Christs Alarm to Drowsy Saints, Sermon 13
REVEL. 3. 2.
And art Dead.
THeſe words as ye heard, have a twofold relation; one to the Angell of the Church in Sardis; thou art dead, thy Miniſtry is dead; there's no life, nor heat at all in thy Miniſtry, it is no ſtirring Miniſtry; thou art dead; another to the Church it ſelf; thou art a dead people, a dead congregation. For the firſt thence we had this point of Doctrine; that a dead Miniſtry is little better then no Miniſtry at all. By a dead Miniſtry I meane though the matter preached be never ſo ſound & orthodox, yet when the preaching of it is dead, this is a dead Miniſtry; as a Prayer may be dead, though the things prayed for, be never ſo honeſt and godly; now ſuch a Miniſtry is little better then no Miniſtry; there's no warmth hardly to be had by it at all; like the Miniſtry of the Scribes, that had no power nor authority in it at all, Matth. 7. 29. as Luther ſaid, when he heard one preach very cold; cold, cold, ſayes he; this is cold preaching; here's no heat at all to be gotten.
Firſt, this is nothing like a true Miniſtry indeed; a true Miniſtry indeed is lively; it is a Miniſtry that warmes and heats; it is a very earneſt Miniſtery; as when the1. Lord let the Jewes have a true Miniſtry, he ſayes they had a lively Miniſtry, I earneſtly proteſted to your Fathers, Jer 11. 7. he ſpeakes of the Miniſtry of Moſes and the Prophets; it was a very lively Miniſtry; they preacht in good earneſt to the people; ſo Paul was earneſt in his Miniſtry, I have ſtriven to preach the Goſpell, Rom. 15. 20. he belaboured him hard in the pulpit, he laid about him ſoundly; ſo that a dead Miniſtery, is nothing like a true Miniſtery.
Secondly, the Lord counts a dead Miniſtry, even as if it were no Miniſtry at all. The Scribes and the Phariſees, were very morall men moſt of them, as ye may ſee2. by Paul's Teſtimony of himſelf, and they were orthodoxe Miniſters for the maine, as our Saviour ſayes of them, for he bids people heare them, yet he counted their Miniſtry even as no Miniſtry at all; he cals the people that ſate under their Miniſtry, people having no Shepheard, Matt. 9. 36. true they had Shepheards, but as the Prophet ſayes of the Shepheards of Judah, they were Jdoll Shepheards, Zach. 11. 17. they were very Idols; ye know Idols are dead Images.
Thirdly, a dead Miniſtry does little or no good; it is very unfruitfull; it does not awaken any of the auditory; it does not ſtir any of the hearers; it does not rouze up3. mens hearts; it does not grapple with the obſtinate, nor pull down the proud, neither does it carry life at all with it; as Ieremy ſayes of many of the Prieſts and the Prophets of Iſrael, they did not convert any; God tels them, if they had ſtood in his counſell, they ſhould have turned many, Jer. 23. 22. But as the matter went, they turned none, they converted none; a lively Miniſtry doth a great deale of good; but a dead Miniſtry is a flat thing.
Fourthly, a dead Miniſtry God ſeldome goes along4. with it; nay, that's the life of ones Miniſtry, when the Miniſter ſeekes God to goe along with him; now a dead Miniſtry, God goes not along with it; a lively Miniſtry God gos along with that; as Chriſt ſayes, Lo I am with you to the end of the world, Matth. 28. 20. ſuch a Miniſtry God bleſſes, it gathers up Gods Jewels, it builds up Gods Church it helps to perfect the Saints. But a dead Miniſtry, the Lord does not goe with it, he does not worke with it.
Fifthly, a dead Miniſtry prophanes the word, it makes5. it ſeeme nothing worth; it makes people thinke there is no great matter in it; a lively Miniſtry gloriſies the word, it lets out God into the conſcience, it givs people to underſtand they come upon life and death, it makes people looke about them, it makes people heare over all that ever they have done, it flaſhes the word of God into their hearts, as a light to diſcover all their wayes; it gives them a view of their eternall eſtate either one way or other; it is the ſavour either of life unto life, or of death unto death; as it is ſaid of Pauls▪ Miniſtry, the word of the Lord was glorified by it, Act. 13. 48. But a dead Miniſtry prophanes, hides the glory of it; it lets people ſet quietly under it; it diſeaſes no ſinner.
The uſe of this was firſt, here we ſaw a reaſon why aVſe 1. dead Miniſtry is not houted at, but applauded in the world; Why? it is as good as no Miniſtry at all, it does not make the devill roar; it lets people ſleep in their ſins; ſuch Miniſters are dawbers, they are the divels upholſters they doe not pluck away mens pillowes from under their▪ arme-holes; people may doe what they liſt for all them. The world will let ſuch alone, they may ſleep long enough; whereas a livelie Miniſter can heardly come into the pulpit, but preſently he is halfe a Martyr; as the Lord ſaid to Ezekiel Briers and thornes are with thee Ezek. 2. 6. The world fought againſt Ieremy; they played the wolves againſt the Apoſtles of Jeſus Chriſt. Lively Miniſters cannot give the world any good content; there's an antpathy between the world and ſuch; they cannot more agree then light and darkneſſe; ſuch a Miniſter ſtands in the worlds light; he makes the world ſee their works are evill, he detects & ſhams, and oppoſes the ſins that the world wallows in; ſuch a Miniſtry is a diſſering Miniſtry, it makes a diviſion among men. There cannot be a lively Miniſtery any where, but the world hath a ſting at it. But a dead Miniſtry may goe Scotfree, it does not torment them that dwell upon the earth.
