A Light to Grammar and All Other Arts and Sciences, Chapter 9
CHAP. IX.
The Church ſacred, in reference to the great workes done there: what they are. We muſt be at coſt, if wee looke to know them, for they are chargeable workes. Joſhuahs counſell explained, cleares all this, and is of the ſame uſe unto us now, as to his people of old, for Direction of Maſters, and Correction of Servants.
I Should now lead the childe from thence into the field: but we have been there already to my coſt, and we have been very circumſpect there, for we have viewed above, below, and round about us. No more remaines now, but that we return to the Temple againe, for there we were firſt; and there we will be laſt, for after we have viewed that ſacred place a little, we ſhall make towards a ſitting Conclution.
To the Church then we goe, but we will not goe in. Thou ſhalt peep into it, thruſting in thy head or ſo, but no further, then as thou maiſt diſcerne how neat, and coſtly all things are there, (ſo we ſuppoſe) no further ſhalt thou goe.
For me to preſent my ſelfe there, or to preſent thee there, is a matter of eoſt, a chargeable work, and properly the Parents. We muſt remember how it it was under the Law; The pooreſt came not to the Temple, but ſomething he brought according as his eſtate was, but the meaneſt ſomething.
That is true, for that was a very Obj. chargeable ſervice; But that burthen is taken off now.
It is indeed; God bleſſed for every, Anſw. hath taken off that yoak. But yet now the ſhadow is gone, the ſubſtance is come, there is that, we may call coſt, remaining ſtill, what it is we ſhall know preſently: Curſed is he ſtill, that ſerveth the Lord with that which coſts him nothing; we cannot goe to a Playhouſe, but it will coſt ſomething, and as the place is higher or lower, ſo muſt the coſt be: And think we then, the preſenting our ſelves before the Lord in His houſe, ſhall coſt us nothing? Who made us ſo familiar? as a great perſon ſaid to one, who was too bold with him. Look childe; behold the place well, goe round about it, look in, ſee the beauty of it. Why all this beauty? It is the houſe that God hath builded for the honour of His great Name, that it is. We muſt carry our ſelves reverently there. If thou doſt heare any laughing, talking, brawling there, or ſeeſt any more irreverent carriage, know, that ſo it ſhould not be, but a Chriſtian like deportment every where. Of two extreames we ſay not which is better, being both extreme naught: But certainly it is a more ſeemly, a more becomming ſight, even a devout and humble ſuperſlition, then a prophane and bold rudeneſſe, not tolerable in a common houſe. This, as we ſaid, is Gods houſe. And yet thou muſt not conceive, that the earth, or ſtones, or wood there, ſuch materialls have any holineſſe in them, any at all: No, take heed of that vain thought. But in relation, and reference to the great things done there, the place is an holy place; Gods Name is called on there, Holy and Reverend is His Name. Tidings of great joy are heard there, the everlaſting Goſpel, that, by which we muſt be judged; by which we ſtand or fall at the laſt day; This is publiſhed there, and made knowne to the children of men. There the reproach of Aegypt is rolled away aJoſn. 5. 9.: There the Lord Chriſt doth even now at this day, as great things as He did in the dayes of His fleſh; He healed the withered arme; opened the eyes that were ſhut; made the lame to goe; great things theſe: He doth the ſame things now: He by the miniſtry of His faithfull ſervants (He is the great Prophet) doth open mens eyes, doth turn them from darkneſſe to light, and from bActs 26. 13., &c. Wonders no doubt! works for which the Lord Jeſus Chriſt ſhall be admired. c2 Theſ. 1. 