The Combat Between the Flesh and Spirit, Sermon 21
Sermon XXI. At Lawrence Jewry London, Januar. 6. 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 other pleas which corrupt nature makes, to divert us from duty. I have layed down eight already; the next in order is this:
9. From the auſterity that men perceive in the duties of Religion, what will the fleſh tell a man? If thou devoteſt thy ſelfe to holy exerciſes, Spiritus Calvinianus, eſt ſpiritus melancholicus.thou doeſt but give thy ſelf to a rigid courſe of life, and thereby abridge thy ſelfe of many lawful pleaſures. Calviniſme, ſay the Papiſts, makes men melancholy.—This is a great prejudice to many men, unexperienced in the way of holineſſe; and to this I have three things to anſwer:
1. There is not ſo much auſterity in the exerciſes of Religion now under the Goſpel, as there was under the Law. The worſhip under the Law was a very auſtere worſhip; they were to ſacrifice their …ul…ocks out of the ſtall, and their ſheep out of their flocks; and they were to go out of all the regions of Judea, once a year to Jeruſalem to worſhip; and ſo the Apoſtle ſpeaks alſo of circumciſion, That it was a yoke, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear. Acts 15.10.But now for the duties under the New Teſtament, God doth not require you to offer your beaſts for a ſacrifice, but rather your luſts. He requires not any thing which is laborious and painful; he requires not the circumciſion of your fleſh, but the circumciſion of your hearts. That man which complaines of the auſterity of Goſpel-duties, if he were a Jew, he would then complain much more. Goſpel-Ordinances they are eaſie; Chriſt calls al ſuch as are weary & heavy-laden to come to him, Matth. 11.28,29,30.& they ſhall find reſt; and to take his yoke upon them, and to learne of him; for his yoke is eaſie, and his burden is light. The invitation, is to imbrace the Chriſtian Religion, in oppoſition to the Jewiſh religion, which was a heavy yoke: but ſayes Chriſt, Take my yoke, for it is eaſie; that is, walk in a Chriſtian courſe, and you ſhall finde eaſe and reſt to your ſoules.
2. Thou which art kept off from the exerciſes of Religion, becauſe thou feareſt thereby thou ſhalt be abridged of thy joyes and delights in the world; conſider, that the duties of Religion they will not extirpate, and nullify thy joyes, but only regulate them; not remove, but raiſe your delights. Religion, it is not a mattock to digge up your joyes by the roots, but a pruning-hook to pare and cut off your luxurious branches.
3. Know that there are none that have more ground of joy, then thoſe who are moſt conſciencious and careful in the performance of the duties of Religion. Rom. 15.13.There is joy and peace to be had in believing, as the Apoſtle tells you; there is none before, nor none without believing; and as the Apoſtle Peter tells you, Believing ye rejoyce, with joy unſpeakable, and full of glory. 1 Pet. 1.8.It is not ſpoken of the joy which ſhall be in heaven, but of the joy which believers have in this world; love to Jeſus Chriſt, and believing in Jeſus Chriſt, it fills the ſoul with joy and glory in this life. You may tell all the dimenſions of an outward joy; but the joy of a believer, it is a joy unſpeakable, and a joy full of glory.
10. Another plea of corrupt nature is this, that you have done enough already, that you have ſpent ſo many yeares in a courſe of Religion; ſo many yeares you have been a profeſſor, and what need you more? Thus Jehu he thought he had done enough in deſtroying Baal, and therefore he needed not to put down the Calves. This is a pleawhich many times takes off the heart from further progreſſe; and I have three things to ſpeak to it.—
1. The people of God in former ages, they never uſed to make this a plea; nay, they have been of a quite contrary temper. Phil. 3.13,14.Paul tells you that He forgot thoſe things which were behinde, and reaching forth to thoſe things which are before, I preſſe toward the mark; that is, I forget all my part paſt duties and performances; I will not reſt contented in them, but I will preſſe forward. If I have done much good, I will do more good; oh therefore be thou as abundant in duty for time to come, as if thou hadſt never been imployed in duty for time paſt.
