scorch and wither it and this is the case of this ground they have some heat of joy and raptures which like the flattering rays of the Aprill Sun draw forth some early blossoms but when some cold chilling frosts or scorching heats come in the following Month they are either nipt by the one or scorched and shrunk up by the other Praemature fruits never come to maturity The Child that thrusts its self forth into the world before its time seldom proves long-liv'd Such are Formalists they hastily catch at Christ before they are humbled for sin or melted by godly sorrow and therefore do as quickly forsake him The like may be gathered from that other Parable of the wise and foolish builders Luke 6.47 48. The wise Builder 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 digged deep and laid his foundation on a rock the foolish built without a foundation on the Earth surely Humiliation and thorow conviction is at least in part the import of that digging deep and for want of this digging the building doth molâ suà ruere fall by its own weight for want of these dews and moistures the root is dried up from beneath and above the bud is cut off Job 18.16 As the natural so the spiritural birth is attended with pangs Now the Formalist is one that never felt these or not to purpose never so as to bring him off his own righteousness or to subdue his will to an acceptance of Christ upon Gospel terms But here I desire to be rightly understood I prescribe not such a measure of humiliation as necessary nor to all the like measure there is great difference as to the manner measure and continuance of it all are not thrown upon the ground and deprived of their sight as Paul was all walk not in the Region of the shadow of death nor go bowed down 18 years with a spirit of Infirmity To some God comes in a fire thunder and whirlwind to others in a still voice as God teacheth us to put a difference Jude 22,23 so himself doth doth on some he hath compassion others he saves with fear pulling them out of the fire the convictions and humiliation of some are more sensible terrible like the breaking of stones with a hammer they are brought by the gates of Hell to Heaven of others more sweet kindly and insensible like the melting of wax before the fire and Ice or Snow before the Sun The Souls of some are taken by storm others by a long and tedious siege and battery some are surprized as it were by stratagem and some surrendred upon Parley yea some are so wrought upon that the first sensible work they experience is Grace drawing them to a voluntary resignment of their souls to God All these worketh our gracious God according to his own Will and Pleasure nor can any certain stated Rules be laid down about the various workings of God with poor souls Nevertheless these two things I conceive may be safely asserted 1. That before a soul is brought or upon a souls coming over to Christ he hath such a convincing sight of sin and of his own sin original and actual with such a measure of compunction contrition be it less or more as doth make him both see an absolute necessity of Christ and willingly close with him upon Gospel conditions I speak here of God's working upon the adult 'T is not meerly the love of Christ or his excellency appehended that attracts the soul to him but withal he sees he stands in need of him and is undone without him I would fain know of any of those pretended Patrons and Assertors of free-Grace how a soul can have any apprehensions of the love of Christ to purpose without some praevious apprehensions and convictions of its own sinfulness and misery Is it not the very Emphasis of the love of Christ that while we were yet sinners he died for us Rom. 5.8 That when we were lost he came to seek and save us take away this sense of sin and misery and you take away the very accent of Christ's love Is not this the language of a Soul under the most kindly workings O infinite Love that such a vile sinful lost wretch as I am should be sought for inquired after much like the language of Mephibosheth to David 2 Sam. 9.8 What is thy servant that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am And Ch. 19.28 All my fathers house were but dead men before my Lord the King yet didst thou set thy servant among them that did eat at thy table Here 's deep and deep depth of Misery and depth of Mercy these jointly apprehended melt the heart of a poor sinner and make it as water or rather as wax fit for any Divine impression so that there is in the soul under most ingenuous and kindly workings sense of sin and sorrow for it though swallowed up in the joyful sense of God's love in Christ Jesus 2. And after a soul is come to Christ the frame of the heart is such that it 's ready to grieve and melt upon the sight and conviction of a sin now committed or the remembrance of a sin formerly acted Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart 2 Chron. 