pleasing to him than to be fed by Martha But how many neglect and despise this Duty Some pretend they know enough such if they do not want Instructers want Remembrancers of their Duty Others are infected with Pride and a worse Leprosie than Naaman's of whom we read that when the Prophet sent him a Message that he should go and wash in Jordan seven times and he should be clean he was wroth and said Are not Abana and Pharpar Rivers of Damascus better than the Rivers of Israel May I not wash in them and be clean So there are some who being directed to wash themselves often in the waters of Life the Scriptures of Divine Inspiration are apt to think Are not the Rivers of Greece and Rome the eloquent Discourses of Philosophers better more perfective of their Minds and Actions than the plain Rules of the Word But this proceeds from affected Ignorance and wilful perverseness for not only supernatural Doctrines necessary to be believed are only revealed in the Scripture but the Rules of Moral Duties necessary for practice are clearly and compleatly only laid down in it Besides as every thing in Nature has its Vertue by the appointment of God and works for that end for which it was ordain'd so the preaching of the Gospel was appointed to begin and maintain the Life of the Soul and powerfully works to that end The attendance 〈…〉 has a Blessing annex'd and the neglect exposes to Divine Displeasure He that withdraws his Ear from hearing the Law his Prayer shall be an abomination And let it be seriously ponder'd there is a time coming when only Prayer can relieve them I shall add that the serious reading the Scripture that there may be an impression of the Characters of its Purity on the Soul is a Duty of daily revolution We are commanded that the Word of God should dwell richly in us in all wisdom As the Soul quickens the Body by its residence and directs it in all its motions so the Word should be in the Soul an inward principle of Life to direct and excite and enable it for the performance of every Duty This Advice of the Apostle is comprehensive of all other Precepts and the effectual means of obtaining Perfection Our Reading must be with observation and applying the Word for our Good There is a great difference between sailing on the water for Pleasure and divinâ— in it for Pearls Some read the Scriptures to please their Minds in the History of the Creation and the Wonders of God's powerful Providence and the various Events in the Kingdoms of the World recorded in them But there must be diligent Enquiry for Spiritual Treasures to enrich the Soul How Careless are the most of this Duty There are above Eight Thousand Hours in a Year and how few are employed in Reading the Scriptures that direct us in the Everlasting Way The common pretence is necessary Business but all Excuses are vain against the Command of God Is the working oâ— our Salvation an indifferent idle matter Must the principal Affair of our Life be subordinate to lower Concerns The infinite business of Governing a Kingdom is no exemption to Princes from Reading the Word of God for the Command is to him that sits on the Throne to read the Law of God all the days of 〈…〉 Life that he may fear the Lord and do 〈…〉 Statutes 3. The Word must be sincerely received as 't is sincerely deliver'd The Rule is to lay aside all superfluity of naughtiness and receivâ— the engrafted word that is able to save our Souls There is no food more easily turn'd into Blood thaâ— Milk but if the Stomach be foul 〈◊〉 sowers and corrupts and is hurtful to the Body The Word of Grace if received into a sincere Heart is very nutritive it Confirms and Comforts the Soul but if there be false Principles Carnal Habits Sensual Affections it proves dangerous A Carnal Man will set the Grace of the Gospel against the Precepts and apply the Promises without regarding the Conditions of them and from holy Premisses draw sinful Conclusions Briefly Hearing the Word is not an Arbitrary but an indispensable Duty The Psalmist puts the question He that planted the ear shall not he hear and it may be said with the same Conviction He that gives us the faculty of hearing shall not he be heard But we must not rest in the bare hearing for 't is an introductive preparing Duty in order to practise There may be an increase in Knowledge some Convictions like a flash of Lightening some melting of the Affections like a dash of Rain soon over some Resolution of Obedience but without sincere practise the Man is a Hearer only and deceives himself Every Sermon that he hears will notwithstanding his vain Hopes be an argument against him at the Day of Judgment The Residence of the practical Truths is rather in the Heart than in the Head if they are only in the Head they are kept in unrighteousness yet there is no deceit more Common Men think they are enrich'd with the Ideas and Notions of Divine Truths in their Minds without the habits of Graces in their Hearts Briefly The End and Work of the Evangelical Ministry is the Perfection of the Saints as the Apostle declares We warn every man and teach every man that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus This testimony is given of Epâ—phras a Servant of Christ That he always labour'd fervently in Prayer that the Colossians might be perfect and compleat in all the will of God 3. The Religious Use of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper is an excellent Means for the Increase of Grace The state of Grace is represented under the Similitude of a New Man born from Heaven and partaker of a Spiritual Life that Consists in Holiness and Joy This Spiritual Life supposes a Spiritual Nourishment to preserâ—â—e it and a Spiritual Appetite and that a Spiritual Eating and Drinking Our Saviour denominates himself by the Character of Life I am the way the truth and the life he being the Principle and Preserver of the Spiritual Life In the Sacrament he is the Bread of Life there are the Sacred Memorials of his Crucifixion of his Body and Blood which are meat indeed and are drink indeed that afford a more substantial and excellent Nourishment for the Life of the Soul than the perishing Food that supports the Body Our Saviour tells the Jews Your fathers eat Mannâ— in the wilderness and are dead the Bread of Angels could not preserve them from Death but the Bread of God is the Principle of Eternal Life He is pleased to deal familiarly with us suitably to our Composition and Capacity and humbles himself in a Sacramental Union with the Elements that sight may assist Faith This is a positive Institution that derives its Authority and Goodness from the Precept of our Soveraign and Saviour It was his dying Charge to his Disciples to which a special and
his actual concurrence For every Creature is maintain'd by a successive continual production To affect us consider the preserver of Men brought us safely into the World through the dark Valley of Death where thousands are strangled in the birth We are born by him from the belly and carried from the womb How compassionate was his Goodness to us in our Infancy the state of wants and weakness when we were absolutely incapable of procuring supplies or securing our selves from many dangers surrounding us The preparing the Milk for our Nourishment is the work of the God of Nature The Blood of the Mother by the secret channels of the Veins is transfused into the Breasts and is a living Spring there They are but two because 't is the ordinary Law of Nature to have but two Children at a Birth They are planted near the Heart which is the Forge of Natural Heat and transforms the Blood collected in the Breasts into Milk And there is a mystery of Love in it for the Mother in the same time nourishes her Child with delight regards and embraces it From Infancy his Mercy grows up with us and never forsakes us He is the God of our Lives He draws a Curtain of Protection and Rest about us in the Night and repairs our faint Faculties otherwise our Bodies would soon decay into a dissolution He spreads our Table and fills our Cup. He is the length of our days There is such a composition of Contrarieties in the Humours of the Body so many Veins and Arteries and Nerves that derive the vital and animal Spirits from the Heart and Head to all the parts we are exposed to so many destructive accidents that were not the tender Providence of our true Father always watchful over us we should presently fail and dye The Lord is a Sun and a Shield As the Sun is a universal Principle of Life and Motion and pours forth his treasures of Light and Heat without any loss and impoverishing Thus God communicates his Blessings to all the progeny of Men. He is a Shield protecting us from innumerable Evils unforeseen and inevitable without his preventing Goodness Were we only kept alive and sighed out our days in Grief and Pain were our passage to the next State through a barren Wilderness without any refreshing Springs and Showers this were infinite Mercy For if we duely consider his Greatness and our Meanness his Holiness and Justice and our Sinfulness it would cause us to look up to God with admiration and down to our selves with confusion that our Lives so frail and so often forfeited are preserved The Church in a desolate state acknowledges 'T is the Lord's Mercy that we are not consumed because his Mercies are renewed every morning 'T is Mercy upon Mercy all is Mercy Our Saviour with respect to his humble state says I am a Worm and no Man but we are Serpents and no Worms And as 't is usual to destroy venomous Creatures in the egg before they have done actual mischief we that are Children of Wrath by Nature whose Constitution is Poyson might have been justly destroyed in the Conception This ravish'd the Psalmist into an extasie of Wonder whilst he contemplated the glorious Lights of Heaven What is Man that thou art mindful of him or the Son of Man that thou shouldst regard and relieve him He bestows innumerable and inestimable Benefits upon a race of Rebels that boldly break his Laws and abuse his Favours He not only suspends his Judgments but dispenses his Blessings to those that infinitely provoke him Now can we be unaffected with his indulgent Clemency his immense Bounty his condescending and compassionate Goodness Why does he load us with his Benefits every day but for his Goodness sake and to endear himself to us For he is always ready to open his bountiful Hand if we do not shut our Breasts and harden our Hearts not to receive his Gifts His Mercy is like the Widows miraculous Oyl that never ceas'd in pouring out while there was any Vessel to receive it Then the flowing Vein was stop'd How is it possible such rich and continued Goodness should not insinuate it self into our Souls and engage our Love to our blessed Benefactor Can we degenerate so far from Humane Nature nay below the Sensitive for the dull Ox and stupid Ass serve those that feed them as to be Enemies to God How prodigious and astonishing is this degeneracy 3. The Love of God appears in its full Force and Glory in our Redemption The Eloquence of an Angel would be very dis-proportion'd to the dignity and greatness of this Argument much more the weak Expressions of Men. That we may the more distinctly conceive it I will briefly consider the greatness of the benefit and the means of obtaining it Man in his state of unstain'd Innocence was furnisht with power to persevere but left in the hand of his own Counsel He was drawn by a soft Seducer to eat of the forbidden Tree and in that single Instance was guilty of universal Dis-obedience He was ingaged in a deep Revolture with the Apostate Spirits and incurr'd the Sentence of a double Death both of the Body and of the Soul Now where was the Miraculous Physician to be found that could save us from Eternal Death Who could Appease God and Abolish Sin God was affected with tender pity at the sight of our Misery and though the morning Stars that fell from heaven are now wandring Stars for whom the blackness of darkness is reserv'd for ever yet he was pleased to recover Man from that desperate state in a way becoming his Perfections This was the Product of his most free Love God's Will and Christ's Willingness were the Springs of our Redemption for he might have pari jure with the same just Severity have dealt with us as with the Rebellious Angels There was no legal constraint upon our Saviour to dye for us for he was holy harmless undefiled and separate from Sinners There was no violent Constraint for he could with one Word have destroy'd his Enemies The depth of his Wisdom the strength of his Power the Glory of his Holiness and Justice were illustriously reveal'd in this great work but Love was the Regent Attribute that call'd forth the other into their distinct Exercise and acts Most Wise Omnipotent and Holy Love saved us What the Psalmist speaks of the Divine Perfections in making us I am fearfully and wonderfully made is in a nobler Sense verified in our Salvation we are fearfully and wonderfully Redeem'd by the Concord of those seeming irreconcileable Attributes Vindictive Justice and Saving Mercy Our Rebellion was to be expiated by the highest perfection of Obedience and thereby the honour of God's Moral Government to be repair'd For this end the Son of God dis-rob'd himself of his Glory and put on the Livery of our frail Flesh and in the form of a Servant became obedient to the Death of the Cross to rescue us
