The Heavenly Trade, Tract · Application 4 · Part 5 · Subpart 3
Advice 3.
Thirdly, You that have good times for trading now, make proviſion for bad times; Lay in for changes: be not like the Graſhopper, that ſpends her All in Summer; and when the Winter comes, ſtarves. Every Summer hath its Winter; North-winds have their ſeaſon to blow on Chriſt's Garden, as well as the South, Cant. 4. 16. Good and evil have their turns with Chriſtians in this life; 'Tis only the Diveſes that have their good things in this life; here have the Saints no continuing City, Heb. 13. 4. Created comforts, whether ſpiritual or carnal, have their ſhakings and removes: Heb. 12. 27. And this word yet once more ſignifies the removing of thoſe things that are ſhaken, as of things that are made; that thoſe things which cannot be ſhaken, may remain. The life of Believers is made up of viciſſitudes; with Naomi, now full, then empty, Ruth 1. 21. like Ships in their paſſage to their Port; now they have calms, then ſtorms; none but wicked, and they not always neither are exempted from their changes in this life, Pſal. 55. 19. 'Twas an error in David's apprehenſions, which he ſoon ſaw to his coſt, that his mountain was made ſo ſtrong, it ſhould not be moved. Pſal. 30. 6. I ſaid, in my proſperity, I ſhall never be moved: Lord, by thy favour, thou haſt made my mountain to stand ſtrong; thou did'ſt hide thy face, and I was troubled. Proſperity and affliction have their different ſaies and thoughts: think of thy moſt promiſing ſtate here; though this be a beautiful ſtructure, yet 'tis but a tabernacle: Sin puts wheels on every condition below, and makes them moveable: What that Ambaſſador ſaid to the Romans, who boaſted of the heighth and ſtrength of their Walls; they were not ſo high, but ſin could bring them down, may be ſaid of the moſt flouriſhing condition of Saints in this World: Is thy ſtore full now? a ſpending time may come: Dionyſius the ſecond had four hundred Ships, an Army of one hundred thouſand foot, nine thouſand horſe, and the richeſt Magazine of any Prince, and yet lived to loſe all. Chriſtians have their ſpending as well as getting times, and ſhould lay in for times of need.
There are four ſpecial ſeaſons when gracious ſouls will have need of all their ſtore to relieve them.
Times of Temptation.
Times of Deſertion.
Times of Affliction.
And The time of Death.
Firſt, Times of Temptation are ſpending times, and call for great ſuccours to be laid in againſt ſuch ſeaſons. Firſt, Becauſe ſuch times are certain to Believers, they will come. Pſal. 11. 5. The Lord tryeth the righteous: There's never a gracious ſoul, but ſome time or other the Lord trieth it, either immediately by his Spirit, or mediately by afflictions or temptations from men or devils. The Apoſtle tells us, every man is tempted. James 1. 14. But every man is tempted when he is drawn aſide of his own luſt and enticed. The beſt of men (ſaith one) are tempted, and that when they are at the beſt. [Capell of Temptation.] Adam in Paradiſe, Gen. 3. 6. Solomon after God had twice appeared to him, 1 King. 11. 9. Job after the evidences of his uprightneſs before God, and religious duties, Job 1. 1, 5. Peter after he had made a confeſſion of Chriſt, and entered into covenant never to be offended at him, Mat. 26. 33. Yea Chriſt himſelf after his Baptiſm, and the Spirit's reſting on him as a Dove, and the Father's owning of him by an audible voice from Heaven, Matth. 3. 17. chap. 4. 1. He (ſaith the former Author) that thinks he is ſo good that he ought not to be tempted, and ſo ſtrong, that he need not fear to be tempted, hath need of a temptation, that by experience in himſelf, he might prove what he ought to have found in the Word; that of our ſelves we have no ſtrength. Capell.
