The Saints Inheritance, Part 1
THE VVORLDLINGS PORTION.
17. Pſalm. 14.
From men of the world, who have their portion in this life.
THis Pſalme is Davids moan unto God under Sauls perſecution; ſine dubio Saulum (ſaith Molerus upon it) without doubt the Pſalmiſt aymes at Saul in it, wherein we have theſe 4. things.
Firſt he appeals unto God to judge the uprightneſſe of his heart, towards Saul. Verſe 2.Let my ſentence come from my preſence; from Saul and his Courtiers there comes a hard ſentence, they call me Traytor, they call me Rebell, but Lord leave me not unto their ſentence, let my ſentence come from thy preſence that I know will be another ſentence, then what cometh from them, for thou haſt proved me and tried me, and findeſt nothing in me; that is the firſt thing.
Secondly, his prayer to God to keep him in his way, his going, and his footſteps from ſliding, Verſe 5.Lord whatſoever the wrath of Saul be againſt me, yet let neither that, nor any other thing put me out of thy way but keep my heart cloſe unto thee, and keep my paths in thy way, let not my footſteps ſo much as ſlide from thee, for Lord they watch at my halting, if they can find but the leaſt ſlip from me, they take advantage of it to the utmoſt, and I am a poor, weak creature; therefore Lord keep me that my footſteps may not ſlide.
Thirdly, he prayes for deliverance,Verſe 7. ſhew thy marveillous loving kindneſſe to me O Lord; my ſtraights they are marveillous, I know not what to do, nor whether to turn me, but my eyes are towards thee, as my ſtraights are marveillous, ſo let thy loving kindneſſe be marveillous towards me, and keep me as the apple of thy eye, O Lord, I am but as a dog, a vile creature in the eyes of Saul, and thoſe about him, but bleſſed be thy name, I can look up to thee, and know that I am dear unto thee, as the apple of thy eye; all the Saints of God are dear to God, at all times, but the perſecuted Saints, they are the apple of Gods eye; if at any time they are dear to God, then eſpecially when they are moſt perſecuted, they are the apple of his eye, and the apple of an eye you know is weak, and little able to reſiſt any hurt, which makes men the more tender of it; the more weak and ſhiftleſſe Gods people are for themſelves, the Lord is ſo much the more tender over them.
And one argument that the Pſalmiſt uſeth in praying againſt his enemies is this, and a ſpeciall one, becauſe they proſpered ſo much in this world, they are incloſed in fat, and have their hearts deſire, and thou filleſt their bellies with thy hid treaſure, they leave to their babes, they have their portion in this life; Lord keep me from them.
Laſtly he doth profeſſe his reſolution, yet notwithſtanding all the dangers he was in, to go on in the wayes of God, and expects a gratious iſſue, but I (ſaith he) will behold, thy face in righteouſneſſe; indeed I cannot behold the face of the King without danger, there are a great many that run to kill me, and I deſire his face, but though I cannot ſee his face, yet Lord I ſhall behold thy face, I will behold thy face, and it ſhall be in righteouſneſse, I will ſtill keep on in the wayes of righteouſneſſe, and when I awake, for I believe that theſe troubles will not hold long: I ſhall not ſleep a perpetuall ſleep, but I ſhall be delivered, and ſatisfied with thy likeneſſe, there ſhall be the manifeſtation of thy glory to me, that ſhall ſatisfy me for all the troubles that I have endured for thy names ſake, that my ſoul ſhall ſay, I have enough; this is the ſumme of this Pſalme.
Now the words read unto you, are a deſcription of Davids adverſaries, implying an argument, why he would be delivered from them; they are deſcribed to be men of this world, they were onelyonly thoſe that were adverſaries to him; and a comfort it muſt needs be to the Saints of God, to ſee that none are their enemies, but wordly perſons, men of this world, who have their portion in this life; they have ſomewhat here, and here is all they are like to have.
Secondly, it implies the argument, why he would be delivered; Lord deliver me from them, becauſe they are men of this world, who have their portion in this life; where lies the force of this argument, that he would be delivered from them becauſe they were men of this world, that have their portion in this life; It conſiſts firſt in this, Lord, they care not what injuſtice they do, they have no regard of any thing but in this world, therefore be it right or wrong, may they have but their luſts in this world, that is all they care for; Lord deliver me from ſuch men; Secondly, here is all their good, their portion is in this life, and therefore they are greedy upon this, & if they may have this, let it be with the ruine of never ſo many men, though it be to raiſe their eſtates by my ruine, and the ruines of others, that are never ſo innocent, what care they they are greedy upon having their luſts ſatisfied, for here is all their portion; they care not for religion, they will make uſe of pretences of religion any way for their own ends; what care they what pretences they make for religion, ſo they may thrive in the world they regard not anything in religion, ſo they may have their own ends; Lord, deliver me from ſuch men; Thirdly, they have their portion in this world, hence is it that their hearts are ſo ſwelled with pride in their luſts, and ſo warm, their malice is ſo heated that it is outragious; O let not the foot of pride come upon me; deliver me from proud men that fluſht with the enjoyment of their hearts deſires; As long as they may have their own ends, and fulfill their luſts, they will be exceedingly hardened in their own wayes, they will give no glory to thee, but will be ſo much the more enraged againſt thy people, by taking that as an argument that their wayes are good, Lord, therefore deliver me from thoſe men; they ſcorne at prayer, or any thing that is ſaid, concerning the tenderneſſe of Conſcience; they deſpiſe Conſcience and Prayer; Lord, let me never fall into the hands of ſuch; deliver me from the men of this world, who have their portion in this life;The words opened. from the men of the world, that is from mortall men, from men though of the world, yet are not like to enjoy the world long, ſo ſome tranſlate it, 89. Pſal. 47.Remember how ſhort my time is, ſaith David how ſhort, what little time I have in this world, the men of this world, ſhall have but a little time here, the Hebrew word that is tranſlated men, with the change of the poſition of one prick, ſignifies dead men, mortui, as well as viri, (I ſay) with the change not of a prick, but onelyonly of the poſition of one prick, of one point, it ſignifies dead men; they are men of the world, but ſuch men as are within one prick of death, within one point of death, howſoever they rejoyce in this life; They are men that have all they have but onelyonly leaſed for their lives, nay, not ſo much as leaſed, they have but an eſtate of life at the moſt, and this preſent life unto them, as in ſtead of all lives.
There are theſe 2. doctrinall concluſions in the words, that lie plainly before you; The firſt is, there are a generation of men, to whom God gives ſome outward good things for a while, but theſe are all that ever they are like to have, they ſhall never have any more good from God, then that they have here for the preſent; Secondly, that Gods Saints do deſire to be delivered from ſuch kind of men; theſe 2. contain in them the hope of the holy ghoſt in the words.
Firſt; there are a generation of men unto whom God gives out a portion,Doct. 1. ſome comforts in this world, and here is all that they are like to have; And now ſet your hearts I beſeech you, unto what I have to ſay in this argument, for meditating what to pitch upon for ſuch an aſſembly, I could not determine of an argument that I thought might more reach unto the hearts of thoſe to whom I was to ſpeak then this, and I hope before I have done, you will find it ſuch a ſerious argument that concerns us all.
I have read of Gregory that being advanced to preferment, he profeſſed that there was no Scripture that went ſo to his heart, that ſtruck ſuch a trembling into his ſpirit, and daunted him ſo much as that Scripture did, Here you have your reward, Son in your life time you have had your pleaſure; O this was a dreadfull Scripture that ſounded in his ears continually; as Ierome ſpeaks of that Scripture, ariſe ye dead, and come to judgement; night and day he thought that Scripture ſounded in his ears; ſo Gregory here, you have your reward in this life, you have had your pleaſure; this was the Scripture that night and day ſounded in his ears; O that it might pleaſe God to aſſiſt me ſo far this day, that I might make this Scripture ring in your eares, even when you lie upon your beds, after the Sermon is done, that you may not forget the ſound of it, Men of this world, who have their portion in this life; if this Scripture ſhould prove to be the portion of any one of you, of the richeſt in this place, woe unto him, that ever he was born, which I ſhall anon make out fully to you.
But (you'le ſay) do you think to preach to men that have their portion here in this life? I fear me, I may meet with ſuch, whom it nearly concerns in this congregation, therefore be not any of you too ready to put off this from you, to think your ſelves, out of the danger of this Scripture; for it was ſpoken concerning Saul, and Saul might have (for ought I know) as ſtrong arguments of Gods love to him, as many of you, I fear have this day.
For 1. Saul was a man choſen immediately by God himſelf to be the firſt King that ever was over his own people, and was not that a great favour.
2. Saul for his perſon was one of the godlieſt men that was amongſt all Iſrael; higher from the ſhoulders to the head, then any of them; and for his endowments he was a man, whom God did endow with admirable gifts of government, he cauſed another ſpirit to come upon him; he was a man that when he heard of his preferment, ſeemed to be very humble, as judging himſelf unworthy of ſuch a dignity, ſaying, 1 Sam. 9.21.who am I,and what is my Fathers houſe, that I ſhould be thus exalted; and when he had been choſen, ſome that would reject him, notwithſtanding Gods honouring of him, Saul had a mighty power over his ſpirit, he was very week and a quiet man; for the Text ſaith, 1 Sam. 10.27.he held his peace, when the Children of Belial ſaid, what have we to do with him; yea.
3. Though he were quiet in his own cauſe, yet he ſhewed himſelf to have an excellent ſpirit in a publick cauſe, he was full of anger: when it was for the good of the people that he was a governour over: when he heard of a diſhonour done to the people of Iſrael, the Text ſaith, that 1 Sam. 11.16.his anger did riſe within him; an excellent pattern for all Governours, for all in publick places, to be very ſilent, quiet, ſelf-denying putting up wrongs, in their own cauſe, but to be full of zeal for the publick cauſe; to reſerve their ſpirits for a publick good; Many, when they are anger'd in their private cauſe, and ſo full of violence, and ſpend their ſpirit there ſo much, that they have no ſpirit at all, when it comes to a publick cauſe, Saul went beyond them in this.
Further, Saul was one who was much troubled at the ſin of the people againſt God, he had not onelyonly a ſpirit to vindicate publick wrongs, but when he ſaw the people ſin againſt God, his heart was much troubled thereat, and grieved for it, and being mighty ſollicitous and carefull to prevent ſin in the people, this you ſhall have in the firſt of Samuel 14.33. they told Saul there that the people had ſinned in eating with bloud, upon that, Saul ſhews himſelf diſpleaſed, come (ſaith he) and do not ſin againſt the Lord, rowle a ſtone hither; he would ſee with his own eyes, that they did ſlay the cattle, and they did powre forth the bloud that they might not ſin againſt God in eating bloud; this was his care; yea he was very diligent to enquire of God what he ſhould do in buſineſſes of great conſequence, he would not go out, till he had firſt enquired of God.1 Sam. 14.27.
Yea more then all this, he was a man that had a very reverend eſteem of the Prophets of God; when Samuel came to him,1 Sam. 15.13. O thou bleſſed of the Lord (ſaith Saul to him) when Samuel ſhewed unto him, what his ſin was, he c…me and confeſſed it before the people, ſaying,1 Sam. 15.30. I have ſinned, I have ſinned againſt the Lord, meerely at the conviction of one Prophet.
And God ſeemed to be with Saul very much, ſhewing great reſpect to him, to make him an inſtrument of much good to Iſrael; he granted unto him as glorious a victory as ever man had in this world, for ſo we may call it, and if there be any outward thing in the world, might be gather'd as an argument of Gods love, ſuch a remarkable victory as he had over his enemies; well might the victory you ſhall find in the firſt of Samuel 13. where the Philiſtins were riſen up againſt him and there were 30000 chariots,1 Sam. 15. & 14. chapters. of his adverſaries, and 6000. horſemen, and people as the ſand of the Sea for multitude; well, here was a mighty enemie, what had Saul to oppoſe theſe? you ſhall find that there were but 600. men with Saul; there was of one ſide 30000. Chariots, 6000 horſemen, and people as the ſand of the Sea without number, and Saul had but 600. with him at this time, yea and of thoſe 600. there was not any one of them, that had a ſword, but onelyonly Saul and Ionathan; for the Philiſtins were wiſe enough to diſarm all the malignants that they accounted ſo, and would not let ſo much as a ſmith be amongſt them; they would not onelyonly take away their arms, but they would look to them to ſee that they had no armes ſupplied unto them, that was the wiſedome of the Philiſtins, yet we find, if you read afterwards in the Scripture, that God was ſo far with Saul, and bleſſed him, and gave him victory over all theſe; beſides all this, God bleſſed Saul with a very gracious child, a Godly Son of a ſweet nature, Ionathan, which indeed if any outward argument in the world, might be an argument of Gods love; that might be.
