Hypocrites Deficient in the Duty
of Prayer
JOB
27:10
Will
he always call upon God?
CONCERNING these words, I would observe,
1. Who it is that is here spoken of, viz.
the hypocrite; as you may see, If you take the two preceding verses with the
verse of the text. "For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath
gained, when God taketh away his soul? Will God bear his cry when trouble
cometh upon him? Will he delight himself in the Almighty? Will he always call
up on God?" Job's three friends, in their speeches to him, insisted much
upon it, that he was an hypocrite. But Job, in this chapter, asserts his
sincerity and integrity, and shows how different his own behavior had been from
that of hypocrite. Particularly he declares his steadfast and immoveable
resolution of persevering and holding out in the ways of religion and
righteousness to the end; as you may see in the six first verses. In the text,
he shows how contrary to this steadfastness and perseverance the character of
the hypocrite is, who is not wont thus to hold out in religion
2. We may observe what duty of religion it
is, with respect to which the hypocrite is deciphered in the text, and that is
the duty of prayer; or calling upon God.
3. Here is something supposed of the
hypocrite relating to this duty, viz. That he may continue in it for a while;
he may call upon God for a season.
4. Something asserted, viz. That it is not
the manner of hypocrites to continue always in this duty. Will he always call
upon God? It is in the form of an interrogation; but the words have the force
of a strong negation, or of an assertion, that however the hypocrite may call
upon God for a season, yet he will not always continue in it.
DOCTRINE
However hypocrites may continue for a season
in the duty of prayer, yet it is their manner, after a while, in a great
measure, to leave it off. In speaking upon this doctrine, I shall show,
I. How hypocrites often continue for a
season to call upon God.
II. How it is their manner, after a while, in a great measure to leave off the
practice of this duty.
III. Give some reasons why this is the manner of hypocrites.
I. I would show how hypocrites often
continue for a season in the duty of prayer.
1. They do so for a while after they have
received common illuminations and affections. While they are under awakenings,
they may, through fear of hell, call upon God, and attend very constantly upon
the duty of secret prayer. And after they have had some melting affections,
having their hearts much moved with the goodness of God, or with some affecting
encouragements, and false joy and comfort; while these impressions last they
continue to call upon God in the duty of secret prayer.
2. After they have obtained an hope, and
have made profession of their good estate, they often continue for a while in
the duty of secret prayer. For a while they are affected with their hope: They
think that God hath delivered them out of a natural condition, and given them
an interest in Christ, thus introducing them into a state of safety from that
eternal misery which they lately feared. With this supposed kindness of God to
them, they are much affected, and often find in themselves for a while a kind
of love to God, excited by his supposed love to them. Now, while this affection
towards God continues, the duties of religion seem pleasant to them; it is even
with some delight that they approach to God in their closets; and for the
present it may be, they think of no other than continuing to call upon God as
long as they live.
Yea, they may continue in the duty of secret
prayer for awhile after the liveliness of their affections is past, partly
through the influence of their former intentions: They intended to continue
seeking God always; and now suddenly to leave off, would therefore be too
shocking to their own minds and partly through the force of their own
preconceived notions, and what they have always believed, viz. That godly
persons do continue in religion, and that their goodness is not like the
morning cloud. Therefore, though they have no love to the duty of prayer, and
begin to grow weary of it, yet as they love their own hope, they are somewhat
backward to take a course, which will prove it to be a false hope, and so
deprive them of it.
If they should at once carry themselves so
as they have always been taught is a sign of a false hope, they would scare
themselves Their hope is dear to them, and it would scare them to see any plain
evidence that it is not true. Hence, for a considerable time after the force of
their illuminations and affections is over, and after they hate the duty of
prayer, and would be glad to have done with it, if they could, without showing
themselves to be hypocrites; they hold up a kind of attendance upon the duty of
secret prayer. This may keep up the outside of religion in them for a good
while, and occasion it to be somewhat slowly that they are brought to neglect
it. They must not leave off suddenly, because that would be too great a shock
to their false peace. But they must come gradually to it, as they find their
consciences can bear it, and as they can find out devices and salvos to cover
over the matter, and make their so doing consistent, in their own opinion, with
the truth of their hope. But,
II. It is the manner of hypocrites, after a
while, in a great measure to leave off the practice of this duty. We are often
taught, that the seeming goodness and piety of hypocrites is not of a lasting
and persevering nature. It is so with respect to their practice of the duty of
prayer in particular, and especially of secret prayer. They can omit this duty,
and their omission of it not be taken notice of by others, who know what
profession they have made. So that a regard to their own reputation doth not
oblige them still to practice it. If others saw how they neglect it, it would
exceedingly shock their charity towards them. But their neglect doth not fall
under their observation; at least not under the observation of many. Therefore
they may omit this duty, and still have the credit of being converted persons.
