Spiritual Refining, Religious treatise · Section 12 · Sermon 107
SERMON CVII.
Of the Conſiſtency of Earthly Greatneſs and Nobility with Godlineſs; And yet notwithſtanding, how rare it is for ſuch Men to be called and ſaved.
1 COR. 1. 26.
Not many mighty, not many noble are called.
THe firſt ſubject enumerated by Paul, whom God is pleaſed to reject, and to ſay, They ſhall not be mine, in the day I make up my jewels, hath been diſpatched. We proceed to the other two remaining; and becauſe they agree in one common conſideration, I ſhall handle them together. The firſt part, of thoſe who for the moſt part are overlooked by God, Are wiſe men after the fleſh, ſuch as are eminent and admirable for internal excellencies. In the next place the Apoſtle inſtanceth in thoſe that are exalted for external greatneſs: And that is twofold, either ſuch which is acquired by humane induſtry, in the word (Mighty) or ſuch which is natural, that we have by our birth, in the other word (Noble.)
The firſt ſort of perſons are called foreign and in the next verſe, foreign, anſwering the Hebrew Generim; and doth ſignifie any that are mighty and ſtrong in this world, either by their power, or their wealth, or their honor, that are tall cedars, when others are but ſhrubs.
Secondly, The other are foreign, which word, though ſometimes applied to the gracious diſpoſition of the godly; as the Bereans are ſaid to be more noble, becauſe they did ſearch the Scripture (obſerve that, its true nobility, and true honor, to be diligent in ſearching the Scripture) yet here its applyed unto that humane excellency and prerogative ſome have above others by their birth; for although there is none ſo nobly deſcended, but he is born a childe of wrath, and ſo hath no more priviledge from hell, then the childe of the meaneſt Beggar, yet in a political and civil conſideration, they differ far from others: Now when you ſee God in the diſpoſing of eternal glory, not much mattering theſe perſons, it ſhould be like a thunder bolt in the very heart of all thoſe who boaſt themſelves in their wealth, power and nobility, for they are the leſs likely to be made glorious hereafter: So that as God when he choſe David to the Temporal Kingdom of Iſrael, commanded Samuel to call all Jeſſes Sons together, and choſe clean contrary to Samuels expectation; for when he ſaw Eliab the firſt Son, he ſaid, Surely the Lords anointed is before me; but God ſaid, Look not upon his countenance, or the height of his ſtature, for God ſeeth not as man ſeeth: So it is here in Divine Election, he chooſeth not, he approveth not, as man by worldly reſpects doth: Obſerve,
Although men temporally great in this world, are greatly exalted by men, yet Obſerv.God chooſeth not many ſuch to eternal glory.
The Phariſees made it a great argument againſt Chriſt and his way, Iohn 7. Do any of the Rulers believe in him, but the people that do not know the Law? Here you ſee they triumph; What? believe in Chriſt? ſee who they are that do it, the multitude, many of the poorer and contemptible ſort; Do any of the Rulers, any of the great men, and rich men, do they believe in him? The Apoſile James, Cap. 2. 11. ſpeaks excellently to this purpoſe, reproving their ſinful partiality in exalting a rich man for his gold ring, and goodly apparel, but deſpiſing thoſe that were truly good, becauſe poor; Hearken (ſaith he) i. e. Conſider what I ſay, Hath not God choſen the poor of this world, rich in faith? Oh conſider, thy wealth, thy greatneſs doth not make thee happy, unleſs rich in faith and grace alſo, unleſs we may ſay, O man, O woman, great is thy faith, as well as Great are thy earthly advantages.
To open this; Conſider
Firſt, That there are four things eſpecially, which are the great things of the I. The four great thin… of the world. 1.world; and if the Devil ſhew the glory of any of them, its an hard thing not to fall down and worſhip him, if they be had thereby.
