The Burning of London, Part 4 · Discourse 7
DISCOURSE VII. Of getting, and living upon a ſtock of ſpiritual comforts.
AS it fareth with children whoſe nurſes have milk enough in both breaſts, but one is much hardet to be drawn than the other; they would willinglie lie altogether or moſtlie at that breaſt which may be drawn with moſt eaſe: ſo with many Chriſtians who have an intereſt both in Spiritual and temporal things, wherewith to ſolace themſelves, they are too too prone to live upon the breaſt of their worldlie comforts, which may be ſuckt (as it were) by ſenſe; rather than upon that of their Spiritual priviledges and advantages; which breaſt (though much the ſweeteſt and fulleſt) can no otherwiſe be drawn than by the exerciſe of faith. Now ſad experience convinceth us, that it is much more hard to exerciſe our faith, than to uſe our ſenſes; even as to draw water out of a deep well with a heavie bucket, is nothing like ſo eaſie, as to fetch it out of a ciſtern, where 'tis but turning the cock and the work is done.
The objects of faith are things remote, and the eye of faith is in its kind more weak than that of ſenſe: and to a weak eye it is much more difficult to view things that are at a great diſtance, than thoſe that are neer at hand. The advantage of a high place, a clear day, and (it may be) of a proſpective-glaſs to boot, may be all little enough to make us diſcerne thoſe things which are afar off: but without any ſuch helps, we can eaſily eſpie thoſe things which are cloſe by us; as are the objects of ſenſe compared with thoſe of ſaith. Why did that good man cry out, Lord I believe, help thou my unbelief? Mark 9.24. but that he found difficulty in the exerciſe of faith? How come it to paſs that Chriſt upbraided his eleven Diſciples all at once for their unbelief? Mark. 16.14. but for the ſame reaſon? They did not believe thoſe that ſaid they had ſeen Chriſt, after he was riſen (though he had told them he would riſe again the third day) but had they ſeen him themſelves they would not have doubted of it.
The exerciſe of our faith is oppoſed by ſin and ſathan; ſo is not the uſe of our ſenſes. Now men finding it no eaſie thing to ſet faith on work, and to keep that hand in ure, and in action, without which they cannot fetch in the comfort of their ſpiritual priviledges (for the Scripture ſpeaking of Chriſt ſaith, In whom believing, we rejoyce; intimating, that without faith there can be no true rejoycing in Chriſt) and ſpeaking of faith, Heb. 11.1.ſaith, that Faith is the ſubſtance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not ſeen; implying, that ſuch things are no otherwiſe reallized and evidenced to us than by faith, and conſequently no otherwiſe the matter of our joy than as faith makes them ſo. I ſay, men finding it ſo hard a work to believe, and to fetch in their comfort that way; too often content themſelves with that meaner and lower kind of comfort, which more eaſily flows in upon them, and which doth as it were follow them as the rock, meaning the waters out of the rock are ſaid to have followed the Iſraelites in the wilderneſs. Hence it is that whilſt the world ſmiles upon them, they are apt like the fool in the Goſpel, to ſing requiems to their ſouls, becauſe they have laid up in ſtore for many years, and their barns are full. And hence it is that when God doth ſtrip ſuch men of earthly enjoyments, and as it were dry up that breaſt; even many good men are for the preſent at a very great loſs: not that they want intereſt in better things than are taken from them, but becauſe they have diſuſed themſelves from ſucking at that harder, but ſweeter breaſt, which God hath provided for them, and doth alwayes continue to them. They have not accuſtomed themſelves to live by faith, and now they are to ſeek how to do it. Theſe men of might for the preſent cannot finde their hands. As we grow up we forget to ſuck, becauſe we have not uſed it of a long time, and ſo in this caſe.
