Christs Alarm to Drowsy Saints, Sermon 14
REVEL. 3. 1.
And art Dead.
THe laſt doctrine that we gathered out of theſe words was this, that a dead Chriſtian is as good as no Chriſtian at all; though a man be orthodoxly converted, baptized, reformed, though a man profeſſe the true faith towards God, repentance and amendment of life, and follow all manner of good and honeſt courſes for the matter of them, yet if he be dead to them, he is even as good as nothing.
I told you what I meant by a dead Chriſtian. I ſhewed you this in five things.
Firſt, deadneſſe of guilt; when a man is guilty of any1. offence, that is death by the Law, he is ſaid to be a dead man; ſo every man hath ſinned againſt God which is death by Gods Law, and therefore every man is dead by nature; when a man is pardoned of God, then he is alive againe; and therefore it is called Iuſtification of life, Rom. 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, yet as long as he is not forgiven indeed he is but a dead man. Let a man have never ſo much Chriſtianity about him, if he be not forgiven indeed▪ he is a dead Chriſtian.
Secondly▪ deadneſſe of minde; when the underſtanding2 of man is dead; my beloved ye muſt know it is not bare knowledge that quickens the minde; a man may have the knowledge of all Chriſtian divinity, and yet have a dead underſtanding; it is ſaid of Chriſt, & every true Chriſtian, that he is of a quick underſtanding in the feare of the Lord, Iſa. 11. 3. then is the underſtanding quick, when it is quick in the feare of God; when it feeles the weight of all divine truth; we may ſee this in worldly minded men, their underſtandings are quick in the things of the world, if there be any booty to be had, preſently they feele it, you may lead them any way, ſo you doe but let them ſee profit and gaine, there is weight in ſuch reaſons. But now ſhew them divine reaſons, why they ſhould beleeve the ſacred writings of the holy Prophets and Apoſtles, and yeeld obedience unto the form of wholſome words delivered in the Goſpell, though they underſtand well enough what we ſay, yet they feele no weight in theſe reaſons; whole Sermons doe not ſtirre them; their underſtanding is here dead; ſo that this is a dead Chriſtian, who though he have never ſo much knowledge, yet his underſtanding is dead, he feeles not the weight of divine things; he hath divine things in his ſpeculative underſtanding, and carnall in his practicall; gracious truths in his fore dictats, and carnall in his laſt; when he knowes heavenly things, but mindes earthly; my meaning is this. O ſayes his underſtanding, I ſhould live thus and thus, this is the rule, this is the will of God. But then his owne corrupt will ſuggeſts unto him for to doe otherwiſe, and His underſtanding does not hinder.
Thirdly, deadneſſe of heart, when the heart is not3. inclined towards God. The life of the heart, conſiſts in the inclinations and bents of the heart; as David ſayes, Incline mine heart to thy Teſtimonies, Pſal. 119. 36. what followes? quicken thou me in thy way, This is the quicking of my heart to thy Teſtimonies, when it is inclined unto them; now though a man goe to good duties everyday, yet as long as the heart is not inclined unto them, it is dead to them all; it goes about them in a dead manner; as a Boy that is not inclined to his Book, though he doe goe to Schoole, it is with a dead heart. This then is another expreſſion of a dead Chriſtian; he is a man though he be a profeſſour of Holineſſe, yet his heart is not inclined towards God, and all goodneſſe; and therefore he goes on in good duties with a dead heart.
