The Combat Between the Flesh and Spirit, Sermon 20
Sermon XX. At Lawrence Jewry London, Januar. 19. 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 Am now come to make entrance to the double conſequent of this double conflict, which carries alſo a double reference, The fleſh luſteth against the Spirit, ſo that ye cannot do the good ye would, and the Spirit luſteth againſt the fleſh, ſo that ye cannot do the evill ye would. The words they are not much difficult, and therefore I ſhall not ſay much in their explication. Auguſtine underſtands theſe words, ſo you cannot do the things you would, that is, you cannot do the good you would. Muſculus underſtands it of both joyntly; you cannot do the things you would. As if he ſhould ſay, The fleſh luſteth againſt the Spirit, and ſo you cannot do the good you would; and the Spirit lusteth againſt the fleſh, ſo that you cannot do the evill you would. The Doctrine is this from the firſt part of the conſequent, The fleſh luſteth againſt the Spirit, ſo that ye cannot do the good you would.
Doctr. That the corruption of the fleſh, even in regenerate men, doth oftentimes divert them from, and diſturb and interrupt them in their holy performances.
To confirm this point, you have not only the teſtimony of the Apoſtle, that it was ſo with other men, but alſo his own experience, Rom. 8 18. Rom. 7.21.you have him complaining, that to will was preſent, but how to perform that which is good, I finde not; that when he would do good, evill was preſent with him.
I ſhall branch out this Doctrine into two parts, and ſhall ſhew that this corruption of nature in reference to good, hath a double miſchievous conſequence, or effect.
Firſt, it hinders a man from the doing of good.
Secondly, it hinders a man in the doing of good.
Theſe are the particulars I ſhall inſiſt upon, and ſhall now begin with the firſt, That corrupt nature hinders a man from the doing of good.
To illuſtrate this, there is a fit embleme in that Hiſtory mentioned in Gen. 38. concerning Tamar, Gen. 38.27,28who had twins in her womb, Pharez and Zarah; now the Hiſtory mentions that Zarah did firſt put out the hand, and the Midwife tied a ſcarlet thred about his finger, but Pharez ſtrugled with Zarah, and ſo got out firſt. Divines accommodate this Hiſtory to this purpoſe, that a godly man may like Zarnh ſet on for the doing of duty, but corrupt nature like Pharez hinders the birth of Zarah. Corrupt nature hinders regenerate men from doing of good.
That which I ſhall now do, ſhall be to ſhew you what are thoſe politick devices of mans nature, that hinder him from the doing of good; and there are theſe twelve ſtratagems which corrupt nature uſes to this end.
1. The fleſh hinders us from doing of good, by perſwading a man that he is above the uſe of duty; this is a ſuggeſtion which comes from proud fantaſtical nature; Duties ſaith the fooliſh Familiſt, they are but fleſhly formes, and but for the inferiour rank of Chriſtians, not for thoſe that are growne up to a tall ſtature, and are people of a higher diſpenſation. Corruption doth often make this plea, for the neglect of the uſe of duty; and this was ſeen to work in the dayes of the Apoſtles, as the Apoſtle Paul ſpeaks, Are there not contentions among you, 1 Cor. 1.12.ſayes he, whileſt every one of you ſay I am of Paul, and I of Apollo, I of Cephas, and I am of Chriſt; here the Apoſtle doth not only blame them that cried up parties among the Apoſtles, but condemnes a fourth ſort alſo, which ſaid they were of Chriſt, and why ſhould the Apoſtle condemne ſuch? why, the meaning is this: the Apoſtle condemnes Enthuſiaſme; theſe were ſo farre from crying up Paul, or other of the Apoſtles, that they were all for Chriſt; that is, they were for Revelations, and Inſpirations; now the Apoſtle condemnes thoſe that ſo cry up Chriſt, as to decry an ordinary Miniſtery. And to antidote you againſt this infection of corrupt nature, I ſhall give you theſe three particulars.
