The Doctrine and Practice of Mortification, Chapter 20
CAP. XX. Certaine inſtructions from the doctrine premiſed.
FRom this doctrine of mortification we may obſerve divers neceſſary inſtructions, both for the information of our judgement, and well ordering of our lives, as
1. Firſt, wee may learne that ſuch a doctrine as doth give liberty to the fleſh, was never given by the ſpirit of God; for the ſpirit is given us, not onelyonly as a bridle to curbe, and keepe in ſinne, neither a ſcourge to caſtigate corrupt nature, but chiefely as a ſword to kill and deſtroy the very body of ſinne: it is the counſell of Saint Paul, Gal. 5.13.that we being called to liberty, ſhould not uſe our liberty as an occaſion to the fleſh; that is, if we doe not uſe our liberty with great caution and watchfulneſſe, wee will make our liberty to be a ſnare to us; the word uſed by Saint Paul is foreign that ſignifieth occaſion; it cometh (as ſome think) of foreign that ſignifies to make an aſſault;Acts 14.5. becauſe that if you give but your ſelves liberty, never ſo little more then is fit; the fleſh will make an aſſault upon you: as it is ſaid of the Lion, that if you come but within his reach when he is caged up hee will not miſſe but faſten upon you, ſo is it in this caſe, therefore we muſt beware that we doe labour for temperance, and moderation; otherwiſe the fleſh will ſeiſe upon us, and ſo while we give liberty to the fleſh, we loſe the peace of our conſcience, and that peace with God, unto whom wee have had free acceſſe and audience in our prayers: Therefore know this, that the more liberty we give unto the fleſh, the more we doe deprive our ſelves of our Chriſtian liberty, as the more delight that wee take in the ſinfull pleaſures of this life; the leſſer and lower will be our delights, and contentments in God: Herod did like well of the Baptist, and heard him gladly; but yet his luſt, and the delight he tooke in Herodias and her daughter, hee did eclipſe it at the beſt, and in the end tooke it quite away:Pſal. 32. Pſal. 77. Nay how was David ſtraitened of that ſpirituall freedome after ſuch time as he had given liberty to the fleſh, behold how many teares, how many prayers, how many ſighes and groanes did it coſt him; before he was reſtored to his former comfort and conſolation againe; the more liberty a man takes for the fleſh, the more hee doth enthrall himſelfe; as the bird once in the ſnare, the more ſhee doth ſtruggle, the more ſhee doth entangle her ſelfe; little doe men know what diſadvantages they caſt themſelves into when they take liberty to ſin;2 Pet. 2.20.21. there is a heavie doome propounded againſt them, if after they have eſcaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, they are againe intangled therein, and overcome, the later end is worſe with them then their beginning: if any ſhall ſay, but what benefit have wee then by our Chriſtian liberty?Gal. 3.11. I anſwer, much every way; wee are freed by Chriſt from the curſe of the Law, from the irritation of it, whereby it was an occaſion to make us ſinne more, and from the rigour of it, whereby we are bound to performe it and live; or elſe in the not doing of it perfectly to die eternally; we have a comfortable and free uſe of the creature,Heb. 4.16. and free acceſſe to the throne of grace in time of need, for the receiving of all good things; both the benefit of ſoule and body in all theſe things; wee ſee we have much liberty granted unto us, but no liberty to ſinne; you will ſay how may a man doe that that hee may give no liberty to the fleſh,
When a man will not take the full liberty that hee may take; all things are lawfull,2 Cor. 6.12. but all things are not expedient; it may be lawfull to goe neare the banck of a deepe river, but if his foote ſhould ſlip, or that he ſhould tread never ſo little awry, he would fall into very great danger; ſo is it here, when men hazard themſelves to the utmoſt bounds of their liberty, ten to one, but they drop into one ſinne or another, and ſo procure unto themſelves one miſery after another.Gen. 34.1.2. Si tu otioſe ſpectes otioſe non ſpecteris ſi tu curioſe ſpectas curioſe ſpecteris. Ber. Dinah went but out to ſee the daughters of the land, peradventure the thing might bee lawfull enough, yet becauſe it was the utmoſt bounds of liberty, ſhe not being cautious loſt all the faireſt ornament about her, before her returne; thence is that of our Saviour, if they ſay unto thee behold he is in the deſert, go not forth, behold he is in the ſecret chamber, beleeve it not; why it might be lawfull to go and ſee, ſuppoſe it might, yet becauſe there is a ſnare laid open in lawfull things; wee ſhould take heed we prevent, if it may be, the occaſion.