Secondly, this may ſerve to reprove our ſelves thatUſe 2. are no more lively in our Miniſtry. That our Miniſtry hath no more edge upon it to enter into this horny thickskin age; we complaine of much deadneſſe now a dayes, alas how if we be found guilty of it, in that we preach no more quickeningly? if the Apoſtles of Chriſt complained of dull hearers, Heb. 5. 11. O how many dull hearers have we! The Lord awaken our hearts! The deader people be, we had need to be the quicker in our Miniſtry, or elſe we cannot ſay we are pure from their blood. Don't we ſee the damned eſtate that our people are in by nature? the careleſneſſe of getting to be delivered out? the neceſſity of faith, of repetance, of holineſſe, the danger of ſinne, the multitudes of them that periſh, and the fewneſſe of them, that ſtrive to enter in at the ſtraight gate? the deceitfulneſſe of the heart, how the world and the cares of this life, carry almoſt all eleane away? the badneſſe of the times, the ſhortneſſe of this life, the irrecoverable eſtate after death, the immortalitie of the ſoule, the paines of hell, the joyes of heaven? O how ſhould we beſtirre our ſelves, to beat theſe truthes into mens hearts, that they may bethink them, and flye from the wrath come? The cold preaching of ſuch weighty things quite cozens the world; we give them ſuch faint warnings, that it's no wonder that ſo few doe take any warning; we ſound the Trumpet too too low, that ſcarce any almoſt prepare themſelves; we preach as though we did not care much, whether our people be damned or no; this is a lamentable thing, people may ſay to us, as the diſciples ſaid to Chriſt; they ſaid it unjuſtly to Chriſt, but our people may ſay it juſtly to us. Maſter careſt thou not that we periſh? Mark. 4. 38. he was aſleep, and they awakened him; Maſter careſt thou not, &c. O Sirs, don't you care that we periſh? awaken, awaken, don't you ſee how dead we are, how hearned, how Ignorant of God, how emptie of grace, how backward to that which is good! how prone to loſe our ſoules! and don't you care that we periſh? why don't you labour more to quicken us, and move us; why don't you rub us, and pull us, and prick us, and drive us out of our ſecurity?
Thirdly, another uſe is, that we labour for a quickningVſe 3. Miniſtrie. This is the end of all true Miniſters preaching; that they may bring life into their hearers hearts; as the Prophet ſaies, heare and your ſoules ſhall live, Iſa. 55. 3. wherefore elſe doe we preach, but that the dead may heare the voyce of the Sonne of God and live? people are alive to that which they ſhould be dead unto; and dead to that which they ſhould be alive unto; dead to God and all goodneſſe, dead to reformation and amendment, dead to Prayer, and the communion of the Saints; dead to holy conference and meditation and what ever elſe may doe your ſoules good: now wherefore doe we preach, if not to quicken up your hearts, that your hearts may live for ever? are we not ſowers of ſeed? why then we ſhould moſt labour ſo to plow and harrow and till the ground that our ſeed may quicken.
Fourthly, now another uſe is how to get a MiniſtrieVſe 4. to be quickening. Firſt let us conſider the worth of a ſoule, our Saviour Chriſt ſaies, its of more worth then the whole world, Matth 16. 26. if one ſoule be of ſuch worth, O then what is the worth of ſo many ſoules as God hath given us the charge of▪ wherefore doe we ſtirre up our ſelves no more in our Miniſtrie? its a plaine ſigne, we don't conſider the worth of ſoules, that we have the care of; the blood of the Sonne of God was ſhed for them. O if we would but conſider this, this mought whet us up if by any meanes we might gaine ſome ſoules to Gods heavenly Kingdome.
Secondly, as we muſt conſider the worth of the ſoules2. of our people, ſo we muſt get bowels to tender their ſoules. The Apoſtle Paul ſayes, he had the bowels of a Father towards the ſoules of the Theſſalonians, you know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father thes his Children, 1 Theſſ. 2. 11. nay, as a Mother to the Babe of her womb; nay, ſayes he, we were ready not onelyonly to impart the Goſpell of God to you, but alſo even our owne ſoules, becauſe ye are deare to us; as it is there in verſe 8. Is a Father dead-hearted toward his deare childe? or a kinde Mother toward her deare babe? no; if we were ſet to doe our people good, if our bowels did yearn after their everlaſting good, it would appeare in every Sermon we make, yea, it would appear in our delivery, in our faces, in our carriages, in our earneſt endeavour for their comfort; the earneſtnes of a true Miniſters preaching, Saint Iude compares to the ſnatching of a childe, that is fallen into the fire; other ſome with feare, plucking them out of the fire, Iude. 23. if we did ſee our poore children fallen into the fire, how would we beſtirre our ſelves quickly to pluck them out againe? would we goe about it coldly? nay, would we not runne, and ſnatch and pull, and cry out, and alas my poore childe, nay, we would ſchriek out, O woe is me my childe will be burnt; O how our bowels would yearne, ſo we ſhould doe to our people, this would quicken our Miniſtry, and ſo I full upon a third.
