IV. I proceed unto that which was proposed in the fourth or last place, — namely, the way and means whereby believers may be deli- vered from these decays, and come to thrive and flourish in the in- ward principle and outward fruits of spiritual life ; which will bring us back unto consideration of that truth which we may seem to have diverted from. And to this end, the things ensuing are proposed unto consideration: —
1. The state of spiritual decays is recoverable. No man that is fallen under it hath any reason to say. There is no hope, provided he take the right way for his recovery. If every stej) that is lost in the way to heaven should be irrecoverable, woe would be unto us; — we should all assuredly perish. If there were no reparation of our breaches, no healing of our decays, no salvation but for them who are always progressive in grace ; if God should mark all that is done amiss, as the Psalmist speaks, " 0 Lord, who shoidd stand?" nay, if we had not recoveries every day, we should go off with a perpetual backslid- ing. But then, as was said, it is required that the right means of it be used, and not that which is destructive of what is designed ; whereof I shall give an instance. When trees grow old, or are decaying, it is useful to dig about them, and manure them ; which may cause them to flourish again, and abound in fruit. But instead hereof, if you remove them out of their soil, to plant them in another, which may promise much advantage, they will assuredly wither and die. So it is with professors, and hath been with many. Finding themselves under manifold decays, and little or nothing of the life and power of religion left in them, they have grown weary of their station and have changed their soil, or turning from one way in religion unto another, as some have turned Papists, some Quakers, and the like, apprehending that fault to be in the religion which they professed, which was indeed only in themselves. You cannot give an instance of any one who did not visibly wither and die therein; but, had they used the proper means for their healing and recovery, they might have lived and brought forth fruit.
2. A strict attendance unto the severities of mortification, with all the duties that lead thereunto, is required unto this end ; so also is the utmost diligence in all duties of obedience. These things naturally offer themselves as the first relief in this case, and they ought not to be omitted. But if I should insist upon them, they would branch
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themselves into such a multitude of particular directions, as it is in- consistent with my design here to handle. Besides, the way which I intend to propose is of another nature, though consistent with all the duties included in this proposal ; yea, such as without which not one of them can be performed in a due manner. Wherefore, as unto these things, I shall only assert their necessity, with a double limitation.
(1.) That no duties of mortification be prescribed unto this end, as a means of recovery from spiritual decays, but what for matter and manner are of divine institution and command. All others are laid under a severe interdict, under what pretence soever they may be used. " Who hath required these things at your hands?" Want hereof is that whereby a pretended design to advance religion in the Papacy hath ruined it. They have, under the name and pretence of the means of mortification, or the duties of it, invented and enjoined, like the Pharisees, a number of works, ways, duties, so called, which God never appointed, nor approved, nor will accept; nor shall they ever do good unto the souls of men. Such are their confessions, dis- ciplines, pilgrimages, fastings, abstinence, framed prayers, to be re- peated in stated canonical hours, in such a length and number. In the bodily labour of these things they exercise themselves to no spiritual advantage.
But it is natural to all men to divert to such reliefs in this case. Those who are thoroughly convinced of spiritual decays, are there- withal pressed with a sense of the guilt of sin; for it is sin which hath brought them into that condition. Hereon, in the first place, they set their contrivance at work, how they may atone divine displea- sure and obtain acceptance with God ; and if they are not under the actual conduct of evangelical light, two things immediately offer them- selves unto them. First, Some extraordinary course in duties, which God hath not commanded. This is the way which they betake them- selves unto in the Papacy, and which guilt, in the darkness of cor- rupted nature, vehemently calls for. Secondly, An extraordinary multiplication of such duties as, for the substance of them, are re- quired of us. An instance in both kinds we have, Micah vi. 6, 7, " Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the high God ? shall I come before him with burnt-offerings, with calves of a year old ? will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil ? shall I give my first- born for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul ? " And by this means they hope for a restitution into their for- mer condition. And whereas spuitual decays are of two sorts ; first, firom the power and effect of convictions only, which are multi- plied among temporary believers ; and, secondly, from degrees in the power and effects of saving grace ; — those whose decays are of the