THE MONSTER OF SINFUL SELF-SEEKING ANATOMIZED TOGETHER WITH A description of the Heavenly and Blessed SELFE-SEEKING In a SERMON Preached at Pauls the 10. of December 1654. By EDM CALAMY B. D. and Pastor of Aldermanbury London 1 COR. 10. 24. Let no man seek his owne but every man anothers wealth 1 COR. 13. 5. Charity seeketh not her owne ROM. 15. 2 3. Let every one please his neighbour for his good to edification For even Christ pleased not himselfe Qui neglectâ proximorum curâ sui tantùm amator est id assequitus ut ne seipsum quidem verè amet Quemadmodum enim in membris unius detrimentum ad alia quoque membra pervadit in aedificiis unius partis ruina ad alias extenditur sic in Ecclesiâ qui fratrem suum negligit se seque tantummodo suam procurat utilitatem sibi etiam ipsi vel invitus damno est Nam qui in rebus necessariis periclitantem vidit fratrem manumque non porrigit in gehennam mittitur majori detrimento quam erat illud quo frater afficiebatur c. Theophyl. LONDON Printed by I. G. for NATH WEBB and WILL GRANTHAM at the Bear in St. Pauls Church-yard neer the little North door 1655. PACK Mayor A speciall Court holden on Tuesday the 19. day of December 1654. ORdered that Mr. Calamy be desired from this Court to print his last Sermon at Pauls SADLER TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE CHRISTOPHER PACK Lord Major AND The Right VVorshipfull Aldermen of the famous City of London RIGHT HONOURABLE THis ensuing Sermon was ordered by you to be printed it hath stuck long in the birth by reason of multitude of intervening impediments Now at last it is come into the world and is here humbly presented to you as an expression of that respect and service which I acknowledge to be due and shall ever be ready to pay The subject matter of it is to discover and Anatomize that ugly and deformed Monster of sinfull selfe-seeking and â—o shew the sinfulnesse and cursednesse of it There are two Cities saith Austin The City of God and the City of the Devill The City of God is begun and built up by the love of God and increaseth even to the hatred of our selves but the City of the Devill begins from the love of our selves and increaseth even to the hatred of God by the contempt of our brethren for he that hateth and contemneth his brother will in a litle while hate and contemne God It cannot be denied no not by one made up of Charity that there are many Citizens of this City of the Devill Many who instead of loving God to the contempt of themselves love themselves to the contempt of God Many who seek their owne and not the things of Jesus Christ ' or which is as bad if not worse who seek their owne under the hpocriticall pretence of seeking the things of Christ It is reported of Cnidius a great Architectist who building a sumptuous Watch-Tower for the King of Egypt to discover the dangerous rocks by night to his Marriners caused his owne name to be engrav'd upon a stone in the wall in great letters and afterwards covered it with Lime and Morter and upon the outside wrote the name of the King of Egypt in Golden Characters as pretending that all was done for his glory and honour But herein was his cunning he knew that the water in a little time would consume the plaistering as it did and then his name and memory should abide continue to after Generations There are many such in this Nation who in their outward discourse and carriage pretend to seek onely the glory of God the good of his Church and the happinesse of the State But if we had a window to look into their hearts we should finde nothing there written but selfe-love and selfe-seeking My care hath been in the following discourse to set out the greatnesse and grievousnesse of this sinne and how destructive it is both to Church and Common-wealth Besides what is there said give me leave to adde 1. That it is one of the greatest curses under Heaven for God to give a man over to his owne hearts lust to doe whatsoever seems good in his owne eyes to make himselfe the principle rule and end of all his actions Better be given over to the Devill then to our selves I read of one given over to Satan for his Salvation but never of any given over to himselfe but for his ruine and destruction 2. That this sinfull selfe-seeking is not onely a sinne that makes the times perillous but our condition damnable It shuts the man who is guilty of it unavoidably out of Heaven When he dyes his Motto may be Here lies a Man-pleaser and a selfe-pleaser but not a God-pleaser who sought himselfe while he lived and lost himselfe when he died Who loved himselfe for a minute and hated himselfe to all eternity Or thus Here lies a man who lived in ease while he lived and now lives in easelesse torments Who by over-pampering his body destroyed his Soule Who lived undesired and dyed unlamented who lived to himselfe and thereby undid himselfe The Lord preserve you from this sinne and make you true Common-wealth not private-wealth men It becomes him saith a wise Heathen who would be a great man to love neither himselfe nor any thing that is his but just things whether done by himselfe or by another I have made bold to adde a few lines to that discourse which I had before you concerning the blessed and heavenly self-seeking wherein I shew That a selfe-denying selfe-examining selfe-judging Christian is the truest selfe-seeker That he that preferres the keeping of a good Conscience before the keeping of his Estate or Life the good of Church and State before his own good is a blessed selfe seeker He that loves himselfe and not God loves not himselfe and he that loves God and not himselfe loves himselfe according to that excellent saying of Aâ—st Nescio quo inexplicabili modâ— c. I know not by what unexpressable way but sure I am of this truth That he that loves himselfe and not God loves not himselfe and he that loves God and not himselfe he loves himselfe For he that cannot live of himselfe dies presently by loving himselfe but when he is loved from whom and by whom we live in not loving himselfe he loves himselfe the more because therefore he loves not himselfe that he might love him by whom he lives The Lord make you such selfe-seekers Such a one was Nehemâ—ah of whom it is said that he sought not his owne but the welfare of the people of God Such another was David who preferred Jerusalem before his chiefe joy Such were Old Ely Ezra Jeremiah Daniel c. Such ought you to be It is not long since you kept a Fast to humble your selves before the Lord in reference to the many
