Christian Observations and Resolutions, Observations · Observation 43 – Observation 53
43. Patrons of Grace and Nature, are condignelie payed for their pleading.
OPinions in Religion, are discoueries of our condition; he who counteth highlie of the Grace of God, hath his part thereof: It commeth freely of God: and leadeth to him in thankfulnesse: It is his gift, and the proper worke of it, is to bring vsus to him againe: It is his stryne in vsus, and pulleth our Soules to him. The holy Spirit is not, as a reporting messēger, but one inbiding seale; hee worketh at once, both the sense of Gods louelove in our heart, and the meeting we giuegive to it: No childe of Grace can satisfie himselfe in magnifying of Grace, the worke of it, is to powre out it selfe on God, the Fountaine, as it filleth the hart with joy, so doth it the mouth with: VVhat shall I rēder to the Lord? Ps. 116. 12.
The Patrons of Nature seeme yet to abyde in Nature, at the least that patrocinie is a work of Nature, and flesh in them: If a Captiue commend his Prison, is a token hee is not wearie of it, and (which is worse) desireth not to bee deliuered of it: Sauing Grace in Christ is the Arke of Gods building, to saue those that goe in it: But Pelagius brittle, and rent shalloppe of naturall power, and selfe-sufficiencie, drowneth men in damnation. In things naturall, and for this life, Nature can doe something; but in matters supernaturall, and for Saluation, it is blind as the mould-warp, dead as a carcase, and vyld as a carion. If we ascryue to it, either deseruing or disposition for Grace, we denye both the Nature and necessitie of Grace.
Errors in other pointes of Religion, discouer indeed weakenesse in the mind, but in these practick poynts, concerning Gods worke in our Calling and conuersation, they discouer the state of our persons: They who are translated from Nature to Grace, cannot but abhorre Nature, and praise Grace.
O! how dangerous a thing is it, to count Nature Grace, or to magnifie it against Grace?
If their opinion bee well examined, they will bee found to lay two strange grounds to themselues: One, that they are sprung of another beginning, than fallen Adam: The other, that they court another God, than the Redeemer of mankynde: As for vsus, who are come of lost Adam, and depend on Christ our Redeemer, wee dare neither speake so proudly of Nature, nor so basely of Grace. The poore speaketh with prayers, but the rich answereth roughlie. Prov. 18 23. Wee count it our happinesse, that our dead and gracelesse Nature, is quickned and renewed, by the free and powerfull Grace of Christ.
All their pleading is for a priuiledge to Nature, and when all is deepelie pressed, that priuiledge is nothing, but hardnesse of heart, than which, there is no greater plague in man, a libertie to fall frō Grace, and to resist it. They shall neuer craue blessings to mee, who take that for a priuiledge, and blessing to man, which is the heauiest (but the just) plague of God on man.
But both these pleaders are condignelie rewarded by their Clients: Defenders of Grace hauehave not their gages to to seeke, and Natures proctors hauehave such gaine, as shee can giuegive. The mater abideth not in questioning, the persons, are discerned before the question bee debated. Magnifiers of Grace proue children o… Grace: and praisers of Nature sticke still in Nature.
It is kyndlie to eueryevery thing to respect the owne originall and Benefactor▪ as it is respected of them. I content my selfe with Scripture, to call Christ both the Author, and the Finisher of Faith. Heb. 12. 2. And to professe before men and Angels, that I am saued by the Grace of Christ. Ephes. 2. 5. And with holy Antiquitie, to be then most sure, when I ascriue all the worke of Saluation to the merciemercy of God, and the merite of Christ Iesus.
44. Conceat of Wisedome is great folie.
COnceat of VVisedome is a dangerous Counseller; while we intend our businesse, wee thinke all is rypelie aduised, but in the proceeding, and at the end, we find weakenes: we thinke then both of our Witte and worke, that we might hauehave aduised & done better; & that with some close Resolutiō, to see better to businesse following: But the next affaires finde vsus in that same folie, and are a new matter of after-thinking, and Repentance, and our first Conceate misleadeth vsus, as of before.
Corrupt Counsellers hauehave neede of reformation, & there is no more corrupt Coūseller in our Soule, than this conceat: So long as it is Father to beget, or Mother to bring foort…, and the Nurse to foster our businesse▪ there can neither bee hope of good successe in our adoes, or of amendement of our error: Conscience of our weaknesse: imploring of Gods assistance, and warinesse in our proceedings, are better Directors.
