a sonable, immortal soul, which as it is liable to eternal | way turn thyself to avoid them; would not such an exigency force thee down on thy knees, and set thee a-crying to the Is it not then obvious to thee to consider, that the temper of thy Spirit must be changed, or thou art undone ? that inasmuch as thy blessedness lies in God, this change must lie in the alteration of thy dispositions and the posture of thy spirit towards him? Further, Canst thou not consider the power and fixedness of thy aversation from God, and with how mighty a weight thy heart is carried and held down from him? Try, lift at thy heart, see if it will be raised God-ward and heaven-ward? Dost thou not find it is as if thou wert lifting at a mountain, that it lies as a dead weight and stirs not? Ponder thy case in this respect. And then, is it not to be considered, that thy time is passing away apace that if thou let thyself alone, 'tis likely to be as bad with thee to-morrow as this day, and as bad next day as to-morrow? And if thy time expire and thou be snatched away in this state, what will become of thee? And dost thou not therefore see a necessity of considering whatever may be most moving and most likely to incline thy heart God-ward, of pleading it more loudly and importunately with thyself? And canst thou not consider and reason the matter thus? "O my soul, what is the reason that thou so drawest back and hangest off from thy God? that thou art so unwilling to be blessed in him? that thou shouldst venture to run thyself upon eternal perdition | rather? What cause hath he ever given thee to disaffect him? What is the ground of thy so mighty prejudice? Hath he ever done thee hurt? Dost thou think he will not accept a returning soul? That is to give the lie to his Gospel! and it becomes not a perishing wretch so to provoke him in whom is all its hope. Is the eternal glory an undesirable thing? or the everlasting burnings tolerable? Canst thou find a way of being for ever blessed without God; or whether he will or no? or is there a sufficient pleasure in thy sinful distance from God, to outweigh heaven and hell? Darest thou venture upon a resolution of giving God and Christ their last refusal; or say, thou wilt never hearken to, or have to do with them more? or darest thou venture to do what thou darest not resolve; and act the wickedness thou canst not think of? scorn eternal majesty and love; Doubt 2. But have I not reason to fear, I shall but add spurn and trample a bleeding Saviour?" Commune thus sin to sin in all this? and so increase the burden of guilt awhile with thyself; but if yet thou find thy heart relent upon my soul; and by endeavouring to better my case, nothing, thou canst yet further consider, that it lies not in make it far worse. Two things I consider, that suggest to thy power to turn thy own heart, (or else how comest thou me this fear, the manner and end of the duties you put thus to object?) And hence, canst thou avoid considering me upon, as they will be done by me in the case wherein this is a distressed case? that thou art in great straits; liable I apprehend myself yet to lie.-1. Manner. As to the to perish, (yea, sure to do so if thou continue in that ill tem-positive action you advise to, I have heard, the best actions per of spirit,) and wholly unable to help thyself? Surely of an unregenerate person are sins, through the sinfulness thou canst not but see this to be a most distressed case. of their manner of doing them; though as to the matter of I put it now to thy conscience, whether being, thus led the thing done, they be enjoined and good: and though it on, thou canst not go thus far? See whether upon trial thy be true, that the regenerate cannot perform a sinless duty conscience give thee leave to say, I am not able'thus to do neither; yet their persons and works being covered over or think and be not here so foolish, as to separate the with the righteousness of Christ, are looked upon as having first cause and the second, in judging thy ability. Thou no sin in them, which I apprehend to be none of my case. mayst say, No, I cannot think a good thought without God:-2. End. You put upon me these things in order to the true, so I know thou canst not move thy finger without God; but my meaning in this appeal to thy conscience is, whether upon trial thou findest not an assistance sufficient to carry thee thus far? Possibly thou wilt say, Yea, but what am I the better? I am only brought to see myself in a distressed perishing condition, and can get no further. I answer, 'Tis well thou art got so far, if thou indeed see thyself perishing, and thy drowsy soul awake into any sense of the sadness of thy case. But I intend not thus to leave thee here; therefore let me furthermore demand of thee, What course wouldst thou take in any other distress, wherein thou knowest not what to do to help thyself? would not such an exigency, when thou findest thyself pinched and urged on every side, and every way is shut up to thee, that thou art beset with calamities, and canst no a Audio vulgus cum ad cœlum manus tendunt nihil aliud quem Deum dicunt, attaining of blessedness; and to do