Moses Choice, Treatise · Part 1 · Chapter 14
CHAP. XIV. The drawing mens hearts to a happy choice.
THe Lord then perſwade thy heart to change Uſe 4.thy choice; change it, or elſe thou art loſt, better thou hadſt never been born, then that thou ſhouldſt not change thy choice; O that now thou hadſt wiſdom for eternity! whatſoever your ways have been, now at laſt in this your day, learn to know the evil of them, to renounce them, to embrace the ways of godlineſs, and let it be ſufficient, that you have ſpent ſo much time in the ways of ſin, and giving content to your fleſh. O that this may be the day of your new choice, that you may bleſs God for this day, that God did this day dart in ſome truths, to turn the ſtreams of thy ſoul another way, to make another, choice! that there might be before thou goeſt out of the preſence of God, a ſecret frame of ſpirit, ſurrendring thy ſoul unto God, being convinced of thy evil choice, and ſay, O Lord, how have I lived? What hath my courſe been? the Lord knows my courſe hath been to give content to my fleſh, and to live bravely in my life; now God begins to make me afraid, leſt I have been in a dangerous falſe way; the Lord have mercy upon me, what have I done? Is it not time to look about me? I have all this time miſcarried in the choice of my ſoul for my everlaſting eſtate, I have choſen the ways of death all this while.
O that the fear of God might fall upon your hearts this day! and then the promiſe of God is, Pſal. 25. 12. Who is the man that feareth the Lord, him will he teach in the way that he ſhall chooſe. The fear of God will put you into a teachable frame, and the Lord delights to teach ſuch; and ſurely it is an unſpeakable bleſſing of God, to be taught in the way of our choice. How happy were it, if the Lord would put a reaſoning frame into your hearts, that you might begin to ponder, and weigh things, and if ſpiritual arguments cannot prevail, yet let us ſee whether they you reaſonable Creatures or no; Eſay 46. 8. Remember, and ſhew your ſelves men, bring to minde, O ye tranſgreſſors! Come, let us reaſon together; Is there not infinite reaſon for Gods ways more then thoſe ways you have walked in? Is not God infinitely worthy of honor and praiſe from you, other maner of honor and praiſe then he hath had from you, your own conſciences being judges? Hath not God given you immortal ſouls? and are they not capable of better things then theſe things that you have choſen for your chiefeſt good? Hath not God made you for a higher end, then to eat, and drink, and play? What, did the bleſſed Trinity conſult to make a glorious creature, Come, let us make man, according to our own image: and when this great work is done, is he made for no other end then to eat and drink, and commit wickedneſs? What, is not man to live by rule? indeed no creatures but Angels and men, have a rule to walk by, no creature is capable of knowing a rule but they.
What if ſo be that now thou wert to dye, what would comfort thee? if God ſhould put an end to thy days, and call thee to an account for thy ways, what account couldſt thou give to the great and dreadful God, of thy ways and life? would thy ways be peace? It may be thou thinkeſt thou mayeſt have thy pleaſure, and that which is ſpoken out of the word by the Miniſters, thou canſt avoid, and there are no ſuch things as thou heareſt; but what if thoſe things that we deliver, concerning the evil of ſin, and the danger of that way of ſin, ſhould prove true? then wo unto thee, if all thy comfort depends upon this, thou hopeſt theſe things that we preach are not true; and is not this all the ſupport of thy comfort, which if it fail, thou art loſt for ever? Certainly, if that glory of God, and that eternal eſtate we preach ſo much of be true, it is worth the venturing of the loſs of greater pleaſures and delights, then any thou haſt in thy ſeeking after them: make but a ſuppoſition, What if it ſhould be ſo, is it not worth the venturing? You will do ſo in other things, the very ſuppoſition of a great gain, or poſſibility of great evil, will make you venture much: God does not call you to venture much, they are poor things that you are perſwaded to leave, and be not too confident in your way, all that is written in the word may be true, and if it be but poſſible, yet be ſo wiſe as upon a ſuppoſition to venture.
