Seasonable Truths in Evil Times, Sermon 8
SERM. VIII. The evil of Unbelief, in departing from God.
Heb. 3. 12.
Take heed Brethren, leaſt there be in any of you an evil heart of Unbelief, in departing from the Living God.
IN theſe words three things are the moſt conſiderable.
A great Diſeaſe that Chriſtians are ſubject to, to depart from God.
The cauſe of that Diſeaſe, an evil heart of unbelief.
The cure of that Diſeaſe, or the remedy againſt it; and that is, watchfulneſs, or taking heed. Take heed leaſt there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.
The Diſeaſe is great indeed, a diſeaſe common unto the Children of men to depart from God.
And the Diſeaſe is very dangerous; for elſe, why ſhould we take heed thereof? I ſhall ſpeak ſomething to all theſe, and not ſo much as to ſingle out any Doctrine: But thus from the firſt.
It is a very dangerous thing to depart from God.
Q. When may a man be ſaid to depart from God, or a people ſaid to depart from God: And what is the danger of it?
A. For anſwer, There is a total departing from God, and a partial departing from God; every ſin that we do commit is a departing from God. For what is ſin, but an Avertency from the Creator, and a Convertency to the Creature?
A total departure, there is, and that is two-fold, either total in regard of the object, or total in regard of the ſubject.
A man doth totally depart from God Objective, when he doth depart from all the truths and wayes of God, and turns Heathen.
But Subjective, a man doth totally depart from God, when he doth with his whole heart and ſoul depart from the Lord, though he may keep many truths; as a man that breaks in his outward eſtate, he may keep ſome thing, and yet be broken: So ſpiritually, a man may break and depart from God, and yet may keep many truths. Now it is this totally departing that is here aimed at; and it is a dangerous thing, either totally or partially: But eſpecially a dangerous thing to depart from the Lord totally.
Now that's the Queſtion: When may a man be ſaid to depart from God?
Look when a man doth depart from the Service and the Worſhip of God, then he departs from God. In Iſa. 65. 11. But ye are they that forſake the Lord, that forget my holy mountain: When men do forget the Holy Mountain, the Worſhip and Service of God, and depart from that, then they depart from, and forſake the Lord: And
2. Look when a man doth depart from an holy Converſation wherein he hath walkt before, then he is ſaid to depart from God, Job 6. 14. But he forſaketh the fear of the Almighty: To him that is afflicted, pity ſhould be ſhewed from his Friend, but he forſaketh the fear of the Almighty: 'Tis not ſaid, he forſakes the Almighty, but he forſakes the fear of the Almighty, which is all one: When a man doth forſake the fear of the Almighty; the good ways of God, a holy and a good Converſation wherein he hath walkt before, then he is ſaid to depart from God: And
3. Look when a man and in time of danger and trouble, not ſo much truſt unto the Lord, as unto an arm of fleſh for ſafety and deliverance, then he is ſaid to depart from God, Jer. 17. 5. Thus ſaith the Lord, Curſed be the man that truſteth in man, and maketh fleſh his arm, and whoſe heart departeth from the Lord: For a man in time of trouble to reſt upon an arm of fleſh, and not upon the Lord himſelf. Why, this is to depart from God in Scripture Language.
Now it is a dangerous thing ſo to do.
For thereby a man doth depart from his life, in departing from The danger of departing from God.God, he doth depart from his own life: For God is a Living God, ſaith the Text here: Take heed leaſt there be in any of you an evil heart of Unbelief, in departing from the Living God: Departing from God, then a man doth depart from his life: Take away God and I am no body ſaith one: A true ſpeech, take away the Living God, and where's our life?
2. Thereby alſo a man doth depart from his own Proſperity, 2 Chron. 26. 5. 'Tis ſaid of Uzziah, As long as he ſought the Lord, God made him to proſper: Departing then from the Lord, is a departing from a mans own proſperity.