Men of this character can come to a neglect
of secret prayer by degrees without very much shocking their peace. For though
indeed for a converted person to live in a great measure without secret prayer,
is very wide of the notion they once had of a true convert; yet they find means
by degrees to alter their notions, and to bring their principles to suit with
their inclinations; and at length they come to that, in their notions of
things, that a man may be a convert, and yet live very much in neglect of this
duty. In time, they can bring all things to suit well together, an hope of
heaven, and an indulgence of sloth in gratifying carnal appetites, and living
in a great measure a prayerless life. They cannot indeed suddenly make these
things agree; it must be a work of time; and length of time will effect it. By
degrees they find out ways to guard and defend their consciences against those
powerful enemies; so that those enemies, and a quiet, secure conscience, can at
length dwell pretty well together.
Whereas it is asserted in the doctrine, that
it is the manner of hypocrites, after a while, in a great measure to leave off
this duty; I would observe to you,
1. That it is not intended but that they may
commonly continue to the end of life in yielding an external attendance on open
prayer, or prayer with others. They may commonly be present at public prayers
in the congregation, and also at family prayer. This, in such places of light
as this is, men commonly do before ever they are so much as awakened. Many vicious
persons, who make no pretense to serious religion, commonly attend public
prayers in the congregation; and also more private prayers, in the families in
which they live, unless it be when carnal designs interfere, or when their
youthful pleasures and diversions, and their vain company call them; and then
they make no conscience of attending family prayer. Otherwise they may continue
to attend upon prayer as long as they live, and yet may truly be said not to
call upon God. For such prayer, in the manner of it, is not their own. They are
present only for the sake of their credit, or in compliance with others. They
may be present at these prayers, and yet have no proper prayer of their own.
Many of those concerning whom it maybe said, as in Job xv. 4, That they cast
off fear and restrain prayer before God, are yet frequently present at family
and public prayer.
2. But they in a great measure leave off the
practice of secret prayer. They come to this pass by degrees. At first they
begin to be careless about it, under some particular temptations. Because they
have been out in young company, or have been taken up very much with worldly
business, they omit it once: After that they more easily omit it again. Thus it
presently becomes a frequent thing with them to omit it and after a while, it
comes to that pass, that they seldom attend it. Perhaps they attend it on
Sabbath days, and sometimes on other days. But they have ceased to make it a
constant practice daily to retire to worship God alone, and to seek his face in
secret places. They sometimes do a little to quiet conscience, and just to keep
alive their old hope; because it would be shocking to them, even after all
their subtle dealing with their consciences to call themselves converts, and
yet totally to live without prayer. Yet the practice of secret prayer they have
in a great measure left off.
I come now,
III. To the reasons why this is the manner
of hypocrites.
1. Hypocrites never had the spirit of prayer
given them. They may have been stirred up to the external performance of this
duty, and that with a great deal of earnestness and affection, and yet always
have been destitute of the true spirit of prayer. The spirit of prayer is an
holy spirit, a gracious spirit. We read of the spirit of grace and supplication,
Zech. iii. 10. I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of
Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and supplications. Wherever there is a true
spirit of supplication, there is the spirit of grace. The true spirit of prayer
is no other than God's own Spirit dwelling in the hearts of the saints. And as
this spirit comes from God, so doth it naturally tend to God in holy breathings
and pantings. It naturally leads to God, to converse with him by prayer.
Therefore the Spirit is said to make intercession for the saints with groanings
which cannot be uttered, Rom. viii. 26.
But it is far otherwise with the true
convert. His work is not done; but he finds still a great work to do, and great
wants to be supplied. He sees himself still to be a poor, empty, helpless
creature, and that he still stands in great and continual need of God's help.
He is sensible that without God he can do nothing. A false conversion makes a
man in his own eyes self-sufficient. He saith he is rich, and increased with goods,
and hath need of nothing; and knoweth not that be is wretched, and miserable,
and poor, and blind, and naked. But after a true conversion, the soul remains
sensible of its own impotence and emptiness, as it is in itself, and its sense
of it is rather increased than diminished. It is still sensible of its
universal dependence on God for every thing. A true convert is sensible that
his grace is very imperfect; and he is very far from having all that he
desires. Instead of that, by conversion are begotten in him new desires which
he never had before. He now finds in him holy appetites, an hungering and
thirsting after righteousness, a longing after more acquaintance and communion
with God. So that he hath business enough still at the throne of grace; yea, his
business there, instead of being diminished, is, since his conversion, rather
increased.