Fourthly, deadneſſe of conſcience; when the conſcience hath no force; it may be it finds fault with ſuch and ſuch wayes, but it hath no power over a man, to make him to leave them; it approves ſuch and ſuch holy courſes, yea, but it hath no power over him to make him to buckle to them indeed. O ſayes the conſcience, I ſhould not doe thus; I ſhould be more mindfull of God, I ſhould not be ſo vaine, I ſhould not ſpend my time as I doe, I ſhould make another uſe of Gods warning then I doe; I ſhould be better. But it hath no force over the man whoſe conſcience it is; this is a dead conſcience; there's no life in it at all; when the conſcience hath life in it once, then it hath power over a man; as the Church ſayes, my ſoule made me like the Chariots of Aminadab, Cant. 6, 12. that is, my conſcience was very forcible and powerfull in me; it made me goe after Jeſus Chriſt, nay, it carried me freely like the Chariots of Aminadab. But when the conſcience can whiſper and onelyonly 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 affections are5. clumbzie, and will not move towards God, and all ſupernaturall things; when a mans affections are lively enough in other things, and too lively; But hee's like a block in good duties, he hath no affections to them nor in them. Theſe are affections out of order; mortifie your inordinate affections ſayes the Apoſtle, Coloſ 3. 5. that is, your affections muſt not be out of order; if they be alive to the things here below, ye muſt turne the life of them another way; ye muſt kill them that way, and let the life of them run out towards God, and his ſervice and worſhip; now when the affections will not move this way at all, then they are dead. Thus ye ſee what I meane by a dead Chriſtian. Now that ſuch a one is as good as no Chriſtian at all, is very plaine; goe through all Chriſtianity, and you ſhall finde this to be true in every paſſage.
Firſt, for converſion; converſion is not onelyonly the1. turning of a man from wicked wayes unto good, but ſo as to be quickened up in them. Converſion puts another life into a man; when we were dead in ſinnes, he hath quickened us together with Chriſt, Eph. 2▪ 5. that is, converſion is the quickening of a man, not onelyonly the turning of a man from not praying to praying, from not hearing of the word to hearing of the word; from not ſober to be ſober, from not chaſte to be chaſte, from not profeſſing Chriſtian religion to be a profeſſor of it, but alſo it is the quickening of a man up in it; it is the putting of a new life into a man; and therefore to be converted meerely from the one to the other is juſt nothing; as long as a man is dead-hearted to the ſame.
Secondly, for beleeving; ſhould a man leane himſelf2. upon God, ſhould a man apply all the promiſes of the Goſpell to his ſoule, and credit all that's contained in the Covenant of grace, alas what of all this? if this man be dead ſtill. True faith produces life; as Chriſt ſayes, he that liveth and beleeveth in me▪ Joh. 11. 26. True faith carries life with it, whereſoever it is; and therefore if a man have ſuch a faith as lets him be dead ſtill, it is as good as nothing; faith it may be, Put true faith it cannot be; if thou wouldſt be able to ſay thou beleeveſt in Jeſus Chriſt, thou muſt be able to ſay that thou liveſt in him too▪ it is impoſſible that a man ſhould rightly beleeve in Chriſt, and be dead.
Thirdly, for hoping in God; it may be thou haſt hope3. that 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 beat downe thy worldly luſts, to ſerue thee up towards God more and more, to carry thee on through thick and thin, thy hope is not worth a ruſh. True hope is lively; he hath begotten us again to a lively hope 1 Pet. 1. 3. it is not a dead hope, that lies ſluggiſhly and blockiſhly in him that hath it, not ſtirring him up every day, but it lies like a carcaſe in the heart to little or no purpoſe; no, no, this is as good as no hope at all. True hope is a lively hope; it revives a man up to the Kingdome of God, it beares a man aloft in good duties, it fortiſies a man againſt daily temptations.
Fourthly, for repenting; what ever thou haſt to ſay4 for repenting, canſt thou plead never ſo many teares for thy ſinnes, a thouſand changes and reformings, yet if thou haſt not gotten out of a dead temper, thou art yet under an impenitent heart, true repentance is to life, Act. 11. 18. True repentance rends the heart, it ſhewes ſin to be the greateſt evill, and ſo it rowzes a man daily up to take heed of it; it makes us ſee what a God we have diſhonour'd and therefore it awakes the ſoule to be earneſt, to pleaſe him in all things for the time to come. The ſoule heretofore was dead to all holineſſe and pureneſſe, and preciſneſſe, and humbleneſſe, and mortifiedneſſe of walking, it was dead to ſuch things heretofore, but when true repentance comes in, it turnes about the life of the ſoule towards God, now the cares ſhall be to him, now the endeavours make after him; paines, labours, cau…elo…ſneſſe, watchfulneſſe, circumſpection, conſideration, all are active now towards him; ſo that if a man be ſtill dead, his repentance is falſe.
