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A39682
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A saint indeed: or The great work of a Christian, opened and pressed; from Prov. 4. 23 Being a seasonable and proper expedient for the recovery of the much decayed power of godliness, among the professors of these times. By John Flavell M. of the Gospel.
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Flavel, John, 1630?-1691.
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1668
(1668)
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Wing F1187; ESTC R218294
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100,660
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242
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heart and is not this a more glorious conquest if by revenge thou overcome thine enemy yet as Bernard saith inselix victoria ubi superans virum succumbit vitio unhappy victory when by overcoming another man thou art overcome by thine own corruption but this way you may obtain a glorious conquest indeed What an honourable and dry victory did David this way obtain over Saul 1 Sam. 24. 16 17. And it came to pass whon David had made an end of speaking these words that Saul lift up his voice and wept and he said to David thou art more righteous than I. It must be a very diâ—-ingenious nature indeed upon which meekness and forgiveness will not work a stony heart which this fire will not melt To this sense is that Prov. 25. 21. If thine enemy hunger feed him if he thirst give him drink for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head Some will have it a sin punishing fire but others an heart melting fire to be sure t will either melt his heart or aggravate his misery Augustin thinks that Stevens prayer for his enemies was the great means of Pauls conversion 5. Rem Seriously propound this question to thy own heart have I got any good by the wrong and injuries received or have I not It they have done you no good turn the reveng upon your selves O that I should have such a bad heart that can get no good out of such troubles O that my Spirit should be so unlike to Christs the patience and meekness of other Christians have turnâ—d all the injuries thrown at them into precious stones the Spirits of others have been raised in blessing God when they have been loaded with reproaches by the world they have bound them as an ornament to their necks Superbus fio said Luther quod video nomen pessimum mihi crescere I could even be proud upon it that I have a bad name among wicked men to the same purpose Ierome sweetly Gratias ago Deo meo quod dignus sum quem mundus oderit I thanke my God that I am worthy to be hated of the world thus their hearts were provoked by injuries to magnifie God and bless him for them if it work contrary with me I have cause enough to be filled with self displacency If you have got any good by them if the reproaches and wrongs you have received have mâ—de you search your hearts the more waâ—ch your ways the more narrowly if thâ—â—r wâ—onging you have made you see how you have wronged God then let me say for them as Paul did for himself pray fâ—rgive them this wrong What can you not find an â—eart to forgive one that hath 〈◊〉 instrumental of so much good to you thaâ—â—s strange what though they meant it for evil yâ—t if God have turned it to good you have no more reason to rage against the instrument then he had who received a wound from his enemy which only brake and let out that impostume which otherwise had been his death 6. Râ—m 'T is of excellent use to keep the heart from revenge to look up and eye the first cause by which all our troubles are ordered This will calm and meeken our Spirits quickly never did a wicked tongue try the patience of a Saint more than Davids was tryed by that railing Shimei yet the Spirit of this good man was not at all poiâ—oned with revenge though he goes along cursing and casting stones at him all the way yea though Abishai offered David if he pleased the head of that enemy but the King said What have I to doe with you ye sons of Zerviah So let him curse because the Lord hath said unto him curse David Who shall then say wherefore hast thou done so it may be God uses him as his rod to lash me because I by my sin made his enemies to blaspheme him and shall I be angry with the rod how irrational were that this also was it that quieted Iob he doth not rail and vow revenge upon the Caldeans and Sabeans but eyes God as the orderer of those troubles and is quiet The Lord hath taken away blessed be his name Job 1. 21. Object But you will say To turn aside the right of a man to subvert a man in his cause the Lord approveth not Lam. 3. 36. Ans. True but though it fall not under his approving yet it doth under his permitting will and there is a great argument for quiet submission in that nay he hath not only the permitting but the ordering of all those troubles did we see more of an holy God we should shew less of a corrupt nature in such tryals 7. Rem Consider how you daily wrong God and you will not be so easily inflamed with revenge against others that have wronged you You are daily grieving and wronging God and yet he bears forgives and will not take vengeance upon you and will you be so quick in avenging your selves upon others O what a sharp and terrible rebuke is that Matth. 18. 32 33. O thou wicked and slothful servant I forgave thee all that debt because thou deâ—iredst me shouldst not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow servant even as I had pity upon thee None should be filled with bowels of pity forbearance and mercy to such as wrong them as those should be that have experienced the riches of mercy themselves methinks the mercy of God to us should melt our very bowels into mercy over others 't is impossible we can be cruel to others except we forget how kind Christ hath been to us those that have â—ound mercy should shew mercy if kindness cannot work methinks fear should If ye forgive not men their trespasses neither will your Father forgive your trespasses Matth. 6. 15. 8. Rem Lastly let the Consideration of the day of the Lord which draweth nigh withhold your hearts from anticipating it by acts of revenge Why are ye so quick is not the Lord at hand to aveng all his abused servants Be patient therefore my brethren unto the coming of the Lord Behold the husbandman waiteth c. Be ye also patient for the coming of the Lord draws nigh grudg not one against another brethren least ye be condemned Behold the judge standeth at the door Iam. 5. 7 8 9. This text affords three arguments against reveng 1 The Lords near approach 2 The example of the husbandmans patience 3 The danger we draw upon our selves by anticipating Gods judgment vengeance is mine saith the Lord he will distribute justice more equally and impartially than you can they that believe they have a God to right them will not so much wrong themselves as to avenge their own wrongs 1. Ob. But flesh and bloud is not able to bear such abuses Sol. If you resolve to consult flesh and blood in such cases and do no more but what that will enable you to do never pretend to Religion Christians must do singular and
