Sermon XLI (continued, part 2)
" will give grace and glory, and no good thing will he with-hold "from himthatwalketh uprightly," Plal. Ixxxiv. 11. And he promises no more to you than he hath made good to others,
72 The Fountain of Life. SERM. XLII, that have thus walked, and stands ready to perform to you also. If you look to enjoy the good of the promise, you are obliged by all your expectations and hopes, to order your lives purely and uprightly. This hope will fetyou on work to purge your lives, as well as your hearts, from all pollutions, 2 Cor. vii. 1. " Having these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from all fil- " thiness of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of " God."
Fifthly, Yea, Hehatbyet more obliged you to strict and holy lives, by his confidence in you, that you will thus walk and please him. He expresseth himself in scripture, as one that dares trust you with his glory, knowing that you will be tender of it, and dare do no otherwise. If but a man repose confidence in you, and trust you with his concerns, it greatly obliges you to be faithful. What an engagement was that upon Abraham to walk uprightly, when God said of him,Gen. xviii.
19. " I know him, that he will command his children, and his " houfhold after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord," q. d. as for this wicked generation, whom I will speedily consume in my wrath, I know they regard not my laws, they will trample my commands under their feet, they care not how they provoke me, but I expect other things from Abraham, and I am confident he will not fail me . I know him, he is a man of another spirit, and what I promise myself from him, he will make good. And to the like purpose, is that in Isa. Ixiii. 7. " I will mention the loving-kindness of the Lord, and " the praises of the Lord; according to all that the Lord hath, " bestowed onus, and the great goodness towards the house of " Israel, which he hath bestowed on them; according to his " mercies, and according to the multitude of his loving-kind. " nesses. For he said, surely they are my people, children that " will not lie, (or fail me) so he was their Saviour." Here you have an ample account of the endearing mercies of God to that people, ver. 7. and the Lord's confident expectations of suitable returns from them, ver. 8. I said, (i. e.) (speaking after the manner of men in like cases) I made a full account, that after all these endearments, and favours, bestowed upon them, they wouldnotoffer to be disloyal and false to me. I have made them fureenough to myself, by fomanybondsoflove. Like to which is that expression, Zeph. iii. 7. " I said, surely thou wilt fear " me, thou wilt receive instruction." Oh! how great are the expectations of God from such as you ! I know Abraham, there is no doubt of him. And again, they are children that will not lie, (i. e.) they willnotfallerefidemdatam,break their covenant
SRRM . XLII. 73 The Fountain of Life. with me. Or they are my people that will not shrink, as Mr. Coverdalewell translates,filii non negantes, such as will be true tome, and answer their covenant-engagements. And again, surely thou wilt fear me, thou wilt receive instruction. And shall not all this engage you to God ? What! Neither the ancientandbountiful love of God, in contriving your redemption from eternity, nor the bounty of God, in rewarding all, and every piece offer vice you have done for him. Nor yet the pleasure he takes in your obedience and upright walking : Nor the encouraging promises he hath made thereto, nor yet his confident expectations of such a life from you, whom he hath so many ways obliged, and endeared to himself ? Will you forget your ancient friend, contemnhis rewards, take no delight or care to please him ? Slight his promises, and deceive and fail his expectations ? " Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this ! and be hor- " ribly afraid. " Consider how God the Father hath fastned this five-fold cord upon your souls, and thew yourselves christians ; yea, to use the prophet's words, Isa. xlvi. 8. " Remember this, " and shew yourselves men ."
Secondly, You are yet further engaged to this precise and holy life, by what the Son hath
Obligations from the Son.
done for you ; is not this pure and holy life the very aim, and nextendofhis death ? Did he not shed his blood to " redeem you from your vain conversa- " tions ?" I Pet. i. 18. Was not this the design of all his sufferings ? " That being delivered out of the hands of your enemies, 66 you might serve him in righteoufsness and holiness all the days " of your life," Luke i. 74, 75. And is not the apostle's inference, 2 Cor. v. 14, 15. highly reasonable ? " If on died for all, " then were all dead, and that he died for all, that they which
" live, should not henceforth live to themselves, but to him that " died for them. " Did Christ onlybuyyour persons, and not your services also ? No, no, whoever hath thy time, thy strength, or any part of either ; I can assure thee, christian, that Christ hath paid for it, and thou givest away what is noneofthine own to give. Every moment of thy time, is his. Every talent, whether of grace or nature, is his. And dost thoudefraudhim of his own ? O how liberal are you of your precious words and hours, as if Christ had never made a purchase of them! O think of this, when thy life runs muddy and foul, When the fountain of corruption flows out at thy tongue, in idle frothy discourfes; or at thy hand, in sinful unwarrantable actions ? Doth this become the redeemed of the Lord ? Did Christ come from the
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74 The Fountain of Life. SERM. XLII. bosom of his Father for this ? Did he groan, sweat, bleed, endure the cross, andlaydown his life for this ? Was he so well pleased with all his sorrows and sufferings, his pangs and agonies, upon the account of that satisfaction he should have in seeing the travailofhis foul ? Ifa. liii. 11. as if he had said, "Welcome death,
" welcome agonies, welcome the bitter cup, and heavy burthen; " I chearfully submit to all this. These are travailing pangs, " indeed, but I shall fee the beautiful birth at last. These throws " and agonies shall bring forth many lovely children to God ; I " thallhavejoy in them, and glory from them, to all eternity.
" This blood of mine, these sufferings of mine, shall purchase to me, the persons,duties, services, and obedience of many thou- " sands that will love me, and honour me, serve me, and obey " me, with their souls and bodies which are mine." And doth not this engage you to look to your lives, and keep them pure ! Is not every one of Christ's wounds, a mouth open to plead for more holiness , more service, and more fruit from you ? Oh ! what will engage you if this will not ? But,
Thirdly, This is not all ; as a man when he Engagements from weigheth a thing, casteth in weight after the Spirit. weight, till the scales are counterpoised ; So doth God cast in engagement, after engagement, and argument upon argument, till thy heart, christian, be weighed up, and won to this heavenly life. And therefore, as Elihu said to Job, chap. xxxvi. 22. " Suffer me a little, and I " will shew thee what I have yet to speak on God's behalf." Some arguments have already been urged on the behalf of the
Father and Son, for purity andcleannessof life ; and next I have something to plead on the behalf of the Spirit. I plead now on his behalf, who hath so many times helped you to plead for yourselves with God. He that hath so often refreshed, quickened, and comforted you,he will be quenched, grieved, and displeased, by an impure, loose, and careless conversation ; and what will you do then ? Who shall comfort you, when the comforter is departed from you ? When he that should relieve your fouls, is far off? Ogrieve not the holy Spirit of God, by which you are sealed, to the day of redemption, Eph.iv. 30. There is nothing grieves him more than impure practices; for he is a holy Spirit. And look, as water damps andquenches the fire, fo-doth fin quench the spirit, I Thef. v. 19. Will you quench the warm affections andburningdefires which he hath kindled in your bosoms ? If you do, it is a question, whether ever you may recover them again to your dying day. The spirit hath a delicate sense. It is the most tenderthing in the whole world. He feels the least
SERM . XLII. The Fountain of Life. 75 touch of fin, and is grieved, when thy corruptions within, are
temptations, and break out to the defiling of thy life ; then is the holy Spirit of God, as it were, made fad, and heavy within thee. As that word μη λυπειθε, Eph. iv. 30. may be rendered. For thereby thou resistest his motions, whereby in the way of a loving constraint, he would lead and guide thee in the way of thy duty ; yea, thou not only resistest his motions, but crossest his grand design, which is to purge and sanctify thee wholly, and build thee up more and more to the perfection of holiness. And when thou thus forsakest his conduct, and crof. sest his design in thy soul, then doth he usually withdraw as a man that is grieved by the unkindness of his friend. He draws inthebeams of his evidencing and quickening grace. Withholds all his divine cordials,and faith, as it were, to the unkind anddisingenuous foul, " Hast thou thus requited me, for all "the favours and kindnesses thou hast " received from me ? Have I quickened
The Spirit's expostulation with careless Christians. greffions ? DidIdescendupon thee in " the preaching of the gospel, and communicate life, even the thee, when thou wast dead intranf66
" life of God, to thee; leaving others in the state of the dead ? " Have I shed forth such rich influences of grace and comfort " upon thee ? Comforting thee in all thy troubles, helping " thee in all thy duties ; satisfying thee in all thy doubts and perplexities of foul; saving thee, and pulling thee back from " so many destructive temptations and dangers ? What had " been thy condition, ifI had not come unto thee ? Could the "word have converted thee without me ? Could ministers, "could angels, have done that for thee which I did ? And when
" I hadquickened thee, and made thee a living foul, what couldst "thou have done, without my exciting and assisting grace? " Couldest thou go on in the way of duty, If I had not led
" thee ? How wouldest thou have waded through the deeps of " spiritual troubles, if I had not borne thee up ? Whither had " the temptations ofsatanand thine own corruptions, carried " thee before this day, If I had not stood thy friend, and come " in for thy rescue in the time of need? Did I ever fail thee " in thy extremities ? Did I ever leave thee in thy dangers ? "Have I not been tender over thee, and faithful to thee ? And " now, for which of all these kindnesses, dost thou thus wrong " and abuse me ? Why hast thou wounded me thus by thy un- " kindness ? Ah ! thou hast ill requited my love !And now thou L2
