The True Christians T est, Part 1 · Meditation 80
MEDITAT. LXXX. foreign. Or of the Love of Worldly Buſineſs.
BUT there is a love of worldly Buſineſs, which is intemperate, and a ſymptom of a worldly mind. And although one ſhould ſay, That they that are guilty of it, are the beſt ſort of Senſualiſts, (becauſe Buſineſs and Action is a better thing, leſs groſs, more agreeable to the active Nature of the Soul, than the dull love of Riches) yet this is very ſmall comfort.
Some dote too much upon their own worldly Buſineſs, which yet is materially lawful. It is an eaſie thing to over-do, to be over-diligent, over-induſtrious, over-painful. Do not they dote upon Buſineſs, who are employ'd about it by Day, dream of it by Night, purſue it with a hurry inſeparable from Fear, Perplexity and Diſcontent, that will be ready to fall out with God or man, if they put any ſtop to them in their Buſineſs.
Suppoſe Buſineſs to be lawful, yet it muſt alſo be neceſſary, or highly convenient, to juſtifie mens zeal about it. What Neceſſity is there, or Convenience either, that Rich men ſhould be ſtill Richer, or that one man ſhould have all the Trade of a Town?
To clog ones ſelf with worldly Buſineſs, in order to Self enriching, and growing up into unneceſſary Grandeur, or unwieldy Bulk in the World, argues a worldly Spirit.
To buſie ones ſelf, in order to the moleſting and troubling of other men, to be Encouragers of Law, Troublers of Iſrael, argues a worldly Mind.
To buſie ones ſelf ſo in worldly matters, as to exclude or retrench heavenly Buſineſs, not to ſubordinate the former to the latter, to love Buſineſs for Buſineſs-ſake, without reſpect to any good to be done thereby, argues an intemperate Lover of worldly Buſineſs.
Some concern themſelves too much in other mens Buſineſs: To meddle in things that we know not, or in things no way belonging to us, is fooliſh; but to meddle in the matters of other men, to do them miſchief, is wicked. The Sycophantick Delators, ſo much inveigh'd againſt by the old Comedians, peep'd and pry'd into every Converſation, to pick Quarrels, and find Faults; and yet the Varlets accounted this foreign, as he in Ariſtophenes brags. Such a kind of Fellow was Zibah the Servant of Saul; Such an one the King of Iſrael ſuſpected the King of Syria, Naaman's Maſter to be, 2 Kings 5. 7. David often complains of this ſort of men; Doeg the Pick-thank, the Emblem of a Sycophantick Courtier, and other of Saul's Courtiers, that digg'd Pits for him, laid Snares for him; that ſaid, When will he ſlip i… fall, that we may ſurprize him?
To love to know the Faults of men, is not a good temper; yea, it is painful to a godly mind.
To look into the Faults of men, to bring them to puniſhment, may be a good work; it may be done ſincerely, for the execution of ſome good Law that is of moment; it may poſſibly be in mercy to the Offender, and out of pure kindneſs; as if one ſhould ſay, I love him, therefore I will get him puniſht.
But men are not generally of ſo pure and publick a Spirit: They are ſo revengeful, ſo covetous, that makes the Office of Informers hardly thought of; and it is accounted a fault to be inquiſitive into the faults of other men. It is hard to find an Informer out of pure zeal or love to truth; but Mercenaries and pick-thanks enough. Flatterers are generally buſy-bodies: For how ſhall they ingratiate themſelves with their great maſt…, but with the faults of other men.
But to lay ſnares for the righteous, to watch for their halting, to ſeek occaſions againſt a man in the matter of his God, though a Law would favour, is wicked, and much reſembles that great buſy-body that goes up and down continually ſeeking to devour. Daniels accuſers had a Law to juſtify them; yet I doubt not but they were wicked Informers for all that.
Curioſity, or an intemperate deſire to be acquainted with other mens ſecrets, nothing belonging to us, argues vanity of mind, and a ſpirit not well converſant at home; and may be reduc'd to the diſeaſe of …tching ears. There are ſecrets of Nature, of Religion, of ones own Soul, to be enquir'd into, and it …s is as laudable to enquire into them: We need not luſt after the ſecrets of other men. Beſides it is uneaſy to be truſted with them: It makes a man a ſlave if he do not reveal them, and a knave if he do.
Lord, Thou art life it ſelf, and a pure Act; thou art good, and doſt good continually; thou haſt endow'd me with an activenature, thou haſt furniſht me with buſineſs enough of mine own, and other mens, for this world, and for the future; ſuffer me not to hide my …and in my boſom, and to look on as an idle ſpecta tor unconcern'd, but maugre all temptations from the Fleſh, the Devil and the World, imitate thy active and benificent Nature! But O Eternal Wiſdom, teach me to order my Actions with diſcretion, to lay out my ſelf in Actions pure, proper, profitable. Grant, that I may not be impure and unprofitable, like a ſtagnant Pool; nor yet troubleſome, nor offenſive, like an overflowing Torrent; ever flowing, but without inundation; ever running, but ſo, as ever within my own Banks; not hiding my Light under a Buſhel, yet ſhining within my own ſphere!