The Christian’s Duty,
with respect to
Personal and Family Religion
~ Part 3 of 4 ~
by Thomas Halyburton
‘
And if it seem evil unto
you, to serve the Lord, choose ye this day whom ye will serve; whether
the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the
flood; or the gods of the Amorites in whose land ye dwell; but as for
me and my house, we will serve the Lord.’ — Joshua 24:15.
II. We come now to the second, which you may take thus, to be somewhat more clear than in the first proposal of it:
DOCTRINE II. —
‘Such as have any true and sincere regard unto the Lord, and his
service, will make their own religion, or personal religion, their
first and main care.’ ‘But as for me,’ &c. First
me, and then my house.
I
say, they will make it their first care, they will begin with it.
Before they look what others are doing, they will first observe how all
is with themselves. Again, they will make it their main care, they will
be concerned mainly and most deeply, that they themselves be well
stated with respect unto the Lord, and his service; but we do not say,
that they will make it their only concern. Nay, they will be deeply
concerned with the state of their families, and with the state of the
church; but they will begin here at home, and look how they in their
own service are stated. We say, they will make their own religion, or
personal religion, their first and main care. When we speak of their
own service, or personal religion, we call it so, to distinguish it
from family religion, and from the yet more public service of God in
our church assemblies. We shall not spend time in proving this truth;
what we offer, when we come to the reasons of the doctrine, will
sufficiently confirm it. Now, then, in discoursing this truth, we shall
shortly,
Firstly, Tell you what it is in
their own religion, or in their own serving of the Lord, that such as
have a sincere regard unto him and his service, are first and mainly
concerned about.
Secondly, We shall offer you
some reasons of the doctrine, and show you why they are first and
mainly concerned about their own religion.
We begin with the
First, And, among other things, such as are truly sincere, and have any real
concern for the Lord and his service, they will be deeply concerned,
1. About the reality of their
engagement in the Lord’s service: a question it will be that will
lie very near, and be much upon the heart of everyone who is truly in
earnest in this matter, Am I yet entered in the Lord’s service?
Have I accepted him upon his own terms, as my Lord and Master? Have I
yet felt that powerful influence of the Holy Ghost, without which none
can in sincerity say, ‘that Jesus is the Lord,’ 1 Cor. 12:3 ?
This is the foundation of all; for if we be not in very deed
his servants, in vain look we for his servants’ allowance, their
acceptance in, or their reward for their work. This, I say, is the
foundation; and therefore the wise builder will lay it surely,will dig
deep, Luke 6:48 ; that is, he will use his
best and most vigorous endeavours to remove and take out of the way the
rubbish that intervenes betwixt him and the Rock; and he will be sure
to see it, and see that his foundation be laid exactly on the Rock.
This is the first and great concern of a sincere soul, that they be not
deceiving themselves, but that they be really engaged in the
Lord’s service.
2. Sincere souls will be deeply
concerned about the soundness of their hearts in the way of the Lord.
No heart can be sound in the way of the Lord, that is not renewed; and
therefore this will be the care of everyone who has any real regard
unto the Lord, or his service, that they have a heart to fear and serve
the Lord, according as the Lord has promised unto his people, Ezek. 11:19, 20 ; and which we find the saints earnestly praying for, as being under the greatest concern to have it,
Psa. 119:80,
‘Let (says the godly Psalmist) my heart be sound in thy statutes,
that I be not ashamed.’And no wonder though they be brought under
a deep concern as to this, since the Lord, who searches the heart, hath
frequently missed and quarrelled the want of this, under the fairest
pretences, nay, and the most sincere engagements; I say, sincere, as to
anything discerned, either by the persons themselves, or onlookers, as
we find, Deut. 5:27, 29. The people, in the 27th
verse, engage fairly to serve the Lord; and we have no reason to doubt
their being so far ingenuous, that they really meant what they said.
Say they to Moses, ‘Go thou near, and hear all that the Lord our
God shall say; and speak thou unto us all that the Lord our God shall
speak unto thee, and we will hear it and do it.’ A fair
engagement! But, ah! there is a lamentable want! A sound heart is
wanting, and that will spoil all. This, I verily believe, they
understood not. Moses scarce understood; aye, but God misses it, v. 29. They have well said all that they
have spoken. ‘O that there were such a heart in them, that they
would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be
well with them, and with their children, for ever.’ Some of you
think, and some of you will not stand to say it, Whatever faults be in
our practice, yet, blessed be God, we have good hearts to God. O
hellish delusion! He that thinks his heart is good, is blindfolded by
the devil, and has a heart no better than the devil’s; for
‘the heart,’ by the testimony of God, ‘is deceitful
above all things, and desperately wicked,’ Jer. 17:9.
3. Such as have anything of a
real regard unto the Lord’s service, will be mightily concerned
about the singleness of their eye. Of how great moment this is, our
Lord tells us, Matt. 6:22,23. Our Lord, in the
preceding part of the chapter, had been directing them to whom he
preached, as to the ends they should have: he tells them, that self
should not be their end in their prayers and fastings; and their end
should not be to amass earthly treasure and riches, but that it should
be God’s glory, and the enjoyment of him, which is heavenly
treasure indeed; and here he teaches the importance of being right as
to the end: 1st. Plainly,
v.21 ; and,
2nd. By this similitude,
v. 22,
wherein he compares the main end, or the soul’s intention, unto
the eye of the body, and shows, that the direction of the whole life,
and rectitude of all the actions of life depend upon the sincerity and
rectitude of the end, as the direction of the whole body doth upon the
sincerity, and singleness, and clearness of the bodily eye. No wonder,
then, that such as are in earnest about the service of the Lord be
concerned about this, since the whole depends upon it. A squint look as
to the end will quite spoil, and render altogether useless, the most
fair and specious performances. ‘Take heed,’ says blessed
Jesus, in the first verse of this same chapter, ‘that ye do not
your alms before men, to be seen of them,’ otherwise ye have no
reward of your Father which is in heaven. Many of you multiply duties,
but, God knows, few look to their own ends and aim in duties. But take
heed; ye see a squint look to the applause of men will make all to no
purpose.
