But now there is real communion betwixt God and his people in duties. Truly our fellowship, xo/vwv/a, 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 sensibly mani- fested to them Vv hen the Lord comes nigh to their souls in duty, and as sensible they are of his retreats and withdrawments from their souls. Cant. iii. 1, 4. They find their hearts, like the heliotrope, open and shut according to the accesses and recesses of the divine presence. They that never felt any thing of this nature, may call it a fancy, but the Lord's people are abundantly satisfied of the reality thereof.
Their very countenance is altered by it, 1 Sam. i. 18. the sad and cloudy countenance of Hannah cleared up, there was fair weather in her face, as soon as she knew she had audience and acceptance with her God. I know all communion with God doth not consist in joys and comforts ; there is a real communion with God in the mortify- ing and humbling influences of his Spirit upon men, as in the cheer- ing and refreshing influences thereof. I know also there is a great diversity in the degrees and measures thereof: It is not alike in all Christians, nor with the same Christian at all times. But that real Christians have true and real communion with God in their duties, is a truth as manifest in spiritual sense and experience of the saints, as their communion is one with another.
8. E'ighthly, Growth and improvement of grace in duties, notably
572 RELIGIOUS DUTIES ARE HEART-DISCOVERIES,
differences the sound and the unsound 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 stick, sooner rot it, than make it flourishing and fruitful. What was Judas the better for all those heavenly sermons, prayers, and discourses of Christ which he heard ? And what will thy soul be the better for all the duties thou performest weekly and daily, if thy heart be unsound ? It is plain, from Job xv. 4. there must be an implantation into Christ, before there can be an improvement in fruitful obedience. And it is as plain, from 1 John ii. 14. that the virtues of ordin- ances must remain ; the efficacy and power that we sometimes feel under them, must abide and remain in the heart afterwards, or we cannot grow, and be made fruitful by them.
But the false professor is neither rooted in Christ by union with him, nor doth, or can retain the virtue of ordinances within him ; but, like one that views his face in a glass, 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 saints have real communion with God in duties, so they do make improvements answerable thereunto : There is more cer- tainly a ripening of their graces that way ; a changing or gradual transformation from glory to glory ; a springing up to that full sta- ture of the man in Christ. " They that are planted in the house of " the Lord, shall flourish in the courts of our God," Psal. xcii. 13, 14. There is pure and sincere milk in the breasts of ordinances ; a believer sucks the very breasts of Christ in his duties, and doth grow thereby, 1 Pet. ii. % they do grow more and more judicious, ex- perienced, humble, mortified, and heavenly, by conversing with the Lord so frequently in his appointments.
There is, I confess, a more discernible growth and ripening in some Christians, than in others : The faith of some groweth exceed- ingly, 2 Thess. i. 3. others more slowly, 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 Kpr'iglit soul be stumbled at this^ as not being able to discern the increase of his graces^ q/ier all his duties.
Sol. Let such consider the growth of grace is discerned as the growth of plants is, which we perceive rather crevisse, quam cres- cere ; to have grown, than to grow : Compare time past and pre- sent, and you may see it ; but usually our eager desires after more, make us overlook what we have as nothing.
9. Ninthly^ The assistance and influences of the Spirit in duties, shew us what we are ; no vital sanctifying influences can fall upon carnal hearts in duties : The Spirit helps not their infirmities, nor makes intercession for them with groanings which cannot be uttered, as he doth for his own people, Rom. viii. 26, 27. They have his assistances in the way of common gifts, but not in the way of special
THE ADVANTAGES OF SINCERITY. 575
^ace : He may enable them to preach judiciously, not experiment- ally ; to pray orderly and neatly, not feelingly, bclievingly, and broken-heartedly ; " For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, " they are the sons of God,'^ Rom. viii. 14. He never so assists but where he hath first sanctified. Carnal men furnish the materials of their duties out of the strength of their parts ; a strong memory, a good invention are the fountains which they draw.
But it is otherwise with souls truly gracious ; they have ordinarily a threefold assistance from the Spirit in reference to their duties.
Firsts Before duties, exciting them to it, making them feel their need of it, like the call of an empty stomach ; Psalm xxvii. 8. " Thou saidst, Seek my face ; my heart answered. Thy face. Lord, « will I seek.''
Secondly^ In their duties, furnishing both matter and affection, as in that text lately cited, Rom. viii. 26. guiding them not only what to ask, but how to ask.
Thirdly, After their duties, helping them not only to suppress the pride and vanity of their spirits, but also to wait on God for the accomplishment of their desires.
Now, though all these things, wherein the sincerity of our hearts is tried in duties, be found in great variety (as to degrees) among saints, yet they are mysteries unknown by experience to other men.
Opening the trials of sincerity and hypocrisy^ hy sufferings upon
the account of' religion.
▼ ▼ E are now arrived at the last trial of grace propounded, viz. by sufferings for religion.
Thousands of hypocrites embark themselves in the profession of religion in a calm ; but if the wind riseth, and the sea rageth, and they see religion will not transport them safely to the cape of their earthly hopes and expectations, they desire to be landed again as soon as may be ; for they never intended to ride out a storm for Christ : So you find, Matth. xiii. 20, 21. " He endureth for a while : *' but when tribulation of persecution ariseth because of the word, by ** and by he is offended."
But yet it is not every trial by sufferings that separates gold from dross ; and therefore my business will be to shew,
1. First, When the fire of sufferings and persecutions is hot and vehement enough to separate them.
2. Secondly y Why it must needs discover hypocrisy when it is at that height.