The Life of Faith, Part 3 · Chapter 14
CHAP. XIV. How to live by Faith in Proſperity.
THE work of Faith in reſpect of Proſperity, is twofold: 1. To ſave us from the danger of it. 2. To help us to a ſanctified improvement of it.
1. And for the firſt, that which Faith doth, is eſpecially, 1. To ſee deeper and further into the nature of all things in the world, than ſenſe can do, 2 Cor. 4.17, 18. 1 Cor. 7.29, 30, 31. To ſee that they were never intended for our Reſt or portion, but to be our wilderneſs proviſion in our way. To foreſee juſt how the world will uſe us, and leave us at the laſt, and to have the very ſame thoughts of it now, as we foreſee that we ſhall have when the end is come, and when we have had all that ever the world will do for us. It is the work of Faith, to cauſe a man to judge of the world, and all its glory, as we ſhall do when death and judgment come, and have taken off the mask of ſplendid names, and ſhews, and flatteries: that we may uſe the world as if we uſed it not, and poſſeſs it as if we poſſeſt it not, becauſe its faſhion doth paſs away. It is the work of Faith to crucifie the world to us, and us to the world by the Croſs of Chriſt, Gal. 6.14. that we may look on it as diſdainfully as the world looked upon Chriſt, when he hanged as forſaken on the Croſs. That when it is dead, it may have no power on us, and when we are dead to it, we may have no inordinate love, or care, or thoughts, or fears, or grief, or labour to lay out upon it. It is the work of Faith …o make all worldly pomp and glory, to be to us but loſs, and droſs, and dung, in compariſon of Chriſt, and the righteouſneſs of Faith, Phil. 3.7, 8, 9. And then no man will part with Heaven for dung, nor ſet his God below his dung, nor further from his heart; nor will he feel any great power in temptations to honour, wealth or pleaſure, if really he count them all but dung; nor will he wound his conſcience, or betray his peace, or caſt away his innocency for them.
2. Faith ſheweth the ſoul thoſe ſure, and great, and glorious things, which are infinitely more worthy of our love and labour. And this is its higheſt and moſt proper work, Heb. 11. it conquereth Earth by opening Heaven; and ſhewing it us as ſure, and clear, and near. And no man will dote on this deceitful world, till he have turned away his eyes from God; and till Heaven be out of his ſight and heart. Faith ſaith, I muſt ſhortly be with Chriſt; and what then are theſe dying things to me? I have better things, which God that cannot lye hath promiſed me with Chriſt, Titus 1.2. Heb. 6.18. I look every day when I am called in. The Judge ſtandeth before the door, James 5.9. The Lord is at hand, Phil. 4.5. And the end of all theſe things is at hand, 1 Pet. 4.7. And ſhall I ſet my heart on that which is not?
Therefore when the world doth ſmile and flatter, faith ſetteth Heaven againſt all that it can ſay or offer. And what is the world when Heaven ſtands by? Faith ſeeth what the bleſſed ſouls above poſſeſs, at the ſame time while the world is alluring us to forſake it, Luke 16. Heb. 11. & 12.1, 2. &c. Faith ſetteth the heart upon the things above, as our concernment, o…r only hope and happineſs: It kindleth that Love of God in the ſoul, and that delight in higher things, which powerfully quencheth worldly love, and mortifieth all our carnal pleaſures, Matth. 6.20.21. Col. 3.1, 2, 3, 4. Rom. 8.5, 6, 7. Phil. 30.20, 21.
3. Faith ſheweth the ſoul thoſe wants and miſeries in it ſelf, which nothing in the world is able to ſupply and cure. Nay, ſuch as the world is apter to increaſe. It is not gold that will quench his thirſt, who longs for pardon, grace and glory. A guil…y conſcience, a ſinful and condemned ſoul will never be cured by riches, or high places, by pride, or fl…ſhly ſports and pleaſures, James 5.1, 2, 3. This humbling work is not in vain.
4. Faith looketh to Chriſt, who hath overcome the world, and carefully treadeth in his ſt…ps, John 16.33. Heb. 12.2, 3, 4, 5. It looketh to his perſon, his birth, his life, his croſs, his grave, and his reſurrection: to all that ſtrange example of contempt of worldly things which he gave us from his manger, to his ſhameful kind of death. And he that ſtudieth the Life of Chriſt, will either deſpiſe the world, or him He will either vilifie the world in imitation of his Lord, or vilifie Chriſt for the pleaſures of the world. Faith hath in this warfare, the ſureſt and moſt onourable guide, the ableſt Captain, and the moſt powerful example in all the world. And it hath with Chriſtian unerring Rule, which furniſheth him with armour for every uſe. Yea it hath through him a promiſe of Victory before it be a…tained; ſo that in the beginning of the fight, it knows the end, Rom. 16.20. John 16.33. It goeth to Chriſt for that Spirit which is our ſtreng…h, Epheſ. 6.10. C…l. 2.7. And by that it mortifieth the deſires of the fleſh: and when …he fleſh is mortified, the world is conquered: for it is loved only as it is the proviſion of the fl…ſh.