Four things make temptations unavoidable to gracious ſouls:
1 God's good Pleaſure.
2 Satan's Rage.
3 The Saints Corruptions.
4 And their Profit.
Firſt, 'Tis God's good Pleaſure to have them tryed: The fire ſhall try every man's work of what ſort it is, 1 Cor. 3. 13. whether it will bear the fire or no; hereby the excellency of his work, the greatneſs of his power appears, in the enduring graces of the Saints, and their ſtanding after all. By this the Lord will confute the ſlanders of men and devils, who are ſtill charging his people with hypocriſie, and falling away when tryal comes; Doth Job fear God for naught? Job 1. 9. Put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and fleſh, and he will curſe thee to thy face, Job 2. 5. This is the uſual calumny of the Saints enemies; to confute which, and prove them lyars, doth the Lord ſuffer his people to be tempted. 'Tis his will and purpoſe that all his people ſhould be tryed; and therefore 'tis unavoidable.
Secondly, Such is Satan's Rage, he cannot alwaies keep his fingers from them; if he lets them alone, 'tis but for a ſeaſon. Luke 4. 13. When the Devil had ended all the temptations, he departed from him for a ſeaſon. Is Satan buſie? then his work is not done; haſt thou any reſt? 'tis becauſe his tempting-time is not come; he is a roaring Lion, and cannot reſt from ſeeking to devour, though he forbears attempting to devour for a ſeaſon, when it makes to his greater advantage: Never expect freedom from temptation, till Satan's chain be ſhortened, or thy remove without his reach obtained, Rev. 20. 2, 3.
Thirdly, The Saints corruptions expoſe them to temptations; Where the carkaſs is, there the Eagles reſort, Mat. 24. 28. While the Saints have gall'd backs they can expect no freedom from flies. If Sampſon be bound, the Philiſtines will be upon him. The cauſe of thoſe ſins is in us whereof the occaſion is from Satan, Capell. Till the fire of Hell be out in the Saints, the Devil will not lay down his bellows; where there is no ſin, there is no matter for temptation to work on; as where there is no morbid matter, there contagion cannot ſo eaſily faſten, corruption keeps open the door for Satan; never look for ſilence from Satan, till you find ceſſation from ſin.
Fourthly, The profit and good of gracious ſouls do neceſſitate it: By this means they come to ſee their own vileneſs; were it not for temptation, they could not ſee the greatneſs of their corruption: David, Solomon, Hezekiah, Peter, did not think their hearts were ſo abominable, till left to temptation, which ſtirs the mud, and brings up the bottom to the top; and this helps to abaſe them, and make them more vile in their own eyes. By this alſo they ſee their own weakneſs, and their need of Chriſt; and are more effectually brought out of themſelves to the Lord Jeſus for ſuccour and victory. And by temptations from Satan they come to be acquainted with his devices, 2 Cor. 2. 11. and more skill'd in his wiles and ſtratagems (no ſmall advantage to one that is in a ſtate of warfare with him.) This way alſo doth the Lord winnow his Saints, and by theſe high winds fan and cleanſe them. Luke 22. 31. Satan hath deſired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat; and brings them to more conformity to their head, and to greater eſtabliſhment in grace, which are glorious advantages to Believers, promiſed in the New Covenant, and this way accompliſh'd, which makes temptations neceſſary to Wiſdom's Merchants, and renders it their great concern to lay in proviſion againſt them.
Secondly, As temptations are certain, and will come; ſo they are ſhaking when they come; they are part of that rain, flood and wind which did beat vehemently on the ſandy building, that it fell, Mat. 7. 27. Luke 6. 49. Temptations are part of the Devil's Artillery, his fiery darts and cruel buffettings which none can bear without the whole Armour of God upon him, and then too; all they can do is but to ſtand, Epheſ. 6. v. 13, 16. They are ſo potent and prevailing, as that none but ſuch as are in Chriſt can ſtand their ground under them. And in time of temptation fall away, Luke 8. 13. Receive the Word with joy, ſeem to love God, and delight in his waies for a ſeaſon, till temptations come to the purpoſe, and then fall away. There are ſome temptations are more eaſie to be born, but when Satan ſets on a ſoul with all his might, there's no ſtanding without divine ſuccour, and the Lord's opening a way to eſcape. Temptation is reckoned amongſt the ſoreſt afflictions that the Saints do undergo, 1 Cor. 10. 13. Heb. 2. 18. Heb, 11. 37. They were ſtoned, they were ſawn aſunder, they were tempted, they were ſlain with the ſword. No ſuffering like temptations, for they draw the ſoul to ſin, which is more cruel than death to a ſoul that loves Chriſt. O Chriſtians, what need have you then to be laying in for an hour of temptation, ſeeing it will ſurely come, and ſeeing it will be ſo terrible when it comes!
