Chapter 2. In Which Is Showed What Is Meant by Flesh and Blood, and How the Christian Wrestles Against the Same

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SECT. I.

NOw followes the description of the Saints enemies, with whom he is to wrestle;

First, described Negatively, Not with flesh and blood.

Secondly, Positively, But against Principalities and Powers, &c.

First, for the Negative part of the Description; we are not to take it for a pure negation, as if we had no conflict with flesh and blood, but wholly and solely to engage against Satan; but by way of comparison, not only with flesh and blood, and in some sense not chiefly. It is usual in Scripture such manner of phrase, Luke 14:12. Call not your friends to dinner, but the poore; that is, not only those, so as to neglect the poor. Now what is meant here by flesh and blood? there is a double interpretation of the words.

First, by flesh and blood may be meant our own bosome-corruptions; that sin which is in our corrupt nature so oft called flesh in the Scripture; The flesh lusts against the Spirit, and sometimes flesh and blood, as Matth.6.17. Flesh and blood has not revealed this, that is, this Confession you have made comes from above; your fleshly corrupt minde could never have found out this supernatural truth, your sinful Will would never have embraced it. So, 1 Cor 15:20. Flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God, that is, sinful mortal flesh, as it's expounded in the words following. So, Galatians 1:21. I consulted not with flesh and blood, that is, carnal reason. Now this bosome-enemy may be called flesh, partly from its derivation, and partly from its operation; from its derivation, because it's derived and propagated to us by natural generation; thus Adam is said to beget a son in his own likenesse, sinful as he was, as well as mortal and miserable; yea, the holiest Saint on earth having flesh in him, derives this corrupt and sinful nature to his child, as the circumcised Jew begat an uncircumcised child; and the wheat cleans'd and fann'd (being sowen) comes up with a husk, John 3:6. That which is borne of the flesh is flesh.

Secondly, its call'd flesh from the operations of this corrupt nature, which are fleshly and carnal; The reasonings of the corrupt minde fleshly, therefore called the carnal minde, uncapable indeed of the things of God, which it neither does nor can perceive: As the Sunne does obsignare superiora dum revelat inferiora; hide the Heavens which are above it from us, while it reveales things beneath; so carnal reason leaves the creature in the dark concerning spiritual truths, when it is most able to conceive and discourse of creature-excellencies, and carnal interests here below. What a childish question, for so wise a man did Nicodemus put to Christ? though Christ to help him did wrap his speech in a carnal phrase. If fleshly reason cannot understand spiritual truths when thus accommodated, and the notions of the Gospel translated into its own language, what skill is it like to have of them, if put to reade them in their original tongue? I mean, if this garment of carnal expression were taken off, and spiritual truths in their naked hue presented to its view. The motions of the natural will are carnal, and therefore, Romans 8:5. They that are after the flesh, are said to minde the things of the flesh. All its desires, delights, cares, feares, are in and of carnal things; it savours spiritual food no more than an Angel fleshly. Omnis vita gustu ducitur: What we cannot relish we will hardly make our daily food. Every creature has its proper diet, the Lion eats not grasse, nor the horse flesh; what is food to the carnal heart, is poison to the gracious; and that which is pleasing to the gracious, is distastful to the carnal. Now according to this Interpretation the sense of the Apostle is not, as if the Christian had no combate with his corrupt nature, (for in another place it's said, the Spirit lusts against the flesh, and the flesh against the Spirit, and this enemy is called, [illegible], the sin that besets the Christian round) but to aggravate his conflict with this enemy by the accesse of a forreign power, Satan who strikes in with this domestick enemy. As if while a King is fighting with his own mutinous subjects, some out-landish troops should joyne with them, now he may be said not to fight with his subjects, but with a forrein power. The Christian wrestles not with his naked corruption, but with Satan in them; were there no devil, yet we should have our hands full in resisting the corruptions of our own hearts, but the accesse of this enemy makes the battel more terrible, because he heads them who is a Captain so skilful and experienced. Our sin is the engine, Satan is the Engineer; lust the bait, Satan the Angler; when a soul is enticed by his own lust, he is said to be tempted, James 1:14. because both Satan and our own lust concur to the compleating the sin.

