truth that the fruit of righteousness shall be peace But suppose the people of God experience little of this comfort in life yet 2. They find it in the day of death grace and holiness will Minister unto us then and that ministration will be peace A beleiver hath a twofold spring of comfort each one emptying it self into his soul in a dying season ' one is from above him the other is from within him the spring that runs comfort from above him is the blood of Christ sprinkled upon the conscience the spring that runs comfort from within him is the sincerity of his heart in Gods service When we lye upon a death-bead and can reflect upon our principles and performances in the service of God and there find uprightness and sincerity of heart running through all this must needs be comfort it was so to Hezekiah Remember O Lord how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which is good in thy sight Isa 38.3 Nothing maketh a Death-bed so uneasie and hard as a life spent in the service of sin and lust nothing makes a Death-bed so soft and sweet as a life spent in the service of God and Christ Or put the case the people of God should not meet with this comfort then yet 3. They shall be sure to find it after Death if time bring none of this fruit to ripeness why yet eternity shall grace in time will be glory in eternity holiness now will be happiness then what ever it is that a man soweth in this World that he shall be sure to reap in the next World He that soweth to the flesh Gal. 6.7 shall of the flesh reap corruption Gal. 6.8 but he that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reap life everlasting Ro. 6.23 When sin shall end in sorrow and misery holiness shall end in joy and glory well done thou good and faithful servant enter thou into the joy of thy Lord Mat. 25.23 Whoever shareth in the grace of Christ and conformeth to the life of Christ in this World shall share in the joys of Christ in the World to come 1 Pet. 1.8 and that joy is joy unspeakable and full of glory Lo here is the fruit of godliness say now if there be not enough in Religion whether we respect profit or comfort to ingage us to be Christians throughout 4. What an intire resignation wicked men make of themselves to their lusts Consid 4 and shall not we do so to the Lord Christ they give up themselves without reserve to the pleasures of sin and shall we have our reserves in the service of God they are altogether sinners and shall not we be altogether Saints they run and not faint in the service of their lusts and shall we faint and not run in the service of Christ shall the sevants of corruption have their ears boared Exo. 21.6 at the Door-posts of sin in token of an intire and perpetual service and shall not we give up our selves to the Lord Christ to be his for ever Isa 28.15 shall others make a Covenant with Hell and death Ier. 50.5 and shall not we joyn our selves to God in an everlasting Covenant that cannot be forgotten Acrius illi ad perniciem quam nos ad salutem shall they take more pains to damn their souls then we do to save ours and make more speed to a place of vengeance then we do to a crown of righteousness 2 Tim. 4 8 Which do you judge best to be saved everlastingly or to perish everlastingly which do you count the best Master God or the Devil Christ or your lusts I know you will determine it on Christs side Oh then when others serve their lusts with all their hearts do you serve Christ with all your hearts Eccle. 8.5 Ier. 3.5 if the hearts of the Sons of men be fully set in them to do evil then much more let the hearts of the sons of God be fully set in them to do good 5. If ye are not altogether Christians Consid 5 ye will never be able to appear with comfort before God not to stand in judgement of the last and great day for this sad dilemma will silence every Hypocrite If my Commands were not holy just and good why didst thou own them if they were holy just and good why didst thou not obey them If Jesus Christ was not worth the having why didst thou profess him if he was then why didst thou not cleave to him and close with him If my Ordinances were not appointed to convert and save souls why didst thou sit under them and rest in the performance of them or if they were then why didst thou not submit to the power of them If Religion be not good why dost thou profess it if it be good why dost thou not practise it Friend how camest thou in hither not having on a wedding garment Mat. 22.12 If it was not a Wedding feast why didst thou come at the invitation and if it was then why didst thou come without a wedding garment Mat. 11.22 I would but ask an Hypocritical professour of the Gospel what he will answer in that day Verily you deprive your selves of all possibility of Apology in the day of the righteous judgment of God it is said of this man that had no Wedding garment on that when Christ came and examined him he was speechless he that is graceless in a day of grace will be speechless in a day of judgment professing Christ without a heart to close with Christ will leave our souls inexcusable and make our damnation unavoidable and more intolerable These are the motives to inforce the duty and oh that God would set them home upon your hearts and consciences that you might not dare to rest a moment longer in a half work or in being Christians within a little but that you might be altogether Christians Quere But you will say possibly how shall I do what means shall I use that I may attain to a through work in my heart that I may be no longer almost but altogether a Christian Now I shall lay down three rules of directions instead of many to further and help you in this important duty and so leave this work to Gods blessing First Break off all false peace of conscience Direct 1 this is the Devils bond to hold the soul from seeking after Christ As there is the peace of God so there is the peace of Satan but they are easily known for they are as contrary as Heaven and Hell as light and darkness The peace of God flows from a work of grace in the soul and is the peace of a regenerate state but the peace of Satan is the peace of an unregenerate state it is the peace of Death in the grave Job saith their is peace Iob. 3.17 there the wicked cease from troubling so a
