the Habits or Natural Inclinations He is contented with other things that make a more glorious shew though they signifie less and perhaps despiseth these under the notion of Morality and so presuming that he is a Saint too soon he never comes to be one at all such are the seekers that shall not be able to enter Their seeking imports some striving but 't is such as though it be specious yet it is imperfect and will not succeed And hence the THIRD Proposition ariseth that I proposed to discourse CHAP. III. THE danger of mistaking in the Marks Measures of Godliness Instances of the meer Animal Religion how far it may go in Faith in Prayer and in Endeavour â— discoursed in several Particulars and therein the whole mystery of the Modern Pharisaick Godliness is discovered and shewn to be short and insufficient Objections against the severity of the Discourse answered SECT I. III. THat there is a sort of striving that will not procure an entrance implyed in these words For many will seek to enter in and shall not be able 'T is a dangerous thing to be flattered into a false peace and to take up with imperfect Godliness to reconcile the hopes of Heaven to our beloved sins and to judge our conditions safe upon insufficient grounds This multitudes do and 't is the great danger of our days Men cannot be contented without doing something in Religion but they are contented with a little And then they reckon themselves godly before they are vertuous and take themselves to be Saints upon such things as will not distinguish a good man from a bad We seek after Marks of Godliness and would be glad to know how we might try our state The thing is of great importance and if the Signs we judge by are either false or imperfect we are deceived to our undoing Meer Speculative mistakes about Opinions do no great hurt but errour in the Marks and Measures of Religion is deadly Now there are sundry things commonly taken for signs of Godliness which though they are something yet they are not enough They are hopeful for beginnings but nothing worth when they are our end and rest They are a kind of seeking and imperfect striving but not such as overcometh the difficulties of the way or will procure us an entrance at the Gate Therefore to disable the flattering insufficient marks of Godliness I shall discover in pursuance of the Third Proposition How far a man may strive in the exercises of Religion and yetâ— be found at last among those seekers that shall not be able to enter And though I have intimated something of this in the general before yet I shall now more particularly shew it in the Instances that follow And in these I shall discover a Religion that may be called Animal to which the Natural man may attain SECT II. 1. A Man may believe the Truths of the Gospel and assent heartily to all the Articles of the Creed and if he procâ—eds not he is no further by this than the faith of Devils Jam. ii 19 2. He may go on and have a great thirst to be more acquainted with Truth He may seek it diligently in Scripture and Sermons and good Books and knowing Company And yet do this by the motion of no higher principle than an inbred curiosity and desire of knowledge and many times this earnestness after Truth proceeds from a proud affectation to be wiser than our Neighbours that we may pity their darkness or the itch of a disputing humour that we may out talk them or a design to carry on or make a party that we may be called Rabbi or serve an Interest And the zeal for Truth that is set on work by such motives is a spark of that fire that is from beneath 'T is dangerous to a mans self and to the publick weal of the Church and mankind But the man proceeds and is 3. Very much concern'd to defend and propagate his Faith and the Pharisees were so in relation to theirs Mat. xxiii 15 and so have been many Professors of all the Religions that are or ever were Men naturully love their own Tenents and are ambitious to mould others judgments according to theirs There is glory in being an instructer of other men and turning them to our ways and opinions so that here is nothing yet above Nature nothing but what may be found in many that seek and are shut out But 4. Faith works greater effects than these and Men offer themselves to Martyrdom for it This one would think should be the greatest height and an argument that all the difficulties of the way are overcome by one that is so resolved and that the Gate cannot but be opened to him And so no doubt it is when all things else are sutable But otherwise these consequences by no means follow St. Paul supposeth that a man may give his body to be burned and not have Charity without which his Martyrdom will not profit 1 Cor. xiii For one to deny his Religion or what he believes to be certain and of greatest consequence is dishonourable and base and some out of principles of meer natural bravery will die rather than they will do it and yet upon other accounts be far enough from being heroically virtuous Besides the desire of the glory of Martyrdom and Saintship after it may in some be stronger than the terrors of Death and we see frequently that men will sacrifice their lives to their honour and reputation yea to the most contemptible shaddows of it And there is no passion in us so weak no lust so impotent but hath in many instances