hinder the devil that he shall not joyn his suggestions to the sinful motions of your own hearts 2. If you do not resist motions while they are motions there will be a more eager vehement pronenesse to sin in your natures then was before acting of sin is not the way to cease and quell a sinful motion but to increase it it is as it were a casâ—ing oile into the fire to make it burn the more the way therefore to quell sinful motions is to withstand whilest they are so In Philosophy we say that acts do strengthen habits Habitus acquiritur actibus actus confirmant habitum if a man hath a habit of any grace acting of that grace makes the habit more strong thus it is in sin acting of sin begets a greater pronenesse thereunto and therefore it behoves you to keep under sins motions lest they lead you farther to sinful actions For sinful suggestions when they meet with our sinful inclinations the inclination begets consent consent acting acting continuance of act then delight then security and then scornful contempt of all reproof and means of amendment If you keep not under sin in its motion it will be more difficult for thee to suppresse corruption if a house be on fire and you can keep the fire within there is no danger of a great conflagration but if it break out into the aire and the winde take hold on it then it will burn exceedingly thus it will be with thee in regard of thy sin if thou keepest it not under in the motion it will be hard for thee to suppresse it afterwards We take physick by way of prevention health of body and soul too is more easily preserved then restored A sore neglected growes a gangrene one part being infected after another till there be no soundnesse in the flesh 2. Keep off from all external occasions of that sin which thou hast a motion to commit whatever thy sin be suppose it be pride wear not that apparel which may minister an occasion of pride suppose drunkennesse keep from bad company if it be uncleannesse Prov. 5.8 keep off from the dore of the harlot carefully avoid occasions of sin This is very imitable in Joseph Gen 39.10 it is said that as his Mistresse spake to him day by day that he hearkened not unto her to lie by her or to be with her he kept out of her company as much as might be And this is the counsel and command of the Lord Keep thee far from a false matter Exod. 23.7 the occasions of sin are as it were the awakening of corrupt nature what else should be the reason that a man not thinking of sin when he hath an occasion hath a motion to commit it therefore be not ventrous to run upon occasions of sin and whensoever thou art moved to any sin keep off from the external occasion thereof A Divine sets out men ventring upon occasions of sin to be like those who pray to God they may not be burned and yet will thrust their fingers into the fire thou which prayest against sins motions have a care also to keep from sinnes occasions 2 Thess 5.27 Gods children are bound to abstain from all appearance of evil 1 Thess 5.17 and to hate the garment spotted with the flesh Jude 25. Jude 25. The Nazarite was not only to abstain from wine but also from touching the very husk of the grape Numb 6.3,4 Numb 6 3,4 3. Labour to unarm the flesh As the godly have armour and the peeces thereof are registred in the 6 Chap. to the Ephes So the flesh hath armour to fortify it self it is armed with power labour to conquer it with malice with an insatiable desire of thy ruine with manifold solicitations to sin Now labour to disarm it of all its pretences of all its policies You must do with sinne in this case as the Philistines with the Israelites they fearing that the Israelites would wage warre against them used this stratagem they would suffer no iron weapon to be found among them nor no Smith in Israel to make these weapons Do you as the Philistines did unarm sin take away any occasion which corrupt nature may have to act transgression in you you must do as the Rechabites did they were commanded not to drink wine and they would not yeeld to any temptation or solicitation to break that Commandment disarm sinne by taking away its occasions 4. Do not so much dispute with evil motions as resist them It is the folly of many that they will dispute with sins temptations whereas there is no man that hath ever consulted with flesh and blood but at last hath been overcome by it Count the flesh as thy enemy but never let it be thy Counsellor the flesh is a great dissembler it hath such subtile insinuations such slie evasions that it will cheat a man into sin and therefore do not dispute with it you will do with disputing with flesh as our first parents with the devil after disputing they fall to eating the flesh will tell thee this sin is profitable for thee and the other sin is pleasurable and suitable and therefore beware of sin and be more in resisting then in disputing with the flesh 5. Give thy selfe much to the exercises of mortification and the exercises of those duties which tend thereunto and this will be an especial means to preserve thee There are three duties I shall commend to you for this end Spiritual watchfulnesse prayer and fasting You have two of these duties prescribed by our Saviour together Mat. 26.41 Watch and pray sayes he that ye enter not into temptation The flesh will be still assaulting thee and Satan by thy flesh and therefore we had need to be still watching and praying the warre between the flesh and Spirit is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be much in watchfulnesse against the occasions of sin Watch over the outward senses of thy body and over the inward faculties of thy minde be much in prayer that sinful motions may be suppressed and subdued Do not pray as Austin Metuebam nè me exaudiret Deus Aug. who confessed that before his conversion through the light of a natural conscience he prayed against the lust of incontinence and the sins of his youth but was afraid that God should hear his prayer do not you so pray And joyn fasting with the duty of prayer it was Pauls custom 1 Cor. 9.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vox à pugi ibus derivata qui propriè di cuntur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. cum pugnis aut coestibus An tagomstam obtundere sayes he I keep under my body and bring it into subjection that is corrupt nature By the body cannot be meant the body in a natural sense who hereupon do excruciate and torment their body by whippings fastings and pilgrimage but the body here is termed the body of death by fasting prayer and
thus it was with Paul There was given to him a thorne in the flesh a messenger of Satan to buffet him lest he should be exalted above measure And so Peter when he fell in denying Christ his desertion was cautional Matth. 26.70 that he might not depend upon his own strength as he had most foolishly done for after-time 2. There may be a desertion which is probational that is to try some grace which God would have exercised and thus Job he was not afflicted for sinne but God did thereby prove him and try him in his faith and patience 3. There is a desertion which is penal and that is for sinne when God leaves a man to himself and thus it was with the Spouse Cant. 5.3,4,5,6 because she hearkened not and opened not to Christ therefore he withdrew himself Art thou therefore deserted by the Spirit of God why remember that desertions are not alwayes penal though I confesse they are most often so and it is most suitable to that humble and penitent frame of heart that should be in a deserted soul to judge himself smitten and forsaken of God for his sin but sometimes they are cautional and sometimes probational Posit 6 Be rather industrious how to procure the Spirits returne when he is withdrawn then to pore upon thy misery in the Spirits absence It is the fault of many Christians they rest contented in fruitlesse and doleful complaints of their losse but do not put forth industrious indeavours to recover what they have lost It was not enough for Joshua to lie upon his face at the defeat at Ai Joshua 7.10.11 but he must stand upon his feet and finde out the cause and endeavour to make up the breach There are some professors who by whining and complaining think to excuse their idlenesse and spiritual sloth Thou hast lost the Spirit do not so much pore upon thy losse as to think what thou must do to recover the Spirit again Which that thou mayest do follow these directions 1. Cleanse thy conscience from the allowance of any known sinne make thy heart clean and so fit for Christ and his Spirit will come unto thee let thy heart be like that roome Christ came to eat the Passeover in Luke 22.12 an upper roome a furnished roome and a swept roome let thy heart be prepared and swept with the besome of sanctified grace from the allowance of sinne and this will be a means for thee to recover the Spirit again 2. Go unto God