as they heare of me they shall obey me It is a hard thing to convince a man of a suffering Truth if he hath not a suffering heart Many men will say if they were convinced that such a thing were a Truth that if it were a dutie that God requires of them they would yeeld unto it whatsoever became of them but yet they doe not see it to be so but the deceit of their hearts lies here that they knowing they dare not oppose it if they were convinced and that it will bring upon them much trouble if they be forced to yeeld to it therefore they are unwilling to be convinced they shut their eyes against the light arguments of lesse strength can prevaile to convince them in other things but here strong light will not doe it because they fore-see the haâ—d consequences that will follow but where there is a suffering heart a willingnesse to sacrifice all for the least Truth how soone how easily is such a one convinced of any Truth When the mind of the hearer is good it easily assents to the word of Truth sayes Chrysostome Fourthly a Naturall Conscience does not prize an opportunitie of suffering so as those doe who have a Principle of Faith they goe to it as a great mercie they account it as a great priviledge that God calls them forth unto and gives them opportunitie for the testifying of their love to his Name and the expressing the worke of their Grace for his prayse accounting of it the highest improvement that may be to lay downe all at Gods feet in a way of selfe-denyall the other may suffer the same thing but he lookes upon his sufferings as a great part of his miserie and at the way of Gods providence bringing of him thereunto as a great evill unto him Fifthly a Naturall Conscience rests in the thing done in the very worke of enduring troubles there doth not appeare the Grace of God in the manner of his sufferings in the carriage of his Soule in them there doth not appeare the Glory of God in the enabling of him to goe through them neither is he much sollicitous about that but onely how he may beare them and get thorow them but Faith sets on worke all the Graces of Gods Spirit by which the sufferings of one truly gracious are much beautified his Spirit is exceedingly savourie in them Psal 89. 17. It is said God is the glory of the strength of his servants Thou art the glory of their strength Now this was in a time of great trouble to the Church as appeares Verse 38. and so forward But thou hast cast off and abhorred thou hast beene wroth with thine anointed thou hast made void the Covenant of thy servant thou hast prophaned his Crowne by casting it to the ground thou hast broken downe all his hedges all that passe by the way spoyle him he is a reproach to his neighbours c. Yet even at this time God gives such strength to his people as that his Glory shines in it Therefore surely it is more then can be by any naturall worke Sixthly a naturall conscience may put a man upon the way of self-denyall but such a one accounts the wayes of God hard wayes because of the troubles he meets withall in them hee is brought out of love with Gods wayes and hee is weary of them he is even sorry that he came into them and could be content to with-draw himselfe from them if hee knew how to doe it but a beleever suffering in the wayes of God hee still likes well of them hee speakes good of them his heart cleaves close unto them Sufferings are esteemed the better because they are in the wayes of God and the wayes of God are not esteemed the worse because they are in the wayes of Suffering his Suffering confirmes him in them a crucified Christ and persecuted godlinesse are very lovely in his eyes Cant. 1. 13. A bundle of Myrrh is my beloved unto me hee shall lye all night betweene my brests Myrrh is a bitter thing although Christ bee as Myrrh yet he shall lye between my brests next to my heart as most lovely and delightfull to me where there is true godlinesse such a one whatsoever he meets withall in Gods wayes hee never opens his mouth againe to speake against them Ezek. 16. 63. and Psal 44. 17 18 19 20 c. All this is come upon us yet have we not forgotten thee neither have we dealt falsely in thy Covenant our heart is not turned backe neither have our steps declined from thy way though thou hast sore broken us in the place of Dragons and covered us with the shadow of death c. And Psal 89. from the 38. verse to the 52. we read of Ethan making a most lamentable complaint for the miseries of the Church and yet he concludes Blessed be the Lord for evermore and this not formally or slightly but earnestly with much affection and therefore he addes Amen and doubles it Amen Amen as if he should say let the troubles of the Church bee what they will yet God and his wayes shall be for ever blessed in mine eyes in my heart Seventhly where there is onely a naturall conscience such a soule is satisfied rather in its owne peace that it hath by yeelding to that which conscience puts him upon then in any glory that God hath by that which is suffered As he doth not aime at the glory of God but at the quieting of his conscience so he lookes not much after the glory of God that should come in by his sufferings Eighthly naturall conscience may put a man upon denying of the world and suffering hard things yet the heart is never by it crucified unto the world the inward lusts are not mortified there remaines still as much