The Combat Between the Flesh and Spirit, Sermon 7
SERMON. VII. At Lawrence Jury, London, Novemb. 24. 1650.
GEN. 6. verſe 3.
And the Lord ſaid, My Spirit ſhall not alwayes ſtrive with man, &c.
I Proceed Now to ſome farther uſe and Application of this point, which I ſhall do by laying down ſome particular inferences, directions or poſitions, concerning the withdrawings of Gods Spirit.
Poſit. 1 Be convinced of the great need you ſtand in of having the motions of the Spirit vouchſafed and continued to you; and that upon a fourfold ground.
1. If you conſider the weakneſſe and diſability of our natures to holy motions, as well as to holy actions. Phil. 2.13. foreign. Vt acti agentes, ut moti moventes. 2 Cor. 3.5.A man is not only weak to act good, but is weak to any holy motion, therefore ſayes the Apoſtle, It is the Lord which works in us both to Will and to do; the very deſire of the ſoul after good, it is a thing above nature, it comes from God, and therefore the ſame Apoſtle, (ſayes he) We are not ſufficient of our ſelves to think any thing as of our ſelves, but our ſufficiency is of God. The inferior orbes move as they are acted, and moved by the ſuperior. A Mole can as eaſily move the earth from its centre, or a ſparrow drink up the waters of the Ocean out of their channels, as thou of thy ſelf have any good motion, or ability to act good; all your aſſiſtance comes from the Spirit of God, and therefore ſayes Saint Paul, If ye through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the fleſh. Rom. 8.13.Thou art weak in thy ſelf, therefore that ſhould make thee ſee thy need of the Spirit.
2. Conſider, not only the weakneſſe, but the backwardneſſe that is in us unto that which is good. And therefore the Scripture mentions not onelyonly a grieving and quenching, but alſo a reſiſting of the Spirit, Acts 7.51. And therefore thoſe phraſes of Scripture, John 6.44.Draw me, and I will runne after thee; And None can come unto me except the Father which hath ſent me, draw him; they denote not only a weakneſſe, but an unwillingneſſe in us to come, and a backwardneſſe alſo in our hearts to yield ſubjection to a law of holineſſe. Pſal. 110.3.Till God by his Spirit make us a willing people in the day of his power.
3. Be convinced of the great need you ſtand in of the Spirit, from thoſe ſtrong reſiſtances that are in your natures to holy motions. Though grace be of an active nature, yet becauſe there is an indiſpoſition in the ſubject, therefore grace muſt be put on by the Spirit. Fire (you know) it is of an active nature, apt to burne; but let fire be put to green or wet wood, the greeneſſe of the wood reſiſts the prevalency of the flame: thus it is with grace in our natures, it is like fire in green wood, there muſt be much blowing before it will burne; therefore the Apoſtle uſes theſe words to Timothy, 2 Tim. 1.6.ſayes he, Stirre up the gift of God, which is in thee, Blow up the coales. There is much reſiſtance in our hearts againſt the Spirit of God.
4. You have great need of the Spirits motions, if you conſider the abundance of evil motions which will break in upon thy heart, if the Spirit in its motions be withdrawn What a receptacle for the devil and luſts will thy heart be, if the Spirit abſent himſelf. As ſmoak comes out of a chimney, ſo will corruption come out of thy heart. As ſparks out of a blown fire, ſo will evil motions come into thy heart when corruption is blown with temptation. Thou art unwilling and backward to good, it muſt be the Spirit wich muſt ſtirre thee up. To this purpoſe you have a paſſage in the Prophet Iſaiah, He wakeneth me morning by morning, Iſa. 50.4.ſayes he; thou haſt need to be awakened, and excited by the Spirit of God day by day, becauſe of thy daily indiſpoſition. From hence ſee the need thou haſt of the Spirit of God.
