A Discourse Grounded on Proverbs, Part 2 · Section 9 – Section 13
Sect. IX.
Of Temptations 1 Pet. 4, 12IN thinking of TEMPTATIO… not as ſtrange (or as though ſo ſtrange thing had happened) but common to men, 1 Cor: 10:13yea the beſt men,Heb. 11:37 They were tempted (ſaith … Apoſtle)Beſt tempted: yea the worſt of th… to him that was more then M… who himſelf ſuffered being temp… Hebr: 3:18(and that in all points as we ar… that he might know how to ſuccour …hem that are tempted. chap. 4, 15 Chriſt himſelf in all points, Luſt of the Fleſh. Luſt of the Eye. Mat. 4.2 3 Verſe 9 pride of lifeIn all points; To the Luſts of the Fleſh, Thou art Hungry, Make theſe …ones Bread; To the luſt of the Eys, …hou art poor, (Thou haſt not a …ole where to lay thy head) All theſe …ill I give thee; To the Pride of …ife, Thou pretendeſt high, prove …hat thou pretendeſt; ſhew thine …uthority,Verſe 3 Command Stones to be …ade Bread; If thou be a King, …t us ſee thy Court, Verſe…thy Heavenly …uard, and that the Angels are deed but thy Miniſters; If thou the Son of God, do ſomething … other, that ordinary men ei…er cannot, or at leaſt dare not do, …ver fear to die like a man, Caſt … ſelf down, and let us ſee whe…er Angels will bear thee up. Now …ll that is in the world is the Lust the Fleſh, 1 John 2, 16and of the Eye, and …de of Life. And as the wind of …mptation thus blew all the points of the World, Compaſs, ſo alſo alſo all the points of higheſt and moſt hideous aggravations;Chriſt tempted with temptations baſe & ſordid, moſt baſe and ſordid, tranſgreſs for a morſel o… Bread, ſell thy Birthright for a meal meat, break thy Faith with God, that thou mayeſt break thy Fas… with the Devil;Bloudy and unnatural. Moſt bloudy and unnatural, if thou wilt not brea… thy Faſt, break thy Neck, Caſ… thy ſelf down; Moſt Helliſh an… Horrid, Helliſh and blasfemous,If thou wilt not, or canſ… not prove thy ſelf to be the So… of God, diſown God, and ow… me for thy God, Fall down an… Worſhip me; Matth 4, 9and is the Nature o… Man capable of any rhought mo… hideous, injections more bla… and blaſphemous then ſuch a… theſe?Highly ſubtil and deceiptful. And yet for all this, A… points too of higheſt ſubtilty an… helliſh deceipt that ſpiritual wic… edneſs could poſſibly hatch … imagine:Profit and pleaſure. This Hell of Tempt…tions muſt not onelyonly be covere… over with a Paradiſe of pleaſures,Verſe 8 the World and all the Glory of it, but alſo with an Heaven of Scripture-warranty, Caſt thy ſelf down, wreſted Scripture,for It is written, &c.Verſe 6 and ſo thou mayſt ſhew thy Faith, without hazard of thy Life; nay of moſt High, Glorious, Good ends, Good ends pretended,the Manifeſtation of his Divinity, the Credit of his Miniſtry, the Glory of God in having ſuch a Son, the Glory of Chriſt in having ſuch a Father, (And all this in a ſeaſonable point of time when all this was challenged, and called boldly in queſtion by the great Goliah, that at the very firſt word, defyeth the Living God,Verſe 3, 6) If thou be the Son of God, &c. which is as much as prove it if thou canſt. Thus was Chriſt Tempted in all points, therefore well may the Tempted think thus of his foreſt Temptations, Theſe are thornes in my Fleſh, 2 Cor. 12.7but no other then what were platted together by Satan, and worn as a Crown by my head and Saviour;Saints tempted onelyonly if need be, And now ordered by his hand that they cannot touch me ſooner or longer then need is for the Pricking of my puffing pride, 1 Pet. 1.6 1 Cor. 12.7the tryal of my Faith, the excerciſing of my Patience,1 Pet. 1.7 and experiencing of me by it; the exciting of my watchfulneſs, Revel. 3.10the ſpirit of Prayer in my ſelf, and the Spirit of meekneſs in the reſtoring of others (when they are overtaken in a fault, Rom. 5:41 Pet. 5.8 2 Cor. 12.8conſidering my ſelf leaſt I alſo be tempted,) Gal, 6 1The teaching of me to know more throughly both my ſelf and my Saviour; and for excellent endsboth where my weakneſs, and where my strength lyeth; That I am but a Reed ſhaken with the wind, that Chriſt is the Rock, higher then I; yea higher then the higheſt; that when the proudeſt Temptations daſh against it, ſhall be carried through all.they are broken by it, that his Grace is onelyonly ſufficient for me, 2 Cor. 12:9and that his ſtrength ſhall be made perfect in my weakneſs, and that God is faithful who will not ſuffer me to be tempted above what I am able, 1 Co 10.13but with the temptation will make a way to eſcape; For the Lord knowes how to deliver out of Temptations; 1 Pet: 2.9And therefore,May triumph over all: though now in my minority, I may think of the day when I ſhal be at Age, the time appointed of the Father; Galat. 4, …Though now in my Apprentiſhip, that I ſhall be one day made Free from mine infirmityes, and Temptations, and therefore I will even now Glory in mine Infirmities that the power of Chriſt may reſt upon me; 2 Cor: 12.9for when am I weak then am I ſtrong, nay, in theſe things, Verſe 10:I am more then Conquerer, through Christ strengthening me.
