A Spiritual Antidote Against Sinful Contagion, Treatise 1 · Duty 1
DUTY I.
AT such a time as this, be Frequent and Serious in Self-examination aPsal. 119 59. Jer. 8. 6. Lam. 3. 40. 2 Cor. 13 5. Self-examination.Heart-scrutiny is every mans unquestionable Duty, and multitudes do everlastingly miscarry by the wilfull neglect thereof: many do lay claim bMat. 7. 21, 22, 23to God, and Christ, and Heaven, that have no Title to them; and God forbid that you should be numbred among such at the coming of the Lord to Judgment; and for the better managing of this so necessary and seasonable a Duty; do it,
First, Solemnly, as Judges when they sit upon How—Life and Death; and to the Solemnity of this work, reduce these particulars.
1. For the time, do this onelyonly; If you would search your hearts solemnly, exclude other things for that time; leave your worldly thoughts at your Closet Door, and remember you are now to enquire after the State of your Soul: the Question is, Do I Believe, or do I not? Do I Love God, or do I not, &c?
2. Set your self, as before the cJer. 17. 9, 10. Psal. 139. 1, 14.Searcher of Hearts, whom you cannot deceive, though you should deceive your selves. Think, Now I am in the presence of an All-knowing God; who perfectly seeth the State of my Soul; dPsa. 132 23, 4 & 26. 2.and desire God that he would search you.
3. Then produce the Statutes by which your Heart is to be tried; take your Bible, and know, this is the eRom. 2. 16. Rev. 20. 12.Book by which you must be damned or saved, live or die eternally.
4. Then plead for fRom. 2. 15.and against your self, why you think and hope you do Believe; and why you doubt and fear you do not believe; what are your doubts, and how do you resolve them.
5. Then produce the Witnesses which must give in their Evidences, God and your own Conscience g2 Cor. 1. 12.: These alone can tell you whether you are religious indeed; whether you pray sincerely, or no; and in all your actions design and aim at the glory of God, or no.
6. Then proceed to the passing of the Sentence, be it for you, or against you; and say, Oh my Soul! this day upon serious search, I have found that thou art out of Christ, that thou art a Stranger unto God; or, that you finde you have unfeignedly closed with, and accepted of Jesus Christ for Lord and Saviour.
7. Then Record this in your Memory, or your Diary, which might stand you in stead when you have occasion to review it.
Secondly, Judicially; be not rash, but weigh your Condition in the Balance of the Sanctuary; take heed that Pride and Self-love do not Blinde your Eyes, that you should not see the Evil in you: nor unbelief and inordinate Self-loathing Bleer your Eyes, that you should not see the Grace that God hath implanted in your Heart.
Thirdly, Effectually; bring the Question to an issue, if it might be; do not stir till you are resolved; if your heart begin to slink away, command it in the Name of God to abide the tryal.
Fourthly, Humbly begging the assistance and the witness of the Spirit of God; you cannot have grace, till he give it; and you cannot see the grace you have, till he doth h1 Cor. 2. 12.show it to you. Oh my Friends! though the work be difficult, and displeasing to the flesh, yet be not kept from it, but press your self to it, by considering,
First, That many now in Hell, once thought Why?their condition good, till they found themselves irrecoverably lost.
Secondly, That it is an easie thing to be deceived about the sincerity of your Heart; and that,
1. Because of the near resemblance betwixt the highest degree of common grace, and lowest degree of saving grace. There is something in Hypocrites, like Faith in Christ, and love to God, that is neither Faith nor Love.
2. Because of the unskilfulness of the most, to judge where the difference lieth.
3. Because the worst Heart is apt to conclude the best of it self. Some think they are worse then they be; but the most, that they are better then they be.
Thirdly, That a mistake about the estate of your Soul, is most dangerous; and to die in this mistake, is to be lost irrecoverably.
Fourthly, That it is possible you may know whether you shall be saved.
Fifthly, That this will be very comfortable.
Sixthly, That an Heart unwilling to be searched, is much to be suspected.
And now for the helping of you in the discovering the sincerity of your Heart towards God, I would advise you to make some inquires About3. Marks of Heart-sincerity.
