The Combat Between the Flesh and Spirit, Sermon 23
Sermon XXIII. At Lawrence Jewry London, Februar. 2. 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.
IN the laſt Sermon I ſhewed you three wayes, by which the devill and your own hearts, laboured to diſtract and hinder you in duty. I proceed now to adde ſome more, and the fourth in order is this.
4. The fleſh will labour to make you perform duties diſtruſtfully. Faith it is that ſhield by which we reſiſt the devil; Eph. 6.16.and the Scripture preſſeth us, Above all things to take to us the ſhield of faith, that we might be able to quench the fiery darts of the devill. Corrupt nature labours above all things to weaken your faith: Luke 24.25.O fooles, and ſlow of heart to believe! ſays our Saviour. Chriſt he layes the blame upon your hearts, this being the work of the fleſh to make you ſlow of heart to believe, and rely upon Jeſus Chriſt. Heb. 11.6.He that cometh to God, must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently ſeek him; without faith you cannot perform ally acceptable duty to God, and therefore alſo this is a main deſigne of the devill, to rob you of your faith. Chriſt he tells Peter, that Satan had deſired to winnow him as wheat; Luke. 22.31,32.but ſayes he, I have prayed for thee, that thy faith faile not. Satan ſingled out Peters faith above all his other graces, and therefore the care of Chriſt was moſt ſeen in the preſervation of Peters faith from failing; and as this is the work of the devill, ſo alſo is it of our own hearts, to rob us of our faith; but Chriſt hath prayed for us, and true faith ſhall never faile.
5. Another deſigne of the fleſh is, to make thee perform duty conſtrainedly, and not voluntarily; the fleſh puts a man into that poſture, that he is rather carried then led to duty; Nil niſi juſſus agit.he is driven to duty as a childe to School, or as a Bear to the ſtake, with much regret; whereas he goes from a duty, as a bird from the ſnare, with much delight.
6. The fleſh it will labour to make you perform duty uncomfortably, without delight of heart. And this is the great policy of the fleſh; though it cannot make you diſuſe duty, yet it will make you, that you ſhall never have delight in the uſe of them. Thus I have ſhewed what thoſe interruptions of the fleſh are, in regard of the manner of our duties.
2. The interruptions of the fleſh in duty, they are not onelyonly ſeen in the manner how you do duty, but alſo in the end why you do duty. And herein I ſhall ſhew you how the fleſh caſts in ſiniſter aimes and ends, when you do duty; if it cannot interrupt you in the manner, it will in the end. I ſhall give a ſhort ſurvey how the fleſh interrupts men in doing duty, in reference to their ends. And there are ſeven ſiniſter ends that the fleſh caſts in when you are about duty.
1. The fleſh will caſt in this ſinfull end, to make you perform good duties rather for vain glory, then for Gods glory. It is obſervable, what you read in Gal. 5. The Apoſtle concludes that Chapter with this exhortation, Be not deſirous of vain glory; after he had been ſhewing them what were the fruits of the Spirit, and had exhorted them to walk in the Spirit; he gives in this counſel, that they ſhould not be deſirous of vain glory, intimating that there is a proneneſſe in mans nature, to make him vain-glorious in the doing of good. Hence the Apoſtle James hath an expreſſion; Jam. 4.5.ſayes he, Do ye think that the Scripture ſaith in vain, The ſpirit that dwelleth in us, luſteth to envy; envy it is a fruit of vain glory, a deſire to have another mans abilities eclipſed, that ſo our candle may ſhine brighter, Phil. 1.15.and hence ſome among the Philippians, are ſaid to preach Christ out of envy; that is, they would diſcover their parts, to gain applauſe, that they might carry away the bell from Paul; it was their vain glory which made them ſeek to out-vie Paul: not that they aimed at Chriſts glory, but their own ſeeking, not the things of Chriſt, but their own things.
2. Another ſiniſter end of the fleſh will be this, to make you do duty, more for outward and ſecular advantage, then for any inward and ſaving benefit; and thus the Lord complaines of his people, Hoſea 7.14.That they aſſembled themſelves for corn and for wine; they did not cry for grace, but for corne and wine, their doing duty was for their ſecular advantage. And ſo the Lord by the ſame Prophet ſpeaks concerning Ephraim, and ſayes he, Ephraim is a beifer that is taught, and loveth to tread out the corne: Ephraim loved duties, Chap. 10. v. 11.but ſuch, which would bring in profit and advantage. The fleſh in duty never looks for ſpiritual benefit, nor labours in duty and communion with Chriſt, to get mortification for corruption, and excitation of holy affections, with a furtherance in a way of grace, and holy experience.
