A Crystal Mirror, Chapter 11
CHAP. XI.
Of the Hearts Treachery touching Actions.
1. HAving diſcovered the Treachery of your Heart touching your ſtate (both Temporal and ſpiritual) I come now to diſcover what it is touching Actions; which are threefold, Natural, Civil, and Religious Actions. Concerning your natural and civil Actions, how you ought to watch your Heart from being deceived herein, I muſt refer you (for brevities ſake here) to my Crown and Glory of a Chriſtian, pag. 78. to 121. which I may enlarge upon (if the Lord lengthen out my tranquillity) in due time, that this Treatiſe, Of the Treachery of the Heart, may not ſwell into a too bulky (and above a pocket-) book: touching your Religious Actions (which I therefore ſhall handle here only in the general, referring you to every particular Religious Action or Ordinance, (in my Walk and Work of a Chriſtian upon Earth, till he come to Heaven.) And theſe Religious Actions are principally two: The firſt is, your performing of Duties; and the ſecond is, your exerciſe of Graces.
1. Of the firſt of theſe; to wit; Take heed your treacherous heart deceive you not in your performance of Duties. In order hereunto you muſt know, That [DƲTY] is your Homage and Fealty, which the creature (Man) owes to his great Creator; 'tis your poor Pepper-corn you muſt pay to the Landlord of the world; 'tis the Souls reciprocation unto God, ſhewing forth the praiſes of him (as your firſt-fruits to him) who hath called you out of darkneſs into his marvellous light, 1 Pet. 2. 9. The love of God conſtrains you, 2 Cor. 5. 14. to ſay, What ſhall I do unto thee, O thou Preſerver of men, Job 7.20. A gracious heart is of a rendering Diſpoſition, Pſal. 116. 12. and can never do enough for God, that hath done ſo much for it; you muſt be ever Praiſing the glory of his Grace, Epheſ. 1. 6. in due and daily Duty, which you may neither neglect, nor careleſly perform.
1. The Malady.
2. The Remedy.
Firſt, Of the Malady.
2. The firſt Deceit of the Heart in reſpect of performance of Duty to God (which Mercy from God always requires) is, your Heart may be remiſs and negligent therein, not only before, but even after ſincere Converſion. (1.) Before Converſion, Your heart will then love a lazy Religion, (although ſome Conviction to Duty be upon you) and ſuch as coſts you nothing, or very little; whereas holy David would not offer to the Lord his God, that which did not coſt him ſomething, 2 Sam. 24. 24. He would honour God with his ſubſtance, Prov. 3. 9. and lay out ſome coſt for him, as the good Woman did in her Spikenard of great price, John 12. 3. Whereas the Duty (which the unconverted perform) is either none, or as good as none; there is ſmall difference 'twixt [Nequam] and [Nequicquam,] as good never a whit, as never the better: Though the carnal Jews (undoubtedly) in their ſeventy years Captivity prayed often, as well as faſted often, Zech. 7. 5. Yet Daniel excellently accounts for them, as if they had performed no duty at all; [Yet made we not (at all) our prayer to God,] Dan. 9. 13. becauſe they did it lazily, and more for breaking off their chains than their ſins. Thus likewiſe Paul (in his carnal and unconverted eſtate) while he was educated in the ſtricteſt Order of the Phariſaical Religion, Acts 26. 5. and (no doubt) [ſaid] his Prayers often, yet all that time never [made] his Prayer (as 'tis phraſed, Job 22. 27.) unto God at all; and therefore he was never reckon'd to pray (indeed) until after his Converſion, Acts 9. 11. Yea, and (2ly) after Converſion, Oh what a ſecrèt willingneſs will you finde in your treacherous heart, either altogether to omit duty, or to be ſleight and perfunctory in the performance of it: Smarting Experience will ſuggeſt to you ſomething of an over-ſatisfying content, ſometimes to be diſappointed of duty. Ask your Heart, Hath Morning-occaſions and company never hinder'd you of your Morningduty, or (at leaſt) made you to poſt it curſorily over? But you muſt know, that though God (upon ſome occaſional hindering Occurrences) may give you a Diſpenſation for this or that particular hour of Duty, yet that Diſpenſation may not be conſtrued by you as a plenal diſcharge from Duty.