by prayer which is the universal remedy for all spiritual distempers Is any among you afflicted let him pray saith the Apostle James James 5.13 Let the affliction be what it will prayer will be a means to deliver thee Prayer is injoyned by God as a means to receive the Spirit of God Luke 11.13 And it will speed because it is Gods ordinance 3. Do not only pray but bewaile thy condition in prayer Spread thy complaints before the Lord and say Lord how is my heart a cage of uncleane birds a receptacle for sinne and the devil This is the best that my heart is now fit for I who once had my graces fresh and floâ—…ishing how are they now like the withered grasse on the house-toppe that once had the imbraces of an everlasting arme but now am I forsaken of the Spirit I was once like a field whom God had blessed and like unto the Cedars of Lebanon casting forth my roots and pleasant branches But now I am as a tree of the forrest which brings forth nothing I once was as a fruitful vine in the vineyard of Christ but now am like unto the mountains of Gilboa upon whom neither the rain nor the dew falls thus bewaile thy self in the presence of the Lord and it may be when he sees thee with tears in thy eyes and thy petitions in thy hand he may returne unto thee Though he hath forsaken thee yet he will not forget thee though he hath cast thee down yet he will not cast thee off for ever He will not cast away his people if thou forsakest not him labour therefore by prayers and tears to recover thy fall Position 7 Look upon it as a more grievous judgement to have the sanctified and sanctifying motions of the Spirit withdrawn then to have the comforts of the Spirit withheld This is a fault among many Christians especially among those who are troubled in conscience all their complaints are for want of assurance and comfort and I do not know whether Christ be mine or no into this channel all their sorrow and grief runnes And therefore it is much to be feared that rather self-love then love to Christ is the ground of many such complaints as many make when they say they are deserted whereas it is a more sad judgement if thou wantest the quickening and exciting motions of the Spirit then if thou wantest the witnesse and comforts of the Spirit it 's more sad to have the Spirits gracious motions with-held then to have the Spirits comforts withdrawn Position 8 Another position is this that the common gifts of the Spirit may be imparted when the saving gifts of the Spirit may be with-held It was thus with many in the Church of Corinth 1 Cor. 1.7 The Apostle tells them They came behinde in no gifts 1. Cor. 3.1 and yet as to grace he tells you they were carnal and walked as men Position 9 Consider that the Spirit in its motions and workings may be really withdrawn from a man when he in his own apprehensions thinks he fully enjoys them It may be with a man in this case as with Sampson it was told him that the Philistines were upon him Judges 16.20 and he aworke out of sleep and said I will go out as at other times before and shake my self and he wist not that the Lord was departed from him He knew not that his strength was gone Thus you may be left of the Spirit and you may not know it and the reason is partly because the departures of the Spirit are gradual You cannot discerne a mans growth because he grows by little and little As it is with our natural growth so is it also with our spiritual decayes and partly because the heart is very deceitfull and carelesse and negligent to search and try how it is with the soul And therefore let this lie upon your thoughts you may have the Spirit in its motions withdrawn from you when yet in your apprehensions you may be perswaded that you possesse them Application of the Doctrine by way of consolation I shall conclude this point with a few words of comfort lest peradventure there may be some which may be troubled and perplexed about what I have delivered concerning the withdrawings of Gods Spirit Vse 1 Thou Oh Christian who complainest that the Spirit is withdrawn from thee remember this though the Spirit be withdrawn yet it is but a gradual not a total
Thy pound hath gained ten pounds He doth not say my labour and my industry Lukeâ— 9.16 but thy pound give God the glory of all the good thou doest extoll the free grace of God both for initiall progressive Phil. 1.6 and consummative grace He which once begins a good work in you will perform it to the day of Jesus Christ Heb. 12. â— and he which is the authour will also be the finisher of your faith Phil. 2.13 It is the grace of God whereby we are able to do any thing it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure The whole series of our salvation is to be ascribed unto the grace of God art thou called in grace and established in grace admire grace and not nâ—ture Hos 11.3 Ezek. 34.16 Rom. 8.14 1 Pet. 5.10,11 If the Spirit of God do not lead us and uphold us we shall faint Hos 11.3 Ezek. 34.16 Rom. 8.14 This the Apostle Peter excellently sets forth The God of all grace who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Jesus Christ after that ye have suffered a while make you perfect stablish strengthen settle you to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever AMEN 4. Doth the flesh disable you to do good Oh then labour to have a sight of and to mourne under the sense of the impediments and interruptions which you have from the flesh Thus did Paul cry out Exod. 3.88 Rom. 7.14,24 Oh wretched man that I am Rom. 7.14,24 In Exod. 38.8 you have mention made of a laver which was a great vessel wherein the sacrifices which the people offered were to be washed and the Scripture tells you that the foot of the laver was made with looking-glass to note as some say that when they came to offer their sacrifice the people in that glasse might see and have a view of their own faces what spots there were upon them So when you come to duty behold here are looking-glasses for you to see your selves behold the interruptions of the flesh to hinder you and be humbled It is said of the Spouse Returne O Shulamite that we may look upon thee And then the question is put what will you see in the Shulamite and the Answer is as it were the company of two Armies Cant. 6.13 noting this opposition Gen. 25.22,23 And that as Rebeccah said when the children strugled in her womb Lord why am I thus so do thou thou hast an Esau and a Jacob within thee the flesh against the Spirit do thou complaine unto God and say Lord why am I thus why doth the flesh thus disturb and interrupt me in all my performances to God Sermon XXIV At Lawrence Jewry London Februar 2. 1650. GAL. 5. verse 17. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other so that ye cannot do the things that ye would I Proceed now to lay down some more practical inferences from this point The flesh its hindering and interrupting even godly men so that they cannot do the things they would and the fifth in order is this 5. What great need have the best even of Gods children of the mediation and intercession of Jesus Christ when they present any duty to God If so be we should come to God with these defilements and interruptions of the flesh in our duties without a Christ God might say to us as Elisha to the King of Israel Verily were it not that I regard the presence of Iehosophat King of sudah I would not look toward thee nor see thee 2 King 3.14 thus God the Father might say to each of us Verily were it not that I regard Jesus Christ I would not see nor regard thee in any duty thou doest as Ioseph said to his brethren Except ye bring Benjamin with you ye shall see my face no more Gen. 43.3 so except ye bring the Lord Jesus Christ with you you cannot expect to see the face of God with approbation You read in Exod. 28.36 that Aaron the Priest of the Lord was to have a plate of pure gold upon his fore-head Exod. 28.36 and upon it was to be ingraven Holiness to the Lord to note that when you come to do any service to God you need the intercession of Jesus Christ who by his intercessions bears the iniquity of our holy things Though you have the assistance of the Spirit in performance of duty yet you stand in need also of the mediation of Christ for your acceptance and therefore you read not only or an intercession of Christ Rom. 8.26 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ver. 34. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but of the intercession of the Spirit The Spirit makes intercession in us and Christ makes intercession for us 6. If the flesh doth interrupt in duty then what great need have you when you are about duty to watch over your hearts and to fortify them against the incursions and disturbances of the flesh Those that live by the Sea-side they are forced for the preservation of themselves in safety to make great mounts and banks to keep out the Sea from overflowing them whereas those who dwell in Inland-countreys little ditches will serve their turns Corrupt nature it is a Sea and thou hast need to make many a mount and many a bank in thy heart otherwise corrupt nature will send in an inundation of vain and impertinent thoughts Numb 4 23. It is a good note of Ainsworth upon Numb 4.23 where all from thirty yeares old to fifty of the house of Gershon are said to enter in to perform service and to do the work of the Tabernacle The word which signifies to perform service signifies also to warre a warfare and so Ainsworth translates it and why doth the Scripture mention this but to note that when you are doiug any service to God 1 Pet. 4.7 you are then to warre a spiritual warfare You read in 1 Pet. 4.7 of watching unto prayer and in Coloss Col. 4.2 4.2 Of watching in prayer You are not only to watch unto before you pray but in prayer whilest you pray You have not only ground to watch against the interruptions of the flesh but there are also other interruptions As first from the world and this is the Apostles desire that we might be without care 1 Cor. 7.35 and that we might attend upon the Lord without distraction Cares of the world they are a hinderance unto holy duties and therefore we are to watch against them Secondly we are hindred also by natural infirmities and those we are to watch ugainst and so I understand Piscator upon Matth. 26.41 Mat. 26.41 where Christ speaks that the spirit was willing but the flesh was weak Flesh there is not to be taken for corrupt nature but for bodily infirmity And then not onely from the world and natural indispositions
by way of comfort and there are eight consolations I shall give in to those that fear God and are sensible of the interruption of the flesh in duty of Gods worship 1. Know to your comfort that as you have the flesh to hinder so you have the Spirit to help you in duty The Spirit will help thy infirmities with sighes and groans which cannot be untered Rom 8.26 thou hast the flesh to harden thy heart and deaden thy spirit but thou hast the Spirit of God also to soften thy heart and quicken thy spirit to make thee pray with sighes 1 Joh. 4.4 and groans And though the devil be busie to tempt thee yet Stronger is he that is in you saith St. John then he that is in the world 2. Consider that a desire to do those duties you cannot do is in divine account a doing of them It is worth your noting what you finde recorded touching Nehemiah if you compare two Scripturts together The first is Nehem. Neh. 1.11 1.11 where he prayes Lord let thy eare be attentive unto the prayer of thy servant who desires to fear thy Name Compared with Neh. 5.15 And Nehem. 5.15 saith Nehemiah I did not oppresse the people as former Governours did because of the fear of the Lord. So that Nehemiahs desire to fear the Lord is accounted by God the fear of God a desire after any grace is in divine account the having of that grace The Lord he will accept the will for the deed If there be a willing minde it is accepted according to what a man hath and not according to that he hath not 2 Cor. 8.12 See Mat. 5.5 Joh. 7.37 Psal 10.17 Psal 145.19 Exod. 14.15 1 King 8.17,18 Therefore see what a good God you serve who will accept of purposes for performances and intentions for executions as may appeare by many testimonies of Scripture 3. Feeling the want of any grace or ability to discharge any duty and being grieved for that want is in the account of God as if that want were supplied Thou sayest thou canst not mourne but wouldst thou mourne for thy sinnes why a sense of the want of any grace is in divine acceptance the having of it and this some make to be the meaning of that place in Rom. 8.26 Rom. 8.26 We know not what to pray for as we ought but the Spirit it selfe maketh intercession for us with sighes and groans that is the Spirit helps us to grieve that we cannot pray nor repent nor do duty no better and herein is the assistance of Gods Spirit seen And this God will accept 4. Remember this that God accepts of sincerity of heart where there is not perfection of grace You live under a Covenant of grace wherein God accepts of sincerity instead of perfection and God had rather see truth of grace then strength of parts Thou complainest thou canst not pray it may be thou wantest the gift of prayer thou hast not a voluble tongue but thou doest not want truth of desire neither the ornament of a meek spirit a pure heart God had rather have truth of grace then strength of parts you may consider it in the case of Moses and Aaron in Exod. 4.4 I know saith God to Moses Exod. 4.4 that Aaron thy brother can speak well Now Moses he was a man of a stammering tongue but yet when Moses and Aaron was to be imployed in that great work of prayer when Joshua fought against Amaleck God makes choice not of elegant Aaron Exod. 17.11.12 but of stammering Moses to make the prayer Moses could pray better then Aaron though Aaron had better parts 5. Consider it may be thou complainest that it is the interruption of the flesh which hinders thee in duty when only it is the disability of thy natural body Thus godly men do many times charge their unfitnesse to duty upon their own hearts when it is only from an indisposed and disabled body You must know that sometimes the body doth disable a man to do duty and that disability is not sinful it is thy misery but not thy sinne Thus it was with Paul Gal 4.13,14 he speakes thus to the Galatians Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the Gospel to you at the first and my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not nor rejected but received me as an Angel of God even as Christ Jesus Jerome understands these words of a bodily weaknesse disabling Paul to preach and yet it is said the Galatians bore with him and rejected him not under this bodily infirmity Thus Paul tells the Thessalonians that he would have come unto them once and again but Satan hindred him 1 Thes 2.18 Some think this hindrance was persecution others that it was a tempest at Sea but most think that it was some bodily disease whereby the devil hindred him So that if thou hast a sick pained diseased body and thereby art disabled to duty this though it be thy misery yet it is not thy sinne and therefore in such a case do not lay the blame upon thy own heart Mat. 26.41 for it is with a man in this case as with a strong healthful man that rides upon a poore tired horse thus the soul though active and vigorous is sometimes forced to keep pace with a weak sick and tired body 6. Remember this that God accepts what is his own in duty and covers what is thine That water which is salt in the Sea is fresh in the river that duty which comes from thee is salt and brackish but coming through the river of Christs blood it loseth its unsavoury taste and what a great indulgence is this in God to cover what is ours and to accept what is his own It is a rule in Philosophy Denominatio sequitar majorent partem that the denomination is alwayes taken from the greater part God denominates a man from his better part be sinnes in prayer and he acts grace in prayer that as wine though it be mingled with water and that mixture doth in part debase the wine yet because the wine gives a relish and still retaines the colour of wine therefore the whole cup is called wine So though in thy heart there may be a mixture of sinne with thy grace in thy duty yet the whole shall be called gracious act 7. Though the flesh hinders you in the doing of duty yet there is a vast difference between a godly and a wicked man in this very case though the interruption be both in the one and the other as 1. The wicked they are interrupted by the flesh but they have not the Spirit to assist them against corruption as the godly have 2. The wicked have not renewed principles of grace in their hearts to withstand the corruptions of the flesh as the godly have Regenerate men they cannot sinne that is 1 Joh. 3.9 so sinne as the wicked because they
