deep hypocrisie that is in mens hearts or if they had do I think they were to use it but serve Gods holy ends in following Christ his example who suffered a Devil though a white one he was indeed in the likenes of an Angel of light yet he did suffer him in his family until it broke out into scandal There is much in this one reason 1. What deep hypocrisie may lurk in the hearts of men under a plausible profession so that men can suspect nothing many times as you see Ananias and Saphira Simon Magus and others Judas carried it so cunningly and seemed so zealous and full of charity O why was this waste c. when the Spirit of Christ went with his spirit and saw his fetches and deep ends he said it because he had the bag and was a thief the more he had to row in the more bold he might make with it and it would the less be mist but his paint was so exact and so near the life that the Disciples took him to be as real as themselves any of them rather suspecting themselves then him his heart was too deep for them to fathom Because 2. They had not such an infallible spirit given nor have any of the Churches now such a spirit given whereby to know the secrets of mens heart nor do I find that the Apostles had such a spirit given them now and then indeed they had some secret things and actions revealed to them but not that incommunicable property of God to search the heart I the Lord search the heart and try the reins Peter indeed had that private action and falshood of Ananias revealed to him and from thence he concluded Sathan had filled his heart in that he lyed against the Holy ghost but what is this to the searching of the heart and this that was revealed was but for an act now and then in Acts 10. He knew not that there were men sent for him from Cornelius until the Spirit of God told him and revealed it to him so that he had not that knowledge which he had of secret things not made known in an ordinary way by sense he had it not habitually but by several acts Or if they had such a spirit which none can prove they did not act by it in admitting persons for then such as those would never have been admitted Yea 3. If the Church had such a spirit it is very likely she were not to act by it in admission For our Saviour himself though he knew whom he â—ad chosen and knew from the beginning who should betray him yet he did admit him that he knew would prove a Devil and therefore he acted therein according to his humanity and to leave us a pattern that though we may suspect happily such or such a person and not savour them according to that discerning which God hath given us of the spirits of men yet if not scandalous not to reject them making such a profession of Christ as according to charity and Scripture-rules we ought to hope well of And methinks there is somewhat in that Parable of the tares though while in the blade they were scarce discernable from the wheat yet it seemeth by the Parable that now they were come to such a growth as they did discern them therefore came with that Question whether they should pluck them up and yet he would not have if so they were not thorns and thistles and such as would altogether choak the Corn though they might hinder it if only Hypocrites though discovered if they can be discovered without prophaness and scandal they are not to be pluckt up from among the good Corn and hence it is that there are good and bad in the visible Church though the bad seem to be good all are Virgins but all are not wise virgins For the Application of this We may hence take notice of the great indulgence of God and the largeness of his grace and the riches of his patience and long-suffering to poor Creatures in that he takes many as his own within the verge and comprehension of this his Covenant that never really partake of the saving benefits of the Covenant So you know it was with Israel though they were as the sand of the sea yet a remnant should be saved All are not Israel that are of Israel that is true and yet they are of Israel though they be not Israel that is as true Now that the Lord should admit of such to be of Israel that never were nor are like to be Israel this is largeness of bounty Alas how many wild Olives are graffed in among the branches which remain and partake of the fatness of the Olive the priviledges and ordinances and gifts of God bestowed on his Church for edification and yet shall be cast out as branches broken off dryed and withered shall be taken away as barren and unprofitable and burn for ever if thou continue not in this goodness thou shalt be cut off It is not the manner of men to plant such in their vine yards as they know will bring forth nothing but leaves no fruits but sowr the grapes of Sodom and yet this the manner of God to such as shall be cast out into utter darkness yet should be admitted to be the children of the kingdom 2. That he owneth many as separated to himself in such a way before they come to own him and though they dwell under his shadow and shine and in droppings and dew of heaven yet a long time bring forth nothing do nothing but abuse his grace and this riches of his goodness and yet at last notwithstanding all he should go on to separate them to a nearer holiness to himself seize upon their hearts put another principle and seed into them whereby they should be fruitful for the time to come Ordinary experience teacheth us this how many years many a poor formal Professor hath walkt under the means of grace and passed for a Saint and yet hath been in the gall of bitterness but the Lord out of his infinit mercy and rich grace hath healed him afterward It is no question it is the case of some that that very grace which they have so long hypocritically pretended to and abused was that at last which seized upon them Why but you will say this is no priviledge nor mercy to be members of Christ his visible Church if we therein enjoy not Christ and for our Children to be owned as those separated to Christ and yet though Children of the kingdom and be cast out for none are like to sink so low into hell as those which are cast out of the kingdom such as so often abuse mercies and Gospel-grace tendered to them I answer It is true the name of the Lord our God is great and fearful as in that place of Deuteronomy And the nearer a people have been drawn to Christ within the
righteousness and holiness made over to you imputed unto you as an Inner and Outward Garment or Cloathing I have hope of you you would not prove Foolish Virgins and that you are not so careless as not to regard whether you be found to have grace yea or no If there be any such let me tell such a man his Condition is next to desperate the Lord smite such sinners hearts but if you do not care there will come a time when you will care and every vein in your hearts will ake when you shall find alas you have trifled away your time your day you had to get grace in and now you have none Do you think brethren to go to heaven without grace must there be a wedding garment to his Supper here and must not there much more be a wedding Garment upon them that come into that nearest Fellowship with the Lord Jesus for ever Do poor sinners eat and drink judgement to themselves if they come without grace to the Supper O brethren do you think he will endure you to enter if you have not grace to sit with him at his Table to eternity No believe it Sinners shall not stand in the Congregation of the upright O that the Lord would perswade you How far are many of us from the Apostles temper he counted all things dung and dross not worthy his thoughts in comparison of being found in Christ and do not we count these things dung and dross in comparison of the world if it were not so surely men would lay out some of their care some of their thoughts some of their time for the getting Christ and grace 2. We must labour also to have our graces to get and keep our graces in act in a lively frame our hearts flaming towards the Lord continually the wise Virgins they slept and while they slept they could not watch now they had grace in their hearts but they kept it not in use in exercise as they should have done and therefore they underwent much inconvenience as you have heard and therefore our Saviour exhorts us to watch to take diligent heed that we run not the like hazard with them no more than with the foolish virgins Therefore labour to get your graces lively how should we think with our selves often when we find a listless fâ—ame growing upon us O what would my Condition be if the Lord Jesus should come this day to my poor soul Labour to keep your faith lively your Love lively so your humility and self-abasing that you may exalt him But alas you will say how can we do this we are poor imperfect creatures and therefore can we be alway acting our graces is it likely we should keep them alway in act that is enough for Angels and glorified Saints to do who are therefore called watchers I answer to this It is true it is not required we should always be acting of grace for then we should be able to do nothing else then we should neither sleep nor follow the works of some of our callings which require the intention of the mind as well as the labour of the hand therefore that is not the meaning nor indeed were we able to do it our spirits would fail us But how then Why We must be acting our graces when we are called to act them when ever is a time Mephibosheth eats bread continually at Davids table not that he did nothing else but eat without any intermission but at meal-times he did eat continually Note brethren we should see to it that upon all occasions we act our graces upon every temptation wherewith we are assaulted we should act our faith upon every tryal our patience upon every manifestation of himself to us to act our love and humility and thank-fulness But specially in our drawings nigh to him then see to it that we have our graces in act which alas how sar short do we fall of as in our daily performances prayers publike secret So meditating reading hearing receiving the Lords Supper if we would have them bright we must exercise them at these times how should we now renew our repentance in washing our hands in innocency as clean as if washed in innocency it self and so compass the Altar of God How should we as Jacob his family besides putting away their Idols change their garments also we should labour to get cloathed with another Spirit another frame then ordinary when we come before him upon these occasions It is said concerning the Steward which specially concerneth the Ministers of Christ Blessed is that servant whom his Master shall sind so doing giving every one their portion in due season A slothful servant is a wicked servant our Saviour saith he that receiveth grace in vain improveth it not stirreth not up himself to lay hold upon Christ upon special occasions such as are on foot upon such a day as this oporteâ— Episcopum concionari saith one eminent in his time The Lord hath given his Spirit to all believing people they have the habits of grace and he giveth it them as a stock to trade