Gospel Holiness, Part 2 · Sermon 5
SERMON V.
Rom. 8. 4. Who walke not after the fleſh, but after the ſpirit.
IT is the Foundation of all our happineſſe, to have the righteouſneſse The foundation of a Chriſtians happineſſe.of the law fulfilled in us; for thereby we are exempted from all miſery, freed from all our enemies; and therby we are made capable to enjoy all happineſſe, and bleſſedneſſe. For all the miſery that man ſuffers here, and hereafter, is becauſe he hath not a righteouſneſſe to fulfill the law. And therefore whatſoever man, or woman it is, that the Lord hath beſtowed this great priviledge upon, they muſt needs be in a bleſſed condition.
Now that we may know whether we are of that number, the Apoſtle tells us that they that have this priviledge, they walk not according to the Fleſh, but according to the ſpirit; which was the laſt thing I was upon. I told you what was meant by walking after the fleſh, and what by walking after the ſpirit, I gave the Reaſons of it, and made two or three Uſes.
There are two things remaine, which I ſhall endeavour to ſpeake of at this time.
Firſt, you that have received the ſpirit of God, Ʋſe 4. Exhortation to thoſe that have the ſpirit, how to walke.and in ſome meaſure doe walk according to the ſpirit, and not according to the fleſh, that the new-Jeruſalem from Heaven is in ſome meaſure come into your hearts, I will give you a few Exhortations from the Lord, how you ſhould carry your ſelves. That is the firſt thing I ſhall doe, and that ſhall be in four or five ſhort words.
The firſt is this, that the Lord having called 1. Not to abuſe this liberty.you to this glorious, free eſtate, to this free condition; that you would take heed of abuſing your liberty, that you would take heed of turning the grace of God into wantonneſſe, as many doe. And by that I meane but two things.
That you would take heed of uſing your liberty as an occaſion for the fleſh.
And Secondly, of uſing your liberty ſo, as to give offence to your Brethren, or indeed to any.
I ſay firſt, beware of uſing your liberty for an occaſion 1. Not to uſe it as an occaſion to the fleſh.to the fleſh. That you ſhall have Gall. 5. 13. For Brethren (ſayth the Apoſtle) you have been called to liberty, only uſe not your liberty for an occaſion to the fleſh; but by love ſerve one another. The Apoſtle ſhewes them in that Epiſtle the glorious condition, and eſtate, that they were in through grace. And here in this Verſe there are two things that he tells them, the one is implied (it is worth obſerving) yee are called to liberty. That The Goſpell brings libertyis, there is a freedome, there is a liberty in the Goſpell in diverſe things that did ſeeme to be ſinfull when ye were under the law, for elſe what ſence can you make of this, ye are called to liberty, onelyonly uſe not your liberty for an occaſion to the fleſh. For we find that the people under the law, eyther they made the law stricter, or looſer then it was. And there is no man in the World that walks according to the law, but he makes many lawes to himſelfe, that Chriſt hath not made. Now when the Goſpell coms in clearly, all thoſe lawes that you made of your owne head, vaniſh. Ye are called to liberty: that is, you ſee more freedome, you are not bound to every thing that before you were. Before you muſt not ſmile, it was a ſin if you ſeemed to laugh, or ſmile, and a hundred ſuch things. Now you are called to Libertie, but uſe it not as an occaſion for the fleſh: That is, take not occaſion from your liberty, to live more ſinfully; to ſay you are made free, and others are tyed by the Law, and therefore you will live more careleſly, and looſely, and ſinfully,; take heed, and beware of that. There were ſome it ſeemes: I am ſure there are ſome now, that all the liberty and freedome they heare off from the Goſpel, or by getting off from the Law, it is nothing in the World but that they may goe on more in ſin, and enjoy their luſts more freely; this is to pervert the Goſpel.