When wee distrust our selfe, and relye, and in call on God for a blessing, we shall either finde that blessing which wee aske, or contentment in the lacke of it: But Conceat debarreth the blessing, and doubleth our miscontentment in the lacke. Hee cutteth himselfe off both, from Gods direction, and blessing in his adoes, who conceateth strongely of his owne wisedome: But he is compassed of both, who resteth on God.
As his merciemercy offereth, so his justice decerneth the saue-guyding of him who distrusteth himselfe & trusteth in God▪ But it is the worke of his justice to desert the selfe-conceated wise man: Hee gaineth much who dependeth on God: His businesse are begun, sweyeth, and accomplished by GODS wisedome, whereas the other left to himselfe, must wrestle with difficulties of affaires, and of crossing Prouidence. The best way to bee wise indeede, is to be conscienciouslie humble vnderunder sense of folie, but the strong conceate of Wisedome is extreame madnesse.
45 Dead to the world.
THe world is wise in the owne generation, but God turneth their wisedome to folie; it affecteth men as they are sette towards it, the Worldlings with louelove, and the godlie with hatred: These affections it testifieth by answereable actions, honouring the beloued worldlings, and troubling the hated godlie: But it is foolish in both, and most in this second: If it did not so vexe the godly, it might possibly insnare them to byde in it. The Worldes fowning and flatterie is more dangerous, than her frowning; and her open hostilitie, is the securitie of the Sainctes.
It is Gods great merciemercy to vsus, who turneth their injuries to our mortification Wee are called to renounce the World, and it rageth thereat, and preassing either to retaine, or recall, or destroy vsus, it chaseth vsus out of it selfe. All their contesting with vsus, putteth vsus further from them, than wee were before, their hatred and injuries worke a contempt of the worlde in vsus: This maketh a diuorce, and in end, a Death to the world.
I take this as a dying and crucifying to it, when by the Grace of God, my Soule doeth neither conceiue their folies, nor account or receiue them, beeing suggested: When the heart neither willeth nor affecteth them, the memorie remembreth them not, the mouth cannot vtter them according to the worlds formalities, and the whole man hath a vnfitnesse to walke in their fashions: Hee is liuing to God, and God liueth in him, who is so dead to the World.
46. The right placing of our affections.
HOw foolishlie are our affections & actions placed? Christ appointed the matter, and order for them both, Seeke first the Kingdome of God, and all these earthlie thinges shall bee casten to you, Matt. 6. 33. And the Apostle, Set your affections on things aboue, and not on things on earth: Colos. 3. 2. Heauen is first, and most to bee sought: The Earth both least and last; but man inverteth that order; hee is not farre trauelled, nor high minded: The earth is at hand, and hee goeth no further; as an home borne child, he bydeth in the house, & as a shell-snaile he sticketh to the wall.
The Heauen, the great & first thing, scarcelie entreth in his heart, the renting cares of the world, doe so pester it, that the thoughts of heauen cannot goe through that throng: Earthly thoughts salute him first in the morning, busie him all the day, lay him downe in his bed, and play in his fansie all night: The thoughts of God and his Kingdome finde none accesse: Hee is all, where hee should bee least, or rather nothing: He is little or nothing, where hee should bee most, hee maketh that his taske which hee should but touch by the way, and hee blenketh but a squint on that which hee should continually meditate. Many are busied about impertinent thinges with Martha, and farre moe about impious things, but few with Marie choose the part that shall neuer bee taken from them. Luke 10. 42.
By this I know, the right situation of my Soule, when God and his thoughts take vp all the roumes of it, It is best to set the earth and her trash, at as base an account, as in situation, it is vnderunder our feete.
47. Contemplation and practise ought to bee joyned.
COntemplation and Practise, make vp compleete Christianitie: God hath joyned them as the Soule and bodie, & requireth them joyntlie: and he who separateth them, offereth a lame sacrifice to God, and is scarce halfe a Christian: The first, as the eyes directeth vsus, the second, as the hands and feet performeth that direction. Theorie alone, is as the eyes without feete and hands, and practise without a solide knowledge, is as strong legges and nimble handes in a blind man.
Light and life are best together: The first, is the sweete eating of the Booke: Ezech. 3. 3. The second, is the bitter disgesting of it: The one giueth Grace & contentment in secret; the other proueth the sinceritie of that Grace to man. For our owne joye, the first hath a sufficiencie, but for the edification of others, and our confirmation in our calling and election: The second is necessar.