soul dead in sin is full of peace the wicked one troubleth him not The peace of God in the soul is a peace flowing from the removal of guilt by justifying grace Rom. 5.1 being justified by faith in his blood we have peace with God but the peace of Satan in the soul arises and is maintained by a stupidness of spirit and insensibleness of guilt upon the conscience The peace of God is a peace from sin that fortifies the heart against it The peace of God that passeth all understanding 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus Philip 4.7 the more of this peace there is in the soul the more is the soul fortified against sin But the peace of Satan is a peace in sin the strong man armed keeps the house and there all is at peace Luk. 11.21 The Saints peace is a peace with God but not with sin the sinners peace is a peace with sin but not with God and this is a peace better broke then kept it is a false a dangerous an undoing peace my brethren death and judgment will break all peace of conscience but onely that which is wrought by Christ in the soul and is the fruit of the blood of sprinkling when he gives quietness who then can make trouble Job 34.29 Now that peace that death will break why should you keep who would be fond of that quietness which the flames of Hell will burn in sunder and yet how many travel to Hell through the fools paradice of a false peace Oh break off this peace for we can have no peace with God in Christ whilst this peace remains in our hearts intus existens prohibet alienum The Lord Christ gives no peace to them that will not seek it and that man will never seek it that doth not see his need of it and he that is at peace in his lust sees no need of the peace of Christ The sinner must be wounded for sin and troubled under it before Christ will heal his wounds and give him peace from it 2. Labour after a through work of conviction Direct 2 every conviction will not do it the almost Christian hath his convictions as well as the true Christian or else he had never gone so far but they are not sound and right convictions or else he had gone farther God will have the soul truely sensible of the bitterness of sin before it shall tast the sweetness of mercy The Plow of conviction must go deep and make deep furrows in the heart before God will sow the precious seed of grace and comfort there that so it may have depth of earth to grow in This is the constant method of God first to shew man his sin then his Saviour first his danger then his redeemer first his wound then his cure first his ownvileness then Christs righteousness We must be brought to cry out unclean unclean to mourn for him whom we have peirced and then he sets open For us a fountain to wash in for sin and for uncleanness Zach. 12. and the four last verses compared with Zach. 13. and the first verse That is a notable place Job 33.27 28. He looked upon men and if any say I have sinned and perverted that which was right and it profited me not He will deliver his soul from going into the pit and his life shall see the light The sinner must see the unprofitableness of his unrighteousness before he profits by Christs righteousness The Israelites are first stung with the fiery Serpents Num. 21 6â—8 and then the brazen Serpent is set up Ephraim is first throughly convinced and then Gods bowels of mercy work towards him Thus it was with Paul Manasseh the Jaylor c. So that this is the unchangeable method of God in working grace to begin with conviction of sin Oh therefore labour for through convictions and there are three things we should especially be convinced of First Be convinced of the evil of sin the filthy and heinous nature of it this is the greatest evil in the World it wrongs God it wounds Christ it grieves the holy spirit it ruineth a precious soul all other evils are not to be named with this My Brethren though to do sin be the worst work yet to see sin is the best sight for sin discovered in its vileness makes Christ to be desired in his fulness But above all labour to be convinced of the mischief of an unsound heart what an abhorring it is to God what certain ruine it brings upon the soul Oh think often of the Hypocrites hell Mat. 24.51 Secondly Be convinced of the misery and desperate danger of a natural condition for till we see the plague of our hearts and the misery of our state by nature we shall never be brought out of our selves to seek help in another Thirdly Direct 3 Be convinced of the utter insufficiency and inability of any thing below Christ Jesus to minister releif to thy soul in this case all things besides Jesus Christ are Physitians of no value Iob 13 4. duties performances prayers tears self-righteousness avail nothing in this case they