earnestly of the love of Christ and express a mighty love to his name yet this may be too without any real conformity unto him in his Life and Laws The Jews spoke much of Moses in him they believed and in him they trusted Iohn v. 45 His name was a sweet sound to their ears and 't was very pleasant upon their tongues and yet they hated the Spirit of Moses and had no love to those Laws of his which condemned their wicked actions And we may see how many of those love Christ that speak often and affectionately of him by observing how they keep his Commandments John xiv 15 especially those of meekness mercy and universal love Thus imperfect strivers may imploy themselves in the external offices of Religion I have instanced only in Three the like may be said of the rest And to this I add That they may not only exercise themselves in the outward matters of duty but may arrive to some things that are accounted greater heights and are really more and spiritual and refined To instance SECT V. I. THey may have some love to God Goodness and good men The Soul naturally loves beauty and perfection and all mankind apprehend God to be of all Beings the most beautiful and perfect and therefore must needs have an intellectual love for him The reason that that love takes no hold of the passions in wicked men is partly because they are diverted from the thoughts of Him by the objects of sense but chiefly because they consider him as their enemy and therefore can have no complacency or delight in him who they think hath nothing but thoughts of enmity and displeasure against them But if once they come to be perswaded as many times by such false marks as I have recited they are that God is their Father and peculiar Friend that they are his chosen and his darlings whom he loved from eternity and to whom he hath given his Son and his Spirit and will give Himself in a way of the fullest enjoyment Then the Love that before was only an esteem in the understanding doth kindle in the affections by the help of the conceit of Gods loving them so dearly and the passion thus heated runs out even into seraphick and rapturous Devotions while yet all this is but meer animal love excited chieâ—ly by the love of our selves not of the Divine Perfections And it commonly goes no further then to earnest expressions of extraordinary love to God in our Prayers and Discourses while it appears not in any singular obedience to his Laws or generous and universal love to mankind which are the ways whereby the true Divine Love is exprest for This is the love of God that we keep his Commandments saith the Apostle 1 Iohn v. 3 And as to the other thus If we love one another God dwelleth in us and his love is perfected in us 1 John iv 12 And on the contrary If a man say I love God and hateth his brother he is a lyar John iv 20 Charity then and universal obedience are the true arguments and expressions of our love to God and these suppose a victory over corrupt inclinations and self-will But the other love which ariseth from the conceit of our special dearness to God upon insufficient grounds that goes no further then to some suavities and pleasant fancies within our selves and some passionate complements of the Image we have set up in our imaginations This Love will consist with Hatred and contempt of all that are not like our selves yea and it will produce it those poisonous fruits and vile affections may be incouraged and cherish'd under it So that there may be some love to God in evil men But while self-love is the only motive and the more prevalent passion it signifieth nothing to their advantage And as the imperfect striver may have some love to God so he may to piety and vertue every man loves these in Idea The vilest sinner takes part in his affections with the vertuous and religious when he seeth them described in History or Romance and hath a detestation for those who are character'd as impious and immoral Vertue is a great Beauty and the mind is taken with it while 't is consider'd at a distance and our corrupt interests and sensual affections are not concern'd 'T is These that recommend sin to our love and choice while the mind stands on the side of vertue with that we serve the Law of God but with the flesh the law of sin Rom. vii 25 So that most wicked men that are not degenerated into meer Brutes have this mental and intellectual love to goodness That is they approve and like it in their minds and would practise it also were it not for the prevalent biass of flesh and sense And hence it will follow likewise That the same may approve and respect good men They may reverence and love them for their Charity Humility Iustice and Temperance though themselves are persons of the contrary Character yet they may have a great and ardent affâ—ction for those that are eminently pious and devout though they are very irreligious themselves The conscience of vertue and of the excellency of Religion may produce this in the meer natural man who is under the dominion of vile inclinations and affections and therefore this is no good mark of godliness neither Our love to God and goodness will not stead us except it be prevalent And as the love described may be natural and a meer animal man may arrive unto it So II. He may to an extraordinary zeal for the same things that are the objects of his love Hot tempers are eager where they take either kindness or displeasure The natural man that hath an animal love to Religion may be violent in speaking and