The Parable of the Ten Virgins, Part 1 · Chapter 20 · Section 1
SECT. I.
MAke therefore a narrow search whether you have this Fulness of the SpiritUse 3. or no.
What is this Fulness…?
When the Spirit comes in the room of those things which a man is fullQuest. of now. For fulness or filling implies emptiness, and the removal of that.Answ.
Now there are six things every man is full of.
1. Sin
2. Darkness.
3. Unbelief.
4. Satan.
5. Self.
6. World.
So there is answerably in every Saint,
1. A Fulness of humiliation for sin.
2. A Fulness of illumina…on and revelation, in the room of darkness.
3. A Fulness of Faith, in the room of unbelief.
4. A Fulness of the Spirit it self, in the room of Satan.
5. A Fulness of Sanctification in acting for God as their last end, in the room of self-seeking.
6. A Fulness of Glory and Consolation, in stead of the world.
I. Fulness of humiliation under sin, opposite to fulness of sin.
For every hypocritical heart hath commonly some humiliation and casting down, which is the first Principle of all his Profession, and hence can tell you of his miserable estate that once he lived in, and for which he was troubled, but it was never deep enough. For as there was before his terrifying, a full power, a fulness of the dominion of sin, his humiliation for sin, never reached, never came to that fulness or measure, so as to deliver the soul from that. For I do not account that true humiliation whereby a mans heart is rent, troubled and tormented with sin, but whereby 'tis rent from sin; not from the being, but from the power, not from the bondage of some, but yet from the power of all. For if rending with sin should be humiliation, then the Devils should be more humbled then any. Then also a man may have too much of humiliation, and of Gods Spirit. If rending from the being of all sin should be humiliation, then no man living should be sincerely humbled; unless we dream of an est…te of perfection before it comes, and of the day of triumph in the time of warfare. If rending from the bondage of some sins should be humiliation, then a man might be truly humbled for sin, and yet under the power of it. And therefore look as in every one the Lord humbles, there was once a fulness of the reign and power of sin in the full strength of it; so that full measure of Humiliation which the Lord works in his, it ever comes to that height, as to break that power down, Ehud -like, it not only wounds the flesh, but leaves the dagger in the heart of this Tyrant; 2 Cor. 10. 5. The weapons of our warfare are mighty to cast down every thing that exalts it self.
If I should leave this Point thus, I should but leave you as doubtful as you came, and so in the dark; therefore for the better clearing of this Point, let me explain five things to you: The Scope of which is to shew you, what I mean by sin, and the power of it, and that Humiliation that removes it.
I. That besides the outward acts of sin, and inward lusts and breathings of sin, and the spiritual plagues with which God strikes men for sin, as blindness, hardness of heart, there is in every man living another sin, commonly called the sin of nature: (as in the Serpents, besides the spitting of poyson, their nature is poisonous) which sin is generally beleeved and confessed, but felt by few. This is called in Scripture by the name of Flesh, Joh. 3. 3. The Law of the members, The old man. For as in men, there are actions, breathings, and the man himself; So here: Which sin of nature is the deordination of the whole man, or a corrupt bent and set of the whole man against God: And it expresseth it self in two particulars; 1. In a constant departing from God in every action, Civil and Moral: Like a man set out of his way, every step he goes is ou…; or like a Clock out of frame, every stroke is false, Psal. 58. 3. The wicked go astray from the very wombe. 2. In a fierce, invincible, resisting and contradicting of God, whe… he hath overtaken the soul to draw it home, and turn it back, Rom. 8. 7. We account it a doleful thing for Christ to bid the soul depart at the last day, that wo is past upon all the sons of men by this sin now; only with this difference, 1. They are forced to depart then, men willingly depart now, and hasten away in every thing from God as fast as they can. 2. They depart into fire, these to broken Cisterns of creatures. I do 3. Believe they would not resist the Lord, if he should come to save them from their separation then from him, this makes nature resist him now.