3. The fleſh will put men upon duty, rather to pacify, then purify conſcience; juſt as a thief will give meat to a dog, but it is to ſtill the dogs barking, that thoſe which are in the houſe may not be awakened: Juſt thus will men do with their conſciences; they will perform duty, becauſe their conſciences are like barking dogs, checking and accuſing them, and therefore they will perform duty, that they may ſtill the noyſe of conſcience, Jonah 1.5.which otherwiſe will flie in their faces; as the mariners in Jonah prayed, but it was onelyonly becauſe danger of death awakened their natural conciences.
4. The fleſh will put men upon duty, rather out of a fear of the threatenings for neglect of duty, then out of love to the command which injoynes duty. The fleſh never cares for the commands of God; all it feares, is the terrifying threatenings of Gods law. Were the Scripture all promiſes and precepts, a wicked man would be idle, and yet preſume; but becauſe there are threatenings mixt with theſe, therefore wicked men ſet upon duty, Prov. 13.13. For nidine poenae.and holy exerciſes. It is ſaid of a righteous man, that he feares the command, but a wicked man never feares the precept: he may fear the threatening and the puniſhment, but a godly man dares not neglect duty, becauſe of the command of God.
5. The fleſh will put upon the performance of duty, rather out of the hope of the eternal reward of duty, Mercedis amor, vel amor mercenarius.then out of any inward and ſpiritual excellency, that the ſoule ſees in them. Now though God may allow us a love of the reward, yet he doth not allow of a mercenary love.
6. Corrupt nature will put men upon duty, to remove outward judgements, rather then inward judgements; judgements upon the body, rather then thoſe on the ſoule. Thus the Heathen mariners cried unto their gods when they were in a tempeſt, and like to loſe their lives, Jonah 1.5.that they might have the ſtorm abated, and get ſafe to land; every man falls to prayer: now this is but a ſervile, fleſhly end of duty, for a man to be put upon it rather to avoid bodily, then ſoul-judgements; and thus it was with the Egyptians, when the Lord ſlew their firſt-born, then it is ſaid, Exod. 12.32,33.that Pharaoh and the Egyptians cried unto the Iſraelites, Riſe up and be gone, you and your flocks and your heards, and go and ſerve the Lord your God; and they were urgent with them, for they ſaid, We are all dead men. Pharaoh would not let them go before; but when their going out would conduce to their ſafety, then he bids them be gone; this is the nature of all men, naturally to ſet on duty rather to avoid bodily afflictions, then inward judgements. To this purpoſe the Prophet Jeremiah ſpeaks, Jer. 22.23.O inhabitant of Lebanon, that makeſt thy neſt in the Cedars, how gracious ſhalt thou be, when pangs come upon thee, the pain as of a woman in travel? Outward not inward judgements, put wicked men upon the performance of duty.
7. The fleſh will put men upon performance of duty, that they may ſinne with more freedome, and leſſe ſuſpition; This the Apoſtle was driven to vindicate himſelfe from, 1 Theſ. 2.3,5. foreign Prov. 7.14.that he did not preach the Goſpel, to be a cloake unto ſin. This is natural to men, as the Harlot would cover over her wickedneſſe with her peace-offerings; ſo many wicked men they will cover over the…r ſin with the garb of godlineſs; & thus our Saviour condemns the Scribes and Phariſees, Mat. 23.14.who devoured widows houſes, & for a pretence made long prayers. They did not offend in the thing, nor in the manner of their prayers, for long prayer is not a ſin, but in the end of their prayers; they made long prayers, that they might devour widows houſes; they took upon them the profeſſion of Religion, that they might be eſteemed juſt and righteous people, and fit to be intruſted, and ſo they might get widowes eſtates, and widowes money into their hands, and thereby deceive them; for this I conceive is the particular ſcope of that place. And thus I have finiſhed the doctrinal part of this point.
The Uſe I ſhall make of this point, ſhall be; Firſt, by way of Inſtruction. Secondly, by way of Comfort. And firſt, there are ſeven practical inferences, that I ſhall draw from this general head, by way of Information of the fleſh, its hindering of regenerate men in doing duty.
1. From hence ſee the great miſery of unregenerate men; if the fleſh diſables the godly in doing duty, that have grace how doth the fleſh diſable wicked men that have no grace at all; Eph. 2.1.men that remain in a natural eſtate, they are in a dead condition, Rom. 5.6.and dead men, they cannot act; men in a natural eſtate, they have no ſtrength, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks; he compares a man unto one that is fallen into mud and dirt, that hath no power to help himſelfe: Homo lapſus ſuper acervum lapidum & in luto. Beruard. 1 Cor. 15.43. foreign.or a metaphor taken from a dead corps, which is utterly unable to help it ſelfe or move it ſelfe; and therefore the Apoſtles word is, foreign, a body dead, weak, i.e. helpleſſe.
The Scripture ſets out a natural man four wayes.
