The Combat Between the Flesh and Spirit, Sermon 17
Sermon XVI. At Lawrence Jewry London, Decemb. 29. 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 Come now to the third difference touching this conflict, A third difference. Of this conflict.in an unregenerate and a regenerate perſon, and that is in regard of time, concerning which, there are theſe particulars to be handled.
1. The time when this conflict begins.
2. The time of its continuance.
3. The time how often this conflict comes.
1. The conflict between natural conſcience and ſinne, may begin aſſoon as ever a man hath light of nature, whilſt a man is in an unregenerate eſtate. Rom. 2.14.The Apoſtle tells you that the Gentiles which have not the Law, do by nature the things contained in the Law; that is, natural conſcience it carries the force of a Law with it, and hath power over them, ſo that they ſhall not break out into many evils contrary to natures light; ſo that the time when a natural conſcience may conflict againſt ſin, may be whileſt a man is in the gall of bitterneſſe, and in the bond of iniquity: But the time when the Spirits conflict begins, is not till God brings you into the ſtate of grace.
2. Touching the time of duration, how long this conflict continues; it laſts but a while, it is but a tranſient rebuke given in by conſcience, like unto a flaſh of lightning in a mans face, it comes ſuddenly, and is ſuddenly gone; juſt ſo is that oppoſition which is in a mans natural conſcience, either jovial meetings, or ſenſual delights will quickly deface, obliterate and extinguiſh the impreſſions of natural conſcience: But on the contrary, the conflict of the Spirit it is an abiding conflict, untill the regenerate part in ſome meaſure hath got the victory over that luſt which it doth oppoſe; it ſtayes with a man all his life-time, from the firſt day of his converſion, to the laſt day of his diſſolution.
3. The conflict of a natural conſcience, it comes but ſeldome, it checks a man but now and then, by fits and ſtarts; as the Apoſtle Paul ſpeaking of the Gentiles ſhewes, Rom. 2.15. foreign.that their conſciences between whiles accuſed them, for ſo the words are to be read; the oppoſition in the unregenerate, it is not a conſtant oppoſition: but the conflict of the Spirit it is an abiding conflict in the godly; and as it continues long, ſo it comes often; hardly can a godly man be tempted to a groſſe ſin, but the Spirit will caſt in a croſſe ſuggeſtion to that ſin; this is the third difference, whereby the conſlict of the Spirit may be known from the conflict of a natural conſcience.
4. It differs in regard of the principle, A fourth difference between the conflict, between the fleſh and Spirit, and that conflict which is only between a natural conſcience and ſin. Gen. 4.13.or moving cauſe, from whence this conflict ariſes, as:
1. The oppoſition that is in a natural conſcience, it ariſes from a principle of ſlaviſh fear: but the oppoſition that is in the godly from the Spirit, it comes from a principle of love to God, and hatred to ſin; it appears thus: Cain he cries out, Oh (ſayes he) my puniſhment is greater then I am able to bear. He complaines, not that his ſin was greater then he was able to bear, but of his puniſhment.
A wicked man that oppoſeth ſinne from a natural conſcience, may be compared to a thief that refuſeth and abſtaineth from ſtealing, not out of any hatred of theft, or out of any love to juſtice, but only becauſe he is afraid of being hanged for his theft; even ſo it is with wicked men, they abſtain from ſin and acting of ſin, meerly out of ſlaviſh fear of hell and condemnation, not out of love to God. I may further exempliſie it thus: you know there is this difference between a Collier and a cleanly man; a Collier will not touch charcole if they be burning coles, but he will touch them, though they be black coles; but a cleanly man will not touch them, neither as they are burning, nor black coles. Wicked men will forbear ſinne, becauſe it is a cole of fire; but the godly will reluct at ſin, becauſe it is a black cole; they love God, and they hate ſin, and therefore ſayes the Apoſtle Paul, What I would that I do not, but what I hate that do I. Rom. 7.15.He doth not ſay, the evil I would not do, and the evil I would fain forbear; but the evil I hate, that I do.
Divines gather thence, that a godly man conflicts with corruption out of a hatred to corruption; not becauſe he feares the puniſhment, but hates the ſin; wicked men reluct at ſin, but it is not becauſe they hate the evil of ſin, but becauſe they fear the puniſhment thereof; as Balaam, he would not curſe the people, yet it is ſaid of him, that he loved the wages of unrighteouſneſſe; 2 Pet. 2.15.though he feared the puniſhment, yet he did not hate the ſin. Godly men reluct at ſin, from a principle of hatred thereof; and there are four ſpiritual principles from whence the conflict of a godly man ariſes.
