Gospel Conversation, Sermon
THE MISERY OF THOSE MEN THAT HAVE THEIR PORTION IN THIS LIFE.Preached on Eaſter Munday April 3. 1643. before Iſaac Penington then Lord Major of London.
PSAL. 17. 14.
—From men of the world, who have their Portion in this Life.
THis Pſalm is Davids moan unto God under Sauls perſecution,Mol. in Pſal. without doubt the Pſalmiſt aims at Saul in it: In it we have theſe four things.
1. He appeals unto God, to judg the righteouſneſs of his heart towards Saul, verſe 2. Let my ſentence come from thy preſence: from Saul and his Courtiers, there comes a hard ſentence, they call me Traitor, they call me Rebel, but Lord leave me not unto their ſentence, let my ſentence come from thy preſence: that I know will be another ſentence than what cometh from them, for thou haſt proved me, and tried me, and findeſt nothing in me. That is the firſt thing.
2. His prayer to God, to keep him in his way, his going, and his footſteps from ſliding, verſe 5. Lord whatſoever the wrath of Saul be againſt me, yet let neither that, nor any other thing, put me out of thy way, but keep my heart cloſe unto thee, and keep my paths in thy way, let not my footſteps ſo much as ſlide from thee, for Lord they watch for my halting; if they can find but the leaſt ſlip from me, they take advantage of it to the utmoſt; and I am a poor and a weak creature, therefore Lord help me, that my footſteps may not ſlide.
3. He prayes for deliverance, verſe 7. Show thy marveilous loving kindneſs to me; Lord my ſtraights they are marveilous; I know not what to do, whither to turn me, but my eyes are towards thee; as ſtraights are marveilous, ſo let the loving kindneſs of God be marveilous towards me, and keep me as the apple of thy eye; O Lord unto them I am but as a dog, a vile creature in the eyes of Saul, and thoſe about him, but bleſſed be thy Name, I can look up to thee, and know that I am deer unto thee, as the apple of thy eye; All the Saints of God are dear to God at all times, but the perſecuted Saints, they are the apple of Gods eye; If at any time they are dear to God, then eſpecially when they are moſt perſecuted; now they are the apple of his eye, and the apple of an eye is weak, and little able to reſiſt any hurt, but ſo much the more is the man tender of the apple of his eye: The Saints are weak and ſhiftleſs for themſelves, but the Lord is ſo much the more tender over them; and one Argument that the Pſalmiſt uſes in praying againſt his enemies in this, and a ſpecial one, becauſe they proſpered ſo much in this world, they are incloſed in fat, and have their hearts deſire, and thou filleſt their bellies with thy hid treaſure; they leave to their babes, they have their portion in this life, Lord keep me from them.
4. He doth profeſſes is reſolution, yet notwithſtanding all the dangers he was in, to go on in the waies of God, and expects a gracious iſſue; But I (ſaith he) will behold thy face in righteouſneſs; indeed I cannot behold the face of the King without danger to me; there are a great many that run to kill me, and they deſire his face; but though I cannot ſee his face, yet Lord I ſhall behold thy face; I will behold thy face, and it ſhall be in righteouſneſs, I will ſtill keep on in the waies of righteouſneſs, and when I awake, for I beleeve that theſe troubles will not hold long, I ſhall not ſleep in perpetual ſleep, but I ſhall awake and be delivered, and then ſhall I be ſatisfied with thy likeneſs: There ſhall be the manifeſtation of thy glory to me, that ſhall ſatisfie me for all the trouble that I have endured for thy Names ſake; that my ſoul ſhall ſay, I have enough; and this is the ſum of this 17. Pſalm.
Now the words are …ad unto you: they are a deſcription of Davids adverſaries: implying an argument, why he would be delivered from them; they are deſcribed to be men of this world, they are only thoſe that were adverſaries to him: And a comfort it muſt needs be to the Saints of God, to ſee that none are their enemies, but the men of this world; men of this world, who have their portion in this life, they have ſomewhat here, and here is all they are like to have.
1. It implieth the Argument, why he would be delivered; Lord, deliver me from them, becauſe they are men of this world, who have their portion in this life; Wherein doth conſiſt the force of this Argument? where lies the force of this Argument, that he would be delivered from them, becauſe they were men of this world, that have their portions in this life? It conſiſts firſt in this: Lord, They care not what injuſtice they do, they have no regard to any thing, but in this world, therefore be it right or wrong, may they have but their luſts in this world, that is all they care for, Lord deliver me from ſuch men.
2. Here is all their good, their portion is in this life, and therefore they are greedy upon this; let it be upon the ruin of never ſo many men, though it be to raiſe their eſtates by my ruin, and the ruin of others that are never ſo innocent; what care they? they are greedy upon having their luſts ſatisfied, for here is all their protion.
3. Their portion is here in this world: They care not for Religion, they will make uſe of pretences of Religion any way for their own ends, what care they what Proteſtation they make for Religion, and the maintainance of it, ſo be it that they may ruine me▪ they regard not at all any thing in regard to have their own …ds: Lord deliver me from ſuch men.
4. They have their portion in this world: Hence it is that their hearts are ſo ſwelled with pride in their luſts, and ſo warms their malice, it is ſo heated with ſuch outrages; Oh let not the foot of pride come upon me, deliver me from proud men, that are fluſh'd with the enjoyment of their hearts deſires.
5. They look only to what they enjoy in this world, and therfore ſo long as they may have their own ends and own luſts, they will be exceedingly hardened in their own waies, they will give no glory to thee, but will be ſo much the more inraged againſt me, by taking it as an argument, that their waies are good, Lord therefore deliver me from thoſe men.
6. They are men that ſcorn at prayer, or at any thing that is ſaid concerning the tenderneſs of conſcience, they deſpiſe conſcience and prayer▪ Lord let me never fall into the hands of ſuch men as thoſe are, deliver me from the men of this world, who have their portion in this life. For the opening of the words, from the men of the world: the words are tranſlated by ſome, from mortal men, from men though of the world, yet are not like to enjoy the world long, for the Original doth ſignifie as much from frail men, they ſhall not have it long, in the 89. Pſalm, 47. Remember how ſhort my time is; what little time I have in this world, the word is from the men that ſhall have but a little time in this world, and the men of this world, the Hebrew word here, that is tranſlated men, ſometimes with but the change of the poſition of one prick, it ſignifies dead men, mortui as well as vivi, I ſay, with the change not of a prick, but only of the poſition of one prick, of one point, it ſignifies dead men; they are men of the world, but ſuch men as are within one prick of death, within one point of death, howſoever they rejoyce; who have their portion, their dimenſion that is given out unto them in this life; the word life, though in the ſingular number in your books, in the Hebrew it is in the plural, Lives, they are men that have all they have, but only leaſed for their lives, nay not ſo much as leaſed, they have but an eſtate for life at the moſt, and this preſent life unto them is inſtead of all lives; from the men of this world, that have their portion in this life; there are theſe Two Doctrinal Concluſions in the words that lie plainly before you; the firſt is,
There are a Generation of men,Doct. 1. to whom God gives ſome outward good things for a while, but theſe are all that ever they are like to have, they ſhall never have any more good from God, than they have here for the preſent; that is the firſt.
That Gods Saints do deſire to be delivered from ſuch kind of men; Doct. 2.Theſe two contain in them the ſcope of the holy Ghoſt in the words.
Firſt, There are a Generation of men, unto whom God gives out a portion, ſome comforts in this world, and here is all that they are like to have. And now ſet your hearts (I beſeech you) unto what I have to ſay in this Argument, for in my thoughts, thinking what to pitch upon, for ſuch an Aſſembly as this, at length I could not determine of an argument, that I thought might more reach unto the hearts of thoſe to whom I was to ſpeak; as I hope (before I have done) you will find it ſuch a ſerious argument that concerns us all; I have read of Gregory, that being advanced to preferment, profeſſed that there was no Scripture that went ſo to his heart, that ſtruck ſuch a trembling into his ſpirit, that daunted him ſo much as this Scripture did. Here you have your reward, Son, in your life time, you have had your pleaſure. Oh this was a dreadful Scripture, that ſounded in his eares continually, as Hierom ſpeaks of that Scripture, Ariſe you dead and come to judgement: night and day he thought that Scripture ſounded in his his ears; So Gregory, here you have your reward, in this life you have had your pleaſure; This was the Scripture that night and day ſounded in his ears▪ Oh that it might pleaſe God, to aſſiſt ſo far, to ſpeak out of this Scripture to you, that I might make this Scripture ring in your ears, even when you lie upon your beds, after the Sermon is done▪ that yet you may think this Scripture rings in your ears. Men of this world, who have their portion in this life; If this Scripture ſhould prove to be the portion of any one of you, of the richeſt in this place, Wo unto him that ever he was born; which I ſhall after make out more fully to you: But (you'l ſay) do you think to preach to men, that have their portion here in this life? I fear me, I may meet with ſome, whom it doth ſo neerly concern, yet do not think that I have thoſe thoughts of you all, for you ſhall find (before I have done) this Scripture will concern every one in this Congregation; but yet be not any of you too too ready to put off this from you, to think your ſelves out of the danger of this Scripture, for it was ſpoken concerning Saul, and Saul might have (for ought I know) as ſtrong arguments of Gods love to him, as many of you (I fear) have this day.
1. Saul was a man choſen immediately by God himſelf, to be the firſt King that ever was over his own people; and was not that a great favor?
2. Saul for his perſon, was one of the goodlieſt men that was amongſt all Iſrael, higher from the ſhoulders to the head than any of them.
3. For his Endowments, he was a man whom God did endow with admirable gifts of Government: he cauſed another ſpirit to come upon him: he was a man that when he heard of his preferment, ſeemed to be very humble, as judging himſelf unworthy of ſuch a dignity; in the firſt of Samuel, 9. 21. Saith he, Who am I, and what is my Fathers houſe, that I ſhould be thus choſen? And when he had been choſen, ſome that would reject him, Children of Belial, that notwithſtanding God honoring of him, yet would ſeek to caſt diſhonor upon him, yet this Saul, had mighty power over his Spirit, he was very meek and a quiet man, in the firſt of Samuel, 10. 27. the text ſaith, He held his peace, when the Children of Belial ſaid, What have we to do with him?
4. Though he were quiet in his own cauſe, yet he ſhewed himſelf to have an excellent ſpirit of Government in him, in a publick cauſe; he was full of anger when it was for the good of the people, that he was a Governor over; though quiet in his own; in the firſt of Samuel, 11. 6. When he heard of a diſhonor done to the people of Iſrael, the Text ſaith, that his anger did riſe within him; an excellent pattern for all Governors, for all in publique places, to be very ſilent, and quiet, ſelf denying; putting up wrongs in their own cauſe; but to be full of zeal for the publick cauſe; to reſerve their ſpirits for a publick good: Many there are in publick places, that when they are anger'd in their private cauſe; how full of Spirit they are, and they ſpend their Spirit there ſo much, that they have no ſpirit at all, when it comes to a publick cauſe; Saul went beyond them in this.
5. Saul was one, who was much troubled at the ſin of the people againſt God; not only had a ſpirit to vindicate a publick wrong, but when he ſaw the people ſin againſt God, his heart was much troubled at their very ſin, and ſeemed to be grieved for it, and mighty ſolicitous and careful about it, to prevent ſin in the people; this you ſhall have in 1 Sam. 14. 33. they told Saul there, That the people had ſinned in eating with blood, upon that Saul ſhews himſelf diſpleaſed, Come (ſaith he) and do not ſin againſt the Lord, roul a ſtone to me hither; and ſo he would ſee with his own eyes, that they did ſlay the Cattel, and they did powr forth the blood, that they might not ſin againſt God, in eating blood; this was his care.
6. Saul he was very careful to enquire of God, what he ſhould do in buſineſſes of great conſequence, in the 37. ver. of that 14. chap. of the 1 of Samuel, there he would not go out, till he had firſt enquired of God. Yea more than all this,
7. He was a man that had a very reverend eſteem of the Prophets of God: when Samuel came to him, in the 1 of Samuel 15. 13. O thou bleſſed of the Lord (ſaith Saul to Samuel) Yea, yet further than this;
8. When Samuel ſhewed unto him, what his ſin was, in the 30. ver. of that 15. chap. he comes and confeſſes it before the people, and ſaith, I have ſinned, I have ſinned againſt the Lord: meerly at the conviction of one Prophet: Yea, yet more than this,
9. God ſeemed to be with Saul very much, and to ſhew great reſpect unto him, to make him an Inſtrument of much good to Iſrael; He granted unto him as glorious a victory as ever man had in this world: (for ſo we may cal it) and if there be any outward thing in the world might be gathered as an argument of Gods love, then ſuch a remarkable victory as he had over his enemies: the victory you ſhall find in the 1 of Samuel, 13. 5. and ſo reade on afterwards in that Chapter, and the next, you ſhall find there, that the Philiſtims were riſen up againſt him, and Iſrael; and there were thirty thouſand Chariots, of his Adverſaries of the Philiſtims, and ſix thouſand horſmen, and people as the ſand of the Sea for multitude, beſides all this; Wel, here was a mighty Enemy: What had Saul to oppoſe theſe? You ſhall find in the 2. verſe of that 14. chapter, that there were but ſix hundred men with Saul: here was of one ſide thirty thouſand Chariots, here was ſix thouſand horſmen, here was people as the ſand of the Sea without number, and Saul had but ſix hundred with him, at this time; yea, and of thoſe ſix hundred, there was not any one of them that had a ſword, but only Saul, and Jonathan; for the Philiſtims were wiſe enough to diſarm all the Malignants (that they accounted ſo) and would not let ſo much as a Smith be amongſt them, they would not only take away their Arms, but they would look to them, to ſee that they had no arms ſupplied unto them; that was the wiſdom of the Philiſtims; yet we find, (if you reade afterwards) in the Scripture, that God was ſo far with Saul, that he bleſſed him, and gave him victory over all theſe. Beſides all this.