First, let this make you, Christian, ply the work of mortification close; it is no policy to let your lusts have armes, who are sure to rise and declare against you when yours enemy comes. Achish his Nobles did but wisely, in that they would not trust David in their army, when to fight against Israel, lest in the battel he should be an adversary to them; And darest you go to duty, or engage in any action, where Satan will appear against you, and not endeavour to make sure of your pride, unbelief, &c. that they joyne not with yours enemy?

Secondly, are Satan and your own flesh against you, not single corruption, but edged with his policy, and backed by his power? see then what need you have of more help then your owne grace; take heed of grapling with him in the strength of your naked grace; here you have two to one against you: Satan was too hard for Adam, though he went so well appointed into the field, because left to himself, much more easily will he foile you; cling therefore about your God for strength, get him with you, and then though a worme, you shalt be able to deal with this Serpent.

SECT. II.

Secondly, flesh and blood is interpreted as a periphrasis of man. We wrestle not with flesh and blood, that is, not with man, who is here described by that part which chiefly distinguishs him from the Angelical nature; Touch me, says Christ, and handle me, a Spirit has not flesh. Now according to this Interpretation observe;

First, how meanly the Spirit of God speaks of man.

Secondly, where he layes the stresse of the Saints battel, not in resisting flesh and blood, but Principalities and Powers; where the Apostle excludes not our combate with man, for the war is against the Serpent and his seed. As wide as the world is, it cannot peaceably hold the Saints and wicked together; but his intent is to show, what a complicated enemy (mans wrath and Satans interwoven together) we have to deal with.

First, for the first, how meanly does the Spirit of God speak of man, calling him flesh and blood? Man has a Heaven-borne soul, which makes him a kin to Angels, yea, to the God of them who is the Father of Spirits; but this is passed by in silence, as if God would not owne that which is tainted with sin, and not the creature God at first made it, or because the soul, though of such noble extraction, yet being so immerst in sensuality, deserves no other name then flesh, which part of man levels him with the beast, and is here intended to express the weakness and frailty of mans nature. 'Tis the phrase which the Holy Ghost expresss the weakness and impotency of a creature by, Isaiah 31:3. They are men, and their horses are flesh; that is, weak; as on the contrary, when he would set out the power and strength of a thing, he opposs it to flesh, 2 Corinthians 10:3. Our weapons are not carnal, but mighty; and so in the text, not flesh and blood, but Powers. As if he should say, Had you no other to feare but a weak sorry man, it were not worth the providing armes or ammunition; but you have enemies that neither are flesh, nor are resisted with flesh; so that here we see what a weak creature man is, not only weaker than Angels, as they are Spirit, and he flesh, but in some sense beneath the beasts, as the flesh of man is frailer then the flesh of beasts, therefore the Spirit of God compares man to the grasse, which soon withers, Isaiah 40:6. and his goodlinesse to the flower of the field. Yea, he is called vanity, Psalms 62:9. Men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie, both alike vain; only the rich and the great man, his vanity is covered with honor, wealth, &c. which are here called a lie, because they are not what they seem, and so worse then plain vanity, which is known to be so, and deceives not.

Use. 1 First, Is man but fraile flesh? let this humble you, O man, in all your excellency, flesh is but one remove from filth and corruption: your soul is the salt that keeps you sweet, or else you wouldest stink above ground. Is it your beauty you pridest in? flesh is grasse, but beauty is the vanity of this vanity. This goodlinesse is like the flower, which lasts not so long as the grasse, appears in its moneth, and is gone, yea, like the beauty of the flower, which fades while the flower stands. How soon will times plough make furrowes in your face, yea, one fit of an Ague so change your countenance, as shall make your doting lovers afraid to look on you? Is it strength? alas, it is an arme of flesh, which withers oft in the stretching forth; ere long your blood which is now warm, will freeze in your veines; your Spring crown'd with May-buds, will tread on Decembers heel; your marrow dry in your bones, your sinews shrink, your legs bow under the weight of your body, your eye-strings crack, your tongue not able to call for help; yea, your heart with your flsh shall faile; and now you, who are such a giant, take a turne if you can in your chamber, yea, raise but your head from your pillow if you are able, or call back your breath, which is making haste to be gone out of your nostrils, never to return more; and darest you glory in that which so soon may be prostrate?