4. Sincere souls will make it
their first and great care, that, in their serving of the Lord, they
have a safe rule, as well as a single eye. Much labour may be lost to
no purpose, if this be not looked to. And hence it is we find the
saints in scripture mightily concerned about this, and looking, and
that deservedly, on the word, as a ‘light unto their feet, and a
lamp unto their paths;’ and hence are they most earnest for
instruction in the word, as the only sure and safe rule, directing us
how we should serve the Lord. How earnestly, and how frequently does
the Psalmist press this desire, in that 119th Psalm throughout, wherein
we have the mighty concern of the Psalmist, about the rule, clearly
evidenced; and no wonder, since the Lord may justly send us, both for
our sustenance in working, and our reward for when it is done, to those
who prescribed us our work; for surely to serve the Lord, is to do
whatever he commands us. We may not add unto the word which he commands
us; from this we are bound up by an express prohibition, Deut. 4:2.
5. Such as are indeed sincere,
will be, in the first place, and principally, concerned about the
diligence of their hand in the work of the Lord. What our hand finds to
do, we are to do it with our might; and he is cursed with a curse that
doth the work of the Lord slothfully. Much, therefore, it is upon the
soul to evite, and how he may evite [ avoid ] that curse,
Jer. 48:10,
‘Cursed be he that doth the work of the Lord deceitfully,’
or negligently, as the word is rendered in the margin of some of our
Bibles.
6. To add no more, they will be
much concerned about their acceptance, and their pleasing him who hath
called them to his service. If God accept, then all is well with them;
and if he reject, then nothing can compensate the loss they have by his
hiding; and therefore they lay aside all entanglements, that they may
please him who hath chosen them to be his soldiers and servants, 2 Tim. 2:4.
Thus have we performed what we promised in the first place,
and have showed you what it is in their own service of God, or in their
personal religion, that gets the first and chief room in the care and
concern of the Lord’s people; and it is the reality of their
engagement, the soundness of their heart, the singleness of their eye,
the diligence of their hand, the safety of their rule, and, finally,
their acceptance in it. Before they look to other things, they first
look to this, and this is first in their thoughts and concern. We are
now,
Secondly, To show the rise of
this concern, and to tell you why such as have any sincere regard unto
the Lord, or his service, make their own religion their first and main
concern.
Now, of this we may take the following reasons:
1. They will do it, because the
command of God has a first and principal respect unto our own religion,
personal religion. The commands are directed to particular persons:
‘Thou shalt have no other gods before me; thou shalt not make any
graven image; remember thou the Sabbath day.’ And not only so,
but their first look is to what concerns these particular persons
immediately: it first binds thee as to thine own practice, and then
calls thee to regard it with respect to others: ‘Thou shalt not
make unto thee any graven images;’ and first thou art to
‘Remember the Sabbath,’ and then to look that thy servant
and stranger do so. We must begin at home, cast out the beam out of our
own eye, before we look to the mote in our neighbour’s.
2. Such as are sincere will look
first and mainly to their own religion, because it is doubly important;
important in itself, and important, because without it we are not in a
capacity to serve the Lord, either in our families or in the public. If
the tree be not made good, none of the fruit can be good. If we be not
really the Lord’s servants, if our hearts be not sound, our eye
single, and our hand diligent in our own personal and private work,
walk, and way, it is utterly impossible we should be so in the more
public duties of religion.
3. They will be, and are, first
and principally concerned about their own religion, because a due
concern about our own religion is, if not the spring, yet one of the
principal inducements unto, and effectual means for engaging with
vigour and diligence, in the other more public duties of religion; yea,
so necessary is the connection betwixt diligence in this and in the
other, that public religion rises and falls, ebbs and flows, abates and
increases, according as our personal religion rises or falls. When
saints are in a good case, Zion will be much upon their hearts.
4. The truly sincere will make
their own religion their first and main concern, because it lies most
within their own reach. We cannot get our families, congregations, and
far less churches, as we would have them; but what we may through grace
reach, that we are obliged not to want. Though Joshua cannot get all
Israel engaged in the service of the Lord, yet himself he may; and
therefore, what his hand finds to do, what he may be able, through
grace, to go through, is what he is engaged to do, and to do it with
his might, Eccl. 9:10.
5. Sincere souls will make their
own religion their first concern, because upon their success in this,
they have the greatest venture. David, though his house be not so with
God, if he himself be right, may have peace. Ministers, who have been
faithful, may through grace have peace, though Israel be not gathered.
But there is an indispensable necessity that we ourselves be personally
religious; ‘Without holiness no man shall see the Lord,’ Heb.12:14.
6. I may add, sincere souls will
begin with, and lay out their main concern about personal religion,
because the footsteps of the flock lead this way. And we are bid, when
in search after the Lord, go our ways out by the footsteps of the
flock: now, we may see others who have gone before, and who through
faith and patience have inherited the promises, taking this way. So we
find Joshua doth, so we find David resolved to do, Psa. 101:2, where first he resolves upon
a perfect heart, and then a perfect way, and then to go to what was
more public. And this much for the doctrinal part.
We come now to make some application.
Use 1. Of Information. Is it so, that such as have any sincere regard to the
service of the Lord, begin at their own religion?
Then,
1. We may conclude it a
dangerous perverting of the order enjoined by the Lord, and followed by
his people, to begin with a concern about the public. Some there are,
and not a few there have been, who have lived either profanely, or at
best in an estrangement from the power of religion, who all of a
sudden, either from openly profane, careless Gallios, or dead and lazy
formalists, turn mighty zealots, and, Jehu-like, outrun others in a
mighty concern for the public, taxing all that is amiss severely: but
none knew how they came by it, they were never exercised about their
own souls. This is a perverse method; and Satan is here, though clothed
as an angel of light. And this is exceedingly dangerous,
1st. To the person himself;
because, (1.) It mightily strengthens him in a proud and vain conceit
of himself, while he sees not what is at home, but only sees himself
abroad, where he runs before others; and surely growth in pride is
growth in all sin. God gives grace to the humble; and if so, sure I am,
the proud advance in gracelessness, and sin gathers strength. Again,
(2.) It is dangerous to the persons, because this runs them commonly to
such heights, that they can neither go forward, nor stand the ground
they come to; and therefore they must fall, and some of them fall into
utter ruin, make shipwreck of faith and of a good conscience, and are
lost for ever.