And what the end of theſe people ſhall be, you The danger of abuſing goſpel-liberty.may ſee in 2 Pet. 1. and in the Epiſtle of Jude. They are appointed to damnation. And their damnation ſlumbereth and ſleepeth not. That is, they are going on amaine, they are going faster towards Hell then any Drunkard or Whormonger. A Malefactor never goeth ſo faſt to death, as theſe doe to deſtruction; when all the knowledge of liberty that they have is onelyonly to give occaſion to provide more for their luſts then before: Let us conſider and take heed of that.
Another thing is, ſeeing you have liberty by 2. Not to uſe liberty for the offence of our Brethren.walking according to the ſpirit (for where the ſpirit is there is freedome, that is certaine) uſe it not for the offence of your Brethren. As ſome there are that when they heare they are free, are ready to ſay, I care not what all the World ſay, I know this is not a ſin, and therefore I will doe it. Beloved that is farr from walking worthy according to the Goſpel; I became all things (ſaith Paul) to all men, that I might win ſome: I am under the Law to them that are under the Law, and without Law to them that are without Law. I became all things to all men that I might gaine ſome: So we muſt not pleaſe our ſelves, but one another for edification, Rom. 15. and condeſcend to them of low ſort, Rom. 12. Who is weake (ſaith the Apoſtle) and I am not weake? If thou ſee a man under the Law, fumbling and wallowing upon Mount Sinai, without the knowledge of the Goſpel, deſpiſe him not, and ſay, he is a Legalliſt, and what have we to doe with him? but endeavour to frame thy heart, and thy language, and carriage ſo ſuitable to him, that thou mayſt win upon him, and ſo with others. This is the language of the Goſpell, and the true way of the ſpirit of God; when a man knowes his freedome, and yet he becomes all things to all men, that he may doe them good. There is one word, that I thinke is the word and will of God, and I deſire that thou mayſt take it ſo, and carry it with thee.
A ſecond thing that I adviſe you to that are 2. To walke humbly.ſpirituall, that the Lord hath revealed a little of the Goſpel to it, is this, that you would endeavour to walk humbly. O, walk humbly. Why ſo? I will tell you why, becauſe a man when he is under Becauſe of the abundance of revelations in the Goſpell.the law, he ſhall be twenty yeares ſtriving for a little knowledge, or grace, and ſhall hardly get them: but as ſoone as ever a man comes rightly to Chriſt, and to know him, then there is ſuch a flood of grace, and ſuch abundance of Revelations, (it is the Scriptures word) there is ſuch abundance of manifeſtations of GOD, and of the Image of GOD, when they begin to come in, that it is a hard thing then to keepe the ſoule downe, for ſpirituall things when they come in rightly, when the Floud-gates are open, they come in as Waves, one upon the back of another. For ſpiritull Goſpell truths, multiplie in the ſoule a thouſand fold, one leſson from another, and one Scripture opens another, and then there is no end, and then it is hard to keepe the ſoule humble. Therfore in 2 Cor. 12. When Paul was wrapt into the third Heavens, becauſe of the abundance of Revelations that he had ſeene (for he had ſeen and heard things that he could not utter, and ſpeake to others) he was readie to be proud, to be lifted up, and leaſt he ſhould be ſo, God ſent a Meſſenger of Satan to buffet him. It implies, it was a hard thing for Paul the Apoſtle when abundance of Revelations, came into his ſoule, not to be lifted up. And this ſpoyles ſome honeſt hearts. I hope they are ſo, and that God will bring them home, that having been kept bare of food, as ſome Souldiers, that went to releive Gloceſter, when they came home to the Cittie, they killed themſelves with eating full, and good food: So when poore ſoules have gone upon the bare Mountaines of Sinai, and then have come to the Paſtures of righteouſneſſe, they goe ſo greedily, and are ſo taken, that if God be not wonderfull mercifull, they will be undone by being lifted up. Therfore beware of this, learne from Pauls example to ſeeke to the Lord to keep your hearts humble.
