reason that so many become very unsavoury and unfruitful in their lives the reason is because they do not watch what drowsie thoughts have we to be delivered from the wrath of God what lumpish heartlesse care have we to doe good duties This is the reason of the vanity of our minds and the hardness of our hearts and that so little good is done by preaching among us because people doe not watch When you sow your corn you set hullers to drive away the fowls so why doe you not set up hullers a watch over your own hearts that so it temptations come to pick away the Word and the benefit of it you may resist them how should we labour to hide the Word in our hearts that it may do us good The second Use is to exhort us all to take up this duty of watchfulnesse Vse 2 nay to watch in all things as the Apostle speaks 2 Tim. 4 5. to watch in our eating and drinking that we may not eat and drink our bane to watch in company that if they be good we may get good by them if evill we may get no hurt from them we should watch in good duties for we shall meet with the Devil there too every one that hath the fear of God before his eyes whatsoever grace he hath he should watch over it whatsoever good work he hath to doe he should watch that he may goe on in it for watchfulnesse is an helpfull duty watch and pray it is helpful to prayer and so for all other duties it is a duty destinated to another duty so that we can doe no other duty without watchfulnesse therefore we had need to watch First Consider the misery of them that doe not watch they must needs decline and wax worse and worse you see the Church of Sardis here for want of watchfulness grew dead nay the very good things in her were ready to die Secondly Consider the good of watchfulnesse if we watch we shall be satisfied with grace if we have grace we shall increase it Prov. 20.13 Slothfulness keeps a man in poverty but he that openeth his eye shall be satisfied with bread It is true as in outward things so in spiritual things let a man be drowsie and slothful he shall be a poor man and a beggar and shall have nothing to shew for eternal life but if thou wilt open thine eyes and look about thee thou shalt be satisfied with bread with the bread of life with the image of God with righteousness and holiness the more thou watchest the more abundantly will God bless thee Thirdly Consider that men in their outward callings are watchful the shepherds watch their flocks and the husbandman his seasons when to sow and when to reap his corne when to sell it and when to buy it how much more should we for the good of our souls Fourthly We should consider the examples of Gods Saints David he watched at midnight I will arise and praise thee he would rise out of his bed in the night and pour out his heart before God and bless God for his goodness he would not doe it in his bed but he would goe out of his bed and doe it by his bedside upon his knees how should this stir us up to watchfulnesse Now I come to the second Remedy and that is to strengthen the things that remain and the rather because they are but remainders and ready to die and their deeds are not perfect before God These words are diversly interpreted by Divines some understand them personally Strengthen those persons that remain as if he should say to the Angel of the Church Thy people are generally cold and dead and drowsie there is hardly any life in them now those that do remain strengthen them that they may be awakened they are ready to die there are hardly any of thy hearers that are upright and sincere before God therefore strengthen them thus Pareus and many others interpret it and this is a very good sense for a Minister is bound to strengthen all his people if any be drowsie to awaken them if any be dead to quicken them and the Lord complains against Ministers when they doe not doe thus Ezek. 3.4 The diseased have they not strengthened c. But then there is another Exposition of these words given by Divines that understand it of things and not of persons and so it is in the Original Strengthen the things that remain that both Minister and people would strengthen the good things that were in them for the Minister was grown weak and remiss and the people weak in all good things Now the Spirit calls upon the Angel of this Church and in him upon all the Congregation to strengthen the good things that were in them So that the point of Doctrine is this that it is every Christians duty to labour that he might be strengthened specially if he hath had more grace formerly then now he hath it is every Christians duty to strengthen the good things that are in him For the opening of this word strengthen it hath an opposition to weakness Now there is a double weakness First Of those people that are unconverted that are weak to the resisting of sin and doing any that is good they have some principles in them to resist sin and doe good but they are weak as common illuminations and natural conscience and fear of wrath and hope of Heaven and shame of others and the good example of others and living under the means and restraining grace and the like these things may do a great deal of good but they are weak and cannot make them resist sinne and doe good soundly thus unconverted people are weak This is not properly the weakness that is opposed to strength that he would have them get out of the weakness of unconverted people Therefore secondly There is another weakness and that is of the children of God themselves they have weakness to resist sinne and doe good and this is twofold First There is a weakness of Beginning Secondly of Declining First In beginning when a childe of God is a beginner in grace and is but a babe Heb. 5.12 When for the time ye ought to be c. Such as are babes have need of milk they cannot digest strong meat they are too weak for that as may be a new beginner hath gotten faith but it is weak he is not able to apprehend the promises of salvation and the assurance of Gods goodness and mercy towards him he hath much ado to apprehend Christ himself and uphold his heart so a man may have some knowledge but it is weak and some resolutions and endeavours but they are weak corruptions bear him down and his mortification is weak he cannot master many of his heady and mighty lusts Now such people as these are to be exhorted to strengthen these good things that God hath begun in them Hath God begun any good things in
the wildernesse as the wildernesse is open for all wild-beasts so their hearts are open for all temptations that is the reason they have such dead hearts and cold affections that is the reason they look so little after salvation and eternal life because people never look after this duty of watchfulness nay they are so far from watching how to be saved that they watch how the divel may take them when a man sins he wisheth the Divel would help him to more sin a covetous man is so far from watching over his sin that he would have more opportunities and more occasions of getting the Devil cannot come fast enough to fill his heart with these things So if a man be given to pleasure he thinks he cannot have enough but would have more still Thus people would have the Divel put more corn into the hopper They are so far from watching for good that they watch for evil they devise evil upon their beds as the Prophet Micah speaks They are possessed with the spirit of slumber they have eyes and see not they have eares and hear not hearts and understand not they do not know what watchfulnesse is if they do they are the lesse excusable because they practice it not they do not watch and wake unto Prayer that they may not enter into temptation but are carried away with the world and sin The Second Use is To them that are Godly in some measure that we cannot say they altogether do not watch yet how negligent are they in this duty Many Christians are there among us that have some goodnesse in them yet how doth this duty lye unpractised whence come all the vanities in our minds and untowardnesse in the Ordinances of God Whence comes all unfruitfulnesse in our meetings and unsettlednesse in our Consciences It is because we do not watch Whence comes it that we are no more ready to good duties When we are called forth on the sudden to pray or do any thing for the good of Gods Church and People that we are so unfit to do it and so backward it is for want of watchfulness Nay what is the reason that we perform not the Worship of God in our Families better but because we do not watch the very Regenerate themselves what a world of mischief do they do to their own souls for want of this duty of watchfulness How do they swell in sin and are slack in goodnesse and slubber over Gods service How do they favour themselves too too much and suffer the dishonour of God by the wicked and suffer their own hearts to dishonour him too too much Thirdly The next Vse shall be to shew you the Rules that are to be observed in watching and the Rules are these If you would watch over your selves First Count watchfulnesse your very life and think if you let watchfulnesse go you let your life go for if once watchfulness go hovv dead are you in Prayer and hearing the Word of God So that the security of the heart vvill be the death of the heart vvherefore if vve vvould go on in vvatching let us labour to keep this Holy disposition count it your very lives and think vvith your selves I let Life go if I let Watchfulnesse go We use to say of Sleep that it is the brother of Death and 1 Thes 5.6 vve may see the Phrase used by the Apostle vvhere vvaking is put for living and sleeping for dying that is the meaning of the vvords So that as sleep natural sleep doth lively represent death so it is vvith Spiritual sleep vvhich is the death of the soul Therefore dost thou find thy self to be out of frame and not vvatch over thy vvayes then think vvith thy self that thou art a dead man and take up thy vvatch as fast as thou canst again Secondly Thou must let thy watch stand Catholically universally in all duties and all times vvatch thereunto and persevere therein vve must not only watch but Persevere Be careful in the morning how vve may begin our vvatch in the day hovv vve may spend it at night how vve may end it So vve must vvatch in all duties vvhen vve go to Prayer vve must vvatch in prayer vvhen you go about your Callings vvatch about them vvhen vve are alone vve should be vvatchful and vvhen vve are in Company vve should be vvatchful for the Divel and our ovvn souls plot a great deal of mischief against us vve must vvatch in all places in our houses and vvithout doors and in the fields vve are still in danger vvheresoever vve are Thirdly We should proportion our watch according as the duty is we take in hand so our vvatching may bee there is one kind of vvatching for one kind of duty another for another If vve be to go about our callings then our vvatching must be against distrustfulnesse and covetousness and distracting cares that so vve may not be over head and ears in the vvorld If our duty be prayer vve must have an eye to the promises and take hold on the Lord Jesus Christ and come in his mediation and his onely So vvhatsoever duty it be if it be hearing of the Word of God there is a vvatchfulness to be proportionable to it A man should think the vvord will do me no good unlesse the Lord meet vvith my lusts I have an unmortified heart and unlesse the Lord vvork upon me I shall never lie dovvn under him Therefore vve should be vvatchful that vve may practice and be able to apply vvhatsoever is spoken to us vve are to keep a due vvatchfulness for that vvhich is due to one thing is not due to another that vvhich is sufficient for one is not for another Fourthly Take heed of all things that may hinder Watchfulnesse And first Take heed of vain Company If vve will be watchful we must exercise our selves vvith those that are godly To be vvith secure Christians is the vvay to be secure this vvill hinder a man A man had better be alone then be in bad Company as the Prophet David saith Psal 102.7 I watch and am alone as a Sparrow on the house top he was alone and yet he was watching A man when he is alone may be watching rather then when he is in such Company a man can never look to himself well unlesse he prize the Communion of Saints Secondly A man should be sober Take heed of Spiritual Drunkenness Take heed of the cares of this life and that you be not immoderate in any lawful thing we should stand upon our guard and keep our hearts with all manner of keeping if our hearts grow drowzy and idle and if we neglect Sobriety then we are gone therefore in Scripture these are put together be sober and watch 1 Thess 5.6 1 Pet. 5.8 I do not mean Drunkennesse with Wine for there is a Drunkennesse and not with Wine as the Prophet speaks a man may be drunk with
sin and grace 11 4 He may grow notoriously vain worldly and guilty 5 The service of God may be a burthen to him 12 6 He may be so dead that nothing can quicken him Quest If a Saint be thus dead where is grace all the while Ans It cannot be taken away because 1 The seed of God remains still in him 13 2 Supernatural habits remain 3 He ever hath an anointing 4 He hath remaining some little strength Use 1 To stir us up to labour against sin 14 2 Let the best of Sains stand on their guard 3 Comfort for those who are dejected with dead hearts 7 A child of God may fall into foul sins 15 1 Into Idolatry 2 Apostacy 3 Persecution of Saints 8 A child of God may be hardned in sin 16 9 He may be long in sin Reas 1 In regard of Satan 2 Of themselves 17 3 Of God himselfe who leaves them to themselves that 1 they may be patterns to others 2 to punish their carelesness 3 that so they may see they stand meerly by grace 18 4 that they may be sensible towards their brethren 19 5 to humble them 20 Use 1 How to order our speeches concerning grace which though it be sufficient 1 to bring a man home to God 2 to keep him from falling away finally 3 from falling away totally 21 Yet Gods people are to stand upon their guard because 22 1 Grace looks for this 2 Promises are conditionall 23 3 Experience in all ages proves the falling of Saints upon Gods withdrawing 24 Qu. Is grace then indifferent in particular passages Ans No. For 1 Grace sets up in the soul an universall principle to serve God in every particular 2 It sets up a watch in the soul Use 2 To work out our salvation with fear and trembling 25 Use 3 Not to stumble at this doctrine Use 4 Not to raise false comfort to our selves from this doctrine 26 Causes of deadnesse The cause in Generall is giving way to sin which is 1 A soul-killing thing 2 It grieves the holy spirit 27 3 It puls a hard task on the soul to goe through 4 It defiles the conscience 28 5 It weakens all assurance of welcome with God 29 Causes in particular 1 The nigardliness of people in Gods service 2 Their unwatchfulness 30 3 Contenting themselves with a low kind of religion 31 4 The vanity of mens minds 32 5 Mutuall example 6 Covetousness and worldinesse 7 Spirituall sloth 33 8 Neglect of secret duties 34 9 Neglect of inward duties 35 10 Contenting themselves with what they have attained unto 36 Means of quickning 1 Believing and looking up to Christ 37 2 Learning of the word preached 38 3 Shunning all causes of deadnesse 4 Being earnest with God to quicken us 39 5 Diligent in all Christian duties and worship 40 6 Exercising that grace we have 7 Considering former and present examples 41 Motives to shake off deadnesse 40 1 Consider the ingredients of this sin of deadness 42 As 1 Dulness and blockishness of mind to good 2 Awkness and avorness of heart to the waies of Jesus Christ 43 3 Senselesness of conscience 4 Coldness of affections 5 Faintness of endeavours 6 Drowsiness of the whole