A Vindication of Godliness, Sermon 2 · Part 2 – Part 2
The Authors advice.
THis Covenant I adviſe you to make, not onelyonly in heart, but in word; not onelyonly in word, but in writing; and that you would with poſſible reverence ſpread the writing before the Lord, as if you would preſent it to him as your Act and Deed. And when you have done this, ſet your hand to it▪ Keep it as a memorial of the ſolemn tranſactions that have paſſed between God and you, that you may have recourſe to it in doubts and temptations.
And now Beloved, having ſhewed you the way the Father, give me leave to be inſtant with you, in preſſing you to hearken to me herein, to come and joyn your ſelves thus to the Lord. And if you will not be perſwaded to this ſolemn and expreſs way of Covenanting with him, which I believe you will find a great advantage, and do therefore make it my great requeſt unto you) yet, if you will not do that, take heed you refuſe not to engage your hearts to the Lord, and make a full cloſure with Chriſt, upon all the particular terms laid before you, till that be done, I muſt be bold to tell you again▪ as I have told you already, that you are ſhort of Chriſtianity, ſtrangers from the Covenant of Promiſe, and Aliens from the Commonwealth of Iſrael.
Brethren, the Lord God hath ſent me amongſt you upon the ſame E…and, as Abraham ſent his ſervant, Gen. 24. To take a wife for his Son, to eſpouſe you to Chriſt: I am not without …ear, as that ſervant was not, that ſome of you will not follow me; but if the Lord ſee it good to ſend his Angel before me, to make my way proſperous, if the Lord give me ſucceſs in this great thing, that I may thus bring you into Covenant with him, I ſhall therein have performed the main part of my Miniſterial work among you, I ſhall have espouſed you to Chriſt, ma… ried you to that one Husband; I ſhall have brought you within the ſtrait gate, and ſet your foot ſafe into that narrow way that leads to life, and have laid the foundation of your following the Lord in holineſs and comfort here, and of living with him in bleſſedneſs for ever. For,
1 When once you are ſincerely in Covenant, from thenceforth you have a God that you may call your own, to whom you may have free acceſs, with whom you may be ſure to find grace, to help in all times of need. How bleſſed is his condition, who is able to ſay, I have no fri… in the world, but I have a God in Heaven; I have many enemies, but I have a God; I have no houſe, nor money, nor lands, but I have a God; I have troubles, I have ſins that are a daily torment and vexation to me, but I have a God, a God to feed me, a God to ſuccour me, God to ſhelter me, a God to pardon me, a God to ſanct…fie me, to …ave me.
2 From the time of this your Covenant Union with Chriſt, you have the bleſſing of communion with him.
… Whatſoever is Chriſts, is now become yours; the husband gives the wife leave to ſet he… name on all his goods, and all that Chriſt hath, you may now write your name upon it, & ſay boldly, All this is mine; his prayers, his tears, his obedience, his blood, his ſpirit, all are mine, becauſe he is mine.
2. Whatſoever is yours, is his; your ſufferings, your ſins your debts, your wants are all upon your husband. Chriſt ſays to you, as the old man, Judg. 19. 20. to the Levite, Let all thy wants be on me; and ſo all thy debts and ſtraits, and fears, and troubles, let them all be on me.
3 Chriſt and you ſhall have your lot together; God deals with Chriſt and a Believer, as one and the ſame party who muſt be abſolved and condemned, ſtand or fall, live or die together. In Chriſts being juſtified, your juſtification is ſecured; in Chriſts Reſurrection, your Reſurrection; in Chriſts Glorification, your Glorification is ſecured for ever; Becauſe I live, ye ſhall live alſo. This is the portion, this is the Inheritance of all Gods Covenanting-Servants.
You that are yet in your ſins, in your old Covenant with Death, and agreement with Hell, Will you yet be perſwaded by what hath been ſaid, to ſay one to another, Come let us break theſe bonds aſunder▪ and caſt theſe cords from us; come let us go over to Chriſt▪ let us joyn our ſelves to the Lord in a perpetual Covenant that never ſhall be forgotten,
You that are ſincerely come within the bonds of this Covenant of the Lord; the Lord is henceforth become your God, Chriſt is henceforth become your Saviour, you have ſhot the Gulf; that good work is begun, which the Lord will perform to the day of Chriſt; you are gotten within the gate, you are entred into the Path of Life.
