A Warning Piece for the Slumbering Virgins, Part 9
A double ground in the Text, why we ſhould double our duty in Watching and Praying.
Firſt, Becauſe we are expoſed to temptation, if we do not Watch and Pray; For,
1. We provoke the Lord to tempt us, while we tempt him by neglect of theſe Goſpel-Duties, of his own appointment; as,
1. To lead us into temptation, when we will not follow the leading and guidance of his Holy Spirit and Word: 'Tis that which Jeſus Chriſt, in tenderneſſe to our weak, wandring ſpirits, would have daily upon our hearts in prayer, to beſeech our Father, not to lead us into temptation.
'Tis true, as the Spirit of truth teſtifies, that God cannot be tempted to evill, neither tempteth he any man. He is infinitely holy and righteous, and cannot tempt any to ſin and unrighteouſneſſe: He is the chief good, and cannot lead any into any evil temptation, or temptation to evil: And he is unchangeably and eternally holy, and cannot poſſibly be tempted to unholineſſe: the juſt Lord will, can do, nothing that is unjuſt, no iniquity.
Yet the Lord may be ſaid in his own ſenſe, to lead us into temptation, for himſelf hath ſaid it. As,
1. By way of Probation. When he tryes us like gold i'th fire, as he did Job. When he leads us into the Wilderneſſe, to prove us, as he did Iſrael of old; when we fall into the hands of God, as David and his Servants did:Jam. 1.2 And though we are to account it all joy when we fall into manifold temptations; for as the temptations and ſufferings of Chriſt abound in us, 2 Cor. 1.5.ſo our conſolations alſo will abound by Chriſt; 'tis his peculiar method (with which his ſecret ones are well acquainted) to bring good out of evill, and ſweet out of bitter, yet it is upon the account of his ſympathy with us in ſufferings, and ſanctifying them to us, by keeping up the ſpirituall exerciſe of watching and prayer, while we are exerciſed therewith; otherwiſe, as afflictions are never joyous in themſelves, ſo they will be ever grievous to thoſe, who have grieved the Holy Spirit; by laying aſide their ſpiritual watchfulneſſe and prayer: Thoſe ſufferings muſt needes befull of vexation, and perplexitie, which find us under preſumption and ſecuritie; for,
Firſt, what bitterneſſe will it be to the ſoul, when awakened in a day of adverſity, that it ſlept and ſlumbred out it's dayes of proſperitie; that which was then a bed of eaſe to the fleſh, will be now a bed of thorns to the Spirit. There cannot chuſe but be much heart-aking, under heart-awakening tryals, to all ſlumbring Virgins; and that is the pain of all paines, the ſharpeſt ſting in ſufferings; ſad thoughts of ſinfull ſlumbrings will break ones ſleep; falſe reſts will fearfully diſquiet us, when we find them out, or they us in, the day of calamity. Affliction will be a root of bitterneſſe bearing gall and wormwood at ſuch a time; oh what an heavie burthen has the careleſſe neglect of watching and praying been, to ſome ſlumbring Chriſtians in our dayes, who have lived at eaſe in Zion, while ſhe has been in pain travelling to be delivered? How have they mourned like Doves, and chattered as a Crane, or Swallow, for want of that Spirit of grace and ſupplication, which they had ſo long reſtrained, and ſo much extinguiſhed, under a ſpirituall Lethargie? how have their hearts been ready to dye within them, like Nabals, for want of life in, and love to, thoſe holy duties, wherein ſometimes they had been lively and full of affection? How will the hearts of all the ſlumbring Virgins ſmite them one day, when diſtreſſe ſhall come upon them, as ſorrow upon a woman in travell? will they not then weep out their ſleepy eyes, and ſigh out their ſluggiſh ſpirits, crying, Ah we fools, that had a price in our hands, and no hearts to uſe it? We have loſt many a good day, trifling out choyce breathing times, in the ſight of the Sun; and now the night is come upon us, and we cannot work: Alas, alas, for thoſe daies of the Son of Man;Job 29.2, 3. Oh that it were with us as in the moneths of old, when the candle of the Lord ſhined upon our heads, &c. What ſlothful ſervants have we been, hiding our Maſters Talents in a napkin, when we ſhould have miniſtred one to another, 1 Pet. 4.10.as good Stewards of the manifold Grace of God? And now the ruſt of them witneſſes againſt us, as the worldlings gold and ſilver. We have ſhut our ears and hearts againſt the Lord and his good Word, and now the Word of the Lord is againſt us. We have ſlighted the ſweet counſell and comforts of the holy Spirit, and now we feel its ſharp Convictions: We would not hear the checks of Conſcience, and now we muſt hear its chidings. Oh the ſting and the ſmart of a ſelf-condemning Conſeience, when it is once awakened out of ſelf-pleaſing, and ſelf-eaſing ſecurity, by the ſcourging rod of the Almighty.