The firſt is, Earthly Power and Dominion: Eſt natura hominum avida imperii, ſaid Tully, The nature of man being ambitious, is greedy of power; and its Omnibus affectibus flagrantius, more hot and burning then any other luſt, unleſs the heart be ſo ſanctified, as to accompt nothing great but God; Though Hiſtories do abound with the Tragical ends of many, who were in their time great and terrible in power; yet few are of that mans minde, that would not vouchſafe to take up a Crown from the earth, if he ſhould finde it, becauſe of the cares accompanying of it, Every Crown of gold, being alſo a Crown of thorns.
Secondly, Another admired thing in the world is Glory and Honor: For this 2.many Civil, and many Religious attempts have been undertaken: A poor empty reward, yet the Heathens have buſily diſputed, whether this very nothing be not the chiefeſt good.
The third thing admired is, Riches and Wealth: Dives fared diliciouſly every 3.day: The Pſalmiſt ſpeaks, how the world bleſſeth ſuch, that heap up to themſelves innumerable riches, even like the ſands of the ſea ſhore: And although ſome ſay, they are called Divitiae a dividendo, becauſe they ſo divide and diſtract the heart with tormenting cares; yet they finde nothing but happineſs in them.
Laſtly, There is Nobility, which is by blood and birth: This temporal excellency 4. Temporal greatneſs not in it ſelf inconſiſtent with godlneſs and ſalvation.is apt to make men ſwel, as being ſtars of the firſt Magnitude. hereby ready to forget, that they are but duſt and aſhes, as other men are. Now the Apoſtle by theſe two words, doth intend all theſe, and if there be any other thing, that hath temporal glory in the world.
Secondly, Conſider, That this temporal greatneſs, is not of it ſelf inconſiſtent with godlineſs and ſalvation. Julian objected againſt Chriſtians, That the precepts of Chriſtianity, and of Civil Government, were clean oppoſite to one another: No ſuch matter; none of thoſe enumerated excellencies are of themſelves contrary to godlineſs.
Firſt therefore, We read of godly Governors, godly rich men, godly noble 1.men, not onelyonly in the Old Teſtament, for that is very evident, but in the New, as Ioſeph of Arimathea, Nicodemus, the two Centurions, Paulus a Proconſul, Theophilus a noble man, to whom Luke dedicated his Hiſtory, as moſt judge, and Iohn writes to the elect Lady: ſo that the Apoſtle doth not ſay, None of theſe, But not many, viz, Comparatively to thoſe of the meaner ſort that are called: Indeed, of the twelve Apoſtles, there was not one of them wiſe after the fleſh, or mighty and noble; for that is a Fabulous tradition concerning Barthol…mew, that he was born of Royal blood, and went in his purple and jewels every day; the Evangeliſts imply the contrary.
Secondly, It muſt alſo be confeſſed, That the outward good things of this life, 2.are ſo far from being contradictory to godlineſs, that godlineſs onelyonly hath the promiſe of them: How often did God promiſe Iſrael, That if they would diligently keep his Commandments, They ſhould conquer their enemies, One ſhould chaſe a thouſand, They ſhould be the head, and not the tail; and Abraham, in that great promiſe God made to him, there was not onelyonly promiſed a numerous poſterity, like the ſands of the ſea ſhore; but alſo, that Kings and Princes ſhould come out of his loyns; and thus it holds for other worldly comforts. Godlineſs hath the promiſe of this life; and the Apoſtle makes an unanſwerable argument, If he hath given us Chriſt, how ſhall he not with him give us all things elſe: Thus we cannot inſtance in any temporal good thing, but in one place or other there is a promiſe made of it to the godly. And if you ſay,
Why then are not the godly poſſeſſed of theſe things? why have not the godly Queſt.all the greatneſs and glory of the world, ſeeing they are heirs to it by the promiſe?
