Remedy Against Trouble, Discourse · Chapter 6
CHAP. VI.
I Shall proceed yet further, to ſhew how Chriſtians that are ſincere may be diſtinguiſhed from others, tho they have their ſinful Infirmities. We ſometimes obſerve Perſons of Good Families reduced to ſtraits, and go meanly; but yet, if they come to beg at our Doors, if we meet them in Company, we ſee ſomething in them which bewrays or diſcovers what they are, either in their Geſture, Speech, Civility. So thoſe that are born of God, it may be in ſhew or appearance fall far below their Rank, they may have ſinful Infirmities;Rom. 7.15, &c. they may find Evil preſent with them when they would do good; they may be led Captive to the Law of Sin which is in their Members; they may not do the Good which they would, but the Evil which they would not; but yet the Spirit luſts againſt the Fleſh, they hate the Evil which they do; they would do the Good which they do not; they bewail their Bondage to Sin; long to be delivered from the Body of Death, and are thankful that they are ſo far delivered from it by Jeſus Chriſt. Theſe things, I confeſs, diſcover our Spiritual State chiefly to our ſelves, but it is that which I would help Chriſtians in. Again, you may obſerve a difference betwixt Perſons that are nice and neat in their Nature and Temper, and thoſe that take care only to make a good ſhew. The former would not only appear neat outwardly, but they are uneaſy if they have any thing about them which is not neat and cleanly. Again, tho they may think themſelves more obliged to go according to their Rank when they are Abroad, or in Company, yet you ſhall never ſurprize them in any ſordid or unhandſome Dreſs. The latter care not what they wear, ſo they have ſomething that is fine to caſt over all: Their Natures will bear ſordidneſs and naſtineſs, if they can hide it; and if they can appear Fine abroad, care not what they wear at home. So ſincere Chriſtians take heed to their ſpirits, Matth. 2.15. Pſalm 51.10.and pray daily that God would create in them a clean heart, and renew in them a right ſpirit. Their ſecret ſins are a trouble and burden to them.Pſalm 19.12. They would eſpecially let their light ſhine ſo before men, that ſeeing their good works, they may glorify their father which is in heaven. Matth. 5.16.But yet they will walk in the midſt of their Houſes with a perfect heart; carry themſelves amongſt Servants and Children, as remembring that they are under the eye of God, and ſhould be Examples of Holineſs to thoſe under their own Charge.Pſal 101.2. Matth. 23.27. Luke 11.44. Whereas others are like painted Tombs, and whited Sepulchres, which within are full of rottenneſs and dead mens bones. So they put on their beſt Dreſs when they go out, that they may make a fair ſhew before others; but ſurprize them at home, when they do not ſtudy their Carriage, and they are quite other manner of Perſons, and care not how they appear in their own Families before their Servants and Children. Again, We may obſerve, That ſome Perſons have Tertian or Quartan Agues; on the intermitting days they are ordinarily as well as other Perſons; but we muſt not therefore conclude when we ſee them wdl, that they have loſt their Ague, or are cured; for when the Fit-day comes, they are as bad again as ever; yet he that is cured, may once in a long time, perhaps on occaſion (if he have ſome way neglected or diſorder'd himſelf) have ſome remembrance of his Ague (as we ſpeak) in a Fit and away. So in this caſe we ſometimes ſee Perſons abſtain from Sin, and carry themſelves very well for ſome time together; but this is only an Intermiſſion, they have been kept from Temptations or Occaſions of Sin; but when they meet with an Occaſion or Temptation, they are the ſame Perſons that they were, and ſo toties quoties (as we ſay) as oft as they meet with occaſion, they fall again into Sin; theſe are not cured; but thoſe that are freed from their Diſeaſe, may perhaps at ſome time be overtaken with Sin, and we cannot determine how oft; but if the general tenor of their Lives be as becomes the Goſpel, tho they do Sin,1 John 2.1. they have an Advocate with the Father.