The conflict betvveene the flesh and the spirit. Or the last part of The Christian warfare wherein is described the nature of these combatants, the malice and power of the flesh and fleshly lusts, with the meanes whereby we may subdue and ouercome them. By Iohn Dovvname Batchelar in Diuinitie, and preacher of Gods Word.

CHAP. XI. Of certaine particular deceipts of the flesh respecting our persons.

* 1.1 BVt come we from the generall to some par∣ticulars, which as they are most common and ordinarie, so also most dangerous and pernicious, for more easily might I number the hayres of a mans head, or the starres of heauen. Yea the grasse in a large field, or stones vpō the sea shore, then al the deceipts of our corrupt flesh. Besides my late worthy assistant in the worke of my ministerie, that excellent light of Gods Church, which (ah) * 1.2 too soone did set vnto vs, that he might for euer gloriously shine in heauen, hath in his booke of the deceitfulnesse of the heart so sweetly and diuinely discoursed on this subiect, that hee hath eased me of this labour. Yet this discourse so necessarily requiring, that I should say something of this argument, as that it will seeme maymed if it goe without it, I wil a little insist vpon it, and for our more orderly procee∣ding I will referre these deceipts of the flesh to two princi∣pall heads. The first such as respect our persons and states, the other such as concerne certaine duties which God re∣quireth of vs. For the former, it is a common and most pernicious policy of the flesh to perswade vs, that wee are nothing so euill, corrupt and wicked as in truth we are. To the entertaining of which conceipt we are the more easily induced by reason of ignorance and blindnesse of minde, pride and selfe-loue which naturally raigns and rule in vs. For though we be wholly, from the crowne of the head to the sole of the foote, defiled with sinne, and thereby vtterly disabled vnto any good dutie; yet wee see that the most haue an opinion of their owne worth and excellencie; For many boast themselues in the goodnesse of their natures, as though therein they might be accepted, not only of men,

but also of God himselfe; many vaunt of their pure natu∣rals, and workes of congruitie, which before grace receiued they are able to performe in the strength of their naturall a∣bilities; many doe rest in their owne ciuill iustice and hone∣stie as though it were sufficient to iustifie them in Gods sight, many blesse themselues in their legall righteousnesse, as though therby they could merit heauen with some small helpe; and finally many with the Angell of the Church of Laodicia doe thinke themselues rich and so increased in goods, that they stand in neede of nothing; when as in truth they are wretched and miserable, poore, blinde and * 1.3 naked. But let vs take heede of this policie as beeing most dangerous & pernicious, seeing it maketh men rest in them∣selues and vpon the weake reede of their owne righteous∣nesse to their vtter perdition, and keepeth them from fly∣ing vnto Christ, and from hungring after his righteousnes by which alone we are iustified and saued. And as it keepeth vs from imbracing Christ by faith, so also it hindreth our repentance, and nourisheth in vs carnall securitie and hard∣nesse of heart: for we must first see our sinnes before we can euer bewaile or turne from them, and whilest we haue any opinion of our owne good natures, or our legall righteous∣nesse, wee can neuer as wee should bewaile our sinfull cor∣ruptions, nor carefully vse any meanes to bee purged from them.

* 1.4 Whereby it appeareth that no policie is more pernicious if it preuaile against vs, seeing it spoileth vs of our Sauiour Christ, and of all the gracious promises of life and saluation contained in the Gospell, which are all made on the condi∣tion of faith approued to bee liuely and iustifying by the fruits thereof in vnfained repentance. The which should moue vs to vse all our care and indeauour that wee may de∣feare it: to which purpose wee must not looke vpon our selues as we appeare in the twilight, or rather in the darke night of naturall knowledge, nor yet through the false spe∣ctacles of pride and selfe-loue, which will hide and disguise our vices and corruptions and make them to shew them∣selues

