A Saint or a Brute, Part 2 · Chapter 10 · Section 1
BEſides all this that hath been ſaid, let me briefly have ſome general aggravations, of the Delights of Holineſs. And compare it as we go with the Delights of the ungodly.
1. The Delights of Holineſs are the moſt Great, and Glorious, and Sublime delights. They are fetcht from the moſt Great and Glorious things. It is God, and his Grace, and everlaſting glory that feed our pleaſures. Whereas the Delights of ſenſual men, are fed with trifles: What do they rejoyce in but the fooleries of ſin, and the filthyneſs of their own tranſgreſſions! What is it that contenteth them, but a dream of honour, or the good will and word of mortal men, or a brutiſh ſportfulneſſe, or the pleaſing of the itch of luſt, or the proviſion that they have laid up for the fleſh? The treaſures of a Kingdom excell not the treaſure of a childs pin-box the thouſandth part ſo much as Heaven excells the treaſure of the ungodly. Judge therefore by the matter that feeds their pleaſure, which of the two is the more pleaſant life: to ſport in their own ſhame, and laugh at the brink of miſery, with the ungodly; or to delight our ſelves in the Love of God, and rejoyce in the aſſured hope of Glory with the true believer?
2. The Delights of Holineſs are the moſt rational, well-grounded, ſure delights. They are not deluſory, nor grounded on miſtakes or fancies. They are warranted by the truth and All-ſufficiency of God, and the certainty of his promiſe, and the immutability of his counſels, and the ſure Reward prepared for his Saints. None but a lying malicious Devil, or his inſtruments that participate of his nature, or a blind, corrupted, partial fleſh, will ever go about to queſtion the foundations of our faith and comforts. The hopes and comforts that are built upon this Rock, will never fall, nor make us aſhamed.
But the ungodly rejoyce in their own deluſions: It is ignorance and errour that they are beholden to for their mirth. They laugh in their ſleep, or as mad men in their diſtraction. Did they know that Satan rejoyceth in their joyes; and that an offended God is alwayes preſent, and how poor a matter it is that they rejoyce in, it would marr their mirth. If they ſaw the Hell that they are near, or well-conſidered where they ſtand, and what a caſe their ſouls are in, they would have little liſt to play or laugh. If they knew aright the ſhortneſs of their pleaſures, and the length of their ſorrows, and in what a doleful caſe their wealth and fleſhly delights will leave them, it would turn their laughter into mourning and lamentation. So that they rejoyce but (as a ſick man in a phrenſie, or as a fool upon ſome good news to him that is falſe;) upon meer miſtake.
3. The Delights of Holineſs are the moſt pure Delights, and moſt entire and compleat. There is no Evil in it, mixed with the Good, and therfore nothing to interrupt the joy. Our joyes indeed are too much interrupted: but that is not from any hurt that is in a holy life; but by the contrary ſin, which Holineſs muſt work out. If men take poyſon, let them not blame nature that ſtrives againſt it, if they are ſick; but let them blame themſelves, and the poyſon, that puts nature to expell it. In Holineſs it ſelf there is nothing but Good, and therefore nothing that ſhould grieve us.
But it is far otherwiſe with ſenſual delights: As they are ſinful, they are wholly evil: As they are natural, feeding upon the creature alone, they are as it is, a mixture of Vanity and Vexation. Every creature hath its unſuitableneſs and imperfection, by which it diſturbeth even where it pleaſeth, and troubleth where it comforteth, and fruſtrateth and diſappointeth more then it ſatisfieth. The more we Love it, uſually the more we ſuffer by it. That thing which we moſt exceſſively love, is ordinarily our ſharpeſt ſcourge. That friend whom we moſt exceſſively love, is uſually our greateſt ſorrow: either by their failing our expectations, or by our failing theirs, or our inſufficiency to accompliſh the good which we deſire of them. If they prove unkind, it is more grievous then the unkindneſs of many others: If they prove faithful, how deeply do we ſuffer with them in all their ſufferings? Their wants do pinch us as our own: Their reproaches are our ſhame: Their loſſes take as much from us: Their ſickneſs paineth us: Their death half killeth us: And he that is ſo happy as to have many ſuch friends, is ſo unhappy as to have more burdens, fears and griefs to ſuffer, and more deaths to die then other men. But eſpecially to ungodly men, theſe earthly comforts are uncomfortable, becauſe they have none of the Divine delights that are the kernel and the spirits, but take up with the ſhell or husk: And becauſe their mirth is mixt with their own miſery, which conſcience ſometime gripes them for with ſuch deep remorſe as cools their comforts: And ſome thoughts of the ſhortneſs of their pleaſures will be ſtepping in, and ending them before their time: So that the bitterneſs of worldly things ſurpaſſeth the delight.
