9. Appendix: The Art of Improving a Full and Prosperous Condition for the Glory of God
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Appendix:
The Art of Improving a Full and Prosperous Condition for the Glory of God
SERMON I.
PHIL. 4. 12.
In all things I am instructed, both to be full, &c.
You may remember the last day we finished the Doctrine of Christian Contentment. The close of that point was the propounding of several considerations for Christian Contentment. And, secondly, we gave several directions on what to do, that we might have the exercise of the Grace of Christian Contentment: And among all others, that's one special thing that I then commended, and still would highlight, to name that concerns the power of God; and that is, the making of a good interpretation of God's mercies and dealings towards them. Have good thoughts of God, and make good interpretations of what the dealings of God are towards you. It's very hard to live comfortably and cheerfully among friends when one makes harsh interpretations of the words and actions of another: The only way to keep sweet contentment and comfort in Christian societies is to make the best interpretation of things as we can. And so, a chief way and help to keep comfort and contentment in our hearts is to make good interpretations of God's dealings towards us.
But I would not look back to anything that I have spoken concerning that argument, but leave those things that have been delivered, to the blessing of God upon you; hoping that when any temptation arises for discontentment, that some truths that have been delivered may come into your minds: and that some of you may be able, when you see others discontented, as the wife with the husband, the husband with the wife, or one brother or friend with another, to make
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use of something out of the text for this Grace of Contentment. For though we have been preaching a long time about it, yet it is longer learning than it is teaching; you need more time to learn it than I have been preaching about it. It is not a few weeks that will teach it; we need years to learn this great lesson.
Well, but now we are come to another lesson that is as hard to learn as this; and that is, how to be full. I have learned, says he, how to be content in all estates; I am instructed how to be full. Now this, though it be a hard lesson, yet because these times are times wherein generally people suffer and do not have things as full as formerly; therefore I told you, I would not be so large upon this argument as upon the other; that being more suitable: and yet because the truth is, we who live here, in comparison to our brethren in other parts, though we are not as full as we have been, yet we may be said to be full; and the lesson will be useful and profitable (I hope) for us to learn how to be full, and it's the only way for God to hasten our fullness if we are taught how to be full when it comes. I shall come to speak of this lesson,
I am instructed how to be full (says the Apostle) in any condition, either full or empty, any way. There are many people who are neither well (as we use to say) full nor fasting. If they are in affliction, then they are rebellious and discontented; if they are in prosperity, there they are wanton; just like children, if you do not let them have what they want, then they cry and are rebellious; and if you do let them have what they want, then they are wanton; and so they are not in order any way. There are some with such cross and untoward dispositions that in whatever condition they are put into, they are untoward. As I remember I have read of Hannibal, he said concerning Marcellus, He can neither bear good nor ill fortune; so he called it: That is if he is conquered, he cannot tell how to bear that; nor can he tell how to be a conqueror. So there are some with untoward hearts who are untoward in every state they are put into:
But Paul by the work of the Grace of God was fitted for all
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estates; not only for affliction but if God did will him prosperity, he could tell how to make use of that. A place somewhat parallel to this we have in 2 Cor. 6. 8. says Paul when he shows the different conditions that he went through; By honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report. Sometimes the Apostles had honor, sometimes they had dishonor; sometimes people reported well of them, and sometimes they reported ill of them; yet, says he, we went through all, we carried on the work of the Gospel in all things: and so in the 10th verse, As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; &c. Whatever our condition was, yet through the grace of God we were carried through it; and so as to sanctify God's name and to further the Gospel in it. Many men are fit for one condition, but they are not fit for another: But this was the excellency of the Grace of God in the Apostle that he was fit for any condition;
God might turn him to anything. Now then, for the lesson of being full, that's our point.
That a Christian is taught by God to know how to be full. He learns this lesson. Many would be glad to hear of a lesson on how they should get to be full; but to know how they should sanctify God's name in their fullness, this they think not so much needful. If I could preach a sermon or two to you, to teach you all how you should get, how to supply your want, and be made full; I make no question but we should have very full congregations: for such sermons as these, to teach poor people how they should get to be rich, to teach those that are disgraced, how they should get to be honored; to teach men how they should get good and prosperous voyages (and the like). But I am teaching you a lesson as from God, or God rather than man, at this time; that is better, and is a better lesson; for one to know how to honor
God in fullness, than it is to know how they should get to be full. And it were a good sign of truth of grace for you to judge this to be the better thing: That is, I would rather know how to honor God in what good thing I have, than to know ways how to get more: I would rather know how I
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might behave myself in the enjoyment of those good things God has given me, than to know how to get more of those good things. God has given me some competent measure of estate, that my house has a fullness in it; for I have all things needful. It may be you have not so much bravery as others have, but what do many of you want in your houses, you have all kinds of household-stuff that is needful for you, and convenient diet that is needful for you. Then you are full when you have things needful, though your eye be not full.
We use to say, it's better to fill a child's belly than his eye.
Perhaps your fancy is not full, but your necessity is supplied; and when the necessity of a man or woman is supplied, his condition may be said to be full: and therefore let not those that are in a poorer condition than others think that this condition concerns not them. You have not so much as others have, but you have enough to keep you in health and strength, fitted for the service of God. Now that's a full condition.
Now we are to be taught this lesson, how we should honor God in the fullness that God has set any of us in; and I shall cast what I shall speak of this lesson into these seven heads; yet I intend to be but very brief in them, though they might take up as much time as the former lessons have done.
These are the seven heads:
1. When may a man be said to have learned how to be full? I am instructed, says Paul, and know how to be full.
2. I shall show you the difficulty of this lesson.
3. The necessity of this lesson, what great need there is that we should learn how to be full.
4. The excellency of this lesson, what an excellent thing it is for a man to know how to be full. And then,
5. The mystery of godliness that there is in this lesson.
There is a mystery in this as well as in the other.
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6. What are the several lessons that Christ does learn the soul that he does learn how to be full. As I showed you what were the several lessons that Christ learns the soul that he learns to be content in want; so there are several lessons that Christ does teach the soul when he learns it how to be full. And then, 7. The application of all. These are the seven heads that I shall cast the matter into.
[I] For the first, when has a man learned how to be full?
What do you mean when you say that Christ does teach his people to know how to be full? A man has learned how to be full when he has attained these several particulars:
First, when a man has learned to set a due price on his fullness. When he has learned to set a due price and value upon those mercies that God has been pleased to grant to him: When he can prize them, not too high nor too low, but as they are, those mercies that God grants him. A man does not learn to be full when he does not understand what the mercies are that God has granted to him. As no man can attain the grace of Christian contentment who is indifferent under affliction, he must understand his affliction and know his affliction, or else he cannot come to Christian contentment: so neither can we learn how to be full, except we know what the mercies are that God has granted to us. If a man should enjoy many mercies and does not understand them, he is not taught how to be full; he must prize the mercy that God has granted to him at a due rate. As he must look upon (even these outward mercies) as the good blessings of God to him, he must not slight them; and he must look upon them as coming to him from the promise.
Godliness has the promise of this life and the promise of the life to come; as a fruit of the promise of God to him, and as God's goodness for the encouraging of him in the way righteous God has set him in. He must so look upon the outward things that he does enjoy. He must look upon them as good utensils (as I may so speak) as affording opportunity
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to do God service in the place where God has set him: And so good things, in that regard, he must prize them according to the due value of them. A man that slights God's mercies and thinks there is little in them, he does not know how to be full. But now, as he must not prize them at too low a rate, his health and estate, and comfort that he has; neither will he prize them at too high a rate; they are mercies, but they are but outward mercies: they come to me from God's goodness, but it's from God's general goodness. Though it's true, a Christian may look upon every mercy that he has as coming from another fountain than the ungodly; but yet the general goodness of God is enough to bestow the things themselves: For the matter of them, they are mercies, but they are but common mercies: Indeed I have them, but yet they are no other than what a reprobate may have as well as myself. They are good things, but they are not such good things as make anyone to be good. There are good things that are not only given by God freely, but they do make those acceptable to God that God gives them. Here's the difference between all the good things that we are speaking of now, as the fullness of estate, the outward comforts of this world, and the things of grace: Why the things of grace are given by God freely, and they make those that they are given to be acceptable to God; they are such things as make them to be good in God's eye. But now, let God give never so much outward things, they make one never a whit the better in God's eye. Though we say, such a man is the best man in the parish, yet certainly, such things make not a man the better. Grace makes a man or woman better. But now, as the fullness of prosperity, it has only a goodness in it so far as it makes them to be good, but grace that's good in itself.
But now, these things are good as a man may have and not good to him. If they be good to him, it must be from some goodness that he has himself; as he shall use them: that's the first thing. When a man shall come to know the true value of the fullness of his outward mercies, not prize them at too high a rate nor at too low a rate; then he learns to be full: That's the first thing.
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Secondly, then does a man learn to know how to be full when he can tell how to make use of what he has: when he can tell how to proportion the use of that fullness that God gives him. When he can tell how much will serve his turn for the use of it, and how little; and at what time to make use of such and such comforts of the creature, and how much use to make of them: then he has learned how to be full. There are many men who, when they have a fullness, first, they do not know how to prize it; they do not know the worth of it.
Secondly, they do not know how to make use of what they should, how much or how little, or at what time they should make use of the good things that God does give to them: so they come to be excessive, even defective in the enjoyment of what the Lord grants to them. Some are excessive, because they have an abundance of the creature, they still are taking in more than is any way useful to them for their fullness: they think that they may do what they will with their own. 'It is not enough (my brethren) because a man's drink is his own, therefore to drink as much as he pleases: or because his meat is his own, therefore to eat as much as he will, and not to know how to order and moderate: or because his estate is his own, therefore to spend it as he wishes, in an excessive way. I remember for that, it was the answer of a philosopher Zeno, when he did reprove an excessive feasting: this was answered to him, and why do you reprove it, he spends nothing but his own. The philosopher could answer thus, is this a good answer, that you spend of your own; suppose you had a cook that had a great deal of salt, and he should put two or three handfuls into your meat, for the seasoning of it; and being asked why he did so, he should answer, I had salt enough; and the salt did not cost much: there was enough in the place where I had it: or I can have more at an easy rate. Would this be a good answer? says he. So, it's not enough, to say that our estates are our own, and therefore we may be excessive in the use of the creature. No, you have not learned how to be full until you have learned how much will serve your turn for your use. It may be God gives you a great deal of the
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creature, but he intends that you shall not make use of it all for yourself. God gives you so much a year, it is not because you should spend it all upon your own back and belly. You have not learned how to be full until you have learned how to proportion the use of your estate and outward comforts that you do enjoy, according to your need. Then does a man learn that though he be in the midst of abundance, yet he makes no more use of what he has than is fit for him.
Though a man be at a feast where there are a great many dishes, is it enough for him to say, there was a great deal of cheer, and therefore for him to be a glutton. Then does a man know how to be temperate when he is in the midst of a great many dishes and knows which is fittest for his body and feeds moderately on them. That's the second thing, first, how to put a due valuation upon mercy, and then, secondly, how to proportion the use of mercy, so much at such a time, and so much at another time. And then, Thirdly, when a man can use the comforts of the creature, and yet so as he is enabled to avoid the evil of the temptation that goes along with the creature: as we shall show afterwards, there are an abundance of temptations that go along with fullness. Now then does a man learn how to be full when he can make use of the creature; and yet still so as to deliver himself from the evil of those temptations that are joined together with the creature. And that's a wise man, a wise woman, who knows how to make use of all the comforts that God gives unto them, that they have any use of, and yet can tell how to avoid the temptations; can be able to distinguish between the good and the evil of temptation that does cleave unto the good thing. You many times swallow down all; all is fish that comes to net; you think there is no temptation in the fullness that you have but take it down without any consideration of what temptation may be joined with the fullness. You are wiser with yourselves in other ways. If you eat a fish that is full of little bones, you will be picking out those little bones; you will not presently swallow it down in whole bits: so you should consider when
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God gives you fullness, O there may be many little bones together with it; yes, if you do not take heed, it may be wrapped up in such a skin that may be bitterness to you unless you pick out something. If you swallow it down whole, it may be poison to you. Now does a man or woman know how to be full when they can tell how to pick out the temptation; to enjoy the thing and yet avoid the temptation.
There are some because they hear there are many temptations in the enjoyment of the comforts of the creature; they think there is no way but to fling away the creature. As that Aristippus, because he saw that so many were hurt by their wealth, he cast his money into the sea, saying, I will drown you lest you should drown me. Now this is not to learn how to be full; that is because I would avoid the temptation not to enjoy the comfort and the blessing; as many men and women through weakness and tenderness of conscience being afraid that they shall get hurt by the use of the creatures that God does give them: upon that they deny themselves an abundance of comfort in the creature that they should have. Now though God may accept their desires to honor him and their fearfulness of sinning against him; but yet this argues a great deal of weakness. The strength of a Christian is to enjoy God's creatures, to take the use of what God does afford, to take out the sweetness, and yet to avoid the temptation; to take away what's good and cast away what's naught. As there's many kinds of meats which you may not eat all of them; and a child who must either have all or none; you will not give it meat that has something mingled with it that is naught because he knows not how to pick it out: but now one who has understanding knows how to pick out the good and fling away the naught; and not to fling it all away because there's something that is naught as well as good. Now that's the third thing and there's very few who understand this lesson; but they must swallow down all without thinking of any temptation that is annexed to the fullness that they do enjoy.
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Fourthly, Then does a man know how to be full when he can have all that he enjoys under his command, and he can have the command of his own spirit in what he enjoys. As thus, when he is not a slave to what he has, but he makes what he has a slave to him. Some men who are rich, you say they have such possessions; the truth is, their possessions have them rather than they have their possessions; they are under their possessions. But now, then a man knows how to be full when all that he has he makes his underling, he makes his servants; he makes it to be serviceable to him, and he can command anything that he has, according to its use. He will never be a servant to his servant. It's a sordid disposition for any man or woman to be a servant to their servant; but now, to your estates, you will be a servant, they shall command you; and your credit and you will be a servant. But it's a sign you do not know how to be full. As a man does not know how to rule if he will be under his servant; so he does not know how to be full unless he has a command over what he enjoys in the world; yes, and a command over his own spirit in the use of what he enjoys.
That's thus, when a man or woman can let out as much of their heart to the creature as is useful, and no more; and can call it in again when there is cause: As ordinarily people do not let out their spirits a little to joy, but they let them out so as they have no command over their spirits; but they have lost the command of their spirits: they cannot call in their spirits again, to be serious and humble, and to be mourning for sin when God calls them to it. As now for instance, when you say you will be merry, and go and visit your friends, and have good cheer; God gives you leave to do so if you know how to make use of this: But now, do not let out your hearts so far that you cannot call them in again; you let them out so that when you should come at night to go and humble your souls before God in prayer, your hearts are light and vain, and you have no command over your spirits at all; and perhaps the next day you are worse for it.
It's just with your hearts as with little children; let them have but their wills a little while, and you shall have no rule
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over them for many days, many weeks after. So when you let your hearts have liberty a little while to rejoice in the creature, you have little command over your hearts for many weeks after. Now you may be merry, religion keeps not one from mirth, but yet so as to have a command over our spirits; that I can call my heart in again when there is occasion. I will rejoice in the creature, but I will reserve my chief joy for something else; there is something else that I am to rejoice in more than in the use of the creature. If you let out your heart so when you rejoice in the creature as you make it your chief joy, your only joy; your joy is not right.
But it is not so with the heart that knows how to be full.
Fifthly, Then has a man or woman learned how to be full when they can so use the creatures of God as yet they are in readiness to part with all their comforts if God will call for them. If I enjoy comfort but in such a manner as my heart lies down before God ready prepared to give up those comforts that I do enjoy whenever God will have me: Then I have learned to be full. When a man or woman shall have their hearts taken so with the creature as they cannot leave them, whatever comes of them: They must preserve their estate, now having had full estates, and lived full-handed; they cannot live meanly: rather venture upon sin or anything in the world to preserve their estates. Oh how is it possible for a man who has had such bringing up as I (says one) now to be put to straits that I can scarce have bread. And upon this the hearts of men rather than they will come to part with the comforts of the creature when God would have them; they will keep them as it were whether God will or no.
