abfcondere, quam abfcindere vitia: To hide, rather than to kill their lufts.

5. Fifthly, There is an oppofition to fin in the ftrength of God, and an oppofition to fin in our own ftrength; the former is proper to real Chriftians, the latter is found frequently with unfanctified perfons; when a Christian goes forth against any fin, it is in the strength of God: fo you read their rule directs them, Eph. vi. 10. "Be ftrong in the "Lord, and in the power of his might take unto you the whole "armour of God:" And fuitably, you fhall find them frequently upon their knees begging ftrength from heaven against their lufts; 2 Cor. xii. 8. "For this caufe I befought the Lord thrice," faith Paul, i. e. often and earnestly, that the temptation might depart

from him.

But others go forth against fin only in the strength of their own refolutions; fo did Pendleton in our ftory; thefe refolutions, or vows, which they have put themselves under, are as frequently frustrated as made.

6. Sixthly, There is a fuccessful oppofition to fin, and an oppofition that comes to nothing: The former is that of true Chriftians, the latter is found among unregenerate men.

The work of mortification in the faints is progreffive and increafing: Hence Rom. vi. 6. « Our old man is crucified with him, that "the body of fin might be destroyed." Sin dies in believers much as crucified perfons ufe to die, viz. a flow, lingering, gradual, but fure death; its vigour and life expires by degrees, or as a confumptive perfon dies; for to that also he alludes here: There is a disease, which is called confumptio totius, a confumption of the whole; and those that die of that disease, languifh more and more, till at laft they drop fenfim fine fenfu, by imperceptible degrees and steps into the grave.

But in the unregenerate, whatever conflicts they have with fin, no corruption falls before it: It may be faid of them, as the church in another cafe complains of herself, Ifa. xxvi. 18. "We have been "in pain, we have, as it were, brought forth wind. We have not "wrought any deliverance in the earth, neither have the inhabitants "of the world fallen." So it fares with these profeffors; they pray, they hear, they vow, they refolve, but when all is done, their lufts are as ftrong and vigorous as ever: No degree of mortification appears. after all.

And thus much of the trial of our fincerity by our carriage towards fin,

K

*

CHAP. VII.

Shewing what proof or trial is made of the foundness, or unfoundness of our graces by the duties of religion which we perform.·

SECT. I.

WE E now come (according to the method propofed) to make

trial of the truth or falfenefs of grace, by the duties we daily perform in religion. And certainly they alfo have the ufe and efficacy of fire for the difcovery, 1 John ii. 4, 5. " He that faith I "know him, and keepeth not his commandments [is a liar] and the "truth is not in him: But whofo keepeth his word, in him verily is "the love of God perfected: And hereby know we that we are in " him."

This is a practical lie, of which the apoftle fpeaks here; by which men deceive others for a while, and themselves for ever; a lie not fpoken, but done, when a man's courfe of life contradicts his profeffion. The life of an hypocrite is but one longer or continued lie; he faith or profeffeth he knows God, but takes no care at all to obey him in the duties he commands; he either neglects them, or if he performs them, it is not as God requires: "If they draw nigh to him

with their lips, yet their heart is far from him," Ifa. xxix. 13. "Thou art near in their mouth, but far from their reins," Jer. xii. 2.

There are fome that feel the influence and power of their communion with the Lord in duties, going down into their very reins: And there are others whofe lips and tongues only are touched with religion.

This is an age of light and much profeffion: Men cannot now keep up a reputation in the fober and profeffing world, whilft they let down, and totally neglect the duties of religion: but furely, if men would be but juft to themfelves, their very performances of duty would tell them what their hearts are.

F

SECT. II.

OR there are, among others, thefe following particulars, that do very clearly difference the found from the unfound profeffor, 1. First, The defigns and true levels and aims of men's hearts in duty will tell them what they are.

