"Come, fee my zeal;" for what? For a base self-intereft, not for God. How fervently will fome men pray, preach, and profefs, whilst they fenfibly feel the incomes and profits of thefe duties to their flesh; whilft they are admired and applauded!

These external incentives will put an hypocrite into an hot fit of zeal; but then, as it is with a man, whofe colours are raised by the heat of the fire, and not by the healthfulness of a good conftitution, it foon fades and falls again.

But, bleffed be God, it is not fo with all: The man whofe heart is upright with his God, will "keep judgment, and do righteousness "at all times," Pfal. cvi. 3. Whether dangers threaten or no; whether the times favour religion or no; whether his earthly intereft be promoted by it or no, he will be holy ftill, he will not part with his duties when they are ftript naked of thofe external advantages; as the addition of thefe things to religion did not at firft engage him, fo the fubtraction of them cannot difengage him.

If his duty become his reproach, yet Mofes will not forfake it, Heb. xi. 26. If he lose his company, and be left alone, yet Paul will not flinch from his duty, 2 Tim. iv. 16. If hazard furround duty on every fide, yet Daniel will not quit it, Dan. vi. 10. for they confidered these things at firft, and counted the coft; they ftill find religion is rich enough to pay the cost of all that they can lofe, or fuffer for its fake; yea, and that with an hundred-fold reward now in this life. They never had any other defign in engaging in religious duties, but to help them to heaven; and if they recover heaven at laft, whether the way to it prove better or worse, they have their design and ends; and therefore they will be ftedfaft, "always abounding in the work "of the Lord, as knowing their labour is not in vain in the Lord," 1 Cor. xv. ult.

6. Sixthly, The humility and felf-denial of our hearts in duties, will try what they are for their integrity and fincerity towards God. Doth a man boaft in his own excellencies in prayer, as the Pharifee did, Luke xviii. 10, 11. "God, I thank thee, I am not as other men:" Which he fpeaks not in an humble acknowledgment of the grace of God which differences man from man, but in a proud oftentation of his own excellencies. Doth a man make his duties his faviours, and truft to them in a vain confidence of their worth and dignity? Luke xviii. 9. Surely, "his heart, which is thus lifted up within him, is "not upright, Hab. ii. 4. But if the heart be upright indeed, it will exprefs its humility, as in all other things, fo especially in its du ties wherein it approaches the great and holy God.

Firft, It will manifeft its humility in thofe awful and reverential apprehenfions it hath of God, as Abraham did, Gen. xviii. 27. "And now, I that am but dust and ashes, (faith he) have taken up"on me to fpeak unto God." The humility of Abraham's spirit is, in fome measure, to be found in all Abraham's children.

Secondly, In thofe low and vile thoughts they have of themselves

and their religious performances: Thus that poor penitent, Luke vii. 38. ftood behind Chrift weeping: "Yet the dogs eat the crumbs" faith another, Mark vii. 28. «I am more brutish than any man,” faith a third, Prov. xxx. 7. "I abhor myself in duft and ashes," faith a fourth, Job xlii. 6. and as little efteem they have for their performances, Ifa. Ixiv. 6. "All our righteoufneffes are as filthy rags." I deny not but there is pride and vanity in the most upright ones; but what place foever it finds in their converfes with men, it finds little room in their converses with God, or if it doth, they loath it, and themselves for it.

Thirdly, But efpecially their humility in duty is difcovered in renouncing all their duties in point of dependence, and relying entirely upon Chrift for righteousness and acceptance: They have special regard to duties in point of obedience, but none at all in point of re- 11 liance.

7. Seventhly, The communion and intercourfe which is betwixt God and men in duties, notably discovers what their persons and graces are. And it must needs do fo, because what communion foever the hypocrite hath with duties, or with faints in duties, to be fure he hath none with God.

None can come nigh to God in duty, but thofe that are made nigh by reconciliation: All fpecial communion with Chrift is founded in ce real union with Chrift; but "the wicked are eftranged from the i "womb," Pfalm lviii. 3.