10. God bleſſed Saul with a very gracious Child, a godly ſon, of a ſweet nature, Jonathan, which indeed, if any outward argument in the world, might be an argument of Gods love, that might be; But now put all theſe things together, and yet here is the man that hath his Portion in this world: I now challenge the man, eſpecially one, I challenge him that hath certain evidence of a mighty work of God upon him in Chriſt, let him ſhew me greater arguments of Gods love to him, than Saul might have done; and yet it proved to be Sauls Portion, that he ſhould have only his portion in this world: God herein ſhews that His mercy is His own, and that He will let out His mercy as He pleaſeth; It is your Fathers pleaſure to give you a Kingdom: The Father doles out the Portion as He pleaſeth unto His Children; God will let the Line of His mercy to go thus far to one, and there ſtop; and ſo far to another, and there ſtop; and then come in a croſs line again unto them; God ſo diſpoſes of his mercy that there are ſome that ſhall have Heaven and Earth to be their portion, and their portion is bleſſed indeed; There are ſome that ſhall have Earth, but not Heaven, and their portion is poor, and mean, and ſad; there are others that ſhall have Heaven, but not earth, and their portion is good; And there are others that ſhall neither have Heaven nor Earth, and their portion (you'l ſay) is miſerable indeed: Gods mercy is His own to diſpoſe of, as He will. We reade that Abraham in Gen. 21. 14. He cals for Iſhmael and Hagar, and he gives them a piece of bread, a bottle of water, and ſends them away, there's an end of them. So Jehoſhaphat in the 2 of Chron. 21. 3. He gave his other ſon (ſaith the text) gifts, but the Kingdom he gave to Jehoram. So God hath people to whom he gives pieces of bread, bottles of water, yea ſome to whom he gives great gifts in this world; but he keeps his inheritance for his Iſaac, He keeps the Kingdom for Jehoram: Eſau, he had his portion in this world, and ſuch a portion as he thought to be a very good portion: in Gen. 33. 9. Brother (ſaith he) I have enough. Moſt rich men are complaining: they go not ſo far as Eſau, they have their portion, and yet complain of it; Eſau hath his portion, and thought he had enough. Chriſts Auditors, in the 6. of Luke, 24. they had their portion in this world, Wo to you, here is your conſolation (ſaith Chriſt unto them:) O dreadful ſpeech! wo to this man, wo to theſe here is their conſolations. Dives he had portion in this world, in Luke, 16. 25. Son, remember in thy life time thou hadſt thy pleaſure; and thou hadſt thy good things, they were thy good things, thoſe things that were meaſured out for thee, thou hadſt them in thy life-time.
In the handling of this Argument, a ſhall divide what I have to ſay in theſe ſix Particulars: that you may every one of you, go on the more readily along with me.
Firſt, Why is it that God will deal out ſomewhat to wicked men in this world, why they ſhall have any Portion at all?
Secondly, That this their portion, it is confin'd to this life; and why ſo?
Thirdly, Some Corrallaries that you will ſee will naturally flow from thoſe Two.
Fourthly, We ſhall conſider the condition of theſe men, who are ſuch that have their Portion in this world.
Fifthly, We ſhall endeavor to ſhew unto you, who are thoſe men, to cull out of the Congregation what that man is, or woman is, that is like to have their Portion in this world.
Sixthly, Conclude in the words of Exhortation unto you all.
For the firſt: God doth give to wicked men a Portion, He doles out ſomething.
Firſt, They are all His Creatures. Saith John concerning Jezebel, Go, take away this curſed woman, ſhew ſome reſpect unto her, let her not lie there in the ſtreets, but take her away; for ſhe is the Daughter of a King. So ſaith God, Well, though theſe be curſed, yet they are my Creatures, ſome reſpect they ſhall have from me, ſome good I'le communicate to them; Indeed, it is not an Argument ſtrong enough, that becauſe you are Gods Creatures, therfore God ſhould be merciful eternally to you; but it may be an Argument ſtrong enough, becauſe you are His Creatures, you ſhall have ſomewhat.
Secondly, This time of life, it's the time of Gods patience, the day of Gods long-ſuffering.
Thirdly. Therefore, ſomewhat you ſhall have; and the day of patience is mans day: in 1 Cor. 4. 3. ſaith the Apoſtle there, I paſs not for mans judgement: The words are in the Greek, For mans Day. I paſs not for mans day, ſo the words may be tranſlated; as if the Apoſtle ſhould ſay, it is true, Man carries all before him now, man hath all the doings now at this day, and he may judg and cenſure as he pleaſeth; it is but his day, and I paſs not for mans day; the day of patience may prove to be mans day; that is the third.
Fourthly, Wicked men, they do ſomewhat for God here, ſome kind of ſervice, that is at leaſt materially a ſervice for God: and God will not have them clamour upon Him, that they have nothing for their work; God will give to every one ſomething for what they do for Him, though it be never ſo little, here in this world. You have a famous place for that in Ezekiel, 29. 18, 19, 20. Nebuchadnezzer King of Babylon, cauſed his Army to ſerve a great ſervice againſt Tyrus, yet had he no wages for his Army, (ſaith God) he had no wages for his ſervice; well, therefore, God He enquires about this, and ſeems to complain, that when a Nebuchadnezzer did Him any ſervice, yet he ſhould be all this while without his wages; therefore (ſaith God) Behold! I will give the Land of Egypt unto him, he ſhall take a ſpoil and a prey, and that ſhall be his wages; He will give him wages for what he doth. Many wicked men God doth make uſe of in divers ſervices, and much refreſhing and good, His Churches ſhall have from them; the Lord cauſes the very Earth to help the woman; earthly men to be of uſe to the Church, and God will not be beholding to them for their work; A thron may ſerve to ſtop a gap, though it be but a thorn buſh, and if it ſerve to ſtop a gap, and be of any uſe, it hath that Benefit by it, all that while it is kep from the fire, whereas were it not of uſe, it might preſently be brought to the fire. An argument by the way, to provoke all men to be of as much uſe to the Church of God as poſſibly they can, it may be that is the very thing that keeps thee from the fire; thou art a thorn, but God hath uſe of thee, and therefore brings thee not to the fire; but if thou once comeſt to be un-uſeful, the fire is the next thing thou ſhalt hear of. I remember Auſtin (in his 5th Book, De Civitate Dei, and the 12. Chap.) ſpeaks of the Romans, that had ſuch a flouriſhing condition for a while, and he gives that for one Reaſon, the Romans had brave ſpirits, they were men that had excellent moralities, and had Herotick kind of ſpirits, and were delivered from that baſeneſs of ſpirit, that other people had, and therefore God ſhewed ſome kind of reſpect unto them; here many inſtances might be in that kind. That's the fourth.
Fifthly, God gives wicked men a portion here, to ſhew unto them what little good there is in all theſe things, and to ſhew the world what little good there is in all the things that are here below in the world. Certainly, if there were much good they ſhould never have them; it is an argument there is no great excellency in the ſtrength of body, for an Ox hath it more than you: an argument there is no great excellency in agility of body, for a Dog hath it more than you: an argument no great excellency in gay cloathes, for a Peacock hath then more than you: an argument there is not any great excellency in Gold & Silver, for the Indians that know not God, have them more than you and if theſe things had any great worth in them, certainly God would never give them to wicked men, a certain argument: As it is an argument there is no great evil in afflictions in this world, becauſe that the Saints are ſo much afflicted; So no great argument, there is any great good in this world, for the wicked they enjoy ſo much of it. Luther hath ſuch an expreſſion as this is, in his Comment upon Geneſis, ſaith he, The Turkiſh Empire, as great as it is, it is but a crum, that the maſter of the family, that God caſts to dogs: the whol Turkiſh Empire, ſuch an eſteem had Luther of it: and indeed it is no more. All the things of the world, God in giving of them to Turks, and wicked ones, His enemies, ſhews there is not much excellency and good in them, God therefore will caſt them promiſcuouſly up and down in the world, becauſe he looks upon them as worthleſs things; God doth not ſo much regard whether men be prepared to give him the glory of them, yea or no, they ſhall have them however, He is content to venture them: Indeed when God comes unto His choice Mercies in Chriſt, there he looks to have glory from them, and he doth never give them to any, but firſt he prepares them, that they may give him the glory of thoſe mercies: but it is otherwiſe with others; As ſuppoſe you ſee a man gathering of Crabs, although Swine be under the Tree, he cares not much to drive them away, they are but Crabs, let them have them; but if he were gathering any choice and precious fruit, if any Swine ſhould come under, he drives them away. As for outward things Crabs, the Lord ſuffers the Swine of the world, to come grunting, and take them up; but when he comes to his choice Mercies in his Chriſt, there he makes a diſtinction, Oh! that is precious fruit! A Black-ſmith that is working upon Iron, though a great many Cinders, and little bits of Iron fly up and down, he regards them not: but a Goldſmith that is working upon Gold, he preſerves every ray, and every duſt of Gold: and a Lapidarie that is working upon precious Stones, every little bit he will be ſure to preſerve: a Carpenter that is only hewing of Timber, he regards it not much if Chips fly up and down; but it is not ſo with a Lapidary. So theſe outward things are but as the Chips and Cinders, and ſuch kind of thing, as thoſe are, and therefore God even gives a Portion to wicked men out of them.
Sixthly. God knows that He hath time enough to manifeſt His Juſtice upon them hereafter, He hath an Eternity hereafter, for the Declaration of His Juſtice; and therefore (ſaith God) Let them have ſomewhat for a while. As you know it is natural in all, when they ſee a man going to execution, that is not like to live above an hour or two, every one is ready to pity him, and to be any way officious to him, Oh! (ſaith every one) the man ſhall not have comfort long, we cannot do much for him, he ſhall have pain enough ere long, and miſery enough ere long, and ſo every one pities him. It is obſervable, let a man go to execution for wickedneſs, and then he is pitied by all; but if a man ſhould ſuffer for godliineſs, then perhaps they will not be ſo full of pity towards him. As I remember in the Book of Martyrs, there is a ſtory of Mr. Ino Frith, a learned, godly Miniſter, and Andrew Hewit that were Martyrs, and were to ſuffer for their conſcience, and the Story tells us, that one Dr. Cook, a Parſon in London, he openly admoniſhes the people, that they ſhould pray for them no more than they would do for a Dog; that Charity of theirs that they talked ſo much of, is ſuch towards them that ſuffer out of conſcience; and as amongſt Papiſts ſo amongſt ungodly men, let a man ſuffer out of conſcience, they will rather rail at him, and when he is in his ſufferings, they will rather give him gall and vinegar to drink, (as they once did Chriſt upon the Croſs) though in other ſufferings they pity men.
Seventhly, By this that God gives to the wicked, the Lord ſhews, what great things he hath reſerved for his own Children; what a portion there is for them; Surely if the dogs have ſo much, the Father keeps a good houſe; if the hangbyes may have ſuch doles, certainly there is good proviſion for the Children within: As by the afflictions of the Saints, God doth declare to wicked men, and would have them draw ſuch an argument from it, that there are fearful things, that are like to befal them; If judgment begin at the Houſe of God, where ſhall the wicked and ungodly appear? So by the proſperity that wicked men have in this world, God doth declare to his Children, and he would have them argue from thence, what then hath he reſerved for his beloved Ones? for his Saints, for his Children, that are ſo dear unto him?
Eighthly. God fetches a great deal of Glory from hence, He fetches about His own ends very much, from the portion that wicked men have; as ſometimes He doth it, that they might ſtumble and harden their hearts, and break their necks at it, and to ripen their ſins; hence He lets them go on a long time, and have their wills; in Iſa. 33. 1. Wo to thee who ſpoileſt, and wert not ſpoiled, and dealeſt treacherouſly, and wert not dealt treacherouſly withal; when thou ſhalt ceaſe to ſpoil, thou ſhalt be ſpoiled; I'le let thee go on, thou ſhalt ſpoil as much as thou wilt, and when thou haſt done ſpoiling, thou ſhalt be ſpoiled. And ſometimes God doth it, to fetch about this end, Namely, to chaſtiſe. His own people, with the proſperity of the wicked: And as an Ancient writer hath this Story of one that (he ſaith) by an extraordinary way, from being a Monk was advanced into an Epiſcopal Seat, and being a lewd wicked man, he began to be proud of this his Advancement, and being proud, he heard theſe words in the ſtory, Ab angelo audivit, Cur ſuperbus ô infaelix, non es creatus Epiſcopus, quia tu dignus, ſed quia Civitas haec digna fuit tali Epiſcopi; it was a wicked place, and this was the anſwer: Why art thou ſo proud Oh unhappy man, for thou art not advanced becauſe thou art worthy of this advancement, but becauſe this City is ſo ill; it is worthy of ſuch a Prelate to be over it: In way of judgment to that place God advanced ſuch a man: And ſo many are advanced that they may be heavy judgments unto others; God gives them ſuch a portion, not out of His love to them (though they are ready to gather the Argument) but out of His diſpleaſure unto others: And then He gives a plentiful portion to many, to teach us all to do good unto our enemies, not only humanitati (as they ſay) but homini, not only to human nature, but to men, to men that are wicked, ſome good muſt be done unto them.
Ninthly. The Lord would ſhew hereby, that He would have no argument of love or hatred to be drawn from theſe outward things; and alſo becauſe He would not have them to expect any more. It may be many men that are ungodly, proſpering in this world, they gather this argument, That therefore God loves them, and intends mercy to them, Cujus contrarium verum; nay, you may rather gather an argument quite th'other way, becauſe God intends no further good unto you hereafter, therfore it is you have ſo much now. We uſe to anſwer men, that come for their dole, who have had out a dole, and they will come again, Why do you come again? you have had your dole already. So God will anſwer to many men, when they ſhall cry to him for mercy, at that day, Why come you to me for more? you have had your dole already; Have you not had already more than your work comes to, more than you have done? you have had your part and portion already: indeed men ſpeak much of Gods mercy, and the mercy of God we acknowledge to be very great and glorious; well, God doth ſhew himſelf glorious in mercy, that thou being ſo wicked, haſt ſo much as thou haſt in this world, and therefore though thou ſhouldſt be denied of eternal mercy hereafter, yet thou haſt cauſe to tel Devils and damned creatures that ſhall be thy companions, that God was very merciful to thee, while thou didſt live in this world? Somewhat thou hadſt then, but here's all.
Secondly, Here is all that ever thou art like to have.
1. Becauſe there are ſome men, whoſe names are written in the Earth, and not in the Book of Life: In Jer. 17. 13. there it's ſpoken of men that are written in the earth; wheras the Saints are deſcribed to be men that are redeemed from the earth. In Revel. 14. 3. It is their happineſs to be redeemed from the earth: and it is all the happineſs thou haſt, that thou art written in the earth.
