Heaven Upon Earth, Sermon · Direction 8
VIII. DIRECTION.
Seek his Acquaintance moſt earneſtly if you would have it. O why do men and women jeſt with matters of the greateſt weight and importance in the world? What do people mean to play with their Souls, the wrath of God, and damnation? O ſinners, have you nothing elſe to play with? No lower matters to ſport with? Believe it, Sirs, Heaven and Glory are not got with ſitting ſtill with our Hands in our pockets. We think it worth the while to riſe early, and to ſit up late, to get an earthly Eſtate; we count it no fooliſh thing for a man to be very diligent about his Worldly Affairs. The poor Country-man Plows and Sows, Harrows, Weeds, Reaps, Inns, Threſheth, and a great deal more, before he can eat his bread: and ſhall we look for a rich crop, and do nothing at all but eat, and drink, and ſleep? Is this the way to be rich? is this the way to be happy for ever? If you intend to do any thing in Religion to any purpoſe, you muſt buckle to your buſineſs at anothergeſs rate than moſt of the Profeſſors of the World do. We muſt take as much pains about our Souls, as men do about their Bodies or Eſtates. Is there any compariſon between the Soul and the Body; between a Worldly Eſtate, and an Heavenly Inheritance? Hath a man more reaſon to look after tricking up his body that muſt Die, or look after the adorning adorning of his ſoul that muſt live ſomewhere for ever? Which are matters of the greateſt conſequence, eating and drinking, and pampering the fleſh, and taking our pleaſure; or looking after Life, Salvation, and Eternal Joy? Do you think that the Scripture faith in vain, That we muſt ſtrive to enter in at the ſtrait Gate? Is it a bare ſeeking that will ſerve the turn? Will a Lord have mercy upon me, and bowing the knee, do as well as the greateſt ſeriouſneſs and diligence in the World? Do you think that God will be put off with the skin and garbage inſtead of ſacrifice, with the ſhell inſtead of the kernel, with chaff inſtead of the corn? Doth not Chriſt ſay, That many ſhall ſeek to enter in, and ſhall not be able? O why do not lazy Profeſſors read the Scriptures with trembling? Let all thoſe that are angry with us for putting them upon making religion their buſineſs, and uſing all diligence to make their calling and election ſure, Read that one Scripture over again, Luk. 13.24. Strive to enter in at the ſtrait Gate; for many, I ſay unto you, will ſeek to enter in, and ſhall not be able, &c. It was Chriſt who ſpoke that word. If we tell you of the danger of a formal Religion, you will ſoon fall upon us as Enemies to your peace, and thoſe which impoſe too much ſtrictneſs upon you: We therefore do here produce our Commiſſion for what we ſay, or rather we deſire you but to read your ſelves what Chriſt ſpoke, as touching this matter. O it might juſtly make a Chriſtians heart to ake, to think how many thouſands of Profeſſors will be diſowned by Chriſt in that day, who will make many fair pleas for themſelves, and pretend a great deal of acquaintance with him. Conſider I beſeech you, here is no fear of Exceſs; never any man in the World that was too ſolicitous about his Salvation, never any man took too much pains for Heaven. Awake, O ſleeper, what meaneſt thou? ariſe, and call upon thy God. If you make any thing of the loſs of a Soul, look about you; if you think the wrath to come conſiderable, be ſerious; if you would not be burnt by the fire of his Indignation, you muſt take hold of his ſtrength, and make peace with him, and God will be at peace with you, Iſa. 27.5. It is not without cauſe, that the Prophet doth complain, Iſa. 64.7. There is none that calls upon thy Name, that ſtirs up himſelf to take hold on thee. There is none that calls upon Gods Name! One would think that that were ſtrange; What none call upon his Name, when ſo many of them made many Prayers, as you have it in the firſt of Iſaiah? What did they nothing but look upon one another, when they had their Solemn Aſſemblies? Did they ſay nothing to God, when they came before him? Did they do nothing at all in that 58. of Iſaiah, when they are ſaid to ſeek him daily, when they ſeemed to delight in his way? Yet in Gods eſteem, all this goes for nothing at all, this prayer is no prayer, this is only wording of it with God. But prayer it is another kind of thing, it is the ſtirring up of the Soul, and awakening all it's ſtrength to wreſtle with God, to lay hold upon God, and to prevail with the Almighty; and where are ſuch as theſe to be found, who is this that engages his heart in the ſervice of God? It is one thing to engage the tongue, and another thing to engage the heart. Men come to pray with a common Spirit, and are many times weary of the work before they have well begun it; what they do, they do it lifeleſsly: They can follow their worldly Imployments with life and delight. They have Male in their flock, but that's too good for God; a lame, blind, ſtarved weak thing muſt ſerve his turn: And is this the way to have the bleſſing? Are ſuch as theſe like to have any thanks for their kindneſs? Let them try how any of their Friends would take ſuch a preſent. Now would you have the Bleſſing of Acquaintance with God, you muſt wreſtle for it, and not let God go without it: You muſt be Fervent in Spirit, ſerving the Lord; you muſt fight the good fight of Faith, and lay hold on Eternal Life: You muſt graſp about Chriſt as a man that is a drowning would graſp any thing that were thrown out to ſave him: You muſt uſe all diligence to make your Calling and Election ſure: You muſt work out your Salvation with fear and trembling: You muſt ſeek for Wiſdom as for Silver, and ſearch for her as for hid Treaſure. Then ſhall you underſtand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledg of God. What excellent thing is there, that is got without pains? Whoever came to