The Combat Between the Flesh and Spirit, Sermon 4
SERMON. IV. At Lawrence Jury, London, Novemb. 10. 1650.
GEN. 6. verſe 3.
And the Lord ſaid, My Spirit ſhall not alwayes ſtrive with man, &c.
I Proceed now to anſwer another Quere, or caſe of Conſcience very uſefull which is this—
Queſt. How farre the Spirit of God may be withheld or withdrawn even from a godly man, both before and after the commiſſion of ſinnes?
Firſt, I ſhall ſhew you how far the Spirit of God may be withheld before,—and then ſecondly, after the commiſſion of ſin.
The Spirit of God in a fivefold, reſpect may be ſaid to be withdrawn from a godly man before the commiſſion of ſinne.
1. That it ſhall not enlighten thee to make thee know it is a ſinne thou art tempted unto; and thus we read of the Patriarchs that married divers wives. The Spirit of God in that dark age of the world, the Patriarchs was ſo withheld, that it did not enlighten them, no not till their dying day, that we read of, that Poligamy was a ſinne, and therefore they lived and died in it.
2. Though thou mayeſt be enlightened to know that it is a ſinne thou art tempted unto, yet thou mayeſt be ſo left of the Spirit, that through the impetuouſneſſe of thy luſt, and the violence of the temp…tion, thou mayeſt be carried to commit that ſin; and thus we find plainin the caſe of David; David he could not but know that Adultery was a ſin, and yet being left of the Spirit of God, the ſtrength of his luſt, and the violence of his temptation was ſuch, that he was carried to commit it.
3. A godly man may be ſo farre left by the Spirit, that when he is tempted to a ſinne, he may rather conſult with fleſh and blood then with the Spirit of God, whether he ſhould commit the ſinne, yea or no: And thus a godly man, when life, liberty and eſtate lie at ſtake, doth often conſult his own ſafety rather then inward peace; and this is very much, 2. Sam. 11.and yet thus it was with David in the matter of Ʋriah.
4. Godly men may be ſo left, that they may contrive and deliberate how to commit a ſinne before they commit it. Divines do uſually give it as a difference between godly and wicked men, that the one ſinnes deliberately, the other not; yet there are inſtances in Scripture that ſhew that godly men may contrive and deliberate how to commit a ſinne; now this as Divines ſhew, is at the threſhold of hell, there is but a little between them and damnation; and thus David, it is true, the ſinne of adultery, it was not ſo deliberate as the murther of Ʋriah, for there David did contrive the meanes whereby he ſhould be killed, and the time when, with the manner how, and the inſtrument by whom, now this was a very deliberate act of ſinne, yet thus farre may agodly man be left, therefore what cauſe have they to bleſſe and magnifie the free grace of God, that come ſo near hell, and yet never come there; you may have your garments ſmell of hell-fire, yet you may never come into burning. Deliberate acts of ſinne tend unto that unpardonable ſinne againſt the holy Ghoſt, which is of malice, therefore take heed of ſuch ſins.
5. The Spirit of God may ſo leave thee though a godly man, that thou mayeſt fall into thoſe ſinnes that are contrary to thoſe graces, wherein thou art moſt eminent; For a man that is chaſte to keep from thoſe ſinnes which are not ſo contrary to his native diſpoſition, is not ſo much; but for a chaſte man to be ſo left of God, as to fall into adultery, & for a meek man to fall into paſſion, this is a great evill. I ſhall lay down ſeverall inſtances hereof, of godly men that have been thus left by the Spirit of God.—Abraham, you finde him in Scripture recorded to be the father of the faithful; Rom. 4.what a large encomium doth the Apoſtle make of Abrahams faith? and God did ſo leave him, that he fell into unbelief and diſtruſt of God, Gen. 12.11,12.by denying his own wife, which was moſt contrary to that grace wherein he was ſo eminent.
