19. SERM. XIX. The Tenth Sermon on the Excellency of the Soul.
SERM. XIX. The Tenth Sermon on the Excellency of the Soul.
F or what is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? – Matth. 16:26.
Now then having done with that point, we are to come to the last thing; That as the loss is great, as in all the respects I opened, so it is such, that suppose a man to have gained the whole world in a way of the loss of his soul, yet that gain will never recompense it; Job 27:8. For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God takes away his soul?
There are some men that seek the world, and yet lose both the world and their souls, they neither gain the world, nor their own souls; and some there are that do gain the world and their souls both: But there is no necessary connection between either gaining the world, or losing one's soul, or losing the world, and gaining the soul, but one may be severed from the other.
But suppose God should let a man gain what he will (though many men seek for gain by sinful ways, and God crosses them in it, they have not their gain, and yet they are damned eternally for seeking gain) but suppose a man had gotten all the world, as he would desire, and yet this man wicked and
losing his soul, he is a most miserable man: Now this is the thing that I have to do, to show unto you what a poor gain a man hath that is wicked, though he hath got the world, when he hath cast up all his reckonings, it may be said of him, as we usually say of men that have got little, They may put all their gain in their eye, and never see the worse: So certainly, if thou hast sought after gain in this world, in such a way as thou hast not provided for thine own soul, when thou comest to sum up all thine accounts, thou wilt see that very little is got: There are many ways whereby a man may come to see all the glory in the world to be but darkness: By seeing the glory of God, the glory of Christ, and the infinite consequence of an eternal estate; those three things make the spiritual man to look upon all the glittering vanities of this world, but as mere darkness, and as nothing: — But now there be three other things that may help a natural man to see the things of the world to be as nothing, and the gains of it to be very poor gain, (I mean one that is not sanctified, that hath no grace.)
The first is, If God do but please to wound his conscience, and terrify him, he will see all things to be poor things indeed.
Or secondly, When God lays his hand upon him in afflicting of him, upon his sick-bed, or upon his death-bed. It is reported of Musculus, that when he lay upon his death-bed, and his friends coming about him, and seeing what a poor condition he was in, that had been an eminent worthy Instrument of God, and an excellent Preacher in his time, and they mourning for the sad condition they saw him to be in, O quid sumus? Say they; as he lay in his bed he over-heard them, Fumus, said he; that is, O what are we? Smoke:
Many a carnal man in the time of his sickness, and apprehension of death, will say, that all this world it is as nothing.
A third thing that may make even a carnal heart to see all the things of this world to be as nothing, It is strength of Reason; though there should not be terror of conscience, nor any afflictions, yet strength of reason may discover the gain of this world to be as nothing, in comparing of it unto the soul; and this strength of reason God is pleased sometimes to sanctify by his Spirit, when it is helped by the Word, by the sanctified reason that there is in the Word; I say, when it is helped by that, then God blesses it so as to work off the heart from the world, to the things that concern the everlasting good of the soul; And it is that that I shall speak to at this time, to convince you what a poor thing the gain of the world is, even by strength of reason, and yet such reason as is founded upon the Scripture. —I have already shewn you the things that may make a spiritual heart see a vanity in all things in the world, as the excellency of God, and of Christ, and the consequences of eternity; Now the other two, terror of conscience, and afflictions, they are
God's work, and God, when he pleaseth to show the vanity of the World, doth ordinarily bring them upon the creature; but now for the third way of God to discover to the creature by the sanctified saving work of his Spirit, the vanity of all things; I shall endeavor to show it you by strength of Argument and Reason out of the Word.
As First, Surely though thou shouldest gain the world, and yet be a man that art like to perish at last, thou hast gotten but little; and it appears first in this, that all those that ever came to have true wisdom, and that are in Scripture commended for men of true wisdom, they have looked upon all the things of the world as very poor things: — First, What do you think of him that was the wisest man upon Earth (mere man) even Solomon? That had the greatest experience that ever man had, of what good, the honors, or pleasures, or profits of the world could do; and yet after all his experience,
see his testimony of all, in Eccl. 1:2. Vanity of vanity, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities, all is vanity. Observe these five things in it: — First, The things of this world are not only vain, but vanity in the abstract: —
Secondly, They are an excessive vanity, vanity of vanities, — Thirdly, A heap of vanity, vanity of vanities, — Fourthly, All is vanity, — Fifthly, He adds his name to this, Saith the Preacher; Now the word that is translated here Preacher, in the Hebrew, as those that know the tongue, know, it signifies one gathered, and it is in the feminine gender, and so some think it notes the soul of Solomon, that gathered wisdom after he had been gathering vanity so long: But this is the result of it, that all things in the world are only vanity, and that vanity of vanities, heaps of vanity; or else a soul gathered to God, after all his departure from him, He saith it is so; herein Solomon is like a man that hath gotten to the top of an high hill, such a hill as there are perhaps hundreds of people of a strong conceit, that upon the top of the hill are very rich treasures to be had, and they are all scrambling up the hill, and treading even one upon another that they may get up the hill; Now Solomon had got to the top of the hill before the rest, and he seeing men keeping a stir to get up out of such a conceit, cries out to them, Sirs you are all deceived, you are persuaded that if you could get estates, and honors, and promotions, that then you should have a great deal of content, why, I am got upon this hill, and I find there is nothing but dirt here, there is nothing here that will answer all your toil, and trouble, and expectation, but you will be utterly deceived; this is the meaning of this
Scripture: And then next unto Solomon, one of the wisest and holiest men that ever lived upon the earth, St. Paul in the New Testament; mark, as soon as ever God did but work upon his heart, to show unto him better things,
Phil. 3:8. He professes that he did account all things but loss for the
excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, ver. 7. But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ, yea doubtless, and I account all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, but dogs-meat, that I may win Christ. This was the sleight esteem that Paul had of all the things in the world, that men kept such a stir about. — And so when God did but begin to work upon Zacchaeus, when he did but hear of the salvation of his soul, when Christ did but tell him, This day is salvation come to thy house, presently, (being a covetous rich man that had gotten his estate wrongfully) he cries out, The half of my goods I give to the poor, and if I have wronged any man by forged cavillation, I will restore fourfold.
