of it can be sufficient and therefore doe such a duty with thy might pray with thy might heare with thy might stand for God with thy might and so for any other duty The want of this is the bane of a great many duties and of much service which are made void and unprofitable by this very meanes nay instead of a reward they shal have wrath and vengeance for their wages according to that of the Prophet Ieremy Ier. 48.10 cursed be he that doth the worke of the Lord negligently or deceitfully that might do it better then he does but doth not put out himselfe Or that seemes to do it otherwise then he doth it in deed seeming very zealous God when there is neither for life nor heat within Burning lippes and a wicked heart like Solomons plate a potsheard covered with silver drosse Pro. 26.23 Oh heare and feare The third part of this faithfulnesse Sincerity 3. is sincerity and uprightnesse in heart which is when a soule doth the service of God and the duties of it in obedience to his command aiming at him and his glory in the workes and duties that it doth performe The Lord would have servants looke through their earthly masters in the service they doe for them Eph. 6.5 and and to have an eye to Christ in what they doe who is the chiefe Master of all but much more then ought he to be especially eyed and aymed at in those actions which are immediately done unto himselfe true the eye of man cannot pierce the heart to diserne the intention of that but the Lords doth For however a servant may be accounted faithfull when as he doth not purely looke at his Master in the service he doth for his Master cannot see his heart yet he cannot be nor is accounted a faithfull servant with the Lord unlesse he lookes more at the Lord then at himselfe or any other In the 7 of Zach. 5. the Lord puts this question home unto them did yee at all fast to me and doubles it againe even to me that whereas they might be ready and overforward to make answer for themselves and say Yes Lord we did what we did to thee he replies even to me are you sure you did it to me that you looked purely at me c. The want of this makes void and vaine our worke and prevents that reward that else we might have as is cleare from Mat. 6.5 and 16 verse as if the Lord had said if you looke not at me in your worke why should you looke at me for wages for the worke you doe The fourth branch of this faithfulnesse required Faith or Believing 4. in the service of God to make it profitable is Beleeving which is that when the soule hath proved it selfe to be in covenant with God according to the first direction that then it stirres up it selfe to exercise faith in the beleeving Applying and pressing of those promises which it hath right and title to as touching assistance accceptance answering rewarding and the like The Apostle shewes the absolute necessity of faith Heb. 11.6 even in the exercise of it to be in those that approach nigh to God in any service of his Iam. 1.6 7 as in prayer Saint Iames shewes that such an one as doth not pray in faith without wavering must not looke to receive any thing as wages for his worke from the Lord though he may receive much from man rewards and applause c. Yet from the Lord he must looke for none if he doe he is but deceived and so shall bee The Lord saith to them that come to him as he said as he said to those blind men what doe you come to me for sight Matth. 9.28 29. according as you beleeve so shall you speed c. I am preswaded that if these men had come to our Saviour in an ordinary formall way led by the example of others that because they saw others that were blind and lame goe to Christ therefore they would goe too they might have gone away as blind as they came for any sight or benefit that they should have had from him And so if people goe to God in duties as in prayer in an ordinary formall way because it is the order and fashion to goe to God and pray in time of want they may goe often enough and pray long enough ere they shall obtaine and worke till they be weary in the service of God ere they get any good reward for it yea though a man be a beleever and hath that singular gift and grace of faith in him yet this is not enough unlesse he doth stirre up this gift and grace so as to have the use and exercise of it even in the time of working and doing God service for a habite is onely so farre of use and profitable as it is brought forth into act and exercise Experience shewes that the same soule which seemes one day to worke for nothing and to labour in vaine with God in the duties of his service another day or by another duty is sent loaden away full of the desires of its soule and thinkes it selfe abundantly rewarded the reason will be found to be from hence if it be well looked into that faith was more exercised at one time then at another If therefore thou wouldest not have the service of the Lord and the dutyes of it to be in vaine unto thee then worke in faith Last of all Perseverance 5. this faithfulnesse consisteth and is to be shewed in perseverance holding on without fainting Rev. 2.10 Be faithfull unto the death that is in persevering to the last for thus faithfulnesse is shewed he is not accounted a faithfull servant that