not thus with some of you that are Professors of Religion Consult your own experiences how freely and how chearfully can you follow your Trades and worldly business you can Work and Travail and Buy and Sell and follow it night and day can rise early and go to Bed late and eat the Bread of Carefulness enduring heat and cold and never complain but when you come to Praying and communing with your own hearts or taking a walk by Holy Meditation into the other VVorld when you come to have to do in any of the matters of God and serious Religion O how like Drones and Sleepers do you go on A little of this is enough and more than you can well bear your VVheels drug your Spirits tire and thereupon you hastily over with this work and are glad when you have done How seldom is it that you go into your Closets as willingly as you come out How well were it if you did as freely fall upon your knees as you use to rise from them when you have done How comes this to pass O you are yet carnal carnally disposed carnally inclined your fleshly habits do dispose you to your fleshly ways and fetter you and hang on your heels when you should be doing for God and your Souls O to work Christians to work work off these carnal dispositions and work up your hearts to Spirituality and Heavenliness Get you to be better temper'd and better disposed and the way to habituate your selves to Religion is to hold you closer to the exercise of Religion if you would but use a little more force upon your selves for a time and hold you to diligence in your Holy ways this would by degrees by the co-operation of the spirit of Grace with you which you might boldly look for to come into your help this your forceing your selves upon a diligent holy life for a while would bring you to go on after you had been inured to it with more freedom and alacrity Heb. 15.14 Those that were strong Christians steady and established Christians how came they to be so O 't is said That by reason of use by having their senses exercised by this means they grew up to it Friends be perswaded to make tryal exercise your selves more to Godliness use your selves to a strict conscientious Life If you find it hard at first yet force your selves upon it hold your selves hard to it and by that you have accustomed your selves to this course a while look for it you will find it sweet and easie and when you have thus gotten the habit of Religion when by reason of use and having your senses exercised to Godliness you become Holily disposed and inclined then what Christians think you are you like to be what thriving Christians what flourishing Christians what fruitful Christians are you then like to become then your hearts will be streaming hearts and flaming hearts and will mount up and ascend in those flames of holy Love and Zeal above this Earth and Flesh and a Unity to live in the Light and Love and Joy of the Lord. O Friends would you set your hearts to be reaching out towards this holy frame would the Lord be pleased by the more abundant influences of his Spirit upon us to work us up to and settle us in this habit of Holiness this Spiritual and willing and ready mind then we should become a beautiful Congregation then we should become a blessed People and should grow up as Trees of Righteousness which the Lord hath Planted and which the Lord hath Blessed What Friends doth not all this stir you Is there such a Blessed state and frame to be had and is it not worthy your striving after Come my Beloved let 's bestir our selves let us follow after let us be reaching on with our might to this holy Prize Be not discouraged at difficulty be doing and the Lord will help you VVe are workers together with God for you be you workers together with us for your selves set your hearts to it and the Lord will work in you both to will and to obtain of his good pleasure And thus I have shew'd you what that solidity in Religion which I am stirring you up to be reaching after is to be well-grounded and settled in the substantials of Christianity He that worshippeth God in the Spirit rejoyceth in Christ Jesus and heedfully shunning all Ungodliness and worldly Lusts hath given himself to a Righteous Sober and Godly life he that being deeply resolved for Christ and firmly trusting in Christ doth with full purpose of heart cleave unto him sticking fast to the Lord and keeping him close by him till he hath by reason of use gotten Holiness to be habitual to him This is a Pattern that I would you would have much before your eyes 4. To fruitfulness in Religion There is a readiness to good works mentioned Tit. 3.1 standing in the preparation or propension or bent of the soul upon holy action whereof before and there is a fruitfulness in good works or the souls putting it forth in holy action All Religion stands in action either the inward action of the Soul or the outward action of the Life 'T is the doing Christian that is the excellent Christian the fruitful field which hath a Blessing in it There is amongst our Corn some that looks fresh and strong and grows up ranker and taller than the rest but at best proves to have but little in the Ear 't is grown up all in Stalk and hath little fruit we can't say of it as Hos 7.8 It hath no Stalk 't is all Salk and hath no Ear 't is the full Ears of the Field that are its fruitfulness That is fruitfulness where there is good fruit brought forth and much fruit That ground which either bringeth forth no good fruit or but very little we count barren ground Will you call that a fruitful field which brings forth but here and there an Ear a few handful of Ears to whole Sheaves of Tares and VVeeds VVill you call that a fruitful Tree which hath but two or three Berries in the top of the uppermost bough four or five in the outmost fruitful branches It is precious fruit and plenty of it that will give us the account of fruitful Christians Fruitfulness in Religion is the Honour of Religion Herein is my Father Glorified that ye bring forth much fruit Joh. 15 8. And what Glorifies God God will make glorious before the VVorld Barrenness is a Reproach 't is matter of sorrow and shame Such Christians which stand as dry Trees should not stand with dry Eyes VVe read that Barren Wombs have been the matter of great Affliction How did Sarah and Rachel take on that they had no Children And Hannah when she Prayed for a Child having yet none said 1 Sam. 15. I am a Woman of a sorrowful spirit out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken But however it be upon the account of
