5. Conflict as in Hypocrites

BY ſuggeſting to them, that that condict⁵²⁸ that is in them, is not a conflict that is onely in Saints; but ſuch a conflict that is to be found in hypocrites, and prophane ſoules; when the truth is, there is as much difference betwixt the conflict that is in them, and that which is in wicked men, as there is betwixt light and darkneſſe, betwixt Heaven and Hell. And the truth of this I ſhall evidence to you in the following particulars.

1. 528. Iohn 8. 44. The Devill is a lyar, and the Father of it. The Devils breaſts ſaith Luther, are very fruitfull with lies.

1. The whole frame of a Beleevers p. 231 ſoul is againſt ſin; underſtanding, will, and affections, all the powers and faculties⁵²⁹ of the ſoule are in armes againſt ſin. A covetous man may condemne covetouſneſſe, and yet the frame and bent of his heart may be to it; a proud perſon may condemn pride, and yet the frame of his ſpirit may be to it; & the drunkard may condemne drunkenneſſe, and yet the frame of his ſpirit may be to it; a man may condemn ſtealing and lying, and yet the frame of his heart may be to it. Thou that preacheſt a man ſhould not ſteale, doſt thou ſteale? Thou that ſayeſt a man ſhould not commit Adultery, doſt thou commit Adultery? Thou that abhorreſt idols, doſt thou commit ſacriledg? Thou that makeſt thy boaſt of the Law, through breaking the law, diſhonoureſt thou God? But a Saints will is againſt it. The evill that I would not doe, I doe; and his affections are againſt⁵³⁰ it, what I hate, I doe.

1. 529. ‘Twas a good prayer of him that ſaid (Domine libera me a malo homine meipſo.) Lord deliver mee from an ill man my ſelfe. Auſtine complains, that men doe not tame the beaſts in their own boſomes. Rom. 2. 21, 22, 23.
2. 530. Rom. 7. 19. 17.

2. A Saint conflicts againſt ſin univerſally,⁵³¹ the leaſt as well as the greateſt, the moſt profitable, and the moſt pleaſing ſin, as well as againſt thoſe that are leſſe pleaſing and profitable; he will combate with all, though he cannot conquer one as he ſhould, and as he would; he knowes that all ſin ſtrikes at Gods holineſs, as well as his own happineſs; at Gods glory, as well as at his ſoules comfort and peace.

1. 531. Pſal. 119. 104. I hate every falſe way, Sanethi from שנא which ſignifies to hate with a deadlyly and irreconciliable hatred.

He knows that all ſinne is hatefull to God, and that all ſinns are Traytors to the Crown and dignity of the Lord Jeſus. He looks upon one ſin, and ſees⁵³² that that threw down Noah, the moſt righteous man in the world; and hee looks upon another ſinne, and ſees that that caſt down Abraham, the greateſt beleever in the world; and he looks upon another ſinne, and ſees that that threw down David, the beſt King in the world; and he looks upon another ſin, and ſees that that caſt down Paul, the greateſt Apoſtle in the world. He ſees that one ſinne threw down Sampſon, the ſtrongeſt man in the world; another caſt down Solomon, the wiſeſt man in the world; and another Moſes, the meekeſt man in the world; and another ſinn caſt downe Job, the patienteſt man in the world, and this raiſes a holy indignation in his ſoule againſt all: ſo that nothing can ſatisfie, and content⁵³³ his ſoule, but a deſtruction of all thoſe luſts and vermine, that vex and rack his righteous heart; it will not ſatisfie a gracious ſoul to ſee Juſtice done upon one ſin, but he cries out for Juſtice upon all; he would not have ſome crucified, and others ſpared, but cries out, Lord, crucifie them all, crucifie them all. Oh! but now the conflict that is p. 233 in wicked men is partiall; they frown upon one fin, and ſmile upon another; they ſtrike at ſome ſins, but ſtroake others; they thruſt ſome out of doors, but keep others cloſe in their boſomes, as you may ſee in Iehu, Herod, Iudas, Simon Magus, and Demas. Wicked men ſtrike at gtoſſe ſins, ſuch as are not only againſt the law of God, but againſt the Laws of nature and Nations; but make nothing of leſſe ſinnes, as vaine thoughts, idle words, ſinfull motions,⁵³⁴ petty oathes, &c. They fight againſt thoſe ſins that fight againſt their honor, profits, pleaſures, &c. but make truce with thoſe that are as right hands, and as right eyes to them, &c.

