Christian Observations and Resolutions, Observations · Observation 10 – Observation 18
10 Discouerie of mans closed heart.
O What a discouerie would it bee, if mens heartes were as well seene as their body: Small moats goe not thicker in the Sunne beames, than mans intentions and ends: And the threed of Spiders in a wood, doe no more crosse and woft through other, than mens wayes to their endes. It is a wonder how man, one in kinde, can be so contrare in their ends and wayes: And it is a strong argument, that the most part misse the right end, and runne the wrong way. The chiefe good is one, and the right way to it, is onelyonly one, but man missing the right, falleth in innumerable errors: And it is yet more wonderfull, that euerie man resteth on a double perswasion, both that his end is good, and that his wayes will bring him to it. Neither is this all, but eueryevery man setteth himselfe as a pettie god, both for worth to obtaine, and for wisedome to compasse them.
As it is Gods priuiledge to know the heart immediately, so is it his wisedome to hide it from men: If all the thoughts of it were seene of other, there could be nothing, but a perpetuall striuing in mankynd, and euerie one abhorred of other for their monstruous thoughtes, neither the Seas, nor Africke can bring foorth such monsters as mans heart in one houre. It is best to cast off all wrong ends, and eschew all by-wayes, to set true Happinesse before vsus as our end, and walke toward it in Faith and Obedience: Other ends will proue no more fixed, than fleeing moates in the aire: And other wayes, hauehave no more force to fitch these ends, thā Speeders threeds hauehave to draw a great weight.
Our heart is euer opē to God, let vsus opē it to mā also, the words & deeds of a single heart, make it visible to man: Except they be possessed of Satan, they cannot but louelove that heart, that is ful of the louelove of God: The wicked labour to hyde his thoughts, but the godly affect to hauehave them knowne: Hee is as the man, who craued not his house to bee so built, that he might see all mē, & none see him: But rather that all men might see him in the most retired corners of his house: Hee assureth himselfe to bee acceptable to man, if the honestie of his heart were seene.
Why may he not byde the tryall of man, who hath already sustained the sight, & findeth the approbation of God, to the honesty of his heart? Both the vprightnes of the hart, & testimony of that vprightnes are knowne of God alone, and the vpright heart that hath them. The world will not see that vprightnesse, and they cannot heare the testimonie of it, but God approueth that vprightnesse, and confirmeth that testimonie, and the Soule that is sensible of all these, resteth in securitie.
11. Youth and old Age.
YOuth in many may bee called a foolish seede time to a mourning Age, and old Age, a bitter haruist to a foolish Youth: Though in Youth wee escape grieuous and slandrous sinnes, yet none lacketh his slips and infirmities, thogh speciall prouidence keepe vsus from grosse Commissions, yet none is free of sinfull Omissions: None seemeth to bee more free of the folies of Youth, thā they who are soone called effectually to Grace, yet hauehave they their owne neglects: While they are keeped by GODS Spirit from fleshly pollutions, they are caried often by fleshly presumption. Sathan is so craftie, that when hee cannot set our corruption to worke on the owne taske of sinne, he can abuse the beginnings of Grace: And so many vponupon the cōscience of Grace, soone receiued, fall either to neglect of their particular Calling, or conceating of a perfection, are carelesse of Grace it selfe; their strong and short beginnings, are followed with slow and weake proceedings.
These are indeede two Blessings in themselues, to be soone called to Grace, and before our calling, to bee free of grosse sinnes. Againe, these are contrare euils, to bee long of calling, and monstruous in sinne before our calling: but Sathan abuseth the first two Blessings in making vsus carelesse after our calling, as though wee needed not to bee zealous, because our former life was not slandrous. And God turneth the other two to good, in making them more zealous, who were long of calling, and grieuous sinners before it. S. Paul did more euill before his conuersion, than all the Apostles, and answerablie more good after it. In euerie one there is matter eneugh for mourning to old age.