2nd. It is dangerous to the
cause they espouse: for, (1.) They take wrong means; and the more we
tamper with improper means, still the worse, and the further we are
from our end. (2.) Their end is not right laid, their views not single;
and this, with the wrong steps they take in the way, is found really to
do religion more injury than ever their forwardness did it service.
3rd. It is dangerous to those
who embark with them in the same work: For, (1.) It sets them off from
the true way of reaching the most excellent aims. And, (2.) It lays
them open to a hazard of apostasy, and failing, when their leaders
fall. Beware, therefore, of perverting the Lord’s order.
2. We may draw this conclusion
from the doctrine, that all concern about the public, that takes us off
from a concern about our own souls, in the first and principal place,
is dangerous, and to be suspected. It is dangerous to spend all our
times, and talk, and thoughts, about others, while we are careless
about ourselves.
3. It is a dangerous and
terrible issue of exercise about our own souls, to lose it quite,
before any real out-gate be got in the Lord’s ordinary way, in a
great deal, a flood of concern about the public; and this is the issue
of some exercises at this time. Some are for a while somewhat concerned
about their own souls; but all of a sudden this wears off, we cannot
tell how, and presently there is nothing but zeal about the public. We
are obliged to speak of this upon a double account: 1st. To prevent the offence, and guard
against the evil, that the falls of such persons may do, and give to
such as are less established in the Lord’s way; and, 2nd. To guard people against a dangerous
mistake, which is really dangerous, because it is a mistake, and a
mistake in a matter of very high concernment, and most of all, because
it is such a mistake so well masked with a white veil, that it is hard
to discern it.
4. We may draw this conclusion,
that such of you as were never concerned about your own religion, and
that to some purpose, whatever ye think of yourselves, or whatever
others may think of you, ye never struck a fair stroke about the
public: if ye have done anything there, ye have begun at the wrong end,
and ye have no reason to expect acceptance at the Lord’s hand.
Use 2.
Is for trial. Is it so, that such who have any sincere regard to
religion, to God, or his honour and service, do make their own religion
their first and great concern?
Then surely we are all concerned to try whether we do make
our own religion our main concern. If we do not, then surely we are
naught; and therefore it is of the highest importance to us, to be
satisfied as to this, and to be distinct in our own thoughts about it.
Now, that we may some way help you here, we shall enter upon a search
for this concern, that we may know whether really we have been under
any concern about our own religion, yea, or not. Now, past all
peradventure, if we be indeed concerned about our religion, this will
be found in our thoughts, in our affections, in our words, and in our
actions; and therefore in all these we shall search for it.
1.
We say, if ye be concerned about your own religion, then surely this
concern will appear in your thoughts about it. And we shall therefore
put a few serious questions to you, with respect unto your own thoughts.
1st. Have ye any thoughts about
what concerns your own religion? Some of you, I fear, dare scarce say,
that ever ye think about God or his service, save only when ye are in
the church, hearing the minister speak about such things; nay, I fear,
that not a few of you do scarce even then think about your own
religion. Do not many of you allow your thoughts to rove, ye know not
where? Or if ye listen to what is said, ye apply nothing of it; or if
ye do, it is only to others. Is it not thus with many of you? Well, I
assure you, ye have no religion, nor have ye any concern about
religion; the wicked atheist’s character is yours, ‘God is
not in all his thoughts,’ Psa. 10:4. If ye think not of religion,
of your own religion, not only when attending ordinances, but also at
other times, ye have no concern about it.
2nd. Though your thoughts be
some way and sometimes employed about this, yet ye may have no such
concern as that which we inquire after; and therefore we pose you in
the next place, do your thoughts run naturally, and as it were of their
own accord, in this channel? Some people think about their souls, and
the concerns of their own salvation, but never except when they are
compelled to it; but surely this speaks them not suitably concerned
about it. What a man is concerned about, his mind runs to it, as it
were, without bidding. Ye are many of you concerned about the things of
the world; well, if ye have a bargain of any moment which ye are
concerned about, ye will not need to force your thoughts toward that;
nay, Matt. 6:21, ‘Where the treasure is
there the heart will be,’ and therefore the thoughts will run
that way; nay, they will run over the belly of all impediments. Is it
so about your religion? Do your thoughts still run thither? If it be
not so, then surely ye have no concern about your own religion. He that
never thinks about his own religion, is never poring in his thoughts
(except when driven to it) to know how matters are with him, whether he
be a servant of God or not. I fear not to say, he is none, and is not
concerned to be one.
3rd. Do your thoughts dwell upon
this? Is the reality of your own engagement in the Lord’s
service, the soundness of your heart, singleness of the eye, &c.
the subjects to which not only your minds run naturally, as it were,
and of its own accord, but also that which your thoughts fix on? As our
minds do readily run to the thoughts of that whereabout we are
concerned, so they are strongly inclined to fix there, and the mind
loves to exercise its thoughts about that, Isa. 26:3. The mind or thought is stayed
upon God. The man that trusts in the Lord, will desire to have his
thoughts thus stayed. Is it so with you? If it be not so in some
measure, then truly you have reason to think that ye have never been in
earnest concerned about your own religion.
Objection. But here may some
poor exercised soul say, Now indeed, ye have found me; for I could
never all my days get my thoughts fixed upon anything that is good:
still my mind gets away, and is carried off sometimes after one vanity,
and sometimes after another.
To such I have a few things to offer for their relief. (1.)
Is this straying of thy mind thy burden and grief? If it be, then
surely it speaks thy soul desirous of fixing here. Again, (2.) Dost
thou strive to keep thy thoughts fixed? Dost thou endeavour to fix
them, and cry to God to fix them? If so, then undoubtedly thy mind is
carried away violently by some enemy, and that is not thine own deed.
Thy soul is desirous to fix, but something forces it off; either the
power of thy domestic enemy, that enemy that is in thine own bosom, I
mean sin, or of some foreign enemy, Satan or the world, shakes you; and
this makes nothing against you. Therefore I say, (3.) Do ye, as oft as
your mind is away, bring it back again, and that with grief and sorrow
for its departing? If so, then surely ye have no reason to doubt your
concern upon this account. Having thus obviated this exception, we
proceed in our search; and,
4th. We say, Do ye think
frequently upon this subject? They who are deeply concerned about
anything, their thoughts will be frequently employed about it; so, if
thou be concerned about thine own religion, many a thought it will cost
thee. They will ever and anon look to the singleness of their own eye,
the diligence of their hand, and the soundness of their heart; if they
cannot get long dwelt, yet they will oft come to it, who are in good
earnest in the matter. The religious man ‘meditates day and night
in God’s law,’ Psa. 1:2. He is ever thinking about the
Lord’s testimonies, and how far he is framed into a suitableness
to them, or how far it is otherwise with him. Now, if it be not thus
with you, truly ye have never been brought under any concern about
religion to any purpose.