intentions and these the Law of God will judge 5. Judge not thy self to be righteous and gracious by bare restraints from sin in particular actions but if you would judge your selves judge by the ordinary course of your lives It is possible that in a particular act a good man may not be kept from that sin from which a wicked man may and it is possible that a wicked man may do that good which a godly man may not be able to do Now you are not to judge of your selves by particular acts but by the constant course of your lives for if you should do otherwise you would condemn the generation of the just I shall give an example by comparing together good King David and wicked King Abimelech they were both tempted to the same sin and should you have guessed at these two men by their particular restraints you would have taken Abimelech for the good King and David for the bad King Abimelech in his restraint was far better then David it is said of Abimelech that he took Sarah he did not know that she was Abrahams wife but David did know that Bathsheba was the wife of Vriah and then further Abimelech the Heathen King though he had Sarah in the house yet the Scripture tells you he did not defile her but David took Bathsheba into his house and was actually unclean with her Now should you look upon these two men in this particular case you would judge Abimelech to be the gracious King and David the Heathen King But now if you look upon David in the ordinary course of his life he was far better then Abimelech you are not therefore to passe a verdict upon any man that he is good or bad by any particular act that as it is a rule in Philosophy that one act doth not denominate so when you go to judge of men you must not look upon a particular act but upon the general scope and current of their lives Prov. 16.17 The high way of the righteous is to depart from evil Vse 2 The second Use is of Instruction and first to regenerate men who have the renewing work of the Spirit There are these three Instructions I would have you to learne 1. Blesse God that ever you have been crossed in the doing of those sins which you would have committed How near the brink of many a sin hath many a godly man been at when an occasion and an inclination hath met together but God hath put in a restraint O blesse God it is the greatest mercy next converting grace It was the prayer of Jabez O that thou wouldest blesse me indeed and O that thou wouldest keep me from evil let it be thy prayer also Sometimes men are angry when they are kept from an intended sin and this is just as if a man going to execution should be angry with a man for stopping him in his way Alas poor man thou art going to the execution of thy sin if any stop thee 't is the saving of thy soul at least the saving of thy peace therefore blesse God How did David blesse God when he intended to have cut off Nabal and all his family when Abigail came with smooth words and prevented him O then sayes he Blessed be God and blessed be thou and blessed be the Counsel thou hast given me 1 â—am 25.32 so it may be thou hast determined the Commission of a sin with all circumstances which may further thee in the execution of it and hath God stopped thee in thy way what great cause hast thou to magnifie him 2. From hence gathet what cause the people of God have to suspect their own hearts lest they should carry them to such evils which they think they should never have committed Suppose the Spirit should be suspended that it should not restrain thee what evil wouldest thou not commit There are Scripture-instances of godly men who have fallen into those sins that themselves never thought they should commit and such sins which were repugnant to those graces wherein they were most excellent Abraham he was the eminentest man alive in his age for faith Gal. 3.9 Abrahamus paâ—er fidelium non efficienter sed exemplariter and therefore was called the father of the faithful now would any man think that Abraham should fall into unbelief why yes he did for being distrustful of Gods Providence he told two lies one to Pharaoh King of Egypt Gen. 12.13 and the other to Abimelech King of Gerar. Likewise Moses the Scripture tell of him that he was the meekest man upon earth Psal 106.33 and yet he spake unadvisedly with his lips he fell into passion which was that sin which was contrary to that grace wherein he was most excellent And so also Iob Jam. 5.11 whom the Scripture tells you was the most patient man on earth and of all sins Iob was most hurried to impatiency Job 3. insomuch that he bitterly curseth the day of his birth and the night in which it is said A man-childe is conceived I name these examples to you to let you see what cause you have to blesse God for the sin you have been prevented from and what cause you have to suspect your hearts if the Spirit of God withdraw from you And so Moses he was noted to be the meekest man on earth Numb 12.3 And yet even this meek Moses is transported with passion and he speaks unadvisedly with his mouth 3. Pray unto God for the Spirit to do its office in thy soul Psal 106.33 that the Spirit may keep thee from doing the evil thou wouldest We read of David Psal 19.13 that he made this prayer Lord keep thy servant also from presumptuous sins Thou hast need to pray that the Spirit may check and curb thy corruptions when thou art tempted to sin because there is no man though never so good that can stand by his own strength though never so great and thereby avoid an evil when he is tempted to it though never so foule O therefore pray for preventing grace that God would keep thee by his Spirit that so thou mightest not do the works of the flesh And therefore Christ hath taught us to pray Lord deliver us from evil Mat. 6.13 viz. from that evil which we cannot of our selves avoid Secondly as this point refers to the unregenerate who have only restraining grace to hinder them from sin Let even such consider what cause they have to blesse God for this mercy though they shall go to hell yet they have cause to blesse God for restraining grace on earth for though it will not make you good yet it will and doth make you lesse evil and though it cannot make you spiritual yet it will make you good moral men By restraining grace a man may have this good 1. He may not commit so many and great sins 2. He may not incur so great punishment 3. He will bring the lesse scandal
art an offence to me in that thou shouldest make such a motion to hinder me from going on to work out and accomplish the salvation of my people and then it could not be from the Spirit for sayes he Thou savourest not the things that be of God but those that are of man At the first view you would deeme this a very loving motion but the devil had a finger in it he will move you to do good so it may hinder you in the performance of a greater good But the Spirit of God will so move you to the doing of one good thing that it shall not justle out the performance of another 3. The devil when he moves men to do good it is to make them do it unseasonably on pâ—rpose that one duty may justle out another as suppose thou wouldest pray and happily the devil he cannot distract thee by sinful thoughts yet he will labour to do it by good thoughts unseasonably remembred as if thou art praying to have thy thoughts then taken up with what Sermons thou hast heard and of what parts of the Bible thou hast read this though in it selfe it is good yet it comes from the devil and therefore those that now come to our assemblies and will presently fall upon private prayer in the time of publick worship though the duty in it self is good yet it is unseasonably done and comes not from the holy Spirit the God of order There are several instances hereof That man which came to Christ and desired him to divide the inheritance between him and his brother Luke 12.13 the motion though it was good yet it was unseasonably made because it was when Christ was preaching and therefore though good yet it came from the devil that he might hinder a greater good And thus those people When will the new Moone be over that we may sell corne and the Sabbath that we may set forth wheate Amos 8.5 It was no evil thing to sell wheat but the motion was unseasonable because it was upon the Sabbath day Good motions in season they are a blessing Deut. 28.12 even as rain in a dry season is a comfort but raine in harvest is not so Good motions coming into a mans minde unseasonably as when a man is praying then to think of what he hath heard in a Sermon and when a man is hearing then to think of praying these come from the evil not the good Spirit as a Printer though his paper be good and his letter faire yet if he misplace his letter and put one letter for another he will make non-sense Even so are good thoughts out of season 4. When a man is moved so to do good that the performance of it is a prejudice to bodily health this comes not from Gods holy Spirit but from the evil spirit And herein young converts are very injudicious at first they have strong affections and they think they must read so many Chapters pray so many houres and hear so many Sermons otherwise their consciences check them and they think that all this comes from God whereas rather they are put upon it by the impulses of their own spirit If thou art strongly moved to a duty and so moved to it that either the continuance or frequency in it doth impaire the strength of nature this is not commanded by God for God had rather have mercy then sacrifice in such a case God is not rigorous and cruel in commanding of duty The Jews learnt of God to sacrifice their beasts but they learnt of the devil to sacrifice their children God requires not that you should fast so often and do duty so long as to weaken health and