A third thing is this, endeavour to walk ſimplie 3. To walk ſimply.I meane to keepe to the ſimplicity of the Goſpell. The Goſpell, though there be glorious myſteries in it to feed the ſoule, yet notwithſtanding it is a plaine, ſimple thing. Now here the Devill endeavours to undoe ſoules, as it is ordinary in this City, when men come once to underſtand a little of the Goſpell, and to taſt the ſweetneſſe of it, The Devill makes men ſublimate Religion into notions.the Devill ſcrews them up to ſublimate all Religion into notions, to cleave a haire, and Religion will be all in Ideas and conceits of the nature of God, and of the creature. Whereas the Goſpell is a plaine thing. Paul deſired to know the death of Chriſt, and the power of his Reſurrection. And Paul teacheth Servants how to obey their Masters, and Maſters how to carry themſelves to their Servants, and VVives to their Husbands, and ſuch ſimple plaine things. Now theſe things are accounted nothing: that is the Reaſon that many among us, they doe more and more looſe the Word of God unleſſe it be about ſome ſublime notions. If a Miniſter be upon ſuch poynts, ſome high Ideas (for they feed upon ſuch) that is worth the while; but if a Miniſter ſpeake of things that concerne their calling, or their ſex, and condition; that is plaine, it hath no tast in it, no more then the white of an Egg. It is a hard thing to keepe to the ſimplicity of the Gſopell As the Devill tempted our firſt Parents, God gave Adam and Eve ſufficient knowledge to doe his How the Devill tempted Eve.will: and they had ſufficient naturall knowledge, for they Named all the Creatures, yet notwithſtanding ſhee muſts neds goe from the ſimplicity of Gods will, and be curious, and ſhee muſt know good, and evill, there was the distinction, good, and evill, thought ſhee what kind of good, and evill, ſhee goes to this ſublime conceit, and ſo was loſt.
Now ſayth Paul I am afraid of you leaſt the Devill ſhould beguile you ſo
I am loath to offend you: for I had rather win 4. To het the comfort of our priviledges.you, or elſe I could inſtance in twenty or forty conceits and distinctions, of things, Ideas, that are above the ſimplicity of the Goſpell, and that is enough to make us leave them, becauſe they are above the ſimplicity of the Goſpell, and the excellency of the Goſpell is not in thoſe Ideas, but in knowing the power of plaine things, as the death of Jeſus Chriſt. Every man in Jeruſalem knew the death of Chriſt: but to know the power of that death; keepe cloſe to the ſimplicity of the Goſpell.
Another thing is this, you that have knowne a little of the ſpirit of God, and have inlarged hearts, and enlightned eyes. Let not God reſt till thou find the comfort, and power of what thou knoweſt. O, we know that the righteouſneſſe of the law by Chriſt is fulfilled in us, and the like: but we have not the full comfort of ſuch a truth, and many others. We know Chriſt hath paid our debt, and that we are one with him, as he is one with the Father; but we have not the power, and the comfort of theſe things.
Beloved, for thy comfort, know that Paul in a Pauls condition.ſort was in thy condition. Phil. 3. Not as though I had attained or apprehended, but I would apprehend him of whome I am apprehended, and I would know the vertue of his death, and the power of his Reſurrection. Paul ſaw ſomething that he did not fully apprehend, but he would feele more of the power of Goſpell, ſpirituall truthes, and if he ſaw that he wanted it, much more we.
O, doe not content your ſelves to have an old, frozen knowledge of Goſpell truths, whereby you are able to proove that men are legalliſts, and that men are under Mount Sinai, and yet have cold, and frozen hearts, cold truths without life: therefore thinke of minding God of this.