make us like the Troupes of Tema Iob. 6.19.20 to return ashamed at our disappointment from such failing brooks Alass It is an infinite righteousness that must satisfie for us for it is an infinite God that is offended by us If ever thy sin be pardoned it is infinite mercy that must pardon it if ever thou be reconciled to God it is infinite merit must do it if ever thy heart be changed and thy state renewed it is infinite power must effect it and if ever thy soul escape hell and be saved at last it is infinite grace must save it In these three things right and sound conviction lieth And wherever the Spirit of God worketh these through convictions it is in order to a true and sound conversion For by this means the soul is brought under a right qualification for the receiving Christ You must know that a sinner quatenus a sinner can never come to Christ for he is dead in sin in enmity against Christ an enemy to God and the grace of God but there are certain qualifications that come between the souls dead state in sin and the work of conversion and closing with Christ Se Nortons Orthod Fvangelist p. 130. whereby the soul is put into a capacity of receiving the Lord Jesus Christ For no man is brought immediately out of his dead state and made to beleive in Jesus Christ There are termini mediantes some qualifications comming in between now sound convictions are the right qualifications for the sinners receiving Christ Mat. 9.12.13 for he came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance that is such as see themselves sinners and thereby in a lost condition so Luke explains it The son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost Luk. 19.10
of Christ It is bad being at peace till Christ speaks peace nothing can truely pacifie conscience less then that which pacifies God and that is the blood of the Lord Christ Now the almost Christian quiets conscience but not with the blood of Christ it is not a peace flowing from Christs propitiation but a peace rising from a formal profession not a peace of Christs giving but a peace of his own making He silences and bribes conscience with a forme of godliness and so makes it give way to an undoing foul destroying peace he rocks it asleep in the Cradle of duties and then it is a thousand to one it never awaketh more till death or judgment Ah my brethren it is better to have conscience never quiet then quieted any way but by the blood of Sprinkling a good conscience unquiet is the greatest affliction to Saints and an evil conscience quiet is the greatest judgment to sinners 5. It is dangerous to be almost a Christian in respect of the unpardonable sin the sin that the Scripture saith can never be forgiven neither in this World nor in the World to come Mat. 12.32 I mean the sin against the holy Ghost now such are onely capable of sinning that sin as are but almost Christians A true beleiver cannot the work of grace in his heart that seed of God abiding in him secures him against it 1 Joh. 3.9 compared with the 5. Chap. 16 17 18. Act. 7.51 The prophane open ignorant sinner cannot though he lives daily and hourly in sin yet he cannot commit this sin for it must be from an enlightned mind every sinner under the Gospel especially sins sadly against the Holy Ghost against the strivings and motions of the Spirit he resists the holy ghost but yet this is not the sin against the holy Ghost There must be three ingredients to make up that sin 1. It must be wilful Heb. 10.26 if we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth there remains no more sacrisice for sin 2. It must be against light and convictions after we have received the knowledge of the truth 3. It must be destinatâ malitia Blasphemia in sâ—iritum sanctum ea est qua quis dest nata ma itia contra proprum anime sui sensum spiritus sancti grattam virtutem deique gloriam oprugnat Luc. Brugens in Mat. 12. in resolved malice Now you shall find all these ingredients into the sin of the Pharisees Mat. 12.22 Christ heals one that was possessed with a Devil a great work which all the people wondred at v. 23. But what say the Pharisees see v. 24. This fellow casteth out Devils by the Prince of Devils now that this was the sin against the holy ghost is clear for it was both wilful and malicious and against clear convictions they could not but see that he was the Son of God and that this work was a peculiar work of the Spirit of God in him and yet they say he wrought by the Devil Whereupon Christ charges them with this sin against the Holy Ghost v. 31.32 now these Pharisees were a sort of great professors compare this with Mark 3.28 29 30. whence I gather this conclusion That it is the professor of Religion that is the subject of this sin Not the open carnal sinner not the true beleiver but the formal professor Not the sinner for he hath neither light nor grace not the beleiver for he hath both light and grace therefore the formal professor for he hath light but no grace Here then is the great danger of being almost a Christian he is liable to this dreadful unpardonable sin 6. This being but almost a Christian subjects us to apostacy he that gets no good by walking in the ways of God will quickly leave them and walk no more in them this I gather from Hos 14.9 Who is wise and he shall understand these things prudent and he shall know them for the ways of the Lord are right and the just shall walk in them but the transgressors shall fall therein The just shall walk in them he whose heart is renewed and