G.o.d, he is for making of his a willing people to serve him; and the devil, he doth what he can to possess the will and affection of those that are his, with love to sin; and therefore when Christ comes close to the matter, indeed, saith he, "Ye will not come to me" (John 5:40). "How often would I have gathered you as a hen doth her chickens, and ye would not" (Luke 13:34). The devil had possessed their wills, and so long he was sure enough of them.
O therefore cry hard to G.o.d to inflame thy will for heaven and Christ: thy will, I say, if that be rightly set for heaven, thou wilt not be beat off with discouragements; and this was the reason that, when Jacob wrestled with the angel, though he lost a limb, as it were, and the hollow of his thigh was put out of joint, as he wrestled with him, yet, saith he, "I will not," mark, "I WILL NOT let thee go except thou bless me" (Gen 32:24-26). Get thy will tipt with the heavenly grace, and resolution against all discouragements, and then thou goest full speed for heaven; but if thou falter in thy will, and be not found there, thou wilt run hobbling and halting all the way thou runnest, and also to be sure thou wilt fall short at the last. The Lord give thee a will and courage!
Thus have I done with directing thee how to run to the kingdom; be sure thou keep in memory what I have said unto thee, lest thou lose thy way. But because I would have thee think of them, take all in short in this little bit of paper.
1. Get into the way. 2. Then study on it. 3. Then strip, and lay aside everything that would hinder. 4. Beware of bye-paths. 5. Do not gaze and stare too much about thee, and be sure to ponder the path of thy feet. 6. Do not stop for any that call after thee, whether it be the world, the flesh, or the devil; for all these will hinder thy journey, if possible. 7. Be not daunted with any discouragements thou meetest with as thou goest. 8. Take heed of stumbling at the cross. 9. Cry hard to G.o.d for an enlightened heart, and a willing mind, and G.o.d give thee a prosperous journey.
Yet before I do quite take my leave of thee, let me give thee a few motives along with thee. It may be they will be as good as a pair of spurs to p.r.i.c.k on thy lumpish heart in this rich voyage.[17]
[V. NINE MOTIVES TO URGE US ON IN THE WAY.]
The First Motive. Consider there is no way but this, thou must either win or lose. If thou winnest, then heaven, G.o.d, Christ, glory, ease, peace, life, yea, life eternal, is thine; thou must be made equal to the angels in heaven; thou shalt sorrow no more, sigh no more, feel no more pain; thou shalt be out of the reach of sin, h.e.l.l, death, the devil, the grave, and whatever else may endeavour thy hurt. But contrariwise, and if thou lose, then thy loss is heaven, glory, G.o.d, Christ, ease, peace, and whatever else which tendeth to make eternity comfortable to the saints; besides, thou procurest eternal death, sorrow, pain, blackness, and darkness, fellowship with devils, together with the everlasting d.a.m.nation of thy own soul.
The Second Motive. Consider that this devil, this h.e.l.l, death and d.a.m.nation, followeth after thee as hard as they can drive, and have their commission so to do by the law, against which thou hast sinned; and therefore for the Lord"s sake make haste.
The Third Motive. If they seize upon thee before thou get to the city of Refuge, they will put an everlasting stop to thy journey.
This also cries, Run for it.
The Fourth Motive. Know also, that now heaven gates, the heart of Christ, with his arms, are wide open to receive thee. O methinks that this consideration, that the devil followeth after to destroy, and that Christ standeth open-armed to receive, should make thee reach out and fly with all haste and speed! And therefore,
The Fifth Motive. Keep thine eye upon the prize; be sure that thy eyes be continually upon the profit thou art like to get. The reason why men are so apt to faint in their race for heaven, it lieth chiefly in either of these two things:
1. They do not seriously consider the worth of the prize; or else if they do, they are afraid it is too good for them; but most lose heaven for want of considering the price and the worth of it. And therefore, that thou mayst not do the like, keep thine eye much upon the excellency, the sweetness, the beauty, the comfort, the peace, that is to be had there by those that win the prize. This was that which made the apostle run through anything; good report, evil report, persecution, affliction, hunger, nakedness, peril by sea, and peril by land, bonds and imprisonments. Also it made others endure to be stoned, sawn asunder, to have their eyes bored out with augurs, their bodies broiled on gridirons, their tongues cut out of their mouths, boiled in cauldrons, thrown to the wild beasts, burned at the stakes, whipped at posts, and a thousand other fearful torments, "while they looked not at the things which are seen," as the things of this world, "but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal" (2 Cor 4:18). O this word "eternal," that was it that made them, that when they might have had deliverance, they would not accept of it; for they knew in the world to come they should have a better resurrection (Heb 11:35).