3. Indeed many perſons plead their multitude of buſineſs to be their hinderance from performing of Duty; but I ſay, not only, that multitude of works wants not ſin, no more than multitude of words, Prov. 10. 19. Eccleſ. 5. 3. but alſo the more buſineſs and occaſions you have in the world, the more need you have to perform Duty (more ſtrictly) for ſanctifying thoſe your many Occaſions: for your Employments (as well as your Enjoyments) ſhould all be ſanctified by Prayer, 1 Tim. 4. 5. Houſe-occaſions, and Field-occaſions, yea all occaſions ſtand in need to be ſanctified, Levit. 27. 14. 16. 18. Reverend Mr. Pemble ſaith excellently, that there is no outward Calling ſo very full of various Employments, but that in the ſpace of twenty four hours, ſome time might be ſpared and redeemed for Religious Duties. 'Tis true, God doth not expect ſo much Duty from you (that live in an outward Calling) as he doth from thoſe whoſe Calling is the Miniſtry (who ſhould dedicate their whole times and their whole talents unto God) yet know, that God gives to none a licenſe to be lazy; and if you neglect your Duty to God, you will be in danger of Judgments from God, [Let us go and ſacrifice to our God, leſt he fall upon us with his plagues] Exod. 5. 3. As omiſſion of Diet breeds Diſeaſes in the Body, and makes work for Death, or for the bodily (Phyſician: So omiſſion of Duty breeds Diſtempers in the Soul, and I makes work for Hell, or for the Soul-Phyſicians: Alas, it was Omiſſion of Duty (a Sin of Omiſſion) that baniſhed Moab from the Church, to the tenth Geveration, Deut. 23. 3, 4, 5. and that D…muld many to the pit of Hell, Matth. 25. 42. And if you be lukewarm (only) in Duty, (though you omit it not) God will ſpue you out of his mouth, Revel. 3. 16. into ſome baſe place; any (the worſt) place is good enough to receive God's ſpewings.
4. The ſecond Deceit is, When you are brought from Sin to Duty, and from the Omiſſion to the Obſervation of it; then may your heart deceive you in overvaluing Duty, in living upon it, and reſting in it: We are not ignorant of Satans devices, 2 Cor. 2. 11. that envious one. If he cannot keep you too much on the left hand, he will throw you too far on the right, and make you ſet up duty in Chriſts ſtead; and cauſe you to give it that honour, which is due to Chriſt: Juſt as Darius his Mother did obeiſance to Epheſtion, miſtaking him for Alexander (himſelf) ſaluting the Favourite for the Prince. When the Devil (in conjunction with your own heart) can no longer prevail to make you undervalue Duty (in neglecting of it) then (alas) he will ſtrongly tempt you to overvalue Duty, and to ſet it up as a Saviour to you; well knowing how offenſive it is to Chriſt to juſtle in any Competitors or Corrivals with him in the matter of Salvation, who will be one and all, or he will be none at all; As Chriſt trode the Wine-preſs alone, Iſa. 63. 3. to bring you into his Wine-cellar, Gant. 2. 4. So beſides him, there is no Saviour, Iſai. 43. 11. And though Chriſt muſt ſit upon the Throne himſelf alone, yet then will he have his Train (to wit, Holy Duties) to fill the Temple, Iſai. 6. 1. So that you muſt diſtinguiſh them, and know the one from the other, as your Father Abraham knew his Lord (Chriſt) from the two created Angels, Gen. 18. 2, 3. You muſt give to duty the things that are duty's, and to Chriſt the things that are Chriſts: The three Wiſe-men, when they ſaw the Star (that was their guide to Chriſt) did not fall down to worſhip it, but Chriſt himſelf to whom it led them. They did not offer their Gold, Myrrhe, and Frankincenſe to the Star, but to Chriſt, who is called The bright and Morning Star, Revel. 22. 16.