Fifthly, for praying; ſuppoſe we pray at Church and5. pray in our Families, and pray in our Cloſets, is this all? alas if we pray with a dead heart, no pullings of our heart downe before God, no wraſtlings with God for what we aske, no heaving of our ſoules up, no faſtnings of our mindes on his preſence, no favouring of Jeſus Chriſt, no yearnings to the throne of grace; this is as good as no praying at all; no; ſayes David quicken us O Lord, and we will call upon thy name, Pſal▪ 80. 18.
Sixthly, for hearing of the word. Though thou heare6 it never ſo often and duly, yet that is not it; if thou heareſt it with a dead heart, thy hearing is little better then no hearing; our Saviour Chriſt ſayes, it's a great Iudgement to be dull of hearing, Matth. 13. 15. when the people ſit as if the word did not concerne them, when they heare without any motion or affection, the word hardly joggeth their hearts, the word does neither delight them, nor warme them, nor pierce them, nor touch them, it heales none of their ſinnes, it cannot get between them and their luſts; when they have heard a Sermon, they goe away juſt as they came, it does not drag them one jot more out of the world, nor an inch nearer heaven; the carriage is much at one as it was, when they come home, it can hardly 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 as good as no hearing at all.
Seventhly, for taking hold of opportunities to doe7 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 unto God, or our hatred to ſinne, we ſhould be willing to ride or goe, or be at charges, nay, we ſhould be willing to deny our ſelves, to lay downe our names and goods, and friends, and reſpects, and all that we have at Chriſts foot, and bleſſe God that gives us ſuch a price in our hands. But now to have a dead heart to this, what a horrible thing is it? 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 wiſdome, ſeeing he hath no heart to it? Prov. 17. 16.
But I will not repeat any more; you ſee now that a dead Chriſtian is as good as no Chriſtian at all; I ſhewed you the reaſons of this point: but I will let them paſſe. I come now to the uſes.
And firſt this is for the reproof of the deadneſſe thatVſe 1. is now among us; the Lord may ſay to us, as he did unto Sardis, I know thy workes, thou haſt a name that thou liveſt, and art dead; for notwithſtanding the great means of life, that the Lord hath placed among us, O how does deadneſſe of heart reigne; we are like them the Prophets ſpeakes of, that drew nigh to God with their mouth, and honoured him with their lips, but their heart was far from him; Matth. 15. 8. they had no heart to his holy worſhip. So it is with moſt of us; we draw nigh to God with our outward man, but our heart is farre from him; no heart to prayer, no heart to the word; we heare it peradventure, but no heart to it at all; how ordinarily doe we come to Gods houſe, but heartleſnes hath dominion over the moſt of us; the doctrine of the Goſpell does not quicken up our hearts, we deale with it as Phinehas his wife did with her Sonne, when the women about her told her ſhe had a Sonne, the text ſayes ſhe did not regard it. So what little regard have we of the Goſpell of God! I ſtretched out my hands and no man would regard, Prov. 1. tell us of our damned eſtate by nature, how curſed we are from the wombe, what infinite need we have to be ſenſible of it, we know it, but how dead is our knowledge of it? it does not ſtirre up our hearts to conſider of it; neither does it prick us ſo much as the pricking of a pin; tell us of the the redemption of the world by Jeſus Chriſt, his precious bloud, his paſſion and merits, whoſe heart is enlivened and quickened up by them? nay, our ſoules are hardly moved at all at the hearing of them. Tell us of the Kingdome of heaven, the marriage Supper of the lamb, his Oxen, and his fatlings; O they are all ready, come Sirs, come to the marriage; we are even as they in the parable, they made light of it, Matth. 22. 