5th. Are your thoughts about
your religion distinct? Some there are, who have sometimes thought
about their souls, but they cannot tell well what they mean by them,
they are so confused: they think and think on, and after, maybe, twenty
years’ thinking, they are as far from any distinctness as before;
but still they go on. Now and then they will have some thoughts,
issuing in some work upon the affections, full as uncertain and
indistinct: Is it thus with you? But that ye may know yet more clearly
what ye mean by this question, I shall break it into a few other
questions. And,
(1.) I say, can ye tell what that is in your religion that
takes up your minds and thoughts? Many of you have, it may be, some
thoughts, but ye cannot tell about what they are employed. Is it about
singleness of your eye, about the sincerity of your heart? Or, can ye
tell whereabouts it is that ye employ your thoughts? If not, truly your
concern signifies but very little, it will not stand you in much stead.
Again,
(2.) Have ye any distinct end in your thinking about
religion? What design ye by thinking about it? Is it only to think,
without thinking to any purpose? Some people both think and speak about
religion, but I fear they are not aiming really at any distinct end;
see Psa. 27:4 ; and the concern of such is
but little worth. Ye think about your religion; well, what do ye expect
or propose to have by your thinking about it? Would ye know your case,
or what way to come out of it? What is the remedy of it? Or how to
apply it? Aim ye at such ends? If not, then truly all your thoughts are
to little purpose. Once more,
(3.) Get ye any distinct issue of your thoughts? Are ye like
the door upon the hinges? Ye think, and ye never can tell what ye have
got, or what ye have done, by all your thoughts. If this be all, then
truly I cannot well tell what to think of your thoughts; I think, I may
say, ye can have but little comfort of them.
6th. What sort of thoughts have
ye? People may have thoughts enough, and even about religion, and, it
may be, such as do some way respect their own religion, and yet they
are not much concerned about it, while their minds are only busied in
applauding and flattering thoughts of their own case: but now, is it
otherwise with you? Do you apply yourselves to searching and trying
thoughts? Have ye many jealousies and suspicions of yourselves? Do ye
often make diligent search into your own case? Have ye many doubts and
questionings? If your thoughts be not in some measure exercised this
way, it is a sad evidence that ye are not, nor have ever been, under
any true concern about your own religion: for such thoughts have the
saints had, who have been in earnest in the matter; of whom we have a
large account in scripture history, particularly, Psa. 139:23, 24.
2.
We shall search for this concern about our own religion, in the
affections. Wherever we are concerned, all our affections will be
employed about that, set upon it, or set against what is opposite to
it.
Now,
1st. We pose you on it: Are your
affections employed about your own religion? Do ye grieve that things
are wrong with yourselves? Do ye fear that they may be so? Do ye hate
what is prejudicial to your own religion? Do your souls cleave to
anything that may any way contribute to the bettering things with you?
Say, my friends, is it thus with you? Or is it not? I fear, I fear,
that many of you who can sorrow and lament bitterly, if any worldly
thing frame with, or fall out to you otherwise than as you would wish,
yet never all your life long knew what it was to be grieved indeed for
sin, or that matters were not right with respect unto your spiritual
ease. Ye have no fears, no joys, no griefs, no zeal, nor any affections
about these things. Surely then religion, your own religion, is not the
one thing with you, your main thing; it is not: Nay, surely you have no
concern about it: ‘Where the treasure is,’ or any part of
it, ‘there will the heart be,’ Matt. 6:21.
2nd. Are your affections
frequently employed about your own religion? Have ye frequent fears,
griefs, joys, and other affections from this spring? Man, woman, if
thou art concerned about thine own religion, to have it right, thou
wilt be oft looking to it; and every look will set thy affections to
work one way or other. If thou findest thyself wrong, the soul will
stretch its affections, like its wings, to fly out of that case; and if
otherwise, it will, if I may so say, clasp them about what it has, to
hold it fast. So David, when he thought upon his ways, and found them
wrong, ‘made haste and delayed not to turn his feet to
God’s testimonies,’ Psa. 119:59. And the spouse,
Song. 3:4,
when she found the Lord in her embraces, ‘she held him, and would
not let him go.’ He whose affections are not frequently employed
about his own soul’s case, surely he was never concerned about it
as he ought.
3rd. Whereabouts is the edge of
thy affections, the favour and zeal of them employed? If this be not
about thine own soul, thine own religion, truly thou art not concerned.
Where there is anything of true heat and warmth, ye know that which is
nearest will meet with most of it, and partake most of it. If thou hast
any affections about religion at all, then the heat of them, the
fervour of them, will be employed about thine own religion; if there be
a fire of zeal against sin, it will consume the beam in thine own eye,
before it reach to the mote in thy neighbour’s, Matt. 7:3. If it be not thus with thee, thy affections are not about thine own religion.
4th. Hast thou any rest, whilst
either thou seest ground to think thyself wrong, or art in uncertainty
about thine own religion? Canst thou live quietly and easily while not
settled as to the everlasting concerns of thy soul? If thou canst, thy
affections are not set on, nor art thou truly concerned about, those
which do belong unto thy peace. I know not what to say of some people
who have no more assurance of salvation than of damnation, and yet can
rest secure, and be quiet and very well content in that case: I can
assure such, that they were never aright concerned about their own
religion. Some doubt, and they never seek to be satisfied: Maybe I may
be saved, sayest thou; maybe thou mayest be damned, say I. What ground
hast thou to hope that thou shalt be saved? If ye will speak what is
true, ye will say, Truly I have none. But I have somewhat to say, as a
ground of my conjecture: (1.) Thou deservest damnation. (2.) Thou who
canst sit still quietly in that case, thou wast never concerned to be
saved; and I never knew one get to heaven who laid not salvation to
heart, Ezek. 36:37.