5. As the Dyal cannot tell you what is the hour of the day, unleſs the Sun do ſhine upon it; ſo your beſt Duties cannot ſhow you any hour or time of Joy, any further than while The Sun of Righteouſneſs (the Lord Chriſt, Mal. 4. 2.) doth ſhine upon them. Alas, what doth Elijah's Mantle ſignifie to Eliſha, unleſs he have alſo the Lord God of that Mantle, 2 Kin. 2. 14. Therefore take heed you reſt not in bare Duty; you muſt not live upon duty, but upon Chriſt in duty; for your life is hid with Chriſt in God, Col. 3. 3. You muſt let go your Duties in point of Juſtification, and yet hold them (as your life) in point of Sanctification, for Duty ſhould not dye while you live; you muſt do them, but you may not glory in them, [Let him that gloryeth, glory in the Lord,] 1 Cor. 1. 31. Thus bleſſed Paul ſuffered the loſs of all his duties, [Non quoad ſubſtantiam, ſea quoad qualitatem & officium juſtificandi,] Phil. 3. 7, 8. He did not depend upon his Duties for his Juſtification (as before he had done in his Phariſaical ſtate,) nor laid he now the ſtreſs of his Salvation upon them, but he caſt the great burden of both upon the Lord, Pſal. 55. 22. Alas, as your goodneſs (in Duty) extends not to God, Pſal. 16. 2. and you cannot be profitale to him, Job 22. 2, 3. God receives nothing at your hand, (by all) Job 35. 7. So when you have done all you can, you are ſtill but an unprofitable Servant, Luke 17. 10. Your beſt Duties are but filthy rags, Iſa. 64. 6. though they be pure in the fountain, as flowing from the Holy Spirit, yet are they muddy in the ſtream, as they run through the dirty channel of your corrupted heart; and therefore thoſe Popiſh Doctrines (of Merit de Congruo, and de Condigno, and of Supererogation) are no better than lying Doctrines.
6. The third Deceit of the Heart is, After you have been an overvaluer of Duty ſome time, Satan (and your own heart) may beguile you, 2 Cor. 2. 11. to become an undervaluer of Duty again in the days of your Knowledge, as before you had been in the days of your Ignorance: Thus the Adverſary of your Soul will toſs you into extremes, backward and forward, yea and backward again, making you to ſleight and contemn Duties again, but upon another bottom now; to wit, under a pretence of making Chriſt your All: As if Chriſt had given you now a licenſe to be lazy: But ſurely you never ſo learned Chriſt, Epheſ. 4. 20. As you have received Chriſt Jeſus the Lord, ſo ſhould you walk in him, Col. 2. 6. and being delivered (by him) therefore muſt you ſerve him in Holineſs and Righteouſneſs all your days, Luk. 1. 74, 75. And ſeeing you are bought with the price (of his blood) therefore muſt you Glorifie him with your body and ſpirit, 1 Cor. 6. 20. for you are not yet come to your reſt, Deut. 12. 9. and until you be come to your eternal Reſt (or Sabbath) you muſt not ceaſe from your ſpiritual work, labour or duty, Hebr. 4. 10. So that Duties muſt not dye, while you live; and as long as you are on this ſide Heaven, ſo long muſt you be doing Duty on Earth; This is the place of our performing work, and that of our receiving wages: You may not transfer all your work from your ſelf upon Chriſt, as if nothing were due from you, and to be done by you. 'Twas a good Saying of Auſtin's [Acti agimus, & ſervati ſumus▪ ut ſerviamus.] We are acted by the Spirit of Chriſt, that we (our ſelves) may act for Chriſt; and we are ſaved by our Saviour, that we may ſerve our Saviour. Though God made us without our ſelves, he will not (ſaith that Father) ſave us without our ſelves: There is a triple-Homage (to wit, of Reverence, of Obedience, and of Thankfulneſs) which is your poor Peppercorn you muſt carefully pay to the Lord and Landlord of all your Mercies: They that would have healing, there is ſomething required to be done by them; they muſt ſtep into the opened Fountain, Zech. 13. 1. as the diſeaſed did into the Pool of Betheſda, Joh. 5, 4.