use of Religion to serve mine owne interest Whether I am like Demetrius the Silver-smith who minded his gaine more then his Goddesse Answ. If we would deale faithfully with our owne Soules we could not but easily know this To help you in it take these rules 1. If thou art as zealous for the advancement of Religion and Reformation when it doth not concerne thy int rest as when it doth this is a certaine signe thou seekest the things of Christ in sincerity Thus it was with Moses in the Rebellion of Corah and his company there was a conjunction of interests the conspiracy was against God and Moâ—es but the Idolatry of the Golden calfe was onely against the interest of Gâ—d Moses was not prejudiced by it and yet he was every way as zealous for the glory of God in the latter as in the former But now on the contrary if thou drivest furiously when any gaine is to be got by a Reformation but very heavily and slowly when thy interest is not at all concerned this is a signe that thou makest use of Religion for thine owne ends Thus it was with Iehu he had a double Idolatry to root oâ—t the Idolatry of Baal and of Ieroboams Calves he destroyed the first but continued the second because it was against his interest to abolish it Thus it is with many Masters of Families if their Servants play the theeves they will cry out against them as dishonourers of God but let the same Servants prophane the Sabbath or abuse the name of God by vaine Oaths they are not troubled at it because it is not against their private interest 2. A pretender to the things of Christ if he undertakes to doe service for Church or State he will doe it by halves so far as it makes for his interest and no farther This is the reason why the Reformation of Religion in most places of the Christian world is but a patcht Reformation and as a Cake halfe baked because that States and Kingdomes mould the Reformation not according to the Word of God but according to State-interest Thus it was in Henry the Eights time he thrust out the Popes Supremacy because it furthered his designe of a second Marriage but he continued much of the Popish Religion and made six Articles called A whip with six strings which were the death of many godly men Erasmus hath a notable saying of Luther That he had been a good man had he not medled too much with the Monks bellies and the Popes triple Crowne the Pope was willing to yield to a Reformation of the Church so far as it might consist with the upholding of his triple Crowne and no farther c. 3. A pretender to the things of Christ when he hath got what he aimes at will leave Christ wholly and lay aside all his pretences As the Angels who appeared to Abraham and Lot and divers others assumed bodies not out of love to the bodies they assumed but onely to doe their errant and when they had done it laied them aside So there are many who assume a profession of Religion for the pursuing of their ambitious designes which when they have obtained they lay aside as the Fisherman did his Net when he was made Pope when he was an Abbot and then a Bishop and then a Cardinal he would have his Net spread for a Table-cloath to put him in minde of his meane and poor originall But when he came to be Pope he then commanded his Servants to lay aside his Net for now he had caught what he had been so long Fishing for 4. He that seeks his owne things under pretence of seeking the things of Christ will walke contrary to his Protestations Declarations Vowes and Covenants even then when he seems outwardly to be most solemne and serious in making of them Thus did Balaam he protesteth that if he had an house full of Gold given him he could not doe any thing contrary to the will of God and yet at the same time he goeth with the Messengers sent by Balac Are there not many amongst us who when they Covenanted with hands lifted up to Heaven to endeavour the extirpation of error and Heresie and whatsoever was contrary to sound Doctrine did even at the very same time secretly foment and countenance the things they Covenanted against 5. Lastly He that pretends to the things of Christ and intends his own cares not by what wayes and meanes he compasseth his ends nor by what kind of persons whether the wayes be lawfull or unlawfull the persons good or bad it is all one to him so he may obtaine his ambitious intendments which is a certaine signe of a notorious hypocrite For he that truly and sincerely indeavours to promote the Glory and Honour of Christ will never goe out of Christs way to obtaine his desires For Christ will be more dishonoured by his sin than honoured by his indeavours though never so laborious and sincere Let us I beseech you examine our selves according to these severall notes and markes whether we be guilty of this sinfull cursed and Devilish selfe-seeking And know that if this sinne rule and raigne in us it makes us accessary to a fourefould murder It makes us selfe-murderers Church and State-murderers and Christ-murderers It brings us under a double Gospel curse for if any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be saith the Apostle Anathema Maranatha The Lord give us hearts seriously to weigh these things The second Use is an use of Exhortation which is twofold 1. To beseech all here present whether Magistrates Ministers or private Citizens to take heed of this sinfull selfe-seeking and sixe headed Monster of seeking our owne gaine and credit seperatedly from the things of Christ or before or more then the things of Christ of seeking our owne things under pretence of seeking the things of Christ or when they stand in opposition to or competition with the things of Christ of seeking the good of our vile bodies with the neglect of our pretious and immortall Soules As Christ saith of Covetousnesse so I of this sinne Take heed and beware of sinfull selfe-seeking consider the exceeding greatnesse of this sinne and the wofull and mischievous fruits and effects of it This is the plague-soar of Church and State The great Caterpillar that devours all the green things of the land This hath destroyed our Parliaments our Ministery our Gentry This is that which obstructeth that glorious reformation so long expected and desired c. This is not selfe-seeking but selfe-hating and selfe-destroying he that seeks to give satisfaction to his corrupt selfe is just like a Man who gives strong wine to his friend in a high Feaver which is not to love him but to kill him He that seeks to please his sinfull selfe seeks to strengthen his disease to maintaine that within him which God hateth and to nourish that which will destroy his Soule He that seeks the welfare
