The Christian Warfare Part 2, Book 2 · Chapter 7
CHAP. VII.
Of the signes whereby we may know whether we bee infected with the louelove of the world.
ANd to this purpose shall the following discourse§. Sect. 1. The first signe i… to think on these earthly vanities with greatest pleasure and vnwearied delight. chiefly tend, namely, to perswade all Christians to contemne these worldly vanities, when as eithey are baites to allure vsus vntounto sinne; or doe weane our hearts from the louelove of God, heauen and heauenlie things, by inueigling our affection, and enticing vsus to louelove and set our hearts more vponupon them, then vponupon those inualuable iewels, and most rich treasures. In which argument that I may proceed with more profit and perspicuitie; and may more effectuallie cure this running canker, and contagious plague of worldly louelove, which hath most perniciously spread it selfe abroad, and infected almost all men, not onelyonly prophane worldlings, but euen those who would be esteemed sincere professours, and sound Christians; I will follow the Physitians methode, and first set downe the symptomes and signes of this disease, and then afterwards the remedies, that so we may know whether we be tainted with this contagion, and if we be, then how to cure it. The signes whereby we may know whether wee be infected with the louelove of the world and worldly vanities, preferring them before spirituall and heauenly excellencies are diuers. First, those things which we most esteeme and louelove, on those we most often thinke, and that with vnwearied delight and chiefest comfort: for as our Sauiour Christ saith, there as the treasure is, there will the heart be also. AndMatth. 6. 21. thus doth the exile take his chiefe delight and comfort, in thinking of his owne Countrie; the louer of his beloued; the ambitious man of honours and preferments; the couetous man of his riches; the voluptuous man of his pleasures and delights; reuoluing in their minds, either how they may obtaine, retaine, or augment and increase them. And contrariwise, those who most esteeme and affect heauen, and heauenly things, they take their chiefe delight in meditating of those vnspeakeable ioyes reserued for them in their Countrie, or of the meanes whereby they may be assured to attaine vntounto them. Let therfore eueryevery man examine himself before the tribunall feate of God, and call his owne conscience to witnesse, whether he thinke more, and with greater ioy and comfort vponupon God, or vponupon the world, heauen or earth, those eternall ioies, or these momentanie vanities. For if God and heauenly things, be the chiefe obiect of our meditations, then do we esteeme thē our chief treasures, seeing our harts, and affections are set vponupon them. But contrariwise, if it be our chiefe comfort and delight, to think on the world and worldly vanities, and if our meditations doe continually runne on them with vntired wearinesse, taking no pleasure at all to call to mind those spirituall treasures, and heauenly excellencies; or if we chance to thinke of them, this thought be as suddenly vanished, as a flash of lightning; it is a most manifest signe, that our treasures are not in heauen, but vponupon the earth, that we louelove the world better then God, and more esteeme of these transitorie trifles, then of that eternall happinesse in Gods Kingdome.
Secondly, that which a man best lo…eth, of that he most§. Sect. 2. The second si…ne is to speake of them with greatest delight and comfort. Mat. 12. 34 35. Lingua …st animi Mercurius. talketh and speaketh, with greatest comfort, and vnwearied delight; either commending, o… …miring it, or finally conferring of the meanes whereby he may compasse and inioy it; for as our Sauiour teacheth vsus, out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh. And the tongue is the interpreter of the mind; and consequently by the tongues language, wee may easilie gesse at the hearts meaning. As therefore the doore-keeper said vntounto Peter, thou art surely of Galilee, for thy speech bewraieth thee: so when a man taketh his whole delight in worldly and carnall communication, wee may conclude, that he is a citizen of the world, because his speech bewraieth him: for as when the clocke within is disordered, and the wheeles out of frame, the hammer and bell must needs giuegive a false sound: so when our hearts are inwardly disordered and corrupted with worldlinesse and prophanenes, our speech outwardly accordeth with them. So the Apostle Iohn saith, that because they are worldlings, therefore speake ther of the world, and the world heareth them. 1. Iohn 4. 5. Esa 32. 