346 AX ExrosiTiON, with notes, [Ver. 21.
worship is performed perfunctorily, and in a careless, stupid manner ; sin confessed without remorse and sense of the wrong done to God ; prayer made for spiritual blessings without desire of obtaining ; wrath deprecated without any fear of the danger ; intercession for others without any sympathy or brotherly love ; thanks given without any esteem of the benefits or affection to God in the remembrance of them ; conference of holy things is either none at all, or very slight and care- less ; hearing without attention ; reading without a desire of profit ; singing without any delight or melody of heart. All this is but the just account of a heart declining in the love of God.
NoAv as you love your souls beware of this great evil. To this end —
1. Be ' rooted and grounded in love/ Eph. iii. 17. Do not content yourselves with flashes and good moods and meltings at a sermon, but get solid grace and thorough experiences : glances and sudden affec- tions will come to nothing, Mat. xiii. 4, 5, with xx. 21. A tree that hath taken root is in less danger of withering.
2. Increase and grow in love, 1 Thes. iv. 10. Nothing conducetli to a decay more than contentment with what we have received ; every day you should love sin less, self less, world less, but Christ more and more.
3. Observe the first declinings, for these are the causes of all the rest. Evil is best stopped in the beginning ; if, when we first began to grow careless, we had taken heed, then it would never have come to this. A heavy body moving downward, vires acqicint eundo, it gathers strength by running, and still moveth faster and faster. Look then to your first breaking off from God, and remitting your watch and spiritual fervour ; it is easier to crush the egg than to kill the serpent. He tliat keepeth a house in constant repair prevents the ruin and fall of it ; stop every hole and chink before the mischief spread further.
4. Plead with thy heart. The highest degree of love doth not answer the dignity of Christ, nor the duty that we owe to him ; he is to be loved with ' all the soul, and all the heart, and all the might.' It is a disgrace to him to give him less ; surely he looketh to be much loved again who hath loved us so entirely, and ' translated us out of darkness into marvellous light.'
5. In case of decay, take the advice the Holy Ghost hath given you, Eev. ii. 5, where three things are required — (1.) Consideration; (2.) Humihation ; (3.) Reformation.
[1.] Consideration : ' Remember whence thou art fallen,' ponder the case. In examination we compare ourselves and the law together, but in this recollection ourselves and ourselves together. Sadly con- sider then what a difference there is between thee and thyself, recall former experiences, and say as Job, chap. xxix. 2, 3, ' Oh ! that I were as in months past, in the days when God preserved me, when his candle shined on my head.' Or as the church, Hosea ii. 7, ' It was better with me than now.' In our serious sequestration and retirements we should have such thoughts as these are : — I was wont to spend some time every daj'' with God ; I remember when it was a delight to me to think of him ; now I have no heart to pray or meditate, no relish of communion with his blessed majesty ; it was the joy of my soul to be at an ordinance, the returns of the Sabbath were welcome to me ; but now
VeR. 21.] UrOX THE EPISTLE OF JUDE. 347
what a weariness is it ! Time was when I had sweet experiences, and the graces of God's Spirit were more lively in me, but now all is dead and inefficacious; time was when a vain thought was burdensome imto me, but now I can away with sinful actions ; time was when the mispence of ordinary time was a grief unto my soul, now I can spend the Sabbath unprofitably and never be troubled, «S:c. Thus should you consider your estate.
[2.] Humifiation, intimated in the word ' repent.' It is not enough to know yourselves fallen ; many are convinced of their collapsed and decayed estate, but do not judge themselves for it in God's presence. Go, bewail it to God, smite upon the thigh, praying for pardon. That is the notion of the word repent here. It is not enough to repent of gross whoredom, theft, drunkenness ; we must repent also of the decays of love. The blind world thinketh we are to repent of nothing but what is publicly odious. In friendship, coldness is taken for a great injury. Go, arraign thyself before God for growing cold in his love and service.
[3.] Keformation : ' Do thy first works.' We must not spend the time in idle complaints. Many are sensible that do not repent ; some may repent that do not reform ; you must not be quiet till you recover your former station. Christ puts Peter upon a treble profes- sion, because of his treble denial, John xxi. 17.