Sin.
Grace.
Duty.
First, Can you truly say, making your appeal 1. About Sin, they are three.to God, That sin is the object of your aPsal. 97. 10. 8: 119. 113, 163 Prov. 8. 13hatred? What is the special thing your Soul abhors? Every unregenerate man doth indeed hate bRom. …. 30.God, and Christ, and the Power of Religion; and every sanctified person, doth unfeignedly cRom. 7. 15.hate those sins, which he cannot shake off. A wicked man might be angry with himself for sin, but yet he doth not hate it; might speak displeasing words against sin with his tongue, and yet have love for it in his heart: But as God hateth nothing more then sin, so every one that is born of God, hateth nothing more then sin. True hatred to sin is,
1. Implacable, and therein it differs from anger. Three signs of true hatred to Sin.This may be pacified, but hatred is irreconcileable, especially when there is a radicated antipathy, as there is betwixt Grace and Sin. A man may be angry with his friend, and yet own him for his friend: A Father may be angry with his Childe; and yet love him. Anger and Love are consistent, but so is not Love and Hatred.
2. Ʋniversal Hatred dPs. 119. 104, 128.is to all the kinde: He that hates a Toad, hates every Toad; he that hates any thing as such, hates every thing that is such: Love to one sin, proves there is not an hatred to any sin? Now then seriously enquire, Is there not any one sin that you love with a prevailing love, you might not care for prodigality; but do not you love covetousness? You might not care for sinful sports; but do not you love to please the flesh, in being brought under the power of your sensitive appetite?
3. Hatred tends to separation, fighteth with the strongest opposition, and longeth for a total extirpation of the sin you hate. It makes you strive and struggle to get the victory; to abstain from the very appearance of evil; and to hate the temptation to sin, as well as the commission of it. Doth it cost you daily pains to subdue and conquer it? Do you labor to weep it out at your eyes? And though the relicks do abide, yet doth the Soul breathe and long after the extirpation of it? Doth it not make you willing sometimes to go out of the World, if God would call you, that you may get sin out of your Heart?
Secondly, How do you finde your heart affected toward that sin which by way of special propriety you might call your own? indeed, nothing is so properly our own, as our sin: But yet some one sin is dearer to us, then all the rest. All other sins are but attendants upon this, and all will be parted with, rather then this. One beloved sin hath kept many off from Christ, and out of Heaven. David proves the sincerity of his heart, by keeping himself from his own iniquity, Psal. 18. 23. Do you love that part of Gods Word that doth most discover your bosom sin, though it be the sin, (1) Of your constitution. (2) That hath become your darling, by former frequent commissions, that you have been long accustomed unto. (3) That hath been the sin of your calling, and brought you in the greatest profit. If indeed you be sincere, that sin hath most of your hatred, that before had most of your love.
Thirdly, How do you finde your heart to work against secret sins? Can you in secret mourn and grieve for such sins that were always secret? Do you know no sin by your self, that never any man knew to be in you; that never did expose you to shame among men? Can you as heartily grieve, and weep, and mourn for this, as for others, that have discovered your infirmities unto the World? Is it more to you, that God doth see you, then if all the World did see you.
Make inquiry concerning your Grace. There 2. About Grace.is a great deal of counterfeit grace in the World. Many think they have grace, that are indeed under the power of their sin and lust.
First, Inquire after the truth of your Faith.Three signs of true Faith.
1. Doth it make you to e1 Pet. 2 7.prize, and value, and esteem the Lord Jesus Christ above all things in the World?
2. Are you unfeignedly willing to fJoh. 1. 12.receive Christ, upon the terms of the Gospel, for Lord and Saviour?
3. Doth it put you on to daily diligence to gActs 15. 9.purifie your heart, and to cleanse your inward man from sin?
Secondly, Inquire after your love to God and Marks of true love to God.Christ. Is it a hMatth. 10. 37.superlative love? hath Christ the chiefest seat and room in your heart? Do you love his person, as well as his priviledges? Doth your love make you labor to be like him? Doth it constrain you to unfeigned obedience, that is universal?
