The True Christians Test OR A DISCOVERY Of the LOVE and LOVERS OF THE WORLD In Two Parts I. Of MAN Considered in his Moral Capacity in an Hundred Meditations Derived from 1 John 2. 15. II. Of MAN Considered in his Political Capacity in Forty nine Meditations Derived from 1 John 2. 15. Non dubium est quam illud magis amemus quod anteponimus Salv. In so saying thou reprovest us also By Samuel Shaw Minister of the Gospel LONDON Printed by Thomas James for Samuel Tidmarsh at the Kings-head in Corn-hill MDCLXXXII To the Right Honourable THEOPHILUS Earl of Huntingdon Lord Hastings Hungerford Botreaux Molyns and Moyls RIGHT HONOURABLE WHen Men are once firmly perswaded of the certainty of another World and do verily believe the Doctrine of Eternal Life revealed in the Holy Scriptures of God there is all reason in the World methinks to conclude that the first Enquiry should be How they themselves shall become partakers of it For who can be imagin'd to be sincere in his belief of so Glorious and Blissful a State that takes no thoughts how he shall obtain it or not so many thoughts as what he shall eat and drink and put on that sits down contented having given himself that cold answer which was once given to the Mother of Zebedees Children It shall be given to them for whom it is prepared Therefore to justifie the sincerity of their belief most Men do fancy to themselves something or other that will entitle them to this happiness though not so much perhaps because they account it so blessed a thing to obtain as dangerous and shameful to miss of it Amongst the many particulars that men do imagine will give them a claim to Everlasting Life The Love of God is one of the greatest and as much pretended to as any It is so Universal a Plea that I scarce think there is any Man who calls himself a Christian but he will make it Not to love God sounds so ill that it makes the Ears of the most Profligate Christian to Tingle when it is charg'd upon him But notwithstanding all these pretences to the Love of God it is most Evident that a great part of the pretenders are indeed strangers to it inasmuch as they may be convicted of the Love of the World which is inconsistant with it To find out and cast out therefore the Love of the World must needs be the most important Enquiry and Endeavour of Man of every man in the World Your Lordship will easily believe me if I tell you that although Men be never so great and high in the World if the World be great and high in their Hearts the Love of God is not in them Although Men have never so much of this worlds Good if at the same time they be unmerciful and uncharitable the Love of God dwells not in them This is expresly the Apostle James his Doctrine But to speak a little the closer though a man be instructed in all Wisdome and furnisht with all Variety of Arts and Sciences that he can name all things as properly as Adam or discourse of their Natures as learnedly as Solomon if yet the Love of the World be Predominant in him he is but a vain pretender to the Kingdom of Heaven a great stranger to the Life of Angels Though a Man know and believe all the wonderful Doctrines deliver'd in the Holy Book if this Faith do not operate to the purifying of the Heart from the Love of the World he is at present as far from having a true title to the Kingdom of Heaven as they of whom the Apostle gives this Character That they Believe and Tremble In a word though a Man be a Member of the Purest and most Reformed Church be never so Orthodox in his Judgment never so constant and specious in External Acts of Worship never so even and blameless in his Conversation never so exact in Works of Righteousness and abundant in Works of Charity and Mercy if yet in his heart he prefer the World before God he will be interpreted a Lover of the World and consequently an Enemy of the Father I do verily believe my Lord that I do here present you with a Treatise written about the most Important Enquiry in the World They are Morning Meditations stollen from the ordinary Employment of my Life which I do present to the World meerly to advance the Love and Honour of God amongst Men and do Dedicate to your Lordship in a grateful acknowledgment of your kind Respects to me and in Testimony of the Honour that I bear to your Lordships good Design of promoting Piety and establishing Peace in this Nation I beseech your Lordship favourably to accept the Oblation and I heartily pray God that as his Providence hath made you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 very Illustrious amongst the English Families so by his Grace you may ever approve your self Tam re quam nomine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oh how Blessed and Honourable a thing will it be found to be sooner or later to be a Sâ—ncere and Ardent Lover of God! To his good Grace and Guidance I heartily recommend your Lordship and rest My Lord Your Honours most humble Servant SAM SHAW The True Christians Test OR A DISCOVERY Of the LOVE and LOVERS OF THE WORLD In Forty nine Meditations Derived From 1 John 2. 15. The Second Part. Of MAN Considered in his Political Capacity By Sam. Shaw Minister of the Gospel LONDON Printed by Tho. James for Samuel Tidmarsh at the Kings-head in Cornhill MDCLXXXII To the Right Honourable THOMAS Earl of Stamford Lord Gray of Grooby MY LORD I Have little more to recommend me to your Lordship than that I am your Countreyman and Neighbour which yet is a Relation that your singular Humility and Affability is not wont to despise though in a person otherwise despicable ethough But your Lordships Love of and great desâ—re to serve the Interest of your Countrey does recommend you abundantly to the World and does tempt me to speak of it in this Dedication My Lord I intend not a Panigyrick of your Lordship which they that are acted by a Worldly Spirit and design Worldly Advantages might think worth their while to contrive May your praise be of God and not of Men And of God I am sure your praise will be if you be a Predominant Lover of him I beseech your Lordship to strip your self of all your Worldly Quality bâ—t an hour or two whilst you peruse the black Characters of a Lover of the World and the just Motives to the Love of God and then whatever exceptions Learned or Witty or Worldly men may make against these Meditations which I believe will be many if you do not judiciously account the Love of God to be the highest Honour and purest Happiness of Man I will be content how loath soever to be accounted not to be what really I am Your Honours Most humble Servant SAM SHAW THE HEADS Of
338. l. 4. r. etymologies l. 25. r. notation p. 339. l. 4. r. Vetarbith p. 346. l. 1. r. it p. 351. l. 2. 〈◊〉 MAN Considered in His MORAL CAPACITY PART I. MEDITAT I. Introductory REturn O my mind Return What dost thou so early in the World Art thou not afraid lest this unseasonable Excursion should be a Symptom of a Lover of the World And think oh think what a dangerous what a deadly thing it is to be a Lover of the World Thou needest no more to convince thee of this but that one plain Text of the devout Apostle St. John If any man love the World the Love of the Father is not in him Are not these words plain to be understood Are they not startling to any one that understands them But if thou wilt think on a little further thou wilt find that the whole Gospel runs in this strain There is no Doctrine deliver'd either more plainly or more frequently than this The Apostle James does so fully consent with his Brother John in this Doctrine as if they spoke with the same mouth Jam. 4. 4. The friendship of the World is enmity with God Whosoever therefore will be a Friend of the World is the Enemy of God And this he speaks of either as a Truth generally known or very important as appears by the Interrogatory Form of Speech wherewith he ushers it in Know ye not As if he should either say It is a thing well known or it is a thing well worthy to be known The Apostle Paul though junior to both these yet knew this great Doctrine as well as they and delivers it almost in the same words with them Rom. 8. 