hot and strong afflictions When men are in a swound we use to nip and pinch them and strike them and cast cold water upon their faces Gods strokes and the cold water of afflictions being sanctified by him recover many from spiritual swounds many who have so far decayed in their spiritual vigor and activeness that they have seemed to be even dead yet they have been recovered this way Job 36. 15. God opens their ears in oppression many mens ears are clogged up with the world but when God gives them up for a while to the oppressions of men then their ears are opened It is good for me saith David that I was afflicted for before I went astray but now have I learned thy word In the 2. Hosea God threatens the Church to strip her naked and to set her as in the day that she was born and to make her as a wilderness to hedge her way with thorns and thus the Lord did to that Church but mark what he says shal be the fruit of all verse 7. Then shall she say I will go and return unto my first husband for then was it better with me then it is now When Absolom sent for Joab once and again yet he came not unto him until Absolom caused his corn fields to be set on fire and then he comes God speaks and calls to his people who are grown secure once and again but they neglect God until God comes with the fire of afflictions and then they come Afflictions are like the prick at the Nightingales brest that awakes her and puts her upon her sweet and delightful singing Gulielmus Parisensis saith of Musk when it hath lost its sweetness if it be put into the sink amongst filth it recovers it this he applyed to decayed grace in the times of afflictions in afflictions it revives and recovers Ninthly afflictions are of great use to mortifie lusts to purge out filth and corruption Isa 27. 9. By this shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged and this is all the fruit thereof When Physitians purge the body they purge out that which is good as well as that which is evill but when God purges in the sanctified use of afflictions he onely purges out the evil this is all the fruit thereof As Aloes kills worms so do bitter afflictions crauling lust in the heart Cold and hard winters do destroy much vermine which otherwise would be very noisom so cold and hard afflictions vermine lusts Violent storms and thunder clear the air strong afflictions clarifie the heart by them we are as it were poured from vessel to vessel from whence the ill savour of our heart-distempers comes to be taken away Ier. 48. 11. Foul and stained cloathes are made white by laying abroad in cold frosty nights so the defiled heart Salt marshes purge rank humours so do the saltness of afflictions rank lusts Men let their armour lye rusting by them in the time of peace but in the time of war they scour all bright to make fit for service so mens hearts in the time of peace grow foul but in times of trouble they are then cleansed It is a great mercy to have the act of sin hindered afflictions are very useful for this and therefore Hosea 2. 6. they are as you heard called a hedge of thorns whereby the ways to sin are hedged up but to have the inward lusts mortified this is a greater good All the Prophets preachings could not purge the Jews from idolatry so as the Babylonish captivity it is observed never since that time have idols been found amongst them Tenthly Gods people are often in an afflicted condition as chastisements for their sins they bring many evils upon themselves by their loose walkings by their indiscretions by their pride by their selfseeking by their forwardness by their wilfulness and worldliness God chastens even whom he loves the Apostle tells the Corinthians that they were chastened of the Lord that they might not be condemned with the world Those whom God would never condemn yet he will chasten God will have his children feel something of the evil of their sins and will have them and others see how displeasing sin is to him in the fruits of his displeasure upon those who are his beloved ones who are exceeding dear and precious in his eyes because the Lord is careful of his honour therefore if his children sin he will chastise them hence the Greek word for chastisement signifies care of honour GODS children may come to be children under anger though not children of wrath yea God usually holds a more strict hand over his people then over any he quickly brings them under the rod when he lets other go on and rot in their sins yet he comes not upon his children as a revenging Judge to destroy the person for the sins sake but as a gracious Father to destroy the sin for the persons sake he is angry that they have sinned but especially angry that they might sin no more Eleventhly that which God ayms at in the afflictions of his people is to make them conformable to Christ their head that they may enter into their glory as Christ did into his Ought he not to suffer these things and so to enter into his glory Luke 24. 26. We read of S. Paul Phil. 3. 10. that he earnestly desired to be partaker of the fellowship of Christs sufferings and to be conformable to his death God will have a conformity to the death of his Son We read of Godfrey of Bulloin that he would not be crowned in Jerusalem with a crown of gold where Christ was crowned with a crown of thorns because he would not have such a great disproportion between him and Christ It is reported of Origen when Alexander Severus the Emperor sent for him he appearing to be meanly cloathed there were divers costly garments prepared for him and sent to him but he refused them and when he came near to Rome there was a Mule and a Chariot sent for him that he might choose which liked him best but he refused them likewise and would not go in pomp to the Emperor saying He was less then his Master Christ of whom he never read that he rode but once Twelfthly the afflictions of Gods people are in just judgement a rock of offence and a stumbling block to the ungodly Christ in regard of the afflictions that attend the profession of the Gospel is said to be a rock of offence and so appointed for the fall of many Luke 2. 34. How many thousands perish because they are offended at the mean afflicted persecuted estate of Christ in this life Thy heart is set upon vanity and outward pomp this persecuted estate of godliness is thy stumbling block at which God in his wrath lets thee stumble that thou mightest fall break thy neck and perish for ever hence is that speech of Christ Blessed are they that are not offended in me O
it s a great mercy of God not to let this be a stumbling block it is a mercy that God grants but to a few here and there a poor soul who is able to see the beauty and glory of godliness through all the dark clouds of troubles afflictions persecutious that attend it but for the generality of men this is that which hides the glory of it from them unto their everlasting perdition Lastly Gods people are here afflicted that Christ in them and they in Christ may in the conclusion of all be the more glorified First in the overcoming of all evils in the final destruction of all their enemies Secondly in their happiness after so many evils endured the bitterness of foregoing grief commends the sweetness of following joys Thirdly their afflictions work to the encrease of their glory 2 Cor. 4. 18. Our light afflictions work for us an exceeding weight of glory Gordius that blessed Martyr whom St. Basil so much commends in an Oration of his accounted it a loss to him not to suffer many kindes of tortures he says that tortures are but tradings with God for glory Tertullian hath an expression to that purpose The greater the combates the greater are the following rewards Bernard says of persecuters that they are but his Fathers goldsmiths who are working to adde pearls to the crowns of the Saints The seeds of happiness are sown in the deep furrows of affliction and the deeper the furrows are the more precious are the seeds that are there sown and the more glorious and plentiful will the harvest be When a curious glorious picture is to be drawn the grounds use to be laid in black but not in dirt so our grounds may be laid here in afflictions but let them not be laid in sin Here then we see that although afflictions are a bitter root yet there spring from them fair flowers and pleasant fruit no marvel then though God hath a hand in ordering things so that his people should be in such an afflicted condition in this world from Gods determining things to be thus let us learn CHAP. VII What use we should make of Gods ordering his people to an afflicted condition FIrst that our rest is not here in this world let us not promise to our selves any such matter let us not seek it here the promise will not bear it the promise will bear no further then that we should have onely so much of the things of this world as shall be sutable to our condition That which the Prophet speaks in another case Micah 2. 10. we may apply to all the things and places of the world Arise here is not your rest this is not the place this is not the time here are not the things that God hath appointed for our rest this is the place and time for troubles and sorrows and afflictions our warfare is here No man in his warfare will build himself a strong and sumptuous house in the field if we seek for our rest here we mistake as if a man floating upon the waves of the sea upon a board after shipwrack should think to lie down and sleep and settle himself there or as a bird should build her nest in a bush floating in the midst of the waves of the sea God says Bernard hath not cast man out of Paradise for him to think to finde out another Paradise in this world no man is born to labour Why do you seek the living amongst the dead why do you seek for living comforts where you must expect to dye daily It is only Heaven that is above all winds storms and tempests rest must be after labour our rest is the crown of our labour to seek it here is to seek it preposterously and Why do you require that in one place says S. Ambrose which is due in another Why would you preposterously have the crown before you have overcome Imagine the most setled condition you can in this world and although you had it yet it were but vanity so says the Psalmist Psal 39. 5. Man in his best estate is vanity the word is in the Original in his setled estate he is vanity not onely vain but vanity it self It was a heavy charge that S. James cap. 5. laid upon some that they lived in pleasure upon earth as if he should have said earth is not the place for pleasure this is the place of sorrow of trouble of mourning of affliction Thus Abraham charged Dives In your life time says he you had your pleasure the emphasis lies there in your life time that should not have been the time let us take heed we be not too hasty in seeking our rest our pleasure and delight we may perhaps have a little for the while to the flesh and because we will not be content with that condition that God hath appointed for his people here we may lose our parts in that glorious eternal rest which God hath prepared for his people hereafter Seek for that which ye do namely for rest but do not seek for it where ye do if we seek our rest in this world notwithstanding we meet with so many troubles in it what would we do if the Lord should let us prosper Behold saith an Ancient the world is troublesome and yet it is loved what would it be if it were peaceable you embrace it though it be filthy what would you do if it were beautiful you cannot keep your hands from the thorns how earnest would you be then in gathering the flowers Secondly hence it appears that prosperity is not always a sign of love and favor from God Rome makes it a note of the true Church if that were so then the Egyptians were in a righter way then the Israelites the Philistims the Ammonites the Midianites and afterward the Babylonians and the Persians might have pleaded that their gods were true gods and to be worshipped rather then the God of Israel and when the ten Tribes broke off from Judah and yet often prevailed against Judah and were more prosperous they might have pleaded that they were in the right that their worshipping of God was more accepted then that which was at Jerusalem And afterwards the Heathens might have pleaded this argument against the Christians and thus indeed they did as we finde in the 30. Epistle of Ambrose he answers to one Symmachus a great man who pleaded strongly against the Christians and for the maintenance of Idols by this argument saying That they prospered and flourished more in worshipping of their gods then the Christians did in the worshipping of theirs Certainly the ancient godly Fathers could not have heard this argument of outward prosperity of outward pomp and glory in the world pleaded as a sign of the true Church and of Gods love but with much indignation How cross is this to Scripture where we finde the estate of Gods people hath usually been a
dangerous as if you being conscious to your self dare yet joyn with them if you deceive the Church herein God may justly avenge himself of you it may cost you your life Revel 2. 9. I know the blasphemy of them that say they are Jews and are not It is by God accounted blasphemy for any to say they are Jews and are not to make profession of godliness and not to be godly is blasphemy Surely then it is not sufficient to be with Israel but we must be of Israel not to be a Jew outwardly but a Jew inwardly so as God may own you in the last day when there shall be a narrow search who are the true people of God that then you may be found to be such indeed it will be a dreadful thing for any of you that now seem to be of Gods people and that have lived amongst the sheep if you should be found amongst the goats standing at the left hand when you shall see others of Gods people stand at the right hand looking upon you and say Yonder is one who lived with us and we could never discover him to be an hypocrite though sometimes we had jealousies of him there he stands now he is discovered therefore approve your selves to be of the true Israel of God Quest But who is a true Israelite Answ Such a one as can approve to his own heart an inward effectual call of God calling him out of the world as well as an outward call by the Ordinances such a one as hath testimony to his own spirit that he is separated set apart for God that he hath an inward sanctification of the holy Ghost such a one as in whose spirit there is no guile this is a true Israelite indeed Secondly if it be such a great blessing to be joyned in union and communion with the people of God hence labor to bless God for this great blessing that is such an amiable desireable condition it is your heaven upon earth that mercy that should sweeten all other mercies yea that should sweeten your afflictions to you Gods holy mountain Isaiah 57. 13. is promised as an inheritance opposed to vanity and promised as the blessing upon trusting in the Lord Vanity shall take them but he that putteth his trust in me shall inherit my holy mountain Let us not enjoy the world in all their vanity but bless we our selves in our God let us rejoyce in our inheritance the mountain of the Lord. Though we beg our bread says Luther is it not made up with this That we are fed with the bread of Angels with eternal life Christ and the Sacraments c We have cause to bless God that we might be with Gods people though in caves and woods and banished from all we have much more cause to bless God when we can be with them thus publiquely and peaceably and can go from Gods house to our own houses and have communion there this is the rest that the Land of Canaan did typifie for which the name of God is to be mganified God might so have left us that we should have had communion onely with the prophane ones and drunkards yea we might have been cast out from God to have had communion onely with reprobates and that now we may have communion with the godly it is a wonderful mercy Rev. 14. we read of Christ standing upon the Mount Zion and having so many people standing up to joyn with him in Church-fellowship for that is the meaning of that place there they were rejoycing at the mercy of the Lord that they were upon the Mount with the Lamb though there might be time when our Harps hanged upon the Willows yet if we be called to the Lamb upon Mount Zion Let us have our Harps in our hands Is there nothing in the delight that God hath in his people and the presence of God with his people and the great priviledges they have to raise our hearts to praise the Lord and let it not be verbally but really As namely thus Is it that we are Gods delight let him be our delight if we be his treasure let him be our treasure if we be his portion let him be our portion if he communicates choice mercies to us let us give choice endeavors to him if he gives us protection let us protect his truths and name if he honor us let us give him his honor And so I slip into a third particular which is a third branch of this exhortation 3. If there be so much excellency in communion with the people of God you that are such take heed you do not darken that excellency that God hath put in communion with his people there are three ways especially that darkens this excellency First if we rest in any Church-priviledge we have and make that to be our Religion and the strength of our spirits be let out about these things we enjoy more then others so as we begin to decline in the savour and power of godliness if others that knew us before when we had not those priviledges and mercies that we have now shall say What good is to be had there I knew such and me thinks they had more savour and relish in the ways of God then now more sweetness and warmth to be had in their company then now there is Take heed of this of giving occasion to any to say so It is a very evil and a dangerous thing to rest in Church-priviledges to make all our Religion to consist in being in a Church-way we may have this revealed to us and yet little of Heaven revealed There were two vails of the Tabernacle one covered the Holy of Holies the other the place where the Priests entred it may be we have had the first opened to us but yet the second which leads to the Holy of Holies may still be vailed Many whose hearts are very carnal may be much for Church-Ordinances We have in the 24. of Ezekiel ver 21 22. seven several expressions of carnal hearts prising Church-priviledges First they accounted them their strength Secondly the excellency of their strength Thirdly the desire of their eyes Fourthly that which their souls pitied Fifthly their glory Sixthly the joy of their glory Seventhly that whereupon they set their mindes What a noise did they make about the Temple of the Lord The Temple of the Lord The Temple of the Lord Ier. 7. 4. and yet they were carnal Take heed therefore you rest not in the Church-priviledges by this you will deceive your selves and darken the excellency of this blessed communion Secondly take heed of darkning this by any scandalous way as those do who profess themselves to be the people of God and yet by their wretched ways of sensualities or any other ways are a scandal unto Gods people this is an evil and a bitter thing Christ walks amongst the golden candlesticks Every Church should be a golden candlestick holding forth light in
