Helps to Stir Up to Christian Duties, Chapter 4
CHAP. IIII. That the worke of a Chriſtian, in reſpect of his ſpirituall estate, lyes moſt with himſelfe.
OR that ſtirreth up himſelfe.] This is the ſecond part of their complaint they had beene ſluggiſh and drowſie, they had not beene dealing with themſelves, nor labouring with their owne hearts for quicknance and ſtirringneſſe; they did not ſtirre up [themſelves.] Hence obſerve, The buſineſſe of a Chriſtian, in regard of his ſpirituall eſtate, ſhould lye much with himſelfe.
A Chriſtian hath of all others the greateſt buſineſſe, and this lies in many places; in heaven, in the Church, in the Family, in the Cloſet, &c. and though God ſet him his worke, and give abilities to doe it, yet in regard of the tranſacting and perfecting this worke, it hath ſpeciall, and primary relation to a mans ſelfe, and ſpecially to that part of a mans ſ…lfe which wee call the Inner man, as his minde, and thoughts, wil, and affections, and Conſcience; God being a Spirit, with whom our principal buſineſſe lieth; and the ſervice being Spirituall, in which we are to addreſſe our ſelves unto him; its the ordering and managing of our ſpirits that lyeth upon us, as the chiefeſt of our imployment. See it in ſome Inſtances:
Firſt, in the great buſineſſe of Repentance, and turning to God: we ſhall finde this in Scripture to be calledaLuk. 24.1… A comming to a mans ſelfe: To make this farther to appeare let us take the whole order and courſe of this worke.
It pleaſeth the Lord, at ſome time of a mans life, ſuch an one whom he purpoſeth to ſave, by the Miniſtery of the Word, together with the helpe of the Spirit, to meet in his way to Hell, where there is diſcovered unto him the vileneſſe and horribleneſſe of his ſinnes, and the fearefull eſtate the ſinner is caſt into by reaſon of theſe: The conſcience is now a wakened, the books are opened, hee ſees ſinne clearely, and is convinced of them, ſo that he cannot ſhift, hee cannot deny them; his thoughts alſo beginne to be troubled, and to beat one againſt another with unſavory perturbations; finding all is not well, he goes alone by himſelfe, begins to ſearch, reads his ſinnes as in a ſtory; his conſcience tels him, I am ſent unto thee with heavy tydings; and one meſſenger followes another to tell him of his loſt and condemned eſtate:bDan. 5.27 To thee be it ſpoken, thou art weighed in the ballance, and found too light; theſe be thy ſinnes, and theſe will be thy ſorrowes. Being thus perplexed, he begins to caſt about, and to conſider what way hee were beſt to take to extricate, and unwind himſelfe out of theſe Mazes and Labyrinths of ſinne and miſery: He lookes upward, and ſees heaven ſhut againſt him; he lookes downward, and findes hell opened for him; he lookes round about him, and ſees no helpe in any creature, men, or Angels; he lookes into himſelfe, and findes innumerable ſinnes cōpaſſing him about, which ſtare upon him, and having every one, as it were, a chain in their hands, they are binding him hand and foot, to caſt him into utter darkneſſe. Being caſt into theſe great ſtreights, ſuch thoughts beginne to riſe in his minde, (God being mercifull to him;) Is there not mercy with the moſt High? Will hee caſt off any poore ſinner that comes unto him? And therfore reſolves and ſaith, SurecLuk, 15.18 I will ariſe and goe, and I will ſay to the Lord, I have ſinned againſt heaven, and before thee; who can tell but the Lord may ſhew mercy to as great a ſinner as I am? He comes therfore, and caſts himſelfe downe before the Throne of grace, and ſaith,dIob 7.20. What ſhall I ſay unto thee, O thou preſerver of men? I have no arguments to plead, no excuſes to make, no reaſons to defend my ſelfe withall; my ſighes are my beſt Apologies, and my teares are my beſt arguments: O that thou wouldeſt pitty! O that thou wouldſt ſpare! O that thou wouldſt have mercy upon a poore worme, a wretched and forlorne ſinner! Thus all alone he humbleth himſelfe, heeePſal. 32.5 confeſſeth his ſinnes, and ſpreadeth them before the Lord,fEze. 20.43 loathing himſelfe in his owne ſight; gLuk. 15.21accuſeth himſelfe;h1 Cor. 11.31. iudgeth himſelfe worthy to be deſtroied: He now beholdsiIohn 3.14 Chriſt lifted up to him (as the brazen Serpent in the wilderneſſe) which he ſees with his own eyes, embraceth with the armes of his owne faith, applyes him to himſelfe for his owne everlaſting comfort. And thus his ſinnes purſue him to the Sacrifice of Chriſt, to this City of refuge, giving him no reſt, till Chriſt ſpeake peace to his ſoule: and all this is done by a man with himſelfe.
