Religious Performances 'T is a sad sign thou art yet a Formalist and to thee the Text speaks terror 5. He is a Formalist whose Duties do no execution upon his sins he Prays and sins Hears and sins goes in a round as a Horse in a Mill Take him at his Prayers you may hear him perhaps confessing his Worldliness but take him in the World and you find him as covetous as griping as apt to defraud as ever he comes off his duties as if he had but begg'd leave to sin yea sin gets strength by his performances As the Harlot Prov. 7.14 15. I have Peace-offerings by me this day I have paid my vows Come let us take our fill of love So he thinks his morning and evening-Duties procure him liberty to sin all the day when he hath heard though the Word was never so pierceing he never thinks more of it to reform his heart or life by it that he hath heard satifies him never thinking what or to what end he hath heard hence it is that no execution is done upon his lusts Now with the sincere Christian 't is far otherwise his Duties give sin a shake loosen it at the root True indeed a corruption may out-live many a Prayer Sermon Humiliation-day without any sensible decay yea may seem to get head and grow more turbulent yet every Duty rightly performed doth something towards the mortification of it as in cutting down a tree every stroak doth not bring it down yet some chips are cut off and in battering a Fort every shot doth not beat it down yet makes it weaker and prepares it for the next So every Duty doth something weaken sin at least thus for that it increases the Soul's hatred of it and puts upon him a fresh engagement to pursue it to the death examine then doth sin get strength by thy Religious duties dost thou grow into more love and liking of thy bosome corruptions for that 's the surest evidence of sins growth Then hast thou just cause to suspect thy self of formality and to apply this terror to thy self 6. The Formalist is ordinarily full of confidence and self-conceit very supercilious towards poor bruised reeds and doubting souls he looks upon the weak Believer as no body in comparison of himself Thus you see it in the Pharisees Joh. 7.48 Luk. 18.9 12. Paul was once of this temper Rom. 7.9 He was alive without the Law once i. e. highly conceited and strongly confident of his good condition so the Formalist seldom suspects himself never is at a loss for his Evidences The Devil befriends him and helps him up to this Pinacle he is not more an enemy to true saving Faith then a friend to Presumption The sincere Christian on the other hand is very suspitious often trying dougbting searching works out his salvation with fear and trembling 'T is true some healthy well-complexion'd Christians but oh how rare are they keep up faith in a lively and constant exercise can look within the veil and are not subject to those frequent tossings and doubtings as others but then they do not brow-beat and carry scornfully and contemptuously towards those that have not attained to their Measure they are very tender towards the weakest Lambs in Christ's fold and can sympathize in their weaknesses and help to bear their Infirmities That supposed assurance that is joined with the contempt of weak ones and separated from a holy humble watchful walking with God is a sure note of a Formalist There is fear and jealousie in the best David Psal 139. 20 end professes his sincerity yet suspects there ma be some way of wickedness in him so that if thou hast high presumptions and low performances strong confidence upon weak grounds and this lifts thee up in thy own conceit above thy weak brethren conclude thy self but yet a Formalist 7. The Formalist hath some regard to the matter of the first Table little to the second Piety as to the face of it he practiseth but equity and charity he little looks at perhaps nor sobriety neither he thinks his duties towards God may excuse his deficiencies towards men And herein by the way the Moralist and Formalist differ the former being onely or chiefly for second table duties though both do convenire in tertio agree in this third thing that they neglect Christ and put confidence in their own righteousness This that I say of the Formalist is evident Psal 50.8 with verse 18 19 20. They were constant at their sacrifices but deeply guilty of Theft Adultery evil-speaking and false accusations with the same mouth did they bless God or curse or speak evil of man made after the image of God Jam. 3.9 so Jer. 7.4 They cry The Temple of the Lord. i. e duties sacrifices but verse 5 6. They did not execute judgment between a man and his neighbour they oppressed the stranger the fatherless and the widdow they shed innocent blood c. so verse 9. They did steal murder commit adultery and swear falsly The like you may see Isa 58.2 They seek me daily and delight to know my waies c. yea verse 3. They challenge God and charge him as not having regard to their fasting and afflicting their Souls yet these verse 4. did fast for strife and debate and to smite with with the fist of wickedness See more of their failings towards their neighbour verse 6 7 9 10. Where Gods calling for such duties at their hands sufficiently intimates their defectiveness in them Possibly some smaller acts of righteousness or mercy they may doe so did the Pharisees Matth. 23.23 They tithed Mint Annise and Cummin but the weightier points of the law judgment mercy or faith that is as some with good reason interpret faithfulness in their dealings with men these they neglected Yea by their rare device of Corban i. e. a gift given to the Priest or Temple that their Parents might be prayed for disoblige the child from that necessary duty of succouring his necessitous Parents Matth. 