The Whole Duty of Mourning and Preparing Ourselves for Death, Part 1 · Chapter 12
CHAP. XII. Several Instrumental Means to be used in the Seeking and Attaining of a Heavenly Kingdom; Practtically Considered.
IN the pursuit of a Heavenly Kingdom, we must Run so that we may obtain; But, because 'tis necessary a Seeker should have Eyes as well as Feet, Knowledge as well as Industry: least as the Perverse Jews, you ask, and receive not, because you ask amiss: James. 4.3. Now Consider the manner how to Seek: and that is by doing Good, and suffering Evil: doing Good and being active is the Work of Nature, but to do well, is an effect of Grace, and cause of prosperous Reward, as Holy Moses intimates to Israel: Deut. 6.28. Do ye that which is good in the sight of the Lord that you may prosper: Do you that which is good, and that you may do chiefly with these two Instruments, a Praying Tongue, and a Relieving Hand; for Charity and Prayer are the Swiftest Wings, on which the Soul can mount to Heaven.
II. Prayer, is the Jewel of God's Ear, the Dialogue 'twixt Heaven and Earth; the Tongue of Angels; the Souls Embassador with God, which never with a Faithful Hand, knock'd at Heaven Gates and was sent Empty away; what though not presently heard, 'tis but to double our Importunity? what though not straightway granted, 'tis but to glorify our Patience? yet sometimes, I confess, our Prayers like Exhalations drawn up here, may fall else where in fruitful Showers, and may light on our posterity: but fervent Prayer never goes uncrown'd, but is still heard in a proportion to our Welfare, though not always answered according to our vain Desires.
II. Prayer is the Sole Phoenix of the Graces, from out the Ashes of whose Spicy Nest, Revives a Bird of Paradise; this can make a Precious Arabian Bird as Happy as her other Sister, and for stony hearts can give us Hearts of Flesh: Ezek. 11.19. there is a kind of an omnipotence in Prayer, it locks and opens Heaven, 1 Kings 18.5.7▪ it renews Societies 'twixt parted Souls and Bodies, 2 Kings 4.33. it blows down the Walls of Jericho, stays the Sun, and makes Fire descend; it holdeth that Hand which holdeth all the World from striking a very Sodom; GOD himself can do nothing till praying Lot is gone; Gen. 19.22. and 'tis very remarkable in that Dialogue 'twixt GOD and Abraham, Gen. 18. how God disisted not from Granting, till Abraham first left off Petitioning: and therefore, as the Apostle wishes, Pray Continually, 1 Thes. 5.17. That is, at constant times, of publick and retir'd Devotions; or else continually by Good Words or Works: for indeed no Circumstances can exclude Prayer, and besides, every good Action is a kind of Supplication. Seek therefore by doing Good, and that first by Prayer.
III. But because Prayer alone makes a Man but like a Bird with one Wing, or as a Boat with one Oar, somewhat lame and imperfect to perform this Duty; for let any Zeal make what noise it will, if spoke with the Tongue of Men and Angels, yet without Charity, 'tis but a tinkling, not a well-tuned Cymbal: 1 Cor. 13.1. Let therefore the praying Tongue say to the relieving Hand, as Ruth to Naomi, Ruth. 1.16. Whether thou goest, I will go; and where thou dwellest, I will dwell. Let Charity, I say, and Prayer, like Links of a golden Chain, depend on one another, though like two Gloves, one lost, the other but of little use; yet both together make themselves compleat: For God, like Isaac, Gen. 27. will feel the Hands, as well as hear the Voice of whom he blesseth.