Secondly, as it is thus in regard of Initiall Repentance, ſo is it in regard of renewed Repentance; when a man falls into ſinne after calling, to get up againe, and recover, the buſineſſe lies with a manskPſal. 4.4 ſelfe. Thus wel1 Kin. 8.47 read in 1 King. 8.47. When Gods people are carryed captive into their Enemies Land, the promiſe is, that yet if they ſhall bethinke themſelves, and repent, and make ſupplications, &c. then God would heare them: He ſpeakes it of renewed Repentance, of them who are already Gods people; and this hee cals a bethinking themſelves, or a bringing backe a mans heart, a going downe into a mans ſelfe; and anſwerable to this is the other expreſſion in the ſame Chapter, ver. 36. When they ſhall know every man (that is, particularly) the ſoare and plague of his owne heart. Thus alſo, Levit. 16.29. the children of Iſrael were to afflict their ſoules and to make bitter to themſelves the remembrance of former ſinnes, they weremEze. 16.62 63, & 36.31 voluntarily to caſt themſelves into heavineſſe: ſo Peter nLuk. 22.32went out by himſelfe and wept bitterly. As it is with a man in times of taking Phyſicke to recover health, hee betakes himſelfe to his chamber, takes the potion preſcribed, and is contented to be pained, and made ſicke: So in this Repentance, which is Spirituall Phyſicke, the worke lyes by ones ſelfe: as it is in Zach. 12.11. They went apart, the Land ſhall mourne every Family apart, and their wives apart. Thus wee ſee it in the buſineſſe of Repentance.
It is the ſame alſo in the work of Mortification. How doth it lye with a mans ſelfe, as the ſeverall phraſes in Scripture, pointing to this, import; when a man is tooGrandis virtutis eſt tecum pugnare quotidie etincluſum hoſtem centum oculis obſervare. Hieron. ad Fur. fall out with himſelfe, and to have greatp2 Cor. 7.11 indignation againſt himſelfe; to qGal. 5.24crucifie his luſts, and corruptions; torMat. 18.8 cut off, as it were, the parts and members of ones owne body, as to pull out our eyes, to cut off foot or hand; toſ1 Cor. 9.27 keepe under the body; totMat. 8.34 deny a mans ſelfe; all which ſeeme terrible and bloody words to corrupt nature, and carnal reaſon; yet about this muſt a Chriſtian be exerciſed, and that by himſelfe.
Againe, when feares and doubts riſe in that great and weighty matter whether we have any part or right in Chriſt or no? this queſtion muſt be reſolved byu2 Cor. 13.5 proving and trying a mans owne ſelfe, by a private ſearch and ſcrutiny, which muſt be made in our owne boſomes.
Laſtly, ſee it briefly in regard of ſome particular duties, we ſhall find the worke ſtill to lye with ones ſelfe; as in
1 Hearing and Reading the holy Word of God: Heare it *Iob 5.27(ſaith Eliphaz to Iob) and know it for thy good, or for thy ſelfe, as it is in the Margent. When we apply things to our ſelves, as the Diſciples upon that ſpeech of Chriſt unto them, One of you ſhall betray me: they xMat. 27.22asked every one, Master is it I? To doe as the Bee, which brings home the honey gathered to her owne Hive, there layes it up to nouriſh her, and to feed upon it as need requires. A man muſt ſo looke into the Word that heyIam. 1.23 may ſee his owne face in it as in a glaſſe; and ſo helping himſelfe to reforme what is amiſſe.
2. In ſinging of Pſalmes thezEpheſ. 5.19 Apoſtles counſell is, that wee ſhould ſpeake to our ſelves, ſinging and making melody in our hearts to the Lord.
3. In preparing to come to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, wee are exhorteda1 Cor. 11 28 to examine our ſelves before we come.
4. When croſſes and afflictions breake in upon us, and God layes his hand on us, we are to bLam. 3.28ſit alone by our ſelves, pondering and conſidering the grounds and cauſes of them; ſo quieting our ſelves, that wee may beare them with patience.cJer. 15.17 I ſate alone becauſe of thy hand (ſ…i…h the Prophet Ieremy.
