The Burning of London, Part 4 · Discourse 8
DISCOURSE VIII. Of its being a great mercy to moſt Men, that their lives are continued, though their livelihoods are greatly impaired.
I Have not forgotten the words of good Elijah when he fled into the Wilderneſs for fear of Jezabel, who ſought his life, how he ſate him down under a Juniper Tree, and requeſted for himſelf that he might die, and ſaid, It is enough now oh Lord, take away my life, 1 Kings 19.4. Nor yet the words of Job to the ſame effect. Chap. 7.15. My ſoul chooſeth ſtrangling and death rather than life; nor yet that peremptory anſwer of Jonah, when God asked him if he did well to be angry for the gourd? who told God to his face, He did well to be angry, even unto death. Jonah 4.9. Theſe things are not recorded in honour of any of theſe three Men, but as David ſpeaks of himſelf; I ſaid this is my infirmity: ſo may we ſay, theſe were their infirmities; they were good men, but theſe were bad expreſſions, and are delivered to us, not for our imitation, but for our warning and caution; and as the Apoſtle ſpeaks in another caſe, 1 Cor. 10.6. Theſe things were our examples, to the intent we ſhould not luſt after evil things, as they alſo luſted. But how incident is it to us to do the ſame thing, even to wiſh for death, when God hath deprived us of many comforts of life, which formerly we enjoyed: as if it were not worth while to live, unleſs it be in wealth, honour and proſperity.
This is ſuch a pernicious error, that I am very zealous to confute it, and to eſtabliſh that uſeful principle which is contrary to it; namely, that to eſcape with our lives is a very great mercy; though we have no ſuch comfortable livelihoods as we had wont to have: yea though a bare livelihood or meer ſubſiſtence be all we have. Job ſaith in one place, I am eſcaped with the skin of my teet, Job 19.20. meaning very poor and bare. As Deodate parallels it with a proverb ſome uſe, that ſuch a one hath nothing left him but his teeth. Though it may ſeem a paradox, yet it is a very truth; that it is a great mercy to moſt people living under the Goſpel, to eſcape (viz. death and the grave) though it be but with the skin of their teeth: that is, in as bare a condition as bare can be, and live; to live, though it be uncler poverty, diſgrace, reſtraint, and many evils more. Whilſt the pride and paſſion of Men ſuggeſt the contrary: Nature it ſelf gives them the lie, and votes for living, when they vote for death: as the fable of the Countrey-man, doth ingenuouſly intimate, who being weary with his bundle of ſticks, laid it by, ſate down and wiſhed for death: death over hearing him, came and deſired to know what he had to ſay to him. Nothing, replyed the Country-man, but that thou wouldſt help me up with my burthen. Shewing that he was more willing to take up his burthen again, than to lay down his life. Why ſhould a Man give all he hath for his life, (Job 1.) if life be nothing worth, when all a man hath is gone? Were the enjoyment of honour, riches, pleaſure, the only or the greateſt end of life: when thoſe were once taken away, it would be ſcarce worth while to live; nay death might be more elegible of the two: but ſeeing the great ends of life are ſuch things, as are as much within the reach of thoſe that are poor, deſpiſed, afflicted, and that never eat with pleaſure, as the phraſe is, Job 20.25. As thoſe who are rich, renowned, abounding with pleaſures, whoſe breaſts are full of milk, and their bones moiſtned with marrow, who are wholly at eaſe and quiet; as it is expreſſed, Job 21.23, 24. I ſay, foraſmuch as the great ends of life are as purſuable, and as attainable by the former, as by the latter of theſe; as well the afflicted, as the proſperous ought to look upon the continuation of their lives, as a very great mercy.
