England Faithfully Watched, Lecture 89
COLOS. 1.29.
Striving according to his working, &c.
STriving] This word ſeconds the explanation given of the former, that the labour of the Miniſtery is very painfull, tis a putting off all powers externall and internall to it, to the utmoſt, tis a ſtrife, contention, running for a victory, a fight, ſo the word is in ſeverall places tranſlated. Fight the good fight of faith. I have fought a good fight: in both places is the ſame word that here is tranſlated, ſtrive: fighting, running for victory, they are acts wherein the whole man intends it ſelfe, as in matters of life and death. The worke of our calling is in the former word, generally and ſummarily expreſt, in this word tis particularly ſpecified, as it beares upon its particular and proper cauſe. When we ſay ſuch a one labours this ſatisfies not; what is his labour? this queſtion is anſwered by this following word in order to our calling. Our labour is in ſome ſence the worſt, the ſowreſt; tis contention, ſpirituall contention, (i.) a contention which hath its riſe not from our owne ſpirit, but from the ſpirit of God, and its termination in the ſpirit of man. We ſtrive not according to our own will, but according to his Word and Spirit that ſtriveth and worketh in us.
Contention hath a bad and a good acceptation, the ſpirit lights on fire of Hell ſometimes, and flames out of the mouth and burnes all that ſtand neere, in name, in whatſoever is deare; this is bad contention. Folly lurkes long in an unmortified ſoule, at laſt gets a head, and then words without wiſdome or conſcience toumble out one upon anothers backe, as if they ſhould toumble downe all that is before them, but they throw downe him onelyonly from whom they come. A fooles lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for ſtrokes; and in the next verſe, a fooles mouth is his deſtruction, and his lips are the ſnare of his ſoule, Prov. 18.6, 7. If ſtanders by can keepe off the flame, this fire burnes no more houſes then into which it comes. The flame that comes out of one mans mouth, if it be not ſuckt in by another, onelyonly one tenement is conſumed; folly is full of humour, humour diſguiſeth every perſon and action, and apprehends all for enemies, and ſo fights againſt, yea ſlayes with the tongue, deare friends for deadly foes, that is, as much as in him lies. Folly generates humour, humour is a baſtard pride; now none ſo beautifull in any proceedings as the man himſelfe; other folkes children are all untimely births, and miſhapen brats, and deſerve all to be murthered with the mouth, and bit to death. Butchery is ſome perſons trade, neighbours children kild; quartered, and hung out to ſale every day for all that come by, and will buy; pride hardens, the heare hardned, the man will runne againſt any one with his tongue, till he can get other weapons, and ſpot himſelfe all over with the blood of the beſt mans repute in the world, before his face. Contention is a murthering of a mans off-ſpring before his face, and throwing the blood of them in his face: thou didſt ſay this, and thou didſt doe that Pride hardens, 'tas this property in every ſoule; many hearts quard, and become ſulpherous ſtones, the divell takes them up, and ſtrikes fire with them, to burne all. Bad contention hath alwaies a diabolicall concurrence more or leſſe; many things may charge and load the Gun, but the Divell gives fire ſtill and makes it off, and helpes to fetch out all that is within the man.
Contention hath a good acceptation, good contention is an expliced zeale againſt ſinne. Sinnes are of ſeverall ſorts, ſome have their tongues cut out of their mouthes by conſcience, and can nor dare ſay nothing of their courſe; others have their tongue in their head, and can and will ſay much for their ſinne, though they die in the place. Parts being conſiderable, ſuch habits are made uſe of, iniquity eſtabliſheth it ſelfe by a law in ſuch a ſoule, what one can make't out to be de jure, tis a caſe to be pleaded, and the ſoule will plead in theſe caſes with man, and the man will plead with any man, that his ſoule may hold its owne, and ſin keepe warme where tis: parts and parties are therefore now drawn out, and ſtrong reaſons brought forth; produce your ſtrong reaſons, ſaith the Prophet, Eſay 41.21. Productions of this kinde, made abortives by truth, truth in ſtrength drawn out againſt that which is falſe, enervating and ſilencing ſinfull diſputes and practices, is good contention. Thus did Nehemiah contend, Then contended I with the Rulers and ſayd, why is the houſe of God forſaken? what evill thing is this that ye doe? did not our fathers thus? and brought all this evill upon them? Nehem. 