[2.] Another reason why we press wicked men to do duty, is that they may manifest their obedience to God by meeting him in his own way. This is the way of God's working, by antecedaneous acts to fit us for grace, therefore the act must be done ; for though we have lost our power, God hath not lost his right. It is true, we can never do anything with acceptation, yet still we are bound to be doing ; as a drunken servant is obliged to do his master's work, though he hath disabled himself for it. So our nature had a power, though our persons were never invested with it; our disability will not disobhge us; so, though there be no hope of succeeding, yet we are bound to do. So Peter, though there were no fish come to hand, yet howbeit at thy command we will cast out the net. Wait at the pool ; impotency can be no excuse for neglect.
[3.] That they may manifest their desires, men say usually they
100 . SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XI. [SeR. XXVII
have no power when they have no heart. He that hath a mind to the pearl of price, he will be doing, though he can do nothing acceptable ; his desires being the vigorous bent of the soul will put him upon endeavours. It is a usual way to pretend impotency, as a cover of laziness ; but now neglect of means shows that the impossibility is voluntary ; when we do not what we are able, it is a sign that we love our bondage. A carnal man cannot please God ; why ? because he minds earthly things ; the heart is carried out that way, and will not be subject to God, Kom. viii. 7, 8. Men prefer the world before God, and content themselves with some lazy wishes, and then think to cast the blame upon God. A wicked man is to be doing to show his desires are real : Prov. xxi. 25, ' The desire of the slothful killeth him : for his hands refuse to labour ; ' he hath but some sluggish wishes, that serve only unprofitably to vex the soul.
[4.] We put wicked men upon doing, because our endeavours are the condition sine qua tion ; without this the Lord seldom meets with the creature : Kom. x. 14, ' How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard ? ' If ever I find Christ, I must find him in this way of hearing and praying. Though the means have no effective influence, yet without these I cannot come to Christ : Acts xiii. 46, ' Since ye put away the word from you, and judge ourselves unworthy of eternal life ; ' it is meant there of a refusal and neglect of the means ; they save God the labour, and pass sentence upon themselves. There is no having of children but in a state of marriage. Now men marry, though the rational soul be infused by God ; and so there is no having of grace but in the use of means, therefore we should use them, though still grace be the gift of God. We do not say it is in vain to marry, because man cannot beget the soul ; so it is not in vain to hear and pray, though these things have no effectual influence : these are the means, without which God will not give it.
[5.] If men do not do something, they will grow worse and worse ; standing pools are apt to putrify. Man is of an active nature, never at a stay, but either growing better or worse ; and when we do not improve nature, we deprave it — ' They corruj)t themselves in what they know,' Jude 10. Voluntary neglects draw on penal hardness ; and so our natural disability is increased. Much sin and hardness would be prevented by the use of means — ' Thou wicked and slothful servant,' Mat. XXV. 26. A slothful servant soon becomes an evil servant, and barren trees will soon become rotten trees, Jude 12 ; where ordinances are neglected, we draw penal hardness upon ourselves.
[6.] It is good to make trial upon a common hope ; it may be, you may meet with God. The apostle puts Simon Magus upon prayer out of a bare probability : Acts viii. 22, ' Pray to God, if perhaps the thoughts of thy heart may be forgiven thee ; ' though it be great uncertainty, a peradventure, and a thousand to one ; yet pray, it is the safest course. As the lepers, 2 Kings vii. 3, 4, ' They said one to another. Why sit we here until we die ? If we say, We will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there ; and if we sit, still here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us fall to the host of the Syrians ; if they save us alive we shall live, and if they kill us we shall but die.' Such reasoning there usually is when God brings sinners home ; if we do nothing, we are sure to die ; if we pray
VeR. 6.] SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XI. 101