1. Becauſe that ſin it is againſt a holy God; and this was Joſephs principle, How can I do this great wickedneſſe, and ſin againſt God?Gen. 39 9.
2. Becauſe it is the breach of a holy Law; thus Paul, What I hate, (ſayes he) that I do; Rom. 7.16.if then I do that which I would not, I conſent unto the Law that it is good; as if he ſhould ſay, I oppoſe ſin out of the conſent that is in my conſcience unto ths Law, that it is good.
3. Another principle upon which the godly oppoſe ſin, is a hatred to the very nature of ſin it ſelf; and thus David profeſſes of himſelfe, that through the precepts of God he got underſtanding, Pſal. 119.104.and therefore hated every falſe way.
4. He oppoſeth ſin out of love to Jeſus Chriſt; ſeeing that Chriſt died for ſin, they will labour to die to ſin, as the Apoſtle ſaith, 2 Cor. 5.14,15The love of Christ conſtraineth us, becauſe we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead, and that he died for all, that they which live, ſhould not henceforth live unto themſelves, but unto him which died for them, and roſe again.
5. The fifth difference is this; the conflict between the fleſh and Spirit, and the conflict between natural conſcience and ſin, differ in regard of the event and iſſue thereof; and there is a fourfold different event and iſſue:
1. The iſſue of the conflict of a natural conſcience and ſin is this, that it leaves a man unquiet, and the ſin unmortified; Matth. 27.5.and this was the very caſe of Judas, his conſcience told him that he had ſinned in betraying his Maſter, and thereupon he was ſo troubled, that he went and hanged himſelfe, yet notwithſtanding his ſinne remained unmortified; but it is contrary with the Spirits conflict, that not only quiets the minde, but mortifies the ſin, and therefore you finde the Apoſtle after he had been ſpeaking of the Spirits conflict with the fleſh, Gal. 5.22.telling you, That the fruit of the Spirit is joy and peace; this was the iſſue of the conflict of the Spirit, it will not only quiet the minde, but kill the ſinne; Rom. 8.13.If ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye ſhall live.
2. Another event of the conflict of natural conſcience is, that the unruly affections of a man, they are too hard for a natural conſcience to oppoſe and ſubdue. Wicked men will many times contend with ſin; but mark the iſſue, and you ſhall finde, that the ſtrong inclinations of their hearts to ſin, do overcome them. I ſhall give you three inſtances hereof, in Saul, Pilate and Pharaoh.—As for Saul, his conſcience told him that he did ill in purſuing David, 1 Sam. 24 17.and his conſcience conſtrained him to confeſſe that David was more righteous then he, and that he had done wickedly in purſuing his life; and yet notwithſtanding all this, Sauls unruly affections did overmaſter Sauls unquiet conſcience; his ambition of the kingdom cauſed him yet to go on further in the purſuit of David.—So Pilate his conſcience told him, that Jeſus Chriſt whom he was to judge was an innocent perſon, and therefore he waſhed his hands, and told the people that he found no cauſe of death in him; this was his conſcience, but his ambitious affections did overpower it, fearing leſt he ſhould hereby loſe Ceſars favour; Luke 19.12.If thou let this man go (ſay the people) thou art not Ceſars friend; he feared this ſaying of the people, and therefore went againſt his conſcience.—And ſo alſo Pharaoh, his conſcience told him that he did wickedly in diſobeying Gods command, for letting the children of Iſrael go, and he confeſſeth that he had ſinned and done wickedly in the Lords ſight, and begged Moſes to pray for him: but obſerve, Pharaohs ambitious affections did over-maſter his conſcience, and therefore when the plage was over, he would continue in ſinne ſtill.—But when the Spirit of God comes to conflict with the luſts of the fleſh, though the affections be unbridled and unruly, yet in time the Spirit of God will check and curb them, and overcome; though the Spirit cannot throw them out, yet it will throw them down, as the Apoſtle Paul ſpeaks, I keep under my body, and bring it into ſubjection. 1 Cor. 9.27.A godly man thus deals with ſinne, though he cannot give it an utter extirpation, yet he will indeavour to bring it into ſubjection.
