Mans Active Obedience, Chapter 21
CHAP. XXI.
The difference of their ioy in the third dimenſion or breadth of it, and how it is ſtraitened or extended in them.
THe third dimenſion wherein the ioy of theſe two ſorts of beleeuers may bee perceiued much to differ, is in reſpect of the large ſpread that the one hath, reaching it ſelfe out eueryevery way farre and wide, and extending it ſelfe to ſuch a latitude and breadth, as no man can ſay, Thus farre goe the bounds of it, and no further: and on the other ſide, the narrow breadth, ſtra…t lyſts, and ſhort precincts, within the compaſſe whereof the other is ſhut in, hardly pent vp, and ſo narrowly confined, as beyond the ſame it can neuer be found to extend it ſelfe or reach out any further.
Hypocrites and miſ-beleeuers, who are no better thenHypocrites ioy is ſmall or none. meere reprobates, and plaine wicked perſons, hauehave the liſts of their ioy, and bounds of their reioycing made ſo narrow, and ſo neerely ſet together, as if one ſhould demand what allowance of bredth is there made vntounto ſuch to ſpread out their ioy vponupon, and to let their reioycing lawfully be extended by it? may bee anſwered, if there be reſpect had to the lawfulneſſe of their ioy, they hauehave not ſo much as the breadth of a foote, of one inch, or of one naile to plant and ſettle true ioy vponupon. If one would aske in what things may ſuch men lawfully hauehave ioy and true reioycing? The anſwere muſt bee, they warrantably can hauehave ioy in nothing: for to whom there is no peace granted, there can be no ſound ioy allowed vntounto them: but there is no peace, ſaith God unto the wicked: and thereforeIſa. 48. 22. hauing nothing to doe with peace, they hauehave as little to doe with ioy: if they take ioy in any thing, they doe but vſurpe the ioy that they take; nay they are ſo farre from hauing cauſe to reioyce in any thing, as contrarily they hauehave cauſe to feare in eueryevery thing, becauſe they feare not him whom they ought to feare: that is, they doe not ſanctifie the Lord of hoſts to let him bee their Iſa. 8. 13. 14.feare and their dread, who ſo would become a ſanctuarie unto them, to ſaue them from all things elſe that might hurt them. They therefore may feare eueryevery thing they meet with, till they can truly come to feare God, they may feare the wind, the ſea, the earth, the aire, all things they hauehave vſe of: their hooke, their hatchet, their horſe, their cow, their dogge that followes them, the meate they feed vponupon; they may feare men and diuels, and all things beſide: they wanting a good conſcience, waſhed in the blood of Chriſt, and in all holineſſe of life and conuerſation, which is a continuall feaſt, cannot but want true comfort, and want the feeling of ſound ioy and peace in their hearts; nay contrarily, hauing an ill conſcience, that is either without feeling, ſeared as with a hot iron; or elſe blinded by the errour of iudgment; or that hath guilt in it to accuſe & condemn for ſin yt hath bin committed; it ſo commeth to paſſe, that they cannot but either be reſtleſſe for the preſent, the accuſation of their conſciences euer ſtinging them, and tormenting them with the guiltineſſe of their ſinne; or if they hauehave quiet, it is becauſe hypocriſie hath put their conſcience to ſilence heere, that they may ſoone after roare out the lowder in hell fier; where their cries neither will be pitied, nor their paines euer bee eaſed. It is truly ſaid that euill doers they are their owne priſoners, and their owne hang-men. And if it be ſo (ſaith one)Pleſſis. what skilles it who thou bee, if thou bee not thine owne man? They that are caſt into priſon for treaſon, or ſtealing, they hauehave (after a ſort) already the halters about their neckes, euen from the very inſtant of their firſt being taken and put in; howſoeuer it bee that ſometimes forgetting their owne miſerie, they may (as deſperate wretches after their curſed manner) be ſound merrie together, playing at dice