And so John the Beloved Disciple of Christ, which lay in his bosom, and therefore knew so much of the mind of Christ, you know what he saith in his first Epist. 2:15. Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world, if any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him: for all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father. The lust of the flesh, that is pleasures and sensuality; the lust of the eyes, that is riches; and the pride of life, that is honors; these are not of the Father, but of the world, saith John; you may think they are great matters, they may be great in your eyes, but they are not of the Father, but of the world; And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof; but he that doth the will of God, abideth forever. It were infinite to show you this both in Scripture, and likewise in the whole course of the story of the Church, how slightly the Martyrs did account all the things of this world, as soon as ever God gave them any true spiritual heavenly wisdom; but because that would cost a great deal of time, therefore we proceed to show by strength of reason, further out of the Scripture; yet this
may convince rational men, that that which the wisest men in the world, that have had from God a testimony of great wisdom, have thought to be a little matter, certainly hath no great matter in it; but they have thought the gain of all the world to be as nothing; therefore certainly there is no great matter in getting the things of the world, however men esteem of them.
Secondly, What if a man doth gain the world, but loses his soul, he is never a whit the better for anything in the world; we say sometimes in our common language, such a man is the best man in the Parish, and I have the hands of the best men in the Parish; the truth is, we mean the richest men in the Parish: but riches and honors make no man one whit better than he was before: The heart of the wicked is little worth. Let a man have never so great an estate, he may have so many houses that are worth so much, but he is worth no more than he was; as a great letter makes no more to the sense of a word, than a little letter doth; so great honors, and great places, make no more to the excellency of a man, than to be without them; these things in the world they have no goodness in them any further than we put goodness upon them; we may indeed make good use of them, and so by our good use we may make ourselves better through God's Grace; but the possessing of them doth not make any soul one whit better than it was before, they make many souls worse; thousands of souls grow worse than they were before, by the enjoyment of the world, but where have you one better? None can be better by the things of the world, no, it must be by some grace of God that a soul grows better, and not by the things of the world: I will give you for this, this demonstration, you never find in Scripture (that I know of) that ever any child of God was worse for afflictions in the conclusion, but you may find, that almost every child of God that was in prosperity, was the worse for their prosperity, there are very few to be excepted: I confess we
read not of Daniel, nor of Nehemiah, and I know not any but those two, but ever were the worse for their prosperity, but not one worse for afflictions, from Genesis to the Revelation; therefore certainly there is no such great matter in the things of the world; That is a remarkable place we have in Dan. 11:21. And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, and he shall obtain the Kingdom by flatteries. — A vile person, and yet have the honor of the Kingdom, how can this stand? Yes, it is by interpreters thought to be
Antiochus Epiphanes, he was advanced to that mighty height, that I remember Josephus saith, that the Samaritans in their letter to him give him the Title of the mighty God; he had that title given to him by those that were under him, and Antiochus Epiphanes, which signifies illustrious; Illustrious
Epiphanes, the Mighty God, and yet the Holy Ghost gives him this title, a vile person; what good do a few herbs that are strewn upon a Carrion do?
Do they make the Carrion to be less corrupt and putrefied than it was? Truly all the bravery that wicked men have, it is at the best but a few herbs and flowers strewn upon a filthy carrion, which makes them not to be the better:
The things of this world therefore in Scripture are called the things of another man's, in Luk. 16:12. And if you have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own? You may know the meaning of it by the verse before: If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous Mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? The riches of this world are called unrighteous Mammon; now these are opposite to the true riches, as if these were not True riches, and then in ver. 12. If you have not been faithful in that which is another man's, that is, in these riches of the world, who shall give you that which is your own? So that nothing is a man's own, to make him better, but grace; the good things of the soul, they are a man's own, but the other things they
are the worlds things, they are not a man's own; therefore what doth it profit a man that he hath gained the world? For he is never a whit the better man.
Thirdly, All these things, they are things beneath the soul, things of an inferior nature; what good is it for a man that hath gotten never so much food, that he hath laid up for his horses and dogs, but he hath nothing for his children or for himself? So if a man hath gotten the world, he hath gotten somewhat for his body, his inferior part; I but he hath gotten nothing for his soul that is above it: These are things beneath and under the soul: what good would it be for a soldier, if he have gilt his scabbard, but he hath a broken rusty sword within, or but a wooden sword within? Therefore I find in Scripture that the bodies of men and women are called the sheath of their souls, Dan. 7:15. I Daniel was grieved in my spirit, in the midst of my body. So it is in your books translated, but those that understand the Original Text, they know it is a word that signifies a sheath, and so Arius
Montanus turns it, and likewise in your Margents, in the midst of his sheath; and by comparing this Scripture with another, it is plain, that that is the propriety of the word, 1 Chron. 21:27. Where the Text saith, The Lord commanded the Angel, and he put up his sword again into the sheath thereof. Now the word that is here translated sheath, I find by comparing of them together, that it is the very same word in the Original that Daniel translates body; for the body is but as the sheath unto the soul, and what will it gain a soldier to have a brave sheath, and in the meantime have nothing within it, or that that is of no use at all? Thus it is with many, they seek great things for their bodies, but their souls are left in the mean time without any succor or help, and in a most miserable condition; all things that are in the world should be servants to thy soul, for they are all inferior to it. We account it a great dishonor to a man to marry his servant; a man of
estate in the world, if we hear he hath married his servant, which is very mean, we account it a dishonor: Now for thy heart to mingle itself with the things of this world, as its chiefest good, what dost thou but marry thy soul to that which should be thy servant? For all these things are but as servants to the soul; and for the heart of a man to be set upon the things of this world, it is to have the curse of Cham to be upon him; A servant of servants shalt thou be; for the things of the world they should be thy servants, and thou art their servant, and so a servant of servants; the curse of Cham is upon thee, when thou art a slave to thy estate, or thy honors, or to thy brutish lusts, a servant of servants art thou.