Now put all theſe things together, and yet here is the man that hath his portion in this world; I now challenge him that hath certain evidence of a mighty work of God upon him in Chriſt, let him ſhew me greater arguments of Gods love to him, then Saul might have done, and yet it proved to be Sauls condition to have onelyonly his portion in this world; God herein ſhews that his mercy is his own, and that he will let out his mercy as he pleaſes, it is your Fathers pleaſure to give you a Kingdom; the Father deals out the portion as he pleaſes unto his children; God will let the line of his mercy go thus far to one and there ſtop, and ſo far to another and there ſtop, and then come in a croſſe line again unto him.
God ſo diſpoſes of his mercy, that there are ſome that ſhall have heaven and earth to be their portion, & there portion is bleſſed, indeed, there are ſome that ſhall have earth, but not heaven, and their portion is poor, and ſad; there are others, that ſhall have heaven, but not earth, and their portion is rich & bleſſed; there are others that ſhall neither have heaven nor earth, and their portion, (you'l ſay) is miſerable indeed, Gods mercy is his owne to diſpoſe off as he will;21. Geneſ. 14. we read of Abraham: He calleth for Iſhmael and Hagar, and he gives them a piece of bread, a bottle of water and ſends them away, there is an end of them; ſo Jehoſhaphat: He gave his other Son (ſaith the Text) gifts, 2. Chron. 21.3.but the Kingdom he gave to Iehoram; ſo God hath people to whom he gives pieces of bread, bottles of water, yea ſome, to whom he gives great gifts in this world, but he keeps his inheritance for his Iſaacs, he keeps the Kingdom for Iehoram; Eſau he had his portion in this world, and ſuch a portion as he thought to be a very good portion too: Brother (ſaith he) I have enough.33. Geneſ. 19.
Moſt rich men go not ſo far as Eſau, they have their portion, and yet complain of it, Eſau had his portion, and thought he had enough; Chriſts auditours, in the 6. of Luke 24. had their portion in this world, woe to you, here is your conſolation, (ſaith Chriſt unto them) O dreadfull ſpeech, wo to this man, wo to ſuch wretches, here is their conſolation; Dives he had his portion in this world,16. Luke 25. Son remember in thy life time thou hadſt thy pleaſure, in thy life time, and thou hadſt thy good things, they were thy good things, thoſe things that were meaſur'd out for thee, thou hadſt them in thy life time.
In the handling of this argument, I ſhall divide what I have to ſay into theſe 6. particulars, that you may every one of you go the more readily along with me; firſt, why it is that God will deal out ſomewhat to wicked men in this world, why they ſhall have any portion at all; Secondly, that this their portion, it is confined to this life; and why ſo; Thirdly, ſome Corollaries that you will ſee will naturally flow from thoſe two; Fourthly, we ſhall conſider the condition of theſe men, who are ſuch that have their portion in this world; and fifthly, we ſhall endeavour to ſhew unto you, who are thoſe men, to cull out of the congregation, what that man is, & which is that woman, that is like to have their portion in this world, and then ſixthly, conclude in the words of exhortation unto you all.
Firſt then, God doth give to wicked men a portion, he deals out ſomething to them in this world, becauſe they are his creatures;Why God gives any thing to wicked men. ſaith Iehu concerning Iezebel, go take away this curſed woman, ſhew ſome reſpect unto her, let her not lye in the ſtreets, for ſhe is the daughter of a King; ſo ſaith God, well, though theſe be vile perſons, yet they are my creatures, ſome reſpect they ſhall have from me, ſome good I'le communicate to them.
It is not an argument ſtrong enough, that becauſe you are Gods creatures, therefore God ſhould be mercifull eternally to you; but it may be argument ſtrong enough, becauſe you are his creatures, you ſhall have ſomewhat here; for this time of life, is the time of patience, the day of Gods long ſuffering, and therefore ſomewhat you ſhall have.
Secondly, wicked men do ſomewhat for God here, ſome kind of ſervice that is at leaſt materially a ſervice for God, and God will not have them clamour upon him, that they have nothing for their work, God will give to every one, what they do for him, though it be never ſo little, you have a famous place for that in Ezekiel: 29. Ezekiel 18.19.20.Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon cauſed his army to do great ſervice againſt Tyrus, yet had he no wages for it. Therefore God enquires about this, and ſeems to complain why Nebuchadnezzar ſhould be all this while without his wages; therefore, behold I will give the land of Egypt unto him, he ſhall take her ſpoil, and her prey, and that ſhall be his wages.
Many wicked men, God doth make uſe of in divers ſervices, and much refreſhing and good his Churches ſhall have from them, the Lord cauſes the very earth to help the woman, earthly men to be of uſe to the Church; and God will not be beholding to them for their work; A thorn may ſerve to ſtop a gap, though it be but a thornbuſh, and if it ſerve to ſtop a gap and be of any uſe, it hath ſome benefit by it, all that while it is kept from the fire; whereas were it not of uſe, it might preſently be brought to the fire; An argument by the way for all men to be of as much uſe to the Church of God, as poſſibly they can, it may be that is the very thing that keeps them from the fire; thou art a thorn, but God hath uſe of thee, and therefore brings thee not to the fire, but if thou once comeſt to be unuſefull, the fire is the next thing thou ſhalt hear off, I remember Auſtin, Aug. de Civitate Dei 5. book 12. chap.ſpeaking of the Romans that had ſuch a flouriſhing condition for a while, gives this for one reaſon of it, that the Romans had brave ſpirits, they were men that had excellent morallities, and heroique kind of ſpirits, they were delivered from that baſeneſſe of ſpirit, that other people had, and therefore God ſhewed ſome kind of reſpect to them; many inſtances might be in this kind.
But thirdly, God gives wicked men a portion here to ſhew the world, what little good there is in all the things that are here below; certainly if there were much good, they ſhould never have them; it is an argument, there is no great excellency in the ſtrength of body, for an oxe hath it more then you; an argument there is no great excellency in Agility of body, for a dog hath it more then you; an argument no great excellency in gay cloaths, for a Peacock hath them more then you, its no argument there is any great excellency in gold and ſilver, for the Indians that know not God, have them more then you; and if theſe things had any great worth in them, certainly God would never give them to wicked men; as it is an argument, there is no great evill in afflictions in this world, becauſe the Saints are ſo much afflicted; ſo its no great argument there is any great good in this world, becauſe the wicked they enjoy ſo much of it,Luther in G…neſ. Luther hath ſuch an expreſſion as this.
The Turkiſh Empire, as great as it is, is but a crumme that the Mr of the family caſteth to dogs; ſuch an eſteem had Luther of the whole Turkiſh Empire, and indeed God in giving of them worldly goods to Turks and wicked ones, who are his enemies ſhews there is not much excellency in them; God therefore caſts them promiſcuouſly up and down the world, becauſe he looks upon them as worthleſſe things, God doth not ſo much regard whether ſubjects be prepar'd to give him his glory of them, yea or no, you ſhall have them however, he is content to venture them.
Indeed when God cometh unto his choice mercies in Chriſt, there he looks to have glory from them, and he doth never give them to any, but firſt he prepares them that they may give him the glory of thoſe mercies; but it is otherwiſe with others; as ſuppoſe you ſee a man but gathering of crabs although ſwine be under the tree, he cares not much to drive them away, they are but crabs, let them have them; but if he were gathering any choice and precious fruit, if any ſwine ſhould come under he drives them away: ſo as for outward things, Crabs, the Lord ſuffers the ſwine of the world to come grunting and take them up, but when he comes to the choice mercies in his Chriſt, there he makes a diſtinction; O that is precious fruit; a Blackſmith that is working upon iron, though a great many cinders and little bits of iron fly up and down he regards them not, but a Goldſmith that is working upon gold, he preſerveth every ray and every duſt of gold; and a Lapidary that is working upon precious ſtones, every little bit he will be ſure to preſerve; a Carpenter that is onelyonly hewing of timber, he much regards it not, if chips fly up and down, but it is not ſo with a Lapidary; ſo theſe outward things are but as the chips, and cinders, and ſuch like traſh, and therefore God gives a portion to wicked men out of them.
And then further, God knows that he hath time enough to manifeſt his juſtice upon them, he hath an eternity hereafter for the declaration of his juſtice againſt ſinners; and therefore lets them have ſomewhat, for a while; as you know it is naturall in all, when they ſee a man going to execution, that is not like to live above an houre or two, every one is ready to pitty him, and to be any way officious to him, O ſaith one, the man ſhall not have comfort long, we cannot do much for him, he will have miſery enough, ſhortly, and it is obſervable, let a man go to execution for wickedneſſe, and then he is pittied by all; but if a man ſhould ſuffer for godlineſſe, then perhaps they will not be ſo full of pitty towards him; as I remember in the book of Martyrs, there is a ſtory of Mr Iohn Frith, a learned godly Miniſter, and Andrew Huet that were martyrs, and were to ſuffer for their conſciences, and the ſtory tells us of one Dr Cooke a Parſon in London, that openly admoniſhed the people that they ſhould pray for them no more then they would doe for a dog, that charity of theirs that they talk ſo much of, is ſuch towards them that ſuffer out of conſcience; & as amongſt Papiſts, ſo amongſt ungodly men, let a man ſuffer out of conſcience, they will rather rayle at him, and when they are in their ſufferings, they will rather give them gall and vinegar to drink, as they once did Chriſt upon the Croſſe; though in other ſufferings they will pitty men.
Fifthly, by this that God gives to the wicked the Lord ſhews what great things he hath reſerved for his own children; ſurely if the dogs have ſo much, the Father keeps a good houſe, if the hang-byes may have ſuch doals, certainly there is good proviſion for the children within, as by the afflictions of the Saints, God doth declare to wicked men, and would have them draw ſuch an argument from it; that there are fearfull things that are like to befall them, if judgement begin at the houſe of God, where ſhall the wicked and ungodly appears ſo by the proſperity that wicked men have in this world, God doth declare to his children, and he would have them argue from thence, what then hath he reſerved for his beloved ones, for his Saints, for his Children that are ſo dear unto him.
Sixthly, God fetches a great deal of glory from hence, he fetches about his own ends very much, from the portion that wicked men have; as ſometimes he doth it that they might ſtumble and harden their hearts, and break their necks at it, and to ripen their ſins, hence he lets them go on a long time, and have their wills; 33. Iſaiah 1.Wee to thee who ſpoileſt, and wert not ſpoiled, and dealeſt treacherouſly, and wert not dealt treacherouſly with all, when thou ſhalt ceaſe to ſpoyl, thou ſhalt be ſpoiled; I'le let thee go on, thou ſhalt ſpoil as much as thou wilt, and when thou haſt done ſpoiling, thou ſhalt be ſpoiled thy ſelf; ſometimes God doth it, to fetch about this end, namely, to chaſtiſe his own people with the proſperity of the wicked, as I have read of one, being a Monk was advanced to come into an Epiſcopall ſeat, and being a lewd wicked man, he began to be proud of his advancement, whereupon hee heard a voice uttering theſe words, cur ſuperbus O infelix, &c. why art thou ſo proud, O unhappy man, thou art not advanced, becauſe thou art worthy of this honour, but becauſe this City is ſo ill, that it deſerves ſuch a Prelate to be over it, in way of judgement to that place. God advances ſome man out of wayes of heavy judgements unto others, God gives them ſuch a portion not out of love to them, though they are ready to gather the argument, but out of his diſpleaſure unto others; and then, he gives a plentifull portion to many, to teach us all to do good unto our enemies, not onelyonly humanitati as they ſay, but homini not onelyonly to humane nature, but to men, to men that are wicked, ſome good muſt be done unto them.
And beſides the Lord would ſhew hereby, that he would have no argument of love or hatred to be drawn from theſe outward things; and indeed becauſe he would not have them to expect any more; it may be many men that are ungodly, proſpering in this world, they gather this argument, that therefore God loves them, & intends mercy to them; no, you may rather gather an argument quite t'other way becauſe God intendeth no further good unto you hereafter, therefore it is, you have ſo much now; we uſe to anſwer men that come for their doal, when they come twice, why do you come again, you have had your doal already; ſo will God anſwer to many men, when they ſhall cry to him for mercy at that day, why come you to me for more, you have had your doal already; have you not had already more then your works comes to, more then you have done; you have had your part and portion already; indeed men ſpeak much of Gods mercy, and the mercy of God we acknowledge to be very great, and glorious; well, God doth ſhew himſelf glorious in mercy that thou being ſo wicked haſt ſo much as thou haſt in this world; and therefore though thou ſhouldſt be denyed of eternall mercy hereafter, yet thou haſt cauſe to tell divels and damned creatures that ſhall be thy company, that God was very mercifull to thee, while thou diddeſt live in this world.