Reaſ. 1 This private, particular, and punctuall dealing with a mans ſelfe, wil much work out hypocriſie, and make all our performances to be with much more ſincerity; which doth moſt appeare in our perſonal performances, ſince every man is trulieſt that, that hee is in private, and by himſelfe, in his ſecret retiredneſſe, and when ſeparated from all ſpectators and witneſſes. For here indeed lyes the ſtreight and pinch of our Chriſtian worke:
To be wreſtling with God in prayer; To bee dealing hand to hand againſt our beloved corruptions, and to keepe a conſtant and cloſe fight againſt them; To be much in ſelfe-examination; To be gaging our own harts, and digging into our ſelves to finde the roots of our ſinfull diſtempers, to rake in the puddle and ſincke that is in our owne boſomes, and to ſmell the ſtench and unſavorineſſe of it, to bee humbled by it: Theſe, theſe are thoſe private and painfull workes which muſt be done, if ever thou meane to make ſure worke for thy ſoule, and without which all thy Religion is but a ſelfe-deceiving.
In our more publike and open performances alſo this hath place: So to tend to our hearts, and ſpirits, that they bee preſerved in their ſtrength and intention in the duty, beyond what will ſatisfie men, as in Hearing, Receiving, Praying with others, &c. all which may be done with eaſe by the outward man; but doe thou ſay to thy ſelfe, this charge muſt I alwayes lay upon my ſelfe in all duties that are of publike Obſervation, to doe them from my ſelfe, not from others; that is, to ſet upon them from ſuch a vigor of ſpirit as would carry mee to ſuch performances, even from my ſelfe, if there were none to behold me.
Reaſ. 2 Secondly, there can never be any ſaving worke upon the heart without this, and that by reaſon of the deepe eIer. 17.9deceitfulneſſe of our hearts, and deſperate wickedneſſe. A man can lay no ſure foundation of his houſe, that diggeth not deepe beneath all quicke-ſands, and rotten ſoyle, ſo here.
Vſe 1 This ſerves for great reproofe of ſuch who have no ſuch kind of buſineſſe with themſelves, but are ſtrangers in their owne boſomes, altogether ignorant what paſſeth in their owne hearts, whether they get or loſe, whether they draw nearer to heaven or hell; of ſuch the Prophet complaines,fIer. 8.6 None ſaith what have I done? They live abroad out of themſelves, looking and prying into others, but leave their owne hearts neglected and untill'd. Nay, they ſhunne, and decline this worke as a grievous taske. Oh, mee thinkes it is a folly and a madneſſe, that wants a name to expreſſe it, that Man, a reaſonable creature, endued with ſuch abilities, and ſo fitted every way for this worke, and it being a buſineſſe of that great conſequence, yet that hee ſhould make ſuch an eſcape from himſelfe, and live at ſuch a diſtance from himſelfe, ſo farre out of his owne call and reach! Oh what ſtudying is there in the world of ſundry ſorts of ſalutations, garbs, and complements? What asking of each others health and welfare?gNullum tibi anima tua propinquiorem nullum …u…t ces chariorem Si te amiſeris omnia in …e p…rdis. Salv. lib 3. cont. Avarit. Of all priſoners, uſe oft neſt to viſit thine owne ſoule. Greenham. foreign &c Intende …imae oculum in tuum i…ſiu… examin ut noſca… …ect…ne anpecus …eat anima …u…. Baſil. yet never to aske his ſoule how it fareth; not ſo much as to bid it good morrow, or good even; I meane, he paſſeth it by as a worthleſſe, and a neglected thing. What great deſire have many to viſit farre Countries, and to know the manners and cuſtomes of other Nations farre or neere? What long Pilgrimages doe many make with many a weary ſtep? yet they will not take a ſhort journey downe into their owne hearts, nor know the behaviour and language of their owne ſoules and conſciences. The grounds of this extreame folly may be ſuch as theſe:
1. In many it proceeds from Ignorance, they know not what this duty meanes, or that there is any ſuch work reqvired of them, they know not how to behave themſelves in ſuch a buſineſſe.
2. In many it proceeds from ſlothfulneſſe, they will not be at the paines,hEſt et he… perverſitas hominum mori…itius, quam curati deſiderare. they chooſe rather to put things to the venture, ſpeed as it may: They ſay they keepe their Church, ſay their praiers, come to the Sacrament, pay every one his owne, &c. if this wil not ſerve the turn, but that there muſt be ſuch adoe, then God helpe. They thinke ſuch as call for more, or doe more, are more buſie then needs, and that farre leſſe would ſerve the turne.
