The Excellency of a Gracious Spirit, Part 1 · Chapter 6
CAP. VI.Cap. 6.
A Rebuke to this vile world, who have vile conceits of this ſpirit, and abuſemen of ſuch excellent ſpirits.
IF the ſpirits of godly men bee thus pretious, how vile then is this baſe world, which hath ſuch irrationall abſurd conceits of this ſpirit? and which ſo ſcornes and abuſes men of ſuch excellent ſpirits? There are two branches of this uſe: In the firſt, the vile conceits that men of this world have of this ſpirit, are rebuked;
For, 1 they thinke godlineſſe befooles men.
2 They thinke it makes them cowards, to bee men of no metall and valour, poore ſpirited men.
3 They thinke this ſpirit to bee a turbulent ſpirit, as Ahab ſaid of Elijah, Art thou hee that troubles Irael? Luther was called the trumpet Tu… rebellioni….of rebellion.
4 And laſtly, They thinke them to be factious ſpirits.
For the firſt of theſe; What more ordinary, than to caſt this aſperſion upon Godlineſſe, that it makes men to be dull, heavie, ſtupid fooles, not ſit for the great and high things of the world, and therefore they labour to ſtifle any beginnings of godlineſſe in their children, or in any neare to them, for feare it ſhould …inder their parts, and take away the quickneſſe of their wits, and braveneſſe of their ſpirits; Except you think that to be the only braveneſſe of ſpirit, to venture upon any thing that may further your owne ends, not to feare ſinne, nor the diſpleaſure of an infinite God, to let out your hearts to the utmoſt, to the ſatisfying your owne deſires, to examine nothing by rule, but to doe whatſoever is good in your owne eyes, to rejoyce in the wayes of ſin, and to bleſſe your ſelfe in the proud ſwellings of your owne heart, to be able to ſcorne at conſcience, humiliation for ſinne, ſtrictneſſe in Gods wayes, as too meane a thing for men of ſuch qualitie, of ſuch birth as you are, of ſuch eſtates, hopes, preferments, and deſignes as you have, things fitter for poor ſnakes, meaner people, contemptible ſilly ſoules to looke after; If this be the excellency of your ſpirits, then, godlineſſe debaſes them indeed, yea, it debaſes them as low as hell it ſelfe; it caſts ſhame in the faces of, and breaks in pieces ſuch haughty, ſwoln ſpirits as theſe are, it brings them down to lie at Gods feet, as poore contemptible creatures in their own eyes, loathing and abhorring themſelves, as there is infinite cauſe they ſhould, and judging themſelves worthy to bee deſtroyed; but as for any true naturall excellency of ſpirit, godlineſſe doth not quench it, but raiſes it, and beautifies it, and perfects it; It is either groſſe ignorance, or deſperate malice, that cauſes theſe conceits of the worke of godlineſſe in the ſpirits of men, yea, there is much blaſphemy in them. What? ſhall the worke of Gods grace, wherein the glory of God conſiſts, which is the life of God, the Image of God, the Divine Nature, as hath been ſhewne; ſhall it be the debaſing, the beſotting, the befooling of mens ſpirits? What? doth holineſſe, that makes God glorious, make man contemptible and vile? doth that which makes God ſo honourable in the eies of the bleſſed Angels and Saints, make man a ſott, and a foole in the eyes of men? Oh! that ever there ſhould bee ſuch malice in the hearts of men, againſt the grace of God, ever to have ſuch vile conceits of it; pray, if it be poſſible, that this thought of thy hart may be forgiven thee. Did not malice blind men, they might ſee that the Lord hath had, and ſtill hath, ſome of his Saints as eminēt in any outward true excellency, as