The portion of the wicked is confined to this life. 17 Ierem. 13.14. Revel. 3.But ſecondly, here is all that ever thou art like to have; 1. becauſe there are ſome men whoſe names are written in the earth, whereas the Saints are deſcribed to be men that are redeemed from the earth. It is their happineſſe to be redeemed from the earth, and all the happineſſe thou haſt is that thou art written in the earth. 2. here is their portion, becauſe they are vile in the eyes of God; if you ſhould ask the queſtion, why you give bones to the dog, and ſwill to the ſwine, and nothing elſe, why the anſwer would be, becauſe it is a dog that hath it, and becauſe it is a ſwine, it is dogs meat; certainly God doth ſpeak exceeding contemptibly of all ungodly ones in the world, let them be never ſo great in regard, of outwards; a vile perſon ſhall ariſe ſaith Daniel;11. Dan. 21. what is this vile perſon? Interpreters generally conſent in this, that it is meant of Antiochus Epiphanes, that was a mighty great Prince, ſuch a Prince as when the Samaritans did write to him, they writ Antiocho magno Deo, to Antiochus the great God, and his very name ſhews him to be a great one, Antiochus Epiphanes, as much as Antiochus the illuſtrious, and the famous, and yet when the holy Ghoſt ſpeaks of him, it is Antiochus a vile perſon, they are vile in the eyes of God; if there be any in a family that you care not much for, you make no great proviſion for them; doth God take care for Oxen? ſomewhat they have but little; doth God take care for ungodly men. 3. Here is their portion, it is confin'd to this life, why they choſe it themſelves, & in that they have no wrong, they make choice of this portion themſelves; Moſes ſpeaking to the people ſaith he, I ſet before you life and death; ſo do the Miniſters of God in preaching to you, they ſet before you life and death, what do you chuſe now? you chuſe the way that goes to death, you have but your choice; you chuſe vanitie to be your portion, God does you no wrong to give you vanitie; now you that will indent with God for your penny, you cannot take it ill, if when the end of the day comes, God puts you off with your penny.
You know thoſe in the vineyard, that agreed for their penny, they began to murmure indeed, when they came to receive their wages; but ſaith the Mr of the vineyard, did you not agree with me ſo? ſo you agree with God; all you intend in Gods ſervice is, that you may have ſome preſent comfort in this world, you dare not truſt God for the future, and here is that that God will ſhew his infinite diſpleaſure againſt the ſin of diſtruſt by, that when the Lord propounds now in this day of grace, ſuch glorious and bleſſed things to the children of men, and for ought you know, any of you may have your portion in them, as well as others, & yet you dare not truſt God for theſe gratious things; you think rather with your ſelves, let me have ſomewhat now, ſomewhat for the preſent, that for the preſent is reall, that which you talk off, is to come, & I know not whether they be imaginations or no; Therefore you mean it ſeems to ſerve God for your preſent pay, & preſent pay you ſhall have & no more; there are ſome ſervants that are your day labourers, that expect their pay at night, and if you give them that there is an end, but there are other ſervants, that will ſerve you in expectation of a reverſion, & expectation of preferment, eſpecially when they ſerve noble men & Princes, though they have no preſent pay given them at night, yet they go on cheerfully in their ſervice, they expect ſome great reverſions and leaſes, & preferments afterwards; & now though they have nothing at preſent, yet when the other befalls them, they and their poſterities are inriched; this is the direct difference between the men of the world & Gods children; the men of the world will do nothing without preſent pay, that which is juſt before them they muſt needs have, their hearts are upon that; but the Saints they hear what a bleſſed thing God hath revealed in his word, what a bleſſed Covenant of grace there is, what rich promiſes of glorious things to come, now they believe God, and truſt in God for theſe, and they ſay, Lord let me have my portion in the life to come, and what ever thou doeſt with me here, I care not; as it was the ſpeech of Auſtin, Lord, here burn, here cut mee, but ſpare mee hereafter; I am content (Lord) to be burnt, to be cut, to endure any thing in the world, onelyonly hereafter I look for ſomewhat elſe, and i'le wait for hereafter.
You'le not wait for hereafter, but you muſt have it for the preſent, and that is the reaſon you are put off here; O it is a ſerious thing, I ſpeak off to you, many a ſoul will wring its hands, and curſe it ſelf eternally, that it was not content to truſt God for hereafter, but would have preſent pay; you that are great Merchants, if you buy a thing that is but a trifle, you pull out your purſe, and give the mony down preſently, but ſuppoſe you go to the exchange and bargain for 1000 l. there you may give a little down now, but the great pay muſt come upon pay dayes afterwards, it is not expected it ſhould be preſently done; ſo there are ſome men in the world will trade with God, but they trade with God for pidling things, for their credit, and applauſe, and for their preferments and eſtates: God gives down the pay preſently, you ſhall have it, there is your mony preſently, it is done; but now there are other of Gods Saints that trade with God for great things, for immortality and glory, & a Kingdom, and the Crown of eternall life, now they expect not to have it down preſently they are content to ſtay; O theſe are the beſt Traders, the beſt Merchants, that will trade with God for great things, and be content to ſtay.
Further theſe things that are here, they are the onelyonly ſuitable things to your hearts, and what will you do with any more hereafter, theſe things doe exceedingly pleaſe you, and give you content as agreable to you, and the things that are to come, are diſagreable; what would men do that are carnall and wicked now, what would they do in heaven, certainly if you hate Gods Saints now, that have but a little grace, you would hate them infinitely more afterwards, when they are perfect in grace; & when all your common gifts ſhall be taken away, for ſo it ſhall be; now the things of God are unſuitable to you, though you have now many common gifts, and you now abhorre the grace of God, though it be imperfect, what then, when all common gifts ſhall be taken from you, and grace made perfect, how inſuitable will it be then to you; therefore expect nothing hereafter.
Again 5. You abuſe your portion you have now, what will you do with more, who will truſt you with the true riches, you abuſe that you have; indeed men of the world that are wicked, and very rich, and preferr'd to places of honour and power, O what a deal of miſchief they do in the world, what dreadfull evills are they unto the earth; ſuch men, how do they abuſe their portions; why now as it is with a tooth in a mans head, a tooth indeed is preferr'd to have an eminent place in the head, but when the tooth comes to be rotten, painfull, what do we, but pull it out, and throw it away: ſo though God preferres men to eminent places, when through their wickedneſſe they grow rotten, and do hurt, the Lord pluckes them out in his anger; they abuſe their portion, and do a great deal of miſchief, therefore muſt expect to be thrown away.
But above all, the argument is, becauſe they have no intereſt in Ieſus Chriſt; the rich treaſures of the infinite grace of God, are let out in Chriſt; God hath divers conduit pipes, (as I may ſay) of his grace, to let out unto his creatures; there are ſome leſſer conduit pipes, and thoſe conduit pipes may be opened through the generall bounty of God; but now the Lord hath the great current of his eternall mercies, for ſome that he doth intend eternall good unto, and this great current of his, it is ſtopped by juſtice, the infinite juſtice of God doth ſtop this great current, ſo as it cannot be opened to have any drop of that mercy let out, untill the divine juſtice comes to be ſatisfied; in the mean time the other ſmaller pipes run, the generall bounty of God ſtill flowes; Chriſt therefore out of pitty to mankind that they may not be put off, with theſe generall outward comforts, he comes and ſatisfies Gods infinite juſtice, that he might open the current, the ſluce of his infinite & eternall grace to others; now happy are thoſe creatures, who have intereſt in the Lord Chriſt, for this is his work to ſatisfy the juſtice of the Father, that ſo the great pipe may be opened, and then flowes in all grace, infinite eternall grace, when that comes once to be opened, no mervail though we hear of ſuch glorious things, that the Saints of God have in the life to come, no mervaile, why Chriſt doth come and opens the great ſluce of Gods infinite grace and mercy to them; as for the men of the world, they have but a little of the driſlings of Gods generall bountie through ſome crannies, but the floudgates of Gods grace are opened in Chriſt: therefore till divine juſtice be ſatisfied, there can be no further good for poor man, but meerely the fruits of Gods generall bountie, and patience.
There are ſome creatures, whom the Lord hath left to the courſe of juſtice, they ſhall have what they earne, and no more; others there are, whom God hath ſet his heart upon, and whether they earn or no, God intendeth eternal mercies to them, here is the difference of the Covenant of works, and the Covenant of grace, and therefore the one is left to himſelf: and the other, Chriſt the head of the Covenant comes to undertake for him what he cannot do; they who are not children, and muſt not expect childrens portions, as many of you rich men, when you die, you will leave your ſervants ſome legacy; perhaps you'le give every ſervant in your houſe 5. l. or ſo, but when you come to your children, to write in your will, what ſuch a ſon, and ſuch a daughter ſhall have, that is another manner of buſineſſe, then 40 ſ. or 5. l. Great things you leave to them.
So the world may be divided between children and ſervants, for though the truth is, all men are at defiance with God, yet God maketh them ſervants one way or other, and there is ſome little legacy that ſervants ſhall have but they muſt not expect the childrens portion; therefore they have it here, but muſt not have it hereafter.
Thus ſaith the Lord, if the Prince give a gift unto any of his ſons, the inheritance ſhall be his ſons, but if to his ſervant, then it ſhall be but till Iubilee; this was Gods law, that if a Prince gave a gift to his ſon, his ſon ſhould inherit it for ever, but if he give it to a ſeruant; it ſhould continue with him but for a while; Here is the difference of Gods adminiſtration of all his gifts, he giveth ſome to ſervants, and theſe ſhall continue for a time, with in a little while all will be called for again, all the good and all the comfort thou haſt, God will call for it again; but now that which he gives to his children, they ſhall have for ever, their pleaſures are durable and their mercies everlaſting.
Again the portion that the world hath here comes from Gods patience, now there will be an end of the manifeſtation of the glory of patience in this world; as there are ſome graces of the Spirit of God in the Saints, that ſhall have an end in regard of their exerciſe in this world, ſo there are ſome attributes of God that ſhall have an end in regard of the manifeſtation of them in that way that God doth now manifeſt them in this life, and that is the patience of God towards ungodly ones, now if they hold all upon patience (mark, they hold all upon patience) when that expires, then all their good is at an end.
And ungodly men, ſhall have to deal with God immediately in the world to come (I beſeech you obſerve but this anſwer) now they have to deal with God through creatures, and while they have to deal with God through creatures, they may get a great deal, & may make ſhift for much, but when they ſhall come to have to deal with God immediately, then it will be otherwiſe with them, as for example, there are a great many hang-byes at great mens houſes, perhaps when they come to have to deal with the ſervants, they get ſome bits and ſcraps, and many things of the ſervants; but if they know they can have nothing, but from the very hand of the Knight or Lord of the houſe himſelf, then they will expect no great matter; ſo wicked men in this world, they are as hang-byes and all that they have, are but as ſcraps from the ſervants, they have to deal onelyonly with creatures, they look no further; But hereafter things ſhall be ſetled another way, and all things ſhall be weighed by God himſelf, in a ballance of juſtice, & diſtributed by the hands of God himſelf immediately, and then things will be carried after another manner, the Lord himſelf will come to diſpoſe of things.
Then it was a ſpeech of a German Divine, though he were a good man, and lived very innocently, when he lay upon his ſick bed and apprehended death, he was in great terrours of ſpirit, mightily troubled, and ſome of his friends came to him, & asked him, why ſhould you be ſo troubled, that have lived ſo good a life as you have done? this was his anſwer: The judgements of God are one, and the judgements of men are another, I have now to deal with God, it is true, I lived thus before men, and men gave their verdict of me as good, and thought I was in a good condition, but O, I am now to go to God, and to deal immediately with him, and Gods judgements and mans judgements are different things; when God ſhall come to weigh all mens portions out, as it will be, then ſo much righteouſneſſe, ſo much happineſſe; you'l ſay then, Lord what ſhall become of us all, all our righteouſneſſe is as the menſtruous cloth; I but for the Saints, the righteouſneſſe of Chriſt will be put into one ſcoale, and their portion into the other, and their portion will be weighed by the righteouſneſſe of Chriſt; Now when thou comeſt to God, thou muſt come to the ſcoale, and thou wilt put in thy good ſervings of God, and thy coming to Church, and ſome good civill actions and morall things thou haſt done, thou wilt put them in the ſcoale, God will ſay, that thou haſt had already, weighs down all thoſe. Haſt thou nothing to put into the ſcoales but this? thou haſt had thy reward already for all this, and much more, then, if there be nothing to put into the ſcoale but this, thou art undone, and there is nothing for thee for eternity; and theſe are the 2. firſt things; now then ſome Corollaries from hence, and then we will proceed unto the other.
