Advice to a Friend, Part 14
XIV.
BUT when you are in your beſt moods, and think your ſelf furtheſt off from danger, it will be good to exerciſe an Holy Fear and Jealouſie over your ſelf; leaſt you ſhould give way to any thing, which may make you grow worſe. Remember how falſe and treacherous the conquered Enemy is; and therefore it ought to be narrowly watcht. Though it promiſe fair, Remember that you muſt not truſt it without a conſtant Guard. And mark the leaſt beginings of an evil, for fear, if they be ſlighted as ſmall faults, they draw you into a greater. Though we muſt not be dejected for our little irregularities, yet we muſt not paſs them over neither, without a ſerious obſervance. If a Father laugh or ſmile when he chides a wanton Child, it is ſo far from being a check to his follies, that it doth the more embolden him to play thoſe idle tricks, for which he is reproved. And ſo it is to be feared we ſhall find our ſelves diſpoſed; if we be not in good earneſt diſpleaſed at our ſelves for any thing that borders upon Vice, and do not reprove our ſelves ſeriouſly for making too much uſe of our liberty: We may be in danger by this mildneſs and gentleneſs, to take the boldneſs to proceed to further tranſgreſſions.
But I may ſeem to forget to whom I write; and, conſidering what a great quantity you have of this fear, I had need give it a large daſh of ſome other mixture; leaſt it turn into timorouſneſs, and hurt your Soul. And this indeed is the skill we ſhould all learn; to behave our ſelves with ſuch caution and evenneſs in the exerciſe of fear, that it do not make us Superſtitious, nor, through a deſpondency of Spirit, caſt us into that dulneſs and weakneſs, which we are ſtriving to avoid. You muſt let your Fear therefore be tempered with ſo much of a Divine Faith; that like heat and moiſture, they may make up one healthful conſtitution.
Faith in God, I ſay, is another thing that you muſt carefully and daily foſter in your Soul; if you would be conſtant in his Service. Be verily perſwaded that he loves you infinitely more, than you love him; and therefore is more deſirous, than you can be, to ſee you do well and continue in well doing to the end. Think that his eye is upon you; that his arm is under you; that he is as near to you as you are to your ſelf: for, in all regards, we live and move, and have our Being in Him. Think therefore that you behold Him, the Father of Lights, ſending in rayes of light into your mind, as you ſee the Sun looking in at your Windows, and filling the room with its chearful beams: and that you feel Him pouring in life conſtantly into your will, as the Heart ſpurts out blood into all the Arteries of the Body. Never entertain ſuch a thought of Him, as though he was willing to deſert you, and caſt you out of his friendſhip; now that he hath done ſo much for you, and you have been ſo long acquainted. By no means hearken to any jealous thoughts, that are but whiſpered of his goodneſs; whatſoever the jealouſies be, which you have of your own inconſtancy.
Was it not He that called us, when we were in horrid darkneſs and forgetfulneſs of him; bending all our thoughts and deſires to our own ruine and his diſhonour? Was it not He that aſſiſted us to get the victory over ſo many Enemies? Who but He is it, that hath hitherto enabled us, in our ſtudy to live vertuouſly, and pleaſe Him in all things? What ſhould now move him to alter his mind? After ſuch numerous tokens of his love, what is it ſhould make him hate us? Will he bear with no weakneſſes; or ſhall a fault that we have committed, wholly alienate his affection from us? If when we lay in our filthineſs, he took pitty on us, pulled us out of the Mire, and laid us in his boſome; now that we are waſhed all over, will he ſhake us off, and caſt us out of his embraces, becauſe our Feet (as our Lord ſpeaks) ſtill need ſome waſhing? He that invited us ſo kindly when we were ſtrangers, and took us into his houſe, and made us become not his ſervants only, but his Children; will he now turn us out of doors preſently, and thruſt us into the wide world again, becauſe we have offended Him? When we had no ſtrength, did he inſpire us, and hath he thus long tenderly followed us, and trained us up in his ſervice; and will he now forſake the conduct of us, and abandon us to the mercy of our Enemies? Why did He then with ſo much labour purchaſe our love? Why hath He been at ſuch vaſt expence on our account? Why would He take ſuch incredible care to loſe us, when we might have periſhed by his no care of us?