76 The Fountain of Life. SERM. XLII.
" shalteatthe fruit of thy doings. Let thy light now be dark- " ness ; thy songs turned into howhngs ; the joy of thine heart, " the light of thine eyes, the health of thy countenance, even " the faceofthy God, and the joy of salvation be hid from thee."
This is the fruit of careless and loose walking. To this sad issue it will bring thee at last, and when it is come to this, thou shalt go to ordinances, and duties, and findnogood in them ; no life-quickening comfort there. When thy heart which was wont to be enlarged, and flowing, shall be clung up and dry ; when thou saalt kneel down before the Lord, and cry, as Elisha, when with the mantle of Elijah, he smote the water,
66 Where
" is the Lord God of Elijah ?" So thou, where is the God of prayer ? where is the God of duties ? But there is no answer : When like Samfon, thou shalt go forth and shake thyself, as at other times ; but thy strength is gone; then tell me, what thou haftdone in resisting, quenching, and grieving the holy Spirit of God by impure and offensive practices ? And thus you fee what engagements lie upon you from the Spirit also to walk uprightly, and keep the issues of life pure. Icouldwillingly have enlarged myself upon this last branch, but that * a judicious hand hath lately improved this argument, to which I shall refer the reader. Thus God hath obliged you to circumspect and holy lives.
Secondly, You are under great engagements to keep your lives pure, even from yourselves, as well as from your God. As God hath bound you to purity of conversation, so you have bound yourselves. And there are several things in you, and done by you, which wonderfully increase, and strengthen your obligations to practical holiness.
First, Your clearer illumination is a strong bond upon your souls, Eph . v. 8. " Ye were sometimes darkness but now ye 66 are light in the Lord; walk as children of the light." You cannot pretend, or plead ignorance of your duty. You stand convinced in yourownconfciences before God, that this is your unquestionable duty. Christians, will you not all yield to this ? Iknowyou readily yield it. We live, indeed, ina contentious, disputing age. In other things, our opinions are different. One Christian is of this judgment, another of that ; but doth hedeferve the name ofa Christian that dare once question this truth ? In this we all meet and close in oneness of mind and judgment, that it is our indisputable duty, to live pure, strict, and clean lives. " The grace of God, which hath appeared to
* Mr. Polewheil's treatise ofquenching the Spirit.
SERM . XLII. 77 The Fountain of Life.
66 you, hath taught you this truth clearly, and convincingly," Tit. ii. 11, 12. " You have received how you ought to walk, " and to please God," I Thef. iv. 1. Well then, this being yielded, the inference is plain and undeniable ; that you cannot walk as others, in the vanity of their mind; but you must offer violence to your own light. You cannot suffer the corruptions of your hearts to break forth into practice, but you must flight, and put by the notices and rebukes of your own consciences, Jam. iv. 17. " He that knoweth to do good, and doth it not, to " him it is sin." Yea, sin with a witness. Aggravated fin. Sin of a deeper tincture than that of Heathens. Sin that sadly wastes and violates conscience. Certainly whoever hath, you have no cloak for your fin. Light and lust struggling together, great light, and strong lusts: these make the soul a troubled sea that cannot rest. O but when masterless lusts over-bear conscience, this impresses horror upon the soul. This brake David'she art, Psal. li. 6. " Thou hast put knowledge in my inner " parts," q. d. Ah, Lord ! I went against the rebukes of conscience, to the commission of this fin. I had a watchful light set up within me. I knew it was fin. My light endeavoured lovingly to restrain me, and I thrust it aside. Besides, what pleasure in sin can you have ? Indeed, such as, for want of light know not what they do, or such, whose consciences are feared, and past feeling; they may seek a little pleasure (such as it is) outoffin: but what content or pleasure can you have, so long as your light is ever breaking in upon you, and smiting you for what you do? This greatly increases your obligation to a precise,holy life. Again, Secondly, You are professors of holiness. You have given in your names to Christ, to be his disciples ; and by this your engagements to a life of holiness, are yet further strengthened, 2 Tim. ii. 19. " Let every one that nameth the name of Christ, " depart from iniquity." The name of Christ is called upon you, and it is, a worthy name, Jam. ii. 7. It is called upon you, as the name of the husband is called upon his wife, Ifa. iv.
1. " Let thy name be called upon us." Or, as the name ofa Father is called upon his child,Gen. xlviii. 16. " Let my name " be called on them, and the name of my fathers." Well then, you bear the name of Christ as his spouse or children ; and will you not live suitably to your name ? Every place and relation, every title ofhonour and dignity hath its decorum, and becomingness. Ohow will that worthy name of Christ be blafphemed through you, if you adorn it not with becomingdeportments? Better you had never professed any thing, than to set
78 The Fountain of Life. SERM. XLII. yourselves by your profession in the eye and observation of the world; and then to pour contempt on Jesus Christ, by your
before the eyes of the world ; who will laugh at it. I remember it was a memento given to one of his name by Alexander, record are nominis Alexandri. Remem ber(faidhe) thy name Alexander, and do nothing unworthy of that name. Othat is aheavycharge, Rom.ii. 24. " Through
" you is the name of God blafphemed among the Heathens." Unhappy man that ever thou shouldest be a reproach to Christ !
The herd of wickedmen, they are ignota capita ; men of no note, or observation. They may fin, and fin again ; drink, swear, and tumble in all uncleanness; and it passes away silently; the world takes little notice of it. Their wicked actions make but little noise in the world; but the miscarriages of professors, are like a blazing comet, or an eclipsed sun, which all men gaze at, and make their observations upon; oh then, what manner of persons ought you to be, who bear the worthy name of Christ upon you !