with as principles to act for him in their places O blessed is that servant whom his Lord shall find so doing he saith not whom his Lord â—hall find with grace in his heart but so doing acting his grace Ah blessed souls whom he shall find praying keeping up those duties in a lively manner whom he shall find receiving the sealing Ordinances and with a wedding Garment upon him a lively frame of spirit fit for it You have the Spirit of Christ dwelling in you if you be his and will you let such a precious principle lie idle it is given to mortifie to sanctifie O blessed soul that shall be found so doing even by the Spirit to mortifie the deeds of the Flesh surely brethren nothing will keep us more awake then action will if we be found sleeping it will not be comfortable to us therefore look to the acting of your graces I beseech you Again Labour to love his appearing so as that we may wait for it for indeed if we love it not we shall be apt to put the thoughts of it far from us labour either to love it or fear it according to thy Condition if thy Calling and Election be made sure if thou knowest the things freely given thee of God then be ashamed that any thing in the world should lie so near thee as not to desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ renew these desires day by day nothing but the greater glory of God should make us willing to be here indeed action for Christ and his honour is of a high nature and ought to have great weight with us as the Apostle hath it but yet methinks the burthen of sins should make us groan for it methinks if we have an eye upon the recompence of reward the joy that is set before thee that full enjoyment
whence they walk and that is from sin and self and Satan and sinners and the wrath which is to come but specially from sin they walk this is the scope of all their ways to get above sin 3. There is a terminus ad quem and that is to God in Christ as a holy God and a blessed God that we might enjoy him as such from hell to heaven and therefore conversion when men are first turned their posture is turned it is called a turning them from the power of Satan unto God 4. This motion is a progressive motion that is to say a man goeth forward in it not round about as a horse in a Mill and is at night where he was in the morning but as a horse or Traveller upon the Road which rids his ground he getteth ground every step and so should we go on toward perfection daily die to sin daily get somewhat further off it and to the world and get nearer to heaven daily we should see to it that we grow from strength to strength 5. It is a constant motion for a man that walks to such an end of a Journey he giveth it not over until he come to the end of it so should we constantly be moving until we come to the end of our faith the salvation of our souls 6. A pleasant motion to a man that is cured of his lameness and is no longer a Cripple as by Nature we are the way is pleasant Walks are for delight and sure the ways of Wisdom are pleasantness and her paths are peace the yoak is easie the burthen is light and so much that though the Saints by reason of the souls dependance upon the body in its actings and its being bound up as I may say under sences which are weak and cannot hold out long I say by reason of this they are weary in the ways of God yet not weary of them but they are pleasant to them his commandments are not grievous to them but this is not the thing which I intend to speak to from the words but rather the exactness and circumspection in walking See then that ye walk cicrumspectly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 First then to this exact walking there must go a rule he that walks exactly walks by a rule ad amussi◠as the Carpenter if he work accuratly doth all by rule and measure when men walk as I may say in a frame and cut by a thread not rove out their lives they have a clue in this dark world and by that they walk saith the Apostle to the Galatians As many as walk by this rule peace be on them and on the Israel of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hence the Scripture the Law of God which is the rule of holy walking is called Canonical being a straite rule they are right words words of righteousness given by one Shepheard such as will not lead us crookedly so then this is the first that of a mans own conscience at the best is but regula regulata and at the worst is but a blind guide and a leaden rule that is easily bowed and set to countenance the crookedness of a mans own ways to the Law and to the Testimonies if he would walk exactly Secondly There must be knowledge to understand and know this Rule and Wisdom rightly to apply it to the direction of our ways else we cannot walk exactly to walk exactly is to walk wisely as you have it here not as sools but as wise of which afterward but for the present we may note That a fool cannot walk cirumspectly and therefore the Apostle so often presseth it upon the Saints that they should walk wisely Walk in wisdom saith he towards them which are without be wise as Serpents saith our Saviour I say there must be a knowledge of the way of the rule else how shall our steps be measured by it how shall a man tred and keep to the path he knoweth not and therefore sottish ignorance of the Will and Way of Christ is an ill preparative to this exact walking can a blind man walk exactly or circumspectly that cannot see which way he goeth it is an hundred to one but he turneth and goeth another course but this is not all there must be a right application of the rule to our actions it is not every one that hath his rule that knoweth how to use it it is a good part of the Architects skill to use his Rule well and his Plum and by them to discern exactly the frame of his building yea to direct it when he is building so here there must be wisdom how sadly do men and women of lively affections for God miscarry for want of wisdom Zeal without Knowledge is no exact walking it hurrieth a man violently not giving time to consider whether right or wrong so Saul had a zeal for Israel and Judah and in that zeal slew the Gibeonites which were of the Amorites but now in Covenant with Israel his zeal out-ran his wisdom and so the Iews had a zeal of God but not according to knowledge and so had the Apostle himself concerning zeal persecuting the Church he thought verity he ought to do many things against that way Acts 26 9. and the time shall come men shall think they do God good service if they kill you so then there may be a being righteous over-much which is forb dden not as if the Lord did in his Word allow a loathsome lukewarmness a detestable indifferency and neutrality in the ways of God so as that men should abate something of their strictness and stoop and accommodate themselves to the exigence of the hard times they live in but the meaning is that a man should moderate his zeal and temper it with godly wisdom whereby knowing how to apply the rule to his condition and walking with caution he may avoid much danger which otherwise he would unnecessarily involve himself into as some of the Martyrs that would thrust themselves upon suffering when they need not they are as Sheep in the midst of Wolves therefore be wise as Serpents and yet innocent as Doves a hard lesson I must needs acknowledge and great need of a more then ordinary help of Gods Spirit to discern their duty here in particular cases and actions you see how Paul insinuates into Foelix he would not make him his enemy if he could avoid it keeping a good conscience and so Iacob to his brother Esau how much Courtship he useth he stands not now upon the terms with him but how humbly he submits himself to him and was it not better then to have ruffled with him and provoked him to his hurt Thirdly To walk exactly circumspectly is to keep close and not to warp from the straight path because others do err 1. He will not do as the most do to follow the multitude is no rule to him though the greatest part of
measuring at the first setting out vvill serve your turn you must be often measuring as an Architect he vvill often use his Plum-Line or rule if you would make straite and exact work of it ponder the path of thy feet and let all thy ways be established do you think once for all vvill serve the turn no David did think upon his vvays and turned his feet unto his testimonies the word there for thinking 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 noteth some accurateness in surveying a mans life the word signifieth curiously to devise as cunning Artificers because such devises are the work of the thoughts so then he did with great exactness think upon his ways studied to find out every error to an hairs breath and so to frame his course and why should not the godly make as curious vvork of it in holiness as sinners do in sin and this is the very reason vvhy men do often miss their vvay they do not often inquire vvhat the rule is vvhereby they vvork and for vvhat end they do this or that this is to look round about us as a man if he go on and there be many turnings and never look backward nor upward to see vvhither his course be straite it is five to one but he goeth out of his vvay ye should have said vvhy do vve persecute him so they should have said but so they did not say they should have inquired for vvhat end they did it by vvhat rule so the Jews in their blind rage against Christ alas they knew not vvhat they did look to thy foot then in thy spiritual and thy civill conversation in thy spiritual and offer not up the sacrifice of fools for they know not that they do evil make rash vows and then break them and think to put it off by saying before the Angel it was an error this is the sacrifice of fools they inquire not before hand what they do and so in your civil conversation inquire what and why you do this or the other action that the end be holy and the rule holy even the Word of the ever living God and then there is hope you will go straite A fools bolt is soon shot they neither mind the art of shooting nor the mark and therefore never hit the mark how came it to pass the Jew swere so bruitish in their adultery and Idolatry to worship Stocks and Stones why saith the Text None considereth in his heart neither is there knowledge and understanding to say I have burnt part of it in the fire yea also I have baked bread upon the coals thereof I have roasted flesh and eaten it and shall I make the residue an abomination and shall I fall down to the Stock of a tree he feeds on ashes a deceived heart hath turned him aside that he cannot deliver his soul nor say is there not a lye in my right hand so a deceived a bewitched heart with some pleasant lust or somewhat that men are bent and set upon turns them aside they cannot deliver their souls they cannot say is there not a lye in my right hand and if they could but say thus and examine their ways lay their steps to the rule they would walk more orderly Fifthly In every serious undertaking enquire of God seek his face in all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths but indeed here is the misery of it we will first resolve what we will do and then go and enquire of God which is to mock him to his face David went among the Philistians of his own head without inquiring of God and what came of it we see he was gotten out of the way and many a snaâ—e was he taken in and many a stumbling block did he fall upon before he returned into the way again how hard was he put to it to tell lyes to Achish to dissemble and put hmself on to fight with them against Israel but that the Lord did wonderfully deliver him never poor man was in a greater straite at other times he did beg of God to direct him and he did lead him and upheld his goings O that my ways were directed saith he to keep thy Statutes Without his Spirit though we have the rule of the Word yet we cannot rightly apply it to our particular cases and actions and therefore we had need to go to him Sixthly Be sure we look to our humility to keep our hearts low before the Lord for those are they he will teach his way the more humble a man is and the lower thoughts he hath of himself the more circumspect will he be this humility is opposed to that confident rage of some men A prudent man looks well to his goings but a fool rageth and is confident This I say saith the Apostle that every one of you think of himself not more highly then he ought to think but to think soberly according as God hath dealt to every one the measure of grace When a man is so confident he knoweth his way as well as any can tell him and therefore he will enquire of no man this man of all other is most likely to go astray therefore look to this Seventhly Take heed of Squint eyed ends for they will draw aside the heart the affections the feet of the soul if we look not straite before us but alway looking on one side it is not likely we shall make straite steps to our feet therefore saith the Wise man Let thine eys look strait on and thine eye-lids look strait before thee to the mark of the price as the Apostle aimed at that look strait before you to the strait rule it is to walk before you and this is the way to keep your selves right in the way this is the way not to turn to the right hand nor to the left they were Jehu his ends which drew himself aside afterward to countenance and set up the same Idolatry which he himself had destroyed or else to continue some Idolatry though he destroyed some Eighthly Take heed of halting between two of going to a kind of neutrality as the Jews were guilty much in this kind If God be God follow him and if Baal be God follow him little better were they that vvould reconcile us and the Papists together by a commission for this haltingwill draw us out of the vvay by degrees make strait steps to your feet lest that which is lame be driven out of the way and not healed away then with complying with the times and parties vvhose vvays vve judge to be false any further then the Law of Christ the Law of Love requireth us to own them vvalk vvith them Ninthly Forecast vvhat temptations and snares you may meet vvith in the vvay of God lest if you meet vvith more then you expected you be overtaken by them therefore our Saviour tells the man vvhat he vvas like to trust to The Son
if you could as easily put by the coming of Christ as you can make a shift to smother the thoughts of it your hearts indeed might chear you and your condition were something like But he will come and though you be asleep in the Arms of your lusts know that your judgement sleepeth not and your condemnation slumbereth not And make what haste you can to be rich or to be honourable and such persons are not innocent make what hast you can in your career of sinning it travels as fast you and will be sure to meet you at the gates of death and hell if not sooner But it may be we think we have done this great work we are through grace acquainted with the Lord Jesus and his spirit which hath effectually wrought in us to believe in his name to love him the main is done with us and therefore sure we may have more liberty then others now Is it so but is this all that must go to watch for his appearing do we not find our hearts thrusting away from us that day and our hands fail and security setzeth upon us the Disciples were in danger to be surprized as well as others Is there any of us so liveth as that we could readily and cheerfully meet the Lord Jesus at an hours warning a daies 〈…〉 and who knoweth he shall have so much to set his house in order O there is need to press this duty upon us all brethren be our condition what it will we have yet somewhat to learn of it and shall have let us hear it as often as we can But I will leave what further may be said unto its proper place in the handling the Parable A word or two to the present occasion we are many of us now called to this sealing Ordinance And though we have been often stirrd up and taught our duty concerning it is there not need to chafe the oyl in upon our hearts our affections still Alas how often have we heard that what it findeth it sealeeth And yet do we not dare to come some of us with hard hearts with covetous hearts uncircumcised hearts I would not speak brethren to grieve the heart of any the Lord would not have grieved as they that have least cause will be most sadly assayling themselves with condemning thoughts but the Lord grant there be none found among us guilty kind As often as ever we come we hear how dangerous a thing it is to come unworthily prepared to it and yet the Lord knoweth how often we have thrust in here some of us without a wedding garment And that you have not been bound hand and fooe bound up in our grave-cloaths and cast out of his sight for ever it is unspeakable mercy O that this might melt us and humble us and though blessed be his holy name I believe there are many poor trembling souls who go about these things with trembling hearts least they should miscarry and grieve him and bring his blood upon their heads I doubt there may be some of us found whose hearts are far from such a frame had we not need then to be put in mind and remembrance again and again of these things It may be we have faith and love to Jesus Christ it may be we have humility and self-loathing it may be we have a mourning spirit over our sins that have grieved the Lord Jesus put him to all that grief for us it may be we have a thankful heart but are these graces now in action are they upon the wing how often have we been minded thereof that we must be actually prepared Alas alas haply some of us have not taken the pains with our hearts which we might and which others would have done if they had had the hearts which we have haply some of us have been striving but in our own strength and have done little haply others may have been helped in the preparing our hearts to seek him herein but by our pride or carnal confidence have lost our frame again It may be some of us brethren have not been very negligent but yet not so diligent as we ought O brethren how needful are these things bear with me if I do press you to them it is not tedious to me because I hope it is safe for you O! that I could do it with such a spirit and such bowels as the Apostle did the Lord set it upon all our hearts we are exceeding dull to believe and more dull to practise and do his will revealed to us Though the good be our own the glory onely his But I will not insist any further here the Lord give us understanding and believing hearts Now for the words of the Text. The Kingdom of Heaven is like to ten Virgins which went forth to meet the Bridegroom I shall begin according to the former method And first speak concerning Jesus Christ with respect to his Church And touching him there are many things in this Parable First he is the Bridegroom 2. His delay of his coming 3. The cry before his coming 4. The coming 5. The time of his coming at Midnight To begin with the first The Bridegroom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 However it be that the scope of the parable be to stir up all men that profess the Lord Jesus to a perseverance in watchfulness to stand ready for his coming which being apprehended there is no necessity of pressing each particular in the parable yet I conceive according to our Saviour His opening of other parables we may insist upon the chief things therein as where HE would let us see what need we had to take heed What or How or Whom we Hear by the parable of the several sorts of Ground receiving the seed of the Word he not onely tells us the difference of the Grounds but what the seed is and who the Sower is or else in that parable of the good seed and the Tares he tells us particularly what is meant by each And therefore I must not here pass over this of the Bride-groom The Virgins went forth to meet the Bridegroom The note will be The relation between the Lord Jesus and his people He is the Bridegroom and stands in that relation to his people that this is so we need go no further then this parable for who else is it that cometh and with whom they that are ready do enter into the Mâ—rriage then Jesus Christ who is our life who appearing we shall appear with him in glory Again the foolish virgins cry to him Lord Lord open to us Who is the Lord but Jesus Christ as will appear by comparing this with that speech of our Saviour Not every one that saith to me Lord Lord shall enter but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven Many will say to me Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy Name in whose name but in the name of Jesus Christ and in