5. Moreover, Faith doth obſerve Gods particular Providence, who diſtributeth his talents to every man as he pleaſeth, and diſpoſeth of their eſtates and comforts: ſo that the Race is not to the ſwift, nor the Victory to the ſtrong, nor Riches to men of underſtanding, Eccleſ. 9.11.
Therefore it convinceth us, that our lives, and all being in his hand, it is our wiſdom to make it our chiefeſt care to uſe all ſo as is moſt pleaſing unto him, 2 Cor. 5.8. It foreſeeth alſo the day of Judgment, and teacheth us to uſe our proſperity and wealth, as we deſire to hear of it in the day of our accounts. Faith is a provident and a vigilant grace; and uſeth to ask when we have any thing in may poſſeſſion, which way I make the beſt advantage of it for my ſoul? which way will be moſt comfortable to me in my laſt review? how ſhall I wiſh that I had uſed my time, my wealth, my power, when time is at an end, and all theſe tranſitory things are vaniſhed?
6. And Faith doth ſo abſolutely devote and ſubject the ſoul to God, that it will ſuffer us to do nothing (ſo far as it prevaileth) but what is for him, and by his conſent. It telleth us that we are not our own, but his; and that we have nothing but what we have received: and that we muſt be juſt in giving God his own: and therefore it firſt asketh, which way may I beſt ſerve and honour God with all that he hath given me? Not only with my ſubſtance, and the firſt fruits of mine increaſe, but with all, 1 Cor. 10.31. When Love and devotion hath delivered up our ſelves entirely to God, it keeps nothing back, but delivereth him all things with our ſelves; even as Chriſt with himſelf doth give us all things, Rom. 8.32. And Faith doth ſo much ſubject the ſoul to God, that it maketh us like ſervants and children, that uſe not their Maſters or Parents goods at their own pleaſure; but ask him firſt, how he would have us uſe them, Lord, what wouldſt thou have me to do? is one of the firſt words of a converted ſoul, Acts 9.6. In a word, Faith writeth out that charge upon the heart, 1 John 2.15. Love not the world, nor the things that are in the world (the luſt of the fleſh, the luſt of the eyes, and pride of life.) For if any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. Ye cannot ſerve God and Mammon.
But on this ſubject Mr. Alleine hath ſaid ſo much in his excellent Book of the Victory of Faith over the world, that I ſhall at this time ſay no more.
The Directions which I would give you in general, for preſervation from the danger of proſperity by Faith, are theſe that follow.
Direct. 1. Remember ſtill that the common cauſe of mens damnation is their Love of this world more than God and Heaven, and that the world cannot undo you any other way, but by tempting you to over-love it, and to undervalue higher things: And therefore that is the moſt dangerous condition, which maketh the world ſeem moſt pleaſing, and moſt lovely to us. And can you believe this, and yet be ſo eager to be humoured, and to have all things fitted to your pleaſure and deſires? Mark here what a task Faith hath? and mark what the work of ſelf-denyal is? The worldling muſt be pleaſed; the Believer muſt be ſaved. The worldling muſt have his fleſh and fancy gratified: the Believer muſt have Heaven ſecured, and God obeyed. Men ſell not their ſouls for ſorrow, but for mirth: They forſake not Heaven for poverty, but for riches: they turn not away from God for the love of ſufferings and diſhonour, but for the love of pleaſure▪ preferments, dignities and eſtimation in the world. And is that ſtate better and more deſirable, for which all that periſh turn from God, and fell their ſouls, and are befooled and undone for ever? Or that which no man ever ſinned for, nor forſook God for, or was undone for? Read over this queſtion once and again, and mark what anſwer your hearts give to it, if you would know whether you live by ſenſe or faith? And mark what contrary anſwers the fleſh and faith will give to it, when it comes to practice? I ſay, though many ſin in poverty, and in ſufferings, and in diſgrace, yea and by occaſion of them, and by their temptations, yet no man ever ſinned for them: They are none of the bait that ſtraled away the heart from God. Set deep upon your heart, the ſenſe of the danger of a proſperous ſtate, and ſear and vigilancy will help to ſave you.
Direct. 2. Imprint upon your memory the characters of this deadly ſin of worldlineſs, that ſo you may not periſh by it, whilſt you dream that you are free from it; but may alw…ies ſee how far it doth prevail. Here therefore to help you, I will ſet before you the characters of this ſin; and I will but briefly name them, leſt I be tedious, becauſe they are many.