Thirdly, But more than this, You have obliged yourselves to this life of holiness by your own prayers. Howmanytimes have you lifted up your hands to heaven, and cried with David, Psal. cxix. 5. "O that my ways were directed to keep thy sta- " tutes. Order my steps in thy word, and let no iniquity have "dominion over me," ver. 133. Were you in earnest with God, when you thus prayed ? Did you mean as you said ? Or did you onlycomplimentwith God? If your hearts and tongues agreed in this request, doubtless it is as much your duty to endeavour, as to desire those mercies ; and, if not, yet do all those prayers stand onrecordbefore the Lord, and will be produced against you as witnesses to condemn you, for your hypocrisy and vanity. How often also have you in your prayers lamented, and bewailed your careless and uneven walkings ? You have said with Ezra, Chap. ix. 6. " O my God, I am ashamed and even
" blush to look up unto thee." And do not your confessions oblige you to greater circumspection,and carefortime to come? Will you confess, and fin? And fin, and confess ? Go to God andbewail your evils, and when you have bewailed them, return again to the commission of them ? God forbid, you should thusdissemble with God, play with fin, and dye your iniquities with a deeper tincture.
Fourthly, and lastly, to add no more, You have often reproved or censured others for their miscarriages and falls, which adds to your own obligation, to walk accurately, and evenly. Have you not often reproved your erring brethren ? or at least privately
SERM . XLII. The Fountain of Life . 79 censured them, if not duly reproved them, (for to these lefthandedblows of secret censurings, we are more apt, than to the fair and open strokes of just and due reproofs) and will you practise the fame things, you criminate and censure others for ?. "Thou that tea chest another, (faith the apostle) tea chest thou " not thyself ?" Rom. ii. 21. So say I, thou that censurest or rebukest another, condemnest thou not thyself? Will your rebukes ever do good to others, whilst you allow inyourselves what you condemn in them ? And as these reproofs, and cenfures can do them no good, so they do you much evil, by reafonofthem you are αυτοκατακριτοι, self-condemned persons ; and out of your own mouths God will judge you. For you need no other witness, than yourselves in this case. Your own tongues will fall upon you. Your cenfures and reproofs of others, will leave you without plea, or apology, if you look not to your lives with greater care. And yet will you be careless still? Fear you not the displeasure of God ? Nor the wounding anddisquietingyour own consciences ? Surely, these things are of no light valuewithyou, if you be Christians indeed.
Thirdly, You are yet further engaged to practical holiness upon the account of your brethren, who are not a little concerned, and interested therein. For if, through the neglect of your hearts, your lives be defiled and polluted, this will be thrown in their faces, and many innocent and upright ones, both reproached, and grieved upon your account. This mischievous effect holy David earnestlydeprecated, Psal. lxix. 5, 6.
" OGod, thou knowest my foolishness, and my fins are not hid "from thee; let not them that wait on thee, O Lord God of " hosts, be ashamed for my fake. Let not them that feekthee, " be confounded for my sake, OGod of Israel," q. d. Lord, thou knowest what a weak and foolish creature I am. And howapt tomiscarry, if left to myself, and should I, through my foolishness, act unbecoming a saint; how would this shame the faces, and fad the hearts of thy people! They will be as men confounded at the report of my fall. The fallofone Christian, is matter of trouble and shame to all the rest ; and, when they shall hear the sad and unwelcome news of your scandalous miscarriages, (which will certainly be the effect ofaneglectedheart and life) they will say as David concerning Sauland Jonathan, " tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Afkelon," c. Or as Tamar concerning Am non, " and we, whither shall " we cause our shame to go ?" And for them, they shall be as fools in Israel. Thy loose and careless life will cause them to estrange themselves from thee, andlookshy upon thee, as being
80 The Fountain of Life. SERM . XLII. ashamed to own thee, and canst thou bear that ? will it not grieve and pierce your very hearts to fee a cloud of strangeness and trouble over the countenances of your brethren ? To see yourselves disowned and lightly esteemed by them ? This very consideration struck a great favourite in the Persian court to the very heart. * It wasUstazanes,who had been governor to Sapores in his minority. And this man for fear denied the Christian faith; and complied with the idolatrous worship of the king. Andoneday(faith the historian) fitting at the court-gate, hefaw
Simon, the aged archbishop of Seleucia, drawing along to prison, for his constancy in the Christian faith, and though he durst not openly own the Christian faith he had bafely denied, and confess himself a Christian, yet he could not chuse but rise, and express his reverence to this holy man, in a respective and honourable salutation : but the zealous good man frowned upon him, and turned awayhisfacefrom him; as thinkingfuch an apoftate unworthy of the least respect from him; this presently struck Ustazanes to the heart, and drew from hin many tears and groans ; and thus he reasoned with himself: Simon will not own me, and can I think but that Godwilldisclaim me, when I appear before his tribunal ? Simon will not speak unto me, will not fo much as look upon me,and can I look for so much as a good word or look from Jesus Christ, whom I have so shamefully betrayed, and denied? Hereupon he threw off his rich courtly robes, and put on mourning apparel, and professed himself a Christian and died a martyr. O it is a piercing thing to an honest heart, to be cast out of the favour of God's people. If you walk loosely, neither God nor his people will look kindly upon you.
Fourthly, and lastly, Your very enemies engage you to this pure and holy life upon a double ground. You are obliged by them two ways, viz. as they are your boldcenfurers, and your watchful observers. They censure you as hypocrites, and will you givethemgroundand matter for such a charge ? They say, only your tongues are more holy than other mens, and shall they prove it from your practice? They also observe you diligently ; lieatcatch, and are highly gratified by your miscarriages. your lives be loose and defiled,you will not only be a shame to your friends, but the song of your enemies. You will make mirth in hell ; and gratify all the enemies of God. This is that they watch for. They are curious observers of your goings. And that which makes them triumph at your falls andmifcar-
* Sozomen. lib. 2. cap.8.
SERM. XLII. The Fountain of Life
riages, isnotonlythatdeeprootedenmitybetwixtthe two feeds, but because all your miscarriages an devils are so many absolutions to their consciences, andjuftifications (as they think) of their ways and practices. For look, as your strictness and holiness doth, as it were, cast and condemn them, as Noah, Heb. xi. 7. by his practice, condemned the world, their consciences Ay in their faces, when they fee your holy and pure conversations. It lays a damp upon them. It works upon their consciences, andcausesmany smart reflections. So when you fall, you, as it were, abfolvetheirconfciences, loose thebondsofconvictionyou had made fast upon them, andnowthere is matter ofjoyputbeforethem.
Oh, say they, whatever these men talk; we fee they are no better than we. They can do as we do. They cancozen and cheat for advantage. They can comply with any thing for their own ends; it is not conscience,as we once thought, but mere stomach and humour, that made them so precise. And oh, what afadthing is this! herebyyoushed foul-blood. You fasten the bonds of death upon their fouls. You kill those convictions, which, for any thing you know, might have made way to their conversion. When you fall, you mayrife again ; but they may fall at your example, and never rife more. Never have a good opinion of the ways of God, or of his people anymore. Upon this consideration, David begs of God, Psal.
v. 8. " Lead me, O Lord, in thy righteousness, because of my
" enemies ;" (or, as the Hebrew) my observers, make thy way straight before my face. And thus you fee how your very enemies oblige you to this holy and pure conversation also. Now put all this together, and see to what these particulars will amount. You have heard how God the Father hath engaged you to this purity of conversation, by his designment of your
rewarded your obedience; his pleasure in it; his promises to it; andhisgreatconfidenceinyou,that you will thus walk before him. The LordJesushath also engaged you thereuntoby his death andfufferings, whereby you were redeemed from your vain conversations. The Spirit hath engaged you, by telling you plainlyhowmuch you will grieveandwronghim, resist and quench him, if you do not keep yourselves pure. Yea, you are obliged further, by yourselves ; your clear illumination ; your high profession ; your many prayers and confessions; yourmanycenfures and reprehenfions of others; do all strengthen your obligation to holiness. Yea, you are obliged further to this holy life, by the shame, grief, and trouble, VOL. II. M
82 The Fountain of Life. SERM . XLII.
your loose walking will bring upon your friends; and the mirth it will make for, and mischief it will do to your enemies ; who, thereby, maybe made utterly to fall, where, it may be, you only have stumbled: who are justified and absolved, (as before you heard),by your miscarriages. And now, what think you of all this ? Are you obliged or not, to this purity of life ? Are all these bonds so tied, that you can get loose, and free yourselves at pleasure from them ? I fall these things are of no force with you, if none of these bonds can hold you, may it not be que-
(notwithstanding your profession),whether any spiritual principle, any fear of God, or love to Christ, be in your souls or no ? O you could not play fast and loose with God; if so, you could not, as Samson, snap these bonds asunder at your pleasure.