such things with intuition to a reward, is to be (as may be doubted) unwarrantable, mercenary, and servile. Reply. First, As to this former reason of your doubt, methinks the proposal of it answers it. Forasmuch as you acknowledge the matter of these actions to be good and duty, (and plain it is they are moral duties, of common perpetual concernment to all persons and times,) dare you decline or dispute against your duty? Sure if we compare the evil of what is so substantially in itself, and what is so circumstantially, only by the adherence of some undue modus or manner: it cannot be hard to determine which is the greater and more dreadful evil. As to the present case; shouldst thou when the great God sends abroad his proclamation of pardon and peace, refuse to attend it, vulgi iste naturalis est sermo. Min. Fel. Octav. to consider the contents of it, and thy own case in reference thereto, and thereupon to sue to him for the life of thy own soul? Dost thou not plainly see thy refusal must needs be more provoking than thy defective performance? This, speaks disability, but that, rebellion and contempt. Besides, dost thou not see, that thy objection lies as much against every other action of thy life? The wise man tells us, the ploughing of the wicked is sin; (if that be literally to be understood;) and what, wouldst thou therefore sit still and do nothing? Then how soon would that idleness draw on gross wickedness! And would not that be a dreadful confutation of thyself, if thou who didst pretend a scruple, that thou mightest not pray, read, hear, meditate, shalt not scruple to play the glutton, the drunkard, the wanton, and indulge thyself in all riot and excess? Yea, if thou do not break out into such exorbitancies, would any one think him serious that should say, it were against his conscience to be working out his salvation, and striving to enter in at the strait gate; seeking first the kingdom of God, &c. Would not this sound strangely? And especially, that in the meantime it should never be against his conscience, to trifle away his time, and live in perpetual neglects of God, in persevering atheism, infidelity, hardness of heart, never regretted or striven against; as if these were more innocent? And what thou sayst of the different case of the regenerate, is impertinent; for as to this matter the case is not different, they that take themselves to be such, must not think that by their supposed interest in the righteousness of Christ, their real sins cease to be such, they only become pardoned síns; and shall they therefore sin more boldly than other men, because they are surer of pardon? : this kind? O what assurance have I of success? Is there any word of promise for the encouragement of one in my case? Or is God under any obligation to reward the endeavours of nature with special grace? Wherefore, when I have done all I can, he may withhold his influence, and then I am but where I was, and may perish notwithstanding. And suppose thou perish notwithstanding? Do but yet consult a little with thy own thoughts: which is more tolerable and easy to thee; to perish, as not attaining what thy fainter strugglings could not reach; or for the most direct, wilful rebellion, doing wickedly as thou couldst ? Or who shall have, thinkest thou, the more fearful condemnation? He that shall truly say when his Master comes to judgment, "I never had indeed, Lord, a heart so fully changed and turned to thee, as should denote me to be the subject of thy saving, pardoning mercy; but thou knowest (who knowest all things) I longed (and with some earnestness) did endeavour it. Thou hast been privy to my secret desires and moans, to the weak strivings of a listless distempered spirit, not pleased with itself, aiming at a better temper towards thee. I neglected not thy prescribed means; only that grace which I could not challenge, thou wast pleased not to give: thou didst require what I must confess myself to have owed thee; thou didst withhold only what thou owedst me not; therefore must I yield myself a convicted, guilty wretch, and have nothing to say why thy sentence should not pass." Or he that shall as truly hear from the mouth of his Judge, "Sinner, thou wast often fore-warned of this approaching day, and called upon to provide for it; thou hadst precept upon precept, and line upon line. The counsels of life and peace were with frequent importunity pressed upon thee, but thou rejectedst all with proud contempt, didst despise with the same profane scorn the offers, commands, and threats, of him that made thee; hardenedst thy heart to the most obstinate rebellion against his known laws; didst all the wickedness to which thy heart prompted thee, without restraint; declinedst every thing of duty which his authodidst avoid as much as thou couldst to hear or know any thing of my will; couldst not find one serious, considering hour in a whole life-time, to bethink thyself, what was likely to become of thee when thy place on earth should know thee no more. Thou mightst know, thou wast at my mercy, thy breath in my hand, and that I could easily have cut thee off any moment of that large space of time my