Two Treatises, Part 2 · Chapter 3
CHAP. III. By whom the Fleſh with the luſts and affections thereof is to be encountred.
THe perſons which are to performe this dutie,The godly are the only mortifiers of ſin. and by whom alone the ſame is indeed performed, are the children of God,Iam. 1.18. whom of his owne will hee hath begotten with the word of truth; Act. 15.9.purifying their hearts by faith: and beſtowing upon them as well a true ſight and ſenſe of ſinne, as an unfained hatred and deteſtation of the ſame: they are ſuch as have the ſpirit dwelling in them, Rom. 8.i3.through which they mortifie the deeds of the body. And they that are Chriſts have crucified the Fleſh with the affections and luſts, Gal. 5.24.ſaith the ſame Apoſtle: they are ſuch (as having learned Chriſt, Eph. 4.22.and beene taught by him) put off concerning the former converſation the old man, which is corrupt, according to the deceitfull luſts: they are ſuch as have put off the old man with his deeds, Col. 3.9.10.and have put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: they are ſuch as are already called to the knowledge of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, and to the beliefe of his glorious Goſpell, men and women already ſanctified and in part regenerate,Pſal. 40.6. even thoſe whoſe eares are already digged, their eyes opened, Act. 26, 18.and themſelves turned from darkneſſe to light, and from the power of Sathan unto God; muſt take unceſſant and unwearied paines, with conſtant and perpetualll endevours more and more to ſubdue, beate downe, mortifie, crucifie, deſtroy and vanquiſh all and every of theſe wicked, ſinfull, and unlawfull affections, luſts, inclinations and habits that are in them, till they have even pulled them up by the roots, and caſt them quite out of their hearts.
1.Even the beſt of Gods children have corruption. It is manifeſt enough, that there is even in the beſt and moſt holieſt of Gods children a great deale of corruption, an evill eye which muſt be pluck'd out, Mar. 9.43.and a bad hand that muſt be cut off: not a few ſpots, and wrinkles, infirmities and imperfections, evill luſts and affections which muſt be done away while they are here on earth, (how farre ſoever they are proceeded in the new birth) they doe but know in part: 1 Cor. i3.9.there is ſomething lacking in their Faith, 1 Theſ. 3.10.ſo in their Love, Holineſſe, Humility, and ſuch other graces; Iam. 5.17.even Elias himſelfe being ſubject to like paſſions as we are. Why corruption is ſuffered to abide in Gods children.And this the Lord ſuffereth for the greater glory of himſelfe, diſgrace of Sathan, and good of his own children. Needs muſt it tend greatly to the praiſe and glory of God, ſhame and diſgrace of the Devill, that the Lord knoweth how, and is able to keepe and preſerve ſuch weake and feeble veſſels as we are againſt all the power of Hell: and to make them Conquerers over Sathan in that very fleſh, which is ſo polluted with ſin, and was once depraved by the Divell. No leſſe tendeth the ſame to our good, God being pleaſed hereby to humble us, and to exerciſe thoſe gifts and graces of his Spirit that hee hath beſtowed upon us.
2.Gods children muſt not winke at their owne ſins. It is no leſſe evident, that they are not to connive at their owne ſinnes, are not to beare with ſin in themſelves; nay, of all others muſt walke moſt circumſpectly, leſt either through ſinne they doe wound their owne conſciences, or give occaſion unto the enemies of God to blaſpheme.
3.The more corruption is ſleighted the more it encreaſeth. Its alſo without queſtion, that the leſſe carefull they are in ſubduing their luſts, & the more they are by them ſleighted, they get the greater ſtrength, and put the Saints to a great deale of trouble which they might have eaſily avoided.
4.The grace of mortification beſtowed only upon the Saints. It is (in like manner) found true by experience, that on them alone God is pleaſed to beſtow the grace of Mortification, and unto them alone; ſo to bleſſe the meanes tending thereunto, that they become effectuall. Many ſeem to have it, who notwithſtanding have it not.True it is, that as of old, the Philoſophers by the very light of Nature, abſtained from moſt groſſe ſins, out of their love unto Vertue, writing excellent Bookes in the commendations therof: by whoſe painfull labours (though hereby they gained unto themſelves not any thing elſe but humane applauſe, or the commendations of men) God of his mercy did much good unto others, (as the Bees gather honey to the profit of others, not their owne) they in the meane time glorying in thoſe vertues, and condemning others better then themſelves, who notwithſtanding never knew the inward working of chaſtitie, temperance, modeſtie, humility, gravity, and the like vertues, by themſelves commended (not unlike the Phariſees, whoſe life outwardly ſeeming blameleſſe, as alſo their crueltie, greedines, and pride, artificially covered under the vaile of outward Preaching, Prayer, Almeſdeeds, Phylacteries, and ſuch like, wanted not they applauſe of the people, howſoever inwardly they were wholly unmortified, and uncircumciſed in heart) ſo there are now not a few whoſe carriage is outwardly commendable and their converſation unblameable, eſpecially at ſome times, and in ſome companies; yea, who often outſtrip even the children of God, in bridling their tongue, and reſtraining their paſſions of anger, griefe and the like, which notwithſtanding are yet in their ſinnes, daily denying the power of godlines, wholly ignorant of their inward heart; yea ſuch, of whom it may bee truely ſaid, that their Oblations are vaine, Iſal. 1.13. Pro. 21.27.their Incenſe and Sacrifice (even their beſt and moſt pious workes) abomination unto the Lord; Mat. 5.20.and except their righteouſnes doe exceed the righteouſnes of the Scribes and Phariſies, they ſhall not enter into the kingdome of heaven.