nearness of an Evil and the apprehensions of it the stronger is the Fear In the turning of Sinners the impressions of it are different Stronger degrees are requisite to rouse the obdurate and to make them fly from the Wrath to come The Jaylor surprised with Terrors cryes out Sirs what shall I do to be saved 'T is said The Lord open'd the heart of Lydia as with an oyl'd Key but an Earthquake was necessary to open the Jaylors Till there is felt something more tormenting than carnal sweets are pleasing Men will not mortifie their Lusts. One will not suffer a part of his Body to be cut off unless an incureable Gangrene threatens speedy Death The World is present and sensible and continually diverts men from the consideration of their Souls unless Eternal things are by a strong application impress'd on their Minds Till urged by the Terrors of Everlasting Death they will reject the offers of Everlasting Life While Carnal Men are in Prosperity they hate Instruction to prevent Sin and despise Reproof to correct Sin they slight the fearful report of Thunder and do no more tremble at the Torments of Hell threaten'd in the Word of God than at Squibs and Crackers the sport of Boys But in sharp Afflictions and the approaches of Death when Conscience draws near to God's Tribunal it becomes bold and resumes the Government and calls them to an account for all their Rebellions and forces them to Confess what they would fain Conceal their fears of Eternal Judgment 2. Holy Fear preserves and increases Religion This may be consider'd as it includes Reverence of God with Circumspection and Caution The Fear of Reverence is an inseparable Affection and Character of a Saint Hear the prayers of thy servants who desire to fear thy name The desires include the sincerity of this Grace in opposition to Hypocrisie and pretences for they are the unfeigned Issues of the Soul and the freeness of the Affection in opposition to Violence and Constraint The Name of God implies his Excellent Attributes the proper Motives of Holy Fear His Majesty is ador'd by the Angels in their humble posture before his high Throne His Purity wherein God does so excel and we are so defective excites the most awful respects of him Who would not fear thee for thou art holy Holy and reverend is his name His Goodness to a Holy ingenuous Soul is a motive of fear they shall fear the Lord and his goodness If Fear declines and slumbers there is present danger of losing the purest sweetness of Love and Joy that proceed from intercourse and Communion with God His Omniscience and the recompences of his Justice and Power keeps the Soul Cautious lest we should offend him What Stupidity what fury to provoke so dreadful an Adversary who can dispatch a Sinner to the Grave and Hell in a Moment Some object that 't is unsuitable to the gracious dispensation of the Gospel for the Children of God to reflect upon his Terrible Attributes But are they wiser than God who uses this Discipline as Medicinal either to prevent Sin or to correct them into their Duty Are they more Evangelical than our Saviour who counsell'd his Disciples I say unto you my friends be not afraid of them that can kill the body and after that have no more that they can do But I will forewarn you whom you shall fear fear him which after he hath kill'd hath power to cast into hell I say unto you fear him Are they more Spiritual than St. Paul who from the Consideration of our being accountable for all things done in the Body before the inlightned Tribunal of Christ infers Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord we perswade men This Influenc'd him to a zealous discharge of his Duty It may seem very difficult to reconcile the exercise of holy Fear with Faith and the Sanctified Affections of Love Hope and Joy But it will appear they are very consistent 1. Fear is the product of Faith and assurance of God's Favour is preserved by the Fear of his Displeasure Fear is not contrary to Faith but to Presumption Be not high-minded but fear A jealousie of our selves lest we should provoke God is joyn'd with a more entire and pure Trust in his Grace and Mercy 2. The Love and Fear of God have a mutual Causality on each other The Love of God excites Thoughts of his continual Presence and Perfections that cause an awful esteem of him by which Love is maintain'd Desires proceed from Love and 't is express'd in the forecited place thy Servants who desire to fear thy Name The fear of the Lord is their Treasure not their Torment for their fear to Offend him is from their pure Love to Please him Indeed servile Fear that is meerly from the consideration of his Anger and Power is consistent with the Love of Sin and inconsistent with the Love of God 't is a judicial and violent impression on Conscience that Carnal Men would sain deface that they might freely enjoy their desir'd Objects and 't is by Fits for God sometimes thunders in the Conscience as well as in the Air. But filial Fear is the Habitual Constitution of a Saint he is voluntary and active to preserve it in continual Exercise 3. The Fear of God and Hope are joyn'd in Scripture and in the Hearts of Believers The Lord delights in those that fear him and hope in his mercy Fear and Hope contemper each other Fear without Hope is slavish and Hope without Fear is secure As the growth of things in Nature Flowers and Fruits is from the heat of the Days and the cold moisture of the Nights so growth in Grace is by the warm encouragements of Hope and the chilling influence of Fear A regular Hope in the Promises is joyn'd with an humble Fear and Subjection to his Commands 4. Holy Fear is mixed with Joy Serve the Lord with fear and rejoyce with trembling Carnal Joy and Carnal Fear and Sorrow are contrary Extremes that proceed from contrary Causes A prosperous State in this World and the Satisfaction of the Sensual Desires is the root from whence carnal Joy springs and is nourisht and the being deprived of Temporal good things disabled by Sickness to enjoy them or the prospect of some imminent Disaster are the cause of Fear and Guilt But the exercise of Spiritual Joy and Holy Fear are consistent at the same time for the serious reflection on the Divine Attributes excite both those Affections We read that when Mary Magdalen with the other Mary came to the Sepulchre of Christ at the bright appearance of an Angel that declar'd his Resurrection they went away with fear and great joy Sinful Affections are opposite to Grace but Gracious Affections are inseparable The fear of offending God is a preservative of our Joy in him as a Hedge of Thorns is a Fence to a Garden of Roses In the Kingdom of Love and Joy the Reverent Fear of God is in
Humours proceeds from a sound and firm Constitution To receive no hurtful impressions by great changes of Condition discovers a habit of Excellent Grace and Vertue in the Soul Thus when a Person retains an humble Mind with rising Honour when Affability Modesty and Condescension are joyn'd with Courtly Dignity 't is the effect of great Vertue and Victory over the Natural Passions 'T is said by the Psalmist The Sun knows its going down when arrived at the Meridian Circle and shining in his richest Beams the revolution is certain and he sets in the Evening So when those who are in their highest elevation of Honour understand themselves and with sober and sad thoughts consider they must shortly decline and set in the dark Grave 't is the effect of excellent Vertue When those who from a mean Condition come to abound in Riches do not set their hearts on them remembering they often take Wings and fly to the Heavens and the Possessors must shortly fall to the Earth when they do not furnish provisions for their Lusts and Licentiousness but use them with discretion when they employ them for Sacred and Merciful Uses considering they are not Proprietors but Stewards when they consider their Receipts and Expences and the strict Account they must give of all this adorns the Gospel And in the sudden Fall from a Prosperous into a Calamitous Condition when a Man looks upward to the Soveraign Disposer of all Events with meek Submission and resign themselves to the Will and Wisdom of God whose end is to refine not consume them by a Fiery Trial When they are more sollicitous to have their Affliction sanctified than removed and bless God for taking as well as giving his Benefits this is the effect of Excellent Grace and has a Rich Reward attending it CHAP. XI Strictness in judging our selves and Candour in judging others a sign of excellent Holiness Preferring the Testimony of an unreproaching Conscience before the Praise of Men an Argument of excellent Grace The serious performance of Religious Duties in secret a sign of a Heavenly Spirit The forgiving Injuries and overcoming Evil with Good the effect of eminent Grace The more receptive Persons are of Spiritual Admonition to prevent or recover them from Sin the more holy The deliberate desire of Death that we may be perfectly holy argues an excellent degree of Holiness Directions to follow Holiness in our early Age with Zeal with Alacrity and unfainting Perseverance The Answer to Objections against striving after perfect Holiness That 't is impossible to obtain it That thè Duty is extreamly difficult That 't is unnecessary Other Arguments propounded to excite us to this Duty The Gospel the perfect Rule of Holiness Examples of Perfection to raise us to the best heigth The Example of our Heavenly Father of our Redeemer of the Angels of excellent Saints propounded Our present Peace and future Glory are increased by our excelling in Holiness 4. TO be strict and severe in judging our selves to be can did and favourable to others argues a Man to be a proficient in practical Religion The Divine Nature planted in the Saints is as contrary to Sin as Life is to Death and according as Grace is more lively in them there is a quicker perception a more feeling sense of Sin and a stronger detestation of it For the clearer apprehensions we have of the Majesty and Purity of the Law-giver the more extensive understanding of the perfection of the Law the Rule of our Duty and Judgment the more intimate and exact inspection of our Hearts and Actions the more deeply we are affected with our Defects and Defilements How does Agur whose Wisdom and Holiness appears in his choice of a Mediocrity before Riches vilifie himself Surely I am more brutish than any Man and have not the understanding of a Man I neither learned Wisdom nor have the Understanding of the holy With what an emphasis does he express it Surely I have not It was not a superficial acknowledgment but proceeded from the depth of his Soul How does the Psalmist aggravate his being surpriz'd by a strong Temptation So foolish was I and so like a beast before thee The Prophet Isaiah after his vision of God upon a high Throne and all the Sanctities of Heaven about him in a posture of Reverence how does he break forth in perplexity Wo is me for I am a Man of unclean Lips and dwell with a people of unclean Lips for mine Eyes have seen the King the Lord of Hosts St. Paul tho' the most exact observer and example of the Duty of Christians who never shed a Tear for his Sufferings how passionately does he complain of the reliques of Sin O wretched Man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death A scratch in a piece of Canvas is hardly discovered but if a Picture be drawn upon it 't is very visible When the Image of God is drawn in the Soul the least Sins are observ'd But with what allays does the Apostle speak of the fierce Zeal of the Jews against the Doctrine of the Gospel and the professors of it I bear them record they have a Zeal for God but not according to knowledge He distinguishes between the sincerity of their Zeal and the error of it in the mistaken Object But he detests his own persecuting the Church though capable of the same allays as Fury and Madness If there be any mitigating Circumstance as involuntary Ignorance sudden Surprize or a strong Temptation as in Peter's case his Mind was so intent upon avoiding the present danger that he did not consider his Duty to his Master and this qualified his Sin to be an Infirmity and not treacherous Infidelity if there be no design'd depravedness and pestilent perverseness of Mind Charity will make an indulgent allowance for it It is the inseparable property and excellency of that Grace It bears all things believes all things hopes all things endures all things so far as is consistent with Wisdom and Discretion He that hates nothing in a Sinner but his Sin has made a good progress to perfection There are many that dilate and disperse their sight to discover the faults of others but do not contract it to look inward and see their own They are sharp in observing and aggravating other Mens Sins to be esteem'd zealous and sometimes Hypocrisie is spun so fine as to seem to be uncounterfeit Holiness But they cannot conceal themselves from God and Conscience The sincere Christian sees his own spots and the sense of them inclines him to be favourable to those who are overtaken with a fault To overcome our own Passions and meekly to bear the Passions of others is the effect of victorious Grace The deep shadow of Humility sets a lustre upon all other Graces and makes them amiable in God's sight 5. To prefer the testimony of an unreproaching Conscience in the sight of God before the esteem and praise of Men is
