England Faithfully Watched, Lecture 57
COLOS. 1.23. If you continue in the faith, grounded and ſetled, and be not moved away from the hope of the Goſpel.
TErmes in themſelves have been conſidered; their intimation alſo, may be uſefully taken up, which is, that man advantaged is an uncertain creature in a good courſe. The ſtate of man is a hid thing, what he is, what he will be: a man looks well, and yet that poiſon lurks in his body, which ſome yeers hence gathers about his vitals, and pales him, that friends ſcarce know the man, he is ſuch a changling. Nothing lurks ſo ſecretly as ſin, not a man that knowes his heart to the botome, 'tis deceitfull above all things, who knowes it? A man ſmiles upon a holy courſe this yeere, and frownes and breaks out againſt it next: So much is hinted here, [if you continue] in the faith, and be not moved away. Man advantaged, is an uncertain creature in a good courſe.
Light is a brave advantage, to a ſteady courſe:Demonſt. 1. We ſet our compaſſe by lucid bodies, by the Sun, and by the Stars, and know whither, and to what part of the world we are going, which ſetles our minde, and makes our journey ſweet, and our labour and travell laſting. Dubitation tires; every ſtep is irkſome, when a man knows no… whether he be out or in his way; and yet where no dubitation is, the ſoul tires. When light unto information, when light unto perſwaſion is made, concerning the way and the end, the ſoul is ſtill in danger to turn off: If ye continue in the [faith] (i.) the truth …e have underſtood and believed. Pravity at ſome height, will be… …wn conviction, ſpurn againſt an Angel in the way; turn for Tarſh…ſh, when it knowes it ſhould go another way.
Conviction is a noble advantage to a ſteady courſe, conſolation is a nobler: to be convinced of the way, and comforted in the way, the man hath a coach from heaven to prevent tiring. Fruit that is ſpecious to look upon, is inviting to appetite, but when we bite it, and finde it to have no ſweetneſſe to our taſte, we throw it away, but that which hath colour and taſte too, we retain firmly, we incorporate ſuch ſubſtances with our ſelves, we eat them, and ſo keep their vertue ſo long as we are. The Goſpel hath theſe two properties, 'tis cleer light, and glad light. They were glad when they ſaw his ſtarre, there was viſion, and conſolation, a light of life; one would think now none could kill this, and yet pravity at ſome height, will put this to death, a conſolatory light. They rejoyced in his light for a ſeaſon; here is light and joy, light and life, add yet this dies, this brisk ſparkling wine vapors away all its own ſpirits, and dies. This truth lies in the Text too; be not moved away from the [hope] of the Goſpel, (i.) that word which makes hope, and ſets the ſoul at heaven door; and can one be there and not joy? Hope ſets the ſoul like Moſes, within ſight of the Holy Land: Can a man ſee heaven, and not joy? A man may not ſee heaven, and yet joy. In whom, though now you ſee him not yet believing ye rejoyce, &c. But can a man ſee heaven, and not joy? Can a man enter within the vaile, and yet not joy? And yet when at the border of Canaan, when at heaven doore, there is danger of turning back; yea, when ſomething of heaven is given out at the door; ſome taſtes of the powers of the world to come, may come to de diſtaſted.
A vertuous property is inducing, and the more generall this property is, the more inducing. That property is pleaſant to one palate, which is unpleaſant to another; that is fair in ones eye, which is ugly in anothers; but that which is glorious to every eye that ſees it, ſweet to every palate that taſtes it, this we are doubly taken with, and cleave to. Such a thing is the Sun, of a generall vertue and glory, ſo in every ones eye; no man ever ſaw the Sun, but confeſt it a very glorious body, and a very reviving body. Such is the Sun of righteouſneſſe: never ſoul ſaw or taſted him, but confeſſed him ſurpaſſing all: the faireſt, the ſweeteſt of ten thou…nd. Now 'tis a ſtrange ſtomack, that diſagrees, and nauſeates … …hrowes up that which is pleaſant to every palate that hath taſted it, as well as to its own when it did eat it. And yet ſuch ſtrange changes there are naturally, and the like ſpiritually, a throwing up, and a throwing off, of that which hath had its demonſtration and commendation for vertue, to ſome of all ſorts in the world, [to every creature] under heaven. [Which ye have heard] and which was preached to every creature under heaven. A man advantaged with his own experience, and with the experience of all others, may notwithſtanding run againſt all.