7. If you compare Revel. 1. 6. with 7. 14. together, theſe two Scriptures will ſhew you, that not only Chriſt doth waſh you, but that you muſt alſo waſh your ſelf in the blood of the Lamb; and hence is it, that the Lord calls upon you, to this waſhing work, Iſai. 1. 15. God will give you Grace, juſt as Boaz gave Ruth corn, Ruth 2. 15. He could have given her an Ephah of Barley (ready winnowed to her hand) without more ado; but mark, ſhe muſt gather it up into gleanings, and beat it out of the ears, &c. Though the corn was Boaz's gift, yet all this was Ruths duty, which was all the price ſhe ſhould pay for it. Thus the very Heathen could ſay, [Dii laboribus omnia vendunt,] God ſells all his bleſſings for mans labour; 'tis all one charge to him, yet thus he gives both Grace and Knowledge; and God's promiſe of Mercy is no exemption to man from Duty. He promis'd deliverance from the Babyloniſh Captivity, yet for that will he be enquired after, Ezek. 36. 12. 37. [Ora, labora, & admotâ manu invocanda eſt Minerva,] were good Sayings of wiſe Heathens. Duty is the way to Mercy: Oh then take heed of being weary of duty, (which is near of kin to a reprobate minde. A Child of God may be weary in it, but never of it, for he is a ſerving Son, Mal. 3. 17. If once you become too good for duty, you'l aſſuredly prove too weak for holineſs: A little Child gathers ſtrength by its due and daily ſucking the breaſt, but if it be Tonguetyed, or hindred from ſucking by any other impediment, 'twill ſenſibly (as well as inſenſibly) ſoon pine away. Our Spiritual life is as our Natural life, both which Lives are within us, yet neither of them do ariſe and are nouriſhed from our ſelves, but from ſomething that is without us. Hence is it, that you ſtand in as much need of daily bread for your Soul, as you do for your Body: And this Bread of Life comes diſh'd up to you in divine Duties. Therefore by theſe things you live, and herein is the life of your ſpirit, Iſa. 38. 16.
8. The fourth Deceit of the Heart herein is, 'Twill wander from God in duty, it cannot watch with Chriſt one hour, Matth. 26. 40. nor attend the Lord without diſtraction, 1 Cor. 7.35. much leſs can you abide with Chriſt one whole day, (as thoſe Diſciples did) Joh. 1. 41, &c. your ſpirit will not be ſtedfaſt with God, Pſal. 78. 8. 37. but your heart will deal un…ithfully with him, and ſtart aſide from him …ke a deceitful bow, (as above) verſ. 57. 'twill b… like Reuben, as Ʋnſtable as water, Gen. 49. 4. This is for Lamentation, and ſhould be for Lamentation to you, that you ſhould bring ſuch a ſlippery heart before the Lord in Duty, that will not ſerve God ſo entirely, as it has ſerved ſin: Alas, you have ſerved ſin with your whole Heart, (Soul and ſtrength) but you could never ſerve God ſo: your heart hath been divided in his ſervice, Hoſ. 10. 2. We are (all of us) too much [foreign] double-ſoul'd, or double-hearted, (as James phraſeth it,) Jam. 1. 8. hence cometh our unſtableneſs in Duty, and our halting and halving 'twixt God and the world, and 'twixt Chriſt and ſin: This is that corruption which that Apoſtle calls upon us to cleanſe away, (cleaving ſo faſt to us) Jam, 4. 8. and then there would be more Conſtancy and Evenneſs, more Stability and Entireneſs in our Minds, Mouths and Manners before the Lord: This is abſolutely neceſſary in all thoſe that draw nigh to God, Levit. 10. 3. and the contrary is abominable, Iſai. 29. 13. We may (all of us) ſay in this caſe as Joſeph's brethren ſaid in another caſe, [We are verily guilty,] Gen. 42. 11. Therefore you have need to watc… your heart, (Prov. 4. 23.) like a thief, that will either ſteal away from you by fraud, or …eak away from you by force, ere ever you be aware: And to pray with David, Lord, fix …nd unite my heart, [that, as thou art God alone, ſo my heart may be to thee alone,] Pſal. 86. 10, 11. Lord, bend it and binde it faſt with cords, (as a Sacrifice or untamed Heifer) to the horns of the Altar, Pſal. 118. 27. that you may ſerve God with ſingleneſs, 2 Cor. 1. 12. cleaving to him with full purpoſe of heart, Act. 11. 23. Deut. 30. 20. and ſitting cloſe to him, (as the word [foreign] 1 Cor. 7. 35. ſignifies) as cloſe as Mary did to Chriſt, Luke 10. 40. while Martha was diſtracted with many things.
