The Profit of Godliness, Sermon 18
Serm. 18. Preached March. 2. 1661.
CHAP. V. Civ…s us the Reasons why holy Violence is necessary to the obtaining of Heaven.
NOW the reasons why holy violence is necessary to the taking of heaven are these.
Reas. 1 It is needful in regard of our own hearts in a double respect.
1. They are violently bent to sin; the heart is fu…ly set to do evil saith the Preacher, Eccles. 8.11. it is violently set, it is bent to backsliding, Hos. 11. it is desperately wicked saith Jeremy, Chap. 17.10. if we do not set holy violence against this violence of our hearts, we shall be carryed down with a violent stream of wickedness into the lake of fire and brimstone; whence is it that so many run madding on in sin to Hell? they do and they will follow their own heart: it is because they have no holy violence in them to oppose the impetuous bent of their hearts to evil, Prov. 4.23. keep thy heart above all keeping: we must keep with diligence every member of the body, but above all the heart is to be kept; Si alibi nocturnas, hic & nocturnas, & diuturnas excubias collocemus, imò quaterniones; we must watch and ward over our hearts, yea we have need to place quaternions about our hearts: it is not an easie force that will bear us up against the violence of the natural bent of our hearts: nothing but a violent opposition will stop the violent bent of our hearts.
2. As our hearts are violently bent to evil, so they are violently set to oppose holiness, and our own happiness: it is enmity it self, saith S. Paul, against the Law of God: consider but the backwardness of our hearts to any one single duty: our own experience informs us how dead, how slothful, how unwilling, how backward our hearts are to any good: that we have all need to force our hearts, and to be earnest with an holy violence to duty: we must draw our hearts with the cords of holy violence unto prayer, unto meditation, to any thing that good is: and even bind our hearts with the same cords in the very performance of duty: what is the cause that men neglect duty, and negligently perform duty, it is because men do n…t off…r an holy violence to their indisposed and backward hearts: he that will obey God, must set himself against himself, must lay violence on his own heart.
2. Because every one hath many violent lusts within, and every man hath need to be violent against them: so many lusts w…thin, so many violent e…emies: Oh the violence that our souls do daily suffer! how violently do lusts snatch our souls from God and Heaven! they take us off by force; how impetuous are our lusts in their solicitations and enticements! they are so violent that they give us no rest night nor day, but continually trouble us; that as the Prophet Habakkuk in another case, …o the godly in regard of the impetuousness of their lusts do cry unto God of their violence: It is not reasoning the matter with them, nor disputing, nor intreating, nor perswading them to be quiet; but if ever we will have Heaven, we must offer strong violence and resistance to them, oppose them with might and main; we must pluck them out and cut them off, be they as dear and useful to us as our right hands and eyes are; we must lay violent hands on them, kill and crucifie them; it is not a violent suppressing of them, but a violent mortification of them, that furthereth our salvation: men are slaves to lusts, and are taken and led captive by them, because they are not v olent against them.
3. Because the devil is exceedingly violent against us: he useth all violence to take our souls by force: how violent are his temptations! they run down upon us and against us like a mighty stream; how violent are his suggestions! he is violent that he may hinder us from taking the Kingdom of Heaven; by how much the more you are violent for the getting of Heaven, the more outragiously violent he is against you; he is alwayes withstanding you, and all to deprive you of the Kingdom of Heaven, and to take your souls by force. Oh what necessity is laid upon every one to be violent for the salvation of his own soul, having such violent enemies as devils are. This is the reason why men run so violently down the ways of sin into destruction, because they have no violence to oppose the violent temptations of the Devil; he drives them violently, therefore they run violently: you know the story of the Devils entring into the Gadarens swine, Matth. 8.32. it is said, When once the Devils entred into them, they ran violently down a s…p place into the Sea, and perished in the w…ters: even thus do wicked men for want o… holy violence, run violently down the …t…ep places of wickedness into the Sea of …e and brimstone, and eternally perish in th…se fiery lakes.