any in the world; as great Schollers, as brave Courtiers as any living; as deepe in policie, as profound in learning, as compleat every way as any whoſoever. Who more eminent in learning than Moſes, who was learned in all the learning of the Aegyptians? who ever had a higher ſtraine of eloquence than Eſay? who ever more profound than S. Paul? And in later times, yea, even in our dayes, the Church hath not wanted worthy and glorious lights, who have beene exceedingly eminent in all, that naturall excellency could make them, even their enemies being Judges. What braver Courtiers ever lived, than Ioſeph, Nehemiah, and Daniel? Could godlineſſe in the power and life of it, in the ſtrictneſſe of it, ſtand with braveneſſe of ſpirit, & naturall excellencies, then? and can it not do ſo now? Though God choſeth oft-times the poore in the world, to bee rich in faith; the fooliſh things in the world, to confound the wiſe; and weake things of the world to confound the ſtrong; and baſe things, and things deſpiſed, &c. 1 Cor. 1. 26, 27. Yet when men are godly, their parts are not by their godlines debaſed, but raiſed; many poore weake men, who before were of mean naturall abilities, yet put them now upon ſpirituall things, and what ſtrength of parts doe they ſhew, in prayer, in conference about the myſteries of God, in diſcerning the ſubtilities and wiles of Satan, in finding out the corruptions of their owne hearts, in wiſely ordering their affaires for God, and the furtherance of their owne eternall good? Wiſe in the right choice of the higheſt end, and prudent in the right diſpoſing of the beſt meanes tending thereunto; Theſe things are not the works of fooles, of poore ſilly, ſimple men; they require quickneſſe of underſtanding, depth of judgement. There are five reaſons why godlines muſt needs raiſe a mans parts:
1 Becauſe it purges from many luſts, that darken and beſot men in their parts.
2 It imployes men in converſing with high, ſpirituall, and heavenly things.
3 It makes men ſerious, and ſo ſtrengthens their judgements, in the apprehenſion of things.
4 It makes men make conſcience to improve their time, in the uſe of all meanes and helps they can, to enable and fit themſelves for ſervice.
Fifthly, it cauſeth to imploy their parts faithfully, and ſo they come to have the bleſſing of God upon them, for the encreaſe of them, according to his promiſe, To him that hath, it ſhall bee given. Againe, Godlineſſe … ▪doth not make men cowards, ſurely, it hinders not ſpirituall valour; who ever were greater ſouldiers, more eminent in true valour and fortitude, then Ioſhua, David, Gideon, Barak, & others, who through faith ſubdued Kingdomes? Hebr. 11. 32, 33. That is baſeneſſe of ſpirit, and want of valour that makes a man a ſlave to ſin, and the Devill; ſo a ſlave, as he hath no heart to any worthy ſervice, to free himſelfe from it; but lies down under it, and carries the fetters and yoake of his bondage about with him, witherſoever he goes. That is cowardly baſeneſſe that brings conſcience into a ſervile ſubjection, that cowardly baſeneſſe that will ſuffer the cauſe of God to be betrayed, rather than venture any thing for it; what greater argument that men want true ſpirit, than this? Godlineſſe puts a ſpirit of fortitude into men, that will not ſuffer them to bee thus debaſed: and where appeares the like courage in any, as in theſe, when they are called to ſtand for the truth? Though all the Tiles of the houſes in the City of Wormes, were Devils, yet thither would I goe to teſtifie to the truth, ſaith Luther.
