MOSES HIS SELF-DENYALL Delivered In a Treatise upon Hebrewes 11. the 24. verse BY IEREMY BURROUGHS LUKE 9. 24. Hee that loseth his life for my sake shall save it Aug. de Civit. Dei lib. 5. Non magnanimitatis est magnos petere honores sed contemnere LONDON Printed by T. Paine and are to be sold by H. Overton and T. Nichols at their Shops in Popes-head Alley 1641. HONORATISSIMO DOMINO EDVARDO DOMINO MANDEVILL VICE-COMITI HEROI SVMMI CANDORIS PIETATIS AC LITERARUM FAUTORI LIBELLVM HVNC IN PERPETUAE OBSERVANTIAE TESTIMONIUM D.D.D. JER BURROUGHS TO THE CHRISTIAN READER THe corruption of Nature is exceeding great it appeares sundry wayes in none more then in selvishnesse hee which at first was made altogether for God is now altogether for himselfe The disease is Catholike and spreads to the ends of the earth Phil. 2. 21. All seeke their owne The people flocked after Christ by Sea and Land here was great seeming selfe-denyall Christ they must see Christ they must heare a Christ they must have but this Christ-seeking was altogether selfe-seeking Christ tells them that it was not himselfe his Doctrine or Miracles that drew them it was the loaves they found more vertue in that bread then in the bread of life It was selvishnesse that made Laban change Iacobs wages ten times and become a deceiver This made Naball churlishly deny reliefe to David and his in their distresse This made Gehezi run after Naaman and take talents of silver and change of garments Elishaes excellencie appear'd in his selfe-denyall and Gehezies basenesse in his selfe-seeking This humour is in all and predominant in most parties Some great pretenders of holinesse are polluted and poysoned with this venome You may see it in the Jesuites Maximes practise They say there is not a mixture in every congregation their Society is without spot or wrinkle they have all living and no dead members And againe their Society exceedes all others in this that they have Antidotes and Spices which will preserve them from corruption so that there is no danger of their degenerating after some Centuries of yeares as other orders have done Happy men if their sayings and Societies were the same When they deale with Princes and Potentates they tell them not of their faults but those opinions Qua liberiorem faciunt conscientiam Thus they doe to advance themselves and their cause that they may be thought the Non-suches of the world they boast of their grace and say the Monkes come short of them they can dally with the fairest women without danger Paul himselfe was not so perfect in that kinde as they are Here is selfe-seeking with a witnesse they throw downe an Apostle to lift up themselves they care not who fall so they may rise they blast all others to beautifie themselves But God in justice hath made them odious even among Papists as well as Protestants Great selfe-seekers in a Church or State ever gaine great hatred If men will pollute Gods worship with their devices hee will make their names to stinke Nothing makes us more honourable in the eyes of God and man then the advancing of his worship and preserving it unmixt If temporalls come in place of eternalls and that which is mans instead of that which is Gods God will make the Authours of such evill contemptible before all the people Mal. 2. 8 9. It is not unknowne how divine providence proceeded against the Danish Prelates Had they denyed themselves maintained the pure Worship of God sought the publike good of Prince and people they might have stood to this day but because they were shamefully wicked and sought themselves too much they were wholly cast out by Prince and people in the yeare 1537 Self-seeking is self-undoing Absolom and Adoniah whilest they sought themselves they lost their lives The argument of this Book is selfe-denyall a hard yet a safe lesson it is no other then Christ taught and practised If any man will bee my Disciple let him deny himselfe and follow me Matth. 16. 24. there 's the doctrine see his practise Ioh. 6. 15. when they would make him a King hee withdrawes the greatnesse and glory that was in royall Majesty could nothing prevaile with his spirit Hee did not his owne will but the will of his Father It liked not him to have his workes blowne abroad his whole life death was an absolute self-denyall This way would he have all his to goe and it is a way wherein is no death Hee that doth most deny himselfe he lives most free from sinne Take a true selfe-denying man and passion is a stranger to him he sinnes not with anger because he rejoyces in his wrongs hee swells not with pride because hee is content to bee contemned hee frets not at afflictions because he deemes himselfe worthy of all punishments Selfe-denyall breeds great joy and brings great ease It unburthens a man of himselfe his sinfull selfe What joy what ease was it to Joseph to bee rid of his inticing Mistresse he let goe his coat and saved his innocencie And let a Christian rid himselfe of his sinfull selfe and his joy and ease will exceed Josephs if he let goe his Flesh hee shall advance his Spirit Would it not be another Heaven to be rid of our sinfull opinions sinfull wills and affections deny thy selfe and this Heaven is thine A selfe-seeker onely makes himselfe miserable hee is an absolute Tyrant his selfe-love turnes charity out of doores eates up all the love that God man should have neither others good nor Gods glory are deare to him hee is a clod of the earth that sucks the sap of his soule onely to himselfe It is the selfe-denying man that is the man for God and publike good Such a one was Moses Heaven and Earth have beene honoured by him such a one will venture even where danger difficultie is selfe shall not hinder publike good A selfe-denying man will