2. And do not let the thoughts of the rareness of the place make thee say in thy heart, This is too good for me; for I tell thee, heaven is prepared for whosoever will accept of it, and they shall be entertained with hearty good welcome. Consider, therefore, that as bad as thou have got thither; thither went scrubbed,[18]
beggarly Lazarus, &c. Nay, it is prepared for the poor: "Hearken, my beloved brethren," saith James, take notice of it, "Hath not G.o.d chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom?" (James 2:5). Therefore take heart and RUN, man. And,
The Sixth Motive. Think much of them that are gone before. First, How really they got into the kingdom. Secondly, How safe they are in the arms of Jesus; would they be here again for a thousand worlds? Or if they were, would they be afraid that G.o.d would not make them welcome? Thirdly, What would they judge of thee if they knew thy heart began to fail thee in thy journey, or thy sins began to allure thee, and to persuade thee to stop thy race? would they not call thee a thousand fools? and say, O, that he did but see what we see, feel what we feel, and taste of the dainties that we taste of! O, if he were here one quarter of an hour, to behold, to see, to feel, to taste and enjoy but the thousandth part of what we enjoy, what would he do? What would he suffer? What would he leave undone? Would he favour sin? Would he love this world below?
Would he be afraid of friends, or shrink at the most fearful threatenings that the greatest tyrants could invent to give him?
Nay, those who have had but a sight of these things by faith, when they have been as far off from them as heaven from earth, yet they have been able to say with a comfortable and merry heart, as the bird that sings in the spring, that this and more shall not keep them from running to heaven. Sometimes, when my base heart hath been inclining to this world, and to loiter in my journey towards heaven, the very consideration of the glorious saints and angels in heaven, what they enjoy, and what low thoughts they have of the things of this world together, how they would befool me if they did but know that my heart was drawing back; [this]
hath caused me to rush forward, to disdain these poor, low, empty, beggarly things, and to say to my soul, Come, soul, let us not be weary; let us see what this heaven is; let us even venture all for it, and try if that will quit the cost. Surely Abraham, David, Paul, and the rest of the saints of G.o.d, were as wise as any are now, and yet they lost all for this glorious kingdom. O! therefore, throw away stinking l.u.s.ts, follow after righteousness, love the Lord Jesus, devote thyself unto his fear, I"ll warrant thee he will give thee a goodly recompense. Reader, what sayst thou to this? Art [thou] resolved to follow me? Nay, resolve if thou canst to get before me. "So run, that ye may obtain."