sad lamentable and unusual Fires kindled amongst us Now it ought to be your care as the true fruit of this Fast not onely in your personall capacities to abstaine from but as you are publique Magistrates of this City to indeavour so far as your power will reach to suppresse all those sins for which God hath threatned this great Judgement This is a divine blessed and most heavenly self-seeking God hath threatned to destroy a Nation by fire 1. For Sabbath breaking Jer. 17. 27. 2 For despising and misusing the godly Ministry 2 Chron. 36. 16. 19. 3. For assuming the Office of the Ministry without a lawfull call Numb. 16. 16 17 18 35. 4. For worshipping God after a false manner Lev. 10. 1. 2. 5. For breaking the Brotherly Covenant Amos. 1. 9 10. 6. For pride Idlenesse fulnesse of bread uncharitablenesse for giving our selves over to Fornication and going after strange flesh which were the sins of Sodom Ezek. 16. 49. compared with Jude 7. and for which God raigned fire and brimstome from heaven for their destruction The Lord cloath you with zeale as with a Garment and inable you to be instrumentall to quench the burnings which these sins have kindled and to make this famous City a habitation of Justice and a Mountaine of holynesse Jer. 31. 23. That the name of it from this day may be The Lord is there Ezek 48. 35. So prayeth Your Servant in the work of the Lord Edm Calamy PHIL. 2. 21. For all seek their owne not the things which are Jesus Christs THese words may very fitly be called Paul's complaint or black bill of indictment drawn up against the Times in which he lived There are 4 things that make this complaint very remarkable 1. Because it is not made out of Passion Faction or any private discontent but by a holy Man of God as he was guided by the Holy Ghost And therefore it is a true and a most just complaint 2. It is not spoken of the Heathens who knew not Christ for it is no wonder for them that knew not Christ not to seek the things of Christ nor of Apostate Christians that had totally forsaken Christ but as Calvin and Estius observe of Brethren and Fellow-labourers of such Christians that were not onely baptized into the name of Christ but also professed a great deale of Love outwardly to Christ and his cause and yet it is said even of those That they sought their owne and not the things of Jesus Christ And therefore it is not onely a true and a just but a great most sad and heavy charge 3. It is not drawn up by way of prediction what should happen in the last and worst times of the world but by way of Declaration what was practised in the Apostles dayes when the Church of Christ was a Virgin Church flourishing in all its beauty and glory whilest the blood of Christ was yet warm and Christians by this warm blood were sodered together in Love and Unity whilest it was the golden age of the Church even in the Apostles dayes All men sought their owne and not the things of Jesus Christ Had these words been a Prophecy of our times which are the last and worst times the iron age of the Church in which it is crumbled into a thousand fractions it had been no wonder but to charge them upon the Primitive Apostolicall times that in the infancy of Christianity all men should seek their owne and not the things of Christ this makes the complaint not onely very true and very heinous but also very strange and wonderfull 4. The charge it selfe in its owne nature is higher than any other in all Saint Pauls Epistles and if I be not mistaken I may truly call it the blackest bill of indictment that was ever drawne up against the pure primitive Apostolicall age which that we may the better understand we must consider 1. The heinousnesse of the offence 2. The multitude of the persons offending 1. The offence is both Affirmative and Negative 1. Affirmative All men seek their owne Their owne honour and advancement Not the honour of Christ but their owne honour their owne private gaine and advantage not the profit of Religion but their owne profit their owne delights pleasures and recreations their owne ease safety and security not the safety of the Gospel but their owne safety their owne wills lusts and carnall contentments Not to please Christ and doe his will but to doe their owne wills and to please themselves And to speak according to the language of our times Their owne private carnall and Creature-interest Quest But why are these things called their own Answ. Not because they are so properly for there is nothing truly ours but our sinnes Our health wealth riches and honours are not ours but Gods Hag. 2. 8. The silver is mine and the gold is mine c. Hos. 2. 9. My wood and my flax c. We are but Stewards of these things and Stewards at the will and pleasure of the Lord That is properly called our own which we may keep as long as we please and doe with it what we please but we cannot doe so with our health riches and honours c. For riches have wings and fly away from us whether we will or no and so have honours and health therefore cannot be said to be our own properly neither may we use them as we please but according as God hath prescribed therefore they are called another mans and not our owne Lâ—k 16. 12. We our selves are not our owne 1 Cor. 6. 19. You are not your owne much lesse are these bodily comforts our own but they are here so called because men have a civill title to them and because in the opinion of the world they are their owne This is the positive and affirmative part of the offence and it is of an high nature For a Christian that believes the immortality of his Soule to seek his owne bodily promotion and interest and to neglect the profit and comfort of his eternall Soule For a Christian that is elected and called to things heavenly and everlasting to seek onely after things earthly and temporary this is a sinne of the superlative degree And it will appeare the greater if we consider 2. The Negative branch of the offence And not the things of Jesus Christ The things of Jesus Christ are the things of the Church of Christ which are therefore called the things of Christ 1. Because Christ is the Husband of the Church and the things of the wife are the things of her husband 2. Because Christ hath purchased them for us by his Death and Passion 3. Because of the great love that Christ hath to his Church which is so great as that the Churches interest is his interest and her injuries his injuries Act. 9. 4. 〈◊〉 They that neglect the things of the Church neglect the things of Christ Q. But what are the things of