6.Thus as the Prophet Esay telleth vsus, the niggard will talke of niggardnesse; and thus the ambitious man taketh his chiefe delight to speake of his honours and preferments; the couetous man of riches, the voluptuous man of his pleasures and delights: In a word, whosoeuer hath his mind chiefly delighted with the worlds musicke, he hath his tongue also tuned to the same key; and taketh his ioy and comfort in speaking of nothing, but of the world, and worldly vanities. But on the other side, when once our minds are weaned from the world, and when we hauehave laid vp our chiefe treasures in heauen; when we esteeme God our soules sole and chiefe delight, and with the Prophet Dauid account the Lord ourPsalm. 3. 3. and 62. 7. glory and reioyoing, when our chiefe comfort is in that assurance which we hauehave of our heauenly inheritance, and of the eternall ioies of Gods Kingdome; then doe wee take our chiefe ioy and comfort, in talking and conferring of such matters as concerne the sauing knowledge of God, then do heauenly discourses replenish our heart with delight, and then is it our chiefe comfort and contentment, to speake of the excellencie and riches of our blessed patrimonie reseruedSermo est imago animi; qualis est vir, talis oratio. for vsus, or of the meanes how wee may further be assured that we shall inherit and enioy it. Let therefore our tongues be the touchstone of our hearts, whereby wee may easily discerne whether they be of heauenly mettall or of earthly drosse. And let vsus examine our owne consciences, whether we take our chiefe delight and comfort in speaking of these heauenly things, and desire to frequent their company most, who vsually intertaine vsus with such diuine discourses; and whether in hearing and talking of them, wee be not glutted with satietie, but rather affected with cheereful alacritie, and tickled with inward ioy. And if we finde that wee can abide this triall, wee may be assured to our comfort, that the Lord is our chiefe louelove and delight, and that our treasures are not on earth, but in our heauenly countrie the kingdome of God. But if wee find our selues vnacquainted with this language of Canaan, and take no more delight to heare it, then some vnknowne speech: If after a word or two spoken of these spirituall and heauenly excellencies, wee are straight glutted with loathing satietie, and offer occasion of some other talke; it plainly discouereth our inward corruption, and euidently sheweth, that our hearts and affections are not set vponupon God, and the riches of his kingdome, but doe chiefly esteeme, and most feruently louelove, the things of this life, the world, and worldly vanities.
But heere some may obiect, that if much thinking and§. Sect. 3. In what sense our much thinking and speaking of vvorldlie things are signes of the louelove of the world. speaking of the things of this world, be infallible signes, that wee louelove them more then God, and the ioyes of his kingdome, then who can be acquitted of this corruption, seeing the vsuall matter of meditation, and the most ordinarie theame whereon all men discourse, are their earthly affaires, and the things of this life. To which I answere, that whilest we remaine here, we are more flesh then spirit; and therefore it is no maruell if our discourses be for the most part worldly and carnall: but yet wee must take heed that wee doe not please our selues in our corruptions, but labour to mortifie and subdue thē, and to accustome and inure our hearts and tongues, to meditate and talke of spirituall and heauenly matters, as being of chiefest worth and excellencie. And if we thus doe, then can we not be said to louelove the world more then God, although wee talke more of it: for not simplie to thinke and speake more of these things, doth shew that we louelove and affect them more, but to thinke and speake of them with greatest delight and chiefest comfort. For seeing the obiects both of our meditations and speeches, are offered vntounto them by the ministerie of the senses, it is no maruell though we think and speake more of sensible things, though we lesse esteeme them, the of those heauenly excellencies, which are onelyonly intellectuall, and not subiect to the senses, although we must value them in our iudgements, and affect them with our louelove. Againe, our ordinarie callings and necessarie affaires of this life, do inforce vsus ordinarily and commonly to thinke and speake of them, more then of spirituall and heauenly things; but hereof it followeth not, that wee louelove them more then they, for there is great difference betweene doing a thing often vponupon necessitie, and doing it with chiefe comfort and delight. The workman thinketh more of his worke and tooles, the husbandman of his husbandrie, the painter of his picture and colours, then of their beloued wiues and most deare children; but yet it followeth not, that they affect them with more louelove, seeing the reason hereof is, because these things are continually subiect to their senses, and the obiect of their labors and imployments; and not because they most esteeme them in their iudgements.
