Moses Choice, Treatise · Part 2 · Chapter 17
CHAP. XVII. What we are to learn from that high eſteem a gracious heart hath of the Saints in their ſoreſt afflictions.
HEnce we ſee what a difference is between the men of the world, and Gods people: The Uſe 1.men of the world are ſuch, as in all their outward pomp and bravery, are baſe and wretched, and Gods people in all their baſeneſs and meanneſs, are precious and honorable: The wicked men are ſo vile, as all the glory that the world hath cannot make them bleſſed; and Gods people are ſo bleſſed, as that all the evil of the world cannot make them any way miſerable: If a man had his hearts deſire in all things that are here below, he may remain as a baſe curſed creature; but let him be gracious, and godly, and let him have all the miſery that can be put upon him in the world, he is one that God, and the Angels, and Saints look upon, as the glory of the earth.
That is very obſervable we have of Antiochus Epiphanes in Dan. 11. 21. In his eſtate ſhall ſtand up a vile perſon, and yet he was the great King of Aſſyria. And Joſephus reports, the Samaritans wrote to him, becauſe he tormented the Jews, to excuſe themſelves that they were no Jews; and they writ, Antiochus the mighty God; and his name Epiphanes in Engliſh, does ſignifie one that is illuſtrious and famous above others: Though he was the great King of Aſſyria, and by flattery was called the Mighty God, and by his name called Illuſtrious & famous above others, yet by the holy Ghoſt he is called a Vile perſon. But David ſpeaking of Gods people, whom he ſhould do good unto, ſays, They are the excellent of the earth, in whom is my delight, Pſal. 16. the word ſignifies, the magnificent of the earth: The one is called The vile of the earth, in the Pſalm before, and the other called The magnificent, in this Pſalm.
God hath made a ſeparation between the wicked and the godly, and therefore Moſes ſays in Exod. 33. ver. 16. Thou haſt ſeparated between us and other people; the word that is tranſlated ſeparated, is, thou haſt wonderfully ſeparated between us and other people; ſo God hath wonderfully ſeparated between us and the world; that the one ſhould be ſo curſed, that all the good of the world cannot make them bleſſed; and the other ſo bleſſed, as all the evil of the world cannot make them miſerable. When Agrippa was ſo admired, that the people cryed, The voyce of God, and not of man, God gives an Angel authority to ſmite him, and he was eaten up with worms: John though he was mean in the world, the Holy Ghoſt calls him the greateſt that was born of a woman.
Secondly, this rebukes thoſe that can ſee no excellency 2.in thoſe that are godly, more then in others: and if they be afflicted, they look upon them, as the prey of the malice of wicked men, and a poor contemptible people, and paſs them by, and ſee nothing in them to be worthy of any reſpect. As it was ſaid of Herod, when Chriſt came to him, he thought to have ſeen miracles wrought by him; and becauſe he appeared as a mean man, Herod ſlighted him; and ſo men that judge according to the fleſh, if men be great in the world, or have ſuch a one to be their friend, they like that well, but if he be ragged, and mean, they paſs him by, as not reſpecting of him. As Hoſpinian tells us of the dogs, that kept the Temple of Vulcan, If any came to the Temple with brave cloaths, they would let them alone, but if they came in ragged cloaths, they would tear them all in pieces: So men of the world, if they ſee men in good cloaths, and proſper outwardly, they are ſomebody; but for this godlineſs, and preciſeneſs, they have no skill in it, and therefore deſpiſe it, and look contemptibly upon it. So it was with the Samaritans, as long as the people of the Jews were proſperous outwardly, they would challenge acquaintance, and affinity with them, but if they were in affliction, then they would fall off: but St. Paul did not ſo, for (ſays he) Henceforth know I no man after the fleſh.