man Mot. 2 Consider that while we are dead we cannot pray not hear c. Mot. 3 We can have no true sign of true grace 44 Mot. 4 We cannot grow in grace 45 Mot. 5 We shall grow deader and deader Mot. 6 This sin of deadness worse then other sins in these respects 46 1 Deadness is in all the whole man 2 It is against all Gods Commandments 3 It is deeper in the soul then other sins 47 4 It is an estate of sin 5 It is a second death 6 More special threatnings against deadness Considerations to quicken us 1 Consider that we owe to God our life and affections 48 2 All the world is alive in their own courses let Christians be alive in theirs 3 Consider the worth of what is lost by deadness 49 4 If we be quickned nothing will be hard 5 We shall have much joy and comfort 6 All Heaven will rejoice at our quickning 7 We shall be enabled thereby to doe good to others 50 Remedies against deadnesse 1 Be watchfull 51 Observ It is an excellent and soveraign thing for a Christian to watch 52 Reas 1 In regard of our selves our selves are false to our selves 1 We should watch our hearts 2 Our thoughts 3 Our affections 4 Our consciences 5 Our tongues 53 2 In regard of the world lest it get into us ibid. 3 In regard of Sathan 54 Because he is 1 A subtle enemy 2 Diligent 3 Strong 4 Malitious 5 Hath nothing else to doe p. 55 4 In regard of the wicked 5 In regard of good things 55 1 Our graces that we may preserve encrease and exercise them 56 2 All good duties before in after duty ibid 3 In regard of God For 1 Sometimes he comes neerer us then at other times 2 Sometimes doth extraordinarily help us 3 Doth sometimes afflict us 57 Use 1 Lament the neglect of this duty ib. 2 Be exhorted to take up this duty ib. 1 Consider the misery of them that do not watch ibid. 2 The good of watchfulness 3 That men doe watch in outward callings 4 We have examples of the Saints Remedie 2 Strengthen the things that remain 58 Mot. 1 Because they are remainders 2 Because those remainders are ready to die 3 Because thy works are not perfect Doctrine It is a Christians duty to labour to be strengthned especialy if he hath formerly had more grace 58 2 Weakness 1 Of people unconverted 2 Of Children of God which is double 1 In beginning 2 In declining Reas 1 We can have no other comfortable argument of true grace 60 2 Else we can doe no act of new obedience 3 Nor overcome temptations 61 4 Nor recover after a fall 62 5 Nor obey God with ease Use 1 To condemn 1 Those that have no strength at all 2 Those that doe not strengthen the good things they have 63 Use 2 To direct us what to doe that we may strengthen c. Direction 1 Labour to have strong minds and understandings 64 2 Strong wills 66 3 Sound affections 67 Dir. 2 Labour to believe 3 Fly all occasions of evill 4 Maintain a constant purpose to please God 68 5 Frequent the Ordinances of God 6 Put forth your selves to the utmost in good duties 69 7 Remember we alway need new supply of strength 8 Take heed of sinning against knowledge 70 9 Make conscience of useing and improving Sacraments 1 Baptisme 2 Lords Supper which is of great use to strengthen believers For 1 It is the nature of the Sacraments 2 It is a seal of Gods covenant 3 It is Communion with Jesus Christ 4 A Sacrament of Communion with the members of Christ 71 Therefore 1 Let us so come to this Ordinance that we may be strengthned 72 2 This condemns the most
if there be any way of wickednesse in us if there be any secret sins or cursed corruptions that we favour our selves in if there be any false way we secreâ—ly haunt the Lord shall search it out for the knowes the secrets of our hearts therefore it becomes us to be upright as he saith of Ephraim Hos 5.3 I know Ephraim he is not hid from us So if we preach never so zealously and doe not according to our preaching the Lord knows us so if we hear never so zealously and doe not practice what we hear he knows it therefore it concerns us to be upright Fourthly Because the Lord will let down the Covenant no lower Now God hath been pleased to moderate the first Covenant which it was impossible for us to keep and hath brought it down to the Covenant of faith to believe and to be sincere in all our wayes this God requires and will let it down no lower Isa 63.8 the Lord saith there Surely they are my people children that will not lye and so he was their Saviour So he requires his people should be children that should not lye and be base-hearted and deal deceitfully and crookedly in his Covenant he was their Saviour so they would be children that would not lye So Eph. 6.24 Grace be with all them that love Christ in sincerity There is no man is under the Covenant of grace unlesse he be sincere in all the will of God in Jesus Christ There are two things the Covenant of grace gives the one is the forgivenesse of sins the other is a sincere heart if a man hath not these two he is yet in his sins as we may see Psal 32.2 Blessed is the man c. Fifthly The Examples of all the Saints in all Ages all the people of God that ever were upright to begin with Noah Gen. 6.9 The text saith he was a just and perfect man in his generation You know it was in a corrupt time all the Earth had corrupted their wayes no question a man that was religious in those dayes he could not chuse but be scorned and derided but what cared he he would be a just man and was perfect in his generation though it were a devillish generation yet he was an upright man and would not doe as the world did but he would draw near to God and walk with him from day to day So it is said of Job Job 1.2 That he was an upright and perfect man though Job lived in a blind corner out of the Church and setting aside 304 generally the whole Countrey were Heathens and Pagans and he was as an Owl in the Desart yet he would not doe as the world did but keep himself to God So Luke 1.6 Zachary and Elizabeth were both righteous before God c. You know the times were then very bad and all the devotion that went for currant was nothing but to be zealous of humane inventions and traditions and worshipping God after the imaginations of men this was the holiness of the world yet the Text saith this man and his wife would be righteous before God and walked in all the Ordinances of God blameless not in the Ordinances of the Scribes and Pharisees but they were righteous before God and walked in all the Ordinances of God blameless Then this may serve to reprove these dayes and times and places of ours where we live where are hardly any upright people we may say of them as the Prophet Micah said of his time Micah 7.2 The good man is perished off the earth As who should say we had a great company of godly and holy people religious Ministers painful in their places and abundance of private Christians faithful before the Lord but now there is hardly an upright man there are so many drunkards and adulterers so many unclean persons so many covetous there are so many mockers and enemies to sincerity so many complementers with God so many ignorant nay willingly ignorant though they live under the means of knowledge so many that have a form of godlinesse but deny the power thereof so many that are come to the birth but have no strength to bring forth they will never come to be godly indeed there are so many that are dead-hearted and never were quickned by Jesus Christ nor endued with the life of the spirit of grace that we may say as Solomon saith A faithful man who shall finde Prov. 20.6 Many fathers we have among us but a faithful father who shall finde that doth discharge his duty towards his children many Masters we may finde but who carries himself towards his servants as he ought to doe so we have many in place of Authority that might stand for God and hinder sin and doe some good in their places but a faithful man who shall finde but here one and there one rare birds and they are the offscouring of the world and are hated and mocked and persecuted so we have a great many that have gotten a great deal of light God hath awakened their consciences and made them see their miserable condition but a faithful man that doth discharge a good conscience in that place wherein he is that carries himself uprightly under the means of grace under the Word under the preaching of it under Gods Ordinances such a man where shall we finde as David saith Psalm 12.1 Help Lord c. He had occasion through the persecution of Saul to travel thorough the most of the Towns of Israel and all were so loose and licentious and carnall and worldly and serving the times and pleasing and humouring the Court he saw the Countrey so empty of goodness that he prayeth Help Lord c. and as the Lord saith Isa 1.21 How is the faithful City become an Harlot c. So we may say How is the faithful City become an harlot a faithful Town that hath had the Word sincerely taught that hath had many walking sincerely in obedience according to the Word in some measure and hath set up the power of the Word in their Families but what is become of them there was â—udgement and righteousnesse but now where is it there was truth and truth could have abode but now it can have no admittance But how may we complain that our faithful Countrey is become an harlot I doe not speak of Papists and Turks and Pagans but of the Church of God the faithful are diminished from among the sons of men Secondly This may serve to humble the best of all Gods children it may serve to ashame us before God to think what a deal of corruption is in our hearts if David might complain of himself how much more may we Lord saith he thou dost require truth in the inward parts Psal 51.6 As who should say Lord how far am I from it who would ever have thought that Davids heart should so play fast and loose that ever he should so abase Vriah his faithful servant that ever
be carefull if not he shall perish no God is absolutely minded he shall be saved and though he hath played the undutiful beast He will chasten him with rods but his loving kindness he will not take away for ever nay he will give him an heart to cleave to him for ever that he shall not goe quite away from him and this is the infinite goodnesse of God that he doth not hang their eternal life upon their own wills if he did no flesh would he saved here is the goodnesse of God but now for particular passages they have no such hold of God but they are turned to the use of the meanes a man is turned to the use of the means in the other too a man cannot think to stand in grace to hold out at all but he must look to the use of the meanes but in case men have neglected God will not take his people upon the lurch but here he may take them and for ought we know he will take them upon the lurch if they grow carelesse when we meet with a temptation we venture upon it suppose it be to be earthly and vain and omit good duties take heed who knowes what God may doe how he may break our hearts and rend us and teare in pieces who knowes what may fall for dulnesse and deadnesse and untowardnesse and want of peace of conscience for irksomenesse and awknesse that a man hath an hellish life from day to day we may fall into this the best of all Gods people if they stand not upon their guard nay watchfulnesse is the thing that is commended to us God hath shewed us when we may have all grace and be kept from all deadnesse and when we may have life and comfort and quickening and when he will be found of us namely when we seek him with all our hearts but let a man be carelesse of seeking of God he will be carelesse of him and if a man doe not stir up the grace of God let him know he falls into the hands of a consuming fire he is not only so to the Reprobate but even to his Saints and children if they grow carelesse therefore when Paul was about to leave the world he gives Timothy this charge O Timothy preach in season and out of season c. what followes watch thou in all things as who should say may be you shall meet with many temptations and discouragements and therefore watch in all things 2 Tim. 4 5. as Christ saith What I say to you I say to all Watch Mark 13.37 Because we see this by experience in the Saints of God in all ages that sometimes God leaves his people and when he doth leave them they fall into grievous sinnes this cannot be denied for experience proves it in every generation You see Jacob himselfe how grievously he sinned he yielded to his Mother to tell a lye thinking to get a blessing by an untruth by saying he was Esau when he was not and you see what misery he brought upon himselfe by it even twenty years bondage that one sinne did cost that poor man he thought to get the blessing for it was Gods promise but by his unlawful going about it God kept him from it in a terrible manner and brought him a wide way about and so we might instance in many other Saints of God for this is most certain let a man be the dearest of Gods servants yet if sinne be yielded unto it will difuse a man of Gods Ordinances and make a man untoward to good duties it will make a breach between God and the soul it will drive him and carry him into thickets and bushes as Adam the Spirit of God will turn away the gale of his breath and then how uncomfortable a man shall be in good duties we may think with our selves and reason the case in our own souls it will be so for God is an holy God for though he love his people that rejoyce in his name yet he hath said that all their wayes should be with trembling Psal 2.11 But you will say Is grace indifferent in regard of particular passages grace will work a man shall be converted and shall not fall totally and finally away but in particular passages is grace indifferent to let a man doe what he lift God forbid that man hath no grace that hath such thoughts For first grace when it comes into the soul it sets up an universal principle to serve God not only in the main course of his life but in every particular to hate all sinne and in every particular to love all good duties and every particular to be careful at home and abroad and in his calling in company and alone in health and sicknesse in all estates whether he be rich or poor whether he be persecuted or not persecuted in all conditions of life to hate all sin and follow all goodnesse grace sets up this principle wheresoever it is but yet a man may fall into a thousand sinnes if he be not watchful but if there be not such a principle in thy heart thou art not a child of God and a believer Psal 119 3. The people of God are described by this They doe no iniquity they walk in his wayes He speaks of this principle not that they may not fall but if they doe it is meerly against the principle if a man hath true grace he hath a principle to love and fear God not only for the main but in every particular passage Secondly It is plain that cannot be the meaning of it that grace is indifferent because that if grace be truly in any man it doth set up a watch in the soul to preserve it that the man shall be eager not to sin in any particular and desirous in some measure and careful in some degree to doe all manner of good if a man give way to the lusts of the flesh his care may be brought to a low ebb but grace sets up a watch in the soule and breeds care and desire and purposes and resolutions and revenge upon his own lusts and abundance of things as you may see 2 Cor. 7.11 So that grace will not let a man be indifferent therefore when we say for particulars God doth not undertake this or that the meaning is not as if grace would only convert a man and keep him from falling totally and finally away but for particulars it is indifferent this is to blaspheme the grace of God but the meaning is though a man be the childe of God and never so much mortified if this man should grow carelesse and remiss and secure and give way to sin grace doth not undertake to keep a man from the fearfullest falls that can be nor from the fearfullest distempers Indeed when a man hath play'd the beast God may preserve him but a man cannot look for this at the hands of God who knows how God will deal with him if he