be an Exquiſite curious Artiſt in any skil whatever, that never ſerved an Apprentiſhip to it, nor at the leaſt gave his mind to it? where is there a famous Phyſitian that never ſtudied in his life? Who gets a Victory by ſleeping and careleſſeneſs? Who expects to have riches drop into his mouth, when he goes all the ways that can be to make himſelf a beggar? Doth the Husbandman look for a good Crop without plowing or ſowing? Why then, ſhould we expect ſuch great things as Heaven, Eternal happineſs, and the favour of God, without out looking after them. Whatſoever the lazy formal profeſſor may ſay, the Kingdom of Heaven is not obtained thus: there muſt be running, watching, fighting, conquering, holding faſt, holding out, and all little enough; it requires all the ſtrength of thy ſoul to engage in this great work; it requires ſome reſolution to do ſuch a work, as every Chriſtian muſt do, or elſe his Religion ſignifies little. Further, it calls for ſome time too, it is not a thing to be minded, now and then by the by, between ſleep and wake, when the Devil and the World have had as much ſervice as they call for. Were it for your bodies that I were now pleading; were you like to get any great matter in the world by following of my directions; could you be ſhew'd a way how to get a great eſtate, honours, and long life, I am verily perſwaded a few words might prevail much. Why, if you will believe the word of God, I am telling you of other kind of things then theſe be, greater matters by far; and yet how little are Men and Women affected? As if we ſpoke but in jeſt always, when we ſpoke about things that did concern Souls! How little time do men ſpend in their inquiry into theſe things? Ask Epictetus (Ench. c. 63.) And he will tell you that it is a ſign of a low Soul; to beſtow much time upon thy body, and the thoughts of it, and little upon the Soul, to be long eating, and long drinking, and long a dreſſing, and ſhort in prayer, ſhort in the thoughts of the Soul, and ſhort in the ſervice of God; and that it is a ſign of a baſe degenerate Spirit to be very curious about toys, and inconſiderable trifles, and to be negligent about matters of the greateſt importance, to ſlubber over the great works of Religion with the greateſt ſlightneſs. Remember, O man, thy great work, it is to take care of thy Soul, to look after a Companion, a Friend for thy Soul, to get food and cloathing for thy Soul, that that famiſh not with hunger and cold. To be indifferent in all externals is the greateſt prudence; but to be indifferent about Spirituals and Eternals is the greateſt madneſs. We are all Soudiers, and muſt fight in ſuch a War wherein we muſt never lay down our Arms. The favour of God is worth the ſtriving for, it is as much as Heaven and Glory is worth. If your eſtate or life lay at ſtake, would you not be willing to uſe all the intereſt you could to make the Judg your friend? would you go up and down laughing as if you had nothing to do? would you eat and drink as merrily as ever, and ſay, it is but dying, it is but being a beggar, it is but the undoing of my wife and children? would you not look upon a man that ſhould argue at this rate to be little better than frantick? and I pray which is moſt conſiderable, the death of the body, or the death of the ſoul; the loſs of a temporal, or the loſs of an eternal inheritance. Moſt mens diligence in Temporals will condemn their negligence in Spiritnals. Chriſt ſaid, Seek ye firſt the Kingdom of Heaven, & the righteouſneſs thereof; but moſt men ſay, I will ſeek firſt the Earth, and the glory thereof; and if God will give me Heaven and happineſs after I have ſerved the Devil and the world as long as I can, I ſhall be contented to have it. No ſuch matter, never expect it, God muſt ſooner ceaſe to be, than to gratifie you in this. Wherefore do you think, did David follow his work ſo cloſe? Why did all thoſe Noble Worthies in the Church of old take ſo much pains? Why ſhould they not much ſtick to venture eſtates, and lives too? Will you condemn them all as guilty of too much curioſity, and unneceſſary preciſeneſs? Do you think that their labour was in vain? Are all thoſe diſappointed who willingly parted with preſent things for future things? I muſt tell you, if you expect to ſit down with Abraham, Iſaac, and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven, you muſt do as they did. Heaven will not be obtained now upon any lower Term than then. Your Souls are as precious as their's, and Heaven will be as well worth your minding as theirs, and God will look upon you as well as upon them, if you will value his favour as they did. Never look to have God give you that which you will not thank him for. What do you ſay after all this? will you ſit down before your work is done? open thine eyes, and conſider what thou haſt to do, and then tell me if it be not the greateſt folly imaginable to be ſlight in theſe Affairs. O how can'ſt thou eat, or drink, or ſleep, whilſt thou haſt ſuch a great work to do which is undone! O give not ſleep to thine eyes, or ſlumber to thine eye-lids, but deliver thy ſelf from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler. Go to the Ant thou ſluggard: Conſider her ways, and be wiſe; which having no guide, over-ſeer, or ruler, provideth her meat in the Summer, and gathereth her meat in the Harveſt. How long wilt thou ſleep, O ſluggard? When wilt thou ariſe out of thy ſleep? Yet a little ſleep, a little ſlumber, a little folding of the hands to ſleep, ſo ſhall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man. and will you now labour to get acquaintance with God, as you would to get food for your body? will you endeavour as much to make ſure of his love, as you would do to make ſure of a pardon, in caſe of the forfeiture of your life? If ſo, we have ſome hopes, the work may have ſome conſiderable iſſue.