strength he hath made no duty for the soul to be prejudicial to the body God will have mercy and not sacrifice Hosea 6.6 God deals with young converts as Jacob did with the children and flocks he will not out-drive them Indeed it is the devils Religion to put men upon such services as are cruel to their own bodies and thus the worshippers of Baal they cut themselves till the blood gushed out upon them 1 Kin. 18.28 they were cruel to their own bodies whereas the Lord never commanded any such thing at their hands I mention not this that it may be a plea for any one to pamper their bodies or that they should be negligent in the service of God but for the sake of young converts who think they can never do enough in duty who do more then ever God required at their hands 5. Motions from the devil to good they are usually when they may hinder and cause a man to neglect his outward and necessary calling this young converts are greatly faulty in their endeavours are such and their prosecutions so earnest to live holily that they live idly God did never so order Religion that it should be a disadvantage to our particular callings in the world He is a good Christian that knows how to pray and hear and how to labour in his calling too I know that secular affaires and imployments they robbe the soul of much time in that duty it ows to God I plead not at all for this but this is that which I would presse I would neither have your particular callings rob time from your general callings and duties as Christians nor your generall callings rob time from your particular callings as men who are to live here in the world This was a corruption grown upon the first plantation of the Church the Apostle tells you of some who walked disorderly and did not worke at all 2 Thes 3.11 Some imagine that under this pretence they would not follow a calling because they would wholly devote themselves to the service of God of these the Apostle speakes and such are they who lead a Monasterial life under a pretence to be more at leasure to serve God when indeed they but put their candle under a bushel and hide their talent in a napkin This comes from the Devil and not from God for God never ordained that his service should make you negligent in your outward callings but hath commanded that with quietness you work and eat your own bread 2 Thes 3.12 1 Tim. 5.8 I speak not this to make men worldly and that they should glut themselves with worldly business It is the fault of many that they grasp too much worldly business and are to their souls worse then Egyptian task-masters but let not men rob time from God and give it to the world but I speak this for the sake of young converts who will be every day fasting and every day hearing and in the mean time neglect their outward and necessary callings in the world 6. Motions to good come from the Divel in case our motions of duty to God make us neglect our duty to man A notable text you have for this out of the Evangelist Matthew the Scribes and Pharisees had taught this Doctrine
not upon the doing of good so voluntarily as thou hast done in former time Thy soul in former time did run swiftly and freely in away of goodnes but now the wheels of the chariot of thy soul are taken oaff nd thou drivest on heavily it is not the Chariot of Amminadab Cant. 6.12 It is a description of Gods people in Gospel-times that they shall be a willing people Thy people shal be willing in the day of thy power Psal 110.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pepulus devotionum sive devotus populus spontaneitatum sive spontanâ—us a people of willingnesses as it is in the original but a man from whom the Spirit of God is withdrawn he is carried to do good not so much out of content as by a compulsory act he comes to duty as a Bear to the stake or a childe goes to schoole which doth nothing but what is commanded with much regreet and much backwardness with little willingness he is rather drawn then led to duty Nilnisi jussus agit Ovid. coâ—…strained to do good out of a dreadful awe of hell and some hope of heaven or to still the clamouring of a craving natural conscience when the Spirit is with drawn thou comest not to duty so willingly as in former time 2. Neither so preparedly as thon wast wont to do In former time you could do as Abraham did leave his cattel and his servants in the valley Gen. 22.5 shake off clogges which might hinder and divert you when you prayed you would use consideration when you heard preparation and when you received the Sacrament examination but now the Spirit of God being with-drawn thou layest aside those preparitory duties which are so helpful to us in those duties wherein we have communion with God The soul was wont to trimme her self as a bride when she went into the King to injoy communion with the great God but now is grown carelesse in this preparation it is a signe the Spirit is withdrawn 3. Thou hast not so much complacency of heart in holy duties as formerly Those duties which heretofore have been done as a delight are now as a task formerly they were as sweet as honey to thy taste but now thou findest no more relish in them then in the white of an egge time was when thou couldest say with the Psalmist I was glad when they said Come and let us go up unto the house of the Lord Psal 122.1 and thy esteeme of the worship of God such that thou couldest say with David That one day in the house of the Lord was better then a thousand else-where Psal 84.10 But alas where is this delight now now duty is as a burden not as a preasure 4. It is an argument of a gradual with-drawing of the Spirit This grieves the Spirit when we stifle and quench its most holy motions unto holy duties when thou dost not do duty so frequently as formerly Heretofore thou couldest pray seven times a day with David or three times a day with Daniel but now not three times a week how are the frequency of thy â—uties abated to such I would say Consider 1. Thou hast not fewer enemies now then formerly and therefore why shouldest thou be lesse in duty the watchfulnesse of the enemy is an taged by our sloth and security 2. Neither have you lesse temptations then you had and therefore why should you not be frequent in prayer to be delivered out of them Watch and pray that you fall not into temptation said our Saviour Mat. 26.41 3. Neither fewer sinnes then formerly it may be more and therefore why shouldest thou be lesse in prayer for pardon He that doth often offend he had need often to ask forgivenesse 4. You have not lesse need of grace then formerly it may be more and therefore why art thon lesse in duty to God for supply of grace If thou art lesse frequent in holy duties then formerly it is an argument that the Spirit is gradually with-drawn from thee 5. If thou hast not that fervency in holy duties as formerly it is a shrewd signe that thou art very much decayed in grace Revel 2.4 This is made a note of the decay of the Church of Ephesus Neverthelesse I have somewhat against thee because thou hast left thy first love He doth not say thou hast lost but thou hast left thy first love grace may be left but not lost that first affection which thou haddest in the ways of God thou hast left that thou art decayed in these affections Hierom chides the slothful in prayer What said he do you think that Jonas prayed so in the sea or Daniel amongst the lions or the Thief on the Crosse as you do Siccine put as Jonam in profundo Danielem inter leones siccine latronem in cruce or âsse putas Hieron Many men they are so left of the Spirit that they are come into that state which Austine complaines of in his time Plurimi novitate conversionis ferventer orant posted srigidè posteà languidè posteà negligenter Aug. Many men at the beginning of their conversion they will pray feelingly buâ— in tract of time they will pray coldly negligently and languidly they lose those affectionâ— which once they had They had need stir up the fire that lies hid in the ashes Ferventior esse solet qui rem primùm aggreditur 2 Tim. 1.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 6. It is an argument of the Spirits with-drawing when a man performes duty lesse composedly then formerly Distractions break in and wandring thoughts go out holy motions they are declining and transient when they have not such a fixed abiding on the heart as formerly this is a signe of a gradual departure of the Spirit For where the Spirit of God is there it doth establish and fix the heart in holy duties and therefore David prayes Establish me by thy free Spirit but when there is much unconstancy and inconsistency in the heart it is a signe that the Spirit in part departed from that soul 7. If thou art under the use of duty not so fruitful as in former time Duties formerly took an impression on thy heart as a signet on soft wax but now they make no more impression then a seal upon a marble formerly the ordinances came upon thy soul as raine upon the valleys now they are as water poured out upon a wrock Many men they lie under ordinances without profit and like unto the Cypress-tree of which it is said that it is a tree that is very good for sent and for sight but yet unfruitful Many Christians are like unto this tree they grow in Gods garden and they are good in the sight of others but yet they bring not forth fruit If thou art not a fruitful tree in the garden of grace it is an argument that the Spirit of grace is withheld from thee 8. It is an argument of a gradual departure of the
