The Christian Warfare Part 2, Book 3 · Chapter 1
CHAP. I.
That we should not set our hearts on the world and worldly things, because we are but pilgrims and strangers on earth.
HAuing through the blessing of God§. Sect. 1. That all the faithfull from time to time hauehave acknowledged themselues pilgrims and strangers. and his gracious assistance, handled the first generall part of this treatise; it now followeth that I proceed to the second: And that as I hauehave formerly shewed, that the world and worldly things are not much to bee esteemed and affected in themselues; so I now also proue, that though in their owne worth, and in respect of those who are citizens of the world they were of some value; yet not vntounto vsus who professe the name of Christ; and that in a twofold respect; first, because we are but strangers and pilgrims on earth; and secondly, because wee are citizens of heauen, and heires of farre better hopes. The former may appeare by the acknowledgement of the saints and seruants of God from time to time. Of whom it is said generally, thatHeb. 11. 13. they confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. So the Apostle saith in the name of all the saints, that they Hab. 13. 14.had here no continuing city, but that they sought one to come. And more especially hee saith of Abraham the father of the faithfull, that he abode in the land of promise as …n a strange countrie, as one that dwelt intents with Isaac and I…ob▪ heir…s Heb. 11. 9.with him of the same promise. Thus Iacob both in the behalfe of himselfe and his ancestors calleth the daies of their liuesGen. 47. 9. the daies of their pilgrimage. And holy Dauid in many places1. Chron. 29. 15. Psal. 39. 12. & 119. 19. confesseth the same, both of himselfe, and his fathers also: We are (saith he) strangers before thee and soiourners like all our fathers, our daies are like the shadow vponupon the earth, and there is no abiding. The which as it is manifest by the Scriptures, so also may it be demonstrated by euident reason; for that is to bee esteemed a mans countrie, where his chiefe friends and kindred remaine, where his liuing and substance doe lie, where he is to spend the most part of his life, where he hath most contentment, and best entertainment. But the faithfull hauehave all their kindred in heauen, sauing some few who are pilgrims with them on the earth; for there is not onelyonly their heauenly father, Christ Iesus their elder brother, with all their ancestors who ha…e formerly liued, but innumerable other brethren and sisters, who are together with them children to the same spirituall father; there also they hauehave their chiefe treasures and patrimonies, euen an inherit…nce vndefiled, and that fadeth not away, as the Apostle1. Pet. 1. 4. speaketh; there they are to spend all their liues, sauing a few daies in which they are to finish their pilgrimage, which though they were equall to the age of Methuselah, yet were they not so much as a minute in comparison of eternitie: Finally, there they hauehave best entertainment, and most contentment, because there al teares shall be wiped away from their eyes, and there they shall hauehave mansion houses, inheritances, crownes of glory, and fulnesse of ioy for euermore; whereas contrariwise the world affordeth them nothing but vaine and worthlesse trifles, vncertaine possessions, and vnprofitable gifts; and that with the mixture of innumerable miseries, crosses, losses, troubles, discontentments, afflictions, and malicious persecutiōs. The which is not to be vnderstood of all men generally; for as for worldlings they hauehave here their citie and their paradise; but of the faithfull onelyonly, who hauehaveAmbros. in Psal. 118. Serm. 3. Phil. 3. 20. renounced earthly pleasures, carnal lusts, and worldly concupiscence. And (as one saith) he is to be reputed a stranger vponupon earth, who can truely say that his conuersation is in heauen, who hath his portion in the Lord, who can inwardly grieue that he liueth but too long in this place of pilgrimage and banishment, who is tired with the tediousnes of this life, and is glutted & loatheth ye length & prolixity of his earthly habitation, it being contrary to his desire, & enforcing him often to crie out, woe be to them that dwell vponupon the earth; who feareth not to be dissolued, and if he be, presumeth that he shall be with Christ. He is a citizen of the saints who hathPsal. 120. 4. Phil. 1. 23. laid vp his treasure in heauen. For this man departing out of this earthly Egypt, doth not desire to returne againe, neither doth he feare vnrecouerable old age, or the very confines of death. Hee taketh no care for the building of new barnes, for the storing vp of his corne; seeing hee is here to liue the life of a stranger, but being onelyonly rich in fruitfull vertues, he gathereth those things together, which neither old age can destroy, nor death take away.
