your loose walking will bring upon your friends; and the mirth it will make for, and mischief it will do to your enemies; who, thereby, may be made utterly to fall, where, it may be, you only have stumbled: who are justified and abfolved, (as before you heard), by your miscarriages. And now, what think you of all this? Are you obliged or not, to this purity of life? Are all these bonds fo tied, that you can get loofe, and free yourselves at pleasure from them? If all these things are of no force with you, if none of thefe bonds can hold you, may it not be queftioned, (notwithstanding your profeffion), whether any spiritual principle, any fear of God, or love to Chrift, be in your fouls or no? O you could not play faft and loofe with God; if so, you could not, as Samfon, fnap thefe bonds afunder at your pleasure. Confid. 2. Secondly, As you are more obliged to keep the if fues of life pure than others are, fo God hath given you greater affiftances and advantages for it, than others have. God hath not been wanting to any in helps and means. Even the Heathen, who are without the gofpel, will be yet speechless and inexcufable before God: But how much more will you be fo? Who, besides the light of nature, and the general light of the gofpc), have, First, fuch a principle put within you. Secondly, fuch patterns fet before you. Thirdly, fuch an affistant ready to help you. Fourthly, fo many rods to quicken you and prevent your wandering if notwithstanding all thefe helps, your life be still unholy. First, Shall men of fuch principles walk as others do? Shall we lament for you, as David once did for Saul, faying, “There "the fhield of the mighty was vilely caft away, the fhield of "Saul; as though he had not been anointed with oil." There the honour of a Chriftian was vilely caft away, as though he had not been anointed with the Spirit? "You have received an unc❝tion from the holy One, which teacheth you all things," 1 John ii. 20. another Spirit, far above that which is in other men, 1 Cor. ii. 12. And as this fpirit which is in you, is fitted for this life of holiness, "(for ye are his workmanship, created in Chrift Jefus to good works," Ephef. ii. 10.); fo this holy spirit or principle, infufed into your fouls, hath fuch a natural tendency to this holy life, that if you live not purely and strictly, you must offer violence to your own principles, and new nature. A twofold help this principle affords you for a life of holinefs. 1. First, it pulls you back from fin, as in Jofeph; "How can 66 I do this great wickedness, and fin against God?" And it alfo inclines you powerfully to obedience. It is a curb to fin, and a fpur to holiness. It is impoffible for all others to live spiritually and heavenly, because they have no new nature to incline them hereunto. And, methinks, it should be hard for you to live carnally, and fenfually; and therein cross the very bent and tendency of the new creature, which is formed in you. How can you neglect prayer, as others do, whilft the Spirit, by divine pulfations, is awaking and rousing up your fluggish hearts with fuch inward motions, and whispers, as that, Pfal. xxvii. 8. "Seek my "face." Yea, whilft you feel, (during your omiffions of duty), fomething within that bemoans itself, and, as it were, cries for food, pains and gripes you, like an empty ftomach, and will not let you be quiet, till it be relieved. How can you let out your hearts to the world, as other men do; when all that while your fpirit is restless, and akes like a bone out of joint? And you can never be at ease, till you come back to God, and fay, as Pfal. cxvi. "Return to thy reft, O my foul." Is it not hard, yea, natural. ly impoffible to fix a stone, and make it abide in the fluid air? Doth not every creature, in a restless motion, tend to its proper centre, and defire its own perfection? So doth this new creature alfo. You see how the rivers in their courfe will not be checked, but bear down all the obstacles in their way, et seavior ab abice ibit; a stop doth but make them rage the more, and run the swifter afterwards. There is a central force in these natural motions, which cannot be stopped. And the like may you obferve, in the motions of a renewed foul, John iv. 14. "It fhall be in him as a well of water fpringing up." And is it not hard for you to keep it down, or turn its courfe? How hard did Jeremy and David find that work? If you do not live holy lives, you must cross your own new nature, and violate the law that is written in your own hearts, and engraven upon your own bowels. To this purpose a late * writer fpeaks; Till you were converted, (faith he), the flesh was predominant, and therefore it was impoffible for you to live any other than a fleshly life; for every thing will act according to its predominant principle. Should you not therefore live a fpiritual life? Should not the law of God writ-. ten in your hearts, be legible in your lives? O fhould not your lives be according to the tendency of your hearts? Thus he : Doubtless this is no fmall advantage to practical holiness. But, Secondly, Befides this principle within, you have no fmall af M 2 Mr. T. Mall's Exhortation to holy living. SERM. XLII. fiftance for the purity of life, by these excellent patterns before you. The path of holinefs, is no untrodden path to you. Chrift and his fervants have beaten it before you. The life of Chrift is your copy, and it is a fair copy indeed, without a blot, Oh! what an advantage is this, to draw all the lines of your actions, according to his example! This glorious grand example, is often preffed upon you for imitation, Heb. xii. 2. Looking to Jefus, he hath left you an example, that ye bould tread in his steps, 1 Pet. ii. 21. His life is a living rule to his people; and befides Chrift's example, (for you may fay, who can live as Chrift did? his example is quite above us) you have a cloud of witneffes. A cloud for its directive use, and thefe men of like paffions, temptations, and conftitutions with you; who have gone before you in exemplary holiness. The Holy Ghoft (intending therein your special help and advantage) hath fet many industrious pens to work, to write the lives of the faints, and preferve for your ufe, their holy fayings, and heavenly actions. He bids you "take them for an example," James v. 10. Oh! what excellent men are paffed on before you! what renowned Worthies have led the way! Men, whofe converfations were in heaven, whilft they tabernacled on earth. Whilft this lower world had their bodies, the world