The Doctrine and Practice of Mortification, Chapter 11
CAP. XI. Showing certaine other differences that are betweene them in this relactancie of the fleſh againſt the ſpirit.
3 In the time.3 THirdly, they differ in the time of their combate, the naturall combate ofttimes comes as ſoone as reaſon can make a difference betweene good and bad; and it is that which may be in a very heathen,Ro. 2.15. for the Gentiles that had no law to goe by, beſides that which was written in their hearts, yet by that, were a law to themſelves, their conſciences either excuſing, on accuſing of them, now conſcience according to that light that it hath, is alway at hand to contend againſt the workes of ſinne, and that fleſhly appetite that is in us, howbeit, conſcience may trouble us, yet it is commonly for greater ſinnes, and not for leſſer, as Pharaoh for his great cruelty confeſſeth, I have ſinned: and ſo we read did Nero, and others; but now for leſſer, them they eaſily paſſe over. Saint Paul cryes out of the body of ſinne, that was within him: and David of the cutting off Sauls garment, his heart ſmote him for that, but in this caſe the naturall conſcience hath little to ſay, becauſe it knowes little, therefore Saint Paul ſaith,Rom. 7.7. I had not knowne luſt, except the Law had ſaid, thou ſhalt not luſt; that is, his naturall conſcience did not diſcover it unto him, but it was given him by a higher, and a clearer light. Our Saviour Chriſt ſheweth that while the ſtrong man keepes the houſe, all that a man poſſeſſeth is in peace, but when a ſtronger than hee commeth then hee begins the combate; ſo long as a man is in the ſtate of nature the prince of the aire rules in his heart, and hath quiet poſſeſſion: for although there may be a contention (as hath beene ſhewed) among the paſſions and luſts, yet ſo as there is no hinderance to Sathan by that at all, for the leſſer footing hee hath in one luſt, the ſtronger hee is in another, as it is among a company of gameſters, looke what one loſeth another winnes, and ſuppoſe that they ſhould be all loſers, yet the houſe where they game would be a gainer; ſo is it here, that as long as there is no other ſtrife, but amongſt themſelves, men are ſtill as bad or worſe than they were, and Sathan that keepes, the houſe gaine… by them.
Againe; ſuppoſe wee ſome ſtrange man ſhould come into this gaming houſe, and ſhould take away their money, and burne the dice, and cauſe the houſe to be pulled downe, and bind the ſtrong man, and lay him in priſon; would not this breed hot blood, and occaſion ſtrife? So it is in this caſe, for when the ſpirit comes then it comes with ſuch might as beares downe all before it, and overthroweth the ſtrong holds of Sathan, and every high thought that doth exalt it ſelfe againſt God: by what as hath beene ſaid, you may eaſily ſee how this naturall combate differs from the ſpirituall, in regard of the time.
4 In the end.4 They differ in their ends that they have in their combate, there are three ends for which a man doth undertake warre: namely, peace, honour, and terrour: firſt, this warre is undertaken for peace ſake, both peace of conſcience, and peace with God, now howſoever a wicked man may ſeeme to humble himſelfe for his ſinne, and to make up his peace with God, yet it is but like thoſe truces that are made in the warres for ſome ſhort time, for ſome private reaſons knowne to themſelves, ſo is it in this caſe,1 King. 21.29. Ahab when hee heard what God had threatned, hee rent his clothes, and put ſackcloth on his fleſh, and lay in ſackcloth, and went ſoftly, now here was a truce made betweene God and Ahab, but no reconciliation, Seeſt thou not (ſaith God) how Ahab humbleth himſelfe before mee. I will not bring the evill in his daies, but in his ſonnes dayes will I bring this evill upon his houſe, ſo that the judgement is not taken away but deferred: but now this ſpirituall warfare doth aime at peace and ends in it, there is no affliction that is pleaſant for the preſent, but grievous;Heb. 12.11. nevertheleſſe it bringeth forth the peaceable fruite of righteouſneſſe, though this burthen be heavy, yet is it the way to eaſe, and as after a toilſome labour comes the quieteſt reſt, ſo after this warre, the moſt ſettled peace,1 King. 19.11. &c. as it was in that viſion that Eliah ſaw. Firſt came a ſtrong winde that rent the mountaines and brake the rockes in pieces, after this an earthquake, and after this a fire, and after all, a ſtill voyce; ſo it is with a Chriſtian, that after many tumults, and garboiles in the ſoule, between theſe two enemies (the fleſh and the ſpirit) comes the ſtill voyce with joy and peace.
