THE most pernicious effect of Unbelief under the preaching of the Gospel is that together with an influence of Power from Satan it blinds the eyes of mens minds that they should not see this Glory of Christ whereon they perish eternally 2 Cor. 4. 3 4. BUT the most of those who at this day are called Christians are strangers unto this duty Our Lord Jesus Christ told the Pharisees that notwithstanding all their boasting of the knowledge of God they had not heard his voice at any time nor seen his shape that is as Moses did They had no real acquaintance with him they had no spiritual view of his Glory and so it is amongst our selves Notwithstanding the general profession that is of the Knowledge of Christ they are but few who thus behold his Glory and therefore few who are transformed into his Image and Likeness SOME Men speak much of the Imitation of Christ and following of his Example and it were well if we could see more of it really in effect But no Man shall ever become like unto him by bare Imitation of his Actions without that view or iâ—â—ition of his Glory which alone is accompanied with a transforming power to change them into the same image THE Truth is the best of us all are wofully defective in this Duty and many are discouraged from it because a Pretence of it in some hath degenerated into Superstition But we are loth at any time seriously to engage in it and come with an unwilling kind of Willingness unto the Exercise of our Minds in it THOUGHTS of this Glory of Christ are too high for us or too hard for us such as we cannot long delight in we turn away from them with a kind of Weariness yet are they of the same Nature in general with our beholding of the Glory of Christ in Heaven wherein there shall be no weariness or Satiety unto Eternity Is not the Cause of it that we are unspiritual or carnal having our Thoughts and Affections wonted to give Entertainment unto other things For this is the principal Cause of our Unreadiness and Incapacity to exercise our Minds in and about the great Mysteries of the Gospel 1 Cor. 3. 1 2 3. And it is so with us moreover because we do not stir up our selves with Watchfulness and Diligence in continual Actings of Faith on this Blessed Object This is that which keeps many of us at so low an Ebb as unto the Powers of an Heavenly Life and spiritual Joys DID we abound in this Duty in this Exercise of Faith our Life in walking before God would be more sweet and pleasant unto us our spiritual Light and Stâ—â—ngth would have a daily Encrease we should more represent the Glory of Christ in our Ways and Walking than usually we do and Death it self would be most welcome unto us THE Angels themselves desire to look into the things of the Glory of Christ 1 Pet. 1. 10 12. There is in them Matter of Enquiry and Instruction for the most high and holy Spirits in Heaven The manifold Wisdom of God in them is made known unto Principalities and Powers in heavenly Places by the Church Ephes. 3. 10. And shall we neglect that which is the Object of Angelical Diligence to enquire into especially considering that we are more than they concerned in it IS Christ then thus glorious in our Eyes Do we see the Father in him or by seeing of him Do we sedulously daily contemplate on the Wisdom Love Grace Goodness Holiness and Righteousness of God as revealing and manifesting themselves in him Do we sufficiently consider that the immediate Vision of this Glory in Heaven will be our everlasting Blessedness Doth the imperfect View which we have of it here encrease our Desires after the perfect Soght of it above With respect unto these Enquiries I shall briefly speak unto sundry sorts of Men. SOME will say they understand not these things nor any Concernment of their own in them If they are true yet are they Notions which they may safely be without the Knowledge of for so far as they can discern they have no Influence on Christian Practice or Duties of Morality And the preaching of them doth but take off the Minds of Men from more necessary Duties But if the Gospel be hid it is hid unto them that perish And unto the Objection I say 1. NOTHING is more fully and clearly revealed in the Gospel than that unto us Jesus Christ is the Image of the invisible God that he is the Character of the Person of the Father so as that in seeing him we see the Father also that we have the Light of the Knowledge of the Glory of God in his Face alone as hath been proved This is the Principal Fundamental Mystery and Truth of the Gospel and which if it be not received believed owned all other Truths are useless unto our Souls To refer all the Testimonies that are given hereunto to the Doctrine which he taught in Contradistinction unto his Person as acting in the Discharge of his Office is Antievangilical Antichristian turning the whole Gospel into a Fable 2. IT is so that the Light of Faith is given unto us principally to enable us to behold the Glory of God in Christ to contemplate on it as unto all the Ends of its Manifestation So is it expresly affirmed 2 Cor. 4. 