Christian Observations and Resolutions, Observations · Observation 87 – Observation 92
87. The comfort of Calumnies.
ACalumnie is the Deuils minde in the mouth of Man: and his arrow shot by mans bow: Hee lendeth him his lyes and malice & borroweth his tongue to vtter them: He hath this name from traducing and thrusting through the fame of the godlie. His first and maine care, is by temptation, to destroy their Conscience, and if hee preuaile not in this, hee turneth him to their name, that hee may rent it by Calumnies, whose Conscience hee could not defile by temptation.
This is his policie against Gods dearest Children, they are most hated of him, who are most beloued of GOD: Hee careth not to make euill reports of his owne, and counteth no great gaine to defile the face of a Moore, but all his care is, to blamish the face, and stenzie the name in whom Gods Grace shineth cleerelie: Hee knoweth that treasure in them is giuen for his hurt: Hee cannot stay God from giuing it to his beloued, but hee turneth him to the next, to make it fruitlesse to other: Hee cannot stay a daylie and fresh increasing of that Grace, but hee pr…asseth to make it distastfull to man, that so it may bee fruitlesse.
Surelie hee loseth not all his labour, though hee be ouercome by the Saints, whom hee calumniateth, yet hee ouercommeth them, who doe calumniate them: It is a fearefull thing, to lend to Sathan the Heart for deuising, the Eare for hearing, and the Tongue for vttering of Calumnies, and in all, to disgrace the Grace of GOD in his Children, and make it fruitelesse to themselues. Where Sathan hath set his porter of prejudice, though Christ himselfe were on Earth, that Soule would take no good of him: It is a deuilish worke, to enuy the Grace of GOD, but more, to deny it, and most of all, to disgrace it.
Wee finde heerein a great proofe, of that particular worke of Conscience, in justifying vsus: At other times wee can content vsus with common and slender examining of our selues, but being so falslie misconstrued, wee are put to a second and a stricter tryall, which vponupon the cace of our tryed innocencie, endeth in a notable seale of the holy Spirit: Hee both approueth our first innocencie as good seruice to God, and our suffring for it, as a just matter of our gloriation. Hee who offereth vp his Soule and bodie in a Sacrifice to God, must resolue to bee crucified, in his Name daylie by Calumnies, and these daylie blowes are an argument that his sacrifice is acceptable to GOD, because Sathan rageth at him, who serueth God vprightlie, hee knoweth that Conscience within is repleate with God, and his peace, therefore hee laboureth to rent their Fame without, whose inward peace hee cannot trouble. It is better to hauehave him molesting vsus without, than possessing vsus within.
The godlie Soule so afflected, goeth to God in the bitternesse of Spirit, appealing him as a Iudge of their cause, in the Conscience of their innocencie: They commit their cause to him, and prayeth for pardon to their injurers: Their innocencie is both the occasion & cause of calumnies with the Deuill; and the soueraigne remeede of them with God and their own Consciences. Herein they hauehave a triple conformitie with Christ: Hee was innocent, and yet hee was calumniate, and prayed for his injurers. Better it is to endure the scourge of the tongue, than want this triple conformitie.
Why should we not glory in so cleare an Euidence of Gods speciall louelove? Sathan taketh both the cause of his hatred & the measure of it from the louelove of God: Hee hateth them most, whom God loueth most: Hee had moe calumnies, and euill tales against Iob, than against many thousands in his time: Hee was a thorne in his eye, because hee was dearelie beloued of God, and acceptable to him.
It is then the glorie of the Sainctes, to bee calumniat: Rejoyce and bee glad, when men revile you, and speake all manner of euill against you, for my sake falslie. Mat. 5▪ 11. It is a token Sathan hath not preuailed against our Conscience, but is now in his flight, when hee renteth our Name. As strength of Gods grace, keepeth the Soule in temptation, so the Conscience of innocencie, will comfort the heart vnderunder Calumnies.
The haile showre of Calumnies, proueth on Gods part a speciall louelove to vsus, and on our part true happinesse, in that his louelove and vigour of his Grace in vsus, ouer-comming… Sathan: And on Sathans part, a double malice, for that our double happinesse: And in the calumniator, a double miserie; one, in beeing the Deuils instrument in calumniating the Saincts, the other in defrauding themselues of the fruite of Gods Grace in them whom they traduce.
