1. Beff the Spirit of Christ. You know the Holy Spirit is full of life and strength ; it is a Spirit of light and comfort and whatsover is good. The Spirit of God is like the wind ; as it is subtle in operation and invisible, so it is strong and mighty, it bears all before it. Oh ! therefore, get this blessed Spirit to enlighten thee, to quicken thee, to support thee, &c., and it will carry thy soul courageously along, above all oppositions and discoiu'agements whatsoever in the way to happiness.
2. Get likeunse the particular r/races of the Spirit, which will much cheer thee in thy Christian course. Above all, labour for a spirit of humility. An humble man is fit to do or sutler anything. A proud man is like a gouty hand, or a swelled arm, vmfit for any Clii'istian performance ; he is not in a state to do good ; but an humble man is thankful that God will honour him so far as to let him suffer for the cause of Christ. He is wondrous empty and vile in his own eyes, and admires * why God should reserve such infinite matters for so base a worm as he is.
When Christ would have us take his yoke upon us, he advises us ' to learn of him to be meek and lowly,' &c., Mat. xi. 29. Some might say, This yoke is heavy, it will pinch me and gall me. No, saith our Saviour, it shall be very light and easy. But how shall I get it to be so ? Why ! get but an humble and meek spirit, and that will bring rest to your souls.
3. Again, labour for a spirit of love. ' Love is strong as death,' Cant. viii. 6 ; it will carry us through aU. The love of Christ in the martyrs, when the fire was kindled about them, made them despise all torments whatsoever. This will warm our hearts and make us go cheerfully to work. Let but a spirit of love be kindled in God's child, and it is no matter what he suffers ; cast him into the fii'e, cast him into the dungeon, into prison, whatsoever it be, he hath that kindled in his heart, which will make him digest anything. W^e see the disciples, when they had the Spirit of Christ within them to warm their hearts, what cared they for whipping, or stocks, &c. ? You see even base, carnal love will make a man endure poverty, dis- grace, what not ! and shall not this fire that comes from heaven, when it is once kindled in our hearts, prevail much more ? What will make our passage to heaven sweet if this will not ? Nothing is grievous to a person that loves.
4. Exercise your hope likewise.. Set before j'our eyes the crown and king- dom of heaven ; those admirable things contained in the word of God, which no tongue can express. Let hope feed upon these delicates ; cast anchor in heaven, and see if it will not make thee go on cheerfully in a Christian course.
Faith will overcome the icorld : all the snares of prosperity that would hinder us on the right hand. Faith, it presents things of a higher natm-e to the soul ; better than they. Faith likewise overcomes temptations on the * That is, ' wonders.' — G.
400 THE Dlii^ICULTY UF SALVATION.
left hand ; all terrors and discomforts whatsoever. It considers these are nothing to ' the teri'or of the Lord,' 2 Cor. v. 11. Therefore ' faith is called the evidence of things not seen,' Heb. xi. 1, because it presents things that are absent as present to the soul. If life and happiness be once tmly pre- sented to our hearts, what can all the world do to hinder oui* passage thither ?
5. Lastly, we should much endeavour the mortification of our lusts; for what is it that makes the way to heaven irksome unto us ? Is it not this corrupt and proud flesh of ours, which will endure nothing, no, not the weight of a straw, but is all for ease and quiet, &c. ? It is not duty which makes our way diificult, ' for it was meat and drink to Christ, to do the will of his Father,' John iv. 34.
Quest. Why is it not so with us ?
Ans. Because he was born without sin. When Satan came he found nothing of his own in him ; but when he solicits us, he linds a correspon- dency betwixt our corrupt hearts and himself, whereby having intelligence what we haunt, and what we love, he will be sure to molest us. The less we have of the works of Satan in us, the less will be om* trouble ; and the more we do the will of God, and strive against our corruptions, the more will be our comfort. This will make holy duties delightful to us ; but if we favoiu- and cherish corruption, it will make religion harsh. For the ways of wisdom are ways of pleasure in themselves, and to the regenerate, &c. I come now to the second clause.
' Where shall the sinner and ungodly ajjpear?'
What he means by sinner. By sinner he means him that makes a trade of sin. As we say, a man is of such a trade, because he is daily at work of it, and lives by it, so a man is a trader in sin, that lives in corrupt courses. For it is not one act that denominates a sinner, but the constant practice of his life.