The Saints Sacrifice, Section 74 – Section 75
§. 74. Of cenſuring all alike.
IX. *§. 66.PAſſion makes men judge all alike. True it is that by reaſon of that naturall corruption which hath infected all mankind, all are alike. aRom 3. 22, 23There is no difference. For all have ſinned, and come ſhort of the glory of God. Thus bPſal. 14. 3. Rom. 3. 10.a Prophet, and an Apoſtle alſo, not in paſſion, but by immediate inſtinct of the Spirit, ſaid, There is none righteous, no not one. Yea, in this ſenſe c—4.the Apoſtle uſeth the very words, that are here uſed, Every man is a lyar, and yet no man unjuſtly blamed. But to judge ſuch as have the Spirit of God in them, and are in what they ſpeake guided by the Spirit of God, yea and bring their meſſage from God, to judge them to be as naturall unregenerate men are, lyars, this is a moſt unjuſt imputation. Yet thus did paſſion make this Prophet judge the Prophets of the Lord that came to him in the name of the Lord, with the word of the Lord, to be. Both paſſion and hardneſſe of heart made dExo. 7. 11.Pharaoh judge Moſes and Aaron to be like to the ſorcerers and magicians of Egypt. So did e2 King. 19. 11Sennacherib judge Hezekiah and his people, and kingdome to be no better then the Kings, people and kingdomes of other nations. fIer. 5. 31. Lam. 2. 14. Zac. 13. 4. Mic. 3. 5.It is oft noted of the Iewes, that they gave no more heed to ſuch faithfull Prophets as the Lord ſent, then to ſuch falſe Prophets as ran of themſelves, and were not ſent: who ſpake a viſion of their owne heart, and not out of the mouth of the Lord. Yea many times g1 King. 22. 8. Ier. 18. 18.—37. 19▪ Paſſion like coloured glaſſe.more credit was given to ſuch falſe Prophets, then to true ones.
Paſſion in the ſoule is as colour in glaſſe. Now by experience we know, that what a man looketh upon thorow coloured glaſſe, appeares to him to be of the ſame colour that the glaſſe is of, though it be in truth of another colour. All objects are preſented thorow ſuch a glaſſe in one and the ſame colour. So to a man in paſſion all men ſeeme alike: all lyars, all deceitfull, all unjuſt, all unmercifull, all as one. Hence theſe or ſuch like ſpeeches oft come from them. I will believe no man. I will truſt no man. No man will deale faithfully with me. None can do me any good.
It is on this ground very requiſite that men in paſſion, or overwhelmed with affliction learne to ſuſpect themſelves, and to ſuppoſe that they may be deceived. We uſe thus to perſwade men that by ſickneſſe are diſtempered in their taſte, and cannot diſcerne any difference betwixt meats, but loath all alike, to believe others that have both good underſtanding of what is wholſome and hurtfull, and alſo a taſte well tempered, and accordingly againſt their owne diſtempered humour to take and eate that which thoſe others doe offer unto them for their good. Many that in paſſion have Haec eſt ver… dementia, non cogitare, nec ſcire quod mendacia non diu fallant: noctemq▪ tam diu eſſe, quam diu illuceſcat dies. Cypr. Epiſt l▪ 1. ep 3. Setled paſſion blame worthyhad a very ill opinion of their beſt friends, and beene moved to inveigh againſt them moſt bitterly, when the paſſion hath been over, have been very ſorie for that wrong they did, and much repented the ſame. If ſuch would have ſuſpected themſelves, they might have prevented that occaſion of after-repentance. It is a kind of madneſſe not to thinke and know that lies cannot long deceive: and that it is night while the day ſhineth out. Knowledge of truth doth as evidently diſcover a lie, as the Sun diſpells darkneſſe.
