Two Treatises, Part 2 · Chapter 2
CHAP. II. That the Fleſh, with the luſts and affections therof, is to be encountred.
NO ſmal difference there is betweene our temporall and ſpirituall adverſaries:Differences betweene our temporall and ſpirituall enemies. with thoſe wee both may and muſt be reconciled; with theſe to admit of reconciliation, is no leſſe impoſſible then unlawfull: Thoſe may love us, and (how ſoever) we muſt love them: Theſe will alwaies hate us, and we muſt alwaies hate them: with thoſe we may for a long time live in peace; howſoever carry our ſelves peaceably towards them: with theſe wee both are and muſt be daily at deadly feud; yea though wee would let them alone, yet will not they let us alone; and by our not encountring them, doe we encourage them the more eagerly and fiercely to ſet upon us. Such is the fleſh, a deadly, daily, trecherous, tyrannicall, domeſticall, & guilfull enemy; it daily and by ſeverall waies would deſtroy us: accordingly muſt we daily and duly deſire and ſeek its ruine;2 Cor. i0.5. caſting downe imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth it ſelfe againſt the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivitie every thought to the obedience of Chriſt: A dutie which is in the Scripture both commanded and commended: the true nature thereof being both largely and ſignificantly pourtrayed therein; as alſo the conſtant practiſe thereof, under moſt Exhortations unto Repentance, renovation, regeneration, mortification, and the like, implicitely urged.
This is,
To deny our ſelves.Mat. i6.24.
To make our ſelves ſpiritually Eunuchs for the Kingdome of Heavens ſake.Mat. 19.12.
To forſake all that a man hath.u. 14.33.
To be dead to ſinne.Rom. 6.2.
To be baptiſed into Chriſts death, Ro. 6.3.4.and buried with him by baptiſme into death.
To be circumciſed, Col. 2 11.with the circumciſion made without hands.
To hate our life in this world.Ioh. i2.25.
To enter in at the ſtrait gate.Mat. 7.13
To make a covenant with our eyes; Iob. 31.1ſet a watch about the dore of our lips; Pſal. i4i.3.rule our ſpirit; Pro. 16.32.and take heede to our wayes.
To be turned from darknes to light, Pſal. 39.1.and from the power of Sathan unto God.Act. 26.18.
To ariſe from the dead.Eph. 5.14.
To break up our fallow ground.Ier. 4.3.
To circumciſe our ſelves to the Lord, Ier. 4.4.and take away the foreskinne of our heart.
To waſh our heart from wickedneſſe.Ier. 4.14.
To loath our ſelves for the evils which wee have committed in all our abominations.Ezek. 6.9.
To rent our hearts, Ioel. 2.13.and turne unto the Lord our God.
To deny ungodlineſſe and worldly luſts.Tit. 2.12.
To keepe under our body, i Cor. 9.27.and bring it into ſubjection.
To ſuffer in the fleſh and ceaſe from ſinne.1 Pet. 4.1.
To ſell all that we have, Mat. i3.44.and buy the field with the treaſure therein.
To forget our owne people, Pſal. 45.i0.and our fathers houſe.
Yea, ſuch is the goodneſſe of God towards us, that (under what name ſoever, after what manner ſoever this our enemy commeth againſt us) we are inſtructed how to deale with the ſame, and avoid the foile.
Behold, it commeth againſt us, with its name written on its fore-head: How readeſt thou?
The evill imagination of mans heart from his youth.Gen. 8.21.
Wee muſt not walke any more after the imagination of our evill heart: Ier. 3.17.Ier. 4.14.vaine thoughts muſt not be ſuffered to lodge within us: 2 Cor. 10.5.wee muſt caſt downe imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth it ſelfe againſt the knowledge of God.
An uncleane thing.Iob. 14.4.
Let us clenſe our ſelves from all filthineſſe of the fleſh and ſpirit, 2 Cor. 7.1.perfecting holineſſe in the feare of God: Eph. 5.26.wee muſt bee ſanctified and clenſed with the waſhing of water by the word: Ier. 4.14.wee muſt waſh our heart from wickednes, that we may be ſaved: Heb. i0.22we muſt get our hearts ſprinkled; & our bodies waſhed with pure water: i Pet. 1.22.we muſt purifie our ſelves in obeying the truth throgh the ſpirit.
Secret ſinnes.Pſal. i9.i2.
Wee muſt call upon God to be informed thereof, Ibid.and accordingly clenſed therefrom.
The ſinne wherein we are conceived and borne.Pſal. 51.5.
Wee muſt call upon God to purge, Ibid. 7.waſh, and clenſe us therefrom. Iam. 1.18.To beget us with the word of trueth, that wee may be a kinde of firſt fruits of his creatures: borne againe, Ioh. 3.3.5.borne of water and of the Spirit; 2 Cor. 5.17.and ſo in Chriſt, new creatures.
The body of Sinne.Rom. 6.6.
The ſame muſt be deſtroyed: Ibid.knowing this (ſaith Saint Paul) that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of ſinne might be deſtroyed; that henceforth wee ſhould not ſerve ſin. Col. 2.11.The ſame in like manner muſt bee put off, as the ſame Apoſtle writeth elſewhere.
The motions of ſinne.Rom. 7.5.
We muſt not lodge them; Ier. 4.14.either ſlight them; but according to the meanes of knowledge beſtowed upon us, oppoſe them, leſt wee become vaine in our imaginations, Rom. 1.21.26.and God in juſtice give us up unto vile affections.