love to the world as ever there was there is yet a drossy uncleane spirit within the corruptions of the heart still remaine in the root howsoever they be kept in for a while by the power of conscience such a one would as gladly enjoy the delight of the world as ever but hee dares not but where Faith is the principle there the inward corruptions of the heart are mottified Faith crucifies the heart unto the world it does not onely enable to deny ones selfe in outward things but it changes the very frame and temper of the heart the inward disposition of the soule is not after any thing in the creature as it was before but it is sanctified it is made heavenly it is raised above any thing that is here below Ninthly where the principle is onely Naturall Conscience there comes in no new supply of strength in the time of suffering but all that is done is by the first strength that put him upon it hee is all the while spending his strength as an Armie that fights without any new succours But Faith brings in new supplies new succours continually strength growes
great spirits but onely godly men Thirdly it argues the power of grace to resist powerfull temptations is powerfull grace It was powerfull grace that enabled Joseph to resist such a temptation as hee had from his Mistresse Luther sayes it was no lesse miracle to overcome the flame of lust in this temptation then it was for those three men to be kept safe in the firy furnace When the World proffers it selfe in the glory and beauty of it unto us the temptation is strong to flesh and bloud Hence wee have so many Caveats in Scripture that when we are full wee should beware that wee forget not God and take heed wee decline not from him then then is the danger when corruption hath matter to feed on yet then to keepe it downe argues strength It is not the worke of a childe to governe a horse pampered full fed in fat pastures It was an argument that David had much power over his affections that though the waters of Bethleem were so longed for of him so desirable to him yet when hee had it before him and might have drunke of it yet then hee could deny himselfe and refused When Esau looked on the pottage of Jacob and saw it was so red so sutable and pleasing to him that hee must needes have it though it cost him his birth-right hee was not able to deny himselfe in giving contentment to his flesh at that one time though he knew it must cost him dear but though all the delights of the World be proffered yet where there is powerfull grace they are rejected It is a strong stomacke that can disgest much fat much honey and sweet things that usually clog weake stomackes so it is a strong spirit that is not overcome with the sweet of much prosperity It argued there was much power in the oath that Saul caused his Army to take 1 Sam. 14. 26. Not to eate any thing that day when though they being faint for want of meate and yet comming through a Wood where honey dropped from the leaves before them as they went yet none dared to touch one drop So here when men are compassed about with all delights and they are flesh and bloud as well as others and they finde the temptation come strongly upon them yet through the assistance of the grace of God they can abstaine this is a great honour to grace and arguing much power in it Fourthly it is a testimony of deare love to the Lord to deny ones selfe for his sake when one is in the highest of enjoyment of all delights to the flesh it is an argument that God is indeed the proper place the centre of the soul when although it hath never so much of the creature to give satisfaction unto it yet it cannot rest but workes still to God through all and from all As a stone though it were in never so good a place although it were in Heaven yet it would desire to descend because the proper place of it is below so let a gracious heart which hath God for the centre be put into any condition never so full of delight yet it is not satisfied it is willing to leave all that it may close with God To seeke after God and make much of godlinesse in the times of affliction may argue selfe love but love to God appeares not then As God manifests his love to us in not sparing his owne Sonne for us so wee manifest our love to God in not sparing our dearest contentments for him This God testifies of Abraham hereby hee knew he loved him indeed in that for his sake hee did not spare his onely sonne Isaac As Psal 45. when the Kings daughter is content to forsake her fathers house and dearest kindred then the King delights in her beauty to pretend love to Christ when the World withdrawes from us whatsoever is lovely in it this is not much but now to have our love burning after Jesus Christ when the World proffers to us all her lovelinesse this is true love Love is bountifull it is shewne to purpose when it shewes it selfe able and willing to part with much for the beloved as that love of God should be for ever accounted deare and pretious that shewes mercy to one at that time when hee is most wicked in the height of sinne even tempting God to destroy him so if when you have the strongest temptations to draw your hearts from God yet even then you can finde your hearts sweetly working towards him closing with him delighting in him here is love unfained this is love that God will owne and make much of for ever As the Idolatrous Jewes shewed