The True Christians T est, Part 1 · Meditation 1 – Meditation 6
MEDITAT. I. Introductory.
REturn, O my mind, Return. What doſt thou ſo early in the World? Art thou not afraid, leſt this unſeaſonable Excurſion ſhould be a Symptom of a Lover of the World? And think, oh think, what a dangerous, what a deadly thing it is, to be a Lover of the World! Thou needeſt no more to convince thee of this, but that one plain Text of the devout Apoſtle St. John, If any man love the World, the Love of the Father is not in him.
Are not theſe words plain to be underſtood? Are they not ſtartling to any one that underſtands them? But if thou wilt think on a little further, thou wilt find that the whole Goſpel runs in this ſtrain. There is no Doctrine deliver'd either more plainly, or more frequently than this. The Apoſtle James does ſo fully conſent with his Brother John in this Doctrine, as if they ſpoke with the ſame mouth, Jam. 4. 4. The friendſhip of the World is enmity with God: Whoſoever therefore will be a Friend of the World, is the Enemy of God. And this he ſpeaks of, either as a Truth generally known, or very important, as appears by the Interrogatory Form of Speech, wherewith he uſhers it in, Know ye not? As if he ſhould either ſay, It is a thing well known, or it is a thing well worthy to be known.
The Apoſtle Paul, though junior to both theſe, yet knew this great Doctrine as well as they, and delivers it almoſt in the ſame words with them, Rom. 8. 7. The oarnal mind is enmity against God. He makes the ſpirit of the world, and the Spirit of God directly contrary the one to the other, 1 Cor. 2. 12. writing to the Galatians, he makes the plain end of Chriſt's giving himſelf for us, to be, that he might deliver us from this preſent evil world, Gal. 1. 4. and chap. 6. 14.
He makes this to be the great priviledge that he had by Chriſt Jeſus, that by him he was crucified to the World. Writing to his Philippians, he makes it the ſhort, but ſure Character of the Enemies of Chriſt, that they mind earthly things, Phil. 3. 18, 19. And writing to his Son Timothy, he gives him the reaſon why Demas had forſaken him, and the Work and Profeſſion of the Goſpel, viz. Becauſe he was in ove with this World; plainly intimating, That the Goſpel and the World are inconſiſtent, one heart cannot hold them. And all theſe do but in different words ſpeak that which they had heard of, or had been taught by their Lord and Maſter; who, in the days of his Miniſtry, openly declared, That no Man could ſerve God and Mammon, Mat. 6. 24. Ye cannot ſerve God and Mammon. And at another time (as I ſuppoſe) in the ſelfſame words, Luke 16. 13. Ye cannot ſerve God and Mammon.
If this Doctrine, delivered by ſo many and ſo worthy hands, be true, and cannot be ſpoken againſt, Return, O my Soul, Return.
Fuge nata Deo, teque immundo eripe mundo.
Strengthen me, O my God, unto the hearty and effectual Belief of this Propoſition, That I may be as afraid of the prevalent love of the World, as I would dread to be accounted (what is not to be named without horror) an Hater of God!
MEDITAT. II. The Method of the Enſuing Meditations.
MY great Deſign ſhall be, to determine the Lovers of the World, and to diſtinguiſh them from the Lovers of the Father. Inaſmuch as the Love of God is the Great Commandment, and the Great Teſt of Chriſtians; and the Love of the World is ſo contrary to it, and excluſive of it, it muſt needs be worthy of the moſt ſerious conſideration of the moſt ſerious Chriſtians, rightly to ſtate and know the condition of their own Souls in this matter.
But it will not be amiſs, firſt to take a general Survey of the words of the Apoſtle John, 1 John 2. 15. and in a preliminary manner, to gloſs upon the ſeveral terms in the Text. After that, I will conſider the World in a Phyſical, and in a Theological Senſe: And Man in a Moral, and Civil Capacity. The World conſider'd in a Phyſical Senſe, will afford but little Matter pertinent to my Deſign: But the World conſidered in a Theological Senſe, will comprehend the Things of the World, the Perſons of the World, the Buſineſs of the World, the Faſhions of the World, the Wiſdom of the World, and the God of the World.
Under the Things of the World, I will comprehend the Profits of the World, the Pleaſures of the World, and the Honours of the World.
Whil'ſt I conſider of the Lovers of the Profits of the World, I muſt meditate of Injuſtice, Worldly Confidence, Covetouſneſs, Carefulneſs, Diſcontentedneſs, Impatience, and Uncharitableneſs.
