The Combat Between the Flesh and Spirit, Sermon 8
SERM. VIII At Lawrence Jury, London. Decemb. 1. 1650.
GAL. 5. verſe 16.
This I ſay then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye ſhall not fulfil the luſts of the fleſh.
HAving lately treated of the miſery of thoſe, from whom the motions of Gods Spirit were withdrawn: I am now to treat of the happineſſe of others, who walk after the motions and guidance of the Spirit, which I ſhall do out of theſe words, Walk in the Spirit, and yee ſhall not fulfil the luſts of the fleſh.—Which words are an Apoſtical direction, or caution, being intire in themſelves, and therefore I ſhall handle them without reference to what goes before, or what follows after. The method I obſerve ſhall be this.
Firſt, I ſhall explaine the words.—Secondly, divide them; then deduce ſome obſervations; and laſtly, make application of all.
1. In the explanatory part there are four things to be unfolded.
1. What is here to be meant by the Spirit?
2. What is meant by walking in the Spirit?
3. What by not fulfilling the luſts of the fleſh?
4. How can it be ſaid that men ſhall not fulfil the luſts of the fleſh?
Queſt. 1 What is meant by the Spirit?
Anſw. 1 In general it doth denote the whole divine eſſence diſtinguiſhed into three perſons; God is a Spirit, John 4.24. i. e. a ſpiritual Eſſence. 2 Cor. 3.17.
Anſw. 2 More particularly it notes the third perſon in the bleſſed Trinity, 1 John 5.6.
Anſw. 3 By Spirit is underſtood the gifts of the Spirit, Luk. 1.15.
Queſt. 2 What is meant here by walking in the Spirit?
Anſw. 1 For anſwer hereunto there is ſomething muſt be paraphraſed upon, as conducible to the explaining of it;—As firſt, Gal. 3.2. Verſe 25. Gal. 5.18.there is mention made in Gal. 3.2. of receiving the Spirit.—Secondly, of living in the Spirit, Gal. 5.25.—Thirdly, of being led by the Spirit, Gal. 5.18.—And fourthly, of walking in the Spirit, and that in the words of my text.—Now by receiving and living in the Spirit, is ſet out to us the firſt implantation or work of Gods Spirit on us in our regeneration.—And by the other two phraſes of being led by the Spirit, and walking in the Spirit, theſe two are one and the ſame, and ſet out to us the progreſſive work of the Spirit upon the ſoul in the work of ſanctification; ſo that he that would walk in the Spirit, muſt follow the motions and inſtructions of it. Therefore if you would walk in the Spirit, you muſt not follow the impulſes of your own ſpirits. Quicquid ſomniant Fanatici volunt eſſe Spiritum ſanctum. Melanchton.they follow the inſtinct of their own ſpirits. Of ſuch Melanchton ſpeaks, that they think their own dreams as Canonical as Gods Word; and thereby are ſo far from aboliſhing the luſts of the fleſh, that they gratifie the luſts of the fleſh. The genuine ſenſe therefore of theſe words of walking in the Spirit, is to walk after the Spirit, and ſo it is an expreſſion of the ſame importance with thoſe words in Rom. 8.1. Rom. 8.1.There is therefore no condemnation to them which are in Chriſt Jeſus, who walk not after the fleſh, but after the Spirit. That is, if we follow the motions and inſtructions of Gods Spirit, then may we be ſaid to walk in it.
Queſt. 3 But what benefit will accrue hereupon? Ye ſhall not fulfill the lusts of the fleſh.— Anſw. Now before I anſwer this particular, I muſt give you caution. The Apoſtle doth not ſay, you ſhall not have the luſts of the fleſh; for you know that he which doth moſt follow the motions and directions of the Spirit in his practice, he finds in himſelfe the workings of corrupt nature; whileſt you have this natural body, you will have theſe luſts of the fleſh in you. But, ſaith the Apoſtle, Ye ſhall not fulfill the luſts of the fleſh.—Now by the luſts of the fleſh, you muſt not underſtand it in a limited ſenſe, of the ſinne of incontinency, or uncleanneſſe, which elſewhere is truly called the luſt of the fleſh,—but you are to take it in a comprehenſive ſenſe, for all thoſe corrupt and irregular inclinations to ſinne, which are in the nature of man.—Now when the Apoſtle ſaith, you ſhall not fulfil theſe luſts, his meaning is, not that you ſhall not ſinne, but that you ſhall not act ſinne with ſuch a ſtrong and full conſent of the will, nor with ſuch deliberation, as unregenerate men, who want the Spirit of God.
