A Saint or a Brute, Part 1 · Application 2
Use 2.
IF One thing be Needful, and the neglect of this be ſo unreaſonable, ſo unmanly, and ſo dangerous, as we have ſeen it proved, then what an object of compaſſion and lamentation is the diſtracted world? Look upon this text of Scripture, and look alſo upon the courſe of the earth, and conſider of the diſagreement, and whether it be not ſtill as before the flood, that all the imaginations of mans heart are evil continually: Gen. 6 5. were it but poſſible for a man to ſee the affections and motions of all the world at once, as God ſeeth them, what a p…tiſul ſight would it be? What a ſtir do they make, alas poor ſouls, for they know not what? while they forget, or ſlight, or hate the One thing neceſſary. What a heap of gadding ants ſhould we ſee, that do nothing but gather ſticks and ſtraw? Look among perſons of every rank, in Citie and Countrey, and look into the families about you, and ſee what trade it is that they are moſt buſily driving on, whether it be for Heaven or earth? and whether you can diſcern by their care and labours that they underſtand what is the One thing neceſſary? They are as buſie as bees, but not for honey, but in ſpinning ſuch a ſpiders web, as the beeſome of death will preſently ſweep down, Job 8. 14▪ They labour hard; but for what? for the food that periſheth, and not for that which will endure to everlaſting life John 6. 27. They are diligent ſeekers; but for what? Not …ſt for God, his Kingdom and Righteouſneſs; but for that which they might have had as an addition to their bleſſedneſs. Matth. 6. 33. They are ſtill doing; but what are they doing? even undoing themſelves by running away from God, to hunt after the periſhing pleaſures of the world: Inſtead of providing for the life to come, they are making proviſion for the fleſh to fulfill its luſts, Rom. 13. 14. Some of them hear the Word of God; but they choak it preſently by the deceitfulneſs of riches and the cares of this life, Luke 8. 14. They are careful and troubled about many things, but the One thing that ſhould be all to them, is caſt by as if it were nothing. Providing for the fleſh, and minding the world, is the employment of their lives. They trouble themſelves with it, and trouble their families, and neareſt relations, and oft-times trouble the whole Towns or places where they live; ſo that unleſs we will let them have their bone to themſelves, and give them our cloak when they have taken our coat, and ſay as … ſheth [Let him take all] there is no living quietly by … A dog at his carrion, or a ſwine in his trough, is not more greedy then many of theſe ſenſualiſts, that labour of the Caninus app… titus to their traſh: But to Holineſs they have no appetite, and are worſe then indifferent to the things that are in…ſirable: They have no covetouſueſs for the things which … commanded earneſtly to covet, 1 Cor. 12 31. They have …tle hunger and thirſt after righteouſneſs, that a very little or none will ſatisfie them: Here they are pleading alwayes for …deration, and againſt too much, and too earneſt, and too long: And all is too much with them that is above ſtark naught, or dead hypocriſie: and all is too earneſt and too long that would make Religion ſeem a buſineſs, or would engage them to ſeem ſerious in their own profeſſion, or put them paſt jeaſt in the worſhip of God, and the matters of their ſalvation. Let but their ſervants or children neglect their worldly buſineſs, (which I confeſs they ſhould not do) and they ſhall hear of it with both ears: But if they ſin againſt God, or neglect his Word or Worſhip, they ſhall meet with more patience then Eli's ſons did: A cold reproof is uſually the beſt; and it is well if they be not encouraged in their ſin; and if a child or ſervant that begins to be ſerious for ſalvation, be not rebuked, derided, and hindred by them. If on their dayes of labour they over-ſleep themſelves, they ſhall be ſure to be called up to work, (and good reaſon); but when do they call them up to prayer? When do they urge them to read, or conſider, or conferr of the things that concern their everlaſting life? The Lords own day, which is appointed to be ſet apart for matters of this nature, is waſted in idleneſs or worldly talk. Come at any time into their company, and you may have talk enough, and too much, of news, or of