5th. Thou hast, it may be, some
affections about thine own religion; but when is it that they are
moved? And what gives rise to them? Hast thou never these affections
but when thou hearest a preaching, or when thou meet with some
awakening providence? Truly, if thou never hast any concern about
religion, save when thou hast some external cause exciting thee, then
thy concern about religion is of no great value. True concern about
religion will turn the soul’s eye inward, to commune with itself,
and take counsel in our own heart, how to get what is amiss amended;
and this will set thy affections a-work; ‘How long shall I take
counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily?’ Psa. 13:2. But, to go on,
3.
Having searched the mind and affections, we come now to inquire for
this concern in your words: and if there be anything indeed of a real
concern upon the soul about religion, herein it will appear; for,
‘out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh,’ Matt. 12:34. Now, that we may bring this matter to some issue, I shall put a few questions to you in reference
to your words or discourse.
And,
1st. I pose you on this: Do ye
ever keep up any converse, any discourse with yourselves? And if ye do,
whereabouts is it? Do ye never commune with your own hearts? If not,
then surely ye do but little regard your own interest. He that never
converses with his own heart, is not under any concern about the state
of his own soul, and will undoubtedly be found among those who, while
they are busy about many things, do yet neglect the one thing
necessary. The Lord commands it, and our souls case requires it, that
we commune with our own hearts, Psa. 4:4, and
77:6.
2nd. What discourse have ye with the Lord? Have ye any
converse, in prayer, in meditation, or ejaculation? If ye have none,
then surely never were ye under any concern about his service; and if
ye have any converse with him, if ye speak to the Lord, and this be not
the thing ye have been speaking to the Lord about, it speaks you not
under any concern: for we find saints have been ever most concerned
about this; and, in the account we have of the saint’s exercise,
we see clearly the most of their words employed about this.
3rd. What converse, what
discourse have ye, when ye meet with the Lord’s people? Is it
what may be some way subservient to this glorious end? Are your words
employed in telling what God has done for your soul, or in learning
what he has done for others? ‘Come here, all that fear God, and I
will tell what he has done for my soul,’ Psa. 66:16.
4th. What sort of discourse like
ye best to keep up? Is it about this great concern? Or is it about
anything else? Look to it, that converse that ye like best, is like to
speak what your soul is under the greatest concern for: if it be
converse about the world, ye are lovers of this world; if it be about
the faults of others, and the public, pride predominates; if it be
mainly about your own souls, it speaks somewhat of concern about them.
But now, in the
4.
Fourth and last place, we shall look to your deeds, that we may see
what it is that lieth nearest your hearts, and whether ye be under any
due concern for religion, and your own religion.
And here,
1st. I would ask you: What work
put ye your hands to? Is it the work of your salvation? We are bid
‘work out our own salvation with fear and trembling,’ Phil. 2:12. Now, is this the work ye
employ yourselves about? Or, are ye busy about other works, while this
is neglected? I fear, with most this is but little heeded: aye, but if
ye were under a true concern about your own religion, then, (1.) There
would be much time employed about that which directly tends to, and,
one way or other, has somewhat of an immediate influence upon your
salvation. And, (2.) All your works would be done in a subservience to
this end. Now, is it so with you, or not? Do ye pray hard, and wrestle
earnestly with the Lord about your soul’s state? Are ye much in
believing, much in mortifying sin, holding under the body of sin? Is
this the work ye are busied about? Some of you, we fear, never thought
about this work; and as for you, it is no hard matter to tell what your
case is, ye are yet strangers to any real concern about religion.
2nd. What work are ye most
diligent about? What is it that ye apply your might to? Do ye
‘give all diligence to make your calling and election
sure?’ 2 Pet. 1:10 ; or, are there not among
you who in any other business will work hard, toil sore about it, but
if once ye be put to work about this matter of the highest importance,
ye presently fall dead and lifeless, to such a degree, that all is
presently out of case with you: ye are weary, before well begun, of any
work that has any near relation to your own salvation. If this be your
case, then ye are under no real concern about your religion.
3rd. What work are ye most
concerned to have carried forward, and brought to some comfortable
period? Can ye not be well enough pleased, if your other business frame
well with you, and go right in your hand, though the work of your
salvation lie behind? Or dare ye say, that no attainment in
salvation-work is able to satisfy you, till you reach the recompense of
reward? Do ye indeed forget the things that are behind, and press
forward unto this? Can nothing short of assurance as to your calling
and election please you? If so, it bodes well; and if otherwise, it
makes a sad discovery of want of a suitable regard to that which ye
indeed ought to be mainly concerned about. Surely he that can rest
satisfied, though salvation-work be far behind, provided other things
go well, is not under an equal concern for salvation and for these
things; the other things are certainly preferred by him.
Now, if ye have been using
your judgments in any measure, ye may know whether ye be, or have been,
under any real concern about your own salvation, or whether ye have
made your own religion your first and great concern: and therefore we
shall proceed to speak something in a more particular way, to the
several sorts of persons of which this assembly may consist.
And here we shall speak,
Firstly, To those who are under no real concern, whether about their own religion, or that of others.
Secondly, To those whose religion lies much, or mainly, in a concern about others, and about the public.
Thirdly, To those who are indeed
under a deep and special concern about their own religion; the public
they would fain have right; but their exercise is, first, to be sure
that they themselves are so, and then they contribute their share to
put matters otherwise right.
Fourthly, We shall apply this truth to all, in some exhortations suitable to the scope of the truth insisted on.
Now, of each of these we shall speak very shortly. And,
Firstly,
We are to begin with those who are under no concern about religion, and
to such we shall speak some things, 1. For conviction. 2.
Expostulation. And, 3. Terror.
And to follow this order,
1. We shall speak some things
for your conviction; though this be the case of most of you, yet we
fear few of you will take with it; And therefore, notwithstanding all
that has been already said for your conviction, we shall yet offer two
or three words more. And,
1st. We say, men and women, did religion ever take up your
hearts and heads? Was it ever really your exercise, to know whether ye
were right or wrong? Did ye ever put it to the trial, whether ye were
Satan’s slaves, the devil’s vassals, or the servants of the
Lord? If not, to this very day ye are Satan’s servants, and never
had any concern about religion.
2nd. Did you ever lay down this
conclusion, I am lost, undone, miserable, wretched, blind, and naked; I
want faith, I want grace, I want God, I want Christ, I have destroyed
myself? If not, then ye never have been under any concern of a right
sort.
