The Christians Apparelling, Part 3 · Section 29 – Section 33
Section. 29.
2 Gods ſpirit ſhewes it ſelfe ſtrong in regard of Temporall good.Thus we hauehave ſhewed how the good Chriſtian manifeſts himſelf to bee inwardly cloathed with Chriſts ſpirit of might, in regard of Spirituall good, touching which it maks him hardy and truly bold to vndertake it, though difficult: Now we muſt ſhew the like in regard of Temporall good things, which it teacheth him, in compariſon of the other, to contemne. Theſe I call, not only freedome and deliuerance from euils which are outward, as from ſickneſſe, pouertie, diſgraces, feares, impriſonments, troubles;Which in compariſon it makes him contemne. but alſo and chiefely, wealth, long life, power and authoritie, pleaſures and delights, fauour of Princes and of great men, and the like; in one word, Outward prosperitie; in three words, the Honours, Pleaſures, and Profits of the world, which are as the worlds Trinitie, which the men of the world doe worſhip. For prosperitie in the generall, and generally all good things of this life; though the godly man, and he onelyonly, hauehave the promiſe of them, & by vertue of his faith in Chriſt hauehave right vntounto them;1 Tim. 3.8. yet he hath ſo much ſpirituall wiſedome giuen him, as in his iudgement to prefer ſpiritual good things before them; and ſo much ſpirituall ſtrength, and grace giuen him, as in his choyce, will, purſuites, indeauours after ſuch things, yea in his poſſeſsion and injoyment of them, ſo to order & guide himſelfe, as that they hauehave not the firſt place in his thoughts; yea, in caſe of competition, and when a good conſcience, God fauour, or our ſpirituall good and they cannot ſtand together, then, in ſuch a caſe, to contemne, and to account baſely of the beſt of theſe things, nay of them all, though they fawne on him neuer ſo much, and promiſe all content poſsible. If he cannot hauehave ſuch things as ſeruants to godlineſſe, & to further his good and godly intents and indeauours, he ſcornes to make them the Maſters of his affections; and through a magnanimous and generous ſpirit in him, (which is this ſpirit of ſtrength I ſpeak of) he labours to make them ſeruants to godlineſſe, or els quite to abandon and put them out of ſeruice. He knowes, that if he be Gods, hee cannot, (and therefore muſt not) ſerue two Maſters,Mat. 6.24 God and Mammon: and ſo conſequently, holding to the one, which is God, and to Chriſt, whoſe diſciple he is, he, in compariſon deſpiſeth the other, as otherwiſe making himſelfe vnworthy of Chriſt. verſ. 10 37.If therefore the deuill come to him with the bait of proſperitie, and preſent vntounto his thoughts, & ſhew him all the kingdomes of the world, & 4.8.9.10and the glory of them, (and ſo, all things els deſireable in the world) ſaying and promiſing, All theſe things will I giuegive thee, if thou wilt fall downe and worſhip me: Suppoſe withall, it were in the deuils power to performe what he promiſed; yet the true Chriſtian being ſealed with Gods Spirit, and hauing receiued his badge & cognizance, reiects in a holy ſcorne, all ſuch offers from him & from the world vponupon ſuch tearmes; and will either hauehave them of God, his owne Maſters giuing, or hee will none of them, as preferring better and ſpirituall good things before thē: Hee will worſhip the Lord his God, and him only wil he ſerue; and herein follow his Maſter Ieſus Chriſt, who thus repelled that temptation. He will leaue theſe things vponupon ſuch tearmes, for the followers of Mammon, and for worldlings to accept of.