stand by Gods cause and people when others shrinke for feare and shame One Dowglas a Scottish Knight having heard Master Whiscart preach said I know the Governour and Cardinall shall heare of it but say unto them I will avow it and not onely maintaine the Doctrine but also the person of the teacher to the uttermost of my power Had hee minded his credit with great ones his estate or libertie he would not have appeared for a persecuted truth and man selfe-denyall had stript him of private respects Antoninus Pius when hee undertooke the Title of Emperour said he did then forgoe the propertie and interest of a private person and when we take the name of Christ upon us wee should then forgoe all selvish and domestick respects It is the honour of a Christian to be like unto his Master Christ hee denyed himselfe throughly and was acted altogether by the Father let us doe the like and be acted wholly by Christ I live not sayes
riches so it may bee said trust not in uncertaine honours nor in uncertaine pleasures Hence it was that Solon when hee saw Croesus puft up with his great riches and outward glory thinking himselfe the happiest man that lived hee said unto him none was to bee counted happie before death intending hereby to admonish him of the uncertainty of those riches in which hee blest himselfe so much and would have him consider that before the end of his daies there might bee a great change in his condition but he while hee enjoyed his outward prosperity minded not at all what Solon had said unto him untill he came by his miserable experience to finde the uncertainty of his riches and all that worldly glory that hee had and then hee could remember Solons speech unto him for when hee was taken by King Cyrus and condemned to be burnt and saw the fire preparing for him then hee cryed out O Solon Solon Cyrus asking him the cause of that outcry hee answered that now hee remembred what Solon had told him in his prosperity that none was to bee accounted happie before death Thus wee have many who heare much of the uncertainty and vanity of their outward honours sensuall pleasures greate estates and riches they have in the world but while they enjoy the sweet of them they little minde what is said till they come upon their sicke beds and death beds and then they cry out most lamentably of the vanity of all worldly things then they can remember what hath beene said unto them heretofore concerning the vanity and short continuance of all those things they tooke so much delight in All things then wisely and duely considered these honours pleasures and riches are not such great things that we should be so hardly brought to deny our selves in them a wise understanding heart would quickly cast dirt in the face of them all a true noble great spirit would trample them as dirt under feete when once they come in competition with Iesus Christ It is an excellent speech of Saint Augustine It is not an argument of a great minde to seeke for great honours but rather to contemne them and indeede considering all at least in the cause of religion they are to bee accounted as contemptible and vile things They are like a candle which while it is light it hath some lustre and hath no ill savour but when it is out it stinkes so all outward excellencies while they are as it were enlightned with grace added to them and a holy use of them they have some lustre and are desirable but take this away howsoever they may appeare to a carnall eye yet they are indeede but as a contemptible snuffe unsavory themselves and making those who have them unsavory in the nostrils of God And consider yet further what Iesus Christ hath denied for us if ever we be saved by him Hee came from the bosome of his Father and from that infinite glory he had with him before the world was for so he prayes Joh. 17. that the Father would glorifie him with that glory he had with him before the world was Hee left the riches and pleasures of heaven and that honour which hee might have had from Angels and men and all to save poore wretched sinfull creatures And lastly God hath greater preferments for us then all these things here below can afford if we have hearts to denie these for him we neede take no care for dignities delights and riches or whatsoever may make us happie and glorious there are infinite treasures of all with the Lord and hee delights in the communication of them to the children of men Heathens accounted the honour that learning put upon men as great a glory as that which came by places of dignity as Seneca saies of Socrates Patricius Socrates non fuit Socrates he was not of the race of the Senators and yet honorable Cleanthes drew water Philosophy did not finde but made Plato Noble What shall they account learning to put honour enough upon men to satisfie them and shall not Christians thinke that godlinesse and the honour which that brings is sufficient to make them glorious Surely wee know not that nearenesse that godlinesse hath to God himselfe that infinite glorious first being from whom the lustre of all true glorie proceedes surely wee know not how high and great the thoughts of God are towards his people what honour he hath what hee will put upon them everlastingly if this be not enough to satisfie our hearts for ever CHAP. III. How Honours Riches and all delights whatsoever are to be denied for Christ. VVE are to deny these for Christ First by going on in the waies of godlinesse in the strictnesse and power of them though all these be hazarded keepe we on our way and passe not for them trust God with them if wee doe still enjoy them so it is but if not yet maintaine a constant strong resolution of keeping on in the waies of Gods feare Thus did Daniel when the Princes and Nobles watched him in the matter of the Lord his God yet hee abated not one whit hee went on in his course notwithstanding all the hazard he was in the constant course of godlinesse in communion with his God was more sweet and precious to him a thousand fould then all his Court preferments and pleasures that hee did or might further enjoy How resolutely did Nehemiah goe on in the worke of the Lord notwithstanding that opposition he had such conspirings against him such complaints such letters sent to informe against him And David professeth Psal 119. 