Two Treatises, Part 2 · Chapter 5
CHAP. V. After what manner the Fleſh with the luſts and affections thereof is to be encountred.
AS in temporall warfare ſo in this Spirituall skill is no leſs requiſit then ſtrength, Skil requiſite in encountring the Fleſh.eſpecially having to do with ſuch a cunning, deceitfull, and ſubtile adverſary, as the Fleſh is, who for the moſt part prevailes more by ſecret cunning, then open force. Experience alſo ſhweeth that our mightieſt Enemies have received moſt notable foyles of the weakeſt Chriſtians, but elſe carefull and skilfull in the uſe of their armour.
Now that wee may know how to warre againſt the Fleſh, we are firſt to take notice how the Fleſh warreth againſt us. Whereby we ſhall be the better enabled both to defend our ſelves, and offend it.
How the FLESH warreth againſt us.How the Fleſh warreth againſt us.
This may be ſpecified eſpecially in three particulars.
Firſt,Covertly. that ſomtime its manner of warre is covertly, and under colour of vertuous affections; that thereby wee may be intrapt at unawares. So did the Fleſh deceive both the Daughters of Lot. Gen. 19.31.And the firſt-borne ſaid unto the younger, our Father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come in unto us, after the manner of all the earth Come let us make our Father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that wee may preſerve ſeed of our Father. A goodly bait to draw on Inceſt. Not unlike was NABALS anſwer unto Davids meſſengers.1 Sam. 25.10. There be many ſervants now adayes, that break away every man from his maſter. Shall J then take my bread and my water, and my fleſh that I have killed for my ſheerers, and give it unto men, whom I know not whence they be? Agreeable hereunto was the ground of Ahabs deſire of Naboths Vineyard,1 Kin. 21.2. Give me thy Vineyard (ſaid hee unto him) that I may have it for a garden of herbs, becauſe it is neere to my houſe, and I will give thee for it a better Vineyard then it; or if it ſeeme good to thee, I will give thee the worth of it in money. Herein doth the Fleſh reſemble Harlots, The Fleſh an harlot.as they gariſhly attire themſelves, that they may draw affections; ſo doth fleſhly concupiſcence gariſhly adorne and paint over the things deſired,1 Theſ. 2.5. that by their ſeeming beauty (as Paul ſpeaketh of a cloke of covetouſnes) they may bewitch us.Gen. 3.6. And when the woman ſaw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleaſant to the eyes, and a tree to be deſired to make one wiſe, ſhee took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave alſo unto her huſband with her, and hee did eate. Oh how glorious ſeems wealth to a covetous eye! It is the way to reputation,Note. the beſt proof-armour of defence from wrongs, the only ſelf-ſufficient condition here on earth. Oh how goodly things are high Places, Honours, and Dignities in the eyes of the Ambitious! No vitious deſires doe ſo inſinuate themſelves into well-diſpoſed natures as thoſe which are coloured and cloaked with the ſhew of vertues. Goliahs ſword lay hid under an Ephod, 1 Sam. 21.9.as much wickednes doth under the pretence of Religion.
Secondly,By faigning flight That at other times it ſaineth flight, that therby for the preſent it may draw us into its ambuſhes, and (for the time to come) into careleſnes, Security, Preſumption, throwing our ſelves into occaſions of evill, and the like.When the Fleſh may ſeeme to be mortified but is not. The Fleſh indeed may ſeeme to bee mortified, as when the occaſion is removed; when it is not violent, but quiet; when it is removed but from one ſinne unto another; when through terror in the conſcience it is reſtrained from deſired acts; and the like: but herein putteth it tricks upon us,Ioſh. 8.15. and (as Joſuah by his flight from the Inhabitants of Ai, Iudg. 20.39.and the Iſraelites from the Benjamites) getteth no ſmall advantage againſt us.
Thirdly,With open force. that when It cannot prevaile againſt us by any of the former wayes, then as a roaring Lyon ſetteth it upon us with all its force: yea, and at ſome times ſo prevaileth, that the very beſt and ſtrongeſt of Gods Children are for a time brought into very great ſtraits, as S. Paul inſtanceth in himſelfe in the ſeventh to the Romans.
Adde hereunto, that
It's not in jeſt with us;Other conſiderations about the manner of its fight. it doth not drouzily or unwillingly fight againſt us: Its at no time idle, neither through delay or negligence letteth ſlip any opportunity, wherby it may in any ſort get the maſtery. It's not partiall, ſee king the maſtery over this man, but in the meane time willingly vanquiſhed by another; yea, it uſeth no ſmall diſcretion in its fight; ſeaſonably laying hold of all opportunities, as time, place, company, complexion, age, and ſuch like. Thus how the Fleſh warreth againſt us.
How wee are to warre againſt the Fleſh.How wee are to warr againſt the Fleſh.
It muſt be ſincerely, impartially, diſcreetly, cheerfully, forcibly, ſeaſonably and conſtantly.
Sincerely.
Both, in reſpect of the qualitie, Sincerely.and quantitie of thoſe things which wee are to oppoſe;Both in reſpect of the quality & quantity. qualitie, we are not to mortifie actions either naturall or indifferent, we are not to oppoſe the motions of Gods good Spirit, we are not to ſtrive againſt the meanes of grace, but againſt our ſinful and fleſhly Luſts: quantity, we muſt not oppoſe one alone,Iam. 2.10.11. but as well all as one; for whoſoever ſhall keepe the whole Law, and yet faileth in one point, hee is guilty of all: for he that ſaid, Thou ſhalt not commit adultery, ſaid alſo, Thou ſhalt not kill; yea, who ſo alloweth of one, cannot but allow of others, howſoever one ſin is enough to damn any, though there were no more.
