Instructions About Heart-Work, Text (5 of 8)
2. In keeping the Thoughts exerciſed upon profitable and pertinent Objects. I told you before, that the unrulineſs of the Heart lies much in the unrulineſs of the Thoughts; and how much of the Heart government ſtands in the Government of the Thoughts; the beſt way to keep the Thoughts well governed, is to keep them well exerciſed. Thoſe Legions of Thoughts that are in the Heart, are like the Souldiers of an Army; if Souldiers be not kept to Action, they will hardly be kept under Command; when they lie idly and lazily in their Quarters, and have nothing to do, then they uſe to Mutiny, and to break out into diſorders; ſound an Alarum, and bring them to their Arms, and that's the beſt way to bring them to Order.
Keep your diſorderly mutinous Thoughts to exerciſe, and exerciſe them upon what they ought to be exerciſed upon; be thinking profitable Thoughts; be thinking upon Chriſt, upon the State of your Souls, upon the work of your Souls; be thinking pertinent Thoughts, ſuch as are proper to your preſent caſes, ſuch as are proper to the preſent Seaſon; when you are Hearing, fix your Thoughts intently upon what you hear; when you are Reading, think on what you Read; when you are Praying, think on what you Pray for; when at the Table of the Lord, think on what's before you, upon your Crucified Lord, upon the love, and kindneſs, and compaſſion of Chriſt to you; upon the Covenant you are Sealing, &c. Afterwards, think of what you have Heard, and Read, and prayed for, and received, and covenanted, &c. Do not divert to other good Thoughts that are not pertinent. Impertinent Thoughts though the matter of them be good, are unprofitable Thoughts. Pſal. 139.18. When I awake, I am ſtill with thee; my Thoughts are with God; as verſ. 17. How precious alſo are thy Thoughts to me? How great is the Number of them? If I ſhould count them, they are more in Number than the Sands of the Sea. [Thy Thoughts] that is, either Gods Thoughts towards him, or his Thoughts of God, and theſe Obſerve, 1. The gratefulneſs or acceptableneſs of ſuch Thoughts; how precious, how dear are they to me? It was a pleaſant thing to him to think of God. 2. The Multitude of his Thoughts of God; how great is the Summ of them? God hath many Thoughts of his Saints, and Saints have many Thoughts of God. 3. A ſpecial Seaſon of his thinking of God, [when I awake] theſe are my Morning Thoughts, no ſooner am I awake, but my Heart is in Heaven, and Pſal. 119.97. O how I love thy Law, it is my Meditation all the day; where ſee, 1. The matter of his Thoughts, the Law of God, or thoſe bleſſed matters, thoſe wonderful things contained in this Law, to be thinking of the Word of God, is to be thinking of God, of Chriſt, of Holineſs, of Heaven, of the way to Heaven, and the like things that are written in the Word, theſe are the matter of his Thoughts. 2. The Seaſons of his Meditations, and theſe are, every Seaſon; he is conſtantly thus exerciſed, all the day; his Morning thoughts are his continual Thoughts. 3. The Motive or Spring of his Meditations, O how I love thy Law! What we love, we ſhall eaſily be thinking of; if we love God, we ſhall be thinking of God, if we love our Souls, love Holineſs, love the Word, and wayes of God, our Thoughts will be upon them. Doſt thou not think on God, and the Law of God? 'Tis a ſign thou loveſt them not; well, this is the right governing our Thoughts, and which will prevent the wandrings and ſtraglings and unrulineſs of them, the holding them thus well exerciſed.
3. In holding our Affections and Paſſions to their proper Objects, and within their due Bounds; ſo as that we love only what we ſhould love, and as much and no more than we ſhould love it; to fear what we ſhould fear, and as much and no more than we ſhould fear it; to deſire what we ſhould deſire, and as much and no more than we ſhould deſire it; to be angry with what we ſhould be angry, and no more than we ſhould. I ſhall inſtance only in theſe Six Paſſions:
Our Love.
Our Deſire.
Our Joy.
Our Grief.
Our Fear.
Our Anger.
1. For our Love; this is then well Ordered, when we love only what we ſhould love, and as much and no more than we ſhould love it.
The Object of Love is good, and only good; nothing can be loved but that which is good, or apprehended ſo to be; and nothing ought to be loved, but that which [is] good. God is good, the chief and Supream good, the Fountain of all goodneſs, infinitely good: Good is the Lord, Exod. 34.6. Abundant in goodneſs and truth. Our danger here, is not of overloving, but of under-loving: God is to be loved, with all the Heart, and with all the Might; there is no danger here of erring in the exceſs; our beings are good, our Souls and Bodies; we are Gods Workmanſhip, and of all Gods works, 'tis ſaid Gen. 1. he ſaw that they were good. Our well-being and proſperity and happineſs is good; not only the Proſperity of our Souls, our proſpering in Grace and Holineſs, our growing rich unto God, but the Proſperity of our Bodies and outward man; our Health and our Eſtates, is good, Joh. 3. I wiſh that thou maieſt proſper and be in Health, even as thy Soul proſpereth. The Creatures are good; our Bread, and our Cloaths, and our Houſes, which are for the comfort of our Bodies; every Creature of God is good, being ſanctified by the Word and Prayer, 1 Tim. 4.4. The Proſperity of our Neighbours, eſpecially thoſe of the houſhold of Faith, this alſo is a good that we ſhould love. Touching our Souls, our danger is, that we do not love theſe according to the price and worth of a Soul, which is more than all the World, Mat. 16. or elſe, that we do not love them aright, ſo as to ſeek their good. Touching our Bodies, and the Creatures that are for the Health and proſperity of our Bodies, the great danger is of over-loving them; of loving them more than we ſhould, and more than they are worth. This is the order that ſhould be in well-govern'd Hearts, we ſhould love the Creatures for our Bodies, we ſhould love our Bodies for our Souls, we ſhould love them all, and our Neighbours good alſo for God, and we ſhould love love God for himſelf And this ought to be the Meaſure of our Love, we ſhould love God with all our might; we ſhould love our Souls as far forth as ſerves to the Honour of God; we ſhould love our Bodies, our Health and bodily Proſperity, as far as they are ſerviceable to our Souls; and we ſhould love the Creatures, our Houſes, our Money, our Eſtates, as far forth as they may be uſeful to our Bodies, in the Service of our Souls, and to our Bodies and Souls in the Service of God; and we ſhould love our Neighbour as our ſelves.
An Heart that is ſet right in its love, is a well governed Heart; this is the orginal of the diſorder that is in our lives, the diſorder of our love. Why is it that theſe Bodies, and our Bodily Proſperity, is ſought more than our Souls? why do we ſeek Riches, and Pleaſure, and Eaſe, and Money, more than we ſeek Grace and Holineſs? O we love the Creature too much, and we love God and our Souls too little.
O, it were well with the ſinful World, better than it is, if they loved God and their Souls, as well as they love their Bodies and Eſtates; but Sinner, for thy part, thou doſt not ſo; thou ſayeſt thou loveſt God, thou ſayeſt thou loveſt thy Soul, thou ſayeſt theſe are the gteat things thine Heart is upon; no, thou doſt not love God as thou loveſt that Carkaſs of thine, thou doeſt not love God as well as thou loveſt thy Money, or thy Pleaſures, or thy Health; thy very Luſts, thy Carnal Sports and Merriments, thy vile Companions, and thy Sins, thou art ſuch a vile Brute, that thou loveſt theſe more than thou loveſt God or thy Soul; thou art better pleaſed, thou art better ſatisfied, when the Corn and the Wine increaſeth, when thou Proſpereſt in this World, than with any hopes thou haſt towards God for thy Soul. What is the Pleaſure of thine Heart? When art thou moſt merry, and beſt contented? When is it with thee as thou wouldſt have it, but when thou art in Health, and Proſpereſt in theſe outward things? God is diſhonoured, and neglected by thee, God is angry with thee, and yet thou art well enough contented; thy Soul languiſheth, it is a blind and ignorant Soul, it is a ſinful and guilty Soul, it is a ſtupid and hardned Soul, it is a periſhing and dying Soul; thy Soul is in the hands of the Devil, thy Soul is a dead Soul, even dropping into Hell; and yet for all this, thou ſitteſt there at thine Eaſe, and art nothing troubled at it; thou art Rich, and haſt Money enough, at leaſt thou haſt an Houſe, and haſt Bread enough; thou art in thy Health and thy Strength, and ſo long thou careſt not, thou art not troubled about, thou wilt not ſo much as think, How is it with my Soul? Is not my poor Soul ready to periſh, and like to be Damned for my Sins? And wilt thou yet ſay, thou loveſt thy Soul? 'Twere well for thee, better than 'tis, if thou loveſt thy Soul, as thou loveſt thy Fleſh, nay, as thou loveſt thy dirty Pleaſures, and vile Companions, thy Horſes in thy Stable, thy Pigs at the Trough, thy very Dogs, thou loveſt better than thou loveſt thy Soul; this is the wickedneſs of every Sinner among you; and where the Soul is leſs loved, God himſelf is leſs loved than theſe vile things; yet thou wilt ſay, Thou loveſt God; no, thou doſt not love him as thou loveſt the Dirt of thy Heels, the Luſts of thy Fleſh.
O wonder, wonder, Sinners, and be aſtoniſhed at your Selves, that ever there ſhould be ſuch a vile and wretched Heart within you, and yet you ſhould ſit here, or go up and down the World, as well pleaſed with your ſelves, as well ſatisfied with your ſelves, as you are. Who would think, that behold Sinners Faces, how merry they look; who would think theſe merry ones, ſhould have ſuch a vile and wicked Heart within them?
How is it with thee Sinner? What aileth thee? I am well, I thank God: Well art thou? What, and have ſuch a Devil in thy Boſome, ſuch a wicked Heart, as deſpiſeth the Lord, and makes a God of thy Belly, or thy Money, or thy Pleaſure? The Lord make you deeply ſenſible of this wickedneſs, for 'tis certainly your caſes; 'twere better with you than it is, if you had loved God as well as you do the Beaſts that periſh, if you loved your Souls as well as you do thoſe rotting and periſhing Carkaſes.
And for you that are Chriſtians, who do love your Souls more than your Bodies, and God more than all, yet it is ſo little that God hath the Preheminence in your Love, that you are hard put to it in your Examination, to prove whether the love of God hath the Preheminence in you or no; whether there be not ſomething that you love more than God. It is a ſhame for us, Friends, that the love of God is no more perfected in us; that there is no more ſenſible ſtrength of our Love to God, that we ſhould be ſo often put to it, to Queſtion which we love beſt, God or our ſelves, God or this preſent World. Well, this ſhould be the Order and Meaſure of your Love, as I ſaid before, that God be firſt loved, next our Souls, then our Bodies, and after that the Creatures which are for the Bodily Proſperity; that the Creature be loved no farther than it is ſerviceable to the Health of our Bodies, and our Bodies loved in order to the ſervice of our Souls, and all ſo much, and no more, than conduces to the Honour and Service of God; this ſhould be the Order and Meaſure of our Love, and this would be one Fruit of the due Government of our Hearts.