13. Man muſt not move as a beaſt which knowes not the ground he goes upon: action muſt have authority, and the production of this authority is ſometimes neceſſary; if this or that be not valid by rule, 'tis to be condemnd by the rule; and this is every ones priviledge, that hath ability and opportunity, by vertue of a generall or a particular call; by vertue of a generall call as a Chriſtian, to reſiſt ſinne, and errour, which is a publique enemy and traytor to the State which any one may lay hands on; and therefore tis that Jude exhorted the Chriſtians to put hand to this worke, as well as himſelfe: when hee wrote to them of a common ſalvation, he wrote unto them alſo about a common enemy, and told them that they ought to contribute ſtrength againſt ſuch as well as he; twas needfull for me to write unto you, and to exhort you that [ye] ſhould earneſtly contend for the faith. You may thinke (as if he had ſaid) that it is my worke onelyonly, to contend for the faith, and againſt that which oppoſeth it, but it is ſo mine, that it is alſo yours by a generall calling; perſons by the advantage of a particular calling, draw a greater force into the field againſt the common enemy, but others are bound to contribute what they have to this worke, as well as they. Wee are as men deſigned, and advantaged peculiarly, as Generals to lead in this ſad worke, to which the Prophet ſpeakes, Jeremy 15.10. Woe is me my mother, that thou haſt borne me a man of ſtrife. Jeremiah had a particular call from the wombe, to live as a Solamander in the fire all his daies; theſe as gifted and wealthy perſons, raiſe more force, and bring a greater ſtrength into the the field then others can, but the worke beares upon all; The Apoſtle intimates it, in that hee ſpeakes as putting into this worke onelyonly as one, whereunto I alſo labour, and ſtriving according to his working in me.
My purpoſe is to be preciſe in this point, and to purſue onelyonly the divine nature of contention, which lies in two things, a holy riſe, and a holy ſcope. Many bad things boyle in an evill nature, theſe now and then boyle over, and ſcald ſtanders by, in ſomething that is worthy: bitter language may come from a ſweet ſpirit, but then the perſon is in a temptation, and his conteſt againſt ſinne ſinfull and ſucceſſeſſe, in order to what might be ſimply meant: at firſt ſetting out oppoſition externall which ſprings from any ſuch bad principle internall, ſtaines the nature of the act quite through; there is a warre from ones luſt, as the Apoſtle James ſaith; the ſpirit within diſſents ſome perſon without, and therefore ſpits in his face, when it ſpeakes to him, that every one may know him, and have as low an eſteeme of him as he hath. Affection prejudiced, in order to the perſon I deale with, and ſo oppoſition the fruit of an ill diſpoſition, this is impure contention. Fire of this nature is heavenly, when it ſprings from love to the man, and hatred to his ſinne: ſinne is ſuch an ugly thing, that it becomes no body, no not a friend; tis a blacke ſpot, but not a beauty ſpot in any ones face; ſet it where you will, cut it how you will; when love moulds words to diſcover ſo much to the face of him that thinkes otherwiſe; I would not have any one that I love, live or die in any thing that Chriſt hates: This is Divine contention, precious balme.
Divine contention hath a divine riſe, a divine ſcope, which is to convince, and to convert; truth is lovely in the eye, as well as in the practice; yet hath many gainſayers in both; theſe muſt be replied to, till they have nothing to ſay to any purpoſe; objections of waight are a conſiderable ſpirituall army, and ought to be encountered, though fooles muſt not be anſwered in their folly. There is gainſaying with tongue or conſcience; diſpute muſt be ſo ſteeld with truth, till one or both be ſilenced; the Scriptures are ſufficient this way, they are given by inſpiration, and profitable for doctrine, for reproofe, for conviction, 2 Tim. 3.16. Weapons drawne out of the word, and ſo skilfully and reverently uſed, till pride be ſtabd, and conſcience ſpeechleſſe, and breathing out its laſt for the evill courſe it walkt in; this is handling the Word of God, and the ſoule of man, not deceitfully, but really, and is holy ſtrife; deckes ſet a fire not to burne the ſhip, but to blow up them at top that would take the whole veſſell.
