Serious Reflections on Time and Eternity, Tract · Chapter 27
XXVII. The neceſſity of Chriſtian Reſolution to Ʋpright, Perſevering Obedience; how full and extenſive it ought to be, and yet humble; by what means we may be aſſiſted to perform that which we reſolve.
HAving acknowledg'd my tranſgreſſions unto God, and begg'd forgiveneſs, and experimentally learnt the Evil of Sin by the bitterneſs of Repentance, I reſolve for the future to watch againſt it more narrowly, and againſt every thing that leads to it; endeavouring to pleaſe and honour my God and Saviour by an upright, obedient Heart and Life. And for the remiſſion of my former contracted Guilt, I truſt to Jeſus Chriſt, according to the Revelation made in the Goſpel, of what he is, hath done, and ſuffer'd, and continues to do in Heaven, for the Salvation of repenting Sinners, who deſire to come unto God by Him.
But how often, O my Soul! have I mock'd God, and deceiv'd my ſelf, with formal and faint Purpoſes of Amendment? My good Reſolutions have been all of them as the morning Cloud, and the early Dew, which quickly paſſed away. One freſh aſſault of Temptation hath ſwept away all my good Purpoſes as a Spider's Web. I have falſified ſo many, and broke my word ſo often, that I dare not truſt to any thing I now reſolve, or rely on any promiſe I ſhould farther make. Succor me therefore, O Lord, by thy powerful Grace, that what was defective in my former fruitleſs Reſolutions, may be now rectified. Let me be more humble in the ſenſe of my weakneſs, more dependant on thy Grace, and more heartily ſeek it from time to time. Strengthen me with Strength in my Soul, with Might and Power in my inward man, that I may ſo reſolve and purpoſe, as to perform; that I may not be one day hot, and the next cold; zealous in the Beginning, but faint and lukewarm in the Progreſs; fervent and ſerious only in Reſolving, but weak and impotent in the Execution.
Having chang'd my Maſter, my End, and my Hopes, by returning unto God, from whom I had gone aſtray, I firmly reſolve, through the aſſiſtance of his Grace, to change my Courſe of Life; that Old things being done away, all things may become New; that*Rom. 6. c. 22. being made free from ſin, by pardoning Mercy, and become the ſervant of Chriſt, I may have my fruit unto Holineſs, that my End may be Eternal Life. In the interim, whether I live or die, let it be unto the Lord, reſolving both in Life and Death to be abſolutely His. And to that purpoſe, O my Soul! let me ſeek for continual ſupplies of Grace from Chriſt my Head, to enable me to yield ready Obedience, in the moſt difficult, hazardous, painful, and humbling Duties. In vain do I reſolve it, without the aſſiſtance of his mighty Power, to ſtrengthen my Heart and Hands, whenever I am called to ſuch a trial of my Sincerity. Without it I ſhall never recover my Liberty, or break aſunder thoſe Bonds and Cords wherewith I have formerly been held Captive, as the Servant of Sin and Satan. Such is the Weakneſs and Treachery of my own Heart, the influence of ill Examples, and the ſubtlety and cunning of the Tempter, that otherwiſe I ſhall quickly change my mind, and return to Folly, as the Dog to his Vomit. The Spirit is ſo weak, and the Fleſh ſo frail; the Snares of the World ſo many, the Power of remaining Corruption ſo ſtrong; and of my ſelf I am ſo unſettled and wavering, fickle and unſteady, and prone to backſliding, that all my ſtrongeſt purpoſes will not be ſufficient, without daily ſtrength from above. My Senſes are ſo deceitful; my Paſſions ſo ungovernable; the Rule and Law I am to walk by, ſo ſtrict, and ſpiritual, and extenſive: Criminal Omiſſions may be ſo frequent, and ſo eaſily overlook'd; ſo many ſeveral and difficult Duties are to be performed; and by every change of my Condition, or of God's Providence, ſo many new Dangers and new Duties may ariſe, that I fear the iſſue of my firmeſt Reſolutions. So ſtrict a Watch muſt always be kept; ſuch Humility and Caution is everywhere to be practis'd; ſuch ſpeedy Repentance requir'd after every fall; with thankfulneſs and contentment in every State, under all Calamities, be they never ſo many, or never ſo pinching; and perſeverance herein abſolutely neceſſary, though never ſo many Stratagems be uſed to diſcourage me from proceeding, or to entice me to go back, or turn aſide to ſome other Path; inſomuch that if God had not promiſed me his continued Preſence, and that his Grace ſhall be ſufficient for me, and that I ſhall not be tempted above what I am able to bear; I ſhould utterly deſpair of making good what I now reſolve.