Barren Wombs sure a barren Soul should be a mourning soul Indeed 't is too commonly so that barren souls are usually as barren of sighs and tears as they are of good fruit You that are empty Vines fruitless Fig-Trees how seldom is it that you are upon your knees bewailing your Barrenness The sin of Barrenness is a provoking sin There are 3. such words spoken against Barrenness in Religion as setting aside the sin against the Holy Ghost there are not more terrible words spoken against any sin One word you have in the Parable against the barren Fig-tree Luk. 13.3 Cut it down why cumbreth it the ground Another word against another barren Fig-tree Matth 21.19 Let no fruit grow on thee henceforth for ever A third word is against the barren ground Heb. 6.7 8. The Earth that drinketh in the Rain that cometh oft upon it and bringeth forth Herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed receiveth Blessing from God but that which beareth Briers and Thorns is rejected and nigh unto Cursing whose end is to be burned Methinks these words should make some of your souls to tremble Professor what art thou a barren soul a fruitless Fig-tree O how canst thou contain thy self from fear Is not thine heart terrified within thee at the hearing the words of this Curse What if this word should have been spoken to thee Cut this Man down cut this Woman down why cumber they the ground Or what if it should be said to thee Never fruit grow on thee for ever never a word of Grace prosper more with thee live and dye a barren soul would it not make thine heart shake And are not these words spoken to thee I hope not as an irreversible Curse I hope that word is not gone forth against any of you cut this Man down never fruit grow on him for ever let him wither and perish and dye and Burn for his Barrenness yet if it be not so spoken as an irreversible Curse yet to thee it is spoken as a terrible Warning Thus much of it doth belong particularly to thee thou art nigh unto Cursing and if thou look not the better to it thine end will be to be burned Barrenness is a Reproach Barrenness is an high Provocation and fruitfulness is an Honour and receiveth Blessing from God Fruitfulness doth both speak Christians grown up to good maturity and will advance them yet higher and higher He that lays out most in his life is still laying up more in his heart we gather by spending the more we do the more we have no such thriving and flourishing Christians as the diligent doing Christians There 's nothing gotten by holding in the Grace we have and there 's nothing lost by laying it out A good Man brings forth out of his Treasure and the more is brought forth the more it increaseth within If ever you would make an increase in inward grace let it put forth in vigorous exercise no such way to grow rich in Faith as by being rich in good works Faith without works dyes This now is a farther perfection of Religion that I would press you to be reaching after fruitfulness in Religion or Holy action Be not Hearers or Talkers but doers of the Word Jam. 1.25 Who so looketh into the perfect Law of Liberty and continueth therein not being a forgetful Hearer but a doer of the work this Man shall be blessed in his deed Be doers of the work and abound in the work of the Lord. That charge which the Apostle gives 1 Tim. 6.18 with a particular respect to works of Charity receive it with respect to every good work Do good be rich in good works ready to distribute willing to communicate laying up in store for your selves a good foundation against the time to come O my Brethren set your hearts upon it to do all the Honour you can to the Name and Gospel of God before the world Wipe off that reproach of Barenness by shewing your selves examples of fruitfulness The world say in your reproach and in the reproach of your God also What is this Christianity that is so much boasted of but a meer shaddow What are these Professors what ever they talk what do they more then others Shew them what you do which they will never do If you ask me what you should do 't is too long to tell you the particulars of all your duty take the Apostles answer Phil. 4.8 Whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report these things do and the God of peace shall be with you One Particular I shall instance in and but in a word here intending to speak more largely of it afterwards do all you can that more immediately tends to the propagating of Religion in those that have none Be busie in your Families to propagate religion there I am willing to take all occasions to inculcate this Duty in regard that to the grief of my Soul I find that after my so often pressing of it there is still so great a neglect even among some high Professors of Christianity O Friends if ye will do any thing for God be doing amongst your own instruct them teach them the way of the Lord Perswade and provoke them to Christ Let Religion be the top care and top business of your houses Do what you can to make Christians of your Children and Servants and this not so seldom or sparely or heartlesly as some do now a little and a long time after never a word but be constant be instant with all yours to bring them to God that there may be a face of serious Religion appearing upon your whole Families that a Spirit of Religion may be the very temper and constitution of your houses Some Professors what ever they be when amongst other Professors how much soever of Religion there appears then yet come into their houses and there 's no more to be seen or heard of God than in the Family of those that make no profession there 's ignorance and carnality and vanity and barrenness and unsavoryness and emptiness of all that 's good You that come hither to the Ordinances to kindle religion in your own hearts to fetch holy fire from the Altar what you get here carry it home to your houses instill it into the hearts of your Children and Servants Here your holy activity must begin he that is not busily doing for God with his own is never like to do much good to others Next endeavour to propagate Religion among your Neighbours and Acquaintance especially be doing good one to another Christians to Christians speak often one to another as they did Mal. 3.16 speak to the hearts and lay hold on the hands one of another and stir up and lead one another in the ways of the Lord. Friends I would fain revive and set on foot that Christian Practice of Fruitfulness
