and in that fear follow on towards perfection Particularly 1. Follow on the work of Mortification in fear lest whatsoever wound sin hath received it should recover and get head again Hast thou gotten it a little under make it as sure as thou canst though thou hast gotten over Jordan and hast set thy foot on the banks of Canaan yet the Canaanite is still in the land and will be a briar and thorn unto thee Thou wilt never have peace thou wilt never prosper in the Grace of God but according as thou prosperest in thy warre against sin Dost thou ever design to come to any thing in Religion and to grow up in the Grace of God Let thine eye and thine hand be upon this adversary which will otherwise certainly keep thee down and it may be bring thee much lower than thou art this day 'T is with Grace in an unmortified heart as with poor Israel in Egypt 't is under Oppression The task-masters were upon Israels backs to keep them in bondage they were not their own men to do as they would they could not go and serve the Lord their tyrants would not suffer them and thus it 's like to be with thee Rom. 7. When I would do good evil is present with me O these Egyptians have me in hold I am so captivated to the Law of sin that I cannot do the thing that I would What an hard servitude am I under wretched man that I am who shall deliver me Onely betwixt oppressed Israel and this oppressed Israelite the new Creature there is this difference Israel by how much the more they were oppressed by so much the more they grew and multiplyed 't was more than all Egypt could do to keep them barren But Grace will never grow and fructifie under the oppression of Sin Grace oppressed by affliction will prosper and grow as Israel did Christians are seldom in such a thriving state as when under trouble and that may comfort us under all the oppressions of men we may be as holy under them all we may serve the Lord as well it may be better we may enjoy the Lord as much it may be more in our afflicted than in our prosperous state But under the tyranny and usurpation of sin Grace cannot thrive 't will hardly be kept alive whiles lust so lords it over it When the poor Soul under this oppression of lust groans and cryes as poor Israel did Let me goe let me go that I may serve the Lord the flesh possibly when in a fright as the Egyptians did when they were smitten with their plagues may say Go go and serve the Lord be as holy as thou wilt get thee up out of Egyt get thee on towards Heaven But then shortly after when the fright is over it falls on again and it may be doubles the bondage Go serve the Lord To your work says the flesh or it may be To your play you shall not go Or if the Soul hath gotten a little more liberty than ordinary these Egyptians will after it again Israel can never get free and be let alone to serve the Lord indeed till the Egyptians be dead 'T is in vain to hold a treaty with our flesh to make terms and to article with it for a larger allowance till this enemy be dead thy Soul will never prosper nor go comfortably on its way Get Egypt into the Red Sea let thy Sin be drown'd in that Sea of Blood the Blood of Christ that 's the only Ocean in which Sin will drown and die when thou hast it there then that oppressed thing within thee will grow and increase mightily when Sin is dead then Grace will thrive Grace in an unmortified heart is as a spark of fire in green wood it will not burn all the blowing it up will hardly keep it alive the sap and moysture of the wood will choak it when the sticks are dryed then 't will burn O what a flame of holy Affections what a flame of Love and holy Desires would break forth what burning and shining Lights should we be if these green Faggots our lusts were dried up and withered when you are dead to sin then you shall be alive unto God Rom. 6.11 Christian art thou nothing concern'd for that little Grace that 's in thee preserve it for it is thy Life and look upon thy lusts as its Oppressors and Murtherers that would strangle the babe in thy womb and never count thy self secure till they be dead which seek this child's life Say within thine heart I go in fear of my life of them there 's no binding them to the Peace or the good Behaviour they are thy mortal Enemies and thou canst have no security but in their death But how shall I doe to get my sins mortified Why first let me ask thee art thou so sensible of the evil of them and the mischiefs thou art like to suffer by them that thou darest not let them live Art thou so heartily afraid of them that nothing less than their death will give thee quiet Art thou more afraid of thy living lusts than of the labour and the smart that their death will cost thee who would bear the cutting off of a limb an arm or a legge that is not sensible that his life is concerned in it This mortifying work is one of the most painfull works of a Christian It is not so difficult to tell you how you should do it as to make you willing to doe it Physicians sometimes have an harder task to perswade to the taking of the Physick than to cure the Disease when once the Patient is willing and when no other Arguments will prevail 't is Fear at last that must do it Art thou in such a fear of thy Disease that this does swallow up thy fear of thy remedy Art thou for the death of sin how painfull soever it may be to thee Why if thou art in good earnest then take these following Directions 1. Lay the axe to the Root of sin 2. Put a Knife to the Throat of sin 3. Put a Bridle on its Jawes 4. Set thy Foot on the Neck of sin 1. Lay the Axe to the root of sin When Christ appeared in the World to cut off impenitent sinners it is expressed thus Matth. 3.10 Now also is the Axe laid to the root of the tree every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewen down Sure enough the tree must down when it is cut up at the root What was to be done by those sinners do thou by sin lay the Axe to the root There are sometimes some hopefull assaults made against sin which yet prosper not because the blow goes not to the root the branches may be lopp'd the Acts of sin may be cut off the Drunkard may cease from his Wine and the Adulterer from his Harlots swearing and lying and oppression may be all cut down as to what appears but soon after all these branches and evil
the Devil what harm will it be to take his Money or his Pleasure Why this may be the case In all those little things as thou countest them there may be poison in the Cup there may be the Devil in the Company the Pleasures that are before thee the Money that is before thee these may be the price the Devil is offering thee for thy life May it be so I but I do not think 't is so my Soul may be safe enough for all that why therefore fear that there may be such danger and you never know or suspect it Nay this Devil lies still in wait not only in those places and wayes which look like suspicious places and suspicious ways but he 's every-where at hand even where he is least suspected When could Men think themselves more secure from the Devil than when they are with God in Duties and Ordinances But doth he never meet them there Hath the Devil never met thee in thy Closet or in the Congregation of the Lord How is it at this very hour Now that we are come together before the Lord now that the Lord is instructing us and warning us of the danger we are in Is there not one standing behind and out of sight either stealing away your hearts from minding the Warnings or else contradicting the Word of the Lord Come ccme these are but words and conceits the Devil is far enough off thou art in no such danger of him are there no such whisperings in none of your ears at this time Why whose Voice is this you little think whose 't is 'T is the Devil that thus speaks to the end you may lose this Warning and so he may have his advantage upon you Lord open the eyes of these Men to use that Prayer for you which the Man of God did for his Servant 2 Kings 6.17 So the Lord opened his eyes and he saw all the Mountains full of Angels Chariots of Fire and Horses of Fire If God should so open our eyes I trust we should see this House full of the Angels of God ministring to us but withal we should see this House full of Devils attempting to mischief us a Devil at every Ear a Devil at every Heart trying his skill to stop the one and harden the other from receiving this Word of the Lord. We are never an one of us more secure than Joshua the High-Priest of whom we read Zech. 3.1 That when he was standing before the Lord Satan stood at his right hand to resist him You 'l say again it may be you do not think 't is so why therefore Fear that the Devil should be so near and so busie with you and you neither understand nor will believe it though it be told you Such Ignorance is cause enough of Fear If any of you should have been told ten or twenty years ago how the Devil would serve you how he would hinder any word of Counsel or Instruction from prospering with you how he would hold you under this Ignorance of God and hardness and impenitence of Heart you would have been like enough to answer I hope not I hope to get more of the knowledg of God I hope God will bring me to Repentance one time or other I hope his Word will prosper with me And yet you see how 't is he hath sufficiently plaid the part of a Devil with you you were not so blind