To leave these knots, and come to our plain work; we have left Faith seated in the will: this is the thing which is contended about, who shall have the will, Lusts and the Creature, or God and Christ? I have seen a practise at many dinners made at Marriages, after the Offerings are made, the Brides Gloves are thrown upon the Table, and then two of the young men, who will show their gallant spirits, offer for the Gloves; one offers so much, the other offers ⟨p. 176⟩more; the other offers again, and out-bids him; so they go on till one lays down so much that the other will not out-bid him, then he that offers most carries away the Gloves in triumph, the standers by applauding him; the Gloves not worth a quarter of the money that he hath laid down, only he hath shown his gallantry, got some credit, a friend to the Bride, this contents him. This something resembles the way of God and Christ with the will, in opposition to Lusts and the Creature: Flesh and Christ offer for the will, who shall carry it: the Soul being prepared, as before we have shown, there is a great advantage which Christ hath in his offering for it why he should carry it. Pleasures, profits, riches, honours, are the great things with liberty and ease from troubles, which Flesh doth offer for the will: Yea, saith Christ, but who shall save thee from that wrath which is coming upon thee, and which now thou art sensible of will befall thee, for being a slave to thy flesh, thy lusts, the creature so long? that wrath being infinitely more evil, than is that good which Flesh offers: I offer them deliverance from wrath to come, 1 Thes. 1. last ver. this is fair bidding for the will, that lieth under the fears of this wrath, if God doth but cut asunder the thread of life: But if this be but only privative, and you must have positive good to satisfy your hungry appetite, let Flesh offer: Flesh offers fair promises, and what it doth is more by promises than performances. Christ, who is the Yea and Amen of all promises, 2 Cor. 1.20. he offers, exceeding great and precious promises, 2 Pet. 1.4. and will perform all to a word, as he did to Israel, Joshua 23.14. 1 Kings 8.56. Flesh offers pleasure, Christ offers Redemption from fleshly pleasures, thy Soul shall not any more be a slave to it, I will make thee free indeed. John 8.36.
To leave these knots, and come to our plain work; we have left Faith seated in the will: this is the thing which is contended about, who shall have the will, Lusts and the Creature, or God and Christ? I have seen a practise at many dinners made at Marriages, after the Offerings are made, the Brides Gloves are thrown upon the Table, and then two of the young men, who will shew their gallant spirits, offer for the Gloves; one offers so much, the other offers ⟨p. 176⟩more; the other offers again, and out-bids him; so they go on till one layes down so much that the other will not out-bid him, then he that offers most carries away the Gloves in triumph, the standers by applauding him; the Gloves not worth a quarter of the money that he hath layed down, only he hath shown his gallantry, got some credit, a friend to the Bride, this contents him. This something resembles the way of God and Christ with the will, in opposition to Lusts and the Creature: Flesh and Christ offer for the will, who shall carry it: the Soul being prepared, as before we have shewn, there is a great advantage which Christ hath in his offering for it why he should carry it. Pleasures, profits, riches, honours, are the great things with liberty and ease from troubles, which Flesh doth offer for the will: Yea, saith Christ, but who shall save thee from that wrath which is coming upon thee, and which now thou art sensible of will befall thee, for being a slave to thy flesh, thy lusts, the creature so long? that wrath being infinitely more evil, than is that good which Flesh offers: I offer them deliverance from wrath to come, 1 Thes. 1. last ver. this is fair bidding for the will, that lieth under the fears of this wrath, if God doth but cut asunder the thred of life: But if this be but only prirative, and you must have positive good to satisfie your hungry appetite, let Flesh offer: Flesh offers fair promises, and what it doth is more by promises than performances. Christ, who is the Yea and Amen of all promises, 2 Cor. 1.20. he offers, exceeding great and precious promises, 2 Pet. 1.4. and will perform all to a word, as he did to Israel, Joshua 23.14. 1 Kings 8.56. Flesh offers pleasure, Christ offers Redemption from fleshly pleasures, thy Soul shall not any more be a slave to it, I will make thee free indeed.