An hypocrite aims low; Hof. vii. 14. "They have not cried "unto me with their heart when they howled upon their beds; they "affemble themfelves for corn and wine, and they rebel against me." It is not Chrift and pardon, for mortification and holinefs, but for corn and wine; thus they make a market of religion; all their ends in duty are either carnal, natural, or legal; either to accommodate their carnal ends, or fatisfy and quiet their confciences; and fo their duties are performed as a fin-offering to God..

But an upright heart hath very high and pure aims in duty; "The "defire of their foul is to God," Ifa. xxvi. 8. "Their foul follows "hard after God," Pfal. lxiii. 8. "One thing have I defired of the "Lord, that I will feek after, that I may dwell in the house of the "Lord all the days of my life, to see the beauty of the Lord, and to "enquire in his temple," Pfal. xxvii. 4. These are the true eagles that play at the fun, and will not ftoop to low and earthly objects. Alas! if the enjoyment of God be miffed in a duty, it is not the greatest enlargement of gifts will fatisfy; he comes back like a man that hath taken a long journey to meet his friend upon important business, and loft his labour; his friend was not there.

2. Secondly, The engagements of men's hearts to God in duties will tell them what they are; the hypocrite takes little heed to his heart, Ifa. xxix. 13. They are not afflicted really for the hardness, deadness, unbelief and wanderings of their hearts in duty, as upright ones are; nor do they engage their hearts, and labour to get them up with God in duty, as his people do "I have intreated thy fa

vour with my whole heart," faith David, Pfal. cxix. 58. They are not pleafed in duty until they feel their hearts ftand towards God like a bow in its fuli bent. Ifay, it is not always fo with them; what would they give that it might be fo? But, furely, if their fouls in duty be empty of God, they are filled with trouble and forrow.

3. Thirdly, The confcience that men make of fecret, as well as public duties, will tell them what their hearts and graces are; whether true or falfe. A vain profeffor is curious in the former, and either negligent, or, at beft, formal in the latter; for he finds no inducements of honour, applaufe, or oftentation of gifts, externally moving him to them; nor hath he any experience of the sweetness and benefit of fuch duties internally to allure and engage his foul to them.

The hypocrite therefore is not for the clofet, but the fynagogue, Matth. vi. 5, 6. Not but that education, example, or the impulfe of confcience, may fometimes drive him thither; but it is not his daily delight to be there; his meat and drink to retire from the clamour of the world to enjoy God in fecret. It is the observation of their duties is the great inducement to thefe men to perform them; and, verily, faith our Lord, ver. 2. "they have their reward," TX, they have it away, or they have carried off all the benefit and advantage that ever they fhall have by religion. Much good may it do them with their applause and honour, let them make much of that airy reward, for it is all that ever they shall have.

But now for a foul truly gracious, he cannot long fubfift without fecret prayer. It is true, there is not always an equal freedom and delight, a like enlargement and comfort in thofe retirements; but yet he cannot be without them; he finds the want of his fecret, in his public duties: If he and his God have not met in fecret, and had

fome communion in the morning, he fenfibly finds it in the deadness and unprofitableness of his heart and life all the day after.

4. Fourthly, The fpirituality of our duties tries the fincerity of our graces: An unregenerate heart is carnal, whilft engaged in duties that are fpiritual. Some men deceive themselves in thinking they are fpiritual men, because their employments and calling is about fpiritual things, Hofea ix. 7. This indeed gives them the denomination, but not the frame of fpiritual men; and others judge themfelves fpiritual perfons, because they frequently perform and attend upon fpiritual duties: But, alas, the heart and ftate may be carnal notwithstanding all this. O, my friends, it is not enough that the object of your duties be fpiritual, that they refpect an holy God; nor that the matter be fpiritual, that you be converfant about holy things; but the frame of your heart must be fpiritual; an heavenly temper of foul is neceffary, and what are the most heavenly duties without it?