32.26 We find Peter in the same temper and David often the stone being taken out of the heart there is an habitual tenderness ready to exert it self in kindly meltings upon sight of any unkindnesses and disingenuous actings towards God Christ or the Spirit Now to both these the Formalist is a stranger his will was never subdued his heart never molified so far as to go out of himself Bring this note home and try your state by it I beseech you 4 He is a Formalist who though he is constant in the matter yet is little or not at all conscientious in the manner of duty That it be done he is very careful but how he regards not The Formal Jews were so constant at their sacrifices that there God will not blame them Psal 50.8 The sincere Christian is no less troubled for his carelesness customariness wandrings and distractions in then for his omissions of duty he accounts that as not done which is not done with some suitableness of affection and exercise of grace he thinks he hath but mockt God and taken his Name in vain But this troubles not the Formalist he is a good Church-man as they call him constant at his Family-duties c. and never matters how cursorily and slubbringly they are performed his care is to get it done the sincere Christians to get it well done thinking himself never the better for that Duty that makes him not better never the nearer for that which brings him not further out of himself and nearer God Try then Canst thou never remember the time when thy heart smote thee for thy negligence in as well as neglect of Duty Dost thou go on merrily and confidently in a cold dull heartless course of
God and the world but I shall find at last that I have deceived my own soul Psa 125.5 Will not God both find me out in these crooked wayes and turn me out with the workers of iniquity He that perverteth his wayes shall be known Prov. 10.9 The self-flatterers iniquity shall be found hateful Psal 36.21 Can I carry it so closely that God shall not find me out Doth not his eye pierce and his eye-lids try the children of men Doth he not set our secret sins in the light of his countenance Is there not a wo to them that dig deep to hide their sins as well as their counsels from the Lord Isa 29.15 16. Thus labour to make thy heart sensible of this sin 4. It is a sin of evil influence upon others Warm and lively Christians are the great blessings of the places where they live their zeal provokes many 2 Cor. 9.2 But a dead and heartless profession especially if of any eminency in the Church puts a stop to others who are apt to come up to their measure and there to rest The whole Army made a stand at Amasa's dead body 2 Sam 20.12 so do many at one dead Christian How may a dead and formal Minister or Master of a Family read his own in the Temper of his People or Family As face answers face in a glass so for the most part doth the complexion and temper of the Followers answer that of their Leaders Aggravate thy sin by this consideration upon thy own heart Vile wretch that I am how many do I hinder in heaven's way how doth my formality give occasion to some to think there is no reality in Religion and to others to rest in the same temper Were I a better Leader my People Family Neighbours would be better Followers If they perish in that sin how justly may their Blood be charged upon my head 5. It is a sin that insensibly hardens the heart every sin is of that nature Heb. 3.13 But as none is I think more deceitful so scarce any more hardning One or two duties customarily and formally done will be found mightily deadning and indisposing the heart to other duties afterward By Formality in prayer you may in time pray away both your Graces and Gifts so you may by customary hearing hear your selves quite deaf to all Gods counsels 2 Tim. 1.6 This makes the heart of many like the trodden path or neather Milstone Formality is a lazy sin it doth not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 blow up the Gifts and Graces of Gods Spirit and so the Fire goes out Habits of laziness are hardly shaken off as we see in common Beggars indulging a lazy temper which is the Formalists sin must needs encrease it 'T is the Formalists frame that of the sluggard Prov. 6.10 and 26.14 Yet a little sleep Ver. 11. c. And what is said of him may well be applied hither So shall thy poverty come as an armed man By this lazy formal temper spiritual poverty invades and seizes upon the soul Besides this sin as it hath a natural so a judiciary tendency to hardness of heart i. e. it provokes God to give up to obduration Luk. 19.26 From him that hath not so as to improve shall be taken even that he hath or seems to have God will say to such in his just Judgment Sleep on and take your rest and as that great Commander finding his Sentinel asleep run him thorow saying Dead I found him dead I leave him Thus God deals with the lazy formal sluggish Christian Work this also on thy heart 6. It is a sin that broodeth hatcheth cherisheth many other Pride Self-confidence Contempt of others are the natural products of it Upon account of a constant course of formal duties men are apt to encourage themselves in sin see Jer. 7.8 9 10. 'T is storied of one an Italian as I remember who us'd to patter over his prayers in the morning and then challenge the Devil to do his worst Let but a Formalist observe his own heart and he shall find That when he hath done something more then ordinary in a way of duty he is apt to draw encouragements thence of being more loose afterward Set this home Oh what a Viper have I harbour'd in my bosome How many sins hath this one sin let in and drawn me into c 7. It 's a sin that brings both the surest and soarest destruction To such is that cutting word of our Saviour directed Matth. 