with him and I am with him and I will be with him I am ready to dye with him I profess my self to be his Disciple he had no heart in the world to stand for Jesus Christ he had no heart to appear in pleading for him and expose himself to danger for him he was now called to it but he had no heart at all sin it is even like ashes cast upon the fire the fire cannot then send forth its heat so sin doth even cast ashes upon the soul that it cannot express such life as otherwise it would The first reason is because sin is a soul killing thing it is like Mare Mortuum the fishes dye as soon as ever they come there so when the Divel hooks a man into sin he hooks him into the dead sea as the Apostle saith of the Ephesians you were dead in sins if the Divel can but hook a man into sin he is presently in the dead sea Hos 13.12 it is said of Ephraim when he offended in Baal he died c. before when their affections were up and they trembled before God they were lively but when they gave way to sin and iniquity the Church presently died they withered away more and more till they came to nothing therefore the Apostle calls the Law of sin the Law of death the Law of the spirit of Christ hath freed us from the Law of sin and of death Rom. 8.2 sin doth even bring a man to deaths door it doth weaken all the powers and faculties of the soul that a man cannot stir to any duty it makes a man like a snake that is frozen with the cold it cannot stir so it is with a man when he gives way to sin and iniquity it freezeth all the powers that are in him and lesseneth all the powers of Gods spirit it is even like a weight as the Apostle calls it Heb. 12.1 If a man should have a great weight upon his back fetters upon his legs how can that man go he must needs go very dully so it is with sin and iniquity when a man gives way to it it is like plumets of lead like great weights and burthens that clog a mans heart and affections it makes them dull and lumpish and heavy to any thing that is good as Christ speaks of the cares of this life if a man give way to them they will overcharge the heart they will lie heavy that the heart cannot stir Luke 21.34 sin poysons all the soul it poysons the mind that a man cannot look upon things as he did it poysons a mans heart though his heart were deeply affected towards God it is strange if a man give way to sin how it will take off the affections from God it separates between God and the soul and comes between God the fountain of life and the soul and therefore must needs be a killing and deading thing Secondly Sin is a deading thing because it doth grieve the holy spirit of God that dwels in a man you know all the quickning of a Christian consists in the gracious assistance of Gods spirit as long as Gods spirit is pleased to go along with us and work our works for us then we can pray and deny our selves then we are fitted to every good word and work but if the spirit of God retire if it withdraw and suspend his actions and forbear his operations what can a man do a man is even a block without the spirit of God now though the spirit of God delight never so much in doing good to the Saints and delight in accompanying of them and aâ—â—iâ—ting of them and enlarging of them in all their wayes yet if they give way to sin directly he will be grieved and sent sad back again to heaven as it were and when the spirit of God is grieved all must needs go sad and heavy with the child of God suppose a child of God give way to vain talk and discourse you shall see what the Apostle saith this will grieve the spirit of God grieve not the spirit of God whereby ye are sealed to the day of redemption Eph. 4.13 he speaks of that very sin if a man give way to it the spirit of God will be grieved though formerly he was pleased mightily to help yet now he will withdraw and then how dully shall a man go on so if we should give way to the suffering of our hearts not to be affected with God and his truth not to see God in all his wayes in all his goodness and dealings that we should not be thankful this will quench the spirit of God it will quench its motions as if a man should pour pail-fuls of water upon the fire so this will quench the spirit of God 1 Thes 5.18 19. there is a manifest dependence between all those exhortations and this is certain let a man once not be affected with God let him not see Gods goodness in all his wayes let him not be affected with Gods mercy and loving kindness it will quench the spirit of God and then consider what a lamentable case a man shall be in Thirdly Sin must needs dead a mans heart because it doth put a most woful bitter hard task upon the soul to go through for you know hard tasks stir up reluctancy against them when a man hath an hard task to go through the very thought of it dulls him it is like a stone upon his heart now let a man sin against grace and the goodness of God and Gods gracious dealing let a man sin against these it doth put a man to a most hard task to go through to go and humble himself before Almighty God and the soul shall find a world of conflicts that he is loth to come to it loth to deal about this bitter business to go about to renew his repentance with bitter remorse for his sins it is like a desperate debtor that hath run himself over head and ears in debt the very thought of coming to a reckoning is death to him he cannot abide to think of it it is like a boy that hath made false Latine if his Master should call him to construe and pearse it and give a rule for every word he knows it is not according to rule he hath not looked after rule and every thing is false now he cannot abide to come to construe and pearse it so when a man hath provoked God by his sins and hath broken his covenant and slighted his ordinances when God calls him to construe and pearse what do you make of such an action and such a word and such a thought the heart is even afraid of these things as a dog is of a whip it is an hard task to be brought to this as David when he had yielded to his security and idleness and unwatchfulness and so had given way to Satan you may see what an hard task he brought upon his soul and how his soul was ever
with patience the coming of the Lord he quickens them by the example of Job and the Prophets so when he would quicken them up to prayer he presseth them by the example of Elias he was a man as well as we saith he and had the like passions yet he prayed when the heavens had been shut three years and six months c. Consider this the zeal of others may provoke us specially if we set it before our eyes we should think with our selves What he so believing and I so full of doubting he so lively and I so dull and blockish he so affected and I so untoward this should shame us and provoke us to stir up our selves by looking upon such especially upon those that have taken up the profession since we did and yet have gone beyond us it should awaken us this is an excellent means to quicken us as our Saviour Christ when he would exhort his Disciples to suffer persecution saith he consider the Prophets that were persecuted before you so if we would be quickned up we should look upon the Saints that have been quickned before us that we may have their grace and comfort We come now to the last thing and that is to perswade you by some Motives to shake off this deadness Motives are special things to quicken up a man the Apostle when he would quicken up the Corinthians to love he useth divers Motives unto them the first is taken from the collation of love with all the extraordinary gifts of Gods spirit he shews without love they are all nothing though a man had all knowledge and all faith so that he could remove mountains and had not love it were nothing so that you see love is an excellent grace 1 Cor. 13.1 2 3. Another Motive he takes from the effects and adjuncts of love love suffereth long c. from the fourth to the seventh verse Thirdly He useth another Motive to shew how love doth generally surpass most graces in the endurance of it Prophesies they shall cease knowledge that shall cease and be done away but love that shall never be done away love never faileth Lastly He compares it with the cardinal vertues with the principal graces namely faith and hope and shews how love is beyond them hope edifies a mans self but love edifies the whole Church of God faith and hope must vanish and will not go into the Kingdom of heaven with us but love it doth alwayes accompany us so that you see the Apostle is careful to use motives to quicken up people to that which he exhorts them unto the Scripture as it doth bid us do a duty so it useth motives to quicken us up to the doing of it And again When it forbids any sin it useth motives to take off our hearts from that sin as when the Apostle would diswade from the unworthy receiving of the Sacrament what abundance of motives doth he heap one upon another to terrifie us from it 1 Cor. 11.23 c. the first is from the institution of the Lord Jesus Christ I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you that the Lord Jesus c. as who should say what will you prophane his institution Secondly From the time when he instituted it the same night he was betrayed in his agony and in the midst of his sorrows he thought of your good will you prophane such a mercy blessing Thirdly From the nature of the Sacrament it is the Sacrament of the body and blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and will you not reverence that Another is from the end of the Sacrament it is to shew forth the Lords death till he comes therefore how should we have a care of this that we may come to the Sacrament in a gracious and reverent manner duly meditating what it is having a lively apprehension of the Lord Jesus Christ and to keep a constant memory of what he hath done for us Another is from the greatness of the sin of unworthy receiving he shall be guilty of the body and blood of Christ again from the danger of it whosoever eats and drinks unworthily eats and drinks damnation to himself again from the particular judgements that God had inflicted upon that town for this cause many are sick among you and many sleep and questionless it is for this cause for your unworthy receiving of the Sacrament you see what abundance of motives he brings for this now I say if Motives be good in any point look whatsoever we exhort people unto if it be good to use Motives to stir them up to it then much more in this point in the point of deadness to shake it off in the point of quickning that they would labour to get it and indeed when a man useth Motives to faith and repentance it is not only to get that but to quicken them up to faith and repentance when a man spurs a horse it is not only to make him go but to quicken him up to go we are all dull and careless and blockish now Motives serve to stir us up Eccles 12. the words of the wise are as goads to provoke and stir up people Motive 1 Well then The first motive shall be this to consider the woful ingredients of this sin of deadness the horrible sins that are contained in it what a compound of spiritual diseases are in this sin First There is a dulnesse and blockishnesse of mind dull and heavy to learn any thing that is good as it is said of the Jews Acts 28.27 when a man hath an unteachable mind though he be never so long under the word of God it cannot strike into his heart and enter into his understanding his mind cannot feel the weight of divine truths take outward truths of profit and pleasure a man may lead him up and down with these truths he feels weight in these but for the word of God he hath no understanding in that may be he can tell what the Ministers say and talk of it but for the weight of divine reason the mind is blockish to this men are like to a blockish scholler that hath gone seven years to school and yet is not beyond the primmer so when a man shall sit so long under the Ministry of the word and yet be a stranger to it as if he had never heard of it he hears discourses of faith and can speak of it and talk of it of the letter of it as well as the best believer and yet is as blockish to go about it as can be what an horrible thing is this that the truth should come to a mans mind and a man should be dull to conceive it Secondly Another evil is awkness and averseness of heart listleseness to the wayes of Jesus Christ as Christ saith of the Jews Mat. 15.8 their hearts cannot be pulled to that which is good their hearts are untoward and have no list or disposition that way even
as if a man should go about a thing that he hath no heart to so people go about prayer and the hearing of the word as if they had no heart to it they have no heart to prayer they have no heart to think soundly of God and of their latter end they come to duties but their hearts are a thousand miles off Thirdly There is senselesness of conscience it is not tender of little sins it feels them not at all and as for great sins it feels them but a little may be peoples consciences find fault with them from day to day for doing what they do and tells them they ought not to do it but yet they will not leave their sins it tells them thus and thus they ought to do but it hath no power to make them do it may be it accuseth them but they are never the better peoples consciences are dull and blunt and have no force at all Fourthly For coldness and lukewarmness of affections the affections of a man are not set upon God they pray without affections and hear without affections the doctrine of eternal life doth not affect their hearts hatred of evil is cold and love of God and goodness is cold as Christ saith the love of many shall waxe cold and so their desires are cold and languish and come to nothing we can find tears for other matters but not for our sins we can have our affections soon stirred when our selves and our own wills are crossed but God may be dishonoured a thousand wayes and we never grieved or moved at it so when we hear a fine story and carnal news this delights but when we hear the word of God the truth of God that concerns our eternal well doing we are not moved or affected at all with that Fifthly Another ingredient of this sin is the weakness and faintness of endeavours if people have any endeavours any kinde of putting themselves forth to that which is good it is with faintness as if they cared not whither they went about it yea or no as Solomon saith Prov. 13.4 people desire mercy and pardon and would have hope and salvation and the Kingdom of God but will not be at the cost and charges they ought to be at for these things this is nothing but the deadnesse of our hearts Lastly That same dulness and drowsiness of the whole man though men be careful enough of outward things yet how careless are they of their souls were our hearts broken and contrite under these things we should be soon quickned as the Lord saith Isa 57.15 I revive the spirit of the contrite one so God would revive us if we were sensible of these distempers of ours if we would humble our selves before God and plead to him for help he would help us but when we do not lay these distempers to heart and seek out to God for redress no marvel though we are dead and dull still well then is it so that there are so many horrible ingredients in this sin of deadness then how should we labour to fling it away and use all means to be quickned the Apostle being to disswade from following the will of the Gentiles he useth this very argument the abundance of