low enough to those who are above them yet they are imperious cruell hard-hearted rugged fierce towards those that are under them they thinke it the bravenesse greatnes of their spirits that they can insult over them and revenge themselves upon them but there is nothing great in these men but pride and selfe love this is the greatest basenesse of spirit that can be and the more these men formerly did discover their basenesse in their sordid crouchings unto others that were above them the more doe they now discover the vilenesse of their spirits in their cruell insultings over those that are under them And this they thinke a goodly and brave thing that they can trample upon others whereas the kindnesse of a man is the goodlinesse and beauty and excellency of a mans spirit That word in Esay 40. 6. that is translated The goodlinesse of the flower is the same word which signifies Kindnesse Wee reade Revel 9. The Locusts that came out of the smoaking pit They had faces as the faces of men and they had haire as the haire of women They had faire countenances they could looke smiling and flattering upon men for their owne ends but their teeth were the teeth of Lions and they had tailes like Scorpions to tear and sting those that they had at an advantage An insulting spirit over those that we have at advantage is farre from true generousnesse howsoever men may blesse themselves in it Rehoboam was a man of an exceeding imperious insulting disposition My little finger saith he shall be thicker than my fathers loynes My father put a heavy yoke upon you but I will put more to your yoke my father chastised you with whips but I will chastise you with Scorpions O what a spirit was here Surely he and those who put him on rejoyced in this as a brave commanding spirit indeed But the holy Ghost saith of Rehoboam that he was a poore weak childish-spirited man yea he calls him a child though hee was above forty yeeres old 2 Chron. 13. 7. hee was young the word is a childe and tender-hearted that is of a poore soft effeminate spirit True generousnesse and cruelty are exceeding opposite one destroys the other When Davids spirit was distempered when he had lost much of his generousnesse by that sinne of uncleannesse as appeares in the 51. Psalme where hee prayes to God for his free spirit which word signifies a royall Princely spirit as you heard before much of the royall princelinesse of his spirit was lost by that sinne and David was never so rigid as hee was at this time which appeares out of the 2 Sam. 12. 30 31. where he commanded the people whom hee had overcome to bee brought forth and put them under sawes and under harrowes of iron and made them passe thorow the brick-kilne and thus did he unto all the Cities of the children of Ammon This was exceeding harsh and rigid wee never reade of him that ever he dealt thus with any before now this is observable that this act of his was at that time wherein he lay in his sinne for Ioab had besieged that City before David saw Bathsheba and it was at that siege that Vriah was slaine And although this fact be related after Nathans comming to him and after Solomons birth yet it is probable it was before even while hee lay in his sinne for two reasons 1. Because it is not probable that the siege continued not onely till the child conceived in adultery was borne but after the birth of Solomon too as it here stands in the story 2. Neither is it like that David newly receiving such mercy from God as he did in the pardon of his sinne and when his heart was so broken as it was that hee should then shew such rigid severity onely for the abuse of his Messengers The reason why this is set after is because in the time of the siege David committed the adultery and so the whole story concerning David and Bathsheba is first related and then he comes to the story of the warre againe 4. A generous spirit is studious and diligent to returne good as well as desirous to receive good as David Psal 116. 12. What shall I render unto the Lord saith he he speaks as a man pressed in his spirit troubled untill he did returne something he accounts favours received as great obligations as any debts in the world It is infinite basenesse in spirit to be so for ones selfe as if ones owne turne be served then neither God nor man is regarded How many men will crouch and yeeld to any thing till they have got their owne turnes served but then they grow proud and regardlesse of those yea oftentimes spightfull against those to whom when time was they crouched for favours and from whom they received many by which they are come to that which now they are A notable example of this we have in Benhaded 1 King 20. 32. compared with Chap. 22. 31. In the former place he caused his servants to gird themselves with sackcloth on their loynes and put ropes on their heads and to come to the King of Israel and say Thy servant Benhadad saith I pray thee let me live and hee was content to yeeld to any termes when the King of Israel had him at advantage as verse 34. The Cities which my father tooke from thy father I will restore and thou shalt make streets for thee in Damascus but after that he was got out of his hands Ahab was faine to go to war with him to get those Cities Cap. 22. 3. And observe the basenesse of the spirit of Benhadad hee who before had so crouched to Ahab for his life hee now commands his Captaines to fight neither with small nor great save only with the King of Israel see with what malice he seekes the life of him who before had saved his 5 A generous spirit loves to be abundant in service it is not satisfied in doing mean and ordinary things as before they were sublime in that receiving of ordinary things from God would not satisfie them but they must have great things from him so now it is their generousnesse that they will not be quieted in doing ordinary things for God but they must doe great things for him they prize their service as well as their wages as Ioh. 17. 4. Christ saith He hath finished the work that his Father gave him to doe he accounts his worke a gift Thus those who have the Spirit of Christ account their services to be gifts from God to live unserviceable they would account to be the greatest burden in the world to them they had rather have lesse comforts and more service than more comforts and lesse service they had rather be straitned in comforts than in duties To what purpose doe we live if we be of no use It is the basenesse of mens spirits which a truly godly man abhorres who desire to
