The Life of Faith, Chapter 7
CHAP. VII. What our ſpiritual Adverſaries are. How our Luſts do tempt us. James 1.14. explained. The Diſadvantage of Believers in their ſpirituall combate, by reaſon of their own luſts, ſhewed by many ſimilitudes out of Pariſienſis. The uſe of Faith in purifying the heart. 1 John 3.2, 3, cleared.
IF we conſider the forementioned ſervices as part of that homage which we owe to our Creator, (acknowledging the dependance which we have on him, in directing all our prayers and ſupplications to him, the authority which he hath over us as our Lawgiver, Jam. 4.12. by ſitting down at his feet, to receive of his words, Deut. 33.3. the obligations that are upon us to him for the great things Chriſt hath done and ſuffer'd for us, by celebrating the Memorial of his Paſſion, in the Lords Supper) Faith quits it ſelf ſufficiently in a right performance of theſe Duties. But conſidering them as means of grace, for the getting and encreaſe thereof, ſo what Faith doth therein is but in order to the overcoming of temptations, and bearing afflictions, wherein the grace which we get thereby is very much exerciſed. So that in ſpeaking of theſe things, I muſt neceſſarily refer to many things ſpoken of in the foregoing Chapters, though I ſhall not repeat them: and in treating of thoſe temptations which faith is of ſuch uſe to overcome, I ſhall ſhew you whence they proceed, and how we do by faith overcome them.
Now theſe Temptations do proceed from the fleſh, from the world, and from the Devil. Theſe are ordinarily reckoned our three ſpiritual adverſaries, and though they do all of them many times conſpire in the ſame temptation, yet I muſt treat of them diſtinctly.
For the Firſt, The Apoſtle tells us, that fleſhly luſts war againſt the ſoul, 1 Pet. 2.11. And every man is tempted, when he is drawn aſide of his own luſt and inticed, James 1.14. where we have the two wayes whereby luſt prevails, either the impetus and violence of it, whereby it hurrieth a man into ſin, as the horſe his rider into the battle, Jer. 8.6. caſting reaſon down from its ſeat where it ſhould hold the reines of our affections, ſo that neither fear, ſhame, admonitiōs of others, checks of conſcience, our own Principles, Profeſſions, former reſolutions, will reſtrain them, but they break all bands, & caſt away all cords, Pſ. 2.3.
Secondly, They entice and allure the will to conſent, by pretending the great pleaſure and ſatisfaction in fulfilling them, the conſiſtency thereof with Salvation, purpoſe of repentance, probability of pardon, &c. by reaſon hereof we fight with our other adverſaries at a great diſadvantage, as Pariſienſis de Tent. & reſiſt. cap. 2. hath by many apt ſimilitudes excellently ſhewed, as Of a Kingdome divided againſt it ſelf, having a party within it ready to joyn, as occaſion ſerves, with a forrain adverſary. Of a Souldier that rides on a reſtive or unruly horſe, that runs backwards, or runs away with him, when he ſhould charge his enemy. To a ſtrong man ſtanding to fight on a ſlippery place, where he is not able to hold his feet to put forth his ſtrength. To a Souldier in a houſe or caſtle, that hath many breaches or open places where an enemy may ſhoot in at him. To a Souldier that bares an heavy burthen which loads him, and preſſes him down, when he ſhould fight. To an houſe, whoſe lower part is of ſome combuſtible dry matter, and ready to take fire: ſo our hearts are ready, as occaſion ſerves, to comply with Satan, and betray us into his ſnares; our affections unruly, our ſenſes as ſo many windows or Avenues, through which Satan may caſt in his darts: our corruptions as a burden that keeps us down, as the remainders of an evil diſeaſe, that enfeebles us, ſo as we fail when we ſhould put forth our ſtrength againſt our ſpiritual adverſaries: our hearts as tinder, or gun-powder, apt to be ſet on fire by every ſpark of temptation.
Now Faith is of great uſe to us in this reſpect, Purifying the heart from theſe corrupt luſts, Acts 15.9. And this it doth,
1. As it unites us to Jeſus Chriſt, whereby we are made partakers of the Divine Nature, which is continually luſting and ſtriving againſt our corrupt nature, weakening it by degrees: The ſpirit luſts against the fleſh, as the fleſh luſts against the ſpirit, Gal. 5.17. This is in the ſoul as the expulſive faculty, which is ſubſervient to the nutritive faculty, expelling ſuch things as are noxious to nature.
2. By Faith we receive the ſpirit of Jeſus Chriſt: This may ſeem to be the ſame with the former, but they differ, as the habits of grace from aſſiſting grace, or auxilium habituale & actuale, of which ſee Alvarez de auxiliis divin. grat. Disp. 82. N. 10. as the Fable is of Hercules, that he cleanſed the ſtable of Augea, wherein thouſands of oxen had lyen for many years, by turning a river through it: ſo this ſinke of our hearts is cleanſed by the ſpirit, which as a fountain opened for ſin, and for uncleanneſſe, doth continually flow in a believers ſoul, compare Zach. 13.1. with John 7.38, 39.
3. Faith purifieth the heart, as it improves thoſe Ordinances which are means for the purifying of it, as the Word, Pſalm 119.9. John 15.3. Prayer, Exek. 36.26, 27, 37. Pſalm 51.10. &c. How Faith improves theſe I have ſhewed in the former Chapters.
4. Faith doth this morally, by improving ſuch Arguments as may perſwade us hereto, 2 Corinth. 7.1. 1 John 3.2, 3. Faith and Hope run parallel, faith believing the promiſe, hope expecting the thing promiſed, and we can hope for nothing but what we believe the Promiſe of. Now, whoever hopes to be like Chriſt hereafter, will certainly purifie himſelf, that he may, in ſome meaſure, be like him here, that being our ſtate of perfection, and there being in every thing a naturall tendency and reaching forth to its perfection, and the ſpirit doth not work in us as phyſick, but there muſt be a ſubordinate concurrence of our wills therewith: the Apoſtle, on the ſame ground, preſſeth to mortification, Col. 3.4, 5.