the vile ingredients that is in the will of the Gentiles 1 Pet. 4.3 so you may see how the wise man disswades Prov. 26.25 when he speaketh fair believe him not for there are seven abominations in his heart so let us think there is seven abominations yea seventy times seven abominations in this sin of deadness therefore let us look out that God may help us and quicken us and revive us in all our wayes The second motive is to consider that as long as we are dead we cannot Motive 2 pray Psal 80.18 Lord quicken us and we will call upon thy name as who should say Lord we are not sit to pray and call upon thy name except thou quicken us therefore quicken us that we may call upon thee So Ministers cannot preach unless they be quickned as Dr. Ames tells a story of a godly man of France there was such cold preaching that he was fain to go out of the Town to sit under a powerful Ministry therefore we cannot preach if we be dead the Scribes and Pharisees preached without Authority and life they were dead and therefore had no authority in their preaching but Christ preached with Authority if we were quickned we should be the better able to preach So again you are not able to hear unless you be quickned a dead heart may hear a thousand Sermons but what doth it work upon them even as good as nothing if Paul or Apollos or an Angel from heaven should preach to us unless God quicken us all is nothing nay Christ tells us that his own Ministry and Johns Ministry there were not two such in all the world again yet how dead and fruitless were they whereunto shall I liken this generation c. Mat. 11.16 c. the meaning is this John the Baptist he came mourning and in a doleful manner fasting and afflicting himself and crying out Repent he mourned but none would relent Christ he came piping he came in another manner he came eating and drinking and he preached gracious things the Kingdom of God and the acceptable year of our Lord now saith he you have not daunced all these things have not affected your hearts a jot you are as blockish as if you had no Ministry at all as Christ saith Mat. 8.22 let the dead bury their dead what doth he mean by that he means those that are dead in their souls those that are dead in their spirits and souls they are fit for dead imployments and nothing else the coherence was this there was a man came to Christ and was willing it seems to be the Disciple of Christ but oh saith he first I pray thee let me go and bury my father bury thy father saith he any man may serve for that let the dead bury their dead those that are fit for nothing else may do that but if thy heart be alive thou art fit for me thou art fit for spiritual employments but when a man hath a dead heart he is fit for nothing as Christ he gave the bag to Judas he was the fittest man for that so let a man be in office if he be dead he hath no heart to punish sin no not so much as to use his faithful endeavour to root it out nay he will pull down the guilt of the sins of the parish upon his own soul rather then he will stickle a little for God Judg. 4.8 how backward was Barak to go against the enemies of the Lord if you will go I will go saith he to Deborah otherwise he had no heart to go so Esther how dull was she to stand for the Church of God she would let the Church be ruinated rather then she would go and speak to the King in
up and he could not work it out soundly to his dying day Now is not this a most grievous thing the very consideration of this how should it provoke us to shake off this deadness Can that body do well that hath lost his expulsive faculty when distempers arise it cannot expell them it must needs be the destruction of the body so when the life of the soul is either in part or wholly taken away how can he work out his corruptions and distempers that daily arise in him we have need of grace and life and quickning we are tempted every day and the corruptions that dwell in us are ever boyling up Now if we have not the expulsive faculty to purge them out the heart must needs be in a woful condition Motive 6 Sixthly This sin of deadness in some sense is worse then any other sin and that in six respects First Other sins for the most part are in one part of a man as drunkenness is in the appetite and covetousness is in the concupiscible faculty and pride and ostentation is in the heart and ignorance is in the minde but deadness is in all the whole man as it is with a languishing disease other diseases one may be in the head another in the neck another in the back but a Consumption runs over all the whole man So it is with deadness as it was with the Church of Laodicea when they were grown dead and careless he chargeth them that they were dead all over Thou art poor and blind and miserable and naked this heaps all miseries upon a man such a man is like unto Judah From the crown of the head to the sole of the foot there was no sound part Isa 1.6 It is a general disease it is like the deluge that drowned the whole world it drowns the whole man I confesse drunkenness and adultery and such particular sinnes may kill and damn a man but I say by accident deadness is worse then they 't is true drunkennesse and adultery and prophanesse are worse but why are they worse but because they have this deadnesse too but if they could be taken alone and a man might have a living heart towards God otherwise they should not be worse then deadness Secondly Other sins are against one commandement of God or two or so but this deadnesse is against all the commandements of God it is a sin against prayer for we should pray with life it is a sin against hearing for we should hear with life it is a sin against the Sabbath for we should keep it with delight it is a sin against all the Ordinances of God for we should come to them all with life and affection Suppose a servant his Master should bid him do a thing he bids him goe to one place he goes to another he goes drinks and swills another servant he goes about that his Mr. bids him but whatsoever his Mr. bids him do he goes about it slothfully and by halfs this servant is a worse servant then the other why because this servant offends in all the business he hath to do whatsoever his Mr. sets him about he marrs it and doth it to halfs So deadness of heart it disables a man to every duty to whatsoever God requires of a man and this is one of the reasons why he that breaks one of the commandements of God is said to break them all Jam. 2.10 11. Why because he deads his heart a man that gives way to sin against any one commandement deads his heart to all and so by reason of that deadness he becoms guiâ—lty of all Thirdly Other sins are not so deep in the soul but this deadness is deeper then all a man will be willinger to lay down any â—in then deadness and to take up any duty then quickning a man had rather do any thing if he may do it without life if the bare hearing praying and profession will serve turn may be he will do that but to do all with life this the heart is loth to come to when it comes to lay out all the strength and vigour of the whole man upon God the heart cannot abide this Judah was content to turn to God but to do it with life this they would not do Jer. 3.10 Treacheâ—ous Judah hath not turned to me with the whole heart c. He doth not deny but they turned unto him but they would not do it with their whole heart with life with all their power and strength thus they did not turn unto him As it was with the Ruler in the Gospel he was content to observe the commandements of God not to murther not to commit adultery not to steâ—l not to swear All these have I observed from my youth saith he but when Christ came to call for life that he should sell all forsake all and follow him that is the life of a man the soule and heart of a man must be put forth he was sad at that saying So Laodicea was content to do any thing the spirit of God layeth nothing to her charge he chargeth her with no particular sin but lukewarmnesse onely she would do any thing but to be fervent and zealous in it to lay out her strength for God that she would not do so that we had need to take heed of deadness of all other sins it is a deep sin and is the harder to be gotten â—ut and the harder it is to be gotten out the more paines is to be taken Fourthly other sins may be but acts as a man may be drunk but he may not have the habit of drunkenness as Noah was drunk but he was not a drunkard we see David committed adultery but he had not the habit of adultery but deadness is an habit Eph. 2.1 Now when a man leaves sin in a dead manner he leaves it but his affections are not crucified to it he doth good duties but he is dead to them this man comes neer to the estate of sin now an estate of sin is worse then any particular act of sin Fifthly Other sins are the first death of the soul we are all under trespasses and sins Rom. 5. Death passed upon all men for that all have sinned We are all by nature the children of wrath we were all once dead but now if after we are Christians we grow dead again we grow twice dead of all sins we should take heed of deadnesse for that causeth the second death not the second death of damnation but of being dead after a man hath been quickned as Saint Jude speaks ver 12. twice dead so we are twice dead Now other sins do make a man but once dead but after the Gospel hath come among us and hath stirred up our hearts and quickned us in some measure if we grow remiss and dead and cold again we are twice dead or at least grow and tend that way and so our estate is more dangerous therefore how should we
faith they have abundandance of cursed principles Now if we look not to our selves how shall we be carried away as the Apostle saith 2 Pet. 3.17 so may be thou art in a wicked family as Lot in Sodom now I say it is impossible for thee to stand in such a place but thou shalt be hooked in in an horrible manner the Apostle puts a chiefly upon the Saints in Caesars house Phil. 4.22 chiefly those that are of Caesars houshold it is a wonder of wonders there should be Saints in Caesars house it is impossible for a man to be among the wicked to have wicked neighbours and companions but he shall be drawn away by them if he be not watchful over his own soul Fifthly It is good to watch in regard of good things I speak to the Reas 5 Saints of God First It is good to watch in regard of our graces look what grace a man hath it is as a precious jewel and thou mayst lose it if thou be not watchful thou mayst lose a great deal of faith and quickning and heavenly mindedness or any good that is in thee thou mayst lose a great deal of it if thou look not well to it As a sheep that hath a great deal of wool if she go among briars and thorns how soon may a great deal of it be torn off so a poor creature that walks in the world among so many briars and thorns among so many temptations he may have all good things rent away if he look not to it if a man had a great deal of money in his purse and were among cutpurses cheaters would not a man have an eye about him it is said of a godly one 1 John 5.18 he keeps himself c. he looks what he hath and carries about him that he may not lose it Again We should watch our graces to encrease our graces and strengthen them watchfulness is an excellent thing to strengthen grace as it is in the Text watch and strengthen the things that remain whereas if a man do not watch his graces will dye and decay every temptation will overcome him now we have need of more grace though we be mortified and lively and fear God and regard his name and are humble c. yet we had need be more humble and more vile in our own eyes now how can we have this unless we be watchful the Apostle therefore when he had called upon Christians to be watchful in the next words saith he grow in grace 2 Pet. 3.18 for if a man be watchful it is the way to grow Thirdly We should watch our graces that we may work with them and exercise them and improve them upon all occasions we should watch all opportunities to occupie with our talents it is said that God will have his people to seek good Amos. 5.14 to seek how to do good from day to day so we should watch all opportunities to do good and to stand for God and glorifie his name and adorn the Gospel that we professe opportunities do not come so often we had need take them when they come they are precious things now if we do not watch God will many times tender us these things and we shall have no heart to them Secondly It is good to watch all good duties What is the reason that people pray no better hear no better draw neer to Gods table and partake of the Sacrament no better they get no power against sin no power against corruption it is because they do these things without watchfulness Mat. 26.41 Christ saith watch unto prayer we must be watchful if we will get good by the Ordinances of God First We should watch before the duty when we are going to prayer and going to Gods courts we should be watchful a prudent man looks well to his goings Prov. 14.15 wheresoever he goeth he looks well about him that he may observe all circumstances how many thousand lets and impediments are there which if a man take not off aforehand he cannot perform the duty aright if we had been watchful we might have done the duty better a great deal Secondly We should be watchful in the duty when we call upon God we should take heed how we come into his presence when we hear the Word we should be careful that we be not carried away with vile thoughts nor suffer anything to attempt us when we are about any good duty the Divel will be about us to interrupt us therefore we had need be watchful against him Again We should watch after the duty that we may not lose the fruit and benefit of it most people when they have been at the Ordinances of God are as if they had not been there when they have been at prayer as far from power against sin and drawing mercy down from heaven as if they had never been down upon their knees Thirdly It is good to watch in regard of God First Sometimes God comes with motions and draws nearer to us then he doth at other times therefore now we had need take hold of them Isa 55.6 call ye upon him while he is neer as who should say sometimes God is neerer then at other times O now have your eyes in your heads and let not God go but make use of this if ever God speaks to our souls or open our eyes let us make use of these things and be up and a doing lest they slip away from us Secondly Sometimes God doth extraordinarily help us and give us extraordinary favours let us watch those favours for then the Divel is most busie when God doth any notable thing for us when he gives us peace or joy or comforts or power against sin or whatsoever it be then Satan is most busie so soon as Christ had that extraordinary favour from his Father to be owned from heaven before all the standers by This is my beloved son c. The next newes we hear of he had a terrible assault by Satan when God had shewed great favour to Saint Paul in wraping him up into the third Heaven the next thing he met with was Satan to buffet him Thirdly Sometime God doth punish us and afflict us now how should we watch to get good by our afflictions This is the reason that afflictions and crosses and distresses are so often among us and do no good it is for want of watchfulness Is it so that it is good to watch Then how may we lament the horrible Vse 1 neglect of this duty I speak not to drunkards and prophane persons no wonder though they doe not watch neither doe I speak to the common sort of Christians that content themselves with civility and fair carriage but I speak to those that are of the better sort how horribly is this duty laid aside this is the reason of the want of grace and that people go down the wind and that there are so many Apostates and Decliners and this is the