That I may the more effectually perſwade you to ſet up and keep up this Government in your Hearts, let me aſk you,
Queſt. 1. Can you except againſt this Order and Meaſure of your Love? Order in the Heart, is as neceſſary as Order in a Kingdom, Army, or Family; and a due Order in our Love, is neceſſary to the keeping up Order in the Heart.
1. Conſider, Order in the Heart is as neceſſary as Order in a Kingdom, &c. What is a Kingdom, if there be no Order in it? What is an Army, what is a Family, where there is no order in it? What is there but Confuſion and Ruin? All runs into confuſion, all runs to ruin where no Order is, Jam. 3.16. Where envy and ſtrife is, there is confuſion and every evil work; where envy and ſtrife is, there is diſorder; good Order would prevent ſtrife and envying; and where no good Order is, there is confuſion and every evil work; O what Tumults and Mutinies are there in our diſorderly Hearts! there is no good doing, and there is every evil work.
2. Order in our Love is neceſſary to the keeping our whole Hearts in Order: upon the right Order and Meaſure of our Love, will follow the right Ordering of all our Affections; there's no one of all our Affections but will be in good Order, if our Love be in Order; if we love what we ſhould love, we ſhall hate what we ſhould hate, and fear what we ſhould fear, and deſire what we ſhould deſire, and grieve for what we ſhould grieve, and be angry only at what we ſhould be angry; and when there is a due Meaſure in our Love, where we love as much as we ſhould, we ſhall hate as much as we ſhould, and fear, and grieve, and rejoice as much as we ſhould, and no more; the motions and workings of all our Affections do follow and flow from the working of our Love; as when we love God, we ſhall hate and fear and grieve for all that is contrary to God, ſo when we love God as much as we ſhould, that is above all, and with all our Hearts, we ſhall deſire him above all, and hate and grieve for ſin which is contrary to God, with all our Hearts.
The Reaſon why we hate not ſin as we ſhould, why we fear not ſin, and grieve not for ſin; the Reaſon why we deſire no more after God, why we deſire Grace no more, and Holineſs no more, it is becauſe we have no more love to God and his Holineſs. The Reaſon why we love that we ſhould not love, and deſire and fear what we ſhould not, the Reaſon of our Carnal griefs and Worldly Sorrows, thoſe Sorrows that bring Death, 2 Cor. 7. is becauſe we duly love not God; more love to God would help and heal thoſe inordinate Paſſions; you would never be lovers of this Self, of this Fleſh, of this World, of theſe Pleaſures, did you duly love God and the things of God, you complain of the unrulineſs of your Paſſions, of your frettings, and vexings and the unquietneſs of your Hearts; you complain of the hardneſs of your Hearts, you cannot hate ſin as you ſhould, nor mourn for ſin, nor fear it as you ſhould; this you ſay is your Affliction, and you know not how to help it; why, do but get more love to God, more intenſe and ardent love to Him and his Holineſs, and you will find all theſe Diſtempers to fall, then you will hate and fear and mourn for ſin as you ought to do; there will be an end of your complainings of hardneſs of Heart, that you can't fear, nor grieve, nor mourn for ſin; there will be an end of your complainings of your over-loving the World, of your unreaſonable paſſions, and frettings, and anger, at what you ſhould not, when once you have gotten duely to love the Lord.
Well, by this you ſee the Order in the Heart, and in ſpecial the due Order and Meaſure of your love that is neceſſary, and how neceſſary it is.
Can you therefore except againſt this Order and Meaſure of your Love? What ſhould be firſt and chiefly loved? Wilt thou not ſay, That God ſhould be he? Which ſhould be moſt in our Love, our Bodies, or our Souls? Will you not every one ſay, O my Soul, my Soul is of more worth than my Body, and more worthy of my Love? Which ſhould be more loved, your Bodies, or your Eſtates, and the Creatures you enjoy? Surely you would all ſay in this, as Chriſt ſaid, Mat. 6.25. The Life is more than Meat, and the Body than Raiment; what would you think of ſuch a Man, that loves his Money more than his own Body; that would ſuffer his Body to Starve, and Pine, rather than ſpend his Money upon it? you would ſay, This Man is a Monſter; and is not he as much a Monſter who loves his Body more than his Soul, or himſelf more than God, as he who loves his Money more than his Body? Chriſtians, would you not count it well with you, if your Love were thus regulated? What if you could now feel that which you have ſo often queſtioned and doubted, whether it be ſo or no, that you can now love God above all, that the whole ſtream of your Love, did run into the Ocean? If you could feel ſuch ſtrong, and ſuch lively, and ſuch paſſionate workings of your Hearts towards God, ſuch dearneſs and ſuch tenderneſs, and ſuch ſtrength and ardency of Affection to the Lord; if you could feel your Hearts burning within you, with the Divine Love; if theſe Hearts were all flameing Hearts, and flaming upwards, and that ſo ſenſibly and ſo ſtrongly, that there might be a reſolving of that doubt; and you ſa… it true beyond queſtion, and you could ſay, Now I feel who hath mine Heart; none but God, none but Chriſt; Whom have I in Heaven but thee? there's nothing in the Earth that I love, in compariſon of thee. God is the love of my Heart, and my Portion for ever; what if you could now feel it thus within you? What if from your own ſenſe and experience, you could heartily ſpeak out ſuch words? Take this Heart to thee, O Lord; thine it is, thou art mine only Love, and nothing will I love or regard but in Order to thee; would you not bleſs your ſelves in ſuch an experience? Would it not be Marrow and Fatneſs to your Souls? Would you not rejoyce in the Lord, and triumph in Chriſt, and praiſe his Holy Name, that had wrought you to that paſs? That God ſhould have thus gotten to be the chief in your love, and Self, and Fleſh, and the whole World, were brought to ſtoop and ſtand aſide, yea, and to be trampled on, in compariſon of him? Sure you that are Chriſtians, would count it happy with you if it were thus, and I dare ſay concerning you, this is it you pray for, and hope for, and wait, and thirſt, and long after, and would count it an infinitely greater matter of joy and praiſe, than if the Corn, and the Wine, and the Oyl, if all the Pomps, and Pleaſures, and Grandeur of the World were increaſing unto you, and were rolling in upon you; and therefore you for your parts have nothing to except againſt this Order and Meaſure of your love.
Qu. 2. But how is it with you? If it be an excellent thing, if it be a bleſſed thing to have our Hearts brought into ſuch a Frame and Order, what do ye find? Are you made partakers of this bleſſedneſs? O the Lord help me, I am far ſhort of it; I can feel that I love this World, I need no tryal whether I love this Fleſh or no, whether I love my Credit or no, whether I love my Money, or my Lands, or mine Eaſe, or my Pleaſures; I feel I love theſe things, but whether I love my Soul as I ought, whether I love God as I ought, there's my great doubt; and I fear I do not. Doſt thou fear? Doſt thou doubt whether thou loveſt thy Soul, as thou loveſt the World? Whether thou loveſt thy God as thou loveſt thy Fleſh? And is there any thing but need then, that thou ſhouldſt be brought to a better paſs? Canſt thou be quiet? canſt thou be comforted in any thing, whileſt it is thus with thee? Chriſtians, would you ever be clearly ſatisfied concerning your eternal State, that you ſhall hereafter dwell in the eternal Love? Would you be comforted touching your preſent Caſe, that God is your God; That Chriſt is your Jeſus; That the Covenant, and the Promiſes, and the Mercies of God are yours, that you are paſſed from Death to Life, that your Names are written in Heaven, and that you are Enrolled amongſt the Saints, and ſhall have an Inheritance with the Saints in Light? Then put hard on for this bleſſed Frame of Heart; let it henceforth be the great thing in your Eye, look for it, pray for it, reach forth towards it; down with this World, tread upon this Earth, and Fleſh, love nothing but what God would have you love, love nothing but in ſubordination to God. Dread the encroachments of the Creatures upon the Right of God; deſpiſe theſe carnal Pleaſures, deſpiſe this Money, and theſe Lands, or this Credit, ſo far forth as they ſtand in competition with God; ſet your Foot upon the Necks of them all; give your Hearts unto the Lord, and let him be your Love and your Delight, and your Portion for ever.
2. For our Deſires, in this as in the former, we muſt deſire what we ſhould deſire, and as much as, and no more than we ſhould deſire it; the Object of our deſires is the ſame with the Object of our Love; that which is Good.
Now of all the Good which may or ought to be deſired,
1. Something is to be deſired Abſolutely and Ʋltimately, and thus God only is to be deſired,
2. Other good things are to be deſired Abſolutely but Subordinately; and thus the firſt Grace is to be deſired, and the evelaſting Happineſs of our Souls, abſolutely, but ſubordinately; we are to deſire our own bleſſedneſs, but chiefly that therein God may be glorified.
3. Other good things are to be deſired in ſubordination and with ſubmiſſion. And thus the higher Degrees of Grace, the beſt and moſt advantageous Means of Grace, Gifts, the gift of Prayer, gifts for Edification, &c. theſe all are to be deſired with ſubmiſſion to the will of God; the firſt Grace, or ſaving Grace we are not to deſire with ſubmiſſion (ſo as to be content to be deny'd it) no not to the will of God; for there is no ſuch will of God for us to ſubmit to: God would not have any Man to ſubmit to it, to be for ever left an Enemy, or a Reprobate from God. God would not have any Man content to be Damned. Indeed, the worſt of Sinners muſt be ſilent to God, though he Damn them for their ſins, and not charge God fooliſhly, but acknowledge that he is Righteous in Damning them; but they are not required to ſubmit or be contented to be Damned. The firſt grace, ſincerity in Grace is to be deſired abſolutely, but as to higher Degrees in Grace, the gifts of Grace, the means of Grace, &c. theſe are to be deſired but only with ſubmiſſion.
4. Other good things muſt be deſired with ſubmiſſion and Moderation; thus all Temporal good things are to be deſired;
1. With ſubmiſſion; We may and ought to deſire our Bodily Health, our Life, and our Proſpering in the World, but this muſt be put in (if it be the will of God, and for the honour of God;) And if it be the will of God to deny us, therein we muſt ſubmit.