It is a great ſign of a carnal heart, and oppoſite to the principle of grace, to look upon things according to outward excellency, and not to ſee a beauty in Gods people for want of outward excellency. Some things that are fooliſh, are onelyonly weakneſs of reaſon: ſome things are oppoſite to the principles of reaſon, and where we ſee ſuch, we account thoſe naturals: ſo ſome things are infirmities, and argue weakneſs of grace; but other things are quite contrary to the principles of grace, and amongſt thoſe I know none more evident then this, For people to judge of things according to outward excellency, and not to ſee the excellency of Gods people through outward meanes: this is an argument that the Goſpel is hid from thee, and ſo thou art a loſt creature: if the beauty of the Goſpel be hid, it is hid to thoſe that are loſt: It is true likewiſe of ſuch as profeſs the Goſpel, if the beauty of them be hid, it is hid to thoſe that are loſt.
Thirdly, if ſo that there is ſuch an excellency in Gods people, though under great afflictions it ſhould 3.teach us all to manifeſt our reſpect to Gods people that are mean: It is a moſt vile thing, to have the faith of Chriſt in reſpect of perſons: ſays Tertullian, We do not judge of faith by perſons, but of perſons by Non ex perſonis fidem, ſed ex fide perſonas.faith: So do not look at men, to judge of them according to outwards, but look to the inwards of the ſoul, how they are cloathed within. What a ſhameful thing is it for thoſe that are Chriſtians, that know ſpiritual excellencies, to look upon thoſe that are gay, and brave outwardly? What do thoſe that are gay and brave attire themſelves for, but to have the eyes of men drawn after them? Let childrens eyes be drawn after them; but if they have rotten ſpirits, let them be ſo looked upon, notwithſtanding they be in gay cloaths: but for thoſe that are gracious, Jeſus Chriſt looks upon them as his glory; 2 Cor. 8. 23. The meſſengers of the Church, the glory of Chriſt; and therefore we ſhould glory in them much more.
The Apoſtle S. James ſpeaks very bitterly to thoſe that he wrote unto, for having reſpect unto perſons, ſays he, Are ye not then partial in your ſelves, and are become judges of evil thoughts? as if he ſhould ſay, Jam. 2. 4.Do not your conſciences condemn you? Can this ſtand with grace? to have the faith of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt in reſpect of perſons; Are you become judges of evil thoughts? thoſe evil thoughts of yours, in reſpecting thoſe that are in brave apparel; Are you judges of thoſe evil thoughts? that is, to judge according to them: Some render it thus; and are not judges of evil thoughts? And ſo the negative, that is joyned to partial, is to be applyed alſo, to become judges of evil thoughts: Have you ſuch evil thoughts as theſe, and do you not judge them to be evil? Noting there is ſo much evil in them, as it is to be wondered, that any ſhould have ſuch evil thoughts, and yet not judge them to be naught.
But how ſhould we manifeſt our reſpect to thoſe Queſt.that are outwardly mean, that are gracious?
Firſt, own them, and be not aſhamed of them, before Anſw.your braveſt kindred, for they are precious to 1.God and Chriſt, and if you be aſhamed of them, you are aſhamed of Chriſt himſelf, and it is juſt Chriſt ſhould be aſhamed of you another day: Are they the glory of God, the treaſure of God, and the portion of God, and the peculiar ones of God, and ſhall you be aſhamed of them? O no, but thoſe whom God honors, let us honor; What rule can we have better for our honoring of men, then that honor that our God puts upon them? It is given as a ſpecial reaſon, why the King of Babylon ſent Ambaſſadors, and a preſent to Hezekiah, after he had been ſick, to teſtifie his reſpect to him, and to honor him, becauſe he had heard, how that miracle of the Suns going back was for him, as a ſign of his recovery; The Sun was the God whom the Babylonians worſhipped; now becauſe their God had honored Hezekiah ſo much, the King of Babylon would honor him likewiſe. Abulenſis in 2 Kings 20. God hath wrought great things for his Saints, whereby he hath put much honor upon them, he hath owned them before all the world, let us own them with honorable reſpect of them.