Instance is this Folly more visible than in neglecting the working out their own Salvation till Time and Grace are past when no person can assure himself of the next Minute They presume upon such a remote possibility that after the best of their days are spent in the Vanities and Business of the World there will be time to do the one thing necessary How many are dispatch'd to the Grave and Hell in the midst of their hopes of long Life and their resolutions of future Repentance Death often steals upon Men unobserv'd and sometimes unfelt Now since Time is so short and slippery and Life is dying every day it is astonishing that so many are careless of securing future Blessedness But suppose their Time is lengthened out how is the difficulty increas'd of their being renewed and reformed in their Hearts and Conversations The natural vicious Inclinations by custom in Sin are confirm'd Habits their Passions are more violent the power and liberty of the Mind is broken and cannot reduce them under the empire of Reason Men think there will be an ebbing and retiring of their Carnal Affections in Age when the sensitive Faculties are disabled from the gross acts of Sin but vicious desires are not cur'd by Impotence The love to Sin increases by the repeated pleasure of it Can the Aethiopian change his skin or the Leopard his spots then may ye that are accustomed to do evil do well By Custom Mens Lusts are more rebellious to Reason more untractable to Discipline more a verse from holy Counsel The good or the evil Habits of one Age are with their Vertues and Vices transfus'd to the next 'T is extraordinary when an evil Child becomes a sober modest Youth or a dissolute Youth becomes a religious Man Childhood is as the Seed in whose Vertue the Tree of Life is contain'd The Characters that are cut in the Bark when the Tree grows deeply and visibly remain 'T is as painful as Death to change a sinful Life of many Years and begin a contrary course of Actions There are two branches of Folly visible in the World Men will not do when they can and afterwards cannot do when they would Besides the Holy Spirit is griev'd and quench'd by their resisting his pure motions and if he be withdrawn 't is impossible they should be renewed by a serious Repentance 'T is as reasonable to expect that the Sun should cross the order of Nature and rise in the West as that the Sun of Righteousness should arise with healing in his wings upon an habitual obstinate Sinner in the hour of Death They are usually left to hardness and stupidity to presumption or to despair Some are as insensible some presume to obtain an easie entrance into the Kingdom of Life and their disappointment exceedingly exasperates their sad exclusion others who were fearless of the last Enemy when afar of in his approaches they remember what they have been and apprehend what they must be without a miraculous change and Conscience like a Pulse beats quick and faint the prognostick of Eternal Death The Consideration they are come to the end of their days and shall lose the end of their desires and hopes Eternal Happiness cuts them more terribly than the pangs of Death The reflection on their wasting the treasure of Time without any improvement for their Souls is a pricking thorn in their Eyes and forces out just but unprofitable tears How doleful is the separation of Soul and Body here and how woful will their union be at the last day O that Men were wise to consider their latter end that they would call Death to counsel with what evidence and efficacy would it convince them of the necessity of a timely preparation for Eternity 'T is too late to go to buy Oyl when the Bridegroom is coming 2. Let us follow Holiness zealously Desires without consequent Endeavours are pretences ineffectual Resolutions contradict themselves What fire vigour and activity does the Apostle express If by any means I may attain to the resurrection of the dead I follow after it that I may apprehend that for which I am apprehended of Christ. Brethren I count not my self to have apprehended but this one thing I do forgetting those things that are behind and reaching forth unto those things that are before I press forward to the mark for the prize of the high calling in Christ. I follow as the Huntsman pursues the Game with full speed It should excite Compassion and Indignation to see the Love of this vain perishing World to be more active and zealous than the Love of the blessed eternal World That the Tempter with such wretched wages the trifles of Time should induce Men to be his Slaves and God with the glorious Reward of an everlasting Kingdom should not perswade them to be his Sons to be like him in Holiness That Men should so violently run down the Hill to the Earth and be so remiss and slow in their motion upward to Heaven The vain-glorious excited by the edge of Ambition will venture on present Death with fond hopes of future Fame Strange purchase The covetous with the most eager application of means strive to heap up uncertain Riches The voluptuous with vehement Affections follow Pleasures But to obtain the highest Honour Coelestial Treasure to enjoy the purest Delights Men think lazy formality and slack endeavours sufficient Whereas the most serious Thoughts flagrant Desires steddy Resolutions and all possible Industry are requisite in our holy Calling that we may have an abundant entrance into the Kingdom of God 3. Let us follow Holiness with alacrity and chearfulness Our Saviour tells us 'T is his meat and drink to do his Father's will The practise of Holiness is vital and nourishing and pleasant to the taste There is a high relish in Victory of any kind but especially over our most dangerous Enemies it replenishes with cordial Contentment what Joy arises from subduing unruly Passions Suppose Anger has often foil'd me and like an unmanaged and unbridled Horse has hurried me into dangers if by Divine Grace by Circumspection and Care by Resolution and Striving I finally overcome it and all its former Victories what a spring of Joy rushes into the Soul If the Graces of the Spirit are more radiant and vigorous in their exercise the Reward is such a clear serenity of Mind as is the reflection of Paradise a Heaven upon Earth Prosperity in a Calling makes Men diligent and delightful in it But when the practise of Religion is constrain'd and tedious God receives no Honour and Man receives no Praise nor Joy as the Reward of it 4. Let us with unfainting perseverance strive after perfect Holiness There are tinctures of Original Sin cleaving to the best Saints defects in their Graces and best Duties There are many degrees of ascent before we come to the highest point of Perfection Let us strive with our utmost possibility to anticipate Heaven We must not be satisfied
most reverent observance is due 'T is revocable in its Nature but not to cease without the Will of the Legislator either expresly declar'd or vertually by the ceasing of the end of it As the Ceremonial Law is abolish'd by the same Authority that ordain'd it the end of the Institution being obtain'd But this Ordinance is by our Saviour commanded to continue till his Second Coming in Glory the end of it being the revival of the memory of his Death I will not insist upon the several Conformities between the Natural Food and the Spiritual for the principal Comparison and resemblance is in the End for which food is necessary and appointed without which there can be no subsisting Life but consider how the Life of the Soul is strengthened in this Ordinance which is not a naked sign of his Sufferings for us but the seal of the Covenant of Grace and wherein our Saviour though his bodily Presence be confin'd to Heaven yet does really and spiritually exhibit himself with all his saving Benefits to sincere Believers Consider how Repentance Faith and Love are increas'd by this Ordinance 1. Repentance is a Vital Operative Grace not only in mortifying Sin but in bringing forth many excellent Fruits suitable to it All the Terrors at Mount Sinai in giving the Law cannot make such an impression on the Conscience of the righteous and fearful Anger of God for Sin as the infliction of Wrath upon our dying Saviour He receiv'd into his Breast the Arrows of the Almighty that drank up his Blood and Spirits though in himself he was perfectly Holy Surely he has born our griefs and carried our sorrows he was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are heal'd We read that Nathan was sent from God to David when insensible of his Guilt of Murder and Adultery to awaken him to review his Sin he for that end us'd a very moving Parable of a Rich Man that had many Flocks yet to entertain a Stranger rob'd a Poor Man of his only Lamb and drest it for him This David so resented that he threatned the severest Revenge for such an unrighteous and unmerciful action And when Nathan turned the point of the Parable against his Breast charging him Thou art the man in what Agonies and Confusion was he surpriz'd as his mournful Complaint declares When we read in the Narrative of our Saviour's Sufferings of the Treachery of Judas the Malice of the Priests the Fury of the People the Cowardise of Pilate and the Cruelty of the Soldiers how apt are we to conceive Indignation against his Murderers but when Conscience like the true Prophet shall with a piercing Reproach charge us that our Sins Condemn'd and Crucified him how will this open the Springs of Godly Sorrow and looking on him whom we have pierced cause us to Mourn as those that mourn for a first-born How will the Contemplation of him in his Sufferings excite Indignation with Zeal and Revenge against our selves for our choosing and committing those Sins that were the meritorious Cause of his Sufferings Since he bore our Sins 't is just we should simpathize in his Sorrows How instructive and exemplary was insensible Nature as if capable of Knowledge and Affection in the time of his Sufferings It was disorder'd in the Heavens and simpathiz'd in the Elements The Sun was obscur'd against all possibility of Nature for the Moon was opposite and in the Full and in the twinkling of an Eye past half the Circle of the Heavens and being empty of Light towards the Earth by its interposition hid the body of the Sun behind it The Air was as dark at mid-day as at mid-night The Earth trembled the Rocks rent Have the Rocks softer Bowels than obdurate Sinners 'T is a greater prodigy that those whose Sins made his Death necessary are unaffected with it than that Nature seemed to have changed its Principles and Properties to signifie its resentment of it God's Anger darkens the Sun and shakes the Earth and shall sinful Men be unrelenting If by Faith and Consideration we transport our selves to Mount Calvary and with the blessed Virgin stand at the foot of the Cross when our Saviour was dying we shall feel the working of her Affections when a Sword pâ—erc'd through her Soul Now in the Sacrament there is a representation of Christ Crucified before our Eyes which