The Combat Between the Flesh and Spirit, Sermon 24
Sermon XXIV. At Lawrence Jewry London, Februar. 2. 1650.
GAL. 5. verſe 17.
For the fleſh luſts againſt the Spirit, and the Spirit againſt the fleſh, and theſe are contrary the one to the other, ſo that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
I Proceed now to lay down ſome more practical inferences from this point; The fleſh its hindering and interrupting even godly men, ſo that they cannot do the things they would; and the fifth in order is this.
5. What great need have the beſt even of Gods children of the mediation and interceſſion of Jeſus Chriſt, when they preſent any duty to God. If ſo be we ſhould come to God with theſe defilements, and interruptions of the fleſh in our duties without a Chriſt, God might ſay to us as Eliſha to the King of Iſrael; Verily, were it not that I regard the preſence of Iehoſophat King of ſudah, I would not look toward thee nor ſee thee; 2 King. 3.14.thus God the Father might ſay to each of us, Verily, were it not that I regard Jeſus Chriſt, I would not ſee nor regard thee in any duty thou doeſt; & as Ioſeph ſaid to his brethren, Except ye bring Benjamin with you, ye ſhall ſee my face no more; Gen. 43.3.ſo except ye bring the Lord Jeſus Chriſt with you, you cannot expect to ſee the face of God with approbation. You read in Exod. 28.36. that Aaron the Prieſt of the Lord was to have a plate of pure gold upon his fore-head, Exod. 28.36.and upon it was to be ingraven, Holineſs to the Lord; to note, that when you come to do any ſervice to God, you need the interceſſion of Jeſus Chriſt, who by his interceſſions bears the iniquity of our holy things. Though you have the aſſiſtance of the Spirit in performance of duty, yet you ſtand in need alſo of the mediation of Chriſt for your acceptance; and therefore you read not only or an interceſſion of Chriſt, Rom. 8.26. foreign. Ver. 34. foreign.but of the interceſſion of the Spirit; The Spirit makes interceſſion in us, and Chriſt makes interceſſion for us.
6. If the fleſh doth interrupt in duty, then what great need have you, when you are about duty, to watch over your hearts, and to fortify them againſt the incurſions and diſturbances of the fleſh. Thoſe that live by the Sea-ſide, they are forced for the preſervation of themſelves in ſafety, to make great mounts and banks to keep out the Sea from overflowing them; whereas thoſe who dwell in Inland-countreys, little ditches will ſerve their turns: Corrupt nature it is a Sea, and thou haſt need to make many a mount, and many a bank in thy heart, otherwiſe corrupt nature will ſend in an inundation of vain and impertinent thoughts. Numb. 4 23.It is a good note of Ainſworth upon Numb. 4.23. where all from thirty yeares old to fifty of the houſe of Gerſhon, are ſaid to enter in to perform ſervice, and to do the work of the Tabernacle. The word which ſignifies to perform ſervice, ſignifies alſo to warre a warfare, and ſo Ainſworth tranſlates it; and why doth the Scripture mention this, but to note that when you are doiug any ſervice to God, 1 Pet. 4.7.you are then to warre a ſpiritual warfare. You read in 1 Pet. 4.7. of watching unto prayer, and in Coloſſ. Col. 4.2.4.2. Of watching in prayer. You are not only to watch unto, before you pray, but in prayer, whileſt you pray, You have not only ground to watch againſt the interruptions of the fleſh, but there are alſo other interruptions; As firſt from the world; and this is the Apoſtles deſire, that we might be without care, 1 Cor. 7.35.and that we might attend upon the Lord without diſtraction. Cares of the world they are a hinderance unto holy duties, and therefore we are to watch againſt them. Secondly, we are hindred alſo by natural infirmities, and thoſe we are to watch ugainſt; and ſo I underſtand Piſcator upon Matth. 26.41. Mat. 26.41.where Chriſt ſpeaks, that the ſpirit was willing, but the fleſh was weak. Fleſh there is not to be taken for corrupt nature, but for bodily infirmity. And then not onelyonly from the world and natural indiſpoſitions, but; Thirdly, from the devil are interruptions, and hinderances caſt in; and in this caſe you are to do as Abraham did, when the fowles did light upon his ſacrifice, he drove them away. Gen. 15.11.By the fowles coming upon the carcaſes of Abrahams offering, as Deodate ſaith, it is an evident ſigne of the devils diſturbing the elect, when they are about any holy performance; now as Abraham did, ſo do you; when theſe fowles as they are compared in Matth. 