VeR. 4.J SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XI. *i47
* Should I weep in the fifth month, separating myself, as I have done these so many years ? ' Mark the reason and impulse ; for the under- standing of which you must know that the Jews in the fifth month kept a day for the temple ; for you shall see, 2 Kings xxv. 8, 9, the destruc- tion of the temple happened at that time, therefore every seventh day in the fifth month they kept an anniversary fast in rememhrance of the temple; but now they were returned from their captivity, and the temple re-edified, and God's service restored, and yet they make it a solemn case whether they should do it, because they had done it these many years. Men are loth to quit a custom in religion, though the reason of it be gone ; for they look more to the practice of men than the nature of the ordinance. As some of our ceremonies were first practised upon special occasion in the primitive church, though others came in afterwards by superstition and corruption, yet when the reason is gone, men would continue the rite, and are loth to quit their old custom, and think worship is suppressed with a vain rite because this is the main principle which puts them upon work, practice, and custom.
Tliirdly, Carnal impulses will add force and vigour to the perform- ance. The ordinances of God may conduce to some end that suiteth with corrupt nature, and upon that account and reason men will be earnest and busy.
There are two carnal ends upon which men act in duties of religion — vainglory and secular advantage.
1. Vainglory. Men join with the people of God in actions of wor- ship that they may have occasion to discover their parts with the more applause. The apostle speaks of some that ' preached the gospel out of envy,' Phil. i. 15 ; to rival the apostle in his esteem, that they might set up their own worth. And that is the reason why the apostle would not have novices or young men called to the oflice of public teaching : 1 Tim. iii. 6, ' Isot a novice, lest, being lifted up with pride, he fall into the condemnation of the devil,' that is, lest, being unmortified, they should debauch the ordinances of God to the service of their own pride and ambitious affectation. That vainglory is a main principle to put men upon praying, preaching, conference, or any duty wherein there is some exercise of gifts, is clear, because in public duties that are open, and liable to the observance of others, men put forth themselves with the greatest vigour, quickness, and strength; whereas in private addresses to God they are more slight and careless. A christian is best tried and exercised in private and secret intercourses between God and his soul ; where they spread theh' own case before God, there they enjoy most communion with God, therefore there they find most quickening and enlargement. A man cannot so well taste his spirit, and discern the working of it in public addresses, because other men's concernments and necessities are taken up in prayer, and he cannot be so affected as in his own case. Besides when the address is directly to God, he should have our best, for certainly he bids most for our affections. What is the applause of men to the inward approbation of God, sealed up to us by the testimony of the Spirit ? What is vainglory to eternal glory ? 2. Another carnal principle is secular aims and advantages. It is the great wisdom of God to mingle our concernments with his own ; else few would mind religion, and exercise their gifts for the benefit of
448 SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XI. [SeR. XIII.
tlie church. Carnal fuel keeps in the fire of most men's devotions. I say God hath so coupled our interest with his own, that in duties most are swayed with a carnal bias and secular respect, and they go of their own errand, out of a mere carnal respect, to gratify their private interest, when they pretend most to do God's business ; as those that ' followed Christ for the loaves,' John vi. 26. Quandoquidem panis Christijam pinguis factiis est, &c. — because Christ's bread is buttered with Avorldly conveniences, religion hath many to follow it; there are esteem, honour, countenance, maintenance that follow duties of religion, therefore they are merely done with respect to those low and base ends. Duties of the first table are not costly, and most apt to be counterfeited. Christ speaks of some ' that made long prayers to devour widows' houses,' Mat. xxiii. 14. The meaning is, that they might be thought godly and con- scientious, and so be intrusted with the estates of widows and orphans, or draw contributions. Many times in holy duties invocation of the name of God is made to serve the concernment of the shop, and religion is pretended to countenance base aims. This is the great difference between a carnal and godly man : the one ])erforms all his civil duties with religious aims ; the other performs all his religious duties with secular aims. Self is the main motive of their respects to God ; and as they act in their own strength, so to their own ends.