6. If we have not this Light as it is communicated by the Power of God unto them that do believe Ephes. 1. 17 18 19. we must be Strangers unto the whole Mystery of the Gospel 2 Cor. 4. 3 4. 3. THAT in the beholding of the Glory of God in Christ we behold his Glory also For herein is he infinitely glorious above the whole Creation in that in and by him alone the Glory of the Invisible God is represented unto us Herein do our Souls live This is that whereby the Image of God is renewed in us and we are made like unto the First born 4. THIS is so far from being unnecessary unto Christian Practice and the sanctified Duties of Morality that he knows not Christ he knows not the Gospel he knows not the Faith of the Catholick Church who imagins that they can be performed acceptably without it Yea this is the Root whence all other Christian Duties do spring and whereon they grow whereby they are distinguished from the Works of Heathens He is no Christian who believes not that Faith in the Person of Christ is the Spring of all Evangelical Obedience or who knows not that this Faith respects the Revelation of the Glory of God in him IF these things are so as they are the most important Truths of the Gospel and whose Denial overthrows the Foundation of Faith and is ruinous to Christian Religion Certainly it is our Duty to live in the constant Exercise of Faith with respect unto this Glory of Christ. And we have sufficient Experience of what kind of Morality the Ignorance of it hath
shall prosper in it 2 Cor. 3. 5. Chap. 9. 8. But hereby many deceive themselves labouring in the Fire while all they do doth immediately perish they have been negligent and careless whereby things are come to an ill posture with them and that peace which they had is impaired But now they will pray and read and fast and be liberal to the poor and now an Abstinence from Sin All these things they suppose they can do of themselves because they can and ought to perform the outward works wherein the Duties intended do consist Hereby Christ is left out of the whole Design who when all is done is the Lord that healeth us Exod. 1 5. 26. And there is another evil herein for whatever Men do in their own Natural Abilities there is a secret Reserve of some kind of Merit in it Those who plead for these things do averr there can be no merit in any thing but what proceeds from our own Free-will and what is so done hath some kind of merit inseparably accompanying of it And this is enough to render all Endeavours of this kind not only useles and fruitless but utterly rejected Faith 〈…〉 the Assistance of Christ and his in and unto these Duties or however they may be multiplied they will not he effectual unto our Healing and Recovery These things are to be used according as we receive supplies of Grace from above in Subordination unto that Work of Faith that shall be declared Wherefore 3. THE Work of recovering Backsliders or Believers from under their Spiritual Decays is an Act of Soveraign Grace wrought in us by vertue of Divine Promises out of this Eater cometh meat Because Belivers are liable to such Declensions Backslidings and Decays God hath provided and given unto us great and precions Promises of a Recovery if we duly apply our selves unto the Means of it One of the places only wherein they are recorded I shall here call over and explain Hosea 14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8. O Israel return unto the Lord they God for thou hast fallen by thine Iniquit◠Take with you words and turn with the Lord say unto him Take away all Iniquity and receive 〈◊〉 graciously so will we render the calves of our lips c. I will heal their Backslidings I will love them freely for mine Anger is turned away from him I will be as the dew unto Israel be shall grow as the Lilly and cast out his Roots as Lebanon His Branches shall spread and his Beauty shall be as the Olive Tree and his smell as Lebanon They that dwell under his shadow shall return they shall revive as the Corn and grow as the Vine the scent thereof shall be as the Wine of Lebanon 〈◊〉 Wall say What have I to do any more with Idols I have heard him and observed him I am like a green Fir-tree from me is thy fruit found THE whole matter treated of in general both as unto the Disease and Remedy is fully stated in this passage of Scripture and that in the Experience of the Church and God's dealing with them we may therefore receive many plain Directions from it and a safe Guidance in our Progress which we shall endeavour to take in the ensuing Observations 1. THIS Application of God unto Israel O Israel return was made when the generality of the People were wicked and devoted unto utter Destruction So it is declared in the last words of the foregoing Chapter and their Desolation fell out not long after accordingly Wherefore no Season nor Circumstances of things shall obstruct Soveraign Grace when God will exercise it towards his Church It shall work in the midst of desolating Judgments 2. IN such a time the true Israel of God the Elect themselves are apt to be overtaken with the Sins of the whole and so to Backslide from God and so to fall into Spiritual Decays So Israel had now done though she had not absolutely broken Covenant with God He was yet unto her The Lord thy God yet she had fallen by her Iniquity Times of publick Apostacy are often accompanied with partial defects in the best Because Iniquity aboundeth the love of many shall wax cold Mat. 24. 