[2.] An easy slightness ; men do not labour after faith. It is true our diligence alone can never attain it, but yet we should use the means. Men marry to beget children, yet it is impossible they should generate a rational soul without the concourse of God. So we should do those things that are likely, and leave the success to God : we should seek after
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it. God will not violently withhold faith from those that are diligent, that are much in meditation, much in earnest supplication, nmch in ob- servation, much in a continual and holy expectation, when Jesus Christ will be begotten in their souls. God will not fail such a waiting soul : Ps. cxxx. 6, ' My soul waiteth for God more than they that watch for the morning ; yea, more than they that watch for the morning,' Such souls as are thus eager in the pursuit, and earnest in their expectation, that would fain have Christ come and appear in their hearts, may well expect God's blessing. But there is a great deal of idle and easy •Jlightness in men's hearts ; they complain for want of faith, yet they will not pray, meditate, hear, read ; as if God should infuse it into them in their sleep. It were an easy cut to heaven if God should do all. What need had Christ to tell you, ' Strait is the way ' ? And faith is called a work, not in regard of the toil of it, but in regard of our diligence and intention of spirit. ' This is the work of God, that ye should believe in him whom he hath sent.' It is a sign people do not prize a thing when they do not labour after it. If men thought Christ worthy of respect, they would not sit still, but take pains in the seeking of him. The idle and evil servant are joined together : Mat. xxv. 26, ' Thou wicked and slothful servant ! ' The wicked will be slothful ; and as idleness and sin are joined together, so idleness and destruction : Prov. i. 32, ' Ease slayeth the fool,' so it is in the margin, or, ' The turning away of the simple shall slay them.' Men perish by resting in their slight wishes ; they would have Christ, but they would not take the pains to get him. Certainly a man valueth the report of Christ at a low rate when he doth not think it worthy of a few thoughts, and a little time to consider it. You know what Christ saith, Mat. xi. 12, ' From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven sufifereth violence, and the violent take it by force,' They close with the gospel, which is called the kingdom of God there, that pursue it with a great deal of earnestness and fervour of spirit. This is the next hindrance, an easy slightness.
[3.] A careless security. They are not won to believe in Christ, be- cause they think themselves well enough without him. Most cannot endure to look beyond their present condition. A false heart is so far from knowing the worst of its own condition, that it will not so much as suppose a time will come in which it may be miserable. Oh ! think upon changes ; rouse up your souls with the sense of your danger ! If you lull your souls asleep, you may awake in flames ; even the gospel is peremptory in this kind : Mark xvi. 16, ' He that believeth not shall be damned.' It will not be always with you as now. Oh ! cry out, then. Do I believe ? If men would not put away all thoughts of their eternal condition, they would see a greater need of Christ than now they do. What a strange thing is it to keep the thoughts of that from our heart, which we cannot possibly deliver our souls from hereafter, to wdt, endless eternity ! — to be witty to deceive our own souls, to invent shifts that we may put far away the evil day ! A man doth not care for things till he wanteth them, no, not for the best things, the comforts of Christ, the joys of the Spirit. While we have outward comforts we care not for inward, because we have a false conceit that our comforts will still continue with us: Luke xii. 19, ' Soul, thou hast much goods
200 A TRACTICAL EXPOSITION UPON [ISA. LIII. 1,
laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.' He woiikl not so much as suppose they might be taken from him tliat night. A man's peace may be tried by this. Secure hearts cannot endure to think of danger. Though believers think of danger, yet they think more of Christ. They consider their misery, and so are directed to a remedy against it. Others, though they cannot j)ut away the evil day, they put it oat of their thoughts, and Labour to make the most of the workl they can. Briefly, that security is a hindrance is plain, because the number of believers is increased by those that have least to trust to in the world, and so are necessarily engaged to a consideration of their misery, and a want of something that may stand them in stead at the end of their days: James ii. 5, ' Hath God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith ? ' And yet the poor may be secure ; they have their pleasures and vain thoughts to make them forget their sorrows.