The Christian Governor in the Commonwealth and Private Families, Exposition 2 · Part 3
Then hee went and claue to a Citizen of that Countrey, and hee sent him to his Farme, to feede Swin….
COncerning this lost Sonne,Verse 15. the kinde of punishment hath beene spoken of, which is the necessitie to which his sinne had brought him. It followeth that wee (further) consider, in this young man, the effects that followed: Which respect himselfe, or this Citizen, to whom hee put himselfe Seruant.
In respect of himselfe, the rod of hunger did so driue him, and with such sharpe teeth bite him, that hee refused no condition of life wherein hee might get any thing to put into his belly, by it to asswage that paine of necessitie which hee endured. And this made him to ioyne himselfe to a certaine miserable and churlish Citizen, vvho imployed him basely, and not according to his Gentry and breeding: for, he did not command him about his more honest and ingenuous seruices in the Citie: but, being (as it is like) some rich Townesman, or as one of those wealthy Citizens, that hauehave houses in the Citie, and Farmes in the Country, sent him to his Farme. And there, not to looke vntounto his better cattell, which (yet) had beene a place of better respect; but to feede his Swine. And so hee that (not long before) was impatient to be a naturall Sonne, and younger brother in his Fathers house, was brought to that low ebbe of necessitie in his poore life, and the house of a stranger, that hee could not be in any office, but the meanest, nor doe any worke, but the most contemptible. So wee see the best preferment, that they get by the Diuels Seruice, who put their neckes into his yoake to be commaunded of him. And yet this stray-Sonne had rather submit to this, then (till further misery compell him) to his Father, whom hee had offended. If hee can take any other way then his way home, hee had rather wander in it, then keepe the path of repentance. So it fareth, and hath fared with all the Sonnes of Adam, since; in him they were strangers from God, in this farre country of their exile from heauenly life. For, how vnwilling are they to come home to their heauenly Father by the Grace of Repentance, from whom they depart daily by the Errour of Sinne? They sooner cleaue to any, then to the Lord, and to any refuge then to his prouidence: vvhichwhich they would still doe, with those bidden but refusing guests, spoken of, Luke 14.18.19.20. if the Lord did not vse compulsion, where hee will not be denyed, verse 23.
The Doctrine from hence is;Doctr. 1. it is naturall to man, and a proper effect of sinne in man, further and further to depart from God, till he bring him backe… Adam, when hee had once departed from God by his sinne, departed further by impenitencie, till God called him. For, the man and his wife hid themselues from the presence of the Lord God among the Trees of the Garden, Gen. 3.8.
And (here) behold (in this lost Sonne) the old Adam of disobedience to God, hiding himselfe among one of the Trees of the garden, rather then hee will come backe to his Father, who, in the voyce of affliction, calleth to him, saying; Adam, where art thou? Gen. 3.9. But, this appeareth in kinde, considered in Cain, who being a vagabond from God, and runne-a-gate in the earth, did neuer returne, because neuer brought backe by him that turneth his Children, Gen. 4.14. Dauid, Gods deare Childe, departing by his Adultery and bloudy sinne, from his Fathers house, with this lost Sonne, thought not of returning thither by sound conuersion, till after three quarters of a yeeres absence or more, God sent Nathan his Prophet with authoritie, to bring him by the words of his Parable, and by the interpretation of them, saying vntounto him; Thou art the man, 2 Sam. 11.27. & 12.1.2.7. Hee that saith, Returne yee Sonnes of Adam, Psal. 90.3. knoweth that the Sonnes of Adam cannot returne, till hee turne them, who (onelyonly) ordereth the goings of man. So that stray-sheepe of Samaria, with whom CHRIST had conference at Iacobs Well, wandered further and further, in her taunting speeches, from her direct saluation, and from God her Sauiour, till CHRIST stopped her, by telling her what shee had done, and how nought shee had beene, Iohn 4.11.15.17. for, hee said, Thou hast well said, I hauehave no Husband: for, hee whom thou now hast, is not thy Husband, verse 17.18. Thus it is cleare that man straying from God, cannot returne till God turne him.
The Reasons are. Man departeth not from God but by sinne, nor returneth, but by Repentance, but repentance is Gods gift, and none can turne to God, except hee be first turned of him, Ier. 31.19. And (therefore) our comming backe, when we wander from him, is his worke.
