Moses Self-Denial, Treatise · Chapter 2

Moses Self-Denial · Treatise · Chapter 2

p. 27CHAP. II.

How externall Honour and Nobility is to be denied.

WHerein muſt thoſe who are higher then others in their nobility of birth deny themſelves,Queſt. and refuſe the honour of it?

Firſt,Anſ. 1. by being willing to bee employed in any, even the meaneſt ſervice that God calls them to; wee muſt thinke no worke of God too meane for us, but willingly ſubmit to it, though it darken our honours never ſo much in the eyes of the world. Thus Ierome writes to Pamachius, Caecorum oculus ſis, manus debilium, pes claudorum: ipſe aquā portes, ligna concid…, focum extruas, ubi vincula, ubi alapa, ubi sputa, ubi flagella, ubi patibulum, ubi mors. Ep. ad Pammach.a godly young noble man, hee would have him bee eyes to the blind, hands to the weake, feete to the lame, yea if neede were to carry water, and cut wood, &c. And what are all theſe (ſaies he) to buffettings, to ſpittings, to whippings, p. 28and to death. Conſtantinus, Valantinianus, Theodoſius, three Emperours called themſelves the vaſſals of Ieſus Chriſt,Vaſallos Chriſti. as Socrates reports of them. Theodoſius did manifeſt it indeede in the worke of his humiliation for his ſinne, in the whole Church, caſting himſelf downe upon the pavement, weeping, and lamenting for his ſinne in the face of the whole congregation, which many haughty ſpirits, though much inferior to him, would have ſcorned to doe. Meane offices,Deo ſervire, regnare eſt. if in ſervice to Princes, are accounted honorable: the maſter of the horſe, the groome of the ſtoole, they eſteeme theſe offices an honorable addition to their nobility, the chiefeſt of the nobility of a kingdome thinke themſelves not diſgraced but honored by them: ſhall any ſervice then, performed in obedience to, for the honour of the high and bleſſed God, be accounted diſhonorable, too lowfor the higheſt on earth?

Secondly,2. they muſt deny themſelves in being willing to joyne with thoſe of lower degree in any way of p. 29honouring God. Thus S. Paul, Rom. 12. 16. exhorts to condeſcend to men of low degree:Aequeris p…uperibus inopum cellas dignanter introeas. Saint Ierom, in his former Epiſtle to Pammachius, would have him equall himſelfe with the poore, and vouchſafe to goe into the cells of the needy: the thoughts of nobility and dignity muſt bee layd downe, they muſt bee refuſed, where God may bee honored, and ſpirituall good attained, in joyning with thoſe that are of an inferior ranke, who it may bee were in Chriſt before us, and their anceſtors were more godly then ours, who are farre more honorable in the eyes of God, and his ſaints, then we: where greater graces ſit below us, let us acknowledge their inward dignity, as their inferiority does acknowledge our outward eminency.

And when wee are willing to doe thus, know that reaſon, and religion, teacheth thoſe with whom we have to deale, to know and acknowledge that diſtance, that God hath put betweene us and them, never a whit the leſſe to give us our due honours and reſpects, p. 30becauſe wee are willing to lay them downe, and deny our ſelves in them; they will looke on us with that reſpect that Jerom expreſſes himſelfe concerning Paula a virgin (who by her father was deſcended of Aeneas, and the noble houſe of the Gracchi, Genere nobilis, ſanctitate nobilior.and by her mother of Agamemnon) ſaying ſhee was by birth noble, but by grace more noble; but let it bee accounted injuſtice, that outward worth ſhould bee reſpected which is the meaner, and that wee ſhould not acknowledge inward worth, which is the better.

Thirdly,3. we muſt deny our ſelves, by being willing to ſuffer the moſt diſgracefull thing that can be put upon us for the cauſe of Chriſt: though we ſhould have all our kindred frowne upon us, and caſt us off, and ſcorne, and account us as a diſgrace unto them, we muſt bee willing to be deprived of titles of honour, of all our eſtates, of all that glory we have, that we are borne unto, to be impriſoned, to endure any kinde of torture, or death that God p. 31ſhall call us unto for his names ſake: Romanus that bleſſed Martyre was of noble birth, and yet endured extreme tortures for Chriſt, when they whipt his body with cords that had leades at the end of thē, ſo as they tore his fleſh, that his very bowells were ſeene, yet he cryed out to his tormentors, that they ſhould not ſpare him for his noble birth.Theod. lib. 5. cap. 39. Theodoret reports of Hormiſda a noble man in the King of Perſia his Court, becauſe hee would not deny Chriſt, hee was put into ragged cloathes, deprived of his honours, and ſet to keepe the Camells; after a long time, the King ſeeing of him in that baſe condition hee was, and remembring his former fortunes, he pittied him, & cauſed him to be brought into the palace, and to bee cloathed againe like a noble man, and then perſwades him to deny Chriſt; hee preſently rends his ſilken cloathes, and ſayes, If for theſe you thinke to have me deny my faith, take them againe: and ſo with ſcorne hee was caſt out.

p. 32It is reported likewiſe of one Sames a noble man,Hiſt. Trip. lib. 10. cap. 32. who had and maintained a thouſand ſervants of his owne, yet was deprived of all his eſtate by the King of Perſia, and was compelled to ſerve one of the moſt abject and baſe of his owne ſervants, to whom the King gave his wife, that by this meanes hee might cauſe him to deny the faith; but hee not at all moved, kept his faith intire, willingly ſuffering all this wrong and indignity for Chriſt; wee have divers later examples of men of noble birth, who have beene willing to ſuffer great things for Ieſus Chriſt, and in this have ſhewne the true greatneſſe of their ſpirits.

