The Combat Between the Flesh and Spirit, Sermon 26
Sermon XXVI. At Lawrence Jewry London, Februar. 9. 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 handle the third Queſtion, which is this, wherein doth the difference appear between the reſtraining grace of the Spirit, in keeping wicked men from ſinne, and between the renewing grace of the Spirit, which is in the godly?
For anſwer to this queſtion Iſhall lay down ſeven differencing marks.
1. The reſtraining grace of the Spirit in wicked men, Num. 23.13.it doth only ſuppreſſe and abate the acts, but doth not alter the diſpoſition, and will of a man as to ſiune. Reſtraning grace to a wicked man it is juſt as a chaine to a Lion, or a priſon to a thief, which reſtraines the rage of the one, and thy theft of the other, but changes not at all the nature of either. You have two Scripture-inſtances for the confirmation hereof. The one is of Balaam, who told Balack, That if he would give him his houſe full of ſilver and gold, he could not curſe the people. But this forbearance to curſe them, did not ariſe from any indiſpoſition that he had thereunto, Num. 23.1. & …4. & ver. 27.but only from Gods reſtraint. The Scripture gives you a fourfold attempt of his to curſe them; and in Num. 24.1. Num. 24.1.you have there a high expreſſion; when Balaam ſaw that it pleaſed the Lord to bleſſe Iſrael, he went not as at other times to ſeek for inchantments, but he ſet his face towards the wilderneſſe. The meaning is this, Mr. Arthur Jackſon. his Annotations on Num. 24.1as a learned Expoſitor obſerves, that Balaam went three times to have the devil to curſe the people, but firſt he would aske Gods leave whether he ſhould curſe them or no. But now the text ſaith, he did not aske God leave, but did look toward the wilderneſſe, that is, toward the place where the people of Iſrael were incamped; and ſo he attempted to curſe the people without Gods leave, and therefore he ſet his face toward the people to ſee if he were able to do it; and the Apoſtle Peter tells us, that though he did not curſe the people, yet he loved the wages of unrighteouſneſs. 2 Pet. 2.15. Eſt. 5.9,10.So we read of Haman, it is ſaid, when he ſaw Mordecai preferred, that he was moved with indignation againſt him; but yet the text ſaith, that Haman refrained himſelf; not that Hamans paſſion was ſubdued, or altered againſt Mordecai; but meerly God reſtrained and kept in his rage. Reſtraining grace to a wicked man may be illuſtrated by theſe two example: of the fiery furnace wherein the three children were caſt, and the den of Lions into which Daniel was thrown. The fiery furnace it was as hot as ever, and ſeventimes hotter then it formerly had been; but at that time while the three children were in, God did ſuſpend, or reſtraine the natural property of the fire to burne: Thus it is with wicked men, their luſts do burne as hot in them as ever; only God by a mighty power, keeps under their luſts. Dan. 6.22.The Lions among whom Daniel was thrown, they kept their ravenous diſpoſition while Daniel was in the denne, but God reſtrained it all the while Daniel was there: thus God deals with wicked men; he may reſtraine their ſin, but their diſpoſition is toward ſin ſtill.—But now it is contrary with renuing grace; it reaches not only to the ſuppreſſing of the act, but works an alteration in the diſpoſition of a man; it doth not onelyonly reſtraine a Lion, but turnes a Lion into a Lamb; Rom. 12.2.there is in the work of regeneration, A renuing of the minde, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks; there is a change in the minde that was not there before, and therefore ſaith the ſame Apoſtle, If ye through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body, ye ſhall live; Rom. 8.13.not only reſtraine the act, but mortifie the diſpoſition; this is the effect of renuing grace.