It is great cruelty in Youth, to make …o noysome prouision for Age: That the tyme wherein wee looke for joy and rest, should bee turned in sorrow. Age at the best hath sufficient griefes: It is of it selfe a sicknesse, and a neighbour to Death and needeth not so bad prouision of Youthlie folies. But since the first cannot bee auoyded, it is better to mourne in olde Age, than in Hell fire for euer. If the Experience of Age cannot be found in Youth, let not the rashnesse of Youth rule in olde Age also.
It is better so to diuide our life, that there bee some mourning for euill, than to turne it all both Youth and Age in a seede time to Hell: But it is best of all to hauehave a seede time of Grace in our Youth for a joyfull olde Age, and to turne both Youth and Age in a seede time for Glory in Heauen. The godly in the midst of their corruptions sow this seed, a care to please God in a faithfull discharge of their Calling, is a matter of joy for their olde Age. Foolish Youth shareth vnequally with old Age: It taketh libertie to it selfe, and reserueth nothing but bitter pennance to the other: If they fell not both in one person, it were hard that Age should smart for Youths follies. It is lamentable that our first and strongest time hath least wit, & our wisest age hath least strength: Wee hauehave wounded our selues deadlie before wee know our estate, and all our after-time is to cure these wounds.
O how happie is hee, whom Gods effectuall Grace saluteth at the Cradle! And with his first discerning, indueth him with the louelove of God, his word and worshippe, and by the exercise of his mind, soweth such a seed of Grace, that old Age hath not a beedrole of folies to repent. If wee learne the wayes of God in our Youth, when wee are olde, wee will not depart from them. If hee fill vsus with merciemercy in the morning of our time, wee shall bee glad, and rejoyce all our dayes. That is a commendable Youth, which is olde in Grace, and sauoureth of the wisedome and holinesse of the Antient of dayes: And that is a glorious olde Age, which waxeth new in Grace, and in the newnesse of a glorious eternitie: As that gracious Youth endeth in a more gracious olde Age, so that olde Age shall end into, and bee succeeded with an endlesse Glorie.
12. Deuotion & Obedience are pleasant twinnes.
DEuotion and Obedience are pleasant twinnes: Deuotion begetteth Obedience, and is increased by it; when the Spirit is bent on God, all the Graces in it are at their highest extent: It cannot containe it selfe, but in affecting him, and delighteth it selfe most sweetely, both in powring out it selfe tenderly on him, & in a large receiuing his influences: At that tyme, all impediments of Obedience, are remoued, and the greatest spurres added to set vsus fordward: Then we answere him with a ready heart, Speake Lord, for thy Seruant heareth: Soft wax is easilie stamped, and hot yron easilie forged, so the softnesse of a deuotious heart, is plyable able to God: As it droppeth out tender affections, so it will yeelde obsequious actions to him: Disobedience commeth of hardnesse, but the heauenly warming of GODS louelove turneth that hardnesse in a willingnes and affectuous…nesse to him: As hee powreth in it the sen…e of his louelove, so it powreth out it selfe in all powers on him againe.
So long as it is in this temper, God can command no vnpleasant thing to vsus▪ though otherwise it were impossible, yet it is welcome, because of his will: This disposition in it selfe is a great degree of inward Obedience, in so great a forsaking and going out of our selfe to bee one with him: What a gladnesse is it, to hauehave the occasion to testifie our louelove to God by Obedience? And this daughter of Deuotiō doth nourish her mother. The conscience of Obedience doubleth Deuotion: We cannot satisfie our selfe in wondring at Gods goodnesse, who hath blessed vsus with the grace of sincere Obedience; that his Grace is not common in commanding onelie, but a speciall and returning Grace, turning vsus home to him, in doing that which his commanding goodnesse exacted.
Deuotion tyeth vsus to God, and that for his infinite goodnesse in himselfe, & his sauing goodnesse communicate to vsus: And beeing in so sweete bands, how can wee better discharge our selfe of them, than by honouring him in holy Obedience? And the more wee discharge our selues, the more are wee bound. EueryEvery degree of sufficiencie to obey, and eueryevery act of Obedience increaseth Deuotion: The more Grace that God giuegive vsus for Obedience, the more we louelove him, & cleaue to him, as the fountaine from whom all good floweth, and the end to which it returneth.