How neceſſary is it then for Chriſtians, even whilſt earthly enjoyments laſt, to inure themſelves to live upon the hopes and expectations of heavenly good things? As Popiſh Prieſts put off the Laity with but one element, giving them the bread in the Sacrament, but denying them the Cup (which is as due to them, and rather more refreſhing:) ſo do many ſerve themſelves; feeding upon the bread of their temporal poſſeſſions, whilſt they refrain the wine of thoſe bleſſed hopes and expectations (as to another world) which belong unto them. But how much better were it for them to receive in both kinds? It is good (as our Proverb ſaith) for men to have two ſtrings to their bowe. What great heire contents himſelf with thinking only of that ſmall allowance which he enjoys, being under age, and doth not pleaſe himſelf with muſing how much greater things he is like to enjoy hereafter? who that hath both Viol and Lute, and can play excellently upon both, would let his Lute, which is the ſweeter inſtrument of the two, hang by the walls and uſe his Viol only, becauſe that is eaſier to be played upon of the two? Who would pluck only the ſowriſh grapes which are at the bottom of his Vine, becauſe they are next at hand, and mean time neglect thoſe ripe cluſters, which are at the top, becauſe he cannot reach them without a ladder, and the pains of climbing? he enjoyes not the one half of what he might, who lives only or moſtly upon the worſer half of his enjoyments; like a man that ſhould alwayes live in one of his houſes, every way leſs convenient and pleaſant, and ſuffer another that doth far tranſcend it to ſtand alwayes empty.
To what end hath the ſpirit of God made any of us to know the things that are freely given us of God, if we ſolace not our ſelves with the remembrance and conſideration thereof? even then when God hath filled our cup with worldly good things, if not made it to run over. Should we draw waters from thoſe upper Springs whilſt the neather flow plentifully? and are we not as much or more concerned to do it, when the neather ſprings are dried up? when the Fig-tree bloſſomes not, and there is no herd in the ſtall, woe unto us if we know not then (at leaſtwiſe then) how to rejoyce in the Lord; and joy in the God of our ſalvation: haſt thou intereſt in better things, and wilt thou not live upon the comfort of them: no not at a time when thou haſt nothing elſe in effect to live upon? what had become of David at Ziglag, if he had not encouraged himſelf in the Lord his God? So elſewhere, when David ſaw his houſe declining; (which made him ſay, though may houſe be not ſo with God) did he not comfort himſelf with this, that yet God had made with him an everlaſting Covenant? who brings not out his old gold and precious Jewels to help himſelf withall, when all he had beſides, is ſpent or taken away? ſhall all creatures be wiſer than we? Dogs know their remedies when ſurfeited, viz. that they call Doggraſs: and Toades, when poiſoned, theirs (viz. Plantane) and fall to them, if they be to be had. Is not an intereſt in ſpiritual things, if we have that, the only relief we have in the loſs of all our temporal comforts? and ſhall we not make uſe of it? if a man have white bread to eat, would he ſuffer himſelf to be ſtarved, becauſe he hath no brown? will he keep it up in his Cup-board when he hath nothing elſe to eat? if you have a ſort of comforts to live upon, beſides thoſe which are taken from you, live upon them: never lie down and die whilſt you have wherewithall to live, yea and to live nobly.
A ſtock of well-grounded ſpiritual comforts, or a well-bottomed hope of glory will maintain a man at a great rate, though he have little elſe; yea like a Prince, if it be well improved. Have you not known men live chearfully and joyfully upon the expectance of great things in reverſion, though they have had but little in poſſeſſion? One would think the aſſurance (or what is next to it) of a Crown and Kingdome, after a ſhort time of ſuffering, ſhould raiſe and revive us more than the preſent fruition of a great Lordſhip, being all that ever we look for. He that upon Scripture-grounds believes himſelf to be an heir of heaven, let him but reflect upon what he believes, and that alone will be a heaven to him upon earth.
But do I not hear ſome ſay, they want a ſtock of ſpiritual comforts, or grounds of comfort; they have no upper Springs to fetch water from, none of thoſe Rivers which make glad the City of God, and therefore it is that their hearts fail… them in an evil day. Yea doubtleſs therefore it is that their hearts do faile them, becauſe they either have not an intereſt in God, or if they have, they know it not. Now as that holy man ſaid to his friend touching aſſurance, verily aſſurance is to be had, and what have we been doing all this while? ſo ſay I to you, verily an intereſt in God is to be had, and ſee that you labour for it. It was a great fault and overſight not to look after it whilſt we had a confluence of other good things: but now other things are taken away, it were utter madneſs to neglect it. From this time forward make it thy buſineſs to get an intereſt in eternal mercies, the ſure mercies of David, and to know that thine intereſt; and then live upon the comfort of it: and then thou that never hadſt it before, though God have caſt thee (as it were) from the throne to the dunghil, even upon that dunghill ſhalt thou live better than ever thou didſt in all thy life before. Doubtleſs a man may live more happily upon a great deale of aſſurance, having but a ſmall pittance of other things, than upon great abundance of worldly enjoyments, having little or no aſſurance.
