The Christian Temper, Title page – To the reader
THE Chriſtian Temper: OR, The Quiet State of Mind that God's Servants Labour for. Set forth in a Sermon at the Funeral of Mrs. Urſula Collins. By D. B.
Ah, my dear angry Lord!
Since thou doſt Love, yet Strike;
Caſt down, but Help afford;
Sure I will do the Like.
I will Complain, and Praiſe;
Bewail, but yet Approve;
And, all my ſour-ſweet days,
I will Lament and Love. Herbert.
—Tho' I am quite forgot,
Let me not Love thee, if I Love thee not!
Idem.
LONDON, Printed for Tho. Parkhurſt at the Bible and Three Crowns, at the lower end of Cheapſide, and Robert Gibbs at the Golden Ball in Chancery-Lane. 1688.
TO Mr. Joſeph Collins.
SIR,
I Have complyed with your Deſire and your Neighbours, as far and as ſoon as I have been able. You have the Sermon deſired, for ſubſtance. Tho' not in every particular as it was delivered. A difference, I think, ought to be between Preaching and Writing. Or, if not, my Memory ſerved me not to give it you otherwiſe. You better know my Employments, than to accuſe me of ſlowneſs. I wiſh I were as free from the blame of too much Haſte with it.
Such as it is, you will accept it, I know, at my hand. 'Tis followed with my Prayer that it may not be Uſeleſs to Your ſelf, and to others as Craving for it. The Print of Sermons in the Heart and Life, is that which muſt make them Uſeful; or Harmleſs it ſelf. Its Argument is of the moſt ſeaſonable for us all. And more eſpecially for You. So heavenly a Yoke-fellow cannot be quietly parted with, without a need of Faith's being ſtrengthned by ſome ſuch word. Your own feelings I preſume do ſo certify you, better than any Lines of mine can do.
O Sir, induſtriouſly Imitate that Piety which you juſtly Praiſe. And take into your Heart the Truths you Longed to have in your eye. So ſhall it not repent you of asking, nor me of granting them unto you. I commend you to divine grace and tuition, as
Yours in much Love unfeigned. D. Burgeſs.
To my Friends of troubled Spirits, in the Countrey.
YOU are Many: Altho' it be every one's word, I am Alone, and I am Like no body. My Miniſtrations unto you by Speech, are at an end. That I ſerved you no better when I was with you, is a ſorrow that I ſhall go in unto my Grave. Notwithſtanding all your good Opinions, Thanks, &c. But I am not able by ſo frequent Letters as you deſire, to Gratifie you and Relieve my ſelf. My Hands are full, my Eyes are weak, and my actuative Graces be not proportionately Strong. Proportionately to my Work in my preſent Place, I mean.
For this cauſe I would that this Sermon may paſs for an Epiſtle unto each of you. And that every one of you may read it, as ſuppoſing it written peculiarly for himſelf. [As alſo the other ſmall Scripts, wherewith I have cared to have it joined.] Miniſterial ſervices are not effectual or the contrary, according unto Miniſters intentions. But if they were, you would fare as well as any, in the uſe of mine. For tho' I Love my preſent Congregation as my own Soul, I do unfeignedly Love your ſelves as them. More I cannot, and leſs I do not.
I do my ſelf ſuſpect it; and by others, I believe, it will be determined, that that affection of mine hath out-run my Judgment in treating you thus in this corner. But I have bid my ſelf follow his ironical counſel, who lately ſaid to me, "Go on with thy uſeful Indiſcretions. Biſhop Hall's words, are a wind that I think to have blown me good. Divine goodneſs (ſaith he) Loves the Strength and paſſes over the Infirmities of good Affections. It pardons the Errors of our Fervency rather than the Indifferencies of our Lukewarmneſs If by any innocent means I may be Uſeful, unto others be the Praiſe of being Diſcreet.
Indeed I have commended in this Sermon three Books which may make needleſs this Sermon it ſelf. And any Additament. I mean Mr. Burroughs of Content, Mr. Richard Alleine of Heart-work, and Dr. Bates of Reſignation. Works, that praiſe their great Authors, enrich their ſerious Readers, ſhame and condemn their Neglecters.
But I ſo well know the Guſt and Appetite, and Digeſtion of your Spirits, that I ſhall ſet before you the following Memorandums. And not retract my requeſt of your conning my plain Sermon. Againſt the Invaſions of your Unquietneſs; againſt it's Abode in you, and it's Prevalence over you, remember ye,
M. 1. He muſt turn his Eye inward, that would judge right of any thing outward. Self-ignorance, is the great hindrance of Self-denial. The want of Self-denial is the great cauſe of all Contending with God and Diſtracting our ſelves. Could I but deny my Self, my own Wiſdom and my own Will, I ſhould never know a Reſtleſs hour more. To do this, my way is to be looking often into my ſelf. To ſit and conſider: What am I? I was firſt, Nothing. Then, Duſt. Then, a Body. Then, a Body and Soul, and that Holy and Happy. Then, a Body and Soul Corrupted and Curſed. Then, Sanctified, thro' my Redeemer's Blood and by his Spirit. Imperfectly Sanctified. Of my ſelf I never was, am, or can be, but Nothing or Worſe. Evil, the worſt I do deſerve. Good, the leaſt I cannot deſerve, &c. Now am I ſuch a Thing? Can I deſerve nothing? Why then I will quietly bear any thing. For I ſee, I am a thing that wrong cannot be done to by God. The truth is; till we conclude God cannot wrong us, we ſhall ſurmiſe in every trouble of ours that He doth wrong us. And till we well Underſtand our ſelves, we ſhall never believe but that we are things to which God owes ſomewhat. And muſt do us a great deal of wrong, if He make not good payment too.
