Moses Self-Denial, Treatise · Chapter 12
CHAP. XII.
No wonder, that men of great parts (wanting Faith) doe fall off from Chriſt, and betray his Cauſe.
IF it be Faith that muſt carry men through ſufferings,Vſe 2. and ſuch a kind of Faith as you have had opened to you; learne then not to be offended, when you ſee men fall off in the time of tryall; for all men have not Faith: we ſhould be no more troubled at it, then when we ſee drie leaves fall off the Tree by a ſtrong Wind: If they want the Principle that ſhould carry them through, what wonder is it if they fall away? Whatſoever mens parts or gifts be, whatſoever profeſsion they make, yet if the ſhine of Faith appeares not in them, wee are to expect nothing elſe from them; where there are but naturall Principles, there it is not to be expected that Nature ſhould be denyed, when any great thing comes croſſe unto it.
Many who are weake, are diſcouraged, when they ſee men of eminent parts, ſuch who have beene forward in profeſſion; ſuch as were able to pray, and to ſpeake admirably of Divine things; ſuch as were able to adviſe, and give counſell unto others; ſuch as were of high eſteeme in the Church of God; yea, Preachers, who have beene very eminent, by whom the hearts of many have beene much refreſhed: when ſuch in the time of tryall ſhall fall off, and baſely yeeld to the World,Lapſus majorum, tremor minorum. betraying the Cauſe of God, rather then they will ſuffer trouble: VponUpon this, thoſe that are weake thinke with themſelves, what ſhall become of me then, a poore creature, who have not the hundreth part of thoſe abilities that ſuch had? Surely I ſhall never hold out. This temptation many times is ſtrong, it hath alwayes beene the way of the enemies of the Truth to come with this argument to thoſe who are weake; Such and ſuch have yeelded, and will ye ſtand out? Are you wiſer then they? Chryſoſtome in an Oration,Nonne vidiſti alios veſtri ordinis idipſum feciſſe? Nos hac potiſſimum ratione viriliter ſtabimus▪ & pro illorum ruina noſmetipſos in ſacrificia offeremus. in Iuventinum & Maximum, two Martyrs, brings in this objection of the Perſecutors againſt them, and their anſwer: Doe you not ſee others of your ranke to doe thus? They anſwer; For this very reaſon wee will manfully ſtand, and offer our ſelves as a Sacrifice, for the breach that they have made. Wherefore, ſeeing this is that which the Adverſaries of the Truth make ſuch uſe of, it hath need of the fuller anſwer. For a more full anſwer thereunto then,
Firſt know,1. that the leaſt degree of true Faith will goe further then all the abilities of naturall parts and gifts that ever were in the world;Why true Faith only will carry men thorow ſufferings. and true Faith may be, where naturall parts are very weake, and where there is little appearance of common gifts: and on the other ſide, where theſe are in the greateſt eminencie, yet the Soule may be altogether void of Faith. You are deceived, if you thinke, where there are ſtronger parts, and moſt gifts, there muſt needes be the greateſt meaſure of Faith; and where parts are weaker, and ſcarce any common gifts, there muſt needes be the leaſt: No; God doth not diſpenſe this glorious grace of Faith according to this proportion: Not many wiſe, not many learned, but God chuſeth the poore in this world to be rich in faith: When the glorious Myſteries of the Goſpel are hid from the wiſe of the world, even then are they revealed to thoſe that are Babes. Gods wayes have uſually beene, to chooſe weake and contemptible things to honour himſelfe by, that the glory of his Grace and Power might the more appeare; and hath not ſo ordinarily made uſe of men of great parts, that have beene eminent and glorious in the world, becauſe in them the grace of God would not be ſo much honoured, ſome of the honour would ſtick to them.
Conſider ſecondly,2. if the example of theſe men were the ground of your profeſſion of Religion, then their falling off might juſtly be your diſcouragement: but if you had better grounds, if the evidence, the beautie, the authoritie, the power of, and love unto the Truth, were your grounds; then your grounds remaining, and the Truth being the ſame, you ſhould not be diſcouraged, but goe on in your way.
Thirdly,3. if you thinke to hold out by the ſtrength of any degree of excellencie whatſoever that you could ſee in them, then you might juſtly be diſcouraged, becauſe you have not ſo much as they had; all that you ſaw in them, were gifts, and parts, and profeſsion: If you thinke that theſe ſhould carry you through ſufferings, you are utterly miſtaken; but if you make account, that that which ſhould carry you through, be another Principle, a hidden one, that cannot be ſeene in any, then there is no cauſe of diſcouragement.
Fourthly,4. hath not God acquainted you with the infinite deceitfulneſſe of the heart of man; That it is a bottomleſſe depth of evill, and deſperately wicked, beyond that which any is able to know but God himſelfe? And will you then depend upon man, and that in a matter of ſo great conſequence, as the cleaving to, or the forſaking of the Truth of God?
Fifthly,5. the falls of thoſe who have beene thus eminent, are juſt judgements of God upon hypocrites, and thoſe that are carnall and naught, to be a ſtumbling-blocke to them, at which they ſhould fall, and breake themſelves, and never riſe againe: Now, if you ſhould ſtumble too at this ſtumbling-blocke, it were an ill ſigne, and a heavie judgement of God againſt you; Therefore take heed, that it prevailes not too farre with you.
Sixtly,6. how doe you know, but that theſe men, in the midſt of all their profeſſion, had ſome ſecret ſinne maintained in their boſomes, ſome ſecret luſts that lay next their hearts? And if ſo, no marvell though all the ſeeming good they had, vaniſh and come to nothing, in the time of tryall.
Laſtly,7. the more glorious they were, and failed, and the more weake and contemptible, either in your owne eyes, or in the eyes of others, you are, the greater is the merciemercy of God towards you, if he gives you a heart to hold out, and the greater honour will it be for you, both before God and men; You ſhall be brought againſt them, in the Day of Judgement, to condemne them.