Seven Treatises, Treatise 6 · Chapter 8
CHAP. 8. Of the ſixth priuiledge: namely, of the right vſing of proſperitie.
NOw the next priuiledge that I thinke may moſt fitly be ioyned with the former, is: how the Lord hath taught his the right vſe of proſperitie and aduerſity, and how they may cary themſelues in peace, and be vpright in both eſtates: two of the moſt principall parts of our life, ſeeing the greateſt part of it doth goe thorow them: for the moſt of it is accompanied with bleſſings or chaſticements. The right vſe of both, although in ſome ſort and in generall may be gathered out of the former diſcourſes, and namely, of the third priuiledge: yet becauſe they are diſtinct points, and it is hard to vſe them aright, and as precious as it is hard; I know it is very neceſſarie to make a particular Treatiſe thereof. And firſt, more clearely to ſpeake of the one, I ſay: God hath exceedingly declared his merciemercy and kindneſſe this way to his people, that although proſperitie be a ſlipperie path,Proſperitie a ſlipperie eſtate. and riches and honour, health and friends, with all the other lawfull pleaſures, profits and liberties of this life doe deceiue and vndoe the greateſt part of the world which inioy and poſſeſſe them; yet the beloued of the Lord may be free from this danger,God teacheth his to ſtand in this ſlipperie way. and ſo directed that they need not be taken in theſe ſnares, nor make them their bane which are giuen them as bleſſings: this grace therefore if any ſhall be found to inioy, they may be worthely ſaid to be priuiledged aboue other men. Now to proue this, that Gods children may vſe the world rightly (which is impoſſible for any other to doe:The wicked cannot.) I doe not meane, that becauſe they hauehave right vntounto earthly things through Chriſt, and are heires with him of the bleſſings of the world, that therefore they doe ſoberly and as they ought vſe the ſame; for many euen of them, are (I confeſſe) farre from it, and therefore that which they want I labour to helpe them to: but as they are the perſons which may be perſwaded and brought to the right vſe of theſe outward liberties (and not the wicked;) ſo God draweth their hearts thereunto by his mighty power, whereby he is able to doe all things.
How he teacheth his to do it.For when he cauſeth this doctrine to be taught them: Of the contempt of the world, of contentation in their eſtate, of moderation and ſobriety in lawfull pleaſures and profits &c. he imprinteth it in their hearts by the holy ghoſt: he maketh them able to beleeue that it is ſpoken to them,Firſt by the ſcriptures: and therefore to apply it to themſelues: he maketh them prooue how this doctrine worketh in them, and try themſelues by it, that where they ſee themſelues to hauehave gone beyond their bounds, they may returne and bring their feet backe into the way of his teſtimonies: he, through the ſame doctrine, ſeaſoneth their hearts, and wholly poſſeſſeth them with the louelove of it, that ſo their wants may be ſupplied, and they thereby may grow better practiſed in this ſobriety. And although the inioying of earthly commodities be an alluring baite,Luc. 14.18.19. Dan. 4.27. Act. 12.22. and eaſy to make a man forget his mortality; as we ſee in Nabucadnezzar, Herode, and others: yet the ſcripture giueth greater grace, as to Daniell, Iob, and others who determined not to ſet their hearts on them.
But beſides this, through further benefit of the ſcripture, God cauſeth his,Alſo by experience and obſeruatiō of things: Dan. 1.8. Iob. 1 21. to ſet oft before their eies, the daily changes of all things vnderunder the ſunne: Pſ. 102.26. the death of noble perſonages, friends and acquaintance; the moſt flouriſhing flowers to fade, and looſe their bewty, and nothing to continue in one eſtate: and by the oft and deepe conſidering of theſe, their harts are much apalled, & the pride of life greatly abated in them. And as they grow daily to ſee more cleerely their gaine heereby,By meditation alſo of their gaine heereby. and that without theſe meditations vponupon examples and doctrine of death and mortality, &c. they cannot keepe their heartes freed from infection by the world and earthly dealings: ſo doe they more reſolue with themſelues daily, to thinke of them ſtill; and to purge out their old and accuſtomed delightings in worldly things, their dreames of long life, deſire of eaſe, and increaſe of earthly commodities: with all which the diuill ſtuffeth and filleth their braines, that while they begin to giuegive themſelues ouer to theſe, they may be perſwaded ſtrongly that there is no other happineſſe to be attained vntounto; and ſo therby, deſtruction may ſuddenly come vponupon them.
