way often to come upon wicked men in the very height of all their jollities As wee read of Absalom when hee had a purpose to slay his brother Amnon he bade his servants to observe when they saw his heartmerry and then to fall upon him and slay him When Belshazzar was most in his jollitie then the hand-writing came out against him When the people of Israel had their own desire and were satisfying their lusts to the full Psal 78. 29 30 31. then the wrath of God came upon them Wee read Job 20. 22 23. a threatning against the wicked That in the fulnesse of his sufficiencie hee shall be in straights When hee is about to fill his belly God shall cast the fury of his wrath upon him and shall raine it upon him while hee is eating Oh how much better is it that in the fulnesse of our sufficiencie we doe willingly and freely give God glory in an humble yeelding up of all wee have unto him then that in the fulnesse of our sufficiencie wee should be brought into most miserable straights in spight of our hearts and that by the wrath of God himself Oh how grievous a condition is that to be forced by the wrath of God to part with that which wee might have parted withall upon such sweet and honourable termes in the cause of God in testimony to his truth in his service and the expressisions of our dearest Love unto him And howsoever it is not long that you can possibly hold this prosperity that now you do enjoy Suppose the fairest that God should let things go on in an ordinary course of bounty and patience within a little while all the comforts of the world will leave you and you must leave them and what if you did for the cause of God part with them a yeere or two sooner then otherwise you should what great matter is this what is a yeare or two or ten yeeres enjoyment of them there is no such excellencie in them as that a few yeeres enjoyment of them should bee prized at any such high rate Are there not Arguments enough from all Gods love and his mercifull dealings with you to prevaile with your hearts for such a thing as this how hath God spared you in your greatest extremities when you have cryed unto him hee hath beene mercifull to you hee hath watched over you for good all your dayes hee hath done great things for you oh what infinite reason is there then that hee should have the honour of your chiefest delights and greateâ—â— prosperitie How often to gratifie the flesh have many opportunities of spirituall good beene neglected why then should not now for the honour of God some opportunities for fleshly delights bee denyed God never gave you these things upon any other termes but that you should be willing to part with them for the honour of his name wheÌ„ he calleth for them God never made you owners but stewards of them for his service and if ever you were brought to Christ into covenant with God in him you did then resigne up all unto him you professed to part with all for him you sold all for the pearle that is you were willing to part with what was sinfull for the present and as it were enter into bond to give up whatsoever you were or had to the Lord when it should bee called for But may wee not take the comfort of those blessings that God gives us Besides what hath beene said in answer to a former objection of the like nature consider these two things First have you not taken too much comfort already in them it may bee you have taken more then your share more in one moneth then God hath allowed for the whole yeere and then you have spent your comfort afore hand and had neede therefore now bee willing to deny your selfe in that which others may have comfort in and that which otherwise you might comfortably have enjoyed as Hosea 9. 1. Rejoyce not oh Israel as other people so I may say to you you are not to rejoyce so much as others may Hee that hath but a hundred pound to maintaine him the whole yeare if he shall spend almost all of it the first moneth he had neede live very sparingly the rest of the yeare Secondly what doe you with your comfort when you have it doth it fit you for service to God hath God so much the more glory from you then hee hath from others by how much the more comfort you have then others else wherefore would you have comfort if not to fit you for service cursed be that comfort that hath not an higher end then meerely to satisfie the flesh And thus much for the time wherein Moses denyed himselfe it was when he was growne up in the prime of his time then when he might have enjoyed all his honours and pleasures to the full CHAP. IX SECT 3. Faith is the principle that must carry through and make honorable all a Christins sufferings NOw followes the third thing which is the principle by which Moses did all this he is willing to part with all the glory of the world and rather to bee in an afflicted estate and this he is enabled to doe by faith for so saies the text by faith Moses refused c. It was not out of any sullen vexing humour as it is reported of Dioclesian and Maximian Herculius they suddenly gave over their Empires and cast off their honours and betooke themselves to a private life Eusebius makes the cause thereof to be a phrenzie And Nicephorus saies it was rage and madnesse arising from hence