The Christian Warfare Part 2, Book 1 · Chapter 4
CHAP. IIII.
Of the manner of the worlds fight, and how he assaulteth vsus, on the one side with prosperitie, and on the other side with aduersitie.
THus hauing discouered the worlds forces, and§. Sect. 1. With vvhat weapons the world assaulteth vsus. incouraged euerie Christian souldier to the fight: let vsus in the next place consider of the chiefe and most preuailing weapons which hee vseth to ouerthrow vsus, and obtaine the victorie, and the maner of his warring with vsus in the day of battell. His weapons and munition are of two sorts, either his allurements and baits, wherewith hee inticeth vsus vntounto sinne, reserued against the day of battell in the storehouse of prosperitie; or his weapons of affliction and persecution, whereby hee seeketh to daunt and discourage vsus in our Christian march, & cause vsus to make a stand, or retire back, and shamefully flee away, which he storeth vp in the armorie of aduersitie. The former may bee called his bullets and gunshot, which kill at vnawares, we not seeing or knowing who hurt vsus: the other his swords and speares, more terrible in …ight, but lesse dangerous in their vse, because being plainly subiect to our view, wee may better defend our selues against them, and repell their force, either by warding, or declining.
The manner of his warring with vsus, is either by perswading§. Sect. 2. in a cunning and deceitfull parley, or by encountringThe manner how the world fighteth with vsus. 2 King. 18. 31. 32. vsus with all his forces: in the one playing the dangerous traitor, in the other an open enemie. In the former like a subtile Rabshakeh, in his master Satans name, hee offereth vntounto vsus peace, and maketh many faire promises of great plentie and securitie vnderunder his protection, if wee will be content to lay aside our armes, and subiect our selues as slaues and vassals vntounto his gouernment. And lest these allurements might not preuaile, he mixeth threatnings, and boasteth of his great strength, whereby hee is able to ouercome by force, if fairer meanes will not perswade a yeelding; blasphemously disabling the power of our mightie God, the Lord of hosts, as though he were not able so wel to prouide for vsus, or to shield and defend vsus against his furie. But if his bewitching eloquence will not moue vsus, then hee marcheth against vsus with all his forces, and imployeth all his strength and policie to worke our ouerthrow; sometimes hiding the troupes of his temptations in the ambushments of worldly vanities, that is, either behind the high hils of ambitious honours, or in the low delightfull medowes of voluptuous pleasures, or else in the pricking thickets of thornie riches, that so he may assault vsus in our greatest securitie, and obtaine an easie victorie; and sometimes hee draweth out his forces in open view, and marcheth against vsus with a terrible armie of afflictions and persecutions, presuming to ouercome vsus through force and violence. And this is the manner of the worlds fight, wherein as you see hee leaueth no meanes vnassaied to worke his owne will, and our ouerthrow: forbeing resolued to catch and make a pray of vsus, like a cunning fisher man, he either allures vsus to swallow the hookes of sin with the baits of worldly vanities; or if he cannot so preuaile, he assaieth to driue vsus by force into his nets of perdition, beating vsus forward with the slaues of trouble and affliction; or like a dangerous theefe intending to spoile vsus of the rich treasures of Gods graces, either he cheateth and deceiueth vsus, by perswading vsus to exchange with him these precious iewels, for some counterfeite trifles and base worldly vanities; or if his cosening cunning preuaile not, like a strong theefe by the high way side, hee will cruelly assault vsus, and endeuour to …bbe vsus by force and violence. So that it behoueth the Christian man alwaies carefully to watch and to stand vponupon his guard, both in the time of prosperitie and aduersitie, that he be not either allured with the one, or oppressed with the other, either inticed with worldly baits toNec prospera vita eligenda est, & sola aduersa deuitāda, sed vtsaque cavenda est; illa ne corrumpat, ista ne frangat. August. enar. in Psal. 74. fall into the nets of destruction, or discouraged in his course of Christianitie, with troubles and afflictions.