1. That in the moſt glorious times of the Church, the Word hath promiſed that duties and Ordinances ſhall be of uſe among Believers; Thus S. John ſpeaks, Rev. 11.15. Revel. 11.15. compared with verſe 19.The ſeventh Angel ſounded, and there were great voices in heaven, ſaying, The Kingdomes of this world are become the Kingdomes of our Lord, and of his Chriſt, and he ſhall reign for ever and ever; and in the nineteenth verſe it followes, The Temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was ſate in his Temple the Ark of his Teſtament; That is, there was to be Goſpel-Ordinances even in the pureſt times of Gods Church, after Antichriſt ſhould be deſtroyed; yet then there ſhould be a Temple, and within it the Ark of Gods Teſtament, meaning Goſpel-Ordinances.
2. The Scripture tells you that the ſtrongeſt Chriſtians are to be converſant in the duties of Religion; and thus the Apoſtle Paul to the Romanes, Rom. 15.14,15.he tells them that he was perſwaded that they were full of goodneſſe, filled with all knowledge, able alſo to admoniſh one another; nevertheleſſe, ſayes he, I am bold to put you in minde, as if he ſhould ſay, though you are full of knowledge and goodneſſe, yet I muſt put you in minde of your duty. The ſtrong had need to be exerciſed in duties and Ordinancs,
1. To have their judgements confirmed in knowledge, and belief of the truth, 1 John 2.21. I have not written to you, becauſe you know not, but becauſe you know the truth.
2. To have their memories ſtrengthened in the remembrance of the truth, Jude 3. I will put you in remembrance, though you once knew this.
3. To have their affections more excited to the love of the truth, 2 Pet. 1.12.
3. Untill you come to heaven, you muſt be converſant in the uſe of duty. You read of the Iſraelites, that all the while they were in the wildernes, the Lord ſent them Manna from heaven, but when once they came to Canaan, then Manna ceaſed; ſo whileſt you are in the wilderneſſe of this world, you muſt be fed with the Manna of Ordinances, but when you come to heaven, then, and not till then will Ordinances ceaſe; only the heavenly Jeruſalem had no Temple, Rev. 21.22,23.Rev. 21.22,23. And therefore the more abominably unthankful are all they who make no other uſe of their ſo long living under Ordinances, but proudly to profeſſe themſelves above Ordinances.
2. Another ſtratagem which corrupt nature hath, is a pretence of urgent and extraordinary affaires and occaſions in the world, and this ſome will make a hinderance to duty. They will tell you that their conditions are neceſſitous, and that they have time little enough to follow their callings, and therefore they hope God will diſpenſe with them, though they be not ſo much in duty as other men. Such as theſe were they who were bidden to that great Supper mentioned by Luke, Luke 14.18, to 26.who with one conſent began to make excuſe, One had bought a piece of ground, and he muſt needs go and ſee it, another a yoke of Oxen, and he must go and prove them, and another married a wife, and he could not come; Such pretences as theſe are found in corrupt nature, to make callings in the world to be a diſpenſation to duty to God; and that I may take off this miſtake, I ſhall lay down theſe three particulars.
1. That God never ordained our particular callings as men, to juſtle out our general callings as we are Chriſtians, or that civil duties ſhould juſtle out Divine duties. A wiſe management of, and forecaſt in your worldly affaires, would give you time enough to ſet about divine duties; a holy prudence and providence will redeem time for prayer, hearing, &c.
2. Conſider that the way for God to bleſſe you in your outward callings, is to be much imployed in religious duties. It is the ſaying of one that had but two acres of ground, and a rich Lords land was by his; the poor mans was fruitful, and the Lords was barren; whereupon the Lord came to him, and ask't him the reaſon: Oh Sir, ſayes he, I water my little ground with prayers and teares every morning, this is the way to be bleſſed in the world: Pſal. 34.10. Mat. 6.33. foreign.give God his due, and he will give you yours. Seek ye firſt the Kingdome of God and his righteouſneſſe, and then all other things ſhall be given in unto you.