7. The oarnal mind is enmity against God He makes the spirit of the world and the Spirit of God directly contrary the one to the other 1 Cor. 2. 12. writing to the Galatians he makes the plain end of Christ's giving himself for us to be that he might deliver us from this present evil world Gal. 1. 4. and chap. 6. 14. He makes this to be the great priviledge that he had by Christ Jesus that by him he was crucified to the World Writing to his Philippians he makes it the short but sure Character of the Enemies of Christ that they mind earthly things Phil. 3. 18 19. And writing to his Son Timothy he gives him the reason why Demas had forsaken him and the Work and Profession of the Gospel viz. Because he was in ove with this World plainly intimating That the Gospel and the World are inconsistent one heart cannot hold them And all these do but in different words speak that which they had heard of or had been taught by their Lord and Master who in the days of his Ministry openly declared That no Man could serve God and Mammon Mat. 6. 24. Ye cannot serve God and Mammon And at another time as I suppose in the self-same words Luke 16. 13. Ye cannot serve God and Mammon If this Doctrine delivered by so many and so worthy hands be true and cannot be spoken against Return O my Soul Return Fuge nata Deo teque immundo eripe mundo Strengthen me O my God unto the hearty and effectual Belief of this Proposition That I may be as afraid of the prevalent love of the World as I would dread to be accounted what is not to be named without horror an Hater of God! MEDITAT II. The Method of the Ensuing Meditations MY great Design shall be to determine the Lovers of the World and to distinguish them from the Lovers of the Father Inasmuch as the Love of God is the Great Commandment and the Great Test of Christians and the Love of the World is so contrary to it and exclusive of it it must needs be worthy of the most serious consideration of the most serious Christians rightly to state and know the condition of their own Souls in this matter But it will not be amiss first to take a general Survey of the words of the Apostle John 1 John 2. 15. and in a preliminary manner to gloss upon the several terms in the Text. After that I will consider the World in a Physical and in a Theological Sense And Man in a Moral and Civil Capacity The World consider'd in a Physical Sense will afford but little Matter pertinent to my Design But the World considered in a Theological Sense will comprehend the Things of the World the Persons of the World the Business of the World the Fashions of the World the Wisdom of the World and the God of the World Under the Things of the World I will comprehend the Profits of the World the Pleasures of the World and the Honours of the World Whil'st I consider of the Lovers of the Profits of the World I must meditate of Injustice Worldly Confidence Covetousness Carefulness Discontentedness Impatience and Uncharitableness When I consider of Injustice I must meditate of those that use undue means for worldly advantage and those that use due means in an undue manner Under the first of these will come to be taxt Stealing Defrauding Lying Oppression Bribery Under the second will be taxt all those that ossend in the Degree and in the Season of seeking the World When I come to meditate of the Lovers of the Pleasures of the Wotld I must consider of Fleshly Pleasures unlawful in their Matter in their Measure in their Manner and in their Season And of Fantastical Pleasures under which I must meditate of Revenge Idleness Easefulness And under this last will come to be consider'd Worldly Fear viz. Fear of Sickness Fear of the Death of Friends Fear of Poverty and of Persecution When I come to consider of the Lovers of the Honours of the World it will be proper to meditate of seeking the Approbation of Men of Pride in Birth Pride in Beauty in Apparel in Children in Wit and Learning in Riches in Strength in Priviledges in Power and Great Place in Vertuous Actions and in a Party After the Things of the World will come to be consider'd the Persons of the World And these are either ones Self ones Relations or other Men. Under the first will be consider'd Self-love and the several kinds of it To the last will be reduc'd the foul sin of Flattery When I come to consider of worldly Business it will be proper to distinguish between a Holy Activity and a Sensual Curiosity When I come to meditate of the Fashions of the World I shall have a fit opportunity to meet with the Sin of Swearing When I come to consider of the worldly Wisdom the Apostle St. James will direct me to meditate of it in this Order viz. of the Impure Wisdom the Envious Wisdom the Contentious Wisdom the Implacable Wisdom the Merciless Wisdom the Unfruitful Wisdom the Partial Wisdom and the Hypocritical Wisdom When I come to consider the God of this World I must consider his Servants his Allies and his Children Under the first
remoteness from him as we are should sin in him Though neither of which seem incredible yet both of them seem inexplicable If we lay the fault at the door of each pre-existent Soul it seems indeed to be just but still it is as strange as it was before For so every single Soul is an Adam for purity and soundness of Constitution and how shall we do to account for the Apostasie of so many Adams if we be puzled at the Fall of one But alas The mysterious Intricacy of this is not so great but that the manifest evidence of the matter of Fact is as great It is enough Ah Lord it is more than enough to know and see which indeed we cannot hide our eyes from that this noble Vine is turned into a degenerate Plant That the Native Friends and Favorites of God are become Lovers yea Servants yea Worshippers of the World And the greatness of their Number is too too evident in these Meditations which yet I am sensible have not described all Some possibly will think these too many I cannot help it but the Discovery is in order to their Recovery Others possibly in another Extreme will think these too few and will extend the predominant Love of the World further than I do or dare Some are so fierce that every Body must needs be carnal and corrupt and of a worldly mind who is not exactly of their mind but of some Way Persuasion or Opinion different from them These cry Get thee behind me Satan And why Satan Why because thou savourest not our Things our Doctrine our Discipline our Worship our Way Theycry to every one that does not please them Thou Child of the Devil And why Child of the Devil I pray Not because they pervert the right ways of the Lord but because they oppose their Ways and weaken their Party True indeed Heresie and Schism are works of the Flesh and symptoms of a worldly mind But they are very cunning close Things which are very hard to be discern'd and of so lubricous a consideration that it is very difficult to hit of them right So difficult that even the inspired Messengers of Heaven have been mistaken for Emissaries of Hell and the very Pillars of the Church cast out of the Church for Heresie I believe Perversness is a very Devilish Temper But it is very unreasonable without any more ado to judge every man perverse that does not perhaps he cannot in all things think as I do or whom my Arguments cannot convince Some are so conceited of their own extraordinary Purity that they look down with a disdainful pity upon all the rest of miserable Mortality as if they were all irrecoverably lost and themselves with Job's Messenger left alone to tell it A person of the Apostle John's Infallibility indeed may say We know that we are of God and the whole world lies in wickedness But for a Company of Pharisees impregnated with Self-conceit to conclude that all the world were born in sin but themselves and that all the vulgar sort of Mortals are ignorant and accursed This I say the Candor of Heaven it self could not endure Luke 16. 15. Ye are they that justifie your selves c. The Pseudocatharists in the Prophet Isa 65. 