2. The Scripture doth make your abounding in duty in former time, to be an argument why you ſhould abound more in after time; haſt thou prayed and heard much formerly? hear more hereafter; this the Apoſtle makes an argument unto the Corinthians, 2 Cor. 8 7.that as they had abounded in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence and love; ſo alſo, they ſhould abound in a charitable contribution to the poor Saints that were at Jeruſalem; and ſayes he, as you have abounded, ſo abound in this grace alſo. Phil. ver. 8,9.And as Paul to Philemon, in that Epiſtle ſayes he, Shew mercy to Oneſimus; why? for thou haſt ſhewed mercy; thou haſt refreſhed the bowels of the Saints, refreſh this alſo: ſo that if you have been much in duty, it is an argument that you ſhould be more therein for time to come.
3. You which plead you have been much in duty for time paſt, and are negligent in that which at preſent you ought to do; you would not reaſon thus in things of this life; where is the man that will ſay thus? I have gotten ſo much money this laſt year, that I will get none this; thus you ſee the unreaſonableneſſe of this plea. Men think they can never enough abound in temporals, but any meaſure of ſpirituals will ſerve the turn, and ſatisfy them.
11. Another plea of corrupt nature is this. The fleſh will tell you, you have not been ſo much in ſin, and therefore you need not be ſo much in duty; we are not men who break out into notorious evils.—This is a cunning deceit of the corruption of mens hearts, and therefore I ſhall ſpeak the more to this plea; and there are five particulars, which I ſhall lay down by way of anſwer:
1. This plea ſavours of pride, ſloth, and ignorance: of pride, as if muchneſſe of duty could expiate the ſinfulneſſe of ſinne: it ſavours of much idleneſſe, when the heart will take hold on ſuch poor ſhifts and excuſes to take you off from, or make you neglective in the performance of religious duties; and then it ſavours of much ignorance, as if a man could be much in duty, that is much in ſin; the more thou art in ſin, the leſſe thou art in duty; and if thy duties do not abate thy ſins, thy ſinnes will abate thy duties.
2. Conſider that the Angels and Saints in heaven, they are not at all guilty of ſin, yet they are much in duty; alwayes in duty, though never in ſinne: ever ſinging praiſes and hallelujahs to God, but never ſin; and our duty is to do the will of God, as it is done in heaven; that is, conſtantly, and cheerfully.
3. Conſider, though thou hadſt leſſe ſin then thou haſt, yet thou haſt more guilt which cleaves to little ſins, then all thy duties can expiate or take away; that man will deceive himſelfe, who thinks to ſet his duty over againſt his ſin by way of expiation, becauſe there guilt and ſin cleaves to our duties.
4. This which thou makeſt to be a plea, why thou ſhouldeſt not be much in duty, if it be well weighed, will rather prove an argument why thou ſhouldeſt be much in duty: As thus, if thou art not much in ſinne, thou haſt the more cauſe to be much in duty, and to praiſe God that he hath kept thee from thoſe ſins which other men have fallen into; thou haſt cauſe to be much in prayer to God for preventing grace, that thou mayeſt not fall into ſinne for the time to come.
5. Conſider, that thoſe men who have been leaſt in ſin, the Scripture tells us they have been moſt in duty. Zacharias, Luke 1.it is ſaid of him, that he walked in all the Commandments of God blameleſs, and yet the Scripture commends him in this, that he was often in the Temple. And Cornelius, Acts 10.2.the Scripture reports him to be a devout man, and one that feared God, with all his houſe, who gave much almes to the poor, and prayed to God alway; though he was a devout and holy man, yet he prayed to God alwayes; he was much in duty, though he was not much in ſin. So it is ſaid of Anna, Luke 2.37. foreign. And of the Primitive Church, that they continued in the doctrine of the Apoſtles, &c. foreign, &c.
12. The fleſh will tell you, that they who have formerly been much in duty, they have now caſt off duty; and you will ſay, Why may not I do ſo too? I ſee thoſe men that formerly were deſirous to hear Sermons, they now hear not; thoſe who prayed much and often formerly, now never pray; thoſe that formerly were much in duty, have now caſt off duty; this is a plea which mans naughty heart takes notice of; and to it I have three things to ſay:
1. It is true, the more is the pity, that many who have formerly much uſed duty, have now caſt off duty; and yet though this be true, do you take heed that you fall not into the ſame ſin & ſame condemnation. The Scripture layes a great blame and blemiſh upon ſuch; there are two Texts to this purpoſe; the one is, in Hoſ. 4.10. where the Lord complains, Hoſ. 4.10.that they had left off to take heed unto him; they did once ſeek after God, and did take heed unto his wayes, but now they had left it off. Another paſſage to this purpoſe alſo you have of the Pſalmiſt, They have left off to be wiſe, (ſayes he) and to do good; Pſal. 26.3.they did formerly do much good, but now they have left it off; the Scripture brands ſuch men as theſe for wicked Apoſtates.