Then laſtly, labour to take heed that you be 5. Not to fall back from the light of the Goſpell.not by any meanes bewitched ſo as to fall back from that little light in the Goſpell that you have received, it is an eaſie thing ſo to doe. I doe beleive, (and it is my comfort, and will be when I am farr from this place) that the Lord hath enlightened diverſe of you to know the Goſpell, to know Jeſus Chriſt a little clearer. Now I know not wha… the Lord may doe for you: but I ſay it is wonderous eaſie, you may under one quarter of a yeares fleſhly Preaching, loſe that that you have been under two or three yeares Preaching a getting. I have knowne, after a quarter of a yeares buylding up of my ſoule in the knowledg of Chriſt, and the ſetling of my faith, and aſſurance, I have heard one Sermon that hath routed and daſht all that work in my ſoule.
Therefore I beſeech you beware, faith is a tender thing; eſpecially the light we have, that is but very weake, and very tender, therefore ſayth Paul, Who hath bewitched you, you fooliſh Gallatians, before whome Jeſus Chriſt hath been lively painted? As the word ſignifies, Chriſt was drawne lively before the Gallatians and yet they did fall. If Paul that was an Apoſtle, and had the ſpirit of God in ſuch a meaſure, laying open the ſpirit of Chriſt, and yet his people did goe back to Moſes, and to Sinai, the Lord help, and uphold us. Therfore ſtand faſt in your liberty in Jeſus Chriſt. This is all in ſhort I have to ſay to you for that. I hope you will lay up theſe words.
Now I have a few words of advice, and counſell Ʋſe 5. How thoſe that walk after the fleſh, may come to walk ſpiritually.to thoſe poor ſouls that do yet in a great meaſure walk according to the fleſh, in one faſhion or other. Their religion is a fleſhly Religion, from old Adam, and according to the law, in a great meaſure. Now the Queſtion is what ſhall they doe that they may be ſpirituall Chriſtians, that they may walke according to the ſpirit?
I will only name a few things.1. Study the difference between the two Teſtaments.
The firſt is this, I would deſire you to endeavor to ſtudie much the difference between the two Teſtaments, the new and the old. I meane not the two Bookes, but the two Testaments, that we read of in Heb. 8. & Heb. 9. Whereof the one is faulty, and the other is excellent, the one is done away the other remaines. Studie the difference between them: for thereby you lay the foundation of your Goſpell-happineſſe: for there is the miſery of many Profeſſors, and will be their miſery if they ſhould live a thouſand yeares, they jumble both Teſtaments, without knowledge, and diſtinction, and ſo they will never be better.
Another thing that I would exhort you to, is 2. To prize the ſpirit.this, to prize the ſpirit of Chriſt more then you doe. There is nothing in the Goſpel but it is a Mystery, you cannot know it but by the ſpirit: and there is no duty in the Goſpell to be done that can be done but by the power of the ſpirit. We may doe many things in the law by the ſtrength of old Adam: in the Goſpell we can doe nothing, but the ſpirit is all.
And that is the reaſon I think (for I ſpeake according to the grace given me) why people now are left ſo bare, and poore, and confuſed, and know not which way to goe, or what to doe, they doe not prize the ſpirit of God.
Many men extoll Learning mightily, and it is Learning extolled to the diſparagement of the ſpirit.accounted almoſt Hereſie to commend the ſpirit of God. There are many men, I, and many Profeſsors, that doe not love to heare a man in a few modest words to commend the ſpirit of God: but all muſt be by ſtudie, and reading, and learning, and for the ſpirit of God it is a plaine meere Cypher, and there is an end. But my life on it (if I had a hundred I would ſay ſo) they ſhal be beholding to the ſpirit of God, and extoll him before they be taught ſpiritually; they ſhall be willing to lay downe all their learning (as I have ſeene a learned godly man of late) even with the Plow-boy.