3. The hope which the hypocrite hath of his
good estate takes off the force that the command of God before had upon his
conscience; so that now he dares neglect so plain a duty. The command which
requires the practice of the duty of prayer is exceeding plain; Matt. xxvi. 41.
"Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation." Eph. vi. 18.
"Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit, and
watching thereunto with all perseverance, and supplication for all
saints." Matt. vi. 6. "When thou prayest enter into thy closet, and
when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret." As
long as the hypocrite was in his own apprehension in continual danger of hell,
he durst not disobey these commands. But since he is, as he thinks, safe from
hell, he is grown bold, he dares to live in the neglect of the plainest command
in the Bible.
4. It is the manner of hypocrites, after a
while, to return to sinful practices, which will tend to keep them from
praying. While they were under convictions, they reformed their lives, and
walked very exactly. This reformation continues for a little time perhaps after
their supposed conversion, while they are much affected with hope and false
comfort. But as these things die away, their old lusts revive, and they by
degrees return like the dog to his vomit, and the sow that was washed to her
wallowing in the mire. They return to their sensual practices, to their worldly
practices, to their proud and contentious practices, as before. And no wonder
this makes them forsake their closets. Sinning and praying agree not well
together. If a man be constant in the duty of secret prayer, it will tend to
restrain him from willful sinning. So, on the other hand, if he allow himself
in sinful practices, it will restrain him from praying. It will give quite
another turn to his mind, so that he will have no disposition to the practice
of such a duty It will be contrary to him. A man who knows that he lives in sin
against God, will not be inclined to come daily into the presence of God; but
will rather be inclined to fly from his presence, as Adam, when he had eaten of
the forbidden fruit, ran away from God, and hid himself among the trees of the
garden.
To keep up the duty of prayer after he hath
given loose to his lusts, would tend very much to disquiet a man's conscience.
It would give advantage to his conscience to testify aloud against him. If he
should come from his wickedness into the presence of God, immediately to speak
to him, his conscience would, as it were; fly in his face. Therefore
hypocrites, as they by degrees admit their wicked practices, exclude prayer.
5. Hypocrites never counted the cost of
perseverance in seeking God, and of following him to the end of life. To
continue instant in prayer with all perseverance to the end of life, requires
much care, watchfulness, and labor. For much opposition is made to it by the
flesh, the world, and the devil and Christians meet with many temptations to
forsake this practice. He that would persevere in this duty must be laborious
in religion in general. But hypocrites never count the cost of such labor; i.
e. they never were prepared in the disposition of their minds to give their
lives to the service of God, and to the duties of religion. It is therefore no
great wonder if they are weary and give out, after they have continued for a
while, as their affections are gone, and they find that prayer to them grows
irksome and tedious.
6. Hypocrites have no interest in those
gracious promises which God hath made to his people, of those spiritual
supplies which are needful in order to uphold them in the way of their duty to
the end. God hath promised to true saints that they shall not forsake him; Jer.
xxxii. 40. I will put my fear into their hearts, that they shall not depart
from me. He hath promised that he will keep them in the way of their duty; 1
Thess. v 23, 24. And the God of peace sanctify you wholly. And I pray God your
spirit, soul, and body, be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord
Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it. But
hypocrites have no interest in these and such like promises and therefore are
liable to fall away. If God do not uphold men, there is no dependence on their
steadfastness. If the Spirit of God depart from them, they will soon become
careless and profane, and there will be an end to their seeming devotion and
piety.
APPLICATION
May be in an use of EXHORTATION in two branches.
I. I would exhort those who have entertained
an hope of their being true converts, and yet since their supposed conversion
have left off the duty of secret prayer, and do ordinarily allow themselves in
the omission of it, to throw away their hope. If you have left off calling upon
God, it is time for you to leave off hoping and flattering yourselves with an
imagination that you are the children of God. Probably it will be a very
difficult thing for you to do this. It is hard for a man to let go an hope of
heaven, on which he hath once allowed himself to lay hold, and which he hath
retained for a considerable time. True conversion is a rare thing; but that men
are brought off from a false hope of conversion, after they are once settled
and established in it, and have continued in it for some time, is much more
rare.
Those things in men, which, if they were
known to others, would be sufficient to convince others that they are
hypocrites, will not convince themselves; and those things which would be sufficient
to convince them concerning others, and to cause them to cast others entirely
out of their charity, will not be sufficient to convince them concerning
themselves. They can make larger allowances for themselves than they can for
others. They can find out ways to solve objections against their own hope, when
they can find none in the like case for their neighbor.