Confid. 2. Secondly, As you are more obliged to keep the issues of life pure than others are, soGodhath given you greater afsistances and advantages for it,than others have. God hath not been wanting to any in helps and means. Even the Heathen, who are without the gospel, will be yet speechless and inexcusable before God : But how much more will you be fo ? Who, besides the light of nature, and the general light of the gospel, have, First, such a principle put within you. Secondly, such patterns set before you. Thirdly, such an assistant ready to help you. Fourthly, so manyrods to quicken you and prevent your wandering : if notwithstanding all these helps, your life be still unholy.
First, Shall men offuch principles walk as others do ? Shall we lament for you, as David once did for Saul, saying, " There the shield of the mighty was vilely cast away, the shield of " Saul; as though hehadnotbeen anointed with oil." There thehonour of a Christian was vilely cast away, as though he had not been anointed with the Spirit ? " You have received an une- " tionfrom the holy One, which teacheth you all things," I John ii. 20. another Spirit, far above that which is in other men, 1Cor. ii. 12. And as this spirit which is in you, is fitted for this lifeofholiness, " (for ye are his workmanship, created in Christ "Jesus to good works," Ephef. ii. 10.); so this holy spirit or principle, infused into your souls, hath such a natural tendency to this holy life, that if you live not purely and strictly, you must offer violence to your own principles, and new nature. A twofoldhelp this principle affords you for a life ofho- - liness .
1. First, it pulls you back from fin, as in Joseph ; "How can " Ido this great wickedness, and fin against God?" And it also
inclinesyou powerfully to obedience. It is a curb to fin, and aspur to holiness. It is impossible for all others to livespirituallyandheavenly, because they have no new nature toinclinethem hereunto. And, methinks, it should be hard for you to live carnally, andfenfually; and therein cross the very bent and tendency of the new creature, which is formed in you. How can you neglect prayer, as others do, whilst the Spirit, by divine pulfations, isawakingand rousing up your sluggish hearts withfuch inward motions, and whispers, as that, Plal. xxvii. 8. " Seek my " face." Yea, whilst you feel, (during your omiffions of duty),
within that bemoans itself, and, as it were, cries for food, pains and gripes you, like an empty stomach, and will not letyoubequiet, till it be relieved. How can you let out your hearts to the world, as other men do ; when all that while your
is restless, and akes like a bone out of joint ? And you can neverbeatease, till you comeback to God, and say, as Psal. cxvi. " Return to thy rest,O my soul." I sit not hard, yea, natural . ly impossible to fix a stone, and make it abide in the fluid air ? Doth not every creature, in a restless motion, tend to its proper centre, and desire its own perfection ? So doth this new creature also. You see how the rivers in their course will not be checked, but bear down all the obstacles in their way, etfeavior ab obice i bit ; a stop doth but make them rage the more, and run the swifter afterwards. There isa central force in these natural motions, which cannot be stopped. And the like may you observe, in the motions of a renewed foul, John iv. 14. " It shall be in him as a well of "water springing up." And is it not hard for you to keep it down, or turn its course ? Howharddid Jeremy and David find that work ? If you do not live holy lives, you must cross your own new nature, and violate the law that is written in your own hearts, and engraven upon your own bowels. To this purpose a late * writer speaks ; Till you were converted, (faith he),the flesh was predominant, and therefore it was impossible for you to live any other than a fleshly life; for every thing will act according to its predominant principle. Should you not therefore live a spiritual life ? Should not the law of God written in your hearts, be legible in your lives ? O should not your lives be according to the tendency of your hearts ? Thus he : Doubtless this is no small advantage to practical holiness. But, Secondly, Besides this principle within, you have no small afM 2
*Mr. T. Mall's Exhortation to holy living,
1 The Fountain of Life. 84 SERM . XLII.
for the purityoflife,by these excellent patterns before you. The path of holiness, is nountrodden pathtoyou . Christ and his servants have beaten it before you. The life of Christ is your copy, and it is a fair copy indeed, without ablot, Oh ! what an advantage is this, to draw all the lines of your actions, according to his example ! This glorious grand example, is often pressed upon you for imitation, Heb.xii. 2. Looking to Jesus, he hath left you an example, that yesbould tread in his steps, 1 Pet. ii. 21. His life is a living rule to his people ; and besides Christ's example, (for you may say,who can live as Christ did? his example is quite above us) you have a cloud of witnesses. A cloud for its directive use,and these men of like pas
temptations, and constitutions with you ; who have gone before you in exemplary holiness. TheHolyGhost (intending therein your specialhelpandadvantage)hath set many industrious pens to work, to write the lives of the saints, and preserve for your use, their holy sayings, andheavenlyactions. Hebidsyou " take them for an example," James v. 10. Oh! whatexcel lent men are passed on before you ! what renowned Worthies have led the way ! Men, whose conversations were in heaven, whilst they tabernacledon earth. Whilst this lower world had their bodies, the world above had their hearts, and their affections. Their actions, and their designs were all for heaven, Men that improved troubles and comfort; losses and gains ;
and frowns, and all for heaven. Men that did extract heaven out of spirituals, out of temporals, out of all things ; their hearts were full of heavenly meditations, their mouths of heavenly communications,and their practices of heavenly inclipations : Owhat singular help is this ! Where they followed Christ, and kept the way, they are propounded for your imitation; and where any of them turned af.de, you have a mark set upon that action, for your caution and prevention. Doth any strange or unusual trial befal you, in which you are ready to say with the church, Lam. i. 12. "Was there ever any for- " row like unto my sorrow ?" Here you may fee "the fame
" affliction accomplished in your brethren," 1 Pet. v. 9. Here is store of good company to encourage you. Do the world and the devil endeavour to turn you from your duty, by loading it with shameful scoffs, orfufferings? In this case you may look to Jesus, who despised the shame; and to your brethren, "who countedittheirhonour to be dishonoured for the name
" of Christ *," as the original of the text, Acts v. 41. maybe
* Οτι υπερ τε ονοματος αυτά κατηξιώθησαν ατιμασθήναι
SERM. XLII. The Fountain of Life. 85 translated. Is it adishonour to thee, to be ranked with Abraham, Moses, David, and such as were the glory of the ages they lived in ? Art thou at any time under a faint fit ofdifcouragement; and ready todespondunder any burden ? Oh howmayest thou be animated by such examples, when such a qualm comes over thy heart ? Some sparks of their holy courage cannot chuse but ftealintothy breast, whilst thou confidereft them. In them, God hath set before thee the possibility of overcoming all difficulties, thou seest men of the fame mould,who had the fame trials, discouragements and fears, that now thou haft, and yet overcame all. How is thy unbelief checked, when thou tayest, Oh ! I shall never reach the end, I shallonedayutterly perish ! Whydost thou say fo? Why may not such a poor creatureasthou art, be carried through as well as they ? Had not they the fame temptations and corruptions with you ? Were they not all troubled with anaughtyheart, an enfnaringworld, andabufy devil, as well as you ? Alas ! when they put on the divine, they did not put off the human nature ; but complained, and feared, as you do, and yet were carried through all. O what an advantage have you this way ! They that first trusted in Christ,had not such helps as you. You stand upon their shoulders. You have the benefit of their experiences. You that are fallenintothe last times, have certainly the best helps to holiness ; and yet, will not you live trictly and purely? Will you put on the name and profession of Christians, and yetbelofty in your spirits; earthly in your designs; neglectiveof duty; frothy in your communications ? Pray, from which of all the saints did you learn to be proud ? Did you learn that from Christ, or any of his ? From which of his saints did you learn to be earthly and covetous,passionate or cenforious,over-reaching and crafty? If you have read of any such evils committed by them,have you not also read of their shame and sorrow, their repentanceandreformations ? If you have found any fuchblots in their lives, it was left there defignedly, to prevent the like in yours. O what an help to holiness is this !
