Moses Choice, Treatise · Part 1 · Chapter 1 – Chapter 2
CHAP. I. God will ſometimes be honored, rather with the ſufferings of men in high Places, then with their ſervices.
HAving finiſhed Moſes his SELF-DENIAL, namely, what he refuſed, together with the circumſtance of time, and the principle by which he was enabled thereunto: Now what it was that he choſe, we are to conſider; his appearing for, and the joyning himſelf with the afflicted people of God, although he knew he muſt needs partake with them in their afflictions; he ſaw that God would rather be honored by him in an afflicted eſtate, then in the enjoyment of all his glory that he might have had; he was willing to ſubmit to God in that way.
Yet he might have had many reaſonings in himſelf, that might have drawn his heart another way; he might have thought, that in his keeping of the honor and power he had in the Court, he might have done a great deal of ſervice for God, in the improving of his favor with Pharaoh and his Nobles for the people of God; he might have been of great uſe for them, that it was a thing of great conſequence, for them to have a friend in the Court, that might do them ſo much good, as it was probable he might have done: Yea, he might have thought with himſelf, Surely God intends to uſe me here in ſome great ſervice for his people, for how wonderful hath his Providence been towards me, in bringing me to, in raiſing of me up, and continuing me in this honor? what a ſtrange and extraordinary Providence of God was it, to diſpoſe of my Parents hearts, to hide me in ſuch a maner as they did amongſt the ruſhes? and that the Daughter of Pharaoh muſt come at that time to the River, and that I muſt be found by her, and no body elſe; and that God ſhould diſpoſe of her heart ſo, as to commiſerate my condition, and to be ſo enclined towards me as ſhe was, that ſhe ſhould not onelyonly preſerve my life, but have me brought up as her own Son; that ſhe ſhould have care, that my education might be ſuch, as I might be meet for honor and advancement in her Fathers houſe, whereas ſhe might have brought me up in ſome baſe and ſervile maner, according to the quality of a Bondſlaves childe, of an Hebrew childe, ſo much abhorred and hated by the Egyptians; and that God ſhould give me that underſtanding and capacity, that I ſhould come to be learned in all the learning of the Egyptians; and that God ſhould encline the heart of Pharaoh to me likewiſe, that he ſhould countenance me, and prefer me; and that the favor of Pharaohs daughter, and of Pharaoh himſelf, ſhould continue ſo long as it does, even to my growth up to forty-years; that I ſhould have favor in the eyes of his Nobles, and of all the Court, none of them ſeeking to undermine me, to alienate Pharaohs heart from me? ſurely God intended to uſe me in ſome great ſervice here in the Court; if I ſhould now do any thing to provoke Pharaoh againſt me, to loſe that favor, that honor, that power I have, what a loſs would this be to the people of God? what would become of them? little hope then of any good to them: yea, if Pharaoh and the Court ſhould frown upon me, it is like they will be more enraged againſt them, and rather make their burthen heavier, and their bondage ſorer: Now then what a grievous thing would it be, that ſuch an opportunity as I have in my hands ſhould be loſt?
But Moſes ſeeing Gods minde, that he would rather have him venture himſelf in joyning with his people in affliction, and that this was the way, whereby God would honor himſelf by him, he was content to let go all thoſe reaſonings, and yield up himſelf to Gods own way: God will ſometimes rather be honored by the ſufferings and afflictions of men in great Places (who one would think had large opportunities of ſervice) then in any ſervice that they ſhall or can do; and ſuch men ſhould be willing to ſubmit to God herein: It is not what I or others think, how God may be honored this way or another, but what the will of God is, which way he will be honored; and God expects from men, not onelyonly that they ſhould ſeek his honor, but that they ſhould ſeek it his own way: All the intentions and ayms at the glory of God that can poſſibly be, are nothing; God cares not for them, if they be out of his own way. It was an excellent reſolution of David, 2 Sam. 15. 25, 26. If I ſhall finde favor in the eyes of the Lord, he will bring me back again, but if he thus ſay, I have no delight in thee; behold, here I am, let him do to me as ſeemeth good to him. We reade of Heman, a man of admirable wiſdom, one of the wiſeſt upon earth in his time, as appears 1 King. 4. 31. and yet Pſal. 88. God kept him down, and low by afflictions all his days from his youth. This God doth;
Firſt, to ſhew his ſoveraignty over his creature, that he hath the abſolute diſpoſe of all, to uſe them as 1.he will.