Thus (I ſay) the Lord frameth his, to the contempt of the world,The effect heereof. and to temperance and contentation, to deſire no more then their moſt wiſe & prouident father thinketh meet for them, nor no longer to inioy any of their temporall liberties, then he ſhall ſee it to be expedient. Thus he teacheth them both in wanting, to thinke themſelues (yet) neuertheleſſe beloued of God; and in the inioying of aboundance, not to thinke themſelues the better for it nor to be proud of it: I ſay, he teacheth them; for neither bring they this grace with them from their cradle, but learne it; and ſtudy how to learne it ſo, as they may practiſe it: and yet they learne it not by their owne wiſdome, but by God, who is onelyonly able to teach it them: who by the meanes that I hauehave ſhewed, doth bring to paſſe, that they ſo buy, as if they poſſeſſed not; and ſo vſe the world, as that they abuſe it not; ſo vſe mariage, as they are not hurt nor hindered from godly life by it, more then if they were vnmaried, but much furthered and helped by it, neither neglect they thereby the caring for the things of the lord: but as two are better then one, ſo finde they (as God hath appointed) much helpe thereby vntounto eueryevery good worke. Neither, though they hauehave much in the world, do they therfore louelove it much; but are glad to follow holy Iob in that, when he ſaid: If I hauehave made gold my hope, Iob. 31.24.or hauehave ſaid to the wedge of gold, Thou art my confidence: If I reioiced becauſe my ſubſtance was great, or becauſe my hand had gotten much: this had beene an iniquitie to be condemned, for I had denied the God aboue. Therefore if theſe be great riches, liberties and priuiledges to inioy; I meane, to hauehave contentation in our eſtate, yea to be thankfull to God in all things, not puffed vp with proſperitie, to acknowledge the vncertainty of our commodities, and therefore not to reſt nor put confidence in them, nor to deſire the increaſing of them ſimply, much leſſe by any indirect means, but to let them ſerue for the neceſſities of our brethren as wel as for our owne vſes: now therefore, if theſe are the precious gifts of God, and yet that God frameth his ſeruants to indeuour, and in ſome ſort to do all theſe and ſuch like; I hope it may truely be ſaid, that he doth honour them highly, and priuiledge them greatly in working thus graciouſly in them.
But when all this is ſaid, me thinkes I heare diuers to obiect thus: We doubt nothing of the trueth of all this, but that there hauehave beene ſuch mentioned in the Scriptures: but what is that to vsus? where are they in this our age who may be brought foorth for ſuch examples? I ſay, if the men could not eaſilie be found, yet that hindreth not the doctrine to be true: but further I ſay as the trueth ſaith, Ioſ. 1.5. As God hath done to others, ſo he will doe to vsus; and his goodneſſe is not abated towards vsus, more then it was in the ages paſt: yea rather,Eſa. 59.1. we hauehave more neere acquaintance with the will and minde of God, then many of them who are highly commended in the Scriptures; and in this latter age,Heb. 8.11. Act. 2.17.18. God hath viſited his people in a moſt gracious maner, beſtowing his gifts and powring out the graces of his ſpirit vponupon them aboundantly. All which laid together, what can be gathered leſſe then this, that when his children heare by the preaching of his word,Note. all things vnderunder the ſunne to be tranſitorie, vaine and ſoone flitting away, and themſelues alſo with them daily drawing vntounto an end, riches vncertaine, beautie deceitfull, health euer changing, friends alwaies dying, &c. but that he cauſeth them to beleeue it, and therefore not to reſt vponupon them?It is moſt falſe that ſome ſay: My goods are mine owne, and therefore I may do with them as I lift. So when they heare, that they may not vſe them as they liſt, (no not the lawfulleſt of their liberties, as poſſeſſions, recreations, friends, time, &c.) that is, to pride, wantonneſſe, idleneſſe, exceſſe, the wronging and hurting of others, but as helpes to themſelues and many others vntounto godlineſſe; they are glad to heare their ſhepheards voice, and they know it and beleeue it and follow it, vſing theſe lawfull benefits of God accordingly: I ſay, when they know by Gods word, how they may vſe them which ſometime they did not know, and that God giueth ſuch grace to his, (and cauſeth the ſame to be publiſhed and preached) whereby they may be able to vſe all theſe outward bleſſings of God to their right ends, and ſo, as they become not baits and ſnares vntounto them; they reioice and beleeue the ſame with thankfull hearts, and ſo are made able to doe the ſame, vſing their praiers and watch with their other helpes, to practiſe this point of godlineſſe (namely, moderation and the true vſe of their lawfull liberties) as they indeuour after all the reſt.