The best refutation of Calumnies is not by word, but by deede; GOD and our Conscience seeth our innocencie, let men see it in our life: When Gods Grace shineth in vsus as a light before men, then we refute realy our traducers, and proclaime them lyers to the world.
88. Men are blind and quicke sighted in their owne cause.
EVery man is both blinde & seeth best in his owne cause: Hee knoweth the circumstances of his deedes, but is blind in the question of his right: Self…-louelove maketh him ingrosse his person in his deede, and transchange his deede in his right: And so confounding right and deede in his owne person; to take all as good. The Lawes of God and man must giuegive place to his opinion and humour, they are either close forgotten, or beeing applyed to him, hee is made the rule, and they must suffer such construction as his selfe-louelove appointeth.
It is kyndlie to an erring minde to nurish the owne birth: As it erreth in directing a cou…se, so in approuing of it when it is done. It is no more fordward to deuise it, than pertinacious to defend it: & herewith is joyned a more fearefull sinne, that as his humour is put in place of Gods Law, so himselfe is put in Gods steede. If many courses that seeme good, were tryed to this touchstone their appearing equitie would be found iniquitie, and their seeming obedience to God, would proue contemptuous rebellion.
Selfe-louelove is such an enemie to trueth, and righteousnesse, as they can neuer preuaile at her barre: She setteth vsus as a center to al her supposed good, & pleadeth greatest iniquity in the termes of our wealth: In just reason, sight should master that blindnesse, but the tyrannie of Selfe-louelove blindeth our verie light.
The speciall remeede of this voluntar and wilfull erring, is to transferre both our deeds and rights to the person of some other: We would judge more vnpartiallie in that case. If wee censure them in other, and apply that our censure to our selfe, we shall be convicted of many infirmities, which wee take for perfections. If wee could drawe our cause, deedes, and persons in the light of Gods countenance, such selfe-deceiuing would not hauehave place in us: Mans judgement and our owne may faile vsus, but there is no place for deceite, if we can sincerely processe our selues before God, in the person of another. The strength of Selfe-deceit is in confusion and assuming an other person than our owne, but the remeede of it is in discerning that confusion, and transferring our person to another.
89. Particulars are mixed with common causes.
I Saw neuer a common cause without some particulars; all may seeme to concurre to choose and vse good meanes to a common end: But if all heartes were disclosed, the ends might bee found almost as many and particular, as the persons: By-ends are euer sette vp beside the maine and good end, and for these, either meanes diuerse, or contrare to the wholesome meanes, are inuented.
If God did not ouer-rule so diuerse & cōtrare projects, there culd neuer a common course bee happilie prosecute: As day and night make vp time, and heate and moystnesse the life and health of man; so hee turneth mans cont…are particulars to his good end: Hee can suffer them to intend their owne ends, and plotte their owne meanes, but yet wiselie in his owne time, he wosteth all their particular and curious spinning in the great webbe of his prouidence.
As little Brookes falling from sundrie Hilles in a great Riuer, keepe no longer their course or channell, but are carried with the Riuer to the Sea: So mens particular ends and wayes are carried within the source of Gods prouidence to his owne end.
They may fight one against another, but cannot all resist him: His ouer-ruling power and wisedome, maketh good matter for his end out of them all. It is a wonder to see eueryevery man draw the publicke to his owne particular: But more, how God sustaineth the publicke, in so manifold and manifest direptions of it: And most of all, how he turneth them to the preseruation of the integritie of it It is a griefe indeed to see men spoile the common with their owne particulars, yet shall it bee no prejudice to God: Man may propone, but God will dispone: the moe impediments, the greater discouerie, of mans folie, and the more matter for proofe of Gods wisedome.
There bee some particulars, which agree with the publicke, and are rather partes of it, than particulars: They intend a common good, and quite themselues for sustaining of it, and suffer their owne small streame to fall in the greater Riuer, and so come vnderunder Gods blessing to the common.
But destroying particulars fall vnderunder his curse, who is the ranuerser of al crooked wayes: They are the ivie or woodbeane, that draweth out the juce of the tree, which it strictlie embraceth, & turneth the waters of the riuer to their own ditch: Though they sucke the marrow of the publicke to themselues, yet God maketh it to drie their bones, and not to feede them. Such interuerters like Pharaohs leane kyne, are as leane after the deuouring of the fatte kyne, as before.
