So God testified concerning Ephraim, that "grey hairs were sprinkled on him, yet he knew it not," Hos. vii. 9. He was in a
AND GROW IN GRACE. 447
declining, dying condition, but did not understand it. Hence it is added, " They do not return to the Lord their God, nor seek him for all this," verse 10, If men will not learn and own their spiritual decays, there is no hope of prevailing with them to return unto the Lord. " The whole have no need of a physician, but the sick;" Christ " came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." Such persons are under the power of a stupid security, from whence it will be very hard to rouse them up. Hence it is that we have so little suc- cess for the most part in calling persons to look after a revival and recovery of their decays; they acknowledge no such thing in them- selves,— such calls may belong unto others ; yea, if any word seem to come near them unto their disquietment, they are apt to think it was spoken out of spite and ill-will towards them : they approve of them- selves in their present condition. Hence is the complaint of Christ in the ministry of the Word, " I have called, and ye have refused ; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded. Ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof," Prov. i. 24, 25. Hence, let this truth be pressed a thousand times, it is not one of a thousand who will think himself so concerned as to apply himself unto a relief. A spirit of slumber seems to be poured on many.
2. To improve this conviction, I would ask of some, whether they have been able to maintain spiritual peace and joy in their souls. I take it for granted that ordinarily they are inseparable adjuncts of the life of faith, in an humble, fruitful walk before God. The Scrip- ture testifieth that they are so; and no experience lies against it in ordinary cases. And I suppose that those unto whom I speak do in some measure know what they are, and do not delude themselves with fancies and imaginations : they have substance in them, how- ever by some derided, and to some unknown. Have this peace and joy been maintained and borne sway in your minds? Have they under all trials and surprisals been quickly composed by them ? or are you not rather on all occasions uneasy and perplexed? This is certain, that a decaying spiritual state and solid spiritual peace are in- consistent; and if ever you had such peace, you may by the loss of it know into what state you are come.
3. Not to inquire farther into things internal and liidden, wherein men may justify themselves if they please, there are too many open, visible evidences of these decays among professors of religion; they have not kept them from the eyes of the church, nor yet from the world. Do not pride, selfishness, worldliness, levity of attire, and vanity of life, with corrupt, unsavoury communication, abound among many? The world was never in a worse posture for conformity than it is at this day, wherein all flesh hath coiTupted its way; and yet, as to things of outward appearance, how little distinction is left be-
448 HOW TO RECOVER FROM SPIRITUAL DECAY,
tween it and those who would be esteemed more strict professors of reHgion ! Was this the way and manner of the saints of old, — of those that went before us in the same profession? Was it so with ourselves in the time of our first espousals, when we Avent after God in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown? as Jer. ii. 2. Some under- stand what I say: if we have not, some of us, had better days, we never had good days in our lives; if we have had them, why do we not stir up ourselves to look after a recovery?
4. May not God say of many of us what he said of his people of old, " Thou hast been Aveary of me, 0 Israel ? " Isa. xliii. 22. Have we not been weary of God, until we have abundant cause to be weary of ourselves ? The most, I presume, will be ready, with them in Malachi, to say, " How or wherein have we been weary of God ? " Do we not abide, yea, abound, in the duties of his service ? What can be more required of us ? Wherein are we to blame ? This were something indeed, but that it is often so, that men are weary of God when they even weary God with their duties and services, Isa. i. 18, 14. God says in his Word, he is weary: they say in their hearts, they are weary, Mai. i. 13. But I answer, —
(1.) Many cannot with any modesty make use of this pretence. Their sloth, indifferency, and negligence in the observance of the duties of divine worship, both in private and public, is notorious. In particular, is not the duty of family prayer neglected by many, at least as to its constancy and fervency? And although it be grounded in the light of nature, confirmed by the general rules of the Scripture, requisite unto the dedication of a family unto God, strengthened by the constant example of all the saints of old, and necessary in the ex- perience of all that walk with God; yet do not many begin to seek out pleas and arguings to justify their omission hereof? Are not all things filled with the fruits of the negligence of such professors in the instruction of their children and servants ? And hath not God given severe rebukes unto many of us, in their fearful miscarriages ? And as unto the public worship of God, I wish that sloth and indifferency did not appear upon too many, under various pretences. But, —