made right with God he shall keep close to God in his ways But the transgressours shall faell therein the word in the Hebrew is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 peshangim from a word that signifies to prevaricate so that we may read the words thus The ways of the Lord are right and the just shall walk in them but he that prevaricates that is a Hypocrite in the Ways of God he shall fall therein An unsound heart will never hold out long in the ways of God Joh. 5.35 He was a burning and a shining light and ye were willing for a season to rejoyce in that light Job 27.10 For a season 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for an hour a short space and then they left him It is a notable question Job puts concerning the Hypocrite Will he delight himself in the Almighty will he always call upon God He may do much but these two things he cannot do He cannot make God his delight He cannot persevere in duties at all times and in all conditions Pro. 24.16 Deut. 33.27 He will be an Apostate at last the scab of Hypocrisie usually breaks out in the plague soar of Apostacy Conversion ground is standing ground it is terra firma but a graceless profession of Religion is slippery ground and falling ground Julian the Apostate was first Julian the professour I know it is possible a beleiver may fall but yet he rises again the everlasting arms are underneath but when the hypocrite falls who shall help him up Eccl. 4 10 Salomon saith Wo to him that is alone when he falls that is without interest in Christ why wo to him for he hath none to help him up if Jesus Christ do not recover him who can David fell and was restored for he had one to help him up but Judas fell and perished for he was alone 7. This being but almost a Christian provokes God to bring dreadful spiritual judgement upon a man Barrenness is a spiritual judgment now this provokes God to give us up to barrenness when Christ found the fig-tree that had leaves but no fruit he pronounces the curse of barrenness upon it Never fruit grow on thee more Mat. 21.19 and so Ezek. 47.11 The miry places thereof and the marish places thereof shall not be healed they shall be given to salt 2 Thes 2.10 11 12. A Spirit of delusion is a sad judgement why this is the almost Christians judgment that receives the truth but not in the love of it because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved for this cause God shall send them strong delusion Lu. 19.42 To lose either light or sight either ordinances or eyes is a great spiritual judgment why this is the almost Christians judgment he that profits not under the means provokes
the midst of laughter the heart is sorrowful Prov. 14.13 but now the comfort that flows from godliness is an inward comfort a spiritual joy therefore it is called gladness of heart Psal 4.7 Thou hast put gladness in my heart Other joy smooths the brow but this fils the brest 2. Worldly comfort hath a nether spring the spring of worldly comfort is in the creature in some earthly injoyment and therefore the comfort of worldly men must needs be mixed and muddy Iam. 3.11 an unclean fountain cannot send forth pure water But spiritual comfort hath an upper spring the comfort that accompanies godliness flows from the manifestations of the Love of God in Christ from the workings of the blessed Spirit in the heart which is first a Counsellour and then a Comforter And therefore the comforts of the Saints must needs be pure and unmixed comforts for they flow from a pure Spring 3. Worldly comfort is very fading and transitory Iob. 20.5 The triumphing of the wicked is short and the joy of the Hypocrite is but for a moment Salomon compares it to the crackling of Thornes under a pot Eccles 7.6 which is but a blaze and soon out so is the comfort of carnal hearts But now the comfort of godliness is a durable and abiding comfort your heart shall rejoyce Io. 16.22 and your joy no man shall take from you The comfort of godliness is lasting and everlasting it abides by us In life In death After death Isa 32.17 Phili. 1.2 Colos 12. First It abides by us in life grace and peace go together godliness brings forth comfort and peace naturally the effect of righteousness shall be peace it is said of the primitive Christians they walked in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost Acts 9.31 every duty done in uprightness and sincerity reflects some comfort upon the soul Psa 19.11 In keeping the Commands there is great reward not onely for keeping of them but in keeping of them as every flower so every duty carries sweetness and refreshing with it But who more dejected and disconsolate the Saints and beleivers whose lives are more uncomfortable whose mouths are more filled with complaints then theirs if a condition of godliness and Christianity be a condition of so much comfort then why are they thus Isa 50.10 Sol. That the people of God are often times without comfort that I grant they may walk in the dark and have no light but this is none of the product of godliness grace brings forth no such fruit as this there is a threefold rise and spring of it Sin within Desertion without Temptation without 1. Sin within the Saints of God are not all Spirit and no flesh all grace and no sin they are made up of contrary principles there is light and darkness in the same mind sin and grace in the same will carnal and spiritual in the same affections Gal. 5.17 there is the flesh lusting against the spirit in all these and too often the