These twinnes both liue and die together: A dry and a withered heart voyd of Deuotion, is also barren of Obedience, and lacke of Obedience, lacketh the testimonie of strong obeying Grace, and the matter of new and greater Deuotion. Hee that would hauehave them both, let him begin at Deuotion, and the other will follow. A constant and tender Affection to God, meeteth not his commāds with disobedience. These twins are feete to goe to God, & wings to flee to Perfection. The first is a bond of our union, and the second, a proofe that wee stand firme in that union with him.
13. Holy necessities are no distractions.
ALl distractions are not of alike nature▪ some directlie marre our proceeding, as businesse without our Calling▪ other are seeming distractions, a …nesse in some other part of our Cal…g then wee hauehave presently in hand: These last are not properly distractions, but rather preparations. When a Pastour is going to the Pulpit, it is not distraction to visite a sicke person, but rather a sanctification for the publicke work: Our task is to bring soules to God, and sicknesse is a conuenient tyme for it: Reaping in the haruest, is as pleasant to the labourer, as his sowing, and to deliuer people in the hand of God, on their death-bed, is a closing of our labours about them: Wee sow the seed of the Word out of the Pulpit, and finde the fruite of it in their affliction.
I hauehave often found in conference with the afflicted, and in the way going and comming from them, moe points of Meditation, than possibly in moe hours of reteerdnesse. Gods ordinances doe further one another, and Obedience to them, hath euer a blessing following it: It is no distraction that separateth vsus not from the end, nor turneth vsus out of the way. Grosse distractions are more dangerous, yet if true Grace bee …, we shall aduance our selues more … after them, and rouse vp our strength and double our care for redeming our losses.
A well set Soule is sharpened by distractions, & turneth that impediment in a spurre: Some steppes backward, make vsus aduance further in our leaping: The Soule that toucheth good but occasionally, is soone loosed from it, but being tyed to it, then incident distractions, cannot separate, but augment our earnestnesse of that union: If wee wedde our selfe to good, for eternall enjoying, no temporall distraction can diuorce vsus from it. Hee who is alwayes about his Fathers busines, shall neuer bee distracted.
14. Fruitfull Experience.
EXperience findeth vsus fooles, and maketh vsus wise, if our folie bee curable, wee can neither thinke euill, to bee so euill, as it is, neither good so good, till Ex…ience teach vsus: The craft of Sathā, the euill of sinne, the strength of our owne corruption are best knowne by proofe, to assay them, is to eate the forbidden fruite, and a newe degree of knowledge of good and euill. The sweetnesse of Gods Grace, the sauing power of the Gospel, the tendernesse of Gods mercy, and the worke of his holy Spirit, are best knowne by Experience: This is a sort of eating of the Tree of Life.
Our best is to eschew Experience of euill: I care not how oft I hauehave proofe of good, but it is madnesse to cast vsus in the Experimenting of euill; but if our foolishnes bring vsus on new assayes, the next is to take in a new affectiō to that euil, & new care to eschew it. In what measure wee flee the proofe of euill, let vsus seeke the Experience of good, though eueryevery houre giuegive vsus a new taste of Grace, wee shall euer finde a new sweetnesse in it; and when perfection commeth, it shall exceede all our bygone knowledge and proofe: EueryEvery Experience with a new degree of light, bringeth a new affection, and stampeth the heart with a new hatred of euill, and desire of good.
Experience is an ordinar remeede of folie, but if wee amend not thereby, there is none other, than a cutting off from that experienced (but forsaken) good, and to be compassed by that prouen (but not forsaken) euill. Experience is an oft repeating of sense, and eueryevery such repetition reneweth and augmenteth the affections: Not to bee moued by Experience, is either to proue wee are senslesse, that feele not, or wi…lesse, that make not use of our feeling.
15. Companie is usuallie hurtfull.
SCarcelie can wee enter in a societie, and come off it, without offence: Our humours doe either breake out to offend other, or taketh offence of them: many affect a quicknes of wit in breaking jests on their neighbour, but are thin skinned when they are touched themselues: They take not the law of friendlie comporting, which they giuegive to others.
