Section 11
That they have found the pleasures of religion sufficient to overcome the pains and trouble of sense, and to tahe out the sting of them, and take off the terror of them. This is a plain evidence of the excellency of spiritual pleasures, that religious convictions will soon conquer sensual delights, and quite extinguish them. So that they become as songs to a heavy heart; for a wounded spirit who can bear f But it has often been found, that the pains of sense have not been able to extinguish spiritual delights, but have been conquered and quite over-balanced by them. Joy in spirit has been to many a powerful allay to trouble in the flesh.
The pleasure that holy souls have in God, as it needs not to be supported by the delights of sense, so it fears not being suppressed by the grievances of sense. They can rejoice in the Lord, and ys im
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him as the God of their salvation, even then, when the^-<ree doth not hlottomy and there is no fruit in the vine, (Hab. iii. 17, 18.) for even then, when in the world they have tribulation, Christ has provided that in him they should have satisfaction.
For this we may appeal to the martyrs, and other sufferers for the name of Christ; how have their spiritual joys made their bonds for Christ easy, and made their prisons their *'delectable orchards,*' as one of the martyrs called his. Animated by these comforts, they have not only taken patiently, but taken jot/fully, the spoiling of their goods ^hnowing in themselves that they have in heaven a better and a more enduring substance, Heb. x. 34. Ask Paul, and he will tell you, (2 Cor. vii. 4,6.) that even then, when he was troubled on every side, when without were fightings and within were fears, yet he whs filled with comfort, and was exceeding joyful in all his tribulation ; and that as his sufferings for Christ increased, his consolation in Christ increased proportion-ably, 2 Cor. i. 5. And though he expects no other but to finish his course with blood, yet he doubts not but to finish his course with joy.
Nay, we may appeal to the sick-beds and deathbeds of many good Christians for the proof of this; when wearisome nights have been appointed to them, yet God's statutes have been their songs, their songs in the night, Ps. cxix. 64. ** I have pain," says one, " but I bless God I have peace;** ** weak and dying," said another, " but sat lucis intus," light and comfort enough within. The delights of sense forsake us, when we most need them to be a comfort to us; when a man is chastened with pain upon his bed, and the multitude of his bones with strong pain, he abhor-reth bread and dainty meat, and cannot relish it. Job xxxiii. 19, 20. But then the bread of life and spiritual dainties have the sweetest relish of all.
Many of God's people have found it so: This is my comfort in mine affliction, that thy word hath quickened me, Ps. cxix. 60. This has made all their bed in their sichness, «id made it easy.
The pleasantness of Wisdom's ways has sometimes been remarkably attested by the joys and triumphs of dying Christians, in reflecting upon that divine grace which has carried them comfortably through this world, and is then carrying them more comfortably out of it to a better. << What is that light which I see ?** said an eminent dirine upon his death-bed. <* /* t# *Ae #im-#Atfttf," said one that was by. " No,** replied he, " it is my Saviour's shine, O the joys ! O the comforts that I feel! Whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell ; but I see and feel things that are unutterable, and full of glory, O let it be preached at my funeral, and tell it when lam dead and gone, that God deals familiarly with man, I am as full of comfort as my heart can hold,*' Mr. Joseph
Allein's life, and Mr. John Janeway's, have remarkable instances of this.
4. They have found, that the closer they have kept to religion's ways, and the better progress they havt made in those ways, the more pleasure they have found in them. By this it appears, that the pleasure takes its excellency from the religion; that the mare religion prevails, the greater the pleasure is. What disquiet and discomfort Wisdom's children have, is owing, not to Wisdom*s ways, those are pleasant, bat to their deviations from those ways, or their slothful-ness and trifling in these ways; those indeed are unpleasant, and sooner or later will be found so.
If good people are sometimes drooping, and in sorrow, it is not because they are good, but because they are not so good as they should be. They do not live up to their profession and principles, but are too much in love with the body, and hanker too much after the world: though they do not turn back to Sodom, they look back towards it, and are too mindful of the country from which they came out; and this makes them uneasy, this forfeits their comforts, and grieves their Comforter, and disturbs their peace, which would have been firm to them, if they had been firm to their engagements. But if we turn aside out of the ways of God, we are not to think it strange, if the consolations of God do not follow us.
But if we cleave to the Lord with full purpose of heart, tiien we find the joy of the Lord our strength. Have we not found those duties most pleasant, in which we have taken most pains and most care ? and that we have had the most comfortable sabbath-visits made to our souls when we have been most t'n the Spirit on the Lord's day ? Rev. f. 10.
And the longer we continue, and the more we mend our pace, in these ways, the more pleasure we find in them. This is the excellency of spiritual pleasures, and recommends them greatly, that they increase with use, so far are they from withering, or going to decay: the difficulties which may at first be found in the ways of religion wear off by degrees, and the work of it grows more easy, and the joys of it more sweet.
Ask those that have back-slidden from the ways of God, have left their first love, and begin to bethink themselves, and to remember whence they are fallen, whether they had not a great deal more comfort when they kept close to God, than they have had since they turned aside from him; and they will say with that adulteress, when she found the way of her apostasy hedged up with thorns, I will go and return to my first husband, for then was it better with me than now; Hos. ii. 7. There is nothing got by departing from God, and nothing lost by being faithful to him.
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CHAPTER V.
THS DOCTBINK ILLUSTRATED BY THB BIMILITUDB U8BD IN THB TBXT, OF A FLBA8ANT WAT OB JOUBNBY.
The practice of religion is often in Scripture spoken of as a way, and our walking in that way: it is the way of God's commandments, it is a high wuy : the King's high way, the King of kings' high way; and those that are religions, are travelling in that way. The schoolmen commonly call Christians in this world, Viatarei^'travellers; when they come to heaven, they are Comprehentaret'^they have then attained, are at home: here they are in their journey, there at their journey's end. Now if heaven be the jo Mrney's end, the prize of our high calling, and we be sure if we «o run as we ought, that we shall ohtain, it is enough to engage and encourage us in our way, though it be ever so unpleasant; but we are told, ex tAundanti — very fully, that we have also a pleasant road.
Now there are twelve things which help to make a journey pleasant, and there is something like to each of them which may be found in the way of Wisdom, by those that walk in that way.
I. It helps to make a journey pleasant to go upon a good errand. He that is brought up a prisoner in the hands of the ministers of justice, whatever conveniences he may be accommodated with, cannot have a pleasant journey, but a melancholy one: and tiiat is the case of a wicked man; he is going on in this world toward destruction; the way he is in, though wide and broad, leads directly to it; and while he persists in it, every step he takes is so much nearer hell, and therefore he cannot have a pleasant journey: it is absurd and indecent to pretend to make it so; though the way may seem right to a man, yet there can be no true pleasure in it, while the end thereof is the ways of death, and the steps tahe hold on hell, Prov. v. 5.
But he that goes into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, whatever difficulties may attend his ioumey, yet the errand he goes on is enough to make it pleasant: and on this errand they go that travel Wisdom's ways: they look for a kingdom which cannot be moved, and are pressing forward in the hopes of it Abraham went out of his own country nai hnowing whither he went, (Heb. xi. 8.) but those that set out and hold on in the way of religion, know whither it will bring them, that it leads to life, eternal life; and therefore in the way of righteousness is life, (Prov. xii. 28.) because there is such a life at the end of it.
Good people go upon a good errand, for (hey go on God's errand as well as their own ; they are serving and glorifying him, contributing something to his honour, and the advancement of the interests of his kingdom among men; and this makes it pleasant ; and that which puts so great a reputation upon the duties of religion, as that by them God is served and glorified, cannot but put so much the more satisfaction into them. With what pleasure does Paul appeal to God, as the God whom he served with his spirit in the gospel of his Son ! Rom. i. 9.
II. It helps to make a journey pleasant, to have strength and ability for it He that is weak, sickly and lame, can find no pleasure in the pleasantest walks: how should he, when he takes every step in pain ? A strong man rejoices to run a race, but he that is feeble trembles to set one foot before another. Now this makes the ways of religion pleasant, that they who walk in those ways, are not only cured of their natural weakness, hut are filled with spiritual strong; they travel not in their own might, but in the greatness of his strength, who is mighty to save, Isa. Ixiii. 1.
Were they to proceed in their own strength, they would have little pleasure in the journey, every little difficulty would foil them, and they would tire presently; but they go forth, and go on, in tho strength of the Lord God, (Ps. Ixxi. 16.) and upon every occasion, according to his promise, he renews that streng to them, and they mount up with wings lihe eagles, they go on with cheerfulness and alacrity, they run, and are not weary, they walk, and do not faint, Isa. xl. 31. God, with his comforts, enlarges their hearts, and then they not only go, but run the way of his commandments, Ps. cxix. 32.
That which to the old nature is impracticable and unpleasant, and which therefore is declined, or undertaken with reluctancy, to the new nature is easy and pleasant: and this new nature is gven to all the saints, which puts a new life and vigour into them, strengthens them with all might in the inner man, (Col. i. 11.) unto all diligence in doing-work, patience in sufieriog-work, and perseverance in both; and so all is made pleasant. They are strong in the Lord, and in the power of his mighty (Eph. vi. 10.) and this not only keeps the spirit willing, even when the flesh is weak, but makes even the lame man to leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb to sing, Isa. xxxv. 6. / can do ail things through Christ strengthening me, Phil. iv. 13.
III. It helps to make a journey pleasant to have day-light It is very uncomfortable travelling in thQ night, in the black and dark night He that walheth in darkness (says our Saviour) knows not whither he goes, (John xii. 35.) right or wrong, and that is uncomfortable : and in another place. If a man walk in tke night he stumhleth, because there is no light in him, John xi. 10. And this is often spoken of as the miserable case of wicked people. They know not, neitker will tkey understand, tkey walk on m darkness, PsaL Ixxxii. 5. They are in continual danger, and so much the more, if they be not in continual fear.
But Wisdom's children are all children ot th
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light, and of the day. They were darkness, bat are ligfht in the Lord, and walk as the children of the light. Tru/y the light is tweet, even to one that sits still, but mach more so to one that is on a journey; and doubly sweet to those who set out in the dark, as we all did. But this great light is risen upon us, not only to please our eyes, but to guide our feet into the wag of peace, Luke i. 79. And they are indeed paths of peace when we are guided into them, and guided in them, by the light of the gospel of Christ. And all that walk in the light of gospel conduct, cannot fail to walk in the light of gospel comforts.
And it adds to the pleasure of having day-light in our. travels, if we are in no danger of losing it, and of being benighted: and this is the case of those that walk in the light of the Lord ; for the Sun of Righteousness that is risen upon them, with healing under his wings, shall no more go down, but shall be 9heir ever Ustiug light, Isa. Ix. 20.
IV. It helps to make a journey pleasant, to have a good guide, whose knowledge and faithfulness one can confide in. A traveller, though he has day-light, yet may miss his way, and lose himself, if he have not one to show him his way, and go before him, especially if his way lie, as ours does, through a wilderness, where there are so many by-paths; and though he should not be guilty of any fatal mistake, yet he is in continual doubt and fear, which makes his journey uncomfortable.
But this is both the safety and the satisfaction of hll true Christians, that they have not only the gospel of Christ for their light, as a discovering and directing light, but the Spirit of Christ for their guide. It is promised, that he shall lead them into all truth, (John xvi. 13.) shall guide them with his eye, Ps. xxxii. 8. Hence they are said to walh after the Spirit, and to be led by the Spirit, (Rom. viii. 1,14.) as God's Israel of old were led through the wilderness by a pillar of cloud and fire, and the Lord was in it.
This is that which makes the way of religion such a highway, as that the way-faring men, though fools, shall not err therein, Isa. xxxv. 8. There are fools, indeed, wicked ones, who walk after the flesh, that miss their way, and wander endlessly ; The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knowethnot how to go to the city, Eccl. x. 15. But those fools that shall not err therein, are weak ones, the foolish things of the world, who, under a sense of their own folly are so wise, as to give up themselves entirely to the conduct of the Spirit, both by conscience and the written word: and if they have done this in sincerity, they know whom they have depended upon to guide thetn by his counsel, and afterwards to receive them to his glory, Ps. Ixxiii. 24. Those may go on their journey pleasantly, who are promised, that whenever they are in doubt, or in danger of mistaking or being misled, they shall hear a voice, saying, This is the way, walk in it, Isa. xxx. 21.
y. It helps to make a journey pleasant to be under a good guurd or convoy, that one may travel safelj. Our way lies through an enemy's country, and thej are active, subtle enemies; the road is infested with robbers, that lie in wait to spoil, and to destroy; we travel by the lions' dens, and the mountains of the leopards; and our danger is the greater, that it arises, not from flesh and blood, but spiritual wickednesses ; Satan, by the world (1 Peter v. 8.) and the flesh, way-lays us, and seeks to devour us; so that we could not with any pleasure go on our way, if God himself had not taken us under his special protection.
The same Spirit that is a guide to these traveller! is their guard also; for whoever are sanctified by flie Holy Ghost, are by him preserved in Christ Jesus, (Jude 1.) blameless; and shall be preserved to the heavenly hingdom, (2 Tim. iv. 18.) so as tfaey shall not be robbed of their gces and comforts, which are evidences for, and earnests of, eternal life, they are hept by the power of God, through faith unto salvation, (1 Pet. i. 6.) and therefore may go on cheerfully.
The promises of God are a writ of protection to all Christ's good subjects in their travels, and give them such a holy security, as lays a foundation for a constant serenity. Eternal truth itself has assured them, that no evil shall befall them, (Ps. xci. 10.) nothing really and destructively evil, no evil but what God will bring good to them out of. God himself has engaged to be their Keeper, and to preserve their going out and coming in, from henceforth and for ever, which looks as far forwards as eternity itself: and by such promises as these, and that gntce which is conveyed through them to all active believers, God carries them as upon eagles' wings to bring them to himself, Deut xxxii. 11.
Good angels are appointed for a guard to all that walk in Wisdom's ways, to bear them in their arms, where they go, and to pitch their tents round about them where they rest, (Ps. xxxiv. 7.) and so to keep them in all their ways. How easy may they be that are thus guarded, and how well pleased under all events! as Jacob was, who went on hu way, and the angels of God met him. Gen. xxxii. 1.
VI. It helps to make a journey pleasant, to have the way tracked by those that have gone before in the same road, and on the same errand. Untrodden paths are unpleasant ones ; but in the way of religion, we are both directed and encouraged by the good examples of those that have chosen the way of truth before us, and have walked in it We are bidden to follow them, who are now through faith and patience (those travelling graces of a Christian) inheriting the promises, Heb. vi. 12.
It is pleasant to think that we are walking in the same way with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, with whom we hope shortly to sit down in the lang-
THE PLEASURE OF BEING RELIGIOUS.
dom of God. How many holy, wise, good men have goyemed themse Wes by the same rules that we go-Tern ourselves by, with the same views; have lived by the same faith that we live by, looking for the same blessed hope, and have by it obtained a good repo Tty Heb. xi. 2. Andwegoforikby the footsteps oftkefiocky Cant. i. 8.
Let us, therefore, to make our way easy and pleasant, take the prophets for an example, Jam. v. 10. And being compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses (that like the cloud in the wilderness that went before Israel, not only to show them the way, but to smooth it for them,) let us run with pa-tienecy and cheerfulness, the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the most encouraging pattern of all, who has left us an example, that we should follow kis steps, Heb. xii. 1. And what more pleasant than to follow such a leader, whose word of conunand is, Follow me !