2. Again, bleſs God that you may have any communion 2.with them, to have the breathing of Gods Spirit How to manifeſt our reſpect to gracious perſons, that are outwardly mean.in them; reioyce in their communion, and fellowſhip, and delight more in mourning with them in their afflictions, then in all the jollities of the world, then to be feaſting, then to enjoy all their delightful braveries.
3. Again, the more they are contemned in the world, and they ſuffer in the world, the more do you 3.reſpect them, and own them; So long as Gods people ſuffer nothing, but have outward proſperity as well as others, ſome will make of them; but if they ſee them in contempt, then they leave them, and look at them afar off: as it is with a mans Miniſtery, when a mans Miniſtery is approved of by ſome that are rich, and the aſſembly be filled with ſuch, they count ſuch a Miniſtery a credit to their Church; but if it be ſpiritual, ſo as it may be but few of them underſtand it, and ſo diſcountenanced by ſuch as thoſe are, then his Miniſtery is not regarded: and as in the eſteem of the Miniſtery, ſo in the eſteem of the ſaints; when they are eſteemed in the world, they will eſteem of them, but when the eſteem of the world is taken away, their eſteem is taken away.
As it is with the Deer that is hunted, when the Huntſman goes into the Park, he ſtirs up all, and all run together, but if one be ſhot, and they ſee the blood run down, they will all puſh him out of their company: ſo while Gods people go on, and are in credit, and eſteem with the world, others that are ſlight profeſſors of Religion will eſteem them, and they ſhall be welcom into their company, till they be ſhot, and they ſee diſgrace put upon them, then they look upon them with a lowry countenance. If a man be travelling, and there be a Sun-dial by the high-way, if the Sun ſhine, he will go out of his way to take notice of it, but if the Sun do not ſhine, he may go a hundred times by and never regard it; and ſo when the Sun ſhines upon Gods people, they are much made of, but if a cloudy day do come, and take away the Sunſhine, they are not eſteemed, and many people inſtead of helping them in their affliction, will adde to their affliction, and ſay, You needed not to have been ſo forward, and to have appeared ſo much; It was your want of wiſdom brought you into this trouble, and the like.
If you had a gracious heart, if you ſaw one of Gods Servants go on in the way of God, and ſuffer in that way, though he had failed in ſome particulars, you would paſs them by, and not be ready to take advantage, to ſpeak againſt him for them: If a man do plead for the King, every circumſtance is not taken up, and aggravated againſt him; and ſo for thoſe that are for God, every circumſtance ſhould not be aggravated againſt them: It is better for one to be forward in Gods cauſe, though he ſhould fail in ſome circumſtances, then to be lukewarm. If a man be going earneſtly, and do fall forward, there is not ſo much danger in that, as to fall backward: ſo a man that is forward in that which is good, though he may carry ſome things indiſcreerly, and ſuffer ſomewhat that way, yet his fall is but forward, and there is not ſo much danger in that, as in a time-ſerver, and apoſtate that falls backward, he may break his neck. And therefore we ſhould not aggravate the afflictions of the Saints, if they be right in the main, we ſhould countenance them, and appear for them, though we venture ſomething, as Moſes here, he might have ſaved himſelf, and yet he had ſuch a high eſteem of Gods people, as he would venture all for them: but of this in the next Point.
Thirdly, If God does move the hearts of any, preciouſly to eſteem of his people, though afflicted outwardly, 3.hearken to a word of encouragement, Certainly thou art bleſſed of God: It is a note of a wonderful ſtrong eye-ſight that thou haſt, that thou canſt ſee Spiritual excellency, through outward meanneſs: there is more skill in being able to ſee the preciouſneſs of a thing, then to ſee the glory and luſtre of it; that which is not true pearl, may have as much luſtre as the true, but the skill of the Lapidary is to know, that is not precious, but the other, although it be fullied with dirt. It is a note of ſincerity of grace, that thou loveſt grace for grace: It is a note of the power of grace, that thou canſt paſs by that which is a ſtumbling to ſo many. Certainly God will know thy ſoul in adverſity, and will look through all thy infirmities upon thee, that canſt look with an honorable eſteem upon his people through all afflictions: And in that time when thou ſuſpecteſt the work of grace in thee, this may be one argument to uphold thee, though thou canſt not diſcern the work of grace in thine own heart, yet thou canſt prize it in another; it is an argument it is in thy ſoul, though now thou canſt not ſee it; though people want other notes, yet this many have.
