my grace is weakened when I yeeld to sinne but it stands in strength when it stands in defiance and conflict with sinne it argues the violence of sinne to breake out against grace and also it argues the potency of grace to keepe the soule from serving unruly and boysterous lusts 3 Betwixt sinne in temptation and sinne in the affection even a strong castle may be assaulted and a stout Christian much tempted then the spirituall part is weakened when sin is favoured If as there is much temptation in thy sinfull flesh so there is much detestation on thy spirituall part thy bow yet abides in strength Object But another Christian replies if these signes of decaying be right which you deliver then surely I am in a dying frame for heretofore when as I thought God looked on me in mercy in quickening me from the dead I had a very melting heart for sinne and a surpassingâ—y zealous love to God and his glory but now I finde no such height and flames and measures Sol. To this I answer 1 You must distinguish betwixt equall sensiblenesse and equall spiritualnesse upon the inchoation of grace there may be more sensiblenesse for as much as grace erects it selfe much in the affections of whose acts we are more apprehensive being more neere to sense but upon the advance in grace there may be more spiritualnesse though not such a sensible griefe in the affection yet a pure lothing of sinne and displicence with our selves in the will 2 Betwixt passionate expressions and deliberate or judicious expressions I confesse that heretofore thy zeale and love might be more passionate and violent but now they worke upon more pure and mixt grounds and for ever know it argues the grace to be the more strong which can act its parts with lesse turbulency and unquietnesse 3 Betwixt grace generally diffused and it particularly imployed at the first all the water ranne as it were in one channell grace exerted it selfe mostly in the humbling part and therefore seemed to be very much because very much imployed in a particular but upon further knowledge of Christian duties grace diffuseth its strength to all the acts of holinesse it is not the lesse because the more improved onely it is the lesse perceived Simile as health and strength are when totally diffused over the whole body 4 Betwixt interruption and corruption spirituall principles may sometimes be interrupted Simile like a river which yet is scrambling over the bay by temptations the passages are not alwaies so open for operation the very ineptitude of a mans temper may occasion unequall expressions of the visible act actus Imperati and yet there may be no weakening and decaying in the spirituall condition for the invisible frame actus eliciti are sure and full still the will and desires doe act as much as ever though the tongue or hand cannot render it and besides this the worke is made up by a secret humbling which is so unavoydably hindred from an open acting 6 But lastly if upon solid grounds when wee are our selves we finde a manifest inequality of our present with our former condition in grace then counsell is better for thee then comfort and mee thinkes no better advise can be prescribed then that of Christ himselfe to the Ephesian Church slaking in her first love Remember from whence thou art fallen and repent and doe thy first works Vse 2 If though upon perusall of these trials you finde your selves not to be in a dying condition 1 Then first blesse the arme of the Almighty God who hath given grace and upheld it 2 Beseech him for ever to preserve and increase thy spirituall qualities all thy daies it is by his goodnesse that thou art good and of his strength that yet thou abidest in thy strength 3 Vse all the meanes thou canst to keepe up thy graces that thou sink not into a dying condition Meanes to preserve us from a dying condition be these 1 Be humble Simile the high tide quickly ebbes and the highest sunne is presently declining faith is the champion for our graces and feare the watchman and humility the nurse Spirituall pride fils our fancies but impaires our graces now a man thinkes he hath enough and then he is sure to lose much if any thing keepes us from being low in grace it is this that we still grow low and poor in spirit In the Rickets they have large heads but weake feet so c. 2 Strive for further perfection 2 Pet. 3. 17. 18. in holinesse 2 Pet. 3. 17. the most of what wee have is but the least of that we want He that will not strive to be better will be worse in temporals we should insist more on our receits and that will make us thankfull in spirituals wee should insist more on our wants and that will make us fruitfull 2 Pet. 1. 