acting for things appertaining to it If his temper be devotional and passionate he becomes a mighty zealot and fills all places with the fame of his godliness His natural fire moves this way and makes a mighty blaze Ahab was very zealous and 't is like 't was not only his own interest that made him so 2 Kings x. 16 The Pharisâ—es were zealous people and certainly their zeal was not always personated and put on but real Though they were Hypocrites yet they were such as in many things deceived themselves as well as others They were zealous for their Traditions and they believ'd 't was their duty to be so St. Paul while a persecutor was zealous against the Disciples and he thought he ought to do many things against that name And our Saviour foretells that those zealous murderers that should kill his Saints should think They did God good service in it John xvi 2 So that all the zeal of the natural man is not feigning and acting of a part nor hath it always evil objects The Pharisees were zealous against the wickedness of the Publicans and Sinners Zeal then and that in earnest for Religion may be in
Complexion and particular Nature This is a great work and will require strong Faith and many Prayers and much time and great watchfulness and invincible resolution Imploy these heartily and though thou now and then mayst receive a foyl yet give not off so but rise again in the strength of God implore new aid and â—ortifie thy self with more consideraâ—ions and deeper resolves and then renew the Combat upon the encouragement of Divine assistance and Christs merits and intercession and the promise that sin shall not have dominion over us Rom. vi 14 Remember that this is the great work and the biggest difficulty if this be not overcome all our other labour hath been in vain and will be lost If this root remain it will still bear poysonous fruit which will be matter for temptation and occasion of continual falling and we shall be in danger of being reconciled again to our old sins and to undo all and so our latter end will be worse theâ— our beginning 2 Pet. ii 20 Or at least though we stand at a stay and satisfie our selves with that yet though we are contented our condition is not safe If we will endeavour to any purpose of duty or security we must proceed still after our lesser conquests till the sins of complexion are laid dead at our feet He that is born of God sinneth not and he cannot sin 1 Ioh. iii. 9 Till we come to this we are but strugling in the birth Such a perfection as is mortifying of vitious temper is I hope attainable and 't is no doubt that which Religion aims at and though it be a difficult height yet we must not sit down this side At least we must be always pressing on to this Mark if Providence cut off our days before we have arrived to it we may expect acceptance of the sincerity of our endeavours upon the account of the merits of our Saviour For he hath procured favour for those sincere Believers and Endeavourers whose Day is done before their Work is compleated this I mean of subduing the darling sins of their particular Natures But then if we rest and please our selves with the little Victories and attainments and let these our great enemies quietly alone 't is an argument our endeavours are not sincere but much short of that striving which will procure an entrance into the straight gate The nâ—xt thing and 't is the last I shall mention which is implyed in striving is IV. To furnish our selves through Divine Grace with the habits and inclinations of Holiness and Vertue For Goodness to become a kind of Nature to the Soul is height indeed but such a one as may be reacht the new Nature and new Creature Gal. vi 15 are not meer Names We have observ'd that some men are of a Natural Generosity Veracity and Sweetness and they cannot act contrary to these Native Vertues without a mighty Violence why now should not the New Nature be as powerful as the Old And why may not the Spirit of God working by an active faith and endeavour fix habits and inclinations on the Soul as prevalent as those No doubt it may and doth upon the Diviner Souls For whom to do a wicked or unworthy action 't would be as violent and unnatural as for the meek and compassionate temper to butcher the innocent or for him that is naturally just to oppress and make a prey of the fatherless and the widow I say such a degree of perfection as this should be aim'd at Heb. vi 1 and we should not sit down and slacken our endeavours on this side it In order to our aiming to the happy pitch we are to use frequent meditation on the excellency and pleasure of Vertue and Religion and earnest prayer for the Grace of God and diligent attendance upon the publique worship and pious company and converses For this great design these helps are requisite and if we exercise our selves in them as we ought they will fire our Souls with the love of God and Goodness and so at last all Christian Vertues will become as natural to us as sin was before And to one that is so prepared the Gate of Happiness will be open and of easie entrance the difficulties are overcome and from henceforth the way is pleasant and plain before him Prov. iii. 17 Thus I have shewn you that the formidable difficulties may be overcome and I have told you How 't is a plain course I have directâ—d that will not puzzle your undâ—rstandings with needless niceties nor distract your memories with multitudes Walk in this way and do it constantly with vigour and alacrity and