Contention is not onelyonly to ſtop, but to turne a ſinner; tis a travell, and pangs ceaſe not till ſatan be ruind, and Chriſt formd. Conviction and converſion are two things; a man may feele the evill of his owne way, and yet taſte no ſweet in Chriſts; vomiting is painfull, the ſtomacke takes great diſlike and offence at what it opened its mouth greedily to take in; one would thinke in this caſe twere impoſſible that what is ſo violently thrown out, ſhould ever be ſavoured, and taken in againe; yet not in this caſe, (therefore in no caſe with ſome creatures) is there an abhorring for ever. Dogs will returne to their vomit, and ſinners, but ſhadowed in that metaphor: ſpirituall ſtrife is to make certaine the ſtate of a Chriſtian; yea, to give the ultimate or utmoſt of this ſtate; to make former vomitings, old ſinnes, yea, old graces (i.) graces in ſuch and ſuch a degree, to be forgotten; to put forward, and to preſent every one perfect, in parts, perfect in degrees, which is the emphaſis and connexion of the frontice terme of the Text, That wee may preſent every man perfect in Chriſt [whereunto] I labour and ſtrive. Holy ſtrife tends to bring perſons to perfection, it is fighting a good fight; the iſſue of which is, the ſoule able to lay hold of eternall life; able to let go hold of ſin, of any ſin, and to take hold of any grace; of all grace, of eternall life. Running of this kind is in its ſcope as others, to obtaine, (i.) the glory of God and ſalvation of the ſoule; our fight of this kind, is not onelyonly to kill, but to make alive; to make an eternall death and an eternall life; to make an eternall death to ſin, and an eternall life to Chriſt.
Ʋſe. Strife is common now, all the world is on fire; but tis ſo voyd of divine property, that I know not what will become of us all; tis hell fire that burnes onelyonly to torment perſons, and augment ſinnes; ſuch is our lung and tongue conteſts at this day; as for other fights (the Lord be gracious to us) they are very bloody, but what their nature is otherwiſe, I am unskild to ſpeake: heart fight makes hand fight; love was ſlaine before our wars began, or we had never gone together by the eares with any weapon, neither with tongue nor hand. Juſtice hath found us out, and turnd our inſide outwards; what will be in the end God knowes; if the Spirit of Chriſt be wanting in contention, tis the ſaddeſt worke in the world, and of the moſt deſperate iſſue, and yet nothing puts upon greater temptation this way. When a houſe is a fire a little winde will make the blaze very big, big enough to conſume all; when David had his Sword by his ſide, how quickly was he over-heated by a foole? tis ſo in ſpirituall conteſts, when friends meet to argue, they are as ſouldiers with their weapons by their ſides; one foole now in the company, a little folly throwne out over-heats and fires all of a ſudden, and ſets all together by the eares, if Chriſt be not very gracious. Selfe muſt be firſt ſlaine in me, before I goe to deſtroy any part of ſelfe in another; otherwiſe I ſhall wound mine owne ſoule, when I goe to cure anothers; vain-glory is conceited, ſuch a man is a reformer of all but one; this exactneſſe, becauſe it cannot accompliſh it ſelfe, turnes into frowardneſſe; and now he that cannot mend all will marre all; the froward ſoule ſowes ſtrife, ſaith Solomon, Prov. 16.28. Theſe are the moſt dangerous perſons of all: there is a ſtrife of words, and a ſtrife of matter; reaſon, not paſſion, muſt onelyonly fight againſt folly; this makes conqueſt and honour; ſtrength and vigour of matter, not violence and virulency of words and luſt; in this latter ſtrife wee can doe nothing that is honourable to our ſelves, or benificiall to others; and therefore its a ſtrife utterly forbidden by the Apoſtle, Phil. 2.3. Let nothing be done through ſtrife or vain-glory, but i… lowneſſe of mind let each eſteeme other better then themſelves.
Yet let not what is honourable be condemnd with that which is diſhonourable. I am to ſtrive with any to plucke a brand out of the fire; men come not out of the armes of a harlot with eaſe; tis not divine ſtrife, but diabolicall that is our plague at this day, and this in no mans heart more, then in theirs that cry-out moſt of the diviſions of the Land, ſects, ſchiſmes, and factions. I have not a word to ſay for any one that walkes beſides rule. That ſtrife in ſacred things, which ſtrikes at mens honours, liberties, and the like, is fire not from above, but from below, and will keepe perſons and Kingdoms low; the ſword will never be turnd into a plowſheare, nor want worke in the world, while this ſpirit lives. Our weapons in divine things are ſpirituall; if we make them carnall, we ſhall abuſe inſtitution, and attempt to kill the King of the Jewes in the Cradle, to keepe our ſelves King; truth ſhall no ſooner bud, but have its braines knockt out with a club; which hath been the effectuall argument of Antichriſt, theſe many hundred yeeres; and the argument of Epiſcopacy now on foot in the field, which hath coſt a great deale of blood to anſwer; and yet we are neceſſitated to anſwer, as we are oppoſed; which ſhould make us and poſterity for ever after us, to abhor ſuch kind of ſtrivings, to advance the things that we thinke Chriſts.