The Almost Christian, Sermon 4
SERMON IV.
THE next thing is to ſhew you, whence it is that natural Men are inabled to make ſo great a progreſs towards Chriſtianity. I ſhall give you a brief Reſolution to this Queſtion, and that ſhall be drawn, Firſt, from the conſideration of the Subject, and that is a natural Man himſelf. Secondly, from the conſideration of the Object, and that is Holineſs or Chriſtianity to which it tends. Firſt, if you look into the Subject the natural Man himſelf; And ſo you ſhall find that Man, and that which is wrought upon him, which may carry him out poſſibly to a very great progreſs in Religion, and that may be twofold. (1) the Power of Nature. (2) The Elevation and recruit which that power may receive from a common work of the Holy Ghoſt, much helping nature, quickening Conſcience, and reforming the Life.
Firſt, The Carnal Man may be carried very far towards Chriſtianity, from the meer ſtrength and power of Nature; for the mere power of corrupt nature; is of it ſelf ſufficient to raiſe a Man to any attainment that is ſhort of true ſaving Grace. A natural Man may ſo prepare and diſpoſe his heart, as that the very next thing to be wrought upon him ſhould be Grace; It may carry him out to the externals of Chriſtianity, and it may be with more pomp and grandure than ſometimes the power of Grace doth carry out a Child of God. When the Power of Nature takes on it the form of Godlineſs, it will make bright and glittering Profeſſors; now theſe externals of Chriſtianity they lie in two things, the performance of Duties, and the avoiding of Sin: As for Duties they may ſo far out-ſtrip and out-ſhine a Child of God, in the pomp and gaudineſs of them, as to be their emulation and example. And for ſin there is not any one particular ſin, ſetting aſide thoſe common and unavoidable infirmities, which are inſeparable from the frailty of humane Nature; but a carnal Man may keep himſelf from the Commiſſion of it, by the meer Power of Nature: And there is ſcarce any ſin, that is branded remarkably in the World, but ſome wicked Man or other doth abſtain from it, and that meerly from the Power of Nature; there are ſome that by this Power abſtain from this Sin, another from that, and a third from another Sin: And each of theſe have Power to abſtain likewiſe from all theſe Sins, becauſe what Power the one hath, it may (poſſibly) be found in the other, ſince in nature there is nothing partial for a Man naturally is not ſo.
Secondly again, The Devil when he tempts, he doth not force and conſtrain them; he doth not forcibly move the black Tongue of the Swearer to curſe and blaſpheme, nor doth he ſcrue open the Drunkard's mouth by force, to pour down intemperate Cups, nor force the Murderer's hand to ſheath his Sword in his Brother's Bowels whether he will or no, but he ſollicites the Wills, and inſinuates into the Affections by his Temptations, and make theſe freely move the Engine to that which his deſign tends; and therefore all his Triumphs are but for Beggarly Victories; he could not prevail over us, did not we prove Traytors to our own Souls? did not we ſurrender up our ſelves, by the conſent of our own Wills? elſe we could never be diſtreſſed, much leſs taken by the violence of the Tempter.