1. The great mark of damning worldlineſs is, when God and Heaven are not loved and preferred before the pleaſures, and profits, and honours of the world.
2. Another is, when the world is eſteemed and uſed more for the ſervice and pleaſure of the fleſh, than to honour God, and to do good with, and to further our ſalvation: When men deſire great places, and riches, more to pleaſe their appetites and carnal minds with, than to benefit others, or to ſerve the Lord with; when they are not rich to God, but to themſelves, Luke 12.20, 21.
3. It is a mark of ſome degree of worldlineſs, to deſire a greater meaſure of riches or honour, than our ſpiritual work, and ends, and benefit do require: For when we are convinced that leſs is as good or better to our higheſt ends, and yet we would have more; it is a ſign that the reſt is deſired for the fleſh, Rom. 13.14. & 8.8, 9, 10, 13.
4. When our deſires after worldly things are too eager and violent: when we muſt needs have them, and cannot be without them, 1 Tim. 6.9.
5. When our contrivances for the world are too ſol…icitous; and our cares for it take up an undue proportion of our time, Mat. 6.24, 25. to the end.
6. When we are impatient under want, diſhonour, or diſappointments, and live in trouble and diſcontent, if we want much, or have not our wills.
7. When the thoughts of the world are proportionably ſo many more than our thoughts of Heaven, and our ſalvation, that they keep us in the neglect of the duty of Meditation, and keep empty our minds of holy things, Mat. 6.21.
8. When it turneth our talk all towards the world, or taketh up our freeſt, and our ſweeteſt and moſt ſerious words, and leaveth us to the uſe of ſeldom, dull, or formal, or affected words, about the things which ſhould profit the ſoul, and glorifie our great Creator.
9. When the world incroacheth upon Gods part in our families, and thruſts out prayer, or the reading of the Scriptures, or the due inſtruction of children or ſervants: when it cometh in upon the Lords day; when it is intruding in Gods Worſhip, and at Sermon or Prayer our thoughts are more pleaſingly running out after ſome worldly thing, than kept in attendance upon God, Ezek. 33▪31.
10. When worldly proſperity is ſo ſweet to you, that it can keep you quiet under the guilt of wilful ſin, and in the midſt of all the dangers of your ſouls. Becauſe you have your hearts deſire a while, you can forget eternity, or bear thoſe thoughts of it with ſecurity, which otherwiſe would amaze your ſouls, Luke 12.19, 20.
11. When the peace and pleaſure which you daily live upon, is fetcht more from the world, than from God and Heaven; ſo that if at any time you ask your ſelves the true reaſon of your peace, and whence it is that you riſe and lie down in quietneſs of mind, your conſciences muſt tell you, it is not ſo much from your belief of the Love of God in Chriſt, nor from your hope to live in Heaven for ever, as becauſe you feel your ſelf well in body, and live at eaſe and proſperity in the world: And when any mirth or joy poſſeſſeth you, you may eaſily feel, that it is more from ſomething which is grateful to your fleſh, than from the belief of everlaſting glory.
12. When you think too highly and pleaſingly of the condition of the rich, and too meanly of the ſtate of poor Believers: when you make too great a difference between the rich and the poor, and ſay to the man with the gold Ring, and the gay Apparel, Come up hither, and to the poor, Sit there at my footſtool, James 4. & 5. When you had rather be made like the rich and honourable in the world, than like the poor that are more holy; and think with more delight of being like Lords or Great men in the world, than of being more like to humble heavenly Believers.
13. When you are at the heart more thankful to one that giveth you lands or money, than to God for giving you Chriſt and the Scriptures, and the Means of Grace: and would be better pleaſed if you were advanced or enriched by the King, than to think of being ſanctified by the Spirit of Chriſt. And when you give God himſelf more hearty thanks for worldly than for ſpiritual things.
14. When you make too much ado for the things of the world; and labour for them with inordinate induſtry; or plunge your ſelves into unneceſſary buſineſs, as one that can never have or do enough.
15. When you are too much in expecting liberality, kindneſſes and gifts from others; and are too much pleaſed in it; and grudge at all that goeth beſide you; and think that it is mens duty to mind all your concernments, and further your commodity more than other mens.
16. When you are ſelfiſh and partial about worldly intereſt, and have little ſenſe of your neighbours concernments in compariſon of your own. If one give never ſo liberally to many others, and give nothing to you, it doth never the more content you, nor reconcile your mind to the charity of the giver. If one give to you, and paſs by many that have more need, you love and honour the bounty which ſatisfieth your own deſires. If you ſell dear, you rejoyce; and if you buy cheap, you are glad of your good bargain, though perhaps the ſeller be poorer than you. He that wrongeth you, or any way hindereth your commodity, is alwaies a bad man in your eſteem: No vertue will ſave him from your cenſures and reproach: But he that dealeth as hardly by your neighbour, and well with you, is a very honeſt man, and worthy of your praiſe.
