If we do not — as indeed it is the fault of the times to hear the word of God loosely — we care not so much to hear the word of God, as to hear the gifts of men. We desire to hear fine things, to increase notions. We delight in them, and to hear some empty creature, to fasten upon a story or some phrases by the by. Alas ! you come here to hear duties and com- forts, if you be good, and sentences against you, if you be naught. We
118 THE SUCCESSFUL SEEKEK.
speak God's threatcnings to you that will wound j'ou to bell, except you pull tlicm out by repentauce. It is another manner of matter to hear than it is took for. ' Take heed how you bear,' saitb Christ, Luke viii. 18. So we had need, for the word that we hear now shall judge us at the latter day. Thereupon we should labour for a spirit of application, to make a right use of it as we should.
Therefore those bumble souls that are cast down in the sight and sense of their sins, they must apply the sweet and blessed comforts of the gospel, such as arc contrite in spirit : ' Blessed are the poor in spirit ; blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness. Come unto me, all ye that are weary and heavy laden,' &c.. Mat. xi. 28. Those on the other side, that go on in a course of sin, and will not be reclaimed, let them con- sider what Moses saith, Deut. xxix. 20, ' If a man go on and bless himself, my wrath shall smoke against such a man, and burn to hell.' I will not remove my wrath from him, till by little and little I take my good Spirit from him, and let him go with some temporal comforts, and then bring him to hell. ' I will curse him in his blessings.' He shall have blessings, but he shall be cursed in all that he doth ; and all things shall be in wrath and anger that shall burn to bell. Such like places, let such men apply to themselves. There is no comfort at all to men that live in sin wittingly and willingly. ' If I regard iniquity in my heart, God will not hear my prayer,' Ps. Ixvi. 18. If a man despise the ordinance of God, hearing and good means, ' his prayer shall be abominable :' * He that will not hear the law, his prayer is abominable,' Prov. xxviii. 9. The applying of these things would make men bethink themselves, and turn to God, when he considers what part of the word belongs to him, and makes a right application.
If we make not a right application of God's truths, this mischief will come of it.
(1.) We dishonour God and his bountij. Hath God been so bountiful, as to give us so many instructions and such promises ? and shall not we make them our own ? What is the end of the ministry but to spread before us the unsearchable riches of Christ ? They are yours, if you will take them. When you have not a spirit of apj^lication, and are not in case to take them, they are lost : God's bounty is discredited.
(2.) The devil rejoiceth uhen he seeth what excellent things are laid open in the church of God, in the ministry/, ivhat sircet pnnniscs and comforts, hut here is nobody to take them and lay hold on them ; like a table that is richly furnished, and there is nobody comes and takes it. It makes the devil sport, it rejoiceth the enemj" of mankind when we lose so great advantage, that we will not apply those blessed truths and make them our own. There is no greater dehght to Satan, than for us to refuse those dainties that God hath provided for us. "What can rejoice an enemy more, than to see courtesies refused ? He sees that all the Scripture is for comfort to poor distressed souls ; and when they refuse their comforts and set light by them, as they tell Job, ' Settest thou light by the consolations of the Almighty ? ' Job. XT. 11, then Satan, the enemy of mankind, and especially the enemy of our comfort, since he hath lost all comfort and all hope of it him- self, he rejoiceth to see us in this condition comfortless. Therefore let us lay claim to the promises by a spirit of apj)lication.
(3.) Again, We are injurious to ourselves, ire roh our own souls. The want of this makes Christians be discouraged and droop as they do. When they are cast down, all comfortable truths belong io them, yet they put them off: This is not for me and those in my case. When God saith he will
THE SUCCESSFUL SEEKER.
119
come and dwell with a humble heart, This is not for me. This spirit of peevishness and forwardness-:^ is that that keeps them long from that comfort that they might enjoy. What ! to be in the midst of comforts and to starve ; for a man to be at a feast and to starve, because he hath not a spirit to digest and to take that that is fit for him !