and said He that could save others let him come down and save himself Again consider the great mercy of God in concealing the secret sins of your thoughts there are none let them be never so innocent in the world yet there is so much filth and baseness within the heart that if God should but turn the inside outward and discover all to the world certainly it would make them ashamed of the society of men make them ashamed to come into the Congregation what confusion and what matter of reproach would there be then Now seeing God in his goodness favors his people so far as he keeps in much secret evil that he could discover before the world if he should withdraw himself a little from you he could let you fall into such sins as your secret sins should be discovered but God favors your names so as that he hath kept in that secret evil that you have had secret inclinations unto now the consideration of Gods goodness in tendring you so far may very well quiet your hearts when you begin to be troubled for every reproach that is cast upon you Now I see my adversaries are fain to watch and search and pry for occasion of reproach God might have given them matter enough and therefore its mercy they have such little matter as they have It is a great work of nature to keep the filth of the body when it is in a man from being unsavory unto others so the filth of the soul though it be unsavory to God yet it is Gods mercy that keeps it from that unsavoriness that it might be to men Fifthly consider how much reproach the name of God hath endured for your sakes and is it so great a matter for your names to be reproached for his sake It is a notable speech Chrysostom hath That for us and for our life our Lord should be blasphemed is worse then if we perished Hath not the name of God been reproached for your sakes not onely in the time of your ignorance but since have there not been occasion given by you to cause others to reproach the name of the blessed God and if God comes to you in your names do you take it so ill Again consider who those are that do reproach you and for what it is It is the speech of an Ancient That a reproacher is beneath a man but the reproached that bear it well are equal to the Angels The Hebrew word that signifies scorners hath many other significations which set out the vileness the dangerous evil there is in a scornful spirit the Seventy besides that of scorning have five other words to shew the signification of it as first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the first Psalm in the chair of scorners they translate it by a word that signifies the plague in the chair of plagues because scorners are a plague to the place where they live and do infect many a second word that they use to express it by is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prov. 20. 1. which signifies incorrigible that which cannot be tamed because scorners are such Wine is a scorner res indomita an unruly thing that cannot be tamed because it makes men to be so and so are scorners there is little hope of such Thirdly sometimes they translate it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prov. 9. 12. as such as are given up to all kinde of vice and so are scorners And fourthly by a word that signifies proud 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prov. 3. 34. for such likewise are scorners Fifthly by a word that signifies to deal unjustly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 119. 51. because scorners are injurious Thus you see what kinde of men those who scorn and reproach the ways and professors of Religion are But besides they are especially such as have been brought up superstitiously or prophanely such as have been bred in superstitious Popish families are many times bitter scorners and reproachers of those who are most forward in the ways of godliness We read 2 Kings 2. 23. when Elisha went to Bethel there came forth little children out of the city and mocked him and said unto him Go up thou bald head go up thou bald head that is observable they came out of Bethel which was that idolatrous city in Israel where the Calf of Jeroboam was set up that place was full of scorners at the Prophets of the Lord you may know the temper of the place by the disposition of the little children they usually heard their parents and those who were elder scorn at the Prophets of the Lord they were brought up in that way and because it was at Bethel the curse of God was the rather upon their children to destroy them although they were but children yet two and forty of them were presently destroyed Hosea 7. 5. we read of those who were elder the great ones in that City even Jeroboam himself and his Courtiers what scorners they were In the day of our King the Princes have made him sick with bottles of wine he stretched out his hand with the scorners The Princes Nobles Officers great ones of the Countrey jeered and scorned at those who would not yield to that way of worship that Jeroboam had set up namely of the Calves O they must be so precise as no worship will serve their turn but going up to Jerusalem to worship there such as ventured the loss of their estates their offices their liberties they accounted them fools and reproached them as a company of simple silly people And as superstition is a cause of this so prophaneness and sensuallity causeth it likewise that is observable in the forenamed place of Hosea when he was made sick with wine then he streched out his hand with scorners when wicked men pamper themselves with good cheer and their hearts are hot with wine then they scorn at Religion and reproach such as are more strict and forward then others blessing themselves in the brave life they live contemning the ways of godliness and the professors of them as such who want those brave delights they enjoy and in regard of that they scorn at and reproach the ways of God and his people at those times Psalm 35. 16. with hypocritical mockers in feasts they gnashed upon me with their teeth the most cruel scornful reproaches against the Saints are at feasts That place is observable Deut. 32. 33 34. Their wine is the poyson of dragons and the cruel venom of asps because of the bitterness of their spirits against those who are godly when they are at their cups but mark what follows Is not this laid up in store and sealed up among my treasures to me belongeth vengeance and recompence their foot shall slide in due time God will remember this it is laid up in store with him it is surely sealed up and shall certainly be brought forth one day And yet further Who are your reproachers They are those that
great deal of evil and misery and wrath in being suffered to go on with delight and pleasure in a sinful way Bernard says when God spares men in a sinful way it is because God is not onely angry with men but hates them he calls his mercy more cruel then all indignation Origen in his Sermon upon Ex. 20. quotes that place Hos 4. 14. I will not punish your daughters when they commit whoredom and he hath this pathetical expression upon it God chastiseth every soul whom he loveth but would you hear the terrible voyce of Gods indignation hear him by the Prophet Hosea when he had reckoned up many wicked things which the people had committed and he adds this I will not visit your daughters when they commit whoredom this is terrible this is in the height And Bernard speaking of the same thing in the 42 Sermon upon the Canticles At the hearing onely of this says he I tremble then God is most angry when he shews no anger God keep me from this mercy this kinde of mercy is worse then all anger Luther hath an expression much like upon the 37. of Genesis O unhappy and miserable men whom God leaves to themselves not resisting their lusts wo to them whose sins God seems to wink at And Jerome writing to a sick friend hath this expression I account it a part of unhappiness not to know adversity I judge you to be miserable because you have not been miserable Bernard in his Book de consolat cap. 3. Freedom from punishment is the mother of security the step-mother of vertue the poyson of Religion the moth of holiness Yea this was seen by the purblinde eyes of the Heathen Seneca in his fourth Chapter of his Book of Providence hath the same words that before was said of Jerome I judge him miserable that was never miserable And Demetrius Nothing seems more unhappy to me then he to whom no adversity hath happened It were easie to multiply abundance in this kinde it may be testimonies of men may have some force to prevail with such who are given up by God to their pleasures to the enjoyment of earthly prosperity and sensual delights certainly they are not so happy as they judge themselves to be that which God denies to another in mercy he may give thee in wrath And thus much for this I come to that which is a main thing in Moses choyce CHAP. XI Afflicted godliness is better then delightful wickedness NOtwithstanding both these though Gods people are afflicted and the wicked have pleasure yet afflicted godliness is better then delightful wickedness It is better to joyn with Gods people in a way of godliness in all afflictions then to enjoy all the pleasures that possibly any man in the world can have in any way of sin the tears of the godly are better then all the jollities of the wicked it is an expression of an Ancient The very tears of those that are seeking of God are more sweet then the joys that any have in the world the worst part of godliness is better then the best part of any way of sin though Christ be a crucified Christ and bring never such afflictions hard things to his people yet he is more delightful to them then all the pleasures that are in the earth and delightful in another way It is a notable speech Luther hath I had rather fall with Christ then stand with Caesar rather suffer any thing in the world with Christ then stand and enjoy all the pleasure of Caesars Court. Thus a godly man a gracious heart considering and musing of things and laying one thing with another had rather have affliction with the people of God then enjoy all the pleasures of the world for a season Now the main work in this point is to shew unto you how a godly heart doth reason with its self and cast about its self as it were to bring himself and his thoughts to this issue to choose rather afflicted godliness then all the pleasure of sin First it casts about what the ways of godliness are Secondly what those afflictions are that do attend the ways of godliness Thirdly it casts about what the ways of sin are and what the afflictions and pleasures are that do attend upon them and puts them into a ballance and compares them both together and so makes its choyce First a gracious heart considers the ways of godliness If I walk in them then I walk with God I live to the honor of the blessed God who is infinitely worthy of all honor and praise from his Creature those ways are the ways of infinite wisdom they are the ways of holiness of righteousness in those ways I attain to that end for which I was made Secondly in those ways I enjoy peace peace of conscience to my soul whatsoever trouble I meet withal abroad I am sure I shall have peace within a little with outward peace is better then a great deal where outward peace is wanting Eccles 4. 6. Better is a handful with quietness then both the hands full with travel and vexation of spirit A little with outward quiet is better then a great deal with vexation if a man be in a quiet family a little there is better then to be where there is a great deal with frowardness and vexation surely a little is better with inward peace with peace of conscience then a great deal without wherefore these ways wherein I walk with Gods people though the world may rage and persecute I shall have joy in my own spirit A good conscience will be a continual feast while they rail conscience will encourage Thirdly again when I walk in these ways my soul shall enjoy the love of God and that little I have I shall have it in love and from the love of God Now thy love O Lord is better then wine better then all the comforts of the world The Lord satisfies his people with love as with marrow and fatness a little that the soul hath that comes from the love of God by vertue of a promise how sweet is it how sweet is sleep when it comes from that promise Thou wilt give thy beloved sleep and all comes this way I have all in the love of God though I have but a little in the world and though I be in affliction am short of that which others have Fourthly and in those ways my soul shall enjoy communion with God God will let out himself to me in a gracious maner he will reveal the secrets of heavenly joys to my soul and one beam of the light of his face is more worth then all the world and is able to carry through all the hardships of the world My soul shal have communion with Jesus Christ and Cursed is that man says that noble Marquess Galeacius that counts all the world comparable to one days enjoyment of communion with
pleased to discover better things to you so as to make you renounce your former ways and to make choice of another way in which your souls have found other maner of comforts and satisfactions and contentments then ever you did before bless God as David did Blessed be the Lord that hath given me counsel and made me to understand aright So may such a soul say for had I been left to the counsels of mine own heart I know what should have become of me I have as vile a heart as any and my heart did take as much delight in the flesh as any and I should have gone on God knows whither and might by this time have plunged my self into the bottomless pit my friends would have given me other counsels to harden me in my ways of sinful pleasure but blessed be God that hath over-powered my heart How many do I see every day whose parts of nature exceed mine and yet they are mistaken in the things that concern their everlasting welfare they minde no other things but the pleasures of the flesh and stumble at the meanness of Gods people and this hides the beauty of godliness from their eyes and what a great mercy is this that God hath taken this stumbling block from me and that he hath opened mine eyes to see pearls though wrapped up in rotten rags and to see the excellency of godliness notwithstanding all afflictions that do attend upon them Certainly it is no other but a beam of Gods own light from Heaven that hath shined into thy heart It is a remarkable passage that we have Esay 44. 20 21. where God shewing the difference between those who forsook the true God and his people who chose him to be their God stirs up his people to remember for ever this mercy of God towards them that they should be delivered from the deceit and vanity whereby others were deluded and guided in a right and safe way to be the servants of the blessed God As for the Idolater he feedeth upon ashes a deceived heart hath turned him aside that he cannot deliver his soul nor say Is there not a lye in my right hand Now mark what follows Remember these O Jacob and Israel for thou art my servant c. As if he should say Do you see how others have left God and God hath left them They feed upon ashes a seduced heart hath deceived them but it is otherwise with you God hath put it into your hearts to be my servants to choose me for your God Remember for ever these things O Jacob here is a mercy indeed never to be forgotten How comes it to pass that your hearts should not be so seduced as theirs it is Gods free grace and rich mercy towards you And his mercy is the greater in that it is in such a weighty thing that the Lord hath given thee counsel to make a right choice in If a man makes an ill choice in a matter that is of moment that will bring him trouble in his life how is he grieved as in marriage when he is to make choice in that one thing upon which he knows the comfort or trouble of his life does much depend if the Lord hath so provided for him that he hath made a good choice onely in that how does he bless God it is that which sweetens all his life If it be such a mercy to be guided to make a good choice in marriage what a mercy is it to be guided to make a good choice for ones soul to be happy to all eternity if the Lord should leave a soul in that choice what a lamentable condition had the soul been in And therefore those that have any savour of godliness if they be to change the condition of their lives they will seek God and be earnest that God would guide them and not leave them to themselves and take advantage to punish their former sins in their choice now If you be to make a choice that concerns the outward comforts of your lives you will earnestly desire God not to leave you there Now you are to make your choice for your eternal condition if God should leave you now what a lamentable condition would you be in as he does leave most in the world As soon as we come to years of discretion we come to make our choice to go on in the ways of God or in the ways of death How many yong ones make a woful choice in the beginning and go on and are hardened in their choice and perish for ever And hath the Lord looked upon you and considered how like you would be to fail in your choice And hath the Lord been pleased to come in with his Spirit and a light from Heaven to shew you the way Have you heard a voyce from heaven saying This is the way walk in it Though God should leave you in all outward things yet you are made for ever and therefore thou mayest say as Judas not Iscariot Lord wherefore is it that thou revealest thy self to us and not to the world Lord wherefore is it that in this great business of my choice that concerns my eternal estate thou art pleased to reveal thy self to me a poor contemptible creature rather then to the world 1. Hence it is because thou art one of the chosen ones of the Lord because the Lord hath made a choice of thee and hath separated thee from all eternity to do good to thy soul hence it is manifest that thou art the chosen one of the Lord when thou seest most in the world to follow the pleasures of the world if God hath given thee a heart to choose his ways upon any terms take this as an argument that thou art a chosen vessel of God Reciprocal signs of Gods grace are the most sweet as if I love God this is an argument God loves me if Gods honor be dear to me then my soul is near to God so if I choose God then God hath chosen me 2. This choice is that for which thousands of Gods people have blessed God upon their death-beds they counted it a blessed time and blessed the means the Word and the Instrument that God was pleased to work by to incline their hearts to such a choice as this 3. Yea this choice of thine though it be suffering affliction it is that thou shalt bless God for to all eternity in the highest Heavens it is such a great mercy as this little poor span-long life of ours is not sufficient to give God glory for it therefore there is an eternity reserved to praise God for it when thou shalt see what good comes of thy choice then thou shalt bless God indeed Certainly God takes it well at thy hands now Jer. 2. 2. I remember the kindeness of thy youth and the love of thine espousals when thou wentest after me in the wilderness God takes it kindely that men will choose him and his
