Moses Choice, Treatise · Part 3 · Chapter 57
CHAP. LVII. The great things of eternity to be much ſought after.
THe laſt Uſe is an Uſe of Exhortation to all, now to ſet your hearts to ſeek after theſe 12.great and bleſſed things of eternal life that have been opened: O that now the hearts of people that have been wandring after other things might be brought in, and ſet upon eternal life and Heaven: Let every ſoul reaſon with it ſelf: Are there indeed ſuch things to be had? hath God ſuch intentions to communicate himſelf thus to mankinde? And am I the man or woman that ſhall loſe all this? that ſhall never be partaker of this? O wo unto me that ever I was born! In Luke 16. 16. The Law and the Prophets, ſays Chriſt, were till John, but ſince that time the kingdom of God ſuffereth violence: The Law and the Prophets did but darkly reveal the things of the Kingdom of God, but St. John he did more clearly reveal the things of that Kingdom, and ſince that time the kingdom of heaven ſuffereth violence: O that it might be ſaid concerning any man or woman that have heard this argument opened; ſince that time that the recompence of reward was opened, the kingdom of heaven hath ſuffered violence: Surely there is ſtrength enough in that which hath been ſaid to draw forth the heart with violence after it. I remember Plutarch reports in Fugiendū eſt ad clariſsimam patriam ibi pater, ibi omnia Plotinus. apud Auguſt. lib. de Civit. 9. c. 16.the life of Camillus of the Gauls, that after they had once a taſte of the ſweet wine of the grapes that grew in Italy, they inquired in what Countrey ſuch ſweet wine was, and after they underſtood where the grape of that wine grew, they would never be at reſt till they got to that Countrey where ſuch ſweet and pleaſant things grew. I have endeavored in the opening of this point, to bring unto you ſome of the Cluſters of Canaan, and ſome of that wine which is to be drunk in the Kingdom of Heaven; now if you account it to be ſweet and good, let not your hearts be at reſt till you come at that Countrey, till you come to enjoy the ſweet and good of that Countrey.
It is reported of one Adrianus, who ſeeing the Martyrs ſuffer ſuch grievous things in the cauſe of Chriſt, he asked what was that which cauſed them to ſuffer ſuch things; and one of them named that Text, Eye hath not ſeen, nor ear hath not heard, neither hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive what is laid up for thoſe that love God; and the naming of that Text converted him, and had ſuch an effect as made him to profeſs Religion, and ſo to profeſs it, as to be a Martyr for it: You have not onelyonly one Text named, but many have been uſed about this argument, let not all be in vain. We read in Mark 10. 17. of a yong man that came running, and kneeled before Chriſt, and asked him, Good Maſter, what ſhall I do that I may inherit eternal life? O that God would move the hearts now of ſome yong ones, that hearing what eternal life means, they may now come running to get part in it, that that activity and vigor of their youth may be exerciſed and ſpent about this, What may I do that I likewiſe may be partaker of eternal life, and of theſe glorious and bleſſed truths that are here revealed? You that are in a poor condition in the world, that have little here, here are great things for your hearts to make after, here are glorious things that are as obvious for you ac for the greateſt in the world; you cannot expect to have great matters in the earth, but here you may expect to have great matters. You that are old likewiſe, though you have not been acquainted with the excellency of the Kingdom of God, now bleſs God that you may yet further know more concerning it. If a man come to know more of an inheritance that did befal him, or of any outward gain then before, he is glad that he lived to that time; ſo bleſs God that you may know yet more concerning eternal life before this life be at an end. What is it that your hearts are ſet upon? There are none but their hearts are ſet upon ſome good that they apprehend to be good; Now what is that good? Certainly there is an eminency of all good contained in this.
It was a charge of God unto Baruch, that we read of in Jer. 45. ult. Seekeſt thou great things for thy ſelf? Seek them not, for I will bring evil upon all fleſh, and that which I have planted I will pluck up: The argument runs thus, Seekeſt thou great things for thy ſelf in any outward matter? do not ſeek them, for I am about to bring evil upon my people, the time of publique calamity is coming, and doeſt thou ſeek great things for thy ſelf? But when we are about this argument, the glory of the Kingdom of God, Doeſt thou ſeek great things for thy ſelf? We cannot ſay, Seek them not: God would have his people ſeek glorious things for themſelves, ſeek them to the utmoſt that poſſibly you can: So follow theſe things as not to be ſatisfied with any thing under theſe.