or so dead or so hard in your hearts many years ago but you are every way as bad or worse at this day and because you had not this foresight to discern that thus it might be had you not the more reason to Fear it would be so And what say you now as to the time to come If it should be said unto you at this day He that hath dealt thus by you hitherto will be like enough to deal as bad or worse by you to the end of your dayes so that you shall never be brought to Repentance nor ever recover your selves out of the snares of the Devil will you yet again say I hope not I fear it not that very word is enough to make you tremble If the God of this World had not blinded your Minds he could never have thus hardned your Hearts If you that have known Christ and have been in Christ many years ago If some of you should have been told that if you look'd not the better to it the Devil would meet you at the very threshold of Christianity and hold you there from making any farther entrance in would keep you Babes and Infants in the Grace of God that he would keep you all this time so weak in the Faith so cold in your Love so barren in your Life that all this while you should have gotten no more victory over this World and the fleshliness of your Minds and Hearts nor no more intimate acquaintance with God and your own Souls than some of you have at this day If when you had been told you were in danger of being serv'd thus If you had then answered I do not Fear it I should have made bold to tell you You do not know what a Devil he is with whom you had to do and now that you may know him better by observing how he hath dealt by you hitherto you will at length I hope learn to Fear What if the Devil should now appear to you in some bodily monstrous shape would it not fright you Why you may see his foot though you do not see his face you may see him in what he hath done in his temptations of you and the unhappy success of them upon you in that ruinous state your Souls are hereby in and surely Friends to those that understand him The Devil in a secret temptation is more formidable than the Devil in an Apparition the prints of his Hoofs are a more dreadful sight than the Horns of his Head 2. Another reason why we should Fear is because of the deceitfulness of our Hearts What-ever our dangers are from without what-ever designs or devices the Devil or the World have against us yet if all were true within us if our Hearts were true to us our hazard were not so great but saith the Prophet Jer. 17.9 The Heart of Man is deceitful above all things So that we may not only say with the Prophet Micah 7.5 Trust ye not in a Friend put not confidence in a Guide but with Solomon also Prov. 28.26 He that trusteth his own Heart is a Fool. The deceitfulness of the Heart stands 1. In its Treachery 2. In its Subtilty 1. In its Treachery The Heart of a Man is false to it self it is like the Devil a lying Spirit there is no believing it what-ever it speaks It 's full of all guile and will if left to it self betray it self into the hands of its Enemies 2. In its Subtilty It is a crafty Heart it hath many plots and devices to deceive Prov. 19.21 There are
of Christ may be right in your Eyes and yet your Hearts not be upright in his Eyes You may be perswaded in your Hearts concerning the Way of Godliness that this is the Good Way that this is the Right Way and an Excellent Way that the Life of a Christian led according to the Rules of the Gospel is an Excellent Life Rom. 2.18 Thou knowest his Will and approvest the things that are more Excellent And to this good Opinion Men may be wrought 1. From the Self-evidencing Light of that Holy Doctrine which prescribes and requires Godliness 2. From the convincing Lives of the Sincere Professors of Godliness 3. From the Self-condemnation that is to be observed in all other wayes 1. From the Self-evidencing Light of the Doctrine of Godliness The Doctrine of Christianity proves it self to be of God by that Divine Light that shines forth in it there is a stamp of Divinity imprinted upon it Is God an Holy God So is this Doctrine an Holy Doctrine Is God a Merciful and Gracious God So is this Doctrine a Doctrine of Mercy a Doctrine of Grace there is Grace and Mercy runs through the whole Body of it nay they are the very Soul and Life of it Is God a God of Wisdom The Doctrine of Christianity is the Wisdom of God in a Mystery Is God a God of Truth and of Righteousness Such is the Doctrine of the Gospel that not only is according to Truth and reveals the Righteousness of God but requires Truth and imposes Righteousness upon all that will embrace it What is more contrary to this Word of Truth than a Lye or than Hypocrisie and Guile What is more contrary to this Word of Righteousness than Unrighteousness Doth the Word of the Gospel allow any Iniquity Is there any guile found in it or any toleration whereof in its Professors Doth it not command all Righteousness and condemn all Unrighteousness even while it justifies the Sinner it condemns the Sin This Religion is pure Religion and undefiled before God Jam. 1.25 Teaching us that denying all ungodliness and worldly Lusts we should live righteously soberly and godly in this present World Tit. 2.13 14. Now he that knows that God is an Holy and Wise God a God of Grace of Truth and of Righteousness and does but understand the Scriptures may without any great difficulty be led into a good opinion of that Godliness which is there held forth and required 2. From the Convincing Lives of the Sincere Professors of Christianity I do not say from the Lives of all Professors some Professors of Christianity there are who are not Christians Some such there are amongst Professors who are disorderly walkers whose Wayes are so evidently contrary to their Profession as if the Devil had led them into their Christianity on purpose to disgrace the Gospel and 't is like enough 't was his doing indeed to make Professors of them This Tempter may tempt Men into Religion as far as may sewe his own ends and Mens Lusts may make them Disciples Such I mean who while they pretend to the Spirit do walk after the Flesh who hold the Truth in Vnrighteousness Rom. 1.18 who are proud self-conceited self-willed heady giddy wandring and unstable Souls like crooked Lines that in some points touch with the Rule but for the most part do swerve from it on this hand and on that Who are scrupulous about some smaller Matters which they fancy to have an appearance of evil and yet allow themselves in apparent Evils straining at a Gnat and swallowing a Camel insisting much on some Circumstances and neglecting the weightier Matters of the Law like those Mat. 23.23 24. 'T is but little that Godliness is beholden for the good Opinion it hath obtained to such as these But to the sincere and single-hearted Professors whose Lives are a Copy or Pattern of wholsom Doctrine holding forth the Word of Life exemplifying the Holy Rules laid down in Scripture and shewing forth the Vertues of Christ before the World Who are in the World as he was in the World who live by Faith and walk in Love being humble meek peaceable merciful temperate true righteous and holy in all manner of Conversation These are the Persons whose Lives do commend Godliness to the World and force their very Hearts many of them to acknowledg Sure this is the Way of God that these Men walk it cannot be but God is in them of a very truth sure these are the Servants of the Living God this is Religion indeed if there be any way of Life this is the way It 's true this way is every-where spoken against by the malicious but the more like to be of God for that So 't was in the Apostles dayes Acts 28.22 As for this Sect we know it is every-where spoken against Mark it Christianity was counted by the malicious but a Sect or a Faction and Christians but Sectaries so they were counted and called about 1600 years ago and therefore 't is no disparagement if they be counted so still But sayes the considering Sinner let them be called what Men please Sectaries Seducers Hypocrites or what else malice can invent yet as it was said of Christ John 10.21 These are not the words of him that hath a Devil so it may be said of his Followers Call them what you will yet these are not the Lives of Schismaticks or Hypocrites these Men are the Servants of the most High God and their way is the way of Life 3. From the Self-condemnation that all other wayes carry in them If this be not the way of Life there 's none if these be not the Servants of God there are none such in the World For where are they else to be found Are the Ignorant and the Earthly and the Irreligious are these the Religious Are the Carnal and the Formal and the out-side Worshippers that will give Christ the Cap and the Knee and yet can Drink and Riot and Swear and Scoff are these the sincere Worshippers of God This must be the Good Way or which else can it with any tolerable probability be imagined to be Surely if this be not it we must even all count to be damn'd for there is no other that so much as looks like the Path of Life The Atheist must say I am not in the way to God this Fool hath said in his Heart There is no God The Pope with his Doctrine must say I am not the Way I am Antichrist 't is Christ only that brings us to God Formality must say I am not the Way for God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and in Truth John 4.24 Profaneness must say I am not the Way to God I am the Way of Death and my steps lead down to Hell If there be any Way of Death in the World profaneness is it Drunkards and Swearers and Revellers and Rioters if their Consciences may but have the priviledg of their