obtaine a better resurrection Heb. 11. 35. who received joyfully the spoiling of their goods knowing in themselves that they had in Heaven a better and an enduring substance Heb. 10. 34. It is said even of Christ himselfe That for the joy that was set before him he indured the crosse and despised the shame c. Heb. 12. 2. There is a great difference between amor mercenarius and amor mercedis Mercenary love and the love of the reward Mercenary love is when we serve God onely for reward This is sinfull but to make the hope of reward one motive of service is not only lawful but necessary For it is our duty to use all Gods Motives as well as all Gods Ordinances and as it is a sinne for any man to say that he hath no need of Gospel-Ordinances so also to say that he hath no need of Gospelmotives amongst which this is one of the chiefest Know therefore that there is a threefold selfe-seeking 1. There is a lawfull and an allowed selfe-seeking 2. There is not onely a lawfull but a heavenly and blessed selfe-seeking 3. There is a sinfull cursed and Diabolicall selfe-seeking 1. There is a lawfull selfe-seeking and that is when a Christian seeks his owne private gaine and honour in the last place and in the least place when he seeks the things of Christ in the first and chiefe place and his owne things lesser and after the things of Christ when he seeks his owne things not in separation from opposition to competition with but in subordination to the things of Christ In a word when a Christan seeks his own things in due order and measure so as not to hinder but to further his seeking the things of Christ this is a lawfull selfe-seeking 2. There is not onely a lawfull but a most Divine Angelicall heavenly and blessed selfe-seeking Here I shall hold forth this Scripture Paradox That no man can be truly said to seek himselfe that doth not seek the things of Christ That the more we seek the things of Christ the more we seek our selves That he that seeks not the things of Christ doth not seek himselfe but destroy himselfe That a Christ-seeker and a true self-seeker are termes convertible Qu. What is this heavenly and blessed selfe-seeking Ans. To understand this aright is a point of great concernment For the more we know of this Divine selfe-seeking the more we will shun and abhor the sinfull self-seeking Give me leave to deliver what I have to say about it in these ensuing Propositions which I doe not name as several distinct heads but as divers instances of a divine and sublimated selfe-seeking amounting most of them to one and the same purpose That man who seeks the good of his Soule more than the good of his body seeks himselfe after a Divine manner The Body of Man is the worst halfe of Man vilissima pars hominis The shell the boxe the carcasse of Man Intus est quod homo est The Soule of Man is the Man of Man Animus uniuscujusque is est quisque And therefore he that seeks to get his Soule beautified with grace to be made Christs picture and a reall member of his body this Man and this Man onely seeks himselfe He that seeks the good of his body to the hurt of his Soule doth not seeke himself but the destruction both of Body and Soule That Man that makes such a fire as to burne himself and his house doth not seek the good of himselfe nor his house That Merchant that so over-loads his Ship as to drowne it and himselfe doth not seek his owne good Even so that Man that over-pampers his Body that laboureth curare cutem magis quam animam to stuffe his body with dainty food to cloath his body with fine apparell and in the mean time to neglect his most pretious Soule this Man doth not seek himselfe but ruine himselfe For the happinesse of the Body depends upon the happinesse of the Soule If the Soul goe to Hell at death the Body at the great resurrection will goe thither also And therefore he that beates downe his body and brings it into subjection and labours to make it a fit servant to his soule that endures hardship with his body as a good souldier of Jesus Christ that weares and tires out his body in the service of God that works with his body for the good of his soule this is the true heavenly and blessed selfe-seeker That man who seeks his eternall good more than his temporall who seeks not onely to make himselfe happy for forty or fifty years but for ever and ever This man seeks himselfe after a divine manner For what will it profit a man to be happy for a few years in this life and to be miserable for ever in hell hereafter How quickly will a man in hell forget the happinesse he had here He that makes provision to live pleasurably and comfortably while he lives but makes no provision to live happily when he dyes this man may seeme to love himselfe for a minute but sure I am he hates himselfe to all eternity He that layeth up treasure for himselfe upon earth but none in heaven may be accounted rich in this world which will quickly end but he will be poore world without end Such a selfe-hater was Dives Luc. 16. and the rich foole Luc. 12. and such are all they that lay up treasure for themselves but are not rich towards God Luc. 12. 21. He is a divine selfe-seeker who labours to live holily here that he may live happily hereafter to live graciously here that he may inherit eternall glory hereafter He that denyeth his sinfull selfe most seeketh himselfe most He that hates himselfe as corrupted by Adams fall and seeketh the utter ruine and extirpation of the old Adam within him this man doth truly love himself This is divine self-seeking to kill thy sins that thy sins may not kill thy soule As Zipporah by circumcising her child saved the life of her husband So the way to save thy soule is to circumcise and pare off {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} all superfluity of haughtinesse James 1. 21. This is the meaning of that which Christ saith Mat 5. 29 30. If thy right eye offend thee pluck it out and cast it from thee for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell And if thy right hand offend thee cut it off and cast it from thee for it is profitable c The more thou hatest thy gainful and pleasurable sins the more thou lovest thy self As a man in a Dropsie the more he denieth himself drink the more he seekes himself because the lesse he drinketh the more he destroyeth his disease Even so the more thou deniest thy corrupt self the more thou seekest thy self because the more thou deniest thy corrupt self the more
