Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

The worldling's reflection.

have defired only fo much of religion as may fit me to gain the creature! As God's people have fubjected all their creature-enjoyments to religion, fo oppofitely, O my foul, thou haft fubjected religion to thy wordly intereft and defigns, Inftead of eating and drinking to ferve God, I have served God that I might eat and drink; yea, I have not only acted below religion, but below reafon alfo; for reafon dictates plainly, that the means muft never be more excellent than the end. Wretch that I am, to make religion a flave to my luft, a stirrup to advancement, an artifice to carry on my carnal defigns; verily I have my reward; and this is all the good I am ever like to get by it. And no lefs fhould the worldling tremble, to confider how he hath caft off the duties of religion, made them ftand afide, and give place to the world. Inftead of defiring fo much only as might make him serviceable to God, he thrufts afide the fervice of God to get as much of the world as he can, who is fo far from making godliness the end of his creaturecomforts, that he rather looks upon it as an obftacle, and hin-. drance to them. May not the very heathens make me blush ? Could Aristotle deliver this as a true rule to pofterity, to make religion our firft, and chief care? Could Ariftippus fay, He would rather neglect his means than his mind! his farm than his foul? Will the very Mahometans, how urgent foever their business be, lay it all afide five times in the day to pray? Yea, is it common to a proverb among the very Papifts, that mass and meat hinders no man; and yet I, that profefs myself a Christian, thrust out duty for every trifle! O wretched soul ! how hath the god of this world blinded mine eyes? Can the world indeed do that for me, that Chrift can do: Hath it ever proved true to them that trufted it, and doated on it? Hath it not at laft turned them off, as men turn off a fumpter-horse at night, that hath been a drudge to carry their gold and filver for them all day, and at laft is turned out with an empty belly, and a galled back? O how righteous will that fentence of God be? Go cry to the gods whom thou haft served.

The gracious foul's reflection.

And may not many gracious hearts turn in upon themselves with fhame and forrow, to confider how unfatisfied they have been in that condition, that others have preferred and esteemed as the greatest of all outward mercies? I have indeed been fed with food convenient, but not contented? how hath mine heart been tortured from day to day with anxi

ous thoughts, what I fhall eat and drink, and wherewith I and mine fhall be clothed? I pretend indeed that I care but for a competency of the world, but fure I am, my cares about it have been incompetent. Come my diftruftful earthly heart, let me. propound a few queftions to thee about this matter, and answer truly to what I fhall demand of thee.

Queft. 1. Haft thou here a continuing city? Art thou at home, or upon thy journey, that thou art to folicitous about the world? Thy profeffion indeed speaks thee a stranger upon earth, but thy converfation a home-dweller. Erafmus faid he defired honours and riches no more than a weary horfe doth a heavy cloak-bag. Wouldst thou not account him a fool that would victual his fhip as much to cross the channel to France, as if the were bound for the Eaft Indies? Alas! it will be but a little while, and then there will be no more need of any of thefé things. It is fad, that a foul which ftands at the door of eter-" nity, fhould be perplexing itself about food and raiment.

Quest. 2. Which of all the faints haft thou known to be the better for much of the world? It hath been fome mens utter ~ruin. Seldom doth God fuffer men to be their own carvers, but they cut their own fingers. To give riches and pleasure ⚫ to an evil man (faith Aristotle) is but to give wine to one that hath a fever.' Where there is no want, there is ufually much wantonness. What a fad ftory is that of Pius Quintus; When I was in a low condition, said he, I had some comfortable hopes of my falvation; but when I came to be a Cardinal, greatly doubted of it: But fince I came to the Popedom, I have no hope at all. Though this poor, undone wretch, spake it out, and others keep it in; yet, doubtless, he hath many thousand fellows in the world, that might fay as much, would they but speak the truth.

And even God's own people, though the world hath not excluded them out of heaven, yet it hath forely clogged them in the way thither. Many that have been very humble, holy, and heavenly, in a low condition, have fuffered a fad ebb in a full condition. What a cold blaft have they felt coming from the cares and delights of this life, to chill both their graces, and comforts! It had been well for fome of God's people, if they had never known what profperity meant.

Queft. 3. Is not this a fad fymptom of a declining state of foul, to be fo hot, eager, and anxious about the fuperfluous trifles of this life? Thinkeft thou, O my foul! that one who walks in the views of that glory above, and maintains a conVOL. VI,

[ocr errors]

Verfation in heaven, can be much taken with thefe vanities? Do not the vifions of God veil the tempting fplendor of the creature! It was the opinion of fome of the Schoolmen, that the reason why Adam in paradife was not fenfible of his nakedness, was because he was wholly taken up in converfing with God. But this is certain, lively and fweet communion with God, blunts and dulls the edge of the affections to earthly things; and canft thou be fatisfied, my foul, with fuch gains as are attended with fuch spiritual loffes?

Quest. 4. To conclude, is it not dishonourable to God, and a juftification of the way of the world, for me, that profefs myfelf a Chriftian, to be as eager after riches as other men? "After all these things do the nations feek," Matth. vi. 32. If I had no Father in heaven, nor promife in the world, it were another matter; but, fince my heavenly Father knows what I have need of, and hath charged me to be careful in nothing, but only to tell him my wants, Phil. iv. 6. how unbecoming a thing is it in me to live and act as I have done! Let me henceforth learn to measure, and eftimate my condition, rather by its usefulness to God, than its content and ease to my flesh. The POE M.