As that truely noble Marqueſſe of Vico, Marcus Galeacius, whoſe ſtory is famous, and will make him honorable in all ſucceeding ages; Hee was a Courtier to the Emperour Charles the fifth, Nephew to Pope Paul the fourth Marqueſſe of Vico, which is one of the paradiſes of Naples, Naples the paradiſe of Italy, and Italy of Europe, & Europe p. 33of the earth; his father was not onelyonly a Marqueſſe, but was ſo in favour with the Emperour, as hee was joyned equally in commiſſion with the viceroy of Naples, to ſway the Scepter of that Kingdome; his mother was of honorable parentage, her brother was Paul the fourth, his Lady was the daughter to the Duke of Niceria, one of the principall Peeres of Italy: yet being brought to heare a Sermon of Peter Martyrs, God pleaſed ſo to work upon his ſpirit, that he began to enter into ſerious thoughts, whether his way were right or not, then to take up a conſtant exerciſe of reading the Scriptures, then to change his former company, and to make choiſe of better: his father was moved againſt him with ſharpeneſſe, his lady wrought what ſhee could by teares, complaints, intreaties, to take him off from that way: the moſt part of the noble men, in, and about Naples, being either his kinred or familiar friends, they continually reſorted to him, to take him off to follow their old pleaſures together, p. 34yet at laſt having further light let into his ſoule, to ſee not onelyonly the neceſſity of ſome truthes that he underſtood not before, but likewiſe of delivering himſelfe from that idolatry that he apprehended himſelfe defiled with; therefore his reſolutions were ſtrong to leave court, and father, and honours, and inheritance, to joyne himſelfe to a true Church of God; and according to this his reſolution he went away: much meanes were uſed to call him backe, great offers of riches and preferments to draw him; his children hung about him with dolefull cryes, his friends ſtanding by with watery eyes, which ſo wrought vponupon his tender heart (hee being of a moſt loving and ſweet diſpoſition) that, as he hath often ſaid, he thought that all his bowells rouled about within him, and that his heart would have burſt preſently, and hee ſhould there inſtantly have dyed: but he denyed himſelfe in all, and choſe rather to live in a meane condition where hee might enjoy God, and the peace of his conſcience, then to have p. 35the riches, glory, pleaſures of Italy, and of the Emperours Court.

The Hiſtory of the Lord Cobham, that we have in the booke of Martys, is famous in this kind: hee was a man of great birth, and in great favour with King Henry the fifth, ſo as the Archbiſhop Thomas Arundell durſt not meddle with him till hee knew the Kings minde: the King when he heard of it, bad them have reſpect to his noble ſtocke, and promiſed to deale with him himſelfe; & after he privately ſent for him, admoniſhing him ſecretly betweene themſelves, to ſubmit to his holy mother the Church: unto whom he made this anſwer; Moſt worthy Prince, I am alwaies prompt, and ready to obey, for as much as I know you an appointed miniſter of God; unto you (next my eternall God) I owe my whole obedience, and ſubmit thereunto as I have done, ever ready at all times to fulfill whatſoever you ſhall in the Lord command mee; but as touching the Pope and his ſpirituality, I owe them neither ſuite, nor ſervice, p. 36for as much as I know him by the Scripture to be the great Antichriſt, the ſonne of perdition, the open adverſary of God, and the abomination ſtanding in the holy place.

This was in the darkeneſſe of Popery, above two hundred yeares agoe. The blood-thirſty Papiſts never left till they got his blood, prevailing with the King to conſent to his condemnation, and when the ſentence of his condemnation was read, the ſtory ſaith, that this worthy noble man with a chearefull countenance ſpake after this manner: Though yee judge my body, which is but a wretched thing, yet am I certaine and ſure, that you can doe no harme to my ſoule, no more then could Sathan to the ſoule of Job; here were truely noble ſpirits indeede, ſhewing their nobility by refuſing of it, by being willing to deny it for Ieſus Chriſt. Oh that God would raiſe up many noble ſpirits that ſhall bee thus willing to deny themſelves. As Iudg. 5. 9. My heart is toward the governours of the people, that p. 37offered themſelves willingly among the people: bleſſe ye the Lord; the eyes and hearts of Gods people are after you the nobles and governours, if ye offer your ſelves willingly, how ſhall our hearts be enlarged, and our members opened to beſſe the Lord. As Ignatius ſaid concerning Chriſt;Antiquitas mea, Jeſus Chriſtus, nobilitas noſtra, Ieſus Chriſtus. my antiquity is Ieſus Chriſt: ſo let us ſay of him; our nobility is Ieſus Chriſt, ſhewing this, that wee indeede are of the royall ſeede, that we are of truely noble blood, that wee have the blood of Ieſus Chriſt running in our veines, that raiſes our ſpirits farre above whatſoever honour our naturall births have raiſed us unto.