there is no fear but in the strength of God through the merits and mediation of his Son you will overcome and at last enter SECT IV. I Had now done with this general Head but that 't is necessary to note three things here 1. Those Instruments of our happiness which we must use in striving viz. Faith Prayer and active Endeavour must all of them be employed Not any one singly will do the great work nor can the others if any one be wanting If we believe and do not pray or pray and do not endeavour or endeavour without those the Difficulties will remain and 't will be impossible for us to enter 2. We must be diligent in our course If we do not exercise Faith vigorously and pray heartily and endeavour with our whole might the means will not succeed and 't is as good not at all as not to purpose The Difficulties will not be overcome by cold Faith or sleepy Prayers or remiss Endeavours A very intense degree of these is necessary 3. Our striving must be constant we must not begin and look back Heb. x. 38 or run a while and stop in midd course 1 Cor. ix 24 and content our selves with some attainments and think we have arrived Phil. iii. 14 If we do so we shall find our selves dangerously mistaken The Crown is at the end of the Warfare and the Prise at the end of the Race If we will succeed we must hold on The life of one that strives as he ought must be a continual motion forwards always procâ—eding always growing If we strive thus we cannot fail if any of these qualifications be wanting we cannot but miscarry And hence no doubt it is that many that seek to enter shall not be able and the presumed sons of the Kingdom are shut out Mat. viii 12 They seek and are very desirous to be admitted They do some thing and strive but their striving is partial or careless or short by reason of which defects they do not overcome and shall not enter This is a dangerous Rock and perhaps there are as many undone by cold and half striving as by not striving at all He that hath done some thing presumes he is secure He goes the round of ordinary Duties but advanceth nothing in his way He overcometh none of the great Difficulties none of
There is no doubt but that an evil man may be convinced of his sin and vileness and that even to anguish and torment The Gâ—ntiles saith the Apostle Rom. ii 14 which have not the Law shew the works of the Law written in their hearts their thoughts in the mean time accusing or excusing one another Conscience often stings and disquiets the vilest sinners and sometimes extorts from them lamentable confessions of their sins and earnest declamations against them They may weep bitterly at their remembrance and be under great heaviness and dejection upon their occasion They may speak vehemently against sin themselves and love to have others to handle it severely All this bad men may do upon the score of natural fear and self love and the apprehension of a future Iudgment And now such convictions will naturally beget some endeavours A convinced understanding will have some influence upon the will and affections The mind in the unregenerate may lust against the flesh as that doth against it So that 2. such a meer animal man may promise and purpose and endeavour in some pretty considerable measure but then he goes not on with full resolution but wavers and stops and turns about again and lets the law of the members that of death and sin to prevail over him His endeavour is remiss and consequently ineffectual it makes no conquests and will not signifie He sins on though with some regret and his very unwillingness to sin while he commits it is so far from lessening that it aggravates his fault It argues that he sins against conscience and conviction and that sin is strong and reigns 'T is true indeed St. Paul Rom. 7. makes such a description seemingly of himself as one might think concluded him under this state He saith vers 8. That sin wrought in him all manner of concupiscence vers 9. That sin revived and he died vers 14. That he was carnal and again sold under sin vers 20. That sin dwelt in him and wrought that which he would not vers 23. That the law of his Members led him into captivity to the law of sin and vers 25. That he obeyed the law of sin If this be so and St. Paul a regenerate man was in this state it will follow that seeking and feeble endeavour that overcometh no difficulty may yet procure an entrance and he that is come hitherto viz. to endeavour is safe enough though he do not conquer This Objection presseth not only against this head but against my whole Discourse and the Text it self Therefore to answer it I say That the Apostle here is not to be understood of himself but he describes the state of an unregenerate man though he speaks in the first person a Figure that was ordinary with this Apostle and frequent enough in common speech Thus we say I am thus and thus and did so and so when we are describing a state or actions in which perhaps we in person are not concerned In this sense the best Expositors understand these expressions and those excellent Divines of our own Bishop Taylor and Dr. Hammond and others have noted to us That this description is directly contrary to all the Characters of a regenerate man given elsewhere by this and the other Apostles As he is said to be dead to sin Rom. vi 11 Free from sin and the servant of Righteousness Rom vi 18 That he walks not after the flesh but after the Spirit Rom. viii 1 â—hat the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Iesus