When I conſider of Injuſtice, I muſt meditate of thoſe that uſe undue means, for worldly advantage; and thoſe that uſe due means, in an undue manner. Under the firſt of theſe will come to be taxt, Stealing, Defrauding, Lying, Oppreſſion, Bribery. Under the ſecond will be taxt all thoſe that oſſend in the Degree, and in the Seaſon of ſeeking the World.
When I come to meditate of the Lovers of the Pleaſures of the Wotld, I muſt conſider of Fleſhly Pleaſures unlawful in their Matter, in their Meaſure, in their Manner, and in their Seaſon: And of Fantaſtical Pleaſures, under which I muſt meditate of Revenge, Idleneſs, Eaſefulneſs: And under this laſt, will come to be conſider'd Worldly Fear, viz. Fear of Sickneſs, Fear of the Death of Friends, Fear of Poverty, and of Perſecution.
When I come to conſider of the Lovers of the Honours of the World, it will be proper to meditate of ſeeking the Approbation of Men, of Pride in Birth, Pride in Beauty, in Apparel, in Children, in Wit and Learning, in Riches, in Strength, in Priviledges, in Power and Great Place, in Vertuous Actions, and in a Party
After the Things of the World, will come to be conſider'd the Perſons of the World: And theſe are either ones Self, ones Relations, or other Men. Under the firſt will be conſider'd Self-love, and the ſeveral kinds of it. To the laſt, will be reduc'd the foul ſin of Flattery: When I come to conſider of worldly Buſineſs, it will be proper to diſtinguiſh between a Holy Activity, and a Senſual Curioſity.
When I come to meditate of the Faſhions of the World, I ſhall have a fit opportunity to meet with the Sin of Swearing.
When I come to conſider of the worldly Wiſdom, the Apoſtle St. James will direct me to meditate of it in this Order, viz. of the Impure Wiſdom, the Envious Wiſdom, the Contentious Wiſdom, the Implacable Wiſdom, the Mercileſs Wiſdom, the Unfruitful Wiſdom, the Partial Wiſdom, and the Hypocritical Wiſdom.
When I come to conſider the God of this World, I muſt conſider his Servants, his Allies, and his Children. Under the firſt, I muſt meditate of Idolatry. Under the ſecond, of Witchcraft. And under the third, more particularly of Self-Willedneſs and Ingratitude, and in general of the Deviliſh Nature.
And ſo I will ſhut up this First Part, which concerns Man, conſider'd in his Moral Capacity, with a Cautionary Meditation, leſt any one ſhould falſely judge another Man to be a Lover of the World, who is not ſo; and endeavor to prevent miſ-judging.
In the Second Part I will firſt endeavor to undeceive the Falſe Pretenders to the Love of God, and here meditate of Monaſtick Perſons, of the Votaries of Virginity, of the Votaries of Penance; and of Quakers, of Pretenders to Charity and Righteouſneſs.
And having diſeharg'd that Examination, I will proceed to conſider Men in their Civil Capacity, and meditate of Conformiſts and Nonconformiſts; of Parents, Guardians, Tutors; of Perſons marrying, and giving in Marriage, of Patrons; of Chaplains; of Judges and Magiſtrates, Arbitrators, Electors, Jurors; of Landlords and Tenants; of Tradeſmen; of Inn-Keepers; of Beggars; of Wagerers; of Gameſters; of Debtors; of Creditors; particularly of Uſurers. And ſo conclude with ſome Diſſuaſives from the love of the World, and Motives to the love of God.
MEDITAT. III. Of the World.
THE World is taken either in a Phyſical Senſe, or in a Theological: In a Phyſical Senſe, it ſignifies that vaſt Globe, that make up Heaven, and Earth, and Sea, and all things contained in them. But in a Theological Senſe; it is put in oppoſition to God; as it is here in this Text of the Apoſtle John, and often elſewhere. The World taken in a Phyſical Senſe, is lovely, and the Strength, Beauty, Order, and Variety thereof, are to be Reverently regarded and admired, as the workmanſhip of Infinite Power, Wiſdom and Goodneſs. It is very proud and prophane, or very fooliſh, to deſpiſe the World in this Senſe, and to diſregard the Operation of God's Hands. To deſpiſe the Workmanſhip, reflects a Diſhonour upon the Workman; and thoſe that ſee nothing excellent in the World, may be juſtly ſuſpected to ſee nothing above it. The Pſalmist ſays, Pſal. 111. 2. The works of the Lord are ſought out of all that have pleaſure in them; and, I …hink, if we Tranſlate it, have pleaſure in him, the Divinity will be as good, if the Grammar ſhould not.
The beſt Men are the beſt Philoſophers; for they make the beſt Obſervations upon the admirable Structure and Furniture of the World; they ſee moſt beauty in it, who behold and admire the Divine Wiſdom, Power and Goodneſs ſhining forth in it.