It is a safe proceeding, to hauehave our end one with God, and our mids, these same which he hath commanded: If we see men vntimouslie broyle with their particulars, let vsus not dispare of Gods end: Whither man prosper, or faile of his purpose, yet the counsell of God shall stand. Prov. 19. 21.
Hee hath prouided great furtherance for his adoes, who refuseth particular ends: GOD who watcheth ouer all thinges for his owne purpose, shall bring it to passe. Wee may bee sure that hee will accomplish our desires, when they are closed in his.
We should not stay on this only consideration, but ascend more high, to conceiue, that Gods merciemercy from eternall, purposed to determine our will to a conformitie with his, that in time hee might blesse vsus in the accomplishment of our will in his.
90. The Remeede of our Corruption.
…Ho can looke in his owne heart with the light of God without astonishment? All our naturall powers giuen at the first for our good, are armed for our destruction: These who should sute and rest on good, as our Desires, LoueLove, Hope, and Ioye, &c. are sette on euill: And they which should fence vsus from euill, as Feare, Hatred, Dispare, and Griefe, &c. are either id…e from their worke, or adhere to euill: And some monstruous passion seasing it selfe in euerie facultie of our Soule playeth the tyrrant by course.
And all these to bee directed by an ignorant and erring minde, and sweyed by a will free indeed, but all its freedome inclining and captiuate to sin. The den of lyons was no more terrible to Daniel, or the fyre to the three Children, than these tyrrannous passions in the heart, are to him that seeth and feeleth them: What pleasure can wee hauehave to dwell among such Vipers, and to be daylie stunge by them. This is our state, so long as we sojourne in Meshech and dwell in the tents of Kedar. Psal. 120. 5.
What joy can our heartes possesse so long as they boyle in these corruptions, Ambition in one corner, Auarice in another, Lust in a third, & miscontment distempering all: Wee can neither cast them out of vsus, nor separate our selues from them, except we prouide some remeede, wee must bee burnt by that fire and rent by these beasts.
If God dwell in our heart, hee will quench that fire, and stop the mouthes of these Lyons: Hee turneth these powers on their abused passions, in a godly griefe, to bee sorrowfull for them, and a godly feare to eschew them, and by their renouatiō destroyeth their corruption, and that not for their slaughter onlie, but for their buriall: A watchfull Conscience ouer their sturring, that they draw vsus not to sinne, an in-calling on GOD for pardon, and assistance against their furie, a striuing to defraude their desires, and crosse them by their contrares, are good remeedes for our corruption.
When that worke of restraining and renewing Grace is constant & sensible in vsus, then the jawes of these Lyons are broken, and the just cause of our griefe is turned in as just matter of Ioy.
I wish curious Spirits who neglect their owne calling as too narrow a taske for their large hearts, and busie themselues on the by, to take this cure of their corruption to heart: Though they had the power of seuen Soules in one, there is here matter of worke for all. But in the godly it is a worke of Grace preuailing against Nature, when they so curbe their corruptions, that the first motions of it are choaked as the Cockatrick egges are broken, before they bring out that serpent.
91. The godlie heart hath both constant warre and certaine Peace.
THe heart in which God dwelleth, hath both continuall Warre and Peace, Warre with sinne both in others and in it selfe: The world compasseth vsus with euill, and is sette on one of two workes, either to infect vsus, or to injure vsus. It allureth vsus with the owne vanitie, to be like it, and if that succeed not, it afflicteth vsus, and God moueth vsus to renounce it, and it cannot disgest that injurie, at our hand, it hath the owne peace in it selfe, & with its owne, but the godly renouncers of it are noysome to it; it hath no rest but in their separation or destructio…n
As Grace in the godlie maketh them withdraw from the world, so Satan in the world maketh it to cast them out: God cānot abide the wickednes of it: His Spirit moueth them whom hee possesseth to please him aboue all, heere are the grounds of perpetuall warring.
As though that were not enough, our owne corruption within molesteth vsus, wee may shune the wickednesse of men, but wee are neuer out of the grippes of our owne corruption, and that as an aduersarie, and on the worlds part. Wee are no more bitterlie assaulted of the world, than checked and vexed by our owne corruption, for not following the world; the outward world hath the owne inward extract in vsus working vsus to a conformitie to the owne paterne.