Lord knows is the beleiver led away captive by these warring lusts Ro. 7.23 so was the holy Apostle himself I find then a Law that when I would do good evil is present with me Rom. 7.21 and v. 23. I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin and this was that which broke his spiritual peace and filled his soul with trouble and complaints as you see in the 24. v. O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death So that it is sin that interrupts the peace of Gods people indwelling lust stirring and breaking forth must needs cause trouble and grief in the soul of a beleiver for it is as natural for sin to bring fotth trouble as it is for grace to bring forth peace every sin contracts a new guilt upon the soul and guilt provokes God and where there is a sense of guilt contracted and God provoked there can be no peace no quiet in that soul till faith procures fresh sprinklings of the blood of Jesus Christ upon the Conscience 2. Another Spring of the beleivers trouble and disconsolateness of spirit is the desertions of God and this follows upon the former God doth sometimes disappear and hide himself from his people verily thou art a God that hidest thy self Psa 13.1 Isa 45.15 But the cause of Gods hiding is the beleivers sinning your iniquities have separated between you and your God and your sins have hid his face from you Isa 59.2 In Heaven where there is no sinning there is no losing the light of Gods countenance for a moment and if Saints here could serve God without corruption they should injoy God without desertion but this cannot be while we are in this state remaining lusts will stir and break forth and then God will hide his face and this must needs be trouble thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled Ps 30.7 Psa 116.3 The light of Gods countenance shining upon the soul is the Christians Heaven on this side Heaven and therefore it is no wonder if the hiding of his face be looked upon by the soul as one of the dayes of Hell so it was by David The sorrows of death compassed me the pains of Hell gate hold upon me I found trouble and sorrow 3. A third spring of that trouble and complaint that brims the banks of the Christians spirit is the temptaions of Satan Mat. 13.39 he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the great enemy of Saints and he envieth the quiet and comfort that their hearts are filled with when his conscience is brimmed with horrour and terrour and therefore though he knows he cannot destroy their grace yet he labours to disturb their peace As the blessed Spirit of God is first a Sanctifier and then a comforter working grace in order and peace so this cursed Spirit of Hell is first a Tempter and then a Troubler first perswading to act sin and then accusing for sin and this is his constant practise upon the Spirits of Gods people he cannot indure that they should live in the light of Gods countenance when himself is doomed to an eternal intolerable darkness And thus you see whence it is that the people of God are often under trouble and complaint all arises from these three springs of Sin within Desertions without Temptations without If the Saints could serve God without sinning and injoy God without withdrawing and resist Satan without yeilding they might injoy peace and comfort without sorrowing this must be indeavoured constantly here but it will never be attained fully but in Heaven But yet so far as grace is the prevailing principle in the heart and so far as the power of godliness is exercised in the life so far the condition of a Child of God is a condition of peace for it is an undoubted
of sin whereas he should run to Christ and close with him and beg his righteousness for a covering that the shame of his nakedness do not appear Rev. 3.18 he rather runneth to a life of duties and performances and thus maketh himself a covering wlth the fig-leaves of a profession without Christ truely imbraced and conscience at all renewed Naural man would fain be his own Saviour and suposeth a change of state to be a thing within his own power and that the true work of grace lieth in leaving off the practise of fin and taking up a life of duties and therefore upon this principle doth many a graceless professour outstrip a sound beleiver for he resteth in his own performances and hopeth these will commend him to God If a natural conscience may go thus far then what difference is there between this natural conscience in Hypocrites and sinners and a renewed conscience in beleivers or how may I know whether the workings of my conscience be the workings of nature onely or else of grace wrought in it I grant that it is difficult to distinguish between the one and the other and the difficulty hath a twofold rise 1. It ariseth from that Hypocrisie that is in the best Saints the weakest beleiver is no Hypocrite but yet there is some Hypocrisie in the strongest beleiver where there is most grace there is some sin and where there is most sincerity yet there is some Hypocrisie Now it is very incident to a tender conscience to misgive and mistrust its state upon the fight of any sin when he sees Hypocrisie break out in any duty or performance then he complaines surely my aims are not sincere my conscience is not renewed it is but natural conscience inlightened not by grace purged and changed 2. It ariseth from that resemblance there is between grace and Hypocrisie for Hypocrisie is a resemblance of grace Pigmalion mâ—ae an image so lively ib it