Sect. X.
Of Perſecuti…n, our Patrimony,In thinking of PERSECUTIONS for Chriſt, as part of a Chriſtians Patrimony (Ye ſhall receive an hundred fold in this life with perſecutions.) Mark 10, 30 Honour,An Honour to be counted worthy to ſuffer, a Gift to be able to ſuffer,Acts 5, 4… as well as to believe, Phil. 1.29(to you it is given.) And therefore he is ſo far from thinking that he merits by it,Gods gift, therefore cannot merit: as that he is but ſo much the more beholding to God and to Chriſt for it. He thinks loſſes for Chriſt and the Goſpel to be gain, Loſs, gain,the ſpoiling of his goods to be joyfully taken, Heb. 10, 34A… knowing in himſelf that he hath in Heaven a better and more induring ſubstance. Diſgrace riches,He eſteems diſgrace for Chriſt, the higheſt Honour i… the world,Heb. 12.26 and the Reproach o… Christ greater Riches then the Treaſures of Aegypt.Verſe 24 He refuſeth to dwell in the Tents of Wickedneſs, to have his portion in this life, Perſecuted happy. Verſe 25He chooſeth rather to ſuffer Affliction with the people of God, then to enjoy the pleaſures of Sin for a eaſſon. Mal. 3, 15Thoſe whom men think to be the happy men,Proſperous miſerable. (who call the proud happy,) having ONLY their portion in this life, Thoſe that proſper in the world, that increaſe in Riches, Pſal. 73 12that boaſt of their Wealth, Pſal 4 9, 6that ſay they are rich and poſſeſſed with goods, Verſe 18&c. Such He thinks Poor, and Wretched, and Miſerable, and Blind and Naked. And thoſe whom ſuch men think the off ſcouring of the World, The diſpiſed excellent,He thinks the Excellent of the Earth; And whom they think unworthy to live in the world,1 Cor. 4.13 He thinks that the World is not worthy of them. Pſal. 16, 3He thinks his Life not too much,Heb. 11.38 nor too dear for Chriſt, nay not enough if it want the ſincerity of his Love, Acts 20, 24and therefore labours as much that his heart and love be found flaming towards him,Perſecution not enough without love 1 Cor. 13, 3 as (if he call for it) to give his body to be burnt for him.
Sect. IX.
Right thoughts of the outward condition of life.IN thinking of his preſent CONDITION of Life, that his Lines are fallen in the beſt place for him, that his own food is moſt convenient for him, Prov. 13.8That Sauls Armour would not ſuit him, That anothers Condition would not fit him;As fitteſt for us, 2 Sam 15.4 not as Abſolom, O that I were Iudge in the Land. He thinks it is his duty to be contented with ſuch things as he hath, Hebr. 13.5without coveting anothers: And thinks it his Relief,Contentment, without covetouſneſs. that the leſs money he hath, he may go the more upon trust; The leſs he finds in his purſe, Thinking of the promiſeſeek the more in the promiſe of him that hath ſaid, I will never leave thee nor forſake thee; Pſal. 23.5The Lord is his Shepheard, and he thinks he ſhall not want; And therefore he will truſt in the Lord and do good, For ſuply:And he thinks verily that he ſhall be fed, pſal …7 3or Truth ſhall be his feeding; (as ſome read) ſo that he thinks no man can take away his livelihood, unleſs he can firſt take away Gods truth.
Sect. XII.