gives over his work before it be done nor he faithfull to god or his own soul that gives over before he speed Psal 123.2 We waite upon the Lord untill he have mercy upon us so should a Christian refolve not to give over or away from God without an answer I doe not deny but a Christian may be held off and delayed in his suite and service that he may even make some question whether he hath not quite lost his labour whether ever his prayers shall be answered and his service rewarded or no for all may seeme to be in vaine 1 Cor. 4.5 Oh! but stay a while and Iudge nothing before the time much lesse this to say or thinke that the Lord will be so hard and unfaithfull as not to reward your labour for the full and set time of the Lord payment is not yet come I wish that well knowne place in Mat. 24 13 were as wel considered of as knowen He that endureth to the end the same shall be saved In which words amongst many things considerable there be especially two for our present purpose the condition of the promise and the promise it selfe Perseverance is the dutie required in all the parts of Gods
body can doe thus Oh! that J could do so too this is an evidence of a gratious heart that knowes the service of God to be a profitable service but on the contrary such as speak or think otherwise as formerly was said they think the service of God to be but a vaine service and this doth clearly evidence their hearts to be but carnall Thus for the proofe of the Doctrine now follow the Grounds of Reasons why carnal hearts doe Judge the service of God to be but vaine Reason 1 The first is because they make question whether there be any such Lord to serve or no for as Psal 14.1 The foole hath said in his heart there is no God so many such there be even amongst us who though they doe not verbally deny it yet they doe not really and cordially beleeve it for though this be one of those morall principles that are engraven upon the heart of man by nature which can never be utterly blotted out yet as others so this lies up as a dead principle in the Soule and stirs little till it be enlivened and then they making question whether there be such a God to serve or no no marvaile though they judge and condemne the service of that God to be in vain when the worshippers of Baal spent much time and paines in praying offring of sacrifice and cutting themselves with Knives and Lancers and continued thus doing all the day from morning till noone and from noone till night the Prophet that stood by mockt at them and derided them and the reason why he did so was because he knew that there was no such God as they seemed to serve none such to hear and help as they call'd and cried unto and that therefore what they did was in vaine Now that which Elijah the true servant of the true God did to those Priests servants and worshippers of Baal the servants of Baal of the world and sinne doe to the servants of the true God and that upon the selfe same ground though they be mistaken When these carnall hearted creatures and atheisticall spirits look upon the faithfull servants of God and see what time they spend and what paines they take in the service of the Lord calling and crying to the Lord by fervent Prayer cutting I meane rending and tearing their hearts by repentance and humiliation and that so long and constantly from the morning of their youth to the noon tide of their manhood and from the noone tide of their middle age till the evening of their life c. where carnall hearts behold these things I say they secreetly mock at the servants of God for doing thus as thinking in their hearts that their labour is but lost and in vaine because they make question whether there be any such God to serve or no which if there were not then it were in vaine indeed and though there be yet they questioning the truth of it these things must needs seeme in vaine to them Reason 2 Secondly They thinke the service of the Lord to be a vaine service because t is in vain to them they are never the better for any of Gods service which they doe and therefore they think that no body else is they get nothing at the table of the Lord nor at the throne of grace but come away as dead hearted with their corruptions as strong and they continuing as ignorant of the my steries of Christ and life and as unable to pray or doe God any service as formerly and therefore it being thus with them they thinke it is thus with every body else yea that there is no such good as men speake of to be gotten in any part of Gods service And the truth is they dare do no otherwise then give entertainement to these kind of thoughts being suggested to them by Satan hereby to prevent that condemning sentence which their own consciences would be ready to passe upon them for their unprofitablenesse in Gods service For should they admit of this for a truth that there were so much good to be got in duties and ordinances then would conscience be upon them and demand why they do then get no more good thereby and so make them call into question the truth and uprightnesse of their hearts and the manner of their performing duties and doing of God service Which to prevent as also to save themselves in the esteeme of others so