hath made him free from the law of sin and death Rom. viii 2 That he overcometh the world Joh. 5.4 He sinneth not 1 Joh iii. 6 He hath crucified the flesh with its affections and lusts Gal. v. 24 Which Characters of a truly regenerate person if they be compared with those above-cited out of Rom. vii it will appear that they are as contrary as 't is possible to speak and by this 't is evident that they describe the two contrary states For can the regenerate be full of all manner of concupiscence and at the same time be crucified to the flesh and ill affections and lusts one in whom sin revives while he dies and yet one that is dead to sin carnal and yet not walking after the flesh but after the Spirit sold under sin and yet free from sin Having sin dwelling in him and a captive to sin and obeying the law of sin and yet free from the law of sin and death How can these things consist To tell us 'T is so and 't is not so and to twist such contradictions into Orthodox Paradoxes are pretty things to please Fools and Children but the wiser sort care not for such riddles as are not sense I think 't is evident enough then that the Apostle in that mistaken Chapter relates the feeble impotent condition of one that was convinced and strove a little but not to purpose And if we find our selves comprised by that description though we may be never so sensible of the evil and danger of a sinful course and may endeavour some small matter but without success we are yet under that evil and obnoxious to that danger For he that strives in earnest conquers at last and advanceth still though all the work be not dâ—ne at once So that if we endeavour and gain nothing our endeavour is peccant and wants Faith or Prayer for Divine aids or constancy or vigor and so Though we may seek we shall not be able to enter But 3 An Imperfect striver may overcome sin in some Instances and yet in that do not great matter neither if he lies down and goes no further There are some sins we out-grow by age or are indisposed to them by bodily infirmity or diverted by occasions and it may be by other sins and some are contrary to worldly Interests to our credit or health or profit and when we have been in any great degree prejudiced by them in these we fall out with those sins and cease from them and so by resolution and disuse we master them at last fully which if we went on and attempted upon all the rest were something But when we stop short in these petty victories our general state is not altered He that conquers some evil appetites is yet a slave to others and though he hath prevailed over some difficulties yet the main ones are yet behind Thus the imperfâ—ct striver masters it may be his beastly appetite to intemperate drinking but is yet under the power of love of Riches and vain pleasure He ceaseth from open debauchery but entertains spiritual wickedness in his heart He will not Swear but will backbite and rail He will not be Drunk but will damn a man for not being of his opinion He will not prophane the Sabbath but will defraud his Neighbour Now these half conquests when we rest in them are as good as none at all Then shall I not be ashamed when I have regard
God and delights greatly in hearing and pious Discourse and will suffer all things for what he calls his conscience yet he is not to be concluded a Saint from hence because the meer Animal Religion may put it self forth in all these expressions And though this Professor be a bad man proud and covetous malicious and censorious sacrilegious and Rebellious yet we cannot thence be assured that he is an Hypocrite in one sense viz. such an one as fâ—igns all that he pretends But we may believe that he is really so affected with Hearing and Praying and devout Company as he makes shew and yet for all this not alter our opinion of his being an evil man since the Animal Religion will go as far as the things in which he glories There is nothing whereby the common people are drawn more easily into the ways of Sects and Separations then by the observation of the zeal and devotion of those of the factions These they take to be Religion and the great matters of Godliness and those the religious and only godly people And so first they conceive a great opinion of them and then follow them whithersoever they lead For the generality of men are tempted into Schism and Parties not so much by the arguments of Fanaticks as by the opinion of their Godliness which opinion is grounded upon those things which may arise from the meer Animal Religion and very commonly do so This they understand not and by this ignorance are betrayed into the snare of Separation to the disturbance of the Peace of the Church and their own great hurt and inconvenience Whereas could they be made to know and consider that complexion and natural passions may bring forth all these fruits they might be secured by this means against the tempting imposture and learn that Meekness and Patience Affability and Charity Iustice and a Peaceable humble temper are better arguments of Saintship than all these Thus a great mischief might be prevented and there is another also that might be remedied by the same Observation The inconvenience is this While the enemies of Factions object Hypocrisie to them affirming that all they do and say is meer personating and pretence they confirm and setle those people in their way for many of them know that they are in earnest and consequently that their opposers are mistaken in