2. Here is their portion, becauſe they are vile in the eyes of God; If you ſhould ask the Queſtion; why you give bones to the Dog, and ſwill to the Swine, and nothing elſe? The Anſwer would be; Becauſe it is a Dog that hath it, and becauſe it is a Swine; it is Dogs meat. Certainly God doth ſpeak exceeding contemptibly of all ungodly ones in the world, let them be never ſo great in regard of outwards; In the 11. of Daniel, 21. A vile perſon ſhall ariſe: What is this vile perſon? Interpreters generally conſent in this, that it is meant of Antiochus Epiphanius, that was a mighty great Prince, ſuch a Prince as when the Samaritans did write to him, they writ, Antiocho magno deo, to Antiochus the great god; and his very name ſhews him to be a great one; Antiochus Epiphanius, is as much as Antiochus the Illuſtrious, and the Famous: and yet when the Holy Ghoſt ſpeaks of him, it is Antiochus a vile perſon: they are vile in the eyes of God. If there be any in a family that you care not much for, you make no great proviſion for them, Doth God take care for Oxen? Somwhat they have, but little; Doth God take care for wicked and ungodly ones?
3. Here is their portion, it is confin'd to this life; Why ſo? Becauſe they chuſe it themſelves; and in that they have no wrong; make choice of this Portion themſelves: Moſes, (ſpeaking to the people, ſaith he) I ſet before you life and death: So do the Miniſters of God in preaching to you, they ſet before you Life and Death: What do you chuſe? Now you chuſe the way that goes out of life, and into death; you have but your choice; you chuſe Vanity to be your portion, God doth you no wrong to give you Vanity: Now you that will indent with God for your peny, you cannot take it ill, if when the end of the day comes, God puts you off with your peny; you know thoſe in the Vineyard, that agreed for their peny, they began to murmur indeed, when they came to receive their wages; but ſaith the Maſter of the Vinyard, Did you not agree with me ſo? So you agree with God, all you intend in Gods ſervice, is, that you may have ſome preſent comfort in this world, you dare not truſt God for the future; and here is that that God will ſhew His infinit diſpleaſure againſt the ſin of diſtruſt by, that when the Lord propounds now in this day of Grace, ſuch glorious and bleſſed things to the children of men, and (for ought you know) any of you may have your portion in them, as well as others, and yet you dare not truſt God for thoſe gracious things; you think rather with your ſelves, let me have ſomewhat now, ſomewhat for the preſent, ſome preſent pay; the reward that you talk of, which is to come, I know not whether they be imaginations yea, or no; therefore you mean (it ſeems) to ſerve God for your preſent pay, and preſent pay you ſhall have, and no more. There are ſome ſervants that are your day-ſervants, they ſerve you ſo as they expect their pay at night, and perhaps you give them their two ſhillings at night, and there is an end: but there are other ſervants now that will ſerve you in expectation of ſome reverſions, and expectations of honor, eſpecially when they ſerve Noblemen, and Princes, though they have no preſent pay given them at night, yet they go on cheerfully in their ſervice, they expect ſome great Reverſions, as Leaſes and preferments, they may have afterwards, and now though they have not their two ſhillings a day as the others have, yet when the other befals them, they are made rich men, they and their poſterities: So now, the poor man that hath his pay every day, when a Leaſe and preferment fals, if he ſhould come in for his part, No, he may be anſwer'd, you had your pay every day; here was one was content to relie and truſt upon me, and had no pay, and he did truſt upon me, and now he comes to be preferd: This is the direct difference between the men of the world and Gods Saints; the men of the world will do nothing without preſent pay, that which is juſt before them, they muſt needs have, their hearts are upon it; but the Saints they hear what a bleſſed thing God hath revealed in his Word, what a bleſſed Covenant of Grace there is, what rich Promiſes of glorious things to come; now they beleeve God, and truſt in God for theſe, and they ſay, Lord, let me have my Portion in the life to come, and whatever thou doeſt with me here, I care not: As it was the ſpeech of Auſtin, Lord, here burn, here cut; but ſpare hereafter: I am content Lord, to be burnt, to be cut, to endure any thing in the world, any ſufferings in the world for thee, only hereafter I look for ſomewhat elſe, and I'le wait for hereafter: You will not wait for hereafter, but you muſt have it for the preſent, and that is the reaſon, you are put off here: Oh it is a ſerious thing I ſpeak of to you, many a ſoul will wring its hands, and curſe it ſelf eternally, that it was not content to truſt God for hereafter, but would have preſent pay. You that are great Merchants, if you buy a thing that is but a trifle, you pull out your purſe, and give the mony down preſently; but ſuppoſe you go to the Exchange, and bargain for 10000l there, you may give a little down now, but the great pay muſt come upon pay daies afterwards; it is not expected it ſhould be preſently done: So there are ſome men in the world, will trade with God, but they trade with God for pedling things, for their Credit, and applauſe, and for their preferments and eſtates, God gives down the pay preſently, you ſhall have it, there is your 12d preſently, it is done: but now there are other of Gods Saints, that trade with God for great things, for immortality and glory, and a Kingdom, and a Crown of eternal life; now they expect not to have it done preſently, they are content to ſtay: Oh theſe are the beſt Traders, the beſt Merchants that will trade with God for great things, and be content to ſtay; you will chuſe that you have here for the preſent, and therefore you have your portion.
Fourthly, Theſe things that are here, they are the only ſutable things to your hearts, and what will you do with any more hereafter? theſe things do exceedingly pleaſe you, and give you content as agreeable to you, and the things that are to come, are diſagreeable; what would men do that are carnal and wicked now? what would they do in Heaven? Certainly if you hate Gods Saints now, that have but a little Grace for their Grace ſake, you would hate them infinitly more afterwards, when they are perfect in Grace, when they ſhall be perfect, and then when all your common gifts ſhall be taken away; for ſo it ſhall be. Now the things of God are unſutable to you, though you have now many common …, and you now abhor the Grace of God, though it be imperfect, what then, when all common gifts ſhall be taken from you, and Grace made perfect? how unſutable will it be then to you? Therefore expect nothing hereafter.
Fifthly, You abuſe your portion you have now, what will you do with more? Who will truſt you with the true riches? You abuſe that you have. Indeed men of the world that are wicked, and very rich, are preſently in places of honor and power; Oh! what a deal miſchief they do in the world? what dreadful evils are they unto the earth? Such men, how do they abuſe their portions? Why now, as it is with the Tooth, in a mans head, a Tooth indeed is prefer'd, to have an eminent place in the Head, but when the Tooth comes to be rotten, and put us to pain, what do we but pull it out, and throw it away? So when God prefers men to eminent places, when through their wickedneſs they grow rotten, and ſo do a great deal of hurt, the Lord plucks them out in His anger, and throws them away; they abuſe their portion, and do a great deal of hurt, and therefore muſt expect no more. But above all the argument is,
Sixthly, Becauſe they have no intereſt in Jeſus Chriſt; The rich Treaſures of the infinite grace of God, they are let out in Jeſus Chriſt; God hath divers Conduit-pipes (as I may ſo ſay) of His Grace, to let out unto His Creatures; there are ſome leſſer Conduit-pipes, and thoſe Conduitpipes, may be open'd through the general bounty of God; but now the Lord hath the great Current of His eternal mercies, for ſome that He doth intend eternal good unto, and this great Current of His it is ſtop't by juſtice, the infinite juſtice of God doth ſtop this great Current, ſo as it cannot be open'd to have any drop of the mercy let out, until Divine Juſtice comes to be ſatisfied; In the mean time the other ſmaller pipes, they run, the general bounty of God; Now then, this is the very work of Jeſus Chriſt, Chriſt the Second Perſon in Trinity, and it is the very myſtery of the Goſpel; The Second Perſon in the Trinity, ſees that the children of men, are capable of eternal happineſs, eternal glory, and that there are glorious treaſures with God, to be communicated to the children of men; but through mans ſin, this great Current is ſtop't; in the mean time Gods general bounty lets out a great many outward comforts; Chriſt therefore out of pity to man-kind, that man-king may not be put off with theſe general outward comforts, He comes and ſatisfies Gods infinite juſtice, that He might open the Current, the ſluice of His infinite, and eternal Grace to others: Now happy are thoſe Creatures, who have intereſt in the Lord Chriſt; for this is His work, to ſatisfie the Juſtice of the Father, that ſo the great pipe may be opened, and then flows in all Grace, infinit, eternal Grace, when that comes once to be opened: No mervail though we hear of ſuch glorious things, that the Saints of God have in the life to come, no mervail, for Chriſt doth come and open the great ſluice of Gods infinite Grace and MercieMercy to them; as for the men of the world, they have but a little of the drizling of Gods general bounty through ſome crannies, but the Floudgates of Gods grace are opened in Chriſt; therefore til Divine Juſtice be ſatisfied, there can be no further good for a Creature here, but the fruits of Gods general bounty, & patience: There are ſome Creatures whom the Lord hath left to the Courſe of juſtice, they ſhall have what they earn, and no more: this is the difference between Gods dealings with ſome Creatures and others, (I ſay) ſome there are that ſhall have what they earn, and no more: others there are whom God hath ſet His Heart upon, and whether they earn or no, God intends eternal mercies: unto them, and will bring them unto eternal mercies: Here's the difference of the Covenant of works, and the Covenant of Grace; and therefore the one is left to Himſelf, and the other, Chriſt the Head of the Covenant comes to undertake for him, that that he cannot do: and here is the very Cut between the condition of ſome men, & other men; that ſome have their portion in this world, and others have another higher portion in the world to come; Thoſe have no intereſt in Chriſt, theſe have.
Seventhly, They are no Sons, no Children, and therefore they muſt not expect childrens portions; As many of you rich men, when you die, you will leave your ſervants ſome Legacie, perhaps you'l give every ſervant in the houſe five pounds, or ſo; but when you come to your children, to write in your Will, what ſuch a Son, ſuch a Daughter ſhall have, that is another manner of buſineſs than 4. or 5 l. great things you leave to them: Now the truth is, the world may be divided between Children and Servants, for though the truth is, all men are at defiance with God, yet God makes them ſervants one way or other; and there is ſome little Legacy that ſervants ſhall have, but they muſt not expect the Childrens portion; therefore they have it here, but muſt not have it hereafter. In Ezek. 46. 16. Thus ſaith the Lord, If the Prince give a gift unto any of his ſons, the inheritance ſhall be his ſons; but if to his ſervants, then it ſhall be but till Jubile. This was Gods Law, that if a Prince gave a gift to his ſon, the ſon ſhould inherit it for ever, but if he give it but to a ſervant, it ſhould continue with him but for a while. So here is the difference of Gods adminiſtration of all His gifts, He gives ſome to ſervants, and theſe ſhall continue but for a while, within a little while all will be called for again; all the good, and all the comfort thou haſt, God will call for it all again: but that which he gives to His Sons, to His Children, they ſhall have mercy for ever, though not to enjoy it in the ſame way, they ſhall enjoy the ſame good and comfort Eternally. And then further:
Eighthly, The portion that the world hath here, (you heard before) it comes from Gods patience; now there will be an end of the manifeſtation of the glory of patience in this world, as thus: As there are ſome graces of the Spirit of God in the Saints, that ſhall have an end in regard of their exerciſe here in this world, ſo there are ſome attributes of God, that ſhall have an end in regard of the manifeſtation of them in that way that God doth now manifeſt them here in this world, and that is, the patience of God towards ungodly ones; Now if they hold all upon patience, when the time of the glory of that in this world ſhall come to be at an end, then all their good is at an end. Further:
Ninthly, Ungodly men, they ſhal have to deal with God immediately in the world to come, (I beſeech you obſerve but this anſwer, I'le haſten;) they muſt have to deal immediatly with God in the world to come; Now they have to deal with God through Creatures, and while they have to deal with God through Creatures, they may get a great deal, and may make ſhift for much, but when they ſhall come to deal with God immediatly, then it will be otherwiſe with them: As for example, There are a great many hang-bies, at great mens houſes, perhaps when they come to have to deal with the ſervants, they get ſome bits and ſcraps, and many things from the ſervants, but if they know they can have nothing, but from the very hand of the Knight, or Lord of the houſe himſelf, then they will expect no great matter. So wicked men of this world, they are as hang-bies, that all that they have are but as ſcraps from the ſervants, they have to deal only with creatures, they look no further; but hereafter things ſhall be ſetled another way, and all things ſhall be weighed by God Himſelf, in a ballance of Juſtice, and diſtributed by the hands of God Himſelf immediately, and now things will be carried after another manner, the Lord Himſelf will come to diſpoſe of things. It was a ſpeech of a German Divine, though he were a good man, and lived very innocently, when he lay upon his ſick bed, and apprehended Death, he was in great terrors of ſpirit, mightily troubled, and ſome of his friends came to him, and asked him, Why ſhould you be ſo troubled, that have lived ſo good a life, as you have done? This was his anſwer, The Judgments of God are one, and the judgments of men are another, I am now to deal with God; it is true, I lived thus before Men, and Men gave their Verdict of me, as good, and thought I was in a good condition, but O I am now to go to God, and to deal immediately with Him, and Gods judgment, and Mans judgements are different things; when God ſhall come to weigh all mens portions out, as it will be then, So much Righteouſneſs, ſo much portion, ſo much happineſſe, you will ſay then, Lord, what ſhall become of us all? All our righteouſneſs is as the menſtruous cloath; I but for the Saints, the Righteouſneſs of Chriſt will be put into one Scale, and their Portion into the other, and their Portion will be weighed by the Righteouſneſs of Chriſt. Now when thou comeſt to God, thou muſt come to the Scale, and thou wilt put in thy good ſervings of God, and thy comming to Church, and ſome good Civil actions, and Natural and Moral things thou haſt done, thou wilt put them in the Scale; ſaith God, That which thou haſt had already, weighs down all thoſe; Haſt thou nothing to put into the Scales but this? thou haſt had thy reward already for all this, and much more than this; then if there be nothing to but into the Scale but this, thou art undone, and there is nothing for thee for Eternity. And here is the ground of the confinement of the Portions of wicked men. Theſe are the Two firſt things.
Thirdly, I will give you ſome CORRALLARIES only from hence.
Is it ſo that wicked men have a portion here, and here is all?