IV. Pliny in his History tells us of the Eagle, That she knows her young Ones by their Eyes, their Perspicacy, and unless they can out-face the Sun, she rejects them as a Bastard Brood. But God knows his Children by their Hands, their Liberality; and whom he finds, like Jeroboam, withered-handed, close-fisted, he counts them but degenerate Sons, and will dis-inherit them of his Heavenly Kingdom, yet will give them a Portion, I tremble to say where: Cast then thy Bread upon the Waters; Eccles. 11.1. relieve the Needy, whose Multitude and Weakness terms them so, and after many days, (for Heaven will never forget it) thou shalt find it: and that flowing to thee, like rich Merchandize, with blest encrease: each one that shall crave an Alms, is an Arm stretcht out from God, who hath another Hand as ready to reward, as that was to receive; for who so hath Mercy upon the Poor, lendeth to the Lord; Prov. 19.17. and indeed, but lendeth to the best advantage, for the Lord will recompence him. God puts us not to the expence of costly Sacrifices, should he, how cold would his Altars lye! the Calves of our Lips, and Offerings of our Hands, are now all he challengeth; and therefore, to do good, and to distribute, forget not: for these are the pleasing Sacrifices.
V. Part with some of that, which long you cannot keep, to gain that which you can never lose: Make you friends of that unrighteous mammon, Luk. 16.9. Ethimius, tells us, God hath given Men Riches, not as unto Treasurers, but Stewards: Imitate then that wise One in the Gospel, for to every one it shall be one Day said, Give an Account; and believe it, none shall make a better Reckoning at the last great Audit, than the Charitable Person: For love covereth a multitude of sins, 1 Pet. 4.8. and this indeed the Judge himself attestates, Mat. 25.30. Christ there describing his last general Sessions, seems to take notice only of Works of Mercy; there's no mention of your Frugality, Temperance, Diligence, or other Virtues; but Feeding, Cloathing, Visiting, and Ministring; these Christ names, and takes upon his own account, You have done it unto me, and therefore re-pays them with Eternal Happiness, Come you Blessed, &c. and Charity is the way unto that Kingdom, and Heavenly City of the New Jerusalem that we seek, though not the worth of it. Seek therefore by doing good, and that by Prayer and Charity.
VI. It follows next, That by Patience in suffering Evil we ought to seek: By suffering, for thereunto are we called, saith the Apostle, 1 Pet. 2.21. Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an Example, that we should follow his steps: and two ways likewise must we suffer; by Bearing, and Forbearing: in which two Things, says Epictetus the sum of all Philosophy, and I may add, of almost all Christianity consists: First, in forbearing Intemperance, all Luxurious Riot, and Excess; 'tis both the Mother and the Nurse of Vertues. Hippocrates his Aphorisms is true on both sides, That Diseases, both of Body and Mind, for the most part, owe their original to fulness and redundant Humours; and indeed, where Satan tempts one fasting, he tempts a thousand full, and therefore abstinence is the best Cure of both. And oh how well had it been for their Posterity, had but our first Parents been acquainted with this Virtue in Paradise! then, for ought I know, they had still been there, and then I'm sure, that same one Man's Meat, had not prov'd so all others Poison: but ever since we took from that first Mother of ours, all our vicious longings, we likewise hunger after Superfluities, and Forbidden Fruits, not contented with enough, but are too indulgent to our wanton Genius.
VII. Intemperance brings not only Grey Hairs, but Green Years, with Sorrow to the Grave! For how soon does immoderate Potions, like much Water on a little Fire, extinguish natural Heat? and as soon do intemperately devoured Meats, like much Fire a little Water, drink up the radical moisture? and here that Judaism is seasonable, What need this wast? Wast of Food, Wast of Feeders? a little contents Nature, but nothing satisfies Opinion: how fast doth Luxury consume the vital Lamp, oft-times so captivating the Body to Diseases, that nothing can free it, but that general Remedy of all Maladies, an early Death: So that the Intemperate are of the Number of David's Wicked Ones, that scarce live out half their days, Psal. 55.33. and however not by the Laws Politick, yet by the Divine Statutes, each of these is by double Guilt his own Self-murtherer.
