A Care Cloth, Sermon 1 · Chapter 3
CHAP. III. Shewing the profit of the dutie.
NOw becauſe neceſſitie going alone,2. From the good will follow, if we doeit. doth drag rather then leade, and ſo (as an hard and rigorous commander) is obeyed indeed, but backwardly, and againſt the haire; therefore let vsus diſcourſe a little of the fruit that will ariſe from our labour in the worke of Mortification, that ſeeing profit as well as need, the difficultie may not hinder vsus from doing it, euen with chearefulneſſe. Now the mortifying of the deeds of the fleſh will ring with it foure exceeding great, and deſireable benefits.
2. The firſt is,Great peace. vnſpeakeable peace and quietneſſe of ſoule. The heart will be at one with God it ſelfe and all men, ſo long as it holdeth variance with ſinne. Hee that is at warre with his luſts, ſhall not be at warre with his Maker. If we fight his battailes againſt our corruptions, he will not fight againſt vsus. Nothing cauſeth the God of Heauen to frowne vponupon man, but ſinne; while the World was free from ſinne, it was alſo free from all tokens of Gods diſpleaſure; therefore it muſt needs follow, that the ſureſt way to keepe our ſelues in euen termes with God, is to be diligent in reſiſting ſinne. He is not of ſo ill a nature, as to picke quarrels againſt vsus without a cauſe; himſelfe tels vsus, that he corrects not willingly,Lament. 3.33. nor of his own accord. Sin then, being the ſole cauſe of mouing him againſt vsus, wee ſhall bee ſure to find him ſo farre louing towards vsus, as wee are carefull to preſerue our ſelues from ſinning againſt him, which is beſt and moſt attained, by the ſtudie of mortification: ſo all will bee well aboue our heads in Heauen, if we follow Pauls direction. Now the conſcience is Gods officer and deputie, and that, that will make him gentle and quiet to vsus, will make it alſo quiet and gentle. The conſcience neuer ſhould (and ſeldome doth) riſe vp in armes againſt a man, but when he hath giuen leaue to ſome corruption to grow head-ſtrong, for want of oppoſing it in due ſeaſon and order. As there is no diſtempered motion in the body, till the humours be immoderately ſtirred, by ſome inward or outward occaſions; ſo neither is there likely terror, amazement, diſquietment, in the conſcience, till the luſts of the ſoule hauehave diſordered it, for want of holding them vnderunder. so that as warre abroad, is found to be a preſent remedie, againſt ciuill diſſentions of ſubiects; ſo warre with ſinne, is the cauſe of our tranquillitie with our ſelues. When clouds are diſpelled, the beames of the Sunne will ſhine comfortably vponupon the earth, and then the earth is richly garniſhed with pleaſant and profitable herbes; ſo when ſinne is chaſed away, the warme beames of Gods fauour doe ſweetely refreſh the conſcience, and the conſcience ſo refreſhed, doth bring forth the ſweet and wholeſome flowres of vnſpeakable conſolatiō. The Spirit of God wil tell our ſpirits, and our ſpirits will tell vsus, that God is our Friend and Father, that he loues vsus, and delights in vsus, ſo long as we be hauehave our ſelues to ſinne, as to an enemy, hating, loathing, and reſiſting it. Thus are we moſt friends to our ſelues, when wee bee moſt foes with our corruptions. And this fighting with ſinne, will make vsus liue quietly alſo with our neighbours. Hee that is buſie in finding out, and ſubduing his home-bred corruptions, ſhall hauehave little or no leaſure, to take cauſeleſſe vnkindneſſes, to picke needleſſe quarrels, and to prouoke others againſt him by iniurious behauiour; ſo ſhall hee ſhun the greateſt company of iarres and brawles, that vſe to ſet men together by the eares. Saint Iames ſaith;Iames 4.1. That warres and fightings amongſt men doe come from their luſts, which war in their members. We may, if we will, deceiue our ſelues, and attribute things to falſe cauſes; but the Spirit of God, that vnderſtandeth all things aright, and cannot be deceiued, points to luſt, fighting in the members, as the moſt true, proper, and immediate cauſe of contentions & ſtirres betwixt man and man. Therefore the more any man doth quell, ſubdue, vanquiſh, weaken, and beate downe theſe luſts, the more calmely ſhal he paſſe thorow the ſea of the world, and the fewer ſtormes of diſcord. and enmitie, ſhall hee meete withall. When ſouldiers lye idle, and are not imployed in marching againſt the common foe, then they mutinie, and fall out with each other: ſo when men ſet not their griefe and hatred, and other affections ou worke, to make war vponupon ſin, then they quickly take occaſion to grieue at each other, to ſigh one againſt another, to hate one another, and to vexe and gawle each other, and trouble themſelues moſt of all. But ſouldiers agree among themſelues, whileſt they lend their powers againſt a common foe; ſo when we hauehave ſtrongeſt and hotteſt warre with the deuill and ſinne, then doe we nouriſh moſt concord with one another. Thus ſhall the ſoule enioy vnutterable quietneſſe eueryevery way within and without, from God, and from man, and one weekes life, led in ſuch comfortable and happie concord and amitie with a mans owne ſoule, and all about him, is more worth, then the laſting of a whole twelue-monethmonth, torne and rent aſunder with the ciuill broyles and commotions of a grudging, froward, and diſtempered heart. Who would not doe that, that will make his ſoule to dwell at reſt?
