Hypocrites Deficient in the Duty of Prayer

Hypocrites Deficient in the Duty

of Prayer

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.

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.