A Care Cloth, Sermon 1 · Chapter 9
CHAP. IX. Shewing two more ſpirituall meanes of Mortificetion: Feare, and Watchfulneſſe.
NOw to theſe holy meditations and prayers, let vsus adde alſo an holy feare & miſdoubting of our ſelues,Feare of our ſelues, a meanes to mortiſie ſin. ſuſpecting our owne weakeneſſe, and euen trembling to thinke, that we may bee groſſely ouertaken. Bleſſed is hee that feareth alwayes, for this feare will bee the cauſe of ſafety to him. Whiles a ſoulier feareth his enemie, he keepes his harneſſe vponupon him, and wil not diſarme himſelfe, ſo long as he miſtruſteth the approch of an enemie: But ſecurity makes a man lay his weapons aſide, and giuegive himſelfe to pleaſure, eaſe, and ſleepe, and then if an enemie aſſault him, he is ſoone ſlaine, or put to flight. he that is afraid of falling into ſome deadly ſickneſſe, will eaſily bee perſwaded to looke to his diet, and to take ſome neceſſary phyſicke. Say therefore in thy ſelfe, O if I grow careleſſe, ſinne will quickly grow ſtrong in my weakeneſſe, and quickly raiſe vp it ſelfe againſt me, and doe my ſoule more miſchiefe then tongue can expreſſe! how hauehave many of Gods Saints beene foyled, that were farre and farre better then my ſelfe? ſhall not their miſery bee my warning? If ſuch Worthies were ouerthrowne and wounded, what will become of me? If I grow fooliſhly bold, and make too faire promiſes to my ſelfe: feare leſt one ſhall fall, will keepe him vpright, euen in a very ſlippery way: but ſoone are his feet caught from him, that looketh about, and neuer ſuſpecteth a fall. A moderate doubting of our own ſtrength, will quicken vsus to prayer and meditation. This vertuous ielouſie and ſuſpition of our weaknes, will make vsus ſhunne the occaſions of ſinne, and ſo preſerue vsus in ſafety, when others that are more ventrous, ſhall be ſooner foyled, though they be more ſtrong: when we feare our ſelues moſt, wee pray moſt to God, and moſt truſt in him; and prayer and confidence will keepe vsus in ſafety. Indeed, we neuer caſt off this warineſſe, and cautelouſneſſe, till wee bee firſt beguiled with the deceitfulneſſe of ſinne; and when it hath deceiued vsus, it will eaſily doe vsus a miſchiefe. Looke about, therefore, ſee how thou ſtandeſt inuironed with enemies, ſee what an ill nature thou haſt within thee, what a violent aduerſary without thee. Thou art like a beſieged City, full of traitors, the wiſe men in ſuch a City, will quickly miſtruſt and doubt the worſt; they will euer ſuſpect, that miſchiefe is plotting againſt them, and by fearing, they become carefull to preuent it. There is an exceſſuie feare that infeebles the knees, and weakens the hands, when a man caſts off hope, through feare, and will not perſwade himſelfe that hee can be ſafe by all his indeuours. Courage is gone, when ſuch feare enters; and what ſouldier can doe any thing, when his heart failes? But a moderate feare, that ſtill cauſeth a man to caſt the worſt with in himſelfe, but alone conditionally, (vnleſſe he be very diligent to preuent it:) this awakens courage, and by telling of the danger before, doth call vp the care of the ſoule, to preuent it. Feare was placed by God in the ſoule, as a Watchman or Sentinell, to diſcouer neere-approching dangers: and if wee wake this Sentinell, to keep his ſtanding place, and to hold his eyes from ſleeping, wee ſhall bee ſafe from the danger that will ouerwhelme the careleſſe. Feare of man breeds a ſnare, feare of pouerty, feare of death, feare of diſgrace in the world, puts vsus further into the danger; but feare of ſinne, feare leſt wee ſhould prouoke God, wound our conſciences, and ruſh vponupon ſuch courſes in our folly, which wee ſhall hauehave cauſe to rue euer after: this breedeth ſafety, and by this feare, wee ſhall happily fulfill our ſaluation.