would intimate that he often lost his heart in prayer as if David did many times come to pray but could not finde his heart It is the hardest thing in the world when you come to pray to finde your hearts and when you have found your hearts to keep them 10. That the blood of Jesus Christ wipes off that guilt and filth that cleaves to your holy duties God knowes that when you come to worship him you are men and not Angels you are the spirits of good men imperfect and therefore God doth not expect from you that your service should be perfect because your state is imperfect therefore here is your comfort that your defects in duty shall never damne you who are regenerate soules thou mayest be often hindred in duty but that interruption shall never damne thee Jesus Christ wipe off the stain of all thy duties In the ceremonial law you read that the Altar for the burnt-offering Exod. 27.4,5 it had a grate made for it of net-work of brasse that the dust and the ashes might fall out and so be carried away This is a type of the intercession of Jesus Christ that though in your services and sacrifices to God though you have much affection and zeal yet also there is much ashes of corruption and as that grate was made to carry away the ashes so Jesus Christ he is the Mediatour which will carry away all your defects in the service of God And this should incourage the people of God though you are weak in duty yet neglect not duty though you are forgetful in hearing yet leave not to heare and though distracted in praying yet neglect not prayer because it is the office of Jesus Christ to bear the iniquity of your holy things These are those Positions or Conclusions that I desired to premise before I came to handle the Queries The point that I am to handle is this That such is the prevalency of corrupt nature even in regenerate men that it doth oftentimes interrupt them in holy performances Doct. In the handling of this point there are many particulars which I shall go through 1. I shall prove the point that it is so 2. I shall shew you how the flesh doth hinder in duty 3. Wherein the interruption of the flesh doth most appear 1. For the proof of the point Rom. 7.18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. 2.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 you have not only Pauls testimoy but his own experience how to perform the good I would I finde not how to work it out that is to carry on a duty from the beginning to the end it is the same word in the original as that in Philip. 2.12 where we are commanded to work out our salvation with feare and trembling As he complain of himselfe and as he gives you his experience so we may conferre all our experiences with his and say that how to do that which is good we finde not As rust cleaves to the iron so cleaves the flesh to our holy duties In general do not our own hearts tell us that there is much of the world in them and are there not many vain and impertinent thoughts in the duties we perform to God and that not only in general but in particular duties in prayer how doth the flesh interrupt us by vain and impertinent thoughts and wrong ends how doth it dead our affections damp our zeal and straiten our hearts in hearing how doth the flesh cast in prejudices and misconstructions infidelity and forgetfulnesse In meditation how doth it make the minde roving and wandring up and down so that thou canst not bring thy meditations to a perfect issue In discourse how doth the flesh mingle censures and vain glory when thou comest to the Lords Supper how doth the flesh hinder thee that thou canst not exercise godly sorrow that thy love is not inflamed and that thy joy in Christ is not elevated Therefore what cause have to complain as Augustine when he saw a shepherd tie a stone to the legge of a bird and the bird assaying to fly upwards was still pulled down again by the stone Just thus sayes he is it with my soule fain would I so are aloft by holy meditation but there is a stone tied to my legge a corrupt nature whereby I am coutinually pulled down Quest The next Question is how doth the flesh hinder us in holy performances I shall confine my answer to these two particulars there are these two wayes how the flesh doth hinder us in holy duties 1. By soliciting men to abate and lessen their duties 2. By injecting and casting in vain and impertinent thoughts Answ 1. By soliciting men to abate in their duty if so be nature can prevaile with you to omit duty or not to be so much in duty as thou hast been heretofore to pray lesse and hear lesse herein is a great policy of thy corrupt heart to perswade the heart that thou needest not be so zealous because remisse acts do weaken habits to pray remissely and coldly will in time bring thee not to pray at all Now to those who are thus intangled by the flesh that they decay in duty to such I have three things to say 1. You have not lesse need to pray nor perform duty then in former time and therefore why should you lessen your duties you have not less temptations from Satan no lesse corruptions in thy soule nor fewer spiritual wants no lesse troubles on the Church and therefore let not nature prevaile with you to decay in duty 2. As it is a deceit of the heart in sinne to bring you from little sinnes to great sinnes so in grace it is the deceit of nature to bring you from doing little in duty at last to do nothing at all 3. Gradual abatements and decayes in duty may be as dangerous to thy soule as total omissions and thou mayest go to hell as well for the one as for the other not but that total neglects do more provoke God Though a man is in more danger of present death that is sick of a fever then he that is sick of a lingring consumption yet the one will kill as surely as the other Men that cast off Religion they die by a burning fever but thou which decayest in Religion thou mayest die of a lingring consumption thou mayest consume and consume untill thou comest to a meer skeleton in Religion and to have no verdure nor vigour in thy spirit in the exercises of holinesse Answ 2. And chiefly the flesh interrupts in duty by injecting and casting in vain thoughts and impertinent when thou art about duty Now those thoughts which the flesh casts in they are of two sorts either such which for the matter of them are lawful or else which are for their matter unlawful 1. Levit. 28.12 compared with Prov. 26.1 Though it be not cogitatio mali yet it is cogitatio mala The flesh will cast in thoughts
but Thirdly from the devil are interruptions and hinderances cast in and in this case you are to do as Abraham did when the fowles did light upon his sacrifice he drove them away Gen. 15.11 By the fowles coming upon the carcases of Abrahams offering as Deodate saith it is an evident signe of the devils disturbing the elect when they are about any holy performance now as Abraham did so do you when these fowles as they are compared in Matth. 13.4 to the devil those foul and infernal spirits when they come to disturb you in worship you must drive them away all those impertinencies and vain thoughts which the devil casts in Job 1.6 In the first of Job you read that upon a certain day the Sons of God presented themselves before the Lord and Satan also came among them By the Sonnes of God there cannot be meant the Angels for then it would follow that the devils would be in heaven where the Angels are therefore by the Sonnes of God are meant the children of Iob and thus were the posterity of Seth called in Gen. 6. Gen. 6.2 See Zech. 3.1 The Sons of God saw that the daughters of men were fair Now to my purpose the children of Iob are said upon a certain day to appear before the Lord that is say Interpreters on the Sabbath-day now when they appeared on that day before the Lord it is said that Satan came among them Celeberrimum sabbati festum Pined and you may be sure the devil came for no good intent but to labour to interrupt and disturb them in those religious performances And therefore seeing that you have not onely your own hearts the world and natural infirmities but the devil also to hinder and divert you what cause have you with utmost diligence to watch over your selves 7. If the flesh doth interrupt you in Gods service then learn not to place any