Post by Admin on Mar 18, 2024 19:20:56 GMT -5
Direct. XVIII.
Take heed lest Grace degenerate into Counterfeits, Formality, &c.
Direct. XVIII. 'Watch diligently, both against the more discernible decays of grace, and against the degenerating of it into some carnal affections, or something counterfeit, and of another kind. And so also of religious duties.'
We are no sooner warmed with the celestial flames, but natural corruption is inclining us to grow cold: like not water, which loses its heat by degrees, unless the fire be continually kept under it. Who feels not that as soon as in a sermon, or prayer, or holy meditation, his heart hath got a little heat, as soon as it is gone, it is prone to its former earthly temper, and by a little remissness in our duty, or thoughts, or business about the world, we presently grow cold and dull again. Be watchful, therefore, lest it decline too far. Be frequent in the means that must preserve you from declining: when faintness tells you that your stomach is emptied of the former meat, supply
it with another, lest strength abate. You are rowing against the stream of fleshly interest and inclinations; and, therefore, intermit not too long, lest you go faster down by your ease, than you get up by your labor.
The degenerating of grace, is a way of backsliding, very common, and too little observed. It is, when good affections do not directly cool,but turn into some carnal affections somewhat like them, but of another kind. As, if the body of a man instead of dying, should receive the life or soul of a beast, instead of the reasonable, human
soul. For instance:
(1.) Have you believed in God, and in Jesus Christ, and loved them accordingly? You shall seem to do so still as much as formerly, when your corrupted minds have received some false representation of them; and so it is indeed another thing that you thus corruptly believe and love.
(2.)Have you been fervent in prayer?You shall be fervent still.If satan can but corrupt your prayers,bycorrupting your judgments or affections, and get you to think that to be the cause of God which is against him, and that to be against him, which he commands; and those to be the troublers of the church, which are its best and faithful members: turn but your prayers against the cause and people of God, by your mistake, and you may pray as fervently against them as you will. The same I may say of preaching, and conference, and zeal: corrupt them once, and turn them against God, and satan will join with you for zealous and frequent preaching, or conference, or disputes.
(3.) Have you a confidence in Christ and his promise, for your salvation? Take heed lest it turn into carnal security, and a persuasion of your good estate, upon ill grounds, or you know not why.
(4.) Have you the hope of glory? Take heed lest it turn into a careless venturousness of your soul, or the mere laying aside of fear, and cautious suspicion of yourselves.
(5.) Have you a love to them that fear the Lord? Watch your hearts, lest it degenerate into a carnal, or a partial love. Many unheedful young persons, of different sexes, at first love each other with an honest, chaste, and pious love; but imprudently using too much familiarity, before they were well aware, it hath turned into a fleshly love, which hath proved their snare, and drawn them further into sin and trouble. Many have honored them that fear the Lord,who insensibly have declined to honor only those of them that were eminent in wealth and worldly honor, or that were esteemed for their parts, or places by others, and little honored the humble, poor,obscure Christians, who were at least as good as they. Forgetting that the "things that are highly esteemed among men, are abomination in
the sight of God;" and that God values not men by their places and dignities in the world; but by their graces and holiness of life.
Abundance that at first did seem to love all Christians, as such, as far as any thing of Christ appeared in them, have first fallen into some sect, and over-admiring their party, and have set light by others as good as they, and censured them as unsound, and then withdrawn their special love, and confined it to their party, or to some few; and
yet thought that they loved the godly as much as ever, when it was degenerate into a factious love.
(6.) Are you zealous for God, and truth, and holiness, and against the sins and errors of others? Take heed lest you lose it, while you think it doth increase in you. Nothing is more apt to degenerate than zeal. In how many thousands hath it turned from an innocent, charitable, peaceable, tractable, healing, profitable, heavenly zeal, into a partial zeal for some party or opinions of their own? and into a fierce, censorious, uncharitable, scandalous, turbulent, disobedient, unruly, hurting and destroying zeal, ready to wish for fire from heaven, and kindling contention, confusion, and every evil work. Read well James 3.
(7.) So, if you are meek or patient, take heed lest it degenerate into stupidity or contempt of those you suffer by. To be patient is not to be merely insensible of the affliction; but by the power of faith to bear the sense of it, as overruled by things of greater moment.
How apt men are to corrupt and debase all duties of religion, is too visible in the face of the far greatest part of the Christian world. Throughout both the Eastern and the Western churches, the Papists,the Greeks, the Armenians, the Abassines, and too many others, (though the essentials of religion through God's mercy are retained, yet) how much is the face of religion altered, from what it was in the days of the apostles! The ancient simplicity of doctrine, is turned into abundance of new or private opinions, introduced as necessary articles of religion, and alas, how many of them false! So that Christians being too proud to accept of the ancient test of Christianity, cannot now agree among themselves what a Christian is, and who is to be esteemed a Christian; and so they deny one another to be Christians, and destroy their charity to each other, and divide the church, and make themselves a scorn by their divisions,to the infidel world; and thus the primitive unity,charity and peace, is partly
destroyed, and partly degenerate into the unity, charity, and peace, of several sects among themselves. The primitive simplicity in government and discipline, is with most, turned into a forcible, secular government, exercised to advance one man above others, and to satisfy his will and lusts, and make him the rule of other men's lives, and to suppress the power and spirituality of religion in the world. The primitive simplicity of worship, is turned into such a mask of ceremony, and such a task of formalities and bodily exercise, that, if one of the apostolical Christians should come among them, he would scarce think that this is the same employment which formerly the church was exercised in, or scarce know religion, in this antic dress. So that the amiable, glorious face of Christianity, is so spotted and defiled, that it is hidden from the unbelieving world, and they laugh at it, as irrational, or think it to be but like their own. And the principal hindrance of the conversion of heathens, Mahometans, and other unbelievers is, the corruption and deformity of the churches that are near them, or should be the instruments of their conversion.