3rd. Did ye ever resolve upon
it, that go the world as it will, and come what will, I have no concern
like my soul; and therefore I shall never be at rest, or take ease, or
be quiet, until I get matters in some measure right betwixt the Lord
and me? If ye have not been brought under some such resolutions as
this, from a conviction that all is of no avail to you, if ye lose your
soul; then surely to this very day, ye are perfect Gallios in
God’s matters, and your own most precious interests.
4th. Can anything give thee
content, while thou livest altogether at peradventures about salvation,
about Christ? Then yet hast thou reason to fear, that thou hast never
been concerned about that which thou canst be pleased without, I mean
salvation, and an interest in Christ.
2. Having offered some things by way of conviction, we shall now a little expostulate with you. And,
1st. Can ye be, were ye ever
concerned about anything? Did ye ever think seriously, speak seriously,
or act seriously about anything? If not, thou art certainly a fool, a
madman. If thou hast, then,
2nd. Man or woman, is there
anything equally worthy of thy concern, as the salvation of thy soul?
What art thou profited if thou gain a world, and lose this? And mayest
not thou be happy if thou save this, though thou lose a world?
3rd. Thinkest thou, then, to
save this without concern? Think it not: for not only must thou strive,
must thou run, but every running, and every striving, will not do the
business; and therefore thou must so strive, and so run, that ye may
obtain.
4th. Is it not thy wisdom to
prevent that, which, if once it come, cannot be remedied, I mean the
loss of thy soul? Know ‘the soul’s redemption is precious,
and ceases for ever,’ Psa. 49:8.
5th. Canst thou, wilt thou, sit
as unconcernedly, when God is sinking thee into a sea of brimstone, as
now thou dost when he is threatening to do it? If not, bethink thyself
in time, ere it be too late.
6th. Are ye not ashamed to be
unconcerned about this, about which all others are so deeply concerned?
And yet none of them have so great an interest in the matter as ye. The
devil is concerned; he goes about seeking whom he may destroy. Will not
ye be concerned about the preservation of that which he and all his
instruments are so much concerned to destroy? Ministers are concerned;
they preach, they pray, they sweat, they think, they toil, many a
trembling heart have they for fear of your ruin. They spend their time
and strength about your salvation, while many times they fear, that by
this means their own salvation be neglected. And now, whether, I pray,
have ye or they most concern in this matter? They may, if they be
faithful, yea, they will go to heaven, whatever come of you; are ye
then mad, so far to overlook your own great interest? God is concerned:
can ye doubt of it, while he is held forth in the gospel, as bleeding,
dying, weeping, sweating blood, and all to prevent your ruin? Can ye
doubt of it, while he is heard inviting, calling, entreating,
promising, offering, protesting, nay, and even swearing, his concern in
the matter: ‘As I live, saith the Lord, I have no pleasure in the
death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God,’ Ezek. 18:32 ; and
33:11.
And what need has God of any of you? ‘Can we be profitable to
him, as he that is righteous is profitable unto himself?’
Consider this, and be ashamed, and horribly confounded, O careless
unconcerned souls!
3. We now come to speak a word for terror to you: know then for certain,
1st. That soul which ye will not
be concerned to save, ye shall lose: and will anything make up the
loss? What will all the world profit you, while ye have lost a precious
soul, without hope of recovery?
2nd. That damnation which we
were not careful to prevent, shall be your portion; and who among you
‘can dwell with everlasting burnings? Who among you can dwell
with devouring fires?’
3rd. These things which now ye
are concerned about, and pursue with so much eagerness, shall be your
everlasting tormentors; and what profit will ye have of these things,
whereof then ye will be ashamed?
4th. When all this misery shall
come upon you, there shall not be any concerned for you; when this
shall come upon you, then who shall be sorrowful, or lament for you?
God will laugh at your calamity, and mock when your fear cometh.
‘The righteous also shall see, and fear, and shall laugh at him,
saying, Lo this is the man that made not God his strength, but trusted
in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his
wickedness,’ Psa. 52:6, 7.
But we proceed,
Secondly,
The next sort of persons to whom we promised to speak, are they who are
indeed under some concern for religion, but their main concern seems to
be about public matters, the carriage of others, and miscarriages of
those who are in any public trust; and they relish converse about this
most of all, and spend most of their time this way.
What we are to say to those, is not to dissuade any from a
due regard to the public, but on design to obviate some dangerous
extremes. Now to such we say,
1. Whatever any may account of
you, ye have reason to suspect and be jealous of yourselves: we have
showed, from the word of the Lord, that where there is anything of a
sincere regard to the Lord’s service, it will show itself in a
deep concern to have and keep matters right at home; and since your
main concern lies another way, truly your religion, though your
pretences be never so high, or the thoughts of ministers or others
never so favourable, is deservedly suspicious, and you have reason to
doubt it: and I will tell you some of the grounds whereon,
1st. I am sure your hearts are,
as well as those of others, ‘deceitful above all things, and
desperately wicked,’ and would willingly deceive you.
2nd. I am no less sure, that
while you are much abroad in observing others, and little at home in
self-judging, self-searching, and self-condemning they have a special
advantage for deceiving you, which they, no doubt, will not lose.
3rd. Your dislike or light
esteem of those things which speak a spiritual healthy constitution,
with your liking to those things that discover a vitiated spiritual
palate and senses, gives me ground to fear you are not right. When
people love not so well to hear the sweet and plain truths of the
gospel, as continual reflections upon public failings, it discovers a
spirit embittered and rankled, and not under due impressions of its own
deep concern in the plain gospel truths: ‘As new born babes,
desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby, if so be
ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious,’ 1 Pet. 2:2,3. When once people begin to
grow weary of the preaching of Christ, and him crucified, and of
hearing the way of salvation, the means of salvation, the marks of
grace, and soul-exercise, the Lord’s work and way of translating
souls out of darkness into his marvellous light, and of carrying on the
work of salvation to a blessed period; when once, I say, this cannot be
heard, and nothing is relished but debates, though about truths, and
precious truths of God, I must say, their religion is, if not quite
wanting, yet very low.
4th. I am much afraid of such,
because pride is strong in them, and is encouraged in both its parts.