23. That he did meditate in Gods Law though Princes spake against him Secondly appeare for God and his cause his truth and his people though the issue may seeme to bee dangerous when none else will As Ester did with that brave resolution of hers If I perish I perish And Nehemiah who though he was something afraid at first to speake to that Heathenish King in the behalfe of his Religion and his people yet having lift up his heart to God he spake freely unto him Let not a publike good cause be dashed and blasted and none have a heart to appeare for it for feare of the losse of their own pompe and carnall delights and profits know that the venturing for a publike good is a greater honour then the enjoyment of any private Camerarius in his Historicall Meditations hath a famous story of the chiefe Courtiers in the time of Lewis the eleventh whom when they saw to intend to establish unjust Edicts they understanding his drift went all to him in red Gownes the King asked them what they would The President La-Vacqueri answers We are come with a full purpose to lose our lives every one of us rather then by our connivencie any unjust ordinance should take place The King being amazed at this answer and at the constancie and resolution of these Peeres gave them gracious
in Iuventinum Maximum two Martyrs brings in this objection of the Persecutors against them and their answer Doe you not see others of your ranke to doe thus They answer For this very reason wee will manfully stand and offer our selves as a Sacrifice for the breach that they have made Wherefore seeing this is that which the Adversaries of the Truth make such use of it hath need of the fuller answer For a more full answer thereunto then First know that the least degree of true Faith will goe further then all the abilities of naturall parts and gifts that ever were in the world and true Faith may be where naturall parts are very weake and where there is little appearance of common gifts and on the other side where these are in the greatest eminencie yet the Soule may be altogether void of Faith You are deceived if you thinke where there are stronger parts and most gifts there must needes be the greatest measure of Faith and where parts are weaker and scarce any common gifts there must needes be the least No God doth not dispense this glorious grace of Faith according to this proportion Not many wise not many learned but God chuseth the poore in this world to be rich in faith When the glorious Mysteries of the Gospel are hid from the wise of the world even then are they revealed to those that are Babes Gods wayes have usually beene to choose weake and contemptible things to honour himselfe by that the glory of his Grace and Power might the more appeare and hath not so ordinarily made use of men of great parts that have beene eminent and glorious in the world because in them the grace of God would not be so much honoured some of the honour would stick to them Consider secondly if the example of these men were the ground of your profession of Religion then their falling off might justly be your discouragement but if you had better grounds if the evidence the beautie the authoritie the power of and love unto the Truth were your grounds then your grounds remaining and the Truth being the same you should not be discouraged but goe on in your way Thirdly if you thinke to hold out by the strength of any degree of excellencie whatsoever that you could see in them then you might justly be discouraged because you have not so much as they had all that you saw in them were gifts and parts and profession If you thinke that these should carry you through sufferings you are utterly mistaken but if you make account that that which should carry you through be another Principle a hidden one that cannot be seene in any then there is no cause of discouragement Fourthly hath not God acquainted you with the infinite deceitfulnesse of the heart of man That it is a bottomlesse depth of evill and desperately wicked beyond that which any is able to know but God himselfe And will you then depend upon man and that in a matter of so great consequence as the cleaving to or the forsaking of the Truth of God Fifthly the falls of those who have beene thus eminent are just judgements of God upon hypocrites and those that are carnall and naught to be a stumbling-blocke to them at which they should fall and breake themselves and never rise againe Now if you should stumble too at this stumbling-blocke it were an ill signe and a heavie judgement of God against you Therefore take heed that it prevailes not too farre with you Sixtly how doe you know but that these men in the midst of all their profession had some secret sinne maintained in their bosomes some secret lusts that lay next their hearts And if so no marvell though all the seeming good they had vanish and come to nothing in the time of tryall Lastly the more glorious they were and failed and the more weake and contemptible either in your owne eyes or in the eyes of others you are the greater is the mercie of God towards you if he gives you a heart to hold out and the greater honour will it be for you both before God and men You shall