their judgments concerning them by which they are better establisht in their own good opinion and hardned against conviction whereas did they consider such things as I have suggested about the Animal Religion and grant to them that they may be serious believe themselves infinitely and feel all those Warmths which they pretend and yet be evil men and far enough from being godly Did they shew them that all their zeal and Devotion and more and greater than theirs may arise from a principle that hath nothing Divine and supernatural in it They would thereby strike them in the right vein and bring them down from the high perch whereon by their false marks they had placed themselves and thereby disabuse them and prevent the abuse of others SECT VI. VI. WE see how we may know our state whether it be that of Grace and Life or the other sad one of Unregeneracy and Death The state of Grace is a motion towards the recovery of the Divine Image and a perfect victory over our selves and all corrupt inclinations and affections The state of Unregeneracy and Death is the continuance under the power and prevalency of sense passion and evil habits When 't is a question to our selves in which of these states we are It must be supposed that we are arrived to something of Religion For the grosly wicked cannot but know what their condition is And the way I would propose to those others who are yet uncertain is this viz. To take notice Whether they really design and make any progress in Goodness Every motion indeed cannot be felt or perceived but if we go on though never so insensibly time will shew that we are grown If we consider what are our particular defects and studiously apply proper instruments to remove them if we find success in those indeavours and that we are better this year than we were the former That our Passions are better governed and our inordinate affections more restrained and our evil habits and inclinations less powerful with us 't is an infallible sign that we live and are in a state of Grace that we shall at last arrive to a perfect man in Christ Iesus Eph. iv 13 and shall attain if we faint not 2 Cor. iv 1 whereas on the other hand If we come to some hopeful pitch and stand still there If sin and temptation be as powerful with us now as they were a year ago and our inclinations and passions just at the same pass we are in a bad state and dead While the Plant grows it lives and may become a great tree though at present it be but small whereas that whose stature is bigger and more promising if it proceeds not decaies and comes to nothing Though we are imperfect if we are striving and going towards perfection God overlooks our Infirmities and pardons them for Christ's sake This is our sincerity and an effect of true Faith But if on the other hand we think our selves well and do not always attempt forwards our state is bad and our sins will be imputed Be our pretences what they will our Faith is not sincere and will not stead us When we get to a certain pitch in Religion and make that our state 't is an argument that our Religion was meerly Animal and but a mode of complexion self love and natural fear When we overcome some sins and are willing to spare and cherish others 't is a sign that we are not sincere in our attempts upon any and that what we have done was not performed upon good and divine motives Sincerity is discovered by growth and this is the surest mark that I know of Tryal So that we have no reason to presume though as we think we have gone a great way if we go not on Nor on the other side have we any to despair though our present attainments are but small if we are proceeding The buds and tenderest blossoms of Divine Grace are acceptable to God when the fairest leaves of the meer Animal Religion are nothing in his estimate This is a great advantage we have from the Gospel that imperfection will be accepted where there is sincerity whereas according to the measures of exact and rigorous Justice no man could be made happy in the high degree of glory but he that was perfect and whose victories were absolute SECT VII VII IT may be collected from our Discourse wherein the Power of Godliness consists viz. In a progress towards perfection and an intire victory over all the evils of our Natures The Forms of Godliness are not only in the ceremonies of Worship and external actions of
to all thy Commandments saith the Kingly Prophet Psal. cxix 6 'T is shameful to give off when our work is but half done what we do casts the greater reproach upon us for what we omit To cease to be prophane is something as a passage but nothing for an end We are not Saints as soon as we are civil 'T is not only gross sins that are to be overcome The wages of sin is death not only of the great and capital but of the smallest if they are indulged The Pharisee applauded himself that he was not like the Extortioners Adulterers and unjust nor like the Publican that came to pray with him Luk. xviii 11 and yet he went away never the more justified The unwise Virgins were no profligate livers and yet they were shut out He that will enter must strive against every corrupt appetite and inclination A less leak will sink a Ship as well as a greater if no care be taken of it A Consumption will kill as well as the Plague yea sometimes the less Disease may in the event prove more deadly than the greater for small distempers may be neglected till they become incurable when as the great ones awaken us to speedy care for a