ways in affliction if there were always prosperity in the ways of God it were nothing but when it is with affliction it is so much the more an argument of thy love to God and thy sincerity and therefore he takes it so kindely Bless God for it and bless him the rather because he hath begun with you betimes If the Lord hath given you a heart when you are yong to make this choice what a great mercy is this what abundance of sin does such a one prevent If one that is yong goes on in the ways of Religion though he suffers much in the family wherein he lives his brethren scorn at him and his Parents hate him yet he hath cause to rejoyce and bless himself in the goodness of the Lord. 4. Again thou hast further cause to bless God because he hath given thee such encouragements since thou hast made thy choice thou madest thy choice many years ago I ask thee Hast thou not had encouragement in thy choice Hast any cause to repent thee O no! blessed be God I have found more good then I looked for 5. And know within a while the end of thy choice will be attained and then it shall appear before men and Angels thou madest a good choice and all the world shall bless thee for thy choice Blessed be that man or woman that ever they were born to make such a choice and thou shalt be honored of all those that do despise thee now and they shall wish they had made thy choice It is reported of a yong man who loved his pleasures standing by St. Ambrose and seeing his excellent death he turned to other yong men by him and said O that I might live with you and dye with him Thou hast little cause to envy them that will choose vanities for their portion let them have them though thou hast lost something of thy bravery of thy carnal delight for this choice be content it is made up infinitely here and shall be made up more hereafter And seeing God hath thus enclined your heart to himself be for ever established in your choice seeing God hath shewn to you his ways say as Pilate in another case That I have written I have written so That I have chosen I have chosen If any temptation come to tempt you from your choice as flesh and blood would be ready to mutter and think I might have lived as brave a life as such a one might have had as much pleasure as such a one I have lost so many friends and so much means and brought my self into a great many straights indeed they spake much of Gods Ordinances and I was taken with it and I ventured and I have brought my self into troubles and upon the mutterings of flesh and blood you are beginning to bethink your selves again and examine things again and think whether you did wisely or no O take heed of that first degree of Apostacy namely that suspition of your choice Many in their yong time are very zealous in the ways of Religion while all is well with them and now they meet with other things then they looked for and they begin to think they were too forward and wish they were not so far engaged as they are they begin to repent as chapmen who have out-bid themselves Many go on in a profession and suffer much because they are engaged in that way and they know not how to get off if they could get off they would take heed of repentings of your choice lest God lead you out with the workers of iniquity do not listen to the reasonings of flesh and blood Cassianus reports of a yong man that had given himself up to a Christian life and his Parents misliked that way and they wrote Letters to him to perswade him from it and when he knew they were Letters come from them he would not open them but threw them into the fire and so flesh and blood will come and say Do thus and thus you may do well enough at last throw away these letters these suggestions of flesh and blood and do not answer them but be resolved in thine own heart I know in whom I have believed I know whom I have chosen I did not choose rashly but I felt the power of God upon my heart before I made my choice and I had grounds and arguments of my choice and what shall I by such an argument as this be perswaded to the contrary Therefore go on and be established in your choice and the Lord confirm you in it and give my soul part with you in that choice you have made let flesh and the world and temptations say what they will peace will be in the end You have found some good already that might make you say with David Surely it is good for me to draw near to God and though I do meet with some troubles and temptations that do cry down this way yet let my soul say It is good for me to draw near to God it is good for me that I left such and such things it is good for me that I have these Ordinances though it be with the loss of some outward comforts and my estate be abated and my trading less say as David in the 73. Psalm Truly God is good to Israel however it be yet God is good to Israel though many things seem to the contrary and therefore conclude with thine own heart Though I should never see good day in the world yet that comfort I have received in the ways of God it is enough to make me prize them for ever if now I should dye and be annihilated if God should deprive me of the joys of Heaven and turn me into nothing yet that good that I have had already in Gods ways should be enough to countervail all the troubles that I have met withal in the world or ever shall meet withal though God should withdraw himself in all the course of my life and I should be in darkness and have nothing but trouble yet I have had enough in God already to countervail all Hath God thus spoken peace to thy soul remember that text in Psal 85. 8. Return not again to folly the Lord hath spoken peace already to thy soul in afflictions and therefore God forbid that thou shouldst return to folly but continue in thy way and go on constantly in thy way to the end and the Lord bless thee in thy way And this is for the encouragement of the hearts of Gods people that have with Moses made this choice Rather to suffer affliction with the people of God then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season CHAP. XIII The evil of an ill choice discovered IN the third place hence those are justly rebuked who have made an ill choice this was a blessed choice of Moses and whosoever makes this choice are blessed of the Lord but how few have we of Moses his minde it
about this That man or woman that shall not esteem the hardest work of godliness at a higher rate then the most delightful contentment to the flesh hath not chosen right and may suspect that yet he is to choose in the way of eternal life It is true that the hardest duty of godliness may be burthensom to the flesh for a while yet there is no gracious heart but esteems of this duty at an infinite higher rate then the pleasures of the flesh though never so lawful it looks upon the pleasures of the flesh as mean low things though lawful but looks upon the duties of godliness as precious things though hard and those are the things that are most suitable to a gracious frame of spirit Again fourthly those come under this reprehension of making an ill choice who have had some stirrings of the Spirit of God some workings of their consciences that their way hath not been good and right and these have been but for some time afterward they have given themselves and do give themselves too too much liberty in satisfying the flesh These are like the Israelites of whom we read Exod. 24. 11. according to the note that some have upon this place They saw God and did eat and drink That is say they although they had seen God yet they turned again to temporal pleasures to eating and drinking in a sensual way as if it had reference to that sensual eating and drinking and rising up to play upon the dedication of their Calf they sate up which was presently after Thus many although they have seen the Lord and this sight of God hath wakened conscience their hearts have been much stirred for a while yet they have after faln to eating and drinking to sensual pleasures all their good beginnings hath come to nothing These when they have been in company and come away they have had many sad thoughts and next day or in the night many sad sighs and groans have come from their spirits because their spirits are enlightened and make them fear all will not be well in the end and yet these continue still in giving themselves pleasure and delights to the flesh inordinately if company call they cannot refuse when they are stirred in their consciences they will take a book and read or pray yet they are presently weary and cannot bear such a kinde of life they think they shall grow melancholy and they must again go to their former ways Many have the pleasures of the flesh and their consciences strugling together and many times the pleasures of the flesh and conscience struggle a great while before there be a victory on either side sometimes conscience gets the victory and there is a gracious work upon the soul especially if God set on conscience by some great affliction or sickness sometimes conscience is overcome though conscience does propound a better way and they see and are convinced of it yet at length lust overcomes and conscience yields and they become meer sots hardened in the way of the lusts of their hearts and this is a most dreadful thing when ever this befals any Again there are others that have had some taste of the ways of God have begun to make a choice and have tryed the ways of Religion and continued a while in them and yet come to be weary and tired yea it may be some upon their sick-beds and death-beds have cryed out of the folly of their former choice and yet when God hath delivered them again they have gone on in the same excess of riot and giving liberty to the satisfying of the flesh in the same way if not in a further degree then ever formerly what a dreadful thing is this To all those that are thus deluded in making this evil choice let me speak a word or two First Wouldst thou be willing at the day of judgement to be accused and found guilty before the Lord of this that thou hast esteemed more pleasure to be had either in sin or in any lawful content then in all the pleasures that are to be had in God so as it should be said before men and Angels Lo this is the man that made not God his portion Lo here stands the man that for many years together did account more good to be had in the pleasures of the flesh then in all the good that was to be enjoyed in all the artributes of God and all the merits of Jesus Christ in all the promises of life in all the ways of grace What doest thou think will be thy condition when as thou shalt be brought as guilty before men and Angels that all shall look upon thee as a cursed fool in Israel God and his Angels look now upon thee as a fool in Israel when thou shalt be brought to have all the world look upon thee as guilty of such a cursed folly as this how bitter will it be to thee wouldst thou be willing to be in such a condition as this Again Wouldst thou be willing at the great day to be found guilty of hating the ways of God I I hope I do not so will some say though I give pleasure to my flesh Yes that man or woman that chooseth the way of giving content to the flesh rather then the strict ways of godliness such a one hates Gods ways and so hates God himself in hating Gods ways as mark that place in Prov. 1. For that they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord How was it proved they hated knowledge They hated that truth of God and that which should bring them into the ways of God and guide them in it How does that appear They did not choose the fear of the Lord if thou doest not choose the ways of God thou hatest the ways of God and so by consequent art a hater of God himself Thirdly Wouldst thou willingly have God reject all thy services and account them as abominable to him Thus he threatens against those who choose their own ways Esay 66. 3. He that killeth an Ox is as if he slew a man he that sacrificeth a Lamb as if he cut off a dogs neck he that offereth an oblation as if he offered swines blood he that burneth incense as if he blessed an idol and the reason of all is given They have chosen their own ways and their soul delighteth in their abominations There are not such four expressions of Gods rejecting a mans services that he tenders up unto him in all the Book of God and this is given as the reason of all because they have chosen their own ways Again Wouldst thou not be loath that in the time of greatest anguish of spirit and affliction of body when thou shalt be crying to God for mercy that God should take pleasure in thy misery and be so far from relieving of thee as to mock at thy destruction now thou canst laugh and be merry and jocund
Here is the Sword which is an emblem of thy place and here is the Gospel choose the one you must have but one Then his heart gave in and so left the Sword and chose the Gospel The wisdom of God this day hath stood and still stands before you pleading with you crying to you to come in and embrace her to make a happy choice for thy soul folly likewise hath her pleadings and perswasions to draw thee to the lusts of the flesh both make their offers unto thee as they say of Hercules when he was yong he saw vertue and vice in the likeness of two Virgins wooing him vice like a painted Harlot and vertue like a sober chaste Virgin both presenting themselves with wooing offers unto him It is very observable that we finde Prov. 9. concerning wisdom and the foolish woman both pleading to draw the hearts of men to them and they begin in the same maner they both make offers to draw the heart ver 4. Who so is simple let him turn in hither as for him that wanteth understanding she saith to him and verse 16. the foolish woman useth the same words to draw after her and as wisdom is upon the high places of the City ver 3. so is folly ver 15. yet wisdom is above the foolish woman for the Text says of wisdom she is upon the highest places and of the foolish woman it is onely said she is in the high places And observe further Wisdom calls to eat her bread and drink her wine ver 5. and the foolish woman makes her offer her delights are sweet she says but they are but sweet waters and that stoln too and her bread she says is pleasant but it is secret such as she is even ashamed of her self In the choice that wisdom presents and that which folly presents you have life and death set before you as Moses therefore said to the people so I to you I have set before you this day life and death Now what answer will you give to God Will you go on in the ways of the pleasure of the flesh Are your hearts so bold and venturous that you dare venture to go on in these ways Wo unto you for the cursed hardness of your hearts Were it indeed that you never heard the ways of God opened to you it were another matter but in that you have and yet you go on in your choice after this Sermon God may say Be it unto thee as thou hast chosen God may set to his seal thou hast chosen vanities and a lye and base pleasures and vanities and a lye and base pleasures to thy flesh thou shalt have Wherefore that thou mayest be delivered from this seal this night O consider what a mercy of God it is that thou hast yet time to make thy choice How many hath God cast off And now it is too late to choose God hath determined the business O that yet there should be time O that this would move your hearts We are fain thus to labor and strive with mens spirits to take them off from vain pleasures to urge the strength of all arguments we can with all our might were it that mens hearts were not very sensual and hardened in their sensuality it would not be needful thus to strive the very propounding some one argument might be sufficient to prevail It was a speech of Gregory Nyssen who lived almost thirteen hundred years ago He that does but hear of Hell is without any further labor or study taken off from sinful pleasures Mens hearts are grown harder since But what if I should come in now I who have given so much pleasure to the flesh would God accept of me and regard me Be it known unto thee thou that hast given thy self liberty in injoying the pleasures of the flesh to the utmost thou that hast been most wretched if thou hast a heart to come in this day and turn thy choice God is yet ready to embrace thee we have commission to offer grace and mercy to thee upon thy recalling thy self yea we have a promise you shall have abundance of mercy if you have a heart to come in Prov. 1. 22 23. How long ye simple ones will ye love simplicity and the scorners delight in their scorning and fools hate knowledge Turn you at my reproof behold I will pour out my Spirit unto you I will make known my words unto you If any of you have gone so far when we have spoken against the pleasures of the flesh and for the ways of godliness you have scorned the word of the Lord if you have been scorners and contemners yet turn and make your choice better Behold I will pour out my Spirit to you When God pours forth his Spirit he pours forth his grace and mercy and goodness you see the offer of God if you have hearts yet to make choice of his ways And consider the longer you have stayed in the satisfying your selves in the pleasures of the flesh the more unfit will you be to suffer hard things for God O give in your answer and say The Lord forbid I should go on in my former ways I see other things I have to regard peace with God pardon of sin that I have to look after let God reveal to me what his good will and pleasure is and though I should never enjoy good day in the flesh yet I give my self up to that way of God O that there might come this voice up to Heaven this night that your souls may be blessed for ever in this days choice And if God do begin to stir your hearts now take the opportunity choose the things that please him and take hold of the Covenant if you be convinced of the good ways of God now close with them cleave to them let your hearts fasten take such fast hold of the Covenant as you may never let it go Observe how these two are joyned together Isaiah 56. 4. Choose the things that please me and take hold of my Covenant Take hold now for it is your life CHAP. XV. The true pleasantness of all the ways of godliness NOw that you may be further convinced that in the choice of the ways of godliness you shall not lose but change pleasures you shall finde pleasures sweet and satisfying of a higher nature in them then ever before your souls were acquainted with consider what Solomon saith of the ways of wisdom Solomon who had experience of all other pleasures whatsoever yet of them he saith Proverbs 3. 17. Her ways are ways of pleasantness That the yoke of Christ was an easie yoke and the ways of godliness had ease in them we have spoken largely As they have ease so they have pleasantness all the ways of godliness are pleasant to that at this time Ordinarily we cannot expect any dependence in these Proverbs but yet in this you have there is a dependence of these words upon the 13.