1. In respect of the Object, iPs. 119. & 6.All Gods Four marks of true obedience.commands, though never so displeasing to the Flesh.
2. In respect of the Subject, That it is obedience, with kPs. 119. 34, 69.all your hearts.
3. In respect of Time, That it should be lVer. 33. & 112.constant.
4. In respect of Place, That you would obey God where-ever you are, with others, or alone. Doth your love to God appear in the loving of his people? In the loving of his ways, of his Word, and Ordinances?
Make inquiry concerning your Duties. Judge 3. About Duty. Three marks of sincerity in duty.not by the matter so much, as by other circumstances; for there is no external duty you can perform (materially considered) but an Hypocrite may do it as well as you; yea, and excel you. Do you pray? So doth an Hypocrite. Do you hear and talk of God? So doth an Hypocrite. Do you Fast sometimes, and sometimes Feast at the Lords Table? So doth an Hypocrite. Inquire then after those things concerning your Duties.
1. What is the Principle from whence all your The Principle.duties do proceed? If your Principle be wrong, then your heart is not right. Is it onelyonly natural conscience, or custom, or Religious education, or profit in the World, or praise among men? You can then take no comfort in sickness, or at death, in any such duties. Many now in Hell have prayed and heard the Word of God upon these accounts: Or can you say, you pray from a Principle of love and fear; because you love him, and love to converse with him, therefore you pray unto him?
2. What is the care of your Souls, as to the The manner in six qualifications.manner of your duties? It is the manner that will, in Christ, commend you unto God? Do you do your duties, (1) Humbly mLuk. 18. 13., with self-loathing, as becomes a Worm, dust and ashes mingled with sin, before a pure, holy, perfect God? (2) In the Name of Christ, trusting to his merits alone for favor and acceptance. (3) Looking up for the assistance of the Spirit, as one that believeth you can do nothing pleasing unto God, but by his help n2 Cor. 3. 5.. (4) Watchfully oMatth. 26. 41.. Do ye watch against Satan, Sin, and the World, that they may not divert your thoughts from the thing you are about? Or, if you do not watch always to prevent distractions in holy duties, yet do you watch to be humbled for them. (5) Laboriously; pLuk. 13. 14.do ye labor in Prayer as becomes one praying for the favor of God; the pardon of sin, eternal life, and against everlasting flames? (6) Constantly qLuk. 18. 1, &c. 1 Thes. 5 17. Job 27. 10.. Is it now and then that you pray; or do you keep a constancy in these holy duties, as you do in eating and in drinking?
Thirdly, Inquire after the End of all your The End. A five fold End of a sincere Heart in holy duties.duty: Such as your end is, such is your heart. A Theif might arm himself, as well as an honest Man; but it is for other ends. Ask then your own heart, do you perform Religious duties,
1. That you may bring glory r1 Cor. 10. 31.to God? Is this the White you principally fix your eye upon? Though you be slighted, disesteemed, and debased in the eyes of Men; doth your heart desire, Oh that I could now pray, that God might be glorified by me; and that I might now hear that his honor might be promoted by my hearing?
2. Is it your end that you might have communion sPsal. 63. 1, 2, 3.with God, and meet with him? and do you count that duty lost, and that time lost you spent in duty, and did not meet with God? And go away weeping and complaining when you miss of him?
3. Is it your end that you might have power more against your sins, and not to feed your lust of pride and vain glory?
4. Is it your end in all your duties, that you may have more ability to walk more close with God, and to encrease in grace, that you may delight and rejoyce more in God?
5. Is it your end in all your duties, that you may be fitted more and more to live with God in glory; that every Prayer, and Sermon, and Sacrament, may make you more meet to be partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in Light? Oh my Friends, answer to all these Serious Demands, which you put to your own souls, as dying men would do; as men, that do not know how soon the Plague may seize upon you; as such, that have Death staring in your Faces whereever you walk. Search therefore, and rest not, till you can finde it thus with you; and then you may have solid ground of peace and comfort, whether you live or die, whether you fall among the rest into your grave, or remain alive when this Visitation is over.