23.33 Ye Serpents ye generation of Vipers how can you escape the damnation of Hell Hypocrites are Leaders in the Black Roll Matth. 24. last And as dissembled Sanctity is double iniquity so shall it have a double portion of Misery These things I have suggested to help you in aggravating this sin upon your own souls it were easie to add many more but any one of these laid close to the Conscience will through the blessing of God make the Soul groan under the weight of this sin This is the sum of the first step which a soul is to take in order to cure Get a convincing sight and humbling sense of thy sin and would but the Lord bring on the Work thus far could I but see your hands on your loins could I but find you Ephraim-like smiting upon your thigh ashamed confounded were you but throughly convinced of the guilt and sensible of the weight of this sin how hopeful might I be of effecting the Cure Direct 2 When it is thus or rather that it may be thus with thee make thy addresses to God in way of humble confession and fervent petition But to hint something briefly 1. Fall down before the Lord in the shame and grief of thy own Soul making self-condemning Acknowledgments and aggravated Confessions of this sin Thou that hast been hitherto a proud Pharisee Luk. 18.13 now become an humble Publican Learn Davids posture Psal 51.3 This is a singular way to get thy own heart affected for indeed it 's a principal end of confession we do not confess sin to inform God but to humble and shame our selves In confession thou mayest use the forementioned aggravations 2. Add Petition to confession beg a more lively sense of this sin for it is not all thy own aggravating this sin upon thy soul that will make thee feel it to purpose till God take it and set it upon thy Conscience 't is the Spirit of God that must to purpose convince of sin John 16.8 the sins which look but as Moats will appear Beams in that Light which the Spirit of God darts into the Soul Beg Contrition also that acceptable Sacrifice of a broken heart must be of Gods own preparing the sorrow which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to God 2 Cor. 7.10 must be from God Zech. 12.10 Beg pardon with the Psalmist Ps 51.1 Fitly may you use his Petition and Argument Psal 25.11 Pardon my sin for it is
great Luk. 18.13 and take up the Publicans Posture and Petition smite on your breast and say The Lord be merciful to me a sinner Beg strength against this sin pray for Truth in the inward parts pray as Psal 119.80 Make my heart sound in thy statutes that I may never be confounded Lord I have the Lineaments put into me the Life of a Christian make me what I seem lest at last I be found what I would not and here take heed you be not formal in confessing and praying against your formality a hypocrite that hath got the Art to confess his hypocrisie in hypocrisie and seems to be displeased with himself for that sin when he is not so indeed may well have Lord have mercy written upon his door Labour to get those things which are the Direct 3 very Life and Essence of a Christian those things which are constituent of and difference a Christian from all others Some of these things have been hinted already in shewing what a Formalist wants I shall touch upon them here and add more In general Content not your selves to act as Christians or in doing what a Christian doth 't is one thing to be and do as a Christian and another to be a Christian There are especially five things which constitute and are as it were ingredient into the very Essence of a Christian 1. A sound conviction of and deep humiliation for sin This as you heard before the Formalist wants this is the ordinary Foundation of all that saving-work which the Spirit of God doth upon the Soul John 16.8 This is the ordinary forerunner of true solid Comfort Conviction and Contrition are the inlets and preparatives to Consolation Here begun the work upon those three thousand Converts Acts 2.37 upon Paul Rom. 7.9 And though it s wrought in some insensibly or with less noise and horror yet it is wrought in all really who are saved in Gods ordinary way and who are truly wrought upon Labour then to feel sin your heaviest burden and that not onely some one or few sins of your life 2 Chron. 