7. Consider that all things in the christian religion are transcending and high, and call for somewhat more than ordinary. There are great obligations, holy precepts, rich advantages, glorious hopes. Great obli- gations : God was devising what he should give us, and in the covenant he hath given us himself, and could give us no greater thing ; he gave
SERMONS UPON TITUS II. 11-14. 289
US his Son to die for us, and his Spirit, and with Christ he hath given us all things. It should constrain and urge us more than it doth : 2 Cor. V. 14, 15, ' For the l^Ve of Christ constraiueth us, because we thus judge, that if 'one died for all, then were all dead ; and that he died for all, that they which live, should not henceforth live unto them- selves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.' What a poor requital is the best that we can do ! We have too many mercies, as too much wood puts^out the fire. God's love is gone to the utter- most, therefore we should not be cold and careless, but double our diligence in the work of God. Then we have rich advantages, the supplies of the Spirit. A poor heathen may torture and rack his brain how to find out a remedy for sin ; some of them, because they could not mortify a lust, hanged themselves, and some put out their eyes, and oft'ered violence to nature. Oh ! but we have a mighty Spirit. Mark ! there is not only a person of the godhead to meiit our salvation, but a person of the godhead to work it out. Next to the gift of Christ, we have the gift of the Spirit. Oh ! it should be a shame, that when we have such a keen sword to cut the throat of our lusts, that we act so faintly, use it so feebly, and are no more valiant. And then what pure and excellent precepts have we in the christian religion, reaching not only to the act, but the very aim* to the intents and thoughts and secret workings of the heart : Ps. xix. 7, ' The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.' And not only to the sin, but to the lust : ' Thy commandment is exceeding broad,' Ps. cxix. 96. Then we have glorious hopes. The scriptures, that are a perfect rule in all other cases, yet herein they profess their imperfectipn : 1 Cor. xiii. 9, ' We prophesy but in part,' words not fit and great enough to tell us of our hopes : 2 Cor. iv. 17, ' Our light affiiction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,' Kad' vTrep^oXrjv eU vTrep/SoXrjv. It is the highest strain and reach of fancy. In all other things the garment of fancy is too great for the body where- with it is to be clothed. Fancy never takes a light measure of things ; but the highest suppositions are too short to express the greatness of those hopes that are provided for you. And then for the dreadful punishments ; we are told of a worm that never dies, of a fire that shall never be quenched, of a pit without a bottom, of torments that are without end, and without ease. 0,ur hearts are filled with horror when we do but think of these things : and shall we not barn now with zeal for God, when we are in danger of burning in hell-fire for ever hereafter ? If now we are cold and slow in good works, it were the most incon- gruous thing in the world, where there is such a high elevation of duty and comfort. The whole scriptures are formed to elevate these things to the highest pitch, that we may not be backward and slow in the christian religion. All things are sublime, and therefore call for some- thing more than ordinary.
8. Consider the great danger of coldness both to ourselves and others. To ourselves ; where there is no zeal, there will be decay : Prov. xviii. 9, ' He also that is slothful in work is brother to him that is a great waster.' Not to go forward is to go backward. Standing pools cor- rupt ; as a man that rows against the tide and stream, if he doth not ply the oar, he will lose ground, and be carried away apace ; so if we
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290 SERMONS UPON TITUS 11. 11-14. [SeR. XXII.
be not zealous we cannot stand and keep our ground, there will be a decay. Bernard observes to this purpose, that all the angels in Jacob's ladder were either ascending or descending ; there is no stay, but either going up or going down. When they lose their first love, their zeal is gone : Eev. ii. 4, 5, ' Thou hast left thy first love. Eemember there- fore whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do thy first works.' What is the reason men grow weary of truth, weary of holiness, weary of prayer, ordinances? They do not keep up a con.stant diligence. First they lost their zeal, they became indifferent, cold, and careless, then off goes the service of God ; first their love, and then their works. So consider the danger of it to others. Men grow formal by imitation. When christians high in profes.sion grow formal, cold and careless, this makes their neighbours so. There is nothing hardens more than a cold pro- fessor ; it makes men sit upon their lees. Mortified and strict christians upbraid others by their example. A man cannot come into the company of a mortified strict christian but his heart will upbraid and shame him. And therefore if in this general decay we have learned deadness and formality one of another, let us strive now who shall be most forward in the ways of grace : Heb. x. 24, ' Let us consider one another, to provoke to love and good works.' You shall see, in the times when idolatry was like to go down, Isa. xli. 6, 7, ' They helped every one his neighbour, and every one said to his brother. Be of good courage ; so the carpenter encouraged the goldsmith, and he that smootheth with the hammer him that smote the anvil,' &c. They were strengthening one another to plead for their shrines, and to get up their pictures and idols again, that their trade might not go down. Thus idolaters hold in a string. Oh ! what* a religious correspondency should there be in the children of God. When the power of godliness is like to decay and go down, how should we strengthen and encourage one another and provoke one another by holy example to be more zealous, that we may not contract the guilt of their deadne.ss and formality !