3. Thereby alſo in departing from God, a man doth depart from his Refuge and ſhelter in the time of Adverſity: As he doth depart from his own proſperity, ſo by departing form God, A man doth depart from his ſhelter, and Covert, and Sanctuary in the time of adverſity. You know what God hath ſaid, I will be a little Sanctuary unto you: In the want of a Sanctuary, God will be a Sanctuary to his people, Fear not their fear, nor be affraid, ſanctifie the Lord of Hoſts himſelf, and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread, and he ſhall be for a Sanctuary unto you: A hiding place, a ſhelter in the time of a ſtorm: When a man departs from God, then he departs from his Sanctuary, from his relief and ſhelter in the day of his adverſity.
4. Thereby alſo a man doth depart from his own Comfort, from all his Comforts: Take away the Sun, and 'tis not all the Torches in the Land can make a day, or can give day light: God is the Father of Mercy, and the God of all Conſolation; depart therefore from the Lord, and we depart from all our Conſolation, we depart from all our Comfort.
5. Thereby alſo in departing from the Lord, a man doth depart from his own Being, and his own Mercy: Forſakes his own Mercies, and cleaves unto lying vanities. The name of God you know is I am, I am that I am: Who is Allſufficient? I am ſaith God: Who is gracious? I am ſaith God. The name of God is, I am, the name of the Creature is, I am not: In departing therefore from the Lord, a man doth depart from his own being: In him we live, and move, and have our being, departing from the Lord, we depart from all: Surely 'tis a very dangerous thing then to depart from God.
2. Now in the ſecond place, The cauſe of this diſeaſe is Unbelief: Unbelief is the Root of Apoſtaſie, Infidelity is the ground of Apoſtaſie, an unbelieving heart is the cauſe of this departing this God.
Here are two things:
1. That an unbelieving heart, is an evil heart.
Secondly, That unbelief is the cauſe and root of this Apoſtaſie, or departing from God.
As for the firſt, I ſhall clear it by ſeveral particulars; and but name them.
An unbelieving heart is an evil heart, for it is an hard heart; and therefore you have it in the following words, Leaſt any of you be hardened through the deceitfulneſs of ſin: What is an hard heart? we are generally miſtaken about an hard heart; we think ordinarily that when a mans heart is ſtraitned in duty, then his heart is hard: No, a man may be ſtraitned in duty, and yet his heart may be ſoft: But a th…ng is ſaid to be hard when it dont yield: Soft when it doth yield. Touch hard wax and it yields not, touch ſoft wax and it yields, and takes the impreſſion: A ſoft heart yields unto Gods impreſſions; a hard heart yields not, but reſiſts and contradicts: So doth an unbelieving heart: An unbelieving heart is a contradicting, reſiſting, an unyielding heart; and therefore properly an unbelieving heart is a hard heart.
2. As an unbelieving heart is an hard heart, ſo ſo an unblieving heart is an unclean heart: For faith purifies the heart, and therefore where the heart is unbelieving, the heart is unpurified, and ſo is unclean: An unbelieving heart is an unclean heart.
3. As an unbelieving heart is an unclean heart, ſo it is a proud heart. You know what the Prophet Hab. ſaith, in his ſecond Chapter, Behold, his ſoul which is lifted up is not upright in him, but the juſt ſhall live by Faith: So then, an unbelieving heart alſo is a proud heart.
4. As an unbelieving heart is a proud heart, ſo it is a froward, peeviſh, fretful heart: Faith and fretting are oppoſed, in Pſal. 37. Fret not thy ſelf becauſe of evil doers, truſt in the Lord, and do good: Commit thy way unto him, and truſt in him, verſe 5. Reſt in the Lord, and wait patiently for him, fret not thy ſelf becauſe of him who proſpereth in his way, ver. 7. Faith and fretting are oppoſed. How did the people of Iſrael murmur in the Wilderneſs? and why? but becauſe of their unbelief? Froward, and fretful, and murmuring. An unbelieving heart is a fretting froward heart.