here 's the misery we are not sensible of this if wee have our desires in the creature we are quieted and satisfied whereas if our hearts were fully after the Lord as they ought when wee are before him wee should crie to him as Moses in another case Exod. 33. Except thy presence goe with mee Lord send mee not hence 9 One that followes God fully is willing to engage and binde himselfe to God by the most full and strong bonds and engagements that can be his spirit is at the greatest liberty when hee is most strongly bound to the Lord. That place in the 2 Chron. 15. 12 is very observable for this Asa and his people enter into a Covenant to seek the Lord God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soule yea so as whosoever would not seeke the Lord God should bee put to death whether small or great man or woman and they sware unto the Lord with shoutings and with trumpets and with cornets But were they not afterwards troubled that they had so tied and bound themselves would they not have thought it better to have been at more liberty No surely for Verse 15. the Text sayes that all Iudah rejoyced at the oath and this reason is given Because they had sworne with all their heart and sought him with their whole soule When any seek God with their whole heart with their whole soule they are not only willing to engage themselves to God but they rejoyce in their engagements Thus Nehemiah whose heart was fully set for God did himselfe and got the Princes the Priests Levites and People to make a sure covenant to write it to seale it Chap. 9. 38. And as if this were not engagement enough they further enter into a curse and into an oath to walke in Gods Law to observe and doe all the Commandements of the Lord and his Judgements and his Statutes Thus David discovers the fulnesse of his spirit in following after the Lord in that he not onely promises but sweares hee will keep the righteous Judgements of the Lord Psal 119. 106. It is a signe that mens hearts are not fully taken off from their sinne when they doe not fully come off in the Covenant of the Lord. No may some say it is because wee often covenant with God and finde wee are overcome againe and doe breake covenant with him and therefore we are afraid to enter into covenant any more Is it not better not to covenant than not to performe I answer It is true if men covenant and wilfully neglect they were better not covenant at all but if when wee enter into covenant wee have the testimony of our consciences that we labour as in the sight of God to fulfill our covenants wee make and it is the burthen of our soules that we saile in them then I say that wee are still to goe on and engage our selves further our covenants doe not aggravate our sinne but in time they will help us against our sinne this is one way that God hath appointed to strengthen us and therefore wee must not complaine of weaknesse and yet neglect any way appointed by GOD to get strength by 10 To follow God fully is to abide in all these constant to the end of our dayes That is we must be constant in Gods wayes not thinke it enough to enter into them by fits and starts but the wayes of God must be our ordinary track Prov. 16. 17. The high way of the upright is to depart from evil It is his common road and constant course and wee must continue faithfull before the Lord unto the death It is the commendation of Hezechiah 2 King 8. 6. He clave unto the Lord and departed not And David Psal 119. 112. he saith Hee hath enclined his heart to performe Gods statutes alway but as if that expression were not enough to signifie his continuance he addes even unto the end Iob 17. 9. The righteous holds on his way A heart that hath given up it selfe fully to God doth never forsake him There is no Apostate in the world but if we could trace him along in his wayes to his very beginning we might find that in the entrance of his profession there was not a full giving up himself to God there was not an absolute surrender made of all that he was and had unto the Lord. It may bee said of him as it was of Amaziah That though he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord yet he did it not with a perfect heart There are three Reasons why it must needs be that that man which followes God fully must needs follow him constantly and for ever First because where ever the Lord brings any to follow him fully hee causeth such a perfect breach betweene sinne and that soule as there is no possibility that ever there should be a reconciliation made that the breach should bee made up againe An unsound heart so falls out with his sinne as there is a possibility of reconcilement and therefore when such a one findes trouble in Gods service hee is willing to enter into parly againe upon termes of agreement with his sinne but it is not so with a truly godly heart there is such a breach made as there is no hope of reconciliation It was Achitophels policie to get Absolon to stick to him so as never to leave him To take away the feare that there might be lest Absolon in time might bee reconciled to his father and so leave him therefore he sought to make such a breach betweene him and his father as there should never be any hope of reconciliation and so hee might bee the surer to keepe constant to him and the people that joyned with him and therefore hee advised that Absolon should goe in to his fathers Concubines upon the house top in the sight of all the people 2 Sam. 16. 21 22. It is the wisedome of God that he may have followers never to leave him to make such breaches betweene sinne and their soules at first so as there may never bee hope of peace betweene them againe As the Devill when he would draw one to be his for ever hee seekes to make great breaches betweene God and him that if hee should have ever any thoughts of returning he may discourage and sinke his spirit with thoughts of despaire telling him there is no hope of good in returning that way and therefore it were better for him to continue as he is as Ier. 2. 25. Thou saidst there is no hope No for I have loved strangers and after them will I goe When the Devill gets one who hath beene forward in the profession of religion to Apostatize hee labours to make such a breach betweene him and his former course as not onely to fall off from it but to hate it and to persecure it and to turne deadly enemie to it and then both the devill and wicked men think