most kindly stroke in all Religion Fear brings us to Religion as to our Physick the sick man hath no love to Physick but yet he will take it rather than dye Love brings us to it as to our food 't is our meat and drink to do the will of God eating and drinking to the hungry and thirsty are some of the great pleasures of life Duties are the meat of Holy Souls and they come unto them with as great desire and are conversant in them with as great delight as hungry bodies come to and sit at their meals Cant. 2.3 I sate down under his shadow and his fruit was sweet to my taste Weak believers are like sickly men neither Physick nor food will relish with them they must eat for necessity they cannot live without something of Religion but were it not for necessity they could almost as well let it all alone 'T is well that necessity will prevail but whilest they are thus forced on how heavily do they drive and how little must suffice them too often they come on to their duties like bears to the stake and go off from them as the Oxe from under the yoke But when thou lovest thy soul will enlarge and reach forth with desire even after the highest pitch of Godliness and thou wilt go freely and chearfully on in all the exercises of it Thou wilt not then say may not less serve thou wilt not say may not less duty serve because thou canst not say may not less pleasure serve Every one would have as much pleasure as he can and therefore would'st thou have as much holiness as thou canst the more holy the more pleasure If thou lovest thou wilt not be for short Duties short Prayers short Sermons little snatches at Religion thou wilt not be so soon weary at thy work when are men weary of pleasure when do they use to say I have pleasant hours enough sunshine dayes enough O that my good dayes were over once O that my dayes of darkness would come and the years draw nigh wherein I might say I have no pleasure in them Every one is willing to live in delights as much and as long as he can when once we can say the Lord is my delight the next word will be Let me dwell in the presence of God for ever Christians let our Souls take the wing and mount up towards this blessed state O how short do the most of us fall we have much ground to go e're we shall get up to it How is it with us in our secret converses with God are we glad when our retiring hours draw near when we enter into our Closets to meet with our beloved do we there use to solace our selves with love Is praying and praising our pleasure is communing with God and with our own hearts a delight do our hearts use to say It 's good for me to be here And how is it with us in our ordinary course what is the joy of our life Is this it that our life is a walking with God have we no good dayes but our holy-dayes are we never well but when we can see and serve the Lord and never amiss while we are so doing do we not only judge but feel that intimacy and familiarity in Heaven is our only Heaven on earth Lord how seldom Lord how little is it thus with us But may we not obtain Is not such a blessed state worth our putting in for it Are you willing friends to keep you alwayes at this distance from your delight Is it enough that you have some hopes for hereafter are you content that your souls should never taste of your joyes here shall they still dwell in exile while they dwell on earth shall they never put off the garments of their widowhood till they put off their clothing of flesh Are you content to take up yet longer with this dark and disconsolate state Is the drudgery of Religion this sighing and mourning and striving against the stream and going on so poor and hungry and hard bestead Is this Religion enough for you would you be glad to be more cheary and lively in your way would you taste the milk and the honey the marrow and the fatness would you ride on with free spirits and full sails triumphing over difficulties and rejoycing in hope of the glory of God would you that these rough wayes were become a plain and these dark shades were all sun-shine would you feed in the green pastures and be led by the still waters and be made to drink of that River that makes glad the City of God Then put you on be no longer smatterers and pidlers dwell no longer on the shoar or surface of Religion but hoyse up all your sails and launch forth into the deep get you into the heart and inside of Christianity where the Lord will shew you his loves Be not satisfyed with some few glances or little touches but get you possessed and swallowed up of the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord and this will be to you both the wine that will make glad your hearts and the oyle that will make all your wheels to run then shall you run the way of Gods Commandements when the pleasure of Love shall enlarge your hearts FINIS
mens misery and it may be said with respect to these Happy is the Man that never feareth But what is the Blessed Fear or what is there in it In short it is this It is such on aversation of the Heart from all manner of future Evils whether of Sin or of Misery which we apprehend our selves in danger of as puts the Soul upon making the best Provision it can for its security against them The Matter or Object of this Fear is Sin together with all the Fruits of it The Form or proper Nature of it is an aversion or starting back or shrinking in from it The Effect of it is to put the Soul to its shifts for its own security against it There are implyed or included in it these following Particulars 1. There is Vnderstanding in it Psal 111.10 The fear of God is the beginning of Wisdom a good Vnderstanding have they that do it They are wise and understanding Men that Fear As we Love not so neither do we Fear but whom or what we have some apprehension of our Affections follow our Apprehensions as our Love we cannot love but what we apprehend to be good so our Fear we cannot fear but what we apprehend to be evil Our mistakes are the ground of the inordinate workings of our Affections when we apprehend that to be good which is not good we love what we should not love when we apprehend that to be evil which is not evil we fear what we should not fear when we apprehend that to be good which is evil we love what we should fear and when we apprehend that to be evil which is good we fear what we should love The reason of our sinful Fear is our Ignorance Ignorance both causes us to fear when we should not and leaves us without fear of what we should fear 1. Ignorance is the reason why we fear what we should not How is it that there is so much Fear of Men in the World Why it is because we understand them not what a vain thing what a weak thing they are how short their power is and how little 't is that Man can do Did we know more how great the Power of God is how terrible the Wrath of God is sure there would be more fear of God in the World And did we know how little there is in the Power of Man and in the Wrath of Man we should ease our selves of much of that Carnal Fear which now torments our Spirits Isa 2.22 Cease ye from Man whose Breath is in his Nostrils for wherein is he to be accounted of Cease ye from Man as from trusting in him so from fearing him for wherein is he to be accounted of How little is it that he can do for or against you There 's little help in him and there 's little hurt that he can do Men pretend to be great and make great boasts of their Power So did Pilate to Christ John 19.10 Knowest thou not that I have power to Crucifie thee and I have power to Release thee What art thou so sullen and so stubborn that thou wilt not speak to me Consider Man the Power of Liberty and Bonds the Power of Life and Death are in my hands Dost thou not know me Yes I know thee well enough sayes Christ Thou hast no Power but what is given thee and therefore limited thee from Above It 's for those that know thee not to fear thee I know thee well enough 2. Mens Ignorance is the reason why they fear not what they should fear Why is it that the ungodly fear not S n O it 's because they know it not Psal 14.4 Have the workers of Iniquity no knowledg Sure enough they have none for they eat up my People as they eat Bread such Morsels would scald their Mouths they would not dare to be such Persecutors and Destroyers of the People of God they would be afraid to touch them if they did but know what they did How bold are Sinners upon Sin How venturously do they run on They Lie they Swear they commit Adultery they Covet they Defraud they Oppress they Persecute But how is it that they are not afraid to do thus O! they know not what they do They are the Men of Understanding that Fear to transgress Christians those whose Minds are enlightned dare not do as others do they see what Sin is they see it to be an unclean thing odious and abominable in the sight of God they see it to be a dangerous and deadly thing They know God and thereby understand Sin which is contrary to him They know the kindness of God and the terrors of the Lord and see that Sin is an unworthiness and abusing of kindness and disobliging of goodness that makes a forfeit of the Divine Love and exposes to his Wrath and Indignation They know the worth of a Soul they have learn'd from their Lord Matth. 