Get your ſelves well furniſh'd with wiſdom, that you may know Satan's devices, that you may be able to diſtinguiſh between temptation and corruption, and able to anſwer the Objections, and ſubtle reaſonings of Satan; you muſt have experience alſo to encourage your hope, and ſtrengthen your patience, that inſtances of former relief in the like caſes may lift up your head, and ſtrengthen your expectations in new Tryals alſo. You muſt lay in ſtore of faith to guard your hearts, and ſhield your heads from the fiery darts of Satan; you muſt get your integrity cleared, and the uprightneſs of your heart and way evidenced; that's of great uſe alſo to bear up your Spirit under all his charges againſt you. Make much of every breathing of his Spirit in you, and take care you quench not any of his motions: God (ſaith one) doth often leave us to own Satan's ſuggeſtions for our own, becauſe we do not own God in his holy motions and breathings. And have good evidences of your intereſt in Chriſt, and aſſurance of his love to you, and aſſured help in the time of need; taking ſpecial care to have corruptions weakened, and a growing mortification in your ſouls; that ſo when Satan comes he may find nothing in you to faſten his temptations on: This calls for your provident care, to ſtore your ſouls againſt times of Tryal.
Secondly, Times of deſertion are ſpendingtimes, which will need a full ſtock, when the Lord doth hide his face, and withdraw the ſenſe of his love, and influence of his quickening preſence: This the Lord may do, and hath done; he hath left the dearly beloved of his ſoul; gone from his habitation; compaſſ himſelf about with a cloud; left his children in darkneſs as thoſe that have been long dead. 'Tis juſt with God (ſaith Mr. Cooper) to deny us the comfort of our graces, when we deny him the glory of them. Iſa. 45. 15. Verily thou art a God that hideſt thy ſelf, O God of Iſrael the Saviour. Job 23. 8, 9. Behold I go forward, but he is not there, and backward, but cannot perceive him, on the left hand where he doth work, but I cannot behold him; he hideth himſelf on the right hand that I cannot ſee him. Iſa. 49. 14. But Zion ſaid, The Lord hath forſaken me, my God hath forgotten me. This was one of the greateſt ſufferings on Chriſt, his apprehenſions of his Father's forſaking him. O God my God, why haſt thou forſaken me? Mat. 27. 46. Here was a total and final deſertion that our Lord Jeſus came under as to his ſenſe, and the effects of it; he ſaw nothing of the comforts of the Divine preſence, to the laſt breath of life, but died in this darkneſs. Verſe 50. Jeſus when he had cryed again with a loud voice (that is, as he had done, verſe 46.) he gave up the Ghoſt; and had no comfort to the laſt minute of life: And if God hath done ſo to the green tree, how much more may he to the dry? if he forſake his natural and onelyonly beloved Son, he may ſurely hide himſelf from his Adopted Sons, even to their dying hour: And this is a condition full of conſternation and terrour: The poena damni, the loſs of God, and all good, is thought to be a far greater puniſhment to the damned, than all the puniſhment of ſenſe and torment. O the dreadful apprehenſions that good ſouls have had about God's forſaking them! 'Tis a Hell on Earth, and the beginning of the ſecond death, to be under a real ſenſe of God's removal from the ſoul. O the amazing dread, and conſuming rerrour, that Job, Aſaph, Heman, and others were fill'd with, by ſuch apprehenſions of God's withdrawment from them, and his wrath lying hard upon them! Soul, though now it be a time of light with thee, the Candle of the Lord ſhines upon thee; thou walkeſt in the light of his countenance, lyeſt in his boſom, and art dandled on his knee; yet may the days of darkneſs be many, and thy ſoul lie in the ſhadow of death, and under real apprehenſions of the Lord's departure from thee, and diſpleaſure againſt thee, and then thou wilt find need of all the cordials, light and hope imaginable. O lay in ſure and unqueſtionable ſatisfaction about this great caſe; that God is really and inſeparably yours; and under all your clouds, fears and guilt, think well of God. 'Tis hard (ſaith one) to think ill of our ſelves, and well of God at the ſame time. Store your ſelves with promiſes and experiences, with faith, hope, patience, and every grace that may bear you up in ſuch a Tryal, and cordial your fainting heart under ſuch dangerous deliquiums. If God ſhould damne me (ſaith one) I have two arms, the one of faith, and the other of love, with which I would embrace him, and carry him with me, and his preſence would make Hell it ſelf a Heaven to me.