Oh you have not learned how to be full. If your heart were right in your fullness, you would take the comfort of the creature when God gives them. But Lord, if you have use of them any other way, here I am, do with me what you please:
The Lord gives, and the Lord takes, and blessed be the name of the Lord. I will take them as long as you will have me, and when you will sanctify your name in my want, Lord take them. We are too eager upon the creature when our hearts
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cleave to it and we cannot be taken from it without the rending of our hearts. It is with many men's spirits as it is with the bee when it comes to sting; it thrusts its sting so far in that it cannot get it out but leaves it there: So our hearts are so riveted into the creature that we cannot part with the creature; and when God would take away the creature from us, it is as dear unto us, etc. And that's the reason that people do so cry out and complain that they are undone and wring their hands if they have but lost any part of their estates; though they have a great part still remaining: Oh how they wring their hands as if they were undone. Oh you did not learn when you were full how to be full. That man or woman who is immoderately sorrowful when God takes away the creature from them did never learn how to be full; that is, to know how to be full: when we can tell how to enjoy them and how to be without them. Oh think of this when you are at your full tables. Now I have all things about me, but can I now, if God should call me to suffer poverty, could I be content to be laid in a prison for his name's sake?
Paul he could when he was at the fullest readily come off:
Oh Lord, if you will honor yourself by me in a prison or poverty or disgrace, why Lord here I am: He was ready prepared. And know that you have not learned how to be full unless you can find your hearts in the midst of your fullness; to be ready prepared to part with all your fullness for Jesus
Christ. Now in the very naming of these things, I suppose you all think this is a hard lesson; you think it's hard for poor people to know how to want; that's hard, but the truth is it's rather the harder of the two to know how to be full: That's the fifth thing when a man knows how to be full.
Sixthly, Then does a man know how to be full when he can make all his fullness a furtherance of his graces, to act his graces, to exercise his graces, to draw forth his graces: As now, when he can make the fullness that he has to be a means to act and draw forth the grace of Love; to love God in all his fullness: Not so much to love the Creature, as to love God in the Creature. When he can make his fullness a
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means to help his faith: Thus, Lord, you have said, That godliness has the promise of this life and the life that is to come; why Lord you have made your promise good to me, and so it strengthens my faith: When a man's fullness can exercise the grace of Charity to others: When a man's fullness can exercise his grace of heavenly mindedness; as in this manner, O Lord, These comforts that you give me in your creatures, O they are sweet; but how sweet are you! how sweet is Jesus Christ, who is the fullness of all this fullness! And if it be that this life is so sweet here in this world, what do you have then in the heavens, to make me long after heaven! Then a man has learned how to be full when he knows how to exercise his graces by his fullness; that which deadens the graces of other men shall be a means to exercise his graces.
Seventhly, And so I might make that another consideration, When this fullness leads him to the fountain of his fullness; that is, when his grace leads him to God, to acknowledge him in all, and to be thankful to God in all; when it stirs up his thankfulness to God; and when it encourages him in the duties that God does require of him. O I receive much wages, says a gracious heart; I receive much from God, then surely there must needs be much work required at my hands. I receive more than others do, and therefore it is fit that I should do more work than others do. Thus a Christian learns to be full when it can further his graces and carry him to God, who is the fountain of all his fullness.
Eighthly, Then a Christian learns to be full when he can improve and lay out all his fullness for God. I use it, but I do not use it for myself so much as for God. When I can consider what are the opportunities of service that God grants to me in this my fullness. Does not God give me a larger opportunity of service than to others? O then let me improve it for public work. Perhaps I am made a public man, whereas others that are poor, who are fit for public service as well as I, in regard of their gifts and graces, but because of their estate they cannot be employed in public work as I.
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Now I will improve my fullness in public work, that I may be a useful man in the place where God has set me; that I may be as full of good works as possibly I can; that I may be a public blessing to the place where the Lord has cast me.
Why then does a man learn to be full. And then, Ninthly, When a man does so use the world as if he used it not. When a man enjoys his fullness of outward things, but as things by the by; that is, so as his comforts do not depend upon them. I have comfort in them, but it does not depend upon them. Most people do so enjoy their fullness, that the truth is they have it as all their fullness; they do not use them as things by the by, but as their end. Not as means to the end, but as their end. Then a man learns to know how to be full (I say) when he can use his fullness, not as his end, but means to the end: Not as things that he does depend upon for his happiness, but as things by the by. Put all these together now, and here's the man that learns to be full. And thus St. Paul, I am instructed as well to be full and rich, as to need. O I beseech you, before this can come to be applied in the whole, apply these particulars to your hearts. In the meantime, I appeal this day in the Name of God to your
Conscience; Have you learned to be full? You are full many of you, as to outward things; but have you been in Christ's
School, to learn to enjoy your fullness in such a manner as this is. I am verily persuaded that many of your Consciences will cause misgiving thoughts to be in you this day about this thing if you do believe that these are the truths of God, as I cannot imagine but any man may be convinced of this; and therefore I do not stand to enlarge and bring proofs for them: but every man's conscience will tell him, certainly I have not learned these things, I have not learned to be full; that is, I have not learned to sanctify the Name of God by my fullness. Now give conscience liberty to reprove you for being Truant in the School of Jesus Christ; and let this humble your souls before the Lord. I shall speak more to that afterwards; but for the present, know that this is your work, to go and be humbled before the Lord, that you have
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not understood what it is to sanctify God in the fullness that you enjoy. Lord, Through your mercy I have all my days been full of outward comforts; You have been full-handed towards me in the ways of your mercy: but Lord, though I have had fullness a long time, O how far have I been from knowing how to be full. If this is to know it, then I have been a stranger to it hitherto.
Tenthly, A man knows how to abound when he knows how to make use of the comforts he enjoys in the world, so as not to be hindered by the afflictions or troubles that attend his comforts. In men's abounding and being full of comforts in this world, they cannot but have some affliction and some troubles attending these comforts; for all creature comforts are mingled comforts. Now then, a man knows rightly how to be full when he enjoys his fullness, so that even though he has some affliction mixed in, he can tell how to make use of his affliction for his humility and his comforts for thanksgiving to God at the same time. Whereas now, an abundance of people, when they enjoy comfort, if they meet with any trouble and affliction mixed with their comfort, they are filled with vexation and bitterness, and their spirits are so troubled that they lose all the good of their comforts.
As Haman, he did abound, but he did not know how to abound; therefore, when he was crossed in one thing—that Mordecai did not bow the knee to him—all the comfort of his prosperity was taken away, and his spirit was filled with rage, bitterness, and malice. And thus it is with many people who have abundance in their families; they are full of outward comforts, they have their partners, comfortable children; they have estates, their tables are furnished, and all things that one would think might content the heart of a man almost. But now, if any one cross occurs that displeases them, they are put into such a vexation and fretting humor that they lose all the benefit of the comforts. Do you know how to abound when you go abroad and something crosses you, or your servant does something amiss? Why, presently you are in a rage and fretting, and all your thanksgiving to
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God for all your mercies is forgotten. Nothing but fretting and vexing in the family for one cross, when there are a hundred mercies that you should bless God for. You do not know how to abound when you cannot tell how to separate the good of mercy from the consideration of affliction. And though God afflicts you in something, yet he gives you an abundance of occasions to bless him and praise him. But now, when you can bless God for all mercies and be humbled for all afflictions at the same time; if God grants me more mercies than affliction, he shall have more thanksgiving from me than sorrow or trouble; I will have more joy than I will have trouble if I have more mercy than I have correction. This man knows how to abound who can do thus.
Eleventhly, lastly, that man knows how to abound who, in his abundance, yet knows himself. Such a man or woman knows how to be full and to abound (I say) that if they are full and abound, yet they know themselves. It's ordinary for people not to know themselves when once they come to abound. Saul was little in his own eyes when he was in a mean estate, but when Saul came to abound he did not know himself. And so it has been ordinary with people that their abundance has taken away the very knowledge of themselves; they have grown wanton and foolish and proud, so that they have not known themselves when they have abounded. But now, when a man in the midst of abundance knows his own meanness, wretchedness, sinfulness, and vileness notwithstanding his abundance; here's a man who has learned this lesson of the Apostle: how to abound. But this is a very difficult lesson. If there be such things as these in learning how to abound, surely the lesson must be difficult. You who are mariners think if you have sea-room enough you are safe; you care not then: but it's otherwise in this that we are speaking of; your sea-room may be your undoing; and the more abundance you have, the more difficult it will be for you to know how to order yourselves in your way. I gave diverse reasons why this lesson was more
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difficult than the other: to know how to be full than to be empty; which few people in the world will think so, but certainly it is so.
Now though the very naming of these things may show the difficulty of it, yet we shall come in the second place to show that there's a great deal of difficulty in men's and women's knowing how to be full: And I name this rather because I would put your hearts upon exercise so that you may not lightly pass over what is said when we speak of knowing how to be full; for it is ordinary for men who have estates and outward comforts to slight the word. Well, let me have what will satisfy me, and for this lesson—to know how to be full—I hope we shall do well enough for that. Now for this, that you may not slight the lesson; I shall show you something about the difficulty of it.
You that are Mariners, if you have enough sea-room, you do not worry; you think you can manage well enough. But though you may do well in your art when you have sea-room, the truth is, you do the worst for yourselves when you have the greatest sea of prosperity. It is your sea-room that undoes you: I mean the abundance of outward prosperity, which ordinarily undoes men. It is much easier, as you know, for one to manage a little boat in the Thames than to manage an East-Indian ship. The truth is, less skill is needed to manage a man's estate when it is low and modest in the world than when he becomes wealthy. It would be foolish for a man who can only row in the Thames to undertake the command of one of your greatest ships. And so it is for those who are modest; if God does not teach them how to handle abundance, they are likely to undo themselves by their fullness as well as in any other way. It is easier for a man to manage a small estate than for him to manage great merchandising. There is more difficulty and skill required in abundance than in other ways; as extreme heat is harder to bear than cold: though it be very cold, yet by exercise we may warm ourselves; but when it is extremely hot, that's very tedious, and it breeds diseases. And so it is easier to
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carry a cup that is only half full steadily than to carry a cup that is brim-full. And a traveler (you know the expression) finds that the storm and tempest make him pull his cloak closer and hold it tighter; but when the warm beams of the sun shine upon him, that makes him cast off his cloak. You know the fable of the sun and the wind competing to make the traveler remove his cloak; when the wind came blustering, it could not do it; but the warm sunbeams made him throw it off. So many times those who can hold fast in adversity lose the seeming graces they had before in prosperity, and so let all go.
Now there are several reasons I should give you why it is thus difficult to learn this lesson:
First, because most of us are flesh; we are more flesh than spirit in ourselves. Now because we have so little spirit in us, all those things that join with the flesh (I do not now speak of corruption) but join with our natural and sensual part, having so little spirit in us, must be dangerous for us to manage those things that join with our natural part, which is flesh, even if it were not corrupt; yet because we have so little spirit. That is, first, we have lost the image of God. The best of us have but little of the image of God; others have lost it completely. And then our very reason is wounded by our fall: therefore having so little strength in our spirits, all those things that come to join with the flesh very much endanger us and indeed weaken our better part. Now adversity pulls from the flesh, takes from the flesh; and many times the spirit is much stronger; but what adds to the strength of the flesh endangers us: as it is more dangerous to set a child upon a pampered horse than upon a horse that is wearied out with work. And so for us who are weak in our spirits, to have our flesh pampered and satisfied; I now speak only of our natural flesh and sensual part being pampered and fully satisfied, there's a great deal of danger in that.
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And then further, in prosperity there are more duties required than in adversity. A man who is in a modest estate and condition has fewer duties required of him; but a man who enjoys abundance has an abundance of duties required of him: every comfort he enjoys is an obligation to some special duty. A poor man who works hard at his day's labor has nothing to do but bless God when he comes into his family, look to his own heart, and ensure that God's service is present in his family. But now, take a man who is full, who has an estate in the world; God requires him to look abroad in public; and God gives him charge: Look that my worship be set up, look that justice be executed, I will require these things at your hand; look that my Sabbaths are not profaned, look that godliness is encouraged, look that sin is discouraged.
But perhaps you will say, every man who is rich is not a justice of peace or in place.
Yes, but by your influence you may make friends for this and that; everyone is obliged to befriend those who are rich.
There are many duties that lie upon you that do not lie upon those who are poor. If indeed a man with an estate had nothing else to do but sit by the fireside and have his servants bring him his provisions; if this were all there was to being full, it would be easy for a man to know how to be full: but you must know there is much more upon you than that, which you must answer for and give an account of before God; now this is what makes it difficult.
And then the third thing is, the variety of temptations that attend a full condition: Oh, the abundance of temptations there are in a full estate, more than there are in a modest estate. I confess extreme poverty has many temptations with it, very sore and grievous temptations that attend the extremity of poverty; but yet not as many as attend a full estate. As flies come in abundance to sweet things, like honey, so Beelzebub, which signifies the God of Flies; oh, the devils that have that name, they come in abundance
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where they see sweetness, where they see much prosperity.
Rats and mice come to full barns, not to empty ones; and so the vermin of temptations, as I may call them, attend full estates. A tree that has nothing on it, the traveler who comes by will not throw at it; but a tree that is full of fruit, a traveler throws at that: so those who are in a modest and low condition, the Devil passes by them, but he especially labors at those he sees have much of the world, and he has more hopes of gaining them. As it's a very observable place concerning Joseph, consider the Scripture that speaks of the condition of Joseph and his blessing; we may compare two
Scriptures together for it, one is in the Book of Genesis, where you have Jacob blessing Joseph; and the other is in the Book of Deuteronomy, where Moses's blessing was, chapter 33:13. And of Joseph he said, "Blessed of the Lord be his land, for the precious things of heaven; for the dew, and for the deep that couches beneath: And for the precious fruits brought forth by the sun, and for the precious things put forth by the moon, and for the chief things of the ancient mountains; and for the precious things of the lasting hills; and for the precious things of the earth, and fullness thereof," etc. Here's for all his outward blessings, what many precious things are here that Joseph had, and the fullness thereof. But mark, of all the tribes, what is said concerning Joseph, Genesis 49:22: "Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall." But now mark in verse 23: "The archers have sorely grieved him and shot at him, and hated him." There's none of the tribes where it is said that the archers did so shoot at as at Joseph; and there is none of the tribes that is blessed with so many several precious things as Joseph is blessed with. So by comparing these two Scriptures, you see that those who have most of the precious things of this world are likely to be shot at most; and the Devil shoots at them more than he does at others.
And then, as the variety of temptations is greater, so the suitability of temptations is more; the Devil can prevail more
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in his temptations with fullness than where there is want and emptiness; why? Because though there be temptations in a poor condition, yet they are not as pleasing to a man's own nature as the temptations of a full condition. A poor man is tempted, but what is he tempted to? He is tempted to impatience, but that's no pleasing thing but a tedious thing; and he is tempted to despair, but that has no pleasingness with it; and he is tempted to take shifting courses, but there's fear in that lest he should be discovered and so be punished: So their temptations in poverty are not as suitable to their nature as the temptations of one who is in a full estate; for his estate is a temptation to pride, to uncleanness, a temptation to intemperance: Now such things are very suitable to the very nature of a man, therefore there's a great deal more danger in the temptations that come by fullness than by want because the temptations of one are tedious to a man's nature; but the temptations of the other are suitable to a man's nature. As it's more dangerous to have rat poison lie about the house for your children than to have aloes or wormseed: Suppose that aloes had poison in it, it's true it may do hurt, but it's not as likely as rat poison; because though rat poison has poison in it, yet it has sweetness in it too. There is poison sometimes in a poor condition, that is, there are temptations to great evils in a poor condition; but their temptations have a bitterness in them. But the temptation of a full condition has a sweetness in them; and therefore there's greater danger in them and more difficulty to avoid those temptations.
And then further, the temptations that come from fullness are more subtle; those that come from want are not as subtle, they are more apparent; but the temptations lie in fullness for the most part in lawful things, it is in lawful things that we most fail in: And the temptation comes so fairly—why may not a man take liberty to comfort himself in God's creatures? May not a man take his own? May not a man make use of his own? For the most part (I say) all the
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temptations of fullness or great part of them lie in things that seem to have no hurt in them; and therefore they are very subtle, and a man needs to be very wary of them: they are (as we said before upon occasion) like little bones in fish that you can hardly see them, and therefore there's a great deal more danger in swallowing them down than other prickly things. And so the temptations of a full estate lie very secret; it's very hard to see them unless you look very narrowly.
And then further, which is a main thing; because fullness does not only afford a temptation to sin, but fuel for all kinds of lust; fullness will feed them if you have not learned to be full. As now, if a man has the lust of pride, there he has enough to act his pride, he will feed it to the full; and will make a proud man to be a scornful man: so that he will scorn and jeer, not only at his brethren, but at God, and his truth, and ministers, and religion, and all because he is full; his pride is so fed to the full. And fullness of estate will feed self-love extremely.
