An Offer of Farther Help to Suffering Saints, Chapter 12
CHAP. XIII. Containing the firſt uſe of the point by way of conviction, diſcovering the unreadineſs of multitudes of Profeſſors for ſuffering-work.
YOu have ſeen by all that hath been ſpoken, what the neceſſary prerequiſites unto a ſuffering condition are, and what manner of perſons you muſt be (both for habitual and actual readineſs) if ever you honour Chriſt by bonds or death for him. And I doubt not but your judgements and conſciences vield to the evident neceſſity of theſe things, wherein I have placed the Chriſtians readineſs. But alas! where ſhall we find among the throngs and crowds of Profeſſours, any conſiderable numbers thus qualified and prepared? To ſuffer for Chriſt, is a gift that few have received. We are fallen into the dregs of time. Oh how little of the Primitive zeal and ſimplicity remains among the Profeſſours of this Age! Later times have produced a ſort of Profeſſours of another ſtamp and Spirit. Theſe have the light, but they had the love: theſe ſee more, but they did and ſuffered more. How many that are an ornament to Religion, do adorn themſelves with the name of it!
Now according to this account given of a ready Chriſtian, divers profeſſing perſons will be convicted of their unreadineſs and inability to manage ſuffering work; As firſt.
1. The politick and hypocritical Profeſſours, whoſe hearts were never ſet right at firſt, and therefore cannot be ſtedfaſt when trials come, Pſal. 78.8. Their hearts were never ſound in Gods ſtatutes, and therefore no wonder if they be not onelyonly a ſhame to, but aſhamed of their profeſſion, Pſal. 119.80. Never wonder if you ſee that profeſſion which began in hypocriſie, to end in apoſtacy. Theſe want their habitual readineſs for ſufferings, and ſo cannot drink of that cup: needs muſt they fall when tried; and when they fall, they fall dreadfully, and often irrecoverably; for they neither have the ſeed of God in them, nor any promiſe of God made to them.
And are there not many ſuch to be found in every place? For (1) how difficult is it to perſwade many of you to any duty that hath loſs or hazard attending on it. Doth not the ſincere heart ſtand inclinable and diſpoſed to all the known will of God? Pſal. 119.6. Do Chriſtians uſe to enquire more what is cheap, eaſie, and ſafe for them, or what is their duty? Gal. 1.16. Speak Conſcience, for to thee I do appeal; Art thou not conſcious of ſome reſerves, limitations, and exceptions? Doth not the man like Naaman deſire the Lord to excuſe and pardon him in this or that thing? 2 Kings 5.17. And thinkeſt thou that this is conſiſtent with ſincere obedience which excepts no duty, nor quarrels with any command, becauſe they all flow equally from the ſovereignty of God? Jam. 2.11. and ſo doth what it doth intuitu voluntatis, upon the ſight of Gods will. Say Conſcience, Are there not great ſtruglings, diſputes, and conteſts betwixt thee, and fleſhly intereſts in ſuch caſes? and art thou not frequently over-born? Oh ſearch your hearts in this particular.
Yea ſecondly, I appeal to you, whether there be not many among you that chooſe ſin rather then affliction? This is alwayes the Hypocrites opinion and choice. He judges ſufferings the greateſt evils, and ſo orders himſelf in his election. It was meerly to avoid perſecution that thoſe Hypocrites, Gal. 6.12. conſtrained others to be circumciſed, onelyonly to gratifie the Jews; that ſo by a ſinfull compliance with them the offence of the Croſs might ceaſe. If Paul would have done ſo, he might have avoided it too, but he durſt not whatever he ſuffered, Gal. 5.11. Oh this is a ſhrewd ſign of a falſe heart, Jub 36.21. and the contrary diſpoſition is always found in the upright heart, Heb. 11.25.
Nay, are there not ſome that have, and others that are ready to throw up their Profeſſion, when they ſee into what difficulties it involves them? Whileſt they could live upon the profeſſion of Truth, they entertained it; but when Truth comes to live upon them, they thruſt it out, and cry, Away with this Profeſſion, it will beggar and undo us: They then repent of their forwardneſs, and ſecretly with they had never engaged in it. O examine whether your hearts be not thus turned back, and your ſteps declined. If ſo, it's manifeſt you are hypocritical Profeſſours, and that it was ſome outward ſelf-reſpect that firſt engaged, you in your Profeſſion, but can never enable you to hold out when difficult dayes come. I ſay it's manifeſt by this departure from your Profeſſion, that ſome outward ſelf-reſpect at firſt allured you to it. As now when I behold the artificial motions of the Wheels in a Watch, and ſee how regularly the Needle marks the journal hours of the Sun upon the flat of the Quadrant, and ſee nothing that moves or guides it, it would cauſe admiration if I had never ſeen it before, or did not underſtand the cauſe of that motion: but when I look upon the other ſide, and there find Wheels, Reſſorts, and Counterpoiſes, and a Spring that cauſes all thoſe motions, I ceaſe to wonder; certainly ſome Luſt or other was the ſpring of all thy religious motions; ſtop or take off that, and motion ceaſes: And if it be ſo, this Scab of Hypocriſie will at laſt break out into the Botch of Apoſtacy. Thou canſt never hold out long under Trials, Matth. 13.21. Oh how many ſuch ſad ſights may we live to ſee as Trials come! Difficult times are coming on, 2 Tim. 3.1. and woe to ſuch then as want ſincerity at the bottome of their Profeſſion.