Thirdly, Times of ſore affliction, and diſtreſſing calamities, are ſpending-times, and will try your ſtore of grace, and ſtrength to bear it, and to get through it; and ſuch you may live to ſee: The Croſs is the uſual way to the Crown, and affliction the lot of them that will live godly in Chriſt Jeſus. And we muſt through much tribulation enter into the Kingdom of God, Act. 14. 22. The fining-pot is for ſilver, and the furnace for gold, Prov. 17. 3. And the fan for the wheat; the condition of Believers in this world cannot long bear proſperity without loſs to their ſpiritual part. Chriſtians under ſettled comforts in this world, are like ſtanding pools, which ſoon gather mud; and as 'tis ſaid of Moab, ſo 'tis with the people of God. Jer. 48. 11. Moab hath been at eaſe from his youth, and he hath ſettled on his lees, and hath not been emptied from veſſel to veſſel, neither hath he gone into captivity, therefore his taſte remained in him, and his ſcent is not changed. The ſweeteſt nights that ever Jacob ſpent were in the field; ſo with Peter in priſon; and David had thoſe large affections to riſe at midnight, and God's Word was ſweet to him when his trouble was bitter, ſaith Dr. Harris. But by afflictions the Lord refines his people from their droſs. Though the wiſdom of the world (ſaith Mr. Bradford) think of the croſs according to ſenſe, and therefore flieth from it as from a moſt great ignominy and ſhame; yet God's ſcholars have learned to think otherwiſe of the Croſs, as the framehouſe wherein God frameth his children, like to his Son Chriſt: the furnace that fineth God's gold, the high way to Heaven, the ſuit and livery of God's ſervants, the earneſt and beginning of all conſolation and glory. Acts & Mon. 3. Vol. page 322. If you will be Chriſt's Diſciple, you muſt expect tribulation; If need be you are in heavineſs for a ſeaſon. God's fire is in Sion, and his furnace in Jeruſalem: Prepare for afflictions, by which God prepares his people for himſelf. He is not fit for the reward in glory (ſaith Bernard) rNon eſt idoneus ad praemium qui nondum paratus eſt ad patibulum.who is not ready to aſcend the Gibbet as the way to it. We are fallen on the laſt times, which are times of abounding iniquity, Mat. 24. 12. ſinning, and therefore like to be ſuffering-times, called perilous times; cruel times, 2 Tim. 3. 1. Beza renders it, troubleſome times; Tremelius, hard times, foreign, it comes from foreign, to bring damage, or to overturn; they will be overturning times; times of deſolation, as Chriſt propheſies of them, Mat. 24. 15. daies of vengeance. Luke 21. 22. Theſe be the daies of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled: Great tribulation, ſuch as was not ſince the beginning of the world to this time, no nor ever ſhall be, Mat. 24. 21. called the great and terrible day of the Lord, when the Sun ſhall be turned into darkneſs, and the Moon into blood. Joel 2. 31. The Sun ſhall be turned into darkneſs, and the Moon into blood before the great and terrible day of the Lord come. Cocceius thinks this time to fall under the ſixth ſeal, Rev. 6. 12. under which 'tis ſaid, Theſe are they which come out of great tribulation. I rather think that the ſixth ſeal reckons with the enemies of God's people, and brings redemption to the Saints under great tribulation. That which we may clearly gather hence is, that thoſe laſt times will be times of ſore calamities, both perſonal and publick, to Nations, and to the Church of God; and what a portion of thoſe amazing troubles may fall upon the people of this age, we know not: this is certain, God ſeems to give his call from Heaven, as well as out of his Sanctuary, to prepare to meet with him, Amos 4. 