the creature and drive such a Trade in the Shop that they quite break in their Trading for Heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Farm and Oxen have kept millions from Christ These do not make Religion their business but make the world their business and what will all be at death but as a dream or fancy Hab. 2.13 The people shall labour in the fire and weary themselves for very vanity 2. Branch Hence see how hard it is to be saved 'T is not so Branch 2 easie as some apprehend Religion must be our business 'T is not enough to have a smack of Religion a touch and away Canis ad nilum but we must make it our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our businesse How many precepts have we to obey how many tentations to resist how many graces to treasure up Religion is the work of our whole lives and all little enough Lord then how hard is it to be saved Where will the sinner appear What will become of the Gallants of our times who make sin their business Quibus cura est ut vesles bene oleant ut digiteÌ„ annulis radirent ut crines calamistro rotentur Hier. whose whole imployment is to indulge and pamper the flesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All their care is as Hierom speaks to crisp their hair to sparkle their Diamonds instead of steeping their souls in brinish rears they bathe themselves in perfumed waters and ride to Hell upon the back of pleasure Vse 2. Let us deal impartially with our own souls and put Vse 2 our selves upon a strict triall Triall before the Lord whether we make Religion our business And for our better progress herein I shall lay down ten Signs and Characters of a man that makes Religion his business and by these as by a Gospel-Touchstone we may try our selves 1. He who makes Religion his business doth not place his Religion Character 1 only in externals Rom. 2.28 He is not a Jew who is one outwardly Religion doth not stand only in forms and shadows 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this is to give God leaves instead of fruit 'T is often seen that the pomp of worship destroys the purity as the paint of the Glass hinders the light And 't is no untruth to say that formality may as well damn as prophaneness A superstitious Pharisee may as well be in Hell as a drunken Epicure A Christians main work lies with his heart He that makes Religion his business gives God the Vitals he worships him in spirit and in truth Joh. 4.24 In stilling the spirits are strongest The good Christian distils out the spirits for God Aaron must offer the fat upon the Altar Lev. 3.14 He shall offer an offering made by fire the fat that covereth the inwards Vers 16. All the fat is the Lords If Aaron had offered the skin instead of the fat it would not have been accepted Externall devotion alone is offering the skin and they that give God only the skin of duty shall carry away only the shell of comfort Character 2 2 Character He who makes Religion his business avoids every thing that may be a remora and hindrance to him in his work A wicked man cares not whether the matter of Religion goes forward or backward he stands in the way of tentation and as if sin did not come fast enough he draws it as with a Cart-rope Isa 5.18 Isa 5.18 But he who makes Religion his business flies from tentation and while he is running the heavenly race layes aside every weight of sin which doth so easily beset him Heb 12.1 A man may as well miss of Heaven by loytering in the way as by losing the way 1 Sam. 21.8 The Kings business required hast so the business of Religion requires hast therefore the good Christian is carefull that he be not taken off the work and so be taken tardy in it Character 3 3 Character He who makes Religion his business hath a care to preserve conscience inviolable and had rather offend all the world than offend his conscience 2 Tim. 1.3 I thank God whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience Much of Religion lies in conscience Faith is a precious jewell but conscience is the Cabinet where this jewell must be kept O faelix conscientiae Paradisus bonorum operum virgultis consita variisque virtutum floribus purpurata Aug. ad fratr â—n eremo Tom. 10. 1 Tim. 3.9 Holding the mystery of faith in a pure conscience Love is a beautifull flower but this flower must grow in the garden of a pure conscience 1 Tim. 1.5 Charity out of a pure conscience So sacred a thing is conscience that without this all Religion drops in pieces He who makes Religion his business labours to get conscience regulated by Scripture as the Watch is set by the Dial and having done this he keeps his conscience as his eye that no dust of sin fall into it 4 Character He who makes Religion his business Religion Character 4 hath an influence upon all his civill actions 1. Religion hath an influence upon his eating and drinking he holds the golden bridle of temperance he eatâ— sparingly The godly man feeds not to please the sensuall appetite but that he may