A Discourse Grounded on Proverbs, Part 2 · Section 2 – Section 8
Sect. II.
Of our ſelves Rom. 12, 3 Low thoughts of our ſelves. 2 Co, 11, 11 With high thoughts of the Grace of God in & toward us.IN thinking of OUR SELVES for no man to think of Himſelf more highly then he ought to think but to think ſoberly, as God hath dealt to every man the meaſure o… Faith: not boaſting beyond hi… meaſure, nor yet denying th… grace of God that is given to him The great Apoſtle ſpeaks thus o… himſelf,1 Cor. 15.10 in Nothing am I behind th… very chiefest of the Apoſtles, thoug… I be nothing. He hath high thoughts of the Grace of God, yet … thoughts of Himſelf; Not I bu… the Grace of God with me.
Self Performances.And as we muſt think thus o… what we are at the beſt, ſo alſo o… the beſt that we can do, We ar… taught to ſay, and therefore t… think, that when we have done a… we are unprofitable ſervants.Luke 17, 10
And if we muſt think thus of …ur Regenerate ſelf,Carnal ſelf to be denyed what can we think of Carnal ſelf, but that …t is to be denyed,Mat. 16.24 (if any man will …e my Diſciple, let him deny himſelf) denyed in its Wiſdom, in its wiſdom 1 Co. 1 10 and 2, 14which is Fooliſhneſs, for the Natural Men …eceiveth not the things of the Spirit …f God, neither can he know them; …nd therefore we muſt not think …f leaning to our own underſtandings: Prov. 3, 5…n its Will, which is wickedneſs,Will. Galat. 5, 19 …nd perverſe Rebellion, for the Fleſh …aſteth against the Spirit, and theſe …astings war against the Soul; 1 Pet. 2, 1… Righteouſneſses, Iſaiah 64, 6in its …ighteouſneſses, which are Rot…eneſs and filthy rags, for no Fleſh …an be juſtifyed in the ſight of God, …nd if we ſhould ſay we are Righteous, Rom. 3, 20…ur own lips would prove us perverſe, …nd our own cloaths would abhor us; Job 10, 20 and ver. 3… Strength…nd finally in its ſtrength, which … weakneſs, for whilſt we were …ngodly (ſaith the Apoſtle) at that …me we were without strength, Rom. 5, 6and we have already ſeen, if we will think rightly of our ſelves, we muſt think that we are not ſufficient, as of our ſelves, ſo much as to thin… one good thought. And therefore we are to think in all this How is the Gold become Droſs? Eccleſ. 7, 29Man that was made upright, Rom. 3, 12Oh how is He come ſhort of the Glory of God and altogether become unprofitable His Deſtruction is of Himſelf, Verſe 23bu… his help of the mere Mercy, Hoſea 13, 9and Free Grace of God, for it is not of him that willeth, Rom, 9, 16nor of him tha… runneth, but of God that ſheweth Mercy.
Job 10, 3, 8But yet we are to think of our ſelves, as to our Natural Beings, that we are the works of Gods hands, though thus defiled and defaced by our ſins; that Our Bodies are yet capable,… Cor. 6, 19 by Grace, to be made Temples of the Holy Ghoſt, and therefore that we are to poſseſs theſe our Veſſels in Honour and Sanctification; … Theſ. 4, 4And that our Souls are more worth then as many Worlds, Mat. 16.26…or what ſhall a man give in exchange for his Soul! That in neither are we our own, But in both bought with a price, and therefore that we are to glorify God both in our Bodyes and in our Souls, for both are Gods.1 Cor. 6, 19 20 Self louelove the ſtandard of Love to others.