Secondly, for this, lost man is compared to a stray and lost sheepe, vvhichwhich will wander further and further from his Pasture till his Shepheard seeke him, and bring him home, Luke 15.4. For, so the wandering sinner will stray without end or returne till God hauehave mercy vponupon him.
Thirdly, what is man fallen, but a rebellious creature… proud by Nature, and stubborne to Grace? But pride will not come downe, before it bee taken downe; nor stubbornnesse yeeld, till stubbornnesse be mastered. This commeth onelyonly from God, and therefore it commeth onelyonly from him that vve are conuerted to God. Also, no man can repent, who doth not (first) hate sinne, and louelove righteousnesse. But doth any man so naturally, or till God by grace alter him? Must hee not be sanctified? must hee not be iustified? must hee not hauehave Faith that shall doe so? And, vvho sanctifieth but the holy Ghost? 2 Th…s. 2.13. who iustifieth but God? Rom. 8. ver. 33. and whose gift is Faith but Gods? Rom. 12.3.
Vses.
Vse 1.An instruction, in our conuersion, to resigne all to God, by praying him to bring backe his lost Sonne in vsus. Wee wander through many a vale, and ouer many a mountaine, after we hauehave broken from him by our Coltish liues, and would runne into hell if he did not stay vsus. Therefore, and seeing his louelove to wilfull sinners is so great, that hee vvill not loose one whom he hath chosen, but will seeke him (and that with great patience) by his Word and Iudgements, tenne, twenty, thirty, forty yeeres, or longer, till hee finde him. Let vsus consider wisely how long hee hath sought vsus, and eueryevery particular man, how louingly hee hath sought him by his Messengers, whom hee hath sent vntounto him, by vvhat Messengers, and by how many: and, finding himselfe, in his stray-life, more ready eueryevery day then other, to loose himselfe in the Vales of Baca and Mountaines of Sin, let him cry vntounto God with his heart, and say with the Prophet; O seeke thy Seruant, Psal. 119.176.
Some dreame (and it is but as a dreame when one awaketh) that they can repent when they will. Or, why doe they with so lost a conscience put off repentance, as if that were in their gift, which is not theirs but Gods to giuegive? Acts 5.31. 2 Tim. 2.25. But suppose it were in our power and hands to repent when wee would, were it not great madnesse to sinne wilfully and presumingly because of that? One saith well; would any man that is sober and in his right minde, surfet of his meate because hee hath a Pill in his Closet? or cruelly hacke his flesh with a sword, because he hath in his power and keeping, that which will cure the sore of those desperate gashes? And is hee a sober Christian, or Christian of any sound or sober iudgement, that will, by sinning wilfully, expose himselfe to the strokes of God, and gashes of a wounded and tormented conscience, because hee hath that in his power, that is the remedy of sinne, Repentance? But Repentance is not in our custodie, nor vnderunder our key, as some thinke. And, therefore, wanting this Oyle of Repentance, to turne from sinne, and to God; what folly and madnesse is it to deferre it with the foolish Virgins, till there be no opening, and till wee would be glad to buy it with a thousand repentances, and tenne thousand worlds, if wee had them? Mat. 25.11.12.
A confutation of that Popish Pelagian errour,Vse 2. which is, that wee bring some helpes with vsus in Nature, to our conuersion. But, what furtherance doth the stray-sheepe giuegive to the Shepheard of finding and bringing him backe vponupon his shoulders with ioy? Luke 15.5. What had Christ from that scornefull woman of Samaria toward her saluation? Ioh 4.7. he had not so much from her as the assistance of a good nature to help him with. For, besides that shee gaue no gentle answere to the Sauiour of her soule, by her mal-apart talke, she gaue him to vnderstand plainely, that a light-Huswife was in place. And if we consider our first birth: are wee not borne of fornication? but doe Children of fornication any thing that can please God? doe they, or can they, in any thing helpe forward their second and new birth? or, are they not desperate enemies to it? Further, God hateth (and that iustly) the whole vncleane bed of nature, and whatsoeuer lyeth in it, begotten with the seede of Adam. And shall that that God abhorreth, be able to ioyne (purchaser) with the most holy finger of God, in the frame of mans Redemption? Also, the Apostle saith, speaking of all, and of the best of all; Yee are dead in sinnes and trespasses, Ephes. 2.1. Now, can a dead man raise his owne body? or, performe the dueties of him that liueth the life of Nature, and of this world? or, can he not? then how can wee who are dead in sinnes and trespasses, bring any matter to our spirituall life, raising it vp by Free-will from the graues of the dead and sepulchers of sinne?