17. When you are quarrelſome for worldly thing, and the love of them can at any time break your charity and peace, and make an enemy of your neereſt friend; or engage you in cauſleſs Law-ſuits and contentions. What abundance doth the world ſet together by the ears?
18. When you can ſee your poor brother or neighbour in want, and ſhut up the bowels of your compaſſion from him; and do little good with what God hath given you, but the fleſh and ſelf devoureth all.
19. When you will venture upon unlawful waies of getting; or will ſin for honour or commodity; or at leaſt will let go your innocency and conſcience, rather than loſe your proſperity in the world; and will diſtinguiſh your ſelves out of every danger, or coſtly duty, or ſuffering for righteouſneſs ſake; and will prove every thing lawful, which ſeemeth neceſſary to the proſperity and ſafety of the fleſh.
20. When you are more careful to provide riches and honors for your children after you, than to ſave them from worldlineſs, voluptuouſneſs and pride, and to bring them up to be the heirs of Heaven: and had rather venture their ſouls in the moſt dangerous temptations, than abate any of their plenty or grandure in the world.
Theſe be the plain marks of worldly minds, whatever a blinded heart may deviſe to hide them.
Direct. 3. Take heed of thoſe blinding pretences which worldly minds do commonly uſe, to flatter, deceive and undo themſelves. For inſtance.
1. The moſt common pretence is [That Gods creatures are good, and proſperity is his bleſſing, and that our bodies muſt be cheriſhed, and that ſynical and eremetical extreams and auſterities, are far from the genius of true Chriſtianity.
There is truth in all this, or elſe it would not be ſo fit to be made a cloak for ſin by miſapplication. The world and all Gods works are good; and to the pure they are pure: to the ſanctified they are ſanctified; that is, they are devoted to the ſervice of God, and uſed for him from whom they come: God hath given us nothing which may not be uſed for his ſervice, and our ſalvation. No doubt but you may make you friends of the Mammon of unrighteouſneſs, to further your reception into the everlaſting habitations: You may lay up a good foundation for the time to come; and you may ſow to the Spirit, and reap in the end everlaſting life, Gal. 6. You may provide you bags that wax not old: you may pleaſe God by the ſacrifices of diſtributing and communicating, Heb. 13. But yet I muſt tell you, the world and all Gods creatures in it, are too good to be ſacrificed to the fleſh, and to the Devil; and not good enough to be loved and preferred before God, and your innocency and ſalvation.
The body muſt be cheriſhed, but yet the fleſh muſt be ſubdued; and if you live af…er it, you ſhall die. Health and alacrity muſt be preſerved, becauſe they make you fit for duty; but wanton appetites muſt be reſtrained, and no proviſion muſt be made for the fleſh, to ſatisfie its luſts (or wills) Rom. 13.14. It muſt be cheriſhed as your horſe or ſervant for his work; but it muſt not be pampered, and made unruly, or your Maſter. You may ſeek food for your neceſſity and uſe; and ask of God your daily bread (Matth. 6. Pſal. 145.) but you may not with the Iſraelites, ask meat for your luſt, as being weary of eating Manna ſo long, Pſal. 78. Hurting your health by uſeleſs auſterities, is not pleaſing unto God: But ſenſuality and fleſh-pleaſing, and love of the world, is nevertheleſs abominable in his ſight.
Object. 2. Neceſſity makes me mind the world: I have children to maintain, and am in debt, and cannot pay every one his own.
Anſw. Whether you have neceſſity or not, you ought to labour faithfully in your callings. But no neceſſity will excuſe your worldly love and cares: What will the love of the world do towards the ſupply of your neceſſities? or what will your eager deſires, and your cares do, more than the labours and quiet forecaſt of one that hath a contented patient mind? Surely in reaſon, the leſs you have in the world, and the harder your condi…ion is, the leſs you ſhould love it, and the more you ſhould abound in care and diligence, to make ſure of a better world hereafter.
Object. 3. I covet no mans but my own.
Anſw. 1. Why then are you ſo glad of good bargains, or of gifts? 2. But what if you do not? You covet to have more to be your own, than God allotteth you? Perhaps you have already as much as your fleſh knoweth what to do with; and therefore need not covet more. But will this excuſe you for loving your riches more than God? The queſtion is not now, what you covet, but what you love. If the world hath your hearts, the Devil hath your lives; for it is by the world that he deceiveth ſouls: And do you think then that you are fit to dwell with God? Know ye not that the love of the world, is enmity to God? And that if ye will be friends of the world, you are Gods enemies? James 4.4.
