Love enlarges the heart to Christ, and every thing of Christ: valuation, delight, satisfaction, accompany it. It makes the heart free, noble, ready for service, compassionate, — zealous. Nothing is more called for in such a day: and the decay of faith, in the trials and temptations of such a season, is called the " waxing cold of love;" as the fruit decays when the root is consumed. To think of glorifying God in the days wherein we live, without hearts warmed, enlarged, made tender, compassionate, by gospel love, is to think to fly without wings, or to walk without feet. What day, almost, what business, wherein our love is not put to the trial, in all the properties of it! Whether it can bear and forbear; whether it can pity and relieve; whether it can hope all things, and believe all things ; whether it can exercise itself towards friends and towards enemies; whether it can give allowance for men's weakness and temptations; whether it can value Christ above all, and rejoice in him in the loss of all, and many the like things, is it continually tried withal. Now, nothing so contracts and withers the heart, as to all these things, as the cares of this world do. Whatever is selfish, fearful, unbelieving, is inwrapped in them. They sometimes pine, wither, and render useless, the whole
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man; — always drink up the spirit, and deprive it of any communion with God in any thing it hath to do.
The same may be said concerning self-denial and fruitfulness ; which in an eminent manner Christ now calls upon us for. Love, care, and fear, about the things that shall be dissolved, unframes the soul for them.
On these considerations, and the like which might be added, may this direction be improved, and no small obstacle unto a course of universal holiness and godliness be taken away. Is the power, are the riches, the pleasures of the world valuable ? — Alas ! they are all passing away ; it is but yet a little while, and their place shall know them no more. Yet, could we take off our hearts from an undue valu- ation of these things, and care about them, half our work were done.
(3.) That which remains, for the closing of our discourse on this subject, is to give some few motives unto the duty proposed; and I shall only mention three generals: — [1.] Relating unto ourselves; [2.] Unto others; [3.] Unto Christ himself.
[1.] As to ourselves; — this alone will maintain peace and quiet in our souls, in and under those dissolutions of things that we are to be exercised with. We know what desolations, what ruin of families, what destruction of all outward enjoyments in many, they have already in these nations been attended with; and we know not how soon, nor by what ways or means, the bitterest part of the cup, as to outward pressures and calamities, may become our portion. We have seen somewhat of the beginning of the work of Christ; — where he will cease, what he hath yet farther to do, we know not. Our concern- ment, then, certainly was never greater than it is at this day, to keep up peace and rest within. If there should be a confederacy of out- ward and inward trouble, who can stand before it ? A wounded body, a wounded (it may be ruined) estate, and a wounded spirit all to- gether, who can bear? This is that alone which the world cannot take from us; which is not obnoxious to sword, fire, plots, conspi- racies,— nothing without us,— even the peace that is left us, left to our own keeping, through the Holy Ghost, by Jesus Christ. It is not committed to parliaments, to armies, to rulers, to keep for us: it is committed to our own souls to keep, through the Holy Ghost ; and no man can take it from us. Again : as it is valuable on this account, that it cannot be taken from us; so on this also, that it will counter- vail and support us under the loss of all that can. Peace in God, rest in sole retirement, quietness, and security of mind on spiritual, gospel accounts, sense of God's love in Christ, will support and keep life and vigour in the soul in the loss of outward peace, with whatever is desirable and valuable unto us on any account that relates to this world.
AN ARGUMENT FOR UNIVERSAL HOLINESS. 175
Now, there is no maintaining of this peace and rest in such a sea- son, without the performance of this duty. So dealt Habakkuk, chap. iii. 16, "I trembled in myself, that I might rest in the day of trouble." That which God required of him in that season, that he brought up his soul unto, [in order] that he might have rest ; and his endeavour had the glorious issue mentioned, verses 17, 18. Though spiritual peace may radically and virtually live under many sins and provocations, yet it will not flourish under them, or bring forth any refreshing fruit. To have the fruit and effect of peace under a con- tinuance in any known sin, is impossible. Now, the omission of any known duty is a known sin ; and that a peculiar pressing after emi- nency in universal holiness and godliness in such a season is a known duty, I have before evinced; — no maintaining of inward peace, rest in God, without it : and we shall be sure to be tried, whether it be in us of a truth or not. I discourse not what the carnal security of seared, blinded, hardened sinners will do ; but I am sure the weak, tottering, uncertain peace of many believers, will not support them in such trials as it is not only possible that Ave may, but probable that we shall, meet withal. Would you now desire that your Master should find you unprepared, — that he should make his entrance whilst all things were in disorder? If the heavens should thunder over you, and the earth tremble under you, and the sword stand ready to de- vour ; — oh ! what sad thoughts must you have, if at the same time you should be forced to say, " 0 my soul ! is not God mine enemy also ? May not wrath, and hell, and judgment be at the end of this dispen- sation?" What is the reason that a very rumour, a noise oftentimes, is ready to fill many of our souls with such disturbances? Is it not because this peace doth not flourish in the inward man? And what shall we do in the day of trial itself? Let us, then, endeavour, as Peter exhorts, 2 Epist. iii. 14, to " be found of Christ in peace." And what may we do that we may be found of him in peace? " Why," saith he, " be ' without spot, and blameless/ " Let him come when he will, in what way he pleases, we shall be found in a way of peace, if we be found spotless and blameless, in a way of holiness. " And blessed is that servant whom his Master, when he cometh, shall find so doing." This will give light in a dungeon, as it did to Paul and Silas ; — ease in the fire, in the furnace, as to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego ; — contentment in the loss of all, as it did to Job ; — satis- faction on the foresight of future trouble, as it did to David : " Al- though my house be not so with God, yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant." Whatever sword be in the hand of Christ, whatever fire or tempest be before him and round about him, what vengeance soever he is to take on any or all of the sons of men, — this peace, kept up by the holiness he requires in such a season, will make