4. The Delights of Holineſs are Deep and Solid, and therefore do ſtabliſh and corroborate the Hearts. But ſenſual delights are like childrens laughter: they are ſlight, and outſide, and flitting and vain: As children laugh in one breath, and cry in the next; ſo worldly joys are followed at the heels by ſorrows; For they lie not deep, and fortifie not the heart againſt diſtreſſes, as the delights of faith and holineſs do.
5. The Pleaſures of the Saints are the gift of God, and allowed of by him; commanded by his word, and promoted by his promiſes and mercies, and are but the fruits of his Everlaſting Love: And being ſo Divine, they muſt needs be excellent.
But the Pleaſures of ungodly worldly men are partly forbidden and condemned by God, and partly contradicted and confounded, by his terrible threatnings, and the diſcovery of his wrath. There is no Peace ſaith the Lord, to the wicked, Iſa. 48. 22. & 57. 21. God doth diſown and proteſt againſt their peace. If they will keep it, and make it good, it muſt be againſt his will. He forbiddeth joy to a rebellious people, Hoſ. 9. 1. Rejoyce not O Iſrael for joy as other people: for thou haſt gone a whoring from thy God. He calleth them to weeping and mourning, and renting of the heart, Joel. 2. 12, 13. Hear what God ſaith to them in their greateſt pleaſures, Jam. 5. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Go to now ye rich men, weep and howle for your miſeries that ſhall come upon you: Your riches are corrupted and your garments moath-eaten: Your gold and ſilver is cankred, and the ruſt of them ſhall be a witneſs againſt you, and ſhall eate your fleſh as it were fire: yee have heaped treaſure together for the laſt days:—Yee have lived in pleaſure on earth, and been wanton: Yee have nouriſhed your hearts as in a day of ſlaughter—] A man would think it ſhould either Turn them, or Torment them, and fill their hearts with continual horrour, to ſind God thus ſolemnly proteſting againſt their peace, and ſentencing them to woe and ſorrows.
6. The Pleaſures of the Godly are clean and noble, and honeſt and honourable. They delight in things of greateſt worth, for which they had their Natures, their Time and all. But the Pleaſures of ſinners are baſe and filthy: They Delight as ſwine in wallowing in the mire: and as the dog to eat his own Vomit, 2. Pet 2. 22. They delight to wrong the God that made them, and by whom they live, and to croſs the ends of their lives and mercies; and to drive away all true delights, and to undo themſelves. This is the matter of their delight.
7. The Devil is a great enemy to the Delights of Holineſs; which is a ſign that they are excellent. He doth what he can to keep men from the Holy State, leſt they ſhould meet with the Happineſs that attends it. And if he prevail not in this his chief deſign, he doth what he can to fill up the lives of believers with calamities. All the enemies that he can raiſe up againſt them, ſhall by temptations, ſcorns or injuries, aſſault their comforts; All the ſtorms that he can raiſe ſhall be ſure to fall upon them. How buſie is he to fill them with fears and doubtings? and to caſt perplexing thoughts into their minds? or to miſ…ead them into ſome perplexing ways? and faſten on them entangling doctrines, or diſquieting principles? How cunningly and diligently will he argue againſt their peace and comforts? and ſeek to hide the Love of God, and diſhonour the blood and grace and covenant of Chriſt? and croſs the comforting workings of the ſpirit? How ſubtilly will he queſtion all our Evidences? and extenuate all Gods comforting mercies? and do all that he can, that the godly may have a Hell on Earth, though they ſhall have none hereafter. It is ſure an excellent Joy and Pleaſure, which Satan is ſo great an enemy to.