12. to gird up the loins of our mind, Rev. 16. 15. to keep our garments on; to watch, leſt he come as a thief, Luke 12. 35, 36. to have our veſſels ſtor'd with Oil, and our lamps burning; and to reckon on midnight ſitting up, and be as men that look for the coming of their Lord: Matth. 25. 6. To watch and pray always, that we may be counted worthy to eſcape the things that ſhall come to paſs, and to ſtand before the Son of man, Luke 21. 36.
Fourthly, The time of Death is a ſpending time, and calls for great proviſions for that long journey; and great change the Soul is then paſſing into. Death is the King of Terrors: O how amazing is the ſight of it to a natural eye, and an awakened conſcience! the work that death comes to do is frightful work to fleſh and blood; to pluck a ſoul out of its ancient dwellings, to take it from all its acquaintance, friends, relations, and earthly All, from the comforts of the whole World, never to ſee or enjoy them more, as they have done; nay, to pull down this earthly tabernacle, not to leave a ſtone upon a ſtone, but quite to demoliſh it to the ground, is a great change: to lay a writ on the ſoul's back, and in a moment to bring it to judgment, from all its acquaintance, friends, and deareſt relations, to the viſion of an infinite holy God, there to receive its eternal doom, and to enter into a new eſtate, out of which he ſhall never depart, either of bleſſedneſs or miſery. To take the ſoul off from all the means of ſalvation, and poſſibility of change out of that eſtate into which, by death he enters; that if the ſoul ſhould die in his ſins, there's no future repentance, or any thing can be done to mend his ill condition: this will be terrible to a guilty conſcience, ſenſible of many ſins unrepented of, many duties neglected, much time loſt, great hypocriſies uncur'd, many fears unremoved, and doubts unanſwered. Now for ſuch a ſoul, in a moment, to come to judgment, and to have no time allowed him to ſet things in order for ſo great a compearance, and to ſtate his account for that final Audit, is an amazing providence. The time of death is alſo a time of the greateſt light, when the ſoul's eye ſhall be opened to ſee things as they are, no more in a glaſs, but face to face; then the ſoul that hath been dark all its days, ſhall ſee clearly things it never knew. As 'tis ſaid of the Mole, that it is blind all its time, till it comes to die, and then it ſees: So they that would not ſee, ſhall then ſee, and be aſhamed; then ſhall ſouls ſee things as they are, and find that to be evil which they thought good, and that to be good which they thought to be evil. Death is the greateſt informer, and makes the largeſt diſcovery of things that ever was; it brings to light the hidden things of darkneſs, ſins the world never knew, and ſins it may be the ſoul it ſelf never ſaw, or thought it ſelf guilty of: then will the leaſt flaw, error, unſoundneſs, neglect, failing, be fully ſeen; then the things that now ſeem to be ſmall, will then appear to be great; and thoſe things that were taken for mountains, will be leſs than one ſingle grain of duſt.
