2. Stupid dulness and cold indifferency in heavenly things : their
358 SERMONS UPON MATTHEW XXV. [SeK. IV.
want of zeal and cheerfulness in holy duties; they go about them heavily: dull of hearing, Mat. xiii. 5; cold in prayer, when they should be fervent and effectual, James v. 6. In all things we show forth a heartless formality. Grace is asleep in the soul, and thence cometh a sleepy profession, a sleepy hearing, a sleepy praying, a sleepy receiving. The word, that was wont to be as burning coals, leaveth no impression, Luke xxiv. 32. Your whole converse with the living God is cold and dead-hearted. In such a condition a man heareth as if he heard not, and prayeth as if he prayed not, and receiveth as if he received not, and mourns for sin as if he mourned not, and rejoiceth in God as if he rejoiced not, looks after heaven and heavenly things as if he sought them not ; and so brings little honour to God, and little profit and comfort to his own soul.
3. Tedious irksomeness in God's service. They grow weary of the ways of God : Mai. i. 13, ' Behold, what a weariness is it ! ' Amos viii. 5, ' When will the new moons be over, and the sabbath past ? ' Shall God do so great things for us in Christ, and shall anything which God hath commanded be grievous to us ? How unkind is this ! Neither have we a hard master, nor hath he enjoined us tedious work, but all our duties have a sweetness in them : Micah vi. 3, ' Do not my words do good ? ' You carry it so as if God did not deal well with his people, or were not easy to be served. His com- mands are not grievous, and his yoke is easy ; trials sent by him not above measure, his corrections not above our deserving ; therefore win- should we snuff at his service ? Weariness and repining at God's service is an ill sign. God loveth and requireth a willing people. This weariness, though it doth not make us wholly abandon God's service, yet it makes us slight it, and mind it no more than how to get it over any way. Oh ! take heed, then, of growing weary of religion, and attending on the duties thereof ; to look upon these as distractions, or matters by the by, or interruptions of the work we would be upon. They are led much by sense and carnality that esteem nothing but what yieldeth pleasure to the sense, or gratifieth the outward man.
4. Forgetfulness of changes, and vain dreams of worldly happiness. When we have a carnal pillow to rest upon, we fall asleep, Ps. xxx. 6, 7. A Christian should sit loose from all earthly things. There was leaven in the thank-offering. We should be content to dwell in booths as the Israelites : Ps. xxxix. 5, ' Surely every man in his best estate is vanity/
5. Carnal complacency. The peace and pleasure which you live upon is fetched more from the world than from God and heaven ; and you live in quietness of mind, not so much from the belief of the love of God in Christ, and the hope of heaven, as because you feel your- selves well in your bodily estate, and live at ease and in prosperity in the world, and have something grateful to the flesh, Luke xii. 19-21. Oh ! that soul is in a dangerous condition, when the world is so pleas- ing and lovely to it, that it can take contentment and delight in it without God, or apart from God. To many worldly prosperity is so sweet, that it can keep them quiet under the guilt of wilful sins. When you have your heart's desire for a while, you can forget eternity,
VER. 5.] SERMONS UPON MATTHEW XXV. 359
or bear those thoughts with security which otherwise would amaze your souls.
Secondly, Motives.
1. Your enemy watcheth ; the devil is never asleep, 1 Peter v. 8 ; he observeth you in all postures, and watcheth all possible advan- tages against the children of God ; and will not you stand upon your guard and look about you ?
2. If you sleep you hazard yourselves to the whip, or God's severe correction, Hosea v. 15. God findeth out many times a very smart rod to whip lazy drowsy saints to their duty. He will not suffer grace to rust in his children. Your awakening will be sad. God sent a tempest after Jonah. Some sharp cross or other will fall upon us.
3. The eyes of many are upon us, and shall we be slumbering and sleeping ? 1 Cor. iv. 9, ' We are made a spectacle to the world, angels, and men.' Miscarriages will tend to God's dishonour.
4. When grace is asleep, sin breaketh loose. There is no sin but a man is exposed to in a secure estate : therefore the devil laboureth as much as he can to cast us into this temper. When David walked at ease on the top of his house, little did he know the evil of his own heart, and the danger of the temptation.
5. Every lesser indisposition, that hindereth any degree of com- munion with God, should be grievous to the children of God. If we do not take heed to the beginnings of sins, further mischief will ensue, when temptations are near, importunate, and constant. Little sticks set green ones on fire ; when the thatch once taketh fire, it is hard to quench it ; therefore we should not rest in such a temper.