The Crown and Glory of Christianity, Uses · Use and exhortation 3 · Objections · Objection 5
Fifthly, Others may object and ſay, We would labor after this holineſs, without which there is no happineſs, &c. But if we ſhould, then we muſt reſolve to be poor, and mean, and beggarly in the world, we muſt reſolve then to fare hard, and lye hard, and labor hard, and live low in the world, for we ſhall never raiſe an eſtate to our ſelves by holineſs and ſtrictneſs, we ſhall never grow rich and great in the world by godlineſs; nay by driving this trade of holineſs, we ſhall loſe our Trades, our Cuſtomers, and thoſe eſtates we have, and quickly bring a noble to nine pence, &c. Now to fence and arm you againſt this objection, give me leave to propoſe theſe ſix following conſiderations.
Firſt, Conſider that 'tis not abſolutely neceſſary that you ſhould be rich, or high, or great in this world, but 'tis abſolutely neceſſary that you ſhould be holy; the want of riches can onelyonly trouble you, but the want of holineſs will certainly damne you; you may be happy in another world, though you are not high in this world; many a man has gone to heaven without a penny in his purſe, or good cloaths on his back;Luk. 16.19.—31. and doubtleſs 'tis infinitely better with ragged naked Lazarus to go to heaven, then 'tis with Dives to go rich and bravely clad to hell; 'tis better to go to heaven poor, and halt, and maimed, then to go to hell ſound and rich; poverty and outward miſery with ſalvation, is far better then worldly proſperity and felicity with everlaſting perdition: Holineſs and not riches is the One thing neceſſary; if thou haſt holineſs, nothing can make thee miſerable, but if thou wanteſt holineſs, nothing can make thee happy. Outward bleſſings are no infallible evidences of a bleſſed eſtate. Was Abraham rich? ſo was Abimelech to: Was Jacob rich? ſo was Laban to: Was David a King? ſo was Saul to: Was Conſtantine an Emperor? ſo was Julian to. 'Tis onelyonly holineſs that ſets the crown of happineſs upon a Chriſtians head. But,
Secondly, Conſider that 'tis not ſanctity, but impiety, 'tis not holineſs,Prov. 24.33, 34. Ch. 28.19.22. but wickedneſs, that expoſes men to the greateſt poverty and miſery; Prov. 6.26. For by the means of a whoriſh woman, a man is brought to a piece of bread. Whoredom is a very coſtly ſin; the prodigal had quickly ſpent his portion among his Harlots.Luk. 15. Whoredom can't be a greater Paradiſe to the fleſh, then 'tis a purgatory to the purſe, and many great ones have found it ſo.Mar. 6.23, 24. Herod that old fornicator was ſo inflamed and bewitched with the immodeſt wanton dancing of his Damoſel, that he ſwore he would give her to the half of his kingdom. And 'tis very obſervable, that whilſt Solomon in his younger days kept holy,1 King. 10.27, 28. Chron. 1.15, 16, 17. chaſt, and pure, ſilver and gold was as plentious at Jeruſalem and at Court, as the ſtones of the ſtreet; but when Solomon had given himſelf up to his Concubines, they quickly exhauſted his Treaſuries, and brought him to ſo low an ebb, that he was forced to oppreſs his ſubjects with ſuch heavy taxes,1 Kings 12.1.—20. burdens and tributes, which occaſioned the revolt of the ten Tribes. Joſephus in his Antiquities, tells us of one Decius Mundus, that offered to give ſo many hundred thouſand Drachmes that came to ſix thouſand pound Engliſh money to ſatisfie his luſts one night with a whore, and yet could not obtain his deſire. There is no ſin that has brought more men, and greater men to beggary and miſery then this has; it is a great miſery to be brought to a piece of bread, to a ſcrap, a little bit of bread, but to be brought into ſo low a condition by Harlots, doubles the miſery; for he that is by a whoriſh woman brought to a piece of bread on earth, ſhall be brought to a drop of water in hell, except there be ſound repentance on his ſide, and pardoning mercy on Gods. Take another inſtance in that Prov. 23.20, 21.The glutton and the drunkard were to be ſtoned to death. Deut. 21.20, 21. Baſil calls drunkenneſs a ſelf choſen devil. When Aechines commended Philip King of Macedon for a jovial man that would drink freely, Demoſthenes being by, told him that was a good quality in a Spunge, but not in a Prince. Be not among wine-bibbers, amongſt riotous eaters of fleſh. For the drunkard and the glutton ſhall come to poverty; and drowſineſs ſhall cloath a man with raggs. Many Dukes, Earles, Lords, and