The Seventh Motive. To encourage thee a little farther, set to the work, and when thou hast run thyself down weary, then the Lord Jesus will take thee up, and carry thee. Is not this enough to make any poor soul begin his race? Thou, perhaps, criest, O but I am feeble, I am lame, &c.: well, but Christ hath a bosom; consider, therefore, when thou hast run thyself down weary, he will put thee in his bosom: "He shall gather the lambs with his arms, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young" (Isa 40:11). This is the way that fathers take to encourage their children, saying: Run, sweet babe, while thou art weary, and then I will take thee up and carry thee. "He will gather his lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom." When they are weary they shall ride.[19] The Eighth Motive. Or else he will convey new strength from heaven into thy soul, which will be as well--"The youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall; but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint" (Isa 40:30,31). What shall I say besides what hath already been said? Thou shalt have good and easy lodging, good and wholesome diet, the bosom of Christ to lie in, the joys of heaven to feed on. Shall I speak of the satiety and of the duration of all these? Verily to describe them to the height it is a work too hard for me to do.[20]
The Ninth Motive. Again methinks the very industry of the devil, and the industry of his servants, &c., should make you that have a desire to heaven and happiness to run apace. Why, the devil, he will lose no time, spare no pains, also neither will his servants, both to seek the destruction of themselves and others: and shall not we be as industrious for our own salvation? Shall the world venture the d.a.m.nation of their souls for a poor corruptible crown; and shall not we venture the loss of a few trifles for an eternal crown? Shall they venture the loss of eternal friends, as G.o.d to love, Christ to redeem, the Holy Spirit to comfort, heaven for habitation, saints and angels for company, and all this to get and hold communion with sin, and this world, and a few base, drunken, swearing, lying, covetous wretches, like themselves? And shall not we labour as hard, run as fast, seek as diligently, nay, a hundred times more diligently, for the company of these glorious eternal friends, though with the loss of such as these, nay, with the loss of ten thousand times better than these poor, low, base, contemptible things? Shall it be said at the last day, that wicked men made more haste to h.e.l.l than you did make to heaven?[21] That they spent more hours, days, and that early and late, for h.e.l.l, than you spent for that which is ten thousand thousand of thousands times better? O let it not be so, but run with all might and main.
Thus you see I have here spoken something, though but little. Now I shall come to make some use and application of what hath been said, and so conclude.
[VI. NINE USES OF THIS SUBJECT.]
The first use. You see here, that he that will go to heaven, he must run for it; yea, and not only run, but so run, that is, as I have said, to run earnestly, to run continually, to strip off every thing that would hinder in his race with the rest. Well then, do you so run? And now let us examine a little.
1. Art thou got into the right way? Art thou in Christ"s righteousness? Do not say yes in thy heart, when in truth there is no such matter. It is a dangerous thing, you know, for a man to think he is in the right way, when he is in the wrong. It is the next way for him to lose his way, and not only so, but if he run for heaven, as thou sayst thou dost, even to lose that too. O this is the misery of most men, to persuade themselves that they run right, when they never had one foot in the way! The Lord give thee understanding here, or else thou art undone for ever.
Prithee, soul, search when was it thou turned out of thy sins and righteousness into the righteousness of Jesus Christ. I say, dost thou see thyself in him? and is he more precious to thee than the whole world? Is thy mind always musing on him? Dost thou love to be talking of him--and also to be walking with him? Dost thou count his company more precious than the whole world? Dost thou count all things but poor, lifeless, empty, vain things, without communion with him? Doth his company sweeten all things--and his absence embitter all things? Soul, I beseech thee, be serious, and lay it to heart, and do not take things of such weighty concernment as the salvation or d.a.m.nation of thy soul, without good ground.
2. Art thou unladen of the things of this world, as pride, pleasures, profits, l.u.s.ts, vanities? What! dost thou think to run fast enough with the world, thy sins and l.u.s.ts in thy heart? I tell thee, soul, they that have laid all aside, every weight, every sin, and are got into the nimblest posture, they find work enough to run; so to run as to hold out. To run through all that opposition, all these jostles, all these rubs, over all these stumbling-blocks, over all the snares from all these entanglements, that the devil, sin, the world, and their own hearts, lay before them; I tell thee, if thou art agoing heavenward, thou wilt find it no small or easy matter. Art thou therefore discharged and unladen of these things? Never talk of going to heaven if thou art not. It is to be feared thou wilt be found among the many that "will seek to enter in, and shall not be able" (Luke 13:24).
The second use. If so, then, in the next place, what will become of them that are grown weary before they are got half way thither?