2. Reſtraining grace makes a natural man refrain from ſin more becauſe of the ſeverity of the law which condemnes, then becauſe of the purity of the law which forbids ſin. And this is it which Auſtin ſpeaks of; ſayes he, That man which feares hell, Impii metuunt ardere, non metuunt peccare: ille autem peccare metuit, qui peccatum iplum ſicut Gehennam odit. Aug. Epiſt. 144. Pſ. 119.140.he doth not fear to ſinne, but fears to burne; but that man fears to ſinne, that feares ſinne as he would fear hell. Reſtraining grace never makes a man thus fear ſin; but renuing grace doth, and therefore ſaith the Pſalmiſt, Becauſe, ſayes he, thy Word is very pure, therefore thy ſervant loveth it. It is not only a threatening Word againſt ſin, but a pure Word, which forbids ſinne.
3. Reſtraining grace it doth only make a man forbear groſſe and palpable ſins; but doth not reach to any abſtinence from ſecret and inward evils. Outward reſtraint doth not reach to inward ſinnes. Natural conſcience may ſee ſinnes that are more groſſe; that as we have a ſight of the ſtars, in a bright night we may ſee the ſmalleſt ſtarres, but in a dark night we can only ſee thoſe that are of a greater magnitude: Thus it is with reſtraint which comes from natural conſcience, it only keeps in thoſe ſinnes which are of a more groſſe nature; whereas we are to mortifie our ſinful and inordinate affections; and thus the Apoſtle Paul commands, Col. 3.5.Mortifie (ſayes he) your members that are upon the earth, fornication, unclcanneſſe, inordinate affection, evil concupiſcence, and covetouſneſſe, which is idolatry. Here you ſee that not only the act, but the diſpoſition; and not only irregular actions, but inordinate affections are forbidden; and hereupon it was that Hezekiah he humbled himſelfe for the pride of his heart; 2 Chron. 32.25 2 Sam. 24.10.and David alſo for the pride of his heart in numbering the people.
4. Reſtrained corruption it is unwillingly left; a man doth unwillingly leave that ſinne he is kept from; and this is hinted to us by that expreſſion concerning Abimelech in Gen. 20.6. where the Lord ſaid, Gen. 20.6.I alſo withheld thee from ſinning againſt me; the word notes a forwardneſſe on Abimelech his part to commit fornication with Abrahams wife. Reſtraining grace makes a man leave his ſinnes as unwillingly as a man that leaves his wife and children, countrey and eſtate; he leaves theſe with much regret, and bids them farewell with tears in his eyes, and ſorrow in his heart; but a man that hath renuing grace he is kept from ſinne willingly; he is as willing to leave a luſt as a ſlave the gally, a priſoner the dungeon, or a begger his rags; whereas a wicked man ſtill in his natural contion doth as unwillingly leave his ſin, as Abraham did put Hagar and Iſhmael out of dores, Gen. 21.11. and as Phaltiel did take his leave of Michal, 2 Sam. 3.16. where it is ſaid that he followed her weeping; even as the mariner doth caſt his goods over board in a ſtorme, becauſe he cannot help it.
5. Reſtraining grace though it keep a man from the act, yet it ſtirres up a more vehement eagerneſſe to commit that ſinne when the reſtraint is over; though the act be ſuſpended, yet the deſire is increaſed. Juſt as it is with a river, the more it is dammed up, with the force and violence it will returne greater to its former courſe: ſo reſtrained corruption, when the reſtraint is over, will returne upon a man with the greater eagerneſſe. And as it is with a Smiths forge, if ye caſt much water upon it, it will quench the fire; but if you do but ſprinkle ſome water, it cauſes the fire to burne the hotter: ſo it is with reſtraining grace, it lets the luſt out with greater violence; renuing grace it ſuppreſſeth not only the act, but takes away the impetuous and eager deſire of committing ſinne.
6. Reſtraining grace it is but partial, whether you reſpect the ſubject, or the object.
1. In reſpect of the ſubject, reſtraining grace it bindes but one part of a man, and leaves the other looſe; it bindes the tongue, but not the hand; it bindes the hand, but not the ear and eye; it bindes only one part of a man, and not another: But now renuing grace, it is univerſal, 1 Theſ. 5.23. foreign. 2 Cor. 5.17. Ezek. 36.26.and reaches to th whole man; it is a throughout work, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks, The very God of peace ſanctifie you throughout, both in body, ſoul, and ſpirit; the work of Regeneration is not a new tongue, or a new eare, but all is become new in a new heart.