It were a bleſſed thing, if thoſe who are of noble parentage, yet in the cauſe of God, they would not looke at what nature hath advanced them unto; But wherein it is that they are begotten againe by the almighty worke of the grace of God, by that heavenly principle, the ſparkle of that divine nature that is put into them? That in the cauſe of God it were with them, as it p. 38is ſaid of Levi, he muſt not know father or mother. Wee muſt not ſay as thoſe Iewes, Mat. 3. 9. We have Abraham to our father, we are borne of noble parents; but as Iohn to them, ſo I ſay to you, bring forth fruit, or elſe the axe is laid to the roote of the tree: ſtand not ſo much upon the blood wee have, as upon the good we doe. If wee would glory in our parentage, eſpecially glory in our anceſtors, who have beene godly, who have made themſelves noble indeede by the worthy things they have done for God and his people; and let it be our honour, to continue this honour to our family, rather reſolve to loſe our life, then to let this honour of our family die in us; that it may not be ſaid, how did Religion flouriſh in ſuch a noble family, for two or three or more ſucceſſions? but now all is gone, ever ſince ſuch a ſonnes time all is gone, and things are turned another way. It is a bleſſed thing to have the glorious name of God kept up in ſucceſſion in a family, Pſal. 72. 17. we have a propheſy that the name p. 39of Chriſt ſhall continue from generation to generation: the words are, filiabitur nomen ejus, it ſhall be childed, it ſhall be begotten from one to another; the lineall deſcent of Chriſts name, is more honorable then the lineall deſcent of noble blood.Plin. lib. 7. cap. 41. Plinie telles us that it was accounted a great honour, even the height of felicity, that in one houſe & race of the Curios, there were knowne to be three excellent Oratours, one after another, by deſcent from the father to the ſon, & that the Fabii afforded three preſidents of the Senate in courſe, one immediately ſucceeding the other: if this ſucceſſion be ſo honorable, ſo happie, how honorable, how happie doth the ſucceſſion of religion make families to be?Melius eſt ut inte glorientur parentes, quāuttuin parentibus glorieris. We glory in our anceſtors, let our anceſtors be made glorious in us: It is better, ſaies Chryſoſtome, that our parents ſhould glory in us,Chryſ. in Mat. 4.Matt 4 then that we ſhould glory in our parents: we ſhould doe nothing unworthy of our anceſtors.

It is reported of Boleſlaus the fourth, King of Poland, that hee uſed to have p. 40the picture of his father hanging about his neck, in a plate of gold, and when he was to ſpeake, or doe any thing of importance, hee tooke this picture, and kiſſing it ſaid; Deare father I wiſh I may not doe any thing remiſſely, unworthy of thy name. Oh that many of our nobility, whoſe anceſtors have beene famous for godlineſſe, would often have ſuch thoughts as theſe; that they would often conſider how unworthy of the name of their noble anceſtors thoſe waies are, in which now they walke! Certainely our parentage is a mighty engagement unto us for noble and vertuous actions. I ſee nothing in nobility to be deſired, ſaies Jerome, but that noble men are constrained,Nihil aliud video innobilitate appetendum, niſi quod nobiles quadam neceſſitate conſtringuntur ne ab …utiquorum probitate degenerent. Hieron. in Epiſt. by a kinde of neceſsity, not to degenerate from the goodneſſe of their anceſtors. It is the happineſſe of godly parents when they dye, to ſee hope of their godlineſſe to live in their children, to preſerve the lives of their godly parents in themſelves. Ambroſe p. 41in his funerall Oration upon Theodoſius ſaies,Theodoſius tantus Imperator receſſit à nobis, ſed non totus receſſit, reliquit enim nobis liberos ſuos in quibus debemus eum agnoſcere. that though Theodoſius be gone, yet hee is not wholly gone, for hee hath left Honorius with other of his children in whom Theodoſius ſtill lives. Oh that it might bee ſaid of many of our ancient religious nobility, that although they bee gone, yet they are not wholly gone, for they have left their religious truely noble children in whom ſtill they live!Ambroſ. in obit. but woe unto us,Theod. how many of them are gone, yea they are wholly gone, nothing of their true nobility is left remaining in their family, but onelyonly empty titles.

If meanneſſe of parentage be a diſhonour to a child,Mihi dedecori ſunt parentes, tu vero parentibus▪ what diſhonour then is the wickedneſſe of children to noble parentage. It was the ſpeech of one being contemned for his meane birth, To mee, ſaith he, my parents are made a diſgrace; but we are a diſgrace unto our parents, and which in our conſciences doe we think to be moſt eligible? It is better,Melius eſt de contemptibili clarum fieri, quam de claro genere contemptibilem eſſe. Chryſ. in Mat. 4.Matt 4 ſaies Chryſoſtome, to be famous p. 42from a contemptible family, then to be contemptible from a famous family: This is the priviledge of a truely noble vertuous life, that wee ſhall not only have thoſe worthies,Omnes bi majores tui ſunt, ſi te illis geris dignum Sen. Ep. 44. from whom we have come by a naturall line, to be our anceſtors, but all the worthies of the Lord, whoſe vertues and noble ſervices for God ſurvive in us, ſhall bee accounted our anceſtors.

What abundance of ſervice might be done for God, and his truth, if the nobles and the great ones of the earth, did give up themſelves and their honours to the ſervice of the bleſſed God: if they did encourage the hearts of their brethren in joyning with them,Minime Deus eſt acceptor per ſonarū, neſcio tamen quo pacto virtus in nobili plus placet, forte quia plus claret. in doing or ſuffering whatſoever God calles for; I ſay their brethren, for ſo we have it, Nehem. 10. 29. Certainely Chriſt will take it exceedingly well at their hands; God is no acepter of perſons, yet I know not how, ſaies Bernard, vertue in a noble man does more pleaſe,Bernard. ad Sophiā Virgin. it may bee, becauſe it is more conſpicuous. It is an obſervation of Ierom, that p. 43Saint John who was the beloved diſciple was of nobleſtocke, and therefore the rather beloved, in which regard he ſaies he was ſo knowne to the high▪ Prieſt, and did not feare the Iewes, ſo as the other diſciples did; Hee could bring Peter into the Hall, and he alone of all the Diſciples could ſtand before Chriſt at the Croſſe, and receive to him the mother of our Saviour.