5. As it is a fretting and froward heart, ſo an unbelieving heart is a raſh fooliſh heart, and will put one upon doing fooliſh things. It's raſh, faith makes not haſte, but unbelief makes haſte, I ſaid in my haſte I am c…ſt out of thy ſight: That's unbelief, I ſaid in my haſte, all men are Lyars, that's unbelief: What a fooliſh thing it was for David to ſcrabble on the door, and let fall his ſpittle, and fain himſelf mad? It was his unbelief that did it: An unbelieving heart, is a raſh, ſuddain, and a fooliſh heart.
6. As it is a raſh and a fooliſh heart, ſo it is a doubting, wavering, ſtaggering heart: It's ſaid of Abraham, that he ſtaggered not through unbelief: It ſeems then, that as Drunkenneſs will make a man ſtagger and reel too and fro, ſo unbelief will make a man ſtagger and reel too and fro: A doubting, wavering, unſettel'd, ſtaggering heart, is an unbelieving heart.
7. As it is a doubting, ſtaggering heart, ſo it is an undutiful, and an unſerviceable heart: For it is Faith that is the great performer of Duties. What is duty, but faith Incarnate? what are works, but faith Incarnate? Faith is a friend to prayer, and prayer is a friend to faith. You may ſee how they are twiſted together, and one walks by another. In the third Pſalm, David being in very great diſtreſs, he believes, ver. 3. But thou O Lord art a ſhield for me, my glory, and the lifter up of mine head: Why then he prays, ver. 4. I cryed unto the Lord with my voice: Then he believes, ver. 5. I laid me down and ſlept, ver. 6. I will not be afraid of ten thouſands of people that have ſet themſelves againſt me round about: Then he prayes at the 7 ver. Ariſe O Lord, ſave me O my God: He prayes, and he believes, and he believes, & he prays. Prayer is a friend to ſaith, and faith is a friend to prayer: But an unbelieving heart, is an undutiful heart, an unſerviceable heart, it is an unpraying heart.
8. As an unbelieving heart is an undutiful heart, and an u…ſerviceable heart: So it is a ſad, and a diſcouraged heart. Why art thou caſt down O my ſoul? and why art thou ſo diſquieted within me? Hope, wait, truſt in the Lord; And that's the way to take off diſcouragements: But a heart full of unbelief, is a heart full of diſcouragement.
9. As it is a ſad and diſconſolate heart, ſo an unbelieving heart is a diſhonouring heart: By Faith we honour the power of God, the grace of God, the All-ſufficiency of God: He that believeth not, makes God a Lyar, ſaith the Apoſtle, That God is not faithful: Faith honours the faithfulneſs of God, but he that believeth not makes God a Lyar: 'Tis a God diſhonouring ſin.
10. And to ſay no more in it but this: As it is a God diſhonouring ſin, ſo an unbelieving heart is the heart that God will puniſh with the moſt ſeverity: We may ſee how the Lord puniſht it in his own people, when they were in the Wilderneſs, and they ſinned through unbelief, God kept them out of the Land of Promiſe; and why? Heb. 3. 19. So we ſee that they could not enter in, becauſe of unbelief: This was in their firſt time; but now in their laſt time, they were broken off. And how came they to be broken off in Chriſt's time, Rom. 11. 20. Well, becauſe of unbelief they were broken off, and thou ſtandeſt by faith: Becauſe of unbelief they were kept out of Canaan, becauſe of unbelief they were broken off in Chriſt's time: So that an unbelieving heart, and an unbelieving ſoul, is ſuch an heart, and ſuch a ſoul, as God will puniſh with the moſt ſeverity; He that believeth not is condemned already: An unbelieving heart is an evil heart.
But now in the ſecond place, This unbelieving heart or infidelity, is the ground of Apoſtaſie, for thereby we depart from God: Infidelity is the root of Apoſtaſie; for as by faith we are united to God, do draw near to God, and are united to him: So by our unbelief we depart from God. Faith (you know) is the uniting grace; and ſo on the contrary, by unbelief we depart from God: But this will appear if you conſider what thoſe things are that make men depart from God.