Poſit. 2 It is not enough you be convinced of the need you have of the Spirits motions, but alſo you ſhould be convinced what a great gulfe of miſery you are plunged into if the Spirits motions be reſtrained; which will appear upon this threefold account.
1. It is recorded in Scripture as a great miſery, if but the common workings and gifts of Gods Spirit be withdrawn; 1 Sam. 28.and therefore you read what a lamentable complaint Saul made becauſe the Spirit was departed from him, which was but in its common gifts. And ſo alſo of Sampſon, it is ſaid he wiſt not that the Spirit was departed from him, that is, the Spirit of fortitude; Judg. 16.20.and is this a lamentation when the Spirit in its common gifts ſhall be withdrawn? and ſhall it not be looked upon as a ſad miſery, when the Spirit in its ſaving, comforting and ſanctifying operation ſhall be withheld?
2. Be convinced hereof, becauſe whileſt the Spirit is withdrawn thou art under a conſtant loſſe.
I may exemplifie it by this compariſon: Suppoſe a great Merchant that had a ſhip at ſea, richly laden, and this ſhip ſhould be neer the harbour, but being becalmed or having croſſe windes, it ſhould not be able to come to its haven. Now all the while the ſhip is out, the Merchant is at a daily loſſe. Make it your caſe in a ſpiritual ſenſe, this ſhip is thy ſoul, the lading is grace, and the haven is heaven, the gales of winde, are the motions of the Spirit, croſs gales that ariſe, are temptations; now if the motions of the Spirit help thee not, thou wilt not be able to come to the haven: from hence ſee your miſery without the motions of Gods Spirit.
3. Be convinced of thy miſery, becauſe if good motions do not poſſeſſe thy heart, multitudes of evil motions will; if the houſe of thy heart be empty of good motions, the devil will enter by evil motions, and dwell there. Mat. 12.44,45.Either thy heart is an habitation for the Spirit of God, or elſe it is a receptacle for the evil ſpirit with all its ſinful motions. The ſoul is a reſtleſſe active thing, and when the good Spirit doth not act it, the evil ſpirit will; the devil will ſlippe no oportunity that may advantage, he will not let any houſe long ſtand empty.
Poſit. 3 What cauſe have we to be humbled for that receptiveneſſe that is in our natures to entertaine evil motions from the wicked ſpirit, and for that backwardneſſe in our hearts to entertaine holy motions from the good Spirit. Our natures are as gunpowder to fire, if a ſpark of temptation fall upon us, how ſoon are we all on a fire? but to good motions out hearts are as green wood to the fire, what oppoſition is there in us, and backwardneſſe to entertaine them? Evil thoughts in the ſoul are natural, but good thoughts are ſupernatural. Mans heart by, nature is a ſlaughter-houſe to holy motions; many good motions haſt thou ſtifled and ſtrangled in thy heart; but that nature which is a ſlaughterhouſe to good motions, it is a ſtore-houſe to wicked motions. An evil man out of the evil treaſure of his heart, bringeth forth that which is evil, Luke 6 45.(ſaith our Saviour) what a natural receptiveneſſe is there in thy heart, for the intertaining of that which is evil?
