The Diseases of the Time, Chapter 10
CHAP. X. Against hungry and pinching Holinesse, a foolish craft of some, that if they may saue much here, they care not though they be saued but a little hereafter.
IT is a lamentable thing to see, not so much how the men of the world, but how some men of Religion doe fit their seruice for God. For in these men is the greatest wonder, who professe friendship and familiarity with God, and yet deale deceitfully with Him. So stedily doth Nature worke on her worke of Corruption in the Children of Nature, though hauing vndertaken a profession of Grace; yea, euen in the very Children of Grace, though not wholly or finally, for euen Peter in something is to be blamed, and Barnabas is seduced. Gal. 2. Nature I say continues her old worke, euen the same which in the dayes of old shee wrought in the inhabitants of the Land of Israel, who being taught by the Priest to serue the God of heauen, were also led by Nature to ioyne the worship of their owne Idols to the seruice of the true God. The same doe wee too much at this day, we hauehave giuen our names to God, wee will needs be Citizens of of the new Ierusalem, and be Pilgrims to the heauenly Canaan, yet wee striue to build houses in Egypt, and spend our mayne strength for the things of that world, wherein wee professe our selues to bee strangers.
So doe wee ioyne two incompatible ends together, as our marke and scope, East and West, God and the World; wee ioyne together what God hath put asunder, which is as bad as to put asunder what God hath ioyned together. And as those Inhabitants of Iudea, which serued God and Idolls, did neyther serue God nor Idolls, so these men seruing God and the world, yet cannot be perfect seruants of both; For true is that of our Sauiour, No man can serue two Masters. But of these men which weare a double badge of a two fold seruice, there are diuers degrees.
One is the palpable and grosse professor, that weareth the badge of the world on the right side, and the badge of God on the left. This man in his heart writes the world first, and God after; yet as long as they two goe one way, hee will walke on among the foremost; He will heare and pray, and say as other Christians doe, (I meane outwardly) as long as Iobs hedge which the Deuill spake of is safe and sound, or as long as the glorie and wealth which the Deuill offered to Christ, doe not call him aside. But if the hedge be broken vp, and the wild beasts of crosses or losses rush in vponupon him, then he falls to the language of Iobs Wife, Curse God and dye: or to that of the King of Israel, Why shall I serue God any longer? and the keyes of Peter euen of Deuotion being cast into the riuer, the sword of Peter euen of a carnall wit cutting and hewing with shifts and deuises, is drawen and brandished forth: or if that hedge remayning strong, the Deuill doe but take him vp into his Mountayne of wretched preferment, and there shew him this mans liuing, or that mans goods, which may bee had with a little straying from the path of Holinesse, he presently takes leaue of his Master, and steps aside to fetch the two Talents of gold and the two changes of Rayment; and eftsoones comes againe, wipes his mouth like an Harlot, and stands before his Master as afore-time. Miserable Creature that he is, being contented with the bare shew of happinesse; but though it please him to bee contented with shewes, yet substantially, really, and without dissimulation to him belong all the woes pronounced on the Scribes and Pharisies, Hypocrites. Yet this benefit hee doth the Church, that he can hardly scandal her to any man of vnderstanding. For his workes bewray him that he is not of vsus, and his prickles being very sensible make it knowne that hee is a Thorne, and therefore a Vine, though growing by him cannot well in a slander, be ioyned with him. But let such a one bee assured, that betweene his two Masters hee shall be without a Master; for his chiefe Master the World will turne him out of seruice, and then God his pretended Master will not receiue him. Death shall strip him of the Worlds fauour and aduancement, and God shall strip him of his shew and vizard of Religion, and so being starke naked, poore, and miserable, hee shall be thrust out of the gates of the Citie, and shall hauehave his portion with Hypocrites, there shall bee weeping and gnashing of teeth.
A second sort is, of those that in earnest propose to themselues the seruice of God, yea they thinke not to serue the World, but yet they study and striue how to serue God most thriftily, and to please him as good cheape as they can.