5. cry to their Neighbors Stand off come not near me for I am holier than thou Sanctificabo te I shall sanctifie thee that is defile thee as that word is often used As if he should say If thou touch me who am so holy thou shalt be defiled and guilty before God as those common persons were accounted who touch'd the Altar the blood of the Sacrifice or any holy thing which they ought not to touch Some are so severe as to determine flatly against the Salvation of all Rich men because Christ has declared it very difficult and to think not any of them are called because the Apostle says Not many And the Grandees for wit and wealth are meet with them crying These poor people are foolish Jer. 5. 4. they know not the way of the Lord nor the judgment of their God they know not the Law and are cursed Others pass hard Censures upon all Heathen Men yea and upon Christian Unbaptized Infants too whether true or false I know not but I could wish they were false and the Learning of some more charitable Divines has endeavor'd to prove them not true There are others besides all these who though perhaps out of no bad Principle are ready to judge many things to be Symptoms of a predominant Love of the World which are not It is true the Love of the World is so dangerous and pernicious that it ought to be the constant care of every awakened Soul to flie from it and one would almost pardon the scrupulosity and fear of those that run away from it though they should be suppos'd to run too far And the Love of God is so pure and divine a thing so great a perfection that the exercise of it admits of no Excess if the whole Soul were turn'd into a pure flame of Love it would not be a Sacrifice too costly or precious to be offer'd up to that ever blessed Being the Supreme Good neither would there be any room for the envy of Hell it self to put in a quorsum perditio haec But though it admits of no Excess yet I conceive it admits of Mistakes and though Men cannot outdo in it yet they may do amiss about it As I conceive they do how pardonable soever their mistake is who condemn them for Lovers of the World who do any works of Necessity Charity or common Civility upon the Lords day who think oftner of the world than they do of God or who in their practice sometimes prefer a worldly business that is important before a Sermon or a Prayer Devotion it self how excellent a thing it is may be irregular and there needs judgment as well as affections to denominate a Man a right Christian without which even the highest perfections of Love and Zeal do degenerate into something worse than the Notation of the words do import And although I do reckon that it is highly laudable and reasonable to live in continual weariness of this world and life and holy longings after the presence of God endeavouring to attain to the Resurrection of the dead yet I do not believe but there are many languishings and fainting Fits that befal the most devout Lovers of the Father here in the Body Neither dare â— condemn every man for a predominant Lover of the World who in some Passion some Temptation or other has almost lost his sight and taste of God and casts a fond eye upon this Life and World as wretched as it is It is best to wish with Paul to be dissolv'd It is next best to groan with Paul O wretched man that I am c. It is pious to keep up a predominant estimation of Heaven and to make the main business of
place in the Creation shall I assign to that man that loves the lowest things for by loving he makes himself lower than they and it will puzzle all Philosophy to tell where to place that man that is lower than the lowest Shake off these shameful Fetters O my Soul burst this Yoke thou art call'd to liberty renounce this Ahominable servitude and reckon that if for an Hand-Maid to be Heir to her Mistress is a matter of Pride for a Mistress to eâ—slave her self to her Hand-Maid is matter of shame and reproach The gracious Creator hath plac'd thee in a noble degree and rank of the Creatures the lines are fallen to thee in a good place do not wilfully degrade thy self by forsaking thy station and thrusting thy self down below the lowest to thy eternal disparagement and amazement Lest whilst thou stand'st in a mixture of disdain and pity beholding the mighty Nebuchadnezzar herding himself with the Oxen thou plunge thy self into a more dishonourable condition then this and suffer thy self to be ridden by thy own Beast MEDITAT XXXVIII From the Consideration of the Nature of the Love of the World Idolatrous and Adulterous HAving briefly considered what the World is and what Love is I will now put them together and a little consider what Worldly Love is And indeed I cannot think of any thing abominable but I find it to be that Methinks I hear the Pathetical words of the blessed one fouâ—â—â—â—g in my ears Oh do not that abominable thing that I hate Jer. 44. 4. It seems that all sin is abominable and hated of Gods Soul But if one thing may be said to be more abominable than another I doubt not but Predominant Worldly Love is the most abominable of all things as having in it the nature of all those things which are of all sober Judges accounted most abominable I will confine my self to five or six of the worst that I can think of And here I will begin this black Roll with Idolatry This is confest by all Christians to be an abominable thing insomuch that that very part of the Christian World which we most suspect of it are as studious to excuse it as they are bold to commit it And there is a great deal of reason why all men professing the knowledge of the true God should abominate Idolatry when they hear him in his Word so passionately charging the World against it so terribly threatning the Commission of it and read what lamentable Devastations he made amongst the Jews because of it which the Prophet excuses by a strange expression The Lord could no longer bear because of their Idolatry Jer. 44. 22. But as abominable as it is the Love of the World is in it What the Apostle says of one Branch of it by the same Argument that Covetousness is Idolatry Pride and Sensuality are no better The highest Act of Worship is Love consequently he that loves the praise of Men more than the praise of God that is a lover of Pleasures more than of God is a down right Idolater Gold and Silver need not to be made into Images to be objects of admiration He that loves and delights and trusts in them chiefly has given the Worship peculiar to God to them and made them his God already Idols may be and commonly are set up as properly in the Heart as in Houses Ezek. 14. 3. and Idolatry as well committed by the inclinations of the Will as by the bending of the Knee There cannot be more palpable Idolatry in the world than making that a God to ones self which is none Is not the Sensualist an Idolater in the most proper speech whose Belly is his God as the Apostle phraseth it By the like propriety of speech one may say of the proud Gallant that he makes his Back his God nay an Horse an Hawk or an Hound may be as truly an Idol to a Christian as a Calf is to an Egyptian A second abominable thing that I think of is Adulâ—â—ry Whatever favourable Opinion this Wicked and Wanton Age has entertain'd of this Vice I 'm sure the Holy God accounts it abominable and ordained in his Common-wealth of the Jews that the Adulterors should be stoned to Death Such is the Opinion that God has of Adultery that he most usually by his Prophets compares that incomparable sin of Idolatry to it and calls it going a Whoring after other Gods It must needs be a foul pattern by which that Monster of Idolatry is drawn And is not the love of the World Adultery Is not the heart of Man as much dedicate and due to God as any Mans Wife is peculiar to him Do Men justly complain of great wrong done to them and may not God as justly complain of the alienation of Hearts May not God reasonably be offended that such a vile thing as Mundanes should be his Rival and defile the Heart of Man which he esteems his greatest Jewel It 's plain by the judgement of the great Searcher of Hearts that she that lusts after another Man more than her own Husband is a Whore and has already committed Adultery with him in her Heart It must needs be that the Soul that lusts after and cleaves to any Object more than to God to whom Souls are most nearly related and to whom they