Object. 4. It is not by any unlawful means that I deſire to gr…w rich: I wait on God in my lawful labour, and crave his bleſſing.
Anſw. It is not now your getting, but your loving the world that I am ſpeaking of: If your hearts be more ſet on your riches or proſperity, than on God, and the world by loving it be made your Idol, you do but turn prayer and labour into ſin, (though they be good in themſelves) while you abuſe them to your ungodly worldly ends.
What wretched muck-worm would not pray, if he believed that praying would make him rich? I warrant you then their tune would be turned. They would not cry out, what needeth all this praying? If God would give them money for the asking, they would quickly learn to pray without Book, and long prayers would come into requeſt, upon the Phariſees old account. Can any thing in the world be more unlawful and abominable, than to love the fleſh and the world, above God and Heaven? And yet do you ſay that you get not your wealth by any thing that is unlawful?
Object. 5. But I am contented with my condition, and deſire no more.
Anſw. So is a Swine when his b…lly is full. But the queſtion is, Whether Heaven and Holineſs, or that worldly condition which you are in ſeem more lovely to you.
O…ject. 6. I give God thanks for all I have.
Anſw. So would every beggar in the Country give God thanks if he would make them rich. Some drunkards and gluttons, and ſome malicious people, do give God thanks for ſatisfying their ſinful luſts. This is but adding hypocriſie to your ſin, and to aggravate it by prophaning the Name of God, by thanking him as a cheriſher of your luſts. But the queſtion is, whether you love God for himſelf, and as your ſanctifier better than you do the gratifying of your fleſh?
Obj. 7. But I give ſomething to the poor, and I mean to leave them ſomething at my death.
Anſ. So it is like the miſerable Gentleman did, in Luke 16. Or elſe why would Lazarus lie at his gates, if he uſed not to give ſomething to the poor? What worldling or hypocrite is there that will not drop now and then an Alms, while he pampereth his fleſh, and ſatisfieth its deſires? Do you look to be ſaved for doing as a Swine will do, in leaving that which he can neither eat, nor carry away with him? The queſtion is, whether God or the world have your hearts? and what it is that you moſt delight in as your treaſure?
Object. 8. I am fully ſatisfied that Heaven is better than Earth, and God than the creature, and holineſs than the proſperity or pleaſure of the fleſh?
Anſw. Thouſands of miſerable worldlings, are ſatisfied in opinion that this is true: They can ſay the ſame words that a true Believer doth: And in diſpute they can defend them, and call the contrary opinion blaſphemy. But all this is but a dreaming ſpeculation: Their hearts never practically preferred God, and Holineſs, and Heaven, as moſt ſuitable and beſt for them: Mark what you love beſt, and moſt long after, and moſt delight in, and what it is that you are lotheſt to leave, and what it is that you moſt eagerly labour for, and there you may ſee what it is that hath your hearts?
Object. 9. Worldlineſs is indeed a heinous ſin, and of all people, I moſt hate the covetous; and I uſe to preach or talk againſt it, more than againſt any ſin.
Anſw. So do many thouſands that are ſlaves to it themſelves, and ſhall be damned for it. It is eaſier to talk againſt it, than to forſake it. And it is eaſie to hate covetouſneſs in another, becauſe it will coſt you nothing for another to forſake his ſin; and perhaps the more covetous he is, the more he ſtandeth in your way, and hindereth you from that which you would have your ſelves. Of all the multitude of covetous Preachers that be in the world, is there any one that will not preach againſt covetouſneſs? Read but the Lives of Cardinals, and Popes, and Popiſh Prelates, and you will ſee the moſt odious worldlineſs ſet forth without any kind of cloak or ſhame: How ſuch a one laid his deſign at Court, and among the great ones for preferment? How ſtudiouſly he proſecuted it, and conformed himſelf to the humours & intereſt of thoſe, from whom he did ſeek it? How they firſt got this Living, and then got that Prebendary, and then got that Denary, and then got ſuch a Biſhoprick, and then got a better (that is a richer) and then got to be Archbiſhops, and then to be Cardinals, &c. O happy progreſs, if they might never die! They bluſh not openly before Angels and men to own this worldly ambitious courſe, as their deſign and trade of life: And the Devil is grown ſo impudent, as if he were now the confeſſed Maſter of the world, as to ſet Divines themſelves at work, to write the hiſtory of ſuch curſed ambitious worldly lives, with open applauſe, and great commendations; yea to make Saints of them, that have a character far worſe than Chriſt gave of him in Luke 16. that wanteth a drop of water to cool his tongue: He openly now ſaith, All this will I give thee; and they as impudently boaſt, All this I have gotten: but they forget or know not how much they have loſt. A Juda… kiſs is thought ſufficient to prove him a true Chriſtian and Paſtor of the Church, though it be but the fruit of what will you give me? Inſtead of a ſcourge to whip out theſe buyers and ſellers from Chriſts Temple, their merchandize is expoſed without ſhame, and their ſigns ſet forth, and the trade of getting preferments openly profeſſed, and it is enough to wipe off all the ſhame, to put ſome venerable titles upon this Den of thieves. But the Lord whom we wait for, will once more come and cleanſe his Temple: But who may abide the day of his coming? for he is like a refiners fire, and like fullers ſ…pe, and will throughly purge the Sons of Levi, Mal. 3.1, 2, 3, 4.