2 In the next place therefore, I ſhall give ſome advice to the godly▪ or thoſe that are already in Chriſt, whom I ſhall direct:
1 To a right performance of holy duties; theſe four duties eſpecially, Prayer, holy Meditation, Self-examination, and renewing their Covenant.
2 To a right improvement of holy Duties.
3 To the carrying on an holy courſe.
In all which, though I ſhall apply my ſelf eſpecially to thoſe that are in Chriſt, yet I ſhall alſo give ſome farther helps to thoſe that are yet out of Chriſt.
Before I ſhall enter upon the Directions for the right performance of holy Duties, it will not, I hope, be loſt labour, if I prefix a word of encouragement to duty, by laying before you the influences which holy duties will have upon the carrying on a holy life, which I ſhall diſpatch in theſe four particulars.
1 Duties are the exerciſe of Grace. Grace out of exerciſe grows quickly out of caſe; Idleneſs breed… ill humours and diſeaſes in the body, and no leſs in the ſoul; ſtirring keeps us warm and healthful. Now Duties are the ſtirrings and exerciſes of the ſoul. Reading of the word is not the exerciſe of the eye onelyonly, but of the underſtanding; Prayer is not an exerciſe of the tongue onelyonly, but of the heart; it ſets all the faculties of the ſoul on work, it ſets the ſeveral graces on work, i… ſets faith on work, it ſets hope and holy deſires on work; and grace kept in action, will be by ſo much the more active and powerful in the whole courſe▪
2 In Duties we have an intimate converſe with God: Therefore they are ſometimes called, Our drawing …igh to God, Lev. 10. 3. I will be ſanctified in them them that come nigh me. Sometimes, Our meeting with God, Amos 4. 12 Prepare to meet thy God, O Iſrael; to meet with a Preſent, as Jacob met his angry Brother; to meet him with a Prayer, and ſupplication, Exod. 25. 32. There will I meet thee; when the Saints go up to meet the Lord, the Lord comes down to give them a meeting: Sometimes, Our viſiting of God, Iſay 26. 16. In their trouble they have viſited thee. When God viſiteth his people with a Rod, they viſit him with a Prayer; when we come to Duty as we ought, we put our ſelves under Gods eye, we ſet the Lord before our face, it's neceſſary to the right performance of Duties, that we have right and clear apprehenſions of God, deep impreſſions of the Majeſty of God, of his Omnipotence, Omnipreſence, Holineſs, Goodneſs and Faithfulneſs upon our hearts; This is required in that forementioned expreſſion, I will be ſanctified in them that come nigh me. Now what an influence will this have upon the upholding and carrying on the life of God in us, to have daily ſuch a ſight of God before our eyes, and ſuch a ſenſe of God upon our hearts.
3 In Duties we obtain new ſupplies, and freſh influences from God. The flouriſhing ſtate of a Chriſtian is ſet forth, Iſay 58. 11. by a well-watered Garden; and Jer. 31. 12. it is promiſed, They ſhall come and flow together to the goodneſs of the Lord for Wheat, and for Corn, and for Wine, and for Oyl. And their ſoul ſhall be as a well-watered Garden:
Where obſerve theſe three things:
1 That the watering of the ſoul is from the goodneſs of the Lord; all the dews and ſhowers of Grace are from above, our Springs do not riſe in our own Gardrns: All my Springs are in thee.
2 All the influences of the grace and goodneſs of the Lord, are gotten down by your applying your ſelves to him in duty: That is the meaning of that expreſſion, They ſhall flow together to the goodneſs of the Lord, they ſhall aſſemble and come together to ſeek the Lord.