majestick beams of holiness shining from their heavenly and serious conversations shall awe the world and command reverence from all that are about them when they shall warm the hearts of those that come nigh them so that men shall say God is in these men of a truth Well such a time may again be exspected according to that promise Isai. 60. 21. The people shall be all righteous But till we fall closer to this great work of keeping our hearts I am out of hopes to see those blessed daies I cannot exspect better times till God give better hearts doth it not grieve you to see what a scorn religion is made in the world what objects of contempt and scorn the professors of it are made in the world Professors would you recover your credit would you again obtain an honourable testimony in the Consciences of your very enemies then keep your hearts watch your hearts t is the loosness frothiness and earthliness of your hearts that â—ath made your lives so and this hath brought you under contempt of the world you first lost your sights of God and communion with him then your heavenly and serious deportment among men and by that your interest in their Consciences O then for the credit of religion for the honour of your profession keep your hearts 7. Mot. By diligence in keeping our hearts we should prevent and remove the fatal scandals and stumbling blocks out of the way of the world Wo to the world saith Christ because of offences Matth. 18. 7. doth not shame cover your faces doe not your hearts bleed within you to heare of the scandalous mâ—scarriages of many loose professors could you not like Shem and Iaphet goe backward with a garment to cover the shame of many professors how is that worthy name blasphemed 2 Iames 7. 2. Sam. 12. 13 14. the hearts of the righteous sadned Psal. 25. 3. Ezek. 36. 20. by this the world is fearfully prejudiced against Christ and religion the bonds of death made fast upon their Souls those that had a general love and likeing to the ways of God staâ—tled and quite driven back and thus Soul bloud is shed wo to the World Yea how are the Consciences of fallen professors plunged and even overwhelmed in the deeps of trouble God inwardly excommunicating their Souls from all comfortable fellowship with himself and the joys of his salvation infinite are the mischiefs that come by the scandalous lives of professors And what is the true cause and reason of all this but the neglecting of their hearts were our hearts better kept all this would be prevented had David kept his heart he had not broken his bones a neglected careless heart must of necessity produce a disorderly scandalous life I thanke God for the freedome and faithfulness of a reverend brother in shewing professors their manifold miscarriages and from my heart doe wish that when their wounds have been throughly searched by that probe God would be pleased to heal them by this Plaister O professors if ever you will keep religion sweet if ever you hope to recover the credit of it in the world keep your hearts either keep your hearts or lose your credit keep your hearts or lose your comforts keep your hearts least ye shed Soul bloud what words can express the deep concernments the wonderful consequences of this work every thing puts a necessity a solemnity a beauty upon it 8. Mot. An heart well kept will fit you for any condition God casts you into or any service he hath to use you in He that hath learnt how to keep his heart lowly is fit for prosperity and he that knows how to use and apply to it Scripture promises and supports is fit to pass through any adversity he that can deny the pride and selfishness of his heart is fit to be imployed in any service for God such a man was Paul he did not only spend his time in preaching to others in keeping others vineyards but he lookt to himself kept his own vineyard 1 Cor. 9. 27. Least when I have preached to others I my self should be a cast away and what an eminent instrument was he for God he could turn his hand to any work he could dexterously manage both an adverse and prosperous condition I know how to abound and how to suffer want let the people deifie him it moves him not unless to indignation Let them stone him he can bear it if a man purge himself from these saith he 2 Tim. 2. 21. He shall be a Vessel unto honour sanctified and meet for the masters use and prepared unto every good work First the heart must be purged and then t is prepared for any service of God when the heart of Isaiah was purified which was the thing signified by the touching of his lips with a coal from the Altar Isai. 6. 7. then he was fit for Gods work here am I send me v. 8. a man that hath not learned to keep his heart put him upon any service for God and if it be attended with honour it shall swell up and overtop his spirit if with suffering it will exanimate and sink him Jesus Christ had an instrumental fitness for his fathers work above all the servants that ever God imployed he was zealous in publick work for God so zealous that sometimes he forgat to eat bread yea that his friends thought he had been besides himself but yet he so carried on his publick work as not to forget his own private communion with God and therefore you read in Matth. 14. 23. that when he had been labouring all day yet after that he went up to a mountain apart to pray and was there alone O let the keepers of the vineyards look to their own vineyard we shall never be so instrumental to the good of others as when we are most diligent about our own Souls 9. Mot. If the people of God would more diligently keep their hearts how exceedingly would the communion of Saints be thereby sweetnedâ— How goodly then would be thy tents O Iacob and thy tabernacles O Israel then as t is prophesied of the Jews Zech. 8. 23. Men would say we will go with you for we have heard that God is among you T is the fellowship your Souls have with the Father and with the Son that draws out the desires of others after fellowship with you 1 Ioh. 1. 3. I tell you if Saints would be perswaded to take more pains and spend more time about their hearts there would quickly be such a divine lustre upon the face of their coversations that men would account it no small priviledge to be with or near them T is the pride passion and earthliness of our hearts that hath spoiled Christian fellowship whence is it that when Christians meet they are often jarring and contending but only their unmortified passions whence are their uncharitable censures of their brethren but only from self ignorance why are they so rigid