be brought against them in the Day of Judgement to condemne them CHAP. XIII The difference betweene the heat of mens owne Resolutions and the true heat of the heart by Faith in suffering for Christ IF Faith be the Principle that carryes through sufferings then let men take heed that they trust not to their owne Resolutions as if because now they thinke they would suffer any thing let men doe what they can against them therefore they shall be able to goe through Many have deceived themselves in this The difference betweene the heat of mens Resolutions and the true heat of the heart by Faith is like the difference of the heat of the Fowle breeding over her egges and the heat of the fire the one is a heat of life conveying life but not the other Faith warmes the heart so as it conveyes life but not so our owne Resolutions Wee have had many sad experiences of the falsenesse of mens hearts from time to time in this particular who before the tryall have beene very confident and resolute yet they have most shamefully failed and falne off from the Truth when the tryall came The example of Doctor Pendleton mentioned in the Booke of Martyrs is remarkable in this kind the storie is generally knowne The Doctor was full of confidence and resolution and professed That those fat sides of his should frie in the fire before hee would yeeld and yet how shamefully he forsooke the Cause of God you all know Those who vaunt most have many times the least courage as those creatures who have the greatest hearts of flesh are the most timerous as the Stag the Panther and the Hare It is not enough that men in the profession of their resolutions speake as they thinke and as they are perswaded for the present this is not to be trusted to for he that trusts his owne heart is a foole sayes Solomon Prov. 28. It is good counsell Luther gives a German Minister in an Epistle he writes to him Walk in feare and contempt of your selfe and pray to the Lord that he may doe all things and doe not you think to doe any thing but be you a Sabbath unto Christ so his expression is that is rest your spirit in Christ What resolutions are those that are like to faile and to come to nothing in times of tryall First rash resolutions when men resolve without serious consideration what sufferings meane what they will cost them and how hard they will bee to them when they come they doe not make them as present to them by meditation before they resolve resolution in such things should be the fruit of much meditation there neede bee much musing before this fire breake forth Secondly when there is no brokennesse of spirit joyned
Naples to sway the Scepter of that Kingdome his mother was of honorable parentage her brother was Paul the fourth his Lady was the daughter to the Duke of Niceria one of the principall Peeres of Italy yet being brought to heare a Sermon of Peter Martyrs God pleased so to work upon his spirit that he began to enter into serious thoughts whether his way were right or not then to take up a constant exercise of reading the Scriptures then to change his former company and to make choise of better his father was moved against him with sharpenesse his lady wrought what shee could by teares complaints intreaties to take him off from that way the most part of the noble men in and about Naples being either his kinred or familiar friends they continually resorted to him to take him off to follow their old pleasures together yet at last having further light let into his soule to see not onely the necessity of some truthes that he understood not before but likewise of delivering himselfe from that idolatry that he apprehended himselfe defiled with therefore his resolutions were strong to leave court and father and honours and inheritance to joyne himselfe to a true Church of God and according to this his resolution he went away much meanes were used to call him backe great offers of riches and preferments to draw him his children hung about him with dolefull cryes his friends standing by with watery eyes which so wrought vpon his tender heart hee being of a most loving and sweet disposition that as he hath often said he thought that all his bowells rouled about within him and that his heart would have burst presently and hee should there instantly have dyed but he denyed himselfe in all and chose rather to live in a meane condition where hee might enjoy God and the peace of his conscience then to have the riches glory pleasures of Italy and of the Emperours Court. The History of the Lord Cobham that we have in the booke of Martys is famous in this kind hee was a man of great birth and in great favour with King Henry the fifth so as the Archbishop Thomas Arundell durst not meddle with him till hee knew the Kings minde the King when he heard of it bad them have respect to his noble stocke and promised to deale with him himselfe after he privately sent for him admonishing him secretly betweene themselves to submit to his holy mother the Church unto whom he made this answer Most worthy Prince I am alwaies prompt and ready to obey for as much as I know you an appointed minister of God unto you next my eternall God I owe my whole obedience and submit thereunto as I have done ever ready at all times to fulfill whatsoever you shall in the Lord command mee but as touching the Pope and his spirituality I owe them neither suite nor service for as much as I know him by the Scripture to be the great Antichrist the sonne of perdition the open adversary of God and the abomination standing in the holy place This was in the darkenesse of Popery above two hundred yeares agoe The blood-thirsty Papists never left till they got his blood prevailing with the King to consent to his condemnation and when the sentence of his condemnation was read the story saith that this worthy noble man with a chearefull countenance spake after this manner Though yee judge my body which is but a wretched thing yet am I certaine and sure that you can doe no harme to my soule no more then could Sathan to the soule of Job here were truely noble spirits indeede shewing their nobility by refusing of it by being willing to deny it for Iesus Christ Oh that God would raise up many noble spirits that shall bee thus willing to deny themselves As Iudg. 5. 