These men indeauour mightily to finde out the vtmost Confines of good, and to see how farre honestie may possibly be brought to reach. For they hauehave resolued not to doe euill, though they may get by it, but they are resolued to goe for gayne, as neere euill as they can possibly, and misse it. So can wee outwardly perceiue Gods badge on their sleeue, yet I must needs say, that in the lining and inwards of the same, there is a secret badge of the World. And surely I doubt the World is their chief end, and only that they make some reuerence to God as they passe by Him to the World. Toward the discouery hereof, let vsus lay the rule or leuell to this doubtful man: If wee looke on a face of perfect proportion, and presently behold another, though but of a little disproportion, wee shall soone finde the fault by the comparison.
So let vsus here behold the beauty of a sanctified Man, of a man crucified to the World, of a man of Heauen, and then shall wee find euen the lesser blemishes of a man of Earth. The man truly renewed hath his treasure in Heauen. There is his Rest, there is his Happinesse, there is his Countrie. This heauenly Man looks vponupon his earthly Gods, and casts with himselfe, how much hee may in good spirituall Husbandrie lawfully returne for Heauen, how much hee may fitly giuegive vntounto God, and lay vp in the hands of his Sauiour, and being a good Steward (though like that vniust one) by all lawfull diminutions, he prouides for the increase of his welcome and wel-fare in the place of his last and eternall Residence. Therefore doth this Man also seeke out the bounds of goodnesse, but it is to another end, euen to finde how farre he may righteously conuert his temporall Riches to the glory of God, and aduancement of his Soule. Hee casts with himselfe how much hee may well spare for holy and charitable vses, and withall not bee worse then an Infidell that prouides not for his Familie.
Now hauing found out the right purpose of this Man, thereby as by a Rule may wee find the crookednesse of the other. Whereas the man of heauen hath God for his main end, and therefore leuells the World vntounto God, studying to conuert the world to the most glory and pleasure of God; the other mainly studies and intends the World, desiring to hauehave Gods good will towards the most obtayning of the World. One striues to returne as much as hee may, for Heauen, the other striues to returne as little as hee may, so hee doe not wholly lose Heauen; one indeauours most to please God, the other rather not to offend him then to please him.
In summe, one striues how much good hee may doe, by a lawfull conuersion of his riches into good workes; the other striues how much he may purchase, & how much riches hee may increase by a lawfull diminution of his good workes.
Now the man striues to that increase in riches rather then good Workes, can hardly be that good Christian whose duty is to bring forth much fruit, Iohn 15.8. Besides Experience shewes, that such as stretch their actions to all possible lawfulnesse, many times offend in doing things not expedient, and in leauing vndone things commendable & excellent. For things in themselues lawfull, grow to be vnlawfull by such circumstances as make them inexpedient. This Saint Paul proueth strongly, and examples it in the lawfulnesse of eating meate, and in the vnlawfulnesse of eating with scandall. But these hungry Christians too readily digest the Scandall.
Againe, they offend often in the sinnes of omission, leauing good things vndone, and contenting themselues in the absence of positiue euill: yea, many times they please themselues well, when they hauehave done a lesse good worke, when they might very well hauehave done a greater. If money bee not taken for a Presentation yet it may be taken for an Aduowson, though the greatnes of the price plainly shewes, that it is not all giuen for the liberty of choice, but part of it with an eye to the annuall value: And yet this annuall value is the very wages of the Labourer, and I hope wages should be bought by nothing but labour.
Againe, when thou sellest thy Aduowson, thou puttest from thy selfe an excellent priuiledge, by which thou mights doe God an especiall seruice, and thou wilt giuegive another leaue to doe God the seruice, so thou mayst serue and please thy Mammon. I wish this traffick of Aduowsons would ceasse, except when they bee bestowed on Colledges, or some such persons as would amend, not impayre the disposing of them.
Another perchance is no Patron, but a Purchaser, and this man hath conscience enough, not to worke his Neighbours out of their Liuings. But his Neighbours pouertie hath need of money, and his need can coyne no money but out of his Liuing. Therefore the poore mans Liuing comes and offers it selfe for the rich mans money.