2. Reſtraining grace it is partial in that it reaches but to part of the object, as thus: it reaches but to ſome ſins, not to all; it keeps a man from one ſin, and gives him ſcope to another: But renuing grace it is univerſal; as it keeps under one ſinne, ſo it will labour to keep under all ſins; Pſal. 119.3.this is the particular and proper work of renuing grace, that a man is thereby inabled to have reſpect unto all Gods commandments.
7. Reſtraining and renuing grace they differ in their ends, and that two wayes.
1. In regard of Gods end.
2. In regard of mans end.
1. In regard of Gods end. Gods end in giving reſtraining grace is to maintaine humane ſocieties for the good of others; but Gods end in giving renuing grace is, that mans nature might be ſanctified, and that man may be ſaved.
2. They differ in regard of mans end. As firſt the end of men that have reſtraining grace, is, that they may preſerve their ſouls in ſafety; but a godly mans end in keeping under ſinne is, that he may keep the peace of his ſoul; and this was Jabez his end; you finde it mentioned in 1 Chron. 4.10. He called upon the God of Iſrael, ſaying, Oh that thou wouldſt bleſſe me indeed, and inlarge my coaſt, and that thy hand might be with me, and that thou wouldſt keep me from evil that it may not grieve me! 1 Chron. 4.10.A godly man aimes at the peace and purity of his ſoul; but a wicked mans end is, only that he might have his ſoul not diſturbed by the preſent trouble for ſin, and condemned for the deſert of ſin.
Ʋſe. For the Uſe of this point, I ſhall firſt give you ſome general Poſitions, about the Spirits keeping of men from ſin, and then ſhall give you ſome particular Inſtructions.
Seeing that the Spirit of God doth often keep regenerate men that they cannot do the evill they would; Then
1. You may gather hence, that a man is not able to keep himſelf. Hence Chriſt prayes to his Father for his people, not that he would take them out of the world, but keep them from the evil: John 17.15.We are not able to keep our ſelves; and this the Prophet Jeremiah acknowledgeth, ſaying, O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himſelfe: it is not in man that walkech to direct his ſteps. Jer. 10.23.We cannot keep our ſelves from do committing evil.
2. The Spirits keeping of us from evil, doth not exclude our care and endeavour to keep our ſelves. The Lord he makes a gracious Promiſe, 1 Sam. 2.9.that he will keep the feet of his ſervants; and yet the Scripture tells you, that it is their care, and their duty alſo, to make ſtreight paths for their feet, and to ponder the path of our feet, Prov. 4.23.as Solomon expreſſeth it. Hence you finde in Scripture, Promiſes not only of what God will do, and of Chriſts Prayer that you may be delivered from evil; but of the practice of the godly, and their care in keeping themſelves; 1 John 5.18.and this is their duty, He that is begotten of God keepeth himſelf; and as the ſame Apoſtle ſaith, Little children, keep your ſelves. We muſt not truſt ſo in Gods keeping of us as to be idle, but we muſt labour to keep our ſelves, as the Pſalmiſt did, who kept himſelf from his iniquity.Pſalm. 18.23.
3. It is a great evidence of integrity and ſincerity of heart, when men labour to keep themſelves from inward and conſtitution-ſins, as well as from groſſe ſins; and this David did, He kept himſelf from his iniquity; that is, from thoſe ſins which by conſtitution he was inclined to; and this was an argument of his great ſincerity.