Surely the great ends of life are; that whilſt it is called to day we ſhould mind the things that concern our eternal peace: that we ſhould ſeek after God, if haply by ſeeking after him we may finde him out, Acts 17.27. That we ſhould lay up a good foundation for the time to come, that we may lay hold on eternal life, 1 Tim. 6.19. That we ſhould now ſowe what we deſire hereafter to reape, viz. To the ſpirit, that we may of the ſpirit reape life everlaſting, Gal. 6.8. that we might fight a good ſight, finiſh a good courſe, keep the faith, and ſo become aſſured, that henceforth is laid up for us a crown of righteouſneſs, 2 Tim. 4.7. Theſe are the things which God did principally aime at in beſtowing life upon Men, and to which he would have all the good things that Men enjoy, ſubordinated: yea and all their evil things made ſome way or other ſubſervient: theſe are the greateſt improvements that can be made of our lives, and the beſt uſes we can turn them to; therefore theſe are the great ends of life. Had Moſes thought otherwiſe, he had not eſteemed the reproach of Chriſt, greater riches than the treaſures in Egypt: or choſen to ſuffer affliction with the people of God, rather than to enjoy the pleaſures of ſin for a ſeaſon, Heb. 11.25.26. Job could eaſily have anſwered that queſtion which himſelf puts, Job 3.20. Wherefore is life given to the bitter in ſoul which long for death, which are glad when they can finde the grave? I ſay he could eaſily have anſwered his own queſtion, if he had not been in too great a paſſion; for he knew full well that the great ends of life were thoſe that I have mentioned, and therefore reſolved accordingly that all the dayes of his warfare he would wait till his change ſhould come, viz. preparing for it, as one that did remember, that if a Man die, he ſhall never live again, viz. to amend the errors, and to ſupply the defects of his former life, Job 14.14. Now what ſhould hinder but that a poor Man may purſue ſuch ends of life, as well as one that is rich: yea the Scripture ſpeaks, as if it were harder for a rich Man of the two: Luk… 15.24. when Jeſus ſaw that he was ſorrowfull, he ſaid, How hardly ſhall they that have riches enter into the Kingdome of God? It is eaſier for a Camel to go thorough a Needles eye, than for a rich Man to enter into the Kingdome of God. But if the poor man ſay; whilſt I ſeek the Kingdome of God, what ſhall I do for other things in the mean time? Let him take an anſwer from our Saviours mouth, Mat. 6.33. Seek ye firſt the Kingdome of God, and the righteouſneſs thereof, and all other things ſhall be added unto you.
I have ſpoken to the great ends of life, and the attainableneſs of them, as well by perſons of low as of high degree. But alas how few in compariſon of the lump of mankind, or of Men called Chriſtians, have yet attained thoſe end; for which they live. viz. have laid up a good foundation for eternity, &c. and they are yet fewer who are able to ſay they have done it. For ſome may have attained thereunto, and yet not know it. How unſafely do they die, who die before they have attained the ends for which they did live? and how uncomfortably muſt they alſo die, who die before they know they have attained them? Therefore I ſay it is a great mercy to the greateſt part of Men and Women to be reprieved from Death, and from the Grave. David as good a Man as he was, beg'd hard for this, Pſal. 39.13. O ſpare me that I may recover ſtrength, before I go hence and be no more, yet was his condition at that time very afflicted, for he ſaith, verſ. 10. Remove thy ſtroke from me, I am conſumed by the blow of thine hand, verſ. 11. when thou doſt correct man for iniquity, thou makeſt his beauty to conſume away like a moth. Which he ſeems to ſpeak of, as his own caſe at that time, when he cried out, O ſpare me before I go hence. Is it not with moſt people in the World, as with idle Boyes in a School, at a time when their Maſter is abſent? when it is almoſt time to give over, they have ſcarce lookt into their books, or done any thing they came for, but played all the while? How neceſſary is it for ſuch Men to live a little longer? How ſad would it be with them, if God ſhould ſay to them, as to that ſecure fool: This night ſhall thy ſoul be required of thee? were they ſenſible of their own concernment, would not ſuch men prize a little time in the World, as thoſe poor Levellers did, that were ſhot at Burford about ten years ſince: Oh that they might live but one day, or but one hour longer to enjoy thoſe Ordinances of God, which they had formerly deſpiſed: or as ſhe that in horrour cried out upon her death-bed; Call time again, call time again? If life be neceſſary for thee, as (if thou haſt not yet attained the ends of life, I am ſure it is more neceſſary for thee than any worldly thing) by how much it is more neceſſary that thou ſhouldſt be ſaved, than that thou ſhouldſt be rich or honourable. I ſay if life be more neceſſary for thee than riches and honour, and any thing of this World, as it is, becauſe upon that moment eternity depends: then haſt thou cauſe to look upon it as a great mercy, and to be very thankfull for it.
