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A15114
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Some helpes to stirre up to Christian duties Wherein is explained the nature of the dnty [sic] of stirring vp ourselves. Instances are given in the most necessary Christian duties. Some questions about this subiect are profitably resolved. By Henry Whitfeld B D. preacher of Gods word, at Ockley in Surrey; Some helpes to stir up to Christian duties.
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Whitfield, Henry, 1597-1660?
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1634
(1634)
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STC 25410; ESTC S101726
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62,257
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254
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us to stoope and doe lowly obeysance to him by a Jam. 4.12 acknowledging his authority in what hee commands and b Ps 119.128 by keeping the heart in a continuall readinesse to set about what shal be commanded us from him and c Ier. 42.5 6 1 Sam. 3.9 by resting in his will when it is revealed d Gal. 1.15 16. Heb. 11.8 without resisting or gaine-saying and not only by a faithfull dependance upon him and hanging upon him from day to day as a childe upon the mothers brest by all which wee advance and lift up the Lord in our hearts but also when wee are ready to make an open profession of him not fearing the face of man when Gods cause comes in question Then a man is right in his way when hee gives up himselfe to bee wholly for God when al his ends projects and purposes are subservient and subordinate unto him and his glory We read of Caleb that when the false Spyes e Num. 13 28.30 discouraged the Israelites from entring into Canaan by telling them of Cities walled up to heaven and of the Gyants the children of Anak his spirit was mightily stirred and he sayd f Num. 14 8 Let us goe up at once if the Lord delight in us he will bring us into this Land For which standing in Gods cause the Lord gives this testimony of him That g Num. 14.24 Ad verbum implevit post me he had another spirit with him and that he hath followed mee fully The Hebrew word is a metaphor taken from a Shippe under sayle which is carried strongly with the wind as if it feared neither rockes nor sands Iehoshaphat also h 1 Chr. 17.6 had his heart lifted up in the wayes of God he was more couragious and bold in promoting the true worship of God than Asa his father was With a high Spirit he tooke away Idolatry contemning perill hee tooke away the high places and groves which either his father left or the people in the latter end of his reigne brought in againe David but a youth was mightily stirred up in Gods cause wheÌ„ Goliah railed on the hoast of the living God thy i 1 Sam. 17.32.48 servant saith he wil go fight with this Philistim drawing neere him to fight hee hasted and ranne moved with fervent zeale to be avenged on the blasphemy of Gods name It is said of Baruch in the repayring of the wall of Ierusalem he k Neh. 3.20 Se occendit repayred earnestly or as some read it he fired himselfe burst out into heat angry with himselfe and others that were so slothfull in working so finished his portion in a shorter time This stirringnesse of Spirit did appeare in Levi who preferred Gods glory to all naturall affection l Deut. 33.9 Who sayd to his Father and his Mother I have not seene him neither knew hee his owne brethren or his owne children for they observed thy word and kept thy Commandement Thus also have the holy Confessours and blessed Martyrs done whose Spirits wee should desire to be doubled upon us in these evill and backe-sliding dayes who living incurst and cruell times in Gods cause and for his sake m Rev. 12.11 loved not their lives unto the death but thought the prison a Who will ever beleeve that I shall say or what man will ever thinke in the deepe darke dungeon to find a paradise of pleasure in the place of sorrow and to dwell in tranquillity and hope of life in a cave infernall to be found ioy of soule where other men doe shake and treÌ„ble there strength and boldnesse to be plenty Algerid his letter Fox Act. Mon. â—ol 2. p. 181. a paradise and great iron chaines great b Marsac going to the stake to be burned with two others with ropes about their neckes seeing himselfe to be spared by reason of his order and degree desired to have one of those precious chaines about his necke in honour of his Lord Fox ib. p. 141. Luther resolved to appeare at Wormes though all the tyles on the houses should be Divels ornaments and embraced the flames as cheerefully as Eliah did the fiery Chariot that came to fetch him to heaven O when the love of their deerest Redeemer had once warmed their hearts they were mightily inflamed and like Davids three Worthies who for Davids sake brake through the hoast of the Philistims so these were ready for his sake to undergoe all hard adventures to looke all dangers in the face and to breake thorow an hoast of Deaths and Devils Section 8. About stirring up ourselves in the reading and hearing Gods holy Word IN regard of Gods holy word when wee are to be exercised in the reading of it or hearing it preached or read it is our duty to stirre up our selves as 1. In reading the holy Scriptures when thou takest up the Bible into thy hand to read looke upon it as upon the most blessed booke that ever eye saw and that no booke in the world hath that in it c Quid est Scriptura sacra nifi quaedam Epistola omnipotentis Dei ad creaturam suam Greg. which concernes thee so much containing in it the whole counsell of God for thy good And as children are stirring and wakefull when they heare their fathers Will reade to know and understand what is left them there so ought wee to stirre up our selves considering those many rich and precious Legacies which our Savior hath bequeathed unto us in that last Will and Testament of his sealed with his owne blood So in hearing the Word read wee have a notable example in Ezra his time that n Nch. 8.3 when hee read in the booke of the Law from morning to mid-day the eares of all the people were attentive to the booke of the Law 2. In hearing the Word Preached it is our duty to stirre up ourselves with all the life of attention we may as hearing the Lord speaking in his Servants Hither tend those pressing exhortations in Scripture To o Isay 55.3 incline the eare To be p Jam. 1.19 swist to heare Flying to the places of assemblies as q Isa 60.8 Doves to their windowes The Bereans are commended for this that they heard the Word r Acts 16.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with all readinesse and alacrity In hearing the Word we are to Å¿ Psal 24.7 lift up these everlasting doores to set wide open the doores of our hearts that the King of glory may come in We are to choose the Word as our t Psal 119.111.173 portion for the goodnesse beauty and truth of it To bring hearts and affections answerable to the matter in hand when the Lord threatens to bring feare when he promiseth to bring u Neh. 8.12 joy to * 2 Chro. 34 27. Luke 3.10 yeeld willingly to the stampe of every truth as the Wax to the Seale To set the heart strongly
