Gods Sovereignty Displayed from Job 9:12, Treatise 1 · Chapter 13
CHAP. XIII.
SEt before you the low and mean eſtate into which Chriſt was brought, that was much better than your ſelves. You complain your houſes are burnt, your habitations are conſumed: Are you in a worſe condition than Chriſt was? Did not he ſay while he was upon earth, The Birds of the ayr have neſts, and the Foxes have holes, but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head? Mat. 8.20. So then you are in no worſe condition than Jeſus Chriſt himſelf was; he that was Heir of both worlds had not an houſe of his own to put his head in; your Head, your Lord, your Maſter did drink of the ſame Cup that you drink of: are you poor, hungry, naked, harbourleſs, ſo was Chriſt? Mark what our Saviour ſpeaks, Mat. 10.24, 25. The Diſciple is not above his Maſter, nor the ſervant above his Lord: it is enough for the Diſciple that he be as his Maſter, and the ſervant as his Lord. If you be Chriſts Diſciples or ſervants, you muſt not look to be above him; it were unreaſonable that the ſervant ſhould be in a better condition than his Lord is, it is enough if he be equal with his Lord, it is honor enough that the ſervant fareth no worſe than his Maſter. Chriſt thereby ſheweth what meaſure they muſt expect in caſe they will be his Diſciples: Are you rich, expect to be poor for my ſake? Have you houſes and Lands, expect to forſake all theſe, if I require it? This is the Motto of Chriſts Diſciples; Domine reliquimus omnia, & te ſequuti ſumus. Lord, we have left all and followed thee. Chriſt deals plainly with his people, and tells them, in the world ye ſhall be poor ye ſhall have tribulation, ye ſhall endure the loſs of all things. Our Saviour requireth of all that will be his Diſciples, that they do not ſet their affections on earthly things, that they ſhould ſet their affections on heaven, Chriſt and he alone muſt dwell in us: Moreover, he requireth of his people, that quoad praeparationem animi & affectum, in reſpect of the preparation of the heart and the affection, they be alwaies ready cordially to part with houſes, lands, and livings; to forſake all perſons and things which are near and dear to them, for his ſake, and for the Goſpel-ſake. Yea, Chriſt doth ſometimes put ſome of his people upon the actual abdication of all their worldly goods, and to become as poor as Job, as Lazarus, for his ſake, yea, to rejoyce they have houſes, riches, goods, lands to loſe for Chriſt: ſuch undoings are their makings; ſuch loſings are ſavings; this poverty is riches; he loſeth nothing who gaineth Chriſt by loſing all the world. Chriſt's Diſcipleas did actually forſake all things and perſons, to follow him. Did you often think of the poverty and low eſtate of Chriſt, while he was in the world, your hearts would bee quiet under your loſſes. Bee not too much dejected at your removal from your habitations; the whole earth is your Fathers ground, the Lords lower houſe; while you are lodged here, you have no aſſurance to lye ever in one chamber, but muſt bee content to remove from place of the Lords nether houſe, to another, reſting in hope, that when you come to the Lords upper City, Jeruſalem, that is above, you ſhall remove no more, becauſe then you ſhall be at home: and for the preſent remove to what houſe or place you will, if the moſt high God, the poſſeſſor of heaven and earth be with you, you are ſtill at home, and your lodging is ever taken up before night, ſo long as he, who is the keeper of Iſrael, Pſal. 90.1is your home and habitation: in this dwelling Houſe are many ſpacious rooms, and pleaſant lights; Oh lay down your heads, by faith, in the boſome of Chriſt, till this bee done, you ſhall never ſleep ſoundly, nor reſt in a quiet and ſettled habitation,
FINIS.
NO Abiding City IN A Periſhing World; BUT Heaven only the continuing City, which we muſt diligently ſeek.
Set for in a Diſcourſe on Hebrews 13.14.
For here we have no continuing City, but we ſeek one to come.
OR, Meditations occaſioned by the late, ſad, and lamentable Fire, in the City of London.
Publiſhed by William Gearing Miniſter of the Word.
Iſaiah 24.15.
Glorifie ye the Lord in the Fires, &c.
Quicquid in mundo, aut praeſens & hoc inſtabile; aut praeteritum, & hoc jam nihil; aut futurum, & hoc incertum.
Auguſt.
LONDON, Printed, by R. I. for Thomas Parkhurſt, at the Golden Bible on London-Bridge. 1667.