Fourthly, They are such things as God in his ordinary administration of providence hath denied to the choicest of his servants, specially in the times of the Gospel: Many of the choice of his servants in former times were in very low and mean conditions; but for the times of the Gospel, how did
Christ himself, who was the Son of God, live? He had not a hole to hide his head in; The fowls of the air had nests, and the Foxes had holes, but the son of man, not whereon to lay his head. Jesus Christ, that was infinitely beloved of the Father; and all the Apostles, they were in a poor mean condition, every one of them died a violent death, but only John; we have records of their several sorts of death, some crucified, some stoned, and some other kinds of death, but all put to death, save John, and read but the latter end of the eleventh of the Hebrews, Those that the world was not worthy of, how they wandered up and down, In sheep-skins, and goat-skins, and dens, and caves of the earth. That was a little before Christ's time, he speaks of those in the time of the Maccabees: Now certainly, if God hath so ordered things in his general administrations, towards such as are most dear in his eyes, as to deny them these things, that they shall have but little of
them, there is no great matter in them, surely if there were any great matter in them, God would not deny them to his servants; when a wicked rich man shall look upon a poor man that walks humbly before God, and would not commit the least sin willingly for a world, methinks such a man should think thus, Oh Lord! What a difference is there between such a poor man and I, and yet my conscience tells me, that God hath more honor from him in one day, than he hath from me in all my life; surely there is no such great matter in the things of the world, that God hath denied them him: If there were any great matter in them, certainly such as walk most humbly with God, and most close with God, should have them if they were absolutely good. — And indeed, this is one great reason that God's own dear servants should have so little of the world, and others so much, it is, that he might hold this forth to all the world, that the things of this world have but little in them.
Fifthly, And consider but the next Argument which follows upon this, and is of a near kin to it, That all the things of this world, the pleasures, profits, honors, they surely have no great matter in them, for they are no more than may stand with God's eternal hatred of his creature. Now certainly, those things that have no higher excellency in them than may stand with the eternal hatred of the Infinite God, certainly they have no great excellency in them; those things that Reprobates may have, surely have no great matters in them, that that you give to your Swine, you make no great matter of it; take all the things of the world, they are no more than God gives to Swine, than God gives to Reprobates, than God gives to such as he doth eternally hate; I remember that Luther hath such an expression as this of the Turkish
Empire, It is but a crumb that the great Master of the family casts to his Dog: Now if all the Turkish Empire be no more than a bit of bread that you
would cast to your Dog, then what is your estate? The Lord who is so infinitely rich in mercy, he can afford such bones for Dogs as these are, surely there is no great matters in these things that Reprobates may have as well as children; therefore you that are poor people (and yet godly) that want these things, do you quiet your hearts, what though you have not such an estate as others? Oh do not murmur! Why, it is no great matter you want, you want but that that God gives to Reprobates; Suppose a man gains the world, if he lose his soul, what gets he? He gets a bone that Dogs have, for the loss of his soul.
Sixthly, Take this Argument, That the things of this world, they have no reality in them at all, no real good in them, according to the language of Scripture, what are the things of the world divided into? Take the division that you had before of St. John, The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. Take pleasures, and riches, and honors, do but see what the Scripture speaks of them all.
First, For sensual pleasures, you think they have a great deal of reality in them, why in the Scripture phrase they are nothing, in Amos 6, compare the former part of the chapter with ver. 13, ver. 4. That lie upon beds of Ivory, and stretch themselves upon their Couches, and eat the Lambs out of the flock, and the Calves out of the midst of the stall, that chaunt to the sound of the Viol, and invent to themselves instruments like David, that drink
Wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief ointments, but they are not grieved for the afflictions of Joseph. Here is the pleasures that these men lived in, described; but mark what he saith, in ver. 13. Ye which rejoice in a thing of naught: You do rejoice in that which is nothing; all these pleasures, these brave merriments, when you get into a Tavern, there you drink, and vaunt, and have pleasure and music, and what a brave life is this?
I but, ye that rejoice, saith the Holy Ghost, in a thing of naught, it may be a great matter in your eyes, I but the truth is, it is nothing; that is for Pleasure.
Secondly, For Riches, see the testimony of the Holy Ghost concerning them, in Prov. 23:5. Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? That which hath no being at all; no, it is only grace and godliness, that is that that hath a being, Prov. 8:21. That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance, Junius turns it, to inherit that which is; you think that the things of grace are but imaginations, and only worldly things are real, no, the things of the world are but fancies, and the things of grace are real.
Thirdly, And then the third is for Honors, Act. 25:23. And on the morrow when Agrippa was come and Bernice with great Pomp; With much fancy, it was but all a fancy, and the truth is, the excellency that these things of the world have, it is an excellency that our fancy puts upon them; as a piece of gold that heretofore was but twenty shillings, it is raised up to two and twenty shillings; I but though men may raise it up in their fancies to be worth more, the gold is the same: So the things of this world, we may raise them up very high by our fancies, but there is no more real good in them than there was before they are but shadows, and though a man's shadow be longer or shorter, yet a man grows not longer and shorter with his shadow; so though a man's estate be more or less, yet his happiness doth not grow more or less according to his estate; therefore still, what doth it profit a man if he gains the world? Why he gains a shadow, he gains that that hath nothing in it, he gains a fancy, a dream, and he loses his soul for all this.