4 Because we have a world of violent e…emies, violently opposing us in heavens way: all the good things of the world m…ke violent assaults tempting and alluring u… to take us off; how many are taken w…th these things and let go Heaven! D…mas and Judas were …orn away with the violence of the things of this world. All the evil things of the world do violently …ppose us to keep us from Heaven: what are all tribulations, afflictions and persecutions for righteousness sake, but strong vi…lence to keep us off from holiness, and t… from heaven? how many poor souls …re by the f…rce of them drawn and driven from the pursuit of heaven, chusing rather to have their ease and comfort here… than to take Heaven by violence hereafter? All the wicked men in the world are violent against the righteous: he that will enter into heaven, must press through multitudes of taunts, mockings, and revilings: yea, he that will take Heaven, must go against the multitude of men; for the most in the world a…e going and walking in the way leading to destruction; that he that will enter into Heaven, must press through a throng and crowd of people, must go against the stream of the multitude: judge then how necessary violence is for them that intend for He…ven.
5. We must be violent because of our own affections: we must cross, and go against the stream of our aff…ctions: he that is for Heaven, must not love what he will, nor desire what he would desire, nor delight in what he would delight in; the current of our affections must run contrary to their natural course; this Jordan must be turned backward; we must hate what we formerly loved, and love what we formerly hated; mourn for the want of that which formerly we delighted in the absence of it: how can we do this without violence, because our affections are naturally a verse from heavenly things! Our Saviour saith, it is a very hard thing for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God, and it is easier for a Camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God; the reason is, because it is very hard for them to turn their affections off from riches to Christ and Heaven: it is as the drawing of a Camel through a Needles eye; now to eff…ct this, what force and violence must be used!
6. Because all the works of Godliness and salvation are very hard, therefore holy violence must he used: we read, 1 Pet. 4.18. that the righteous shall scarcely be saved: they shall be saved, but with much difficulty, and the difficulty ariseth not only from our own hearts, lusts, devils, and the world, but also from the difficulty of the works of Godliness; it is an hard matter to pray as we ought, to hear as we ought; it is hard to believe, it is hard to forsake sin, it is hard to obey God universally: there is not one duty in Godliness, but the common experience of all the Saints saith, it is hard to do: where difficulty is, there must be violence used to overcome the difficulty; formality and laziness will never carry a man through to heaven; and there is a reason why some men leave off building, having begun, because they find it a difficult work to finish the work of Salvation: there is more required in this work than they did consider of before they took the profession of religion in hand: he spoke like an experienced Christian who said, Christianus est perpetuae naturae violentae, a Christian is one that offereth perpetual violence to himself.
7. Because of the continual presence and opposition of evil in the whole course of Godliness: in the first act of conversion there is great violence in breaking off from sin, and turning to Christ; but sin is not perfectly subdued, nor is grace perfected in that moment: but sin remains still in us, and the measure of grace is but weak and imperfect: there is and will be a perpetual conflict between sin and grace, that godly men have great need to keep up a daily exercise of their holy violence, to beat down sin, and to keep up grace in its strength and vigour: when I would do good, evil is alwayes present: these twins are allwayes strugling in the heart; that of necessity we must exercise holy violence: for as our violence abateth, so sin grows stronger and stronger, and grace becomes weaker and weaker: As while the hands of Moses were lifted up to Heaven, Israel prevailed; when they were let down, Amalek prevailed over Israel: so it is in the whole course of our lives; while Christians (Jehu like) march on with an holy fury, and pray fervently against their lusts, grace prevails; otherwise sin gets the upper hand.
8. Because there is no getting Heaven without violence, no entring into it without striving and pressing into it: Cities and Castles are not won by setting down and standing before them, and looking on them, but by storming, and venturing hard for them: so neither is Heaven taken by wishing and woulding, but by our strongest endeavours, and holy earnestness to win it. Nothing below Heaven is gotten by wishing and woulding: it is not he that wisheth that he may be rich, but he that will be rich, and laboureth hard to be rich: the sluggard in the Proverbs did desire food, but had none, because he folded his hands in his bosome, and would not take pains: Heaven will not drop into any mans mouth: Heaven is compared to an high hill, Psal. 15. there is no ascending up but by holy violence; faciles descensus Averni: it is easie to go down to Hell.