and cards, to driue (as they vſe to ſay) the time away. Such profeſſors as are but hypocrites and miſ-beleeuers, who hauehave an ill conſcience, that either euer doth, or euer may be accuſing of them, they hauehave nothing to doe with ſound ioy, and true peace: for they are peculiar comforts, appointed peculiarly to true beleeuers, and to righteous perſons, for whom onelyonly they are ſowne (as light is ſowne for the righteous, and ioy for the vpright in heart), and vntounto them alone it will come vp, and by them alone ſuch fruit will bee reaped. As for the other, the Lord hath bidden woe to bee cried out and proclaimed vntounto them, as who hauehave rewarded euill to their Iſa. 3. 11.owne ſoules. VntoUnto ſuch all things are vnpure; they hauehave no freedome to take ioy or comfort in any thing: they are thoſe that are made priſoners in their owne houſes, who can neithey goe out to fetch ſound comfort abroad, nor hauehave allowed vntounto them any liberty to bee merrie at home. If theſe doe looke without themſelues, they being not in Chriſt Ieſus, there is nothing in all the world which they can finde iuſtly to belong vntounto them, or which they can claime rightly to be their owne. If they take the vſe of any thing, they are but vſurpers of the ſame; yea as very theeues they hauehave but ſtollen all they doe ſet hand vponupon; and therefore they muſt looke to bee had to the Gaile, and put into the Lords pinfold, to anſwere for the treſpaſſe which they hauehave done vntounto him (as to the right owner) therein. The delight which they take in all outward things of this life, is but as the pleaſure of ſtollen waters, that are thought ſweet of them that doe drinke them; and like to bread eaten in ſecret, that is pleaſant for a time: but they that banquet with no better cheere, vnhealthſome and vnhappie is their fare. The gueſts that are at ſuch feaſts (as Salomon telleth vsus) are all in the very depth of hell. If theſe doe reſt in themſelues, andProu. 9. 18. ſeeke for ſome comfort at home, as who would gladly be made merrie, and feele ſome ioy and delight from that which is within; for as much as their hearts are not ſprinkled Heb. 10. 22.from an ill conſcience, and their bodies are not waſh…d with pure water; there is no ioy to bee aſſoorded from thence: nay, there they find the leaſt eaſe, and the moſt torment and diſquiet of all the reſt that poſſibly they can meet with elſe where: beſide (vnleſſe they chance to earth themſelues in the caues of obliuion, that iudgement to come may not come to their minds), their eſtate in that behalfe is as vncomfortable, as is their that are clapt vp in cloſeſt priſons, and caſt into deepeſt and darkeſt dungeons, ſo as they can ſee no manner of light of Sunne or Moone, or any ſtarre that doth ſhine: the liberty they find there, is as little as the liberty of him that is chained faſt to a poſt that cannot ſtirre at all. For where the conſcience doth accuſe, their ſoule is made reſtleſſe with the vexations thereof, and then any pallace, how princely ſoeuer, would be no better then a priſon, or a Gaile to keepe the offender in: yea, Paradiſe it ſelfe would be little better then Purgatorie, or hell it ſelfe; as may be ſeene in Adam, who hauing loſt a good conſcience by eating the forbidden fruit, though hee was in Paradiſe ſtill, yet all the ioyes therein were not able to comfort him; but as one condemned in himſelfe; when the Lord called for him, he ran into the thicket to hide himſelfe from Gods preſence, that he might not be found. Thus are the workers of iniquity impriſoned in the little-eaſe of their own accuſing and condemning conſcience, and held as captiues bound …ſt in the cords of their owne iniquities: they may dwell in good houſes, they may walke in faire galleries and pleaſant gardens, they may ſolace themſelues in many other delights: but if they bee but hypocrites, that hauehave onelyonly faire outſides, and but rotten harts, carying about with them the crying of