2. With Moderation; We ſhould not deſire great things for our ſelves, nor any thing too earneſtly; we may ſeek outward good things, but with a great indifferency; we muſt not be greedy ſeekers. Greedineſs notes, 1. A deſire after much, 'tis not a little that will ſatisfie the greedy mind. 2. An eager Deſire, a greedy Appetite is a ravenous Appetite, which ſcarce any thing will ſatisfie or quench; and ſuch an Appetite we muſt not allow in our ſelves after theſe Temporal things.
We muſt deſire an increaſe of Grace, yea, and of the gifts of Grace, Earneſtly, 1 Cor. 14.31. Covet earneſtly the beſt gifts; we muſt not be content with a little Grace; though we muſt ſubmit to Gods diſpenſation, we muſt not ſo ſubmit to be of little Faith, as not to ſeek, and ſeek earneſtly for an increaſe; yet ſo far we muſt ſubmit, as to be without murmuring, yea and to be thankful for that little we have. Reach forth to the things that are before, preſs hard on towards the Mark; be zealous in contending for the higheſt pitch of Grace and Holineſs; yea and as to the gifts of Grace, the Apoſtle exhorts, 1 Cor. 14.12. Seek that ye may excell, to the Edifying of the Church. Thoſe that do not preſs on after an increaſe in Grace, 'tis a ſign they have no Grace in them that's True; here, he that is content with a little, 'tis an Evidence that he hath nothing. Let your eye be upon getting up to the higheſt form of Chriſtians, ſo as to excell and ſhine forth moſt gloriouſly in the Grace of God; but if notwithſtanding all your endeavours, you ſtill fall ſhort, and it continue to be low with you, murmur not at God: Blame your ſelves that you have no more, there's the fault, you are not ſtraitned in the Lord but in your own Bowels, in your own narrow Hearts; yet ſtill, as little as you have, be thankful that there is ſomething of the Grace of God in you; if ye be ſome of the loweſt of the Servants of the Lord, yet bleſs him that you are his Servants, ſtill contending and that earneſtly to riſe and increaſe more and more.
This increaſe of Grace, and of the gifts of Grace, is to be deſired with ſubmiſſion, but yet earneſtly; but in ſeeking after Temporal good things, there muſt be not only ſubmiſſion, but great Moderation; we muſt neither ſeek much of them, nor be over eager in our deſiring of them.
From what hath been ſaid, will follow theſe Three Directions for governing your deſires.
1. Quicken and enlarge your deſires after God and the good things above, and deſire them as much as you ſhould.
2. Curb and limit your deſires after the good things below, and deſire them no more than you ſhould.
3. Cruſh and crucifie your deſires after the Evil and hurtful things below, and deſire them not at all.
1. Quicken and enlarge your deſires after God and the good things above, and deſire them as much as you ſhould. Fear not tranſgreſſing in the exceſs; you can't deſire God or his Grace too much; enlarge your deſires.
1. Deſire to have as much as you can. Deſire as much of God, as much Grace as poſſible; ſeek great things for your ſelves here; the more of God you can get, the more bleſſed are you; and the more Grace you have, the more of God you have. Deſire to abound and excell in the Grace of God; get as much Likeneſs to God, as much Love to God, as much Faith in God, as much ſence of the Love, and Goodneſs and Kindneſs of God, as your Hearts can hold. The Apoſtle prays for the Coloſſians, Chap. 1.9. That they might be filled with the Knowledge of God, in all Wiſdom and Spiritual underſtanding, and Verſ. 11. Strengthned with all Might, according to his glorious Power. What is his deſire for them, let be your deſires for your ſelves; that you may be filled with the Knowledge and Grace of God, that you may be as full of God, as Sinners are full of the Devil; that you may be as full of Love, as Sinners are of Luſt; that you may be as full of Holineſs, as they are of Wickedneſs. Sinners are full of ſin, Acts 13.10. O thou full of all ſubtilty and guile: The Devil fills their Hearts, Acts 5. Why hath Sathan filled your Hearts? Get your Hearts to be emptied of the Devils fulneſs, and to be filled with all the fulneſs of God. Let this be your deſire, Chriſtians, not to have ſomething of God, ſomething of the grace of God; let not a little content you; ſeek to have all grace to abound in you; let this be your Ambition, to get up to be the beſt of Chriſtians, the chiefeſt of Saints, the leaſt and loweſt in your own eſteems, but the higheſt in the grace of God; ſeek as much grace as poſſible.
2. Deſire God and his Grace with as much earneſtneſs and intention of Soul as poſſible. Let your deſires be large deſires, and let them be ardent deſires; let your Hearts burn in Love, and burn in Holy deſires after God; let this be the one thing you deſire, Pſal. 27.4. One thing have I deſired of the Lord, that I may dwell in the Houſe of the Lord, and behold the beauty of the Lord; here Note, 1. God and all the things of God are but one thing, and our deſire after all theſe, is our deſiring but one thing; In deſiring God, we deſire the grace of God, and the means of grace, and the delights and comforts of God; and our deſiring of grace and the things of God, is our deſiring God; to deſire God and to deſire grace is one and the ſame thing. 2. The Saints deſiring after God and his grace, are ſtrong deſires; the fixing of the deſires upon one thing, notes the intention of our deſires; when the whole Stream runs in one Channnel, and towards one point, it runs more ſtrongly; when the Heart is divided betwixt many things, God hath ſomething of the deſire, and the World alſo hath its part and ſhare with God, its Motions are the more weakly towards him.
O ſtir up and quicken your deſires after God, and that they may be quickned into the more ſtrong deſires, unite them, let all your deſires be after this one thing, the grace and good will of the Lord.
Chriſtians, let me aſk you, What would you have? What is it you deſire? O let the Lord be my God; let me have grace from the Lord; but what of God, how much of the grace of God would content you? It may be ſome of you would anſwer, O! if it were never ſo little; if I could have Faith, though it were but as a grain of Muſtard-Seed; if I could get any thing of God in my Heart, if by the grace of God in me, this Heart of mine might be but as a bruiſed Reed, and ſmoaking Flax, if I might get any thing that God would not deſpiſe, this ſhould ſatisfie me; 'Tis true, the leaſt degree of ſaving grace, the leaſt Beam of the Divine Light, the firſt ſpringing of the Life of God in us, the leaſt Spark of his Holy Image, our deſires ſhould be ſo far fixed on this, that nothing ſhort of this, nothing ſhort of the truth of Grace, ſhould in the leaſt ſuffice us; and we ſhould be thankful for the very firſt grace, if we ſhould never have any more, or riſe no higher. But are there not ſome that would have this, and care for no more; that bound and limit their deſires to the firſt and loweſt degrees of grace? This deſire is not the deſire of the Children of God; thou mayeſt go to Hell with ſuch deſires after God: he that deſires not to be perfectly Holy, is not ſincerely Holy.
Do you deſire God? do you deſire grace? Stir up and enlarge your deſires; let thoſe narrow Hearts open their Mouths wide; be covetous Chriſtians, covet much, and covet earneſtly theſe beſt of gi…ts; ſay with the Pſalmiſt, This one thing I deſire; nothing but God, nothing but grace, take Corn and Wine who will, take the Gold and the Silver who will, let the Lord God be mine, and that ſhall ſuffice me. Deſire God only, and follow after God fully, as Pſalm 63.8. My Soul followeth hard after thee. Friends, you have ſome Wiſhes, and ſome weaker deſires after the Lord, O quicken up theſe fainty Hearts; look oftner before you, how worthy the Lord is of all your deſires; what a Jewel, what a Treaſure the grace of God is; look oftner Heaven-ward, get a ſight of God and his glorious Treaſures, live more in the Contemplation of his glory and goodneſs; it is the ſight of the Object that muſt kindle and quicken deſires; you that have cold Hearts Heaven-ward, 'tis a ſign your Eye is little in Heaven. Believe it, ſome clearer views of the Love, and Goodneſs, and Holineſs, and Kindneſs, and Glory of the Lord, would whet your Appetites, would put Life into thoſe dull Deſires, would make you hungry Souls, and thirſty Souls, and longing Souls; O look oftner upward; dwell in the Mountain of Spices; get ſome Taſte and Reliſh of the goodneſs of God, by being more conſtantly converſant with him, and this will ſet abroach all your Veſſels, your Souls would ſtream forth in the Words and Sighs of the Pſalmiſt, Pſal. 42.1. As the Hart panteth after the Water Brooks, ſo panteth my Soul after thee, O God. My Soul thirſteth for God, for the living God.
2. Curb and limit your deſires after the good things below, and deſire them no more than you ſhould: particularly
1. Deſire not over much of them. The beſt Food, the beſt Phyſick, if we take too much of it, becomes hurtfull and pernicious; when the Stomach is overcharged, and ſo when the Heart is overcharged, it ſurfets, and ſuffereth prejudice by what it hath received. That Prayer of Agur, Prov. 30.8. ſhould be the deſire of Chriſtians, Feed me with Food convenient; a convenient Habitation, a competent Portion of theſe Earthly things ſhould be the Proportion of our deſires. O, if Men knew what were enough, and when they had enough, it would prevent the extravagancy of our deſires, Jer. 45.5. Seekeſt thou great things to thy ſelf? Seek them not. Thou canſt not bear great things; great Poſſeſſions are great Temptations. Seek no greater things than thou canſt bear; a Ship that hath more than its Load, will ſink and drown. The Journey or Voyage of the Heart is upwards, you are Travelling Heaven-wards; this Earth, the more you have of it, preſſes you down-ward, and hinders your aſcending. O how much nearer Heaven might ſome of our Hearts have aſcended, how much nearer to God and Glory might we have gotten, had we not been clogged with the things of this Earth? Some Men are too Rich, and too Proſperous in this World, to be Spiritually-minded. Great Eſtates bring great Cares, and encumbring Buſineſs, ſo that they cannot be at liberty, nor at leiſure to think on God, or their Souls. Deſire only ſo much of the World, as is beſt for you; and that proportion is beſt for you, which will help you Heaven-ward, and leaſt hinder you; know what is a competency, and deſire no more. That's not a competency which is enough to ſatisfie your Appetite; you will never ſay you have enough, if you will ſtay till your Appetite ſay, It is enough; this is like thoſe two Daughters of the Horſe-Leach, Prov. 30.15. that ſtill cry, Give, give; Get, get, and never ſay, It is enough. That is not a competency which will ſatisfie your Appetite, but that which will comfortably ſerve your neceſſities; know what is a competency, and deſire no more.