They are the good things, and the evil things of this life.
The good things of this life do flatter men from God.
The evil things of this life, ſcare men from God. Now Faith will preſerve from both.
If a man be tempted with the good things of this life: Yet if he have Faith, he will not depart from God, for by Faith we live upon God in the uſe of the good things.
And if a man be tempted to depart from God by the evil things of this life, yet if he have but Faith, he will not depart from God; for by Faith we live upon God, and live above loſſes, and above croſſes; ſo that Faith doth preſerve us from both: and therefore unbelief is the root and ground of all our Apoſtaſie, or declining from God: And we know how it was with the three Children, what it was that kept them in that evil day; there was the Muſick on the one hand, and the fiery Furnace on the other; but between both, they were kept and preſerved, for they believed: It was their Faith kept them from departing.
But further, If that Unbelief be a Mother Sin, a Parent Sin, a breeding Sin, the root and cauſe of other ſins: Why then Unbelief muſt needs be the root, and ground, and cauſe of Apoſtacy. Why now, what is the cauſe of all our ſins but our unbelief? People do not think ſo: What's the reaſon that men are ſo covetous and worldly, but becauſe of their unbelief? What's the reaſon when people are in trouble that they uſe indirect means to get out of trouble, but becauſe of their unbelief? What's the Reaſon that a Servant or a Child will tell lies? Becauſe of Unbelief. Unbelief is the Mother ſin, the Parent ſin, the Breeding ſin; and therefore Unbelief is the cauſe of departing and going off from God.
And if ſo, why ſhould we not all then take heed of an evil heart of unbelief? That's the Remedy that is here preſcribed for the cure of this diſeaſe: Take heed Brethren, take heed leaſt there be in any of you an evil heart of Unbelief.
Take heed:
What ſhould we take heed of?
Take heed of departing from God, and take heed of unbelief, and of an evil heart of unbelief, whereby we depart from God.
Take heed of departing from God; For as we have heard already, it is a very dangerous thing to depart from God. Let me add this:
If we depart from God, who will receive us? If a Proclamation be out againſt a man as a Traitor, who durſt receive him? And if a man do depart from the Lord, what creature dare receive him? In 2 Joh. ſpeaking of ſome that departed from the Lord; Whoſoever tranſgreſſeth, and abideth not in the Doctrine of Chriſt; if there come any into you, and bring not this Doctrine, receive him not into your houſe, neither bid him God ſpeed: The Kings Proclamation is out againſt him, take heed how you receive him; Here's a command ſent from the Lord to take heed how you receive ſuch an one; I ſay, if we depart from God, who will receive us?
And if you depart from God, you will hardly ever return unto him again: you know the place, it is impoſſible we ſhould be renewed by Repentance; Faith is but once delivered to the Saints: If the leaves be off in the Winter, the tree will grow again; but if it be pluck't up by the roots, it will grow no more: Twice dead ſaith the Apoſtle: dead by the Law; but if a man depart from God under the Goſpel, he is twice dead: now a man that's twice dead, certainly he will never recover; twice dead, How twice dead? Not that a man was twice alive. A man is hanged, and ſo is dead; after he is hanged he is quartered, here's a ſecond death; he is twice dead, not that he had a life between theſe two deaths, between his hanging and his quartering, but he is twice dead: So a man that departs from God under the Goſpel, he is twice dead: He was alive once in the ſtate of Innocency, but he loſt it, and now he is dead by the Goſpel, and out aſunder by the Goſpel, he is twice dead, and will hardly ever return to God again: A man that lives under the Goſpel, and departs from God, a thouſand to one, if ever he return to God again.