Whence we ſee, that this contempt of the world, is a note and a diſtinguiſhing marke of Gods child; our Sauiour expreſly ſaying, Ye cannot ſerue God and Mammon: Mat. 6.24.— no man can ſerue two Maſters; though the Mammoniſts of this world will not ſee and acknowledge ſo much,The contempt of the world a diſtinguiſhing note of one ſanctified. but do pleaſe themſelues with their formal ſeruice of God; (whoſe louelove they often iudge of by their outward proſperitie) in the meane time the world hath the chiefe roome, & beſt welcome and reſpect giuen in their hearts; which for all their faire ſhewes, and leaues of religion, goe after their couetouſneſſe. Ezek. 33.31But they who thus ſpiritually go a whoring from God after the world, muſt know and acknowledge ſo much, if they wil be Gods; & therfore ſaith God by Saint Iames to them,Iam. 4.4. Ye adulterers & adultereſſes, know ye not that the friendſhip of the world is enmitie with God? Whoſoeuer therefore wil be a friend of the world, is (for all his faire ſhewes) the enemy of God. The like is ſaid elſewhere.1 Ioh. 2.15. Yet this is not ſo ſaid or meant, but that ſometimes Gods ſeruant ſhews too much louelove to the world and to the things of it, and in that regard, walkes not ſo euenly as he ſhould, ſo humbly, ſo ſtedfaſtly with God, but that he will be nibling at that bait, and is ſometimes inſnared and intangled in ſome meaſure therewith, yea ſometimes foyled by proſperitie, as it was with Dauid; who in his proſperity could ſay, I ſhall neuer bee mooued; Pſal. 30.6. 2 Sam. 11.2.3. & 24.2yea, he grew ſecure thence & leſſe watchfull ouer himſelfe (as do many his like) and ſo was fowly ouertaken by Bathſhebas beauty, as alſo in pride numbred the people: ſo it was with King Hezekiah, 2 Chro. 32.25.—27.30.31.whoſe wealth & proſperity (for it is ſaid, he proſpered in all his works) it ſeemes, made him proud, for his heart was lifted vp: and ſo doubtles it is with many other of Gods children in whom Gods Spirit is; yet, though God ſometimes for a while leaue them,verſe. 26. to trie what is in their hearts, as hee left Hezekiah, yet they liue not long in ſuch ſins, but as hee did, they alſo by the ſtrength of Gods grace in them, humble themſelues for their pride, their hearts ſmite them, 2 Sam. 24.10.and they are bettered, and made more carefull and watchfull by their former worldlineſſe, and failings through ſuch temptations. So that generally it is true of all Gods children, and of each of them for the moſt time of their Chriſtian courſe and pilgrimage, that they are ſo fenced and armed by Gods grace and ſpirit,How Gods Children vſe the world. that the baits & allurements of proſperitie preuaile not with them, that they ſhould with their hearts, and conſtantly doe any thing contrary to a good conſcience; either firſt, by ſeeking to attaine to ſuch things, as to honours and high places, whether in Church or Common-wealth, by vngodly and vnlawfull meanes, as by briberies, ſimony, flattery, ſeruile & baſe dependance on great mens humours for aduancement, ſecret vnderminings, or the like; and ſo to wealth and their owne ends, by deceits, coſinage, wrōgs, extortion, vſury, falſifying of wares or waights, &c. Or ſecondly, when they hauehave them, by ſetting their hearts too much vponupon them, by reſting on them, by truſting in vncertaine riches, by placing their felicitie or happineſſe in them. Or thirdly, by ſuffering their delight in them, and cares about them, to drowne and choke the ſeed of Gods word in them, by diſtracting them from a conſtant and ſerious performance of good duties, that they ſhould not mind the beſt things with greateſt ſeriouſneſſe. Or fourthly, by waxing proud, preſumptuous, ſecure, careleſſe, iniurious to others, by abuſing their wealth, power and authority to the preiudicing of good men and good cauſes. Or laſtly, by miſimploying, and miſpending of their wealth, wit, ſtrength, to the ſatisfying of their owne luſts and deſires in euill. All theſe euils they are carefull to auoyd; and though the world and the deuill promiſe them faire, yet they will not, by the power of grace in them, accept of them vponupon ſuch conditions, or vſe them to ſuch ends, as whereby God is diſhonoured, and their owne ſoules preiudiced.