For certain it is there is a SELF that is to be tendred, as well as a Self that is to be denyed; nay the Love that we ow to It is made, both by Moſes and Christ, Lev. 19 1…the Rule or Standard of our loving our Neighbour, which is called the ſecond great Commandment like unto the firſt, which is Love God,) Matt: 22 9Thou ſhalt love thy Neighbour as thy SELF; Firſt GOD, and …hen our SELF, and then our Neighbour as our Self; For the Rule hath a natural priority to …he thing Ruled; And therefore ye are to THINK thus of our …elves, 1 Cor: 6 18that for a man to ſin againſt HIS OVVN Body, (as the Apoſtle ſpeaks) or to wrong HIS OVVN Soul (as it is in the Proverbs)Prov. 8 36 being againſt that LOVE which Scripture makes the Standard of our loving one another,Sinning againſt our ſelves, greater then to ſin aganſt others is by ſo much greater then our ſinning againſt, or wronging others; for Charity may & muſt begin at home, though it muſt not end there. And therefore as we have already intimated that ſelf deceipt is the worſt deceipt, and ſelf Murder the worſt kind of Murder, ſo I might adde that in this (as in ſome other Reſpects, as is largely obſerved by Mr. Capel in his choice and rare Treatiſe of Temptations) SELF Pollution is a more hainous kind of pollution, then many perhaps are aware of, and ſo in other caſes:
And therfore we are to THINK All thoſe SELF-Tormentings uſed by IDOLATERS of an elder… Kin. 18, 28 Date (as was the manner of the Prieſts of Baal to cut themſelves, till the blood guſhed upon them) or by others of a later Edition, yea and All thoſe SELF-Neglectings ſo much magnifyed by a new Sect of Self juſtitiaries ſprung up lately amongſt us, whoſe Religion lyes ſo much in Touch not, taſt not, Co: 2:21:22handle not, &c. after the Doctrines and Commandments of Men;Verſe 20 as the Apoſtle concludes them to be unſcriptural, when he calls them Worldly Rudiments, Verſe 23though he confeſſeth them to have a ſhew of wiſdom in Will Worſhip, and humility and NEGLECTING the Body, foreign(or not ſparing the Body) not in any Honour to the ſatisfying of the Fleſh; ſo are we, I ſay (by the ſame Apoſtolical Authority) to think them UNNATURAL, for he expreſsly ſaith,Eph. 5, 28, 29 He that loves his Wife loves HIMSELF, for no man ever yet hated his OVVN Fleſh, but nouriſheth and cheriſheth it, even as the Lord the Church. So that we are to think theſe things ſo far from juſtifying us in the ſight of God, as that he condemns them, and will condemn all that truſt unto them.
Sect. III:
Right thoughts of others,IN Thinking of OTHERS, ſome are ſhort in eſtimating ſome men,1 Cor. 4, 1 Let a man therefore (ſaith the Apoſtle) ſo account of us as of the Miniſters of Christ, and Stewards of the myſteries of God. Some think too highly of ſome, (therefore ſaith he again,Not under what was written.) Who then is Paul, or who is Apollo, but Miniſters by whom ye believed? 1 Cor. 3:5and this was ſpoken That they might learn in them not to think of Men above what was written, nor above,and not be puffed up for one against another. Chapter 4, 6On both hands there are great Evils;Others better then our ſelves, Philip. 2, 3 We may think others better then our ſelves, but none better then the word declareth. 'Tis a great ſin to cry up the Greateſt, Acts 12, 22as the people did Herod; And on the other hand to deſpiſe DOMINION,Jude 8 Eccl. 19, 20 or to Curſe the KING in our very THOUGHT.
Sect. IV.
