A Treatise of Self-Denial, Chapter 4 · Section 2 · Subsection 2 · Sub-subsection 16 – Sub-subsection 17
The Sixteenth Direction.
16 Walk in the Spirit.
This Direction you have in Gal. 5.16. Walk in the Spirit, and you ſhall not fulfil the luſts of the fleſh.
Here note two things.
1 A Precept, Walk in the Spirit.
2 A Promiſe, And yee ſhall not fulfil the luſts of the fleſh.
The Promiſe gives aſſurance of the End, which is Self-denial, Yee ſhall not fulfill the luſts of the fleſh.
The Precept preſcribes the Means in order thereunto, Walk in the Spirit: as if hee had ſaid, If you would not obey the fleſh in the luſts thereof, but bee able to deny it, then bee ſure you take this courſe, Walk in the Spirit.
Two things are here meant by Walking in the Spirit.
1 To follow the Motions of the Spirit.
2 To exerciſe the Graces of the Spirit. Then.
1 If you would deny your ſelves, follow the motions of the Spirit, Walk according to the motions, and by the directions of the Spirit; reſign up your ſelves to the governance and guidance of the Spirit. This is the firſt thing meant by Walking in the Spirit, it is the ſame with Walking after the Spirit, Rom. 8.1.4. and being led by the Spirit, verſ. 14. The Spirit is ſent in purſuance of the Fathers deſign in Election, and of the Sons in Redemption, and hee acts not only by conviction and converſion at the firſt, but by continual guidance and direction afterwards, being as a voice behinde us, ſaying, This is the way walk in it; putting us in remembrance when wee are forgetful, and ready to neglect our duty; warning us of the danger when wee are about to turn to the right or left hand in the commiſſion of any ſin; ſtirring up in us ſuch thoughts as theſe, This is a temptation, therefore wee muſt ſhun it; This is a fit ſeaſon for ſuch a duty, therefore wee muſt cloſe with it; moving and perſwading us to duty, by laying before us, the authority of Gods command, and the goodneſs of the promiſe; diſſwading us from ſin, and ſtriving with us that wee may not commit it, by arguments drawn from the terrour of the Lord revealed in the threatnings.
As the Devil draws men unto ſin, by putting it into their hearts (as it is ſaid, hee put it into the heart of Judas to betray Chriſt, Joh. 13.2.) ſo the holy Spirit draws us to duty, by putting into our hearts to do that which is good.
Now if wee would follow theſe motions of the Spirit, to do our duty, wee ſhould not fulfill the luſts of the fleſh. For,
1 This is certain, wee cannot follow the luſts of the fleſh, and the motions of the Spirit at the ſame time. Wee may follow the luſts of the fleſh, and the luſts of the Devil at the ſame time, becauſe they are both one, but not the luſts of the fleſh, and the motions of the Spirit, becauſe the fleſh luſteth againſt the Spirit, and the Spirit againſt the fleſh, and theſe are contrary the one to the other, Gal. 5.17. So that when wee follow the motions of the Spirit, wee go quite croſs to the luſts of the fleſh.
Object. Well, but wee may afterwards.
Anſw. Now mark for anſwer.
2 Wee ſhall not bee left of God to fulfill the luſts of the fleſh, till firſt wee have refuſed to follow the motions of the Spirit.
1 The Scripture all along alledgeth this as the cauſe why men are given up to their own luſts. My people would not hearken to my voice, and Iſrael would none of mee; ſo I gave them up unto their own hearts luſt, and they walked in their own counſels, Pſal. 81.11, 12. So Rom. 1.24. Wherefore God alſo gave them up to uncleanneſs, through the luſts of their own hearts; And for this cauſe God gave them up unto vile affections, verſ. 26. Becauſe that when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations, verſ. 21. becauſe that which may bee known of God was manifeſt in them, for God had ſhewed it unto them, verſ. 19. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate minde, to do thoſe things which are not convenient, verſ. 28.