If naked knowing bee sufficient, Sathan is a most perfect creature: Hee excelleth all men in the knowledge of good & euill, but is behind all men in affecting them: He knoweth not good, to louelove & seeke it, nor euill, to hate and flee from it, but his affections & actions are set crosse to his knowledge: Hee is in that same degree of wickednesse, that hee is in excellencie of vnderstanding: His searching and pearcing wit, hath purchased him the name of an vnderstanding Spirit, but his wickednesse calleth him, Sathan, an enemie to God
The union and worke of both, craueth some solide and inward ground: Outward meanes may occasion them, and inward motions set them on worke, but they cannot hauehave a constant byding in vsus, without a byding ground and principle. The life of God is this ground: What supernaturall thing we doe without it, is but hypocriticall, or occasionall, and easilie intermitted.
The Fountaine of this life, is God himselfe, and where this Fountaine is, there is sufficiencie for Theorie & practise: Without him, our professing is hypocrisie, our minting vanitie, and our actions will die, and end, in their beginning: Wee can doe nothing that is good without him; and with him, wee shall bee able to approue our selfe, in a liuely Theorie, and a well grounded practise. As without Christ wee can doe nothing. Ioh. 15. 5. So I am able to doe all things through the helpe of Christ, who strengtheneth me. Philip. 4▪ 13 Yet not I, but the grace of God which is with me. 2. Cor. 15. 10.
48. The ambitious man dieth of his disease.
DOubtlesse Ambition is foolish, and God in Iustice, doeth crosse it in the greatest designes: But the humble man is truely wise, and God casteth more humane respect on him, than hee desireth: The Ambitious man hunteth after honour, but it flyeth from him: What euer bee his worth, in this hee is vnworthie, that hee thirsteth honour. It is not guided by blind Fortune, but by a seeing prouidence, and flyeth from them who proudlie affect it, and waiteth on them, who modestlie decline it.
He fetcheth and sucketh wind out of eueryevery Airth, but when he seekth it most, there is greatest calme, both in respect of his desire and indeed; What is lacking that way, hee supplyeth it by his owne breath of vntymous selfe praise, but that auaileth not; all mens breathing in a shippe will not fill the sailes, hee is the more vile in the eyes of the wise, the lowder hee proclaime his owne supposed vertues: The humble man neither intendeth nor affecteth honour, yet it followeth him: As the shaddow followeth the bodie, so doth true honour to true worth: Hee hath more of that gale of winde, than hee craueth, and the more it blow, hee is the more dejected: his care is to keepe him from schelues and rockes before so faire a winde.
God is witnesse to his Soule, that heerein hee hath a secrete dejection, and still compting himselfe the vilest sinner in the earth: Hee wonders at that merciemercy, that hath so vndeseruedlie blessed him, and knoweth not how to beginne to bee thankfull: Hee is more pensiue how to pay the debt of gratitude to God, than puft vp in taking it on.
And saith with Dauid Who am I, Lord God, and who is my Fathers house, that thou hast brought mee hitherto? And finding himselfe vnable to thanke God, as hee ought and would, hee calleth God to witnesse his earnestnesse to honour God. What can Dauid say more to thee? For thou Lord knowest the heart of thy seruant.
And the more hee is swallowed vp in that sweet drowning sense of Gods louelove, hee is the nearer to true exaltation: Hee feeleth then the trueth of that Martyrs, word, who said, HEE THAT PRAISETH MEE, SCOVRGETH MEE, & of the word of God, That hee resisteth the proude, and giueth grace to the humble.
49. Good Spirits are most free of passions.
GReat Spirits hauehave least passions, but base Spirites are most passionate: The first is aboue their businesse, and not soone moued; the other is vnderunder all accidents, and perplexed in eueryevery thing: The one as a large vessell, containeth easilie water cast in it, and the other, as a small vessell runneth ouer.
If the power of Princes were in the hands of priuate men, or the passions of priuate men in the hands of Princes, the world could not stand. But God hath wisely separate them, that power without passion may bee profitable, and passions without power, may bee harmelesse: The highest Mountaines hauehave least storme, and wind on their tops, but the raines and tempest ouer-run the low hilles & valleyes.
There are few worldly Princes, but in Grace wee are called to this heauenly principalitie, to command our passions.
The holy Spirit maketh the Soules of the truelie sanctified, as the fleece of Gideon: They are free of passions and perturbations, while others are drowned in them. Broken water is in the shallow Seas: But the deepe Seas hauehave a soft swelling, and not these violent breakings.
