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religion is: but ye may certainly know what fort your own is of, without extraordinary revelation; otherwise the Apostle would not exhort the faints to give diligence to make their calling and election fure, 2 Pet. i. 10. Therefore, the attainments of hypocrites and apoftatesfhould not disturb you in your ferious inquiry into your own ftate. But I'll tell you two things wherein the meaneft faints go beyond the moft refined hypocrites. (1.) In denying themselves, renouncing all confidence in themselves, and their own works, acquiefcing in, being well-pleased with, and venturing their fouls upon God's plan of falvation thro' Jefus Chrift, Matth. v. 3. Bleffed are the poor in fpirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. And chap. xi. 6. Blessed is he whofoever shall not be offended in me. Philip. iii. 3. We are the circumcifion which worship God in the fpirit, and rejoice in Chrift Jefus, and have no confidence in the flesh. (2.) In a real hatred of all fin; being willing to part with every luft, without exception, and comply with every duty the Lord makes, or fhall make known to them: Pfal. cxix, 6. Then fhall I not be ashamed, when I have refpect unto all thy commandments. Try yourselves by thefe.

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CASE VI. "I fee myself fall fo far fhort of the faints mentioned "in the fcriptures, and of feveral excellent perfons of my own ac"quaintance; that, when I look on them, I can hardly look on my"felf as one of the fame family with them." Anf. It is indeed matter of humiliation, that we get not forward to that meafure of grace and holiness, which we fee is attainable in this life. This fhould make us more vigorously prefs towards the mark: But furely it is from the devil, that weak Chriftians make a rack for themselves of the attainments of the strong. And to yield to this temptation, is as unreafonable, as for a child to difpute away his relation to his father, because he is not of the fame ftature with his elder brethren. There are faints of feveral fizes in Chrift's family: fome fathers, fome young men, and fome little children, 1 John ii. 13, 14

CASE VII." I never read in the word of God, nor did I ever "know of a child of God fo tempted, and fo left of God, as I am; " and therefore no faint's cafe being like mine, I cannot but conclude I am none of their number." Anf. This objection arifes to fome from their unacquaintedness with the fcriptures, and with experienced Chriftians. It is profitable in this cafe, to impart the matter to fome experienced Chriftian friend, or to fome godly minifter. This has been a blessed mean of peace to fome perfons; while their cafe, which appeared to them to be fingular, has been evinced to have been the cafe of other faints. The fcripture give inftances of very horrid temptations, wherewith the faints have been affaulted: Job was tempted to blafpheme; this was the great thing the devil aimed at, in the cafe of that great faint, Job i 11. He will curse thee to thy face. Chap. ii. 9. Curfe God and die. Afaph was tempted to think, it was in vain to be religious; which was in effect to throw off all religion, Pfal. Ixxiii. 13. Verily I have cleanfed my heart in vain. Yea, Chrift

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himself was tempted to caft himself down from a pinacle of the temple, and to worship the devil, Matth iv. 6, 9. And many of the children of God have not only been attacked with, but have actually yielded to very grofs temptations for a time. Peter denied CHRIST, and curfed and fwore that he know him not, Mark xiv. 71. Paul, when a perfecuter, compelled even faints to blafpheme, Acts xxvi. 10, 11. Many of the faints can, from their fad experience, bear witness to very grofs temptations, which have aftonifhed their fpirits, made their very fleth to tremble, and fickened their bodies. Satan's fiery darts make terrible work; and will coft pains to quench them, by a vigorous manag ing of the fhield of faith, Ephef. vi. 16. Sometimes, he makes fuch defperate attacks, that never was one more put to it, in running to and fro, without intermiffion to quench the fre-balls inceffantly thrown into his houfe by an enemy defigning to burn the house about him; than the poor tempted faint is, to repel fatanical injections. But these injections, these horrid temptations, though they are a dreadful afflic tion, they are not the fins of the tempted, unless they make them theirs by confenting to them. They will be charged upon the tempter alone, if they be not confented to; and will no more be laid to the charge of the tempted party, than a baftard's being laid down at the chafte man's door, will fix guilt upon him. But, fuppofe neither minifter nor private Chriftian, to whom you go, can tell you of any who has been in your cafe; yet you ought not thence to infer, that your cafe certainly is fingular, far lefs to give over hopes: for it is not to be thought, that every godly minifter, or private Chriftian, has had the experience of all the cafes a child of God may be in. And we need not doubt but fome have had diftreffes known only to God, and their own confciences; and, fo, to others these diftreffes are as if they had never been. Yea, and though the fcripture do contain fuitable directions for every cafe a child of God can be in; and these illustrated with a fufficient number of examples: yet it is not to be imagined, that there are in the fcriptures perfect inftances of every particular cafe incident to the faints. Therefore, howbeit you cannot find an inftance of your cafe in the fcripture; yet bring your cafe to it, and you fhall find fuitable remedies prefcribed there for it. And fludy rather to make use of Chrift for your cafe, who has falve for all fores; than to know if ever any was in your cafe. Tho' one fhould fhew you an inftance of your cafe, in an undoubted faint; yet none could promife it would certainly give you eafe: for a fcrupulous confcience would readily find out fome difference. And if nothing but a perfect conformity of another's cafe to yours, will fatisfy, it will be hard, if not impoffible to fatisfy you. For it is with people's cafes, as with their natural faces: though faces of all men are of one make; and fome are fo very like others, that, at firft view we are ready to take them for the fame: yet if you view them more accurately, you will fee fomething in every face, distinguishing it from all others; though poffibly you cannot tell what it is; wherefore I conclude, that if you