their love to their Idols by plucking off their eare rings and parting with their Jewels and most pretious things they had for the honour of their Idols so doe the true worshippers of God shew their love to him when they doe part with much that is pretious and delightfull to flesh and bloud Fifthly this gives God the glory of all our prosperity which shewes wee acknowledge it to be from him and for him and that wee have it not for our selves but for the setting forth his praise When God gives us much of the creature wee mistake his meaning if we thinke hee gives it us to enjoy as we please for hee gives all to use for himselfe and where this is much acknowledged there God is much glorified if wee mistake not Gods meaning yet at least we forget upon what tearmes wee receive all our comforts from God namely that wee may returne them againe to him they are the words of a Heathen thou forgettest that thou hast received those things speaking of worldly prosperity to returne them againe Sixthly this gives testimony to the world that surely there are wonderfull blessed things that God acquaints the soule withall in the wayes of godlinesse that there is much sweet and contentment to be had in those wayes they see something more glorious that makes them so little to regard the glory that there is in the things of the World when men might have all content in what the World affords and yet they are willing to deny all for Christ surely they finde much sweetnesse in Jesus Christ that takes up their hearts and satisfies their soules or else they would never doe as they doe they have found something better then all these things something that the world knowes not of that makes them doe as they doe they would not let goe their hold in these outward things were it not they had found something better If you see a Bee leave a faire flower and sticke upon another you may conclude that she findes most Honey dew in that flower shee most stickes upon So here Gods people would never leave so many faire flowers in the Worlds Garden had they not some other in which they finde most sweetnesse Christ hath his Garden into which he brings his beloved
services for the honour of his name as Saul collected from the spirit of David when he saw how he was able to deny himselfe in not taking that advantage he had of him when he might have had his will upon him to the full blessed bee thou my sonne David sayes Saul thou shalt both doe great things and shalt also still prevaile 1 Sam. 26. 25. So when a man may have his will to the full and yet can deny himselfe it is a signe that God intends to use selfe-denying spirits in his service none to them and this selfe-deniall is of the highest kind Thirdly this is the highest improvement of all outward mercies that may bee this changes poore meane things into most excellent glorious things it is impossible to make so much advantage of any thing in the world any other way as in this way here is a spirituall divine improvement of naturall of vaine drossie things here is a turning of stubble and dirt into gold and pearles for great and precious and glorious are the mercies that God uses to recompence this selfe-deniall withall Fourthly this selfe-deniall is highly acceptable to God God glories in such Daniel kept close to God and denyed himselfe much in his great prosperity and hee is called a man greatly beloved Cap. 10. 11. vir desideriorum a man of desires so the words are as when a man is compassed with temptation to despaire a little breathing of faith is acceptable so when hee is compassed with temptation of satisfying the flesh of security of presumption then a little much more eminent selfe-deniall oh how acceptable is it Fifthly if you in the fulnesse of all your earthly contentments shall acknowledge Iesus Christ and bee willing to lay downe all for him when he shall come in the fulnesse of his glory hee will acknowledge you and will put glory upon you when hee shall come with his mighty Angels full of majestie to be admired of his Saints then he shall owne you and make you partakers of his owne glory hee will then remember every cup of cold water given for his names sake much more then the giving him the praise and honour of so much in the things of the world as you have enjoyed The being made partaker of the fulnesse of Christs honour in that day will then a thousand times recompence the emptying of your selves of any fulnesse of outward contentments in the creature you have had here Sixthly if ever you should live to come to come to any adversity in this world surely it will bee much sweetned to you if you bee willing to give God the honour of the sweet of prosperity though adversity may come yet God will keepe the bitternesse of it from you if you so know God in prosperity as to deny the comforts of it for him hee will so know you in adversity as to take off the gall and bitternesse of it from you in all your seeking of God in the time of trouble you may have a holy boldnesse and freedom of spirit having assurance that it is not out of selfe-love that you seeke him that it is not out of constraint because driven to him by afflictions but it is out of love to that God to whom your soule flowes as to a God in whō you have an especiall interest that God who was so deare to you in the midst of the enjoyment of the abundance of the creature so that now in the