IN thinking of his preſent TIME of life,Right thoughts of the preſent time of life: as the time of his ſojourning here, and therefore to be paſsed in fear; in fear, leaſt he ſhould come ſhort, 1 Pet. 1.17nay or ſeem to come ſhort, at his going out of the World of that which he came in…o it for,Hebr. 4.1 the working out of his …wn Salvation, and the ſaving of …thers, pulling them out of the Fire, To be paſt in fear that work may be done…nd both with fear; with fear …eaſt his day be done, before his …ork be done; leaſt his Glaſs be run,Phil. 2.12 before his race be run; leaſt his accounts be required, Jude 23before they be ſtated; with fear, and yet in hope, that though his time be little, and his work great, 1 Cor. 9.24yet if he be up and doing, the Lord will be with him; Luke 16.2And therefore as he that plows, Before time done Time, for work.plows in hope, ſo he when he prays, prays in hope, and repents in hope, &c. For to him that is joined to all the living, there is hope. therefore be up & doing 1 Chr. 22.16So that his fear i… a ſpur to his hope, and his hope a bridle to his fear; That deſpair d… not run away with him,A time for every work and Caſ… him quite down, ſo want of hope Nor preſumption make him loiter and looſe both his time, Eccleſ. 9, 4and his ſou… for want of Fear. He thinks ther… is a time for every purpoſe unde… Heaven; Therefore hope while time no roō for diſpair,And therefore thinks h… can I find a time for Eating an… Drinking, and Sleeping, buy in and Selling,Eccleſ. 3.1 Building and Plan… ing, Marrying and giving in Ma… riage? and is there not a time,time for beſt purpoſes, Rom. 13.11 Hoſ. 10 12 2 Pet. 1.10 nay a high time to awake out of ſleep? A time to ſeek the Lord, to make my calling and election ſure, &c. ſurely there is a time, therefore there is hope; And no room for deſperation; And but a time, But a time therefore no place for preſumptiontherefore no place for Preſumption. But a time, and therefore that time is moſt pretious, (God meaſuring …t, to us onelyonly by moments, Time pretious meaſured by moments Epheſ. 5.16as we do pretious liquors by drops,) and therefore to be redeemed, and ſo imployed in looking out for a pretious Chriſt, and in looking after the pretious Soul.
Sect. XIII.
IN thinking of DEATH,Right thoughts of death to the Vnbelievers and Hypocrites, as a King of Terrors, Job 18, 14a grave of their hopes, which will then be as the giving up of the Ghoſt, chap. 11.20as the falling of the Tree (that muſt lie till judgment, as then it falls: Eccl. 11.3No work there, Luke 16.16nor deviſe, no wiſdom, no calling upon God with hope of help, or promiſe of pardon; As the fixing of the gulf, (no paſſing, no returning, from a ſtate of torment, no means of Grace, no hope of Glory any more) as a cruel Jailor haling the Soul to the dreadful Tribunal of God, and then to the Tormenter & Executioner, even to him that hath the power of Death, Hebr. 2, 14the Devil: And alas, how many thouſands of black, yea bloody ſelf merthering mouths ſhall then come to have their woful wiſhes, before they thought of it, when God ſhall damn them, and the Devil take them.
Prov. 14 32But to the Righteous (that hath hope in his death) a King of terrors too, To the godly whatbut with a broken Scepter; A Serpent, but without a sting; A ghaſtly countenance with an open mouth, but without teeth; A ſturdy Porter, yet ſtanding onelyonly to open …hem their Fathers door. The Saints Bed maker, hard-handed,Iſai 52 10 …et that makes their beds ſoft and …aſy:Hoſ: 13, 4 An Enemy frighted into a …riend by him that is the very …eath of Death, Col. 3, 41but the believers …ife. So that their dying is but … entring into peace, a reſting in …eir beds, and from their labours, Iſaiah 57.2… Sins, Sorrows, Cares, Fears, …emptations, Afflictions, Perſe…tions, Sickneſſes, Pains, wants, …eakneſſes, wearineſſes, doubts, …fficultyes; nay of Dutyes, of …ſtings, watchings, tears, which …ll then be wiped away, and done …ay, as to the labour, not rhe …ward, Rev. 14, 13for ſo their works follow …m.
Sect. XIII:
Of judgement, Pſal. 49 14IN thinking of JUDGEMENT▪ As that glorious morning wherein the upright ſhall have Dominion, ſhall ſit with Chriſt on Thrones, judging the World, Mat. 25 19,being openly juſtifyed themſelves, and ſe… as Sheep on the right hand of God and Proclaimed by Chriſt th… Bleſſed of his Father; 2 Cor. 6, 2As that glorious meeting of that ſpiritualize body with its bleſſed Soul, and ſ… with Chriſt, and with Abraha… and Iſaack, Mat. 2, 34 to the ſheepand Iacob, and all to Saints, to be diſſolved, divorced divided, diſſipated, diſperſed n… more.
1 Cor. 15 44 Matth. 8, 11Mean while thoſe Goats on t… left hand, that burned with Luſ… ſhall burn with horrour inwardl… ſhall be accuſed,Mat. 35, 33 and 41 accurſed, ſe… tenced and condemned openl… And, as they would not ind… the Sheep to live by them in the World,to the goats they ſhall go by themſelves, ſhall not come into the Congregation of the just, and as they …oved Curſing, It ſhall now come into their Souls, and like Oil into their bones. And ſo their miſerable …odyes (made veſſels of wrath, fitted to Deſtruction,Rom 9.22 wide to re…eive it (without ſpilling,) ſtrong …o hold it (without breaking,) be…g reunited to their tormented Souls; ſhall together be parta…rs of Miſery (as they formerly …ad been of Sin) unto all Eterni…