32.26 but especially your heart-pollutions be humbled with Hezekiah for the pride of your heart and so for other inward lusts yea let your humiliation reach to your very duties be ashamed at their deficiency and defilements labour to see and be sensible that all your righteousness is as a filthy rag Isa 64.6 and cease not to follow the streams until you are come to the Spring-head viz. the corruption of Nature and here sit down and weep as the Jews by the Rivers of Babylon Never think your conviction and humiliation right till you arrive at this viz. A clear sight and deep abiding sense of the universal pollution of your nature and the utter inability to any thing truly and spiritually good Thus you must as it were begin the work again raze all other and lay this as a sound foundation he that hath this hath the root of the matter in him 2. Labour after a total abnegation of your own righteousness duties priviledges performances This is essential to a Christian in that brief but full description of a sincere Christian Phil. 3.3 this is one of the three Ingredients To put no confidence in the flesh The first Lesson in Christ's School is Self-denial Matt. 16.24 We must learn that counsel Luke 17.10 to acknowledg our selves unprofitable servants 't is one of he hardest Tasks but exceeding necessary True Grace and Christian Religion is perpetua naturae violentia a doing violence to our selves thwarting our passions depluming our selves of all those Feathers wherewith we are wont to strut and in which we have prided our selves We must learn to acknowledg with the Prophet Isa 64.6 That all our righteousness is but as a filthy rag that our best Duties or seem ng Graces are in themselves but a beautiful Abomination and to trust in them is but to go a cleaner way to Hell And what should hinder from this self-denial What is thy righteousness more nay is it not in many respects less then that of the Scribes and Pharisees Read Luke 18.10 11 and compare yet ver 14. the self-abasing Publican went away more justified than the Pharisee that is the Pharisee was not at all justified for there is not magis minus in Justification Away then with all thy proud self-reflections think but how strict a disquisition shall be made at the day of Judgment and how piercing the eyes of the Judg will be and then consider whether thou shalt be able to stand before him in thy own rags and if thou wilt not be able then to stand why shouldst thou now glory in them Oh! surely God can see beams in those duties where thou canst not discern moats and will discover blemishes where thou conceitest there is the greatest beauty 3. Endeavour a cordial close with Christ upon Gospel-tearms Here lies the main to which the two former are preparatory This was Paul's great desire Phil. 3.9 To be found in Christ Get therefore that precious Grace of Faith which is the hand wherewith thou must accept Christ whatever thou hast if this be wanting thou shalt certainly perish John 3.18 36. The grand Enquiry at the great Day will be Whether you believed or no though it 's true your work will be look't into but those as the proofs and evidences of the sincerity of your Faith There will be no standing before the Judg except himself be thy Advocate and this he will not be but upon thy cordial acceptance of him now On make out for Christ cry out Give me Christ or I dye And that you may get Christ you must not as Peter gird your Coat your own righteousness to you but as Bartimeus cast it from you Neither think that a blind bold adventurous rushing upon Christ a meer adherence to him or a confident perswasion of his good-will towards you in particular is the all or main of this Faith and Acceptance I am pressing this mistake will I fear be the ruine of Thousands There must be an absolute resignment of thy self to Christ as well as reliance on him 'T is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a gross and grievous mistake to think that the strength of Faith lyes in the strength of a man's Fancy or Imagination or of his perswasion that Christ dyed for him in particular True Faith gives as well as takes when you send for a Physician and he undertakes and promises your cure 't is supposed you accept of him and resolve to follow his Prescriptions else you may miscarry To accept Christ as your Saviour Soul-Physician necessarily includes your giving up your selves to follow his Prescriptions else you but dissemble with him This I hint to prevent mistakes about the nature of true Faith which are too ordinary Well if thou who art yet a Formalist wouldst be a Christian indeed get out of all and accept Christ as tendred in the Gospel
4. See that thou have a thorow change of heart Eph 4.23 Be renewed in the Spirit of your mind 1 Thes 5.23 Sanctified throughout 'T is not building on the old Foundation repairing and decking up the old man will serve turn 'T is not putting a new piece upon the old Garment all is depraved in Adam All must be renew'd in Christ it 's no less then a new Creation that makes a Christian That which is born of the flesh 2 Cor. 5. 17 even the best of it is no better than flesh Joh. 3.3 6. The best of a carnal man is carnal no man is born a Christian There must be a putting off the old man and putting on the new man Eph. 4.22 24. Col. 3.9 10. Psal 4 5.10 Bialt a forgetting and forsaking thy own People and Fathers house that is as one well glosses Quic quid corruptionis ex utero afferimus aut quaecunque ex placâ institutione nobis adhaerent Whatever corruption we derived from the Womb or contracted by Education c. Well see that not only the branches of corruption be lopt off but the root digg'd up let sin be not only left but loath'd let duty be not only done but delighted See that the change be not only in the face of your conversations but in the frame of your hearts and bent of your affections and see that it be the whole inward man not understanding only illightned or affections enlarg'd but each faculty