12. 3. WHEN God designs to heal the Backsliding of his People by Soveraign Grace he gives them effectual Calls unto Repentance and the use of means for their Healing So he doth here by his Prophet O Israel return take with you words And if I could see that God did stir up his Faithful Ministers to apply themselves in a peculiar manner unto this Work of pressing vehemently all their Congregations with their Duty herein and let them know that there is no other way to prevent their Ruine but by returning unto the Lord according to the ways of it here prescribed I should not doubt but that the time of Healing were at hand 4. THE means prescribed unto this end that our Backslidings may be healed in a way suited unto the Glory of God is renewed Repentance And this acts it self 1. IN servent Prayer Take with you words and say Consider the Greatness and Importance of the Work before you and weigh well what you do in your dealing with God The matter of this Prayer is twofold 1. The pardon of all Iniquity that is the taking of it away And no Sin is omitted all being now become equally burthensome take away all Iniquity When the Souls of Sinners are in good earnest in their Return unto God they will leave out the Consideration of no one Sin whatever Nor are we meet for Healing nor shall we apply our selves unto it in a due manner without some previous sense of the Love of God in the pardon of our Sin 2. Gracious Acceptation Receive us graciously The words in the Original are only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and receive good but both the words being used variously the Sense eminently included in them is well expressed by receive us graciously After we have cast our selves under tokens of thy Displeasure now let us know that we are freely accepted with thee And this also lyes in the Desires of them who design to obtain an Healing of their Backslidings for under them they are sensible that they are obnoxious unto Gods Displeasure 2. AFFECTIONATE Confessions of the Sin wherein their Beckslidings did consist or which were the Occasions of them Ashur shall not save us c. we will say no more to the work of our hands Ye are our Gods Fleshly Confidence and False Worship were the two great Sins that had now ruined the Body of the People These Believers themselves had an Accession unto them more or less as now they have unto the prevailing Sins of the Days wherein we live by Conformity unto the World Of these Sins God expecteth a full and free Confession in order unto our Healing 3. A renewed Covenant Engagement to renounce all other Hopes and Expectation and to betake themselves with their whole Trust and Confidence
true Believers and have mixed the Word with Faith and so it exhibiteth Christ and all the Benefits of his Mediation unto us If therefore this Word is in our Hearts Christ is nigh unto us If we turn at any time into our selves to converse with the Word that abideth in us there we shall find him ready to receive us into Communion with himself that is in the Light of the Knowledge of Christ which we have by the Word we may have sudden occasional Thoughts of him continually and where our Minds and Affections are so filled with other things that we are not ready for converse with him who is thus nigh unto us by the Word we are spiritually indisposed SO to manifest how nigh he is unto us it is said that he stands at the door and knocks Rev. 3. 20. in the continual tender that he makes of himself and his Grace unto our Souls For he is always accompanied with the glorious Train of his Graces and if they are not received he himself is not so It is to no purpose to boast of Christ if we have not an Evidence of his Graces in our Hearts and Lives But unto whom he is the Hope of Future Glory unto them he is the Life of present grace SOMETIMES it may be that he is withdrawn from us so as that we cannot hear his Voice nor behold his Countenance nor obtain any sence of his Love though we seek him with diligence In this state all our thoughts and Meditations concerning him will be barren and fruitless bringing in no spiritual Refreshment into our Souls And if we learn to be content with such lifeless in affecting thoughts of him as bring in no experience of his Love nor give us a real View of the Glory of his Person we shall wither away as unto all the power of Religion WHAT is our Duty in this Case is so fully expressed by the Spouse in the Canticles as represents it plainly unto the Minds of Believers who have any Experience of these things Chap. 3. 