But all this warre troubleth not our Peace: To bee so exercised is a just matter of peace vnspeakable: God by his Grace guardeth vsus from the worlds sin, and by his prouidence secureth vsus from their injurie: And that same grace that maketh vsus ouercome the world, defeateth also our corruption: When the inward euill is subdued, the outward hath no strength against vsus. The sense & conscience of this batteling, is our Peace.
It is better to endure the worlds violence, in wronging vsus, than to bee like them in sinne: And better to finde our corruption in a daylie stur, than in a false calmnesse. God is good to his owne, who by such dealing both maketh them daylie to warre, and yet keepe a solide Peace.
There can bee no greater joy to the godlie, than to finde outward and inward corruption readie to destroy them, and God deliuering them from both. This is the shame of the outward, and destruction of the inward corruption: The glorie of God in both these works, and our securitie in all. The worlde thinketh that they vndoe the godlie by trouble, but they worke them to their grace: Their troubles chase them to God, and God embraceth them louinglie who are troubled for his cause: When Babes are affraied, they cast themselues in the Armes and bosome of their mother. Both these troubles are fortold, and the blessing is promised: As we feele the one, wee shall finde the other: In the world yee shall hauehave trouble, but in me yee shall hauehave peace, bee of good comfort, for I hauehave ouercome the world. Ioh. 16. 33.
92. Religious Religion.
IT is good to professe true Religion, and to practise the exercise of it, but the most part goe no further, and so are voide of Religion it selfe; and the fruits of it: To stand on the outward worke of praying, preaching, praising, &c. is to offer the carcase of our seruice to God. To worshippe God onelyonly with our body, is an irreligious worship; our bodie may bee busie, but they will neuer fasten vponupon God in such a superficiall worke: Hee is a Spirit, and will bee worshipped in Spirit, else none union with him.
When hee sendeth out his Vertue to our Soules, and our Soules doe meete him answerablie, that is inward Religion, and our binding to him; hee is most true, wee trust in him; Hee is most gracious, good and mercifull, wee louelove him withall our heart: Hee is moste powerfull, wee feare to offend him, and confide in his protection: Hee is most wise, wee quite our owne will, and reuerence him: Hee is most holy, wee adore, admire, and imitate his holinesse.
It is a mocking of God (if hee could bee mocked) to professe an union with him, and yet bee loose from him. This Union is the end, and Religion the way to it: The end of Gods infusing of sauing Grace in vsus, is to bring vsus to him, and bind vsus to him.
But he is pitifully selfe-deceiued, who contenteth himselfe with a profession of Religion, and neither knoweth nor careth for this Union: Hee who is not fastened to God in this life, shall hauehave no fellowshippe with him heereafter. It is a religious Religion, when wee become one Spirit with God in Christ.
These and other points make vp our inward Religion: God reuealing himselfe in his diuine properties, our Soules affecting and adhering to him in their answerable powers; this tyeth vsus not onlie for the space wee are in the worke of his worshippe, but by deth constantlie in vsus: The worke of Preaching, or Praying, or Praising, doe end in their time, but these inward bāds are neuer loosed: This inward Religion doeth both set vsus on worke, and quickneth in vsus the outward exercise of it.
There is more fruite of one houres seruice in such a disposition, than in yeares businesse without it. Hee who keepeth his heart vnderunder this religious disposition, lacketh neuer a manifest object to worshippe, nor a sacrifice to offer. He is sensible of God, and the verie mouing of his Soule in the Conscience and sense of these bands, is a sacrifice most acceptable to God, and profitable to himselfe.
The fleshlie minded doe wonder at the constant labour of the godly in Gods worshippe, but if they knew these religious bands, they would not wonder. Naturall actions oft repeated bring habits, and these become another Nature: Shall not the work of Grace, which hath both infused and acquired habits, turne in a constant disposition.
This is not obtained in our beginning of Christianitie, but after long labours in the Lord. The daylie tasting of his good nesse, bringeth our heartes to such a temper, that religious disposition turneth to bee our element for place, and our dyet for refreshment: It is our meat and drinke to conuerse with God, and doe his will. When God bringeth vsus to this degree of continuall minding, louing and delighting in him, and to the sense of these religious bonds with him, then our diuorce with the world, and marriage with God, are neere their perfection.