the words are to be read) that when I would doe good, euill is preſent with mee.
IN this Verſe our Apoſtle further ſtrengthens his foregoing Propoſition, that though to will good was preſent with him, as hee was regenerate, yet to performe good hee wanted power; by this that when he would hauehave done good, hee was hindred by euill, that was readie and at hand, and ſtood vp in his way. And this Verſe contaynes another concluſion, inferd on foregoing matter: and here the Apoſtle further concludes, that hee being willing to doe good, as he was regenerate, there was, as it were, a Law laid on him to the contrary, and he was as it were inioyned to the contrary, and hee was vnderunder ſuch a condition, as hee could not doe that good: and hee makes knowne what that Law was, namely, euill that was preſent with him: yea, he amplifies this from his owne experience, that he found it ſo in his owne experience. I find, ſaith hee, when I would doe good, there is a Law, or this Law, to the contrary, euen euill preſent with mee: and that hinders mee that I cannot doe it. That is the generall drift and purpoſe of the Apoſtle in this Verſe.
I find then a Law. I find (ſaith the Apoſtle:) that is, InterpretationMine owne experience teacheth mee, and I am able to ſpeake out of mine owne experience: I find it ſo in mine owne experience: When I would doe good (for thoſe words in the right order of the ſentence are the next, and ſo the next to be expounded) and the meaning of them is this: When I, as I am regenerate, would doe that which is truely good, a Law (or this Law.) The word Law is here diuerſly taken by diuers Interpreters; ſome take it in the good part, for the Law of God, others in the euill part, for the Law of ſinne and corruption. I will not trouble you with varietie of Interpretations, but giuegive you that meaning of it which I conceiue to be moſt agreeable to the Context; and as I take it, the word (Law) is here put to ſignifie a ſtrong & forcible power, euen ſuch a power as hath in it the force and ſtrength of a Law, that is, a commanding, a controlling, and a binding power.
And that the word Law in this place, is thus to be taken, may plainly appeare by the vſe of it, Ʋerſ. 23. where the Apoſtle ſpeakes of the Law of the members, and the Law of the mind, leading captiue to the Law of ſinne: meaning the power of ſinne in the mind, and the power of grace in the mind. And the Apoſtle here puts it downe indefinitely without any addition, foreign, a Law, or this law, and not the law of the fleſh of ſinne, of death; becauſe hee preſently ſubioynes what law hee meant, namely, the euill that was preſent with him. Euill (ſaith he) is preſent with me. And by euill here, wee are to vnderſtand euill motions, luſts, and deſires ariſing from the corruption of nature; and thoſe were preſent with the Apoſtle, that is, they were readie and at hand, to croſſe and to hinder the good purpoſes and deſires of his heart. Thus then, as I take it, wee are to vnderſtand the Apoſtle in the words of this Verſe, as if he had ſaid,
I finde then in mine owne experience, that thus it is with me; when I, as I am regenerate, would doe that which is truely good, then there is a ſtrong and forcible power, as it were a Law, commanding, and controlling, and binding mee to the contrary: I meane, the euill motions, luſts and deſires that ariſe from the corruption that ſtill in part abides in mee, which are readie and at hand to croſſe and to hinder the good purpoſes and deſires of my heart: and by them I finde my ſelfe yoked and hindred in the doing of good.