fungendum defuisse fatear In Test Calvini in vita ipsis p. 102 Quest neither growing up in them to that strength nor imploying them to that fruitfulnesse they might have attained unto But why is it a sinne not to stir up our selves to holy duties since exciting grace is Gods worke alone and hee must renew it every morning else the worke wil not be done Isa 50.4 Answ 1 Answ Because it is by reason of our sinne that God doth not stir us up as 1. Our narrownesse of heart and mouth in prayer Psal 81.10 Aske liberally and have liberally prayers are a 2 King 13.17 18 19. like arrowes of Deliverance which would be multiplied and enlarged 2. Our heedlesnesse in the use of the Ordinances Luk. 8.18 3. Unfruitfulnesse in the use of grace received Mat. 25.29 4. Unbeleefe Mat. 14.31 else renewing our waiting on the Lord for his help and grace would renew our strength Isa 40.31 Thus you see how still the fault b Rectè homo corripitur que precepta non implet quia exetus negligentia est quod gratiam non habet per quam possit servare mandata Th. Aq. quest disp 24. art 14 returnes upon our selves how we cannot stand before this truth but must lye downe as condemned of our selves and guilty of this evill that we have not stirred up our selves to doe that which was in our power to have done that good I say which wee ought and might have done Vse 5 What remaines now but that I should call upon you and my selfe with all the strength of exhortation I may and the Lord grant it may be effectuall to us all that wee set about this so needfull a Christian duty and that if it be possible we might bee drawne off from our dregs and lees to get above our selves and to bee heightned in our desires and practice of all Christian duties to doe them in a more lively active and stirring manner this being like oyle to the wheeles and as wind to the sayles that sets all agoing this indeed is all in all for what are all our services but saplesse livelesse and loathsome things without this And first I would bend my speech to such as formerly have bin more forward and stirring-hearted but now are growne more remisse and spirit-lesse I would speake to such in the Name of God as the Lord speakes by the Prophet to his people c Ier. 2.5 What iniquity have your fathers found in mee that they are gone from mee What evill have you found in Gods wayes that you are growne weary of them Speake in the presence of God what evill have you found in prayer that you grow so slacke in it You were wont you could have gone to the Lord with much enlargement and it may bee with many teares d Psa 45.1 your tongue was as the pen of a ready Writer why are you now so narrow-hearted Why doe you so fore-slow the duty Siccine putamus orasse Ionam Sic Danielem inter Leones Sic latr nem in cruces Hier. speaking thereof cold prayers and make so many excuses and are so loth to come into Gods presence neither is there that strugling against this woful disposition as formerly What evill have you found in Gods word the time was when you went with much joy to Gods house and you loved the Bible above al books and now it can lie a day sometimes a weeke and you never looke into it e Iob 15.11 Are â—he consolations of God small with you are the counsels and exhortations of the Scriptures grown weake Are the Promises of God more dry and withered Is not God still a hearer of praiers or is his arme shortned that it cannot save God forbid But doth not the fault lye in yourselfe unto whom the world and other sinfull distempers have marred the rellish and taste of these Divine counsels and comforts What evill have you found in the societie of Gods people of whose grace and goodnesse you cannot bee but well perswaded why are you so strange unto them the time hath bin when you have preferred them before all others and chose them for the onely companions of your life you could have opened your mouth to the edification of others but now you are like a curst Cowe that will not give downe her milke you can now like well enough of carnall speech and worldly companie and can sort your selfe with such of whose happinesse you have no perswasion Speake is not this your case are you not blame-worthy why then be grieved and sigh within your selfe and f Rev. 2.4 5 Remember from whence thou art fallen and repent and doe thy first workes Let our Saviours counsell come seasonably to thee g Rev. 3.2 Be watchfull to strengthen the things which remaine which are ready to dye rest not in this unprofitable and uncomfortable condition till thou find thy spirit to revive and thy care of better things to flourish and spring againe in thee h Heb. 12.12 13. Lift up thy hands that hang downe and the feeble knees lest that which bee lame be turned out of the way Labour to recover thy former strength and station and therefore to cherish and blow up that fire which yet remaines hid under the ashes i 2 Iohn 8 that thou lose not that which thou hest wrought but mayest receive a full reward But lest any be discouraged Cautiâ—n wee are to know that this dulnesse and unstirringnesse of heart may proceed sometime from 1. Weaknesse faintnesse and feeblenes of body whether it beinregard of present sicknesse indisposition to health age or other bodily infirmities in which case a good Christian may be feeble in performance of duties the minde most an end following the present temper of the body 2. It may proceed from melancholy distempers with which the minde may be over-growne 3. Or the party may lye under some violent temptation of Satan or distresse of conscience which may strangely for the time make one dull mopish and forgetfull 4. Or it may proceed from spirituall desertion when the sense of Gods favour love and wonted presence may be departed from him for a time 5. Or the outward meanes of the Word may be taken from them either wholly or it may be much ecclipsed which formerly they enjoyed in more plentie and power These and many such like may bring a dulnesse upon the hart in Duties but if thy wearisomnesse in duties and thy decayings in good arise from none of these but that it hath rooting and foundation in thy owne corrupt nature and is cherished and fomented by the lusts of other things thoumust take it home to thy selfe and know thy case is so much the worse and that thou art laden with the more guilt by how much thou art left without excuse God having done so well for thee and thou having so k Deut. 32.6 ill requited him Lastly this exhortation is to be set