May it not be ſaid of ſome men that are dead & gone, that if they had died but one year, or one monethmonth ſooner, they had been damned? The laſt year, or the laſt monethmonth was more to them than all their life before, for that they were born (I mean born again) not long before they died. He that can cauſe the earth to bring forth in one day; and a Nation to be born at once. Iſa. 66.8. How great a change can he make in the ſouls of men in a very ſhort time? Yea, I remember an excellent Divine of our own, hath a paſſage to this purpoſe, viz. That one day ſpent in ſerious meditation of God and Christ, the joyes of Heaven, the torments of Hell, the evil of ſin, the excellency of grace, the vanity of the creature, the neceſſity of regeveration, and ſuch like things, might contribute more to the converſion and ſalvation of a ſinner, than all that hath been done by him in all the time paſt of his life, though poſſibly he hath lived many years in the world. We ſhall never know what the worth of life, and of time is, till we come to improve it to thoſe high ends and purpoſes for which God hath chiefly given it: as namely, unto making our calling and election ſure, &c. but when we have done, finding how great a pleaſure a little time hath done us; of what unſpeakable uſe and advantage it hath been to us, we ſhall reckon our ſelves more bound to God for it than for any other temporal enjoyment; we ſhall think a little time (to ſpeak in the language of our Proverb) to have been worth a Kings ranſome. Conſider life as an eſtate of hope, (as Salomon ſaith, Eccleſ. 9.4. To all the living there is hope) and death to the wicked as a hopeleſs ſtate. Job 27.8. For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he have gained; when God taketh away his ſoul? and then tell me if it be not a great mercy, but to live? But on the baſe heart of man, that will not ſuffer him to know how great a mercy life is, becauſe it will not ſerve him to improve it! A life ſo ſpent as multitudes of people do ſpend theirs, will prove a curſe rather than a bleſſing, as having done little in it, but treaſured up wrath againſt the day of wrath. Nor is it ever to be expected that they will bleſs God for life, who have cauſe to curſe the time that they have lived (though all thorough their own default.)