5. Neither can it be denyed, but that as the Lord is pleaſed to beſtow on them alone the grace of Mortification, and unto them alone,The godly the onelyonly perſons which doe in truth labour for Mortification. ſo to bleſſe the meanes tending thereunto, that in them they become effectuall: ſo they are the onelyonly perſons which labour and endevour for the ſame in ſinceritie and truth; which by all meanes poſſible labour to obtaine this precious jewell, and hid Manna of inward grace, the Circumciſion of the heart; and are accordingly bleſſed in their expectation:Ioh. 4.24. They know that all the worſhippers of God muſt worſhip him in Spirit and truth: … Ioh ….5.They underſtand that God is light, and in him is no darknes, who beholds all iniquitie, eſpecially inward, whereof Angels, Divels and Men may be ignorant: They have alſo that glorious knowledge, Pſal. 45.13.that Chriſts Spouſe is all glorious within, as accordingly muſt all the Bride-Maidens, arrayed with the glorious garments of the needle-worke of the Spirit; who ſhall bee preſented chaſt Virgins to Chriſt; and who having fought hitherto againſt the evill one, and kept their garments unſpotted with the corruption that is in the world through luſt; as through grace they have begun in the Spirit, ſo through grace they ſhall end in the ſpirit, and not in the fleſh. How then can it otherwiſe be, but that they ſhould practiſe this duty of Mortification? but that being thus endued with the Spirit of grace and of glory, they ſhould obey the good motions thereof, inſpiring them, and knocking at the dores of their ſoules, to the keeping eſpecially of their hearts with all diligence?Pro. 4.23.
Between them and the reſt of the world grace hath made ſuch a change, as there is betweene them that dwell in a faire houſe of great height,Simil. and full of many great lights, and them that dwell in a low dark houſe, whoſe windowes remaine alwayes ſhut, thoſe can diſcerne in a manner of every thing, theſe not take notice or view any thing.Difference betweene the godly and the ungodly. So the Saints through the abundance of the light of God in them, can eſpie even a moate in the Soule, whereas the ungodly who will not permit the holy light of Gods convicting, reproving, improving word to have paſſage in them, abide ſtill in darknes, having their hearts haunted, as it were with Zim, Ochim, Iſa. i3.21.and Jim, in ſtead of more comfortable gueſts.
The Saints know that God dwels in their hearts, as his owne Tabernacle, with the Sonne and holy Spirit, which therefore muſt be well kept, clenſed, purified, and waſhed by the blood of Chriſt, and water of his ſanctifying Spirit, that uncleannes may not enter therein.
To this end,2 Chron, 23.13. as Iehoiada the Prieſt put a great guard of Princes & Preiſts about young Ioas, that wicked Athalia could not come at him to harme him;Simil. which made her cry out Treaſon, Treaſon. So the Saints left Sathan ſhould at any time get entrance into them, get themſelves garded by the word and Spirit, Prayer, Repentance, Watchfulnes, holy feare to offend God, and grieve the Spirit by whom they are ſealed unto the day of Redemption: Eph 4.30.yea as the Elders which ſate with Eliſha in his houſe,2 King. 6.32. at his command ſhut the dore upon bloody Iorams meſſenger, and held him faſt thereat, the ſound of his maſters feete being behind him; Simil.ſo the Saints underſtanding that evill motions are as it were Sathans meſſengers, or harbengers, to take up his lodging for him, whom he immediatly followeth, through grace, they ſo reſiſt the ſame, that either they doe not enter, or if they enter, they get no footing, and are compelled ſpeedily to depart.
In the wicked indeed hee getteth a renewed entry at his owne pleaſure; but not ſo in the Saints, Hee ſeekes reſt, but heere hee finds none. Thus that the Saints doe, and are to encounter the Fleſh, with the Luſts and Affections thereof: and ſo of the third Particular.