Seventhly, Further, suppose there were some reality, yet there is nothing that can satisfy the heart, Isa. 55. Why do you lay out your money for that that is not bread and for that that satisfies not? Only Grace is that that satisfies the soul; these things have so much mud at the bottom, that you
cannot have a full draught of them. — And besides, there is a curse of God upon them, that they should not satisfy; yea God hath so fashioned the hearts of the children of men, that they shall never be satisfied with these things: And the eager desire after these things, comes from a great distemper; just as Maids and Women that have green-sicknesses, or that long; you shall have them long for coals, it may be, and dirt, and so green fruit, but though they long for it, yet this cannot satisfy them, why, because it is but trash: So the heart of a man or woman that longs for the things of this world, why it is in a distemper, as one that longs to feed upon dirt, they may feed upon them, but never be satisfied with them.
Eighthly, Yet further; how can the gain of the world make up the loss of any spiritual good? For one that goes on in ways of looseness, that soul, whatever he gets in the world, he hath it without God, God in his ordinary providence may cast it in, but he hath it without the blessing of God with it:
What if a man had never such fine flowers in a Garden, if the Sun should never shine upon them? Truly so it is with many wicked men, they have brave and fine estates, but they never have the Sun-shine of the blessing of God upon anything they have; yea that that they have in a way of sin, they have it with a curse of God together with it: That that wicked men feed upon, it is but swill, and like Hoggs-meat that is wrapped up in the dirt; their meat is filthy and stinking itself, but when it is wrapped up in dirt, then it is worse, and so their estates; the Scripture calls all in the world but as dogs-meat, and it is wrapped up in their sin, and the curse of God is upon it.
Suppose that that thou doest feed upon had no curse of God upon it, yet it is but as a piece of carrion, but now it is wrapped up in thy sin, and so long as thou goest on in thy sin, the curse of God is upon it: But now, the good of all the things in the world consists in this, the communication of God's
goodness towards me in them, and Christ's blessing of them to draw my heart nearer to God, and to be instrumental for me the better to serve God; but Oh how few men do know wherein the true chief good of these things doth consist: I have more of the things of the world than others have, I, but wherein am I more happy? Wherein? Oh! I see God letting out of himself to me in the way of his goodness, and he gives me this to do him more service than others that are poor; Oh, if thou couldest say thus, this were a sign of a gracious heart indeed. A man that loses his soul, and gets the world, he gets dogs-meat wrapped up in dirt and filth. Oh poor price for an immortal soul!
Ninthly, And then besides, we must show you somewhat about the uncertainty of all these things. Charge those that are rich in the world, that they trust not in uncertain riches. The whole world is as it were upon a wheel; the Scripture saith, that the tongue sets on fire the whole course of nature, it is in the Original, the wheel of nature; all these things are turning up and down, as it were in a wheel you have heard of the wheel of him who was a great King, and having overcome others set them to draw his Chariot, but he observing of them as they drew his Chariot, took notice how they continually looked back unto the wheel, and asking them what the reason was, why say they, we by this see the turning of the things of this world, the nail that is now on the top, is by and by on the bottom, we were high enough within a while, but now are low enough; and the consideration of this did abate the pride of that great Prince that made four Kings to draw his
Chariot: So it is but a wheel of nature, and wilt thou venture thy soul for these things that have no certainty in them? I remember Philip de
Commines reports of a Duke of Exeter, which married one of the Kings of England's Sisters, and yet he saith, that he was seen in the Low-Countries begging his bread bare-foot; Oh therefore would a man venture the loss of
his soul for the gaining of these things that are so fading and passing away!
All flesh is grass, and as the flower of the field, it passes away, and comes to nothing; yea at those times when we have most use of the things of the world, then they are gone from us, as Absalom when he was caught by the tree, and had the most use of his Mule, then his Mule left him, and leaves him hanging by the hair of the head; so worldly things are most out of the way, when you have the most need of them; and will a man venture the loss of his soul for the gaining of these things that will leave you when you have the most need of them; when you lie upon your sick-bed and death-bed, what good will it do you to think that I wore fine clothes, and I had so much riches coming in yearly: Riches avail not in the day of wrath; but Righteousness, that delivers from death. All these things are but fading, and will fail a man when he hath the most need of them. I remember our
Chronicles tell a strange story of Richard the third King of England, and you that have them, it is worth your reading; I do not know that ever I read of a more magnificent Coronation for a King, than of his, set out in abundance of glory, he had one Earl that bare before him his Crown, and four Earls carrying four swords before him, one a sword of state; and another without a point, to betoken mercy, and two glittering swords, one in respect of the Temporalty, and the other in respect of the Clergy, and four
Barons bearing a Canopy over his head, and himself in a long Purple Velvet Robe, and his Queen in all her Pomp and State; himself had a Duke to bear up his Train, and his Queen she had a Countess to bear up hers, and divers other particulars that might be shewn to set out the greatest pomp and glory almost that could bet conceived for a man to be in; but behold the revolution of things, within some two years and a little more after this, this glorious Prince was slain, and his body lying naked to the view of all, and
carried on a Horse with his hands and head hanging down on the one side, and his heels on the other, as Butchers carry Swine or Calves, and so he was carried to Leicester, and there lay divers days above ground naked and contemptible, and the very stone in which his body was laid, was afterwards made use of to be a Trough for Horses to drink at, at a common Inn; such hatred did they show to him, which a while before was in such a glorious condition: Thus we see that these things which are here, will not hold long, and for one to seek to make his rest in these things, is, as if a bird should build her nest in a little bush, that is floating up and down in the Sea; these things will carry you a little way, but not far; we have all to provide for eternity. If a man had a Voyage to the Indies, and he should provide a little
Boat that should carry him from Westminster to the Bridge, it were a poor provision; so when we provide for outward comforts, and no more, we little think of the great Voyage that we have to go; we have all of us to sail to eternity, and what is a Boat of these outward comforts to carry us that long
Voyage? The things of this world may well be compared to a Tree in the time of a storm; when you are travelling in the way it begins to rain, and you ride under an Oak or an Elm-Tree; Now if there falls but a little Rain, it may keep you dry, but if it rains much, the longer you stand under the Tree, the worse you will be: So the things of this world may comfort and quiet us against a little trouble, but Riches, as I said, Avail not in the day of wrath.