But beſides theſe Promiſes to encourage my Reſolved Obedience, he hath left upon Record in his Word many glorious Examples of his aſſiſting and rewarding the Courage and Reſolution of his Servants to continue faithful; as in the caſe of Joſeph, Daniel, and his Three Friends, &c. If Chriſt ſtand by, and ſtrengthen me, I know I ſhall be able to do all things; I ſhall not then be flatter'd, or frighted out of the way of my Duty; no Wind that can blow ſhall then turn me to another Point; nothing ſhall then be able to prevail for my conſent to a wilful and deliberate forſaking of God; no Argument, no Temptation, though Privacy, Opportunity, Impunity from Men, with Rewards of Worldly Gain and Honour, ſhould all concur to enforce a Temptation. But, by that Heavenly Aſſiſtance, I ſhall be preſerv'd Humble, Temperate, Chaſt, Patient, Thankful, Self-denying, Crucified to the World, and hold faſt my Integrity till I die; ſtill perfecting Holineſs in the fear of God, growing in Grace, and in the Knowledge of my Lord and Saviour Jeſus Chriſt, waxing ſtronger from day to day, be ſeldomer ſurpriz'd, offend leſs, and repent more quickly, and watch more narrowly afterwards, till at laſt I receive the Crown.
Eſpecially, let me watch againſt my Conſtitution Sins, ſuch as I am moſt inclined to, and where a Temptation doth moſt eaſily enter; where the Devil can take the faſteſt hold, and be leaſt ſuſpected; where he hath formerly ſprung a Mine, and made a Breach: I have known ſome humble watchful Chriſtians, after being recovered from their Backſlidings, who abhorr'd every Temptation to that ſin, by which they had been defiled and wounded: they can hardly put up a Prayer, but they mention it; hardly have their hearts affected in any ordinance, but they are inwardly aſham'd of it; hardly hear of any one guilty of the like, but they are ready to burſt out into Tears.
Fix therefore, I beſeech thee, moſt Gracious God! my unfeigned Reſolutions of cleaving to thee, with full purpoſe of Heart: and ſhew thy ſtrength in my weakneſs, by inabling me to do what I now reſolve. To that end, teach me to watch over my Heart, to keep it with all diligence, to be more converſant with my own Thoughts, examining the motions that ariſe in my Heart, whence they come, and whither they go, and what they tend to, that I may ſuppreſs the beginnings of Sin. The unſearchable Deceitfulneſs of the Heart, the rovings, ſtraglings and wandrings of the Thoughts, the ungovernable motions and ſtirrings of the Paſſions and Affections, with the corrupt Inclinations that are ready to comply with Temptation, make ſuch a conſtant Watchfulneſs neceſſary. Let me live no longer as a ſtranger to my ſelf, but by Self-reflexion dwell more at home, reckoning my principal Work to be within doors, to keep my own Vineyard. Teach me to watch over my Senſes, to guard the door of my Lips, to govern my Paſſions; to be wary in the Choice of my Company, and in the Right Ʋſe of it; to be Circumſpect in every ſtep of my daily walk, to call my ſelf frequently to a Reckoning, to caſt up my Accounts at the foot of every page, by every days review of my Actions, to live always as in God's preſence, and be awed every where by the thought of his Holy Eye, to ſhun the occaſions and appearances of Evil, &c.
By the neglect of this, Spiritual Diſtempers will inſenſibly creep upon us. There is ſuch a venom and malignity in Sin, to wound and weaken the Soul, to put us off the Hinges, to diſorder and unfit us for any Spiritual Service, to make our Hearts vain and frothy, lazy and liſtleſs, that we ſhall eaſily let ſlip our Opportunities, loſe our Seaſons, and languiſh and pine away, notwithſtanding all the means of thriving and growth. And hence it is that ſo many Profeſſors mourn and complain, lick the duſt, and lye among the clods, are dead under the moſt awakening Miniſtry, and barren under the moſt fruitful means. Hence it is they do little Good, as well as taſte little Comfort; ſome duties are neglected, and others perform'd ſlightly; and in none of them do they meet with that Sweetneſs and Satisfaction, that Refreſhment, and Advanvantage, Fruit and Benefit, as formerly. And all from the neglect of Watchfulneſs, making bold with Temptation, and not ſtanding upon their Guard in the uſe of their Chriſtian Armour.
And becauſe no Place, no Condition, no Imployment is exempted from Temptations, let me fortify my ſelf every morning againſt all Aſſaults for that day, by Serious Prayer, as Holy David was wont to do. My voice (ſaith he) ſhalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my Prayer unto thee, and will look up, Pſal. 5. v. 3, 4. Let the Law of God be my daily and delightful ſtudy: that I may be able preſently to bring my Words and Actions to the Touchſtone; and know how to manage the ſword of the Spirit, on all occaſions, againſt the fiery Darts of the Devil: that knowing the rule, I may not be doubtful, or at a loſs, when ever I am tempted: I may not make a ſtand to parley, but immediately ſummon all my forces to Reſiſt, and reject the Snare; being aſſur'd from God, that the Continuance of this Warfare ſhall end in a moſt Glorious Victory. He will ſhortly tread down Satan under my feet. Thanks be to God, through Jeſus Chriſt, my Lord.