their reſtleſſe conſcience that is euer accuſing of them, though outwardly they may ſeeme to looke as ſmirke and as cleere as the Sunne, and not once looke awry; yet within the faces of their conſcience doe gather blackneſſe, and there are terrours and feares of damnation felt within; and ſo while the body dwelleth in a pallace, the ſoule lieth in the meane while in a painfull priſon; and when outwardly they ſeeme to liue at eaſe, and to hauehave great liberty and freedome to doe what they will, they inwardly are in very great ſtaits, and lie faſt ſnared and fettered in thoſe ſpirituall bonds, out of which they cannot poſſibly deliuer themſelues. And this is that common gaile that the Lord (as the high and chiefe Iuſtice of all the world) ſendeth all malefactors vntounto after they hauehave treſpaſſed and done euill againſt him, he maketh his warrant to hauehave them bound in the cords of their owne ſinnes, and their ſoules to be throwne into the helliſh dungeons of their accuſing, condemning and tormenting conſcience, where they ſhall lie in little eaſe, reſtleſſe and ioyleſſe, depriued of the light and true comfort of their hearts, and ouerwhelmed with ſuch darkneſſe, ſuch horrours and feares as cannot but diſmay them, where they ſhall finde no more eaſe then if they did lie vponupon a racke, but be as reſtleſſe as any priſoner that lieth vnderunder bolts and heauie irons, when he is put in the moſt vneaſie ſtockes that doe pinch him with paine, gawling and hurting him as hee lyeth in them: as it is ſaid of Ioſeph, that when his feete Pſal. 105. 18.were put into the ſtockes, the iron entred into his ſoule. There is no priſon ſo vneaſie, nor dungeon ſo vncomfortable for any to be caſt into as this is. And yet Gods own ſeruants and children for diſpleaſing their father are many times committed to ward, and put into this priſon and Gaile where they are ſuffered to lie, without ſeeing either Sun, or Moone, or light of any ſtarre, no light of comfort ſhining to them for a long time. Howbeit theſe are but priſoners Zach. 9. 12.in hope (as ſpeaketh the Prophet) Chriſt their ſurety will in good time baile them; for he is come to bring deliuerance Iſa. 61. 1.to the captiue, and to them that are bound in priſon the opening of the doore. But as for the other, their ſentence is to endure perpetuall impriſonment in this kind of priſon here without baile or main-prize, till the day of that great Aſſize come, when there ſhall be a generall gaile-deliuerie out of all priſons on earth, to ſend all ſuch priſoners to hell, there to be faſt bound in the chaines of darkeneſſe for euermore, during which time, there is none that can reſcue or baile theſe priſoners, or fetch them out of this captiuitie which they are thus held faſt in: friends may be made to fetch out a malefactor out of mans gaile, his pardon may be ſued out and gotten for him, yet being got out thence, he is neuer the nearer for being freed, and got out of Gods gaile, he will be ſure to hold him ſtill faſt chained to the blocke, till pardon be obtained of him, then he may be heard ſay (as it is in Iob), deliuer him, and accordingIob 33. 24. as he made his warrant to put him in, ſo he likewiſe doe make his warrant to hauehave him out againe. Otherwiſe where the ſorrowes of the mind are the fetters of the ſoule, if any will goe about to breake out of them, or to file them off, before God himſelfe ſhall bee pleaſed to vnlocke them, and free them out of them, woe will bee to them. For howſoeuer out of other gailes, the priſoners ſometimes by breaking priſon eſcape the hands of their keepers, yet it is not ſo in this priſon of a reſtleſſe, vnquiet and accuſing conſcience, none that hath been committed to it could euer by any indirect meanes of his owne which poſſibly he could vſe, breake out of it againe: this priſon wil hold him, and hauehave ſtill where euer he become; if he flee away it will follow him, and goe with him as faſt and as farre as he goeth; though he