It consists in low thoughts of others, and high thoughts of ourselves:
Now both these parts of pride are strengthened; for, (1.) What way can
be more effectual to sink others in our own esteem, than always to pry
into, discourse of, and judge them for their faults, real or supposed?
Again, (2.) What can raise us higher in our own conceit, than to look
little into our own hearts, these filthy sinks of sin; to look at
ourselves, when, like Jehu, we appear very far beyond others in zeal
for the Lord, and to compare ourselves with others, when we have
debased them as low as we can? Thus is pride fed; and where it grows
strong, all grace will languish: ‘God resisteth the proud, but
giveth grace unto the humble,’ Jam. 4:6. Much more might be added, upon the most clear scripture evidences: but we go on.
2. We say to such: However
specious like your services have been, you have reason to be jealous of
them, and to fear the want of an ingredient that will spoil all, I mean
singleness as to your aim. Many are deceived as to this matter; and ye
have reason to be afraid. If the tree be naught, assuredly the fruit is
so too; and what ground ye have to suspect the former we have hinted
just now; fear therefore the latter. A squint look to a bye-end, will
be a dead fly; it will make the finest ointment stink; and God knows
there is ground to fear, that there may be some such bye-look. What we
might offer for clearing of this must be passed by; for our design will
not allow us to enlarge upon those particulars.
3. We say to you: Look to yourselves; for whenever trying
times come, you will be meet tools for the devil to make use of, to
ruin the church of God. The church has ever suffered more by false
friends, and the mistakes of the really godly, especially when going to
this extreme, than by open enemies; and I will tell you several grounds
upon which I am apt to think, that ye will err and wander from the way,
and that to your own wounding and to the wounding of the church.
1st. Your carriage casts you
without the reach of God’s promise of guiding, in such times. It
is the humble, and not the self-conceited Christian, that the Lord will
guide: ‘The meek will he guide in judgment, the meek will he
teach his way,’ Psa. 25:9.
2nd. You will be easily
persuaded to neglect the means of guidance, I mean, an attendance upon
Christ’s faithful ministers. This sort of people have many
prejudices against ministers, and it is easy to drive them to the
height of deserting their ministry, and then surely they are an easy
prey to every seducer, and to every fancy. Christ’s direction to
his spouse at noon, that is in times of adversity, and when it is hard
to know who is right, who is wrong, is to keep close by faithful
ministers. ‘If thou know not, O thou fairest among women, go thy
way forth by the footsteps of the flock, and feed thy kids beside the
shepherd’s tents,’ Song. 1:8.
3rd. In that time offences will
abound: and if thou wilt break thy neck upon the faults, either of
ministers or of Christians, thou wilt not want stumbling-blocks, and
the devil will be sure to improve them all, to nurse you up in the good
conceit thou hast entertained of thyself, and in undervaluing thoughts
of others. Many more of the like sort we pass.
4. I shall leave you, with this
one awful warning, who have any hankering toward this extreme: Beware
lest, while ye expect to be rewarded of the Lord for your public zeal
and concern, ye be damned for want of personal godliness. Read,
consider, and tremble, at that awful beacon of the Lord’s holy
jealousy in this sort: ‘Many will say to me in that day, Lord,
Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name cast out
devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works? And then I will
profess unto them, I never knew ye; depart from me, ye that work
iniquity,’ Matt. 7:22,23. Here are men far forward
in public appearances, and yet damned for want of personal godliness.
For the Lord’s sake, remember, and fear that ye fall not into the
like condemnation. Neglect not the public: but O begin at home, and
employ your first and great care there; and when ye go abroad, be sure
ye keep within your own sphere.
But,
Thirdly,
Leaving this sort of people, I come, in the next place, to speak a word
to such as are indeed under a deep concern, and that first and mainly
about their own souls, though they dare not forsake Zion; with Joshua,
they would have all Israel choose the Lord: but whatever come of this,
one thing they take care to be sure of, that they themselves are
God’s servants.
Now, to such we have only a few words to say.
1. Sirs, what ye have, hold
fast. Say against this order who will, we dare say it is God’s,
and will be owned by him; and if ye hold on, I dare in God’s name
say unto you that ye shall be helped, and honoured to stand by him,
when others, whose pretences are high, will turn their back on him: ye
shall bring forth your fruit in its season, as the tree planted by the
rivers of water, Psa. 1:3.
2. I say to you: Beware of such
as would divert you from this course; hold at a distance from such
whose conversation has any tendency to be get prejudices against a
gospel ministry and ordinances. Assuredly, their steps take hold of
death, and lead to it, pretend what they will; God never ordained his
babes to live without milk, and some to feed them also. If once ye be
prevailed with to disgust your food, all will quickly grow wrong with
you: if you want it a while, hunger will go off, and you will be filled
with wind, and will not be aware till ye just die. If ye have got any
good of ministers and ordinances, I say to you, hold by them, and
beware of anything that may deprive you of the advantage of them, or
lessen your benefit by them. Deserting ordinances will entirely deprive
you of the advantage of them, and prejudices nourished against them
will make your advantage less.
3. Beware of spending your time,
and of such as would draw you to spend your time, in love-killing and
prejudice-hatching debates: ‘Only by pride cometh contention, but
with the well advised is wisdom,’ Prov. 13:10.
4. For the Lord’s sake,
make earnest of growing in religion. What ye have happily begun, take
no rest till it come to a blessed issue: ‘Press forward toward
the prize of the high calling of God in Christ. Forget the things that
are behind, and press forward. Give all diligence to make your calling
and election sure. Work out the work of your salvation with fear and
trembling, knowing that it is God who worketh in you to will and to do
of his good pleasure.’ And ye shall undoubtedly reap in due time,
if ye faint not.
I now proceed,
Fourthly, To shut up the whole in a few words of exhortation to all.
We had some thoughts of branching this exhortation out in
several parts; and we indeed justly might do so; but designing to
conclude this second doctrine presently, we shall wrap all up in one.
Is it so, that such as have any real regard unto the honour
of the Lord, do make their own religion their first and great concern?
Then, my friends, let me, in the fear of the Lord, beseech, entreat,
and obtest [adjure] you, to be concerned about your own religion: make
this sure by any means; serve ye the Lord, take others what course they
will; and even begin at this; make this your first and great care. For,
1. This is the foundation of
all; and as the foundation is right or wrong, so it will fare with the
whole superstructure. This is the root, and as it is good or evil, so
will the fruit be; this is the spring, and if anything be amiss here,
all the streams will partake in the evil and hurt; O therefore by any
means make all right here.