When a man has a kind of self-sufficiency in himself, then he sees no need that he has of God, nor Christ, nor mercy, nor of the Word and promises. It feeds his malice, if he has a malicious spirit against another man, he can undo him, and he can spend so much to have his will; it feeds his stubbornness. If he will be unclean, he can, and who will meddle with such a one. And it will feed his licentiousness, he can take his liberty and ride up and down from place to place. A poor man has as much mind perhaps to satisfy his lusts, but he must fall to his work, or else his family will starve: I but a man that is full, he has elbow-room enough to serve his lusts, and he can go abroad in the morning and stay till midnight; and spend from the beginning of the week to the end of it, and not want. O this is mighty pleasing to flesh, and this feeds a man's lusts, and makes him strong. And this is the reason why there are so few that are full, that ever the Word does good upon. Ordinarily the poor receive the Gospel, so the Scripture says; Not many rich, not many mighty, not many
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great ones. Why here's the reason of it, because they have so much matter to feed their lusts withal, that their lusts grow too strong, that it does resist the Word, resists all means that should do them any good; and therefore it's a very hard lesson for a man to learn to know how to be full.
And that that shows it to be a hard lesson also shows it to be a necessary lesson. O Lord what case is a man in then that is full, and yet for all that has not learned to be full. If he has such matter for his lusts, and knows not how to order himself, he is likely to be a lost man.
There is one thing more why it is so difficult to learn how to abound, and that's this: Because a full estate is in danger of hindering those graces that are the especial graces of a Christian. The graces of a Christian that are the most peculiar and proper graces of a Christian are in exceeding danger by a prosperous estate; that if a man does not learn to abound, those graces will especially be hurt; and it is very difficult for a man or woman to carry themselves in an even course; so as when there is (as it were) siege laid to those graces that are the special graces of a Christian.
As thus, the graces of a Christian are faith, self-denial, humility, patience, tenderness, and such kind of graces as these are. Now a prosperous estate does mightily endanger these graces.
As now, faith, you know the nature of that grace is for one to be emptied of himself, and to be nothing of himself; and for to rely upon that which is without. This is the grace of faith:
To be taken from our own bottom, from ourselves, and from the creature; to cast ourselves upon free grace, upon the goodness and mercy of God, upon the righteousness of another. But now, when men abound, and have a fullness in themselves, why it's very natural for them to depend upon themselves and not upon another. A full estate hinders very much the depending life, which is the life of a Christian. The life of a Christian is a more depending life than the life of
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Adam was: and therefore a low condition is more suitable to a depending life than a full condition.
And so for self-denial: One that is in a low condition, it's easier for such a one to deny himself: But now, when one comes to have much of self, and to have self to be cockered
(as it were) then yet to deny a man's self, and to be nothing in his own eyes, this is a great deal harder.
And so for humility: It's not so much for one that is poor and in a low condition to have his heart low, but to have his heart low when his estate is high, that's the difficulty. You know there's nothing more natural to men than to have their hearts rise as their estates rise; as the comforts of the creatures rise, so their hearts will rise; and therefore it's hard to learn this lesson: How to be full.
And then that grace likewise of tenderness, of a tender heart, a soft heart, that's a grace that belongs to a Christian in a special manner; that they should keep constantly tender, soft-spirited. Now though many in time of affliction have their hearts tender and soft, yet when they come to prosper once, then their hearts are hard; the prosperity of the world does bake (as it were) their hearts and hardens their hearts. As the sun does harden the clay, so prosperity does harden the hearts of men and takes away that tenderness as was wont to be (as might be shown in many examples.)
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SERMON II.
I shall now give you some further evidences of this: that it is a very difficult lesson to know how to abound. The evidences are...
First, the solemn and frequent charges of God to His people, to take heed to themselves when they are full. We do not find in Scripture that God does so solemnly and frequently charge people to take heed to themselves when they are low; that they do not then forsake Him: though there are some commands that way, but nothing so much in such a solemn way as God does when He speaks to those that are likely to be in a full condition; then says God, Look to yourselves; as I will give you two or three Scriptures. The first is in Deut. 6:11. There God says what He would give to them, they should have houses full of all good things, which you did not fill, and wells dug, which you did not dig; vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant. When you shall have eaten and be full (says the text) what then? Then beware lest you forget the Lord, who brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. That's a time when people are least careful at all, when they eat and are full, then they think of no danger at all; but this is the charge of the Spirit of God, that when you shall have eaten and be full, then beware in a more special manner. O that you would remember this, you that have full tables; O that this Scripture were written over your tables, and were in your thoughts when you come to full dishes; you eat and drink and are full. It would be but a melancholy thought to some of you to think of this, O I must beware now in a more special manner. Some of you that have been in a poor estate, perhaps you were but poor sea-boys at first; but in some few voyages have raised up an estate: then this is a text that concerns you. Has God given you such voyages, that now your house is full; you were wont to have your houses empty, but ordinarily you mariners have your houses full of good things that you bring from beyond sea. Now
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when your houses are full, says the text, beware of that, that you forget not the Lord; but then fear Him. And so in Deut.
8:12, you have again this charge renewed, the Lord does not give it to you once, but presently again He renews this charge; When (says He) you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land which He has given you. Beware that you forget not the Lord your
God, in not keeping His commandments and His judgments and His statutes, which I command you this day; lest when you have eaten, and are full, and have built goodly houses, and dwelt therein; and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold is multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied: then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the Lord your God. Still see what charges are here, as if God should say, I am not so solicitous about you while you are in the wilderness, while you are empty; but I am very solicitous about you, what you will do when you are full; I am afraid then you will forget me: Therefore you see how it is renewed: yea, you have it renewed again in Deut.
11:15. And (says He) I will send grass in your field for your cattle, that you may eat and be full. Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods. Take heed you be not deceived when you are full. There is a great deceitfulness in riches; so you know the Scripture speaks of the deceitfulness of riches. You will say, why when we are full, we hope we may eat and drink, and have the pleasure of what God gives us. O but take heed you be not deceived. Now that God should give such caution and solemn charges again and again, in the 6th, 8th, and 11th chapters, and so repeat them again and again; surely by this God would have us learn that there is a great deal of danger in being full; and therefore it is a difficult lesson for us to know how to be full and abound.
Another evidence that it is so difficult is this; When do you find throughout all the Book of God, that ever a full condition did ever turn any soul to God, or was the means of it, that was not turned to God before? I can find in Scripture
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that an afflicted condition has been blessed so by God, as it has been an occasion to turn some to God: As you know
Manasseh in his affliction he sought the Lord. And so God speaks once and twice, and men hear not; but then He opens their ears by correction: And in their affliction they will seek me early: But do you ever find it, that those that did not seek God before were drawn to God by a full condition? Truly I know no certain example of any where the prosperous estate of a man was any occasion to his conversion: therefore that shows that there is a great deal of danger in a fuller condition.
Yea further, where do you find that any of God's children that were brought into a full condition were better for it rather than worse? I confess there is one or two examples where we read not that they were worse for their prosperity; as Nehemiah and Daniel: but where have you an example else? Almost all of them, when they were full, they forgot
God. When they were afflicted, they would learn; David had learned to be content in his afflicted condition, and to get abundance of good by his afflicted condition; O but he could not learn so well to be full. And therefore you shall find that the most excellent Psalms that ever David penned were in his afflicted condition: There was a fullness of the Spirit of God in him then, then in a more special manner: And therefore I remember that it's said in one place, That Solomon did not do according to the first works of his father
David. The first works of David were the works when David was not so full; but when he grew to be full, his works were not so good then. And generally all the people of God were worse in a full condition: So Solomon, you know how his fullness had almost spoiled him; Solomon, though he had so much wisdom that he understood almost all things, yet he wanted wisdom to know how to be full. There was never a man of that greatness in the world (that was a mere man) that had the wisdom as Solomon had; and yet all his wisdom was not enough to teach him this lesson, to know how to be full.
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And then, this is evidence that it's a very difficult thing to learn to be full; because the way of God has constantly been, even from the beginning of the world to this day, to keep his people low in affliction; and especially in the times of the Gospel. Now why is it that the Lord has so ordered things in the waves of his providence, such that most of his Churches and his Saints should be kept under the hatches, under afflictions? God could as easily fill them with the fullness of outward blessings as fill them with the Holy Ghost; but those that God fills with the Holy Ghost, he does not fill with outward blessings in his ordinary way; rather, the people of God have been in afflictions. This is evidence to us that God sees it is safer for them to be in a humble state than in a high one, because they can better learn how to be empty than to be full. The Lord sees it's a hard lesson for his people to learn how to be full, and therefore he does but very rarely bring them into a full condition.
And daily experience teaches it too: who are those that are the most spiritual and heavenly Christians? Are they those that are fullest? We see it plainly otherwise. O God has a great deal more glory from poor humble Christians, and there is more spiritual communion between God and them than there is between God and those who are in a fuller estate. The Ecclesiastical Story is notable for this, I suppose you have heard of it: that at the time when the Church was delivered from persecution, and Constantine had endowed it with great possessions, the story says there was a voice heard in the air, saying, "This day is poison poured into the Church." And so it fell out indeed, for the Church grew far worse after it was delivered from persecution. It was in a worse condition by far than it was when it was under persecution; they could not learn to be full as they could learn to be afflicted and empty; then they fell to contending and wrangling with one another, and then heresies began to prevail a great deal more than they did when they were under persecution; and we find it so by our experience. Is it not so, that when we are lowest, then we are in the best
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condition for the most part? For as soon as we have prosperity and are full, we begin to spurn with the heel. But I have spoken to that at other times. And thus much for that second particular: that it is a very difficult lesson to learn to be full.
But yet it is very necessary; there is a kind of absolute necessity for it, a great necessity. Why, many ways there is need for this, and it would be a very sad thing if you do not learn this lesson.
For, first, those that are full, if they have not learned how to be full, will be guilty of the abuse of the creatures of God more than other men; the creatures of God that they enjoy in a fuller way than others will be under bondage and will cry out against them: So, do not you enjoy many creatures more than others who are in a poor condition? But if you have not learned how to use them for God, night and day these creatures of God cry to heaven against you: as if they should say, "Lord, we were made for you, and we have a propensity in us to be serviceable to your glory; but here's one to whom you have given possession of us, and he abuses us, and forces us from the end that you have made us for; and that we would gladly be useful in. Lord, we are forced to do what is contrary to our nature; we were never made to be serviceable to the lusts of men, and yet here's a man that abuses us to his lusts: Lord why should we be in bondage to such men as know not how to use us?" You love not to be a servant to one who knows not how to use you. The creatures of God groan under the bondage they are in when men and women enjoy them in their fullness and yet abuse them; not working them to the end that God has made them for: there is a cry that God hears from his creatures, though you hear not the voice of it.
Yes, and secondly, if you are in a prosperous condition and have not learned to be content, then you will be guilty of sinning against mercy more than others; the mercies of God towards you will only aggravate your sinfulness, and this is a
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grievous condition. Oh mercy, my brethren, is a tender thing, and to sin against mercy is very grievous. Those who are in a low condition have many mercies, but not as many as you; therefore, they are not as guilty of sinning against mercy as you are. What a sad thing it is that God's mercy, which might do us so much good, should be of no other use to us but merely to aggravate our sins at last. There's no greater aggravation of sin than that which comes from mercy; and therefore, when the Lord would speak to the very heart of his people to persuade them, he brings them to consider his mercy towards them. In Deut. 32:6, "Do you thus repay the Lord, O foolish people and unwise?" So, do you thus repay the Lord? Has God made your condition more comfortable than another's? Another person lacks bread, fares poorly, lies hard, is in the cold, and lives in a poor condition, while you have all things full around you, and yet are you worse? Do you thus repay the Lord, O foolish heart? And so you know it was the aggravation of the sin of David in 2 Sam. 12. After David had committed that great sin, the Lord sends the prophet to him to convince him of his sin; and note how he aggravates it in verse 7: "Thus says the Lord God of Israel, I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul, and I gave you your master's house and your master's wives into your bosom; and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah, and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto you such and such things: Wherefore have you despised the commandment of the Lord?" Oh, this was what struck the heart of David; "I have sinned," says David. And in Nehem.
9:25-26, you have a remarkable scripture for that, setting out there the mercy of God: "So they did eat and were filled, and became fat, and delighted themselves in your great goodness; nevertheless they were disobedient and rebelled against you; and cast your law behind their backs, and slew your prophets," etc. Here's the aggravation: they were filled with good things; nevertheless, they were disobedient. Oh, may not this scripture be made good upon many of you. The Lord has filled your houses with an abundance of mercy; you
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cannot look into any of your families without seeing mercy; yet nevertheless a carnal heart for all this, nevertheless a swearer, a company-keeper, a profaner of Sabbaths, a neglecter of the worship of God in your family.
Notwithstanding, an unclean wretch for all those mercies that the Lord would woo you to obedience by. That's the second thing that shows the necessity of learning to be content; otherwise, we shall be guilty of sinning against much mercy; and likewise, the mercy of God will serve no other end but to aggravate our sin.
And thirdly, if men do not learn to be content, they will grow extremely wicked. How our fullness provides fuel for lusts that we spoke to. I only now speak to it to show the necessity that we learn to be content; lest we come to grow most abominably wicked. Sin will become exceedingly sinful if we do not learn to be content. As a man who has a weak distempered body and lives at a full table and has a strong appetite, yet if he does not learn how to order his diet, he will grow full of diseases; so when your heart is weak (at least) and you come to a full diet and do not know how to order yourself, you are likely to grow extremely diseased; and therefore you find in scripture that those who were in a full condition and yet did not have grace to know how to be content are described as the most wicked people in the world. Job 21:14: "Therefore they say unto God, depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of your ways." And in Psalm 73 there you may read at length about the prosperity of the wicked from the beginning and so on; and in Isa.
2:7-8: "Their land also is full of silver and gold; neither is there any end of their treasures; their land is also full of horses; neither is there any end of their chariots;" then mark in verse 8: "Their land also is full of idols." These two are joined together. Oh so it is in many families; this family is full of all outward good things, and it's a family full of sin; and here's a man who has a full estate and a man who is full of sin as he is full of his estate. If you do not learn to
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abound, you will certainly abound in sin; and therefore it is an absolutely necessary lesson for us to learn to abound.
And then, Thirdly, If you do not learn to abound, your portion will be in this life, if there does not go together with your abundance the grace of God to teach you how to abound; this will prove to be your condition, to be a man or woman that God has said shall have no other portion from him than in this world. If the Lord gives a man an estate, and does not also give him some proportionate measure of grace to know how to use it, and abound in it, that's a man that God says, his portion shall be in this world; it is as much as if God should say from heaven concerning this man,
Here's one, whose portion is in this world. In the 17th Psalm, at the latter end, there the Psalmist speaks of men who have their portion in this world; here's their consolation, You have a full estate, and does God give you nothing with your full estate, it is likely to be your All. You will say, Is this so great a matter? I a thousand thousand times better you had never been born, though you had a thousand times more in the world than you have if this should prove to be your portion, your All: for you are made for eternity, and those creatures were not: and therefore if you should only have hopes in this world, you are a wretched creature. Shall St. Paul say, if we have only hopes in this life, we were most miserable of all men: O may I say concerning you, if you have only hope in this life, you are most miserable of all creatures, except the Devils themselves. O it's a dreadful thing for a man or woman to have their portion in this world: But now, those have it, that have a great deal in this world, and yet know not how to use it for God. O consider this, you that God has given more portion to than others; do you think thus in the night, Lord, you have indeed made my condition more comfortable than others, I am full-handed, and have means coming in; but Lord, what if it should prove that my portion should be here.
I remember it's reported of Gregory, that was the Pope, he did profess that there was no Scripture that did strike to his
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heart so much as that Scripture; Woe to you, here is your consolation; fearing lest his portion should be here. And the truth is, that Scripture, and that other in the 17th Psalm, should go to the hearts of rich men, and of those that have a full estate in this world; except their consciences tell them that through the grace of God, they have learned in some measure to know how to use it for the glory of God as for their own comfort. You account it an ill thing for a man to have an estate and knows not how to use it for himself: As now, If a man should be born to a great inheritance and should be a fool; you know his estate is begged: why now to have an estate and know not how to use it for God; is it not as great an evil? Is that only an excellency to be able to know how to use an estate and improve it for your own advantage, and is it not as well to improve it for God? O it's a miserable condition that any man is in, that is full, and knows not how to be full; there's a man that is likely to have his portion in this world. But that's not all either, If God gives you an estate, and you know not how to be full; then all that you have is cursed to you: There is a secret curse of God that goes along with it. As now, when a man gives a thing in anger, says he, Here take it if you will and choke with it. Such kind of speech men have when they give things in anger. But if you give to your children things out of love, you do not only give it them but if there be any danger, you have a care that there be a right use of the things. So now, when God gives out to his own people, God has a care of them after he has given them; I give it them, but I must have a care lest this turn to their hurt. But now, when God gives to a wicked man, Take them, says God if you will; but God never minds them further, to look after them, to see whether this shall do them good or not; God never minds them but lets them take them and spoil themselves with them, God does not care. Were it not a sign of hatred to a man if I should see one that is a madman; and give him a sword into his hand, I may be guilty of murder: It is as great an argument of hatred that God does hate a man when he does give him an estate and yet does not give him a heart to make
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use of that estate; he puts (as it were) a sword into a madman's hand. But though I cannot do it justly, yet God may do it justly as a punishment of sin. The curse of God is mixed with wine as well as water; and then it's stronger in Psal. 69:22-23. There you may see how full comforts may be cursed unto men; it is threatened as a punishment of their sin: Let their table become a snare before them: and that which should have been for their welfare let it become a trap. O this is a terrible text, Let their table become a snare:
It is a prophecy against those that gave Christ gall for his meat and vinegar when he was upon the cross? And so it is against all such as shall insult over the people of God in their affliction. As men when they are full and rich and prosperous in the world they will add to the affliction of God's people. Now this is the curse of God upon them that shall add to the affliction of the people of God; Let their table become a snare before them and that which should have been for their welfare let it become a trap. You have a table well furnished but how do you know but that it is a snare for you and a trap? We set traps to catch vermin withal and if you have a wicked heart God looks upon you but as vermin and does set this to be a trap to catch you withal: Now perhaps you do not see it: Why mark the word that follows, Let their eyes be darkened that they see not.