16.26 that the whole World is not a price for it neither sufficient to be its Ransom nor to recompence its loss They live in the Invisible World and have taken a view both of that life which is the reward of the Righteous and of that Death which is the recompence of the Sinners They see that Sin is the loss and the death of the Soul the only poison that can kill that immortal part by this alone Immortality is swallowed up of Death They understand that sin as it is the Worm that gnaweth at the root of all their hopes for hereafter so it is the Wormwood which imbitters all their Comforts here this is the Rust that cats out all their Treasures the Moth that frets out all their Garments the Stain that marrs all their Beauty In fine this is it that hath fill'd the World with vanity and vexation of Spirit and Hell with torment And hence it is that they fear it and fly from it Dost thou not fear Sin Sure thou dost not know it O what a light thing doth the World make of it to sin against God! how open do our hearts lie to it how easily doth it beset us we are surpriz'd by it every day and hour Sin lies at the door lies in wait for us in our Fields in our Houses at our Tables in our Closets and how often doth it take us and carry us away for Captives and still we make nothing of it neither feeling the mischief it has done us nor fearing those ruines which it is further bringing upon us We can talk of the evil of Sin of the folly of it of the filthiness of it but we cannot tremble at it sure we do not know it whatever we talk The World would be all up in Arms against this Enemy or else betake themselves to their heels running away from it were it throughly understood 2. There is Faith in this Fear It is but little that we can see of the evil of Sin our understandings at the best have much dimness upon them the
weakness of our sight is helped out by Faith Faith helps us to see with God's Eyes it looks on all things as God looks on them The Lord hath told us what he sees in Sin what a Snare it is what a Serpent it is what a Plague it is and what a Womb it is big with all manner of Miseries and Mischiefs which it's bringing forth upon us God's Mouth is Eyes to Faith by Faith we understand that it is even as it hath been told us of the Lord. Faith helps us to a present view of Sin and to a foresight of all that is behind of all those Floods that this Serpent is casting out of his Mouth to devour the Soul that Woe and that Wrath it's bringing upon Sinners both here and hereafter Future Evils that depend not necessarily on certain Causes are no otherwise clearly to be discerned but by the Eye of Faith And from this Faith this Fear arises as the Apostle 2 Cor. 4.13 We have believed and therefore have we spoken so may it also be said We have believed and therefore fear Heb. 11.7 By Faith Noah being warned of God of things not seen as yet was moved with Fear Sinner art thou yet secure is the Evil of Sin yet unseen by thee and thereupon is it but a light thing to thee Canst thou make a mock of Sin Canst thou make a sport of Sin canst thou take thy rest in Sin and make a Tush at that Wrath that Sin is bringing upon thee Believe God What is it that the Lord hath spoken of it God sayes It is an evil and bitter thing Jer. 2.19 A Root bearing Gall and Wormwood Deut. 29.18 Like that Star which fell from Heaven Rev. 8.11 whose Name was Wormwood and which turned the Waters into Wormwood of which Men died because they were so bitter God says It is an heavy thing which hath brought the whole Creation into Bondage under which it groaneth and travelleth in pain Rom. 8.22 God sayes The Soul that sinneth shall die Ezek. 18.20 Though the Devil sayes He shall not die though Mens hearts say It is a matter of nothing and because it is a common thing count it but a very small thing and can flout at others Fears Yet God sayes They are Fools that make a mock of Sin Prov. 14 19. And God sayes thus not only concerning some particular Sins the most notorious and those of the deepest die Murthers Adulteries Blasphemies the World will say the same of these He that doth such things is worthy of death But God speaks it of Sin in Specie the whole kind of it little or great the least sinful words even vain words the least sinful thoughts yea even of Sin in semine the inward brood and spawn of Sin that lies in the heart the evil dispositions and inclinations of the Soul which have not broken forth into Act the word is general Rom. 6.23 The wages of Sin is Death Believe God believe and tremble 3. There is Love in it This Fear hath love lying in the bottom of it from whence it arises both the love of God and goodness and that natural and innocent self-love which God hath planted in us and it is not our Sin but our Duty to maintain There is a Fear concerning which the Apostle saith 1 John 4.18 Perfect Love casteth out Fear but of this it may be said sincere Love worketh Fear Fear is Love's Servant whose Office it is to preserve what and whom we love from being offended hurt or lost He that loves will fear to lose or grieve what and whom he loves Dost thou love God thou wilt fear how thou displease or offend God Dost thou love thy Soul thou wilt fear to lose it As in good things temporal Dost thou love thy Friend thou wilt fear to disoblige him Dost thou love thine Estate or thy Name or thy Health thou wilt fear what-ever may prejudice thee in them So in good things Spiritual our Love will set our Fear to be a guard about them It cannot be but where there 's Love and an hazard of losing what we love there will be Fear Sinners are without Fear about the Matters of God and of their Souls Tell them of losing God they fear it not Why so Why if they do they love not God so well but they can spare him well enough Tell them of the danger of displeasing and offending God It moves them not they bear him no such good will as to fear to grieve him An upright and honest Heart and a good Conscience they have no such regard to it as thence to be withdrawn from any course that may hinder or deprive them of it 'T is to little purpose to reason thus with them Take heed of Sin 't will rob thee of thy God 't will defile thy Conscience 't will disgrace thy Profession 't will break thy Peace This hath little weight with them nor ever will till they have more love for Spiritual Things 'T will hardly move them to tell them your Souls will be lost farewel to all your hopes of everlasting Life if you take not heed of Sin they love their Lusts better than their Souls They love this World they love their Money and their Ease and their Carnal Liberty and hereby it appears they do they are afraid of whatever may prejudice them in these things In times of Persecution for Righteousness-sake they Fear Religion as the Devil they Fear Holiness more than Hell they dare not be Godly for fear their Righteousness should be their ruine Our Love sets all our Affections on work What we love if it be absent we desire it if it be possible to be had we hope for it if we have it we joy if we lose it we grieve if we be in danger of losing it we Fear Friend Thou sayest thou lovest God thy Soul a good Conscience what and in such daily danger of losing all and yet art not afraid Thou sayest thou lovest not the World thou hast an Estate in the World and art eagerly hunting after more and wilt make any shift thou canst to secure and increase it but yet thou hopest thou dost not set thy heart upon it But why then art thou so often in Fears Thou art afraid of Christ afraid of Conscience thou dar'st not be an open Disciple a bold Professor because thou knowest not what it may cost thee and dost thou yet say thou lovest not the World Thy fear Man of what thou thinkest will prejudice thy worldly Interest this Fear is a sign thou lovest The Saints Fear Sin yea and all temptations to it Why so O 't is because they love their God and their Souls 4. There is in it an aversation from evil both from Sin and all the Fruits of Sin The three former Particulars are the causes of this Fear but this is in the Nature of it The Understanding discovers sin 1. To be an Evil a corruptive Evil that will defile and pollute