Firſt, Here we may ſee the Reaſon why the men of the world are ſo cunning in the things of the world, why they can make ſo good ſhift for themſelves in the world, rather than other men can: Why, here's their Portion, their very happineſs and good is here; no mervail though they make ſuch ſhift as they do here: the Apoſtle in 1 Cor. 2. 12. We have not received the ſpirit of the world (ſaith the Apoſtle,) we cannot tell how to ſhift in the world ſo as other men do, for indeed, we look further than theſe things, and ſo cannot ſhift as other men can; They that have the ſpirit of the world, and have their portion in the world, they can ſhift; but we have not received the ſpirit of the world. You know a Swine though it goes abroad all day wandring up and down, it knows the way to the trough at night; but a Sheep if it go a wandring a little way out of his place, a Sheep doth not know how to come back again, but wanders up and down till it be even loſt, and is as a loſt ſheep when it is once wandring up and down; but Swine are not ſo. So ungodly men, though they go up and down wandring, they know how to come to their trough at night, they have better skil in the world, they are more artificial in the things of the world, they have better underſtanding (as the Scripture ſpeaks,) The children of this world are wiſer in their generation, than the children of light: Why is it? Their Portion is in this world. That's the firſt Corrallarie.
2. Corr. Here we ſee the Reaſon, Why there are ſo many great ones in the world that regard Religion ſo little as they do, and the waies of God, and the Church of God; why 'tis not their portion; thoſe things that concern another life, is not any part of their portion; they mind what it is that concerns the preſent life, becauſe this is their portion. When many come into places of dignity and power, What are their thoughts? Now they think of gratifying their friends, now they think of reſpect and honor that they ſhall have abroad in the world, and be accounted ſome-body, now they think of revenging al their wrongs, of making up of all their broken titles &c. This hath been heretofore (I ſuppoſe very ordinary) in men advanced amongſt you; theſe are all their thoughts: as for doing ſervice for God, and for His Church, and vindicating the Truth of God, and Honor of God, that is ſcarce in all their thoughts, for they do not look upon that as part of their Portion: Here is the reaſon why ſo many Magiſtrates are like to Galio, in Acts, 18. 17. Carring for none of thoſe things; they were to him but matters of words, and yet they were about the great fundamental Points of Religio…, Whether Chriſt were the true Meſſias, and whether He were God, or no; but to Gallio theſe things were but matter of words: And ſo the great things of God, and Religion, to carnal hearts, they are things that are of no great conſequence at all; yea when as Soſthenes that was the Ruler of the Synagogue for countenancing of Paul, had the rude multitude of the City, riſe up in a rude manner to apprehend him, and to lay violent hands upon him, Gallio cared for none of theſe things; but ſo far he did not go, Gallio went not to ſtir up a rude multitude to lay violent hands upon a Ruler of a Synagogue, or a City, but he cared for none of thoſe things (ſaith the text:) What did he care for rectifying any thing that was amiſs in Religion? Oh let us (ſay they that have their portion here) what ever becomes of things, let us make peace (ſay they) that we may go on and be quiet in our houſes, & enjoy that we have quietly, and peacably, and they look no further: Their portion is here, and as for Truth, how do they reject it, & contemn it! It is a ſpeech (as is credibly reported) hath come even from a Citizen here, in curſing of the Truth ſo; (as had he lived among the Jews he would certainly have been ſtoned to death) Let us have Peace, and a Pox of Truth. (I ſay) ſuch a ſpeech as this among the Jews would have cauſed him to have been ſtoned to death, being ſuch horrible blaſphemy. But how many are ready to ſay with Pilat, in the 18. of John, 38. when as Chriſt was before Pilat, and talked to Pilat of Truth, Truth (ſaith Pilat) What is Truth? You ſhall obſerve it at the 38. ver. What is Truth? (Saith Pilat) as if Pilat ſhould have ſaid, What a ſtrange man is this, the man is in danger of his life, and he talks of Truth, when he is in danger of his life, What is Truth? (ſaith Pilat) & turns it back upon him preſently. Juſt thus are the hearts of many, What ſhould we look at Truth, or at any thing now, but to preſerve our lives, and eſtates, and outward comforts in the world? What is Truth? They are a company of mad-brain'd fellows, that are factious, and ſeditious, they talk of Truth, and know not what they ſay, Come, let us have peace, though it be upon any terms: Who is there in this place that deſires not Peace? The Lord knows it is the deſires of thoſe that are accuſed moſt for want of deſires in this thing; yea ſo as we dare challenge any of you with this Challenge: Thoſe who have been moſt at the Throne of Grace begging unto God for peace for England, let them carry the day; thoſe that have put forth moſt prayrs for Peace, before the Throne of Grace, we are willing they ſhall have the day. We reade that amongſt al the Tribes that came up in a war-like way, to help the people of God againſt oppreſſion, in the 5. of Judges, 18. and ſo in that Chapter, that of all Naphtali was the only Tribe that joyned wth Zebulun, that jeoparded their lives in the Cauſe of God, that would take up Arms to defend themſelves, and the people againſt oppreſſion; Surely theſe two Tribes, by the others that would not venture themſelves, were at that time accounted very factious, and very ſeditious; What they! only Zebulun and Naphtali; Yet it is obſervable, though there were none joyned with Zebulun but only Naphtali, there is no Tribe of which it is ſo much ſpoken, to be a Tribe, full of Courteſie, and Civility, of a peacable and quiet diſpoſition, as Naphtali was; you ſhall find it, if you reade in the 49. of Geneſis, 21. and afterwards in another text, there are theſe two things ſaid of Naphtali, only theſe two firſt, That he was a Hinde let looſe, and give goodly words. But they may be but words of Complement, not reality; Nay, (when Moſes comes with the bleſſing, you ſhall find theſe two places, one in Geneſis and the other in Deuteronomy,) when Moſes comes with the bleſſing again upon Naphtali: Naphtali filled with favour, and with the bleſſing of the Lord. What is the meaning? Naphtali was a Tribe that had moſt courteſie and civility of all; compar'd to a goodly Hinde, of a quiet diſpoſition, and one that gave courteous language to all, & not meer words, but reality; it was ſuch a one that was fill'd with favour, that had the favour of God, and the favour of Men; he had ſuch a courteous carriage, and he had the bleſſing of God upon him; and yet this Naphtali, was the Tribe that would jeobard their lives, and take up Arms in defence of the people of God, againſt oppreſſion in thoſe times, above all. And Phinebas (ye know) was ſo zealous, and would make uſe of the ſword, ſo as he did; yet in the 25. of Num. 12, 13. God ſaith there, He would make a Covenant of Peace with him. Beloved! Phinehas, that is ſuch a fiery hot man, yet a Covenaut of peace muſt be made with him, by God Himſelf; for he did indeed, by that way procure peace to Iſrael; for ſo the Text ſaith there in that place of Num. That becauſe Phinehas was ſo zealous, it was, that I might not conſume them in my jealouſie: Now it's obſervable, the word in the Original is, Becauſe he was zealous, therefore it was, that I might not conſume them in my Zeal. Its tranſlated in your books; Becauſe he was thus zealous, that I might not conſume them in my Jealouſie; the words are different in the Engliſh; but in the Hebrew they are the ſame: and ſo be turn'd thus, Becauſe he was ſo zealous, it was, that I might not conſume them in my Zeal; as if he ſhould have ſaid, If there had not been ſome among them that had been zealous, (and as they account fiery) I would have been zealous my Self, and fiery my Self, and conſumed them, and it was wel they had ſuch amongſt them; and one day thoſe that cry out of them, may come to ſee cauſe to bleſs God for them; that would not have the world put off, and gul'd with the fair name of peace; we know the Devil hath made much uſe of it in former times, and would fain make uſe of it now; As if thoſe that deſired Truth moſt, were not greateſt friends unto peace; God forbid, but it ſhould be ſo: Though it's true, we think not, we have our portion here, and therefore we would not have peace upon any terms; indeed we confeſs our portion lies higher, and that wherein our portion doth conſiſt we would have upon any terms; and therefore Saint Paul ſaith in Philippoans, 3. if by any means, I may attain to the Reſurrection of the dead; If by any means, upon any terms, that I may have peace at the great Day, whatſoever I do endure: ſo ſay we for our portion; and you ſay, Let us have peace upon any terms; why? becauſe your portion is here: We would be glad that all our Mountains, were Mountains of Olivet, but we would be loth to have them Mountains of Corruption: In 2 Kings, 23. 13. You reade there of a Mountain of corruption, Of Mons offenſſionis, Of offence; ſo it is in the old Latin; Now, what was that ſame Mountain of Corruption? if we compare one Scripture with another, we ſhall find it was no other, but Mount Olivet, Mount Olivet was made a Mountain of corruption: In 1 King. 11. 7. There Solomon built Idolatrous Temples, for the honour of the gods of his Queen, thoſe gods that his Queen did worſhip, Solomon built Temples for to gratifie her, and it was upon the Mount before jeruſalem, which was the Mount of Olivet, that was the Mount. Now you know the Mount Olivet was a Mount that had his name from Olives that did grow there, and were Emblems of peace; but yet the Mount Olivet may be made a Mount of Corruption: we would be glad that we might live upon Mount Olivet all our daies, but are loth this Mount Olivet ſhould be made a Mount of Corruption. Give me leave but in a few words, yet to put ſome Conſiderations to you, and if I ſpeak not reaſon in them, reject them.
Firſt, Becauſe that you are ſo greedy of Comforts in this world, you would fain have peace; be wiſe even for your own portion; you would have peace, but I hope a ſafe peace, and that is all we do deſire: If the peace be not ſafe, Oh the bood that may follow after. We reade in the 27. of the Acts, 13. that there was indeed a Calm, and the South wind did blow ſoftly, for a while, warm wind and very ſoftly, but preſently follows, not long after it appears that there did ariſe a Tempeſtuous wind, called Euroclydon; Euroclydon did ariſe preſently after: Take we heed (my brethren) that we be not deluded with the ſoftly South wind; Take heed that there be not an Euroclydon, that blows preſently after; were we ſure to be delivered from that ſame Euroclydon, we ſhould be glad of continuance of ſoft blowings of the South wind: Can you think of a ſafe peace that live under any Arbitrary Governments? No (that you'l ſay) and therefore we account our condition ill now, for we have Arbitrary Governments amongſt us now, And who are they?
Obj. Do not the Parliament themſelves Govern in that kind of way?
Anſ. Give me leave in a word to anſwer this: Conſider of the difference between that Arbitrary Government the Parliament complains of; and what now you feel.
Anſ. 1. That was then, when the Kingdom was in a ſetled way, and then when there was no contrary Arbitrary power to oppoſe it, yet then it went on, and ſurely then it did but make way for worſe Arbitrary government; but now it is in a way, when the Kingdom is unſetled, and in a way, where there is a neceſſity of ſome help beyond the ordinary courſe of Law, becauſe of a contrary Arbitrary Power, that is oppoſ'd; And is it poſſible for any man, that hath any wiſdom, or underſtanding in his head, that cannot ſee the difference between theſe two? But I'le ſhew you a greater difference than this.
Anſ. 2. That which was before, thoſe that did ſo Govern ſuffer'd nothing in it themſelves, but gained all; now thoſe that are accuſed for the preſent, (if it be Arbitrary,) they ſuffer themſelves as much as we do, and their poſterity doth ſuffer as much as we do; and therefore the thing is far different from what was before. And yet further, if you would not be carried away with words, but judge righteous judgment, Conſider this:
Anſ. 3. Can you think that if the Adverſarie ſhould prevail, you ſhould be only at the diſpoſe of the King? Do you not think that thoſe that are with him, and give ſuch ſtrength and aſſiſtance for the preſent, that you muſt lie at their mercy too, in great part; And will that be ſafe for you? I put it to every mans conſcience, whether he can think that it is ſafer for Church, or Common wealth to be governed by the King, with thoſe that are now about him, and an Army of Papiſts, than to be governed by the King, with His Two Houſes of Parliament? Which is the ſafeſt way in the conſciences of any men living. And yet further than this, Conſider (if you have your eyes in your heads)
Anſw. 4. That perhaps what you aim at as your End, your Adverſaries may aim at, but as their Means; and what will become of you then? If that that you would have as an End, they ſhall look at, but as a Medium; Conſider what Conſequences may come of it. And yet laſtly:
Anſw. 5. You that do deſire ſo much Peace, to preſerve your own Portions here; Would you not willingly have ſuch Peace, as thoſe that have appeared for you in Houſes of Parliament, in Citie, in the Miniſtry, that have been moſt active, be preſerved too? Are you ſo deſirous of it, as to be willing to leave them to the fury and rage of their Adverſaries? Were not this one of the horribleſt wickedneſſes that ever were committed in a Kingdom? If they from deſire to ſave their own particular eſtates, ſhould betray thoſe that have been faithful to them, in their places of Truſt. It was once a ſpeech of Demoſthenes to one that would fain have peace, he affirms, that it is a vain and prepoſterous thing, to deſire peace with the flock, upon this condition, That the Keepers of the flock may but be betraied, and taken away. The fair name of Peace will never ſo prevail with a wiſe man, when this ſhall come to be the condition of it. The good people in Chryſoſtoms time, (however you may think of thoſe that have moſt appear'd for you, & ventured themſelves) they thought it ſuch a thing, to have but the mouth of one Chryſoſtom ſtopt. And alſo they profeſſed, That if the Sun ſhould take back, or bring back, or keep in his Rayes, it were more tollerable, than that the mouth of John ſhould be ſtopt; they had ſuch an high eſteem of a faithful Miniſter in thoſe times. And therefore if you would be faithful to God, and to the Kingdom, and to thoſe that have appear'd for you, look after ſuch peace, as wherein you and they may be ſafe; God knows they would have been willing to have been as ſilent as you; but ſuppoſe all the Miniſters in the Kingdom, and men that had ability to appear publickly, had all been ſilent, ſo as the buſineſs had been wholly betraied, and at length an Army of Papiſts had riſen, when you had had no help to have reſiſted them, Would you not have cried out of Miniſters? would you not have cried out of Magiſtrates? would you not have cried out of Parliament Men? If they have ventured themſelves to be faithful for you, know you can have no peace, except they have it; and it were an unworthy thing, to think of your ſafety without theirs likewiſe.
Object. But you will ſay, We would not have our Eſtates and Peace thus, as you ſpeak, upon any terms, without any regard to Religion; we have our portion in Religion, as well as you, and we have our Conſciences to look after, as well as you, and God forbid it ſhould be otherwiſe, but that Religion ſhould proſper too with our Peace; but we would not have Sects and Sectaries to be maintained in the Kingdom; let us have Truth, and Religion; but away with them.