Thirdly, And this is not all. You have not only a principle within you, and a pattern before you, but you have also an om nipotentassistant to help, and encourage you throughout your way. Are you feeble and infirm ? and is every temptation, even the weakest, strong enough to turn you out of the way of your duty ? Lo, God hath sent his Spirit to help your infirmities, Rom. viii. 26. no matter then how weak you are, how many and mighty your difficulties and temptations are, as long
86 The Fountain of Life. SERM . XLII.
as you have such an assistant tohelpyou. Great is your advantage for a holy life this way also. For, (1.) First, When a temptation to sin presses sore upon you, he pleads with your consciences within, whilst Satan is tempting without. How often hath he brought such scriptures to your remembrance, at the very opportunity, as have saved you out of the temptation ? If you attend his voice,you may hear such a voice within you, as that, Jer. xliv. 4. " O do not this abomi- " nablethingwhich I hate ! " What mighty strivings were there in the heart of Spira, as himself relates ? He heard, as it were, a voice within him, saying, Do not write, Spira, do not write. To this purpose is that promise, Ifa. xxx. 20, 21. " Thine eyes " shall behold thy teachers, and thine ears shall hear a word
"behind thee, saying, This is the way,walk ye in it ; whenye " turn to the right-hand, and whenye turn to the left." Here you have a two-fold help to holiness, the outward teaching of the word, ver. 20. and the inward teachings of the Spirit, ver. 21. He shall say this is the way, whenye are turning aside to the right-hand, or to the left. Alluding to a shepherd, faith one, who driving his sheep before him; whistles them in, when he fees them ready to stray.
(2.) Secondly, When ye walk holily and closely with God in your duties, and the Spirit encourages you to go on, by those inward comforts, sealings, and joys, you have from him at such times; how often does he entertain your souls in public ordinances, in private duties, with his hidden Manna, with marrow and fatness, with incomparable and unspeakable, comforts, and all this to strengthen you in your way, and encourage you to hold on ?
(3. ) Thirdly, When you are indisposed for duties, and find your hearts empty and dry, he is ready to fill them, quicken and raise them; so that oftentimes the beginnings and end of your prayers, hearing, or meditations, are as vastly different, as ifoneman had begun, and another ended the duty. O then, what assistances for a holy life have you ! Others indeed are bound to resist temptations, as well as you; but, alas, having no special assistance from the Spirit, what can they do ? It may be, they reason with temptation a little while, and in their own
resolve against it; but how easy a conquest doth Satan make, where no greater opposition is madetohim, than this ? Others are bound to hear, meditate, and pray as well as you ; else the neglect of those duties would not be their sin : But, alas, what pitiful work do they make of it ! being left to the hardness and vanity of their own hearts ; when you spread your
fails, you have a gale, but they lie wind-bound, heart-bound, and candonothing spiritually in a way of duty.
Fourthly, and lastly, to mention no more, You have a further advantage to this holy life, by all the rods of God, that are at anytime upon you . I might shew you in many particulars, the advantages this way also, but I shall only present these three to your observation at this time.
First, By these you are clogged, to prevent your straying and wandering. Others may wander even as far as hell, and God will not spend a sanctified rod upon them, to reduce or stop them; but faith, " Let them alone," Hos. iv. 17. But if you wanderoutof the way of holiness,he will clogyou with one trouble or other, to keep you within bounds, 2 Cor. xii. 7. " Lest I should be " lifted up, a thorn in the flesh; a messenger of Satan, was " sent to buffet me." So David, Psal. cxix. 67. " Before I was " afflicted, I went astray ; but now I have kept thy word." Afflictions are used by God, as thorns by husband-men, to stop the gaps and keep you from breaking out of God's way, Hos.
ii. 6. " I will hedge up her way with thorns, and build a wall, " that she shall not findherpaths." A double allusion; 1. To cattle that are aptto stray, Iwillhedgeup thy way with thorns.
2. To the sea, which is apt to overflow the country, I will build a wall to prevent inundations. HolyBasilwas a long timeforelyafflicted with an inveterate head-ach, he often prayed for the removal of it ; at last, God removed it, but, in the room of it, he was sorely exercised with the motions and temptations of lust ; which, when he perceived, he heartily desired his headach again, to prevent a worse evil. You little know the ends and ules of many of your afflictions. Are you exercised with bodily weakness ? it is a mercy you are so ; and if these pains and infirmities were removed, these clogs taken off, you may with Basil, wish for them again, to prevent worse evils. Are you poor ? why, with that poverty God hath clogged your pride. Are you reproached ? with these reproaches God hath clogged your ambition. Corruptions are prevented by your afflictions. And, is not this a marvellous help to holiness of life? Secondly, By your afflictions, your corruptions are not only clogged, but purged. By these God dries up and consumes that spring of fin, that defiles your lives, Isa. xxvii. 9. " By this
66 therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged; and this is " all the fruit to take away fin." God orders your wants to kill yourwantonness; and makes your poverty poison to your pride. They are God's physic, to purge illhumours out of
88 The Fountain of Life. SERM. XLII. yourfouls. * " When they fall by the sword, and by famine, " and by captivity, and by spoil, it is to try them, and to purge " them, and to make them white ? " They are both purges and lavatories to your souls. Others have the fame afflictions that you have, but they do not work on them as on you ; they are to you as fire for purging, and water for cleansing ; and yet, shall not your lives be clean ? It is true, (as one well observes upon that place of Daniel), Christ is the only lavatory, and his blood the only fountain to wash away fin: but, in the virtue and efficacy of that blood, sanctified afflictions are cleanfers and purgers too.
without a Christ never made anyman better, but, with Christ, faints are much the better for the cross. Hath God been(as it were) so many days and nights a whitening you, and yet is not thehue of your conversation altered ? Hath he put you so many times into the furnace, and yet is not your drofs separated? The more afflictious you have been under, the more assistance you have had for this life of holiness.