The curse lies secret that you cannot see; now this is part of the curse. How few men do see a curse upon their tables.
No, this (I say) is part of the curse of God upon them that they should not. O what need is there that we who have any fullness of the creature learn to be full; lest that which should have been for our welfare is turned into a curse unto us. Well, But though it be cursed yet if he may enjoy it still a wicked man will be content.
Then that's the next thing in the evil of that man's condition, who has not learned to be full: That God justly may take away what you have in his wrath from you. And because you do not know how to use it, it would be just for God in his wrath to take it from you. As you will do if you have
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servants, or anyone in the house, if they have a knife in their hand, and you see that they are ready to do mischief with it, you will snatch it from them: Nay, if you do not know how to use it, you shall have it no longer. It is just for God to come upon you in his wrath and to take away all your outward comforts because you do not know how to use them. You do not know how to make use of a child for God, or of an estate for God; and so he may justly take it from you, you not knowing how to use it. So God does threaten in Psal. 78:25,
31. Man (says he) did eat Angels' food, he sent them meat to the full; but in ver. 29: So they did eat, and were well filled; for he gave them their own desires. But then it follows, They were not estranged from their lusts, but while the meat was yet in their mouths, the wrath of God came upon them. They ate to the full and had enough, yes, but they only sought out of greediness to satisfy themselves; and the wrath of God came upon them while the meat was in their mouths. It provokes the wrath of God upon men when they have a fullness and yet have not learned to be full.
And as God may justly take it all away from them, so when they come to an affliction, O how sad will it be for those men who have not learned to be full; O then there will be matter for conscience to gnaw upon and terrify the soul withal.
Afflictions will be dreadful to those men who have had a full estate and not learned to be full: Then conscience will upbraid them and say, O you once had plenty, you once had the comforts of the creature to the full; O but how did you use them, what glory had God by them? Were they not made fuel for your lusts and serviceable to your wickedness? And now it is a righteous thing with God to take these things from you; and these sorrows that are now upon you are but the beginning of sorrows. O the conscience of a man who has been rich and afterward is crossed in his estate, if while he was rich, he was not godly; this man's conscience will tear him and rend him. Though now you enjoy fullness, yet you may not expect to enjoy it always. What do you think
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will become of you when your fullness shall be taken from you? O then it will be terrible for you.
Yes and further, If a man is in a full condition and learns not to be full; such a man will do an abundance of hurt in the place where he lives; not only to himself but to others. O the evil he may do in a town and in a family and in a kingdom.
One rich man, if God does not sanctify his heart and his estate, may do more mischief than a hundred other wicked men. God does not so much look at the hurt that base drunkards, who go up and down from one alehouse to another can do. They may destroy their own souls, but now a man who is a man of an estate in the place where God has set him, if he spends nights in chambering and wantonness; if he contemns the ways of God and religion; O the hurt that comes by that man, and the guiltiness that will come upon his spirit that way. O how is the Gospel hindered by such men as they, who have outward prosperous estates; and yet for all that have not hearts to make use of it: whereas I shall show presently the contrary will be in those who have learned to be full. But only now, to show the danger of a full condition, If we have not learned to be full; and all to put you upon this, that you may beseech God to teach you to be full when God does give you a fullness; lest you should contract the guilt of the sins of thousands of others upon you.
And then, If you do not learn to be full, your full estate will endanger your salvation exceedingly. It is easier for a camel
(says Christ) to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Now Christ does not interpret at first what is a rich man, but at another time he does, those that trust in them. Chrysostom has this passage upon that to the Hebrews, He wonders how any governor can come to be saved. The fullness of a man's condition does much endanger his salvation if God does not teach him how to be full.
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And then it will make death more terrible. O Death, how terrible will it be for a man who has not learned to be full.
When Death shall come, and now he must be deprived of all, bid an everlasting farewell to his house and estate and lands coming in. Never such merry meetings as he was wont to have, yes but now they are gone; there's an end of those days, he shall never have them more. O then (I say) Death will gnaw upon a man, and then a man's conscience indeed will terrify him. If he is afflicted, they will come upon him to terrify him. But when he sees that he must bid an everlasting farewell to all those things, then Death will terrify him to purpose. O conscience will tell him, Now are you going to give an account before the great God of all that you did enjoy in this world. It's a sad message that this will be to some who are full. You think because you have money to pay for what you eat and drink and do enjoy, you think you shall be called to no further account. O yes, you must be called to an account for all the creatures that you do enjoy.
Now if men can scarcely count the mercies that they do enjoy, O then how will you be able to give an account for them. Well, all this is but to awaken the hearts of people who have the comforts of this world, that they may not satisfy themselves with what they enjoy; but seek what they can to learn to be full.
And the excellency of this lesson of learning to be full is very great.
For first, It shows a great deal of ingenuity in the heart of a man. Ingenuity in these two regards:
First, because it appears that this man is not only concerned with his own interests. It's a sordid spirit for a man to seek to serve his own interests at the expense of others, and when his needs are met, never to care for anybody else. But now, an ingenious spirit, when it has its own needs met, is just as careful to return appropriate respect to those who were helpful to him, as it was eager to have its own needs met before. So it is with those who have learned to be
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content; they have ingenuity. They are as careful to return appropriate respects to God as they are to receive any mercy from Him.
And their ingenuity is in this: they are thankful spirits. An ingenious heart is a thankful heart and loves to acknowledge where it received any mercy. Furthermore, it's great ingenuity for one to be moved by good and by mercy. It is a slavish spirit that's only moved by necessity, force, and violence. It's nothing for a man to be forced to do a duty.
The basest slave with a whip will be made to do what is his duty. But for one to be influenced by love and goodness, this is ingenuity. Now if the Lord has given you an estate, and you find it draws your heart to God more and works upon your heart so that you are affected by God's mercy, this is a sign of an ingenious heart.
Moreover, the grace such a man has is much more conspicuous than other men's graces and more beautiful. As a diamond set in gold has beauty, a diamond set in a crown of gold sparkles more gloriously than when it is wrapped up in a dirty rag. So the graces of many who are poor and humble in the world are (as it were) wrapped up in a dirty rag, as sometimes they wrap up their money. But now a man who is eminent in the world and godly too, his graces are like diamonds upon a crown (as it were), so conspicuous before the world that the world takes much notice of them and gives glory to God for them.
Thirdly, it's an excellence because it is so rare. It's a very rare thing for a man to be instructed in this lesson of being content. It's a saying of Bernard: not to be lifted up when a man is elevated is very unusual; now, he says, the more unusual it is, the more glorious it is. It is a very rare blessing of God upon a man for him to learn to be content. I remember the same learned man Bernard writing to Eugenius, who was advanced to great favor; he speaks of the grace of God towards him and blesses God for it. His promotion did not replace his former state but was added to
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it. That's this: the promotion of many men replaces their former state; that is, the former ingenuity they had and seemed to have is gone, and the promotion comes and replaces it. But the promotion of this Eugenius was not so; he continued in the former state he was in before—that is, the former humility, heavenly-mindedness, and holiness he seemed to have before he still had. So his state and promotion did not replace but were added to it. Yes, this is an excellence indeed when a man's fullness is added to his former condition and does not replace it; that is, he is the same man now that he was before: that's a rare blessing of God upon one.
Fourthly, it indicates a great deal of strength of grace for a man who is full and knows how to be full and improve it. It indicates not only grace but strength of grace: as it indicates a great deal of strength in men's bodies that they can drink a great deal of wine and not be drunk. Some think they may take liberty to themselves to drink wine as long as they do not stagger in the streets. But you know the Scripture says,
"Woe to those who are strong to drink wine." It's a saying of Seneca that moderation is a sign of a strong character.
Moderation in the midst of prosperity is a sign of a strong heart. It's a sign God has given you strength of grace if your conscience can witness this to you: Well, through God's mercy, though I have many weaknesses and fail in all that I do, yet I can say, to the praise of God, that my estate has not estranged my heart from God; but my heart does cleave to God, and I have communion with God in the creatures that God sends me. And when God gives me the best voyages, I find my heart in the best temper, and I have more sweet communion with God then than at other times. Can you say so? I appeal to your consciences now whether you can say, as in the presence of God, I never found my heart in a more heavenly spiritual temper than when I have found God blessing me in my labors; and I have enjoyed God in them.
Oh now, if you can say so, be of good comfort; you have learned a lesson that is worth a thousand times more than
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all your prosperity. This is your excellence—not that you have a fuller estate than others, but that God has taught you such a lesson as this.
And then further, such a one may do an abundance of good.
What abundance of glory may God have from one man that way; whereas a man who is of an estate and has not grace withal, he is like a great Elder-Tree in the midst of a garden.
Such a tree, why it spoils the flowers and does harm there.
But one who has an estate and is rich, and godly withal, he stands as a prime flower in the garden, that is an ornament to it: As commonly, in the midst of your knots you set a prime flower there, to be an ornament to all the rest. So the Lord will have some to be rich, that may be an ornament and a shelter to his servants. Oh, many, many hundreds of people will bless God that ever God set such a man in such a place; and that God did give them their estate. We say of some men that they have good estates, yes, and it's well bestowed on them; for they do a great deal of good with them. But now, when they are not only so, but their hearts are to improve their estates for the furtherance of the Gospel, for the beating down of sin, and the support of Religion, oh then all the people of God that live about them will bless God for such a man. Had it not been for some few in a place that God gave estates to, that were stirring, what would have become of the Gospel; Religion would have been trampled underfoot. Oh, will not this be a greater comfort in the day of Jesus Christ, when Christ shall own this and say, I gave you an estate in the world, and I acknowledge that you did make use of it for my Glory and Religion. I made you an instrument to uphold it in the place where you were used.
Oh, if Christ should own this, would it not be a thousand times worth your estates?
And then, when you come to die, oh how sweetly will you die; when you can say, Oh Lord remember me for good. As Nehemiah did in the close of his book, look upon the very last words of Nehemiah; he was a man that was full in outward blessings, and he improved them to purpose for
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God; and that was the very close of all, Lord remember me for good; and so may you when you come to die. Your conscience shall not upbraid you, as others will; You come to God for mercy, What come to me for mercy? I have bestowed mercy upon you already, and how did you abuse it? With what face can you cry to me for mercy, that have abused it so? Oh but when your consciences can tell you that you have not abused God's mercy, but his mercy in outward things has drawn your hearts unto him, and you have employed it in his service: Now you may with joy and encouragement say, Lord remember me for good. And if God should ever bring you into afflictions in this world, it will be sweet and comfortable to you if you have used your prosperity well. For that man who is willing to give up the comfort of his prosperity to God, which he does enjoy; God will have a care to take away the gall and the bitterness of affliction from that man when he is under affliction. Oh there's nothing more comfortable to a man in affliction than to consider that he has made use of his prosperity for the honor & glory of God. When I was in prosperity, God had honor, and now I am in affliction, I can comfortably fly to God for peace and comfort to my soul.
And in this, God does attain his end and the end of his creatures. God has his end especially from these men; the end of his works of Creation and Providence. Why? The Lord has made this world and filled it with an abundance of excellent things; but now, how shall God attain his end: that is, To have glory from the excellent things that he has made in the world? Why, most men take them and abuse them to God's dishonor; now were there not some men who had hearts to give God the glory of their estates, why God should have no glory from all his works; all his works would be as it were to no purpose. But now it seems God has called you out to give him the glory of his works; so that you are the man among so many that does pay as it were to God the rent that he requires for all the great things that he has done in
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the world; which cannot but bring in a great deal of comfort to you and shows the excellency of it.
I have now but two other things for the opening of it before we come to the application, yet all the way as we have gone along, we have endeavored to apply it; showing wherein it consists, the difficulty of it, and the excellency of it: Now for the close at this time, let these things sink into your hearts; I will give you one Scripture that you may go away and seek to God to teach you how to be full and to learn this lesson; It is in the 12th verse of the Epistle of Jude: These are spots in your feasts of charity when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear. There's the description of wicked and ungodly men. How are they described? They feast themselves without fear so that they may be fed to the full; they care for nothing else. Oh this is a sign of a wretched wicked man, to feast himself without fear. Has God given you a full estate, and what do you take it without fear? If God has given you an estate and all outward comforts in this world according to your heart's desire, it stands upon you to fear lest you should not improve it for God. And oh that God would send you away from his presence upon the consideration of what you have heard, even with trembling hearts. Lord, You have given us these and these outward comforts; (and let Husband speak thus to Wife, and Wife to Husband when they see all things coming in in a plentiful way:) Oh the Lord has given us these mercies more than others, oh but how if we should not improve them for God, how if we should abuse them, and if we have not answerable grace to make use of them, what should become of us? Now having your hearts possessed with the fear of this, you will be more likely to be driven to God in prayer; to seek from him that he would teach you this lesson, to teach you how to be full.
And there is a great mystery in this, as there is a mystery of Godliness in Contentment, so there is a mystery in this; and I shall show you further that it is done in a kind of mystical way. There are indeed some natural rules, whereby we may
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propose to men how to make use of their prosperity; and it would be well if all of us were influenced in a natural way.
But I shall endeavor to go further with you than that, to show you in a spiritual way how you should learn to be full, according to the rules of the Gospel; to manifest the mystery of Godliness in giving God the glory of your estates and all the comforts that you enjoy in this world.
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SERMON III.
We shall now come to what remains. There are but three things more in this point that we are now to finish.
The first is, to show you what a mystery of Godliness there is in rightly learning how to be full.
Secondly, what are the several lessons that are to be learned.
And then the application of all from the point.
And this is the method we observed in learning how to want.
The Mystery of Godliness.
And I told you that from the word in my text, "I am instructed," so it is in your books; but in the original, it is, "I am taught as in a mystery;" so that there is a mystery in both these. I have shown you many things wherein the mystery of Godliness lies in learning how to be content. A godly man knows how to abound in a different manner than any other can do. Perhaps a man by some strength of natural prudence and wisdom may know how to order his estate, so as not to be very inordinate and wicked in the management of his outward estate. A man that has civility and natural wisdom may make some good use of the blessings of God that God has given him: But a gracious heart comes to sanctify the name of God in his estate and outward blessings that God has given him, in another manner than natural wisdom will teach a man. Grace will raise a man's spirit higher, and that in these particulars,
First, a gracious heart learns how to be full by often resigning up the estate that it possesses to God. He learns how to enjoy his estate by resigning up all his estate and comforts to God. This is a way that a natural man understands little of, to know how to enjoy his comforts by resigning up his comforts; yet that's the way of a gracious heart. He does very frequently, when he gets alone into his
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closet, resign up his estate; "Lord, You have blessed me with many outward comforts, more than you have done others of my brethren: Lord, I here profess all to be yours, and give up all to you; all belongs to you: and I desire to enjoy no further than I may be useful to you in the place where you have set me. Here Lord, I give up myself and all my fullness to you, take all, dispose all, lay out all for your own praise and glory." And by this means, when he has done this, he comes to enjoy more sweetness than what he has in any other way. It is not in a greedy use of what he has that he comes to enjoy his fullness; but by resigning up what he has to God: and so he comes to enjoy his fullness in a better manner and more comfortably than ever he did before. This a godly heart finds by experience (as at various times upon occasion I have hinted to you) that the more often anything comes out of God's hand, the better and sweeter it is; and therefore he is willing to give up often what he has into the hand of God: And that's the first way. But,
Secondly, he learns how to be full in this way of mystery; he seeks to preserve his comforts and enrich himself by communicating what he has: not only by resigning to God but by communicating his comforts he seeks to preserve them; and he seeks to enrich himself by communicating his riches. Now this is a mysterious way, yet the Scriptures show this to be the way of a gracious heart. A carnal heart would enjoy his fullness, but how? That is, by keeping it to himself: But a godly heart that learns in the way of mystery how to be full looks upon it as the only way to preserve his estate, by communicating his estate, by doing many good works, by making use of his estate for the public good, the glory of God and the good of his brethren. In Isaiah 32 you have a notable Scripture for that, that's the way that a godly man uses for the preserving of his estate; verse 8: "But the liberal devises liberal things." What then? He does not only take the opportunity when he is called to communicate of his estate but studies with himself how he may communicate his estate for good. But he may quickly communicate all
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away, you will say, and grow a beggar himself. No, but mark what the text says: "And by liberal things shall he stand."