as Chrysostome saith by the strength he receives from the creature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be the more fit for the chearfull discharge of spirituaâ—l services He makes not his food fuell for lust but help to duty Epicures dig their own grave with their teeth they feed without fear Jude vers 12. Irregulares gulares Sinners fear not lest their Table should be a snare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost Psal 69.22 they fear not the process of justice while the Wine is in the Cup they fear not the hand writing on the Wall But the godly man being regulated by Religion puts a Knife to his throat Prov. 23.2 that he may cut the throat of intemperance 2. He that makes Religion his business Religion hath an influence upon his recreation The strings of the Viol must sometimes be slackned lest they break Neque semper arcum tendit Apollo God affords his people generous delights the Scripture allows the use of the Bow 2 Sam. 1.18 But we are apt to offend most in lawfull things more are killed with Wine than with poyson Religion sits Moderatour in the soul The man influenced by Religion dares not make play an occupation 't is oyl to quicken him in Gods service not a Sea to ingulph him He who is devoted to Religion puts bounds to the Olympian sports he knows where to make his stops and periods he sets up an Herculis Columna on which he writes non ultra no further than this 3. He that makes Religion his businesse Religion hath an influence upon his buying and selling The wicked get a livelihood often by cozening sometimes they embase commodities Amos 8.6 They sell the refuse of the Wheat They would pick out
but the drooping distressed Christian also questioneth all this because of the deceitfulness of the heart Alas the Scripture tells us that the heart of man is desperately wicked and deceitfull above all things o From Jer. 1.9 The Papists cavils the drooping Christian doubts who can know it and if the heart of man cannot bee known how can wee say wee beleeve or love God For this consider these four things 1. Another man cannot know it I cannot certainly and infallibly know whether another man be sincere or what his heart is for it is the prerogative and excellency of God to bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one that knows the hearts of all men Act. 1.24 2. A wicked mans heart is so wicked and there is such a depth of wickedness in his heart that hee cannot come to the bottome of it 3. If a man cannot know all the secret turnings and windings of his heart yet hee may know the general scope and frame of his heart 4. If hee could not do this of himself yet assisted by the spirit of God which all beleevers have received hee might know the frame bent scope inclination of his own heart Thus far the first proposition that a man may know that hee hath sincere faith in Christ and love to God Now wee proceed to the second 2 Proposition which shews the connexion between grace and glory Second Proposition is this that there is an infallible connexion between justifying faith unfeigned love and eternal glory The Apostle tells us of some things that may bee called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 6.9 things that accompany salvation Having or containing Salvation that are contiguous to salvation that the one toucheth the other this must bee proved for else though I know I do beleeve and love God sincerely to day I can have no infallible assurance of salvation because this may bee lost before to morrow or before I dye Now this I shall indeavour to prove by these three following particulars 1 From the verity of Gods promises 1. The undoubted verity of Gods promises proveth an inseperable connexion between sincere grace and eternal glory Faith is the eye of the soul with it through a promise as through a perspective-glass can the soul have a view of Heaven and glory What greater certainty or security can a man have than the infallible promise of that God who is truth it self who will not deny his Word but the same Love and free Grace that moved him to infuse Grace into thy heart and to make the Promise will move him also to give the thing promised Joh. 3.16 God so loved the world that hee gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever beleeveth on him should not perish but have everlasting life Joh. 5.24 Hee that beleeveth hath everlasting life Hee hath it in the Promise hee hath it in the first-fruits Rom. 8.23 But wee our selves also which have the first-fruits of the Spirit The Jews by offering their first fruits did testifie their thankfulness to God for what they had received and hopes of the full crop in due time Hee hath everlasting life then it must not end Mark 16.16 Hee that beleeveth and is baptized shall bee saved Hee that beleeveth not shall bee damned As certainly as the unbeleever shall be cast into outer darkness so certainly shall the beleever be partaker of the glorious Inheritance of the Saints in Light