Secondly, to ſhew that he hath no need of any for his ſervice, for the bringing about his own ends, he 2.hath thouſand thouſands of ways to effect his own will, without help from men, although in never ſuch eminent places.
Thirdly, becauſe he would not have us to put any confidence in man, to think that the work muſt needs 3.be done by ſuch and ſuch; God will caſt them aſide, and bring the work about by other means, that we leaſt thought of.
Fourthly, that he might have a proof of the ſelfdenial of theſe men, of their abſolute ſubjection to 4.him; in the exerciſe of which grace, God takes exceeding delight.
Fifthly, that he might teach ſuch, whileſt they do enjoy their opportunities of ſervice, to walk in dependence 5.upon him, humbly before him, not attributing much to themſelves: wherefore let ſuch men learn not to ſet too high a price upon their condition, that God hath raiſed them unto above others: although it is true, that it is one of the greateſt happineſſes under heaven, to have large opportunities of ſervice for God and his Church, yet we ſhould not ſo value them, as to ſtretch conſcience in the leaſt degree, for the continuance or improvement of them: look to the word, keep cloſe to it, and then regard not what men ſhall ſuggeſt, what a deal of good you might do, how much ſervice, what honor you might bring to God; why will you hazard your ſelf and the loſs of all?
There is much danger in liſtning to theſe reaſonings, becauſe the opportunities for ſervice, and the keeping up your ſelf in that condition in which you are, being involved together, there may lie much ſelflove, under the pretence of doing ſervice, and that ſo ſecretly, as without diligent and faithful ſearch into your own hearts, you ſhall not perceive it your ſelves; wherefore while you ſee God offering opportunities of ſervice, while you ſee his minde in improving you thus, follow it on with all your might, let no opportunity ſlip, do to the utmoſt you can for God; and when you ſee his minde to lay you aſide, and to uſe you in another way, although it be of affliction, and grievous ſufferings, yet be as willing to yield to God in this, as in the former way; and thereby,
Firſt, you ſhall ſhew the moſt glorious work of ſelfdenial that may be; it is more to deny ones ſelf here 1.then in outward things, there is nothing goes more near to a true generous heart, then to be laid aſide, and to be denyed to be uſed in ſervice.
Secondly, it may be, if you bring your hearts to lie at Gods diſpoſe in this, he will uſe you the rather, 2.and you ſhall not be taken off; this may be the means of continuance of you in his work.
Thirdly, if you go on with ſuch a diſpoſition as this, it is more like that God will bleſs your ſervice, while 3.he does uſe you.
Fourthly, or if you ſhall be taken off for a while, 4.and put into an afflicted condition; wherein it ſhall not appear that you are of any great uſe, (although ſometimes ſufferings are the greateſt ſervices) yet your afflictions ſhall but prepare you for higher ſervice afterwards, as it did in Moſes: How did God uſe him afterwards in great and high employments? few men that ever lived upon the earth, were employed more for God then he was. The Magdeburgenſes Centuriatores think that Barnabas the Apoſtle was the ſame that Joſeph was, who was one of the two, upon whom the lot was caſt for the Apoſtleſhip, when it fell upon Matthias, and he was refuſed, Acts 1. which Joſeph was afterwards called Barnabas by the Apoſtles, Acts 4. 36. in ſtead of Barſabas; they making Joſes to be the ſame with Joſeph: Joſeph was a gracious man, and when he ſaw it was Gods minde not to uſe him in that work, he was content to go on in that way which God would have him, although it were in a far lower condition, then in the work of an Apoſtle, and therefore afterwards God called him to that high and honorable work.