They will not keep off the dreadful storm of God's wrath; all these things are uncertain, and will disappoint us.
Now these and divers other Considerations that might be added, are the strength of Reason grounded upon the Scripture, to convince a man of the vanity of all the things of the world. Now put all these Considerations together, and well may we say, as it was said of the price that was given for
Christ, that Zechariah prophesies of, those thirty pieces, a goodly price that was given for him. You hear sometimes of Judas 's sin, that he betrayed
Christ for thirty pieces, a goodly price; I may well apply this to your souls, you that venture the loss of your souls for getting the world, though you could possibly get all the world, considering what hath been said, it is a goodly price; do you not see what a goodly price is given for your soul? If these things be but made real to you, it would be of marvelous use to help against any temptation to anything of this world. Now you have seen what darkness is upon all things, how they are all but glittering vanities, and not worth the venturing of the soul for, take heed of hazarding your souls upon any of these things, you will curse yourselves hereafter when it is too late;
Oh cursed wretch that I was, that I should yet venture upon sinful ways that I was told would in-danger the eternal destruction of my soul! And notwithstanding I heard what a vanity was in all these things, yet for such a vanity I was drawn aside to lose mine own soul; well, you see the upshot of all, that to venture your souls for the gain of the world, it is to venture the loss of pearls for pebble stones, to venture Gold for dirt, yea for dirt that hath a great deal of poison in it, for so it hath; all these things in the world being separated from God, they are not only dirt, but there is poison in them. Now then, these things being laid together, you see the point cleared, and all that doth remain it is but to bind up this in several Uses and Applications; If all these things be so poor and mean, what use are we to make of all these Meditations and Considerations?
Use.
Then for Use, If these things be so, in the first place we learn, not to envy at the prosperity of ungodly men, whatever it be, let them ruffle it out for a while here in this world, and carry all before them; let man have his day
here in this world, there is no great cause to envy him, if he be going on in such a way as he is like to lose his soul; poor miserable wretched creature that he is, better ten thousand times he had never been born: Poor people that are wicked, (as many are) they have the curse of God mingled in water, and rich men that are wicked, they have the curse of God like poison in their Wine; now we know, of the twain, the poison will work more strongly in Wine, than in Water, and so of both, certainly ungodly rich men, that have most of the world, are the most miserable creatures, for they have more to answer for than others have, and their estates are usually fuel for their lusts, and so their condition is worse than the condition of any beggar that begs his bread from door to door; And certainly there is no wicked rich man upon the earth, but if so be that he die so, he will hereafter curse the time that ever he had an estate, and wish he had been a beggar, and gone begging up and down in his rags, for then he had not had so much to answer for before God. O he is not a man to be envied at! What man is there that would envy at a malefactor condemned to die, though he have on brave clothes? Would not any one of you rather save your Russet plain suit, or a Leather suit, than a suit of Velvet, and go to be executed in it. I have read of Chrysostom, who being invited to a feast, as he was a going, he met with one a going to execution, and it fell out that the way to execution was a very fair way, but the way that lead him to his friends house, it was a dirty Lane, and he makes this meditation of it, Oh how much better is it to go in this dirty Lane, to go and rejoice with my friend, than in a fair plain way, and go as the other doth to execution! He was not willing to go his way, though it were a fair and plain way, but rather to go his own, though a foul and dirty, he considered that the end of the way was different: So do not look much upon men and women, what their present condition is, but look what their
end is like to be, and do not envy them. I suppose you cannot but have heard the story of a poor soldier, that having a command from his General not to touch anything upon pain of death, yet coming by a Vine, takes a bunch of Grapes; the General being very strict, he condemns him to die, because of his disobedience, and as he was going to execution, he went eating the bunch of Grapes; his fellow-soldier rebuked him, but he gives him this answer, I pray ye do not envy my Grapes to me, for they cost me dear: So truly we have little cause to envy the men of the world their
Grapes, that they have their mirth, their merry-meetings, whatsoever they have, for it is like to cost them dear, it is like to cost them their souls, they endanger their eternal perishing; and therefore there is no cause at all to envy such. David indeed was troubled a while when he saw the prosperity of the ungodly, but when he went into the Sanctuary, there he understood their end; Oh my Brethren, you are come into the Sanctuary, you are come now in the exercise of the Word thus to hear what is like to become of ungodly men, that enjoy all the world for their portion, their end is like to be the loss of their souls eternally; do not envy them; Thou dost envy them, and suppose that God should say to thee, well, it shall be with thee, as with them, that is, you shall have as much as they, and there is all the good you are like ever to have from me; would you not see cause to give a dreadful screak, if such a message should come from Heaven to you? What a foolish thing were it for a child that hath a loving Father, and a great Inheritance that he expects from him, because he sees a stranger that comes and sits at the Table, and have better provision than he hath, to grumble and grouch, because he hath not such provision made for him every day? Oh he hath no cause to do so, for the Inheritance is reserved for him. God, he is a rich
Housholder, and he can give such things as these are to his enemies, as we
speak of, but the Inheritance is reserved for thee; envy not the ungodly in the enjoyment of the world, for the truth is, their portion it is but very little, it is but a poor pittance for an immortal soul to have, though he should have all the world. It is true, we should be sensible of our unworthiness of the least crumb of any good thing, yet though we should be sensible of our unworthiness, yet we should not be satisfied with having all the world for our portion. It was a most admirable speech of Luther, when divers of the Princes of Germany made much of him, he began to be afraid lest he should have his portion in these outward things, and here should be all, he breaks forth in this expression, fearing lest God should give him his portion here; I did, saith he, protest to God with all my power and strength that he should not put me off so with these things, he would not be content with them; that is the first Use; Little cause to envy at the men of the world; for the truth is, it is but a poor pittance they have, and they have made a most miserable bargain: If you should see one that professes himself to be a Merchant, and he should venture many thousand pounds, but bring home nothing but a fair painted bauble for children to play with, would you envy it to him? Just thus it is with the men of the world, they flatter and please themselves with their baubles, but their souls are gone in the meantime.