Secondly, what Averſeneſſe and frowardneſſe, will fill thy Spirit in ſad houres, who haſt ſinfully ſlipt and ſlept out ſo many good ones? When thou feeleſt thy ſufferings weightie, and thy ſhoulders weake; thy preſſures great and thy patience ſmall, thy body languiſhing, thy ſoul fainting, thy faith failing; How will thy Spirit be diſtempered; thy peace diſturbed, thy heart will be readie to fret againſt the Lord; Pro. 14.3.thou'l be angrie as Jonah, even to the death; to ſee death looking thee in the face, when thou laſt looked for it, and the evill day, neereſt, when thou puts it fartheſt from thee; And now thy ſlumbrings and wandrings will be ſet in order before thee, and thou haſt neither ſet thy houſe or heart in order before the Lord; and now the Judge ſtandeth at the door, to call thee to an account and thou haſt not made up thy reckonings for many a day; thy time miſſpent, thy ſtock ſpent; thy experiences loſt, thy evidence to ſeek; Oh how diſcontented will thy diſappointed heart be at ſuch a day? Thou haſt long neglected the ruling of thy own ſpirit, and now 'twill be too unruly for thee, as a wild bull in a net; how apt wilt thou be to kick againſt the pricks (Ephraim-like) as a bullock unaccuſtomed to the yoke. An heart not watcht over, will be much out of frame for doing well, much more for ſuffering. When the weight of affliction falls upon a lazy, lame ſpirit; what haltings will be diſcovered, and uneaven carriage under the rod?
2. By way of Permiſsion. As the Lord may be ſaid to lead us into temptation by way of Probation, when he takes us into his own hand; ſo by way of Conceſſion, when he takes off his own hand; and ſuffers Satan to put forth his hand againſt us. 'Tis true, the evil one is alwaies limited by the Holy One, that he cannot do his worſt; or elſe he would play the devil indeed: he's under Divine reſtraint (and in a priſon, as it were) when moſt at liberty; this ſtrong man armed is reſerved in chains, by a ſtronger then he; Yet his heart is ſet upon the ſervants of God,Job 1.8. Hebr. (as 'twas upon Job) with as much ill will, as it can hold, (though through mercy, he cannot have his will on them) The roaring Lyon gapes with open mouth to ſwallow them up. How earneſtly did he deſire to ſift the Diſciples of Chriſt?Luk. 22.31. Gr. he was greedy of ſuch a prey as this: and if the Lord did not put an hook in the noſtrils of this Leviathan, what a piercing Serpent would he be? How ready was the evil ſpirit to offer his ſervice,Iſa. 27.1. to be a lying ſpirit in the mouth of the Prophets? he would fain be deceiving,1 King. 22.22. that he might be deſtroying. Now if we neglect our ſpiritual Watch, we grieve the Spirit, and tempt him to leave us to the temptations of the evil ſpirit, who will be ever grieving and vexing our ſpirits, and doing us all the miſchief he can, and 'tis much he can do with Gods leave: if the Lord take away the hedge, this wild Boor will be in upon us, and root up all.
2. We tempt the Lord to tempt us, when we give over watching and praying, by leaving us in temptation, as by leading us into it; and that's a very Sad Caſe.