And if we do depart from God, God will depart from us: God is with us while we are with him, but if we forſake the Lord, he will forſake us; if we depart from God, God will depart from us: God comes firſt to us, but we go firſt from him; God doth not leave any, but thoſe that leave him firſt; He comes to us before we come to him, but if we depart from him, he will depart from us: and if God go, the Devil comes; the Lord rejected Saul, and an evil Spirit came preſently upon him: therefore who would not take heed of departing from God? But
Secondly, As we are to take heed of departing from God, ſo we are to take heed of Unbelief, and of an unbelieving heart, whereby we depart from God; for the ſin of unbelief, and an unbelieving heart is very cunning and makes a deceitful heart: Therefore ſaith the Apoſtle in the words following: leaſt ye be hardned, through the deceitfulneſs of ſin. It hath very many pretences and fair colours. When they were invited by the Goſpel, what excuſes had they, all from unbelief? I have married a Wife, and I cannot come; and I have bought a piece of ground, and I muſt needs go ſee it, I pray thee, have me excuſed; And I have bought five yoke of Oxen, and I go to prove them; I pray thee have me excuſed. No, no, I have unbelief in my heart, and I cannot come; Unbelief made all theſe Excuſes, 'tis cunning heart, a deceiving ſin, the ſin of unbelief.
And indeed it is ſuch a ſin, as hardens inſenſibly, that we cannot perceive: You can ſee the tree, the body of the tree, and the bark of the tree, and the boughs of the tree, and the leaves of the tree, but you cannot ſee the root of the tree. Unbelief is a root ſin, and that's leaſt perceived: Now when one hath to deal with a deceitful enemy, that is leaſt perceived, had be not need take heed? Take heed of departing from God, through an evil heart of unbelief.
Queſt. The queſtion then is, What ſhall we do? Theſe are declining and departing times, wherein many do and will depart from God, (make account on't) what ſhall we do that we may not depart from God through unbelief? What ſhall we do, that we may take heed of an unbelieving heart, that we may take heed of departing from God? (I put them together into one queſtion) Now I ſhall give ſeveral directions here, and ſo wind up.
1. If you would not depart from God through unbelief, in declining and departing times, be ſure that you keep cloſe unto the word of God, unto his appointments; and take heed how you meddle with any appointments that are like to his: For the more you depart from the word, the more you depart from God; and the more you meddle with appointments that are like to Gods, the more you depart from the word. Look into Exod. 30. and ſee what a Commandment there is, not to meddle with any thing that's like to Gods appointments, at the 23 ver. There's direction concerning the holy ointment, Take thou alſo unto thee principal ſpices, of pure myrrh five hundred ſhekels, and of ſweet Cinamon half ſo much, even two hundred and fifty ſhekels, and of ſweet Calamus two hundred and fifty ſhekels, and of Caſſia five hundred ſhekels, after the ſhekel of the Sanctuary, and of Oil Olive an hin: Then at the 25 ver. Thou ſhalt make it an oil of holy ointment, an ointment compound after the art of the Apothecary: it ſhall be an holy anointing oil: Well at the 33 ver. Whoſoever compoundeth any like it, or whoſoever putteth any of it upon a ſtranger, ſhall even be cut off from his people: You ſhall make none like it. At the 34 ver. You have directions for the making of an holy perfume, The Lord ſaid unto Moſes, Take unto thee ſweet ſpices, Stacle, and Onycha, and Galbanum: theſe ſweet ſpices with pure frankincenſe, of each ſhall there be a like weight: And thou ſhalt make it a Perfume, a Confection after the Art of the Apothecary, tempered together pure and holy: But then at the 38 ver. Whoſoever ſhall make like unto that, to ſmell thereto, ſhall even be cut off from his people: A dangerous thing it is to meddle with the appointments in the Worſhip and Service of God, that are like to Gods appointments: for any man (like an Apothecary and a Confectioner) in the Worſhip and Service of God; To make appointments in Gods Worſhip like unto the appointments of God; it's a dangerous thing, he ſhall be cut off from his people: Therefore if you would not depart from God through unbelief, keep cloſe to the word, and the appointments thereof; and take heed of meddleing with any appointments that are like thereto.