I Anſwer, We muſt not take thoſe promiſes ſingle, but compare them with Anſw.other Texts, that do alſo tell us of the miſery and trouble that the godly ſhall have: Now theſe places are not contrary one to another, one promiſeth all good, the other doth foretel of much evil; for theſe things are not to be underſtood abſolutely, but conditionally: So far as theſe things are furthering of their main good, and are not hindring of their everlaſting welfare, ſo far they are ſure to be made partakers of them; but when they cannot have theſe and Chriſt alſo, when they muſt either loſe theſe or heaven, then no wonder if God, out of his love, give them not thoſe things which prove hurtful unto them. A father will promiſe to give his childe meat and drink, but if his childe fall into a diſeaſe, that theſe things will increaſe his diſeaſe, then out of his love he keeps theſe things from him.
Thirdly, When God doth call any of the wiſe men, and great men, and noble men of the world, They become eminent inſtruments of his glory; they are 3.worth ten thouſand of thoſe that are in an inferior way; for they do not onelyonly credit the Goſpel, as the Goſpel doth them, and as they honor God, ſo God honors them; they loſe nothing of their greatneſs, by having goodneſs: but they by their power, by their wealth and intereſt they have in the world, may greatly advance the ways of God. What Reformations did the godly Kings and Magiſtrates bring about in the Kingdom of Iudah? How did Conſtantine by his power and greatneſs, ariſe like a Sun, that diſpelled the dark night of Idolatry and Paganiſm? and therefore ſuch are compared to Nurſing fathers, and nurſing mothers. Temporal power, when ſanctified for the uſe of the Church, is like the Elm that beareth up the vine: Oh then, its an happy time, when great men, are good men; when men of power, are men of godlineſs. And thus alſo men of wealth and eſtates, how many ways may they be ſerviceable to God, wherein others cannot be? Rich men are the greateſt men in debt, for they owe more duties to God then others; and as ſuch have wherewith to be more inſtrumental to Gods glory then others, ſo by their example they may bring on others. If the chief and great men in a place, do earneſtly ſeek the Kingdom of Heaven, and promote that, this makes all inferior perſons to do the ſame: They are like the ſprings, if the ſprings be poyſoned, then all the ſtreams will be, but if they be ſweet, then the ſtreams will be. When Eliſha was to cure the bitter waters, he takes ſalt, and throweth it, not into the ſtreams, but into the ſprings, becauſe that was the way to cure the ſtreams: And thus, if the great ones, and chief ones in a Pariſh, if they love God, and good men, and good things, their example will even compel others to do the like; and certainly, you that have more greatneſs and wealth then others, be afraid, leſt you have not other mens ſins to anſwer for; other men have been incouraged to be prophane, becauſe they have either ſeen you ſo, or at leaſt, you have not ſhewed your ſelf an enemy to ſuch ways. Seeing then God takes this way, few rich men, great men, honored men, comparatively to others; let us conſider,
The Reaſons why, as they be either on Gods part, or on their part who are Reaſons why God leaves great men. On Gods part. 1.refuſed: And
Firſt, On Gods part; Therefore God may reject theſe, to declare his abſolute Soveraiguty and Sufficiency; that he needs no men, that he is God, and able to carry on the great things of his Counſel, without the wiſdom of wiſe men, the ſtrength of great men, the repute of noble men in the world; that is the reaſon why great men in Authority, need wiſe men for counſel, and mighty men for execution thereof, becauſe they know not how to do without other mens eyes, and other mens hands; but God, he is the onelyonly great and mighty God, none is his Counſellor, neither doth he need any help: Therefore that God might demonſtrate this Sufficiency and Independency of his nature, he chooſeth thoſe that all the world ſeeth he doth not want; for if God had wanted the gifts, and parts, and power of men, he would have choſen other men: Oh then behold the wiſdom and power of God in calling of men! he calleth the fooliſh, the weak, the nothings of this world, that ſo all may be convinced and ſee, God needs not the creatures, but the creatures him; and no wonder of this, for the world is not enough ſenſible of Gods greatneſſe, its ready to count every thing great but him, to fear every thing but him; but God by this will teach us, that we are but as clay in the hands of the Potter; as the Apoſtle preſſeth it at large in the Diſcriminating act of God, and therefore will not ſuffer a man to be ſo preſumptuous, as in thoſe things to ſay, Why doth God ſo?