because they saw themselves labour so much in vaine for the rooting out of the Christians Master Brightman in his commentary upon the Revelation the sixt chapter and the fifteenth verse sayes it was the feare and the horrour of the Lambe that was struck into their hearts by the power of Iesus Christ as the fulfilling of that place where it is said the Kings of the earth and the great men and the mighty men hid themselves for the feare of the Lambe Whatsoever their principle was Moses his principle here was of another nature a divine principle of faith from whence the point is Faith is the grace that enables to deny the glory and delights of the world and to endure afflictions in the cause of God Every grace workes to take off the heart from the things of the world and gives strength to beare afflictions but faith hath the principall worke in this and in this faith manifests much of her glory and excellency In this chapter we have many excellent fruits of faith enabling the worthies of the Lord to doe great things but scarce any so great as this to enable to that selfe-denyall that here is recorded of Moses It was faith that carried Abraham and all the Patriarkes through their troubles David in all his troubles exercises his faith and findes
of the thing as it is And againe it workes more strongly upon my heart if I see a toade a great way off my heart stirrs not but if I see it neere as Pharaoh saw the froggs crawling upon his bed then my heart rises with loathing of it If wee could but see things now as God hath told us they shall appeare to us hereafter how mightily would they worke upon the soule howsoever there are many things that shall be seene hereafter that yet were never revealed and those things faith cannot make as present but such things as God hath revealed in his word that they shall hereafter come to passe faith may and whē it is active doth make them as present to the soule workes them upon the heart as if they did now appeare The want of this worke of faith is the cause almost of all the evill in the world and the acting of faith in this her worke in the lively and constant worke of it would produce fruites even to admiration The reason why those threates of God did not worke upon the people to whom Ezekiel preached God himselfe gives in the 12. chap. Sonne of man they say thou prophesiest of things a farre off And so for the mercies of God and the things of eternall life because the choyce of them are things to come the world with her present delights prevailes against them If you could see that glory of God in Christ and those glorious treasures of mercies that shall bee communicated and are now revealed and those dreadful evills that are now threatned and shall then be fulfilled I say if you could see them with the same eyes that now is manifested you shall see them with hereafter they would draw the hardest heart that is and bring downe the stoutest spirit that lives If you had faith you would bee able to see them so and the reason is because faith sees things as the word makes them knowne it pitches upon the word in that way that it revealeth the mind of God now the word speakes of mercies that are to come as present things and of evills that God intends to bring herafter as if God were now in the execution of them as will appeare in these scriptures Isa 52. 9. 10. Breake forth into joy sing together yee waste places of Ierusalem for the Lord hath comforted his people he hath redeemed Ierusalem the Lord hath made bare his holy arme in the eyes of all the nations thus the Prophet speakes of the deliverance of the Church from captivity as a thing done already which was not fulfilled many yeares after And David Psal 57. 2. even then when he fled from Saul in the cave hee lookes upon God as having performed all things for him the word is he hath perfected all things and that is observable that David uses the same expression of praising God here when hee was in the cave hiding himselfe to save his life as hee did when hee triumphed over his enemies Psal 6. and Psal 108. And 2 Chron. 20. from the 17. verse to the 22. as soone as Jehosaphat had received the promise he falls on praysing the Lord as if the mercy were already enjoyed praise ye the Lord for his mercy endures for ever Christ saith of Abraham John 8. 56. that he saw his day and rejoyced and was glad Christs day was unto him as if it had beene then And in the 13. verse of this chapter it is said of the godly who lived in former ages that though they saw the promises that were afarre off to be fulfilled yet the text sayes they imbraced them the word in the originall signifies they saluted them now salutations are not but betweene friends when they meet together To faith a thousand yeares are but as one day faith takes hold upon eternall life 1 Tim. 6. 19. It takes present possession of the glorious things of the kingdome of God it makes the soule to be in heaven conversing with God Christ his Saints and Angels already That which is promised faith accounts it given Gen. 35. 12. And the land which I gave to Abraham to thee will I give it it was onely promised to Abraham but Abrahams faith made it to him as given So for judgements and threatnings Esay 13. 