labour to strengthen all the good things that are in us that our faith we think we have to shew for heaven may be a strong faith and that our hope may be a strong hope that we may purifie our selves by it and that the fear of God may be a strong fear to make us depart from hell beneath so that our desires may be strong to the throne of grace and our endeavours strong against our corruptions and our care conscience strong from day to day to do the works of God The second Use is an Use of direction what we are to do to strengthen Vse 2 the good things that are in us And first Let us labour to have all the powers of our souls strengthened by the strengthening the powers of the soul I mean this you know that divine operations are above nature above the reach of the powers of our souls naturally Now if we would be strong to doe the works of God and divine things we must get our hearts to be raised and lifted up to an higher strain to a sublimer pitch as it is said of Jehosaphat 2 Chron. 17. His heart was lifted up in the ways of God That is his heart was strengthened to walk in the wayes of God and now his heart was lifted up the Text shewes he did great matters he could restore the worship of God and make the Priests and Levites doâ— their duties he could doe admirable things for the glory of God Now his heart was lifted up above the reach of nature so we should labour to have all the powers of our souls lifted up to God we are not converted to God unless God hath raised up our minds and wills and affections as it is said God raised up Judges to deliver Israel from their enemies The meaning is they were no more able to deliver them then other people but God raised up their spirits and lifted them up that they were able to goe about the function God had set them in So Jer. 51.11 before God had raised up the spirits of the Medes they were a weak people they durst not meddle with Babylon but when God had raised up their spirits and lifted them up to an higher pitch of courage and strength they were not only able to goe against them but to overcome them so before God raise up our minds to an higher pitch we are not able to know God aright we are not able to doe good and mortifie sin and be crucified to the world we are not not able to goe about these things but when God hath raised up our hearts and the powers of our souls we can then goe about them as the water is not able to boil the meat of it self but let the fire come and raise the water to an higher pitch to a seething quality now it is able to boil the meat so it is with a mans heart therefore we should labour earnestly with God in the use of all good means that we may get the powers of our souls raised and lifted up on high that they may be able to reach the works of God and attain unto them And first labour to have strong minds and understandings I do not mean strong literal knowledge for with a little of that a man may have strong love to God and zeal to his glory as we may see in the book of Martyrs Elizabeth Sackwell and Katharine Hurst and others they were marvellous ignorant when they were asked what a Sacrament was and how many there were they could not tell and yet were admirable Martyrs and sealed to Gods truth according to that knowledge they had and laid down their lives for the Gospel though they had not this knowledge therefore I mean not that though that be be very good and without some literal knowledge the mind cannot be good a man may have literal knowledge without spiritual but not spiritual without literal therefore it is good but that is not it therefore we must labour to have strong spiritual understandings that we may understand spiritually the things of God as David saith Psal 119.34 Give me understanding and I shall keep thy Law as who should say if ever any man doth sin against thy Law it is because he doth not understand himself therefore you see how eager he is that God would give him understanding that he might understand his wayes and understand what his will is that so he might do it that he might understand it savingly powerfully and deliver his Law into his heart God delivers his Law into every mans heart but saith he grant me thy Law graciously he prays that God would not only deliver his Law to his understanding but in a gracious manner a man never sins against God but his understanding is deceived when we are proud we are deceived for we think too well of of our selves when we are worldly we are deceived for we think the world is better then it is so when we are dead to good duties we are deceived for we look upon Gods wayes and ordinances as if they were not such admirable things it is through the deceitfulness of our understandings that we give way to sin Now if our understandings were strengthened we should be fenced against the deceivableness of sin that when the Devil comes with his delusions and the temptations of the flesh with false colours to put us upon sin the understanding would be strong and see the weakness of all such reasons every man follows reason reason is a strong thing and leads all the world no man doth any thing but he hath some reason for it the worldly man hath some though not true reason why he is so carnal he is afraid he shall not know how to live therefore we should be earnest with God to strengthen our understandings that we may see the baseness and beggery and folly of all such vile reasons as these if the understanding were sound it were a marvellous strong thing A wise man is strong yea a man of knowledge encreaseth strongly Prov. 24.5 Therefore I say we should labour to have sound understandings that God would give us to know his Word as it is and to look upon things as they are that the world may not seem to be otherwise then it is and our names and credit or any thing in the world may not seem to be more beautiful then they are that we may look upon things in their own colours that we may have light if we had the light that comes from above we should be marvellous strong as Paul saith Let us put on the Armour of light So Heb. 10.32 saith he After you were enlightned you endured a great fight of affliction When they had true light come into their hearts that they durst not be impatient then though they had mighty afflictions upon them they endured them they had light come in they could not rise up against God if our knowledge were strong
our corruptions would be weak our carnal hearts would be weak we should not be so able to goe against God and his commandements I can doe nothnig against the truth saith Paul why he had a strong light he saw so clearly that it was the truth of God and it was the way to be damned for ever to goe against it and he saw so clearly what an admirable thing the truth was that he could do nothing against it as Joseph saith How can I commit this great wickedness c He had such a light and so saw the nature of the evil that he durst not do it for a world the understanding is a very strong thing see it in that which is in wicked wretches what a deal oâ— strength hath that little knowledge of God that is in their hearts when a wicked man knowes that his courses are of the Devil and he is informed and reads it in the Word of God he knows his wayes are condemned of God I tell you this knowledge keeps a great deal of stir in his heart and makes his conscience afraid and sometimes qualms come over his heart and sometimes makes him resolve I will be a drunkard and adulterer no more it makes him that he cannot goe so freely about his wicked courses Mark 6.20 When Herod knew John Baptist was a godly man this made him fear him So when Saul knew assuredly that David should be King though he went out to destroy him he let him goe nay a very persecutor if he knows they be the people of God he persecutes it will make his very heart ake and will make him give over his persecution except he be marvellous strong Isa 11.9 Why how will God bridle persecutors The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord There shall be such a deal of knowledge that they shall not be able to hurt in my holy mountain nay this knowledge may make wicked men mightily to deny themselves Balaam though he was greedy after riches and preferment yet when he knew that it was Gods mind that he he should not curse Israel he should provoke God saith he If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord c. Nay knowledge may work Reformation After they escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 2.20 Now if knowledge be such a thing where it is not rooted soundly in the mind then how strong would it be if we did get our understandings soundly informed if we would get knowledge rooted in us the very knowledge that God hath commanded us to serve him and fear him that he hath revealed his wrath from Heaven upon all disobedience that Christ is the Saviour of the world it would strengthen us against sin and to do good therefore let us labour to have strong minds Secondly Let us labour to have a strong will as David had Psal 119.15 16. I will meditate in thy precepts I will delight my self in thy statutes I will not forget thy Word You see how absolutely he is set upon it I will do thus and thus and I will not do the contrary this is a strong Will and therefore you see what admirable things he could do because his Will was strong what is the reason people are so weak they cannot resist sin they cannot give over such a lust they cannot get life and quickning in prayer and other duties if an Enemy come they cannot put it up if affliction come they cannot bear it patiently if they are called to stand for God they cannot put off carnal fears this is the weakness of our Wills if our Wills were absolutely set that way we should be marvellous strong and break through all oppositions all the strength of a man lies in the Will of a man if a mans Will be set upon a thing he will go through fire and water he will do it therefore we should labour that our Wills may be strong in the works of God to the pleasing of God and hatred of evil and opposing of all the wayes of the flesh as David saith Psalm 119.10 I have sought thee with my whole heart We should do thus you may see this in wicked men when their hearts are absolutely set to do evil how do they go through difficulties nothing shall hinder them how wonderfully did Saul persecute David over hills and dales and caves of the earth over rocks and craggy places if he had not been furious and mad he could not have followed him in such places nay he spurned against conscience God met with him oftentimes and infatuated his counsels which could not but be as hedges in his way but he broke over all Whence was this his Will was absolutely set 1 Sam. 23.23 he was resolved if David were to be found under the copes of Heaven he would have him so if our hearts our wills were absolutely set to finde God and his grace if we would say if Christ be to be found we will have him if he be in Heaven or Earth we will have him we will run over all Ordinances and duties what sin will we not leave what course will we not take if he be to be found we will have him A man might go through any difficulty if his Will were absolute the Will is a strong faculty it hath the command over the whole man the mind thinks and the heart intends and the affections stir and the tongue speaks and the foot walks and the hand works but the Will sways all nay if a mans appetite be to a thing yet if he will not do it he may refrain it the Will is the strongest faculty in a man as soon as we heare the Prodigal had a Will to goe to his Father the next news we hear he did go I will arise and go to my Father and now nothing could stay him if our Wills were set earnestly towards God that we would serve him and obey him and would not be carried away with our lusts what a deal of strength would this help us with we should be strong to trample Satan under our feet and mortifie our lusts and this is the reason God accepts the Will above all if there be a willing mind God accepts it nay not only accepts it but rewards it also 1 Cor. 9.19 If I do it willingly I have my reward The will is the strongest faculty God knows if he hath a mans will he hath all that ever a man can do he hath all his power nay he hath more then his power the will is able to go beyond a mans power as it is said of the Macedonians 2 Cor. 8.3 they did to their power and beyond their power the will is a mighty strong thing therefore if we will be strong in the Lord let us labour for strong wills Thirdly Let us labour for sound affections that our affections may be conversant about
impatient he cannot make a practice of it a child of God cannot sin for he is sanctified Psal 119.1.2 they do no wicked thing c. This is by way of trade and occupation a child of God doth never sin in that fashion therefore it is certain his full will is not to sin for if his whole will were after sin he would go on in it and live in it and make a practice of it but he dares not nor will not make a practice of it Fifthly A child of God doth never so sin but he hath an aptness in him to rise again a child of God hath a greater aptness to rise again and repent and love God again he hath a gracious heavenly aptness above all other men in the world let him sin never so much let his fall be never so great there will be this aptness left and it shall remain in him continually and this is an evident sign he never sinned with his whole will for if he did sin with his whole will he would be as unapt to repent as if he had never been converted as Solomon saith Prov. 9.8 As who should say a wise man is apt to take a rebuke he is apt to take it in good part he will take it humbly and obediently if he be a wise man and this is a sign his will is not absolutely set upon folly but if you tell him you have played the fool and dealt unadvisedly why would you be overtaken with such a corruption you have provoked God c. he will love you for it he hath an aptness so to do and this aptness shall ever remain and this is another good thing remaining in the children of God that is a lusting against sinne Thirdly Another thing is for ever to have a tender disposition to look after God and to have an eye to God this shall never be taken away quite and clean as you may see in Jonah though he had run away from God in that lamentable manner yet saith he I will look towards thy Temple his thoughts were there his mind was to have Gods love his goodness and countenance to shine upon him he must have an eye to that above all things in the world but you will say affliction made him do that he was now in the Whales belly but you may see he looked upon God before he was in the Whales belly for when the Mariners asked him what he was saith he I am an Hebrew that fears God and as a proof of this fear you may see how he submitted to God I have run away from God saith he he confessed his sin and took shame to himself and submitted himself to be flung into the Sea that God might have glory by his drowning if he would So that all was not drowned in him now that this disposition remaines appears by five things First Though a child of God should grow to never so sluggish a pace in Religion that all his vigour in prayer is gone he hath not the affection and heart in good duties that once he had he is lumpish and untoward yet in the midst of all these distempers he cannot lie down to this but he hath abundance of heaves to God to quicken him again as David saith Psalm 119.25 My soule cleaveth unto the dust O quicken thou me according to thy word His wings were off and his chariot-wheels were knockt aside he could not goe on in good duties with any pace he was lumpish and untoward