2 Another end is honour, a man that is a good ſouldier under Chriſts banner doth endeavour to fight manfully, that he may honour his cauſe, and his captaine, and good reaſon, the cauſe is juſt: for it is for the defence of Chriſts right in our ſoules, and we never had a better Captaine than Chriſt is,Rev. 6.1. who rides on conquering, and to conquer, who hath led captivity captive, and a prince, againſt whom there is no riſing: but on the other ſide in that ſeeming warre that there is to be found in wicked men,Mat. 6.16. they chiefly aime at their owne praiſe, as they, in their private faſting and workes of mortification, disfigured their faces, and were of ſad countenances, and all this is to be ſeene of men; but God knew their hearts to be farre otherwiſe, or at the beſt, the chiefe and that a wicked man hath in any trouble or contention againſt any ſinne it is himſelfe; either for the preſervation of himſelfe, or for his owne advantage: and the reaſon is, becauſe as the man is, ſo are his ends, if a man be fleſh, then his ends cannot but ſmell of the fleſh.
3 The laſt end of this holy warre is terrour and feare; a man warres to that end that thee may put the enemy into ſuch a feare, that hee will be afraid to offend any more: ſo a man in this ſpirituall warfare, when the heart is once ſmitten, hath true remorſe for ſinne, hee will be afraid to ſin againe, as you have examples of David and Peter, a hundred Bathſheba's would not have allured David to have fallen into that ſinne againe; the voyce of a ſilly damſell made Saint Peter to deny his maſter, but after he felt the ſmart of it, and had repented of it, hee was not aſhamed of his maſter, no not before Princes and Judges of the world: on the other ſide, a man that is not ſound at the heart, though his mind may be at preſent troubled and tremble in reſpect of ſome foule and great ſinne, that ſtares him in the face, and lyeth heavie upon his conſcience, yet doth it worke no change in him, but after the tempeſt is over,2 Pet. 2.22. hee turnes with the dogge to his vomit, and with the ſow to his wallowing in the mire, with as freſh,Prov 23.34, 35. and as free an appetite, as ever hee did unto his ſinne. Solomon compares ſuch a man to one that lyeth on the top of a maſt in the midſt of the ſea, and ſaith they have ſmitten mee, but I felt it not, thy have beaten mee, but I was not ſicke, and therefore when I awake, I will ſeeke it againe.
5 They differ in their event:5 In the event. this warre that is betweene the fleſh and the ſpirit, alwaies ends in a victoriour conqueſt, over all the enemies of it, as they ſay of truth, Magna eſt veritas, 2 Cor. 12.9.& praevalebit, ſo may I ſay of grace, great is the power of it, and it will prevaile. Paul was not without this buffeting of Satan, and behold the grace of God was ſufficient for him to enable him to beare out the quarrell againſt his enemy. And further hee ſaith, When I am weake then am I ſtrong; it is with a Chriſtian in this caſe, as it was wi…h Rebeccah, when ſhe had two twinnes ſtrove in her wombe, ſhee comes to the Lord and ſaith, Lord why am J thus? the Lord makes this anſwer, two nations are in thy wombe, and two manner of people ſhall be ſeparated from thy bowels, and the one people, ſhall be ſtronger than the other; Gen. 25.22.23.and the elder ſhall ſerve the yonger, ſo it is in this caſe, here are two nations that ſtrive within us, the old and the new man, and they are contrary one to another, yet this is your comfort, the elder ſhall ſerve the yonger, the new commer ſhall caſt out the old inhabitant; Now who would not take that ſide on which he is ſure to conquer? Then muſt you joyne with the ſpirit againſt the fleſh; & though you may be foyled, yet you ſhall never be conquered, for if God be with us who ſhall or can ſtand againſt us? Hee that is with us is greater than hee that is againſt us, it is reported of Ceſar, and Antony, that they were wont often to wraſtle together, and though Antony was the ſtronger man, yet Ceſar alwaies gave him the fall; the reaſon being demanded why it ſhould be ſo, the anſwer was made; becauſe Ceſar was guided by a better Genius: ſo if you demand whence it is that ſuch ſtrong and potent luſts, do all fall downe before us, and none of them able to ſtand; I anſwer,1 Joh. 4.4. it is becauſe wee have a better Genius, greater is hee that is with us, than hee that is in the world; on the other ſide, all the warre of a wicked man, it never brings any thing to paſſe: they are like the children of Ephraim that went out harniſhed, and carried bowes, yet turned againe in the day of battell:Pſal. 78.9. what ſhow ſoever there may be of goodneſſe in us, yet if it be not in truth, it will not hold in the fiery tryall.