other mens matters, of their worldly buſineſs, ſports and pleaſures: But about God and their ſalvation, they have ſo little to ſay, and that ſo heartleſly and on the by, as if they were things that belonged not to their care and duty, and no whit concerned them. Talk with them about the renovation of the ſoul, and the nature of holineſs, and the life to come, and you ſhall find them almoſt as dumb as a fiſh, or as dry as a chip, or as erroneous or inſenſible as thoſe that ſpeak but words by rote, to ſhew you how little they ſavour or mind the things of the Spirit. The moſt underſtand not matters of this nature, nor much deſire or care to underſtand them: If one would teach … perſonally, they are too old to be catechized or to learn, though not too old to be ignorant of the matters which they were made for, and are preſerved for in the world: They are too wiſe to learn to be wiſe, and too good to be taught how to be good …ough not too wiſe to follow the ſeducements of the Devil …he world, nor too good to be the ſlaves of Satan▪ and the de…rs and enemies of goodneſs. If they do any thing which the… a ſerving of God, it is ſome cold and heartleſs uſe of word…ake themſelves believe that for all their ſins they ſhall be ſaved; ſo that God will call that a ſerving of their ſins and abomination, which they call a ſerving of God. Some of them will confeſs that Holineſs is good; but they hope God will be merciful to them without it: And ſome do ſo hate it, that it is a diſpleaſing irkſom thing to them, to hear any ſerious diſcourſe of holineſs, and they deteſt and deride thoſe as fanatick troubleſome Preciſians, that diligently ſeek the One thing neceſſary. So that if the Belief of the moſt may be judged by their practices, we may confidently ſay, that they do not practically believe that ever they ſhall be brought to Judgement, or that there is any Heaven or Hell to be expected; and that their confeſſion of the truth of the holy Scriptures, and their profeſſion of the Articles of the Chriſtian Faith, are no proofs that they heartily take them to be true. Who can be ſuch a ſtranger to the world, as not to ſee that this as the caſe of the greateſt part of men? And which is worſt of all, they go on in this courſe againſt all that can be ſaid to them, and will give no impartial conſiderate hearing to the truth which would recover them to their wits, but live as if it would be a felicity to them in Hell, to think that they came thither by wilful reſolution, and in deſpight of the remedy. And is it not a ſad proſpect to a man that believeth the Word of God, and the life to come, to look upon ſuch a diſtracted world? O Sirs, if Jeſus Chriſt be wiſe that condemneth their courſe and them, then certainly all theſe men are fools: And if Chriſt knew what he ſaid, we muſt needs think that they know not what they do. O what is the matter that reaſonable men ſhould have no more uſe of their reaſon in things of ſuch importance, then thus to neglect their everlaſting ſtate for a thing of naught? Did God make them unreaſonable, or give them underſtandings uncapable of things of ſuch high concernment? Or rather, have … not drowned their reaſon in ſenſuality, and wilfully poiſo…th malicious averſneſs to God and Holineſs? What is …ter that the One thing needful is no more regarded? Hath God made them believe that they ſhall dwell here for ever, and never die? No ſurely, this is ſo groſs a lye, that the Devil himſelf cannot make them believe it. They know that they muſ… ſure as they are alive: And yet they prepare not, but w…eir dayes in ſcraping in this dunghill world, as if they wer…o no further. Did God never warn them by a Sermon, or …, to prepare for the life which they muſt live for ever? Yes …y a time; but they would take no warning. Did God never …ll them that after this life there is another, where they muſt live in endleſs joy or torment? Yes, and they profeſſed that they did believe it: They heard it an hundred times over, till they were weary of hearing it. Did God make them believe that they ſhall die like beaſts that have no further to go, nor any other life to live? No: if they do believe this, it is the Devil and not God that maketh them believe it. What then is the matter that the One thing needful is no more regarded? Hath God ſhut up their ſouls in deſperation, ſo that it is in vain