Gentlemen of great eſtates, have …adly experienced the truth of this Scripture; ſociety, and luxurious company hath brought many a man to extream poverty. The full cup makes an empty purſe, and the fat diſh makes a lean bagg; he that fills thee wine with one hand, and ſets before thee dainty diſhes with the other hand, will be ſure to pick thy pockets with both hands; and this Caligula the Roman Emperor found by experience, for his gluttony brought him to incredible poverty. Diogenes hearing that the houſe of a certain prodigal was offered to ſale, ſaid, I knew that houſe was ſo accuſtomed to ſurfeting and drunkenneſs, that ere long it would ſpue out the Maſter. Exceſſive drinking is now ſo great in England, that the Germans may fear the loſs of their Charter. There was a ſtreet in Rome, called vicusſobrius, the ſober ſtreet, becauſe there was never an Ale-houſe in it; but this I think is hard to ſay of any ſtreet in London, yea of any ſtreet in England. It is an obſervation amongſt the Marriners, that as the Sea grows daily ſhallower & ſhallower on the ſhoars of Holland and Zealand; ſo the Channel of late waxeth deeper & deeper on the Coaſts of Kent and Eſſex. Ah ſirs! what is more evident then this, that as drunkenneſs ebbs in Holland, ſo it flows in England? O what a deal of ground has this ſin got within this few months upon Engliſh hearts! there was a time when drunkards were as rare in England as Wolves, but now they are as common as Swine. Ah what ſtaggering, reeling, and ſhameful ſpewing is to be found, both among the great ones, the Prieſts and people of this Nation. The Prophet Hoſea Hoſ. 7.5.complained in his time, that the Princes upon their Kings day made him ſick with bottles of wine. This day of their King was either his birth day (and ſo Pagnine rendreth it here)Die natalis ejus. or his Coronation day (and ſo the Chalde paraphraſt carrieth it) or the day wherein their King Jeroboam ſet up his golden Calves at Dan and Bethel, as ſome others conceive. Now in this day of their King, there was ſuch carnal triumphing, and ſuch pampering of the fleſh, and ſuch roaring, carouzing,Richard the third drowned his brother in a Butt of Sack. and drinking of bottles of wine, that the Princes drank themſelves ſick, drowning their bodies and ſouls in bottles and Butts of wine. Memorable is the Kings late Proclamation againſt all ſuch debauched perſons, who pretending to drink His Health, deſtroy their own by a ſhameful abuſing of the precious creatures of God. But if the Prophet Hoſea were now alive in this Nation,If one may credit relations, many hav drunk themſelves dead within this few months. Ah what cauſe would he have to complain, that both high and low, men and women, young and old have given themſelves to this beaſtly ſin, that unmans a man, and that beſots the ſoul, and that deſtroys the body, and that proves a Canker-worm to mens eſtates? What are moſt Ale-houſes, but hell-houſes, but the Devils-houſes, in which the name of God is notoriouſly blaſphemed, Religion ſcorned, the Saints derided, the Sabbaths prophaned, young ones impoyſned, and old ones hardned, and many thouſand families impoveriſhed? And why then ſhould it be almoſt as eaſie a task to conquer the Weſt Indies, to overcome the Turke, and to bring down the Pope, as 'tis to bring down ſuch wretched Ale-houſes, as are the very Nurſeries of all ſin (and the Synagogues of incarnate Devils) and the very ſinks of all miſery, poverty, and beggary. By theſe inſtances 'tis moſt clear, that 'tis not holineſs, but wickedneſs that expoſes men to the greateſt poverty and miſery. But,
1 Kings. 17.10.—17. Mr. Fox in his Act. and Mon. pag. 1874. edit. ult. Speaks of a poor woman, who being threatned that ſhe ſhould have but a little bread one day, and a little water on the next, replyed, If you take away my meat, I hope God will take away my hunger, and then 'twill be all one as if I had meat.Thirdly, Conſider, That God can make a little with holineſs go a great way. A little with holineſs ſhall ſerve the turn, and then enough is as good as a feaſt. God can make a handful of Meal in the Barrel, and a little Oyl in the Cruſe hold out a long while. So Deut. 8.4. Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot ſwell theſe fourty years. Chap. 29.5. And I have led you fourty years in the wilderneſs, your clothes are not waxen old upon you, and thy Sh…o is not waxen old upon thy foot: Their raiment in fourty years time was not the worſe for wearing, their garments were not worn out with wearing, in all that time they were not grown old and ſo unfit to wear; O no, but they were as freſh and ſtrong, and fit for uſe at the laſt, as they were when they firſt came into the wilderneſs, and this was by a divine power that preſerved them from decay. God ſupplyed all the backs and bellies of the Iſraelites in ſuch ſtate, as if every Iſraelite had been a Prince. When God brings his people into a wilderneſs condition, he will make their mercies laſt and hold out as long as their wilderneſs condition continues. Some of the learned are of opinion, that the garments and Shoos of children and young men grew up with their perſons; ſo that as their ſtature increaſed, ſo their apparel and Shoos waxed larger and longer. But I ſuppoſe that 'tis not ſafe for us to imagine or multiply miracles without neceſſity and clear warrant from Scripture; and therefore I ſhall rather fall in with thoſe worthy men who thus judge, viz. That when any began to out-grow their Apparel and Shoos, they laid them aſide, and took others that were fit for their preſent ſtature, and that thoſe which they laid aſide, were as ſound and freſh, and fit for ſervice as when they firſt began to uſe them, and ſo thoſe they put off were fit for others to put on that were of a leſs ſtature; and thus God lengthned out their mercies in their wilderneſs condition. So in that Prov. 15.16, 17. Better is a little with the fear of the Lord, Sheep can live upon bare Commons, where fat Oxen would be quickly ſtarved, &c.then great treaſure and trouble therewith. Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, then a ſtalled Ox, and hatred therewith. Chap. 16.8. Better is a little with righteouſneſs, then great revenues without right. Chap. 17.1. Better is a dry morſel and quietneſs therewith, then a houſe full of ſacrifices with ſtrife. Pſal. 37.16. A little that a righteous man hath, is better then the riches of many wicked. Where there is a holy God, and a holy heart, a little of the world will go far; a little will be a ſufficiency to him, who with it enjoys that holy one that is All-ſufficiency it ſelf. Though a whole world will never fill nor ſatisfie an unſanctified heart, yet a little,Phil. 4.11.—20. a very little of the world will ſatisfie and content a holy heart. There are two things that an unholy heart can never finde, it can never finde any ſweetneſs in Spirituals,Eſth. 5.9.—14. nor it can never finde any ſatisfaction in Temporals; but a holy heart alwayes findes the greateſt ſweetneſs in Spirituals, and is as eaſily ſatisfied with the leaſt and meaneſt of Temporals. Gen. 28.20, 21. And Jacob vowed a vow, ſaying, if God will be with me, Bread & water with the Goſpel is good chear, ſaid holy Greenham. He is rich enough that lacketh not bread, and high enough that is not forced to ſerve. Jerom.and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, ſo that I come again to my fathers houſe in peace, then ſhall the Lord be my God. Holy Jacob does not indent with God for coſtly Apparel, or delicate fare, he does not make a bargain with God to be houſed bravely, and fed daintily, and clothed gorgiouſly, and lodged eaſily, and waited on noblely; O no, bread to eat, and clothes to wear is as much as holy Jacob looks after. Ah friends a little will ſerve nature, and leſs will ſerve grace, though nothing will ſerve or ſatisfie an unſanctified mans luſts. O ſirs, the very pulſe and locuſts which a holy man eats, reliſhes better then all the Gluttons delicious fare; and the very Sheep-skins and Goat-skins which he wears, wear ſofter and finer then all the purple and ſoft raiment that is in Princes houſes; and the very holes, and Caves, and Dens, wherein holy men live, are more pleaſant and delightful, then the ſtately Palaces of the great ones of the world;It is great riches not to deſire riches, and he hath moſt that covets leaſt. Socrates. godlineſs and contentment does ſo ſweeten and ſo lengthen out all a Chriſtians mercies, that he can't but reckon himſelf a happy man, though he may be the pooreſt among many men. Let me conclude this third Anſwer thus,
This worlds wealth that men ſo much deſire,
May well be likened to a burning fire;
Whereof a little can do little harm,
But profit much our bodies well to warm:
But take too much, and ſurely thou ſhalt burn;
So too much wealth to too much wo do's turn.