9. My heart is toward the governours of the people that offered themselves willingly among the people blesse ye the Lord the eyes and hearts of Gods people are after you the nobles and governours if ye offer your selves willingly how shall our hearts be enlarged and our members opened to besse the Lord. As Ignatius said concerning Christ my antiquity is Iesus Christ so let us say of him our nobility is Iesus Christ shewing this that wee indeede are of the royall seede that we are of truely noble blood that wee have the blood of Iesus Christ running in our veines that raises our spirits farre above whatsoever honour our naturall births have raised us unto It were a blessed thing if those who are of noble parentage yet in the cause of God they would not looke at what nature hath advanced them unto But wherein it is that they are begotten againe by the almighty worke of the grace of God by that heavenly principle the sparkle of that divine nature that is put into them That in the cause of God it were with them as it is said of Levi he must not know father or mother Wee must not say as those Iewes Mat. 3. 9. We have Abraham to our father we are borne of noble parents but as Iohn to them so I say to you bring forth fruit or else the axe is laid to the roote of the tree stand not so much upon the blood wee have as upon the good we doe If wee would glory in our parentage especially glory in our ancestors who have beene godly who have made themselves noble indeede by the worthy things they have done for God and his people and let it be our honour to continue this honour to our family rather resolve to lose our life then to let this honour of our family die in us that it may not be said how did Religion flourish in such a noble family for two or three or more successions but now all is gone ever since such a sonnes time all is gone and things are turned another way It is a blessed thing to have the glorious name of God kept up in succession in a family Psal 72. 17. we have a prophesy that the name of Christ shall continue from generation to generation the words are filiabitur nomen ejus it shall be childed it shall be begotten from one to another the lineall descent of Christs name is more honorable then the lineall descent of noble blood Plinie telles us that it was accounted a great honour even the height of felicity that in one house race of the Curios there were knowne to be three excellent Oratours one after another by descent from the father to the son that the Fabii afforded three presidents of the Senate in course one immediately succeeding the other if this succession be so honorable so happie how honorable how happie doth the succession of religion make families to be We glory in our ancestors let our ancestors be made glorious in us It is better saies Chrysostome that our parents should glory in us then that we should glory in our
entertainment and commanded that all the former Edicts should be cancelled in his presence There is a notable relation that wee finde in Josephus concerning Agrippa that upon a time he invited Caius the Emperour to a supper and gave the Emperour great content in his entertainement whereupon the Emperour said unto him let mee gratifie thee by giving thee what thou wilt Agrippa asked although it were with the venture of the losse of all hee had as followeth Dread Prince since it is your good pleasure to thinke mee worthy to be honoured by your presence I beseech you to give commandement that the Statue which you have charged Petronius to erect in the Temple of the Jewes may never be advanced there this hee did although hee knew it was as much as his life was worth to aske any thing of Caius that was not answerable to his humour Many Christians would hardly goe so farre in venturing themselves either for Church or countrey as hee here did for the Jewes Theodoret likewise tells us of a Noble Spirit in one Terentius a Captaine of the Emperour Valens who being returned out of Armenia with a great victory the Emperour bad him aske a reward he asked onely that hee would be pleased to grant to those of the Orthodox Religion one publike Church in Antioch and although the Emperour were angry and tore his Petition and bade him aske something else yet hee persisted in this and refused any other reward for all the service hee had done And Eusebius relates a Noble example of a great Noble man Vetius Epagathus appearing in the cause of the Christians not being able to beare the unjust dealings hee saw against the Christians hee demanded that hee might be heard in defence of the Brethren but all that sate at the Tribunall being against it because hee was a Noble man the President asking him if hee were a Christian hee plainely and publikely confest it and so was taken in amongst the Martyrs being afterwards called The Advocate of Christians Where have wee Noble men now of such free and disingaged spirits to venture themselves in any publike cause for God and their people who should bee free to speake if not you Gallasius upon Exod. 22. 