3. Thou ſayeſt thou muſt follow thy calling, and ſo neglecteſt thy duty to God; conſider that for this, God may be provoked to blaſt thy outward imployments; without Gods bleſſing it is in vain, to riſe up early, and to ſit down late, and to eat the bread of ſorrowes, Pſal. 127.2.as the Pſalmiſt ſpeaks. God doth many times curſe thy outward condition, becauſe thou denieſt him duties of religious worſhip.
4. And laſtly, God was angry with Moſes for neglecting duty, and with the Iſraelites alſo, though they had more urgent affaires to plead, then all you have. Moſes, though he were in a journey, and one would have thought, that might have been a good excuſe for him, for the not circumciſing of his childe; and yet the Lord was ſo diſpleaſed at this neglect of his, that he met him in his Inne, Exod. 4.24.and had like to have killed him. God would not diſpenſe with the neglect of his Ordinance, though the neceſſity of a journey might have pleaded an excuſe for Moſes. So the children of Iſrael, whileſt they were in the wilderneſſe, God was angry with them, becauſe they neglected this Ordinance of circumciſion, and yet they might have pleaded for themſelves, that they were moving from place to place, pitching their Tents now here, now there; and though this pretence may ſeem very fair, Joſh. 5.5,6.yet God was not pleaſed with them; which may teach us that it is not our worldly imployments, nor neceſſary affaires in the world, that can give us a diſpenſation in the performance of our duty to God.
3. Another ſtratagem of corrupt nature in this point is this: Semper incipio vivere.That a man will purpoſe, and promiſe to do duties, but not till his preſent eſtate and condition is changged; when a man ſhall ſit down and ſay, If I were in another condition, God ſhould have more duty and ſervice from me, then now he hath; but in this condition that I am now in, I have not time nor opportunity.—This is a moſt plauſible ſtratagem, whereby your corrupt hearts labour to take you off from duty. Suppoſe thou art a young man, and a ſervant, thy heart will ſuggeſt unto thee thus: but if thou wert then a Maſter, Oh how many houres wouldeſt thou ſpend in Gods ſervice? thou art a poor man, and thou ſayeſt, Oh if I were a rich man, how liberal would I be? Thou art a private man, but if thou wert a Magiſtrate, what good wouldeſt thou do, this was Abſalom's vain conceit. But remember this, if thy condition ſhould be changed, and thy heart remain unchanged, thou wouldſt ſtill be the ſame man, though thy condition were altered; and to you that have been, or may be thus deceived by your deceitfull hearts, I would lay down theſe partilars:
1. Know that it is a meer deceit of heart, to think that if thy condition were changed, thou wouldeſt be a changed man; it appeares to be a deceit upon this ground, becauſe if thou art not good in thy preſent condition, thou canſt not be good in any condition, if thy heart be the ſame; and the reaſon is, it is thy naughty heart which makes thee bad in thy preſent condition, Coelum non animum mutat.and if that continues with thee, thou wilt be bad in another condition; if thou art a bad ſervant, thou wilt be a bad Maſter, and if a bad childe, thou wilt be a bad father; if thou art not good in a ſingle condition, thou wilt not be good in a married eſtate, unleſſe thy heart be changed: if thy heart be not changed, thy lifee will not.
2. Conſider that every other condition which thou doſt ſo admire, and deſire after, it hath peradventure more ſnares, more incumbrances and inconveniences, then the preſent condition thou complaineſt of; thou art now a young man, and thou complaineſt that thou haſt not time to pray, what wouldeſt thou do, 1 Cor. 7.34.if thou hadſt the charge of a houſe and family? a publick condition hath more diſtractions and encumbrances then any private condition, and therefore do not deceive your ſelves.