3. In many it proceeds from a ſtrange levity, incompoſedneſſe, flotingneſſe, and unſetledneſſe of Spirit; they cannot keep their mind ſteddy, nor ſerious in this worke, but are quickly turned aſide to other things, even a feather flying in the ayre will divert and take them off, and cauſe them to wander in vanity and impertinencies.
4. In ſome it proceeds from a guilty fearefulneſſe; they will not bee too buſie this way, to pry into themſelves, fearing leſt they might ſee that which would make their hearts ake to ſee, by cauſing the remembrance of their former evill wayes to returne upon them: They think it would bring a damp on their worldly comforts, and marre their carnal mirth making them grow mellancholicke and mopiſh, and ſo expoſe them to the ſcorne of the world, or their companions, and carnall friends.
5. In ſome it is from worldlineſſe, and earthly-mindedneſſe; they will not afford ſo much time, being carried along with ſuch great intention and vehemency of Spirit, they cannot be atiAs if a ſicke man ſhould ſay, I have no leiſure to be cured. leiſure for this buſineſſe. But canſt thou be at leiſure to eat, drinke, and ſleepe? Canſt thou finde a time to looke upon thy Cattell, corne, and bagges? To laugh and be merry? nay, to lye, ſweare, drinke, &c. Be thou aſſured, that ſo continuing, God will not be at leiſure to forgive thee thy ſins, or ſave thy ſoule.
Vſe 2 Try therefore what buſineſſe hath beene diſpatched this way, with thy ſelfe, about thy Spirituall eſtate; what peace procured, what occaſions of ſinne prevented, what corruptions maſtered, what watch kept, what reckonings caſt up, what doubts cleared, what graces increaſed; what duties practiſed, what temptations reſiſted, what proviſion made for aeternity, what time thou haſt ſpent by thy ſelfe about theſe things; be aſhamed for thy failings, and bleſſe God hartily for any time ſpent, or thoughts had, or progreſſe made about theſe things.
Vſe 3 Bee exhorted to ſet thy ſelfe to this worke, thy hand to this plough, ſtudy thy ſelfe, read thy ſelfe, reaſon much with thy ſelfe, and converſe frequently with thy ſelfe, conſult and adviſe with thy ſelfe about thy Spirituall eſtate, be ever ready to returne into thy ſelfe upon all occaſions, what ever befals thee; comforts or croſſes, mercies or miſeries. When fallen into any ſinne, traverſe quickly thoſekforeign, Iam. 1.22. falſe reaſonings of thy hart which drew thee into it. Say to thy ſelfe, how came this to paſſe? As Abſolon ſaid to Thamar, when ſhee came weeping with duſt upon her head,l2 Sam. 13.20 Hath Ammon bin with thee? So, Hath Satan beene with thee? Hath paſſion over-born thee? Hath Pride ſwelled thee? Have worldly cares choked thee, &c. How came this about?
To move us further to this duty, take theſe few helps:Motives,
1. This, of all other actions of life, is the moſt Noble, and tends moſt to the perfecting of the ſoule, which is the moſt excellent part; this perfects a man as hee is a Chriſtian: Other thoughts, and diſcourſes of thy Spirit may perfect thee as a man, a Scholler, a ſtateſman, and Common-wealths man, &c. but this, as a Chriſtian. This, being the moſt noble worke, and buſineſſe of the minde, puts a luſtre and beauty upon the ſoule. This is the ſpeciall part of wiſdome, and makes a man the wiſeſt man. All other thoughts and actions, without this returning into a mans ſelfe,mIer. 17.11 Pro. 5.13, 14 leave a man at laſt in the midſt of folly and miſery.
2. This makes the ſoundeſt, and moſt ſetled Chriſtian, ſound in heart, in judgment, and life; the neglect of this cauſeth ſo many errours both in life and judgement.
3. This keepes the ſoule and conſcience in a quiet and peaceable ſtate, ſweet, cleane and comfortable, as often ſweeping keepes the houſe cleane; and often reckoning keepes long friends: This will make thee rejoyce in thy owne boſome, and thenPro. 14.10 ſhranger from this worke ſhall not meddle with thy ioy: Otherwiſe the ſoule muſt needs be a loathſome place, and a cage for every uncleane luſt and ſinfull vanitie.