Moses Choice, Treatise · Part 2 · Chapter 16
CHAP. XVI. A ſpiritual eye can ſee an excellency in Gods people, though under great affliction.
THe fourth Doctrinal Concluſion that Doct. 4.was raiſed from the words, was, That a ſpiritual eye can ſee an excellency in Gods people, though under never ſo great affliction.
Moſes chooſes rather to ſuffer affliction with the people of God. Who were this people? A deſpiſed people, an afflicted people; Yet Moſes could ſee an excellency in them while they were making their brick, while they were whipped by their task-maſters, and contemptible in the eyes of all the Egyptians; yet by the eye of faith Moſes could look upon them as the moſt excellent of the earth, as the moſt glorious people that lived in the world, and deſires rather to joyn with them, though in the greateſt afflictions, then to abide in Pharaoh's Court, in the enjoyment of all worldly delights; let the world caſt what dirt they will upon them, and darken their glory what they can, yet they are precious and honorable in the Saints eyes, The excellent of the earth, and the glory of the world. Job ſcraping his ſores upon the dunghil, and Jeremy ſinking into the mire in the dungeon, are more beautiful and glorious, then the great men of the earth, when they are crowned upon their Thrones; Though you have lien amongſt the pots, ſays the Pſalmiſt, yet you are as the wings of a Dove covered with ſilver, and whoſe feathers are covered with yellow gold.
We read of the Chriſtians that lived in the time between the Prophets and Chriſt, in the latter end of this Chapter, that were as mean as almoſt the rage of men, and poverty, and diſgrace could make them, wandring up and down in Sheep-skins, and Goat-skins, and in the dens and caves of the earth; and yet, ſays the Text, they were ſuch as the world were not worthy of: Chryſoſtom carries it thus, Take all the men of the world, they are not worth one of the people of God, though never ſo mean in regard of outwards: But I rather take it thus, The world was not worthy of ſuch a priviledge, to have them live amongſt them, they are fitter to be ſet as Stars in Heaven, and to be continually before the Throne of God.
Many times under mean outſides, there are precious things within; in earthen veſſels, rich treaſures. The Tabernacle of God, covered meanly outwardly, and yet precious within. It is ſaid of Chriſt himſelf, that he had no form and comelineſs at all outwardly, Iſa. 53. No beauty to a carnal eye: And yet in Cant. 5. where the Church is put upon the deſcription of Chriſt, ſhe ſays, He is altogether lovely; altogether deſires, ſo it is in the Original: See what a different eſteem is of Chriſt in the thoughts of the world, and the thoughts of a gracious heart: And as of Chriſt, ſo of Chriſtians, Chriſt is precious to them that do believe; To you he is precious (ſays the Apoſtle) but Why a gracious heart ſees ſo mueh excellency in Gods people, under outward meanneſs.to others a rock of offence; ſo to a godly gracious heart, the godly are precious, though contemned of thoſe that are ungodly. The arguments that a gracious heart goes upon, or reaſons why a ſpiritual eye ſhould ſee ſo much excellency in Gods people, under their outward means, are,
Firſt, becauſe they judge as God judges; it is of 1.the Spirit of God that they have received, and therefore they muſt needs judge of things as God judgeth. A childe eſteems of things uſually as his father doth; if there be any of you manifeſt a ſlight eſteem of any among whom you live, before your children, your children will have the like eſteem of them; if you manifeſt a high eſteem of any, your children will do the like: Hence it is, if thoſe that are prophane, do deſpiſe and ſcorn at Gods people before their children, their children will quickly learn to deſpiſe them: Now becauſe Gods people have Gods Spirit, and God is their Father, they judge as their Father does. Righteous men and Kings, in Scripture phraſe, are made all one; thoſe who are Righteous, God looks upon as Kings, and ſuch as are Kings, are not reſpected of God, if they be not Righteous: Compare thoſe two Scriptures, Mat. 13. 17. and Luke 10. 24. in the one it is thus, Many Prophets and Righteous men, have deſired to ſee thoſe things which ye ſee: But in the other it is, Many Prophets and Kings, have deſired to ſee thoſe things which ye ſee.