9. The fifth Deceit of the Heart is, 'Twill be weary of Duty, as well as wander in and from Duty; this uſ…ers in that. If your heart be divided, disjointed, and (thereby) diſenabled for Duty (for [Aninia diſperſa fit minor] a ſtream divided into ſeveral channels runs the weaker, [Vis unita fortior,] if contracted into one, the ſame becomes the ſtronger;) 'twill ſoon alſo grow weary of Duty, and cry, Oh what a wearineſs is it, Mal. 1. 13. where the Jews come puffing and blowing into the Temple, as if they had loſt their pant with carrying ſome Carrion-ſheep upon their ſhoulders for Sacrifice; as if God had called them to no other ſervice, but ſervile drudgery; but God (knowing the language of their hearts) detects their Hypocriſie, telling them, he preſſeth upon no man, neither liketh he that ſervice that is preſſed out of people, as Verjuice is preſſed out of Crabs: All his Saints, Subjects and Soldiers are Volunteers, a willing people, that bring their Free-will-offering to him, Pſal. 110. 3. They dare not cry out of wearineſs as thoſe did, nor account the Sabbath a burden, as they did in Amos 8.5. who were (as it were) in the ſtocks, or little-eaſe all the Sabbathſervice, though they do (themſelves) perform no better works than dead works all the time, either for faſhions ſake, or for fear of the Law. Oh let it not be ſo with you, let the Sabbath be a day both of deſires and of delights to you, Iſa. 58. 13. and take as much pleaſure therein, as one walking in the Spring-garden of Spiritual Duties (arm in arm, and heart in heart) with your dear Lord Jeſus: you muſt not only [Deo ſervire, ſed & adulari,] be unſatisfiable, unwearied in his ſervice, as one that never does enough for him, that hath done (and ſuffer'd) ſo much for you.
10. The ſixth Deceit is, You may look more at the Acceptation of the Action performed, than at the perſon performing: 'Tis true, in the Covenant of Works, (the firſt Covenant) God firſt accepted of the Action, and then of the Perſon; for the tenure of that Covenant runs in thoſe terms, [Do this and live.] Ambroſe (the Father) hath an excellent deſcant upon it; to wit, [Homo priùs probandus, quàm approbandus,] Man muſt firſt be proved (in this Covenant of Works) before he be approved: When God (the Creator) called all his created things good, and very good, at the end of every days Creation, yet when he had created Man, he ſpeaks not one word of the goodneſs of his creature [Man,] and why ſo? 'Twas becauſe Man muſt firſt be tryed, and then (if he deſerved it) commended; but alas, Man [bal Jalin, non pernoctavit] abode not one night (as the Hebrew word ſignifies) in his honourable eſtate, wherein he was created, Pſal. 49. 12. He failed in his action, ſo God accepted not of his perſon: But 'tis otherwiſe in the ſecond Covenant (the Covenant of Grace,) for herein the perſon is accepted firſt, and then the action from that perſon; As in the caſe of Abel, Gen. 4. 4. and Hebr. 11. 4. his Sacrifice was reſpected and accepted, becauſe by Faith his perſon was juſtified; [The Lord had reſpect to Abel, and to his offering,] God's reſpect there was firſt to his perſon, and then to his Action or Offering: Whereas the firſt Covenant was made betwixt an holy man, and an Holy God; Man then ſtood upon his own legs, and by his own ſtrength, and he had then no back-door, no ſurety: But this ſecond Covenant is made with us in Chriſt, and 'tis now, Live and do, (as the firſt was, Do and live;) becauſe we live in Chriſt, that therefore we do our actions acceptably in him, Epheſ. 1. 6.