13.4 to the devil, thoſe foul and infernal ſpirits, when they come to diſturb you in worſhip, you muſt drive them away; all thoſe impertinencies, and vain thoughts, which the devil caſts in. Job 1.6.In the firſt of Job you read, that upon a certain day, the Sons of God preſented themſelves before the Lord, and Satan alſo came among them; By the Sonnes of God there cannot be meant the Angels; for then it would follow that the devils would be in heaven where the Angels are; therefore by the Sonnes of God are meant the children of Iob; and thus were the poſterity of Seth called in Gen. 6. Gen. 6.2. See Zech. 3.1.The Sons of God ſaw that the daughters of men were fair. Now to my purpoſe, the children of Iob are ſaid upon a certain day to appear before the Lord, that is, ſay Interpreters, on the Sabbath-day; now when they appeared on that day before the Lord, it is ſaid, that Satan came among them; Celeberrimum ſabbati feſtum. Pined.and you may be ſure the devil came for no good intent, but to labour to interrupt, and diſturb them in thoſe religious performances. And therefore ſeeing that you have not onelyonly your own hearts, the world, and natural infirmities; but the devil alſo to hinder and divert you, what cauſe have you with utmoſt diligence to watch over your ſelves.
7. If the fleſh doth interrupt you in Gods ſervice, then learn not to place any confidence in your moſt religious performances; dareſt thou lay the weight of thy ſoul upon ſuch a weak foundation? if thy duties are tainted, and mingled with ſo much evill, how dareſt thou reſt in thy duties? It is the ſpeech of Iob, Though I were righteous, yet would I not plead with thee; Job 9.28.and again ſayes he, I am afraid of all my ſorrowes, I know that thou wilt hold me innocent. In the vulgar tranſlation it is, I am afraid of all my good works; and further ſayes he, Though I ſhould waſh my ſelfe with ſnow-water, and make my ſelfe never ſo clean, yet ſhalt thou plunge me in a ditch, and my own clothes ſhall abhorre me. Cap. 30.31.Though I ſhould acquit my ſelfe never ſo well in duty, yet thou wouldeſt finde much evil in me. If then thy beſt ſervices are mingled with ſin, rely only upon a Chriſt for ſalvation; and here to ſet home this inference, I ſhall lay down three cogent conſiderations.
1. Thou haſt more acts of ſin that come from the fleſh, then acts of grace that come from the Siprit in thy duties; and wilt thou reſt upon ſuch a duty that hath more ſinne then grace acted in it? more wandring thoughts then holy thoughts? thou forgetteſt more of a Sermon, then thou remembreſt of a Sermon, and the ſin of thy nature doth caſt in more wandring thoughts, then the Spirit of God doth caſt in holy thoughts; thy graces are as the filings of gold, but thy ſinnes as heapes of duſt, and therefore how dareſt thou reſt on thy duties, expecting life and ſalvation by them?
2. Conſider that one circumſtance in a duty, is enough to make it evil; but many concurring circumſtances is not enough to make a duty good. Suppoſe thou prayeſt, one circumſtance in thy prayer may make it ſinful: though thou prayeſt wel for the manner, yet if thou art defective in the end; or if the end be right, yet if thou faileſt in thy principle, it is not right. It is a rule in moral Philoſophy, In moralibus plus circumſtanti a quàm ſubſtantia actio…isthat circumſtances are more to be weighed then acts; and ſo it is in Divinity. One circumſtance may make a duty defective, but many circumſtances concurring together, cannot make a duty good.
3. Conſider, that thou art guilty of many paſt ſins, and preſent duties cannot make a recompence for paſt ſinnes. Suppoſe a tenant who payes his rent duly for time preſent, yet being in arrear, it may be ten or twenty yeares, his payment of his rent at preſent will not recompenſe his paſt arrear: Thus it is with thee, thou art much in debt, and in arreare to God for paſt time, and if there were merit in thy duties, as there is not, yet preſent duty could not expiate paſt ſinnes; therefore rely not upon duty.