Now this consideration that we are not in our own countrie, but remaine for a while vponupon the earth as pilgrims and strangers, should serue as an effectuall reason to weane our§. Sect. 2. That this should weane our harts from the world, because we liue as strangers in it. hearts from the louelove of the world and worldly vanities, and to place them in heauen, and on heauenly ioyes, which is our owne countrie and place of residence. For, as we know, pilgrims and strangers being trauelling in a farre countrie, doe not set their hearts on the things which they see by the way, because they are quickly to leaue them; but their minds and meditations doe wholly runne vponupon their owne countrie, and their hearts are fixed on those pleasures, profits and preferments, which after their iourney is finished, they shall there enioy for tearme of life. And therefore if wee bee pilgrims on earth, wee must follow their practise, and not set our hearts on the world and earthly things, because we hauehave them only in our passage, and the time which wee hauehave to enioy them is but very short. For let him who hath enioyed worldly prosperitie the longest time looke backe, and hee shall see, that all which is past is but a dreame or shadow, and as the twinckling of an eye in respect of eternity. But all our louelove and longing must be placed on our heauenly inheritance, where we are for euer to enioy an eternall waight of glory, and happinesse without end. We must vse this world▪ not as our countrie, but as our way wherein wee are trauelling towards our heauenly home; and make account to passe through it▪ as the children of Israel promised to goe through Edom, without making any stay, or hauing any commerceNumb. 20. 17. Peregrinatio quipp… est vita praesens: & qui suspi at ad patriam, ei tormentum est peregrinationis loc…, etiamsi blandus esse videatur. Greg. epist. ex regist. lib. 10. ind. 4. cap. 70. or dealing with the inhabitants, more then our present necessities will inforce vponupon vsus. For (as one saith) this life present is a pilgrimage, & he who longeth and sigheth after his owne countrie, vntounto him his place of peregrination is a tedious tormēt, though vntounto others it may seem a paradise of delight. The world is vntounto vsus a dangerous sea, and our life is allotted vsus as a time of passage, wherein wee may goe forward in our voyage, and discouer the port of happinesse, that with ioy we may enter into it: and therefore let vsus not desire to be alwaies sailing, and to be still in danger, not onelyonly to bee swallowed vp by the surging waues of misery and affliction; but also of the spirituall pirats, who are ready to rob vsus of Gods sanctifying graces, and to captiue and inthrall vsus in the prison of destruction; and of splitting our soules vponupon the rockes of sin, being mislead in our voyage by the worlds false fires, and drawne out of the right way by his subtill tentations: but let vsus rather desire to arriue at the hauen of rest, where we shall bee free from all these dangers, and for euer enioy secure felicity. Neither must wee make account that the places where we now abide, are our homes and habitations; but onelyonly our Innes and lodgings by the way, where we are not to leade our liues, but to rest for one night, and so to be gone. To which purpose one saith, that he is a Christian,August. Serm. 32. tom. 10. who being both in his house and countrie, doth neuerthelesse acknowledge, that he is in them but as a pilgrime or stranger, and that heauen is his countrie, where he shall bee an inhabitant for euer, and not a guest for a time. For in truth eueryevery one here is a guest and a stranger in his owne house; for if he were not so, why doth he not stay in it, but after a short abode passeth away? and if any bee necessarily to trauel and go away, he is to be esteemed a stranger; let him not deceiue himselfe he is a guest; whether he wil or no, hee is a guest. Yea, but he bequeatheth his house whē he departeth toC…ssit tibi locum pater tuus, cessurus es locum filijs tuis. Nec mansurus manes, nec mansuris relinquis. August. ibid. his childrē. True, but yet as a guest, who departing leaueth his lodging to other guests; euen as it is in ye Inne, where as one commeth, another goeth away. For thus hee doth in his house and earthly habitation, seeing as his father gaue place to him, so he is to giuegive place to his sonnes and posterity; and as himself flitteth, so he leaueth it to them who are also stil in flitting. And as we are to esteeme the world our way, wherein like pilgrims we trauell towards our heauenly countrie; so also we are to account the things of this life as necessaries for our iourney, and like that prouision which wee find in our way when we come to our Inne; the which wee cannot carrie with vsus, but leaue it where we found it.