The Chriſtian muſt be perſwaded that it is Gods worke which he goeth about: and alſo, that God will ſtrengthen him thereto.For when they once be reſolued, that it is the worke which God ſetteth them about, and that he will ſtrengthen and fit them for it, it doth mightily incourage them to take in hand and goe about it: euen as on the contrarie, there is no ſtronger diſmaier of them, then when they ſet vponupon either this, or any other part of Gods ſeruice by their owne ſtrength; that is, not knowing whether they may be bolde to beleeue and be perſwaded, that the Lord will giuegive them power and harten them vntounto the right performance of it, (for of that point the moſt of Gods poore children are ignorant or not ſetled in faith about it) and therefore they doubt and feare, that they ſhall neuer come neere or attaine to that which they ſeeke: by occaſion of which weakneſſe, the diuell holdeth them in great diſcomfort; that although they would doe the will of God in that which they goe about, yet they ſtande at a ſtay, and are holden vnderunder many heauy diſcouragements for a long time. And yet are theſe farre more faithfull and ſimple hearted, howſoeuer they are feared by their owne weakneſſe, then they who thinke they pleaſe God highly, if they doe any thing in their owne opinion more then others, how little warrant ſoeuer they hauehave for it.
But to returne to that which I ſaid,How the godly doe rightly vſe their lawfull liberties. that the Lord inableth his to gouerne themſelues in the vſe of their goods and lawfull liberties (which is a great priuiledge:) that I be not vnderſtood amiſſe, I thinke good to expreſſe my mind more cleerely. If any ſhould gather or thinke, that I meane all Gods people do inioy this libertie and prerogatiue: I anſwere, that I am farre from that iudgement. But as may be well ſeene by that which I hauehave ſaid,Who ſhall enioy this foreſaid priuiledge. they who beleeue it, that God will make them fit for it how vnfit ſoeuer they are of themſelues, they ſhall inioy it. I hauehave propounded to proue no other thing. For by this it may appeare, that ſeeing Gods children may be made partakers of ſuch a treaſure, which but few of them do inioy (and of the vnregenerate not one can:) therefore they beholding what he hath bequeathed them,They that attaine not to this benefit, prouide ill for themſelues. they ſhall ſhew, that they prouide ill for themſelues, if they attaine not to that, being ſo great a benefit which God hath ſo freely beſtowed vponupon them. There ſhould need no more vntounto ſuch, but this: that they may know, that he hath granted it out vntounto them freelie, and calleth them eueryevery where, to the partaking of it: which being ſo, what ſhould holde them backe from inioying it? that whereas the moſt are as bruit beaſts, ſeruants to their luſts, yet theſe (of whom I ſpeake) may captiuate and ſubdue them: eſpecially, ſeeing it is greater honour to them, to ouercome their vnruely paſſions,Pro. 16.32. than to winne a citie.