2. Deſire them not over earneſtly; be not over hungry and greedy Souls; deſire but a competency, and deſire it but moderately; that you may not over-deſire theſe Earthly good things, do not over-prize them. Carry it towards the good things below, as Sinners carry it towards Chriſt, and the good things above; how do Sinners carry it towards Chriſt? They make light of him, Iſa. 53.2. They ſee no beauty in him, that they ſhould deſire him. See as little beauty in the World, as Sinners ſee in Chriſt; make as light of the good things of the Earth as they do of the good things of Heaven, and then your deſires will be as cold after theſe things as theirs are after Chriſt; O if Chriſtians did deſire this Earth no more than Sinners deſire Heaven, how mortified would all their Earthly deſires be.
Mortifie your inordinate deſires after the World; quench your thirſt after the good things thereof, or elſe theſe deſires will mortifie and quench your thirſt after God.
Chriſtians, you would fain love God more; it is your Affliction that your Affections to things above are ſo dull and ſo flat, that you have no more ſtrong and working deſires Heaven-ward; abate your deſires to things below, and then they will riſe more to the things above; never look to love God more than you do, till you love the World leſs than you do. Do ye mean to hold up at this height, in your Carnal deſires? Will you not ſet Bounds to your Earthly Appetites? Then count upon it, God is like to have little of your Hearts; of ſo great conſequence is the bounding and abating of your Worldly deſires, that if ever you would love, or deſire, or ſeeek God more than you do, you [muſt] ſtrike Sail, and drive on more moderately, and more mortifiedly towards the World.
Love this World leſs, and you will deſire it leſs; deſire it leſs, and you will ſeek it leſs; ſeek the World leſs, and you are like to be in good earneſt Seekers of God.
Quench your thirſt, Friends, quench your thirſt after theſe ſtollen Waters: drink deep Draughts of the Water of Life, and you will no longer thirſt ſo after theſe puddle Waters, Joh. 4.14. Whoſoever drinketh of the Water that I ſhall give him, ſhall never thirſt; that is, after theſe Carnal Things. You who have ſuch thirſty Souls after the Waters of your own Ciſterns, 'tis a ſign that you are little at the Fountain of Living Waters. Thou haſt not drank of the Rock of the Wilderneſs, who ſo luſteſt after the Rivers of Egypt. Chriſtians, dwell more at the Springhead, drink of the Fountain, let out your deſires more after God; Taſte more of the ſweetneſs of Chriſt; let down your Pitchers into the Wells of Salvation, fetch in more of that Living-Water; lye more at the Breaſts, deſire more the ſincere Milk of the Word, and ſuck in that Milk. Drink more of the Wine that is prepared in the Kingdom of God; my meaning is, live more with God, feed upon Chriſt, delight your ſelves more in God, ſolace and ſatisfie your ſelves more in Communion with God, acquaint your ſelves more inwardly and experimentally with the ſweetneſs of Religion, and this will be the beſt way to quench your thirſt, and abate your deſires after theſe Carnal Things. Deſire them ſtill you may, and you will, as far forth as they are good for you, and as far as your Heavenly Father ſees them needful for you; but there will be an end of your greedy, and ravenous, and inſatiable deſires; if you deſire God as much as you ſhould, you will deſire the World no more than you ſhould.
3. Cruſh your deſires after the evil and hurtful things below, ſo as not to deſire them at all. The Pleaſures of Sin, and the Pomps and Pride of this Life, and the Gains of Unrighteouſneſs, deſire them not at all. Theſe can never be good for you, and therefore are not to be deſired. It cannot be good to grow Rich by Fraud or Oppreſſion, they are curſed Gains that come in that way; the Pompous Pride of the World, and the ſinful Sports and Pleaſures of the World, theſe are the Bane and Poyſon of Souls; a Cup of Poyſon is not more Mortal to the Body than theſe Cups of Fornication or ſinful Pleaſures are to the Soul; and therefore deſires after theſe muſt not be limited or moderated, but be cruſhed and crucified. I told you before, of two Inſtruments of Government, a Spur, and a Curb: and the needfulneſs and uſe of theſe in the Government of your Deſires, you have ſeen in the two former Directions; the need of a Spur to quicken our deſires after God and his Grace; of a Curb, to reſtrain and limit our Deſires after the good things of the World; and now I ſhall tell you of a Third Inſtrument of Government, and that is a Croſs or a Gibbet, to Execute and Crucifie our Deſires after the Evils of the World: what Government can be without Laws? And what are Laws without Penalties? And what are Penalties if there be no Execution? There muſt be Gallows and Gibbets ſet up to cut off Malefactors, or there's like to be but poor Government. The deſires after theſe Evil things of the World, are Malefactors that muſt be cut off and Crucified, Gal. 6.14 I am Crucified to the World by the Croſs of Chriſt; that is, my ſinful Love of the World, my luſting after the World; thoſe three Worldly Luſts in ſpecial, the Luſts of the Fleſh, the Luſts of the Eye, and the Pride of Life, theſe are all Crucified by the Croſs of Chriſt. Moderate your Deſires after theſe good things of the World, but kill your deſires after theſe Evil things. Doſt thou deſire the ſinful Pleaſures of the World? Art thou for a wanton or voluptuous Life? Doſt thou deſire the Gain of Unrighteouſneſs that comes in by Fraud or Oppreſſion, by ſhortning or detaining the Hire of thy poor Labourers? Art thou for growing Rich, by ſtraitening, or ſtarving, or ruining thy poor Workmen? Doſt thou affect a Proud, or a Pompous Life? O Kill and Crucifie all ſuch Deſires; Nail them to the Croſs; hang up theſe Malefactors; let there not be a Luſt left in thee after theſe wickedneſſes, but bring it forth to Execution; let there be no ſuch Deſires found alive in your Hearts. Leave it to the Epicures and Fornicators of the World to be Sons of Pleaſure; leave it to the Horſe-leaches of the Earth, to be Blood-Suckers, to thirſt after ſuch Gain as is wrung out of the Bowels of the Poor; leave it to the Butterflies, and Wantons of the World, to affect Mimical and Pompous Gaudry; let Chriſtians know no ſuch Deſires, much leſs allow them, and foſter them, where they feel them working and riſing.
And as I hinted to you but now, know that the two laſt Directions, Curb and Cruſh, will be eaſieſt to be Obſerved, if the firſt, quicken Deſires after God and Grace, be diligently proſecuted. And therefore here I in ſpecial exhort you to give all diligence, enlarge and whet your Appetites after God and the things above. Remember what I told you but now; acquaint your ſelves with God, live more in the Contemplation of God, live more in Communion with God, get you into the inſide of Religion; keep you cloſe by God, keep you near to Chriſt, let your deſire be to your Father, let your deſire be to your Huſband; be able to ſay with the Church, Iſa. 26.8, 9. The deſire of my Soul is to thy Name, and to the remembrance of thee, with my Soul have I deſired thee in the Night, yea, with my Spirit within me will I ſeek thee early; deſire the Lord, till you can delight in the Lord; delight your ſelves in the Lord, and then you will deſpiſe thoſe deſires of ſmall things that take up the Hearts of Worldlings. Shall I forſake my Fatneſs, ſaith the Olive-Tree? Shall I forſake my ſweetneſs, ſaith the Fig-Tree, and become King over the Trees? Judges 9.9, 11. Shall I forſake the Fatneſs of the Olive, the ſweetneſs of the Fig-Tree, and feed my Soul on theſe Brambles and wild Vines, which are the Luſts of Fooliſh Worldlings? He that hath drank Old Wine, will not deſire the New, for he ſaith the Old is better. God hath better things for you to deſire; better Wine, better Pleaſures, better Inheritances for you; O live ſo with God, live ſo upon Chriſt, that you may get you a Taſte of his better Wine, a Taſte of his ſweeter Pleaſures, a Taſte of the Fatneſs of Heaven, and then you will the more deſpiſe this Earth and the Fulneſs thereof.
You now that are for Government in your Hearts, for the Government of your deſires, take this courſe for thus Governing of them; deſire God and the things above as much as you ſhould, deſire the good things below no more than you ſhould, deſire the evil things below not at all; get your deſires after Lawful things to be moderated, your deſires after ſinful things to be Crucified; put Wings to your Holy deſires, put Clogs and Fetters upon your Natural deſires, and up to the Croſs, to the Gibbet, with theſe ſinfull deſires; and herein have you ſet up the Lord to be the King in your Hearts, and brought your very Appetites to be ſubject to him.
3. For our Joys; for the due raiſing and limiting of theſe, I ſhall ſhew,
1. The Object of Joy, is the ſame with the Object of Love and Deſire. He that Loves, whatever it be, if he hath it not, he deſireth it, if he hath it he rejoiceth; he that loves God, if he can hear ſuch a Word from God, I am Thine, that's a joyful Word, then he can rejoice in God; he that loveth Money, or the gains of this World, if he hath it not, he deſireth it, if he hath it he rejoiceth; his Money is his Joy, his Eſtate is his Joy, ſuch a joy as 'tis, a poor flaſhy Joy, yet Joy there is to him. The Woman in the Parable, Luke 15.9. that had loſt her piece of Silver, when She had found it, She calls her Neighbours together to rejoice with her; ſure ſuch a Woman loved Money well. Joy ariſes,
1. Originally from its Object, or the Thing loved. It is God that is the Fountain of Divine Joy; thence it ſprings and comes in; therefore the Apoſtle prays, Rom. 15.13. The God of Hope fill you with all Joy. There are Three wayes by which our Joy in God is raiſed. 1. By Contemplation: by Contempla…ing of God, we come to ſee and find out what matter of Joy there is in God; it brings the goodneſs and kindneſs, the ſatisfying and raviſhing Excellencies of God to our ſight; thoſe to whom the glorious Lord is as a barren Wilderneſs, or Land of Darkneſs, as the expreſſion is Jer. 2.31. it is either from their Ignorance, or their want of Contemplating of God. It is a ſign thou art a blind Soul, and knoweſt not God, or that thou art a Sranger to Divine Meditation: Thou lookeſt little Heaven-ward, thou doſt not ſend up thy Thoughts in ſearch for God, who yet ſayeſt, Where is that Joy? Where is that Bleſſedneſs? Where is that Joy? Look more diligently in the Face of God, let thy Soul dwell in the Study and Contemplation of his infinite goodneſs; thou haſt a glaſs before thee, the glaſs of the Word, wherein his glory ſhineth, look more into that glaſs, and Meditate much upon what that Word revealeth of the Excellencies of God, and then thou ſhalt ſee his Glory, and Taſte his Joy. 2. Expectation and Hope; therefore we Read of Rejoycing in Hope, Rom. 5.2. When Contemplation hath diſcovered the Bleſſedneſs that is in God, then Hope layes hold on it: this Bleſſedneſs may be mine, ſaith the Soul, and I have good Hope it may be mine, and in that Hope I joy. What Malefactor, that is in fear of Death for his Offences, that ſhould be told there is yet hope of thy Pardon, hope that thou mayeſt live, but would rejoyce in that Hope? What poor Man, that is in want, that ſhould have Tidings of a Rich Inheritance that was falling to him, but his Hope would make him to Sing for Joy? Doſt thou hear of the unſearchable Riches of Chriſt, of the Treaſures of everlaſting Joy, that that are in the Lord God, and haſt thou Hope that theſe will be thy Riches, and thy Treaſures? how canſt thou but rejoyce in Hope of the Glory of God? 3. Fruition, or the enjoying of the Object loved; and this is it which brings the fulleſt Joy; Fruition ſtands, 1. In our Actual Poſſeſſion of the Object; when we have what we hoped for and there is a double Poſſeſſion of God, that the Saints have in this Life: 1. A Poſſeſſion by Faith, 1 Joh. 5.12. He that hath the Son, hath Life; that is, he that believeth in Chriſt, hath Chriſt; his Faith puts him into Poſſeſſion, and from this, the Poſſeſſion of Faith, Joy followeth, Rom. 15.13. The God of Hope fill you with all Joy and Peace in believing. 2. A Poſſeſſion by Senſe; when we Taſte that the Lord is gracious, when we feel the comfortable refreſhings of his loving kindneſs; when the beams of his Light, and the Streamings of his Love, ſhine upon and warm our Hearts; when his Light Shines into our Darkneſs, and gives us the Knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face of Jeſus Chriſt, 2 Cor. 4.8. And when his Love is ſhed abroad into our Hearts by the Holy Ghoſt which he hath given us, Rom. 5.5. When we ſee how lovely the Lord is, and feel that he loveth us.
