Vol 01 - HOMILY 11. Christians that are willing to improve and increase, ought to force them...

HOMILY 11. Christians that are willing to improve and increase, ought to force themselves to every thing that is good
1. He that is desirous to come to the Lord, and to become the mansion-house of CHRIST, and to be filled with the Holy Spirit, that so he may bring forth the fruits of the Spirit, and perform the commandments of CHRIST in purity; ought to begin first with believing in the Lord, to give himself entirely up to the directions of his commandments, and to bid an universal farewell to the world, that so his mind may not be engrossed by any of the things that do appear.
2. He ought ever to continue instant in prayer, in the faith and expectation of the Lord, waiting at all times for his help, with the full bent of his mind continually, fixed upon it. Then ought he to force himself upon every good work, and to all the commandments of the Lord. For instance, let him force himself to be of a lowly mind before all men, and let him esteem himself worse than they, not seeking honor, or praise, or glory from any one; but setting the Lord ever before his eyes, desirous of pleasing him only, in meekness of heart, as the Lord himself prescribes, "Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly of heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls."
3. In like manner let him accustom himself to be merciful, kind, tender-hearted, and good to the utmost of his power, as our Lord expresses it, " Be ye merciful, even as your heavenly Father is merciful."
4. Above all things, let him keep inviolably in mind the humiliation of our Lord, and his manner of life, his meekness of conversation, as the standard that is never to be overlooked, And thus the things which he does now by violence, and with a reluctant heart, he will in time do freely, by being ever mindful of the Lord, and in, much love waiting for him. For the Lord observing how he forces himself, and even wrests his heart, though never so unwilling, shows mercy to him, and redeems him from his enemies, and from the sin that dwells in -him, filling him with the Spirit. And thus for the future, without compulsion or difficulty, does he perform the commands of the Lord in truth. Or rather, the Lord himself does his own commandments in him; and then he brings forth the fruits of the Spirit in purity.
5. But first he ought thus to force himself to that which is good; and though his heart be ever so much against it, to wait continually for mercy; to force himself to show compassion, to endure contempt with a courageous patience; and though he is set at nought, not to be moved with indignation, as it is written, " Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves;" to force himself to prayer,. if he have not the spiritual prayer. And thus does GOD, beholding him in these conflicts, grant unto him the true prayer of the Spirit, the true love, the meekness of truth, the bowels of mercies, yea, all the fruits of the Spirit.
6. Yet if, any one forces himself to pray only for the gift of prayer, but exerts no such vigor after meekness, and humility, and love, and the other commandments of the Lord, this is sometimes granted him; but then it is apart by itself, just according to his petition. But in his Behavior he is exactly as he was before; without meekness, for he sought it not; without humility, because he asked nat for it; nor has he a love for all men; forasmuch as he never had any concern or agony in the offering up of his prayer for it. And in the execution -of the work he is upon, he has not faith and confidence towards GOD, because indeed he has not discovered that he wants it; neither has he labored to obtain from the Lord a steady and true affiance in him..
7. Therefore it behooves every one, as he forces himself to prayer, so also to an assurance in God; to humility, to meekness, sincerity, and simplicity; to all patience and long-suffering, with joy. Thus ought he, by an habitual violence, to esteem himself as nothing; to break himself of unprofitable discourse; ever to meditate upon the things of GOD, and to declare them with his mouth, and with his heart. The same way should he proceed to conquer " all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and. clamor, and evil speaking;" to conform to our Lord's whole deportment; to an universal good conversation; to all the humility of meekness, so as neither to be exalted, nor high-minded, nor puffed up, nor to speak against any man.
8. All these ought he to bring himself to by downright force, that is desirous to be well-pleasing to CHRIST; that so, (when he shall behold this forwardness and full intention of his, in thus compelling himself to all goodness,) he may impart his whole self to him, the Lord himself performing all these things within him in purity, without trouble, and without compulsion, which before he was not able, not even with force and violence, to observe. Then all these exercises of virtue become to him as nature. For the Lord, when he comes, and is in him, and he in the Lord, performs in him his own commands without labor, filling him with the fruits of the Spirit.
9. Whoever therefore is willing to please GOD in truth, and receive from him the heavenly grace, and to grow up and be perfected in the Holy Spirit, ought to force himself upon all the commandments of GOD, and to bring his unwilling heart in subjection to them, according as it is written, "Therefore hold I straight all thy commandments, and all false ways I utterly abhor." For as a man, in order to perseverance in prayer, acts with violence and constraint, till he can bring himself to it; so also, in all instances, if he has a willing mind, he is violent and pressing with himself. Nay, and after he has obtained his petition, and is come to taste of GOD, and is made partaker of the Holy Ghost, he takes pains to improve the gift imparted to him.
10. The Spirit itself then teaches him the true prayer, the true love, the true meekness-which before he forced himself to, and sought after, and which took up his whole thoughts. And being thus grown up, and consummated in GOD, he is thought worthy to become the heir of the kingdom: for the humble man never falls. For whence should he fall, who is below all Self-elevation is a great abasement; but self-abasement is a great exaltation, and honor, and dignity.
11. And thus the commandments of GOD being fulfilled by us through his Spirit, and that Spirit perfecting us in itself, and being itself completed in us, when once cleansed from all the pollution and stain of sin, it will then present our souls to CHRIST as beautiful brides, pure and blameless: we, on the one hand, reposing ourselves in GOD, in his kingdom,-and GOD, on the other, taking up his rest in us to endless ages! Glory be to his mercies, and compassion, and love; for that he has vouchsafed to admit the race of mankind unto so great honor, to be the sons of his heavenly Father, and declared them to be his own brethren. To him be glory for ever! Amen.