1 2 3 4 5. By night on my Bed I sought him whom my Soul loveth I sought him but I found him not I will rise now and go about the City in the Streets and in the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth I sought him but I found him not The Watch-men that go about the City found me to whom I said saw ye him whom my soul loveth It was but a little I passed from them but I found him whom my soul loveth I held him and would not let him go The like account she gives of her self and of her Behaviour on the like Occasion Chap. 5. 2 3 4 5 6 7 8. THIS is the substance of what by this Example we are instructed unto The Lord Christ is pleased sometimes to withdraw himself from the spiritual Experience of Believers as unto any refreshing sense of his Love or the fresh communications of consolatory Graces Those who never had Experience of any such thing who never had any refreshing communion with him cannot be sensible of his Absence they never were so of his Presence But those whom he hath visited to whom he hath given of his Loves with whom he hath made his Abode whom he hath refreshed relieved and comforted in whom he hath lived in the Power of his Grace they know what it is to be forsaken by him though but for a moment And their Trouble is increased when they seek him with diligence in the wonted ways of obtaining his presence and cannot find him Our Duty in this case is to presevere in our Enquiries after him in Prayer Meditation Mourning Reading and Hearing of the Word in all Ordinances of Divine Worship private and publick in diligent Obedience until we find him or he return unto us as in former Days IT were well if all Churches and Possessors now would manifest the same Diligence herein as did the Church of old in this Example Many of them if they are not hardened by the Deceitfulness of Sin cannot but be sensible that the Lord Christ is variously withdrawn from them if ever they had experience of the Power of his Presence Yet are the generality of them far from the frame of heart here described in the Spouse for they are slothful careless negligent and stir not up themselves to enquire after him or his return unto their Souls So was it with Laodicea of old so was it with Sardis and so it is to be feared that it is with many at present But to return GENERALLY Christ is nigh unto Believers and of a ready Access and the principal Actings of the Life of Faith consists in the frequency of our Thoughts concerning him for hereby Christ liveth in us as he is said to do Gal. 2. 20. This we cannot do unless we have frequent thoughts of him and converse with him It is often said among Men that one lives in another this cannot be but where the Affections of one are so ingaged unto another that night and day he thinks of him and is thereby as it were present with him So ought it to be between Christ and Believers He dwells in them by Faith but the Actings of this Life in them as where-ever Life is it will be in act and exercise are proportionable unto their Thoughts of him and Delight in him IF therefore we would behold the Glory of Christ the present direction is That on all occasions and frequently when there are no occasions for it by the performance of other Duties we would abound in thoughts of Him and his Glory I intend not at present fixed and stated Meditations which were spoken unto before but such Thoughts as are more transient according as our opportunities are And a great Rebuke it ought to be unto us when Christ hath at any time in a day been long out of our Minds The Spouse affirms That ere she was aware her soul made her as the Chariots of Amminadab Cant. 7. 12. It so fell out that when she had no thoughts no design or purpose for attendance or communion with Christ that she was surprised into a readiness and willingness unto it So will it be with them that love him in sincerity Their own Souls without previous designs or outward occasions will frequently engage them in holy thoughts of him which is the most eminent character of a truly spiritual Christian. 4. THE next Direction is That all our Thoughts concerning Christ and his Glory should be accompanied with Admiration Adoration and Thanksgiving For this is such an Object of our Thoughts and Affections as in this Life we can never fully comprehend an Ocean whose Depths we cannot look into If we are spiritually renewed all the Faculties of our Souls are enabled by Grace to exert their respective powers towards this glorious Object This must be done in various Duties by the Exercise of various Graces as they are to be acted by the distinct powers of the