5. Adde to your faith vertue and to vertue knowledge 6 v. and to knowledge temperance c. 8 v. for if thou doe these things they make you that you shall neither be barren nor unfruitfull c. 3 Quit all formality in all holy duties take heed of the first coolings much impiety may hang upon much indifferency a coole spirit is alwaies a losing spirit he who gives way to do duties in a slight manner will after a while be able scarce to performe them in any manner But as the rule was Hoc age so still keep up thy spirit with the duty stir up thy graces in all duties put out thy heart and strength in holy actions of praying and hearing and that will keepe thee alive in grace A conscionable and cordiall acting of good is blessed not onely with a preservation of grace but likewise with an addition and increase 4 Maintaine an holy jealousie and feare of decaying Blessed is the man who feareth alwaies saith Salomon Prov. 28. Three things arise from this One is tender watchfulnesse against all decaying occasions Another is frequent search and examination of our spirits and estates Quicke repairings of all faylings all which preserve us from a notorious decaying or dying 5 Be prudently serious in christian society spend not thy houres in vaine disputes lest while thou studiest odde notions thou in the meane time losest precious grace There are disputes which end onely in division and there are inquiries which tend to edification rather studie to make thy selfe better then to prove another to be bad 6 Keep up uprightnesse and by no meanes away with hypocrisie say not the sinne is little Simile for many a man hath dyed of a little wound and we all know that the small end of the wedge makes way for the greater nor say it is secret a man may dye of a secret stab as well as of an open wound When the children of the Prophets tasted of the pottage they cried out Mors in olla death is in the pot and so shall wee finde upon experience that there goes a dying influence with
lesse sometimes with more liberty of spirit sometimes with lesse sometimes with more comfort sometime with lesse Sol. Yet let nothing discourage thee or take off thy spirit from the worke but follow on to know the Lord and his strength against all temptations against all suggestions against all discouragements against all thine owne feares and feelings and inequality of operations yet give not over but Keep up thy services still retain frequent communion with God still be begging still for the strength of Iesus Christ to raise thee heare still use the prescriptions till health comes thou art in the way and must not rest till thou hast obtained If thou breakest off before thou hast regained thy strength thou wilt fall backe againe and also lose all thy new endeavours for thy recovery in grace Thus much for the second proposition I proceed now to the third of which I can but give a touch lest I be hindred in the prosecution of the matter in the next verse I have not found thy works perfect c. That the estate though visibly Thirdly faire to the eyes of men yet it may be really imperfect in the eyes of God Amongst the Churches Sardis had a name that it lived but with God it had not that name and estimation Wee Christians have the judgement of charity but God hath the judgement of infallibility we looke onely on the skin and surface of actions but God looks into the hearts and spirits of persons wee judge of the heart by the actions but God judgeth of our estates by the heart Now the outward acts upon severall arguments and for severall ends and inducements may be extreamely different from the inward habit and disposition Persons for their credits sake and for their peculiar advantages may draw out acts naturally good when yet their spirits stand not right either for principles or ends of those acts so that notwithstanding al their profession their estate may bee imperfect before God partly For the frame and constitution of soule For the vigour and fulnesse of acting For the scope and intentions in performing For the mixtures in matters of faith or conversation But I cannot now inlarge in this singular affection Vse 1 Onely it may teach us above all to looke unto our spirituals as they abide in and flow from our hearts and soules upon which principally the Lord lookes he searcheth the hearts and reynes and approveth the actings of the heart more then of the hand and therefore wee reade that he had first respect unto Abel and then unto his offering 2 To study Gods approbation more than mans it is not sufficient nor safe that either wee alone judge our estates to bee good or that men judge them to be so unlesse the Lord findes them to be so every Christian is that as God judgeth him to be and he stands or fals according to this righteous judgement of the al-seeing and al-knowing God And so I take leave of that verse and proceed to the next Remember therefore how thou Revel 3. 3. hast received and heard and hold fast and repent In these words you have the other branches of the spirits speciall directions to the Church of Sardis which are three viz. 1 Remembrance remember Three branches therefore how thou hast received and heard 2 Persistence and hold fast 3 Renewed repentance and repent Briefly to open the words Remember sometimes the word is taken for the act of a particular faculty of the rationall soule which is called by the Philosophers Reminiscentia and then it is the calling backe of a thing or object formerly knowne and laid up in the memory Sometimes it is taken for the act of serious consideration appertaining to the judicious faculty of the soule wherein apprehended truths are well weighed throughly thought on or considered of in both respects I conjecture it may bee taken in this place How some reade that word rather thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what remember i. call to minde and consider what thou hast received and heard as if it were a word declaring the matter but rather in this