But it your case be such as is spoken of in
the doctrine, it is surely time for you to seek a better hope, and another work
of God's Spirit, than ever you have yet experienced; something more thorough
and effectual. When you see and find by experience, that the seed which was
sown in your hearts, though at first it sprang up and seemed flourishing, yet
is withering away, as by the heat of the sun, or is choked, as with thorns;
this shows in what sort of ground the seed was sown, that it is either stony or
thorny ground; and that therefore it is necessary you should pass through
another change, whereby your heart may become good ground, which shall bring
forth fruit with patience.
I insist not on that as a reason why you
should not throw away your hope, that you had the judgment of others, that the
change of which you were the subject was right. It is a small matter to be
judged of man's judgment, whether you be approved or condemned, and whether it
be by minister or people, wise or unwise. I Cor. iv. 3. " It is a very
small thing that I should be judged of you or of man's judgment." If your
goodness have proved to be as the morning cloud and early dew if you be one of
those who have forsaken God, and left off calling upon his name, you have the
judgment of God, and the sentence of God in the Scriptures against you, which
is a thousand times more than to have the judgment of all the wise and godly
men and ministers in the world in your favor.
Others, from your account of things, may
have been obliged to have charity for you, and to think that, provided you were
not mistaken, and in your account did not misrepresent things, or express them
by wrong terms, you were really converted. But what a miserable foundation is
this, upon which to build an hope as to your eternal state!
Here I request your attention to a few
things in particular, which I have to say to you concerning your hope.
1. Why will you retain that hope which by
evident experience you find poisons you? Is it reasonable to think, that an
holy hope, an hope that is from heaven, would have such an influence? No
surely; nothing of such a malignant influence comes from that world of purity
and glory. No poison groweth in the paradise of God. The same hope which leads
men to sin in this world will lead to hell hereafter. Why therefore will you
retain such an hope, of which your own experience shows you the ill tendency,
in that it encourages you to lead a wicked life? For certainly that life is a
wicked life wherein you live in the neglect of so well known a duty as that of
secret prayer, and in the disobedience of so plain a command of God, as that by
which this duty is enjoined. And is not a way of disobedience to God a way to
hell?
If your own experience of the nature and
tendency of your hope will not convince you of the falseness of it, what will?
Are you resolved to retain your hope, let it prove ever so unsound and hurtful?
Will you hold it fast till you go to hell with it? Many men cling to a false
hope, and embrace it so closely, that they never let it go till the flames of
hell cause their arms to unclench and let go their hold. Consider how you will
answer it at the day of judgment when God shall call you to an account for your
folly in resting in such an hope. Will it be a sufficient answer for you to
say, that you had the charity of others, and that they thought your conversion
was right?
Certainly it is foolish for men to imagine,
that God had no more wisdom, or could contrive no other way of bestowing
comfort and hope of eternal life than one which should encourage men to forsake
him.
2. How is your doing, as you do, consistent
with loving God above all? If you have not spirit to love God above your
dearest earthly friends, and your most pleasant earthly enjoyments; the
scriptures are very plain, and full in it, that you are not true Christians.
But if you had indeed such a spirit, would you thus grow weary of the practice
of drawing near to him, and become habitually so averse to it, as in a great
measure to cast off so plain a duty which is so much the life of a child of
God? It is the nature of love to be averse to absence, and to love a near
access to those whom we love. We love to be with them; we delight to come often
to them, and to have much conversation with them. But when a person who hath
heretofore been wont to converse freely with another, by degrees forsakes him,
grows strange, and converses with him but little, and that although the other
be importunate with him for the continuance of their former intimacy; this
plainly shows the coldness of his heart towards him.
The neglect of the duty of prayer seems to
be inconsistent with supreme love to Go also upon another account, and that is,
that it is against the will of God so plainly revealed. True love to God seeks
to please God in every thing, and universally to conform to his will.
3 Your thus restraining prayer before God is
not only inconsistent with the love, but also with the fear of God it is an
argument that you cast off fear, as is manifest by that text, Job. xv. 4.
"Yea, thou castest off fear, and restrainest prayer before God."
While you thus live in the transgression of so plain a command of God, you
evidently show, that there is no fear of God before your eyes. Psal. xxxvi. 1.
"The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no
fear of God before his eyes."
4. Consider how living in such a neglect is
inconsistent with leading an holy life. We are abundantly instructed in
scripture, that true Christians do lead an holy life; that without holiness no
man shall see the Lord, Heb. xii. 14; and that every one that hath this hope in
him, purifieth himself, even as Christ is pure, 1 John iii. 3. In Prov. xvi.