is the most powerful motive of Godly Sorrow and the inseparable consequent of it the destructive hatred of Sin and of holy Resolutions that as he dyed for Sin we will dye to it 2. Faith that is the Root from whence other Graces spring and flourish is increas'd and confirm'd by the use of this Ordinance As by the looking on the mysterious Brazen Serpent there was an Antidote conveyed to heal the Israelites stung by the Fiery Serpents so by the looking on Jesus in his Sufferings our wounded Spirits are healed The dignity of his Person the depth of his Sufferings and his voluntary yielding of himself to them are the supports of Faith The Sin-Offerings under the Law were entirely consumed in their Consecration to Divine Justice and no part was reserved to be eaten by the Offerers To signifie their Imperfection and Inefficacy to reconcile God to Sinners and to pacifie their accusing Consciences The Beasts by substitution suffer'd Death for those who offer'd them but could not purchase Life for them Our Saviour is as truly given to us to communicate Life as he was given for us in his Death When he offer'd himself the most solemn Sacrifice on the Cross he was not consum'd His Body and Blood are the Feast of Love upon his Sacrifice the clearest assuring sign of God's being reconcil'd to us The Blood of the Lamb the true Winâ— has rejoic'd the Heare of God and Man Our High Priest continually presents his Father in the Coelestial Sanctuary his bloody Sacrifice of which there is a Commemoration on the Holy Table If God remember our Sins we remember his anointed Priest to expiate them If the timerous Conscience be in anxiety for the number and heinousness of Sins and the number of Sinnerâ— who must perish for ever without this Miracle of Mercy as if one Sacrifice were not sufficient to abolish their Guiâ—â— let it be consider'd that his Death is of infinite value and what is infinite cannot be divided he was intirely offer'd for every penitent unfeigned Believer The weakest has as full an Interest and Benefit in it as if it had been offer'd solely for him and may apply and appropriate it to himself with as true solid Comfort as if he had been present at our Saviour's Crucifixion and heard him speaking the words of Life I give my self for thee His Blood cleanses from all Sin and is a propitiation for the Sins of the world These are no fictions of Fancy but the real operations of the Holy Spirit who
them from the power of Sin The wise observer tells us I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and nets and her hands are as bands whoso pleases God shall escape from her but the sinner shall be taken by her Behold this have I found saith the preacher counting one by one to find out the account but I find not one man of a thousand have I found but a woman among all these have I not found 'T is astonishing that for a short dream of pleasure men should despise Heaven and Hell what is most desireable and most fearful How just is the reproach mixt with Compassion and Indignation How long ye simple ones will you love simplicity and fools hate knowledge 'T is worth the inquiry how men are sottishly seduced to live unchastly and intemperately against the reason and rest of their Minds 1. The great Temptation to Sin is the love of Pleasure accordingly the degrees of sensual Pleasure being more intense in those carnal Faculties that are for the preserving and propagating Life especially when heightned by the carnal Fancy the love of the Members prevails against the love of the Mind 'T is said of unclean persons whose Eyes are full of the Adulteress they cannot cease from Sin they cannot dis-entangle themselves from the embraces of the circling Serpent 2. Carnal pretences are made use of to defend or at least excuse the sin of Intemperance which makes it more easily indulg'd and pernicious in effect Men if it were possible would sin without sin without discovering the guilt and turpitude of it that they may enjoy their pleasures without accusing recoiling thoughts which will turn the sweetest Wine into Vinegar Now since Meats and Drinks are necessary for our vital support and the measure is uncertain and various according to the dispositions and capacities of mens bodies Intemperate persons feed high and drink deep without reflection or remorse and pretend 't is for the Refreshment of Nature 3. Fleshly Lusts steal into the Throne by degrees An Excess of Wickedness strikes at first sight with Horror No Prodigal design'd to waste a great Estate in a day yet many from immense Riches have fall'n into extream Poverty This Expence is for his Pleasure this for his Honour this will not be ruinous thus proceeding by degrees till all be squander'd away he becomes voluntarily poor An Intemperate Person begins with lesser measures and is not frequently overtaken Conscience for a time resists and suspends the entireness of his consent to the Temptation He drinks too much for his Time for his Health and Estate but he will not totally quench his Reason Yet by degrees he becomes hardned and freely indulges his Appetite till he is drown'd in Perdition A Lascivious person begins with impure Glances tempting Words and Actions and proceeds to unclean mixtures 4. Sensual Lusts stupify Conscience they kill the Soul in the Eye and extinguish the directive and reflexing Powers Wine and Women take away the Heart that 't is neither vigilant nor tender Chastity and Temperance joined with Prayer to the Father of Lights clarifie and brighten the Mind and make it receptive of sanctifying Truths but carnal predominant Passions sully and stain the Understanding by a natural Efficiency and by a moral and meritorious Efficiency When the Spirits that are requisite for intellectual operations are wasted for the use of the Body the Mind is indisposed for the severe exercise of Reason Although the dispositions of the Body are not directly operative upon the Spirit yet in their present state of union there is a strange simpathy between the Constitution of the one and the Conceptions and Inclinations of the other Luxury and Lust fasten a rust and foulness on the Mind that it cannot see Sin in its odious Deformity nor Vertue in its unattaintable Beauty They raise a thick mist that darkens Reason that it cannot discern approaching dangers The Judicative Faculty is by the righteous Judgment of God impaired and corrupted that it does not seriously consider the descent and worth of the Soul its duty and accounts for all things done in the Body but as if the Spirit in Man were for no other use but to animate the organs of Intemperance and Lust they follow their Pleasures with greediness 'T is said of the young Man enticed by the flatteries of the Harlot that he goes after her like an Ox crown'd with Garlands that insensibly goes to be sacrific'd He looks to the present Pleasure without considering the Infamy the Poverty the Diseases the Death and Damnation that are the just consequents of his Sin The sensual are secure The effects of Carnal Lusts were visible in the darkness of Heathenism Lusts alienates the thoughts and desires of the Soul from Converse with God His Justice makes him terrible to the Conscience and Holiness distastful to the Affections of the unclean We read of the Israelites they were so greedy of the Onions and Garlick and Flesh-pots of Egypt that they despised the Food of Angels the Manna that drop'd from Heaven Till the Soul be defecate from the dregs of Sense and refin'd to an Angelick Temper it can never taste how good the Lord is and will not forsake sensual Enjoyments The conversion of the Soul proceeds from the inlightened Mind and the renewed Will ravish'd with Divine Delights that overcome all the Pleasures of Sin There are for our caution recorded in Scripture two fearful Examples of the inchanting Power of Lust. Sampson inticed by his Lust became a voluntary slave to a wretched Harlot that first quench'd the Light of his Mind and then the Light of his Body and expos'd him to the cruel scorn of his Enemies Solomon by indulging his sensual Appetite lost his Wisdom and was induced by his Idolatrous Concubines to adore Stocks and Stones and became as very an Idol as those he worship'd that have Eyes and see not Ears and hear not He rebell'd against God who had made him the richest and wisest King in the World and miraculously revealed his Goodness to him Dreadful Consequence of Sensuality 5. There is a special Reason that makes the recovery of the sensual to Sobriety and Purity to be almost impossible The internal Principle of Repentance is the inlightened Conscience reflecting upon past Sins with heart-breaking sorrow and detestation This is declared by God concerning Israel Then shall ye remember your evil ways and your doings not good and shall loath your selves in your own sight for your iniquities and your abominations The bitter remembrance of Sin is the first step to reformation Now there are no Sinners more averse and uncapable of such reflections than those who have been immerst in the Delights of Sense The unclean wretch remembers the charming Objects and exercise of his Lusts with Pleasure and when his instrumental Faculties are disabled by Sickness or Age for the gross acts he repeats them in his Fancy renews his Guilt and the Sin
of the other This is pernicious Hypocrisie The subtilty and strength of Satan are imployed to deceive Men by an airy Religion by an opinionative Goodness to prevent their being awakened from their drowsie and deadly state 'T is worthy of notice The Tempter has a double operation in the Minds of Men He deceives the hypocritical with false hopes by concealing or extenuating their Sins to induce them to presume of the Favour of God and to secure his quiet possession of them He troubles the sincere with vain Terrors by concealing their Graces to discourage their progress in the way to Heaven He is an envious Explorator and searches to find out their defects to accuse them to God and he defames God to them as if he would not spare his Sons that serve him He is triumphant in the unsanctified and militant in the Saints 3. Some hide their crying Sins under the colourable appearance of Vertues and pretend to Holiness that they may sin with less suspicion and more security He will speak of those Sins in others with severity which he freely indulges in himself The Characters of Religion are drawn in his Countenance but his Lusts are deeply ingraven in his Heart These our Saviour compares to painted Sepulchres that within contain sordid dust and rottenness This is perfect Hypocrisie a deadly pollution that wounds the Vitals sears the Conscience quenches all Goodness in the Will for this Hypocrite is voluntarily so Hypocrisie in the Heart is like Poyson in a Spring that spreads it self through all the veins of the Conversation This Sin our Saviour never speaks of but with detestation For this he denounc'd such a heavy Woe against the Pharisees that used Religion as a masking habit to appear glorious in the Eyes of Men and disguised their Worldly Aims in Devotions and made long Prayers to be esteem'd of Men. This is so odious to God that he forbids all the emblems and resemblances of it to the Jews Linsy-wolsey Garments and miscelain Corn. Our Defects acknowledged with ingenuity excite his Compassion but counterfeit Vertues excite his Indignation For what can be more provoking than to appear to be like God in Holiness the Glory of the Deity for this end to be secretly wicked and to affront his Omniscience as if he could not discern them through all their close and dark concealments A Hypocrite is fearful of Men but faces God Pride mix'd with Hypocrisie was the Devil's original Sin he abode not in the Truth and Religious Hypocrites are his Natural Children The hottest climate in Hell will be their habitation For our Saviour threatens some Sinners their portion with Hypocrites that is aggravated Damnation This Sin is difficultly cured in that 't is not easily discovered by Men and does not expose to shame but is subservient to many carnal ends Men cannot dive into the Hearts of others and cannot discern between the Paint of Hypocrisie and the Life of Holiness The mixture of beautiful Colours in the Countenance may be so artificial that at distance it may be thought to be natural Besides Hypocrisie turns the Remedy into Poyson For the frequent exercise of Religious Duty which is the means to sanctifie us confirms and hardens Hypocrites The effectual means to cure it is a stedfast belief of the pure and flaming Eye of God who sees Sin where-ever it is and will bring it into Judgment A Hypocrite may