Secondly, As Men may proceed far toward Chriſtianity by the Power of Nature, ſo they may have common and ordinary Works of the Holy Ghoſt upon them, that may carry them out to a very great progreſs, they may be made ſaith the Apoſtle, partakers of the Holy Ghoſt. Heb. 6.4. and that is, of its common Gifts and Operations; it is the Spirit of God that inlightens their Underſtandings, that awakens their Conſciences, that excites their Affections, it is the Spirit that works Conviction, that works Reformation; yea, and Sanctification, in wicked and unregenerate Men. For we have that expreſſion concerning them: There is a twofold Sanctification, (1) Of the Fleſh, conſiſting in the removal of all carnal and external filthineſs, called by the Apoſtle an eſcaping of the pollutions of the World through luſt, 2 Pet. 2.20. And that conſiſts in a ſeparation from all thoſe groſs and vile Sins, wherein the flagitious and debauched World do wallow. (2) There is likewiſe a Sanctification of the Spirit conſiſting in a ſeparation from a State of Nature to a State of Grace, the one is external by Reformation, the other is internal by Renovation; the former Sanctification a natural Man may be made partaker of by the Holy Ghoſt, ſo as to have his Life and Actions ſtand at a greater diſtance from, and a greater oppoſition to carnal groſs Sins, which the World is generally deſiled with, but this is no more than a common and ordinary Work of the Holy Ghoſt, they may account the blood, whereby they are ſanctified an unholy thing: There is a far different force and energy, that the Holy Spirit puts forth, when it works Converſion, and when it works only outward Sanctification, in both it may work upon the heart, but in Converſion it works upon the heart ſo as to change it and renew it, but in the reformation of a natural Man, he works upon the heart indeed, but it is only to change and amend the life, the Spirit may perſwade the one to change his heart, but then he changeth the heart of the other: He may perſwade the Will of the one to ſubmit to Chriſt, but then he ſubdues the Will of the other, he perſwades the one to become a Chriſtian, but he makes the other a Chriſtian. Now there is a very wide difference between theſe two ways of working, by the one he only excites Men to uſe ſomewhat of the Power they have, but by the other he gives them the Power they want; And thus you ſee, what there is in Man conſidered, both in nature and with the help of the common Work of the Holy Ghoſt, that may carry him ſo far towards Chriſtianity.
Secondly, There is alſo ſomething conſiderable in the Object, viz. Religion and Chriſtianity it ſelf, whence it is natural Men may make ſo great a progreſs towards it, and that is twofold, (1) The Attractiveneſs of Religion. (2) The Subſerviency of Religion to it ſelf. (1) The Attractiveneſs of Religion, and this conſiſts not only in the inward and ſpiritual beauty of Holineſs, which theſe Men have not Eyes to diſcern, but alſo in that happineſs which is annexed to Religion and Chriſtianity. This is that which draws out natural Men to all their Attainments, Happineſs is the great bait of Men's deſires, and that which ſweetens the means tending to it, though they be in themſelves very difficult and burdenſome; yet leading to happineſs they cloſe with it; and therefore, as the apprehenſions of Heaven and Hell work upon a natural Man, more or leſs, forcibly, than the thoughts of the difficulty or tediouſneſs of holy Duties; ſuch is his progreſs, more or leſs, ſtrong and vigorous towards Chriſtianity. Secondly, Another thing in Chriſtianity or Religion, that advanceth ſome to ſo great a progreſs, is the Subſerviency of Religion to it ſelf. Religion doth mightily promote and advance it ſelf. (1) Firſt, in that the performance of one part, and of one duty of Religion, it obligeth and engageth to the performance of another: As one Sin draws on another, by conſequence likewiſe doth one Duty draw on another. There is a connexion and dependance between them, Hearing engageth to Meditation, and Meditation to Prayer, and Prayer for Grace to endeavour after it a glorious Profeſſion, it obligeth to ſomething at leaſt that may be anſwerable to that Profeſſion. Thus one Duty of Religion, it hands a Man over to another, and when he is paſſed through one, another ſtands ready to receive him.
Secondly, A little progreſs in Religion it doth facilitate, it is hard at firſt to begin, then having begun to continue, becauſe uſe and cuſtom in any thing makes it eaſie. How! is this ſubſerviency of Religion to it ſelf, that may carry Men very far in it, when they have begun Profeſſion, and entered upon one Duty, that Duty delivers them over to another, and makes it more facile and eaſie to them, becauſe the precedent Duty as it doth engage him to, ſo it prepares him for the ſubſequent Duty, as well as engage him to the preſent Duty: One Duty doth as it were perform half the task, and bear half the burden of the other. Thus then you ſee, whence it is that natural Men may make ſo great a progreſs towards Chriſtianity, ſo as to be almoſt Chriſtians, from the Power of Nature, and from the attractiveneſs of Religion: Now here if you ask me, how ſhall I know, whether it be the Power of nature helped by the common workings of the Spirit, or the Power of ſupernatural Grace, that carries Men out to all their Profeſſion?