Finally, things have their ſtedfaſtneſſe of motion, not ſimply, as they are advantaged, but as advantages are compleat: A Watch that hath ſome wheels true work, and others not, will go ſo long, and then ſtand ſtill, run ſo long, and then break; if every wheel be not compleat work, you have a fault in the motion. Perſons that have moſt advantage, have none compleat; wheels are ſomething mended in Saints, and ſet agoing, but not finiſhed: The old man is outed, but not quite; the new man Chriſt is introduced, but not fully. What our Saviour ſaid of ſocieties, that may I of perſons; ye are clean, but not all. Satan when he comes findes much in us, and of this takes hold, and drawes aſide. A Chriſtian is neer heaven, but not quite in it; paſt danger when quite in heaven, and not before. Some work about a Chriſtian is compleat, ſome again not. The work of juſtification is now compleat, but the work of ſanctification is not yet compleat: the guilt of ſin is done away, but the filth of it is not, and this ruſteth the wheels, and makes man in his beſt ſtate vanity, a light and an uncertain creature, as in his being, ſo in his motion. The point in hand is neceſſarily true, (i.) ſo that the thing which I ſay, cannot be otherwiſe; that man advantaged is an uncertain creature in a good courſe.
Ʋſe. If men advantaged are uncertain towards good, what will men be that are altogether diſadvantaged, men in a ſtate of blindneſſe, perverſneſſe, unſoundneſſe? Some hold not on, others wil never begin good, this is the plague of a blind ſoul. God unknown, is bid to depart: Chriſt unknown, is bid to leave the coaſts, to give place to Swine: the ſweeteſt wayes of Chriſt unknown, men will never ſet foot in them. The Levites Concubine lay forced to death, and her hands, ſaith the Text, lay upon the threſhold of the door, Judg. 19.27. ſo do many ſouls; Satan forces them to death, at the door of good; their hands, as it were upon the threſhold of Gods Houſe, ſo neer entring in, and yet there Satan, with one wile or other, forces them to death. Ignorance generates prejudice, and now you ſhall ſee a blind man fencing to keep off Chriſt and ſalvation from coming to his houſe. 'Twould make a mans ſoul bleed, to heare, with what weak things many ignorant hearts are kept off from making ſo much as profeſſion of ſome courſes that are good: they are fools, or knaves all, that go in ſuch wayes, meaning ſuch perſons as ſtrive to come neereſt the rule of the Goſpel. Perſons are ſtudied, not the way that they go in: the men are giddie, and of no account, therefore away with what they profeſſe; this is the proprium of a weak brain. If Chriſt himſelf were preſent, this man would ſtumble at him, and loſe his ſoul, rather then he would take acquaintance of ſuch a ſilly outſide. Chriſt hath his glory within, ſo have Saints, and the way they walk in. [The entrance into it] as the Wiſe-man ſaith, gives underſtanding to the ſimple: Taſte how good Chriſt is in his wayes; begin the life of Chriſt and the Goſpel. No, I will not: Ignorance begets wilfulneſſe, and now Chriſt knocks no more.
Ignorance is a great deal of diſadvange to a holy courſe, but wilfulneſſe a greater: This is the ſtrong hold of Satan, the Devill crowned, and all powers internall and externall united, and fighting to keep the crown upon his head. Many things torment, but one thing gains a Sinner, that is, the beauty and ſweetneſſe of the Lord Jeſus. High ſpirits ſhut their eyes, and ſhut their mouths; they will ſtand in no capacity of remedy, they will not come neer ſuch a perſon, nor ſuch a place, not they. Why? Chriſt is there. Let who will be there, I will not. This is rebellion in open act, and the Pſalmiſt explains the nature of it, 'Tis a man ſetting his heart awry, and ſuch a ſoul ſurely can never move well; a Watch ſet wrong, cannot be ſtedfaſt in following the courſe of the Sun, and time of the day. And might not be as their fathers, a ſtubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that [ſet not their hearts aright] and whoſe ſpirit was not ſtedfaſt with God, Pſal. 78.8. A heart ſet awry, is a deſperate diſadvantage to an even courſe: where ſuch a temper is, men ſhould think of the patience of Chriſt, his love overcomes a ſtubborn ſoul. O that goodneſſe and mercy ſhould wait to embrace a froward heart, that will not continue, no not begin good!