hide his Sin from the Eyes of others and sometimes from his own Conscience but can never impose upon God And as nothing so confounds Men with shame as to be found false and perfidious in their dealings how much more will the Hypocrites be cover'd with confusion at the great day when they shall appear naked with their loathsome Ulcers before innumerable Angels and Saints They will desire the Rocks to hide them from that glorious Assembly The stedfast belief of this great Truth will cause frequent and solemn thoughts of God as our Inspector and Judge I have set the Lord always before me he is at my right-hand I shall not be moved This was the effect of David's Faith This will produce Sincerity in Religion unrespective to the Eyes of Men and preserve us from secret Sins 'T is the prescription of our Saviour Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees which is Hypocrisie For there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed neither hid that shall not be known Whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light and that which ye have spoken in the Ear in closets shall be proclaimed on the house tops 3. Envy at the Good of others and Malice wishing them Evil is a deep pollution of the Spirit This absolutely alienates Men from the Nature and Life of God For the clearest conception we have of the Deity is that he is Good and does Good This is contrary not only to supernatural Grace but to natural Conscience and turns a Man into a Fiend This Vice is immediately attended with itâ— Punishment The envious Man is his own tormentor and has the Vipers â—ate in the Fable that in biting the File wounded it self Besides this stops the descent of Divine Blessings and turns the Petitions of the Envious into Imprecations against themselves To finish this Head 't is observable nothing more discovers the necessity of Renovation than the defilements of the Spirit As Birds by incubation hatch their brood so from sinful Thoughts and Desires actual Sins proceed Our Saviour tells us Out of the Heart proceed Murders Adulteries Fornications Thefts False-witness Blasphemies which defile a Man 'T is above all things necessary to keep the Heart for the issues of Death â—low from it The design contrivance and consent to sin are in the Heart the Body is only the Instrument of Sin To enforce this Counsel there are many Motives 1. God is infinitely dishonour'd and displeas'd by the Sins of our Spirits For the Soul is of near alliance with God and of incomparable more value than the vile Body Therefore the defiling it is highly provoking The Soul is the place of his special residence and the entertaining Sin in it is as a fouler Indignity than the bringing Dung into the Chamber of Presence of a King We should be more careful to approve our Thoughts and Desires to God than our Words and Actions to Men. 2. They are more easily contracted than those which are acted by the sensitive Faculties They secretly insinuate into the Soul External Sins require â—it time and place and means for their commission and are often hinder'd by the moral restraints of Fear and Shame But speculative Sins may be committed without convenient circumstances In whatever place or company Men are they may retire into their Hearts and please themselves with vicious thoughts and desires of future Sins and devices how to make provision for the Flesh with carnal representations and complacency of the Sins they have committed They may personate the Pleasures of Sin
in the scene of Fancy and the imagination of old Sins becomes a new Temptation and deeply stains their Minds And as 't is usual what pleases is favour'd and defended they by carnal Discourse pervert Scripture to countenance their Lusts which is the highest Wickedness 3. Spiritual Sins are most frequently committed being of quick dispatch without the toil of the Body From hence their number is as the Sand upon the Sea-shore They infinitely increase Mens accounts with the high and eternal Judge whose Understanding is as searching as 't is unsearchable The Judgment of the last Day is distinguished from the process of inferiour Humane Courts which are confin'd to take cognisance only of Mens intentions by overt acts for then there shall be a revelation of the thoughts and secrets of the Heart 4. Spiritual Sins are more incurable than those that are done by the Body For when the sensitive Faculties by Diseases and Age are disabled then the vicious habits of the Soul may be strongâ— and like the Poyson of a Serpent be more deadly by Age. Notwithstanding inward Pollutions induce such a Guilt yet Carnal Men are apt to think that till Sin be perfected in the gross act 't is not deadly And for this they pervert Scripture wherein 't is said That when Lust hath conceived it bringeth forth Sin and Sin when 't is finish'd brings forth Death But in God's sight the contemplative commission of â—in renders one as truly guilty as the actual and Consent to the doing it renders as obnoxious to his inlightened and impartial Tribunal as the Performance His pure and perfect Law the Rule of our Duty forbids all defilements fleshly and spiritual and that shall be the Rule of our Judgment And as the Soul is the first and principal agent in Sin it shall first receive the recompence of it In the interval between Death and the Resurrection while the Body is without sense in the Grave the Soul is tormented in Hell Before I proceed to the next Head it will be useful to add That many sincere Saints are in perplexity from the injections of Satan â—earing they arise from their own Hearts 1. They may be distinguish'd by their quality Unnatural Thoughts against our selves and blasphemous of God are usually from the Tempter 2. When they make terrible impressions upon our Spirits they are his fiery Darts For the native off-spring of our Hearts are conceived with freedom and complacency 3. They are our infelicities but induce no Guilt when resisted by us A Rape may be committed on the Mind and as the ravish'd Virgin that cryed out for rescue from Violence was declared by God himself innocent so when the tempted Soul with strong cryes prays for Divine Relief God will not say those terrible injections to our charge Our Saviour was tempted by the unclean Spirit yet was holy harmless and undefiled and has a compassionate tenderness for those who are tempted and will make them partake of the Fruits of his glorious Victory 'T is true if the injections of Satan are cherish'd by the Carnal Mind they are ours by adoption though of his begetting The Devil put in the Heart of Judas the design of betraying Christ but it was entertain'd by his Covetous Mind and involv'd him under the heaviest Guilt The inclinations of Carnal Men are to various Sins to which they are more inclinable by the Temptations of Satan but that does not excuse them from Guilt CHAP. V. The Perfection of Holiness Consider'd The Perfection of Innocence The Perfection of Grace The Perfection of Glory The Essential Perfection of Grace consists in Sincerity Constancy proceeds from it Integral Perfection Comparative Perfection Intellectual and Moral The threefold comparison of Moral Perfection Relative Perfection according to the Conditions of the Saints in this Life Absolute Perfection only attain'd in Heaven I Now come to Discourse of the Perfection of Holiness the sublime Object and Aim of the Desires and Endeavours of sincere Christians I shall premise there is a Threefold Perfection of Holiness spoken of in Scripture The perfection of Innocence the perfection of Grace and the perfection of Glory 1. The perfection of Innocence God made Man upright in the bright Image of his Holiness The Excellency of the Efficient Cause infers the Excellency of the Effect and the final Cause was for his own Glory and Man's Happiness in order to which he was endowed with those Moral Perfections as qualified him to obtain that end There was an exact Regularity in all his Faculties The inlightned Mind directed the Will the Will commanded the Affections the Affections rul'd the Senses He had power to stand but was free to Fall with his original perfection there was a possibility of sinning and dying The Eyes of his Mind were clear discovering his Duty and Felicity and the assisting Grace of God was like the Sun shining in the Air to actuate his visive Faculty but he wilfully shut his Eye and fell from that heighth of Happiness into a pit without a bottom 2. The perfection of Grace This in the Language of Scripture signifies uprightness and sincerity and is attributed to the Saints in several respects which I will particularly consider 3. The perfection of Glory This implies a Union of all Excellencies in a Soveraign Degree The Church in the present State is compared to the Moon that receives Light from the Sun in half its Globe but in the next State will be fill'd with Light as a Ball of Christal penetrated by the Sun Beams The Church shall be Glorious in Holiness without spot or wrinkle or any such thing Natural Righteousness was of short continuance as Nature left to it self always is but the Supernatural State is not only undefil'd but fades not away The perfection of Paradise was frail for Man in his best state was changing from this Root his Ruin sprang but the perfection of Heaven is immutable for there God is all in all His Influxive Presence is the Productive and Conservative Cause of their Holiness and Blessedness I will now Consider the perfection of Grace that is attributed to the Saints in the present state 1. There is an Essential perfection that Consists in the unchangable nature of things and is absolutely requisite to the kind A gradual perfection belongs to individuals and is various All Gold is not refin'd to the same degree and heighth of Purity but true Gold though in the lowest degree of fineness will endure the Furnace and the Touchstone and by that tryal is discern'd from Counterfeit Metal There are different degrees of active heat in Fire sometimes it Flames but always Burns if fed with Combustible matter Now the Essence of true Holiness consists in a Conformity to the Nature and Will of God whereby a Saint is distinguisht from the unrenewed World and is not acted by their Principles and Precepts not govern'd by their Maxims and Customs There are different degrees of Holiness in the Saints but Sincerity
guilt Now the more we are conform'd to our meek and forgiving Saviour the more we approach to Perfection And the more the Corrupt Nature in us is provokt and fierce upon Revenge the doing Good for Evil is the more sure proof of excellent Vertue and clear Victory over our selves 8. The more receptive persons are of Spiritual Counsel and Admonition for the preventing or recovery from Sin they are the more Holy 'T is David's desire Let the righteous smite me it shall be a kindness and let him reprove me it shall be an excellent oil which shall not break my head There is no Counsel so truly valuable as that which proceeds from Wisdom and Love in matters of Importance If a Friend discovers by indications and symptoms a disease that insensibly has seiz'd on us does not his compassionate Advice endear him to us How much rather should we meekly and thankfully receive a prudent and seasonable reproof of a Spiritual Friend for the healing our Souls whose Diseases are far more dangerous and less discernable than those of the Body 'T is the most sacred and beneficial Office of Friendship and like the Compassionate Love of the Angel to Lot in leading him out of Sodom And as the most Excellent Metal Gold is most pliant and easily wrought on so the most Excellent Tempers are most receptive of holy Counsels Yet the Natural Man is very averse from a meek submission to reproof for Sin A vicious Self-love of which Pride is the production makes us to overvalue our Reputation now to reprove implies a Superiority which occasions Impatience and Disdain Though the Duty be perform'd with Prudence and Tenderness and respective Modesty yet 't is usually very unacceptable Men will excuse and extenuate and sometimes defend their Sins nay sometimes recoil with Indignation upon a faithful Reprover 'T is as dangerous to give an Admonition to some proud Spirits as 't is to take a Thorn out of a Lions Foot 'T is therefore evident that when a just Reproof is receiv'd with Meekness and Acceptance there is a great Love of Holiness as when one takes a very unpleasant Medicine it argues an earnest desire of Health He is an Excellent Saint that when Conscience has not by its directive Office prevented his Falling into Sin and a sincere Friend endeavors to restore him is not angry at