company of prophane persons knowing they have express commands to avoid unnecessary converse with such as 1 Cor. 5.11 2 Cor. 6.17 and this sometimes through God's setting it upon their hearts becomes an occasion of putting them upon a more serious consideration of their condition even a Cain fears and abhors the thought of being an Out-cast those Censures of Suspension and Excommunication appointed by God himself work by way of shame and disgrace But 3. There is so little liveliness in the best of Christians that the Formalist concludes himself as good as the best and so rests in his present condition Where there is something of the power of godliness yet there is too much of meer form and this encourages others to rest altogether in a form VVhere there is some life there is too little liveliness the best do not to the life hold forth the word of life Col. 2.16 There is something in the lives of Christians to convince and condemn the Prophane they see their swearing drunkenness Sabbath-breaking c. condemned in the practise of Christians shunning and abhorring those sins but they do not so live as to condemn the Formality of those amongst them There is not that warmth in their discourses and duties that vigour in their affections and actions that may quicken and heat others Men are apt to make a stand at others deadness as the people did at the dead body of Amasa 2 Sam. 20.12 'T is storied of Janias before his Conversion that meeting once with a Countrey-man as he was in a journey and falling into discourse with him about divers points in Religion he observed the plain Fellow to talk so experimentally with so much heartiness and affection as made him first begin to think that there was something more in those Truths then his Notional-humane Learning had yet discovered which occasioned his more serious inquiry into them and afterward his Conversion Liveliness and affectionateness in Christians is a singular Spur to incite others but alas how rare is it This wanting in the best doth strengthen the hands of the Formalist and beget in him a conceit that he is as good as the best Thus we have laid down some of those impediments both in himself and from others which lye in the way of a Formalist's Conversion and render it more difficult then of the Prophane CHAP. IV. Misaplication prevented BEfore I come to Application it will be requisite to say something for the preventing of m sapplication Some may possibly hence draw this Conclusion That the next way to onversion is to turn Prophane that to lay aside Prayer Hearing c. and to become a Swearer Adulterer c. is the best way to become a Saint an inference much like that Rom. 3.8 Let us do evil that good may come and Rom. 6.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 5.8 Let us continue in sin that grace may abound But let such * perverse Disputers know 1. Though the word hath many times an easier influence upon the Prophane then the Formalâ—… yet this makes nothing for the comfort of Prophane persons so continuing though many such are converted and saved What is this to him that lives and dies unconverted 'T is as if one sick of a Feaver refusing the Physician 's help feeding and nourishing his Disease should comfort himself in this That his condition is better then one that is sick of the Plague because many are by Physick cured of the one few or none of the other when the one as well as the other is Mortal without the Physician 's help Though many Prophane Wretches are saved upon their Faith and Repentance what comfort is it to thee that continuest Prophane without Faith or Repentance If Zacheus the Publican Magdalen the Harlot Paul the Persecutor are converted and saved canst thou who art an impenitent Oppressor Harlot Persecutor c. promise Salvation to thy self They are saved not because they were such but because they Repent 2. Though prophane persons are more frequently converted then Formalists yet prophaneness is no cause of their Conversion If you suppose so you admit a Falacy Non causae pro causâ assigning that the cause which indeed is not Many being Prophane are converted but not because they are Ptophane they are converted from not for their Prophaneness At most it hath but an accidental causality as an enemy intending to kill you may accidentally let out the corruption and so intending to be your Murderer may unwittingly and contrary to his intention prove your Physician But that Prophaneness can have no proper causative influence into your conversion will thus appear If so it must be supposed either 1. To move God to call you or 2. To dispose and incline you to conversion but to imagine either of these is very foolish and irrational For the first you must know That nothing out of God himself can be an inducement to him to call or convert any God's Eternal Decree which is the proper Efflux of his own Will and of his Free-Grace is his onely Motive in this See Rom. 8.29 30. Ephes 1.3 4 5 6 11. 