But our Aduersaries tell vsus, that wee were but wounded in Adam, and cured by CHIRST, where the Scripture tels vsus, that wee were dead in sinne, and therefore raised by Christ, not from sicknesse to health, but from death to life. But our Aduersaries compare the naturall man to a man in bolts; that hath power to runne if his bolts were off. For, (say they) sinne hath laid …etters on those faculties which are left in nature toward our redemption: which being remoued by grace, men are able (of themselues) to runne the way of their saluation. But the Scripture sayth, We are not sufficient to thinke any thing, to vvit, that good is, of our selues, as if our selues, 2 Cor. 3.5. A man in bolts can vvish for libertie, and thinke of going out: but our condition in the state of corruption before grace, is as the condition of a dead man, that can neither thinke of life, nor desire to liue. But, the same men tell vsus, that as hee that is sicke hath not all health taken from him, and as the Phisition that restoreth him, doth it by adding to that which is left, and not by an entire supply: so wee bring something in the point of conuersion, and CHRIST (the Phisitian of our soules) addeth to our small store his great encrease: but the Scripture sayth plainely, it is Hee that worketh in vsus both the will and the deed, Phil. 2.13. without whom wee can doe nothing, Iohn 15.5. For this cause, our conuersion is called our new birth: to teach vsus that, as it is in the case of the olde birth; so it is of the new and regeneration. And (therefore) as no Childe can beget himselfe in the olde birth, so no more is hee borne by his owne will the childe of God in the new, Iohn 3.3.
Quest.But some may say, are wee drawne as stockes, Answer.and as things without life? I answere, no; for, God sanctifieth our reason, & giueth vsus sanctified will, and then vve say, Draw mee, and we will runne: Cant. 1.4. Iohn 6.44. that is, as a Father sayth, GiueGive vsus to doe what thou biddest, and bid vsus to doe what thou wilt.
Vse 3.A terrour to the olde man, liuing in vnregeneration, and vnconuertednesse: for, eueryevery step forward is downe to hell: the further wee wander from God, the further wee goe from the path of life. And, vvhat hope is there that wee shall bee saued, so erring in our wayes, till GOD bring vsus to our right way, vvhichwhich he doth by meanes? these are, the Word, Iohn 17.3. Prayer, Luke 18.1. and Sacraments, Cant. 2.4.5. For, these three are our Pillar of Cloud to Paradise, Exodus 13.21. and the steps of our vvay to blessednesse. And, as possible it is for men to make staires vp to the skie, as (without these) ordinarily, to come to Heauen.
The Word is the Key, that must shut Hell gates, and set vsus at libertie from sinne, and death armed with sinne, and open Heauen-gates, to set vsus in the libertie of the Sonnes of God, Matth. 16.19. The Sacraments, rightly discerned, and reuerently delt with, are seales hanging at the Word of the Couenant, which assure, and possesse vsus of our part in Christ. Or, those flagons of Wine, in the Cellers of Christ, which stay the Church; that is, reuiue and comfort her, being fallen (spiritually) into certaine swounes, and sencelesse traunces, by some momentanie despaire, Cantic. 2.4.5. and these seale vp life or death, as they be receiued worthily, D…u. 30.15or vnworthily; worthily to life, or vnworthily to damnation, 1 Cor. 11.26.29.
So for Prayer: the Apostle S. Paul, hauing set forth a Christian in all his Christian armour, and peeces of armour, as his head-peece, his brest-peece, his girdle-peece, his shoe-peece, with his shield of Faith, and sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, maketh Prayer (as it were) the button or knot, that is chiefe-peece of all that large furniture to the warre of the Spirit, which hee (there) speaketh of, saying: and pray alwayes, in all manner Prayer and Supplication, in the Spirit, Ephes. 6.18. as if he had said, whatsoeuer is wanting, let not Prayer be wanting: and when you put on this armour, or any part of this armour, let Prayer be your Button, or tying knot to hold it together, that it fall not from you in the day of the Lords March, lest you be naked.