The end and defign you aim at must be spiritual, the enjoyment of God, and a growing conformity to him in holiness; elfe multiply duties as the fand on the fea-fhore, and they all will not amount to one evidence of your fincerity. "God is my witnefs whom I ferve "with my fpirit," faith the apoftle, Rom. i. 9. He feems to appeal to God in this matter. I ferve God in my fpirit, and God knows that I do fo; I dare appeal to him that it is fo; he knows that my heart is with him, or would be with him in my duties: The arms of my faith do either fenfibly grafp, or are stretched out towards him in my duties. O how little favour do gracious hearts find in the moft excellent duties, if God and their fouls do not fenfibly meet in them!

Certainly, reader, there is a time when God comes nigh to men in duty, when he deals familiarly with men, and fenfibly filis their fouls with unufual powers and delights. The near approaches of God to their fouls are felt by them, (for fouls have their fenfes as well as bodies) and now are their minds abstracted and marvelloufly refined from all that is material and earthly, and swallowed up in fpiritual excellencies and glories.

These are the real prelibations, or foretaftes of glory, which no man can by words, make another to understand, as he himself doth that feels them.

Thefe feasons, I confefs, do but rarely occur to the best of Chriftains, nor continue long when they do: Alas! this wine is too ftrong for fuch weak bottles as we are. Hold, Lord, (an holy man

faid once,) it is enough, thy poor creature is a clay veffel, and can hold no more: This is that joy unfpeakable, and full of glory, which is mentioned, 1 Pet. i. 7, 8. Something that words cannot

It is a fweet hour, and it is but an hour, (a thing of fhort continuance:) The relifh of it is exceeding fweet, but it is not often that Chriftians taste it. Bernard.

defcribe. These feasons are the golden fpots of our lives, when we are admitted to thefe near and ineffable views and tastes of God: Poffibly fome poor Chriftians can fay but little to these things; their forrows are exercised in duties more than their joys; they are endeavouring to mount, but the ftone hangs at the heel; they effay, but cannot rife to that height that others do, who are got up by their labouring faith into the upper region, and there difplay their wings, and fing in the fun-beams: But though they cannot reach this height, yet have they no fatisfaction in duties wherein there is no intercourse betwixt God and their fouls.

That which contents another, will not content a chriftian. If the king be abfent, men will bow to the empty chair; but if God be abfent, an empty duty gives no fatisfaction to a gracious fpirit. The pooreft Chriftian is found panting after God by fincere defires, and labouring to get up that dead and vain heart to God in duty, (though, alas! it is many times but the rolling of the returning ftone against the hill) yet he never expects advantage by that duty wherein the Spirit of God is not; nor doth he expect the Spirit of God fhould be where his own spirit is not.

5. Fifthly, Affiduity and conftancy in the duties of religion make a notable discovery of the foundnefs or rottennefs of men's hearts. The hypocrite may fhew fome zeal and forwardnefs in duties for a time, but he will jade and give out at length; Job xxvii. 10. "Will "he delight himself in the Almighty? Will he always call upon "God?" No, he will not. If his motions in religion were natural, they would be conftant; but they are artificial, and he is moved by external inducements, and fo muft needs be off and on; he prays himself weary of praying, and hears himfelf weary of hearing: His heart is not delighted in his duties, and therefore his duties must needs grow ftale and dry to him after a while. There be three feafons in which the zeal of an hypocrite may be inflamed in duties.

First, When fome imminent danger threatens him; fome fmart rod of God is fhaken over him; "When he flew them, then they "fought him, and returned and enquired early after God," Pfalm lxxviii. 34. O the goodly words they give, the fair promifes they make and yet all the while they do but flatter him with "their lips, and lie unto him with their tongues," ver. 36, 37. for let but that danger pafs over, and the heavens clear up again, and he will reftrain prayer, and return to his old course again.

Secondly, When the times countenance and favour religion, and the wind is in his back, O what zeal will he have for God! So in the ftony ground, Matth. xiii. 5. the feed fprung up and flourished until the fun of perfecution arofe, and then it faded away, for it had no depth of earth, no deep folid inward work or principle of grace to

maintain it.

Thirdly, When felf ends and defigns are accommodated and promoted by these things. This was the cafe of Jehu, 2 Kings x. 16.

ساقی