patience allowed thee in the world; yet thou never thoughtest it worth the while to sue to me for thy life. Destruction from the Lord was never a terror to thee. Thou wouldst never be brought upon thy knees; I had none of thy addresses; never didst thou sigh out a serious request for mercy; thy soul was not worth so much in thy account. Thy blood, wretch, be upon thy guilty head: Depart, accursed, into everlasting flames," &c. Secondly, As to the other ground of this doubt, there can only be a fear of sinning, upon this account, to them that make more sins and duties than God hath made. The doubt supposes religion inconsistent with humanity and that God were about to rase out of the nature of man, one of the most radical and fundamental laws written there, a desire of blessedness;-and supposes it against the ex-rity, and the exigency of thy own case, did oblige thee to; press scope and tenor of his whole gospel revelation. For what doth that design, but to bring men to blessedness? And how is it a means to compass that design, but as it tends to engage man's spirits to design it too? unless we would imagine they should go to heaven blindfold, or be rolled thither as stones that know not whither they are moved; in which case the gospel, that reveals the eternal glory, and the way to it, were a useless thing. If so express words had not been in the Bible, as that Moses had respect to the recompense of reward; yea, that our Lord Jesus himself, for the joy set before him endured the cross, &c., this had been a little more colourable, or more modest. And what, do not all men, in all the ordinary actions of their lives, act allowably enough, with intuition to much lower ends? even those particular ends which the works of their several callings tend to, else they should act as brutes in every thing they do. And would such a one scruple, if he were pining for want of bread, to beg or labour for it for this end, to be relieved? 'Tis the mistaking of the notion of heaven that hath also an ingrediency into this doubt, if it be really a doubt. What? is it a low thing to be filled with the Divine fulness? to have his glory replenishing our souls? to be perfectly freed from sin? in every thing conformed unto this holy nature and will? That our minding our interest in this, or any affairs, should be the principal thing with us, is not to be thought; our supreme end must be the same with his, who made all things for himself, of whom, through whom, and to whom all things are, that he alone might have the glory. But subordinates need not quarrel. A lower end doth not exclude the higher, but serves it: and is, as to it, a means. God is our end as he is to be glorified and enjoyed by us: our glorifying him is but the agnition of his glory; which we do most in beholding and partaking it; which is therefore in direct subordination thereto. Doubt 3. But it may further be doubted, What if it be acknowledged, that these are both things possible and lawful; yet to what purpose will it be to attempt any thing in b Therefore as to that form of expression-that such acts of unregenerate men are sins, that is a catachrestical piece of rhetoric, which being so understood, is harmless; but to use it in propriety of speech, and thence to go Come now, use thy reason awhile, employ a few sober thoughts about this matter; remember, thou wilt have a long eternity wherein to recognise the passages of thy life, and the state of thy case in the last judgment. Were it supposable, that one who had done as the former, should be left finally destitute of Divine grace and perish; yet in which of these cases wouldst thou choose to be found at last? But why yet shouldst thou imagine so bad an issue, as that after thine utmost endeavours, grace should be withheld, and leave thee to perish; because God hath not bound himself by promise to thee? What promise have the ravens to be heard when they cry? But thou art a sinner: true, otherwise thou wert not without promise; the promises of the first covenant would at least belong to thee. Yet experience tells the world, his unpromised mercies freely flow everywhere: The whole earth is full of his goodness; yea, but his special grace is conveyed by promise only, and that only through Christ; and how can it be communicated through him to any but those that are in him? What then, is the first in-being in Christ no special grace? or is there any being in him before the first, that should be the ground of that gracious communication? Things are plain enough, if we make them not intricate, about to make men believe, that 'tis a sin to do their duty, is void both of an invading enemy anticipate my harvest, all I do and expend is to no purpose; and God hath not ascertained me of the contrary, by express promise; 'tis as good therefore sit still? Censure and answer him and thyself both together. Doubt 4. But thou wilt yet, it may be, say, that though all this may be possible true, yet thou canst not all this while be convinced of any need so earnestly to busy thyself about this affair. For God is wont to surprise souls by preventing acts of grace, to be found of them that sought him not, to