those that do reproach him As David said to Michal 2 Samuel 6. 22. when she told him of being vile in the eyes of the handmaids Of the maid-servants which thou hast spoken of of them shall I be had in honor so even of those men of the world which now you say do so reproach you even of them hereafter shall you be had in honor If we believe there are such things to come that we shall sit with Christ and judge the Angels and judge the reproachers why should we be troubled There is a famous passage I have met with in Chrysostom to this purpose he brings in Christ comforting his Disciples against reproaches speaking thus unto them What is the wrong grievous unto you that now they call you seducers and conjurers it will not be long before they shall openly call you the Saviors and blessings of the whole world that time that shall declare all things that are now hid shall rebuke them for their lying words against you and shall kindle the splendor of your vertue so they shall be found lyars evil speakers false accusers of others but you shall be more clear and illustrious then the Sun and you shall have all men witnesses of your glory 8. Again consider what abundance of reproach and contempt justly many do suffer for their sins and wickedness that indeed they are guilty of sin carries many men through infinite shameful things as take one that is given to a base lust and so as he may enjoy his lust he cares not what shame he endures though he be counted the shame of their friends and the scum of the place where he lives Who are so basely looked upon as base drunkards they are looked upon as more vile then the filth and dung of the earth and yet they go on and bless themselves in the pleasure they have in their lusts notwithstanding the reproach If one should be content to go on in his lusts and please himself therein notwithstanding all the reproach he endures what cause have we to go on in the ways of God and keep close to him though all the world reproach us 9. Again consider the goodness of God in delivering of you from everlasting reproach In Dan. 12. 2. Many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting contempt We might have been amongst the company of those that shall have all their wickedness opened at the last day of Judgement before God himself and might have had the Lord himself mocking at us 10. And yet futther consider that the greatest evil of reproach it is from him that receives it it is according as we take it It is a speech of Chrysostom As it is with meat so it is with reproaches it is not the goodness and sweetness of the meat in its self that makes it to be good and sweet to me but according as my stomack and body is affected And so in all reproaches it is not as it comes from him that casts it that makes it evil but it is as he that receives it makes it cast dirt upon dirt and it will stick cast dirt upon on a piece of polished brass or iron and it will fall off the greatest part of the evil of reproaches comes from the affection of the receiver then it is in our power to make reproaches to be as nothing if we can but take pains to get our hearts so affected as that the reproach may not stick It is not in the power of any man in the world to stain us if we by some evil do not make the stain to stick upon our selves Again if you consider that God hath the care of your names that may be a great argument to help you to bear reproach God hath taken the charge of the names of his people as truly as of their souls and if God hath the charge of your names why are you troubled at any thing that befals you in regard of your name If you be in Gods way you are to commit your selves to God he hath charge of you when Gods Servants are meek and quiet and do not hear reproaches against themselves yet God hears them it is no great matter then though they hear them not themselves It is an excellent place we have for this Psalm 38. 12 13 15. They speak mischievous things says David but I as a deaf man heard not but mark verse 15. In thee O Lord do I hope thou wilt hear O Lord my God What need David hear God will hear the less we hear in this case the more will God hear Job 5. 21. Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue Now there is a twofold hiding from the scourge of the tongue either by delivering us wholly from it or otherwise delivering us from the evil of it As a man may be said to be hid and delivered from a thing that can do him no hurt and so in this sense at least thou shalt be delivered from the scourge of the tongue it may be that God will wholly free us from the scourge of the tongue or it may be it is fit thou shouldst be scourged yet thou art hid from it so as it shall do thee no hurt no not to thy name in the conclusion And so in Psal 37. 5 6. Commit thy way to the Lord trust also in him and he shall bring it to pass and he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light and thy judgement as the noon day This was the argument that upheld David when Shimei curst him Well says he it may be God bid him my name is in his hand and he may do with my name what he please Upon this Ambrose hath this speech O the height of the wisdom prudence patience of David what a worthy plot had he to deliver himself from the evil of reproach Again it is a greater mercy that God keeps you from the evil of the hands of wicked men if God beat out the teeth of wicked men that they onely can bark and not bite that their tongues and not their hands can onely reach you The complaint of Job might have been thine ch 16. 11. God hath delivered me to the ungodly and turned me over into the hands of the wicked this would have been grievous indeed Although they send a flood of reproaches after you as Rev. 12. 15. the Dragon cast out of his mouth a flood after the Church yet thou art far from their reach as she was therefore be patient under reproaches It is through the wantonness of our hearts that we are so sensible of the evil of reproaches because we are not accustomed to suffer greater evils those who are in danger of greater evils have no leisure to think on these things says Seneca but mindes weakned with too much idleness and wanton and effeminate through want of sufferings Yet
Christs suffering for us I have shewn in eight particulars the riches of sufferings for Christ I might in as many particulars shew the riches of Christs sufferings for us First riches of the infinite deep wisdom of God Secondly the riches of the infinite love of God to mankinde Thirdly the rich patern of humility Fourthly there is riches of honor that is put upon the Children of men such a price is paid for them and such great things are done by the Lord for them Fifthly there is a rich fountain of mercy cleansing of all pollution and the healing of all souls in Christ Sixthly there are the riches of the springs of all graces Seventhly there are the riches of the rich treasure of all consolations Eighthly a rich purchase thus our sufferings for Christ are riches and Christs sufferings for us are riches Chrysostom speaking of Christs reproaches hath this expression These things which we suffered are most beautiful and glorious to me in these I do principally glory neither is my spirit less raised by the thousands that be raised from the dead then by the dolours that suffered How rich is a Christian in regard of sufferings as men use to look at their riches and be thinking of their riches so let us be viewing and looking at our riches the riches of our sufferings and Christ makes us to glory in our riches It is an expression of Chrysostom upon the Sermon in Matthew 26. speaking of the sufferings of Christ says he They are glorious things he glories more in them then in raising thousands from the dead Christ glories in them And that is observable in the ninth of the Acts where Christ appears to Saul says he Saul Saul why persecutest thou me says Paul Who art thou I am Jesus of Nazareth why does he say Jesus of Nazareth does any good come out of Nazareth he does not say I am the second person of the Trinity the Son of God the King of the Church no but I am Jesus of Nazareth that was a reproach that was cast upon Christ and Christ glories in that surely we should glory in it then Lastly if there be so many riches in suffering for Christ in reproaches what riches are there in the Crown in the reward of the reproaches and sufferings men do dig riches out of dark holes and mines in the Earth here is a hole though it be dark yet it is a mine where-out you may dig great riches if you have wherewithall to dig if you have a true Christian Spirit you see out of this deep dark pit you may dig riches CHAP. XXXIX There is glorious reward for the people of God BUt what was the ground that made Moses thus esteem reproaches He had respect unto the recompence of reward From whence the point of Doctrine is this That There is a glorious reward for the people of God the respect unto which is a great encouragement to Gods servants to go on in a way of suffering and hardship for him It was this that helped David in the midst of his sore temptation that did arise from his affliction in the way of God Psalm 37. 24. Thou shalt guide me mith thy counsel and afterward receive me to glory as if he should say Howsoever it be with the men of the world who enjoy their prosperity according to their desires and howsoever it be with me that I am afflicted and must endure hard things here yet this is that which upholds me through all Thou shalt afterward receive me to glory This is that which upheld the Spirit of Saint Paul 2 Cor. 4. 17. where he brings in a most notable and high expression of the glory that is to come for the upholding his spirit in his suffering For our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory This is that which Saint Paul propounded unto Timothy to uphold his heart in all his sufferings 2 Timothy 2. 12. If we suffer we shall also reign with him This is that which strengthned the Spirits of the Christians that suffered in the times of the Maccabees Heb. 10. 34. As those clusters of Grapes that were brought from the land of Canaan that shewed to the people what the fruitfulness of that land was was an encouragement to them to pass through all difficulties that they were like to meet withalin the possession of the land to fight against the children of Anak so that which God hath revealed of Heaven is like those clusters of grapes those little things that we have made known to us in comparison of the glory that is to come are to that end revealed to encourage us in our way here In the handling of this point there are these five things we shall endeavor to do First to shew that there is a reward for the righteous Secondly how far a Christian may have an eye unto this reward Thirdly shew somewhat what this reward is Fourthly wherein lies the power of the believing of this to help us to endure any hardship Lastly make Application of all That there is a reward Certainly there is a more blessed condition for Gods people hereafter they have not received that which is prepared for them there are other maner of things to be revealed then those that you see Psal 58. 11. Verily there is a reward for the righteous surely it is so notwithstanding a carnal sensual heart doth not see it yet verily there is a reward though the ways of Gods providence do seem outwardly to work otherwise yet surely there is a reward notwithstanding our unbelieving hearts are ready to question it yet surely there is a reward verily there is a reward for the righteous There is a great deal of power in this one thing to raise up our hearts from the creature from grovelling here below to make us at least to look upward to know our happiness is not here to know that there are glorious things to be expected and that appears First God hath infinite riches of glory infinite treasures of happiness there are infinite great things in God and God takes infinite delight to communicate himself and let out himself unto the creature now if there be such infinite riches with God such glorious treasures of happiness and he delights to communicate himself certainly there are great things to be communicated then for wherefore is it that God hath such infinite riches in him but that in due time he will make them known and reveal them and communicate them it is but little that is revealed and communicated for the present therefore there are other things to be revealed and communicated from God Secondly God hath made mankinde to be of such a nature as to have a kinde of infinite capacity whereby it is made capable of happiness beyond that which any creature besides Angels is capable of Properly no creature but the rational creature is capable of
happiness at all but besides it hath a kinde of infinite capacity whereby it is made capable of the highest happiness that belongs to the capacity of a Creature and certainly God hath not made this in vain God does intend to fill this capacity You will say An infinite capacity of happiness how is that Thus for there are two things in the rational part of man his understanding and his will now the capacity of this part must be judged according to the objects that are suitable unto these two faculties in mans soul For the understanding it is not any particular thing that is the object of it but truth in general take truth in the utmost latitude of it in the universality of it that is the object of mans understanding and therefore the understanding is infinite because it is not satisfied in this or that particular but truth in the utmost extent And for the object of the will it is good in the general it is not this or that particular good but good in the universality of its nature and therefore till it come to enjoy God that does eminently contain all good in him it can never come to have full satisfaction And here observe the difference between the capacity of mans nature and the capacity of other Creatures as for other Creatures their faculties can extend no further then some particular good and they are limited within the narrow bounds of their own nature and therefore if so be the eye have colour it goes no further and if the ear have sound it goes no further and so taste it goes no further then some particular good but the intelligent soul the rational soul goes beyond all particulars Now God having made mans nature of such a capacity for good and happiness certainly God intends great things for the children of men other maner of things then there are in this world and if for any surely for the righteous Thirdly surely there is a reward because it is the great design that God had in the making of the world in all his works to lift up and advance the glory of the riches of his mercy and grace now if this be Gods great design to advance the glory of his infinite mercy then certainly there must needs be a glorious condition for some of the children of men for that is not yet done though there be something of Gods mercy manifested that we have cause to admire at yet certainly God does not reveal that in the world whereby he should attain to the great design of lifting up of the glory of his great Name Fourthly the chief of the deep infinite counsels of God and the works of his wisdom that have been from all eternity have been and are yet exercised about this especially namely to bring mankinde to his eternal estate and to communicate unto the children of men that glory that he hath appointed for them that it might be in the most glorious way that can be now if God have set his infinite wisdom on work from all eternity about this namely what might be the most glorious way of communication of himself in the riches of his goodness unto mankinde certainly when this comes to pass that God should communicate himself as much as he does intend it must be infinitely glorious certainly there are great things and glorious things to be communicated hereafter Fifthly the power of God hath been already exercised in subserviency to other attributes of his to make known his wisdom and his bounty and his general goodness the power of God have been wonderfully manifested in the works of creation and providence now certainly the power of God is as well to be put forth in a way of subserviency unto his grace and mercy now if there be such a time as Gods infinite power is to be let out and work unto that end that it might be subservient unto the infiniteness of his mercy then certainly there are glorious and great things to be revealed and made known Sixthly certainly there are glorious and great things for mankinde in that God hath raised the nature of man unto such a heighth as he hath done in Christ namely to unite mans nature unto himself unto the second person of the Trinity and that with the nearest union that possibly can be namely an hypostatical union certainly then God intends great things for the children of men for that nature that is one person with the Divine nature This is such a great work of God as all other of the works of God are darkned in the honor of this great work Seventhly the great purchase that Jesus Christ hath made in that he hath been content to leave so much glory certainly this was to purchase great glory and in that he was content to be made a curse for mans-sin and to shed his blood and to give his life for man surely this was not onely to purchase outward comforts in the world it was to purchase higher things and therefore great must needs be the fruit of the purchase of the blood of Christ and therefore great are the things that are to be revealed hereafter Eighthly there are in Scripture many glorious promises which yet are not fulfilled abundant rich and glorious promises that have infinite treasures of good in them there must be a time of fulfilling of them all to the utmost extent of them and therefore certainly there are great things to be revealed hereafter Thy word O Lord is setled for ever in Heaven Psal 119. 89. Ninthly the great things that God hath done for his enemies is a demonstration that there is a glorious condition for Gods people afterward in that God hath filled their bellies with his hid treasure what treasures hath God to fill the souls of his own people with when as he does fill the bellies of the wicked whom he does intend to cast out as accursed Tenthly it appears there are great things for the people of God hereafter because of the great hopes that are wrought in the hearts of Gods servants by the power of the Holy Ghost Now surely such hopes as are wrought by the power of the Holy Ghost they must attain unto glorious things Rom. 15. 13. Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing that you may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost the hope of Gods people is that which is not onely wrought by the Holy Ghost but by the power of the Holy Ghost and such an hope as God is pleased to stile himself the God of this hope and therefore certainly glorious things are to be revealed Another demonstration is this the very natures and excellency of grace is to take off our hearts from these present things in the world and from all the good that is here in the creature God does give grace for this end now then I reason thus if the chief excellency