Duty of his Obedience rendring it amiable in the sight of God and useful unto us So when he went unto John to be baptized he who knew he had no need of it on his own Account would have declined the Duty of administring that Ordinance unto him but he replied Suffer it to be so now for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness Mat. 3. 15. This I have undertaken willingly of my own accord without any need of it for my self and therefore will discharge it For him who was Lord of all universally thus to submit himself to Universal Obedience carrieth along with it an Evidence of Glorious Grace 2. THIS Obedience as unto the use and end of it was not for himself but for us We were obliged unto it and could not perform it he was not obliged unto it any otherwise but by a free Act of his own Will and did perform it God gave him this Honour that he should obey for the whole Church that by his obedience we should be made righteous Rom. 5. 19. Herein I say did God give him Honour and Glory that his Obedience should stand in the stead of the perfect Obedience of the Church as unto Justification 3. HIS Obedience being absolutely universal and absolutely perfect was the great Representative of the Holiness of God in the Law It was repreâ—â—nted glorious when the Ten Words were written by the Finger of God in Tables of Stone It appears yet more eminently in the Spiritual Transcription of it in the Hearts of Believers But absolutely and perfectly it is exemplified only in the Holiness and Obedience of Christ which answered it unto the utmost And this is no small Part of his Glory in Obedience that the Holiness of God in the Law was therein and therein alone in that one Instance as unto human Nature fully represented 4. HE wrought out this Obedience against all Difficulties and Oppressions For although he was absolutely free from that Disorder which in us hath invaded our whole Natures which internally renders all Obedience difficult unto us and perfect Obedience impossible yet as unto Opposition from without in Temptations Sufferings Reproaches Contradictions he met with more than we all Hence is that glorious Word Although he were a Son yet he learned Obedience by the things which be suffered Heb. 5. 8. See our Exposition of that place But 5. THE Glory of this Obedience ariseth principally from the Consideration of the Person who thus yielded it unto God This was no other but the Son of God made Man God and Man in one Person He who was in Heaven above all Lord of all at the same time lived in the World in a Condition of no Reputation and a Course of the strictest Obedience unto the whole Law of God He unto whom Prayer was made prayed himself Night and Day He whom all the Angels of Heaven and all Creatures worshiped was continually conversant in all the Duties of the Worship of God He who was over the House diligently observed the meanest Office of the House He that made all Men in whose Hand they are all as Clay in the Hand of the Potter observed amongst them the strictest Rules of Justice in giving unto every one his Due and of Charity in giving good things that were not so due This is that which renders the Obedience of Christ in the Discharge of his Office both mysterious and glorious 2. AGAIN The Glory of Christ is proposed unto us in what he suffered in the Discharg of the Office which he had undertaken There belonged indeed unto his Office Victory Success and Triumph with great Glory Isa. 63. 1 2 3 4 5. but there were Sufferings also required of him antecedently thereunto Ought not Christ to suffer and to enter into his Glory BUT such were these Sufferings of Christ as that in our Thoughts about them our Minds quickly recoil in a Sense of their Insufficiency to conceive a Right of them Never any one launched into this Ocean with his Meditations but he quickly found himself unable to fathom the Depths of it Nor shall I here undertake an Enquiry into them I shall only point at this Spring of Glory and leave it under a Vail WE might here look on him as under the Weight of the Wrath of God and the Curse of the Law taking on himself and on his whole Soul the utmost of Evil that God had ever threatned to Sin or Sinners we might look on him in his Agony and bloody Sweat in his strong Cries and Supplications when he was sorrowful unto the Death and began to be amazed in apprehensions of the things that were coming on him of that dreadful Tryal which he was entring into we might look upon him conflicting with all the Powers of Darkness the Rage and Madness of Men suffering in his Soul his Body his Name his Reputation his Goods his Life some of these Sufferings being immediate from God above othâ—rs from Devils and wicked Men acting according to the Determinate Counsel of God we might look on him praying weeping crying out bleeding dying in all things making his Soul an Offering for sin So was he taken from Prison and Judgment and who shall declare his Generation for he was cut off from the Land of the Living For the Transgression saith God of my People was he smitten Isa. 53. 