You finde alſo of Noah, that in the Scripture he is commended for a very ſober man, and that when all the world were eating and drinking, marrying, and giving in marriage, it was a very drunken exceſſive and luxurious age; and Noah he was commended by God for his ſobriety; Gen. 9.21.but yet through drunkenneſſe was the ſinne moſt contrary to that excellent grace of ſobriety he was ſo eminent in, yet was he overtaken therewith.
Likewiſe Lot, he is commended by the holy Ghoſt for diſliking the filthy converſation of the Sodomites, and it is ſtrange that Lot himſelf ſhould be overtaken with the ſinne of uncleanneſſe, and that he ſhould fall into the abominable ſinne of Inceſt; for ſo you finde it related of him, Gen. 19.33,35.he lay with his two daughters.
So alſo Moſes, the Scripture tells you of him, that he was the meekeſt man upon the earth. Num. 12.3.Now of all ſinnes you would leaſt ſuſpect that he ſhould fall into paſſion; but yet you finde Moſes his meekneſſe, turned into paſſionateneſſe, inſomuch that he ſpake unadviſedly with his lips, Pſal. 106.33. Num. 11.15.and thus ſpeaks unto God, If thou deale thus with me, kill me I pray thee out of hand.
David, the book of Pſalms tels you how eminent he was for patience, 2 Sam. 16.10.how quietly he bore Gods afflicting hand; how patient was he when Shimei did ſo curſe and revile him? And yet meeting but with a churliſh carriage from Nabal, his Spirit was all in a rage, inſomuch that he went with a purpoſed revenge to kill Nabal and all his family.1 Sam. 25.13.
Job, you know the Scripture tells of him, that he was the moſt eminently and exemplarily patient, would you think that ever he ſhould fall into impatiency? why yes, he falls into that ſinne which was moſt contrary to that grace wherein he was moſt eminent; how doth he curſe the day of his birth, Job. 3.3.Let the day periſh (ſaith he) wherein I was borne, and the night in which it was ſaid, There is a man-childe conceived? and ſo he prayes earneſtly for the day of his death, Job. 6.8,9.Oh (ſaies he) that I might have my requeſt! and that God would grant me the thing that I long for! even that it would pleaſe God to deſtroy me, that he would let looſe his hand and cut me off. Here you ſee the impatiency of Jobs ſpirit; this I mention to you, to let you ſee what a poor thing man is if Gods Spirit leave him, that he ſhall not onelyonly fall into thoſe ſinnes which are pleaſing unto nature, but into thoſe ſinnes which are moſt contrary to his nature; thus you ſee how farre the Spirit may leave a man before the commiſſion of ſinne.
Queſt. 2 How farre may the Spirit of God leave a man after the commiſſion of ſinne?
Anſw. 1 The Spirit it may not convince thee that it is a ſinne thou haſt done, after thou haſt committed it; and thus it was with the Patriarchs in the firſt age of the world, they were given to marry many wives, and it was as in doubtleſſe, becauſe it did croſſe the firſt inſtitution of marriage, which was between one man and one woman; now the Spirit of God was ſo withheld from them, that after they fell into that ſinne, they were not convinced of it, and therefore they lived and died in it.
Anſw. 2 The Spirit may be ſo farre from convincing a man of ſinne, and may ſo withdraw from a man, that after he hath ſinned, he may go about to defend and juſtifie the ſinne he hath committed; and thus Jonah, he ſinned in not obeying Gods commandment of going to Nineveh, and when God ſpared Nineveh, Jonah was very angry, and when God comes to reaſon with him, asking him whether he did well to be angry, why yes, ſaies he, I do well to be angry, even unto death. Jonah 4.9.Here was a good man in a pettiſh mood, and to Gods face would juſtifie his own paſſion. So Iſrael under the name of Ephraim, they would juſtifie their own wickedneſſe. Ephraim is a Merchant (ſaith the Prophet,) Hoſea 12.7,8.the balances of deceit are in his hand, he loveth to oppreſſe; But what ſaid Ephraim: yet (ſaies he) I am become rich, I have found me out ſubſtance, in all my labours they ſhall finde no iniquity in me that were ſinne; and yet God charges them with the balances of deceit.