15.5.6 with Mark 7.11 12. Thus making pretended piety towards God a cloak for neglect of duty towards man and upon this account how many Formalists are to be found amongst us are not many that have set up Prayer and reading in their Families who frequent Ordinances and seem to be eminent in piety as bad yea much worse in second-Table-duties then the prophanest Who more griping and oppresive Who more ready to over-reach in Bargaining To defraud or abridg their Minister of his due So that as to the business of equity and justice of people towards their Minister we could rather desire to be cast upon a prophane superstitious ignorant people then amongst knowing Formalists Besides who more quarrelsome fuller of strife and debate more apt to go to Law for trifles then these Can these things consist with sincertty are they not plain evidences of a rotten heart a meer Formalist Surely sincerity hath an equal respect to all God's Commandments will
God and the world but I shall find at last that I have deceived my own soul Psa 125.5 Will not God both find me out in these crooked wayes and turn me out with the workers of iniquity He that perverteth his wayes shall be known Prov. 10.9 The self-flatterers iniquity shall be found hateful Psal 36.21 Can I carry it so closely that God shall not find me out Doth not his eye pierce and his eye-lids try the children of men Doth he not set our secret sins in the light of his countenance Is there not a wo to them that dig deep to hide their sins as well as their counsels from the Lord Isa 29.15 16. Thus labour to make thy heart sensible of this sin 4. It is a sin of evil influence upon others Warm and lively Christians are the great blessings of the places where they live their zeal provokes many 2 Cor. 9.2 But a dead and heartless profession especially if of any eminency in the Church puts a stop to others who are apt to come up to their measure and there to rest The whole Army made a stand at Amasa's dead body 2 Sam 20.12 so do many at one dead Christian How may a dead and formal Minister or Master of a Family read his own in the Temper of his People or Family As face answers face in a glass so for the most part doth the complexion and temper of the Followers answer that of their Leaders Aggravate thy sin by this consideration upon thy own heart Vile wretch that I am how many do I hinder in heaven's way how doth my formality give occasion to some to think there is no reality in Religion and to others to rest in the same temper Were I a better Leader my People Family Neighbours would be better Followers If they perish in that sin how justly may their Blood be charged upon my head 5. It is a sin that insensibly hardens the heart every sin is of that nature Heb. 3.13 But as none is I think more deceitful so scarce any more hardning One or two duties customarily and formally done will be found mightily deadning and indisposing the heart to other duties afterward By Formality in prayer you may in time pray away both your Graces and Gifts so you may by customary hearing hear your selves quite deaf to all Gods counsels 2 Tim. 1.6 This makes the heart of many like the trodden path or neather Milstone Formality is a lazy sin it doth not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 blow up the Gifts and Graces of Gods Spirit and so the Fire goes out Habits of laziness are hardly shaken off as we see in common Beggars indulging a lazy temper which is the Formalists sin must needs encrease it 'T is the Formalists frame that of the sluggard Prov. 6.10 and 26.14 Yet a little sleep Ver. 11. c. And what is said of him may well be applied hither So shall thy poverty come as an armed man By this lazy formal temper spiritual poverty invades and seizes upon the soul Besides this sin as it hath a natural so a judiciary tendency to hardness of heart i. e. it provokes God to give up to obduration Luk. 19.26 From him that hath not so as to improve shall be taken even that he hath or seems to have God will say to such in his just Judgment Sleep on and take your rest and as that great Commander finding his Sentinel asleep run him thorow saying Dead I found him dead I leave him Thus God deals with the lazy formal sluggish Christian Work this also on thy heart 6. It is a sin that broodeth hatcheth cherisheth many other Pride Self-confidence Contempt of others are the natural products of it Upon account of a constant course of formal duties men are apt to encourage themselves in sin see Jer. 7.8 9 10. 'T is storied of one an Italian as I remember who us'd to patter over his prayers in the morning and then challenge the Devil to do his worst Let but a Formalist observe his own heart and he shall find That when he hath done something more then ordinary in a way of duty he is apt to draw encouragements thence of being more loose afterward Set this home Oh what a Viper have I harbour'd in my bosome How many sins hath this one sin let in and drawn me into c 7. It 's a sin that brings both the surest and soarest destruction To such is that cutting word of our Saviour directed Matth. 23.33 Ye Serpents ye generation of Vipers how can you escape the damnation of Hell Hypocrites are Leaders in the Black Roll Matth. 