VII. It helps to make a journey pleasant to have good company: this deceives the time, and takes off the tediousness of a journey as much as any thing. Amicus pro vekiculo — A friend is as good as a carriage. It is the comfort of those who walk in Wisdom's ways, that though there are but few walking in those ways, yet there are some, and those the wisest and best, and more excellent than their neighbours ; and it will be found there are more ready to say. We will go witk gou, for we have heard that God is witk gou, Zech. viii. 23.
The communion of saints contributes much to the pleasantness of Wisdom's ways; we have many fellow-travellers, that quicken one another, by the fellowship they have one with another, as companions in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, Rev. i. 9. It was a pleasure to those who were going up to Jerusalem to worship, that their numbers increased in every town they came to, and so they went from strengtk to strength, they grew more and more numerous, till every one of them in Zion appeared before Gody (Ps. Ixxxiv. 7.) and so it is with God's spiritual Israel, to which we have the pleasure of seeing daily additions of such as shall be saved.
They that travel together make one another pleasant by familiar converse ; and it is the will of God that his people should by that means encourage one another, and strengthen one another's hands. They that fear the Lord shall speak often one to anotker, (Mai. iii. 16.) exhort one another daily, and communicate their experiences, and it will add much to the pleasure of this, to consider the kind notice God is pleased to take of it; ke kearkens, and kears, and a book of remembrance is written for tkose tkatfear tke Lord, and iktnk on kis Name.
Yin. It helps to make a journey pleasant, to have the way lie through green pastures, and by the still waters; and so the ways of Wisdom do. David speaks his experience herein, (Ps. xxiii. 2.) that he was led into ihe green pastures, the verdure whereof was grateful to the eye; and by tke still waters, whose soft and gentle murmurs were music to the ear: and he was not driven through these, but made to lie down in the midst of these delights, as Israel when they encamped at Elim, where there were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm-trees, Exod. XV. 27.
Gospel ordinances, in which we deal much in our way to heaven, are very agreeable to all the children of God, as these grctm pastures, and still waters; they call the sabbath a delight, and prayer a delight, and the word of God a delight. These are tkeir pleasant tkings. There is a river of comfort in gospel ordinances, the streams wkereof make glad tke city of God, tke koly place of tke tabernacles of tke Most Higk; (Ps. xlvi. 4.) and along the banks of this river their road lies.
Those that turn aside from the ways of God's commandments are upbraided with the folly of it, as leaving a pleasant road for an unpleasant one. Will a man, a traveller, be such a fool as to leave my fields, which are smooth and even, for a rock that is rugged and dangerous, or for the snowy mountains of Lebanon ? Jer. xviii. 14. Shall the running waters be forsaken for the strange cold waters ? Thus are men enemies to themselves, and the foolishness of man perverteth his way.
IX. It adds to the pleasure of a journey, to have it fair over-head. Wet and stormy weather takes off very much of the pleasure of a journey; but it is pleasant travelling when the sky is clear, and the air calm and serene: and this is the happiness of those who walk in Wisdom's ways, that all is clear between them and heaven; there are no clouds of guilt to interpose between them and the Sun of Righteousness, and to intercept his refreshing beams; no storms of wrath gathering that threaten them.
Our reconciliation to God, and acceptance with him, makes every thing pleasant; how can we be melancholy, if Heaven smile upon us? Being justi* fied by faitk, we kave peace witk God, (Rom. v. 1» 2.) and peace from God, peace made for us, and peace spoken to us, and then we rejoice in tribulation. Those travellers cannot but rejoice all the day, who walk in tke ligkt of God's countenance, Ps. Ixxxix. 15.
X. It adds likewise to the pleasure of a journey, to be furnished with all needful acconunodations for travelling. They that walk in the way of God, have wherewithal to bear their charges; and.it is promised them that they shall want no good thing, Ps. xxxiv. 10. If they have not an abundance of the wealth of this world, which perhaps will but overload a traveller, and be an encumbrance, rather than any furtherance, yet, they have good bills; having access by prayer to the throne of grace wherever they are, and a promise that they shall receive what they ask; and access by faith to the covenant.of
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grace, which they may draw upon, and draw from, as an inexhanstible treasury. Jehovah jireh. The Lord will provide.
Christ, our Melchizedec, brings forth bread and wine, (Gen xiv. 18.) for the refreshment of the poor travellers, that they may not faint by the way, 1 Kings xix. 8. When Elijah had a long journey to go, he was victualled accordingly; God will give grace sufficient to his people for all their exercises, (2 Cor. xii. 9.) Strength according to the day; Verily they shall be fed. And since travellers must have refreshing places, and resting-places, Christ has provided rest at noon, (Cant. i. 7.) in the heat of the day, for those that are his; and rest at night too: Return to thy rest, O my soul.
XI. It adds something to the pleasure of a journey to sing in the way: this takes off something of the fatigue of travelling, exhilarates the spirits; pilgrims used it; and God has put a song, a new song, into the mot Uhs of his people, (Ps. xl. 3.) even praises to their God, and comfort to themselves. He has given us cause to be cheerful, and leave to be cheerful, and hearts to be cheerful, and has made it our duty to rejoice in the Lord always.
It is promised to those, who are brought to praise God, by hearing the words of his mouth, that they shall sing in the ways of the Lord, (Ps. cxxxviii. 6.) and good reason,/or great is the glory of the Lord, How pleasantly did the released captives return to their own country, when they came with lin^^ng unto Zion! Isa. li. 11. And much more Jehosha-phafs victorious army, when they came to Jerusalem, psalteries and harps to the house of the Lord; for the Lord had nuide them to rejoice over their enemies, 2 Chr. XX. 28. With this the travellers may revive one another, O come, let us sing unto the Lord,
XII. It helps to make a journey pleasant to have a good prospect. The travellers in Wisdom's ways may look about them with pleasure, so as no travellers ever could; for they can call all about them their own, even the world, and life, and death, and things present, and things to come, in this state, all is yours, if you be Christ's, 1 Cor. iii. 22. The whole creation is not only at peace with them, but at their service.
They can look before them with pleasure; not with anxiety and uncertainty, but with a humble assurance; not with terror, but with joy. II is pleasant in a journey, to have a prospect of the journey's end; to see that the way we are in leads directly to it, and to see that it cannot be far off; every step we take is so much nearer it, nay, and we are within a few steps of it We have a prospect of being shortly with Christ in paradise; yet a little while, and we shall be at home, we shall be at rest; and whatever difficulties we may meet with in our way, when we come to heaven all will be well, eternally Well.
CHAPTER VI.
THE DOCTRINB VINDICATBD.
SUFFER me a little, (says Elihu to Job, Job xxxvi. 2.) and I will show thee that I have yet to speah on God's behalf, something more to say in defence of this truth, against that which may seem to weaken the force of it We all ought to concern ourselves for the vindication of godliness, and to speak what we can for it, for we know that it is every where spoken against: and there is no truth so plain, so evident, but there have been those who have objected against it: the prince of darkness will raise what mists he can to cloud a truth, that stands so directly against his interest; but great is the truth, and will prevail.
Now as to the truth of the pleasantness of religion;
I. It is easy to confront the reproaches of the enemies of religion, who give it an ill name. There are those who make it their business, having perverted their own ways, to pervert the right ways of the Lord, and cast an odium upon them; as Elymas the sorcerer did, with design to turn away the deputy from the faith. Acts xiii. 8, 10. They are like the wicked spies, that brought up an evil report of the promised land, (Numb. xiii. 32.) as a land that did eat up the inhabitants thereof; and neither could be conquered, nor was worth conquering.
The scoffers of the latter days speak ill of religrion, as a task and drudgery; they dress it up in frightful, formidable colours, but very false ones, to deter others from piety, and to justify themselves in their own impiety. They suggest that Christ's yoke is heavy, and his commandments grievous, and that to be religious is to bid adieu to all pleasure and delight, and to turn tormentors to ourselves; that God is a hard master, reaping where he has not sown and gathering where he has not strawed. Matt xxv. 24.
There were those of old that thus reproached the ways of God, and slandered religion; for they said. It is vain to serve God, (Mai. iii. 14.) there is neither credit nor comfort in it, and what profit is it that we have hept his ordinances, and (observe their invidious description of religion) that we have walked snotim-fuUy before the Lord of hosts; as if to be religious was to walk mournfully, whereas indeed it is to walk cheerfully.
Now in answer to these calumnies we have this to say, that the matter is not so. They who say thus of religion, speah evil of the things which they hnow not: while what they hnow naturally as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves, Jude 10. The devil we know was a liar from the beginning, and a false accuser of God and religion, and in this particular represented God to our first parents, (Gen. iii.
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6.) as having dealt hardly and unjustly with them, in prohibiting them the tree of knowledge; as if he enyied them the happiness and pleasure they would attain to by eating of that tree; and the same methods he still takes to alienate men's minds from the life of God, and the power of godliness. But we know, and are sure, that it is a groundless imputation, for Wisdom's ways are ways of pleasantness, and mil her paths are peace.
II. It is easy also to set aside the misrepresentation of religion, which are made by some that call themse Wes its friends, and profess kindness for it As there are enemies of the Lord that blaspheme, (2 Sam. xii. 14.) so there are among the people of the Lord those that give them great occasion to do so, as David did. How many wounds does religion receife in the house of her friends, false friends they are or foolish ones, unworthy to be called Wisdom's children, for they do not justify her as they ought; but through mistake and indulgence of their own weakness, betray her cause, instead of pleading it, and witnessiqg to it; and confirm people's prejudices against it, which they should endeayour to remove.
Some that profess religion are morose and sour in their profession, peevish and ill-humoured, and make the exercises of religion a burthen, and task, and terror to themselves, and all about them, which ougrfat to sweeten the spirit and make it easy, and candid, and compassionate to the infirmities of the weat and feeble of the flock.
Others are melancholy and sorrowful in their profession, and go mourning from day to day under pre-railing doubts and fears, and disquietudes about their spiritual state. We know some of the best of €rod's servants have experienced trouble of mind to a great degree.
But as to the former, it is their sin; and let tliem bear their own burthen, but let not religion be blamed for it: and as to the latter, though there are some very good people that are of a sorrowful spirit, yet we will abide by it, that true piety has true pleasure in it notwithstanding.
1. But God is sometimes pleased, for wise and holy ends, for a time, to suspend the conununication of his comforts to his people, and to hide his face from them, to try their faith, that it may he found to praise and kanamTf and glory, at the appearing of Christ, (1 Pet. i. 6,7.) and so much the more for their being awhile t» heaniness through manifold temptations. Thus he corrects them for what has been done amiss by them, and takes this course to mortify what is amiss in then; even winter seasons contribute to the fruit-fulness of the earth. Thus he brings them to a closer and more humble dependence upon Christ for all their comfort, and teaches them to live entirely upon him. And though for a small moment he thus Jfor-sakes ihem, (Isa. liv. 7, 8.) it is but to magnify his power so maeh the more in supporting them, and to make his returns the sweeter, for he will gather them with everlasting loving-hindness. Light is sown for them, and it will come up again.
2. This is their aflliction, God's hand must be acknowledged in it, as his righteous hand; yet there is sin in it, and that is from themselves. Good people have not the comforts they might have in their religion, and whose fault is it? They may thank themselves; they run themselves into the dark, and then shut their eyes against the light. My wounds stink and are corrupt, (says David, Ps. xxxviii. 6.) The wounds of sin which I gave myself are unhealed, not bound up, or mollified with ointment. And why ? Is it for want of balm in Gilead, or a physician there ? No, he owns, it is because of my foolishness ; I did not take the right method with them. God speaks joy and gladness to them, but they turn a deaf ear to it, like Israel in Egypt, that hearkened not to loupes, for aitttifA of spirit and sore bondage, Exod. vi. 9. But let not the blame be laid upon religion, which has provided comfort for their souls; but let them bear the blame whose souls refuse to be comforted, or who do not take the way appointed for comfort; who do not gb through with Uieir repenting and believing. David owns that the reason why he wanted comfort, and was in pain, and agitated, was because he kept silence. He was not so free with God as he might and should have been; but when he said, / will confess my transgression unto the Lord, he was forgiven, and all was well, Ps. xxxii. 3—6.
Those do both God and Christ, and themselves and others, a deal of wrong, who look upon him with whom they have to do in religion, as one that seeks an occasion agnst them, and counts them for his enemies, and is extreme to mark what they think, or say, or do amiss; whereas he is quite otherwise, is slow to anger, swift to mercy, and willing to make the best of those whose hearts are upright with him, though they are compassed about with infirmity: he will not always chide; he does not delight in the death of them that die, but would rather they should turn and live, Ezek. xxxiii. 11. Nor does he delight in the tears of them that weep, does not afflict wiU ingly, nor grieve the children of men, (Lam. iii. 33.) much less his own children, but would rather they should be upon good grounds comforted. Religion then clears itself from all blame, which some may take occasion to cast upon it, from the uncomfortable lives which some lead that are religious.
III. But it will require some more pains to reconcile this truth of the pleasantness of religious ways, with (that which the word of God itself tells us of) the difficulties with which the ways of religion are attended. We value not the misapprehensions of some, and the misrepresentations of others, concerning religious ways; but we are sure the word of God is of a piece with itself, and does not contnr
THE PLEASURE OF BEING RELIOIOUS.
diet itself. Oar Master has taught us to oall the way to heayen a narrow way, Sdot nSDufifuvti, — an afflicted way, a distressed way; and we have in Scripture many things that declare it so. And it is true ; but that does not contradict this doctrine,'' That the ways of Wisdom are pleasant: ** for the pleasantness that is in Wisdom's ways, is intended to be a balance, and is very much an over-balance, to any thing in them which is any way distasteful or incommodious. As for the imaginary difficulties, which the sluggard dreams of, *' A lion in the way,'''' A lion in the street," we do not regard them: but there are some real difficulties in it, as well as real comforts; for God hath set the one over against the other, (Eccl. vii. 14.) that we might study to comport with both, and might sing, and sing unto God, of both, Psal. ci. 1.
We will not, we dare not, make the matter better than it is, but will allow there is that in relig|^ which at first view may seem unpleasant; and yet doubt not but to show that it is reconcilable to, and consistent with, all that pleasure which we maintain to be in religion, and so, to take off all exceptions against this doctrine. Amictr Scripturarum lites ; utinam et nostrtB I — It were well if we could agree with one another, as well as Scripture does with itself.
There are four things which seem not well to agree with this doctrine, and yet it is certain they do.
1. It is true, that to be religious, is to live a life of repentance, and yet, religious ways are pleasant notwithstanding. It is true, that we must mourn for sin daily, and reflect with regret upon our manifold infirmities; sin must be bitter to us, and we must even loathe and abhor ourselves for our corruptions that dwell in us, and the many actual transgressions that are committed by us. We must renew our repentance daily, and every night must make some sorrowful reflections upon the transgrel»sions of the day. But then,
(1.) It is not walking in the way of Wisdom that creates us this sorrow, but our trifling in that way, and our turning aside out of it If we would keep close to these ways, and pass forward in them as we ought, there would be no occasion for repentance. If we were as we should be, we should be always praising God, and rejoicing in him; but we make other work for ourselves by our own folly, and then complain that religion is unpleasant; and whose fault is that? If we would be always loving and delighting in God, and would live a life of communion with him, we should have no occasion to repent of that; but if we leave the fountain of living waters, and turn aside to broken cisterns, or the brooks in summer, and see cause (as doubtless we shall) to repent of it, we may thank ourselves.
What there is of bitterness in repentance, is owing not to our religion, but to our defects and defaults in I religion; and it proves, not that there is bittemesi in the ways of God, but in the ways of sin, which make a penitential sorrow necessary, for the preventing of a sorrow a thousand times worse; for sooner or later sin will have sorrow. If repentance be bitter, we must not say, this is occasioned througli being godly, but through being sinful; Jer. It. 18. This is thy wickedness, because it is bitter. If by sin wc have made sorrow necessary, it is certainlj better to mourn now, than mourn at the lasty Pro?. V. 11. To continue impenitent, is not to put away sorrow from thy heart, but to put it oflT to a worse place.
