wills and affections.
[5.] Lastly, consider, What hardships and difficulties the men of this world run through, to get the world, and undo their own souls.
They rise early, go to bed late; they go from one end of the world to another, and venture through all manner of dangers, deaths, and miseries—to gain those things which are vain, uncertain, vexing, and dangerous to their souls, Psalm 127:2, Mat. 16:16. And will not you, as "a good soldier of Christ," 2 Tim. 2:3-4, endure a little hardship for the honor of your Captain, and your own internal and eternal good? You are listed under Christ's colors, and therefore you must arm yourself against all difficulties and discouragements. The number of difficulties makes the Christian's conquest the more illustrious. A gracious man should be made up all of fire, overcoming and consuming all oppositions, as fire does the stubble. All difficulties should be but whetstones to his fortitude, as Chrysostom said of Peter.
The fifth duty is this:
5. You who are weak saints should observe how Christ keeps your wills and affections.
That man is kept indeed, whose will and affection is kept close to Christ; and that man is lost with a witness, whose will and affections are won away from Christ. Weak saints are more apt to observe their own actions than their wills and affections, and this proves a snare unto them; therefore observe your affections, how they are kept; for if they are kept close to Christ, if they are kept faithful to Christ, though your foot may slide from Christ, all is well. The apostle, Romans 7:17, seq., observed, that his will and affections were kept close to Christ even then, when he was tyrannically captivated and carried by the prevalency of sin from Christ: "With my mind I serve the law of God," says he, "and what I do I allow not; therefore it is no more I that does it—but sin that dwells in me." My will stands close to Christ, and my affections are faithful to Christ, though by the prevalency of corruption I am now and then carried captive from
Christ. It is one thing to be taken up by an enemy, and another thing for a man to lay down his weapons at his enemy's feet. I am, says the apostle, a forced man, "I do what I hate;" I do what I never intended. The heart may be sound, when more external and inferior parts are not. The heart of a man may be sound God-ward and Christ-ward and holiness-ward, when yet there may be many defects and weaknesses in his conversation.
Now, a weak Christian should be very studious to observe how his heart stands God-wards; for the man is as his heart is; if that be right with Christ, then all is well; therefore, says Solomon, Proverbs 4:23, "Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life." The Hebrew runs more fully thus: "Before all," or, "Above all keepings, keep your heart; for out of it is the goings forth of lives." The heart is the spring and fountain of all natural and spiritual actions, it is the primum mobile—the great wheel which sets all other wheels a-going; it is the great monarch in the isle of man; therefore keep it with all custody and caution, or else bid farewell to all true joy, peace, and comfort. When the heart stands right towards Christ, Christ will pardon much, and pass by much. [The heart is the presence-chamber of the king of heaven.]
If the ravished virgin in the time of the law cried out, she was guiltless; so when a poor soul, ravished by the power of corruption, and strength of Satan's temptations, cries out, "Lord, I would not, for all the world, sin against you, I would not distrust you, I would not be impatient under your afflicting hand, I would not be proud under your merciful hand; but, Lord, these sons of Zeruiah, 2 Sam. 3:39, these corruptions, are too hard for me; they commit a rape upon me; they ravish me of my Jesus, and of my joy, and of my peace; Lord, help me, Lord deliver me!" Now these weaknesses shall not be charged upon the soul. The ravished virgin under the law, if she cried out, was guiltless; and certainly God is not, nor will not be, less merciful and gracious to his people under the gospel, who are still acrying out against their sins and Satan's assaults. Surely those sins shall never be a Christian's bane—which are now his greatest burden.