in vertues colours; but wee must looke vpon our selues in the glasse of the lawe, and try our thoughts and words, our workes and our wayes by the rule of Gods word, and so shall wee plainely discouer our blemishes and difilements, yea our monsterous deformities and vgly cor∣ruptions, with the auersenesse of our willes to all good, and the peruersenesse and crookednesse of our hearts affections. For there shall wee see that our vnderstandings are so blin∣ded that though they be wise vnto euill, yet to doe good * 1.5 they haue no knowledge; that our iudgements are wholly * 1.6 corrupted, mistaking euill for good, and good for euill, right for wrong, and wrong for right, trueth for falshood, and falshood for trueth; that our imaginations are euill and that continually; that our consciences are either seared through securitie or affrighted with terrours and horrours through despaire, and either accusing when they should excuse, or excusing when they should accuse; that our memories are slippery to retaine any good thing, and retentiue like brasse or yron in keeping and preseruing sinfull and wicked im∣pressions, that our willes stand in open rebellion against God nilling what he willeth, and willeth what he nilleth. That our hearts are auerse to all goodnesse and cleaue fast to all worldly and sinnefull vanities; that our affections are wholly corrupted and disordered and all the members of our bodies are the ready instruments of sinne. There shall wee finde that by reason of this corruption we are notable to thinke a good thought, nor so much as will that which is good, that we are altogether vnprofitable seruants, yea * 1.7 rather the slaues of sinne and Sathan▪ the children of wrath, and not onely sicke but euen starke dead in our sinnes; that we haue not onely in vs vtter barrennesse of all good, but the seedes of all wickednesse, lurking and lying hid, which sproute foorth vpon all occasions, when as they receiue any warmth and moysture from the temptations of Sathan and * 1.8 the world; yea would of themselues daily come to growth and ripenesse if they were not continually nipped and re∣strained by the common grace of Gods spirit, Finally that

the blacke-moore may as easily change his blackenesse, and the leopard his spots, as we our sinnefull condition into a better estate; yea that in stead of making any satisfaction by paying the olde score, we are ready to encrease our debt by adding new sins vnto the olde, and so plunge our selues into more fearefull condemnation. And thus may we defeate this pollicy of the flesh and comming vnto a true sight of our owne naturall vildenesse, we may abhorre our selues in sackcloath and ashes, and renouncing our owne righteous∣nesse, may hunger after the all-sufficient righteousnesse of * 1.9 Christ, and applying it vnto vs by a liuely faith may find it effectuall for our iustification and saluation.

* 1.10 Secondly as the flesh perswadeth vs that we are nothing so ill as we are in respect of our sinnefull condition, so that the good things which wee seeme to haue are farre better and of much greater excellency then in truth they are, and as there it lookes vpon our faults and vices though the thick fogge of ignorance which maketh them to bee scarce visible and discernable; so when it beholdeth any appea∣rance of good in vs it putteth on the spectakles of pride and selfe-loue which make them seeme to be farre greater then they are in deede; euery moal-hill a great mountaine, and euery small starre as large as the Sunne it selfe. Thus it magnifieth to a meere worldly man the goodnesse of his nature, as though this alone without any further helpe would bring him to heauen; and maketh him beleeue that his common guifts are speciall endowments, that Gods re∣strayning grace in him, is sanctifying and sauing grace, and his moderated and blunted vices and corruptions to bee singular vertues and great perfections. Thus it perswadeth the proude iustifiarie to rest in his inhaerent righteousnesse and legall obedience for his iustification and saluation. And to this ende it bleareth his eyes so as he cannot see a∣ny wants and imperfections in it, and worketh in him a conceipt, that it is most perfect both in the parts and de∣grees, when as there is nothing but defects and corrupti∣ons. Thus it made the younge man in the Gospell to