3 The People of God in their addreſſes to him in Duty, though it be but for a ſupply of things temporal, do get ſomething for their ſouls; They ſhall come for Wheat, and for Wine, &c. And their (ſouls) ſhall be as a well-watered Garden. We never come to pray for any temporal mercy, and pray as we ſhould, but our ſouls are gainers thereby. A Chriſtian cannot come near the Throne of Grace for any thing, bot his heart hath a ſhare in the Bleſſing. And there are three Reaſons for it.
1 A Chriſtian never prays for temporal mercies, but he hath ſome words or other to ſpeak for his ſoul.
2 Prayer, whatever it be for, is the ſouls drawing nigh to God, and exerciſing it ſelf on God: And the ſoul never goes to God, but it brings back ſomething of God upon it, even then when it may be denied the temporal mercy it ſeeks: As when a Saint is praying for a Sinner, and God will not hear him for that Sinner, yet he loſes not that Prayer, but hath it returned into his own boſome. So when the ſoul is praying for the concernments of the outward man, though it be denied in its particular requeſt, yet its prayer ſhall not be loſt to it ſelf.
3 Temporal mer…ies obtained as a return of prayer, are ſoul-bleſſings.
But now when the matter of our requeſts is particularly for our ſouls: When Grace is that we come for▪ when love, and life, and zeal, and ſpiritual ſtrength, is that we come for: when the watering of a dry and barren, and the refreſhing of a weary heart, is that we ſeek for, ſhall our ſouls then be ſent b…rren, and weary, and empty away.
Our hearts are as Ciſterns, which however ſometimes they may be full of water, yet if there be not a ſupply from the Well, the waters and the Ciſtern will waſte, and mud, and at length dry away, Duties are our labouring at the Pump, which will keep the Ciſterns full Iſa. 12. 3. Therefore with joy ſhall ye draw water out of the W…lls of Salvation.
Chriſtian, thou complaineſt thy heart is barr…n and dead, and dry, and fit for nothing: Why, is there not a Well by thee, where there is water enough to refreſh and fill thee? Why do…ſt thou no oftner let down thy Pitcher, or labour at the Pump, why art thou no oftner with thy God? Thy heart wants watering, get thee oftner to the Well: more praying, more faſting, more converſing with Chriſt, ſtudying the Goſpel, ſearching and ſucking the Promiſes, would quickly get thee into a better plight. He that is much with God, is rich in grace. Thou art not ſo much ſtra…ned, thou canſt not be brought ſo poor, and Iean, and out of caſe, but thou knoweſt where there is enough to fetch thee up again, thou knoweſt where there is a Well, that hath not onelyonly water enough, healing water, but Wine, and Milk, and Honey enough; but thou muſt go oftner for it. if thou wilt have the benefit of it; Go therefore, and let down thy Pitcher, and thou needeſt not fear its coming up empty. OnelyOnly in exerciſing thy ſelf in duty, take heed thou miſtake not the Pitcher for the Well; take heed thou fix not thine eye on duty, as if this were thy Chriſt, thy Fountain out of which thou mayeſt be ſupplyed. Duties are but the pipes, it is the Lord that is the Fountain from whence all the water comes.
4 Duties are our conflicting with corruption▪ or ſtriving againſt ſin. When ever we are ſtriving with God, we are thereby ſtriving againſt ſin. Duty and ſin contend for the Victory; whileſt Duty holds up, ſin goes down: when Duty flags, ſin gets up. Holy Prayer will make us weary of i…quity; or our iniquity will quickly make ſuch praying a wearineſs unto us: it is not for the intereſt of the fleſh to ſuffer the heart to be much in prayer, or other du…ies, and therefore we find for the whole Generation of carnal men, a little of it muſt ſerve their turn.