Fourthly, You that are the Servants of God, and 4.God hath ſo ordered it, as you are mean in the world, mean in your parts and eſtates, and mean in regard of your friends, be not diſcouraged, do not think, I am a poor contemptible man or woman, no body looks at me, or regards me; God hath a high eſteem of you, the Angels have a high eſteem of you, the Saints have a high eſteem of you, and therefore be not diſcouraged. As you have it in Iſaiah 56. 3, 4. Let not the Eunuch ſay, I am a dry tree, for if he will take hold of my name, and keep my Sabbath, I will give him an everlaſting name, better then of ſons and daughters: Many, becauſe they are outwardly mean, do go on diſcouraged, and ſay of themſelves, We are dry trees: If thou didſt but ſee the thoughts of Gods people, and ſee the thoughts of wicked men, as if thou couldſt but unfold the conſciences of wicked men, they do reverence thee, and wiſh they were in thy condition, if they were to dye; though you have not that reſpect from the godly which they ſeem to ſhew to others, that they have more uſe of, and are more ſerviceable to them to do their buſineſs, and ſo there is a ſhew of more outward familiarity, yet do not think but that you are more highly eſteemed then they are.
But ſuppoſe no man ſhould regard you, it is enough that God does regard you; It is a notable ſpeech of Salvian, Such as are truly bleſſed in their own conſciences, cannot be miſerable by the falſe judgements of other men: But I ſay, though that were enough, yet you have more, you have God, and his Angels, and Saints, and the conſciences of wicked men, though we ſhould not regard the eſteem of the men of the world, but go on in our way, onelyonly be careful that they may not ſpeak ill of our Religion; but the eſteem of the Saints is not ſlightly to be eſteemed, for it is a bleſſing of God, and therefore St. Paul was earneſt with the Romans to pray to God for him, that his ſervice might be accepted of by the Saints.
On the other ſide, for one to be in ſuch a condition, as thoſe that are godly, wiſe, and humble, ſhall call their eſtates into queſtion, and be ſuſpitious of them, ſuch need look to themſelves: many that are truly godly, may be very guilty of cenſuring, and ſo do much wrong, both to thoſe that are godly, and to Religion; but take thoſe that are wiſe, and humble, and I ſay, if ſuch ſhould be jealous of me, I ſhould have great cauſe to be ſuſpitious of my ſelf; for ſuch have the Spirit of God, and do know the things of God, A ſpiritual man judgeth all things, and therefore we ſhould make good uſe of their opinions of us; If they be afraid of us, we ſhould fear our ſelves, as Iſaiah ſays, There is no peace to the wicked, ſays my God; that God that my ſoul hath intereſt in, ſays, there is no peace to the wicked; So when thoſe that have intereſt in God, ſhall ſay to a man, there is no peace to thee, it ſhould make his heart quake. Gods people ought ſo to walk, as to gain reſpect from the conſciences of men; Do you ſo walk as to gain any ſuch honorable reſpect? Is there not cauſe of ſuſpition? In the name of Jeſus Chriſt I beſeech you, let it be your care ſo to walk, with ſuch heavenly humble ſpirits, as to hold forth the beauty of godlineſs unto others, and to force reſpect from them. As it is ſaid of God, Holy and reverend is his name; How does Gods name come to be reverend, but by being holy? ſo it may be ſaid of Gods people, Holy and reverend are their names; if they be holy, their names are reverend, they will gain reverence from thoſe that are godly, and will force it from the baſeſt wretches: and therefore you that would have honor, and a name, here is a way; you would be the fineſt in all the company, and you think to get a name that way, you ſeek to get riches, and ſo to get a name; this is not the way, this does not cover the filth of ſin, this covering is narrower then that you can wrap your ſelf in, Iſa. 22. 26. but if you would get a name indeed, be godly, and gracious, and holy, and then you ſhall have the teſtimony of the conſciences of men, and that is more then all their words, for there may be flattery in their words.
