Josephs Party-Colored Coat, Sermon 3
AN ILL MATCH VVEL BROKEN OFF.
1 IOHN 2.15.
Love not the World.
THe Stoicks said to their affections, as Abimelech spake to Isaac, Gen. 26.16▪ Get you out from amongst us, for you are too strong for us: Because they were too strong for them to master, they therefore would have them totally banisht out of their soules, and labour to becalm themselves with an Apathy: But farre be it from us, after their example to root out such good herbes, (instead of weeds) out of the Garden of our nature; whereas affections, if well used are excellent, if they mistake not their true object, nor exceed in their due measure. Ioshua killed not the Gibeonites, but condemned them to bee Hewers of wood, and Drawers of water for the Sanctuary. Wee need not expell passions out of us, if wee could conquer them, and make Griefe draw water-Buckets of teares for our sinnes, and Anger kindle fires of zeale and indignation, when wee see God dishonoured. But as that must needs be a deformed face, wherein there is a transposition of the colours, the blewnesse of the vines being set in the lips, the rednesse which should be in the cheeks, in the nose; so alas most mishapen is our soule, since Adams fall, whereby our affections are so inverted, Ioy stands where Griefe should, Griefe in the place of Ioy. Wee are bold where wee should feare, feare where we should be bold, love that wee should hate, hate what wee should love. This gave occasion to the blessed Apostle in my Text, to disswade men from loving that, whereon too many dote. Love not the World.
For the better understanding of which vvords, knovv that the Devill goes about to make an unfitting match, betwixt the soule of a Christian, on the one party, and this world on the other. A match too likely to goe on, if wee consider the simplicity, and folly of many Christians (because of the remnants of corruption) easily to be seduced and inveagled, or the bewitching entising, alluring nature of this world: But God by Saint Iohn in my Text forbiddeth the banes, Love not the world.
In prosecuting whereof, wee will first shew the worthinesse of a Christian soule, then wee will consider the worthlesnesse of the world, and from the comparing of these two, this Doctrine will result that.
It is utterly unfitting for a Christian to place his affections on worldly things.
Let us take notice of a Christians Possessions, and of his Possibilities; what he hath in hand, and what he holdeth in hope: In possession he hath the favour of God, the Spirit of Adoption, crying in him, Abba father, and many excellent graces of sanctification in some measure in his heart. In hope & expectance he hath the reversion of Heaven and happinesse, (a reversion not to be got after anothers death, but his owne) and those happinesses which eye cannot see, nor eare heare; neither it can enter into the heart of man to conceive.
Now see the worthlesnesse of the World; three Load-stones commonly attract mens affections, and make them to love, Beauty, Wit, and Wealth. Beauty the world hath none at all. I dare boldly say, the world put on her Holy-day Apparell, when shee was presented by the Devill to our Saviour, Matth. 4.9. She never looked so smug and smooth before or since, and had there beene any reall beauty therein, the Eagle-sight of our Saviour would have seene it; yet when all the glory of the world was proffered unto him, at the price of Idolatry, hee refused it. Yet as old Iezabel, when shee wanted true beauty, stopt up the leakes of age, with adulterated complexion, and painted her face; so the world in default of true beauty decks her selfe with a false appearing fairenesse, which serves to allure amorous fooles, and (to give the world, as well as the Devill her due) shee hath for the time a kind of a pleasing fashionablenesse: But what saith Saint Paul, 1 Corinth. 7.31. foreign, the fashion of this World passeth away: The wit of the World is as little as her beauty, how ever it may bee cryed up by some of her fond Admirers; yet as it is, 1 Cor. 3.19. The wisedome of this World is foolishnesse with God, and Cuilibet artifici credendum est in sua arte, what wisedome it selfe counts foolishnes, is folly to purpose▪ her wealth is as small, as either what the world cals Substance, is most subject to Accidents, uncertaine, unconstant, even lands themselves in this respect are moveables, Riches make themselves wings, and fly away; they may leave us whilst wee live; but wee must leave them when wee dye.