the Reproof but sorry he deserves it Lastly The deliberate desire of Death that we may arrive at the state of perfect Holiness is the effect of excellent Grace There is no desire more natural and strong than of the enjoyment and continuance of Life There is no fear more insuperable than of certain and inevitable Death Those who do not fear it at a distance are struck with Terrors at the aspect and approaches of it Carnal Men whose Heaven is here at the fearful apprehensions and foresight of it are ready to sink into Despair Nay holy Men who have the prospect of Coelestial Happiness beyond Death and believe that the pangs of Death are throws for their deliverance to Eternal Life are apt to shrink at the thoughts of their Dissolution If the change from an earthly to a heavenly state were not by our being uncloth'd but to be cloth'd upon with Glory which St. Paul declares to be the desire of Nature the hopes of seeing Christ in his Glory and being transformed into his Likeness would so inflame their Affections that they would be impatient of being absent from him But the necessity of dying that we may ascend into his reviving presence is so bitter that Divine Grace is requisite to induce us to consent to it St. Peter was an ardent lover of Christ and appeals to our Saviour's omnisciency for a testimony of it Lord thou that knowest all things knowest that I love thee yet our Saviour immediately tells him When thou shalt be old thou shalt stretch out thy hands and another shall carry thee where thou wouldst not signifying his Death The circumstance when thou arâ— old implies an unwillingness to dye when the natural term of Life was near expiring Yet Peter had been a spectator of our Saviour's glorious Transfiguration and of his triumphant Ascent to Heaven from Mount Olivet The best of us have reason to joyn in the language and desire of the Spouse Draw us to thy blessed presence and we will run after thee So strong is the band of natural Love that fastens the Soul and Body and such a reluctancy there is against a Dissolution But St. Paul declares I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ which is far better He was contented to live for the Service of Christ but desirous to dye to enjoy his Presence in the Sanctuary of Life above This was his fixed and unsatisfied desire How few are arriv'd to such a heigth of Spirituality This desire is the fruit of Faith with respect to the Reality and Glory of the Eternal State and our interest in it According as the revelation of the invisible Kingdom is in our Minds such is its attractive power in our Hearts 'T is the effect of Divine Love in a degree of eminence To vanquish the Terrors of Death that are insuperable to Humane Resolutions and with a clear and chearful Spirit to leave the Body in the Grave that we may for ever be freed from Sin and made like to Christ in Purity and Glory is the effect of Love stronger than Death 2. Use is to excite us to follow Holiness to make it the great design study and endeavour of our Lives to grow in Grace 'T is true the beginning the prosecution and perfection of Holiness is from God but 't is by the subordinate concurrence of the renewed Mind and Will the leading Faculties that we are advancing towards Perfection God gives Vertue to the Seeds Temper to the Seasons and Form to the Fruits but Men are to plant and water the Fruits of the Earth Without God our Endeavours are weak and ineffectual but by his Blessing are successful I will first set down Directions how we should follow Holiness Secondly Answer the Carnal Allegations against our striving after Perfection Thirdly Proceed to add other Motives to enforce the Duty Fourthly Propound the Means that may be effectual for this excellent End 1. We must in our early Age follow Holiness Men commonly deceive Conscience and elude their Duty by delays They are unwilling to be holy too soon and in an excellent degree They presume there will be time enough hereafter for to reform themselves after their Voluptuous Affections are satisfied after their Worldly Acquisitions they will forsake their Sins and become holy But this is unaccountable Folly rather a Delirium than Discourse There are innumerable Contradictions of which the Lives of Men are compounded they complain as if Time were intolerably short and waste it as if it were intolerably long They use all Arts that Months may seem as Hours and Years pass as Days But in no
few have a Natural Generosity or Christian Mercy and Means to express and exercise it The Necessities of others do not affect Men with so quick a sense as the parting with their Money to relieve them As the Balsam Tree does not drop its healing Liquor till the Bark is Cut. Sometimes the great number of Suiters is a pretence to excuse from the exercise of Bounty None of these can be Conceived of God There is nothing more Divine in the Deity and becoming his Nature than his Inclination to do good As the Mother with equal Pleasure nourishes the Child with her Milk as the Child draws it For the breast is uneasie till emptied God much more rejoices in doing Good than we in receiving it We are also assur'd of obtaining Spiritual Blessings by the Intercession of the Mediator The dignity of his Person who is higher than the Heavens the Son of his Love the Merits of his Obedience and Sufferings assure us of his Power with God He takes us by the hand and brings as to the Father perfumes and presents our Requests to obtain a favourable Reception When we are under impressions of Fear that God will deny our Prayers for Spiritual Blessings 't is as if there were no Love in the Mediator nor prevalency in his Mediation Besides the Spirit of Holiness is plenteously Conveyed under the Dispensation of the Gospel The gift of the Spirit in the richest degrees was reserved as an Honour to Christ in his Ascension 'T is said The Holy Ghost was not yet given because Jesus was not yet glorified The Blood of Christ was liberally shed that the Spirit might be liberally poured forth But the bestowing of the Spirit was at the Triumphant Ascension of Christ. Thou hast ascended on high thou hast led captivity captive and received gifts for men that is from the Father as the Reward of his Victory that he might dispense them to Men. The Principal Gift is the Holy Ghost comprehensive of all good things The Promise is perform'd under the Gospel I will pour forth of my Spirit the Spirit of grace and supplication upon all flesh There were some Sprinklings of it under the Law and confin'd to a separate Nation but now showers are poured down upon all Nations to purifie them and make them fruitful in Good Works The Apostle declares the admirable Efficacy of the Gospel The Law of the Spirit of Life has freed me from the Law of Sin and Death The Spirit of the Fiery Law so call'd with respect to its Original and Operations convinc'd of Sin and constrain'd Conscience to inflict tormenting impressions on the Soul the Presages of Future Judgment but afforded no Spiritual Grace to obey it Therefore 't is said to be weak and unprofitable But the Gospel conveys Supernatural Strength to obtain Supernatural Happiness 'T is foretold concerning the state of the Church in the times of the Gospel He that is feeble among them shall be as David and the house of David shall be as God as the Angel of the Lord before them Add farther the Holy Spirit directs our desires and God knows the mind of the Spirit who makes intercession for us according to the will of God Christ is our Advocate in Heaven and the Spirit in our Hearts by inflaming our Affections and exciting in us filial Trust in the Divine Mercy They that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength If we are impotent in resisting Temptations and in doing the Will of God when Divine Assistance is ready upon our desires to confirm us our Impotence is voluntary and does not excuse us from Consequent Sin but is an antecedent Sin The sharpest Reproof we read from our Saviour to his Disciples was for their guilty Impotence Jesus answer'd and said O faithless and perverse generation How long shall I be with you How long shall I suffer you He had given them Power to heal Diseases and expel Evil Spirits but they had not used the means of Prayer and Fasting that was requisite for the exercise of that Power How justly do we deserve that stinging Reproach who notwithstanding the Gospel is the ministration of the Spirit do not by continual fervent Prayer apply our selves to God to partake of a rich abundance of Grace from the Holy Spirit I shall only add that as Prayer is a means to obtain more Grace by impatration so by the exercise of Grace in Prayer 't is increas'd Frequent Prayer has a cleansing Vertue in that as those who often come into the King's Presence to speak to him are careful to be in decent Habits that they may not be disparag'd in his sight so those who draw near to God will cleanse themselves from Sin that they may be prepar'd to appear before his Holy Majesty Humility Faith Reverence Love Zeal Resignation to the Divine Will Compassion to the Afflicted and other excellent Graces are exercised in Prayer as the sphere of their activity and as acquir'd Habits so infused are improved by exercise Frequent shooting not only makes persons more skilful in directing the Arrow to the Mark but more able to draw a stronger Bow None are more holy in Conversation than those that give themselves to Prayer Our Saviour prayed himself into Heaven and a Divine Lustre appear'd in his Countenance By our drawing near to God the beauty of Holiness will be impress'd upon us and brighten our Conversations Briefly according to the raised operations of Grace in Prayer we shall obtain more excellent degrees of it from Heaven for in bestowing the first Grace God is a pure Giver but in dispensing new degrees of Grace he is a Rewarder according to the Promise To him that hath shall be given 3. Frequent and attentive Hearing and Reading the Word and serious Meditation of it is a means appointed by the Divine Wisdom and Goodness for our growth in Grace The conception and propagation the sustaining and increasing the Spiritual Life is by the Word of Truth 'T is therefore compar'd to those things that are the productive and preserving Causes of the Natural Life 'T is the incorruptible Seed and Food to beget and nourish the Spiritual Life 'T is Milk for Babes Wine for the faint and strong Meat to confirm those of maturer Age. There is an objective Vertue in it whereby 't is apt and sufficient to regenerate us and to increase the vigour and activity of the new Life The Apostle calls it The Power of God to our Salvation The word of Grace is able to build us up to an inheritance among them that are sanctified 'T is a kind of Miracle in Nature that a Sience of a good Tree grafted into a sowre Stock draws the vital Moisture from the Root and converts it for the producing generous and pleasant Fruit The ingrafted Word being a Divine Doctrine over-rules the Carnal Nature and makes the Mind Will Affections and Actions holy and heavenly answerable to its quality The Commands of