I do not ſay, but that learning is good for ſome Learning of what uſe it is.uſes, and God may bleſſe it to help a man to expreſſe what he knowes, the better: but as I told you, Adam muſt die, he cannot by it come to know one jot, of the ſpirituall meaning of God in the Goſpell, or one jot of power or aſſurance, to be happie, or to doe any thing for God: towards this, all learning is not worth a ſtraw: therefore labour to extoll the ſpirit. And if any of you have a mind to learning, goe on, I diſcourage you not from it; learning is a thing in another Element; take paines and dilligence to be learned; it is good to doe ſo. But if thou wilt be a Goſpell Christian, thou muſt thank the ſpirit of God for all. Sayth Paul for all his learning, I am not ſufficient to ſpeake a good word, and he was a learned man, that Festus ſayd, Much learning had made him mad. Beza in his Comment upon 2 Cor. 11. Where the Apoſtle ſayth, Are they Hebrews? ſo am I. Are they Jewes? ſo am I. Sayth he, I never read in any Latine, or Greek Author, ſo much eloquence, and elegancie of ſpeech, as Paul hath there: and yet he Profeſſeth, he could not think a good thought (for all he was learned ſo much) much leſſe doe a good worke.The will of God not knowne till we extoll the ſpirit.
As long as thou keepeſt the ſpirit an underling; as a Cypher, as many of the clergie, and learned men, they extoll learning to the Heavens, and many of them upon purpoſe to deſpight the ſpirit of God; as long as they doe ſo, they ſhall never know the will of God, We are not debtors to the fleſh, but we muſt be debtors to the ſpirit, if we will have one true thought of Jeſus Chriſt. O prayſe the ſpirit, and prize the ſpirit. If you have any thought of Chriſt, thank the ſpirit; if you have any glimps of him in your ſoules worth any thing, prayſe the Spirit.
That is the reaſon that the Saints in the Booke How Saints of Old ſpake of the ſpirit.of God, ſpeake not of the ſpirit of God, without ſome ſpeciall epithite of commendation. Guid me by thy HOLY ſpirit, and ſayth another, thy BLESSED ſpirit, and thy GRACIOVS ſpirit, and the ſpirit of GRACE ſayth another. They never ſpeake of it without ſome word that ſhewed their love to it, and their high eſteeme of it. When the Lord ſhall come, and his ſpirit ſhall be advanced in the hearts of men, we ſhall have glorious times, and never before that, and thoſe times will come. I remember Calvin on thoſe Propheſies in I ſay, and Joell. The SVN ſhall be darkned, and the MOONE ſhall be turned into blood in that day; Sayth he, the meaning is, all the excellencie that a man naturally hath, his learning, and endowments; in the dayes of the Goſpell, when the ſpirit ſhall come with his light; when God ſhall exalt the ſpirit, The Sun ſhall be turned into darkeneſſe, and the Moone into blood: Men ſhal not ſo much eſteem learning from Books, but learned, and great men, and Schollers ſhall come to one claſsis, and one rank, and forme with ſimple people, all waiting on God by his VVord through the ſpirit. A man can take his Boy from Schoole that hath his Lattine and Greeke, and ſend him to the Univerſitie, and he aſſures himſelfe that he ſhall be as good a Miniſter as his other Sonne, that, it may be, hath ſerved the ſpirit ſeaven yeares, this is our way, and a hundred more, whereby we baſely ſlight and diſdaine the ſpirit of God, and doe not honour him, and therefore he will not honour us.