28. sayes of Augustus that he was wont to say that in a free Citie Tongues ought to be free Where should tongues or hearts be free if not in your honourable Assemblies If you would shew your Noble mindes shew the liberty of your spirits sayes Saint Chrysostome Liberty I say the same that that blessed Saint John had from whom Herod heard againe and againe It is not lawfull for you to take your brother Philips wife That liberty also that before him he had that said to Ahab It is not I but you and your Fathers house that troubles Israel Wherefore seeke to get that Nobility of minde which the Prophets had and Apostles had which such as serve riches cannot have for nothing takes away the liberty of the spirit so much as the desire of worldly things thus Chrysostome It is beneath true Noblenesse of spirit to aime at no higher pitch in your desires and endeavours then to provide for your owne ease and safety when publike causes for God and his people call you out to venture your selves Seneca in one of his Epistles speaking of a true raised excellent spirit describes it to be such a one as seekes where it may live most honestly and not most safely Nature hath brought us forth magnanimous sayes hee it hath given us a glorious and lofty spirit what is that seeking where it may live best not where it may be most secure What though you should suffer something it will bee your honour that while you suffer the Church and your Country prospers It was the honour of the Fabii and the Fabritii that they being poore themselves they made the Common-wealth rich Venture you your selves for God and his people and trust God with your honors estates and posterities doe not say you are alone you know not how many you may have to cleave to you if you have a heart to appeare howsoever desolate righteousnesse saith Jerome loseth not her comfort which hath God to be with it that is more then all It was a brave resolution of Luther which we finde in one of his Epistles to Staupitius wherein hee professeth that he had rather be accounted any thing then be accused of wicked silence in Gods cause Let mee be accounted sayes he proud covetous yea a murderer yea guilty of all vices so I bee not proved to be guilty of wicked silence while the Lord and his cause doe suffer And know that the more dishonoured and trampled upon any cause of God is the more he expects that you should appeare for it I have read that among the Persians the left hand is accounted the more honorable place Xenophon reports of Cyrus that those whō he honoured most he placed at his left hand upon this ground because it was most subject to danger hee would have those who were most honourable to stand by him there where he was most weake and lyable to danger Thus where the cause of God is most opposed and most like to suffer there God would have the most noble spirits to stand and to appeare in that and to doe this is truely honourable indeed Who knowes whether you bee raised for such a time as this who knowes whether you have beene preserved from such and such dangers that you have beene in that you might bee reserved as a publike blessing for the Church of God and your Countrey I have read of Philip King of Spaine going from the Low-countries into Spaine by Sea there fell a grievous storme in which almost all the Fleete was wracked many men lost and himselfe hardly escaped he said he was delivered by the singular providence of God that he might live to roote out Lutheranisme which hee presently began to doe this evill use hee made of his great deliverance Some of you have been delivered from great dangers but for a better purpose that you might now be of use to roote out profanenesse Atheisme and superstition and happy are you and happy shall we be in you if it may appeare that you are reserved for this worke of the Lord. Thirdly let all goe rather then bee brought to commit any sinne we had better have all the world cast shame in our faces and upbraid us then that our consciences should cast dirt in them It is better to endure all the frownes and anger of the greatest of the earth then to have an angry conscience within our brest it is better to want all the pleasures that earth can afford then to lose the delights that a good conscience will bring in Oh let the bird in the brest alwayes be kept singing whatsoever we suffer for it it is better to lose all we have then to make ship-wracke of a
straights that any outward afflictions can bring it to All the strength that the temptations that come from the allurements of the world or the troubles that it threatens have it is from sense and carnall reasonings if the soule bee got above them then it is above the danger of such temptations by that magnanimity that Faith brings into the soule it is prepared to set upon difficult things to endure strong oppositions A beleever is one whom neither poverty nor death nor bonds nor any outward evils can terrifie Thirdly Faith is a purifying and healing grace Act. 15. 9. Purifying their hearts by Faith It purges out base desires after the things of the world and living at ease base joyes and delights in the creature in satisfying the flesh the feares of future evils that may come hereafter Faith feares not hunger saith Tertullian If the heart bee sound it will be strong this purging of it makes it sound 2 Tim. 1. 