Vſe 1.Is it ſo that wicked men have a portion here, and that is all they ſhall have. 1. then, we may ſee a reaſon, why the men of the world are ſo cuning in the things of the world, why they can make a better ſhift for themſelves, in the world, then other men can, why, here is their portion, their very happineſſe, and good is here; no mervail though they ſpeed ſo well as they do:1 Corinth. 2.12. We have not received the ſpirit of the world (ſaith the Apoſtle,) we cannot tell how to ſhift in the world, ſo as other men doe, for indeed we look further then theſe things; you know a ſwine though it goes away abroad all day wandering up and down, it knows the way to the trough at night; but if a ſheep wander a little out of his place, it knows not how to come back again, but wanders up and down till it be loſt; ſwine are not ſo, ungodly men, though they go up and down wandering, they know how to come to their trough at night, they have better skill in the world they are more artificiall in the things of this life, as the Scripture ſpeaks, the children of this world, are wiſer in their generation, then the children of light; why is it? why, their portion is in this world.
Vſe 2.Secondly, here we ſee the reaſon, why there are ſo great ones in the world, that regard religion ſo little as they do, and the wayes of God, and the Church of God, why it is not their portion: thoſe things that concerns another life, is not any part of their portion: they mind what it is that concerns the preſent life, becauſe this is their portion; when many come into places of dignitie, and power, what are their thoughts, why now they think of gratifying their ſervants; now they think of reſpect and honour that they ſhall have abroad in the world, and be accounted ſome body, now they think of revenging all their wrongs, of making up of all their broken titles, &c. this hath been heretofore very ordinary in men advanced amongſt you, theſe are all their thoughts as for doing ſervice for God, and for the Church, and vindicating the truth of God, and his honour, that is ſcarce in all their thoughts, for they do not look upon that as part of their portion; here is the reaſon, why ſo many magiſtrates are like to 18. Acts 17.Gallio, caring for none of thoſe things; they were to him but matter of words, and yet they were about the great fundamentall points of religion, whether Chriſt were the true Meſſias, and whether he were God or no, but to Gallio theſe things were but matter of words; and ſo the great things of God and religion to carnall hearts, are things, of no great conſequence; yea, when as Soſthenes that was the ruler of the Sinagogue for countenancing of Paul, had the rude multitude of the Citie, roſe up to apprehend him; Gallio cared for none of theſe things; what did he care for rectifying any thing that was amiſſe in religion.
O let us, (ſay they, that have their portion here) what ever becomes of things) let us have peace (ſay they) that we may live peaceably in our houſes, and enjoy that we have quietly, they look no further then that, becauſe their portion is here; As for truth, how do they reject that, and contemne it; ſuch a ſpeech (as is credibly reported) hath come from a Citizen here even in curſing of truth, ſo, as had he lived amongſt the Iews, he would certainly have been ſtoned to death; let us have peace, and a pox of truth; I ſay, ſuch a ſpeech as this, among the Iews would have cauſed him to have been ſtoned to death, being ſuch horrible blaſphemy, but how many are ready to ſay with Pilate;18. Iohn 38. when as Chriſt talked to him of truth; truth (ſaith Pilate) what is truth? as if he had ſaid, what a ſtrange man is this, the man is in danger of his life, and he talks of truth, what is truth? (ſaith Pilate) and turns it back upon him preſently; juſt thus for all the world, are the hearts of many, they think what ſhould we look at truth, or at any thing now, but to preſerve our lives and eſtates, and outward comforts in the world; what is truth?
They are a company of mad-braind-fellows, that are factious and ſeditious; who talk of truth, but know not what they ſay, come let us have peace though it be upon any terms; who is there in this place that deſires it not, the Lord knows, peace it is the deſire of thoſe that are accuſed moſt for want of deſires in this thing; yea, we dare challenge any of you, with this challenge; thoſe who have been moſt at the Throne of grace begging unto God for peace for England, let them carry the day thoſe that have put forth moſt prayers for peace before the Throne of grace, we are willing they ſhall have the day; we read that amongſt all the tribes, that came up in a warlike-way to help the people of God againſt oppreſſion in Iudges:5. Iudges 18. that of all Nephtali was the onelyonly tribe, that joyned with Zebulun, that jeoparded their lives in the cauſe of God, that would take up armes to defend themſelves and the people againſt oppreſſion; ſurely theſe 2. tribes by the others that would not venture themſelves, were at that time accounted very factious, and very ſeditious; what they onelyonly, Zebulun and Nephtali? why, yet that is obſervable, though there where none joyned with Zebulun but onelyonly Nepthtali, there is no tribe of which it is ſo much ſpoken, to be a tribe full of courteſie and civilitie, of a peaceable & quiet diſpoſition, as Nephtali was; you ſhall find that, if you read the 49. of Geneſis: 49. Geneſ. 21.there are theſe 2. things ſaid of Nephtali, 1. that he was as a Hinde let looſe, & gave goodly words; I, but they may be but words of complement, and falſe; nay, when Moſes comes with the bleſſing (you ſhall find theſe 2. places, one in Geneſis, and the other in Deuteronomie; when Moſes comes with the bleſſing upon Nephtali; Nephtali filled with favour, and with the bleſſing of the Lord; what is the meaning? Nephtali was a tribe that had moſt courteſy, and civility of all, compared to a goodly Hind, of a quiet diſpoſition, and courteous language, one that had the favour of God, and the favour of men, and yet this Nepthali was the tribe that would jeopard their lives, and take up armes in defence of the people of God, againſt oppreſſion in thoſe times, above all.
And Phinehas that was ſo zealous, and would make uſe of the ſword, God ſaid, 25. Numbers 12.13.he would make a Covenant of peace with him; even with Phinehas that is ſuch a fiery hot man, a Covenant of peace muſt be made with him, by God himſelf, for he did indeed by that way procure peace to Iſrael; for ſo the Text ſaith there in that place of Numbers, that becauſe Phinehas was ſo zealous, it was (ſaith God) that I might not conſume them in my jealouſie; As if he ſhould have ſaid, if there had not been ſome amongſt them, that had been zealous, and as they account fiery, I would have been zealous my ſelf, and fiery my ſelf, and conſumed them; and it was well they had ſuch amongſt them; and one day thoſe that cry out of them, may come to ſee cauſe, to bleſſe God for them; we had ſuch, would not have the world put off, and gull'd with the fair name of peace; we know the divell hath made much uſe of words in former times, and would fain make uſe of it, as if thoſe that deſir'd truth moſt, were not greateſt friends unto peace, God forbid, but it ſhould be ſo, why though it is true, we think not we have our portion here, and therefore we would not have peace upon any terms; Indeed we confeſſe our portion lies higher, and that wherein our portion doth conſiſt, we would have upon any terms; and therefore deſire with Paul, 3. Philip.If by any means, I may attain to the reſurrection of the dead; ſo if by any means, upon any terms, that I may have peace at the great day whatſoever I endure here; we would be glad that all our mountains were mountains of Olivet, but yet we would be loth to have them mountains of corruption; You read in the Kings of a 2. Kings 23.13.mountain of corruption,of offence, ſo it is in the old Latine, now if we compare one Scripture with another, we ſhall find, that was no other but mount Olivet; mount Olivet was made a mountain of corruption: there Solomon did build idolatrous Temples for the honour of the Gods of his Queen, thoſe gods that his Queen did worſhip,1. Kings 11.7. Solomon built Temples for to gratifie her, & it was upon the Mount before Ieruſalem, which was the mount of Olivet, now you know the Mount Olivet had his name from Olives that did grow there, and were emblems of peace, but yet the mount Olivet may be made a mount of corruption; we would be glad that we might live upon mount Olivet, all our dayes, but are loth this mount Olivet ſhould be made a mount of corruption.
…Give me leave but in a few words, yet to put ſome conſiderations to you, and if I ſpeak not reaſon in them, reject them; 1. becauſe that you are ſo greedy of comforts in this world, you would fain have peace, but I hope a ſafe peace, and that is all we do deſire; if the peace be not ſafe, O the bloud that may follow after; we read in the 27. of the Acts v. 13. That there was indeed a calme, and the South-wind did blow ſoftly for a while, but preſently there did riſe a tempeſtuous wind called Euroclydon; take we heed (my brethren) that we be not deluded with the ſoftly South-wind, take heed that there be not an Euroclydon, that blows preſently after; were we ſure to be delivered from that ſame Euroclydon, we ſhould be glad of continuance of ſoft blowings of the South-wind.
Can you think of a ſafe peace, to live under any arbitrary governments; no, that you'l ſay; and therefore we account our condition ill now, for we have arbitrary governments amongſt us ſtill, do not the Parliament themſelves govern in that kind?
…Give me leave in a word to anſwer this; conſider of the difference between the arbitrary government the Parliament complains off, and what now you feel; 1. that was then when the Kingdom was in a ſetled way, and eſpecially when there was no contra arbitrary power to oppoſe it, yet then it went on, and ſurely then it did but make way for worſe arbitrary government, but now it is in a vvay, vvhen the Kingdom is unſetled, & in a vvay vvhere there is a neceſſity of ſome help beyond the ordinary courſe of lavv, becauſe of a contra arbitrary povver that is oppoſed; and is it poſſible for any man that hath any vviſedome, or underſtanding not to ſee the difference betvveen theſe tvvo?
But I'le ſhevv you a greater difference then this, that that vvas before, thoſe that governed then, ſuffered nothing in it themſelves; but gained all; novv thoſe that are accuſed for the preſent, if that be arbitrary they ſuffer themſelves as much as vve do, and their poſterity ſuffers as much as ours, therefore the thing is far different from vvhat vvas before.
And yet further, if you would not be carried away with words, but judge righteous judgement, conſider this: can you think that if the adverſaries ſhould prevail, you ſhould be onelyonly at the diſpoſe of the King? do you not think that thoſe that are with him, & give ſuch ſtrength and aſſiſtance to him, that you muſt not lie at their mercy too, and will that be ſafe for you; I put it to every mans conſcience, whether he can think that it is ſafer, for Church, or Commonwealth to be governed by the King with thoſe that are now about him, and an army of Papiſts, or to be governed by the King with his 2. Houſes of Parliament, which is the ſafeſt way in the conſciences of any men living.
Yet further, conſider, if you have your eyes in your heads, that perhaps what you ayme at as your end, your adverſaries may ayme to be as their means, and what will become of you then, if that that you would have as an end, they ſhall look at but as a medium; conſider what conſequences, may come of that.
And laſtly, you that do deſire ſo much peace to preſerve your own portions here, would not you willingly have ſuch peace, as thoſe that have appeared for you in houſes of Parliament, in City, in Miniſtery, that have been moſt active be preſerved too? are you ſo deſirous of it, as to be willing to leave them to the fury and rage of their adverſaries? were not this one of the horribleſt wickedneſſes that ever was committed in a Kingdom, when men from a deſire to ſave their own eſtates particularly, ſhould betray thoſe that have been faithfull to them in their places of truſt.
It was a ſpeech of Demosthenes, to one that would fain have peace. It is a vain and prepoſterous thing to deſire peace with the flock, upon this condition, that the keepers of the flock may be betrayed; The fair name of peace will never prevail with a wiſe man, when this ſhall come to be the condition of it, (the good people in Chryſoſtomes time) thought it ſuch a thing, to have but the mouth of one Chryſoſtome ſtopped, that they profeſſed, if the Sunne ſhould turn back, & keep in her rayes, it were more tollerable, then that the mouth of Iohn Chryſoſtome ſhould be ſtopped; they had ſuch a high eſteem, of a faithfull Miniſter in thoſe times; therefore if you would be faith full to God, and to his Kingdom, and to thoſe that have appeared for you, look after ſuch peace, wherein you and they may be ſafe.