Sinne.Rom. 7.8.
We muſt be dead thereunto:Rom. 6.2. Rom. 6.i2.wee muſt not let it reigne in our mortall body to obey it in the luſts thereof: Rom. 6.13.either yeeld our members as inſtruments of unrighteouſnes unto ſin: Ier. 4.14.we muſt waſh our hearts therefrom: Heb. 1i.24.we muſt refuſe to enjoy the pleaſures thereof.
Sin that dwelleth in one.Rom. 7.17.
We muſt not conſent thereunto; but ſo oppoſe it,Ro. 7.20. that we may ſay with Saint Paul, now if I doe that I would not, it is no more I that doe it, but ſinne that dwelleth in me.
A warring law in our members.Ro. 7.23.
The law of our minde muſt warre againſt the ſame; Ibid.that as, the fleſh luſteth againſt the Spirit, Gal. 4.17.the ſpirit may in like manner luſt againſt the fleſh.
The body of death.Ro. 7.24.
We muſt be ſenſible therof, and even long to bee delivered therefrom, ſaying with Saint Paul, Ibid.O wretched man that I am! who ſhall deliver me from the body of this death?
Fleſh.Rom. 8.1.
We muſt crucifie the ſame:Gal. 5.24. we muſt not walke after the ſame; Rom. 8.1.we muſt not live after the ſame; Rom. 12.8.we muſt not make proviſion for the fleſh, to fulfill the luſts thereof; Ro. 13.14.wee muſt not warre after the fleſh; 2 Cor. 10.3.wee muſt not minde the things thereof.Rom. 8.6.
Enmitie againſt God.Rom. 8.7.
Wee muſt not favour the ſame, either yet enter into any termes of reconciliation therewith,Ibid. as which is not ſubject to the Law of God, neither indeed can be.
The deeds of the body.Rom. 8.13.
Wee muſt through the ſpirit, Ibid.mortifie the ſame, that wee may live.
The luſts of the fleſh.Gal. 5.16.
Wee muſt not fulfill them: Ro. 13.14.we muſt crucifie the ſame; Gal. 5.24.we muſt not be led away with them; 2 Tim. 3.6.wee muſt not be drawne away of them; Iam. 1.14.2 Pet. 2.i8.wee muſt not bee allured through them; 1 Pet. 2.i1.we muſt abſtaine from them.
Strong holds.2 Cor. i0.4.
The weapons of our warfare muſt not be carnall, Ibid.but mighty through God, to the pulling down of them.
The deſires of the fleſh and of the minde.Eph. 2.3.
We muſt not fulfill them,Ibid. as heretofore we have done:2 Chro. 15.12. but enter into a covenant to ſeek the Lord God of our Fathers, with all our heart, and with all our ſoule.
The vanity of the minde.Eph. 4.17.
We muſt not henceforth thus walke as other Gentiles walke; Ibid.but endevour to bee renewed in the ſpirit of our minde, Eph. 4.23.Rom. i2.2.tranſformed by the renewing of our minde, 2 Cor. 3.i8.and changed into the image of God from glory to glory, even as by the ſpirit of the Lord, that Chriſt may be formed in us, Gal. 4.19.and as we have born the image of the earthy, 1 Cor. 15.49.we may alſo beare the image of the heavenly Adam.
Earthly members.Col. 3.5.
We muſt mortifie them; Ibid.we muſt put them off; Ibid. 8.we muſt not yeeld our members, as inſtruments of unrighteouſneſſe unto ſinne.Rom. 6.i3.
The old man.Col. 3.9.
We muſt put off concerning the former converſation, Eph. 4.22.the old man which is corrupt, according to the deceitfull luſts; not contenting our ſelves till wee know aſſuredly,Rom. 6.6. that our old man is crucified with Chriſt.
The luſt of concupiſcence.1 Theſ. 4.5.
Every one of us ſhould know how to poſſeſſe his veſſell in ſanctification and honour, Ibid.not in the luſt of concupiſcence, even as the Gentiles which know not God.
The deceitfulneſſe of ſin.Heb. 31 13.
We muſt exhort one another dayly, Ibid.while it is called to day, leſt any of us bee hardened through the deceitfulneſſe of ſinne.
The ſinne which doth ſo eaſily beſet us.Heb. 12.1.
We muſt lay aſide every weight, Ibid.and the ſinne that doth ſo eaſily beſet us; that we may runne with patience the race that is ſet before us: Ibid. 4.yea, wee muſt even reſiſt unto blood, ſtriving againſt ſinne.
A root of bitterneſſe.Heb. i2.i5.
We muſt looke diligently, Ibid.leſt any of us fail of the grace of God, and ſ this roote of bitterneſſe ſpringing up trouble us, and therby many be defiled.
Entiſing luſt.Iam. 1.14.
We muſt be carefull not to be allured thereby, 2 Pet. 2.18.19.leſt being of the ſame overcome, of the ſame we be brought in bondage.
In a word.
We muſt alwaies walke ſo warily and circumſpectly, that in what kind ſoever, after what manner ſoever, under what name ſoever, this our dangerous and deadly enemy ſhall aſſaile us, wee may inſtantly oppoſe it, reſiſt it, ſtrive againſt it, give it the foile. Thus, that the Fleſh with the luſts and affections thereof is to bee encountred; and ſo of the ſecond particular.