And here first we may obserue, that to strengthen the hand of the poore when it shakes, is thing commanded in the old Law, but perchance by this man scarce thought to bee Morall: Next hee sees the liuing come a begging to him, hee hath not wrested it from him, but it walkes voluntarily toward him; and therefore he thinkes it not vnlawfull to take a good Bargaine, when it offers it selfe to him. So the man that is thriuing, gets by the man that is vndoing, and the poore mans neede makes him poorer, and the rich man richer.
As for Almes, though the wants of many doe call for them, and the reward of supplyed wants doth perswade to them, yet the yeerly surplusages shall bee conuerted into an vnnecessary increase of the HEIRES Estate, (which perchance is to great already) rather then into the satisfaction of necessities; and so Ambition shall hauehave more seruice then Charity, though Charity promise a reward in Heauen.
The Sabbath perchance, is kept by the minute, and the question maynely disputed when it beginnes and ends, But the great Sabbath of Sanctification, which should begin and neuer end, euen a rest from sinne, from the workes of the flesh, from laying on yokes and burdens on our Brethren (which are indeed the mayneayme of the other) is farre lesse respected, and by many minutes, if not houres prophaned. Worldly cares and carnall desires, like the Oxe and the Asse are euer toyling in the minds of many, and with their feet, trouble and defile the pure waters of Sanctification, which then are especially waters of puritie, when they are waters of rest. But let vsus hasten from the Disease to the Remedies.
And first let those that abate Gods seruice, for the seruice of the World, know that the World was made by God to serue man, and man to serue God; So is the World Gods Seruants Seruant; but then how crooked and peruerse a course doe they take, that will seeme to bee Gods Seruants, and yet take their Seruant, and make him a Cō petitor with their Master? Yea sometimes they will doe more for their Seruant then for their Master. But God is a Iealous God, and his Iealousie burnes like fire, when he is not loued in his right place and degree, his Creature being put into a comparison with him. God will bee loued, chiefly, and wholly, not secondly and niggardly. The cretures may hauehave their due regard when GOD comes not in place, but when God coms to be serued, let the whole Creation, stoope, yeeld, and bow vntounto him. Yea, he is so farre displeased with the diuiding of his place vntounto riches, that hee hath sealed it with the indissoluble seale of Impossibility, when he sayes, ye cannot, or it is not possible for you to ioyn in one seruice, God and Riches. Let therefore our hearts giuegive the mayn …oome …to God, and let the Creature… th…ein way…e vponupon the Creat….
Secondly, Let not men content themselues in the forbearing of both good and euill, for neyther can these bee knit together in one man. For if thou forbearest good, thou art guilty of euill, not to water a Plant when it is day, is to kill it, and the last sentence of condemnation layes hold on men, not for taking away Christs clothes and meat, but for not giuing them to him when he needed them.
Thirdly, let not men approch to neare to the confines of euill, because it is both dangerous and odious. Dangerous it is, for it is no other then the walking on Turrets, on the brinkes of Bridges, and the edges of Praecipices. And it is a true saying of the Wiseman, He that loueth danger shall perish therein. When a man walkes in such extremities of good, the least slip of his foot makes him fall into Euill, and the falling into Euill, is the way of falling into Hell.
Therefore the wisest of men (Prou. 14.15.) aduiseth thee, Auoyd the way of the wicked, passe not by it, turne from it, and passe away. And in the Chapter following, hee aduiseth the Children of Wisdom, to remoue their way farre from the Harlot, and not to come nigh the doore of her house.
Againe, it is odious for this neighbour-hood with Euill, makes a man a doubtfull Christian, as the borderers betweene two Countries, are not perfectly knowne what Countrymen they be. God cannot abide a Twilight of Righteousnesse; hee loueth not a doubtfull Holinesse, for hee commands a shining Light, an eminent Goodnes, and therefore askes his Seruants, What excellent thing doe ye? God will bee euidently glorified in his Saints, and hee cannot be euidently glorified but in euident good workes. As God loseth his glory, when good workes are done for ostentation, so hee loseth his glory when the goodnesse of works cannot well be discerned: So worthlesse is a worke when it is wholly done to be seene, and when it is done so slightly or scantly, that it can scarce bee seene at all.