want of all things you shall bee freed from those checkes of spirit that others have damping their hearts when they are about seeking after the Lord in the time of their trouble Seventhly it is so much the more honorable and may bee so much the more comfortable to you by how much the more rare it is God hath but few selfe-denying spirits in the world there are a word of people that will be crying to him in the times of affliction but a few peculiar ones who have hearts to seeke his face and honour his name in the height of their prosperity few that are then humble and selfe-denying to be set on high and yet to have the heart kept downe is hard and unusuall saies Bernard but the more unusuall the more glorious CHAP. VII Reproofe of those who greedily pursue sensuall delights THe second use is for Reproofe to those who greedily give up their hearts to the enjoyment of all the carnall and sensuall delight that they can take in the abundance of the outward mercies that God hath given them knowing no higher good of them then to take their fill of cannall delight from them blessing themselves in them little thinking of God or any service that God calls for at their hands in the use of them They know not how to rejoyce and not to let out themselves to the full beyond all bounds of moderation They know not how to make any conjunction betweene rejoycing and moderation they thinke there is such a distance betweene these two that they can never be joyned in one but marke how wide these are from the minde of the Holy Ghost Phil. 4. 4 5. Rejoyce alwaies and againe I say rejoyce what followes then let us let out our hearts to the full let us satisfie our selves to the utmost way but let your moderation be knowne to all men many who care not how they neglect full oportunities for the service of God or receiving spirituall blessings from God yet will bee sure to take to the full all the advantage they can of all their outward prosperitie to fatten their hearts in all manner of carnall jollity and brutish sensuality they let out their hearts to the utmost to this making the bounty of God but as fuell to their lusts and meanes to fatt up their hearts to destruction and to make them the more bold and impudent in sinning against him Doe you thinke in your consciences that this is the end why God hath given you an abundance of these outward things more then others what did God aime at no higher end then this is there no other way whereby God may bee more glorified by that you have will it rejoyce your hearts hereafter to remember what you have done how many are there who have their hearts so glued to the comforts of the creature that they enjoy that they had rather venture to part with God and conscience and those blessed things they heare of Christ and of eternity then venture the losse of these present delights that they see before them as that prophane Duke of Burbon in France said he would not give his part in Paris for his part in Paradise what more apparent argument can there be that you have these things as your portion you are the man who have your portion in this life you are never like to have any other good from God Yea a certaine argument it is that all these things are for the present cursed to you
you have them with much wrath mingled with them you may blesse your selves in your way but you are most lamentable objects to behold in the esteeme of all who are gracious and holy and what a dishonourable thing will it both to God and your selves then to come in and seeke God when all outward contentments are gone when you have had your lusts to the full then to come to God to helpe and relieve you in all your straights with what face can you think to finde acceptance from him surely you will curse the time that ever you had such prosperity so much of the creature as you have had if you have thought the comforts and contentments you have enjoyed in a few creatures were too good and too great to part withall for God hee will thinke his mercy too good and too great for you But wee use the comforts wee have onely in lawfull things For answere to this I will onely propound these considerations First doe you feare are you jealous of your selves lest you should let out your hearts too farre in them Doe you seriously consider that there is a snare in them That there may be danger yea very great danger if you take not heed In whatsoever things the world smiles on us for a time there is more ensnarement then ornament sayes Augustine Secondly are your desires as strong in seeking God for grace to use them for his honour as your joyes are in the use of them for satisfying your selves Thirdly doe you oft examine your hearts and wayes for feare God should not have that honour from them that is infinitely due unto him Fourthly what does conscience say when you are in afflictions when you apprehend God is calling you to an account for them does it not tell you that your hearts have beene let out too greedily after them Fifthly Answer as in the presence of God would you prize a lesse estate with more opportunity of service more then a great estate with lesse opportunity of service and are you more troubled when you are crossed in opportunity of service then when you are crossed in your desires and delights in the enjoyment of the creature Lastly if you have a care to use that prosperous estate you have