Anſ. 1. Do you underſtand what they are you ſpeak of? Do you know wherein you and they differ? You cry out of them, as if they were of another Religion, whereas when it comes to be ſcan'd, the difference between you and them will not be ſo great. But further, I put this to you:
Anſ. 2. Do you ſpend as much breath in praying for theſe kind of men, as you do in railing upon them? then ſomewhat may be ſaid.
Anſ. 3. It is a vain thing to think, that true Religion can be maintain'd, and have the liberty of it, without ſome difference of Opinion amongſt us: Indeed the Turks have as much peace in their Religion, as any Religion hath in all the world; and there is as little difference of Opinions amongſt the Turks as there is in any Religion whatſoever; but well may that Coat have no ſeam, that hath no ſhape; If the Truth of Religion comes to appear, certainly it is impoſſible but many differences in opinion muſt come, and it is a moſt intollerable pride of heare, and tyranny in any whatſoever, to think by violent means to force all to be of the ſame opinion that they are of, in matters that are not of the Foundation, and that may ſtand with the Peace of a Common-wealth too; You take upon you in that more than Chriſt doth, more than the Apoſtles ever did.
Object. But You will ſay, If men be in an Error, why ſhould they not be forced? Shall every man be leſt to his Opinion, to do what he will?
Anſw. No, I plead not for that neither: Therefore I except all Opinions, 1. Againſt the Foundation of Religion: 2. All thoſe Opinions that are againſt the Foundation of Civil Government. Take theſe Two aſide, and then for other Opinions that are of a lower inferior nature (I ſay) there you take too much upon you, whoſoever you are, if you ſhould think to force men to be of the ſame Opinion as you are; and there is no ſuch way to make diſturbance in Churches or Commonwealths, as to force men to be of the ſame Opinion, in things that are of an inferior nature.
Object. But you will ſay, If it be an Error, they muſt not be left to live in it.
Anſw. Nay, ſtay there; A man may be in an Error, and yet you have nothing to do to offer violence unto him to bring him out of his Error; you may ſeek to convince him as much as you can, but to offer violence, you undertake more than God hath given you Commiſſion to do, whatever you are; and I give this Scripture for it, that is cleer, in Romans, 14. 2. One beleeveth he may eat all things; another eateth herbs. Let not him that eateth, deſpiſe him that eateth not; and let him that eateth not, not judge him that eateth. And ſo he tels us, Who art thou that judgeſt another? Who art thou that judgeſt. Theſe two Opinions could not be true: One man doth eat herbs; the other man makes conſcience of it, and cannot do it; Certainly, one of theſe was a ſin at that, time one of them was a ſin, to eat herbs, and that he might eat no fleſh, for God never commanded them, that they ſhould eat no fleſh; to make conſcience to eat no fleſh was a ſin, but yet though one were a ſin, yet they that were in the right, muſt not by violence force thoſe that were in the wrong, to their opinion, but they muſt leave them to God; I ſay, in matters of ſuch conſequence as theſe, it is a point of Antichriſtian tyranny, and pride, and notorious pride in men, that have taken ſo much upon them, as to force all to be of the ſame opinion; this is not the way certainly for true peace. But thus much for the ſecond Corrallarie. The Third follows.
3. Corr. If men have their portion in this world, here is the Reaſon that there is ſuch a ſtir in the world by men to maintain this their Portion; what a deal of ſtir is there? what rending and tearing is there, that they might maintain their Eſtates? Eſpecially if ſome men have a higher Portion in the world than others, Oh what a deal of ſtir is there to maintain it. I remember Henry the fourth, writes to Pope Gregory, and tels him, that by reaſon of an Emulation there was about the Popedom, one being choſen in Rome, and the other in another place, that there were 230000. men loſt their lives out of that Emulation; meerly about two men, two Popes, it coſt the bloods of two hundred & thirty thouſand men. O what a ſtir is therein the world to ſatisfie the wils of a few men in the world? Certainly one day the world will be wiſer, and will underſtand that they are Men, and not Dogs, that they were not made to be ſubject to the humours and the luſts of men, and that no man hath now any further power over him, but what they have by an agreement from them one way or other, either implicit, or explicit, one way or other, it is by their agreement, that any man hath any power over them, and can exerciſe any; The world (I ſay) ere long I hope will be wiſe enough to underſtand this, and therefore will not ſo ſacrifice their lives for the ſatisfying of the wills of a few men in the world, they ſhall not make ſuch a ſtir in the world as heretofore they have done; Indeed men make a great ſtir now to maintain their portions, for the contention is not, de finibus, but de haereditate; not about matters of bounds and limits, (as he ſaid) but it is about the inheritance it ſelf; it is about their portion; it is their God; And do you ſay, What ails me, when you have taken away my gods? Here is the ground of all the ſtirs and Combuſtions in the world, becauſe carnal hearts look upon what they enjoy as their portion; But how comes it thus to paſs, that men ſhould be ſo greedy of this their portion? Is it ſuch an excellent portion that they are ſo greedy of it? Is it worth ſo much, that they contend ſo much about it? This makes way for me to ſlip into the Fourth Particular.
Fourthly, To enquire what kind of Portion this is, that theſe men of the world, have in this world, that they make ſuch a ſtir about. And therefore to make way for that;
Firſt. Conſider what poor things they are, that they make ſuch a ſtir about.
Secondly. Conſider the Tenure, upon which they hold whatſoever they do enjoy.
Thirdly. Conſider the mixture of Evil, that there is in that they do enjoy.
Fourthly. The bleſſed Portion that they loſe, that they might enjoy.
Laſtly. The dreadful end that there will be to ſuch men that have their portion here.
1. The poor things, that men have here in this world; What are they? Their Comforts for the moſt part, are but imaginary; In Hoſea, 12. 1. Ephraim feeds upon the wind: And when a bladder is ful of wind, one prick lets it quite out; and ſo when Death comes, it lets out all their Comforts: even as the wind goes all out at one prick in a bladder; ſo all the comforts of the men of the world, go out by the prick of death. In Prov. 23. 5. Wilt thou ſet thy heart upon that which is not? it is not, it hath no reality in it. And in Acts, 25. when Bernice and Agrippa came in great pomp and ſtate to the Aſſembly; that which you have in your books tranſlated great Pomp, it is in the Greek, with great Fancie: all the pomp and jollity in the world, it is but a fancy, this is their portion.
2. That which they have, it is of a very low nature; this would be an argument, we might phyloſophize in, if it were fit, or if we had time, but I'le quickly paſs over theſe things, it's of a very low nature, it not much concerns the ſoul, all the portion they have; Therefore ſaith the Text here, Thou filleſt their belly; it's but a belly full; what is that to the ſoul? Indeed the rich man in the Goſpel could ſay, Soul, take thy eaſe, for thou haſt goods laid up for many yeers, eat, drink, &c. Wilt thou ſay, Soul, take thy eaſe, becauſe thou haſt goods laid up, and becauſe you may eat, and drink? What is all this to the ſoul? Ambroſe hath ſuch a ſpeech upon the place, If the man had the ſoul of a ſwine, what could be ſaid otherwiſe? for indeed theſe things were ſutable to the ſoul of a ſwine: you ſhall find that a man is not the better, becauſe of outward things, not a whit; the heart of the wicked is little worth; his eſtate may be ſomewhat worth, his houſe may be ſomewhat worth, his lands may be ſomewhat worth; But the heart of the wicked is little worth, Prov. 10. And would not you think it to be a great evil, if ſo be that when you go up and down abroad, you ſhould certainly know, that there is no man doth give you any entertainment, or any reſpect, but it is for your ſervants ſake that tends upon you, would not that diſcourage you, and trouble you? Indeed you come to ſuch a mans houſe, and he ſeems to make you welcome, and you have entertainment; I but you come to know afterwards, that it was not for your ſake, but for your ſervants ſake that be loved; would you think you had a good entertainment there? the truth is, ſo all the reſpect you have in this world, it is for your ſervants ſake, for your goods, houſe, and lands, it is not for any worth that is in you. It was a ſpeech that Socrates ſpake once, to one Achilous, when he had a fine houſe, and a many brave things there (ſaith he) There are many come to ſee thy houſe, and thy fine things there, but no body comes to ſee thee; they know there is a worth in thy fine houſe, and in thy fine furniture, but they ſee no worth in thee. Indeed all theſe things are not ſouls meat, it is not mans meat they feed upon, it is but aſhes, it is nothing to the ſoul of man. Further:
3. Suppoſe it were for the ſoul, What thou haſt here, is but a very poor pittance, a ſcantie portion, thou haſt not all the world neither, thou haſt thy portion in this world; If thou hadſt the whol world at command, yea if God ſhould make a thouſand worlds more for thee to command, this were all but a poor pittance to put off an immortal ſoul withal: but now, that thou haſt is but a little minnim in the world: All Nations of the Earth are but as the duſt of the ballance, and drop of the bucket to God; What is thy duſt then? what is thy houſe, and land then? As Socrates wittily rebuked the pride of Alcibiades, when he was very proud, that he had ſo much Land lay together; He brought his Map of the world to him, and ſaith he, Pray ſhew me where your land lies here, one prick of a pen would have deſcribed it all. Should we take a rich man here that hath a great deal of land, and bring a Map of the world to him, all England, Ireland, and Scotland, are but three little ſpots unto the world; And what are your Farms, and your Mannours you have? you have but a little portion, if you had all, it were no great matter: the truth is, All you have in this world cannot be enough to make you live in faſhion in the world, like a man; it's not enough (I ſay) for to live like a man in the world, to live like one that hath an immortal ſoul, like one that hath the Image of God upon him, and was ſent hither into the world to do ſome great ſervice as every one of you was ſent hither to do; therefore it is but a mean thing, little cauſe you have for to rejoyce in it; It's true, they that are godly, account themſelves unworthy of the leaſt thing they have here in this world, but I'le tell you a Myſtery of Religion now, a practical Maxime of Religion, that is a great Myſtery to the world, and that is this, That a gracious heart, though he thinks himſelf unworthy of the leaſt crum of bread, yet all the Creatures in Heaven and Earth will not ſerve him to be his portion, will not ſatisfie him; though he hath a heart that will be ſatisfied with any thing, as counting himſelf unworthy of the meaneſt condition in this world, as a preſent gift of God, but if God ſhould give him Heaven and Earth, he hath ſuch an unſatisfying heart, as he would not be ſatisfied with Heaven and Earth, except God gives him Himſelf: therefore certainly thy portion is but a very little portion.
4. Thoſe things that thou haſt, are things that will vaniſh, and quickly come to nothing. It is ſaid, of the whol world, in Job; 26. 7. The whol earth hangs upon nothing; and ſo all things of the Earth do: and therefore it is ſaid of Abraham; in Hebrews, 11. That he ſought a City that had foundations: All other things, are as things that have no foundation at all; There is a worm in every creature, that will conſume it in time; and the Scripture calls all our riches, Ʋncertain riches; and Chriſtian thou art made for an eternal condition, theſe things are fading; when thou comeſt to enter in upon thy eternal eſtate, if thou ſhould'ſt then ask, what ſhall I have now? I have now thus much, and thus much, in my whol life, but what ſhall I have now I come to enter in upon my eternal eſtate, truly nothing at all. If a man were to go a great Voyage to the Indies, and all the proviſion he makes is this, he gets a Veſſel that can make ſhift to carry him as far as Graveſend, that he will do, and what need he hath of proviſion to Graveſrnd, or perhaps to the Downs, he provides for; he goes on, and ſhould go on now to the Downs, and begins his Voyage to go to the Indies, and is gotten into the Ocean; alas the Veſſel is a rotten Veſſel; Were not this an unwiſe man? Truly this is the condition of thouſands in the world, Man, Woman, thou art …ade for an eternal condition; God intends Eternity to every Mothers Child that is here this day, & God expects that thy life ſhould be ſpent in making proviſion for this Eternal eſtate of thine, and thou thinkeſt of nothing but that thou maieſt provide for a few years here, and live in ſome faſhion, and be ſome body in the world here; Oh! when thou comeſt to enter upon the Ocean of Eternity, thou wilt give a dreadful ſhreek, and cry out, I am undone, I am undone, I have provided nothing for Eternal life; theſe things are very uncertain: Oh what a deal of difference there is between the ſame men in two or three years? I might tell you (but the time ſo haſtens) that great difference two or three years have made between man and man, but I forbear it, becauſe I ſee the time will not give leave: And yet further for the meanneſs of the Portion.
5. What ever thou haſt in this world, it is no other, but what may ſtand with the Eternal hatred of an infinite God towards thee; it may be the portion of a Reprobate, and will this ſerve thy turn? will this ſatisfie thee? will that ſatisfie thy ſoul, that may be the portion of a Reprobate? There are many now that are ſweltring under the wrath of the infinite God, that have had twenty times as much as any of you have, that are here before the Lord this day, they have had greater eſtates than you, and lived merrier lives than you, and yet are now under the wrath of God; Wil a Reprobates portion ſerve thy turn? Therfore ſurely it is but a mean thing, that will ſtand with Gods Eternal hatred; Conſider it, To enjoy the Dominion of all the world, may ſtand with Gods Eternal hatred; but to have but the leaſt dram of ſaving grace, cannot ſtand with Gods Eternal hatred: What a difference is there between the having the leaſt dram of grace, and the enjoyment of al the world? what a goodly portion is there here that thou ſo much rejoyceſt in? It is certainly, becauſe thy heart is ſo ſtraight, that thou thinkeſt theſe things to be ſo big; As in a narrow Veſſel, a thing will appear big, but in a mighty wide Veſſel, it appears little; So when the Lord by grace ſhall widen and enlarge thy heart, then all the things of the world will be little to thee; Grace hath the Image of God in it, now what ſaith God of Himſelf, in Iſa. 40. All the world is but as the drop of the bucket, and the duſt of the ballance; Now grace hath Gods likeneſs, and through the Image of God in a gracious heart, the Soul ſaith thus of the world, as God ſaith of the world, that all the world is but as the drop of the bucket, and the duſt of the ballance to me; When the Lord promiſed to perſwade Japhet to dwell in the tents of Shem; the word that is tranſlated perſwade, it ſignifies to enlarge, that He would enlarge the heart of Japhet; and indeed when God doth convert a ſoul, the Lord doth enlarge that ſoul, doth enlarge the heart, and therefore all the things of the world, are now but little; Indeed if a man be below here, and looks upon that which is next to him, that hath any bigneſs in it, it ſhews ſomewhat great, but if a man were advanced on high, upon the top of a Pinnacle, then that which ſeemed great, appears but little to him; ſo the men of the world, that here lie groveling below, and the curſe of the Serpent is upon them, Ʋpon thy belly ſhalt thou go, and duſt ſhalt thou eat; they think the things of the world great matters; but grace lifts up the heart on high to God and Chriſt, mounts it up to Eternity, and then they can look upon all theſe things here below, as mean things; and this was the reaſon that Luther, when he had great gifts ſent in to him by many of the great men of Saxony, he began to be afraid, leſt the Lord ſhould reject him, here in this world, and he hath this expreſſion, I did vehemently proteſt God ſhould not put me off ſo; that is his word, according to the manner of the man, you know the man, and his language; according to the manner of his language thus he ſpeaks, when there came in things of the world, and he began to be tickled with honor, and great men did reſpect him, Oh (thought he) I ſhall be ſomebody now in the world, thus corruption began to work, but grace did prevail, and he breaks out with this expreſſion, I did profeſſe God ſhould not put me off ſo, the Lord ſhall not put me off ſo; there are other things which I look for, things which are better and higher, theſe are poor pittances for this ſoul of mine to be put off withal, there are other things I muſt have from the Lord, or elſe I cannot be ſatisfied. That's the Firſt thing, the poor things of the world, which is the Portion of wicked men.