Thirdly, then as we ſhould dearely love our peoples3. ſoules, ſo we ſhould be pitious and affectionate towards them; we ſhould let them ſee how we pity their condition; we don't onelyonly tell them their ſins, and threaten againſt them the Judgements, but with pity and compaſſion; lamenting their condition, as Ieremy ſaid, O my howels, my homels, I am pained even at the very heart, Jer. 4. 19. we ſhould not mouth hell and damnation and roare out againſt their ſinnes in a ſtirdy manner, as if we had Iron ſides, but in a relenting pittious wiſe, bewayling their caſe. Preaching ſometimes is called lamentation in Scripture; take up alamentation for the Princes of Iſrael, Ezek. 19. 1. that is, goe and preach to them; this is to quicken in our Miniſtry; may be people now will ſay; what a beaſt am I! how does our Miniſter pity us? he mournes over us, and bewayles us; what a wretch am I, that I doe not bewayle mine owne miſerable condition! O beloved, what a wofull thing is it that any of us ſhould periſh! to be damned for ever in hell? to lye in everlaſting burnings; what a pity is this? Is it not much better, we ſhould embrace the good word of God, repent and beleeve, and take up Chriſts Yoke, and to be willing to do any thing, to part with any thing, then to lie by it for ever in the paines of hell for the pleaſures of ſinne for a ſeaſon? alas brethren it is for want of bowels; that we doe no more good; O we ſhould fling our hearts among you, as was ſaid of that good Biſhop, the People ſaid of him, he flung his very heart among them; ſo ſhould we doe, we ſhould even melt over you, the Lord give us tender bowels for you; this is a quickening Miniſtry.
Fourthly, We ſhould worry our people out of their4 ſinnes; we ſhould not let our people be quiet in any of their ſinfull courſes; we ſhould daily labour to diſeaſe them, to make them ſet upon thornes, as is ſaid of the two witneſſes, they tormented the earth, Rev. 11. 10. ſo we ſhould torment and vex guilty conſciences, gall them, and peirce them, and make our Sermons haunt them; we ſhould be eager and earneſt with them to let goe their ſinnes; we ſhould be like the importunate widdow, that would have juſtice, ſhe would never let the Judge be quiet for her; as God ſayes there, returne returne, O Shulamite, returne returne; compell them to come in, Luke. 14. 23. repent repent, O wretch, repent repent; O doe not goe on, thou'lt periſh, turne back, turne back, thou'lt be in hell in a moment elſe; it is not enough to deliver a good doctrine, and then to ſay thus and thus ye are guilty of ſinning againſt this good doctrine; but we ſhould labour to lay it home, and to impoſe it firmly on their conſcience, to haunt▪ them with the danger; O how dull, and blockiſh and ſecure in their heart how apt are people to forget any thing that is good, to put off any thing that ſhould pull them downe before God? and therefore we ſhould labour to help our poore people, that if▪ it be poſſible, we may ſtop them from going downe into the pit.
Fifthly, we ſhould labour to make the things that we5 preach as if it were lively before peoples eyes; as the Apoſtle preacht Chriſt crucified to the Galatians, even as if he were crucified before their very eyes, Gal. 3. 1. ſo Moſes had a very lively Miniſtry; the text ſayes he ſet his points before their very eyes. I call heaven and earth to record againſt you this day, that I have ſet before you life and death, bleſſing and cruſing, Deut. 30. 19. marke he ſet before their eyes, life and death, heaven and hell; he preached ſo evidently, that the people might ſee, as it were with their eyes, the things that he preached; this is lively teaching; as the Orator ſayes Hypotypoſis is an excellent meanes to perſwade; when the ſpeaker does as it were point before the hearers eyes, when he repreſents the things he ſpeakes of, this is preaching in the evidence, and the demonſtration of the ſpirit, 1 Cor. 2. 4. foreign when a Miniſter demonſtrates his points, and this it is, this is the ſinne, and this is the caſe, and this is the miſery, and thus it ſtands with you, when he labours to make people ſee it, and they muſt needs ſee it, unleſſe they be wilfull and ſhut their eyes; otherwiſe people heare a Sermon as if it did not concerne them; there's a man in the pulpit, and they heare what he ſays, but they never conſider how deeply it concernes them.