(2.) Even in repentance, if it be right, there is a true pleasure, a pleasure accompanying it. Cor Saviour has said of them, who thus mourn, not only that they shall be comforted, bu that they are bUst-ed. Matt. v. 4. When a man is conscious to himself that he has done an ill thing, and what is unbecoming him, and may be hurtful to him, it is incident to him to repent of it Now religion has found a way to put a sweetness into that bittemesi. Repentance, when it is not from the influence of religion, is nothing but bitterness and horror, as Judas's was; but repentance, as it is made an act of religion, as it is one of the laws of Christ, is pleasant, because it is the raising of the spirit, and the discharging of that which is noxious and offensive.
Our religion has not only taken care, that penitents be not overwhelmed with an excess of sorrow, (2 Cor. ii. 7.) and swallowed up by it; that their sorrow do not work death, as the sorrow of the world does; but it has provided, that even this bitter cup should be sweetened: and therefore we find that under the law, the sacrifices for sin were cmn-monly attended with expressions of joy; and while the priests were sprinkling the blood of the saeri-fices to make atonement, (2 Chr. xxix. 24, 26.) the Levites attended with psalteries and harps for so was the commandment of the Lord by his prophets. Even the day to afflict the soul is the day of atonement ; and when we receive the atonement, we joy tit God through our Lord Jesus Christ, Rom. v. 11. In giving our consent to the atonement, we take the comfort of the atonement
In sorrowing for the death of some dear friend or relation, thus far we have found a pleasure in it, that it has given vent to our grief which our spiriti were full of; so in sorrow for sin, the shedding of just tears is some satisfaction to us. If it is a pleasure to be angry, when a man thinks with Jonah, that he does well to be angry; mnoh more is it a pleasure to be sorry, when a man is sure he does well to be sorry. The same word in Hebrew, on signifies both consolari and pcenitere both to eotnfort and to repent, because there is comfort in true repentance.
(3.) Much more after repentance, there is a plea*
THE PLEASURE OF BEING RELIGIOUS.
lure attending it, and flowing from it. It is a way if pleasantness, for it is the way to pleasantness. To them that mourn in Zion, that sorrow after a ^odly sort, God has appointed beauty for ashes, and iie ail of joy for mofwrnxng, Isa. Ixi. 3. And the more ihe soul is humbled under the sense of sin, the more sensible will the comfort of pardon be; it is wound-^ in order to be healed: the jubilee trumpet sounded in the close of the day of soul-afllicdon, [Ley. XXV. 9.) which proclaimed the acceptable year of the Lord, the year of release; and an acceptable year it is indeed, to those who find themse Wes tied and bound with the cords of their sin.
True penitents go weeping, it is true, but it is to seek the Lord of hosts, (Jer. 1. 4, 5.) to seek him as their God, and to enter into covenant with him: and let their hearts rejoice that seek ihe Lord, (Ps. cv. 3.) for they shall find him, and find him their bountiful rewarder. They sorrow not as those that have no hope, but good hope that their iniquities are forgiven ; and what joy can be greater than that of a pardon to one condemned ?
2. It is true, that to be religious is to take care, and to take pains, and to labour earnestly, (Luke xiii. 24.) and yet Wisdom* s ways are ways of plea-santmess. It is true, we must strive to enter into this way, must be in an agony, so the word is. There is a violence which the kingdom of heaven suffers, and the violent take it by force. Matt xi. 12. And when we are in that way, we must run with patience, Heb. xiL I. The bread of life is to be eaten in the sweat of our face; we must be always upon our guard, and keep our hearts with all diligence. Business for God and our souls is what we are not allowed to be slothful in, hut fervent in spirit, serving the Lord, Rom. xii. 11. We are soldiers of Jesus Christ, and ire must endure hardness, must war the good warfare, till it be accomplished, 2 Tim. ii. 2.
And yet even in this contention there is comfort. It is work indeed, and work that requires care ; and jret it will appear to be pleasant work, if we consider how we are strengthened for it, and encouraged m it
(1.) How we are strengthened for it, and animated with strength in our souls to go on in it, and go through with it. It would be unpleasant, and would ^o on very heavily, if we were left to ourselves, to travel in our own strength; but if we be actuated uid animated in it by a better spirit, and mightier power than our own, it is pleasant. If God work in lu both to will and to do of his own good pleasure, [Phil. ii. 13.) we shall have no reason to complain 9f the difllculty of our work ; for God ordains peace for us, true peace and pleasure, by working all our works in us, Isa. xxvi. 12.
We may sing at our work, if our minds be by the
Spirit of God brought to it, our hands strengthened for it, and oar infirmities helped, (Rom. viii. 26.)
P and particularly our infirmities in prayer; that by it we may fetch in strength for every service, strength according to the day. Daniel at first found God's speaking to him a terror, he could not bear it; but when one like the appearance of a man came and touched him, (who could be no other than Christ the Mediator,) and put strength into him, saying. Peace be unto tkee, be strong, yea, be strong ; it was quite another thing with him, then nothing more pleasant. Let my Lord speak, for thou hast strengthened me, Dan. x. 17—19.
Though the way to heaven be up-hill, yet, if we be carried on in it as upon eagle's wings, it will be pleasant; and those are so that wait upon the Lord, for to them it is promised that they shall renew their strength. That is pleasant work, though against the inclination of our corrupt natures, for the doing of which we have not only a new nature given us, inclining us to it, and making us habitually capable of application to it, but actual supplies of grace sufficient for the doing of it promised us, (2 Cor. xii. 9, 10.) by one who knows what strength we need, and what will serve, and will neither be unkind to us, nor unfaithful to his own word. And it is observable that when God, though he eased not Paul of the thorn in the flesh, yet said that good word to him. My grace is sufficient for thee ; immediately it follows. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in distresses for Christ's sake ; for when I am weak, then I am strong, Sufiicient grace will make our work pleasant, even the hardest part of it.
(2.) How we are encouraged in it It is true, we must take pains, but the work is good work, and is to be done, and is done by all the saints, from a principle of holy love; and that makes it pleasant, (1 John V. 3.) as Jacob's service for Rachel was to him, because he loved her. It is an unspeakable comfort to industrious Christians, that they are working together with God, and he with them; that their Master's eye is upon them, and a witness to their sincerity: he sees in secret, and will reward openly. Mat. vi. 6. God now accepts their works, ' smiles upon them, and his Spirit speaks to them good words and comfortable words, (Zech. i. 13.) witnessing to their adoption. And this is very encouraging to God's servants, as it was to the servants of Boaz, to have their master come to them, when they were hard at work, reaping down his own fields, and with a pleasant countenance say to them. The Lord be with you, Ruth ii. 4. Nay, the Spirit says more to God's labourers. The Lord is with you.
The prospect of the recompence of reward,, is in a special manner encouraging to us in our work, and makes it pleasant, and the little difficulties we meet with in it to be as nothing. It was by having an eye to this that Moses was encouraged not only to bear the reproach of Christ, but to esteem it greater riches than the treasures of Egypt, Heb. xi. 26. In
THE PLEASURE OF BEING RELIGIOUS.
all labour there is profit; and if so, there is pleasure also in the prospect of that profit, and according to the degree of it. We must work, but it is to work out our salvation, a great salvation, which, when it comes, will abundantly make us amends for all our toil. We must strive, but it is to enter into life, eternal life. We must run, but it is for an incorruptible crown, the prize of our high calling. And we do not run at an uncertainty, nor fight as those that beat the air; for to him that sows righteousness there is a sure reward, (Prov. xi. 18.) and the assurance of that harvest will make even the seed-time pleasant
3. It is true, that to be religious, is to deny ourselves in many things that are pleasing to sense: and yet Wisdom's ways are pleasantness notwithstanding. It is indeed necessary, that beloved lusts should be mortified and subdued, corrupt appetites crossed and displeased, which, to the natural man, is like pinching out a right eye, and cutting off a right hand, }/l?it v. 29. There are forbidden pleasures that must be abandoned, and kept at a distance from: the flesh must not be gratified, nor provision made to fulfil the lusts of it, (Rom. xiii. 14.) but on the contrary, we must keep under the body, and bring it into subjection, (1 Cor. ix. 27.) we must crucify the flesh, must kill it, and put it to a painful death. The first lesson we are to learn in the school of Christ, is to deny ourselves, (Matt xvi. 24.) and this must be our constant practice; we must use ourselves to deny ourselves, and thus take up our cross daily.
Now will not this spoil all the pleasure of a religious life? No, it will not; for the pleasures of sense, which we are to deny ourselves, ate comparatively despicable, and really dangerous.
(1.) These pleasures we are to deny ourselves are comparatively despicable: how much soever they are valued and esteemed by those who live by sense, and know no better, they are looked upon with a generous contempt by those who live by faith, and are acquainted with divine and spiritual pleasures. And it is no pain to deny ourselves in these pleasures, when we know ourselves entitled to better, more rational, and noble, and agreeable; the delights of the blessed spirits above.
The garlic and onions of Egypt were doated upon by those that knew not how to value either the manna of the wilderness, or the milk and honey of Canaan, Numb. xi. 5. So the base and sordid pleasures of sense are relished by the depraved and vicious appetites of the carnal mind. But when a man has learned to put a due estimate upon spiritual pleasures, those that are sensual have lost all their sweetness, and are become the most insipid things in the world; have no pleasure in them, in comparison with that far greater pleasure which excelleth.
Is it any diminution to the pleasure of a grown man, to deny himself the toys and sports which he was fond of when a child ? No, when he became a man, he put away those childish things; be is now past them, he is above them, for he is acquainted with those entertainments that are manly and more generous. Thus mean and little do the pleasures of sense appear to those that have learned to delight themselves in the Lord.
(2.) They are really dangerous, they arc apt to take away the heart. If the heart be set upon them, they blind the mind, debauch the understanding and conscience, and in many quench the sparks of conviction, and of that holy fire which comes from heaven, and tends to heaven. They are in danger of drawing away the heart from God, and the more they are valued and coveted, the more dangerous they are, of piercing us through with many sorrows, and of drowning us in destruction and perdition: to deny ourselves in them is but fb avoid a rock, upon which multitudes have fatally split
What diminution is it to the pleasure of a safe and happy way on sure gund, which will certainly bring us to our journey's end, to deny ourselves the false and pretended satisfaction, of walking in a fair but dangerous way, that leads to destruction? Is it not much pleasanter travelling on a rough pavement, than on a smooth quicksand? Where there is a known peril, there can be no true pleasure, and therefore the want of it is no loss or uneasiness.
What pleasure can a wise or considerate man take in those entertainments, in which he has continual reason to suspect a snare and a design upon him, any more than he that was at a feast could relish the dainties of it, when he was aware of a naked sword hanging directly over him by a single thread ? The foolish woman, indeed, calls the stolen waters sweet f and bread eaten in secret pleasant, (Prov. ix. 17, 18.) But those find no difficulty or uneasiness in denying them, who know that the dead are there, and her guests are already in the depths ofkelL Therefore, however the corrupt heart may find some reluctance in refusing those forbidden pleasures, we may say of it as Abigail did of David's denying himself the satisfaction of being revenged on Nabal; afterwards this shall be no grief unto us, nor offence of heart, 1 Sam. xxv. 31.
4. It is true, that through much tribulation we must enter into the kingdom of God, (Acts xiv. 23.) that we must not only deny ourselves the pleasures of sense, but must sometimes expose ourselves to its pains; we must take up our cross when it lies in our way, and bear it after Christ. We are told, that all, that will live godly in Christ Jesus, must suffer persecution, at least they must expect it, and get ready for it; bonds and afilictions abide them, losses in their estates, hinderances in their preferment, reproaches and contempts, banishments, deaths must be counted upon; and will not this spoil the pleasure of religion ? No, it will not; for.
THE PLEASURE OF BEING RELIGIOUS.
(1.) It is but light affliction at the worst, that we are called to suffer, and hut for a momenty compared with theyirr tnore exceeding and eternal weight of glory that is reserved for us, (2 Cor. iv. 17.) with which the sufferiiigi of this present time are not worthy to be compared, Rom. viii. 18. All these troubles do but touch the body, the outward man, and the interests of it, they do not at all affect the soul: they break the shell, or pluck off the husk, but do not bruise the kernel.
Can the brave and courageous soldier take pleasure in the toils and perils of the camp, and in jeoparding his life in the high places of the field, in the eager pursuit of honour, and in the service of his prince and country ? And shall not those who have the interests of Christ's kingdom near their hearts, and are carried on by a holy ambition of the honour that comes from God, take a delight in suffering for Christ, when they know that those sufferings tend to his honour, and their own hereafter ? They that are persecuted for righteousness sake, that are re-tiledy and have all manner of evil said against them falselyy because they belong to Christ, are bidden not only to bear it patiently, but to rejoice in it, and to be exceeding glad, for great is their reward in heaven. Matt v. 11,12. Every reproach we endure for Christ, will be a pearl in our crown shortly.
(2.) As those afflictions abound for Christ, so our consolmtions in Christ do much more abound, 2 Cor. i. 5. The more the waters increased, the higher was the ark lifted up; the more we suffer in God's cause, the more we partake of his comforts ; for he will not be wanting to those whom he calls out to any hardships more than ordinary for his name's sake. The Lord was with Joseph in the prison, when he lay there for a good conscience; and those went from the council rejoicing, that were counted worthy to suffer shame for Christ's name; were honoured to be dishonoured for him. Acts v. 41.
Thus the extraordinary supports and joys which they experience, who patiently suffer for righteousness sake, add much more Ue pleasantness of the ways of Wisdom, than the sflrerings themselves do, or can, derogate from it; for the sufferings are human, the consolations are divine. They suffer in the flesh, but they rejoice in the spirit; they suffer for a time, but they rejoice evermore; and this their joy no man tahethfrom them.
CHAPTER VII.
THS APPLICATION OP THB DOCTRINB.
Concerning this doctrine of the pleasantness of religious ways, I hope we may now say, as Eliphaz does of his principle, Lo ! this, we have searched it, so it is, (Job v. 27.) it is incontestably true, and therefore we may conclude as he does, Hear it, and hnow thou it for thy good; know thou it ybr thyself, so the margin reads it; apply it to thyself, believe it concerning thyself, not only that it is good, but that it is good for thee, to draw near to God, Ps. Ixxiii. 28. Then only we hear things and know tliem for our good, when we hear them and know them for ourselves.
Three inferences, by way of counsel and exhortation, we shall draw from this doctrine.
1. Let us all then be persuaded, and prevailed with, to enter into, and to walk in, these paths of Wisdom, that are so very pleasant. This is what I principally intend in opening and proving this truth: most people would rather be courted than threatened to their duty. Much might be said to frighten you out of the ways of sin and folly, but I would hope to gain the same point another way, by alluring you into the ways of wisdom and holiness. This comes to invite you to a feast which the Lord of hosts has, in the gospel, made to all nations, (Isa. xxv. 6.) and to all in the nations, and to you among tlie rest, for none are excluded, that do not by their unbelief exclude themselves; a feast of fat thitigsfull of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined ; delights for souls, infinitely transcending the delicacies of sense. Tou are welcome to this feast: come, for all things are now ready. Come, eat of Wisdom's bread, and drinh of the wine that she has mingled, Prov. ix. 5.