1. 532. He knows that all the parts of the old man hath, and doth play the part of a treacherous friend, and a friendly traytor; therefore his heart ſtrikes at all. The greater the combat is, the greater ſhall be the following rewards, ſaith Tertullian.
2. 533. True hatred is πρὸς γένη againſt the whole kind. Plutarch reports of one who would not be reſolved of his doubts, becauſe he would not looſe the pleaſure in ſeeking for reſolution. So wicked men will not be rid of ſome ſins, becauſe they would not looſe the ſeeming pleaſure of ſinning.
3. 534. John 3. 20.

3. The conflict that is in a Saint againſt ſin, is maintained by ſpirituall Arguments, by arguments drawn from⁵³⁵ the love of God, the honour of God, the ſweetneſs of communion with God, and from the ſpirituall and heavenly bleſſings, and priviledges that are conferred upon them by God, and from Arguments drawn from the blood of Chriſt, the glory of Chriſt, the eye of Chriſt, the kiſſes of Chriſt, and the interceſſion of Chriſt: And from Arguments drawn from the earneſt of the Spirit, the ſeale of the Spirit, the witneſſe of the Spirit, the comforts of the p. 234 Spirit. Oh! but the conflict that is in wicked men, is from low, earnall, and legall Arguments drawn from the eye, eare, or hand of the creature, or drawn from ſhame, hell, curſes of the Law, &c

1. 535. Though to be kept from ſin brings comfort to us, yet for us to oppoſe ſin from ſpirituall, and heavenly arguments, and God to pardon ſin, that brings moſt glory to God. 2. Cor. 12. 7, 8, 9.

4. The conflict that is in Saints is a⁵³⁶ conſtant conflict; though ſin and grace were not born in the heart of a St. together, and though they ſhall not die together, yet whilſt a Beeleever lives they muſt conflict together; Paul had been about fourteen years converted, when he cryed out, I have a law in my members rebelling againſt the law of my minde, and leading mee captive to the law of ſinne.

1. 536. ‘Twas an excellent ſaying of Euſebius Emeſenus; Our fathers overcome the torments of the flames, let us overcome the fiery darts of vices. Conſider that the pleaſure and ſweetneſs that follows victory over ſin, is a thouſand times beyond that ſeeming ſweetneſſe that is in ſinne.

Pietro Candiano, one of the Dukes of Venice, died fighting againſt the Nauratines, with the weapons in his hands: ſo a Saint lives fighting, and dies fighting, he ſtands fighting, and falls fighting, with his ſpirituall weapons in his hands. But the conflict that is in wicked men is inconſtant; now they fal out with ſin, and anon they fall in with ſin; now ‘tis bitter, anon ‘tis ſweet; now the ſinner turns from his ſin, and anon he turns to the wallowing in ſin, as the ſwine doth to the wallowing in the mire; one hour you ſhall have him⁵³⁷ praying againſt ſin, as if he feared it p. 235 more then hell, and the next houre you ſhall have him purſuing after ſin, as if there were no God to puniſh him, no juſtice to damne him, no hell to torment him.

1. 537. 2 Pet. 2. 19, 20.

The conflict that is in the Saints, is in the ſame faculties; there is the judgement againſt the judgement, the minde againſt the minde, the will againſt the will, the affections againſt the affections;⁵³⁸ that is, the regenerate part againſt the unregenerate part, in all the parts of the ſoule; but now in wicked men, the conflict is not in the ſame faculties, but between the conſcience and the will; the will of a ſinner is bent ſtrongly to ſuch and ſuch ſins; but conſcience puts in, and tels the ſinner God hath made me his Deputy, he hath given me a power to hang and draw, to examine, ſcourge, judge, and condemn, and if thou doeſt ſuch and ſuch wickedneſſe, I ſhall be thy Jaylor, and thy tormentor; I doe not beare the rod, nor the ſword in vaine, ſaith Conſcience; if thou ſinneſt I ſhall doe my office, and then thy life will be a hell, and this raiſes a tumult in the ſoule.