He that would comfort himſelf in the thoughts of his being yet alive, and take it for a great mercy that his life (though little elſe) is left him for a prey; let him ſit down and confider, what earnings he may make of that time which is left him in the world, be it little or much. If from henceforth he ſhall ſet his face towards Zion: ſet out in the waies of godlineſs: give up his name to Chriſt: engage in the work he came into the world about: enter upon the fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of wiſdom; ſet himſelf to ſeek the Lord with all his heart, or at leaſtwiſe repaire to the pool of Betheſdah, and wait there for cure; follow on to know the Lord, that he may know him: ſtrive to enter in at the ſtraight gate: dig for wiſdom as for ſilver, and for knowledge, as for hidden treaſure: make it his buſineſs that his ſoul may be ſaved in the day of the Lord; I ſay, whoſoever ſhall do ſo, and perſevere in ſo doing, will finde ſo happy a product of that work, whereunto he hath conſecrated and devoted the remainder of his life, as will make him prize and value one day ſo ſpent, more than many daies and moneths …n which all the comfort of his life; (as he accounted it) came in by eating and drinking, and company-keeping; by hunting, hawking, di…ing, carding, and ſuch like divertiſements. He will look upon that time as ſpent in damning his ſoul (as much as in him lay) but the other in ſaving it: and therefore he muſt needs value this more than that. One was a time of running into debt, the other of getting old ſcores paid off, or blotted out; and therefore muſt needs be the happier time of the two. One was a time of provoking his adverſarie: the other a time of agreeing with his adverſarie whilſt he is yet in the way, Matth. 5.25. or of kiſſing the Son, leſt his wrath be kindled, and he ſhould periſh in the mid-way. When thou ſhalt begin to take acquaintance with thy cloſet, with thy Bible, with thy own heart, with the duties of meditation, prayer, ſelf-examination, contemplation of heavenly things, to which thou haſt forme…ly been a ſtranger: thou wilt confeſs thou didſt but then begin to live, and that all thy time before, thou were but like a dead body, aſſumed and carried about by an evil ſpirit; & wert altogether like the voluptuous widdow, of whom the Apoſtle ſaith, that ſhe is dead whilſt ſhe lives.
I know but one ſort of men that may reaſonably look upon life to be leſs deſireable as to them, than death: and that may juſtly reckon it a greater priviledge to die preſently; than to live any longer; and they are thoſe that can ſay with Paul, 2 Cor. 5.1. We know that if our houſe of this tabernacle were diſſolved, we have a building of God, eternal in the Heavens. Such only may with good reaſon have mortem in deſiderio, that is, long to be diſſolved: But yet they alſo muſt have vitam in patientiâ, that is, be content to live, though in the midſt of trouble. But alas, how few of theſe are there in the Chriſtian world; how rarely doth this flower of aſſurance grow, even in the garden of the Church; yea, and amongſt thoſe that are no weeds themſelves?
Then bleſs the Lord, O my ſoul, and let all that is within me, bleſs his holy name; yea, let others praiſe the Lord with me, and let us magnifie his name together, that we are yet alive, though haply ſtript of many mercies and comforts of life, which we have formerly enjoyed. O Life! thou art ſweet, though full of care and feare, and hardſhip, and trouble on ever ſide; becauſe thou art a day of grace, a time of making our peace with God, and getting the aſſurances of his love. Art thou yet dead in ſins and treſpaſſes? go to Jeſus Chriſt for ſoulquicknings, and thou maiſt come to live ſpiritually, ere thou die temporally, and be ſecured withall from dying eternally. Hath God hid his face from thee hitherto? take a right courſe; and yet before thou dieſt, maieſt thou ſee his face with joy. Hath he concealed himſelf from thee hitherto, and ſpoken roughly to thee, as Joſeph to his brethren? (when he called them Spies;) yet, as he at laſt ſaid to them, I am your brother Joſeph: ſo may God to us, I am your father; I am he that blotteth out your ſins for mine own names ſake; though thou haſt all this while ſate in darkneſs, and as it were in the region of death; yet may the Lord be hence-forward a light to thee. Some render thoſe words, Deut. 34.5. Moſes died upon the mouth of God (as one deſcants) God did as it were kiſs him into heaven: ſo may he do by thee when thou commeſt to die. Maieſt thou not yet hear him ſaying to thee, as to his Church, Iſa. 54.11. Oh thou afflicted, toſſed with tempeſts, and not comforted, I will lay thy ſtones with fair colours, and thy foundation with Saphires! Lord thou knoweſt how to make me more thankful for life without health, wealth, eaſe, honour, liberty, friends, than ever I was for life in conjunction with all of theſe. Cauſe me to improve life to thoſe ends for which thou haſt given it; and give me a bleſſed fruit of that improvement: then ſhall I caſily acknowledge that meerly to live with ſuch a heart, and for ſuch a purpoſe, is more valuable than without this, to live and ſwim in all the profits. pleaſures, and honours of this world.