The people of God which are wise to salvation as well as foolish formal professors are lyable to slumber and sleep the best men and women are lyable to it That the Saints may fall into slumbering and sleeping when they had most need to be awake as you see in this case Happily I may handle them distinctly if I see it may not be too tedious For the first that the best of the Saints such as are wise to salvation yet may slumber and sleep I think there needeth not much to be said by way of confirmation you see this is plainly the heart of the Parable we have in hand or else I know not what it is Jonah you know he was fast asleep in the side of the ship it was bodily sleep indeed but it was an effect of this spiritual sleep that was upon him his graces were now sleeping his fear of God against whom he had sinned in running away from him and his self-denyal these were asleep and made him so secure that though they were in a storm he feared it not as a drunkard that sleepeth upon the top of a Mast in greatest danger and seeth it not nor so much as dreameth of it and it is thought by some also that Zachary that good Prophet who had so many visions from the Lord that he was drowsie and sleepy notwithstanding more then was meet his mind as well as his body but there shall be no question made of the Disciples they were the best of men then alive they were first chosen out of the world the world is a wilderness they were as a garden inclosed therefore the best considered in respect of others and yet you find how often our Saviour endeavours to stir them up to watchfulness What I say to you I say to all watch watch and pray And how much in these chapters surely it argues they were lyable to sleep they were prone to it else that lesson would not have rung so much in their ears Or would David have come over so often with that quicken me O Lord according to thy word quicken me according to thy word but that he found himself going napping and nodding But if we will go to the Christian of Christians the flower in the garden inclosed there were three Disciples that were favourites it seemeth that the Lord Jesus took with him as witnesses of his transfiguration before and now to his passion and Agony yet notwithstanding these favourites when they should watch with Christ they fall asleep their souls were asleep in a great part and therefore their bodies also were asleep However our Saviour saith the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak the spirit is in part weak and unwilling else if perfect it would have kept them awake there is a willingness and unwillingness and for an act the unwillingness may prevail against the willingness as in this case Peter should be carryed whether he would not and yet sure he would there his willingness prevailed but I will not stand any longer onely note you here brethren one thing farther is this that they fell asleep the second time and the third time after they had been reproved for it again and again and that sharply that they had nothing to say they knew not what to say saith the Evangelist and yet they fell to it again if these were so apt to fall asleep sure then much more such poor weaklings as we are in comparison of them Well then if any one further enquire What this slumbring and sleeping is By slumber and sleep I understand brethren the unbending the bow of our souls as sleep is a cessation of the animal actions of a living creature by the obstructon of the animal spirits by the abundance of vapours ordinarily there are some other cases but this is not so much for our purpose Slumbring is when there is a little shorter failing or cessation of the actions of a living creature when the senses are binding as I may say but they break through it and so awaken the person doth there is a double principle in man in every child of God I mean there is a corrupt and regenerate part there is flesh and spirit as you have it in that of our Saviour the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh this flesh this corrupt part we may not unfitly brethren resemble to the vapours that continually arise from the stomach toward the head And the Spirit to the Nerves the instruments of action the graces of the spirit are the nerves of the spirit indeed and by some of them as by the nerves the continual supplies of grace and fulness of Christ the head where the fulness of the animal spirits are is communicated to all the parts to the strengthening of all graces that is to say by our faith Now this being so I take it then a man slumbers and sleeps When his corrupt part doth either with a less or a thicker steam of lusts seize upon as I may say and hinder the graces of the spirit from doing their work from acting specially that grace of faith which indeed doth derive from the head Jesus Christ the spirits lively influences therefore not unfitly is corruption compared to wet moorish places a moorish â—ennish heart that is full of such corruption or a body full of such humors you know is much more sleepy then another Well then to bring it to an issue when sin so fully prevails over us as to damp the graces of the spirit either for a shorter time it being quickly dispelled there is a slumbring or for a longer time there is a sleeping aliquando bonus dormit at Homerus So that brethren when ever we are called to act any grace of the spirit and we do it not though it be but for an act that is as I may say a slumbring though you may quickly recover your selves If it be for more acts or continue any time it is a sleep Thomas his faith was asleep he would not believe his unbelief prevailed much seized upon his faith bound it as I may say and so ignorance and blindness prevailing over the understanding But for faith methinks that is plain When the son of man cometh whether it be to that general day or any particular day of avenging his people shall be find faith upon the earth faith in act to believe this alas people will be asleep their faith surprized and so for love which is another grace it is prophesied of the latter times the love of many shall wax cold the Church of Ephâ—sus had lost her first love she was fallen asleep this is the active grace faith works by it now this action ceased as in a man asleep his members languish and hang down and are not fit for any action so their love waxed cold And so when instead of a holy
do which may advantage himself or others how can a man pray when he cannot act his faith nor act his love nor his zeal and fervency of Spirit but all are a sleep Ah what weak service hath the Lord from many of us upon this account 4. Another Consideration shall be this the unseasonableness of the thing Every thing is beautified by the season and if it be out of season it is uncomely It is not a walking honestly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 honestly or comely to sleep now brethren it is enough for â—inners that are of the night that never â—aw the day-star appear nor the Sun of righteousness arise upon them for them to lie sleeping now it is something suitable for they that sleep saith the Apostle sleep in the night and they that are drunk are drunk in the night the night was for sleep naturally and therefore man goeth forth to labour and to his work until the evening So in spirituals it is most unsuitable to sleep in the day-time brethren if you believe you are of the day and not of the night as the Apostle saith We count him a Drone a Lusk or Lurden that shall sleep in the day-time It was David his fault to be upon the bed in the day-time And so likely Isâ—bosheth except the Custom of the place being hot might excuse it Well then hath the Lord in in finite riches of grace brought thee out of the dark night made it day with thee when it is night with many families and poor souls about thee and wilt thou make it â—ight by sleeping it is unseasonable it is enough for them that are in darkness to sleep Again 2. Consider It is the time wherein you are called upon to act for God and for your own souls It is not only the day but the time for work It is our harvest brethren wherein should lay up not for many years as the fool in the Gospel said but for eternity treasure up grace for eternity lay up a good foundation for the time to come O how richly laden are some of the Saints over others are that have made a profession of Christ as long as they live what is the reason why they have slept while they should have gathered he that gathereth in Summer is a wise son but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame there the one is opposed to the other that soul will cloth himself with shame and Confusion one day that sleepeth in harvest in the time of labour wherefore doth the Bridegroom tarry but to give you space to repent to work out your salvation in and instead of working shall we sleep out this time and will it be Comfortable in the end will it be comfortable if instead of labouring in the vineyard we sleep all the heat of the day what account shall we make when we come to receive the recompence 3. Yet more unseasonable it is also If you consider that usually the time of this falling asleep is after a good while converse and walking with God then men fall a napping the wise virgins they had their oyl and their Lamps burning it is true they had provided for the main and it is likely went forth to meet him but in the way the nearer they came to their journeys end for there must be some good competent time sure before they would conclude that the Bridegroom tarried and then they lay aside all and fall asleep Remember that of the Apostle knowing the season saith he that now it is high time for you to awake for now is your salvation nearer then when you believed Now is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to awake out of sleep now is salvation nearer What is the meaning of this the meaning is now is the most unseasonable time of all other for you to be asleep now you should press hard forward now just at your journies end as a Traveller or a man in a race holds up his head all the way and maketh speed and when he is near the journies end and should lay hold upon the goal that then he should sit down and sleep this is unseasonable and utterly unsafe if he expect to obtain by his running Ah brethren sure you would obtain else why did you run if you expected not a reward Now may I not say with the Apostle you did many of you run well but who hindred you how came it to pass you dropt asleep or are you inclining to it O take heed it is not safe at the end of your race the night is past the day is come or the night the time of this ignorance for our life is compared to the vision of God in heaven may well be compared to a night and that to day well this day is at hand it is nearer then when you began to believe for that is the meaning of that Phrase as such a King reigned that is to say began to raign ordinarily in Scripture Well then it is utterly unseasonable therefore let me beg of you brethren and the Lord prevail with our hearts to take heed of it Fifthly Another Consideration shal be this that while you lay your selves to sleco you lose God and Christ you lose their presence when the soul open to Jesus Christ he cometh in and the father and Holy Spirit with him and they bring their dainties with them and abundantly refresh the soul with his love which is better then wine and as long as the soul doth give him entertainment and followeth to improve its Communion with him he will sâ—ay but truly brethren if we sleep he will not then tarry but he takes his leave and leaveth us sleeping and alas before we are aware we have lost him and know not where to find him It was Sampsons case alas his strength was in the presence of God with him when he departed he was as as another man he lies down upon Dalilahs lap and then he fals asleep and at last he was robbed of his strength God was departed from him he he had many forewarnings but he was bewitched with a Lust it did so imprison his reason that he could not see what he was to do at last he wist not that God was departed from him he went thinking to shake himself as at other times but alas his strength was gone Ah brethren if a man have a Dalilah it is sive to one but sooner or later it will lull him asleep and if it can but get him asleep it is easie to get away the Lords presence from him and he know it not untill afterward Sixtly Another Argument shal be not only that not only when we fall asleep we not only lose the Lord Jesus and the presence of his Spirit but we then shall keep him out also the senses are locke up A Servant fast asleep when his Master cometh home he may knock long enough before he open to him why alas