Againe, it is not a turbulent ſpirit; 3.for turbulency of ſpirit makes men cruell and malicious; this ſpirit cauſes men to love their enemies, to do all the good they can to them: turbulent ſpirits ſeeke onelyonly their own ends, they care not what becomes of others; ſo it bee that they may but warme themſelves, they care not what houſe bee on fire: They are boyſterous in things that concerne themſelves. But the Saints of God, in whom this other ſpirit rules, they are meeke and gentle, and yeeldable in their owne cauſe, ready to put up wrong in all quietneſſe: take them in things that onelyonly concerne themſelves, and you ſhall find none ſo readily, ſo freely, ſo chearfully denying themſelves, as they. And againe, turbulent ſpirits doe not love to examine things by rule, to call things to account, but follow their owne fiery humour, and ſet upon their own will with violence: but godlineſſe takes off men from this ruggedneſſe and turbulency of ſpirit, & makes them gentle and peaceable: let them bee never ſo active, never ſo forward, never ſo zealous in any thing, yet if you wil call them to examine things by rule, they will meekly and patiently heare you; yea, a childe ſhall leade them, Eſay 11. 6. And yet further; turbulēt they are not, for none more obedient to authoritie than they; none ſee that Majeſtie of God in Autority, as they doe; none obey Authority out of conſcience ſo as they doe. If the will of men in authority, rather than authority, ſhall require any thing that the authority of Heaven forbids, that they do not; becauſe they cannot obey, for conſcience ſake: And ſo ſacred do they account Authority, that they would have no obedience performed to it, but obedience for conſcience ſake. Blind obediēce the Church of God hath long agoe exploded, as too ſervile for Chriſtian ſpirits: this were more ſervile than ſelling mens bodies in the Market for ſlaves, which Chriſtianity abhors. It were too uncharitable a conceit of Chriſtian Magiſtrates, to thinke that they ſhould require of, or expect from any, other obedience, than in, and for the Lord; and in this obedience, thoſe who are godly, are ſo forward, as they are judged turbulent, for being over-forward to maintaine the honor of Authority, as ſome think; when according to their places they promote the execution of laws made by authority, and that of thoſe lawes which are of the higheſt conſequence for the furtherance of Piety and Peace.
Againe, factious ſpirits they are not, becauſe they ſeeke above all 4things to keep to the maintenance of, & obedience to the Primitive truth; that is faction that ſides againſt that. Tertullian hath a notable expreſſion in his Apology for the Chriſtians againſt the Gentiles, to cleare Gods people from being men of factious ſpirits: it ſeemes that aſperſion was caſt upon them then, which was about Cum boni, cum probicocun… cum …ii, cum caſti congregantur, …n eſt factia dicenda, ſed …; et econtrario, illis nomen facticnisa… … da… dum eſt, qui in … …onor…m et proborum conſpirant. Tertull. Apol. adverſ. Gentes, cap. 39, num. 520.1400 yeares agoe, his expreſſion was this, When good men, when honeſt men meet together, when godly men are gathered together, it is not to bee called a faction, but a Court; and on the contrary, the name of faction, ſayes hee, is to bee applyed to them, who conſpire to the hatred of good and honeſt men.
And thus much of the firſt branch of the Vſe, which was the reprehenſion of the vile cōceits that men had of this other ſpirit; Now the ſecond followes, which is the rebuking of the men of the world, for the ill uſe they give to men who are of ſuch excellent ſpirits. The excellencies of the ſpirits of the godly, do challenge all the good uſe that can bee, but it is little they meet withall; they are for the moſt part abuſed by the men of this vile world, as if they were the vileſt ſcurfe and filth of the earth: yea, ſo indeed they account them; ſo ſaith S. Paul. 1. Cor. 4. 13. We are foreignmade as the filth of the world, and are the off-ſcouring of all things unto this day. Why? what was S. Paul, and what were thoſe that were with him, who was ſo accounted of, were they not men of moſt excellent and admirable ſpirits? S. Paul was one of the moſt excellent ſpirited men that ever lived upon the earth, and did as much ſervice for God, as ever any meere man did ſince the beginning of the world; and yet how vilie was he thought of? how contemptibly was hee uſed? put into ſtocks, and whipped; wanted cloathes and victuals? And for the others that were with S. Paul, they were men of whom the Holy Ghoſt gives this witneſſe, that they were the very glory of Jeſus Chriſt, 2 Cor. 8. 