God would have his ſervants to be of ſuch ſpirits, as though content with the leaſt mercies they do enjoy, Gods people are ſatisfied with no worldly good for their portion.to acknowledge themſelves unworthy of them, yet not to be ſatisfied with the greateſt things in the world for their portion. What, will a reprobates portion ſerve you? Certainly, the glory of the world, if you had it all, it were but the portion of a reprobate. What, will a Dogs portion ſatisfie you? All the things of the world are but Dogs meat, ſo the Apoſtle calls them in Phil. 3. I account all things in the world as droſs and dung, or dogs meat; and will foreign.this ſatisfie you? Is there nothing elſe for you to ſeek after? Firſt ſeek the Kingdom of God (ſays Chriſt) and the righteouſneſs of it, let that be your firſt endeavor: Strive to enter into the ſtrait gate, though it be never ſo ſtrait, yet if it be the way unto life, and unto theſe things, ſtrive to enter: We have not ſpoken more then that is real. It is a ſaying of one, Neither Chriſt, nor Heaven can be hyperbolized; Nec Chriſtus, nec Coelum patitur hyperbolem.that is, there cannot be more ſaid of the excellency of Chriſt, and of Heaven, then it is in its ſelf, and therefore do not think any thing that hath been ſpoken is an hyperbole, but a real expreſſion of ſome little glimpſe of the glory of the recompence of reward.
It may be ſome of your hearts when you hear much of the wrath of God againſt ſin, and the dreadfulneſs of Gods diſpleaſure, your hearts are ready to riſe, and belk, and theſe are hard things, and hard ſayings, and who can bear them? but now you have not heard ſo much concerning that, but you have heard of the goodneſs of God, and of the glory of God, and of the riches of the grace of God, and of the wonderful thoughts that God hath for the everlaſting good of mankinde, how do your hearts work now? Shall your hearts ſtir when you hear Gods wrath, and when you hear of Gods grace ſhall not your hearts ſtir then? If God does intend good to any ſoul, he will cauſe that ſoul to ſee into the reality and excellency of theſe things, and that all things ſhould be neglected (in compariſon) in ſeeking after theſe.
Conſider that God hath given unto you natures capable of theſe glorious things; God might have made you worms or bruit beaſts, and there would have been an end of you preſently, you had not been any way capable of theſe things; but God hath made you of ſuch a nature, ſuch creatures, as ye are capable of the higheſt excellency that ever any creature that God made was capable of, and therefore being of ſuch a nature, of ſuch a large extent, it concerns you to ſeek after thoſe things which might fill it; they are not little things that can fill large capacities, now mans nature an immortal ſoul, is of a large capacity; and when the time ſhall come that God ſhall diſcover to any ſoul what it was capable of, how infinitely will it be confounded in it ſelf, when it ſhall know what poor things it ſought after and minded? Men live here in the world as though they were capable of no other happineſs but meat, and drink, and clothes, and ſuch kinde of things, as if there were no higher things that concerned the ſouls of men. Heathens were mighty inquiſitive what ſhould be the true happineſs of man, they did think ſurely man was made for higher things then thoſe that are here, and there were mighty diſputes about it what it ſhould be, there were fourſcore Opinions that were amongſt them about the happineſs of man; they did but beat the buſh, God hath given us Chriſtians the bird, and we have the Goſpel that reveals glory, and immortality, and happineſs unto us.
The Heathens would have counted it a great good to have known wherein the true happineſs of man did conſiſt: And thoſe who had moſt wiſdom did come near that wherein we ſeek happineſs, and yet wavered in their thoughts, but we are aſſured of it, we have God himſelf revealing from Heaven, wherein our true and utmoſt high good conſiſts, and therefore if we ſhould not ſeek after that happineſs which God tells us is happineſs, but ſhould follow our own ways ſtill, how juſt will our condemnation be.
Again, this is not the time that God will communicate much of himſelf in, and therefore we muſt look beyond this life. It is a witty elegant ſpeech Bernard hath, God reſerves his new and beſt wine until afterward. Amongſt the Latins they call proſperous Res ſecundae.things ſecond things, becauſe they are to be had hereafter, they are not the firſt things. So true proſperity is not to be expected here in the firſt way of Gods communication of himſelf to the creature, but in the ſecond way, in the life that is to come: If a man have good wine, he reſerves it till the laſt; ſo God reſerves the riches of his grace, and the treaſures of his goodneſs, his beſt wine, till they ſhall come and drink with him in his own preſence before him continually.