there may be a sleeping habit of grace though it be not in act the soul is not able to act it for the present As the wise Virgins though it was a part of folly for the wise Virgins to sleep yet we may not without great wrong to them and the grace of Christ in them call them foolish Virgins there is a vast difference between them If a man should have made a judgment of David in his backsliding what would he have thought of him or of the Disciples when they were so heavy at such a time as that was and that after they had been reproved for it and stirred up again and again we would have judged likely O sure it would prove a deadly Lethargy or there were scarce any hope concerning them O no saith our Saviour though he reproved them sharply yet some sugar he mixed with the vinegar the Spirit indeed is willing but the Flesh is weak he did not unsaint them because of their sleepiness no more should we And indeed brethren the difficulty is so great to distinguish between a sleep and death in sin sometimes that we had need to suspend and be exceeding tender in judging Physicians themselves have much ado sometimes to discern whether there be life in the body they are much put to it and yet it appears there is life therefore let us be tender in judging leave it to him who can discern whether the life be within them yea or no. Lastly A word of Comfort to the poor people of God that alas find themselves very apt to fall asleep and shake themselves with Sampson again and again and yet are apt to lie down upon the lap of a Dalilah again they know not what to think of themselves whether they can be alive to God having hearts so desperately sleepy Yea it may be though they have lost the sweet smelling presence of Jesus Christ many times by their sleeping yet they have slept again and cannot keep themselves awake his smiles have been many times turned into sharp rebukes their honey into gall and sometimes by terrible things in righteousness they have been awaked and yet they are sleeping again sometimes they have been confounded and ashamed and have had nothing to say when the Lord hath rebuked them and yet they are asleep again O what can I think of such a Condition as this I do believe the Closets of some poor Creatures can bear witness to many a sad complaint of this kind Well I answer to this Far be it from me brethren to sow pillows under any mans Arm-holes or to make a bed for any to sleep upon the Lord forbid there should be a heart so wicked as to make such an use of what is to be said to such poor discouraged souls We are in a strait indeed we cannot give a Saint their portion but the wicked are snatching at that nor the wicked their portion but the Saints are catching at that specially discouraged hearts and many times applying all to themselves that never was intended for them But if any dare abuse it be it upon them I must speak a word of refreshing to poor souls that are even wearâ—ed with a lazy sleepy heart 1. Then remember this That it is possible for a man or woman that is truly in the state of grace yet to be overtaken with sleep therefore it is a Conclusion without any good premises that sure thou art no Child of God no wise Virgin because thou art so often slumbering and sometimes fast asleep As carnally secure Creatures do deceive themselves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 concluding because the wise Virgins slept therefore they are wise Virgins though they sleep so on the other hand do the people of God deceive themselves by a like false reasoning concluding they are foolish Virgins certainly because they sleep All are not wise that were asleep for some were foolish and therefore the carnal creature may sleep the sleep of the foolish all were not foolish that were asleep and therefore thou mayst be a wise Virgin and yet overtaken with sleep they both agree in sleeping or slumbering it is common both to wise and foolish therefore thou canst not make it a distinguishing or differencing note of thy Condition which is common to both sorts Only the degrees and circumstances the antecedents and concomitants of this sleep are those which distinguish as you have heard and I hope remember the wise if they sleep usually get oyl into their vessels first they sleep but they sleep by candle-light they suffer not their Lamps to go out they sleep but their hearts weak c. Well it is possible though thou sleep thou maist be a wise virgin 2. How knowest thou thou sleepest and how cometh it to pass that it is a burthen to thee Thou complainest of it and to such onely we speak brethren I must tell you such as yield not up to it such as love not sleep but it is tedious to them but whence is this Surely it is because thy heart is awake as the spouse saith this is not a total sleep O thou hast cause to bless the Lord that he hath kept so much as thy heart awake that sleep hath not seized upon all If once the heart be asleep all is gone therefore be thankful for that that there is any thing kept awake thy Will thy Affections 3. I you will say if I could see my heart is awake it were something but my hear sure is asleep my confidence doth not much trouble me for it my will hath been to blame for I have even setled my self to sleep thrown my self upon my bed of security shut the windows winked with my eys put off my cloaths I have slighted and neglected those acts of holiness from time to time of worship or which should have been as my garments upon me therefore sure I am willing to sleep yea more he hath often stirred and moved by his spirit to awake me and I have drowsed and turned like a door upon the hinges with the sluggard ready to cry a little sleep a little slumber a little folding of the hands to sleep O sure my heart is asleep as well as my self I I cannot say with the Church I sleep but my heart waketh O what shall I say or what shall I do I answer however it may be thy Will hath been in fault and asleep in part if it be not awaken in a good part how comest thou to be thus sensible of thy sleeping and slugg shness of it what mean all those sad and lamentable moanes thou makest to the Lord in secret if thou be not sensible of it I hope it is so with some of us Are we not then sensible O sure the Will is not altogether asleep yea the prevailing part is awake 4. Remember this for thy comfort If thou canst not see clearly as happily under distemper thou canst not neither thy heart be asleep or awake yet the Lord
out of their hearts so to hinder this work among them Well remember this such as are more forward then others are there may be heat as well as light and yet but foolish Virgins but hypocrites when all is done Thirdly An hypocrite he may be careful in avoiding much sin not only in an imperfect will which is overcome by an interest such as Herod and Darius had who were wretches though not so properly hypocrites but an hypocrite may go as far as they surely they may forgo their Idolatry and gross wickedness as Simon Magus left his Sorceries and these virgins therefore they are called virgins though foolish virgins likely though I will not build much upon it but yet we see the unclean spirit may go out of a man for a time and yet enter again he may forsake his gross pollutions and yet return to that folly again wallowing in them as the swine and the dog in that second of Peter there is an escaping the pollutions of the world and yet notwithstanding a returning to them again he that stole stealeth no more I was a drunkard may some one say but now I thank the Lord I am none I was a filthy wretch but now I am filthy no more this is very far and yet all this may be but hypocrisie a profession and no more in the end we may appear to be foolish Virgins Fourthly An hypocrite may have conflict within himself concerning sins that others can take no notice of and this is more then the former there may be an inward regretion and re 〈…〉 ctanâ—y against our secret evils the Conscience being inlightened and di 〈…〉 ng â—hose vain thoughts should be abandoned this pride of heart is loathsom against God it quarrels with the Affections and Will if it be a sin a man would keep and so there is a busle in the soul and many of us may mistake our selves and think it is the lusting of the flesh against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh in us when it proveth nothing so Fifthly They may also do much many duties services be much in action not Napkin up their Talent but act and act much as the foolish virgins you see they went as far as the wise for ought appears step for step Did not Judas act as well as the rest following Christ up and down going forth to preach the Gospel as well as the rest did not Jehu act in an high manner for God Come and see my zeal for God he did much more then many would do And did not Joash reform much in Jehoiadahâ— time he was zealous for the Temple of the Lord and blamed 〈◊〉 Priests they were not so forward as himself was and yet what 〈…〉 d he at the last have we not fearful examples in our own times how many diligent Christians as they seemed to be and yet alas how went they out yea truly I will say one thing more sometimes there may be a doing very great self-denying actions Was not that a self-denying action of Rehoboam and far greater then this of Jehu he had an Army ready to fight with Israel when they revolted 180000 fighting men and yet when the word of the Lord came and told him it was of God and bid him cease he obeys though a kingdom lay at the stake and he was in so fair a posture for it and yet he is but a Rehoboam still and one that forsook the Law of his God when he was strengthened though before he made much of the servants of the Lord. Sixthly An hypocrite may have the assisting inlarging presence of God with him in his service They had preached in the name of Christ his presence had been with them also and yet you see they are cast out It is said of Saul that he had another spirit given him from that day forward a spirit to gift him for the government and when God had rejected him and his service the spirit departed from him and an evil spirit vexed him he had a more then ordinary presence of God with him and yet but a Saul a wretch many a Minister that preacheth your souls to heaven and salvation may perish himself he may have great gifts given and much of Christ his presence with him in the exercises of them and yet perish for all this As the Nurse though for the present eats dainty fare not for her own sake but the sake of the great mans child whom she nurseth So may it be with us the Lord prevent us with his loving kindness And you that are Christians God may give you a gift of Prayer a gift in conferring you may be eminent therein God may assist you much therein It is for his peoples sakes that he will build up thereby refresh thereby your selves may perish notwithstanding O brethren Is not this faâ— that an hypocrite may go Seventhly He may hold out very long and yet in the end prove but an hypocrite and this is the saddest of all the rest and this you see plainly here in the Text the foolish Virgins had well nigh gone to the end when the Cry came they were found with the wise indeed in a sleeping condition but they were as forward as they for externals had not their Lamps gone out it is strange to 〈…〉 der that Judas should be such a rotten creature at the heart and yet should follow him so far many of his Disciples were quickly offended at him and went backward and never walked with him again but Judas went far it may be we may think the better of our selves for our continuance so long in the ways of God it is good if it be right in the root so that it hold oâ—t to the end Hypocrites may hold until they come as I may say within the sight of heaven or the pâ—ice of the Goal and then they tyre and give up Joash how long did he continue following God it was a long passion considering it was not a new nature in it that was the principle a torrent without a Spring to feed it to run very long indeed and so it may be with many a poor soul do but consider under this head two things 1. They may continue and weather out a persecution endure the storm and yet perish in a calm may have indured persecution for Christ his sake for his name and cause and yet alas fall short as for instance the third sort of ground it was not scorched with the Sun when it was up but continued and yet alas brought not forth fruit to perfection for the Thorns choaked it he not only withers like the Bull-Rush before other hearts but sometimes like a tree he continueth and abideth the heat of the Sun Job 8. 