God does not judge of men in regard of outwards; what are outwards before the Lord? What is it to have gold, and fine clothes before God? Thoſe things that are braveries in the world, and take up the eyes of men to admire at them, what are theſe to God? God does not eſteem of men at all for theſe things, neither doth he diſeſteem them for the want of them; the want of clothes, and of money, and of the things of the world, what is this to God? Does God look at any man the worſe for want of theſe things? God is no reſpecter of perſons; if he looks at any with high eſteem, he looks at the poor, and humble, and contrite: God delights to look down into the world upon thoſe that are poor; he reſerves a poor people that ſhall truſt in his name, Zeph. 3. 12. The Lord paſſeth by the great things of the world, he brings down the mighty, and regards the low eſtate of his handmaid, the low eſtate of his people: It is a poor and contrite ſpirit, that he that dwelleth on high looketh at; the prayer of the deſtitute he regards, Pſal. 102. 17. The word in the Original is, A poor ſhrub, that which is in the Wilderneſs, and the beaſts tread upon, that no man regards, that ſeems to be altogether worthleſs. It may be, one comes with brave words, and hath mighty expreſſions, God throws them as dirt in his face: There comes another, and can hardly groan out his meaning, and yet there being grace, God regards him. If a proud ſcornful ſpirit, ſhould hear a poor gracious heart groan out his complaints to God, he would think it non-ſence; but God, knowing the meaning of his Spirit, and ſeeing his grace, he hath reſpect to him.
A broken and contrite heart thou canſt not deſpiſe; God can deſpiſe Princes, and Emperors of the earth, when they ſit upon their Thrones, but a broken and a contrite heart he cannot deſpiſe; let him be never ſo deſpicable in the eyes of the world, God cannot deſpiſe him, no more then he can deny himſelf, and ceaſe to be God. It is Gods judgement of men, that the righteous is more excellent then bis neighbor, Prov. 12. 26. Let his neighbor be the moſt excellent, in regard of parts, riches, honors, and other excellencies, and the godly man deſpiſed, and every way contemptible in regard of outwards, yet he is more excellent then his neighbor.
It is obſerved, that the Eagle and the Lyon, thoſe brave creatures, were not offered in ſacrifice to God, but the poor Lamb, and Dove; God regards the Lamb and the Dove, before the Eagle and the Lyon, to note that your great and brave ſpirits of the world, that are as Eagles, high, and lofty, and as the Lyon, God regards not thoſe; but your poor Lambs, and Doves, your poor meek ſpirits, that are contemptible in the eyes of the world, thoſe are precious to God.
Not many mighty, great and noble; but God hath choſen the baſe things of the world, the fooliſh, contemptible things of the world, to confound the wiſe, and the great things of the world.
It is very obſervable, when John ſent to Chriſt, to know whether he were the Meſſiah or no, whether they ſhould look for another, he did not ſend him a direct anſwer, but, ſays he, Go tell him, The blinde ſee, the lame go, the dead are raiſed, and the poor receive the Goſpel: Mark how Chriſt puts the poors receiving of the Goſpel amongſt the reſt; the other were arguments of Gods power and glory, but what argument of Chriſts glory was this, that the poor, a contemptible people, received the Goſpel? Yes, God does as much glory in the poors receiving the Goſpel, as in raiſing up the dead: Some would think that this ſhould be an offence to John, that the poor receives the Goſpel; one would rather think he were the Meſſiah, if the rich had received the Goſpel; No, ſays he, the poor receive the Goſpel; he knew that John had a gracious heart, and would eſteem of things as he did, and would not be offended.