17, it is said, The highway of the upright is to depart from evil, i.e. it is,
as it were, the common beaten road in which all the godly travel. To the like
purpose is Isa. xxxv. 8. A highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be
called the way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it, but it shall be
for those, i. e. those redeemed persons spoken of in the foregoing verses. It
is spoken of in Rom. viii. 1, as the character of all believers, that they walk
not after the flesh, but after the spirit.
But how is a life, in a great measure
prayerless, consistent with an holy life? To lead an holy life is to lead a
life devoted to God; a life of worshipping and serving God; a life consecrated
to the service of God. But how doth he lead such a life who doth not so much as
maintain the duty of prayer? How can such a man be said to walk by the Spirit
and to be a servant of the Most High God? An holy life is a life of faith. The
life that true Christians live in the world they live by the faith of the Son
of God. But who can believe that man lives by faith who lives without prayer,
which, is the natural expression of faith? Prayer is as natural an expression
of faith as breathing is of life; and to say a man lives a life of faith, and
yet lives a prayerless life, is every whit as inconsistent and incredible, as
to say, that a man lives without breathing. A prayerless life is so far from
being an holy life, that it is a profane life. He that lives so, lives like an
heathen, who calleth not on God's name; he that lives a prayerless life, lives
without God in the world.
5. If you live in the neglect of secret
prayer, you show your good will to neglect all the worship of God. He that
prays only when he prays with others, would not pray at all, were it not that
the eyes of others are upon him. He that will not pray where none but God seeth
him, manifestly doth not pray at all out of respect to God, or regard to his
all-seeing eye, and therefore doth in effect cast off all prayer. And he that
casts off prayer, in effect casts off all the worship of God, of which prayer
is the principal duty. Now, what a miserable saint is he who is no worshipper
of God! He that casts off the worship of God, in effect casts off God himself:
He refuses to own him, or to be conversant with him as his God. For the way in
which men own God, and are conversant with him as their God, is by worshipping
him.
6. How can you expect to dwell with God for
ever, if you so neglect and forsake him here? This your practice shows, that
you place not your happiness in God, in nearness to him, and communion with
him. He Who refuses to come and visit, and converse with a friend, and who in a
great measure forsakes him, when he is abundantly invited and importuned to
come; plainly shows that he places not his happiness in, the company and
conversation of that friend. Now, if this be the case with you respecting God,
then how can you expect to have it for your happiness to all eternity, to be
with God, and to enjoy holy communion with him?
Let those persons who hope they are
converted, and yet have in a great measure left off the duty of secret prayer,
and whose manner it is ordinarily to neglect it, for their own sake seriously
consider these things. For what will profit then to please themselves with
that, while they live, which will fail them at last, and leave them in fearful
and amazing disappointment?
It is probable, that some of you who have
entertained a good, opinion of your state, and have looked upon yourselves as
converts; but have of late in a great measure left off the duty of secret
prayer; will this evening attend secret prayer, and so continue to do for a
little while; after your hearing this sermon, to the end, that you may solve
the difficulty, and the objection which is made against the truth of your hope.
But this will not hold. As it hath been in former instances of the like nature,
so what you now hear will have such effect upon you but a little while. When
the business and cares of the world shall again begin to crowd a little upon
you, or next time you shall go out into young company, it is probable you will
again neglect this duty. The next time a frolic shall be appointed, to which it
is proposed to you to go, it is highly probable you will neglect not only
secret prayer; but also family prayer. Or at least, after a while, you will
come to the same pass again, as before, in casting off fear and restraining
prayer before God.
It is not very likely that you will ever be
constant and persevering in this duty, until you shall have obtained a better
principle in your hearts. The streams which have no springs to feed them will
dry up. The drought and heat consume the snow waters. Although they run
plentifully in the spring, yet when the sun ascends higher with a burning heat
they are gone. The seed that is sown in stony places, though it seem to
flourish at present, yet as the sun shall rise with a burning heat, will wither
away. None will bring forth fruit with patience, but those whose hearts are
become good ground.
Without any heavenly seed remaining in them,
men may whenever they fall in among the godly, continue all their lives to talk
like saints. They may, for their credit's sake, tell of what they have
experienced But their deeds will not hold. They may continue to tell of their
inward experiences, and yet live in the neglect of secret prayer, and of other
duties.
II. I would take occasion from this doctrine
to exhort all to persevere in the duty of prayer. This exhortation is much
insisted on in the word of God. It is insisted on in the Old Testament; I
Chron. xvi. II. "Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his face
continually."...Isai. lxii. 7. "Ye that make mention of the Lord,
keep not silence;" i. e. be not silent as to the voice of prayer, as is
manifest by the following words, "and give him no rest till he establish
and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth," Israel of old is
reproved for growing weary of the duty of prayer. Isai. xliii. 22. "But
thou hast not called upon me, 0 Jacob, thou hast been weary of me, 0
Israel."