his soule cleaved to the dust and yet you see what heaves he gives he would be quickned he would not be at this passe Oh that God would quicken him this was his disease and the burthen of his soule O quicken me O the lamentable throwes and secret yernings that are in a poor soule that is dead and dull he cannot pray nor finde the Word work upon his soule he can receive no fruit and benefit by the Word of God O the moanes and yernings and lookings up to God that God would quicken him though he hath no heart almost but is marvellously borne down yet he is not able to lie down under this it is a disease to him O quicken me Again Let him be never so much hardened as a childe of God may be fearfully hardened yet in the midst of all he hath a feeling of this hardning whereupon he makes out after God and will never give him over till he hath freed him from it Isa 63.17 Again Though a childe of God be never so secure as he may be secure and grow careless of God yet in the midst of all he can never be quite overcome by security so as quite and clean to forget God no he must listen after God and will hearken after God and hear the voice of God in some measure when the word reproves him and finds fault with his courses he doth hearken to it he is not quite asleep as the Church saith I sleep but my heart waketh Cant. 5.2 She did take notice of God in the midst of all her security it is the voyce of my Beloved saith she Fourthly A childe of God can never so far goe down the wind but he shall for ever love the Image of God and love mercy and love holinesse and goodness and love the Ordinances of God and the Image of God wheresoever he sees it nay he doth love the children of God and this is a signe unto him that he is passed from death to life when he hardly hath any other signe 't is true when sin and corruption hath exceedingly defiled Gods childe it may make him shy of Gods children and make him winde out of their company but yet grace makes him love them they are the amiablest persons in the world in that mans eye he blesseth the very ground they goe upon he hath this ever left in him and by this a childe of God may know that he is passed from death to life because he loves the Brethren 1 John 3.14 Fifthly A childe of God shall never be brought so low but in the midst of all he shall chide and check and finde fault with his own soule not as wicked men doe by reason of the terrours of conscience but in a gracious manner why have I done thus is this the thanks for the redemption of the world by Jesus Christ is this the thanks for the Gospel are these the fruits I bring forth under Gods Ordinances why am I thus dull to good duties why am I thus dastardly and cowardly for God there will be these gracious chidings though sin and corruption makes him full of legal terrours yet there be some gracious checkings and expostulations as David saith Why art thou so heavy O my soule O be quickned O be awakened hear better and pray better He doth check and condemn himselfe in a gracious manner and he can never like of these courses this will be for ever Lastly Another thing that shall be in Gods
speaks 2 Cor. 8.12 If there be first a willing minde it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that a man hath not The law will have perfection whether a man hath power or no or else it will damn a man but in the Gospel a man may say as Peter to the lame man Silver and gold have I none but such as I have that give I thee Lord such a memory and such parts and gifts have I not but such as I have that give I thee according to that measure of knowledge I have according to that grace I have I will give it thee If a man can say thus he is accepted not according to that he hath not but according to that he hath as it was in the law of Moses Levit. 5.6 7. A trespasse-offering should be a lamb or a kid but if a man were not able to give that then two turtle doves or two young pigeons if he be not able to give that let him give two or three handfuls of fine flowre Levit. 5.11 So Levit. 14.20 Let him give according as he can get he shall be accepted according to that This is the perfection of the Gospel according to the help and assistance God gives a man and according to the means God affordâ— a man it shall be accepted Fourthly The perfection of the law admits of no failings if a man fails no matter though it be out of infirmity the law condemns him the law requires perfection without failings but the perfection of the Gospel by way of sincerity admits of failings as the best gold hath his allowances so it is with a true Christian he may be sincere and upright though he hath a thousand failings as it is said of David 1 Kings 15.5 He did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord in all things but onely in the matter of Uriah That indeed would not stand with sincerity his sincerity was quite in a swoun then that could not stand with sincerity if he had gone on to sin in that fashion he could not have been sincere but in all other things he did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord. You will say he had a thousand failings yet saith the Text they all stood with sincerity he numbred the people and God was mightily angry with him and you know how unjust he was in the matter of Zibah and Mephibosheth you know how he told a lye to Abimelech and was the occasion of the death of the Priests of the Lord you know how he counterfeited himself mad and he had horrible disorders in his family and had lost the power of controul over his children were not these horrible failings and what a company of Wives and Concubines had he yet all these stood with sincerity because they were either done out of ignorance or want of due consideration sometimes or through humane frailty and infirmity or through violence of temptation contrary to his constant course and intendment and purpose they might all stand with sincerity and an upright heart according to the perfection of the Gospel Fifthly The perfection of the Law makes nothing of repentance if you break the commandements of God if you shed tears of blood and repent your heart out what cares the law the law will have perfect obedience or else to hell you shall But now in the perfection of the Gospel repentance is a great matter nay if a man be never so vile and wretched if yet he humble himselfe before God and be unfeignedly sorry for sinning against God this is a great matter this man is an upright man that is unfeignedly humbled and abased before God The sacrifice of God is a broken spirit a broken and contrite heart thou shalt not despise This is the voyce of the Gospel So Ezek. 18.21 If the wicked will turn from all his sins and do that which is lawful and right he shall surely live he shall not die As it is Job 23.27 28. He looked upon men and if any said I have sinned he will deliver his soule from going down into the pit In the Gospel a man is an upright man if he come before the throne of grace with shame and confusion of face for all his sins with unfeigned sorrow that he hath broken Gods Covenant if he hath never so many failings if he set himselfe to please God and when he fails he repents and humbles himself before God this man hath the perfection of the Gospel Thus we see the meaning of the words Perfect before God The point of Doctrine is this That every man is to labour to be perfect that is the thing that God will require and enquire after at the last day whether we be upright You see this 1 Cor. 5 7 8. and so likewise in other places of Scripture The first Reason is from the nature of God with whom we have to doe Reason 1 he is upright therefore it concerns us to labour to be like him he himselfe is an upright God and there is no unrighteousness in him his wayes are perfect and his judgments are truth therefore if a man be not perfect he cannot be like him Mat. 5.48 Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect we know his spirit is the spirit of truth himselfe is the God of truth his Son is the way the truth and the life he is the faithful witness and as God is upright so he looks that his servants should shew what Master they serve that they may make it appear that their Master is an upright Master Psalm 92. ult to shew forth that the Lord is upright This is our duty God is upright and Christ is upright and therefore we should follow his steps 1 Pet. 2.21 22. Secondly God hath commanded us to be sincere though he remit from the first Covenant of absolute and perfect righteousness and holiness without sin ye he will have his people truly fearing him and hating sin universal in obedience that they shall be from the bottome of their hearts followers of him therefore this stung David to the heart when he committed sin O thought he Thou desirest truth in the inward parts Psal 51.6 As who should say thou lookest into the heart thou requirest truth of thy servants O what a false heart have I had in this businesse God hath many worshippers in this world such as they are but God cares for none but such as deale faithfully in his Covenant as Christ speaks John 4.24 Thirdly God knows our hearts therefore though we serve him and do duties to him though we call upon his name hear his Word come to his Table observe his Sabbaths keep his Ordinances yet if we doe not doe these things in truth his eyes are ever upon our bosomes he casts his eyes upon the secrets of men if our hearts be rotten and proud and vaine and loose and filthy if our hearts be not of a right frame all is nothing
his sins and when conscience is up then he will be good as a Windmill goeth as long as the wind fills the sailes but if the wind be down the grist may lie long enough till the wind blow again but a true Christian is like a good boate-man if the wind blow he may go the better but if the wind be down he will goe too nay he will labour so much the more he will go though it be against wind and tide so it is with an upright man he is good at all times not only when he is well but also when he is sick he is good in prosperity and good in adversity good when his conscience is up and good when his conscience is not so stirring though he wants some helps and drives so much the more heavily yet he strives and will be good but an ungodly heart may be he may be good sometimes but it will not hold as it is said of Sigismund the Emperour when he was sick then he would be good and godly and thought of repentance and sent for a Confessor and would repent and asked him Have I not repented yes saith he if it hold but a wicked mans repentance will not hold let God but pluck out the arrow he will return to his old byas again and he is never the nearer nay may be he is worse then he was before Fifthly An upright man is universal in regard of parts as Christ speaks of his Spouse Thou art all fair my love Cant. 4.7 She was all fair in all parts and there was no spot in her he doth not deny but there was failings and weaknesses but no such soul spots as upon wicked men so a godly man is all fair his understanding that is teachable and made to savour of the truth and capable to be guided and informed by the spirit of God you know there is rebellion in the understandings of men carnal reasons and strong holds and haughty and proud principles of reasoning if they are convinced of a sin they will not leave it they have reasonings for that sin and if they have never such convictions for a duty there is rebellion in the understanding to put off this but an upright heart his understanding is good in some measure he is unfeignedly willing to be instructed of God whatsoever course he takes tell him out of the word of God that it is not good though his life depends upon it it shall goe he dares not stand out against God but a wicked heart hath not a teachable understanding it is still under its stubbornness and stoutness and reasoning against God and things he doth not like he will not see when there is any sin he would not leave or any duty he would not doe as Christ saith Mat. 13.15 he shuts his eyes and will not see What wicked man that lives under the Gospel of God but may see his courses are naught but he will not see it how many sins do ungodly men keep there is light enough and reason enough against their sinnes but they have sturdy mindes and will not be convinced of it Again An upright man his heart is converted and made godly his will is made pliable to be led by God and guided by Gods blessed spirit the stone is taken out of it there may be much hardness but the stone is gone the heart of stone is gone and he hath an heart of flesh given unto him to be sensible of God and sensible of his word and sensible of the light that shines in his face and his heart being converted he is moved by an inward principle and so moves the more willingly and the more freely as David saith 1 Chron. 28.9 He hath a willing heart But now a carnal heart and a heart that is not turned to God the stone is not taken out a man rebels to this day if he be moved to goodnesse it is not by an inward principle but by education or goodnesse of nature or by the stings of conscience that over-power his heart or by reason of a great light that breaks in and over-awes his heart Therefore a naughty heart be he never so good and fair-carriaged may be his conscience sometimes makes him forbear more then he would and makes him doe more good then he would but a godly heart is willing to doe what good he can nay he would doe more good then he can doe nay he never can doe so much as he would he is ashamed of all his works look what he doth he doth it with a willing heart Again A godly heart is good in his memory as David saith Psalm 119.16 I will never forget thy precepts His memory is turned to good things and made to remember good things he hideth the word of God in his heart that he may not sin against him But a carnal heart forgets to be good and zealous and please God and obey God his memory is not washed and sanctified in any measure Again A good man is good in his thoughts he doth not onely purge the outside of the platter but the inside also he labours to have his thoughts set upon things above he labours that vain thoughts may not lodge in him nay his main care is within doors in his own bosome to have his thoughts upright towards God So again he is good in his affections he doth hunger and thirst after righteousness he doth desire the things that are most excellent he doth delight in God and his presence he mourns for his sins and â—ourns that he can mourn no more he hath all his affections in some measure rightly seated and qualified he is good all over as the Apostle Paul saith 1 Thes 5.23 The Good of peace sanctifie you throughout As who should say This is sincerity and I pray God give it you that you may not deceive your own souls but that your whole spirit and body and soule and whole man may be true in the eyes of the Lord But now a carnal heart is not thus though he be like a whited Sepulchre he doth seem outwardly to be a good man and a man cannot check him if a man should say such a one is rotten he should be thought to be censorious and uncharitable yet in his inward parts he is naught if a man be not upright he doth not look to his thoughts but can let them be vaine and unfruitfull and can let his affections run at randome he is not affected with God he doth not mourn for his sins he doth not delight in good things his affections are not set upon things that are above Sixthly An upright man is universal in regard of cases and conditions if he be under any kinde of temptation whatsoever as we may see James 1.12 It is nothing for a man to be godly and meek and patient and vertuous when he is not tempted the Devil himselfe is good when he is pleased as we say This is godlinesse and uprightnesse when a