24. last And as dissembled Sanctity is double iniquity so shall it have a double portion of Misery These things I have suggested to help you in aggravating this sin upon your own souls it were easie to add many more but any one of these laid close to the Conscience will through the blessing of God make the Soul groan under the weight of this sin This is the sum of the first step which a soul is to take in order to cure Get a convincing sight and humbling sense of thy sin and would but the Lord bring on the Work thus far could I but see your hands on your loins could I but find you Ephraim-like smiting upon your thigh ashamed confounded were you but throughly convinced of the guilt and sensible of the weight of this sin how hopeful might I be of effecting the Cure Direct 2 When it is thus or rather that it may be thus with thee make thy addresses to God in way of humble confession and fervent petition But to hint something briefly 1. Fall down before the Lord in the shame and grief of thy own Soul making self-condemning Acknowledgments and aggravated Confessions of this sin Thou that hast been hitherto a proud Pharisee Luk. 18.13 now become an humble Publican Learn Davids posture Psal 51.3 This is a singular way to get thy own heart affected for indeed it 's a principal end of confession we do not confess sin to inform God but to humble and shame our selves In confession thou mayest use the forementioned aggravations 2. Add Petition to confession beg a more lively sense of this sin for it is not all thy own aggravating this sin upon thy soul that will make thee feel it to purpose till God take it and set it upon thy Conscience 't is the Spirit of God that must to purpose convince of sin John 16.8 the sins which look but as Moats will appear Beams in that Light which the Spirit of God darts into the Soul Beg Contrition also that acceptable Sacrifice of a broken heart must be of Gods own preparing the sorrow which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to God 2 Cor. 7.10 must be from God Zech. 12.10 Beg pardon with the Psalmist Ps 51.1 Fitly may you use his Petition and Argument Psal 25.11 Pardon my sin for it is
4. See that thou have a thorow change of heart Eph 4.23 Be renewed in the Spirit of your mind 1 Thes 5.23 Sanctified throughout 'T is not building on the old Foundation repairing and decking up the old man will serve turn 'T is not putting a new piece upon the old Garment all is depraved in Adam All must be renew'd in Christ it 's no less then a new Creation that makes a Christian That which is born of the flesh 2 Cor. 5. 17 even the best of it is no better than flesh Joh. 3.3 6. The best of a carnal man is carnal no man is born a Christian There must be a putting off the old man and putting on the new man Eph. 4.22 24. Col. 3.9 10. Psal 4 5.10 Bialt a forgetting and forsaking thy own People and Fathers house that is as one well glosses Quic quid corruptionis ex utero afferimus aut quaecunque ex placâ institutione nobis adhaerent Whatever corruption we derived from the Womb or contracted by Education c. Well see that not only the branches of corruption be lopt off but the root digg'd up let sin be not only left but loath'd let duty be not only done but delighted See that the change be not only in the face of your conversations but in the frame of your hearts and bent of your affections and see that it be the whole inward man not understanding only illightned or affections enlarg'd but each faculty having its proper work of Sanctification wrought upon it and above all the Will brought to a chearful submission to and compliance with the Will Commands of God even in those things that are most opposite to your natural inclinations This is a fourth Essential in a Christian 5. Endeavour liveliness vigour and sincerity in every duty content not thy self till thou hast got thy heart engag'd in duty I bid thee not lay aside duty nay rather be more frequent but withall more fervent and serious in it Hear and practise pray in the spirit turn thy dead and heartless confessions into heart-breaking acknowledgments thy formal petitions into earnest groans and breathings of soul c. and withall see that thy end in all be right viz. Gods glory and thy souls advantage Rectitude of ends is a great piece of sincerity Oh this is very essential to a Christian not onely to do duty but to be lively vigorous and right-ended in it not onely to do it but to do somthing by it and receive something through it and that it may be thus make Conscience of seriousness and liveliness in the smallest duties in thy daily Family-duties yea in thy very begging a blessing upon the creature Formality creeps in at our ordinary and lesser duties and by degrees mixes it self with our greater out it as much as possible of your common and ordinary and there is less danger it should spoil your extraordinary duties And thus I have in these five particulars included I think mâ—st of that which is essential to a Christian Oh that the Lord would perswade your hearts to endeavour after them and that they may be found in every soul of you These are they that do specifie and constitute a Christian indeed and that do distinguish him from and set him above all others in the world get these and you are more then Formalists but get them all the third cannot be without the first and second nor can the fourth and fifth really be without the third but where all these are found in conjunction that soul may undoubtedly conclude its real Christianity As a singular help to rowse thee out of Direct 4 Formality represent to thy thoughts meditations the nature of God especially in those awakening Attributes his Spirituality his Omniscience Omnipresence c. together with the dreadfulness of the day of judgment Formality is the souls sluggishness and therefore it needs those helps that are most awakning And oh how would the lively representation of these things startle you out of this drowsie temper Is not God a Spirit and Spirits are active and how ill do they that are themselves active vigorous brook the lazines of others Again Is not Gods eye upon me Is he not present in a special manner to those that are in his service and must not such a cold and careless temper be highly displeasing to him Again How shall I be able to stand before the Tribunal Will not my Formality be then discovered will not the careless performance as well as total neglect of duty be enquir'd into and severely punished at that day Such workings as these will be upon the heart that lies under the lively sense of those things and they must needs put life into thy duties and put thee out of thy dull and sluggish temper Direct 5 Get a holy jealousie and suspition of thy own heart watch it as thou wouldst watch a lazy or unfaithful servant Our hearts will do no longer then they are watcht and tasked and followed we must be winding them higher continually if we let them slacken never so little drowsiness steals upon them it must be a jealous eye and strict hand over them that must keep them waking Deal therefore with your hearts as David Psal 103.1 2. Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me He calls upon his soul thus must we Prov. 6.9 10. be often jogging them say not A little more sleep a little more slumber but rather Why sleepest thou O sluggard When wilt thou arise out of thy sleep Yea when they seem to be most wakeful and active there is need to watch them especially after a duty done with more than ordinary fervor intensness of action causeth weariness and weariness inclines to sleep and sluggishness Earnestly beg the continuance of lively Direct 6 quickning Ordinances and beg life and quickning into those Ordinances 1. Beg lively and quickning Ordinances They are the means which God hath appointed to beget and keep life in the soul the word is The immortal seed whereby souls are begotten to God 1 Pet. 1.23 But if this and other Ordinances lose their liveliness by a dead heartess formal management they will instead of rousing us out lull us asleep in our formality Cor non faciunt quae non habent How can those Ordinances make hearty Christians which have no heart in them Ordinances that are not good Ezek. 20.25 and statutes whereby a soul cannot live are amongst the saddest of judgments Dead forms are like the stone at the foot of the Bird which hinders it from the first use of its wing Also how prone is the last age of the world to fall into this drowsie temper We have need of the most lively Ordinances and all too little to keep us waking Dull heartless Preaching Prayers or other Ordinances will charm the Soul into a dead sleep and will be as a soft Pillow under the elbow of drowsie sinners and this
company of prophane persons knowing they have express commands to avoid unnecessary converse with such as 1 Cor. 5.11 2 Cor. 6.17 and this sometimes through God's setting it upon their hearts becomes an occasion of putting them upon a more serious consideration of their condition even a Cain fears and abhors the thought of being an Out-cast those Censures of Suspension and Excommunication appointed by God himself work by way of shame and disgrace But 3. There is so little liveliness in the best of Christians that the Formalist concludes himself as good as the best and so rests in his present condition Where there is something of the power of godliness yet there is too much of meer form and this encourages others to rest altogether in a form VVhere there is some life there is too little liveliness the best do not to the life hold forth the word of life Col. 2.16 There is something in the lives of Christians to convince and condemn the Prophane they see their swearing drunkenness Sabbath-breaking c. condemned in the practise of Christians shunning and abhorring those sins but they do not so live as to condemn the Formality of those amongst them There is not that warmth in their discourses and duties that vigour in their affections and actions that may quicken and heat others Men are apt to make a stand at others deadness as the people did at the dead body of Amasa 2 Sam. 20.12 'T is storied of Janias before his Conversion that meeting once with a Countrey-man as he was in a journey and falling into discourse with him about divers points in Religion he observed the plain Fellow to talk so experimentally with so much heartiness and affection as made him first begin to think that there was something more in those Truths then his Notional-humane Learning had yet discovered which occasioned his more serious inquiry into them and afterward his Conversion Liveliness and affectionateness in Christians is a singular Spur to incite others but alas how rare is it This wanting in the best doth strengthen the hands of the Formalist and beget in him a conceit that he is as good as the best Thus we have laid down some of those impediments both in himself and from others which lye in the way of a Formalist's Conversion and render it more difficult then of the Prophane CHAP. IV. Misaplication prevented BEfore I come to Application it will be requisite to say something for the preventing of m sapplication Some may possibly hence draw this Conclusion That the next way to onversion is to turn Prophane that to lay aside Prayer Hearing c. and to become a Swearer Adulterer c. is the best way to become a Saint an inference much like that Rom. 3.8 Let us do evil that good may come and Rom. 6.