Perseverance in the duty of prayer is very
much insisted on in the New Testament; as Luke xviii. at the beginning, "A
man ought always to pray, and not to faint;" i. e. not to be discouraged
or weary of the duty; but should always continue in it. Again, Luke xxi. 36.
"Watch ye therefore, and pray always." We have the example of Anna
the prophetess set before us, Luke i. 36, &c. who, though she had lived to
be more than an hundred years old, yet never was weary of this duty. It is
said, "She departed not from the temple, but served God, with fastings and
prayers, night and day." Cornelius also is commended for his constancy in
this duty. It is said, that he prayed to God always; Acts x. 2. The Apostle
Paul, in his epistles, insists very much on constancy in this duty; Rom. xii.
12. "Continuing instant in prayer." Eph. vi. 18,19. "Praying
always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto
with all perseverance." Col. iv. 2. "Continue in prayer, and watch in
the same." I Thess. v. 17. "Pray without ceasing." To the same
effect the Apostle Peter, 1 Pet. iv. 7. "Watch unto prayer."....Thus
abundantly the scripture insists upon it, that we should persevere in the duty
of prayer; which shows that, it is of very great importance that we should
persevere. If the contrary be the manner of hypocrites, as hath been shown in
the doctrine, then surely we ought to beware of this leaven.
But here let the following things be
particularly considered as motives to perseverance in this duty.
1. That perseverance in the way of duty is
necessary to salvation, and is abundantly declared so to be in the holy
scriptures; as Isai. lxiv. 5. "Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh
righteousness, those that remember thee in thy ways: Behold, thou art wroth,
for we have sinned: In those is continuance, and we shall be saved." Heb.
x. 38, 39. "Now the just shall live by faith: But if any man draw back, my
soul hath no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition;
but of them that believe to the saving of the soul." Rom. xi. 22.
"Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: On them which fell,
severity; but towards thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness;
otherwise thou also shalt be cut off....So in many other places.
Many, when they think they are converted,
seem to imagine that their work is done, and that there is nothing else needful
in order to their going to heaven. Indeed perseverance in holiness of life is
not necessary to salvation, as the righteousness by which a right to salvation
is obtained. Nor is actual perseverance necessary in order to our becoming
interested in that righteousness by which we are justified. For as soon as ever
a soul hath believed in Christ, or hath put forth one act of faith in him, it
becomes interested in his righteousness, and in all the promises purchased by
it.
But persevering in the way of duty is
necessary to salvation, as a concomitant and evidence of a title to salvation.
There is never a title to salvation without it, though it be not the
righteousness by which a title to salvation is obtained. It is necessary to
salvation, as it is the necessary consequence of true faith. It is an evidence
which universally attends uprightness, and the defect of it is an infallible
evidence of the want of uprightness. Psal. cxxv. 4, 5. There such as are good
and upright in heart, are distinguished from such as fall away or turn aside:
"Do good, O Lord, to those that are good, and to them that are upright in
their hearts. As for such as turn aside to their crooked ways, the Lord shall
lead them forth with the workers of iniquity. But peace shall be upon
Israel." It is mentioned as an evidence that the hearts of the children of
Israel were not right with God, that they did not persevere in the ways of
holiness. Psal. lxxviii. 8. "A generation that set not their hearts
aright, and whose spirit was not steadfast with God."
Christ gives this as a distinguishing
character of those that are his disciples indeed, and of a true and saving
faith, that it is accompanied with perseverance in the obedience of Christ's
word. John viii. 31. "Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him,
if ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed." This is
mentioned as a necessary evidence of an interest in Christ, Heb. iii. 14.
"We are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our
confidence steadfast to the end."
Perseverance is not only a necessary
concomitant and evidence of a title to salvation; but also a necessary
prerequisite to the actual possession of eternal life. It is the only way to
heaven, the narrow way that leadeth to life. Hence Christ exhorts the church of
Philadelphia to persevere in holiness from this consideration, that it was
necessary in order to her obtaining the crown. Rev. iii. 11. "Hold fast
that which thou hast, that no man take thy crown." It is necessary, not
only that persons should once have been walking in the way of duty, but that
they should be found so doing when Christ cometh. Luke ix. 43. "Blessed is
that servant whom his lord, when he cometh, shall find so doing." Holding
out to the end is often made the condition of actual salvation. Mat. x. 22.
"He that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved:" And Rev. ii.
10. "Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of
life."
