Christian Observations and Resolutions, Observations · Observation 1 – Observation 9
1. The Christian Furniture.
THREE thinges are necessar for our Christian walking, the right end, the straight way; and a good Guide: And all these are to bee found in God alone; his glorie is the right end, and the high way to this ende, is his Word; and himselfe the onelie Guide; yea, hee himselfe is all these three: Hee is the Way, and the Trueth, and the Life; for wee are led by his Spirit in his will to himselfe. His presence in merciemercy giueth vsus all this furniture, and without it euerie man goeth astray; some seeke the right end, but choose not the straight way: some find the straight way, but seeke not the right end: in place of God they seeke and follow themselues; in all their businesse, they aduance not one foote from their first and naturall condition, but are more drowned in miserie, than at their birth.
The truelie godlie come to this threefold blessing: The more sincerelie they intend his glorie, the more sure are they of his direction and guiding: This is Abrahams walking before God, and Enochs walking with him, and Paul his walking in him. The present fruite is answerable to such grounds, a certaintie to obtaine such an end, because of the way and Guide, a securitie in that way, and a joy in the conscience of rhem all. The conscience of the sinceritie of our intention, of our endeuouring to find and walke in the way is a great degree of his presence in grace, & a presage of his presence in glorie: The Soule that laboureth for this sort of walking in this life, shall bee with him for euer after this life.
The most part of men proclaime to the world, that they hauehave neuer thought earnestlie of this Iourney: Their furniture is rather for Hell (if such a Iourney needed furniture) then for Heauen: They take this worlde for their home, themselues for their end, their Guide, and Guarde, loosing their heartes to all vngodlinesse and vnrighteousnesse: But the godlie know they hauehave no byding citie heere: therefore, they seeke for one to come, and deale with God for this prouision in so dangerous a way. Hee may bee sure of that end, who is guided and guarded by God in the way to it: Hee who is now alwayes in God, must bee with God for euer. So hee guideth his owne with his Counsell, and afterward bringeth them to his glorie.
2. Operations of Gods Spirit are powerfull.
THe working of Gods Spirit is neither at our desire, nor our direction: Hee bloweth where hee listeth, and GODS Kingdome commeth not by obseruation: Our euill deseruing hath more power to stay him, than our desires to set him on worke; omissions grieue him greatlie, but commission of grosse sinnes grieue him more, they can procure both the intermission of his worke, & a temporall desertion, though hee neuer depart simplie from the Elect. Wee can not fore-see his comming, but wee may feele his working. The worke it selfe telleth vsus that hee is in the worke: When hee lurketh, what confusions in the minde, and disorder in the heart? In great businesse we make but slow speed, all is in a manner forced, and nothing doeth promise the desired successe.
But when hee showeth himselfe, O what a change in the Soule! Illumination is great in the varietie, and the clearnesse of light, and euerie power hath the owne seale stamping the heart, all goeth then so easelie, as the Soule sufficeth not to take vp particularlie his working. In that diuine worke, it findeth the power of a diuine Nature; no creature can either worke so mightily in vsus, or affect vsus in that kinde or degree. It hath more increase of light, affection, sense, and sweetnesse in one houre, than in some other moneths. As the Soule moueth the bodie, so hee moueth his giftes and graces in vsus, which are as a carcase without him: Hee is both the worker & teacher of his own operations; & moueth vsus to mak due use of them, his desertions are grieuous, but his felt operations doe largely recōpence that grief.
It is good both to feare & eschew his desertiō, but when we find it to comfort our selfe in the remembrance of his bygone, and assurance of his future working to our former joys. His work is euer powerful, but not euer sēsible. We know that the hand of the Horolodge hath moued, when it commeth to the houre, but our sight discerneth not the mouing of it: His worke is oft-ten secret to vsus, and yet forcible; Thereby our condition is changed to the better, though we obserue not aye the progresse of that bettering: When hee both worketh in vsus sauing Graces and a feeling of his worke, so that his worke, and our sense of it doe meete together, that is our vnspeakable Ioye.