8. But these things I shall not insist on in particular but leave them under such a Vail as may give us a Prospect into them so far as to fill our Souls with holy Admiration LORD What is Man that thou art thus mindful of him and the Son of Man that thou visitest him Who hath known thy Mind or who hath been thy Councellor O the depth of the Riches both of the Wisdom and Knowledg of God! How unsearchable are his Judgments and his Ways past finding out What shall we say unto these things that God spared not his only Son but gave him up unto Death and all the Evils included therein for such poor lost Sinners as we were that for our Sakes the Eternal Son of God should submit himself unto all the Evils that our Natures are obnoxious unto and that our Sins had deserved that we might be delivered HOW Glorious is the Lord Christ on this Account in the Eyes of Believers When Adam had sinned and thereby eternally according unto the Sanction of the Law ruined himself and all his Posterity he stood ashamed afraid trembling as one ready to perish for ever under the Displeasure of God Death was that which he had deserved and immediate Death was that which he looked for In this State the Lord Christ in the Promise comes unto him and says Poor Creature How woful is thy Condition How deformed is thy Appearance What is become of the Beauty of the Glory of that Image of God wherein thou wast created How hast thou taken on thee the monstrous Shape and Image of Satan And yet thy present Misery thy
your Net this once more upon the Command of Christ venture this once more to come unto him on his Call and Invitation you know not what success he may give unto you 2. CONSIDER that it is not failing in this or that Attempt of coming to Christ but a giving over your Endeavours that will be your Ruine The Woman of Canaan in her great outcry to Christ for Mercy Mat. 15. 22. had many a Repulse First it is said he answered her not a word then his Disciples desired that he would send her away that she might not trouble him any more whereon he gives a Reason why he would not regard her or why he could justly pass her by she was not an Israelitess unto whom he was sent yet she gives not over but pressing into his presence cries out for Mercy ver 25. being come to that issue to try and draw out her Faith to the utmost which was his design from the beginning he reckons her among Dogs that were not to have Childrens bread given unto them Had she now at last given over upon this severe Rebuke she had never obtained Mercy but persisting in her Request she at last prevailed ver 27. 28. It may be you have prayed and cryed and resolved and vowed but all without success as you suppose Sin hath broken thorough all however if you give not over you shall prevail at last you know not at what time God will come in with his Grace and Christ will manifest his love unto you as unto the poor Woman after many a rebuke It may be after all he will do it this day and if not he may do it another do not despond Take that word of Christ himself for your Encouragement Prov. 8. 34. Blessed is the man that heareth me watching daily at my Gates waiting at the posts of my doors If you hear him and wait though you have not yet admission but are kept at the gates and posts of the doors yet in the issue you shall be blessed 3. THE Rule in this case is Hos. 6 3. Then shall we know if we follow on to know Are you in the way of knowing Christ in the use of Means hearing the Word and sincere Endeavours in holy Duties though you cannot yet attain unto any Evidence that you have received him have closed with him nothing can ruine you but giving over the way wherein you are for then shall you know if you follow on to know the Lord. Many can give you their Experiences that if they had been discouraged by present overwhelming Difficulties arising from their Disappointments breaking of Vows relapses into Folly they had been utterly ruined whereas now they are at rest and peace in the Bosom of Christ. On a great surprizal Christ lost at once many Disciples and they lost their Souls John 6. 66. They went back and walked no more with him take heed of the like Discouragements III. SOME may say yea practically they do say That these things indeed are necessary they must come to Christ by believing or they are undone but this is not the season of it there will be time enough to apply themselves unto it when other occasions are past At present they have not leisure to enter upon and go through with this Duty wherefore they will abide in their present State for a while hearing and doing many things and when time serves will apply themselves unto this Duty also 1. THIS is an uncontrollable evidence of that Sottishness and Folly which is come upon our Nature by Sin A Depravation that the Apostle places in the head of the Evils of corrupted Nature Tu. 3. 