The Young Mans Monitor, Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII. The Necessity, and great Advantagiousness of true Grace in any Condition whatsoever.
PUt the Case as impartially as you can yet nearer your selves, and see what great, what real advantages the grace of God might yield unto you, in whatever capacity or condition God shall set you.
First,Cafe 1. If you be born of mean Parents, and poor. The meanness of your condition will plainly need, and the grace of God will readily yield you much refreshment. The *foreign Non est pauper, nisi qui scientia pauper est. Nedar.Ancients have long ago justly concluded, whatever verdict men may piss; There is no man properly poor, dishonourably poor; but he that is pior in Grace and Knowledge.
You have, it may be, no house on Earth: You have the more need of a Mansion in Heaven. Scarce so much as Cloaths for your tender body: the more necessity of Garments of salvation for your soul. Few Friends, and no Inheritance that you are ever like to possess on Earth. Oh! what cause have you to entreat the Lord to be your God, and to give you an inheritance amongst his Saints in light. Little or no Education here for accomplishing, or polishing of nature: How great an Enoblement would it now be unto you, to be made partakers of that Spirit, and Grace of God; which makes the righteous more excellent than his Neighbour!
Such grace will be truly more to you than all riches. It will preserve you from contempt; for who dares despise him whose goings are with God? It will make you welcome to all good men; for the grace of your lips every man shall be a friend unto you. It will procure you an …rgh testimonial of honour from the Lord. I know thy poverty: but thou art rich. It will truly prefer you before those, who upon all other accounts are far your Superiours. The odds indeed is great: but the decision, and determination of the case, God hath for your encouragement made it very clear,Eccl. 4.13 Better is a poor, and wise Child; than an old, and foolish King who will be no more admonished. In a word, it will cause your faces to shine; it will fill your hearts with comfort; it will be the forerunner of endless glory.
You may here modestly smile and tell any man, as once Antisthenes answered Socrates, when Socrates asked him, What makes thee, oh Antisthenes! so chearful, when it is known thou hast so little? He candidly replies, *foreign. Xen. Con.Because I plainly see true riches, and poverty lodge not in our houses, and coffers: but in our souls, and minds. There he enjoyed inwardly, what men had thought he wanted outwardly.
The destruction of the poor (Solomon tells us) is their poverty. And so indeed too commonly it proves. But it needs not be so with you. See dear Children! oh! see, what a sweet relief you might have to your mean Condition. Accept it, I pray you, and seek it carefully; that in the day of your accounts, it may be said to your honour, This is that poor child, that in much poverty, and affliction received the Gospel. Let him now enter into the joy of his Lord.
Secondly,Case 2. Hath the Lord by your Friends provided for you a larger measure, in the good things of this life? You had need now take all care, that your mind for its part be as rich as your Estate. You are like to inherit Israels blessing,Josh. 34.13, 14. Houses that you builde… not, and Vineyards that you planted not. You cannot now refuse Israels duty, Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity, and truth.
You can do no less in thankfulness to him from whom you have received all. You can do no less in the sense of your own accounts; whose reckoning will be not like the poor mans for one Talent: but for ten. Where much is given, it is but righteous, and we must not take it ill, if much be required.
Riches without Grace, Estate without Wisdom, alas! what are they… As the Indians Gold, which they know not what use or improvement to make of it. You might say as he, Here is the …re, and here is the wood: but where is …he Sacrifice for the Lord? *Quamvis illa sit plena: dum te inanem video, divitem noaputabo. Cicero. Paradox.An house …ull of these (as the Oratour wittily …aid) will never make a rich man.
It is the prefixing of the Figure, …hat makes the following Ciphers significant. It is the stamp upon the Silver, that makes it current Coin. And we may more truly say, It is the grace of God that is the figure of account; it is the Image of God that is this …oyal stamp, whereby our enjoyments become so valuable, and blessings un…o us.
Without this they will be but as …ewel to our lusts; and as the glass of seeming honey, wherein the wasp dies. To the ungracious, his Estate is a curse, his enjoyments a snare, like Dives his barns, where their Master; …he, and his heart too lodge day and night. A price is put into his hand, and he hath no heart to make use thereof. No understanding to dispose, and order it to the praise of God.
It is Grace when all is done, that is as salt, and keeps these things from putrifying. Oh! for your very estates sake, be ye gracious. And while the Lord in much goodness thus brings, and leaves them with you; Say you as Manoah once did, Oh! let my Lord come again, and shew me how I shal order them, and make friends for my sou… out of the Mammon of this world.