1. As one that hath loſt his ſtrength; thou canſt not do any good action. The imagination of mans heart is evill, and onelyonly evill, and that continually; mans heart it is evill, Gen 6.5.there is no good in it; and it is evill, that is, it is all evill; and then it is evill, that is, it is aiwayes, and that continually evill; this is mans natural eſtate: The carnall minde it is not ſubject to the Law of God, neither indeed can be; Rom. 8.7.there is the feebleneſſe of mans nature.
2. Thou art without ſtrength to have any good motion; not onelyonly to have good actions, but good thoughts; and this the Apoſtle Paul aſſerts, but good thoughts; and 2 Cor. 3.5.We are not ſufficient of our ſelves to think any thing as of our ſelves, but our ſufficiency is of God.
3. A natural man is not able to ſpeak one good word; he can neither do good, nor think good, nor ſpeak good. Chriſt reproving the Phariſees, ſayes unto them, Mat. 12.34.O generation of vipers, how can ye being evill, ſpeak good? for out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth ſpeaketh.
4. A natural man he cannot ſavingly underſtand good; He receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are fooliſh…eſſe unto him, neither can he know them, becauſe they are ſpiritually diſcerned. 1 Cor. 2.14.If a godly man be diſabled in the performance of good duties, then much more an unregenerate man.
Object. But you will ſay, Do not wicked men hear, and pray, and give almes, and do many other duties, and are not theſe good actions? therefore, how is a man diſabled from doing good?
I anſwer, that good works may be conſidered two wayes, either formally, or materially; now indeed a wicked man, he may do that which is materially good; and ſo hearing, and praying, and giving of almes, the matter of theſe duties is good; he may do external good duties: but to do good formally, with all thoſe requiſites, and concurrent circumſtances required in a good work, ſo no wicked man in this world is able to do good.
There are many concurring circumſtances to a good action.
1. The perſon muſt be in Chriſt, which doth the action. The ſame action which a wicked man doing ſhall go to hell for, the ſame action a godly man performing, in the doing thereof, ſhall go to heaven; ſo that the perſon muſt be intereſſed in Chriſt who doth good: we muſt acknowledge every good thing which is in us in Jeſus Chriſt, Philem. 6. Joh. 15.5. foreign. Non dicit nil difficile poteſt, ſed nihil; nec dicit nil poteſt perficere, ſed nil poteſt facere. Auguſt.as the Apoſtle ſpeaks; ſo that the perſon muſt be in Chriſt; and therefore, though wicked men may do that which is morally good, yet they can never do any action which is theologically good.
Object. 2. But if wicked men cannot do good works, but if when they do them, they ſin in doing of them, then to what end ſhould a wicked man do any good duty? he ſins if he doth not pray, and he ſins if he doth pray; therefore to what purpoſe is it for him to do any of theſe duties?
Sol. For anſwer, I confeſſe that this is an objection very ſuitable to fleſh and blood; Job 9.29.and Job he makes it in the perſon of a wicked man: If I be wicked (ſayes he,) why then labour I in vain? as if he ſhould ſay, if when I pray, and when I hear, I ſin, then why do I labour in vain? this was an objection boyling in Job's breſt.—But to anſwer the Queſtion:
1. Though a wicked man doth ſin in duty, yet he muſt do duty; he is bound to duty, though not to ſinne in that dury; that which is good in it ſelfe, is not to be forborn, though an accidental evil follow; It is good in it ſelfe, that a man ſhould hear, and pray, and do other duties, but it is onelyonly caſual that a man ſins in theſe; if this ſhould be admitted, by the ſame reaſon the Sunne ſhould not ſhine, becauſe it over-heats ſome bodies, and puts them into a fever, or becauſe it parches and over-dries the ground.
2. You ſinne leſſe in doing duty, though you ſinne in the doing of it, then if you did totally neglect it.
Object. 3 Object. 3. But you will ſay, xIf a wicked man be thus diſabled to do duty, then to what purpoſe are Gods commands? This is the Pelagian objection: Doth not God mock men, ſay they, God bids wicked men to pray and repent, but they are no more able to do theſe duties acceptably, then to move the world?
I anſwer hereunto; that though the wicked are thus unable, yet there is great reaſon, why God ſhould command.
1. To let them ſee what once they were, in innocency they being perfectly able to do the will of God.
2. Deus jubet non quod poſſumus, ſed quod debemus.Though God commands men to do what they cannot do, yet it is uſeful to humble them; that thereby they might bewaile their impotency.
3. Though God commands men what they are not able to performe; yet to all elect men, though unregenerate, God ſometime or other, will ſend forth his owne power with his own command, and make it efficacious in their ſoules; Thus there went a power with Gods command to dead Lazarus, whereby he came out of the grave; Verbum Dei non eſt declarativum modò, ſed effectivum.God who commands a wicked man to repent, can convey a power into his heart, to make him repent; therefore there is great reaſon, and uſe of Gods commands, though natural men are not able to obey them.