in that course he was wont to do and thus faith working in this fashion delivers a man over to Christ by taking a man off from that which was his Pilate and guide before and making him to be guided by Christ Secondly Faith works obedience by carrying a man to God it makes a man seek to God how to obey Teach me O Lord to do thy will Psal 143.10 Faith carried him to God so faith doth wheresoever it is it brings a man to God that God would be pleased to strengthen our apprehension that so we may look upon his will and to fortifie our understandings that we may conceive of all his wayes with a Divine and heavenly understanding and to fortifie our wills that the feeblenesse of them towards God may be removed it crieth to God from day to day that he may not do as he hath done nor live as he hath done faith wheresoever it is drives the soul to God and to lie at him from day to day to guide him and teach him and instruct him and shew him his wayes and reveal unto him his Statutes as David Psalme 119.35 36 Incline my heart to thy Testimonies and not to Covetousnesse As who should say Lord here is my heart will and whole man I beseech thee make me walk in thy wayes I am very loath and untoward I beseech thee put some strength into this will of mine when I go to thy Word let me heare it with trembling when I go to prayer let me go to it with an heavenly minde encline my heart this way and make it stand bent this way 't is true when naturall men are convinced that all strength is from God they pray too but this is not faith in prayer but faith makes the soul that it cannot be quiet but it must obey and stoop to him in all his wayes Thirdly Faith works obedience by making a man improve all the abilities that God hath given him already and this is the best way to encrease them Matth. 13.12 When a man hath grace hath a Talent and makes use of it and hath it to some purpose and layeth it forth that man shall encrease his Talent and abound God will give him more now as faith works obedience by shewing a man his own wretchednesse that he must not yield to his own desires and be carried by his own vaine imaginations that for his part would conclude such a course is lawful and why not Though God saith the contrary faith makes him consider that and so drives him to God and so also it makes him go and improve those gifts and parts and strength that God hath given him already that he may lay it forth and use it to the uttermost as if a man be haunted and baited by any lust deadnesse security coldnesse in duty or some other lust Now Faith when it would make a man obedient to God to crucifie these lusts it makes a man look out to see what power Gud hath given him what abilities God hath lent what helps and furtherances God hath reached out unto him and he takes all to fight against that lust hath he understanding that he employes to think of the evill of the sinne to consider of the danger of the sinne how he may avoyde it and what course he may take to overcome it if God hath given him a memory he layeth it forth to remember and recollect such things as he hath heard and hath been told of he layeth all his Talents forth that ever he can to master that lust and so works obedience as faith drives a man to God for help so look what help God lends and what Talent God puts into his hand he layeth all forth for the working of obedience he will not let any one lye idle but will employ all to help him forward in obedience Fourthly Faith doth work obedience by making a man to relie upon Christ it doth look unto an union with Christ it doth make a man to cast himselfe upon Christ for power against his sinnes it doth extract vigour from Christ against corruption it doth distill and draw down graces from him faith is the pipe whereby grace is conveyed from Christ to the soul and faith opens the passages of this pipe that it may descend down to the heart from the Lord Jesus Christ faith is a marvelous excellent thing it doth extract efficacy and validity and power from the life and death of the Lord Jesus Christ for the crucifying of the flesh for the mortifying of the deeds of the body and thus it changeth the heart and brings willingnesse to every duty by doing thus I say faith goeth to Christ and casts it self upon him for all things it wants for the performance of all good courses and wayes Thus David got power against his carnal feare when he was afraid of Saul on one side and the Philistins on the other side how doth he fence himself against this Psalme 56.4 I put my trust in God and therefore need not feare what man can do unto me and so faith was able to root out his feares So it was with the remnant of Israel Zeph. 3.13 They shall do no iniquity you will say how can that be Can flesh and blood do that As long as a man is flesh and blood he will be doing some iniquity or other how shall a man be able to do no iniquity and let no iniquity have dominion over him it goeth before in the twelfe verse They trust in God They trust in God and so shall do no iniquity When a man doth trust in God and hath faith to relie upon him and distill down power and strength from Christ this will help him to do no iniquity and help him to oppose himself against all his corruptions and fight against the strength of all his lusts as the Apostle saith Rom. 3.13 let us therefore cast off the workes of darknesse You will say this is very strange are we able to do this can we tame our own hearts or change our own minds are we able to purge out these corruptions is this possible how shall a man do this Why put on the Lord Jesus Christ in the next words go to him by a true and lively faith and then you may be strong in Christ and able to do every good Duty and subdue every sinne receiving strength from Christ when a man is to go through thornes and briars a man is not able to go through but if he put on his Bootes and his Gloves c. he may so when a man goes on in his owne wayes he cannot avoide sinne pride and covetousnesse and vanity how shall he avoide these things 't is true he cannot avoide them if he go naked but if he put on Christ he may it is a similitude taken from a garment and that in two respects First it must be fitted and then it must be put on so Christ first takes measure of all the
unto him there is a non-appearance of the deadnesse and damnednesse of a mans estate and condition that walks in that way and therefore it seems to him to be a right way and a way of life and there is great hope in him that he shall live for evermore and many men do walk in that way and therefore it seems to him to be a right way and a way of life it seems right to a man but the end thereof is death And this is the First thing wherein this liveliness consists The non-appearance of a mans dead and damned estate 2. Secondly It consists in Performance he is able as he conceives to do the duties that God commands he hath wisdom and ability at home to go about his Affairs he hath understanding and supply at home he hath life and sufficiency to go about these and these duties and performances let the Law tell him he must be sober he hath life to avoid the Ale-house and if he commit a Drunken Act he would have you think he hath grace to be sorry for it and let a man tell him he is a dead man he hath no grace in him no life in him he will tell you he doth thus and thus he hears Gods Word and he Prayes to God and he Trusts in God and he Believes in God your telling of him this doth not kill his heart he thinks he is alive for all this nay let the Law of God come and tell him He is a dead man for all his doing this will not kill him neither so long as the Lord himself doth not open his eyes and clear his eye-sight and discover his sins and convince his Conscience though the Law say he is a dead man and a damned man this doth not kill him he can wait upon God and perform these and these duties Then let the Law of God say He is a dead man for all this he must deny himself why so he will I confesse Lord I am an unrighteous man a wretched man a sinful creature and all my righteousnesse is as menstruous raggs and now he thinks all is well but the Law of God hath not yet come home unto him and shewed him his heavie estate but he is alive in regard of the performance of the duty and thinks verily he hath life at home in him whereas if the Law of God did come home and charge his estate upon him and shew him what obedience the Law requires what severity and truth in the inward parts it would break a mans heart and kill him notwithstanding all performances but in the mean time that a mans heart is not killed and the Law hath not given him his deaths VVound he thinks he is alive Cry aloud saith God lift up thy voice like a Trumpet shew my people their Transgressions and the house of Israel their sins Isai 58.1 there the Lord looks upon the people as dead wretched sinners and abominable people but yet notwithstanding they thought they were alive in performances as we may see vers 2. Yet they seek me daily and delight to know my wayes even as a Nation that did righteously and had not forsaken the Statutes of their God they ask of me the Ordinances of Justice they draw near to me saying We have fasted and thou regardest it not We see here they take delight in approaching unto God they take delight in Gods Ordinances and seek God early they can do thus and thus and are alive in all performances but that man whole spirit the Law hath pulled down and the Lord hath convinced him of his infinite inability to perform the Law he cannot see any liveliness in him unto any performance Let any duty come it kills his heart I should now hear the VVord of God but my heart is unprepared and my ear uncircumcised and I cannot hear aright Let an opportunity be offered to Pray it kills his heart I should now call upon the Name of the Lord but I have such a cursed heart I cannot Pray I cannot speak one right word before God Let an occasion be offered of holy Conference it kills his heart Alas saith he I want pure language my tongue was never touched with a coal from the Altar my lips have not ability to drop forth savoury speeches I am not able to speak one syllable aright to Gods glory it kills his heart he sees no life at all in him unlesse he can have life from without and ability from without he is dead all is nothing to him the law hath taken away the livelinesse that was in him But he that is not humbled by the Law he is alive he hath life in himself it is nothing with him to Pray and go to Church and hear Gods Word it is nothing but thrusting to do the duty he hath life in him to do duties and wait upon God in his Ordinances but when the Law comes home to him it plainly lets him see that he hath no life in himself to do any good he must seek for life and abibility from without else he is a dead man he can do nothing in this case David in this case cannot look up Mine iniquities are gone over my head I cannot look up Psal 40. Moses he is a man of uncircumcised lips and cannot speak unto Pharaoh Paul cannot do any thing that is good In me dwelleth no good thing Rom. 7. And so for the rest of Gods people when the Law hath killed them and laid them dead in regard of any performance they must have life from without there is no life at home no grace at home no understanding at home they must go out for all but a carnal man he is alive unto all performances Many a man is like unsavoury Salt good for nothing but to throw upon the dunghil He never received the Holy Ghost and yet he will be inducted into a Living and take a Pastoral Charge upon him as if he were able to perform the Duty of a Minister and take the Charge of Souls upon him So Ananias will be a Husband and Sapphira a VVife Athalia vvill be a Queen and Nimrod a King and Abimilech a Judge they are alive to discharge all these Duties thus men are alive the Law of God hath not killed their hearts and pulled down their spirits it hath not made it appear unto them what wretched cursed Creatures they are This is the Second thing wherein this Liveliness consists Thirdly This Livelinesse consists in a presumptuous hope he conceives that he is justified before God and that God will not damn him but forgive him his sins There is nothing can make a mans heart more full of life than to think that he is righteous before God and that God will not impute his sins unto him there is nothing can make a man more alive then this If they think they are justified before God they have then a lively hope 1 Pet. 1.3 Blessed be God saith the Apostle even the
humble their souls under Gods hand For sometimes we have need to break our very natural rest for the good of our souls Though we be never so careful and conscionable in the day time yet it may so fall out that the day will not be enough but we must entrench upon the night also to seek the Lord extraordinarily but this watching is not here meant though it be sometimes required But a Spiritual watching is specially meant which includes Three things in it First It doth note a readinesse of minde to be drowzy for as in natural and literal watching it doth note a natural proneness to be drowzy either through the darknesse of the night or the heat of the weather or the like so this spiritual watching signifieth unto us that we are naturally subject to be secure spiritually and vain and idle and negligent and have need to be rouzed up for indeed all Commandments since the Fall are such as do not agree with our nature as when he commands us to seek the Lord while he may be found that intimates that we are by nature apt to put it off and to be careless of making our peace with God and when the Lord saith pray alwayes it doth imply how backward we are to that duty how apt to neglect it or to shuffle it over and to be luke-warm in it before the Fall when God did bid man do any thing the bidding of him did imply that if he were not careful he was in a possibility of breaking the commandments it did not argue a proneness to break them but since the Fall the commandements of God whatsoever God hath commanded us to do either for matter or manner of it it implyeth how backward to and untoward we are in doing it Secondly Watchfulnesse doth imply a labour and endeavour in our selves to take off this sinful pronenesse to evil that is in us and to be seriously stirred up to look after our Duty whatsoever it is both towards God and towards man we ought to shake off all untowardnesse of Spirit whereby we are unfit to Watch Watchfulnesse implyeth this also Ephes 5.14 Awake thou that sleepest and stand up from the dead as who should say Shake off thy drowzinesse and labour to break off this folly of heart whereby thou goest dreaming on and rouze up thy spirit and stand upon thy guard The Third and main thing This Watchfulness doth include some further businesse or duty to be done that is not yet performed for watchfulness is an act to help forward some further act As for example We are bound to remember God in all our wayes the want of this is the reason we so often sin against God now if we did remember God if we did remember his Holinesse if we did remember the greatnesse of his Power and the strictnesse of his Justice against Sin if we did remember our Death and what account we are to make before him this would be a great help to keep us from sin now if we would remember this a special way to help us is to watch as Acts 20.31 Watch and remember saith the Apostle he being desirous that they should remember the admonitions which he had propounded he layes down this as a special means to help them hereunto to watch So we are to be watchful that we may be sober in eating and drinking and all lawful things for how sudduly do distempers break in upon us unlesse a man look to himself now watchfulnesse