There is no ſuch way for Chriſtians to be revenged on ſin, and to ſee their deſires on this Enemy, as to bring it before the Lord. They never fight againſt it with greater zeal, or with more ſucceſs, then upon their knees. When the ſinner kneels in earneſt before his God, his luſts muſt quickly kneel to him; our confeſſion of ſin, and laying it open before the Lord, our complaining to the Lord of it, our …ying to the Lord againſt it, preſſing him upon his Promiſe, upon his Covenant to help againſt it; theſe are the mightieſt …atteries our ſouls can make, to the beating down its ſtrong holds: When the Lord hears the groanings of his Iſrael, under their oppreſſing Egyptians, he will ariſe and relieve them. Chriſtians tell one another, how ſad it is with them, what woful work they have with a proud heart, or a covetous heart, or an hard heart, or an hypocritical heart; and you mry tell one another ſuch ſtad ſtories long enough, and find little help: Goe tell thy God of thy ſins, carry them before the Throne of Grace, make thy complaints againſt them there, and there thou▪ wilt find compaſſion and deliverance.
Now gather up theſe four particulars together, conſider them well▪ and then you will ſee, you that intend holineſs in earneſt, wh…t great reaſon you have to ſet cloſe in with Duties, and to accept of thoſe Directions which ſhall now be tendered unto you.
The firſt ſort of Directions are ſuch as concern the right performance of the Duty of Prayer; the advice I ſhall give you touching this, take in theſe four particulars.
1. Bring your ſelves, and hold your ſelves to a frequent and conſtant performance of this duty.
There muſt be performance, or there cannot …e a right performance: Thoſe that pray not, or but ſeldome, is a ſhrewd ſigne that the root of the matter is not in them; they that can live without prayer are dead while they are alive: Prayer is the firſt fruits of Chriſtianity: It was ſaid of Saul, a… a token that he was a Convert, Behold he prayeth. The living Childe comes crying into the World▪ and as it is a token of life, ſo it is a meanes by which this New Life is nouriſhed. Prayer is a Chriſtians Key to unlock the Store-houſes and the Treaſuries of Souls, he that can pray, God hath given him a Key to all his Treaſuries. Prayer will not only unlock the Clouds as Elijahs prayer did, and bring down Rain to refreſh the dry and parched Earth, but it will unlock Heaven too. It will unlock the Ark and the Mercy-ſeat, and get downe Spiritual bleſſinge on the Soul: Praying is a Chriſtians knocking at the Gate of Heaven, that knocking to which the promiſe is made, Matthew 7. 7. Knock and it ſhall be opened. The word which the Lord ſpeakes to us is Gods knocking at our doores; Rev. 3. 20. Behold, I ſtand at the door and knock. And praying is our knocking at the Lords door, at the Gate of Heaven, that this may be opened. By the way learn, that if you will not hear God knock▪ it is juſt to hear not yours. If Gods voice may not be heard on Earth, your voice will not be heard in Heaven; fear not, you ſhall be heard, if you will hear; hear him that ſpeaks to you from Heaven, and your cry ſhall enter into Heaven.
Our Soules will never thrive or flouriſh, unleſs the Rain and the Showers of Heavenly Grace deſcend and fall upon them, and we cannot look that thoſe Showers ſhould come down, unleſs we look up.
Perſons that pray not, may be written among the Heathens, Jer. 10. 25. Pour out thy fury upon the Heathen, and the Families that call not on thy Name. Among the Prophane ones of the Earth, who are deſcribed by this Character, Pſalm 42. 4. They call not upon God, they are altogether become filthy and abominable, there is none that doth good, they call not u… on God.
Where Prayer is not, there is uſually curſing and ſwearing, and every abomination; look upon the non-praying perſons, look upon the non-praying families among you, and ſee how little good there is to be found; ſee if they be not as ſo many dead and dry Trees, on which no Spiritual fruit appears, as ſo many dark holes, into which no Spiritual light doth ever ſhine, as ſo many filthy ſinks, in which every vile thing lodges.
Beloved, I have often preſſed this Duty on you, both perſonal ſecret Prayer, that there be not one perſon found among you that prayes not; and Family joynt Prayer, that there be not one Family found among you, among whom God is not thus worſhipped; I have often preſſed this upon you, and given you particular helps and Directions about it, and have not been negligent to put you in remembrance of it, ſo that if there be prayerleſs perſons or families found among you, the guilt of it muſt lie at your own doors.