CHAP. VI. Sheweth whence this holy Violence ariseth.
NOW would you know whence this holy violence ariseth, I shall shew you.
1. It proceeds from the spirit of God: holy violence is not from nature; we can no more move our selves without the spirit, than a dead man can move without the soul within: till God draweth, we cannot run: till God enable us, we cannot think a good and an earnest thought of Heaven: a Christian can do all things through Christ strengthening him, Phil. 4.13. the word foreign signifieth Christ making me able and potent; for holy violence is the spiritual fiery temper of the soul, which none can kindle in us but the spirit, which is compared to fire; it is he that makes us fervent in spirit: God is purus actus, a pure act: where the spirit of God is, there is activity, strength and vigour.
2. It cometh from the deep and serious apprehensions of their own dangerous state and condition; they feel their sins a burden too heavy for them to bear; therefore they must have Christ upon any terms, to free them from that intolerable burden; they fear hell and damnation, and are affrighted with the dreadful thoughts of burning in Hell: therefore do they strive to enter into Heaven, press into it, and take it by force; they will be earnest for Heaven, that are terrified with the fears of hell; none but the man-slayer runs to the City of refuge; none but the condemned person is violent in pursuit of a pardon: none but he that is sick unto death is violent for recovery from death and sickness: and none but the burdened sinner is violent for pardon and life eternal: men are careless of the salvation of their souls, because they are fearless of the damnation of them: the whole see no need of the Physitian.
3. It proceedeth from strong convictions and perswasions of an absolute necessity of an interest in Christ, that they must be damned, if they have not Christ: then they are impatient, restlestless, violent for an interest in Christs satisfaction and righteousness. The Prince of Orange made his Army to be valiant and violent in fighting, when he told them, that either they must eat up the Army of Spaniards before them, or they must drink up the Sea which was behind them; either they must all die or conquer: so when a mans conscience shall tell him, either you must have Christ, or else you must drink up the brook of Gods wrath; then are they eager and violent for Christ, I must have Christ, or else I am undone eternally; none but Christ, none but Christ can save me: when men see that there is an absolute necessity of a thing, they will have that thing, if it be to be had for love, money, or labour: an absolute need of Christ puts men upon taking Christ upon any terms.
4. From their sight of Heaven by faith: they see by faith the incomparable riches of Christ, and the unutterable things which Paul saw in Paradise; they see the things which are not seen, and are eternal: that the winning of Heaven will make them a sufficient and eternal amends for all their pains-taking to get it. Let a General tell his Souldiers, that there are inestimable treasures in the besieged Castle, and say to them, Win it, and all shall be yours; how violently will they storm the Castle, but they will have the treasure in it! so God having promised in his word to all that shall strive to enter into Heaven, and shall press into it, to all that shall give diligence to work out their salvation, to all that shall hunger and thirst after him, that they shall have Heaven and all the glory, joy and happiness in it; all the goodness laid up therein shall be theirs; these promises make believers to aspire to be diligent, to be violent for He…ven. What saith faith and hope! I… I can win heaven, I shall have all that is in Heaven: what is ease, life, liberty, to Heaven! farewell all that I may obtain the Kingdom of Heaven. I will have Heaven though I die in and for the pursuit of it: Heaven will make amends for all that I can do or suffer for the gaining thereof.
CHAP. VII. The reasons why the Violent shall take Christ and Heaven.
THE Reasons why Christ and Heaven shall be taken by the Violent;
Reas. 1 Because they are the men that put a just and true value on Christ and Heaven; they esteem them above a thousand worlds, that they are worthy of all doing and suffering for the obtaining of them. All men say that Christ and Heaven is worth the having, but they do but say so, and not judge so; if they indeed value Christ and Heaven, they would be more eager and earnest after them, then they are; they would like hungry men break through stone-walls, break through all difficulties, but they would draw waters out of the fountain of salvation: he that valueth Christ and Heaven more than others do, will do more for Christ and Heaven than others; Christ will have men know and judge, that he is worth the having, and that Heaven is exceeding worthy of all our labour and diligence: such as thus value Christ and Heaven, and accordingly labour to obtain them, their violence shall not be in vain: Heaven shall be the reward of holy violence.