O that you would make tryal of the ways of God! If once your hearts were in them, whereby you would Non Iſaac, ſed Arics morietur; non peribit tibi laetitia ſed contumacia: non mactabitur Iſaac, ſed vivet: ſi vocem Domini audicris ut offeras Iſaac, id eſt, ut gaudium immoles, conſtauter obedire ne timeas.be ſatisfied, as to want none of theſe pleaſures, it would make the moderation of them more pleaſant then the exceſs: You would finde more pleaſure in the very act of ſelf-denial, then in all the pleaſure of your lives; and if there be ſo much pleaſure in the denying falſe pleaſure, what then is there in the enjoying true? Surely God hath pleaſure enough for you, if you had a heart to truſt him with your pleaſure; you ſhall onelyonly loſe your ſin, not your pleaſure. Bernard hath a notable expreſſion in a declamation of his De bonis deſerendis; If you be willing, ſays he, to ſacrifice your Iſaac, which ſignifies laughter, that is your pleaſure, your Iſaac, your pleaſure ſhall not dye; it is the Ram, that is, your ſtoutneſs of ſpirit, your ſelf-willedneſs that ſhall dye; Ipſa eſt beata vita gaudere ad te, de te, & propter te Domine, ipſa eſt et non altera. Aug Conf. c. 21. Non nego indulgendū corpori, ſerviendū nego. Sen. Ep. 14.but Iſaac ſhall live, you ſhall have pleaſure ſtill. Do not harbor ill thoughts of God, to think that God is an enemy to your pleaſure, and delight, he does not delight to grieve the ſpirits of men; if you would truſt him with your pleaſure, you ſhould have pleaſure, it may be in this world, but howſoever in the concluſion you ſhall have pleaſure enough, my ſoul for thine. You muſt truſt God with your ſouls, and eternal conditions, and will you not truſt him with your pleaſures? Do you think Chriſt came to dye, and ſhed his precious blood to bring men into worſer conditions then before? O no, certainly Chriſt did not come to take away any pleaſure from his people, but to bring them the pleaſures of Heaven, and of earth too, ſo far as they are needful. Is it not more like thou ſhouldſt have pleaſure when thou art reconciled to God, then when thou art an enemy?
We read of Cajus the Emperor, (Agrippa having ſuffered Impriſonment for wiſhing him to be Emperor) that afterward when he came to be Emperor, the firſt thing he did was to prefer Agrippa, and gave him a Chain of Gold, as heavy as the Chain of Iron that was upon him in Priſon: And ſo if any do ſuffer for God, do you think that God will let him loſe by him? Suppoſe you have a Servant about your buſineſs, and he ſuffers much trouble and oppoſition, will you not recompence him for that which he ſuffers for your ſake? Do you think that God will let his people ſink in their ſufferings for him? God forbid we ſhould have any ſuch thoughts of him.
Do not judge of the ways of God by outward appearance, but judge according to the true value and worth of things: Shall we in other things judge according to the value and worth of things, and onelyonly in the ways of God, judge by outward appearance, and not according to the worth? Do but come near to the ways of godlineſs, you will finde them other things then you imagine: As Peter Martyr had a ſpeech in his Sermon, that was the means of that Marqueſs Galeacius his converſion: If ſo be, ſays he, one ſhould ſee a company of Muſitians, that are playing and dancing according to their art, a great way off, he would think that they were mad men; but if he come nearer and nearer, and hear the melodious ſound of the muſique, and obſerve their art in all they do, he will be of another minde: And ſo men of the world look upon Gods people afar off, and think them mad men to take ſuch courſes; but if they would come nearer, and obſerve their ways, and ſee the equity and reaſon, and obſerve the excellency and beauty that is in them, they would be of other mindes.
You that have hard thoughts of Gods way, you have looked upon them as things a great way off; Quā ſuave mihi ſubito factum eſt carctib ſuavitatibus nugarum! & quas amittere metas fuit, dimittere gaudiū erat: cjiciebas enim à ne, vera tu & ſumma ſua vitas, cjiciebas, et intrabas pro tis, omni voluptate dulcior, ſed non carni et ſanguini, omni luce clarior, ſed non jam ſedenti in tenebris, &c. Aug. Con l. 9. c. 1.come nearer, pry into them a little further, make tryal of them a little, that you may have experience of them, you will think otherwiſe of them; if it were poſſible for you to enter upon Gods ways with the ſame baſe hearts that you have, Gods ways would indeed be tedious, but if you enter into the ways of God, your hearts will be changed, and you will be other men; and when your hearts are changed, thoſe things that were grievous to you, will be delightful to you. St. Auguſtine in his Confeſſions hath this notable expreſſion: How ſweet was it to me of a ſudden, to be without thoſe ſweet vanities? And thoſe things which I was afraid to loſe, with joy I let go, for thou who art the true and onelyonly ſweetneſs, didſt caſt out thoſe from me, and inſtead of them didſt enter in thy ſelf, who art more delightful then all pleaſure, more clear then all light, but it was not thus with me heretofore when I ſate in darkneſs.