Queſt. 4 How can this be true, that if we walk in the Spirit, we ſhall not fulfil the luſts of the fleſh, whereas experience tells us, that ſet a man walk never ſo exactly, and be never ſo ſpiritual, yet that man he ſhall yield to, and act the luſts of the fleſh, and thoſe corruptions which are hid in his nature, will break out in his life?
Anſw. I have two things to give you by way of anſwer hereto.—
1. Though it be true that a man walking in the Spirit ſhall have the luſts of the fleſh, yet it is as true that a godly man ſo walking ſhall not fulfil the luſts of the fleſh; and the reaſon is this,—There is a difference between the acting, and between the fulfilling of the luſts of the fleſh; a godly man when he ſinnes, he acts the luſts of the fleſh, yet he doth not fulfil it, becauſe when he ſinnes he doth not ſinne with ſuch a full conſent, nor with ſuch a deliberate and compleat act of the will, as wicked men do. Sinne carries wicked men with more force and violence, and with a more deliberate act of the will: ſo ſome Interpreters reſolve this difficulty.
2. Others anſwer it thus: Walk in the Spirit, and ye ſhall not fulfil the luſts of the fleſh, that is (ſay they) eatenus, whileſt you imbrace the Spirits motions, Muſculus in locum.ſinnes motions ſhall not prevaile, ſo farre as you hearken to the Spirits good motions, you ſhall not be overcome with the ſinful motions of your own corrupt nature, or of the devil.—You ſhall not fulfil the luſts of the fleſh; ſo it is in the original, and ſo it is tranſlated in the ſingular number, from whence Criticks ſhew that in that one ſinne of nature there are many ſinnes contained, all the ſinnes in the world being in the womb of original ſin.
In the whole verſe you have three parts.
1. A duty injoyned Walk in the Spirit.
2. A benefit annexed, You ſhall not fulfil the luſts of the fleſh
3. The certainty of having this benefit, This I ſay, &c.
There are two obſervations I ſhall note from the words.
Doct. 1 That it ought to be the ſpecial care of Beleevers to walk after the motions and guidance of Gods Spirit.
Doct. 2 That thoſe who walk after the motions and guidance of Gods Spirit, they ſhall not fulfil the luſts of the fleſh.
In the opening of the firſt Doctrine there are ſeveral queries I ſhall diſpatch.
Querie 1 Why muſt a beleever walk after the guidance of the Spirit of God? and what are the reaſons hereof?
Reaſ. 1 Becauſe it is a great part of the Spirits office after converting grace, to excite and move the heart to more grace, and to guide a man in the way wherein he ſhould walk. Thus it is expreſſed by the Prophet Iſaiah; Thine ears ſhall hear a word behinde thee ſaying, This is the way, walk in it, when ye turne up to the right hand, and when ye turne to the left. Iſa. 30.21.As the ſtarre was to the Shepherds, Mat. 2.9.or as the fiery Pillar to the Iſraelites in their paſſage thorow the Wilderneſſe: So is the Spirit to Beleevers to guide them in the way which is everlaſting. Therefore if thou walkeſt not after its motions and guidance, thou doeſt as much as in thee lies to put the Spirit out of office.
Reaſ. 2 Therefore oughteſt thou to walk after the guidance of Gods Spirit, becauſe the devil he will be ſuggeſting evil motions to thee, he goes up and down compaſſing the earth, not to do good, but evil, Job 1.7. 1 Pet. 5.8.He walketh about ſeeking whom he may devour.—And not onelyonly the devil but thine own ſpirit is a falſe ſpirit, prompting and provoking thee to ſinne, that as the furnace caſts out ſparks, and the Chimney ſmoak: ſo doth thy ſpirit ſinful motions; therefore what cauſehaſt thou to follow the motions of the Spirit of God. There are alſo many erroneous men, Many falſe Prophets are gone out into the world, 1 Joh. 4.1. Many ſeducing ſpirits, and corrupt teachers are gon out into the world; Believe not every ſpirit, ſaith Saint John, for many falſe Prophets are gone out into the world; ſuch which pretend they have the Spirit, and are teachers of truth, but indeed are broachers of errour. A tempting devil without us, an evil heart of unbelief within us, and ſeducing teachers abroad in the world, how ſhould they make us to prize and to follow the motions and guidance of Gods Spirit.