If talking againſt worldlineſs, would prove that the world is overcome, and that God is deareſt to the ſoul, then Preachers will be the happieſt men on earth. But it's eaſier to commend God, than to love him above all; and eaſier to cry out againſt the world, than to have a heart that is truly weaned from it, and ſet upon a better world.
Object. 10. But all this belongeth only to them that are in proſperity; but I am poor, and therefore it is nothing to me.
Anſw. Many a one loveth proſperity, that hath it not: And ſuch are doubly ſinful, that will love a world which loveth not them: Even a world of poverty, miſery and diſtreſs. Something you would have done, if you had had a full eſtate, and honour, and fleſhly delights to love. Nay, many poor men think better of riches and honour, than thoſe that have them; becauſe they never tryed how vain and vexatious they are; and if they had tryed them, perhaps would love them leſs. The world is but a painted Strumpet; admired afar off; but the neerer you come to it, and the more it's known, the worſe you will like it. Is it by your own deſire that you are poor? or is it againſt your wills? Had you not rather be as great and rich as others? Had you not rather live at eaſe and fulneſs? And do you think God will love you ever the better, for that which is againſt your wills? Will he count that man to be no worldling, that would fain have more of the world, and cannot? and that loveth God and Heaven no better than the rich? Nay, that will ſin for a ſhilling, when great ones do it for greater ſumms? who can be more unfit for Heaven, than he that loveth a life of labour, and want, and miſery better? Alas it is but little that the greateſt worldlings have for their ſalvation: But poor worldlings ſell it for leſs than they, and therefore do deſpiſe it more.
Direct. 4. Let the true nature and aggravations of the ſin of worldlineſs, be ſtill in your eye to make it odious to you. As for inſtance:
1. It is true and odious Idolatry, Epheſ. 5.5. Col. 3.5. To have God for our God indeed, is to love him as our God, and to delight in him, and be ruled by him. Who then is an Idolater, if he be not one, who loveth the world, and delighteth in it more than in God, or eſteemeth it fitter to be the matter of his delight? and is ruled by it, and ſeeketh it more? Iſa. 55.1, 2, 3.
2. It is a blaſphemous contempt of God and Heaven, to prefer a dung hill world before him: To ſet more by the proviſions and pleaſures of the fleſh, than by all the bleſſedneſs of Heaven: It is called prophaneneſs in Eſau, to ſell his birth-right for one morſel, Heb. 12.16. What prophaneneſs is it then to ſay, as worldlings hearts and lives do, The ſatisfying of my fleſh and fanſie for a time, is better than God and the Joyes of Heaven to all eternity.
3. It is a ſin of Intereſt, and not only of Paſſion; and therefore it poſſeſſeth the very Heart and Love, which is the principal faculty of the ſoul, and that which God moſt reſerveth for himſelf. No actual ſin, which is but little loved, is ſo heinous and mor…al, as that which is moſt loved. Becauſe theſe do muſt exclude the Love of God. Some other ſins may do more hurt to others, but this is worſt to the ſinner himſelf. We juſtly pitty poor Heatheniſh Idolaters, and pray for their converſion (and I would we did it more.) But do not you not think that our hypocrite-worldlings, do love their riches, and their honours and pleaſures, better than the poor Heathens love their Idols? They bow the knee to a creature, and you entertain it in your heart.
4. It is a ſin of deliberation and contrivance, which is much worſe than a ſurprize by a ſudden temptation. You plot how you may compaſs your voluptuous, covetous and ambitious ends: Therefore it is a ſin that ſtandeth at the furtheſt diſtance from Repentance, and is both voluntary, and a ſettled habit.
5. It is a continued ſin. Men be not alwaies lying, though they be never ſo great lyars; nor alwaies ſtealing, if they be the moſt notorious thieves; nor alwaies ſwearing, if they be the profaneſt ſwearers. But a worldly mind is alwaies worldly: He is alwaies committing his Idolatry with the world, and alwaies denying his Love to God.
6. It is not only a ſin about the means to a right end (as miſchoſen waies of Religion may be) but it is a ſin againſt the End it ſelf, and a miſchuſing of a falſe pernicious End. And ſo it is the perverting, not only of one particular action, but even of the bent and courſe of mens lives: And conſequently a miſ-ſpending all their time.