Thirdly, if ever you will be true Goſpell Saints, 3. To be led by the ſpirit.you muſt ſuffer your ſelves to be lead by the ſpirit of God. That phraſe you find oft in, Rom. 8. Gal. 5. If you live in the ſpirit, walk in the ſpirit, be lead by the ſpirit. We are not complementary to commend the ſpirit of God, &c. But give it ſcope to lead us. You muſt heed more what the ſpirit of God ſaith unto you, and what he works on you. If there come a place of Scripture in your mind, heare, and conſider, whether the ſpirit of God hath not put it in thy mind, and would have thee ſtudie it, and would have thee compare Scriptures. And when thou commeſt to doe any action whatſoever, not ſo much to advice, with this man, or that man, but what ſayth the ſpirit (I meane according to the light of the Scripturs) harken to that more then what all the World faith. Therefore I have knowne ſome men that in their whole lives have often miſt the will of God, in circumſtantiall things uſually, it may be for a yeare or two, or three and they have miſt it againe in another thing, and in another thing. And when they have examined how this comes about, they can ſay if they had hearkned to the ſpirit of God, they had not done ſo, but they hearkned to men, and ſo went againſt the dictates of the ſpirit, in their conſcience, they would heare what this man ſaid, and what the other man did. But now the ſpirit will ſay to them, you ſee I would have ſhewed you the right way, but you would not give me ſcope, but made a Cypher of me. And for my one particular I doe not yet ſee how I ſhould ever have mist the will of God ſince I knew him if I had hearkned to the ſpirit of God, if I had but obſerved ſo much light as the ſpirit had put into my heart. Now we Ballance the ſpirit with this mans example, and with the other mans opinion, and ſo, come home by Weeping Croſs. Therefore give ſcope to the ſpirit, I meane not againſt the word, or above the word, but ſtill I meane the ſpirit of God working according to the Scriptures, and no otherwiſe.
Another thing, and a ſpeciall one is, I wiſh you for the myſteries of the Goſpell to ſtudy the 4. To ſtudie Scriptures without mens gloſſes.Scriptures in the ſimplicity of them without the gloſſes of Men: For a man in extremity muſt doe that that a man that is not in extremity would not doe. We have brought our ſelves in ſuch ſlavery to Men, that we muſt take that courſe that another ſober man ſhould not. I meane thus, when ever we goe to look for any truth of God, for the will of God, we have notions in our minds before hand, according to the times and places we live in. As concerning Baptiſme, what need I goe to the Scriptures ſaith one, we have it in ſuch, and ſuch Mens Writings? And ſo we foreſtall the will of God, that we are blinded, and cannot ſee it.
Therefore if you will ſee the wil of God, I wiſh you (for a while at leaſt) to look on the naked Three uſes of other Books beſides the Scriptures.Scriptures. And for my part I know but three uſes to be made of other Books.
As firſt there is this uſe of Books, you have 1. To ſet forth Scripture in diverſe languages.Books that will read the Scriptures in diverſe languages, and ſhew the Originall, and open the tongues; now when I ſee a word in Engliſh, and doubt of the meaning of it: then I will goe to the Greek or Hebrew, as God hath endowed me with knowledge.
Then there is another uſe of Books, when I 2. To open one Scripture by another.read one ſingle Scripture, it may be I have a book that will point out halfe a dozen Scriptures, to open one Scripture by.
And it may be I have ſome books that take 3. To preſſe Scriptures on the ſoule.ſome Scripture, and preſſe it upon my ſoule, as Doctor Preſtons, and other godly books. But to take books, and ſay, Jerome thinks this, and Auſtin that, and fill our heads with notions, they blind us that we cannot ſee the will of God.
Therefore in reading of Scriptures there ſhould Difference in the learning of Chriſtians, and others.be this difference, from our reading of other Books, I meane in reſpect of age. When we are Children, and young, we uſe not Spectacles; it may be at twenty, or thirty, or fourty yeares old, we can read without Spectacles; but when we come to fifty, or ſixty, then we can ſee nothing but through Spectacles. It ſhould be juſt contrary with us, when we are Chriſtians. When we are young we uſually never read the Word of God but through the Spectacles of mens gloſſes; but when we are older Chriſtians and ſtronger Saints, we ſhould learne to read better without Spectacles; wee ſhould daily make leſſe uſe of Mens Books, and more of Gods Book. That whereas before a man turned over twenty Authors upon a point: Now he can goe humbly to God with his Bible, and without Spectacles he can ſee what the will of God is. Therefore lay aſide Spectacles ſometimes, and onelyonly take the ſpirit of God, and compare Scipture with Scripture, that you may come to know the mind of Chriſt.