Many Miniſters think if they ſhould be poor and mean, every one would contemn their Miniſtery, and therefore they think the way to have their Miniſtery reſpected, is to get great livings; this certainly is a falſe way: A poor godly man that walks in his Miniſtery faithfully, and conſcionably, will gain more reſpect, then others by all their great preferments. As it was the ſpeech of Boniface, that was a Martyr; one askt him, whether it was lawful to give the Wine in the Sacrament in a wooden cup; Time was, ſays he, when there were wooden Chalices, and golden Prieſts; but now there are golden Chalices, and wooden Prieſts: This was the way of Papiſtry, for to have outward bravery, and thought to gain mens devotion that way; but when there were wooden Chalices, when things were carryed meanly, that did not take away the dignity of the Miniſtery, but by the holineſs of their lives, they were eſteemed of the more, and the Ordinances were not accounted the worſe by the outward ſimplicity of them, but the better. Let us that are acquainted with any thing of the minde of God, know that there are better things to gain reſpect to Religion, and to our ſelves by, then all the outward things; be not afraid therefore of ſufferings, be godly, and let ſufferings be never ſo much, and your name will be precious. Thoſe who wandred up and down in ſheep-skins, and goat-skins, Heb. 11. yet obtained a good report by faith.
Laſtly, if a gracious eye can ſee ſo much excellency in the Saints, in outward meanneſs, how much more ſhall they ſee when they come to their glory, when all the treaſures of Heaven ſhall come to be opened, and all the good of Heaven let out to them, when they ſhall be wholly free from ſin, when the robes ſhall be brought out, and the glorious garments, and they ſhal walk with Chriſt in white? If they be ſo glorious when they are on the dunghil, what ſhall they be when they are in their Kingdom, when the Bride ſhall come trimmed, when there ſhall be a ſuitableneſs to that Bridegroom Jeſus Chriſt; and God, and all the Angels ſhall come to ſolemnize the marriage? There ſhall be a time here, when wicked men ſhall take hold upon the skirt of a Iew, and ſay, I will go with you, for I have heard God is with you: How much more afterwards will the great ones and mighty ones of the earth be ready to catch hold upon the Saints, and ſay, O that we might go with you, though it were but to attend upon you? This is the day of viſitation, 1 Pet. 2. 12. in which they ſhall glorifie God.
There are three days of viſitation, and in all thoſe days of viſitation men ſhall glorifie God in the behalf of Gods people.
Firſt, When the time ſhall come that God ſhall viſit their ſouls, and work any good upon their ſouls.
Secondly, the time of affliction, when they are upon their ſick-beds: though in proſperity they contemn you, and ſpeak evil of you, yet in the day that God ſhall viſit them, and lay his hand upon them, then they ſhall ſay, This is the onelyonly people that live upon the earth, and ſend for ſuch a one.
Thirdly, they ſhall glorifie God in the Day of Judgement, when they ſhall ſee the glory of theſe, and they ſhall ſay, Theſe are thoſe we deſpiſed, and called Hypocrites, now we ſee they are no Hypocrites: as thoſe fooliſh Virgins that wanted oyl, when the Bridegroom came, then they asked oyl of the wiſe Virgins; it may be before they would not acknowledge it was oyl, it was water with them before, but now it is oyl: ſo now they ſhall ſee they were godly, and not hypocrites, and they were not notions that they heard of, but realities. And thus much of the excellency that a gracious heart does ſee in thoſe that are godly, though never ſo mean and afflicted outwardly. The fifth Point is,