David Gideon Barak others who through faith subdued Kingdomes Hebr. 11. 32 33. That is basenesse of spirit and want of valour that makes a man a slave to sin and the Devill so a slave as he hath no heart to any worthy service to free himselfe from it but lies down under it and carries the fetters and yoake of his bondage about with him withersoever he goes That is cowardly basenesse that brings conscience into a servile subjection that cowardly basenesse that will suffer the cause of God to be betrayed rather than venture any thing for it what greater argument that men want true spirit than this Godlinesse puts a spirit of fortitude into men that will not suffer them to bee thus debased and where appeares the like courage in any as in these when they are called to stand for the truth Though all the Tiles of the houses in the City of Wormes were Devils yet thither would I goe to testifie to the truth saith Luther Againe it is not a turbulent spirit for turbulency of spirit makes men cruell and malicious this spirit causes men to love their enemies to do all the good they can to them turbulent spirits seeke onely their own ends they care not what becomes of others so it bee that they may but warme themselves they care not what house bee on fire They are boysterous in things that concerne themselves But the Saints of God in whom this other spirit rules they are meeke and gentle and yeeldable in their owne cause ready to put up wrong in all quietnesse take them in things that onely concerne themselves and you shall find none so readily so freely so chearfully denying themselves as they And againe turbulent spirits doe not love to examine things by rule to call things to account but follow their owne fiery humour and set upon their own will with violence but godlinesse takes off men from this ruggednesse and turbulency of spirit makes them gentle and peaceable let them bee never so active never so forward never so zealous in any thing yet if you wil call them to examine things by rule they will meekly and patiently heare you yea a childe shall leade them Esay 11. 6. And yet further turbulēt they are not for none more obedient to authoritie than they none see that Majestie of God in Autority as they doe none obey Authority out of conscience so as they doe If the will of men in authority rather than authority shall require any thing that the authority of Heaven forbids that they do not because they cannot obey for conscience sake And so sacred do they account Authority that they would have no obedience performed to it but obedience for conscience sake Blind obediēce the Church of God hath long agoe exploded as too servile for Christian spirits this were more servile than selling mens bodies in the Market for slaves which Christianity abhors It were too uncharitable a conceit of Christian Magistrates to thinke that they should require of or expect from any other obedience than in and for the Lord and in this obedience those who are godly are so forward as they are judged turbulent for being over-forward to maintaine the honor of Authority as some think when according to their places they promote the execution of laws made by authority and that of those lawes which are of the highest consequence for the furtherance of Piety and Peace Againe factious spirits they are not because they seeke above all things to keep to the maintenance of obedience to the Primitive truth that is faction that sides against that Tertullian hath a notable expression in his Apology for the Christians against the Gentiles to cleare Gods people from being men of factious spirits it seemes that aspersion was cast upon them then which was about 1400 yeares agoe his expression was this When good men when honest men meet together when godly men are gathered together it is not to bee called a faction but a Court and on the contrary the name of faction sayes hee is to bee applyed to them who conspire to the hatred of good and honest men And thus much of the first branch of the Vse which was the reprehension of the vile cōceits that men had of this other spirit Now the second followes which is the rebuking of the men of the world for the ill use they give to men who are of such excellent spirits The excellencies of the spirits of the godly do challenge all the good use that can bee but it is little they meet withall they are for the most part abused by the men of this vile world as if they were the vilest scurfe and filth of the earth yea so indeed they account them so saith S. Paul 1. Cor. 4. 13. We are made as the filth of the world and are the off-scouring of all things unto this day Why what was S. Paul and what were those that were with him who was so accounted of were they not men of most excellent and admirable spirits S. Paul was one of the most excellent spirited men that ever lived upon the earth and did as much service for God as ever any meere man did since the beginning of the world and yet how vilie was he thought of how contemptibly was hee used put into stocks and whipped wanted cloathes and victuals And for the others that were with S. Paul they were men of whom the Holy Ghost gives this witnesse that they were the very glory of Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 8. 23. Oh unworthy world that ever they should have such men live amongst them Those who are the delight of Angels yea of God himselfe how are they abused in this wicked world as if they were dogges or the basest scumme and filth of the earth What scorne and contempt is cast upon them the most abject of men think themselves good enough to reproach and abuse them Were it not a grievous sight to see some base drudge to have power over the body of some noble Prince to abuse it by stripes or any other contumelious sordid manner but a more grievous thing it is to see the vile and base spirits of the world who are nothing but sinks of filth themselves to abuse men of such noble and excellent spirits as if they were more vile than dirt It was the bitter complaint of Ieremy Lament 4. 2. that the pretious sonnes of Sion comparable to fine gold were esteemed as earthen pitchers Such as blessed spirits would honour if they had them with them yet here they are cast out as filth What griefe sufficent to lament the seeing of such filthy swine to trample under their feet such pretious pearles in all ages thus it hath beene Those who were indeed the true honourable upon the earth such pretious and excellent spirited men as of whom the world was not worthy and yet they have beene most vilely abused and are so still by this wretched world