(3.) It lies in * looking off from your own grace whenever you are put upon the acting of it, (I mean in regard of any dependence upon it) and looking by an eye of faith for acceptation to Christ, Heb. xii. 2. To the putting forth of which act of dependance upon Christ, holy ejaculations in our own on-sets upon duty, or those quick and vigorous Hftings up of our souls to God that way, are of special use, it being a duty fitted for the purpose, when there is no room for set and solemn prayer. And thus briefly of its nature.
And to urge you to this duty, I shall offer these seven considera- tions : which, oh, that they might prevail upon your hearts, and make you for ever to clasp and cling about Christ more than ever you have done.
Consideration 1, You have little reason to rely upon the strength of your own graces, for you may be easily deceived in that matter, and think you have much more grace than you have. How often are the common gifts of the Spirit mistaken for his special graces ! the sixth chapter to the Hebrews is able to make a man tremble in this thing.
* A(po^<H}/Tii eig rov Tr,g zJt^sojg a^yjrr/ov. Looking oflf to the author of our faith.
THE BEST WORK IN THE WQIIST TIMES. 71
Consid. % Suppose you have much grace, yet Iiave you not strong corruptions, and may you not meet with strong temptations also ? He that hath less of other graces than you, may have more humihty and self-denial than you, and so may stand when you fall. Great en- largements are often attended with great temptations of pride. Sec.
Consid. 3. Whatever measures of grace you have arrived at, yet all is not able to secure you from falling, if God withhold or withdraw his aids and influences. Abraham had more faith than ^ou, and yet he fell into a sin contrary to that very grace wherein he so excelled others. Gen. xx. 2. Job had more patience than you ; which of you could behave yourselves as he did, had you been in the like circum- stances as he was ? chap. i. 2. he is renowned for it in the scripture, James vi. 11. yet he fell into that sin which is contrary to this grace also, chap. iii. Moses had more meekness than you : " Now the man " Moses was the meekest man upon the earth.'' If you be but re- proved, and that justly for your faults, how waspish are you ? Yet see how this grace failed even in him, in an eminent trial of it, Numb. xi. 13, 14, 15. Adam was much more advantaged in this respect than you, being made upright, and no corruption inherent in him, yet he fell ; the angels more again, yet they fell. Oh when will you learn the vanity of self-dependence.
Consid. 4. Nothing more provoketh the Lord to withdraw his Spirit, and let you fall, than this sin of self-confidence doth, Luke xiv. 29, 30, 31. God will teach you by sad experience your own weakness, and what frail and vain things you be, if you will learn it by no other means.
Consid. 5. If God permit you to fall, (as doubtless he will, if you be self-conceited,) then the more eminent you have been, or are for grace, the more will the name of God be reproached by your fall. This will furnish the triumphs of the uncircumcised, and the lamen- tations of your brethren, and make them say, " How are the mighty " fallen !" What dismal consequents will attend your fall.
Consid. 6. Have you not sad experience of your own weakness from day to day in your lesser trials.? Have you not said in some smaller conflicts, as David once did, " My feet had well nigh slipt." O me- thinks this should teach you to look more to God, and less to self. " If you have run with footmen, and they have wearied you in the " land of peace, thinJc sadly how you should contend with horses in *' the swellings of Jordan." Do not you see that you are but fea- thers in the wind of temptation .? Consult your former experiences, and they will tell you what weaklings you are.
Consid. 7. Lastly, Hath Christ given you more grace than others, then how much more hath he obliged you to honour him thereby ? And is this your requital of his love ! What ! to take the crown from his head, and put it upon your own ! Certainly a greater in- j ury cannot be done to Christ than this.
Well then, by all this be persuaded to cease from yourselves, yea,
72 PBErARATIONS FOR SUFFERINGS ; OR,
from your religious selves ; and to all your other preparations, add this as a choice one; if you do these things, you shall never fall. And thus you see the complete Christian in his equipage for sufferings.
Containing ihcjirst use qftliepmnthy way of conviction, discovering the unreadiness of' multitudes of professors for sujfering.woi'h.
Jl OU have seen, by all that hath been spoken, what the necessary pre-requisites unto a suffering condition are ; and what manner of persons you must be, (both for habitual and actual readiness), if ever you honour Christ by bonds, or death for him. And I doubt not but your judgments and consciences yield to the evident necessity of these things, wherein I have placed the Christian's readiness. But, alas ! where shall we find among the throngs and crowds of profes- sors, any considerable numbers thus qualified and prepared ? To suf- fer for Christ is a gift that few have received. We are fallen into the dregs of time. O how little of primitive zeal and simplicity re- gains among the professors of this age ! latter times have produced a sort of professors of another stampand spirit. These have the light, but they had the love: these see more, but they cZifZand siiffe?'ed more. How many that are no ornament to religion, do adorn themselves with the name of it !
Now, according to this account given of a ready Christian, divers professing persons will be convicted of their unreadiness and stability to manage suffering-work : As first,
1. The politic and hypocritical professors, whose hearts were never set right at first, and therefore cannot be stedfast when trials come, Psal. Ixxviii. 8. Their hearts were never sound in God's statutes^ and therefore no wonder if they be not only a shame to, but ashamed of their profession. Psalm cxix. 80. Never Avonder if you see that pro- fession which began in hyposrisy, to end in apostasy. These want their habitual readiness for sufferings, and so cannot drink of that cup: Needs must they fall when tried; and when they fall, they fall dreiadfully, and often irrecoverably ; for they neither have the seed of God in them, nor any promise of God made to them.