O unworthy thoughts of ſo gracious a Maſter, ſo loving a Father, ſo tender a Husband! Rather let us think the Sun may refuſe to riſe and ſhine upon us, or the Sea may be dryed up; than imagine that He ſhould be willing to caſt us into our former darkneſs, and not let the current of his grace ſtill run towards us. Let us at leaſt make him as good as an ordinary Mother, who not only ſuckles her Child when it is young, and indures many tedious Days and weariſome Nights, in the midſt of its cries and froward humours; but likewiſe loves and looks after it when it can go alone, and make ſome proviſion for its own good and ſafety. Far be it from us to make him like the ſilly Birds, that attend their young no longer than they are in the Neſt, and leave them to ſhift for themſelves, when they have once taught them to uſe their Wings. Will not the Divine love think you indure far more untowardneſs, peeviſhneſs and waywardneſs in our hearts, when our grace is but in its infancy and childhood; than a tender Mother indures in her little one, before it can ſpeak and tell its mind? And will he not bear then with ſome indiſcretions or faults afterwards; but caſt us out as Sarah did Iſhmael and the Handmaid into a Wilderneſs; where there is no proviſion for us? Nay, will He that took compaſſion on that poor outcaſt and his Mother, to whom he ſent his Angel for their preſervation, leave his dear Children to become a prey to the wild Beaſts of the Deſert? Far be it from the Father of Mercies, the God of love and all comfort, to deal ſo with us.
And let me tell you that, the more confidence we repoſe in his love, the more he hates to uſe us ſo unkindly. What man is there ſo hard-hearted, that ſeeing his Neighbour ready to fall and hurt himſelf, will deny him his help, and with-draw his ſupport; eſpecially when he falls into his armes, and deſires wholly to lean Himſelf on his Breaſt? Who can indure to fail a Man, and let him be undone; that comes and puts his eſtate and his life into his hands, though otherwiſe he be undeſerving? If a poor Bird fly to us for protection from the ravenous Kite that perſecutes it, Can we find in our hearts to throw it into its Enemies claws? Who can then ſuſpect, that God, who hath declared himſelf otherwayes willing to do us good, ſhould then caſt us off and forſake us, when we altogether rely upon his goodneſs, clemency, wiſdom and power to help and relieve us? When we fly to none elſe for ſhelter; when we ſay as David doth (LXII. Pſal. 1, 2, 5.) Truly my Soul waiteth upon God, from Him cometh my Salvation: He only is my rock and my ſalvation, he is my defence: The rock of my strength, and my refuge is in God: Who can let it enter into his thoughts, that then He will turn away from us, and ſuffer us to be greatly moved?
But more than this; there is no Man among us, unleſs he will make himſelf moſt infamous, can fail and deſert another; who, upon his earneſt invitation, and kind proffers of ſecurity, comes and puts Himſelf wholly under his Wing, and truſts to his Covert for ſafe protection. Men are not arrived yet at ſuch inhumanity; but are aſhamed to be ſo barbarous, as to inveigle Men with fair promiſes and ſhows of kindneſs to come, and take Sanctuary with them, and then betray them. Let the Lord of Heaven then never be held in the leaſt ſuſpicion of ſuch unfaithfulneſs as well as unkindneſs to us, whom he hath invited and perſwaded to confide and put their whole truſt in him. Never ſo much as imagine, that he will diſappoint thoſe good Souls, that rely and depend on nothing in their obedience to him, but his undoubted promiſes. Let it not come into any our minds (or let the thought of it be abhorred and rejected with indignation) that after he hath made us ſuch aſſurances of his Care and Love, he will break his word, and let us fall, when we have faſt hold of his Mercy and his Truth. Men may prove falſe and treacherous; there may be ſuch Monſters whoſe kindneſſes are but flatteries, and their invitations but inſnarements: But faithfulneſs it ſelf cannot be unfaithful; God's Goodneſs cannot mock us; His infinite perfections will not let Him have any unworthy deſigns upon us, or any ways delude us.