And if we would thus esteeme of the world and worldly§. Sect. 3. That the world is to be vsed as a passage, and not a… a place of habitation. 1. Cor. 7. 31. vanities, then would wee not ouerualue and set our hearts vponupon them; but (as the Apostle speaketh) vse them as though we vsed them not: not as places to rest in, or things wherein we take our chiefe repose, but as a way to trauell in, and as necessaries to further vsus in our iourney. For what wise traueller would sit still and loiter in his iourney, because hee is in a fa…re way, and is not rather encouraged thereby to trauell cherefully to his owne home? Who would seat his heart and affections on those delights which hee seeth as hee passeth by? or though in his trauell hee may take some pleasure in them, as he goeth by them, yet who in his right wits will so dote on these things, in which he hath not an houres interest, as that he will neglect far better and permanent delights in his owne countrie? Who vseth to build when hee commeth to his Inne? or takes his chiefe contentment in those buildings which he findeth there already, in his stately and well furnished chamber, his soft lodging, daintie fare, pleasant walkes, sweete gardens, and courteous entertainment, seeing the next day he must leaue them all, and come to a reckoning for the short time that he hath inioyed them? As therefore men are wise in their generation in the things appertaining to this life, eueryevery one making large prouision where hee is long to continue, and louing the place best, where hee is best prouided; and contrariwise contenteth himselfe with small store where hee is to make but a short stay, and loueth lightly that which hee cannot long enioy: so let vsus lay vp our treasures in heauen, and with our treasuresResiciat, viator est. Resiciat se & transeat. Non secum tollit, quod in stabulo inuenit. August. feria 4. post. Domin. pass. in Psal. 9. Serm. 1. tom. 10 our hearts also, where we are to remaine for euer; and not carrie them about vsus in the way, where wee shall surely bee robbed; nor leaue them as heire-loomes in the Inne from whence we must depart the next morning. Let vsus like trauellers refresh our selues with the things of this life, and so againe goe forward on our iourney, and with contented minds leaue that which remaineth in the Inne. For whether we will or no, we must depart and carrie nothing with vsus, because we hauehave no further interest vntounto any thing, but for the short time of our residence, and that vponupon hard conditions. Another traueller shall come after vsus and inioy them, but neither shall he take them away, but as hee hath found them there being left by vsus, so must he also there leaue them to be found of those that follow after him. Let vsus vse worldly things as wise pilgrims doe their staues, and other necessaries conuenient for their iourney; so long as they helpe vsus forward in our way let vsus make vse of them, and accordingly esteeme them; but if they become troublesome hindrances, and cumbersome burthens, let vsus leaue them behind vsus, or cast them away; according to the Apostles exhortation: Cast away eueryevery thing that presseth downe, and the sinne that Heb. 12. 1.hangeth fast on, and let vsus runne with patience the race which is set before vsus. Neither must we do this onelyonly when the things wee carrie are of small account, but when they are as deare and precious vntounto vsus as our right eye, hand, or foot, as our Sauiour hath taught vsus. Let vsus imitate the Eagle, which seldomeMat. 5. 29. 30. lighteth on the earth, but when being constrained with hunger, she stoopeth to her prey; and when shee hath fed, mounteth aloft againe aboue the clouds: so let not vsus suffer our hearts and affections any longer to rest vponupon the earth, then we are compelled with our present necessity, but like the true Eaglets of Iesus Christ, let vsus resort thither where the dead carcase is, and being fed herewith, let vsus mount aloft in diuine contemplation, and hauehave our conuersationPhil. 3. 20. in heauen, as the Apostle exhorteth vsus. Finally, as pilgrims and trauellers when they are in their iourney towards their countrie, cast away all impediments which might hinder and tire them in their trauell: so let vsus who like pilgrims are trauelling towards our heauenly home, auoid all incumbrances, and carefully abandon all things which might any waies hinder vsus from attaining to the end of our iourney, and from the inioying that eternall happines which is reserued for Gods saints in his glorious kingdome. Now there is no like impediment to hinder vsus in this christian course and passage, to the louelove of the world and worldly vanities, as I hauehave already shewed. For they who fall in louelove with the place of their pilgrimage, will take neither care nor paines in trauelling towards their owne countrie; and they who set their hearts vponupon these earthly trifles, will by them as by Satans baits, be led out of the way, and insnared with sinne; so as they will want all power and will to hold on the right course, but will be content for the enioying of their louelove to make sale of the eternall ioyes of heauen, for the present satisfying of their desires; and therefore the Apostle exhorteth all who desire to finish this iourney, that they would like strangers and pilgrims abstaine from carnall lusts 1. Pet. 2. 11.which fight against their soules. For as enemies lying in ambushment doe set out booties for the aduerse partie to prey vponupon, which if they seeke to seaze into their hands, they are presently intrapped, discomfited, and either slaine or taken captiue; so if we be ruled by our carnall concupiscence, and suffer these worldly lusts of couetousnesse, voluptuousnesse, and ambition, to beare any sway in vsus, then no sooner can Satan set out the bootie or bait of riches, pleasures, and preferments, but we shall bee thrust on with a greedy desire to prey vponupon them; which we shall no sooner do, but presently we shall fall into Satans ambushment, be led captiue into sin, and so being chained and fettered in his bonds, we shall bee hindred from trauelling, or euer attaining vntounto our heauenlie countrie.