8. The Delights of Holineſs do make us better; They are ſo far from diſordering the mind, and leading us to ſin, that they compoſe and purifie the mind, and make ſin much more odious to us, then before. No man hates ſin ſo much as he that hath ſeen the pleaſed face of God, and taſted moſt the ſweetneſs of his grace, and tryed the pleaſant paths of life. And therefore it is, that when a believer comes from fervent prayers, or from heavenly conference or meditation, or from hearing the bleſſed word of life, laid open plainly, and applyed powerfully to his ſoul, he would then abhor a temptation to ſenſual delights, if they were ſet before him. Till we loſe the reliſh of Holy things, and ſuffer our Delight in God to fade, we are ſeldome taken in the ſnares of any fleſhly vanities. Money is dirt to us, and honour a ſmoak, and luſt doth ſtink, as long as we maintain our delight in God. He is the beſt and higheſt Chriſtian, that hath moſt of theſe ſpiritual delights.
But fleſhly Pleaſures make men worſe; They intoxicate the mind, and fill it with vanity and folly; They are the ſnares to entrap us; and the harlots that do bewitch us, and defile the ſoul that ſhould be chaſte for God; The noiſe of this ſenſual fooliſh mirth, doth drown the voice of God and Reaſon, ſo that in the needfulleſt matters they cannot be heard. In their hunting and hawking, di…ing and carding, drinking and revelling, feaſting and dancing how little of God or heaven is on the ſinners mind? ſeldome is the ſoul ſo unfit for duty, ſo uncapable of inſtruction, ſo hardened againſt the word and warnings of the Lord, as in the depth of ſenſual delights. Then it is that they are [fooliſh, diſobedient, and deceived,] when they are [ſerving divers luſts and pleaſules] as Paul that had tryed both ways, confeſſeth, Tit. 3. 3. None ſo unlike to be the ſervants of Chriſt, as they that are cloathed in purple and fine linnen, and that fare ſumptuouſly or deliciouſly every day, Luk. 16. To live in rioting and drunkenneſs, in chambering and wantonneſs, in ſtrife and envying, and to make proviſion for the fleſh to fulfil the luſts thereof] is the deſcription of one that walks not honeſtly, and is far from a Chriſtians life and hopes, Rom. 13. 13, 14. It is thoſe voluptuous ſenſual ſinners, that moſt obſtinately ſhut out all reproofs, and refuſe him that ſpeaketh to them from heaven, and will not ſo much as ſoberly conſider of the things that concern their everlaſting peace; and therefore are oft ſo forſaken of grace, that they grow to be ſcorners of the means of their ſalvation, and [being paſt feeling do give themſelves over to laſciviouſneſs, to work all uncleanneſs with greedineſs] Eph. 4. 19. Which then is moſt deſirable? the healing or the wounding pleaſures? the quickening or the killing mirth? the wholſome or the poyſonous ſweet? the delights that mend us and further our ſalvation, or corrupting pleaſures that drown men in perdidition?
9. The Delights of Holineſs are kin to Heaven: They are of the ſame nature with thoſe that Saints and Angels have with God (though we muſt acknowledge an unconceivable difference). It is the ſame God, and the ſame Glory that now delighteth us as ſeen by faith, which ſhall then delight us, when ſeen by intuition with open face. We are ſolacing our ſelves in Love and Praiſe, with the ſame employment that we muſt have in Heaven. And therefore if Heaven be the ſtate of Greateſt joy and pleaſure, the ſtate of Grace, and work of Holineſs, that is likeſt to it, muſt needs be next it.
But ſenſual pleaſures are beaſtial and ſordid, and ſo far unlike the Joys of Heaven, that nothing more withdraws the mind, or maketh it unmeet for Heaven.
10. Laſtly, the delights of Holineſs are durable, even everlaſting. The further we goe, the greater cauſe we have of joy. It is not a mutable good that we rejoyce in, but in the immutable God, the antient of days, and in that Chriſt that loveth his ſpouſe with an everlaſting love; and in the ſure and faithful promiſes; and in the hopes of the Kingdom that cannot be moved. The ſpring of our pleaſures is in Heaven: and our rejoycing is but the beginning of that which muſt there be perpetuated. Death cannot kill the joys of a believer: the grave ſhall not bury them: millions of ages ſhall not end them… Here they may be interrupted, becauſe the pleaſed face of God may be ecclipſed, and ſin and Satan may caſt malicious doubt into our minds; and the neighbourhood of the fleſh will force the mind to participate of its ſufferings. But ſtill God will keep their comforts alive, at leaſt in the root; and help them in the act, as we have need of them and are fit for them: And in the world of Joy for which he is preparing us, our Joy ſhall be perfected, and never have interruption or end. Holy-Feſtivals, and Ordinances, and ſweeteſt Communion of Saints, and deareſt Love of trueſt friends, and perfect health and proſperity in the world, and all other comforts ſet together, that this world affords, are but ſhort emblems and ſmall fore-taſtes of the Joyes which the face of God will afford us, and we ſhall have with Chriſt, his Saints and Angels, to all eternity.