2. If you would not give liberty to the fleſh, ſhake off dulneſſe in the performance of good duties;Mat. 26.41 the ſpirit is willing, but the fleſh is weake, the fleſh is ſhort-paced and too too ready to hinder us, in the way of the ſpirit; the Aſſe in the Law was to have his neck broken, and not be offered unto God; and the reaſon was, becauſe it was a dull creature: ſo it is in this caſe, that the fleſh is dull, and heavie, and if ſo bee wee bee not ſtirring and zealous in our way; the fleſh will draw us backe and keepe us ſo farre backe in the way to ſalvation, as that we had need to wiſh that the Sunne and Moone might ſtand ſtill in their ſtations; as they did in the time of Ioſhuah, or elſe it is to be feared, we ſhall come ſhort of our expected journey, to the Kingdome of Heaven: nay in doing the worke of the Lord negligently, inſtead of a bleſſing, we procure a curſe upon our ſelves;Jer. 48.10. every ſacrifice in the Law was to be ſalted with fire;Mark 9.49 that is, there was to be the ſalt of wiſedome, that they did performe duties with diſcretion; ſo there muſt bee fire of zeale, that the ſervices may be living and vigorous.Rom. 12.1
3. If you would not give liberty to the fleſh, give God his full due, the more you give to God, the leſſe you have to give to the fleſh;…ccl. 12.1 give unto God the chiefe of your time, remember him in the dayes of your youth, becauſe that is the moſt ſeaſonable time to give unto God our firſt fruits, and the beginning of our ſtrength; and it is the time of moſt certainety, for it is as the ſpring and ſummer of our dayes; it is moſt likely that we ſhall doe God moſt ſervice, then a man will put a man into his Vine-yard, when he may doe him the moſt worke; ſo if we waite on the Lord, in the dayes of our youth; it is moſt likely then wee ſhall bee ſet into our worke, and ſuch a worke as ſhall not be without a happie reward. Secondly, give the Lord the chiefe of your indeavours, the end to which you came into this world, is not ſo much to plow up your lands, or to digge in the earth, or to follow your trades, and to cumber your ſelves with Martha about many things;Phil. 2.12. 2 Tim. 4.7. 1 Cor. 15. but it is to worke out your ſalvation with feare and trembling; and to fight out your good fight, & never be weary of well doing; knowing that in due time you ſhall reape, if you faint not; I doe not ſay that men ſhould neglect their callings, for he that provideth not for his family, is worſe then an infidell; but this I ſay, that he that is ſo carefull for the world; that hee doth neglect his ſoule, and the ſervice of his God, is little better then an Atheiſt: yet let me tell you, that the plough that doth plow your grounds, muſt rather ſtand, then that which ploweth up the fallow grounds of your hearts, and you muſt not ſpend ſo much time in your ſhops, as there by to neglect the trade of your ſoules, nor be ſo buſie about your counting-bookes as to forget that great account that you are to make with God; for howſoever this may bee good husbandry amongſt men, yet ſure I am, it is none of Gods husbandry, as that Prophet ſaid unto Ahab; 1. Kieg. 2.38.39.behold ſaith he, there was in the battell, a man committed unto me, but on theſe termes; that if I kept him not, my life ſhould goe for his, &c. but while I was buſie here and there, the man was gone; ſo it is in this caſe, that while a man is buſie about this and that thing, that a mans dayes are ſpent, and hee drops into hell before he is aware, and loſeth his ſoule for the ſatiſfaction of his luſts. Firſt, labour in the laſt place to bee alwayes on the growing hand, to adde unto your faith vertue, to your vertue knowledge, to knowledge temperance; to temperance,2 Pet. 1.5.6 brotherly kindneſſe, love, &c. then he concludeth, that if theſe things be in you, and abound; yee ſhall neither be barren nor unfruitfull.
That as the ſpirituall part doth increaſe, ſo the fleſh and corruptions, they doe decreaſe, and go down:2 Sam. 17.16. Though Vriah was a valiant man, yet when he was ſet upon by ſtrong men, then he fell and was overcome; ſo it is in this caſe, that though corruption cannot be denied, but to be a potent enemy; yet when it is ſet upon by theſe graces, it will fall and bee deprived of the power it hath.