subject cloth a heavy tax, with a deep sigh, to tliink how much he parts with, but as freely as a child would present his father with an apj)le of that orchard which he holds by gift from him ; indeed, the child, when young, is very servile and selfish, forbearing what his father forbids for fear of the rod, and doing wliat he commands for some fine thing or other that his father bribes him with, more than for pure love to his person, or obedience to his will and plea- siu'e : but as he grows up, and comes to understand himself better, and the relation he stands in, with the many obligations of it to filial obedience, then his servility and selfishness wear off, and his natural afl'ection will prevail more with him to please his father, than any other argiunent whatever. And so will it with the Christian, where faith is of any grov/th and ripeness.
Seventhly, to name no more, The more able faith is to sweeten the thoughts of death, and make it desirable to the Christian, the stronger his ftuth. Things that are very sharp or sour, will take much sugar to make them sweet. Death is one of those things, which hath the most ungrateful taste to the creature's palate that can be. O it requires a strong faith to make the serious thoughts of it sweet and desirable. I know some, in a pet and passion, have professed great desires of dying ; but it hath been as a sick man desires to change his place, merely out of a weariness of, and discontent with his present condition, without any due consideration of what they desire. But a soul that knows the consequences of death, and the unchangeableness of that state (whether of bliss or misery) that it certainly marries us to, will never cheerfully call for death in his cordial desires, till he be in some measiu-e resolved from the promise, what entertainment he may expect fi'om God when he comes into that other world; and that a weak faith will not do, without abundance of fears and doubts. I confess, that sometimes a Christian of very weak faith may meet death with as little fear iipon his spirit, yea, more joy, than one of a far stronger faith, when he is helped up by the chin, by some extraordinary comfort poured into his soul from God immediately ; which should God withdraw, his fears would retiu'n upon him, and he feel again his faintings, as a sick man that hath been strangely cheered with a strong cordial does his feebleness, when the efficacy of it is spent : but we speak of the ordinary way in which Christians come to have their hearts raised above the fear, yea, into a strong desire of death, and that is by attaining to a strong faith. God can indeed make a feast of a few loaves, and multiply the weak Christian's little faith on a sudden, as he lies on a sick bed, into a spread table of all varieties of consolations ; but I fear God will not do this miracle for that man or woman, who upon the expectation of this, contents himself with the little provision of faith he hath, and laboui's not to increase his store against that spending-time.
CHAPTER XL
SHEWETH, IT IS THE DUTY OF A CHRISTIAN TO OWN THE GRACE OF GOD IN HIM, AND NOT DENY IT ; WITH THE RESOLUTION OF SOME SCRUPLES WITH WHICH WEAK SAINTS DISPUTE AGAINST THE TRUTH OF THEIR OWN FAITH.
Secondly, We come to the second word of exhortation we have to speak to the saints. If faith be such a choice grace, and thou hast it, deny not what God hath done for thee. Which is worst, thinkest thou, the sinner to hide and deny his sin, or the Christian to hide and deny his faith ? I confess the first docs worst, if we look to the intention of the persons; for the sinner hides his sin out of a wicked end, and the doubting soul means well ; he is afraid to play the hypocrite, and be found a liar in saying he hath, what he fears he hath not : but if we consider the consequence of the Christian's disowning the grace of God in him, and what use the devil makes of it, for the leading him into many other sins, it will not be so easy to resolve Avhose sin is the greatest. Good Joseph meant piously, when he had thoughts of putting away secretly his espoused Mary, (thinking no other, but that she had played the whore,) and yet, it would have been a sad act, if he had persisted in his thoughts ; espe- cially after the angel had told him that Avhicli was conceived in her to be of the Holy Ghost. Thus thou, poor mourning soul, may be, art thinking to put away thy faith, as some by-blow of Satan, and base-born counterfeit grace, begot on thy hypocritical heart by the father of lies. Well, take heed what
AI50VE ALL, TAKING TlIK SHIELD OF FAITH. 4 ~ |