hedeceived himself and taking the Victure for a person fell in love with the Picture without substance the likeness of grace without the life of grace There is no grace but a Hypocrite may have somewhat like it and there is no duty done by a Christian but an Hypocrite may outstrip him in it Now when one that hath not true grace shall go farther then one that hath this may well make the beleiver question whether his grace be true or not or whether the workings of his conscience be not the workings of nature onely rather then of grace wrought in it But to answer the Question you may make a judgement of this in these seven particulars 1. If a natural mans conscience putteth him upon duty he doth usually bound himself in the Work of God his duties are limited his obedience is a limited obedience he doth one duty and neglecteth another he picketh and chuseth among the Commands of God obeyeth one and slighteth another Thus much is enough what need any more if I do thus and thus I shall go to Heaven at last Ps 119.20 But now where Conscience is renewed by grace there it is otherwise Though there may be many weaknesses which accompanie its duties yet that soul never bounds it self in working after God it never loves God so much but still it would love him more nor seeks him so much but still it would seek him more nor doth it serve God so well at any time but still it makes conscience of serving him better A renewed conscience is a spring of universal obedience Psal 119.128 for it seeth an infinite excellency and goodness and holiness in God and therefore would fain have its service rise up towards some proportionableness to the object a God of infinite excellency and goodness should have infinite love saith Conscience a holy God should have service from a holy heart saith conscience Now then If I set bounds to my love to God or to my service to God if I limit my self in my obedience to the holy God love one command and slight another obey in one point and yet lie cross in another then is all I do but the working of a natural conscience But on the other hand if I love the Lord with my whole heart and whole soul and serve him with all my might Mat. 22.37 Mark 17.33 and strength If I esteem all Gods precepts concerning all things to be right and have respect to all the Commands then is my love and service from a renewed conscience 2. If a natural mans conscience check or accuse for sin then he seeketh to step the mouth of it but not to satisfie it most of the natural mans duties are to still and stifle conscience But now the beleiver chuseth rather to let conscience cry then to stop the mouth of it until he can do it upon good terms until he can fetch in satisfaction to it from the blood of Jesus Christ by fresh acts of faith apprehended and applied The natural man seeketh to still the noise of conscience rather then to remove the guilt the beleiver seeketh the removal of guilt by the application of Christs blood and then conscience is quiet of it self As a foolish man having a Mote fallen into his eye and making it water he wipeth away the water and labours to keep it dry but never searcheth his eye to get out the Mote but a wise man mindeth not so much the wiping as the searching his eye some-what is got in and that causeth the watering and therefore the cause must be removed Now then if when conscience accuseth for sin I take up a life of duties a forme of godliness to stop the mouth of Conscience and if hereupon conscience be still and quiet then is this but a natural conscience but if when conscience checks it will not be satisfied with any thing but the blood of Christ and therefore I use duties to bring me to Christ and if I beg the sprinckling of his blood upon conscience and labour not so much to stop the mouth of it as to remove guilt from it then is this a renewed conscience 3. There is no natural man let him go never so far let him do never so much in matters of Religion but still he hath his Dalilah his bosome lust Judas went far Ioh. 12.6 but he carried his covetousness along with him Herod went far Mar. 6.20 he did many things under the force of Johns Ministry but yet there was one thing he did not he did not put away his Brothers Wife v. 17 18. his Herodias lay in his bosome still Nay commonly all the natural mans duties are to hide some sin his profession is onely made use of for a covershame Psa 66.18 Psa 119.128 But now the renewed conscience hateth all sin as David did I hate every false way he regardeth no iniquity in his heart he useth duties not to cover sin but to help work down and work out sin Ro. 2.23 Now
much to suffering as the power of godliness but without the power of godliness there is no holding out in a profession under suffering The World hates the shew of godliness and therefore persecutes it the almost Christian wants the substance and therefore cannot hold out in it Now this must needs be very uncomfortable if I profess Religion I am like to suffer if I do but profess it I am never like to indure 3. It is uncomfortable in regard of that deceit it lays our hopes under to be deceived of our hopes causeth sorrow as well as shame he that is but almosta hristian hopes for heaven but unless he be altogether a Christian he shall never come there Mat. 25.10 Now to perish with hope of Heaven to go to Hell by the gates of glory to come to the very door and then be shut out as the five Virgins were to dy in the Wilderness within sight of the promised land at the very brinks of Jordan this must needs be sad to come within a stride of the Goal and miss it to sink within sight of harbour Oh how uncomfortable is this 3. As it is greatly unprofitable and exceedingly uncomfortable to be but almost a Christian so it is desperately dangerous For 1. This doth obicem ponere it hinders the true work a man lies in a fairer capacity for conversion that lies in open enmity and Rebellion then he that sooth's up himself in the formalities of Religion This I gather from that parable of the two Sons which our Lord Christ urged to the professing Scribes and Pharisees Mat. Mat. 21.28 29.30 31. 