Death is a time alſo when conſcience hath its quickeſt ſenſes, and livelieſt acts, when it ſees, hears, feels, fears, all things as they are, and without any other witneſs, becomes both Accuſer and Judge: then Judas needed no Accuſer to charge him, or Judge to condemn him, but his own conſcience; nor Executioner to diſpatch him, but his own hand. What's the matter, man, (ſaid Mr. Perkins to a Malefactor, going up the ladder, and his countenance ſhewing the inward terrors of his ſoul,) art thou afraid to die? O, no Sir, ſaid he, but of a worſe matter. So another upon her death-bed, and under a terrible ſight of her wicked life, when one that was by offered ſomething to comfort her againſt the fear of death, replied, Were it but to die, it were nothing: A world (ſaid another, upon the border of eternity, and under conſcienceaffrightings) for one inch of time! O give me one inch of time! Luther ſpeaks of an Eremite who, a little before his death, ſtood very ſad, never ſtirring out of his place for three days, having his eyes fixt towards Heaven; and being ask'd the reaſon of this poſture, anſwered, he was afraid to die: His Scholars began to comfort him, telling him he need not to fear death, who had been ſo holy in his life; but he replies, 'tis true, I have lived well, and been obedient, but God's judgments are otherwiſe than Man's judgment, Tom. 4. fol. 50.
The time of death is a time of great temptation alſo; then Satan uſually brings forth his chiefeſt ſtrength to weaken the ſoul's faith; 'tis his laſt onſet, and that is the hotteſt; as men that ſtorm a Garriſon, in their laſt aſſault they uſually put forth their utmoſt ſtrength: Then he oppoſeth us with moſt armed force. In this laſt aſſault, ſInſtructiſſimis copiis nos impugnat, ipſam reſiſtentiam aggreditur, & de certamine certamen eſt; & bellum alio bello defendendum, hic pugnandum ut pugnare liceat, & reſiſtendum ei qui reſiſtere diſſuadet, Luth.(ſaith Luther) 'tis not as in other temptations, where faith and hope doth fight; for here he ſets upon the very reſiſtance, and the ſtrife is about ſtriving, and the war is maintain'd by another war: Here the fight is, that it may be lawful to fight, and to reſiſt him whoſe greateſt policy is then to diſſwade from reſiſting; laughing at our hope, as if it were already vanquiſhed, and it were to no purpoſe to reſist. This is a critical time, and hard to ſtand; the laſt enemy is death; when the ſoul muſt have the whole armour of God, and be found not in his own righteouſneſs, but take ſanctuary in the grace of God, the righteouſneſs and faithfulneſs of Chriſt. Death is ſomewhat driery, (ſaith Mr. Cooper) and the ſtreams of that Jordan between us and our Canaan run furiouſly; but they ſtand ſtill when the Ark comes: let your anchor be caſt within the veil, and faſtned on the rock Jeſus; let the end of the threefold cord be buckled to the heart; ſo ſhall ye go through tClaude oculos & nihil reſponde, & commenda cauſam Deo. Idem.. When thou art tempted, (ſaith Luther) and ſeeſt no way to eſcape; ſhut thine eye, anſwer nothing, and commit the cauſe to God: This (ſaith he) is the chiefeſt wiſdom we ſhould attend to in the hour of death. This was Bernard's courſe and comfort, when on the point of death; I have lived wickedly, (ſaith he) but thou, Lord Jeſus Chriſt, enjoyeſt Heaven by a double right; firſt, becauſe thou art the Son of God; then, becauſe by thy death and paſſion thou haſt obtained it: uHoc ſervas pro te jure nativitatis, illud largiris mihi non jure operum, ſed gratiae.thou keepeſt the firſt thy ſelf by thy birthright; the laſt thou beſtoweſt on me, not for my works but of thy grace. Chriſtians, you had need be well furniſh'd for the hour of death, (your greateſt and moſt difficult hour) laying in all the proviſions you can for a ſure and comfortable paſſage to glory. Thus you ſee Wiſdom's Merchants have more to do than keep up preſent life and comfort, they muſt lay in for times to come; for times of temptation, deſertion, affliction, and the hour of death.