Victory not to be had without fighting

THE sixth conclusion is, that this prevailing government shall not be without fighting ; there can be no victory where there is no combat; in Isaiah it is said, He shall bring judgment in truth, Isaiah xlii. 3; here it is said, he shall send forth judgment unto victory. The word send forth hath a stronger sense in the original, to send forth with force ; to shew, that where his government is in truth, it will be opposed, until he getteth the upper hand. Nothing is so opposed as Christ and his government, both within us and without us. And within us most in our first conversion, though corruption prevails not so far as to make void the powerful work of grace, yet there is not only a possibility of opposing, but a proneness to oppose, and not only a proneness, but an actual withstanding the working of Christ’s spirit, and that in every action, but yet no prevailing resistance so far as to make void the work of grace, but corruption in the issue yields to grace.

There is much ado, to bring Christ into the heart, and to set a tribunal for him to judge there, there is an army of lusts mutiny against him. The utmost strength of most men’s endeavours and parts is to keep Christ from ruling in the soul, the flesh still laboureth to maintain its own regency, and therefore it cries down the credit of whatsoever crosseth it, as God’s blessed ordinances, &c. and highly prizeth any thing, though never so dead and empty, if it give way to the liberty of the flesh.

And no marvel if the spiritual government of Christ be so opposed; 1. Because it is government, and that limits the course of the will, and casteth a bridle upon its wanderings ; every thing natural resists what opposeth it; so corrupt will labours to bear down all laws, and counteth it a generous thing not to be awed, and an argument of a low spirit to fear any, even God himself, until unavoidable danger seizeth on men, and then those that feared least out of danger fear most in danger, as we see in Balthasar, Dan. v. 6.

2. It is spiritual government, and therefore the less will flesh endure it: Christ's government bringeth the very thoughts and desires, which are the most immediate and free issue of the soul, into obedience; though a man were of so composed a carriage, that his whole life were free from outward offensive breaches, yet with Christ to be carnally or worldly minded is K death, Rom. viii. 6; he looketh on a worldly mind with a greater detestation than any one particular offence.

But Christ’s spirit is in those who are in some degree earthly minded.

Truth it is, but not as an allower and maintainer, but as an opposer, subduer, and in the end as a conqueror : carnal men would fain bring Christ and the flesh together, and could be content with some reservation to submit to Christ; but Christ will be no underling to any base affection ; and: therefore where there is allowance of ourselves in any sinful lust, it is a sign the keys were never given up to Christ to rule us.

3. Again, this judgment is opposed, because it is judgment, and men love not to be judged and censured. Now Christ, in his truth, arraigneth them, giveth sentence against them, and bindeth them over to the latter judgment of the great day. And therefore they take upon them to judge that truth that must judge them, but truth will be too good for them; man hath a day now, which St. Paul calls man’s day, 1 Cor. iv. 33, wherein he getteth upon his bench, and usurpeth a judgment over Christ and his ways; but God hath a day wherein he will set all straight, and his judgment shall stand. And the saints shall have their time, when they shall sit in judgment upon them that judge them now, 1 Cor. vi.2. In the mean time Christ will rule in the midst of his enemies, even in the midst of our hearts, Psalm cx. It is, therefore, no sign of a good condition to find all quiet, and nothing at odds: for can we think that corruption, which is the elder in us, and Satan the strong man, that keepeth many holds in us, will yield : possession quietly? No, there is not so much as a thought of goodness discovered by him, but he joineth with corruption to kill it in the birth. And as Pharaoh’s cruelty was especially against the male children, so Satan’s malice is especially against the most religious and manly resolutions.

This, then, we are always to expect, that wheresoever Christ cometh, there will be opposition: when ‘Christ was born all Jerusalem was troubled; so when ‘Christ is born in any man, the soul is in an uproar, and all because the heart is unwilling to yield up itself to Christ to rule it.

. Wheresoever Christ cometh he breedeth division, mot only 1. between man and himself, but, 2. between man and man, and, 3. between church and church: of ‘which disturbance Christ is no more the cause than physic is of trouble in a distempered body, of which noisome humours are the proper cause : for the end of physic is the peace of humours. But Christ thinketh it fit that the thoughts of men’s hearts should be discovered, and he is as rel for the falling as the wising of many in Israel, Luke ii. 34.

Thus the desperate madness of men is laid open, ‘that they had rather be under the guidance of their own lusts, and by consequence of Satan himself, to their endless destruction, than put their feet into ‘Christ’s fetters, and their necks under his yoke; whereas, indeed, Christ’s service is the only true liberty, his yoke is an easy yoke, his burthen but as the burthen of wings to a bird, that maketh her fly the higher. Satan’s government is rather a bondage ‘than a government, unto which Christ giveth up hinds that shake off his own, for then he giveth Satan and this factors power over them, since they will not receive the truth in love, 2 Thess. ii. 20; take him, Jesuit, take him, Satan, blind him and bind him, and lead him to perdition. Those that take. the most liberty to sin are the most perfect slaves, because most voluntary slaves; the will in every thing is either the best or the worst, the further men go on in a wilful course, the deeper they sink in rebellion; and the more: they cross Christ, doing what they will, the more they shall one day suffer what they would not.

In the mean time they are prisoners in their own souls, bound over in their consciences to the judgment of. him after death, whose judgment they would none of in their lives. And is it not equal that they should feel him a severe judge to condemn them, whom they would not have a mild judge to rule them ?