not sinfull where the affection and desire to duties is not quenched but held up in strength But when men do voluntarily lay downe their strength of holy endeavours in the wayes of God and move more slowly and negligently either much omitting or slightly performing the duties of godlinesse it is a signe that it is not with them as it hath beene Apoc. 2.4 5. 2. It is an abatement especially of such acts of grace as are internall and most proper to a godly man Especially in internal and most vitall actions as mourning for sinne rejoycing in God selfe judging heavenly improvement of the promises and providence of God desire of Christs appearing c. There may possibly be an holding up of duties externall as hearing prayer c. but if these inward actions and motions of the new man cease it is a certaine argument that a man is upon the losing hand Externall duties may be upheld by the power of conscience and other causes but those inward acts cannot spring but from an inward root Here Grace inherens is the womb and grace assistant is the mid wife the one gives disposition the other action so that when a man is lesse in these he hath lesse of God 3. In the abatement of externall acts In personall and secret duties there will be lesse done in personall and secret duties than in more publick duties which are with and before others pride and other civill respects may enkindle a false fire in a frozen heart the breath of applause may fill the sails move the ship which otherwise would lie still or move another way A Pharisaicall spirit will be much quickned with praise and glory and a servile spirit will be much provoked by feares men are content to doe more then they would sometimes through hope of the favour of men sometimes through feare of disfavour But such are moved not by the spirit that is from above but by the spirit that is in the world therefore judge your selves by secret acts follow your selves into your closets and retiring places and observe your diligence endevour and spirit in your hidden wayes and secret duties for what you are in them that you are indeed as then you may best take your height when you remove all advantages for if you stand upon any thing you will seeme higher then you are so you may best see the temper of your spirits when all externall enforcements are absent when you are your selves without the ingrediencies of respects to men to intermingle with your spirits As there will be lesse done in a time of desertion and an abatement of fruitfulnesse so you may discerne an indisposednesse By indisposednes and unmeetnesse to duties 1 Lesse willingnesse you may doe good Lesse willingnesse but it is rather as a taske r Nil nisi jussus agit Ovid. than a delight and you are not carried to it so much out of liking and contentment as by a compulsory judgement which layeth a necessity on you that you doe it as a debt and due which the law exacts upon paine of imprisonment but not as a free-will offering and Eucharisticall sacrifice When the heart is filled with God its delight is with him and he yeelds obedience in love and counts his worke wages an evill heart is hardly drawne to good it quarrels with the rule and is loath to be bound David when he was in distemper and left in the rage of his corruption was not willing to be limited by the law of God but when he was himselfe then he loved it Psal 119.129 Gold and silver was not so precious he chose it v. 137. he took it as his portion vers 57. I said oh Lord this is my portion I will keep thy words Å¿ Calvin in loc When a man enjoyeth God his walking with God is his life he is much affected with converse with him partly through love and sutablenesse to God in respect of which he is the Centre to which he tends and in which he rests partly through respect to the recompence which he hath in hope and partly for the sense of sweetnesse which he hath in his converse God meeting his servants with satisfying comforts sweet embracements and blessed coruscations and beames of mercy and loving kindnesse so that they say in their hearts with David It is good for me to draw near to God Psal 37.28 Yea love mightily commandeth and enclineth the hearts to duties but when a man is in greater distance from God then the pleasant wayes of holinesse which were to the soule as a delightfull Paradife are become as the way of a desart a way of thornes and briars a wearisome and unpleasant path 2 That zeale fervencie which you had will be much weakned Lesse zeal and fervency when God is with a man by powerfull and plentifull supplies of the spirit he musters up all the powers of his soule and cals in all his abilities to wait on God and to doe him service So David Praise the Lord O my soule and all that is within me blesse his holy name Psal 103.1 Observe with what contention and strength you were wont to