But ſenſual Pleaſures are of ſo ſhort continuance, that they are gone before we feel well that we have them. The drunkard, the glutton, the fornicator, the gameſter are drinking but a ſugered cup of poyſon: and merrily ſowing the ſeeds of everlaſting ſorrow: Satan is but ſcratching them (as the butcher ſhaves the throat of the ſwine) before he kill them: One quarter of an hour ends the pleaſure and leaves a damp of ſadneſs in its room: He that hath had 40. or 50. years pleaſures, hath no reliſh of it when it is paſt; but it is as if it had never been: and much worſe. He that hath ſpent a day, or monethmonth, or year in Pleaſure, hath no more at night, or at the years end, when it is gone, then he that ſpent that time in ſorrow. The bones and duſt of thouſands lie now in the Church yard, that have taſted many a ſweet cup and morſel, and have had many a merry wanton day: And are they now any better for it, then if they had never known it? And are not the poor and ſorrowful there their equals? And doubtleſs their ſouls have as little of thoſe pleaſures as their duſt. In Heaven they are abhorred: In Hell they are turned into tormenting flames, and remembred as fuel for the devouring fire. There are Gluttons, but no more good cheer: There are Drunkards, but no more drink: There are Fornicators, but no more luſtful pleaſures: There are the playful waſters of their time, but no more ſport and recreation: There are the vain-glorious, proud, ambitious ſouls, but not in glory, honour and renown; but their aſpiring hath caſt them into the gulf of miſery, and their pride hath covered them with utter confuſion, and their glory is turned to their endleſs ſhame. Thoſe that are now overwhelmed with the wrath of God, and ſhut up under deſperation, are the ſouls that lately wallowed here in the delights of the fleſh, and enjoyed for a ſeaſon the pleaſures of ſin; and now what fruit have they of all their former ſeeming happineſs? He that is feaſted and gallantly adorned and attended to day, is crying for a drop of water in vain tomorrow, Luk. 16. 23, 24, 25, 26. Chriſt tells you the gain of earthly riches, and the duration of earthly pleaſures, to the ungodly, Luk. 6. 24, 25. [Woe to you that are rich, for you have received your conſolation: Woe to you that are full, for you ſhall hunger: woe to you that laugh now, for you ſhall mourn and weep.] that is, You that live a ſenſual life, and take up your pleaſure and felicity here, ſhall find that all will end in ſorrow. But [bleſſed are ye that hunger now, for ye ſhall be filled: bleſſed are ye that weep now; for ye ſhall laugh, v. 21. that is, You that are contented to paſs through ſorrows and tribulation on earth, to the Kingdom where you have placed your happineſs and hopes, ſhall find that your ſorrows will end in joy; and therefore you are bleſſed while you ſeem miſerable to the world, Joh. 16. 20. [Ye ſhall weep and lament; but the world ſhall rejoyce: and ye ſhall be ſorrowful, but your ſorrow ſhall be turned into joy.] v. 22. [Now you have ſorrow: but I will ſee you again, and your heart ſhall rejoyce, and your joy no man taketh from you] We have a conſtant intereſt in the Foutain of all Joy; and if our ſun be clouded, it is but for a moment. [Our maker is our Husband: the Lord of hoſts is his name: and our Redeemer the holy one of Iſrael; the God of the whole earth:—For a ſmall moment may he forſake us, but with great mercy will he gather us: In a little wrath he may hide his face from us for a moment; but with everlaſting kindneſs will he have mercy on us, ſaith the Lord our Redeemer. As he ſwore that the waters of Noah ſhould no more goe over the earth, ſo hath he ſworn that he will not be wroth with his people, nor rebuke them. For the mountains ſhall depart, and the hills ſhall be removed; but his kindneſs ſhall not depart from us, nor the covenant of his peace be removed, ſaith the Lord, that hath mercy on us] Iſa. 54. 5, to 19. [For his anger endureth but for a moment: in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.] Pſal. 30. 5. Storms may ariſe that may affright us: but how quickly will they all be over? [Come my people (ſaith the Lord, Iſa. 26. 20.) enter into thy chambers, and ſhut thy doors about thee: hide thy ſelf as it were for a little moment, untill the indignation be overpaſt.]