place it imports the manner and therefore it is well translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 How noting the manner how Christ taught and prescribed them at the first and also the manner how they embraced those holy rules of his for doctrine conversation Thou hast received and heard that is assented unto and embraced those truths and directions of Christ where is expressed first their ancient subjection or embracing of the doctrine of Christ received and secondly the meanes or way thereof viz. by hearing and heard I cannot possibly with any profit insist on all the observables out of these and the other words considering that little part of time which remaines for me to worke amongst you only I will point at three singular propositions viz. 1 That holy truths once received Three propositions are often to be remembred and thought on Remember c. 2 That acceptance of truths is not enough but Christians must adde thereto a persistence in truths hold fast 3 That renewed repentance is required of Christians as well as initiall and repent You see that all these propositions naturally flow from the text and are very proper for us and for the occasion upon which they are handled I begin with the first of them viz. Doct. That holy truths once received are often to be remembred and thought on There are three things which should fall into a frequent consideration 1 Our former sinnes and this will keepe us humble 2 Gods former mercies and this will make us thankfull 3 Received truths and this will make us dutifull and fruitfull The Iewes were to binde them as frontlets between their eyes Deut. 6. 8. to which Salomon alludes in Pro. 6. 21. binde Deut. 6. 8. Pro. 6. 21. them continually upon thy heart and tye them about thy necke and Eccles 12. 11. they are to be as nailes Eccl. 12. 11. fastened Looke on David and this was his practise Psal 119. Psal 119 15. I will meditate in thy statutes there once then reade verse 23. thy servant did meditate in thy statutes there is the second time but then reade verse 48. I will meditate in thy statutes there is the third time what speake I of once or twice or thrice see him in verse 97. Oh how I love thy law it is my meditation all the day The Apostles are frequent in their exhortations to this purpose to remember to lay up to keepe in minde not to forget the holy doctrines delivered by them nay and Christ pressed the same also upon themselves upon many occasions But for the cleere opening of this proposition premise with me these particulars 1 The frequent remembring of former truths must be a remembrance by way of subiection and not by way of contradiction we must not remember them and question them much lesse abuse and pervert them least of all oppose
God and the dignity of a Christian it is holinesse which makes thee to differ from men more then reason makes thee to differ from beasts If with him in the Gospell thou shouldest lose thy sheep or with her in the Gospel thou shouldest lose thy groat thou wouldest seeke to recover them how much more when thy crowne is losing c. In that which is our safety graces are not onely ornamenta beautifull garments but munimenta powerfull weapons thou losest thy weapons in the very field before thine enemies if thou losest thy spirituals and makest thy selfe naked so that any temptation may insult over thee and wound thee Simile at least thou canst not so well wield and use thy weapons a broken arme what can it doe especially with a dull weapon against strong and skilfull adversaries In that which is our serenity the weakened grace and the wounded conscience still goe together or if not then it is the dying grace and the dead conscience which is farre worse then the other In that which is our felicity ah unhappy Christian who when thy bow abode in strength couldest see a loving God enjoy a gracious Father couldest speake to him much and heare from him much but now hast changed thy confidence into feares thy sunne into darkenesse thy communion into strangenesse thy glory into shame 2 Who knowes what the end will be if thou strengthen not thy decaying graces The Lord knowes how farre thou maiest fall if thou wilt not thinke of rising Thou seest how poore a crop of duties comes from thy decaying graces thou feelest thy affections almost gone thou apprehendest not only a weaknesse but a wearinesse in holy services thou findest thy appetite gone from the word thou knowest thy neglect of many a Sacrament thou canst not but observe a vanity to arise in thy minde in stead of heavenly purity and a more delightfull consociation with vaine and idle persons then with solid and fruitfull Christians Yea and since thy graces have beene weakened easie temptations have beene very likely if not altogether effectuall to insnare thee to great transgressions from many omissions thou art now ready for great commissions Simile so that like a stone running downe a hill or a man carried further and further into the sea thou doest indanger what in thee lies the very soule and salvation of thy selfe and the love of God is it not setting are not his frowns rising And here will be work now made for that miserable soule of thine which hath so farre gone from home and is departed from thy fathers house 3 We are bound to keep our graces in repaire and more then so orgo