And how the wicked abuſe it.Whereas all is contrary in the wicked, who notwithſtanding all his faire ſhewes of outward religious profeſsion, and it may bee, proteſtations to the contrary, is ſo intiſed by theſe baits that he is alſo catched and choked with the hooke, whiles in a manner he maidenly acepts of the deuils offer vponupon the deuils conditions, and ſo 1. Hauing (in the want of ſuch things) a moneths minde as we vſe to ſay to them, and ſeeing by what meanes ordinarily they are obtained, he neuer examining the lawfulneſſe or vnlawfulneſſe of the meanes, meaſures all by the euent, ſucceſſe, and deſired end; and ſo, ſetting downe with himſelfe hee will be, hee muſt be, rich, high, and aboue the common rancke of men, he aduentures vponupon all meanes good and bad, and by them furthers his owne ends, end ſo falls into temptation and a ſnare, 1 Tim. 6.9.10.and into many fooliſh and hurtfull luſts, and in all euill, whiles no meanes, how euill or indirect ſoeuer, but they ſhall bee vſed: and thus doe wicked men compaſſe their ends, and become great and rich; and why? becauſe, Ier. 5.26.27.as a Cage is full of birds, ſo are their houſes full of deceit, as God by Ieremy ſpeaketh of them, who brandeth them with the note of wicked men among his people. Thus Iudas will betray his Maſter for ſiluer, and Doeg will flatter Saul, Mat. 26.15. 1 Sam. 22.10.and ſpeake euill of Dauid, in hope of preferment, and Diotrephes will hinder preaching, that he may be chiefe himſelfe; and for fat Biſhopricks and Benefices,3 Ioh. 1.9.10. the ſimplicitie of the truth ſhall be left; and many the like things ſhall be done,Philips ſermons on Mat. 4.9. Pag. 199.200. &c. as worthy Maſter Phillips in his Sermons on Mat. 4.9. inſtanceth, where he ſheweth, that neuer any tooke the Deuill ſo much at his word, as the Hierarchie of Rome &c. to whō I remit the Reader. 2. Whiles he, hauing & inioying theſe,See Pſal. 52.7. Luk. 12.19. ſets his heart on thē, bleſſeth himſelfe in thē, truſts & reſts himſelf vponupon them, & promiſeth himſelfe a long and happy life from theſe, with the rich foole, thus putting the euill day farre from him, promiſing himſelfe an immunity from euill. 3. Hauing theſe,Mat. 13.22. he further ſuffers the care of the world, and deceitfullneſſe of riches, to choake the Word, ſo that he becommeth vnfruitfull. 4. He vſeth his wealth, authority, ſtrength, &c. as inſtruments of euill, to luxury, riot▪ oppreſsion, and cruelty, or otherwiſe becomes proud, idle, vaine glorious, by occaſion of them. 5. And laſtly miſpends and miſimployes the good thing▪ he hath to Gods diſhonour; and the preiudice of his owne ſoule, by increaſing his owne guiltineſſe againſt the day of accounts.
Thus weake doth a wicked man ſhew himſelfe, whiles by theſe or the like meanes, he ſuffers the vaine things of this life to hauehave ſuch force, as to withdrawe him from God, and his duty, to the world,2 Tim. 4.10 as they did Demas. By theſe things mayeſt thou, whoſoeuer thou art, examine thy ſelfe; and as thou, vnpartially ſearching, and iudging ſhalt find, thou mayeſt conclude thy ſelfe either to be or not to be cloathed from aboue with this ſpirit of ſtrength, especially, Par. 3. §. 38.try thy ſelfe by thy ſtrength in withſtanding theſe three maine baites of the world, the Honours, Pleaſures, and Profits of it; for theſe are all that are in the world,1 Ioh. 2.15.16. The luſt of the fleſh, (or pleaſures) The pride of life, (or Honours) The luſt of the eies, (or profit, through couetouſneſſe.) Theſe are not of the Father, but of the world; If any man then louelove the world, or theſe things in the world, the louelove of the Father is not in them.
Section. 38.
Firſt for the Honours and preferments of the world;The godly mans carriage towords. 1 Honours. the godly man being cloathed with Chriſts righteouſneſſe, and with this Spirit of might, being tempted therby, hath to oppoſe, and doth oppoſe, the honour he hath in and from Chriſt, of whom hee is not aſhamed, by being cloathed with ſuch royall apparell, by which his filthy nakedneſſe is couered, and himſelfe accounted precious and honourable in Gods ſight; Iſa. 43.4.for euen thus are they cloathed, and thus ſhall it be done to all whom the King of Heauen will honour: Par. 3. §. 30Eſter. 1.6.8.9.and this is honour enough in the iudgement euen of the moſt ambitious and aſpiring, as of Haman.
But now, the wicked, to whom pride is as a chaine and ornament, accounting baſely and meanely of Gods Children, and of the ſimplicitie of the Goſpell, and of the plaine path of honeſty, ſeekes his honour elſewhere, in the World, and from man, and ſo is eaſily drawne by ſuch baites as will bee offered, and withdrawne from God, by acccepting of honour vponupon diſhonourable tearmes.