VIII. Be not therefore like that Image of Intemperance, Sardanapa…, whose effeminate Luxury bereft him of his Kingdom, least it bereave you of a better, of the Kingdom of Glory: but rather imitate that Pattern of Abstinence, the good Emperor Valentinus, who of all the Conquests, he had ever Won, though many, yet on his Death-bed, said, he Gloried but of one; and being ask'd of which; the greatest Victory, saith he, that e'er I got, was in Subduing that greatest Enemy my own Flesh: I close this with St. Peter's dehortation, and in his wooing Language: I beeech you brethren abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the Soul ▪ 1 Pet. 2.12. seek Patience by suffering, and that not only by forbearing, but likewise by bearing Evil.
IX. Bearing Evil, first, Affliction is the Coat of a Christian, and the Cross his Badge, and it is said to every one, as well as Constantine, under this Banner thou shalt overcome: are we not all Members of that Head which was Crown'd with Thorns! the parts then must look to Simpathize together with it; for the Head enters not by one passage, and the Members by another; but all go into Heaven at the same Strait Gate: the Red Sea is the way to Canaan, and through many tribulations must we enter into that Kingdom, Acts. 14.22. Affliction, like the Toad, hath a precious Pearl in the Head, how ever it appears ugly; no Affliction is for the present joyous, but our light afflictions which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory: 2 Cor. 4.17.
X. Adversity is God's Knife, wherewith he spareth not to Launce whom it pleaseth him to Heal, and those, like precious Jems, are most beautiful after Cutting: and though our Earthly Mother, this World, may perhaps for our Affliction with Rachel, call us Ben-onies Sons of her Sorrow; yet God our Heavenly Father, will one day for our patient Suffering, with Jacob, call us Benjamins, Sons of his Right-hand; you may perhaps have heard of that Saying of St. Austin, God had never but one Son, and that his only Son, without Sin, but not without Affliction; no …ot his beloved Son in whom he was so well pleased: Mat. 3.17. indeed, the rather was he Afflicted for that he was beloved, seeing he Chastneth whom he loveth, and Scourgeth every Son whom he receiveth: Heb. 12.6.
XI. The Rod is the Badge of Filiation: and therefore St. Augustine notes in God, a cruel Mercy, and a merciful Cruelty: the first, when he permits the Wicked to prosper in this life, as tis Job 21.13. the wicked live, wax fat, and grow in Wealth, saith he, but what ensueth, a sad Catastrophe, in a Moment they go down to Hell; a while they flourish, says the Psalmist, like a green bay Tree, but anon, when their Sins are Ripe, they are cut down like the Grass, and wither like the green Herb: Psal. 37 2. and this indeed is a cruel Mercy, no marvel if the Prophet desired rather God's merciful Cruelty: Jer. 10.14. Correct me, O Lord, yet with thy Iudgment, not in thine Anger.
XII. The very Heathen could say, 'Tis better to have been afflicted, for adverse fortune more profits man than smiling stars; and Job as well as David had Experienc'd it: Blessed is the Man, saith he, the Man, what Man think you, the Man that's Clad in Purple, and fares deliciously every day? no, that's not he: is't the Man whom the King will Honour, with the Ring, and Steed, and Royal Robe? 'tis not he neither: what then, is't the Man that hath caught this World in a Purse-net, and by the Omnipotence of his Gold, Commands all the Felicities that grow in Solomon's Walk under the Sun? no, none of all these, but Blessed is the man whom God correcteth: Job. 5.17.
XIII. To this purpose, St. Augustine feigns a Conference 'twixt God and himself, God personating a Merchant, and himself a Chapman: says God, I have merchandize to sell: what is it? says the Holy Father: why says God, the kingdom of heaven: says St. Augustine, what's the price on't? for poverty, says God, the richest Kingdom; for momentany affliction, Eternal Rest; and for Reproach a Crown of Glory: since then our light afflictions which is but for a moment, bringeth us a more excellent and eternal weight of Glory: Rom. 8.18. let us not refuse the Chastning of the Lord, but when he sends it, Patiently suffer Evil: therefore seek by doing Good, do good by Charity and Prayer; and seek by suffering Evil, and suffer by abstaining all Intemperance, and sustaining all Afflictions: so run and you shall obtain, thus seek and you shall find, the Continuing City that we look for: a Prospect of which I shall give you in the following Chapter.