prevail'd over the fear of dying Every Appetite hath had its Martyrs and all Religions theirs and though a man give his body to be burnt for the best and have not Charity viz. Prevalent love to God and Men it will not signifie So that Martyrdom is no infallible mark nor will it avail any thing except sincere endeavour to overcome the greater difficulties have gone before it Thus far Faith may go without effect and yet one step further 5. Men may confidently rely upon Christ for salvation and be firmly perswaded that he hath justified and will make them happy They may appropriate him to themselves and be pleased mightily in the opinion of his being theirs And yet notwithstanding this confidence may be in the number of those seekers that shall not enter For Christ is the Author of eternal life only to those that obey him Heb. v. 9 and to obey him is to strive vigorously and constantly to overcome all our sinful inclinations and habits And those that trust he will save them though they have never seriously set about this work deceive themselves by vain presumption and in effect say that he will dissolve or dispense with his Laws in their favour For he requires us to deny our selves Mar. viii 34 To mortifie the body Rom. viii 13 To love enemies Mat. v. 44
Instrument of our Happiness and means that we must use implied in striving viz. SECT III. III. ACtive endeavour in which Repentance and the fruits of it are implied Both Faith and Prayer are in order to this and without it they can neither of them turn to account For Faith without works is dead Jam. ii 20 and Prayer without endeavour fruitless yea indeed in the Divine estimate it is â—one at all 'T is bodily exercise no Prayer For when we invoke Gods â—elp we desire it that we may use â—t Divine grace is not a Treasure to lay up by us but an instrument to â—ork with And when we pray that God would assist us in our endeaâ—ours and endeavour not at all we mock God and trifle with him in our Prayers I say then That enâ—eavour is necessary and necessary in â— degree so eminent that this is always included in Faith when 't is â—aken in the highest and noblest â—vangelical sense viz. for the Faith â—hich justifies and saves for that â—omprehends all those endeavours â—nd their fruits whereby we are â—ade happy We must not expect that God â—hould do all exclusively in the â—ork of our Salvation He doth his part and we must do ours though we do that by his help too He that made us without oâ—â— selves will not save us without oâ—â— selves said the Father We are commanded to seek Mat vii 7 To Ruâ— 1 Cor. ix 24 To fight 1 Tim. vi 12 To give diligence 2 Pet. i. 10 Theâ—â— all import action and endeavour And that endeavour must not bâ— only a faint purpose or formal service but it must be imployed in the highest degree of care and diligence The Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence Mat xi 12 and thiâ— violence must not be used in at heat and sudden fit only that cools and dies and contents it self with having been warm for a time Buâ— it must be a steady and constanâ— course of activity a continual striving to overcome the remaining difficulties of the way We must endeavour then vigorously and constantly and in that after our Faith is strengthned by deep consideration and divine assistance implored by ardent Prayer our course is I. To abstain from all the outward actions of SIN and to perform the external acts of the contrary vertues To cease to do evil Isa. i. 16 is the first step When the Publicans askt Iohn the Baptist Luke iii. 12 what they should do His direction was That they should not exact vers 13. and to the Souldiers asking the same question he answers Do violence to no man vers 14. These were the sins of their particular Professions which were to be quitted before any thing could be done higher We have ordinarily more power over our actions than our habits and therefore we should begin here and resolve deeply by divine help to cut off those supplies that feed vitious inclinations For wicked habits are maintain'd by actions of wickedness when they cease the inclinations grow more faint and weak And when we are come but thus far to have confined our lusts we shall be encouraged to proceed to destroy them 'T is said There is no great distance between a Princes Prison and his Grave The saying is most true in the Case of Tyrants and Usurpers â— and the habits of sin are both when they are restrain'd they are not faâ— from being destroyed if we imploy our endeavours and the divine aids as we ought This then I say must be donâ— First and the other part of the advice must be taken with it viz. we must â—ractise the outward actions of the â—ontrary vertues We must do well when we cease to do evil When we â—urn from darkness it must be to â—ight Acts xxvi 18 Not from one â—ind of darkness to another When we cease to oppress we must be â—haritable when we leave to tyranâ—ize over our inferiours we must â—e kind and helpful to them When â—e forbear to slander we must â—eak all the good we can of our Neighbour The outward actions of vertue â—re in our power and 't is somewhat â—o come so far as this What is â—ore viz. The inward love and deâ—â—ght in goodness will succeed in â—â—me if we persevere 'T is not â—â—fe for us to propose to our selves â—â—e greatest