5. theſe things are made as if they were of no moment, as if they were light matters, they finde poore entertainement at our hands; what little irk ſomneſſe do we feele in ſinne, what little dejectedneſſe of heart, what little remorſe of conſcience nay, few know by experience, what humiliation meanes; we can confeſſe in our prayers, how vile we are, and how unworthy and how wretched and ſinnefull but as though theſe were words of courſe, our hearts are ſo dead, that there is little or no relenting at it; we can ſay we are undone if God doe not heare us, our prayers are all nothing except they be with faith and life, and yet who ſtrives to awaken and rowze up himſelfe? we can ſay, O how are we beholding to God, for life, for health, for his daily good providence, for his patience, his bounty? and we can ſay it is not the bare naming of his Bleſſings before him that is counted thankſgiving without being affected with his infinite goodneſſe; and yet who does unſeignedly labour to be affected with them from day to day? no body of us dares deny but that we ſhould ſet the Lord alwayes before us, tthat he may be at our right hand, and yet who hath the heart to provoke this hereunto? The devill may be of their right hand & not God for all the pains that they take to have him there. So that dead-heartednes is a common evill, now a dayes; as Chriſt ſaies of the laſt times. Becauſe iniquity ſhall abound, The love of many ſhall waxe Cold, Matth, 24. 12. ſo it is now; becauſe iniquity abounds the moſt are prophane, and diſſolute, and licentious and looſe, therefore many that profeſſion love to Jeſus Chriſt, their love does grow cold; and dead no life heardly at all, no ſigne that they are alive from the dead; if they doe beleeve after a manner, there's all, they doe not live in Jeſus Chriſt; if they have any hope of mercy or heaven, that's all they have, it is not a lively hope, that may quicken them up in Gods holy wayes, if they doe ſee their ſinnes, there's the utmoſt, it is a dead ſight, that does not excite them up unto ſtrictneſſe and preciſeneſſe of living, if they doe follow good and godly duties, alas there be few that doe ſo, but if they doe goe ſo farre it is cleane without heart and life; as though any thing would ſerve Gods turne well enough; what a horrible thing i'ſt when a dead Chriſtian is as good as no Chriſtian all. No matter how many Chriſtians we have, alas none of us are true, but ſuch as are alive from the dead.
Secondly, is it ſo that a dead Chriſtian is even as good2. as no Chriſtian at all; then learne hence my Brethren, what a dangerous thing it is to be a dead hearted Chriſtian.
Firſt, all that we doe with a dead heart, 'tis as good as1. nothing; as Paul ſayes of love; had we all faith, and all knowledge; yet if we have not love▪ we are nothing, 1 Cor. 13. 2. Whatſoever we doe, if we doe not doe it out of love, all's nothing; ſo I may ſay of life, whatſoever good duty we doe, if we doe not doe it with life; it is but a dead worke; and therefore it is no more then nothing; when the prophet David would doe good duties, ſo as to doe them to good purpoſe indeed, you ſhall ſee how he labours againſt a dead heart, Quicken me after thy loving kindneſſe, ſo ſhall I keepe the Teſtimony of thy mouth, Pſal. 119. 88. ſo we may ſay too, Lord quicken me after thy loving kindneſſe, ſo ſhall I preach, ſo ſhall I heare, ſo ſhall I doe thy holy will, ſo ſhall I goe up and downe doing good; now as long as a man does it with a dead heart, it is even all one as if a man had not done it at all; a dead man is no man, as the Apoſtle ſayes; God quickens the dead, and calls things that are not; marke, dead things are no things; ſo dead workes are no workes, as Solomon ſayes. There is no worke, and no deviſe, and no wiſdome, and no purpoſe in the grave whether thou goeſt; that is, when men are dead, then they can doe nothing, ſo it is here; as long as we are dead, we can doe nothing. True, becauſe we have the life of ſenſe and of nature, and of a naturall conſcience in us; we may counterfeit good workes as a painter may make a man. True he cannot make a living man; ſo as long as we are deadhearted, we doe but paint out good duties before God; all our Prayers are but painted prayers, all the good workes we doe, are but paint; there's none of them to the life; as God ſayes of the Jewes; you will ſay they did very many good workes; they faſted and prayed, and ſacrificed, and many other things they did. But what ſayes God? they are vanity, their workes are nothing, Iſa. 41. 29. as a dead Corps; there be eyes, and noſtrils and eares and mouth; But when the life is out, they are as good as nothing; ſo it is with a dead heart; we may thinke we preach much, and ſtudy much, and heare much, and profeſſe much, and doe much; the truth is, we doe nothing.