And thus hauehave I shewed how the world on eueryevery side assaulteth vsus; on the right hand with prosperitie, on the left hand with aduersitie; before vsus he setteth the bewitching baits of worldly vanities, to intice vsus forward in the broad way of destruction; behinde, hee pursueth vsus with terrors and feares, that so we may not dare to looke backe; and if§. Sect. 3. That prosperitie is good in it own nature. we seeme but to make a stand, he whippeth vsus forward with the sharp and many stringed whip of crosses and afflictions. Now let vsus more specially descend to speake of the▪ worlds tentations, and of the meanes to arme our selues against them, beginning with the tentations of prosperitie, and then afterwards descending to the tentations of aduersitie. And lest wee should vndescreetly cast away the sound with the rotten, and declaime against Gods blessings, because of the worlds abuse; let vsus consider what this prosperitie is, and how we are to esteeme of it in it owne nature, and how it becommeth the worlds assistant, through his abuse and our corruption, to worke our ouerthrow. Prosperitie therefore is nothing else but a confluence or concurrence of al earthly and temporall benefits; as the fauour and friendship of men, health, wealth, peace, libertie, honour, pleasure, and the like. Now if we would know how to esteeme of it, we must consider what it is in it owne nature, and what in our vse. In it owne nature it is good, because it is the gift and blessing of God, which hee bestoweth vponupon his owne seruants, as a reward of their louelove and obedience. So the Psalmist saith, that aPsal. 119. 165.they who louelove Gods law shall hauehave great prosperitie, and they shall hauehave no hurt. And the Lord exhorteth the people of Israel bDeut. 29. 9. and 6. 18. 2. King. 2. 3.to keepe the words of his couenant, that they might prosper in all that they should doe: to the same purpose are diuers other places. The giuer therfore doth sufficiently commend the gift, and comming from him as a reward it must needes be good. Secondly, the Lord loueth and taketh cPsal. 35. 27.delight in the prosperity of his seruants, as the Psalmist plainly affirmeth; and it is the good of his Saints, and not their hurt, wherewith he is so well pleased. Thirdly, prosperitie in it self is a motiue cause to make vsus rēder to the Lord praises & thanksgiuing, and is the subiect matter of our Hymnes and religiousPsal. 116. 12. …3 songs, as may plentifully appeare in the booke of Dauids Psalmes: now as it is good to praise God, so that is good for which wee praise him. Fourthly, the seruants of God hauehave prayed vntounto him for this prosperitie, and that both for themselues, and also for the whole Church. Of the former wee hauehave an example: Psal. 118. 25. O Lord I pray thee saue Psal. 118. 25.now: O Lord I pray thee giuegive now prosperitie. Of the other: Psal. 122. 7. Peace be within thy walles, and prosperitie within Psal. 122. 7.thy palaces. Lastly, it is made a signe of Gods fauourable presence with his seruants, and thus the Lord is said to hauehave been with Ioseph, for whatsoeuer he did he made it to prosper. SoGen. 39. 2. 23. it is said of Dauid, that he prospered and grew, for the Lord God 2. Sam. 5. 10.of hosts was with him. And of Ezechias, that the Lord was with him, and he prospered in all things which he tooke in hand.