As, 1. By withdrawing himſelf and his holy Spirit from us, when we are under tryals: And this muſt needs be a dark time, when God covers us with a cloud in his anger, and covers himſelf as with a cloud too. What a terrible Eclipſe will that be, when the light of his Countenance is withheld, in a day of darkneſſe and gloomineſſe? This indeed is the burthen of all afflictions, and lyes heavieſt upon honeſt hearts: This is plain to ſee in the ſeverall perplexed caſes and diſtreſſed conditions of Job, Job 13.21. Pſa. 88.14. Pſa. 13.1. & 30.7.Heman, David, &c. under variety of afflictions and temptations. The hiding of Gods face was the foreſt trouble, the ſaddeſt tryal; this ſtruck deepeſt into their hearts, and made their faces gather paleneſſe: how were their ſpirits drunk up with the terrours of the Almighty? Now 'tis moſt righteous with the Lord, to leave us in a day of adverſity, when we leave him in dayes of proſperity; to leave us at a loſſe in our ſtraits, when we leave and loſe him in liberty. He will withdraw from us, when evill drawes near, if we have withdrawn and wandred from him, when he drew near to do us good: He will turn his back upon them in times of calamity, who have given him the back and not the face in times of tranquillity.
2.Pſa. 81.11, 12. By delivering us up to our ſelves and our own ſpirits. When Gods people would have none of Him, He gave them up to their own hearts luſts; they would not own the Lord, and be his ſervants; and he leaves them to be ſlaves to their own luſts, lording it over them. Ah, when a people grow weary of God, have done with him as to Watching in prayer, and let him alone, coming ſeldom at him; hee'l be a ſtranger to them, and leave them alone, as he did Ephraim: Hee's joyned to Idols,Hoſ. 4.17, 18. let him alone, (ſayes God) he will not joyn himſelf to the Lord, and the Lord will have nothing to do with him, but leave him to himſelf, and to his Idols; and now all goes ill with poor Ephraim: his drink is ſowr, or is gone, (as in the Hebrew) all is gone, when God is gone; and he commits whoredome continually; all ſowres on his hands, and in his heart too. Ah, when we ſlight the Lord, and ſlumber in his ſight; he will let us ſlip out of his hands, and then (as a bowl falling out of the hand, down a ſteep hill) we follow the Byaſſe of our own corrupt hearts, and run headlong without ſtop or ſtay Hell-ward. 'Tis not to ſay, How fearfully and ſhamefully the beſt of men will leave the Lord and loſe themſelves, when left to themſelves? We have remarkable proofs of this in thoſe precious ſervants of the Lord of old, David, Solomon, Peter, &c: they made themſelves vile; yea even as beaſts before him, when they were left to themſelves? And we have many lamentable inſtances in our dayes, of ſuch, who looked like the ſheep coming up from the waſhing, clean eſcaped from the pollutions of the world, yet have turned like the dogge to the vomit, 2 Pet. 2.20, 21, 22.and as the ſow that was waſhed to the wallowing in the mire; Would it ever have entred into their own hearts that they ſhould ever have ſo fowlie defiled their garments, which ſeemed to have been waſhed ſo ſaire in the blood of the Lamb?2 King. 8.13. would they not have ſaid (with Hazael) Are we as dogs, that we ſhould do ſuch things? Oh yes, when a people are delivered up to themſelves, they will be readie to ſay with thoſe, (of whom the Lord complaines) We are delivered up to do all theſe abominations; Jer. 7.10.If we leave the Lord and his watch and work; we tempt him to leave us in temptation to our own hearts; and then that plague will be upon them,xod. 9.14. (which fell upon the heart of Pharoah) which was worſe to him then all the plagues of Egypt; and we ſhall even harden our ſelves againſt the Lord.