Secondly, all that we doe with a dead heart, it does2 not pleaſe God; God ſayes, my Son give me thy heart, Prov. 23. 26. ye know the heart, that is primum vivens that's the firſt living thing in us; now if we give God never ſo many performances, yet if all our heart be not with them, what cares he for them all, when they are a company of heartleſſe things? when the Apoſtle had ſaid, that to be fleſhly minded is death, by and by he concludes; ſo then ſayes he, they that are in the fleſh, cannot pleaſe God. Rom. 8. 8. would that pleaſe any of us, that one ſhould come and rake up a dead ſtinking carcaſe, and lay it before us? no more can it pleaſe God, to lay a dead duty before his heavenly Majeſty; ye know a dead carion it is loathſome, as long as life remaines in it, that's a ſweet thing, and it preſerves it from ſtinking; and therefore the heathens called the ſoule the ſalt of every living thing; becauſe the life is a preſerving thing it preſerves a thing ſweet; but when the life is gone out, preſently it becomes odious; ſo is all that we doe, when we doe it with a dead heart, it is odious with God, it cannot be accepted of him; as the Apoſtle Peter ſpeakes; Ye alſo as lively ſtones are built up a ſpirituall houſe a holy Prieſthood, to offer up ſpirituall Sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jeſus Chriſt, 1 Pet. 2. 5. that is; the Apoſtle had compared true Chriſtians unto ſtones, now he correcteth himſelfe, did I call true Chriſtians ſtones? I pray doe not miſtake me, I doe not meane for deadneſſe, but for firmeneſſe; a ſtone is a dead liveleſſe thing. O ſayes he, ye muſt be ſtones I, but ye muſt take heed of deadneſſe, ye muſt be lively, otherwiſe ye cannot offer acceptable ſacrifices unto God; this is even as if a Jew ſhould have taken a dead ſheep out of a dich, and laid it on Gods Altar. This is abomination to God; even ſo are dead doings to Almighty God; as Vinagar to the teeth, and ſmoke to the eyes. ſo is a ſluggard to him that ſends him, Prov. 10. 26. that is, when a Maſter ſends a ſervant on his errand, if he goe dully about it, even as if he had no life nor heart in him at all, to doe his Maſters buſineſſe; this will not pleaſe him, nay, it will offend him, as ſmoke does the eyes; or as Vinegar does the teeth. it will make him looke with a ſowre looke upon ſuch a ſervant, ſo beloved when God bids us ſerve him, in all our wayes may be we are not ſo groſſe, as not to goe about it at all. But we goe about it with a dull and a dead heart, this does not pleaſe God one whit, nay, he takes it ill that we ſhould thinke he will accept it at our hands; as when the Jews had no heart to Gods holy and pure worſhip, it was too chargeable to them, it put them to too much charges; what a whole ſheep, and a whole lamb every morning, beſides many whole ones at other times, whole Bullocks, whole Oxen, and whole Goates, this was even as death to them, they went up to Gods Temple with a dead heart, nay, they thought much to give him of the beſt, they gave him the torne & the maimed, now mark what he ſays; ſhould I accept this at your hand, ſaith the Lord, Malac. 1. 13. He took it ill, they ſhould thinke he would accept it, ſo when we thinke much to be ſo preciſe and ſo ſtrict, to pray ſo much, to heare ſo much, to minde him ſo much, and to deny our ſelves ſo much, to watch ſo much over our hearts, to humble our ſelves ſo much, what? may we not keep one luſt? may we have no more liberty then ſo? may be we doe ſome thing this way, but God knowes how with a dead heart it is, the Lord takes it ill, that we ſhould hope he will accept this at our hands.