2. Natural conſcience in oppoſing ſin, it reſts contented with a bare reſtraint of the Act, though there be no mortification of the vicious inclination. As it was with Pharaoh, when the plagues were upon him, then conſcience wrought, but yet his ſin was not at all ſubdued, but onelyonly reſtrained; and therefore ſayes the Text, Exod. 8.15.When Pharaoh ſaw that there was reſpite, he hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them, as the Lord had ſaid; And ſo Haman, when he ſaw that Mordecai his mortal enemy was preferred by the King; when he ſaw that he was taken into royal favour, it is ſaid that he refrained himſelfe, that is, he would not now attempt to deſtroy him; Eſth. 5.10.and though he refrained himſelf, yet his revengefull diſpoſition remained ſtill unmortified. Thus a drunkard may be outwardly reſtrained, and yet his drunken inclination remain. But the Spirit of God in its conflict, it doth not only reſtrain the act, but alſo weakens, Rom. 8.12,13.and ſuppreſſes the inclination; If ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the fleſh, ye ſhall live; there is the mortifying of the act of ſin; and thus alſo we are commanded to mortify our members which are upon the earth, as fornication, uncleanneſſe, inordinate affections, evill concupiſcence, and covetouſneſſe; Col. 3.5.and again, to crucify the affections and luſts; Gal. 5.24.that is, not onelyonly to reſtrain the act of ſinne, but to kill and mortify the ſinful inclination.
4. And laſtly, natural conſcience conflicting with ſin, it works not more watchfulneſs in a man againſt the aſſaults of ſin for the time to come, but the Spirit of God when that conflicts with a ſin this day, it makes him watchful againſt all ſinne the next day, and all his dayes; and thus you have the third Quere diſpatched, touching the difference that is between the conflict of the fleſh and the Spirit, and that combate which is onelyonly between the naturall conſcience of an unregenerate man, and his luſts.
Quere. 4 What rules may be given, ſeeing the Spirit doth conflict againſt the fleſh in us, that by the following of them we may be able to prevail againſt the motions of the fleſh to ſinne?
Anſw. This is a practicall, and an uſefull queſtion; and for anſwer thereto, I ſhall give you five directions.
1. Liſten to what conſcience ſhall ſay to you, when you are tempted to any ſin; conſcience, it is Gods ſpie, mans overſeer, and the Spirits officer: and in hearkening to its checks you take a ready way to imbrace the Spirits motions, and deaf your ear to the motions of ſin; it is the Spirits office not only to witneſſe with our Spirits, but alſo to check and rebuke us for ſin with our ſpirits; therefore hearken to what your own conſcience ſhall ſpeak, whether it will ſolicite thee after this manner, ſaying, Why wilt thou diſhonour ſo good a God, hazzard thy precious ſoul, and break a good Law? As ſin gives a wound to conſcience: ſo conſcience awakened, enlightened, and ſanctified gives a great check to ſinne, that it ſhall not reign in a cihlde of God.
2. If you would have the Spirit prevail over the fleſh, then be ſure you miniſter no occaſion of ſin unto the fleſh, leſt from vicious motions there come ſinful actions. This rule the Apoſtle gives to the Galatians, Gal. 5.13.exhorting them not to uſe their liberty for an occaſion to the fleſh; that is, do nothing which may adminiſter an occaſion to the fleſh, to take hold on you. It is true, the fleſh can ſinne without an occaſion, and a man may be an adulterer though he never ſaw a woman, and a man may be a thief though he never ſtole, and a murtherer though he never ſpilt blood; but occaſions to ſin they do the more ſtrengthen corrupt nature, as the Philoſophers tells us that acts do ſtrengthen habits: ſo the more thou acts ſin, the more ſtrength it gathers; and hence it was, Numb. 6.9.that the Nazarites who were forbidden to drink wine, were alſo forbidden to eat any thing that came of the Vine-tree; they were not to eat the raiſin nor the husk of the grape, that an occaſion of ſinne might not be admitted to them. And the wiſe man ſhewing the miſchief of whoredome, Prov. 5.8.exhorts not to come near the dore of her houſe; it is no ſinne in it ſelfe to come nigh any ones dore; but becauſe being nigh the dore of an harlot, may occaſion and ſtirre up unclean thoughts and luſtful deſires, therefore we are commanded not to come near her dore. It is obſervable, that God would not be called Baali, but Iſhi: there was no harm in the word Baali, for it ſignified in the common uſe of the word my Husband, Hoſea 2.16. Iſai. 54.5.as Iſai: 54.5. Thy Maker is thy husband. It is in the Hebrew thy Baal, foreign Dominus, mari…us.i. e. thy Lord or husband, but this is forbidden, that ſo the name of an Idol continued amongſt them (for they uſually called their Idols Baalim) might be no allurement to idolatry.