Here firſt obſerue we, that the Apoſtle doth not barely affirme this, that when hee would doe good, euill as a Law was preſent with him; but hee affirmes it as a truth, whereof he had experience: and he ſaith, hee found it ſo in his owne experience; I finde (ſaith hee) that when I would doe good, euill, as a law, is preſent with me. Hence take wee notice of it,
That Gods Children finde it in their owne experience, Doct. 1 that when they would doe good, Gods children hauehave experiēce of it, that whē they would do good, euill is preſent with them.euill, as a Law, is preſent with them, and hinders them. It is not only ſo indeed, that when Gods Children purpoſe good, and ſet on the doing of good, that euill is preſent, and readie at hand, and ſtarts vp in them, and hinders them in the doing of it, but they alſo finde it ſo to bee, and GODS Children are able to ſpeake it out of their owne experience, and to affirme it as an experienced truth, Reaſon. that they finde it ſo in themſelues: for why? It being ſo, that the fleſh luſteth againſt the Spirit, and the Spirit againſt the fleſh, Gal. 5.17.Gal. 5.17. and there being euill motions and luſts, ſtirring in the hearts of Gods Children, they are able to mark and to obſerue them, & to take notice of them, they being enlightened and hauing the light of the Lord in them, as it is, Prou. 20.27. Prou. 20.27.euen that Light that ſearcheth all the bowels of the belly. They are able to ſee and diſcerne that euill that ſtarts vp in them, againſt the good they purpoſe and deſire to do, and they are able to marke and obſerue it, and ſo they are able to affirme it out of their owne obſeruation and experience, that ſo it is with them, that when they would doe good, there is ſome euill ſtarts vp and hinders them, ſo as either they doe not that good they would, or they doe it very vntowardly. Thus doubtleſſe it is with eueryevery Childe of God; EueryEvery Childe of God is able to ſay, that in ſome meaſure hee hath experience of it in himſelfe, that when he would doe good, euill is preſent with him and hinders him. And for the vſe of this,
They vainly boaſt that they are children of God, Vſe. 1 Familiſts confuted.that find not this in themſelues, and hauehave not experience of it in ſome meaſure. They that ſay, as the Familiſts and other proud ſpirits doe, that they doe good things, and finde no hinderance at all in the doing of them, but doe them perfectly, they contradict the common experience of all Gods Children: and ſo it is a plaine euidence againſt them, that they are not in the number of GODS Children: And indeed, if wee would approue our ſelues to bee the Children of God, and make it good to the comfort of our owne ſoules, that wee are ſo indeed, wee muſt be able to ſay, that in ſome meaſure wee hauehave experience of this in our ſelues, that when wee would doe good, euill is preſent with vsus and hinders vsus, yea, we muſt be able to ſay, I finde this or that particular euill ſtarting vp in me and hindering me, 2. Cor. 2.11.as the Apoſtle ſaith, 2. Cor. 2.11. Wee muſt not bee ignorant of Satans Enterprizes, that is, of his wiles and fetches, of his ſecret conueyance of ſinne into our hearts. So, doubtleſſe, we muſt not be ignorant of the ſecret working of ſinne in our ſelues, we muſt bee able to ſee and diſcerne the luſts of our hearts that are ſtirring and working in vsus, and how they riſe vp and hinder vsus when we would doe good, and to ſay out of our owne experience, I finde that thus and thus I am hindered when I would doe good, this or that euill ſtarts vp and hinders mee, when I am about to doe it. So it is with Gods Children; yea, the more holy a man is, the more hee ſees and finds in his owne experience, that when he would doe good, euill is preſent with him. And ſo it muſt be with thee, if thou wouldeſt approue thy ſelfe a Childe of God: and this is no matter of vtter diſcouragement.
Now further: In that the Apoſtle ſaith, When I would doe good, euill. as a Law, is preſent with me, ſome euill motion, luſt or deſire is readie and at hand, countermanding and controlling the good I purpoſe, and deſire in my heart: Hence we are giuen to vnderſtand,
That it is the common condition of all Gods Children, Doct. 2 The good motions that are in Gods Children, are euer either interrupted, or troubled, or mingled with ſome euill motions.that the good motions that come from the Spirit of grace in them, are euer either interrupted or troubled, or they are mingled with ſome euill motions that ariſe from that corruption that ſtill abides in them. In the beſt of Gods Children there is euer ſome euill, readie and at hand to countermand and controll them, when they purpoſe and deſire to doe any good thing, and no ſooner doe GODS Children purpoſe and deſire to doe any good thing, or attempt, or ſet on the doing of it, but there is ſome euill motion or luſt preſent and readie to hinder them, preſently either pride, or ſelfe-louelove, or Vain-glorie, Hypocriſie, or doubt, or feare, or the like, ſtarts vp in them and lookes them in the face, and controlls them, and either hinders them from the doing of that good, or intermingles it ſelfe with the doing of it.
And hence, no doubt, it was, that Dauid, Pſal. 86.11. Pſal. 86.11.hauing prayed that the Lord would teach him his way, and then hee would walke in his Truth, he preſently ſubioynes, Knit or ioyne mine heart vntounto thee, that I may feare thy Name. As if hee had ſaid, Though I be taught of thee, O Lord, and hauehave in mee, through thy grace, a will to walke in thy Truth, yet vnleſſe thou knit my heart faſt vntounto thee, it is readie to ſtart aſide, and by ſome euill motion or luſt to bee tranſported, and to bee carryed away from thee, and I am in danger to be croſſed and hindered in reſpect of the good I would doe; and therefore, Lord, knit my heart, and tye it faſt to thee, and keepe it cloſe with thee.