4. Another ſtratagem of corrupt nature to keep a man from duty, is by putting a foule vizard upon the beautiful face of religious duties. Juſt as the fleſh to provoke a man to ſin, will ſmear over ſin, and make it appear like the beautiful face of grace: ſo the heart on the other ſide, to keep a man from duty, will ſmear over the beautiful face of godlineſſe, with carnal prejudices; even as Judas did diſparage that moſt excellent and memorable act of Mary in that honourable liberality ſhe ſhewed unto Chriſt in breaking the boxe of ointment, as a profuſe and riotous waſte, Matth. 26.8. So thy corrupt heart will ſuggeſt to thee, what is zeal for God, but raſhneſſe and indiſcretion? and what is holineſſe, but baſeneſſe of minde? what is patience, not to give injury for injury; but a ſordid temper? and what is walking with God, but a Monkiſh kinde of life? what is a conſciencious care to ſanctify a Sabbath? it is but Judaiſme; and what is it to be of a tender conſcience, but to have a needleſſe ſcrupuloſity? By this meanes, men allowing their corrupt hearts to argue thus carnally, they are hindred from much good; and therefore if thou wouldeſt be taken off from this deceit, thou muſt labour to ſee the native luſtre and beauty that is in holineſſe, and the filthineſſe of ſin.
5. Another way whereby the heart of man deceives him, is by pretence to do ſome leſſer good, and thereby neglect the doing of a greater; and thus the devil and a mans own heart diverts him many a time. It is an obſervation of Mr. Greenham, that in many families, every triſling buſineſſe ſhall hinder prayer; and this is the nature of a mans heart, to make every ſlight buſineſſe to divert him from duty, and the exerciſes of religion. Thus it was with the Phariſees, Matth. 23.They would tithe Mint Anniſe and Cummin, and ſo neglect righteouſneſſe, and the more ſerious and weighty things of the Law.
Many men will content themſelves to read a Chapter at home, and neglect the Miniſtery of the Word, and prayer in publick; this is meerly the ſly deceit of a mans own heart, even as the ancient hereticks called Euchitae, they were ſo intent on prayer, as that they neglected all other ſervice of God.
To this I would only ſay, that thoſe who make one duty to juſtle out another, let ſuch remember that duties are not contrary, but ſubordinate and ſubſervient one to another. I may ſay of the duties of religion, as the Scripture ſpeaks of the Lamps of the Sanctuary; they were ſo ſeated, that one lamp ſhould kindle another: ſo duties they are ſo ordered by God, that one duty ſhall help another, and fit for another; prayer fits for hearing, hearing fits a man for meditation, and meditation fits for prayer, and ſo of all other duties; and therefore they which make one duty to hinder another, they make thoſe things contrariant, which the Lord hath made concordant.
6. Another ſtratagem which the fleſh uſeth is this, that if it cannot perſwade men wholly to neglect duty, yet it will endeavour to make them abate in duty. It may be thy corrupt heart cannot prevaile with thee to caſt off prayer, and hearing the Word, ſo as never to perform theſe duties; yet will it labour to gain thus much upon thee, that thou ſhalt pray more ſeldome then thou haſt done, and hear not ſo often as formerly thou haſt done. As it is a deceit of the heart to bring us from ſmall ſins to great ſins; ſo alſo is it the policy of the fleſh, from the doing of duty ſeldom, at laſt to bring us not to do it at all.—And to antidote you againſt this infection of nature, I ſhall lay down theſe following conſiderations.
1. It is the policy of thy heart, not to make thee caſt off duty wholly, and at once, but to make thee abate gradually; Revel. 2.4. The Church at Epheſus did gradually decay, firſt left off her firſt love, and afterwards her firſt works; and the reaſon is, becauſe hereby thy heart and the devil knowes, that abatements when they are gradual, they are leſſe ſenſible; but neglects when they are total, they fall under the cognizance of a natural conſcience: You muſt pray ſometimes, and hear ſometimes, elſe conſcience will check a man; but gradual decayes they are not ſo ſenſibly perceived, and therefore the devill and thy own heart will let thee pray, and will let thee hear, but not ſo much as formerly thou haſt done; this is a ſnar, which many of Gods people have been taken in.
2. Conſider that the ſoule is in as much danger by gradual decayes and abatements, as by total omiſſions. A leake in a ſhip though but ſmall, will at laſt as certainly, and more dangerouſly, becauſe more inſenſibly and unperceivingly cauſe the ſhip to miſcarry, as a violent ſtorme. Lingring conſumptions do kill men, as ſurely as violent burning fevers; it is true, a fever or the plague may kill a man in three dayes, but a conſumption will as certainly bring a man to his end, and to his grave.