Seeing then the World hath so little, and the Christian foule so much; let us learne a Lesson of Holy Pride, to practise heavenly Ambition. Descend not so farre O Christian, beneath thy selfe, remember what thou art, and what thou hast, loose not thy selfe in lavishing thy affections, on so disproportioned a Mate: There is a double Disparity betwixt thy soule, and the world: first that of Age. Perchance the world might make a fit mate for thy old Man, thy Vnregenerate halfe, thy Reliques of sinne; but to match the old, rotten, withered, worme-eaten World, to thy new Man, thy new Creature, the regenerated and renewed part of thy soule, gray to green, is rather a torture, then a marriage, altogether disproportionable.
Secondly, that of quality or condition, thou art Gods Free-man: If I have freed you, (saith Christ) then are you free indeed, the world is, or ought to be thy slave, thy vassaile, Iohn 1.5.4. For whosoever is borne of God overcommeth the world, and this is the victory that overcommeth the World, even our faith. Bee not then so base, as to make thy vassall thy mate. Alexander denyed to marry Darius his Daughter, though proffered unto him, scorning to bee conquered by her beauty, whose Father hee had conquered by his valour. Let us not make the world our Mistresse, whereof wee ought to be the Master, nor prostitute our affections to a slave we have conquered.
Object.Yea may some say this is good counsell, if it came in due season; alas now it commeth too late, after I have not only long doted, but am even wedded to this world; Infant affection may be easily crusht, but who can tame an old and rooted love: Thinke you that I have my affection in my hand, as Hunters their dogs, to let slip or rate off at pleasure; how then shall I unlove the world, which hath been my bosome Darling so long.
Answ.Art thou wedded to the World, then instantly send her a Bill of Divorce. It need never trouble thy conscience, that match may be lawfully broken off, which was first most unlawfully made: Yea, though wert long before contracted to God in thy Baptisme, wherein thou didst solemnely promise thou wouldst Forsake the Devill and all his workes, the vaine pompe and glory of this World. Let the first contract stand; and because it is difficult for those, who have long doted on the world, to unlove her; wee will give some rules, how it may bee done by degrees. For indeed it is not to bee done on a sudden, (matters of moment cannot bee done in a moment) but it is the taske of a mans whole life,Rules how to unlove the world. til the day of his death.
1.Looke not with the eyes of covetousnesse, or admiration on the things of the world. The eye is the principall Cinqueport of the soule, wherein love first arrives, Vt vidi, ut perij; now thou mayest looke on the things of the world, Vt in transitu, as in passage (otherwise wee should be forced to shut our eyes) and wee may behold them with a slighting neglectfull fastidious looke; but take heed to looke on them with a covetous eye, as Eve on the forbidden fruit, and Achan on the wedge of Gold. Take heed to looke on them with the eye of Admiration, as the Disciples looked on the Buildings of the Temple, Matth. 24 1. wondring at the Eternity of the structure, and conceiving the Arch of this World, would fall as soone as such stones riveted to immortality, might bee dissolved. Wherefore our Saviour checketh them, Verely I say unto you, there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not bee cast downe. Excellently Iob, chap. 31.1. I have made a Covenant with mine eyes, that I should not behold a woman. A Covenant? But what was the forfiture, Iobs eyes were to pay in case hee brake it? It is not exprest on the band; but surely the penalty is employed many brackish teares, which his eyes in repentance must certainly pay, if they observed not the Covenant.
Silence, that Spokesman in thy bosome, I2. meane that allurements of the flesh and Devill, who improveth his utmost power to advance a match betwixt thy soule and the world. And when any breach happens betweene thee, and the world; so that thou art ready to cast her off, the flesh in thy bosome pleads her cause: Why wilt thou (saith it) deprive thy selfe of those contentments, which the World would afford thee? Why dost thou torment thy selfe before thy time? Ruffle thy selfe in the silkes of security, it will be time enough to put on the Sack-cloath or Repentance, when thou lyest on thy Death-bed. Hearken not to the Flesh, her Inchantments; but as Pharaoh charged Moses, to get him out of his presence, he should see his face no more, Exodus 10.28. So strive as much as in thee lyeth to expell these fleshly suggestions from thy presence, to banish them out of thy soule, at leastwise to silence them, though the mischiefe is, it will be muttering, and though it dare not hallow, it will still be whispering unto thee, in behalfe of the world, its old friend, to make a Reconciliation betwixt you.