6. Howle ye for the day of the Lord is at hand this is spoken of the destruction of Babylon which was a hundred and fifty yeares after but the word speakes of it as if it were now and so faith apprehends it the like wee may instance in many Scriptures you know it is ordinary and you who know the worke of faith you know it is as ordinary for it to looke at that which God saies as if it were now done things seene so work strongly What difference is there between mens thoughts and judgements of spirituall and eternall things in times of health in times of their sicknesse in the apprehension of death Aske them now what they thinke of grace of a good conscience of the pardon of sin of walking strictly with God Aske them now what their judgement is of Gods Saints Aske them what they thinke of eternal separation from God and the infinite wrath of a Deity for evermore now you shall finde their judgements otherwise then formerly and what is the reason of all but that things are judged now as present As despaire brings hell into the soule and puts the soule as it were into hell for the present the soule apprehends as if it were already there many in the horrour of their spirits have cryed out that they were in hell Francis Spira in the despaire of his soule cryed out verily desperation is hell it selfe So on the contrary faith brings heaven into the soule puts it as it were into heaven so that many of Gods people upon their sick beds when they have beene put in minde of heaven they have joyfully answered that they were in heaven already Faith likewise makes use of things past as if they were present as the ancient mercies of God shewed to our forefathers and Gods former dealings with our selves As Hosea 12. 4. the mercy of God to Iacob when he wrestled with him and prevailed the Church makes use of it as if it were a present mercy to themselves for so saith the text he had power over the Angel and prevailed he wept and made supplication unto him hee found him in Bethel and there hee spake with us not onely with Iacob but with us whatsoever mercy God shewed to him we make it ours as if God were speaking with us and Psal 66. 6. Hee turned the sea into dry land they went through the flood on foot there did we rejoyce in them the comfort of the mercies of God for many yeares past to their forefathers they make as theirs there did wee rejoyce So all the promises that God hath made to any of his people though never so long agoe faith fetches out the comfort of
manifestly discerned It is a notable expression of Jerome God would have such stability of faith in us that the things which we beleeve should be more certaine to us then the things wee suffer and the things hoped for should be in more reality with us then things sensible to us these things are now apprehended as reall and certaine things although they bee such things as the Apostle saith Eye hath not seene nor eare heard neither have they entered into the heart of man to conceive yet God hath revealed them to us by his Spirit even that Spirit that searcheth the deepe things of God now there must be something in us to take this revelation of the spirit and that is faith The Spirit reveales them not as notions not as uncertain things and so faith takes them The Spirit of God sayes Luther does not write opinions but assertions in our hearts more certaine then life it selfe and all experiences whatsoever Faith can see into those things that no naturall eye ever saw it can apprehend that which never entred into the heart of man to conceive Saint Paul in the 2 Cor. 4. 18. sayes that the things that are eternall are things not seene and yet sayes that wee looke at things that are not seene though they be things that are not seene yet Saint Paul and other beleevers by the eye of faith could see them as certaine and reall things The things of Christ of grace of Heaven what poore empty notions were they to the soule what uncertaine things before faith came in but faith makes them to bee glorious things faith discovers such reall certaine excellencie in them and is so sure that it is not deceived that it will venture soule and body the losse of all that it will beare any hardship yea it will venture the infinite losse of eternity upon them faith discovers such reality and certainty in these things that now the things of the World that were before onely reall sure excellencies in the eyes of a man now are as fancies and shadowes empty imaginary contentments that have no being no foundation no certainty in them as formerly hath beene shewed Fourthly faith gives the soule an interest in God in Christ in all those glorious things in the Gospel and in the things of eternall life Faith is an appropriating an applying and uniting grace It is a blessed thing to have the sight of God there is much power in it but to see God in his glory as my God to see all the Majesty greatnesse and goodnesse of God as those things that my soule hath an interest in to see how the eternall Counsels of God wrought for mee to make mee happy to see Christ in whom all fulnesse dwels in whom the treasures of all Gods riches are and all those are mine to see Christ comming from the Father for mee to be my