Thirdly,Case 3. Hath the Lord given you comeliness of person? Should you now harbour a profane ungodly heart under that fair and amiable complexion; it were as rotten bones under a fair Tomb; or as the Apples of Sodom, beautiful, and fresh afar off: but nothing save dust, and smo…k nearer hand, too like Apelles his rare Picture of Cherries, so curiously drawn that (Historians tell us) the Birds came flying to it: but returned empty: they quickly found it was no Cherries; but a sorry painted cloath. And such will your beauty be, if it be but an outward one, whose verdure (be we never so loath) must soon decay.Isa. 40.6. All flesh is grass, and the goodliness thereof, (be it never so lovely) as the flower of the field: which may blow pleasantly with the morning, but must as certainly to its funeral, and with the Evening hang down its head, and die. The Lord make you comely with a truer, and more lasting comliness; the beauties of holiness, which abide for ever.
We read of one Alcibiades, Plutarch in vita Alcibiad.Socrates his Schollar, that he was the beauty of all Athens, another Absalom, for comliness of person outwardly: but the reproach of mankind, another Nero for all viciousness, and odiousness of nature inwardly. Oh! take heed, a second Alcibiades be found in none of you. Play not the hypocrite; if thy body which is but the Cabinet, be so richly enamelled, so curiously wrought by the hand of the Lord: Oh! beg of God, that thy soul, the jewel within, may be somewhat *Gratier est pulchro veniens e corpore virtus. Case 4.sutable, adorned with the blessed graces of his spirit.
Fourthly, Is thy body, as course clay walls; but plain, and homely to look upon? Yet be not discouraged. It is no dishonour to be as the Tents of Kedar outwardly: so thou beest as the Curtains of Solomon inwardly.
Caesars Garland of Laurel was enough to compensate the blemish of his baldness. Crates his learning rendred him dear, and honourable to all notwithstanding the crookedness o… his back. And you may reckon beyond them both, and say; The ornaments of grace,1 Pet. 3.4. it is they, that are … greatest price in the sight of God. And these may lodge as the Pearl in a *Potest ex casa vir magnus exire, & ex deformi br…lique corpusculo sormosus animus. Sen.for ry shell.
A withered arm, a lame leg, a poo… crooked body, no form, no comliness that thou shouldst be desired; Wha… then? Hath God given thee a wise and understanding mind to know him A faithful, and willing heart to wal uprightly before him? The amends is made, a thousand times over. Th… crazy body now so frail, now so shapeless,Phil. 3.21. shall be one day fashioned like un… the glorious body of Christ himself: and all thy present deformities shal… then be done away. In the mean… time thy soul is as a Diamond, though in a craggy shapeless rock. Thou hal… wherein humbly to rejoyce. Satisfie thy self, though thou hast not the beauty of the Lilly: thou art inwardly adorned, and hast that which is far greater: the beauty of a Child of God. Thus might grace supply the heart-sadning defects of nature. Seek …ou the Lord, and all these comforts …hall be yours.
Fifthly,Case 5. Some of you it may be God hath endued with much sweetness of na…ural disposition. He that looks upon you, is ready to love you, and say (as Christ in the Gospel) Thou art not far from the Kingdom of God. You are already as the Ring of Gold for choiceness of temper, and metal. Oh! …hat God would now set his grace, which is the Jewel of all Jewels, as the Diamond in this Ring, and you are then happy for ever.
This is that orient Pearl, that Cy…iu in his time so highly delighted in; professing to his Friend Gobrias, *foreign. Multo …nibi jucundius hummitatis, quam militavis scicatte opera desig…e. Xenoph. de Institut. Cyri.That …he thought it rather became him, and he …as sure far more pleased him, to attend the study of a due Philanthropia (for that was his own very word) toward all, then to gird up his mind to the conquest of Nations, and discipline of War.
Cyrus his candor in this may we be ours. And methinks the ve… dust of good nature deserves to fin… much favour in all mens hearts. Le… us in Gods name, dearly cherish …. Let it be as Abigail once modes… offered,1 Sam. 25.41. An handmaid to wash the fee… of the Servants of our Lord.
But still we must freely say; To b… loving to men, and stubborn to God of a sweet nature toward them, at hard hearted against him; kind … others, and unkind to our own souls this is an hard character; oh … that … may be none of yours. We may sa… to such a one as Christ; One thing yet lacking; and it is ten thousand pities thou shouldst go to thy grave without it. Oh … make thy peace wit… God in the bloud of Christ, and all is well.