Reas. 2 Because they are the men who come up to Gods terms, upon which he offers Christ and Heaven; the promises of Christ and Heaven are made to them that hunger and thirst, that are heavy laden, that mourn, that give diligence, that strive, that press into Heaven, that suffer for righteousness; he that cometh up to these terms, shall have Christ and Heaven: God will make good his word of promise. It is observable, what connexion is in Luk. 16.16, 17. Since that time the Kingdom of God is Preached, every man presseth into it: and it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away, then one title of the Law to fail: press thou therefore into Heaven; sooner Heaven shall be no Heaven, than the promise shall fail such as p…ess into it.
Reas. 3 Because they adventure all for the gaining of heaven, therefore they shall have it: they labour for heaven, therefore they shall obtain, they suffer all for Heaven, it shall be their reward: they will be Godly, their hearts are set upon Christ and Heaven, they make them their only design, their unum necessarium, their one thing necessary: they will have Christ, and will have no nay, they will not be put off: therefore Christ will bestow himself, and what he hath upon such importunate wooers: they love Christs above all things, therefore they are worthy of him, Matth. 10.37. they are not worthy by any merit: for so even Angels are not worthy of Heaven: but they are worthy, that is, they are fit for Christ and Heaven.
Here is great difference between worldly things and Heaven: Men may labour and expect them, but their expectations may fail them; but in Heavenly things not so; mans labour, hopes and expectations shall never make him ashamed; he shall have the glory he expecteth and laboureth for.
CHAP. VIII.
Use 1 THis may inform us, that Godliness which shall bring men to Heaven, is not a course of formality and ease; it is not a lazy, idle, and fruitless profession; it consisteth not in formal performances, or (to use the words and thoughts of too many) it consisteth not in a moderate profession, which is nothing else but an outward and negligent course in duty: no! that Godliness that must bring us to Heaven is an earnest, eager, violent profession, a violent performing of duties; it is striving and wrestling with God, as Jacob did: it is contending and striving against sin; it is an earnest striving to be more and more godly; it is hearing earnestly, praying fervently and believingly, and a doing what we do for God with all our strength and with all our might; it is a stout resisting of sin, as well as a praying against sin: it is not only a praying for holiness, but a striving and following after holiness more and more.
Oh thou who art a lazy and formal Christ an, this is sad Doctrine for thee; thy form…lity w…ll not bring thee to Heaven: thou shalt never win Christ with a few formal performances; we say, Soft and fair will go far; it is not true in our journey to He…ven. God in the Levitical Law ordained, that the neck of the consecrated Ass should be broken; the reason of the command is taken from the nature of the beast: it is a dull and slow creature: the signification of that command is to shew how God abhorreth slothful, sluggish and l…zy servants, and that God will break the neck of the soul of the dull and lazy Christian.
CHAP. IX. An Exhortation to be violent for the Kingdom of Heaven.
SECT. 1.
Use 2 LET us all be Exhorted to be violent after an holy manner, puting away all sloth and sluggishness, all formality, and carnal moderation in the things of Heaven: let us say to our own hearts, This laziness and negligence in religious works will never bring us to Heaven: I will give you some Motives which my Text hath; ponder the words seriously, and then neglect to exercise holy violence if you dare.
1. It is for a Kingdom. What man is there that will not use a just and lawful violence for a Kingdom, if it be to be gained by violence? but Kingdoms are not for every mans taking.
2. It is for the Kingdom of Heaven, in comparison whereof all Kingdoms in the world are but dung-hills and mole-hills: as far as heaven is above the earth, so far is this kingdom above all earthly kingdoms: Souldiers will be violent for a little booty; shall not we who believe that the kingdom of Heaven is prepared for the violent, be violent to take it?