2. In the ſatisfaction of our Hearts with this Poſſeſſion; when we are pleaſed, and delighted, and ſatisfied with his goodneſs. A full ſatisfaction of the Heart will not be, till hereafter, Pſal. 17.15. When I awake I ſhall be ſatisfied; and therefore our fulneſs of Joy is reſerved till then; but ſatisfaction to ſuch a Degree there is upon our preſent Poſſeſſion, as gives us a kind of preſent Fruition.
2. This Joy ariſes, as from the Object, ſo immediately from the very Act of Loving. Joy ariſeth from love, 1. By way of immediate reſultancy; there is a great Pleaſure in Love; as there is bitterneſs in grief and ſorrow, ſo there is ſweetneſs in Love; this very Bloſſom of Love caſteth forth ſuch a fragrancy, as no Man knows but he that hath it. It is a Sweet and a Pleaſant thing to live ln the love of God. He that loves God, and feels that he loves him, and he hath him whom he loves, cannot but rejoice in him, 1 Pet. 1.8. Whom having not ſeen ye love, and believing ye rejoice with Joy unſpeakable and full of glory: There we have, 1. A Chriſtians love to God, whom having not ſeen ye love. 2. His Poſſeſſion of what he loves, believing; Believing, is as I ſaid before, getting Poſſeſſion; and then 3. The Joy that followeth, ye rejoice, &c.
2. By way of Reflection; when a Chriſtian upon his review of this his love to Chriſt, perceives that he loves him in ſincerity, this is to him a Token of Chriſt's love to him. Doſt thou ſee, doſt thou feel that thou loveſt Chriſt? This thy love to Chriſt is a Token that he hath ſent thee into thy Heart, to tell thee that he loveth thee. And when thine Heart can ſay, I am my Beloveds, and my Beloved is mine; the Lord is [my] God, [my] Saviour, [my] Portion and Inheritance, canſt thou ſay ſo? Then thou wilt add with the Pſalmiſt, Pſal. 16.6.9. The Lines are fallen to me in a Pleaſant Place, and I have a goodly Heritage, therefore mine Heart is glad, and my Glory rejoiceth. Thou wilt ſhew me the path of Life; in thy preſence is fulneſs of Joy, and at thy Right hand there are Pleaſures for evermore.
And as it is with Divine Joy, the Object whereof is God, ſo is it, in a poor and pittiful manner, with Earthly Joy, the Object whereof is the good things below: This Joy is raiſed from our Contemplating of Worldly things, and thoſe Carnal Delights they will yield, and thereby ſucking out ſuch Juice as they have, for our Carnal hearts to feed upon; by expectation and hope, that theſe things that we may get, get Money, get us Eſtates, and the comforts of them, and alſo by our Fruition of them, when we get them; our loving and taking the delight and contentment of them, and according to what we have of theſe things, and the Degree of our Love to them, ſuch is the joy that ariſeth to us from them.
2. I ſhall give you ſome Directions for the right raiſing and due limiting of your Joy.
1. Rejoice in the Lord, and let your joy in the Lord, 1. Bear ſome Proportion, as much as thoſe narrow Hearts can reach to, to that fulneſs, and thoſe Everlaſting Treaſures of infinite Love and Goodneſs which are in God for you. I could tell you ſomething of that ſatisfaction and reſt which your Souls ſhall one day enjoy in God, from the Word of God; and the Experiences of ſome of his Saints, will tell you much more; but when your Eyes ſhall come to ſee God, then you will ſay, That one half was not told me. If ſome drops of this Joy, let fall upon the Saints here on Earth, have ſweetned all the Waters of Marah, turned their Priſons into Pallaces, yea, their very Stakes and Gibbets into Triumphal Chariots; if a few drops of that Joy have been ſo ſweet, and ſo powerful, what will the Rivers of his Pleaſures be? As the Apoſtle, 1 Joh. 1.4. Theſe things I write, ſo theſe things I ſpeak, that your Joy may be full. Rejoice in the Lord, and let the Joy of the Lord be your Strength; let this Joy be the Strength of your Hearts, and the Strength or Top of all your Joyes.
2. Let your Joy in God be raiſed, 1. From the Evidence of your Intereſt in God at preſent, from your ſincerity in the grace of God, and your Union with Chriſt. You muſt be in Chriſt 'ere ever you can rejoyce in Chriſt Jeſus; what will it be to Joy in God, if God be none of yours? Satisfie not your ſelves with miſtaken Joyes. There is the Joy of the Hypocrite; ſome there are, who upon ſome light touches of the Word of God upon them, and ſome little change it makes, are all on a ſudden wrapt up into Extaſies of Joy; though ſtill they remain ſhort of the grace of God, yet they ſeem to be tranſported with the Joy of God; ſuch Joy often proves to be but as a Flaſh of Lightning, which comes in on a ſudden, and then vaniſheth into greater Darkneſs, Job 20.5. The Joy of the Hypocrite is but for a Moment; it comes on a ſudden, and in a great Flaſh, and on a ſudden it is gone again. The Joy of the Saints is not ſo ſudden, but it is laſting; it is not ſuch a glorious Flaſh, but is ſolid and ſubſtantial; like a deep River, that makes no great Noiſe, when the ſhallow Brooks make a greater Bubling.
See that the Foundation of your Joy be laid in Peace, and the Foundation of your Peace be laid in Grace. Get an Intereſt in Chriſt, ſoundneſs of Heart towards God, and ſincerity of Love to Chriſt, ſee to it that you be his own, that you be not Hypocrites and Hangby's upon Chriſt, but his real Members and Hearty Diſciples. Thou rejoiceſt in God, thou rejoiceſt in Chriſt Jeſus, but art thou of the Circumciſion? Of a Circumciſed and Sanctified Heart. Doſt thou worſhip God in the Spirit, as the Apoſtles expreſſions are, Phil. 3.3. Is thine Heart with the Lord? Doſt thou love him with thine Heart, and cleave to him with thine Heart, and ſerve him in thy Spirit, in thine Inwards, and all the Powers of thy Soul? If thou art of the Circumciſion, and thus worſhippeſt God in the Spirit, which are the Properties of ſincere Diſciples, then thou mayeſt rejoice: Beware of truſting to the moſt Elevated Joyes, that you ſeem any of you to have felt in Religion, and the Exerciſes thereof; you may ſeem to have much of the Joy of God, who have nothing of the Grace of God. Thou mayeſt carry ſuch Joyes with thee to the Grave, and they may drop down with thee into Hell, and be ſwallow'd up of everlaſting Sorrow; judge not of your Religion by your Joyes, but judge of your Joyes by your ſoundneſs in Religion. See then that thou art gotten beyond an Hypocrite, before thou meddle with the Joy of the Saints.
2. From your Hope of the Glory of God. Rejoice in Hope of the Glory of God, Rom. 5.2. Thou that art a real Chriſtian, it may be thou haſt little ſenſe of the ſweetneſs of Religion; thou goeſt heavily under thy Burthens, the Burthen of thy Corruption and Infirmities; thou liveſt much in the Dark, the Light of the Lord is within the vail, and thou canſt perceive but very ſmall glimmerings of it; thou goeſt heavily on thy way, hungring and thirſting, and fearing and fainting, and mourning over thine uncomfortable condition; yet lift up the Hands that hang down; yea lift up your Heads, you diſconſolate ones; though the Light, and the Love, and the Comforts, and the Kindneſſes of God be vailed from thine Eye, yet let thine Hope enter into that within the vail, Pſal 42.11. Why art thou caſt down, O my Soul? Why art thou diſquieted within me? Why, how can it be otherwiſe? wherewithal may I be cheared and comforted? Why, Hope in God; Hope in God, for I ſhall yet praiſe him who is the Light—
Let theſe two Directions go both together. 1. Let the Foundation of Joy be laid in ſincerity of Grace; I can never bid thee rejoice, till thou be perſwaded to be an Hearty Chriſtian. 2. Let your ſupply of the want of Joy in Senſe, be made up from the Joy of Hope: If thou art a Stranger to all preſent Joy, yet if thou art not a Stranger from Love, thou haſt this Hope to chear thee, that thou ſhalt verily ſee the goodneſs of the Lord in the Land of the Living.
3. From your Increaſes in the Grace of God. They are ordinarily the Stronger and more grown Chriſtians, who can ſincerely rejoice in God. Younger Chriſtians are often Mourners, and do but go on lamenting after God. It's true, there are ſome Young Converts, or that ſeem to be ſuch, whoſe Joyes meet them at the very entry of Chriſtianity; who at the very firſt being wrought upon, ſeem to be all in a Flame of Love and Joy, Jer. 2.2. I remember the kindneſs of thy Youth, and the Love of thine Epouſals; who have a bright Morning of it, and a beautiful and fair Sun-riſing; 'twere well if it would hold; but after a while, Clouds gather, and it is darker with them at Noon, than it was in the Morning; their Joy ſinks, and their Love ſinks; Clouds of Corruption overſpread both their Joyes and their Hopes. However it may be with ſome Beginners, (and it is never ſo well, as they think, if it do not hold) however it may be with ſome Beginners, yet ordinarily, they are only the grown Chriſtians, who are Partakers of ſolid ſubſtantial Joy; for a great part of their time it is as Zech. 14.7. It is neither Light nor Dark with them, neither Night nor perfect Day, but in the Evening there ſhall be Light. In our firſt time, it muſt be ſaid only, as Pſal. 97.11. Light is ſown for the Righteous, and joyful gladneſs for the upright in Heart; this Joy is ſown in Sorrows, and ſown in Tears, but as we grow up, what was ſown in our Infancy, breaks forth and ſhines in our Age.
