The Almost Christian, Sermon 5
SERMON V.
Object. 2.TRue, may ſome ſay, Poſſibly the Work of God might be more pleaſing and ſatisfactory to us than the Work of the Devil, if we could work it; but to what end is it that God requires from us to work, to what purpoſe doth he command us? Doth not he himſelf know that we have no power? Doth not he himſelf ſay that we are dead in Treſpaſſes and Sins? Is it rational, is it juſt to bid a dead Man work? Or doth it become that God who would be thought by us to be infinitely gracious and merciful, to mock and deride humane miſery, when he commands thoſe things from us which he knows to be impoſſible? Had he bid us blend Light and Darkneſs together, or to bend the Axle-tree of the World till both Poles meet; had he bid us fling the Stars out of their Orbs, or with our hands ſtop the Sun in the midſt of his courſe; all theſe great impoſſibilities are as eaſily atchiev'd, as by our own power to work any part of divine and acceptable obedience without gracious aſſiſtance from God: We can as ſoon glorifie as ſanctifie our ſelves. What ſhould we then do, but only ſit ſtill and expect, till efficacious Grace ſhould move and act us, and we not able to gainſay and reſiſt it? till God ſo draw us as that we muſt run, and ſo call us as that we muſt anſwer? till then our Obedience is an impoſſibility, and all our Attempts are vain and fruitleſs. This now is a ſlothful Sinner's pretence why he will not work; and no doubt but that too often it doth flaſh into the thoughts of moſt men, whereby their hearts are diſcouraged, and their hands weakned in the ſervice of God.
Anſw. In Anſwering this, I ſhall not enter into that great Debate of the power of nature to do what is good and acceptable to God; but proceed in a plain and accommodated way to Practice, and that which will be moſt convictive to the Conſcience.
Firſt, Men will not plead thus in Matters of far leſs concernment than the Salvation of their Souls. Would a Maſter, when he commands his Servant to work, take this, think you, for a ſufficient excuſe, That he hath no power to work till God act and move him? It may as well be objected by your Servants to you, as by you to God. Tell me, what power have I to ſpeak, or you to hear one word, unleſs God do concurr to it? Nay, we are not ſufficient to think one good thought, 2 Cor. 3.5. And do we make this an excuſe to forbear thoſe Actions that are neceſſary and convenient! Do we therefore reſolve to do nothing, becauſe it is impoſſible for us to do any thing unleſs God concurs with it? What ſtupid, dull Folly were this, and we put it daily and hourly to trial, and produce me that man that can ſay God was wanting to him in his concurrence. What a miſerable and ridiculous task would it be, if in every Action of our Lives that we cannot do without God, yet ſhould ſit ſtill, and queſtion God's concurrence? Do you ſit down to try whether God will enable you to riſe when you are down? Or, do you queſtion whether God will concurr to another ſtep, though it is impoſſible you ſhould ſtir and move, unleſs God act and move you? yet this hinders not mens endeavours: In him we live, and move, and have our being. Why do not you do ſo in ſpiritual matters? We can do nothing without God. True; yet put it to the trial, whether or no God will concurr with you. Certainly that man muſt be nameleſs that can ſay, I was truly willing, and endeavoured to do any ſpiritual good, but God was wanting to me in his concurrence.
Secondly, Thoſe men who thus make Impotence a pretence for their Sloth, do not indeed believe what they themſelves pretend. No, it is the inward and ſecret thought of them all, that they have a power to work out their own Salvation, and therefore whether they have or no, ſtill they are inexcuſable, while they think they have this power, yet they ſit ſtill. Although a man be chained faſt down that he cannot go, yet he thinks himſelf at liberty, and notwithſtanding ſits ſtill, you may ſoon tell where the fault lies; it may be imputed for want of Will, and not for want of Power: So here; Wicked men think they have power to work, however they ſpeak otherwiſe; therefore they are utterly inexcuſable if they do not work. It is as clear as the light, that their Sloth proceeds not from their Impotence, but from their own wilfulneſs. I ſhall endeavour by a few Arguments to convince you, that you do indeed think that you have power to work out your own Salvation; therefore if you do it not, you are altogether inexcuſable, whether you have that power or no.
Firſt, Did you never, when God hath ſhaken his Rod and Whip over you, ſeriouſly promiſe and reſolve to work; his Rod, I mean, either of Conviction or Affliction? Have not theſe made you enter into an engagement with God, that you would ſerve and obey him for the future? Did you not really thus reſolve? There are few here, but ſometimes at leaſt in a Fit and Pang of Conſcience have ſo done. And why did you reſolve all this, and yet at the ſame time think and believe you could do nothing? Did you only mock God, and play with your own Conſciences? Certainly your Conſciences then were too much provoked, and too much awakened to be thus jeſted and dallied with. We find this Temper in the Iſraelites, when they were frighted at the terrible glory from Mount Sinai, Exod. 24.3. See how confidently they promiſe and reſolve. And all the People anſwered with one voice, and ſaid, All the Words which the Lord hath ſaid will we do. So the Jews in their great diſtreſs, Jer. 42.6. Whether it be good, or whether it be evil, we will obey the voice of the Lord our God, &c. that it may be well with us.
Alas, how many pious Purpoſes and holy Reſolutions have your Dangers, your Fears, and your Sick-Beds been witneſs to? Have they not heard you breath out, Spare, O Lord, ſpare a little longer; give ſome ſpace; try us yet once more, and O Lord, we will reform, we will amend our ſinful Lives, we will perform neglected Duties, and never more again return to folly? Are not theſe Reſolutions an evident Conviction? Certainly you thought you had a power ſo to do, and therefore if you do not endeavour to perform, you are altogether inexcuſable.