Thirdly, all that we doe with a dead heart, it cannot3. yeeld us any comfort true if we were quickened up towards God, if we ſerved God with all our heart and ſoule and life, this would comfort us indeed; to ſeeke him daily in a lively manner, to goe into his preſence with all our minde; if we went eagerly a dayes to the throne of grace, if we were earneſt in prayer, earneſt againſt ſinne, earneſt for all goodneſſe, this were a ſigne of his favour, and a Teſtimony of the true grace of life this would comfort our hearts exceedingly; this would breed peace in our conſcience as the Apoſtle ſpeakes. To be ſpiritually minded is life and Peace, Rom. 8. 6. there's life, and therefore there is peace. The reaſon is thus; becauſe lively works alone can truely pacifie conſcience; when a man hath beene a profeſſour all his dayes, and done never ſo many things; yet if the conſcience can ſay, yea, but all theſe are dead workes, all this while I have gone on with a dead-heart, this fowles the conſcience; it can never have true peace. How much more ſhall the blood of Chriſt purge your conſcience from dead workes, to ſerve the living God, Heb. 9. 14. it ſhall purge the conſcience from dead workes; dead workes foule the conſcience; whether they be dead for matter or manner; ſinne is a dead worke for matter, and good duties heartleſſely done are dead workes for manner; now both fowle the conſcience; the conſcience remaines under guilt; continues without peace; it is an ill conſcience; why? becauſe the conſcience knowes it hath the living God to ſerve that will not like of ſuch workes; when a man payes in his rents onelyonly by halves, or by dribblets or with light money, the Kings receiver will not give him an acquittance; my brethren, conſcience is Gods receiver, no wonder it does not give you an acquittance, when ye pay in onelyonly waſh duties, clipt obedience; if ye ſerved God with life, conſcience would give you an acquittance; when ye have prayed, it would give you an acquittance; when ye have done a dayes worke in his harveſt, it would acknowledge the receipt of it, well done good and faithfull ſervant; it is well done in ſome meaſure. This made Paul full of life every day. Herein doe I exerciſe my ſelfe to have always a conſcience void of offence towards God, and towards men, Act. 24. 16. that is, I doe not onelyonly goe on in good duties both towards God and towards men, but this I doe always, I do even exerciſe my ſelfe, that I may have an acquittance from mine owne conſcience when I have done; that my conſcience may give me a true diſcharge; well done, I have done well in ſome meaſure; now as long as we are dead-hearted and hollow in Gods wayes, our conſcience can never give us a diſcharge, no marvell, that ſo few of us have Peace of conſcience, when we are ſo dead-hearted as we are; if we would ſtirre up our ſelves to ſerve God with all heart and life, we ſhould have Peace; but till this will be once, we can never looke to have Peace and comfort.
Fourthly, Though we have comfort in time of proſperity,4 yet we cannot have comfort in affliction, if we be of a dead heart; how many are there that ſeeme to have comfort while they are well, but when they come to be ſick, and at deaths doore, then they are all to peeces? then they ſee they have no grace, no faith, no good cards to ſhew; then they are ſtript ſtark naked, then their conſcience ſees what they are; O, I am a wretch; how have I deceived my ſelf; ſo beloved, though we have comfort in time of proſperity, yet if we be deadhearted, we can have no comfort in affliction. As David ſayes, this is my comfort in affliction, thy word hath quickened me, Pſal. 119. 50. when the word of God hath quickened our hearts, and made us lively in all manner of goodneſſe, this will yeeld us comfort in affliction. But if we be dead to all ſpirituall wayes, though we ſcramble up hopes now, they will not hold when affliction comes; now what a fearefull thing is't we ſhall all come to affliction ere long; for man is borne to trouble as the ſparks that fly upward, as Job ſpeakes; nay we know not how ſoone; man knoweth not his time as Solomon ſpeakes; but as the Fiſhes are caught in an evill Net, ſo are the Sonnes of men ſnared in an evill time, when it falleth ſuddenly on them. And God onelyonly knowes what ſore afflictions we may have; the Cup of affliction is in Gods hand, and he tempers it and powres it out as his pleaſure is. I ſay what a fearfull thing is it not to have comfort then; then we have moſt need of comfort, and if we have not comfort then, we are utterly undone; now my brethren it is not a dead dull profeſſion will yeeld us comfort then? Let us thinke of this; as God ſayes, What will ye doe in your day of viſitation? to Whom will ye flye for helpe then? Iſa. 10. 3. ſo may I ſay, though ye can be quiet and comfortable enough now, in the dayes of health and peace, your deadneſſe does not trouble you now; but what will ye doe in the dayes of viſitation? doe but conſider what a ſorry comfort ye ſhall have then; aſſuredly a dead heart will aſſord not a ſyllable of true comfort then.