I ſhall give you but this one diſcriminating Character of it: See whether your abilities be greater in the things that belong to Grace and Holineſs, than they are to natural things. A Child of God who is but of weak parts as to the things of the World, that can ſcarce give you a rational account of ſuch affairs, when propounded to him. Why, bring him but to the things of God, and how admirably will he be able to unfold, even the very myſteries that are hid from the wiſe and prudent of the World, but put him upon any common diſcourſe, how broken and incoherent is he, but engage him in Prayer, how doth he expatiate and inlarge, and what a Torrent of Divine Rhetorick will he then pour into the Boſom of God; Is this from nature that he is able to exceed and go beyond himſelf? No certainly; It is very obſervable concerning the ways of God what the Prophet ſpeaks, Iſa 53.8. A high way ſhall be there, and it ſhall be called a way of holineſs, the unclean ſhall not paſs over it.
Though they wander and err in every other way, though they do not take the right way to be rich, and great, and honourable in the World; yet theſe that are fools in every thing elſe they ſhall not err from the way of Holineſs, and therein lies the only Wiſdom. But now take a meer …arnal Man, that hath eminent abilities in earthly things; uſually, he is never weaker than when he is engaged in that which is holy and ſpiritual; at leaſt his chiefeſt excellency doth not lie there, though he doth perform the Duty well, yet he doth not do it beyond what he doth in ordinary and natural things. Now how is it with you? Do you find your ſelves carried much beyond the rate and ſize of your natural abilities, that you never ſo much exceed your ſelves, nor do ſo well as when you are about ſome holy and ſpiritual employment, that you are not ſo artificial in any thing as in holy performances; this is a good ſign, that it is from the Power of Grace, and not only the Power of Nature, that carries you forth to the Profeſſion of Religion you make. I take the extraordinary gifts beſtowed upon unregenerate Men in a vaſt diſproportion from their natural abilities, to be long ago ceaſed.
Thus you ſee what inables a natural Man to go ſo far towards Chriſtianity.
The third general propounded, was to ſhew what it is that hinders theſe proficients from making further progreſs, that when they are Almoſt what keeps them from being altogether Chriſtians: I anſwer to this in general; It is only through a willfull and wretched neglect of what they might do, that any of them do fall ſhort of Grace here, and Glory hereafter. It is not from our want of Power, but our want of Will, or rather indeed our willingneſs that makes us miſcarry to our Eternal Perdition. I ſhall illuſtrate this by a plain and obvious Similitude: Suppoſe that God ſhould promiſe to beſtow Heaven upon us, if we would but reach forth and touch it with our hands: Now although we can never reach ſo high; yet if we do not ſtretch forth our hands, and reach as high as we are able to do, the fault of loſing Heaven will not lie upon the inability and impoſſibility, that was in us to touch it, but it lies in our willful neglect of ſtriving to our utmoſt to do what we are able to do; why, the reaſon why we fall ſhort, would not be becauſe our Arm is not long enough, but becauſe we do not ſtretch it forth to the utmoſt length.
The inſtance is ſomewhat plain and familiar, but yet it holds an exact proportion to the caſe in hand, God promiſeth Heaven to us if we will but touch it, that is, if we will lay hold on Chriſt by Faith, which Faith we can no more work in our ſelves by our own proper efficiency, than touch Heaven with our Finger; yet howſoever, if we do not do our utmoſt, our falling ſhort of Heaven and Faith cannot be imputed to the impoſſibility that we lay under, but to our willful ſloth and neglect. It is not Men's cannots but their will nots, not their Impotency but their Obſtinacy, that deſtroys them; Ye will not come to me that ye might have life, John 5.40. Ye will not. Doth not Chriſt himſelf tell us, that no Man can come to him, except the Father draw him? True, but the fault lies in the ſtubbornneſs of your wills; though you could come, you would not; therefore it is not your weakneſs but your willfulneſs, that keeps you from coming to Chriſt. Let me here appeal to your ſelves; Doth not he deſerve Eternal Death, who had a Power in his hand to make himſelf a Chriſtian, and yet would not; certainly you will all conclude, this Man is very equally and juſtly dealt with, if ſentenced to Eternal Miſery, ſince he had a Power to avoid that miſery, and to lay hold on Eternal Life and Happineſs; his condemnation lies on his own head for his willful contempt of Salvation, which he had a Power to work out, and by a diligent improvement of the means tendered to him, to make ſure of it; every carnal Man if he had power to convert himſelf, yet through his willful neglect and obſtinacy he would not do it; and this appears, becauſe there is not one of us that doth as much as he might do.