Let men therefore do good works not because they should be seene, yet such as may bee seene by their frequence, by their bignesse, by their lustre and excellence. This is to walke as patternes and examples, 1. Tim. 4.12. This is to prouide things honest in the sight of all men, Rom. 13.17. This is to hauehave an euident Holinesse, Mat. 5.16.
Fourthly, let men know & renounce as an extreme folly, that temporall Thrift which causeth an eternall losse. Surely if that Lord who is Wisedome it selfe, commended the Steward for a Wiseman, that abated his temporall Reckonings, to increase his eternall Rewards, hee cannot but disprayse for a Foole, that man that wil increase a little perishing vanity, that hee may decrease an exceeding weight of eternall glory. Whereas a hundred abated heere would increase a thousand hereafter, this man by a most foolish thrift will saue fifty here, that hee may lose fiue hundred hereafter. Ill Husbands they are in the midst of their good husbandry, and the Husbandmen of this generation shall rise in iudgment against them, for these will not sow sparingly, that they may reape sparingly, but with a full hand do sow, that with a full hand they may mow. Let vsus therefore pray the Lord of the Haruest, he that as he increseth our seed will also increase our sowing; that as he outwardly ladeth vsus with the bounty of his blessings, he will inwardly fill vsus with the bountie that giueth these blessings, that partaking of his good things, wee may also partake of the goodnesse that bestoweth them. Then by the same goodnesse which gaue vntounto vsus, shall we giuegive vntounto others; the goodnes of God supplying vsus both within and without; inwardly giuing vsus the power of giuing, and outwardly giuing vsus the matter of giuing. And to these men that are filled with this goodnesse (the Mother of good Workes) is especially recommended that saying of S. Paul, Hee that prouides not for his owne, is worse then an Infidell. To such I say it belongs, who are likely to stray too farre on the right hand of Bounty, and not to such who most commonly abuse it for the defence of their left-handed Parsimonie. This place is to limit those that are excessiuely good, not to stop and bound those that are not yet good enough. Wherefore goe on boldly a good way farther, for there is yet a good distance betweene this place and thee, except thou art in doubt of being too good.
There is yet a third sort, which I would only name, and I wish that there might be no Examples of such hereafter knowne in Gath, nor spoken of in Ashd…d ▪ and that is, when they that beare the true marke of God in their foreheads, and hauehave ript off the Badge of worldly louelove from their harts, yet in some sleepe of their consciences, the enemie soweth some Tares of worldly Lust, Couetousnesse or Ambition. Dauid sinned in one kind, and no doubt, men of perfect hearts sinne in other kindes, and single Actions of sinne, issue from them that hauehave an habite, or rather a nature of Grace. God hath left the Canaanite in vsus to exercise vsus, to humble vsus, that wee may hauehave an Enemy to fight against, before we weare the Crownes of Glory, and that we may hauehave a patterne of our corruption to humble vsus as the Valleyes, before we receiue his showres of Grace and Mercy from those hils from whence commeth our Saluation. What remaynes but that we fight like men, for the killing of that old man which fighteth to kill vsus? While we stand, let vsus stand in humility, taking heed lest wee fall; and this humilitie which makes vsus take heed lest wee fall, will best keepe vsus from that falling whereof wee are to take heed. And if wee doe fall (as what man lineth that sinneth not) let vsus rise by giuing our hand to Christ in Faith and Repentance, who by his bloud washing vsus, and by his Spirit quickning vsus, will raise vsus againe & set vsus on our feet, That we may run the way of his Cōmandements. Neyther let the wicked in the fals of the Godly magnifie themselues, and despise the other, as such Pharisies vse to do, for though these two did the same kinde of fact, yet the fact is different. The godly man fals by infirmitie, as by the weight of his body, or slip of his foote, the wicked fals with the swinge of his will, as if hee ran his head against the Rockes. The godly man hates his owne fault and ariseth from it, the wicked man neuer truly hates it, neuer heartily forsakes it. Yea, the godly man is bettred by his fals, and by falling stands the more strongly, because the more humbly and warily. And finally, though hee passe by some particular frailties, yet vponupon the whole he is still better, and growes from strength to strength vntill he appeares before God in Sion.