An offer of farther help to suffering saints, or, The best work in the worst times wherein the necessity, excellency, and means of preparation for sufferings are clearly evinced, and prescribed : in which, as in a glass, the people of God may see how to dress themselves for death, or any other suffering to which the Lord shall call : added as an appendix to the Sufferers mirrour.

CHAP. XIII. Containing the first use of the point by way of conviction, discovering the unreadiness of multitudes of Professors for suffering-work.

YOu have seen by all that hath been spoken, what the necessary prerequisites unto a suffering con∣dition are, and what manner of persons you must be (both for habitual and actual readiness) if ever you honour Christ by bonds or death for him. And I doubt not but your judgements and consciences vield to the evident necessity of these things, where∣in I have placed the Christians readiness. But alas! where shall we find among the throngs and crowds of Professours, any considerable numbers thus qua∣lified and prepared? To suffer for Christ, is a gift that few have received. We are fallen into the dregs of time. Oh how little of the Primitive zeal and simplicity remains among the Professours of this Age! Later times have produced a sort of Pro∣fessours of another stamp and Spirit. These have the light, but they had the love: these see more, but they did and suffered more. How many that are an ornament to Religion, do adorn themselves with the name of it!

Now according to this account given of a ready Christian, divers professing persons will be con∣victed of their unreadiness and inability to manage suffering work; As first.

1. The politick and hypocritical Professours, whose hearts were never set right at first, and there∣fore cannot be stedfast when trials come, Psal. 78.8. Their hearts were never sound in Gods statutes, and therefore no wonder if they be not onely a shame

to, but ashamed of their profession, Psal. 119.80. Never wonder if you see that profession which be∣gan in hypocrisie, to end in apostacy. These want their habitual readiness for sufferings, and so can∣not drink of that cup: needs must they fall when tried; and when they fall, they fall dreadfully, and often irrecoverably; for they neither have the seed of God in them, nor any promise of God made to them.

And are there not many such to be found in eve∣ry place? For (1) how difficult is it to perswade many of you to any duty that hath loss or hazard at∣tending on it. Doth not the sincere heart stand in∣clinable and disposed to all the known will of God? Psal. 119.6. Do Christians use to enquire more what is cheap, easie, and safe for them, or what is their duty? Gal. 1.16. Speak Conscience, for to thee I do appeal; Art thou not conscious of some reserves, limitations, and exceptions? Doth not the man like Naaman desire the Lord to excuse and pardon him in this or that thing? 2 Kings 5.17. And thinkest thou that this is consistent with sin∣cere obedience which excepts no duty, nor quar∣rels with any command, because they all flow equal∣ly from the sovereignty of God? Jam. 2.11. and so doth what it doth intuitu voluntatis, upon the sight of Gods will. Say Conscience, Are there not great struglings, disputes, and contests betwixt thee, and fleshly interests in such cases? and art thou not fre∣quently over-born? Oh search your hearts in this particular.

Yea secondly, I appeal to you, whether there be not many among you that choose sin rather then affliction? This is alwayes the Hypocrites opinion and choice. He judges sufferings the greatest evils, and so orders himself in his election. It was meer∣ly to avoid persecution that those Hypocrites, Gal.

6.12. constrained others to be circumcised, onely to gratifie the Jews; that so by a sinfull compliance with them the offence of the Cross might cease. If Paul would have done so, he might have avoided it too, but he durst not whatever he suffered, Gal. 5.11. Oh this is a shrewd sign of a false heart, Jub 36.21. and the contrary disposition is always found in the upright heart, Heb. 11.25.

Nay, are there not some that have, and others that are ready to throw up their Profession, when they see into what difficulties it involves them? Whilest they could live upon the profession of Truth, they entertained it; but when Truth comes to live upon them, they thrust it out, and cry, Away with this Profession, it will beggar and undo us: They then repent of their forwardness, and secret∣ly with they had never engaged in it. O examine whether your hearts be not thus turned back, and your steps declined. If so, it's manifest you are hypocritical Professours, and that it was some out∣ward self-respect that first engaged, you in your Profession, but can never enable you to hold out when difficult dayes come. I say it's manifest by this departure from your Profession, that some outward self-respect at first allured you to it. As now when I behold the artificial motions of the Wheels in a Watch, and see how regularly the Needle marks the journal hours of the Sun upon the flat of the Quadrant, and see nothing that moves or guides it, it would cause admiration if I had never seen it before, or did not understand the cause of that mo∣tion: but when I look upon the other side, and there find Wheels, Ressorts, and Counterpoises, and a Spring that causes all those motions, I cease to wonder; certainly some Lust or other was the spring of all thy religious motions; stop or take

off that, and motion ceases: And if it be so, this Scab of Hypocrisie will at last break out into the Botch of Apostacy. Thou canst never hold out long under Trials, Matth. 13.21. Oh how many such sad sights may we live to see as Trials come! Diffi∣cult times are coming on, 2 Tim. 3.1. and woe to such then as want sincerity at the bottome of their Profession.