Is a life of religion such a sweet and comfortable life ? Why then should not we be religious ? If such as these be the ways of Wisdom, why should not we be travellers in those ways ? Let this recommend to us a life of sincere and serious godliness, and engage us to conform to all its rules, and give up ourselves to be ruled by them. It is not enough to have a good opinion of religion, and to give it a good word; that will but be a witness against us, if we do not set ourselves in good earnest to the practice of it, and make conscience of living up to it.
I would here, with a particular and pressing importunity, address myself to you that are young; to persuade you, now in the days of your youth, now in the present day, to make religion your choice and your business; and I assure you, if you do so, you will find it your delight. May God, by his grace, convince you of the real comforts that are to be had in real godliness, that you may be drawn cheerfully to Christ with these cords of a man, and held fast to him with these bands of love. My son, (says Solomon to his little scholar, Prov. xxiv. 13, 14.) eat thou honey, because it is good ; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste. He does not forbid him the delights of sense, he may use them soberly and moderately, and with due caution; but remember that, so shall the hnowledge of Wisdom be to thy soul, when thou hoit found it: thou hast b«,Uft\ ^\^%a!<QX«^ neo
THE PLEASURE OF BEING REU6I0US.
than these to mind and pursue, spiritual and rational ones * and instead of being made indifferent to those, we should rather be led to them, and quickened in our desires after them, by these delights of sense, which God gives us to engage us to himself and his service.
The age of youth is the age of pleasure; you think you may now be allowed to take your pleasure; O that you would take it, and seek it there, where alone it is to be had, and that is, in a strict observance of the laws of virtue and godliness. Would you live a pleasant life? begin betimes to live a religious life, and the sooner you begin, the more pleasant it will be: it is best travelling in a morning. Would you rejoice, O young people! in your youth, and have your hearts to cheer you in the days of your youth ? (Eccl. xi. 0.) do not walk in the way of your corrupt and carnal hearts, but in the way of God's commandments; for he knows what is good for you, better than you do yourselves : do not walk in the sight of your eyes, for the eyes are apt to fly upon that which is not, (Prov. xxiii. 5.) but live by faith, that faith, which, being the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen, will lead you to that which is; for Wisdom makes those that love her to inherit substance, and fills their treasures, (Prov. viii. 21.) and thence arises their true satisfaction.
That which I would persuade you to, is, to walk in the way of Wisdom, to be sober-minded, to be thoughtful about your souls and your everlasting state, and get your minds well-principled, and well-affected, and well-inclined. Wisdom is the principal thing, therefore get Wisdom, and, with all thy getting* get understanding, Prov. iv. 7. That of which I would persuade you, is, the pleasantness of this way; you cannot do better for yourselves, than by a religious course of life. Mg son if thine heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine; (Prov. xxiii. 15, 16.) yea, my reins shall rejoice if thy lips, out of the abundance of thy heart, speak right things ; but that is not all, not only my heart shall rejoice, but thy own shall.
I wish you would see, and seriously consider, the two rivals that are making court to you for your souls, for your best affections, Christ and Satan, and act wisely in disposing of yourselves, and make such a choice as you vrill afterwards reflect upon with comfort. You are now at the turning time of life ; turn right now, and you are made for ever. Wisdom says, (Prov. ix. 4.) Whoso is simple, let him turn in to me; and she will cure him of his simplicity: Folly says, Whoso is simple, let him turn in to me ; and she will take advantage of his simplicity : now let him come, whose right your hearts are, and give them him, and you shall have them again more your own.
That you may determine well between these two competitors for the throne in your souls,
(I.) See the folly of carnal, sinful pleasures, and abandon them; you will never be in love with the pleasures of religion till you are persuaded to fall oat with forbidden pleasures. The enjoyment of die delights of sense suits best with diat age, the appetite towards them is then most violent; mirth, sport plays, dainties, are the idols of young people; they are therefore called youthful lusts. The days will come, the evil days, when they themselves will say tfaej have no pleasure in them, like Barzillai, (2 Sam. xii. 35.) who, when he is old, can no more relish what he eats and what he drinks. O that reason, and wisdom, and grace, might make you as dead to them now, as time and days will make you altera while.
Will you believe one that tried the utmost of what the pleasures of sense could do towards making a man happy ? He said of laughter, It is mad, and of mirth, What doth it f and that sorrow is better then laughter, Eccl. ii. 2. and vii. 3. Moses knew what the pleasures of the court were, and yet chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to continue in the snare of them ; (Heb. xL 25.) and you must make the same choice; for you will never cordially embrace the pleasures of religion, till yea have renounced the pleasures of sin. Covenant against them, therefore, and watch against them.
If you would live, and go in the way of understanding, you must forsake the foolish, (Prov. ix. 6.) take heed of the way both of iht evil man, and of the strange woman; avoid It, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away, Prov. iii. 12,16. Look upon sinful pleasures as mean, and much below you ; look upon them as vile, and much against you; and do not only despise them, but dread them, and bate even the garments spotted with the flesh.
(2.) Be convinced of the pleasure of Wisdom's ways, and come and try them. Tou are, it may be, prejudiced against religion as a melancholy thing, but, as Philip said to Nathanael, (John i. 46.) Com and see. Believe it possible, that there may be a pleasure in religion ich you have not yet thought of. When religion iMooked upon at a distance, we see not that pleasure in it, which we shall certainly find when we come to be better acquainted with it. Peter Mart3rr, in a sermon, illustrated it by this comparison, (and it proved a means of the conversion of the Marquis of Yico,) *^ He that looks upon persons dancing at a distance, would think they were mad ; but let him come nearer, and observe how they take every step by rule, and keep time with the music, he \n\\ not only be pleased with it, but inclined to join with them."
Come and take Christ's yoke upon you, and yoa will find it easy; try the pleasure there is in the knowledge of God and Jesus Christ, and in converse virith spiritual and eternal things; try the pleasure of seriousness and self-denialy and you will find it
THE PLEASURE OF BEING RELIGIOUS.
far exceeds that of vanity and self-indulgence. Try the pleasure of meditation on Ihe word of God, of prayer and praise, and sahbath-sanctification, and yoa will think that yon have made a happy change of the pleasure of vain and carnal mirth for these true delights.
Make this trial by these four rules:
[1.] That man's chief end is to glorify God, and enjoy him. Our pleasures will be according to that which we pitch upon and pursue as our chief end : if we can mistake so far, as to think it is our chief end to enjoy the world and the flesh, and our chief business to serve them, the delights of the sense will relish best with us ; but if the world was made for man, certainly man was made for more than the world; and if Gtxi made man, certainly he made him for himself. God then is our chief good, it is our business to serve and please him, and our happiness to be accepted of him.
And if so, and we believe so, nothing will be a greater pleasure to us, than that which we have reason to think will be pleasing to him. If we do, indeed, look upon God as our chief good, we shall make him our chief joy, our exceeding joy. If we consider that we were made capable of the pleasure of conversing virith God in this world, and seeing and enjoying him in another; we cannot but think that we vrretchedly disparage ourselves, when we take ap with the mean and sordid pleasures of sense as our felicity, especially if we forego all spiritual and eternal pleasures for them; as certainly we do, and g;ive up all our expectations of them, if we place our happiness in these present delights; and we are guilty of a greater absurdity than that which profane Esau was guilty of, who, for a mess of pottage sold his birth-right, Heb. xii. 16.
[2.] That the soul is the man, and that is best for us, that is best for our souls. Learn to think meanly of thb flesh, by which we are allied to the earth and the inferior creatures; it is formed out of the dust, it is dust, and it is hastening to the dust; and then the things that gratify it, will not be esteemed of any great moment: Meats for t/ie belly, and the belly for meatSf but God shall destroy both it and them; and therefore let us not make idols of them.
But the soul is the noble part of us, by which we are allied to heaven, and the world of spirits; those comforts therefore which delight the soul, are the comforts we should prize most, and give the preference to, for the soul's sake. Rational pleasures are the best for a man.
[3.] That the greatest joy is that which a stranger doth not intermeddle with, Prov. xiv. 10. The best pleasure is that which lies not under the eye and observation of the world, but which a man has and hides in his ^wn bosom, and by which he enjoys himself, and keeps not only a peaceable, but a com-fortable, posnession of his own souK though he does not by laughter, or otner expressions of joy, tell them the satisfaction he has. Christ had meat to eat which the world hnew not of (John iv. 92.) and so have Christians, to whom he is the bread of life.
[4.] That all is well that ends everlastingly well. That pleasure ought to have the preference, which is of the longest continuance. The pleasures of sense are withering and fading, and leave a sting behind them to those that placed their happiness in them; but the pleasures of religion wiH abide with us; in these is continuance, (Isa. Ixiv. 6.) they will not turn with the wind, nor change with the weather, but are meat which endures to everlasting life.
Reckon that the best pleasure which will remain with you, and stand you in stead, when you come to die: which will help to take ofi* the terror of death, and allay its pains. The remembrance of sinful pleasures will give us killing terrors, but the remembrance of religious pleasures will give us living comforts in dying moments. They that live in Bel-shazzar's revels, may expect to receive the summons of death, with the same confusion that he did, when the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another; (Dan. v. 6.) but they that live in Hezekiah's devotions, may receive them with the same composure that he did, when with a great deal of satisfaction he looked back upon a well-spent life: Now, Lord, remember how I have walked before thee in truth, and with an upright heart, Isa. xxxvii. 3.
2. Let us, that profess religion, study to make it more and more pleasant to ourselves. Wc see how much is done to make it so; let us not receive the grace of God herein in vain. Let them that walk in Wisdom's ways, taste the sweetness of them, and relish it. Christ's service is perfect freedom; let us not make a drudgery of it, nor a toil of such a pleasure. We should not only be reconciled to our duty, (as we ought to be to our greatest afflictions, and to make the best of it,) but we should rejoice In our duty, and sing at our work. If God intended that his service should be a pleasure to his servants, let them concur with him herein, and not walk contrary to him.
Now in order to the making of our religion increasingly pleasant to us, I shall give seven directions.
(1.) Let us always keep up good thoughts of God, and carefully watch against hard thoughts of him. As it is the original error of many that are loose and careless in religion, that they think God altogether such a one as themselves, (Ps. 1. 21.) as much a friend to sin as themselves, and as indif Terent whether his work be done or no; so it is the error of many that are severe in their religion, that they think God, like themselves, a hard master; they have such thoughts of him, as Job had in an hour of temptation, when he looked upon God as seeking occasions against him, numbering his steps, and watching over his sins« and taking him for his enemy; (Job xiii
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24. and xiv. 16.) as if he were extreme to mark iniquities, and implacable to those who had offended, and not accepting any ser\'ice that had in it the least defect or imperfection.
But the matter is not so, and we do both God and ourselves a great deal of wrong, if we imagine it to be so; what could have been done more than God has done, to convince us that he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and ready to forgive sin when it is repented of ? / said, I will confess mine iniquity unto thee, and thou forgavest; (Ps. xxxii.5.) and he is ready to accept the services that come from an upright heart. He will not always chide, nor contend for ever. So far is he from taking advantage of us, that he makes the best of us: where the spirit is willing, he ircccpts that, and overlooks the weakness of the flesh. Let us deal with him accordingly; look upon God as Love, and the God of love, and then it will be pleasant to us to hear from him, to speak to him, to converse with him, and to do him any service.
It is true, God is great, and glorious, and jealous, and to be worshipped with reverence and holy fear; but is he not our Father, a tender, gracious father ? Was not God, in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, (2 Cor. v. 19.) and to all his attributes and relations to us, by showing himself willing to be reconciled to us, notwithstanding our provocations ? See him, therefore, upon a throne of grace, and come boldly to him; and that will make your service pleasant.
(2.) Let us dwell much, by faith, upon the promises of God. What pleasant lives should we lead, if Ve were but more intimately acquainted with those declarations which God has made of his good will to man, and the assurances he has given of his favour, and all the blessed fruits of it, to those who serve him faithfully? The promises arc many, and exceeding great and precious, suited to our case, and accommodated to every exigence; there are not only promises to grace, but promises o/* grace, grace sufficient; and these promises are all Yea and Amen in Christ.
What do these promises stand in our Bibles for, but to be made use of? Come then, and let us apply them to ourselves, and insert our own names in them by faith. What God said to Abraham, / am thy shield, (Gen. xv. 1.) I am El-shaddi, ti God All-suffi-dent; (Gen. xvii. 1.) what he said to Joshua, I will never fail thee nor forsake thee, (Josh. i. 5.) he says to me. What he says to all that love him, that all things shall work for good to them, (Rom. viii. 28.) and to all that/ear him, that no good thing shall be wanting to them, (Ps. xxxiv. 10.) he says to me ; and why should not I take the comfort of it ?
These promises, and the like, are wells of salvation, from which we may draw water with joy; and breasts of consolation, from which we may suck, and he satisfied; they will be both our strength, and our song in the house of our pilgrimage. So well-ordered is the covenant of grace in all things, and so snre, (2 Sam. xxiii. 5.) that if, having laid up our portion in it, and so made it all our salvation, we would but fetch our maintenance from it, and so make it all our desire and delight, we should have in it a continual feast, and should go on our way rejoicing, Ps. cxix. 111.
(3.) Let us order the affairs of our religion with discretion. Many make religion unpleasant to themselves, and discouraging to others, by their imprudent management of it; making that service to be a burthen by the circumstances of it, which in itself would be a pleasure; doing things out of time, or tasking themselves above their strength, and undertaking more than they can go through with, especially at first; which is like putting new wine into old bottles, (Matt ix. 17.) or like over-driving the fiocks one day, Gen. xxxiii. 13. If we make the yoke of Christ heavier than he has made it, wc may thank ourselves that our drawing in it becomes unpleasant. Solomon cautions us, (Eecl. Vii. 16.) against being righteous overmuch, and making ourselves averunse, as that by which we may destroy ourselves, and put ourselves out of conceit with our religion; there may be over-doing in well-doing, and then it becomes unpleasant.
But let us take our religion as Christ has settled it, and we shall find it easy. When the ways of our religion are ways of Wisdom, then they are ways of pleasantness; for the more wisdom the more pleasantness; and that Wisdom dwells with prudence. Wisdom will direct us to be even and regular in our religion, to take care that the duties of our general and particular calling, the business of our religion, and our necessary business in the world, do not interfere oi* intrench upon one another. It will direct us to time duty aright; for every thing is beautiful and pleasant in its season, (Eccl. iii. 11.) and work is then easy, when we are in frame for it
(4.) Let us live in love, and keep up Christian charity, and the spiritual communion of saints; if we would be of good comfort, we must be of one mind, (2 Cor. xiii. 11.) and therefore the apostle presses brotherly love upon us, with an argument taken from the consolations in Christ, (Phil. ii. 1.) that is, the comfort that is in Christianity'. As ever you hope to have the comfort of your religion, submit to that great law of it. Walk in love: for. Behold, how good, and how pleasant, it is, (how good in itself, and pleasant to us,) for brethren to dwell together in unity. The more pleasing we are to our brethren, the more pleasant we shall be to ourselves.
Nothing makes our lives more uncomfortable than strife and contention; Woe is me that I dwell among those that hate peace, Ps. cxx. 5. It is bad being among those that are disposed to quarrel, and worse
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having in ourselves a disposition to quarrel. The resentments of contempt put upon us, are uneasy enough, and contrivances to revenge it much more so. And nothing makes our religion more uncomfortable, than strifes and contentions about that. We forfeit and lose the pleasure of it, if we entangle ourselves in perverse disputings about it.
But by holy love we enjoy our friends, which will add to the pleasure of enjoying God in this world. Love itself sweetens the soul, and revives it, and, as it is the loadstone of love, it fetches in the further pleasure and satisfaction of being beloved, and so it is a heaven upon earth; for what is the happiness and pleasure of heaven, but that there love reigns in perfection? Then we have most peace in our bosoms, when we are most peaceably disposed towards our brethren.
