The State of True Happiness, To the reader
AN ADVERTISEMENT TO THE READER.
CHristian. This Discourse which now stands so close together, was deliuered in fiue seuerall sermons, but all to a most iudicious and intelligent auditorie; therfore there is a continuance of matter, coherence, and stile. I must entreat thee, out of thine …ngenuous discretion, to distinguish the places where they were preacht, as thou shalt find the direction of my speech, and some particular applications more naturally and necessarilie with indiuiduall reference appropriated thereunto. The reasons why I spent the most of my meditations, and sticke so long in descrying and desciphering the state of formall hypocrisie (for therein I hauehave trod a something vncouth and vnusuall path) are these:
First, I considered that in this full light of the Gospell, a great number of men appl…d and content themselues with a superficiall glistering of a formall profession, outward conformitie to the Ministrie of the word, and some false flashes of an vnsound persuasion that they are in the ready and right way to heauen; when as indeed it hath not inwardly illightned their vnderstandings with sauing knowledge, heated their affections with true zeale, subdued their sinfull thoughts, and noisome lusts with the power of grace, nor softned and sanctifi…d their hearts to yeeld a cheerfull, sincere, and vniuersall obedience thereunto: And so after a few miserable daies spent in a prosperous securitie, they fall into the iawes of hell before they mistrust any such matter; and the pit of destruction shuts her mouth vponupon them, before they know and acknowledge, their broken and bankrout state in spirituall things; I therefore desire and endeauour to awake them out of their golden dreame of imaginarie future happines; that with open eyes they may see their present spirituall pouerty, and so betimes preuent the anger to come. I hope in the Lord, and wish hartily, that by a dispassionate and thorow perusall of this Treatise, they may take some scantling of their owne estate with God; and entring a serious and impartiall search and examination of their consciences, discouer and reueale themselues vntounto themselues; and so if they belong vntounto the euerlasting couenant of grace, s…ep forward into the state of grace, the paradise of true Christianitie, and practise of holinesse; that their deare and pretious soules may be saued in the day of the Lord Ies…s.
Secondly, I did conceiue that there is a threefold cord, three maine and capitall causes, that violently hale downe vponupon vsus from heauen many both corporall and spirituall plagues, and bind them fast to the bowels, and principall parts of this kingdome, and doe daily more and more ripen the iust wrath of God, for the powring out of his last vengeance vponupon this sinfull nation. They are those: 1. The ouerflowing torrent and vnbridledrage of many crying sinnes, fearefull abominations, and desperate prophanenes. 2. A sensible declination from their first louelove, and decay of zeale, euen in Christians. 3. A luke-warmenes and want of thorownes and sinceritie in formall professors.
As for the first: By our horrible sins and hatefull ingratitude for mercies without measure, and miraculous deliuerances, wee grow so heauie vponupon the Lord, that we presse him, and the bowels of his tenderest compassions. as a ca…t is pressed that is full of sheaues; so that it is impossible, but that shortly, without great humiliation and generall rep…ntance, wee should wrest out of his hands the vials of his last wrath, and force him to come against vsus with the beesome of vtter desolation. It is to bee feared (so grieuous and endlesse is the impietie and imp…nitencie of this land) that his forbearance in the meane time, is not for any hope he hath of vsus (for what good hath a durable and extraordinarie plague done vponupon vsus?) but onelyonly by reason of the cruell and implacable insolencie of our enemies; because …ee is loth to make vsus a prey to the Wolues of Rome, and matter of triumph to such a mercilesse and murderous generation. Who knowes but that the Match had reached vntounto the Powder, had not the Lord out of the bottomlesse depth of his vnlimited mercies laid hold vponupon his owne argument, Deut. 32.26.27. I hauehave said, I would scatter them abrode, I would make their remembrance to cease from amongst men, saue that I feared the furie of the enemy, lest their aduersaries should waxe proud. Left his and our aduersaries, those breathing diuels the Gunpowder Papists, should too proudly and barbarously hauehave insulted in the ruines of his people, and the banishment of his glorious Gospell. The Lord giuegive vsus vnderstanding hearts to consider these things in time, lest he come vponupon vsus with his wrath, neuer more to bee appeased, and teare vsus in pe…ces when there is none to h…lpe. May any man driue away an hungry Lion in the wood? or quench the fire in stubble, when it hath once begun to burne? may one turne againe the arrow that is shot of a strong archer? If the Lord once whet his glittering sword, and his hand take hold on iudgement, with purpose to roote out a sinfull and rebellious nation; there is no power or policie, no multitude of men, or magnificence of State, no armour of the mightie, or arme of flesh, shall euer bee able to giuegive any succour, reliefe, or deliuerance.