Redeemer all this is the worke of faith by the union of it with God in Jesus Christ Faith unites the soule to Christ after another manner then any other grace Love causeth a morall and spirituall union but this causeth a mysticall union other graces cause us to be like to Christ but this makes us be one with Christ and so have interest in what Christ hath interest in What is all the world now to such a soule where is all the bravery of it or the malice and opposition of it The losse of outward things or the enduring of afflictions are great evills to those who have not interest in better but to such as have interest in higher things there is no great matter though they lose lower Fifthly faith discharges the soule of the guilt of sinne and that dreadfull evill that followes upon it It gets a generall acquittance from God a pardon of all sinne and remission of all punishment thereof sealed in the blood of his Sonne The soule being made just by faith is able to live in the middest of many troubles The just by faith shall live so it is to be read not the just shall live by faith but being made just by faith so as to stand just and righteous in the Court of Heaven it now is able to live Faith cleares all betweene God and the soule it may bee there was long humiliation before many prayers made in seeking of this many teares shed many duties performed yet all this could not doe but the guilt lay on still but as soon as faith comes then all is gone and the soule stands righteous in the presence of God and all the breach betweene God and it is made up Being justified by faith wee have peace with God sayes Saint Paul Rom. 5. 1. Now the breach being made up and peace made marke what followes a little after in that Scripture there is not onely ability to beare trouble but to rejoyce in tribulations yea not onely to rejoyce but to glory in tribulations Strike Lord strike sayes Luther for I am absolved from my sinnes Now the soule hath got a greater good then the world can afford and is freed from greater evils then the world can inflict A man that hath beene with the King and gotten his pardon for his life is not troubled though hee lose his glove or handkerchiefe as hee comes out nor though it should prove a rainy day as he returnes home truely the losse of all things in the world to such a soule if it hath faith acting is but as the one and the enduring of all evils is but as the other And besides by this the soule sees it selfe so infinitely engaged to God as it is willing to doe or suffer whatsoever God will have it How readily doth Isaiah offer himselfe to God in service to which much suffering was annexed after God had taken away his sinne When God asked whom hee shall send hee presently answers Here am I Lord send mee It is enough that my sinne is pardoned my soule is saved let mee bee cast into any condition in the World let mee bee imployed in any service I have mercie and happinesse enough CHAP. X. Sixe more particulars wherein the power of faith is seene in taking the heart off from the world and carrying it through all afflictions FIrst Faith makes the future good of spirituall and eternall things to be as present to the soule to worke upon the soule as if they were present and makes use likewise of things past as if they were present and in these operations of faith there is much power to carry on the soule with comfort through sufferings for present things are apprehended by the minde more fully work more strongly upō the will and affections then things past or to come if I view a thing afarre off it appeares small to mee and little of what the thing is is conceived by me but if it be brought neere to me I see it to the full bignesse and am better able to judge of the nature
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
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
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
is much difference betweene that suffering that a man is carryed through by Faith and that which a man is carried through by pride as First if pride be the principle a man is ready to put forth himselfe though he be not called It is true that in some extraordinary causes a man may have an inward calling by some extraordinary motion of Gods Spirit as some of the Martyrs had but in an ordinary way a gracious heart feares it selfe and dares not venture untill God calls depending more upon Gods call then any strength it hath to carry it through Faith ever lookes at a word It puts on to nothing but according to the word where there is not a word to warrant there we may conclude that faith is not the principle that acts but selfe True Christian fortitude leades into dangers onely by divine providence or precept when God bids a man undertake dangers or bids dangers overtake him Secondly where pride is the principle such a one cares not much how the cause of God goeth on any further then he is interested in it if God will use others to honour his Name by and further his cause except hee may some way come in he regards it not hee is not more sollicitous how the cause of God in other things that concerne not his sufferings prospers howsoever therefore he may speak much of Gods glory in that