farre as they can they cast this imputation upon the service of God it selfe Simil. As it is the practice of some servants that having wasted their wages by some riotous courses or secret haunts of expence to save their credits with their friends and such as would else be ready to tax them for ill husbandry in comming away without clothes on their backs or money in their purse they to save their credit and avoid blame unjustly accuse that service they dwelt in say that it is a stroying and wasting service much work and little wages that there is nothing to be gotten in it and the like thinking thereby to scape free from blame which t is true they may doe with those that know not the service but not with those that know how good and profitable a service it is Thus doe carnall hearts with the service of God and the duties of it thinking and saying it is but vaine to save themselves and whereas they cannot deny but that some others doe thrive and grow better and more then themselves they will not acknowledge this to be from the duties of Gods service but rather from some other thing as for instance when they see others grow in knowledge and parts whilst themselves remaine still grossely ignorant they will not acknowledge that they got this by attending upon the meanes and ordinances but rather impute it to good education to the strength of their memories and other abilities of their own when they see others have gotten power over their passions and corruptions whilst they remaine still hare-braind and furious upon every slight occasion that the wagging of a straw will make them off the hookes and make them little better then Bedlams they will not ascribe any such grace to be power received from Iesus Christ through any ordinance but rather to the goodnesse of their natures Oh they are of a more milde disposition then I am of my nature is hasty I cannot help it c. Nay rather then they will take shame to themselves they wil lay the blame upon God if for want of a true change in the heart they remaine without the spirit of God and the spirit of supplication that they are still children and babes cannot speak in Prayer further then what they have gotten from others then wil they excuse themselves and say that God doth not give the spirit of Prayer to every one alike not considering that promise of Gods giving his holy spirit to them that aske it meaning aright it is granted that he
service and the Lord is not tyed to give any reward or make payment till this dutie or condition be performed Mat. 20. the Labourers that had wrought in the vineyard were not called to take their payment till the evening and end of the day True sometimes the master of the field will come in amongst his harvest men about noone or some other time of the day and give them a largesse for their incouragement over and above their wages but how ever at night they shall have their reward without faile and they have no cause to complaine if they stay till then and have no more then their wages even so is it here the Lord is pleased sometimes to come in very sweetly to a soule whilst 't is at the work labouring in his service at the word in a prayer in a sacrament or the like gives it some inklings of his love and sealings of his spirit which are as Largesses to the soule that glad the heart and doe much incourage it in the wayes and worke of God c. But you must know that this is an over-plus of his love which though he doth sometimes bestow yet not alwayes for it is the portion even of som that fear the Lord to walk in darknes see no light Isa 50.10 for the Lord will be left free in this and it is more then he will make promise of that there may be no ground of complaint to any onely the certaine and standing wages is salvation and this he bindes himselfe by Covenant to give in that sorenamed place Mat. 24.13 he that shall endure to the end the same shall be saved as if he should have said if there doe come any thing over and beside what I promise and good may it doe you take it and be thankefull onely this is that you may trust to Salvation He shall be saved and will not this wages be sufficient hath he any cause to say that the service of God is a vaine service that shall have this at the last how little soever he hath for the present he knoweth not what salvation is that thinks it will not surely if thou wert as sore a labourer as ever wrought for God and shouldst beare the burthen and heate of the day yet shouldst all thy dayes eat in darknesse and never have good looke from God nor any incouragement in his worke yet this penny of salvation at the night of death and those things that accompany the same would be wages sufficient therefore cease thy complaints and persevere in thy endeavours Thus have I at large shewed you what you must doe if you would not have the service of God to be made void and vaine to you 1 Get into Covenant with God 2. Take heed of a slighty spirit in the service of God 3. Looke well to your hearts that they be found faithfull in the mayne especially in those five partioulars In Carefulnesse in Diligence in Sincerity in Beliefe and in Perseverance And now give me leave in the Closure of all to speake to you as David spake to the