thou destroyest thy spirituall diseases the more thou ruinatest the Devils faction within thee weakenst the opposition of the Flesh against the Spirit He that loves his sins hates his own soul Pro. 8. 36. Gal. 6. 8. he that soweth sin shall reap hell he that makes provision for the flesh provides fuel for bel fire He that nourisheth the old Adam within him cherisheth that which tainteth and polluteth all his holy duties which indisposeth him to all good and disposeth him to all evill he cherisheth his Souls greatest enemy 1 Pet. 2. 11. he delights in that which was Pauls greatest misery and which made him cry out O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death Rom. 7. 24. therefore I may truly say he that is the greatest selfe-denier is the greatest selfe-seeker He that seeks to doe most service to God in his generation that seeks his own glory by seeking Gods glory is a Divine self seeker The reason is because the perfection of every thing consisteth in attaining the end for which it was made As the perfection of meat is to be eaten he that hoards it up and will not eate it destroyes it The end for which God made Man is to serve him to glorifie him here and enjoy him hereafter Therefore the more service we doe to God the more we seek his glory the more we attaine the end of our creation and therein we are the more happy He that loves himselfe for himselfe and for his owne ends destroyes himselfe because the end for which God made us is to serve him and not our selves When all the streames of selfe-love flow into the great Ocean of the love of God this is Divine selfe-love Oh that men would thus labour to love themselves and seek themselves to look upon themselves as servants and instruments unto God and his glory to say Lord how may I advance my selfe by advancing thy name how may I glorifie my selfe by glorifying of thee How may I seeke my selfe by seeking thy praise and perfect my selfe by disposing of my selfe of my understanding memory will heart affections and actions in order to thee and thy glory The more a man serves God out of pure love without reflection to selfe the more he seeks himselfe for this is a certaine truth The lesse we seek our selves and our owne ends in any holy duty the more we seek our selves because the lesse we seek our selves the more we seek God and his glory and the more we seek God his glory the more reward we shall have The lesse we look after reward for that we doe the more reward we shall have and therefore the Papists who teach men to doe good works that thereby they might merit heaven supposing their Doctrine to be true lose all the reward of their good worke He that serves God to merit by his service cannot merit by his service the more he eyes merit the lesse he meriteth He that serves God for his owne ends doth not serve God but himselfe but he that serves God for Gods sake shall be rewarded by God The lesse we eye our selves in any duty the more reward we shall have and therefore the more we seek our selves That man who seeks the glory and honour of God above his owne glory and honour is a Divine selfe seeker The reason is because the happinesse of Man is more in God than in himselfe As the happinesse of a member of the body is in conjunction with the body take it from the body it dieth So the happinesse of Man is in conjunction with God who is our chiefest good who is an universall good therefore he that seeks union with God most seeks himselfe most As the safety of the beame is more in the Sun then in it selfe and of the streame in the Fountaine then in it selfe So the safety comfort and happinesse of every Christian is more in God then in himself therefore he that seeks the glory and honour of God more than his owne glory and honour is a heavenly and blessed selfe-seeker He that loves the publique good more than his owne private good that seeks the prosperity of Sion and Jerusalem of Church and State more than his owne is a Divine selfe-seeker Oh that this word were mingled with Faith A man that is in danger to have his head cut off will willingly even out of selfe-love lift up his arme and suffer it to be cut off to save his head because his life is more in his head than in his arme Our safety is more wrapt up in the publique welfare than in our private and therefore they who preferre the publique before the private are the truest selfe-seekers Thus did Old Ely he mourned more for the losse of the Arkâ— than of his two Sons Thus also did David Psa 137. 6. He preferred Jerusalem above his chiefe joy In a storme at Sea he that seeks the preservation of the Ship seeks most the preservation of his own Trunk for if the Ship be drowned his Trunk cannot be saved The truth is if the Church and the true Religion be destroyed to what purpose is it for a godly man to live I read of Titus Vespasian that when the Souldiers had destroyed the Temple of Jerusalem they came to him and asked him what they should doe with the Priests that did supervive Kill them said he for now their worke is at an end When Religion is destroyed what will it advantage a godly man to live therefore they that seek the good of the Church more than their owne are blessed selfe-seekers That man who had rather lose wife children estate and life it selfe than sinne against God is a Divine selfe-seeker The reason is because his happinesse is more in keeping a good Conscience than in keeping his Estate or saving his Life The holy Martyrs who loved not their lives unto the death were the greatest selfe seekers It is a most blessed selfe-seeking to suffer the fire of Martyrdome to avoid the fire of Hell to lose earthly promotions to attain everlasting honours And therefore Christ argueth from selfe-love Mat. 16. 25. Whosoever will save his life shall lose it and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall finde it so also Mark 10. 29 30. the antient Martyrs did the like Heb. 10. 34. Heb. 11. 35. He that loseth all for Christ shall finde more than he hath lost in Christ From all that I have said concerning this blessed selfe-seeking I gather these three conclusions 1. That no Man is a true selfe seeker who is not a true Christ-seeker 2. That true Religion and a consciencious walking according to the rules of it is founded upon Right reason and that no man can be truely said to be a rationall man who is not a Religious man for the more Religious any man is the more he seeks himselfe and his owne happinesse the more irreligious he is the
