his feet. Well, he shall have treading for treading ; God himself will set his foot upon him, Psa. cxix. 118 : 'Thou hast trodden down all that err from thy statutes.' And who think you will be weary soonest ? He that is under foot bears the weight of the whole man U])on him. To be under the foot of God, is to lie under the whole weight of God's wrath. O pity and pray for such for- lorn souls; they are objects of the one, and subjects of the other; though they are fallen low, yet not into hell : now and then we see an Eutychus raised, that hath fallen from such a height. ' And you that stand, take heed lest you fall.'
Section IV. — Doct. 2. Secondly, A soul void of divine armour cannot perse- vere. What this divine armour is, I have shewn, and the apostle here doth in the several pieces of it. The sanctifying graces of God's Spirit are this armour. One that hath not these wrought in him, will never hold out to pass all the stages of this Christian race, to fight all the battles that are to be fought before victory is to be had. Common gifts of the Spirit, such as illumination, convic- tion, sudden pangs and flushing heats of affection, may carry out the creature for a while with a goodly appearance of zeal for God, and forwardness in profession; but the strength these afford is soon spent. John's hearers, men- tioned John V. 35, got some light and heat by sitting under his burning ministi-y ; but how long did it last? 'Ye were willing to rejoice for a season.' They were very beautiful colours that were drawn on them,- but not laid in oil, and therefore soon washed off again. The foolish virgins made as great a blaze with their lamps, and did expect as good a day when Christ should come, as the wise virgins ; but, alas ! their lamps are out before he appeai-ed, and as good never a whit as never the better. The stony ground more forward than the best soil ; the seed comes up immediately, as if a crop should soon have been reaped, but a few nipping frosts turn its hue, and the day of the harvest proves a day of desperate sorrow. All these instances and many more in Scripture do evince, that nothing short of solid grace, and a principle of divine life in the soul, will persevere. How forward soever formalists and flighty professprs are to promise to themselves hopes of reaching heaven, they will find it too long a step for their short-breathed souls to attain. The reasons are,
First, Such want a principle of divine life to draw strength from Christ to pre- serve them in their course. That by which the gracious soul itself perseveres, is the continual supply it receives from Christ; as the arm and foot is kept alive in the body by those vital spirits which they receive from the heart: ' I live,' saith Paul, 'yet not I, but Christ in me;' that is. Hive, but at Christ's cost; he holds, as my soul, so my grace in life. Now the carnal person wanting this union, must needs waste and consume in time ; he hath no root to stand on. A car- case, when once it begins to rot, never recovers, but every day grows worse till it runs all into putrefaction; no salve or plaster will do it good; but where there is a principle of lite, there, when a member is wounded, nature sends supplies of spirits, and helps to work with the salve for a cure. There is the same difference between a gracious person and an ungracious : see them opposed in this respect, Prov. xiv. 17 : ' 'Phe righteous man falls seven times a day, and riseth; Ijut the wicked falleth into mischief:' that is, in falling he falls further, and hath no power to recover himself. When Cain sinned, see how he falls fur- ther and further, like a stone down a hill, never stays till he comes to the bottom of despair; from envying his brother to malice, from malice to murder, from murder to impudent lying and brazen-faced boldness to God himself, and from that to despair; so true is that, 2 Tim. ii. 13, ' Evil men shall wax worse and worse.' But now when a saint falls, he riseth; because when he falls he hath a principle of life to cry out to Christ, and such an interest in Christ as stirs him up to help: ' Lord, save me,' said Peter, when he began to sink ; and presently Christ's hand is put forth ; he chides him for his unbelief, but he helps him.
Secondly, An unregenerate soul hath no assurance for the continuance of those common gifts of the Spirit he hath at present : they come on the same terms that temporal enjoyments do to such a one. A carnal person, when he hath his table most sumptuously spread, cannot shew any word of promise under God's hand, that he shall be provided for the next meal. God gives these things to the wicked, as we a crust or night's lodging to a beggar in our barn ; it is our bounty ; such a one could not sue us for denying the same : so in the
AND HAVING DONE ALL, TO STAND. 1^7