Why, man, it is he that holdeth out to the end that must be saved; it is he that overcometh that shall inherit all things; it is not every one that begins. Agrippa gave a fair step for a sudden, he steps almost into the bosom of Christ in less than half an hour. Thou, saith he to Paul, hast "almost persuaded me to be a Christian" (Acts 26:26). Ah! but it was but almost; and so he had as good have been never a whit; he stept fair indeed, but yet he stept short; he was hot while he was at it, but he was quickly out of wind. O this but almost! I tell you, this but almost, it lost his soul. Methinks I have seen sometimes how these poor wretches that get but almost to heaven, how fearfully their almost, and their but almost, will torment them in h.e.l.l; when they shall cry out in the bitterness of their souls, saying, I was almost a Christian.
I was almost got into the kingdom, almost out of the hands of the devil, almost out of my sins, almost from under the curse of G.o.d; almost, and that was all; almost, but not altogether. O that I should be almost at heaven, and should not go quite through!
Friend, it is a sad thing to sit down before we are in heaven, and to grow weary before we come to the place of rest; and if it should be thy case, I am sure thou dost not so run as to obtain.
But again,
The third use. In the next place, What then will become of them that some time since were running post-haste to heaven, insomuch that they seemed to outstrip many, but now are running as fast back again? Do you think those will ever come thither? What, to run back again, back again to sin, to the world, to the devil, back again to the l.u.s.ts of the flesh? O! "It had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than after they have known it, to turn," to turn back again, "from the holy commandment"
(2 Peter 2:22). Those men shall not only be d.a.m.ned for sin, but for professing to all the world that sin is better than Christ; for the man that runs back again, he doth as good as say, "I have tried Christ, and I have tried sin, and I do not find so much profit in Christ as in sin."[22] I say, this man declareth this, even by his running back again. O sad! what a doom they will have, who were almost at heaven-gates, and then run back again. "If any draw back," saith Christ [by his apostle], "my soul shall have no pleasure in him" (Heb 10:38). Again, "No man having put his hand to the plough," that is, set forward, in the ways of G.o.d, "and looking back," turning back again, "is fit for the kingdom of G.o.d" (Luke 9:62). And if not fit for the kingdom of heaven, then for certain he must needs be fit for the fire of h.e.l.l. And therefore, saith the apostle, those that "bring forth" these apostatizing fruits, as "briars and thorns, are rejected, and nigh unto cursing, whose end is to be burned" (Heb 6:8). O there is never another Christ to save them by bleeding and dying for them! And if they shall not escape that neglect, then how shall they escape that reject and turn their back upon "so great a salvation?" (Heb 2:3). And if the righteous, that is, they that run for it, will find work enough to get to heaven, "then where will the unG.o.dly"
backsliding "sinner appear?" or if Judas the traitor, or Francis Spira the backslider, were but now alive in the world to whisper these men in the ear a little, and tell them what it hath cost their souls for backsliding, surely it would stick by them and make them afraid of running back again, so long as they had one day to live in this world.
The fourth use. So again, fourthly, how unlike to these men"s pa.s.sions[23] will those be that have all this while sat still, and have not so much as set one foot forward to the kingdom of heaven. Surely he that backslideth, and he that sitteth still in sin, they are both of one mind; the one he will not stir, because he loveth his sins, and the things of this world; the other he runs back again, because he loveth his sins, and the things of this world: is it not one and the same thing? They are all one here, and shall not one and the same h.e.l.l hold them hereafter!
He is an unG.o.dly one that never looked after Christ, and he is an unG.o.dly one that did once look after him and then ran quite back again; and therefore that word must certainly drop out of the mouth of Christ against them both, "Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels"
(Matt 25:41).
The fifth use. Again, here you may see, in the next place, that is, they that will have heaven must run for it; then this calls aloud to those who began but a while since to run, I say, for them to mend their pace if they intend to win; you know that they which come hindmost, had need run fastest. Friend, I tell thee, there be those that have run ten years to thy one, nay, twenty to thy five, and yet if thou talk with them, sometimes they will say they doubt they shall come late enough. How then will it be with thee? Look to it therefore that thou delay no time, not an hour"s time, but speedily part with all, with everything that is an hindrance to thee in thy journey, and run; yea, and so run that thou mayest obtain.