O Lord my heart deceives me, if the conſolations of God be ſmall with me (or in my accompt) if I could not live more contentedly upon bread and water, with calling and election made ſure, than they who have their portion in this life, do when their Corn and Wine increaſe. Oh why do I preſs no harder after that which I take my ſelf to have ſo great a value for? That is the only thing that makes me fear, leaſt my heart ſhould in this caſe deceive me. For it is not that God hath been wanting to incourage the endeavours of men in purſuite of ſpiritual and eternal mercies, ſo that we ſhould have cauſe to fear our labour would be in vain; for hath he not declared he is a rewarder of all them that ſeek him diligently? and that to them who by patient continuance in well doing ſeek glory, he will give eternal life, Rom. …. And what more could have been ſaid?
I ſee then there are three ſorts of men. Some have matter and ground-work for ſpiritual joy, but will not take pains to improve it; they have (as it were) the breaſt in their mouths, but will not draw it, becauſe the milk is hard to come by, that is, they have good evidences for heaven, but will not trouble themſelves to clear them up; and to be ever and anon reviewing and reading them over. Lord if I be one of them, give me to ſee how much I ſtand, and have ſtood in my own light, how much I have leſſened my comforts by grudging my paines, how I might have doubled and trebled my joyes, if the fault had not been my own, others there are that content themſelves with a portion in this life, ſeeing and knowing themſelves as yet to have no intereſt in better things. Lord how deſperately do they adventure? how great a hazard do they run? If death ſhould come and finde them provided only for this preſent World, what would become of them? And yet there is a ſort of men more deſperate than theſe, (if more can be) and they are thoſe who are deſtitute of this World's good things, and yet neither have an intereſt in ſpiritual comforts, nor yet regard to have any. God hath taken the World from them, and poſſibly will never give it them again, do what they can, and yet they look not after that better portion that can never be taken away from them. To ſuch I may ſay, not only what will they do in their latter end, but what will they do at preſent, what ſhift can they make ſo much as for the preſent? can men live of nothing: without either heaven, or earth, God, or the creature, comforts for either ſoul or body? where are they but in hell, who are neither in heaven nor yet upon the earth? (in the World I mean) Surely ſuch men care not what becomes of them. I cannot better compare them to any thing than to a ſhip turned adrift in a mighty ſtorm, whoſe Pilot ſteeres her no longer, but expoſeth her to the mercy of winds and waves, and rocks, and ſands, and it is a thouſand to one if ever ſhe get ſafe to harbour. Lord of all ſorts of men, let me be none of this laſt. Let me ſecure one World at leaſt, and if but one, let it be the World to come. The more thou abridgeſt me of earthly comforts; the more inſatiable let me be in my deſires of thoſe that are heavenly? The more hungry thou keepeſt me, as to a ſupply of earthly things, the more thirſty let me be after thoſe rivers of pleaſure, which are at thy right hand for ever more. O Lord, if I want a ground-work for ſpiritual joy, a root of peace within my ſelf, let me want it no longer; if I have a foundation for joy within me, but know it not: oh thou who haſt given me to have it, give me alſo to know it; and when I once know it, give me often to review and recollect it, to ruminate and chew the cud upon it, that I may enjoy the ſweetneſs of that, whereof I am really poſſeſt; that I may eat the fruit of the Vineyard, which thou haſt planted within me. Lord truſt me with a ſtock of ſpiritual comforts: with plenty of good hope thorough grace: kiſs me with the kiſſes of thy mouth, and let thy barner over me be love, and give me to ſit under the ſhaddow of thy favour with delight; and if ever I envy thoſe pittiful worldlings that have more of this than heart can wiſh, but no more of any World but this, if ever I be willing to change conditions with them, (all things conſidered) though they be wealthy, honourable, powerfull; I poor, mean, deſpicable: let me forfeit all again, yea take thou the forfeiture of all thy ſpiritual comforts again, which yet I would not thou ſhouldſt do for ten thouſand Worlds.