Life becomes a Sacrifice to the rage of the cruel if he does but come off with the safety of his Soul that 's enough to make him abundant recompence for all As Christ saith Matth. 16.26 What shall it profit a Man to win the whole World and lose his own Soul So may it not be said What shall it prejudice a Man to lose all the World if he save his own Soul Thou knowest not what a Soul is what the Salvation of a Soul is thou knowest not what Eternity what that Life and Death means who canst not say Let me escape that Death let me obtain that Life and it is enough O study the World to come more secure to thy self the eternal Inheritance and then thou wilt say with the Psalmist what-ever thy condition be here I will lay me down in peace and take my rest for thou Lord makest me dwell in safety But more of this hereafter By what hath been said it appeareth that the Man that feareth is an happy Man and wherein his happiness lies It 's true that in this World he is but inchoatively and incompleatly happy but an happy Man he is As he that 's Heir to a great Estate even whilst he is under Age and hath little in possession may be said to be a Rich Man especially if he be under the care of a faithful Guardian no less may a Christian even in his non-age be said to be an happy Man There 's no happy Man in the World if this be not he When he is at lowest it 's better with him than with the best of Sinners Some Sinners will grant their Conscience tells them so that he that fears God will have the best of it in the other World but yet they conclude that themselves have the better of it here But they are mistaken even in this Life a Godly Man hath the better of Sinners He knows little of God he hath little understood the Joy of Faith the Pleasure of Love the Ease of Sincerity the Peace of Conscience the Gain of Godliness that would exchange lives with the best of Sinners here in this World The very hopes of the Saints fill them with more joy than the greatest possessions of the ungodly I had rather take my lot with Job on the Dunghil than with Nebuchadnezzar on his Throne with Lazarus in his Sores and Beggary than with Dives in his Purple and delicate Fare with Paul in his Bonds than with Agrippa and Bernice in their Pomp with that Prisoner at the Bar than his Judges at the Bench. He that is otherwise minded is guilty of one of these absurdities either to think that God is not better than Creatures or that the ungodly enjoy as much of God as those that are Godly If God be better than the World if God be the present Portion of the Godly and of them alone then he that feareth God is the happiest Man even in this Life But O what will his blessedness hereafter be What advantage will he have of Sinners in the other World When the comparison shall no longer be betwixt God and the Creatures betwixt the fulness of Heaven and the fatness of the Earth when the Question shall no longer be which is best peace of Conscience or the prosperity of the World the hopes of Glory or the pleasures of Sin the worst of Saints or the Sinners best But the question will then be Which is the best the Pleasures of the Saints or the Plagues of Sinners the Fruition of God or Reprobation from God the Joyes Above or the Pangs Beneath Then let it be considered then shall it be discerned who are the happy Persons those that Fear God or those that fear him not Vse The Application is that which I chiefly intend and this shall be by way of Information Exhortation and Direction I shall put them all together For the more effectual carrying on whereof I shall inform and warn you 1. Of the Opposites of this Fear 2. Of the Grounds or Reasons why men Fear not 3. Of the Reasons why you should Fear 4. What you should Fear 5. How you should improve this Holy Fear I. The Opposites of this Fear are 1. Rashness 2. Audacity 3. Security 1. Rashness Hastiness or Headiness in our way Fear will make Men consider 'T was good Counsel which the Town-Clerk gave in the Tumult Acts 19.36 that they did nothing rashly Eccles 5.2 Be not rash with thy Mouth neither let thy heart be hasty to utter any thing before God The Apostle reckons hasty ones among the dangerous Persons 2 Tim. 3.4 Men shall be heady precipites running headlong on their course acting not upon Counsel but their suddain apprehensions or any strong impulses of their hearts at all adventures whether it be right or wrong Fear will make Men wary and advised what they do Christians if you would walk safely look before you speak nothing rashly do nothing rashly weigh your Thoughts and Intentions before you let them pass into action How many Evils doth rashness and headiness run us upon Those words which in an heat we have let fly some of our hasty Carriages and Actions have sometimes cost us many dayes sorrow and repentance which had we been cautelous and a little better advised might have been prevented Sometimes a sudden passion arises and out it goes in angry and froward words setting all in an uproar and combustion by and by our hearts recur upon us and then we wish O that I had bit my Tongue and not given it such an unbridled liberty Sometimes we break out into rash censures of those that it may be are better than our selves whereupon when we reflect we are ashamed that the Fool 's Bolt was so soon shot and wish we had been judging our selves when we were censuring our Brethren Take heed you mistake not rashness and headiness for Zeal I would not cool Godly Zeal there 's too little of it in the World We need the Spur more than the Bridle the Bellows nor the Bucket We may not quench true Zeal the Lord be merciful to us there is not so much of it to be found we had more need cast on Oil than Water upon that Holy Fire Zeal for Truth Zeal for Righteousness and Holiness how happy were it if there were more such Flames if all our shining were also burning Lights But Zeal must be regular as for the Matter of it it must be alwayes in a good thing Gal. 4.18 So it must be managed with good Counsel and Caution mistaken Zeal is a Fire that devours that good that it pretends to promote But as you may not run headlong upon that which hath the face of Good much less upon that which is apparently evil It 's dangerous to be heady in the Matters of God wherein in case we are right we can never over-do but much more mischievous to run headlong upon Sin Jer. 8.6 Every one turned to his course as the Horse rusheth into
to repent at last who wilt not now accept of it And thus you have the Grounds and Reasons why Men Fear not It is from their Ignorance Unbelief and Presumption III. The Grounds and Reasons why we should Fear These are such as follow 1. We have reason to Fear because of our Ignorance Mens Ignorance is the reason why they Fear not as before and yet it 's a great reason why they should Fear Who have so great reason to fear as the Blind Every Bush may be a Thief every Sheep may be a Wolf every Lamb may be a Lion for ought he sees to the contrary every step may be into the Ditch or into the Fire or into the Water where-ever he stands or sits or dwells he knows not who or what may be near him and have not such Men reason to Fear Particularly by reason of Ignorance 1. We know not our way 2. We know not the Dangers that are in our way 1. We know not our way John 12.35 He that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth Whither art thou bound Soul Thou art a Traveller but to what City to what Countrey art thou travelling O I am going to Canaan to the New Jerusalem I am travelling Heavenwards But dost thou know the way to that good Land Some of the most ignorant will answer as Christ said to his Disciples Wither I go I know and the way I know when the truth is they neither understand the one nor the other The way to God though it be a strait way and leads directly on by a line yet it 's hard to hit upon If I were to give but one general direction for finding the way to Heaven this should be it Take your first turning upon the right hand and then keep strait on without turning either to the right hand or to the left The way that thou art now going is to Hell but there is a turning on the right hand just before thee Repentance which is our turning out of the way of Death into the way of Life take that turning and then turn no more but keep strait on to the end of thy Life But as strait a way as the way of Life is it is not so easie to keep us in it There are many turnings out on either hand and at every Turning stands a Deceiver calling to Passengers as they go Turn in hither this is the way walk in it The Pharisee stands at one Turning and sayes This is the way The Law of Carnal Commandments the formal and superstitious observation of the Externals of Religion The Hypocritical Zealot stands at another and sayes This is the way The Spirituals of Religion believe in Christ love God and then live to thy self The Sectary of whatsoever Sect he be sayes Here is Christ this is the way of Life turn in hither be one of Us and thou shalt do well The Flesh stands and cries Hearken to none of these they are all blind Guides and will lead thee into their own Ditch come take this great and beaten Road in which thy Fore-fathers have gone before thee Follow the Wise Men and the Learned Men and those multitudes that thou seest going before thee Trust in the Mercy of God and trouble thy self no farther And the Devil stands at every one of these Turnings and if he can but perswade thee to take one of them it comes much alike to him which it be Now what shall a poor ignorant Soul do in this case to hit the right when there are so many false wayes He does not know the way himself and he is like to meet with so many false Guides how can he but Fear he may be misled and lost It fares with these Ignorant Souls as with the Hosts of the Syrians that were going to Dathan to slay Elisha 2 Kings 6.19 Elisha smites them with blindness and then leads them whithersoever he pleases Out he goes to them and tells them This is not the way neither is this the City come along with me and I will bring you to the Man whom you seek but he led them to Samaria This blind Host thought they had been right and going to Dathan but when their eyes were opened they saw themselves betrayed into Samaria into the hands of their Enemies Poor blind Soul thy hope is Heaven that 's thy journeys end