are most firmly bound is abominably Unchast and Adulterous in her loves Souls have no way of playing the Whore but by mis-loving and by how much the meaner the Object of their love is so much the groffer and more shameful their Adultery So that the Soul Prostituting it self to the World is not only Adulterous but indeed Sodomitical in this Conjuction For t is all one with lying down before a Beast which is forbidden by the law abhorr'd of Nature and damned by the gentile Theology under the Fable of Pasiphae and her Bull and their Monstrous off spring the Minotaur Vencr is Monument a nefandae MEDITAT XXXIX Of the Blasphemy and Sacriledge of Worldly Love A Third abominable thing that I think of is Blasphemy To speak evil of God injuriously reproachfully of the Deity may justly be accounted horrible amongst the Servants of the true God when it was judged abominable even by the Heathens whose Gods themselves were abominable Paul's Companions had like to have been pull'd in pieces by the Zealous Ephesians for disparaging Diana and the onely way that the Town Clark could take to appease the multitude was to tell them whatsoever people said of her Diana was a very brave Goddess and to deny that Paul's Companions were Blasphemers of her for he knew well enough that if such a horrible thing as Blasphemy were prov'd against them the people would not have stay'd for any Judicial Sentence to be past upon them Now there is a Blasphemy of the Heart as well as of the Tangue So the Fool Blasphemes who says in his heart there is no God and so do all they that either â—scribe to God
his Friend How will he then leap in up to the Chin for him Such professors Christ may well upbraid in the words of Absalâ—m to Hushai Is this thy kindness to thy friend why went est thou not with thy friend It is very observable how faithful worldly men are to their worldly designs and Dalilahs What pains does the mammonist voluntarily take what diseases and dangers does the sensualist run upon what persecutions does the ambitious expose himself to These all take up their cross and follow their Dalilah At what a chargeable and costly rate do giddy opinionists maintain error and humor at the price of confiscation and imprisonment and banishment And will not the servants of Wrath be at as much charges for her Are the children of this World not only wiser but kinder than the children of Light Surely if we were the children of wisdom we should justify her stand for her to the last drop of sweat yea and of blood too I know no reason indeed nor revelation for the courting of persecution But inasmuch as it must be the lot of all that will be godly in one kind or degree or other it is good to get our minds possest with it prepar'd for it reconcil'd to it that when it comes we may not flye from the Serpent but take him by the tail and he will turn into a rod in our hand If there be any excellency in Righteousness any thing desirable in Blessedness then sure there is some good at least eventually in persecution for they are near akin Blessed are they that are persecuted for Righteousness sake Mat. 5. 10. MEDITAT LX. Of Honour in general and of Pride THe third of the things of the world are its Honours A predominant lover of Worldly Honor denominates a man a lover of the World and consequently void of the love of God See how our Saviour opposes Faith and Ambition making them inconsistent â—o 5. 44. How can ye believe that receive honour one of another There is an Honor which is not Worldly a Praise that is of God and not of man This renders men yea the meanest and obscurest of men honourable the excellent of the earth And to be ambitious of it is an agument of a truly heroick and exalted mind I mean to desire to be a Son or a Daughter of God An immoderate affectation of Worldly Honour is Pride And to prefer it before innocence to seek it glory in it maintain it rather than truth and a good conscience makes a lover of the World To have a right sense of ones own worth in any kind is not Pride but Justice It is no man perfection to be deceived nor his duty to think woâ—â—â— of himself than he is for then he must needs think falsly which is the infirmity af the understanding whose perfection it is to apprehend things as they are But there is less fear of this less danger in it than there is of an overweening To expect a just estimation is but just and modest enough nay sometimes laudable for it may be very serviceable and may make a man seviceable So that every man may well be allow'd to be tender of his reputation But yet patiently to bear disgrace and not to stomach a disappointment is generous and to go through bad report is Christ-like To require and exact a reverent behaviour from inferiours is just though oftentimes they that stand most severely upon it miss of it most respect being such a kind of thing as often flyes from him that follows it and follows him that flyes from it There are many objects of Pride such as Birth Wit and Learning and Standing Strength and Power and Victory Riches Interest a Party and the Propagation of it Children Beauty Priviledges Apparel yea even Vertuous Actions To glory in any of these unduly is Pride and denominates a lover of the World MEDITAT LXI Of the Honour of God and the way of seeking it GOds glorifying himself is not such a thing as vain mans seeking to make himself great by carnal means It is in short The raying forth of his own Perfections the displaying of Himself the communications of his own Goodness Mens glorifying of God is not a fancying or speaking much of the glory of God But it sustains a double notion The less proper notion is the exalting of the Name and Honour of God ascribing all good to him owning him as the Fountain of all So we glorifie him in the reverend thoughts that we have of him in making honourable mention of him dedicating things to his use and service In this Sense Atheisticalness and Unbelief are dishonours to God as also all taking his Name in vain swearing spending all upon our lusts c. The more proper notion is The displaying of his Perfections imitating his Goodness Justice Patience Mercy Charity acting suitably to what his Unimitable Perfections do require as submitting to his Soveraignty depending upon his Omnipotence behaving our selves sincerely in the sense of his Omniscience observing such Rules and Measures in all our Actions as make them agreable to his holy Will In a word our Saviour who best knew 〈◊〉 â—ho was so entirely devoted to it who came into the World on this very errand has more clearly and compendiously told us what it is Jo. 15. 8. Herein is my Father glorified if ye bring forth much Fruit. MEDITAT LXII Of Self-honouring MAn was not made for himself However common a thing it is it is low and base for Man to make himself his own end There is nothing more absurd or unreasonable than Pride nothing more excellent or honourable than Humility It is truly said Quo minus sibi arrogat homo eo evadit clarior et nobilior Man does most honour himself by debasing himself and so on the contrary And as there is nothing more absurd so there is nothing more dangerous It were Ten thousand times safer to stand in the fore-front of the hottest battail than that God should set him in battail aray against us and yet that is the import of that phrase He 〈◊〉 the proud There is Pride in unbelief and refusing the terms of the Gospel The wicked through the pride of his heart seeketh not after God Yea indeeed Pride seems to be the cause of all disobedience If ye will not hear says the Prophet My soul shall weep in secret places for your Pride To seek the advancement of our Names our own Credit and Estimation more than the Name of God is worldly Come see my zeal for the Lord said Captain Jehu There lies more Emphasis upon the word My than upon the Lord. How this should be pardonable in men I know not when it is no less than Treason in the Ambassador of a King Hezekiah fell into a Fit of this when he made ostentation of his Treasures and David when he numbred the People at both whom God was displeased But the one humbled himself for the pride of his heart