Secondly, Conſider the Tenure by which they hold it.
All you have in the world, you hold it not by a good Tenure, it is not held in Capite, that is not the tenure you hold it by: I confeſſe this, I think not the men of the world to be Uſurpers for what they lawfully get in the world, I do not think they ſhall anſwer meerly for their uſing what they do, meerly for their right to uſe that they have, but they ſhall anſwer for their not right-uſing; they ſhall not anſwer (I ſay) for their right to uſe, but for their not right-uſing; they have ſome right, but what right is it they hold it upon? what tenure? There is a Threefold right:
1. A right from Juſtice, that we may claim a thing by: One can claim by Juſtice, ſuch a thing is his due: That's not your right, you cannot claim any thing.
2. There is a right from Creation, that God gave to man at firſt Creation: you have loſt that too.
3. There is a right from Promiſe? God hath now promiſed all good things to his people; you have not that right neither: You have neither the right of Juſtice to claim; nor the right from your Creation; nor the right from Promiſe: What right then? There is a Fourth right, and that right I confeſs you have, and that is.
4. A right from Donation: God is pleaſed to give to you, but juſt thus; You hold all your Honors and Eſtates, that are ungodly men, juſt thus, Even as a man that is condemned to die, and there being a little reprieving for two or three daies before his execution, the Prince out of his indulgence, gives order to have proviſion made for him according to his Quality, that if he be a Gentleman, he ſhal have ſuch proviſion, if a Knight, a Nobleman, a Peer of the Realm, he ſhall have proviſion according to his Quality, till his Execution; now no man can ſay, this man uſurps, though he hath forfeited all his right to his Land and Eſtate, yet if the King will give him this refreſhment, he is no uſurper, but it is a poor right he hath, it's a right from Donation: and thus God gives the ungodly men, in this world they have a right to outward comforts: you have your Portion, but you ſee how you hold it. That's the Second thing. I have but one or two things more to diſpatch of this particular: and two things further, and I ſhall wind up all as briefly as I can. (I am told I may take ſome liberty at ſuch a time as this is, and ſeeing it is only the preaching oportunity we meddle withal; give me leave a little the more to tranſgreſſe upon your patience, in that I hope it will not be very much) The next thing to be conſidered, it is, That this Portion here, as it's poor in regard of the mean things, and the Tenure: So,
Thirdly; There is a great deal of Mixture here in this you have.
1. There is a manifold Mixture of Cumber, of Trouble; and the truth is, All the good things that wicked men enjoy in this world, will ſcarce bear charges; that is, there is ſo much trouble they meet withal here in this world with their Portion, that all they have will ſcarce bear charges: And if a man goes a Voyage, we uſe not to count any thing he ſpends by the way to be part of his Treaſury. Now all we have here in this world, is but Spending-money to bear our Charges, in regard God knows we ſhall be at a great deal of Charges, and afflictions we ſhall meet with here. But beſides:
2. There is a Mixture of Curſe in every Portion of an Ungodly man. If any of you think you get ſuch a rich Match, you get an Heir that is a very rich Match, and you get her portion, and there you go and fetch away the bags of God that are her portion, but if it ſhould prove that every bag of Gold you have of your Wives portion had the Plague in it, it were but a poor portion. Certainly it is thus with all ungodly ones in the world, that all the while they live, whatſoever they enjoy, ſo long as continuing wicked, they have a Curſe of God that goes along with it, and makes way unto Eternal miſery for them: As thoſe that are godly have the bleſſing of God in outward things, that makes way for their Eternal good; So thou haſt the Curſe of the Lord mingled with all thy outward things that makes way for Eternal evil unto thee. And then, Conſider,
3. What portion thou loſeſt; thou haſt gotten one, but thou loſeſt a great deal more: If a man had been at the Exchange, and made ſome bargain about ſome petty thing, and afterwards when he comes home, knows that by not buying ſuch a thing, he hath loſt a bargain that would have made him and his poſteritie, he hath little cauſe of rejoycing in that bargain he hath made: So though thou haſt got a portion that may ſeem to ſatisfie thee ſomwhat, know thou haſt loſt a portion of infinit worth and value; and it's impoſſible to ſhew you what this portion is; for the Devil could ſhew Chriſt all the glory of the world in the twinkling of an eye; but if I ſhould come to ſhew you the glory of Heaven, I had need have Eternity to ſhew you what the portion of the Saints is, but though I cannot ſhew it you all, I will only give you a hint or two, that you may know ſomewhat, what it is:
1. It is ſuch a portion, as is fit for the Spouſe of the Lamb, as is fit for the Spouſe of one that is to marry the Son of God, the ſecond Perſon in Trinity.
2. It is ſuch a portion, which is fit and ſutable to an Heir of Life and Glory, an Heir of Heaven and Earth.
3. It is ſuch a portion, as God doth give it unto them, to this very end, As to declare what the infinite Power of God is able to do, to raiſe a poor creature to the height of happineſs; What think you this muſt be? that (I ſay) it muſt therefore be done, that it might declare to Angels, and all creatures, what the infinit power of God is able to do, to raiſe a poor creature to happineſs and glory. This muſt be ſomewhat.
4. It muſt be ſuch a one, as in which God muſt attain unto the great deſign that he had from all eternity in making the Heaven, and Earth; the ſpecial deſign that God had in making Heaven and Earth, from all Eternity, it was, to magnifie the Riches of His Grace, to a Company that He had ſet apart to glory; it muſt be ſuch a portion, and gueſs you what this muſt needs be.
5. It is ſuch a portion, as muſt require the infinite power of God to ſupport a Creature to be able to bear the weight of that glory: it's ſuch a portion. And do you but think what kind of portion that muſt needs be?
6. All this muſt needs be now to all Eternity. I remember when Eſau did but hear Iſaac his father tel what a bleſſing he had given unto Jacob, the Text ſaith, that Eſau fell a weeping. Oh! that God would ſtrike upon the hearts of men that have ſo little minded any thing, but the preſent things of the world; thou heareſt but a few words of what the Lord hath reſerved to all eternity for his Saints, and compare but that with what is thy portion, and what is like to be thy portion; and thou haſt cauſe to weep; I, but more cauſe you will have to weep, if ſo be you conſider the laſt thing.
Fifthly. What is like to be thy End, thy Portion is in this world; if indeed thou couldſt ruffle it out in this world, and enjoy thy hearts deſire, and there an end, it were ſomewhat: Oh but there is ſomewhat elſe remains afterwards: As firſt,
1. Oh the perplexity of Spirit that any worldly man will have, when Death comes, when he ſhall ſee an end of all the comforts of this world, now farewell houſe, and lands, and friends and acquaintance, and all merry meettings, and jovialities, I ſhall never have comfort more in you. As it was the ſpeech of Pope Adrian, when he was to die; O thou my ſoul! my ſoul! whither art thou going? whither art thou going? thou ſhalt never have more jeſts, nor be merry, nor be jocund any more; where art thou going? So may a man that hath his portion in this world here, ſay at his death, Where is this poor ſoul of mine going? I have lived here thus many yeers, and I have had many merry meetings, and I have eaten of the fatteſt, and drunk of the ſweeteſt, and gone in brave array, but now my day is gone, what ſhall become of me? what peace have I now when all is gone? I remember Latimer hath ſuch a ſtory in one of his Sermons that he preached before King Edward, he tels a ſtory of a rich man, that when he lay upon his ſick bed, there came one to him, and tels him that certainly by all reaſons they can judg by, That he was like to be a man for another world, a dead man: Aſſoon as ever he hearts but theſe words, (they are Latimers words, I only repeat them as his words, and they were before a King, and ſo they will not be too broad words, nor too rude to ſpeak before you; aſſoon as ever he did but hear this) What muſt I die? ſend for a Phyſitian; wounds, ſides, heart, muſt I die? wounds, ſides, heart, muſt I die? and thus he goes on; and there could be nothing got from him, but wounds, ſides, heart, muſt I die? muſt I die, and go from all theſe▪ here was all; here is the end of this man, that makes his portion to be in this world. Another rich man that lived not far from the place that I my ſelf lived in heretofore, when he heard his ſickneſs was deadly, he ſends for his bags of money, and hugs them in his arms, Oh! muſt I leave you? Oh! muſt I leave you? And another, that when he lay upon his ſick bed, cals for his bags, and laies a bag of gold to his heart, and then bids them take it away, it will not do, it will not do. Another when he lay upon his ſick bed, his friends came to him and ſaid, What lack you? what would you have? would you have any Beer? want you any thing? Oh no, (ſaith he) I want only one thing, Peace of Conſcience; that I would have: it is not beer, nor friends, nor an eaſie pillow I want, but eaſe of Conſcience. Oh conſider now, whether there be not like to be perplexity in your Spirits?
2. You muſt be called to an Accompt for all; though (as I told you before) not to accompt for the right to uſe, but for not right-uſing; and do but now think with your ſelves, If you now have ſo much as you cannot reckon, how then will you be able to reckon for it, if you cannot now reckon it? now you have ſo much as you cannot count, how will you be able to give an accompt of what you have now, eſpecially when you have had no thoughts of this beforehand?
3. There is at laſt a dreadful portion indeed at the day of Judgment; Oh the ſhame and confuſion that will be upon the faces of the men of the world! eſpecially when they ſhall ſee perhaps their poor neighbors have their portion with Chriſt, in glory: perhaps a poor boy, a poor ſervant in the houſe advanced to glory, and they ſtand on the left hand to be caſt out; perhaps ſome of theſe poor Hoſpital boyes ſhall be admitted to eternal glory, when as ſome of you that are their great Maſters, ſhall be caſt out eternally; and what an infinit ſhame and confuſion would this be to you? Oh now I ſee what it is to truſt in God, and not to truſt in him; theſe are happy that would truſt for the future, but I miſerable that dare not truſt in him: and then the concluſion what will it be? in Pſalm, 11. 6. The Lord will rain ſnares and fire and brimſtone, and this ſhall be the portion of their cup; here is the portion of the Ungodly at laſt: and in Mat, 24. 51. Appoint him his portion with Hypocrites, where there is weeping and gnaſhing of teeth; that is the portion of Hypocrites in the concluſion; Now here thou ſeeſt the End of all, what do'ſt thou think then of thy portion now? Think but of one text and I have done this, in Job, 27. 8. What hope hath an Hypocrite though he hath gained, when God takes away his ſoul? Mark, there were many Hypocrites that aimed to get in the world, and cannot get in the world, God croſſes them here; well, but ſuppoſe thou aimeſt at gain, and canſt get what thou would'ſt have, thou haſt got all thou would'ſt deſire, but what hope hath an Hypocrite though he hath gained, though he hath grown never ſo rich, and got all he deſires, when God takes away his ſoul? This time is coming, it will be ere long, and it may be ere long the portion of ſome that are here preſent; and perhaps this Text of mine, may then ring in their ears, when they lie upon their ſick beds, perhaps within a month or ſix weeks, or a quarter of a yeer, when Gods time ſhall be, and then this Sermon, Conſcience may repeat in your ears; I heard ſuch a day, there were a generation of men, that have their portion in this world, and now I am afraid I am one of them, and there is an end of my portion, only I muſt go to my other portion; that will be very dreadful. But I muſt not make an end, till I ſhall ſpeak ſomwhat of the next, I ſhall leave the Point very bare elſe; I, but who have you ſpoke to all this while?
Fifthly, Who is the man that hath his Portion in this world?
It is a poor portion you have ſet it out to us, but every one will go away and ſay, I hope it is not I, I hope it is not I, I hope God hath a better portion for me than this; therefore give me leave to ſpeak in the Name of God to you, and I'le only ſpeak from God, and out of His Word to you, to point out the man and woman, that is like to have his portion here, living and dying in ſuch a Condition, I now am ſpeaking of; that man that is in ſuch a condition I ſhall open to you, in the preſent condition wherein he is, is certainly the man, and the Lord pronounces it this day, that his portion is in this world. Who is he?
1. That man to whom God gives in this life nothing but what belongs to this life; that is the man apparently: If God give thee thy eſtate, and if He give thee not ſomewhat beſides thy eſtate, a principle that is a ſeed of Eternal life in thee here in this world, certainly He never intends good to thee in the world to come; There are many men have a great deal in this world, and they ſay, they hope God will be merciful to them in the world to come; now this is a certain truth, that man to whom God denies Spiritual mercies in this world, God will deny Eternal mercy to him in the world to come; this therefore ſhould be thy care, Doth God encreaſe my eſtate in this world? Oh that the Lord would give a proportionable meaſure of grace too, elſe it is nothing; Lord thou giveſt me here a great eſtate, if thou giveſt not to me grace with it, a proportionable meaſure of grace to uſe it to thy glory, I had better have been without this; Is this thy care? I put it to thy conſcience; As thy eſtate encreaſes, art thou ſolicitious at the Throne of grace, that the Lord would give thee a proportionable meaſure of grace, to mannage thy eſtate for His glory; then peace be to thee, thou art not the man. And then further, you may examin it.