people 1 Chro. 29.5 Who now is willing among you to consecrate his service this day unto the Lord shall I helpe the Lord to never a servant more by this dayes worke Believe it Friends you 'l never meet with a better Master to be sure you 'l never meet with so good a master if you should travell to the utmost parts of the Earth It 's held indeed as a discour tesie in the world and a poynt of dishonesty to wish or procure away a servant from one master to another But I wish with al my heart I could this day procure some of the worlds the Devills or sinn's servants to become the true and faithfull servants of the most high God For my part I would be willing to venture the displeasure of their old Masters And you for your part I dare say would be highly thankfull unto me for wishing you to such a service If I could perswade any soule heare to leave its old drudgery and to accept of the service of God thou wouldst soone be ready to say as David said to Abigail 1 Sa. 25.32.33 Blessed be the Lord God of Israell which hath sent thee this day to meete me And blessed be thy advice blessed be thou For I was even wearying my self in a way of vanity I was serving the worst master and doing the worst work in the world I was about to receive the worst wages that ever poore creature received for the wages of sin is death And therefore blessed and for ever blessed be that God that hath sent forth a messenger to stop me in that way to let me see the vanity of that old service in which formerly I tooke so much delight and to perswade my heart to delight in that new service of the Lord which formerly I judged as vaine and fruitlesse Well friends be perswaded this day and the Lord perswade you to dwell in the tents of Shem. Gen. 9.27 The Lord perswade you to accept of his reasonable service be not afraid of it there is all the reason in the world you should serve him T is true there are strange reports that goe about of this service T is a way that is every where spoken against Goe amongst them that have much meanes of knowledge and much knowledge by the meanes and they speake against it there are any of the Rulers of the scribes and pharisees so forward in the service of God Joh. 7.48 Go amongst them that are ignorant and they speake against it there as if it were the vilest drudgery in the world whereas the Apostle sayes 2 Cor. 3.17 its perfect freedome Ioh. 8.36 if the sonne make you free then are you free indeed Beleeve it when you come to dy you will have more comfort by one week spent in this service then in many years spent in the service of sinne and Satan Be perswaded therefore to accept of the service of God this day As he makes a gracious profer to entertaine you be content to accept of it with all thankefulnesse take Gods Festing penny receive his earnest subscribe to the indentures of his Covenant And then the match is made betwixt God and your soules according to that remarkable Prophecy Esay 44 5. One shall say I am the Lords and another shall call himselfe by the name of Iacob and another shall subscribe with his hand vnto the Lord and Surname himselfe by the name of Israell And this was that which David preferred above the Chiefe flower in his Crowne even to be call'd the servant of the Lord Psal 18. the title rather then a Lord of servants Let this be the utmost ambition of each gracious soule that it may say as he did Psal 116.16 Oh Lord truly I am thy servant I am thy servant and the sonne of thy handmayd thou hast loosed my bonds To every such
faithfull servant shall that gracious promise of our great Lord and Master made good Ioh 12.26 If any man serve me let him follow me and where I am there shall also my servant be if any man serve me him will my Father honour Therefore to conclude let me exhort you as Ioshua did the people Now feare the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in truth I hope it seems not evill to any of you to serve God but you will choose the Lord for your master and each one for himselfe resolve and say with him whatsoever others doe as for me and my house we will serve the Lord. What say yee before I goe hence what answer shall I returne to him that sent me shall I returne the same answer the people gave to Ioshua the Lord perswade your hearts to the same height of resolution God forbid that we should forsake the Lord to serve other Gods The Lord our God will we serve and his voyce will we Obey FINIS A TABLE OF The maine things contained in this following Treatise THe Doctrine is 1. Propounded 2. Proved 3. Cleared 4. Applyed 1. The Doctrine is propounded viz. That Carnall hearts do judge the true service of God a vaine service Pag. 5 2. The Doctrine is proved 1. By Scripture 2. By reason 1. That their judgement is so A. 2. Why they doe so judge B. A. 1. That their judgement is so which is demonstrated 1. By their wilfull and totall omission of some knowne duties 9 2. By their slighty performance of those duties they doe undertake 13 3. By their wearinesse even in those slighty performances 17 4. By those base thoughts they harbour of such as serve God better then themselves 20 B. 2. Why they doe so judge as 1. Because they question whether there be any such God to serve 26 2. Because