the men of the world Gal. 1. 4. It is said that Christ hath given himself to deliver us from this present evil world it is a part of the purchase of Christ to be wholly freed from all the evils of this present world and this purchase of Christ we shall have Under the highest regions are the tempests and storms but above there are none so in this world the Saints meet with tempests and storms but above are none As the Psalmist says In thy light O God we shall see light so in the light of God we shall see nothing but light now when Gods light does shine into us it does discover darkness but time will come though Gods light shall shine never so brightly we shall see no darkness but altogether light We read concerning Moses and Elias in Luke 9. in the transfiguration of Christ the Text says They did confer about his decease that should be accomplished at Jerusalem the Saints of God shall meet together and Moses and Elias and the Patriarchs and shall confer no more about deceases about troubles and sufferings that shall be accomplished all those evils shall be done away We may say of evils all as Moses did to the people of Israel concerning the Egyptians Those your enemies that now you see you shall never see any more So we may say to Gods people that go out of the world to partake of the recompence of reward be quiet be still those evils of sin of sorrow that now you see and feel you shall never see never feel any more that is something though it be negatively Secondly comparatively and herein are three things First to compare the good the happiness that shall be hereafter with all the good and happiness that we have here Secondly compare it with the condition of Adam in the estate of innocency Thirdly compare it with the happiness of the Angels CHAP. XLII The differences between that good we receive here from God and that we shall have hereafter FIrst we will compare that we have here with that we shall have hereafter Brethren though we receive many mercies from God yet look what difference there is between that close place of the womb that the infant is in before it be born and this space of the world that the childe comes into when it is born such difference is between all this world and any good and happiness here and the world that is to come this and much more then this First here we receive good from without First unto our outward senses and by them it comes into the soul but now hereafter God shall first let out good unto the soul unto the rational part and from the redundancy of that good and glory that God shall communicate unto the rational soul there shall flow glory and sweetness and good to the body and outward senses whereas here we see from without and so it comes in there shall be a spring and a fountain of good within the soul the kingdom of heaven shall be within and more good shall be in the heart and flow from thence outwardly then to be received from without and so to come inwardly for us to receive something in our sences and so to convey it to the soul this is but a low way but to have a spring and fountain of all good and happiness to be within the soul and so spread it self and flow out this shews wonderfully the blessedness of Gods people when God shall communicate himself to them in that way Secondly here the excellency and eminency of an object does destroy the faculty if the faculties of our souls be exercised about objects that are very high above us that are full of excellency and glory they destroyed the faculty as now though light be the most pleasing to the eye of all things in the world yet the excellency and glory of light destroys the eye so sound is the proper object of the ear but if the sound be too great it makes one deaf but it is otherwise in heaven the more excellent the object is the more perfect will the faculty be the object shall not onely delight the faculty but perfect and strengthen the faculty nature as in a glass but thus far that as we see good in the creature now then we shall see them by knowing God himself more then by knowing the creature And the reason is because all excellency and good that is in the creature is eminently in God for all the good of the effects must needs be eminently in all the principles and the good of all principles in the first principle If all good in the creature be eminently in God and the souls of the blessed shall come perfectly to know God so far as their created understandings shall be capable of then they must needs see the excellency of the creature in God We shall know as we are known 1 Cor. 13. 12. Upon this a learned man hath this note We shall know as we are known now God knows all his works by knowing himself by knowing his own power and will and nature and so we shall know as we are known because we shall know the creatures by knowing God Fourthly here the mercies and good that we have from God are sweetned unto us by the sense of our wants But hereafter we shall prize them and have the sweetness of them in regard of their own fulness not from such a low relation as our wants and our necessities when God would have us prize any mercy here he first makes us sensible of the want of the mercy and so it comes to be sweet to us and scarce any mercy comes to be sweet unless we feel the want of it first for else we would prize the mercy at any time but in that we do not prize all mercies always alike it appears the great commendation of Gods mercy is from our wants but hereafter the prizings and the relish and the sweet of all shall be from the fulness of the goodness that we finde in God Gods goodness to us here is but the supplying of some defect but hereafter Gods goodness shall be the glorifying of perfect nature Fifthly here when we do enjoy any comfort from God we are much sensible of it at the present enjoyment but after we have had it a little while we grow to be less sensible we begin to be cloyed with it as the most beautiful sight that we did admire at first if we see it every day it does not affect us as who is affected at the sight of the Sun because he sees it every day but suppose we had lived all our days in a dark dungeon and this had been the first day we were brought out of the dungeon and now see the Sun and the Earths and Seas how mightily would we be taken with the sights that we see but now it is not so with us because we have the Sun every day
and so the melodious sound to the ear first we are ravished with it but when we are used to it it is nothing and so for the taste the taste of sweet things is mightily pleasant to us at first but afterward it is no more pleasing to us then the taste of ordinary mean fare is to poor people who have as much content in their mean fare as rich men in their delicious fare because rich men are used to such delicious things but this is the excellency of Gods maner of communication of himself to his people hereafter they shall be to all eternity as exactly and fully sensible of the glory of heaven as they were in the first moment they came into it The sixth difference between Gods communication of himself to us here and hereafter is here we have much good from God but much good is in the habits and is not always in action there are many habits of grace that are not always acting fully but sometime the act of one habit is called forth and sometime the act of another but here is the blessedness of Gods people there shall be no habits lying still no instant but every minute to all eternity they shall act to the utmost of them so far as may any way conduce to their happiness for the end of the habit it is action and in the enjoyment of our happiness we shall ever be enjoying to the full the highest and last ends and therefore there shall always be the utmost activity of the habits of grace There is a necessity here of cessation of actions because we grow weary quickly of any action though it be a gracious action we must unstring our bows and cease that some actions may give way to others for the heart to be always up it is not able to bear it but then there shall be no need of any cessation any moment Again here we are not able to exercise our selves in the works of God without some difficulty there is difficulty in raising our hearts unto any thing that is good and to keep our hearts up but hereafter there shall be that communication of God unto his people that they shall be exercised about the highest things in the highest maner without any difficulty but as freely and readily and fully as the Sun shines the Sun does shine without any difficulty and the fish draws in water without difficulty so there shall be that perfect working of the soul about the highest object without any difficulty or labor Again here in this world there cannot be an intention in one faculty but it does hinder the intention in another as if man speak to me and I be intent in looking upon an object I do not hear him that speaketh and so in all faculties the intention of one faculty does hinder the intention of another but in Heaven all the faculties of the soul shall be intens'd to the highest intention and the intention of the one shall not hinder the intention of the other Again the good we receive here is in the root in the promise in election in great part but that we shall have hereafter shall be in the fruit in the actual communication of God as before all our actings shall be acted upon God so all the good shall not be contained in the root of his electing love or in the promise but shall be in actual communication Again here we receive many mercies from God that we do not understand our selves that we know but little of we do not see into the large extent of the mercy that we have from God but there we shall have no mercy from God but we shall know it fully in all the circumstances of it in all the principles of it and in all the appertainances that do any way concern the mercy we have and we shall know the issue of it and the like Again here we receive great mercies from God and we know not how to manage them Gods mercies lie and sowre in us we turn our mercies many times into afflictions for want of skill but hereafter we shall have the full improvement of all mercy that we receive from God Again here we see and desire many good things that we do not enjoy and possess but hereafter we shall see no good nor desire any good nor will any good but we shall have it And as God said concerning the Land of Canaan unto the children of Israel in Deut. 11. 24. Every place whereon the soles of your feet shall tread shall be yours so in heaven whatsoever the Saints see they shall have Here we may will a thing and will it lawfully and yet it may be cross unto Gods secret will and it shall never come to pass the reason is because the rule of our wills is Gods Commandment and not his secret will as David did will to build God a house and God commends him for it and yet God did not will it And a childe may will the life of his parent and yet God may will his parent shall not live and yet he is not to be blamed because he wills according to the rule but hereafter God shall so far reveal his will to us and our wills shall be so fully united to God that there shall not be the least crossing between any thing that we will and that God wills Again here it is one especial excellency of the work of grace for us to keep in our hearts and affections to restrain them that they be not let out too far in that we do enjoy but hereafter when we come to the recompence of reward we shall not need keep in our hearts we shall have liberty to let them out Object But we may not let out our hearts too much upon the Saints to love them above God Ans Then we shall love nothing but in God all shall be swallowed up in God himself that we shal not need fear the letting out of our hearts to the utmost Though I may love the creature yet I may let out my heart fully upon it because I love it onely in God Here many times a thing is more prized before we have it and when we come to enjoy it we do not see so much excellency upon it and so do less prize it but though we may set a prize upon Heaven and say O the blessed time when we come there we shall infinitely more prize it and rejoyce in it then we can here Yet further here we can enjoy nothing that we can be so certain of but that we can lose it wholly or in some part but the Saints of God hereafter shall be so certain of that they have in enjoyment that they shall not lose any thing of it in the least degree Lastly that we have from God here is mediately conveyed through many Channels through the Pipes of Creatures and Ordinances but that we shall have hereafter shall be
all I must have my sin Though you do not say so directly yet if after you have heard all this you go on in a sinful way you do in effect say so for the Scripture says Know you not that no drunkard nor whoremonger nor covetous nor unclean person nor extortioner and the like shall enter into the Kingdom of God You know this it is not possible that any should be so ignorant but he knows such shall never enter into the Kingdom of God you going on then in such a way you do as it were say Farewel God and heaven and farewel all that Christ hath purchased by his blood rather then I will lose my sin How will this confound you another day how will conscience accuse you when it shall tell you what you have heard and what you might have had and you have lost all for your lust God shall say I revealed to you what my ways and counsels were concerning man that this was the great work and design that I intended to make wretched man happy to bring vile dust into glory and was that my great master-piece that I intended nothing in your eyes but must it be despised for the satisfying of your lusts Christ shall plead against you Was I content to leave the bosom of my Father and to be in the form of a servant and to be made a curse to lose my precious blood my life to purchase glory for man and must this be slighted for your base lusts How will the Spirit of God plead against you What was not I in the mouth of my Ministers to reveal these glorious things and deep things of God that now in the Gospel are made known and must all that work of mine be neglected and slighted for your base lusts Yea how may all the creatures in the earth come to plead against you Lord thou didst not make us capable of any such happiness as thou didst the children of men and yet we did honor and serve thee in our order but thou madest this creature capable of eternal happiness and yet all is despised for the satisfying of their base lusts Yea how may the Devils come and plead against thee Lord when we were once fallen thou wouldst never enter into covenant with us to give us any hope of any mercy at all much less hope to receive any such great things there was hope for these wretched creatures to be eternally happy and yet they neglected all for their lusts therefore shal their punishment be no more then ours shall their fire be no hotter then ours These things that I have delivered though they be comfortable to the people of God they will be terrible things to the wicked and will be a dreadful aggravation to sin as Heb. 10. 