2. If you would not depart from God through unbelief, take heed that you do not ſuffer any thing to come between your heart and Gods Commandment or Promiſe: We all fell in Adam through unbelief: How came that about? Why, the Devil got between Adams heart and the Commandment: Adam did not keep the Commandment cloſe, there was ſomething (a Devils promiſe) that got between his heart and Gods Commandment; and ſo departed from God. Take heed therefore, and be ſure that nothing come between your heart and Gods Commandment.
3. If you would not depart from God, the Living God through unbelief: Take heed of venturing upon any ſin becauſe it's ſmall, yielding to any Errour becauſe 'tis little, leaving any truth becauſe it is but little or ſmall. There are ſome paſſage truths (as I may call them) in time of War when one Army is againſt another, you ſhall ſee how earneſtly they will contend for a little paſſage, a little ſpot of ground; ask them the reaſon, O that's a paſſage: So there are ſome truths that are but ſmall in themſelves, and they are paſſage truths: and if you would not depart from God, and the great truths; look to paſſage truths, look to keep your paſſages.
4. If you would not depart from God, the Living God through unbelief, Be ſure that you lay all your work in ſincerity; for the ground that had not Root in it ſelf, falls away. Take this for a certain Rule. He that begins in Hypocriſie, will end in Apoſtacy. Here are ſome it may be (though but few of us) that are beginning, and laying the foundation: Look to your foundation, that it be laid well in ſincerity; for if your foundation be laid in hypocriſie, you will end in Apoſtacy.
5. If you would not depart from the Lord through an unbelieving heart, take heed of ſtrangeneſs with God, want of Communion in private: Enmity begins in ſtrangeneſs among men; Firſt, people grow ſtrange, and then they come to hate one another, and to be enemies to one another: Enmity begins with ſtrangeneſs, and truly ſo it is with God; Firſt ſtrangeneſs, and then Enemies: If you would not depart from God, the Living God; O take heed of ſtrangeneſs with God, maintain your private Communion.
6. Take heed of taking offence, and of being offended at any of the good wayes of God, or any of the people of God: 'Twas Dr. Preſtons uſual ſaying, I never knew any one decline, or fall away; But firſt he took offence at ſome good man, and then he took offence at more good men, and then he took offence at the wayes of God themſelves: And you know it's ſaid of the Diſciples, they were offended and went back: And of the falſe ground, By and by he is offended; he doth not ſay, By and by they fall away: Why? Becauſe uſually falling away and departing begins at being offended: Therefore would you not depart from the Living God, then take heed you take no offence at the good wayes of God, or the people of God.
7. Take heed of walking alone: For you ſee what follows in the Text, ſaith he, Take heed Brethren, leaſt there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the Living God, But exhort one another daily: So that the onelyonly way to be kept from departing from the Living God, is to be exhorting one another. Then they that feared the Lord ſpake often one to another: In evil days exhort one another daily, in declining times take heed of walking alone.
8. Take heed of Remiſſeneſs in duty: Remiſſeneſs in duty, will cauſe omiſſion of duty; omiſſion of duty, will cauſe Commiſſion of evil; and Commiſſion of evil will cauſe a departing from God: I uſe to ſay, the ſlumber of grace, is a preparation to ſin; and thoſe that ſlumber in times of injoyments, they will fall in ſuffering times (it's likely) you know how it was with the Diſciples that ſlumbred and ſlept at the Mount of Transfiguration, afterwards they ſlept alſo in ſuffering time: Well therefore, if you would not depart from God, the Living God through unbelief; Take heed of the ſlumbers of grace, take heed of remiſneſs in any duty, leaſt remiſneſs cauſe omiſſion, omiſſion commiſſion, and commiſſion departing from God.