it are clear and pure directing us in our universal Duty the Promises are precious encouraging us by the prospect of the Reward the Threatenings terrible to preserve us from Sin There is an instrumental fitness in the Word preached to perfect the Image of God in us for the manner of conveying the Revelation to us has a congruity to work upon the subject to whom 't is revealed The first insinuation of Sin was by the Ear the first inspiration of Grace is by it Through the Ear was the entrance of Death 't is now the gate of Life In Heaven we shall know God by sight now by hearing When a Minister of the Gospel is inlightened from Heaven and zealous for the Salvation of Souls he is fitter for this Work than if an Angel were a ministring Spirit in this sense and imployed in this holy Office For he that Preaches has the same interest in the Doctrine declar'd by him his everlasting Happiness is nearly concern'd and therefore is most likely to affect others When a holy fire is kindled in the Breast it will inflame the Lips the Mind convinces the Mind and the Heart perswades the Heart But we must consider that as the Instrument cannot effect that for which 't is made without 't is directed and applyed for that end so without a superiour influence of the Holy Spirit that gives vital Power to the preaching of the Word 't is without efficacy What our Saviour speaks of the Natural Life is applicable to the Spiritual Man lives not by Bread alone but by every Word that proceeds from God's mouth A Minister with all his Reason and Rhetorick cannot turn a Soul from Sin to Holiness without the Omnipotent Operation of the Spirit The Apostle tells the Thessalonians that the Gospel came not to them in Word only but also in Power and in the Holy Ghost The Gospel then comes only in Word when it pierces no further than the Ear that is the sense to try Words and distinguish different Sounds and Voices But the Truth of God directed and animated by the Spirit doth not stop at the Ear the door of the Soul but passes into the Understanding and the Heart that make a change so real and great in the qualities of Men as is express'd by substantial productions 'T is therefore said We are begotten and born again by the incorruptible seed of the Word The Word becomes effectual for the increase of Holiness when 't is mix'd with Faith which binds the Conscience to entire Obedience 'T is the Word of God our King Law-giver and Judge the Rule of our present Duty and of future Judgment in the great day of decision The Divine Law is universal and unchangable and the Duties of it are not necessary for some and needless for others but must be obeyed without partiality notwithstanding the repugnance of the Carnal Passions When 't is seriously believed and considered the hearers are induced to receive it with preparation and resolution of yielding to it There is no Truth more evident nor injur'd than this that perfect Obedience is due to the Will of God declar'd in his Word This all profess in the general but contradict in particulars when a Temptation crosses the Precept Now the first act of Obedience to the Truth is the believing it with so stedfast an assent wrought by the Spirit that it purifies the Heart and reforms the whole Man 2. With Faith there must be joyn'd an earnest desire to grow in Holiness This is declar'd by St. Peter As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby In the Natural Life there is an inseparable Appetite of Food to maintain it the inward sense of its necessities causes a hunger and thirst after suitable supplies to preserve and improve it This is experimented in every one that is born of the Spirit they attend and apply the Word of God to them not merely to prevent the sharp reflections of Conscience for the impious neglect of their Duty for that proceeds from Fear not from Desire but to grow in Knowledge and Holiness not in an aiery flashy Knowledge that is only fruitful to increase Guilt and Punishment but substantial and saving Knowledge that is influential upon practice Hearing is in order to doing and doing is the way to Happiness 'T is not the forgetful hearer but the doer of the Word shall be blessed in his deed The bare knowledge of Evil does no hurt nor the bare knowledge of our Duty without practice does no Good Feeding without digesting the Food and turning it into Blood and Spirits affords no Nourishment nor Strength The most diligent hearing and comprehensive knowledge of our Duty without practice is not profitable The enemy of our Souls is content that Divine Truths should be in our Understandings if he can intercept their passage into our Hearts and Conversations He practices over continually the first Temptation to induce us by Guile to choose the Tree of Knowledge before the Tree of Life We are therefore commanded to be doers of the Word not hearers only deceiving our own Souls 3. That the Spiritual Life may be increased by the Word it must be laid up in the Mind and Memory and hid in the Heart David says I have hid thy Word in my Heart that I may not sin against thee His Affection to the Word caused his continual Meditation of it that it might be a living Root of the Fruits of Holiness in their season If there were the same care and diligence in remembring and observing the Rules of Life prescrib'd by the Wisdom of God in the Scriptures as Men use in remembring and practising Rules for the recovery of the Health of their Bodies and 't is justly requisite there should be more since the Life of the Soul infinitely excels the Life of the Body how holy and blessed would they be The Advice of the Roman Physician that is conducive for the Health of the Body is applicable to the Soul After a full Meal abstain from laborious Actions that the heat of the Spirits may be concentered in the Stomach for Digestion otherwise if diverted and imployed in Labour the Stomach will be filled with Crudities Thus after hearing the Word our thoughts should not be scattered in the World but we should recollect and revolve it in our Minds that it may be digested into practice 'T is said of the Virgin Mary She kept thâ—se sayings and pondered them in her heart There are powerful Motives to ingage us to a conscientious attendance upon this Duty Our Saviour tells us He that hears me that is with subjection of Soul hath Eternal Life And in one Instance he has declar'd how much approv'd and acceptable it was to him For when Martha was imployed about entertaining him and Mary was attentive to receive his Instructions he said Mary has chose the better part that shall not be taken from her His feeding Mary was more
brings to our remembrance the Death of Christ in that lively Sacramental Representation and seals the pardoning Mercy of God to our Souls and conveys all the precious Fruits of it to us A lively Faith on our suffering Saviour makes him ours by an intimate and inseparable union and fruition We dwell in him and he in us How many drooping Souls have been raised how many wounded Spirits have been healed how many cloudy Souls have been inlightened in that Ordinance Here the comforting Spirit breaths our Saviour shews his reviving Countenance God speaks Peace to his People A Believer tasts the hidden Manna and the Love of Christ that is sweeter than Wine The bruised Reed becomes a strong Pillar in the Temple of God the smoaking Flax is cherish'd into a purer and more pleasant Light than springs from the Sun in its brightness 3. Love to Christ is increas'd by partaking of this Ordinance wherein his bloody Death is represented Greater Love could not be express'd than in his dying for us and lesser Love could not have saved us from perishing for ever He dyed not only to satisfie his Father's Justice but his own Love to us 'T is said by the Prophet He shall see of the travel of his Soul and be satisfied The travel of his Soul implies his Affection and Affliction the strength of his Love and his immense Sorrows Now nothing is more repugnant to the Principle so deeply engraven in Humane Nature than not to return Love for Love Our Saviour by the dearest titles deserves our Love not only for his high Perfections but his deep Sufferings He was without Form and Comeliness in the Eyes of the Carnal VVorld when disfigured by his Sufferings But can he be less lovely in his Sufferings wherein he declar'd his dearest Love Astonishing Love appeared in his dying Countenance flam'd in his quenched Eyes flowed from his pierced Side To a spiritual Eye he is as amiable with his Crown of Thorns as with his Crown of Glory Our Love to Christ like Fire out of its sphere must be preserved by renewing its Fewel or it will decline Now there is nothing more proper to feed it than Christ's Love to us and in this Ordinance the sacred Fire is maintained The Eye affects the Heart The mournings the longings and delights of Love are most sensible in spiritual Communion with our Saviour at this Feast The inflamed Spouse in a Rapture of Admiration and Complacency breaks forth I am my beloved's and he is mine St. Paul who was rap'd up to the third Heavens and heard unspeakable things declares Christ crucified to be the most excellent Object of his Knowledge his most precious Treasure and dearest Joy 'T is true the carnal receiver of the Elements is a stranger to this Love and Joy that is only felt by Faith and Experience There are many Christians in title that never felt any vital emanations from Christ in this Ordinance The most content themselves with Sacramental Communion without Spiritual and feel no correspondent Affections to his extream Sufferings for us But if there be a spark of Life in the Soul if all be not cold and dead within the remembrance of Christ's bleeding and dying Love will inexpressibly endear him to us Now our Sanctification was a principal end of his Death The Apostle declares that Christ loved his Church and gave himself for it that he might sanctifie and cleanse it by the washing of the water and by the word That he might present to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish Can we allow any Sin in our Hearts and Lives and defeat the design of his Love and disparage the vertue of his Sufferings Can we endure any Sin to reign in us that was the cause of his Death so full of Ignominy and Torment He has declared how precious our Sanctification is in his esteem 't is one of the richest Veins in the whole Mine of Grace and can we slight it Can we imagine that his Death obtain'd for us an impure Indulgence for our Lusts when the end of it was our absolute Purity Can we content our selves with low degrees of Holiness when he paid so dear a Price for our Perfection The comfortable assurance that he was crucified for us arises from our being crucified with him to all the Vanities of the world Indeed the external receiving this Ordinance is not beneficial to an Unbelieveâ— no more than that the setting a Feast before a dead Body that is uncapable of feeding and nourishment Men must believe before they can receive spiritual nourishment by it and have the Life of Grace before they can feed on the Bread of Life But the unfeigned Believer finds his inward Man renewed by it I will add to what has been said that in this Ordinance the Covenant of the Gospel is sealed by the contracting Parties God ratifies his Promise of Grace and we seal our Duty of Obedience 'T is true we are bound by an antecedent right and higher obligation than our own consent the Command of God binds us to take this Covenant and to keep it We are bought with a price and are not our own Now if the Blood of the Son of God be our Ransom from the bondage of Sin and Death and we in the Sacrament partake of his Blood and by that solemn Right dedicate our selves to him That whether we live we live to the Lord or whether we dye we dye to him how constraining is this to make us diligent in accomplishing the sacred ends of Christ's Institution How just is it that since he dyed for our Salvation we should live to his Glory and when we renew our Right in the Blessings of the Covenant we should sincerely renew our Obligations to the Duties of it If after our holy Engagement we renounce our Allegiance to our Prince and Saviour by entertaining his Enemies the Lusts of the Flesh we incur a double Guilt not only by transgressing the Law of God but by violating our Oath of Fidelity and double Guilt will bring double Damnation That the renewing our Coâ—â—â—ant aâ— the Lord's Supper may be more effectual let us consider 1. That holy Resolutions and Engagements are the immediate Principle of Obedience Till the Convictions of our Duty are wrought into Resolutionâ— they are of no efficacy 2. They must proceed from the dâ—liberate Judgment and determin'd Will. The Apostle declares The love of Chriâ—â— constrains us we thus judge if one dyed for all then were all dead and the consequence is strong that we should live 〈◊〉 him who dyed for us Empty valleitâ—â—â— are no volitions faint and waveâ—â—â—â— Purposes have no force Believers aâ—â— exhorted with full purpose of Hâ—art 〈◊〉 â—leave to the Lord. 3. The renewing our holy Engaâ—â—ments are very necessary for perseveraâ—â—â— in our Duty Our Hearts are false 〈◊〉 foolish and apt to fly from God thâ—â— are as changable