for God either God hath much glory from you in it or else you have much joy in it surely where there are great estates there are great opportunities of glorifying God but hath God great glory from you hath hee more then from others in meane estates or if not whether is it the griefe of your soules that you should enjoy so much from God and God have so little honour from you what strangers are most men to such considerations as these they take all the delight they can in the creatures they have never considering what is Gods end in his bounty towards them or what will be peace to them in their end of the enjoyment of them this is a sore and a grievous evill CHAP. VIII The fulnesse of creatures comforts to be laid downe at Christs feet THE third use is this Let those then that have a fulnesse in all outward contentments bee perswaded in the feare of the Lord to give God the glory of them his owne way if hee please to call for them in any selfe-denying way let him have them The Lord sayes to you concerning them as Christ to Peter Lovest thou mee more then these so lovest thou mee more then all those delightfull things you enjoy how happy you if you can upon due examination of your hearts give in that answer that Peter did Lord thou knowest that I love thee thou knowest that I love thee more then all these things they are good things in themselves but thou art infinitely more to mee thy praise and thy honour is a thousand thousand times more to mee then all these things Lord thou that knowest all things knowest that thus I love thee more then these It may be God gives abundance of these things to try you to see what is in your heart as Salomon sayes of praise it is as the sining pot to the silver so it may be said of all outward prosperity that it is as the fining pot to the silver to discover what drosse there is in it now upon tryall shall it bee found that these things have more of thy heart then God himselfe if you had a heart to deny your selfe in these things now while you may injoy them at the height though it may seeme that much comfort and sweetnesse is lost that might be had yet in truth there is nothing lost no not for the present for in the very exercise of selfe-denyall in them you will finde more sweetnesse then ever was or can be felt in the enjoyment of them There is nothing more pleasant to man then to get victory to get victory in sports to get victory over the creature is full of delight to get victory over our enemies hath more delight in it but to get victory over our selves to bee able to overcome our selves hath the greatest delight of all in it especially when it is for God no such sweetnesse as this is to the spirit of a man Those doe not enjoy most comfort of their lives who are mad upon their owne wills and desires and cannot endure to have their mindes crossed in any thing but those have the greatest comfort who are able to deny themselves most and it may be you may enjoy all the outward comforts you have neverthelesse the more willing you are to deny your selves in them the longer you may enjoy them to have a heart willing to part with them may bee the onely way to keepe them and to be sure while you have them you shall enjoy them in a better manner with more comfort then any other enjoy that that they have whilst your heart in the midst of them is more upon God then upon them they that will lose their lives and so their estates their honours and delights shall save them oh how sweet are all outward blessings when wee have laid them downe at Gods feet and he gives us them againe to enjoy Whereas on the contrary by the greedinesse of your hearts upon them and unwillingnesse to part with them you may have them rent away from you in wrath so that you shall not enjoy the comfort of them and yet you may perish for ever for that distemper of heart in the inordinate setting of it upon them Many perish in their inordinate affections towards outward things and yet have them not others have the comfort and blessing of selfe-denyall and yet enjoy their outward contentments to the full Oh how much better is it that when wee are at the height of our prosperity then to get our hearts to fall and to deny our selves for God then that God should even in our height seize upon us in his wrath as it is Gods
while with Paul but at last he for sooke him and embraced this present world Ninthly when a man is acted by his pride there is joyned with his sufferings a desire of revenge hee would if he could return evill for evill and doth as farre as hee dares The heart is enraged against those from whom they doe suffer but those who have Faith to be their principle they commit their cause to God though men curse they blesse they can heartily pray for their persecuters as Christ and Stephen did for theirs The Banner over a gracious heart in all the troubles that befall it is Love and therefore whatsoever the wrongs be that are offered to such there is still a Spirit of Love preserved in it Tenthly if vaine-glory be the principle hee loves to make his sufferings knowne and in the making of them knowne he will aggravate them with all the circumstances he can to make them appeare the more grievous that so hee in the suffering of them may appeare the more glorious It is a good observation that Master Brightman hath upon that expression of Saint John Rev. 1. 