II. That this sin of nature is most properly only the reigning sin. The text is evident for it, Rom. 6. 12. Let not sin reign, to obey it in the lusts thereof. There is 1. Obedience, i. e. the outward acts. 2. Lusts, the inward breathings. 3. Sin it self where those lusts are seated. It hath been a Question, What a mans raigning master sin is, and many discoveries have been made of particular sins, as that which riseth and awakeneth first in the morning with us, that which rides and labours a man upon the Sabbath day, when the Lord or sin must ride in triumph: yet that is the misery of a carnal heart, that when he gives his beasts rest, yet such is sins tyranny, he being sins beast, that he shall then have no rest. Now if their meaning be, that some particular sin may be a raigning sin, or a mans personal reigning sin; then 'tis true, Iudas loves his bag best, and Achitophel and H…m…n his honour most, and … his whore most. But if they mean a mans natural reigning …; the reigning sin then, 'tis not any particular sin so much as this: For no sin is able to reign over any man but by commission and power from this. As the Weeds can never grow …all, but by vertue of their soil where they grow, Mat. 15. 19. All the boughs flourish by vertue of the root whence they grow. And hence we shall see, let Satan sow his seeds of pride or lust or passion in a man whose nature is changed, its impossible they should come to any perfection there, b… …ey will die away within a time, because the heart of the soil is gone, and power of sin removed; and hence also it comes to pass, that a mans master sin may be changed: Those sins that are his master-sins in his youth, are not in his old age, those that are at one time, in one place, are not in another. Now there could never be such change of Governours and Vice-roys, unless there were some great King, that sets up one, and pulls down another, satis pro imperio; This is therefore the raigning sin, which hath taken possession of every part, which hath its hand in every act, which pulls down one sin and sets up another under it, which gives strength to every sin that hath any, which fights it out till the last: This is I say the reigning sin; hence think not that then the reigning sin is down, when your personal sins are destroyed, though it be with a most sudden and fearful destruction.
III. That when the Spirit of God humbles the soul indeed, he strikes the head, and wounds the …eart of this sin; he doth not only cut off some limbs of it, not only binde it, but slay it of its life and power. That as 'tis with some men, they may have many pains, gripes, diseases, yet live and recover again, but the pangs are not so strong as to separate soul and body, for then the man is gone: So a carnal heart he may be troubled, and have many gripes of Conscience, and apply the promise, Come to me you that be weary, and so he may finde rest, and as he recovers his peace, his sin recovers its strength; but when the pangs are so strong as to separate body and soul, sin of nature which hath lived there; now the man dies, now the soul falls down indeed. Now this effectual humiliation carries the soul unto Christ, and hence Acts 26. 18. turned from the power of Satan to God, Col. 1. 13. He hath delivered us from the power of darkness. And hence Gal. 5. 24. They that be in Christ have cr…eified the flesh, as well as the affections and l…sts: For if the Lord should only humble a man for the sins of a wicked life, and some wants in the heart, the Lord should only bruise Satans heel, but never strike his head; the Lord should slay the A…al…kites, but spare the Agag; 'tis true, the Lord usually at first conversion sets one sin upon the soul that brings to minde many other, and the Lord humbles for them, and here the soul is apt to rest as many do, but when the Lord comes indeed to work, he cuts thus deep as now I speak. 1 Cor. …5. 'Tis said, The Lord must reign till all his …nemies are put under his …. Look therefore as this sin is the greatest enemy Christ hath, so if he reigns in heaven, he will be sure above all other sins, to strike the head of this, and disthrone this; and w… shall find that there may be deep terrors upon the false hearted Virgins, but they only assault the soul; So on Saints, but Christ then strikes at the sin and saves the soul, Isai. 57. 16, 17. And this I add, there may be a great power of Christ put forth to humble the soul, but mens hearts resist this; and even Pharaoh was humbled, but its never saving, unless it strike the very power and throne of sin, and so this sin; and now the soul is humbled indeed.
IV. That no unregenerate man ever had such a measure of humiliation, as ascended to, and ended in this, though he may have all that Humiliation which is precedent unto this. As,
1. The Lord may arm first some few, and then many of the sins of their lives upon them, so as they may feel the most intollerable burthen of them; not only to stand convinced they are most grievous sinners, but to shed many tears; nay, to be sore troubled and distressed, oh the heavy wrath that lies upon my soul! Thus Saul, 1 Sam. 28. 15. And hence many make heavy complaints, oh the Lord hears me not! Send for Moses, saith Pharaoh. My sin is gr…er than I can …ear, saith Cain. Nay, not only so, but they may feel more terrors …han many of the Saints, as the damned now; for the Lord lays this burthen upon his peoples backs in measure, but the Lord empties out the whole sack upon them, and the ground of this is but the sting of sin, or the gnawings of particular sins in the Conscience, not the burthen of the sin of nature as yet.