But now there is real communion betwixt God and his people in duties. Truly our fellowship, xo, our communion is with the Father and Son, 1 John i. 3. God pours forth of his Spirit upon them, and they pour forth their hearts to God. It is fenfibly manifefted to them when the Lord comes nigh to their fouls in duty, and as fenfible they are of his retreats and withdrawments from their fouls, Cant. iii. 1, 4. They find their hearts, like the heliotrope, open and fhut according to the acceffes and receffes of the divine prefence. They that never felt any thing of this nature, may call it a fancy, but the Lord's people are abundantly fatisfied of the reality thereof.

Their very countenance is altered by it, 1 Sam. i. 18. the fad and cloudy countenance of Hannah cleared up, there was fair weather in her face, as foon as the knew the had audience and acceptance with her God. I know all communion with God doth not confift in joys and comforts; there is as real communion with God in the mortifying and humbling influences of his Spirit upon men, as in the cheering and refreshing influences thereof. I know alfo there is a great diverfity in the degrees and measures thereof: It is not alike in all Christians, nor with the fame Chriftian at all times. But that real Christians have true and real communion with God in their duties, is a truth as manifeft in fpiritual fenfe and experience of the faints, as their communion is one with another.

8. Eightly, Growth and improvement of grace, în duties, notably VOL. V.

4 D

differences the found and the unfound heart. All the duties in the world will never make an hypocrite more holy, humble or heavenly than he is; but will, as the watering of a dry flick, fooner rot it, than make it flourishing and fruitful What was Judas the better for all thofe heavenly Termons, prayers, and difcourfes of Chrift which he heard? And what will thy foul be the better for all the duties thou performeft weekly and daily, if thy heart be unfound? It is plain, from Job. xv. 4. there must be an implantation into Chrift, before there can be an improvement in fruitful obedience. And it is as plain, from 1 John ii. 14. that the virtues of ordinances must remain; the efficacy and power that we fometimes feel under them, muft abide and remain in the heart afterwards, or we cannot grow, and be made fruitful by them.

But the falfe profeffor is neither rooted in Chrift by union with him, nor doth, or can retain the virtue of ordinances within him; but, like one that views his face in a glafs, quickly forgets what manner of man he was; his head indeed may grow, his knowledge may increase, but he hath a dead and withered heart.

But as the faints have real communion with God in duties, fo they do make improvements answerable thereunto: There is more certainly a ripening of their graces that way; a changing or gradual transformation from glory to glory; a fpringing up to that full ftature of the man in Chrift. "They that are planted in the houfe of the Lord, fhall flourish in the courts of our God," Pfal. xcii. 13, 14. There is pure and fincere milk in the breasts of ordinances; a believer fucks the very breafts of Chrift in his duties, and doth grow thereby, Pet. ii. 2. they do grow more and more judicious, experienced, humble, mortified, and heavenly, by conversing with the Lord fo frequently in his appointments.

There is, I confefs, a more difcernible growth and ripening in fome Chriftians, than in others: The faith of fome groweth exceedingly, 2 Theff. i. 3. others more flowly, Heb. v. 12. but yet there are improvements of grace in all upright ones: habits are more deeply radicated, or fruits of obedience more increased.

...Object. If any upright foul be fumbled at this, as not being able to dif cern the increase of his graces, after all his duties.

Sol. Let fuch confider the growth of grace is difcerned as the growth of plants is, which we perceive rather creviffe, quam crefcere; to have grown, than to grow: Compare time paft and prefent, and you may fee it; but ufually our eager defires after more, make us overlook what we have as nothing.

9. Ninthly, The affiftances and influences of the Spirit in duties, fhew us what we are; no vital fanctifying influences can fall upon carnal hearts in duties: The Spirit helps not their infirmities, nor makes interceffion for them with groanings which cannot be uttered, as he doth for his own people, Rom. viii. 26, 27. They have his affiftances in the way of common gifts, but not in the way of fpecial

grace: He may enable them to preach judiciously, not experimentally; to pray orderly and neatly, not feelingly, believingly, and broken-6 3 heartedly; "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are "the fons of God," Rom. viii. 14. He never fo affifts but where he hath firft fanctified. Carnal men furnith the materials of their duties out of the ftrength of their parts; a ftrong memory, a good invention are the fountains which they draw.

But it is otherwife with fouls truly gracious; they have ordinarily a threefold affiftance from the Spirit in reference to their duties.