9. I was in the I le that is called Patmos he does not say I was banished into the I le by the wicked cruelty and malice of mine enemies No onely thus I was in the I le The humble man rather desires that his sufferings might make God knowne then that himselfe or any others should make his sufferings knowne he desires no further notice should bee taken of them then whereby God may bee glorified in them Lastly a proud man makes his boast of himselfe what he did and how hee answered and what successe hee had whereas the other makes his boast onely of God The boasting in our selves in regard of our services or sufferings makes both us and all that we doe or suffer to be vile and base in the eyes of God and man It is a notable witty expression of Luther by mens boasting of what they have done sayes he haec ego feci haec ego feci I have done this and I have done this they become nothing else but Feces that is dregges Thirdly a man may suffer much likewise from a Naturall conscience where there is no principle of Faith yet this is the best principle of all others next to that of Faith but it may be where there is true sanctifying and saving grace many of the Heathens suffered much in their way of Religion out of the principle of a naturall conscience As Socrates was condemned to be poisoned for opposing the multiplicity of Gods teaching that there was but one God In a way of justice the Naturall Conscience of Fabritius set him so strong against any opposition that it was said of him That you might sooner turne the course of the Sunne then Fabritius from the course of justice Now Naturall Conscience may put a man upon a way of suffering First by the strength of that conviction it hath of some Truths of God of the Equitie of them of that Divine Authoritie that there is in them of the dependance they have upon the prima veritas the first Truth which is God himselfe Secondly Naturall Conscience may be convinced of a greater good that there is in the enjoyment of the peace and quiet of the mind then in the enjoyment of all outward comforts whatsoever and a greater evill in the torment of spirit and miserie that will follow if any thing be done against that light it hath then there is in all evils that the world can inflict Thirdly Naturall Conscience may so urge Truths upon the Soule it may so follow it with importunitie casting feares and terrors into the heart that it will never suffer the Soule to be at quiet in a way of selfe-seeking in any way of providing for the flesh contrarie to that light that God hath set up in it Wherefore although there be not much naturall courage in a man nor seeking vaine-glory from men yet the losse of many comforts and many evils may be suffered out of the power of the light that there is in a Naturall Conscience But there is much difference betweene this kind of suffering and that which comes from a Principle of Faith as thus First where it is onely from a Naturall Conscience the Soule is urged and put on by force of a command but it is not encouraged by it receives not strength from it is not sweetened with the Promise it findes no Promise of the second Covenant at least no abilitie to close with any Promise from whence it receives helpe in the sufferings but where there is a Principle of Faith the Soule findes three sorts of Promises in the Gospel with which it closeth from which it findes much helpe As first the Promises of assistance secondly the Promises of acceptance thirdly the Promises of reward both here and eternally hereafter These Naturall Conscience hath no skill in it puts on a man to suffer but it gives no strength he goeth to it in his owne strength Conscience urgeth the Soule so as it dares not doe otherwise but it doth not assure it that God accepts either of person or performance it lookes to present quiet having nothing to perswade it that it shall at length attaine unto the glorious reward that God hath promised unto those who suffer out of faith for his Name sake Secondly Naturall Conscience doth not make a man glad of that light it hath and the power and activenesse that there is in it that it will not suffer him to be at quiet unlesse he doe denie himselfe in that which is deare unto him if he had not that light which he hath he might enjoy himselfe in his owne way without that trouble and vexation of spirit that now he feeles he therefore opposeth and seekes to extinguish his light rather then to use any meanes to maintaine and cherish it but where there is a Principle of Faith that Soule loves that light it hath and blesseth God for it accounting of it a great mercie and therefore seekes by all meanes to maintaine and encrease it and joynes side with it all he can Thirdly where there is onely a Naturall Conscience such a one is very hardly brought to suffer any thing he seekes to put off the Truth as much as he can that he might not be convinced by it there must be wonderfull cleare evidence that he can by no meanes shift off or else he will never be convinced he will part with nothing unlesse it be wrung from him with great strength of undeniable evidence of the Truth it must so shine upon his face as that he cannot shut his eyes against it but where there is a Principle of Faith it is not so the Soule being willing and readie to yeeld up all it is or hath to God it is as willing to entertaine suffering Truths as any other Psal 18. 44. As soone