And the most probable way to the conversion of those nations is, the true reformation of the churches both in East and West: which, if they were restored to the ancient spirituality, rationality, and simplicity of doctrine, discipline, and worship, and lived in charity, humility, and holiness, as those, whose hearts and conversations are
in heaven, with all worldly glory and honor as under their feet; they would then be so illustrious and amiable in the eyes, even of heathens and other infidels, that many would flock into the church of Christ, and desire to be such as they: and their light would so shine before these men, that they would see their good works, and glorify
their heavenly Father, and embrace their faith.
The commonest way of the degenerating of all religious duties, is into this dead formality, or lifeless image of religion. If the devil can but get you to cast off the spirituality and life of duty, he will give you leave to seem very devout, and make much ado with outward actions, words and beads; and you shall have as much zeal for a dead religion, or the corpse of worship as will make you think that it is indeed alive. By all means take heed of this turning the worship of God into lip service. The commonest cause of it is, a carnality of mind (fleshly men will think best of the most fleshly religion): or else a slothfulness in duty, which will make you sit down with the easiest part: it is the work of a saint,and a diligent saint,to keep the soul itself both regularly and vigorously employed with God. But to say over certain words by rote, and to lift up the hands and eyes is easy: and hypocrites that are conscious that they are void of the life and spirituality of worship, do think to make all up with this formality, and quiet their consciences and delude their souls with a handsome image. Of this I have spoken more largely, in a book called, "The Vain Religion of the Formal Hypocrite."Yet run not here into the contrary extreme, as to think that the body must not worship God as well as the soul, or that the decent and edifying determination of the outward circumstances of religion, and the right ordering of worship, is a needless thing, or sinful; or that a
form of prayer in itself, or when imposed, is unlawful; but let the soul and body of religion go together, and the alterable adjuncts be used, as things alterable, while the life of holiness is still kept up.
Take heed lest Grace degenerate into Counterfeits, Formality, &c.
Direct. XVIII. 'Watch diligently, both against the more discernible decays of grace, and against the degenerating of it into some carnal affections, or something counterfeit, and of another kind. And so also of religious duties.'
We are no sooner warmed with the celestial flames, but natural corruption is inclining us to grow cold: like not water, which loses its heat by degrees, unless the fire be continually kept under it. Who feels not that as soon as in a sermon, or prayer, or holy meditation, his heart hath got a little heat, as soon as it is gone, it is prone to its former earthly temper, and by a little remissness in our duty, or thoughts, or business about the world, we presently grow cold and dull again. Be watchful, therefore, lest it decline too far. Be frequent in the means that must preserve you from declining: when faintness tells you that your stomach is emptied of the former meat, supply
it with another, lest strength abate. You are rowing against the stream of fleshly interest and inclinations; and, therefore, intermit not too long, lest you go faster down by your ease, than you get up by your labor.
The degenerating of grace, is a way of backsliding, very common, and too little observed. It is, when good affections do not directly cool,but turn into some carnal affections somewhat like them, but of another kind. As, if the body of a man instead of dying, should receive the life or soul of a beast, instead of the reasonable, human
soul. For instance:
(1.) Have you believed in God, and in Jesus Christ, and loved them accordingly? You shall seem to do so still as much as formerly, when your corrupted minds have received some false representation of them; and so it is indeed another thing that you thus corruptly believe and love.
(2.)Have you been fervent in prayer?You shall be fervent still.If satan can but corrupt your prayers,bycorrupting your judgments or affections, and get you to think that to be the cause of God which is against him, and that to be against him, which he commands; and those to be the troublers of the church, which are its best and faithful members: turn but your prayers against the cause and people of God, by your mistake, and you may pray as fervently against them as you will. The same I may say of preaching, and conference, and zeal: corrupt them once, and turn them against God, and satan will join with you for zealous and frequent preaching, or conference, or disputes.
(3.) Have you a confidence in Christ and his promise, for your salvation? Take heed lest it turn into carnal security, and a persuasion of your good estate, upon ill grounds, or you know not why.
(4.) Have you the hope of glory? Take heed lest it turn into a careless venturousness of your soul, or the mere laying aside of fear, and cautious suspicion of yourselves.