17. And that Alexander that indured so much for the Apostle hazarded his life for him Act. 19. 32. is thought by some to be that Alexander which did him much evil of which he complains
but yet it shineth more and more the Sun runneth his race though now and then a cloud intercepts his comfortable beams from the earth And that of the Psalmist his leaf shall never wither the leaf is the profession he shall not wither but be green An hypocrite indeed like a Bull-rush will wither as we shall see by and by when the mire and the water fails but a child of God withers not There are two Conditions which usually wither mens profession but the child of God stands it out in both 1. In a prosperous state that useth to choak the word they that will call upon God in the day of distress in their afflictions wil seek him earnestly yet when his hand is taken away they no more remember the Lord their Saviour but a child of God now in his prosperous condition he loseth not his profession altogether though the Lamp may be damped yet not extinguisht And 2. For adversity that indeed is a trying time all this is come upon us yet have we not dealt falsly in the Covenant will the hypocrite alway call upon God he will not call upon God alway nor wait for him Yea the time of affliction usually is an advantage to the people of God if ever their Lamp burn brighter then another it is in the dark and cold night of persecution and affliction a Torch the more knockt against any thing the more it burns Secondly Because they have within them a Spring of oyl that feeds the Lamp therefore it goeth not out It is set forth in another metaphor in that place of John out of his belly shall flow Rivers of water springing up to eternal life Now where there is this within the flame will live while there is oyl to maintain it It is like fire in a mans bosom he cannot carry it so surely but it will discover it self as fire in the bones as the Prophet speaks of the word of God And 3. Because that cruse of oyl is continually supplyed by the Spirit and from the fulness of Christ therefore it never fails If the oyl in the vessel could fail then the Light in the Lamp might fail but it faâ—ls not and why not because it is not perishable in its own nature being but a creature but because it is kept by the power of God we are kept by the power of God to salvation alas if it were in our keeping we should quickly with the Prodigal run our selves out of all as we do in a moment lose the most precious frames the Lord is pleased to put upon us but it is kept by that power none is able to pluck them out of this hand of the Father the Son Sin is strong indeed strong lusts and Satan is strong a Lyon a Dragon a Prince of the power of darkness and Armies of lusts he hath warring in our members a great strength and all these pluck at us but they cannot pull us out of this hand of Christ And thence it is that their Lamps are not put out in obscure darkness O how fain would Satan blow out the Candle that we might walk in the darkness not knowing whither we go but it is held in the hand of Christ and it is above the reach of his poysonous breath to do it A damp of lusts from our own hearts if any thing would do it this would and it maketh them burn very dimly and blew many times but yet cannot overcome the Lamp may want trimming but it is not out For the Application then of this Doctrine If it be so that Believers are subject to such declinings yea when they should be at the best in their latter end when they should bring forth fruit in old age that then they may be ready to wither or in a great part the leaves their profession may change colour and lose its greenness What should this teach us all in the first place but to take heed of placing our confidence in any thing which may fail us If any thing on this side the Lord Jesus himself might be trusted in it might be grace for there is not any other so near approach to God without which Angels were but Devils the very perfection of Saints and Angels And yet because it hath its imperfections therefore it is not to be trusted to Nothing indeed is more spiritual then grace the choisest communications of the eternal spirit to the Creature but yet considered in comparison with the God of grace it is but flesh if it be rested upon the strongest mountain that a man would think should never be shaken yet sin and Satan if the Lord permit can get under it and blow it up Yea if our grace were perfect yet we might not rest in it because yet it hath its comparative imperfections it self being but a derivative and dependent Being upon the God of grace at the best it is but a stream a beam though nearer the Sun and nearer the Fountain and but the water of a Cistern and if whole before yet this resting upon it would make it a broken Cistern Well then bretbren if our profession flourish never so if it be spring time with you trust not in it for there may come a fall after this spring there may come a time of scorching heat may make you wither in a great part at least Though your Lamp burn and shine never so gloriously and the light be great which ariseth from these sparks of Gods kindling you see it may come to want trimming to burn more dimly therefore trust not in it 2. It should teach us then to live by faith in respect hereof Alas brethren we are withering every moment if we have not waterings every moment what would become of us now whence must this come but from the fountain of Israel the eternal spring and fulness which is in Jesus Christ Of his fulness we receive saith the Evangelist What made the difference between the rest of the Disciples their profession of him and Peters all their Lamps were damped in that hour and power of darkness it was so great and gross but his was almost gone and giving up And for those acts the flame was even out but that the Lord blew it in again by the breathing of his spirit O Labour to live by faith in Jesus Christ for preventing grace then that we may not be removed from our stedfastness The Apostle had a strong perswasion that neither life nor death the intisements of the one nor the terrors of the other should separate him from the Love of God in Jesus Christ O it was that love he hung upon You see that grace it self which is the oyl in the vessel which seeds the Lamp is loseable and therefore much more the external fruits and effects of it Now if the power of God do not keep us we are gone therefore we must hence learn to live by the faith of the son of
according to the meaning of the wise and foolish Virgins here but for that I shal leave it If that may be the meaning of the wise Virgins surely the foolish Virgins understood it not for it appears not that they went to him to buy but used some other impertinent endeavours as they went to the wise Virgins before and not to Christ Here is little ground for Papists to bottom their Doctrine of perseverance to be attained by their own industrie and pains for alway his price is not comprehended from being if it be from God from Jesus Christ it is alway excluded Come buy without money or without price as before except they purchase it of men But we may understand these words as many godly learned do for an upbraiding a mocking an Ironical consent as there are many instances in Scripture Rejoyce O young man in thy youth and let thy heart chear thee but remember that for all these things God will bring thee to judgement And so that of Elijah he is a God cry aloud he is either in a journey or talking or some such thing that he cannot hear And so Micaiah spake to Ahab Go and prosper and the Lord shall deliver it into thy hand And that of Jesus to his Disciples sleep on now take your rest which is Ironical So as when Ahab would be humoured the Prophet speaks after his mind if so as it should seem he might perceive he spake not as he meant how long shall I adjure thee to speak nothing but that which is true in the name of the Lord So these foolish Virgins they would have their grace from a creature and the wise answered them according to their humour and Ironically yield to them to send them to others though themselves had none to part with Aug. Ep. 120. and Calv. so understood them and so doth Beza and our Annot. The Note I would briefly hint to you from hence is this That such as trifle away the day of grace and are not serious in the work of getting grace the time shall come when they shall have none to pitty their misery If men may expect pitty or compassion from any it is either from the Lord who is a God of bowels and unspeakable unsearchable compassions Or else from the people of God who as the children of God do put on bowels of compassions as the Apostle speaks they are cloathod with bowels so that their compassions are eminent and to be seen by them that have to do with them but yet the time may come brethren if you now neglect so great salvation as is offered to you held out by Jesus Christ himself the Son of God speaking from heaven not froÌ„ the earth that you shall have no pitty from the Lord no nor from his people from God that is plain I will but name it because it may seem impertinent to the Text yet if it serve to no other purpose it may serve to shew us that the Saints if they do not pitty in some cases where it is evident the day of grace is past and men have wretchedly sinned it away that they have the Lord for their pattern for it therefore I mention it Then shall they call saith the Lord and I will not answer they shall cry c. I will mock when their fear cometh and laugh at their calamity Prov. 1. 