remedy A small hurt in the finger slighted may prove a gangreen when a great wound in the head by seasonable applications is cured 'T is unsafe then to content our selves with this that our sins are not foul and great those we account little ones may prove as fatal yea they are sometimes more dangerous For we are apt to think them none at all or Venial infirmities that may consist with a state of grace and Divine favour we excuse and make Apologies for them and fancy that Hearing and Prayer and Confession are atonements enough for these Upon which accounts I am apt to believe that the less notorious Vices have ruined as many as the greatest Abominations Hell doth not consist only of Drunkards and Swearers and Sabbath-breakers No the demure Pharisee the plausible Hypocrite and formal Professor have their place also in that lake of fire The great impieties do often startle and awaken conscience and beget strong convictions and so sometimes excite resolution and vigorous striving while men hug themselves in their lesser sins and carry them unrepented to their graves The sum is We may overcome some sins and turn from the grosser sort of wickedness and yet if we endeavour not to subdue the rest we are still in the condition of unregeneracy and death and though we thus seek we shall not enter 4. A Man may perform many duties of Religion and that with relish and delight and yet miscarry As 1. He may be earnest and swift to hear and follow Sermons constantly from one place to another and be exceedingly pleased and affected with the Word and yet be an evil Man and in a bad state Herod heard Iohn Baptist gladly Mark vi 20 and he that received the seed into stony places received it joyfully Mat. xiii 20 Zeal for hearing doth not always arise from a conscientious desire to learn in order to practise but sometimes it proceeds from an itch after novelty and notions or an ambition to be famed for Godliness or the importunity of natural conscience that will not be satisfied except we do something or a desire to get matter to feed our opinions or to furnish us with pious discourse I say earnestness to hear ariseth very often from some of these and when it doth so we gain but little by it yea we are dangerously tempted to take this for an infallible token of our Saintship and so to content our selves with this Religion of the ear and to disturb every body with the abundance of our disputes and talk while we neglect our own spirits and let our unmortified affections and inclinations rest in quiet under the shadow of these specious services So that when a great affection to hearing seiseth upon an evil man 't is odds but it doth him hurt It puffs him up in the conceit of his Godliness and makes him pragmatical troublesome and censorious He turns his food into poyson Among bad men those are certainly the worst that have an opinion of their being godly and such are those that have itching ears under the power of vitious habits and inclinations An earnest diligent hearer then may be one of those who seeks and is shut out And so may 2. He that Fasts much and severely The Iews were exceedingly given to fasting and they were very severe in it They abstained from all things pleasant to them and put on sackcloth and sowre looks and mourned bitterly and hung down the head and sate in ashes so that one might have taken these for very holy penitent mortified people that had a great antipathy against their sins and abhorrence of themselves for them And yet God complains of these strict severe Fasters Zach. vii 5 That they did not Fast unto him but fasted for strife and debate Isa. lviii 4 Their Fasts were not such as he had chosen to loose the bands of wickedness to undo the heavy burden and to let the oppressed free vers 6. But they continued notwithstanding their Fasts and Gods admonitions by his Prophets to oppress the widow and fatherless and poor Zach. vii 10 Thus meer natural and evil men sometimes put on the garb of Mortification and exercise rigors upon their bodies and external persons in exchange for the indulgences they allow their beloved appetites and while the strict Discipline reacheth no further though we keep days and fast often yet this will not put us beyond the condition of the Pharisee who fasted twice in the week as himself boasted Luke xviii 12 And 3. An imperfect striver may be very much given to pious and religious discourses He may love to be talking of Divine things especially of the love of Christ to sinners which he may frequently speak of with much earnestness and affection and have that dear name always at his tongues end to begin and close all his sayings and to fill up the void places when he wants what to say next and yet this may be a bad man who never felt those Divine things he talks of and never loved Christ heartily and as he ought 'T was observed before that there are some who have a sort of Devoutness and Religion in their particular Complexion and if such are talkative as many times they are they will easily run into such discourses as agree with their temper and take pleasure in them for that reason and for this also because they are apt to gain us reverence and the good opinion of those with whom we converse And such as are by nature disposed for this faculty may easily get it by imitation and remembrance of the devout forms they hear and read so that there may be nothing Divine in all this nothing but what may consist with unmortified lusts and affections And though such talk