The Great Duty of Self-Resignation to the Divine Will, Section 2 · Chapter 13
CHAP. XIII. Of the Example of the Apostle Saint PAUL.
XIII. THe sixth and last Example I shall mention is Blessed Paul: A follower of Christ, as he stiles himself, 1 Cor. xi. 1. And he imitated him in nothing more than in Self-Resignation.
The very first words he spake at his Conversion did speak the great preparedness of his Soul for this Grace: Lord, said he, what wilt thou have me to do? Acts ix. 6. There then shone round about him a light from Heaven above the brightness of the Sun, but a more glorious light shined into his heart; and as that light struck his Body down to the earth, so did this his Soul, and humbled it to the lowest degree of Self-abasement and submissive compliance with the Will of God.
Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? was as well the language of his heart, as the voice of his lips. And whatsoever the Will of God was that he should either do or suffer afterward, he was most pliable and yielding to it. He would will or act nothing but according to the Will of Christ. To him to live was Christ, Phil. i. 21. His own proper will was swallowed up in his will, so that he did not so much live as Christ lived in him, Gal. ii. 20.
None of the holy Writers spake more frequently or vigorously than St. Paul of the necessity of our being crucified to the world, and of having the world crucified unto us, of crucifying the flesh with the affections and lusts, of mortifying through the Spirit the deeds of the body, as being the onelyonly way to eternal life, of putting off the old man which is corrupt according to deceitful lusts: By all which expressions is meant the subduing our own will and every inordinate affection, whatsoever is contrary to the Will of God and opposite to Self-Resignation.
These things this excellent Apostle doth inculcate and press with all seriousness, and in expressions of greater significancy, of a more spiritual force and fuller energy than any forms of speech that occur in the Old Testament.
And what he thus teacheth and exhorts to, he was an eminent Example of the Practice of. He himself was crucified with Christ; he suffered the loss of all things, Gal. ii. 20.and accounted all other gains and advantages but losse and dung that he might win Christ, that he might know the power of Christ's resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death, Phil. iii. 8, 10.
He professed that it is most reasonable and becoming us, that if Christ died for us we should live to him and not to our selves, or the pleasing our own wills, and that the Love of Christ doth with a sweet force constrain hereunto; and that the mercies of God do powerfully engage us to make an entire oblation of our selves to him, which is our reasonable service. Rom. xii. 1.
And (I say) his practice and behaviour was fully agreeable to these his professions. At his first Conversion God shewed him how great things he must suffer for his names sake,Acts ix. 16. but the hardships he was to endure did not at all startle him. The Holy Ghost witnessed in every City, that bonds and afflictions did await him, but saith he, none of these things trouble me, nor count I my life dear unto my self, (and what is dearer than life?) so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry which I have received of the Lord Iesus, to testifie the Gospel of the grace of God, Acts xx. 24. And therefore he went to Ierusalem, (where he was to expect very great afflictions) foreign, bound in Spirit, constrained by a holy violence, ver. 22.
Nor could he be perswaded by those Disciples at Tyre that, by revelation from the Spirit, told him that he would incur much hazard by going up to Ierusalem, and therefore advised him not to go: Nor was he wrought upon by those other Disciples who endeavoured by their tears, added to their earnest entreaties, to stay him: But his answer to them was, What mean you to weep, and to break mine heart, for I am ready, not to be bound onelyonly, but also to die at Ierusalem, for the name of the Lord Iesus, Acts xxi. 13. And by the stedfast purpose of his Soul to be resigned to the Will of God herein, did he at last win them over to the same Resignation, ver. 14. And when he would not be perswaded we ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done.
And what severe trials he was exercised with, how many and great things he suffered, we have an account in 1 Cor. iv. 11, &c. 2 Cor. vi. 4, 5. and Chap. xi. 23, &c. in which place are mentioned together above twenty instances of his sufferings.
So far was he from living a self-pleasing life, that, if he pleased himself in any thing, it was in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christs sake, Chap. xii. 10.
So far was he from impatience and shrinking at those disposals of Providence, that he rejoyced in his sufferings, while he filled up that which was behind of the sufferings of Christ in his flesh, for his bodies sake which is the Church, Col. i. 24.
But there is one passage in St. Paul's Writings which I had chiefly in mine eye when I thought him, next to our blessed Saviour, most worthy to be presented as a Pattern for Christians to follow: And it is a passage which expresseth the great progress he had made in Self-Resignation both as to the active and passive part of it: Both as it consists in a free and entire obedience to difficult commands, and in patient bearing hard trials and sufferings.
The passage is that in Phil. iv. 11, 12, 13. I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound, every where and in all things, I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ that strengthneth me.
