Twentiethly, If thou wouldst have all grace to flourish and abound in thy soul, if thou wouldst be eminently serviceable in thy genera- tion, if thou wouldst be ripe for sufierings, for death, for heaven, if thou wouldst be temptation-proof, if thou wouldst be weaned from this world and triumph in Christ Jesus when the world triumphs over thee, then seriously peruse this treatise: Ps. xcii. 12-14; Kom. xv. 13; Acts xiii. 36; 2 Cor. xii. 9, 10; Rev. xii. 1; 2 Cor. ii. 14.
Reader, if thou wouldst make any earnings of thy reading this treatise, then thou must — 1. Read, and believe what thou readest. 2. Thou must read, and meditate on what thou readest. 3. Thou must read, and pray over what thou readest. 4, Thou must read, and try what thou readest. by the touchstone of the word. 5. Thou must read, and apply what thou readest ; that plaster will never heal that is not applied, &c. 6. Thou must read, and make conscience of living up to what thou readest, and of living out what thou readest.i This is the way to honour thy God, to gain profit by this treatise, to credit religion, to stop foul mouths, to strengthen weak hands, to better a bad head, to mend a bad heart, to rectify a disorderly life, and to make sure work for thy soul, for heaven, for eternity.
Reader, in a fountain sealed and treasures hid, there is little profit or comfort. No fountain to that which flows for common good, no treasures to those that lie open for public service. If thou gettest any good by reading this treatise, give God alone the glory ; and remem- ber the author when thou art in the mount with God. His prayers for thee are, that thou mayest be a knowing Christian, a sincere Christian, a growing Christian, a rooted Christian, a resolute Christian, an untainted Christian, an exemplary Christian, a humble Christian, and then he knows thou wilt be a saved Christian in the day of Christ ; so he rests, who is thy cordial friend and soul's servant,
^ Acts xviii. 8, and xxiv. 14 ; Ps. i. 2, and cxix. 5, 18; Acts xvii. 11; Ps. cxix. 9; John xiii. 17 ; Ps. cxix. 105, 106.
SERIOUS AND WEIGHTY QUESTIONS CLEARLY AND SATISFACTORILY ANSWERED.
The first question or case is this : —
1st Quest. What are the special remedies, means, or helps against cherishing or keeping up of any special or peculiar sin, either in heart or life, against the Lord, or agaijist the light and conviction of a mans own conscience f
Before I come to the resolution of this question, I shall premise a few things that may clear my way.
1. First, When men's hearts are sincere ivith God; when they don't indulge, cherish, or keep up any known transgression in their hearts or lives against the Lord, they may on very good grounds plead an interest in God, in Christ, and in the covenant of grace, though their corruptions prevail against them, and too frequently worst them and lead them captive, as is most evident in these special scriptures, 2 Sam. xxiii. 5 ; Ps. Ixv. 3 ; Kom. vii. 23, 25 ; Isa. Ixiii. 16, 17, 19 ; Jer. xiv. 7-9 ; Hosea xiv. 1-4, 8.
But now, when any man's heart doth condemn him for dealing deceitfully and guilefully with God in this or that or the other par- ticular, or for connivings or winking at any known transgression that is kept up, either in his heart or life against the Lord, and against the light of his own conscience, which he will not let go, nor in good earnest use the means whereby it should be subdued and mortified ; it is not to be expected that such a person can come to any clearness or satis- faction about their interest in Christ and the covenant of grace and their right to the great things of that other world. When a person will dally with sin, and will be playing with snares and baits, and allow a secret liberty in his heart to sin, conniving at many workings of it, and not setting upon mortification with earnest endeavours ; though they are convinced, yet they are not persuaded to arise with all their might against the Lord's enemies, but do his work negligently, which is an accursed thing ; and for this, God casts such a person into sore straits, and lets him wander in the dark, without any sight, sense, or assurance of their gracious estate or interest in Christ, &c. The Israelites should perfectly have rooted out the Canaanites, but because they did it but by halves, and did not engage all their power and
SERIOUS AND WEIGHTY QUESTIONS ANSWERED. 17
strength against them, therefore God left them to be as * thorns in their eyes, and as goads in their sides.' So when men have taken Christ's press-money and are engaged to fight with all their might against those rebels that war against him in their hearts, ways, and walkings, and to pursue the victory to the utmost, till their spiritual enemies lie dead at their feet, and yet they do but trifle and make slender opposition against their sins ; this provokes God to stand afar off, and to hide his reconciled face from them.
It is true, when men are really in Christ, they ought not to question their state in him, but yet a guilty conscience will be clamorous and full of objections, and God will not speak peace unto it tiU it be humbled at his foot. God will make his dearest children know that it is a bitter thing to be bold with sin. Now, before I lay down the remedies, give me leave to shew you what it is to indulge sin, or when a man may be said to indulge or cherish, or keep up any known trans- gression in his soul against the Lord. Now, for a clear understanding of me in this particular, take me thus : —
[1.] First, To hidulge sin or to cherish it, it is to make daily provision for it, Kom. xiii. 14. It is to give the breast to it, and to feed it and nourish it, as fond parents do feed and humour the sick child, the darling child ; it must have what it will, and do what it will, it must not be crossed. Now, when men ordinarily, habitually, commonly, are studious and laborious to make provision for ^n, then sin is indulged by them. But,
[2.] Secondly, When sin is commonly, hxihitually, sweet and pleasant to the soul, when a man takes a daily pleasure and delight in sin, then sin is indulged. 2 Thes. ii. 12 you read of them that had ' plea- sure in unrighteousness ; ' Isa. Ixvi. 3, ' And their soul delighteth in their abominations ; ' Prov. ii. 14, ' Who rejoice to do evil,' &,c.
[3.] Thirdly, When meti commonly, habitually, side with sin, and take up arms in the defence of sin, and in defiance of the commands of God, the motions of the Spirit, the checks of conscience, and the re- proofs of others, then sin is indulged. But,