Secondly, for Pleaſures; 2 Pleaſure.the faithfull man hath drunke of the fountaine, and of the waters of Gods Spirit, which is a comforting and refreſhing Spirit; and therfore ſolaceth himſelfe in God, feaſts continually with the goodneſſe of his conſcience; ſo that, he is neither eaſily withdrawne to vnlawfull pleaſures, nor, if hee be ſometime inſnared thereby, takes he pleaſure in the pleaſures of ſinne, but ſhewing all ſorrow for ſuch delight, hee by repentance returnes ſpeedily to God, and, wearying of ſuch earthly ioyes or carnall delights, hee haſtens to regaine the peace of his conſcience, and to hauehave reſtored to him the ioy of Gods ſaluation, in the comfortable aſſurance therof. Contrarywiſe, the vngodly wretch, finding no reliſh in God or in godlineſſe, and knowing no better pleaſure, is drawne aſide, and gluts himſelfe with earthly contents, and delightfull vanities.
3 Wealth of the worldThirdly, for Profit, the godly mans chiefe gaine is godlineſſe, and the vnſearchable riches of Chriſt; and hee is able to oppoſe ſuch gaine, whereby hee hath gained God, and his owne ſoule, againſt all vnlawfull gaine whatſoeuer; this makes him withſtand all tēptations by vnlawfull gayning; whereas, the godleſſe wretch,Par. 3. §. 31. knowing no better riches, gapes after worldly gaine, and is choaked therewith.
How weake then are all they, and how deuoid of this ſtrong ſpirit of God, whom ſuch trifles moue & remoue from their ſteadfaſtneſſe.
Section. 31.
But Gods Children hauehave here three maine helpes to ſtrengthen them, which worldlings want;The godly mans helpes (proper to him) to ſtrengthen him againſt the baites of the world. and theſe are: 1. Faith. 2. Hope. 3. LoueLove.
1. Faith, looking to Gods word, and promiſes, makes the godly able to withſtand and ouercome the world, and all thoſe three forenamed things of the world; as it did Moſes: Heb. 11.24.25.26.for by faith he refuſed to be called the ſonne of Pharaohs Daughter (there is for Honour) chuſing rather to ſuffer affliction with the people of God, 1 Faith.then to enioy the pleaſures of ſinne for a ſeaſon, (and thats for Pleaſure) eſteeming the reproach of Chriſt greater riches then the treaſures of Aegypt, &c. (and that is ſaid for Profit….) How ſtrong then was Gods ſpirit in him by faith, which made him withſtand ſuch ſtrong baites? The like in good meaſure doe all Gods Children who hauehave faith:1 Ioh. 5.4. For this is the victory which ouercommeth the world, euen our faith, and whatſoeuer is borne of God, (as is eueryevery faithfull man, by the ſpirit of God) ouercommeth the world. Whereas the worldling wanting this, how weake is hee? and though hee make ſome ſhew of faith, and ſeeme to himſelfe to hauehave it, yet the world maſters both it and him, ſo that wee may well ſay, as we ſee, this is the victory which ouer commeth many a mans faith, euen the world, and the things thereof.
2 Hope.2. Hope; by this alſo Moſes ouercame the forenamed baits of honour, pleaſure, profit: as a common reaſon of his victory ouer them all,Heb. 11.26. its added, For hee had reſpect to the recompence of reward: whereas the wicked and worldlings run as they were mad after theſe things, and being tempted, yeeld; becauſe they hauehave neither faith to beleeue the promiſe of better things, which is made onelyonly to beleeuers; nor hope to expect the performance of ſuch things promiſed.
3. LoueLove of God,3 LoueLove. where it is, as it is in the godly, will expell the louelove of the world; and where the world and the things of it are not loued, they preuaile not with any. Now the godly truly louing God for himſelfe, and goodneſſe for it ſelfe, cannot be drawen to forſake either him or it for the world; this makes them, if they louelove the world or any thing in it, to louelove it, with a reference, and in a ſubordination to God and goodneſſe, and therefore they are not ouercome of the world. Now the men of this world, louing the world more then God and godlineſſe (louing the one
Par. 3. §. 32.