2 Tim. 1.9 'T is not the good works of any fore-seen that move God to call them they being effects not causes of conversion much less then their evil works what can be more absur'd then to suppose that that which God loaths should induce him to love us And for the second 't is equally absurd for how can that which is in the nature of it an aversion from God produce as an effect conversion to God As rationally may we imagine darkness to be the cause of light sickness of health death of life as that sin can any way be a cause of or dispose unto conversion Could Prophaneness dispose a man to Conversion then it would follow the more Prophane the nearer to conversion which is all one as to say the nearer Hell the nearer Heaven 3. Neither is it the good that Formalists do but their hypocrisie in doing and the bad use they make of their good actions that renders their Conversion difficult Here a so you admit the same falacy if you suppose their praying hearing c. to obstruct their Conversion These duties rightly performed are both means and evidences of Conversion and incumbent upon the converted Hearing is the way to have Faith and other Graces begotten in us Rom. 10.17 Prayer is prescrib'd to Simon Magus yet being in the gâ—â—… of bitterness and bond of iniquity in order to his Conversion Acts 8.22 So we ma say of other-like duties As Prophaneness is not dispositive to Conversion so neither are Pious duties any hinderance but furtherance to it Nay more if ever you be Converted you must do what they do though not as they do You must pray hear meditate c. though not in a form as they do but with power not relying upon them when done but denying them putting no confidence in them 'T is not the form of godliness
sensible of his growth nor a fit Judg of it That of the Orator concerning growth in knowledg may be fitly appli'd hither As we see the shadow of a Dial to have gone but see it not go and the Herb or Grass to have grown but do not see it grow so the encrease of knowledg and the same may be said of Grace because it consists of very small additions is seen only at some distance Yet with these limitations I may affirm That every true Christian is in a constant thriving posture 1. That he grows downward like Trees in Winter when he seems to decay upward he grows more humble when he seems to be less holy and this is real growth God in wisdom suspends his influences as to the growth of other Graces that there may be a proportionable growth in that Christians like the Athenian Students the more they grow in Grace the more out of conceit with themselves As they at their first coming thither arrogated the Name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wise men then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lovers of wisdom Afterwards 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Speakers of wisdom At last 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ideots So it is with Christians 2. That he grows more into hatred of sin when he seems to decay in strength against it when he feels corruption prevail lusts predominant he cryes out with the Apostle Rom. 7.15 What I hate that do I. And v. 24. O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death He more loaths sin and himself that he cannot conquer it he abhors the very thoughts of it and grows more impatient of its yoke 3. That he grows in depth of Judgment when he declines in height of Affection possibly when young he had more leaves and blossoms stronger affections and more serverous motions but now is more sober and solid At first he was sick of love now more rooted in love But now it is otherwise with the Formalist he experiences no such growth but the contrary he goes backward and not forward Jer. 7.24 grows more proud and self-confident sin grows less burdensome or more delightful to him as he hath less strength so he hath less heart then formerly to resist sin or perform duty Conscience is in a consumption and he that would have strain'd at a Gnat can after some time swallow a Camel he loses his seeming love to and savour of Religion Observe then if it be thus with thee for by these thou mayest discover thy Formality 2. But it is not enough to get a convincing sight of this sin i e. that thou art a Formalist except thou hast also an humbling sense of it there 's a great distance betwixt the eye and heart a man may clearly see that he is a sinner yet be little affected with it the Drunkard Swearer c. cannot but see their sin yet are far from feeling it It must be therefore our endeavour in order to the cure of this sin to get the heart affected as well as the Judgment convinced Sin must be our burden else we shall never look out for ease To this end therefore it must be thy endeavour to view this sin in its aggravations to consider and dwell upon the consideration of its hainousness till thy heart be pressed with the weight of it To help thee a little in this take a few things of many 1. It is a sin that turns the greatest reality in the world into a