If wee bee translated from Nature to Grace, wee are aboue the surprysing of accidents, and bitternesse of injuries, and so are secured from the violence of our owne passions: Our heart is in the secret of God, and our head aboue the Heauens; while our state or body is buffeted on earth, our Soules enjoye a pleasant serenitie in the face of GOD.
50. God alone better than all.
HEe shifteth much needlesse labour, and prouideth great contentment, who closeth himselfe with God alone: To deale with man alone, beside God, is both an endlesse & fruitlesse labour: If we hauehave coūsel to aske, helpe or benefite to obtaine, or approbation to seek, there is none end with man,: For eueryevery man we must hauehave sūdrie reasons, & motiues, and what pleaseth one, will offend twentie, as many heads, as many wits, and fansies: No man can giuegive contentment to all, or change himselfe in so many fashions, as he shall encounter humours: And yet it is more easie, to take sundrie fashions than to bee actiue in them.
Hee preasseth to lift water in a sife, and sand in open fingers, who thinketh so, to carrie himselfe, as to please all: He is prodigall of the peace of his soule, and carelesse of good successe, who maketh man either his rule, or his rewarder: That Spirit must bee rent asunder, that applyeth it selfe to the contrarietie of mens opinions.
Mans bodilie senses, both ruleth and ouerruleth his reason, therefore, as hee seeth men and not God, so he preferreth seene man, to an unseene GOD: But when hee shall see God in the clouds, at the last day, & all mankynd present they shall all bee nothing, in respect of God. The godly now see him, more than mā, and therefore, preferre him to all men, and runne that course to offend and lose all men, rather than him. This is a course whereof hee shall neuer neede to repent.
It is grieuous indeede to loose our friendes or familiars: And he is foolish, who loseth any, that hee may brooke with God: But it is a great triumph of Grace, when for conscientious and faithfull seruice to GOD, wee lose them: They are not worth the keeping, who cannot be brooked with him: And hee is not worthie of God, who will not forsake Father and Mother for him: All the hurt that these selfe-pleasing men bring to the God-pleasing Sainctes is the greater increase of the fruites, the scales, and sense of Gods louelove in them.
Since I cannot please all, I will take mee to please One, and that one who is better, than all, for Counsell, Approbation, and Reward: So long as God draweth, all my thoughts to him, and calmeth them in him, by sweete contentment, I will not buy a torture from foolish man: While hee answereth my desires, & communicateth himselfe more to me, than I can conceiue, I will not vex my selfe in courting of man. VVhom hauehave I in Heauen but thee, and there is none on the Earth that I desire, beside thee. Psal. 73. 25.
51. Rare accidents make many Prophets.
STrange Accidents breed vsus many Prophets: Before they fall foorth, all men are silent, but when they are seene, many clame a propheticall fore-sight of them: It is sure speaking of them, when they are come to passe; but to boast then of their fore-sight, argueth lack of judgment: how shal he be a good fore-seer, who seeth not his owne present folie in boasting idlely of that which he hath not, & maketh none use of that which is done, or doeth not see, that that his vaine boasting, maketh him ridiculous: Hee is as loude a proclamer of his owne folie, as hee clameth commendation from that foresight.
This is a sure note of such Spirites, to make none other use of Accidents, than astonishment and broad talking: EueryEvery one they meete with, & eueryevery dinner & supper must patientlie heare the arguments, of their fore-sight; at eueryevery occasion they hauehave a new edition, and a new discourse of it; and by long and oft pratling, they giuegive some life to that which hath none other beeing, than of their owne humour and breath.
When such things fall out, as cannot bee particularlie foreseene of man, it is better to ponder them seriouslie, and to see the worke of God in them: And for our selfe, to draw neare to him in Faith and Repentance, and to draw other to him also, in a religious reuerence of him who ruleth all, to the good of the Saints: To spend our owne Spirit, and wearie the eares of others in idle babling, is the worke of an emptie braine.
52. Damnable selvishnesse.
SElfe is both a neare and a deare word to man: It draweth all our thoughts to it, & setting all to worke that is in vsus, turneth them home againe, to it selfe: It is both the Idole and idolater, the exacter, caruer, and receiuer, the doer and sufferer in all dueties: A fountaine sending out all, and a Center, sucking backe all that it sent out: And so selvish in this Selfe, that it accompteth euen God to be a stranger. And is yet more foolish, parteing it selfe against it selfe, and is the owne greatest enemie: So a mans greatest enemie is not onelyonly they of his owne house, but of his owne heart.