Anſw. 3 A godly man he may for a long time, yea many years lie under ſinne, and the Spirit of God may not work remorſe of conſcience in him for the ſinne he hath committed, and this is very ſad; thus the Spirit was withdrawn from David, he commits adultery with Bathſheba, and till the childe was borne, and Nathan the Prophet came to him, we never read that he was troubled for his ſinne; the Spirit did not work remorſe of conſcience in him, which muſt be nine moneths after the manner of women. Nay, we read of Joſephs brethren, that they caſt him into a pit, and ſold him unto the Iſhmaelites, and though they dealt thus unnaturally with their brother, yet the Scripture tells us that it was about one and twenty years before they were troubled for this ſin; when they were in priſon in Egypt, then they ſaid one to another, Verily we are guilty of our brothers blood, and therefore is this evill come upon us.Gen. 42 21.
Anſw, 4 The Spirit of God may ſo farre withdraw from a godly man after he hath committed ſinne, that he may rather commit more ſinnes to hide that one ſinne, then to repent of it; and this is a high ſtep, how near hell it is! Yet thus David, after he had fallen into adultery, he doth not put his conſcience on work to repent of this ſinne, but puts his wits on work how to cover this ſinne, and for that end ſends for Ʋriah home to lie with his wife, to cover his own ſinfull fact; and makes him drunk, and when he could not bring that to paſſe, then he contrives his death, and makes him the meſſenger of death to himſelf. So Peter a good man, and yet Peter committed many ſinnes to excuſe one ſinne; nay, he committed many ſinnes, ſooner then he did repent of one ſinne, when he denied Chriſt. Firſt, he denies him; Then he denies him with an oath; And thirdly, he denies him with a curſe; whether he curſed Chriſt, or himſelf, or both, it is not certaine. Thus committed he many ſinnes to excuſe one. This is a farre degree, and yet thus farre may a godly man go.
Anſw. 5 A godly man after he hath committed ſinne may be ſo farre from having power to mortifie that ſinne, that he may fall into it often and again. Gen. 12.13. Gen. 20.2.We have many Scripture-inſtances hereof. Abraham, he fell twice into the ſinne of lying, in denying his own wife; ſo Joſeph, Gen. 42.15,16 1 Kings 11.9.he fell twice into the ſinne of ſwearing. Solomon, he ſinned againſt the Lord after he had twice appeared to him. And ſo the children of Iſrael, Num. 14.22.they fell into the ſinne of murmuring againſt God ten times together, one after aanother. 1 Kings 22.49 2 Chron. 18.2Thus Jehoſaphat ſinned in ſinfull compliance with wicked men twice, as may be gathered. I do not mention this to boulſter any man in a ventrous way of ſinning, but only for the eaſe of afflicted conſciences; the Spirit may leave thee thus farre, both before and after the commiſſion of ſin.
Before I come to handle the witholdings of the Spirit in reference to that which is good, I ſhall give you the uſe of the former points. If the Spirit of God do leave you thus farre, then I inferre
Inference 1 That you are not to impute it to God, as an act of Sovereignty, but as an act of Juſtice; God is provoked to do it. Why doth the Spirit of God ſay to thee, as the Lord to Ephra…m. He is given to Idols, let him alone? Hoſea 4.17.why is it that Gods Spirit leaves thee? ſome affront or other thou haſt done to the Spirit; either thou haſt quenched the Spirits motions, or grieved the Spirit, or vexed the Spirit, or reſiſted the Spirit in its operations, and therefore thou ſhalt hear no more of the diſſwaſions of the Spirit in thy heart.