What? deceive a Confident, and fail a Friend?— Such God is pleaſed to eſteem us, when we devote our ſelves in love to his Service: which is a farther conſideration, of greater moment than any elſe; to ſecure us of his faithful kindneſs. For if our heart will not ſerve us, to let a poor neighbour fall to the ground; when we can eaſily ſupport him; much leſs to deſert one that hath intirely truſted us with all he hath, and who by our deſire repoſed this truſt in us; then leaſt of all can we be enclined to abandon the care of him, who by long converſation with us, and experience of us, is become our Friend. This gives him a new and a ſtronger title to all that we can do for him; and becauſe we have been ſo kind, will be the beſt reaſon why we ſhould continue to be ſo ſtill. Conſider but the Natural works of God; doth He begin to form the life of a Child in the Womb, and leave it before it become a perfect Creature? yea, if it be but a Chicken in an Egg, doth he not bring it to its full growth, unleſs (in either caſe) ſomething extraordinary hinder? Why then ſhould we dream that he will deſiſt, and forſake the formation of his Son Chriſt in us; the lively Image of whom he hath already begun? It muſt be ſome ſtrange violence which we offer to our ſelves, ſome very ill uſe of our Souls, and great ſtraining of the conſcience, that can make us miſcarry.
I have askt the Queſtion, you know, elſewhere, and let me briefly repeat it again in this place; Who was it that bid S. Peter to walk upon the Water? At whoſe command did his body, though apt to ſink like a ſtone, tread in that ſoft and yielding Element? Was it not our Saviour that ſaid, Come? and that was enough. His word made the floods that they could not ſwallow him up. He felt no more difficulty or danger in thoſe paths, as long as he believed our Saviour's Power, than if he had walked on dry Land. Then it was that he began to ſink, when his faith turned into fear. His heart ſunk before his body; and his courage yielded before the Waters. Juſt ſo it is with us, who are compounded of earthly materials, and yet are bid to wade through this world to heaven. A Miracle it is, that our dull Nature which hangs downward, and is inclined to ſink into the ſoft delights of ſenſe, ſhould be able to look up above, and not be ſwallowed up in a gulph of ſin and miſery. For this we ſtand indebted to the Divine Power, upholding and aiding our weakneſs. And He that hath called us, as he did Peter, and bid us come to him, continues his mighty word with us, and bids us go on in the ways of his Commandements. What need we fear, as long as we have him in our company, to go along with us? And when is it that we are in danger of drowning; but when we grow diffident, (as St. Peter did) and our minds are fixed more upon the Wind and the Waves, the hardſhips and the hazards, that threaten us, than upon the grace and power of our Lord, that takes the charge of us?
And yet if through our fearfulneſs and diſtruſt, we chance to ſtagger and waver in our reſolution; we are not utterly undone, but have a Remedy very near us. Our Lord will put forth his hand, even in the midſt of theſe fears, and hold us up, as he did that faint-hearted Diſciple of his, when we cry out to Him in his words, Lord ſave me.
It is ſtoutly reſolved by an Heathen, that ſeeing all diſorders in man ariſe, partly from the weakneſs of thoſe reaſons that are in his mind, and partly from the exceſſive abundance of groſs matter, to which he is chained; and ſeeing thoſe Reaſons & Notions are Divine, and near of Kin to the Gods themſelves; the inſuperable and irreſiſtible power of the Gods will come to the aſſiſtance of their Kindred,Proclus, L. 1. in Timaeum. foreign, &c. and ſo revive & renew thoſe Reaſons, ſo comfort & cheriſh their weakneſs, that they ſhall be able to conquer the heavineſs and dulneſs of the bodily impediments. Let us much more reſolutely conclude, that ſeeing our Souls (though here in this Priſon) are the off-ſpring of God, and ſeeing likewiſe he is manifeſted in our fleſh, and hath married it (as I may ſay) to himſelf; he will mightily incourage & ſtrengthen the one, and help us to disburden the other, and purifie both: and that he will never deſpiſe the fainteſt eſſayes of any honeſt Soul that faithfully ſtrugles for greater liberty; but aſſiſt it in all its attempts and endeavours, to be unloaded and made more free and chearful in his ſervice. Theſe very motions derive themſelves from Heaven; and may as confidently expect to be ſuccoured from thence, as a Child to receive relief from his Parents when he is in diſtreſs, and when, by his order alſo, he is ingaged to apply his weakneſs to a mighty work, which without his help, he knows, cannot be accompliſhed. It is incredible that the Father of Mercies ſhould expoſe that which is born of him, to be undone and periſh; which will certainly be the fate of all that is good in us, without his conſtant care and aſſiſtance for its preſervation. Do not doubt, but God will look after his own, and ſee that the little portion of goodneſs which is remaining in this World, be countenanced and incouraged. In aſſurance of which, you may addreſs your ſelf unto him, after this manner.
