All this that hath been said tends not to the abating of our desire to
THE soul's conflict. 237
have a tender and bleeding heart for sin ; but that in the pursuit of this desire, we be not cast down so as to question our estates, if we feel not that measure of grief which we desire and endeavour after, or to refuse our portion of joy which God offers us in Christ, considering grief is no further good than it makes way for joy ; which caused our Saviour to join them together: blessed are the mourners, for they shall be comforted.' Being thus disposed, we may commit our souls to God in peace, notwithstanding Satan's troubling of us in the horn- of temptation.
Chapter XXIII. — Other spiritual causes of the souVs trouble discovered and removed ; and objections answered.
Another thing that disquiets and casts down the soul very much is, that inward conflict betwixt grace and corruption. This makes us most work, and puts us to most disquietment. Proximorum odia sunt acerbissiina. It is the trouble of troubles to have two inhabitants so near in one soul, and these to strive one against another, in every action, and at all times in every part and power in us : the one carrying us upward, higher and higher still, till we come to God ; the other pulling us lower and lower, further from him. This cannot but breed a gi*eat disquiet, when a Christian shall be put on to that which he would not, and hindered from that which he would do, or troubled in the performance of it, Rom. vii. 21-23. The more light there is to discern, and life of grace to be sensible hereof, and the more love of Christ, and desire from love to be like to him, the more irksome wiU this be. No wonder then that the apostle cried out, ' O wretched man that I am,' &c., Rom. vii. 24.
Here is a special use of trust in the free mercy of God in justification, considering all is stained that comes from us. It is one main end of God's leaving us in this conflicting condition, that we may live and die by faith in the perfect righteousness of Christ, whereby we glorify God more than if we had perfect righteousness of our own. Hereby likewise we are di'iven to make use of all the promises of gi-ace, and to trust in God for the per- formance of them, in strengthening his own party in us, and not only to trust in God for particular graces, but for his Spirit, which is the spring of all graces, which we have through and from Christ, who will help us in this fight until he hath made us like himself. We are under the govern- ment of grace ; sin is deposed from the rule it had, and shall never recover the right it had again. It is left in us for matter of exercise, and ground of triumph.
Obj. Oh, say some, I shall never hold out, as good give over at first as at last ; I fiind such strong inclination to sin in me, and such weakness to resist temptation, that I fear I shall but shame the cause ; I shall one day perish, by the hand of Satan strengthening my corruption.
A71S. Why art thou thus troubled? 'Trust in God,' grace will be above nature ; God above the devil, the spirit above the flesh. Be strong in the Lord, the battle is his, and the victor}' ours beforehand. If we fought in our own cause and strength, and with our weapons, it were something ; but as we fight in the power of God, so are ' we kept by that mighty power through faith unto salvation,' 1 Pet. i. 5. It lies upon the faithfulness of Christ, to put us into that possession of glory which he hath purchased for us ; therefore charge the soul to make use of the promises, and rely upon God for perfecting the good work that he hath begun in thee.
238 THE soul's conflict.
Corruptions be strong, but stronger is he that is in us than that corrup- tion that is in us. When we are weak in our own sense, then are we strong in him who perfecteth strength in our weakness, felt and acknowledged. Our corruptions are God's enemies as well as ours, and, therefore, in trust- ing to him and fighting against them, we may be sure he will take our part against them.
Obj. But I have great impediments and many discouragements in my Christian course.
Ans. What if our impediments be mountains, faith is able to remove them. 'Who art thou, 0 mountain?' Zech. iv. 7, saith the prophet. What a world of impediments were there betwixt Egypt and the land of Canaan, betwixt the return out of Babylon and Jerusalem ; yet faith removed all by looking to God's power and truth in his promise. The looking too much to the Anakkns and giants, and too little to God's omnipotency, shut the Israelites out of Canaan, and put God to his oath that they should ' never enter into his rest,' Ps. xcv. 11; audit will exclude our souls from happiness at length, if, looking too much upon these Anakims within us and without us, we basely despair and give over the field, considering all our enemies are not only conquered for us by our Head, but shall be conquered in us, so that in strength of assistance we fight against them. God gave the Israelites' enemies into their hands, but yet they must fight it out ; and what coward will not fight when he is sui*e of help and victory ?