The Life of Faith, Part 3 · Chapter 24
CHAP. XXIV. How by Faith to order our Affections to publick Societies, and the unconverted world.
Direct. 1. TAke heed that you loſe not that common Love which you owe to mankind, nor that deſire of the increaſe of the Kingdom of Chriſt, which muſt keep up in you a conſtant compaſſion to the unconverted world, viz. Idolaters, Infidels, and ungodly Hypocrites.
It is pittiful to obſerve the unchriſtian ſenſleſneſs of moſt zealous Profeſſors of Religion in this point: Though God hath purpoſely put the three publick Petitions firſt in the Lords Prayer, to tell them what they muſt firſt and moſt deſire, that is, the hallowing of his Name, and the coming of his Kingdom, and the doing of his Will on Earth as it is in Heaven; yet they ſeem not to underſtand it, or to regard it: But their thoughts and deſires are as ſelfiſh, and private, and narrow, as if they knew nothing what the World or the Church is, or cared for neither. Their mind and talk is all of their own matters, for body or ſoul, or of their ſeveral Parties, and particular Churches; or if any extend his care as far as this ſpot of Land in Brittain and Ireland, or ſome of the Reformed Churches, they go further than their companions; their ſelves, and their ſide or party is almoſt all that moſt regard: Perhaps the poor ſcattered Jews have a few words in the prayers of ſome; but the miſerable caſe of the vaſt Nations of the Earth, who ſeem to be forſaken of God is neglected by them. Five parts in ſix of the earth are Heathens and Mahometanes: and of the ſixth part, the Proteſtants are but about a ſixth, compared with the poor ignorant Abbaſſines, Armenians, Syrians, the Greek Churches, and the Papiſts; (to ſay nothing what the moſt of the Proteſtants themſelves are.) Yet are almoſt all theſe put by, with a word or two, or none at all, in the daily prayers of moſt Profeſſors: And it is rare to hear any to pray with any importunity for their converſion. Is this mens love to mankind? Is this their love to the Kingdom of Chriſt? or to God and Godlineſs? Is God of as narrow a mind as you? Are you and your party all the world, or all the Church? or all that is to be regarded and prayed for?
Direct. 2. Do not only pray for them, but ſtudy what is within the reach of your power to do for their converſion. For though private men can do little in compariſon of what Chriſtian Princes might do who muſt not be told their duty by ſuch as I.) Yet ſomewhat might be done by Merchants and their Chaplains, if skill and zeal were well united; and ſomewhat might be done by writing and tranſlating ſuch books as are fitteſt for this uſe: And greater matters might be done, by training up ſome Scholars in the Perſian, Indoſtan, Tartarian, and ſuch other languages, who are for mind and body fitted for that work, and willing with due encouragement to give up themſelves thereto. Were ſuch a Colledge erected, natives might be got to teach the languages: and no doubt but God would put into the hearts of many young men, to devote themſelves to ſo excellent a ſervice; and of many rich men, to ſettle Lands ſufficient to maintain them; and many Merchants would help them in their expedition. But whether thoſe that God will ſo much honour, be yet born, I know not.
Direct. 3. Pray and labour for the Reformation and Concord of all the Chriſtian Churches; as the moſt probable means to win to Chriſt the world of Heathens and Ʋnbelievers.
If the Proteſtant Churches were more pure and peaceable, more holy, and more unanimous and charitable to each other, it would do much to win the Papiſts that are near them: And if the Papiſts, and Greeks, and Armenians, and Abaſſines were more reformed, wiſe and holy, it would do much to win the Heathens and Mahometanes round about them. They would be the ſalt of the earth, and the lights of the world, and the leaven which muſt leaven the whole lump: The neighbouring Mahometanes, and Heathens, would ſee their good works, and glorifie God, Matth. 5.16. A holy, harmleſs, loving converſation, is a Sermon which men of all languages can underſtand: Thus as Apoſtles we might preach to men of ſeveral tongues, though we have but one. O that the ſanctifying Spirit would teach Chriſtians this art, and reform and unite the Churches of Chriſt, that they might be no longer a ſcandal, to hinder the ſaving of the world about them! It is the ſenſe of Chriſts prayer before his death, John 17.21, 22, 23, 25. that they all may be one, as thou Father art in me, and I in thee, that the world may believe that thou haſt ſent me—I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in One, and that the world may know that thou haſt ſent me, and haſt loved them, as thou haſt loved me.