break in by an irresistible power, which they least thought of. And to go about to anticipate his grace, were to detract from the freeness, and so from the glory, of it. or entangle ourselves by foolish subtleties. God promises sinners indefinitely, pardon and eternal life, for the sake of Christ, on condition that they believe on him. He gives of his good pleasure that grace whereby he draws any to Christ, without promise directly made to them, whether absolute or conditional; though he give it for the sake of Christ also. His discovery of his purpose to give such grace to some, indefinitely, amounts not to a promise claimable by any: for if it be said to be an absolute promise to particular persons, who are they? whose duty is it to believe it made to him? If conditional, what are the conditions upon which the first grace is certainly promised? who can be able to assign them? But, poor soul! thou needest not stay to puzzle thyself about this matter. Reply. But art thou not in all this afraid of charging God binds himself to do what he promises; but hath he God foolishly? When the merciful God, in compassion any where bound himself to do no more? Did he promise to the souls of men, hath given his Gospel; constituted thee thy being; or that thou shouldst live to this day? did and settled a standing office to be perpetuated through all he promise thee the bread that sustains thee, the daily ages for the publication of it; invited the world therein to comforts of thy life? Yea, (what is nearer the present a treaty with him, touching the concernments of their purpose,) did he promise thee a station under the gospel? eternal peace; required so strictly their attendance to, and or that thou shouldst ever hear the name of Christ? If most serious consideration of his proposals and offers; enever his Spirit have in any degree moved upon thy heart, couraged and commanded their addresses to him, set up inclined thee at all seriously to consider thy eternal con- a throne of grace on purpose; wilt thou dare to say, all cernments, did he before-hand make thee any promise of this is needless? When God speaks to thee, is it needless that? A promise would give thee a full certainty of the for thee to hear him, or regard what he saith? or when issue, if it were absolute, out of hand; if conditional, as he commands thee to pour forth thy soul to him, wilt thou soon as thou findest the condition performed. But what! say, 'tis a needless thing? Dost thou not plainly see, that canst thou act upon no lower rate than a foregoing cer- the peculiar, appropriate aptitude to the things pressed tainty, a pre-assurance of the event? My friend, consider upon thee, speaks them necessary, as means to their de a little, (what thou canst not but know already,) that 'tis signed end; whence they are fitly called & means of hope (built with those that are rational, upon rational pro- grace? Is not the word of God the immortal seed? Are babilities, with many, oftentimes upon none at all) is the not souls begotten by that word to be the first-fruits of his great engine that moves the world, that keeps all sorts of creatures? Is it not the type, the mould, or print by men in action. Doth the husbandman foreknow when he which Divine impressions are put upon the soul; the inplows and sows, that the crop will answer his cost and strument by which he sanctifies? Are not the exceeding pains? Doth the merchant foreknow, when he embarks great and precious promises, the vehicula, the conveyancers his goods, he shall have a safe and gainful return? Dosth of the Divine nature? And what can be the means to thou foreknow, when thou eatest, it shall refresh_thee? mollify and melt the obdurate heart of a sinner, to assuage when thou takest physic, that it shall recover thy health, its enmity, to overcome it into the love of God, to transand save thy life? Yea, further, can the covetous man form it into his image, but the gospel discovery of God's pretend a promise, that his unjust practices shall enrich own gracious and holy nature? And can it operate to this him? the malicious, that he shall prosper in his design of purpose without being heard, or read, or understood, and revenge? the ambitious, that he shall be great and ho- considered, and taken to heart? Do but compare this nourable? the voluptuous, that his pleasure shall be always means God works by, with the subject to be wrought upon, unmixed with gall and wormwood? Can any say, they and the effect to be wrought, and nothing can be conceived ever had a promise to ascertain them that profaneness and more adequate and fitly corresponding. But inasmuch sensuality would bring them to heaven? that an ungodly, as there hath been an enmity between God and sinners, dissolute life would end in blessedness? Here the Lord and that therefore the whole entire means of reconciliaknows men can be confident and active enough without a tion must be a treaty; and that a treaty cannot be mapromise, and against many an express threatening. Wilt naged or conceived without mutual interlocution; therethou not upon the hope, thou hast before thee, do as much fore must the sinner have a way of expressing