2. Laſt of all, wee muſt be watchfull,Watchfulneſſe neceſſarie to mortification. which will ſurely follow from our being fearefull; for feare will hold the eyes open a great while together. The more waking eyes in an armie, the more ſafety; but if all be aſleepe, all may be ſurprized and killed, afore they be aware. When Saul, 1. Sam. 26 7, 8, 9, 10.and all his hoſt were ſeyzed vponupon with ſleepe, Dauid and Abiſhai came into the midſt of the Campe, to the Pauillion of the King, and then it was eaſie, with one blow, to hauehave diſpatched the King, and diſcomfited the armie. Spirituall watchfulneſſe is as neceſſary againſt ſpirituall enemies, as naturall wakefulneſſe againſt naturall. When Samſon ſlept, then the wicked flattering harlot Dalilah, did rob him of his lockes, and of his ſtrength, becauſe, againſt his vow of Nazariteſhip, a Razor had paſſed on his head. The Saints of God bee Nazarites, ſinne cannot put a Razor to their heads, till they fal aſleepe on its knees, till their minde ſlumber, and the eye of the minde winke, they can hardly be drawne to taſte of forbidden delights or profit: but when they are heedleſſe and careleſſe, then is their vow broken, and they thinke not of it; then their ſtrength becomes weakeneſſe, and then the Spirit is driuen from them. O let Samſon warne vsus, and let vsus take heede that our mindes be not rocked aſleepe in the lap of the world!Prou. 4.23, 24, 25, 26, 27. This watchfulneſſe is an attentiueneſſe of minde to all our actions and our wayes; a looking to our hearts, eyes, eares, tngues, hands, feet, and whole man. A due conſidering what corruptions wee are troubled with, what things hurt vsus, what doe helpe vsus, whether we grow ſtronger or weaker, whether corruptions decay or increaſe, and how our foule fareth. A looking to the motions that ariſe within, to the words and deeds that come forth. A marking, what we thinke, ſay, do, whither we goe, to what end, vponupon what warrant, vponupon what calling, that wee be not found looſe and wandring, and going, wee cannot tell why, nor whither, our ſelues. The ſoule is ſaid to bee awaken, when the eye of the minde is thus obſeruatiue of it ſelfe; and ſo long as it is thus with vsus, the leaſt ſtriuing of luſts is noted, and reſiſted, and ſo the greater diſorders are preuented; but when this obſeruation of our ſelues is abſent, ſinne gets head by little and little, and we find our ſelues in the hands of it, all of a ſudden, and know not how to get out. Wherefore, to all the parts of Chriſtian armour, watchfulneſſe muſt be ioyned: for what good can weapons do to a ſleeping man? and how can a ſleeping body fight, though hee bee neuer ſo well armed? When we forget that godlineſſe is the maine buſineſſe, and that our chiefe worke is, to keepe our felues vnſpotted of the world, and walke worthy of the calling whereto wee are called, and ſo ſuffer our minds to bee drawne away with other things, and neuer take care whether the things we doe be good or euill for our ſoules, nor whether they pleaſe God or no, but let the thoughts and words runne at randome, as it were; O how ſoone ſhall we be drawne into ſin, and how quickly will the members that are on earth grow big within vsus! Wherefore, as an eye muſt be had ſtill to mutinous and trecherous ſubiects, and they muſt bee obſerued what meetings they hauehave, to what places they goe, and what countenance they beare; ſo muſt we doe with our ſinnes. The eye of the minde muſt bend it ſelfe to theſe things, and not ſuffer any leſſe needfull matter to diuert it. A man in a ſleepe is little different from a dead man; and a Chriſtian and ſanctified ſoule, if it fall aſleepe in a careleſſe neglecting, and reckeleſſe diſregarding of its owne wayes, will behaue it ſelfe for the time but a very little better, then one that is dead in ſinnes and treſpaſſes. Now let your eyes bee alwayes open, and bent vponupon your owne wayes, and then you ſhall walke like liuing men indeed. Thus now hauehave I ſhewed you the beſt meanes I can gather out of Gods Word, to make you proſperous in your ſpirituall battailes. Bee moderate in the vſe of bodily contents: Flie farre from the occaſions of ſinne: Powre forth your hearts often before God in confeſſions, requeſts and Prayſes. Buſie your minds continually, in thinking of Gods holy nature, fearefull threats againſt ſinne, and gracious promiſes to the vpright, and of the bitter Paſſion of your bleſſed Sauiour. Be alwaies fearefull of your ſelues, be alwayes watchfull ouer your ſelues. Theſe things doe, and your ſoules ſhall thriue, and your luſts ſhall die, and you ſhall happily mortifie your members which are on earth, if alone you take another direction with you, concerning the manner of vſing theſe helpes.