1. 538. A Heathen could ſay, their ſoule is in a mutiny; a wicked man is not friends with himſelf, he and his conſcience are at difference. Ariſt.

6. The conflict that is in the Saints, is a more bleſſed ſucceſſefull, and prevailing conflict; a Saint by his conflict with ſin, gaines ground upon his ſin. They p. 236 that are Chriſts (ſaith the Apoſtle) have⁵³⁹ crucified the world with the affections, and luſts. Chriſt puts to his hand, and helps them to lead captivity captive, and to ſet their feet upon the necks of thoſe luſts that have formerly trampled upon their ſouls and their comforts. As the houſe of Saul grew weaker and weaker, and the houſe of David grew ſtronger and ſtronger, ſo the Lord by the diſcoveries of his love, and by the influences of his ſpirit, he cauſes grace, the noble part of a Saint, to grow ſtronger and ſtronger, and corruption like the houſe of Saul, to grow weaker and weaker. But ſin in a wicked heart gets ground, and growes ſtronger and ſtronger; notwithſtanding all his conflicts, his heart is more encouraged, emboldened, and hardened in a way of ſin, as you may ſee in the Iſraelites, Pharoah, Jehu, and Judas; who doubtleſſe found many ſtrange conflicts, tumults, and mutinies in their ſouls, when God ſpake ſuch bitter things againſt them, and did ſuch juſtice upon them.

1. 539. Theſe two, Grace and Sin, are like two Buckets at a wel, when one is up, the other is down, they are like the two Lawrels at Rome, when one flouriſhes, the other withers. The more grace thrives in the ſoule, the more fin dies in the ſoule. 2 Tim. 3. 13. From naught they grow to be very naught, and from very naught, to be ſtark naught. Lactantius ſaith of Lucian, Nec diis nec hominibus pepercit, heſpared neither God nor man. Mortification is a continued act, ‘tis a daily dying to ſin. I dye daily. A crucified man will ſtrive and ſtruggle, yet in the eyes of the Law, and in the account of all that ſee him, he is dead; ‘tis juſt ſo with ſin. Pſal. 58. 11. There is no ſuch pleaſure (ſaith Cyprian) as to have overcome an offered pleaſure, neither is there any greater conqueſt, then that that is gotten over a mans corruptions.

But remember this by way of Caution, though Chriſt hath given ſinne its deaths wound (by his power, ſpirit, death, and reſurrection) yet it will die but a lingring death: As a man that is mortally wounded, dies by little and p. 237 little, ſo doth ſin in the heart of a Saint. The death of Chriſt on the Croſſe was a lingring death, ſo the death of ſin in the ſoule, is a lingering death, now it dies a little, and anon it dies a little, &c. as the Pſalmiſt ſpeaks, Slay them not leaſt my people forget, ſcatter them by thy power, and bring them downe oh Lord our ſhield. He would not have them utterly deſtroyed, but ſome reliques preſerved as a memoriall: ſo God dealeth in reſpect of ſin, ‘tis wounded and brought downe, but not wholly ſlaine, ſomething is ſtill left as a monument of the Divine grace, and to keep us humble, wakefull, and watchfull, and that our armour may be ſtill kept on, and our weapons alwayes in our hands. The beſt mens ſoules in this life hangs between the fleſh and the ſpirit, as it were like Mahomets Tomb at Aleppo, between two load-ſtones; like Eraſmus, as the Papiſts paint him, betwixt⁵⁴⁰ Heaven and Hell; like the Tribe of Manaſſeh, halfe on this ſide Jordan, in the Land of the Amorites, and halfe on that ſide in the Holy Land; yet in the iſſue they ſhall overcome the fleſh, and trample upon the necks of their ſpirituall enemies.

1. 540. The Romanes loſt many a battel, and yet in the iſſue were Conquerors in all their wars; ‘tis juſt ſo with the Saints.