Reaſ. 3 Becauſe the deluſions and enthuſiaſmes of falſe teachers are ſo handed and ſuggeſted, that they ſeeme like the motions of the Spirit. And therefore is the Apoſtles caution to the Theſſalonians, Be not ſo ſoone ſhaken in minde, neither by Spirit, nor by Word, nor by letter, as from us, that the day of Chriſt is at hand. 2 Theſ. 2.2.Now if you ask, what is meant here by the words, Be not ſhaken in minde by any falſe ſpirit? Learned Interpreters anſwer, Sclater in Loc.by Spirit, that is, by revelations, inſtincts and inſpirirations that are pretended to come from the Spirit of Chriſt. It was a wicked blaſphemy in that wretched Impoſtor Mahomet, to give out that thoſe dead fits that came upon him by his falling ſickneſſe, were raptures from the Spirit of God, and that the Dove which he had taught to come & feed at his eare, was the holy Ghoſt, which did from God reveal unto him the Laws which are ſet down in the Alchoran, by which the pure Mahometans are deluded to this day. And therefore ſeeing the devil hath helpt men in theſe dayes to ſuch artificial dreſſes for their wicked errours, and the devil himſelf ſeems ſo like an Angel of light; we have the more need to walk after the guidance of the Spirit.
Reaſ. 4 Another reaſon why you ſhould walk after the motions of the Spirit, is, becauſe that in ſo doing you ſhall not fulfil the luſts of the fleſh; and this is the reaſon laid down in the text, which becauſe it will come pertinently to be handled in the ſecond Doctrine, I therefore wholly wave the handling of it here.
Querie 2 How we may know the Spirits motions from the natural motions of our own conſciences?
Anſw. To reſolve this point I ſhall lay down five markes, or differences, whereby we may know the one from the other.
1. The Spirit when it moves a man to good, it doth not onelyonly excite him to it, but doth alſo aſſiſt him in the doing of it. Rom. 8.26. 2 Tim. 1.7.Therefore the Spirit is ſaid to help our infirmities, making interceſſion for us with groans which cannot be uttered. The Spirit of God it is a Spirit of power to enable us in good duties; as it excites, ſo alſo it aſſiſts in what it moves to.—But though natural motions from conſcience may put a man upon the doing of a good thing, —Video meliora probóque, Deteriora ſequor.yet it cannot give any power for its performance; it leaves thee like Ovids Medea, that ſaw good, yet would not do it. Natural motions to the ſoul are as Pharaoh to the Iſraelites, who moved them to make brick, but gave them no materials. Natural conſcience moves to duty, but conveighs no power to do it withal; therefore you read that the law is weak through the fleſh; Rom. 8 3.weak as to juſtification thereby, there being no power in man to fulfil it.
2. —Virtutis amore, non formidine poenae. 2 Tim. 1.7.The Spirit it moves a man to do good more out of the lovelineſſe and beauty that is in holineſſe, then out of fear of hells torments. Hence we read that God hath not given us the Spirit of fear, but of power, of love, and of a ſound minde; we do not do things meerely out of fear of hell, but out of love to God and holineſſe. So the Apoſtle Paul (ſayes he) As many as are led by the Spirit are the Sonnes of God; for ye have not received the Spirit of bondage again to fear, but ye have received the Spirit of Adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. Rom. 8.14,15 Ducuur à ſpiritu, non trah… tur.The Spirit of God makes a man do a thing, as a childe, out of love to his father, and not out of fear; this is the effect of the Spirit of God. But now the motions of natural conſcience to good, are not out of any excellency a man ſeeth in the good he doth, but meerly out of feare of puniſhment; he ſeeth damnation if he doth otherwiſe.
