Chapter 14: In What Respects the Stirrings and Motions of Corruption Are Very Burdensome
Christ came into the world specifically to dissolve the works of the devil, and our corruptions are works of the devil, closely tied to us, easily besetting us, as the Scriptures say. It was Christ's purpose to dissolve these works of the devil. When He hears His servants crying out, as Paul did, "Who shall deliver me?" He comes to cut this bond and give rest to their spirits.
You do well to struggle and strive against your corruptions with all your strength, but the greatest work you have to do is to renew your faith in Christ. Use those Scriptures where Christ is said to be our sanctification as well as our redemption, and act in faith upon them.
That is the way to ease your soul of these burdens.
Chapter 14 In What Respects the Stirrings and Motions of Corruption Are Very Burdensome:
1. They continually fight against the Spirit of Grace in the heart.
2. They are sudden.
3. They are full of confusion and disorder.
4. They work very maliciously.
5. They watch for opportunities to do mischief.
6. They are very unseasonable.
7. They are very prevalent.
Now, besides the corruption of our nature, the stirring of corruption is very burdensome to the soul. I suppose that if a man or woman
were aware of the corrupt nature within them—even if this corrupt nature did not stir—it would still be burdensome. But we must understand that this corrupt nature does not remain idle; it is always working, stirring, acting, and putting itself forth to do evil. Now, the motions of sin are burdensome.
First, they are continually fighting against the Spirit of God and the spirit of grace in the heart. The flesh lusts against the spirit. Now, to have a continual fight and conflict in the soul—is this not very burdensome? It is like a family where there is constant discord.
Imagine visiting a household where every day there is fighting and quarrelling—how burdensome it would be to live in such a place! In the hearts of men and women, there is a continual battle. If one lived in a family where the husband and wife were constantly fighting, with children and servants at each other's throats, that would be unbearable. Similarly, in the heart of man, the flesh and the spirit are constantly fighting against each other. Is not war within a kingdom a burden? Especially when men fight to make themselves slaves, as I mentioned earlier—who would ever have believed that anyone in England could be so foolish as to fight to make themselves and their posterity slaves? A victory in such a fight only brings them into slavery. The fight with corruption is no different.
II.
Second, the stirring of corruption is sudden. Many times, a man or woman who is godly and in a good spiritual state, working for God, will suddenly feel their corruption stirring within them,
unexpectedly. This causes extreme grief and dampens their spirits, often bringing them great trouble that only they can understand.
III.
Third, the stirring of corruption is violent. The stirrings of corruption in the hearts of the saints are often extremely violent and outrageous.
The devil stirs up their corruption, and the corruptions themselves act like devils within them. Just as the devil caused a man possessed to foam at the mouth, so too does the violence of corruption affect the hearts of the saints. It is a lamentable condition, much like the poor child possessed in the Gospel, whose father came to Christ for help because the evil spirit would cast him into the fire and into the water. Similarly, corruption is so violent in the hearts of the godly that it drives them to do things against their own inclinations— against their prayers, resolutions, vows, and covenants. Though they know something is evil, are convinced of it, and have a strong inclination against it—though they have prayed for help, resolved strongly against it, and made vows and covenants—even taken the sacrament and sealed their commitment—yet their corruption is so violent that it pushes them into evil ways, regardless.
IV.
Again, the motions and stirrings of corruption are very burdensome to the saints because of the confused disorder they bring. There is much disorder and confusion in the heart when corruption stirs, causing great disturbance. What causes more disturbance in a state, family, or town than confusion and disorder? Nothing is more disorderly and confused than the corruption in our hearts, which makes it burdensome. It causes much perplexity in the hearts of the
saints, as they find their corruptions working and stirring in such a confused way. Sometimes, during times of prayer or spiritual duty, they experience such strange, confused workings of their hearts, and this becomes an extreme burden upon them.
Further, the corruption of the heart works very maliciously, and is therefore all the more burdensome. It watches for those times when it may do us the greatest harm, and it is most active during those moments. A malicious enemy will not only trouble his adversary occasionally but will also watch for the best time to do him the most harm, saying, "I will take this opportunity." In the same way, the corruptions of men's hearts wait for the time when they may inflict the greatest mischief on the soul.
Many a Christian may think, "Though I find my corruption stirring often, if only I could be free from it when I get alone to commune with God! O, that it would leave me in peace at such a time!" And so, although they notice it stirring at other times, they wish it would at least not trouble them while they are hearing the word. But it is at that very moment that it becomes especially active. You will experience more evil thoughts during prayer than at any other time, and more distractions during the hearing of the word. Not only that, but if there is one particular truth that concerns the good of your soul more than others, your corruptions will hinder you more then than at any other time. Likewise, at the sacrament or during fasting, corruption will stir more actively than it does otherwise.
VI.
And further, if there comes a time through God's mercy, such as a day of prayer, fasting, or the like, when you manage to get your heart into a comfortable state—broken in spirit, with renewed resolutions to walk more strictly in God's ways than before—it is precisely after such times that your corruptions will stir more maliciously than ever.
When corruption can do you the most harm, that is when it is most active. What a burden this is to the soul!
As it is written of Christ at the end of Matthew's Gospel, following the account of His baptism, when He was baptised, the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in the form of a dove, and there was a manifestation of God from heaven: "This is my beloved Son, in whom
I am well pleased." But immediately afterward, the text tells us that He was led into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. God was at work, but the devil maliciously attacked straight after this glorious manifestation of God the Father. Just as it was with Christ your
Saviour, so you must expect it to be with you. When you have raised your heart to God on a day of fasting, prayer, or the like, and have felt a sense of God's love, be especially on guard against falling into complacency at that time, more so than at any other.
This is why, if you observe it, you will often find that after a day of fasting—if not that very night, then the next day—your heart's corruptions will strongly stir to bring you down immediately after that time of spiritual elevation. The stirrings of corruption are indeed malicious, watching for those moments when they may do the most harm.
VII.
Furthermore, the stirrings of the corruptions that remain within us are very burdensome because of their unseasonableness. To speak plainly, the stirrings of our corruptions, if gratified—even for the sake of peace—only grow stronger. Sometimes the heart of a man or woman is so troubled by the workings of corruption that they think they must yield to it just to find peace. But if you yield to them for the sake of quiet, they will return with even greater force than before.
It is like someone who pesters you to give them something, and when you give in because of their persistent trouble, they only become more burdensome, demanding more and more. The stirrings of corruption are like this: if you give in to them in one thing, they will keep pressing more. The only true peace you can find is by being in open defiance of them. This is yet another reason why the corruptions of the hearts of God's people are so burdensome.
VIII.
Lastly, the corruptions in the hearts of God's people are very burdensome because they are so prevalent. This is an even greater burden: they are burdensome at their root, even more burdensome in their stirrings, but even more burdensome when they prevail.
If a child of God looks into their heart and sees the root of bitterness, it causes them to walk heavily all their days. But when they also find that corruption stirs and works actively within them, it troubles them even more. They may think, "Though I have such a cursed nature, and though I cannot completely suppress the motions and stirrings