Poſit. 4 When the Spirits motions are withdrawn, labour to ſearch and finde out the cauſe, and then bewaile it; what injuries, or unkindneſſe haſt thou done to the Spirit that it is gone? To grieve the Spirit, Eph. 4.30. is more unkindneſſe then to reſiſt the Spirit; a man is more troubled for the unkindneſſe of a friend, then for all the hatred and oppoſition of his enemy. Surely ſomething is the matter, haſt thou not kept thy conſcience naſty? it is naſtineſſe in the dove-houſe, that cauſes the dove to leave the houſe. Is there not an indulgence of ſome allowed provoking ſinne that the Spirit of God ſees in thee? haſt thou not quenched the Spirits motions? haſt thou not grieved the Spirit; vexed, reſiſted, or tempted the Spirit. Search out the cauſe, and when thou haſt found it, then bewaile it, and cry, Wo is me! the Spirit would have taken up his reſidence in my heart, and I would not give him entertainment. And ſo whom I have begg'd with teares and enjoyed with comfort, I have loſt through the folly of my ſinful doings. If thou haſt not yet found out the cauſe, I would have thee to conſult with thy own conſcience, which is Gods officer in thee, and it will give thee a true account if thou wilt hearken to it; ask it theſe three queſtion: Have not I fallen from my firſt love as the Epheſians did? Revel. 2.4,5. Have I not ſtifled checks of conſcience, and the Spirits motions? Have I not proſtituted the Spirits motions to ſervile and baſe imployments, as Simon Magus, for ſecular advantage and worldly intereſt? haſt thou not addicted thy ſelf to contrary motions? haſt thou not been more ready to hearken to the ſolicitations of the evil ſpirit, then to the incitations of the good Spirit? Aske thy conſcience; it may be it will give in this anſwer. Hath not the Spirit departed becauſe of thy pride and idleneſſe and ſelf-conceitedneſſe? by ſuch like propoſals as theſe to conſcience, thou mayeſt come to know the cauſe wherefore the Spirit is withdrawn from thee.
Poſit. 5 Conſider that the withdrawings of the Spirits motions is not alwayes for ſinne, but ſome other higher and greater ends which God hath.—
1. It is true that God doth uſually withdraw the motions of his Spirit becauſe of ſinne, and therefore ſayes the Prophet Iſaiah, Your iniquities have ſeparated between you and your God; Iſai. 59.2.and ſo alſo the Prophet Micah, They ſhall cry unto the Lord, but he will not hear them, he will even hide his face from them at that time, as they have behaved themſelve ill in their doings. Micah 3.4.Uſually ſinne is the cauſe for which the Spirit of God withdraws.
2. This is moſt true, that if there were not ſinne in us, Gods Spirit ſhould never be withdrawn from us; we ſhould be uncapable of deſertion of the Spirit, were it not for ſinne in general; and therefore though ſinne in general be the cauſa ſine qua non, yet it is not alwayes the cauſe immediate for which the Spirit withdraws.
3. Though there be ſinne in us, as a cauſe to us why Gods Spirit departs, yet God doth not alwayes make ſinne a cauſe to himſelfe, but it is for ſome other higher ends. Divines that handle this ſubject touching the deſertion of the ſoul, and the withdrawings of Gods Spirit, they diſtinguiſh a threefold deſertion, upon a threefold cauſe, and we have touched upon that already.
1. There may be a deſertion which is cautional, not for ſinne, 2 Cor. 12.7.but to prevent ſin; And thus it was with Paul, There was given to him a thorne in the fleſh, a meſſenger of Satan to buffet him, leſt he ſhould be exalted above meaſure. And ſo Peter when he fell in denying Chriſt, his deſertion was cautional, Matth. 26.70.that he might not depend upon his own ſtrength (as he had moſt fooliſhly done) for after-time.
2. There may be a deſertion which is probational, that is, to try ſome grace which God would have exerciſed; and thus Job he was not afflicted for ſinne, but God did thereby prove him and try him in his faith and patience.
3. There is a deſertion which is penal, and that is for ſinne, when God leaves a man to himſelf; and thus it was with the Spouſe, Cant. 5.3,4,5,6.becauſe ſhe hearkened not, and opened not to Chriſt, therefore he withdrew himſelf.—Art thou therefore deſerted by the Spirit of God? why, remember that deſertions are not alwayes penal (though I confeſſe they are moſt often ſo; and it is moſt ſuitable to that humble and penitent frame of heart, that ſhould be in a deſerted ſoul to judge himſelf ſmitten and forſaken of God for his ſin:) but ſometimes they are cautional, and ſometimes probational.