The Promise is as true as the Threatning Act. 16.30 31. There you see a poor convinced wounded sinner under the load of guilt that had a sight of his lost undone deplorable condition coming to the Apostles and speaking after this manner Yee men of God yee servants of the Lord if there bee any way for mee who have been so great a sinner that have done enough ten thousand times over to damn my own soul if there be any certain way to avoid damnation I beseech you tell mee if there be any means by which I might certainly be saved as you pitty my sinful soul my bleeding heart my wounded conscience tell mee what it is declare it to mee What is the Apostles answer Beleeve on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved The Apostles speak not doubtingly perhaps thou shalt be saved perhaps thou mayest be damned If thou get Faith it may be thou mayest get Heaven Alas what relief peace satisfaction would this have been to his wounded conscience But they speak peremptorily beleeve and thou shalt be saved So that prove thou that thou hast Faith and these Scriptures prove thou shalt have salvation The Connexion therefore will not be questioned if I beleeve I shall be saved this God hath promised but shall not a beleever lose his Faith in Christ and lose his Love to God for the Remonstrants grant that a beleever qua talis as a beleever cannot fall away not come short of glory but qui talis est Hee that is a beleever may fall away totally and finally and so cannot have assurance of salvation because hee hath no assurance that hee shall persevere in his beleeving and state of grace To this I oppose these places of Scripture 1 Thes 5.23 24. And the very God of Peace sanctifie you wholly and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body bee preserved blameless therefore preserved from Apostacy which is exceedingly blame-worthy till when till the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ is this a prayer and not a promise yea it is a prayer indited by the Spirit of God and hath a promise following it if you will read on Faithful is hee that calleth you who also will do it Here the Apostle that had the Spirit prayeth for perseverance and the Apostle that had the Spirit promiseth perseverance Certainty then of perseverance doth not make men careless in the use of means not prayers needless by praying a man obtains the thing promised and the certainty that hee hath by the promise of obtaining puts life into his prayers Phil. 1.6 Being confident of this very thing that hee which hath begun a good work in you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 denoteth more safety than 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will perform it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will finish it will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 1.5 Kept garrisoned by the power of God through Faith unto Salvation Joh. 10.28 30. 1 Cor. 10.13 But will with the Temptation make a way to escape therefore they shall persevere for to enable the beleever to persevere in all tentations is to make a way to escape the destruction and hurt the tentation tendeth to God doth promise this absolutely Jer. 32.38 40. And they shall bee my people and I will bee their God and will make an everlasting Covenant with them that I will not turn away from them to do them good but I will put my fear into their hearts that they shall not depart from mee They shall not forsake God because God will not
distractio negligens a negligent distraction When a man hath an intention to pray and express his desires to God but he prays carelesly and doth not guard his thoughts so that sometimes he wanders and sometime recovers himself again and then straies again and is in and out off and on with God as a Spaniel roveth up and down and is still crossing the waies sometimes losing the company he goes with and then retiring to them again I cannot say this man prayeth not at all or that God doth not hear him but he will have little comfort in his Prayers yea if he be serious they will minister more matter of grief to him than comfort and therefore he ought to be more earnest and sedulous in resisting this infirmity that he may be assured of audience Otherwise if his heart be not affected with it in time by degrees all those motions and dispositions of heart that are necessary to prayer will be eaten out and lost 3. There is distractio voluntaria a voluntary distraction when men mind no more than the task or work wrought and only go round in a track of accustomed duties without considering with what heart they perform them this is such a vanity of mind as turneth the whole prayer into sin Secondly The causes of this roving and impertinent intrusion of vain thoughts 1. Sathan is one cause who doth Maxime insidiari orationibus as Cassian speaketh lye in wait to hinder the Prayers of the Saints when ever we minister before the Lord he is at our right hand ready to resist us Zech. 3.1 And