[2.] By unframing the soul, so that it shall have formal, weary, powerless thoughts of those things whicii should prevail with it unto diligence in thankful obedience. The apostle cautions us, that in dealing with God we should use reverence and godly fear, because of his purity, holiness, and majesty, Heb. xii. 28, 29. And this is that which the Lord himself spake in the destruction of Nadab and Abihu, ' I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me ;' Levit. x. 3. He will be dealt withal in an awful, holy, reverend manner.
170 THE NATURE AND POWER
So are we to deal with all the things of God, wherein, or whereby, we have communion with him. The soul is to have a great reverence of God in them. When men begin to take them into slight or common thoughts, not using and im- proving them unto the utmost for the ends whereunto they are appointed, they lose all their beauty, and glory, and power towards them. When we have any thing to do wherein faith or love towards God is to be exercised, we must do it with all our hearts, with all our minds, strength, and souls, not slightly and perfunctorily, which God abhors ; he doth not only require that we bear his love and grace in remem- brance, but that, as much as in us lieth, we do it according to the worth and excellency of them. It was the sin of He- zekiah, that he ' rendered not again according to the benefits done to him,' 2 Chron. xxxii. 25. So whilst we consider gospel truths, the uttermost endeavour of the soul ought to be, that we may be changed into the same image or likeness, 2 Cor. iii. 18. that is, that they may have their full power and effect upon us. Otherwise James tells us what our 'be- holding the glory of the Lord in a glass,' there mentioned by the apostle, that is, reading or hearing the mind of God in Christ revealed in the gospel, comes unto, chap. i. 23,24. * It is but like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass : for he beholdeth himself, and goeth away, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.' It makes no im- pression upon him, begets no idea nor image of his likeness in his imagination, because he doth it only slightly, and with a transient look. So is it with men that will indeed think of gospel truths, but in a slight manner, without endeavouring with all their hearts, minds, and strength, to have them in- grafted upon their souls, and all the effects of them produced in them. Now this is the way of sinners in their first en- gagements unto God. They never think of pardoning mercy, but they labour to affect their whole souls with it, and do stir up themselves unto suitable affections and returns of constant obedience. They think not of the excellency of Christ, and spiritual things, now newly discovered unto them in a saving light, but they press with all their might after a. farther, a fuller enjoyment of them. This keeps them humble and holy, this makes them thankful and fruitful. But now, if the utmost diligence and carefulness be not used to improve
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and grow in this wisdom, to keep up this frame, indwelling sin, working by the vanity of the minds of men, will insen- sibly bring them to content themselves with slight and rare thoughts of these things, without a diligent sedulous endea- vour to give them their due improvement upon the soul. As men decay herein, so will they assuredly decay and decline in the power of holiness and close walking with God. The springs being stopped or tainted, the streams will not run so swiftly, at least not so sweetly, as formerly. Some by this means, under an uninterrupted profession, insensibly wither almost into nothing. They talk of religion and spiritual things as much as ever they did in their lives, and perform duties with as much constancy as ever they did, but yet they have poor, lean, starving souls, as to any real and effectual com- munion with God. By the power and subtlety of indwelling sin they have grown formal, and learned to deal about spi- ritual things in an overly manner, whereby they have lost all their life, vigour, savour, and efficacy towards them. Be always serious in spiritual things, if ever you intend to be bettered by them.
[3.] Indwelling sin oftentimes prevails to the stopping of these springs of gospel obedience, by false and foolish opinions, corrupting the simplicity of the gospel. False opinions are the work of the flesh. From the vanity and darkness of the minds of men, with a mixture more or less of corrupt affections, do they mostly proceed. The apostle was jealous over his Corinthians in this matter; he was afraid lest their minds should * by any means be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ,' 2 Cor. xi. 2, 3. which he knew would be attended by a decay and declension in faith, love, and obedience. And thus matters in this case often fall out. We have seen some, who after they have received a sweet taste of the love of God in Christ, of the excellency of par- doning mercy, and have walked humbly with God for many- years in the faith and apprehension of the truth, have by the corruption of their minds from the simplicity that is in Christ, by false and foolish opinions, despised all their own expe- riences, and rejected all the efficacy of truth, as to the fur- therance of their obedience. Hence John cautions the elect lady and her children to take heed they were not seduced, 'lest they should lose the thing* that they had wrought.'