And hence alſo it was, that Dauid ſeeing the people to offer willingly and with ioy, hee thus prayed for them, 1. Chron. 29.18. O Lord God (ſaith hee) of ABRAHAM, 1. Chron. 29.18.IZHAK and ISRAEL our fathers, keepe this for euer in the purpoſe and the thoughts of the heart of thy people, and prepare their hearts vntounto thee. DAVID knew well, that if the Lord did not keepe that good purpoſe in them, it would be loſt and gone, ſome euill motion or luſt would either hinder it, or thruſt it quite out of their hearts. And thus indeed it is with the beſt of Gods Children; no ſooner doe they purpoſe to doe any good thing, or ſet on the doing of it, but there is ſome motion or luſt ſtarts vp and lookes them in the face, and countermands them, and either hinders them from doing of that good, or intermingles it ſelfe with the doing of it: and why? The reaſon of it is this,
There is fleſh and corruption ſtil in part abiding in the beſt of Gods Children that liue on the face of the earth, Reaſon. and that corruption is not idle, but it is ſtirring and working in them, and the workes and actions of it are one of theſe, either to fill the minde with wicked thoughts and rebellious inclinations, or elſe to deface and repreſſe the good motions of the Spirit, and ſo it comes to paſſe, that no ſooner doth a Child of God conceiue a good thought and purpoſe in his heart, to doe any good thing, or ſet himſelfe to doe it, but there is ſome euill motion or luſt ſtarts vp, and lookes him in the face, and controlls him, and either hinders him from the doing of it, or intermingles it ſelfe with that good that he doth.
And this being a truth, Vſe 1 in the firſt place it makes knowne, The beſt works of the regenerate, are ſinfull in part.that the beſt workes of the regenerate are ſinfull, and come ſhort of that holineſſe that ought to bee in them: for why? when a Childe of God would doe good, there is ſome euill preſent with him, and readie at hand, and controlls him, and either hinders him from doing of it, or intermingles it ſelfe with the good hee doth, and ſo it muſt needes bee in part ſinfull: and if the Lord ſhould examine it, according to the rigour of his Law and Iuſtice, it is not able to abide the tryall.
Some obiections are brought to the contrarie; but of ſmall moment, and therefore I paſſe by them, and come to another vſe of this point.
Is it ſo, Vſe 2 that no ſooner doe the beſt of Gods Children purpoſe and deſire to doe any good thing, We are to cheriſh the good thoughts, purpoſes and deſires of our heart, and to labor to bring them forth into act.or ſet on the doing of it, but there is ſome euill motion or luſt ſtarts vp, and lookes them in the face, and countermands them, and either hinders them from doing of it, or intermingles in the doing of it? Surely then it concernes vsus, when any good thought is put into our hearts, and when wee hauehave a purpoſe or deſire of doing any good thing, to looke to it, to watch ouer our owne hearts, and to make much of that good thought, purpoſe, and deſire, and to cheriſh it, and to labour by all good meanes to bring it forth into act. If wee doe not ſo, certainely ſome euill motion or luſt ſtarting vp in our hearts, will out-face it, and will beare it downe. Haply thou haſt, in time of hearing the Word, a good motion put into thine heart, and on the hearing of thine owne ſinne reprooued, thou haſt a purpoſe to leaue it; as to lay aſide thy Pride, thy Gariſhneſſe in apparell, thy Drunkenneſſe, thy Swearing, and ſuch like. Oh, make much of that good purpoſe, there will be ſome euill motion or luſt readie to countermand it, and when thou commeſt abroad into the ayre of the World, a thouſand to one it wil be quenched & gone, and it will vaniſh and come to nothing; thine owne heart will then furniſh thee with a thouſand excuſes to the contrarie.
And ſo it may bee, thou haſt a purpoſe to follow thy calling with diligence, to ſerue God, and to ſhew thy ſelfe religious and one truely fearing God. Well, looke to it, and watch thine owne heart; thy heart will be readie to ſuggeſt one excuſe or other to the contrary, as the hardneſſe, the impoſſibilitie, the trouble and the danger of the matter; as that (forſooth) it will bring loſſe of fauour, of goods, of libertie, or the like: yea, that thou ſhalt be mocked and pointed at with the finger, and called a Puritane, or the like, as it is, Prou. 22.13. One Lyon or other will be in the way. Oh, therefore looke to it, when thou haſt any good thought, purpoſe, or deſire put into thine heart, of forſaking euill, or doing any good, make much of it, cheriſh it, and pray to the Lord to keepe that good purpoſe in thine heart, as Dauid did, 1. Chron. 29.18. No ſooner haſt thou any good purpoſe put into thine heart, but ſome euill motion or luſt will bee readie to controll it: and therefore it concernes thee to looke to it, and to cheriſh it, and to make much of it, and to labour by all good meanes to bring it forth into act.