Fifthly, we can never bleſſe God with a dead heart; a3. dead heart is not able to affirme upon any good ground that God is his, or that the promiſe is his; or that Chriſt is his; the ſoule knowes Chriſt is a quickening ſpirit, and they that have him, are quickened up by him, the promiſe is a promiſe of life, and they cannot be dead that are the poſſeſſors of it, we cannot bleſſe God either for love or mercy or grace, or any thing elſe, when we would bleſſe God for any of theſe things, the deadneſſe of heart, it will be objected to us, O I am ſo dead, that how can I hope that theſe things belong unto me? Let my ſoule live, and it ſhall praiſe thee, Pſal. 119. 175. when the ſoule is alive towards God, then it can praiſe God; then it knowes all the good it hath, it hath it in mercy; doubting and deadneſſe doe ever goe together, or it's a great marvell. And indeed what is deadneſſe of heart towards Chriſt, and all his holy Goſpell, but a ſecret doubting whether it have any part in it or no; as when a poore man ſees a rich treaſure, it does but dead him the more, becauſe he ſees no intereſt he hath in it; if he could ſee he had an intereſt in it, this would quicken up his heart, and put it out of it's dumps. And is not this now a miſerable condition when a man cannot praiſe God? if he pray, it is but in a ſorry manner, no life, no heart at all. But for bleſſing and praiſing of God, that he cannot doe at all, except he be in a fooles paradiſe; and dreame of a falſe gift. This is a dreadfull condition, when we are hindred from that which God moſt delighteth in; what is there that more delighteth God, then to bleſſe him and praiſe him? The Lord ſayes we never honour him otherwiſe, who ſo offereth me praiſe, he glorifieth me, Pſal. 50. 23. now we can never offer God praiſe, except our heart live
Sixthly, Religion is a very irkſome thing unto us, as6 long as we are dead-hearted; what is it that takes away the grievouſneſſe of it, but a lively heart? when the heart is dead, it muſt needs be very tedious; very tedious to be thinking of God, to be meditating of death or the world to come; to be imployed in prayer, to be conſtant in the humbling of the ſoule, or the abſtaining from our naturall inclinations, to be diſcourſing of repentance, or ſtudying of Gods heavenly Kingdome; to be imployed in the word, or to goe through dirty and frozen wayes to it, to goe and repeate it in our Families or to urge it upon our hearts, O what weary tedious duties are theſe, when the heart is a dead heart! This is the reaſon why the world lets them all generally alone, and never troubles their hearts with them at all, becauſe they have no life in them; and many that are better minded, fend them very tedious, becauſe they are dead-hearted; as Solomon ſayes, correction is grievous to him that forſaketh the way, Prov. 15. 10. now as long as we are out of the way of life, while we are dead-hearted, we forſake the right way, and therefore correction is grievous unto us, nay, all the commandements of God are grievous unto us; does a dead heart rejoyce to goe to Prayer? nay, generally he is loth to goe to it; is he glad that the Sermon Bell rings; is he glad at an opportunity to doe good? nay, does he not ſhrinke, and winch, and draw back? we ſee thus in the Jewes, how irkſome the Sabbath was to them, when they were held from buying and ſelling; O that the Sabbath were over, Am. 8. 5. it may be men doe not finde the Sabbath ſo tedious now, becauſe they help themſelves by talking of the world, by taking liberty that way; but if they were held to it, as they ought to be, would they not wiſh it to be over, The like we may ſee in the young man, what an irkſome thing was it to him, to heare that he muſt fell away all? the Text ſayes, he was ſad at that ſaying, Mark. 10. 22. now is not this too a very hideous thing to be dead-hearted, when it makes all the wayes of God tedious? nothing ſhould be more delightfull unto us then they; they are perfect freedome; there is great reward in them, they are the beſt wayes in the world; all his wayes are wayes of pleaſantneſſe, and all his pathes are peace; and if we were quickened in our hearts, we would ſay ſo too; as the Apoſtle ſpeakes; when he had ſaid, that none of Gods Commandements are grievous; 1 Joh. 5. 3. in the next words he gives a reaſon of it; O ſayes he, He that is borne of God overcometh the world; that is, he that hath the life in him that cometh from above, he hath gotten above the world, he hath paſt all the irkſomneſſe of them. The irkſomeneſſe of any commandement, does not lie in the commandement, that is ſweet and pleaſant, but it lyes in the deadneſſe of the heart; a dead heart will ever count them grievous.