10.. And can we think, we may come to Church (we may bring our bodies thither, ſo the beaſt doth too) preſent our ſelves there, ſee all theſe things done upon our ſouls, and be at no coſt? A bewitching, a befooling thought this. Certain it is, we muſt remember the Sabbath, we muſt prepare for it, (as the ancient and laudable cuſtome amongſt us did teach) we muſt retire our ſelves the night before, and they with us under our charge, we muſt ſanctifie our ſelves this night, uſing the meanes, the Lord hath appointed, and ſanctified: we muſt take paines with our heart, ſo aukward and untoward, (this is to be at coſt) if we look to ſee ſuch great things on the morrow; We muſt never forget, what Joſhuah ſpake, (we will fixe upon that Text a little, the Lord fixe it upon our hearts for ever: it will cleare unto us, that to morrow, if we doe any good at the Temple, we muſt be at ſome coſt to day) we muſt not, I ſay, forget what Joſhuah ſaid; we reade the context firſt. The Lord was about to doe great things before their eyes: His mighty Arme would make the waters of Jordan ſtand upon heaps: the Prieſts to ſtand in the midſt thereof upon firme ground, as dry as the ſtone in the ſtreet, and ſome good while they ſhould ſtand (while the people paſſed over apace) with a wall of waters at their back, like valiant men; this great work the people ſhould ſee the very next day; but yet ſee they might, and not ſee; ſee, and not perceive; ſee, and yet not lay it to heart, unleſſe they would be at coſt with themſelves, in all the meanes, and wayes of grace, and ſanctification: Therefore Joſhuah ſaid unto the people, Sanctifie your ſelves, for to morrow the Lord will doe wonders among you. This is the Text ſo notable. And the Lord write it in the tables of our hearts, and keep it as a ſure word there for ever; That we may ever remember it, and do according, when we expect the Lord ſhall doe great things in us, for us, before us, as the turning Iordan back: The turning our hearts to Him, which is in its own way like Iordan when the banks were full: The making our feet Joſh 3. 5.ſtand firme in the Covenant, when the waters of affliction are at the back, and threaten they will run over all; yet to ſtand like men of warre; yet to ſtand faſt, not yeelding an inch. When wee expect theſe great cures; theſe wonderfull deliverances; theſe mighty works; theſe unſpeakable mercies, (call them what we will, ſo we have them) wrought for or upon our ſoules, in expectation thereof we ſhould come to Church) which are the opening our eyes, The turning us from darkneſſe to light, from the power of Satan to God: The rolling away the reproach of Aegypt from off us: when I ſay we expect all this, wee muſt remember Ioſhuahs Counſell, and practiſe thereafter; Sanctifie your ſelves, for to morrow the Lord will doe wonders among you. This concernes us as much as it did the people of old; if wee are not ſanctified for the worke, it is extraordinary, if wee receive good from the worke; certainly wee muſt be at coſt with our ſelves, as the Scripture counts coſt, wee muſt take paines with our hearts, ſo plowing up our fallow ground: elſe to goe to Church is not worth our labour, for the ſeed there will fall amongſt thornes.
There was an old Ceremonie in uſe amongſt us, I will not compare it with the new, but I will ſay it was as harmleſſe, as that we call moſt harmeleſſe. The Ceremony was, To ſalt the Child at the Church doore. I hope I ſhall never dare to add or take away, to or from Gods Will, or Word, ſo much as one jot. But let me ſay, the Morall is good, and concernes all together. Every one ſhall be ſalted with fire, and every Sacrifice ſhall be ſalted with ſalt: Have ſalt in your ſelves aMarke 9 49, 50.What is the meaning of this? For ſurely we cannot ſalt with fire. The Child can tell us in a word; It is no more but this; burne out your corruptions, purge out your blood, cleanſe your ſelves from your ſilth, elſe your perſons will be no fit Sacrifice, not your prayers, nor your praiſes. Your ſpeech muſt be ſeaſoned with ſalt, then ſo all your ſervices, ſure enough. The ſumme is, we muſt Purge, cleanſe, ſanctifie our ſelves It Obj. will be ſaid, wee ſanctifie our ſelves! It is impoſſible. It is God that ſanctifies, Hee purgeth, He doth all, it will never be done elſe. That's true; God Anſw. doth all, He doth circumciſe, He waſheth, He cleanſeth, and it is His promiſe ſo to doe. But now when Hee graciouſly affordeth us the meanes, then He doth, in effect bid us, as wee reade often; Circumciſe your hearts, ſanctifie your ſelves, purge, cleanſe; here are the meanes ſanctified for this high ſervice, uſe them, and looke up to Mee, this is to circumciſe our hearts, to ſanctifie our ſelves, as when wee have ſalt, (Metaphots teach Children very much) wee muſt rub, it into our meat.
