t Consult Brook, supra, iii. 289 seq.
CYin MEMOIR OF RICHAED SIBBES, D.D.
nearest friend of all our own flesh, is the most dangerous traitor, and there- fore most dangerous because most near, more near to us than the devil himself, with which, if he had no intelligence, all his plots would come to nothing ; this holding correspondence with him, layeth us open to all danger ; it is this inward bosom enemy that doth us most mischief. When Phocas (hke another Zimrj) had killed his master, Mam-icius the emperor, he laboured like Cain, to secure himself with building high walls, after which he heard a voice telling him, that though he built his walls never so high, yet sin within the walls would undermine all. It is true of every particular man, that if there were no tempter without, he would be a tempter to him- self ; it is this lust within us that hath brought us an ill report upon the creature. This is that which makes blessings to be snares unto us ; all the corruption which is in the world is by lust, which lieth in our bosom, 2 Pet. i. 4, and as Ahithophel, or Judas, by familiarity betrayeth us, yea, oftentimes in our best afiections, and actions, nature will mingle without * zeal, and privy pride will creep in, and taint our best performances with some corrupt aim. Hence it is, that our life is a continual combat. A Chi-istian, so soon as new bom, is born a soldier, and so continueth until his crown be put upon him ; in the mean time our comfort is, that ere long, we shall be out of the reach of all tentation ; ' the God of peace will tread down Satan under our feet,' Rom. xvi. 20. A carnal man's life is nothing but a strengthening and feeding of his enemy, a fighting for that which fighteth against his soul. Since Satan hath cast this seed of the serpent into our souls, there is no sin so prodigious, but some seed of it Im'keth in our natm-e ; it should humble us to hear what sins are forbidden by Moses, which if the Holy Ghost had not mentioned, we might have been ashamed to hear of, they are so dishonourable to our nature ; the very- hearing of the monstrous outrages committed by men, given up of God, as it yields matter of thanks to God for preservation of us, so of humility, to see our common nature so abused, and so abased by sin and Satan. Nay, so catching is our nature of sin, that the mention of it, instead of stiri'ing hatred of it, often kindles fancy to a liking of it ; the discovery of devilish policies and stratagems of wit, though in some respects to good purpose, yet hath no better effect in some, than to fashion their wits to the like false practices ; and the innocency of many ariseth not from the love of that which is good, but from not knowing of that which is evil.
And in nothing the sinfulness of sin appears more than in this, that it hindereth all it can, the knowledge of itself, and if it once be known, it studieth extenuation, and translation upon others ; sin and shifting came into the world together ; in St James his time, it seems that there were some that were not afraid to father their temptations to sin, upon him that hateth it most (God himself), whereas God is only said to try, not to tempt. Our adversaries are not far from imputing this to God, who maintain concupiscence, the mother of all abominations, to be a condition of nature as first created, only kept in by the bridle of original righteousness, that from hence, they might the better maintain those proud opinions of perfect fulfilling the law, and meriting thereby. This moved St James to set down the true descent and pedigree of sin ; we ourselves are both the temptei-g and the tempted ; as tempted we might deserve some pity, if as tempters we deserve not blame. In us there is both fii-e and matter for fire to take hold on. Satan needs but to blow, and oftentimes not that neither ; for many, if concupiscence stir not up them, they will stir up concupiscence. So long * Qu. ' with our ?' — Ed.
MEMOIR OF RICHARD SIBBES, D,D. CIX