Secondly, Gods people, by a ſpiritual eye, are very 2.highly eſteemed, becauſe ſuch an eye looks at ſpiritual excellencies: God hath made a gracious heart acquainted with true ſpiritual excellencies, and ſuch a one beholding the beauty and the glory that there is in ſpiritual excellencies, all the outward glittering glory that there is in the world is darkned: It is true, men and women, ſo long as they know no better things, judge onelyonly according to theſe outward mean things. Children that know no better things then a gay coat, count it the greateſt preferment that can be, to be put into ſuch a coat; and ſo a man that knows no better things then the things of the world, he counts it the greateſt excellency to have them: But when a childe comes to have reaſon, and ſees higher things, he does not prize ſuch things; ſo a ſoul that comes to ſee the things of Heaven, God, and Chriſt, and Grace, and ſees into the realities of them, and not as imaginary, he will never admire at any thing below, but onelyonly at grace; and where there is grace, nothing can darken the light of it, it is ſo glorious as the light of the Sun; a little ſmoak cannot darken the light of the Sun, when it ſhines bright; a little ſmoak will darken the light of the candle, but cannot darken the light of the Sun: And ſo a little affliction will darken theſe outward things, to thoſe that eſteem them at a high rate; but ſpiritual excellencies are of ſuch a nature, that afflictions cannot darken them.
But what ſpiritual excellencies are thoſe that a ſpiritual Quest.eye ſees in Gods people, that make them to be ſo precious in its eſteem, notwithſtanding all their outward meanneſs?
Firſt, the Image of God. Secondly, the relation they have to God. Thirdly, their ſpiritual priviledges. Anſw.Fourthly, the preciouſneſs of that which comes from them. Fifthly, the great uſe that they are of here in the world. Sixthly, their ends.
Firſt, for the work of grace, they have the image 1.of God upon them: Now the image of a thing, is not the repreſenting of a thing in ſome under excellency, or in ſome mean thing that concerns that which it is made to reſemble; but it is a reſemblance of it in that which is the chief excellency. As if I would draw the picture of a man, I would not draw it for to reſemble fleſh meerly, that a beaſt hath as well as man, but as near as can be, the very countenance, and life of man; I will not draw the back parts of a man, but his face, and countenance to life; ſo the image of God is not that which hath ſome little likeneſs to God, but that which hath a likeneſs to God in the higheſt excellency, in his holineſs and righteouſneſs, which is (to ſpeak according The ſaints likeneſs to God.as we are able to conceive) the higheſt excellency of God; ſo that a gracious heart hath that which makes him like unto that which is the top of Gods excellency, that which is the image of GOD himſelf, and therefore it hath theſe four titles, The Image of God, The Divine Nature, The Life of God, and the Glory of God. The Image of God, Gen. 1. 26. That of the Divine Nature, you have in the 2 Pet. 1. 4. Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promiſes, that by theſe you may be partakers of the Divine Nature. And the Life of God, Eph. 4. 18. Being alienated from the life of God, that is, from his grace. And the Glory of God, Rom. 3. 23. For all have ſinned, and come ſhort of the Glory of God. The work of grace in mens ſouls, hath that excellency in it, that there is more of God to be ſeen in it, then in all the works that ever God did make from the beginning of the world, not onelyonly if you take one ſingle work (onelyonly excepting the hypoſtatical Union of the humane nature of Chriſt) but take all the creatures that God hath made in heaven and earth, they have not ſo much of the glory of God to be ſeen in them, as there is to be ſeen in the work of grace; ſo that take the pooreſt, meaneſt Chriſtian, that hath the work of grace, though parts be never ſo weak, and outwardly he be never ſo contemptible, there is more to be ſeen in this poor man or woman, then in the whole frame of Heaven and earth, then in the Sun, Moon and Stars, then in all the creatures of the world beſides, except Angels; and therefore ſurely outward meanneſs can never take down the eſteem that a gracious heart hath of Gods people; Yea, it is the greateſt excellency that ever God did beſtow upon, or will beſtow upon any for the kinde, if it were grown up to the greateſt degree, ſtill excepting that hypoſtatical Union of the Humane nature of Chriſt with the Divine, and therefore muſt needs gain a precious eſteem.