2. You will say, these fell from God, never looked to Christ, not left their sin; but I have done so. I have seen the mercy of God in the Gospel, the Lord Jesus hath been revealed there, and I have seen sin, I must part with my sin, if ever I have him, and so I have. And this you may have, you may see an excellency in Christ, and be so affected with hope of his mercy, and melt at the thoughts of his Love, as to cast off all outward evils that thou hast, or the world lives in, 2 Pe…. 2. 20. So that thou maist escape these, by coming to him to remove them, and by seeing that else thou shalt have none of him; and hence hated thou maist be of the world. The reason is, Christ hath only washed thy skin, but never changed thy nature as yet, so that you may thank God my Conscience is clear.
3. You may have not only outward acts, but for a time inward lusts quenched, that a man hath no mind nor heart to any sinful way, nor to the dearest sins he hath lived in, whilst horrour lies upon him. As in Iudas, when God did hea… his Conscience, his lust, after his Bag was gone, he had more mind to an halter; And hence f…ings away his pieces of silver, and innocent blood lies heavy. Oh …he mercy of a Christ that I have sleighted! He thought he might have had his money and Christ escaped with his life, and his sin pardoned afterward. And hence its said, Mat. 27. 3. When he saw he was condemned, he repented, and as a man not worthy to live in his own thoughts, he goes and hangs himself. 'Tis with the soul as with water, all the cold may be gone, but the native Principle of cold remains still. You may remove the burning of lusts, not the blackness of nature, from a carnal heart, and the ground holds, nature is not changed. This I say an unregenerate man may have, but yet never find this change of nature, where the power of sin lies: change of Conscience from security to terrour, change of life from prophaneness, and civility, and fashions of the world, to escape pollutions thereof; change of lusts, nay quenching them for a time; but the nature is never changed in the best Hypocrite that ever was. As 2 Pet. 2. 19, 20. Th… were washed, but never from their … nature; And here they ever fail, Prov. 30. 12. There is a gen…ration clean in their own eyes, yet not washed from their filthinesse. 2 Tim. 2. 18, 19, 21. Alexander fell, and Hymeneus; they talked of the glorious estate of Saints, and that here was all the resurrection that is to be expected; and i… seems it was such a fall of such persons that many stumbled, and said, How shall we know who are the Lords? Doubtless we may fall. No, the foundation remains sure, and the Lord knows who are his. They were none of his all that time, and let all that professe Christ depart from iniquity, for he that purgeth himself shall be a Vessel of honour. And therefore read through all the Scripture, constantly never any Hypocri…es but they had this brand, Mat. 7. 23. You workers of iniqui…y. Herod and Iudas had their haunts, &c. And Rom. 1, & 2. The Apostle shews that all were under sin. He may in eve…y thing else be humbled, for all the humiliation besides this strengthens sin in its Kingdom, and binds a man faste… under the dominion of it. And hence such men are more hard to he convinced th…n men that were never cast down at all.
But this he never finds, for if he should, then,
1. A graceless heart might partake of the greatest Benefit of the Covenant of … and love of God. For Rom. 11. 26. This is my Covenant, to take away their s…n ▪ For to subdue s…n is greater love than to conquer Devils, death, and Hell, Isa. …1. 6. 'Tis turning Lions into Lambs.
2. T…en an unregenerate man may partake of the last end of all the sufferings and sorrows of Christ, which is to save his people from their sin. And hence, John 1. 29 B…hold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world. 1 John 3. 5, 8. Christ came to destroy the works of the Devil. This therefore he ever falls short of. He …ha… hath found this easie, and accounts this work common, never had it yet.
Quest. How may a Christian know when the Lord hath changed his nature, and taken do… …he power of his Sin?