11. The ſeventh Deceit is, You may look that your perſon may be accepted (in Duty) more for the Actions ſake, than for Chriſts ſake: If your heart be not lifted up and raiſed to a due height in Duty, 'twill be a low creeping heart, and then will it pore too much on ſelf, and the Duty done, and too little on Chriſt; Whereas no Iſraelite was to offer up his own Offering, but he muſt put it into the hand of the Prieſt (who was a type of Chriſt our High-Prieſt) and he muſt both bring it, and burn it before the Lord for the Iſraelite, Levit. 1. 15. You ſhould therefore eye your ſelf leſs, and your High-Prieſt more in all your Duties; eſpecially conſidering, that 'tis he who carries the names of all the Tribes of Iſrael upon his Breaſt-plate into the Holy of Holies, Exod. 28. 29. 'Tis he who muſt preſent your perſon with acceptance to his Father, ſaying, Lo here am I, and the children which thou haſt given me, Hebr. 2. 13. Yea, and 'tis He that muſt preſent your actions too, or they will never come with acceptance upon Gods Altar, Iſa. 60. 7. 'Tis Chriſts work to pick out the Weeds from the Flowers in all our Duties, he takes away the Iniquity of our holy things; and what Flowers and Fragrancies (of his own Spirit) he finds in our Duties, Cant. 4. 16. thoſe he binds up in Noſegays, and ſo preſents them to the Father for us: He Eekes out all our defects with his own fulneſs of ſweet odours, Revel. 5. 8. and 8. 3▪ preſenting nothing to God, but what is pleaſing to him, as perfumed by his Merit.
12. The eighth Deceit is, You may be puffed up with Pride after enlargement of Duty: When Spiritual Fire is at any time vouchſafed to be ſent down from Heaven upon your Heart in Duty, then is Satan's time in tempting you unto Self-admiration, whereby you may forfei… the heart-warming preſence of God at anothe… time: This is Satan's Chymiſtry, to bring evil out of good; to wit, Spiritual Pride ou… of a divine (enlarging) preſence, which i… quite contrary to God's Chymiſtry, in bringing good out of evil, to wit, a ſanctified Uſe of temporal trouble. Indeed God would never ſuffe… any ſort of evil (Natural or Moral) to be in th… world, if he knew not how to extract ſom… good out of all evil. The ſpirit of (or ſpiritual) Pride is the worſt ſort of Pride, as th… ſpirit of poiſon is the worſt ſort of poyſon [Corruptio optimi eſt peſſima.] As this ſort o… pride is the corruption of the beſt thing (to wi… divine Duty) ſo it becomes to be of the wor… nature, Morbus Satanicus, the Devils Diſeaſe 'Tis the worſt kinde of Theft, as it is a ſtealing from God his declarative Glory; 'twas Bernard's Deſcant [Ʋxor gloria viri, & gloria uxor Dei] as the Wife is the glory of man, 1 Cor. 11.7. ſo Glory is the wife of God, and therefore God is as jealous of his Glory, as a man is of his wife; [His Glory he will not give to annother, Iſa. 42. 8. 12. Will a man rob God? Mal. 3.8. 'tis as ſublime an Impudence, as to rob the King of his Queen; and yet this you may do, in robbing God of his Glory (the chiefeſt Flower and Jewel of his Crown) when you exalt your ſelf (after enlargement) more than your God, which is a groſſer and greater Crime than that which proud Haman was charged withal, [Will he force the Queen before my face,] Eſth. 7. 8. Hence aroſe that harſhſounding Sentence of Auſtin, [Duty damus more than Sin, and Duty damus more than it ſaves,] the ſound ſenſe whereof muſt be this, When men are found priding for duty, and reſting in duty, the Devil deceives them, and ſo far their duties have accidentally a damning nature, eſpecially when they are deceived with ſeeming for ſaving Duty; As the Witches in Lorain (which Dr. Preſton ſpeaks of) were deceived by ſome ſeeming broad pieces of Gold, which proved at laſt no better than an heap of yellow dryed leaves of the Aſpin-tree; thus when we write up ſervice, and God writes it up ſin; Satan cheats us with ſeeming Service and in this ſence Duty (accidentally) madamn. Duty (indeed) ſaves none; that … Chriſts work to ſave, and not the work o… Duty: Duties be good Evidences (as Grace be) but both be bad Saviours.