(5.) Let us be much in the exercise of holy joy, and employ ourselves much in praise. Joy is the heart of praise, as praise is the language of joy; let us engage ourselves to these, and quicken ourselves in these. God has made these our duty, that by these all the other parts of our duty may be pleasant to us; and for that end we should abound much in them, and attend upon God with joy and praise. Let us not crowd our spiritual joys into a corner of our hearts, nor our thankful praises into a comer of our prayers, but give both scope and vent to both.
Let us live a life of delight in God, and love to think of him as we do of one whom we love and value. Let the flowing in of every stream of comfort lead us to the fountain; and in every thing that is grateful to us, let us taste that the Lord is gracious. Let the drying up of every stream of comfort drive us to the fountain; and let us rejoice the more in God for our being deprived of that which we used to rejoice in.
Let us be frequent and large in our thanksgivings. It will be pleasant to us to recount the favours of God, and thus to make some returns for them; though poor and mean, yet such as God will graciously accept. We should have more pleasure in our religion, if we had but learned in everi/ thing to give thanks, (1 Thess. v. 18.) for that takes out more than half the bitterness of our afflictions, that we can see cause even.to be thankful for them; and it infuses more than a double sweetness into our enjoyments, that they furnish us with matter for that excellent heavenly work of praise; Sing praises unto his name, for it is pleasant; comfortable, as well as comely, Ps. cxxxv. 3.
(6.) Let us act in a constant dependence upon Jesus Christ. Religion would be much more pleasant, if we did but cleave more closely to Christ in it, and do all in his name. The more precious Christ is to uSy the more pleasant will every part of our work be ; and therefore believing in Christ is often expressed by our rejoicing in him, Phil. iii. 3. We may rejoice in God, through Christ, as the Mediator between us and God; may rejoice in our communion with God, when it is kept up through Christ; may rejoice in hope of eternal life, when we see this life in the Son: He that hath the Son of God, has life, that is, he has comfort, 1 John v. 11, 12.
There is that in Christ, and in his undertaking and performances for us, which is sufficient to satisfy all our doubts, to silence all our fears, and to balance all our sorrows. He was appointed to be the consolation of Israel, and he will be so to us, when we have learnt not to look for that in ourselves, which is to be had in him only, and to make use of his mediation in every thing wherein we have to do with God. When we rejoice in the righteousness of Christ, and in his grace and strength, rejoice in his satisfaction and intercession, rejoice in his dominion and universal agency and influence, and in the progress of his gospel, and the conversion of souls to him, and please ourselves with prospects of his second coming, we have then a joy, not only which no man takes from us, but which will increase more and more; and of the increase of Christ's government, (and therefore of that peace,) there shall he no end, Isa. ix. 7. Our songs of joy are then most pleasant, when the burthen of them is, None but Christ, none but Christ,
(7.) Let us converse much with the glory tiiat is to be revealed. They that by faith send their hearts and best afiections before them to heaven, while they are here on this earth, may in return fetch thence some of tiiose joys and pleasures that are at God's right hand. That which goes up in vapours of holy desire, though insensible, in groanings which cannot be uttered, will come down again in dews of heavenly consolations, which will make the soul as a watered garden.
Let us look much to the end of our way, how glorious it will be, and that will help to make our way pleasant This abundantly satisfies the saints, and is the fatness of God's house on earth, Ps. xxxvi. 8, 9. This makes them now to drink of the river of God's pleasures, that with him is the fountain of life, whence all these streams come, and in his light they hope to see light, everlasting light. By frequent meditations on that rest which remains for the people of God,(Hcb. iv. 3.) we now enter into that rest and partake of the comfort of it
Our hopes of that happiness through grace would be very much strengthened, and our evidences for it cleared up insensibly, if we did but converse more with it, and the discoveries made of it in the Scripture. We may have foretastes of heavenly delights, while we are here on earth, clusters from Canaan, while we are yet in this wilderness, and there is no pleasure comparable to that which these afford. That is the sweetest joy within us, which is borrowed
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from the joy set.before us. And we deprive ourselves very much of the comfort of our religion, in not having our eye more to that joy. We rejoice most triumphantly, and with the greatest degrees of holy glorying, when we rejoice in hope of the glory of Gody Rom. v. 2. In this our heart is glad, and our glory rejoices, Ps. xvi. 9.
3. Let us make it appear, that we have, indeed, found Wisdom's ways to be pleasantness, and her paths peace. If we have experienced this truth, let us evidence our experience, and not only in word, but in deed, bearing our testimony to the truth of it. Let us live as those who believe the sweetness of religion, not because we are told it, but because we have tasted it, 1 John i. 1.
If so be then, to borrow the apostle's words, (1 Pet. ii. 3.) we have tasted that the Lord is gracious, if we have, indeed, found it a pleasant thing to be religious;
(I.) Let our hearts be much enlarged in all religious exercises, and all instances of gospel-obedience. The more pleasant the sen'ice of God is, the more we should abound in it. When God enlarges our hearts with his consolations, he expects that we should run the way of his commandments, that we should exert ourselves in our duty with more vigour, and press forward the more earnestly towards perfection.
This should make us forward to every good work, and ready to close with all opportunities of serving God, and doing good; that which we take a pleasure in, we need not to be twice called to. If indeed the hearts of those rejoice that seek the Lord, (as in Ps. cv. 3.) then when God says, Seek ye my facc how steadily should our hearts answer at the first word, Thy face. Lord, will we seek; (Ps. xxvii, 8.) and how glad shall we be, when it is said. Let us go to the hoxtse of the Lord! Ps. cxxii. 1. This should make us forward to acts of charity, that there is a pleasure in doing good; and we shall reflect with comfort upon it, that we have done something that will turn to the honour of God and our own account. This should make us lively in our duty ; and fix tbe heart in hearing the word, and in prayer and praise. Those that take delight in music, how does it engage them! How do all the marks of a close application of mind appear in their countenance and carriage ! And shall not we, by our attending on the Lord without distraction, make it to appear, that we attend upon him with delight, and are in our element when we are in his service ? Let this be my rest for ever: here let me dwell all the days of my life.
This should keep us constant and unwearied in the work and service of God. What is really our delight, we are not soon weary of. If we delight in approaching to God, we shall seek him daily, and make it our daily work to honour him. If meditation and prayer be sweet, let them be our daily exercise; and let this bind our souls with a bond to God, and the sacrifice as with cords to the horns of the altar. With this we should answer all temptations to apostasy : '< Shall I quit so good a master, so good a service ? Entreat me not to leave Christ, or to turn from following after him ; for it is good to he here.** Here let us make tahemaelesy (Matt xvii. 4.) Whither else shall we go, but to him that has the words df eternal life.
(2.) Let our whole conversation be cheerful, and melancholy be banished. Are the ways of religion pleasant ? Let us be pleasant in them, both to ourselves, and to those about us. As for those who are yet in a state of sin and wrath, they have reason to be melancholy; let the sinners in Zion be afraid, be afllicted, joy is forbidden fruit to them; what have they to do with peace ? Rejoice not, O Israel, for joy as other people, for thou hast gone m whoring from thy God, Hos. ix. 1.
But those who, through grace, are called out of darkness into a marvellous light, have cause to be cheerful, and should have hearts to be so. Arise, shine, for thy Light is come, Isa. Ix. 1. Is the Son of Righteousness risen upon us ? Let us arise, look forth as the morning with the morning. That comfort which Christ directs to our souls, let us reflect back upon others. And as our light is come, so is our liberty. Art thou loosed from the bands of thy neck ? O captive daughter of Zion, awake awake, put on thy strength, put on thy beautiful garment, and shake thyself from the dust, arise and sit dawn, 0 Jerusalem, Isa. lii. 1, 2.
Though vain and carnal mirth is both a great sin, and a great snare, yet there is a holy cheerfulness and pleasantness of conversation, which will not only consist very well with serious godliness, but greatly promote it in ourselves, and greatly adorn it and reconunend it to others. A merry heart (Solomon says) does good like a medicine, (Prov. xvii. 22.) and make fat the bones; while a broken spirit does hurt like a poison, and dries the bones. Christians should endeavour to keep up a cheerful temper, and not indulge themselves in that which is saddening and disquieting to the spirit; and they should show it in all holy conversation, that those they converse with may see, they did not renounce pleasure, when they embraced religion.
I am sure none have so much reason to rejoice as good people have, nor so much done for them to encourage their joy ; and therefore, (to allude to that of Jonadab to Amnon,) Why art thou, being the king's son, lean from day to day ? 2 Sam. xiii. 4. Are wo in prosperity? Therefore let us be cheerful, in gratitude to the God of our mercies, who expects that we should serve him with joy fulness and gladness of heart, in the abundance of all things, (Deut. xxviii. 47.) and justly takes it ill if we do not.
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Tristis eSiCtfeliz? Sciat hoc Fortuna caveto, Ingratum dicet te (Lupe) si scierit Mart.
in the wudit ofprotperitf org yra torrow/uif Btwart tkai Forhuu ktar it not; if skt be informed of it {LuputJ tho will call jrov un-fro UfoL Hart.
Are we in affliction ? Tet let us be cheerful, that we may make it appear that our happiness is not laid up in the creature, nor our treasures on earth. If it is the privilege of Christians to rejoice in tribulation, let them not throw away their privilege, but glory in it, and make use of it Let the joy of the Lord, which has infused itself into our hearts, diffuse itself into all our converse. Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy (Eccl. ix. 7.) and drink thy wine; nay, if thou shouldst be reduced to drink mere water, drink it with a merry heart, if thou hast good ground to hope that in Christ Jesus, God now accepts thy works: and this joy of the Lord will be thy strength.
(3.) Let us look with contempt upon the pleasures of sense, and with abhorrence upon the pleasures of sin. The more we have tasted of the delights of heaven, the more our mouths should be put out of taste with the delights of this earth. Let not those who have been feasted with the milk and honey of Canaan, hanker after the garlic and onions of Egypt.
Let us keep at a distance from all forbidden pleasures ; there is a hook under those baits, a snake under the green grass; a rock under those smooth waters, on which multitudes have split. We must ao dread the drunkard's pleasure, as not to look upon the wine when it is red, (Prov. xxiii. 31.) so dread the pleasures of the adulterer, as not to look upon a woman to lust after her ; (Matt v. 28.) for these pleasures of sin not only are but for a season, but at the last they bite like a serpent, and sting like an adder. Either spiritual pleasures will deaden the force of the pleasures of sin, or the pleasures of sin will spoil the relish of spiritual pleasures.
Let us keep up a holy indifference even to the lawful delights of sense, and take heed not to love them more than God. The eye that has looked at the sun, is dazzled to ever}' thing else. Have we beheld the beauty of the Lord ? Let us see and own bow little beauty there is in other things. If we be tempteS to do any thing unbecoming us, by the al-Jarements of pleasure, we may well say, ** Offer these things to those that know no better; but we do, and will never leave fountains of living water for cisterns of puddle water."
(4.) Let not our hearts envy sinners. Envy arises from an opinion that the state of others is better than our own, which we grudge and are displeased at, and wish ourselves in their condition. Good people are often cautioned against this sin : Be not thou envious against evil men, nor desire to he with them; (Prov. xxiv. 1. Ps. xxxvii. 1.) for if there be all this pleainre in religion, and we have experienced it, surely we would not exchange our condition with any sinner, even in his best estate.
Envy not sinners their outward prosperity, their wealth and abundance, which put them into a capacity of having all the delights of sense raised to the highest pitch of pleasure; though they lie upon beds of ivory, {Amos vi. 4, 6, 6.) and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flocks, and the calves out of the midst of the stall, though they chant to the sound of the viol, drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief ointments ; yet those have no reason to envy them, whose souls dwell at ease in God; who are fed with the bread of life, the true manna, angels' food, and drink of the water of life freely; that make melody with their hearts to the Lord, and are made to hear from him joy and gladness ; and have received the anointing of the Spirit. If we have relished the delights of religion, we shall say as David, Let us not eat of their tlainties, Ps. cxiv. 4.
Envy not sinners the liberty they take to sin ; that they can allow theniselves in the full enjoyment of those pleasures which we cannot think of without horror; but have not we then the enjoyment of those pleasures which are infinitely better, and which they are strangers to ? We cannot have both, and of the two, are not ours, without dispute, preferable to theirs; and why then should we envy them ? Their pleasures are enslaving, ours enlarging; theirs debasing to the soul, ours ennobling; theirs surfeiting, ours satisfying; theirs offensive to God, ours pleasing to him ; theirs vnll end in pain and bitterness, ours will be perfected in endless joys; and what reason then have we to envy them ?
(5.) Let not our spirits sink, or be dejected, under the afflictions of this present time. We disparage our comforts in God, if we lay too much to heart our crosses in the world: and therefore, hereby let us evidence, that, being satisfied o/* God's loving-kindness, we are satisfied with it. Let us look upon that as sufficient to balance all the unkindnesses of men. They that value themselves upon God's smiles, ought not to vex themselves at the world's frowns. The light of God's countenance can shine through the thickest clouds of the troubles of this present time: and, therefore, we should walk in the light of the Lord, even when, as to our outward condition, we sit in darkness.
We manifest that we have found true delight and satisfaction in the service of God, and communion with him, when the pleasure of them will make the bitterest cup of affliction that our Father puts into our hand, not only passable but pleasant; so that, like blessed Paul, when we are as sorrowful, yet we may be always rejoicing, and may take pleasure in infirmities and rcprouches, because, though, for the present, they are not joyous but grievous, yet when afterwards they yield the peaceable fruit of righte-
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oasness, they become not grievous, but truly joyous. Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest.
(6.) Let the pleasure we have found in religion, dispose us to be liberal and charitable to the poor and distressed. The pleasing sense we have of God's bounty to us, by which he has done so much to make us easy, should engage us bountifully to distribute to the necessities of saints, according to our ability; not only to keep them from perishing, but to make them easy, and that they may rejoice as well as we. Cheerfulness that enlarges the heart, should open the hand too. Paul observes it concerning the churches of Macedonia, who were ready to give for the relief of the poor saints at Jerusalem, that it was Ihe abundance of their joy, their spiritual joy, their joy in God, that abounded unto the riches of their liberality 2 Cor. viii. 2.
When the people of Israel are commanded to rejoice in every good thing which God had given them, (Deut. xxvi. 11, 12.) Ihey are commanded also to give freely to the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, that they may edt and be filled. And when upon a particular occasion they are directed to eat the fat, and drink the sweet, (Neh. viii. 10.) at the same time they are directed to send portions to them for whotn nothing is prepared: and then the joy of the Lord will be their strength. By our being charitable, we should show that we are cheerful; that we cheerfully taste God's goodness in what we have, and trust his goodness for what we may liereafter want.
(7.) Let us do what we can to bring others to partake of the same pleasures in religion which we have tasted, especially those who are under our charge. It adds very much to the pleasure of an enjoyment, to communicate of it to others, especially when the nature of it is such, that we have never the less, but the more rather, for others sharing in it What good tidings we hear, that are of common concern, we desire that others may hear them, and be glad too. He that has but found a lost sheep, calls his friends and neiglibours to rejoice with him ; (Luke XV. 6.) but he that has found Christ, and found comfort in him, can say, not only. Come, rejoice with me, but, Come, and partake with me; for yet there is room enough for all, though ever so numerous, enough for each, though ever so necessitous and craving.