3. The fruitfull worke of our thoughts.
AS our thoughts are called light, so is our accompt of their worke: They are restlesse, and wee are carelesse what and how they worke▪ no man can hold them within: both outward things draw them out, and themselues are giuen to wandring, euen while wee are musing to hold them in order, as water they slide away: In their going out they carrie the soule with them, and at their returne, report some fruite of the matter which they considered. But many doe neither obserue their going out, nor their returne, they let them out on euerie thing, & mak use of nothing, & some are worse in a profaine libertie, they send them out on impious and naughty matters, and take them home fraughted with pernicious and sinfull reports.
God hath giuen vsus our Soule for a better use, as he hath set it in the bodie to quicken and moue it, so also to keepe a fruitefull intercourse with outward things: If it went simplie out of the bodie, death would follow: If it remained inclosed in it, there could bee no intercourse with outward things: God hath appointed a midde way, that the substance of it shall abide in the bodie, but it sendeth out the thoughts as fearchers and intercommers.
Our best in this kinde, is to follow Gods appointment, not to let our thoughts wander rackelessie, but to send them in order, not on euerie trifle, but on good things, and at their returne, to receiue their worke in order. A wise Soule in this Thought-work, is as a Beehyue, all the powers are in labour, a continuall going out, and returning: no power idle, and none returne emptie, and all their obseruations as Honie laid vp for use: It gathereth and disgesteth in it selfe a substance, & masse of purified knowledge, and that for affection and action, and all of them for the obedience of God and union with him.
Fixed endes make an well ordered and fruitfull course: It is good to intend the good of our callings, and then to set our Thoughts to worke about the way: Painters draw first the lines, & thē fill vp the spaces, & compleat the portrate: And Frost turneth first the face of water in hard lines, and then equalleth all with yce: And the bodie of a childe in the wombe, hath first the noble partes framed, then all is filled vp to the comelie proportion of a bodie: So the bodie of profitable knowledge hath first the noble partes framed in our fixed designes, then the enterjected spaces are filled vp by the Minds daylie labour. A ball striken in the open fielde goeth straight out from vsus, but in a Tinnice the wall maketh it returne to our hand: So if our thoughts goe out rackleslie, they …uanish: But if wee hem them within the compasse of fixed intentions of our calling and particular taske therein, they come home with pertinent obseruations: In the first case they are as the Rauen fleeing about the Arke of Noe, but not entring in it: In the next they are as the Doue, returning wearie at Euening with the fatnesse and peaceablnesse of the Oliue.
4. Gods peace a sweete Vade-mecum.
HEalth of Bodie, and peace of Conscience, are two substantiall blessings: Without them other blessinges are not pleasant to vsus; and this Peace is better than Health, as the Soule is better than the bodie. The ground of it is Gods free louelove; the price of it, Christs satisfaction; the worker of it, Gods owne Spirit, the mettell vponupon which he stampeth it, is a good Conscience; the fruite of it, the joye of the holie Ghost. It cannot bee keeped, but by great circumspectnesse: Sathan cannot endure such a Iewell in the midst of his kingdome. It is vineger to his teeth, and smoak to his eyes, to see Gods children full of this peace in the midst of all his snares, wee hauehave it in the world, but not of it, neither can the world know it, nor giuegive it, nor take it from vsus. It sweetneth the bitternesse of our afflictions, and doubleth the sweetnesse of prosperitie: Goe with it whither wee will, we hauehave a better jewell in our heatrs, than all the treasures on earth.
O what comfort is it! when wee lift vp our heartes to GOD, and hee meeteth vsus with softnesse of heart, and joye in Spirit, when hee maketh the beames of his face in Christ to strike on our Soule, to warme and quicken them, and doubleth his grace in vsus, in the conscience of these things. It is Gods seale in the godlie, but the wicked neither hauehave it, nor care for it.
A wonder it is, howe men can liue in the world without this Peace: Non can well liue in a Kings Court or Countrie, without his Peace. And how shall they liue in the world his great familie, and not care for his fauour? And yet men vnderunder their Kinges wrath may lurke in their Dominions, but no place can hide them from God: There is small appearance, that they who care not for this Peace, doe know God; strangers taste not of this Ioye, but Gods children, who know the worth of it, will not value it with all the world: For worth, it passeth all vnderstanding, and for use, it guardeth the heart and mind, in the sauing knowledge of the Lord Iesus Christ.