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can find in yourselves the marks of regeneration, propofed to you from the word; you ought to conclude, you are in the state of grace, though your cafe were fingular, which is indeed unlikely.

CASE laft, "The afflictions I meet with are strange and unusual. "I doubt if ever a child of God was tryfted with fuch difpenfations "of providence as I am." Anf. Much of what was faid on the preceeding cafe, may be helped in this: Holy Fob was affaulted with this temptation, Job v. 1. To which of the faints wilt thou turn? But he rejected it, and held faft his integrity. The Apostle fuppofeth Chriftians may be tempted to think trange concerning the fiery trial, 1Pet. iv. 12. But they have need of larger experience than Solomon's who will venture to fay, See this is new, Ecclef. i. 10. And what though, in refpect of the outward difpenfations of providence, it happen to you according to the work of the wicked? You may be juft notwithstanding; according to Solomon's obferve, Ecclef. viii. 14. Sometimes we travel in ways, where we cannot perceive the prints of the foot of man or beaft; yet we cannot from thence conclude, that there was never any there before us: fo, albeit thou canst not perceive the footsteps of the flock in the way of thine affliction; thou muft not therefore conclude, thou art the first that ever travelled that road. But, what, if it were fo, that thou wert indeed the firft? Some one faint or other behoved to be the firft, in drinking of each bitter eup the rest have drunk of. What warrant have you or I, to limit the holy One of Ifrael to a trodden path, in his difpenfations towards us? Thy way is in the fea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known, Pfal. lxxvii. 19. If the Lord fhould carry you to heaven by fome retired road, and let you in at a back-door, (fo to fpeak) you would have no ground to complain. Learn to allow fovereignity a latitude; be at your duty; and les no affliction caft a vail over any evidences you otherwife have for your being in the state of grace: for no man knoweth either their love or hatred by all that is before them, Ecclef. ix. 1.

USE II. Ye that are ftrangers to this new birth, be convinced of the abfolute neceffity of it. Are all in the state of grace born again? Then ye have neither part nor lot in it, who are not born again. I must tell you in the words of our Lord and Saviour, (and ✪ that he would fpeak them to your hearts) ye muft be born again, Jólm iii. 7. And for your conviction, confider thefe few things.

First, Regeneration is abfolutely neceffary to qualify you to do any thing really good and acceptable to God. While you are not born again, your best works are but gliftering fins, for though the matter of them is good, they are quite marred in the making. Confider, (1) That without regeneration there is no faith, and without faith it is impoffible to pleafe God, Heb. xi. 6. Faith is a vital act of the newborn foul. The Evangelift, fhewing the different entertainment our Lord Jefus had from different perfons, foine receiving him, fome rejecting him, points at regenerating grace, as the true

rife of that difference, without which never one would have received him. He tells us, that as many as received him, were the fe which were born-of God, John i. 11, 12, 13. Unregenerate men may prefume; but true faith they cannot have. Faith is a flower, that grows not in the field of nature. As the tree cannot grow without a root, neither can a man believe without the new nature, whereof the principle of believing is a part. (2.) Without regene ration a man's works are dead works. As is the principle, fo muft the effects be if the lungs be rotten, the breath will be unfavoury; and he who at beft is dead in fin, his works at best will be but dead works. Unto them that are defiled and unbelieving, is nothing purebeing abominable, and difobedient, and unto every good work, reprobate, Tit. i. 15, 16. Could we fay of a man, that he is more blameless in his life, than any other in the world; that he macerates his body with fafting; and has made his knees as horns with continual praying; but he is not born again: that exception would mar all. And if one hould fay, there is a well-proportioned body, but the foul is gone, it is but a dead lump. This is a melting confideration Thou doft many things materially good, but God faith, All these things avail not, as long as I fee the old nature reigning in the man, Gal. vi. 15. For in Jefus Chrift neither circumcifion availeth any thing, nor uncircumcifion, but a new creature.