Secondly, God therefore doth not take many great and noble in this world, 2.that ſo men may ſee the falſeneſs of that poſition and concluſion, which men do ſo often make to themſelves; viz. That God giveth them this wealth, this greatneſs, this honor above others, becauſe he loveth them more then others: This is the ſweet poyſon that many drink down, God hath given me this ſucceſs, this wealth, this proſperity, this outward happineſs; and certainly if God would deſtroy me, he would never have done ſo much for me: God foreſaw ſuch a Self-flattery in the people of Iſrael, and therefore he doth again and again bid them take heed of ſo much as thinking in their heart, that they had conquered their enemies, and poſſeſſed themſelves of Canaan, for their own righteouſneſſe, as if there were more in them then in others: Nay, thou ſeeſt this Text and the like, may be like the Hand-writing on the wall, to make all thy joynts tremble. Thy greatneſs, thy plenty, thy abundance, is no ſign of Gods gracious and ſpecial love to thee, if while he beſtoweth theſe things on thee, thou mayeſt be one ordained to eternal deſtruction; therefore ſee what the Wiſe man obſerveth, No man knoweth love or hatred by theſe things, Eccleſ. 9. 1. We cannot conclude of Gods Electing love, or his Reprobating hatred by theſe outward mercies David once began to make ſuch concluſions, but he called himſelf a beaſt for it, and ſaid, Thereby he condemned the generation of the juſt.
Thirdly, Therefore God may not chooſe many of theſe, becauſe he would not 3.leave thoſe who are externally miſerable and contemptible, in deſpàir and total deſpondency of minde: For if God had dealt the contrary, and had not choſen many of the inferior, and the more deſpicable condition in this world, they had then been in a double miſery, miſerable here, and miſerable hereafter: Indeed, if you do regard the poor men of this world, that are in extremity, you will finde, God hath choſen few of them neither, none being more prophane, atheiſtical, and like bruits then they, but they are of the middle rank that God commonly makes his choice of: And hereby God would teach us, that the meanneſs and lowneſſe of a mans condition, ſhould not be matter of grief and diſcontent to him: Oh how hard is it to rebuke theſe waves and winds of diſcontent, that are apt to riſe up in thee, becauſe God hath not done as much for thee as for others! others they are richer, they have their hearts eaſe and deſire; this is apt to make all on fire within thee: Oh! but what a good temperament may this put thee into, to conſider, that the lower in the world, doth not hinder thee from being the higher with God: Heaven will receive more of a mean condition, then of a glorious: God doth not judge as the world judgeth: Oh the great alteration that the day of judgement will make! Lazarus received into eternal glory, and Dives, who fared deliciouſly, tormented in hell: If then thy poverty, thy meanneſſe, were a ſtop to Salvation, then it were to be lamented; If Election and Salvation were to be had, as the Popes Indulgence, for money; then as Albertus ſaith about Purgatory, Its better with a rich man, then a poor man, for he can give enough to redeem his ſoul; but its not ſo, thy cottage may be as near heaven, as a palace.