If (then) wee know, or care to know little of the Doctrine of Saluation, hauing passed an estate of our soules to ignorance, for terme of life: or, if (as wee know, or care to know little of the word) we hauehave as little good will, rightly to know, and reuerently to come to the Sacraments: and if (as wee passe litle for these) wee care as little for Prayer, to pray in the Spirit, and in Faith, by the Word, wee wander souly to destruction: our house tendeth to death, and our paths to the dead, Prouer. 2.18.
Alas (then) what vvill become of all contemners, and ignorant of true knowledge? in what case are they who come to the Sacraments prophanely; or, but once in two or three yeeres? and what spirit leadeth them, who hauehave such a deadnesse in them of spirit and spirituall life, that they call not vponupon God? Psal. 14.4. Such, walking in darkenesse, know not whither they goe, Iohn 12.35. and hauehave no suretie to be saued, hauing, at the Charter of grace, neuer a seale of saluation: and cannot but despaire to hauehave any thing from God, who hauehave asked nothing of him, that is, by the Prayer of Faith; nothing, that they might obtaine at his hands, that vvhichwhich is good and necessary for their infirmities and wants here, Iam. 4.2. To bee short, wanting the meanes of protection from death and hell, how can they but wander in death, and fall into hell.
Yet this is commendable in this yong man, that he chose rather to liue iustly by labour, and meanely in a calling, then to rob and kill for his liuing, as many (who hauehave beene brought vp Gentlemanlike) doe at this day.
Doctr. 2.And it teacheth hat they are more lost then the lost Son, who (being vvithout meanes, and tenderly bred, & pampered with ease, & the delights of Gentrie) had rather (like wilde men) hunt for a purse, then dwell in Tents, that is, in a calling, as Iacob did, eating their bread honestly. Esau was a man of the Field; Esau, whom God had forsaken: but plaine Iacob dwelt in Tents; that is, (commendably) in a Trade, whom God loued, Gene. 25.27. Also, Christ, speaking of the Pharises, and Scribes; those, vvho did persecute the Master, & poyson the seruants with their leauen of false and corrupt Doctrines, compareth them to theeues, that steale, and our high-way-theeues that kill, Iohn 10.8.10. and Saint Paul, speaking of a rable of reprobates, putteth theeues, that is, vnrepentant theeues, in the number: nor theeues, 1 Cor. 6.9. Besides, theeues (specially by the high vvay) cast for wealth, and lay wait for blood, Prou. 1.11.13. and are so fa from repentance, that they draw away others, ver. 10.14. And, can any be more lost, then so lost? the lost Sonne that went farre, vvent not so farre. But is it such a matter to be a theefe and robber? then let them consider their dangerous estate, vvho liue to no benefit of the Common-wealth or Church, in a calling, but as Droanes, eate the Honny and sweet thereof, vvithout any labour. The Apostle Saint Paul calleth such, Theeues. His words are; Let him that stole, steale no more, but labour rather, Ephes. 4.28. as if he had sayd, He that laboureth not, to vvit, in that which is good, stealeth; and he that is in no calling, to wit, of some profitable exploiment, is a Theefe. And if all such be Theeues, then all that are such are Common-wealths-men, inferiour to a Swine-herd, though they can say, they liue of their owne, or of that which is giuen them.
This young man (though bad) would not be so bad: he would not be a theefe, and vvas content to labour: and (therefore) they that are theeues, and all that will not labor, are, in the case of Church-members, and point of Commonwealth-manship, worse then he. But, to our purpose: it is plaine (as hath beene proued) that they are more lost, then this lost Sonne, who rather chuse a theefes life, out of a calling, then an honest (though meane life) in a lawfull Trade. The reasons are:
First, Such hate their owne soule, Prou. 29.24. vvhichwhich this yong man did not, though he prouided ill for it.
Secondly, they are further from repentance, which is seldome giuen of God out of a calling. The conuerted Theeues example, Luke 23.42.43. is a rare bird in this case, and but once seene in the Bible.
Vses.
Vse 1.An instruction to liue in any meane place and sort, then to steale. Dauid, and the men with him, though they liued in want, yet liued not by spoile: and though they were poore men, yet they were true men: and asked reliefe as strangers, but would not command it as Rogues, 1 Sam. 25.5.6.7.8.15.16. So vertuous Ruth gleaned in Boaz Field, Ruth 2.3.7. Shee gleaned onelyonly, but tooke not from the vvhole sheafe, nor vvhole sheaues, as some leasers now.