meer shew and shadow Religion is the greatest reality all we do in the World besides the work of Religion is but a meer dream Regeneration Communion with God the Spiritual combat the Life of Faith Mortification of sin c. these are realities indeed Now Formality turns all these into a naked empty Profession a vain Theatrical shew as the Poetical Fiction of the Eccho metamorphosd from a real Virgin to a meer Sound as the Papists have turn'd the true Fast into a mâ—ck-fast Repentance and afflicting the soul into lashings of the Body and Pilgrimages the Sacrament of the Supper into a dumb shew and the whole Worship of God into a ceremonious Enterlude So the Formalist turns Prayer Hearing Sacraments c. into shadows and is this a small sin think you Dwell upon this consideration how soon would Religion vanish into nothing if there were not a few serious spirits to uphold it in the power of it This eats out the kernel the heart the life of Religion It was no less serious then witty a division which one gave of that Text 2 Tim. 3.5 Having a form of godliness Here said he you have 1. The Body of Religion viz. Form 2. The Soul of Religion viz. Power 3. The death of Religion and that is the separation of the Soul from the Body Power from Form This is the effect of thy sin it murders Religion 2. It is a mocking God to his very face it 's a lying to God and will God endure it What are your formal Petitions Confessions Thanksgivings c. but meer mockeries Thou com'st to hear but it is as they in Jer. 42.5 6 9. who when they received a Message contrary to their designs tell the Prophet to his face that he lies or as Isa 58.2 who were but as a people that did righteousness and forsook not the Ordinances of their God Or as they are described in Ezek. 33.31 32. The Prophet's Preaching was to them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice They heard his words but did them not And what greater abuse can be put upon God then for men to come and pretend a desire to know his Will yet to take no care of performing it As to your prayers I may invert that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 14. 14. Your understanding prayeth but the spirit is unfruitful Your approaches to the Lords Table are no better than a Judas's kiss nor can God take any more pleasure in your approaches then he did in the like service of the Jews Isa 1 12-15 66.3 You do but complement with God and that is no better then meer mockery O think how wretched a thing it is how highly displeasing your duties all of them while you continue in Formality are so many jeers and abuses put upon God 3. By this sin you put a cheat and fallacy upon your own souls you mock God but deceive your selves Gal. 6.3 If a man think himself to be something when he is nothing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he deceives himself seduces his own soul Jam. 1.22 Bare hearers do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 play the sophisters put tricks and fallacies upon themselves So v. 26. He that bridleth not his tongue and such ordinarily is the Formalist bitter railing censorious but deceiving his own heart his Religion is vain And what greater madness than for a man to cheat himself Lay this home and aggravate your condition by it Wretch that I am I think to deceive
Religious Performances 'T is a sad sign thou art yet a Formalist and to thee the Text speaks terror 5. He is a Formalist whose Duties do no execution upon his sins he Prays and sins Hears and sins goes in a round as a Horse in a Mill Take him at his Prayers you may hear him perhaps confessing his Worldliness but take him in the World and you find him as covetous as griping as apt to defraud as ever he comes off his duties as if he had but begg'd leave to sin yea sin gets strength by his performances As the Harlot Prov. 7.14 15. I have Peace-offerings by me this day I have paid my vows Come let us take our fill of love So he thinks his morning and evening-Duties procure him liberty to sin all the day when he hath heard though the Word was never so pierceing he never thinks more of it to reform his heart or life by it that he hath heard satifies him never thinking what or to what end he hath heard hence it is that no execution is done upon his lusts Now with the sincere Christian 't is far otherwise his Duties give sin a shake loosen it at the root True indeed a corruption may out-live many a Prayer Sermon Humiliation-day without any sensible decay yea may seem to get head and grow more turbulent yet every Duty rightly performed doth something towards the mortification of it as in cutting down a tree every stroak doth not bring it down yet some chips are cut off and in battering a Fort every shot doth not beat it down yet makes it weaker and prepares it for the next So every Duty doth something weaken sin at least thus for that it increases the Soul's hatred of it and puts upon him a fresh engagement to pursue it to the death examine then doth sin get strength