Wherefore let us adde Chriſtian nobility to our naturall, and then to our Coronets we ſhall have added a crowne of life, a crowne of glory; to our coſtly garments, the glorious ſhining robe of a Saviours righteouſnes, to ous jewells and ornaments, the graces of that bleſſed Spirit, more precious then Rubies; to our chaines of gold, the golden chaine of ſalvation, the linkes whereof are deſcribed, Rom. 8. Wee have vaſſalls under us now, the whole frame of creation ſhall then be under us, and ſerviceable to us; to our attendance ſhall be added the Angells, who ſhall bee our guard, pitching their tents about us, miniſtring p. 44ſpirits unto us. Certainely there will be no honour loſt that is ventured for Chriſt.

Moſes who was content to deny himſelfe in this honour he might have had, loſt no honour by it, for God raiſed him to the greateſt honour that ever any man was raiſed to before him or in his time. Hee who was content to deny the title of the ſonne of Pharaohs daughter, had after that great and high titles put upon him even by God himſelfe, to be called Pharaohs God, Exod. 7. 1. becauſe of that feare of him, that was ſtrucke into Pharaohs heart, and the power hee had to execute judgements upon Pharaoh and his people: God ſpake with him face to face, as a man ſpeakes to his friend, God wrought wonderfull things by him, and made him the Prince and leader of his people, and that was a greater honour then any hee could have had in Pharaohs Court.

Oh therefore let it not bee ſaid of you, when God hath any ſpeciall ſervice to doe, as it was of thoſe Nobles p. 45in Nehem. 3. 5. But the nobles put not their neckes to the worke of the Lord. It is true, the Scripture ſaies, that there are not many rich, not many noble that are called, and every generation findes the experience of it, but the more rare the more honorable,Quid faciunt ſordes animorum in ſplendore natalium Caſſiod. l. 4. v…r. 19. in thoſe who doe give up themſelves to the honour of God, upon whom they, their honours, and all their goods depend. Doe not ſtaine the nobleneſſe of your birth with the filthineſſe of ſinne: It was a ſpeech of Theodorick a King; What does filthineſſe of minde doe in ſplendor of noble birth: what benefit is it for a river to come from a clear ſpring, if it be muddy? yee are the children of nobles, and therefore honorable; ſo were the children of Iſrael, but God regarded not their birth, when their lives were wicked: hee ſpeakes this in diſhonour of them, Amos 9. 7. are yee not as children of Ethiopians unto me, O children of Iſrael? what? children of Iſrael to be as the children of Ethiopians? what a debaſement is this? you are noble, be not as the children of the p. 46vileſt of the earth before the Lord and his people, lay not a foundation of diſhonour to your poſterity, Iſay 14. 20. The ſeede of the wicked ſhall not bee renowned; they ſhall not be noble, for it is the ſame word that, Numb. 1. 16. is uſed for nobility.

God forbid that any of you ſhould have a thought that the ſervice of God ſhould be a diſgrace unto you, that it ſhould be too low a thing for you, that it ſhould bee counted a diſparagement to you to ſtoope unto it, that it ſhould be thought a ſtaine to your honours: oh no, it is ſinne onelyonly that ſpots and ſtaines your honours. Take heede of being aſhamed of Ieſus Chriſt in any ſervice of his; his ſervice in the meaneſt workes of it, is a greater honour to you, then you can bee to it. It is the unhappineſſe of many who are of birth and quality, they loſe much ſpirituall good that they might have in communion with Gods ſervants in their gifts and graces, becauſe of that diſtance that is betweene them; and although ſome duties of religion are taken p. 47up by them▪ which may in their owne thoughts ſtand with their honours, and correſpond with their friends of quality, yet other duties are looked at as too low, as praying in their families when other helpe is wanting, inſtructing ſervants, leaving unneceſſary occaſions and ſports, to attend upon the preaching of the word, calling over what of Gods minde hath beene made knowne to them. The Holy Ghoſt ſets it out as an addition to the honour of thoſe noble men of Berea, Acts 17. 11. that they received the word with all readineſſe of minde, and ſearched the Scriptures after they had heard Paul preach, to examin what had beene delivered to them: After Oſwald, King of Northumberland, was converted by one Aidan a Biſhop,Beda. Hiſt. lib. 3. Cap. 3. 6▪ it is reported of him, that he diſdained not to preach and expound to his ſubjects and nobles in the Engliſh tongue, that which Aidan preached to the Saxons in the Scottiſh tongue.

It ſtill remaines the glory and renown of that young truly noble Lord p. 48Harrington in the bleſſed memory of him, that he was ſo diligent & ſo conſtant in thoſe duties of religion which now are accounted ſo meane and low by many great ones. It is recorded in his life, that he prayed not onelyonly twice a day in ſecret, but twice with his ſervants likewiſe in his chamber, beſides the joyning at the appointed times of prayer in the family: he meditated of three or foure ſermons that hee had lately heard every day; every Lords day morning hee would repeate the ſermons that hee had heard the Lords day before, and at night thoſe he heard that day. There is no diſproportion betweene ſuch exerciſes as thoſe, and the dignity of nobility, if things be judged according to righteous judgement: there is in truth no denial of the honour of true nobleneſſe in theſe, but becauſe of the perverſe judgement of the world, there is neede of much ſelfe-deniall to ſubmit to them.