2. We tempt the Divell, that tempter, to tempt us, when we give over watching and praying; He watches our ſlumbrings, and lyes at catch for us, when he may take us napping; when we have a mind to fall aſleepe upon a bed of carnal ſecuritie, the Devil will make our bed for us, and lie down ſoftly by us too: when we give over Gods work, we are out of his way; and lie ſleeping in Satans walks, and that as drie Tinder to his fierie darts: And there come but a ſpark from Hell, and fall upon our hearts, it takes preſently: when we put out the light and fall to ſleep, we give him roome and time for his works of darkneſſe; he drives his wicked trade moſt and beſt i'th dark;Job 24.14, 15. The eye of this Arch-thiefe waiteth for the twilight, when no eyes may ſee him, he looks at us moſt with his envious eyes, when our eyes are ſhut, and the ſhadows of ſpiritual darkneſſe are upon us; and how eaſily may he ſteale away our hearts, and the heavenly treaſure out of them, at ſuch a time as David did Sauls ſpeare from his bolſter,1 Sam. 26.12. when a deep ſleep was upon him. And indeed this thief in the night (to allude ſtill to that place in Job) would rob us of all our Jewels, when a dead ſleep is upon us, did not our faithfull keeper watch him, and watch over us: Oh what danger are we in every houre, to become a prey to this roaring Lyon, while we lie ſleeping at his feet? the fowles of the ayr have the greateſt advantage againſt us that may be, whilſt we lie as ſilly doves, heartleſſe and ſpiritleſſe before them. And is not this a very foule buſineſſe, to ſet the Divel on work to do us miſchief, who will hurt us and hinder us all he can, and that by neglecting our Maſters buſineſſe, who has done us good and no evill, all our dayes.
3. We tempt our own luſts to tempt us, when we lay aſide our ſpiritual watch; we entice them to entice and allure us; And indeed here lies the great temptation within our own hearts,Jam. 1.14, 15. Every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own luſt, and entiſed, and ſin when conceived bringeth forth death: The privy ſore in the heart, the deadiy wound; the womb that conceives luſt, ſin, death. Here the Devil layes his train ef powder, and were there no fire of luſt there, he could never blow us up; temptations without could take no hold, if there were no corruption within; Satan ſet up on Jeſus Chriſt with varietie of temptations,Joh. 14.30. but could find nothing in him, and ſo could do nothing againſt him: The Prince of this world, was ever warring againſt the Prince of peace, but had no power againſt him, becauſe he had no party within him. Nay the ſubtle Serpent with all his power and policie could not prevaile at all, no not, once againſt the weakeſt, ſimpleſt Saint, if ſin did not take his part. Tis the partie within betrayes us; Tis the worſt enemy, that within; it opens the door to our enemies without, yea to the worſt of them, or they could not get within us; Now when we are fallen into a dead ſleep, and have loſt the life of prayer; our luſts will ſwarme about us, as flies about a dead carcaſe: Sinnes not watched over, will get head and heart whilſt we indulge our ſelves ſaying, Soul, take thine eaſe; we pamper our ſins and make proviſion for the fleſh, to fulfill the luſts thereof! Spiritual watching and prayer will ſtarve our luſts, eaſe out their very hearts, but carnal ſlumbrings and ſleepings feed them.
While prayer is kept up in power, ſin is kept down and overpowered; if our ſinnes do not ſtop our mouths, nor ſtraiten our hearts in prayer; our prayers will cry them down, and ſtob them at heart, when our hearts are lift up powerfully in prayer; our heart-ſinnes, as pride, paſſion, unbeliefe, &c: will come down wonderfully (as the Amalekites fell, while Moſes lift up his hands) oh while we continue wreſtling with God by fervent prayer; we may wreſtle with ſpirituall wickedneſſes in high places, and that to victory; our ſouls ſhall tread down ſtrength (to uſe Deborahs expreſſion in her tryumphant Song),Judg. 5.21. while they are lift up, and poured out in prayer, for the Help that is laid upon that One that is mighty. Whereas, if our hands be let down, and our hearts fall, our corruptions will get up and carry it againſt us with a ſtrong hand: if we be not watchful and prayerful, ſin will grow exceeding ſinful:Job 15. If we reſtrain prayer before God, our mouths will utter iniquity; (as Eliphaz ſaid to Job) who ſeems to plead thus with him; How comeſt thou to be ſo diſtempered in ſpirit, ſo vain and diſtracted in ſpeech; if prayer were not reſtrained? Fervent, conſtant prayer would bring the heart into a good tune and temper, and keep it ſo.