Concerning the second: Certaine it is, that our blessings of peace, and strength of State, breed by accident much abatement of forwardnesse, and zeale in godlines, secret indeuotion, and coldnes euen in many true Professours, carelesnes in obseruing their waies, wearinesse and vncheerefulnesse in doing good, and performing holy duties, vnpreparednesse in comming to diuine seruices, religious exercises, and the Lords Table, sleightnesse and vnprofitablenesse in prayer, meditation, Christian conference, and dailie examination of their consciences, neglect of opportunitie in winning their brethren vntounto the feare of God, and of working vponupon, and preuailing with their kindred, acquaintance, familiars and families. Thus wickedly and vnthankefully turne we the mercies of God into occasions of sinne, and suffer our temporall happinesse to wast and consume our spirituall blessings. And the more we are secured in our outward state, the more heartlesse we are in the seruice of God, and the affaires of the life to come. But let vsus looke vntounto it: for as the louder and crying sinnes of this land are the great and strong cartropes; so vndoubtedly, these as lesser cords hauehave their part and some power in drawing vponupon vsus heauie iudgements, and in preparing further vengeance, except wee amend, and returne to our first louelove. Would to God that we would keepe fresh in our minds but this one consideration: That the same God, which against the expectation both of heauen and earth, of Rome and hell, of diuels and Papists, turned our feares and amazements at the death of that glorious Saint, the late Queene, into safetie, and a sure foundation, by the most happie succession of our gracious Soueraigne, and his roiall seed; can out of his iust iudgements for our vnthankefulnesse and securitie, in the very turning of an hand and closing of an eie, dash all our hopes, and shut vp the whole Body of this flourishing kingdom in the pit of irrecouerable destruction. It had bin done, had Fauks fired the powder: and who knowes what those busie and bloody heads are euen now hammering in the same kind? Besides these two now mentioned, there is another capitall cause of Gods heauie displeasure; which though i… make no great noise, nor be much taken notice of vponupon earth, yet …t is much lothed of God almighty, and cries loud in heauen for vengeance vponupon vsus: It is a Lukewarmenesse, and vnzealousnesse, a cold and carelesse mediocritie in spirituall matters, and as it were, a neutralitie betwixt notorious sinfulnes and sauing sinceritie. When men perhaps with diligence, willingnesse and forwardnesse submit themselues to the hearing of the word; but subordinate the power and practise thereof to their …ase, honours and worldly contentments: When they wil needs hold an outward correspondence with the world, and yet inwardly maintaine and nourish hope of saluation in themselues: When they straine their wits, and striue to partake both of the comfortable fauour of God, and corrupt fashions of the times; both of the pleasures of their sweet sinne, and the sweetnesse of the true peace of conscience, which are as inconcurrent as two parallel lines, and as incompatible as light and darkenesse. These men, though in the worlds opinion, they be of ciuill honest cariage, of moderate spirits, and of a stated temper in religion; and in their owne conceits, rich and enriched, and want nothing, yet indeed they are meere staruelings, and starke beggers in respect of the true riches, and lasting treasures of sauing grace, and in the very case of those (except in the meane time they buy of him gold, garments and oile) which shall neuer see Christ Iesus in his Kingdome to their comfort: for Amen, the faithfull and true witnesse hath vowed it, that he will spue such out of his mouth; and wishes much rather that they were key-cold, then such formall Christians: His speech imports thus much: I had rather you were Pagans and Infidels, then professors without zeale. Now my chiefe and speciall aime is, with all humble submission to be…ter iudgements, and the censure of the Prophets, to lay open the state of th…se men, because besides their fearefull deceiuing their owne soules, and particular certaine damnation if they so continue, they mightily ince…se the Lords wrath against this la…d, with an insensible and vnacknowledgde prouocation, and mainly hazard the continuance of his glorious Gospell amongst vsus. It is commonly conceiued indeed, both of themselues, and of the world; that if they bee morally honest, and outwardly conformable to the ministery of the word; so that they bee hurtlesse, and innocent in respect of humane iustice; that they are also, I know not how, harmelesse and guiltlesse before the Tribunall of God. But the Euangelist telles vsus,Luke 16.15. That that which is