Sixthly, we ſhould be truly affected with the word of6 God our ſelves; laying nothing on our peoples ſhoulders, but what we lift upon our owne; we ſhould ſpeake the truth from the bottom of our hearts, uttering the word of God with feeling and with a contrite heart; we ſhould be heavenly as the word is; that lip and heart, and word may be all a like. O if we did drop downe our Sermons as dew downe from heaven on our people, this would be a lively preaching indeed; as the Prophet Ezekiel did, He dropt the word of God on Ieruſalem, Ezek. 21. 2. if our Sermons did come dropping downe from us, as if they dropt downe from heaven. O how homely doe our Sermons come from our mouthes, as though they never were higher then the pulpit; we doe not preach, as if the word came dropping down from heaven; and therefore people doe not look up to heaven, while they heare, their mindes are no higher then our pulpits: whereas if we had heavenlier hearts and lippes, it would more quicken a thouſand times, or at leaſt be a ſitter inſtrument to quicken.
Seventhly, and laſtly, we ſhould get the Lord to goe7. along with our Miniſtry; for it is not our preaching it ſelfe, that hath any life; nay, it is but a dead letter as it iſſues from us; if we were ſuch men, that had the Lord going along with us throughout all our Miniſtry, what a deale of profit would there be in our Miniſtry? as Micha ſayes, I am full of power by the ſpirit of the Lord, Micha. 3. 8. But I let this point paſſe; thus ye have heard the words as they have relation to the Miniſtry of the Church in Sardis. Thou art dead; that is, thy Miniſtry is dead.
Now I come to the words, as they have relation to the Church it ſelfe. Thou art dead. Thou art a dead people; though thou haſt a name to live, yet, thou art dead; that is, thou art outwardly reformed, thou haſt goodly order'd congregations, good ſober, civill and faire carriaged people, all profeſſing the true religion, and frequenting the good Ordinances of God, yet, thou art dead; that is, thou art even as good as nothing; the doctrine hence is, a dead Chriſtian is as no Chriſtian at all. Ye know we are all dead by nature, in treſpaſſes, and in ſins; that is, we are alive to the workes of the fleſh, and to the world, but dead towards God. And a true Chriſtian is he that is made dead unto ſinne and the world, but alive unto God; as the Apoſtle Paul ſayes. Likewiſe reckon ye your ſelves to be dead unto ſin, but alive unto God through Ieſus Chriſt our Lord, Rom. 6. 11. this is a true Chriſtian, that ſo leaves his ſinnes, and ſo takes up the worſhip and ſervice of God, that he is dead to his ſinnes, and alive towards God; now when a man it may be leaves his ſinnes after a manner, and takes up the profeſſion of Gods Service, and yet he is alive ſtill unto the fleſh, and dead towards God, this is juſt nothing.
By dead I meane things; firſt, deadneſſe of guilt; when a1. man is guilty of any offence, that is death by the Law, he is ſaid to be a dead man; therefore every man hath ſinned againſt God, which is death by Gods Law, ſo that every man is dead by nature; when a man is pardoned of God, then he is alive again; and therefore it is called juſtification of life, Ro. 5. 18. now when a man is not pardoned of God, he is dead, though he have never ſo many hopes and conceits of forgiveneſſe, thought to apprehend himſelfe to be pardoned, yet as long as God hath not pardoned him indeed, he is a dead man.
Secondly, deadneſſe of minde, when the minde is2. Ignorant of God, in regard of ſaving knowledge, when a mans minde is without ſaving underſtanding, then his minde is ſaid to be dead; true ſaving underſtanding is the life of ſo many mindes; as David ſayes, give me underſtanding and I ſhall live, Pſal. 119. 144. then my minde ſhall be alive ſayes he, then I ſhall know thee aright; now let a man have never ſo much knowledge and learning, yet, in divine things is otherwiſe, and have nothing; his minde is ſtill dead; he is a dead man to all the things of God; he cannot ſee God in all his wayes no more then a dead man; he cannot minde God; he may minde earthly things; but he cannot minde God; nay, though he can mind learning & divinity, learning & learning about God, yet he cannot minde God; his minde is dead to ſuch ſavoury knowledge; even as dead as a dead man; he knowes not how to pray to God, as a childe to his Father; he knowes not how to doe any duty, in a godly gratious manner; his minde is as dead to theſe things, as a ſimple Country-mans is to Latin, or Greeke or Hebrew.
Thirdly, deadneſſe of heart when the heart is not3. inclined towards God, then we ſay it is dead towards God and all goodneſſe; though he goe to good duties every day, yet as long as the heart is not inclined to them, it goes about them in a dead manner; when a mans heart is once inclined towards God, now it begins to be alive towards him; as David ſayes, the heart ſhall be alive that ſeekes God, Pſal. 69 32. that is, you whoſe hearts are inclined to ſerve God, your hearts are alive; now when a man hath no divine inclinations to all heavenly duties and courſes, though he doe never ſo much profeſſe the following of them, he followes them with a dead heart.