2. By the working of your hearts about your preſent Portions. As firſt.
1. Whether you enjoy what you have for it ſelf, and whether your hearts be terminated in what you do enjoy: One that is godly, and hath his Portion beyond theſe things, he enjoyes the Creature; I but it is God in it he enjoyes: It is ſweet to me, that I can ſee and taſt the love of God in it: I but a carnal heart enjoys the creatures, and runs away, and is terminated there, looks at the Creature, but at little in God; as divers of your Hoſpital Children, here, look more at the Men that were their friends, to bring them into the Hoſpital, when they were Fatherleſs and Motherleſs, and Siſterleſs, than they look at the Founders of the Hoſpital, they little think of them, to thank God for them, but if they meet with him, that was the next cauſe to bring them in, they will thank him for his kindneſs. So it is with men, they look at that Creature that was the firſt means of bringing them in; but a godly heart looks at the root of all: I remember it is ſaid of one that came into the Treaſuries of Venice, he ſaw tables of Gold, and Silver there, and he points down and looks at the bottom of the table, and one asked him, Why is your eye ſo at the bottom? Oh ſaith he, I am looking at the root of all this. Oh! alas, it is a ſmall matter for a man that hath a great Trade to have a great Portion: So many men, look not ſo much at the Root; whereas a godly man, though he hath but a little, yet he looks at the Root, at the love of God, and the Covenant of grace, that is the Root of all; and this is the thing that ſatisfies his heart: When a man takes a portion of phyſick, he puts it into the Poſſet-ale, the Poſſet-ale is not the thing that makes the Phyſick work, though it is that that is the greater part, but it is the Phyſick in it. So it is the goodneſs of God that ſatisfies a gracious heart, and not the Creature that is operative ſo much upon a gracious heart: and then you may examine how your hearts are ſet upon theſe things of the world.
2. Whether your hearts go out with full ſtrength to them; If you make your bellies to be your god, then your end will be deſtruction (as the Apoſtle ſpeaks:) That man that hath his heart ſwallowed up in the earth like Corah, Dathan, and Abiram, that were ſwallowed up in the earth, if the things of the earth be a gulf to ſwallow thy heart up, there is another gulf to ſwallow thee up hereafter.
3. How do the loſs of the things of the world take thy heart? Doſt not thou count thy ſelf an undone man, when thou haſt loſt ſome comforts? Doſt not thou come home to thy wife and children, and ſay, I am an undone man: Why? what's the matter? I have loſt ſome part of my eſtate: O carnal heart! one that is gracious may have ſome croſſes, but no loſſes at all, becauſe he enjoyes all in God, he hath God to make up all his loſſes: And the truth is, if thou wert truly godly, whatſoever afflictions thou meeteſt withal; (as we ſay a man may put all in his eye) ſo you may (if you be godly) put all your croſſes in your eyes, you are ſo far from being undone. And further examin,
4. Whether theſe things of the world, be not the only ſutable things to your hearts; whether you bleſs not your ſelves in theſe, as in your happineſs: The Ivie will claſp about a rotten tree, and cannot be taken off it without tearing: And ſo the heart of a worldling will claſp about theſe rotten-comforts as the only agreeable thing; You may hear them ſometimes tell with joy, That we were in ſuch a place, and we were ſo merry, and had the braveſt meeting: And what was there? Why there was ſinging, and roaring, and blaſpheming of the Name of God, and yet it was the braveſt meeting that could be. When did you ever come from an Ordinance of God, and ſay, Oh! it was a brave day to me, the Lord hath ſpoken to my heart this day: Did you never go from the Word with as merry a heart, and can rejoyce for it amongſt your friends, as you did from a merry meeting? You may fear you are the man, that have your portion here. And then this is more cleer, for every one to examin his heart in, and if I were to give but any one Evidence, whether a man hath Grace or no, I would give this aſſoon as any one; A man that hath got ſome eſtate in the world, I put this to him:
5. What doſt thou account to be the chiefeſt good of thy eſtate, more than thou hadſt before, or more than another man hath? A man that hath got an eſtate more than he had, or more than his brother: there are many good things in his eſtate, that he will think good; Now I may live in better faſhion than I could before, now I may have more freedom than I had before, now I may have more credit in the world than I had before, now I may have my own mind, and ſatisfie my own luſts more than I had before, or than another man can do; Is not this the thing thou moſt rejoyceſt in? yea, is not this a truth, that ſome of your hearts, if they were ripped up, this would be the language of them; that you muſt rejoyce in your eſtates, becauſe by them you have fuel for your luſts? A poor man hath not ſo much fuel for his uncleanneſs as you have, nor ſo much fuel for his luſt of pride and malice as you have; and many rich men account the bleſſing, the good, and happineſs of their eſtates to conſiſt in this very thing; that now they may have a larger ſcope for their luſts, than ever they could before; alas a poor man cannot go abroad and drink as you can do, a poor man cannot lay out ſo much money on a Whore, an Unclean wretch, as you can do, and you rejoyce in this: and if this man have not his portion here, what man hath? the Lord ſtrike ſuch a mans heart. But on the other ſide, A gracious heart when God bleſſes him in this world, though there be but a little grace, it wil work thus, The Lord hath raiſed my condition above my brother, & therein the Lord gives me a larger opportunity to do him ſervice, than my brother hath or than I had before; there is ſuch a poor man, he is an honeſt man, but God knows he can do but little in the place where he is, he hath but little means: but God hath given me means, and this means enlarges my opportunity to do God ſervice, and for this my ſoul bleſſeth God; I count my eſtate happier in this, becauſe I now may be of more uſe, and do God more ſervice than otherwiſe I could do; Have you ſuch workings in heart, you rich men? if you have not never be at quiet til you get your hearts working in this manner; this will be a bleſſed teſtimony that God gives you a portion here, and intends another portion for you in the world hereafter.
6. What is that thing that you ſtrive to make moſt ſure? That which a man ſtrives to make moſt ſure, that he counts his happineſs to conſiſt in; Oh for thy Land, and Debts, thou ſtriveſt with all thy might to make that ſure, but as for the matter of thy Salvation, and peace in Chriſt, thou haſt a good hope in God for, but takeſt no pains to make it ſure.
7. What doſt thou admire moſt men for? O! ſuch a man is happy, he hath ſo much coming in, and hath ſo much a yeer: But doſt thou call the vile man happy? it is a ſign that thou haſt not thine eye enlightened by the Spirit of God; but now, Canſt thou look upon even thoſe that are poor, and mean in this world, that have the leaſt portion here, yet as moſt happy Creatures, becauſe the Lord gives them the Grace of His Spirit; and think, well, 'tis true, I have a greater eſtate than ſuch a poor man that is my neighbor, or than ſuch a poor man, but God knows he doth God more ſervice than I do, he prayes more, and more heartily in one day than I do in a whol yeer: Oh! the Lord hath other manner of prayers, and ſighs come from his poor Cottage, than ever he had from my brave Pallace; I have my City-houſe, and Country-houſe, but they were never ſo perfum'd with prayers; Some that live in poor Cellers, ſend up more prayers, and God hath more honor from them, than He hath from me; in my family (perhaps) there is curſing, and blaſpheming of God; in ſuch poor Cottages there is (perhaps) bleſſing, and praiſing of God. Now ſee if thou lookeſt upon them as the moſt happy people in the world.
8. What, art thou careful to lay up for thy Children? That is like to be thy portion; If the things of the world take up thy care for thy children moſt, that is an argument, thou thinkeſt thy Children have a good portion, if thou canſt leave them ſo many thouſands, it is like it is thy portion too, if thou counteſt it theirs. And then further,
9. Examin thy ſervices what they are:
1. Doſt thou put off God with ſlight ſervices? Then know thy portion is like to be of Gods ſlight mercies.
2. Art thou hypocritical in thy ſervice? Doſt thou aim at the praiſe of men in outward duties? That is a ſign thou haſt thy reward here.
3. And are thy ſervices forc'd, that thou art compel'd? Is it meerly conſcience compels thee, and not an inward agreeableneſs between the frame of thy heart, and holy things? Then it's like a ſervants portion is thine, and not a childs portion.
10. Further, Haſt thou heretofore been a forward Profeſſor in Religion, and haſt thou forſaken the waies of God? I'le give you a dreadful Scripture for this, In Jer. 17. 13. All you that forſake the Lord, ſhall come to be aſhamed, and they that depart from him, ſhall be written in the earth. All that depart from God ſhall be written in the earth. If thou haſt been forward heretofore, and now thou comeſt to be more ancient, thou art dead, and dull, and careleſs, here is a Text for thee, go home and tremble leſt thou be a man, whoſe name is written in the earth.
11. Doth not God for the preſent Curſe thy portion? thou findeſt the more thou haſt, the worſe thou groweſt; As if a man ſhould eat meat at ones table, and aſſoon as he hath eaten it, begin to ſwell, he will conclude certainly the meat was poyſoned: So when thy eſtate riſes, thy heart riſeth with pride, ſurely it was poyſoned with the curſe of God that was in it.
12. Examin thy heart by this, whether hath God convinced thee, of that which ſtops the great Current of His mercy, I ſpake of even now; that ſoul that hath its portion in this world, looks no further but to Gods general bounty, and looks not to what ſtops the great Current of Gods grace, he is not brought to be ſenſible of his need of Chriſt, and of his ſatisfaction unto Divine Juſtice; but now the heart of God intends Eternal good too, ſuch a heart the Lord cauſes to underſtand that there is ſuch an infinite breach between God and it, as cannot be made up, but only by the Meditation of the Son of God; and therefore Lord, it is not in any righteouſneſs of mine, nor in any thing of any creature in Heaven and Earth can do it, that I expect to have my portion from, but in the Mediation of the Son of God; that I look after, and my heart cloſes with that Mediation, and I look upon that as the ſpring of all my worth; He is a man indeed that is not like to have his portion in this world, and I'le only name that one more, What ſaieſt thou to this?
13. That man that ſpends his daies without having ſome fear, leſt God ſhould put him off with the things of this world; there may be ſome danger of that: Jude, 12. it is ſaid of ſome, That they did feed themſelves without fear. You can go now to a merry meeting, and can go and feed upon the cheer, and you eat without fear, you'l never have ſuch a thought in your heart, What if God ſhould put me off with theſe things? I hear indeed there are ſome men are put off ſo, what if it ſhould prove to be my portion? what a miſerable creature were I? I fear there are ſome men never had ſuch a thought in their lives; What if it ſhould prove ſo, what a miſerable creature were I? The wicked are deſcribed to be men that eat without fear; and thus we have done the Fifth Thing: There is only the Sixth, and that is,
Sixthly. Exhortation to you all, and then I have done all: And this Exhortation it muſt be divided.
Firſt, Ʋnto you that have ſome Evidences that God hath given you a better Portion, that God hath not put you off with the Portion of this world.
1. Oh bleſs the Lord for His goodneſs to you; the Lord He hath ſhewed you better things than theſe are, your line is fallen into a good ground, you have a goodly inheritance. When David looked at the proſperity of wicked men, his concluſion is, in Pſal. 73. 13. I have clenſed my heart in vain, and waſhed my hands in innocency; but guide me with Thy Counſel, and afterward bring me to Thy glory.
2. Be content with thy portion here, do not murmur and repine, for though thou haſt not ſo much as others have, yet thou haſt that that will make thee happy for ever; I remember that Hierom in one of his Epiſtles, tells of one Dydimus, that was a learned godly Preacher, but blind; Alexander comes to him, meeting of him, and asks him, What, are you not troubled for want of ſight? And he indeed confeſſed, it was a very ſore affliction to him; then Alexander begins and chides him, What hath God given you that that is the excellency of an Apoſtle, of a Miniſter of Chriſt, and are you troubled for want of your ſight, that a piſmire may have, that a brute beaſt, yea the very Piſmires; the want of thy ſight, of that that Mice and Rats may have? are you troubled at that, and rather not taught for to bleſs God that hath given you ſo great a mercy, as to make you ſuch an inſtrument in his ſervice? So may I ſay to you that are godly, Hath God given you Jeſus Chriſt? hath God given you His Son? hath He given you His Spirit? hath He given you Himſelf to be your portion? And are you troubled that you have no more of that that beaſts may have as well as your ſelves? Oh be aſhamed of any mournful diſcontentments for want of the comforts of this world. And then;
3. Do not envy at any wicked men for their portion. I remember a ſtory that I have heard of a poor Souldier, that was condemned to die, meerly for taking a bunch of Grapes from a Vine; for there was a ſtrict Law, that whoſoever ſhould take anything from that place they went thorough, ſhould die for it; and he had taken a bunch of Grapes, and he was condemned to die, and as he went to Execution, he went eating of the bunch of Grapes, and ſome came to him, and ſaid, Thou ſhould 'ſt think of ſomewhat elſe: he anſwered, I beſeech you Sirs, do not envie me my Grapes, they will coſt me dear. So may I ſay of all the men of the world, we have no need to envie them for any thing they have, it will coſt them very dear. And laſtly.
4. Do you live like ſuch as God hath not put off with the Portion of this world? Manifeſt it in your converſations, that you look for higher and better things, than the things of this world, ſhew they are but ſlight in your eyes: Zebulun and Naphtali did jeobard their lives, they did look upon their lives as little worth for that cauſe: So look upon your eſtates as diſpicable, be willing to improve them all for the publick good, in a publick cauſe, yea, to jeobard not Eſtates only, but your Names, your Liberties, and your Lives; and thoſe that ſhall do ſo, thoſe whom God hath given hearts to do ſo amongſt you, perhaps ſome of you may look upon them, as men in a ſad condition, Oh ſuch a man in ſuch a place, is look'd upon, and he is like to be undone, if not his life in danger; but ſuch a one that ſhall out of a good principle be willing to venture his life and eſtate, and appear in a good Cauſe, that man ſhall be moſt honored, and look'd upon as the moſt happy man of all; and indeed herein he ſhews himſelf to be a man that looks for an higher portion than theſe things here: as thoſe in Heb. 11. 14. By that they ſaid and did, they ſhewed plainly, they looked for another Country. So, ſee you men that might live as comfortably for outward things as you, and (did their conſciences give way) they could be as quiet as you, but conſcience puts them upon it, that ſeeing God cals them to a publick place, they ſhould be content to put all at Gods feet; now though you may think it hard, and they are in moſt danger, they ſhew plainly they are men of another country, and ſhould be moſt honored; and take but this principle with you, The more any one gives up his eſtate, the more comfort he hath in his eſtate, whether in the enjoyment of it, or in the loſs of it: I expreſs it thus, When one reſigns up all he hath, his Eſtate, Liberty, Name, Life to God, the oftner it comes into Gods hands, the better it comes when God gives him them again; A carnal heart when once he hath theſe things, he will not truſt God with them, but he will have them at his own keeping: but now a gracious heart, though he hath all theſe from God, yet every day he is willing to give up all to God, and to truſt God with them again; though he be a rich man, he is willing every day to come and beg his bread at his fathers gate, and give up all; now he gives up all in the truth of his heart to God, and God gives him it all again; ſo long as in a lawful way he enjoyes it, he hath it afreſh from God; now this I ſay, The oftner any thing comes out of Gods hand, the ſweeter and better it is! wicked mens eſtates come but once out of Gods hands, and therefore there is not ſo much comfort in them; but a godly mans eſtate comes an hundred and an hundred times from God, for every reſignation gives it to God, and God gives it him again; and therein is comfort: and Oh! bleſſed are they that live ſo, as that they declare they look for another Country, and that their Portion is not here; let the men of the world think them fooliſh; that they will venture themſelves ſo; God and His Saints, have declared that their Portion is not here.
