Gods Husbandry, Sermon 2 · Chapter 14
CHAP. XIIII. The ſecond vſe of the poynt, to comfort them that are pruned.
HEarken therefore, Vſe 2 all ye ſeruants of God,Comfort to them that finde pruning. whom hee hath pleaſed to purge and cleanſe, and whiten, whoſe corruptions hee hath much abated and ſubdued: hearken you, I ſay, and accept of that portion of comfort which the Lord doth allot you. Doe you not finde in your ſelues that ſelfe-ſame operation of God, which our Sauiour heere doth appropriate to liuing branches? why then, collect a ioyfull aſſurance to your ſelues, that you are indeed true members of Chriſt, ſeeing that the Lord hath pleaſed to make you knowne for ſuch, by doing that for you, which hee doth performe for all true Chriſtians, and onelyonly for them.
I confeſſe that there is a kinde of cleanſing,A kind of cleanſing may befall an vnſanctified man. which is not from Gods ſanctifying Spirit, ſuch as hath bin found euen in Heathen men, without the Church, and without Chriſt. This is ſuch a leauing of ſome one or other outward groſſe ſin as ariſeth from age or miſery, or other like naturall cauſes: the heart, in the generall diſpoſition, ſtill remaining the ſame; for a mans owne rod may ſo beate him, as the common Prouerbe ſpeaketh, that he may be forced from thoſe euill practices which once he followed: as the vnthrifty man, after he hath waſted his eſtate almoſt to the bottome, and perceiueth penury comming againſt him, may ſo farre returne to himſelfe, as to ceaſe to bee riotous; and the theeſe that hath beene frighted once or twice with the narrow eſcape of hanging, may ceaſe to giuegive himſelfe ouer to theeuery; and the man whoſe age and bodily decay doth not ſerue the turne to performe his vnchaſte pleaſures, may ceaſe to follow harlots; and ſo in other like particulars. This departing from a few outward acts of euill, the heart remaining ſtill impoyſoned with the wonted inward diſorders, or other as bad, is not the cleanſing which the Lord doth afford to the true branches of the Vine, neither may any man intitle himſelfe to the comfort wee hauehave in hand, from ſuch a maimed kind of reformation. But if any man doe finde himſelfe cleanſed in ſoule from the louelove and liking of all known euils proportionably, that what by the Word, what by afflictions, or ſuch like meanes, hee hath been made to take notice of more corruptions in himſelfe, then euer before he thought to hauehave beene there, and ſeeing the ſame, to deteſt them, and abhorre himſelfe for them before God, crauing his ſtrength and power to reforme them; and by crauing ſtrength, hath obtained at Gods hands, though not a totall releaſe from theſe corruptions, yet a great decay of them, and a farre greater ability to leaue them, then in former time: Let theſe men reioyce in the liuing God, and take this worke of his Spirit in them, for an aſſured proofe of their being truly ingraffed into the body of Chriſt. Thoſe that doe mortifie the deeds of the fleſh by the Spirit, they ſhall liue; thoſe that are crucified together with Chriſt, ſhall raigne with him, and hauing beene made conformable to his death, ſhall alſo be made conformable to his glory. Wherefore as Samſon fed on the honey which he found in the carkaſe of the Lion that hee had ſlaine; ſo let all Gods people feede vponupon the comfort which growes vntounto them from the ſinnes that they hauehave ouercome. For doubtleſſe, nothing is more auailable to increaſe the worke of mortification, then with ioy to looke vponupon the good beginnings thereof, and comfortably to behold the dying of ſinne, that a man may ſay to himſelfe, Loe now, mine inward and ſpirituall enemies are ſmitten downe before me, and become like foes that are put to flight, and many of them ſlaine in the chaſe. When a man lookes into himſelfe, and comparing himſelfe with himſelfe, findes, that by Gods grace, ſuch and ſuch euils doe leſſe preuaile within him then they were wont; yea, that now the leaſt motions of them are more hatefull to him, then formerly ſome groſſe outward faultings therein; and that the inclinations of that kind which hee feeleth in himſelfe, are either fewer, or weaker, or both, that hee ſooner ſpyeth, more heartily and inwardly lamenteth and condemneth, more carefully and diligently reſiſteth and oppoſeth them, at leaſt is much more humbled and abaſed to himſelfe by meanes of them, then formerly: This is to be pruned, and this is a true ſigne of a liuely branch in the true Vine Chriſt Ieſus. Neither let the people of God take leſſe comfort in this pruning, becauſe it is not totall, nor all at once; but if they finde it to goe forward, though ſlowly and by ſmall degrees, and to hauehave been attained by their ſpirituall induſtry in the vſe of ſpirituall meanes: now let them clap their hands and triumph in God, ſaying, Through God I hauehave done valiantly, for he hath troden downe mine enemies that roſe vp againſt me. We muſt not ſuffer our ſelues to be ſo much vexed with the remainders of our corruptions, as to depriue the Lord of the glory, and our owne ſoules of the comfort which wee might reape from the beginning of their ouerthrow: but muſt make our ſelues exceeding glad of this their firſt falling before vsus, that ſo we may more aſſuredly conclude as they doe concerning Haman, when he began to fall before Mordecai, that he ſhould not preuaile, but ſhould ſurely fall quite before him. When wee obſerue the fruits of our faith, as meanes to confirme our faith, and the good workes of Gods grace, as arguments to aſſure vsus that wee are receiued into the ſtate of grace; this is an excellent meanes to make theſe fruits of faith, and workes of grace to grow ſtronger and ſtronger in vsus. An heart cheered vp in beholding and acknowledging the goodneſſe of God, that hath in ſome meaſure bleſſed his indeuour againſt ſinne, ſhall bee greatly furthered in this ſpirituall combate. It animates ſouldiers to fight: when as Ionathan ſpeaketh concerning Sauls ſouldiers, they eate the ſpoyle of their enemies: but when they doe keepe themſelues faſting, as it were, like as Saul did his ſouldiers, pretending thereby to make them more eager in following the chaſe; this makes them to be faint and weary, and ſo doth very much hinder the ſlaughter of the foe. Wherefore, ye Chriſtian ſouldiers, that hauehave fought manfully vnderunder Chriſt your Lord, with the weapons of the Word and Prayer, and the like, and hauehave found that your holy meditations and prayers hauehave diminiſhed the force of your corruptions, in ſome good meaſure eate you the ſpoyle of your ſpirituall enemies; comfort your ſelues in the ſence of this good worke, and with great contentment of ſpirit, conclude for your ſelues that you are true branches, becauſe the Husbandman doth beſtow the paynes of pruning vponupon you.