But,
Fourthly, Conſider, That worldly riches and holineſs do often meet together; a man may be a very holy man, and yet a rich man too. Abraham and Lot were as wealthy men as moſt in their time,Gen. 13. Iſa. 41.2. Abraham is called the righteous man. and yet behinde none for faith and holineſs; David, and Solomon, and Jehoſaphat, and Hezekiah had crowns on their heads and Scepters in their hands, and very great revenues at their commands, and in all theſe grace and greatneſs ſweetly meet.Job 1.3.8. Job was a very holy man, and yet a very rich man; if you caſt your eye upon the firſt of Job, and ſurvey his eſtate, you ſhall finde that he had ſeven thouſand Sheep, three thouſand Camels, five hundred yoke of Oxen, five hundred ſhe Aſſes, and a very great Family; but if you will look into the laſt of Job, and ſurvey his eſtate, there you ſhall finde it doubled. Joſeph, Nehemiah, Mordecai, Daniel, and the three children were very gracious, and yet very high and great in the world. As every wicked man is not a rich man, ſo every holy man is not a poor man; if you will but ſet the gracious againſt the graceleſs, the holy againſt the prophane, I doubt not but for one holy man, whoſe eſtate is low and mean, you will finde thouſands of wicked men, whoſe conditions are beggarly and low in this world. God many times delights to confute the devils Proverb, viz. That plain dealing is a Jewel, but he that uſeth it, ſhall die a Beggar. Now God by heaping up riches and honor, and greatneſs upon the righteous, gives the devil the lye, and lets the world ſee that holineſs many times is the ready way to worldly greatneſs.
'Tis obſervable, that when all the ſons of Jacob returned with corn and money in their ſacks from Egypt, Gen. 44.Benjamin had not onelyonly corn and money in his ſack, but he had over and above the ſilver cup put into the mouth of his ſack, as a ſingular pledge of his brother Joſephs favor; ſo God many times gives to his Benjamines, the ſons of his right hand, not onelyonly as much of the world as he does to others, but more of the world then he does to others; he does not only give them corn and money in common with others, but he alſo gives them the Silver-cup, the Grace-cup, he puts in ſome ſingular temporal bleſſings into their ſacks more then into other mens, for he is the great Lord of all, and therefore may diſpoſe of his own as he pleaſes. But,
Fifthly, Conſider,Pſal. 63.1, 2, 3, 4. That moſt men are beſt in a low condition. David was never better then when he was in a wilderneſs condition, for degrees of Grace, and for the exerciſe of Grace, and for communion with the God of Grace; 'twas beſt with David when his condition was low in the world; 'twas never better with Jacob, Gen. 32.10.then when he paſt over Jordan with a ſtaff in his hand; Jobs Job 1.graces never ſhined ſo gloriouſly as when he ſat upon a dunghil, and could bleſs a taking God as well as a giving God; though John was poor in the world, yet the Holy-Ghoſt tells us,Mat. 11.11. that he was the greateſt that was born of women; Paul was but a poor Tent-maker,Phil. 3.20. and yet his converſation was in heaven; The Church of Smyrna was the pooreſt Church,Rev. 2.8, 9. but yet the beſt of all the ſeven Churches in Aſia. Chriſt knew very well that his Diſciples would be beſt in a low condition, and therefore he fed them but from hand to mouth;Learned Ainſworth had but nine pence a week to live on, whilſt he wrote his excellent Commentary on the Penteteuch. Mat. 8.20, 21. he that could have turned ſtones into bread, could as eaſily have turned ſtones into gold, and ſo have made his Diſciples rich and great in the world, but he would not; Chriſt could eaſily have changed their raggs into Robes, and their Cottages into ſtately Palaces, and their Barley loaves into coſtly Banquets, but he knew that their hearts would be beſt when their