It is Sathans policie to turne Companies (the meane of concord) in an occasion of discord: Hee bloweth at the coale of eueryevery mans corruption a part, and finding them in a societie, preaseth to kindle them altogether, and turne our Tables into snares: Men on the other part, turne their Christian libertie in a fleshly licence, not sparing to refresh their owne myndes with the griefe of others: The usuall matter of speech in such meeting is detracting of the absents and scoffing at the faultes of these who are present: Or if Grace & Wisedome make them beare off these seene blemishes, their speech runnes vponupon some indirect taxing.
Societies are Gods blessing to mankynde to sweeten the griefes of this life, and mutually to sharpen our wittes for our Callings, but that meanes of mutuall good is turned in mutuall hurt, and the common benefite of all, is ouerthrowne by the passions and indiscretion of some particular ones in a companie. Wee can…ot eschew all societies, but we should make wyse choyse of thē with whom wee conuerse: Some are so dangerous, that they cannot bee haunted without certaine inconuenient. It is a just thing with God, to make men offend other, who make it their merriment to offend him: When wee are going or byding euen in the best societies, secret ejaculations to God, for an holy disposition is a good meanes to eschew that euill.
Happie is hee, who commeth better from them, than when he went to them: Who keepeth him from the offence of God and his neighbour: And if their corruption doeth injure him, giueth them not a fleshly meeting: If we grieue not the holy Spirit by loosing our minds and tongues to the abuse of our Christiā libertie, he will secure vsus from these mutuall offences: They are not as the strife betwixt flesh and Spirit, but betwixt flesh & flesh: If the holy Spirit did ouerrule all in these companies, they would not either contest idlie, or offend in contesting: The domage of societies made some to turne Eremites: It were good to hauehave the Heremites reteerdnes in the noyse of societies.
16. The godly Traueller is euer at home.
EVery one seeketh some delight in trauel, & that according to their disposition: The curious man seeketh rare conceats: The proude man respects of honour: The bellie-god for odde meates, and their following pleasures: The Polititian for intelligence, as the matter of his plotting and negotiating: The Tippler and complementer for purposes of discourse. But the good Christian seeketh for heauenly delights: His choyse commeth neither through the hands of Cookes nor Venteners, nor Merchants, nor from the mouthes of Stats-men; he can take all these thinges as hee findeth them, and use them by the way: But his maine care is for God, and all his Obseruation runne vponupon Gods fauourable presence with him.
What a pleasure is it to finde all the places of our Trauell and Rest, marked with the tokens of his louelove? our bed with his secret instructions; and in the day, when wee with-drawe our selues from our Companie, and powreth out our heart to him, hee answereth vsus to our heart, that his presence in an vncouth land, is as neare and sweete to vsus, as at home: To finde him eueryevery where, marking the places of our abode, as Bethell the house of God, and Peniel the face of God.
This is GODS calling of vsus to the wildernesse, to speake to our heartes: Hee will tell vsus, that neither hee nor his working is tyed to one place at home: But that all places are for the presence of God, to them who are at peace with him: The Altar is soone erected, and the sacrifice offred on it in the heart that hath a constant Deuotion: The Cou… taines of our Tabernacle are no lesse, thā the vaile of heauen: No man yet sought God truelie, but hee knoweth that God is more easie to hec found, than his owne heart: If wee finde it in an holy disposition, then both hee and the furniture for his worshippe are at hand in euerie place.
Surelie that man may bee from his house, but hee is not from God; hee carieth his home abroad with him, and God, whom hee serueth in his house, trysteth him in the fieldes. This Soule is ordained for heauen, that at home and abroad, is euer with God: Heauen attendeth him on earth, and while hee is abroad on earth, hee is at home in heauen, by that heauenly disposition. Other men prouyde bodilie necessars for their journey, and the godlie aboue that, prouyde for the fauour of God: This sacred prouision goeth with vsus, it carieth vsus, it keepeteh vsus, and bringeth vsus backe lodened with fruites of it self: Heereby in a short journey, wee make more true gaine, than Solomons Navie did from Ophir.