26. It is spoken after the manner of men and sheweth the heavy aggravation of their misery that the Lord shall be so far from pittying them that he shall laugh at them So in the 2. Psal where the Annointed of God is lifted up upon Zion there are some that will not be bound will not have him to reign over them count it a bondage and a grievous one indeed the Lord shall laugh at them he shall have them in derision But for the people of God they expect it may be to be pittied in such a condition by them but they may meet with nothing but a mock though a holy one and indeed there is need of much holiness and in act too to mock and not to sin So here you see and so the Prophet by a spirit of Prophesie go and buy of them that sell But lest this may seem to be ground enough to build it upon because it is of doubtful interpretation therefore take another Scripture where he speaks of the Destruction of persecutors of the people of God such as Doeg was and there is the like reason for hypocrites when discovered undenyably and their Lamps gone out as here the righteous shall see it and fear and laugh at him when God should destroy him for ever and pluck him out of his dwelling place and root him out of the Land of the living then the righteous should see it and laugh at him have him in a holy derision yet with an holy awe of that glorious and fearful God who was so just in his judgements upon him And is it not just with God it should be so When such hypocrites have in their hearts despised the long-suffering and patience and tenderness of the Lord waiting upon them and made a mock and a jeast it may be at the intreaties of God at the earnestness of the Saints and their pressing so hard forward that now themselves in extremity should be mocked at by the people of God themselves This may be then in the first place a warning-word to all such trifling professors as all the while Jesus Christ stretcheth out his hands to them even all the day long they will not come to him they will sit under the shadow of their own gourd while it is green and not under the shadow of Jesus Christ they will sit by their own bottle their own cistern and not come to the Fountain which is opened for sins for uncleanness Remember Brethren there will come a day upon you wherein to the cutting and wounding of your souls you shall be sent to those empty things for comfort Papists will not now be perswaded but there is enough for them in their Church-treasurie and lay out their money upon them but when the Lord shall shew them their treasure is empty there is nothing in it it will not reach to pay the uttermost farthing no noâ— one farthing will it reach to pay then will the Lord and his people send such poor deluded souls to their Merit-mongers to their indulgences Now go to your treasurie of Merit for some sucker and râ—lief now go to your dry bottles see if there be any drop of water there to cool your tongues your inflamed souls with the displeasure of the Lord. As the Lord in the day of his peoples deistruction sends them to their Idols which they doted upon in a mocking way at their callings I will save you no more go to your Idols your gods that have eaten the fat of your sacrifices c. You have made lies
that is up and doing thou findest thy Faith is weak it may be thou canst scarce call it any thing but unbelief labour to act it put it forth often the nature of it lies in the souls sincere willingness to take Jesus Christ to have him for a Saviour and Lord to save from iniquites as well as from the condemnation of sin now though weakly put forth the acts of willing Jesus Christ as he hath offered himself and thou shalt find it will grow often be rowling thy self and thy burthen poor burthened soul upon the Lord Jesus cast thy self upon him and thou shalt find as much rest in it for the present so also an increase of faith and a feeling also that thou dost believe after a time And so for other things alas is there a day that goeth over our heads but there is use for Faith it is the very life of a Christian The life I now live I live by the Faith of the Son of God and therefore as much need of the exercise of it daily as of any vital acts whatsoever and you shall find you have occasions for it either some temptations from your own hearts some corruptions stirring and disquieting your peace or some scourgings from without some buffetings of Satan some deadness and security growing upon you daily O there is daily need of acting Faith as there is to eat and drink therefore Israel their Manna was their daily food and if they were daily stung they must daily look up to the Serpent and which of us is not though you have a Lamp lighted Brethren There was enery morning daily a triming of the Lamps of the Sanctuary and pouring oyl into them afresh you know they will not continue but go out in obscure darkness except there be a feeding of them with oyl this we may do and this we ought to do and indeed a man that exerciseth not his Grace is as if he had none neither hath the strength nor the comfort of his Grace for Habits are for Acts and then Acts strengthen the Habits again The Learned Aristotle said A wise man differed nothing from a fool if he exercised not his wisdom and saith the Wiseman Even a fool when he holds his peace is counted wise the Act is that chiefly commanded and that chiefly rewarded of God the exercising of Grace and that whereby it groweth which is the main thing here I mind Hath not every day its evil sufficient to it now if faith â—e not upon the wing what a condition is that soul in therefore exercise it use legs and have legs And so for love put it forth exercise it toward the Lord Jesus daily and toward his people that is the way to grow Brethren how do benummed limbs that have no feeling nor strength gather strength but by rubbing and chasing and exercising of them though a mans legs be so benummed falling for a step or two he can scarce set them to the ground yet use them a little and they will come to themselves again If Merchants money lie still it is a dead thing it increaseth not but they must turn it up and down and return it use it and exercise their trade with it and it groweth And truly I am perswaded it is the great reason we are many of us so weak as we are we lie complaining and making sad moan before the Lord of our weakness and yet are careless in the exercise of the Grace wherein we pretend we would grow The desire of the slothful killeth him for his hands refuse to labour we may mourn our selves away off our legs and spend our days in lamentable complainings and shall never be the better except we put forth into act what we have already received if we be not faithful in trading with a little will he give us more action and motion increase heat if you see a poor creature lie starving ready to perish for want of fire his legs are stiff cannot hardly move them is that the way to help him no up to the fire up and exercise your limbs rub them chafe them if you would get heat and agility into them Secondly See to it that we exercise one as well as another for there is such a sweet harmony and dependency of the Graces one upon another that they do one strengthen another the acts of our Graces do as I may say co-operate and sweetly conspire to the promoting one of another that is to say of the acts and these acts then strengthen the habits As for instance you see in an Arch one stone strengthens another take away one of them and all the rest are ready to fall upon your head and therefore the Apostle exhorts so earnestly That they should add to Faith Temperance c. not as if they could add one habit to another for they are infused together but the acts are to be added one to another For if ye do these things saith the Apostle then ye shall not be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ yea you shall never fall yea you shall have an abundant entrance into the everlasting kingdom The strength of a building you know lies not in the strength of one piece but in the due compacting of it and joyning part to his part if there be never so strong beams if the other parts be weak the rafters the wall-plates or such considerable pieces and not well joyned together the building is weak and will easily fall therefore if you would be strong and grow indeed look that we exercise all the Graces of the Spirit we have already received not only Faith nor only Love nor only Humility nor only Self-denial but all labour to act them all and Temperance and Heavenly-mindedness c. and you shall find that as each Grace doth grow by the exercising of it self so by the exercising of them all they will have a mutual influence each upon the other to strengthen one another the act of Faith will strengthen the acting of love and that will strengthen faith again and so for the rest Thirdly If you would grow in Grace You must be much in prayer for a man of much Prayer is a man of much Grace and therefore the Prophet puts them both together He will pour out the Spirit of Grace and Supplication And so the Apostle Jude But you Beloved building up your selves in your most holy Faith praying in the Holy Ghost and there is the like reason for building up our selves in any other Grace praying by the Spirit of God is the way you see to grow in Grace there is very great reason that Prayer should be a great means of increasing Grace First Because in Prayer there is the greatest exercising of Grace of all Grace usually of any other service we do to God there our repentance is exercised for you alwaies find the Saints in drawing nigh to God David and Ezra and