To this purpoſe Divines make much uſe of that place in Deuteron. Deut. 25.13.25.13. where it is ſaid, Thou ſhalt not have in thy bag divers weights, a great and a ſmall; the having of theſe weights in the bag, you would think to be no ſinne; you will ſay, though I have them in my houſe, yet I never buy nor ſell by them, you may ſay they are only in my bag, not in my ſcale; but ſayes God, Thou ſhalt not have them in thy bag, leſt it be a temptation to thee to bring them from thy bag into thy ſcale.
So the Iſraelites were commanded not to eat ſwines fleſh, Levit. 11.7,8.Levit. 11.7,8. Now you ſhall read in Iſaiah 65.4. how the Lord blames the Iſraelites for two things, They eat ſwines fleſh, (ſayes he) and the broth of abominable things are in their veſſels; God did onelyonly forbid the eating of ſwines fleſh, and yet here he condemns the broth alſo. And why? but becauſe the eating of the broth, might be a temptation to them to eat the fleſh alſo; therefore take heed that you miniſter no occaſion to the fleſh, leſt you be intangled thereby.—
An example you have of this related by Auguſtine of one Allipius, Aug. Confeſ. l…b. 6. cap. 8.that was drawn by importunity of friends to be preſent at the Gladiatory games of the Romanes, but being there reſolved to ſhut his eyes all the while, that ſo though he was preſent in body, yet he might be abſent in heart, but upon a great ſhout the people gave at the fail of one of the Combatants, he opened his eyes, and became an approver of that bloody and barbarous ſpectacle; and therefore take heed of yielding to occaſions of ſin.
3. If you would not have the fleſh prevaile againſt the Spirit, roll not ſinne in your thoughts and contemplations; rolling of ſinne in the fancie and ſpeculation, is that which weakens the Spirits motions and workings, and doth ſtrengthen the motions of ſinne in thy heart. Ezek. 23.19.—This the Prophet Ezekiel ſpeaks of in Chap. 23. and verſe 19. She multiplied her whoredomes in calling to remembrance the dayes of her youth; bodily uncleanneſſe is cauſed by contemplating the ſinne in ones minde, and is the way to fence thy heart againſt the Spirits motions.
4. If you would have the Spirit prevail, reſiſt and conflict with your luſts timely; do not ſtay too long before you beginne to conflict: many times men ſtay ſo long before they beginne, Principiis obſta, &c.that they are vanquiſht before they fight. Be ready therefore to oppoſe ſin in the birth; do as Pharaoh, who would not let the children of the Hebrewes grow to men of yeares, but killed them aſſoon as they were born: ſo deal thou by thy ſinnes.
5. Cheriſh and entertain the Spirits motions; Intus exiſtens P…ohibet alienum.whenſoever you finde them diſſwade you from ſinne, let the motions of the Spirit be within, and they will keep the motions of the fleſh without.
6. Entertain no Treaty with ſinne; if you parley with ſinne, you have reaſon to ſuſpect the conqueſt; the fleſh is a mortal enemy, foreign. Qui deliberant deſciverunt.and you muſt either kill or be killed. There is no Treaty of Peace to be obtained betwen the fleſh and the Spirit; this combate is of ſuch a nature, that there is neither a Treaty of Peace, nor a ceſſation of armes all your lifelong. It is a notable obſervation if you compare the firſt of the Galatians, verſe 16. Gal. 1.16. compared with Acts 26.19.with the twenty ſixth of the Acts, verſe 19. In the Galatians you there read the ſtory of Pauls converſion, and ſayes he, Immediately I conferred not with fleſh and blood; that is, with my corrupt heart, what dangers I ſhould meet with, and what hazards I ſhould go through; and in the Acts, where you have Paul relating the ſame ſtory to King Agrippa; he ſayes, Oh King, I was not diſobedient to the heavenly viſion. To note, ſayes a learned man, that conſulting and debating with fleſh and blood, it is a kinde of diſobedience to the heavenly viſion; though thou doeſt not yield to the fleſh, yet it is a kinde of diſobedience to conſult with the fleſh: and therefore never enter into a Treaty with thy ſinne.
7. Reſiſt ſinne impartially, that is, every ſinne; and do this in ſincerity: if thou wilt hate the garment ſpotted with the fleſh, then alſo thou wilt hate the fleſh. Herod did many things, but left not his Herodias.