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 5.8 Let us continue in sin that grace may abound But let such * perverse Disputers know 1. Though the word hath many times an easier influence upon the Prophane then the Formalâ—… yet this makes nothing for the comfort of Prophane persons so continuing though many such are converted and saved What is this to him that lives and dies unconverted 'T is as if one sick of a Feaver refusing the Physician 's help feeding and nourishing his Disease should comfort himself in this That his condition is better then one that is sick of the Plague because many are by Physick cured of the one few or none of the other when the one as well as the other is Mortal without the Physician 's help Though many Prophane Wretches are saved upon their Faith and Repentance what comfort is it to thee that continuest Prophane without Faith or Repentance If Zacheus the Publican Magdalen the Harlot Paul the Persecutor are converted and saved canst thou who art an impenitent Oppressor Harlot Persecutor c. promise Salvation to thy self They are saved not because they were such but because they Repent 2. Though prophane persons are more frequently converted then Formalists yet prophaneness is no cause of their Conversion If you suppose so you admit a Falacy Non causae pro causâ assigning that the cause which indeed is not Many being Prophane are converted but not because they are Ptophane they are converted from not for their Prophaneness At most it hath but an accidental causality as an enemy intending to kill you may accidentally let out the corruption and so intending to be your Murderer may unwittingly and contrary to his intention prove your Physician But that Prophaneness can have no proper causative influence into your conversion will thus appear If so it must be supposed either 1. To move God to call you or 2. To dispose and incline you to conversion but to imagine either of these is very foolish and irrational For the first you must know That nothing out of God himself can be an inducement to him to call or convert any God's Eternal Decree which is the proper Efflux of his own Will and of his Free-Grace is his onely Motive in this See Rom. 8.29 30. Ephes 1.3 4 5 6 11. 2 Tim. 1.9 'T is not the good works of any fore-seen that move God to call them they being effects not causes of conversion much less then their evil works what can be more absur'd then to suppose that that which God loaths should induce him to love us And for the second 't is equally absurd for how can that which is in the nature of it an aversion from God produce as an effect conversion to God As rationally may we imagine darkness to be the cause of light sickness of health death of life as that sin can any way be a cause of or dispose unto conversion Could Prophaneness dispose a man to Conversion then it would follow the more Prophane the nearer to conversion which is all one as to say the nearer Hell the nearer Heaven 3. Neither is it the good that Formalists do but their hypocrisie in doing and the bad use they make of their good actions that renders their Conversion difficult Here a so you admit the same falacy if you suppose their praying hearing c. to obstruct their Conversion These duties rightly performed are both means and evidences of Conversion and incumbent upon the converted Hearing is the way to have Faith and other Graces begotten in us Rom. 10.17 Prayer is prescrib'd to Simon Magus yet being in the gâ—â—… of bitterness and bond of iniquity in order to his Conversion Acts 8.22 So we ma say of other-like duties As Prophaneness is not dispositive to Conversion so neither are Pious duties any hinderance but furtherance to it Nay more if ever you be Converted you must do what they do though not as they do You must pray hear meditate c. though not in a form as they do but with power not relying upon them when done but denying them putting no confidence in them 'T is not the form of godliness
before him these seem to meet God half way and not to be far from the Kingdom of God Who would take as was before hinted the knottiest crookedst timber to lay in his building the roughest stones to make his wall yet so it pleases God to do God looks with other eyes then we do Mat 9.12 13. Christ came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance God delights to make all his works Creations and to build where there is no appearance of foundation and this to exclude mans boasting He will have his grace to be and to appear free But to proceed to a second Use CHAP. VI. The second and third Vse of the Point Viz. Terror to the Formalist and discoveries of such Use 2 THe second Use may serve to pull down the pride and haughtiness of the self-conceited Formalist and to strike terror into his heart This Text and Doctrine may be like the fingers and hand-writing to Belshazzar Dan. 5.5 And passeth the same sentence upon him as that did Thou art weighed in the ballance and found wanting How doth the Formalist bless himself in comparison of the prophane He would not for a world be as they are when alas he is worse If I may say of the unconverted That one is further from conversion then another as that Text seems to intimate Mark 13.34 Thou art not far c. then these surely are at the farthest distance That fore-cited Text Mat. 9.12.13 Christ came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance seems to hint that such self-conceitedly righteous persons are out of the care and call of Christ and that 's sad But I cannot expect that any should take home this Terror till it be charged home upon them till Conscience say Thou art the man we are apt to catch at comforts and decline terrors it will be necessary therefore to give some Signes and Characters of the Formalist though something hath been already hinted that so being convinced he may apply it This may if you please be a distinct Use 3 Use of Examination To give you therefore some Notes of such 1. He whose duties and personal righteousness stand in opposition not in subordination to Christ and his righteousness is the person we speak of possibly his Baptism and Education make him affect the name of Christian but he sees not the absolute necessity of Christs righteousness to justifie and save him supposing he hath enough in his own store Had this man heard Christ speaking of his sufferings in order to mans salvation he would have been ready with Peter to say as Mat. 16.22 Master spare thy self or as Judas concerning the precious ointment To what end is all this waste He may be a professed enemy to Popery yet hath in him this Popish principle that he can keep the Commandments and it may be supererogate also such a one deals with Christ as those women the Prophet speaks of Isa 4.1 We will say they eat our own bread and wear our own apparrel onely let us be called by thy name to take away our reproach So they will be cloathed with their own Righteousness onely they love the name Christian because its a name of honor How is it then the more strict and holy thou seemest to thy self doth Christ seem of less necessity to thee do thy duties set thee further off or bring thee nearer Christ dost thou live more within and upon thy self surely if so to thee this terror belongs 'T is quite contrary with the sincere Christian his duties and performances drive him nearer Christ see Phil. 3 3.