2. And as theſe have no habitual readineſs for ſufferings, and conſequently muſt be ruin'd by them; ſo there are others that may be truly godly, and have the root of the matter in them, who are yet far from an actual readineſs, and ſo continuing, are like to be a reproach to Religion when their Trial comes. For it is not a little Grace in the ſleepy habit that will ſecure you from falling ſcandalouſly by the hand of temptation: And although that Seed of God which is in you, will recover you again, and prevent total and final Apoſtacy, yet oh conſider what a ſad thing it is to enter into, and be conquered by temptation: to be led away in triumph by the Tempter, and made a reproach to Chriſt. O it's a ſad conſideration to think how many there be amongſt the people of God, that diſcover little or no actual preparation for ſufferings, As firſt;
1. Upon how many of the Saints is the Spirit of ſlumber poured out: Even the wiſe as well as fooliſh ſeem now to be aſleep. There is a twofold ſpiritual ſleep; the firſt is total, upon wicked men: and it's one of Gods ſoreſt and dreadfulleſt ſtrokes upon their ſoul, foreignIſa. 29.10. The Hebrew word there is the ſame with that which is uſed of Adam, when God caſt him into a deep ſleep, whilſt he took out his rib. And in 2 Tim. 2.26. foreignit ſignifies ſuch a ſleep as that which is occaſioned by drunkenneſs; out of ſuch a ſleep doth the Lord awaken all that are ſaved, and they never fall into it any more. The other is partial, Cant. 5.2. and is incident to the people of God, Matth. 25.5. This is nothing elſe but that torpor and ſluggiſhneſs of ſpirit which ſeizeth upon the Saints, and never did it prevail, I fear among them, more then now. For where is their activity for God? Where is he that ſtirreth up himſelf to take hold of God? Iſa. 64.7. Where is there ſuch a generation as that, Pſal. 24.6. we pray, confer, and hear for the moſt part, but as men ſpeak betwixt ſleeping and waking. Where can you find, except here and there one, that hath a quick and lively ſenſe of Gods indignation upon him, or that trembles at his judgements? Is not that the very caſe of the moſt which God deſcribes? Iſa. 42. ult.
2. How many are ſeized by a private and worldly ſpirit, every man turning to his own houſe, and eagerly purſuing the world? Hag. 1.9. Jer. 45.4, 5. Oh! how are we intangled in the Wilderneſs? how doth the World eat up our time, and eat out our Zeal, cowardize and ſoften our ſpirits, and render us utterly unfit for the Yoak and Burden of Chriſt? You that ſee ſo much Beauty, and taſte ſo much ſweetneſs in the Creature, will have an hard Tugg when call'd to deny it: You are not yet prepared to drink of the Cup, or take up the Croſs of Chriſt.
3. How many poor Chriſtians are of a low and timerous ſpirit, ready to tremble at the ſhaking of a Leaf: Ah poor hearts! how unfit are you for Bonds or Death? This paſſion of fear that ſo predominates in you, is the very paſſion that Satan aſſaults, and layes ſiege to in the hour of Temptation, as was before noted: and commonly it's occaſioned (where it flowes not from the Natural Conſtitution) from an exceſſive love to the world, or from ſome guilt upon the ſpirit. It's true, the Lord can ſo aſſiſt weak Faith, and ſo ſubdue ſtrong Fears, as that you may be enabled to ſtand the ſhock when it comes: (for, as I noted formerly, our ſtrength lies not in any thing inherent in us, but we are ſtrong or weak, according to the divine preſence and aſſiſtances that we enjoy) but yet if you labour not to mortifie this Evil, and ſtir not up your ſelves in the uſe of all appointed means, to rouze your Zeal and Courage for God, I know no Warrant you have to expect ſuch aſſiſtances.
Laſtly, how many poor Chriſtians among us, are to this day dark and cloudy in their Evidences for Heaven? Had they walked cloſely with God, been laborious in the diſquiſition and ſearch of their own hearts, they had long ſince obtained a clearneſs and ſatisfaction about the ſtate of their own hearts: But as the caſe ſtands with them, how unfit are they for Bonds or Death. Oh! 'tis a ſad caſe, when inward and outward Troubles meet together, as you may ſee, Gen. 42.21, 22. when there ſhall be fightings without, and fears within: When ſuch a pang as that, Lam. 3.17, 18. ſhall come over thy heart, what wilt thou do?
By all that hath been ſaid, it appears, that the moſt of Profeſſours are in a very unready poſture for ſufferings: So that as Troubles come to an height, we are like to ſee many ſad Spectacles: Many Offences will come; Religion is like to be wounded in the houſe of it's friends. Oh! What a day of Mercy have we enjoyed? What helps and choice advantages, above any precedent Age, and yet unready? How ſad and inexcuſable is this?