confidence in your most religious performances darest thou lay the weight of thy soul upon such a weak foundation if thy duties are tainted and mingled with so much evill how darest thou rest in thy duties It is the speech of Iob Though I were righteous yet would I not plead with thee Job 9.28 and again sayes he I am afraid of all my sorrowes I know that thou wilt hold me innocent In the vulgar translation it is I am afraid of all my good works and further sayes he Though I should wash my selfe with snow-water and make my selfe never so clean yet shalt thou plunge me in a ditch and my own clothes shall abhorre me Cap. 30.31 Though I should acquit my selfe never so well in duty yet thou wouldest finde much evil in me If then thy best services are mingled with sin rely only upon a Christ for salvation and here to set home this inference I shall lay down three cogent considerations 1. Thou hast more acts of sin that come from the flesh then acts of grace that come from the Siprit in thy duties and wilt thou rest upon such a duty that hath more sinne then grace acted in it more wandring thoughts then holy thoughts thou forgettest more of a Sermon then thou remembrest of a Sermon and the sin of thy nature doth cast in more wandring thoughts then the Spirit of God doth cast in holy thoughts thy graces are as the filings of gold but thy sinnes as heapes of dust and therefore how darest thou rest on thy duties expecting life and salvation by them 2. Consider that one circumstance in a duty is enough to make it evil but many concurring circumstances is not enough to make a duty good Suppose thou prayest one circumstance in thy prayer may make it sinful though thou prayest wel for the manner yet if thou art defective in the end or if the end be right yet if thou failest in thy principle it is not right It is a rule in moral Philosophy In moralibus plus circumstanti a quà m substantia actioâ—is that circumstances are more to be weighed then acts and so it is in Divinity One circumstance may make a duty defective but many circumstances concurring together cannot make a duty good 3. Consider that thou art guilty of many past sins and present duties cannot make a recompence for past sinnes Suppose a tenant who payes his rent duly for time present yet being in arrear it may be ten or twenty yeares his payment of his rent at present will not recompense his past arrear Thus it is with thee thou art much in debt and in arreare to God for past time and if there were merit in thy duties as there is not yet present duty could not expiate past sinnes therefore rely not upon duty 8. Doth the flesh thus interrupt us in duty then from hence we may see the evill nature of sin the mischievous quality of original corruption It is a doctrine which cau never be too much insisted upon and therefore from this doctrine I beseech you turn a little to see the evil nature of originall sin I may illustrate it by this example if you have a vessel full of liquor a little gall shall more imbitter it then a great deal of honey shall sweeten it behold the mischievous nature of sinee how doth it taint both thy person and performances You read of a Law in Numb Numb 19.22 19 22. that whatsoever an unclean person toucheth shall be uuclean this is spoken of ceremonial uncleannesse but it holds true also in spirituals thou art an unclean man all thou touchest becomes unclean thou defilest all thy duties There is an useful passage in Haggai 2.12,13 Hag. 2.12,13 there was an case of conscience which the people were to demand of the Priests concerning the Law The question was this If one beat holy flesh in the skirt of his garment and with his skirts do touch bread or pottage or wine or oile or any meat shall it be holy and the Priests said No. And then said Haggai If one that is unclean by a dead body touch any of these shall it be unclean and the Priest answered and said It shall be unclean Here you may observe that holy things could not make common things clean and holy but if a man that was unclean did but touch holy things they became unclean Now if you would know the meaning of this it is explained by the Prophet in the 14. verse Then answered Haggai and said So is this people and so is this Nation before me saith the Lord and so is every worke of their hands and that which they offer there is unclean that is every sacrifice and every duty is unclean In Gospel-language the meaning is this if a man be in the state of nature all his offerings and all his sacrifices Tit. 1.15 that is all his duties they are unclean unto him For unto the unclean all things are unclean Vse 2 The second Use I shall make of this point shall be
in this particular I shall handle this case of conscience concerning it wherein appeares the difference between a man that hath only a naturall sensiblenesse of Gods hand upon him and one that mournes and grieves immoderately and excessively betwixt a kindly grieving and a passionate venation of spirit and this I shall doe in these six following particulars Answ 1. Where there is only a naturall sensiblenesse a kindely grieving for worldly crosses it will rather animate and quicken the soule to religious duties then any way indispose and interrupt them and therefore it is that you so often finde weeping joyned with prayer and supplication in Scripture thus it is said Iacob wept and made supplication and in Jer. 3.21 Hos 12.4 A voyce was heard upon the high places weeping and supplications of the children of Israel so in Ier. 31.9 They shall come with weeping and with supplication will I lead them So in Judg. 2.5,6 it is said the children of Israel at Bochim lift up their voyce and wept and sacrificed to the Lord. All which places shew that that sorrow which is onely a naturall sensiblenesse of Gods hand will quicken and encourage the soule to duty rather then indispose him but now on the other side excessive sorrow renders a man unfit for prayer reading hearing the word or any other holy duty As in Psal 77.4 Asaph was so overwhelmed with sorrow that he could not speak And Exod. 6.9 then is thy sorrow immoderate when it interrupts thee in the performance of holy duties 2. Where there is onely a kindly grieving and a naturall sensiblenesse of worldly crosses there is kindled in that mans heart a sympathizing and fellow-feeling of other mens troubles that man will carry compassionate bowels towards other men that are in trouble as well as themselves Job 30.25 saies Job did not I weep for him that was in trouble was not my soule grieved for the poor but now where sorrow is immoderate you will so think upon your own troubles that you will not pity any that are in the like condition with you 3. Where there is only a naturall sensiblenesse of worldly crosses there is retained in that soule a fence of those many mercies you doe enjoy as well as of the afflictions and sufferings you doe endure naturall sensiblenesse of afflictions does not take away the comfort and enjoyment of present mercies there is a sense of mercies enjoyed as well as of afflictions endured But now in immoderate sorrow the very sense of your trouble and crosses doth take away and imbitter all your former or present mercies As in Numb 16.12,13 Is it a small thing that thou hast brought us out of a Land that floweth with milk and honey to kill us in the wildernesse Pray marke for there is much of Gods mind in this place the Land that these men speak of here is the land of Aegypt where they were under bondage and slavery and yet when they met with afflictions in the wildernesse they forgot the bondage they were delivered from in Egypt but said it was a Land flowing with milke and honey immoderate sorrow for afflictions doth quite take away all sense of the mercies you doe enjoy 4. Where there is onely a naturall sensiblenesse of worldly crosses there prayer to God or a promise from God will quiet the heart This you may see verified in Hannah in 1 Sam. 1.18,19 she was grieved for a child but what then She prayed and said Let thine handmaid finde grace in thy sight so the woman went away and did eate and her countenance was no more sad After she had poured forth her heart in prayer to God she was comforted she went her way and was no more sad Then is your sorrow right when going to God upon your knees will quiet your heart Or 2. When a promise from God will comfort you thus it was with David in Psal 119.50 saies he This is my comfort in affliction for thy word hath quickned me that is the word of a promise So in Vers 92. Vnlesse thy law had been my delight I should then have perished in my affliction And in Verse 107. I am afflicted very much quicken me O Lord according to thy word Then is your sorrow moderate when either a prayer to God or a promise from God will quiet your hearts and then are your sorrows immoderate when under any affliction all the promises in the Bible cannot