keep Faith and a good Conscience Well now these 4. things you are your selves to do to prepare you for suffering Give your selves and all you have to Christ's dispose c. and then you are ready for the Cross then let the Devil and all his Armies fall on you are ready to receive their charge without giving an inch of ground But who can do all this or how shall I ever be able to come to it The first of these I hope you have done already If ye be Christians you have given your selves and all you have to Christ but how shall I do to keep me close to Christ to sit so loose from all things to make sure of Christ to maintain the testimony of a good Conscience and an holy Conversation Woe is me I am breaking loose from Christ at every turn I have a fickle and unstable soul that 's apt to wander every day and for things below though I have given them to Christ yet I feel mine heart still cleaving to them and hankering and hanging after them I can't think of being made Poor I can't think of being made a Reproach or a Scorn or a Prey I can't think of it with any patience what shall I do in this case Why here 's that which will do it trust upon Christ to help you pray for such a disengaged spirit pray for such a power pray for such a frame reason and do what you can to perswade your selves into it press your selves on to such a close conscientious holy Conversation strive and labour and be reaching on towards it and then trust upon Christ to bring you to it Commit thy way to him and he shall bring it to pass he shall put thee into such a condition wherein thou shalt be Cross-proof whatever thy Crosses be This is one of Christ's ways by which he helps his Saints to bear the Cross he prepares them for it and he must and will do it if he be sincerely trusted for it It thenceforth lyes upon him his faithfulness stands engaged to work all your works in you where your faith hath put it into his hands 2. Trust him to perform what he hath undertaken to do for you What hath he undertaken to do for his suffering People 1. To support them in their sufferings Psal 55.22 Cast thy burden upon the Lord and he shall sustain or uphold thee the burthen of thy sorrows the burthen of thy sufferings the burthen of thy fears thou hast Enemies that will bind heavy burthens and lay them upon thee burthens of Reproaches burthens of wants burthens of thornes pricking and piercing burthens and it may be thou wilt say how can I bear all these burthens I sink I sink my spirit fails within me heavy things there are come upon me O what shall I do to bear them Why cast thy burthen upon the Lord trust upon him and he will sustain thee Phil. 4.5 6. Let your moderation be known unto all Men Be not over solicitous what you shall do or how you shall stand Be careful for nothing the Lord is at hand 2. To preserve them from falling from falling away from Christ from falling off from their holy profession Jude 24. He is able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory and as he is able so he is faithful 1 Thes 5.24 Faithful is he that hath called you and will do it What will he do why v. 23. he will preserve you blameless unto his coming Christians be careful about your present duty and then never torment your selves with thoughtfulness and fears how you shall stand your ground under the greatest of sufferings but as the Apostle 1 Pet. 4.19 Let them that suffer commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing as unto a faithful Creator And thus I have shewed you the second particular wherein that solidity or establishment in Religion which I am pressing you to reach after stands viz. a firm trust in Christ 3. Adherence to Christ or cleaving to the Lord. The two main Roots whereby a Christian is grounded in Christ are the two fore-mentioned Resolution and Trust and the immediate fruits of this rooting is cleaving or sticking fast unto him and the closer we cleave unto him the more we are confirmed and established The root of a Tree is that by which it cleaves unto the ground and by how much the deeper it spreads it self and works its self into the Earth by so much the faster hold it takes And there is a mutual hold taken the root takes hold of the ground and thereby the ground holds fast the root A rooted Christian hath gotten hold of Christ and Christ hath taken hold of him we have both these together Phil. 8.12 If I may apprehend that for which I am apprehended of Christ Jesus Christ's hold of a Christian is sure but not always perceived Joh. 10.28 29. My Sheep hear my voyce and follow me and I give to them eternal life they shall never perish neither shall any pluck them out of my hand There are many attempts upon the Saints the World pulls at them Sin pulls the Devil pulls and would pluck them off from Christ and pluck them up by the roots but saies Christ for all that they are safe enough pluck who will they shall not be pluck'd away But as sure as Christ holds them they may sometimes think he hath let go his hold and cast them off and may say as the Psalmist Psal 43.2 Why hast thou cast me off Lord Where am I now I once had hopes that the Lord was my strength but woe is me now I am even cut off and mine hope is perished from the Lord I fear that after all my hopes I shall prove a lost soul at last And as Christ's hold of a Christian so a Christians hold of Christ is always sure though he himself always perceive it not That Prayer of Christ for Peter is for every particular Christian that his Faith may never fail that hand of Faith may grow weak but shall never wither It may shake yet still as the hand of a drowning Man it keeps its hold Yet as to his own sense he may be at a loss and sometimes come to this conclusion if ever I had Faith yet now I am sure I have none Well but however though a Christian may sometimes think I have cast off and let go mine hold of Christ and thereupon he hath cast off and let go his hold of me yet even then when 't is saddest and lowest with him he still cleaves to Christ There are these two things which shall never totally fail 1. There is a secret stay upon Christ this he may do and does even then when he thinks he does not nor cannot There is an hope hidden in his heart even then when he says There is no hope That it may be so appears from Isa 50.10 Who is there that walks in darkness