The Souls Conflict With Itself, Chapter 25
CHAP. XXV.
Of the defects of gifts, disquieting the …le. As also the afflictions of the Church.
AMong other things, there is nothing more disquiets a Christian, …at is called to the fellowship of Christ and his Church here, and to …ory hereafter, then that he sees himselfe unfurnished, with those gifts that … fit for the calling of a Saint, As …ewise for that particular standing …d place wherein God hath set him in … world, by being a member of a bo… politick.
For our Christian calling, wee must Comfort in regard of our generall calling.…ow that Christianity is a matter ra…er of grace then of gifts, of obedience then of parts. Gifts may come from a more common worke of the …pirit, they are common to castawayes, and are more for others then for our selves. Grace comes from a peculiar favour of God, and especially for our owne good. In the same duty, where there is required both gifts and grace, (as in prayer) one may performe it with evidence of greater grace, then another of greater parts. Moses (a man not of the best speech) was chosen before Exod. 7. 11Aaron, to speak to God, and to strive with him by Prayer, whilst Israel fought with Amaleck, with the sword. It is a businesse more of the heart then of the tongue, more of groanes then of words, which groanes and sighes, the Spirit will alwayes stirre up even in the worst condition. Yet for parts there is no member, but it is fitted with some abilities, to doe service in the body, and by faith may grow up to a greater measure. For God calls none to that high condition, but whom in some measure hee fits to bee an usefull member, and endues with a publique spirit.
But that is the measure which Christ thinkes fit; who will make up that in the body, which is wanting in any par…lar member. God will encrease the …asure of our gifts, as occasion shall … offered to draw them forth: for there is not the greatest, but may have … both of the parts, and graces of the …nest in the Church. And here the …le may by a spirit of faith goe to God in this maner. Lord, the estate of Christianity unto which thy love in Christ hath called, and advanced mee, is an high condition; and there is need of a great measure of grace, to uphold the credit and comfort of it. Whom thou callest unto it, thou dost in some …asure furnish, to walke worthy of it. Let this be an evidēce to my soul of the …th of thy call, that I am enabled by the Spirit for those duties that are required; in confidēce of which assistāce, I will set upō the work: Thou hast promised to give wisdome to thē that ask it, & to …id none with their unworthinesse. Iam. 1. 5.Nay, thou hast promised the spirit of all grace to those that begge it; it is that which I need, and it is no more then thou hast promised.
OnelyOnly it must bee remembred, that we doe not walke above our parts and Cautiongraces, the issue whereof will be discouragement in our selves, and disgrace from others.
The like may be said for our particular calling, wherein we are to expresse Directions for a comfortable use of our particular calling.the graces of our Christian calling, and serve one another in love, as members of the State as well as of the Church, therefore every one must have 1. a calling, Gal. 5. 13.2. a lawfull, 3. a usefull calling, 4. a calling fitted for his parts, that he may be Par…s negoti….even for his businesse, 5. a lawfull entrance, and calling thereunto, 6. and … lawfull demeanour in the same. Though the Orbe and Sphere we wal… in be little, yet we must keepe within the bounds of it, because for our cariage in that, wee must give a strict account, and there is no calling so meane, but a man shall finde enough to give a good account for. Our care must be to know our worke, and then to doe it, and so to doe it, as if it were unto God, with conscience of moderate diligence; for over-doing, and overworking any thing, comes either from ostentation, … distrust in God: And negligence is … farre from getting any blessing, that …rings us under a curse for doing Gods Ier. 48. 10.… negligently. For we must thinke … callings to be services of God who … appointed us our standing there…
That which belongs to us in our cal…ng, is care of discharging our duty, … which God takes upon him, is assi…ce and good successe in it. Let us …e our worke, and leave God to doe … owne. Diligence and trust in him … onelyonly ours, the rest of the burthen is …. In a Family the Fathers and the …sters care is the greatest, the childs … is onelyonly to obey, and the servants … doe his worke, care of provision and …ection doth not trouble them. Most of our disquietnesse in our calling, … that wee trouble our selves about … worke. Trust God and be doing, … let him alone with the rest. Hee …nds upon his credit so much, that it …ll appeare we have not trusted him …vaine, even when we see no appearance of doing any good. Peter fish… all night and catched nothing, yet up on Christs word hee casts in his net againe, and caught so many fish as brak… his net. Covetousnesse (when men wi… Luke 5. 6.be richer then God would have them troubles all, it troubles the house, the whole family, and the house within u… our precious soule, which should bee … quiet house for Gods spirit to dwell in, whose seat is a quiet spirit. If me… would follow Christs method, and seeke first the Kingdome of heaven, all other things would bee cast upon them. Mat. 6. 33.If thoughts of insufficiency in our places discourage us, remember what God saith to Moses, when he pretended disability to speake, Who hath made … mouth, have not I the Lord? All o… Exod. 4. 11sufficiency for every calling is from God.