Shall I name one thing more? If you would 5. To be borne againe.come to be ſpirituall, Goſpel-Saints, you muſt be borne againe; you muſt be borne from above. A Goſpell-profeſsion is Jeruſalem from above, and there are none that can come into Jeruſalem that is from above, but thoſe that are borne from above. Therefore marke our Saviours reaſoning, John 3. Nicodemus asks Chriſt which was the way to Heaven? And he tells him, Verily thou muſt be borne againe, or thou muſt be borne from above, or elſe thou canſt not ſee it; Nichodemus wonders why hee muſt be borne from above, ſaith he, Shall I goe into my Mothers belly, &c. Saith Chriſt, marvell not, wonder not; why ſhould he not wonder at ſuch a ſtrange ſpeech? Here is the reaſon, That which is borne of fleſh is fleſh: therefore think it not ſtrange that I ſay thou muſt be borne againe. So I ſay, whatſoever you do by the power of nature, by your owne wiſedome; by your owne righteouſneſſe, or your owne ſtrength, all comes but to this, but to fleſh, and whatſoever comes of fleſh is fleſh; Fleſh cannot bring out the ſpirit no more then a thorne can bring out Grapes, as Chriſt ſpeak. Therefore wonder not, that thou muſt be borne from above, that is, thou muſt have the Lord from above, to beget thee againe. You have every one, been borne once, you muſt be borne once more, you muſt have a new creation in you: the Lord muſt create new, ſtrange properties, and diſpoſitions, that no fleſh, and blood is able to comprehend.
Laſtly, take the councell of the Holy Ghoſt, 6. To pray for the ſpirit of wiſedome, and revelation.and that is in Epheſ. 1. 16, As Paul prayed for them, ſo doe thou pray for thy ſelfe, and there is all the reaſon in the World that thou ſhouldeſt. I ceaſe not (ſayth he) to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my Prayers, that the God of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, the Father of glory would give to you the ſpirit of wiſedome, and revelation in the knowledge of him. Pray for the ſpirit of wiſedome and revelation in the knowledge of Chriſt. Sleight not theſe words, becauſe ſome wicked men abuſe them, and others reproach them; but becauſe Paul ſaith ſo, pray that the Lord would give thee the ſpirit of wiſedome and revelation. So much concerning the directions I had to give you.
There is one word of Information, and with Ʋſe. 6. The true ground of perſecutions and diviſions.that I will conclude: From what I have ſaid before concerning the fleſh, and the ſpirit, learne this inſtruction more, hence to ſee what is the true ground of all perſecution, nay even of all the diviſions that are among us; Men may pretend what they will, and deceive themſelves, but all the ſtrife and perſecution in the World is meerly between the fleſh and the ſpirit, between the old, and the new Adam. There are two Princes in this World, and theſe are contrary the one to the other: The fleſh lusteth againſt the ſpirit. Old Adam ſeeks to get up, and the new Adam will have him downe. Therefore you ſhall have theſe two in every Towne, in one Church, in one Family, in one ſoule, and whereſoever they are, the fleſh luſteth againſt the ſpirit, and the ſpirit againſt the fleſh, and theſe two are contrary. Are contrary, what is that? That is, there is no true contrariety between any things in the World, but between the old Adam and the new; between the fleſh and the ſpirit. Now by Fleſh I meane not onelyonly corruption, but whole fleſh, fleſhly wiſedome: The wiſedome of old Adam is enmity againſt the wiſedome of the new; the righteouſneſſe of old Adam is quite contrary to the righteouſneſſe of the new; this is the cauſe of perſecution.