heights at first if we do we are discouraged and fall back God accepts even of that little if it be in order to more He despiseth not the day of small things Zech. iv 10 If thou dost well shalt thou not be accepted Christ loved the young man who had kept the external part of the Commandments Mark x. 21 If he had had the courage to have proceeded what he had done would have steaded him much The inward love of vertue and holiness is promoted by the outward exercises oâ— them and hereby the contrary evils are both pined and thrust out Thus of the First thing â—hat endeavour implies upon this muâ—â— follow next II. An attempt upâ—n evil habiâ—â— viz. Those that have been superâ— induced on us by carâ—lesness anâ— temptation bad customs and evil company Every victory is a means to another we grow stronger and the enemy weaker by it To have overcome the outward acts of sin is a beginning in our spiritual warfare but our chief enemies are the habits these must be attempted also but with prudence wild beasts are not to be dealt with by main strength Aâ—t and stratagem must be used in â—his War and 't is good policy I think â—ere to fight the least powerful foes â—irst the contracted habits before we fall on the inbred natural inclinations While our forces are weak â—tis dangerous setting upon the â—trongest holds viz. the vices of â—omplexion which are woven into our very natures If a man apply â—ll his force where he hath not resoâ—ution enough to go through with what he undertakes he receives a foyl and 't is odds but he sits down and faints Prudence therefore is to be used where we distrust our strength Fall upon sin then where 't is weakest where it hath least of nature and least of temptation and where we have arguments from reputation and worldly interests wherewith to war against it If we prevail we are heartned by the success Our Faith and resolution will grow stronger by this experience when we have triumpht over the sins of evil custom example and sensual indulgence And when that is done we must remember that 't is not enough that those habits are thrust out others must be planted in their room when the soyl is prepared the seed must be sown and the seeds of vertuouâ— habits are the actions of vertue These I recommended under the last head and shall say more of the introducing habits under one that follows on purpose III. The next advance in our endeavours is In the strength of God and in the Name of his Son to assault the greâ—ter Devils and to strive to cast out them I mean the sins of
5. Chapter of Matthew is an excellent Lecture of this kind So that to disparage morality is to disgrace Christianity it self and to vilifie one of the ends of Christs coming into the world For all Religion and all duties respect either God our neighbour or our selves and the duties that relate to these two last are moral vertues The Apostle St. Iames counted these Moralities of visiting the Widow and Fatherless to be the pure Religion and undefiled â— Jam. i. 17 And the Prophet Micah intimates that those moral virtues of justice and mercy were some of the main things that God required of us Mich. vi 8 Our Saviour saith that the whole Law is summ'd up in these two to love God with all our souls and our neighbour as our selves Math. xxii 13 which latter contains the duties of morality And that which the grace of God in the Gospel teacheth according to St Paul is to live soberly righteously and godly in this present world Tit. ii 11 There is no godliness without morality All the fruits of the Spirit reckon'd up Gal. v. 22 are moral virtues And when we are commanded to groâ— in grace 2 Pet. iii. 18 vertue is partly understood For one branch of what is call'd Grace in us is moral vertue produced by divine aids Christian principles and incouragements though 't is true the word is extended to those duties that relate immediately to God also By which we see how ignorantly and dangerously those people talk that disparage morality as a dull lame thing of no account or reckoning Upon this the Religion of the 2d Table is by too many neglected and the whole mystery of the new Godliness is lay'd in frequent hearing and devout seraphick talk luscious phancies new lights incomes manifestations sealings in-dwellings and such like Thus Antinomianism and all kinds of Phanaticism have made their way by the disparagement of morality and men have learnt to believe themselves the chosen pretious people while their hearts have been full of malice and bitterness and their hands of violence while they despised dominions and spoke evil of dignities rebel'd against the Government destroyed publique peace and endeavoured to bring all into misery and confusions 'T is this diabolical project of dividing morality from Religion that hath given rise and occasion to all these villanies And while the practisers of such things have assumed the name of the only godly Godliness it self hath been brought into disgrace by them and Atheism incouraged to shew it self in open defiance to Religion Yea through the indiscretions and inconsiderateness of some preachers the phantastry and vain babble of others and the general disposition of the people to admire what makes a great shew and pretends to more then ordinary spirituality things are in many places come to that pass that those