THE CHRISTIAN WORK. 33
What shall we then think of those private devotions, wherewith many men put off God's ordinance, thinking that they can got as much good in their warm chamber by reading of books, as in the public congregation by hear- ing God's word taught ? These are fools, setting their foolish inventions against God's wisdom, as though they could tell God better means to beget and strengthen faith, than he himself can appoint. Oh, but men will say, it hinders us from our callings ; in seven years we lose a year. But dost thou not live by this word ? Shalt thou do well to be ashamed of that, and lightly esteem of that word that brings with it life and glory ? But why is this word no more esteemed ? Surely men deceive themselves with self- conceit. They think themselves good, when they are stark naught ; and that they are alive, whenas like to the Laodiceans they are dead in sin and iniquity, Eev. ii. 16, seq.
(1.) The reason hereof is, thei/ icant the Sioirit to convince them. For the Spirit convinces us of death. Where this Spirit is not, none will seek for life ; for they know not that they are dead by nature ; they believe not God's law that should convince them. No marvel then if they alFect not a change.
(2.) A second reason is, for that such men as these are carried by sense. They see they want no outward content, and for other things they think God will be merciful ; they think God loves them, for that he gives them worldly riches. There is another sort of men, and these are brought to despair ; how is it that these, seeing their misery, do not esteem of this word aright, and come to it as to the word of life ? I answer, they consider not of this word aright ; they think their sins so many as that the word cannot enlighten their darkness. To such I say, they are most fit for this word of life ; for Christ bids such come to him as are ' weary and heavy laden' with their sins, and he hath promised release. Mat. xi. 28, And he saith he came ' to bind up the broken in heart and the bruised in spirit,' Isa. Ixi. 1 ; and therefore, let such be encouraged by these and such like gracious invitations and promises to come to the word, and with attention to search into the depth of these promises made to them. But thus much of this, that the word is a word of life. Now we come to the next, that Christians must ' hold forth this word of light or life.' And this is done in speech and action, profession and confession, when they are called thereto. For every Christian is a light that must shine. WTiat use is there of light under a bushel ? Many are of contraiy judgment. They think it wisdom to be close in their profession ; in company of papists, to be popish ; of religious, to be religiously disposed. Surely this wisdom is carnal and devilish. What use is there of such light ? Thej' are like false lanthorns, which are commonly called thieves' lanthorns. They carry their light to themselves ; none is benefited thereby ; they are fit for works of darkness. Of such, Christ hath already said, ' He will hereafter be ashamed,' Mark viii. 88. Others there are inwardly one thing, outwardly another, contrary to the Christian's duty, which is to hold forth the light that he hath. And this do they, whenas in all passages of their life they are turned into the word, and cast into the mould thereof ; then it teaches us to pray, to be patient, to joy, yea, in the midst of afilictions, and to do good even to those that hate us. And if we, according as we are taught, do these things, then do we hold forth this word of life, and it will be an exceeding great comfort to us in life, in death, in all estates. It will assure us that we are transformed into the image of this word, and the holdiijg forth of this word in our lives thus, will cause a far louder report in the cars of God than all the verbal profession we can make.
VOL. V. c
84 THE CnniSTIAN WORK.
In temptation, if wo fnul ourselves even at despair, by considering the curse of the law, duo to us for our sins, if in this estate wo can apply the gospel so to us, as thereby we find comfort out of it, and such as upholds us, surety this is a great sure sign that wo are transformed ; and by this wo hold forth the power of the word, and thereby the light thereof. In the hour of death, when the devil is most busy to shake our faith, we not- withstanding are not daunted, but ground our faith on the word, and can comfortably apply that speech of St Paul, ' There is no condemnation to those that are in Christ.' We hereby do set forth the power, comfort, and truth of the word. Contrarily, those that are impatient in trouble, and puzzled with every temptation, swallowed up with fear, and shew no assur- ance of faith in them, notwithstanding the great means they have had, thesG live as though there were no word. Nay, they do in a manner slander the word in their lives, making show as if the word had no power, comfort, or strength at all in it. For our parts, let us not leave till we have digested all the promises and comfortable assurances the gospel doth everywhere lay out to us. Hereby wo shall shew ourselves far above all other men, and in all estates we shall bo the same, not moved at all. Let us be therefore thankful for this word of life, and joyful in it, and treasure it up against the evil day, setting our minds ever upon it ; let it be as a paradise to us, where the tree of life is placed. Christ in the word is as the tree of life. Ho that tasteth of this tree shall never die. By the ' first Adam ' we come to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, by woeful experience, by the which we all died, but by the second Adam we come to eat of the tree of life, by which we live perpetually.