its own for thy soul, for eternal blessedness, as men do for uncer- sense to God, as well as he speaks his mind to it; which tain riches, short pleasures, an airy, soon blasted name? shows the necessity of prayer too; and therefore, because yea, as much as men desperately do to damn themselves, the peace begins on his part, (though the war began on and purchase their own swift destruction? Or canst thou ours,) he calls upon sinners to open themselves to him; pretend, though thou hast no pre-assuring promise, thou Come now, let us reason together; he invites addresses; hast no hope? Is it nothing to have heard so much of Seek the Lord while he may be found, and call upon him God's gracious nature? Is it suitable to the reports and while he is nigh, &c. And doth not the natural relation discoveries he hath made of himself, to let a poor wretch itself between the Creator and a creature require this, beperish at his feet, that lies prostrate there, expecting his sides the exigency of our present case? Every creature mercy? Didst thou ever hear he was so little a lover of is a supplicant; its necessary dependance is a natural souls? Do his giving his Son, his earnest unwearied prayer. The eyes of all things look up, &c. 'Tis the strivings with sinners, his long patience, the clear beams proper glory of a Deity to be depended on and addressed of Gospel light, the amiable appearance of his grace, give to. Should not a people seek unto their God? 'Tis an ground for no better, no kinder thoughts of him? yea, appeal to reason; is it not a congruous thing? hath he not expressly styled himself the God hearing prayers, taking a name on purpose to encourage all flesh to come to him. Wilt thou dare then to adopt those profane words, What profit is it to pray to him? and say, 'tis better to sit still, resolving to perish, than address to him, or seek his favour, because he hath not by promise assured thee of the issue, and that, if he suspend his grace, all thou dost will be in vain? How wouldst thou judge of the like resolution, if the husbandman should say, When I have spent my pains and cost in breaking up and preparing the earth, and casting in my seed; if the sun shine not, and the rain fall not in season, if the influences of heaven be suspended, if God withhold his blessing, or if Further, Dost thou not know thy maker's will made known infers upon thee a necessity of obeying; unless thou think the breach between God and thee is better to be healed by rebellion; and that the only way to expiate wickedness, were to continue and multiply it. Is it a needless thing to comply with the will of him that gave thee breath and being? and whose power is so absolute over thee, as to all thy concernments, both of time and eternity? Again, while thou pretendest these things are needless, come now, speak out freely; what are the more necessary affairs wherein thou art so deeply engaged, that thou canst not suffer a diversion? What, is the service and gratification of thy flesh and sense so important a 81 Pet. i. 23. Jam. i. 18. Rom. vi. 17. John xvii. 17. í Isa. i. chap. lv. k Isa. viii. 19. h 2 Pet. i. 1 Necessitas præcepti. business, that thou canst be at no leisure for that more needless work of saving thy soul? Where is thy reason and modesty? Dost thou mind none other, from day to day, but necessary affairs? Dost thou use, when thou art tempted to vain dalliances, empty discourses, intemperate indulgence to thy appetite, so to answer the temptation, Is it not necessary? Or art thou so destitute of all conscience and shame, to think it unnecessary to work out thy salvation, to strive to enter in at the strait gate that leads to life? but most indispensably necessary to be very critically curious about what thou shalt eat and drink, and put on; and how to spend thy time with greatest ease and pleasure to thy flesh, that it may not have the least cause to complain it is neglected? Thy pretence, m that God is wont to be found of them that sought him not, to the purpose thou intendest it, is a most ignorant or malicious abuse of Scripture. The prophet is, in that text, foretelling the calling of the Gentiles, who, while they remained such, did not ('tis true) inquire after God; but then he expressly tells us, (personating God,) I am sought of them that asked not for me, (that is, after the gospel came among them,) and then it is added, I am found (upon this seeking, plainly) of them that sought me not (i. e. who once in their former darkness, before I revealed myself in the Gospel dispensation to them, sought me not :) q. d. I am now sought of a people that lately sought me not, nor asked after me, and I am found of them. But what is this to thy case; whom God hath been, in the Gospel, earnestly inviting to seek after him, and thou all this while refusest to comply with the invitation? n much more ridiculous, than if one should gravely urge arguments to all the neighbourhood, to persuade them to burn their houses, to put out their eyes, to kill their children, and cut their own throats. And sure, let all imaginable pretences be debated to their uttermost, and it will appear, that nothing withholds