doe what you did for if now you put lesse to it and goe on in a way of spirituall lazinesse and sloth it 's sure there is a diminution of heavenly influence this seemeth to be the case of the Church in the greatest part of it which caused the Prophet to complaine There is none that calleth upon thy name or stirreth up himselfe to take hold of thee Esay 64.7 CHAP. VII When a man is deserted his light is darkned THe second change which you may discerne in your selves The second change in one deserted is in his light is in your light and sight the eye of the soule that gate of spirituall life and death suffers and this being weakned a man is like Sampson when his eyes were put out t Plerumque oculus contemplationis amittitur post per carnis desideria hujus mundi laboribus animus subjugatur Testatur Sampson c. Greg. l. 7. mor. c. 13. apud Alvar. de auxil grat disput 46. num 2. brought into great misery bondage A four fold evill when God hides himselfe 1 Obscurity 2 Inefficacie 3 Vacuity 4 Incredulity 1 Obscurity Obscurity God shines not into the soule with such abundant light as before u Illuminatio intermittitur intenditur remittitur quis qui spiritum Christi sensit negarit aliquando contingere ut in majori aliquando in minori luce versetur Camer amic collat p. 55. but withdrawes himselfe from the intellectuall part and this causeth a withering and dying in the whole man for as our light is so is our life Psal 119.144 Here is the root of the maine difference betwixt Christians true and false strong and weake one seeth things as another seeth not A wicked man that is learned though he seeme to have light
of the soule upon this altar lyeth the fire of God if these coales be blowed up and cast upon the heart they will warme melt purge and quicken it There are two things in a renewed minde 1 A treasure of habituall knowledge You have 1. a treasure of knowledge it is the ark of God in which the tables of the law are kept the mystery of the Gospell is engraven on it so that the minde is as the head to the body which gives sence and motion to all the members spirituall truths are as the spirits in the head for the quickning of the soul 2 There is a power to use and improve these truths Power to use it by meditation and application i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Homer to awaken and provoke the will as a man hath power to counsell and perswade another so he may doe this to himselfe by this discursive faculty so we see David pleading with himselfe sometimes chiding Why art thou cast downe oh my soule and why art thou disquieted within me Psal 42.5 sometimes exciting himselfe to duty Praise the Lord oh my soule and all that is within me praise his holy name Psal 103.1 Sometime comforting himselfe in God Returne to thy rest oh my soule for God hath dealt bountifully with thee Psal 116.7 it was a usuall thing with him to talke with himselfe the minde hath a language as well as the body My reins teach me in the night season Psal 16.7 he found so much good in this way that he puts all upon it Commune with your hearts upon your beds and be still Psal 4.4 Bring out those truths which are laid up in you and whet them upon your selves God hath fitted you with faculties and powers to doe this you have an apprehensive faculty to lay in truths and notions a retentive faculty to lay them up and a recollective faculty to lay out you have not only power of intelligence but also of reminiscence that you may call to minde and ponder of things knowne and call them out of the Cels in which they lye to revive the heart the understanding is to the heart as the breast to the childe or as the stomach to the body all is fed by it set therefore upon your hearts with quickning thoughts for as rubbing and chafing the hands or other parts with hot oyles is a means to recover them when they are benummed so the plying of the heart with stirring thoughts enforcing arguments is a meanes to revive it among all thoughts there are none more prevalent then of sins past of heaven hell eternity love of God the death of Christ Rules helping to quicken the heart by the understanding these are strong cordials to cheare up the spirits To help you in this worke of dealing with your hearts let mee propound these rules 1 Make every notion practicall let the heart share with the understanding count not your selves better for a thousand notions except there bee some heate in them minde your hearts and strive to gain by all things if you reade or heare or discourse let your ayme and desire be to better your hearts 2 Be frequent in thoughts for mindlesse men are livelesse 3 Be ponderous for slight thoughts are weak in working 4 Pitch upon things which most concerne you all are good but some are more seasonable 5 Observe the temper of thy heart what may work most all thoughts have