Saint Paul, vvho bids eueryevery Christian to labour with his hands, rather then to be idle, & to eat his owne bread in some calling, rather then stollen Bread in no lawfull calling, 2 Thes. 3.12. doth rather chuse to make Tents, then to eate vvith offence, where yet he might hauehave eaten with authoritie, Act. 18.3. 2 Cor. 11 8 9. Indeed, the vniust Steward that vvas ashamed to begge, Luke 16.3. was not afraid to steale, verse 6.7. so, though to begge be euill, and to steale vvorse: yet the wicked, rather then they will eate their owne bread, that is, bread that they hauehave right vntounto by their honest labour, will doe one, or both. But vvhat get they by such vnrighteousnesse? surely, the curse, spoken of, Zachar. 5.3. the curse that will out them off, and finde them out to destruction, though they vvould hide themselues, vers. 4. not a lingring curse, but a flying curse. Nor a curse that will leaue something, Obad. 5. but a fretting curse, or leprosie, that will seaze on all: nor the curse of damage onelyonly, but the bitter curse of damnation. A curse that vvill suffer nothing to prosper with it, or that is neere vntounto it, Haba…. 2.9. And therefore stolen wares are rightly called infectious wares, because they bring all to nothing, house and all, by a kinde of leprosie, or fretting canker in them.
Mr. Dod, on eight Commandement.And one saith vvell, that a man vvere as good put a coale of fire into the thatch of his House of Barne, as to lay vp stolne goods among his other stuffe: for, they will turne all into a fire of destruction, and no man shall quench it.
Vse 2.A terrour to Theeues, and Robbers: and threatning to all that liue by vnlawfull idlenesse, or by vngodly profit, in no lawfull calling. For, such are farre from repentance, being more lost then the lost Sonne. There is no trade of life so meane, whereout God calleth not some by his grace in the Ministerie. But how many are so called, being out of a Trade, or in no lawfull Trade? Meane Trades, in the burning raigne of Queene Mary, gaue glory to God, by sending some continually from their shop to giuegive witnesse to Christ in the fire. But, how many good-fellowes (as we call good fellowship) and drinking mates, and dicing mates, and other lose mates, (then) receaued such honour? It it a step to Religion to liue according to Gods ordinance, in some honest place of some liberall or other Science, to the benefit of the Church, and Common-wealth. Therefore, Moses, keeping Sheepe, saw the Lord, Exod. 3.1.2. Amos and Elisha, two Prophets: the one called from the plough, 1 King. 19.19. the other from the heards, Amo. 7.14. and Lidia, in her honest trade, receaued the benefit of her conuersion, Act. 16.14. Contrarily, Dicing-houses, houses that liue by tippling & Drunkennes, Play-houses, and the whole stage of those that counterfait goodnesse, and act vice in kinde: what Trades are these, that a Christian may liue in, vvith comfort to be saued? I hauehave not sayd any thing of the Vsurers trade, that moth in the Common-welths-garment: fretting it to a bare thread of necessitie, which yet I iudge to be a Couetousnes, not worthy to hauehave any standing giuen to it among the lawfull trades of a kingdome. It is fearefull, either to liue out of a trade, or in such trades.
But must all hauehave a calling? must rich men and landed men liue in a calling? yea, if they wil liue as members of their country, and not as diseases in it. It is not meant that all should goe to Plough and Cart; or all be Trades-men, and men of occupation: for there are profitable Sciences which are not done with the body, or chiefely by it, as these are, but with the industry of the minde, wherein the richest and greatest should liue a helping member of his Country… in the Church, in the Common-wealth, or in his priuate house. Hee that doth otherwayes doth worse then this lost Son, and is no sound, but rotten member among the members of the body, Rom. 12.4 5. 1 Cor. 12.21. So much for that effect of punishment that concerned the lost Sonne himselfe, that that concerned him, in regard of the Citizen, followeth.