flee neuer ſo farre off, yet he is neuer a whit the further from it; he is ſtill in ſafe priſon here, and in ſure ward; hee may not thinke he can eſcape out of Gods hands, as ſometimes the priſoner doth out of the hands of his keeper; God ſtandeth in no ſuch doubt as men doe, the offender can neuer get out of his circuit and compaſſe, for he hath branded him as with the broad arrow in his forehead (as wel hath obſerued that thrice Noble Man), He may (ſaith he) well ſhift his apparrell in ſome Morney.priuy place, and change his name; but doe what he will, he can neuer ſo lye hid, but God will find him out; for the Lords branding iron hath pureed euen to his very heart, he can neuer flie ſo faſt but God will ſtill be befor… him; if he ſhe from the Eaſt, the Lord will hauehave him in the … the further bee goeth from the North, the near … is vntounto the South; he euer runn…th as in a round, and … bee is with in the Lords reach and compaſſe ſo that there is eſcaping from him. The Lord will bee ſure to fetch againe eueryevery one that would breake from him, and play the run-away; runne whither they can, he will belay all the world for them, but hee will be ſure to hauehave them, he wil ſend out his ſerieants to arreſt them, and he hath his Bailiefes in eueryevery corner, that hauehave writs to ſerue vponupon them, and to bring them in. Ionah Ionah 1. 4. 12. 15. 17.plaied the run-away, and would hauehave been gone from God, but he ſent out after him, the ſea had commiſſion to arrest him, which would neuer be quiet till it had him, and had committed him to ward as cloſe priſoner in the Whales belly. Thus hypocrites and vnbeleeuers, and all wicked perſons whoſoeuer that are workers of iniquitie, they doe euer traile their owne halters after them, and ſpin the thread that wil make coards to hamper them, and to hang them in the end. And this may truly be ſaid to be the latitude of the ſound ioy of an hypocrite, or miſ-beleeuer, that it hath no latitude at all to be laid out vntounto it, there being no one thing to bee found wherein hee may hauehave ſound comfort, and which he may ſettle true ioy vponupon, as in the end ſhall neuer faile him.
Contrarily ſo ample is the ioy of a ſound Chriſtian andSound ioy is la…ge. true beleeuer indeed, ſo wide and large is the ſpread of it eueryevery way, as the extent thereof reacheth itſelfe out to eueryevery thing; their eyes are cleare to ſee from Eaſt to Weſt that all is theirs, as they are Christs, and as Christ is Gods: 1. Cor. 3. 22. 23.neither is there any one thing that may happen vntounto them, wherein their true and warrantable ioy cannot find ſome ground or other to ſet footing vponupon, and to bee raiſed out of the ſame, though not primarily and ſimply for the thing it ſelfe, yet for their owne ſelues, and for their owne ſakes in ſome one or other reſpect they may finde cauſe (though not in themſelues, yet in the Lord) to reioyce alwaies for his goodneſſe vntounto them, who by his gracious and wiſe prouidence doth ſo order and diſpoſe of eueryevery thing that doth happen, as hee neuer faileth, but doth cauſe all to work together, to the good of them that truly doe louelove him. This is that which the Apoſtle willethPhil. 4. 5. 6. and waranteth to eueryevery good Chriſtian, that they doe reioyce in the Lord alwaies. Now alwaies includeth, as all times, ſo all things and all caſes that may happen; for if there were any thing that might come to paſſe, or any condition might befall a true Chriſtian, wherein there could not be found ſome cauſe of reioycing in the Lord for ſome one reſpect or other, then might not a Chriſtian reioyce alwaies: but this the Apoſtle hath ſaid, hee may, yea and ought alſo to doe, or elſe he would not ſo directly hauehave ſpoken it, and willed the doing of it: and leſt any ſhould thinke, hee had ſomewhat with the moſt, and granted too large an allowance vntounto Chriſtians thus alwaies to reioyce, to meete with that doubt, and to make it cleare, that there is warrant for them ſo to doe, he ſaith it againe, and ſpeaketh it the ſecond time, doubling that ſpeech; as if he ſhould ſay; I willed you to reioyce in the Contra. 