He that converſes in the World, and beholds the many Demonſtrations there given, and the Lectures there read, and does not from thence learn the Eternal Power and Godhead, is a Notorious Dunce: He that does underſtand and know them, and does not love and admire them, is prophane and proud; and ſo for all his knowledge, may be truly ſaid to know nothing.
Of theſe prophane Philoſophers I ſhall have occaſion to meditate hereafter amongſt the Lovers of the World: At preſent I only conclude, That Philoſophy, eſpecially the Philoſophy that diſcovers and comments upon the ſtately Fabrick, the harmonious Order, the magnificent Furniture, and the admirable Variety of the World, the proper Cauſes and Ends of Things, is a very Laudable Study in its own Nature, and may be a ſingular means for the advancement of the Name and Honour of the Bleſſed Creator.
It was an extraordinary Expreſſion of a Perſon of great Quality amongſt us, when he was but about two and twenty years old, That he could be content (even then) to quit this World, and all the Pomps and Hopes thereof, though it were for no higher Felicity, than to be perfected in the knowledge of Natural Things. I cannot tell preciſely what degree of value we ought to ſet upon Philoſophical Learning; but this we know, That no Man in the World, and in all the Ages thereof, were more famous and admirable, than thoſe two Princes of the Jews, Moſes, and Solomon, who excell'd in this kind of Learning. And the great God himſelf has given fair encouragement to the ſtudy of it, by thoſe Philoſophy-Lectures that he read out of the Whirlwind to the Eaſtern Prince, which are contained in the 38, 39, 40, 41 Chapters of the Book of Job.
MEDITAT. IV. Of the World, taken in a Theological Senſe.
THE World, taken in a Theological Senſe, is put in oppoſition to God; and ſo it ſignifies all that which is contrary to the Spiritual Kingdom of Chriſt, and Warreth againſt it, and true Religion; all that which doth not comply with the Will of God, or withdraws the hearts of Men from him: And conſequently all that, which, beſides the knowledge and love of God, Men covet, delight in, or lament. In this Senſe it is ſaid, 1 John 5. 4. Whatſoever is born of God, overcometh the World. And, Gal. 6. 14. that the true Believer is crucify'd to the World, and the World to him. In this Senſe, The Friendſhip of the World is ſaid, by the Apoſtle James, to be Enmity against God; and, by the Apoſtle John, to be hatred of him. This is ſometimes called Mammon, and is put in oppoſition to God: ſometimes it is call'd our own things, in oppoſition to the things of Jeſus Christ. And this appears to be the meaning of it in this Text which I meditate upon, by the following Verſe, which explains the World, by the Luſt of the Eye, the Luſt of the Fleſh, and the Pride of Life: which, certainly, if they be put together, are of a large Extent. In this Senſe we read of Worldly Luſts, Tit. 2. 12. of the foreign, or the Things of the World, 1 John 4. 5. of the Fornicators of the World, 1 Cor. 5. 10. of the Rulers of the darkneſs of this World, Epheſ. 6. 12. of the Spirit of the World, the Wiſdom of the World, the Nations of the World, Luke 12. 30. the Men of the World, which have their Portion in this Life, Pſal. 17. 14. the Sorrow of the World, 2 Cor. 7. 10. The World in a Theological Senſe is in general, whatever is not God; and ſo even Life it ſelf may be call'd the World. The Apoſtle James puts the Theological Notion of the World out of diſpute, in that famous Text, wherein he deſcribes the pure Religion to be a keeping of ones ſelf unſpotted from the World, Jam. 1. ult. So then the Apoſtle St. John means, If any Man love any created Being, or cleaves to it, more than God, or prefers it before him, he is a Lover of the World, and conſequently no Lover of the Father.
MEDITAT. V. Of the Noble Affection of Love.
IF any Man love, &c. The Nobleſt Affection that God hath endu'd the Sons of Men, yea, or the Angels of Heaven with, is Love. For when that bleſſed Being was minded to copy out Himſelf upon the rational Creature, He made it apt to love, as He Himſelf is Love. God is Love, and the power of Loving, is his Image. However, Liking, and Luſting, and Appetite, belong to Beaſts, Love properly belongs to the rational Creature: neither can there be any proper Love, without underſtanding and choice. And thoſe Species of the rational Creation that are moſt able to love, or able to love moſt, are the moſt Noble and Divine. Love is the Union of the Soul with the Object beloved, and makes it as much one with it, as it's poſſible to be with a thing that is not our ſelf.
