Joash was a good king so long as Jehoiada lived.* Many seem to be good, so long as those in authority are good ; but if they die once, all good goes away with them. But a good Christian is ever good ; and in all * Cf. 2 ciirou. xxiv. 2.— Ed,
8 THE CURISTIAN WORK.
places, occasions, companies, ho will bo liko himself. Thus much of the second thing in ^the manner. Now for the third.
(3.) He says, ' Work out.' The word signifies, with toil to labour. So in the 0th of St John's gospel, ' Labour not for the meat that perishcth.' It is a good saying, no perfunctory thing can please God. To this end as Seneca says (a), of performing of duties natural ; so in religious duties there is required, first, a right judgment of the nature of the things we do ; secondly, an atl'ection to do it ; and thh'dly, that ati'ection must be propor- tionable to the worth of the things we do, else what do we ; yea, as good not do it at all. And therefore the Scripture to every part of God's worship adds words of intention : ' Take heed how you hear,' Mark iv. 24 ; 'so run,' 1 Cor. ix. 2-i ; ' pray fervently in spirit,' Rom. xii. 11 ; 'give cheer- fully,' 2 Cor. ix. 7 ; ' repent throughly,' Acts xvii. 30. So that our aflection must be proportionable to the thing we are about, serious in good. A thorough serious prayer is worth a thousand perfunctory ; and one doctrine well digested and applied, worth all the rest, be they never so many, if they be done slightly ; and the rather are we to look to this duty, for that the devil is busy in such duties to withdraw thy mind, and to steal away the seed sown. The poor husbandman lost three parts of his seed. Many feel such flashes of comfort while they hear the word, as they could wish they might be dissolved at that present ; but being gone, pleasures, profits, and such like, take away and choke the seed sown. Many there are that will play or recreate themselves with all their might ; but when they come to pray, instead of all their sinful life, think the saying of ' Lord, have mercy upon me,' or ' I am a sinner,' or such like, make even all accounts between God and their consciences. Those that are and will be Christians indeed, they see what they ought to do, and how they are to perform duties. They shall find themselves to be no losers, but gainers at the end ; for by performing of things in this manner they shall strengthen the assurance of their salvation to themselves more and more. For God punisheth such slighting of duties justlj^ with slight assurance, and with many doubtings of salvation and of their secure estate. Well, the next thing to be considered in the manner of working is ; —
(4.) Foui'thly, It must be constant, not like the morning dew, or Lot's wife that looked back. For religion is a living and trade. It must be maintained with continuance in labour, and working in a constant course of goodness ' all the days of our life,' saith Zacharias' song, Luke i. 75. ' Father,' saith Christ, ' I have finished the work thou gavest me,' John xvii. 4. He never left till all was finished. ' It is finished,' saith Christ on the cross, John xix. 80 ; and the apostle, ' I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course,' 2 Tim. iv. 7, and then he speaks of ' a crown of righteousness,' 2 Tim. iv. 8. The want of this makes many die in extreme grief. They wish they had done such and such things, when it is too late. To this end we must come with a resolution not to be scared from performance of duties, and therefore to furnish ourselves with patience. For we must meet with many discouragements from without and within. Brethren, saith the apostle, ' you have need of patience,' Heb. x. 36. For ' you shall reap if you faint not,' Gal. vi. 9. And then consider that all promises of a crown are made to such as are sincere. ' To him that over- cometh,' saith John, ' I will give,' &c.. Rev. iii. 21. ' He that endures to the end shall be saved,' saith Christ, Mat. x. 22. Many decay in their first love, and God justly suifers them to fall into many gross sins, and he vomits up such as are grown cold.
THE CHRISTIAN WORK. 9
(5.) The fifth thing in the manner is, that it must tend to salvation. We must go on in a constant course of goodness till we come, and that we may come, to the end of our faith. Let this end, viz., salvation, make you work in the duties of grace. For salvation is begun here ; and the state of grace here is called salvation, even as well as the state hereafter.
The doctrine is, that all which we do here owjiu to tend to the assurance of salvation.
We say in nature that all conclusions are to he reduced to their prin- ciples. So is Christianity. All is to be referred to our salvation as to a main principle ; those things that tend directly to salvation to be done in the first place, and most especially. And then other works, they must tend the same way, for all works that are good, do either express holiness, or increase it in us ; and thereby they increase our own salvation, as in our ordinary callings, if we perform them in obedience to God constantly, it expresses the gifts and graces of God's Spirit in us. Do we sanctify them by prayer ? Do we refer all the good to the good of those amongst whom we live, especially to the good of the faithful ? This strengthens the assurance of our salvation, and tells us that God's Spirit is in us. The poorest servant in his drudgery, he serves God if he does it as in the presence of God, Col. iii. 24. The poor woman, in bearing and bringing up of children, shall be saved ; that is, notwithstanding that sentence, ' that in sorrow and pains she should conceive,' yet her salvation is no whit hindered thereby, but rather furthered. So that it is grace that elevates earthly works, and makes them heavenly.