Secondly, Wherefore in the second place, let all those that do seek to get the world in those ways wherein they are like to lose their souls, let them lay this Scripture to heart, and O that God would settle it upon their spirits, that you might when you awake in the night season think of it; when you walk up and down, when you are in your shops, in your business, think but of this Text; I remember I told you in the beginning, of one that counseled one of the Kings of Portugal to think of this Text a quarter of an hour every day, O that you would every time you awake, especially you that have been
seeking after much of the world, think seriously of this Scripture, Am not I the man or woman that have hazarded my soul for seeking after somewhat of the world? Hast thou never sought to gain anything of the world in a way of sin, and to this day thy heart not thoroughly humbled for it, nor repented?
It may be not to this day made restitution? Hath not the eager pursuit after the things of this world taken thy heart up so much, that thou hast not favored the things of God and eternal life? Thou lookest upon the things of the world, as if they were the only realities, but for spiritual things, they are imaginations; have not the things of this world so taken up thy spirit, as made thee to have sleight thoughts of spiritual and heavenly things? Hast not thou blest thyself in the enjoyment of these things, though in the meantime God hath not made known to thee the riches of his Kingdom? Yet thou hast thought thyself to have enough in the enjoyment of what thou hast; hast not thou often, when thou hast been at the Word, had thy thoughts and spirits about the things of the world, as the things suitable to thee, but the things of the Word thou hast not relished? Yea and anything in the Word that hath come close to that covetous corruption of thine, thy heart hath secretly derided it; there are no men in the world that do more secretly condemn and deride the things of God, spiritual things, than worldlyminded men. In Luk. 16:14, we read that Christ preaching to the Pharisees against their covetousness, and telling them That no man could serve two
Masters, but either he will hate the one, and love the other, or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other, ye cannot serve God and Mammon, saith Christ: You cannot think to have your hearts set upon the world, and your gain, and yet serve the Lord; but if your hearts be set so upon your estates, you will make bold with God, you will venture upon the ways of sin, for the gaining of the things of this world; but mark, The Pharisees also
who were covetous, heard all these things, and they derided him; the word in the Greek is, They blew their noses at him; as a man when he scorns and derides another, he will show it by his nose; so they in a kind of speaking in their nose, in a jeering, scorning way, they derided Jesus Christ, that talked after this fashion, What, that a man cannot serve God and Mammon too, that a man cannot look after the things of the world, and the things of God too: Carnal hearts, they do hear things in Religion, as unsavory things, whose hearts are after the things of the world. And so not only for Riches, but for thy Credit: Hast thou not often ventured to lie, to save thy credit in something, and hast been more troubled when thou hast been discovered in anything that makes against thy credit, and esteem, than in the sin that thou hast committed against God? Now by such kind of evidences it is clear, that men enjoy the world in such a way, as wherein they are like to lose their souls to all eternity; and now, Oh do but look upon your estates that you have, and do but think what they cost you, and little comfort you will have in them. It is observed of David, when he did long for the waters of the Well of Bethlehem, and there were men ventured their lives to get him the water; when it came to him, he would not drink of it, Oh it is the price of blood!
So when thou lookest upon thy estate, and fittest at thy table, and seest that thou hast more there than other men, and lookest into thy Chest, and there thou hast plenty of Garments, and thy children are fine and brave, and the like; these are pretty things for a while to please the fancy with, I but what do they cost? As he that would reckon his clothe, he reckons that the dying and the spinning it cost him so much, I but what cost the wool? Why, that was his own, and he accounted nothing of that: So, such and such things that thou hast, what do they cost? They cost thus much, and thus much, I but hath not thy soul gone into the bargain? And canst thou have
pleasure in it, when it cost thee so dear as it hath? Psal. 31:6, the spirit of holy David rises up in indignation against such men as these are, I have hated them that regard lying vanities; My spirit cannot but with indignation and abomination rise up against them; what? That men should follow after vanity, when there are such glorious things to be followed after? When there is the blessed God, and the glorious Riches of Grace and Salvation that are revealed in his Word that may take the hearts of the children of men, and yet they follow after vain things; men that have immortal souls, capable of eternal communion with the Lord in the highest Heavens, for them to follow after vanity, and satisfy themselves in such things, I hate them, saith David; certainly it is the curse of God that is upon the hearts of men, that suffers them to follow after such things, and especially in the times of the Gospel, when such glorious things are revealed to their souls, I say the curse of God is upon them, Isa. 44:20. He feedeth on Ashes, a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, is there not a lie in my right hand: He feedeth of Ashes; A deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, there lies the sore evil of it; A deceived heart, he needs not cast it upon the Devil, but it is his own bare filthy corrupt heart that dares not trust God for his soul for eternity, he will have present things, come of it what will come; he knows what the meaning of present things are, but what those are that are to come, he knows not; a deceived heart hath seduced him, and he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand? That is, is not the strength of my endeavor set upon falsehoods? The chief of my strength and endeavors, is it not set upon a lie? Chrysostom saith, If he were to preach to all the world, he would choose that Text as soon as any; Oh ye children of men, why do ye love vanity, and follow after leasing? And it were happy, if
it were always sounding in the ears of everyone, whose hearts are after present things, so that such a one may hear a voice behind him, saying, This is not the way, but this is the way, walk in it: Thou hast deceived thy soul all this while, and wearied thyself, and that through the curse of God upon thy heart; as Hab. 2:13. Behold, is it not of the Lord of Hosts, that the people shall labor in the very fire, and the people shall weary themselves for very vanity? Is not this of the Lord of Hosts? So when we see men and women, why they have understanding in the things of the world, yet for the matter of God, they have none at all; They are very industrious and laborious to get outward things, and outward comforts of this world, and tire themselves; can sit up late, and rise early; Oh is it not of the Lord of Hosts that people should thus weary and tire themselves? By way of similitude we may apply it to the spirits of men, that are wearying and tiring of themselves after vanity; it is the Lord's curse that is upon their hearts.