more he ruinateth and destroyeth himselfe 3. That whosoever would love himselâ—e and seek himselfe aright must labour to seek the things of Jesus Christ Oh that I could perswade you to this blessed Selfe-seeking to seek your owne gaine and honour in seeking the honour of God and good of Church and State But now in the third place besides this lawfull and this heavenly and blessed selfe seeking there is a sinfull cursed and devilish selfe-seeking a selfe-seeking which is complained on in the Text inconsistent and incompossible with a true Christ-seeking which is the root of all the miseries that have hapned to this Nation The great Church and State and Soul-destroyer This leads me to the second question Quest 2. What is that selfe-seeking which is inconsistent with Christ seeking Answ. It is a spirituall Monster with six heads 1. When a Christian seeks his owne things dividedly from the things of Christ when he seeks his owne case safety and interest and cares not at all what becomes of Jesus Christ and his cause when he sets up himselfe and makes himselfe the principle rule and end of all his undertakings acting from self as a principle by selfe as a rule for self as an end When a Man makes himselfe his God worshipeth himselfe and doth whatsoever he doth for his carnall selfe serves himselfe in Committees Army Parliament Ministry and cares not what becomes of Religion and Reformation This is the first head of this Monster such a selfe-seeker was Gallio the Deputy Act. 18. 17. who cared not what became of Religion If it had been a matter of wrong he would have heard it but because it was a matter of Religion he cared for none of those things Such selfe-seekers were the people of Mâ—roz and therefore the Israelites were commanded to curse them Judges 5. 23. 2. When a Christian seeks his owne things and the things of Christ also but seeks his owne things antecedently to the things of Christ When he first seeks his owne things and afterwards the things of Christ of this the Prophet Haggai complanes Hag. 1. 2 3 4 5 9 10 11. The people said It was not time to build Gods house but it was time to build their owne houses Therefore the Heavens over them were as brasse and the Earth withheld her fruit 3. When a man seeks his owne things and the things of Christ also but seeks his own things chiefly and principally not onely before but more then the things of Christ and that both in his value and esteem and in his love and affection When a man prizeth his owne profit and preferment and loveth his owne praise and glory more than the profit praise and honour of Christ and his Gospel Such were the Gaderens who preferred their Hogges before Christ Such were the Merchants and Farmers Mat. 21. 3. who made light of the call of Christ and preferred their Farmes and Merchandizing before Christ and his Gospel Such was Demas who forsook Paul and embraced the present world and such were the Pharisees John 12. 43. Who loved the praise of Men more than the praise of God 4. When a Christian seeks his owne things in seeking the things of Christ when he pretends to seek the things of Christ and yet intends no such thing but seeks himselfe even under colour of seeking the things of Christ Such a one was Jehu who pretended a great deale of zeale for the Lord of Hoasts Come said he to Jonadab and behold my zeale c. but he did but pretend a zeale for God his zeal was to purchase the Kingdome to himselfe Such a one was Balaam who pretended that if he had a house full of Gold and Silver offered him he would not goe beyond the Commandement of God and yet notwithstanding he did but counterfeit for he loved the wages of iniquity and was mad after the preserments that Balac proffered him Such another was Demetrius the Silver-Smith who pretended a zeal to the great Goddesse Diana and therefore caused an uproare against Paul to defend the Goddesse but it was the gaine he got by making Shrines for Diana that was the principle that set him on worke he pretended Diana but intended himselfe he had dolum in idolo as one saith 5. When a man seeks his owne things when they stand in competition with and in opposition to the things of Christ when things come to so narrow a bridge that either he must part with Estate Liberty and Life or with Christ and a good Conscience If he chooseth to part with Christ and a good Conscience rather than with his Liberty Estate or Life this is a wicked self-seeker Such a one was the young man in the Gospel who forsook Christ rather than he would part with his great possessions Such was Spyra who himself tels the story that he placed Wife Children Liberty Estate and Life in one part of the ballance And God Christ the Gospel and a good Conscience in the other and forsook the last to preserve the first 6. The last head of this Monster is when a Christian seeks the good of his Body to the prejudice of his Soule when he bestoweth all his time all his strength and all his cares and indeavours in providing for his perishing carcasse and neglects to provide for his eternall Soule when he layeth up all his treasure upon earth but hath no treasure layed up in Heaven when he is anxiously solicitous for his comfortable living in this world but strangely neglectfull to take care for his happy living in the other world this is a sinfull cursed and devilish self-seeking So much in answer to the second question The third question is How is it possible that there should be so many men who professe themselves to be Christans and in words at least profess love to Christ and his interest and yet notwithstanding should seek their owne interest before and more than the interest of Christ Answ. This Soule-destroying and Church destroying selfe-seeking proceedeth from six sinfull and cursed roots 1. From want of true and unfeigned love to Jesus Christ and his interest Love is a most powerfull affection the Masterwheel that carrieth the whole Soul after it Amor meus pondus meâ— saith Aug. â—o feror quoâ—unque feror As the primuÌ„ mobile in the heavens carrieth all the other Spheres about with it so Love carrieth the whole man with it Love is as strong as death many waters cannot quench love neither can the floud drown it If a man would give all the substance of his house for love it would be contemned Cant. 8. 6 7. If we did love the Lord Jesus and his Gospel in good earnest we would rather part with Liberty Estate Life and all our own things than lose the things of Christ as the blessed Martyrs did But because there are few men that love Jesus Christ in sincerity hence it is that most men seek their owne things and not the things of Christ 2 This