Ignorance is a great diſadvantage to a ſteady courſe, wilfulneſs a greater, but Hypocriſie the greateſt of all. A double minded man is unſtable in all his wayes, and yet he hath many, more then any ſinner beſides. An hypocrites ſoul, is like ſome wild Downs that have many croſs ways upon them, ſome this way, ſome that, but none to Chriſt, and therefore the ſoul loſes it ſelf, but cannot fix. An Hypocrite is one that obſerves the winds; not ſweet gales within, but gainfull gales without, from the world; his principles put him upon uncertainties; he is ever about to ſow, but never ſows, the wind ſtill turns ſo croſſe: when, or where he will have a harveſt, I know not. Things muſt be equally poiſed, to make ſteady and certain motion, and in this an Hypocrite is more diſadvantaged then any man, for he hath a great ſail, and a little bottome; a great head, and a little heart; great broad wings, and a little light body, like a Butterfly, and as ſteady in his flight. Have you not obſerved the flight of a Butterfly, how in and out he is? The reaſon may be, becauſe body and wings carry no proportion; 'thas wings big enough, and broad enough for a body of ſome bulk, which wanting, it cannot maſter and ſteer its courſe ſteady in the aire. Sinners have their proper puniſhment here; as all ſins have one common puniſhment hereafter, to wit, hell, ſo they have their proper puniſhment here. I may ſay of all ſins but Hypocriſie, that they are ſimply a not coming to Chriſt, but I may ſay of an Hypocrite, that he is one come and gone, ſeemingly come, and really gone, and Cains curſe is gone after him, he ranges in forlorn places, and things, having ſeven more forlorn ſpirits in him then he had. Truth and integrity, is the ſoul of the ſoul; this is quite dead in an Hypocrite. A lie will chooſe a lie; the heart a lie, will chooſe any lying principles, and ah what a many lies be there now in the world! I am affraid of mens integrity, lies are ſo generally taking and miſ-leading now: the ſpirit is as the things it ſtrongly cleaves to.
Hitherto we have ſpoken to perſons diſadvantaged, ſurely you will tumble up and down in your courſe, till you tumble to your place, if Chriſt ſhew not mercy to you. I will now ſpeak to you, which are advantaged perſons with gifts: Remember the point, ſuch are but uncertain creatures in their courſe: Truſt not in your advantages, for the certainty and continuation of your holy courſe. No mans light is ſo big, but Satan by his proper force, or by divine commiſſion, can blow it out; a ſoul in the dark, whither cannot the prince of darkneſſe lead? Sampſons eyes out, and a Philiſtine, a wicked perſon, may rule him. Parts looked upon, make the ſoul blind; and leaned upon, make the ſoul weak; for the man leaves a ſtaffe, and leans upon a reed, he will certainly fall, and yet he will not believe it, till he is down. Self is a gaudy thing; things that gliſter dazle ſight; ſight dazled, the man will move madly, you will ſee him run headlong into the ſea, and think it green graſſe and woods. When a man looks upon ſelf, the Devill alwayes lends him ſpectacles, and his glaſſe-eyes are alwayes a bad guide; things looked upon through his medium, are commonly of falſe dimenſion, too big, or too little.