(5.) Have you a love to them that fear the Lord? Watch your hearts, lest it degenerate into a carnal, or a partial love. Many unheedful young persons, of different sexes, at first love each other with an honest, chaste, and pious love; but imprudently using too much familiarity, before they were well aware, it hath turned into a fleshly love, which hath proved their snare, and drawn them further into sin and trouble. Many have honored them that fear the Lord,who insensibly have declined to honor only those of them that were eminent in wealth and worldly honor, or that were esteemed for their parts, or places by others, and little honored the humble, poor,obscure Christians, who were at least as good as they. Forgetting that the "things that are highly esteemed among men, are abomination in
the sight of God;" and that God values not men by their places and dignities in the world; but by their graces and holiness of life.
Abundance that at first did seem to love all Christians, as such, as far as any thing of Christ appeared in them, have first fallen into some sect, and over-admiring their party, and have set light by others as good as they, and censured them as unsound, and then withdrawn their special love, and confined it to their party, or to some few; and
yet thought that they loved the godly as much as ever, when it was degenerate into a factious love.
(6.) Are you zealous for God, and truth, and holiness, and against the sins and errors of others? Take heed lest you lose it, while you think it doth increase in you. Nothing is more apt to degenerate than zeal. In how many thousands hath it turned from an innocent, charitable, peaceable, tractable, healing, profitable, heavenly zeal, into a partial zeal for some party or opinions of their own? and into a fierce, censorious, uncharitable, scandalous, turbulent, disobedient, unruly, hurting and destroying zeal, ready to wish for fire from heaven, and kindling contention, confusion, and every evil work. Read well James 3.
(7.) So, if you are meek or patient, take heed lest it degenerate into stupidity or contempt of those you suffer by. To be patient is not to be merely insensible of the affliction; but by the power of faith to bear the sense of it, as overruled by things of greater moment.
How apt men are to corrupt and debase all duties of religion, is too visible in the face of the far greatest part of the Christian world. Throughout both the Eastern and the Western churches, the Papists,the Greeks, the Armenians, the Abassines, and too many others, (though the essentials of religion through God's mercy are retained, yet) how much is the face of religion altered, from what it was in the days of the apostles! The ancient simplicity of doctrine, is turned into abundance of new or private opinions, introduced as necessary articles of religion, and alas, how many of them false! So that Christians being too proud to accept of the ancient test of Christianity, cannot now agree among themselves what a Christian is, and who is to be esteemed a Christian; and so they deny one another to be Christians, and destroy their charity to each other, and divide the church, and make themselves a scorn by their divisions,to the infidel world; and thus the primitive unity,charity and peace, is partly
destroyed, and partly degenerate into the unity, charity, and peace, of several sects among themselves. The primitive simplicity in government and discipline, is with most, turned into a forcible, secular government, exercised to advance one man above others, and to satisfy his will and lusts, and make him the rule of other men's lives, and to suppress the power and spirituality of religion in the world. The primitive simplicity of worship, is turned into such a mask of ceremony, and such a task of formalities and bodily exercise, that, if one of the apostolical Christians should come among them, he would scarce think that this is the same employment which formerly the church was exercised in, or scarce know religion, in this antic dress. So that the amiable, glorious face of Christianity, is so spotted and defiled, that it is hidden from the unbelieving world, and they laugh at it, as irrational, or think it to be but like their own. And the principal hindrance of the conversion of heathens, Mahometans, and other unbelievers is, the corruption and deformity of the churches that are near them, or should be the instruments of their conversion.
And the most probable way to the conversion of those nations is, the true reformation of the churches both in East and West: which, if they were restored to the ancient spirituality, rationality, and simplicity of doctrine, discipline, and worship, and lived in charity, humility, and holiness, as those, whose hearts and conversations are
in heaven, with all worldly glory and honor as under their feet; they would then be so illustrious and amiable in the eyes, even of heathens and other infidels, that many would flock into the church of Christ, and desire to be such as they: and their light would so shine before these men, that they would see their good works, and glorify
their heavenly Father, and embrace their faith.
The commonest way of the degenerating of all religious duties, is into this dead formality, or lifeless image of religion. If the devil can but get you to cast off the spirituality and life of duty, he will give you leave to seem very devout, and make much ado with outward actions, words and beads; and you shall have as much zeal for a dead religion, or the corpse of worship as will make you think that it is indeed alive. By all means take heed of this turning the worship of God into lip service. The commonest cause of it is, a carnality of mind (fleshly men will think best of the most fleshly religion): or else a slothfulness in duty, which will make you sit down with the easiest part: it is the work of a saint,and a diligent saint,to keep the soul itself both regularly and vigorously employed with God. But to say over certain words by rote, and to lift up the hands and eyes is easy: and hypocrites that are conscious that they are void of the life and spirituality of worship, do think to make all up with this formality, and quiet their consciences and delude their souls with a handsome image. Of this I have spoken more largely, in a book called, "The Vain Religion of the Formal Hypocrite."Yet run not here into the contrary extreme, as to think that the body must not worship God as well as the soul, or that the decent and edifying determination of the outward circumstances of religion, and the right ordering of worship, is a needless thing, or sinful; or that a
form of prayer in itself, or when imposed, is unlawful; but let the soul and body of religion go together, and the alterable adjuncts be used, as things alterable, while the life of holiness is still kept up.