Thirdly, By all your troubles, God hath been weaning you from the world, the lusts, loves, and pleasures of it ; and drawing out your souls to a more excellent life and state than this. He makes your sorrows, in this life, give a luftre to the glory of the next. Whoever hath, be sure you shall have no reft here; and all, that you may long more ardently for that to come. He often makes you groan, " being burdened, to be " cloathed with your house from heaven," 1Cor. v. 4. And yet will you not be weaned from the lusts, customs, and evils of it? O what manner of persons should you be for heavenly and holy conversations ? You stand upon the higher ground. You have, as it were, the wind and tide with you. None are assisted for this life as you are. Put all this together, and fee what this second argument contributes towards your further conviction, and persuasion to holiness of life. Have you received a supernatural principle, fitting you for, and inclining you to, holy actions, resisting and holding you back from fin ? HathGodalso set before you such eminent patterns to encourage, and quicken you, in your way ? Doth the Spirit himself stand ready,fo many ways, to assist and help you in all difficulties, and hath God hedged up the way of fin, with the thorns ofaffiction, to prevent your wandering, and yet will you turn aside? Will you offer violence to your own principles, and new nature ? Refuse to followfuch leaders as have beatentheway
* Dan. xi . 33, 34, 35-
SERM. XLII. 89 The Fountain of Life.
before you ? Resist, or neglect the gracious assistancesoftheblessed Spirit, which he offers you in every need, and venture upon fin, though God hathhedged up your way with afflictions ?Ohowcan you do such great wickedness, and fin against such grace as this !
Methinks, I need say no more to convince you how much you are concerned to keep the issues of life pure,none being fo much obliged to it, or assisted for it, as you are. But when I remember that Joash loft the compleat victory over the Syrians, because he smote not his arrows often enough upon the ground, 2 Kings xiii . 8. I shall level one arrow more at this mark : For, indeed, that can never be enough pressed, which can never be enough practised. And therefore,
Confid. 3. Thirdly, It will yet farther appear to be your high concernment, to exalt holiness in your conversations, because of the manifold and great uses which God hath to make of the visible holiness and purity of your lives,both in this world and that to come. The uses God puts the conversation-holiness of his people in this world, are these, among others.
To win overfouls to Christ, and bring them in love with religion. Practical holiness is a very lovely, attractive, and obliging thing. If the Heathen could call moral virtue verticordia, turn-heart, from that obliging and winning power it exercises upon the hearts of men: iftheycould say of it, that were it visible to human eyes, all men would adore it, and fall in love with it ; how much rather may we say so of true holiness, made visible in the lives of saints ! This is the turn-heart indeed. makes the souls of men to cling and cleave to the persons in whom it is ; as it is prophesied, Zech. viii. 23. of the Jews, when they shall be called (which shall be a time of great holiness) " in that day, ten men out of all languages of the nations " shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, we " willgo with you, for we have heard that God is with you."
So much of God as appears in men, so much drawing excellency there is in them. And this is the apostle's argument, 1 John i. 3. " That ye may have fellowship with us." Why, what is there in your fellowship to invite men to you? " Truly our " fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Christ Jesus." Who can choose but covet their company, that keep company everyday with God ? Great is the efficacy of visible holiness to work upon the hearts of men; either as a con cause, working in fellowship with the word, or as a single instrument, working folitarilywithout the word.
Where God is pleased to afford thewordunto men, there the VOL. II . N
90 SERM. XLII. The Fountain of Life. practical holiness of faints is offingular use, to assist and help it in its operation upon the hearts of men. When the lives of Christians fentibly exhibit that to the eyes of men, which the gospel doth to their cars ; when so we preach, and fo ye believe and live ; when we draw by our doctrines, and you draw with us by our examples,when we hold forth the word of lifedoctrinally, and you hold it forth practically; as Phil. ii. 16. Where is the heart that can fstand before us ? O ! when the plain and powerful gospel pierces the ears of men, and, at the fame time, the visible holiness of professors shines so full in their faces, that they must rather put out their own eyes, or elle be forced to acknowledge, that God is in you of a truth; then it will work to purpose uponfouls. ThenwillChriftfee of the travail of his soul daily .
Yea, if God deny the word to men, yet this practical holiness I am speaking of, may be to them an ordinance for conversion. This way, fouls may be won to Christ without the word, as the apostle speaks, 1 Pet. iii. 1. Though pulpits should be silent, and vision fail; yet, if you would thiswayturn preachers, if your lives may but preach the reality, excellency, and sweetness of Jesus Christ, and his ways ; and, if you would this way preach down the love of the world, and let men fee what poor vanities these are; and preach up the necessity andbeautyofholiness ; surely you, even you, might be honoured tobringmany fouls to Christ , to turn many to righteousness, and cause many to bless God, on your behalf, in the day of visitation. This is the use God hath for the holiness and purity of your lives, and doth not this engage you strongly to it ? What, not when it may prove the means of eternal life to others ? Surely, if you have any bowels of mercy in you, you cannot hide from others that whereby they may be saved. How can you instead of holding forth the word of life, (which is your manifest duty) visibly hold forth the works of death before men ? Have you been beholding to others, and shall none be beholding to you for help towards heaven ? Dare you fay, let others shift as well as they can, findtheway to heaven by themselves iftheycan, they thall have no benefit by your light ? If you be Christians, you are
of a different stamp and spirit from all those we find defcribedin scripture. Should not you rather say as the Lepers did, 2 Kings vii. 6. " Do we well to hold our peace," whilst
Others are perishing?.Shall the lips of ministers, audthe lives of Chriflians,be both filencedtogether ? Shall poor sinners neither hear anything from us, nor fee anything from you, that may help them to Christ ? The Lord have mercy then upon the
SERM . XLII. The Fountain of Life.
poor world, and pity it, for its case is desperate. O put on, as the elect of God, bowels of mercy. Destroy not, by the loose ness of your conversations, so many fouls ; for your scandalous miscarriages are like a bag of poison put into the spring, which supplies the whole city with water .
Secondly, Another use Godhathfor it, is to recover andfalve the credit of religion, which by the apostacies of hypocrites, and Scandalous falls of careless Christians, is wounded, and exposed to contempt. Much reproach by this means is brought upon religion, and how shall that reproach be rolled away, but by your strictness and purity ? By this the world must be convinced that all are not fo. Though some be ablot to the name of Christ, yet others are his glory. The more others slur and disgrace religion, the more God expects you tohonourand adorn it. I'remember Chryfoftome brings in the perfecutors speaking to two renowned martyrs, after this manner, Nonne videtis alios veftri ordinis hoc feciffe ? (i. e.) Why are you so nice and scrupulous ? See you not that others of your rank and profeffionhave done these things ? To which they returned this brave answer, Nos hacpotiffimum ratione viriliterftabimus, (i. e.) have they done it? For that very reason we will stand it out like men, and will never yield to it. There is an holy Antiperistasis in the zeal of a Christian, which makes it, like fire, burn most vehemently in the coldest weather. If men make void God's law, therefore will David love his commandments above gold, Psal. cxix. 127.
If there be many Pendletons among professors who will betray Christ and his truth to fave their flesh ; God will have some Sanders to repair that breach,by their conftancyandcourage in appearing for them. Thirdly, God makes use of it for the encouragement of his ministers, who tabour among you. And indeed it is of no small use to refresh their hearts, and strengthentheirhands, in their painful work: " Now we live (faith the apostle) ifye stand fast in
" the Lord," I Theff. iii. 8. He speaks, as if their very life lay at the mercy of the people, because so much of the joy and comfort of it iswraptupin their repularity and stedfaftness. God knows what an hard providence his poor ministers have, and howmanydifcouragements attend them in their work ; hear how *oneofthemexpresses it,"Ministers would not be gray-headed " so soon, nor die so fast, notwithstanding their great labours, if
" they were but successful ; but this cuts to the heart, and makes " us bleed in secret, that though we do much, yet it comes to nothing. Our work dies, therefore we die. Not so much N2 * Lockyer upon the Colofsians, p. 528 , 529.