Fourthly, deadneſſe of conſcience, when the conſcience4 hath no force; it may be it finds fault with ſuch and ſuch wayes, but it hath no power over the man, to make him to leave them; perhaps it approves ſuch and ſuch holy performances, yea, but it hath no power over him, to cauſe him to buckle to them indeed; this is a dead conſcience; it hath no life at all in it; when the conſcience hath life in it once, then it hath power; it hath a mighty force over a man; as the Church, my ſoule made me like the Chariots of Aminadab, Cant. 6. 12. that is, my conſcience was very forceable and powerfull in me, it made me not onelyonly to goe after God, but it carryed me as it were in a Chariot very willingly. But when the conſcience can whiſper onelyonly and finde fault, and hath no power at all with it to make one obey from day to day, this is a dead conſcience.
Fifthly, deadneſſe of affection; when the affections5. are clumbzie, and will not ſtirre towards God, and all heavenly things; when a man is like a block in good duties, he hath no affections to them nor in them; when the affections are all alive to earthly things, when they are ſtill out of order; as the Apoſtle Paul ſayes, mortifie your inordinate affections, Col. 3. 5. that is, your affections muſt not be out of order, if they be alive to other things ye muſt kill them, that way, that they may be alive towards all the things that are above; now when the affections will not move that way at all, then they are dead. But I will ſpeak no more of this; well then let us come to the doctrine; a dead Chriſtian is even as good as no Chriſtian at all; goe through all Chriſtianity, and we ſhall ſee this to be true in every paſſage; ſhould a man have all Chriſtianity in him, and yet be dead and dull and without life, it is even all one, as if he had juſt nothing.
Firſt, for converſion; ſhould a man ſeeme to be converted.1. O what a changed man is this, he was a drunkard, and now he is ſober; he was a whorer, and now he is chaſte, he was a Prophane beaſt, and now he is cleane another man; this is well; I, but if thou beeſt dead to the wayes of God; if thou beeſt not quickened up to them, this is magnum nihil; converſion is a quickning; when we were dead in ſinnes, he hath quickened us together which Chriſt, Eph. 2. 5. converſion is not onelyonly a turning of a man from wicked wayes to good, but to be quickened up in them; converſion puts another life into a man; a man may be converted from prophaneſſe to civility; from not praying conſtantly to praying conſtantly, from not hearing to hearing, from not preaching to preaching, from not profeſſing to profeſſing. True, this man ſhall have the leſſe hell, yea, but this is nothing towards heaven; except a new life be put into this man; to be alive in all theſe good ways; except he be quickened together with Chriſt.
Secondly faith; ſhould a man leane himſelfe upon2. God, and upon Chriſt, ſhould a man apply all the promiſes of the Goſpell to his ſoule, and beleeve all that's contained in the covenant of grace; alas what of all this? if this man be dead ſtill, without ſuch a faith as produces life; it is little better then nothing; as Chriſt ſayes, He that lives and beleeves in me, Joh. 11. 26. true faith carries life with it, whereſoever it is; and therefore if a mans faith be without life, it is but equivocall faith. faith it may well be, But true faith it cannot be; for if thou wouldſt be able to ſay thou beleeveſt in Jeſus Chriſt, thou muſt be able to ſay that thou liveſt too in him; it's impoſſible a man ſhould rightly beleeve in Chriſt and be dead; …o, he lives that beleeves in me, ſayes Chriſt.
Thirdly, as ye heard heretofore, to be a member of3. the viſible Church of God, to be a ſtone in Gods building; were a man the fineſt and the moſt carved ſtone of all, put in by Baptiſme, kept in by profeſſion of the Chriſtian faith; this is a poor thing, if this man now be not a lively ſtone; ye alſo as lively ſtones are built up a ſpirituall houſe, a holy Prieſt-hood, &c. 1 Pet. 2. 5. The right ſtone; in Gods ſpirituall houſe are all lively ſtones; if thou beeſt but a logge, a heartleſſe, dull, dead member, thou art none of Gods ſpirituall houſe, houſe, no part of his holy Prieſt-hood, thou art no more a Chriſtian then a dead man is a man. Thou art but a ſit roome, thou haſt nothing but a name of a true Chriſtian; The body of Chriſt, is all full of life, derived from him the head; all the branches that are in him, have the life of the root in them; if thou beeſt but a dead branch, thou haſt no communion with Chriſt at all, though thou beeſt in the body.
Fourthly, for hope; it may be thou haſt hope that4. thou art a good Chriſtian, that thou haſt a part in the redemption of the world by Jeſus Chriſt, thou haſt a hope of the heavenly inheritance, that thou ſhalt be ſaved in that day; now if thy hope be a dead hope, if it doe not quicken thee up to trample on the world, to beat down thy worldly luſts, to ſcrue thee up to a gratious life more and more, to carry thee on through thick and thin, this is not a gratious hope; no, no; the grace of hope is a lively hope, as the Apoſtle ſpeakes. Bleſſed be God, & father of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, which according to his abundant mercy, hath begotten us againe, to a lively hope, 1 Pet. 1. 3. this grace of hope it quickens up all them that have it, it is not a dead hope, that lyes ſluggiſhly and blockiſhly in the ſoule, and does not ſtirre it up every day; no, it revives him towards God, it makes him eager after the beſt things; if thy hope be a dead hope, that lies like a carcaſe in thy heart, to little or no purpoſe, it is no good hope through grace, but a hope in a dreame.