In our hearts to love or esteem any vile person be he of what Civil Capacity he will before them that fear the Lord be their Civil Capacity never so mean is as good an Argument of an unsanctifi'd mind as the contrary is of a Citizen of Zion Psal 15. 4. In whose eyes a vile person is contemned In this Courtly Age it would be lookt upon as an unmannerly behaviour in the Prophet who would not vouchsafe to look towards the King of Israel 2 Kings 3. 14. But certainly it is worse than unmannerly to have the greatest respect and kindness for them that are not at all of Israel MEDITAT LXXVIII Of Flattery THis brings me to think of the foul vice of Flattery which although it be not always an Estimation of men for men often flatter those whom in their hearts they disesteem and despise yet it would be thought so and is as worldly as the other An humble behaviour indeed is ornamental soft answers are good and useful To approve or commend a good man or a good action is so far from being simply evil that sometimes it is duty and may serve good ends But it requires a great deal of wisdom For First It easily mingles it self with something evil and is corrupted by Covetousness Slavish fear or Self-love Men may most set off themselves and study to endear themselves most when they commend other men Secondly It is easily perverted to ill ends and may as soon make me prouder as better Commendation therefore must be given Justly Seasonably Proportionably and should be mixt with the remembrance of God as Paul's was to Philemon ver 4 5. Flattery is sometimes gross in words commending evil and calling it by good names assenting to every thing at a venture or denying without reason Magnifying some little thing beyond its desert and extenuating some foul fault into a meer peccadillo or unavoidable infirmity Sometimes it is more fine and subtile in actions in a crouching truckling over-obsequious behaviour I need say no more of Flattery than that it is First an argument of a mean and slavish mind The truly generous mind that adores truth knows not how to give flattering Titles Secondly that it is of most mischievous consequence and very pernicious in its effects because it inâ—â—â—â—â— Princes Courts and Great Mens Houses Flatterers by blinding the Judgment of Princes do at once put out the eyes of a Nation For they lead â—hose out of the way who when they are misled cause the rest of the world to err We know how fatal it prov'd to Ahâ—â—â— when his Chaplains the Prophets and the Courâ—â—◠〈◊〉 together to deceive him Go up and prâ—sâ—â—◠〈◊〉 the Prophets Let thy word be as one of 〈◊〉 says the Courtier And with what indignation God does 〈◊〉 the daubing of these Prophets and their putting 〈◊〉 under mens heads and arms the Prophet Ezekiel does acquaint us Lord what is man or his power who can onely kill the body that I should fear and flatter him in any thing that is hateful to thee What Profit or Preferment can I expect from man that shall Countervail thy dishonour or the prejudice done to truth and holiness by sordid Flattery or sinful Complyance Oh that the interest of God and Religion be exalted in my soul far above all these petty carnal Considerations And oh that the Messengers of God would seriously examine whether they be not the servants of men of the worst part of men even their lusts by imprisoning the Truth lest it should fly in some honourable or worshipful face whether they do not tremble to speak of temperance before incestuous Felix or whether they can take such fair leave of their Patrons as Paul took of his Ephesians I have kept back nothing that was profitable to you MEDITAT LXXIX Of Worldly Business UNder this Phrase The World is comprehended also the Work Employment and Business of the World To prefer the Business of this World before God denominates a predominant Lover of the World God has indow'd Man with active Principles designing him for Business To be active is to be like God who is life it self He is not an idle Spectator enjoying himself and minding nothing else neither doing good nor evil as some prophane men in the Prophet imagin'd him but he is good and doth good An idle and unactive life is unmanly and infamous No station does exempt men from Business Gentlemen and Ladies have their Callings There is Business accommodated to all sorts of men Having already of Idleness I will say no more of it here but this A good man must needs love Business as it is a Vehicle of Grace For how can a man exercise Righteousness Mercy or Charity without Business The necessities of humane life are so many either our own own or other mens that it is impossible any man should be idle but who is of an idle sensual temper To prevent mistakes I will first consider what is not to prefer the business of the World before God To be diligent and industrous in our Callings with a good design is not it To be more in worldly Business than in heavenly is not it God himself has allow'd six dayes to one To employ our hands in working more than in lifting up to Heaven is not worldly If we speak properly To observe due measures and propound right ends in worldly Business is Conformity to the Will of God and heavenly God acted like himself in the Creation of the world as well as in the Redemption of it and so do godly men in employing themselves about worldly Objects as well as spiritual The Angels are as well in Heaven when they are employ'd upon Earth in preserving the goings of the Saints as in their most immediate Contemplations To give the Precedency to worldly Business as to Management and Action is not simply and always it A lesser Business and more ignoble may be prohic 〈◊〉 more necessary than a greater and preferrible to it The Necessities of the Body may take place of the Conveniences of the Soul To do every thing in its proper season is a point of high Wisdom and indeed Religion Let us always remember that Religion is in the due management of worldly Business as well as otherwise To do Works of Necessity or Charity on the Lord's day is not it To have a reverend esteem for that day is good and necessary Religion flourishes in a Kingdom or a Soul as that is observed But yet there may be a Superstition in it which our Saviour by his Example and Doctrine has endeavor'd to heal The Sabbath was made for man and must give place to him But let all take heed they do not create Necessities or pretend them as I doubt too many of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Physical and Chyrurgical Tribe do To put ones self upon Business to offer ones service for the good of a Neighbor to meddle in other mens matters uncall'd by
there no plausibler Pretence than Fashion Yes some think they come off better that impute it to Passion They were angry they were affronted abused they could not be believed In short such and such things would make any man mad and who could forbear Swearing Alas what miserable shifts are these to confess madness for the excuse of folly to take Sanctuary in Scylla to escape Carybdis Shall violent passions be brought to excuse swearing when themselves cannot be excus'd If it be a sin to swear is it not a greater â—o swear in a mad mood To be at all possest with a Devil of Passion is sad and grievous though it be a dumb Devil But if it be such a Devil as we read of Luk. 9. that makes a man cry out and foame again it is much more dreadful Or shall we say that sin is lessened by being multiply'd after the manner of a River cut into many Channels A River so cut will indeed be the less River but it will have never the less water if you take it in all the Channels If swearing in a mad mood and violent passion be the less sin because of the passion yet that part of the sin which is wanting in the Oath will be found in the Passion Some excuse the matter by the seldomness of it Now and then they rap out an Oath but it is out of forgetfulness and unawares yea possibly they wipe their mouths with a God forgive me that I should swear This indeed will excuse a tanto the seldomer the better But Christ Jesus commands Swear not at all which refers to time as well as things This nowand-then-swearing is an argument of a mind forgetful of God which is a Character bad enough Allow our selves in this and it will soon multiply I wonder men should excuse themselves in this sin by the infrequency of it more than in others No body says I steal but an Horse or two in a Year I play the Whore or the Whoremaster but twice or thrice a week yet one would think there were more temptations to either of those than to Swearing How many soever the faults of good men are yet I suppose it is a very rare thing to find a Godly swearer a man of true Seriousness and hearty Religion That will adventure by this Method to vent his Passion adorn his Discourse or humour the Company If by Seldom be meant that we never swear but solemnly in a weighty matter and such an one too as cannot otherwise be known or will not be believ'd accompany'd with a just reverence of God such as we read of sometimes in the History of Abraham Jacob David and in the Writings of St. Paul let such swearing pass for a part of Gods Worship But rash and unnecessary swearing though it be never so seldom proceeds from the Devil says our Saviour and leads to him says his Apostle Jam. 5. 