men from putting forth all their might in the endeavour of getting a spirit suitable to this blessedness, but an obstinately perverse and sluggish heart, despoiled and naked of all show of reason and excuse. And though that be a hard task to reason against mere will, yet that being the way to make men willing, and the latter part of the work proposed in pursuance of this direction, I shall recommend only such considerations as the text itself will suggest, for the stirring up and persuading of slothful, reluctant hearts, choosing those as the most proper limits, and not being willing to be infinite herein, as amidst so great a variety of considerations to that purpose, one might. That in general which I shall propose, shall be only the misery of the unrighteous; whereof we may take a view in the opposite blessedness here described. The contradictories whereto will afford a negative, the contraries a positive, description of this misery. So that each consideration will be double; which I shall now rather glance at than insist upon. 1. Consider then, If thou be found at last unqualified for this blessedness, how wilt thou bear it to be banished eternally from the blessed face of God? There will be those that shall behold that face in righteousness; so shalt not thou: the wicked is driven away in his wickedness, with a "Never more see my face." Again, What amazing visions wilt thou have! What ghastly, frightful objects to converse with, amidst those horrors of eternal darkness; when the devil and his angels shall be thy everlasting associates! What direful images shall those accursed, enraged spirits, and thy own fruitful parturient imagination, for ever entertain thee with, and present to thy view! 2. Is it a small thing with thee, to be destitute of all those inherent excellencies which the perfected image of God, whereof thou wast capable, comprehends? View them over in that (too defective) account some of the former pages gave thee of them. Thou art none of those bright stars, these sons of the morning, those blessed, glorified spirits taou, mightest have been. But consider, What art thou? What shalt thou for ever be? What image or likeness shalt thou bear? Alas, poor wretch, thou art now a fiend? conformed to thy hellish partners; thou bearest their accursed likeness. Death is now finished in thee; and as thou sowedst to the flesh, thou reapest corruption. Thou art become a loathsome carcass; the worms that never die, abound in thy putrified, filthy soul. Thou hast a hell in thee. Thy venomous lusts are now grown mature, are in their full-grown state. If a world of iniquity, a fulness of deadly poison, tempered by hellfire, is here sometimes to be found in a little member, what will there then be in all thy parts and powers? And suppose thou hear of some rare instances of persons, suddenly snatched by the hand of grace out of the midst of their wickedness, as fire-brands out of the fire, is it therefore the safest course to go on in a manifest rebellion against God, till possibly he may do so by thee also? How many thousands may have dropped into hell since thou heardest of such an instance? as a worthy person speaks to that purpose. If thou hast heard of one Elijah fed by ravens, and of some thousands by our Saviour's miracles, canst thou thence plead a repeal of that law to the world, They that will not labour shall not eat? Or is it a safer or wiser course to wait till food drop into thy mouth from heaven, than to use a prudent care for the maintenance of thy life? If thou say, thou hearest but of few that are wrought upon in this way, of their own foregoing expectation and endeavour; remember, (and let the thought of it startle thee,) that there are but few that are saved. And therefore are so few wrought upon in this way, because so few will be persuaded to it. But canst thou say, (though God hath not bound himself to the mere natural endeavours of his creature neither,) that ever any took this course, and persisted with faithful diligence, but they succeeded in it? What thou talkest of the freeness of God's grace, looks like a hypocritical pretence. Is there no way to honour his grace, but by affronting his authority? but to sin, that grace may abound? Sure grace will be better pleased by obedience, than by such sacrifice. 3. Consider, how blessed a satisfaction dost thou lose? For a miserable, perishing wretch, to use God's means to how pleasant and delightful a rest, arising both from the help itself, doth that look like merit? Is the beggar afraid sight of so much glory, and so peaceful a temper and thou shouldst interpret his coming to thy door and seeking constitution of spirit? Here thou mightst have enjoyed thy alms, to signify, as if he thought he had deserved them? an eternal undisturbed rest. But for rest and satisfaction, I hope thou wilt acknowledge thyself less than the least thou hast vexation and endless torment, both by what thou of all God's mercies, and that thou canst not deserve from beholdest, and what thou feelest within thee. Thy dreadhim a morsel of bread; mayst thou not therefore in thy ful visions shall not let thee rest: but the chiefest matter