its distilled and offered up to him in every duty, John iv. 24; he bestows upon his people the very substance and kernel of mercies, and will not accept from them the shells and shadows of duties; not the skin, but the inwards, and the fat that covered the inwards, was required under the law. Exod. xxix. 30. rifice under the gospel, must be sacrificium medullatum, Observe the manner in which a sacrifice full of marrow. their work is to be performed. And every sac Rom. xii. 11. In serving God, fervent in prayer, or hissing bot. 2 Pet. i. 10. In securing salvation, diligent; or doing it thoroughly, and enough. 1 Tim. iv. 7. In godliness, exercising or stripping themselves, as for a race. Luke xiii. 24. In the pursuit of happiness, striving even to an agony. Acts xxvi. 7. In prayer, serving God instantly; or in a stretched out manner; yea, pouring out their hearts before him, Psalm lxii. 8. as if the body were left like a dead corpse upon the knees, whilst the spirit is departed from it, and ascended to God. This is the manner of his work; judge, then, how much harder this work is, than to spend the sweat of the brow in manual labor. 3. The husbandman finds his work as he left it, he can begin one day where he left off the other, but it is not so with the Christian; a bad heart, and a busy devil, disorder and spoil his work every day. The Christian finds not his heart in the morning as he left it at night; and even when he is about his work, how many set backs doth he meet with ?-Satan stands at his right hand (the working hand) to resist him, Zech. iii. 1. when he would do good, evil (the evil of his own heart and nature) is present with him. 4. The husbandman hath some resting days, when he throws aside all his work, and takes his recreation; but the Christian hath no resting day, till his dying day; and then he shall rest from his labors. Religion allows no idle day," but requires him to be always abounding in the work of the Lord." 1 Cor. xv. 18. When one duty is done, another calls for him; the Lord's day is a day of rest to the husbandman, but no day in the week so laborious to the Christian. O, it is a spending day to him! When he hath gathered in the crop of one duty, he is not to sit down satisfied therewith, or say as that rich worldling did, Luke xii. 19. "Soul, take thine ease, thou hast goods laid up for many years;" but must to plough again, and count it well if the vintage reach to the seedtime, Lev. xxvi. 5. I mean, if the strength, influence, and comfort of one duty, hold out to another duty; and that it may be so, and there be no room left for idleness, God hath appointed ejaculatory prayer, to fill up the intervals, betwixt stated and the more solemn duties. These are to keep in the fire, which kindle the morning sacrifice, to kindle the evening sacrifice. When can the Christian sit down and say, Now all my work is ended, I have nothing to do without doors, or within. Lastly, There is a time when the labor of the husbandman is ended; old age and weakness take him off from all employment; they can look only upon their laborers, but cannot do a stroke of work themselves; they can tell you what they did in their younger years, but now, say they, we must leave it to younger people; we cannot be young always. But the Christian is never superannuated as to the work of religion; yea, the longer he lives, the more his master expects from him. When he is full of days, God expects he should be full of fruits. Psalm xcii. 14. "They shall bring forth fruit in old age, they shall be fat and flourishing." REFLECTIONS." 1. How hard have I labored for the meat that perisheth? Prevented the dawning of the day, and labored as in the very fire, and yet The worldling's is the Christian's work harder than mine? reflection. Surely, then, I never yet understood the work of Christianity. Alas! my sleepy prayers and formal duties, even all that ever I performed in my life, never cost me that pains, that one hour at plough hath done. I have either wholly neglected, or at best, so lazily performed religious duties, that I may truly say, I offer to God what cost me nothing. Wo is me, poor wretch! How is the judgment of Korah spiritually executed upon me? The earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up his body; but it hath opened its mouth and swallowed up my heart, my time, and all my affections. How far am I from the kingdom of God? 2. And how little better is my case, who have indeed professed religion, but never made it my business ?Will an empty, though splendid, profesThe formalist's sion save me?-How many brave ships reflection. have perished in the storms, notwithstanding their fine names, the Prosperous, the Success, the Happy Return ?-A fine name could not protect them from the rocks, nor will it save me from hell. I have done by religion, as I should have done by the world; prayed, as if I prayed not! and heard, as if I heard not. I have given to God but the shadow of duty, and can never expect from him a real reward. . 3. How unlike a Christian dost thou, also, O my soul, go about thy work; though upright in The reflections of the main, yet how little zeal and activia slothful Chris- ty dost thou express in thy duties ? tian. Awake, love and zeal, seest thou not the toil and pains men take for the world? How do they prevent the dawning of the day! and labor as in the very fire till night; and all this for a trifle! Should not every drop of sweat which I see trickle from their brows, fetch, as it were, a drop of blood from my heart? who am thus convinced and reproved of shameful laziness, by their indefatigable diligence. Do they pant after the dust of the earth? Amos ii. 7. And shall I not pant after God, Psalm xlii. 1. Ah! my soul, it was not wont to be so with thee in the days of my first profession. Should I have had no more communion with God in duties then, it should have broken my heart; I should have been weary of my life. Is this a time for one to stand idle, who stands at the door of eternity? What, now slack-handed, when so near to my everlasting rest, Rom. xiii. 11. or hast thou found the work of God so unpleasant to thee? Prov. iii. 17. or the trade of godliness so unprofitable? Psal. xix. 12. Or knowest thou not, that millions now in hell perished for want of serious diligence in religion, Luke xiii. 34. nor doth my diligence for God, answer to that which Christ has done and suffered, to purchase my happiness; or to the preparations he hath made in heaven for me? Or dost thou forget that thy master's eye is always upon thee, whilst thou art lazying and loitering? Or would the damned live at this rate as I do, if their day of grace might be recalled? For shame, my soul, for shame! rouse up thyself, and fall to thy work, with a diligence answerable to the weight thereof; for it is no vain work concerning thee-it is thy life. Religion 'Twill make And therein If there were Christ gives For there's Shall others THE POEM. When advanc'd in pow'r, Husband every hour. Men strive with all their might, Find a sweet delight. Nought besides that pay Do the best we can? No such reward from man. Work, and not regard Their strength; To get a small reward? Whilst we O that Why are our When we How can we Them both; 'Twould But if they As good Rouse up Thee to thy O strive, The pain they Turn slugs, and loiter thus ? Their zeal might quicken us! Also that embrace If not, we both disgrace. They could these two divide, Please them well, with Christ to side! May not, then it were Cease pleading, they'll not hear. From sloth, my soul betake Work, no cavils make. And try! Saints say that even Take, hath much of heaven. Their best wine's kept till last, Their rest, and Ease come all so fast. |