The sixth use. Again, sixthly, You that are old professors, take you heed that the young striplings of Jesus, that began to strip but the other day, do not outrun you, so as to have that scripture fulfilled on you, "The first shall be last, and the last first"; which will be a shame to you, and a credit for them. What, for a young soldier to be more courageous than he that hath been used to wars! To you that are hindmost, I say, strive to outrun them that are before you; and you that are foremost, I say, hold your ground, and keep before them in faith and love, if possible; for indeed that is the right running, for one to strive to outrun another; even for the hindmost to endeavour to overtake the foremost, and he that is before should be sure to lay out himself to keep his ground, even to the very utmost. But then,
The seventh use. Again, How basely do they behave themselves, how unlike are they to win, that think it enough to keep company with the hindmost? There are some men that profess themselves such as run for heaven as well as any; yet if there be but any lazy, slothful, cold, half-hearted professors in the country, they will be sure to take example by them; they think if they can but keep pace with them they shall do fair; but these do not consider that the hindmost lose the prize. You may know it, if you will, that it cost the foolish virgins dear for their coming too late--"They that were ready went in with him, and the door was shut. Afterward,"
mark, "afterward came the other," the foolish, "virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us; but he answered, and said," Depart, "I know you not" (Matt 25:10-12). Depart, lazy professors, cold professors, slothful professors. O! methinks the Word of G.o.d is so plain for the overthrow of you lazy professors, that it is to be wondered men do take no more notice of it. How was Lot"s wife served for running lazily, and for giving but one look behind her, after the things she left in Sodom? How was Esau served for staying too long before he came for the blessing? And how were they served that are mentioned in the 13th of Luke, "for staying till the door was shut?" Also the foolish virgins; a heavy after-groan will they give that have thus staid too long. It turned Lot"s wife into a pillar of salt (Gen 19:26). It made Esau weep with an exceeding loud and bitter cry (Heb 12:17). It made Judas hang himself: yea, and it will make thee curse the day in which thou wast born, if thou miss of the kingdom, as thou wilt certainly do, if this be thy course. But,
The eighth use. Again, How, and if thou by thy lazy running shouldst not only destroy thyself, but also thereby be the cause of the d.a.m.nation of some others, for thou being a professor thou must think that others will take notice of thee; and because thou art but a poor, cold, lazy runner, and one that seeks to drive the world and pleasure along with thee: why, thereby others will think of doing so too. Nay, say they, why may not we as well as he? He is a professor, and yet he seeks for pleasures, riches, profits; he loveth vain company, and he is proud, and he is so and so, and professeth that he is going for heaven; yea, and he saith also he doth not fear but he shall have entertainment; let us therefore keep pace with him, we shall fare no worse than he.
O how fearful a thing will it be, if that thou shalt be instrumental of the ruin of others by thy halting in the way of righteousness!
Look to it, thou wilt have strength little enough to appear before G.o.d, to give an account of the loss of thy own soul; thou needest not have to give an account for others; why, thou didst stop them from entering in. How wilt thou answer that saying, You would not enter in yourselves, and them that would you hinder; for that saying will be eminently fulfilled on them that through their own idleness do keep themselves out of heaven, and by giving of others the same example, hinder them also.
The ninth use. Therefore, now to speak a word to both of you, and so I shall conclude.
1. I beseech you, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that none of you do run so lazily in the way to heaven as to hinder either yourselves or others. I know that even he which runs laziest, if he should see a man running for a temporal life, if he should so much neglect his own well-being in this world as to venture, when he is a-running for his life, to pick up here and there a lock of wool that hangeth by the way-side, or to step now and then aside out of the way for to gather up a straw or two, or any rotten stick, I say, if he should do this when he is a-running for his life, thou wouldst condemn him; and dost thou not condemn thyself that dost the very same in effect, nay worse, that loiterest in thy race, notwithstanding thy soul, heaven, glory, and all is at stake. Have a care, have a care, poor wretched sinner, have a care.