God knows they would have been willing, to have been as ſilent as you, but ſuppoſe all the Miniſters of the Kingdom, and men that had ability to appear publickly, had all been ſilent, ſo as the buſineſſe had been wholly betrayed, and at length an army of Papiſts had riſen, when you had had no help to have reſiſted them, would you not have cried to Miniſters? would you not have cried to Magiſtrates? would you not have cried to Parliament men? if they have ventured themſelves to be faithfull for you, know, you can have no peace except they have it; and it were an unworthy thing to think of your ſafety without theirs.
But you'l ſay, we would not have our eſtates, and peace, thus (as you ſpeak) upon any terms, without any regard to religion, we have our portion in religion, as well as you, and we have our conſciences to look after as well as you; and God forbid it ſhould be otherwiſe, but that religion ſhould proſper too with our peace, but we would not have ſuch Sects to be maintained in the Kingdom; let us have truth and religion, but away with the ſectaries.
Firſt underſtand, who they are, you ſpeak off; do you know wherein you and they differ? you cry out of them, as if they were of another religion, when as when it comes to be ſcann'd, the difference between you and them will prove not to be ſo great.
But 2. further, I put this to you; do you ſpend as much breath in praying for theſe kind of men, as you do in rayling upon them? then ſomewhat may be ſaid.
But 3. it is a vain thing to think, that true religion can be maintain'd, and have the liberty of it, without ſome difference of opinion amongſt us; indeed the Turks have as much peace in their religion, as any religion hath in all the world, and there is as little difference of opinions amongſt the Turks, as there is in any religion weatſoever; but well may that coat have no ſeam, that hath no ſhape; if the truth of religion comes to appear, certainly it is impoſſible, but many differences of opinion muſt come, and it is a moſt intollerable pride of heart and tyrannie in any whatſoever to think, by violent means to force all, to be of the ſame opinions that they are of in matters that are not of the foundation, and that may ſtand with the peace of a Commonwealth, too; you take upon you in that, more then Chriſt doth, more then the Apoſtles ever did.
But you'l ſay, if men be in an errour, why ſhould they not be forc'd, ſhall every man be left to his opinion, to do what he will?
No, I plead not for that neither; therefore I except all opinions. 1. againſt the foundation of religion. 2. and that are againſt the foundation of civill government; take thoſe 2. aſide, and then for other opinions that are of a lower, inferiour nature, (I ſay) there you take too much upon you, whoſoever you are, if you ſhould think to force men to be of the ſame opinion as you are, and there is no ſuch way to make a diſturbance in Churches, & Commonwealths, then to force men to be of the ſame opinion in things, that are of an inferiour nature.
I, but you'l ſtill ſay, if it be an errour, they muſt not be left to live in it, if it be an errour; nay ſtay there, a man may be in an errour; and yet you have nothing to do to offer violence unto him, to bring him out of his errour; you may ſeek to convince him as much as you can: but to offer violence, you undertake more, then God hath given you commiſſion to do, what ever you are; & I give this Scripture for it, with is clear in the Romans: One believeth that he may eat all things, Rom. 14.2.another eateth hearbs, let not him that eateth, deſpiſe him that eateth not, and let not him which eateth not, judge him that eateth; for who art thou that judgeſt another? who art thou that judgeſt? certainly one of theſe was a ſin at that time, but yet, though one were a ſin, yet they that were in the right muſt not by violence force thoſe, that were in the vvrong, to their opinion; but they muſt leave them to God; (I ſay,) in matters of ſuch conſequence as theſe, it is a point of Antichriſtian tyranny, and notorious pride in men, that have taken ſo much upon them, as to force all to be of the ſame opinion; this is not the way certainly for true peace; but thus much for the 2. Corollary; The 3. follows.
Vſe 3.If men have their portion in this world, here is the reaſon why there is ſuch a ſtir in the world by men, to maintain this their portion; what rending and tearing is there among men to preſerve their eſtates? eſpecially if they have a higher portion in the world then others; O, what a deal of ſtir is there to keep up their honour and reputation. There was ſuch ſtriving for the Popedome in Henry the fourth his dayes, that it coſt many thouſand mens lives. Such bluſtring men make to be great in the world, it coſt the bloud of twenty thouſand perſons meerely to ſatisfy the wills of a few; certainly one day the world will be wiſer, and underſtand that they are men, and not dogs, to be ſubject to the humours and luſts of others, and that no man hath now any further power over them, but what they have by agreement from them, I hope men will be wiſe enough to underſtand this, and not ſacrifice their lives, for the ſatisfying of the wills of a few men in the world; it is their God, and do you ſay what ayles me, when you have taken away my Gods? here is the ground of all the ſtirs and combuſtions in the world, becauſe carnall hearts look upon what they enjoy as their portion.
But how comes it thus to paſſe, that men ſhould be ſo greedy of this their portion? it is ſuch an excellent portion, that they are ſo greedy of it? is it worth ſo much, that they contend ſo about it? this maketh way for me to ſlip into the 4. particular, to enquire, what kind of portion this is, that theſe men of the world have, therefore conſider. 1. what poor things they are, that they make ſuch a ſtir about; ſecondly, conſider the tenure upon which they hold, what ever they enjoy; and thirdly, conſider the mixture of evill that there is in that they enjoy; and fourthly, the bleſſed portion that they looſe, and laſtly, the dreadfull end that there will be to ſuch men, that have their portion here.
Firſt, the poor things that men have here in this world, what are they? their comforts for the moſt part, are but imaginary;What poor things worldly men ſtrive for. in the 8. of Hoſea, Ephraim feeds upon the wind; and when a bladder is full of wind, one prick lets it quite out: ſo when death comes, it lets out all their comforts; wilt thou ſet thy heart upon that which is not, it is not, it hath no realitie in it; in the 25. of the Acts;25. Acts. when Bernice and Agrippa came in great pomp, to the aſſembly; that which you have in your books tranſlated, great pomp, it is in the Greek great fancie; all the pomp and jollity of the world, is but a meer fancy, this is their portion.
And 2. that they have is of a very low nature; this would be an argument we might Philoſophize in, if it were fit, or if we had time, but i'le quickly paſſe over theſe things; it is of a very low nature, and not much concerns the ſoul, all the portion they have here, therefore ſaith the Text here, thou filleſt their belly; it is but a belly full, and what is that to the ſoul? indeed the rich man in the Goſpell, could ſay, Soul take thy eaſe, eat and drink, &c. Soul take thy eaſe; becauſe you have goods laid up, and becauſe you may eat and drink; what is all this to the ſoul? Ambroſe hath ſuch a ſpeech upon the place: if the man had had the ſoul of a ſwine, what could he have ſaid otherwiſe; for indeed theſe things were ſuitable to the ſoul of a ſwine; you ſhall find that a man is not the better, becauſe of outward things not a whit; the heart of the wicked is little worth; his eſtate may be ſomewhat worth, his houſe may be ſomewhat worth, his lands may be ſomewhat worth; but the hears of the wicked is little worth,10. Proverbs. ſaith Solomon. And would, not you think that to be a great evill, that when you go up and down abroad, you ſhould certainly know, that there is no man gives you any entertainment, or any reſpect, but it is for your ſervants ſake that tends upon you, would not that trouble you; indeed you come to ſuch a mans houſe, & he ſeems to make you wellcome, and you have entertainment; I but you come to know afterwards, that it was not for your ſake, but for your ſervants ſake, that he loved you, would not this diſcourage you? the truth is ſo, all that you have in this world, it is for your ſervants ſake, for your goods, your houſe and lands: it is not for any worth that is in you. It was aſpeech that Socrates ſpake once to one — when he had a fine houſe, and a many brave things; what (ſaith he) there are many come to ſee thy houſe and thy fine things there, but no body comes to ſee thee, they know there is a worth in thy fine houſe, and in thy fine furniture, but they ſee no worth in thee, indeed all theſe things are not ſouls meat, it is not mans meat they feed upon, it is but aſhes, it is nothing to the ſoul of a man.
And further, ſuppoſe it were for thy ſoul; what thou haſt here is but a very poor pittance, thou haſt not all the world neither, though thou haſt thy portion in this world; if thou hadſt the whole world at command, yea, if God ſhould make a 1000. worlds more for thee to command, that were all but a poor pittance, to put off an immortall ſoul with all; but what thou haſt is but a little minuin in the world. All the nations of the earth are but as the duſt of the ballance, and a drop of the bucket to God, what is thy duſt then? what is thy houſe and land then? as Socrates wittily rebuked the pride of Alcibiades, when he was very proud, that he had ſo much land lay together, he brought the map of the world to him, and (ſaith he) pray ſhew me, where your land …ies here, one prick of a pen would make a deſcription of all.
England, Ireland, and Scotland, are but 3. little ſpots unto the world, and what are your farmes and your mannours? you have but a little portion, if you had all it were no great matter; the truth is all you have in this world, cannot be enough to make you live in faſhion in the world, like a man; it is not enough (I ſay) for to live like a man in the world, to live like one that hath an immortall ſoul, like one that hath the image of God upon him, and was ſent hither into the world, to do ſo great ſervices, as every one of you were ſent hither to do, and therefore it is but a mean thing, little cauſe you have to rejoyce in it.
It is true they that are godly, account themſelves unworthy of the leaſt thing they have here in the world; but i'le tell you a miſtery of religion now, a practicall maxime of religion, that is a great miſtery to the world, which is this, that a gracious heart, though he thinks himſelf unworthy of the leaſt crum of bread, yet all the creatures in heaven and earth, will not ſerve him to be his portion, will not ſatisfy him; though he hath a heart that will be ſatisfied with any thing, as counting himſelf unworthy of the meaneſt condition in this world, as a preſent gift of God; but if God ſhould give him heaven and earth, he had ſuch an unſatisfying heart, as he would not be ſatisfied with heaven and earth, except God gives him himſelf too; therefore certainly thy portion, it is a but a very little portion.
Beſides thoſe things thou haſt, are things that will vaniſh, and quickly come to nothing; it is ſaid of the whole world, that it hangs upon nothing;26. Iob 7. ſo all the things of the earth do: therefore it is ſaid of Abraham, that he ſought a City, that had foundations;10. Hebr. all other things, are as things that have no foundation at all; there is a worm in every creature that will conſume it in time; and the Scripture calls all our riches uncertain riches.
Chriſtian, thou art made for an eternall condition; theſe things are fading; when thou comeſt to enter in upon thy eternall eſtate, if thou ſhouldſt then ask, what ſhall I have now, I have now thus much, and thus much in my whole life; but what ſhall I have now I come to enter in upon my eternall eſtate? truly nothing at all. If a man were to go a great voyage to the Indies, and all the proviſion he makes is this, he gets a veſſell that can make ſhift to carry him as far as Graveſend, that he will do, and what need he hath of proviſion to Graveſend, or perhaps to the Downs he provides for, he goes on, & ſhould go on now from the Downs, and begins his voyage, to go to the Indies, and is gotten into the Ocean; alas, his veſſell is a rotten veſſell; were not this an unwiſe man? truly this is the condition of thouſands in the world; man, woman, thou art made for an eternall condition, God intendeth eternity for every mothers child that is here this day, and God expects that thy life ſhould be ſpent in making proviſion for this eternall eſtate of thine, and thou thinkeſt of nothing, but that thou mayſt provide for a few years here, & live in ſome faſhion, and be ſome body in the world. O when thou comeſt to enter upon the Ocean of eternitie, thou wilt give a dreadfull ſhrik, & cry out, I am undone, I am undone, I have nothing provided, for eternall life.
Again conſider whatever thou haſt in this world, it is no other, but what may ſtand with the eternall hatred of an infinite God towards thee: it may be the portion of a reprobate, and will this ſerve thy turn? will this ſatisfie thee? will that ſatisfie thy ſoul, that may be the portion of a reprobate? there are many that are now ſweltring under the wrath of the infinite God, that have had 20. times as much as any of you have that are here before the Lord this day, they have had greater eſtates then you, and lived merrier lives then you, & yet are now under the wrath of God, will a reprobates portion ſerve thy turn: therefore conſider that to enjoy the dominion of all the world, may ſtand with Gods eternall hatred, but to have the leaſt dram of ſaving grace, intitles men to the favour of God which is better then life. What a difference is there then, between the having the leaſt dram of grace, and the enjoyment of all the world, and what a goodly portion is there here that thou ſo much rejoyceſt in? certainly, thy heart is ſtrait, that thou thinkeſt theſe things to be ſo big, as in a narrow veſſel a thing will appear big, but in a mighty wide veſſell it appears little; ſo when the Lord by grace ſhall widen and enlarge thy heart, then all the things of the world will be little to thee.