Now how ſhameful a thing is it, that ſuch Noble Affections ſhould match themſelves ſo baſely; eſpecially when ſuch an excellent Object is in view! The Daughter of a mighty Prince chuſing a Scullion Boy for her Husband, is not ſo unſeemly a ſight, as the Soul of Man enamor'd of the World: neither is the Eagle catching Flyes, or the King of Iſrael hunting a Flea, ſo ridiculous. The Prodigal Gentleman turn'd Fellow-Commoner with the Swine; or great Nebuchadnezzar herding himſelf with the Oxen, is not ſo abſurd. The beautiful Sun indeed, in its kind Condeſcenſion, doth viſit the very Dunghils, (as the glorious God is ſaid to be even in Hell it ſelf) but will not lodge his Beams there. But (alas!) this Noble Off ſpring of Heaven, the rational Soul, how familiarly doth it lodge and lie down with the World, and reſt in the Embraces of that which is not God! A Debauchery every whit as abominable, as a Humane Body lying down before a Beaſt.
Our Bodies indeed are a part of the Machine of the World; and it is no great wonder if they be delighted in it, as the Beaſts are: But for Souls and Spirits to immerſe themſelves in, to unite themſelves to material Objects, and mundane Things, is as odious and as monſtrous to behold, as the coupling of living Men to dead Bodies, which the Poet deſcribes as a great piece of Cruelty in the Tyrant Mezentius.
The ſtyle of the Prophets makes it an Argument of extreme Deſolation, when filthy Birds and Beaſts do reſt in a Land, when wild Beaſts of the Deſart lie there, when their Houſes are full of doleful Creatures, and Owls dwell there, and Satyrs dance there, and wild Beaſts of the Wood cry in their Houſes, and Dragons in their pleaſant Palaces, as the Prophet Iſaiah elegantly expreſſeth it, Iſa. 13. 21, 22. when the wild Beaſts of the Deſart meet with the wild Beaſts of the Iſlands, and the Satyr cryes to his Fellow, the Shrich-Owl reſts there, the great Owl makes her Neſt, and lays, and hatches, and the Vultures be gathered every one with his Mate, as the ſame Prophet expreſſeth it, Iſa. 34. 14, 15. Filthy Affections do certainly argoe a deſolate Soul, forſaken of God, and forlorn; and do extremely deſile that which was once, and ought to be the Temple of God. And what ſhall be the Portion of theſe Profaners, the Apoſtle Paul tells us, 1 Cor. 3. 17. If any man defile the Temple of God, him ſhall God deſtroy.
MEDITAT. VI. Of the Love of the World.
YET we muſt conſider, what this Love of the World is, that is ſo dangerous. And here ſure it muſt be granted, even by the devouteſt Lovers of the Father, Negatively:
Firſt, That it is not every kind glance toward the World that is it. If ſo, we may well ſtand and wonder, and ask with the Diſciples of old, Who then can be ſaved? Although one may apply our Saviours words hither, and ſay, If any Man look upon the World, to luſt after it in his heart, he hath committed Adultery with it: Although Diſcontent, nay, even the very rathering of Things is to be ſuſpected; yet certainly it is too ſevere to determine every ſingle fond glance toward the World, to be this damnable love of it. There was a famous time, wherein the Sons of God beheld the Daughters of Men; and I think there will be no time, wherein they will be perfectly blind to them: whil'ſt we carry about with us theſe Bodies, it is to be feared that the Beauties and Gayeties of this World will be creeping in at our Senſes or Fancies, and more or leſs infeſting and infecting our hearts.
Secondly, That a moderate ſeeking of the World, ſo as to provide Things honeſt in the ſight of God and Man, is not it. If it were, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks in another Caſe, We muſt go out of the World: For we ſee there is no living in it, without ſome degree of caring for it.
No, it muſt needs be an immoderate, an exceſſive Love that is ſo dangerous and fatal. If it be ask'd, When that is? I anſwer, Whenever it prefers the World, or any thing therein, before God and that which God is.
Alas, then every ſingle Act of Covetouſneſs, wherein the World is preferred before God, is Vicious! Yes, ſo it is, and pernicious, and neceſſarily to be repented of. And if it be a Temper, it is that damnable Love of the World here ſpoken of. This Love muſt be predominant, and it muſt be a Temper, or elſe it cannot denominate the Man a damnable Lover of the World. Lot committed Inceſt, and I doubt was drunk too; but I do not think the love of Wine or Women was predominant in him: David committed Adultery, but I do not think that he was of an Adulterous Temper: But they that are carried by a predominant and habitual Love of the World, are the Lovers of the World here ſpoken of; whether they be the Covetous, whom God abhorreth; or the Proud, whom he reſiſteth; or the Voluptuous, who are dead to the living Lord