The concluſion of this point is this: if you would be indeede honorable, as p. 49your famous and religious anceſtors have beene, be as they were. Religion ſayes to us, as God to Eli, 1 Sam. 2. 30. them who honour me I will honour. I have read of the Lacedaemonians, that for the ſtirring up of the ſpirits of yong men to noble and heroicall enterpriſes, they uſed to have the Statues in marble or braſſe of their moſt famous worthies ſet up in their Senate houſe, with this Epigramme graven in golden characters underneath, ſi fueritis ſicut hi: if you will bee like theſe, that is, in vertue and famous actions, eritis ſicut illi, you ſhall bee like them in glory and renowne. Thus the memory of the ſucceeding generations after worthy anceſtors hath lifted them up in their due honour and their deſerved high eſteeme, with this Motto upon them, ſi fueritis ſicut hi, eritis ſicut illi: be we like them in holy deſires, for the honour of religion, and the good of our countrey; and wee ſhall be now, and in the ſucceeding generations like them, in a bleſſed and glorious memoriall of us.

p. 50Honour likewiſe, and all pleaſures and delights that we enjoy, are to bee denyed for Chriſt. It is true, they are the bleſſings of God in themſelves: many of Gods ſervants have enjoyed them, and made much uſe of▪ them for God and his people; as Joſeph, Eſter, Mordecai, Obadiah, Ezra, Nehemiah, Daniel, the Lord deputy of Cyprus, Acts 13. 2. the great Lord Treaſurer of the Queene of the Ethiopians, Acts 8. 27. So it is ſaid, that he had the charge of all her treaſure; and thoſe that were of Caeſars houſhold, Phil. 4. 22. And ſo in after times. Church Hiſtories relate unto us many worthyes of the Lord who lived in the Courts of the greateſt perſecuters of Chriſtian religion, and yet they kept their faith intire, and their conſciences unſpotted. As Flavianus in Veſpaſianus his Court, Dorotheus in Diocleſians, Terentius in Valentinians, and multitude of others might be named in all ſucceeding generations. Court-honours are to bee denied for Chriſt, for they are his, it is hee that hath raiſed us in theſe, higher then others.

p. 51And though they be bleſſings, yet not ſo great, that wee ſhould grudge Ieſus Chriſt the having the honour of them; the leaſt of his honour hath more excellency in it, then all theſe in the heigth of them, and ten thouſand times more then theſe: for there is a vanity in them all: we know Solomon, who had the higheſt of them that ever were, yet hee ſaw, and had the experience of vanity, yea exceeding vanity, and vexation of ſpirit to be in them: obſerve his expreſſion; Firſt vanity, not vaine only, but vanity it ſelf. Secondly exceſſive vanity, for it is vanity of vanitie. Thirdly a heape of vanities, for it is in the plural number, vanitie of vanities. Fourthly, all is vanity. Fifthly, hee addes his name to that he ſaith; ſaies the Preacher, Choeleth, the word ſignifies the ſoule that hath gathered wiſedome, or the ſoule that is gathered to the Church, as ſome.

When Daniel, chap. 4. had the viſion of the eſtate of the foure great Mornarchies of the world; the Perſian, Chaldaean, Graecian, and Romane, it was p. 52ſet out unto him by the foure windes: what are all the Empires, all the dignities of the world, but as winde? There is no reality in theſe brave Court things, which are ſo admired and magnified by the moſt. When Agrippa and Bernice came in great pompe to the judgement ſeate, Acts 25. 23. it was all but a meere phancy,foreign. for ſo the words are in the originall: they came with much phanſie. Honour is but a ſhaddow, and when it comes from theſe outward things, it hath not the dignity to be ſo much as the ſhaddow of a ſubſtance; for all theſe outward things are as ſhaddowes, Prov. 8. 20. 21. wiſedome there ſaies, that ſhee leades in the pathes of righteouſneſſe, and in the midſt of the pathes of judgement, that ſhee may cauſe thoſe that love her to inherite ſubſtance: the word ſubſtance is tranſlated by ſome id quod eſt, that which is, that which hath a being, as if nothing had a being, as if nothing could bee called a ſubſtance, but that which wiſedome (that is, grace and godlineſſe) gives to inherite. The faſhion p. 53of this world paſſeth away, ſaies the Holy Ghoſt:foreign. the word in the originall ſignifies the ſurface, the outſide, as if all the things of the world were a meere ſurface, & avaine outſide. The ſhadow of a man may be longer or ſhorter,Nemo iſtorum quos divitiae & honores in alto faſtigio ponunt magnus eſt, ſed ideo magnus videdetur quia illum cum baſi ſua metiris. but the man remaines the ſame ſtill, it adds nothing to the man: honours & preferments may be more or leſſe, but the man remaines the ſame he did before. No man, ſaies Seneca, whom riches and honours ſet high, is therefore great, he onelyonly ſeemes ſo, becauſe we meaſure him with his Baſis; but ſet a dwarfe upon a mountaine, hee is not higer, and ſet a mighty high ſtatue in a pit,Pumilio magnus non eſt, licet in monte conſtiterit coloſſus magnitudinem ſuam ſervabit, etiamſi ſte…erit in puteo. Se…. Ep. 77. it is not the leſſe. When gold is raiſed from twenty ſhillings to two & twenty, the gold was as good before as it is now, it is the ſame peece ſtill that then it was, the raiſing of it is only in the eſtimation of men. It is ſaid of Eliakim, Iſaiah, chap. 22. v. 24. They ſhall hang the honour of his fathers houſe upon him; honour is but an externall additament, there is no internall excellencie in it. Great letters p. 54in a word ſet out with gaies, take up more roome then others, make a greater ſhew in the word then other letters, but they adde no more to the ſenſe of the word then others doe: ſo men enjoying great honours in the world, they carry a greater porte with them, they make a greater ſhew then others, but the men are not the better for thē. Notwithſtanding all the outward honours of Antiochus Epiphanes, yet ſtill the ſcripture calles him a vile perſon, as Daniel chap. 11. 21. all theſe things are a meere fable.An non perſonam meam in hac mundi fabula ſatis commode egiſſe videor? valete ergo, & plaudite. When Auguſtus Caeſar was neere to death, who had been Emperour fifty yeares, and living in much glory & pompe, commanding almoſt all the knowne world, yet when he was to die, he ſaw al that he had enjoyed to bee but a meere fable; for thus he expreſſes himſelf to thē that were about him,Sueton. in Aug. Have not I ſeemed to have acted my part ſufficiently in this fable of the world?Pleaſures to bee denyed for Chriſt.