7. God hath not given us the spirit of feare sayes the Apostle but of power of love and a sound minde the spirit of feare is first purged out and then there is a spirit of power and a sound minde where there is a sound minde there is a spirit of power what weakens the body but the unsoundnesse of it If distempered humours be in the body 't is not able to endure any thing a little cold oh how tedious is it to it but when these humours are purged out then it is strong and able to doe or suffer much more That which ill humours are to the body sinne is to the soule which being purged out the soule growes strong to resist temptations and to endure afflictions But further sinne in the soule is not onely as an ill humour to weaken it but it wounds it too now how little can a man doe or suffer with a wounded member It is Faith that heales our wounds by applying the Bloud of Christ to them and so it strengthens Fourthly Faith is a quickning grace it sets all other graces on worke it puts life and activitie into them all I live by the Faith of the Sonne of God sayes Saint Paul and especially it sets love on worke which is a grace exceedingly powerfull Faith workes by love If a mans faith be up all his graces will be so too and if that be downe all other graces are weake and downe with it Gulielmus Parisiensis reports of a Chrystall that it hath such a vertue as when the vertues of other pretious stones are extinct it will revive them againe Faith is such a Chrystall to revive the vertue of all graces When Davids heart was so downe that he chides himselfe so much Psal 43. 5. Why art thou cast down oh my soule he labors to recover himselfe by his Faith still trust in God hee is the health of my countenance and my God Faith brings life and maintaines life in the soule for it hath the most immediate union with Christ and therefore the livelinesse and activity of our graces depends much upon it now where the graces of Gods Spirit are lively and active the allurements and threats of the World cannot much prevaile Fifthly Faith is a mighty prevailing grace with God and with Jesus Christ as it is said of Jacob Gen. 32. 28. hee prevailed with God as a Prince Luther was a man full of faith and it was said of him Hee could doe what hee would Faith sets all Gods Attributes on worke for the good and reliefe of a beleever it stirres as I may so say the arme of an infinite power it opens the sluce that lets out the streames of an infinite mercie and causes an infinite wisdome to be active to finde out wayes to relieve in time of distresses it brings in all the strength and good of the New Covenant when Faith workes Jesus Christ is working to make good all the gracious promises of the Gospel and hee is the Mighty God wonderfull Counsellour the Prince of peace Faith does not strengthen the soule in a way of suffering by its owne strength but by the strength that it bringeth in from Iesus Christ Rev. 12. 11. The Saints overcame by the Blood of the Lambe Oh how willingly and joyfully does the Protector of Faith fight in such servants of his sayes Cyprian It is one thing to have interest in God and Christ and another thing to have them working for good in a speciall manner in particular causes where wee desire helpe and reliefe although it be true that God and Iesus Christ are alwayes working for the good of beleevers in some kind or other but yet when faith lyes still and is not active although wee doe not lose our interest in God yet we cannot expect such sensible manifestations of the gracious workings of God for us as when we put forth our faith and keepe it active and lively and then though we be never so weake in our selves wee set an infinite strength to worke for us Wee have a notable expression of Gods stirring up his strength and wisdome for those whose hearts are right with him 2 Chron. 16. 9. The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the earth to shew himselfe strong for those whose heart is perfect towards him the words are ad roborandum se to strengthen himselfe God strengthens himselfe hee does as it were stirre up all his strength for such And although wee be in the darke and know not how to order our steps and to discover the subtilties of temptation yet there is an infinite wisdome working for us and although we be never so unworthy and vile yet wee have an infinite mercy whose bowels yerne towards us and will not suffer any evill to befall us yea the more weake and succourlesse wee are in our selves if the sense of it stirres up faith to set God on work for us wee are strong by our weaknesse not onely of weake are made strong but by being weake are made strong It is said of the Church of Philadelphia Rev. 3. 8. that it had a little strength and yet it kept Gods Word and had not denyed his Name Although we have but a little strength yet if wee have faith to set Gods strength on worke wee shall keep Gods Word and not deny his Name Hence in the sixt place from all these it followes that faith is an overcomming grace this is the victory that overcommeth the world even our faith saith Saint John Epistle 1 chap. 5. v. 4. In this victorie there are three things First there is a conquering of the assaults of the world so as they can doe us no hurt bnt wee are able to repell the force of them But this is not all there is something further namely the making use of those things of the world for our good that would have undone us that is a full victorie where the enemies doe not onely resist and breake