Let people pretend what they will, you ſhall ſee godly men perſecuted, you may ſee Chriſt in their ſoules as clearly as the Sun, and people keep a coile about Independency and Presbytery, but the truth is, it is old Adam in thoſe that perſecute, and the new Adam in the other, a man with one eye may ſee it. There are many pretences, but all the ſtrife is between the old Adam and the new. For (to give a little illuſtration) take Goſpell godly Saints that have the ſpirit of God in them, they agree well enough, they will not ſtrive, ſometimes they may differ a little, but for the generality, they live well enough together; nay, take ſome Goſpell Saints that are filled with the ſpirit of God, and the knowledge of Jeſus Chriſt (in theſe times, and in this City which is the center of all diviſion) and they cannot atteſt diviſions they cannot make a partie, and give rayling, for rayling, and ſtrife, for ſtrife; they cannot but love their enemies, and bleſs them that blaſpheme them As James ſayth, Whence come all wars? You think they come from your zeale for your way, and yours for your way, but it is from your luſts. The fleſh luſteth againſt the ſpirit, and the ſpirit againſt the fleſh. It is from old Adam.
And I was going to ſay, but I will but name it. Cauſe of Saints weakneſs.This is the cauſe alſo of the weakneſſe generally that is among you. It is not wickedneſſe that troubles a Saint, but weakneſſe: it is not poſitive ills, but weakneſſe. And whence is this weakneſſe? Becauſe he walks after the fleſh. The ſpirit is powerfull, but the fleſh is weake. As the Scripture ſaith, Their horſes are fleſh and not ſpirit: ſo I may ſay, your Prayers are fleſh, and not ſpirit, and it may be my Preaching, and it may be our endeavours to reſiſt ſin. But as farr as they are fleſh they are weak enough. But where the ſpirit is, there is power: I can doe all things, ſayth Paul. I can preach the Goſpell from Jeruſalem to Illyricum: and I ſhall come to you in the fulneſſe of Chriſt. A man would think he had been mad; but it was the ſtrength of his ſpirit. A poore weake Chriſtian he doth nothing but wiſh, and would, and confeſſeth his ſins to day, and falls into it againe to morrow, and then confeſſeth againe: and when will it once be, O Jeruſalem? But the Goſpel is the power of God to Salvation: and all the principles of it, are powerfull, and all the precepts of it have a power through the Knowledg of Chriſt no ground of licentiouſnes.ſpirit for a man to keepe, and obſerve them.
Men talk that the learning of Chriſt, and the knowledg of the Goſpell is to make men looſe, and lycencious. It is true, carnall, vayne hearts, the better any thing is, the worſe they be: but aſſure your ſelves, concerning true Saints it is falſe: for the only way to be lively, and luſtie, and fruitfull in good, is to know Chriſt more according to the Goſpell. Let men pleaſe themſelves, and ſay ſo as long as they will, they ſhall be but poore old barren creatures. You will be wiſhing, but you ſhall never overcome your ſins. I have knowne ſome Saints, that by the knowledge of Jeſus Chriſt have had power to ſubdue thoſe ſins, and to bring them under, that before they never ſo much as hoped to bring under in this World: yet the power of Chriſt hath brought them under, when all their faſtings, and humiliations would never doe it, when they were in that way, without the cleare knowledg of Chriſt: but when they have come to Chriſt they have found it done. In 2 Pet. 3. You ſhall find there, men that were carnall men, that were as Doggs that returned to their Vomit, yet the common knowledg of Jeſus Chriſt did make them cleane from the pollutions of the World, and did give them power againſt their ſins, what then will the ſpirituall, effectuall, knowledge of Chriſt doe? Therefore never entertaine any prejudice againſt Chriſt, or againſt his Goſpell, or againſt his ſpirit, and his wayes: for if there be any power in this World, it is there. All the reſt is but a flouriſh, but a ſhew of mortification, when the heart is as full of luſts, as a Toad is of Poyſon. There is no true mortification or holineſſe but what comes from Chriſt, and his holy ſpirit.