Thirdly, we louelove those things most, which we most desire§. Sect. 4. The third signe is when we most desire these earthly things, take most care and paines in compassing thē▪ to enioy, and bestow greatest paines and studie to obtaine our desire; for according to the measure of our louelove in affecting, is our zeale in desiring, and our care and labour in seeking that which we so much affect and desire. And this also is ioyned with an earnest endeuour, to vse all meanes which may further vsus, and to auoid all impediments which might hinder vsus in attaining vntounto that, which with such great zeale we desire and seeke. VntoUnto which we may adde an inuincible patience, in suffering and induring all things, for the enioying of that which wee esteeme and louelove. For (as one saith) eueryevery wicked worldling is so much more patient and strong, to indure August. de patient. lib. c. 17. tom. 4.any euils, by how much the louelove of the world doth more abound in him; and eueryevery righteous man is so much more constant and couragious to endure any miseries, by how much hee is more inflamed with the louelove of God. But the louelove of the world hath his beginning from our free choice, his progresse from the delight of pleasure, his strength from the bond of custome: but the louelove of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost. And thus worldly men aboue all things desire worldly vanities, thinking no care and studie too much, nor paines too great, for the atchieuing of their desire; tyring their wits, spending their sweate, and strength, yea consuming their bodies, and exposing themselues to all dangers, that they may attaine vntounto their worldly hopes; in the meane time neuer thinking of the saluation of their soules, much lesse endeuouring to vse those meanes whereby they may bee assured of it. And thus the ambitious man aboue all things desireth honors and preferments, and consumeth his state, relinquisheth al pleasures, bendeth his whole studies, spareth for no labour, and runneth himselfe into most desperate perils, that he may attaine vntounto them; the couetous man also holdeth the same courses, neglecting his credit, and contemning all delights, that hee may scrape together riches. And the voluptuous man, careth not by lust, surfetting, and drunkennes to make himself more vile and contemptible then a bruit beast; neither spareth he for any cost, but consumeth his estate, that he may spend the time present in delight and sensualitie. And why is this, but because eueryevery one affect their seueral obiects with their chief louelove, and therefore thinke nothing too much which either they bestow or suffer for the enioying of them. And contrariwise, they who like the wise Merchant most esteeme and louelove the precious pearle of Gods kingdom, his sauing truth, and the ioyes of heauen, they will not sticke to sell all the world, with the pleasures, riches, and preferments thereof,Matth. 13. 45. that they may compasse and procure them. According to this signe therefore let vsus examine our louelove, whether it be more set vponupon God, or vponupon the world; and this may easilie be determined, if we consider whether we doe more earnestly desire the fauour and the assurance of our owne saluation, or the fruition of worldly vanities; whether we bestow greater studie, cost and labour, in seeking after Gods spirituall graces and eternall ioyes, and indure all this paines with more patience; or in attaining vntounto the pleasures and profits of this life. Finally, whether wee could be content either neuer to hauehave, or soone to leaue, whatsoeuer in the earth is deare vntounto vsus, if the time of triall should come; rather then we would not purchase the precious pearle, euen Gods louelove and our owne saluation. And lest our secure consciences should deceiue vsus, with a false conceit of this true louelove, let vsus further examine it according to the second point, namely, whether with more care and diligence we desire and seeke after those meanes, whereby we may be assured that we shall obtaine these spirituall graces and heauenly happines, which is a liuely faith, with a godly and sanctified life (for sanctification assureth vsus of our iustification, vocation, election, and consequently of our saluation) or the meanes whereby wee may attaine vntounto our earthly desires. And then againe, whether we doe with more circumspection and indeuour auoid those impediments, which might hinder vsus from obtaining the heauenly treasures of Gods kingdom, namely our sinnes and the transgression of Gods commandements, which are that wall of separation betweene God and vsus; or those hindrances and lets which crosse our worldly desires. And if in these respects our consciences iustifie vsus, then doe we surely louelove God better then the world; and preferre heauenly happinesse, before earthly prosperitie. But on the other side, if our consciences witnesse against vsus, that wee desire more worldly vanities, then eternall glorie; that wee wholly neglect this, and bestow all our studie, cost and labour in seeking and procuring of the other, that wee can willingly finde in our hearts by committing of sinne to make a forfeiture of our heauenly inheritance, so as wee may obtaine by it some earthly profit or delight; and finally, that we more carefully auoid the impediments which crosse our worldly desires, then sinne which like a stumbling block in the way hindreth our passage into our heauenly countrie; then doe wee more esteeme, and more dearely louelove the world and worldly vanities, then the Lord himselfe, and the eternall ioyes of his kingdome.
