3. The Difficulty of Duty

BY preſenting to the ſoule the difficulty of performing them; ſaith Satan, ‘tis ſo hard and difficult a thing to pray as thou ſhouldſt, and to wait on God as thou ſhouldſt, and to walke with God as thou ſhouldſt, and to be lively, warm, and active in the communion of Saints, as thou ſhouldſt, that you were better ten thouſand times to neglect them, then to meddle with them; and doubtleſſe by this Device Satan hath, and doth keep off thouſands from waiting on God, and from giving to him that ſervice that is due to his name, &c.

THe firſt Remedie againſt this device³⁵² of Satan, is, to dwell more upon the neceſſity of the ſervice, and duty, then on the difficulty that doth attend the duty; you ſhould reaſon thus with your ſoules; oh! our ſoules, though ſuch and ſuch duties and ſervices be hard, and difficult, yet are they not exceeding neceſſarie for the honour of God, and the keeping up of his name in³⁵³ the world? and the keeping under of ſin, and the keeping under of weak graces, and for the reviving of languiſhing comforts, and for the keeping clear and bright your bleſſed evidences, and for the ſcattering of your fears, and for the raiſing of your hopes, and for the gladding the hearts of the righteous, and ſtopping the mouths of unrighteous ſouls, who are ready to take all advantages, to blaſpheme the name of God, and throw dirt and contempt upon his people, and wayes? oh! never leave thinking on the neceſſity of this, and that duty, till your ſouls be lifted p. 152 up far above all the difficulties that doe attend religious duties.

1. 352. 1. Remedy. [dropped from the edition]
2. 353. The neceſſity of doing your duty, appears by this, that you are his ſervants by a three-fold right; you are his ſervants (jure creationis, jure ſuſtentationis, jure redemptionis) by right of creation, and by right of ſuſtentation, and by right of redemption.

The ſecond Remedie againſt this device³⁵⁴ of Satan, is, ſolemnly to conſider, that the Lord Jeſus will make his ſervices eaſie to you, by the ſweet diſcovery of himſelfe to your ſoules, whilſt you are in his ſervice. Thou meeteſt him that rejoyceth, and worketh righteouſneſſe, thoſe that remember thee in thy wayes, as the Prophet Iſaiah ſaith; if meeting with³⁵⁵ God, who is goodneſſe it ſelfe, ſweetneſſe it ſelfe, beauty it ſelfe, ſtrength it ſelfe, glory it ſelf, will not ſweeten his ſervice to thy ſoule, nothing in Heaven or Earth will. Jacob’s meeting with Rachel, and enjoying of Rachell, made his hard ſervice to be eaſie, and delightfull to him; and will not the ſoules enjoying of God, and meeting with God, render his ſervice to be much more eaſie and delightfull? doubtleſſe it will. The Lord will give that ſweet aſſiſtance, by his Spirit and grace, as ſhall make his ſervice joyous, and not grievous, a delight, & not a burden; a Heaven, and not a Hel to believing ſouls; the confidence of this divine aſſiſtance raiſed up Nehemiah’s ſpirit, far above all thoſe difficulties, and diſcouragements that did attend him in the work and ſervice of the Lord, as you may ſee in that 2 Nehemiah, p. 153 verſ. 19, 20. But when Sanballat³⁵⁶ the Horonite, and Tobiah the ſervant, the Ammonite, and Geſhem the Arabian heard it, they laughed us to ſcorn, and deſpiſed us, and ſaid, what is this thing that ye do? will ye rebell againſt the King? Then anſwered I them, and ſaid unto them, the God of heaven he will proſper us, therefore we his ſervants will ariſe, and build: but you have no right, nor portion, nor memoriall in Jeruſalem. Ah ſouls! while you are in the very ſervice of the Lord, you ſhall find by experience, that the God of Heaven will proſper you, and ſupport you, and incourage, and ſtrengthen you, and carry you through the hardeſt ſervice, with the greateſt ſweetneſſe and cheerfulneſſe that can be. Remember this, that God will ſuit your ſtrength to your worke, and in the hardeſt ſervice you ſhall have the choiſeſt aſſiſtance.

1. 354. 2 Remedy. [dropped from the edition]
2. 355. Iſa. 64. v. 5. פגעת Paganta is diverſly taken; but moſt take the word here, to meet a ſoule with thoſe bowells of love and tenderneſſe as the Father of the Prodigall met the Prodigall with. God is pater miſerationum, hee is all bowels, he is as ſwift to ſhew mercy, as he is ſlow to anger.
3. 356. Luther ſpake excellently to Melancthon, who was apt to be diſconraged with doubts and difficulties, & feares from foes, and ſo ceaſe the ſervice they had undertaken; if the work be not good, why did we ever own it; if it be good? why ſhould wee ever decline it? why ſaith he, ſhould we feare the conquered world that have Chriſt the Conquerour on our ſide? Iſa. 40. ult. 3. Remedy. It is not fit ſith the head was crowned with thorns, that the members ſhould be crowned with roſe-buds, ſaith Zanch.