necessity labour for thy living, lest thou shouldst intrench of thy disquiet and torment is in the very temper and conupon the freeness of Divine bounty? With as much wis-stitution of thy soul. Thy horrid lusts are fuller of poisondom and reason mightst thou decline the use of all other ous energy, and are destitute of their wonted objects, means to preserve thy life, (which thou must owe always whence they turn all their power and fury upon thy miseto free mercy,) to eat when thou art hungry, to take physic rable self. Thy enraged passions would fly in the face of when thou art sick, lest thou shouldst intimate thyself to God, but they spend themselves in tormenting the soul have merited the strength and health sought thereby. Nor that bred them. Thy curses and blasphemies, the encan I think of any rational pretence that can more plausi- venomed darts pointed at heaven, are reverberated and bly be insisted on, than these that have been thus briefly driven back into thy own heart. And therefore, discussed. And it must needs be difficult to bring any appearance of reason for the patronage of so ill a cause, is the careless giving up of a man's soul to perish eternally, that is visibly capable of eternal blessedness. And certainly were we once apprehensive of the case, the attempt of disputing a man into such a resolution, would appear 4. Consider, what awaking hast thou? Thou awakest not into the mild and cheerful light of that blessed day, wherein the saints of the Most High hold their solemn, joyful triumph. But thou awakest into that great and terrible day of the Lord, (dost thou desire it, for what end is it to thee?) a day of darkness, and not light; a gloomy o Pœna Damni-Sensus. torments. and stormy day. The day of thy birth is not a more hateful than this is a dreadful day. Thou awakest and art beset with terrors, presently apprehended and dragged before thy glorious, severe Judge, and thence into eternal O happy thou, mightst thou never awake, might the grave conceal, and its more silent darkness cover thee for ever. But since thou must awake then, how much more happy wert thou, if thou wouldst suffer thyself to be awakened now! What, to lose and endure so much, because thou wilt not now a little bestir thyself, and look about thee? Sure thy conscience tells thee, thou art urged but to what is possible, and lawful, and hopeful, and necessary. Methinks, if thou be a man, and not a stone, if thou hast a reasonable soul about thee, thou shouldst presently fall to work, and rather spend thy days in serious thoughts, and prayers, and tears, than run the hazard of losing so transcendent a glory, and of suffering misery, which as now thou art little able to conceive, thou wilt then be less able to endure. CHAPTER XVIII. Rule 4. Directing to the endeavour of a gradual improvement in such a dis posedness of spirit (as shall be found in any measure already attained) towards this blessedness. That 'tis blessedness begun which disposes to the consummate state of it. That we are therefore to endeavour the daily increase of our present knowledge of God, conformity to him, and the satisfiedness of our spirits therein. a be heavenly, with God, the way to be God-like. Let us therefore make this our present business, much to acquaint ourselves with God. We count upon seeing him face to face, of being always in his presence beholding his glory; that speaketh very intimate acquaintance indeed. How shall we reach that pitch? What, to live now as strangers to him? Is that the way? The path of the righteous is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. The text shows us the righteous man's end, To behold the glory of God's face, &c. 'tis easy to apprehend then, his way must needs have in it a growing brightness, as he comes still nearer this end. Every nearer approach to a lucid thing infers (to us) an increase of light from it. We should therefore be following on to know the Lord, and we shall see his going forth will be before us as the morning. He will be still visiting us with renewed, increasing light, (for such is morninglight, fresh and growing-light,) and ere long it will be perfect day. Labour we to improve our knowledge of God to such a degree of acquaintance as our present state can admit of: to be as inward with him as we can, to familiarize ourselves to him. His gospel aims at this, to make those that were afar off nigh. Far-distant objects we can have no distinct view of. He can give us little account of the proud afar off, that is, he will have no acquaintance a person that hath only seen him afar off; so God beholds with them: whereas with the humble he will be familiar; he will dwell (as in a family) with them. So the ungodly behold God till he bring them in, and make them nigh; household, now thoroughly acquainted. then they are no longer strangers, but of his family and Several notes there are of a thorough acquaintance which we should endeavour may concur in our acquaintance with God, in that analogy which the case will bear:-To know his nature; or (as we would speak of a man) what will please and displease him, so as to be able in the whole course of have the skill