[And he sent him to his fields, or Farme, to feede Swine.] In regard to the Citizen, whom this poore man chose for his dependencie in so great a dearth of things, it may (first) be reproued that hee did not imploy him about himselfe, in the Citie, but basely in the fields, or at his Farme: and then, that, hauing abundance (for so it may be thought) in so great a vvant of bread and dearth of graine, he would not allow what was sufficient to him that serued him: for, the Text saith, that no man gaue vntounto him; no man, no not his Master, v. 16. which maketh me to think that this hard Master, was like some Corn-Masters in our dayes, who by a cursed ingrossing of the markets of the poore, keepe in Corne when they should sell Corne, and starue Men to feed Mice.
But in this example,Doctr. our Sauiour, by a Parable, and darkely, doth teach what a dead hold the world taketh of those whom it bringeth vnderunder, for the practise of any oppression, caused by a couetous soule. It maketh them to violate Iustice, and to forget Humanitie. Iustice requireth that they that labor for vsus, should eate with vsus: and pittifull Humanitie, that no man should with hold that, vvhichwhich being brought forth in time, might saue the life of a man. But where the world is most in minde, these things are most neglected. The bread of the hungry is the life of the poore: hee that depriueth him of it, is a man of bloud, Sirach. 34.22. yet what mercilesse worldling will not doe this villanie? The hire of the labourer which is kept backe cryeth, Iames 5.4. This hire is not onelyonly his portion of money, but that proportion of meate which is kept backe, that is, denyed by hard Masters, when it is neither for quantitie sufficient, nor for time seasonable, Mat. 24.45. Prou. 31.15. The Leuite is forsaken, Deut. 12.19. The comfort of his labour is eaten vp by greedy men, at their full Tables, who receiue his spirituall things, and grudge him their carnall, 1 Cor. 9.11. Men ioyne house to house, and lay field to field, Esay 5.8. that is, their study and toyling care is how to increase their wealth, and to inlarge their house. A sinne of great men in Esay's dayes: a sinne of meane men as well as of great ones in our dayes. For, high and low hauehave solde themselues to this couetousnesse. The Thistle that is in Lebanon sendeth to the Cedar that is in Lebanon, saying; GiueGive thy Daughter to my Sonne to wife, 2 Chr. 25.18. that is, meane men aspire to set their house vponupon dEccl. 26.18.Golden pillars, and to match in great houses: which is not spoken any way to taxe those who hauehave risen to great Marriages, and meanes, by their industry, and true worth; but iustly to reproue all ambitious Brambles, Iudg. 9.15. who that they may mount and be aloft, care not how vnnaturally they spare from themselues, and how vniustly they pull from others. Of such Salomon spake long agoe in his Ecclesiastes; God hath giuen to man riches and treasures, (I may adde) Abundance, but not the power to eate thereof: For, a stranger shall eate it. This (saith that wise King) is vanitie and an euill sicknesse, Eccles. 6.2. A vanitie and sicknesse that holdeth too many at this day, in the cords of sparing more then is meete, Pro. 11.24. And that maketh them needy that are full, and to borrow that should lend, and to feed, not the poore that should be fed, but the rich by Vsury: in whose net being taken, they are constrained; they, or their children after them, to sell as fast as euer they bought; and sometimes all, both old store and new.
And this ambition of liuings hath shut vp the dores of Hospitalitie in very many houses that hauehave giuen succour, but are now, eyther occupyed without Tenants, or desolate without an inhabitant. What shall I say of our Corne-masters? HaueHave they not? doe they not vnseasonably, with great distrust of God and instinct of couetousnes, in hard yeeres, with-draw their corne, Prou. 11.26. to make the markets to faile, and peoples hearts, with failing, to looke for no mercy, nor bowels of mercy from such obdurate couetousnesse? Doe they not, in a time forbidden, reserue their Manna of prouision, where God hath said, Let no man reserue thereof till morning, Exod. 16.19. That is, doe they not hoord vp corne, where God hath said, and the poore mans hunger doth say, Sell corne? But Manna kept out of time was full of Wormes and stancke, Exod. 16.20. To lay vp Corne with Ioseph, in a time of plentie, against a time of dearth is not vnlawfull, and may bee iudged profitable: but to lay vp corne, or to keepe in corne, in a time of dearth, to make the dearth greater; when men that should sell may spare it, & the poore that must buy doe want it, is intollerable crueltie.