As for thoſe who count this honour, preciſeneſſe; and this imbondaging of their vnruly affections to be more than Chriſtians need to be vrged vntounto: what hauehave I to do with them? They are the enemies of the croſſe of Chriſt, Phil. 3.18.19.they turne the grace of God into wantonneſſe, they make lawfull liberties to become vnlawfull through their ill vſing of them. Of whom this I ſay,The cauillers at this doctrine are vnderunder heauie and ſpeedy condemnation. which I will only ſay: that they will bring vntounto them the ſwifter damnation. To which kind of people, & to their like obiecting thus & demanding: What? do theſe whom you commend ſo highlie for their good gouernment and temperance in the vſe of lawfull things, alwaies keepe one and the ſame courſe? I ſay, they moſt of all indeauour after that; and how full of ſadneſſe ſoeuer it be and tedious to others, yet to them it is ſweet and pleaſant: inſomuch, that although they be ſometime deceiued by the deuill, and driuen from their holde, yet as ſoone as they perceiue that they hauehave gone too farre, and hauehave paſſed their bounds in their lawfull liberties, eating, drinking, recreation, vſe of mariage, pleaſuring in goods, truſting in friends, and making fleſh their arme; they returne ſpeedily as out of open and manifeſt ſinnes, and thereby become more carefull another time: and when they ſee how many buffets light vponupon others, who hauehave ſmall regard of ſobrietie or meaſure keeping; they ſee their portion to be great in reſtreining themſelues from that exceſſe in lawfull things, which they keepe no meaſure in. And thus much be ſaid of the firſt part or branch of this priuiledge. Wherein may be ſeene, that the Lord hath offered great fauour to his children, (to ſo many as eſteeme of it) that the glorie of preſent things and proſperitie in this world (which vndoe many) ſhal (yet) not bewitch nor deceiue them; but they ſhal be able to eſcape theſe ſnares by the ſpirituall wings that he hath giuen them for that purpoſe, to mount aboue them, as godly Ioſeph, Moſes & many of Gods deare ſeruants did before them.
But if it be asked: Why hath he giuen them to one and not to another? I anſwere: Seeing one ſetteth more ſtore by it than another. I ſpeake it to the ſhame of thoſe who giuegive occaſion, though they be otherwiſe well to be hoped of. For the cuſtome and boldneſſe in this ſinne of intemperancie and worldlines which we ſee in the moſt men, doth draw after them and their example, ſome euen of thoſe which are religious; cauſing them to hauehave their teeth ſet on edge, ſo eagerlie to follow them in their prophane courſe: and the abundance of iniquitie doth coole their feruencie in ſeeking to weane their hearts from ſuch poiſoned and deceitfull baits and dainties as they ſee them ſo greedily to deuoure. For otherwiſe, though they are fraile, yet hauing receiued a taſte of the heauenly doctrine, which is the onelyonly mother and nouriſher of true ſobrietie, they ſhould not ſo eaſily forget themſelues and be ouercome of their vaine deſires. For if popiſh dreames and fantaſies without all ground of Gods word, hauehave ſo inchanted princes and other perſons of great poſſeſſions, that they hauehave drawen them from their pompe and many ſolemnities, into Monaſteries and Nunries for the deceiuable hope of ſaluation: ſhould not the word of trueth much more preuaile with them who hauehave had a right taſte of it, to renounce dangerous and vnlawfull liberties? And although they were led from one errour to another; yet if errour might doe ſo much with them, ſhould not the trueth doe much more with the children of the trueth, to abide in it and be gouerned by it? It is pitie, that any of the Lords beloued ſhould offer ſuch diſhonour to the glorious word of God, as to refuſe the gouernment of it, and giuegive occaſion to the vnbeleeuers to ſay: That God dieteth his people ſo meanly in his owne houſe, that they be driuen to eat with the intemperate at their table (as it were) their poiſoned dainties. But let this reproofe make any ſuch of Gods ſeruants aſhamed, as hauehave giuen occaſion of it: and let them not follow the exceſſe of ſuch as know no better. And when they ſhall finde this doctrine hard to be practiſed, that is, to vſe their proſperitie rightly and ſoberly; if then ſuch matter as this is, were read and well weighed of them, and the examples of thoſe which are contrarilie minded, what bondage they are in, I doubt not, but that the hardneſſe which they complaine of, ſhould in good meaſure be aſſwaged.