it is in vaine to them they judge it to bee in vaine to all others also 29 3. Because many great and learned men are not most forward in it 35 4. Because God doth sometimes defer the payment of his servants wages 37 3. The Doctrine is cleared by answering a maine Objection Object If carnall hearts doe judge Gods service as vaine why doe they then serve God at all 39 Ans There are two speciall reasons for it 1. They are forced and haled thereto by Example Custome Conscience powerfull Ordinances 41 2. They doe it to make sure uncertainties in some stirrings of conscience 44 4. The Doctrine is applied by way of 1. Information for it informes us 1. Why the Lord hath no more servants to wait upon him 50 2. What is the ground of so much lukewarmnesse and indifferency in Gods service 50 3. What is the ground of so much Apostacy and back-sliding from God 53 2. Reproofe 1. Directly to the wicked 1. To those who judge men to be the worse for Gods service 57 2. To those who judge it vaine 58 2. By consequence to Gods own people if it be a sinne in carnall hearts much more is it so in the people of God 61 Quest What doe Gods people object against the service of God that under temptation they think it vain Ans Objections doe arise in their hearts springing 1. From themselves in respect of 1. The non-apprehension of any good that ever they got by the service of God 62 Answ To this Objection 1. Thy service may be profitable to others though not to thy selfe 66 2. God payes thee by way of exchange 71 3. Thou shalt be better for it hereafter though not for the present 74 2. The indiscernable difference that is in themselves betweene their serving and not serving of God they thrive as well c. 78 Ans To this Objection 1. It is a sad thing that a gracious heart should tempt God in this manner 80 2. If there be no difference in thy outward man yet there is difference in thy soule 81 3. Though sometime there is no difference yet at other times there is 82 4. They are not such speciall mercies if they come not in this way 84 2. Objections doe arise in the hearts of Gods people springing from others 84 85 For such as have no care to serve God at all fare as well in their apprehension as those that serve him most and best of all 85 Answ to this Objection 1. They fare not so well in their Soules though they fare as well in outward blessings 85 2. Those outward blessings may be the fruit of other mens service and not of their own 86 3. The prosperity of this life is not worthy the name of reward 88 Obj. If Gods people may judge the service of God to be vaine then say carnall men we hope our condition is not so bad as we feared though we also do judge the service of God as vaine 91 92 Ans To this Objection there is a wide difference betweene the thoughts of the godly and of the wicked in this respect 93 For 1. Such thoughts in the godly are injected by Satan not setled in the heart as it is in the wicked 94 2. Such thoughts in the Godly are not about the service of God it selfe but onely about their particular service of God 95 3. Such thoughts beat them not off from his service as they doe the wicked 96 4. Such thoughts in the godly are followed with sorrow and repentance but not in the wicked 99 3. The Doctrine is applyed by way of caution and exhortation 1. To the wicked to warne them to take heed of this sinne of censuring Gods service and servants 100 2. To the people of God to take heed how they harbour such hard thoughts about the service of God or how they suddenly cast away their confidence in God 102 3. To all in Generall to take heed that as the service of God is not vaine in it selfe so it may not prove vaine to them 108 And that it may not prove vaine take these directions 1. Get into Covenant with him for whom wee worke as were expect acceptance Reward 112 2. Take heed of a slighty spirit and of meane thoughts of the duties of Gods service 119 3. Be Faithfull in the performance of this service 121 This Faithfulnesse must bee shewed in five particulars 122 1. In Carefulnesse seene in the universality of our obedience active and passive 122 2. In Diligence seene in in doing all Gods work with all our might 124 3. In Sincerity seene in making Gods command the principle Gods glory the end of all our worke 126 4. In Beliefe seene in resting upon Gods promise for assistance acceptance 129 5. In Perseverance seene in holding out to the end without wavering 133 Hee that doth these things shall never be removed His labour in the Lord shall not be in vaine FINIS Errata PAge 40. for oneis read one is page 43. it doggs him read here it doggs him page 57. judge so evill put out so page 67. in the 1. line put out may be p. 82. for diuse r. disuse page 91. for they made up as his Jewell were c. Read they were made up as his Jewels c. pa 105. for it that read it hath pag. 105. blot our And pag. 107. for affirme read attain pag. 115. for Esay read Isaiah pag. 120. for as honourable read as an honourable pag. 126. for Zealous God read Zealous for God and put out for in the next line pag. 127. blot out and 127. For disern read discern 130. blot out as he said 137. for good r. much good 138. for yet read yea 145. for made good read be made good