The excellency of holy courage in evil times by Jeremiah Burroughs

CHAP. 19 A Fifth Use: To see the misery of being always unfit for service. A Sixth Use: To teach us to long for Heaven.

CHAP. 19 A Fifth Ʋse: To see the misery of being alwaies unfit for service. A Sixt Ʋse: To teach us to long for Heaven.

USE 5.

But now in the next place: If Gods people find such a difference between themselves, that at sometimes it is far otherwise with them than at other times: Hence then, what a miserable thing is it to be always down, and always unfit for service? This is a thing that does not usually befall the people of God; though sometimes their hearts are down in comparison of other times; yet to be always down, and unserviceable, this do not use to be the condition of the Servants of God: ⟨p. 131⟩this is a sad miserable condition to be so, as if you never felt the power of God upon your hearts, never felt the Spirit of God breathing upon you, never felt the grace of God stirring upon you; you come and hear the Word, and those Truths that are soul-quickening warming Truths, that stir others, and their hearts lie lumpish as a Log that lies in a flash of water seven years together, and is never stirred by them. Like unto a vessel in a House, that is cast aside, and lies moulding and rotting, that is never employed, nor fitted for any service, are these Vessels of Honour? In 2 Tim. 2.21. the Scripture speaks of Vessels that are in a great house, that are Vessels of honour; and he describes them that they are purged and fitted for the masters use, and prepared for every good work: Now if a vessel lie always moulding, and rotting, and never used, this is for the fire, and not for use: So those hearts that are always moulding, and rotting, and never fit for service, they may fear they are vessels of dishonour, and for the fire.