not the like efficacy in all the constitutions of mens soules differ learne to know your tempers 6 When thoughts begin to take hold ply them keep the fire burning and let it not goe out for want of blowing 7 Arme your thoughts with prayer beseech God to be in them Thus then employ your mindes this is Gods way God will keep his method which he hath set he hath appointed the minde to this office and he will not balke it Kings doe all by their officers God comes not himselfe into the inward temple but by this gate all his workings upon the heart are in a rationall way sutable to the state of the creature hee deales with the heart by the minde and upon the whole man by the heart as the first pipe takes in water for it selfe and for all the rest what ever is in the cistern of the heart is conveighed by the minde this is the spring in the watch of your soules winde up this and all the wheeles will move 2 Attend the ordinances Attend the Ordinances I will say no more of this having met with it before 3 Take the help of the Saints crave their counsels Seek help of the Saints their prayers use their company for they are living and they will impart their life they will be helpfull to the infirme they have a spirit of compassion to succour the necessitous Woe be to him that is alone if he fal who shall raise him up it may bee your forsaking the assembly of these hath brought you into this withering state God hath appointed the Saints unto fellowship and when they knit not but carelesly out of pride vaine feares or envy or any the like ungodly principle they hang off from each other they shall not prosper 4 Doe your first workes Doe your first works this is the counsell of Christ to a back sliding Church Apoc. 2.5 Doe your first workes for quantity as much as you did you see abatement hath impoverished you therefore work harder to make up your selves againe Doe them also as much as you are able for quality as you did before remember from whence you are fallen call to minde with what feare with what reverence with what diligence with what intention of spirit with what tendernesse you were wont to doe all so do againe Object Alas I cannot this is my misery if I could doe as I have done I could rejoyce Answ 1 You may doe more then you doe 2 See if the fault lie not more in the defect of will then of power and stir up your selves if you were more willing things would be more easie k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nazianz. De patre suo adictionem Episcopi Caesariensis prosecturo cum valetudinarius sevex est Orat. 20. 3 The more you strive the more yâ—â— will gaine the root of discouragement is unbeliefe when God bids you repent hee knoweth how little you strength is and how hard your heaâ—s are and so when he bids you pray heâ—â— knoweth your infirmities what thâ—â— are both those of Infancy and defectâ—â— grace and those of sicknesse by deâ—â—ning from him and his intent is not thaâ— you should worke out these alone but he cals upon you to put to your streÌ„gth and he will joyne with you and will gâ—â— hand in hand with you l 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aeschyl apud Stob. therefore awaken your selves and be encouraged for if you be doing he will worke with you in you for you And so you may recover
taken iâ— an ill time consider this you must be better ere you dye you must build uâ— the ruinous house within if you neglect these times of rest you may be forced to do it in a hard time when you must work by day and watch by night carry a toole in one hand and a weapon 〈◊〉 the other if you have a journey 〈◊〉 take you will take the fittest season now is your summer walk in the lighâ— while you have it now you have thâ— help of strength health friends ordinances prosperous estate you will find when these are gone it will be a saâ— thing to have this work to doe 5 God will fetch you in God will fetch you in if you come not if you come not he will shake thy soule with feares and drop bitternesse into thy spirit oâ— send outward afflictions upon thee to visit thy carelesnesse upon thee Physicians they say in the cure of the Lethargie doe sometimes put the patient into a feavour when Ephesus lay in such a stupified condition Christ came with a sharp medicine I wil come unto thee quickly fight against thee c. Apoc. 2.4 5. afflictions will stir you when God layâ—th on the rod you will feele that it was a bitter thing to neglect him then your heavy eyed and sleeping conscience shall hit you home and as the yong Lions roare and yell so shall the thoughts of your hearts fill you with a cry like unto that of the Propher Hast thou not procured this unto thy self in that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God when he led thee by the way Jer. 2.17 and now it will put you in minde of running to your pleasures and