Poſit. 6 Be rather induſtrious how to procure the Spirits returne when he is withdrawn, then to pore upon thy miſery in the Spirits abſence. It is the fault of many Chriſtians, they reſt contented in fruitleſſe, and doleful complaints of their loſſe, but do not put forth induſtrious indeavours to recover what they have loſt. It was not enough for Joſhua to lie upon his face at the defeat at Ai, Joſhua 7.10.11.—but he muſt ſtand upon his feet and finde out the cauſe, and endeavour to make up the breach. There are ſome profeſſors who by whining and complaining think to excuſe their idleneſſe and ſpiritual ſloth.—Thou haſt loſt the Spirit; do not ſo much pore upon thy loſſe, as to think what thou muſt do to recover the Spirit again.—Which that thou mayeſt do, follow theſe directions.
1. Cleanſe thy conſcience from the allowance of any known ſinne, make thy heart clean and ſo fit for Chriſt, and his Spirit will come unto thee; let thy heart be like that roome Chriſt came to eat the Paſſeover in, Luke 22.12.an upper roome, a furniſhed roome, and a ſwept roome; let thy heart be prepared and ſwept with the beſome of ſanctified grace, from the allowance of ſinne, and this will be a means for thee to recover the Spirit again.
2. Go unto God by prayer, which is the univerſal remedy for all ſpiritual diſtempers. Is any among you afflicted, let him pray, ſaith the Apoſtle James. James 5.13.Let the affliction be what it will, prayer will be a means to deliver thee. Prayer is injoyned by God as a means to receive the Spirit of God, Luke 11.13. And it will ſpeed, becauſe it is Gods ordinance.
3. Do not only pray, but bewaile thy condition in prayer; Spread thy complaints before the Lord, and ſay, Lord, how is my heart a cage of uncleane birds? a receptacle for ſinne, and the devil? This is the beſt that my heart is now fit for. I who once had my graces freſh and flo…iſhing, how are they now like the withered graſſe on the houſe-toppe? that once had the imbraces of an everlaſting arme, but now am I forſaken of the Spirit. I was once like a field whom God had bleſſed, and like unto the Cedars of Lebanon, caſting forth my roots and pleaſant branches: But now I am as a tree of the forreſt which brings forth nothing; I once was as a fruitful vine in the vineyard of Chriſt, but now am like unto the mountains of Gilboa upon whom neither the rain nor the dew falls; thus bewaile thy ſelf in the preſence of the Lord, and it may be when he ſees thee with tears in thy eyes, and thy petitions in thy hand, he may returne unto thee. Though he hath forſaken thee, yet he will not forget thee; though he hath caſt thee down, yet he will not caſt thee off for ever, (He will not cast away his people) if thou forſakeſt not him; labour therefore by prayers and tears to recover thy fall.
Poſition 7 Look upon it as a more grievous judgement to have the ſanctified and ſanctifying motions of the Spirit withdrawn, then to have the comforts of the Spirit withheld. This is a fault among many Chriſtians, eſpecially among thoſe who are troubled in conſcience, all their complaints are for want of aſſurance and comfort, and I do not know whether Chriſt be mine, or no; into this channel all their ſorrow and grief runnes. And therefore it is much to be feared, that rather ſelf-love then love to Chriſt is the ground of many ſuch complaints as many make when they ſay they are deſerted; whereas it is a more ſad judgement, if thou wanteſt the quickening and exciting motions of the Spirit, then if thou wanteſt the witneſſe and comforts of the Spirit; it's more ſad to have the Spirits gracious motions with-held, then to have the Spirits comforts withdrawn.
Poſition 8 Another poſition is this, that the common gifts of the Spirit may be imparted when the ſaving gifts of the Spirit may be with-held. It was thus with many in the Church of Corinth. 1 Cor. 1.7The Apoſtle tells them, They came behinde in no gifts, 1. Cor. 3.1.and yet as to grace he tells you they were carnal, and walked as men.