Is it wisdom? the same grave rhat covers your body, shall bury all that, (the wisdom of your flesh I mean) all your thoughts shall perish, and goodly plots come to nothing. Indeed, if a Christian, your thoughts as such shall ascend with you, not one holy breathing of your soul lost. Is it your blood and birth? whoever you art, you are base-borne till borne againe, the same blood runs in your veines, with the beggar in the street, Asts 17.26. All Nations there we finde made of the same blood, in two things all are alike, we come in and go out of the world alike; as one is not made of finer earth, so not resolved into purer dust.

Use. 2 Secondly, Is man flesh? trust not in man; Cursed be he that makes flesh his arme. Not the mighty man; robes may hide and garnish, they cannot change flesh, Psal. 146. Put not your trust in Princes; alas, they cannot keep their crownes on their own heads, their heads on their own shoulders, and lookest you for that which they cannot give themselves? Not in wise men, whose designes recoile oft upon themselves, that they cannot performe their enterprise.—Amphora coepit institui currente rot â cur urceus exit. Mans carnal wisdom intends one thing, but God turnes the wheele, and brings forth another. Trust not in holy men, they have flesh, and so their judgement not infallible, yea, their way sometimes doubtful. His mistake may lead you aside, and though he returns, you may go on and perish. Trust not in any man, in all men, no not in your self, you artflesh. He is a fool, (says the Wise man) that trusts his heart. Not in the best you are or doest, the garment of your righteousnesse is spotted with the flesh; all is counted by Saint Paul, confidence in the flesh, besides our rejoycing in Christ, Philippians 3:3.

Use 3 Thirdly, feare not man, he is but flesh. This was Davids resolv, Psalms 56:4. I will not fear what flesh can do unto me; you need'st not you ought'st not to fear. You need'st not. What, not such a great man, not such a number of men, who have the keyes of all the prisons at their girdle, who can kill or save alive, no, not these, only look they be your enemies for Righteousnesse sake. Take heed you makest not the least child yours enemy, by offering wrong to him, God will right the wicked even upon the Saint. If he offends, he shall finde no shelter under Gods wing for his sin. This made Jerome complain that the Christians sins made the armes of those barbarous Nations which invaded Christendome victorious: Nostris peccatis fortes sunt barbari. But if mans wrath findes you in Gods way, and his fury take fire at your holiness, you needest not feare, though your life be the prey he hunts for. Flesh can only wound flesh, he may kill you, but not hurt you, why shouldest you feare to be stript of that which you have resign'd already to Christ? 'tis the first lesson you learnest, if a Christian, to deny your self, take up your crosse, and follow your Master; so that the enemy comes too late; you have no life to lose, because you have given it already to Christ, nor can man take away that without Gods leave; all you have is ensured; and though God has not promised you immunity from suffering in this kinde, yet he has undertaken to beare your losse, yea, to pay you a hundred fold, and you shalt not stay for it till another world. Again, you ought'st not to feare flesh. Our Saviour, Mat. 10. thrice in the compasse of sixe verses, commands us not to feare man; if your heart quailes at him, how will you behave your self in the list against Satan, whose little finger is heavier then mans loines? The Romanes had arma praelusoria; weapons rebated or cudgels, which they were tried at before they came to the sharp. If you can not beare a bruise in your flesh from mans cudgel and blunt weapon, what will you do when you shalt have Satans sword in your side? God counts himself reproached when his children feare a sorry man; therefore we are bid, Sanctifie the Lord, and not to feare their feare. Now if you wouldest not feare man who is but flesh; Labor,