to ſeek, or trouble themſelves for that of which there is no hope? Oh no! his compaſſion hath provided them a full remedy: by the death of his Son Redemption is procured, and he hath made them a deed of gift, of Chriſt, and pardon, and eternal life, and tendred it to them, that upon the… acceptance it may be theirs. Many a time hath he offered this mercy to them, and many a time hath he urged them to accept …t: He hath ſet before them life and death, and given them their choice, and directed and perſwaded them to chooſe aright: Impoſſibility of attainment is not their hinderance; for Mercy be…eecheth and importuneth them to accept it, and grace and ſalvation are brought unto their hands. O wonderful! What then …s left to take off a reaſonable creature, from minding and preferring its own everlaſting great concernments? Is it becauſe they have done their work already, and having made ſure of heaven, have time to turn themſelves to other matters? Alas no: the moſt are far from any ſuch aſſurance; and have done but little to procure it. If they were to die this hour, they know not where their ſouls ſhall be the next: And if death even now ſhould lay its terrible hands upon them, they have no other comfort then to yield …to neceſſity, and leave their ſouls by a ſhort ſecurity, to … paſſage of their unavoidable change: Unleſs they are com… by ſuch preſumptuous ſelf-deceit, which the next moment after death will vaniſh, and never return unto them more. Job 8. 13, 14. & 11. 20. & 27. 8. Prov. 11. 7.
This is the caſe of the miſerable world; but they have not hearts to … themſelves, nor can we make them willing to be delivered▪ …uſe we cannot make them know their caſe. If a man fall in … pit, we need not ſpend all the day to perſwade him that he is there, and to be willing to be helpt out of it: But with theſe fleſhly…iſerable ſouls, the time that ſhould be ſpent by themſelves and us for their recovery, muſt be ſpent to make them believe that they are loſt; and when all is done, we leave them loſt, and have loſt our labour, becauſe we cannot prevail with them to believe it. Drown they will and periſh everlaſtingly, becauſe the time that ſhould be ſpent in ſaving them, muſt be ſpent in making them know that they are ſinking, and after all they will not believe it; and therefore will not …ay hold on the hand that is ſtretched forth to pull them out. The Narrative of the ſavage people of Soldania doth notably repreſent their ſtate: Thoſe people live naked, and feed upon the carrion-like carkaſſes of beaſts, and hang the ſtinking guts about their …ecks for ornament…, and wear hats made of the dung, and carve their skins, and will not change theſe loathſom cuſtoms: Some of them being drawn into our Ships, were carried away for England: when they came to Landon, and ſaw our ſtately buildings, and cloathing, and proviſions, they were obſerved to ſigh much, which was thought to have been in compaſſion of their miſerable Countrey, which ſo much differed from ours: When they had ſtayed long among us, and got ſo much acquaintance with our civility, and order, and all that belongs to the life of man, as that they were thought fit to communicate it to their Countrey-men, the next Voyage they were brought back, and ſet on ſhoare in their own Countrey, to draw ſome of the reſt to come into the Ships, and ſee and enjoy what they had done (who had purpoſely been uſed as might moſt content them): But as ſoon as they were landed, they lept for joy, and cryed, Soldania, and caſt away their cloathes, and came again in the ſight of our Ships, with dung on their heads, and guts hanging about their necks, triumphing in their ſordid nakedneſs. Juſt ſo do worldly ſenſual men, in the matters of ſalvation: If againſt their wills they are carryed into cleaner wayes and company, and the beauty of holineſs, and the joyes of heaven are opened to them, they are aweary of it a… the while; and when we expect they ſhould delight themſelves in the felicity that is opened to them, and draw their old acquaintance to it, and be utterly aſhamed of their former baſe and ſinful ſtate, they are gone when the next temptation comes, and return with the dog unto their vomit, and with the waſhed Swine to wallow in the mire, 2 Pet. 2. 21, 22. and glory in their filth and ſhame, and only mind their earthly things, Phil. 3. 18.