Fifthly, for repentance; what ever thou haſt to ſay5. for repentance, canſt thou plead a 1000 changes and reformations, yet if thou haſt not gotten out of a dead temper, thou art yet under an impenitent heart. That repentance that is the gate of heaven, the Evangeliſt cals it repentance unto life, Act. 11. 18. true repentance it rends the heart, it ſhewes ſinne to be the greateſt evill, and it rowzes a man up daily to take heed of it; it makes us ſee what a God we have diſhonoured, and therefore it awakens the ſoule to be earneſt to pleaſe him in all things for the time to come; the ſoule was dead and careleſſe, and drowzie, and neglectfull of obedience, goodneſſe, holineſſe, humility, pureneſſe, ſtrictneſſe, preciſeneſſe of walking, it cared not for theſe things afore, but when true repentance comes in, it wheeles about the life of the ſoule towards God, now the cares ſhall be to him, now the endeavours make after him; paines, labours, cautious, watchfulneſſe, conſiderativeneſſe, ſtudious ſtriveings, and all's active that way now; ſo that if a man be ſtill dead, his repentance is falſe.
Againe to goe over all the duties of religion; they all muſt be done with life; to doe them with a dead heart,1 is as good as not to doe them at all. Firſt prayer, ſuppoſe we pray at Church, and pray in our families, and pray in our cloſets, is this all? to pray with a dead heart, as if we cared not whether we ſped or no, no pullings of our heart downe before God; no wraſtlings with God for what we aske, no liftings of our ſoules up, no faſtnings of our minds upon his preſence, no cryes, no mournings, no importunity, but the heart as lumpiſh and unweldy as a ſtone; is this praying? no, ſayes David; quicken us O Lord that we may call upon thy name, Pſal. 80. 18.
Secondly, for hearing of the word: It is not thy hearing of it ſo many times a weeke, though thou muſt heare it as often as ever thou canſt, and thoſe that will not no hearing as frequently as they may, are high deſpiſers of God & his Ordinances; but yet if thou heareſt the word with a dead heart, thy hearing is made as no hearing; it is ſaid of thoſe primitive converts that they were pricked in their hearts as they were hearing, Act. 2. 37. they onelyonly got good by their hearing, they heard the word with life; ſo it is ſaid of many of Chriſts hearers, they did foreign, they laye upon him, they preaſed upon him, Luk. 5. 1. in another place, it is ſaid that they hung upon him, they were attentive and eager to him; our Saviour Chriſt ſays, it is a very great judgement to be dull of hearing, Matth. 13. 15. when people ſet as if the word did not concerne them, when they heare without any motion or affection, the word hardly joggeth their hearts, it hardly ſhaketh their conſcience at all, the word does neither delight them, nor wound them, nor pierce them, it heales none of their ſinnes, it cannot get betweene them and their luſts; when they have heard a Sermon, they goe away juſt as they came, they ſinde nothing now to doe, it does not dragge them one jot more out of the world, nor an inch neerer heaven; their carriage is much at one as it was; when they come home, it cannot be perceived that ever they were at the word; as earthly as ever; as carnall as ever; as backward to all goodneſſe as ever; this is no hearing at all.
Thirdly, for ſanctifying of the Lords day; it is ſaid of 3the Sabboth, that we ſhould call it our delight, Iſa, 58. 13. that is, we ſhould keep it with life it ſhould even quicken up our hearts to think it is coming, we ſhould be revived to conſider Gods goodneſſe, that he would give us ſuch a day, ſeeing we have ſo much need of it; when we have been ſix dayes about our owne buſineſſe in the world, that we ſhould have a ſeventh given us of God, leſt we ſhould be over head and ears in the world to take off our hearts; now when this is no delight to us, our hearts are dead to it, we doe not ſanctifie it indeed but prophane it, as though it were not honorable and the houſe of the Lord.
Fourthly, for taking hold of an opportunity to doe4. good; this is a duty too to be done with all life; how glad ſhould we be; if there be any opportunity for us to ſhew our love to God, or our hatred to ſin; we ſhould be willing to ride or goe, or be at charges, nay we ſhould deny our ſelves, and lay downe our gaines and credits, and goods, and friends, and all that we have at Chriſts Foot, and bleſſe God that gives us ſuch a price in our hands; but now we have a dead heart to this; what a horrible thing is this? though we doe take the opportunity, yet to goe about it as though we were ſorry that God hath given it unto us; this is meere folly; as Solomon ſayes; Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a Foole to get wiſedome, ſeeing he hath no heart to it? Proverbs 17. 16.