Lastly, that which we most esteeme and louelove, we also take§ Sect. 5. The fourth signe is when we take most ioy in keeping, and most griefe in losing them. in it most ioy and contentment, and therefore are more carefull still to keepe it whilest we hauehave it, and bewaile the losse thereof with greatest griefe, when as it is taken from vsus. The ambitious man most reioyceth in the vaine glorie of the world, and careth not to lose his life that he may preserue his honour, accounting it the bitterest death to liue disgraced: The couetous man most glorieth and reioyceth in his riches, & is content to hazard his soule, rather then his wealth. The voluptuous man most reioyceth in his pleasures, and would rather sell both earthly and heauenly patrimonies, then he would be d…priued of his sensuall delights. And according to their ioy in keeping them, such is their feare of losing them, and answerable to both is their sorrow and griefe, when as they are taken from them. On the other side, they whose hearts are inflamed with the fire of Gods louelove, doe most reioyce in him, and in the assurance of his louelove and merciemercy towards them; and making most precious account of this iewell, they had rather lose the whole world then Gods fauour, or the testimonies thereof in their owne consciences; and g…ieue more when hauing fallen into sinne, they want the ioy of their saluation, and doe not apprehend the louelove of God, nor sensibly discerne the beames of his fauour shining into their hearts, as they hauehave done before times, then if they were depriued of all the honours, riches, and pleasures of the world. Let eueryevery one therefore according to this signe examine himselfe; and if vponupon triall wee finde, that God is our principall ioy, and that wee most reioyce in his saluation; if with the Prophet Dauid wee had rather see the light of Gods countenance shining vponupon vsus,Psal 4. 6. 7. then that men should shew vsus any worldly good; and when it appeareth, hauehave more ioy of heart, then worldly men hauehave when their wheate and oyle abound; if in this we can with him rather place our blessednesse, that the Lord is our God, Psal. 144 …15.then in the enioying of all the prosperitie of the world; if we hauehave greater care of retaining the fauour of God, and assurance of our owne saluation, and feare of losing it, then of these worldly vanities; and answerably doe vse the meanes, indeuouring aboue all things to leade a godly and sanctified life, whereby our assurance of them is more and more confirmed; and contrariwise to keepe our consciences vnspotted of any wilfull, knowne, or presumptuous sinnes, whereby it is weakened and impaired: And if besides our purpose hauing fallen into these sinnes, and thereby hazarded our chiefe ioyes, we can with more bitter griefe bewaile it, then any worldly shame and danger which wee incurre thereby; crying out with Dauid: Make me O Lord to heare ioy and Psal. 51. 8. 12.gladnesse, that the bones which thou hast broken may reioyce; restore me to the ioy of thy saluation, and stablish me with thy free spirit: then may wee be assured to our comfort, that the Lord is our chiefe louelove, and that we esteeme him aboue the world, and worldly vanities. But if contrariwise wee little reioyce in God, but take all our comfort and solace in earthly things; if we feare the losse of our worldly wealth, pomp, and pleasure, and care not for the losse of Gods louelove and fauour; if wee neuer endeuour to leade a Christian life, nor take any paines in mortifying our sinnes and corruptions, that we may attaine vntounto the assurance of Gods louelove and our owne saluation; and thinke no care or paines too much to preserue and secure our worldly profits and delights; if wee doe not mourne for our sinnes, because by them wee hauehave displeased God, and hazarded the losse of his fauour, but only in regard of some worldly punishment, which doth accompanie them; and can heartily grieue when wee are depriued of earthly vanities, and hauehave no sorrow at all when by sinne we hauehave lost the assurance of Gods louelove, and of our heauenly inheritance in his kingdome, wee make it manifest that our hearts and affections are groueling vponupon the earth, and that we louelove the world more then God.
It cannot indeed bee denied, but that in respect of sense§. Sect. 6. In what sense our ioy and griefe about these earthly things, are sign…s of our louelove of the world. and feeling a man may more reioyce in worldly things, then in God, and heauenly excellencies, & answerably may hauehave more care, feare and griefe about the keeping and losing of them, then the other; and yet may truly louelove and reioyce in God, and grieue for his sinnes, because he hath displeased him; for as we are more flesh then spirit, so our carnall affections and passions, are more strong and violent about fleshlie and carnall things, then about things diuine and spirituall: both because we hauehave more corruption then grace in vsus, and also because these earthly things which are naturall and sensible, both in their inioying and in their losse, doe more sensibly affect our naturall affections. Whereas our affections towards God and heauenly things are spirituall and supernaturall; and the things which we thus affect diuine and heauenly; in both which respects, they are not so sensible as the other. And therefore the truth of our louelove, reioycing, feare and sorrow, about heauenly and earthly things, is not to be measured by our senses, their quantitie, and violence of our passions, but according to their simplicitie and sincerity. But yet if in our sense, or in the quantitie and degree, our ioy in the world exceed our ioy in God, and our sorrow for earthly losses, be more strong and violent, then it is for sin, and the losse of Gods fauour, it cannot be denied, but that it proceedeth from the strength and violence of our naturall corruptions, and that wee hauehave the like corruption in our louelove, which in respect of the ardencie and heate, affecteth earthly things more then heauenly. And therefore taking notice hereof, that we louelove the world more then God, and that wee set our affections more vponupon earthly vanities, then vponupon heauenly excellencies, we must not rest contented with our imperfections and corruptions, and applaud our selues, because wee hauehave in vsus the louelove of God in some measure, and (though not in the heate of our affections, yet) in the soundnesse of our iudgements we more esteeme him, but we must labour earnestly to perfect our wants, and to mortifie our corruptions, and neuer to be at quiet, but still aspiring from one degree to another, til at last we attaine vntounto that degree of perfection and sanctification, that wee can louelove and reioyce in God, more then in the world, and grieue more for his displeasure, then for any earthly losse, and that both in quantitie and degree, and in our owne sense and feeling. For otherwise if these affections which we thinke sanctified, and in truth, doe standat a stay, and we be contented with that weake and imperfect measure, hauing not so much as a desire or indeauor, that they go forward and increaso; it is a manifest signe that there is neither truth nor sanctification in them; but that they are false and counterfeit; seeing al true grace is either in the growth, or at least, desireth and laboureth in the means, whereby it may grow to more perfection.