When Samson had found honey in the carcass of the lion, (Judg. xiv. 8.) he brought some of it to his parents, that they might partake with him: thus when we have found a day in God's courts better than a thousand, we should invite others into those courts, by telling them what God has done for our souls, and how willing he is to do the same for theirs, if tliey, in like manner, apply themselves to him. When Andrew, with a surprising pleasure, finds the Messiah, (John i. 41,45.) he cannot rest till he has brought his brother Peter to him; nor Philip till he has brought his friend Nathaniel-They that are feasted with the comforts of God's house, should not covet to eat their morsel alone, bot be willing to communicate of their spiritual things.
(8.) Let us be willing to die, and leave this world. We have reason to be ashamed of ourselves, that we, who have not only laid up our treasures above, bat fetch our pleasures thence, are cu much in love with our present state, and as loth to think of quitting it, as if our riches, and pleasure, and all, were wrapt up in the things of sense and time. The delights of sense entangle us and hold us here; these aro the things that make us loth to die, as one once said, viewing his fine house and gardens. And are these things sufficient to court our stay here, when God says. Arise, and depart, for this is not yottr rest ? Mic. ii. 10.
Let us not be afraid to remove from a world of sense to a world of spirits, since we have found the pleasures of sense not worthy to be compared with spiritual pleasures. When in old age, which is one of the valleys of the shadow of death, we can no longer relish the delights of the body, but they become sapless and tasteless, (as they were to Barzil-lai,) yet we need not call those evil days, and years in which we have no pleasure, if we have walked and persevered in Wisdom's ways; for if so, we may then in old age look back with pleasure upon a life well spent on earth, (as Hezekiah did,) and look forward with pleasure, upon a life to be better spent in heaven.
And when we have received a sentence of death within ourselves, and see the dav approaching, the pleasure we have in loving God, and helieving in Christ, and in the expressions of holy joy and thankfulness, should make even a sick-bed and a deathbed easy; The saints shall be joyful in glory, and shall sing aloud upon their beds, (Ps. cxlix. 5.) those beds to which they are confined, and from which they are removing to their graves, their beds in the darkness. Our religion, if we be faithful to it, will furnish us with li\dng comforts in dying moments, sufficient to balance the pains of death, and take off the terror of it, and to enable us to triumph over it; O death ! where is thy sting ? Let us then etidence our experience of the pleasures of religion, by living above the inordinate love of life, and fear of death.
(9.) Lastly, Let us long for the perfection of tliese spiritual pleasures in the kingdom of glory. When we come thither, and not till then, tiiey will be perfected ; while we are here, as we know and love but in part, so we rejoice*but in part; even our spiritual joys here have their damps and allays; we mix tears and tremblings with them: but, in heaven, there is ti fulness of joy without mixture, and pleasures for evermore, without period or diminution. The servants of Christ will there enter into the joy
THE PLEASURE OF BEING REU6I0US.
of their Lord, and it shall be everlasting joy, Isa.
XXXY. 10.
And what are the pleasares in the way of Wisdom, compared with those at the end of the way? If a complacency in the divine beauty and love be so pleasant while we are in the body, and are absent from the Lord, what will it be when we have put off the body, and go to be present with the Lord? If a day in God's courts, and a few minutes spent there in his praises, be so pleasant; what will an eternity within the veil be, among them that dwell in his house above, and are still praising him ? If the earnest of our inheritance be so comfortable, what will the inheritance itself be ?
Now whenever there is grace, it will be aiming at, and pressing towards, its own perfection ; it is a well of water springing up to eternal life ; (John iv. 14.) this therefore we should be longing for. Our love to God in this world is love in motion, in heaven it will be love at rest: O when shall that sabbatisra come, which remains for the people of God ? Here we have the pleasure of looking towards God; O when shall we come and appear before him ? Our Lord Jesus, when at his last passover, which he earnestly desired to eat with his disciples, he had tasted of the fruit of the vine, speaks as one that longed to drink it new in the kingdom of his Father, Matt. xxvi. 29. It is very pleasant to serve Christ here, but to depart and be with Christ, is far better. Now are we the sons of God, (1 John iii. 2.) and it is very pleasant to think of it; but it doth not yet appear what we shall be: something there is in reserve, which we are kept in expectation of. We are not yet at home, but should long to be there, and keep up holy desires of that glory to be revealed, that we may be quickened, as long as we are here, to press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling.
DISCOURSE
CONCERNING
MEEKNESS AND QUIETNESS OF SPIRIT.
TO WHICH IS ADDED
A SERMON ON ACTS XXVIII. 22.
SHOWING THAT THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION IS NOT A SECT; AND YET THAT IT IS EVERY WHERE
SPOKEN AGAINST.
To THE Reader.
I DO not think it at aH needful to tell the world what it was which led me to the writing of this discourse concerning Meekness, the substance of which was preached several years ago; nor am I concerned to apologize for the publication of it: if I thought it needed an apology I would not consent to it. That temper of mind, which it endeavours to promote, and to charm men into, every one will own to be highly conducive to the comfort of human life, the honour of our holy religion, and the welfare and happiness of all societies, civil and sacred: and therefore, while the design cannot be disliked, I hope what is weak and defective in the management, will be excused. Some useful discourses have been of late published against rash anger, and an excellent dissuasive from revenge by the present Bishop of Chester; wherein those brutish vices are justly exposed. I am cooperating in the design, while I recommend the contrary virtues to the love and practice of all that profess relation to the Holy Jesus. And if this Essay have.that good effect upon those into whose hands it shall at any time fall, my object will be attained.
As to the Sermon annexed, it is published (with some enlargements) at the request of a very worthy friend who heard it preached in London last summer: and since, blessed be God, there are a great many testimonies borne at this day, against the avowed infidelity and impiety of the age, I hope this may be accepted as a mite cast into that treasury, by a cordial friend to peace and holiness.
M. HENRY.
Chester, Nov. 21, 1098.
1 Peter iii. 4. [latter part.]
Even the ornament of a meeh and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.
The apostle Peter, in this Epistle, (as also his beloved brother Paul, in many of his,) is very earnest in pressing upon Christians the conscientious discharge of the duties of their particular relations, and not without good reason ; for generally it holds true, ** That we are really, as we are relatively."* He is here, in the former part of this chapter, directing Christian wives how to carry themselves in that relation, to the glory of God, their own comfort, and the spiritual benefit and advantage of their yokefellows. Among other good lessons, he teaches them how to dress themselves as it becomes women professing godliness.* Those of that sex are commonly observed to be very solicitous about their ornaments. When the question is asked, Can a maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? it is supposed scarcely possible, Jer. ii. 32. This prevailing inclination the apostle here takes hold of, for the recommending of those graces and duties to their choice and practice, which are indeed the most excellent and amiable adorning, not only of their sex to whom the exhortation is primarily directed, but of the other also, for whom, no doubt, it is likewise intended. Observe this method:
1. He endeavours to wean them from the vanity of outward ornaments, v. 3. whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning, &c. aiv (?{■)—ic6<roc« This does not forbid the sober and moderate use of decent ornaments, when it is according to the quality, place,
Genui mu Uehre e*t if>t\6ii9cuo».—The race of women U attached to ornaments. LeriH. in loc.
A DISCOURSE CONCERNING MEEKNESS, &c.
and station, and in dae season; (not on dajs of fasting, and humiliation, when it is proper for ornaments to be laid aside, Exod. xxxiii. 4, 6.) but it forbids the inordinate love and excessive use (that is, the abuse) of them. There may be the plaiting of the hair, and the wearing ofgold and there mutt he the putting on of apparel; (that shame, which came into the world with sin, has made it necessary;) but we must not make these things our adorning; that is, we must not set our hearts upon them, nor value ourselves by them, nor think the better of ourselves for them, nor pride ourselves in them, as if they added any real excellency to us, nor say to them as Saul did to Samuel, Honour me now before this people, out of a vain ambition to make a fair show in the flesh. We must spend no more care, or thoughts, or time, or words, or cost, about them, and lay no more stress or weight upon them, than they deserve, and that is but a very little. It is but glm'y hung upon ui, as the expression is, (Isa. xxii. 24.) and has no glory, if compared with the glory that excelleth it even in the creatures that are so far below us :*" for Solomon, in all his glory, was not arrayed or beautified like one of those lilies, which to-day iSf and to-morrow is east into the oven. We must not seek first these things, nor seek them most, as if we had bodies for no other end than to wear out our clothes, and had nothing else to do with them than to make them fine. It was the folly, and proved the ruin, of that rich man in the parable, that he made his purple, and his fine linen, (with the other ornaments and delights of the body,) his good things, the things in which he placed his happiness, and in which he had his consolation, (Lukexvi. 19, 25.) that is, in the language of this scripture, he made them his adorning f and so, being unclothed of these, he was found naked. Let not the wearing of gold, and the putting on of apparel, be thapo^^the world ; so it may be rendered: it is mundus mulie-Iris — a woman's world. Let not these things be all the world with us, as they are with many, who reckon that to be out of the fashion (whatever it be) is to be out of the world.' Christians are called out of the world, and delivered from it, and should evidence a victory obtained by faith over it, as in other instances, 90 in this. It is a prescribed rule of our holy religion, (whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear,) that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety, 1 Tim. ii. 9. But whereas there are some, on the one hand, that exclaim against vanity in apparel as the crying sin of this age, above any other, as if it were a new thing under the sun, and the former days were, in this respect, better than these ;* and some, on the other hand, condeom it as a piece of fanaticism io witness (as there is occasion) against this vanity; both may receive a sufficient answer, if they will but read that excellent Homily of the Church of England, entitled, *' An Homily against Excess of Apparel," (No. 18.) by which it will appear, that even in those early days of the reformation, it was a vanity that prevailed much in our land, and which the rulers of the church thought themselves obliged to reprove. But we will hasten to the text.
2. He endeavours to bring them in love with the better ornaments, those of the mind, the graces of the blessed Spirit, here called b cpvirrc AvOumoQ-^ the hidden man of the heart. Grotius observes, that '' though he writes to women, yet he uses a word of the masculine gender, because the ornament he re-conunends, is such as both men and women must be adorned with.'' Grace, as a living principle of regular holy thoughts, words, and actions, is sometimes called the new man, (Eph. iv. 24.) sometimes the inward man, (Rom. vii. 22. and 2 Cor. iv. 16.) and so here, the hidden man of the heart. It is called a man, because it is made up of many parts and members, and its operations are vital and rational; and it restores those to the dignity of men, who, by sin, had made themselves like the beasts that perish. ' It is called the man of the heart, because out of the heart are the issues of life; there lie the springs of the words and actions, and therefore into that the salt of grace is cast, and so all the waters are healed.> He is the Christian indeed, that is one inwardly, and that circumcision, that baptism, which is of the heart, Rom. ii. 29. It is called the hidden man of the heart, because the work of grace is a secret thing, and does not make a pompous show in the eye of the world ; it is a mystery of godliness; a** life that is hid with Christ in God, to whom secret things belong; therefore the saints are called his hidden ones, (Ps. Ixxxiii. 3.) for the world knows them not, much less does it yet appear what they shall be. The king's daughter that is espoused to Christ, is all glorious within, Ps. xlv. 13. The working of grace in the soul is often represented as a regeneration, or being begotten again; and perhaps when this good work is called the hidden man of the heart, there may be some allusion to the forming of the bones in the womb of her that is with child, which Solomon speaks of as unaccountable, as is also the way of the Spirit, Eccl. xi. 6. compare John iii. 8. And lastly, it consists in that which is not corruptible ; it is not depraved or vitiated by the corruption that is in the world through lust, and is in the soul a well of living water, springing up unto eternal life, John iv. 14.
In the text he specifies one particular gprace, one member of this hidden man in the heart, which we must every one of us adorn ourselves with, and
¥ Mfttt vi. 89, 30.
4 Gal. L 4. 1 John v. 4.
e 3 Cor. ▼. 3. • Eccl. vii. 10.
f Prov. It. 33l b Col. iii. X
r 3 Kings ii. 21.
i Ps. cixxix. I4-1S.
A DISCOURSE CONCERNING MEEKNESS,
that is, a meek and quiet gpirit, which is in the $ight of God of great price. Where observe,
(1.) The grace itself here recommended to us; it is a meek and quiet spirit. There must be not only a meek and quiet behaviour outwardly ; there may be that, either by constraint, or with some base and disguised design, while the soul in the mean time is rough and turbulent, and envenomed ; the words may be softer than oil, while war is in the heart, Ps. Iv. 21. But the word of God is KpiriKoo—^ discemer and judge of the thoughts and intents of the heart, Heb. iv. 12. The power of men's laws may bind a man to good behaviour, but it is only the power of God's grace that will renew a right spirit within him, Ps. li. 10. It is this that makes the tree good, and then the fruit will be good. The God with whom we have to do, demands the heart, looks at the principle, and requires truth in the inward parts, not only in the duties of his own immediate worship, that those be done in the Spirit, but also in the duty we owe to our neighbour, that that also be done with a pure heart, and without dissimulation. The word of command which the Captain of our salvation gives, is. Christians, take heed to your spirits, Mai. ii. 15.
(2.) The excellency of this grace; it is in the sight of God of great price. It is really a precious grace, for it is so in the sight of God, and we know that he can neither deceive, nor be deceived. It is wo XvriKkQ, which is the same word that is used, (1 Tim. ii. 9.) for that costly array, which is joined with gold and pearls, iftawtrfu wo XvrtXti, Persons of quality, in their ornaments, affect not so much that which is gay, as that which is rich; not that which makes a glittering, gaudy show, and pleases children and fools, but that which is of intrinsic value, and recommends itself to the intelligent. A meek and quiet spirit is such an ornament, which has not that gaiety which is agreeable to the humour of a carnal world, but that real worth which recommends it to the favour of God. It is one of those graces which are compared to the powders of the merchant, (Cant. iii. 6.) far-fetched, and dear-bought, even with the precious blood of the Lord Jesus. ^ Herein we shou Id every one ^ikorifivfuda labour, and this we should be ambitious of, as the greatest honour, that present or absent, living and dying, we may be accepted of the Lord; and blessed be God it is a thing attainable, through the Mediator, from whom we have received how to walk so as to please him; we must walk with meekness and quietness of Spirit, for this is in the sight of God of great price. Therefore this mark of honour is, in a special manner, put upon the grace of meekness, because it is commonly despised and looked upon with contempt by the children of this world, as a piece of mean-spiritedness; but (however they be termed and treated now) they are happy, and will k s Cor. ▼. 9.
appear so shortly, whom God approves, and to whom he says. Well done, good and faithful sercani; for by his judgment we must stand or fall eternally.
These words, therefore, will easily afford us this plain Doctrine, That meekness and quietness of spirit is a very excellent grace, which we should every one of us put on, and be adorned with. In the prosecution hereof, we shall endeavour,
I. To show what this meekness and quietness of Spirit is. And,
II. What excellency there is in it. And,
III. Apply it.
CHAPTER I.
THB NATURE OF MBBKNB88 AND QUlBTNXSt OP SFIBIT.
Meekness and quietness seem to import much the same thing, but the latter having something of metaphor in it, will illustrate the former, and therefore we shall speak of them distinctly.