4. When we neglect our Spiritual Watch, we lie naked to temptations without, as to corruptions within; the creatures are full of ſnares, and we ſhall be catched in them at every turn, if a ſpirit of ſlumber be upon us. The love of the world is connatural to us, bred i'th bone, moſt ſuitable to fleſh and blood; our hearts hang downward, and move towards earth and earthly things, as a ſtone to the Center; and 'tis impoſſible to keep them up without watching and prayer. Indeed, while we keep cloſe to God by faith in prayer, we keep him cloſe to us; and then the world may not interpoſe, muſt not be cloſed with,1 Joh. 4.4. upon any terms; For greater is he that is in us, then he that is in the world. And while we Watch and Pray, our ſpirituall weapons will be mighty through God, to bring down all the ſtrong holds of the god of this world.
Luther was one of the moſt watchfull ſpirits in prayer, (we read of) and he ſpeaks of one of the higheſt experiences that we ſhall meet with; That he was never tempted to Covetouſneſſe; there was no fiſhing for his ſpirit with golden baits, which was carried ſo high above the world in Faith and Prayer.
But alas, Chriſtians now adayes find the world a very great temptation, a world of temptations in it. How is the Moon got up to the heart; in this our age, that uſed to be under foot,Rev. 12.2. to ſuch as are clothed with the Sun? Oh what hoarding up treaſure on earth, by ſuch as ſeemed to be heires of Heaven, as if their Heaven were upon earth, and their hearts too.
How unbecoming is this to thoſe that are born from above, to live beneath themſelves: that ever ſo noble ſpirits of the blood-Royall, ſhould be ſo embaſed; & precious Sons and Daughters of Zion, who were comparable to fine Gold, ſhould (in this ſenſe) become as earthen pitchers? How contrary is this to thoſe heavenly principles of faith and love, which ſhould carry us as upon Eagles wings above the world towards heaven? Oh where is the love of the Father, where there is ſo much love of the World? Have you ever taſted of the powers of the World to come, who are thus brought under the power of the Creature? What, ſhall the Children of the Kingdom look no further, live no higher then the Kingdoms of this World? What, called out of the World, and at the Worlds call too? Theſe things could never be, if watching and prayer had been kept up all this while, with life and power; 'Twere not poſſible the World ſhould ſteale upon the hearts of Gods people thus, and ſteale them away too, were they not aſleep: Now when prayer's down, and the World up, what a downfall will there bee? They fall into temptation and aſnare, and into many hurtfull and fooliſh luſts, which drown men in perdition, Oh what a root of evil ſprings up, where the World takes deep root; how do they pierce themſelves thorough with many ſorrowes, 1 Tim. 6 9, 10.and choak the precious ſeeds of grace with theſe thornes: and when the heart is overcharged with the inordinate love of this preſent World; This ſoul-benumming Lethargie of carnal ſecuritie will overſpread it, that we ſhall not feele this ſin within us, when it is even all over us; what ſenſe can we have of our living by Senſe, whiles Faith lies dead? The love of the World will grow inſenſibly upon us, if it can but lull us aſleep in its Armes.
Secondly, becauſe we ſhall be indiſpoſed to make any oppoſition, in an hour of temptation, if we do not Watch and Pray; our temptations will grow ſtronger, and we weaker in Spirit every day then other; they will be as Gyants, and we as Graſhoppers, (to uſe the expreſſion of the Spies). And alas, as we are ſo is our ſtrength (as Gideon ſaid of Jether), at the beſt but weakneſſe; and our ſpirituall enemies will gather up their ſtrength to take the advantage of us, when and where we are weakeſt; How eaſily may they make a prey of us, coming upon us vvhen vve are ſore, as Simeon and Levi did upon the Males?Gen. 34.25. eſpecially if vve conſider.
10. That the Strength of Iſrael has ſecretly vvithdravvn himſelf from his people, vvhile their hearts have been aſleep,Num. 14 9. and novv their defence is departed from them, and they are as bread to the devouring mouth of the hungry Lyon, vvho never had a better ſtomack to them. Sampſon, Judg. 16 19.20.vvho vvas ſo ſtrong in the ſtrength of God, vvas as vveak as another man, vvhen the Lord departed from him; the Philiſtines may novv bind him as they pleaſe, put out his eyes, and make him grind it'h Priſonhouſe! Ah, ſince the Lord has turned his back upon a backſliding generation; hovv are the ſtrong become as bow, and they that had the excellencie of dignitie and ſtrength are as unſtable as the water; how miſerably are they ſwallowed up of temptations on every ſide? how eaſily lead captive by their corruptions at every turne; And though they ſhake themſelves ſomtimes (as Sampſon did) and think to reſiſt them as at other times; alas, they cannot do it, for their ſtrength is departed from them.
