The Crucifying of the World, Treatise · Part 1 · Section 16
SECT. XVI.
TRuly Brethren, it is one of the mysteries of s…n and self-deceit, that such a multitude of people, yea seemingly Religious, can think so well of themselves as they do, and bear it out with such audacious confidence, as if they were the real servants of Christ, when it is apparent even to the eyes of others, that they are not Crucified to the world, but live to it, and serve it day by day. How anxiously are they contriving for it, while their care to please God is so exceeding slender, that it takes up but little of their time and thoughts? How sweet are their thoughts of a plentiful estate? To have the world at will, houses, and lands, and full provisions for themselves and theirs, that they may be cloathed with the best, and fare of the best, and sit with the highest, and be honoured and reverenced of all, how fine a life doth this seem to them. If they have but a fair opportunity to rise, how little tender are they of the lawfulness of the Means, at least where they are not so wicked as to dishonour them! They can believe that to be the truth which befriendeth their worldly Interest; and that to be false and erroneous which is against it. The world chooseth many of their opinions for them, and much of their Religion, and telleth them what party they should side with, and what not: It telleth them how far they shall tolerate other mens sin, and how far not; how far they shall make profession of their faith, and how far they should conceal it from the knowledge of the world: And so as Paul saith, they account Gain to be Godliness, 1 Tim. 6. 5. not only esteeming it better then down-right Godliness, but measuring out their Godliness by their Gain; making that to seem Religious which fitteth their carnall ends; and easily believing that which is for their worldly interest. How weak and silly reasons will perswade them that the point is true, the cause is good, the means is lawful, which serveth their turns for worldly ends? And the clearest unquestionable Evidences are nothing to them that are brought for the contrary. So potent a perswader is worldy Interest, that any thing will serve where it takes part, and nothing prevail that it doth contradict. A powerful disputant, that most commonly hath the best, whatever side it takes, and the cause goes for it, be it right▪ or wrong. Either they will not read such long and tedious discourses as are against them, or they find some passage presently to quarrel with, that's too displeasing, and makes them cast away the rest: Or if they read the whole, or hear you to the last, it is with a resisting spirit all the while: Before they know what you will say, they have consuted you: For they have resolved to believe that your reasons are insufficient, and their cause is good. They read and hear not only with a prejudice answerable to the reasons that formerly resolved them, but with an opposing enmity and fixedness of will. Had we only their understandings to dispute with, it were the less: but our main dispute is with Will and Passion, which have no ears, nor eyes, nor brains, though sense enough. Their deceiving baits first catch the sensual part, and so come to bribe the Intellect and the will; and their strongest root is still in the bruitish part where it begun, which will hear no reason. When Paul was told of the truth of that Doctrine which he before had persecuted, and must himself be persecuted if he should entertain it, he sticks not at that, but immediately consulteth not with flesh and blood, but falls to work, Gal. 1. 16. But these men will scarce do any thing but flesh and blood must be consulted with. The Word was Davids Counsellor; and the World is theirs. Their first question is, Is it for my honour or dishonour▪ my profit or disprofit, my pleasure or my trouble: and as it relisheth with their flesh, so is it esteemed of and concluded. And which is more, their Carnal Interest so blinds their eyes, that they see not oft-times their most palpable delusions. When their actions are such as unprejudiced standers by do blush at, and the wisest and faithfullest of their friends lament, and the shame of them is open to the view of the world, yet flesh doth so befool them, that they see not their nakedness, but glory in their shame: Commodity cannot blush: The applause of flatterers justifieth their crimes, against the accusations of God and all good men. Have these men Crucified the world indeed?
A Christian looketh so much to his Rule as well as his End, that he dare not say of Heaven it self, that every Means is lawful which seemeth to conduce to it. But these men think that any thing is lawful that brings them gain, or makes them great.