But the world is not simply a place of pilgrimage alone,§. Sect. 4. That we should not seate our heart and affections on the world▪ because it is the place of our warfare. where we might trauell with some quietnesse and securitie to the end of our iourney; but also a place of warfare, wherein we are assaulted on all sides (as it were in a strange and forraine countrie) and by all possible meanes hindred in our spirituall voiage to the holy land. And therefore, as wee hauehave little cause to seate our hearts and affections on the world, and the vanities thereof, because we can stay here but a short time, and are eueryevery day flitting from them; so much lesse if we consider, that this short time is full of trouble, seeing we are on eueryevery side beset with our spirituall enemies. So Iacob saith, that the daies of his pilgrimage were not onelyonly few, Genes. 47. 9.but euill also, in respect of his manifold troubles and molestations. And Iob affirmeth, that man, who is borne of woman, Iob 14. 1.is but of short continuance, and full of trouble. And the Apostle telleth vsus, that whilest we continue here, we had need to bee alwaies in the compleate armour of a Christian, because wee fight not only against flesh and blood, but against principalities, Ephes. 6▪ 11. 12.powers, and worldly gouernors, the princes of the darknes of this world, and against spirituall wickednesses, which are in hie places. Now who would build, and set vp his maine hopes in the campe, or place of his warfare? who would being rich carrie about him his whole substance and treasures, which will but cumber him in his fight, and put spirits and courage into his enemies, to worke his ouerthrow, that they may prey vponupon him? So the Apostle saith, that no man who warreth, intangleth himselfe with the affaires of this life, because he would please him, …2. Tim. 2. 4. 5.that hath chosen him to be a souldier. And if any man striue for a masterie, he is not crowned, except he striue as he ought to doe; and therefore, as he were iustly to be esteemed a foole, who being to runne a race, would take vponupon him a heauie burthen, or being to wrastle for a prize, would put on his most costly and rich apparell, to cope with his antagonist and aduersary, who being naked, and anointed with oile, is readie to slip out of his hands: so much more foolish are we, if being to wrestle, not with flesh & blood; but with principalities and powers, who are prepared and fitted with all aduantages; we come in all our worldly pompe, hauing fast tied vntounto vsus in the bonds of carnall louelove, our earthly riches, pleasures and preferments, seeing we shall hereby giuegive them meanes to fasten vponupon vsus, and worke our ouerthrow: or being to runne a race, for a garland of no lesse price, then the crowne of eternall glorie, doe loade and cumber our selues with the heauie burthen of worldly cares, or when we are running to turne out of our way, and be content to sit stil, that we may obtaine some worldly trifle of small worth, and lesse continuance. And therefore let vsus auoid this follie and worldly dotage; and as the Apostle exhorteth vsus, so runne that we may obtaine. 1. Cor. 9. 24. 25.Let vsus being to wrestle with such mightie enemies, like him that prooueth masteries, abstaine from all things which might hinder vsus, to obtaine a crowne which is vncorruptible. Let vsus come into the field against our spirituall enemies, not loaded and incumbred with the burthen of worldly trash, tied fast vntounto vsus in the bonds of carnall louelove, which will but disable and betray vsus into the hands of these foes which seeke our ouerthrow; but let vsus come armed with Gods spiritual graces, and assisted with the power of his might, whereby we shall be enabled to obtaine the victorie; that so we may say with the Apostle, I hauehave fought a good fight, finished my course, and 2. Tim. 4. 7. 8.hauehave kept the faith, from hence foorth is laid vp for me the crowne of righteousnesse, which the Lord, the righteous Iudge shall giuegive me at that day; seeing this is promised (as he there affirmeth) not to him alone, but to all them, who obtaine the victorie in this spirituall warfare; according to that gratious promise; To him that ouercommeth, will I grant to sit with mee in my Apoc. 3. 21.throne, euen as I ouercame, and sit with my father in his throne.