Friends, dote not too much on your Morning Infant Joyes, they may vaniſh into Darkneſs. It is the ſolid Joy of the grown Chriſtian, that is uſually the abiding Joy; therefore if you would not be put off with ſome ſhort fits of Joy, if you would have that ſtanding Joy which no Man can take from you, ſet your Hearts to it, to increaſe in the grace of God; be thriving Chriſtians, grow in Grace, and grow in the Knowledge of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, and then your Joy ſhall abound and abide: Friends, you now go on drooping, and doubting, and fearing; you have many a ſad day of it, but would you ſee good dayes? would you have your Cloudy to become clearer Dayes? Would you have more Sun-ſhine upon your Hearts? Then get the Sun of Righteouſneſs to riſe higher in you. Miſty Mornings, as the Sun riſeth higher, the Miſts are diſpelled, and the Day groweth clear at Noon, which was ſo Dark in the Morning.
Chriſtians, how many Arguments have I uſed with you, to perſwade you to preſs on after an Increaſe in Grace, after a more Spiritual and Heavenly Frame of Heart and Life? What ſucceſs have former perſwaſions had? Are you grown? Are you improved? Or do you ſet your Hearts upon it? Are you reaching forward? or do you not contentedly keep at a ſtand, and ſeem to grow backward, and loſe your former Life and Vigour? What ſhall I ſay to you? What may I do for you, to Nurſe you up to higher Statures? We live in a declining Age; every where there are ſad complaints, that Rel gion is at a ſtand, and growing to decay: How is it with you? Are there any lively Souls among you? Do you get ground, does your Light break forth? Do your ways, as the Path of the Juſt, Prov. 4.18. Shine more and more toward the perfect Day? Friends, pray inquire, one by one, Is it thus with me? It it thus with me? If I might, but prevail with you, to ſet your Hearts to it, O what a Goſhen might we be, in compariſon of the Dark places of the Earth? Whileſt there is ſuch ſad Darkneſs in moſt places of the Land, yet, in this Goſhen there would be Light. O might we ſee more of the Light of Grace in you, we ſhould ſurely ſee much of the Light of Joy. If the Soul of Hearty Chriſtianity might gather more ſtrength within you, and bring forth more Fruit without; if you would tread upon this Earth, blow off theſe Aſhes, blow up the Coals, ſhake off this ſluggiſh ſleepineſs of Heart; if we could get theſe cold Hearts to be warmed once, would it not be a Joy and rejoycing to us? Be perſwaded, Friends, to ſet to ſowing more joy for your Selves. Whileſt Sinners are Sowing Tears for themſelves, and Sorrows and Lamentations, (this they do in their Carnal Merriments:) Carnal Mirth is but the Seed of Sorrow and Miſery; as Light is Sown for the Righteous Mourners, ſo Darkneſs is Sown for rejoicing Sinners, and their rejoicing is the Seed of that Darkneſs; and when they come to ſuffer everlaſting Miſery, they do then but Reap the Fruit of their ſinful Jollity: whileſt Sinners are Sowing Tears, let Chriſtians ſet to Sowing Joy to themſelves. Do what you can to make your laſt Days your beſt Days, and every Day brighter than other. Do not barely wiſh it were better, and hope for better, but work for better Days; deſire more earneſtly, pray more heartily, look more wiſhtly, and labour more painfully for a viſible and ſenſible improving and advancing in the Power and Spirit of Religion and Godlineſs, and then your Hearts ſhall rejoice, and your Joy ſhall no Man take from you.
Beloved, I have but two Works to do among you all, whereunto I labour, and ſtrive with you in the Goſpel; but theſe two works I have to do; to fetch in thoſe that are without, and to fetch up thoſe that are within. Sinners, you that are yet without, without Chriſt, without the Covenant of God, that are yet in your Sins, in your Ignorance, in your Impenitence and hardneſs of Heart, Strangers from Chriſt, and Aliens from the Life of God, my work with you is, to Preach you into Chriſt; to Preach you in by Repentance; I travail in Birth with you, that Chriſt may be formed in you; might I prevail in this Work, might any more among this Company of poor Sinners of you, be brought to Repentance, and be Converted, O what Joy would there be in this, Luke 15. There's Joy in Heaven over one Sinner that repenteth, and there would be the Foundation of Joy laid in your own Hearts. Come Sinners, come to Chriſt, the Fountain of your Joy, and your Hopes; come and be humbled with Chriſt, and you ſhall be exalted with him; come and mourn with Chriſt, and you ſhall be comforted; come and Repent, and you ſhall alſo rejoice.
But if I ſhould not proſper in this work, if Sinners ſhould continue to be hardned, and refuſe any more of them to come in; if I ſhould not fetch more in, yet let me fetch up thoſe that are within; you that are come in, come up higher. Stand not always at the Threſhold, content not your ſelves with the loweſt place; Friends, ſit up higher, aſcend, aſcend; aſcend in your Aims, aſcend in your Deſires, get to be better Chriſtians daily, more experienced Chriſtians, more mortified Chriſtians, more lively and Active and fruitful Chriſtians, and then look for it, you ſhall be more joyful Chriſtians; get you to be more ſtrong in the Lord, and the Joy of the Lord ſhall be your Strength.
2. Rejoyce not in Iniquity. Charity doth not, and therefore Chriſtians muſt not rejoice in Iniquity, 1 Cor. 13.6. Let not your ſin make you Merry; if it does, that which now makes you merry, will ſhortly make you mad, with anguiſh and indignation at your own folly. Merry Sinners are all Fools, and ſome of theſe Fools will be always laughing, but we muſt ſay with Solomon, Eccleſ. 2.2. I ſaid of ſuch laughter, thou art madneſs.
3. Rejoice not over much in any of the good things below; we may rejoice in our outward good things, James 1.9. Let the Brother of low degree, rejoice in that he is exalted; that is, let the Poor rejoice, when he is made Rich; Poverty is an Affliction, and Riches are a Mercy, and ſuch a Mercy as we may rejoice in. But though we may rejoice in every outward Mercy, yet we may not rejoice overmuch in them; particularly for the limits of this Joy, they muſt be ſuch as theſe:
1. Joy not in any of theſe good things as if they were your happineſs; they may be Means to our happineſs, but muſt not be made the Matter of our happineſs; to make our Eſtates our happineſs, is to make them our God, and the way to make us miſerable; he is a miſerable Rich Man, who maketh his Riches his Happineſs.
2. Joy not ſo much in them, as to rejoyce ever the leſs in God. You have ſo much need of God, in the greateſt Plenty and Proſperity, as you have when you have nothing; and you ſhould ſo much thirſt after the Joy of God in your greateſt Worldly Joy, as in your Sorrow. Take not your Worldly Joy in ſtead of Joy in God; think not to ſupply your want of Joy in God, by the abounding of Worldly Joy. You may as well feed your Souls with Meat and Drink, you may as well provide for your Souls by your Money or Eſtates, as comfort them by that Joy that ariſeth out of theſe Earthly things. Souls muſt have a God, the Comfort of God, the Joy of God to refreſh them, and ſupport them; that Soul is a Carnal Soul, that can feed upon Carnal Joys; you nevertheleſs need the Joy of God, for any Worldly Joy, and you muſt look to it, that your Worldly Joys be never to that height, as to leſſen your eſteem of the Joy of the Lord. The Joy of God will quench your thirſt after the World; and then the Joy of the World exceedeth it's Bounds, when it quencheth your thirſt after God, and the light of his Countenance. Thou art Rich, thou art full, and proſpereſt in the World, thy Bull gendreth and faileth not, thy Cow calveth, &c. thy Oxen are ſtrong to labour, thy Sheep bring forth Thouſands, and ten Thouſands in the Streets; and now thou haſt Hearts Eaſe, and rejoyceſt in thy Portion; but how ſtandeſt thou now in reſpect to God? Is God ever the leſs needed? Is God ever the leſs loved? Is the Joy of God ſtill thy chief Joy? Or doſt thou not even forget that thou haſt a God, or a Soul, and leave it to them that have nothing below to rejoyce in God that is above. What thinkeſt thou of thy ſelf? Hath this Earth eaten up Heaven? Hath the Joy of this Earth ſwallowed up the Joy of the Lord? Sure it hath tranſgreſſed its Bounds. It may be thou wilt ſay as the Prophet, Hab. 3.17, 18. and it is well if thou canſt ſay ſo, Although the Fig-Tree doth not Bloſſom; &c—Yet will I rejoyce in the Lord, and Joy in the God of my Salvation. When thou art Poor and in Want, and haſt nothing left thee in the World to comfort thine Heart in, then thou wilt look to the Lord, and he ſhall be thy Joy and thy Comfort; but how is it with thee when the Fig-Tree doth Bloſſom, when thou liveſt in the abundance of all things? Doſt thou then feel thou haſt as much need of a God? doſt thou then take as much Joy in God? canſt thou ſay of all here below, Theſe are miſerable Comforters, if God be not my Comfort; theſe are miſerable Pleaſures, if God be not my Joy? This is ſomething, and thus it ſhould be.
3. Rejoice with Trembling. That's the Pſalmiſt's Counſel, Pſal. 2.11. Serve the Lord with Fear, and rejoice with Trembling; in alluſion to that, let me ſay, Seek the World with Fear, and rejoice in the World with Trembling; let fear be a Bridle to prevent the exceſs of your Worldly Joy. Fear, what ſhould we fear? Why fear, leſt you ſhould forget God; leſt that which is your Joy become your Snare, and turn you aſide from God; leſt your Joy in the World, ſhould prove Worldly Joy, and ſerve for nothing but to feed and heighten your Worldly Luſts; fear leſt this Joy of the World ſhould do the ſame by you, as ſometimes the Sorrows of the World do, which the Apoſtle ſays, 2 Cor. 7. Worketh Death; fear leſt it kill your Souls; there is nothing that does more corrupt and endanger the Soul, than Carnal Mirth, Eccle. 11.9. Rejoice O young Man in thy Youth, &c. but what followeth? Know that for all theſe things, God will bring thee to Judgment; that is, to Condemnation. Theſe Joys drag the Soul to the Bar of Juſtice, and thence to Execution in the Fire. There is ſcarce any thing that does Ripen Men faſter for Ruin, than the Mirth of the World, Job 21.10, 11. Their Bull gendreth, and faileth not, there's the matter of their Joy; their Children Dance, they take the Timbrel and the Harp, and rejoyce at the ſound of the Organ; there's the Meaſure and Expreſſion of their Joy; they are ſo lifted up, that they muſt have the Muſick, and their Dancing, to heighten their Mirth; but what's the end? In a Moment they go down to the Grave, and thence into the Bottomleſs Pit.