M. 2. He that would be carryed without falling, muſt bridle his Horſe before he Mounts. In all our ways, we are carried by our Thoughts. They are the Horſes whereon we travel. As they go Orderly or Diſorderly, ſo we ride proſperouſly in Grace and Peace, or fall ſhamefully from both. But ſo it is with them, that reſtrain'd and bridled by the Word of God, they go orderly and well. If they are let to have their heads, and have not the governing bridle put on them, they are ſure to go as ill. No Sin or Grace, no Sorrow or Comfort ſtirs but in and by theſe Thoughts. Now, if before we aſcended to make judgment of any Event befalling us, we took the courſe aforeſaid; we ſhould loſe a thouſand Plagues by the year in our Spirits, and find as many Comforts by it. Sinful and ſorrowful Ways can never be left, till like Thoughts be left. Iſa. 55.7. Ungoverned topping Thoughts undo Mankind. 1 King. 18.28. Why halt you 'twixt two domineering Thoughts? ſo the Hebrew. Unleſs my (foreign) unruly, high, and head-ſtrong Thoughts be caſt down by Gods Word; as 2 Cor. 10.5. I ſhall conſume my ſelf with vexing at his work in the World. Thoughts do rend me, when I do not rule them.
M. 3. He that would not be Shipwrackt, ſhould not let his Veſſel be Empty, or Over-laden. They ſhall never want wo, who have too much or to little to do. Who are either Drudges or Drones of their own making. Idleneſs is a deſerving cauſe of trouble, and a working one. It provokes God to ſend ſorrow of Heart; and it cauſes the Heart it ſelf to create it unto it ſelf. The ſame muſt be ſaid concerning Exceſs in labour. Your Diligence delights God. And in it you may expect Comfort from him. Thro' his grace, 'tis a Working cauſe thereof, tho' it be not a Deſerving one. For wot it well, the Diligent Soul, (humane frailty allow'd for,) has no duty Undone or Illdone? While the Drone has many Undone, and the Drudge has all Ill-done. In things both ſecular and ſacred, He that does too much or too little, he ſtabs or ſtarves his own Quiet. He that does all, and neither more or leſs, he gives it Nouriſhment and Growth.
M. 4. He that would Fall no lower, let him Lye upon the ground. 'Tis Pride, makes capable of Soul falls and breaches. Men and Angels, both fell and brake themſelves by it. Humility, is the ſure way to riſe, and ſafe way to ſhun every fall. Our meek and lowly Saviour ſends the Proud away, & empty. But the Humble he neither ſends away angrily from him, nor keeps ſorrily with him. Hear it, O Child of ſorrow! Go to thy God, pray him to make thee as humble as He would have thee. Tell Him, 'tis come already to this paſs with thee; that in thy Heart thou believeſt thy ſelf as truly worthy of Hell as any that be in it, and as truly unworthy of any comfort under the Sun as any that be under it. And that thou wilt endeavour to juſtifie Him; and take to thy ſelf all the blame, if he never give thee a Kid to rejoice here. Or, a room in Chriſts Manſions, to joy in hereafter. And that 'tis with profound ſelf-abhorrence, that thou askeſt either from Him. I dare engage, that as ſure as Adam fell by aſcending even to be like God in Omniſciency, thou ſhalt riſe by deſcending thus, and being like Chriſt in Humility. Who ſees it not? The weak but humble ſtalk of Corn ſtands, when the arms of Strong but Lofty Oaks be torn by Tempeſts!
M. 5. He muſt not believe what Rebels ſay, who would believe well of what the King does. We cannot think God good, without thinking all that He does do to be good. 'Tis the ſame judgment we make of his Nature and of his Actions. Now, He is a great King; but in this old Adam's Rebel-world, He is every where ſpoken againſt. If we take up, what the blind Paſſions and wild Fancies of men utter againſt Him, we ſhall unavoidably take in black thoughts of Him. He, in his Word, tells us that Sickneſs, Poverty, Perils, Reproaches, Soul-troubles, and all, be but refining fires. Take away but our Droſs. Do not Hurt, but Benefit and work for our good. The World tells us another thing; that they are conſuming fires. They undo us utterly. Better die than bear them. If God had any Love for us, he would ſuffer a great deal of Sin before He would uſe us ſo, &c. Believe this, and farewel to all Reſt in your Spirits. But, is it Peace you would have? This do, you ſhall not miſs of it. Viz. Believe what God ſays concerning the World, and not what the World ſays concerning God.
M. 6. Laſtly, Let him learn excellently well to Wreſtle, that would not have any thing to give him a Fall. Every one will trample on a Down-hedge. Let a man be ſunk, and down in his Spirit; unable to riſe and oppoſe; every thing will then ſmite him. His Life ſhall then be all, between the Hammer and the Anvil. Every Event ſhall be a Tragedy on his Soul. But if he has but ſtrength enough to get upon his Knees. And on them, humbly to Wreſtle with God in holy Prayer. What then? Why that Communion with the Almighty, makes a Soul next to Almighty. Yea, in a ſenſe, Almighty. And more than Conqueror, even Triumpher over all his Troubles. It is a certain rule; If our Troubles don't caſt out or corrupt our Prayers, our Prayers will ſurely caſt out or conquer our Troubles. You can never fall Lower, if you behave your ſelves well upon your Knees!
Now the Apoſtle's words deliver my Heart, Rom. 13.15. The God of Hope fill you with all Joy. The Joy of Contemplation and of Expectation while you are on the earthly Globe, the Joy of full Poſſeſſion when your eyes are cloſed. Let mutual Love be everlaſting. And mutual Prayer be continued, until we aſcend where Thankſgiving and Praiſe take up all. Let theſe Lines be witneſſes of your being continued in the affectionate memory, of
Your compaſſionate Servant in Chriſt Jeſus, D. Burgeſs.