3. The Spirit of God moves a man to do good in things not only good for the matter, but to make conſcience of the end why he doth ſuch a thing, that he be ſound in his aime; and therefore ſayes the Apoſtle, 2 Tim. 17.We have received the Spirit of a ſound minde; that is, the Spirit it puts a man not only upon the doing of a good duty, but makes him have a ſincere end in the doing thereof: But the natural conſcience it reſts in the duty, in caſe it be done, though done never ſo corruptly. Prov. 7.14.As the harlot Solomon ſpeaks of, who had ſacrificed and paid her vows, though her end was moſt abominable and baſe, viz. that ſhe might the more uncontrolable play the harlot; ſhe firſt playes the hypocrite, and then the harlot.
4. The Spirit of God moving men to do good, it regulates them in the manner of doing good; the duty it muſt be done with affection, with love, with faith, fervency and compoſedneſſe of minde; but natural conſcience moving a man to duty, takes no farther care, ſo it be done, not how it be done; it may move to prayer, and to hearing, but never moves to take heed how theſe duties are done.
5. The Spirit of God moves a man ſo powerfully that it carrieth him to do good notwithſtanding difficulty and danger, and neither ſhall hinder him in its performance. The Spirits motions are like unto new wine in a barrel, that wanting vent is ready to burſt; holy motions will break forth into holy actions. Wicked men are ſick till they act their wickedneſſe, and cannot be ſatisfied till they have done ſinfully: But thoſe who have natural motions to good they go no farther, but reſt in them, and never bring forth good accompliſhments. Balaam he had a good motion, Num. 23.10.oh (ſayes he) that I might die the death of the righteous, and that my latter end might be like unto his. What a heavenly ejaculation was here! it was a very good wiſh, but yet it was a lazie one; he wiſht to die the death of the righteous, but yet would not live the life of the righteous; he would not practiſe what he prayed for. Natural motions in men freeze between their lips, they only de…re, but never break out into the acting of duty. Difficulties do diſcourage natural men from following their good reſolutions with conſtant practice; and the ſluggard will not plow, becauſe of the cold, Prov. 20.4.
Querie 3 How may we know the Spirits motions from Satanical deluſions? The devils ſuggeſtions they are like unto the Spirits motions, and there have been men in all ages which have taken phantaſtical illuſions for the Spirits motions; therefore to difference the one from the other, Conſider
1. That the motions of Gods Spirit are alwayes agreeable to a written word; the words preſcript and the Spirits motions are correſpondent the one to the other. You have both joyned together by Solomon, I will poure out my Spirit upon you, I will make known my words unto you. Prov. 1.23.So the Prophet Iſaiah, My Spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, ſhall not depart out of thy mouth, &c. Iſa. 59.21.The motions of the Spirit of God, they are alwayes ſuitable to the Word of God. To the law and to the Teſtimony, if they ſpeak not according to them, it is becauſe there is no light in them; Iſa. 8.20.and therefore all that are contrary they are the deluſions of the evil ſpirit.
2. The motions of Gods Spirit in men, are not now to foretell future events, but they are holy motions preſſing to duty: Therefore the Papiſts who boaſt of a prophetical Spirit, and of foretelling things to come; and your ſtarre-gazers and ſooth-ſayers, who pretend to tell future contingent events, telling you, this party ſhall prevaile this monethmonth, and that party another monethmonth, theſe are diabolical deluſions, and not from the Spirit of God; who ſince the Canon of the Scripture hath been eſtabliſhed, refers us to the Word as a rule of our obedience.
3. The Spirits motions, where ever they are, they ſtirre up grace and keep under ſinne; they ſtir up grace, and therefore we read of the aſſiſting, exciting and ſupplying work of the Spirit; thoſe motions which ſtirre up ſinne, and cheriſh corruption, are diabolical. Rom. 8.13Therefore ſaith the Apoſtle Paul, If ye live after the fleſh, ye ſhall die; but if … through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body, ye ſhall live. Motions from the Spirit of God, they are holy motions, exciting grace, and depreſſing ſin. Micah 2.11.And therefore it is ſaid, if a man walk in the Spirit and do lie, that is, if a man will pretend a meſſage from the Spirit of God, and yet Propheſie of wine and ſtrong drink; that is, by his Doctrine incourage drunkenneſſe or any ſin, that man lies, he comes not from the holy Spirit, but from the devil.