O the Madneſs of this Merry World! That can ſee nothing in God to Joy them in, and yet can rejoice in a thing of nought; that undo themſelves by their own Felicity, their Joy and Mirth: Joy is the ſweeteſt Flower that grows in that Garden, the Heart of Man; and this Flower muſt be the Poyſon to kill them, and is never ſweet to them but when it growes up out of a Dung-hill, out of their Fleſhly Luſts. What Multitudes have ſurfeited, and Died of their Carnal Mirth; and yet fooliſh Souls will never fear it, but this muſt be their only Heaven, which leads to Hell; what do theſe Carnal Joys ſerve for, but to corrupt Men firſt, and then to confound Men? Worldly ſorrow it's ſaid, worketh Death, but it may be ſaid of Worldly Sorrow, and Mirth, as of David and Saul; Saul hath ſlain his Thouſands, and David his ten Thouſands: Worldly Sorrow hath ſlain many, but nothing ſo many as Carnal Mirth; whileſt that Saints wade through their Temporal Sorrows to everlaſting Joy, Sinners paſs through their Worldly Joy to everlaſting Sorrows, Iſa. 50.11. Behold ye that kindle your Fires, &c. Here, 1. Sinners have their Fires; that is, to comfort and chear and warm their Hearts; theſe their comforting Fires are their Joy and Jollities. 2. Sinners Fires are of their own kindling; their comforts come not from God, but they raiſe them up to themſelves; they comfort themſelves, and chear themſelves, but are not comforted of God. 3. Sinners Fires are all but Sparks; a Spark will not warm, and will not laſt; the Triumphing of the Wicked is ſhort, and the Joy of the Hypocrite is but for a Moment. 4. Sinners live in their own Light; in the Light of their own Fires and Sparks. Walk in the Light of your Fire—that's all the Light you have, it is all Dark to them from above, the Sun ſhines not, the Candle of the Lord gives them no light; God ſpeaks Terrour and Trouble to them, but they ſpeak Peace to themſelves; their own Joy and Mirth is all they have to comfort and chear them. 5. Sinners Light ſerves for nothing, but to Light them down to Darkneſs. Walk in your Light, this ſhall ye have of mine Hand, ye ſhall lie down in Sorrow. Sinners, how Light ſoever your Walk be, how Merry ſoever your Lives be, yet what is your lying down like to be? He is a Wiſe Man, that taketh care, that how uncomfortable or weary ſoever his Way and his Walk be, yet he may have a comfortable lying down. Pſal. 37.37. Mark the Juſt Man, and behold the Perfect Man, the End of that Man is Peace. But O ye Jolly and Merry Souls, what is your End like to be? Remember your lying down; when your Hearts are Merry within you, when you live ſuch Laughing and Sporting Lives; in the midſt of your Cups of Pleaſure, your Muſick and Dancing, your Feaſting and Sporting, and the Jollity of your Revelling and Rioting, think with your ſelves, What doth all this lead to? When theſe Merry dayes are over, what a Night am I like to have of it? When the Candles of your Worldly Proſperity are Burnt down, in what a ſtinking Snuff will they go out? What a ſtink will they be in your Noſtrils? When your Fires and your Sparks will Light you no longer, then they will burn you; your Mirth will burn you, your Pleaſures will burn you, your abuſed Proſperity, your Riches, your Money, your Plenty, and the Joy that you now take in them, will burn you, and they will burn to the bottom of Hell. Will you yet rejoyce in theſe Carnal things? Rejoyce with Trembling; Tremble to think what the End of theſe things will be. Prov. 14.13. In the midſt of Laughter the Heart is Sorrowful, and the End of this Mirth is heavineſs; if the former of theſe [in the midſt of Laughter the Heart is ſorrowful, &c.] ſhould not be true, if you ſhould Laugh and rejoyce, and know no Sorrow, if it ſhould be with you as with thoſe Merry ones, Job 21.9. Their Houſes are far from Fear; and your Hearts ſhould be as far from Sorrow, as your Houſes from Fear; if you ſhould have all Sweet, and no Bitter; all Sun-ſhine, and no Clouds; if the firſt Part ſhould not be true upon you, if in the midſt of Laughter your Hearts ſhould not be ſorrowful; yet, the latter ſhall certainly be true, there ſhall be no avoiding of that; the End of your Mirth ſhall be heavineſs; Hold up while you will, maintain the Mirth and the Jollity of your Hearts while you can, the End of this Mirth will be heavineſs; you ſhall lie down in Sorrow.
Sinners, what will ye chooſe? What would a Wiſe Man chooſe? A Merry Life, or a Joyful Death? Which do ye think in your Judgments and Conſciences is the beſt choice, to Die in Peace, to Die in Joy, or to Die in Sorrow? How would you have it with you when you come to Die? Would you then find, that all your Sorrow is gone, and now your Joy is come? Or would you be forced then to ſay, Now farewel all my Mirth, I have ſeen my laſt of it, and henceforth nothing but Sorrow and Anguiſh for ever? Doſt thou not tremble to think, What if this ſhould be my Caſe? Know it for a Truth, there's no avoiding it; if you go on to live this Merry Jolly Life, this ſhall be thy End, thou muſt lie down in Sorrow.
Chriſtians, envy not the World's Mirth, nor let your Hearts luſt after it; you have other Joyes than their crackling Thorns will yield; you have your Sorrows while they have their Mirth, but you have this advantage of the World: 1. You have Joy in your Sorrows; as in the midſt of Laughter the Heart is ſad, ſo in the midſt of your Sorrows your Hearts may be Joyful. 2. Your Sorrows ſhall End in Joy; this ſhall you have of the Hand of your God, you ſhall lie down in Peace; You that Sow in Tears, ſhall reap in Joy, Pſal. 126.6. Whileſt thoſe that Sow in Mirth, ſhall Reap in Tears; you that go on your Way weeping, whileſt they go on their Way Laughing: yet mark the End of both; Iſa. 65.13, 14. Behold, however it be now, behold how it ſhall be hereafter; How ſhall it be? My Servants ſhall Eat, but ye ſhall be Hungry; my Servants ſhall Drink, but ye ſhall be Thirſty; my Servants ſhall rejoyce, but ye ſhall be aſhamed; my Servants ſhall ſing for Joy of Heart, but ye ſhall cry for Sorrow of Heart, and ſhall howl for vexation of Spirit, and ye ſhall leave your Name for a Curſe to my choſen, for the Lord God ſhall ſlay thee. Now your Enemies Eat, and ſome of you are an Hungry, &c. But think how it will be in the Day when the Scales be turned; when the Sinners Eating Days, and Drinking Days, and Jolly merry Dayes are over; and their Hungring Dayes, and howling Dayes overtake them; and you that now Hunger and are Sorrowful, ſhall Eat and Drink and be ſatisfied with the Joy of the Lord.
O envy not, and meddle not with the ſinful Joyes of the World; theſe Strangers ſhall not meddle with your Joy, Prov. 14.10. Meddle you as little with theirs; let your God be your Joy; and if he give you any matters of rejoycing in this World, and allow you ſome Meaſures of Joy, even in theſe outward things, yet rejoyce with trembling; and let your Fear ſo moderate your Joy in theſe lower things, that you do not laſh out into that Carnal Mirth, the End whereof is Heavineſs. Eſpecially, when the Matters of Worldly Joy increaſe upon you; you that grow Rich and Proſper in the World, that find the World ſmiling, and come crowding in upon you, that have even what your Hearts could wiſh, and then feel your Hearts to be tickled, and pleaſed and delighted in your Proſperity; then take heed, then fear leſt you forget God and your Soul, and neglect and loſe the Joy of the Lord, and your care of pleaſing the Lord, in your abounding Worldly Joyes; and never count any ſuch Joyes lawful or ſafe for you, but ſuch as make you to love the Lord the more, and ſerve the Lord with more chearfulneſs and care. If you do not ſerve the Lord better and walk with God cloſer, and bring forth more of the Fruits of Holineſs and Righteouſneſs, in more Spirituality and Heavenlineſs of mind; if you be not ſome way the better God-wards, and Heaven-wards, in the abundance of all things, than you could be, or than others are, in the want of all things, count that Proſperity greater cauſe of trembling, than of rejoycing to you.
4. Rejoyce not ſo as to forget your own Sins, or your Brethrens Afflictions.
1. So as not to forget your Sins. 1. Rejoyce not ſo [in the Lord,] as to forget your Sins againſt God: Your Joy muſt ariſe from this, that God hath forgotten them; but though God hath forgotten, you muſt remember them; they muſt ſtill ſtand written in your own Book, though God hath blotted them out of his.
1. Forget not in your Joy the Sins that you are guilty of, that ſo you may rejoyce with Mourning; we are apt in our rejoycing to forget our ſins; if we do not remember our ſins when we are lifted up in Joy, we are too apt to be puffed up with Pride; Godly ſorrow will be of the ſame uſe to us in our rejoycing, as Paul's Thorn in the Fleſh, 2 Cor. 12.7. to prevent our being exalted above Meaſure. That Joy which killeth Godly Sorrow, whileſt we are here, what a Divine Tincture ſoever it ſeems to have, 'tis ſuſpicious that it is not the right Joy; the more ſolid Joy of the Saints, hath it's Foundation in Godly Sorrow.