But you will say, Though by Gods blessing my particular condition be comfortable, Object.yet the state of Gods people abroad, … the miseries of the times disquiet me.
We complaine of the times, but let Answ.us take heed wee bee not a part of the misery of the times: that they be not … worse for us. Indeed hee is a dead …mber, that takes not to heart the ill Hab. 3.… the times, yet here is place for that …plaint, Help Lord. In these tem… Psal. 12.doe as the Disciples did, Cry to …ist to rebuke the tempests and …mes. This is the day of Iacobs trou…, let it also be the day of Iacobs trust; … the body doe as the head did in the Comfort in regard of the afflictions of the Church.… case, and in time it shall bee with … body as it is with the head.
In this case it is good to lay before … all the promises made to his …rch, with the examples of his pre… in it, and deliverance of the same …rmer times. God is never neerer … Church then when trouble is neere: …en in earth they conclude an utter …throw, God is in heaven conclude… a glorious deliverance: usually af… the lowest ebbe, followes the high… spring tide. Christ stands upon … Zion. There is a Counsell in …aven, that will dash the mould of all …trary Counsels on earth; and …ich is more, God will worke the raising of the Church, by that very meanes by which his enemies seek to ruine it. Let us stand still and behold the salvation of the Lord. God gave too deare a price for his Church, to suffer it long in the hands of mercilesse enemies.
As for the seeming flourishing of the enemies of Gods Church, it is but for a time, and that a short time, and a measured time, The wicked plot against the Psal. 37. 12just, they are plotters and plowers of mischiefe; they are skilfull and industrious Iob 4. 8.in it, but they reape their owne ruine. Their day is a comming, and their pi… is in digging: take heed therefore of fretting, Psal. 37. 12 Psal. 94. 13because of the man that bringeth wicked devices to passe; for the armes of Psal. 37. 7. Psal. 37. 17 Reade Psalmes 10. 37. 94. 129. &c.the wicked shall be broken. Wee should help our faith by observing Gods executing of judgement in this kinde. It cannot but vexe the enemies of the Church, to see at length a disappointing of their projects, but then to see the mould of all their devices turned upon their owne heads, will more torment them.
In this case, it will much comfort to goe into the Sanctuary, for there wee shall be able to say, Yet God is good to …. Psal. 73.God hath an Arke for his, there is no condition so ill, but there is Balme in Gilead, comfort in Israel. The depths …f misery, are never beyond the depths of mercy. God oft for this very end, strips his Church of all helpes below, that it may onelyonly rely upon him: and that it may appeare that the Church is ruled by an higher power then it is opposed by. And then is the time when we may ex…ct great deliverances of the Church, when there is a great faith in the great God.
From all that hath beene said, wee see, that the only way to quiet the soul is, to lay a charge upon it to trust God, …d that unquietnesse and impatiency, me symtomes and discoveries of an un… leeving heart.