It is said, I remember, of Dionysius, that when he was upon his sick-bed, he hears Thales the Philosopher discoursing excellently about diverse excellent moralities, and he curses those pleasures and delights that had taken off his heart from attending to such things: When thou comest upon thy sick-bed, what will comfort thee then? It cannot be thy silver nor gold; therefore oh that the Lord would make thee now for the present to see thy vanity and folly before it be too late, and thou curse thyself, and there be no hopes for thee! But it is this point shows the folly and madness of those that seek after never such great things in the world with the hazard of their souls, but then, what shall we say to those that will hazard their souls for every trifle? We spoke of that in the aggravation of the dreadfulness of the loss of the soul, only a word or two more of it here. In Amos 2:6. God complains there, that the righteous were sold for silver, and the poor for a
pair of shoes: That they put such a poor price upon righteous men, and upon poor men; as if God should say, Know, I put a greater price upon my righteous servants, than all the silver in the world; Oh now! The complaint may be against many people, that sell their souls for silver, yea even for a pair of shoes, for a trifle, for a toy, for nothing; not for all the world, but for every little pittance; what is that that thou hast, or art like to have? Why very poor things in comparison of the world. I remember it is reported of Alcibiades a young Gallant, that Socrates comes in a jeering way unto him for his pride, and brings him a Map of the world, and saith he to him, Shew me, I pray thee, where lies thy Land here: Now, if I were to speak to Princes and Emperors, yet this Text would speak dreadfully to them, that they should venture their souls for Kingdoms and Empires; but now for you that are never like to have any such things, for you to set your hearts upon such trifles, and so to damn your souls, what can you get? Look upon a Map, and see what all England is: Europe is but a fourth part of the world that is known, I but then what is England to Europe, and then to all the world? And then what is one County in England, and one City, or one House? I have a great many Tenements, saith one, in a Parish, but what is all this to the world, and all this world unto Heaven, and Heaven and the world unto
God? But now to think that thou art blessed, because thou hast but a few rotten Tenements, Oh what a seduced heart hath deceived thee, that thou canst be satisfied with such things as these are? This one meditation me thinks might sink into the hearts of those that will venture their souls for every trifle: If ever thy soul be saved, God must set such a price upon it, that he must give more than a thousand worlds are worth to save it, he must give no less than the blood of his Son; and canst thou think that the infinite
God should prize thy soul at such a high rate, when thou thyself dost prize it
at such a low rate? If so be that a man had lost anything of his estate, and it could not be redeemed without some great sum of money, If his friends come to know that he doth not prize what he hath lost, will any friend be so mad as to lay down five hundred pound to redeem that for his friend which he knows aforehand that he doth not prize at twelve pence? So, canst thou think that that soul of thine that thou prizest at nothing, that the Infinite God should lay down such a price to redeem it?
Thirdly, From the consideration of the comparison of the gain of the world, to the loss of the soul; It is a Use of exhortation, To teach us to answer all temptations, or to work this upon our hearts, the answering of all temptations to any way of sin, To answer all with this, you offer me too little, whatsoever you can offer me, to draw me to think well of sin, certainly it is too little, for it endangers my soul; the thorough understanding of this point, and the working of it upon the heart, is a very great help against whatsoever temptation should come to draw thee to sin.
Surely, If these things be so, then this can be no Argument for me to neglect any duty that God calls for at my hands, or to venture upon any way that my conscience tells me is sin: Oh but if I do thus, it will endanger my estate, but if I do such a thing I shall get so much by it: Certainly there can be no strength in this, if what hath been spoken out of this Text be true. But now when there comes a temptation and prevails over thee, thou dost deny this Scripture to be the Word of God, and thou settest thy judgment against the truth of God; but now consider with thyself which is like to stand, know, that God will make his Word stand, he will make it good, when thou and a thousand thousand such as thou art shall perish forever; and therefore, as you that are chapmen, when men offer you less than your ware is worth, you scorn and contemn them; so you should do when temptation offers you
less than your soul is worth. We read of Saul, when he saw the people following David, saith he, What can the son of Jesse do for you? Can he give you Olive-yards and Vine-yards, and the like? So when temptation to sin comes, ask it, what can you do for me? Can you save my soul in the time of distress? You would draw me to such and such courses, such and such companions would draw me to such and such ways, I but you may put them off with this, Is this the way to save my soul? If it be, then I will do it, but if it will not do that, God forbid that I should meddle; Oh therefore remember, remember, that the fashion of this world passeth away, 1 Cor.
7:30,31. The Apostle would take off the hearts of men from the things of this world, and bring this Argument, saith he, The fashion of this world it passeth away; Therefore use the world, as not abusing it. That that you have in your English book, passes away, it is παράγει and I find two very learned
Writers translate it by a word that signifies to deceive; The fashion of the world will deceive you at last, and another by a word that signifies, To go quite cross; These two significations it hath, it doth deceive, or it goes quite cross; the outward show of the world, oh it doth deceive thousand thousands of souls to their eternal perdition, and it goes quite cross; it seems to promise thee thus and thus much, but it will go quite cross in the conclusion, and will be thy undoing, if thou dost not take heed; and therefore let not anything in the world be a temptation to thee, for the least sin that possibly may be. I remember Austin in his book about an officious lie, hath this passage; saith he, A man must not tell an officious lie (that is, a lie without an intention to do anybody hurt) for the gaining of the world, nay, for the gaining of all the souls in the world, the least sin is a greater evil, than the gain of all the world is a good, because that it is dangerous to the soul, upon that very ground; and therefore it is said of Basil, when the
persecutors terrified him with the loss of all that he had, but that did not prevail, then they made him fair proffers, and great advantages that he should have, I but Basil laughed at them, and bid them go and proffer such things to children: So the story of the Martyrs tells us of Austinius, that godly man, that having been a means to demolish a place for Idol worship,
The Idolaters afterwards came upon him, and put him to extremity of torments, and set children upon him to rake his flesh with their knives, but at length they would be content if he would but give never so little for the building up of the Idol Temple again, to let him go free, No, saith he, not one half-penny. Certainly this point will be enough to justify any that shall lose estate, or endure anything in the world, rather than do anything that may in the least degree hazard their souls: And so that Martyress Juletta, when one accused her, and said, that she was a Christian, nay, then saith the Judge, you must not have liberty of the Law, No, saith she, then farewell riches, and life, and all; she would be sure to keep her soul safe, whatsoever became of all other things.