If ſuch generall cenſures proceeding from men in paſſion be blame-worthy (for here the Prophet acknowledgeth it ſo to be) what are they when they come from men in cold bloud (as we ſpeake) when there is no affliction to vexe and grievethem, no occaſion to anger them, no great cauſe to ſtir up any paſſion in them, except a malevolent humor in themſelves? Too too frequent are ſuch cenſures, and that moſt commonly when ſuch as by function, profeſſion, or any other like relation have dependance on God. Thus if ſome Miniſters be obſerved to be proud, covetous, licentious, or otherwiſe vicions, a generall imputation ſhalbe laid upon all, All Miniſters are thus and thus. So on like grounds, All profeſſors are hypocrites, All frequenters of ſermons are buſiebodies. All that make conſcience of ſwearing are lyars, &c. Thus in other caſes, All Tradeſmen are couſoners. All citizens are uſurers. All Phyſitians are hard-hearted. All Lawyers are unconſcionable. All officers are bribers. All Patrons are ſimoniacall. All courtiers are proud. All Scholars are vaine glorious All husbands are ſlaves. All wives wilbe maſters. All ſervants are idle. Yea it is uſuall thus to impeach all of a nation: as, All Spaniards are proud. All Italians are Machevillians. All French-men are falſe-hearted. All Dutch-men are drunkards. All Scotch-men are treacherous▪ All Engliſh-men are fantaſticall. Such generall cenſures cannot be but unjuſt cenſures: and yet too too frequent they are.
§. 75. Of the mixture of faith and feare.
X. *§. 66.FAith and feare may be mixed together. After aGen. …5. 6.Abraham had ſo believed as his faith was counted to him for righteouſneſſe, he ſaid, b—20. 11.They will ſlay me for my wives ſake, which argued much feare. Of faithfull Iacob it is ſaid, c—3…. 7.He was greatly afraid. He that ſaid, dPſal. 5…. 5, 16I will call upon the Lord and he ſhall ſave me (an undoubted evidence of faith) ſaid alſo in the very ſame Pſalme, Fearefulneſſe and trembling are come upon me, and horrour hath overwhelmed me (an apparent ſigne of feare.) eMat 8. 26.—14. 31. Luk 24. 37.Oft doth Chriſt upbraid feare even to his beleeving Diſciples. Of Peter it is noted, after that he was endued with an extraordinary meaſure of faith and other gifts, that fGal. 2. 12.He feared them which were of the circumciſion.
g1 Cor. 13. 9.That which the Apoſtle ſaith of knowledge, is true of faith, and of all other graces for the time of this life, We believe in part. So much as wanteth in man of the perfection of faith, feare filleth up: as aire filleth up ſo much of a veſſell as wanteth water or other liquor. hExo. 17. 8, &c.Feare to the Soule of man is as Amalek to Iſrael: and Faith as Moſes. Feare is ready on all occaſions to invade the Soule. If Faith waxe faint, and let downe her hand, Feare prevailes. Yea i2 Sam. 3. 1.as the two houſes of David and Saul were together in Iſrael, and maintained warre one againſt the other, ſo doe Feare and Faith in the ſame ſoules. But as Faith waxeth ſtronger and ſtronger, Feare will waxe weaker and weaker.
This mixture putteth us in mind of ſundry duties, as,
1 To beare with the infirmities of Saints, Gal. 6. 1.
2 To be watchfull over our ſelves, Mat. 26. 41.
3 To beware of preſumption, Mat. 26. 35.
4 To take heed of grieving the Spirit, Eph. 4. 30.
5 To pray for increaſe of faith, Luk. 17. 5.
6 To ſtirre up the gift of God in us, 2 Tim. 1. 6.
7 To check our ſelves for doubting, Pſal. 42. 5.
Much comfort may hence ariſe, to ſuch as miſlike this Timorem non de malitia, ne que de ſuperbia, vel contemptu praecepti dominici, ſed de animi infirmitate venientem noluit Dominus imputare. Aug Quaeſt. ſup. Ioſ. l. 6. … ult.fruit of the weakeneſſe of the fleſh in them, and thereupon uſe what meanes they can, and do their endeavour to caſt off this feare. If notwithſtanding their griefe for it, and ſtrife againſt it, they find themſelves ſtill ſubject thereto, let them not thereupon queſtion the truth of their faith becauſe of that feare which appears to be in them. Their caſe in this caſe is no other then hath beene evidenced to be the caſe of many of Gods ancient worthies. Such feare comming not from malice, nor from pride, or contempt of any charge given unto them by the Lord, but from the infirmity of the fleſh, God would not impute it to his people.