Seventhly, as religion is an irkſome thing to a dead 7heart, ſo a dead heart, if it ſhould take it up, it will in the end be weary of it; as we ſee in the example of Iſrael when they grew to be dead-hearted towards God, at laſt they were weary of his worſhip, they went and deviſed othergets worſhips, an eaſier kinde of religion, they were weary of his. Thou haſt beene weary of me, O Iſrael, Iſa. 43. 22. we ſee this in Judah too. Behold what a wearineſſe is it? Mal. 1. 13. this is too plaine and palpable; how are we growne weary of God, and of his pure ſervice? we have had the Goſpell ſo long, till we are even weary of it; weary of ſanctity, weary of ſpirituall truth; whence are all innovations but becauſe people are weary of the old way? many that have been very forward in preaching, and in hearing, and very zealous of good courſes, they begin to abate, to ſide with the times, to remit of their former ſtrictneſſe; whence is all this? whence is it that we ſee ſo many apoſtates, that once loved good people, now doe not; once were very zelous againſt diſorders, now are not; once were againſt humane deviſes, now are not; now they can brook any thing well enough; they are weary of their firſt pitch, they were wound up too high, now they let themſelves downe againe; all this is becauſe men have no life in them; they are dead to what they did profeſſe; you ſhall ſee many a man ſmitten at the word, and there he is knockt downe, and ſees what wretched courſes he hath taken that will lead him to hell; well, he goes and reformes and growes very preciſe, and now there ſhall not be a Sermon but hee'l heare it. There ſhall not be any good Chriſtian duty, but he will take it up, hee'l leave his old acquaintance, hee'le joyne himſelfe to good people, hee'le have very good orders in his Family; all this is well; if't would hold; I but if this man doe not goe on to get the grace of life, in the end hee'le be weary; a dead heart be it never ſo forward, it will end in wearineſſe. It is meerely for want of quickening, that any man growes weary of well-doing; as the Apoſtle ſayes; Be not weary of well-doing, for in due time, ye ſhall reap, if ye faint not, Gal. 6. 9. take heed ye doe not let quickening goe; if ye let your quickening goe, directly you'le grow weary; if ye ſuffer your ſelves to faint, if ye doe not get aqua-vitae, to cure your fainting ſits; you'le be weary of well-doing; now beloved what a pitifull thing is this, that we ſhould be weary of welldoing? if any of us have begun to doe well, O how ſhould we labour, that we may never grow weary; how ever things goe, though perſecution ariſe, what ever dealings we meet with at the hands of the wicked world, yet never to give in; what ever fleſh and bloud ſay, what ever diſcouragements we meet with, from without or from within, we ſhould earneſtly labour, that we may never be weary of wel-doing; never weary of preaching to their conſcience, never weary of attending on the word, or of preaching of our hearts, or of reſiſting of ſinne, or of redeeming our time, or of keeping our garments, never weary of waſhing our hands in innocency, and keeping of our ſelves, that the wicked one touch us not; and therefore what a dangerous thing is it to be deadhearted? for that's the high way, to be weary of welldoing at the laſt. This then is the ſecond uſe, that we are to make of this point; to ſee what a dangerous thing it is to be a dead Chriſtian.