Fourthly, Another Reaſon why God paſſeth by temporal greatneſs, may be 4.that in the verſe following, To confound the great and mighty things of the world; for ſo ſaith the Apoſtle, He hath choſen the weak things, to confound the mighty: How are wiſe men and great men confounded, when they ſee that their temporal glory and greatneſs cannot do that, which the grace and godlineſs of meaner men doth! Every great man in the world, he thinks to ruffle it out, ſcorneth that thoſe who are inferiors, ſhould compare with him; but O the terrible confuſion that will cover ſuch mens faces, when at the day of judgement God ſhall ſay, Lo, thy wiſdom, thy power, thy great revenues, have not brought thee to that glory and happineſs, which the prayers and tears of meaner men have done. Our Saviour told the Jews, it would be their confuſion, when men ſhould come from far, and ſit down in the Kingdom of heaven, and they themſelves ſhut out: Oh what heart can conceive the rage and madneſs thou wilt be in! when thou ſhalt ſee ſuch neighbors whom thou hatedſt, mockedſt for their ſtrictneſs and forwardneſs in Religion, ſit upon Thrones of glory, and thou with all thy earthly pomp caſt out! As Auſtin cryeth out, by way of bluſhing, Surgunt indocti & rapiunt caelum, &c. Illiterate men they riſe and take the Kingdom of heaven by violence, when learned men with all their books and learning are ſhut out: So the meaner ſort of men, they riſe, and by ſtrictneſs, forwardneſs, get the Kingdom of Heaven, when others finde their outward greatneſs, like a milſtone about their neck, preſſing them into the bottom of the ſea.
Fifthly, The laſt Reaſon on Gods part may be, to make all the rich and great 5.men of the world to walk humbly, with fear and trembling, leſt God give them all the good things they ſhall ever have, in this life onelyonly: Thy heart is apt to ſwell with pride, when thou conſidereſt thy proſperity, and thy abundance: Oh but it ſhould rather tremble within thee, leſt God put thee off with this onelyonly;
Abraham told Dives, when he begged that Lazarus might come and cool his tongue with a drop of water, Remember thou hadſt thy good things in this life, and Lazarus evil: So God may ſay to thee, Thou hadſt thy pleaſure, thy eaſe, thy jollity in this life; now thy torments and thy miſeries they begin: There is ſuch a change made between Dives and Lazarus, as in Gideons fleece, one time that was wet and the floor dry; then the floor was dry and the fleece wet; thus one while Dives, he is in proſperity, and Lazarus is a begging for crums; and afterwards Lazarus he is in glory, and Dives is begging for a drop of water. Take heed then, leſt God do, as Abraham with Iſmael, he gave him many gifts, but the inheritance was beſtowed onelyonly on Iſaac: So God, he gives the wealth, greatneſs, and ſuch gifts, but the inheritance of heaven, that he beſtoweth upon others.
In the next place, I ſhall briefly inſtance in the Reaſons on their part who art Reaſons on mans part. 1.rejected; And they are evident:
Firſt, All earthly greatneſs and advantages, they are apt to fill the heart with pride and loftineſs: Charge the rich, that they be not high-minded, 1 Tim. 6. 17. Now there is no diſpoſition doth ſo immediately offend God as this; God reſiſteth the proud, but he giveth grace to the humble: God doth not give grace to proud men; as your high mountains are often barren.
Secondly, All theſe earthly advantages, when poſſeſt, They do take off the heart 2.from God many ways:
Firſt, Inordinate affections towards them, make us refuſe God: Ye cannot ſerve God and Mammon; the hand full of earth, cannot receive gold, though offered.
Secondly, There is the deceiveableneſs of their pleaſure, they dead the heart to good things; men finde not that ſweetneſs and delight in heavenly things, as otherwiſe they would.
Thirdly, Solicitude and diſtracting cares about them, they make the ſoul full of fears, full of diverſions, they are Tares among the good Corn.
Fourthly, The ſeeming profitableneſs and neceſſity of them: They cannot live, or be without them; and thereupon they venture the loſs of God to enjoy theſe.
Uſe of Admonition, To men of great place, and great wealth: Oh! know Uſe.how hard it is for ſuch to be ſaved; there is a Camels bunch to go through the eye of a needle: Let not theſe great things become a ſnare to you; conſider, there is better Greatneſs, and that is, To be ſtrong in the Lord; better Riches, To be rich in faith; better power, To be able to prevail with God in prayer: Canſt thou ſay? The Bible makes me ſee better things, makes me looſe from all things to ſerve God.