First, to mortifie your own flesh. Flesh only feares flesh: when the soul degenerates into carnal desires and delights, no wonder he falls into carnal feares. Have a care, Christian, you bring'st not your self into bondage: perhaps your heart feeds on the applause of men, this will make you afraid to be evil spoken of, as those who shuffled with Christ, John 12:42. owning him in private when they durst not confesse him openly, for they loved the praise of men; David says, the mouth of the wicked is an open Sepulchre; and in this grave has many a Saints name been buried; but if this fleshly desire were mortified, you would'st not passe to be judg'd by man, and so of all carnal affections. Some meat you observe is aguish; if you settest your heart on any thing that is carnal, wife, child, estate, &c. these will incline you to a base feare of man, who may be Gods messenger to afflict you in these.

Secondly, set faith against flesh. Faith fixeth the heart, and a fixed heart is not readily afraid. Physicians tell us we are never so subject to receive infection as when the spirits are low, and therefore the antidotes they give are all cordials: When the spirit is low through unbelief, every threatening from man makes sad impression. Let your faith take but a deep draught of the Promises, and your courage will rise.

Fourthly, comfort your self, Christian, with this, that as you are flsh, so your heavenly Father knows it, and considers you for it.

First, in point of affliction, Psalms 103:14. He knows our frame, he remembrs that we are but dust. Not like some unskilful Emperick, who has but one receipt for all, strong or weak, young or old, but as a wise Physician considers his Patient, and then writes his bill: men and devils are but Gods Apothecaries, they make not our physick, but give what God prescribes. Balaam loved Balks see well enough, but could not go an hairs breadth beyond Gods Commission. Indeed God is not so choice with the wicked, Isaiah 27:7. Has he smitten him, as he smote those that smote hm? In a Saints cup the poison of the affliction is corrected, not so in the wickeds, and therefore what is medicine to the one is ruine to the other.

Secondly, in duty; he knows you are but flesh, and therefore pities and accepts your weak service, yea, he makes apologies for you; The Spirit is willing, says Christ, but the flesh is weak.

Thirdly, in temptations he considers you are flesh, and proportions the temptation to so weak a nature: 'tis call'd [illegible], such a temptation as is common to man, a moderate temptation (as in the margin) fitted for so fraile a creature. Whenever the Christian begins to faint under the weight of it, God makes as much haste to his succour, as a tender mother would to her swooning child; therefore he is said to be nigh, to revive such, lest their spirits should faile.

SECT. III.

The second thing follows: The conjuncture of the Saints enemies; We have not to do with naked man, but with man led on by Satan; not with flesh and blood, but Principalities and Powers acting in them. There are two sorts of men the Christian wrestles with, good men and bad. Satan strikes in with both.

First, the Christian wrestles with good men. Many a sharp conflict there has been betwixt Saint and Saint, scuffling in the dark through mis-understanding of the truth, and each other: Abraham and Lot at strife. Aaron and Miriam justled with Moses for the wall, till God interposed and ended the quarrel by his immediate stroak on Miriam. The Apostles even in the presence of their Master, were at high words, contesting who should be greatest. Now in these Civil wars among Saints, Satan is the great kindle-coale, though little seen, because, like Ahab, he fights in a disguise, playing first on one side, and then on the other, aggravating every petty injury, and thereupon provoking to wrath and revenge: therefore the Apostle dehorting from anger, useth this argument, Give no place to the devil; as if he had said, Fall not out among your selves, except you long for the devils company, who is the true souldier of fortune (as the common phrase is.) living by his sword, and therefore hastes there where there is any hope of war. Gregory compares the Saints in their sad differences to two cocks, which Satan the Master of the pit sets on fighting, in hope, when kill'd to sup with them at night. Solomon says, Proverbs 18:6. The mouth of the contentious man calls for stroakes. Indeed we by our mutual strifes give the devil a staffe to beat us with; he cannot well work without fire, and therefore blows up these coales of contention, which he useth as his forge, to heat our spirits into wrath, and then we are malleable, easily hammer'd as he pleass. Contention puts the soul into disorder, and inter arma silent leges. The Law of grace acts not freely, when the Spirit is in a commotion; Meek Moses provok't, speaks unadvisedly. Me thinks this (if nothing else will) should sound a retreat to our unhappy differences, that this Joab has a hand in them, he sets this evil spirit betwixt brethren, and what folly is it for us to bite and devoure one another to make hell sport? we are prone to mistake our heat for zeal, whereas commonly in strifes between Saints, it is a fire-ship sent in by Satan to break their unity and order; wherein while they stand they are an Armado invincible, and Satan knows he has no other way but this to shatter them: when the Christians language which should be one, begins to be confounded, they are then neare a scattering; 'tis time for God to part his children, when they cannot live in peace together.