And thus it appeareth that prosperitie in it selfe is good:§. Sect. 4. That prosperitie in respect of our vse, is of an indifferēt nature. but being considered in our vse, it is not absolutely good, but indifferent, both in respect of the subiect and the vse; for it is good to the good, euill to the euill; good to those who well vse it, and euill in those who abuse it vntounto sinne. In the former respect prosperitie is good when it is enioyed by a faithful man, who being in Christ, hath recouered that right in all Gods blessings which we lost in Adam. In the other, when it commeth vntounto him by lawfull meanes, as the gift and blessing of God; and being enioyed, is sanctified vntounto him by the word of God and prayer: as also when as it is moderatly loued and desired, with a willingnes to hold it, as long as God will, and wee may by lawfull meanes; and with contentednes to leaue it, when it pleaseth God to takeIob 1. 21. it from vsus. Finally, it is good when as it is vsed and imployed for the aduancement of Gods glorie, who is the fountaine and giuer of it, the benefit of the faithfull, and the furthering of our owne saluation. And if any such enioy prosperitie and thus vse it, in this manner, and to these ends, it is to bee accounted vntounto them Gods singular blessing, and as a temporall pledge of eternall happinesse. But contrariwise, prosperitie is euill to the wicked and vnregenerate, who hauehave no right vntounto Gods creatures, as also when it is vnlawfully compassed, and naughtily vsed, as when it is immoderately loued and desired, namely, aboue God, his heauenly blessings, and spirituall graces: for as one saith, it is the concupiscence Plus concupiscentia mundi quaus substantia nocet. Bernard. in▪ Mat. 19of the world, and not the world it selfe that hurteth vsus. So also when as we so dote vponupon it, that we cannot with patience thinke of leauing it, and immoderately mourne when it is taken from vsus; which carefull possession and not simply the vse is condemned. To this purpose the Heathen man speaketh diuinely: A wise man (saith he) would hauehave these Ait ista debere contemni; non ne habeat▪ sed ne sollicitus habeat; non a…iget illa à se, sed abeuntia securus prosequetur, &c. Senec de vita beat. cap. 21.things contemned, not that they should not be had, but that they should not be possessed with care; he will not driue them away from him, but if they be going he will follow them securely, &c. He loueth not riches, but he had rather hauehave them then be without them; hee receiueth them not into his heart, but into his house; neither doth he refuse them being possessed, but keepeth them, and desireth to hauehave more large matter or fuell ministred to exercise his vertue. Finally, prosperitie is euill to those who are thereby made more forgetfull of God, and negligent in performing the duties of his seruice, more iniurious to men, and more slack in vsing the meanes of their saluation. But of these points I shall hauehave occasion to speake more hereafter when I intreate of the chiefe parts of this prosperitie.
And thus wee are to distinguish betweene prosperitie it§. Sest. 5. That we are apt to abuse our prosperitie vntounto sinne. selfe which is good, and the abuse thereof which is euill; in which respect alone we are to esteeme it the worlds friend and assistant, whereby he tempteth vsus, and our enemie, which we must labour to ouercome: and therefore for distinction sake, let vsus, if you please, in this discourse call it worldly and carnall prosperitie, because it is abused as a tentation of the world, to inflame our corrupt flesh with concupiscence and sinne. VntoUnto which abuse we are naturally exceeding prone: for as fruite is vntounto a childe, libertie to the licentious, cockring louelove to an vndutiful sonne, a sword to a mad man, beautie to the lasciuious, and good drinke to a filthie drunkard, such is worldly prosperitie vntounto vsus. And hence it is that the Lord like a wise Physition (feeling our pulse, and finding that our nature inclineth vsus to this pluririsie of prosperitie, whereby our braines are so intoxicated, as wee forget God and all goodnesse) doth purposely labour to preuent it, and maketh wholesome preseruatiues of admonitions to keepe vsus from it, in many places of holie Scriptures, as hereafter we shall see. In the meane while we may obserue the exceeding corruption of our vile nature, which so poysoneth and infecteth Gods good gifts & blessings, that they become causes and occasions of euill: and whereas the Lord through the infinite goodnesse of his nature, bringeth good out of euill, and by afflictions, which are ill in their own nature, worketh our good euen our conuersion, sanctification & saluation, we contrariwise through the diuellish tainture of our sinne turne good into euill, and out of Gods benefits, and rich blessings, worke our owne woe, and hasten and set forward (vnlesse God preuent vsus with his grace) our owne destruction and damnation.