2 The Spirit is ingaged to bee with us while wee follow his motions, ſo, that though wee bee tempted, wee ſhall not bee overcome by temptation. The Lord is with you, while you bee with him, 2 Chron. 15.2. Now as Paul, Rom. 8.31. If God bee for (or with) us, who can bee againſt us? Thouſands of Devils and temptations may bee againſt us, but they cannot prevail againſt us; Therefore David, Pſal. 16.8. becauſe hee is at my right hand, I ſhall not bee moved. When the Spirit is leading us, if wee continue to follow him, hee will continue to lead us on ſtill, and while wee are led by his Conduct, wee walk under his Protection, ſo that no temptation ſhall overcome us. Paul was ſorely tempted, there was given him a thorn in the fleſh, the Meſſenger of Satan to buffet him, 2 Cor. 12.7. Now the motion of the Spirit was, that hee ſhould continue praying, which courſe hee continuing, hee obtained this anſwer, My grace is ſufficient for thee, my ſtrength is made perfect in weakneſs, verſ. 9. ſo that the temptation could not prevail; it was his affliction, but not his ſin. While wee are acted by the motions of the Spirit, wee have the power of the Spirit helping our infirmities, Rom. 8.26. The Spirit helpeth our infirmities, foreign, bears together with us againſt the adverſe oppreſſing power of any thing that comes againſt us. Now the Spirit is a Spirit of power, and ſtronger than the Spirit that is in the world, 1 Joh. 4.4. Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, ſaith the Lord, Zach. 4.6. Though it doth not preſently ſubdue all our corruptions, yet it inables us (if we follow him) to go on conquering and to conquer; wee have our daily victories. It doth not ſuffer a man to ſpend his time in fruitleſs reſiſtances, but gives ſin its deaths wound, ſo that though there bee an inhabitation of ſin, yet there is no domination, ſin ſhall not reign over him, Rom. 6.14. It roots up the ſtrongeſt and moſt deep-rooted luſts and corruptions, it levelleth the higheſt imaginations, and takes down all that exalts it ſelf againſt Chriſt, 2 Cor. 10.4.
3 Beleevers finde by experience that they are never more free from yeelding unto Self, than when they moſt carefully follow the motions of Gods Spirit. This was one of the firſt things that I took notice of in my ſelf. After a temptation had prevailed, then I could ſay, If that I had followed ſuch a good motion that I had before, I had not come to this. Whence I gathered this rule (as having found it ſo by experience) that if a man follow the motions of the Spirit, hee ſhall not bee left to fulfill the luſts of the fleſh.
Beware therefore of neglecting the motions of Gods Spirit, for by this means it is quenched, and then either,
1 It will not move at all, or
2 It will not move effectually.
1 It will not move at all. Before there were frequent hints and items given, ever and anon good ſuggeſtions, but now there is a ceſſation, you are ſeldome troubled with them, the Spirit lets you alone, ſo that you are off and on, in and out in your obedience, very unconſtant in the performance of holy duties, ſcarce pray for a week together, &c.
2 If the Spirit do move, yet not effectually. If the Spirit ſpeak, its onelyonly by way of conviction, not of perſwaſion, it makes you ſenſible of your duty, but not willing to perform it. Before you found it with your ſelves, as David ſaith it was with him, no ſooner did the Lord ſay, Seek yee my face, but your heart anſwered, Thy face Lord will I ſeek. I but now it is otherwiſe, you have many ſtrong impreſſions upon your ſpirits many impulſions, but all comes to nothing.
3 Now is Sathans opportunity. When the holy Spirit departed from Saul, hee was preſently haunted with the evil ſpirit. If Gods Spirit move not, Sathans will; If Gods Spirit move not effectually, Sathans will. And then how is it poſſible that any one in ſuch a caſe ſhould not fulfill the luſts of the fleſh?
Oh therefore,
1 If the Spirit of God move, if you have a good thought put into your minds to perform ſuch a duty, do not put it off, but cloſe with it preſently, and thankfully ſay, as David, O Lord God, keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy ſervant, and prepare his heart unto thee, 1 Chron. 29.18. See Cant. 5.4.
2 If the Spirit of God awakens conſcience, and tells you it is a ſin; Oh take heed
1 Of ſtifling that conviction; and
2 Of going on reſolutely in oppoſition againſt it. This not onelyonly grieves, but vexeth the holy Spirit of God, Iſa. 63.10.