3. Againe, the ſtudie of mortification,Patience and loy in affliction. wil inable a man with inconceiueable patience, yea, and chearefulneſſe, to beare any affliction that God ſhal lay vponupon him; yea, to look death it ſelf in the face, though it come clothed in neuer ſo terrible attire, and with neuer ſo terrible weapons; for the ſting of death, and conſequently of all croſſes, is ſinne: now, pull the ſting from out of the Serpents mouth or tayle, and then there is little feare, or danger in incountring her. What was the cauſe that the Apoſtle Paul was ſo exceeding quiet and ioyfull in all his calamities? but becauſe he had in great meaſure ſubdued, and was more and more buſie in ſubduing the corrupt luſts of his body, knocking it downe,1. Cor. 9. laſt. and bringing it in ſubiection, as himſelfe ſpeaketh. Hee that holdeth ſtrong fight againſt the euils of his owne heart (out of that peace with God and his owne ſoule, which we ſaid before that he ſhould enioy) hath freedome of Spirit, to pray vntounto God in his afflictions; hee can runne boldly to the Throne of grace (as hauing allowed nothing within him, that ſhould grieue the Spirit of Grace) hee can flie to the towre of Gods name (as hauing kept himſelfe in the pathes of righteouſneſſe, whic thoſe that do, know themſelues to hauehave all good allowance, to come thither) and when a man can freely powre forth his hart before God in croſſes, then doth he alſo comfortably enioy God, and then the ſharpenes of the croſſe is gone. The thing that makes croſſes intolerably bitter (ſo that the ſoule cannot endure the bitterneſſe of them) is the admixture of the gawle of Gods diſpleaſure; ſo farre as wee are intire and reſolute in fighting againſt ſinne, our croſſes are pure from this admixture, and ſo they be not (to himſelfe that beares them, howſoeuer they may ſeeme to the lookers on) by the hundreth part ſo tedious and troubleſome, as that compoſition would make them. So the mortified man gaines this by his trouble in mortification, that the Lord will ſuffer him to eſcape many troubles, and thoſe that he muſt (for his owne good) ſuffer, he ſhall be able to goe vnderunder with ten times more quietneſſe, and gladneſſe, and contentedneſſe; as an whole ſhoulder beares the ſame burden with more eaſe, then a ſore, or ſwolne ſhoulder. It is therefore a very profitable labour that wee beſtow in mortifying the members on earth; that is to ſay, in healing the ſores and diſeaſes of our ſoules.