23. Oh unworthy world, that ever they ſhould have ſuch men live amongſt them! Thoſe who are the delight of Angels, yea, of God himſelfe, how are they abuſed in this wicked world, as if they were dogges, or the baſeſt ſcumme and filth of the earth? What ſcorne and contempt is caſt upon them? the moſt abject of men think themſelves good enough to reproach and abuſe them. Were it not a grievous ſight to ſee ſome baſe drudge to have power over the body of ſome noble Prince, to abuſe it by ſtripes, or any other contumelious ſordid manner? but a more grievous thing it is to ſee the vile and baſe ſpirits of the world, who are nothing but ſinks of filth themſelves, to abuſe men of ſuch noble and excellent ſpirits, as if they were more vile than dirt? It was the bitter complaint of Ieremy Lament. 4. 2. that the pretious ſonnes of Sion, comparable to fine gold, were eſteemed as earthen pitchers. Such as bleſſed ſpirits would honour, if they had them with them, yet here they are caſt out as filth. What griefe ſufficent to lament the ſeeing of ſuch filthy ſwine to trample under their feet ſuch pretious pearles? in all ages thus it hath beene. Thoſe who were indeed the true honourable upon the earth, ſuch pretious and excellent ſpirited men, as of whom the world was not worthy; and yet they have beene moſt vilely abuſed, and are ſo ſtill by this wretched world, who know not wherein true worth and excellency conſiſts. Matth. 5. 12. Chriſt telling his Diſciples how ill the world would uſe them, he tels them, they have as good uſe from it, as the Prophets had before them. How was Micaiah (a man of a very ſweet and excellent ſpirit) contumeliouſly uſed? hee was ſtrucke on the mouth, ſhut up in priſon to be fed with water & bread; yea, with the water and bread of affliction, while 430 falſe Prophets, moſt baſe ſpirited men, were fed delicately at Ieſabels table. How was Ieremiah uſed? hee was thrown into the dungeon, ſtuck up almoſt to the eares in the myre; the Word of the Lord was made a reproach unto him daily. David before them, (a man in whom Gods ſoule delighted, yet he) complaines of himſelfe, that he was a reproach of men, and deſpiſed of the people: all that ſaw him, laughed him to ſcorne; they ſhot out the lip, and ſhook their head at him, Pſal. 22. 6, 7. and Iob before him, he was made a by-word of the people, and as a Tabret unto them; as he ſayes of himſelfe, Chap. 17. 6. The ſame uſe had the bleſſed Apoſtles, who were filled with the Spirit of God; none more ſcorned, perſecuted, cōtemned, than they. The moſt worthy and famous men in the Primitive times, found no better uſe than theſe. It were infinite to inſtance in particulars. Ignatius, Polycarpus, Athanaſius, Chryſoſtome, Salvian complaines, tha in his time, which was in the fifth Century, Homines coguntur eſle mali, ne viles habeantur.Baſil, and the reſt, reproached, baniſhed from their people; perſecuted, and exceedingly contumeliouſly uſed. In later times, the more excellent the ſpirits of men were, the worſe uſe did they ever finde from the world: Wee might inſtance in Wickliffe, Hus, Luther, Zwinglius, Muſculus, &c. I cannot paſſe by that ſad example of Muſculus, who was a Melc…lor Adamus in vita Muſculi.man of as brave a ſpirit, as any lived in his time, and a very learned and godly man; yet after he had much laboured in the work of the Lord, in his publike Miniſtery, was ſo ill uſed of the world, that he was faine to get into a Weavers houſe, and learne to weave, that by it he might get himſelfe and his family bread, and within a while he was accounted unworthy of that preferment, and was thruſt out of the houſe by his Maſter the Weaver, and then was forced to goe to the common ditch of the Town, and worke with his ſpade; to get his living. Whoſe heart bleeds not to heare of theſe former examples, and divers others, men of moſt pretious ſpirits thus ill uſed by this unworthy world, even ſuch in whom Chriſt rejoyces that ever he ſhed his blood for them? Eſay 53. 