3 Send back againe to the world, the Love-tokens she hath bestowed upon thee, I meane those ill gotten goods, which thou hast gotten by indirect, and unwarrantable meanes. As for those goods, which thy parents left thee, friends have given thee, or thou hast procured by Heavens Providence on thy lawfull endeavours, these are no Love-tokens of the world, but Gods gifts; keepe them, use them, enjoy them to his glory: But goods gotten by VVrong, and Robbery, Extortion and Bribery, Force and Fraud, these restore and send back: For the world knoweth, that shee hath a kind of tye and engagement upon thee, so long as thou keepest her tokens; and in a manner thou art obliged in honour, as long as thou detainest the gifts that were hers. Imitate Zacheus, see how hee casts backe what the world gave him, Luke 19.8. Behold Lord, the halfe of my goods I give to the poore, and if I have taken any thing from any man, by false accusation, I restore him foure-fold.
4. Set thy affections on the God of Heaven, the best wedge to drive out an old love, is to take in a new, Postquam nos Amaryllis habet, Galataea reliquit: Yea, God deserves our love first, because God loved us first, 1 Iohn 4.19. It is enough indeed to blunt the sharpest affection, to be returned with scorne and neglect; but it is enough to turne Ice into ashes, to bee first beloved by one, that so well deserves love. Secondly, his is a lasting love, Iohn 13.1. Having loved his owne that were in the world, he loved them to the end. Some mens affection spends it selfe with its violence, hot at hand, but cold at length; God's not so, it is continuing. It is recorded in the honour of our *Look Lord Bacon in his life.King Henry, the seventh; that hee never discomposed favorite, one only excepted, which was William, Lord Stanly, a rare matter, since many Princes change their Favorites, as well as their clothes, before they are old: But the observation is true of the Lord of Heaven, without any exception; those who are once estated in his favour, hee continues loving unto them to the end.
Hearke then how hee woes us, Hoe every one, Esay 55.1. that thirsteth, come yee to the waters, and he that hath no money come, &c. How he woes us, Mat. 11.28. Come unto me all yee that labour, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Love his Love-letter his Word, his Love-tokens, his Sacraments, his Spokes-men, his Ministers, which labour to further the match, betwixt him and thy soule. But beware of two things.
1. Take heed of that dangerous conceit, that at the same time thou mayest keepe, both God and the World, and love these outward delights, as a Concubine to thy soule. Nay, God he is a jealous God, hee will have all or none at all.*Munsters Cosmog. de Germ. l. 3. pag. 143. There is a Citie in Germany, pertaining halfe to the Bishop thereof, and halfe to the Duke of Saxony, who named the Citie Myndyn, that is, mine and thine; because it was theirs Communi jure, and at this day by corruption it is called Minden. But God will admit of no such divisions, hee will hold nothing in Coparceny, hee will not share or part stakes with any, but hee will have all entire to himselfe alone.
Take heed thou dost not onelyonly fall out with the world, to fall in with it againe, according to that,
Amantium irae amoris redinte gratio est:
For even as some furious Gamesters, when they have a bad game, throw their cards out of their hands, and vow to play no more, (not so much out of mislike of gaming, as of their present game;) but when the cards run on their side, they are reconciled to them againe; so many men, when the world frownes on them, and crosses them, and they misse some preferment they desire; then a qualme of piety comes over their hearts, they are mortified on a sudden, and disavow to have any further dealing with worldly contentments. But when the world smiles on them againe, favours and prospers them, they then return to their former love, and doting upon it. Thus Demas 2 Tim. 4.10. would needs have another farewel embrace of the world, even after his solemne conversion to Christianity, Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present World. But when we are once at variance with the world, let us continue at deadly eternall feuds with it; and as it is said of Amnon, 2 Sam. 13.15. that the hatred wherewith hee hated his sister Thamar, was greater then the love wherewith he loved her: so (what was cruelty in him, will bee Christianity in us) once fallen out with the world, let the joynt bee never set againe, that it may bee the stronger; but let our hatred bee immortall, and so much the stronger, by how much our love was before.