It is sweete in our life, but shall bee more sweete at our death, then we shall see his face not frowning, but smiling on vsus; wee shall not bee amazed, but rejoyce when hee commeth with his messenger death, to loose our bands: Who can conceiue Simeons joye, when hee song, Now letteth thou thy seruant depart in peace? Hee could neuer hauehave so spoken of death, without this Peace, and a sure ground had hee, for his eyes did see, his armes did carrie, and his heart was full of the Saluation of God, the Prince and pryce of this Peace. It is a guard in our life, and a bridge at Death, to set vsus safe ouer the gulfe of miserie, and enter vsus in Heauen.
5. Wee are fooles about Happinesse.
OUr greatest folie is where wisedome should bee greatest, euen in the choose and pursute of true Happinesse: Wee cannot heere possesse all thinges, and yet confusedlie wee couet them, & when wee choose one of them, it is not the best, but the worst of all, in so farre as wee make it our best. God is to bee sought aboue all, hee may bee seene and found of all, yet the most part knoweth him not, and seeketh him not. They professe wisedome, but they practise folie herein, they are not spiritually daintie either in choose or their affection, any thing contenteth them: The base lump of the earth and vanities of it, are felicitie to them: And though there be some choyse blessings in the world, they light rather on the trash, than on the good substance: As they passe by God himselfe to his gifts, so among his gifts, they misse the corne, and choose the chaffe: Neither doeth their folie stand heere, it can imagine to it selfe an happinesse in this miserable miscarrying.
This is indeede a fooles Paradise, a conceate plat-formed by our selues: we are delighted with these vanities, and captiued by them, which proueth our naughtinesse. Raw and racklesse choosing, maketh faint pursuing. True Happinesse, as all true good, hath an alluring and drawing vertue, and the godly by their inclining & yeelding dispositiō to it, are made partakers of it to their happines: Their care about it, is as far aboue other cares, as it selfe excelleth other things.
If this rule bee applyed to mankinde, how few shall bee found in the way of true Happinesse: Professe with men, and imagine with themselues as they will, there is none appearance, that either they hauehave found the alluring power of it, or rendred themselues in their greatest desire and care, for the obtaining of it. It deserueth the flower and prime of all our labours, and their smallest remaines may serue other trifles: But when this order is inverted, such men lye as fast in miserie, as they are blinde and lazie in the pursute of true Happinesse.
If true good hauehave drawen vsus forceblie to it selfe then wee cannot but seeke it earnestlie. This is true Wisedome, to passe by all thinges, that wee may finde God: To count these deceiuing imaginations about Happinesse, to bee tyrranous foolries, in the midst of so manie euils in the world to find out the good, and among so manie goods, to finde out the true and best good, euen our good God, and rest on him.
6. Death surpriseth the most part of mankind.
MAnie are on their death-bed before they thinke rightlie of life: They are going out of the world, while they begin to know wherefore they came in it: Wee come in it for this great businesse, to saue our Soules, in the Faith and obedience of God, but when wee hauehave time to doe it, we forget that busines, and then begin to thinke of it when the time appointed is gone: We spend much time in doing nothing, and more in doing euill; but little or none in that great matter wherefore wee were borne.
The life of sinne is in vsus before the life of God, and fearing the owne ejection, preoccupyeth the other, and taketh all time to it selfe. And mortalitie seasing on vsus in our conception, before our perfect life, subjecteth vsus to inevitable death before wee liue the life of God.
The Soule must bee in perplexitie at the houre of death, that seeth the day spent, and that assigned businesse not begun: A Traueller that seeth the Sun setting when hee is entring on the journey; must bee agast, the Euening of the day, and morning of the taske doe not well agree together. All the time that remaineth is too short for lamenting the losse of bygone time, and if Gods merciemercy did not infinitelie exceed our euil, none could be saued after such a neglect. Time bygone cannot returne, but may be redeemed, and this redemption is not in the extent of the worke, but in the equiualence of it; God worketh not by such lent proceeding as hee doth in them that spend their time well, but at-once hee perfecteth them: as hee pardoneth their sinne, so he perfecteth their sanctification. Though God doe this in some, yet he biddeth all use their time well, while it goeth. The fruitfull use of it may cost vsus the losse of manie trifling joyes, but that shall bee recompenced with solide fruite.