thy Home to which thou sayest thou art travelling and thou perswadest thy self thou art in the way thither but for all this thou mayest be mistaken thou mayest be going to Samaria to Sodom to Hell and not to Heaven thou art in darkness and knowest not whither thou goest thou dost not know thy way how then canst thou but fear whether thou art in the right way or the wrong 2. By reason of Ignorance we know not the dangers in our way If we have some apprehension that the way is dangerous yet we know not in particular where the danger lies and so ere we are aware may fall into it Some young Travellers though they be told they be going a dangerous Road yet know not the dangerous Places nor the dangerous Persons that they fall upon a Thief starts up out of a Bush where they never suspected him and when he comes by his fair Language and Carriage they take him for a Friend and suspect not he comes upon any evil Intention till their loss too late teach them what he is What harm is there in such a vain fashion in such a questionable recreation in Cardings Dicings Dancings What harm is there in a little carnal Mirth or in vain and merry Company they be not Drunkards nor Swearers nor Adulterers there 's nothing amongst them but honest mirth and pleasantness what hurt is there in that why what harm is there in falling among Thieves what harm is there in being rob'd of all thou hast hast thou never been a loser by such friendly Thieves hast thou lost none of thy precious Time amongst them which thou couldst ill spare nay have they not stollen away thy heart It may be thou hast found thou wert of a better Spirit when thou camest amongst them thou hadst some sense and savour of God and Religion upon thine heart and some holy seriousness and tenderness and when thou returnest thou seest it's lost thou hast left all thy Religion behind thee Is this no harm when thou hadst been serv'd so once wouldst thou be content to be serv'd so again If thou hadst a cup of pleasant Wine before thee and one should tell thee Take heed there 's poison in the Cup wouldst thou say what harm is it if there be If one should meet thee in a Wood or a Desert and should offer thee Money or Pleasure or what-ever thou wilt if thou wilt be rul'd by him and do what he would have thee and a Friend should tell thee this may be the Devil that comes to truck with thee for thy Soul wouldst thou say what harm is it if it be
our selves to God Yet he will not take the account we give without trying whether it be a true account 2 Cor. 5.10 We must all appear before the Judgment-Seat of Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we must be made manifest and laid open as the word imports that it may plainly be seen what we are And this severe search that shall be made in the Judgment the Apostle calls in the next verse the terror of the Lord. 'T would shake the securest Hearts to understand what a thorow search will be made of them in that day God will bring all things to light God will lay all in the Ballance What a dreadful Word was that to that King Dan. 5.27 Thou art weighed in the Ballance and found wanting What if that should be your case at last if God's Light should find you to be Darkness if God's Ballance should find you too light What if whilst you count your selves Children God should find you Bastards if whilst you count your selves Vines he should find you Thorns if while you count your selves Believers Beloved and Chosen of God that day should declare you to be Infidels and Reprobates What if it should be so you are stark Fools and worse than mad if you think such a question may not be put What if I should be mistaken Is such a mistake on which your eternal state depends of so little consequence with you as not to need such a question to be put about it Are you so little concerned how matters shall go with you in the Judgment Are you so little concerned what your final Sentence shall be which of you for Life and which for Death who for Blessedness and who for Burning What Rocks are those Hearts of yours if they do not rent and quake for fear And if you do fear to think what if I should be mistaken let that Fear set you a searching whether you have hitherto been mistaken or no. Beloved whether you fear or no give me leave to tell you I am afraid concerning you 1. Some of you I fear there are upon whom there hath been no good wrought no nor any thing done towards it not a Clod broken not a Thorn rooted out not a Grain of good Seed fallen upon your Hearts Upon whom the Lord hath been ploughing as upon Rocks sowing as upon Heaths hammering as upon Anvils hewing as upon Iron who with those Rebels Isa 48.4 have Brows of Grass and Iron Sinews who have hitherto resisted the Holy Ghost and put from you the Word of Life whom both the Seed and the Showers that have fallen upon you have left hard and barren bringing forth nothing but Briars and Thorns In whom Oaths and Lyes and Drunkenness and such like are all the Fruits that have been brought forth who are far from God and yet far from fear whom a very little search might be enough to convince you that you are in the Gall of Bitterness and the Bond of Iniquity If you would but cast an Eye upon God's Glass your foul Faces would quickly shew you what you are O Sinners if you your selves yet fear not let others fears concerning you thus far prevail with you as to cast a serious Eye upon your selves Make a little enquiry Is it not thus with me Is not my Soul in this very case If I should ask Where are my Sins Behold they compass me round about they are in mine Heart and in my Mouth and my whole Life is filled up with Iniquity But if I should ask Where is my Faith where is my Repentance where is the new Heart and the new Life Where is the Knowledg and Love and Life and Fear of God What could I say what answer could I give Make a little enquiry thus a very little to a Man in thy case me-thinks should be enough to convince and awaken thee 2. Others of you I fear there maybe upon whom the Lord hath been at work but the Work is not yet brought thorow Upon whom though the Plough hath entred and made some sign yet it hath not gone deep enough though the Thorns some of them are cut down yet their Root remaineth though the Seed of God hath fallen upon you and some Blades have sprung up yet it hath taken no root upon whom though there appear some dawning towards the Day yet you are not come to Sun-rising As for you it is a mercy that there is something done especially if there be still more a-doing It is a mercy that the Lord hath made a motion of Love to you and that he is not totally rejected that there is a Treaty for Peace whereof you have so far accepted as to yield to a Cessation of Arms and a forbearance of those open Acts of Hostility against God which have been that the Drunkards are become sober that the Swearers now fear an Oath that the Enemies of God and of all Righteousness are now content to hear of a Reconciliation This is a mercy Much more That any of you are so far convinced of the misery of Sin of the excellency and necessity of Religion and Godliness that you are wrought to some good liking of the Holy Wayes of God and are wishing and waiting and making out after the Lord. This is a Mercy because there is hope that he that hath brought you hitherto will bring you on farther and farther till he hath brought you home But yet there is matter of great fear too lest presuming you have already attained you should sit down short of Saving-Grace and so perish at last With a special respect to such as these I shall shew 1. How such Persons may be wrought to this Fear 2. How this Fear will work to a farther Search 1. To work this Fear in such let these following Particulars be considered 1. There are preparations to Grace that are not Grace 2. There are Images of Grace that are not Grace 3. There are some properties of gracious Persons that are no certain Evidences of Grace 4. There is no one Grace that is really so which will put us out of doubt 5. What-ever we have that is short of Saving-Grace it may go back and we may be reduced to a worse State than ever before 1. There are preparations to Grace that are not Grace God usually takes time and leads Men on to Christ by degrees we are not presently Converts as soon as we cease to Bedlams There may be awakenings of sleepy Souls there may be enlightnings of dark Souls there may be shakings of obdurate and hardned Souls which though they may have a tendency to farther good yet may be far enough short of it There may be the pangs of travel which may never bring to the Birth In particular 1. There may be Conviction of Sin and yet no Grace Conviction is not Conversion Ahab was once a Convinced Person and so was Judas also but never Converts 2. There may be a good Opinion of Grace where there is no Grace The Way