13. Thus far of the firſt thing, to wit, the Malady. The ſecond particular is the Remed… briefly; Would you have relief againſt thoſe deceits aforeſaid, then take theſe following Rules. Rule the (1.) Minde the Principle you… act from in Duty; God looks more at the principle of Duty, than at the performance, or Duty it ſelf; he looks not ſo much at what you do, as [with what ſpirit] you do your duty. Alas, a Cain may offer ſacrifice as well as an Abel, Gen. 4. 3, 4. and a Doeg may ſtep as far into the Sanctuary as a David, I Sam. 21. 7. yea, a proud Phariſee may ſtep far further into the Temple than a penitent Publican, Luke 11. 10, 11. 13. yet with differing ſpirits and principles: All your Deeds and Duties ſhould be made manifeſt that they are wrought in God, Joh. 3. 21. that is, from a good principle, as well as from a good End: Jehu did excellent things for God, 2 King. 10. 16. yet that which ſpoiled all was, that all his high and noble exploits did ſpring from a low and ignoble ſpirit and principle, in not purſuing Gods praiſe ſo much, as his own promotion. The (2.) Rule is, Go forth in the ſtrength of the Lord into every Duty, Pſal. 71. 16 Take heed of fetching Materials of Duty from your ſelf, making Duty a matter of Wit, of Memory, and of natural Abilities. Alas, this is but a lifting up your own tool upon Gods Altar (which will not poliſh, but pollute it,) Exo. 20. 25. Duties that are made up of parts, words and wit (as Abanah and Parphar, rivers of Damaſcus) may indeed ſcour, but 'tis Duty done in Gods ſtrength (as Iſrael's Jordan) can cure the Leproſie, 2 Kin. 5.12. 14. As Eliſha's ſtaff in the hand of Gehazi cannot cure, 2 Kin. 4. 29, 31. ſo Duties (performed never ſo gloriouſly by our own abilities) cannot help: what cares Satan for all their Adjurations, Act. 19. 13, 14, 15. where he ſees not, feels not the evidence and demonſtration of God?
14. The third Rule is, Never ſit down ſatisfied in Duty, without the ſupply of the Spirit of Jeſus Chriſt, Phil. 1. 19. who muſt help your infirmities, Rom. 8. 26. Gre. [foreign,] lift with you as at a log, and bearing up the heavier end of Duty for you; God ſaid betimes ['Tis not good for man to be alone,] Gen. 2. 18. 'Tis not good that man ſhould be alone at any time, but eſpecially in Duty; he ſtands in as much need of an helper for his Soul, as he doth for his Body. Martha would not ſerve Chriſt alone, but ſhe would have Chriſt to bid her Siſter (Mary) help her, Luke 10. 40. So do not you ſerve Chriſt alone in Duty, but deſire him to bid his Spirit help you therein▪ Chriſt tells you, [foreign] ſeorſim a me, without me▪ (and my Spirit) you can do nothing, Joh. 15. 5. you cannot pray as you ought, Rom. 8. 26. As you muſt do Duty from a principle of Life (habitual Grace, or a renewed frame of heart, in Faith and Love) ſo you muſt call in the help of the Spirit, to excite that ſpring and principle, crying, Awake, O North-wind, come thou South, blow upon my Garden, &c. Cant. 4. 16. and praying, Lord, quicken me in thy way, Pſal. 119. 37. As endeavours [withou God] cannot, ſo God [without endeavours] will not quicken that ſpiritual principle; the flint muſt be ſtruck upon the ſteel, or there is no fetching of fire out of it: You ſhould ſtir up your ſelf for, and intereſt Chriſt in all your Duties, that the ſword of the Lord and of Gideon may go (hand in hand) together, Jud. 7. 18. 20. The (4.) Rule is, Do Duties for right Ends, as well as from a right Principle, by a right Strength, and with a right Supply. Right ends of Duty are, 1. That God may be honoured by it. 2. That your thankfulneſs to the God of your Mercy may be expreſſed. 3. That thoſe Duties may be profitable to others, Tit. 3. 8. And laſtly, That your Soul may meet with Chriſt in them. You ſhould cry in every Duty, have over (Lord) for Heaven, getting a full tide of Affections; and cry with David, Oh that I had wings, Pſal. 55. 6. and winde in my wings. Zech. 5. 9. Revel. 12. 14. even the wings of a dove, wherewithal you may flye to the Ark of Mercy, as Noah's dove did.