Indeed if a man be below here, he looks upon that, which is next to him, that hath any bigneſſe in it, as ſomewhat great, but if a man were advanced on high, on the top of a pinnacle, then that which ſeemed great appears but little to him; ſo the men of the world that are here, lie graveling below, and the curſe of the ſerpent is upon them, and they think the things of the world great matters, but grace lifteth up the heart on high to God and Chriſt, mounts it up to eternity, and then we look upon all things here below as mean, this was the reaſon that Luther, when he had great gifts ſent to him by many of the great men of Saxonie, he began to be afraid, leaſt the Lord ſhould reward him here in this world, and he hath this expreſſion, Luther.I did vehemently proteſt, God ſhould not put me off ſo; that is his word, according to the manner of his language: thus he ſpeaks, when there came in things of the world, and he began to be tickled with honour, and great men did reſpect him, O (thought he) I ſhall be ſome body now in the world; thus corruption began to work, but grace did prevail, and he breaks out with this expreſſion, I did profeſſe, God ſhould not put me off ſo; the Lord ſhall not put me off with worldly honors and dignities; there are other things I look for, things that are better and higher, theſe are poor pittances, for this ſoul of mine to be put off with all, there are other things I muſt have from the Lord, or elſe I cannot be ſatisfied; that is the firſt thing, the poor things of the world, which is the portion of wicked men.
Secondly conſider the tenure by which they hold it; all you have in the world, you hold it not by very good tenure, it is not held in Capite. I confeſſe this, I think not the men of the world to be uſurpers, for what they lawfully get in the world: I think not they ſhall anſwer meerely for their uſing what they do, meerely for their right to uſe what they have; but they ſhall anſwer for their not right uſing the ſame; they ſhall not anſwer (I ſay) for their right to uſe, but for their not right uſing; they have ſome right, but what right is it.
There is a 3. fold right. 1. a right of juſtice, that we may claim to a thing as a due: what is not your right, you cannot claim. 2. there is a right of Creation, that God gave to man at firſt: you have loſt that right now. 3. there is a right of promiſe; God hath promiſed all good things to his people; you have not that right neither: you have neither the right of juſtice to claim, nor the right of your Creation, nor the right of promiſe; what right then?
There is a fourth right, and that I confeſſe you have, which is a right of donation; God is pleaſed to give to you. And thus you hold all your honours, and eſtates, that are ungodly men; juſt thus, even as a man that is condemned to dye, and there being a little reprieving for 2. or 3. dayes, before his execution, the Prince out of his indulgence gives order to have proviſion made for him, according to his qualitie, that if he be a Gentleman, he ſhould have ſuch proviſion, if a Knight, or a Nobleman, he ſhall have proviſion according to his qualitie, till his execution; now no man can ſay, this man uſurpes, though he hath forfeited all his right to his lands and eſtates, yet if the King will give him this refreſhment, he is no uſurper, but it is a poor right he hath, it is a right of donation; and thus God gives the ungodly men in this world their right to outward comforts; you have your portion, but you ſee how you hold it.
The next thing to be conſidered, is, that this portion here, as it is poor in regard of the mean things, and the Tenure; ſo there is a great deal of mixture there in, and the truth is, all the good things wicked men enjoy in this world, will ſcarce bear charges; that is, there is ſo much trouble they meet withall in this world, with their portion, that what they have will ſcarce bear charges; & if a man goes a voyage, we uſe not to count any thing he ſpends by the way, to be part of his treaſury; now all we have here in this world is but ſpending money to bear our charges in religion: God knows we ſhall be at a great deal of charges, and afflictions we ſhall meet with here; but beſides, there is a mixture of Curſe in every portion of an ungodly man; if any of you think you get ſuch a rich match, you get an heire that is a very rich match, & you get her portion, & if it be in money, there you go & fetch away the bags of gold, that are her portion, but if it ſhould prove that every bag of gold, you have of your wives portion, had the plague in it, it were but a poor portion; certainly it is thus with all ungodly ones in the world, that all the while they live, whatſoever they enjoy, (continuing wicked men) they have a curſe of God that goes along with it, and makes way unto eternall miſery for them; as thoſe that are godly have the bleſſing of God in outward things that makes way for their eternall good; ſo thou haſt the curſe of the Lord mingled with all thy outward things that makes way for eternall evill unto thee.
And then conſider what portion thou looſeſt, thou haſt got one, but thou looſeſt a great deal more; if a man had been at the exchange and made a bargain about ſome petty thing, and afterwards when he comes home, knows that by not being at home, he hath loſt a purchaſe that would have made him, and his poſterity: he hath little cauſe of rejoycing in that bargain; ſo though thou haſt got a portion, that may ſeem to ſatisfie thee ſomewhat, know thou haſt loſt a portion of infinite worth and value.
It is impoſſible to ſhew you, what this portion is; for the devil could ſhew Chriſt all the glory of the world in the twinckling of an eye; but if I ſhould come to ſhew you the glory of Heaven, I had need have eternity to ſhew you, what the portion of the Saints is; but though I cannot ſhew it you all, I will onelyonly give you a hint or two, that you know ſomewhat what it is.
1. It is ſuch a portion as is fit for the ſpouſe of the Lamb, as is fit for the ſpouſe of one that is to marry the Son of God, the ſecond perſon in Trinity; 2. it is ſuch a portion as is fit and ſuitable to an heire of life & glory, an heire of Heaven and Earth; yea, it is ſuch a portion, as God doth give men, to this very end, to declare what the infinite power of God is able to do, to raiſe a poor creature to the height of happineſſe; what think you this muſt be, that (I ſay) it muſt therefore be done, that it might declare to Angels and all creatures, what the infinite power of God is able to do, to raiſe a poor creature to happineſſe & glory; this muſt be ſomewhat.
Again, it muſt be ſuch a one as in which, God muſt attain unto the great deſigne, that he had from all eternity, in making of Heaven and Earth, which was to magnifie the riches of his grace to a Company, that he had ſet apart to glory; it muſt be ſuch a portion; and gueſſe you what this muſt needs be.
Yea, it is ſuch a portion as muſt require the infinite power of God, to ſupport a creature to bear the weight of that glory; and all this muſt be now to all eternity; I remember when Eſau did but hear Iſaac his Father, tell what a bleſſing he had given unto Iacob, he fell a weeping; O that God would ſo ſtrike unto the hearts of men, that have ſo little minded any thing, but the world: Thou heareſt but a few words, to what the Lord hath reſerved to all eternitie, for his Saints; and compare but that with what is thy portion, and thou haſt cauſe to weep.
I but more cauſe you'l have to weep, if you conſider the laſt thing, and that is, what is like to be the end of all thy portion in this world; if indeed thou could'ſt ruffle it out in this world, and enjoy thy hearts deſire, and there an end: it were ſomewhat; O, but there is ſomewhat elſe remains afterwards; as. 1. O, the perplexity of ſpirit, that any worldly man will have when death comes, when he ſhall ſee an end of all the comforts of this world, now farewell houſe, farewell lands, and farewell friends, farewell acquaintance, and all merry meetings, and joviallities, I ſhall never have comfort more in you; as it was the ſpeech of Pope Adrian, when he was to die, O thou my ſoul, my ſoul, whither art thou going? whither art thou going? thou ſhalt never have more jeſts, nor be merry, nor be jocund any more; where art thou going? ſo may a man that hath his portion in this world, ſay at his death, where is this poor ſoul of mine going? I have lived here thus many years, and I have had many merry meetings, I have eaten with the ſtrongeſt, and have drunk the ſweeteſt, and gone in brave array, but now my day is gone, what ſhall become of me, what peace have I now, when all is gone.
I remember Latimer hath a ſtory in one of his Sermons, that he preached before King Edward, of a rich man, that when he lay upon his ſick bed, there came one to him, and tells him, that certainly by all reaſon they can judge, he was like to be a man for another world, a dead man: aſſoon as ever he hears but theſe words, what muſt I die, ſend for a Phiſitian, wounds, ſides, heart, muſt I die? wounds, ſides, heart, must I die? and thus he goes on, and there could be nothing got from him, but wounds, ſides, heart, muſt I die? muſt I die, and go from all theſe? here was all, here was the end of this man that made his portion in this world.
Another rich man that lived not far from the place, that I my ſelf lived in heretofore; when he heard his ſickneſſe was deadly, he ſends for his bags of money, and hugs them in his arms, O muſt I leave you? O muſt I leave you? And another, lying upon his ſickbed, layed a bag of gold to his heart, and then bids them, take it away, it will not do, it will not do; Another, when he lay upon his ſickbed, his ſervants came to him, & ſaid, what lack you? would you have any beer? what do you want? O (ſaith he) I want onelyonly one thing, peace of conſcience, that I would have, it is not beer, nor friends, nor an eaſy pillow I want, but eaſe of conſcience; O conſider, whether there be not like to be perplexitie in your ſpirits.
And then (brethren) you muſt be called to an account for all, though (as I told you before) not to account for the right to uſe; but for not right uſing; and do but think with your ſelves, if you now have ſo much as you cannot reckon, how then will you be able to reckon for it, if now you cannot count, how will you be able to give an account at the laſt day, eſpecially when you have had no thoughts of this before hand.
There will be a dreadfull portion indeed at the day of judgement, O the ſhame and confuſion that will be upon the faces of the men of the world in that houre, when they ſhall ſee their poor neighbours have their portion with Chriſt in glory; perhaps, a poor ſervant in the houſe advanced to glory, and they ſtand on the left hand to be caſt out; perhaps ſome of theſe poor hoſpitall boyes ſhall be advanced to eternall glorie, when as ſome of you, that are their great maſters, ſhall be caſt out eternally; what an infinite ſhame and confuſion will this be to you.
O now I ſee what it is to truſt in God, and not to truſt in him; thoſe are happy that would truſt for the future, but I miſerable, that dar'd not truſt in him:11. Pſal. 6.24 Matth. 51. The Lord will rain ſnares, and fire, and brimſtones, here is the portion of the ungodly at laſt; appoint him his portion with hypocrites, ſaith Chriſt, where there is weeping and wayling, and gnaſhing of teeth; that is the portion of hypocrites in the concluſion; Now here thou ſeeſt the end of all, what doſt thou think then of thy portion now? think but of one Text, and I have done.
27. Iob 8.What hope hath an hypocrite though he hath gained, when God takes away his ſoul? Mark, there are many hypocrites that aymed to get eſtates in the world, but cannot thrive, God croſſes them: well, but ſuppoſe thou aymeſt to gain, and haſt got all thou wouldſt deſire; what hope hath an hypocrite, though he hath gained? though he hath grown never ſo rich, and got all he deſires, when God takes away his ſoul? this time is coming, it will be ere long, and it may be ſuddenly, the portion of ſome that are here preſent, and perhaps this Text of mine, may then ring in their ears, when they lie upon their ſick beds, perhaps within a month, or ſix weeks, when Gods time ſhall be, and then conſcience may repeat in your ears; I heard ſuch a day there were a generation of men that have their portion in this world, and now I am afraid, I am one of them; and there is an end of my portion, onelyonly I muſt go to my other portion, that will be very dreadfull.
I but who have you ſpoke too all this while? who is the man that hath his portion in this world? it is a poor portion, as you have ſet out to us, but every one will go away and ſay, I hope it is not I, I hope God hath a better portion for me then this; therefore give me leave to ſpeak in the name of God to you, and out of his word, to point out the man and woman that is like to have their portion here, living and dying in ſuch a condition.
1. Signes of a man whoſe portion is in this world.Firſt, that man to whom God gives in this life, nothing but what belongs to this life, that is the man apparently; if God give thee thy eſtate, and if he gives thee not ſomewhat beſides thy eſtate, that is a principle, that is a ſeed of eternall life in thee, certainly he never intends good to thee in the world to come. There are many men have a great deal in this world & they ſay they hope, God will be mercifull to them in the world to come. Now this is a certain truth, that man to whom God denies ſpirituall mercy in this world, God will deny eternall mercy to him in the world to come; this therefore ſhould be thy care, doth God increaſe my eſtate in this world? O that the Lord would give a proportionable meaſure of grace, or elſe it is nothing; Lord, thou giveſt me here a great eſtate, if thou giveſt not to me together with it, a proportionable meaſure of grace to uſe it to thy name, I had better have been without this.
Is this thy care? I put it to thy conſcience; as thy eſtate encreaſes, art thou ſolicitous at the Throne of grace, that the Lord would give thee a proportionable meaſure of grace, to manage thy eſtate for his glory; then peace be to thee, thou art not the man.