I. We must be of a meek spirit.—irpaoc qu. pooc —facilis^^asy: so the critics. Meekness is easiness of spirit; not a sinful easiness to be debauched, as Ephraim's, who willingly walked after the csommand-ment of the idolatrous princes, (Hos. v. 11.) nor a simple easiness to be imposed upon and deceived, as Rehoboam's, who, when he was forty years old, is said to be young and tender-hearted, (2 Chron. xiii. 7.) but a gcious easiness to be vrrought upon by that which is good, as theirs whose heart of stone is taken away, and to whom a heart of fiesk is given. Meekness is easiness, for it accommodates the soul to every occurrence, and so makes a man easy to himself, and to all about him. The Latins call a meek man mamuetus, qu. manu assuetus^^used to the hand; which alludes to the taming and reclaiming of creatures wild by nature, and bringing them to be tractable and familiar.* Man's corrupt nature has made him like the wild ass used to the wilderness, or the swift dromedary traversing her ways, (Jer. ii. 23, 24.) but the grace of meekness, when that gets dominion in the soul, alters the temper of it, brings it to hand, submits it to management ; and now the wolf dwells with the lamb, and the leopard lies down with the kid, and a little child may lead them; for enemies are laid aside, and there is nothing to hurt or destroy, Isa. xi. 6, 9.
Meekness may be considered with respect both to God, and to our brethren; it belongs to both the tables of the law, and attends upon the first great commandment, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God; as well as the second, which is like unto it. Thou a Jam. iii. 7,8.
AND QUIETNESS OF SPIRIT.
371 skMh lave iMy neighbour as thyself; though its special reference is to the latter.
1. There is meekness toward God, and it is the easy and quiet submission of the soul to his whole will, according as he is pleased to make it known, whether by his word or by his providence.
(I.) It is the silent submission of the soul to the word of God: the understanding bowed to every divine truth, and the will to every divine precept; and both without murmuring or disputing. The word is then an engrafted word, when it is received with meekness, (Jam. i. 21.) that is, with a sincere willingness to be taught, and desire to learn. Meekness is a grace that cleaves the stock, and holds it open, that the word, as the imp, or shoot, may be grafted in; it breaks up the fallow ground, and makes it fit to receive the seed; captivates the high thoughts, and lays the «ml like white paper under God's pen. When the day-*prin takes hold of the ends of the tsrth, it is said to be turned as clay to the seal. Job xxxviii. 12—14. Meekness does, in like manner, dispose the soul to admit the rays of divine light, which before it rebelled against; it opens the heart, as Lydia's was opened; and sets us down with Mary at the feet of Christ; the learner's place and posture. (Compare Dent, xxxiii. 3.) The promise of teaching is made to the meek, because they are disposed to learn; The meek toilt he teach his way, Ps. xxv. 8,9. The word of God is gospel indeed, good tidings to the meek, (Isa. Ixi. 1.) they will entertain it and bid it welcome; the poor in spirit are evangelized, (Matt xi. 6.) and wisdom's alms are given to those that with meekness ^ wak daily at her gates, and like beggars wait at the posts of her doors. The language of this meekness is that of the child Samuel, (1 Sam. iii. 9.) Speak Lard, for thy servant heareth; and that of Joshua, who, when he was in that high post of honour, giving command to Israel, and bidding defiance to all their enemies, (his breast filled with great and bold thoughts,) yet, upon the intimation of a message from heaven, thus submits himself to it,(Josh. V. 14.) What saith my Lord unto his servant ? And that of Paul, (and it was the first breath of a new man,) Acts ix. 6. Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And that of Cornelius, (Acts x. 33.) And now we are aU here present before God, to hear all things that are commanded thee of God. And that of the good man I have read of, who, when he was going to bear the word, used to say, ** Now let the word of the Lord come; and if I had six hundred necks, I would bow them all to the authority of it." To receive the word with meekness, is to be delivered into it, as into a mould: it seems to be PauFs metaphor, Rom. Ti. 17. that form of doctrine tig ov wapti6^ kProv. vUiac
MOmtrt Mi SM cm Undtetr* divine ScriptMTtB tivt inUUeeUt, ti nlitptrewtii, siwtatm imIiUeeUe, quasi no* nuUn* tapert postemui. Aug. i't.i9 D§el Had CMstL—Tvat meekness will prevent us from opinto which you were given up. Meekness softens the wax, that it may receive the impression of the seal, whether it be for doctrine or reproof, for correction or instruction in righteousness. It opens the ear to discipline, silences objections, and suppresses the risings of the carnal mind against the word; consenting to the Law that it is good,* and esteeming all the precepts concerning all things to be right, even when they give the greatest check to flesh and blood.
(2.) It is the silent submission of the soul to the providence of God, for that also is the will of God concerning us.
[1.] When the events of Providence are grievous and afflictive, displeasing to sense, and crossing our secular interests; meekness not only quiets us under them, but reconciles us to them; and enables us not only to bear, but to receive, evil as well as good at the hand of the Lord; which is the excellent frame that Job argues himself into. Job ii. 10. It is to kiss the rod, and even to accept of the punishment of our iniquity; taking all in good part that God does: not daring to strive with our Maker, no, nor desiring to prescribe to him, but dumb, and not opening the mouth because God does it. How meek was Aaron under the severe dispensation which took away his sons with a particular mark of divine wrath! He held his peace, (Lev. x. 3.) God was sanctified, and therefore Aaron was satisfied, and had not a word to say against it Unlike to this was the temper, or rather the distemper, of David, who was not like a man after God's own heart, when lie was displeased because the Lord had made a breach upon Uzziah, (2 Sam. vi. 8.) as if God must have asked David leave thus to assert the honour of his ark. When God's anger is kindled, ours must be stifled; such is the law of meekness, that whatsoever pleases God, must not displease us. David was in a better frame when he penned the 66th Psalm, the title of which, some think, bespeaks the calmness and sub-missiveness of his spirit when the Philistines took him in Gath. It is upon Jonathelem-reckokim, — the silent dove afar off. It was his calamity, that he was afar off", but he was then as a silent dove; mourning perhaps, (Isa. xxxviii. 14.) but not murmuring, not struggling, not resisting, when seized by the birds of prey; and the Psalm he penned in this frame, was, Michtam, a Golden Psalm. The language of this meekness is that of Eli, (1 Sam. iii. 18.) It is the Lard: and that of David to the same purport, (2 Sam. XV. 26.) Here I am, let him do to me as seem-eth good unto him. Not only, he can do what he will, subscribing to his power, for who can stay his hand ? Or, He may do what he will, subscribing to his posing either the obvious parts of Scripture, severely as they may task our vices) or the mysterious parts, in reading which, vanity may suggest that we could have dictated what Is more profitable.
A DISCOURSE CONCERNING MEEKNESS,
sovereity, for he giyes not accoant of any of his matters. Or, He will do ivhat he will, sabscribing to his unchangeableness, for he is in one mind, and who can turn him ? But, Let him do what he will, subscribing to his wisdom and goodness, as Hezekiah, (Isa. xxxix. 8.) Good is tht word of the Lord, which thou host spohen. Let him do what he will, for he will do what is best; and therefore, if God should refer the matter to me, (says the meek and quiet soul,) being well assured that he knows what is good for me better than I do for myself, I would refer it to him again; he shall choose our inheritance for vs, Ps. xlvii. 4.
[2.] When the methods of Providence are dark and intricate, and we are quite at a loss what God is about to do with us, his way is in the sea, and his path in the great waters, and his footsteps are not known, clouds and darkness are round about him ; a meek and quiet spirit acquiesces in an assurance, that all things shall work together for good to us, if we love God, though we cannot apprehend how or which way. It teaches us to follow God with an implicit faith, as Abraham did when he went out, not knowing whither he went, but knowing very well whom he followed, Heb. xi. 8. It quiets us with this, that though what he doeth we know not now, yet we shall know hereafter, John xiii. 7. When poor Job was brought to that dismal plunge, that he could no way trace the footsteps of the divine providence, but was almost lost in that labyrinth, (Job xxiii. 8,9.) how quietly does he sit down, v. 10. with this thought. But he knows the way I take ; when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.
2. There is meekness toward our brethren, toward all men, (Tit. iii. 2.) and so we take it here. Meekness is especially conversant about the affection of anger, not wholly to extirpate * and eradicate it out of the soul; (that were to quench a coal which sometimes there is occasion for, even at God's altar, and to blunt the edge even of our spiritual weapons, with which we are to carry on our spiritual warfare;) but its office is to direct and govern this affection, that we may he angry and not sin, Eph. iv. 26.
Meekness, in the school of the philosophers, is a virtue consisting in a mean between the extremes of rash excessive anger on the one hand, and a defect of anger on the other, in which Aristotle f confesses it very hard exactly to determine.
Meekness, in the school of Christ, is one of the fruits of the Spirit, (Gal. v. 22, 23.) it is a grace, (both gratis data—freely given and gratum faciens — rendering kind,) wrought by the Holy Ghost both as a sanctifier and as a comforter in the hearts of all true believers, teaching and enabling them at all
Not airofcto—insensibility, but M«Tpioiro0<ia—moderation. Anger is cot/ortitUJinu-~\he whetstone of courage, t Ethic. 1.4. c. 6.
times to keep their passions ander the conduct tad government of religion and right reason. I obsene that it is wrought in the hearts of all troe believeis, because, though there are some roagh and koott]f pieces that the Spirit works apon, whose natnnl temper is unhappily sour and harsh, which are Umg in the squaring; yet wheresoever there is true gre, there is a disposition to strive against, and strength in some measure to conquer, that distemper. And though in this, as in other gpraccs, an absolute sinlen perfection cannot be expected in this present state, yet we are to labour after it, and press towards it
More particularly: the work and ofl Elce of meekness is to enable us prudently to govern our own anger when at any time we are provoked, and patiently to bear the anger of others, that it may not be a provocation to us. The former is its office especially in superiors, the latter in infefi Drs, and both in equals.
(I.) Meekness teaches us prudently to govern our own anger, whenever any thing occurs that is provoking. As it is the work of temperance to moderate our natural appetites toward those things that are pleasing to sense, so it is the work of meekness to moderate our natural passions against those things that are displeasing to sense, and to gide and govern our resentments of those things. Anger ia the soul is like mettle in a horse, good if it be well managed. Now meekness is the bridle; as wisdon is the hand that gives law to it; puts it into the right way, and keeps it in an even, steady, and regular pace in that way, reducing it when it turns aside, preserving it in a due decorum, and restraining it and giving it cheek when at any time it gws headstrong and outrageous, and threatens mischief to ourselves or others. It must thus be held in, like tke horse and mule, with bit and bridle, (Ps. xxxii. d.) lest it break the hedge, run over those that stand in its way, or throw the rider himself headlong. It is true of anger, I which we say of fire, that it is a ^* good servant,*' but a ** bad master ;" it is good on the hearth, but bad in the hangings. Now meekness keeps it in its place, sets banks to this sea, and says. Hitherto thou shalt come, and no further ; here shaU thy proud waves be stayed.
In reference to our own anger, when at any time we meet with the excitements of it, the work of meekness is to do these four things:
[I.] To consider the circumstances of that which we apprehend to be a provocation, so as at no time to express our displeasure, but upon due and mature deliberation. The office of meekness is to keep reason upon the throne in the soul, as it ought to be, to preserve the understanding clear and unclouded,
I AVa eoyntne Umr avdacin nisi in iWZp, amiau nisi im meceisiute, sapiens nisi in ird.—It is in war, that we discover the hero; in a time of need, the friend; and during auger, the man of wisdom. Stnl. jtrab.
AND QUIETNESS OF SPIRIT.
273 tbe jadment untainted and unbiassed in the midst of the greatest provocations, so as to be able to set every thing in its true light, and to see it in its own eolour, and to determine accordingly, as also to keep silence in the court, that the still small voice, in which the Lord is, (as he was with Elijah at Mount Horeb, 1 Kings xix. 12, 13.) may not be drowned by the noise of the tumult of the passions. A meek man will never be angry at a child, at a servant, at a friend, till he has first seriously weighed the cause in just and even balances, while a steady and impartial hand holds the scales, and a free and unprejudiced thought adjudges it necessary. It is said of our Lord Jesus, John xi. 33. Irapait Mavrbv — he troubled himself; which denotes it to be a considerate act, and what he saw reason for. Then things go right in the soul, when no resentments are admitted into the affections, but what have first undergone the scrutiny of the understanding, and thence received their pass. That passion which comes not in by this door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber, which we should stand upon our guard against In a time of war, (and such a time it is in every sanctified soul in a constant war between grace and corruption,) due care must be taken to examine all passengers, especially those that come armed, whence they came, whither they go, whom they are for, and what they would have ? Thus should it be in the well-governed, well-disciplined soul. Let meekness stand centinel, and, upon the advance of a provocation,* let us examine who it is that we are about to be angry with, and for what ? What are the merits of the cause, wherein lay the offence, what was the nature and tendency of it? What are likely to be the consequences of our resentments, and what harm will it be if we stifle them, and let them go no further ? Such as these are the interrogatories which meekness would put to the soul, and in answer to them would abstract all that which passion is apt to SQ|rirc ^^^ hear reason only, as it becomes rational creatures to do.
Three great dictates of meekness we find put together, in one scripture, James i. 19. Be swift to kemr slow to speak, slow to wrath; which some observe to be couched in three proper names of Ishmael's SOD, Gen. xxv. 14. 1 Chron. i. 30. (which Bishop Prideaux, in the beginning of the wars, recommended to a gentleman that had been his pupil, as the sommary of his advice,) Mishmoy Dumah, Massa; the signification of which is, Hear, Keep silence. Bear. Hear reason, keep passion silent, and then
EsptndantMT verha $i dieeiuhm hoe, n dictndwm adttrsum hvnct li kmfm ttrwumU til Av/nf, 4rc.—We should carefully consider whether vhat we ny ought to be said, whether it ought to be said against this particalar peraou, whether this is the time for saying it, &c. ^air. Je OJU. I. I. c. SK t /• €9ney Hemf mtitrmm mht$»t nunti d*M Infcnndia mon fratue.^ In reproving vice, tboogh we admit a degree of anger, we
T you will not find it difficult to bear the provocation.
It is said of the Holy One of Israel, when the ^^P^^>is provoked him, Lihravit semitam ira sua — He weighed a path to his anger: so the margin reads it from the Hebrew, Ps. Ixxviii. 50. Justice first poised the cause, and then anger poured out the vials. Thus (Gen. xi. 6.) the Lord came down to see the pride of the Babel-builders, before he scattered them; and (Gen. xviii. 21.) he came down to see the vrickedncss of Sodom, before he overthrew it, though both were obvious and barefaced ,t to teach us to consider before we are angry, and to judge before we pass sentence, that herein we may he followers of Gody as dear children, and be merciful, as our Father which is in heaven is merciful.
We read, (Jam. iii. 13.) of the meekness of wisdom; for where there is not wisdom, (that wisdom which is profitable to direct, that wisdom of the prudent which is to understand his way,) meekness will not long be preserved.' It is our rashness and inconsideration that betray us to all the mischiefs of an ungoverned passion, on the | neck of which the reins are laid, (which should be kept in the hand of reason,) and so we are hurried upon a thousand precipices. Nehe-miah is a remarkable instance of prudence presiding in just resentments; he owns, (Neh. v. 6, 7.) / was very angry when I heard their cry ; but that anger did not at all transgress the laws of meekness, for it follows. Then I consulted with myself or as the Hebrew has it. My heart consulted in me. Before he expressed his displeasure, he retired into his own bosom, took time for a sober thought upon the case, and then he rebuked the nobles, in a very solid rational discourse, v. 8—11. and the success was good, V. 12, 13. In every cause, when passion demands immediate judgment, meekness moves for further time, and will have the matter fairly argued, and counsel heard on both sides.
