A Care Cloth, Sermon 1 · Chapter 13
CHAP. XIII. Containing the third vſe of the point, an exhortation to reforme the former negligence hereafter.
Vſe. 3 BVt let it not ſuffice you to be ſorrie for your faults a little for the preſent,Exhortation to more diligence. make your humiliation ſo thorow and ſound, that it may bring forth reformation. All you that baue hitherto gone along in your ſins without any care at all to mortifie them, now bee intreated to buckle on your harneſſe, and to learne to fight. It will not ſerue the turne for your ſoules health, that you repreſſe your ſinnes from breaking out ſcandalouſly to the eye of the World. It will not ſerue the turne, that you caſt out ſuch faults from your liues, as would ſcarce be tolerated in Heathens; you muſt fight againſt all ſinnes, inward ſinnes, ſecret luſts, hidden corruptions, and thoſe that moſt men count nothing; you muſt fight againſt the ſinnes that are moſt deare to you, and that you hauehave loued beſt, and followed moſt, and that Nature makes you moſt vnwilling and vnable to reſiſt; you muſt fight againſt the ſinnes of your owne age, and your owne conſtitution, and your owne eſtate, and your owne condition.
2. Now, I pray you, ſet to the workes, learne of God to know your right enemies, and to fight againſt them. Bee not afraid, becauſe wee talke of fighting the fight ſhall be without danger, for in this caſe the onelyonly perill is, not to fight. In other battailes, he that runs away, doth often ſcape better, then he that ſtands to it: but in this battaile, whoſoeuer flyes, dyes, and hee alone eſcapeth with life, that fights it out to the laſt. It is a noble quarrell, to fight for life and libertie againſt a meere vſurper, that hath no manner of title, and yet would make you ſlaues. Sin hath none intereſt to you; the Deuill is not your Creator, that hee ſhould make himſelfe your your Prince and your God. Theſe luſts againſt which we exhort you to fight, they are the deuils armies or garriſons, by which he holds you downe vnderunder his moſt vniuſt and tyrannical gouernment. O, rebell, rebell againſt the deuill, kill his Garriſons, ſet your ſelues at libertie. Fight againſt worldlineſſe, enuie, malice, pride, hypocriſie, wantonneſſe, wrath; fight againſt them; reſolue, that thou wilt neuer bee made a drudge by them, as thou haſt been; that they ſhall not hauehave the command of thine heart, and thy tongue, and thine hand, as they hauehave had, but that now through the Grace of God, thou wilt caſt away all theſe things. How thou ſhouldeſt fight, I hauehave ſhewed thee before: remember thoſe directions, and vſe them, and bee happie. O that any reaſonable man, much more any Chriſtian, ſhould be ſo baſe-minded, and of ſuch a ſeruile diſpoſition, as to bee content to make himſelfe a ſlaue to any wicked paſſion, to any ſinfull luſt, to any filthie vice, to any of the deputies of the Deuill, that rule for him, and vnderunder him. What ſay you, men and brethren, will you now ſet in to fight in good earneſt, againſt all your ſinnes? If you will, the Lord be with you, the Lord aſſiſt you, the Lord beate downe your foes before you, and we bleſſe you in his Name, in whoſe Name we hauehave exhorted you. If you will not, then hardly liue and die in thraldome for euer: for without this fight, there can be no libertie.
3. But now to thoſe that hauehave been ſlacke and careleſſe in this dutie, let mee ſound an alarme,Numb. 10.9. as the Prieſts with the ſiluer Trumpets in the Law, to reuiue their ſpirits, and put new hart into them, that they may with more zeale, and better courage, addreſſe themſelues to this moſt honourable warre. Now, my Brethren, giuegive more diligence to the mortifying of your earthly members, and let nothing daunt you, or withdraw you from this battaile. Remember the words that Ioab ſpake to Abiſhai his brother,2. Sam. 10.12. and make vſe of them for this purpoſe: Let vsus play the men for our People, and the Cities of our God, and let the Lord doe that, this is good in his ſight. It is not for your Countrey, and for your Countrey-men that you fight, but for your owne immortall ſoules that you muſt play the men; and here the battaile is not yours, but Gods; and the ſucceſſe is not doubtfull, but moſt certaine. Nothing can afford thee more comfort, then a conſtant reſolution in this fight; nay, without ſuch reſolution, nothing can afford thee true comfort. By this thou ſhalt ſhew and know thy ſelfe to bee a true Chriſtian, and procure to thy ſelfe an eternall Crowne of glorie. Remember the equitie of the cauſe, the neceſſitie of the warre, the fruit that ſhall redound from it, and the certaine aſſiſtance, acceptance, and reward, that God himſelfe will afford thee from Heauen. That proſperitie that thou haſt already met with in this warre, hath done thee more good, then all the world beſides can doe. Wouldſt thou for a World be in the ſame ſeruitude, which once thou waſt, before thou tookeſt in hand the mortifying of theſe earthly members? More diligence ſhall bring thee a fuller victorie; and a fuller victorie ſhall bring thee larger conſolation.
4. All that hot breath which men do ſpend, rather in blaſting the names, then healing the faults of their Brethren (when they are bitter and tart in iudging and condemning them) will be no whit at all beneficiall to themſelues; nay, neither themſelues, nor others, are the better for this warring. Turne your edge another way, and enter freſhly into the fight againſt your owne ſinnes, and let other men alone. Indeed in this warre, as in the naturall, eueryevery one muſt bee ready to lend aide, by ſeaſonable admonitions, vntounto his fellow-ſouldiers alſo, but the maine worke is, no make good each his owne ſtanding, and to repell the enemies which himſelfe is moſt aſſailed by. What words ſhall I vſe to perſwade you to this dutie? Your Captaine is Chriſt Ieſus; your fellow-ſouldiers are all the Saints on earth, and the Saints in Heauen hauehave all giuen you an honourable example of fortitude and conſtancie; and your enemies be baſe Rebels, and vile Run-awayes. March on then valiantly, and vnderunder ſuch a Captaine, with ſuch fellow-ſouldiers; agaiſt ſuch aduerſaries, be ready to ſpend your vtmoſt endeauours. You hauehave but three enemies, that ſeeke to keepe you out of Heauen, and the other two may doe you ſome trouble, but hurt they can doe you none at all, if you keep the fleſh downe, and put to death theſe members vponupon earth. All the wicked men on earth, and all the wicked Feinds in Hell, cannot make vsus guiltie of one euil word, or one euil thought, further then the corrupt fleſh within doth take their part, and ioyne with their temptations and ſollicitaion. Theſe be the traytors that betray vsus vntounto Satan and the World. O, therefore vſe them as traytors, purſue them, apprehend them, execute them. And ſo much for thoſe, that in trying themſelues, ſhall bee found either wholly, or in great part careleſſe of this worke.