Now if you have any conviction at all, tell me, Are you willing to enter into the ways of God? Do you think them worthy of regard, if it were not for trouble and affliction? Then ſo it ſtands, if you were not to ſuffer affliction, you would embrace them; and what an ignoble ſpirit is this, unbeſeeming a Chriſtian, whoſe ſpirit ſhould have true Nobility and Magnanimity, and you come off thus baſely, If you ſhould never ſuffer, if have no trouble! Truly God is much beholden to you (as we may ſpeak with holy reverence;) you would have God chooſe you, notwithſtanding all your ſins that are grievous to him: Why will not you chooſe God and his ways, notwithſtanding the afflictions and ſufferings that are grievous to you? Do you think the ſufferings you are like to meet withal in Gods ways, are more grievous to you, then your ſins are to him? Yet notwithſtanding your ſins, he chooſes you; Why notwithſtanding the ſufferings you may meet with, ſhould not you chooſe him? Suppoſe Chriſt had ſtood upon theſe terms, and ſaid, It is true, I ſee poor wretched ſinful man ready to periſh, and muſt lie under the wrath of an infinite God, and it pities me to ſee his miſery, and I could be content to redeem him, but I muſt ſuffer ſo much, be in the form of a ſervant, and be deſpiſed, and perſecuted, and ſuffer a curſed death, and therefore let him rather periſh: If Chriſt had ſtood at this, what had become of you? Yet you ſtand at this. Gods ways are good, my ways are evil; I could be content to embrace Gods ways; but I muſt ſuffer: If Chriſt did not make a ſtand at this, when he ſaw thy miſery, but was content to redeem thee, and brake through all ſufferings; Why ſhould not you be content to embrace him in his ways through all ſufferings? Why ſhould not your hearts be convinced by that which hath ſo much reaſon in it?
It is reported of one Marinus a Soldier, when it fell to him to be preferred in ſome place, he was like to loſe it becauſe he was a Chriſtian, and he began to ſtagger, and to have thoughts rather to leave off Religion, then to loſe his place: Then came one Theodiſtus, and brings him into the Temple, and laid by him the Sword and the Teſtament, the Goſpel, and bade him take his choice: Here is the Sword, which is an emblem of thy place, and here is the Goſpel, chooſe the one, you muſt have but one: Then his heart gave in, and ſo left the Sword, and choſe the Goſpel. The wiſdom of God this day hath ſtood, and ſtill ſtands before you, pleading with you, crying to you to come in and embrace her, to make a happy choice for thy ſoul; folly likewiſe hath her pleadings, and perſwaſions to draw thee to the luſts of the fleſh, both make their offers unto thee; as they ſay of Hercules when he was yong, he ſaw vertue and vice in the likeneſs of two Virgins wooing him, vice like a painted Harlot, and vertue like a ſober chaſte Virgin, both preſenting themſelves with wooing offers unto him.