92 The Fountain of Life. SERM . XLII.
1 " that we labour, as that we labour in vain: When our mini- " stry petrifies, turns hearts into stones, and these taken up
" and thrown at us, this kills us ; the recoiling of our pains " kills us. When our peace returns to us, when we spend
" our strength to make men more nought than they were; " this wounds our hearts : Which should be considered by sinners, to kill one's self, and one's minister too, which would " save them; what a bloody condition is this ? † Every drop
" that hath fallen from our heart and hand, from our eye-
" lids, and eye-brows, shall be all gathered up, and put as mar- " ginalnotes by all our labours, and all put inonevolume toge- " ther, and this volume put in your hands at the great day, and
" opened leaf after leaf, and read distinctly and exactly to you."
you hear our case, you see our work, now a little to chear our spirits in the midst of our hard and killing labours, God sends us to you for a little refreshment, that, by beholding your holy and heavenly conversation, your chearful obedience, and sweet agreement in the ways of God; we may be comforted over all these troubles, 2 Thef. i. 3, 4. And will you wound and kill our hearts too ? O what a cut will this be !
Fourthly, God hath further use for holiness of your lives ; this serves todaunt the hearts, and overawe the consciences of his, and your enemies. And sometimes it hath had a strange influence, and effect upon them. There is a great deal of awful Majesty in holiness, and when it shines upon the conscience of a wicked man, it makes him stoop, and do obeysance to it. Which turns toa testimony for Christ and his ways before the world. Thus Herod was over-awedby the strict and holy life of John, he feared him, knowing that he was a just and holy man,and observed (or preserved and saved) him.
That bloody tyrant was convinced in his conscience of the worth and excellency of that servant of God, and was forced to reverence him for his holiness. So Darius, Dan. vi. 14, 18, 19, 20. What conflicts had he himself about Daniel, whom he had condemned ; his conscience condemned him, for condemning so holy, and righteous a person. " Then the king went " to his palace, and past the night in fastings ; neither were in- " struments of music brought before him, and his sleep went
66 from him. He goes early in the morning to the den, and cries " with a lamentable voice, O Daniel, servant of the living God." How much is this for the honour of holiness, that it conquers the very perfecutors of it ; and makes them stoop to the meanest
* Lockyer, upon the Coloffians, p. 551.
SERM . XLII. The Fountain of Life. 93 servant of God ! It is said of Henry II. of France, that he was sodaunted by the heavenly majesty of a poor taylor that was burnt before him, that he went home sad, and vowed, that he would never be present at the death of such men any more.
When Valencethe emperor came in person to apprehend Basil, he fawsuch majesty in his very countenance, that he reeled at the very fight of him; and had fallen backward to the ground, had no this servant stept in to support him. O holiness, holiness, thou art a conqueror. So much, O Christians, as you shew of it in your lives, somuchyou preserve your interest intheconfciences of your enemies : cast off this, andtheydespiseyou presently.
Fifthly, and lastly, God will use the purity of your conversations, to judge and convince the world in the great day ‡. It is true, the world shall be judged by the gospel, but your lives
be produced as a commentary upon it; and God will not only thew them by the word how they ought to have lived, but bring forth your lives and ways to stop their mouths, by
how others did live. And this I suppose is intended in that text, I Cor. vi . 2. " The saints shall judge the world, yea, " we shall judge Angels ;" that is, our examples are to condemn their lives and practices, as Noah, Heb. xi. 7. is said tocondemntheworld by building the ark, i. e. his faith in the threatning, and obedience to the command, condemned their supineness, infidelity and disobedience. They saw him every day about that work, diligently preparing for a deluge, and yet were not moved with the like fear that he was; this left them inexcusable : fo when God shall say in that day to the careless world, did you not fee the care, and diligence, the holy zeal, watchfulness, and self-denial, of my people,who lived among you ? How many times have they been watching, and praying, when you have been drinking, or sleeping! Was it not easy to reflect when you saw their pains, and diligence; have not I a soul to look after as well as they ; a heaven to win or lose, as well as they ? O how speechless and inexcusable will this render wicked men, yea, it shall not onlybeused to judge them,but angels also. Howmanyshocks of temptations have poor saints stood ;whereas
When therefore the faithful are said to fit in judgment with Christ, it must be understood, not of any authority and power of judging of themselves, but, (1.) Of that which is given them in
Christ their lead. (2.) Of their approbation of the sentence pronounced by Christ. Apoc. xix. 1. (3.) Of their bearing witness by their ministry or conversation (against the wicked) and the comparison of their own lives with theirs, by which the justice of the
Judge shall be manifest,
94 The Fountain of Life. SERM. XLII. they fell without a tempter ? They stood not in their integrity, though created in such excellent natures ; how much then are you concerned on this very account also, to walk exactly ! if not instead of judging them, you shall be condemned with them.
And thus you fee what use your lives and actions shall be put to; and are these in considerable uses? Is the winning overfouls to God a small matter? Is the salving the honour, and reputa tion ofgodliness, a small matter ? Is the encouraging the hearts, and strengthening the hands of God's poor ministers, amidst their spending, killing labours, a small matter ? Is the awing of the consciences of your enemies, and judging them in the last day, a light thing ? Which of these can you call fo ? Othen, finceyou are thus obliged to holiness of life, thus singularly assisted for it ; and since there are such great dependencies upon it, and uses for it, both now, and in the world to come; fee that ye be holy in all manner of conversation, See that, " as yehave received Christ Jesus the Lord, soye walk in
" him;" always remembring, that, for this very end, Christ hath redeemed, or " delivered you out of the hands of your enemies, that you might serve him without fear, in righteous. " ness and holiness all the days of your lives," Luke i. 74, 75. And to how little purpose will be all that I have preached, and you have heard, of Christ, if it be not converted into practical godliness ? This is the scope and design of it all.
And now, Reader, thou art come to the last leaf of this trea tise of Christ, it will be but a little while, and thou shalt come to the last page or day of thy life ; and thy last moment in that day. Wo, to thee, wo and alas for ever, if an interest in this blessed Redeemer be then to get. The world affords not a sadder fight, than a poor Christless foul hivering upon the brink of eternity. To fee the poor soul that now begins to awake out of its long dream, at its entrance into the world of realities, to shrink back intothebody, and cry, O I cannot, I dare not die. And then the tears run down. Lord, what will become of me ? O what shall be my eternal lot ? This, I say, is as fad a fight as the world affords. That this may not be thy case, reflect upon what thou hast read in these sermons; judge thyself in the light of them. Obey the calls of the Spirit in them. Let not thy flight and formal spirit, float upon the furfaceofthese truths, like a feather upon pon the water; butgetthem deeply fixed upon thy spirit, by the Spirit of the Lord; turning them into life and power upon thee; and so animating the whole course and tenor of thy con. versation by them, that it may proclaim to all that know thee, that thou art one who esteemest all to be but dross, that thou mayst win Christ .
THE METHOD OF GRACE
IN THE
GOSPEL - REDEMPTION .
THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY,
To the Worshipful JOHN UPTON, of Lupton, Esq ; and the most accomplished and virtuous Lady, bisdear Consort, the Author wishes Grace, Mercy, and Peace.
Honoured and worthy Friends, ITTwas a comfortable expression, which Ambrose used in his funeral oration, at the death of Theodosius ; * " That though " he were gone, yet he was not wholly gone ; for he had left " Honor i us, with others of his children, behind him, in whom
" Theodofius still lived." Your renowned and worthy ancestors are gone, yet (bleffedbe God) they are not wholly gone ; whilst the prudence, piety, and publicness of their spirits, still lives and flourishes in you, the top branch of a renowned and religious family. It is a great truth, which Philo Judaeus recommends to the observation of all posterity , " + That it is not a natural " descent from the most honourable and illustrious progenitors,
66 nor the greatest affluence of riches and pleasures that makes a man eitherhonourable or happy ;but the in habitation of God " in his soul, as in his temple, tho' (faith he) those that never " tasted religion,nor have seen its glory, will not credit this af
Theodosius tantus imperator recess it a nobis, fed non totus receffit ; reliquit enim nobis liberosfuos, in quibus debemus eum agnofcere. Ambrof, in obit. Theod.