2. In order to your own perseverance in the
way of duty, your own care and watchfulness is necessary. For though it be
promised that true saints shall persevere, yet that is no argument that their care
and watchfulness is not necessary in order to it; because their care to keep
the commands of God is the thing promised. If the saints should fail of care,
watchfulness, and diligence to persevere in holiness, that failure of their
care and diligence would itself be a failure of holiness. They who persevere
not in watchfulness and diligence, persevere not in holiness of life, for
holiness of life very much consists in watchfulness and diligence to keep the
commands of God. It is one promise of the covenant of grace, that the Saints
shall keep God's commandments. Ezek. xi. 19, 20. Yet that is no argument that
they have no need to take care to keep these commandments, or to do their duty.
So the promise of God, that the saints shall persevere in holiness, is no
argument that it is not necessary that they should take heed lest they fall
away.
Therefore the scriptures abundantly warn men
to watch over themselves diligently, and to give earnest heed lest they fall
away. 1 Cor. xv. 13. "Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like
men, be strong." 1 Cor. x. 12. "Let him that thinketh he standeth,
take heed lest he fall." Heb. iii. 12, 13, 14. "Take heed, brethren,
lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the
living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called today, lest any of
you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of
Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the
end." Heb. iv. 1. "Let us therefore fear, lest a promise being left
us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it."
2 Peter iii. 17. "Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things
before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall
from your own steadfastness." 2 John v. 8. "Look to yourselves that
we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full
reward."
Thus you see how earnestly the scriptures
press on Christians exhortations to take diligent heed to themselves that they
fall not away. And certainly these cautions are not without reason.
The scriptures particularly insist upon
watchfulness in order to perseverance in the duty of prayer. Watch and pray,
saith Christ; which implies that we should watch unto prayer, as the Apostle
Peter says, 1 Pet. iv. 7. It implies, that we should watch against a neglect of
prayer, as well as against other sins. The apostle, in places which have been
already mentioned, directs us to pray with all prayer, watching there unto with
all perseverance, and to continue in prayer, and watch in the same. Nor is it
any wonder that the apostles so much insisted on watching, in order to a
continuance in prayer with all perseverance; for there are many temptations to
neglect this duty; first to be inconstant in it, and from time to time to omit
it; then in a great measure to neglect it. The devil watches to draw us away
from God, and to hinder us from going to him in prayer. We are surrounded with
one and another tempting object, business, and diversion: Particularly we meet
with many things which are great temptations to a neglect of this duty.
3. To move you to persevere in the duty of
prayer, consider how much you always stand in need of the help of God. If
persons who have formerly attended this duty, leave it off, the language of it
is, that now they stand in no further need of God's help, that they have no
further occasion to go to God with requests and supplications: When indeed it
is in God we live, and move, and have our being. We cannot draw a breath
without his help. You need his help every day, for the supply of your outward
wants; and especially you stand in continual need of him to help your souls.
Without his protection they would immediately fall into the hands of the devil,
who always stands as a roaring lion, ready, whenever he is permitted, to fall
upon the souls of men and devour them. If God should indeed preserve your
lives, but should otherwise forsake and leave you to yourselves, you would be
most miserable: Your lives would be a curse to you.
Those that are converted, if God should
forsake them, would soon fall away totally from a state of grace into a state
more miserable than ever they were in before their conversion. They have no
strength of their own to resist those powerful enemies who surround them. Sin
and Satan would immediately carry them away, as a mighty flood, if God should
forsake them. You stand in need of daily supplies from God. Without God you can
receive no spiritual light nor comfort, can exercise no grace, can bring forth
no fruit. Without God your souls will wither and pine away, and sink into a
most wretched state. You continually need the instructions and directions of
God. What can a little child do, in a vast howling wilderness, without some one
to guide it, and to lead it in the right way? Without God you will soon fall
into snares, and pits, and many fatal calamities.
Seeing therefore you stand in such continual need of the help of God, how
reasonable is it that you should continually seek it of him, and perseveringly
acknowledge your dependence upon him, by resorting to him, to spread your needs
before him, and to offer up your requests to him in prayer. Let us consider how
miserable we should be, if we should leave off prayer, and God at the same time
should leave off to take any care of us, or to afford us any more supplies of
his grace. By our constancy in prayer, we cannot be profitable to God; and if
we leave it off, God will sustain no damage: He doth not need our prayers; Job
x. 6, 7. But if God cease to care for us and to help us, we immediately sink:
We can do nothing: We can receive nothing without him.