-10 though he grow in inherent holiness yet he grows daily more apprehensive of the necessity of imputed righteousness because he sees more of Gods holiness the laws purity and strictness and the impurity and filthiness of his own heart when he hath done all he cries out Vnprofitable Servant and woe to me for my Duties Prayers Hearings Graces c. if I had not a Mediator When he rises highest in Duty or gracious actings yet his suit to Christ as Ruth's to Boaz Ruth 3.9 is Spread thy skirt over me 'T is remarkable Phil. 3 3. For we are the Circumcision which worship God in the Spirit and rejoyce in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh 2. Which is the root of the former He whose Duties and Holiness are the fuel of Pride is the man we enquire after Thus it was with the Pharisees Isa 65.5 Luke 18.11 12. John 7.48 Formality comes off ordinarily more proud from a Duty and goes on the next time more self-confident except perhaps God hath notably cut him short as to the exercise of his gifts True pride may rush as one saith into the heart of a sincere Christian but it rests grows is cherished in the heart of a Hypocrite where Pride leads on in any Duty Dike on the Hearts Deceitfulness yet Humility brings him off what the sincere person wants in antecedent directing humility he makes up in subsequent and correcting humility 2 Chron. 32.26 Hezekiah was humbled for the pride of his heart a true Christian is humbled for his Pride an Hypocrite is proud of his Humility There 's a Monitor within the sincere Christians heart that 's often jogging him and brings him down when he begins to swell Try then is this worm of pride bred and nourished by thy duties Doest thou pray and hear and discourse thy self more proud haughty self-conceited 'T is a sad symtome thou art yet but a Formalist 'T is storied Heylin that the Isle of Man the Title being doubted whether it belonged to Britain or Ireland was adjudged to Britain because it foster'd venemous Serpents brought from thence into it Sure I am if thy duties foster and cherish this venomous Serpent of Pride they are the duties of a Formalist not a sincere Christian 3. He that is altogether a stranger to Godly sorrow Humiliation for sin and this is the cause of both the former he that never knew what compunction or contrition meant whose heart was never broken up and furrowed with the Plow of conviction who hath had but a superficial work hath but cleansed the outside of the Cup or Platter 'T is observable The stony ground received the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 13.20 immediately with joy but soon witherered whereof the Evangelist Matthew Chap. 13.5 gives the reason because it had not depth of Earth Luke Chap. 8.6 because it had not moisture Both the Evangelists as also Mark Chap. 4.16 tells us They received the Word with joy and gladness What can be understood by depth of earth and moisture but heatings and meltings by Humiliation This the stony ground wanted and therefore they being yet a rock not broken not humbled the seed though suddenly springing up withers and comes to nothing heat and moisture are joint-causes of growth and fruitfulness the latter without the former drowns and suffocates the seed the former without the latter doth
c. have you not thought O I would not be in that mans condition for all the world yet by what hath been said you see your state in some respect worse then theirs that there is a greater likelihood of their salvation then of yours What remains then but that you turn your eyes inward and take up the same thoughts concerning your selves which formerly you have had of them you see what thoughts our Saviour had of such as you are Luke 18 9-14 there he tells you that a poor penitent Publican is rather justified and consequently saved then proud self-justifying Pharisees in all his Preaching What do such as you hear but woe woe as Matth. 23.13 end when a broken-hearted Magdalen hears a sweet word Luke 7.48 Thy sins are forgiven Zacheus a gracious call Luke 19.6 9. Come down Zacheus this day is salvation come to thy house forasmuch as he also is the Son of Abraham and generally weary heavy-laden sinners have a loving invitation Math. 11.28 Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden backt with a sweet promise I will give you rest Oh then let fall those plumes of pride which have been lifted up so much above others glory not in your specious formalities and outside cleanliness That which is highly esteemed amongst men is abomination in the sight of God Luke 16.15 Bear not your selves high upon your parts morality or external performances while there are seven abominations in your hearts Prov. 26.25 Think not that your credit amongst men will bestead you before the all-knowing God But hasten out of your woful state learn that first and hardest lesson of Christianity self-denyal labour to get what yet you want a heart deeply humbled for sin an absolute