And as for the improvement of their talents for God, What is to be seen? What self-seeking and unprofitable servants are they? They will confess that they have all from God, and that all is due to him again: but it is but a self-condemning Confession. How many charitable and pious uses do call aloud for much of their estates? but how little of it is so expended. Now and then two pence or a groat to the poor is a great matter with them and the wealthy can come off with the quantity of the widows mite. Let God call, and Ministers call, and the poor call and cry for it, all cannot extort their Idol out of their purses: So fast do they hold their money, that scarce any thing but thieves, or souldiers, or death can wring it out of their hands. But so loose do they hold spiritual good which they seem to mind, that if a Seducer cannot easily tice them from it, or a derision shame them from it, yet at least a good bargain for the world can hire them from it, and the frowns of men in power, or the change of the times can affright them from it. Long will it be ere they will go from house to house through the Parish, and see what poor want cloathing, what children want means to set them to trades, and what families want Bibles and other Books that may promote their salvation, and go as far as they are able in procuring them, and set their friends a work where their own ability is too short. O the disproportion that there is between the verball service, and the more costly service of worldly Hypocriticall professors. How far do their formal duties exceed their charitable communications and distributions! Most commonly the world doth cut short even these their Religious actions. They can scarce find time to be constant in worshipping God in their families, or in secret; in instructing and exhorting their children and servants; there is some business to be done, or some gain to be got; or while they seem to be deepest in their devotions, their thoughts run after their covetousness, and it is one God that hath their tongues, and another that hath their hearts. So that they pray as if they prayed not, and hear as if they heard not, and possess Gods Ordinances as not possessing them, and use them meerly as abusing them, as apprehending no great benefit to come by them, but the fruit of them were nothing but meer conceits, or all Gods Ordinances were but (as the Scottish Sacrilegious Lord called their Book of Discipline) Devout Imaginations. But yet for all the shortness of their Devotions, their real Devotions and works of Charity are much more short. And for Pious Contributions and Communications, some of them scarce know what they mean. They will sooner learn to scorn such Duties, and plead against them as no Duties, then conscionably to perform them. They say they are sanctified, and the people of God; and if they were so indeed, they would be Devoted to him without reserve: and if themselves were Devoted or Sanctified to him, all that they have must needs be so too. But it is an Holy Name that they have received, and not a consecrated heart or purse. I doubt it will be long before the Piety of this age will give as much to Holy uses, as the seeming Piety of it hath taken from them. And if there be more Piety in taking from Holy uses, then in Giving to them, we may next be taught that it is a more pious work to destroy Preachers then to preach, and to destroy praying then to pray, and to curse God then to praise him. I have oft wondered that so many that we take for godly persons do so overlook the many and exceeding urgent precepts to liberall Distributions for God and his service, which Scripture doth contain: and how they can think to be saved without obeying these commands, any more then without obeying the commands for hearing, praying, or any other Religious duty. Do they not read these passages as well as others in their Bibles? How comes it to pass that conscience then stirs not, when they know that they neglect such important duties? They read that the Christians of the primitive times sold all, and delivered the money to the Apostles: to manifest practically the nature and power of the Christian Religion, which consisteth in renouncing all for Christ, and Devoting our selves and all that we have to God, upon his promise of a treasure in the heavens. They read that it was an appointed duty in the Churches, to lay by in the Churches stock every Lords day for the relief of needy Christians, according as God hath prospered them the week before. 1 Cor. 16. 1, 2, 3. They read that Christ so regardeth this duty, that the sentence at Judgement is described by him, as passing upon this account. And yet for all this flesh and blood will be wiser then to trust God, and to obey so chargeable a command. They will venture on Damnation to save their money; and let go Heaven for fear of losing by it. And that they may be wise indeed, they can justifie all, and labour to bring their duty into scorn. [We are not capable, say they, of Giving to God; because that all is his already:] self▪ condemning wretch! Is all his? Why then hath he not all! Give then to God the things that are his own! It is not a proper Donation that we call you to: You cannot give him a propriety, who hath it already; nor alienate it from your selve▪ who never had it in respect to God: But yet you may Give it to him by tradition: You may deliver him his own in the way that he requires it; and lay out your Masters stock for his service! And if he will so far honour your fidelity, as to call this a giving or a lending to him, me thinks this should encourage you to liberality, but I see not how it can excuse your denying him his own.
Obj. But it is but to satisfie the covetousness of the Priests, that we are called on to Give to God, as if they were God; or God had that which they have.
Answ. Adding reproach to covetousness, will prove one day but a sad excuse for sin. If this age understood the fift Commandment, and the hainousness of ingratitude to God and man for the greatest mercies, and how it is that Christ Teacheth and Ruleth, and how he is Obeyed or Despised in the world, they would tremble to think of the scorn and contempt of a faithful Ministry. The eye that mocketh at his Father, and despiseth to obey a Mother, the Ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young Eagles shall eat it, Prov. 30. 17. Who so curseth his Father or Mother, his Lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness, Prov. 2…. 20. And he shall die the death, Exod. 21. 17. And for your Objection: The Priests of the Lord under the Law were not God: the Apostles and Gospel Ministers were not God; nor any that serve at the Altar, who yet must live upon the Altar: The poor themselves be not God; and yet you shall understand one day, that in as much as you did it not to one of these, you did it not to Christ: and in despising them you despised him, Mat. 25. Luke 10. 16. The vanity of your fond pretence was sufficiently told you by Christ himself, Mat. 25. 45. where he tells you how he will answer your companions that shall use it, [In as much as you did it not to one of these, you did it not to me.] And yet will you say, [Lord when did we see thee hungry, naked, &c.] when you have your answer before hand: Worldly wretches! you would not part with your wealth, if you could help it, to Christ himself, if he should come and ask it of you. For you read in his word, that it is he that asketh it, and commandeth it from you now. But if you will not believe that it is Christ that requireth it, till he come himself in person to demand it, and if you are such faithfull Stwards, that you will part with none of your Masters stock, till he ask you for it face to face, for fear of mis-imploying it; be patient awhile, and he will come and seek his own with advantage, but to the eternal woe of unprofitable servants. You can spare God the tithe of your words, in formal duties, when the devil and the world have had the rest; but not so much as the old legal proportion of your estates, much less the Evangelical All. What makes you drop prayers so much thicker then Alms or Distributions? Do you think that God doth not as strictly require the one as the other? If speaking were not cheaper to you then giving, your prayers and religious talk would be so seldom and so short, as that it would be as your distributions are, next to none. If words cost money, your tongues would be as strait as your purses are, and the world should scarce hear whether you were of any Religion or none. Do these men glory only in the Cross of Christ, and is the world by it crucified to them, and they to the world? We have their answer in their actions, what need we any more. They are dead in and by the world, but not to the world. They are its slaves, though they are called the servants of Christ.