fright thee out of the Fold but to fright thee into a Sheep I shall do thee no harm if I can fright thee to Heaven 2. What 's one Man's Meat may be another Man's Poison and what 's one Man's Poison may be another Man 's necessary Meat All Christians are not of a like Spirit and what 's poison for some may be proper for others Same poor broken melancholick Souls are all fears and must have Comforts preached unto them others are secure confident and yet careless Ones and these have asmuch need of terror Comforts preached to the doubting and distressed Ones may be poison to the secure and careless and yet for the sake of the distressed they must be preached and terror preached to the secure may be poison to the distressed and yet they must be preached for the securers sakes The Ministers of the Gospel must be good Stewards giving to every one their Portion Luk. 12.42 Comfort to whom comfort belongeth and fear to whom fear On some have compassion making a difference others save with fear Jude 22 23. And as Ministers must give so People must take every one their own Portions as Ministers must divide so People must apply the Word of God aright Let every Man take his own Portion and not be catching at that which is another's There is too great an aptness in the distressed to lay hold on those words that are spoken to the secure if there be ever an afrighting word in a whole Sermon that 's my Portion saith the Distressed this Word belongs to me and so the secure are too ready to lay hold on those healing and comforting words which belong to the broken and distressed both these Evils must be heedfully avoided but whether People will apply the Word of God aright or no there 's no help for it but Ministers must divide it aright and give to every one their Portion 3. There is an awaking fear that quickens to our Duty and prepares for comfort and this will lightly hurt no Body and there is a disquieting and discouraging fear that disheartens to Duty and deprives of Comfort and this will do no Body any good 4. This Fear I am preaching to you will lead you to the better and surer hope These Doubtings will be of great use to put us in the way of getting above our Doubts As there is a Confidence which will end in terror so there are Fears and Doubtings the Fruit whereof will be Quietness and Assurance for ever This will more fully appear in the next Particular wherein I am to shew 2. How this Fear will work towards a farther search Hitherto I have been endeavouring to work this Fear upon Professors Hearts concerning their States and now I shall shew how this Fear will work The Fear lest our Souls should be yet unsafe will 1. Put hard to come to a certainty And to this end will 2. Put us close upon a more narrow search 3. Put in Objections in order to the making all clear and plain 1. It will put hard to come to a certainty nothing short will satisfie it Fear hath pain in it the fearing Christian is in pain till his Doubts be resolved and this pain will press him to make sure He will be thankful for Probabilities and will make the most of them as a drowning Man will catch at every Twig that may keep his Head above Water till he can get better hold A Christian that Fears will not make nothing of Probabilities nor yet will take up with them instead of Certainties The Confident Sinner will venture all upon conjecture if his Heart do but speak him fair and tell him he is safe that shall satisfie him 'T is an amazing thing to consider what broken Reeds Fools do stay themselves upon Fear will make all as sure as it can And there is some hope in that that we ae bent upon making sure He that will not rest in uncertainties is in the fairer way to come to a certainty 2. Fear will put us on close upon the narrowest search It will not take up with Reports or Opinions but will search the Records whence it may be like to get satisfactions And there are two Books of Records that will be enquired after and look'd into the Book of the Scriptures and the Book of Conscience In one the Book of the Scriptures it will examine what are the plainest and most certain Marks of Sincerity when it hath found a Mark it will enquire May not this be also in an Hypocrite and will not pitch on any thing but that which cannot be found in any Hypocrite in the World Then it enquires into Conscience and compares the two Books together The word tells me He that is in Christ is a new-Creature 2 Cor. 5.17 He that is born of God is a Believer 1 John 5.1 Is a lover of God 1 John 4.7 He that loveth doth keep the Commandments of God and his Commandments are not grievous 1 John 5.3 The Children of God are Children that will not lye are meek merciful holy harmless The Disciples of Christ are such as deny themselves take up their Cross and follow him These and such-like are found in the Scriptures to be the signs of the Children of God And what sayest thou O my Conscience are these things found in me Where is my Faith What Love have I for God What witness to my Love in my Obedience What Truth Mercy Meekness Humility Patience is to be discerned in me Come forth O my Graces where are you Shew your selves in the light of the Sun And what can you testify O my ways for me Speak Conscience what is the life which I have lived Is it a life of Faith a life of Love and Holy Obedience If Conscience speaks in the affirmative and gives in its answer through the Grace of God I find it thus with me Then 3. Fear will make Objections and put in farther Questions It 's true he that is a New-Creature is in Christ he that believeth and loveth and obeyeth the Lord is born of God and I find that there is something in me that looks like the New-Creature that looks like Faith and Love c. But may not all these be but the Images of Grace Is my Faith the very Faith of God's Elect Do I love the Lord Jesus in sincerity do I obey from the heart that form of Doctrine that is delivered to me May there not be as great a change upon an Hypocrite may not Hypocrites believe and love and obey as far as ever I have done And until the matter be brought to this issue that there is something found such a Faith such a Love such Holy Obedience as cannot be found in Hypocrites till then this Fear which will ever suspect the worst will nor give over but still will come on with question upon question How shall I know my Faith is right and how shall I prove my Love and Obedience to be sincere I am
than others said Christ to his Disciples Math. 5.47 I have not done by others as I have done by you they have not been taught as you have been taught they have not been fed as you have been fed they have not seen nor heard nor tasted what you have done think not that it can be born that you do no more nor no better than they Coloss 2.6.7 As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk in him rooted and built up in him and established in the faith as ye have been taught abounding therein with thanksgiving Is Christ in thee let the life of Christ be made manifest in thy life as he was so be thou in the world he went about doing good go thou and do likewise Hast thou faith hast thou the love of Christ in thee where is thy work of faith where are thy labours of love hast thou been filled with the fruits of righteousness with meekness humility mercy patience let them all have their perfect work that thou may'st be entire lacking nothing Our first fruits must be brought forth upon our selves our first care and business must be to work out our own Salvation to keep every one of us our own vineyard Thou hast an heart of thine own to keep and a tongue to keep and eyes and hands to look to and govern well thou hast thy thoughts and thy passions and thine appetite and thy Conscience and thy conversation to take care of and the grace thou hast received is firstly to be exercised upon thy self But though thy work begin there yet it must not end there thou hast thy family to govern thou hast thy father's family the houshold of faith to look after yea and thou hast a larger charge than this as thou hast opportunity do good to all Gal. 6.10 thou art set to be a guide to the blind a light to them that are in darkness an instructer of the foolish a teacher of babes an example of the believers yea and of the unbelievers also in word in conversation in charity in spirit in faith in purity Now Christians know your work and set to your work serve the Lord with the best you have and serve the Lord with all you have and all this in fear lest you should receive the grace of God in vain I beseech you saith the Apostle take heed of that 2 Cor. 6.1 I beseech you that you receive not the grace of God in vain Then the grace of God is received in vain not only when nothing is done by it but in a degree it may be said to be received in vain when its fruits are not proportionable there is not so much done as might have been done When he that hath received ten talents brings forth no more fruit than might have been brought forth with five when he that hath received five talents hath done no more good than might have been done with two all our receivings that are over and above the proportion of our fruits all the over-plus of them is received in vain He that is a knowing Christian if he lives not to better purpose than a Christian of little knowledge he that is an ancient experienced Christian if he be no more useful in his life than he that is but a babe that which he hath received above what this babe hath received is received in vain and the Lord may say to him wherefore is this waste What art thou a man of knowledge and hast had such long acquaintance with God and such experiences of his special love and kindness to thee and do'st thou keep all so much to thy self that thou art of little more use in thy generation than a child Hath the Lord taken thee into his heart shewed thee his loves comforted thee in