highlie esteemed among men, is abomination in the sight of God: And God himselfe by Isaiah, Isai. 55.8.That his thoughts are not our thoughts, neither are his waies our waies. For certainely the state of Lukewarmnesse, and formaliti… in religion, howsoeuer it may be full of worldly applause and happinesse, and beare away the bell vponupon earth; yet it is as burdensome and hatefull vntounto God, as luke-warme water, or the most lothsome potion to the nicest stomacke: And doth with a more naturall importunitie then other sinnes, knock at the gates of diuine iustice, for the remooueall of our candlesticke, and the glory of his Gospell from amongst vsus. All kinds of sinnes according to their nature, measure and ripenesse hauehave proportionally a part and hand in drawing downe all manner of plagues vponupon the sonnes of men: but this hath a peculiar and predominant power, in hastening that particular and greatest of all iudgements, the famine of the word. For God cannot endure without speciall indignation, that his word, which is his power vntounto saluation▪ should rec…iue such limitation and prescription from mens wisdome; that it should worke no further vponupon them, nor beget more change and holinesse, then may consist with the enioyment of their worldly contentments, reputation, and the pleasures of their beloued sinne. He cannot abide, that men discontented with the stra…tnesse of the gate of grace, and impatient of a strict course of godlinesse, should labor to find out, and follow another way to heauen, then that which is sanctified by his word, and which hath and must be troden by all those that will euer see the Lord. Knowledge and profession of Gods truth, without sanctification and zeale, are but meanes in the meane time, to put out the glory of Israel, and will hereafter but encrease the number of stripes, and adde waight vntounto endlesse torment. In the name of God therefore let all luke-warme and formall Christians be contented to take notice of their state; and before the Sun goe down… ouer the Prophets, suffer their hearts to be thorowly heated with true zeale; and besides their outward reformation, and generall lightnings of the Spirit, to entertaine that speciall sauing and sanctifying grace, which onelyonly can saue their soules, and prepare them for the glory that is to be reuealed: Lest now at length (for he hath borne with vsus miraculously) our iust God cause our Sunne to goe downe at noone, and darkenesse to surprize vsus in the cleare day: L…st he roote vsus out of this good land, as a fruitlesse and faithles nation, turne vsus out of our houses of peace, as the vnworthiest, and vnthankefullest people vnderunder heauen; and let out his vineyard to other husbandmen, which will deliuer him the fruites in their seasons. And the more secure and fearelesse wee bee (as wee were neuer more) the more sudden and ineuitable is like to bee our surprizall and destruction. For as Gods mercies are then most magnified, when they relieue the extremest miserie, and shine into the depth of discomfort and darkenesse, when all other helpe is vtterly despaired of: so his iudgements are most glorious, when they strike at the height and top of pride and impenitencie, while they thinke themselues most sure, and with greatest confidence repose vponupon the arme of flesh, and policie of man.
The third reason and motiue why I insist so long in the point of formal hypocrisie, was taken from the condition of mine auditors; who being of deepest vnderstanding, are naturally aptest and strōgliest tempted, to mistake & vnderualue the mystery of godlines, and to deceiue their owne soules in the high point of saluation. For men of greatest noblenes and pregnancie of spirit, of most rich and vniuersall endowments of mind, without the power of grace and a sanctified humilitie (the fairest branch springing thence, and the true crowne of Christianity) are readiest to make an idoll of their great sufficiencie, with a disdainefull preiudice to passe by the simplicitie of the Saints, & out of a flattering conceit of their owne hearts, to thinke their spirituall state as good as the best, and most blessed from God, when as yet they hauehave no part in the first resurrection. For when they find themselues far aboue others in all other excellencies, and whatsoeuer remarkeable worth the world takes speciall notice of; they conceiue also that in a proportionable congruitie, (as indeed it should be) they are inferiour to none, in those sacred apprehensions of heauen, and taste of eternall life. VponUpon this consideration, I was bold▪ out of a Christian iealousie, to treate on this argument, being persuaded of their great wisedome and gratious humility to listen to any heauenly message, which might either discouer or preuent spirituall danger.
Thine in Christ Iesus, Robert Bolton.