above had their hearts, and their affec tions. Their actions, and their defigns were all for heaven, Men that improved troubles and comfort; loffes and gains; fmiles and frowns, and all for heaven. Men that did extract heaven out of fpirituals, out of temporals, out of all things; their hearts were full of heavenly meditations, their mouths of heavenly communications, and their practices of heavenly inclinations: O what fingular help is this! Where they followed Chrift, and kept the way, they are propounded for your imita tion; and where any of them turned afide, you have a mark fet upon that action, for your caution and prevention. Doth any strange or unusual trial befal you, in which you are ready to fay with the church, Lam. i. 12. "Was there ever any forrow like unto my forrow?" Here you may fee "the fame "affliction accomplished in your brethren," 1 Pet. v. 9. Here is ftore of good company to encourage you. Do the world and the devil endeavour to turn you from your duty, by loading it with fhameful fcoffs, or fufferings? In this cafe you may look to Jefus, who defpifed the fhame; and to your brethren, "who counted it their honour to be difhonoured for the name of Chrift," as the original of the text, Acts v. 41. may be " * Ότι υπερ το ονοματος αυτε κατηξιώθησαν ατιμασθήναι. tranflated. Is it a dishonour to thee, to be ranked with Abraham, Mofes, David, and fuch as were the glory of the ages they lived in? Art thou at any time under a faint fit of difcouragement; and ready to despond under any burden? Oh how mayeft thou be animated by fuch examples, when fuch a qualm comes over thy heart? Some sparks of their holy courage cannot chufe but fteal into thy breast, whilst thou confidereft them. In them, God hath fet before thee the poffibility of overcoming all difficulties, thou feeft men of the fame mould, who had the fame trials, difcouragements and fears, that now thou haft, and yet overcame all. How is thy unbelief checked, when thou jayeft, Oh! I shall never reach the end, I fhall one day utterly perish! Why dost thou fay fo? Why may not fuch a poor creature as thou art, be carried through as well as they? Had not they the fame temptations and corruptions with you? Were they not all troubled with a naughty heart, an enfnaring world, and a bufy devil, as well as you? Alas! when they put on the divine, they did not put off the human nature; but complained, and feared, as you do; and yet were carried through all. O what an advantage have you this way! They that first trufted in Chrift, had not fuch helps as you. You ftand upon their fhoulders. You have the benefit of their experiences. You that are fallen into the last times, have certainly the best helps to holinels; and yet, will not you live ftrictly and purely? Will you put on the name and profeffion of Chriftians, and yet be lofty in your fpirits; earthly in your designs; neglective of duty; frothy in your communications? Pray, from which of all the faints did you learn to be proud? Did you learn that from Chrift, or any of his? From which of his faints did you learn to be earthly and covetous, paffionate or cenforious, over-reaching and crafty? If you have read of any fuch evils committed by them, have you not alfo read of their fhame and forrow, their re pentance and reformations? If you have found any fuch blots in their lives, it was left there defignedly, to prevent the like in yours. what an help to holiness is this! you Thirdly, And this is not all. You have not only a principle within you, and a pattern before you, but have alfo an om nipotent affiftant to help, and encourage you throughout your way. Are you feeble and infirm? and is every temptation, even the weakest, strong enough to turn you out of the way of your duty? Lo, God hath fent his Spirit to help your infirmi ties, Rom. viii. 26. no matter then how weak you are, how many and mighty your difficulties and temptations are, as long as you have fuch an affiftant to help you. tage for a holy life this way also. For, Great is your advan (1.) First, When a temptation to fin preffes fore upon you, he pleads with your confciences within, whilst Satan is tempting without. How often hath he brought fuch fcriptures to your remembrance, at the very opportunity, as have faved you out of the temptation? If you attend his voice, you may hear such a voice within you, as that, Jer. xliv. 4. "O do not this abomi"nable thing which I hate!" What mighty ftrivings were there in the heart of Spira, as himself relates? He heard, as it were, a voice within him, faying, Do not write, Spira, do not write. To this purpose is that promise, Isa. xxx. 20, 21, “ Thine eyes "fhall behold thy teachers, and thine ears shall hear a word "behind thee, faying, This is the way, walk ye in it; when ye "turn to the right-hand, and when ye turn to the left.” Here you have a two-fold help to holiness, the outward teaching of the word, ver. 20. and the inward teachings of the Spirit, ver. 21. He shall say this is the way, when ye are turning aside to the right-hand, or to the left. Alluding to a fhepherd, faith one, who driving his fheep before him; whiftles them in, when he fees them ready to ftray. (2.) Secondly, When ye walk holily and closely with God in your duties, and the Spirit encourages you to go on, by those inward comforts, fealings, and joys, you have from him at fuch times; how often does he entertain your fouls in public ordinances, in private duties, with his hidden Manna, with marrow and fatnefs, with incomparable and unspeakable, comforts, and all this to ftrengthen you in your way, and encou rage you to hold on? (3.) Thirdly, When you are indifpofed for duties, and find your hearts empty and dry, he is ready to fill them, quicken and raife them; fo that oftentimes the beginnings and end of your prayers, hearing, or meditations, are as vaftly different, as if one man had begun, and another ended the duty. O then, what affiftances for a holy life have you! Others indeed are bound to refift temptations, as well as you; but, alas, having no fpecial affistance from the Spirit, what can they do? It may be, they reafon with temptation a little while, and in their own ftrength refolve against it; but how easy a conquest doth Satan make, where no greater oppofition is made to him, than this? Others are bound to hear, meditate, and pray as well as you; elfe the neglect of thofe duties would not be their fin: But, alas, what pitiful work do they make of it! being left to the hardness and vanity of their own hearts; when you spread your |