therefore the Apostle James when he biddeth us draw nigh to God biddeth us also to resist the devil Jam. 4.7 8. Implying thereby That there is no drawing nigh to God without resisting Sathan When a Tale is told and you are going about the Affairs of the World he doth not trouble you for these things do not trouble him or do any prejudice to his Kingdom But when you are going to God and that in a warm lively affectionate manner he will be sure to disturbe you seeking to abate the edge of your affections or divert your minds Formal Prayers patterd over do him no harm but when you seriously set your selves to call upon God he saith within himself This man will pray for Gods Glory and then I am at a losse for the coming of Christs Kingdom and then mine goeth to wrack That Gods Will may be done upon earth as it is in heaven and that minds me of my old fall and my business is to cross the Will of God he will pray for dayly bread and that strengtheneth dependance for Pardon and Comfort and then I lose ground for the devils are the * Eph. 6 12. Rulers of the darkness of this World He will pray to be kept from sin and temptation and that is against me Thus Sathan is afraid of the Prayers of the Saints he is concerned in every request you make to God and therefore he will hinder or cheat you of your Prayers if you will needs be praying he will carry away your heâ—rts Now much he can do if you be not watchful he can present Objects to the senses which stirs up thoughts yea pursue his temptations and cast in one fiery dart after another therefore we had need-stand upon our guard 2. The natural levity of our spirits man is a restless creature we have much a doe to stay our hearts for any space of time in one state much more in holy things from which we are naturally averse Rom. 7.21 When I would do good evil is present with me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oh consider this natural feebleness of mind whereby we are unable to keep long to any Imployment but are light fethery tossed up and down like a dryed leaf before the wind or as an empty Vessel upon the waves 't is so with us in most businesses especially in those which are Sacred the Apostle biddeth us pray without ceasing and we cannot do it whilest we pray he is a stranger to God and his own heart who finds it not daily this is an incurable vanity though we often repent of yet 't is not amended a misery that God would leave upon our natures to humble us while we are in the World and that we may long for Heaven the Angels and blessed Spirits there are not troubled with those things in Heaven there is no complaining of wandring thoughts there God is all in all they that are there have but one Object to fill their understandings one Object to give contentment to their desires their hearts cleave to God inseparably by a perfect love but here we are cumbred with much serving and much work begets a multitude of thoughts in us Psal 94.11 The Lord knows the thoughts of men that they are but vanity When we have summed up all the traverses reasonings and discourses of the mind we may write at the bottom this as the total sum here is nothing but vanity 3. Another cause is practical Atheism we have little sense of things that are unseen and lye within the vail in the World of spirits things that are seen have a great force upon us offer it now to the Governour saith the Prophet Mal. 1.8 God is a far off both from our sight and apprehension senses bind attention if you speak to a man your thoughts are setled and you think of nothing else but in speaking to God you have not like attention because you see him not Exod. 32.1 Make us gods to go before us Aye that we would have a visible God whom we may see and hear but the true God being a Spirit and an invisible Power all the service that we do him is a task performed more out of custome than affection in a slight perfunctory way 4. Strong and unmortified lusts which being rooted in us and having the Soul at most command will trouble us and distract us when we go about any duty each man hath a mind and can spend it unweariedly as he is inclined either to Covetousness Ambition or Sensuality for where the treasure is there will the heart be Matth. 6.20 set but the Covetous man about the World the Voluptuous man about his pleasures and the ambitious man about his honours and preferments and will they suffer their thoughts to be taken off surely no but set either of these about holy things and presently these lusts will be interposing Ezek. 33.31 their heart goeth after their Covetousness the sins to which a man is most addicted will ingross the thoughts so that this is one sign by which a man may know his reigning sin that which interrupts him most in holy duties for when all other lusts are kept out Sathan will be sure to set the darling sin a work to plead for him if a man be addicted to the World so will his musings be if to mirth and good chear and vain sports his thoughts will be taken up