disclaim of self-righteousness and submission to the righteousness of Christ and Truth in the inward parts Something I shall add by way of motive and then directions 1. Will it not grieve thee to the heart to have lost so many duties prayers days of hearing fasting thanksgiving It may be many tears and sighs yea many scoffs reproaches and injuries suffered for thy profession Let me take up the Apostles words Gal. 3.4 Have you suffered so many things in vain if they be yet in vain Will it not cut thee to the heart to be separated from that society in heaven with which thou hast associated here on earth That that which hath helpt others to heaven should accidentally plunge thee deeper into hell That thou hast done and suffered more then many a one in glory for the name and profession of Christ and all lost Lost 1. As to any acceptance with God here 2. As to any advantage to thy self hereafter How will it repent thee of what thou hast done and suffered in the profession of Rel gion how wilt thou wish that thou hadst joined with the prophane crew that thou hadst never had those gifts made that profession done those duties which shall be not only lost as to any benefit of thy self but as so many weights to press thee deeper into hell Stings in thy torment and brands to increase the flame and shall stand uncancelled as so many dreadful Items in God's Book of remembrance rendring thy account more heavy Oh will it not grieve you when others have sworn and drunk and whor'd themselves into Hell that thou hast hear'd and pray'd and fasted thy self thither pardon the harshness of the expression I mean by an ill management of those duties when others are damned for prophaneness thou for thy hypocritical profession others for their sins thou for thy feigned services 1 Cor. 15.19 If a Christian hath hope onely in this life he is of all men most miserable the reason is because they deny themselves of worldly contentments expose themselves to continual crosses and vexations in expectation of future glory which if they miss of they are every way miserable This is thy condition further will it not grieve thee to be thrust into Hell with that company which here thou abhorredst to be turned out with the workers of Iniquity Psal 125. last Nay to have a hotter Hell then they All this perhaps may sound harsh in your ears and you may suppose them to be but the Hyperbolical expressions of an Orator declaiming against this sin or the over-heated eructations of mistaken Zeal and misguided Passion No my Brethren they are the words of Truth and soberness The greater sin shall have the greater punishment that 's a known and granted maxime Now thy sins are greater then many I will not say then any prophane person's Is not contempt of Christ and setting light by him setting up your own Righteousness in opposition to his trampling upon his precious blood a greater sin then Swearing Drunkenness c Is it not Rebellion at the height Rom. 10.3 have not submitted themselves unto i. e. have rebelled against the Righteousness of God Hereby you evacuate the sufferings of Christ expunge the Gospel and charge Christ with an unnecessary undertaking yea with self-murder Tremble then at the sight of your condition Truly when I look on a Formalist and consider what pains he takes his constancy in Hearing Prayer and other duties when I look upon his almost spotless and unblameable conversation me thinks 't is pity such should be thrown into Hel But when I consider that pride opposition to Christ lies at the root of all this when I see him strutting in his own rags and will not be beholden to Christ then me thinks the greatest severity as little enough and the hottest corner in Hell cool enough to punish his desperate madness Oh to slight the love of Christ to make void his sufferings to ex-authorize him of his Mediatory office how great a sin is it and how great punishment doth it deserve But I am almost digressed from that which I propounded Well if thou wilt not lose the work which thou hast wrought 2 Joh. 8. if thou wilt not lose thy duties or be a loser by them Get out of this condition 2. Will it not grieve thee to see Publicans and Harlots admitted into Heaven and thy self cast out See Matth. 8.11 12. Many shall come from the East and West and shall sit down c But the Children of the Kingdom the formal Jews shall be cast out into utter darkness There 't is emphatical there shall he weeping and gnashing of teeth Possibly thou livest amongst a company of prophane Neighbours and when thou nearest some cursing and swearing seest others prophaning the Lord's Day some Drunkards others unclean and debauched in their lives all of them scoffing at God and Holiness which thou profesest thou blessest thy self and sayest in thy heart and not without good reason as Luk. 8.11 God I thank thee that I am not as other men are c. But what if some of these upon Repentance step before thee into Glory What if thou seest hereafter some of these in Abraham's bosom and thy self in a Lake of