That's the way that he takes for the preservation of what he has: he will trust God with that. And indeed he comes to enjoy the comfort of his life by communicating the comforts of his life. And then he seeks to get riches by communicating his riches. That Scripture you have for this in 1 Timothy
6:17: "Charge them that are rich in this world that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God; who gives us richly all things to enjoy. That they do good, that they be rich in good works; ready to distribute." The more good works he does, the richer he makes account himself is. Now, ordinarily a carnal heart, when he is called to do good works, cannot for shame but do something; but he thinks he is poorer by it. What will you get away all my estate and make me a beggar? Why, these frequent contributions draw away my estate, and they think they have so much of their heart-blood drawn away, and so they grow poorer and poorer. But a godly man makes account that the more good works he does, the richer man he grows. Why God himself accounts his riches to be in the works of mercy. In Ephesians 2 there you shall find that the riches of God are in the works of his mercy: "That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness towards us." Why God is not said to be rich in power so much as in grace; in the works of his mercy, in the works of kindness. And so a godly man that has learned by the grace of God to be full does account himself made rich in communicating what fullness God has given him for the glory of His name and the good of others. This is a second mysterious way of a godly man's learning how to be full.
And then the third way a godly man learns how to be full is this: He learns how to have comfort in his estate by mortifying his affections to his estate; and by moderating his spirit in the joy that he has in his estate, he comes to receive greater joy in what he has been given. This, you will say, is a
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riddle: for a man to have greater joy in outward things by moderating his joy, and to have a greater fullness in his abundance by keeping himself within bounds. This is the way of a godly man: the more he keeps himself within bounds, the more comfort he has in his abundance; and the more he can mortify his affections to the comforts of the world, the more comfort he has in these comforts of the world. Now, because this may seem to be a great riddle and mystery (for so it is), I will give you one Scripture that will make it fully clear; and it is in Phil. 4:4-5: "Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice." Here the Apostle urges people to rejoice, to rejoice in the Lord; that is, not only in spiritual things but to rejoice in all God's blessings in a spiritual way. Now, the men of the world, when they are urged to rejoice, and again to rejoice, think they know not how to rejoice except by letting out their hearts without any bounds; they know not how to keep any bounds. But mark the words that follow: "Let your moderation be known unto all men." As if the Apostle should say, "And would you rejoice indeed truly and graciously and fully? I exhort you to rejoice, and again to rejoice." Well then, this is pleasing to the heart of a man: we will give ourselves liberty to rejoice, we will enlarge ourselves in our joy. But, says the Apostle,
"Let your moderation be known to all men" though: So that in adding this exhortation, "Let your moderation be known to all men," it's apparent that he means joy in outward things as well as in spiritual things: Let your moderation be known to all, so that he does not envy your rejoicing in your estate. You may rejoice in the comforts of this world that God has given you. But would you have true joy that should truly gladden your hearts? Let your moderation be known to all men, and so bound yourselves in your joy, and let your hearts be so mortified to the world that you may rejoice in God even while you rejoice in the outward blessings that God has given you. And although many men may think this to be a mystery and scarcely to be believed, yet those who are truly godly find this by experience. I appeal to you: when have you had the greatest comfort and joy in your estates
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and income, but at that time when you have found your hearts mortified to the world and could keep yourselves within bounds? If a man goes abroad and among company, if he can keep his appetite within bounds and eat moderately, he has more comfort in his food and drink than another man who eats excessively. A man who eats and drinks moderately preserves his health, and by preserving his health he has more sweetness in his food and drink in a constant way than those who eat and drink immoderately; and when a man has been abroad among company and let out his heart profusely in laughter and merriment, all upon the merry pin; why, in the midst of this laughter his heart is even sad, and when he comes home, he comes home with a dead spirit. He is like Nabal; you know that when he was feasting, his heart was merry; but as soon as his drunkenness was gone from him, his heart died like a stone.
Many company-keepers who give liberty to themselves in jollity and mirth find that the next day their hearts are even as dead as a stone; and there's a great deal of guilt upon their spirits, and their consciences fly in their faces; so that they do not have as much joy in their spirits as those who can keep within bounds. Those who can go in a sober way and meet with their neighbors and rejoice with one another; when they come home, they can bless God for this refreshing they have had; and the next morning their hearts are in a sweet and joyful frame. The more we keep ourselves within bounds in the use of the creature, the more comfort we have in the use of the creature. That's the third way a gracious heart learns how to abound. He learns how to enjoy the world by mortifying his heart to it and by keeping himself within bounds in the use of the creature.
And then the fourth way of the mystery of the godly learning how to abound is this: He learns how to abound by getting all that he has to be sanctified by the Word and prayer. It was one way of knowing how to want, by having our afflictions sanctified to us; and so it is the way to know how to abound. Now, this is a way that carnal hearts have little
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skill in; they think they know how to abound by their natural wisdom. But the way that a gracious heart has for abounding is this: God has prospered me in my way and course in any kind; now let me go to God and exercise faith in His Word, and seek Him in prayer, that I may have a sanctified use of all these things that God has granted to me.
In 1 Tim. 4:4-5, every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the Word of God and prayer.
A little to open this Scripture: That the creature is sanctified by prayer, I suppose, is easy for you to understand; that is, when I have any good in any creature, then I am to seek God by prayer for a sanctified use of it for me. But how is it sanctified by the Word? Now what the Apostle intends here in sanctifying by the Word is this: He would show us that a godly man has another kind of interest in the creature than another man has. He says, all things are good, but how shall they be good to me? How shall I know that they are good to me? That must be by the Word, he says. I cannot know that they are good to me, that I have a sanctified use of them—that is, that all the comforts I have, I enjoy them in order to eternal life; for then a thing is sanctified when it is consecrated (as it were) and made holy: that is, when it is made useful to the highest and last end. As a place is sanctified when it is separated from other things for God; so when the blessing of God is upon my estate, to make it be to His glory and my ultimate good, then it is sanctified.
Now how does this come about? This is by the Word of God; for we, by our fall, have lost all our interest in the creature unto our outward comfort. Now God indeed, out of His bounty, does give some men abundance here in this world;
He gives them those things that are in themselves good. But how shall they come to be good to him? That must be by the Word, he says—that is, God by the Word of His Gospel, the covenant that He has made with His poor servants in Christ revealed in His Word; it is that which gives the godly man a sanctified use of what he has. If he has it in a natural way, it
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may prove a curse to him; if he has it only by God's general providence, by the command of God in His works of providence, that is no sanctified use. But now, if a man comes to enjoy what he has by the word of the promise, by the word of the Gospel that reveals Christ unto us and our renewed interest unto all we do enjoy by Jesus Christ—this is the Word that sanctifies all to us. Most men look upon what they enjoy only in a way of general providence. Now a gracious heart looks upon what he enjoys by the word of the promise, the word of the covenant that gives him a sanctified use; and through the power of this word, he comes to know how to be full and use all his abundance in a right way: so that the way he takes for making use of his fullness is when God blesses him, presently to exercise faith in the Word, in the promise; to look into the covenant.
Godliness has the promise of the things of this life and of that which is to come. And so he comes to make use of the promise and improve it by faith; and so comes to have a sanctified use and improvement of all the good things that he does enjoy in this world. Is not this a mystery to most rich men? Does it put them upon prayer more than before and upon the exercise of faith in the Word more than before?
One who is godly never prays more than when God prospers him in this world. It is usual for men to pray much in times of affliction. In their affliction they will seek me early. But that's a sign of a carnal heart. But now, a godly man, when
God prospers him, sees cause to pray most then. It is for poor people to live by faith who have nothing in the world.
You will think it's fit for them to believe and trust in God.
But a godly man uses more faith when he has the most in the world. That's a good way in the mystery of knowing how to be full.
And then a fifth way in the mystery of knowing how to be full is this: A godly heart, by its fullness, grows to increase its humility, becoming more aware of its unworthiness through its fullness. Now, this is a mysterious way too. It is a good thing for a person to have humility together with their
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fullness, but to have humility by their fullness is a very great mystery; it's rare to see humble prosperity, but to see a person humbled by their prosperity is rare indeed. Affliction will humble people, that's true; everyone can understand that. But how prosperity should humble people is very hard to understand. I will give you a clear Scripture for this, showing how prosperity will humble a gracious heart; it's in 2 Samuel 7:18. The Lord there had told David of great things that he would do for him and spoke to him of the honor he had put upon him and that he would continue to put upon him, and he would make his house a great and honorable house, like the great men of the earth. Mark, one would have thought that David's heart should have been raised up when God told him not only the great things he had done but the great things he would do. This would have puffed up a carnal heart. But then mark, in verse 18: "Then went King David in, and sat before the Lord, and he said,
'Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me this far? And this was yet a small thing in your sight, O Lord God; but you have spoken also of your servant's house for a great while to come; and is this the manner of men, O Lord God? And what can David say more unto you; for you, Lord God, know your servant for your word's sake; and according to your own heart have you done all these great things, to make your servant know them: wherefore you are great, O Lord God.'" He does not bless himself, saying, "O God has made me great," but rather,
"wherefore you are great; and what am I, and what is my house," and it is "according to your own heart," and not according to anything in me, says David. The larger God was in telling him the great things he had and should have, the more humble was David's heart. O this is a good sign of true humility when you find your comings in to be more than before, as if you have had a great voyage with many hundreds coming in as clear gain: then for you to get alone, as it's said that David did go then and sat down before the Lord. Go and set yourself before the Lord and humble your soul: "O Lord, who am I that you should deal thus graciously
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with me, that you should make such a difference between me and others?" When your rents come in quarterly more than others', think with yourselves, "Lord, what is it that has made the difference between me and others? Others have their 18 pence a day for providing for their families, and you give me hundreds together. O Lord, what am I that it should be thus with me more than with others!" O if it were thus, it would be right indeed; and yet this is the way of a godly person's learning how to be full. Their fullness teaches them humility, and by being taught humility by their fullness, they come to know how to be full for the glory of God and the good of his Church.
Sixthly, another mystery in a godly person's learning how to be full is that they consider it better to lose for and return to God than to gain for and keep to themselves. A godly heart, when it has fullness, rejoices in it according as God will have them, in the outward blessings they have; but they rejoice more in this: that they have something to venture and lose for God than that they have gained for themselves. One person rejoices that they have an estate to live merrily withal and bravely in the world; the other person rejoices that they have an estate that they may venture for God, and their returning anything to God they consider a greater privilege than receiving from God. This is a way of mystery too; and of this there was something spoken likewise in the way of contentment; therefore I shall but name it now.
Seventhly, and then the last way is this: A godly person learns to abound by abounding in holiness. The more they abound in worldly riches, the more they seek to abound in holiness and in the duties of God's worship. Now this is a mystery to worldly people; they think indeed that poor people who do not have so much to do in the world may often be in the worship of God, hear sermons, meditate (and the like). But for those who have so many things to take them off, they think it cannot be expected from them.
Whereas godliness will teach people to abound in their many businesses and outward prosperity that they have and
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the great things of the world by adding a proportionable abounding in the performance both of the worship of God and in holiness. They think that because they have so many things to draw them aside, they cannot be as holy as others; but now godliness will teach them to be more holy according to the proportion of their estate: as eminent above others, so they will labor that their holiness shall be eminent above others. O this would be an excellent thing indeed if all rich people should never satisfy themselves merely because they have more than others but look to what degree God has made them higher than others in their estates; that they should endeavor and never be satisfied until they attain it until they are in the same degree above others in holiness.
Why now for people to do this is a mysterious thing, and where this is present, certainly those are well instructed in the mystery of godliness. Thus you see that a gracious heart learns how to abound not in a mere natural way by natural wisdom but in a way of mystery of godliness.
But then there are diverse lessons that one learns by learning this lesson: As I told you in knowing how to be content, one needs to learn many lessons before being instructed in the art of contentment in affliction; so in abounding in the same manner: As now...
First, (I will just name these things) He must learn the lesson of the principle from which all he has comes, the fountain from which all his good comes; be thoroughly instructed in that. Why do I enjoy these and these outward comforts? From where have I these? Why has God blessed my endeavors and skill, that God has given me more than others? It is the blessing of God in all beyond my skill. Such and such friends have left me so much means; but the fountain is on high, from where all the outward good that I have comes. This in general is acknowledged, but learning it indeed in a gracious manner will work mightily upon the heart; the understanding of the fountain of all my outward good as well as spiritual good.
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Yes, and this fountain, it is not only God the First Being, the Creator of all, in His providence, but it is God in Christ: For we are to know that the very preservation of the world is through the mediation of Jesus Christ; the world would fall about our ears otherwise: and all the good things in the creature are preserved by the power of Christ now. And so a gracious heart looks upon the fountain of all, not only as God the Creator of all; but God through Christ the Mediator, who does preserve the world: the world would otherwise fall into confusion. And so all the good that I have, it comes from the work of God's wisdom and goodness, ordering things through Christ to me.
And then, the lesson of our unworthiness, that's to be learned thoroughly; your unworthiness of the least crumb of bread, the least drop of water for cooling you. This would teach you how to be content in want, (that we spoke to before) and it will likewise teach you how to abound when you can learn your own baseness and vileness before the Lord. And I now speak it, not to learn it by your prosperity, that was before in the mystery of it, but to learn it any way; by considering your sinfulness, and your inability to use what you have; and considering how little service you have done for God: learn to know yourselves, that was the lesson in learning to want, to know ourselves; but above all men, rich men need to learn to know themselves.
And then, to learn the vanity of the creature and the uncertainty of it; that helps you how to want, and so it will help you to abound too. It's true, I have these things, but what are these things to the portion of an immortal soul; is there not a vanity in all these things in the world? They make no such great difference between me and others, but they are such things as often I have heard may stand with the hatred of God, such things as a reprobate may have for his portion: That meditation will make men willing to be content in the want of them. I abound now in these things, why what great reason is there that I should have my heart lifted up thereby? Here's many now in the world that are
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lower than I, and there are many in Hell that had more than I. O this will be a means to moderate your heart, and help you to know how to abound when you consider the vanity of the things of the world, and their uncertainty; I have them now, how quickly may they be gone; my house bravely furnished, how quickly may God send a fire. O consider the uncertainty of all you have, and this will teach you how to make use of what you have in a loose way: Charge men that are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches. Or if God should not take away your riches, why let God but turn some humor in your bodies, and bring some pain or disease; and what will all your riches do you good? Let God but touch me in my brain,
I shall not know how to make use of my estate; or touch me in my body, a little in the kidneys, or pain in the bowels; what's all the world then. O consider the vanity and uncertainty of all things; learning that lesson is a great help in knowing how to abound.
And then, learning that all these things are but talents, God gives me them to trade withal, and I am but a steward (put them together) I am but God's steward, and God puts me to trade for Him in all that I do: This will teach men how to abound. When you employ factors, if they are faithful, the very consideration of this: This is my master's goods, and I am but a steward, and I am to give account, and must keep my books even: The consideration of this will call off his thoughts from other things and make him look to his books to keep them even. O if you would but learn this lesson, that all outward comforts are talents that are given you to husband for God, and you are His stewards; it would make you keep the books even: Every day you would be casting over the books: Are things even between God and me? What does God aim at, why should I have a prosperous estate and others not? By searching to know God's end, a man's conscience will presently tell him, Surely God did not aim at this, that I should have more satisfaction to my flesh; there
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is something else that God did aim at: Let me learn to know God's end.
And then, learn this lesson, and it would be a great help to you for learning how to abound: That is, that God does but very seldom trust His own people with these outward comforts (that we have spoken to in the opening of it) but now I bring it in as a lesson that is to be learned and show you how that will help you how to abound: I spoke of it by way of evidence that it is a difficult thing for us to learn how to abound. Now this lesson will put us upon this: To learn to be so much more watchful over ourselves.
And then, let not me bless myself in my abundance.
And then, let me desire a proportionate measure of grace to what I have lest what I have turns to my hurt rather than for my good. Such and many other lessons might be named for helping us to abound; but the truth is, there's nothing almost will help us to know how to want, but it will likewise help us to abound; and therefore I do but name these things.