The last Use is an Use of Encouragement to those that will rather venture all in the ways of God, than to hazard their souls; thou art the wise
Merchant, that art willing to sell all for the Pearl, and bless thyself in God for this, that ever God hath put this into thy heart, to look to that which is the main chance, as we use to say: If God had left thee to thyself, thou mightest have gone on in such ways as others do, but canst thou say, the Lord hath caused the fear of himself, and the fear of eternity to fall upon my soul, and I can appeal to him, that whatever comes of me in regard of outwards, me thinks I can be satisfied, so be it all things be well with my soul; I say, bless thyself in God; a man is not to praise himself, but in God, that is thus, When thou dost consider how God hath drawn thy heart to him,
and thy interest in God, thou mayest bless thyself in God, in the grace of God, that hath given thee a heart, taken off from creature-comforts, disengaged from them, and set upon the things that concern the eternal salvation of thy soul; bless thyself in God, and be not troubled though thou beest cut short in the things of this world. One would think that that which hath been said about the vanity of the things of this world, should make people that are crossed in them (if they be godly) to be satisfied. What if thou art plundered of all, and hast little provision for thy family, and hast bread for one day, and knowest not where to get bread for the next? I but is thy soul safe? I remember we read in Genesis of the King of Sodom; he could say to Abraham, Give me the souls, and take the goods to thyself; though he were but a Heathen King, he spake of their natural lives: So do you whose hearts God hath inclined to soul-saving ways; say to the men of the world, Do you take the riches, but let me have the safety and welfare of the soul: Oh if God have assured thee upon good grounds that thy soul is safe, thy sin pardoned, what great matter though thou hast not some of the lumber of this world? If a malefactor that were in danger to die, should go to seek for a pardon for his life, well, when he hath gotten it, and is coming from the presence of the King, perhaps he loses his glove or handkerchief upon the stairs, were it not an unseemly thing for such a man to fall a crying, and wringing of his hands, because he had lost his glove? Just thus, for all the world, is the madness and folly of people that say, they have some comfortable hope that God will have mercy upon their souls, and will save them forever, yet when they are crossed and wronged, they cry out, they are undone; man and woman thou art not undone, for thy soul is safe.
Lord strike (saith Luther, strike, only pardon my sin; And my Brethren, well may you be encouraged to undergo any difficulties, and to bear the loss of
the comforts of this world, for the saving of your souls) for indeed the Lord hath granted to us the way of salvation of souls at an easier rate than our
Forefathers had; If I should but tell you the way that many of our Forefathers had for the saving of their souls, and many of the Saints of God in former times, you would have said then that it was a difficult way to save souls, and go to Heaven: As I will but give you an instance of one man, and another woman, how hardly they came to salvation. That blessed Martyr
Bensesius, see but what a way he had to Heaven for profession of Christian Religion; The Persecutors came to him, and because he would not deny the Truth, they strike his body in all his members out of joint, and when they had done that, they make wounds in all parts of his body, then thirdly, they bring Iron combs sharpened, and so rake upon his body thus wounded, and when they had done that, they laid him upon an Iron grate, and with instruments of Iron open those wounds, and after that they melt hot burning salt, and strew it upon those wounds being opened, and then they come with hot Irons; and fear him with those hot Irons, and after that drag him by the heels into a dungeon, where they had prepared sharp shells, and there he lay and perished; here is one that went to Heaven upon hard terms, you will say; but God calls not you to do so, but to deny yourselves in some base lust, in some sinful and ungodly way, in something that you may spare, that you may spare as well as the water out of your shoes, as we use to say.
And then of a woman, that was of Noble birth, and yet she being convented for Religion, and answering boldly and resolutely, and would not yield, after many temptations and fair speeches, they dragged her by the hair of the head from the seat of Judicature, and having dragged her, they pull off one joint from another, and having done that, get the teeth and claws of wild beasts, and rake her flesh from the bones, and having
afterwards done that, then they came with hot Irons and Torches, and burning flames, one of one side, and another of another side, and scorch and burn her to death in such a way as that was, and yet she goes on constantly; so be it she might save her soul, she was willing to endure all this misery; we do not know what God may call you to before you die; many of our
Brethren have suffered very hard things, and God may call you to hard things, Oh that this Text might prepare you! And now my Brethren, as it hath been a means to carry others thorough temptations, and many difficulties in this world, so if you would lay but these truths to your hearts, and if you cannot think of every particular passage, yet do but think of the Text, and take but this one Note, and that is, that whereas God calls others to spend their strength in suffering so great evils, to save their souls; be you willing to spend the strength that God spares you, in doing, in serving; spend your strength in active obedience so much the more, by how much the less you are called to spend it in the way of passive obedience, that so you may have cause to bless God forever in Heaven, when you shall come to see soul and body to be blessed and saved eternally; you may bless God forever in Heaven for revealing such a truth, and setting home such a Text;
What shall it profit a man, though he gain the whole world, and lose his soul? And what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
FINIS.