Poſition 9 Conſider that the Spirit in its motions and workings may be really withdrawn from a man, when he in his own apprehenſions thinks he fully enjoys them. It may be with a man in this caſe as with Sampſon, it was told him that the Philiſtines were upon him, Judges 16.20.and he aworke out of ſleep, and ſaid, I will go out as at other times before, and ſhake my ſelf, and he wiſt not that the Lord was departed from him. He knew not that his ſtrength was gone. Thus you may be left of the Spirit, and you may not know it; and the reaſon is, partly becauſe the departures of the Spirit are gradual; (You cannot diſcerne a mans growth, becauſe he grows by little and little. As it is with our natural growth, ſo is it alſo with our ſpiritual decayes;) and partly becauſe the heart is very deceitfull and careleſſe and negligent to ſearch and try how it is with the ſoul. And therefore let this lie upon your thoughts, you may have the Spirit in its motions withdrawn from you, when yet in your apprehenſions you may be perſwaded that you poſſeſſe them.
Application of the Doctrine by way of conſolation.I ſhall conclude this point with a few words of comfort, leſt peradventure there may be ſome which may be troubled and perplexed about what I have delivered concerning the withdrawings of Gods Spirit.
Ʋſe 1 Thou Oh Chriſtian, who complaineſt that the Spirit is withdrawn from thee, remember this, though the Spirit be withdrawn, yet it is but a gradual, not a total withdrawing; it is but in ſome things, not in all; in ſome motions and in ſome aſiſtance, not in other ſome. The Spirit is never totally witdrawn from godly men; the preſence of the Spirit is not withdrawn, though the comfort and aſſurance of it may be.
Ʋſe 2 It is with a ſoul in this caſe, as it is with the herbs and trees in winter; the whole ſap is not gone, but retired into the root.Let this be thy comfort that the departures of the Spirit they are temporary, not eternal; the Spirit is onelyonly gone for a ſeaſon, Iſaiah 54.8. In a little wrath I hid my face from th…e, for a moment. It is but in a little wrath, and for a little while. That which Chriſt ſaid of his perſon to his Diſciples, I will go away, but I will come again, the ſame may be ſaid of the Spirit; though he may be duplicate page duplicate page withdrawn, yet after a while he will returne again.
Ʋſe 3 Thou ſayeſt the Spirit is withdrawn, but it may be it is a ſenſible, not a real withdrawing. My meaning is this, it may be thou apprehendeſt it to be ſo, when in relity it is not ſo; for of all men the godly they are moſt apt to have ſuſpitions of their own hearts, and of their own eſtates. Gen. 44.2.Thou mayeſt have as Benjamin, a golden cup in thy ſacks mouth, a pledge of Joſeph's love, and thou mayeſt not know it. Out of thy belly may flow a fountain of living water, and yet thou mayeſt not know it; even as Hagar, when ſhe was ready to die for thirſt, had a well of water by her, and yet knew it not; therefore it may be it is but a ſenſible, not a real withdrawing. It is with the ſoul in reſpect of the Spirit of Chriſt, as it was with Mary Magdalen, who when ſhe was ſpeaking with Chriſt, knew it not, but asked Chriſt whither they had carried him John? 20.15.
Ʋſe 4 Conſider that Jeſus Chriſt may depart from you, not out of hatred, but out of trial, to ſee whether thou wilt follow him. As a Mother will ſometimes run into a corner, and hide her ſelf from her childe, but it is not to leave her child ſhiftleſs, but to ſee its love, whether it will ſeek after her or not: So Jeſus Chriſt he may ſometimes leave you, and withdraw his Spirit, to ſee whether you will follow hard after him, & account the motions of his Spirit worth ſeeking after. And thus I have briefly given you an account of the withdrawings of the Spirit of Chriſt from ordinances, and from our ſouls. I have ſhewed you both the cauſe and the cure of this miſerable eſtate. The Lord give you underſtanding in all things.