VOL. XIII. 2 F
450 SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XI. [SeR. XIII.
the carriaj^e of a duty, when we come off roundly, when parts have their free course and career ; and this not only in public, where we hsive an advantage to discover our parts with applnnse, but many times in private intercourses between God and our souls, to which no eye is con- scious. Wlien a man is conceited of his gifts and abilities, he may delight in the exercise of them. Whatever we have, the worth of it is known in the exercise ; especially gifts, for they are of the nature of those things that are nrpo^ aWo, not for enjoyment, but use. There- fore a man that hath a high conceit of his gifts for praying, preaching, and conference may take a carnal delight in the exercise of them. Nature takes delight in the exercise of its own gifts ; as when parts are vigorous, the tongue can speak much and well, invention is quick and fresh. A man feedeth his own pride by the excellency of speech.
[2.] There may be some gi-ief for the defects of duty which yet is not rigiit : as when the heart is troubled for outward defects ratlier than inward, for weakness and brokenness of exjii-ession rather than deadness of spirit, and w^e look more to the liveliness and freshness of parts than of graces. It is true God should be served with all we have, with the vigour of parts as well as the exercise of grace ; and therefore it is just matter of grief to a child of God when he cannot have his senses exer- cised, and nature is not ready to serve grace. But I say wlien we are only troubled for outward defects, for deficiency or lameness of parts and do not look at the exercise of grace, the heai't is not right with God. There may be a great deal of hardness of heart and flatness of affections when parts are quick and fresh, but then the heart is not troubled; as a man may be copious in confession, and declaim against sin with much ornament and passionateness of s])eech, and yet he is not touched, though he findeth no acts of spiritual shame and remorse. Should we but confess half so much to man against oui'selves as we do against God, and should we implead ourselves at the bar of men as we do at the bar of God, there would be greater exei'cise of remorse. But we are not ashamed when we represent our case before God. And if a man should be ashamed of the filthiness of his life, it should be rather in confession before God than man ; for man is but his guilty fellow- creature. On the contrary, the heart may be truly affected when the language is troubled and broken, and there may be much vehemency of spirit when we cannot find words to give it vent to (^od. We read Moses cried to God, and yet of no words he spake, Kxod. viii. 12. And the Spirit's assistance is not to give us words, but he helps our infirmities with sighs and groans, Rom. viii. 26. There is a language in sighs and groans ; they make the best melody in the ears of God, even when the speech is troubled and broken.
5. It is not enough to make conscience of the duties that we perform. Natural men may engage in the acts of wctrship upon the mere en- forcement of natural conscience; as the mariners in their distress 'called every one upon his God,' Jonah i. 5 : it is but a carnal piinciple and impulse. Now because it is a hard matter to distinguish the workings of natural conscience from the workings of grace, I shall give you some notes. When we work out of natural conscience, it may be discerned several ways.
VeK. 4.1 SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XI. 451
[1.] It usually smites for total omissions, not for spiritual neglects and perfunctory performances. There will be restless accusations in the heart if a man totally omit duty ; but the conscience doth not smite for customariness of spirit in praying and hearing.
[2.] Natural conscience works chiefly by the means of slavish fear, by the terror and awe that it impresseth upon the spirit. Faith works by love, but natural conscience works by fear; and so the working of it may be known, because it is altogether from the threatenings in the word, as faith doth from the promises and mercies of God: Kom. xii. 1, 'I beseech you, brethren, by the mercies of God,' &c. Natural conscience works from hell, and from our own disquiet. Faith carrieth a man out of himself, and casts all his actions and affections into the mould of the word ; but carnal men are forced to it by the rack of their own thoughts, and considerations taken from hell and toruient. It is true we must believe the threatenings of the word as well as the promises ; but love hath the greatest stroke in all their duties : 2 Cor. V. 11, 'Knowing therefore the terrors of the Lord, we persuade men.' That wa« one reason which did engage him to faithfulness in preaching the woi'd ; compare it with ver. 14, ' The love of Christ constraineth us.'