29. Of how much sorer punishment do you think those worthy of that in neglect of these things do even tread under foot the blood of the Son of God as cap. 2 3. How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation If the salvation that we speak of were not great salvation it would not deserve such great punishment for the neglect of it See how great the mercy of God is in revealing such great salvation so great shall the punishment be of those that neglect such great salvation We use to say to some that will be bold to venture upon such ways as others will not They may say and do what they will they have nothing to lose but if a man have any thing to lose he is more wary it is true if we had nothing to lose it were not so much for us to go on boldly and carelesly in our way but know we are capable of abundance of glory that we are in danger to lose if we go on carelesly Consider what you are like to lose and let that raise your heart against the ways of sin nothing can make it up For one to do any thing that shall prejudice the right to a Crown this is counted a great offence and is not past by without blood Sin seeks to deprive us of a Crown of Heaven of immortality O the mischief that is in sin let our hearts rise against it with hatred to death when any temptation comes let us use this argument as a help to answer temptation O in this temptation there is that will deprive me of all my hope of heaven of glory and of my crown and of all my good if I take not heed and therefore now shal I sin will any sin do you that good as will countervail the cutting you off the hope of all this glory will it make you amends for this evil If a man might have a whole world given him for to lose his eyes no wise man would lose the benefit of his fight for the whole world wilt thou venture the loss of the sight of God and of Christ and of all communion to be had with them for a lust and for a base pleasure what worth is in it to make thee so venturous When a temptation to sin comes make use of this argument as Saul did to his men What can the son of Jesse give you vineyards and oliveyards So you may say to every temptation to the ways of sin What can my sin give me Heaven and glory and immortality can my sin reward me as God will reward me if I walk in his way If a Chapman should come to you who are Merchants and offer you for a commodity twenty times less then it is worth your hearts will rise against him in disdain and contempt of him Now when sin comes to offer any pleasure or content to the flesh let your hearts rise in disdain against it it offers you infinitely to your loss base momentary pleasure for Heaven and all the glory that hath been opened to you As one said when a Harlot askt a great price for pleasure with her one night I will not buy repentance at such a rate And so when sin comes say I will not buy pleasure at such a rate It was an aggravation of the sin of Israel that they would return into Egypt because the Land of Canaan was so good a Land So it argues base hearts in people to despise all that is in Heaven and the glory of it for to turn to Egypt to some base lust Thirdly if there be such a glorious reward for the Saints this rebukes all base worldly drossie spirits that seek for no higher good then meerly to enjoy the use and comforts of the creature and content to their flesh for a while How many are there in the world that would bless themselves in these things Might I have but such an estate and such content in the world it were enough they should think themselves happy As that Duke of Burbone in France if he might have his Palace in Paris he would not change it for Paradise A company of base drossie spirits that could be content
if he should say Do you know whom you serve You serve the Lord the high and mighty and glorious and infinite God and therefore you had need be fervent in spirit do that you do with all your might and power for it is for that God that will do such great things for you As David when he danced before the Ark he did it with all his might Michol not knowing his meaning scorned him in her heart but says he It was before the Lord that chose me before your Fathers house that hath bestowed such mercies upon me and will bestow more mercies and if this be to be vile I will be more vile Carnal hearts cannot endure earnestness and fervency in Gods service as the wilde beasts cannot endure fire so beastly carnal spirits cannot endure fire fervency and zeal in Gods ways but suppose they should oppose you for fervency in Gods ways you might answer them If this be to be vile I will be more vile It is for that God that hath done great things for me and that I hope to receive great things from hereafter eternally Fourthly if there be such a glorious reward be encouraged to be abundant in Gods service this is the Argument of the Apostle in 1 Cor. 15. 58. Be ye stedfast unmoveable always abounding in the work of the Lord forasmuch as you know your labor is not in vain in the Lord. By that which hath been said you may know your labor is not in vain with the Lord be abundant in service there shall not be one tear nor one sigh nor one prayer lost many say Why do you so much will not less serve The godly do not onely aym at the reward that will require abundance but they would have the heigth of the reward and therefore they think they never have done enough It is an expression of Austin If a man should serve the Lord a thousand years it would not deserve an hour of the reward in Heaven much less an eternity Though it is true the grace of the Lord is glorious and he does accept of his grace as the most glorious thing in the world yet considering what our actions are how much corruption is mingled with them it would not deserve a moment in Heaven and therefore we had need do as much as we can 2 Peter 3. 11. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved what maner of persons ought ye to be in all maner of holy conversation and godliness We should be ashamed and confounded in our thoughts that we can do no more and if there should be shame in Heaven when the Saints shall see and enjoy so much there would they not be ashamed that they have done no more for that God so glorious in his bounty goodness here Fifthly if there be such a glorious recompence of reward then let us labor to be faithful with God because we have such a good Master that is so good and gracious to us Princes make account they engage the hearts of their subjects that are about them to be faithful with them by their great rewards and by keeping of them in expectation of great things The great things that God hath prepared for us do lay more engagements upon our hearts to be faithful with him Let us not be false to such a God as this is God expects we should be faithful upon this ground Isaiah 63. 7 8. There are large expressions of the goodness of the Lord unto his people and what follows Surely they are my people children that will not lye As if he should say These are a people that I expect should be satisfied with me In Psal 36. 5. there God joyns his mercy and his faithfulness both together As Gods mercies and faithfulness are joyned together so let the hope of Gods mercies to us and our faithfulness unto God be joyned together It was an argument of God unto Abraham I am God All-sufficient and I am your exceeding great reward walk before me and be upright As if he should say You need not go and shark unto any other creature you have reward enough in me therefore walk before me and be upright So by all that which God hath revealed unto you concerning this glorious reward of his people God says You need not go and seek any thing else you need not be sharking up and down after the creature Is there not enough in me to satisfie any creature living The ground why any depart from God in a way of unfaithfulness is because they have distrustful thoughts and think there is not enough to be had in God but they had need shift for themselves another way If we understand this glorious reward and our hearts close with it this temptation could not have power to draw our hearts from it Therefore God is so plentiful in the manifestation of his goodness because his people should not have any shifting thoughts there is enough in God and in the treasures of his grace to make up all Now by that which hath been said be encouraged to go on in those ways in which you have no present encouragement there are many ways in which you have no encouragement from God or men you pray and hear and perform duties and do not finde God come in that way let the reward that is to come be enough to encourage you You do many good things and men are ungrateful and will not requite them well let this quiet you There is a glorious reward to come I remember a speech of Luther That servitude to men though it be to ungrateful men does please God and God says he wil abundantly reward you for it and that should be more sweet to us then all the treasures in the world In Isa 49. 4. says the Prophet I have labored in vain I have spent my strength for nought and in vain yet truly my judgement is with the Lord and my work with my God It is a speech of Latimer speaking of Ministers that would leave their flock because they did no good says he It is very naughtily done we must look to that which God commands us and leave the issue to God Christ saith Follow me me me three times he hath it and not your own lusts let us do our own work and leave the reward with God Though it be a sweet encouragement for the Ministers of God to see something of their labor yet if they do not it is enough to make them go on in a way of obedience for the present because God commands it though there were no reward but when we do obey God and please God for the present and it shall be rewarded so gloriously hereafter let not this be any excuse We can do no good if you be convinced of a duty whether there be good or no good come of it whether there be present encouragement or not it is enough that it shall be gloriously rewarded hereafter Sixthly if there be
such a glorious reward such blessed things as these reserved for the people of God hence then let us dwell a little in admiring at the goodness of God at the infinite treasures of the riches of the glory of the grace of God towards the children of men Certainly Brethren great are the thoughts of God towards mankinde wonderful are his ways to this poor creature of his What is man says the Psalmist nay what is man indeed when as we consider what God hath done for him In Rom. 8. 31. after the Apostle had spoke of glorification and of the blessed estate of Gods people hereafter says the Apostle What shall we say to these things So seeing these things are so that are revealed What shall we say to these things O the heighth and length and depth and breadth of the loving kindeness of the Lord how unsearchable are his judgements shall we say How unsearchable are his mercies and his mercies past finding out O how great is thy goodness which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee which thou hast wrought before the sons of men Psal 31. 19. If ever God wrought about any thing it was about the communication of his goodness to mankinde yea how great is it before the sons of men before us that have but a little made known to us How great is it before Angels then and before God himself In Psal 113. 6. it is said God humbleth to behold things that are done in heaven It is much that God should vouchsafe to behold any thing in heaven but now that God should vouchsafe to behold such a poor wretched creature as man is here upon earth and not to behold him onely but to work thus gloriously for him and that from all eternity to make it his great work to communicate himself to man O how does God humble himself here and how is his mercy and goodness to be admired and adored by the sons of men God is to be praised for the least of his mercies here but he is to be admired in the glory of his rich grace in heaven We read Psal 136. God is praised twenty five times for his mercies but the conclusion of all is Praise the God of Heaven for his mercies endure for ever his mercies as he is the God of heaven they are the glorious mercies indeed When the Scripture would set forth the excellency of a thing it expresseth it by heaven as the excellency of Christ He is the Lord from heaven 1 Cor. 15. 47. The excellency of God the God of heaven Jonah 1. 9. It is made the top of Christs glory that he is made higher then the heavens Heb. 7. 26. When Christ would shew the excellency of the bread of life he says It is bread from heaven the excellency of spiritual blessings is set out in this that they are blessings in heavenly places Eph. 1. Because gold is the most precious mettal therefore we lay it over other things not onely wood and cloth but silver it self so because heaven is so excellent the Lord gilds as it were his choicest blessings with this adjunct and all to shew the wonderful excellency there is in heaven it self Brethren God hath therefore revealed these things to us to that end that the glory of his grace might be great in the world God would have us have high and honorable and glorious thoughts of his goodness God would have the high praises of his grace to be in the hearts and in the mouthes of his Saints it is a great evil to have low and mean apprehensions of the glorious grace of God to mankinde you do not know what dishonor you bring to God in it If your hearts be not raised on high and enlarged in the thoughts of the free and glorious grace of God to mankinde it is an exceeding dishonor to him To see the riches of Gods glorious grace to the children of men it is a mighty work of faith and such a work as the soul is enabled to do onely by a mighty and glorious work of the holy Ghost in it indeed there is in the world a base and poor and mean apprehension of the grace of God in Christ such as does not work at all to raise and enlarge and glorifie the heart of a man but the true sight of the riches of Gods glorious grace it hath a mighty power to raise and enlarge and glorifie the hearts of the children of men while they are here as mark the expressions of the Apostle in his Prayer for the Ephesians 1 Ephes 17. 18. That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of glory may give unto you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him The eyes of your understanding being enlightned that ye may know what is the hope of his calling and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the Saints not the inheritance of the Saints but the inheritance in the Saints and the glory of the inheritance and the riches of the glory and they must not onely have understanding to know this but the eyes of their understanding must be enlightened and this must come from the knowledge of Christ from the Spirit of wisdom and Revelation and from the Father of glory the God of our Lord Jesus Christ The sight of the excellency and riches of Gods grace here it is that that is the work of God shining into the heart 2 Cor. 4. 6. For God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ The unsearchable truths of the Gospel are in that which hath been revealed so far as we are able to wade into them The sight of Gods rich glory is that which the Princes of the world have not known it is that which requires a work of the Spirit of God Of that Spirit which searcheth the deep things of God O brethren if you had a true spiritual sight of the richness of the goodness of God in the way of his communication of happiness and glory to the children of men then you see into the great design of God into the deep counsels of his wisdom then God hath laid open his heart unto you God hath brought you into the treasures of his riches and given you a view of them the very secrets of Gods soul are imparted to you and blessed are your eyes that have seen these things if the sight of Gods glory in his grace towards mankinde be seen in true beauty and height and glory indeed there is no fear that they should do hurt to any soul it is true the apprehension of the grace of God in a natural way is the cause of security or presumption in many but there was never any in the world that was furthered in a way of security and presumption upon the spiritual sight and view they