having its proper work of Sanctification wrought upon it and above all the Will brought to a chearful submission to and compliance with the Will Commands of God even in those things that are most opposite to your natural inclinations This is a fourth Essential in a Christian 5. Endeavour liveliness vigour and sincerity in every duty content not thy self till thou hast got thy heart engag'd in duty I bid thee not lay aside duty nay rather be more frequent but withall more fervent and serious in it Hear and practise pray in the spirit turn thy dead and heartless confessions into heart-breaking acknowledgments thy formal petitions into earnest groans and breathings of soul c. and withall see that thy end in all be right viz. Gods glory and thy souls advantage Rectitude of ends is a great piece of sincerity Oh this is very essential to a Christian not onely to do duty but to be lively vigorous and right-ended in it not onely to do it but to do somthing by it and receive something through it and that it may be thus make Conscience of seriousness and liveliness in the smallest duties in thy daily Family-duties yea in thy very begging a blessing upon the creature Formality creeps in at our ordinary and lesser duties and by degrees mixes it self with our greater out it as much as possible of your common and ordinary and there is less danger it should spoil your extraordinary duties And thus I have in these five particulars included I think mâ—st of that which is essential to a Christian Oh that the Lord would perswade your hearts to endeavour after them and that they may be found in every soul of you These are they that do specifie and constitute a Christian indeed and that do distinguish him from and set him above all others in the world get these and you are more then Formalists but get them all the third cannot be without the first and second nor can the fourth and fifth really be without the third but where all these are found in conjunction that soul may undoubtedly conclude its real Christianity As a singular help to rowse thee out of Direct 4 Formality represent to thy thoughts meditations the nature of God especially in those awakening Attributes his Spirituality his Omniscience Omnipresence c. together with the dreadfulness of the day of judgment Formality is the souls sluggishness and therefore it needs those helps that are most awakning And oh how would the lively representation of these things startle you out of this drowsie temper Is not God a Spirit and Spirits are active and how ill do they that are themselves active vigorous brook the lazines of others Again Is not Gods eye upon me Is he not present in a special manner to those that are in his service and must not such a cold and careless temper be highly displeasing to him Again How shall I be able to stand before the Tribunal Will not my Formality be then discovered will not the careless performance as well as total neglect of duty be enquir'd into and severely punished at that day Such workings as these will be upon the heart that lies under the lively sense of those things and they must needs put life into thy duties and put thee out of thy dull and sluggish temper Direct 5 Get a holy jealousie and suspition of thy own heart watch it as thou wouldst watch a lazy or unfaithful servant Our hearts will do no longer then they are watcht and tasked and followed we must be winding them higher continually if we let them slacken never so little drowsiness steals upon them it must be a jealous eye and strict hand over them that must keep them waking Deal therefore with your hearts as David Psal 103.1 2. Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me He calls upon his soul thus must we Prov. 6.9 10. be often jogging them say not A little more sleep a little more slumber but rather Why sleepest thou O sluggard When wilt thou arise out of thy sleep Yea when they seem to be most wakeful and active there is need to watch them especially after a duty done with more than ordinary fervor intensness of action causeth weariness and weariness inclines to sleep and sluggishness Earnestly beg the continuance of lively Direct 6 quickning Ordinances and beg life and quickning into those Ordinances 1. Beg lively and quickning Ordinances They are the means which God hath appointed to beget and keep life in the soul the word is The immortal seed whereby souls are begotten to God 1 Pet. 1.23 But if this and other Ordinances lose their liveliness by a dead heartess formal management they will instead of rousing us out lull us asleep in our formality Cor non faciunt quae non habent How can those Ordinances make hearty Christians which have no heart in them Ordinances that are not good Ezek. 20.25 and statutes whereby a soul cannot live are amongst the saddest of judgments Dead forms are like the stone at the foot of the Bird which hinders it from the first use of its wing Also how prone is the last age of the world to fall into this drowsie temper We have need of the most lively Ordinances and all too little to keep us waking Dull heartless Preaching Prayers or other Ordinances will charm the Soul into a dead sleep and will be as a soft Pillow under the elbow of drowsie sinners and this