2. Conſider, that you would account this a vain plea in other things; you that account this rational in ſpiritual things, you judge irrational in worldly things. If a man ſhould tell you that other men had left off trading, and turned bankrupts, and therefore why ſhould not you do ſo too? you would account it very irrational, and ſay, Though other men have played the fooles, and run themſelves out of their eſtates, yet that is no warrant for you to do ſo.
3. Know, that thoſe who have been much in duty, and have now caſt it off, if they belong unto God, he will bring them home by weeping croſſe; God will make them ſee their folly, to their ſhame. An example hereof you have in the ſecond of Hoſ. ver. 7. Hoſea 2.7.The Church did there apoſtatize from God; but, ſayes ſhe, I will return to my firſt husband, for then was it better with me, then now; then when I ſerved my God, and walked in his wayes, which now I have gone aſtray from, therefore will I return. This will be the language of all thoſe who have caſt off duty, if they belong unto God.
13. This is the plea of ſome, that they abſtain from the doing of duty, becauſe they would avoid more evill thereby, and this is a cunning inſinuation of the fleſh; and thus as on the one hand men are deceived by their corrupt hearts, to commit ſin, that good may come thereon: ſo on the other hand, Sunt quidam homines, qui cùm audierint, quòd humiles eſſe debent, nihil volunt diſcere, putantes ſi aliquid didicerunt, ſe ſuperbos fore. Auguſt. in Pſal. 130.their hearts would perſwade them to omit duty, that evill might not come thereon; both the deceits are the deluſions of corrupt nature, and this Papiſts are guilty of; for they under a pretence that the common people ſhould not run into error, detain the reading of the Bible from them. And to this purpoſe Auſtin mentions ſome that would not hear the Word, nor get knowledge, upon this pretence, that ſome men have grown proud of their parts and knowledge: to this deceit I ſhall ſay three things:
1. It is a good rule of the Schoolmen, that you muſt not neglect that which is good in it ſelfe, and neceſſary to avoid a ſin, which may be by accident a ſin; for otherwiſe you ſhould never perform duty. If a man will avoid hearing leſt he ſhould be diſtracted therein, and praying leſt he ſhould have wandring thoughts; by this reaſon a man ſhould never perform duty. Now to hear and to pray, it is good in it ſelfe; but that thou art diſtracted in hearing, or thy minde wandring in praying, this is an accident, and therefore thou muſt not upon a pretence of being guilty of leſſe evill, leave undone thoſe duties, which in themſelves are good.
2. Thoſe men which make this a plea, they will not performe duty, becauſe they ſin in duty; upon the ſame reaſon they may as well ſay, they will not follow their callings in the world, becauſe they ſin in them; and therefore this plea, though it be a plauſible one, and doubting Chriſtians are many times intangled therewith, yet by this plea you will not onelyonly be taken off from religious, but civil duties alſo.
3. Conſider, that the avoiding of evil upon this pretence, you do thereby run into a greater evill; and the reaſon is, becauſe wilful neglects, and total omiſſions, are greater then ſpiritual defects in the manner of religious performances; it is a leſſer ſin to be diſtracted in prayer, then not to pray at all. This plea therefore is but a lazy plea of corrupt nature, to make us neglect religious performances.
14. Another plea is a pretence of diſability to perform as we ought. The fleſh will tell you, if thou wert able to perform duty better, thou ſhouldeſt be incouraged to do it often; but alas, thou art not able to perform duty; when thou comeſt to hear, thou wanteſt faith to believe the word, and memory to treaſure it up. When tho… comeſt to pray, thou wanteſt a compoſed minde, and thou wanteſt apt expreſſions; and hence the fleſh pleades, that diſability to duty ſhould take a man off from duty. This plea prevailes with many Chriſtians troubled in conſcience; and in anſwer thereto conſider,
1. That many Chriſtians which pretend diſability, it may be the reaſon is not diſability, but rather enmity againſt duty, which is the cauſe of their neglect. Nolle in cauſa eſt, cùm non poſſe praetenditur, Sen. Epiſt. 116.Seneca hath a paſſage to this purpoſe in one of his Epiſtles, Men, ſayes he, pretend that they are not able to do good, but the true cauſe is, they are not willing; not a diſability in the nature, but an enmity in the heart, which is the cauſe. It is worth your noting, that where the Apoſtle mentions a diſability to duty, he there mentions alſo the enmity of a natural mans heart againſt duty. The carnal minde, Rom. 8.7.ſayes he, is enmity againſt God, for it is not ſubject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So that thoſe who plead a diſability, they have cauſe to look to their hearts, whether their neglect of duty doth not rather proceed from a diſlike in judgement, rather then a diſability in affection.