quiet you nor any prayer to God comfort you And thus it was with Job in Job 9.16 saies he If I had called and he had answered me yet would I not believe that he had hearkned unto my voyce And therefore beloved look to it you that have met with many worldly crosses and troubles and never a prayer could comfort you nor promise quiet you it is an argument that your sorrows were immoderate 5. Where there is only a naturall sensibleness of worldly crosses there that soule does notwithstanding all his afflictions justifie God and condemn himself acknowledging his own sin to be the cause of all crosses This you have an instance of in Lamen 1.18 In all the evill that is come upon us the Lord is righteous and in Dan. 9.14 the Lord is righteous in all that is come upon us for we have rebelled and done evill in his sight So David Psal 51.3 I acknowledge my transgression and my sin is ever before me then is your sorrow right when you can justifie God and take shame to your selves But now where sorrow is vexatious and excessive there a sinner flies out against God and rather justifies himself there the finner accounts God very severe and cruel in his dispensations and murmures against him thinks ill of him and of his wayes and in this condition was Job once Job 16.17 He breaketh me with a tempest and multiplieth my wounds without a cause he blamed God and justified himself which declared his sorrow to be immoderate and excessive You have a notable passage for this in Esay 8.21 it is said that when God shall bring afflictions and trouble upon the Land then they shall curse their King and their God and look upward they shall be so overcome with sorrow as that they shall curse God and justifie themselves so in Prov. 19.3 saies Solomon the foolishness of man perverteth his way and his heart fretieth against the Lord. 6. Where there is only a naturall sensibleness under the hand of God there will be an aptness to hearken to comfortable counsel from the word of God to bear up the heart under afflictions and therefore it is said Job 33. when God laid afflictions upon him he opened his ears to counsel when you are so tamed by afflictions that you will hear the voice of the rod and the voice of the word and hearken to any counsel that is tendered to you to bear up and support your spirits then is your sorrow regular and such as God allows of but now where sorrow
condition then I did continually remember to pray in my Family to read and hear the word of God and frequent the Ordinances of God but now I am grown rich my Family goes without prayer and my worldly occasions interrupts and takes me off from the worship and service of God from reading hearing and praying both in publick and privately in my Family I am now a great deal worse then when I was poor and I have evilly requited the Lord for all his mercies Mens honours change their manners whiles they increase in wealth they decrease in grace The people of God are usually better in a state of affliction then prosperity And thus you shall find that David was a great deal better when he was hunted by Saul like a Patridge upon the Mountains then when he sate upon the Throne Therefore 't is said 2 Chron. 17.3 that Jehosaphat walked in the first wayes of David his Father it seems his last wayes were not so good many men in their last dayes when they come to be aged and wealthy they are then even possessed with their riches and they are in their hearts it may be when they are not in their hands and therefore consider seriously with your selves whether your first dayes in the world were not your best dayes and now your last and richest dayes your worst dayes It is observed of the Children of Israel that they were better under bondage in Egypt then they were in the Land of Canaan where they had all things needfull for then they waxed proud and forgot the Lord therefore Moses gives them such a caution Deut. 8. from verse 7. to 15. 4. Consider this beloved that your wealth and possessions in the world though they may be lawfull and honestly gotten yet they lay you under a greater difficulty of coming to Heaven then other men in Mat. 19.23.24 when Christ told the young man that if he would be perfect he must go sell all that he had and give to the poor he went away sorrowfull for he had great possessions Then said Jesus to his disciples how hardly shall a rich man enter into the Kingdom of Heaven And again I say unto you it is easier for a Cammel to go through the eye of a needle then for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God Upon how hard tearms can a rich man hope to go to Heaven some are of opinion that the word here translated Camel properly signifies a Cable Rope and Mr. Perkins is of that judgement too and saies he though a Cable Rope cannot go through a needles eye as it is yet if you untwist it there is a possibility of getting it through So if men do untwist themselves from the world and live with weaned affections from their wealth and possessions this is the way for them to come to heaven Heaven is compared to a stately palace with a narrow Gate the expression shews a great deal of difficulty for rich men to go to Heaven Mark and Luke set it forth with a patheticall emphasis oh how hard c. but saies Christ That which is impossible with man is possible with God The riches of the world are perplexing and alluring vanities and laies you under the greater difficulty of coming to Heaven and it is a hundred to one but they do ensnare and entangle you 5. Consider that you to whom God hath given great possessions in the world are exposed to more distracting and distorting and disquietting cares then poor men are for they have no cause to complain of their poverty if they have but food and rayment because they are free from those cares and troubles that are incident to rich men who would desire silken Stockins if he must have gouty Leggs under them and indeed the Gout is a disease that ordinarily follows rich men or desire a Sattin Doublet or a purple Robe to have a leprous and infirm body under them so it is better for you to be poor as you are then to have riches and so many troubles and crosses and afflictions with them In 1 Tim. 6.9,10 saies the Apostle there they that will be rich fall into temptations and a snare and into many foolish and hurtfull lusts which drown men in perdition and destruction for the love of money is the root of all evill which while some have coveted after they have pierced themselves through with many sorrows Eccles 5.12 The rest of a labouring man is sweet but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep So in Eccles 2.26 God giveth to the sinner travell both in gathering and heaping up of riches he meets with a great deal of sorrow and trouble which a poor man is without therefore riches are compared to thorns you can hardly graspe them with your hand but they will pierce wound you A rich man hath three vultures continually feeding on his heart great care in getting fear in keeping grief in parting and this hinders his quiet It is observable that the same word in the Hebrew that signifies Merchandize signifies trouble to note unto us that those that do entangle themselves in the affairs of the world will meet with a great deal of trouble and anguish and vexation with it 6. Consider that many times your wealth and riches doth stifle and interrupt the success and power and benefit of the word of God upon your souls In Mat. 13.22 it is spoken of the thorny ground that the deceitfulness of riches choaked the word and made it altogether unfruitfull Can a crop of Corn grow in a hedge of thorns no more can the word thrive in a heart filled with worldly cares Beloved it may be these awakening considerations that I have laid before you concerning riches may make some of you go home with a resolution never to be rich or endeavour after a great Estate in the world but do not mistake me and conclude from hence that it is a sin to be rich it is a danger to be rich but not a sin it is a snare and temptation and therefore you should take care both how you get and how you use and imploy your riches 2. Because there is a danger in wealth do not therefore cast away your wealth and spend it idly and wastfully and throw away the blessings of God from you As 't is reported of Crates the Thebane Directions how to procure Gods blessing upon our Estate thereby to preserve and increase them who said of his wealth Ego perdam te ne tu perdas me I le destroy thee least thou shouldst destroy me And this brings me to the 3d particular I promised to handle namely to give you some usefull directions and admonitions how you may do to have Gods blessing upon your Estates and thereby have them both preserved and increased And 1. Season thy possessions with grace get grace to be mingled with thy goods and get the true riches to be mingled with thy worldly wealth and this