2 If you would deny your ſelves, exerciſe the graces of the Spirit. This is a ſecond thing that is here meant by walking in the Spirit, ſo the phraſe is to bee underſtood, verſ. 25. If yee live in the Spirit, walk in the Spirit, that is, ſeeing you are made partakers of ſpiritual life, let your walking bee anſwerable thereunto, i. e. Spiritual, which conſiſts in the exerciſe of grace. This alſo is a ſpecial preſervative from fulfilling the luſts of the fleſh. A little grace well exerciſed doth much this way. Thou haſt a little ſtrength, ſaith Chriſt to the Church of Philadelphia, and haſt kept my word, and haſt not denied my Name, Rev. 3.8. Now if a little grace well exerciſed do thus, what will not a greater meaſure and ſtrength of grace well exerciſed do? Why conſider, the exerciſe of grace is that which makes little grace great grace, and weak grace ſtrong grace; as by trading, the Talents increaſed, Matth. 25.20. Now where grace is in its ſtrength, a man is not eaſily prevailed upon by the luſts of the fleſh, but on the contrary, where corruption is high, and grace low, there corruption doth frequently get the better, and temptation uſually carries him away; And ſo it is when grace is not exerciſed, though it bee ſtrong grace, for ſtrong grace not exerciſed, doth by little and little languiſh and decay, as Rev. 3.2. Now when grace is thus impaired, it is unable to reſiſt and withſtand corruption, and if grace do not withſtand it, what is there that can? And if corruption bee not withſtood, wee muſt needs bee overborn by it. By this it appears, how needfull it is to bee much in the exerciſe of grace, if wee mean not to fulfill the luſts of the fleſh, for the ſoul is continually acting, and it muſt needs bee acted by one of theſe two, for this is the nature of immediate contraries (ſuch as grace and corruption are) as hath been ſhewn before.
Beſides, by the exerciſe of grace, the ſoul is kept in an holy, heavenly frame, and then temptations are not ſo ſuitable; The Devil, that obſerves the ſeaſon for a temptation, takes that for the fitteſt, when our hearts are out of frame, then hee will bee ſure to ſet upon us; but when our hearts are kept in a holy frame and temper, hee cares not ſo much to meddle with us, becauſe then hee hath no ſuch hopes of prevailing. Therefore bee much in the exerciſe of grace in every action, in every condition, in every duty both towards God and man, in every creek and turning of your converſation.
The Seventeenth Direction.
17 Avoid all occaſions of Self-pleaſing.
Self is apt to take an occaſion many times when it is not given, therefore you ſhould bee wary of giving it any occaſion; ſo the Apoſtle, Gal. 5.13. Brethren, yee have been called unto liberty, onelyonly uſe not your liberty for an occaſion to the fleſh. There is a time for every thing under the Sun, but no time, no ſeaſon for Self, there is none allowed by God, and none ſhould bee ſuffered by us. There are certain ſeaſons fit for the purpoſes and devices of ſelf, many occaſions for ſinful enjoyments, but hee that would deny Self, muſt carefully ſhun theſe occaſions. Self defires an occaſion, but all occaſion muſt bee cut off from Self, as the Apoſtle in another caſe, 2 Cor. 11.12. In 1 Tim. 5.14. The Apoſtle exhorts young women to keep at home, &c. that they give none occaſion to the Adverſary; there are many Adverſaries without us, that quickly take an occaſion to ſpeake reproachfully, but the great Adverſary is within, which (when occaſion ſerves) will act reproachfully. No wonder if men act ſhamefully, to the diſhonour both of themſelves, and the Religion they profeſs, when they avoid not the occaſions in which Self is apt to put forth. What the Prophet ſaith of the Wilde Aſs, may fitly bee applied to Self, Jer. 2.24. In her occaſion who can turn her away? All they that ſeek her, will not weary themſelves, in her month they ſhall finde her. It is difficult turning away of Self in its occaſion, give Self but an opportunity, and it acts preſently.
Men need not weary themſelves to gain a Selfiſh man, in their month they ſhall finde them, they even prevent a temptation, but if you give them an occaſion, you have them preſently. Achan ſaw, and preſently hee muſt have the Babyloniſh Garment; ſo Gehezi, ſo Judas. Self takes an occaſion many times by the prohibition of the Commandement, as Paul tell us, Rom. 7.8. much more by indulgence, when men do even tempt and provoke themſelves to the commiſſion of any vile and baſe act. Give Self an occaſion, and you expoſe your ſelves to the greateſt danger in the world. An occaſion unto Self, is as fire unto Gunpowder, Behold how great a fire a little sparke kindleth! Wee are in danger of committing the greateſt ſins, when wee will adventure upon the leaſt. Hee that will touch pitch ſhall bee defiled with it; and therefore wee are commanded to hate even the garment ſpotted with the fleſh, and to avoid the very appearance of evill; Though there bee no reallity, yet if there bee but an appearance, wee muſt ſtand at a diſtance. This indeed is a ſpecial help to Self-denial, not onelyonly to forbear the act of ſinne, but all occaſions that may invite to any ſinfull act.