Secondly, Did you never in your whole Lives perform a Duty unto God? Did you never pray? Is there any here ſo deſperately prophane, ſo loſt to all ſhew of goodneſs, that hath not done this? And to what end have you prayed? For what did you perform your Duty? Was it not for Salvation? And did you work for Salvation, and yet think you had no power to work for it? It is impoſſible; Mens very Works do plainly ſhew, that they do think that they have a power; ſomething ſtill muſt be done, though it be but formally, ſlightly, and coldly; a mere Lord have mercy upon me, a cuſtomary Lord forgive me; yet ſomething Conſcience will require which men reckon upon, and make account to be working out their Salvation.
Thirdly, Wherefore is it that you truſt unto, and relie upon your good Works, if you think you have no power to work out your Salvation? Would it be ſo hard and difficult a matter to take men off from leaning ſo much upon their Works, if they did not think that they had power to work out their own Salvation? Men do apprehend a worth and ſufficiency in what themſelves do in order to Eternity, and bid them forgo their Works, and renounce their own Righteouſneſs, and this is a hard Saying; you may almoſt perſwade them aſſoon to renounce all their hopes of Heaven. This is an evident Conviction, whatever Notions men may entertain to ſtop the mouth of a clamorous Conſcience, when it calls on them for working and labouring, yet they do not believe what they themſelves ſpeak concerning their Impotence.
Fourthly, Did you never when the Spirit of God was dealing with your Hearts, perſwading you to enter upon a courſe of Duty and Obedience? Did you never procraſtinate, and uſe delays? Did you never ſtifle the Breathings, nor quench the Motions of the Holy Spirit, by thinking it was time enough to do it hereafter? What need I begin ſo ſoon, or vex my fleſh, or deny my ſelf the Joys and Pleaſures of this Life, even as ſoon as I am come to reliſh them? When Sickneſs, or grey Hairs admoniſh me, and tell me, I am near unto Eternity; when old Age promiſeth me that the Severities of Religion ſhall be no long trouble, then will I look after the Concernments of my Soul; then it will be time enough; then I will repent, believe, obey, and work out that Salvation that will be then haſtening upon me. Tell me truly, Have not theſe been the fooliſh Reaſonings of your Hearts? Have you not thus often promiſed God and your own Conſciences? And doth not this plainly imply, you thought you had power to do it? Wherefore thou art inexcuſable, O Man, whoever thou art: it is in vain to plead want of Power, God will confute thee by thy very thoughts. Hadſt thou no Power? Although thou hadſt not, yet thou thoughteſt thou hadſt, yet wouldeſt not endeavour to work; therefore thy Ruine is as wilful, and thy Condemnation as juſt as if thou hadſt a power, and wouldſt not work; for thou periſheſt merely thro' the default of thine own Will.
Anſw. 3. Whether wicked men have this power or no to work out their own Salvation, I ſhall not now ſtand to enquire; but if they had it, yet they would not work with it; and therefore it is a moſt vain and inſufficient Plea to pretend they wanted power. Now this appears evidently, becauſe there is no wicked man, that ever did ſo much as he was able to do by the mere ſtrength of Nature, without the aſſiſtance of ſupernatural Grace; and therefore it is not their Inability, but their wilfull Sloth that doth deſtroy them. Do but anſwer your own Conſciences, Was there not one Duty more which you could have performed, nor one Temptation, nor one Corruption more which you could have reſiſted? Could not you have prayed, read, or meditated upon heavenly things, then when your Hearts and Thoughts have been vain, worldly, and ſinful, and deviliſh? Might not that Time have been ſpent in holy Converſe, which you trifled away in idle, impertinent Diſcourſe, or in doing nothing, or that which was much worſe than nothing? What force, what conſtraint is laid upon you? Can you think? And if you can, Cannot you think of God as well as of the World? as well concerning fulfilling God's Will, and working out your Salvation, as fulfilling your Luſts? Can you not ſpeak? And if you can, Can you not ſpeak to God in holy Prayer, and of the things of God in holy Diſcourſe, as well as of your Trades and Bargains, thoſe low and trivial Matters that are not worthy of Men, much leſs of Chriſtians? What force is there upon you? Doth the Devil ſcrew open the Drunkard's Mouth, and poure down his exceſſive and intemperate Cups whether he will or no? Doth the Devil violently move the Tongue of the Swearer and Blaſphemer to revile the holy and reverend Name of God? Doth he ſtrike men dumb when they ſhould pray, or deaf when they ſhould hear, or ſenſeleſs when they ſhould underſtand? Is there any ſuch force or conſtraint laid upon you? May you not avoid the one, and do the other if you your ſelves pleaſe? Yes, you can, but you will not; therefore neither would you work out your own Salvation if you could. Is there any hope that you that will not do the leſs that God requires from you, that you ſhould ever be induced to perform the greater? Let your Weakneſs and Impotence be what it will, yet your Condemnation will lie upon you ſo long as your Wilfulneſs is much greater than your Weakneſs. No, Sinners, your precious and immortal Souls will eternally periſh now for want of Will to ſave them. Pity your ſelves; will you loſe your ſelves for ever only out of Sloth? Will you ſleep your ſelves into Hell, and go drowzily into deſtruction? Shall one end of your Souls lie already burning as a Brand of Hell-fire, and you not put forth a hand to ſnatch it out? Is it more painful to work the Works of God, than it is to periſh for ever under inſupportable Torments? Therefore do you what you poſſibly can, labour and ſweat at Salvation, rather than fail of it: Let this never grate nor fret your Conſciences in Hell, that they lie there burning for ever, merely for your wilfull Neglects.