12. and therefore I may safely say is a prefering of the World before God If it be by the Creator it is blasphemous if by the Creature idolatrous This puts me in mind of another excuse for swearing they only swear some petty Oath no blasphemy no bloody Oaths as they call them But I hope these petty Oaths are more than yea or nay and if so they are forbidden in that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Swear not at all Nay that prohibition seems to be meant principally of swearing by the Creature as appears by what follows in the Text. To attest a Creature as if it knew our hearts or were able to judge us is ridiculous idolatry To swear by the Creature is to take Gods Name in vain for it is a manifest abusing of his works The Blessed Virgin was an excellent piece of Divine Handy-work but she was not made to swear by This is an Honour hatt she never dream'd of when she Prophesy'd that all Generations should call her Blessed All our Divines I think agree that Swearing is an Act of Worship How strangely then do Protestants contradict themselves that deny the worshiping of Saints and yet swear ordinarily by the Lady and yet more Nonsensically than so too when they swear by the Mass which yet they deny to be The Example of David and others saying As thy Soul liveth will not justifie The best Expositors say it is no more than As sure as thou livest Nay Estius and other learned Commentators say That Joseph's life of Pharaoh for so the words are in the Hebrew are but a vehement obâ—estation others make them a Prayer and those that make them an Oath blame him for it Sure I am the Example of Joseph will not so much justifie as the express Prohibition of Jesus will condemn And what a weight does the Apostle James lay upon this He ushers it with an Above all things my Brethren and backs it with the greatest argument danger of damnation Jam. 5. 12. God grant me to live under the authority of thy holy Word Lord charge it severely upon my heart and the hearts of all men frequently and affectionately to consider such passages of thy holy Word as these are Whatsoever is more than Yea and Nay cometh of evil Swear not â—est ye fall into condemnation for every idle word men must give account By thy words thou shalt be justify'd and by thy words thou shalt be condemned If any man bridle his tongue the same is a perfect man MEDITAT LXXXIII Of Worldly Wisdom in general AMongst other things of the World the Scripture also makes mention of worldly Wisdom This is so corrupt a thing that it is put in opposition to the Grace of God by the Apostle Paul 2 Cor. 1. 12. and in the same place to simplicity and godly sincerity It is described by the Apostle James to be Earthly and Sensual and is said to be accompany'd with envyings and strivings of heart We may more fully see what it is by its opposite the Wisdom that is from above this is pure peaceable gentle easie to be entreated full of mercy and good fruits without hypocrisie and partiality So then the worldly Wisdom is envious contentious cruel unmerciful unfruitful hypocritical and partial and the worldly-wise-man is a hater of God This worldly-wise-man is not one that understands the World and knows the guise of it though he know it so well that a Creeple is not able to halt before him He is not one that understands the business of the World the best Markets and Bargains the most advantageous way of Trading the best seasons of Buying and Selling and getting Gain He is not one that is subtile in counsel and knows how to antevert suppress over-reach an Enemy so wise was Hushai the Friend of David the Friend of God But in general he is wise to do evil as the Devil is to advance the interest of the World and the Flesh above the Interest of God above Justice Truth Charity Peace Purity and is more particularly described by the Apostle Paul and St.
of these charges seem to be strange and almost incredible Others are perhaps too true God will judge their Hearts and Principles in the mean time I would they should know that God does not estimate any Man by his Professions be they never so specious nor his Opinions be they never so Orthodox nor by his outward Form be it never so pure and refined It 's easy I wish it be not ordinary for man to be carnal in a fine Spiritual mode And I beseech you Sirs lay it to heart whosoever prefers Ease or Honour Popular esteeem the good Opinion of a Party or an Opportunity of making himself and his Name great before Unity and Order before the Peace and Settlement of the Church yea or before his Liberty and Capacity of ministring in Holy Things and Propagating the Gospel of Christ is so far Carnal and a Lover of the World Faction and Schism and Sedition are Works of the Flesh as well as Fâ—â—cteries and bare Compliance The propagation of a Party and the advancement of a Name are a part of the World as well as Fat Benefices And where they are preferr'd before Peace and Charity do denominate a Man a Lover of the World as well as those where they are preferr'd before Truth For God is Peace and Love as well as Truth To run away from Ceremonial Uncleanness and at the same time to run into Moral To be shie of White Garments and yet free to entertain Black Passions To avoid the Sign of the Cross and yet to live in the spirit of Crosness and Contradiction is as foolish as to be frighted at an Apparition of a Devil and yet confidently to follow a real One in all his Works as most men do And it is so much the more foolish as it odds Hypocrisie to the Folly MEDITAT XII Of Conformists WHen I begin to think of these the words of the Prophet did occur to me 2 Chorn. 28. which he spake to the Children of Israel who purposed to keep under their Captive Brethren Are there not sins with you even with you against the Lord your God For it is not my business to consider whether Conformity be in its own Nature good or bad but supposing Conformity to be good to consider what Conformists are notwithstanding they are Carnal and Lovers of the World For as Nonconformity with all its pretences of Purity Truth and Simplicity will not justifie the Humours or Schismatical Nonconformist so neither will the Regularity Peaceableness and Decency of Conformity justifie the Carnal and Ill-principled Conformist No more than the Honourableness of Marriage will justifie them that go together like Beasts So far as I can apprehend or discern there are three Sorts of Conformists Some out of Conscience Carelesness Covetousness Those that are Conformists out of Conscience seem to be of two Sorts Such as think that way in its own Nature the best and do in their judgment chuse it and think it reasonable to impose it and such as are only persuaded in their Consciences that it is not evil and that it is best for Peace-sake to submit to it I see plainly that all good mens Consciences are not of one size and I know no one below the Omniscient that can exactly take measure of them Both these therefore I leave to the Judge of Consciences But there seems also to be a number of the two latter sorts whom all their Conformity will not preserve from the Censure of our Apostle That some Conform out of Carelesness without making any question for Conscience sake never having considered or weighed the nature of the thing but acting meerly upon a publick Conscience is too apparent by that little or nothing that they have to say in defence of themselves or this way when they are opposed in it but with him in 2 Sam. 16. 