When the injured Levite had pitched upon a very barbarous course to irritate the tribes of Israel (who commonly were too fiery to need a spur) against the men of Gibeah, yet vrithal lie referred the matter to their deliberate counsels, to teach us, when our hearts are meditating revenge, to do likewise, Judg. xix. 30. So and so the matter is, consider of it, take advice, and then speak your minds. When Job had any quarrel with his servants, he was willing to admit a rational debate of the matter, and to hear what they had to say for themselves. For, (says he,) what shall I do when God riseth up ? And withal, did not he that made me in the womb, make should not suffer it to usurp arbitrary sway. Crrg. i« Jo6,1. 3G. e. 36.
e Eccl. X. 10. Prov. xlv. 8.
t Ratio id judicar* puU qtutd ^eqnum ttt Irm id aquum videri ptit, 7vo</yv Jtctfrt/—Reason prompts us to pass a righteous judgment; anger first hurries us into an opinion, and then, whatever it is, re. solves to maintain it. Sen.
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him ? Job xxxi. 13—16. When our hearts arc at any time hot within us, we should do well to put that question to ourselves which God put to Cain, (Gen. iv. 6.) Why am I wroth ? Why am I angry at all ? Why so soon angry ? Why so very angry ? Why so far transported, and dispossessed of myself, by my anger? What reason is there for all this? Do I well to be angry for a gourde that came up in a night, and pei-ished in a night ? Jonah iv. 9. Should I be touched to the quick by such a sudden and transient provocation ? Will not my cooler thoughts correct these hasty resentments, and therefore were it not better to check them now ? Such are the reasonings of the meekness of wisdom.
[2.] The work of meekness is to calm the spirit, so as that the inward peace may not be disturbed by any outward provocation. No doubt a man may express his displeasure against the miscarriages of another, as much as at any time there is occasion for, without suffering his resentments to recoil upon himself, and to put his own soul into a hurry. What need is there for a man to tear himself (his soul, so it is in the Hebrew) in his anger ? Job xviii. 4. Cannot we charge home upon our enemy's camp, without the wilful disordering of our own troops ? Doubtless we may, if meekness have the command, for that is the grace which preserves a man master of himself, while he contends to be master of another, and which, though there may be some firing in the outworks, yet fortifies the heart, the main fort, the inner wards, against the assaults of provocation, which do us no great harm, while they do not rob us of our peace, nor disturb the rest of our souls. As patience in case of sorrow, so meekness in case of anger, keeps possession of the soul, (as the expression is, Luke xxi. 19.) that we be not dispossessed of that freenold, and takes care when the bell is up, that it does not overturn. The drift of Christ's farewell-sermon to his disciples we have in the first words of it, John xiv. 1. Let not your hearts be troubled. It is the duty and interest of all good people, whatever happens, to keep trouble from their hearts, and to iNive them even and sedate, though the eye (aA Job expresses it) should continue unavoidably in the provocation of this world. Job xvii. 2. The wicked (ayvn the turbulent and unqiiet, so the world primarily signifies) are lihe the troubled sea when it cannot rest, (Isa. Ivii. 20.) but that peace of God, which passeth all understanding, keeps the hearts and minds of all the meek of the earth. Meekness preserves the mind from being ruffled and discomposed, and the spirit from being anhinged by the vanities and vexations of this lower world. It stills the noise of the sea, the noise of her waves, and the tumult of the soul; it permits not the passions to crowd out in a disorderly manner, like a confused ungovemed rabble; but draws them out like the trained-bands, rank and file, every one in his own order, ready to march, to charge, to fire, to retreat, as wisdom and grace give the word of command.
It is said of the just and holy God, that he is Lord of his anger, Nah. i. 2. where we translate it, he is furious, (perhaps not so well, iorfury is not in him, Isa. xxvii. 4. but,) he is ncn Sya the Lord of anger, compos \r<B, so some of the critics render it; he is master of his own anger, and we should labour to be so too. Some interpreters give this as the sense of that which God said to Cain, (Gen. iv. 7.) Unto thee, or, subject unto thee, shall be its desire, and thou shalt rule over it ; that is, over this passion of angr, which thou hast conceived in thy bosom, thou shouldst, and (if thou wouldst use the grace offered to thee) thou mightst subdue and keep under these intemperate heats, so as that they may not disquiet the repose of thy soul, nor break out into any extravagance.
[3.] Meekness will curb the tongue, and keep the mouth as with a bridle when the heart is hot, Ps. xxxix. 1, 2, 3. Even then, when there may be occasion for a keenness of expression, and we are called to rebuhe sharply, (iiror6ii^---'euttingly, Tit. i. 13.) yet meekness forbids all fury and indecency of language, and every thing that sounds like clamour and evil'speahing, Eph. iv. 31. The meekness of Moses was not at hand when he spake that unadvised word, Num. xx. 10. [rebels,'] for which he vras shut out of Canaan, though rebels they were, and at that time very provoking. Men in passion are apt to give reviling language, to call names, and those most senseless and ridiculous, to take the blessed name of God in vain, and so to profane it. It is a wretched way by which the children of hell vent their passion at their beasts, their servants, any person, or any thing, that provokes them, to swear at them. Men in a passion are apt to reveal secrets, to make rash vows and resolutions which afterward prove a snare, and sometimes to slander and belie their brethren, and bring railing accusations, and so to do the devil's work ; and to speak that in their haste concerning others, (as David, Ps. cxvi. 11. All men are liars,) which they see cause to repent of at leisure. How brutishly did Saul, in his passion, call his own son, the heir-apparent to the crown, the ion of the perverse rebellious woman! 1 Sam. XX. 30. that is, the son of a strumpet, a fine credit to himself and his family! Raca and TTkou fool, are specified by our Saviour as breaches of the law of the sixth commandment, (Matt v. 22.) and the passion in the heart is so far from excusing such opprobrious speeches, (for which purpose it is commonly alleged,) that really it is that which gves them their malignity, they are the smoke from that fire, the gall and wormwood springing from that root of bitterness; and if,*^ for every idle word that men d Bilatt xit. 86.
AND QUIETNESS OF SPIRIT.
276 speak, mach more for such wicked words as these, must they ffive an account at the day of judgment. And as it is a reflection upon God to kill, so it is to curse men that are made after the image of God, (though ever so much our inferiors,) that is, to speak ill of them, or to wish ill to them.
This is the disease which meekness prevents, and is in the tongue a law of kindness, as the expression b, Prov. xxxi. 26. It is to the tongue as the helm is to the ship, (it is the apostle's comparison, Jam. iii. 4.) not to silence it, but to guide it, to steer it wisely, especially when the wind is high. If at any time we have conceived passion, and thought evil, meekness will lay the hand upon the * mouth, (as the wise man's advice is, Prov. xxx. 32.) to keep that evil thought from venting itself in any evil word, reflecting upon God or our brother. It will reason a disputed pmnt without noise, give a reproof without a reproach, convince a man of his folly without calling him a fool, will teach superiors either to forhear threatening, (Eph. vi. 9.) or (as the margin reads it) to moderate it, and will look diligently, lest any root of bitterness, springing up, trouble «#, and thereby we, and many others, be defiled, Heb. xiL 15.
[4.] Meekness will cool the heat of passion quickly, and not suffer it to continue. As it keeps us from being soon angry, so it teaches us, when we are angry, to be soon pacified. The anger of a meek man is like fire struck out of steel, hard to be got out, but when it is out, soon gone. The wisdom that is from above, as it is gentle, and so not apt to provoke, so it is easy to be entreated when any provocation is given, (Jam. iii. 17.) and has the ear always open to the first proposals and overtures of satisfaction, submission, and reconciliation, and so the anger is turned away. He that is of a meek spirit, will be forward to forgive injuries, and to put up with affronts, and has some excuse or other ready wherewith to extenuate and qualify the provocation, which an angry man, (for the exasperating and justifying of his own resentments,) will industriously aggvate. It is but saying, ** There is no great harm done, or, if there be, there was none intended,t and peradventure it was an oversight \" and so the offence being looked at through that end of the perspective which diminishes, it is easily past by, and the distemper being taken in time, goes off quickly, the fire is quenched before it gets head, and by a speedy interposal the plague is stayed. While the world is so full of the sparks of provocation, and there is so much tinder in the hearts of the best, no marvel if anger come sometimes into the bosom of a wise man, but it rests only in the bosom of fools,
Stcrait ira tignmm *ral, voetm vtbmiUn0t Icqni pareitit; appa-rmt hme Uktm »At ob$tart.^An%eT was indicated in Socrates by his ■peaking little, and in a low key; thus he was obsenred to maintain a conflict within bimseir. Jta refnl Sewca tU ha, I. 3. c 13.
Plulmck dt mta ira$centb.
Eccl. vii. 9. Angry thoughts, as other vain thoughts, may crowd into the heart upon a sudden surprise, but meekness will not suffer them to lodge there, (Jer. iv. 14.) nor let the sun go down upon the wrath, (Eph. iv. 26.) for if it do, there is danger lest it rise bloody the next morning. Anger concocted, becomes malice; it is the wisdom of meekness, by proper applications, to disperse the humour before it comes to a head. One would have thought when David so deeply resented Nabal's abuse, that nothing less than the bluod of Nabal and all his house could have quenched his heat, but it was done at a cheaper rate; and he showed his meekness, by yielding to the diversion that Abigail's present and speech gave him, and that with satisfaction and thankfulness. He was not only soon pacified, but blessed her, and blessed God for her that pacified him. God does not contend for ever, neither is he always wroth; his anger endures but a moment, Ps. xxx. 5. How unlike then are those to him, whose sword devours for ever, and whose anger bums like the coals of juniper? But the grace of meekness, if it fail of keeping the peace of the soul from being broken, yet fails not to recover it presently, and to make up the breach, and, upon the least transport, steps in with help in the time of need, restores the soul, puts it in frame again, and no great harm is done. Such as these are the achievements of meekness, as it governs our own anger.
(2.) Meekness teaches and enables us patiently to bear the anger of others, which property of meekness we have especially occasion for, in reference to our superiors and equals. Commonly, that which provokes anger, is anger, as fire kindles fire; now meekness prevents that violent collision which forces out these sparks, and softens, at least, one side, and so puts a stop to a great deal of mischief; for it is the second blow that makes the quarrel. Our first care should be to prevent the anger of others, by giving no offence to any, but becoming all things to all men; every one studying to please his neighbour for good to edification, (Rom. xv. 2.) and endeavouring as much as lies in us, to accommodate ourselves to the temper of all with whom we have to do, and to make ourselves acceptable and agreeable to them. How easy and comfortable should we make every relation, and all our intercourse, if we were but better acquainted with this art of obliging. Naph-tali's tribe, that was famous for giving goodly words, (Gen. xlix. 21.) had the happiness of being satisfied with favour, (Deut, xxxiii. 23.) for every man shall kiss his lips that giveth a right answer Prov. xxiv. 26. In the conjugal relation it is taken for granted (1 Cor. vii. 33, 34.) that the care of the husband is t It it a maxim in the law. In verbis dubiit benignior temtentia ett pro'/erenda.—On words or dubious import we should pass a favour-able construction. And, Semper fit preetumpUo in meliorem partem. —We should always presume on the candid side. riiL /llciat de preevunpt. Reg. 3.
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to please his wife, and the care of the wife is to please her husband ; and where there is that mutual care, comfort cannot be wanting. Some people love to be unkind, and take a pleasure in displeasing, and especially contrive to provoke those they find passionate and easily provoked, that (as he that giveth his neighbour drink, and putteth his bottle to him, Hab. ii. 15, 16.) they may look upon his shame, to which, in his passion, he exposes himself, and so they make a mock at sin, and become like the madman that casts firebrands, arrows, and death, and says, ^^ Am not I in sport?** But the law of Christ forbids us io provoke one another. Gal. v. 26. (unless it be to love and to good works,) and enjoins us (as it follows there, ch.vi. 2.) to bear one another's burthens, and so to fulfil the law of Christ.
But because they must rise betimes, who will please every body, and carry their cup even indeed, who will give no ofience; our next care therefore must be, so to behave ourselves when others are angry that we may not make bad worse. And this is one principal thing, in which the younger must submit themselves to the elder; nay, in which all of us must be subject one to another, as our rule is, 1 Pet. V. 5. And here meekness is of use, either to enjoin silence, or indite a soft answer.
[I.] To enjoin silence. It is prescribed to servants, (Tit. ii. 9.) to please their masters well in all things, not answering again, for that must needs be displeasing ; better say nothing, than say that which is provoking. When our hearts are hot within us, it is good for us to keep silence, and hold our peace ; so David did, (Ps. xxxix. ii. 3.) and when he did speak it was in prayer to God, and not in reply to the wicked that were before him. If the heart be angry,* angry words will but inflame it the more, as wheels are heated by a rapid motion. One reflection, and repartee, begets another, and the beginning of the debate is like the letting forth of water, which is with difficulty stopt when the least breach is made in the dam; and therefore meekness says, *<By all means keep silence, and leave it ofl* before it be meddled with.'' When a fire is begun, it is good, if possible, to smother it, and so prevent its spreading. Come on, let us deal wisely, and stifle it in the birth, lest afterward it prove too strong to be dealt with. Anger in the heart, is like those books which were stowed up in cellars in the conflagration of London, which, though they were extremely heated, yet never took fire, till they took air many days after, where giving vent to the heat put them into a flame. When
Quid re/erl inter provocanftm $t provoeatum, nisi quod i/U prior in wu Uefieio deprehonditurt *t itU ptuterior t nulla veto in maUJieio ordinis ratio ft/.—What is the dif Terence between him tliat provokes and him that is provoked, but this, that the one did wrong in the first instance, and that the other did wrong afterward! In the act of doing wrongthey are alike culpable. TVr/v/. de Falientiii, c. 10.
t Compluret vidi loquendo peccatum inciMiSf, tis quemquam laeendo : the spirits are in a ferment, though it may be some present pain to check and suppress them, and the headstrong passions hardly admit the bridle, yet afterward it will be no grief of heart to as.
Those who find themselves wronged and aggrieved think they may have leave to speak, bat it is better to be silent than to speak amiss, and make work for repentance. At such a time, he that holds his tongue holds his peace ; and if we soberly reflect, we shsll find we have been often the worse for oar speaking, but seldom the worse for our silence.f This most be especially remembered and observed by as many as are under the yoke, who will certainly have most comfort in meekness, and patience, and silent sab-mission, not only to the good and gentle, bat also to the froward. It is good in such cases to remember our X place, and (if the spirit of a ruler rise np mgahut us,) not to leave it, that is, not to do any thing unbecoming, for yielding pacifieth great offentes, Eccl. x. 4. We have a common proverb that teaches hj this, *' When thou art the hammer, knock tkyJUl; but when thou art the anvil, lie thou still:*' for it is the posture thou art cut out for, and which best becomes thee.
If others be angry at us without caose, and we have ever so much reason on our side, yet oftentimes it is best to adjourn our own vindication, though we think it necessary, till the passion be over: for there is nothing said or done in passion, but it may be better said and better done afterwards. When we are calm, we shall be likely to say it and do it io a better manner; and when our brother is calm, we shall be likely to say it and do it to a better purpose. A needful truth, spoken in a heat, may do more hmt than good, and oflcnd rather than satisfy. The prophet himself forbare even a message from God, when he saw Amaziah in a passion, 2 Chron. xxv. 16. Sometimes it may be advisable to get some one else to say that for us, which is to le said, rather than say it ourselves. However, we have a righteous Crod, to whom (if, in a meek silence, we suffer oarselves to be run down unjustly) we may commit our cause: and having his promise, that he will bring fortk o«r righteousness as the light,andour judgment as the noonday, (Ps. xxxvii. 6.) we had better leave it in his hands than undertake to manage it ourselves, lest that which we call clearing ourselves, God should call quarrelling with our brethren. David was greatly provoked by those that sought his hurt, and spake mischievous things against him ; and yet, (says he,) I as a deaf man heard not, I was as a dumb man that