You may further examine it, by the workings of your hearts about your preſent portions; As. 1 whether you enjoy what you have for it ſelf, and whether your hearts be terminated in what you do enjoy; one that is godly hath his portion beyond theſe things, he enjoyes the creatures. I but it is God that he enjoyes in them; that is ſweet to me, that I can ſee, and taſte the love of God in; I but a Carnall heart enjoyes the creatures, and runs away, and is terminated there; looks much at the creature, but at little in God; as divers of your hoſpitall children here, look more at the men that were their friends, to bring them into the hoſpitall, when they were Fatherleſſe and Motherleſſe, and ſhiftleſſe, then they look at the founders of the Hoſpitall, they little think of them, to thank God for them, but if they meet with him that was the next cauſe to bring them in, they will thank him for his kindneſſe; ſo it is with moſt men, they look at outward means and ſecondary cauſes, but a godly heart looks at the root of all things; I remember one that came into the Treaſurehouſe of Venice, where he ſaw Tables of gold and ſilver, and he pointed down, looking at the bottom of the Table, whereupon one asked him, why is your eye ſo at the bottom? O (ſaith he) I am looking at the root of all this; Alas, it is a ſmall matter for a man that hath a great trade, to have a great ſtock.
A godly man though he hath but a little, yet he looks at the root, at the love of God, and the Covenant of grace, which is the ſpring of all, and the chief thing that ſatisfies his heart, it is the goodneſſe of God that ſatiſfies a gracious heart, and not the bare creature.
Therefore examine, how your hearts are ſet upon theſe things of the world, whether your hearts go out with full ſtrength to them; if you make your bellies to be your God, then your end will be deſtruction: That man that hath his heart ſwallowed up in the world, like Corah, Dathan, and Abiram, that were ſwallowed in the earth; if the things of the earth be a gulfe to ſwallow thy heart up, there is another gulfe to ſwallow thee up hereafter. Conſider how do the loſſe of the things of the world, take thy heart; doſt not thou account thy ſelf an undone man, when thou had loſt ſome comforts? doſt thou not come home to thy wife and children, I ſay, I am an undone man? why what is the matter? I have loſt ſome part of my eſtate; O carnall heart! one that is Gods child may have ſome croſſes, but no loſſes at all; becauſe he enjoyes all in God, and hath God ſtill. The truth is, if thou wert truly Godly, whatever afflictions thou meeteſt with all, (as we ſay, a man may put all his gain in his eye; ſo you may,) if you be godly, put all your croſſes in your eyes; you are ſo far from being undone.
Examine then whether theſe things of the world, be not the onelyonly ſuitable things to your hearts? whether you bleſſe not your ſelves in theſe, as in your happineſſe; the Ivie will claſpe about a rotten tree, and cannot be taken off it, without tearing; and ſo the heart of a worldling, will claſp about theſe rotten comforts, as the onelyonly agreable things. You may hear them ſometimes tell with joy that we were in ſuch a place, and were ſo merry, & had the braveſt meeting, and what was there? there was ſinging and drinking, and blaſpheming of the name of God, & yet it was the braveſt meeting that could be.
When did you ever come from an ordinance of God, and ſay, O it was a brave day to me, the Lord hath ſpoken to my heart this day; did you never go from the word, with as merry a heart, and rejoyce of it amongſt your friends, as you did from a merry meeting? you may fear you are the man that have your portion here.
If I were to give but one evidence. whether a man hath grace or no? I would give this aſſoon as any one; Suppoſe thou haſt got ſome eſtate in the word, I put this to thee, what doſt thou account to be the chiefeſt good of thy eſtate, more then thou didſt before. A man that hath got an eſtate more then he had before, thinks with himſelf, now I may live at a better faſhion, then I could, now I may have more freedom then before, now I may have more credit in the world then I had now, I may have my own mind, and ſatisfie my luſt more then I did, or then another man can do; is not this the thing thou moſt rejoyceſt in; nay, is not this a truth, that ſome of your hearts (if your hearts were ripped up, this would be the language of them) moſt rejoyce in, becauſe hereby you have moſt fewel for your luſts; a poor man hath not ſo much fewel for his uncleaneſſe as you have, nor ſo much fewell for his pride and malice as you have, and many rich men account the bleſſing and happineſſe of their eſtates to conſiſt in this very thing, that now they may have a larger ſcope for their luſts then ever they could before; alas, a poor man cannot go abroad, and drink, as you can do; a poor man cannot lay out ſo much upon a whore, and an unclean wretch, as you can do, and you rejoyce in this, if this man hath not his portion in this world, who hath? the Lord ſtrike thy wretched heart.
A gracious man, when God bleſſeth him in this world, though there be but a little grace in him, it will work thus: the Lord hath raiſed my condition above my brother, & why? the Lord giveth me a larger opportunitie to do him ſervice, then my brother hath, or then I had before: there is ſuch a poor man, he is an honeſt man, but (God knows) he can do but little in the place where he is, he hath but little means; but God hath given me means, and this means enlarges my opportunities to do God ſervice, and for this my ſoul bleſſeth God, I account my eſtate happier then before, I now may be of more uſe, and do God more ſervice then otherwiſe I could do; have you ſuch workings in heart, you rich men if: you have not never be at quiet till you get your hearts working in this manner; this will be a bleſſed teſtimony, that God gives you a portion here, and intendeth another portion for you in the world to come.
Again, what is that thing that you ſtrive to make moſt ſure? that which a man ſtrives to make moſt ſure, that he counts his happineſſe to conſiſt in; O for thy Land, and debts, thou ſtriveſt with all thy might to make them ſure, but as for the matter of thy ſalvation, and peace in Chriſt, thou haſt a good hope thereof, but takeſt no pains to make it ſure.
See what thou doſt moſt admire men for? O ſuch a man is happy, he hath ſo much coming in, and hath ſo much a year; but doſt thou call the vile man happy? this is a ſigne that thou haſt not thy eye enlightned: canſt thou look upon thoſe that are poor and mean in this world, as moſt happy creatures, becauſe the Lord gives them the grace of his ſpirit? and think, well, it is true, I have a greater eſtate then ſuch a poor man that is my neighbour, or then ſuch a poor kindſman, but God knows, he doth God more ſervice then I do, he prayes more, and more heartily in one day then I do in a whole year. O, the Lord hath other manner of prayers, and ſighes come from his poor cottage, then ever he had from my brave pallace: I have my citie houſe and my countrey houſe, but they were never ſo perfumed with prayers; ſome that live in poor cellars, ſend up more prayers, and God hath more honour from them, then he hath from me; in my familie (perhaps) there is curſing and blaſpheming of God, in ſuch poor cottages, there is (perhaps) bleſſing and prayſing of God, now canſt thou look upon them, as the moſt happy people in the world.
Laſtly, what art thou moſt carefull to lay up for thy children? if the things of the world take up thy care for thy children moſt, it is an argument thou thinkeſt, thy children ſhall have a good portion if thou canſt leave them ſo many thouſands; & it is like it is thy portion too; if thou counteſt it theirs.
Examine alſo thy ſervices what they are; doſt thou put off God with ſlight ſervices, then know thy portion is like to be of Gods ſlight mercies; Again, art thou hypocriticall in thy ſervice, doſt thou ayme at the praiſe of men in outward duties, that is a ſigne thou haſt thy reward here; and are thy ſervices forced, that thou art compelled, it is meerely conſcience compells thee, and not an inward agreableneſſe between the frame of thy heart, and holy things: then it is like, a ſervants portion will be thine, and not a childs portion.
Further, haſt thou heretofore been a forward profeſſour in religion, and haſt now forſaken the wayes of God; I'le give you a dreadfull Scripture for this, in the 17. of Ieremiah17. Ierem. 13.: All you that forſake the Lord ſhall be aſhamed, & they that depart from me, ſhall be written in the earth; if thou haſt been forward heretofore, and now thou comeſt to be more ancient, and now thou art dead, and dull, and cold —; here is a Text for thee, go home, & tremble, leaſt thou be a man, whoſe name is written in the earth. And doth not God for the preſent curſe thy portion? thou findeſt the more thou haſt, the worſe thou groweſt; as if a man ſhould eat meat at ones table, and aſſoon as he hath eaten it, begin to ſwell, he will conclude certainly the meat was poyſoned, ſo when thy eſtate riſes, thy heart riſes with pride, ſurely it was poyſoned with the curſe of God that was in it.
Again I'le onelyonly name one ſigne more; what ſayeſt thou to this, that man that ſpends his dayes without having ſome fear, leaſt God ſhould put him off with the things of this world: there may be ſome danger of that; it is ſaid of ſome, that they feed themſelves without fear;Iude 12. you can go to a merry meeting, and feed upon the chear, and eat without fear; but never have ſuch a thought as this in your heart, what if God ſhould put me off with theſe things? I hear indeed there are ſome menare put of ſo, what if that ſhould prove to be my portion what a miſerable creature were I? I fear there were ſome men never had ſuch a thought in their lives, what if it ſhould prove ſo with me, what a miſerable creature were I.
I have one word of exhortation to you all, & then I have done, & this exhortation muſt be divided: Firſt, unto you that have ſome evidences that God hath given you a better portion, that God hath not put you off with the portion of this world; O bleſſe the Lord for his goodneſſe to you, that ever he hath ſhewed you better things then the world affoords, your line is fallen into a good ground, you have a goodly inheritance; though thou haſt not ſo much as others have, yet thou haſt that that will make thee happy forever.
I have read of one Didimus, a learned godly Preacher, but he was blind, whereof he complained, & was much troubled for his want of ſight, whereupon a Chriſtian friend rebuked him ſharpely; what (ſaith he) hath God given you that that is the excellency of an Apoſtle, of a Miniſter of Chriſt; and are you troubled for want of your ſight, that a piſmire may have, that a bruit beaſt may have, for the want of thy ſight, that the rats and mice may have, are you troubled with that, and rather not taught to bleſſe God, that hath given you ſo great a mercy, as to make you ſuch an inſtrument of his ſervice? ſo may I ſay to you that are godly, hath God given you Ieſus Chriſt? hath he given you his Son, hath he given you his Spirit, hath he given you himſelf, to be your portion, and are you troubled that you have not more of that, that beaſts may have, as well as your ſelves? O be aſhamed of any mournfull diſcontentments for want of the comforts of this world.
And do not envy wicked men for their outward proſperity; I remember a ſtory of a poor ſouldier that was condemned to die meerely fortaking a bunch of grapes from a Vine, for there was a ſtrict law that who ever ſhould take any thing from that place they went through, he ſhould dye for it. Now he had taken a bunch of grapes, and was condemned to die, and as he went to execution, he went eating of his bunch of grapes, and ſome came to him, and ſaid, doſt thou go eating thy grapes, thou ſhouldſt think of ſomewhat elſe; he anſwers, I beſeech you (Sir) do not envy me my grapes, they will coſt me dear; ſo may I ſay of all the men of the world; we have no need to envy them of any thing they have, it will coſt them very dear one day.
Thirdly, live like ſuch as God hath not put off with the portion of this world? manifeſt in it your converſations that you look for higher & better things, then what this world affoords; ſhew they are but ſlight in your eyes; look upon your eſtates as deſpicable, be willing to improve them all for publick good, yea, to jeopard not eſtates onelyonly but your names, your liberties, and your lives in a publick cauſe; and thoſe that ſhall do ſo, however the world may look upon them in a ſad condition, and ſay, O ſuch a man is like to be undone, and his life is in danger; I tell you ſuch a one that ſhall out of a good principle, be willing to venture life and eſtate and appear for God, that man ſhall be moſt honoured, and be found the moſt happy man at laſt; and indeed herein he ſhews himſelf to be a man that looks for a higher portion, then theſe things here; as thoſe in the Hebrews: By that they ſaid and did, 11. Hebr. 14.they ſhewed plainly, they looked for another Country; ſo ſee you men that might live as comfortably in outward things as you, and (did their conſciences give way) they could be as quiet as you; but conſcience puts them upon it, that ſeeing God calls them to a publick place, they can be content to put all at Gods feet.