7. Corrupt nature will ſuggeſt to thee that thou ſhouldeſt leave off duty, becauſe of the unalterable decree of God. Corrupt nature will tell thee, that if thou art ordained to damnation, all thy praying and all thy hearing will never ſave thee; and if thou art ordained to ſalvation, though thou doeſt not hear ſo much, and pray ſo much, it ſhall not procure thy eternal damnation; this deceit is rooted in the hearts of all the ſonnes of men: and in anſwer thereto, I have onelyonly theſe three things to lay before you.
1. As to duty, you are not to conſult with Gods ſecret decrees, but with his revealed Word; Secret things belong to the Lord our God, but revealed things to us and our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law. Deut. 29.29.We are not to look to the decrees of God, and upon them, either do or not do our duty; but we are to look to his revealed will, which bids us be converſant in holy duties of religion and godlineſſe; we are not to ſearch the ſecret records of heaven, but the Scriptures. It was a good ſaying of holy Mr. Bradford, A man ſhould not go to the Univerſity of Predeſtination, untill he be well grounded in the Grammar-School of obedience and repentance.
2. Conſider that the ſame decree which determines the end of a man, Qui deſtinat ad finem, deſtinat ad media.determines alſo the means to bring about that end. If thou art decreed to be damned, the ſame God decrees that thou ſhalt be left to walk in ſuch wayes which lead to damnation; and if thou art decreed to be ſaved, God hath alſo decreed that thou ſhouldeſt walke in thoſe wayes which lead to everlaſting life; and this the Apoſtle tells you. Epheſ. 2.10.We are his workmanſhip created in Chriſt Jeſus unto good works which God hath before ordained, that we ſhould walk in them; not onelyonly our happineſſe, but our holineſſe is decreed by God.
3. You which yield to this plea of nature, you will not yield to this plea in other things, you will not reaſon thus in matters of the world; ſhould a man reaſon thus, God hath decreed from all eternity how long I ſhall live in the world, and therefore becauſe the decree is irrevocable, I will neither eat meat nor wear clothes, you would accompt this man rather a mad man, then one in his wits. He that refuſeth meat, Gods Ordinance to continue life, is a ſelf-murderer; and he that omitteth duties of Religion out of any pretence of Gods decree, is a ſoul-murderer; as it is thus in nature, ſo alſo is it in grace; as God hath decreed the end, ſo alſo hath he decreed the means conducing thereunto.
8. You will ſay, through the ſuggeſtion of a ſelfe-deceiving heart, you are unable to perform any good, this is the plea of many, they will ſay, If I were able, I would pray more; if I were able to remember more, I would hear more; but becauſe of my diſability, I am diſcouraged from duty. I know this is my my miſery, if I do not read, and hear, and pray; and if I do theſe duties, this is my further miſery, that I ſin in the performance of them. This is natures plea, and in anſwer thereto, conſider,
1. That thy impotency doth not not nullify thy obligation to a moral law. Though thou art unable to perform duty, that doth not free thee from thy tie to duty; thou art bound to do duty, though thou canſt not do it well. If thou haſt loſt ability to obey, ſee thou to that; God hath not loſt authority to command; natural impotency can give no excuſe to wilful neglect.
2. Suppoſe this be true, that thou art unable to do duty, yet conſider that thy ability herein depends upon Gods promiſe, not upon thy own ſtrength; thou art unable, but God is not unable; thou art under a promiſe, do thou ſet upon the performance of duty, and God hath promiſed his Spirits aſſiſtance.
3. Conſider that there is leſſe evill in the performance of a duty, though thou ſinneſt in the manner of doing it, then in a total omiſſion; that man ſinnes leſſe, which prayes, and doth not pray well, then that man which doth not pray at all. Indeed defects in duty they break part of a command; but total neglects, they break the whole command: the duty is eſſential, but the defect is but accidental.