3. It is the greatest Kingdom, it is the richest Kingdom, it is an everlasting Kingdom; all Kingdoms of the earth shall be burnt up with fire at the last day, but this Kingdom shall endure for ever and ever: To these let me add,
4 Either you must take heaven by force, or hell will take you by force: all men shall either be Kings with God, or damned slaves with Devils in hell: shall not we be violent to escape hell? where is the man that will not use his force and might to escape death and damnation?
5. Shall we not be violent for the Salvation of our lives, of our souls, and be violent for life eternal? men will give skin for skin to preserve life: shall not we be much more violent for life eternal?
6. Consider how violent Christ was to win thy soul; it made him sweat drops of blood; shall not we then be violent for our own souls?
7. Do you believe that there is a Kingdom of heaven or no? if you think there is not such a Kingdom, then never be violent to gain it, it is labour in vain; but if you believe there is such a Kingdom, then shew your faith by your works, by your violence in getting it. That man is a silly traveller that dares not ride apace through a Town for fear of the Dogs barking at him; that is a cowardly Souldier that dares not shew his valour for his King and Countrey, for fear of mens hatred and envy: he is not worthy to take Heaven that dares not be eager and earnest in seeking it for fear of the worlds hatred and malice.
SECT. 2.
Quest. HOW may a man stir up this violence in himself?
I told you but now,Sol. This is the gracious work of the spirit of God, it is he that worketh his holy eagerness of spirit in us; beg of God that he would make us active for Heaven.
2. Set faith on work which will clearly represent to the mind the invisible glory, joy, pleasures, riches, happiness of the Kingdom of Heaven: faith is an ambitious grace of Heaven, and aspires after it; we believe not, therefore we are not earnest; we see not heaven by faith: it is a sure hope and certain expectation of Heaven, that puts life and vigour into our dull souls: Souldiers are prodigal of their blood for gain: Merchants and Mariners endure many a storm for gain, so will believers for heaven.
3. Set your affections on the Kingdom of heaven: if your aff…ctions be fixt on it, you wi…l be eager to take it: he that sets his affections on earth, will be careless of heaven: Moles can no more live in the clouds, then Stars be fixed in the earth.
4. Labour to convince thy heart of thine own guilt, and of Gods wrath, that thou art every moment in danger of being swallowed up of hell: thou knowest not how soon dea…h and hell may take thee away by violence: had every one of us these perswasions and convictions, how would we strive and press into Heaven! we should see with our eyes how the Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence: most of us fear not hell, therefore we are lazy and careless in seeking heaven.
Finally, This speaks terrour to two sorts of men:
1. To such as cannot endure to see men more violent for heaven than themselves; that speak all evil of such, and do what they can to take men off from heavenly eagerness, like the Pharisees, who will not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven themselves, nor suffer others that are entring in, to enter; if you will not be violent for the kingdom of heaven, let them be that will be: let others go to heaven, and you may go to hell? as we must live by Scripture, so God w…ll judge us by Scripture. What answer can you give to God, who oppose and revile such as are eager and earnest for heaven, when Christ shall call to thy remembrance these words: The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force? if formal lazy Christians shall he cast into hell, what will the end of such be, who are enemies to thy violence for heaven?
2. Woe to such who are violent for hell: that burning prison of the damned suffereth violence, and there are many that take it by force: are there not too many among us who will be wicked, who will do what they please? that as violent Christians break through all impediments in their way to heaven, so there are violent wicked men who break through all impediments which God lays in their way to hell, who break through all Gods commands, counsels, reproofs, threatnings, judgements, break through all checks and warnings of their own conscience: neither the word of God, nor conscience, nor the convictions of the spirit of God, nor friends, nor Ministry, shall hinder them, but they will follow and fulfill their lusts. It is but a damning say they, let us eat, and drink, and swear, and roar, and swagger, for to morrow we shall die, and Ministers tell us we shall be damned. Oh swine; and not men that will thus violently run through all impediments into the Sea of Gods burning and eternal wrath!
FINIS.
End of the text · Thomas Byrdall, The Profit of Godliness (1666)