2. And as these have no habitual readiness for sufferings, and consequently must be ruin'd by them; so there are others that may be truly godly, and have the root of the matter in them, who are yet far from an actual readiness, and so continuing, are like to be a reproach to Religion when their Trial comes. For it is not a little Grace in the sleepy habit that will secure you from falling scan∣dalously by the hand of temptation: And although that Seed of God which is in you, will recover you again, and prevent total and final Apostacy, yet oh consider what a sad thing it is to enter into, and be conquered by temptation: to be led away in tri∣umph by the Tempter, and made a reproach to Christ. O it's a sad consideration to think how ma∣ny there be amongst the people of God, that dis∣cover little or no actual preparation for sufferings, As first;

1. Upon how many of the Saints is the Spirit of slumber poured out: Even the wise as well as fool∣ish seem now to be asleep. There is a twofold spiri∣tual sleep; the first is total, upon wicked men: and it's one of Gods sorest and dreadfullest strokes upon their soul, Isa. 29.10. The Hebrew word there is the same with that which is used of Adam, when God cast him into a deep sleep, whilst he took out his rib. And in 2 Tim. 2.26. it signifies such a sleep as that which is occasioned by drunkenness; out of

such a sleep doth the Lord awaken all that are sa∣ved, and they never fall into it any more. The other is partial, Cant. 5.2. and is incident to the people of God, Matth. 25.5. This is nothing else but that torpor and sluggishness of spirit which seizeth up∣on the Saints, and never did it prevail, I fear among them, more then now. For where is their activity for God? Where is he that stirreth up himself to take hold of God? Isa. 64.7. Where is there such a generation as that, Psal. 24.6. we pray, confer, and hear for the most part, but as men speak be∣twixt sleeping and waking. Where can you find, except here and there one, that hath a quick and lively sense of Gods indignation upon him, or that trembles at his judgements? Is not that the very case of the most which God describes? Isa. 42. ult.

2. How many are seized by a private and world∣ly spirit, every man turning to his own house, and eagerly pursuing the world? Hag. 1.9. Jer. 45.4, 5. Oh! how are we intangled in the Wilderness? how doth the World eat up our time, and eat out our Zeal, cowardize and soften our spirits, and render us utterly unfit for the Yoak and Burden of Christ? You that see so much Beauty, and taste so much sweetness in the Creature, will have an hard Tugg when call'd to deny it: You are not yet prepared to drink of the Cup, or take up the Cross of Christ.

3. How many poor Christians are of a low and timerous spirit, ready to tremble at the shaking of a Leaf: Ah poor hearts! how unfit are you for Bonds or Death? This passion of fear that so predo∣minates in you, is the very passion that Satan assaults, and layes siege to in the hour of Temptation, as was before noted: and commonly it's occasioned (where it flowes not from the Natural Constitution) from an excessive love to the world, or from some

guilt upon the spirit. It's true, the Lord can so assist weak Faith, and so subdue strong Fears, as that you may be enabled to stand the shock when it comes: (for, as I noted formerly, our strength lies not in any thing inherent in us, but we are strong or weak, according to the divine presence and assistances that we enjoy) but yet if you labour not to mortifie this Evil, and stir not up your selves in the use of all ap∣pointed means, to rouze your Zeal and Courage for God, I know no Warrant you have to expect such assistances.

Lastly, how many poor Christians among us, are to this day dark and cloudy in their Evidences for Heaven? Had they walked closely with God, been laborious in the disquisition and search of their own hearts, they had long since obtained a clear∣ness and satisfaction about the state of their own hearts: But as the case stands with them, how unfit are they for Bonds or Death. Oh! 'tis a sad case, when inward and outward Troubles meet together, as you may see, Gen. 42.21, 22. when there shall be fightings without, and fears within: When such a pang as that, Lam. 3.17, 18. shall come over thy heart, what wilt thou do?

By all that hath been said, it appears, that the most of Professours are in a very unready posture for sufferings: So that as Troubles come to an height, we are like to see many sad Spectacles: Many Of∣fences will come; Religion is like to be wounded in the house of it's friends. Oh! What a day of Mercy have we enjoyed? What helps and choice advantages, above any precedent Age, and yet un∣ready? How sad and inexcusable is this?

Notes

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