we are not to rest in a decaying estate but to recover c. Simile As the Tenant who takes an house is bound to keepe it in repaire that it may be habitable against winde and weather so must we keepe up the graces given unto us and not let them sinke at all Nay more then so wee are bound against not onely decayings but against meere standings wee must proceed from faith to faith we must perfect holinesse in the feare of God we must grow in the love and knowledge of our Lord Iesus we must abound in all the fruits of righteousnesse we must use and increase our talents it will not be an answer of proofe to retaine our naked talent and say Master there is thine own The first use of this point shall bee to stirre us up to the Vse practise of this duty I will not spend time to demonstrate that we need strengthening I may speake my conscience with grief that generally we are a decaying people in the powers of godlinesse and flames of holy affections yea our own consciences secretly testifie against us this day that so it is yea the judgements of God the fire of his wrath which begins to burn and flye abroad in this City yet againe testifies as much and therefore my exhortation to us all is that we wisely consider of our dyings and decayings ah if the Plague should breake into our dwellings and take us away in our decayed estates a tormenting sore and a tormenting conscience a dying spirit and a dying body both at once the Lord knowes the wofulnesse of such a condition There are onely three things which I shall commend unto you for the application of this viz. 1 The motives to excite us 2 The meanes to perform it Three things 3 The manner of doing it 1 The motives To excite us to strengthen our spirituall condition shall Seven disadvantages be drawne from the disadvantages in a weakned the advantages of a strengthened conditiō 1 In respect of duties the Christian is to be Gods workman he is the servant of the Lord who imposeth on him not a few but many workes not easie but many times difficult workers not for a while but constant workes such duties that a little knowledge wil not serve the turn nor a little wisdom nor a little faith nor a little patience c. some of these duties are active some passive some respecting his general some his particular calling some of relation to God some to man some to himselfe Now the weakened Christian hee is no body to the strengthened Christian for duties for every man is as his strength is and our actions for the course of them are as the ability of the soule is from whence they come The weakened Christian comes very short of the other both for His adaptation of spirit unto duty there is not that connaturalnesse if I may so speake of his spirit to spirituall offices duties come hardly from him Simile like a rusty key to open a doore hee doth his worke with a more indisposed spirit not freely but like a sickeman he goes very little and is quickly weary and poorely not fully whereas the strengthened Christians duties flow from him as from an easie principle and lively and quicke cause His adequation of duty to the rule He doth not minde the rule of holy actions so much nor doth hee proportion his workes to the commands God may command much more then he doth for ordinarily the decayed Christian is guilty of many omissions Hee failes wonderfully oft-times in passing over the duty of prayer or reading or hearing c. But the strengthened Christian he is for all duties difficult as well as easie private as well as publique though hee cannot intensively answer the rule for duty yet extensively hee doth knowingly and willingly hee omits no duty His affective cooperation with duty hee doth duty but without such co-working affections more formally he doth pray and heare perhaps but it is coldly and sleepily it is not as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but as if it were some indifferent worke he acts with a carelesse and indifferent spirit His eye is not so full on Gods glory nor is his heart so warme in prayer c. His coles of fire burne in a cold hearth He is not
covenant and vow what was our baptisme but a devoting and solemne vowing of our selves to be faithfull to Christ and to his truths wee solemnly professed that none should be our Lord but God and that we should be his faithfull servants unto our lives end yea and wee have ratified this vow many a time by comming to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Now if we doe not hold fast the truths of Christ but forsake them or any of them wee are guilty of extreame perjury not in a matter betwixt man and man but betwixt God and man thou art forsworne again and againe unto the Lord thy God and hast as much as in thee lies made voyd the covenant of grace and life for thy poore soule 4 Consider but the necessary uses of divine truths and then we will acknowledge that they are to be held fast The use of the word or divine truths respects the everlasting and happy condition of the soule from the beginning to the end thereof Everlasting and true happinesse is the end and scope that every Christian lookes at and divine truths serve him fully and effectually to this end both to discover it and to bring man unto it There are many things required to set us in the true way to bring a man to heaven v. g. 1 Conviction of his sinfull condition but the word inlightens the minde and convinceth the conscience 2 Contrition for sinne but the word pricks our hearts as Acts 2. and humbles them 3 Conversion of soule but the law of the Lord is perfect converting the soule Psal 19. 