3. Can any thing be more foolish sottish and stupid than for men to put off the consideration of the Eternal Concernment of their Souls for one hour being altogether uncertain whether they shall live another or no to preferr present Trifles before the Blessedness or Misery of an Immortal State For those who never heard of these things who never had any Conviction of Sin and Judgment to put the evil day far from them is not much to be admired But for you who have Christ preached unto you who own a necessity of coming unto him to put it off from day to day upon such slight pretences it is an astonishable Folly May you not be spoken unto in the language of the Wisdom of God Prov. 6. 9 10 11. You come to hear the Word and when you go away the language of your Hearts is Yet a little sleep a little slumber a little folding of the hands to sleep We will abide a little while in our present State and afterwards we will rouze up our selves Under this Deceit do multitudes perish every day This is a dark Shade wherein cursed Unbelief lyes hid 2. CONSIDER that this is the greatest Engine that Satan makes use of in the World among them that hear the Word preached unto them for the ruine of their Souls He hath other Arts and Ways and Methods of dealing with other Men as by sensual and worldly Lusts But as unto them who through their Convictions do attend unto the preaching of the Word this is his great and almost only Engine for their Ruine There needs no haste in this matter another time will be more seasonable you may be sure not to fail of it before you dye However this present day and time is most unfit for it you have other things to do you cannot part with your present frame you may come again to hear the Word the next opportunity Know assuredly if your Minds are influenced unto delays of coming to Christ by such insinuations you are under the Power of Satan and he is like enough to hold you fast unto Destruction 3. THIS is as evil and dangerous a Posture or frame of Mind as you can well fall under If you have learned to put off God and Christ and the Word for the present Season and yet relieve your selves in this that you do not intend like others alwayes to reject them but will have a time to hearken to their calls you are secured and fortified against all Convictions and Perswasions all fears one answer will serve for all within a little while you will do all that can be required of you This is that which ruines the Souls of multitudes every day It is better dealing with Men openly profligate than with such a trifling promiser See Isa. 5. 7 10. 4. REMEMBER that the Scripture confines you unto the present day without the least intimation that you shall have either another day or another tender of Grace and Mercy in any day 2 Cor. 6. 2. Heb. 3. 7. 13. Chap. 12. 15. Take care lest you come short of the Grace of God miss of it by missing your opportunity Redeem the time or you are lost for ever 5. AS unto the pretence of your Occasions and Business there is a ready way to disappoint the craft of Satan in that pretence namely
other things or if they do find that it is not with them as it hath been formerly they are not much concerned and on any occasional new Conviction they cry Yet a little more slumber a little more sleep a little more folding of the hands to sleep But when the other do find any thing of this Nature it makes them restless for a Recovery And although through the many Snares Temptations and Deceits of Sin or through their Ignorance of the right way for their Healing they do not many of them obtain a speedy Recovery yet none of them do approve themselves in such a Condition or turn unto any undue Reliefs NOW that Believers are subject to Decays in both the ways mentioned we have full Testimony in Scripture For as unto that general gradual Decay in the loss of our first Faith Love and Works in the weakening of the internal Principle of Spiritual Life with the loss thereon of Delight Joy and Consolation and the Abatement of the Fruits of Obedience our Lord Jesus Christ doth expresly charge it on five of the seven Churches of Asia Rev. 2 d. 3 d. And in some of them as Sardis and Laodicea those Decays had proceeded unto such a degree as that they were in danger of utter Rejection And hereunto answers the experience of all Churches and all Believers in the World Those who are otherwise minded are dead in Sin and have got pretences to countenance themselves in their miserable Condition So is it with the Church of Rome and I wish others did not in some measure follow them therein AND as unto those of the Second sort whereinto Men are cast by Surprizals and Temptations producing great Spiritual Distress and Anguish of Soul under a sense of God's displeasure we have an instance