Conclusion: What shall we do?

If you would be violent, never leave till you have the Spirit. Desire of God to put forth the sweet violence of his Spirit; the spouse begged a gale of the Spirit, Cant. 4:16. 'Awake, O north wind, blow, O south.'

When God's Spirit blows upon us, now we go full sail to Heaven.

When the Spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels, then they moved, Ezek. 1:21. The wheels of our endeavour move apace, when the Spirit of God is in these wheels. Seeing there are so many violent winds of temptation blowing us backward, we had need have the violent wind of God's Spirit blowing us forward to Heaven. Let this suffice to have spoken of the means for this holy violence.

Conclusion:

What Shall We Do?

But may some say, we have used this violence for Heaven, what remains for us to do? As the people said to Christ, Luke 1:13. 'What shall we do?'

You that have been violent for Heaven (aged christians) let me beseech you still to keep alive this holy violence. Not only keep up duty, but violence in duty. Remember, you have that corruption within you, which is ready to abate this blessed violence. The brightest coal hath those ashes growing on it, as is apt to choak the fire. You have those inbred corruptions, that like ashes, are ready to choak the fire of your zeal. How was Peter's grace cooled when he denied Christ! The church of Ephesus lost her keen edge of religion,

Rev. 2:4. Take heed of declining in your affections. Be not like a body in an atrophy: be most violent at last. A stone, the nearer it is to the centre, the more violent it is in its motion. You have but a little time now to work for God, therefore work the harder. Be like the church of Thyatira, her 'last works were more than her first,' Rev. 2:19. Be as the sun that shines brightest before its setting: As the swan that sings sweetest before its death, Rom. 13:11. 'Your salvation is nearer than

when you believed.' If your salvation be nearer, your violence should be greater. How should you quicken your pace, when you are within sight of the kingdom! He is an happy man, of whom it may be said, spiritually, as of Moses literally before his death, Deut. 34:7. 'His eyes waxed not dim, and his natural force was not abated.' So a christian's force and violence for Heaven is not abated: he keeps the best wine of his life till last.

Here is strong consolation to the violent christian: thou art in the way to the kingdom. Though perhaps thou hast not a bunch of grapes in the way, (I mean that joy which some meet with) yet it is happy that thou art in the way. Bless God that while some lie in the total neglect of duty, God hath given thee an heart to seek him, Psalm

105:3. 'Let the hearts of them rejoice that seek the Lord.' Nay, God hath not only given thee an heart to do duty, but to do duty mixed with love, which makes it savoury meat, and to do duty stamped with fervency, which makes it pass current with God. O bless God who hath raised thee off the bed of sloth, and stirred up the zeal of thy soul for Heaven. He who hath made thee violent, will make thee victorious.—Wait a while, and thou shalt be possessed of a kingdom.

When Moses went up to receive God's commands, he staid six days on the Mount, and on the seventh day God called to him. Exod.

24:16. Though we wait long, and have not the thing waited for, yet let us continue doing our duty; shortly, God will call us from Heaven, come up hither, and we shall go from the mount of faith to the mount of vision, and behold those glorious things which 'eye hath not seen, nor can it enter into man's heart to conceive.'

But may a child of God say, I fear I am none of those violent ones that shall take Heaven: I find such a deadness of heart in duty, that I question whether I shall ever arrive at the kingdom.

This deadness of the heart may arise from natural causes. Weakness of body may occasion indisposition of mind. Thy prayer may be weak, because thy body is weak.—A lute that is cracked cannot send forth so sweet a sound as if it were whole.

2. This indisposition of soul perhaps is only casual, and for a time; it may be in a deep fit of melancholy, or in desertion.—When the sun is gone from our climate, the earth is as it were in desertion, and the trees are without blossom or fruit; but this is only for a time: let but the sun return again in Spring, and now the herbs flourish, and the trees put forth their fruit: so when God hides his face, there is a deadness upon a christian's heart; he prays as if he prayed not: but let the Sun of Righteousness return, now he is divinely animated, and is as vigorous and lively in his operation as ever, he now recovers his first love. Therefore thou weak Christian, be not discouraged, so long as thou dost not allow thyself in thy distemper; a dead heart is thy burden, look up to Christ thy High-Priest, who is merciful to bear with thy infirmities, and is mighty to help them.

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