Moses Self-Denial, Treatise · Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII.
The fulneſſe of creatures comforts to be laid downe at Chriſts feet.
THE third uſe is this:Vſe 3. Let thoſe then that have a fulneſſe in all outward contentments, bee perſwaded in the feare of the Lord, to give God the glory of them his owne way; if hee pleaſe to call for them in any ſelfedenying way, let him have them: The Lord ſayes to you concerning them, as Chriſt to Peter, Loveſt thou mee more then theſe? ſo loveſt thou mee more then all thoſe delightfull things you enjoy? how happy you, if you can upon due examination of your hearts, give in that anſwer that Peter did, Lord thou knoweſt that I love thee, thou knoweſt that I love thee more then all theſe things: they are good things in themſelves, but thou art infinitely more to mee, thy praiſe, and thy honour, is a thouſand thouſand times more to mee then all theſe things; Lord, thou that knoweſt all things, knoweſt that thus I love thee more then theſe.
It may be God gives abundance of theſe things to try you, to ſee what is in your heart: as Salomon ſayes of praiſe, it is as the ſining pot to the ſilver; ſo it may be ſaid of all outward proſperity, that it is as the fining pot to the ſilver, to diſcover what droſſe there is in it: now upon tryall ſhall it bee found that theſe things have more of thy heart, then God himſelfe? if you had a heart to deny your ſelfe in theſe things now, while you may injoy them at the height, though it may ſeeme that much comfort and ſweetneſſe is loſt, that might be had, yet in truth there is nothing loſt, no not for the preſent; for in the very exerciſe of ſelfe-denyall in them, you will finde more ſweetneſſe then ever was, or can be felt in the enjoyment of them.
There is nothing more pleaſant to man then to get victory; to get victory in ſports, to get victory over the creature, is full of delight; to get victory over our enemies, hath more delight in it; but to get victory over our ſelves, to bee able to overcome our ſelves, hath the greateſt delight of all in it, eſpecially when it is for God; no ſuch ſweetneſſe as this is to the ſpirit of a man. Thoſe doe not enjoy moſt comfort of their lives, who are mad upon their owne wills and deſires, and cannot endure to have their mindes croſſed in any thing; but thoſe have the greateſt comfort, who are able to deny themſelves moſt, and it may be you may enjoy all the outward comforts you have, nevertheleſſe; the more willing you are to deny your ſelves in them, the longer you may enjoy them: to have a heart willing to part with them, may bee the onelyonly way to keepe them; and to be ſure while you have them, you ſhall enjoy them in a better manner, with more comfort then any other enjoy that that they have, whilſt your heart in the midſt of them, is more upon God then upon them; they that will loſe their lives, and ſo their eſtates, their honours and delights, ſhall ſave them; oh how ſweet are all outward bleſſings, when wee have laid them downe at Gods feet, and he gives us them againe to enjoy.
Whereas on the contrary, by the greedineſſe of your hearts upon them, and unwillingneſſe to part with them, you may have them rent away from you in wrath, ſo that you ſhall not enjoy the comfort of them, and yet you may periſh for ever, for that diſtemper of heart, in the inordinate ſetting of it upon them: Many periſh in their inordinate affections towards outward things, and yet have them not, others have the comfort and bleſſing of ſelfedenyall, and yet enjoy their outward contentments to the full: Oh how much better is it, that when wee are at the height of our proſperity, then to get our hearts to fall, and to deny our ſelves for God, then that God ſhould even in our height ſeize upon us in his wrath, as it is Gods way often to come upon wicked men, in the very height of all their jollities? As wee read of Abſalom, 2 Sam. 13. 28.when hee had a purpoſe to ſlay his brother Amnon, he bade his ſervants to obſerve when they ſaw his heartmerry, and then to fall upon him and ſlay him. When Belſhazzar was moſt in his jollitie, then the hand-writing came out againſt him. When the people of Iſrael had their own deſire, and were ſatisfying their luſts to the full, Pſal. 78. 29, 30, 31. then the wrath of God came upon them.