by thy Religious duties dost thou grow into more love and liking of thy bosome corruptions for that 's the surest evidence of sins growth Then hast thou just cause to suspect thy self of formality and to apply this terror to thy self 6. The Formalist is ordinarily full of confidence and self-conceit very supercilious towards poor bruised reeds and doubting souls he looks upon the weak Believer as no body in comparison of himself Thus you see it in the Pharisees Joh. 7.48 Luk. 18.9 12. Paul was once of this temper Rom. 7.9 He was alive without the Law once i. e. highly conceited and strongly confident of his good condition so the Formalist seldom suspects himself never is at a loss for his Evidences The Devil befriends him and helps him up to this Pinacle he is not more an enemy to true saving Faith then a friend to Presumption The sincere Christian on the other hand is very suspitious often trying dougbting searching works out his salvation with fear and trembling 'T is true some healthy well-complexion'd Christians but oh how rare are they keep up faith in a lively and constant exercise can look within the veil and are not subject to those frequent tossings and doubtings as others but then they do not brow-beat and carry scornfully and contemptuously towards those that have not attained to their Measure they are very tender towards the weakest Lambs in Christ's fold and can sympathize in their weaknesses and help to bear their Infirmities That supposed assurance that is joined with the contempt of weak ones and separated from a holy humble watchful walking with God is a sure note of a Formalist There is fear and jealousie in the best David Psal 139. 20 end professes his sincerity yet suspects there ma be some way of wickedness in him so that if thou hast high presumptions and low performances strong confidence upon weak grounds and this lifts thee up in thy own conceit above thy weak brethren conclude thy self but yet a Formalist 7. The Formalist hath some regard to the matter of the first Table little to the second Piety as to the face of it he practiseth but equity and charity he little looks at perhaps nor sobriety neither he thinks his duties towards God may excuse his deficiencies towards men And herein by the way the Moralist and Formalist differ the former being onely or chiefly for second table duties though both do convenire in tertio agree in this third thing that they neglect Christ and put confidence in their own righteousness This that I say of the Formalist is evident Psal 50.8 with verse 18 19 20. They were constant at their sacrifices but deeply guilty of Theft Adultery evil-speaking and false accusations with the same mouth did they bless God or curse or speak evil of man made after the image of God Jam. 3.9 so Jer. 7.4 They cry The Temple of the Lord. i. e duties sacrifices but verse 5 6. They did not execute judgment between a man and his neighbour they oppressed the stranger the fatherless and the widdow they shed innocent blood c. so verse 9. They did steal murder commit adultery and swear falsly The like you may see Isa 58.2 They seek me daily and delight to know my waies c. yea verse 3. They challenge God and charge him as not having regard to their fasting and afflicting their Souls yet these verse 4. did fast for strife and debate and to smite with with the fist of wickedness See more of their failings towards their neighbour verse 6 7 9 10. Where Gods calling for such duties at their hands sufficiently intimates their defectiveness in them Possibly some smaller acts of righteousness or mercy they may doe so did the Pharisees Matth. 23.23 They tithed Mint Annise and Cummin but the weightier points of the law judgment mercy or faith that is as some with good reason interpret faithfulness in their dealings with men these they neglected Yea by their rare device of Corban i. e. a gift given to the Priest or Temple that their Parents might be prayed for disoblige the child from that necessary duty of succouring his necessitous Parents Matth. 15.5.6 with Mark 7.11 12. Thus making pretended piety towards God a cloak for neglect of duty towards man and upon this account how many Formalists are to be found amongst us are not many that have set up Prayer and reading in their Families who frequent Ordinances and seem to be eminent in piety as bad yea much worse in second-Table-duties then the prophanest Who more griping and oppresive Who more ready to over-reach in Bargaining To defraud or abridg their Minister of his due So that as to the business of equity and justice of people towards their Minister we could rather desire to be cast upon a prophane superstitious ignorant people then amongst knowing Formalists Besides who more quarrelsome fuller of strife and debate more apt to go to Law for trifles then these Can these things consist with sincertty are they not plain evidences of a rotten heart a meer Formalist Surely sincerity hath an equal respect to all God's Commandments will