for communion with a Church are fit for heaven and therefore the question may be true Who shall dwell in thy holy hill who shall be partakers of these things Blessed are they that shall eat bread in the Kingdom of God But who are they It is necessary you should labor to make this sure because it is a matter so great and so glorious and not to lay the weight of that which is of infinite consequence upon poor weak slight and sandy foundations certainly we do not know what the grace of God towards mankinde is if we content our selves with slight hopes but if God hath enlightned your souls to know the reality and glory of them they wil never be at rest till you have got certain and infallible grounds for them In things of small consequence we are content with slight evidences but if a man have to deal in any business upon which his whole estate depends he would not have any man think it ill if he does make sure if he will have bonds and seals so we should make sure of heaven and of glory because it is such a great matter Some I suppose that meerly upon the hearing of the greatness of these things cannot but have some misgiving thoughts If these things be so great surely they concern not me they belong not to me Can I think in my conscience that I am that man or woman that God should have such great thoughts upon and should look upon me so as to make it the greatest design that he hath to glorifie the riches of his mercy upon me What work of Gods grace have I ever had upon me I would not have those that are affected with the greatness of Gods grace to mankinde think that these things do not belong to them because they are great But those that never had their hearts affected with the excellency and glory of Gods grace toward man when they hear of the greatness and glory of those things that are reserved for the Saints they may justly have their consciences misgive them and think surely they do not belong to them Canst thou that art a base drunkard that prizest nothing but a little drink and some outward things think that God should make it the greatest work that he hath in the world for to communicate the riches of his grace and goodness unto thee The greatness of these things may be enough to cast thee off As it is with a Beggar a Beggar comes and asks an alms if a man put his hand in his pocket and take out a peny or two pence he hath hope to have that but if he take out a piece of gold he hath no hope of that because it is so much So when men have but natural thoughts of heaven and happiness hereafter you think you might have that but when you come to have heaven opened to you and you see it is such a great and glorious thing your hearts may justly think it is not for us Cast a bone to a Dog he falls to it presently but set a joynt of meat before him well drest in a large dish and he goes away he dares not venture upon that So for these things in the world the ordinary favors of God these bones that God casts to Dogs you may fall upon them and think these are for you but when you come to the dainties and infinite treasures of God can such a swinish heart such a base filthy unclean spirit as yours is that never minded nothing but the satisfying of your base lusts think that these are for you you cannot but have misgiving thoughts and think either these things are but notions or else I have no part in them CHAP. LV. To whom the Recompence of reward appertains BUt how may any know that they shall have this glorious reward Carnal and sensual hearts because they have no principles of Gods grace to shew them the great things of God and the minde of God they think no man can know we must have hopes and hope well but who can know what God hath in heaven for us Those that are acquainted with the mysteries of God in the Gospel they know what Gods minde hath been from all eternity concerning them and what God will do for them to all eternity How do they know First would you know whether you shall have this Recompence of reward Have you made Moses Choice Certainly those that have made Moses Choice shall have Moses Reward What Moses Choice was you have heard Moses chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season Moses might have had honor and esteem enough in Egypt but he accounted afflictions with the people of God in Gods ways a great deal better He esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches then all so I may have Christ and communion with his people let me be reproached and contemned and despised I care not Now do you finde this Though there was a time my heart was taken with the glittering shews of things here and I saw no excellency in the ways of God they were but notions to me at length God wrought mightily upon my soul and shewed me the vanity of all things that I accounted for glorious things and shewed me a beauty in Gods people and began to knit my heart to them so as I was willing to part with any thing to have communion with them and to venture all upon the bare word and promise of God for those glorious things that are revealed in it and this choice I have made and my soul is setled in it whatsoever befals me in this world hath there been such a work upon your souls that you have made Moses Choice then you shall have Moses Reward Secondly are you begotten unto the hope of these glorious things Whosoever shall be partaker of this glorious reward must be one that is born to it There are some dignities in the world that are got no way except they be born to them so if you have this reward you must be born to it 1 Pet. 1. 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us unto a lively hope Whosoever hath the true hope of Heaven it is one that is begotten to it that is There must be a mighty work of God upon your hearts a new birth a regeneration in you otherwise there is nothing you have done or can do that can get this reward In Mat. 19. 28. says Christ unto his Disciples after Peter had spoken what they had left for him Ye that have followed me in the Regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory ye shall also sit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel As if Christ should say Peter you have forsaken all and followed me but know the bare forsaking is not enough but you who
And what union have you with God What union of grace What mystical union between God and your souls And what fruition have you of God Is it God that you enjoy in the creature and God in all things God in the Ordinances and what rest do your souls finde in God though you be tost up and down in regard of the uncertainty of the creature yet is God your rest yea do you enjoy your selves in God the beginning of all these are now for the present And likewise for communion with Jesus Christ what communion and converse is there between your souls and Jesus Christ Is it not a riddle to you Are you delighted in the communion of the Saints Are the Sabbaths your delight as a beginning of the eternal Sabbath you shall keep in Heaven Therefore now do you ask Who shall have Heaven and Who shall ascend into the Mount Those whom the Mount now comes down unto Many hope they shall have God when they dye but surely if God be not so merciful as to give you spiritual mercies for the present he will not be so merciful as to give you eternal mercies hereafter if he do not give you mercies of grace here he will not give you mercies of glory hereafter Fifthly what are the apprehensions that you have of this reward there may be a special note drawn from thence whereby you may see whether this reward shall be yours or no. What is it that you apprehend to be the heighth and excellency of that reward and glory that you expect Is it that spiritual and supernatural good that is in Heaven Do you not apprehend Heaven after a carnal and natural way when you hear speaking of Crowns and dignity and happiness and glory and the like but hath God shewed you that the heighth and top of all consists in those spiritual and supernatural things in the image of God and in communion with God and those things that have been opened are your hearts more after these then after any thing else then it is like that Heaven is for you for these things are kept hid from those that Heaven is not for Sixthly consider what your hopes are for this recompence of reward First where hopes are true they are such as are wrought by the power of the Holy Ghost Secondly they are purging hopes First they are such hopes as are wrought by the power of the holy Ghost Rom. 15. 13. Certainly hopes of such great things as these must be raised by a great power they are hopes that could never be raised by any natural apprehensions by any work of Reason you have hopes of Heaven and of the glorious reward How came you by them What almighty power of the holy Ghost have you felt that hath raised these hopes If you have no other hopes but those that may spring out of nature natural conceits and apprehensions you are far short of this recompence of reward but this recompence of reward being glorious it hath a glorious principle to raise hopes such hopes as can bear down strong difficulties that shall oppose them the holy Ghost does stretch out the hopes of the soul beyond that which nature can do In the Hebrew that word that signifies hope signifies a line because by hope the heart is stretched out as in a line to the thing it hopes for now the hopes that nature raises is but in a short line and they stretch out the heart but a little way but the hopes that are wrought by the power of the holy Ghost are such hopes as the heart is stretched out very far by them and there must be a mighty stretching out of the heart and that by a mighty power to make it hope for such great things as these that God should bring such a poor worm to such high things as these are Ordinary base drossie hopes that have nothing in them they are not stretched out to these things they have some confused apprehensions and slight opinions about heaven they are loth to think they should be damned for ever and cast from God and therefore they will have some conceits it shall be well with them and they hope well but to have their hearts stretched out to expect these blessed things as the happiness of their souls and as the real substantial and onely good this is by the mighty power of the holy Ghost Secondly they are purging hopes 1 John 3. 3. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as he is pure It is a lively working hope 1 Pet. 1. 3. Blessed be God who hath begotten us again to a lively hope As a fountain that hath dirt cast into it it being a living fountain it works and works and never leaves till it hath got the dirt out cast dirt into a puddle and it lies there and putrifies And this is the difference between the sin of one that is natural and one that hath hope of eternal life When sin comes into a carnal natural heart it lies there and putrifies but where sin comes into a gracious heart that hath hope of eternal life such a heart by these hopes are as a living fountain that will never leave working till it be pure again Such a soul as apprehends it self a vessel of such rich and glorious mercies as these do labor to cleanse it self to the utmost if you have a vessel that you put ordinary water into you care not though there be some dust in the bottom but if you will put in some precious liquor you will cleanse it again and again and will not suffer any dust to be there So carnal hearts that do not know what great things God hath laid up for his people that are not vessels of mercy but onely look for some common things they can suffer their hearts to filled with noysom lusts but where the soul does apprehend it self a vessel of mercy such a one as God will fill with these glorious things it would not have any filth and corruption abiding in it In 2 Tim. 2. 21. The Apostle speaks of two sorts of vessels that are in Gods House that is in the Church Vessels of honor and Vessels of dishonor But how shall we know we are vessels of honor or of dishonor if therefore a man purge himself from these he shall be a vessel of honor a vessel of dishonor is an unclean vessel a vessel of honor is a clean vessel If therefore your hopes be such as can stand with any beloved sin against knowledge you are vessels of dishonor And here is the liveliness of this hope if thou hast a hope to be a vessel of honor it purges you from filth and by that purging from filth there comes to be a readiness and preparation to every good work here is such a one as shall ascend up into the holy Hill of God This is the sixth note Seventhly examine what thy claim is whether thy
efferato Lact. l. 5. c. 11. Tribulatio est aqua salsa quae scabiem purgat abstergit Haecscabies luxurla est delectabar scalpi scabiem libidinum mearum Facit animam humanam ulcerosam sanie abominabili defluentem propter hoc Deo Deo incred i biliter abominabilem In locis dormit humentibus hoc est in omnibus lelitiis madentibus propter quod Luc. 11. dicitur quòd immundus spiritus ambulans per loca aridâ— inaquosa quaerens requiem non invenit G. Par. de morribus p. 129. Honestum ci vile cui corpus nimis carum est Senecop 14. Kegno voluptatis virtus non potest consistere Cicero de senectute 7. Aug. de vitanda ebriet Vae v. e tibt Clerice mors in olla mors in ollis carniam mors in hujusmodi delitiis est Bern. Declamat Ecce Reliquimus omnia Timenda sunt Christianis praesentis seculi gaulia Chrys de Martyr Serm. 7. 6. Crede mihi res severa est gaudiuÌ„ veruÌ„ Sen. Quid nobis cuÌ„ fabulis cum risu non solum profusos sel etiam omnes jocos arbitror declinandos Ber. de Ordin vitae 7. The vaniâ—y of sensuâ—l delighâ—s 1. 2. 8. 9. 10. Honestum ei vile est eui corpus nimis carum est Sen. ep 4. Contemnite ridete si libet nobis enim stultitia nostra prodest non invid emus sapientiae vestrae hanc stultitiam malumus hanc amplectimur Lact. lib. 5. c. 12. Illic potissimum esse quaerendum ubi stultitiae titulus apparet cujus velamento Deus thesaurum sapientiae veritatis abscondit Lact. lib. 4. c. 2. Omnis sapientia hominis in hoc uno est ut Deum cognoscat colat hoc nostrum dogma hoec sententia est quanta itaquae voce possum testificor proclamo denuntio Lact. lib. 4. c. 30. 1. The happiness of a gracious soul 2. 3. 4. 5. Use 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aut jucundè aut non omnino Si nunc Adam resurgeret videret hanc insaniam omnium ordinuÌ„ profectâ—â— credo quòd prae stupore tanquaÌ„ lapis staret Luth. in Gen c. 3 Syonoâ— Patrich p 21. Church-Story Arist Eth l. 1. c. 5. Plebii maÌ„cipiorum prorsus simules dum pâ—cuduÌ„ vitam praecliguÌ„t habent autem hanc causaÌ„ quòd multi ex iis qui reruÌ„ haberi potestatem simili modo afficiantur Cl. Al l. 2 Paed. c. 1. Non ut vivat sed ut bibat natus suit Totus orbis ventri nirâ—is angustus est Vae illi qui tunc babuit â—erminum luxuriae quando vitae Bern. de ord vit Divers sorts of evil choosers 1. Omnium aliarum artium peccata artificibus pudori sunt offenduntque de errantem vitae peccata delectaÌ„t Sen. ep 98 2. Chr. Hom. contra luxuÌ„ crapulam Omnibus gravius est inquit quòd ex alienis calamitatibus collecta sunt 3. Licitis perimus omnes 4. 5. 1. Misery of a sinful choice Who are haters of God 3. 4. Use 4. Non Isaac sed Arics morietur non peribit tibi laetitia sed contumacia non mactabitur Isaac sed vivet si vocem Domini audicris ut offeras Isaac id est ut gaudium immoles constauter obedire ne timeas Ipsa est beata vita gaudere ad te de te propter te Domine ipsa est et non altera Aug Conf. c. 21. Non nego indulgenduÌ„ corpori servienduÌ„ nego Sen. Ep. 14. QuaÌ„ suave mihi subito factum est carctib suavitatibus nugarum quas amittere metas fuit dimittere gaudiuÌ„ erat cjiciebas enim à ne vera tu summa sua vitas cjiciebas et intrabas pro tis omni voluptate dulcior sed non carni et sanguini omni luce clarior sed non jam sedenti in tenebris c. Aug. Con l. 9. c. 1. Quest. Answ Mercy to be had for the greatest sinners Quest. Answ The pleasantness of Gods ways 1. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. 4. 6. 7. 8. 10. 9. Quest 1. Answ 1. How the ways of wisdom ar ways of pleasantness 2. Quest 2. Answ 1. 2. 3. Si adeò dulce flere prote quà m dulce erit gaudere de te Ber. Quest 3. Answ 2. Quest. 4. Answ 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Use 1. Use 3. Use 5. Vis nunquam esse tristis bene vive Bern. de intern dom c. 45 Quest Answ Difference between natural pleasantness and spiritual pleasantness 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Si quid boni tristis feceris fit de te potius quam facis Prosper Quest. Answ How to carry on the work of God pleasantly 3. 4. 5. Quest Ans 1. 2. What there is in the ways to cause delight 3. 4. Bonus es Domine animae quaerenti quid invenienti Doct. 4. Why a gracious heart sees so mueh excellency in Gods people under outward meanness 1. 2. Quest. Answ 1. The saints likeness to God 2. The saints near relation to God 3. The saints Priviledges 4. Nemo potest bona opera satis magnificè coÌ„mendare Quis vel unius operis quod Christianus ex fide in fide faeit utilitatem fructuÌ„ satis praedicare potest Est enim pretiofius quam coelum terra Luth Tom. 4. 109. And again in Gen. c. 30. in c. 31. Sint exilia servilia muliebria opera nostra tamen idscribâ—mus hunc titulum Verbum Domini quo fiunt gloriosa omnia in eternum mansura Sancti quantumvis exiguum sordidum faciunt magnum est gloriosum quia omnia factunt in side And in Gen. 29. Si darctur mihi ottio eligerem Christiani rustici aut ancillae sordidissimum maximè agreste opus praeomnibus victoriis triumphis Alexandria Magni Iulii Caesaris 5. The usefulness of Gods people in the world 6. The excellency of Gods people in regard of their ends Use 1. 2. 3. Non ex personis fidem sed ex fide personas Jam. 2. 4. Quest Answ 1. 2. How to manifest our respect to gracious persons that are outwardly mean 3. 3. 4. Doct. 5. Why we should own the Saints in their sufferings 2. 3. 4. Ad aras Jovis aut Veneris adorare ac sub Antichristo fidem occulture Zuingl ep 3. 5. 6. Chrys l. 2. de Sacerd. Ego aliter amare non didici 7. 8. Joseph Antiq. l. 18. c. 8. Quest Answ How to â—pâ—eâ—r for Gods people in their sufferings Inveniar sane superbus avarus adulter homicida Antipapa omnium vitiorum reus modo impii silentii non arguar dum dominus patitur Luth. ep ad Staupitium 2. Tameâ— si multis terroribus minis periculis interdictuÌ„ crat Chr. in â—uvâ—ntinum Maximum Orat. 3. 4. Theod. l. 4. bist eccl c. 32. 5. Euseb l. 4 c. 4. Cent. Magd. Cent. 2. c. 3. p. 16. 6. Use Obadiah 12. 13. Doct. 6. Quest. Answ 1. 2. The excellency of the Communion of Saints 1.