Sixthly,Case 6.… and lastly, To others of you it may be God hath given choice par… enlarged capacities, a measure of understanding above many. Oh! be not now li…e that Image in Daniel, having you head an head of Gold, for knowledge but your heart of courser metal; and your feet, feet of clay and earth, as to your conversation.
It was said of Galba in respect of his crooked body; his rare wit took up very inferiour *Ingenium Galbe male habitat.Lodgings, and resided far beneath it self in an exceeding mean Cottage. But the Story is far sadder, where a good head hath the ill neighbourhood of a bad heart; where understanding is called for as an Achitophel, to contrive evil, and becomes a Pander to all wickedness.
If God hath given such intellectual endowments to any of you; canst thou satisfie thy self to debase these sweet parts, to serve sin with them? Shall they be put to grind in that Mill? How is the beauty of Israel faln? And the light within thee led captive to the works of darkness? Canst thou find in thine heart to carry these golden Vessels of the Temple down to Babylon, to profane them there? Oh! no; they are for an high er, and more honourable use, to minister before the Lord of the whole earth in them. He that is wise, let him be wise for God▪ and not like that sad character (too often verified) Wise to do evil, but having no knowledge to do good.
If thou beest, as Daniel, skilful in …ll the learning, and knowledge of the Chaldeans: be also as he, of an excellent spirit, that it may be said of thee as of him, The spirit of wisdom, and knowledge, even the spirit of God above is found in thee.
If thou beest, as Moses, learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians: What thinkest thou in the most serious thoughts of thine heart, Canst thou look with much affection toward the Israel of God? Canst thou esteem reproach with them greate: ricnes than all the treasures of Egypt? Canst thou, deal freely, canst thou▪ look away from the things that are seen, to an invisible God, and the recompence of a future reward? It was not Moses his Egyptian learning; it was not Daniels Chaldean knowledge: but the grace of God which made them both so justly renowned to Posterity. Here may we piously say with that holy man, a few grains of this Gold, how doth it excell many pounds of Lead!Sapit qui Christian lapit. the least measure of sanctified knowledge, oh Lord! how unspeakably to be preferred before our supercilious pride in other things? This (oh that we could heartily read those words after God) this is life eternal to know thee the only true God, Joh. 17.3and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent.
It is a sore lamentation, and sight sad enough, (and yet oh Lord! too common in Israel) to see choice parts spending their strength, as some rich soil, in nursing hone, but noisome weeds.
Oh let not the complaint of former Ages be revived in any of you;Surgunt indocti & rapi…nt coelum; dum nos cum doctrinis nostris detru dimur in gehennam. The illiterate arise, and press apace in at the Kingdom of Heaven: while we with all our unsanctified Learning, are thrust down to hell.
The strength of your judgement is able in some measure to present unto you the waies of God in their true amiableness; it is able to rescue you from the follies, and mistakes that the weaker are intangled in. Your discerning is clearer and more piercing, able to see the shortness, and emptiness of what others in their ignorance so highly admire; it is able in some measure to determine your will, (which in the foolish is more stubborn) it is able to perswade and beat some sway with the affections, which are all inclinable to be ruled by it.
I even entreat and beseech you for the Lords sake; you that have known thus distinctly to do well: do not you dare, do not you adventure to do ill. Oifer your selves, and your parts such as they are, Araunah-like, chearfully, faithfully, and ingenuously to the Lord, and his service in your generation.
None so well deserves them; it was he that gave them, who can also at his pleasure take them away again at any time, and turn your wisdome into foolishness, if you be found abusing of it, as a weapon unto unrighteousness. Be you then of all men; you, and your hopeful parts, for God, and not for another.
I am, I confess, very desirous to perswade you in the Lord. Oh! that I could more affectionately travel with you, till Christ be formed in you.
To me the strife of men is wearisome; their threatnings, their flatteries, their applause, their revilings are all of them wisely, meekly, and silently to be over-looked, by him that truly meaneth peace on earth, or glory in heaven. He were yet to seek (saies a *Qui nescit serre calumnias, co…vicia, injurias, nescit vivere. Melch. Adam in vita Chytraei.worthy man) how to live; that knows not how to digest and put up such trials as these.
Contend who will; let me serve the Lord in the Converting of any lost soul from the errour of its evil waies to the Kingdom of our God.
Fulfil ye, I pray you, my joy; both mine, and yours. So shall this present Letter in future times become a comfortable Memorial to me, a comfortable Memorial to you.