We come now as briefly as we can to wind up all in a word of application. You have had these six particulars opened to you: When a man knows how to abound; And the difficulty of it; And the necessity of it; And the excellency of it; And the mystery of it; And the lessons to be learned.
Now then my Brethren, from all that has been said, it serves to rebuke those men who care only about how they may gain fullness in the world and are never satisfied with it. They rarely consider how they may use this for God and how to manage their fullness; it's scarcely in their thoughts. I appeal to you this morning, as in the Name of God, have these things been in your thoughts that have been spoken to you? I dare not insist that every particular should be in your thoughts, but in general, has it been your concern to know how you should abound, as much as to get your abundance?
God knows it is otherwise, and your consciences may tell you that your care is how you may improve and get
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abundance; but how to abound, that has been but little known. But by what has been said out of the Scripture, the Lord has rebuked you for having a carnal heart, a sensual and earthly heart; for being someone who's little acquainted with the ways of God and spiritual things. O that you would charge your own soul in your private thoughts and meditations; and that God would make what has been said out of this stick upon your heart.
And then, secondly, hence we are taught what an excellent thing religion is, that it helps in every way. It helps us how to want, it helps us how to abound. If we are in a low estate, there comes a help; if we are in a high estate, there comes a help. O religion is of admirable use; grace and godliness are of other manner of use than the world thinks. And as it is of use to all, so it is above all to rich men. O that rich men would believe this, that they have the greatest need of grace. O that rich men by this would learn to be in love with godliness and with those means that might work grace upon them; because there's nothing that can do them as much good as religion. O if grace be answerable to their estates, then they are happy men indeed. If the Lord pleases to add his upper spring to the nether springs, then they are happy creatures. God gives you abundance in the nether springs, but does he give you the upper springs too? O have your thoughts working thus: The Lord has given me enough for this world, to carry me through this pilgrimage of mine; O but had I grace added to all that I have, then I should be a happy man indeed. O learn to know the excellency of grace and what need you have of it above other men.
Thirdly, hence upon what we hear, I think all our desires should be moderated in respect of this world; and you poor people, you should not be so troubled for want of abundance: for you see there's a great deal of difficulty in learning how to abound. And when our spirits are set upon the things of this world, let us curb them in this: I see there's a great deal of difficulty in knowing how to use
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things, and therefore let me be more moderate in my desires after abundance.
Fourthly, you who have rich friends, any of you, you see what need you have here to pray for them. It was the speech of a holy man once when he met an acquaintance of his that he had not seen for a long time before, and it seems he had a great estate befallen him; as soon as he met him, "O Sir," saith he, "I had never need to pray for you so much as now."
His friend stood amazed at it, supposing that he had heard of some great evil that had befallen him. He gives him this answer: "I hear you have a great estate befallen to you."
Certainly there's no men in the world who have so much need of prayer as those who are high in estate.
And then, you who do abound, be exhorted by what you have heard, and now set upon the work: To learn how to abound.
Learn this one lesson further (that should have been spoken): Learn thoroughly your dependence upon God in all your abundance; to see as much need of God in the midst of your abundance as in the greatest depth of affliction. That's one thing that is of very great use. A man has attained a good measure of grace when he comes to this: that he sees he has as much need of mercy from God in his abundance as in the lowest afflicted estate in the world. Many men and women think they have need of God in their affliction; then they depend upon God. But you should depend upon God as much if you had all the world to possess as the poorest beggar in the world. This you may either put into the mystery that there is in it or into the lessons; for indeed it is a mystery to the men of the world: and therefore Christ teaches not only poor people to come and say, "Lord give us this day our daily bread," but the richest men in the world are to pray so: the greatest prince and monarch in the world is every day to come to God, to the gates of mercy, to beg his bread. Now if rich men would be so sensible of their condition that they depend upon God for the enjoyment of what they have every moment; have as much need of mercy as the poorest wretch that lives upon the face of the earth:
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This would be a mighty help for them to learn how to abound. I beseech you, examine whether this be so in you or not? When you have been poor and afflicted, then you acknowledged you had need of mercy: but now, do you find that your life is as much a life of dependence upon God now as ever it was? If God should take away all you have, then you would think, "O, I must live altogether the life of dependence"; but certainly, you should now live the life of dependence as if you knew not where to have your dinner or supper: "Man lives not by bread only," saith the Scripture,
"or by meat; but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God: he lives by it." There is much in this that I am speaking: But a little for further encouragement for you on this path so that you may learn this lesson of abundance.
Consider this: What a great mercy of God it is to you that your great work now is to improve mercy, whereas the work of other men is to obtain mercy. Other men focus all their care and thoughts on how they should get necessities; but now, what God calls you to do is to improve what you have.
The life of many men and women is about nothing else but improving mercy, not bearing affliction much or seeking to obtain; but the whole course of their life is spent in improving mercy. Think about this one thing, and it will make you thankful. When you are in your families, what do you have to do in the morning when you rise? Nothing but to improve the mercy that God gives you: Mercy meets you when you rise; mercy goes forth with you; mercy comes in with you, and you have nothing to do from the beginning of the year to the end of the year but to make use of mercy.
This is the life of many: to receive mercy and make use of it for God. O, the comfortable life that you have! Therefore, seeing that God puts you upon such a notable and excellent employment, you need to be faithful. Your work is much better and more comfortable than the work of others; therefore, often examine your heart. And, O that I could prevail thus far with men and women who have great estates, that not a day should pass without them calling
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themselves to examination! Have I learned to be full? Do I enjoy my fullness for God, yes or no? Do not let the reckoning between God and your soul run too long, but keep your account even every day with God, and then you shall have an abundance of comfort in your fullness.
Set before you the example of those who have failed in their fullness, and that will be a very good help to you. Such and such men have failed; Lord, help me that I may not fail as they have done. Yes, even your most eminent servants have failed; Lord, help me that I may not fail.
And for the close of all, O you whom God has given these mercies to: Bless Him for His blessings, but especially bless
Him that He has blessed His blessings to you. When we receive a blessing, we should bless God; yes, but when God has blessed this blessing, then our blessing of Him should be double and triple too. O think thus with yourself: What, all this and heaven too! Such convenient habitations, and surrounded by mercy wherever you are! All this, and heaven, house and estate, and friends, and health of body, and everything that I want: O the greatest thing that I want is a thankful heart, for if I had but that, then I would be happy indeed. Now for a man to have all things in fullness and only scantiness in thankfulness; everything is full, but only the heart is empty. The heart of the wicked is little worth. Your house is full, and your estate, but what's your heart in the meantime? But now, if God gives you so much mercy in the world, and all this is just the beginning of heaven for you: O then, how sweet is your life made by God!
And all things that are the means of undoing others are the means to help you honor God. O by this the mercies of God are indeed raised: Bless God for so great a blessing; it is not an ordinary thing.
Only one more thing for the close of all in my text, and that is the joining of both these things together: That I learn how to be content and how to be full. There should have been that note. And that is,
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That grace will help men carry themselves evenly with God and graciously with God in a variety of conditions. Let the condition be up and down, this way and then another; yet grace helps a man to lie square any way, like a die; cast it which way you will, it lies square. So put a gracious heart into any condition, full or empty; yet grace will help him in any condition whatsoever, as the Apostle says in Corinthians: Through honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left. We find use of our weapons on the right hand and on the left; the armor of righteousness helps not only on the left hand to fend off the evil of adversity but on the right hand to fend off the evil of prosperity. Here's a Christian soldier who can make use of the armor of righteousness both on the right hand and on the left.
I had thought to give some grounds why it is that grace will help any way; as a watch in a man's pocket—if it is a good watch—though a man sits upon it and it is tumbled up and down, yet the wheels keep a constant steady motion. So it is with the heart of a man; if there is grace within and the wheels work aright, yet grace makes the heart steadfast within, let the condition be never so varied; tossed up and down this way or that way; yet the heart keeps the same.
The motto of Queen Elizabeth may be the motto of every gracious heart: Always the same. So in a constant way, either in prosperity or adversity, still he continues in an evenness with God. If God casts him upon his sickbed there he rejoices in God and blesses God, and you will find savory and spiritual things come from him then; and if God delivers him and you find him in prosperity, there his heart is heavenly still, gracious and spiritual, and raised above the creatures; whichever way he is put.
I cannot give you the grounds, I will only compare a Scripture or two together (and so conclude all) to see the evenness of the heart of a godly man in all conditions, let them be what they will. In Psal. 57. To the chief
Musician Al-taschith, Mictam of David, when he fled
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from Saul in the Cave. That's the Title of the Psalm. A Psalm that David made in his very great affliction, when he fled from Saul for his life in the Cave. See what he saith, and comparing that same with Psal. 60. where it is, To the chief
Musician upon Shushan-Eduth, Mictam of David; to teach, when he strove with Aram Naha • aim, and with Aram
Zobah, when Joab, returned and smote of Edom in the Valley of Salt, Twelve thousand. David was low when he fled from Saul in the Cave, there David had not the Kingdom; well but afterwards David was high and had the Kingdom, Joab was his Officer, and smote of Edom in the Valley of Salt Twelve thousand: Now you would think that this different condition of David, should have made a different work in his Spirit; yet you shall find a great part of that Psalm to be the very same: In the 57th. Psalm, ver. 7.
My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise; awake up my Glory, awake Psaltery and Harp, I myself will awake early, I will praise the Lord among the People, I will sing unto Thee among the Nations, &c. Why, you shall find likewise, that David in the 60 th. Psalm, he hath much of this, of blessing God as well in his Prosperous state in which he was, as in his Afflicted estate. Let us compare this with the 108 th. Psalm, ver. 5. Be thou Exalted,
O God. There David was in his Prosperous estate: And here's the same Expression; O God, my heart is fixed, saith he, I will sing and give praise with my Glory. Awake Psaltery and Harp, I myself will awake early: I will praise Thee, O Lord, among the People, and I will sing Praises unto Thee among the Nations, &c. Just he goes on in the very same words.
But now the 60th. Psalm, is to be compared with the 108th. where it is, God hath spoken in his Holiness, I will rejoice: I will divide Shechem, and mete out the Valley of Succoth: Gilead is mine, Ephraim also is the strength of my Head, Judah is my Law-giver, &c. Now in the 108
Psalm, God hath spoken in his Holiness, I will rejoice, I will divide Shechem, &c. This is the Note from hence (and so we have done.)
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That David in his various Conditions, though at some times more Prosperous than others, yet still you find him in the same Spirit, and almost the very same words. Be he • n the Cave, or when Joab had overcome, or be he afterwards how he will, in a higher Condition; for the 108 th. Psalm was made in a time after this: Yet David's heart is the same,
Praising God, Blessing God, Believing in his Word, Trusting in his Word: Now that's the Note.
You should observe; Whether you can make use of the same Scripture in one Condition, as in another: Those Scriptures that are comfortable to you in one Condition, make use of them in another. And whether you can Praise God in one
Condition, in the same way as in another. Why Grace doth so satisfy and strengthen the Heart, as the things that are without in the World, makes very little alteration: There is very little alteration, that External things can make in a Gracious heart. When a Man or Woman is so, that a Prosperous condition puffs him up, or Adversity makes him dejected, it's a sign of very little Grace, or no Grace. But thus much for this Text.
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A Sermon.
1 Sam. 3. the latter part of the 18th. Verse.
And he said, it is the Lord, let Him do what seemeth Him good.
THese Words are the Expression of a Gracious, Humble, Submissive Heart, to God's Dispose. The Words of Eli the Priest, who when the Hand of God was revealed against his
Family, he here falls down before Him, and saith, It is the Lord, let Him do what seemeth Him good.
It is the Lord: Whatever the means be, that such and such sad things should fall upon my Family, yet, It is the Lord.
Let Him do what seemeth Him good. The things seem hard to me, but they may seem otherwise to God; whatever things seem to me, however dark they look, yet to God, things may seem after another manner; and therefore let things be done rather as they seem to God, than as they seem to me.
We have in the Words before you, these Four Doctrinal Points.
[ I] The first is, That a Gracious Heart looks much to God in every Affliction that doth befall it: It is the Lord.
Secondly, The sight of God in an Affliction, is, [ II] That that causes a gracious Heart humbly to fall down, and to submit: It is the Lord, let Him do what seemeth Him good.
Thirdly, That things seem oftentimes far otherwise [ III] to us, than they do to God; God looks upon things otherwise than we do: Then let Him do what seemeth Him good. Not what seemeth good to me, nor what seems good to others, but unto God.
Then fourthly, That this is a very Commendable [ IV] and Acceptable work, upon the first Manifestation of any
Displeasure of God, presently to yield and submit without anymore ado: Not after a great deal of riggling and stir,
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then to yield; but to yield presently upon the first Manifestation against his Family, he presently falls down, and saith, It is the Lord, let Him do what seemeth Him good. These are the four Conclusions in the Text, and I shall desire to go through them all, and speak to mine own Heart and yours in them: It is the Second that is the chief and main, there we shall pitch most.
But briefly of the First:
That a gracious Heart in all Afflictions, looks up [ I] to God: It is the Lord. Not this Cause, and the other Cause, or this Accident, or the other thing, that takes up his Thoughts so much, but God in it. The truth is, a Heart that is truly
Gracious, loves to Converse with God in everything. If it be a Mercy, presently the Heart gets through the Creatures, by which God bestows a Mercy, and looks up to the God of that Mercy: And so if it be Afflictions, the Heart that is Gracious, having some of the Divine Nature in it, presently works it's self up to God, in the 6th. of Micah, ver. 9. there's a famous
Scripture for this: Saith the Prophet there, The Lord's Voice crieth unto the City, and the Man of Wisdom shall see thy
Name; hear ye the Rod, and who hath appointed it. The Man of Wisdom shall see thy Name: The Name of God is written upon his Rod, and where there is a Man of Wisdom, he sees the Name of God that is there written. It's a special part of the Wisdom of a Christian, to be able to see God's Name, and to read God's Name written upon his Rod: The Men of the World have not the skill to read the Name of God written upon his Rod; but it's a privilege of the Saints, that they see
God's Name written there. It is a special part of the Worship that is due to God, the Acknowledgment of God in all his
Administrations. That's Worship, when we acknowledge God in all his Providences towards us, In all thy ways acknowledge Him; and in all His Ways he must be acknowledged:
As we must acknowledge God in all our ways, so we must acknowledge God in all His Ways, and thereby we come to Worship Him.
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[ 2] Secondly, It's a means to compose the Heart, to strike the Heart with awful Fears and Reverence of God, when we look at Him in our Afflictions, and beyond the Creature. It is a Way to make us search and examine our Hearts, what there is between God and us; when once we take notice it's
God that doth it, this presently puts the Heart upon a Scrutiny; What is there between God and my Soul? What is there between God and my Family?
And then it is a special means to put the Soul on to seek God for Help, for Assistance, for Blessing, for a Sanctified Use of what ever Affliction is upon it. There's a great deal of good in seeing the Lord in an Affliction, in seeing that we have to deal with Him; but the special good is, that that we shall come to in the second Point: The working of the humble submission of the Heart to God. Only for the present, let this
Rebuke such who are of Carnal and Atheistical spirits, That whatever befalls them, look no higher than the Creatures by which God works. It's an Argument that they have little to do with God, that they know not what it is to Converse with God, that will cry out of their Afflictions: They howl upon their Beds, as the Holy Ghost saith in the 7th. of Hosea, But they seek not to Me, or turn not to Me. And such as have slight and vain hearts in the time of their Afflictions, it's a very ill thing that; for Men to think to take Courage to themselves, so as not at all to be sensible of the Hand of God. God expects we should be so, though we should not have dishonored Hearts, yet we should have precious
Hearts. For when one have to deal with God in anything, we had need be serious, the Presence of God should work our
Hearts to Seriousness: And therefore slightness and vanity of Spirit in the day of Affliction, it is very unbeseeming.
Thou doest not sanctify the Name of God in that Administration of His towards thee, who hast •• vain and slight Spirit in the Day of thine Affliction? And surely that's an Argument that thou never sawest God in His Mercy, when thou doest not see him in thine Afflictions: but that thou didst enjoy God's Mercy but in a Brutish way, when
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thou doest behave thyself under thine Afflictions in a Brutish way. But this shall suffice for the first.
The second, and that's the main: That the sight [ II] of the Hand of the Lord, is that that hath a great deal of Power in it, to work the Heart that is Gracious, to an humble submission to Him. It is the Lord, let Him do what seemeth
Him good.
That that's here spoken of Eli, we may find mentioned by divers of the Servants of God in Scripture: I will give you but only two Scriptures for it, and those are concerning David. In this Book of Sam. 15. 25. If I shall find favor in the Eyes of the Lord, he will bring me again, and show me both it, (that is) the Ark and the City, and his
Habitation; but if he should say, I have no delight in thee, behold, here am I, let him do to me, as seemeth good unto him. So you see how David, he looks up to God here: If I find favor in the Eyes of the Lord, he will bring me again; and if he say, I have no delight in thee, behold, here I am, let Him do what seemeth good unto him. And in the 39th. Psal. ver.