2. Chriſtians are apt to make diſability a plea to neglect duty, when indeed it is rather the danger that doth attend duty, that keeps them off, then diſability. You have a notable inſtance of this in Moſes, a good man, you have the ſtory at large in the fourth of Exodus. God commands Moſes that he ſhould go into Egypt, Exod. 4.10,13,19.and there to take the care and charge of his people; but what ſayes Moſes? Oh, ſayes he, Wilt thou ſend me to conduct this people? alas, I am not able; I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor ſince thou haſt ſpoken unto thy ſervant; but I am ſlow of ſpeech, and of a ſlow tongue; this was a plauſible pretence; and therefore in the thirteenth verſe ſayes he, Lord, I pray, ſend by the hand of him whom thou wilt ſend. But now was Moſes diſability the real cauſe wherefore he would not go? why, no; & therefore in the nineteenth verſe you have there the true reaſon diſcovered; Return, ſaith the Lord, into Egypt, for all the men are dead which ſought thy life. There the Lord hints the cauſe; Moſes had formerly killed an Egyptian, and there was great ſearch made after him. And when God bid Moſes go again into Egypt, he was afraid; Moſes doth not tell God ſo, but pretends diſability; then the Lord told him shat the men were dead which ſought his life; and then the Text ſaith, that Moſes took his wife and his children, and went down into Egypt.
15. Another plea is ſucceſleſſeneſſe in duty; the fleſh will ſuggeſt thus unto thee, What needeſt thou continue in a godly courſe of life? thou haſt made many a prayer, and heard many a Sermon, and yet thou art never the better. To this I anſwer,
1. That thou oweſt duty to God as thou art his creature, though he ſhould never give thee ſucceſſe in his ſervice.
2. Duty it ſelfe is ſucceſſe; the very performance is a recompence: if God ſhould never bring thee to heaven, thou haſt in part a recompence, that God ſuffers thee to perform duty to him here: You have your fruit unto holineſs, Rom. 6.20.as the Apoſtle tells you, and in the end you ſhall have everlaſting life; holineſſe and duty, they are the reward of duty
3. Conſider, that there is a two-fold ſucceſſe attendant on duty. Firſt, a real ſucceſſe.—Secondly, a ſenſible ſucceſſe. Sometimes the ſucceſſe is ſenſible, and a mans affections are raiſed, and his luſts ſubdued; but though ſucceſſe may not alwayes be ſenſible, yet it is alwayes reall: a godly man gets real good by all the duties he performes. Epheſ. 6.8.Whatſoever good any man doth, the ſame he ſhall receive, whether he be bond or free. No man ſhall open the dores of Gods houſe in vain. Wicked Ahab that did God but temporal ſervice, God requited him with a temporal reward; 1 Kings 21.29.there is alwayes a real ſucceſſe, which goes along with the performance of our duty. And thus I have layed down the ſtratagems and deceits of the fleſh, whereby it labours to divert men from duty, and have given you anſwers to them all, that you might not be deceived by the ſly ſubtility thereof.