Fifthly, In one word for all the wayes of God, there's5. neere a one of them all, that can be walkt in aright, without a live heart as the Prophet ſayes. Lord turne away mine eyes from beholding vanity, and quicken me in thy way, Pſal. 119. 37. now when we goe dreamingly on, as though we could not doe withall, though the way be God's, yet our going in it is ſtark naught, and little better then not going in it at all; and therefore the Lord accepts not of it, when we humble our ſelves before God, to hang downe our …eads …ike a bull-ruſh, it's naught, it's naugh, the Lord cannot away with it; when we conferre about the word, or any gracious and Godly theme, to ſpeake as if we had no ſaveur of it, no pleaſure in it, when our hearts would rather be on another ſubject, and never lin till they have wound all good talke out; if we ſpeake one word to edification, there ſhall be twenty to that one, that ſhall ſerve to no other end, but to the hardening of one another; when Chriſt and the two diſciples were communing together, their hearts burned in them; did not our hearts burne within us, while he talked with us by the way? Luk. 24. 32. that was talking with life. But when our hearts are as cold as a flint, this we may call talking, but holy conference it cannot be termed
Thus ye ſee a dead Chriſtian, is as good as no Chriſtian at all, no grace is without life, no duty can be done without life; the reaſons of this are.
Firſt, becauſe this is all one as to have no grace at all;1. though a man be a member of the congregation of the Lord, though he have the ſeales of the covenant, and profeſſe the faith of Jeſus, and be as morall in his life as ever any of the heathen, and as full of good duties as ever any hypocrite was, and more too, yet if he have not life yet, he is but a tinckling cymball; he hath no grace at all. I meane no ſaving grace at all; ſaving grace the Apoſtle cals it the grace of life, 1 Pet. 3. 7. It is the grace of life, it breeds life in him that hath it, it makes him alive towards God, it lets out the life of his heart in every good word and worke; it makes him pray with life, heare with life, uſe the ordinances in publike and private with life; the naturall life that is in the ſoule it turnes it to God, it turnes the man about, as a ſhip is turned on the Sea; that ſayled before towards North, now it ſayles towards South. So when grace comes into the ſoule; ye know the man had life afore, but it ſayled towards the world, and the things of the world, but when grace does come in, it makes it row and ſayle and ſteere towards God; ſo that when a Chriſtian is dead, he is as no Chriſtian at all.
Secondly, a dead Chriſtian hath not Chriſt dwelling in his2. heart by faith; he is no Chriſtian indeed, that hath not Jeſus Chriſt dwelling in him by a truly and a lively faith. It is the indwelling of Chriſt that makes one a true Chriſtian; now when Chriſt does dwell in any man, Chriſt is a quickening ſpirit; as the Apoſtle ſpeakes, the ſecond Adam was made a quickening ſpirit, 1 Cor. 15. 45. that is Chriſt; he is the ſecond Adam; he is a quickening ſpirit where ever he dwels; he quickens all the ſoule. He makes it dead to that, which by nature it was alive to; and alive to that which by nature it was dead to; he inclines the ſoule unto God▪ he infuſes a principle into it to ſhine with life towards God, he does more and more hale the ſtrength of the ſoule towards him; though he doe not doe it at all once, yet he does it more and more; now when a man is ſtill dead to God and all goodneſſe, he hath not Chriſt dwelling in him by a lively faith; for if he were in once, though the ſoule may complaine ſtill of deadneſſe, as commonly thoſe that are alive complain moſt of deadneſſe, yet it hath a ſupernaturall quickening, and it ſhall have more and more.
Thirdly, a dead Chriſtian was never yet ſoundly3. wrought upon by the word; the word of Chriſt is a word of life, and it quickens where it doe effectually work; and therefore though ſuch a one have heard a 1000 thouſand Sermons, he never fed upon them in all his life; as Chriſt ſayes, If any man eat of this bread, he ſhall live for ever, Joh. 6. 51. it is better then ordinary bread; ordinary bread indeed, if a man have a naturall life, it will feed it and preſerve it. But if a man be dead, it will not revive him. But the word of God is ſuch a bread, that as it feeds a ſpirituall life in them that have it, ſo it is able through the eternall ſpirit, to quicken the dead; it is able through God, to put life into men, that never had any; and it does ſo to all that are of God, ſooner or latter; now when a man is dead, it's a plaine ſigne that the word hath not yet wrought upon that man; it may be it hath ſhaken him many a time; yea, but if he be yet dead, it never wrought upon him ſoundly; the oracles of God, are lively oracles, as Steven cals them, Acts. 7. 38. they make their hearts lively that they come to worke ſoundly on; though they were never ſo dead to God and good things afore, yet now they waxe lively, they make their hearts to receive a divine ſtrength, that now they waxe able in ſome meaſure to live towards God, to hunger and thirſt after God, to delight in the ſeeking of him; be their luſts never ſo mighty, now they can compoſe themſelves to oppoſe them, and to ſwimme againſt the ſtreame; now they can pray, and they cannot abide to have blockiſh hearts in that nor in any other duty, they have a life that reſiſts that ſame deadneſſe that dwelleth in them. So then this is another reaſon, that a dead Chriſtian is as good as no Chriſtian at all, the word hath never wrought ſoundly on that Man.