Fearfull will that encounter be, when grimme Death findeth a man in sinne & carelesnesse, he must cry in the bitternes of his heart, Hast thou found me mine enemie: But when it findeth vsus in our worke, and at peace with God, pleasant will bee that meeting: It is Gods messenger to loose vsus out of the yoake, and bring vsus to our promised and exspected reward. How joyfullie shall that Soule goe to God, that hath so liued, as euer in the worke wherefore it came in the world: When the Conscien…e at death saith to God, Lord, I beare this man record, that hee hath worne himselfe, and spent his time in seruing and obeying thee. This testimonie is sweet… in our life, when wee lye downe at night wearie of our labour, ryse earlie to it againe, and are crossed for our fidelitie in it, but more sweete in our death.
That man is blessed, whose way, and journey, time, busines, & breath goe altogether. The Apostle closeth all sweetlie, I hauehave run my race, I hauehave keeped the faith, hencefoorth is laid for mee the Crowne of Glorie: Hee who liueth the life of the righteous, shall die the death of the righteous, and shall not bee surprysed of Death.
7 The great profite of prayer
SOme spirituall exercises augment light, as Reading, Hearing, conference: other augment life and affection, as Meditation, and Praise: but Prayer is for both: It openeth the minde to see more clearelie, and softneth the heart to bee more sensible, the light of God shineth then most fullie, when wee see our God and our selues in his light, and the fixing of our minde on him, cannot but draw our heart to him, the more clearelie wee see him, the more wee louelove his goodnesse, flee his offence, and burne in greatest desire of his union in Christ: It setteth all the powers of the Soule on all the reuealed properties of GOD, and powring out it selfe on him, by all these receiueth the influence of his goodnes most fullie and sensiblie: Faith, Hope, LoueLove, Delight, and all other Graces are herein busied on their sweetest worke, and God in Christ, comming downe to our weaknesse, draweth vsus so neare to him, that wee may taste how good and gratious hee is.
It is the most immediate worship of God, wherein wee draw neere to the Throne of Grace, and adore an incomprehensible God-head in Christ; wee are thereby not onelie for the present filled with LoueLove, Reuerence, and feare of a divine Majestie, but at other times holden vnderunder that same disposition: We know wee are euer in his sight, and remaine in some measure affected to him, as wee are in the time of prayer. Beside the great blessinges that wee obtaine in it, this is a great one, that by daylie standing before God, wee know him more and more to our union with him: No Soule can seeke his face, and see him daylie, but must affect him, and render it selfe absolutelie to him. The disposition to it, the worke of it, and the fruite of it, are three great blessings.
Poperie is mercenarie, and doeth no seruice to God, but vnderunder name of hyre: So is it in prayer; they hauehave proclamed to the world, that they know neither the delight nor fruite of it, while they call it a laborious worke, & put it among penall satisfactions. If they had the Spirit of adoption, crying, Abba Father, they could not hauehave such pleasure as in that exercise: no; there is no greater torture to a deuoute Soule, than to bee stayed from it. The heart-scald doeth not so vex the stomacke, as these impediments doe the Soule.
The impressions of God are so strong in that heauenlie conference, that nothing can counterfit them, and our contentment so sweete by that sense of his louelove, that no humane delight can equall it. When our heart is taken with a delight to pray, we hauehave found a compendeous way to know God sauinglie, and to bee taught of him: Next to his holy word, the impressions and affe…ions obtained in Prayer, are two cleare Commentaries of his divine properties.
8. Fruitfull labours in our callings.
OUr Soule hath the owne measure, which it can not well exceed; within that compasse it worketh easily & profitablie: Without it, and aboue, there is great toyle, but no fruite. In our calling and gift wee may doe something, because of Gods ordinance & promise: But without them wee are out of our theets, and hauehave neither a promise of his presence or blessing: Yet in our calling and gift, wee may exceede, if wee reach vsus further than the measure of our gift promiseth: As God hath distinguished men by callings, so by giftes in a calling, and men of that same gift by sindrie degrees of the gift.