9. Take heed that you do not ſtand poring upon your Temptations, whatſoever your Temptations be: When the Children of Iſrael were ſtung by the Serpents in the Wilderneſs, they did not ſtand poring upon the Arm that was ſtung, and crying out, O my Arm, O how it is ſwell'd! but they lookt up upon the Brazen Serpent: If they had lookt upon their Arm, and ſtood poring upon that, they had never been Cur'd: So now, if in caſe we be tempted, the way is, not to ſtand poring upon the temptation, but to look off unto Chriſt: If therefore you would not depart from God in the time of Temptation, take heed of poring upon the Temptation, look off from that upon the brazen Serpent. And
10. Set the Lord alwaies before your eyes, his All-ſufficiency, his Fulneſs, his Grace, his Goodneſs: I have ſet the Lord alwaies before me, at my right-hand (ſaith David) and therefore I ſhall not fall: So do you.
11. Poſſeſs your hearts much with the fear of God: Fear is the preſerver of innocency: I'le put my fear into your hearts ſaith God, That you ſhall not depart from me: If then you would not depart from God, labour to poſſeſſe your ſouls with the fear of God.
12. Take heed how you conſult with Fleſh and Blood in the things of God. If Paul had conſulted with Fleſh and Blood, he had never believed: And if in the things of God we conſult with Fleſh and Blood, we are ſure to depart from God, the living God.
13. Put your ſelves often unto this diſjunction. Come O my ſoul, either there is enough in God alone, or there is not: If there be not enough in God alone, how do they live in Heaven? They have no meat, no drink, no clothes, no gold nor ſilver: As the Martyr ſaid, I am going to that Country where your gold and ſilver will not go, (when they offered him gold and ſilver) Alaſs, our gold and ſilver doth not go there; As leather mon…y will not go here where gold and ſilver goes: So our gold and ſilver will not go there: if there be not enough in God alone, how do you think they live in Heaven? Surely they live upon God. Therefore there is enough in God: Well, if there be enough in God alone, O my Soul, Why ſhould I depart from God? All departure doth ſignifie an inſufficiency. I leave this houſe, and go to another, becauſe this houſe is not ſufficient. When I am ſick I ſend to my neighbour for Beer, why? becauſe my Beer don't like me. The Bee leaves one flower, and goes to another, becauſe it doth not find enough in that flower: all departing notes an inſufficiency. If I depart from God, it notes an inſufficiency in God: Is it not becauſe there is no God in Iſrael, that ye are gone down to Baal-zephon? Well, either there is enough in God alone, O my ſoul, or there is not: If there be not enough in God alone, then how do they live in Heaven? If there be enough in God alone, then why ſhould I depart from God through unbelief? Thus put your ſelves upon this Dilemma, and it will be a means to keep you from departing from God through your unbelief.
14. If you would not depart from God, the living God through unbelief, Then take heed of worldlineſs: Take heed of covetouſneſs, and of worldlineſs: We cannot ſerve two Maſters, God, and Mammon, you muſt cleave to the one, and forſake the other: Demas hath forſaken me, and imbrac'd this preſent world. A worldly covetous heart will depart from God, and therefore take heed of covetouſneſs, worldlineſs: Seek not great things for your ſelves: Seek ye great things in theſe times? Seek them not; 'Tis a great matter to have ones life for a prey in evil times.
15. If you would not depart from God, the living God through unbelief, then take heed of miſ-belief; all unbelief is grounded upon a miſbelief: We don't believe becauſe we miſ-believe; we ſee it in Adam, he was guilty of unbelief, how? Why he believed the Devil, You ſhall be like God, ſaith he, and by his miſ-believing he came into unbelief; His unbelief was grounded upon a miſbelief. God draws by Promiſes, and the Devil tempts by Promiſes. Why when the Devil tempts by Promiſes, if we believe his Promiſes, we ſhall ſoon be guilty of unbelief, in regard of Gods Promiſes; and therefore if we would not depart from God, the living God, through unbelief, take heed of miſbelieving.