11. ſuch as hee will glory in, before his Father, and the bleſſed Angels; yet thus are they abuſed by this wicked world: The more eminently the ſpirit of Chriſt appeares in any, the more is the rage of evill men againſt them. As it is reported of Tygers, that they rage when they ſmell the fragrancy of Spices; the fragrancy of the Graces of Gods ſpirit in his people, which are delightfull to God & his Saints, puts wicked men into a rage; when as baſe ſpirited men have the world ſmile on them according to their hearts deſire. Oh the providence of God, who ſuffers ſuch indignities to bee offered to his moſt pretious and choice ſervants! but by this meanes the excellency of their ſpirits appears in greater brightnes, their graces ſhine in the more cleare luſtre. All Gods ſervants have his ſpirit in them, but when any of them ſuffer reproach and ill uſe of the world, then the Spirit of God, and glory reſts on them, then the glorious Spirit of God is upon thē, according to the promiſe of God unto them, 1 Pèt. 4. 14. and they may in part perceive, even while they are uſing them ill, that they are men not of common, not of ordinary ſpirits, who are thus ill uſed by them: they may ſee in that meekneſſe, that patience, that humility, ſelfe-denyall, faith, holy carriage, requiting good for evill, praying for, doing all the good they can to thoſe who uſe them worſt; that conſtancy, ſpirituall chearfulneſſe, ſweet contentedneſſe; that holy boldneſſe, humble courage, heavenly magnanimity, that it is a wonder their conſcience ſhould not miſgive them, even while they are abuſing of them; that their conſcience doth not tell them, Surely theſe men we doe miſtake in, they are led by other principles than we know of; they have ſomething within that doth ſupport them, wee underſtand not. It is a wonder men are not afraid to abuſe them as they doe. As Num. 1. 2. 8. The Lord ſaid to Miriam and Aaron, concerning Moſes, when they ſpoke againſt him, Were you not afraid to ſpeake againſt my ſervant Moſes? The words are very emphaticall in the Hebrew, they are thus, Were yee not afraid to ſpeak againſt my ſervant, againſt Moſes? Were hee onelyonly my ſervant, though he were not Moſes, were you not afraid? but when my ſervant, and Moſes, that is ſuch an eminent ſervant of mine, in whom ſo much of my Spirit appeared, were you not afraid to ſpeak againſt him? Certainly, the Lord will not alwayes ſuffer pretious choice-ſpirited men to be trampled under feet; he lookes upō them in their loweſt eſtate as his Jewels, even while they are in the dirt; but time wil come when he will make up his Jewels; as, Malac. 3. 17. and then there ſhall be ſeene a difference between the righteous and the wicked; betweene him that ſerveth God, and him that ſerveth him not, verſe 18. God will owne the excellency of the ſpirits of his ſervants, to be the Image of himſelfe; and what confuſion will this be to the ungodly of the world, when the Lord before men and Angels ſhall own that, for the luſtre and beauty of his owne excellency, which they, when time was, made matter of their ſcorn, objects of their hatred? when God ſhall come to them, as Gideon to Zeba and Zalmana, Iudges 8. 18. What manner of men were they, ſayes Gideon to them, whom ye ſlew at Tabor? They anſwered, As thou art, ſo were they; each one reſembled the Children of a King. Then hee ſaid, They were my brethren, the ſonnes of my mother: as the Lord liveth, if you had ſaved them alive, I would not have ſlaine you; but now he ſayes to Iether his firſt borne, Vp and ſlay them. So ſhall God hereafter ſay to the men of the world, What were thoſe men, and what did they, whom yee ſo hated and abuſed? what? were they ſome vile-ſpirited men? how did they carry themſelves? Your conſciences ſhall be forced then to anſwer; O Lord, we muſt confeſſe, They were thoſe who kept themſelves from the common pollutions of the world, they lived ſtrictly in their wayes, they walked unblameable in their courſe; they were very forward in the duties of the worſhip and ſervice of God. The Lord ſhall then anſwer; What? theſe men they were my Saints, this was my holineſſe, my image, my glory; theſe were not common ordinary men, theſe were my choice ones; men pretious in my eyes, ſeparated from the common ſort of the world for my praiſe: If you had loved them, prized them, and honoured them as the choice of the earth; if if you had followed their example, I had not ſlain you; but now you ſhall periſh everlaſtingly.