Firf, Before duties, exciting them to it, making them feel their need of it, like the call of an empty ftomach; Pfalm xxvii. 8. "Thou faidft, Seek my face; my heart anfwered, Thy face, Lord, " will I feek.”

Secondly, In their duties, furnishing both matter and affection, as in that text lately cited, Rom. viii. 26. guiding them not only what to afk, but how to ask.

Thirdly, After their duties, helping them not only to fupprefs the pride and vanity of their spirits, but alfo to wait on God for the accomplishment of their defires.

Now, though all these thing, wherein the fincerity of our hearts is tried in duties, be found in great variety (as to degrees) among faints, yet they are mysteries unknown by experience to other men."

CHAP. VIII.

Opening the trials of fincerity and hypocrify, by sufferings upon the account of religion. 1

SECT. I.

W by fufferings for religion.

E are now arrived at the laft trial of grace propounded, viz:

Thousands of hypocrites embark themselves in the profeffion of religion in a calms but if the wind rifeth, and the fea rageth, and they fee religion will not tranfport them fafely to the cape of their earthly hopes and expectations, they defire to be landed again as foon as may be; for they never intended to ride out a ftorm for Chrift: So you find, Matth. xiii. 20, 21. " He endureth for a while: but "when tribulation of perfecution arifeth because of the word, by "and by he is offended."

But yet it is not every trial by fufferings that feparates gold from drofs; and therefore my bufinefs will be to fhew,

1. Firf, When the fire of fufferings and perfecutions is hot and vehement enough to feparate them."

2. Secondly, Why it must needs difcover hypocrify when it is at that height:

3. Thirdly, What advantages fincere grace hath to endure that fevere and fharp trial. P

I.

SECT. II.

TOW the fire of perfecution, or fufferings for religion, may be judged intenfe, and high enough to feparate gold and

drofs; First, When religion exposes us to imminent hazard of our deepeft and dearest interests in this world: Such are our liberties, eftates, and lives; Then it is a fierce and fiery trial indeed. Sometimes it exposes the liberties of its profeffors, Rev. ii. 10. "The de« vil fhall cast some of you into prifon. Sometimes their eftates, Heb. x. 34. ye took joyfully the fpoiling of your goods;" and fometimes their lives, Heb. xi. 37. "They were ftoned, they were fawn "afunder, they were flain with the fword." Whilft it goes no higher than some small inconveniencies of life, reputation and fenfe of ho nour will hold a false heart; but when it comes to this, few will be found able to endure it, but those that expect to fave no more by religion but their fouls, and account themselves in good cafe, if they can but fave them with the lofs of all that is dear to them in this world.

Here the false heart boggles; here it ufually jades and faulters.

Secondly, The fiery trial is then high, when there remains no vifible hopes of deliverance, or outward encouragements to fenfe, that the scene will alter. When "we fee not our figns, there is no more " any prophet, nor any that can tell us how long," as the cafe with the church was, Pfal. lxxiv. 9. Then their hands hang down, and their hearts faint: Nor is it to be wondered at, when the length of troubles prove fo fore a temptation even to the upright, to put forth their hands to iniquity; as it is Pfal. cxxv. 3. If fuch a temptation hake fuch men as build on the rock, it muft quite overturn those whofe foundation is but fand.

Thirdly, When a falfe profeffor is engaged alone in fufferings, and is fingled out from the herd, as a deer, to be run down, now it is a thousand to one but he quits religion to fave himself: Good company will encourage a faint-hearted traveller to jog on a great way; but if he be forfaken by all, as Paul was, no man to ftand by him; if left alone, as Elijah was, what can encourage him to hold out?

Indeed, if they had the fame invisible supports thofe good men had, that the Lord was with them, that would keep them fteady; but wanting that encouragement from within, and all shrinking away from without, they quickly tire downright.

Fourthly, When near relations and intimates oppofe and tempt us. The prophet speaks of a time "when a man's enemies fhall be the "men of his own houfe; it may be the wife of his bofom, Micah vii. 5,6. Q what a trial is that which Chrift mentions in Luke xiv. 26. when we must hate father and mother, wife and children, or quit