116. 128Lord alwaies, in ſaying whereof, I hauehave ſaid nothing too much, I know what I do… ſay▪ I ſay nothing but what I hauehave warrant for; I will therefore ſay it againe, Reioyce in the Lord alwaies, and againe, I ſay reioyce. But it is worthy the marking, he doth not will vsus to reioyce alwaies in all things that may happen; for ſome things may either be done by vsus, or be done to vsus, which are not ſimply to be ioyed in, but to be lamented in, and much be wailed by vsus; for which things (themſelues alone being conſidered) we are to be greatly ſorry, as being euill in themſelues. But becauſe ſo wonderful is the Lord in counſel, and ſo excellent in working, as he knoweth how to bring good out of the greateſt euil that can happen to be done (for otherwiſe (as wel hath one of the Fathers obſerued) the Lord would neuer let euill bee, vnleſſe he knew how to bring good out of euill); therefore hee willeth vsus (whatſoeuer cauſe we may hauehave) to be humbled in our ſelues for that which may befall vsus, or vntounto any others; yet to reioyce in the Lord alwaies, in his merciemercy and goodneſſe, iuſtice and truth, in the excellencie of his wiſedome and the abſolute perfection of his skill, as who knoweth without all failing, to make all things beautifull in due time; forEccleſ. 3. 11. ſo perfect a workeman is he, as it skilleth not what matter and ſtuffe he taketh into his hand to worke vponupon; reffuſe and rubbiſh that none others can tell how to put to any vſe, he will improue to ſuch a purpoſe, and cauſe ſo well to ſerue his turne, as the very perfection of beauty ſhall bee ſeene in that paſſing workmanſhip of his hands, which he will make euident to be done by him, and to be wrought vponupon the ſame: For perfect is the worke of the mightie God, and all his waies are iudgement; God is true and without Deut. 32. 4.wickedneſſe, iust and righteous is he, as Moſes did ſing in his Swannes ſong.
Now if any doe deſire, that as the Lord turneth all things to good, ſo hee might get good alſo out of eueryevery thing, that ſo hee might alwaies reioyce in all things ſo made profitable vntounto him, the Apoſtle giueth him this direction following in the place before cited, that in nothing being too miſtruſtfully carefull, he doe make prayers vntounto God alwaies, and in all things for the ſame.
Innumerable be the things that in particular may and doe fall out in our life time, which doe much and nearely concerne vsus, ſome which of themſelues in their owne nature, and at the firſt hand are very ioyfull and comfortable vntounto vsus, ſent from God as benefits and bleſſings to cheare comfort, and doe vsus good, and ſo they are accounted of by vsus, and intertained with all gladneſſe and reioycing on our parts, returning backe againe heartie thanks and praiſes vntounto God for the ſame. In ſuch things it is cleare enough, a good Chriſtian may and ought much to reioice: but there are many other things happening, which may ſeeme to be as much againſt vsus, and about ſuch things is all the queſtion, and the greateſt doubt made, how in thoſe things (which firſt and in their owne nature are heauie things to be heard of, to be ſeene with our eyes, or felt by our owne experience, which iuſtly doe bring matter of griefe and heauineſſe to our hearts, and as iuſtly may call for much humiliation at our hands), a faithfull ſeruant of God may poſſibly gather or picke out any kind of true comfort, or find how any cauſe of ſound ioy, and warrantable reioycing in any reſpect may be raiſed from the ſame; that ſo this may ſtand true, the ioy of a ſound Chriſtian is of ſo large an extent, as it may be reached out to eueryevery thing that doth happen, and (according to that the Apoſtle willeth) that a good Chriſtian may be warranted to reioyce alwaies in the Lord.