Thirdly, When the arguments prevailing most with thee to resist temptations to sin, or to mourn for sin committed, are more carnal and less evangelical than formerly. May be thou rememberest when thy love to Christ would have spit lire on the face of Satmi, tempting thee to such a sin, but now that holy fire is so abated, tliat if there were not some other carnal motives to make the vote full, it would hazard to be carried for it rather than against it. And so in mourning for a sin, there is possibly now some slavish argvnnents,likean onion in the eye, which makes thee weep, rather than pure ingenuity arising from love to God, whom thou hast offended. This speaks a sad decay ; and the more mixture there is of such carnal arguments, either in the resisting of, or mourning for, sin, the greater the declination of grace is. David's natural heat sure was nuich decayed when he needed so many clothes to be laid on him, and yet feel so little lieat; the time was he would have sweat with fewer. I am afraid of many, their love to Christ will be found, in these declining times, to have lost so much of its youthful vigour, that what would formerly have put thenii hito a holy fury and burning zeal against some sins, such as sabbath-breaking, pi'ide of apparel, neglect of family duties, &c., hath now much ado to keep any heat at all in thom against the same.
Secondly, In point of duties of worship.
First, if thy heart doth not prompt thee with that forwardness and readiness as formerly, to hold communion with God in any duty. Possibly thou knowest the time when thy heart echoed back to the motions of God's Spirit, bidding thee 'seek his face; Thy face. Lord, will I seek;' yea, thou didst long as much till a sabbath or sermon season came, as a carnal wretch doth till it be gone ; but now thy pulse doth not beat so quick a march to the ordinances, public or secret. Nature cannot but decay if appetite to food go away. A craving soul is the thriving soul ; such a child that will not let his mother rest, but is frequently crying for the breast.
Secondly, When thou declinest in thy care to perform duties in a spiritual sort, and to preserve tlie sense of those more inward failings, which in duty none but thyself can check thee of. It is not frequency in duty, but spiritiudity in duty, causeth thriving ; and therefore neglect in this point soon brings gi-ace into a consumptive posture. Possibly, soul, the time was thou wert not satisfied with praying, but thou didst watch thy heart strictly, as a man would every piece in a sum of money he pays, lest he should wrong his friend with any bi'ass or imcurrent coin ; thou wouldst have God not only have duty, but duty stamped with that faith which makes it current, have that zeal and sincerity which makes it gospel-weight ; but now thou art more careless and formal. Oh, look to it, poor soid ! thou wilt, if tlum continue thus careless, melt in thy spiritual estate apace ; such dealings will spoil thy trade with heaven ; God will not take off these flighty duties at thy hands.
Thirdly, When a Christian gets little spiritual nom-ishment from communion with God to what he hath done. The time hatli been, it may be, thou coiddst shew what came of thy praying, hearing, and fasting ; but now the case is altered. Tliere is a double strength in communion which God imparts to a soul in a healthful disposition ; strength to faith, and strength for our obediential walking. Dost thou hear and pray, and get no more strength to hold by a promise ; no more poAver over, or brokenness of heart under, thy usual corrup- tions? What, come down the moimt, and break the tables of God's law as soon as thou art off tlie place ? As deep in thy passion, as uneven in thy course as before.' There is a sure decay of that inward heat which should and would, if in his right temper, suck some nourishment from these.
Thirdly, By thy behaviour in thy worldly employments.
First, W'hen thy woiddly occasions do not leave thee in so free and spiritual a disposition to return into the presence of God as formerly. It may be thou couldst have come from thy sho]) and family emploj'ments to thy closet, and fmd that they have kept tliee in frame, yea, perha])s delivered tliee uj) in a better frame for those duties ; but now it is otherwise, thou canst not so shake
THE WHOLE ARMOUK OF GOD. |()9
them off, but they cleave to thy spirit, and give an earthly savour to thy praying and hearing ; tliou hast reason to hewail it. When nature decays, men go more stooping ; and it is a sign some such decay is in thee, that thou canst not as thou usest lift up thy heart from earthly to spiritual duties. They were intended as helps against temptation ; and therefore when they prove snares to us, there is a distemper on us. If we wax worse after sleep, the body is not right, because the natiu'e of sleep is to refresh ; if exercise indisposeth for work, the reason is in oiu' bodies. So here.