Impartially.Impartially.
Not mortifying or oppoſing, one which haply we like not in the meane time entertaining another, ſome boſome ſin by us reſpected, but equally behaving our ſelves towards all, being content (as Abraham at Gods command,Gen. 22.16. to kill his beloved ſonne) to mortifie our beſt beloved ſins, our Agags, our darlings. 1 Sam. 15.13.Saul thought he had done well in ſparing Agag, having killed the poorer ſort of Amalekites, but through his diſobedience his Kingdome was rent from him.
Diſcreetly.Diſcreetly.
Firſt in oppoſing and ſtriving againſt our darling ſins, and then in crucifying the reſt. Goliah being killed,1 Sam. 17.51. the Philiſtims quickly fled. Ahab being wounded, how eaſie was it to have diſcomfited his Hoaſt?2 Sam. 17.2. If David had beene killed (according to Achitophels good Counſell) then would all the people have returned in ſafety unto Abſolon. As therefore the Aramites directed by their King did eſpecially ſet themſelves againſt Ahab, 1 King. 22.31.ſo muſt wee againſt our beloved ſinnes.
He that would rid his ground of trees doth not lop them, (for they would grow againe) but diggeth them up by the rootes: root wee up our beſt beloved ſinnes; ſo ſhall our others as branches of a fel'd Tree quickly wither.
Cheerefully.Cheerefully.
As who thus doe but what God requireth of us, by whom we ſhall be aſſiſted in the performance of the ſame, and whereby we ſhall receive no ſmall benefit to our whole man; yea get a particular aſſurance, that we are Chriſts; for they that are Chriſts have crucified the fleſh with the affections and luſts.Gal. 5.24.
Forcibly.Forcibly.
As which will not be driven away without force and violence, you may rate away your dogge by a few angry words. But what careth our Fleſh for words? In dealing with it wee muſt be void of compaſſion; the more cruell the better. Thus being cruell, wee have compaſſion on our owne Soules. The more we ſpare ſinne, the more hurt we our ſelves: the more wee favour our luſts, the leſſe doe we favour our ſelves David would have had Abſolon kindly dealt withall;2 Sam. 18.5.15. but Ioab thruſt him thorow. Thruſt we ſinne thorow, ſo ſhall we not need feare its future rebellion. Deale we with ſinne,Simil. as with old Agues harſhly and roughly, till it be gone. Deale we with our luſts as the Pri…ſts of old with the beaſts to bee ſacrificed, cut their throats, and ſo offer them up in ſacrifice unto God, which indeed will ſmell ſweetly in his noſtrils. Old wounds muſt have corraſive plaiſters. So ſinne before it can bee done away. It's the cutting off of our right hands, the plucking out of our right eyes. Either muſt we put violent hands on the Fleſh, with the luſts thereof, or it will upon the ſudden ruſh upon us.
Seaſonably.Seaſonably.
Herein delay is dangerous, when corrupt inclinations do even begin to ſtirre, then are they to be reſiſted, oppoſed, ſtriven againſt, wee muſt not give our Luſts any time of truce, any reſt at all: though at firſt they may be eaſily overcome, afterward they cannot ſo be.Simil. A Serpent the older it groweth, the more venome it hath, as a Lyon the greater ſtrength. A ſtaine the longer it continueth, the hardlier can it be waſhed out. A Tree the longer it ſtandeth, the hardlier can it be pluck't up; thus it is with ſin. The firſt motions thereto, are like Lyons whelps; let them continue a while, they will be as young Lyons; let them have liberty to get out at the tongue, they will prove ramping and roaring Lyons. We muſt not dally or delay, we muſt not take its word or expoſtulate therewith: we muſt not give it any reſpite, but inſtantly lay the Axe to the root of the Tree.
Its no Repentance to leave Sinne, when it leaveth us,Note. or to give it over when wee can commit it no longer, we muſt not let it alone till it die it ſelf, but kill it whilſt it might yet live.
Conſtantly.Conſtantly
As who muſt ſtill goe on in the worke of Mortification, Mortification a main worke.proceeding day by day, and houre by houre without intermiſſion, from one degree to another. There's no buſineſſe ſo much concernes us as this, which is therefore to be ſet before all others, we muſt follow it as the Day-labourer doth his labour day by day, not making ſo much as one loytering day. This worke is never at an end. Though wee ſhould live Methuſelahs dayes, yet might we ſtill employ our ſelves herein. We weed our Gardens,Simil. and are ever weeding: Sins are ill weeds and grow apace: our hearts are a Step-mother to goodneſſe, a naturall mother to vice, and therefore as in that fruitleſſe, ſo in this too too fruitfull. The Captaine that batters the enemies ſort a day or two,Simil. and then gives over, gives the more courage to the Enemie and loſeth his labour. So is it, if we warre not unto the end, if wee continue not our courſe of Mortification.2 Kin. 13.19. If Ioaſh had ſmitten the ground five or ſixe times, then had the Aramites beene rooted out; ſo if we would be conſtant in oppoſing our Luſts, they would at the length give over.Iudg. 16.22. As Sampſons haire being cut off, grew againe; ſo will ſinne if, we doe not dayly ly keepe it under. Wee muſt not with the Hypocrits mentioned by Iſaiah hang downe our heads like a bul ruſh for a day; Iſa. 58.5.but conſtantly perſevere in the practiſe of this duty. Thus after what manner, the fleſh with the luſts and affections thereof is to be encountred: and ſo of the fifth particular.