There is not one natural Man that doth as much as he might do: Will not he now do what he can do to prepare and diſpoſe his heart for Grace, then much leſs would he work Grace in his heart, though he had a Power to do it; and therefore the whole default of Men's falling ſhort of Grace, lies in their willful neglects. Men indulge themſelves in carnal ſloth, and if they can but maintain the pace and rate of common ordinary Profeſſors in a formal courſe of Duty, or abſtain from groſs Sins; O then they are contented! and will be drawn on no further. Could not they command their thoughts to dwell more fixedly, and more abidingly upon Spiritual Objects? Cannot they be oftener in Meditation, and meditate more fervently, and with more affection? In both had they not Power to refuſe temptations and ſinful motions? Doth the Devil uſe any force or violence upon them? Did they ever find, when they threw themſelves upon their Knees in Prayer, that he ſtiffened them that they could not bend? or that the Devil ſtopped their mouths from ſpeaking, or their hearts from thinking? had he a Power to ſtrike Men lame when they ſhould come to the Ordinances, or ſtrike them deaf when they ſhould hear, or Dumb when they ſhould ſpeak, then there were ſome ſhew and colour of reaſon, why Men attended no more frequently, why they heard no more attentively, why they did not ponder more conſiderately, why they prayed ſo ſeldom and heartleſly; did but the Devil compel them to this, the Sinner might have ſome excuſe; but when he muſt wooe their conſent and allowance, and wait their pleaſure and leiſure, it is merely a wretched neglect or willfulneſs, that they yield to the Commiſſion of any Sin: Can you do all this and more, and yet will you not? Know that if you periſh, it is only your own fault, you your ſelves are the bloody Murtherers of your own Souls. It will be in vain for you to plead, that you had no Power to make your ſelves Chriſtians; why, you never went ſo far as to make a trial, whether you had a Power or no; for a Man not to do the utmoſt that he might do towards Chriſtianity, though he hath no Power to make himſelf a Chriſtian; yet it is the ſame as if he had a Power, and yet will not make uſe of it. O let this that I have ſaid prevail with you, to be not only Almoſt, but altogether Chriſtians, and to put forth all the power and might, and ability, that you have in the working out your own Salvation. Is there not infinite Reaſon, why you ſhould ſpeedily ſet about this important Work, while you have time and opportunity for the doing of it? Is it a matter of the greateſt moment in the World, and not to be delayed one moment? Be perſwaded then to the ſpeedy practice of it.
Object. Some deſperate Wretches may think indeed, that Arguments to perſwade Men to work out their Salvation, may be of weighty import to inforce the Duty upon thoſe that do expect Salvation; but for my part I pretend not ſo high; let me but enjoy now the Sins which I ſerve, and the pleaſures which I purſue, and for the State of my Soul hereafter, I commend that to the mercy of God, and if I muſt periſh, I will periſh with as much eaſe and content as I may. It is hard to alter an irreverſible doom, and if it be to Perdition, it is but folly to hang down the head, and blubber the eyes, and break the heart for that which cannot be altered. If I muſt go to Hell I may as ſoon be carried down thither in a flood of tears, as in doing ungodly Actions: Why ſhould I conſpire with God's Decree to make my ſelf miſerable. If he hath ſentenced me to Hell hereafter, I may as well ſentence my ſelf to an Heaven here; my future torments are in his Hands, but my preſent delights are in my own; therefore if Salvation and Happineſs be ſuch nice points I forego them, and will embrace my more eaſie and more obvious pleaſures.