IN Thinking of CREATED COMFORTS,Of created comforts, as the Apoſtle Paul, 1 Tim 4, 4 All goodevery creature of God is good, &c. and of our ſelves in reſpect of them, as Iacob, I am not worthy of the leaſt of all thy mercyes: Gen. 32, 10 Our ſelves unworthy of the leaſt, yet the greateſt not enough, Pſalm 4, 6 without Chriſt,yet not to think them the chief good, or the beſt of them good enough for the pretious ſoul to ſit down with. Many will ſay, who will ſhew us any good? But Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance, &c. Yea doubtleſs, Phil, 3, 7, …and I account all things but loſs, and do count them but foreign, dogs meat, (not mans meat.) All things of all ſorts, civil advantages, Church priviledges, &c. as nothing for the Soul without Chriſt) that I may win Chriſt. Happineſs not in haveing, but in having ſanctifyed,Theſe, I ſay, were his thoughts of the higheſt humane attainments, of Outward Church Priviledges, of Creature Enjoyments in the World; And ſo not to think Him happy that hath them, but that hath a ſanctifyed title to them,1 Tim. 4▪ 4 and ſanctifyed uſe of them, If they be ſanctifyed by the Word and Prayer. Job 31, 25 27If I rejoiced becauſe my Wealth was great, and becauſe my Hand had gotten much, and my Hand hath been ſecretly enticed, or my Mouth kiſsed my hand; He did not think himſelf to be the better or the happyer, for being the wealthyer; 'twas the gain of the heart,Heavenly … true not the Gettings of the Hand that Iob eſtimated to be true treaſure. I have eſteemed the words of his mouth, Job 23, 12more then my appointed portion, ſo the Margin, then my neceſſary food, ſo the Text. No doubt he accounted that good too,Pſal 49 85 but not the chief good, not a ſufficient good for his Soul, for the Redemption of the Soul is pretious, It ceaſeth for ever. And (Alas! thinkes a Man that knows the worth of a Soul,whole world not worth a Soul, Mat: 16, 26) what is a man profited if he gain the whole world, and looſe his own Soul?
Sect. V.
IN thinking of ORDINANCES,Right thoughts of Ordinances what: as the good ways of God, to be gone in, not rested in: He thinks not ſo greatly of the Gift, as of the Altar ſanctifying the Gift; Mat: 23:…9of his attendances upon them, as they are performances of his own, but as appointments of God, for the Communication of Himſelf to the Soul.Good ways to be gone not reſted in One thing have I deſired of the Lord, that will I ſeek after, that I may dwell in the Houſe of the Lord all the days of my life, to ſee the beauty of the Lord, Pſal 27, 4&c. not the beauty of the Houſe (though that was very beautiful) and to inquire in his Temple; not onelyonly the way to his Temple, but to the ſight and fruition of him in his Temple.
Sect. VI.
Right thoughts of ſin, What: greateſt evilIN thinking of SIN, as the onelyonly contrary to the Supream good: Therefore Iobs Friends would have faſtened it on him, as a Brand of inſincerity, that he had choſen Sin rather then affliction. Job 32, 21The Inhabitants ſhall not ſay I am ſick, Iſai. 33, 24for the people that dwell there ſhall be forgiven their Iniquitie, They ſhall think all well, when ſin is done away. Sin, in a good mans Thoughts, is the very Gall of bitterneſs, the very core of all …roubles, the very sting of Death …t ſelf, and the very Hell of Hell. 1 Co: 15, 56And as he thinks Sin the worſt of Evils,Heart ſin worſt, ſo Heart ſin the worſt of ſins, that Root of bitterneſs, that Plague of the Heart, Hebr, 12:15that deſperate…y wicked thing, that cannot ceaſe …o Sin, 1 Kin: 8, 38that Law in the Members …hat wearyes them to commit I…i…uity, Jer: 17:9yet it ſelf is unweariable, …nd unſatiable as Death and Hell, Rom. 7:23and therefore called the body of Death) which never ſaith it is …nough. Ierem: 9:5 Habak: 2:5'Tis this evil that makes …ood men cry out of themſelves …s of the chief of Sinners! Rom: 7:24For …hatſoever they know of others, …s to other Evils, they know …ore of this by themſelves then …y all the world. 'Tis this Evil …at makes many a man thought …umble by others, cry O my pride! count mortifyed by others, cry O my potent paſsion! Spiritual wickedneſs,my ſtrong corruption! my unruly Lusts! how many a man is there of unblemiſh… life that is weary at heart of his own Heart, yea of his very Lif… becauſe of the evil of his Heart … his ſpiritual pride, fithineſs o… Spirit, 1 Cor. 7 1Earthly mindedneſs, Spirit… luſting to envy, James 4 1with the ſpiritua… wickedneſses abroad in the world as Hypocriſie, Hereſie, &c.