'Tis ſad to heare, how confident ſome are of the ſtedfaſtneſſe of their motion: I will die rather then I will do this or that. Though all men forſake Chriſt, yet will not I. Thou knoweſt not thy ſelf, conſider how naught thou art now, although ſo and ſo advantaged for good; as temptations ſhall ſtrengthen upon thee, ſo wilt thou become worſe, thou wilt give backward and backward ſtill, till thou becommeſt ſtark naught. Some perſons upon view of ſelf, conclude they ſhall go currently on, for they finde they get victory over ſuch a ſin, and over ſuch a temptation, and the like. I would ſpeak to this, I am affraid you know not the nature of corruption; 'tis like the ſea in its motion, it will ſeem to loſe ground, and decline ſuch a part of the earth much, for ſuch a ſpace of time, and of a ſudden again, by a little advantage of wind, come tumbling in, and ſpread over as much earth as ever, and more. Again, you know alſo this is its property, when it leaves one point of the earth, it will breake in as farre or farther, upon another point. It fals out oft, whilſt perſons are treading downe ſome externall acts of evill, the ſoule riſes and ſwels with conceit and fancie of its own worth and goodneſſe; here is a Babel, a Chriſtian blaſted before finiſhed, mouldring whilſt building; theſe buds wither, becauſe they want earth; their end is naught, ſo was their beginning, had they ſeene it. Such cannot hold out ſteady, whoſe ſpirits are lifted up with ſome poore gliſning ſnail creepings of their own. Poiſon that breaks out in the hands and face, and ſtruck in by ſome art, is not cured, but a thouſand times more dangerous. 'Tis the caſe of many; malignitie breaks out in their tongue, in their outward man, in ſuch and ſuch broad baſe courſes, which doe diſrepute them, and by ſome paines and art, they ſtop theſe filthy iſſues, and ſtrike the poiſon inward into their heart; ceaſe drunkenneſſe & debauchedneſſe, and now become proud; of rakels become civilians and juſticiaries. God I thanke thee, I am not as ſuch and ſuch, no drunkard nor whore-maſter. No, thou art worſe, further from the Kingdome of God, further from perſevering and finiſhing a good courſe, then they are from beginning of it. A man that thinkes himſelfe the better fitted for flight, for any poore waxen wings of his own, will when higheſt, like Icarus, melt and fall, and be drowned.
Things that would move very ſteady, muſt riſe very high; the upper region is quieter a great deale then the lower, and better for ſteady motion. As the ſoule riſes above the world, above its own indowments, above all without and within it ſelfe, and ſits fully and clearly in the armes of Chriſt, ſo is the ſtedfaſtneſſe of its motion; Chriſts armes doe not tire, his hands doe not ſhake, he carries Venice-glaſſes full of choice liquor, and breaks not one, nor ſheds not a drop out of any one. How many ſoules hath God put into Chriſts hand! and yet he hath not loſt one ſoule; no nor one ſoule hath not loſt one drop committed to him to keepe. Satan is at our right hand continually, but he cannot come ſo neare Chriſt. Wee cannot carry our hands ſteady a moment, he doth ſo jog it, and the more we ſtruggle to graſp and get into our hand, the more he jogs it; but the more we can emptie out all into Chriſts hand, the further ſtill from Satans power, and ſo conſequently ſafe. This age ſurely is ſo whimſicall, ſo drunke, ſo ſtaggering, and falling, becauſe it leanes ſo much upon its own braine, and ſo little upon Chriſt. They that waite upon the Lord, renew their ſtrength, they run, and are not weary; they run ſteadily to the laſt, till they have quite out-run ſin, Satan, and all moleſting. 'Tis ſure, ſweet motion, when Chriſts armes ſtill are onelyonly the Chariot-wheeles in all things. I wonder this advantage is no more ſtudied. Chriſtians complaine of the unſteadineſſe of their courſe, and the unevenneſſe of their walking, of nothing more. 'Tis a ſweet thing to uſe prayer much, 'tis the ſteadieſt winde we can ſaile by, if there be any ſteadie winde below; but reſt not in this, but in him whom you mention by prayer. Doe [thou] keepe it in the thoughts of their hearts, to goe on thus willingly. Prayer is here uſed for perſeverance, but the perſon mentioned in prayer, and not the prayer it ſelfe, is reſted upon for the thing ſought. Doe [thou] keepe it in the thoughts of their hearts.