+ Τους ήυμνασι την ευγένειαν ως μέγιςον αγαθεν ης μεγαλων αγαθων αιτιον, ο μέτριως επίζιμητεον, ει πρωτον μεν οιονται τος εκ παλαιοπλότων κι
παλαίενδοξων ευγενείς , μητε των προγονων αρ ων αυχέσι γενέσθαι. Βοληθειςγαρ ὁΘεος δια ημεροτητα κι φιλανθροπιαν κι παρ ημιν τεθ ιδρυ σασθαι , νεων αξιοπρεπεςερον επι γης εχ ευρε λογισμε κρείτίω ο γαρ ναςα γαλμάζοφορει το αγαθον, καν απισωσι τίνες των μη γευσαμένων σοφας n
χείλεσιν ακροις. Philo Judaas περι Ευγενειας, a book fit for the hands of all gentlemen, translated by Laurent i us Humphredus in hisexcellenttract de Nobilitate,
96 The Epistle DEDICATORY.
"" sertion." "The soul which is filled with God, (faith *Plotinus) and brings forth the beautiful fruits of righteousness, this " is the truly noble foul :" Our new birth makes us more honourable than our natural birth, let our birthright dignities be what they will. The children of nobles are,by nature, the children of wrath, even as others : Omnis Sanguis con color, all blood is of onecolour: it is all tainted in Adam, and mingled together in his posterity. "There is no king, faith † Seneca, which rose not from a servant; there is no servant which rose not from a king : these thingshavebeenblended, and tossed to and fro bya long variety."
But though the privileges of natural birth signify nothing as to eternal salvation, yet in civil and political respects and considerations, those that by birth, education, or estate, possess an higher station in the world, differ from the vulgar, as stars of greater magnitude and lustre: their interest and influence are great in these things, and the welfare of kingdoms † greatly depends upon them.
It is therefore a great design of the enemy of mankind, to corrupt persons of eminent rank and quality both in religion and morality ; and by their influence and example, to infect and poison the whole body politic; and his success herein, deserves to be greatly lamented and bewailed. Persons of eminency are more especially || obliged toshun base and sordid actions. Hierom professed § he saw nothing desirable in nobilirinus.
Neminem regem non exfervis esseoriundum, neminemfervum non ex regibus : omnia ifta long a varietas mifcuit, etfurfum deorfumfortuna versavit . Sen. Ep. 44. Who manages the reins of government, who is present at, and presides over, both private and public matters, but persons of eminent rank and quality ? Who moderates in the senate, presides in courts, commands at home and abroad ? Chief men and nobles surely. Who commands and countermands, acts and overacts, manages and canvasses all affairs, who makes laws and rescinds them, who governs the state in time of peace, and commands the forces in time of war, but greatmen and nobles ? No wonder that the management of public affairs be committed to him, who both by personal merit and renown of his ancestors hath recommended himself to the good report and esteein of mankind. Laurent . Humphred. on Nobility . In maximafortuna, minima eft licentia. Saluft. § Nihil aliud video in nobilitate appetendum, nisi quod nobiles quadam
The Epistle DEDICATORY. 97 ty, except this, that such persons are bound by a certain kind of necessity, not to degenerate from the probity, or stain the glory of their ancestors. But alas ! how many in our times, havenotonlyexposed Christianitytocontempt, but obscured * the glory of their own families, and the kingdom in which they had their birth and breeding; so that if you will take right marks of your way to heaven you will have little direction from those of your own rank, but as † mariners take their direction at sea,by looking up to the heavens, fo must you. In this general corruption it is very hard toescapeinfection ; (many as Salvian complained) ‡ are compelled to be evil, lest they should be accounted vile, and incur the of fence of God, to avoid the flights andcensuresof men. Although there is no more reason why theyshouldbe offended at the rational and religious pleasures, you, and other pious gentlemen take in the ways of godliness, than there is, that you should envy the sinful pleasures they take in the ways of wickedness. It was an excellent apology, that Tertullian made for the Christians of his time, against the Gentiles, " Wherein (faith ( he) do we offend you, if we believe "there are other pleasures ? If we will not partake with you in your delights, it is only our own injury: we reject your plea- " fures, and you are not delighted with ours."
Butbyhowmuch the infection spreads and prevails among quadam necessitate conftringuntur, neab antiquorum probitate dés gene rent. Hieron. * God grant that the end proposed maybe obtained, that the ancient and truly venerable nobility may at length return, who by the honour of prudence and knowledge, and luftre of renowned deeds, may obscure the fame ofprogenitors, and quite remove and wipe off the stain brought on its august name. Humph. on Nobility .
In the same manner, you ought to seek the path of life, that the mariners at sea seek the designed course for their ships, who, if they observe not some luminary in the heavens, steer but an uncertain course, but whosoever is resolved to keep in the right path of life, must not look down to the earth but to heaven; and (to speak more plainly) he ought not to follow men but God; therefore if thou wouldst always keep thine eyes fixed on heaven, and observe the fun whence he ariseth, and take him as thy guide, thy feet of themselves will keep straight in the way. Lactant. lib. 1. c. 8. †Malleffe countur ne viles habeantur. Salv.deGubernat. § Quo vos offendimus fi alias præfumimus voluptates ?fi oblec tarinolumus, nostra injuria est : reprobamus quæ placent vobis, Recvosnoftradelectant. Tertul.Apolog. adv. Gent. VOL. II.
98 The Epistle DEDICATORY. those of your order, by so much the more we have reason tova lue you, and all those that remain found and untainted, both in religion and morality, as persons worthy of singular respect and honour : and blessed be God there is yet a number of such left.
Sir, It was a special happiness, which Chryfoftom earnestly recommended to persons of quality, that they would fo order their conversations, that their parents, might rather glory in them, than they in their parents ; "Otherwise (faith * he) it is
" better to rife tohonour, from a contemptible parent, than to 66 be contemptible from an honourable parent ;" but blessed be God, you and your worthy ancestors, mutually reflect honour uponeachother.
Had God fufferedyou to degenerate, as many do, it would have been but a poor consolation to havefaid, My progenitors were men of honour, the love and delight of their country. This, as † one excellently expresseth it, would be the fame thing, as if one that is blind himself, should boast what a sharp and piercing fight his father had; or one that is lame himself, should glory in those feats of activity his grandfather performed; but God (to whose bounty therefore you are doubly obliged) hath made you the inheritor of their virtues, as well as of their lands, and therein fulfilled many thousand prayers, which have been poured out to God upon your account. But I must forbear, lest I provoke others to envy, and draw upon myself the suspicion of flattery. What hath been already said, may serve for a sufficient reason of this dedication. I know the ‡ agreeableness of such difcourses, to the pious dispositions of your souls, is of itself sufficient to make it welcome to you. It is a treatise of Christ, yea, of the method of grace, intheapplicati-
Melius eft de contemptibilifieri clarum, quam de clarogenere contemptibilem effe, Chryfoft. in Mat. 4. Necfieri poteft quin hunc comitetur ignobilitas etiamfi vel avis, velproavis natusfit vita in culpatis, qui ab eorumftudiis alien us est,sequelongissime tum dictis, tumfactis a nobilitate disjungit .
profit is the sharp-fightedness of ancestors to the offspring, which is deprived of fight ? What help can it give the man that is dumb, for attaining the power of speech, that his parents and grandfathers had the voice of orators ? In like manner,just parents cannot help their unjust children; nor the temperate, those who are luxurious : nor at any rate, canthegood communicate goodness to