sinfull vanities as the Prophet doth Now saith he what hast thou to doe in the way of Egypt to drink the waters of Sihor or what hast thou to doe in the way of Assyria to drinke the waters of the river thine own wickednesse shall correct thee and thy backstidings shall reprove thee k Peccatum est spiritui sancto locus quasi dialecticus medium ad conclusionem contra peccantem Vid. Paris de libel divin c. 25. know therefore and see that it is an evill thing and bitter that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God and that his feare is not in thee ver 18 19. My brethren if the word will not the rod must learne then to avoide blowes if counsell draw you you â—ay escape but the rod is for the back of fooles if you come not in expeâ— some sad messenger God will doâ—â—â— Absalom with Ioab who set fire on iâ— corne because hee came not when he sent for him 2 Sam. 14.29 30 3â— Therefore while the season is calne put forth and seek to regain what you have lost 6 God is not well pleased when heâ— witholdeth himselfe when he estrargeth himselfe and is not with you it is a signe that hee is angry Remember those words of Moses Numb 14.4 42 43. When you goe to fight againâ—â— the Canaanites and Amalekites your lusts and tentations you cannot prosper Because ye are turned away from the Lord therefore the Lord will not be with yoâ— And how doth the Church bewaile the displeasure of God against her Thou hast cast us off and put us to sham and goest not forth with our armies Psal 44.9 It is true that sometimes out of his soveraignty and absolute dominionâ— he may doe this but yet the thing in iâ— selfe is a signe of disfavour therefore iâ— is not safe to abide in such a case leâ— then your relation to him the knowledge of his power the sweetnesse of his favour your love to him the kindnesse which he hath shewed you put you upon a study of reconcilement that you may enjoy your former happinesse and his ancient loving kindnesse According to the presence of God with you 3. Motive As Gods presence with you is so is your life the proportion and measure of spirituall life will bee as the more the plants have of the Sun the more they thrive All the efficacy of ordinances and all the activity of grace depends upon this as the house of Obed-Edom was blessed and all that pertained to him when the Arke the signes of Gods presence was with him 2 Sam. 6.11 12. so great prosperity of soule is there where God hath his abode and where he puts forth his power and spreads his quickning vertue upon the soule were it not an happinesse to be inriched in grace and to have your grain of mustard seed growing up unto a tall tree Awaken your selves and fall to thinking of this matter We should not be content with little why are you willing to live so poorely that might live like Princes and to creep with the snaile when you might mount as Eagles let me suggest a few incentives to quicken your spirits 1 If you have but little you can doe but little Because if you have but little you can doe but little for nothing can exceed the spheare and compasse of its ability much grace makes strong to worke and abundant in working a full spring makes a full streame much grace gives much willingnesse and as your willingnesse is so is your strength I say not that strength and willingnesse are alway equall for I know a godly mans will is beyond his power and he cannot doe what he would Gal. 5.17 but yet by how much the more the heart is prepared by so much the more it is enabled the greatest part of the impotency and deadnesse of unregenerate men is this that they are unwilling and averse unto God and disaffection bindes them as in chaines that they cannot walke with God and the strength of a godly man lyeth most in his will what is the strength of lusts in others but the will what is the strength and courage of a souldier but a strong will what is the bounty of a liberall man but a large will to doe good This will be then your advantage you will doe more when you have more and the more you doe the greater will your reward be He that soweth sparingly shall reape sparingly and he that soweth bountifully shall reape bountifully 2 Cor. 9.6 Every man hath a large field to sow in for the world is as a field to every man therefore get much into your garners that you may now sow much and reape much when the harvest commeth 2. Your works will be more perfect and compleat if you have much Your workes will bee more perfect every thing workes as it is there is a great difference betwixt the worke of a child and of a man When I was a child I spake as a child I understood as a child I thought as a childe but when c. 1 Cor. 13.11 Actions are the births of habits and the childe will carry the likenesse of the Father if the spring be affected with an ill quality so will the streames also a man that hath