't is predominant from the Kingdom of Heaven Lazarus may as soon be expelled from Abraham's Bosom as a covetous Man may be received into it Be not deceived neither Fornicators nor Idolaters nor Effeminate nor abusers of themselves with Mankind nor Thieves nor Covetous nor Drunkards nor Revilers nor Extortioners shall inherit the Kingdom of God A covetous Wretch is in as direct a progress to Damnation as the most notorious Sinners guilty of the most filthy Lusts natural and unnatural Did Men believe and prize Heaven how would this terrible denuntiation strike them through But what Tongue has so keen an edge as to cut a passage through Rocks the hardned Hearts of the Covetous The Word cannot enter into the Conscience and Conversation of the Earthly-minded If you discourse to them of Righteousness and Judgment to come they are not at leisure to hear or will not attend Tell them of another World when they are ready to be expell'd from this present World We have a most convincing Instance of inefficacy of Divine Instruction upon the Covetous Our Saviour directed his Auditory to the best use of Riches in doing Good to the Saints in their Wants that after death they might be introduced into everlasting habitations And 't is said that the Pharisees who were covetous heard all these things and derided him They were fix'd in their Principles and resolutions to increase and secure their Wealth They had their Religion in numerato Gain was their Godliness and were so strongly conceited of their own Wisdom that they despised the Authority Counsel and Love of the Son of God 2. The love of Money discovered in the heaping up Riches and the tenacious humour in keeping them is directly contrary to the clearest Reason and perfectly vain The notion of Vanity consists either in the change and inconstancy of things or when they have not reasonable and worthy ends In both respects Covetousness is Vanity For the Object of that Passion is the present World the sphere of mutability and the immoderate Care and Labour to obtain and preserve it is not for a solid substantial but a mere imaginary Good In this sense the most beautiful Colours were there no Eyes to see them and the sweetest Sounds were there no Ears to hear them are Vanities According to this Rule the greedy desire of Riches for Riches sake which is the most proper notion of Avarice is the most unreasonable and vain Affection for it has no end The Apostle tells us that an Idol is nothing in the World the matter of it may be Gold or Silver but it has nothing of a Deity in it He that worships it worships an Object not only most unworthy of Adoration but which has no Existence but in the fancy of the Idolater So he that loves Money for it self sets his Affection upon an end that has no Goodness but in his foolish imagination and consequently is no true and valuable end This will be evident by considering there is a double end to which Humane Actions should be directed the particular immediate end and the universal last end The particular end to which Reason directs iâ— acquiring Money is to supply us with Necessaries and Conveniencies in the present state and this is lawful when our Care and Labour to obtain it are not inordinate nor immoderate Fruition gives Life and Sweetness to Possession Solomon observes with a severe Reflection There is one of whose Labour there is no end who is not satisfied with Riches neither saith he for whom do I labour and bereave my Soul of good this is also vanity and sore travel If one has a Cabinet full of Pearls and has not a Heart to make use of them 't is all one as if it were full of Cherry-stones For there is no true value in the possession but in order to the true and noble use of them This draws so deep of Folly that 't is amazing that reasonable Men should love Money for it self but the Covetous have reprobate Minds without Judgment and discerning Faculties without using them 2. The universal and last end of our Actions consists in the eternal enjoyment of God Now the possession of the whole World is of no advantage toward the obtaining future Happiness Nay it deprives Men of Heaven both as the love of the World-binds their Hands from the exercise of Charity and as it alienates their Hearts from the love of God The present World cannot afford Perfection or Satisfaction to an immortal Spirit 1. Not Perfection The Understanding is the highest Faculty in Man and raises him above the order of sensible Creatures and this is exceedingly debased by over-valuing Earthly things Indeed Sense and Fancy that cannot judge aright of Objects and Actions if they usurp the Judgment-seat the Riches of this World appear very goodly and inestimable There is no Lust more degrades the eternal Soul of Man from the nobility of its Nature than Covetousness For the Mind is denominated and qualified from the Objects upon which it is conversant Now when Mens thoughts are groveling on the Earth as if there were no spark of Heaven in them when their main designs and contrivances are to amass Riches they become Earthly and infinitely fall short of their original and end 2. Riches cannot give Satisfaction to the Soul upon the account of their vast disproportion to its Spiritual Nature and Capacity and Eternal Duration You may as reasonably seek for Paradise under the Icy Poles as for full Contentment in Riches The Kingdoms of the World with all their Treasures if actually possess'd cannot satisfie the Eye much less the Heart There is no suitableness between a spiritual substance and earthly things The Capacity of the Soul is as vast is its Desires which can only be satisfied with Good truly infinite But carnal Men in a delusive Dream mistake shadows for substance and thin appearances for realities Besides the fashion of this World passes away Riches take wings and like the Eagle fly to Heaven or the Possessors of them fall to the Earth The Soul can only be satisfied in the fruition of a Good as everlasting as its own duration In short the Favour of God the renewed Image of God in the Soul and Communion with him are the Felicity of reasonable Creatures 3. The plainest Experience does not convince the Covetous of their Folly and correct them 'T is universally visible that Riches cannot secure Men from Miseries and Mortality They are like a Reed that has not strength to support but sharpness to wound any one that rests on it Earthly Treasures cannot secure us from the Anger of God nor the Violence and Fraud of Men. How often are fair Estates ravishd from the Owners But suppose they are continued here to the Possessor they are not Antidotes against the malignity of a Disease they cannot purchase a priviledge to exempt the Rich from Death And is he truly rich that must be deprived of his Treasures
when he leaves this World and enter naked and solitary into the next World where he will be poor for ever He is rich that carries with him Divine Graces and Comforts the Treasures of the Soul when he dyes and takes possession of the Inheritance undefiled that passes not away How often do Worldly Men in their last hours when the thoughts of the Heart are declared with most feeling and least affectation condemn their unaccountable Folly for their having set their Affections on things below and neglecting things above that with such fervour and constancy they prosecuted their secular ends and were so coldly affected to eternal things as unworthy of their care and diligence Those forlorn Wretches in their Extremities with what significant and lively Expressions do they decry the Vanity of this World and the Vanity of their Hearts in seeking it 'T is related of Philip King of the Macedonians that while one was pleading before him he drop'd asleep and waking on a sudden past Sentence against the righteous Cause Upon this the injur'd Person cryed out I appeal The King with Indignation ask'd To whom He reply'd From your self sleeping to your self waking and had the Judgment revers'd that was against him Thus in matters of eternal moment if there be an Appeal from the sleeping to the waking Thoughts of Men when Death opens their Eyes to see the Dross of false Treasures and the Glory of the true what a change would it make in their Minds Affections and Actions But O Folly and Misery they but superficially consider things till constrain'd when 't is too late From these Considerations we understand the Reasons of our Saviour's declaring 'T is as easie for a Camel to go through the eye of a needle as for a rich Man that trusts in his Riches to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven But what is impossible with Men is possible with God He can by so strong a Light represent the Eternal Kingdom to Mens Minds and purifie their Affections that they shall so use the World that they may enjoy God We should from hence be excited to watchfulness against this Sin Our Saviour gave a double Caution to his Disciples Take heed and beware of Covetousness In some the Leprosie appears in their Foreheads their Company their Conversation make it evident that the World is set in their Hearts In others the Leprosie is in their Bosoms their Affections are intensly and entirely set on the World though the discovery is not so visible None but the circumspect can be safe In order to the mortifying this Lust the following means with the Divine Blessing will be very useful The inward causes of the greedy desires and tenacious humour of the Covetous are the irregular esteem of Riches and consequently the jealousie of losing what is so highly valued and sollicitude to prevent all possible future wants Now to take away these causes consider 1. There are Treasures infinitely more precious and durable and more worthy of our esteem and love than all the Gold that is drawn from the Mines in Peru the true inrichments of the Soul without which a Man possess'd of all the Wealth of the Flota is not rich towards God but wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked God offers himself to be our Portion who is rich in all Perfections whose Treasures are unsearchable and unwasted If we seek his Love and Grace to love him we shall inherit substance and durable Riches The Apostle when the scales were fallen from his Eyes discovered such an excellency in the knowledge of Christ that he counted all things loss and dung that he might have an interest in him This eminent advantage there is in seeking Heavenly Treasures we shall certainly obtain them and never be deprived of them whereas the most eager pursuit of Earthly Riches is uncertainly successful and if we do acquire them they will certainly be lost Now as inward bleeding that endangers Life is stop'd by revulsion in opening a Vein so if the stream of our Affections be directed to things above it will stop their impetuous current to things below 2. The liberal use of Riches for the Glory of God and in Charity to others is the best means to secure the tenure of our Temporal Possessions For the neglect of paying the Tribute we owe to God makes a forfeiture of our Estates and he can by Right and Power resume them in a moment Besides there is no Epithet more proper to be joyn'd with Riches than uncertain Is that Man certainly rich whose entire Estate is in a Ship sailing through dangerous Seas and open to frequent Piracies There is no greater a distance between a Tempest and a Shipwrack than between often and always Innumerable Disasters are imminent and nearly threaten the undoing of the richest Man But God who commands the Winds and the Seas and governs the Wills of Men whose Providence orders the most fortuitous Events has promised that the liberal Man who deviseth liberal things he shall stand He has a special Protection and as he is like to God in giving so he shall be in not being poorer for his giving The Apostle incourages Christians not to be covetous by this Argument God has said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee We may firmly rely on his Promise for Truth is the foundation of trust and rest on his Providence which is Omnipotent Add to this Consideration there is an accessional security to the Charitable from the assistance of others Man is sociable by instinct and the civil Life that is proper to him will be dissolv'd without mutual assistance 'T is order'd by the Rule of Providence that there is no Man so compleatly sufficient in himself so absolutely and independently happy but he wants the Counsel the Courage the Help of others 'T is usual that he who possesses most can do less and that he that has less can do more From hence it follows that the Wealth of the one and the Strength of the other the giving that wherein one abounds and the receiving that which the other wants makes such an equipoise between the Rich and the Poor that they cannot be disjoyn'd Experience declares there is nothing does more endear and engage the Affections of others to us than acts of Kindness Beneficence joyn'd with Innocence render Men venerable and amiable conciliate Esteem and Love for a good Man one would even dare to dye Whereas the Covetous and Incompassionate not only provoke God for he that abuses a Benefit despises the Benefactor and by imprisoning their Treasures without doing Good the abuse is as real as by riotous wasting them but are exposed to Hatred and Contempt and if a Disaster surprises them a secret Joy touches the Hearts of others 2. 'T is a means to increase Riches 'T is a Rule not only in Spirituals but in Temporals As a Man sows so he shall reap both in the Recompences of Justice and the Rewards of