7. It is a perverting of Gods creatures, to a uſe clean contrary to that which they are given us for; and an unthankful turning of all his gifts againſt himſelf. He gave us his creatures to lead us to him, and by their lovelineſs to ſhew his greater lovelineſs, and to taſte in their ſweetneſs, the greater ſweetneſs of his love. And will you uſe them to turn your affections from him?
8. It it a great debaſing of the ſoul it ſelf, to fill that noble Spirit with nothing but dirt and ſmoak, which was made to know and love its God.
9. It is an irrational vice, and ſignifieth not only much unbelief of the unſeen things which ſhould take up the ſoul; but alſo a ſottiſh inconſiderateneſs, of the vanity and brevity of the things below. It is an unmanning our ſelves, and hiring out our reaſon to be a ſervant to our fleſhly luſts.
10. Laſtly, It is a pregnant multiplying ſin; which bringeth forth abundance more: The love of money is the root of all evil, 1 Tim. 6.9, 10. Therefore
Direct. 5. Let the miſchievous effects of this ſin, be ſtill bef…re your eyes. As for inſtance.
1. It keepeth the heart ſtrange to God and Heaven. The Love of God and of the world are contrary, 1 John 2.15. & 3.17 James 4.4. So is an earthly and a heavenly converſation, Phil. 3.18, 19, 20. And the laying up a treaſure in Heaven and upon Earth, Matth. 6.19, 20, 21. And the living after the fleſh, and after the Spirit, Rom. 8.1, 5, 6, 13. Ye cannot poſſibly ſerve God and Mammon; nor travel two contrary waies at once; nor have two contrary felicities, till you have two hearts.
2. It ſetteth you at enmity with God and holineſs; becauſe God controlleth and condemneth your beloved luſts: and becauſe it is contrary to the carnal things which have your hearts▪
2. By this means it maketh men malignant enemies of the godly, and perſecutors of them; becauſe they are of contrary minds and waies. As then, he that was born after the fleſh, perſecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even ſo it is now, Gal. 4.29. The world cannot love us, becauſe we are not of the world, John 15.19, 20. Pride, covetouſneſs and ſenſuality, are the matter which the burning Feaver lodgeth in, which hath conſumed ſo much of the Church of Chriſt.
4. It is the ſin that hath corrupted the ſacred Office of the Miniſtry throughout moſt of the Chriſtian Churches in the world: And thereby cauſed both the Schiſms and Cruelties, and the decay of ſerious godlineſs among them, which is their preſent deplorable caſe. Ignorant perſons are like ſick men in a Feaver: They lay the blame on this and that, and commonly on that which went next before the paroxiſm; and know not the true cauſe of the diſeaſe: We are all troubled (or ſhould be) to ſee the many minds, the many waies, the confuſed ſtate of the Chriſtian Churches, and to hear them cry out againſt each other. And one layeth the blame on this party or opinion, and another on that: But when we come to our ſelves, we ſhall find that it is, The worldly mind that cauſeth our calamity. Many well meaning friends of the Church do think how diſhonourable it is to the Miniſtry, to be poor and low, and conſequently deſpicable; and what an advantage is it to their work, to be able to relieve the poor, and rather to oblige the people, than to depend upo… them, and to be above them, rather than below them. And ſuppoſing the Paſtors to be mortified, holy, heavenly men, all this is true; and the zeal of theſe thoughts is worthy of commendation. But that which good men intend for good, hath become the Churches bane. So certain is the common ſaying, that Conſtantines zeal did poiſon the Church, by lifting up the Paſtors of it too high, and occaſioning thoſe contentions for grandure and precedency, which to this day ſeparate the Eaſt and Weſt. When well-meaning Piety hath adorned the office with wealth and honour, it is as true as that the Sun ſhineth, that the moſt proud, ambitious, worldly men, will be the moſt ſtudious ſeekers of that office; and will make it their plot, and trade, and buſineſs, how by friends, and obſervances, and wills, to attain their ends: And uſually he that ſeeks ſhall find: when in the mean time the godly mortified humble man, will not do ſo; but will ſerve God in the ſtate to which he is clearly called: And conſequently, except it be under the Government of an admirably wiſe and holy Ruler, a worthy Paſtor in ſuch a wealthy ſtation, will be a ſingular thing, and a rarity of the age; whilſt worldly men, whoſe hearts are habited with that which is utterly contrary to holineſs, and contrary to the very ends and work of their own office, will be the men that muſt ſit in Moſes Chair; that muſt have the doing and ruling of the work which their hearts are ſet againſt. And how it will go with the Church of Chriſt, when the Goſpel is to be preached, and Preachers choſen, and Godlineſs promoted by the ſecret enemies of it; and when ambiti…us, fleſhly, worldly men, are they that muſt cure the peoples ſouls (under Chriſt) of the love of the fleſh, and the world, it were eaſie to prognoſticate from the cauſes, if the Chriſtian world could not tell by the effects: ſo that, except by the wonderful Piety of Princes—there is no viſible way in the eye of reaſon, to recover the miſerable Churches, but to retrive the Paſtoral Office into ſuch a ſtate, as that it may be no bait to a worldly mind, but may be deſired and choſen purely upon heavenly accounts: And then the richer the Paſtors are, the better; when they are the Sons of Nobles, whoſe Piety bringeth with them their honour, and their wealth, to ſerve God and his Church with, and they do not find it there to be their end or inducement to the work: But inſtead of invitations or encouragements to pride and carnal minds, there may be only ſo much as may not deter or drive away candidates from the ſacred Function.