Direct. 4. Be ſure at leaſt that your holy, loving and blameleſs loves, be an example to theſe that are about you. If you cannot convert Kingdoms, nor get other men to do their duty towards it, be ſure that you do your part within your reach: And believe that your lives muſt be the beſt part of your labours, and that good works, and love, and good example muſt be the firſt part of your doctrine.
Direct. 5. When you ſee that the world lyeth ſtill in wickedneſs, and there ſeemeth to be no poſſibility of a cure, yet ſearch the Scripture, and ſo far as you can find any Prophecy or Promiſe of their converſion, believe that God in his time will make it good.
Direct. 6. But take heed that on this pretence, you plunge not your ſelves into any inordinate ſtudies, or conceited expoſitions of the Revelations, and other Scripture Prophecies, as many have done, to the great wrong of themſelves, and the Church of God.
By inordinate ſtudies, I mean, 1. When you begin there where you ſhould end, and before you have digeſted the neceſſary greater truths in Theology, you go to thoſe that ſhould come after them. 2. When an undue proportion of your zeal, and time, and ſtudy, and talk, is beſtowed upon theſe Prophecies, in compariſon of other things. 3. When you are proudly and cauſleſly conceited of your ſingular expoſitions: That when of ten of the learnedeſt and hardeſt ſtudied Expoſitors of the Revelation, perhaps in many things ſcarce two are of a mind; yet when you differ from them all, or all ſave one, you can be as peremptory and confident in your opinion, as if you were far wiſer, or more infallible than they. 4. When you place a greater neceſſity in it than there is; as if ſalvation, or Church-communion lay upon your conceits. Whereas God hath made the points that are of neceſſity to ſalvation, to be few and plain.
Direct. 7. When you look on the ſin and miſery of the world, and ſee ſmall hope of its recovery, look up by Faith to that better world, where all is Light, and Love, and Peace. And pray for that coming of Chriſt, when all this ſin ſhall be brought to Judgment, and wiſdom and godlineſs be fully juſtified before all the world. Let the badneſs of this world drive up your hearts to that above, where all is better than you can wiſh.
Direct. 8. When you are ready to ſtumble at the conſideration of Gods deſertion of ſo great a part of the world, quiet your minds in the implicite ſubmiſſion to his infinite wiſdom and goodneſs. Dare you think that you are more gracious and merciful than God? Or that it is meet you ſhould know all the ſecrets of his providence, who muſt not know the myſteries o… Government, in the State or Kingdom where you live? He that cannot reſt in the wiſdom, will and mercies of infinite Goodneſs it ſelf, but muſt have all his own expectations ſatiſfied, ſhall have no reſt.
And think withall, how little a ſpot of Gods Creation this earthly world is: and how incomprehenſibly vaſt the ſuperiour Regions are in compariſon of it. And if all the upper parts of the world be poſſeſſed with none but holy Spirits, and even this lower earth, have alſo many millions of Saints, prepared here for the things above, we have no more reaſon to judge God to be unmerciful, becauſe this lower world is ſo bad, than we have to judge the King unmerciful, when we look into the common Jayle; nor to judge of his government by the Rogues in a Jayle, but by his Court, and all the ſubjects of his Kingdom.
If God ſhould forſake no place but Hell, of all his Creation, you could not grudge at him as unmerciful: And it is a very hard queſtion whether this earth, and the air about it, be not the place of Hell; when you conſider that the Devils are caſt down from Heaven, and yet that they dwell and rule in the Air, and compaſs the Earth, and tempt the wicked, and work in the children of diſobedience, Epheſ. 2.1, 2. Job 1. 2 Tim. 2.26. And that Satan is called, the God and Prince of this world, Joh. 12.31. & 14.30. & 16.11. 2 Cor. 4.4. Epheſ. 6.12.
But if it be not the place of final execution, it is the place where they are kept in priſon till the great Aſſizes, and where they are reſerved in chains of darkneſs, to the Judgment of the great day, and where they are tormented before the time, 2 Pet. 2.4. Jude 6. Matth. 8.29.
Look then from this Dungeon, to the glorious incomprehenſible manſions of the holy ones; and judge by them, and not by this priſon, of the goodneſs and infinite benignity of God. And if he will give ſo many obſtinate deſpiſers of his grace, a place with thoſe Devils that did ſeduce and rule them, think not God to be therefore unmerciful; but behold his mercy in the innumerable veſſels of honour and mercy, that ſhall poſſeſs the higher manſions for ever.