Nehemiah to take counsel together but in this they intended his reproach Yea sometimes to speak some truths with reproach to make it to be believed the more It is said 1 John 2. 21. that there is no lye of the truth these men make the truth to be serviceable to a lye they raise the strength of a lye even out of the truth We might be abundant in shewing the ways of invention that malice hath to cast dirt and shame upon those that it hath an evil eye upon Eighthly if there be any shew of suspition of evil to make it a certainty and so to carry it in the report as if it were surely so this is a great wrong for every man is in possession of his good name until the contrary be made out and in doubtful things the possessor hath the advantage but in this way of malice this his priviledge is taken away Ninthly if there be any thing conceived evil that hath any nearness or likeness to that which is done malice will fasten that evil upon what is done as if it were that as appears notably in the example we have Ezra 4. of Rehum the Chancellor and Shimshai the Scribe and the rest of their companions as the holy Ghost calls them ver 9. in their reproachful accusation of the people of God whereas the Text speaks onely of their building the Temple yet they accuse them for building the rebellious City that thereby they might free themselves from subjection to the King Thus while Gods people seek to build the Temple to set up the Ordinances of Christ they are accused for disturbing the Commonwealth because they cannot do as others do because they cannot subject their consciences to men therefore they are reproached and accused as disturbers of the State enemies to Government c. Tenthly Malice will teach men to draw consequences a great way off from the premises that it may fasten reproach upon those they have an evil eye upon although in truth there be no dependance of that which they affirm upon that which they draw it from As in the former example Ezra 4. ver 16. Certifie the King that if this City be built again and the walls thereof set up by this means thou shalt have no portion on this side the River It was a consequence that they could not conclude from what they affirmed of them Thus it is with many in their reproaches and accusations of Religious men if they be suffered to have their way in that which they pretend is for conscience they will grow Rebels they will not live under government surely there is no dependance of rejecting government upon Religion upon subjection to the truth in a conscientious way And as it is inventive so it is bold to venture strangely upon such things that men know they may be easily found in It was the speech of the Jesuit Campian Reproach valiantly somewhat will stick though it may be easily answered by those who know the matter yet the noise will go further then the examination and much will stick by it A fifth reason of the reproach of Gods people is from the malice of the Devil because the Devil knows there is no such way to darken Religion and to damp the hearts of people from embracing it And therefore it is observed of Julian he would not go the way that other Emperors did to oppose Religion by open persecution but sought all means to cast reproaches and contempt upon Religion and by that means many were drawn from Religion and certainly where we see that reproaches are cast upon such as are religious this is the end to suppress Religion there the Devil hath a great hand and hopes to prevail much Again God sometimes hath a special hand in this Why does God suffer this sometime for the correction of his people sometime for the good of his people First for the correction of his people there are seven or eight sins punished in Gods people by reproaches that are cast upon them First that they have not been so tender of the name of God as they should have been you have not been affected with the wrongs that have been done to the name of God and therefore God suffers you to suffer in your names Secondly the inordinate desire of a name because we are so ready to desire a name abroad and to have esteem in the world and are more solicitous about credit with men then credit in heaven therefore God sometimes crosseth his people and suffers filth and dirt to be cast upon them to correct this sin Thirdly it may be you have not done that good to others which you might have done therefore God uses them as a scourge to you this way Fourthly it may be it is because you have not been tender of the name of others and therefore God suffers you to suffer in the same kinde Says Chrysostom When you hear any reproach you you should think have not I reproached others Or have not I heard the reproaches of others and been delighted with them or not affected with them to grieve as I ought Fifthly God suffers this because many times you have taken ill the reprehension of your sins by Gods Ministers and have thought your selves disgraced and therefore God may justly punish this by casting disgrace upon you you shall be disgraced indeed by the tougues of wicked men Sixthly because many times Gods people will put fair colours upon evil actions hence God suffers their enemies to put foul colours upon good actions we are ready to say Good Lord that ever we should suffer such things when we labor to walk so strictly and our consciences witness so well for us that yet there should be such aspersions God punishes this you have done evil with fair pretences and therefore now though your actions be never so good you shall have foul colours put upon them your evil actions you made seem to be glorious now your good actions shall appear as if they were foul Seventhly because the people of God have not been careful to finde out the secret evil and filth of their hearts therefore God will cast outward filth upon them this is usual Eighthly though we be conscious of a great deal of evil between God and our hearts we many times are not ashamed of that and therefore because God will have us ashamed of our filth he suffers filth to be cast upon us outwardly Secondly God intends good to his people that they might know themselves and though the world have not sufficient reason to accuse them as guilty it may be a slander from another and yet I know my self guilty and though not guilty of that yet by this I may be put to search some other evil that I am guilty of that is as great Again they may make them watchful for time to come though they be not
guilty now they may be guilty of that evil afterward Now what a mercy of God is this to stop our way though it be by filth If a man be stopped from falling into a dangerous pit though it be by a heap of dirt he accounts it a mercy Thirdly they recover them out of much evil So that I may compare the reproaches of Gods people to the rags of Jeremy when Jeremy stuck in the mire in the dungeon he was pulled out by rags and so these reproaches of wicked men are rags that may pull us out of evil Fourthly God sanctifies these to his people to make them more fruitful they may be compared to the dung that husbandmen cast upon their ground they scrape up filth and dung together to lay upon their ground whereby it is more fruitful so God suffers wicked men to gather up all the filth that can be and cast upon his people which is but as dung to make fat the soil the hearts of Gods people to make them to be more fruitful in their way as indeed never do Gods people more thrive in the way of godliness then when many enemies are set to watch them And thus we have done with the Explication of the point CHAP. XXXI What use there is to be made of the reproaches the condition of Gods people is liable to IF it be thus that the estate of Gods people is an estate liable to reproaches then you that have any inclination to the ways of God examine whether you can take his way upon these terms Can you be content to be made a by-word and reproach and to have men cast all maner of filth upon you He is like to hold out in the ways of godliness that can be content to be made a by-word and reproach for godliness it is an argument that the soul is resigned up to God for ever The reason that some give of that order of the Law concerning the servant that would serve his Master for ever that he must come to the door and have his ear bored was that he might give an evident demonstration that he was indeed willing to be his Masters for ever if he would be content to endure such a reproach as that was esteemed to be amongst the Jews Boring the ear was a note of ignominy His ear was bored says Cajetan to that end that if he feared not perpetual servitude be might at least be afraid of publike ignominy and therefore he was brought to the door that he might have many to look on him and be witnesses of this his shame Secondly it should teach the godly to be accurate in their way you live amongst those that will observe you and cast filth on your faces take heed you give no just occasion it is enough we shall suffer without any just cause let us take heed they take no filth out of our own bosoms and cast upon our faces that will be grievous indeed when our consciences shall joyn with their reproaches God threatens Hos 7. ult as a great affliction that his people shall be derided by the Egyptians this shall be their derision in the land of Egypt to have the wicked deride us and that for our sin is a grievous misery Make me not a scorn says David to fools It is a great evil for a professor of Religion to make himself a scorn to the fools of the world if they will reproach us let it be for forwardness in Gods ways and not for our sin sin is onely a just reproach and therefore when Joshua circumcised the people it is said He took away their reproach therefore the place was called Gilgal because their reproach was rouled away bodily uncircumcision was a reproach much more is spiritual uncircumcision Let us take heed we do not manifest any filth to them being you live among those that will revile you whose tongues in Scripture are compared to three things a Rasor a Sword and an Arrow A Rasor that will take off every little hair so a reviling tongue will not onely take advantage of every gross sin but the least thing that another can hardly see Secondly it is compared to a Sword a sword that wounds so the tongues of revilers do a great deal of mischief but a sword can do mischief onely near hand it cannot do mischief afar off and therefore Thirdly it is compared to an Arrow that can do mischief a great way off as far as one can see a man and so revilers do not onely mischief to a man in the Town where they live but a great way off in other Towns Now if mens tongues be Rasors and Swords and Arrows the people of God had need take heed how they walk and walk accurately to give no just cause of reproach that so the reproach may fall upon themselves The third Use of the point is this Gods people are a people lyable to reproach Let those who are such from hence be exhorted that they do not further this I mean by reproaching one another it is enough that the servants of God are lyable to reproach from the world and from those that are without let not this be furthered by those that are within upon every pettish humor or every discontent presently to be casting filth one upon the face of another this is a thing unbeseeming Religion Hereby you come to deprive your selves of that evidence of the truth of grace from whence many of Gods servants receive so much comfort love to Gods people While they are in your way your hearts are towards them but if they do cross you your hearts are as perverse and froward and appear as malicious as the hearts of any So that the love you had to them was because they were in your way and not because they were the servants of God Now if you have a heart though you becrossed by them to put it up without casting dirt upon their faces your evidence will be strengthned that you love them though they be opposite to you Do not you tear the flesh of one another by reproaches it is enough that the bryers and thorns of the wilderness do tear our flesh and our names let there not be bryers and thorns amongst our selves to tear our flesh If children be casting mire and dirt upon the faces of one another how unbeseeming is it and if the father sees them how provoked is he to correct them both And so if we upon some pettish mood cast dirt upon one another expect some severe judgement from God If children be casting dirt upon one another this is enough to make them leave Your Father sees you And so you that are brethren of a Church and are casting filth upon one another know your Father sees you We should not cast reproaches upon an Enemy It is a notable speech reported of one Memon that was General of Darius Army when he was fighting against Alexander one of his Soldiers