Such a Corne-monger was that Rich man spoken of, Luke 12.18.19. he would pull downe his lesser, and build greater Barnes, that hee might into them gather all his fruits and his goods, not against a dearth, as did Ioseph, but rather to cause it, as they, who with that cursed rich man, feede and make merry with that which is taken from the life of the poore. But how long had hee peace in his dayes, that had such peace in his wealth? Hee fell into a pleasant dreame of many yeers to come, who had not the respite of one whole night to prouide for his end so neare. For, the Text saith, O foole, this night they will fetch away thy soule, Luk. 12.20. they, that is, the Diuell and his Angels shall fetch it, as God and his good Angels fetch the soules of the righteous, Luke 16.22. And surely, if the Diuell of couetousnesse be gone into any, it is into these, Amos 8.5. It may be they may looke toward Religion, but it is a-skew, and with an heart espoused to that Couetousnes which is Idolatrie. For so long they will walke with the Gospell, as they may not with-draw their foote from the world: but if the world beginne to goe, then farewell Religion. Demas must be gone, 2 Tim. 4.10.
Thus it is plaine, as vponupon Tables, Hab. 2.2. that where the world is master, there Compassion, Gentlenesse, Pittie, Mercy, Bowels of mercy, Brotherly LoueLove, and such fruits of the Spirit, are made vnderlings; and where it may command, nothing shal beare sway but worldly greedinesse. The Reasons are.
The louelove of the world is a kinde of Adultery, Iames 4.4. In corporall adultery, men and women adulterers goe a-whoring from their owne Mates, and in spirituall Adultery, they that are worldlings goe a-whoring from God. Now corporall adulterers fancy not their owne chaste Mates: and worldly Adulterers doe as little care for God, or for godlinesse, and tender compassion. The adulterous person is cruell to the innocent person: and adulterous worldlings are mercilesse where they owe, and should shew mercy.
Secondly, the world lyeth wholy in wickednesse, 1 Iohn 5.19. Therefore where it may be Master, what good can follow?
Thirdly, they cannot serue God vvho serue it, Luke 16.13. And in no seruice of God, what may be expected, but the seruice of the world, and of all wordly affections, whereof vnmercifulnesse to the poore is one; and the practise of all sinne for worldly gaine, another?
Fourthly, as God draweth his Children to himselfe, so the World draweth his owne Children from God to himselfe: for, God and the world are contrary, Iames 4.4. But God will not vnfasten with his Children; therefore neyther will the world vnclaspe with his.
Vses.
An Admonition (therefore) to resist the beginnings of this worlds louelove:Vse 1. not to heare it speake, and to breake off in our first conference with it, that vvee be not circumvented. For, the world is a great Absalom, and heart-stealer, 2 Sam. 15.6. If wee lend but one eare to it, it will hauehave both. If wee giuegive it an Inch by a little consent, it will hauehave the vvhole Ell by large couetousnesse. If we follow it in a little, it will make vsus seruants to it in much: from seeing and praysing, wee shall with Heue come to eating. Gen. 3 6. D…mas first liked the world, then imbraced it, 2 Tim. 4.10. Iudas first held it, for he bore that that was giuen, Iohn 12.6. then, it held him: for he said; What will yee giuegive mee, and I will deliuer him vntounto you? him, that is, Christ his Sauiour, and the bloud of Christ, his saluation, for money? Mat. 26.15. In our owne dayes, doe not men, as in stealing… so in coueting proceede from a pinne to a point; from small couetousnesse to large couetousnesse?
Some that hauehave beene liberall before they entred into the world hauehave they not when it once entred into them, turned (passingly) miserable and couetous? And what maruell, seeing no man can serue God and Riches, Luke 16.13. If louelove of riches take place, God must giuegive place; and, if the World enter, that vvhichwhich is contrary to it, Godlinesse, which is great gaine, 1 Tim. 6.6. must be gone.