It is a principle of eternal happineſs, it is that which will grow up to an eternal glory: Take all moral and natural excellencies, let them grow up to the higheſt height they can, they can never grow up to glory; but this is that eternal ſeed, if it be let to grow up, it wil grow up to the height of glory: Now if Grace be thus, if it be that principle whereby a creature is raiſed to ſuch a high condition, no marvel though thoſe that have a ſpiritual eye, and can ſee into the things of God, and judge ſpiritually of things, muſt needs eſteem thoſe very precious and honorable, that have the work of grace upon them. Moral excellencies have been highly eſteemed by Heathens; as the Fabii and Fabritii, that were taken from their dinner and ſupper of Turnips, to rule and govern great armies, becauſe they ſaw ſuch great excellencies under their mean outſides: If ſo be the knowledge of moral excellencies can raiſe the eſteem of men in the world, much more then the true and glorious excellencies of grace.
Secondly, in regard of the relation they have to God: Gods people have a near relation to God; the nearer 2.relation one hath to great ones, the more high he is in the eſteem of men; now Gods people though never The ſaints near relation to God.ſo mean, have a wonderful near relation to God; for,
Firſt, they are the choſen of God, they are thoſe which the Lord in his eternal counſels, hath ſet apart for himſelf; the counſels of God from all eternity have wrought for their good; and this is manifeſted unto a gracious heart, The Lord hath ſet apart a godly man for himſelf, ſays the Pſalmiſt in Pſal. 4. They are thoſe that are the conſecrated ones of God; conſecrated and devoted things, though they were never ſo mean, were exceedingly eſteemed of; if it were but leather, or wood, or never ſo mean a thing that was in the tabernable, and conſecrated to God, it was highly eſteemed: Thoſe that are ſuperſtitious, if there be any thing they think is a holy relique, though never ſo mean, what a high eſteem they have of it?
It is reported of Apries, a King of Egypt, who was of a baſe birth, for which ſome deſpiſed him; wherefore of a great Baſon of gold, in which he and his gueſts were wont to waſh their feet, he made an Image, and ſet it up in an eminent place in the City, and obſerving the ſuperſtitious devotions of the people thereunto, Now, ſays he, though the King be of mean birth, he is not to be reſpected the leſs: It is true, the Saints of God for their outwards are mean, but their conſecration puts glory upon them. I have read of the people of the Eaſt-Indies, in the Iſle Zeylon, who having an Apes tooth got from them, which was a conſecrated thing by them, they offered an incredible maſs of treaſure to recover it; and if ſo be a conſecrated thing, though ſo baſe in it ſelf, be ſo highly eſteemed for the conſecration ſake, how much more an immortal ſoul, that hath ſo many graces, as pearls ſet glittering in it, being conſecrated unto God?
Secondly, they are thoſe that are entred into Covenant with God, and therefore in nearer relation (then others) to God; therefore they are called The portion of God, The treaſure of God, The peculiar ones of God; they are thoſe that God ſatisfies himſelf in; what higher then ſuch expreſſions as theſe? They are thoſe that God hath ſet his heart upon, the beloved ones of God: They are the children of the high God; The ſpouſe of the ſon, that are married to the ſon; In ſome reſpect nearer then the Angels themſelves, for they are not in a myſtical Union ſo married to Chriſt, as Gods people are; and Gods people having ſuch relations to God, as in theſe & many other reſpects might be named, they are worthy of honorable eſteem.