condition was loweſt; and therefore he makes them live upon ſhort Commons. As there was none ſo holy as Chriſt, ſo there was none ſo poor as Chriſt; Chriſt lived poor and died poor, for as he was born in another mans houſe, ſo he was buried in another mans Tombe. Auſtine has long ſince obſerved, that when Chriſt died, he made no Will, he had no crown lands,If there were any happineſs in riches, the Gods would not want them, ſaid Seneca. all he had was a coat, and that the ſouldiers parted amongſt them; had there been any true happineſs or bleſſedneſs in Gold and Silver, gay clothes, ſtately Manſions, brave attendants, or in well furniſhed Tables, &c. Chriſt who was (and ſtill is) the Lord of all, would certainly have been ſo favorable to himſelf, and ſo kind to his diſciples, as not to have deprived himſelf or his Family of that happineſs and bleſſedneſs which they might have enjoyed, by enjoying the brave things of this world; but he very well knew that true happineſs and bleſſedneſs was too great and too glorious a thing to be found in any ſuch worldly enjoyments, and upon that foot was willing to be without them himſelf; & in his wiſe providence he ſo ordered the affairs of his own houſe, that thoſe whom he loved beſt ſhould have leaſt of thoſe things wherein there was no true happineſs. Lazarus was very poor, but very holy; he was houſeleſs, but not Lordleſs; his body was clothed with raggs, but his ſoul was adorned with grace; he had no bread to eat, and yet he had bread to eat that the world knew not of; whilſt he lived, the Doggs (being more kinde then their Maſter) lick't his ſores, but when he died, the Angels carried him into Abrahams boſom. In all Ages this has been an experienced truth, that moſt men are beſt in at low condition. Pope Martin reports of himſelf, that whilſt he was a Monke, and lived in the Cloyſter, he had ſome evidences for heaven, but when he was a Cardinal, then he began to fear and doubt whether ever he ſhould go to heaven; but afterwards when he came to be Pope, he utterly deſpaired of ever going thither. Ah how holy, how humble, how heavenly, how gracious, how ſerious, how zealous, how prudent, how vigilent, and how diligent have many men been in theſe late years, whilſt their condition was low, and poor, and mean in the world? but when under various changes they changed their Braſs into Silver, their Copper into Gold, their Cottages into Palaces, their Shops into Lordſhips, and their Shipskins into Scarlet, &c. Ah how proud, how ſtately, how earthly, how carnal, how careleſs, how cold, how formal, how lukewarm, how indifferent, how light, how ſlight, how vain, how looſe did they generally grow. I think ſince Chriſt was on earth, there has not been a more evident proof of mens being beſt when their condition was loweſt, then what has been given within theſe late years. Mandrobulus in Lucian offered to his god the firſt year Gold, the ſecond year Silver, and the third year nothing at all; ſo many in our times, who were forward in the days of their poverty and adverſity to offer Gold and Silver (I mean prayers and praiſes) to God, yet in the days of their proſperity and worldly glory, they offered either nothing to God, or elſe that which was next to nothing. I have read of the Pine-tree, that if you pull off the Barke it will laſt a long time, but if the Barke continue on, it will rot the Tree. Ah how has the Bark of honor, the bark of riches, the bark of pleaſure, the bark of ſucceſs the barke of applauſe, and the barke of preferment, &c. rotted, and corrupted, and worſned many glorious profeſſors in theſe days? And, O that now their barke is taken off, they may with the Pine-tree grow better and better; O that now they may grow more holy then ever, and more humble then ever, and more heavenly then ever, and more ſpiritual then ever, and more watchful then ever, and