The third Remedie againſt this device of Satan, is, to dwel upon the hard and difficult things that the Lord Jeſus Chriſt hath paſt through, for your temporall, ſpirituall, and eternall good. Ah! what a ſea of blood? a ſea of wrath? of ſinne, of ſorrow, and miſery did the Lord Jeſus wade through, for your internal and eternall good? Chriſt did not plead, this Croſſe is too heavy for me to beare, this wrath is too great p. 156 for me to lie under, this Cup (which hath in it all the ingredients of divine diſpleaſure) is too bitter for me to ſip off, how much more to drink the very dregs of it? no, Chriſt ſtands not upon this; he pleads not the difficulty of the ſervice, but reſolutely, and bravely wades through all, as the Prophet Iſa ſhews: The Lord God hath opened my ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back. I gave my back to the ſmiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the haire; I hid not my face from ſhame and ſpitting. Chriſt makes nothing of his Fathers wrath, the burden of your ſins, the malice³⁵⁷ of Satan, and the rage of the world, but ſweetly and triumphantly paſſes through all. Ah ſoules! if this conſideration will not raiſe up your ſpirits, above all the diſcouragements that you meet with, to owne Chriſt and his ſervice, and to ſtick, and cleave to Chriſt, and his ſervice; I am afraid nothing will. A ſoule not ſtir’d by this, not rais’d, and lifted up by this, to be reſolute and brave in the ſervice of God, notwithſtanding all dangers and difficulties, is a ſoule left of God to much blindneſſe, and hardneſſe.

1. 357. Godfrey of Bullen firſt K. of Ieruſalem, refuſed to be crowned with a crowne of gold, ſaying, it became not a Chriſtian there to wear a crown of gold, where Chriſt for our ſalvation had ſometime were a crown of thorns.

The 4. Remedy againſt this Device of³⁵⁸ Satan, is, to conſider, that religious duties, holy and heavenly exerciſes are p. 157 only difficult to the worſer, to the ignoble part of a Saint; they are not to the noble, and better part of a Saint, to the noble part, the ſoule, and the renewed affections of a Saint; holy exerciſes are a heavenly pleaſure, and recreation, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks, I delight in the Law of God, after the inward³⁵⁹ man. With my minde I ſerve the Law of God, though with my fleſh the law of ſinne. To the noble part of a Saint, Chriſts yoke is eaſie, and his burden is light; all the commands and wayes of Chriſt (even thoſe that tend to the pulling out of right eyes, and cutting off of right hands) are joyous, and not grievous to the noble part of a Saint; all the wayes and ſervices of Chriſt are pleaſantneſſe (in the abſtract) to the better part of a Saint; a Saint, ſo far as he is renewed, is alwayes beſt, when he ſees moſt of God, when he taſts moſt of God, when he is higheſt in his injoyments of God, and moſt warme, and lively in the ſervice of God; oh! ſaith the noble part of a Saint, that it might be alwayes thus; oh! that my ſtrength were the ſtrength of ſtones, and my fleſh as braſſe, that my worſer part might be more ſerviceable to my noble part, that I might act by an untired power in that ſervice, that is a pleaſure, a Paradiſe to me.

1. 358. 4. Remedie. [dropped from the edition]
2. 359. As every flowr hath its ſweet ſavour, ſo every good duty carries meat in the mouth, comfort in the performance of it. χρηστός i. e. my yoke is a benigne, a gracious, a pleaſant, a good, and a gainfull yoke, oppoſed to πονηρός, painfull, tedious.

The fifth Remedy againſt this Device³⁶⁰ of Satan, is, ſolemnly to conſider, that great reward, and glorious recompence that doth attend thoſe that cleave to the ſervice of the Lord, in the³⁶¹ face of all difficulties, and diſcouragements; though the work be hard, yet the wages is great, Heaven will make amends for all, I, one hours being in heaven will abundantly recompence you for cleaving to the Lord, and his wayes, in the face of all difficulties. This carried the Apoſtle through the greateſt difficulties; hee had an eye to the recompence of reward; he look’t for a houſe that had foundations, whoſe builder and maker was God, and for a heavenly countrey; yea, this bore up the Spirit of Chriſt, in the face of all difficulties and diſcouragements: Looking unto Jeſus the author and finiſher of our faith, who for the joy that was ſet before him, endured the Croſſe, deſpiſing the ſhame, and is ſet downe at the right hand of the Throne of God.

1. 360. 5 Remedie. [dropped from the edition]
2. 361. Baſil ſpeaks of ſome Martyrs that were caſt out all night naked, in a cold froſty time, & were to be burned the next day, how they comforted themſelves in this manner; The winter is ſharp, but Paradiſe is ſweet; here we ſhiver for cold, but the boſome of Abraham will make amends for all.

Chriſtians that would hold on in the ſervice of the Lord, muſt look more upon the Crown, then upon the Croſſe; more upon their future glory, then their preſent miſery; more upon their incouragements, then upon their diſcouragements. Gods very ſervice is wages, his wayes are ſtrewed with roſes, p. 157 and paved with joy that is unſpeakable,³⁶² and ful of glory, and with peace that paſſeth underſtanding. Some degree of comfort follows every good action; as heate accompanies fire, as beames and influences iſſue from the Sun. Moreover by them is thy ſervant warned, and in keeping of them there is great reward; not only for keeping, but in keeping of them, there is great reward; the joy, the reſt, the refreſhing, the comforts, the contents, the ſmiles, the incomes that Saints now injoy in the wayes of God, are ſo precious and glorious in their eyes, that they would not exchange them for ten thouſand worlds; Ah! if the vailes be thus ſweet and glorious before pay-day comes, what will be that glory, that Chriſt will crown his Saints with, for cleaving to his ſervice in the face of all difficulties: When he ſhall ſay to his father, Loe here am I, and the children which thou haſt given me; if there be ſo much to be had in a wilderneſſe, what then ſhall be had in Paradiſe? &c.

1. 362. This is praemium ante praemium, a ſure reward of wel doing, in doing thereof (not only for doing thereof) there is great reward, Pſal. 19. v. 11.