16. If you would not depart from God through unbelief, then look to your Judgement in reference to your Converſation, and look to your Converſation in reference to your Judgment: Look to your Life in reference to your Opinion, look to your Opinion in reference to your Life. Faith and a good Opinion, doth preſerve a good Life, and a good Life doth preſerve Faith and a good Opinion: Faith lys in the boſom of a good Converſation; Faith is beſt preſerved by a good Converſation, and a good Converſation is beſt preſerved by Faith: Sometime men do depart from God, and their departure begins above in the Judgment, and like Rheum it falls down upon the Lungs, it falls down upon the Converſation; Somtimes the departing begins below in the Converſation, and ſteams up into the Judgement: as ſome things that are unſavoury in the ſtomach, they ſteam up into the head. Sometimes the depart…re from God begins above, and works downward into the Converſation; Sometimes it begins below in the Converſation, and works upwards into the Judgement: Therefore look to your Judgements in reference to your Converſation, and look to your Converſation in reference to your Judgment: Look to your Faith in reference to your Life, and look to your Life, in reference to your Faith.
17. If you would not depart from God, the living God, through unbelief, Then take heed how you run with the times: Good friends, there is the truth of the times, and there is the error of the times: There is the grace of the times, and there is the ſin of the times, ſeldom that the generality of people hit it, they ſeldom hit the truth of the times, ſeldom hit the grace of the times; I ſay, the generality of people ſeldom hit it, they are like the dead Fiſh that ſwims down the water, the living Fiſh ſwims againſt the Tide; and ſo the living Chriſtian ſwims againſt the tide of the Times: Take heed, if you would not depart from the living God through unbelief; take heed how you fall with the times; for I ſay, ſeldom do the generality of people hit the truth, or the grace of the times.
18. Know that it is the greateſt honour (poſſeſs your ſouls on't) that may be, to wait upon the Lord, and the greateſt diſhonour to depart from God through unbelief; Thereby a man proclaims his own folly; thereby he doth put himſelf out of Gods protection; thereby he caſts dirt and reproach in the very face of God: Is it not becauſe there is no God in Iſrael, that ye go down to Baal-zebub the God of Ekron? God will caſt dirt and reproach in their faces, that caſt dirt and reproach in his face: 'Tis the greateſt honour to wait upon the Lord; 'Tis the greateſt diſhonour to depart from God.
19. Be very ſenſible of your own unbelieving heart, and of all your former departings from God: The beſt way to keep from new ſins, is to be very ſenſible of old ſins; he that is very ſenſible of his former ſins, ſhall through the grace of God be kept from new ſins: Have you departed from the Lord, be ſenſible of your departings from God, be ſenſible of your own unbelieving heart: There is many that go up and down, and are never ſenſible of their own unbelieving hearts, twenty, thirty, forty years they have lived, and yet not ſenſible of their unbelieving heart, though it's the greateſt Evil: Well, if you be ſenſible of your unbelief, and former departings from God, then you ſhall be kept from departing from the Lord through unbelief.
20. Laſtly, If you would not depart from God, the Living God, through an evil heart of unbelief: Be not too confident of your own ſtrength in ſtanding, but commit your ſelf, and your cauſe, and your way, and your heart unto the Lord: The beſt Swimmers are the ſooneſt drown'd: Why? becauſe they are the moſt confident, and the moſt confident people do the ſooneſt fall and depart from the Lord. But our ſtrength is to commit our ſelves unto God, Commit thy way unto the Lord, ſaith he; and the Apoſtle in evil times, ſuffering times, calls upon us to do this, to commit our ſelves into the hand of God, as into the hands of a faithful Creator: Are the times declining; and do many depart from the Lord? take heed, be not to confident, he that ſtandeth, ſtandeth by Faith; be not to confident of your own ſtanding, but commit your way, your ſouls, and your all unto God. He is beſt kept that the eternal God keeps; and if you commit your ſelves unto him, and his keeping, he will certainly keep you. And thus have I given you theſe twenty directions, that ſo you may not through an evil heart of unbelief be drawn to depart from the Living God.