We see then the disposition of true professors, they are violent in respect of heavenly thinys. Those therefore that are not earnest in the cause of religion, when the state of thinys requires it, they have no reliyion in them, they are not in the state of y race. We must be earnest, first of all, against our own sins. Violence must begin there, to subdue all to the Spirit of Christ, to sulfer nothing else to rule there ; and after that, violence to maintain the cause of Christ. ' To contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints,' Jude 3 ; to contend with both hands ; not to suffer it to be wrested from us or to be betrayed ; and if it be opposed, to vindicate it. We must be violent both to propagate the truth of God, and, in case of opposition, to vindicate it. ' He that is not with me,' saith Christ, ' is against me,' Mat. xii. 30. If a man be not with Christ, he is against him. It may seem a strange speech, but Christ cannot abide lukewarm neuters. He cannot abide nuUifidiam.'-- He cannot endure cold persons. His stomach cannot brook them. ' He will cast them up,' as he saith Rev. iii. 15, 16, ' I would thou wert hot or cold.' A man had better be nothing in religion than be lukewarm. The reason is, if a man will have good by any religion, he must be in earnest in it : ' If Baal be God, stand for him, if you would have good by him: if the Lord be God, stand for him,' 1 Kings xviii. 21. Be earnest in his cause. If popery be good, then stand for that, if you hope for good by it; and if our religion be good, then stand for that, if 3'ou hope for good by it. There is no good received by religion if we be not earnest for it. Ileligion is not a matter to be dallied in.
Therefore they are hitter, sour, profane, scoffiny atheists, that trifle with reUqion, as if it were no great matter what it be. They will be earnest in all things else ; earnest to scrape riches, to satisfy their base lusts. But for religion, it is no matter what it be ; it is a thing not worthy the seeking after ; the old religion or the new, or both or none. These are persons to be taken heed of, breeding a temper opposite to religion more than any other. Christ can least brook f them. There is great reason for it. Who can brook any favour to be neglected and slighted ? Especially for these excellent things to be undervalued and slighted, it cannot be that God can endure it. There will be a faction in the world while the world stands — Christ and Antichrist, good and evil, light and darkness. But a man cannot be of both ; he must shew himself of one side or other in case of opposition. Therefore the temper of the true professor is to be earnest
* That is, persons of no faith. — Ed. f That is, ' bear,' ' endure,' ' suffer.' — G.
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in case of opposition of religion, and in case of opportunity to advance his religion. In civil conversation, and dealing with men that are subject to infirmities, he must be gentle and meek : ' the Spirit of God descended in the shape of a dove ' upon Christ, as well as in ' fiery tongues ' upon the apostles, Mat. iii. 16, Acts ii. 3. But in the cause of Christ, in the cause of religion, he must be fiery and fervent. No man more mild in his own cause than Moses — he was a meek man, Exod. xxxii. 19 — but when occa- sion served, when God was offended, down he throws the tables of stone. He forgat himself, though he were the meekest man in the world otherwise in his own matters. So, I say, the Spirit is both meek and gentle as a dove, and earnest, and zealous, and hot as fire. In Acts ii. 2, the Spirit of God comes down as a ' mighty wind.' The wind is a powerful thing, if it be in a man's body. There is no torment like to windy siclmess, as their complaints witness well enough that feel them. And if a little wind be enclosed in the earth, it shakes the whole vast body of the earth. The Spirit is like wind : it makes men bold ; it fills them with a great deal of eagerness in the cause of God. Again, the Spirit appeared to the apostles in the likeness of fire. It inflamed their zeal, and made them fervent, that were cold before ; as we see in Peter, the voice of a damsel terrified and affrighted him. Mat. xxvi. 69, 70 ; but when the Spirit came upon him, it so fii'ed him that he accounted it his glory, Acts v. 41, 'to suffer anything for the cause of Christ.' Therefore, those that hope for anything by religion, let them labour to be for that re- ligion in good earnest. They shall find God in good earnest with them also.
Again, Hence we see that religion takes not aicay the- earnestness of the affections. It doth direct them to better things ; it changeth them in regard of the object. It takes not away anything in us, but turns the stream another way. Violence requires the height and strength of the affections. Religion taketh them not away, but turns them that way that they should go. If a stream run violently one way, if it be derived* by skill and cunning another way, it will run as fast that way when it is turned as it did before. So it is with the heart of man. Religion takes nothing away that is good, but lifts it np ; it elevateth and advanceth it to better objects. There are riches, and honours, and pleasures when a man is in Christ, but they are in a higher kind. Therefore they draw affections, and greater affections than other things. But these affections are purified, they run in a better, in a clearer channel. Whereas before they ran amain to earthly, dirty things below, the same affections, of love, of desire, and zeal, do remain still. He that was violent before is as violent still, only the stream is turned. For example, take St Paul for an instance. He was as earnest when he was a Christian as before. He was never more eager after the shedding of the blood of Christians, and breathing out slaughter against them, as he was afterwards in breathing after the salvation of God's people and a desire to enlarge the gospel. Zaccheus was never so covetous of the world before, as he was covetous of heaven when he became a Christian. I say religion takes not away anything, only it turns the stream. But it is a miracle for the stream to be turned. It was God that turned Jordan. So it is a greater work than man can do to turn the streams of man's affections, that run amain to earthly things, to make them run upward. It is only God's work. This is the excellency of religion. It ennobles our nature. That which is natural it makes it heavenly and spiritual ; that a man shall be as earnest for God and good things as ever he was before after the things of this life. So much for that point. * That is, = ' convoyed.' — G.