9. I was dumb, I opened not my Mouth, because thou diddest it. It was the sight of the Lord in it, that made him
Dumb, and not open his Mouth: And you know what He did in the case of Shimei, when He Curst him, The Lord hath bid him, saith he. Now this Point is very large, I shall briefly propound unto you, the several Considerations from the Hand of God in an Affliction, for to quiet the Heart, and to help the Heart to sanctify his Name.
As first •• us, It is the Lord: It is he that is infinitely above me, above us all, and therefore He must be submitted to. It is the Great and Blessed God, that is infinitely above Angels, and above all Creatures that hath done it; and therefore He must be submitted to. It may may be you could not tell how to bear a Box on the Ear from an Inferior, or an Equal, or from one a little above you: But if so be a King should be near and strike you, you could bear that; you would not be so ready to rise against him, as against an Inferior man's
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striking of you. Why, 'It is the Lord, that is Infinitely above us; that is the Infinite, Glorious, and Blessed God. He must be submitted to.
Yea, secondly, It is the Lord, that hath the absolute Right to us, and all that we have; more than we have to ourselves, or anything that we enjoy. It is the Lord, that hath the absolute
Authority over us, to do with us what He will; you have not so much authority over a Worm under your feet, as God hath over you, and over all your Comforts; you have not so much right to kill a Fly, as the Lord hath to take away your Lives:
He hath more Right a thousand thousand times over your Lives, Family, Comforts, and all you have, than you have over the meanest Creature, He hath the absolute Right over you all. If anything be done amiss in a Family, and the Servants be falling out one with another, and one saith you did thus and thus, and the other saith you did it, and so are wrangling one with another; now if the Master comes, and saith, Why? It was I that did it: He makes account that this should still them all, because it was he that had right to do it. Why, It is the Lord, and therefore it is not for us to stand
Fretting against any means: For it is the Great, Sovereign Lord, that hath the absolute Power and Dominion over us.
And then, Thirdly, It is the Lord we have sin'd against, and hath us at infinite Advantages that way: It is the Lord that we are liable unto. While we are here in this World, and carry about with us so much sin, we cannot have any serious
Thoughts of God, but we must needs have Thoughts how we have sin'd against this God, and what advantages this God hath us at, in respect of our sins. Oh! It is the Lord, that we have offended and sin'd against.
Fourthly, Hence it follows, It is the Lord, and therefore it is He; that if He hath brought a little Affliction, He may bring abundantly more if He pleases. It is He, whose Power as it is not shortened in a way of Help, so not in a way of Affliction:
Hath He afflicted in one kind, He might in a hundred, if he pleased? Hath He afflicted thee in thy Estate, He might have
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afflicted thee in thy Body? Hath He afflicted thee in thy Body, He might have afflicted thee in thy Soul? Hath He afflicted thee in thy Soul here, He might have sent thee down to Hell eternally? Is it upon any within thy
Dwelling-place, it might have been upon thyself? It is the Lord that hath us under His feet. And if He bring the least evil, He might have brought as much as He pleased: He might have afflicted us abundantly more than He hath done.
And this is a mighty humbling Consideration to quiet the Heart, under the Hand of God.
And then, Fifthly, It is the Lord. Why, it is the Lord that hath done all the Good that ever we have enjoyed: It is He that hath done all Good to us. You have an Affliction, but have you no Mercies? Do you enjoy no Good? Why, from whence was it, was it not from the Lord? Shall I receive Good from the Hand of the Lord, and not Evil, saith Job. Why, even the Savage Beasts will bear strokes from them that feeds them.
The very Bears will suffer the Bearherd that brings them Meat, to strike them; they will not suffer a stranger so much, but those that bring them Meat: They receive good from them, and therefore they will submit to them. Now we receive infinite Good from God, daily Good, and that's a very useful Meditation for us to consider of, in times of Affliction:
There's this Good, or that particular Good taken from me, but what do I enjoy, or what have I enjoyed? It's a usual thing in Afflictions; to keep the sight of God from us: As the putting a thing but as big as a Two-pence upon the Eye, it will keep the sight of all the Heavens from us; and so a little
Afflictions many times keeps the sight of all the Good that we do enjoy from us. But when we consider it is the Lord, the infinite Fountain of all Good, this is a mighty quieting
Consideration.
Sixthly, It is the Lord: He is Just and Righteous in all his Proceedings, there's nothing but Righteousness in Him in all
His Ways: In very Faithfulness, saith David, hast thou afflicted me. It may be some affliction may come from Men, and we may think they deal Unrighteously and Unjustly; but
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it is the Lord, and there is nothing but Righteousness in all His Ways. If we should think, Why, these afflictions, they fall upon me, and such and such, they escape. You must not reason so, It is the Lord, and therefore it is Righteous. You think it might be better thus and thus, but it is the Lord, that is Just and Righteous in all His Proceedings, and in all His
Ways. Yea, Seventhly, As Righteous, so infinitely Wise: He is Infinitely Wise, and so knows how to Order things in the best way that may be; He knows what's fittest both for us, and for His own
Glory: We are poor weak Creatures, but it's the Lord that sees Infinitely beyond us.
Eighthly, It is the Lord, that hath always very Holy ends; in all His Dealings He hath Holy ends, and Aims at Great and Holy things, though perhaps we know them not; and therefore He is to do whatsoever He will. We use to say of a Man, if we see him to be a Wise and Understanding man, yea, a Just man, and to be a man that doth all things always from good Principles, and for good Ends, let him alone, though we do not understand what he is doing, yet let him alone, he knows what he doth: It is the Lord, let Him alone in His work, let Him do what seemeth Him good.
Ninthly, It is the Lord, and He is able to bring good out of the greatest evils, to bring light out of darkness; yea, to bring the greatest good out of the greatest evils. I verily believe, that many of the People of God have found it so,
That the greatest Blessings that ever they have had since they were born, have been Ushered in by the greatest
Afflictions. Certainly, as the Lord would not suffer sin in the World, were it not for His Infinite Power, to bring about Good from the sins of men; so neither would He suffer
Afflictions in the World to His Saints, but that He knows He hath Power enough to bring good to them, even out of their greatest Afflictions. It is the Lord, that hath this Power. One would be loath to trust ones self with one in any Danger, that cannot tell how to bring him out again: You would be
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loath to see your Child held over the Water by another little Child, or over a Fire; but if a strong Man hath your Child in his Arms, and holds it over the Water, and you know him to be your loving Friend, it troubles you not at all: Why?
Because you know he hath strength enough to keep your Child from the Danger. Why, It's the Lord, that though He holds his Children over Fire or Water, and brings them into Fear and Afflictions; yet He hath Power enough not only to preserve them, but to bring a great deal of Good out of all, and therefore let Him do what seemeth Him good.
Tenthly, It is the Lord, therefore submit to Him, for His Counsel must stand, and His Work must go on, there's no striving with the Almighty: Are we greater than He? No:
Instead of striving, let there be submitting and yielding.
Eleventhly, Yea, and further, It is the Lord, and therefore He is worthy that His Designs should be brought about, though we should be ruined: There is such infinite Excellency in this
God (as I say) He is worthy to have his own Designs brought about, and his own Will fulfilled, though it be to our Ruins:
Doth God think man so excellent a Creature, as that He shall give thousands of other Creatures for to help him, with the loss of their own Lives? And shall not we think the Lord to be Infinitely worthy, if He have use of our Lives, or Liberties, or Names, or anything; that He should not have all, to bring about his Designs withal? O, he is worthy, and therefore let Him do what seemeth Him good. If so be he will raise up any building of his in our ruins, we should be willing to be serviceable to God in it; we should be willing to lie down and let all that we have go, that may be any way serviceable to God in his designs; for the Lord is worthy.
These Considerations may be very useful to help you in the day of Affliction, to meditate of God; and so to work your hearts to an humble submission: but especially if you add this one more.
Twelfthly, When you do not only see him to be Jehovah, the Lord; but if you can see that you have any interest in him, as
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that he is the Lord your God; this is of mighty power to quiet the heart: as if he be your God, why then he is in Covenant with you, and if he be in Covenant with you, then he hath engaged all his Wisdom, and all his Power, and all his
Mercy, for to be working eternally for your good; and that's more than a mere consideration that it is the Lord; and that he is above us, and just and holy, and that it is in vain not to submit unto Him. But it is the Lord that is in Covenant with me, and in that Covenant he hath engaged all his Power and Wisdom, and Mercy and Goodness for me. Did we but understand what the Covenant of God in Jesus Christ was, that he hath taken his Servants into; O then this thought, It is the Lord in Covenant with me, would be enough to enable us to resign up ourselves wholly to his dispose.
Thirteenthly, Yea, 'It is the Lord that is our Father. You know what Christ saith, Shall I not drink the Cup that my
Father giveth me to drink. That was the Argument of Christ:
O that this were in all our thoughts at all times, when anything, though it be never so grievous, befalls us, Shall I not drink the Cup that my Father giveth me to drink? Whatsoever it be, if it comes out of a Fathers hand, why let Him do what seemeth him good. You know when
Christ came to the Disciples walking upon the waters, and the Disciples were afraid; Be not afraid, 'tis I; saith Christ.
They were troubled at it, and thought that one came as an Enemy to do them hurt; but be not afraid, 'tis I; saith Christ.
So my Brethren, we should look in all afflictions to see who it is that comes; we apprehend an Enemy coming, but now those that are godly, they may look upon him that comes as God, Be not afraid, saith the Lord, it is I; It's I that am reconciled to you in my Son. Upon this the soul may with abundance of sweetness and comfort, go to God in Prayer, and open itself to God; having an interest in him. You know,
If a great Dog should come with full mouth upon one, why indeed, if so be that he that comes to a house be a thief, he hath cause to fear; but if he be a Child, he can call to his
Father, the Master of the house, Take off your Dog. So when
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afflictions come to the wicked, they come with open devouring mouth, and they have cause to be afraid; but those that have interest in God, may go with freedom unto
God in prayer, and cry to the Lord to take off the dog, the affliction; to keep it that it should do them no hurt at least. It is the Lord.
Object. I but you will say, That though it be the Lord, yet it's this indeed that rather makes my affliction the greater; to consider it comes from God: The thought that it's God in it strikes terror; because I am conscious of sin against God. It is an affliction that comes for my sin, and therefore I see the displeasure of God in it; and this makes it more grievous. I would rather bear anything from a creature, than to bear the displeasure of God in a creature; that's that that is the greatest stick of all, and therefore every time I think it is the Lord, it rather adds to mine affliction.
Answ. To that I answer, First, It's true, many men that think that all is well between God and them in the time of their health and prosperity, yet when affliction comes, God appears to them, and they look upon God as an Enemy; this is dreadful: It's a fearful thing when God is a terror to a man in the day of Calamity. You know what Jeremy saith Jer. 17.
17. Be not thou a terror to me, O Lord, for thou art my hope in the day of evil. If the soul may have God to be the hope of it in the day of evil, there's no evil terrible; but if God be a terror then too, and write bitter things against the soul in the time of affliction, that's dreadful.
But yet suppose thou seest God, even as an Enemy coming against thee; yet the consideration that it is the Lord, should make thee submit at least: For it is time for thee then to submit, if so be that God as an Enemy appears against thee:
It's time for thee to make haste to make thy peace with God, yea, and thou hast the more cause to bless God, that he hath not destroyed thee. What, dost thou apprehend God as an Enemy? O then, it's infinite Mercy thou art not destroyed.
Certainly, if He be an Enemy to thee now, He was an Enemy
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before; only we are ready to judge according to present Administration. But this is certain, If God be an Enemy now,
He was an Enemy all the time thou hadst thy Health, and wast in thy uttermost Prosperity; it's time for thee then to fall down, and make peace. And what infinite cause hast thou to wonder, that thou art not utterly destroyed, and therefore reason to submit unto Him.
But yet it is a weakness in the Saints, and a temptation, often to judge of God's dealings thus, and to think that every time God appears against them, as if he were in hatred: As the People of Israel, in their Murmuring Discontented
Mood, He brought us out of Egypt into this Wilderness, because He hated us; say they. O, this was wicked, and displeased God exceedingly. As we are not to judge of God's
Love by outward Prosperity, so not of His Hatred by outward Afflictions.
Object. 2. But though I dare not think that God comes in a way of Hatred and Enmity, yet there's a great deal of Displeasure for my sin; and it's that that makes it grievous to me.
And mark, Even this that was threatened to Eli, it was threatened for his sin, and yet he falls down and submits, and saith, It is the Lord, let Him do what seemeth Him good. Yea, and we find the Servants of God, when they apprehended God appearing against their sin, that Consideration did quiet them so much the more: In Mich. 7.
9. I will bear the Indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against Him: (Because.) And that fore-named place concerning David, 2 Sam. 15. 26. where you have such a Wonderful Gracious and Humble Submission unto the Dispose of God; where he saith, If He hath no pleasure in me, let Him do what seemeth Him good. Why David was under almost as sore an Affliction as a man could be under, and it was for his sin too: Yea, it was for a great sin, it was for his sin of Uncleanness, and his sin of Murder, that he was sain to fly for his Life, even before his own Son. It was
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as sore and hard an Affliction, and there was as much of the sting of the guilt of sin in it, as any Affliction of any of the People of God, that ever we read of: And yet how humbly he submits, If he saith I have no delight in him, behold, here I am, let him do what seemeth him good.
However, there is a vain Conceit abroad in the World, as if God chastised not his People for sin at all: Yet certainly, the People of God, that walk close with God, they find there is a Chastisement, and a Fatherly Displeasure, though not the Revenge of a Judge. And certainly, there can be no Argument taken from the absolute satisfaction of Christ, to prove that there is no Chastisement for sin; for Christ did satisfy as fully for David and Eli, that were under the Law:
They had the satisfaction of Christ perfect as well as you.
Would it have been (do you think) a good Argument then, That if God Chastised for sin, he did not do justly, because
Christ satisfied God's Justice: Why did not Christ satisfy God's Justice then? It was not a good Argument then, certainly it is not so now: And for the New Testament, You are Chastised of the Lord, that you might not be Condemned with the World, 1 Cor. 11. 32. But I will give you one other
Scripture, and that is is the Epistle of James 5. 14, 15. Is any sick among you, let him call for the Elders of the Church, and let them pray over him, &c. The Prayer of Faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Here the Apostle writes to the Saints, and speaks of Godly People, and speaks of them indefinitely: If any of them, if the most Godly in all the Church were sick, why, saith he, let him send for the Elders and let them Pray; and if he hath committed sins, then they shall be forgiven him. So that any of the Saints may be in such a condition, as they may be Afflicted, and Afflicted for their sin; If they have sinned, then they shall be forgiven. To make this Supposition, and yet that this shall be a Truth, That it's impossible for any Godly People to be
Afflicted for their sin, were a Contradiction: For to say thus, If any Godly People be sick, let them take this Course, let
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them send for the Elders, and let them pray; and if they have committed sin, it shall be forgiven them. And yet the other to stand true, That no Godly People can be Afflicted for their sin: Certainly, these two cannot stand together,
You will say, If they have committed sin, it shall be forgiven:
Was it not forgiven before?
True, they are forgiven in respect of God's eternal Wrath, or in respect of the Guilt that binds them over to the satisfying of Revenging Justice: They are forgiven that, but they are not so forgiven, but that they need a Fatherly forgiveness still. Christ hath taken away already at first the Revenge of a Judge, but He hath not taken away all Fatherly Displeasure by his satisfying; For that's not at all to satisfy Justice: But God doth reserve this to himself, to deal with them as a Father. Indeed, through Christ's satisfying, God will never deal with his People as a Judge to Revenge; but this doth not put them out of his way of dealing with them as a Father, and they have need of Fatherly forgiveness still. And this is that that Christ teaches everyone to pray; Forgive us our sins, forgive us our Trespasses. Some other Pleas and Objections may be made, but I shall rather hasten to the Use of the Point.
Is the sight of God that, that should cause us humbly to submit? O let what hath been said in these several
Considerations, serve to rebuke our Impatiency, our Fretting, and sinking Discouragements. Who art thou? And what art thou, that thou shouldest keep a stir under any hand of God? Do not say, It is so great, and if it were any other Affliction, I would bear it; it is not for thee to choose thy Rod: And thou canst not speak more of thy Affliction, than David might have done of his: And therefore whatever thy thoughts may be, be humbled before God, that thou hast had any kind of Murmuring, or Impatience under the Hand of God, any stirrings that way: Who art thou, that thou must not be dealt withal, so as God hath dealt with others of his
Saints before, or as he doth deal with any others now?