Thirdly, for priviledges; they are thoſe that are 3.freed from the evil of ſin, the evil of puniſhment. The ſaints Priviledges.They are thoſe that have whatſoever is in God to be theirs, working for their good: All the Attributes of God, and the ways of God in his Providence: If there be any thing in God to make a man happy, it is theirs. And all the good that is ſpoken of in the Word, all the glorious promiſes are theirs: And all that is in the world is theirs, the world continues for their ſakes; ſays the Apoſtle, All is yours, for you are Chriſts, and Chriſt is Gods, 1 Cor. 3. ult. It is a great argument to ſhew Gods greatneſs, that all the creatures in the world are his, and for him; what an argument then is it, to ſhew the greatneſs of a Chriſtian, that Heaven, and Earth, and Chriſt, and God, and all are his, and for him? They have free acceſs to the Throne of grace, and welcom too: They have that priviledge, to come and put their hands into Gods treaſure, and take what they will, God gives them the key, giving them the ſpirit of prayer, he gives them the key of his ſpiritual treaſure: They are the heirs of Heaven and eternal life; yea, and the heirs of the world too, for being the children of God, they inherit their Fathers riches; now Rom. 4. 13. Abraham is ſaid to be the heir of 4.the world.Nemo poteſt bona opera ſatis magnificè cōmendare; Quis vel unius operis quod Chriſtianus ex fide & in fide, faeit utilitatem & fructū ſatis praedicare poteſt? Eſt enim pretiofius quam coelum & terra. Luth Tom. 4. 109. And again in Gen. c. 30. & in c. 31. Sint exilia, ſervilia, muliebria opera noſtra, tamen idſcrib… mus hunc titulum, Verbum Domini, quo fiunt glorioſa omnia, & in eternum manſura. Sancti quantumvis exiguum & ſordidum faciunt, magnum eſt & glorioſum, quia omnia factunt in ſide. And in Gen. 29. Si darctur mihi ottio, eligerem Chriſtiani ruſtici, aut ancillae ſordidiſsimum & maximè agreſte opus praeomnibus victoriis & triumphis Alexandria Magni, & Iulii Caeſaris.
Fourthly, conſider the precious things that come from them: as there are more excellencies in themſelves, then in all creatures in heaven and earth, except Angels; ſo in every gracious action that comes from them, there is the greateſt excellency the world hath. Luther hath many high and excellent expreſſions of the worth of the acts of grace, whereby he ſhews, though he was a mighty advancer of Faith, ſo he was no enemy to good works: No man, ſays he, can commend good works magnificently enough; for one work of a Chriſtian, is more prcious then heaven and earth, and therefore all the world in this life, cannot ſufficiently reward one good work. And in another place, If I might have my deſire, I would rather chooſe the meaneſt work of a Country Chriſtian, or poor Maid, then all the Victories and Triumphs of Alexander the Great, and of Julius Caeſar. And again, Whatſoever the Saints do, though never ſo ſmall and mean, it is great and glorious, becauſe they do all in faith, and by the word. And yet further, Let our works be ſmall, ſervile, womaniſh, yet let this title be added, The Word of the Lord, and they are all glorious, ſuch as ſhall remain eternally. Surely they are precious, from whom ſuch precious things do come; it is a precious fountain, that ſends forth ſuch precious ſtreams: Theſe the Saints of God ſend forth plentifully, the excellency of them a ſpiritual eye ſees, and therefore muſt needs ſee thoſe to be the excellent of the earth, from whence theſe come.
Fifthly, the great uſe that they are of in the world; 5.What uſe is a poor man or woman of, that lives in a poor ſmoak-hole, that no man regards? Yes, many ways; theſe are the onelyonly uſeful people in the world, they are they from whom God hath all his glory in the world, God attains his end of making the world by them; were it not for a company of poor contemptible The uſefulneſs of Gods people in the world.people, what glory ſhould God have in the world? Now for men to be the onelyonly people from whom God hath his glory in the world, is to be of great uſe: They are they that are the ſalt of the earth, and the light of the world; though by ſome that be applied onelyonly to thoſe Diſciples and Miniſters, ſurely it is to be applied to any Diſciples of Chriſt: They are they that hold forth the light of the glory of God; the world would be as a dungeon of diſmal darkneſs, were it not for them: They are they that can prevail with God for mighty things, as Jacob, he prevailed with God as a Prince: They are they that are employed about high and honorable things; none have ſuch glorious employments as Gods people.
Turkiſh Hiſtory tells us, that the very Camels that are uſed to go to Mahomets Tomb, are ever after of high eſteem amongſt them, ſo as they never after uſe them in any mean ſervile way as they did before: Though things be never ſo mean, yet by the uſe they become honorable; no uſe ſo honorable as that of the Saints, where this is ſeen with a diſcerning eye, they are exceeding honorable. They are the great bleſſing of the world: Iſa. 19. 24. there is a promiſe that Iſrael ſhould be a bleſsing in the midſt of the Land. Gods people, whereſoever they are, are a bleſſing to that Country, a bleſſing to the world, howſoever deſpiſed of the world; put all theſe together, and ſurely they are precious.