daub and heal them deceitfully get it skinned over a little and so the world will do it building and planting and marrying and drinking and pastimes these may skin over the wound but it heals not and miserable is the condition of poor creatures so deluded but now they that are taught of God and learn they learn this effectually and practically that there is nothing in the creature that can do it Fourthly They learn this also that though all the world be but as a cloud without rain when the soul is a fire a Well without water a broken Cistern that leaks out all a Torrent a Brook that is dried up when the soul is parched and burnt up with the scorching heat of the displeasure of God O when the Lord setteth a soul in his sight and looks upon him as a consuming fire with his eyes as a flaming fire ready with a sight of him to devour him and he cannot get out of his sight O now the world all their comforts will not skreen them from his eyes but what will only the Lord Jesus he can be a cooling shadow to shadow us from this scorching heat and this the Spirit of the Lord perswadeth the soul we all of us will talk of it O Jesus Christ is our help and hope and look for salvation in no other but in him it is grown now so cusâ—omary a thing among us that it is in every mans mouth but to how few hath the Lord spoken this to our hearts that thus it is Fifthly Again another thing that we are taught of God before we come to Jesus Christ is this that he is willing to let out of his oyntments to heal he is willing to expend that precious balm of Gilead upon us else the soul will never come to him it is that that keepeth off many a soul a long time the Spirit of the Lord perswadeth the poor soul that though he hath been an enemy to Jesus Christ and grieved him and torn his wounds and rent his flesh with horrid oaths and blasphemies trampled his blood under foot have been never so horrid a transgressor yet he perswadeth him that the Lord Jesus is willing to receive sinners without exception if they come to him Suppose there was a Physitian whose skill were so great and his store of Medicines so inexhaustible and soveraign and his heart so large as that he proclaimeth to all that whosoever is wounded though never so desperately whosoever is sick unto the death one of the Stone another of the Gout another of the plague I will cure you all O then if poor creatures did believe this were perswaded of it they would come and not before O saith one mine is a plague sore and it is past cure mine is an hereditary disease saith another and so far gone I cannot be cured they come not and perish O mine is such a disease it will cost more pains and charge then I think he will be willing to be at to cure and therefore he cometh not to him and so perisheth just so it is in this case except the Lord do secretly insinuate it into the soul how willingly the Lord Jesus writ it upon his Spirit and that the Lord Jesus is willing to receive to heal to save the soul that will not come to him but thus much for these things which in the order of nature go before a coming to Christ now for the acts wherein it formally consist First then when the heart is thus made sensible of what is in himself working to death and what is not in himself nor in any other creature to save then I say there is from the teaching of the heart how able and willing the Lord Jesus is there ariseth a desire in the soul after the Jesus Christ not as if this did flow or were produced by the former apprehensions of a mans own necessities of Christ and of the fulness in him as a fountain and the openness of the fountain which is sealed to none that come for alas one grace though never so habitual and deeply rooted cannot produce another no not faith it self produce love but the Spirit which works faith works love in our hearts also much less then can a conviction be the cause of a conviction or a turning unto the Lord Jesus but it is the Spirit of the Lord Jesus when he hath so opened the eyes of an Hagar to see the fountain opened that was near her before but she saw it not and let us see that our bottle is dryed up and all other hopes in the creature perished then I say the Spirit inclineth the Will to come to Jesus Christ then he works sweetly though strongly an inclination a desire after him It is not in these things as in nature an ordinary providence concurring with the actings of the creature according to their necessities When Hagar saw the fountain she needs no further perswasion to go unto it her necessity was a cord strong enough to draw her yea a weight a spring to carry her swiftly to it but alas when we see the bottles dryed see that the creatures say it is not in us to be had and see there is a fountain opened yet such is the waywardness of our hearts yea such the enmity in our hearts against the Lord Jesus though the streams of his love toward us were as strong as death that we will not yet come to him we had rather sit down as you see some sullen creatures taken from their damms will rather perish then receive food at the hand of man such an indisposition and aversness to man there is and so it is in this case except the Lord Jesus come in by another act of his Spirit and bow the will and make us desirous of himself O then when this act of power is put forth the soul beginneth to long to desire after Jesus Christ O that I had him O that I might but have a sight of him then there is getting upon the tree by a low Zacheus then there is an ascending in this Ordinance and that Ordinance and everywhere the desire of the soul is for Jesus Christ this is a coming for the affections are to the soul as the feet to the body that which carryeth the soul in and out in all to this object or from that object O then when shall I come and appear before him Secondly In this coming to Christ is included a passing all other stands and rests on this side Jesus Christ many a poor soul cometh near to Christ and to the Kingdom of God and yet falls short of him as an arrow not drawn up to the head falls short of the mark and there it sticks where it fastens goeth no further So here some upon their convictions the discovery of their conditions run to this Ordinance to that to this duty to that as things that of themselves as performances should give rest to them and
Judas when he pleadeth for the poor yet alas God knew the bottom of the business but I say they making such a profession now when they fall asleep it is as much to the dishonour of God as if a real Saint do fall asleep as now for instance suppose two one wise one foolish they fall into some giddy opinion of the times O let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall or else both grow worldly covetous griping or vain indeed cast off the ways of Gods worship the great Apostacy of our times Now I say this is alike dishonourable to God but it is not alike dangerous for the one he sleepeth and his sleep proveth the sleep of death as the foolish Virgins did for though they were roused with the Cry Conscience was a waked it may be yet their hearts were never roused up out of their sleep they were dead-hearted from the beginning and so they remained they never did arise from the dead that Christ might give them life the one when he waketh hath neither oyl nor Lamp neither reality nor profession the other hath both though the Lamp want triming there is not that lively expression of Christ in their Conversations as should be and therefore the light needeth snuffing the one hath the root under ground but the other neither root nor branches so that you see there is a difference between the sleeping of the Child of God and the son of Satan the wise and the foolish Virgins The third Vse of the Doctrine may be this If so be the people of God may thus sleep Then brethren It may be a warning word to us all to take heed of it to avoid it if it fall upon us I mean the people of God it will prove bitterness in the latter end Do you believe this that you are lyable as well as others to sleep that you have the seed within you have those Lusts such foul hearts which with their steam are in danger to benight you every morning every day do you believe this and do you believe it is a part of folly the folly of the wise Virgins to sleep what need more to be said to you concerning these things will not you avoid that which you judge evil But because we have to do with poor sleepy Creatures whose souls it may be are roady to drop asleep even when they are hearing this let me a little sot it on the Lord make the impression by his own spirit and bore your ears seal instruction to all our hearts 1. Then consider brethren that if once we fall asleep we lose our discerning between good and evil in a great measure the Saints that are of experience they have their fenses exercised to discern between good and evil you may happily wake in your sleep but your eyes are shut brethren and it is a wonder of mercy if you do not dash your selves to pieces upon this rock of offence or that rock of offence this stone of stumbling c. as men in their sleep sometimes will get up and climb indeed to the top of the house and are they not in great danger of breaking their necks would you not pitty such a man O such is the Condition of a Child of God that hath a sleepy soul a soul in a deep sleep thou wilt be ready to judge evil good and good evil Jonah his soul was asleep that sin of his laid him asleep though a good man and do you not know how sadly he missed it I do well to be angry yea even to the death what could Gain almost have said worse then he did in this fit A man in a sleep cannot discern light from darkness neither of tasts nor smels all is one to him when once Peter was asleep he could deny and forswear the Lord-Jesus David in a sleep he cannot discern between the chance of war and down-right murther between shewing kindness to his faithful servant one of his worthies in Israel and making his Neighbour drunk a sad Condition Asa in such a time when he was asleep as appears clearly a little before his saith was lively and he could relie upon God for the ruin of the Ethiopians Lybians yet now he relies upon Benhadad King of Syria to help-him against the King of Israel even Basha he was asleep sure that forsakes God to relie upon an enemy and takes such an evil Course to wish him to break his Covenant Then the Lord sent Hanani the Prophet telling him plainly he had done very foolishly he would not bear it he would not be roused out of his sleep brought to repentance Claps the Prophet in Prison oppresseth the people O what will a man stick at brethren when he cannot discern between good and evil where the senses are closed what will not a blind man run upon and yet a good man also and this leads to a second 2. When a man is once asleep alas brethren the passages between head and heart they are obstructed that nothing almost that he heareth will awake him So David when he was asleep you see how sadly he carryed it he went to the Ordinances questionless in the house of God from time to time or likely he did so and yet he lay in that condition for all that alas the word of God sunk not with him at all you know you may call upon a sleepy person that is fast many times again and again and and he answers not or if it move him a little or stir him alas he understands it not he heareth a sound which troubles him but he understands it not and so returneth to his rest again this is the very case of a poor soul asleep you hear indeed but as if you heard not as a man that hath his mind taken up with another thing he heareth but he heedeth not so a poor soul asleep goeth from Ordinance to Ordinance from Sermon to to Sermon and heareth but the word sticks in the ear it reacheth not the heart ordinarily and is not this sad brethren Who would willingly be in this Condition that knoweth what it is to have a fellowship with God heart-Communion with God in his Ordinances 3. Another Motive may be this The poor service God is like to have from us then when we are asleep some indeed he may have but it will be so poor as if none at all what kind of service will that man do his Master that is ready to drop asleep every step he goeth as David what service did he do the Lord while he lay in that deep sleep alas his mouth was stopped he was not able to shew forth the praise of God until he had opened it And the reason is plain because the graces of the Spirit though they be within us it may be there is the root of the matter there are the habits yet we cannot exercise them A man asleep hath life and he breatheth but what Acts can he