21.28 There was a man had two Sons and he came to one and said gowork to day in my Vineyard He said I will not but afterwards repented and went And he came to the second and said likewise and he said I go Sir but went not The first represents the carnal open sinner that is called by the word but refuses yet afterwards repents and beleives The second represents the Hypocritical professor that pretends much but performes little Now mark how Christ applies this Parable v. 31. Verily I say unto you that the Publicans and the Harlots go into the Kingdom of God before you And upon this account it is better not to be at all then to be almost a Christian for the almost hinders the altogether It is better in this regard to be a sinner without a profession then to be a professor without out conversion for the one lies fairer for an inward change when the other rests in an outward Our Lord Christ tels the Scribe Mar. 12.34 Thou art not far from the Kingdom of God and yet never like to come there None farther from the Kingdom of God then such as are not far from the Kingdom of God As for instance when there lies but one lust one sin between a soul and Christ that soul is not far from Christ but now when the soul rests in this nearness to Christ and yet will not part with that one lust for Christ but thinks his condition secured though that lust be not subdued who is farther from the Kingdom of God then he So our Lord Christ tells the young man Mar. 20.21 One thing thou lackest why he was very neer Heaven near being a Christian altogether he was almost saved he tells Christ he had kept all the Commands v. 20. He lacked but one thing I say but one thing but it was a great thing that one thing he lacked was more then all things he had for it was the one thing necessary Lu. 10.42 it was a new heart a work of grace in his soul a change of state a heart weaned from the world I this was the one thing and he that lacks this one thing perishes with his all things else 2 This condition is so like a state of grace that the mistake of it for grace is easie and common and it is very dangerous to mistake any thing for grace that is not grace for in that a man contents himself as if it were grace Formality doth often dwell next door to sincerity and one sign serves both and so the house may be easily mistaken and by that means a man may take up his lodging there and never find the way out again What one saith of Wisdom Multi ad sapientiam pervenissent nisi se jam pervenisse putassent many might have been wise had they not thought themselves so when they were otherwise The same I may say of grace many a formal professor might have been a sincere beleiver had he not mistook his profession for conversion his duties for graces and so rested in that for sincerity which is but Hypocrisie 3. It is a degree of blasphemy to pretend to grace and yet have no grace I gather this from that Revel 2.9 I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews and are not This place under-goes varieties of constructions Grotius and Pareus do not make their blasphemy to lye in their saying they are Jews and are not but to lye in the reproaches that these Jews fastened upon Christ calling him imposter deceiver one that hath a Devil c. Col. 2.14 Bright-man goes another way and saith this was the blasphemy of these Jews they retained that way of Worship that was abrogated and thrust upon God those old Rites and Ceremonies which Jesus Christ had abolished and nailed to his pross by which they overthrew the glory of Christ and denyed his comming So that the retaining of Altar-Worship and the rest of the Levitical Ceremonies in Gospel Churches is in Bright-mans sense a denying Christ is come and consequently a degree of Blasphemy Ro. 2.29 But I conceive the blasphemy of these Jews to lye in this that they said they were Jews and were not A Jew here is not to be taken litterally and strictly onely for one of the lineage of Abraham but it is to be taken Metonymically for a true Beleiver one of the spiritual seed of Abraham He is a Jew which is one inwardly so that for a man to say he is a Jew when he is not to profess an interest in Christ when he hath none to say he hath grace when he hath none this Christ calls Blasphemy But why should Christ call this Blasphemy this is Hypocrisie but how may it be said to be Blasphemy Why he blasphemes the great Attribute of Gods Omnisciency he doth implicitly denie that God sees and knows our hearts and thoughts for if a man did beleeve the Omnisciency of God that he searches the heart and sees and knows all within He would not dare to rest in a graceless profession of godliness this therefore is blasphe my in the account of Christ 4. It is dangerous to be almost a Christian in that this stills and serves to quiet conscience Now it is very dangerous to quiet conscience Bello pax ca deterior with any thing but the blood