Wee read, Job. 20. 22, 23. a threatning againſt the wicked, That in the fulneſſe of his ſufficiencie hee ſhall be in ſtraights. When hee is about to fill his belly, God ſhall caſt the fury of his wrath upon him, and ſhall raine it upon him while hee is eating: Oh how much better is it, that in the fulneſſe of our ſufficiencie, we doe willingly and freely give God glory, in an humble yeelding up of all wee have unto him, then that in the fulneſſe of our ſufficiencie wee ſhould be brought into moſt miſerable ſtraights, in ſpight of our hearts, and that by the wrath of God himſelf? Oh how grievous a condition is that, to be forced by the wrath of God, to part with that, which wee might have parted withall upon ſuch ſweet and honourable termes, in the cauſe of God, in teſtimony to his truth, in his ſervice, and the expreſſiſions of our deareſt Love unto him.
And howſoever it is not long that you can poſſibly hold this proſperity, that now you do enjoy: Suppoſe the faireſt, that God ſhould let things go on in an ordinary courſe of bounty and patience, within a little while, all the comforts of the world will leave you, and you muſt leave them, and what if you did for the cauſe of God part with them a yeere or two ſooner then otherwiſe you ſhould? what great matter is this? what is a yeare or two, or ten yeeres enjoyment of them? there is no ſuch excellencie in them, as that a few yeeres enjoyment of them ſhould bee prized at any ſuch high rate.
Are there not Arguments enough from all Gods love and his mercifull dealings with you, to prevaile with your hearts for ſuch a thing as this? how hath God ſpared you in your greateſt extremities? when you have cryed unto him, hee hath beene mercifull to you, hee hath watched over you for good all your dayes, hee hath done great things for you; oh what infinite reaſon is there then, that hee ſhould have the honour of your chiefeſt delights and greate… proſperitie? How often, to gratifie the fleſh, have many opportunities of ſpirituall good beene neglected? why then ſhould not now, for the honour of God, ſome opportunities for fleſhly delights bee denyed? God never gave you theſe things upon any other termes, but that you ſhould be willing to part with them, for the honour of his name, whē he calleth for them: God never made you owners, but ſtewards of them for his ſervice; and if ever you were brought to Chriſt, into covenant with God in him, you did then reſigne up all unto him, you profeſſed to part with all for him, you ſold all for the pearle; that is, you were willing to part with what was ſinfull for the preſent, and as it were enter into bond, to give up whatſoever you were or had to the Lord, when it ſhould bee called for?
But may wee not take the comfort of thoſe bleſſings that God gives us.Object.
Beſides what hath beene ſaid in anſwer to a former objection of the like nature,Anſw. conſider theſe two things.
Firſt,1. have you not taken too much comfort already in them? it may bee you have taken more then your ſhare, more in one monethmonth then God hath allowed for the whole yeere; and then you have ſpent your comfort afore hand, and had neede therefore now bee willing to deny your ſelfe in that which others may have comfort in, and that which otherwiſe you might comfortably have enjoyed: as Hoſea 9. 1. Rejoyce not oh Iſrael as other people; ſo I may ſay to you, you are not to rejoyce ſo much as others may. Hee that hath but a hundred pound to maintaine him the whole yeare, if he ſhall ſpend almoſt all of it the firſt monethmonth, he had neede live very ſparingly the reſt of the yeare.
Secondly,2. what doe you with your comfort when you have it? doth it fit you for ſervice to God? hath God ſo much the more glory from you, then hee hath from others, by how much the more comfort you have then others? elſe wherefore would you have comfort, if not to fit you for ſervice? curſed be that comfort that hath not an higher end, then meerely to ſatisfie the fleſh. And thus much for the time wherein Moſes denyed himſelfe, it was when he was growne up, in the prime of his time, then when he might have enjoyed all his honours, and pleaſures to the full.