18. Whom this people chuse his will I be That some Conform out of Covetousness will appear at least by the confession of those who in words at length have declared That they were of mean Fortunes and knew not how to live otherwise they had no mind to it However they may glory in their Conformity yet sure the Church has no cause to glory in them for they are but a Company of prest Soldiers and will either be easily Routed or Run away These love the World more than Truth which they take no pains to discover and the peace of their Consciences which they take no care to preserve The Careless prefer the Custome and Example of Men before right Reason Judgment and Conscience and though they should chance to hit of the right yet they act wrongly The Covetous prefer the Bread of Priests before the Priests Office 1 Sam. 2. 36. with the degenerate Posterity of Eli. It 's fit indeed that they that preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel but to preach the Gospel only to get a Livelihood or a Living looks like Simony inverted a giving of holy things to get money The Heathen Satyrist laught at those Mag-pie Poets who were instructed by the sound of their empty Guts and taught Musick by the chiming of their own Bellies and I cannot see how these men are less ridiculous I am sure they are more presumptuous The Careless and Inconsiderate though their Oblation should be of clean Beasts yet at best do but offer the Sacrifice of Fools The Covetous are either Inconsiderate and so they fall on and never say Grace but like Saul's hungry Soldiers flie upon the Spoil and in their Hunger eat without Discretion Blood and all or else if they entertain any sober thoughts the love and cares of the World presently spring up and choak them Whether are more excusable it matters not in a Case where both are inexcusable But this is plain that where a doubt lies between Truth and Falshood he that admits Worldly Interest for an Umpire to decide the Controversie is a Lover of the World and if worldly Considerations be the predominant Motives let the matter he embraces be never so true he is false to his God and his own Conscience in embracing it The Profession of the Gospel is a good thing and yet the Profession of the Gospel is a good thing and yet the Professors of it that are acted by a carnal Principle are nevertheless bad men As to both these I will not say that every Nonconformist is carnal that will not part with his Life upon the same account as he parts with his Liberty or Livelihood nor that every Conformist is carnal who Conforms with some Regret and had much rather no such things were required yet surely they are farthest remov'd from the foul Character of Lovers of the World whose Consciences are most strongly persuaded and who are acted by no interest but the interests of Truth and Righteousness in what they do or leave undone MEDITAT XIII Of the Education of Children THE Apostasie of Man and the Depravedness of his present state has made
56. 5. To depend upon the Provision that by them is made for Old-age more than upon the Providence and Promises of God is carnal and prophane This comfort is very uncertain True indeed Children are accounted the Staff of Old-age but sometimes God beats men with these staves instead of supporting them thereby as he did Eli Samuel and David I know that multitudes of Children was promis'd under the Law and valu'd it as a great blessing a blessing wonderfully coveted by men and more by women Abraham seems to have an mind of an heir what wilt thou give me seeing I go childless Gen 15. 2. But his Gandaughter Rachel was too too passionate I think she long'd as much for a child as any woman with-child can long for any thing else Give me Children or I die The women accounted it a great reproach â—o be barren that is very plain And it is conjectur'd that they still hoped that the Messiah might spring of their line Whether that be true or no I know not but I think it was no such great matter if he did as some would make it For I observe that Christ after the flesh sprung from some of the most infamous families as of Pharez a child of incest and of Rahab an harlot I observe also that some of the greatest favourites of Heaven wanted this â—essing of numerous Off-spring Abraham the friend of God left behind him but one Isaack of the promised Seed Moses the man of God had a Family indeed but I think if we consult the Genealogies it was one of the least of the Families of Israel And as for the Gospel to say no more I am sure it is very sparing of this kind To be proud of Children is very silly and unreasonable upon many accounts More grief and vexation is usually brought to people by their children than by any other Besides theâ— are begorten and born at a venture who knows what wase man knows whether he shall be a wise man or a foot that succeeds him It seems by Rehoboam the Son of Solomon that wisdom does always run in a Blood and I am apt to think Solomon himself did allude to this Son of his Eccles 2. 18 19. But suppose they do prove good and wise and virtuous How can the Virtues of Children any way redound to their Parents more than the Parents Virtue can redound to the Honour of the Children A Tutor may more reasonably glory than a Parent If thou be good thou wilt glory in God and not in thy good Children if thou be wicked thy good Children are a shame to thee and not a glory Lord What an unreasonable thing is it that Children who were given to draw the minds of men to thee in whom they may read thy Image should be so abused as to draw away their hearts from thee whil'st men use them onely as Looking-glasses to reflect their own image MEDITAT LXVIII Of Pride in Wit and Learning UNderstanding and knowledge may justly I think challenge to it self the place of the highest natural Perfection But to glory in Knowledge and Learning more than in God that gives them and more than in the end for which they serve will denominate a Lover of the World They are proud of their Wit and Learning who ascribe their Wit to themselves their Learning to their own study ingenuity and industry and not to the blessing of God If Herod had in a sober sense said of his eloquent Oration It is the Eloquence of God and not of man he had said true but to suffer the People to say so in a base flattery and to make himself the God was proud and atheistical They that will not submit their wisdom to the Wisdom of God that will believe nothing but what their reasons can fathom the wise Greeks the Scribes and Disputers of this World They that use their Wit and Learning to maintain Error to justifie Falshood especially they that are learned to dispute against God and wise to prate against Wisdom it self It is very much to the disparagement of Learning and may serve for the humbling of the Learned that oftentimes the best Artists are the worst men and so sometimes are the greatest Clerks However It is certain that Wisdom and Learning are as dear to the Animal Life as the Divine yea and that the Devil himself is as good a Scholar as the best of us all To this Head may be reduc'd a Generation of Fools who although they do not excel nor indeed match their Neighbors in Art or Learning do yet glory in their standing and in the advantage that they have had to know more than others though they know not so much These think to conciliate Authority to their Discourse not by its strength but their own standing not by their being wiser but senior than other men Cieero jeers his Son Mark that he was of a Years standing under Cratippus and that at Athens and yet was not a good Philosopher How much more shameful is it for them who are of 20 or 40 Years standing in the University to be inferior in Learning to many that were never there To think to make our selves or our Discourses seem wiser or weightier meerly by reason of our Age or Education is a most pedant piece of Pride As old Age is no otherwise honourable than as it is found in a way of righteousness so neither is standing otherwise than in conjunction with a proportionable understanding MEDITAT LXIX Of Pride in Riches COnference and Affiance is one species of Pride in Riches but this I met with fitly under another Head therefore I will think no more of it here To be content with what we have is no piece of Pride in it self Though he was a proud Worldling who bid his heart be merry because he had Goods laid up for many years Yet it was a good saying of a bad Man I have enough my Brother There may indeed be Pride in refusing Presents but it is not simply a piece of Pride no nor Folly neither to refuse them Balaam was proud enough but I do not take it to be any part of his Pride to refuse the Preferments offered him by the King of Moab Who dare censure Abraham of Pride though he speaks much like a Gentleman to the King of Sodom Gen. 14. 