7. by it comes faith into the soule Psal 19. 7. which gets Christ Rom. 10. 17. Rom. 10. 17. by it comes repentance Acts 3. 19. 4 Augmentation of grace but by the word wee are built up Acts 20. 32. and grow more and more 5 Perseverance in grace but by the word wee are kept and established to the end it is the power of God unto salvation Rom. 1. 16. Rom. 1. 16. What should I say more reade the Apostle summing up all in 2 Tim. 3. 16. All Scripture is giuen 2 Tim. 3. 16. by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine for reproofe for correction for instruction in righteousnesse 17 That the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished to all good workes 15 Yea they are able to make us wise unto saluation through faith â—hich is in Christ Iesus Againe there are many incouragements comforting and supporting in our way as divine consolations of the spirit of God peace in conscience joy in the holy Ghost all which are the myrrhe dropping onely from divine truths thy word hath comforted me said Dauid thy word hath quickned mee in the house of my pilgrimage they were the joyes of his heart and in the daies of his calamity they were the stay of his heart Now put all together if divine truths shew us the true happinesse if they onely put us into the true way unto that true happinesse if they onely keepe us in that way if they onely comfort and strengthen us in that way if they onely bring us to the end of our faith even the salvation of our soules will we not ought wee not to hold them fast Vse The first use of this point shall be to convince and reprove the wonderfull inconstancy of the sonnes of men that slipperinesse and unsetlednesse of spirit which is to be found amongst them Consider divine truths as they lye 1 In doctrine we may now complaine as the Apostle did of the Galathians chap. 1. verse 6. Gal. 1. 6. I maruell that ye are so soone remoued from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another Gospell Some revolt from the Protestant doctrine to the Popish leven others fall off from the orthodoxe articles of our Church to Anabaptisticall fancies and Socinian Blasphemies and the Lord be mercifull unto us what daily unsetlednesse and giddinesse possesseth us if any novelty of doctrine though a root of bitternesse start up and be delivered with any confidence or cunning of deceiving wit how instantly we flye off from our old truths how greedily and madly wee sucke in poysonous errours and being thus driven with every winde what tempests of railing and disgraces doe wee heape upon those who crosse our ficklenesse with constant vindications and assertings of the true doctrines of faith and life It makes mee to pitty this great and famous City whiles I behold a colluvies a very rabble of all opinions and such a going and comming touchings at and saylings off from the land of uprightnesse One weeke this is a truth and almost an article the next weeke it is no such matter but some other thing is the right Simile Thus wee play many times with great truths as children doe with their Babies one while embrace them anone breake them and throw them into the dirt But are there so many waies to heaven as men will make or hast thou power to coine other articles of faith at pleasure or will the Lord beare all this resting and mocking with his truths Two things makes mee feare the Lord will punish us in the Gospell one is our generall barrennesse in life another is our great sicklenesse in matter of truths 2 In conversation many times we hold the truth in unrighteousnesse wee doe not prize the truth and love it nor live according to it with constancy but as the Prophet cryed out how is the beautifull City become an heape so may wee say of many how is their righteous walkings degenerated into an ungodly living their wine is sowred and lamp put out But I will tell you the reasons and causes of all this inconstancy The causes of constancy and apostacy v. g. 1 Men are very ignorant and therefore very inconstant ignorance is the great spunge to sucke in errours as pride is the great Bawd to vent them Chaffe may be tossed any way that which is weak is also light 2 Though their apprehensions be large yet their affections are foule they know truth but love sinne which is contrary to truth Simile now a foule stomacke ever makes an ill head and a secret love of sinne works out the strength of truth in the minde men doe the more easily grow erroneous who first grow irreligious 3 There is an itch of pride Evah and Adam would know more then was fit and therefore lost all that was good you never reade of a proud person but either his life was notoriously tainted or his judgement notably corrupted the greatest errours have fallen from those that have beene most proud and have beene tooke up by those that have beene most ignorant 4 And then also many have Athenian wits they long for novelties though the old wine be best yet their palate must be in the fashion for new there is a sore vanity in a naturall minde that it cannot long fixe on any estate or on any truth 5 A colloging