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There's a notable Scripture; O that it might have but such an effect as it had on Job! Compare these two in the Book of Job, Job 38. 2. Who is this that darkeneth Counsel by words without Knowledge. The Lord saith thus to Job: Who is this whose heart doth fret and is so impatient, who is it?
Mark now afterwards, if you read the Scripture, from this place till you come to Chap. 42. you shall find that God is
Manifesting himself there, and Revealing himself in his Glory and Righteousness to Job: Now in the 3d. verse,
Job takes up the very words to himself, that God had before spoken: Saith Job, Who is he that hideth Counsel without Knowledge? Therefore have I uttered that I understood not, things too wonderful for me, which I knew not. God he saith,
Who is this that uttereth words without knowledge? And then he shows himself; Look upon me, is it not I that have done it? Then Job saw that it was God that did it. I have meddled with things that I understood not, I have troubled myself like a Fool in things that I did not understand: O foolish wretched heart that I have! And then afterwards he saith, I have heard of thee by the hearing of the Ear, but now mine Eye seeth thee; wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in Dust and Ashes. As if he should say, I will never be
Impatient more, I will never have any risings of heart more against any of thy dealings towards me: For, Lord, now
I see that I heard of thee; before I could have said, All things come by the Providence of God: I could have said so, I, but now mine Eyes see thee, I have the sight of that Glorious,
Infinite Majesty of thine, that art so infinitely Great, Blessed, and Holy; and therefore now I abhor myself in Dust and Ashes: Let become of me what will, I have learned forever to sanctify that Holy Name of thine, It is the Lord, let Him do what seemeth Him good.
And therefore by way of Exhortation: O my Brethren, I beseech you apply these things unto yourselves: In some of your Thoughts (it seems) I have been as Dead, hear then somewhat that I am this day to say to you; as you
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know Dives said, If one come from the Dead, they will hear him. Here what I have to say to you from this Point.
First, O let this sink into your hearts, as if one should come from the Dead to speak it to you, namely this, That God is so infinitely worthy of Honor from you, that you should be at a point, whether you Honor him either in the enjoyment of Mercy, or suffering of Affliction, it's no great matter: The Honor of God should be so dear to you, and you should so much love him, your hearts should be so much with God, as you should leave it wholly to himself, which way he would be
Honoured by you. Surely, though we think we have a Love to God, and we would Honor him, yet our Love to God, and desire to Honor him, is very little; If so be that we do not wholly resign up ourselves to him, to do in us and by us as he will: then indeed, is the heart right. And this is
Honouring God as a God, when there is a full yielding up of the heart, and when it is in a manner indifferent what way
God will take. Then your hearts are come to a right frame.
Secondly, The second thing that I would say to you, is this, That there is so great evil in sin (and O that God would make it take as great an Impression upon you, as if one from the Dead spake it) as the least stopping one in the way of sin, the least abating the power of sin hath so much good in it, as it's enough to countervail the greatest evil in the greatest
Afflictions in the World. O this Principle would be of mighty use in the hearts of People, when any Affliction doth befall them or their Family; but doth God by this (at least) stop me in any way of sin? Doth not God by this, some way, or other, help me against some sin? O then, the Affliction is well paid for. I have now a greater good abundantly, than the evil of the Affliction comes to; There was a little bitter, but here's a great deal more sweet.
Thirdly, There is more good in any Exercise of any Grace, than there is evil in the bearing of any Affliction: If God doth bring an Affliction but for the Exercise of any Grace, or for the stirring up thy heart but to look towards him, there may
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be more good in that, then there is evil in any Affliction. Perhaps thou art going up and down muddling in the World, and thy Thoughts were but little upon him before; why if by Afflictions thou comest but to look after God, his is a greater good than the evil of the Affliction comes to. But if God Blesses thee so as thou comest to Exercise Grace in it, Humility, Patience,
Self-denial, Faith; O here thine Affliction is abundantly made up: Oh! labor therefore upon the Consideration of this, that It is the Lord, to submit humbly to him; this is acceptable to God. Suppose you have two Children that were sick, it may be one he riggles and keeps a stir, and will take nothing that you give him; but now you have another
Child lies, and he is sick too, and he saith, Father, Mother, I will do what you will have me, I will take what you will give me, do but tell me what you would have done, I will presently do it; though it be never so grievous and bitter, I will take it. Now would it not make your hearts relent towards such a Child, that should be so yieldable, will lie this way, or that way, take this thing, or that thing, and all because it comes from a Father: If the Child should say to you, It's true, I am Sick and Ill, but I know you love me, and know what's better for me than I do, and therefore I will take it: Would not this be very acceptable? O this it is which the Lord accepts, when his Children do behave themselves so under his Afcting Hand.
And my Brethren, This further helps against a great many Temptations: When Job did but say this, The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away, let Him do what seemeth Him good. The Devil saw his hopes gone, then his hopes of doing that hurt and mischief that he intended was gone. O the heart is in a safe condition, that is thus submissive unto
God: Others that have Fretting Impatient hearts, are subject to abundance of Temptations, but the danger of Temptation is over, when thy heart comes to this.
And this will make the Affliction very easy unto thee, when thou bringest thy heart to this: It may be others may think
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that's very sore and hard with thee, I, but thou findest it very easy, abundance of sweetness comes in with this: Yea, I appeal to the Experience of the Saints, that knows but what this means; Whether ever had you more Comfort in all your
Lives, than at that time when you have been most Afflicted, and yet brought your hearts to this Temper and Disposition.
O therefore learn to work these things upon your hearts. It's an easy matter for Men and Women to speak these things, but to have the effectual working of these things upon the heart, that's not so easy: To sanctify God's Name in the Fire.
Carnal hearts, they have many poor things to help themselves in their Afflictions: They say this, It is my ill
Fortune this befell me; and another saith this, This befalls all Men, one or other, it's common: Others say thus, We must, we cannot help it, and we must submit to it. Another thinks thus, Why, I hope, it will be over. These are poor
Reasonings to work upon the heart, in the day of Affliction:
But now a gracious heart should get up higher above all these; It is the Lord, and there look into the Counsels of God, and seek to know the Mind of God, and to sanctify the Name of God. O, Grace (my Brethren) hath many
Excellencies in it; but among other things, this is not the least, That it hath such a mighty Power to help Men in the day of their Affliction; a mighty Power to sweeten the heart, and to take away the sting and evil of all Afflictions, and to carry the Soul on comfortably in the time of all Dangers and Trials. O labor to have this wrought upon your hearts! For by this you will manifest much Beauty in Grace, much
Excellency in Grace; it will be a means to Convince all that are about you. All those that profess Godliness, should labor to behave themselves so as to do that that others cannot do in the time of Affliction: They should then show what Grace can do. As David in another Case, said to the King of Achish,
Thou shalt see what thy Servant can do. So now in the time of Affliction, a gracious heart should put it to this; Come let's see what Grace can do. And certainly, this will be the way for removing of Afflictions sooner, when the heart is brought thus to yield unto the Lord: Wherefore that you may
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bring your hearts to this in the day of your Affliction, labor in the constant Course of your Life, to Converse much with God. Those that walk with God (according to the Text that you know I am upon) and Converse much with God in the day of their Health, why their hearts will in a kind of Natural-way, work up to God in the time of Affliction; then the Thoughts of God will be as suitable to thee, as Fire is to Fire: Fire ascends up to Fire, because of the suitableness of the Fire that is here, to that that is above. Why so the heart will work up to God in a kind of Natural-way, because God is so suitable to the heart, the heart having so much Converse with God in the day of Prosperity.
And labor thoroughly to Convince your hearts of this thing, That there is no Good in any Creature, but only in the Reference that it hath to God: There is no Good in Health, in Liberty, in your Names, in your Lives, in your Estates, any further than they have some Reference to God, the infinite first Good, the chief and high Good. It's an easy matter in a way of Reason, to Convince any one that this is a Truth. But now to have this Principle indeed wrought upon your heart, not only to say so in a way of Arguing, but I account in my
Soul of no good in anything further, than it hath reference to God. As now, I have for the present Health of Body: Where doth the good of the Health of my Body lie? It is, That while I have Health, I have Ability to serve God, and be useful in the place where God hath set me. I have an Estate, Wherein lies the good of it? It lies in this, That by this I may be
Instrumental for God, more than others. If I Live, Wherein lies the good of Life? Why that I may be useful to the Church, in the way wherein God hath set me. Now when the heart is principled in this, then if God takes away my Health then it seems God hath no further use of my Health for the present, but would rather Honor Himself in another way upon me; why now there is no good in my Health. And if God take away my Estate, then he would rather Honor Himself in the exercise of my Humility, and of my Patience. If God takes away my Life, then God will rather have His Honor
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from my Soul, to join with Angels and Saints, in Honouring of Him that way, rather than in Imploying of me any further in this World. Such a Principle as this is, would mightily help the heart in the day of Affliction.
Certainly our Happiness doth not depend upon what we have here in this World: The reason why the heart is so troubled in the time of Affliction, it is because of this, That Men and Women look upon their Happiness to consist in the enjoyment of these things: O no, thou Dishonourest the Name of Christ, and thy holy Profession, to think that thy
Happiness should depend upon such poor things as these are. Surely, Jesus Christ hath not come to shed His Blood, and to purchase Happiness for the Saints; and when all comes too, it should be so poor as to depend upon all the uncertainty that we have in this World: No, no, thy
Happiness lies higher, Thy Life is hid with Christ in God. If a man hath a Jewel worth many Thousands, and his House should be on Fire, why though he loses the Lumber and Stuff in the House, yet if he be sure the Jewel is safe, he is quiet. Now the Saints they may be sure that they are safe for Eternity, and therefore it is not much what other things be. Oh consider of these things, and work them upon your hearts. That's the Second Point.
But a word or two of the other, that is: That that which seems ill to us, may seem good to God. It is the Lord, let
Him do what seemeth Him good. Certainly, for the present it did not seem very good to Eli: If that Eli 's judgment had been asked of those things, Eli would have said, that they had been very sad. I, but as I remember, Luther once said, when he was Condemn'd and Rail'd upon at Noremberg, saith he, There's one thing Concluded at Noremberg, and another thing Concluded in Heaven: In Heaven there's not the same Judgment of my
Cause, as at Noremberg. And so it may be said concerning Affliction, There's one thing many times Concluded in my
Wretched, Weak, Foolish, and Unbelieving Heart; and another thing in Heaven: One thing concluded in the world,
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and in men's rumors; and another thing in Heaven. It's some comfort to a man though he hears rumors abroad in the world, if then he can have his own heart to contradict them.
If he had nothing else to think but this, Well that that's spoken in the World is one thing, and that that I find in my heart is another; that's comfortable: But this is greater comfort, Thou art my portion, saith my Soul; saith the Church in the Book of the Lamentations; as if she should say, Well, the temptation saith that God hath left me, the Devil saith thus; I but thou art my portion, saith my
Soul: That was comfortable. If so be that God speaks peace, it's more than if our own Souls speaks peace: Thou shalt choose our inheritance: Thy choice is better then our own. If we had always what's good in our own Eyes, woe were to us, we were undone. You would not think it, but certainly it is as heavy a judgment as can befall one in this world; that God should say, You shall do and you shall have what is good in your own eyes. Suppose that God should say but this morning concerning everyone of you, Well, you shall henceforward have whatsoever is good in your own Eyes. why you would think that you might go away and be glad of this; Glad, you had cause of going away with ringing of Hands, and howling and crying, if God should say thus, concerning any of you. O no, it's better that our Lives,
Liberties, Estates, Comforts, Happiness, and all be in God's Hands than our own, to be disposed of so as seemeth good in God's Eyes, rather than to be disposed of so as seemeth good in our own Eyes. I verily believe that many of you may be able to look back to the providences of God towards you, and to say, That suppose God had Twenty years ago said to me, I will give you leave to dispose of yourselves as you would: O many may be able to say, They certainly could never have disposed so well of themselves as God hath: And they would be loath to go back again to the Twenty years past, though they should begin and have liberty to dispose of themselves as they please: In Heb. 12. 11. saith the Apostle there, No Affliction for the present seemeth Joyous to us but Grievous, but afterwards, saith the Text, it works
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thus and thus. I, but things do seem to God as they are present always, but they do not seem so to us till afterwards.
After the Affliction is over then they seem good to us, but they seem good to God at the very present. We judge things by the outward appearance, but God judges things according to what they are. Things seem to us according as they either make for or against our outward good, we are led so much by sense: But they seem to God according as they are for or against his Glory and the last good of all.
They seem good or ill to us according as they are for or against some particular good; if they strike at such a particular we judge by particulars: But now, God he judges things by the proportion they have to the general, to all things at once. It's that that makes us to give very wrong
Judgment of things when we look but to particulars, and do not compare one with another, and raise a Judgment upon things all things considered. So God doth, God doth not so much look at things how they are in reference to this or the other good; but how things are in reference to all together in the general. We know some things may cross some particular, but they may be useful to another. Now that thats good in the general doth seem good to God, though it may go cross to some particular.
And then further, We look at things but just as they appear present to us, but now God looks upon things as they shall be a great while hence: God is working that that we shall not understand perhaps in our lives; or working in his
Administrations towards us, something that he intends shall come to pass a great while hence, so that if they come to pass in our Lives, yet we shall not have the fruit of them for many years. God He looks a great way off.
Wherefore learn by this, Not to be too Sudden, nor so Peremptory, in the judging of God's Administrations: Why?
Why because whatever they may seem to you, they may seem otherwise to God; stay till you know God's Judgment about them. As you, if you have any Wisdom, when you hear of strange Rumours, if you know that there be any that
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knows the thing better than you, you will not give a judgment upon it; till you have the judgment of such and such, that you know may understand it better than yourself.
So in the Ways of God towards us, Let not us presently give a Judgment upon those things, but let us stay first till we have the Mind of God. O let's learn to resign up our
Judgments to God's, and let Him Judge.
Neither let us trouble ourselves about other men's Judgments. As things seem otherwise to God than to us, so they seem otherwise to God than to other men. As we should not trust too much to the judgments of our own hearts, so we should not be so much troubled at other men's
Judgments. For whatever they think, still it is otherwise in God's account. Men, they will say, 'tis for this Cause, and the other Cause, and the like; but it's otherwise concluded in Heaven. And that's the Third Point.
The last should have been this, That 'tis not enough for Christians after a great deal of ado, to submit to God; that is, after the Affliction hath been upon them a great while, and when they see they cannot help themselves; then to begin to have thoughts of yielding to God. It's well that they do it at last: O, but it's more commendable a great deal, if we do it at first. At what instant God strikes, presently for the heart to come in and yield. As it is a most excellent thing to yield to God's Word when God first speaks, upon the least intimation of God's Will; O this is acceptable unto God. For those that are young ones, the first time they come to hear the Word; or if not the first time they come to hear it, yet the first time God speaks to their hearts; the very first word that speaks, presently for them to yield, it's a most excellent thing. So in the time of Affliction, for the heart to bow and submit presently to God: O this is an Argument of much cleanness that there is in the heart, that the heart is very clean, that there is not much Corruption there; for then there would be a standing out against God, and it would manifest itself in time of Affliction. As we know where there
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is Corruption in the Body it will manifest itself, if it come to endure Hardship; so it is with the Soul, &c.
And it argues much Grace, as little Corruption. So there is strength of Grace that can make the Heart bow presently to God. When Grace reigns in the Heart; when Grace can say
Come, and the Soul comes; Go, and it goes; when Grace can say, This is the Administration of God towards you; and now you must work thus, and presently the Soul doth it. It should not be enough to us, that we hope that we have that Grace, which possibly may bring us to Heaven at last: but we should labor to have that Grace that may reign in the Heart now, and bring all into a due Order. As in a Family, when the Governors are Wise, you shall have them, if there be but the least Disturbance, speak but a word, and all is quiet:
And you shall have other Families, that where the Reins of Government are loose, if there be but a little Disturbance, it grows more and more, and to such a height, that it's tedious for one that hath a quiet Spirit, to be in the Family: and so it is in the Heart, though the best hath some Disturbance. But now where Grace Rules and Governs, it stills all presently, without any great ado: But now in other men, though they have some Grace, yet if the Heart begins to be in a Disturbance, it's a long time before it can be quieted.
My Brethren, I have gone through these Points briefly, and you will say, 'It is a harder thing to do this, than to speak it.
It's true, it is, yet some of the Saints have done it: They have through the Mercy of God, been brought to these things that have been spoken, and it's possible to be done: Some have attained it, and there is strength enough in Christ, for the weakest to attain it: And He delights as much to Communicate His strength in helping of His poor Servants in the times of Affliction, as at any time.
Consider what hath been said in these several Truths, and lay them up against the Day of your Affliction, that you may say, It is the Lord, let Him do what seemeth Him good.