so to manage our conversation, as to conour daily conversation to approve ourselves to him: to tinue a correspondence, not interrupted by any of our offensive unpleasing demeanours: to walk worthy of God unto all well-pleasing. It concerns us most to study and endeavour this practical knowledge of the nature of God; what trust, and love, and fear, and purity, &c. his faithfulness and greatness, his goodness and holiness, &c. do challenge from us: what may in our daily walking be agreeable, what repugnant, to the several attributes of his being. To know his secrets; to be as it were of the cabinet-council. h (The word used by the Psalmist hath a peculiar significancy to that purpose; to signify, not only counsel, but a council, or the consessus of persons that consult together.) This is his gracious vouchsafement, to humble reverential souls. The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; such acquaintance with him is to be sought, to know the (communicable) secrets both of his mind and heart. Of his mind; his truths, gospel-mysteries, that were kept secret from ages and generations. We have the mind of Christ. This is great inwardness. 1. Our knowledge of God. The knowledge of him I thoughts towards our souls. To know his methods, and the Of his heart; his love, his good-will, his kind bosom here principally intend, is not notional and speculative, course of his dispensations towards the world, his church, but (which is more ingredient to our blessedness, both in- and especially our own spirits. This is great knowledge of choate and perfect) that of converse, that familiar know- God, to have the skill to trace his footsteps, and observe ledge which we usually express by the name of acquaint- by comparing times with times, that such a course he more See that this knowledge of him be increased daily. usually holds; and accordingly, with great probability, Let us now use ourselves much with God. Our know- collect from what we have seen and observed what we may ledge of him must aim at conformity to him; and how expect. What order and succession there is of storms of powerful a thing is converse in order hereto! How insen- wrath, to clouds of sin; and again of peaceful, lucid intersibly is it wont to transform men, and mould anew their vals, when such storms have inferred penitential tears. spirits, language, garb, deportment! To be removed from In what exigencies, and distresses, humble mourners may the solitude or rudeness of the country to a city or univer-expect God's visits and consolations. To recount in how sity, what an alteration does it make? How is such a great extremities former experience hath taught us not to person divested by degrees of his rusticity, of his more despair; and from such experience still to argue ourselves uncomely and agrest manners! Objects we converse into fresh reviving hopes, when the state of things (whether with, beget their image upon us; They walked after public or private, outward or spiritual) seems forlorn. To vanity, and became vain, said Jeremiah; and Solomon, d He that walketh with the wise, shall be wise. Walking behave ourselves most acceptably in his presence, in what know the proper seasons of address to him; and how to is a usual expression of converse. So to converse with dispositions and postures of spirit we are fittest for his the holy is the way to be holy, with heaven, the way to converse, so as to be able to come to him in a good hour, i 8 Phil. ii. 14. Βραβείον. c Jer. ii. 5. 4. Rule. THAT when we find ourselves in any disposition towards this blessedness, we endeavour a gradual improvement therein, to get the habitual temper of our spirits made daily more suitable to it. We must still remember we have not yet attained, and must therefore continue pressing forward to this mark, for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. That prize (not price, as we commonly mis-read it in our Bibles) of which the apostle here speaks, is (as may be seen by looking back to verse 8, 9, &c.) the same with the blessedness in the text. Such a knowledge of Christ, as should infer at last his participation with him in his state of glory; or of the resurrection of the dead. This is the ultimate term, the scope or end of that high calling of God in Christ; so 'tis also stated elsewhere. Who hath b called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus. Now we should therefore frequently recount how far short we are of this glory, and stir up our souls to more vigorous endeavours in order to it. Our suitableness to this blessedness stands in our having the elements and first principles of it in us; 'tis glory only that fits for glory; some previous sights and impressions of it, and a pleasant complacential relish thereof, that frame and attemper us by degrees to the full and consummate state of it. This is that therefore we must endeavour, A growing knowledge of God, conformity to him, and satisfiedness of spirit therein. What we expect should be one day perfect, we must labour may be, in the meantime, always growing. ance. d Prov. xiii. 20. b 1 Pet. v. 10. e Prov. iv. 18. f Hos. vi. 3. g Isa. lvii. 15. h Psal. xxv. 14. |