4 Conſider, that though the Spirit of God doth keep regenerate men from doing the evil they would, yet the inclination and will to do any evil, doth make us guilty in the ſight of God, as if we had actually done it. That in Scripture ſenſe is ſaid to be done, that is either purpoſed or intended to be done. A notable paſſage to this purpoſe you have in Joſh. 24.9. Ihſhua 24.9.where it is ſaid, that Balack King of Moab waged warre againſt Iſrael; and yet if you read the Hiſtory, Numb. 2.23. and 24. chap.in the 22.23. and 24. chapters of Numbers, you ſhall not read one word of any ſuch war; Now the reconciliation of theſe two places are eaſie; Balack did not actually wage warre againſt Iſrael, but he did intend ſo to do, and therefore he hired Balaam to curſe the people; and then, ſaith he, I ſhall prevaile. I mention this to this purpoſe, that you may not think your ſelves guiltleſſe, ſo ye keep out of the act of ſin; but if ſo be you have a will, and an inclination to thoſe evils, you will be found guilty before God; and hereupon it is that Chriſt tells us, that He that is angry with his brother without a cauſe, is guilty of murther; and he that looks after a woman to luſt on her, hath committed adultery already in his heart. Mat. 5.22.Ver. 28.This Poſition may greatly humble us; we are guilty of many actual ſins which we have committed; and we are guilty of many ſins, which though we have not acted, yet have they been in our purpoſes and intentions, and theſe the Law of God will judge.
5. Judge not thy ſelf to be righteous and gracious, by bare reſtraints from ſin in particular actions; but if you would judge your ſelves, judge by the ordinary courſe of your lives. It is poſſible that in a particular act a good man may not be kept from that ſin, from which a wicked man may; and it is poſſible that a wicked man may do that good, which a godly man may not be able to do: Now you are not to judge of your ſelves by particular acts, but by the conſtant courſe of your lives; for if you ſhould do otherwiſe, you would condemn the generation of the juſt. I ſhall give an example, by comparing together good King David, and wicked King Abimelech, they were both tempted to the ſame ſin; and ſhould you have gueſſed at theſe two men by their particular reſtraints, you would have taken Abimelech for the good King, and David for the bad King. Abimelech in his reſtraint was far better then David; it is ſaid of Abimelech that he took Sarah; he did not know that ſhe was Abrahams wife, but David did know that Bathſheba was the wife of Ʋ riah; and then further, Abimelech the Heathen King, though he had Sarah in the houſe, yet the Scripture tells you he did not defile her: but David took Bathſheba into his houſe, and was actually unclean with her: Now ſhould you look upon theſe two men in this particular caſe, you would judge Abimelech to be the gracious King, and David the Heathen King.—But now if you look upon David in the ordinary courſe of his life, he was far better then Abimelech; you are not therefore to paſſe a verdict upon any man that he is good or bad, by any particular act; that as it is a rule in Philoſophy, that one act doth not denominate; ſo when you go to judge of men you muſt not look upon a particular act, but upon the general ſcope and current of their lives. Prov. 16.17.The high way of the righteous is to depart from evil.
Ʋſe 2 The ſecond Uſe is of Inſtruction, and firſt to regenerate men, who have the renewing work of the Spirit. There are theſe three Inſtructions I would have you to learne:
1. Bleſſe God that ever you have been croſſed in the doing of thoſe ſins which you would have committed. How near the brink of many a ſin hath many a godly man been at, when an occaſion and an inclination hath met together, but God hath put in a reſtraint? O bleſſe God, it is the greateſt mercy next converting grace. It was the prayer of Jabez, O that thou wouldeſt bleſſe me indeed! and O that thou wouldest keep me from evil! let it be thy prayer alſo. Sometimes men are angry when they are kept from an intended ſin; and this is juſt as if a man going to execution, ſhould be angry with a man for ſtopping him in his way: Alas, poor man, thou art going to the execution of thy ſin, if any ſtop thee, 'tis the ſaving of thy ſoul, at leaſt the ſaving of thy peace, therefore bleſſe God. How did David bleſſe God, when he intended to have cut off Nabal and all his family, when Abigail came with ſmooth words and prevented him? O then, ſayes he, Bleſſed be God, and bleſſed be thou, and bleſſed be the Counſel thou haſt given me; 1 …am. 25.32.ſo it may be thou haſt determined the Commiſſion of a ſin, with all circumſtances which may further thee in the execution of it; and hath God ſtopped thee in thy way? what great cauſe haſt thou to magnifie him?