F fruit and fervice be, indeed, the end

IF

To which my being and redemption tend,
Keafon concludes, that ftate, of all the reft,
Which is most serviceable, to be best.
And fuch a ftate experience fhews to lie
"Twixt fulness, and a pinching poverty.
This golden mean is worth a golden mine;

He that hath this, fhould be asham'd to whine.
The full-fed Chriftian, like the ox i' th' ftall,
-Is no way fit to work, or plow withal.
And penury, like Pharaoh's leaner kine,
Devours the fatteft portions of our time.
'That man with whom this earthly pleafure's found,
Or in whofe heart those anxious cares abound;
And yet can walk by fcripture-rule, and line,
Will need a better head and heart than mine;
A fingle staff the traveller may find,

[ocr errors]

Of use and service; but if you fhould bind
A bundle of them to his back, they'll make
Him flack his pace, and cry my fhoulders ake
-I am a traveller, this world's my way,
A single staff may be of use to stay

My feeble body, if it do not crack
By too hard leaning on it; but my back
Will bear no more: Alas! I foon fhall tire,
And more than one I cannot well defire.
Lord, to prescribe to thee becomes me not,
I rather do fubmit unto my lot;
But yet let condefcending grace admit
Thy fervant's fuit this once, and this is it ;
The ftaff of bread convenient let me have,
And manage it discreetly; fo, 'twill fave
Thy feeble fervant from the mire and dirt,
But more or less than this may do me hurt.
Or if thou fay, thy fervant shall have none,
Then strengthen faith, that I may go alone.

[merged small][ocr errors][merged small]

Upon the Improvement of bad Ground.
Spent barren land you can reflore, and nourish:
Decayed Chriftians God can caufe to flourish.

W

OBSERVATIO N.

"Here land is spent out by tillage, or for want of manuring, the careful husbandman hath many ways to recover, and bring it in heart again. He lets it lie fallow, to give it reft, and time to recover itself: carries out his fand, lime, and compoft, to refresh and quicken it again; and in pasture and meadow ground, will wath it (if possible) with a current of water, or the float of the ways after a fall of rain, which is to the earth as a spring of new blood to a confumptive body. He cuts down, and kills the weeds that fuck it out, and causes them to make reftitution of what they have purloined from it by rotting upon the place where they grew. As careful are they to recover it, when it is spent, as an honeft phyfician is of his pa tient in a languishing condition; for he knows his field will be as grateful to him, and fully requite his care and cost.

[ocr errors]

APPLICATIO N.

S man's, fo God's husbandry is fometimes out of cafe, not by yielding too many crops, but too few. The myftical hufbandman hath fome fields, (I mean particular focieties and perfons, who were once fragrant, and fruitful, like a field) which God had bleffed, but are now decayed, and grown barren; whofe gleanings formerly were more than their vintage now; the things that are in them are ready to die, Rev. iii. 3:

It is poffible, yea, too common for gracious fouls to be reduced to a very low ebb, both of graces and comforts; how low I will not fay: Our British divines tell us, that grace indeed cannot be totally intermitted, nor finally loft; but there may be an omiffion of the act, though not an omiffion of the habit : The act may be perverted, though the faith cannot be fubverted; it may be fhaken in, though not fhaken out: Its fruits may fall, but its fap lies hid in the root. They demerit the lofs of the kingdom, but lofe it not effectively; the effect of juftification may be fufpended, juftified cannot be diffolved.*.

How far true grace in a believer may fail.

but the ftate of the

Certain it is, one that, like Paul, hath been wrapped up with joy, even to the third heavens, and cried, "I am more than a 66 conqueror, who shall separate me from the love of Chrift ?" may at another time ly mourning, as at the gates of death, crying, "O wretched man that I am, who fhall deliver me from "the body of this death?" One that hath walked in fweet communión with God, funning himself in the light of his countenance, may afterwards "walk in darkness, and fee no fight," Ifa. 1. 10. He that hath caft anchor within the veil, and rode fecurely in the peaceful harbour of affurance, may feem to feel his anchor of hope come home to him, and go a-drift into the ftormy ocean again, crying with the church, Lam. iii. 18. "My hope is perished from the Lord." His calm and clear air may be over-caft and clouded, yea, filled with ftorms and tempefts, lightnings and thunders; his graces, like underground flowers in the winter, may all disappear, and hide their Beautiful heads.

To God he may fay, I am caft out of thy fight. I know thou canst do much, but wilt thou fhew wonders to the dead?

To the promises he may fay, you are fweet things indeed, but what have I to do with you? I could once, indeed, rejoice in you, as my portion; but now I doubt I grafped a fhadow, a fancy, instead of you.

To faints he may fay, turn away from me, labour not to comfort me, O do not fpill your precious ointment of confolation upon my head; for what have I to do with comfort? To former experiences, he may fay in his hafte, you are all liars. To

*Gratia nec totaliter intermittitur nec finaliter amittitur. Actus omittitur, habitus non amittitur. Actio pervertitur, fides non fabvertitur. Concutitor, non excutitor. Defluit fructus, latet fuc eus. Jus ad regnum amittunt demeritòrie, non effective. Effec tus juftificationis suspenditur, at status juftificati non diffolvitur,

« AnteriorContinuar »