It is very obſervable that we finde, Prov. 9. concerning wiſdom and the fooliſh woman, both pleading to draw the hearts of men to them, and they begin in the ſame maner, they both make offers to draw the heart, ver. 4. Who ſo is ſimple, let him turn in hither; as for him that wanteth underſtanding, ſhe ſaith to him; and verſe 16. the fooliſh woman uſeth the ſame words to draw after her: and as wiſdom is upon the high places of the City, ver. 3. ſo is folly, ver. 15. yet wiſdom is above the fooliſh woman, for the Text ſays of wiſdom, ſhe is upon the higheſt places, and of the fooliſh woman, it is onelyonly ſaid, ſhe is in the high places: And obſerve further, Wiſdom calls to eat her bread, and drink her wine, ver. 5. and the fooliſh woman makes her offer, her delights are ſweet, ſhe ſays; but they are but ſweet waters, and that ſtoln too; and her bread, ſhe ſays, is pleaſant; but it is ſecret, ſuch as ſhe is even aſhamed of her ſelf: In the choice that wiſdom preſents, and that which folly preſents, you have life and death ſet before you; as Moſes therefore ſaid to the people, ſo I to you, I have ſet before you this day life and death: Now what anſwer will you give to God? Will you go on in the ways of the pleaſure of the fleſh? Are your hearts ſo bold and venturous, that you dare venture to go on in theſe ways? Wo unto you for the curſed hardneſs of your hearts. Were it indeed that you never heard the ways of God opened to you, it were another matter, but in that you have, and yet you go on in your choice after this Sermon, God may ſay, Be it unto thee as thou haſt choſen; God may ſet to his ſeal, thou haſt choſen vanities, and a lye, and baſe pleaſures; and vanities, and a lye, and baſe pleaſures to thy fleſh thou ſhalt have.
Wherefore that thou mayeſt be delivered from this ſeal this night, O conſider what a mercy of God it is that thou haſt yet time to make thy choice. How many hath God caſt off? And now it is too late to chooſe; God hath determined the buſineſs; O that yet there ſhould be time! O that this would move your hearts! We are fain thus to labor, and ſtrive with mens ſpirits to take them off from vain pleaſures, to urge the ſtrength of all arguments we can, with all our might; were it that mens hearts were not very ſenſual, and hardened in their ſenſuality, it would not be needful thus to ſtrive, the very propounding ſome one argument, might be ſufficient to prevail. It was a ſpeech of Gregory Nyſſen, who lived almoſt thirteen hundred years ago; He that does but hear of Hell, is without any further labor or ſtudy taken off from ſinful pleaſures: Mens hearts are grown harder ſince.
But what if I ſhould come in now? I who have Quest.given ſo much pleaſure to the fleſh, would God accept of me, and regard me?
Be it known unto thee, thou that haſt given thy ſelf Anſw.liberty in injoying the pleaſures of the fleſh to the utmoſt, thou that haſt been moſt wretched, if thou haſt a heart to come in this day, and turn thy choice, God is yet ready to embrace thee; we have commiſſion to offer grace and mercy to thee upon thy recalling thy ſelf, yea, we have a promiſe, you ſhall have abundance of mercy, if you have a heart to come in. Prov. 1. 22, 23. How long ye ſimple ones will ye love ſimplicity? and the ſcorners delight in their ſcorning, and fools hate knowledge? Turn you at my reproof, behold I will pour out my Spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you. If any of you have gone ſo far when we have ſpoken againſt the pleaſures of the fleſh, and for the ways of godlineſs, you have ſcorned the word of the Lord; if you have been ſcorners, and contemners, yet turn and make your choice better. Behold, I will pour out my Spirit to you; When God pours forth his Spirit, he pours forth his grace, and mercy and goodneſs; you ſee Mercy to be had for the greateſt ſinnersthe offer of God, if you have hearts yet to make choice of his ways.
And conſider, the longer you have ſtayed in the ſatisfying your ſelves in the pleaſures of the fleſh, the more unfit will you be to ſuffer hard things for God. O give in your anſwer, and ſay, The Lord forbid I ſhould go on in my former ways; I ſee other things I have to regard, peace with God, pardon of ſin that I have to look after, let God reveal to me what his good will and pleaſure is, and though I ſhould never enjoy good day in the fleſh, yet I give my ſelf up to that way of God. O that there might come this voice up to Heaven this night, that your ſouls may be bleſſed for ever in this days choice! And if God do begin to ſtir your hearts, now take the opportunity, chooſe the things that pleaſe him, and take hold of the Covenant; if you be convinced of the good ways of God, now cloſe with them, cleave to them, let your hearts faſten, take ſuch faſt hold of the Covenant, as you may never let it go. Obſerve how theſe two are joyned together, Iſaiah 56. 4. Chooſe the things that pleaſe me, and take hold of my Covenant; Take hold now, for it is your life.