Inference. 2 2. I inferre hence, If the fleſh be thus diſabled to good, then this ſhewes the folly of Pelaegian, Popiſh and Arminian doctrines, which doth advance the power and ability of nature, and the free will of man to good ſupernatural; now how doth this Scripture confute them? the fleſh hinders even godly men that they cannot do the good they would. What enemies of Gods graces are theſe, who advance the power of nature above, Sub laudibus gratiae latent inimici gratiae. Aug. Non liberum, ſed ſervum arbitrium; non liberum, ſed liberatum.and beyond its bounds, and that too under pretence of advancing Gods grace? It is true, man hath not loſt the faculty, but the form, man hath loſt the rectitude of his will. I may ſay of them, that their miſtake ariſes from the ſame ground as Sampſons; when his wife had cut off his locks, he awoke out of ſleep, and ſaid, I will go out as at other times, but he wiſt not the Lord was departed from him: So I may ſay of ſuch men as theſe, they would ſtirre up themſelves as at other times, but their locks are cut: by their fall in Adam, that is cut off, wherein their ſtrength lay; and if they would but ſtudy the fall of man more, they would not advance, and admire the power of nature ſo much.
Inference. 3 3. I inferre hence, that it is the duty of every Chriſtian, to give glory to God for all thoſe ſaving abilities which any hath to do good; 2 Sam. 12.27,28.if you are inabled to do any good, it is of Gods grace. Do as Joab to David, when he had taken the skirts and ſuburbs of the City, he then ſends for David, that he might have the glory of the conqueſt; he that did the work, would yet give David the glory; do thou thus to Jeſus Chriſt. It may be thou diſchargeſt the duty well, do as Joab to David, and do not ſay, I have done thus and thus, 1 Cor. 15.10.but Chriſt hath done it in me; as the Apoſtle ſpeakes: I luboured more abundantly then they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me; and ſo the ſame Apoſtle in another place, I live, ſaith he, Gal. 2.20.yet not…, but Chriſt liveth in me. He would arrogate nothing to himſelfe. It is Gods grace whereby we act, and this that ſervant in the Parable acknowledgeth, Lord, ſaith he, Thy pound hath gained ten pounds; He doth not ſay my labour and my induſtry, Luke… 9.16.but thy pound; give God the glory of all the good thou doeſt, extoll the free grace of God both for initiall, progreſſive, Phil. 1.6.and conſummative grace; He which once begins a good work in you, will perform it to the day of Jeſus Christ: Heb. 12.….and he which is the authour, will alſo be the finiſher of your faith. Phil. 2.13.It is the grace of God whereby we are able to do any thing; it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleaſure. The whole ſeries of our ſalvation is to be aſcribed unto the grace of God; art thou called in grace, and eſtabliſhed in grace, admire grace, and not n…ture. Hoſ. 11.3. Ezek. 34.16. Rom. 8.14. 1 Pet. 5.10,11.If the Spirit of God do not lead us, and uphold us, we ſhall faint, Hoſ. 11.3 Ezek. 34.16. Rom. 8.14. This the Apoſtle Peter excellently ſets forth: The God of all grace who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Jeſus Chriſt, after that ye have ſuffered a while, make you perfect, ſtabliſh, ſtrengthen, ſettle you; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever, AMEN.
4. Doth the fleſh diſable you to do good? Oh then labour to have a ſight of, and to mourne under the ſenſe of the impediments and interruptions which you have from the fleſh. Thus did Paul cry out, Exod. 3.88. Rom. 7.14,24Oh wretched man that I am! Rom. 7.14,24. In Exod. 38.8. you have mention made of a laver, which was a great veſſel wherein the ſacrifices which the people offered, were to be waſhed; and the Scripture tells you that the foot of the laver, was made with looking-glaſs, to note as ſome ſay, that when they came to offer their ſacrifice, the people in that glaſſe might ſee, and have a view of their own faces, what ſpots there were upon them: So when you come to duty, behold, here are looking-glaſſes for you to ſee your ſelves; behold the interruptions of the fleſh to hinder you, and be humbled. It is ſaid of the Spouſe, Returne, O Shulamite, that we may look upon thee.—And then the queſtion is put, what will you ſee in the Shulamite? and the Anſwer is, as it were the company of two Armies, Cant. 6.13.noting this oppoſition. Gen. 25.22,23.And that as Rebeccah ſaid, when the children ſtrugled in her womb, Lord, why am I thus? ſo do thou; thou haſt an Eſau and a Jacob within thee, the fleſh againſt the Spirit; do thou complaine unto God, and ſay, Lord, why am I thus? why doth the fleſh thus diſturb and interrupt me in all my performances to God?