But if there be no reality in honour, yet it may be there is ſomething in pleaſures, men feele ſomething, they thinke there is ſuch a reality in them, that in p. 55compariſon of them, all other excellencies that are ſpoken of, are judged by them but meere imaginations: but if the excellency of theſe may paſſe, according to the judgement of the Holy Ghoſt, if that ſentence that he hath paſſed upon them may ſtand, there is nothing in theſe neither; which appeares by the comparing of two places of ſcripture. In the ſixth chap. of the Propheſie of Amos, & the fourth verſe, he charges the Courtiers of riotouſneſſe; for it appeares, that though before he was a heards-man, yet now he is a Preacher to the Court, Amos 7. 13. that riotouſneſſe which he charges thē withall, he expreſſes thus; That lie upon beds of ivorie, & ſtretch themſelves upon their couches, and eate the lambs out of the flocke, and calves out of the midſt of the ſtall: They would have the beſt of every thing whatſoever it coſt them; calves in the midſt of the ſtall were the beſt. They chanted to the ſound of the viole, and invented to themſelves inſtruments of muſicke like David; that is, moſt curious and exquiſite inſtruments, p. 56not like Davids inſtruments to praiſe the Lord by, but as David intended the beſt inſtruments hee could to ſerve God by; ſo they invented the beſt that could bee got, and laid out much charge for them, that they might more fully ſerve their luſts by them. They drinke wine in bowles, and annoynt themſelves with the chiefe ointments, and theſe they give up themſelves unto, ſo as they minde nothing elſe; they care not what becomes of any thing, ſo be it they may freely enjoy the pleaſures of their luſts: They are not grieved for the affliction of Ioſeph.

This their life might ſeeme to ſome a moſt brave and deſireable life, but marke what the Holy Ghoſt ſaies of it in the ſame chapter, verſe thirteene, Ye which rejoyce in a thing of nought, all theſe pleaſures put together were in a true judgement but a thing of nought; Res nihili, they had nothing in them; when wee feede upon thoſe, wee doe but feede upon aſhes, and a ſeduced heart hath deceived us, Iſay 44. 20. that wee cannot ſay, is there not a lye in our p. 57right hand? they doe moſt certainely put a lye into our right hand, that is, they make us to uſe our chiefeſt ſtrength for that which is nothing elſe but a meere lie, and yet they doe ſo enſnare us, and ſo groſſely ſeduce us, that wee cannot ſay, is there not a lye in my right hand? wee cannot ſo much as queſtion with our ſelves: Are theſe the things that wee were borne for? are theſe the chiefe good of thoſe that are raiſed to ſuch an high eſtate? are there not other things that God requires of us to looke after? we cannot thus ſay in our owne thoughts, Is there not a lye in our right hand? ſuch is the evill & unreaſonableneſſe of our way, that if we did but ſay thus in our own heart, we would ſoone bee aſhamed of it, confounded in it, and our hearts would quickly turne away from it.

But by the favours of the court,Riches to be denyed for Chriſt. a man may raiſe his eſtate ſo, as to make him, and his, that follow after, great; there is ſome reality in riches, is there not? No, not in riches neither, for ſo ſayes Solomon, Prov. 23. 5. wilt thou ſet p. 58thine eyes upon that which is not: for riches certainely make themſelves wings, they flie away as an Eagle. Obſerve firſt, the Holy Ghoſt ſaies that riches are not, are nothing: thoſe things that make men great in the eye of the world, are nothing in the eyes of God: a cipher is nothing in its ſelfe, yet put a figure to it, and it is ſomething. Secondly obſerve, the Holy Ghoſt would not have us ſo much as ſet our eyes upon riches, they are not objects worth the looking on. Thirdly obſerve, with what indignation hee ſpeakes againſt thoſe that will ſet their eyes upon them; wilt thou ſet thine eyes upon that which is not? as if he ſhould ſay, what a vaine, unreaſonable, ſottiſh, ſenſeleſſe thing is it? Fourthly obſerve, that he ſayes their parting from us is by way of flight, that is, a ſudden, a ſwift, and irrecoverable motion. Fifthly, obſerve that this flight is by the wings of an Eagle, which is the moſt ſudden, the moſt ſwift, and irrecoverable motion. Sixtly obſerve, none neede put wings upon them to fly away, for ſo ſayes p. 59the text, they make to themſelves wings, there is matter enough in themſelves to worke their owne corruption, and to put themſelves into a flight.