cause for which hee suffers yet if he be not affected with the glory of God in any other cause that concernes not his particular it is an argument that it is his owne glory rather then Gods that is aimed at 3. Thirdly a proud heart does not strengthen it selfe so much in sufferings with the consolations of God the sweet of the promises as it doth with its owne-selfe-proud thoughts the heart is not taken up so much with the glorious reward of God in Heaven that spirituall and supernaturall glory there as with some present selfe-good here whereas Faith is altogether for spirituall and supernaturall good it carries the soule beyond present things that are onely sutable to nature Fourthly where pride is the principle there is no good got by sufferings the soule doth not thrive under them it doth not grow in grace by them it growes not to a further insight in Gods wayes it growes not more holy more heavenly more savoury in all the wayes of it the lustre and beauty of godlinesse does not encrease upon such a one hee is not more spirituall hee doth not cleave closer to God hee is not more frequent with God in secret he doth not enjoy more inward communion with God then formerly whereas when our principle is right in suffering there is never such thriving in grace as then then the Spirit of God and glory useth to rest upon Gods servants a godly mans service prepares him for suffering and his suffering prepares him for service The Church did never shine more bright in holinesse then when it was under the greatest persecution Fifthly where pride is the principle there is not that calmenesse meeknesse quietnesse sweetnesse of spirit in the carriage of the soule in sufferings as where Faith is the principle Pride causes the heart to swell and belke to be boisterous and disquiet to bee fierce and vexing because it is crossed but Faith brings in the Spirit of Jesus Christ and that was a quiet and meeke spirit in sufferings as the sheep before the shearer when he was reviled he reviled not againe where there is reviling and giving ill language surely there pride is stirring in that heart Cyprian speaking of the Martyrs contemning death and yet were gentle and meek sayes Wee see not that humble loftinesse or that lofty humility in any but in the Martyrs of Christ A Christian doth never tread downe Satan so gloriously as when hee suffers in a right manner for the truth But it is the God of peace that does it in him God as the God of peace treads Satan under our feet but where there is nothing but boisterous tumultuousnesse bitternesse vexation there God does not rule as the God of peace in that heart Sixthly a proud heart is not sensible of its owne unworthinesse that God should use him in suffering or help him through it in any measure wondering at the mercy of God and blessing his Name that whereas he might have suffered from his wrath for sinne in Hell for ever that yet God will rather call him to suffer for his Names sake where it is from a spirituall principle this will be Seventhly if from vaine-glory then in such kinde of sufferings that will bee reproachfull to him and where there are none to honour him in them there he failes if God call him to som kinde of sufferings wherein he should be laid by as a vile and contemptible thing and nobody regarding of him or taking notice of him these sufferings would be very tedious to him or if he lives in such a place where none will joyne with him to encourage him but every man scornes him in them this will be hard to him yea so hard that he cannot beare it But Faith will carry through these if it be the cause of God it is enough to faith it is able to rejoyce in the midst of all reproaches and all scorne and contempt and filth that the world can cast upon it if that which bee done be acceptable to god a gracious heart thinkes there is glory enough put upon it That place 1. Pet. 2. 20. is very observable What glory is it if when ye be buffeted for your fault yee take it patiently but if when you doe well and suffer ye take it patiently this is acceptable with God Mark the opposition If it had beene direct it would have beene thus What glory is it if when yee are buffeted yee take it patiently but if you doe well and suffer patiently this is glorious there is no glory in the other but in this is glory that is the meaning of the Apostle but hee does not say this is glory but this is acceptable to God and in that hee sayes as much for that is the greatest glory to a gracious heart that any thing that he does or suffers may be acceptable to God let it appeare outwardly never so meane and base Eighthly if it be vaine-glory then greater respect and honour in some other thing will take him off If the honour in another thing be greater then that he hath by his sufferings hee will quickly grow weary of his sufferings and will finde out some distinction or other to winde himselfe out of them Many who have beene taken off this way have suffered much a while but finding it heavie and seeing another way wherein they thinke they might better provide for themselves they have by degrees falne off to it and proved base time-servers to the dishonour of God and their owne everlasting shame Demas suffered a