When we conſider what great things the Lord hath done for our Souls, how he hath Regenerated, reconciled and called us by his Grace, pulled us as Brands out of the Burning, and raiſed us as Worms out of the Dunghill, and made us ſit together with Chriſt in Heavenly Places, cloathed with Garments of Salvation, and made us to ſhine forth in his Image; when we remember what the Lord is to us, our Rock, our Refuge, our Father, our Allſufficient Portion, all Love and Life, all Bowels, Compaſſions and everlaſting Conſolation; when we remember this, and therein do rejoyce, we muſt then conſider, But what have I been to him? What have I done againſt him, who hath done ſo great things for me? What an unworthy Wretch, what a ſinful, Polluted and unthankful Creature am I? God hath loved me, God hath ſaved me, the Lord God is become my God, and herein I do and I will rejoyce; but woe is me, I have ſinned againſt the God of my Mercy, and therefore I will rejoyce with Mourning; whileſt I Joy in the Lord, I will weep over my ſinful unworthy and guilty Soul: Whileſt you ſay with the Pſalmiſt, Pſal. 66.16. Come unto me all ye that fear the Lord, and I will tell you, tell you with Joy, tell you with Praiſe, what he hath done for my Soul; what a gracious God, what a Compaſſionate Merciful God I have found him to be to me; whileſt you ſay thus, Come, and I will tell you what God hath done for me, you muſt ſay alſo, Come, and I will tell you, tell you with ſhame, tell you with ſorrow, what my Soul hath done againſt God; O how vile have I been? How Proud, and how falſe to God? How many wayes guilty before him, of neglecting, of abuſing, of walking unworthy of his wonderful Love? The Lord is my God, therein I will rejoyce; I have ſinned againſt God, and for theſe things I weep and lament.
2. Not ſo as to forget the ſins that have been Conquered by us, that we may rejoyce in Triumph; the Victories that we have gotten over ſin, will be both an advance to our Joy in God, and the Evidence of the ſincerity of that Joy. Thoſe that are ſtill in the Chains and Fetters of Luſt, in whom their Pride or their Covetouſneſs, or their Frowardneſs, doth ſtill Lord it over them, and can yet rejoyce in God, it is to be doubted, that their Joy is falſe and fooliſh Joy; a Light of their own Sparks, and no Divine Sun-beam: fear that Joy and trample upon it, which will conſiſt with a Slavery to Luſt; as the Apoſtle ſayes concerning Death, 1 Cor. 15.57. ſo ſhould we concerning Sin, Thanks be to God that hath given us the Victory; this is Matter of Praiſe, this is Matter of Joy. When the Iſraelites ſaw the Egyptians Dead upon the Sea-Shore, Exod. 14.30. then they Sang a Song of Joy and Praiſe. Luke 10.20. Rejoyce not that the Devils are ſubject to you; that is, that you have Power to caſt the Devils out of Poſſeſſed Bodies; Rejoyce not, that is, not ſo much in this, but rather rejoyce that your Names are written in Heaven; and that's the ſame with this, Rejoyce not that the Devils are caſt out by you, but that your ſins are Conquered by you. Victory over ſin is an Evidence of our Title to Glory; next to the Blood of the Lamb, the Blood of our mortified ſins is the beſt Ink to write our Names in the Book of Life.
Rev. 3.12. Him that overcometh will I make a Pillar in the Houſe of my God, and I will write upon him the Name of my God, and the Name of the City of my God, &c.
Chriſtians, what have you done in your War againſt Sin? What work have you made with thoſe Luſts which War in your Members? Can you tell of any Conqueſt you have gotten? Where be the Perſons among you that can ſay, This Heart was once a Proud Heart, but now through the Grace of God, 'tis more humble; this Heart was once a froward Heart, but now through Mercy, it's become meek, the Lion is become a Lamb; this Heart was once a Covetous Heart, an Hungry greedy Heart, all Earth and Earthy, clogged and chained to this World by its Worldly Luſts; but now through Grace the Cloggs are knocked off, the Chain is broken, and my Soul is gotten looſe from this Earth, and can now deſpiſe it, in compariſon of God and the things above. Friends, have you any of you experiences of any ſuch Victories? Forget them not, keep them by you; and in the day of your rejoycing in God, let your Eye be upon theſe your Conqueſts of Sin, and this will be a means that your joy will be the more full; then will you Triumph in Chriſt Jeſus, when with your Conquering Captain you have your Enemies in Chains.
3. Not ſo as to forget the Sins that we are in danger of, but to rejoyce with trembling; we are ſtill in our Warfare, and how far forth ſoever we have Proſpered in it, we have Enemies ſtill before us, that we are in perpetual danger of; therefore as it is ſaid, let not him boaſt, ſo let not him rejoyce that's putting on his Armour, as if he were putting it off. The Canaanite is ſtill in the Land; ſin lies at the Door, and will be upon you, if you ſtand not upon your guard. Chriſtians muſt build up themſelves in their Holy joy, as the Jews built the Wall of Jeruſalem, Nehem. 4.17. They muſt have a Trowel in one Hand, and a Sword in the other; they muſt Build and Watch, Build and Fight; there is an evil Worm that is apt to grow out of our Joy, which will overthrow and devour it, and that is, Security, or ſecure Confidence. It was this that ſpoiled the Pſalmiſt's Joy, who was a better Man and a Wiſer than any of us; Pſal. 30.6, 7. I ſaid in my Proſperity, I ſhould never be moved; thou Lord by thy favour haſt made my Mountain ſo ſtrong; but what follows? The very next Word is, Thou didſt hide thy Face, and I was troubled. Security opens the Door to Iniquity, and Iniquity will hide us from our Joy.
It is Matter of Joy that we are at War with Sin, and have gotten any little Conqueſt, and have ſuch a Captain to lead us on; woe to them that are at Peace, or in a Truce with Sin, and have nothing to comfort them but only this, that there is a preſent Ceſſation of Arms, and they feel not the buffeting of Sathan againſt them; they will quickly feel the miſerable fruits of that Truce: Stand to your Arms, ſtand upon your Guard; whileſt you are Drinking moſt deeply of your Waters of Joy, fear that Wormwood that Sin will caſt in, to imbitter your Pleaſant Waters.
That Joy which will conſiſt with a ſinful Life, is no Joy of God; the Joy of God is Holy Joy; and that Joy of God that leaves us ſecure and careleſs, is not like to be long liv'd. Do you rejoyce in God? As ever you would that Joy ſhould continue, take heed of Iniquity; you go in danger while you live; it is not ſo clear and bright with you now, but it may be all Cloudy and Stormy to morrow; if the Devil can but lead you out to Iniquity, he will quickly raiſe ſuch Storms, as will make you forget your joy: forget not this danger; if you do once but forget your danger two to one, but it preſently overtakes you and ſwallows you up.
Chriſtians, if ever you would live in ſettled ſolid Joy, you muſt alwayes have a tender Heart, and a tender Eye, that will quickly eſpy, and quickly be ſtartled at the Invaſion of ſin. Be Watchful, be tender Hearted, and then your Hearts ſhall rejoyce; and if you would abide in Peace, never live out of Fear. Never live out of Fear, till you are gotten out of Danger, and out of Danger you cannot be, till you are got to Heaven:
2. Much leſs not ſo to rejoyce in the good things of [the Earth,] as to forget our Sins. Thou art a Rich Man, thou haſt a Confluence of all the kindneſſes that this Earth can do thee; the Sun ſhineth on thy Tabernacle, 'tis all fair Weather with thee; thou Proſpereſt in the World, and herein thou doſt rejoyce. But Man, thou art a Sinner all this while; Haſt thou not great guilt lying upon thee? Haſt thou not unconquered Luſts remaining in thee? Or doſt thou not go in daily danger of being turned aſide from God, and led out into Iniquity? If thine outward Proſperity make thee glad, yet let the Sin that lieth upon thy back, or at leaſt lyeth at the Door, make thee tremble, and ſo to tremble, as to be an allay to thy rejoycing; when with the Peacock, you ſpread abroad your Plumes, and lift up your Creſts, look down on your Black Feet; when you glitter in your Worldly Glory, behold the ſtain that is upon all your Glory; whatever fair Out-ſide you have, what an Inſide have you? Is there not Poverty within, whileſt there is ſuch Plenty without? What a Poor and Wretched and Blind and Naked Soul haſt thou, whileſt as to thine Outward Man thou art Rich and haſt need of nothing? Canſt thou in the midſt of thy Proſperity, forget thy ſinking and ſinful Soul? Canſt thou remember thy Soul, and will not this take thee a Button lower as to thy Carnal Joy? The Proſperity of the Soul, and the joy that grows up out of it, need not be abated in the leaſt by the Poverty of the Outward Man; if thou be never ſo Poor, and afflicted without, yet an Holy Soul, an upright Heart, and the Joy of a good Conſcience, will make amends for all that; but will thine Outward Proſperity make amends for thine Inward Poverty? You with whom all things go well in this World, yet ſtill think on that Ruſt that's Eating out your Treaſure, think on that Moth that's fretting out your Garments, behold the ſtain that appears upon all your Beauty; the ſtain of Pride, the ſtain of Covetouſneſs and Carnality, the Moth of Envy and Contention, that's eating out your Hearts. Why ſhouldſt thou be ſad, would Carnal Comforts ſay? What haſt thou wanting to thee? What haſt thou to trouble thee? Thou haſt Houſes and Lands, and Money, and Health, and Friends; What wouldſt thou have? Why doſt thou not rejoyce and make Merry? Why? why, 'tis true all things go well with me without, I have a good Eſtate, and a good Trade, and a good Houſe, and am in good Health, but O what a Soul have I? O what a Wretched Heart have I? Do you aſk, What I have to trouble me? O I have Sin to trouble me, this Pride, and this Covetouſneſs, and this Guilt that is upon me; God knows, I find enough to trouble me, and to trouble me more than I am or can be troubled. Do you aſk me, What I want to make me merry? O I want God! I want Grace; I want more Faith, and more love to Chriſt; I want a better Heart; matters go not right between God and me; whatever I have for this World, O how little have I for the Eternal World! Can I be Merry and Jocund, whileſt ſin hath made ſuch waſts upon my Inward Man? Chriſtians, do but thus remember your Sins, and this will allay your Carnal Joyes. Art thou ſo Merry, that thou forgetteſt thy Sins? Take heed, the time cometh, when thy Sins ſhall appear and ſtare thee ſo in the Face, as to make thee forget all thy days of Mirth and Laughter.
2. Not ſo to rejoyce, as to forget our Brethrens Afflictions and Miſeries. It's well with thee, but how is it with thy poor Neighbours and Friends? How many are there that are in Penury, whileſt thou art in Plenty? How many are cloathed in Rags, whileſt thou ſhineſt in thy gorgeous Apparel? How many are ready to Starve, and Die for Hunger, whileſt thou haſt thy fulneſs of Bread and abundance of all things? Thou haſt enough, and thereupon rejoyceſt; but is it nothing to thee, that there are ſo many that would be glad of thy Crumbs, of thy Leavings, and cannot have them? Thy very Dogs, it may be, have many a better Bit, and Warmer Lodging, than ſome of thy poor Neighbours; is this nothing to thee? When thou bleſſeſt thy ſelf in thy Plenty, then remember thoſe for whom nothing is provided.