Secondly, To you all; the word of Exhortation from God is: That every one in this place would put on to make more ſure of another Portion, beſides the Portion here in this world.
Put on: Why?
Firſt, You are all made capable of higher and better things than the things of the world are; never a one here, but hath an immortal ſoul, and therefore is capable of communion with Father, Son, and holy Ghoſt, and that is another manner of buſineſs, than to eat and drink, and have pleaſure with the fleſh here a while; Hath God made your Natures capable of ſuch glory? Do not debaſe your ſelves, and that Humanity God hath put into you, to ſatisfie your ſelves with husks, when there is meat enough in your fathers houſe; and He may be your father for ought I know: and therefore, put on. And,
Secondly, Let the pooreſt ſort put on, to have but a little portion here, yet there is as fair a way for you to have the God of Heaven and Earth to be your Portion, to have whatſoever Jeſus Chriſt hath purchaſed by His blood to be your Portion, to have Heaven, and Eternity, and Immortallity to be your Portion; (I ſay) there is as fair a way for it, as for the greateſeſt Prince in the Earth; you may come to have a Portion: Here indeed many a poor Apprentiſe may ſay, My Father is dead, and hath left me no Portion. I but you that are poor Apprentiſes and others, and the poor Hoſpital Boys, that live upon Charity, It's poſſible ſome poor wretches there may have their portion in God, and Chriſt, and Immortallity, aſwel as the greateſt and richeſt of all; therefore raiſe up your hearts here, you that are the pooreſt and meaneſt; and know, you are born for high things: If I ſhould come and tell one that is a poor Boy in a blew Coat; Whatſoever you are now, there is ſuch a rich man will adopt you to be his Child, and make you his Heir; that would raiſe up his heart: Well, how meanly ſoever you live now, you may be a glorious Creature hereafter; if ſo be you have an heart to put upon it, and to ſeek after it for your portion: Then you'l ſay, Lord, what ſhould we do, that our portion ſhould be an higher portion than in this world? The Firſt thing I would put you upon, is this:
1. Let the whole Courſe of your life be ſteered (as it were) with the fear of God, leſt that this ſhould be all that you have; as it was a ſign before, ſo now I may make uſe of it as a means; (I ſay) let your courſe of life be ſteer'd (as it were) with the fear of God, leſt that God with this ſhould put you off: hold forth this in every action, that any one may ſee by your Converſation, ſurely this man, this woman hath ſome fears, leſt God ſhould put them off with a portion in this world: And eſpecially you that have great portions in this life, and you know you have done God little ſervice; you know there are many poor people that live upon Alms have done God more ſervice than you; you have moſt cauſe to fear; They that are Rulers, and Governours have moſt cauſe to fear, unleſs they have mighty good evidence in their hearts: Chryſoſtom upon the 13. of the Hebrews, ſpeaking of thoſe that are Governours; I wonder that any Governour ſhould be ſaved: he hath ſuch a ſpeech there; we will not ſay ſo, but he ſaith ſo, there is a great deal of hazard: Chriſt tels us too, that a man that hath a great portion in this world, though it's poſſible he may have more hereafter, yet it is doubtful. It is the Counſel of one, to a King of Portingal, (ſaith he) I deſire you to grant me this favor, that every day you would but think of this Text, What profits it a man. If he ſhould gain the whol world, and loſe his own ſoul. Spend ſome little time every day, to think of this Text, and pray to God that he would give you, the true underſtanding and ſenſe of this Text, and let it be the concluſion of al your prayers, that God would ſhew you what there is in this Text, what ſhall it profit a man, if he ſhall gain the whole world, and loſe his own ſoul; The ſame counſel I give to you, Daily pray to God, to make you underſtand what there is in this Text, that there are men that have their portion in this world.
2. Labor to take off your hearts from all theſe outward comforts that are here; take off your ſpirits: He that will be rich ſhall fall into many temptations: Know it is not neceſſary (ſo you ſhould conclude every one in your own hearts, it is not neceſſary) I ſhould have eſtate in this world, but it is neceſſary I ſhould make my peace up with God: it is neceſſary I ſhould provide for my ſoul, but how things are with me here there is no great neceſſity. And then;
3. Set you the glory of Heaven and Eternity daily before your eyes, and be trading for higher things than theſe are: you that are great Merchants, you are trading for thouſands; when as many poor people now that go up and down in the ſtreets, and cry ſome mean thing, they think well if they can get eighteen pence in a whole day, carrying things upon their heads, and crying in the ſtreets: but a rich Merchant can go out in the morning, and make a bargain, and perhaps get five hundred pound in an hour: he is trading for ſomewhat like. So the men of this world are like the poor women that go with things, about upon their heads, and get eighteen pence in a day; but a godly man hath communion with God, and in a quarter of an hour gets that he would not loſe for hundreds, nor for thouſands. It was a ſpeech of Cleopatra to Anthony; Why Anthony thou art not to fiſh for Gudgeons, and Trouts, but thou art to angle for Caſtles, and Towers, and Forts, and Cities, thou art to fiſh for them; ſo may I ſay, If thou haſt an immortal ſoul within thee, thou art not ſo much to angle for to make proviſion for the fleſh, for meat, and drink, and cloathes, &c. but for Heaven, and Immortality, ſet that continually before thine eyes. And the next thing is this.
4. Honor God with thy ſubſtance here; lay out thy portion here for God: and Oh that I could but convince you of one Principle of Divinity more, and that is this, That there is more excellency and good in one vertuous Action, than there is in all the creatures in Heaven and Earth, (beſides the works of Angels and others of the Saints, excepting them:) Take all Creatures, Sun, Moon, Stars, Seas, Earth, all the riches in the world, Pearls, put all together, this is the true Divinity, (I ſay) that there is more excellencie in one vertuous Action, than there is if thou hadſt all theſe things to be thy poſſeſſion; If men were convinced of this, they would be abundant in good works then: Thou thinkeſt it a brave thing, thou haſt ſo much coming in by the yeer; do but one good action for God out of an upright principle, and there is more excellency in that one action, than there is in thy eſtate, if thou hadſt ten thouſand times more added to it: Certainly, this will make them that are rich, to be rich in good works; ſo the Scripture ſaith, Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be rich in good works: There is a richneſs in good works, as well as in an eſtate; Oh! improve, lay out thy eſtate for God: Ambroſe I remember upon that place, his Sermons upon the rich man, ſaith he, Is it not more honor that ſo many children ſhall ask of you as their father, than that ſo many pieces of gold ſhall call you their lord? Theſe pieces of gold they do (as it were) call you lord, and there are two or three children ſhall call you father; Is there not more excellency to have a couple of poor Orphants while you are alive in this world, to call you father, than to have ſo many bags of gold cal you maſter? Oh therfore lay out your Portion, Give a portion to ſix and to ſeven. In 2 Cor. 9. 8. there the Apoſtle tels the Corinthians, that God ſhould make them abundant in all Grace; fill you with Grace that you may abound in all ſufficiency: But what for? In the 11. verſ. being enriched in every thing in all bountifulneſs; and then verſe 12. for the adminiſtration of this ſervice; that you may be enriched in all bountifulneſs; Wherefore? for the adminiſtration of this ſervice: Now the words in the Greek are, for the adminiſtration of this Leturgie: ſo the words are in the Greek, that you may abound, and have all grace to abound in the adminiſtration of this Leturgie. My brethren, Oh how happy were it if ſo be that men were plentiful in this Divine Service, that I am ſpeaking of, and well verc'd in this Leturgie: the Apoſtle cals bounty, a leturgie, the ſervice of God, that is Divine Service indeed, that is a happy Leturgie to be well verc'd in, and to be abundantly verc'd in this kind of Leturgie; for ſo the words are in the Greek; and then again, If you would not be put off with this portion in the world;
5. Be ſure that all the ſervices you perform to God be choice ſervices; If you expect choice mercies, let you ſervices be choice ſervices; be ſure your works be ſupernatural works; You'l ſay, How ſhall I know that? If I had time I could make it out cleer to you, but only thus, A ſupernatural work is that which hath a ſupernatural Principle, aims at a ſupernatural End, and done in a ſupernatural manner; A ſupernatural Principle, that is grace that makes it ſutable to my heart, and not only that I do it out of conviction of conſcience; and a ſupernatural End, that I aim at God, and not at myſelf; but the ſupernatural manner, what is that? I remember Seneca in giving of his rule, how to know the affections, when they are Natural, and when not, (ſaith he) you ſhall know a natural affection by this, If it be kept within bounds, it is natural; if it be out of bounds, it is not natural: I'le make uſe of it in another way, When you come to the ſervice of God, if you think to limit God in His ſervice, this is but a natural ſervice, you will go ſo far, and there ſtop; but if it be ſupernatural ſervice, you will let out your hearts (if it were poſſible) infinitely to God; you cannot be infinite, that's true; but you will propound no bounds, no limits to your ſervice; and this is indeed the truth of Grace, when it hath the impreſſion of Gods infinitneſs upon it; Gods infinitneſs is that, whereby He is without all limits; So where God ſets no limits, there the ſoul is without all limits, and bounds in the way of Grace; that is, deſires to anſwer God (if it were poſſible) by an infinite way; theſe are ſupernatural works: And then, Would you not have your Portion in this world?
9. Be willing to caſt away whatever of your portion you have got ſinfully: I in the Name of God charge this as a ſpecial thing to take home with you; whatſoever man or woman in this place, would not have his portion in this world, but would have his portion in the world to come, whatſoever of his portion he hath got in a ſinful way, caſt it away preſently, never ſleep with it, lie not down one night with it: That's an old rule, but a true one, All the repentance you have in the world, and all your ſorrowing for your ſin, will never obtain pardon without reſtitution, if you be able; Unleſs you do what you are able to reſtore, you can never have comfort, or the pardon of that ſin; If you have goe it when you were young, Apprentices, firſt ſet up, away with it, elſe it will ſpoil all, you will never have any other portion from God; Theſe hands of mine had once that given to them, to be a means to convey, to reſtore that which was got wrongfully, fifty yeers before, the wrong was done fifty yeers ago, and after fifty yeers, the Conſcience of the man troubles him, and he comes to bring, to reſtore that wrong, and deſires it may be conveyed to ſuch a place, where he had done wrong; know therefore, that all the ſweet morſels that any time you have ſo delightfully got down, they muſt up again, and therefore willingly let them go up; reſolve before you go out of this place, whatſoever thou haſt gotten wrongfully, never keep it againſt thy will, but do it willingly, elſe thou canſt not have any comfort in the portion thou haſt, nor have any portion in the world to come; if there be any true Divinity in the world, this is true Divinity: and yet it is hard to convince any Covetous men, that have got much this way; and if there be any wrong, thoſe that have done wrong in things be truſted to them, as thoſe that are Maſters of Hoſpitals, be ſure you keep not that, for certainly you'l curſe the time you ever took it; and therefore let the charge of God be ſtrong upon you this day, to caſt out whatſoever you have got falſly. I read in a ſtory of one that upon a time, hearing that place of Scripture, in Iſa. 5. 8. read, Wo to them that joyn houſe to houſe: he burſts out into a loud cry, If wo be to them that joyn houſe to houſe, Then wo to me, and to my children. So upon this that you hear this day, There are a company ſhal have their portion in this world, and eſpecially thoſe that will keep any thing they have wrongfully got, many may have cauſe to ſay, Wo to us then, and unto our children.
7. Be willing to joyn with thoſe that have ſuffered for God; If you would have your portion in another life, be willing to joyn with the ſufferers for Chriſt; So Moſes did, though he were in the way to preferment, yet he did chuſe rather to ſuffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleaſures of ſin for a ſeaſon; joyn rather with them, than with jolly blades of the world; It is ſafer to joyn with the ſufferers, than to joyn with thoſe that are the jolly and brave ſpirits. And ſo I have done, only deſiring that the Lord would ſettle all home upon your ſpirits; If ſo be, becauſe ſomething may not be ſo pleaſing to the pallat of every one, as ſome other, but if for that you ſhould reject what hath been ſaid, and go away, and ſlight this Word of God, know that this Text one day, may prove to be as ſcalding lead in your Conſciences; and that that is ſaid concerning Doeg, in Pſalm, 57. 2. may prove to be your portion; it is ſpoken of Doeg; This is the man (ſaith the Pſalmiſt) that did not make God his truſt, but truſted in his great riches; this is the man; So you may be pointed out one day, This is the man: Doeg was a great Courtier, and becauſe he was an Officer of King Sauls, and becauſe he had his favour, he truſted in the favour of the King, and in his riches, and what did he care for David? Yea, by the Text it appears he was one that made ſome ſhew of Religion too, in the 1 of Sam. 21. 7. He was detained before the Lord: Tremelius thinks, either out of ſome Religious vow, or to keep the Sabbath, or ſomewhat concerning the Law, he was detained before the Lord, and yet he was a vile Malignant againſt David, and all becauſe he truſted in the great countenance he had at Court: Now this is the man that made not God his truſt, but that truſted in his great riches: the Lord forbid this Scripture ſhould be made true of any of you; I leave this Text with you that are rich men, take heed you truſt not in your great riches, I leave this Text with you, that are in places of dignity and honor; take heed you have not your portion in this world. I leave this Text to Voluptuous men, given up to pleaſures; take heed you hear not one day, this, Son, remember, in thy life-time thou hadſt thy pleaſure. I leave this with thoſe that dare not truſt God for a portion to come. And above all, I leave this with all Hypocrites, let them take heed it be not ſaid to them, Here is your reward. Conſider what hath been ſaid, and the Lord give you underſtanding in all things.
FINIS