2. Make this your first and
great concern, for it will be herein, and with respect to this mainly,
that ye will be tried; all the trials that the Lord brings on his
people, do still try this, how matters are here, whether the foundation
be right laid, and how far the work is carried on.
3. Death and judgment will be
comfortable or bitter, as it is right or wrong with you in this
respect. Your salvation and damnation depend upon it: ‘He that
believeth not shall be damned; he that believeth shall be saved.’
He that for his own part betakes not himself to the Lord Jesus Christ
for salvation in the gospel method, shall assuredly be damned, come of
others what will.
4. Make this your first and
great care; for truly the defect of this is the spring and true source
of that lamentable defect of family religion, and of a due concern for
the public, which is matter of deep concern to all that fear the Lord
this day. What! Is it any wonder that the man that takes no care of his
own soul, be unconcerned about the souls of others? How can he that is
posting to the pit himself, take care of others, and endeavour to
preserve them from running to their own ruin? Never will any reasonable
man believe, that he who goes on in sin himself, will, in his station,
be really zealous for repressing it in others. Unless we prevail with
you to be concerned about your own souls, we despair of getting you any
way serious in reforming your families.
5. Make this your first and
great care; for this will help you to employ your zeal the right way,
in reforming others; it will make you first concerned for their souls,
and have them built upon a sure foundation. It is the folly of some
professors to be always for debating, when they come into conversation
with persons that they suppose, and it may not be without ground, are
strangers, nay, and enemies to religion; and that not so much to bring
them to acquaintance with the power of religion, but to be of their
judgment, in some points of controversy that are tossed in the day we
live in, which I do confess are of very great moment. But here they
mistake; for they should first endeavour to bring the man under a real
concern about his soul; and then you have brought him one step towards
the embracement of any principle or practice that is according to
godliness: and if ye gain not this point with a graceless man, a man
that is not exercised to godliness, it is of no great consequence what
his profession be, Papist, Prelatist, Presbyterian, or anything else;
for he will be true to no profession: it is not a real principle that
holds him; and he is ready to be, upon any temptation, a scandal to
that way which he cleaves to. O make your own religion your first and
great care, and this will learn you where to begin with others.
6. O make personal religion your
first and great concern; for alas! Here it is that the main defect is
among you. We have oft complained, and we have daily new reason to
complain of you, that many at least among you are going in the broad
and most patent roads to the pit, some in that of ignorance of God,
others in that of drunkenness, some in that of abominable oaths, and
swinish lusts, and others in that of devilish revenge and contentions,
always leading down to death and destruction, and that openly. I know
most have long since laid down a conclusion, that they shall have
peace, though they walk in the way of their own hearts, adding
drunkenness to thirst, one sin to another. But assuredly ye are
deceived: ‘Be not deceived: thus saith the Lord, Neither
fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, not effeminate, nor abusers
of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards,
nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of
God,’ 1 Cor. 6:9,10. And the same shall be the
fate of cursers and swearers: ‘Then said he to me, This is the
curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole earth; for every one
that stealeth shall be cut off as on this side, according to it, and
every one that sweareth shall be cut off as on that side, according to
it. I will bring it forth, saith the Lord of hosts, and it shall enter
into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that sweareth
falsely by my name. And it shall remain in the midst of his house, and
shall consume it, with the timber thereof, and the stones
thereof,’ Zech. 5:3,4. Now, are there not such
among you? Are there not unclean persons, swearers, drunkards, and the
like, among you? And ye who are such, have not ye need to be concerned
to be religious? Sure ye have none as yet.
And now, to bring this home to you, let me pose you upon three things:
1st. Do ye believe that the
words ye have heard are the words of God? If not, then begone, you have
nothing to do here. If ye do, then,
2nd. Do ye hope to get to
heaven, when God has said, ye shall never get there? If ye do, ye are
mad; and if ye do not, ye are mad; if ye hope to get to heaven in spite
of God, assuredly ye are mad; and if ye believe there is a heaven, and
yet live in that which ye know will debar you thence, ye are mad
indeed.
3rd. If God, by a gospel
dispensation, prevail not so far with you, as to make you leave the
open road to hell, is he like to prevail with you, to bring you over to
a compliance with the gospel call entirely? No, no, surely no. My
friends, look in time, be concerned in time: for, as the Lord liveth,
ye are in imminent danger, danger greater than ye are well aware of;
and whether ye will hear, or whether ye will forbear, know, that if ye
die, your blood is on your own heads; ye have got warning. Take
warning, and make personal religion indeed your first and great
concern.
7. O make your own religion your
first and great care; for here many are deceived; many have a name to
live, who are dead, and appear to be something, who yet, when weighed
in the balance of the sanctuary, will be found wanting, and have a
Tekel written upon them.
8. To add no more, consider
seriously how sad a deceit in this matter is. O terrible deceit, to
mistake heaven, and instead of it slip into hell! To mistake the broad
road, and think it the narrow! How terribly will the poor deluded
souls, that swell with the hopes of heaven and glory, look, when,
instead of falling into the rivers of pleasures, they shall sink like
lead in the mighty waters of God’s holy, just, and terrible
indignation against sin! As ye would not meet with this terrible
disappointment, look to yourselves; make sure your own religion; lay
the foundation well, and then ye may have peace, and the Lord will
establish it.
Now, for your direction, I shall only offer two or three short words:
1. Bring yourselves to the
light, to the standard of God’s word, and try yourselves by that
which is the true test, the balance of the sanctuary, the counsel of
the Lord, which shall stand.
2. Whatever judgment the world
passes on you, though it read your name amongst the black roll of those
who are doomed to the bottomless pit, hear it, and believe it, for
assuredly the scripture cannot be broken.
3. Cry to the Lord, that he may give his Spirit to open your eyes, to know how matters are with you.
4. When God, by his word and
Spirit, has wounded you, wait upon him for cure, in the same way; for
it is thence also you must have your acquaintance with the blessed
Physician, Jesus Christ, in whom alone your help is.
[ To be continued —
Part 4.]
[ Previous —
Part 1,
Part 2.]