and alſo other meanes by which he tempteth vsus, he as the authour mediately, by the help of the fleſh, & the world, by prosperitie & aduerſitie; but eſpecially hee doth tempt more imediatly by ſuggeſting & injecting euill thoughts & obiects into our ſoules,Whoſe temptations, the godly man by the ſpirit reſiſts. yea ſometimes inſpiring, without any outward obiect at all, ſome fearefull thoughts of blaſphemy, (without any depēdancy on former thoghts) againſt God, his word, his prouidence; & not only ſo, but by them he tempts often to despaire, as hee did Cain, and Iudas, yea in ſome degree Gods ſeruants themſelues, as Iob and Dauid: Iob 13. Pſal. 77.yet moſt vſually, whether mediately or immediately, hee tempts men of all ſorts, to all ſorts of ſinne, as to luſts and euill deſires, being called in that regard the father of luſts and lyes: for ſo he alſo tempted Ananias and Saphira: Ioh. 8.44. Act. 5.3.ſo to couetouſnes, by which he is ſaid to enter into Judas: ſo, to all euil affections and paſsions, as of anger and wrath, ſo that to giuegive place vntounto anger,Epheſ. 4.26. is to giuegive place to the deuill: ſo to the deniall of Chriſt, as he did Peter, and of the Goſpel through perſecution, & to ſins of all ſorts. To theſe he tempts vsus, being firſt moſt maliciouſly bent againſt vsus, ſeeking thereby the vtter ruine and deſtruction of bodies and ſoules,1 Pet. 5.8. going about ſeeking whom he may deuoure: Secondly, being a mightie and powerfull aduerſary, ſo that we wraſtle not againſt fleſh & blood, but againſt principalities, powers, &c. Thirdly, Epheſ. ….12being moreouer moſt ſubtill and politike to take aduantages againſt vsus,Reu. 12.3. being not onelyonly called a great red Dragon, for his wrath and malice againſt vsus, nor onelyonly a Lyon, 1 Pet. 5.8.for his ſtrength and power, but a Serpent, and old ſerpent, Reuel. 12.9.for his craft and ſubtiltie, whereby he can and doth take aduantage of our inclinations, age, thoughts, and of all occaſions to hurt vsus. All theſe are noted to ſhew his power with whō page missing in the meane time ſupports them,Par. 3 §. 33 as it did Paul, 2 Cor. 12.9. 1 Cor. 10.13 1 Pet. 5.9.10and hee giues that iſſue out of temptation, according to his promiſe, that they are not ouercome, neither fall away either totally, or finally, as doth the hypocrite, but hauehave the deuill to flie from them,Rom. 16.20 and at length tread Satan vnderunder foot, as God hath promiſed. Their courſe of life is not a perpetuall ſlauery and thraldome vnderunder Satans power, as it is with the wicked, and with Chriſtians in name onelyonly, who, for all their faire brags, that they are the ſonnes of God, and the ſeed of Abraham, yet doe the luſts of the deuill, whoſe children, Iohn 8.44.in that regard, they are, and are in ſubiection to him.
Section. 33.
Now the true Chriſtian herein ſheddeth himſelfe from the wicked and hypocrite,The godly reſiſts and ouercome Sathan fiue waies. 1 by the ſpirit. who beareth onelyonly the name of Chriſt, that firſt in caſe of temptatation, he, hauing the Spirit, ſheweth forth ſo much by that reſiſtance he makes by the Spirit, which in him luſteth againſt the fleſh (Satans chiefe inſtrumēt) and by that entertainement hee giues vntounto the good motions thereof, which are therefore ſent and inſpired that we may reſiſt euill motions, for (as, where God putteth good thoughts and motions into mens hearts, his Childrēs eſpecially, there Satan iniecteth contrary euill thoughts and motions, (by himſelfe or his inſtruments, wicked men, yea ſometimes good and harmleſſe men, intending vsus no hurt, but only herein abuſed by Satan, as was Eue in tempting Adam, and Peter in tempting Chriſt) which Hypocrites ordinarily ſuffer to quell the other, but Gods children, by theſe other of the ſpirit repell; ſo where Satan is buſie to tempt by euill thoughts and motions, there God, euen in the wickedeſt (vnleſſe he hauehave giuen him ouer to a reprobate ſence) much more in his owne ſeruants, is carefull to preſent to them contrary good thoughts & motions;Par. 3. §. 34 which when they are offered, the ſincere Chriſtian ordinarily accepts of,See aboue. pag. 172. and hearkens to their voice which hee knowes and acknowledgeth, and is thereby withdrawne from the other, which hee conſenteth not vntounto; but the wicked and Hypocrite, ſuffers theſe wicked and deueliſh thoughts to preuaile, and quench thoſe good motions of the ſpirit, hee not making vſe thereof to make reſiſtance againſt the other: thus ſinning, he neuer, or ſeldome ſins without a witneſſe, namely, the witneſſe of his owne conſcience, and of Gods ſpirit, which, at the latter day will be his accuſer, if not iudge. If then we ſmoother good motions vſually, & ſo quench the ſpirit of Ghriſt, we obey not Chriſt, but yeeld to Satā.