Wee thinke when wee are called to denie ſuch riches, pleaſures, and honours, that then we are called to deny ſome great thing; but the truth is, had wee an eye to diſcerne the vanity of them, we ſhould ſee that we are called to deny nothing but a meere fancy, a thing of nought, and that which is not. Oh that the glory of the world were darkened in our eyes, as one day it ſhall be, that it might not bee ſo deare unto us, as to thinke it ſuch a great matter to part… with any thing in it, in the cauſe of Ieſus Chriſt. Riches are too meane things for a truely noble ſpirit to be taken withall: if generouſneſſe of ſpirit cannot raiſe above money, where is the glory of it. Luther profeſſeth that the ſin of covetouſneſſe, hee ſaw ſo baſe and vile, and his ſpirit was ſo above it, that hee was not ſo much as tempted with it.

That which is obſerved of Joſhua, p. 60makes him a glorious example to all great men. He was the divider of the land to Iſrael, & left none to himſelfe, & that portion that was given him, and he contented with all, was but a meane one in the barren mountaines. This Ierome notes in his Epiſtle upon Paula, Mirata eſt quod diſtributor poſſeſſionum ſibi montana & aſpera delegaſſet.he ſaies ſhe viſited the Sepulchre of Ioſhua, and marvelled very much, that the divider of the poſſeſſions had the hilly and craggy places for himſelfe.

And yet further know, as there is a vanity and emptineſſe of good, ſo there is a mixture of much evill; they are as water in the bottome of pits exceeding muddy; the water is not much, but the mud cauſes it to be unuſefull. If things be ſo mixt with trouble and cumberance, that the evill of them will not anſwer the good expected in them, we reject them as things unprofitable. You will deny your ſelves many times in forty, in a hundred things, to get your minde in ſome one, and it may be when you have it, it is not worth the while, ſuch a thing as a true noble generous ſpirit would caſt off with ſcorn; p. 61you get honours, pleaſures, and riches, but conſider whether all be not muddy water, whether there be not much evill in the getting, and in the enjoyment of them, what feares and ſuſpitions? what undermining one another? what diſappointments? what vexations? what a clutter of buſineſſe croſſing one the other? what ſnares and temptations lye in your way at every hand? you walke all the day long upon ſnares, as Iob. 18. 8. upon dangerous ſnares that bring much ſinne and guilt, and will bring much ſorrow & miſery: how little doe you enjoy your ſelves for the preſent, nor any thing you have to your ſelves?

Hence ſome give the reaſon, why Ioſeph, although he had power to have advanced his brethren in the Court, yet hee would not have them live there, but by themſelves in Goſhen, tending their ſheepe; he had an extraordinary call to be there, but hee knew the encombrance and ſnares of it, that he ſought it not for his brethren. If a thing that is cold, have ſome heate p. 54added to it, and then as much cold as that heate was, the thing is not hotter then it was before; ſo you, though you may have much honour, and pleaſure, and riches added to your eſtate, though the world who looke upon theſe think you happie, yet you your ſelves knowing that there is as much evill likewiſe added to your condition, as the good of thoſe come unto, your condition is not at all more happie then it was before.

Againe further, conſider the uncertainty that is in all; indeede the comforts that nature affords are chiefly to be had with you; but even nature it ſelfe is but a wheele, all at uncertainties:foreign. as James 3. 6. The tongue is ſaid to ſet the whole courſe of nature on fire: the word in the originall is the wheele of nature. You know the ſtory of Seſoſtris King of Egypt, who would have his chariot drawne with foure Kings, and one of them had his eyes continually upon the wheele; whereupon Seſoſtris asked him what he meant by it? hee anſwered, that it put him in minde of p. 55the mutability of all earthly things; for I ſee, ſaith hee, that part of the wheele which is now up on high, is preſently downe beneath, and that part which is now below, is preſently up on high: whereupon Seſoſtris being moved, conſidering what mutability might be in his owne eſtate, he would never have his Chariot drawne after that manner any more. The relation of this ſtorie, was a meanes to bring downe the ſtoutneſſe and pride of another great Prince: For when Mauritius ſent Theodorus his Phyſitian embaſſadour to Chaianus Prince of the Hunnes, who perceiving the ſtoutneſſe and arrogancy of the Prince, related unto him the ſtory of the King of Aegypt; Chaianus being moved by it, his ſpirit yeelded, and he was content to come to conditions of peace with the Emperour Mauritius.

All men in worldly honours are like an houreglaſſe, now this end is uppermoſt, by and by this is downe, and the other is up, and this part of it is full, and by and by it is empty, and the p. 64other that was before empty is full, what is become of all the great ones of the earth that lived and ruled in the earth but a while agoe? their glorie is buried in the duſt, Pſ. 76. 12. The Lord cuts off the ſpirit of Princes: the word is, he ſlips off, as one ſhould ſlip off a flower betweene ones fingers, or as one ſhould ſlippe off a bunch of grapes from a vine, ſo ſoone is it done. How great uncertainety have many great ones, by their miſerable experience, found in their outward glory, and worldly felicity? what a change hath a little time made in all their honours, riches, and delights?

That victorious Emperour Henry the fourth, who had fought two and fifty pitched battells, fell to that poverty before he dyed, as hee was forced to petition to bee a Prebend in the Church of Spier, to maintaine him in his old age. And Procopius reports of King Gillimer, who was a potent King of the Vandalls, who was ſo low brought, as to intreate his friend to ſend him a ſpunge, a loafe of bread, p. 65and a harpe; a ſpunge to dry up his teares, a loafe of bread to maintaine his life, and a harpe to ſolace himſelfe in his miſery. Philip de Comines reports of a Duke of Exceter, who thogh hee had married Edward the fourths ſiſter, yet hee ſaw him in the Low-countries begging barefoot. Belliſarius the onelyonly man living in his time, having his eyes put out,Date obolum Belliſurio. was led at laſt in a ſtring, crying, give a halfepeny to Belliſarius.