4. Consider the great benefit of a constant,
diligent, and persevering attendance on this duty. It is one of the greatest
and most excellent means of nourishing the new nature, and of causing the soul
to flourish and prosper. It is an excellent mean of keeping up an acquaintance
with God, and of growing in the knowledge of God. It is the way to a life of
communion with God. It is an excellent mean of taking off the heart from the
vanities of the world and of causing the mind to be conversant in heaven. It is
an excellent preservative from sin and the wiles of the devil, and a powerful
antidote against the poison of the old serpent. It is a duty whereby strength
is derived from God against the lusts and corruptions of the heart, and the
snares of the world.
It hath a great tendency to keep the soul in
a wakeful frame, and to lead us to a strict walk with God, and to a life that
shall be fruitful in such good works, as tend to adorn the doctrine of Christ,
and to cause our light so to shine before others, that they, seeing our good
works, shall glorify our Father who is in heaven And if the duty be constantly
and diligently attended, it will be a very pleasant duty. Slack and slothful
attendance upon it, and unsteadiness in it, are the causes which make it so
great a burden as it is to some persons. Their slothfulness in it hath
naturally the effect to beget a dislike of the duty and a great indisposition
to it. But if it be constantly and diligently attended, it is one of the best
means of leading not only a Christian and amiable, but also a pleasant life; a
life of much sweet fellowship with Christ, and of the abundant enjoyment of the
light of his countenance.
Besides, the great power which prayer, when
duly attended, hath with God, is worthy of your notice. By it men become like
Jacob, who, as a prince, had power with God, and prevailed, when he wrestled
with God for the blessing. See the power of prayer represented in James v.
16,18. By these things you may be sensible how much you will lose, if you shall
be negligent of this great duty of calling upon God; and how ill you will
consult your own interest by such a neglect.
I conclude my discourse with two directions in order to constancy and
perseverance in this duty.
1. Watch against the beginnings of a neglect
of this duty. Persons who have for a time practiced this duty, and afterwards
neglect it, commonly leave it off by degrees. While their convictions and
religious affections last, they are very constant in their closets, and no
worldly business, or company, or diversion hinders them. But as their
convictions and affections begin to die away, they begin to find excuses to
neglect it sometimes. They are now so hurried; they have now such and such
things to attend to; or there are now such inconveniences in the way, that they
persuade themselves they may very excusably omit it for this time. Afterwards
it pretty frequently so happens, that they have something to hinder, something
which they call a just excuse. After a while, a less thing becomes a sufficient
excuse than was allowed to be such at first. Thus the person by degrees
contracts more and more of an habit of neglecting prayer, and becomes more and
more indisposed to it. And even when he doth perform it, it is in such a poor,
dull, heartless, miserable manner, that he says to himself, he might as well
not do it at all, as do it so. Thus he makes his own dullness and indisposition
an excuse for wholly neglecting it, or at least for living in a great measure
in the neglect of it. After this manner do Satan and men's own corruptions
inveigle them to their ruin.
Therefore beware of the first beginnings of
a neglect: Watch against temptations to it: Take heed how you begin to allow of
excuses. Be watchful to keep up the duty in the height of it; let it not so
much as begin to sink. For when you give way, though it be but little, it is
like giving way to an enemy in the field of battle; the first beginning of a
retreat greatly encourages the enemy, and weakens the retreating soldiers.
2. Let me direct you to forsake all such
practices as you find by experience do indispose you to the duty of secret
prayer. Examine the things in which you have allowed yourselves, and inquire
whether they have had this effect. You are able to look over your past
behavior, and may doubtless, on an impartial consideration, make a judgment of
the practices and courses in which you have allowed yourselves.
Particularly let young people examine their
manner of company keeping, and the round of diversions in which, with their
companions, they have allowed themselves. I only desire that you would ask at
the mouth of your own consciences what has been the effect of these things with
respect to your attendance on the duty of secret prayer. Have you not found
that such practices have tended to the neglect of this duty? Have you not found
that after them you have been more indisposed to it, and less conscientious and
careful to attend it? Yea have they not from, time to time, actually been the
means of your neglecting it?
If you cannot deny that this is really the
case, then, if you seek the good of your souls, forsake these practices.
Whatever you may plead for them, as that there is no hurt in them, or that
there is a time for all things, and the like; yet if you find this hurt in the
consequence of them, it is time for you to forsake them. And if you value
heaven more than a little worldly diversion; if you set an higher price on
eternal glory than on a dance or a song, you will forsake them.
If these things be lawful in themselves, yet
if your experience show, that they are attended with such a consequence as I
have now mentioned, that is enough. It is lawful in itself for you to enjoy
your right hand and your right eye: But if, by experience, you find they cause
you to offend, it is time for you to cut off the one, and pluck out the other,
as you would rather go to heaven without them than go to hell with them, into
that place of torment where the worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.