2. That the Lord hath left them to themſelves, who have laid him aſide and left off watching and prayer; Now what can ſuch naked men do in an hour of Temptation, when they meet with the ſtrong man armed? muſt they not needs be ſpiritleſſe, like Saul in the day of diſtreſſe, when he was left to his own Spirit,1 Sam. 28.20. and had no ſtrength in him? What a pittifull forlorn creature is that man whom God has given over, and given up to himſelf; even like a lamb in a large place,Hoſ. 4.16. as back-ſliding Iſrael; what more deſtitute, and diſtreſſed, where no Shepherd, no flock? how will it wander and loſe it ſelf? The beſt of men in ſuch a caſe are expoſed to the worſt of evills; when David a man after Gods own heart, was truſted but a while with his own heart, how ſhamfully it deceived him and defiled him? who would ever have thought that murthers and adulteries ſhould have proceeded out of ſuch a heart as his? When Solomon, Neh. 13 26.who was ſo beloved of his God, was given up to himſelf; how ſtrangely was his heart changed within him, and turned from the Lord God of Iſrael, who had appeared to him twice, even to ſtrange gods,1 King. 11.8. and ſtrange wives. The wiſeſt of men, when left to his own wiſdom, appears as one of the fools in Iſrael, and whither does his ſhame go? And good Hezekiah, 2 Chron. 32.31.when the Lord left him, to try him, to know all that was in his heart; what pride of heart does he diſcover; (though he had been ſo lately and ſo deeply humbled)? And though the Lord had newly emptied all worldly glory before his eyes;2 King. 20.13. Yet he could not keep his eyes and heart off of the houſe of his precious things, &c. but glories in ſhewing all the treaſures were faund there: when he ſhould have glorified God, and ſhewed forth his wonders, in bringing the Sun of his life back,Iſa. 38. and the ſhadow upon the dyal of Ahaz, &c.
Yea bleſſed Peter, an holy Apoſtle of Jeſus Chriſt, when he truſted to his own ſtrength, and boldly profeſſed above the rate of the reſt of the Diſciples,Mat. 26 33, 35. ſaying, Though all men ſhall be offended becauſe of thee, yet will I never be offended; and though I ſhould die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. When Chriſt truſts him with himſelf and his own ſtrength, (but for a little ſeaſon) how fowly he ſhews his weakneſſe, and ſhames himſelf; and very ſinfully offends him more then they all, by being ſo ſhamefully offended becauſe of him; denying before them all, that he knew his Maſter, upon the word of a damſel that ſaid, Thou waſt with Jeſus. And the Holy Ghoſt ſets a brand of Cowardize upon this ſelf-confiding Champion; leaving this upon record to all Ages (to ſhake and ſhame all the Lords people out of themſelves), that when another Maid ſaid, This fellow was with Jeſus, he denyed with an oath, Ver. 71.I know not the man. Would any of the Diſciples have ever believed ſuch a thing as this of Peter? or he, of himſelf? that a curſed oath ſhould have ever been found within his bleſſed lips, and that to deny his Lord and Maſter with thoſe lips that had ſo oft bleſſed him; that he ſhould ſo deſperately diſown him with his mouth, whom he owned, honoured, and loved ſo dearly at his heart.
Oh how have the mighty fallen, how have the mighty fallen! when they have been left to themſelves, and have fallen into their own hands. Such remarkable examples as theſe taken into our ſerious conſideration, may happily (if the Lord ſtrike in with them) awaken ſome ſleepy hearts from a preſumptuous ſelf-full ſecurity, to a religious watchfull jealouſie; that they who think they ſtand, may take heed leſt they fall; as certainly they ſhall, (though they ſeem to be pillars, as Peter did) if they ſtand upon their own leggs, and not upon his, that are as Pillars of Marble ſet upon ſockets of fine gold.Cant. 5.15.