scorch and wither it and this is the case of this ground they have some heat of joy and raptures which like the flattering rays of the Aprill Sun draw forth some early blossoms but when some cold chilling frosts or scorching heats come in the following Month they are either nipt by the one or scorched and shrunk up by the other Praemature fruits never come to maturity The Child that thrusts its self forth into the world before its time seldom proves long-liv'd Such are Formalists they hastily catch at Christ before they are humbled for sin or melted by godly sorrow and therefore do as quickly forsake him The like may be gathered from that other Parable of the wise and foolish builders Luke 6.47 48. The wise Builder 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 digged deep and laid his foundation on a rock the foolish built without a foundation on the Earth surely Humiliation and thorow conviction is at least in part the import of that digging deep and for want of this digging the building doth molâ suà ruere fall by its own weight for want of these dews and moistures the root is dried up from beneath and above the bud is cut off Job 18.16 As the natural so the spiritural birth is attended with pangs Now the Formalist is one that never felt these or not to purpose never so as to bring him off his own righteousness or to subdue his will to an acceptance of Christ upon Gospel terms But here I desire to be rightly understood I prescribe not such a measure of humiliation as necessary nor to all the like measure there is great difference as to the manner measure and continuance of it all are not thrown upon the ground and deprived of their sight as Paul was all walk not in the Region of the shadow of death nor go bowed down 18 years with a spirit of Infirmity To some God comes in a fire thunder and whirlwind to others in a still voice as God teacheth us to put a difference Jude 22,23 so himself doth doth on some he hath compassion others he saves with fear pulling them out of the fire the convictions and humiliation of some are more sensible terrible like the breaking of stones with a hammer they are brought by the gates of Hell to Heaven of others more sweet kindly and insensible like the melting of wax before the fire and Ice or Snow before the Sun The Souls of some are taken by storm others by a long and tedious siege and battery some are surprized as it were by stratagem and some surrendred upon Parley yea some are so wrought upon that the first sensible work they experience is Grace drawing them to a voluntary resignment of their souls to God All these worketh our gracious God according to his own Will and Pleasure nor can any certain stated Rules be laid down about the various workings of God with poor souls Nevertheless these two things I conceive may be safely asserted 1. That before a soul is brought or upon a souls coming over to Christ he hath such a convincing sight of sin and of his own sin original and actual with such a measure of compunction contrition be it less or more as doth make him both see an absolute necessity of Christ and willingly close with him upon Gospel conditions I speak here of God's working upon the adult 'T is not meerly the love of Christ or his excellency appehended that attracts the soul to him but withal he sees he stands in need of him and is undone without him I would fain know of any of those pretended Patrons and Assertors of free-Grace how a soul can have any apprehensions of the love of Christ to purpose without some praevious apprehensions and convictions of its own sinfulness and misery Is it not the very Emphasis of the love of Christ that while we were yet sinners he died for us Rom. 5.8 That when we were lost he came to seek and save us take away this sense of sin and misery and you take away the very accent of Christ's love Is not this the language of a Soul under the most kindly workings O infinite Love that such a vile sinful lost wretch as I am should be sought for inquired after much like the language of Mephibosheth to David 2 Sam. 9.8 What is thy servant that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am And Ch. 19.28 All my fathers house were but dead men before my Lord the King yet didst thou set thy servant among them that did eat at thy table Here 's deep and deep depth of Misery and depth of Mercy these jointly apprehended melt the heart of a poor sinner and make it as water or rather as wax fit for any Divine impression so that there is in the soul under most ingenuous and kindly workings sense of sin and sorrow for it though swallowed up in the joyful sense of God's love in Christ Jesus 2. And after a soul is come to Christ the frame of the heart is such that it 's ready to grieve and melt upon the sight and conviction of a sin now committed or the remembrance of a sin formerly acted Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart 2 Chron. 32.26 We find Peter in the same temper and David often the stone being taken out of the heart there is an habitual tenderness ready to exert it self in kindly meltings upon sight of any unkindnesses and disingenuous actings towards God Christ or the Spirit Now to both these the Formalist is a stranger his will was never subdued his heart never molified so far as to go out of himself Bring this note home and try your state by it I beseech you 4 He is a Formalist who though he is constant in the matter yet is little or not at all conscientious in the manner of duty That it be done he is very careful but how he regards not The Formal Jews were so constant at their sacrifices that there God will not blame them Psal 50.8 The sincere Christian is no less troubled for his carelesness customariness wandrings and distractions in then for his omissions of duty he accounts that as not done which is not done with some suitableness of affection and exercise of grace he thinks he hath but mockt God and taken his Name in vain But this troubles not the Formalist he is a good Church-man as they call him constant at his Family-duties c. and never matters how cursorily and slubbringly they are performed his care is to get it done the sincere Christians to get it well done thinking himself never the better for that Duty that makes him not better never the nearer for that which brings him not further out of himself and nearer God Try then Canst thou never remember the time when thy heart smote thee for thy negligence in as well as neglect of Duty Dost thou go on merrily and confidently in a cold dull heartless course of