If thou art not born again, (1.) All thy reformation is naught in the fight of God. Thou haft thut the door, but the thief is ftill in the house. It may be thou art not what once thou waft, yet thou art not what thou muft be, if ever thou feeft heaven; for, except a man be born again, he cannot fee the kingdom of God, John iii. 3. (2.) Thy prayers are an abomination to the Lord, Prov xv. 8. It may be, others admire thy ferioufnefs; thou crieft as for thy life: but God accounts of the opening of thy mouth, as one would account of the opening of a grave full of rotteunefs, Rom. iii. 13. Their throat is an open fepulchre. Others are affected with thy prayers; which feem to them, as if thy would rend the heavens: but God accounts them as the howling of a dog: They have not cried unto me with their heart, when they howled upon their beds, Hof. vii. 14. Others take thee for a wrestler and prevailer with God; but he can take no delight with thee, nor thy prayers neither, Ifa. lxvi. 3. He that killeth an ox, is as if he flew a man: he that facrificeth a lamb, is as if he cut off a dog's neck,-he that burneth incenfe, as if he bleffed an idol. Why not? Because thou art yet in the gall of bitterness, and bond of iniquity. (3) All thou haft done for God and his caufe in the world, though it may be followed with temporal rewards, yet is loft as to divine acceptance. This is clear from the cafe of Jehu; who was indeed rewarded with a kingdom, for his exccuting due vengeance upon the house of Ahab; as being a work good, for the matter of it, because it was commanded of God, as you may fee, 2 Kings x. 13. Yet he was punifhed for it in his pofterity, because he did it not in a right manner, Hof. i. 4. I will

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avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the houfe of Fehu. God looks mainly to the heart: and if fo, truly albeit thy outward appearance be fairer than that of many others, yet the hidden man of thy heart, is lothfome; thou lookeft well before men, but art thou, as Mofes was, fair to God, as the margin hath it, Acts vii. 20. O what a difference is there betwixt the characters of Afa and Amaziah: The bigh places were not removed: nevertheless, Afa his heart was perfect with the Lord all his days, 1 Kings xv. 14. Amaziah did that which was right in the fight of the Lord, but not with a perfect heart, 2 Chron. xxv. 2 It may be, thou art zealous against fin in others, and doft admonith them to their duty, and reprove them for their fin; and they hate thee, because thou doft thy duty. But I muft tell thee, God hates thee too, because thou doft it not in a right manner; and that thou canst never do, whilft thou art not born again. Lafly, All thy ftruggles against fin, in thine own heart and life, are naught. The proud Pharifee afflicted his body with fafting, and God ftruck his foul in the mean time with a fentence of condemnation, Luke xviii. Balaam ftruggled with his covetous temper to that degree, that though he loved the wages of unrighteoufnefs, yet he would not win them by curfing Ifrael, but he died the death of the wicked, Numb. xxxi 8. All thou doft while in an unregenerate ftate is for thy felf: and therefore it will faré with thee, as with a fubject, who having reduced the rebels, put the crown on his own head; and therefore lofeth all his good service, and his head too.

Object. If it be thus with us, then we need never perform any religious duty at all. Anf. The conclufion is not juft. No inability of thine can loose thee from the duty God's law lays on thee: and there is lefs evil in thy doing thy duty, than there is in the omitting of it. But there is a mids betwixt omitting of duty, and the doing of it as thou doft it. A man ordereth masons to build a houfe: if they quite neglect the work, that will not be accepted; if they fall on, and build upon the old rotten foundation, neither will that pleafe; but they must raze the old foundation, and build on firm ground. Go thou and do likewife. In the mean time, it is not in vain for thee, even for thee, to feek the Lord: for tho' he regards thee not, yet he may have refpect to his own ordinance, and do thee good thereby, as was faid before. }

Secondly, Without regeneration there is no communion with God. There is a fociety on earth, whose fellowship is with the Father, and with the Son Jefus Chrift, 1 John i. 3. But out of that fociety all the unregenerate are excluded; for they are all enemies to God, as ye heard before at large. Now, can two walk together, except they be agreed? Amos iii. 3. They are all unholy: and what communion hath light with darkness-Chrift with Belial? 2 Cor. vi. 14, 15. They may have a fhew and femblance of holiness, but they are strangers to true holiness, and therefore without God in the world. How fad is this cafe, jo be imployed in religious duties, but to have no fellowship

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