proceedeth from that cursed selfe-love which is in all men by nature Of this you shall read 2 Tim 3. 2 3 4 5. where selfe-love is placed in the fore-front as the cause and râ—ot of all the other sins there named Selfe-love is like a great tree and eighteen sins as eighteen branches sprouting out from this root because men are lovers of themselves therefore they are covetous proud unthankfull unholy lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God c. From this sinfull self-love proceeds this sinfull self-seeking As the love of Christ is the root of Christ-seeking so the love of our selves is the root of sinfull self seeking 3. From that immoderate and inordinate worldly love which is in all men by Nature for as a Martyr well said at the stake if we should unrip and anatomize a wicked man we should finde nothing in him but self-love and worldly love by Nature we love the Creature mâ—e than the Creator pleasures more than God and the praise of Men more than the praise of God By nature we love our own gain and our own safety and ease more than the things of Christ and therefore it is that we seek our own things and not the things of Christ 4. From that hypocrisie insincerity and rottennesse of heart which is in all men by nature hence it is that men pretend Jesus Christ but intend their own private interest because of the hypocrisie and falsenesse of their hearts Thus the Pharisees who were Hypocrites under pretence made long prayers that they might devour widdows houses Mat. 23. 14. Thus Herod pretends to worship Christ when his intendment was to worry him Mat 2. 8. Thus Jesebel proclaimeth a Fast and pretends Religion but intends onely to put Naboth to death and to get his Vineyard Thus Absolem covers over his Rebellion with the faire cloak of Religion 2 Sam. 15. 7. There are two things that are in all men by nature 1. To make a shew of Religion 2. To cover over all manner of wickedness under the shew of Religion Ungodlinesse is so odious that if it should appeare in its own colours all men would abhorre it and therefore as the Devill never sheweth himself but under some handsome form sometimes under Samuels mantle sometimes transformed into an Angel of light so doth sin and iniquity alwaies appeare under the form of godlinesse The Apostle tells 2 Tim. 3. 5. that in the last times there should be men who should be lovers of themselves treacherous heady high-minded without naturall affection c. having a form of godlinesse which last words are to be understood {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} as relating to all the former sins They should be Covenant-breakers having a form of godlinesse covetous false accusâ—rs blasphemous self-lovers having a form of godlinesse They should through the Hypocisie that is in them cover all their sins under the vizard of a form of godlinesse 5. This sinfull self-seeking ariseth from that spirituall ignorance and blindnesse which is in all men by nature There is no wicked man rightly understands what it is to seek himself for he thinks that if he seeks to satisfie his corrupt self he seeks himself if he seeks the good of his body with the neglect of his soule he seeks himself He thinks that if he seeks his own ease gain safety and preferment without looking after the things of Christ that he seeks himself Thus did the rich Fool Luke 12. who built his barnes bigger and said soule take thy ease c. he supposed that he sought his own happinesse in so doing and so did the rich Glutton when he cloathed himselfe in purple and fared deliciously ever day c. But now did a wicked man convincingly understand that this self-seeking is self-hating and self-destroying That the rich Glutton by pampering his body damned his soule that the rich Fool by laying up goods for a few yeares lost his soule to all eternity That he that denieth himself most seeks himself most He that serves God best seeks himself most He that seeks the glory of God before his owne glory and the good of Church and State more than his own good seeks himself most that he that loseth his life for Christ shall finde a better life in Christ Did he I say convincingly believe this he would not sinfully seek himself Therefore this sinfull self-seeking proceedeth from that spirituall ignorance and blindnesse that is in all by Nature 6. Lastly it springs from that spirituall self-deceit and souldelusion that is in all men by nature Every man by nature is Narcissus like in love with himself blinde in his own cause and apt to think that he seeks the things of Christ when he doth not and that he doth not seek his own things in opposition to competition with or comparison of the things of Christ even as the Philosopher who could not be perswaded but that snow was black or the mad Athenâ—an hat all the ships that came to Athens were his So there are multitudes of Christians who fancy to themselves that they do seek the things of Christ when it is apparent to others that they doe not and by this self-deceit couzen themselves into Hell Thus you see the cursed roots from whence this sinfull self-seeking proceeds The fourth and last question is wherein the grievousnesse and mischievousnesse of this sinfull self-seeking consisteth Answ. It is a sin of the first magnitudô Though it be an inward invisible sin and therefore not so infamous and scandalous to the eyes of men as some other sinnes are yet it is very odious and abominable in the sight of God Though it be minoris infamiae yet it is majoris culpae For 1. It is a sin against the expresse words of the Scripture The Apostle saith 1 Corin. 10. 24. Let no man seek his owne but every man anothers wealth The sinfull selfe-seeker lvies Antipodes to this Text he seeks his own and not anothers wealth 2. It is a sin against the light of nature Nature it self teacheth us that no man is born for himself but for the good of the Common-wealth in which he lives The very Heathens abominate a self-seeker 3. It is a sin against the pattern that Christ hath left us For he came into the world not to doe his own will but the will of him that sent him he pleased not himself Rom. 15. 2. he made himself of no reputation he humbled himself and became obedient even to the death of the Crosse He denied himself so far as to be made sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him Now it is a certain Maxime That he who doth not follow the example of Christs life shall never have any benefit by the merit of his death Christ is meritum only to those to whom he is exemplum 4. It is a sin against the royall law of Charity Charity is a most noble grace the very
