that by when you consider the matter. See what clearness you can get
and so you get it, and the curse of God with it. No; Lord, in your strength, I resolve never to buy ease and wealth at such a dear rate.
2. Beware that you close with no call upon the account of stipend. Lay that by when you consider the matter. See what clearness you can get from the Lord, when any call may be given you, and walk according to his mind, and the mind of the church. Woe is me if a stipend should be what should engage me to a place. I would shew myself a wretched creature. Consider matters then abstracting from that. For surely,
(1.) This is direct simony; selling the gift of God for money. Let their money perish with themselves that will adventure to do so. Such are buyers and sellers, that God will put out of his temple. Such are mere hirelings, working for wages; and too much of Balaam's temper is to be found there.
(2.) That will provoke God to curse your blessings, and to send a moth among what you may get; and it surely will provoke God to send leanness to your soul, as he did with the Israelites in the wilderness, when he gave them what they were seeking.
(3.) You can not expect God's blessing on your labours, but rather that you should be a plague to a people whom you so join with. In a word, you would go in the wrong way, and be discountenanced of God, when you have undertaken the charge.
There is yet a third case wherein this contempt or slighting of the world should appear in one sent to preach the gospel; that is, when a man is settled, and has encouragement or stipend coming in to him, and so must needs have worldly business done, especially if he be not single, whereby he is involved in more trouble thereabouts, than any in my circumstances for the time are. In such a case a minister would endeavour to meddle as little as he can with these things, but shun them as much as lies in him, especially if he have any to whom he can well trust the management of his affairs. For surely the making of bargains or pursuing them are not the fit object of a minister's
employment. Not that I mean simply a man may not do that, and yet be a fisher of men; but that many times the man that takes such trouble in the things of the world to catch them, indisposes himself for the art of man-fishing. But this not being my case, I pass it, referring any rules in this case how to walk till the Lord be pleased so to tryst me, if ever. Only do you, O my soul, follow Christ in the contempt of the world. Do not regard it. You may use it as a staff in your hand, but not as a burden on your back, otherwise the care of souls will not be much in your heart. And to help you to this contempt of the world, consider,
(1.) The vanity of the world. Solomon knew well what it was to have abundance, yet he calls all 'vanity of vanities', all is but vanity. The world is a very empty thing, it cannot comfort the soul under distress. No; the body it can do no good to when sore diseases do afflict it. The world cannot profit a man in the day of wrath. When God arises to plead with a person, his riches avail nothing. When he lies down on a death-bed, they can give him no comfort, though all his coffers were full. When he stands before the tribunal of God, they profit him nothing. Why then should such an useless and vain thing be esteemed?
(2.) Consider that the love of the world where it predominates, is a sign of want of love to God: If any man love the worlds the love of the Father is not in him. Yea, even in a gracious soul, in so far as the love of the world sways the heart, in so far doth the love of God decay. They are as the scales of the balance, as the one goes up, the other goes down.
(3.) Consider the uncertainty of worldly things. They are as a bird that takes the wings of the morning, and flees away. Set not your heart then on what is not. How many and various changes as to the outward state are in a man's life! Men sometimes vile are exalted, honourable men are depressed; and the world is indeed unstable; that part which is now up, shall ere long be down. Do you not see that there is no constancy to be observed in the world, save a constant inconstancy! All things go on in a constant course of vicissitude. Nebuchadnezzar in