who teach Christian vertue and Religion in plainness and simplicity without senseless phrases and phantastick affectations shall be reckon'd for dry moralists and such as understand nothing of the life and power of Godliness Yea those people have been so long used to gibberish and canting that they cannot understand plain sense and vertue is become such a stranger to their ears that when they hear it spoken of in a pulpit they count the preacher a broacher of new divinity and one that would teach the way to heaven by Philosophy And he escapes well if they do not say That he is an Atheist or that he would reconcile us to Gentilism and Heathen Worship The danger and vanity of which ignorant humour the contempt of morality is apparent in the whole scope of my Discourse and therefore I add no more concerning it here but proceed to another Inference which is SECT IV. IV. That Grace and the new Nature make their way by degrees on the soul for the difficulties will not be removed nor the corrupt nature subdued all at once Habits that grow by repeated acts time and continuance will not be expelled in a moment No man can become greatly evil or good on a sudden The Path of the just shines more and more to a perfect day Prov. iv 18 We do not jump from darkness into full light We are not fully sanctified and converted in an instant The day begins in an insensible dawn and the Kingdom of heaven is like a grain of Mustard seed Mat. xiii 31 It doth not start up presently to the stature of a tree The Divine birth begins like the Natural in an imperfect embryo There are some seeds of Knowledge and Goodness that God hath sown in our natures these are excited by the Divine Grace and Spirit to convictions which proceed to purposes these to resolutions and thence we pass to abstinence from all gross sins and the performance of outward Duties and so at last by degrees to vigorous attempts for the destruction of evil habits and inclinations When Grace is arrived to this eminent growth 't is very visible as the Plant is when 't is above the ground But the beginnings of Conversion are not ordinarily perceived So that to catechize men about the punctual time and circumstances of their Conversion is an idle device and a great temptation to vanity and lying Who can tell the exact moment when the night ends and the dawn enters 'T is true indeed the passage from the excesses of Wickedness which begins in some extraordinary horrors and convictions is sometimes very notable but 't is not not so in all or most The time of St. Paul's Conversion was eminent but that change was from great contrarieties and miraculous and therefore 't is not to be drawn into instance Both the beginnings and minute progressions of Grace are usually undiscerned We cannot see the Grass just putting out of the earth or actually growing but yet we find that it doth both And Grace is better known in its fruits than in its rise By their Fruits ye shall know them saith our Saviour Mat. xii 33 and the same way we may know our selves SECT V. V. We see that there is an Animal as well as a Divine Religion A Religion that is but the effect and modification of complexion natural fear and self love How far these will go we have seen and how short it will prove in the end The not noting this hath been the sad occasion of deceiving many Some observing great heats of zeal and devotion in the modern Pharisees take these to be the Saints and good people believing all the glorious things which they assume to themselves When others that know them to be envious and malitious unjust and covetous proud and ungovernable and cannot therefore look on them as such choise holy people are apt to affirm all to be hypocrisie and feigning In which sentences both are mistaken for want of knowing that there is a meer Animal Religion that will produce very specious and glorious effects So that though the Pharisee Prays vehemently and Fasts severely and talks much of the love of
feigned Piety But all the fine things of the Animal Religion I have mentioned are of this kind and they are the worst sort By the grosser Forms men hardly deceive others by these they effectually gull themselves So that many that vehemently oppose Forms are the greatest Formalists themselves Forms of Worship may well agree with the Power of Godliness when as zeal against Forms may be a Form it self whatever makes shew of Religion and doth not make us better that 's a Form at least to us There are Spiritual Forms as well as those of the other sort and these are most deadly Poyson is worst in Aqua-Vitae He that speaks his Prayers ex tempore with vehemence and lowdness if he strive not against his ill nature and self will is as much a Formalist as he that tells his Prayers by his Beads and understands not one word he saith And those that run away from Forms in Churches meet more dangerous ones in Barns and private corners Orthodox Opinions devout Phrases set Looks melting Tones affected Sighs and vehement Raptures are often meer Forms of Godliness that proceed from the Animal Religion which it self is a Form likewise O that the observers of so many motes in their Brothers eye would learn to throw out the Beams of their own The Form of Godliness that pretends it self to be no more is not so hurtful But the Forms that call themselves the Power