But may not a man hauehave these outward things,Quest. in some good measure, & be godly?Answer. Answere, Yes: a man may hauehave them, as Abraham, Isaac, Iob, and Salomon had, and be religious; but not set his heart vponupon them, and be so: or, one may vse them, and louelove God; but not louelove them, …nd louelove him. Therefore S. Iohn sayth, LoueLove not the world, 1 Iohn 2.15. as if hee should hauehave sayd, Set not your affections vponupon it, and send not your desires after it, to make the God of it your God; and the pleasures that are in it, your chiefe happinesse. For, worldlinesse and Christianitie are two ends that can neuer meete, and hee that greedily pursueth after earthly things, will coldly seeke heauenly. The Apostle S. Paul saith, they that will be rich, that is vvho by any couetousnesse will be so, fall into tentations and snares; that is… are sure to be greatly tempted, and as sure to fall, being so tempted, into the net of the Deuill, and those foolish and noysome lusts, as it vvere Seas, that drowne men in perdition, and destruction, 1 Tim. 6.9. Then, in the 17. verse, he directeth his precept or charge to Timothie, concerning such rich men in the world, that they be not high minded; that is, that they swel not by wealth, and the poyson of riches; which he calleth vncertaine; because they taste of the soyle, out of vvhichwhich they come, and so are vncertaine, as all things else vnderunder the Sunne; but that they depend, and put trust in the liuing God for all their increase, who giueth them richly to enioy all things.
But, if this, vvhichwhich hath beene spoken, be not sufficient to wea…e vsus from the brest of the world; for our better and further abstinence, let it bee considered that the world (couetously loued) maketh God our enemie, and (consequently) the Deuill our friend, Iam. 4.4. And, is it not a fearefull thing, for the creature to stand in check, or to stand foe to God his Creatour? or, can they hope to be spared, and to prosper that so rebell against him? Doth he not destroy all those who goe a whoring from him, vvhether after the commodities, preferments, or pleasures of life? And if so: then it should bee our wisedome (as it is our dutie) to holde in our affections, and not to giuegive them head at any desire that tendeth to worldlinesse, and that base couetousnesse, which is Idolatrie, lest that commaund vsus, that, in Christ, should bee commaunded by vsus, and put vnderunder our feet, to wit, the world, and the lusts thereof.
This exhortation is needfull at all times: for, the world is a dangerous baite. Most men runne a whoring after it, and the godly hauehave too wanton an eye, and desire to be looking after it. Some neuer suspect their eyes, till they hauehave taken possession (as did Ahab, 1 King. 21.1.16.) where they hauehave no title: and some, in a couetous heart inclose that, as with a quicke-hedge, or stone-wall, that should lie open in their goodnesse to the Saints, as common prouision. But let vsus not straiten in a time of shewing merciemercy, the bowles of mercy, that should be enlarged: and let vsus (betimes) resist the world, to wit, in the couetous desire, before it come to couetousnes indeed; bringing it to shame, before it make vsus ashamed, and casting it off, before it make God to cast vsus off, as hard-harted and mercilesse to his poore.
Againe,Vse. 2. here we see vvhat is to be expected by the children of God, & poore Disciples of Christ, at the hands of churlish vvordlings: for, what could Iacob expect at the hands of Laban? Dauid at the hands of Nabal? and this miserable man, of this mercilesse Citizen? Laban vvas a churlish Vncle, & hard master to Iacob; and he changed his wages ten times, and his countenance toward him, I know not how many times, Gen. 31.2.41. Naball was cruell to Dauid, and, instead of releeuing him, railed on those whom he sent to him for something in his great necessitie, though he had beene a wall of assurance about Him, and His, 1 Sam, 25.10.11.16. And this Churle sent this poore man, that depended on him, to the Hogstroffe, to feed Swine, or rather with Swine. When Labans sonnes are greedie after the portion that they looke for in their Fathers house, the soule of Iacob shall bee cast downe in him, by their grudgings at whatsoeuer he hath: for, will they not say, Iacob hath taken away that that was ours, Gen. 31.1. And, doe not our Labans, sonnes say, at least, thinke as much now? had they not rather part vvith the person of Iacob, then with the portion of their Father Laban? Had not worldly Gadarens rather part vvith Christ, Mark. 5.17. and couetous Gospellers with the Supper of Christ, Luke 14.18. then with their Swine or Farmes? for, they who are at the command of gaine, though their eares go after the Word, their heart goeth after their couetousnes, Eze. 33.31. But, to end this point: where the World filleth the Inne, there can be no roome for Christ, Luke 2.7. and, if none for him, then as little for those that come to vsus, from him. Therefore, vvhen they become once griple of the world, that hauehave beene zealous of God, I meane seemingly so; let no man promise any thing to himselfe from such broken Christians. So much for this lost Sonnes sinne: his entry-dore to Repentance followeth.