in David as he gives us an account of himself Psal. 38. verse 2. to the 10th O Lord thine Arrows stick fast in me and thy hand presseth me sore There is no soundness in my Flesh because of thine Anger neither is there any rest in my Bones because of my Sin For mine Iniquities are gone over my head as an heavy burthen they are too heavy for me My Wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishness c. IT is certain that here is a description of a very woful State and Condition And the Psalmist knowing that he was called of God to be a Teacher and Instructer of the Church in all Ages records his own Experience unto that end Hence the Title of it is A Psalm to bring to Remembrance Some judge that David had respect unto some great and sore Disease that he was then visited withall But if it were so it was only an occasion of his Complaint the cause of it was Sin alone And four things he doth represent 1. That he had departed from God and fallen into provoking Sins which had produced great Distresses in his mind verse 3 4. 2. That he had foolishly continued in that State not making timely Application to Grace and Mercy for healing whereby it was grown deplorable ver 5. And this Folly is that alone which makes such a Condition dangerous namely when Men on their Surprizals in Sin do not speedily apply themselves unto healing Remedies 3. That he had herein a continual sense of the Displeasure of God by reason of Sin verse 2. 3 4. 4. That he was altogether restless in this State mourning groaning labouring continually for Deliverance THIS is a clearer Delineation of the Condition of Believers when either by the greatness of any Sin or by a long continuance in an evil and a careless frame they are cast under a sense of Divine displeasure This opens their Minds and their Hearts declaring how all things are within which they cannot deny It is not so with many in the same Measures and Degrees as it was with David whose falls were very great but the substance of it is found in them all And herein the Heart knoweth it's own Bitterness a Stranger intermedleth not with it None knows the groaning and labouring of a Soul convinced of such Spiritual Decays but he alone in whom they are Hereon is it cast down to the Earth going mourning all the day long though others know nothing of it's Sorrows But it is of a far more sad Consideration to see men manifesting their inward Decays by their outward Fruits and yet are little or not at all concerned therein The former are in ways of Recovery these in the Paths that go down to the Chambers of Death I suppose therefore I may take it for granted that there are few Professors of Religion who have had any long continuance in the ways of it having withal been exposed unto the temptations of Life and much exercised with the occasions of it but that they have been asleep in their days as the Spouse complains of her self Cant. 5. 2. that is they have been overtaken with decays of one sort or another either with respect unto Spiritual or Moral Duties in their Relation unto Churches or Families in their Judgments or their Affections in their inward Frames or outward Actions they have been overtaken with the effects of Sloth Negligence or the want of a continual Watch in the Life of Faith I with it were otherwise I principally herein intend those gradual Declensions in the Life and Power of Grace which Men in a long course of Profession are subject unto And these for the most part proceed from Formality in Holy Duties under the constant outward performance of them vehement Engagements in the Affairs of Life an overvaluation of sinful Enjoyments growth in Carnal Wisdom neglect of daily Mortification of such Sins as Men are naturally disposed unto with a secret influence from the prevalent Temptation of the days wherein we live which things are not now to be spoken unto 3. BUT I come to that which was proposed in the Third Place namely To shew that this at present is the State of many Professors of Religion that they are fallen under those Spiritual Decays and do not enjoy the effects of the Promises concerning Flourishing and Fruitfulness which we have insisted on To fasten a Conviction on them or some of them at least that it is indeed so with them is my present Design and this ought to be done with some diligence The Glory of Christ the Honour of the Gospel and the danger of the Souls of Men do call for it This is the secret root of all our Evil which will not be removed unless it be digged up who sees not who complains not of the loss of or Decays in the Power of Religion in the days wherein we live But few there are who either know or apply themselves or direct others unto the proper Remedy of this Evil. Besides it is almost as difficult to convince Men of their Spiritual Decays as it is to recover them from them but without this healing is impossible If Men know not their Sickness they