Laſtly, a ſpiritual eye looks upon Gods people as 6.precious, notwithſtanding all outward meanneſs, becauſe it looks upon them as in their ends, though they are now incomparably above all that is in the world beſides, yet their glorious end raiſeth their worth exceeding high, and a ſpiritual eye looks much at the end and iſſue of things, and therefore looking The excellency of Gods people in regard of their ends.upon the Saints in regard of the iſſue of all, they cannot but have a high eſteem of them. Eye hath not ſeen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entred into the heart of man, to conceive the excellent things that God hath prepared for them that love him, 1 Cor. 2. 9. And now a ſpiritual eye can ſee theſe things, which a natural eye cannot, as if they were preſent, the glorious things that are to come, and the glorious condition that ſuch a one ſhall be in, a ſpiritual eye cannot but faſten upon ſuch a one, and bleſs him, as the bleſſed of the Lord.
We do uſe to look upon great heirs, that are appointed for great things, and ſhall have great poſſeſſions, with honorable reſpect, though now they be meanly clothed, in ruſſet cloth, or eating courſe bread, and playing with beggars children; ſo Gods ſervants, howſoever they are in the eſteem of the world, yet thoſe that know what they are to inherit, what they ſhall receive hereafter, cannot but look upon them as honorable: A ſpiritual eye ſees that that body that is now clothed ſo meanly, within a few years ſhall ſhine more bright then the Sun in the firmament, and that ſoul that is weak in parts and gifts, it ſees it as a veſſel that ſhall be filled to the brim with all the glory of God, and the Image of God to be made perfect, and to have perfect knowledge of God, and of the bleſſed Trinity, and the myſtery of the Goſpel, and all the great works of God: A ſpiritual eye can ſee within a little while, when Chriſt ſhall come in his glory, he will own them before men and Angels, and tell men and Angels, Theſe are thoſe, for whom the eternal councels of my Father did work, and I was content to ſhed my blood for them; and all that was intended in the great work of Redemption, was for theſe: A ſpiritual eye can ſee, that within a while they ſhall be taken up with our Savior, to judge the whole world, to judge the Angels, with Crowns upon their heads, and palms in their hands, triumphing, aſcending up with Chriſt to ſee the Father, and to enjoy him everlaſtingly. And if theſe things be ſeen, as real and certain, they cannot but raiſe eſteem; there is ſo much in Gods people here, as not onelyonly does convince a gracious heart, but ſometimes will convince one that hath but natural principles of their excellency.
Some men and women, that do ſometime rail at Gods people, if we could ſee into their boſoms, do ſometimes bleſs them, and wiſh that their condition were ſuch as theirs ſhall be: As Balaam wiſhed he might dye the death of the Righteous; and John the Baptiſt, though he was mean for outwards, yet Herod reverenced him, becauſe he ſaw ſome glimmerings of the excellency that was in him: And that is obſervable that we have of Joaſh King of Iſrael, 2 Kings 13. 14. he was a wicked man, yet when he comes to Eliſha, and ſees the Prophet was to dye, ſays he, O my Father, my Father, the Chariots of Iſrael, and the Horſemen thereof! this is the ſpeech of one that was ungodly, he had a reverend eſteem of Eliſha, and it ſeems he walked ſo, as he gained mighty eſteem from wicked men; as in 2 King. 3. 12. three Kings came down to the Prophet to ſpeak with him, they do not ſend for him; True it is, one of them was a good man, but the other two were wicked; it was indeed in the time of their affliction, yet it was a mighty honor the Prophet had from them. It is reported of the Emperor Severus, when Origen came to him, he came very meanly cloathed, onelyonly one garment; Severus ſent him a Chariot, and change of garments, to come in pomp to him, he refuſed to come in pomp; and yet when he ſaw the piety and gravity of the man, he was mightily convinced, and it gained much reſpect from him: The godly will gain reſpect from wicked men, much more from a gracious heart, that can judge as God judges, and ſee the ends of things.