And as the momentany ſorrow of the Godly is forgotten in everlaſting Joy, ſo the Joy of the wicked is but for a moment, and is drowned in everlaſting ſorrows. Job 20. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. [Knoweſt thou not this of old, ſince man was placed upon earth, That the triumphing of the wicked is ſhort, and the Joy of the hypocrite is but for a moment? Though his excellency mount up to the heavens, and his head reach unto the clouds; yet he ſhall periſh for ever like his own dung: They which have ſeen him ſhall ſay, Where is he? He ſhall flie away as a dream, and ſhall not be found: Yea he ſhall be chaſed away as a viſion of the night: the eye alſo which ſaw him, ſhall ſee him no more; neither ſhall his place any more behold him.] Job 21. 12, 13. [They take the Timbrell and Harp, and rejoyce at the ſound of the Organs: they ſpend their daies in wealth, and in a moment go down to the grave.]
It would grieve a conſiderate believer to look on a worldly ſenſual gallant, in the midſt of his vain-glory, or any unſanctified man in his mirth and pleaſure, and to think where that man will ſhortly be, and how the caſe will be altered with him, and where his ſport and mirth will leave him. As it would ſadden our hearts to ſee one of them ſtruck dead in the place, or to ſee the Devil fetch them away, and ſpoil the game; ſo ſhould it grieve us to fore-ſee the ſtroak of death, and the condemnation of their ſouls to everlaſting miſery. And can that man much value the pleaſure of ungodly men, that doth fore-ſee this end? Would you not laugh at him that were a Prince but for a day, and muſt be the ſcorn of the world to morrow? or that would chooſe one day of mirth and pleaſure, though he knew it would fill the reſt of his life with pain and miſery? If folly and ſtupidity were any wonder, it were a wonder that ungodly men can be merry, when their conſciences tell them that they are not ſure to ſtay one hour out of Hell; nor to hold on their mirth till the end of the game: But while they are ſaying, [Soul, take thy eaſe, eat, drink and be merry:] they may ſuddenly be told from God, [Thou fool, this night ſhall thy ſoul be required of thee] and then whoſe is thy wealth? and then where is thy ſport and mirth? Luke 12. 19, 20. As the tender flowers and Roſes of the Spring, do fall before the nipping Froſts, and will not live in Winter ſtorms; no more will your fading mirth endure the frowns of God, the face of death, nor ſcarce a ſerious fore-thought of the day that you are near. And ſuch matter of horrour is continually before you, while you are under the wrath and curſe of God, in a carnal unregenerate ſtate, that you are beholden to folly, ſecurity and ſtupidity for that eaſe which hindreth your everlaſting eaſe.
So that all things conſidered, I muſt ſeriouſly profeſs, that (however the ungodly have ſome pleaſant dreams, and may live a while in careleſneſs and ſtupidity, or fleere in the face, while the beginning of hell is in their conſciences, yet) I muſt judge, that a life of Faith and Holineſs are unſpeakably ſweet, if it were but for this, that they ſave the Conſcience from the gripes, and fears, and terrible thoughts, that either ſometime feed on the ungodly, or are ready to devour their mirth and them. So ſad and frightful a thing it is, to be unſanctified, and in a ſtate of ſin, that it is an high commendation of the delights of Holineſs, that they ſo much deliver us from thoſe grievous terrours, and are ſo powerful an Antidote to preſerve the heart from the wickeds pangs and deſperation. Believe it, when conſcience, death, and judgement, are the meſſengers to declare your endleſs ſorrows, you will then wiſh, and ten thouſand times wiſh, that you had ſome of the Faith and Holineſs of the Saints, to be a Cordial to your ſinking hearts; and then you would take it as a matter of unſpeakable joy, to be found in ſuch a ſtate as you now count ſad and melancholy. Ask but a dying man, whether fleſhly pleaſure or Godlineſs be the ſweeter thing? Now when the deluſions of proſperity are gone, which do men moſt reliſh? and which is it that they would own? By the conſent of all the wiſe men in the world, I may well conclude, that a Holy life is incomparably the moſt pleaſant.