2. From hence gathet what cauſe the people of God have to ſuſpect their own hearts, leſt they ſhould carry them to ſuch evils, which they think they ſhould never have committed. Suppoſe the Spirit ſhould be ſuſpended, that it ſhould not reſtrain thee, what evil wouldeſt thou not commit. There are Scripture-inſtances of godly men, who have fallen into thoſe ſins, that themſelves never thought they ſhould commit; and ſuch ſins which were repugnant to thoſe graces wherein they were moſt excellent.—Abraham he was the eminenteſt man alive in his age for faith, Gal. 3.9. Abrahamus pa…er fidelium non efficienter, ſed exemplariter.and therefore was called the father of the faithful; now would any man think that Abraham ſhould fall into unbelief; why? yes, he did; for being diſtruſtful of Gods Providence, he told two lies, one to Pharaoh King of Egypt, Gen. 12.13.and the other to Abimelech King of Gerar.—Likewiſe Moſes, the Scripture tell of him, that he was the meekest man upon earth, Pſal. 106.33.and yet he ſpake unadviſedly with his lips; he fell into paſſion, which was that ſin which was contrary to that grace, wherein he was moſt excellent.—And ſo alſo Iob, Jam. 5.11.whom the Scripture tells you was the most patient man on earth; and of all ſins Iob was moſt hurried to impatiency, Job 3.inſomuch that he bitterly curſeth the day of his birth, and the night in which it is ſaid, A man-childe is conceived. I name theſe examples to you, to let you ſee what cauſe you have to bleſſe God for the ſin you have been prevented from, and what cauſe you have to ſuſpect your hearts, if the Spirit of God withdraw from you. And ſo Moſes, he was noted to be the meekeſt man on earth, Numb. 12.3. And yet even this meek Moſes is tranſported with paſſion, and he ſpeaks unadviſedly with his mouth.
3. Pray unto God for the Spirit to do its office in thy ſoul, Pſal. 106.33.that the Spirit may keep thee from doing the evil thou wouldeſt. We read of David, Pſal. 19.13.that he made this prayer, Lord, keep thy ſervant alſo from preſumptuous ſins. Thou haſt need to pray that the Spirit may check and curb thy corruptions when thou art tempted to ſin, becauſe there is no man, though never ſo good, that can ſtand by his own ſtrength, though never ſo great, and thereby avoid an evil when he is tempted to it, though never ſo foule. O therefore pray for preventing grace, that God would keep thee by his Spirit, that ſo thou mighteſt not do the works of the fleſh. And therefore Chriſt hath taught us to pray, Lord, deliver us from evil, Mat. 6.13.viz. from that evil which we cannot of our ſelves avoid.
Secondly, as this point refers to the unregenerate, who have only reſtraining grace to hinder them from ſin: Let even ſuch conſider what cauſe they have to bleſſe God for this mercy; though they ſhall go to hell, yet they have cauſe to bleſſe God for reſtraining grace on earth; for though it will not make you good; yet it will and doth make you leſſe evil; and though it cannot make you ſpiritual, yet it will make you good moral men. By reſtraining grace a man may have this good.
1. He may not commit ſo many and great ſins.
2. He may not incur ſo great puniſhment.
3. He will bring the leſſe ſcandal to Religion.
4. He will give the leſſe bad example.
2. Unto ſuch who have reſtraining grace, I would give this caution, that you would not boaſt thereof; The Phariſee had reſtraining grace, but he made ill uſe thereof: Luke 18.11. Non Deum, ſed ſeipſum laudavit Phariſaeus.I thank God, ſayes he, I am no extortioner, nor no adulterer, nor as this Publicane is. Doth God reſtraine theſe ſins in thee? do not thou boaſt in theſe reſtraints; who hath made a difference between thee and others? is it not God? therefore be not proud of it.
3. Take heed that you do not take reſtraining grace to be an evidence of renewing grace; and here I ſhall ſhew you twelve wayes, whereby you may be deceived: but of this in the following Sermon.