Secondly, the Christian wrestles with wicked men. Because you are not of the world, says Christ, the world hates you. The Saints nature and life are Antipodes to the world, fire and water, heaven and hell, may assoon be reconciled as they with it. The Heretick is his enemy for truths sake, the prophane for holiness, to both the Christian is an abomination, as the Israelite to the Egyptian; hence come wars▪ the fire of persecution never goes out in the hearts of the wicked, who say in their hearts as they once with their lips, Christiani ad leones. Now in all the Saints wars with the wicked, Satan is Commander in chief, 'tis their fathers work they do, his lusts they fulfil. The Sabeans plunder'd Job, but went on Satans errand. The Heretick broachs corrupt doctrine, perverts the faith of many, but in that the Minister of Satan, 2 Corinthians 11:15. they have their call, their wiles and wages from him. Persecutors their work ascribed to hell; is it a persecution of the tongue? 'tis hell sets it on fire; is it of the hand? still they are but the devils instruments, Revelation 2:10. The devil shall cast some of you into prison.

Use, 1 First, do you see any driving furiously against the truths or servants of Christ; O pity them as the most miserable wretches in the world, feare not their power, admire not their parts, they are men possessed of, and acted by the devil, they are his drudges and slaughter-slaves, as a Martyr call'd them. Augustine in his Epistle to Lycinius, one of excellent parts, but wicked, who once was his Scholar, speaks thus pathetically to him: O how I could weep and mourne over you, to see such a sparkling wit prostituted to the devils service! If you had found a golden chalice, you wouldest have given it to the Church, but God has given you a golden head, parts and wit, and in this propinas teipsum Diabolo, you drinkest your self to the devil. When you see men of power or parts, using them against God that gave them, weep over them; better they had lived and died, the one slaves, the other fools, then do the devil such service with them.

Use. 2 Secondly, O ye Saints, when reproached and persecuted, look further then man, spend not your wrath upon him; alas, they are but instruments in the devils hand; save your displeasure for Satan who is your chief enemy, these may be won to Christs side, and so become your friends at last Now and then we see some running away from the devils colours, and washing the wounds with their teares, which they have made by their cruelty. 'Tis a notable passage in Anselme, who compares the heretick and persecutour to the horse, and the devil to the Rider. Now, says he, in battel, when the enemy comes riding up, the valiant souldier, Non irascitur equo, sed equiti, & quantum potest agit ut equitem percutiat, equum possideat; sic contra malos homines agendum, non contra illos, sed illum qui illos instigat, ut dum Diabolus vincitur, infoelices quos ille possidet liberentur: He is angry not with the horse but horseman, he labors to kill the man that he may possess the horse for his use: Thus must we do with the wicked, we are not to bend our wrath against them, but Satan that rides them, and spurs them on labouring by prayer for them as Christ did on the Crosse, to dismount the devil, that so these miserable souls hackneyed by him may be delivered from him. 'Tis more honor to take one soul alive out of the devils clutches, then to leave many slain upon the field. Erasmus says of Augustine, that he begg'd the lives of those hereticks, at the hands of the Emperours Officers, who had been bloody persecutours of the Orthodox; Cupiebat, says he, amicus medicus superesse, quos arte suâ sanaret: Like a kinde Physician he desired their life, that if possible he might work a cure on them, and make them sound in the faith.

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