boast that he had done all commaunded in the law, when * 1.11 he had transgressed all; and to aske after a greater taske, what lacke I yet, when as his worke was not so much as be∣gunne, * 1.12 and as yet he had done nothing. Thus it made the proude Pharisie to bragge of his legall righteousnesse euen vnto God himselfe, and to rest in his paying of smal tithes, minte, commine and Annise, as though he had done the waightie things of the lawe. Finally thus it perswadeth the sincere professor to ouerweene his guifts, and to mag∣nifie aboue measure the graces which he hath receiued. It maketh him beleeue that his little mite is a rich treasury, and his small graine of musterseede, and first degrees of faith, to be already a great tree; that hee is good wheate a∣ble to indure the fanne or the blasts of any temptations, whereas if Christ prayed not for him, that his faith might not faile, hee would when Sathan should sift him, prooue but light corne, if not very chaffe; Finally that hee is so strong in Christ, that he can willingly suffer martyrdome for his name sake, and with Peter to presume that though all the world should forsake him, yet he would not; when as the voyce of a poore damosell will make him start backe, and the smallest losse of goods or impeachment to his credit, will easily moue him to abiure his profession. The issue of which deceipt is most dangerous if by Gods grace it bee not preuented, for the maine ende at which our deceitfull flesh herein aymeth is, either to puffe vs vp so in pride, that wee forget God the sole authour of our guifts, and spoyle him of his praise, by arrogating it vnto our selues; and that we growe insolent in respect of men, contemning those who in our false conceipt come short of vs. And secondly that we rest contented with that mea∣sure of grace which we haue, as being abundantly suffici∣ent; and neuer vse any meanes, whereby our imperfect and defectiue graces may be encreased and growe to grea∣ter perfection.

* 1.13 Now if we would stand in the day of temptation, and not be ouertaken with this deceipt of the flesh; the best

way is first, that we decke our selues with humilitie, as the A∣postle exhorteth: remembring that the way to obtaine * 1.14 more grace at the hands of our heauenly father, is to be∣moane our small measure, to bee emptie in our owne conceipt, & to hunger and thirst after more, for he resisteth the proude, but giueth his grace to the humble, hee filleth the * 1.15 hungry with good things, but sendeth the rich empty away; neither doeth he euer raise and build the goodly pallace of his grace and vertue, but where he hath first laid the foun∣dation of humilitie. And therefore let vs not (as the Apo∣stle * 1.16 exhorteth vs) thinke of our selues more highly then wee ought to thinke, but thinke soberly, according as God hath dealt to euery man, the measure of faith. Secondly, let vs cast away those false spectakles of pride and selfe-loue, which make our small guifts to seeme so great, and examine our graces by the neuer-deceiuing light of Gods word. And there we shall plainely see how farre we come short of that perfection which God requireth, what a little pittance it is we haue in comparison of that which we want, and how our small measure is blotted and stained with the flesh of our corruptions. Thirdly, let vs not commend our graces to the eye of our deluded iudgements as shopkeepers doe their courser wares, by setting courser by them; wee haue in our sight the example of others who come short of vs; but let vs compaire our little sparkes of grace with those bright flames which haue shonne in the Patriarches, Pro∣phets and Apostles, yea in our Sauiour Christ himselfe, and so we shall not be proude of our progresse, but ashamed rather of our small, profitiencie; and with the Apostle forgetting those things which are behinde, and reaching foorth * 1.17 to those things which are before, wee shall presse towards the marke, for the price of the high calling of God, in Christ Iesus.

Notes

• * 1.1

  §. Sect. 1. The first deceipt that wee are no∣thing so euill as in truth we are
• * 1.2

  M. Daniell Dike.
• * 1.3

  Apoc. 3. 17.
• * 1.4

  §. Sect. 2. The meanes to defeate the for∣mer policie.
• * 1.5

  Eph. 4. 18.
• * 1.6

  Ier. 4. 22.
• * 1.7

  1 Cor. 3. 5. Phill. 2. 12. Eph 2. 1. 3.
• * 1.8

  Ier. 13. 23.
• * 1.9

  Iob. 42.
• * 1.10

  § Sect 3. The second pollicie that the good things in vs are much better then in truth they are
• * 1.11

  Mat. 19. 20.
• * 1.12

  Luke. 18. 11. & 23. 23.
• * 1.13

  §. Sect. 4. The meanes to defeate the for∣mer pollicie.
• * 1.14

  1 Pet. 5. 5.
• * 1.15

  Lucke. 1. 53.
• * 1.16

  Rom. 12. 3.
• * 1.17

  Phil. 3. 13.