2. If yet there shall be any that, notwithstanding this advice, will still be flaggering and loitering in the way to the kingdom of glory, be thou so wise as not to take example by them. Learn of no man further than he followeth Christ. But look unto Jesus, who is not only "the author and finisher of faith," but who did, "for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is now set down at the right hand of G.o.d" (Heb 12:2). I say, look to no man to learn of him no further than he followeth Christ. "Be ye followers of me," saith Paul, "even as I also am of Christ" (1 Cor 11:1). Though he was an eminent man, yet his exhortation was, that none should follow him any further than he followed Christ.
VII. PROVOCATION. [TO RUN WITH THE FOREMOST.]
Now that you may be provoked to run with the foremost, take notice of this. When Lot and his wife were running from cursed Sodom to the mountains, to save their lives, it is said that his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt; and yet you see that neither her practice, nor the judgment of G.o.d that fell upon her for the same, would cause Lot to look behind him. I have sometimes wondered at Lot in this particular; his wife looked behind her, and died immediately, but let what would become of her, Lot would not so much as look behind him to see her. We do not read that he did so much as once look where she was, or what was become of her; his heart was indeed upon his journey, and well it might: there was the mountain before him, and the fire and brimstone behind him; his life lay at stake and he had lost it if he had but looked behind him. Do thou so run: and in thy race remember Lot"s wife, and remember her doom; and remember for what that doom did overtake her; and remember that G.o.d made her an example for all lazy runners, to the end of the world: and take heed thou fall not after the same example. But, if this will not provoke thee, consider thus,
1. Thy soul is thy own soul, that is either to be saved or lost; thou shalt not lose my soul by thy laziness. It is thy own soul, thy own ease, thy own peace, thy own advantage, or disadvantage.
If it were my soul that thou art desired to be good unto, methinks reason should move thee somewhat to pity it. But alas, it is thy own, thy own soul. "What shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" (Mark 8:36). G.o.d"s people wish well to the souls of others, and wilt not thou wish well to thy own? And if this will not provoke thee, then think again,
2. If thou lose thy soul, it is thou also that must bear the blame.
It made Cain stark mad to consider that he had not looked to his brother Abel"s soul. How much more will it perplex thee to think, that thou hadst not a care of thy own? And if this will not provoke thee to bestir thyself, think again,
3. That if thou wilt not run, the people of G.o.d are resolved to deal with thee even as Lot dealt with his wife, that is, leave thee behind them. It may be thou hast a father, mother, brother, &c., going post-haste to heaven, wouldst thou be willing to be left behind them? Surely no. Again,
4. Will it not be a dishonour to thee to see the very boys and girls in the country to have more wit than thyself? It may be the servants of some men, as the horsekeeper, ploughman, scullion, &c., are more looking after heaven than their masters. I am apt to think sometimes, that more servants than masters, that more tenants than landlords, will inherit the kingdom of heaven. But is not this a shame for them that are such? I am persuaded you scorn, that your servants should say that they are wiser than you in the things of this world; and yet I am bold to say, that many of them are wiser than you in the things of the world to come, which are of great concernment.
VIII. A SHORT EXPOSTULATION.
Well then, sinner, what sayest thou? Where is thy heart? Wilt thou run? Art thou resolved to strip? Or art thou not? Think quickly, man, it is no dallying in this matter. Confer not with flesh and blood; look up to heaven, and see how thou likest it; also to h.e.l.l--of which thou mayst understand something by my book, called, A few Sighs from h.e.l.l; or the Groans of a d.a.m.ned Soul; which I wish thee to read seriously over--and accordingly devote thyself.
If thou dost not know the way, inquire at the Word of G.o.d. If thou wantest company, cry for G.o.d"s Spirit. If thou wantest encouragement, entertain the promises. But be sure thou begin by times; get into the way; run apace and hold out to the end; and the Lord give thee a prosperous journey. Farewell.
FOOTNOTES: