A helpe to true happinesse. Or A briefe and learned exposition of the maine and fundamentall points of Christian religion. By Mr. Paul Bayne

QVEST. X.

10. Q. CAn a man of himselfe get foorth?

A. No, and beside hee hath three enemies, the flesh, the Deuill, and the world, who labour to hold him in it.

[Obser. 1] The first thing here to be

obserued is, That there is no strength in vs to helpe our selues into the state of saluati∣on. Were we borne blinde, deafe, dumbe in regard of these naturall senses, there is no power in vs, or in all the Creatures to restore vs, al∣though these things exceede not natures compasse, in re∣gard of the sense to bee wrought, but onely in re∣spect of the maner of work∣ing it: Now how much lesse haue wee, or any Creatures strength to restore our selues to the sight and hearing of the heart, which of them∣selues are matters altogether supernaturall: Wee know not, neithera 1.1 can we know; we obey not, neitherb 1.2 can we be subiect;c 1.3 wee are of no strength, and looke as

men naturally dead can doe nothing to helpe themselues into this present life, though while they are sicke onely, some little thing they may doe this way; So they who are dead in sinnes, and tres∣passes, and estranged from the life of Godd 1.4, which all are; they can doe nothing toward their quickning spi∣ritually. Our Vnderstanding is dead in ignorance, dead in error, vanity, and folly; our Will in vtter auersenesse, for there is no man but vnder∣standeth more of GOD and his Will, then he hath Will to follow, or affections to like of.

[Ʋse 1] This Question vnder∣standingly answered, doth seuer vs and Papists. Why can we not helpe our selues?

we say because wee haue no power from which such a su∣pernaturall action shold pro∣ceede, the most of them say, because wee want freedome to exercise that power of our Will, which is still left in vs; Let a man be laden with irons, why can he not walke? not because hee wants a fa∣cultie to mooue himselfe, from place to place; but be∣cause he is so clogged, that he cannot put into act, that power, he hath. This doth obscure Gods Grace, and extoll the power of mans will. If one should say his Physician did helpe him a little, but deny the greatnes of his Cure, should hee not dishonour him? Should the blinde whose eyes Christ o∣pened haue said, indeede hee

did cleare our sight, but we had the power of sight in vs before he tooke vs in hand, would not this derogate from his glory? So to say, indeed he did helpe vs when we were weake, and sicke, but not quicken vs as being dead, is it not to obscure the grace of Christ?

[Vse 2] Wherefore let vs arrogate nothing to our selues, God would haue vs to acknow∣ledge that we haue nothing but sinne, and misery, and to come vnto him indowed with true humilitie; Like as proud wiues stand vpon it that they came to their Hus∣bands, and brought this and this; So doe the Papists, but as the one is odious to man, so is the other most hatefull to God also.

The second thing to bee [Obser. 2] obserued is, That there is in vs much resistance to our sal∣uation. By reason of our na∣turall corruption we not on∣ly haue nothing which might further vs, but wee haue in vs that sinne, and corruption which doth fight against the worke of grace, more then water fighteth with the heate of fire: In which regard the power restoring vs, must be more glorious then that which first created all things. In particular, our Flesh is our greatest hinderance: by Flesh is meant corruption of minde, will, and affections, which doth shew it selfe in the outward man whose members are so many in∣struments, and weapons of

that inward vnrighteous∣nesse.* 1.5 The wisedome of the flesh is enmity against God, which cannot subiect it selfe vnto him. Wee may illu∣strate these particulars by considering this corruption, either as it hath the respect of a sicknesse in our Soule, deprauing it in all the facul∣ties of it; Or as it is a con∣cupiscence, and adulterous loue to the Creature.

Now looke as it is with sicke men, their sicknesse desires that which doth feed it, and maketh them most a∣uerse from those medicines, diets, and exercises where∣with they should be cured: So our corruption doth in∣cline vs to such courses, making vs set against all that which should helpe vs. If

you thinke of it as of adulte∣rous loue, looke as nothing doth so keepe an Adulte∣resse from returning vnto the loue of her Husband, as her own false vnchast heart; So nothing doth so much keepe vs from returning to God as this adulterous con∣cupiscence of our owne hearts.

Oh then let vs deny our selues, our owne wise∣dome, will, and affections which make vs (like Mad∣men) to thinke all against vs that should doe vs good. For knowledge, wee hope wee know enough, there was better liuing, when there was lesse knowne. For beleeuing, what saith the flesh, dost thou see a∣ny reason for it? canst

thou perceiue any such thing as they speake? Let them say what they will, but let them pardon thee for be∣leeuing before thou dost see more: For more neere care of Christian dutie. What? shall none go to heauen, but those who are so forward, there is measure in euery thing. In steed of yeelding to Meanes, as the Word, catechizing, &c. It is strange what the flesh will obiect: Men thinke it is, to make their children soft, and to take away their spirits to bring them to such kinde of instruction; But let vs learne to deny our selues, wee are like sicke men, between our sicknesse, that is, the corrup∣tion of our Nature on the one hand, and the voice of

our Physician Christ, giuing vs counsell in his word on the other, if wee will leaue the Physician and hearken to our sicknesse, then it will grow on vs, and we shall pe∣rish: But if we listen not to our disease, yeelding to it, but cleaue to the counsell of our Phisician, then shall our sicknesse be ouercome, and we shall liue.

Thirdly, The Deuill is also [Obser. 3] busie to hinder our comming forth of this estate, and our re∣turning to God. The Strong man will bussle before hee will leaue his possession. Euen as Pharaoh hindred the going foorth of Israell from bondage, so will this spirituall Pharaoh, our deli∣uerance from vnder his spi∣rituall captiuitie. Looke as

many hinder the well-doing of sicke persons, who will counsell them, and put vp∣on them things that feede their disease, if they be for the present a little delight∣full: So doth the Deuill who doth nothing else, but animate men, and helpe them to that which may more and more increase their corruption, and dis∣swade them from that which would truely remedy their euils. Againe looke as Bawdes, and Pandors, and such like creatures do much hurt in holding the hearts of vncleane women, to their vncleane courses: So the de∣uill who indeed is no other then a Pandor going be∣tweene the adulterous Soule on the one side, and the

world who is the Paramour of it on the other, bewitch∣ing the hart of the one more and more with the other.

Let vs therefore take heed of him, [Ʋse] if we haue a thought of turning a new leafe. What? will you turne Puri∣tane? will you haue all olde friends talk of you? will you forgoe all olde pleasures, which with such & such you haue inioyed? and cast your selfe on such melancholie austerities?* 1.6 Oh master be good to thy selfe. The truth is, when wee are hindred from doing good, the Deuill doth hinder vs; when we are rea∣dy to fall from performing any good motion or pur∣pose, which a better Spirit inspired into vs, thea 1.7 Deuill doth steale away this seede:

When wee are stirred vp to lust,* 1.8 wrath, &c. the Deuill doth blow vp this fire;* 1.9 Let not the sunne go downe vpon your wrath, giue not place to the Deuill.

Obiect. We see no such thing.

Answ. We see not how Gods Spirit doth worke in vs euery good will, worke, and word, yet we know that his Spirit worketh in vs all that is of this nature.* 1.10 The Deuill hideth himselfe; Sometimes hee commeth to vs in wicked persons perswading vs: Sometimes (as to our SAVIOVR in Peter, and to Gods Prophet by an old Prophet) in good persons: Sometimes hee doth insinuate himselfe with our owne inclinations, as at

this or that time he doth see them bent: Sometimes by outward occasions he doth prouoke vs: Looke as Fou∣lers couch vnder their stalk∣ing-horse, that they may shoote the more securely, and deadly; So doth he keep out of sight, that he may kill vnexpected: Wherefore let vs not only spit at his name, but turne away from him in these enterprises, by which he maketh vs rest in our na∣turall estates; as good e∣nough, though the issue of them is death.

Lastly, we are to obserue, [Obser. 4] That the world is no small hin∣derance, keeping vs backe from returning to God, and to the way of pence. By the World we are to vnderstand world∣ly minded persons, and

things in the world: whe∣ther intellectuall, as the wise∣dome of it.* 1.11 Not many wise. Or externall, as the profits, pleasures, pompe, or ought of this kinde: For though these of themselues bee good, yet by accident wee are much hurt by them, as wine though good of it selfe doth much hurt vnto per∣sons intemperate. The World destinguished from the Flesh doth seeme thus to be taken. Looke as the sicke man is much hindered from recouering, by the pre∣sence of things which pro∣uoke his appetite; but feede his sickenesse: So the pre∣sence of those things which so disdiet the Soule, and che∣rish our lusts, are very dan∣gerous. And as vncleane

women are much intangled and hindred from returning to conjugall loue, and duty, by the presence of strange Louers, and Paramoures: So are we; for these things are as it were the adulterous friends with which our soule entreth league of vncleane amitie against God: Hence it is that as many Women are reclaimed, when they are now translated from such company: So the soules of many returne to God, when now he hath stripped them of these things, though be∣fore they would not once seeke after him, or cast a looke toward him.

Let vs then take heede of the baites of this world; [Vse] many are insnared with them: they shew meate, but

they are a couered hooke, and worke murther. How many hath the world kept from Christ?* 1.12 We haue bought Oxen, and a Farme. How many haue they made fol∣low Christ by the halues, and at length slide backe quite from him, like that Demas.

* 1.13But aboue all things let vs take heede of our owne cor∣ruption; but for this, nei∣ther the Deuill, nor the world could haue any power ouer vs; In vaine should one knocke at the doore where there were none within to looke out, and answere: In vaine should the Deuill knocke by his perswasions at our harts, did there not dwell in them these lusts which would

looke out to him too readi∣ly, and therefore hee could doe nothing in Christ in whom hee could finde no∣thing of this nature. Againe though the Deuill be illece∣brarum adiutor,* 1.14 a Furtherer of all prouocations to lust; and (as vncleane persons helpe complexion with the painting box) doth make them seeme to vs good in farre greater degree then they are. Yet they would not be able to tempt vs effe∣ctually, had we not this lust in vs. Looke as man while he is now in a hot fit of his ague, while this heate doth possesse him, O he thinketh drinke the onely thing, and counteth them happie that may drinke enough; but when this distemper is ouer,

though the pot were by him, careth not to tast it; So these earthly things, when concupiscence is vp, Oh a∣lasse (such false glasses these are) that our iudgement, and estimation doe thinke them so good that wee may not forbeare them, when the same things at another time (when lust is somwhat subdued) doe little or no∣thing stirre our desires; that hee would thinke his Phan∣tasie and senses were by some jugling delusion cor∣rupted; So different is the iudgement we haue of the same persons & things at one time aboue another.

Notes

• a 1.1

  1 Cor. 2 14.
• b 1.2

  Rom. 8.7
• c 1.3

  Rom. ••.••
• d 1.4

  Eph. 2.1. & 4.18.
• * 1.5

  Rom. 8.7.
• * 1.6

  Mat. 16.22
• a 1.7

  Mat. 13.19.
• * 1.8

  Math. 13.19.
• * 1.9

  Eph. 4.26.27.
• * 1.10

  Phil. 2.13.
• * 1.11

  1 Cor. 1.26.
• * 1.12

  Luke. 14.18.19.
• * 1.13

  2 Tim. 4.10.
• * 1.14

  Ioh. 14.30.