Prayer counselled thee in his Word feasted thee at his Table caused his grace so to abound towards thee and made thee glad with the light of his countenance and all for no more but this hath he furnished thee and fitted thee for every good work and yet art thou thus barren and unfruitful An unuseful and unactive spirit in a Christian is an unhappiness and an unworthiness which yet possibly some that are none of the lowest form for attainments may have reason enough to charge themselves withall and to conclude that though they have not altogether yet they have very much received the grace of God in vain Brethren beloved let us study and let us learn that wisdom which is from above which is full of good fruits dare not to be found among the barren of the flock nor of those trees which do little better than cumber the ground Once more let me put the spur to the side What if the Lord should come among his fig-trees and find so little fruit upon thee art thou not afraid thou might'st hear that word Cut it down why cumbreth it the ground Consider friend what fruits are there found upon thee the fruits of the flesh may be are still hanging on what clustres are there of them hatred variance emulation strife wrath envying pride covetousness what a vintage is there of these wild grapes but where are the fruits of the spirit what a small gleaning is there of them to be found and what shrivelings are those that are would'st thou that thy Lord should find it thus with thee we read Cant. 4.16 when the Church was in a thriving fruitful state she prayed Let my beloved come into his Garden and eat his pleasant fruits Do'st Thou make that Prayer O no I am afraid he should come and find me thus thy Prayer is more like to be Let my Lord delay his coming But how long must he stay thine heart would shake within thee to think that he should find thee thus but when O when shall it be better with thee Take this pruning hook fear will serve thee for such an use and lop off these evil fruits that the fruits of righteousness may spring up in their room When shall the Roses and the Pomegranates bud when shall the fragrant spices flow forth those blessed fruits of the Spirit love joy peace long-suffering gentleness goodness faith meekness temperance when shall these sprout once Christians do you not wish 't were better with you can you bear your own barrenness Is not this vain empty fruitless life an offence to you do you not confess 't is low water with you do you not complain of your uselessness and unprofitableness But shall this be all shall we never have better fruit to bring before the Lord but our confessions and complaints of our want of fruit but our self-bemoanings and self-judgings for our barrenness Better this than nothing but when shall it be better when shall we hear the voice of joy and praise and thanksgivings to the Lord for blessing our fields with increase when shall we be able to say See O Lord thy blood hath not been shed in vain thy spirit hath not been poured
out upon me in vain Behold the winter is past and the spring comes on the flowers appear the fig tree putteth forth and the vines with the tender grapes give a goodly smell Behold the fruits of that blessed blood and spirit in the reviving of this dead heart in the fructifying of this barren heart My Soul make thy boast of God though I have nothing of mine own but what I loath and am asham'd of yet here 's through rich mercy something of his fruits I have brought forth yet not I but the grace of God which was with me and his grace hath not been bestowed on me in vain Come on thou withering Soul cry out with the Spouse Awake thou North-wind and come thou South blow upon my Garden let the Spirit of the Lord breath upon me that my Spices may flow forth and my fruits may appear and then thou mayest go on now let my beloved come into his Garden and eat his pleasant fruits I cannot enumerate the particular fruits that you should bring forth they are all the fruits of righteousness but in hope that after all that hath been said your fear of being found among the barren may prepare you to receive some farther instruction for your growth and fructifying in every good work I shall only lay before you seven things which if they be in you and abound will make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ Follow after 1. Power 2. Activity 3. Severity 4. Simplicity 5. Ingenuity 6. Spirituality 7. Pleasure 1. Power Grace in the very being of it includes power 1 Cor. 4.20 The Kingdom or grace of God is not in word but in power Natural men have natural powers but there is nothing of spiritual power in them wishes and velleities they may have after that which is really and spiritually good O that I could forsake this world and crucifie this flesh and follow God and walk worthy of the Gospel in all things thus they may wish and desire but for their hearts they cannot come to it they cannot bring forth their wish into a will nor their will into performance The least child of God hath more of the power of God in him than the most knowing and the very best of natural men all the parts and vertues of a natural man do fall as much short as to this spiritual vital power of the least of Saints as a dead man does of a living child But yet where there is grace in the beginnings of it in comparison of what it may grow to its power may be small and its strength may be but weakness How great is the power of the healthy above the sickly and faint how much is the power of a man above the power of an infant 'T is well thou art alive but wilt thou still be but a child O what weakly Souls are many amongst the living Souls How ordinary is this complaint To will is present with me but how to perform I find not O how many frustraneous attempts and ineffectual offers do we make at an holy fruitful life we wish for more care and more diligence and more usefulness but still we fall short we are reaching towards but cannot reach to it We judge our selves for our failings we groan under our imperfect duties we are sick of those corruptions that are mingled with them but we cannot overcome them we lament our barrenness we hunger and thirst after more fruitfulness and yet we cannot obtain we cannot do the good that we would we cannot forbear to do the evils that we would not so weak is our heart that though we can weep over our falls and failings yet we cannot amend them But art thou not afraid to continue thus what if death should overtake thee thus how would'st thou dye when thy sin is so much alive yea how canst thou live in any peace whil'st thou seest thou livest to so little purpose Therefore my Brethren let me exhort you in the words of the Apostle Ephes 6.10 Be ye strong in the Lord and in the power of his might Put forth the power that you have receiv'd trust on God for more Put forth that power that you have that 's the way to encrease your strength Do not make your selves to be weaker than you are say not 't is for want of power that 't is no better with you when 't is for want of care and industry much more certainly might be done if we were better Stewards of what we have Let there not be a pretence of weakness to excuse your laziness do what thou canst thou canst do more than thou do'st and if indeed thy strength be but small thou knowest whether to go for more Study well and lay hold on that word Isa 40.28 29.31 Hast thou not known hast thou not heard that the everlasting God the Lord the Creator of the ends of the earth fainteth not neither is weary He giveth power to the faint and to them that have no might he increaseth strength They that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings as the Eagles they shall run and not be weary they shall walk and not be faint Christians let it not suffice you that you are men of understanding and good affections get a Spirit of power as well as of love and of a sound mind 2. Activity An unactive spirit is next to impotence Awaken from thy liveless wretchless temper put away sloth thou sluggard wilt thou still be a drone this drone hath a sting thine own Soul will feel it sooner or later that thy sloth will sting thee to the heart Christians let it appear that the spirit of the living God is in you by your sprightfulness and vivacity Shall the evil spirit be the only active spirit shall sinners flow forth in vanity and wickedness shall their filthy waters be such a quick and running stream and shall the waters of the Sanctuary be but as a standing pool Be bent for holy action be prepared and ready for every good work It 's said Ephes 2.10 that Christians are created unto good works in the very make and constitution of the new creature we may read its use and end we are new made for this very end and purpose we are adopted and prepared for an active useful life for those good works which God hath ordained that we should walk in them Thou had'st need stir up thy self and put thy self on lest thou quickly come to question whether thou be a new creature or no if thou continuest so backward and unready to that for which the new creature is Hast thou grace indeed blow off the ashes from that living coal that it may burn and shine out in a gracious life Fire it the most active of all the elements it will not be inclosed but will find a vent for its flames sure thou hast little of that divine fire in