A PRAYER.
O Lord; who haſt breathed into me the breath of life, and indued me with an Immortal Spirit; which looks up unto thee, and remembers it is made after thine own Image, and that thou haſt ſent Jeſus Chriſt from Heaven to repair and renew that Image in wiſdome, righteouſneſs and holineſs: Behold with grace and favour the ardent deſires which are in mine heart, to recover a perfect likeneſs of Thee. By thine Almighty Love, all Praiſe be unto Thee, my mind is already awakened to ſome ſenſe of Thee; and my will overcome to yield up it ſelf intirely to obey Thee; and I have been aſſiſted hitherto in performing my duty to Thee. Yea, I have taſted ſo often how gracious thou art; that I account thy ſervice the moſt perfect freedome, and find that in keeping of thy Commandements there is great reward.
My Hope is, that thou, Lord, who haſt never failed thoſe that ſeek thee,Pſal. 9.10.19.11.138.8. wilt perfect that which concerneth me, and not forſake the works of thine own hands. It is Thee whom my Soul ſeeketh; that I may have a more lively and prevailing ſenſe of Thee, that I may moſt ardently love Thee, and conſtantly adhere to thy will, and do Thee honour by a chearful obſervance of all thy Commands. And from Thee it is that I have received theſe good inclinations, and holy deſires. They are the fruit of thy love, and therefore cannot but be thy delight: which makes me ſtill truſt in Thee, that thou wilt rejoyce over me, and do me good.
I have thy Word to incourage me, upon which thou haſt cauſed me to hope. And I know that thy Word is true from the begining:119. Pſal. 90.160. and that thy faithfulneſs is unto all Generations. They are not the things which thou haſt never promiſed us that I come to beg of Thee; riches, honours, long life, or the reſt of the goods of this World (for which I refer my ſelf to thy wiſdom, to give me what portion of them thou pleaſeſt) but thy Holy Spirit, which my Saviour hath told me thou wilt as readily give to thoſe that ask it, as a tender-hearted Parent will give food to his hungry Children, when they cry unto him. I deſire only that thy own life may be nouriſhed and protected in me, and vanquiſh all its enemies, and be compleated in a bleſſed Immortality. I beg of thee more of the Grace of Humility, of Meekneſs, of Temperance, of Patience, of Brotherly-kindneſs, and of Charity. Endue me with moderate deſires of what I want, and a ſober uſe of what I enjoy; with more contentedneſs in what is preſent, and leſs ſolicitude about what is future; with a patient mind to ſubmit to any loſs of what I have, or to any diſappointment of what I expect; with a pious care to improve my precious time in all other actions of a Chriſtian life; and with a willingneſs to conclude my days, and return back to thee, to be with Chriſt, which is beſt of all.
Let, I pray thee, thy merciful kindneſs, in theſe things, be for my comfort,119. Pſal. 58.76. 1. Coloſ. 9.1. Phil. 11.15. Rom. 13.14. 1. Pet. 5.10.48. Pſal. 14. according to thy Word unto thy Servant. I entreat thy favour with my whole Heart: Be merciful unto me according to thy Word: Which hath pronounced thoſe bleſſed that hunger and thirſt after righteouſneſs, and promiſed that they ſhall be filled. Fill me, O Lord, with the knowledge of thy will, in all wiſdome and ſpiritual underſtanding. Fill me with goodneſs, and the fruits of righteouſneſs. And fill me with all joy and peace in believing, that thou wilt never leave me nor forſake me; but make me perfect, stabliſh, strengthen, ſettle me, and be my God for ever and ever: my Guide even unto Death.
Amen.