God then when the cause onely concernes it selfe it discovers as much stoutnesse and courage in naturall things as it does in spirituals But this strength in sufferings that comes from Faith is a strength farre more raysed in the cause of God and spirituall things then in any other In other things it may be the heart is weake full of feares knowes not how to withstand any evill but in the cause of God it findes a Principle carrying it beyond that it is otherwise There it is full of courage it is able to looke upon the face of any man to stand out against the proudest persecuters As that Martyr Alice Driver told the persecuters That though she was brought up at the Plough yet in the cause of Christ she would set her foot against the foot of any of them all Many poore weake women and children have manifested that courage and boldnesse in the cause of Christ that hath daunted the hearts of their enemies As we reade Acts 4. 13. when the Rulers Elders and Scribes saw the boldnesse of Peter and John and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men they marvelled and they tooke knowledge of them that they had beene with Jesus It was their being with Jesus it was their faith in Christ that raysed them higher then their naturall Principles so as to make their enemies to wonder at them Sixtly the power of resisting sufferings that comes from Naturall Principles is not a fruit of much humiliation brokennesse of heart seeking of God aforehand When Esther was in hazard when she was to goe about a worke wherein all her honour and her life must be ventured shee falls to fasting and prayer and causeth others to fast and pray for her and so shee came to that resolution If I perish I perish Men full of stoutnesse and naturall courage thinke that mournings for sinne breakings of the heart in godly sorrow keeping downe the Soule in humiliation make men timorous and Cowards that it abates if not wholly takes away their valour and stoutnesse but Gods people never find more courage and heavenly fortitude then after much humiliation for sinne the more brokennesse of heart for sinne the more stoutnesse and courage in resisting of sinne and in suffering any evill rather then to admit any sinne Wicked men indeed have stoutnesse and courage for the maintaining of their lusts in which the courage and stoutnesse of the world is especially let out but all the courage and stoutnesse of godly men is in opposing of sinne and in doing and suffering for God Seventhly if there be onely naturall strength to enable to a willingnesse to venture upon any way of suffering there cannot be that confidence of a good issue that Faith brings with it where that is the Principle Faith can assure the Soule that the issue shall be good whatsoever seemes to the contrarie although the sufferings seeme to be never so black and dismall Faith can looke beyond all to a glorious issue and through the assurance of this can keepe the Soule in a spirituall heavenly securitie in the midst of all evils that doe befall it The confidence of that glorious issue of all sufferings that the Faith of Saint Paul raysed his heart unto 2 Cor. 4. 17 18. is very remarkable For our light affliction which is but for a moment saith he worketh for us a farre more exceeding and eternall weight of glory while wee looke not at things that are seene but at the things which are not seene c. Eightly Naturall Principles cannot welcome afflictions with such joy and delight as Faith can How have the Martyrs kissed and embraced the Stake accounting that day the happiest day that ever they saw It is said of the Christians in the 10. Heb. 34. That they suffered with joy the spoyling of their goods Faith does not onely enable to suffer with patience but to suffer with joy And Rom. 5. 2. Saint Paul sayth wee rejoyce in tribulations Now others by their naturall courage may encounter with afflictions and perhaps they may endure them with some patience but they cannot thus rejoyce in them Ninthly where Naturall Strength onely enables there the soule is not more humble after it hath gone through difficulties but it is puffed up as having passed through hard things and done some great matter but where Faith is the principle the soule knowes that it was not from any thing in its selfe but if it had beene left to its selfe it should have basely forsaken the cause of God it should have dishonoured God and its holy profession and therefore it rejoyces not in its selfe but in that power from on high that came in and assisted it I live saith Saint Paul but not I but Christ in me so I was able to goe through such and such straights saith a beleeving soule No not I but the vertue and power of Christ in me carried me through Of a truth saith Bernard To glory in God alone cannot be but from God alone Tenthly if the principle bee onely naturall courage although such a one may be very ready at first in denying himselfe yet if after hee be crossed more then hee expected and findes worse successe then hee looked for if he does not see some naturall good comming in hee is soone discouraged the heart sinkes as not having sufficient to uphold it and carry it out in that it hath undertaken Yet further such is the deceit of a mans owne heart as a man may suffer much out of the pride of his heart as a man may serve himselfe in serving God so he may seeke himselfe in denying himselfe in that which is the cause of God Crates the Philosopher before mentioned who cast his goods into the Sea that hee might not be hindered in the study of Philosophy Jerome calls him gloriae animal and a base slave to popular breath so many may be content to lose much and suffer much and all out of vaine-glory they may be in base slavery to the applause of men Great things out of pride did Heathens suffer for their countrey Were it not that mens hearts are desperately wicked and deceitfull one would wonder how this should bee The men of the world are ready to cast this aspersion upon all that suffer they say they suffer out of vain-glory so if they be forward in service they still say it is from the pride of their hearts when they can say nothing against the things they doe or suffer then they judge their hearts this shewes that to suffer for God or to be forward in service is a glorious thing otherwise why should they thinke men doe them to seeke glory by them but although it be a slander that arises from their malicious hearts against the truth to accuse the sufferings of Gods people of vaine glory yet certainely there may bee a principle of pride that may carry men on even here but there