Of which words I may say as Ausonius of the Emperours words, O mentis aureae verba bracteata! O plated (or rich and most excellent) words, expressing a golden (or most beautiful and goodly) mind. Yea, such is the preciousness of this Wisdom, to know how to be either abased or to abound, to have learned in every condition to be content, that it is not to be valued with pure gold, with the precious Onyx or the Saphire, the price of it is above Rubies.
To know how to abound and to be full, and not deny God, not to forget and forsake him in fulness, not to be high-minded and trust in uncertain riches, not to make the abundance of these outward things to administer to pride and haughtiness, luxury and sensuality; but on the contrary, to be humble, to trust in God, and acknowledge him in all his Gifts, to be moderate in abundance, and strictly religious, this is no easie thing, 'tis a lesson that few will learn, but St. Paul had learnt it.
To know how to be abased, how to want and to be kept short, to look upon others full portions in this life without Covetousness or envying what they have, to bear adversity, to endure afflictions, losses and difficulties of all sorts without impatience and murmuring at the allotment of Providence, to be quiet and meek, and much more, to be chearful and rejoyce under all; not to love God the less, nor trust in him the less, nor to flag or be discouraged by this means in his service; this is also a difficult and uneasie lesson, but holy Paul was likewise herein instructed.
foreign, We glory in tribulations, saith this great Apostle, Rom. v. 3. Glorying is not mere joy, but joy exalted to its utmost heighth. And what a full expression is that he useth, 2 Cor. vii. 4. foreign, I do more than abound with joy in all tribulation: or, I rejoyce with a superlative joy. What a mighty Proficient was this blessed person in the School of Christ! Yea, he farther saith, that he could do all things through Christ strengthening him: And he had learned to be content not onelyonly in some conditions, but in whatsoever state: He knew how to be abased and how to want not onelyonly in some circumstances, but every where and in all things. Here was the power of Godliness indeed, and the Kingdom of God not in word but in power. And after all this he ascribes nothing to himself, but gives Christ the glory of all. He was (he saith) able to do all this through Christ strengthening him; through the power of his grace, which was sufficient for him.
This is somewhat of the much more that might be observed concerning this blessed Apostle, who, in resignation and submission to the Will of God, was one of the best Copies, and nearest the Original, that ever was drawn by the finger of God, the Holy Spirit: And, next to the Life of Christ (the fairest picture of Purity and Holiness represented by the four Evangelists) the life of Paul is set forth at large; above one half of the Acts of the Apostles being spent in his Character. Nor was it out of any vain-glorious design, nor from any undue love or valuation of himself, that he intreated others to be followers of him, as he was of Christ, but from the inward sense of the great sweetness, peace and comfort, and the many advantages he found in the imitation of him, and from the absolute necessity of this Duty. And these great reasons induced him to propound himself as a pattern particularly to the Corinthians, 1 Cor. xi. 1. Chap. iv. 16. to the Thessalonians, 2 Thess. iii. 7, 9. and to the Philippians, Chap. iii. 17. and Chap. iv. 9. Those things which ye have both learned and received, and heard and seen in me, do, and the God of peace shall be with you.
Now then, O feeble and faint-hearted Christian, take heart and courage from these great Examples, up and be doing, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. Wait upon God, and apply thy self heartily to him, that thou mayest be clothed with the same Spirit, and indued with power from on high. And as Elisha said of old:2 Kings ii. 14. Where is the Lord God of Elijah? So rouse up thy self and say, Where is the God of Paul, the God of Abraham, Iob, David, and the rest? The same God who wrought effectually in these to such an exemplary Resignation, will be mighty in thee also, if thou hast the same Spirit of faith, the same sincerity and singleness of heart. He that is mighty will magnifie thee, will do great things for thee and in thee.Heb. xiii. 8. Iesus Christ, the same yesterday and to day and for ever; what he was to St. Paul and others like him heretofore, he will be unto thee to day, and to all believing Souls for ever; such as walk in the same Spirit, and in the same steps.
Hast thou not known, Isa. xl. 28.hast thou not heard that the everlasting God fainteth not, neither is weary? Nor hath he forgotten to be gracious; but his tender mercies are the same, and the arm of his strength the same. The same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him, Rom. x. 2.
OnelyOnly take heed of being wearied and fainting in your minds, but wait on the Lord, and he shall strengthen your heart, wait I say on the Lord. You shall then be enabled to run the race that is set before you with patience; though a long and an hard race, you shall run it and not be weary, you shall walk in the most difficult paths of obedience,Isa. li. 9. and not faint. The arm of the Lord shall awake as in the ancient days, in the generations of old: As it did in the days of the forementioned Worthies: And you shall be strengthened, as they were,Col. i. 11. with all might according to his glorious power, unto all patience and long-suffering, and that with joyfulness.