But will you yet hearken to me in this thing? Will you give your ſelves to prayer? No word that is ſpoken to you for the good of your Soules, will ever proſper with you, if this Word proſper not, it is in vain for me to perſwade you to live a Godly life, if you will not be perſwaded to live a praying life. Would you ever come to any thing, ſee then that this Exhortation doe not come to nothing, be ye therefore ſerious, Be yee therefore ſober▪ and watch unto Prayer, 1 Pet. 4. 7. Be ye inſtant, be conſtant in Prayer; Set up your reſolutions and ſet your time; ſet your times, and keep your time; do not put off this Duty, by pretending you pray alwayes, every day, and every hour; as the pretence of an every dayes Sabbath comes juſt to no Sabbath, ſo it is uſually in the caſe of prayer, ſome Carnal wretches praying alwayes is …ot prayiug at all: Get thee into thy Cloſet, ſaith Chriſt, get thee a place, ſet thee a time, wherein thou ſayeſt vacare De…, wherein thou mayeſt make it thy buſineſs to ſeek the Lord.
Brethren, I ſay again, if you will not ſuffer me to prevail with you in this thing, I may even ſpare my labour of ſpeaking any other things to you, wherein I ſhall have no hope of ſucceſs, if I ſpeed not here: Some among you in ſome private Conferences I have had with you, have given me ſome good hopes of the work of grace begun upon your hearts: I have found that there hath been ſtil a neglect of daily prayer, this hath ſtruck ſuch a damp upon my ſpirit, as hath brought down thoſe hopes to be even almoſt as low as nothing, and by experience I have found, that ſuch perſons, as upon advice and warning would not afterwards be brought to the conſtant exerciſe … this duty, if they have retained any favour of Religion at all, have yet from year to year been at a ſtand, and not the leaſt ſign of any improvement hath been to be ſeen. If ever therefore you will hearken to me in any thing that I tender for your ſouls good, deny me not in this, ſet upon the daily exerciſe of ſecret prayer; and if you be reſolved on the performance, I ſhall then be encouraged in the next place to help you on in the right performance. Therefore.
2. Come to pray with an actual and great expect … of obtaining grace and help from God.
Do not barely impoſe this duty upon you, as your task, but excite and encourage your ſelves to it, by looking for a return: think what it is that you would have, and look to receive it: The reaſon why we obtain no more in prayer, is, becauſe we expect no more: God uſually anſwers us according to our own hearts: Narrow hearts and low expectations have uſually as little as they look for or deſire: large expectations are ordinarily anſwered with large returns: Expectation will put life into action; you will then pray with moſt enlarged hearts, when you are moſt full of hopes, the reward that is looked for in the Evening will much encourage and quicken the labour of the day, fear not to expect too much from Heaven: Be not ſtraitned in in your own Bowels; and you ſhall not be ſtraitned in the God of bowels: open thy Mouth wide and he will fill it▪ God will never upbraid his Beggars for looking for too great an Almes; he hath enough to ſupply them, and he hath a heart to beſtow it: God will never ſay to you, you are too bold, you ask too much; too much Grace, too much holineſs, why cannot leſs content you? God hath given you commiſſion to ask what you will, not to the one half, but the whole of his Kingdome; the Kingdome you ſhall have, if no leſs will ſerve your turn.
Chriſtians be thankfull for every little you receive, but look for much: be thankful for every little, every little received from God is much: A drop from that Fountain is worth the World, yet content not your ſelves with ſome drops, when, if you will, the Fountain may be yours. The King of Glory loves to give like a King, and will never ſay, This is too much, either for a King to give, or a Beggar to receive; Since he hath given you leave, ſpare not to ſpeak in large your deſires, and let your Eye be as big as your Belly. God hath promiſed you, and therefore you may promiſe your ſelves; whatever you ask (that is good for you) you ſhall not ask in vain. Oh, if we had ſo much in our Eye when we come before the Throne of Grace, we ſhould be oftner there, and yet ſtill return with our load. Well Chriſtians, remember this when ever you come to begg, look to receive, come not to prayer as to dry breaſt that is like to yield no milk, or to an empty Ciſtern that will yield no water.