Fifthly, howſoever, your reward ſhall be as great, as if you were uſed in the greateſt ſervice, in the higheſt 5.higheſt work you could have deſired to be uſed in: But if you ſhall not be willing to lay down all when God calls you thereunto, and to be put into any low ſuffering condition that he ſhall pleaſe to put you into, it is an evident ſign that you went on before in your way with ſelf-confidence, that you aymed at your ſelf, that you did not give God the glory of your ſervice; and if ſo, although God might uſe you for the good of others, yet there will come no bleſſing of it upon your ſelves. This in the general.
CHAP. II. The opening of the words, with the ſeveral doctrines in this Text.
BUt for a more particular handling this verſe, I ſhall firſt give a ſhort paraphraſe of it; ſecondly, ſhew the ſeveral doctrinal concluſions contained in it. [He choſe] Choyce notes a comparing of one thing with another, and the deliberating of the minde about the things compared, and at the laſt a free determination of the will which way to go. Thus Moſes compares the eſtate of Gods people, and the pleaſures of ſin, one with another; he deliberates in his minde, which is the ſafeſt, and the beſt way for him to go, and at laſt freely, yet throughly and fully determines the caſe; He choſe rather to ſuffer affliction: he did not chooſe affliction abſolutely, for affliction in it ſelf is an evil, but rather then the pleaſures of ſin, afflictions are to be choſen: Job 36. 21. Elihu charges Job, that he choſe ſin rather then affliction; this choyce is an ill choyce, Moſes his choice was a wiſe and gracious choice; he chooſes affliction rather then ſin. [Affliction] that is, any affliction, not this or that affliction, but whatſoever affliction God ſhould think fit: Many think themſelves willing to ſuffer affliction in the general, until they be called unto ſome particular affliction, and then they think, Oh, if it were any other we could bear it, but this we know not how to bear; whereas the true ſubjection of the heart to God, is to bear what God himſelf ſhall appoint. He choſe [to ſuffer affliction,] not to bring affliction upon himſelf: Religion teaches no man, raſhly and headily to bring himſelf into miſery. [To ſuffer affliction with the people of God:] That is, either in joyning with the people of God in the ways of godlineſs, in which they were; or in appearing for them; or in joyning in communion with them. [Then to enjoy the pleaſures of ſin.] The words are in the Original, Then the enjoyment of ſin. [The pleaſures of ſin;] that A foreignis, either ſuch pleaſures as are in themſelves ſinful: or ſecondly, ſuch as cannot be enjoyed, or maintained but in a way of ſin: or thirdly, ſuch us would be means to draw the heart unto ſin. [The pleaſures of ſin for a ſeaſon:] that is, either for a ſhort ſeaſon, or for an uncertain ſeaſon.
The doctrinal Concluſions in the words are theſe:
Firſt, the uſual condition of Gods people in the 1.world, it is an afflicted condition.
Secondly, when Gods people in Gods way are under grievous afflictions, wicked men in the way of ſin 2.have much pleaſure.
Thirdly, afflicted godlineſs is to be choſen, rather then pleaſant wickedneſs.3.
Fourthly, a ſpiritual eye can ſee an excellency in 4.Gods people, though they be in never ſuch a low afflicted condition.
Fifthly, a gracious heart is willing to appear for 5.Gods people, to be on their ſide, although it be with much hazard to its ſelf.
Sixthly, there is ſo much good to be had with 6.Gods people, that it is worth the enduring hard things to be with them.
Seventhly, nothing that is but for a ſeaſon can ſatisfie 7.a gracious heart, that which muſt ſatisfie it, muſt be beyond any temporary thing, it muſt be an eternal good.