The uſe of this is; firſt, if the dead Chriſtians in SardisVſe 1. be as good as nothing, what are the riff-raffe in the Towne, that are not ſo much as Chriſtians in name? if a dead Chriſtian be rejected of God, what's a dead drunkard? a dead whormonger, a dead prophanling▪ if one that walkes in good courſes be refuſed▪ becauſe he is dead in them, then what ſhall become of them that will not follow good courſes at all? if ſuch that are Saints to them, cannot be ſaved, where ſhall they appeare? it is ſaid that Chriſt loved the goodly fine carriaged young man, Mark. 10. 17. Chriſt is never ſaid to love a drunkard; a prophane wretch; no, he regards one that carries himſelf in a ſayre civill honeſt way, more then all the world beſides, except onelyonly his own children; and therefore if he counts meer civill men ſtark naught, how much more does he thee, that art a very beaſt compared with them? thou art ſo vile, that we that are men doe know thou art in a fearefull eſtate; nay, the Lord pronounes a woe upon them that dare ſpeake well of thee; theſe ſinnes are to be puniſhed by the Iudges; if thou haſt lived in Iſrael, thou ſhouldſt have been put to death; a drunken Son ſhould have been ſtoned; an adulterer, a fornicator ſhould be burnt; a blaſphemer ſhould be brained to death. Thy ſinnes are ſo palpable, that pillaries, and ſtockes, and priſons, and gallowes, ſhould be thy fare, if thou wert well ſerved. Thou art not onelyonly dead, for the manner of thy life, but for the matter too; not onelyonly the Saints doe abhorre thee, but all that have any civility in them, doe loath thy filthy doings; and would not doe as thou doeſt; no, no, for a world; as Solomon ſayes ſuch as thou art, are not onelyonly dead but in the depth of hell, Pro. 9. 18. There be many though they be not right, yet they are ſo much reformed that the Saints of God cannot ſay but that they may be good Chriſtians; But thou art ſo foule, that he that hath but one eye may ſee the devill leads thee; there be ſome that a man may be to blame for judging them wicked, but he that judges thee other wiſe, hates his own ſoule; poor creature, does thy fooliſh heart promiſe thee hopes to finde mercy? alas the devill does but lead thee in a ſtring, he knowes well enough, though he will not let thee ſee it, there is no mercy for them that goe on ſtill in their wickedneſſe. Thou haſt not ſo much as a name that thou liveſt, how dead then art thou? Thou art dead and rotten, and ſtinkeſt not onelyonly in the noſtrils of God, but of all that have any common grace in them. Others may be in a damned condition for all their profeſſion, but to be ſure thou art in a damned condition, there's nothing between thee and hell, but onelyonly the poore thread of thy life; How canſt thou keep out of hell, that canſt hardly keep out of the Ale-houſe. O heare this ye that have not ſo much as any face of Religion. See the word of the Lord, and thinke upon it for your good, if ye have any eare to heare before it be too late.
Conſider firſt, thou art farre from the Kingdome of1. God; ſuch as are ſober and morall and frequenters of the ordinances of God, & profeſſe godlines, though they be not alive, yet they are not farre from the Kingdome of God; as Chriſt ſaid of the diſcreet Scribe, Mark. 12. 34. But thou art a hundred hundred degrees farther off; thou art ſo farre off, that thou haſt need to haſten quickly, thou haſt a 1000 degrees of reformation to paſſe over, before thou canſt get ſo neere as ſome of them that are ſhort.
Secondly, thou art altogether become unprofitable, as the2. Apoſtle ſpeakes, Rom. 3. 12. thou art good for nothing, but to doe miſchief in a pariſh, to infect, to ſpoile youth, to trouble thy wife, and thy poore Children; to corupt thy ſervants and thy neighbours, to ſpill the good creatures of God, to be a very ſlave to thy fleſhly-luſts; others that are well governed in their lives, though they be dead, yet they doe a great deale of good, they help the Saints, they are I ſay gotten to ſtand for good order; but thou art a very burden to all well diſpoſed people, the very ſhame of the Towne, the diſgrace of the family where thou art; what will people ſay yonder's a drunkard, yonder goes a fornicator a diſſolute fellow, though he be a gentleman, yet he is fit for none but rogues, and raſeals, and tinkerly companions, a man that hath but a ſpark of honeſty would be aſhamed of him; a Chriſtian? no, he is a very beaſt, he cannot govern himſelfe. But what doe I ſtand ſpending of time to ſpeak againſt ſuch wayes which the Apoſtle ſayes ſhould ſcarcely be named in Chriſtians mouthes? The very heathens ſhall judge thee; the Lord open thine eyes, to ſee what a curſed creature thou art, that thou maiſt come out of the ſnare of the devill.
I have hindered my ſelfe from going on; I ſhould ſhew you, firſt, a reproof of thoſe that are Chriſtians and yet dead.
Secondly, I ſhould ſhew you the danger of being a dead Chriſtian.
Thirdly, what it is to be a lively Chriſtian.
Fourthly, how we may know whether we be dead Chriſtians or no.
Fifthly, how farre forth a childe of God may be dead.
Sixthly, what is the reaſon that ſo many are dead.
Seventhly, how we ſhould all come to be lively.
Eighthly, what motives there be to induce us to labour for life in our Chriſtian courſe. But of theſe at another time.