Anſw. I know no pious heart here, but ſhivers with horrour at ſuch Language, though it be but perſonated; methinks rather it repreſents the Speech of a Devil, who is without all poſſibility of Happineſs, than of Men who are in the way to it. Indeed it is the Speech of the Devil, but it is likewiſe in the hearts of Men, when they ſtorm and bluſter at the difficulties of Salvation, and narrowneſs of the Way, and ſtraitneſs of the Gate: The Devil interpoſeth this ſuggeſtion, It is as good to periſh with caſe, as to be ſaved with ſo much labour and pains; but what, ſhall we leave Men to ſuch deſperate reſolutions as theſe, and ſuffer them to go dreaming to Hell and Deſtruction? Certainly Religion hath Arguments enough to prevail, even with theſe, if they would but ſhew themſelves to be Men, and but ponder how much Reaſon can ſpeak.
Firſt conſider, Thou that wilt rather periſh than make thy Life a trouble to thee by Obedience, God may under thy Diſobedience make thy Life a trouble, yea a Hell to thee by his Terrours. Thou thinkeſt that thy Garment of Sin and Pollution, will ſit more looſe and eaſie about thee, than the Garments of Holineſs that are too ſtrait-laced and troubleſome: Yea, but what if God ſhould roll theſe thy filthy Garments in Brimſtone, and fire them about thee? How dreadfully wouldſt thou be diſappointed, when inſtead of that eaſe which thou ſeekeſt in the ſervice of Sin, God ſhould make thee thine own Tormentor, and make thy Conſcience an Hell incarnate? Believe it, the wrath of God can fry the marrow in thy Bones, and reduce thy Soul to Aſhes. Read Pſalm. 88. and you will think it a doleful and ſad deſcription of the State of the Damned. While I ſuffer thy Terrours I am diſtracted: And if the Wrath of the Almighty lay thus ſore upon an Holy Man, how fretting and corroding will it be upon the leprous Soul, and upon an ulcerated Conſcience? If it burns up the Green Tree, what will become of the Dry Tree, which is but as prepared fuel for it to prey upon?
No Man hath his preſent delights and contentments in his own Power, becauſe no Man hath his own Conſcience in his own Power; it will ſpeak, yea, and that terrible things, even then, when a Sinner hath done all he can to fear and ſtupifie it. Conſider again, how is it with you after the rage of your Sinning is over? are you not haunted with fearful reflections and ghaſtly thoughts of deſpair and horrour? Could we but unbowel a Sinner, we ſhould find thoſe Conſcience-Worms, gnawing and knotting about him, and devouring his heart. And are theſe wont to reſolve into trouble, for fear Religion and Holineſs ſhould trouble them? Are they content to buy eaſe and quiet at ſuch a rate, as the loſs of Heaven and Eternal Torments amount to? And is this the eaſe and quiet that they purchaſe with it? The Devil puts a gloſs cheat upon theſe Men, he changeth not the trouble but the time of it, only they ſhun the work of God, becauſe it is troubleſom in doing, though it doth leave behind it the bleſſed fruits of Peace, Joy, and Satiſfaction; and they do engage in the Work of the Devil, which as ſoon as the heat and fury of it is a little over, leaves in their ſober thoughts, nothing but Anguiſh, Stings, and Torments; and therefore be not deceived, ſuffer not the Devil any longer to abuſe you, and impoſe his drudgery upon you, under the notion of eaſe and quiet: If your Conſciences were once awakened, I know the Work of the Devil muſt needs bring you more vexation, beſides the ſhame, than ever you would have from the work of God; yea, the very omiſſion and neglect of God's Work is a far greater trouble than the performance of it would be; therefore if you look no farther than your preſent Content and Satisfaction, if you would go to your final eſtate the eaſieſt way whatever it be, think not to attain this by giving up your ſelves to a way of Sin, nor by wounding your own Conſciences, which with trouble afterwards will be ſure to be avenged upon you, but in a way of Duty and laborious working, you only can find preſent content, and ſhall certainly find future Happineſs?