Theſe are the uncertainties, and mutabilities of all worldly honours: mighty Potentates of the world have beene ludibria fortunae, Ludibria fortunae.the very ſcorne of fortune: all the choiſe things that the world affords, are as water in broken ciſternes, not having any ſpring to feede them, & the ciſterne being brokē will let out all; they are but as a thing without a foundation, which cannot ſtand long. That is obſervable that we find in the Epiſtle to the Hebrewes, chap. 11. v. 10. It is ſaid of Abraham, that he ſought a citie that had a foundation: noting thereby, that all other cities p. 66though never ſo glorious, and by conſequence all other worldly things, have no foundation to uphold them. Hence Plutarch tells us that the ancient nobility of Rome and Arcadia, Plut. de quaeſt.were accuſtomed to weare moones upon their ſhooes,Rom. 9. 76.Rom 9:76 that they might have alwaies the mutability of their proſperity before their eyes. That which Saint Paul ſaies of riches, 1 Tim. 6. 17. is true of all worldly things; Truſt not in uncertaine riches: ſo it may bee ſaid, truſt not in uncertaine honours, nor in uncertaine pleaſures.

Hence it was that Solon, when hee ſaw Croeſus puft up with his great riches, and outward glory, thinking himſelfe the happieſt man that lived, hee ſaid unto him, none was to bee counted happie before death: intending hereby to admoniſh him of the uncertainty of thoſe riches, in which hee bleſt himſelfe ſo much, and would have him conſider, that before the end of his daies there might bee a great change in his condition: but he while hee enjoyed his outward proſperity, p. 67minded not at all what Solon had ſaid unto him, untill he came by his miſerable experience to finde the uncertainty of his riches, and all that worldly glory that hee had, and then hee could remember Solons ſpeech unto him; for when hee was taken by King Cyrus, and condemned to be burnt, and ſaw the fire preparing for him, then hee cryed out, O Solon, Solon: Cyrus asking him the cauſe of that outcry, hee anſwered; that now hee remembred what Solon had told him in his proſperity, that none was to bee accounted happie before death.

Thus wee have many, who heare much of the uncertainty, and vanity of their outward honours, ſenſuall pleaſures, greate eſtates and riches they have in the world, but while they enjoy the ſweet of them, they little minde what is ſaid, till they come upon their ſicke beds, and death beds, and then they cry out moſt lamentably of the vanity of all worldly things, then they can remember what p. 68hath beene ſaid unto them heretofore, concerning the vanity and ſhort continuance of all thoſe things they tooke ſo much delight in.

All things then wiſely and duely conſidered, theſe honours, pleaſures, and riches are not ſuch great things, that we ſhould be ſo hardly brought to deny our ſelves in them: a wiſe underſtanding heart would quickly caſt dirt in the face of them all, a true noble great ſpirit would trample them as dirt under feete,Non magnanimitatis eſt magnos petere honores, ſed contemnere. Aug. de civit. Dei▪ lib. 5. when once they come in competition with Ieſus Chriſt. It is an excellent ſpeech of Saint Auguſtine; It is not an argument of a great minde, to ſeeke for great honours, but rather to contemne them: and indeede (conſidering all, at leaſt in the cauſe of religion) they are to bee accounted as contemptible and vile things. They are like a candle, which while it is light it hath ſome luſtre, and hath no ill ſavour, but when it is out it ſtinkes: ſo all outward excellencies, while they are as it were enlightned with grace added to them, and a holy uſe of them, p. 69they have ſome luſtre, and are deſirable, but take this away, howſoever they may appeare to a carnall eye, yet they are indeede but as a contemptible ſnuffe, unſavory themſelves, and making thoſe who have them unſavory in the noſtrils of God.

And conſider yet further, what Ieſus Chriſt hath denied for us, if ever we be ſaved by him. Hee came from the boſome of his Father, and from that infinite glory he had with him, before the world was; for ſo he prayes, Joh. 17. that the Father would glorifie him with that glory he had with him, before the world was: Hee left the riches and pleaſures of heaven, and that honour which hee might have had from Angels and men, and all to ſave poore, wretched, ſinfull creatures.

And laſtly, God hath greater preferments for us, then all theſe things here below can afford, if we have hearts to denie theſe for him: we neede take no care for dignities, delights, and riches, or whatſoever may make us happie and glorious; there are infinite p. 70treaſures of all with the Lord, and hee delights in the communication of them to the children of men. Heathens accounted the honour that learning put upon men as great a glory as that which came by places of dignity, as Seneca ſaies of Socrates; Patricius Socrates non fuit, Cleanthes aquā traxit; Platonem non accepit nobilem philoſophia, ſed fecit. Sen. Epiſt. 44.Patricius Socrates non fuit: Socrates, he was not of the race of the Senators, and yet honorable. Cleanthes drew water. Philoſophy did not finde, but made Plato Noble. What? ſhall they account learning to put honour enough upon men to ſatisfie them, and ſhall not Chriſtians thinke that godlineſſe and the honour which that brings, is ſufficient to make them glorious? Surely wee know not that neareneſſe that godlineſſe hath to God himſelfe, that infinite glorious firſt being, from whom the luſtre of all true glorie proceedes; ſurely wee know not, how high and great the thoughts of God are towards his people, what honour he hath, what hee will put upon them everlaſtingly, if this be not enough to ſatisfie our hearts for ever.