Blind louelove in the Ape, maketh it thrust o…t the enterals of the own brood while it embraceth them too straitly: The blindnesse of Selfe-louelove maketh it in preposterous safetie to destroy it selfe: What more friend-like masters in vsus, than Selfe-love, Selfe wit, & Selfe-will, & yet what greater foes? The hatred craft, & power of our open enemies, doe not so hurt vsus as these: I feare and suspect no Creature more than my selfe, and that euen when I most respect my selfe.
I will professe and practise hostilitie against Seluishnesse, and render my selfe to bee guyded by a forraine Witte-and Will, euen the New-man created and directed of God: This is a better Selfe, than that naturall Seluish One, there is no saftie for mee, but in hateing and destroying that euill One: By that sauing ouerthrow of my selfe, I shall saue my selfe.
This is the fruite of mine ingraffing in the natiue Oliue. The juice of that stocke, changeth mee to that Selfe-destroying, and Selfe-sauing worke, the more I seeke mine owne Saluation, the more I abhore my seluish corruption. I abhorre my selfe, as I am of the first Adam, but louelove and seeke my well, as I am in the second Adam Iesus Christ.
The holie Apostle maketh this perfect Anatomie of himselfe, Not I, but sinne that dwelleth in mee. Rom. 7. 17. There is the olde and corrupt Selfe, like the first Adam in him: By the grace of God I am that I am, ye… not I, but the grace of God which is with me, 1. Cor. 15. 10. There is the new Selfe of Grace, by the second Adam in him; in both places himselfe as hee is Gods creature, is the common Subject of both these Selfes.
Hee is a stranger in himselfe, who doeth not marke this distinction of himselfe: And hee is his owne greatest foe, who destroyeth not the olde Selfe in Adam, that hee may saue himselfe in the new Adam, Iesus Christ.
53. The wise and foolish Merchant.
EVerie man playeth the Merchant in his greatest businesse: Wee change & lose something, for gaining another: The godly with God hauehave most care to saue their Soule, They care not to losse their goods, their name, their bodie for that end. If labours waste their body, and afflictions bruife their Spirit, all is well bestowed in their count, if so bee their Soule bee safe.
The wicked mak their own conquesh with witte, like themselues, they care not to losse their Soule for keeping of their body and estate; their course is justifiable in their owne judgement, no man can build better vpō their grounds, or see better with their eyes: They see not their Soule, and as little care they for it, as they know it: They see their body and state, and doe thinke that their soule is giuen for their body.
True godlinesse ouerthoweth these grounds, and giueth better light: It teacheth, that all is for man, and the body for the soule, and himselfe for God: This maketh vsus to secke our safety more than our state, our Conscience more than our fame, our Soule more than our bodie: And GOD, more than all.
Nature in worldlie thinges, condemneth our brutishnesse in spirituall: It teacheth men to buy the best thinges, of best use, of most gaine, and at the lowest pryce: But in spirituall Merchādice, wee buy the worst thinges, that are of no vse, of lesse gaine, and at the dearest rate: VVee spend our money on that, that is no bread, and our labour on that, which satisfieth not, Isa. 55. 2. Such is all our businesse on worldly thinges.
But Gods Spirit, teacheth the godly a better forme of barganning. The kingdome of Heauen is a precious Iewell: It endureth, when all these worldlie trifles will evanish, and wee finde it without a price. The Mercat of it is cryed free without money: Ho, eueryevery one that thirsteth, come yee to the waters, and hee that hath no money, come, buy, and eate: yea, come without price. Isa. 55. 1.
These wise Merchants shall rejoyce for euer before God, who vnderunder termes of buying and selling, hath freely giuen them eternall Life, where the foolish seekers of the world, shall euer lament their neglect of this free Mercat and the losse of their labour, their fruite, and of themselues.
It is good to leaue the worlds folie to it selfe, since we cannot cure it, let it not spoile Grace in vsus: The wicked losing their soule for their bodie, lose body and all together: The godly losing all for God, & their Soules saue themselues fullie: Hee is no loser, who hath God for his portion and him selfe in Soule and body unite to God in Christ.
Thinges worldlie come not in this compt, before wee were, wee had them not, and in the Heauen wee shall not hauehave them: Their vanitie, & not use, are as a not beeing to vsus. Where God filleth the heart, there is no roome to desire, or receiue them on so miserable conditions. Let them fall to these who are like to them; dust and dust doe well agree, whē we shall enjoy God for euer.