And now my fingers are upon a great ſore, a Plague-ſore. I will lay it open, that we may ſee the blood, but all the ſalt in the pariſh will not cleanſe it out, but, had we ſalt in our ſelves, that would doe it. The Reader may wonder now what I meane, a little patience, he ſhall know preſently, and the wonder will ceaſe, I ſhall tell him no more but what he knows, and every one will grant: I ſhall ſet downe the common obſervation, the ſame which he hath made, and which I have made ever ſince I was able to looke abroad, and make any obſervation, which I could doe 34. yeares agoe. I ſay I will ſet downe the obſervation of every man, who hath his eyes in his head, and can obſerve to purpoſe. Then wee ſhall heare ſome complaints, which the Reader ſhall beleeve too, if he will beleeve his owne eares. When this is done, the foundations of all our woe, and miſery will be diſcerned in point of manners, then let them come in for helpe, that will, and can. The obſervation is, That at your great Aſſemblies, where the people meet to ſerve their God, and expect to ſee thoſe great wonders (we ſpeak of) wrought there: the Servingmen for the moſt part, thoſe wicked and ſlothfull ſervants (do not pardon me, I offend not, nor have I a low eſteem of the meaneſt officer in a houſe, no, I honour him if hee bee faithfull) theſe Servingmen, fruitleſſe Creatures, very Cretians, come not to Church, or if they come they ſtay not: They come many of them, as Whifflers, to make roome for their Lords, and their Ladies, when that is done, their worke is done: out they goe, you may take them napping on their Coachboxe, or ſitting cloſe in a warmer place, with their cup at their noſe. This obſervation is common, is it not thus, even thus? Now wee muſt heare the complaint, there is no remedy. The Lord, and Lady both tell us, their Coach-man is a drunken, that is their Engliſh; hee brought them to their great friends houſe; In they went to the Parlour, the ſervant into the Cellar; when they were to returne, there was no man, he was gone they found a Beaſt in his roome, for he was not his owne man, he could not be theirs, being ſwallowed up of Wine, and ſtrong drinke.
Doe wee wonder now? no ſure. It were a wonder if it be not ſo; a wonder if they are not as plague ſoares in a houſe, firebrands there. For the ſervant went in with his Lord, and Lady, to the great mans houſe, and there hee ſate by it, till he could not well ſtand. But ſo he doth not doe, when he goes to Gods houſe, if he goes in, he goes out preſently; or ſuppoſe he ſtayes there; the polluted himſelf even then, or a lirde before in the Cellar we ſpake of, and now if wee finde him at Church, you find him aſleepe there. Now he that hath an eare, let him heare; or an hand, let him come unto helpe; or bowels, let him make lamentations. And for us Governors (high and low, rich and poore, all fall foule here) are our complaints right? can wee expect a reaſonable ſervice, from unreaſonable men? Tit. 1. 12.Can wee looke that theſe Cretians ſhould ſerve their Maſters, who rebell againſt their great Maſter in Heaven? Can wee hope, that they ſhould bee within command, and walke according to rule, who come not within the verge of the Spirits walke? That they ſhould bee wetted with the drops of Heavens raine, who came not to the place where the heavenly dew fell? or if they come, then place, and ſervice to be performed there, then the horſe hath which hee drives. Remember this, and ſhew we our ſelves men, bring it to mind ô we tranſgreſſors: And pity ſoules, our owne, and theirs, committed to our charge. Shall our ſervants be at a loſſe for ſerving us? or can we recompence to them that loſſe with the greateſt wages? Wee muſt, we muſt, wee are bound to it, being ſworne ſervants to our great Maſter, we muſt looke (to our ſelves firſt) wee muſt governe our owne houſe, walking exactly there: and then a vile perſon will be contemned, and hee that hath ſpued ſo often there, ſhall bee ſpued out. A well governed man, a good Governour, who anſwers his name, can no more endure ſuch a carcaſſe in his houſe, then the Sea can a dead corps, it is not quient till it worke the dead out.
This is of infinite concernment, let us conſider better of it. Can wee thinke, hee can give us a reaſonable ſervice, who ſwallowes Wine and ſtrong drinke till hee bee ſwallowed up of the ſame? That hee can bee faithfull to man, who robbes God of His Day, and of His ſervice every day? That he ſhould walke in a way of obedience towards his Maſter on earth, who carrieth himſelfe preſumptuouſly in a way of rebellion againſt his Maſter in Heaven? To thinke thus, is not to conſult with Reaſon. Wee muſt then according to our patterne *Pſal. 101.and rule keepe Seſſions in our owne hearts and families every day, ſo ordering our ſelves and them, as thoſe that walke under that engagement and bond of duty, if wee looke that Children and ſervants ſhall walke decently and in order. Wee muſt ſanctifie our ſelves and ours as wee heard, and then preſent our ſelves, and them before Him, who is all to us, doth all for us; wee muſt ſanctifie our ſelves to day, if wee looke for great things to morrow. And ſo I have prepared the way to Church, which was as much as I intended, and if it bee done it is enough, and it may prepare the way to our Concluſion.