Answ. It might suffice to evidence this against all gain-sayers, that thus 'tis, and so to know it by the Spirits witness, which shews us the things freely given of God, who to save the Lord a trying another day, tries us now, and makes known these hidden works. Especially seeing some Divines think, that as the first Adam conveyed this sin of Nature, I not knowing; so the second Adam doth also remove this by an immediate stro…k, I conceive 'tis so also, but not only by it. And therefore take two Evidences now.
1. Where-ever this is done, that soul doth not only see this sin, for so an unregenerate Paul did, Rom. 7. 9. Where sin revived, &c. And the Word is a divider of joynts and Marrow. Nor do they only feel this as an evil, and so be much troubled with it, but when the Lord makes the dejected soul feel it as its greatest evil, so long as it remains in its being; (as it will) worse than death, than hell, than all afflictions, and miseries. 'Tis not a particular sin, but this that he feels thus. You will say, this is a high pitch. I say, consider if any man was ever humbled under sin, but he that felt sin as it is. For if I feel it not as 'tis, I am deceived. Now 'tis the greatest evil; To depart from a living God is worse than for soul and body and all creatures to depart from me. To make God miserable is worse than for all creatures ever to be made so, and sin in its tendencie doth so, being a cross to his Will, Isa. 1. 24. Hence he that feels it indeed, feels it so; the beginning of which is a sorrow and mourning after God, that it might be so, Isa. 63. 17. Why hast hardned our hearts from thy fear? But thus 'tis indeed, Rom. 7. 24. And when 'tis thus, it will hold thus till death, while the cause remains; nay the more life and love, the more tender it grows; setting aside some careless fits. And hence its greatest joy is to think of the time it shall be for ever holy. And hence accounts no such mercy as to be set at liberty to live to God indeed. A graceless heart sees and fears it, and cries out of himself for it; but stay a while, and he loseth his tenderness, either because he cannot part with it, or because of Christ, he looks now to him, or because he hath now some sprinkling of the Spirit, nature is eased thereby, and he is quieted; and hence never any carnal heart, but some root of bitterness did grow up at last in this Soyl. Hence Ordinances profit not, because feeling is lost. But the soul thus feeling it, beholding the Holiness of God and Love of Christ, and its constant withdrawings, resistings, oh it cuts deep!
2. Then the nature is changed, when the Conscience being still and quiet, and the soul assured of the Lords love, yet nothing gives the heart quiet till 'tis contiguous to God in Christ to enjoy him, in his Holiness, and in the love and delight of his whole will. For this is a certain Rule, If the nature be not changed, if Conscience be but once quie…ed with the sence of Gods love, and affected with it, and hath not God indeed, nor his work to quiet it, it will fall to lusting after Creatures and live upon them, and feed the heart there. For as 'tis impossible for a man to live, or to be without provision, so the world being provision for the flesh, meat, drink, sleep, and these lawful things, there i… doth and will lie quiet without God. But now where the nature is changed, and there is another nature, there is somthing else provided for it to live on, and that is the Lord and his Will. As Christ said, 'tis my meat and drink to do his Will. And Rom. 7. 22. I d…light in the Law of God in the inner man. There was somwhat that loathed it, but …here was somwhat else delighted in it, and there lies its life, and though the heart would rest and give over somtimes, yet 'tis a Law of the mind that the soul hath, he can have no rest, Rom. 8. 5. And therefore take a child of God, let him have meat, drink, sleep, blessing in his Calling, preach, pray, and have honour, yet …e will constantly come home to the Lord mourning. What doth all this do me good? When I rise up, lie down, eat, drink and pray, and do all without him? An untuned heart all this while. The world stands between him and the Lord all this while, but this doth not. Many a sincere heart hath heavy complaints, and many doubts, because 'tis not thus; this rather is an evidence of peace, than Gods war against it. Its an old Rule, he that can live in Heaven, shall; and there is nothing but a God to suck in, and breath out, and live unto. Is this thy Element now?
Oh consider and examine your selves here you poor Saints, that you may be comforted. Others of you, if now you do not, the Lord Jesus will another day, and bring these secret things of darkness to light. If thou findest this was never yet done, know it, all thy tears, and fears, and prayers have been in vain; and under the power of sin and Satan thou still art, through the fierce wrath of God against thee: And there I leave thee till the Lord find thee out.