15. The fifth Rule is, See that your heart reſt not ſhort of Chriſt in any Duty. Let go your hold of no Duty, until you finde ſomething of Chriſt in it; and until you get not only an handful, but an armful (with old Simeon, Luke 2.28.) yea an heartful of the bleſſed and beautiful Babe of Bethlehem therein. Indeed you ſhould have commerce with Heaven, and communion with Chriſt in duty, which is therefore called the preſence of God, or your appearing before him, Exod. 23. 17. and Pſal. 42. 2. Your Duties then muſt be as a Bridge to give you paſſage, or as a Boat to carry you over into the boſom of Chriſt. Holy Mr. Bradford (Martyr) ſaid, He could not leave Confeſſion, till he found his heart touch'd and broken for ſin; nor Supplication, till his Heart was affected with the beauty of the Bleſſings deſired; nor Thanksgiving, till his Soul was quickned in return of Praiſes; nor any Duty, until his heart was brought into a duty-frame, and ſomething of Chriſt was found therein. Accordingly Bernard ſpeaks, [Nunquam abs …e abſ que te recedam, Domine,] I will never depart (in duty) from thee without thee, O Lord. Auguſtine ſaid, h… loved not Tully's elegant Orations (as formerly▪ becauſe he could not finde [his] Chriſt in them; nor doth a gracious Soul empty Duties. Rhetorical flowers and flouriſhes (expreſſions without impreſſions) in praying or preaching, are not true bread, but a tinkling Cymbal to it, and cannot be put off with the empty ſpoon of aery Notions, or lovely (that are not alſo lively) Songs: If Chriſt talk with you in the way (of duty) your heart will burn within you, Luke 24. 16. 32.
(6.) The ſixth Rule is, Neglect not the [Magnalia, or] great Duties of Chriſtianity, while you do obſerve (it may be overſolicitouſly, even to Superſtition) the [Minutula, or] leſſer Duties; as the Phariſees in their ſtraining at gnats, and ſwallowing camels, Matth. 23. 23, 24. As Saul, that ſcrupled eating fleſh with the blood, 1 Sam. 14. 33. yet not at all the ſhedding of the blood of the Lords innocent Prieſts, 1 Samuel 22. 16, 17, 18. And as thoſe wicked Prieſts ſeemed to make Conſcience of putting the price of Blood in the Treaſury, but none at all of imbrewing their hands in the innocent Blood of the Lamb of God, Matth. 27. 6, &c. the price of that Blood may not lye in their cheſt, yet the Blood it ſelf may lye on their Conſciences, v. 25.
(7.) The ſeventh Rule is, You muſt perſevere in Duty all your days (as before.) You may not be a young Saint, and an old Devil; like the New-moon, that gives light for a while in the former part of the night, but goes down into darkneſs long before the Night is gone. You may not be a lightſome Profeſſor in your Youth, and have your light wrap'd up in darkneſs in your old Age; but your Grace (like good liquor) ſhould run freſh to the bottom, and your laſt days ſhould be your beſt.