23. and swore that he would not take from a thread to a shoe-latchet lest he should say I have made Abraham rich Or Elisha either though a poorer Man than he who obstinately refus'd to receive any gift at the hands of the Syrian Prince But to bless our selves secretly in Riches and think our selves better men than our Neighbors or indeed at all really valuable for them is Pride and an undue estimation of Riches And thus I suspect some of the plainest and obscurest men are the proudest Much more is it Pride to make ostentation of Riches either in words by bragging of them or in deeds by pompous Buildings
gawdy Apparel or the like Yea possibly there may be a proud oftentation even in founding Churches Hospitals and Alms-houses Come see my Charity to the Lord and to his Poor sounds as suspiciously as Come see my Zeal But of all Ostentations it is most odiously foolish for a Man to bring his Estate as an Argument for his Opinion or Party or the goodness of either and to bring Riches and worldly Prosperity as an Argument of the special Love of God is next to Blasphemy as if we thought God to be altogether such an one as our selves From this false conceit perhaps it is that men grown rich from mean beginnings are most apt to be proud but when they are they are most ridiculous This Fellow came in but yesterday and he will needs be a Judge To ascribe our Riches to our own care or industry or ingenuity so as to exclude the Providence of God or not to allow it the highest place is carnal We know indeed that God gives Riches usually in a way of ingenious industry and men of understanding usually have Bread and to know that God has given us Riches in a way of industry is but just But yet we must think withal First That it was he that gave that ingenuity and enabled to that industry It is God saith the Prophet that instructeth even the Husbandman to discretion Isa 28. 26. Secondly That there is not such a necessary conjunction between these things and Riches but that they are often disappointed it is the blessing of God onely that makes them successful that makes men rich without which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So that to ascribe to our selves and exclude that particular and powerful Providence is gross and carnal Lord What have I but what I have received Thou art the great House-keeper that givest to all the Members of thy Family their several Portions to one more to another less and which of them may boast over another or how dare any of them boast against thee And why should I glory in a thing that is extrinsick to me a separable Adjunct that may be and yet I be never the better or may not be and I be never the worse Nay in a thing that many enjoy and yet are really very contemptible and hateful whom I my self do not think ever the better for them And why should we admire and value our selves for those things for which we do not value other men MEDITAT LXX Of Pride in Strength TO be proud of our strength and power denominates us Lovers of the World They are proud of their strength who glory in it distinct from the Almighty that glory in it as if they had girded themselves with strength That make ostentation of their strength in words as the Philistine Braggadochio did or in deeds using the utmost strength for accomplishing a small matter as if a King should raise a mighty Army of Horse and Foot to hunt Flies or catch Partridges To make Laws about trivial matters more for ostentation of ones Authority than for the establishment of any thing that is really good is ridiculous and an abuse of power To eat or drink or fight for Wagers to get one anothers money or to make others sport is something worse than what a Beast would do it approaches to the barbarous Custom of the Heathen Roman Gladiators who kill'd one another for a pastime to the People To abuse Power to Oppression is like the Lyon in the Fable One part of the Prey is mine because I am the worthiest Another is mine because I took most pains in Hunting and if ye will not give me the third try for it who dare To ascribe Victory to ones own Arm to the Arm of Flesh is to be proud of ones strength How unseemly these Brags are we may see in the Assyrian Monarch and how God took him up for his pride and presently took him down too 2 Kings 19. I wish these Robustious Self-Confidents would consider that it is God alone who girdeth with strength he often baffles the strength of the strongest and that by despicable means as he chastised the monstrous Goliah by a Shepherds Boy God requires that our strength be employ'd for him that it be laid out in maintenance of the Truth in defence of the weak and helpless He has charged us against this wickedness expresly by the Prophet Let not the strong man glory in his strength Jer. 9. 23. And how ridiculous a thing is it for a man to be proud of that wherein his Horse or his Oxe excels him more than he excels a Child Is a man mighty to eat or to drink And is not a Beast more For who can eat like the Behemoth or drink like Leviathan Lord Strengthen me with Might in my inner man that I may obtain the Victory over Principalities and Powers triumph over the powers of Hell and Darkness the Devil and my Lusts As for bodily strength endow me with so much as may serve to make me useful and give me grace to use it in thy service never glorying in that which before I am well aware will be turn'd into weakness and rottenness MEDITAT LXXI Of Pride in Priviledges THere are indeed spiritual Priviledges belonging to the Saints wherein they may well glory yet so as it be in Christ onely and not in themselves Who can but glory in the relation of a Son or Daughter of God of an Heir of the Kingdom of an interest in all the Promises of the Gospel of free access unto the Throne of Grace and entertainment there in an interest in the prayers of the Faithful especially in the intercession of the Blessed Mediator These are Priviledges more noble than the most princely in which no man can rejoice or glory too much except he can rejoice with a joy greater than unspeakable But there are Priviledges in which it is easy and usual to rejoice and glory excessively and carnally I have already insisted upon Pride in Parentage and Education That which I fix my thoughts upon here is Church Priviledges or the Priviledge of being in Covenant with God as all the Members of the Visible Church are I take all that are admitted into the Church and have taken upon them the Profession of the Gospel in opposition to Jews and Heathens to be in Covenant But to them that are faithful in Covenant and answer the terms of it to them only it is advantageous to salvation to the rest an high aggravation of their sin and condemnation It is doubtless a great mercy to be born within the Pale of the Church taken into the number of its Members to sit under the sound of the Gospel because it is the ordinary means of mens conversion to God and the road that leads to the Church above But yet to be within the pale of the Church and not be of the little flock to be a member of the Church and yet a rotten and corrupt one to be a branch