Inference. 2 Do not cenſure a man when thou ſeeſt him fall into ſinne; be not ſevere againſt him: if Gods Spirit ſhould be withdrawn from thee, thou wouldeſt ſinne a thouſand times more then that man. The Scripture commands that you ſhould reſtore men fallen with the ſpirit of meekneſſe, conſidering your ſelves, leſt you alſo be tempted. Gal. 6. i.Tu hodie, Ego cras. Aug.Doeſt thou ſee another man ſinne? do not judge him; conſider thy ſelf, if the Devill ſhould tempt thee to a worſe ſinne, and the Spirit withdraw from thee, thou wouldeſt ſinne worſe then that man hath ſinned.
Inference. 3 What cauſe have you to bleſſe God that he hath given the ſtrivings of his Spirit both to your ſelves and other men. 1. Bleſſe God, the Spirit is given to you; The Spirit in the Word, is the voice behinde thee, ſaying, This is the Way, walk in it; and by this meanes you are renced from many temptations, and freed from many evils. ſhould a tempting Devill and thy corrupt heart meet, and Gods Spirit but withdraw, into what evill wouldeſt thou runne? Even ſuch a man in ſuch a caſe would ruſh on in evill, as the horſe ruſhes on into the battle, if the Spirit ſhould not reſtraine him from ſin.
Secondly, bleſſe God for other men, that by the common reſtraining power of the Spirit he laies a check and controll upon the ſpirits of men; were it not for this, there would be no living in the world; Homo hominis Lupus.how would humane ſocies be deſtroied? every man would be ſavage and cruell each to other; we ſhould kill and murther every man that angered us; deceive every man that dealt with us; tell a lie to every man that ſpeaks to us; we ſhould commit all ſinne. There is great wickedneſſe done in this laſt and worſt age of the world, but there would be more evill done, did not the Spirit lay curb… and reſtraints upon mens conſciences,
Inference. 4 Labour and pray, the leſſe the Spirit of God hath ſtriven with you before the commiſſion of ſin, that it may the more ſtrive with you by convincing you after you have fallen into it. It may be you have ſinned ignorantly, aptly, eagerly or deliberately; the more the Spirit hath bin withheld from thee before the commiſſion of ſinne, pray to have it ſtrive the more with thee afterwards, and that in theſe three wayes.
1. By working in thee a more clear conviction of ſinne, to ſhew thee not ſin in the lump, but thy particular ſinne, clothed with all its haynous and agravating circumſtances; to convince thee ſavingly, that there may be (as it were) ſome compenſation made of the Spirits being before whithheld from thee.
2. In a more deep humiliation, the more the Spirit hath been withheld from you before the commiſſion of ſinne, deſire that the more the Spirit may caſt thee down after its commiſſion. This was typed out under the Law; that man which did but touch an unclean thing, was to be unclean till evening; but if a man had carried an unclean thing about him, then he was to caſt off all his clothes: So if you have but touched a ſinne, you are to be humbled; but if you have fallen into a ſinne which the Spirit hath not convinced you of, then you are to labour for a greater meaſure of conviction and humiliation afterwards.
3. Learn that the Spirit may work in thee a more dear affection to Jeſus Chriſt. It is obſerved of Peter, the Spirit did more leave him to fall into ſinne then he did all the other Apoſtles, except Judas; Now, when Chriſt comes to aske Peter whether he loved himor not? ſaies he, Simon Peter, doeſt thou love me more then theſe? He doth not ſay onelyonly doeſt thou love me, Peter, but loveſt thou me more then theſe? as if he ſhould ſay, Peter, thou haſt ſinned againſt me more then all the other Apoſtles have, and therefore thou ſhouldeſt love me more then they. So Mary Magdalene, ſhe was a great ſinner, having ſeven Devils caſt out of her; but what is ſaid of her? Luke 7.47.Her ſinnes which are many, are forgiven her, for ſhe loved much; that is, the leſſe love ſhe had to Jeſus Chriſt before the commiſſion of ſinne, the more ſhe had afterwards, Many ſinnes were forgiven her, and therefore ſhe loved much; therefore in that place muſt not be underſtood as if her love was a cauſe of her being forgiven, but a demonſtration and an evidence of it.