8. Doth the fleſh thus interrupt us in duty? then from hence we may ſee the evill nature of ſin, the miſchievous quality of original corruption. It is a doctrine which cau never be too much inſiſted upon, and therefore from this doctrine I beſeech you turn a little to ſee the evil nature of originall ſin. I may illuſtrate it by this example: if you have a veſſel full of liquor, a little gall ſhall more imbitter it, then a great deal of honey ſhall ſweeten it; behold, the miſchievous nature of ſinee, how doth it taint both thy perſon and performances? You read of a Law in Numb. Numb 19.22.19 22. that whatſoever an unclean perſon toucheth, ſhall be uuclean: this is ſpoken of ceremonial uncleanneſſe; but it holds true alſo in ſpirituals: thou art an unclean man, all thou toucheſt becomes unclean; thou defileſt all thy duties. There is an uſeful paſſage in Haggai 2.12,13. Hag. 2.12,13.there was an caſe of conſcience which the people were to demand of the Prieſts concerning the Law. The queſtion was this, If one beat holy fleſh in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirts do touch bread, or pottage, or wine, or oile, or any meat, ſhall it be holy? and the Prieſts ſaid, No. And then ſaid Haggai, If one that is unclean by a dead body touch any of theſe, ſhall it be unclean? and the Prieſt anſwered and ſaid, It ſhall be unclean. Here you may obſerve that holy things could not make common things clean and holy; but if a man that was unclean did but touch holy things, they became unclean. Now if you would know the meaning of this, it is explained by the Prophet in the 14. verſe. Then anſwered Haggai and ſaid, So is this people, and ſo is this Nation before me, ſaith the Lord, and ſo is every worke of their hands, and that which they offer there, is unclean; that is every ſacrifice, and every duty is unclean. In Goſpel-language the meaning is this, if a man be in the ſtate of nature, all his offerings, and all his ſacrifices, Tit. 1.15.that is, all his duties, they are unclean unto him: For unto the unclean, all things are unclean.
Ʋſe 2 The ſecond Uſe I ſhall make of this point, ſhall be by way of comfort; and there are eight conſolations I ſhall give in to thoſe that fear God, and are ſenſible of the interruption of the fleſh in duty of Gods worſhip.
1. Know to your comfort, that as you have the fleſh to hinder, ſo you have the Spirit to help you in duty. The Spirit will help thy infirmities, with ſighes and groans, which cannot be untered; Rom 8.26.thou haſt the fleſh to harden thy heart, and deaden thy ſpirit; but thou haſt the Spirit of God alſo to ſoften thy heart, and quicken thy ſpirit; to make thee pray with ſighes, 1 Joh. 4.4.and groans. And though the devil be buſie to tempt thee, yet Stronger is he that is in you, ſaith St. John, then he that is in the world.
2. Conſider, that a deſire to do thoſe duties you cannot do, is in divine account a doing of them. It is worth your noting what you finde recorded touching Nehemiah; if you compare two Scripturts together:—The firſt is Nehem. Neh. 1.11.1.11. where he prayes, Lord, let thy eare be attentive unto the prayer of thy ſervant, who deſires to fear thy Name. Compared with Neh. 5.15.And Nehem. 5.15. ſaith Nehemiah, I did not oppreſſe the people as former Governours did, becauſe of the fear of the Lord. So that Nehemiahs deſire to fear the Lord, is accounted by God, the fear of God; a deſire after any grace, is in divine account the having of that grace. The Lord he will accept the will for the deed If there be a willing minde, it is accepted according to what a man hath, and not according to that he hath not. 2 Cor. 8.12. See Mat. 5.5. Joh. 7.37. Pſal. 10.17. Pſal. 145.19. Exod. 14.15. 1 King. 8.17,18.Therefore ſee what a good God you ſerve, who will accept of purpoſes for performances, and intentions for executions, as may appeare by many teſtimonies of Scripture.
3. Feeling the want of any grace, or ability to diſcharge any duty, and being grieved for that want, is in the account of God, as if that want were ſupplied. Thou ſayeſt thou canſt not mourne, but wouldſt thou mourne for thy ſinnes? why, a ſenſe of the want of any grace, is in divine acceptance, the having of it; and this ſome make to be the meaning of that place in Rom. 8.26. Rom. 8.26.We know not what to pray for, as we ought, but the Spirit it ſelfe maketh interceſſion for us with ſighes and groans; that is, the Spirit helps us to grieve that we cannot pray, nor repent, nor do duty no better; and herein is the aſſiſtance of Gods Spirit ſeen. And this God will accept.