5. Worldlineſs is a ſin, which maketh the Word of God unprofitable, Mat. 13.22. John 12.43. Ezek. 33.31. prepoſſeſſing the heart, and reſiſting that Goſpel which would extirpate it.
6. It hindereth Prayer, by corrupting mens deſires, and by intruding worldly thoughts.
7. It hindereth all holy Meditation, by turning both the heart and thoughts another way.
8. It drieth up all heavenly profitable Conference, whilſt the world doth fill both mind and mouth.
9. It is a great profaner of the Lords Day, diſtracting mens minds, and alienating them from God.
10. It is a murderous enemy of Love to one another: All worldly men being ſo much for themſelves, that they are ſeldom hearty friends to any other.
11. Yea it maketh men falſe and unrighteous in their dealings: There being no truſt to be put in a worldly man any further than you are ſure you ſuit his intereſt.
12. It is the great cauſe of diſcord and diviſions in the world: It ſetteth Families, Neighbours and Kingdoms together by the ears; and ſetteth the Nations of the earth in bloody wars, to the calamity and deſtruction of each other.
13. It cauſeth cheating, ſtealing, robbing, oppreſſions, cruelties, lying, falſe-witneſſing, perjury, murders, and many ſuch other ſins.
14. It maketh men unfit to ſuffer for Chriſt, becauſe they love the world above him: and conſequently it maketh them as Apoſtates to forſake him in a time of tryal.
15. It is a great devourer of precious time: That ſhort life which ſhould be ſpent in preparing for eternity, is almoſt all ſpent in drudging for the world.
16. Laſtly, It greatly unfitteth men to die▪ and maketh them loth to leave the world: And no wonder when there is no entertainment for worldlings, in any better place hereafter.
Direct. 6. If you would be ſaved from the world, and the ſnares of proſperity, foreſee death, and judge of the world … it will appear and uſe you at the laſt. Dream not of long life: He that looks to ſtay but a little while in the world, will be the leſs careful of his proviſions in it. A little will ſerve for a little t…me. The grave is a ſufficient diſgrace to all the vanities on earth, though there muſt be more to raiſe the heart to Heaven.
Direct. 7. M…rtifie the fleſh, and you overcome the world. Cure the thirſty diſeaſe, and you will need none of the worldlings waies to ſatisfie it. When the fleſh is maſtered, there it no uſe for plenty, or pleaſures, or honours, to ſatisfie its luſts: Your daily bread to fit you for your work, will then ſuffice.
Direct. 8. But it is the lively belief of endleſs Glory, and the Love of God prevailing in the ſoul, that muſt work the cure. Nothing below a Life of Faith, and a heavenly mind and converſation, and the Love of God, will ever well cure a ſenſual life, and an earthly mind and converſation, and the love of the world.
Direct. 9. Turn away from the bait: deſire not to have your eſtate, your dwelling, &c. too pleaſing to your fleſh and fancy. Remember that it killeth by pleaſing, rather than by ſeeming unlovely and diſpleaſing.
Direct. 10. Turn Satans temptations to worldlineſs againſt himſelf. When he tempteth you to covetouſneſs give more to the poor than elſe you would have done. When he tempteth you to pride and ambition, let your converſation ſhew more averſation to pride than you did before. If he tempt you to waſte your time in fleſhly vanities, or ſports, work harder in your calling, and ſpend more time in better things; and thus try to weary out the tempter.
Direct. 11. Take heed of the Hypocrites deſigns, which is to unite Religion and worldlineſs, and to reconcile God and Mammon; and to ſecure the fleſh and its proſperity here, and yet to ſave the ſoul hereafter. For all ſuch hopes are meer deceits.
Direct. 12. Improve your proſperity to its proper ends. Devore all entirely and abſolutely to God; and ſo it will be ſaved from loſs, and you from deceit and condemnation.