of his body and neglects the welfare of his soule destroyes as I have said both body and soul This is just as if a Husbandman in time of Harvest should gather in his stubble leave his corne to be devoured by hoggs Just like a Father who takes care to feed cloath his children but not to instruct and teach them In a word he that seeks his owne ease and safety his owne gaine and credit his owne pleasure and satisfaction and neglecteth and slighteth the things of Christ this Man is the greatest selfe-hater and selfe-destroyer For he that sesks not the interest of Christ shall never have any interest in Christ 2. To beseech you to labour for the divine heavenly and blessed self-seeking mentioned in the beginning of the Sermon Physitians when they see men bleed immoderately at the nose will let them bloud in another veine that so they may make a diversion and thereby stop the bleeding Oh that God would use me this day as his instrument to make a most glorious and most happy diversion and to turn you all from self-seekers into Christ-seekers Oh that I could prevaile with you to seek the things of Jesus Christ before and more then your own things Oh how happy would London be if it could be said of it All thy Magistrates Ministers and private people seek the things of Christ more vigorously and cordially then they doe their own things To move you to this consider 1. What these your own things are which you so immoderately and inordinately seek after 1. They are not your owne in a proper sence as you have heard 2. They are not Worth owning they are vain and empty empty of reality and Soul-satisfaction they are vanishing perishing like houses made of Snow or waxe and not only so but they are also vexing and tormenting according to what is said by one that had full and ample experience of them Eccles. 2. 2 17 26. 2. Consider the excellency of the things of Jesus Christ which you so much neglect undervalue The truths of Christ the Ordinances Day Ministry and Government of Christ the Preservaon Propagation and Reformation of Religion These are Glorious and Excellent things in their own Nature and so far exceeding your own things which you so greedily labour after that they are not worthy to be named that day in which we speak of the things of Christ I want time to set out the transcendent Glory and Excellency of Gospel concernments and the vanity emptinesse and nothingnesse of all our own Earthly enjoyments Onely let me desire you to take notice 1. That Jesus Christ sought not his owne things he left Heaven for us and shall not we neglect Earth for him 2. For what poor trifles you despise the glorious things of the Gospel 3. If you seek not after the things of Christ more then your owne you are in a cursed condition and better you had never been borne 4. The things of Jesus Christ shall prosper though you seek not the prosperity of them What Mordecai said to Ester in another case I crave leave to say to you Enlargement and deliverance shall arise to the people of God from another place but thou and thy Fathers house shall be destroyed There will a time come when the Mountaine of the Lords house shall be established in the top of the Mountaines and shall be exalted above the Hills and all Nations shall flow to it when the Kingdomes of this world shall become the Kingdomes of our Lord and his Christ when the little stone cuts out of the Mountaine without hands shall destroy all opposite Kingdomes and become a great Mountaine and fill the whole earth when every Nation and Kingdome that will not serve the Lord Jesus shall perish and be utterly wasted For neglecting to set up this Kingdome of Christ God hath destroyed many Nations and Kingdomes and so he will us if we follow their examples If we preferre the building of our owne houses before the building of Gods house God will build up his owne house by other instruments but he will destroy us and our Houses 3. Lastly Consider That man seeks himselfe most who most seeketh the things of Christ He that is the greatest Christ-seeker is the greatest selfe seeker For God hath said Seek ye first the Kingdome of God and his righteousnesse and all these things shall be added unto you When Solomon begged wisdome God gave him wealth and riches as an overplus If we seek the things of Christ in the first and chiefe place God will give in our own things into the bargaine even as Paper and thred is added to a bought commodity Thus I have put an end to the Sermon of selfe-seeking Oh that I could put an end to the sinne of selfe-seeking Two things I dare affirme 1. That this sin hath been the Originall cause of all Englands miseries 2. That it will never be well with England nor shall we ever see better dayes till this sinne be mortified Let us goe to Christ and labour by Faith to fetch power from his Death to crucifie and mortifie this sinne Let it be our daily prayer that England may have more Christ-seekers and fewer selfe-seekers or which is all one That God would make us all true selfe-seekers by making us true Christ-seekers FINIS ERRATA PAge 2. line 18. Their owne what in the marg. put into the Text next after their owne p. 3. l. 28. leave out the figure 4. and joyne the line to the foregoing p. 7. l. 7. for could r. would p. 9. l. 33. for haugtinesse r. naughtinesse p. 17. l. 14. for blasphemous r. blasphemers p. 18. l. 29 for â—vies r. lives p. 19. l. 17. for vel amicitia r. non amicitiae p 19. l. 23. for abhorsed r. abhorred p. 2â— l. 3. for runam r. ruinam ibid l. 33. for thy r. the p. 24. l. 36. for would r. should p. 33. l. 25. for builing r. building Civitas Dei incipit et construitur ex amore Dei et crescit ad odium suiipfius Civitas vero Diaboli incipit ab amore sui et crescit usque ad odium Dei per contemptum proximorum Qui enim proximuÌ„ odit et contemnit mox etiam Deum odio babebit et contemnit Aug de Civ. Dei lib. 1. 1 Cor. 5. 5. â— Tim. 3. 2. Decet saâ—è cum qui magâ— vir futurus est neque seipsum neque sâ—a diligere sed juâ—a sempâ—r five ab ipso five ab also geranâ—ur Nescio quo inexplicabili modâ— quisqu◠〈◊〉 non Deum amat non se amâ—t quisquâ— Dâ—um non sâ—psum amat ipâ—e se amat Qui enim non potest vivere dâ— se moâ—itur utique amando se cum veâ—ò ille dilâ—gitur de quo vivitur â—on se diligendo magâ— diligit qui propâ—rca se non diligit ut cum diligat de quo vivit Aug de Tâ—ctat 123 in Joanneâ— Neh. 2. 10. Psal. 137. 6. Noâ— loquitur de iâ— qui planè abjeceâ—ant studium 〈◊〉 sed de iâ— ipâ—s quos pro fratribus habebat in ò quos ferebat in su◠〈◊〉 Illos tamen ita calore dicitur rebus suis curandis ut sint ad opuâ— Domini frigidiores Calv. in loc. De Christians Ministris Apostolo Serâ—o est Est. in loc. Their own 〈◊〉 Non ita accipiâ— quasi suis tantum commodis intenti nullam pâ—or us Ecclesiaecura 〈◊〉 haberunt sed quod implâ— itâ— privatis coâ—dis ad publicum Ecclesiae bonum pâ—omovendum negligentiores erant Calv. in loc. â—in Prop. 1. Prop. 2. Prop. 3. Prop. 4. Prop. 5. Prop. 6. Prop. 7. Prop. 8. Qu. 4. Applicat Titus 1. 11. Rom. 16. 18. 2 Pet. 2. 2. 1 Tim. 6. 5. Mat. 7. 15. 2. Use Exhort 1. Exhort 2. Ester 4 14. Isaiah 2 2. Rev. 11. 15. Dan. 4. 35. 41 45. Isa 6. 60. 12.