[3.] Activity in duties. That we may honour Christ : 1 Peter ii. 4, 5, ' To whom coming as a living stone, ye also as lively stones are built up into a spiritual house.' Christ liveth, and we live by him, as the stones in the building carry a proportion with the corner-stone ; so Christians as the body with the head. It must needs be so, because of God's Spirit dwelling in us, Ezek. xxxvi. 27- ; John vii. 37 ; and because of the graces in a Christian — faith and love. Faith working by love is the great evidence of the new creature. If faith and love be strong, it will quicken us to do much for God ; the apprehension of faith doth enliven our notions of God, Christ, heaven, and hell ; faith puts life into our thoughts of him. Love is a notable pleader and urger : 2 Cor. v. 14, ' The love of Christ constraineth us/ &c.
Secondly, The reasons why, &c.
1. They that have so much to do with God do see a need of it; for he is a living God, and will be served in a lively manner : Horn, xii. 11, ' Not slothful in business, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.' They that serve the Lord ; negatively, must not be slothful in business ; affirmatively, fervent in spirit. God will not be served negligently, coldly, but with life and earnestness : ' The twelve tribes served God iv etcrevelq, instantly,' Acts xxvi. 7 ; instantly serving God with the uttermost of their strength. He that hath a right to our all must have our best ; surely he will not be put off with every slight thing. Now the children of God, that are sensible of this, are earnest for quickening, that they may serve God in such a way as becometh him, with life and power and zeal ; for the manner in every duty is to be regarded as well as the matter. A man may do many things that are good, but there is no life in what he doth. He prayeth, but without any life in prayer, dead in prayer ; heareth, but no life in hearing, dull of hearing. All things in a Christian may be counterfeited, but life cannot be counterfeited, that cannot be painted.
2. They are acquainted with themselves, and observe the frame and posture of their own spirits. Now they that know themselves will see a need of quickening —
[1.] Because of the instability and changeable frame of man's heart ;
VER. 149.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 87
it hardly stayeth long in the same state ; now it is up, and anon it is down, as the constant experience of the saints witnesseth. Sometimes they have a forwardness and strong propension of heart to that which is good, at other times a loathness and dulness or unfitness to perform any spiritual service, when their will is more remiss and their affec- tions unbent. It is not indeed the constant frame of their hearts, yet it is a disease incident to the saints ; even good men may feel a slow- ness of heart to comply with the will of God, and some hanging off from duty. Spontanece lassiiudhies sunt signa imminentis morbi. So is this laziness and backwardness of spirit a sign of some great spiritual distemper. Sometimes they are carried with great largeness of heart, and full sail of affections ; at other times they are in bonds and straits, that they cannot pour out their hearts before God : Ps. lxxvii. 4, ' I am so troubled that I cannot speak.' Sometimes they have great life and vigour, at other times no such lively stirrings, but are flat and cold and dead ; when, with Samson, they think to go forth and shake themselves as at other times, Judges xvi. 20, by sad experience they find that their locks are gone, that their understand- ings are lean, sapless, and their affections cold, and their delight and vigour lost. Man is a sinful, weak, inconstant creature ; his heart is as unstable as water : and much of this levity and instability remaineth with us after grace, as is seen in the various postures of spirit that we are under.
[2.] Because of the constant opposition of the flesh. There is an opposite principle in our hearts, Gal. v. 17 ; the body of death that dwelleth in us doth always resist the life of the spirit in us ; and therefore God must renew the influences of his grace to preserve life. There are desires against desires, and delights against delights ; this must needs abate our vigour. The spirit draweth one way, the flesh another. It is drawing : James i. 14, ' Every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed/ It is depressing : Heb. xii. 1, ' Seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us/ Carnal affections hang as a weight, retarding us in our heavenly flight and motions. It is warring : Eom. vii. 23, ' I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin/ And therefore the Lord had need to cherish the new creature and good seed, which cannot but be weakened with this opposition.