And know further, that Chriſt hath wrought hard to provide happineſs for mankinde; and ſhall we neglect it? In his working for the glory of mankinde, and this happineſs of the children of men, he ſweat at it, and ſo ſweat, as clods of blood trickled down his fleſh in the garden, though it were in the winter time, and a cold night, and he lay upon the ground, and ſhall it now be neglected by us? You that have neglected this all this while, who might juſtly have had your reward amongſt thoſe creatures that are caſt out from the preſence of God: yet know there is a poſſibility for that tongue of thine that hath been guilty of ſo many blaſphemies, to be ſinging Allelujahs to the Lord, and to the Lamb that ſits upon the throne for ever. Who knows but that body of thine that hath been ſo intemperate, and but a ſink of filthy luſts, may be made glorious like the body of Chriſt? and what is it that God requires of you for all this? Nothing but onelyonly to work his own work in you, and it is not a diſhonorable work, but a glorious work, that in which there is more excellency then in any thing in the world: were it that there were no reward of godlineſs, the very excellency of godlineſs it ſelf, hath more in it then the whole world: but take godlineſs with that excellency which it hath in its own nature, and take it with its glorious end, and who would not come into this way? Many men care not what baſe thing they do, ſo they may be a little regarded, but now to have the higheſt reward that ever God will communicate to any creature, and that for doing thoſe things which are the higheſt honor for the preſent, this would encourage any living to come into this way.
Alexander inviting many to a ſupper, he provided a Crown of a hundred and eighty pound to be given to thoſe that did drink moſt, and in that he did like a Heathen; but though it was ſuch a baſe work, and ſo dangerous to themſelves, yet there was one and forty that killed themſelves with drinking to get that Crown: Thus we may ſee the baſeneſs of mens hearts, that to get a little honor in the world, will not onelyonly do ſomewhat that is baſe, but the baſeſt things of all, and that although they be dangerous too. What ſhame and confuſion will this be, that any ſhould do more for the things of the world, yea more for a luſt, then we ſhall do for Heaven? How ſhall we ever think to get Heaven, when this may be ſaid, You do not ſo much for Heaven and Glory, as many will do for their luſts, for their filthy ſins. I have read of the Panther, that it does love the dung of man ſo much, as if it be hanged a height from it, it will skip and leap up, and never leave till it have burſt it ſelf in pieces for to get it, and that is the way they get that creature: we may apply it to the filthy baſe luſts of mens hearts which are like dung, & yet ſo are many men ſet upon them, that they wil venture all for them, and labor after them, though they burſt themſelves, and damn themſelves eternally for them: what an infinite ſhame is this, that men ſhould be content to labor, and ſuffer ſo much for their luſts, and that we ſhould do no more for glory? If men do ſo much for the things of the world, why ſhould we be backward in doing for Heaven? How will men endure the cutting off the members, and much pain for health and life, and yet for this reward, and this inheritance, how little is done in the world?
Sorun, ſays the Apoſtle, that you may obtain, not a corruptible, but an incorruptible crown: Thoſe that run a race for a corruptible crown will be temperate, and deny themſelves in their diet, But we, ſays the Apoſtle, ſtrive for an incorruptible crown; therefore let all our ways be ſuch as it may appear to all the world that we are ſtriving for an incorruptible crown, and that God hath ſhewn us glory and ſalvation to draw our hearts more then any thing in the world; and ſtrive, for now by ſtriving you may come to the reward, but if you ſtay but a while, you muſt be eternally receiving the reward of ſin, then though you would do a thouſand times more, God will not care for it; if then you ſhould ſay, Now Lord I will ſeek thy face, and do any thing thou wilt have me to do, God will not then regard it. As one Lamachus a Commander ſaid to one of his Soldiers that was brought before him for a misbehavior, who pleaded, He would do ſo no more; ſays he, No man muſt offend twice in war: So God will Non licet in bello his peccare.not ſuffer men twice to neglect the day of grace; if it be neglected once, it is neglected for ever, if you loſe this reward here, you loſe it eternally; and therefore now look about you to attain this here, that you may not cry out in the anguiſh of your ſpirits hereafter, That God, and Chriſt, and Heaven are eternally gone.