4. Remember this, that God accepts of ſincerity of heart, where there is not perfection of grace. You live under a Covenant of grace, wherein God accepts of ſincerity inſtead of perfection, and God had rather ſee truth of grace, then ſtrength of parts. Thou complaineſt thou canſt not pray, it may be thou wanteſt the gift of prayer; thou haſt not a voluble tongue, but thou doeſt not want truth of deſire, neither the ornament of a meek ſpirit, a pure heart. God had rather have truth of grace, then ſtrength of parts; you may conſider it in the caſe of Moſes and Aaron, in Exod. 4.4. I know, ſaith God to Moſes, Exod. 4.4.that Aaron thy brother can ſpeak well. Now Moſes he was a man of a ſtammering tongue; but yet when Moſes and Aaron was to be imployed in that great work of prayer, when Joſhua fought againſt Amaleck. God makes choice not of elegant Aaron, Exod. 17.11.12.but of ſtammering Moſes to make the prayer. Moſes could pray better then Aaron, though Aaron had better parts.
5. Conſider, it may be thou complaineſt that it is the interruption of the fleſh, which hinders thee in duty, when only it is the diſability of thy natural body. Thus godly men do many times charge their unfitneſſe to duty upon their own hearts, when it is only from an indiſpoſed, and diſabled body. You muſt know that ſometimes the body doth diſable a man to do duty, and that diſability is not ſinful; it is thy miſery, but not thy ſinne. Thus it was with Paul, Gal 4.13,14.he ſpeakes thus to the Galatians, Ye know how through infirmity of the fleſh I preached the Goſpel to you at the first; and my temptation which was in my fleſh, ye deſpiſed not, nor rejected, but received me as an Angel of God, even as Chriſt Jeſus. Jerome underſtands theſe words of a bodily weakneſſe, diſabling Paul to preach, and yet it is ſaid the Galatians bore with him, and rejected him not under this bodily infirmity. Thus Paul tells the Theſſalonians, that he would have come unto them once and again, but Satan hindred him. 1 Theſ. 2.18.Some think this hindrance was perſecution, others that it was a tempeſt at Sea, but moſt think that it was ſome bodily diſeaſe whereby the devil hindred him. So that if thou haſt a ſick, pained, diſeaſed body, and thereby art diſabled to duty, this though it be thy miſery, yet it is not thy ſinne; and therefore in ſuch a caſe do not lay the blame upon thy own heart: Mat. 26.41.for it is with a man in this caſe, as with a ſtrong healthful man that rides upon a poore tired horſe:—thus the ſoul though active, and vigorous, is ſometimes forced to keep pace with a weak, ſick, and tired body.
6. Remember this, that God accepts what is his own in duty, and covers what is thine. That water which is ſalt in the Sea, is freſh in the river; that duty which comes from thee, is ſalt and brackiſh, but coming through the river of Chriſts blood, it loſeth its unſavoury taſte; and what a great indulgence is this in God, to, cover what is ours, and to accept what is his own? It is a rule in Philoſophy, Denominatio ſequitar majorent partem.that the denomination is alwayes taken from the greater part; God denominates a man from his better part; be ſinnes in prayer, and he acts grace in prayer; that as wine, though it be mingled with water, and that mixture doth in part debaſe the wine, yet becauſe the wine gives a reliſh, and ſtill retaines the colour of wine, therefore the whole cup is called wine: So though in thy heart there may be a mixture of ſinne with thy grace in thy duty, yet the whole ſhall be called gracious act.
7. Though the fleſh hinders you in the doing of duty, yet there is a vaſt difference between a godly and a wicked man in this very caſe, though the interruption be both in the one and the other;—as
1. The wicked they are interrupted by the fleſh, but they have not the Spirit to aſſiſt them againſt corruption, as the godly have.
2. The wicked have not renewed principles of grace in their hearts to withſtand the corruptions of the fleſh, as the godly have. Regenerate men they cannot ſinne, (that is, 1 Joh. 3.9.ſo ſinne as the wicked) becauſe they have a ſeed of grace remaining in them.
3. Wicked men they do not ſo clearly diſcerne, and ſenſibly bewaile the interruptions of the fleſh, as thoſe who are godly do.
4. The wicked they ſhall never be rid of the evil workings of the fleſh, neither in this world, nor in that which is to come. Sinne in this life ſhall hinder duty; and in the world to come they will caſt off duty. But the godly though peſtered with the fleſh, yet they ſhall one day be rid of the fleſh. And thus I have finiſhed the firſt part of the double conſequent.