Ʋſe. 1 The Uſe ſhall be unto thoſe men whoſe conſciences tell them, they have been deceived by ſome of theſe pleas of corrupt nature, ſo as to omit good duties. Before ſuch I would lay theſe five conſiderations:
1. That a man may go to hell for the omiſſions of good duties, as well as for the commiſſions of ſin. Natural conſcience will tel a man that groſs ſinners ſhall not inherit the Kingdom of heaven; but Scripture will tell you alſo, that men ſhall go to hell for the omiſſions of good. It is obſervable in the ſentence which ſhall be pronounced at the laſt day by the Judge of all the world, that the form of it runnes, not ſo much for commiſſions, as for omiſſions, Matth. 25.41.that men ſhall be ſentenced for. Depart from me ye curſed, ſayes Chriſt: for I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat; I was was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink; a ſtranger, and ye took me not in; naked, and ye clothed me not; ſick, and in priſon, and ye viſited me not. Bonum eſt non feciſſe malum, malum eſt non feciſſe bonum.Meerly for omiſſions is the ſentence pronounced againſt them; it may be thou doeſt not die a drunkard, an adulterer, a ſwearer, or a deceiver, but doeſt thou die a man neglective of good duties? I tell thee, the indictment will be found againſt thee. Matth. 25.30.It is likewiſe obſerved of the man that had but one talent, Chriſt commanded that he ſhould be caſt into utter darkneſs; what was the cauſe? he did not imbezzel his Maſters talent, but becauſe he did not improve it, therefore did the ſentence paſſe againſt him; and therefore remember you that are omitters of good duty, not for the imbezzelling, or ill uſe of your time, Matth. 3.10.but for the not improving of it you may go to hell. The tree is threatened to be cut down, not becauſe it brought forth bad fruit, but becauſe it did not bring forth good fruit.
2. Conſider, that the Scripture layes a brand of infamy upon thoſe who do conſtantly neglect the duties of Religion; they have left off to be wiſe, and to do good, Pſal. 6.3. Hoſea 4.20.ſaith the Pſalmiſt; and they have left off to take heed unto the Lord, ſaith the Prophet Hoſea. But above all, conſider that heavy imprecation of the Prophet Jeremiah, Poure out thy fury, ſaith he, upon the Heathen that know thee not, and upon the families that call not upon thy Name. Jer. 10.5And to this purpoſe, that concerning the Ammonites and the Moabites is very remarkable, Deut. 23.3,4.in Deut. 23.3,4. where becauſe of an omiſſion, becauſe they met not the Iſraelites, and helped them not with bread and water in the way, when they came out of Egypt, they were excommunicated (as I may ſay) from the Tabernacle of Gods worſhip, even to the tenth generation.
3. Conſider, that omiſſions of duty, they do unfit men for duty when they ſhould begin it, and ſet upon it. Keys that are uſed, keep clean; but if they are thrown by, how ſoon do they ruſt? ſo it is with thy heart, thou wilt gather ruſt, if thou throweſt thy duties aſide. Fire, it is not only put out by water, Prov. 26.20.but by the withdrawing of fuel; Where no wood is, the fire goeth out: and therefore remember that if you do not adde fuel to your duty, the heat of your affection will quickly go out. The longer we diſuſe uny duty, the leſſe able are we to do it; as a Scholar, if he diſuſe his ſtudy, he will be the more unfit for that exerciſe.
4. God is more diſpleaſed with ſinful, and toral omiſſions of good, then he is with many commiſſions of evill. It is worth your noting, that paſſage concerning Moſes, in Exod. Exod. 4.24.4.24. God was more angry with Moſes there for a ſin of omiſſion, then for any ſin of commiſſion which he had committed all his life. It is ſaid, The Lord met him in his Inne, and had like to have killed him; what was the matter? why, it was onelyonly this, that he omitted the circumciſion of his childe, when he was eight dayes old; this did ſo provoke God, that he ſought to kill Moſes, and yet Moſes might have had more plauſible pretences for his omiſſion, then we can have for many of the duties which we neglect. I mention this to ſhew you the danger of the ſin of omiſſion.
5. And laſtly, conſider this, that you will not admit of this plea in other things; ſhould your ſervants deal with you thus, when you bid them go about ſuch and ſuch a buſineſſe, and command them to perform ſuch a ſervice, if they are negligent; and when you ſhall call them to an accompt, will you admit of their excuſe, when they ſhall tell you that they do not ſteal your wares out of your ſhops, nor your money out of your Cubboards; we do not do you any injury; will you ſuffer theſe excuſes? why, no certainly: Let me tell you, you are all ſervants to the God of heaven, he is your Maſter; and though you can thus plead, Lord, I am not a groſſe ſinner, I have not diſhonoured thy Name as others have done, and I am no blaſphemer of thy Name; yet God will reckon with you, becauſe you call not upon his Name; therefore take heed of omiſſions of good duties, and of all thoſe ſecret inſinuations of the fleſh, which lead into this ſinne, and make excuſes for it.