is an excellent help to Sobriety 1 Thess 5.6 Let us watch and be sober We had need to watch whatsoever we go about that we may be sober in it whatsoever wordly businesse we go about in our Callings we had need to have this watchfulnesse that we be not overwhelmed and over head and ears in the world that we way not be intemperate in our eating and drinking that we may not give our selves too much liberty and freedom in talking and discoursing of the things here below so we are bound to keep our garments that our nakednesse may not be seen that the sins that are up and down in the world do not defile them that the temptations and allurements and occasions we meet withal and the examples of the times and such like do not take away our righteousnesse from us now watchfulnesse is an help hereunto as we may see Rev. 16.15 the text saith Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments So that watchfulnesse is an excellent help for a further act to be done when a man hath some duty or other to be done which the Lord requires should be done with care and diligence watchfulnesse is a help thereunto as Hab. 2.1 the Prophet knowing there was some Prophecy to be bestowed upon them the Prophet laboured to be in a fit case to receive it and that he might so be I will watch saith he in a word watchfulnesse is an intentive consideratenesse of the heart when a man doth consider how he is to do every thing lest he be surprised either by Satan or the world or by his own subtil flesh when a man is considerative and takes heed to himself to his thoughts and his words and all his actions as our Saviour saith Take heed Watch and Pray Mark 13.33 When he would describe watchfulnesse what it is he sets another phrase by it to open it to us Take heed watch and pray There is a kind of heedlessenesse that is apt cleave to the heart whereby the heart is carelesse what snares are before it now watchfulnesse doth take off this and maketh a man to take more heed in whatsoever he doth so that there can be no opportunity of doing good but he takes it no good motion is suggested but he lyeth at catch to receive it for this is watchfulnesse Prov. 8.33 Blessed is the man that heareâ—h me watching daily at my gates here you may see watchfulness is expressed when a man comes into the presence of Christ waiting to hear whatsoever shall come from Christ and there is nothing that drops from the Minister that concerns him but he is ready to receive it when a man waits to be ready to obey whatsoever commandment the Lord delivers and to take heed to avoid whatsoever the Lord forbids This is watchfulness Now the second thing is what we must watch I Answer We must watch our selves and all the duties of Religion and time First we must watch over our selves Ponder thy pathes saith the Wise man Prov. 4.26 as who should say Look to thy self take heed to every step that it be ordered aright How soon may a man be turned out of the way How soon was David carried away into those two great sins of Murther and Adultery How soon was Peter put besides his Resolution in the high Priests Hall for want of watchfulness If he had watched and remembred our Saviours item he had never denied his Master A man is
marvellous ready to be carried away therefore we must watch our selves First And in particular we must watch our own thoughts naturally all our thoughts are idle and unprofitable our minds are apt to spend themselves upon that which will do us no good we had need therefore to watch over our thoughts Deut. 15.9 Beware saith the text that there be not an evil thought in thy heart Take heed that vain thoughts come not into thy mind idle thoughts or wordly thoughts will dead us and dull us to the service of God and poyson the heart and no good thing can dwell in us if we do not look unto our thoughts the eyes of the Lord are upon our thoughts therefore watch over thy thoughts Secondly We should watch over the Heart it self The heart is the very spring there be the very issues of Life and Death the actions flow from thence therefore Prov. 4.23 the wise man saith Keep thy heart with all keeping as who should say Thy heart is deceitful and desperate it will make thee believe thou art going to heaven when it leads thee to hell if thou be never so well affected for a time this heart will fly off it is naturally so naught and reprobate to what is good Therefore keep thy heart with all diligence Thirdly Watch over thy Words Psal 141.3 Set a watch O Lord before the door of my lips We must watch our lips and have a care that our words be agreeable to Gods Word and seasoned with salt and that we shun all manner of communication that doth not minister grace to the hearers we must take heed lest idle words proceed out of our mouths for which we must give an account at the day of Judgement how many times do such words proceed out of our mouths that we would give a world to recal again onely because we do not watch over your words that they may be such as may tend to edifying and expresse the grace that is within Fourthly Again we should watch over our Senses we should make a covenant with our eyes as Job speaks chap. 31.1 not to look upon a maid when our eyes are looking up and down though they be not caught with adultery or such gross sins yet there is danger to be caught one vvay or other for when a man looks upon the Objects of the world as good and the like how ready is his mind to be carryed after it Men are led by their eyes they carry the mind and heart with them therefore we should have a care that whatsoever comes to our eyes we make a good use of Fiftly Again we should set a watch before our Ears we should take heed what we hear when we come in company lest we be infected by what is spoken we should have an hedge about our ears to stop them from unsavoury things Doth not the ear taste words saith Job VVe should have tasting ears that should be able to taste and relish the good words that are spoken and hate the contrary and distaste them Lastly We should watch our selves over the whole man Only take heed to thy selfe Deut. 4.9 As who should say This is the only thing have a care of watch over thy self lest thy self undoe thy self there is no enemie so dangerous unto us as our selves the Divel in hell cannot do us so much mischief How many corruptions are there in us to draw us from God and incite us unto sin There are abundance of corruptions lying in the heart of man to make a man unfit for any thing that is good that is idlenesse in the understanding it cannot abide to take pains and exercise it self in Divine matters There is in the will and affections covetousness and abundance of corrupt inclinations that if a man look not to it will break forth So that this is the thing we must watch over our selves Secondly We are to watch over the duties of Religion as for example we are to watch unto prayer as the Apostle speaks 1 Pet. 4.7 we are to watch to meditating and reading and hearing of the Word of God Otherwise though we do them for the matter of them yet we cannot for the right form and manner of them though our hearts be in a pretty good tune for the present yet we cannot hold this frame if we watch not thereunto Rev. 3.3 is an excellent place If you will not watch saith the Text and hold fast I will come against thee as a thief in the night As who should say Stir up thy self and watch that thou maist hold fast if thou hast got any hatred of sin in thy heart hold it fast if strength against corruption hold it fast How shall I do that why watch saith he or else Christ will come against thee as a thief If a book be in a mans hand when he is drowzy it will fall out he cannot hold it fast So when a mans heart is drowzy and secure it will let go comfort and any thing that God hath bestowed for the good of the soul therefore we ought to watch if we have any sweet disposition of heart to go on in the Service of God and in the duties of Religion we may go on if we be watchful And now to branch this into particulars First We must watch before the Duty Secondly We must watch in the Duty Thirdly We must watch after the Duty First We must watch before the Duty Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy Exod. 20.8 So I may say remember Prayer to keep it holy remember Meditation to keep it holy remember all the duties of Religion to keep them holy and perform them in an holy manner think of them before you go about the performance of them we cannot pray unless we watch unto prayer unless we be careful and have our eyes in our heads before we go about the duty In the morning as soon as we awake we should think of prayer and when tempted to sin we should think of prayer If I sin how can I pray unto God I have ever and anon need to poure out my prayers before God now if I commit these and these sins how can I look up to heaven when my conscience doth reproach me for sin So when we hear the word of God look to thy foot when thou comest into the house of God Eccles 5.1 that is Before thou goest into the House of God to hear the Word of Salvation see into thine own heart think whose word it is thou hearest and that thou goest to hear the Word that shall judge thee at the last day When thou comest into the presence of God take heed lest thou hearest as fools hear and take heed lest thou prayest as fools pray and comest to the Sacrament as fools use to come we should watch before the duty that all things may be in a readinesse before we come to the performance of it that we may prevent
the living God the celestial Jerusalem and to the company of innumerable Angels and to the congregation of the first born which are written in heaven You are come he speaks of a spiritual coming by Faith So that this putting into the Body of Christ is by Faith Then in the Third place It makes a man have a common life with all the rest of the Members of Jesus Christ As you may see Col. 3.4 When Christ which is our life shall appear ye also shall appear with him in glory Christ who is our life We that are the people of God Christ is our life we have one and the self-same life all one and the self-same minde in the wayes of God As it is said Act. 4.32 The multitude of them that believed were of one heart and one soul all the people of God in the whole world would quickly be acquainted if they were brought together for they are all of one and the self-same disposition and mind As our Saviour speaks to his Father Joh. 17.21 That they all may be one as thou art in me and I in thee so that all they may be one in us As the Three Persons in the blessed Trinity are three distinct Persons and yet are all one so in some sense the Members of the Body of Christ though they be of several callings and conditions in the world yet they are all one that they may be all one as we are one vers 21. They all live by the same rule and walk by the same rule they are all guided by the same Word and swayed by the same Commandment they all walk in one Way they all Pray by one and the self-same Spirit they have a life that is common look as one lives so lives another look as one repents so another repents look as one believes so another believes and look as one apprehends of God and comes before him with affection and fear and trembling so doth another though they never saw one another yet they all meet in the same life for they have the same root of life the same cause of life In the Fourth place It makes a man to be of one consent with all the people of God every where As you may see Zeph. 3.9 For then will I turn to the people a pure language that they may all call upon the Name of the Lord to serve him with one consent The Lord helps them all to Pray after one pure language and gives them all one pure consent in the Service of God though it is in different degrees indeed one ariseth to an higher pitch than another therefore the Apostle speaks 1 Cor. 1.10 Now I beseech you brethren by the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ that ye speak all the same things that there be no divisions among you As who should say All the Members of Christ are so I beseech you endeavour to have this sign of being Members of Christ be all joyned together in the same mind it is true that this union and consent and agreement and oneness of heart and mind as I may call it is very imperfect but in some it is more imperfect then it is in other some have attained to a further degree there is a great deal of unlikeness of affections a great deal of unlikeness in Prayer a great deal of unlikeness in Obedience there is a great deal of jarrings now and then through weakness but as the Apostle saith As far as we have attained let us be thus minded Phil. 3.15 16. Let us walk by the same rule and mind the same things the Children of God throughout the whole world they are of one mind as far as they have attained though in Faith in Repentance in new Obedience they differ gradually in their attainments yet they all agree in this consent of judgment That sin must be hated that a man must live in no sin that a man must yield Obedience to all Gods commandments that a man must deny himself in all things that in all things God must be glorified they all agree that we are Members one of another and that we must love one another and forgive one another as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven us they all agree in this They are all of one mind and as one is mortified so is the other and as one is meek and gentle so is the other It is true indeed one hath attained further then another but whereunto they have attained they are all alike minded Now whereunto we have not attained God will reveal it in his good time unto us saith the Apostle May be one seeth such a thing is a duty which another doth not yet all see that it is their duty to fear God and obey him in all their wayes and they all set themselves to hate and oppose all manner of known sins As far as they have attained they are all of one minde Fifthly All this is for mutual profit and help and care and sympathy as you may see delivered by the Apostle 1 Cor. 12. That it must be for mutual profit see the seventh vers The manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal that is when the Spirit of God doth manifest himself in one man one way and in another man another way he gives one man may be the gift of Teaching to another man the gift of Knowledge some have excellent gifts in one kind some in another but all have the gifts of new Obedience Now look whatsoever gifts they are whensoever the Spirit doth manifest it self to any Member of the Body of Christ it is to be helpful and useful to others so that the Members of Christ need one another that you may see vers 21.22 The eye cannot say to the hand I have no need of thee nor the head to the foot I have no need of thee c. We cannot be without the poorest and vilest and contemptiblest Member in the Body nay the very life of the Body may depend upon the vilest Members So again That they are to care for one another That you may see in the 25. verse Lest there should be any division in the Body but that the Members should have the same care one for another You see how it is in the Body of a man the head hath care of the feet it guides the feet and the foot hath care of the head to hold it up and carry it up and down and the hand is useful for the relieving of any part they have all the same care one of another so it is in the Body of Christ And for a Sympathy see it in the 26. verse Wherefore if one Member suffer all suffer with it and if one Member rejoyce all rejoyce with it all have a fellow-feeling of one anothers necessities and comforts Therefore when the Spirit of God doth implant a man into the Body of Christ it is all one with the implanting a man into Christ