The lacke of this consideration, maketh so many crosse themselues, and others, and forceth God to mis-know his owne ordinance, while they walke not as hee appointeth. While euerie man will doe eueryevery thing, no man almost doeth any thing as hee should. Our gift and measure of it, is our Talent: and the labour of our calling, is ou… exchange: According thereto, our place is reckoned, both in mankinde, and the Church, & so our reckoning wil be at the last day.
It is wisedome to consider our Calling, Gift, and measure of the Gift: The Calling giueth authoritie and power: The Gift, sufficiencie: The measure of the Gift, dexteritie: And all of them in this harmonie promise a blessing. The Calling presenteth the taske to vsus: The Gift, the parte of it: And the Measure, the degree of the taske: To labour without a Calling, is curiositie: Without a Gift, is presumption, And without a Measure, is a foolish ouerweening and ouer-reaching, it is an abusing of the worke, our Gift and our selfe.
Hee shall not bee ashamed of his reckoning, whose labours hauehave beene all within the bounds of his Calling▪ and their Measure within his Gift & degree. As God hath first blessed him with the honourable imployment of a Calling, and next, with some sufficiencie for to doe it: And thirdlie, with some answerable successe: So in end, he shall crowne all these Blessings with acception, both of himselfe, and his labours: Well done faithfull seruant, thou hast beene faithfull in little, I will make thee Ruler ouer much, enter into thy Masters Ioy.
9 The world is worse and worse.
MAnie doe wonder wherefore the world is worse and worse, and that justlie how so bad a thing can grow in euill: It lyeth all in euill, euen in Sathans armes, and that is euil enough. It would appeare that long instructions, Letters, Diuine and humane Lawes, and Discipline, exercise of Religion, examples of Gods judgements for sinne might hauehave some force to mend it. These would indeede proue forcible to a curable nature, but the world is vncurable.
The heart of man which is the heart of the world, is desparatelie and incurablie wicked. Though some men be renewed, yet they beget not renewed men, but naturall: Euerie Age commeth in with the owne guise to adde euill to the former: Their corruption letteth them not see the good of former or present times, they take hold of euill, and thinke it a proofe of their succession both to follow that, and augment it. As a kinde Burgesse in a Citie loueth the increase of common good, so euerie man the increase of the common euill of the world; how can it bee good, since it hath no good of it selfe, but resisteth the goodnesse that God offereth to it? all the sins of former Ages remaine in it, & by reason of mans great corruption, and Gods just desertion increaseth wonderfullie: And the Prince of it watchfull at all occasions multiplieth wickednesse, that God may multiplie wrath. It is kindlie to eueryevery thing to growe in its owne gift, good thinges by reason claimeth that groweth, but euill, by violence obtaine it.
Wee must seeke a new world in this olde one, for this will neuer amend: Hee shall finde his life for a prey, who keepeth himselfe from the contagion of his time. Though wee bee some part of it, yet let vsus not be like to it: The new man with new grace, shal mak good plenishing for a new Heauen: when like draweth to like in the justice of God, we shall bee gathered to Heauen, while the incurable world goeth to their owne place. Hee must bee secured by sauing Grace, who would not bee lossed in the worlds wickednesse. This preseruatiue commeth onelyonly of God, who hath chosen vsus out of the world, as hee can prouide vsus peace in the midst of it, so can hee preserue vsus in despyte of it: hee is ouertaken in the worldes sinne, and shall bee involued in their damnation, who seeth not this common euill, and keepeth not himselfe from it.
We are foretold that the world wil grow worse, and are commanded to forsake it: But the latter Ages louelove it more than the former did: Doubtlesse this is because man in his tyme groweth worse than the world: It was neuer good to louelove it, no, not at the best; but now in the end of it, when it is worse than euer it was, to dote vponupon it, is extreame madnesse: Such a dotage may end in a perpetuall union with it, or rather in destructiō. If we be the excellent ones of God, and Sainctes on Earth, wee are better than the world, because wee are hi… choyse out of it, and it is certaine that hee chooseth the best; what euer wee be by nature, we are vnspeakablie bettered by his electiō, which maketh vsus that which he choyseth, and calleth vsus to. It is therefore a frensie to prostitute the excellencie of Gods Image in vsus vntounto so base an idoll as the world.