Yet no ſin ſo great an Evil as Chriſt a good.But yet though he think Si… (Root & branch) to be the greateſt Evil, yet not ſo great an evi… as Jeſus Chriſt is a Good; nor ſo mighty (though mighty) to deſtroy,Hebr 7 25 as He is (Almighty) ab… to ſave, He thinks Sins demerit great, Chriſts merits greater, whereby he is not onelyonly ſecure … from Hell, but to be ſaved i… Heaven. And therefore He ma… plead even the greatneſs of his ſin as an argument for his Pardon, Pſal. 25 11becauſe He thinks the great Salvation to be ſo much the greater, that it triumphs moſt in the ſpoils of the proudeſt ſinnes, in the thing wherein they have dealt proudly to be ſtill above them. When Sin groweth up unto the Heavens, Ezek: … 6Gods mercy (in his Son) is above the Heavens; Pſal, 208 …As when the wicked one is great that is in the world, 1 John 4 …yet greater is he that is in the Saints than he that is in the world.
Sect. VII.
IN thinking of HOLINES,Of holineſs Iſaiah 25 8 not onelyonly way to, but pa…t of happineſs. not onelyonly as the high way to (as the Prophet calls it,) but alſo … principal part of Happineſs; the Duties of Holineſs, to be the Beau…ies thereof; Its Practice, Pſal. 1Privi…edge, Its Performances great re…ards: Its inchoation,Philip. 3 2… an Heaven …pon Earth; Its Conſummation …nd perfection,1 John 5 3 the very Heaven of Heaven: And therefore Its Commandments not grievous, Mat 11 30Its Yoke eaſie, Its Burthen light.
S…ct VIII.
of Affliction not ſo evil as ſin.IN thinking of AFFLICTIONS, though Evil, not ſo Evil as Sin, and therefore their being Sanctified deſireable,Good to the go d rather and more the… their removal: Evil in themſelves yet good to the good, and for th… making of them Better; Pſalm 119 67 71Its goo… for me that I have been afflicted before, I went aſtray, but now I hav… learnt thy precepts: ſharp and bitter twigs,Hebr 12 11 bearing ſweet Fruit peaceable Fruits of Righteouſneſs A Fathers Rod,Verſe 10 profitable 1 Kin 17, 18 Monitors of our frowardneſs, but Fruits of Gods Faithfulneſs and Love not for his pleaſure, but VERILY for our profit that we may be partakers of his holineſs: Remembrancers of ou… Sin, yet not ſo much products o… his Iuſtice, Power, and Soveraignty, as Fruits of his Faithfulneſs (I know O Lord that thou in Faithfulneſs haſt afflicted me)Pſa. 119 75 Tokens of his Love (as many as I Love I chaſten) Revel. 3 19Payments of our Legacie left us by Our crucifyed Lord, a litt…e before his Death (in the World you ſhall have tribulation) John 16 33and confirm…d thereby (For if they did ſo in …he green tree, Chriſt Legacie, Matt 10 25If ſuch things befal …he Maſter, 'tis ſufficient for the …ervant to be as his Maſter, and as …is Lord) And all to make Man …ore humble in himſelf,For many good ends more aw…ul of God, more careful to pleaſe …m, more fearful to offend him, …ore conformable to Chriſts ſuf…ings, more contemplative of his …fferings, more compaſsionate and …ow feeling as to others, Sin …ore bitter, Chriſt more ſweet, the …orld more contemptible, Death …ore deſireable, Heaven more de…htful, and glorious Grace more …mirable in the Saints, thus trou…d on every ſide, yet not distreſsed; 2 Cor 4 8 9Caſt down, but not deſtroyed; a burning Buſh, yet not conſumed; in fiery Furnace, yet receiving n… hurt; nay more that the very fier… Chariot of affliction ſhould be pre… for the ſervice of carrying the… to Heaven, their very tribulatio… made the door for their entring i… to the Kingdom of God. Acts 14 22And ther… fore the Scripture counts the happy which endure, James 5 11 and 1 2and teache… us to count it all joy when we fall… to divers temptations.