more faithful then ever, and more friendly then ever, and more united then ever, &c. Now if moſt men are beſt in a low condition, then there is no reaſon why any man ſhould turn his back upon holineſs becauſe of poverty, that often treads upon holineſs heels. The Cypreſs-Tree is high, but barren, and the Olive-Tree is low, but fruitful. Ah Chriſtians 'tis infinitely better to be an Olive-Tree, low and fruitful, to be low in the world, and full of the fruits of righteouſneſs and holineſs, then to be a Cypreſs-Tree, high in honors, riches, and worldly greatneſs, &c. and to be barren of all grace and goodneſs. But,
Sixthly and laſtly conſider, That ſpiritual riches (which are the beſt of riches) do commonly wait on the pooreſt Saints; uſually there are none ſo rich in ſpirituals, as thoſe that are pooreſt in temporals, there are none that have ſo much to ſhew for another world, as thoſe that have leaſt to ſhew of this world;Solus ſapiens dives, ſaith the Philoſopher. James 2.5. Hearken my beloved brethren, hath not God choſen the poor of this world, rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom, which he hath promiſed to them that love him? Though they have never a penny in their purſes, nor never a ragg to hange on their backs, nor never a bit to put in their bellies, yet they are rich heirs, and their heads are deſtinated to the Diadem; uſually the pooreſt Saints are the richeſt Chriſtians in comforts,2 Cor. 1.2, 3, 4, 5. Rom. 5.3. in Graces, in promiſes, in experiences, and in ſpiritual enjoyments, &c. The holy ſoul drives the freeſt and the greateſt Trade heaven-wards; the holy ſoul may ſail to any Port that lies in Gods Dominions, and Trade freely, and what inriches men like a free and a full Ttade? There are infinite Treaſures laid up in precious promiſes, and all theſe treaſuries lye open to the holy ſoul; a Chriſtian may lade his ſoul as deep as he pleaſes with the precious commodities of heaven. I have read of Tiberius the Emperor, who ſeeing a Croſs ſet in a Marble ſtone lying in the ground,In the year of our Lord, 577. commanded it to be digged up, and when 'twas digged up, he found a rich Treaſure under the Croſs. O ſirs, under the croſs of poverty, there are treaſures, ſpiritual treaſures, laſting treaſures, and ſatisfying treaſures to be found; though holineſs may be attended with croſs upon croſs, loſs upon loſs, and miſery upon miſery, and calamity upon calamity, and ſorrow upon ſorrow, and vexation upon vexation, &c. yet under every croſs and every loſs, &c. a Chriſtian ſhall be ſure to finde ſuch ſpiritual and Heavenly treaſure, that for weight, worth, uſe, delight, and duration, all the treaſures of the world, are not to be compared to it.
O Sirs, what is a cup of pleaſant wine to a condemned man? or a Ships Lading of Gold to a drowning man? or a ſumptuous Feaſt to a ſick man? or Royal Robes to a diſeaſed man, &c? no more are all the riches or treaſures of this world, to thoſe ſpirituall riches and heavenly treaſures that attends the pooreſt Saints. Auſtin hath long ſince told us, that (Divitiae corporales paupertatis plenae ſunt) earthly riches are full of poverty; they cannot enrich the ſoul; for oftentimes where the purſe is full of Gold, the heart is empty of grace, and under many ſilken Coats, there are Thred-bare ſouls to be found. Now what are all the riches of this world to thoſe riches of conſolation, and riches of ſanctification, and riches of Juſtification, and riches of ſalvation, and riches of glorification, that attends the pooreſt Saints? Suppoſe that poverty ſhould break in upon you like an Armed man, whilſt you are in the purſuit of holineſs, yet if the beſt of riches, if ſpiritual riches ſhall attend your poverty, as certainly they ſhall, what cauſe have you to be diſcouraged? ſurely none. And let thus much ſuffice for Anſwer to this fifth objection.