are deadly 'T is the Formality and Superstition of Separatists that keeps on the Separation They contend for phancies and arbitrary trifles We for order and obedience The People are abused by names and being frighted by the shadows of Superstition and Formality they run into the worst Formality and silliest Superstition in the World The Kingdom of heaven consists not in meats and drinks Rom. xiv 17 neither in Circumcision nor Uncircumcision 1 Cor. vii 19 not in zeal for little things nor against them both the one and the other are equally formal The power of Religion lies in using Divine aids heartily and constantly in order to the overcoming the Difficulties of our way This Godliness is not exercised so much in reforming others as our selves The chief design is to govern within and not to make Laws for the World without us This is that Wisdom that is from above which is pure and peaceable Jam. iii. 17 It makes no noise and bluster abroad but quietly minds its own business at home So that certainly the best men have not always had the greatest fame for Godliness as the wisest have very seldom been the most popular They are the effects of the Animal Religion that make the biggest shew The voice of true Religion is heard in quiet it sounds not in the corners of the street The power of Godliness is seen in Iustice Meekness Humility and Charity things that look not so splendidly as the Spiritual Forms And thus of the INFERENCES and COROLLARIES that may be drawn from my Discourse which though they cannot all be inferred from any of its minute and separated parts yet they lie in the design and contexture of it CHAP. V. Practical Advice for a CONCLUSION I Hasten now to Advice for Practice The way of Happiness is difficult but the difficulties may be overcome by striving A little will not do many seekers are shut out what remains then but that we perswade our selves to strive and that diligently with constant resolution and endeavour We were made for Happiness and Happiness all the World seeks Who will shew us any good Psal. iv 6 is the voice of all the Creatures We have sought it long in emptiness and shadows and that search hath still ended in shame and disappointment Where true substantial Felicity is we know and the Way we know Joh. xiv 4 It is not hid from us in Clouds and thick Darkness or if it were 't were worth our pains to search after it It is not at so great a distance but it may be seen yea it may be brought so near as to be felt Though the way is streight yet 't is certain or if it were otherwise who would not venture his pains upon the possibility of such an issue Many Difficulties are in it but our Incouragements and Assistances are infinite The love of God and the gift of his son the bloud of Christ and his intercession the aids of the Spirit and the directions of the Gospel the Invitations and Promises the rare Precepts and incomparable Examples of those holy men that have gone before us These are mighty helps and great motives to assist us in striving and to quicken us to it Let us then arise in the strength of Faith and in the incouragement of those aids and attempt with courage upon the Difficulties of our way Let us ingage our deepest Resolutions and most diligent endeavours Here is no need to deliberate the things are necessary the benefits unspeakable and the event will be glorious It is no Question I hope whether God or the Creature is to be first chosen whether Heaven or Hell be better and therefore there is no cause that we should stay and consider we cannot be rash here we cannot hurt our selves by a too sudden ingagement we have delayed too long already and every moment we sit still is one lost to our Duty and our Happiness Let us resolve then and begin with courage and proceed with diligence 't is our End and Felicity for which we are to strive and every thing is active for its End and Perfection All Creatures are diligent in serving the Designs of Providence the Heavens are in restless motion and the Clouds are still carrying about their fruitful Waters the sluggish Earth it self is always putting forth in variety of Trees and Grass and Flowers the Rivers run towards the Sea the Brooks move towards them and the Sea within it self Thus all things even in inanimate Nature may mind us of acting towards our end And if we look a little higher the Beasts of the Field the Fowls and Cattel and creeping things are diligent in striving after the good and perfection of their Natures and Solomon sends the Sluggard to those little Insects the Ant and Bee to teach him activity and diligence Prov. vi 6 And shall the Beasts act more reasonably than the professed Sons of Reason May it not shame us that we need instruction from the Creatures that have no understanding With what face can we carry our heads so high and look down with Contempt upon inferiour Animals when they live more wisely and more regularly than we The Sum is All things are incessantly moving towards an End and Happiness is ours which therefore should ingage our most careful Thoughts and most active Endeavours We are solicitous and diligent about things of infinitely less moment and in effect of none viz. uncertain Riches sensual Pleasures and worldly Honours though the way to these is sufficiently difficult and uneasie yet we are not discouraged