4. Thirdly,Certaine freedome from groſſe ſinnes. the man that applies the worke of mortification aright, ſhall attaine certaine freedome from foule, groſſe and ſcandalous ſinnes. A ſanctified man may aſſuredly promiſe to himſelfe (vponupon his conſtant and diligent endeauours, to abate and hold vnderunder his ſinfull affections and diſpoſitions) to bee (for his whole life long) ſo kept and ſuſtained by God, that hee ſhall not ruſh into any lothſome, palpable, diſgracefull, ſoule-waſting wickedneſſe. Wee are neuer ouertaken with thoſe kind of euils, but vponupon our very palpable careleſneſſe of mortifying the deeds of our fleſh. Whileſt we do that, that God bidsvs, to ſlay ſin, he holds it vnderunder, according to his promiſe, and it hath not dominion ouer vsus, neither doth raigne in our mortall bodies; ſo that we are ſure enough, that ſinne ſhall not bring forth the fruits of ſhame and reproach vntounto vsus, vntill we begin to be remiſſe in following Gods directions, to purge out the old leauen. And, Oh, what a benefit is this, to eſcape thoſe blemiſhes and ſtaines, wherewith many of Gods children (perhaps alſo of greater ſtrength then ones ſelfe) doe defile and diſgrace themſelues? What a priuiledge is it to be ſo ſupported, that neuer in all his life, he ſhall runne into any witting, enormous, & preſumptuous crime, after God hath called him to the knowledge of his truth? What an eaſe and comfort, to liue alwayes free from thoſe blowes and ſtrokes of our ſpirituall enemie, wherewith ſome of Gods people are wounded almoſt to death? Doubtles, the remembrance of ſuch foyles, doth bring ſo much ſhame and forrow to the hearts, and often bluſhing and paleneſſe both (ſucceſſiuely) to the cheekes of diuers of Gods people, that they now account freedome from ſuch blots, a thing of more worth, then all the riches and honour in the World, and wiſh with all their ſoules, that they had taken any paines, and ſuffered any miſerie outward, to hauehave been deliuered from ſuch inward wretchedneſſe? Why ſhould we not be wiſe before-hand now? and by labour, win to our ſelues the comfort of hauing preuented that, which if once we ſhould feele, we ſhall wiſh (but all in vaine) that we had laboured night and day to preuent.
5. Laſtly,Good eſteeme from man. much true credit and good eſteeme will follow to the Saints of God, from the work of mortification, both with the houſhold of faith, and with ſtrangers alſo. The mortified man affects the hearts of all that behold him, with admiration, and the leſſe he couets the credit of men, the more he wins it. Who is he, that ſeeing a man able to hold downe anger, vniuſtice, reuenge, luſt, when ſtrong occaſions do prouoke them to work, doth not find his ſoule cleauing to him, at once louing and wondring at him? Heathen men, that hauehave for their credit ſake, ſo farre diſſembled mortification, as, in ſomething a notable faſhion, to forbeare euill doing, hauehave been more famous for that in aftertimes, then for all their wealth and victories: for it is more truly prayſe-worthy to be good, then great; and therefore an high degree of goodnes, will more honour a man in the hearts of men, then the higheſt degree of greatneſſe. The ſoule will not ſtoope to other things, though the knee doe crouch; but the very ſoule of the higheſt perſon that is, will euen bow to the name of a man, that is excellent in mortification. What made Herod honour Iohn Baptist? but this, that he ſaw him ſo thorowly mortified. EueryEvery man is inforced by his conſcience, to eſteeme worthily of one, whom he ſees doing that, which he knowes himſelfe ſhould doe, but finds hee cannot. Now eueryevery mans ſoule (in a manner eueryevery mans) is conuinced, that he ſhould conquer ambition, reuenge, couetouſneſſe, luſt; and his experience telles him, how little he is able to performe in this buſineſſe; wherefore, when he ſees another euer conquering that ſinne, whereto himſelfe is a perpetuall vaſſall, and of which hee is euer conquered, hee ſtrangeth at him, and lookes vponupon him, as vponupon ſome extraordinarie, and miraculous perſon. Indeed ſinners are many times ſo tranſported with the louelove of ſinne, that (as Owles hate the light which they cannot looke vponupon, ſo) they nouriſh in themſelues, euen enmitie, againſt theſe excellencies, which they cannot imitate: but then, when they are out of their mad and drunken fits, when they are themſelues, when they know what they do and ſay, as in the day of affliction, of ſickneſſe, of death, they cannot but ſhew themſelues, to beare more heartie reuerence, and vnfained reſpect to him, whom they hauehave ſeene carefull and able to mortifie the deedes of the body, then to all the rich and mightie men on earth. Brethren, you might well ſaue the coſt of hanging your backs, with ouer-gorgious attire, and making ſo much adoe, to trim vp your bodies; the carefull fighting againſt ſin, and preuailing againſt it (which will follow fighting) would doe you more honeſtie amongſt all your neighbours, then all the fine cloathes vnderunder heauen. If thou couldeſt thruſt thy ſelfe into a garment, made all of gold and Diamonds, and come garniſhed alſo Kinglike, with a Crowne and Scepter, the hearts of men would not entertaine thee with ſo much eſteeme, as if they ſee thee (as it were god-like) in ouercomming the ſinnes, that ouercome the greateſt of the ſonnes of men. A good name is a precious oyntment, and a precious iewell, which nothing will get ſo ſoone, or ſo ſurely, as goodneſſe. Wherefore fight againſt ſinne, that thou mayeſt hauehave honour in the conſciences of men, and ſome kind of authoritie and command in them (as I may ſay) by vertue of this honour.