Now though you may think that ſuch are in moſt danger, they ſhew plainly they are men of another countrey, and ſhould be moſt honoured; and take but this principle with you, the more any one gives up his eſtate to God, the more comfort he hath in his eſtate, whether in the enjoyment of it, or in the loſſe of it; I expreſſe it thus: when one reſignes up all he hath, his eſtate, liberty, name, life to God, the oftener it comes into Gods hands, the better it comes, when God gives it him again; a carnall heart when once he hath theſe things, he will not truſt God with them, but he will have them in his own keeping; but a gracious heart, though he hath all theſe from God, yet every day he is willing to give up all to him, and to truſt God with them again; though he be a rich man, he is willing every day to come and beg his bread at his Fathers gate, and give up all; now he gives up all in the truth of his heart to God, and God gives it him all again; as long as in a lawfull way he enjoyes it, he hath it a freſh from God; now this (I ſay) the oftener any thing comes out of Gods hand, the ſweeter & the better it is; wicked mens eſtates come but once out of Gods hands, and therefore there is not ſo much comfort in them, but a godly mans eſtate comes 100. and 100. times from God; for every reſignation gives it to God, and God gives it him again; & therein is comfort, and O bleſſed are they that live ſo, as that they declare they look for another Countrey, and that their portion is not here; let the men of the world think them fooliſh, that will venture themſelves ſo, God and his Saints have declared that their portion it not here.
And now to you all, the word of exhortation from God is, that every one in this place, would put on to make more ſure of another portion, beſides the portion of this world; put on, I ſay for you are all made capable of higher and better things, then the things of the world; and never a one here but hath an immortall ſoul, and is capable of Communion with Father, Son, and Holy Ghoſt, and that is another manner of buſineſſe, then to eat and drink, and have pleaſure with the fleſh, here for a while; God hath made your natures capable of ſuch glory, do not debaſe your ſelves, to reſt ſatisfied with husks, when you may have meat enough in your Fathers houſe; and therefore put on, and let the pooreſt ſort put on, that have but a little portion here; yet there is as fair way for you to have the God of Heaven and Earth to be your portion, to have whatſoever Ieſus Chriſt hath purchaſed by his bloud to be your portion, to have eternitie, and immortality to be your portion; (I ſay) there is as fair a way for it, as for the greateſt Princes in the earth; you may come to have a portion here.
Indeed many a poor apprentice may ſay; my Father is dead, and hath left me no portion: I, but you that are poor apprentices, and others, and the poor Hoſpitall boyes, that live upon charitie, it is poſſible ſome poor wretches there may come to have their portion in God and Chriſt, and immortality, as well as the greateſt, and richeſt of all; therefore raiſe up your hearts here, you that are the pooreſt and meaneſt, & know you are born for high things.
If I ſhould come and tell one that is a poor boy in a blew coat now, what ever you are now, there is ſuch a rich man will adopt you to be his child, and make you his heire, that would raiſe up his heart; well, how ever meanely you live now, you may be a glorious creature hereafter, if ſo be you have now a heart to put upon it, and to ſeek after it for your portion.
But you'le ſay, Lord what ſhould we do, that our portion may be a higher portion, then in this world; the firſt thing I would put you upon, is this; let the whole courſe of your life be ſteared (as it were) with the fear of God, have a continuall jealouſy, leaſt God ſhould put you off with the things of this life; hold forth this in every action, that any one may ſee by your converſation, ſurely this man, this woman hath ſome fears, leaſt God ſhould put him off with a portion in this world; and eſpecially you that have great portions in this life, & have done God little ſervice; you know there are many poor people that live upon almes, have done God more ſervice then you; you have moſt cauſe to fear; they that are Rulers and Governours have mighty cauſe to fear, unleſſe they have good evidence in their hearts; Chryſoſtome upon the 13. of the Hebrews, ſpeaking of thoſe that are Governours; ſaith, I wonder that any Governour ſhould be ſaved; he hath ſuch a ſpeech there: I will not ſay ſo, but there is a great deal of hazard; Chriſt tells us, that a man that hath a great portion in this world, (though it is poſſible he may have more hereafter,) yet it is doubtfull; whether he ſhall inherit heaven.
It was the counſell of one to a King; ſaith he, I deſire but this favour, that every day you would think of this Text, what profits it a man, to gain the whole world, and to looſe his own ſoul? ſpend ſome little time in conſidering of it every morning when you ariſe, and every night when you lie down, what will it advantage me to be great here and miſerable hereafter. The ſame councell I give to you, daily pray to God, to make you underſtand, what there is in this Text, that there are a generation of men, who have their portion in this world only.
Secondly, if you would not have your portion here, labour to take off your hearts from all outward comforts; he that will be rich, ſhall fall into many temptations; know it is not neceſſary, you ſhould have an eſtate in this world, but it is neceſſary, you ſhould make your peace with God; it is neceſſary I ſhould provide for my ſoul; but how things go with me here, is not ſo much neceſſarie.
Thirdly, ſet the glorie of Heaven and eternitie daily before your eyes, and be trading for higher things then the world affords: many poor people go up and down the ſtreets, crying ſome mean thing, and think it well, if they get 18d. in a whole day, but a rich Merchant can go out in the morning, and make a bargain, and perhaps get 500. l. in an houre, he trades ſomewhat like; ſo the men of this world labour for the meat that periſheth; but a godly man hath communion with God, and in a quarter of an hour gets that, he would not looſe for thouſands.
It was a ſpeech of Cleopatra to Anthony, thou art not to fiſh for Gudgeons and Trowts, but thou art to angle for Caſtles and Cities; ſo may I ſay, if thou haſt an immortall ſoul with thee, thou art not ſo much to angle for meat and drink, and cloaths, to make proviſion for the fleſh, but for heaven and immortalitie.
The next thing is this: Honour God with thy ſubſtance. Lay out thy portion here for God. O, that I could but convince you of one principle of divinitie more, and that is this, that there is more excellency and good in one vertuous action, then there is in all the creatures in heaven and earth, (beſides the bleſſed Angels, and glorious Saints above, I ſay others of the Saints, excepting theſe) take all creatures, Sun, Moon, Stars, Seas, Earth, all the Pearls & Iewels of the world, Pearls, put them all together, yet this is true divinitie, that there is more excellency in one vertuous action, then there is, if thou hadſt all theſe things to be thy poſſeſſion; if men were convinced of this, they would be abundant in good works: Thou thinkeſt it a brave thing, to have ſo much coming in by the year, do but one good action for God, out of an upright principle, ANd there is more excellency in that one action, then there is in thy great revenue, if thou haſt 1000. times more added to it.
Me thinks this ſhould make them that are rich, to be rich in good works; ſo ſaith the Scripture, Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be rich in good works, O, there is a richneſſe in good works, as well as in great revenues; O, improve, lay out thy eſtate now for God; Ambroſe ſaith upon that place, of the rich man: is it not more honour, that ſo many children ſhall account you as their Father, then that ſo many pieces of gold ſhall call you their Lord? Theſe pieces of gold, do (as it were) call you Lord, & there are 2. or 3. children ſhall call you Father; and is it not more excellent to have a couple of poor Orphans, while you are alive in this world, to call you Father, then to have ſo many bags of gold call you Mr? O, therefore, give a portion to 6. and to 7.
Again, if you would not be put off with a portion in this world, be ſure that all the ſervices you perform to God be choice ſervices, if you expect choice mercies, let your ſervices be choice ſervices, be ſure all your works be ſupernaturall works; you'le ſay how ſhall I know that? if I had time, I could make it out clear. A ſupernaturall work is that that hath a ſupernaturall principle, done to a ſupernaturall end, and in a ſupernaturall manner; A ſupernaturall principle, that is grace, which makes it ſuitable to my heart, not that I do it out of conviction of conſcience only, and a ſupernaturall end, that is, when I ayme at God, and not at my ſelf in any dutie.
But what is this ſupernaturall manner of ſerving God? I ſhall explain it thus. Seneca in giving his rule how to know the affections, when they are naturall, and when not; ſaith, you ſhall know a naturall affection by this, if it be kept with in bound, it is naturall, if it be out of bounds, it is not naturall; I'le make uſe of it in another way; when you come to the ſervice of God, if you think to limit God in his ſervice, this is but a naturall ſervice, you'l go ſo far and there ſtop, but if it be a ſupernaturall ſervice, you'l let out your hearts, if it were poſſible infinitely to God; you cannot be infinite, that is true, but you'l propound no bounds, nor limits to your ſervice, & this is indeed the truth of grace, when it hath the impreſſion of gracious infiniteneſſe upon it; infiniteneſſe is that whereby God is without all limits; ſo when the ſoul is without all limits and bounds in the way of grace, it is deſirous to honour God, if it were poſſible in an infinite way; theſe are ſupernaturall works.
Laſtly, would you not have your portion in this world, be willing to caſt away whatever of your portion you have got ſinfully; this in the name of God, I declare as a ſpeciall thing; therefore take it home with you; what ever man or woman in this place would not have his portion in this world, but would have his portion in the world to come; whatſoever of thy portion, thou haſt got in a ſinfull courſe, caſt it away preſently, never ſleep with it, lye not down one night with it, reſt not till thou art cleared of it.
It is an old rule, but a true one; all the repentance in the world, and all your ſorrowing for ſin whatſoever, will never obtain pardon without reſtitution, unleſſe you reſtore what you are able, you can never have comfort of the pardon of that ſin; If you have got it when you were young, being an apprentice, or at firſt ſetting up, away with it, elſe it will ſpoil all, and you'l never have any other portion from God; theſe hands of mine, had that once given them, to reſtore that was got wrongfully 50. years before; the wrong was done 50. years ago, yet after 50. years ſpace, the conſcience of the man troubles him, and he comes to make reſtitution, and ſatisfie the wrong, he had done deſiring me to conveye it to ſuch a man whom he had wronged in ſuch a place.
Know therefore that all the ſweet morſels, that at any time you have ſo delight fully got down, they muſt up again; therefore willingly part with them; reſolve before thou go out of this place, whatever thou haſt got wrongfully, not to keep it one minute: and do it willingly, elſe thou canſt have no comfort here or hereafter: if there be any true divinitie in the world, this is true divinitie; and yet it is hard to convince covetous men that have got their means this way.
If there be any that have done wrong in things betruſted to them, as thoſe that be Maiſters of Hoſpitalls, be ſure you keep not that, for certainly you'l curſe the time, you ever took it; therefore let the charge of God be ſtrong upon you this day, caſt out whatever you have got falſely. I have read a ſtory of one, who hearing that place of Scripture read; 5. Iſaaih 8.Woe to them that joyn houſe to houſe, he burst out in a loud cry, woe to me, and to my children then. So you, that are inriched through fraud and circumvention of others, have cauſe to ſay, woe to me and my familie, what ſhall become of us if this be true? Oh caſt away this lumber, this traſh, preferre your ſoul before all things whatſoever.
And if you would have your portion in another life, be willing to join with the ſufferers for Chriſt; ſo Moſes did, though he were in the way of preferment, yet he choſe rather to ſuffer affliction with the people of God, then to enjoy the pleaſur's of ſin for a ſeaſon: Priſe the Saints, aſſociate with them, rather then with the jolly blades of the world. It is ſafer joyning with ſufferers, then with thoſe brave ſpirits that ſcorne goodneſſe, jolly blades of the world, it is ſafer to join with the ſufferers, then to joyn with thoſe that are the jolly, and the brave ſpirits; And ſo I have done; onelyonly deſiring that the Lord would ſettle all home upon your ſpirits, if it may be, becauſe ſomething may not be ſo pleaſing to the pallat of everie one, as ſome other, but if for that, you ſhould reject what hath been ſaid, and go away and ſlight this word of God; know that this Text one day may prove to be as ſcalding lead in your conſciences; and that what is ſaid concerning Doeg, in Pſalme 52.7. may prove to be your portion. It is ſpoken of Doeg; This is the man (ſaith the Pſalmiſt) that did not make God his truſt, but truſted in his great riches; this is the man. So you may be pointed out one day, this is the man; Doeg was a great courtier, and becauſe he was an Officer to King Saul, and becauſe he had his favour, he truſted in the favour of the King, and in his riches, and what did he care for David? yet by the Text it appears? he was one that made ſome ſhew of religion too; in the firſt of Samuel 21.7. He was detained before the Lord; Tremelius thinks, either out of ſome religious vow, or to keep the Sabbath; or ſomewhat concerning that law, he was detained before the Lord; and yet he was a vile malignant againſt David, and all becauſe he truſted in the great countenance he had at Court; now this is the man that made not God his truſt, but that truſted in his great riches. The Lord forbid, this Scripture ſhould be made true of any of you; I leave this Text with you that are rich men, take heed. I leave this Text with you that are in places of dignitie and honour, take heed. I leave this Text with you that are voluptuous men, given up to your pleaſure. Take heed you hear not one day this, Son, remember in thy life time, thou hadſt thy pleaſure; I leave it with all that will not truſt God, for a portion to come; and above all, I leave it with all hypocrites, let them take heed, it be not ſaid to them, here is your reward; Conſider what hath been ſaid, and the Lord give you underſtanding.
FINIS.