17. The combat betwixt the Earth & the Wretch.
THe Earth groaneth vnderunder all grosse sinners, but hath a particular combat with the Wretch: Other sinners burthen it with their vanitie, but hee would swallow it vp: hee wearieth it in furnishing his desires, and hopes: And yet is not content: His desires augment his hopes, and his equalled hopes increase his desires; they are the two daughters of the Horse leach, which cry, GiueGive, giuegive, and mis-contentment comming after, saith neuer, It is enough. To ryse vp from a good Table as hungrie as one sitteth downe, is of a doggish appetite, so is the Wretch in all his riches.
Sufficiencie and aboundance doe but inflame, and not quench his desire. Hee gapeth on the Earth, to take it all in his possession; though hee joyne Land to Land, and house to house, yet hee is poore, in his owne accompt, so long as hee lacketh his neighbours lotte. Hee entreth in strife with the earth, an vnnaturall Sonne with his Mother, and it is hard to knowe which of them is more earthly: He desie…th all, and disgesteth nothing, no, not the crudities of his owne desire: but in end is disgested of his owne aduersarie.
With what triumph doeth the Earth embrace the dust of her foolish competiture? All her superfice and fruits, and treasures of her bowels, could not satisfie him beeing aliue, but seuen foote length of her bosome closeth in his carcase: While hee breathed, hee would take Iorden in his mouth, but beeing dead, a small box holdeth his worthlesse ashes.
O what oddes betwixt the desires of a breathing, and the dimensions of a breathlesse VVretch! So small an hole will hold his corps, whose hopes deuoured all the Earth: It is good for them in their life, to take the just measure of their bodie. Little will containe it, why should they trouble the world with their idle and endles desires? What although hee could accomplish his hopes, and possesse all the Earth, yet were hee but earth on earth, and beeing loden with that thicke clay, when he goeth to dust, shall make as small addition to the Earth in quantitie, as the possession of it addeth to his worth.
Surely their spirit in this case is more lifelesse, than their carcase; & it is a just punishment for their wormish heart, to bee cast backe in the dust, which they so much affected: Let them desire as they will, in the end Death will deuoure them. Mankynde is as glad to want him, as the Earth is to hauehave him. As a pest hee troubled men continually, and laboured to turne their lottes in his bosome, but now, both rejoyce in his death: While his friendes lament him, both mankynde and Earth rejoyce that their trouble is cast out.
18. Wise expounding of Gods wayes.
…Ee hauehave no greater griefes, than these of our owne procurement, and the foolish expounding of Gods wayes is a great one: Wee looke to some particular of his proceeding, and sticke on it, and rather vponupon a crosse, than vponupon a blessing: And if wee goe further, wee judge thereby both his purpose and end: The worke in our judgement importes both simple anger present, and destruction to follow: This is a great errour, and is shortlie auenged on vsus: It maketh vsus doubt of his good purpose, and almost dispa…e of the good end. But God chooseth for the best end the hardest way, both to proue his owne power, and to try our faith.
It is better to expound his wayes by his purpose and end, than these by his wayes: Though hee should draw vsus through Hell, yet let vsus still bee assured of Heauen: His decree is sure, as his end certaine, they are in him fixed, and the way betwixt them lying through many occasions and actions, hauehave difficulties and bad appearance, but alongst all these thorters, his good-will slideth soft and sure. And if our heart bee settled, anent his purpose of our election, and hauehave pledges of his end of our glorification, wee shall both ouer come the difficulties of the way, and resting on the decree, shall obtaine the end.
What albeit the middle linkes of this chaine of our Saluation doe shake on the Earth? Since both the ends of it are in Gods hand, yea, fastened in his heart? And hee hath so joyned the linkes of it among themselues, that they can neither slippe nor breake, and it selfe as fast, as hee is vnchangeable: His heart must bee pulled out of him, before he change his purpose, he will denie himselfe, ere hee delate his inacted decree: All our considerations of our present & eternall state, are but loose and slipperie, till our heart bee fixed in the heart of God.