England Faithfully Watched, Lecture 19
Coloſs. 1.16. And that are in earth.
BEing and diſpoſition of being are from Chriſt, he createth all, and diſpoſeth all. You make creatures and then you place your creatures, and preferre them as you think good, and ſo doth Chriſt; and he telleth you where; ſome in Heaven, and ſome in earth: he ſuiteth place to perſon; pure perſons are placed in Heaven, and impure in earth: where we are placed, is that which I am now come to tell you, in earth, for by him all things were created that are in Heaven [and that are in earth, &c.
What kind of room we live in here theſe words command me to ſet out unto you, and then to ask you how you like it.1. Low. 'Tis a low room we are in here: the earth is the loweſt element, lower then the aire, lower then the water, and yet as earth comprehendeth both theſe, 'tis but Gods footſtool. Swear not by the earth, for 'tis his footſtool; a footſtool ſpeaketh the loweſt ſervice, ſuch is the earth and all things in it of the loweſt uſe to God; 'tis a kitchin below ſtairs to ſcour veſſels in, and 'tis a conveyance for the filth that cometh off; there is a gutter out of earth into hell, to carry away all things that offend; hell is the ſink which belongeth to the earth: God hath more noble ſervice done in one moment in Heaven, then in all the earth in all the age of it, though it be now many thouſand years old. In this lower room wherein we are, here is nothing done but kitchin work, waſhing and ſcouring, killing, ſtripping and fleaing that which is fat: Earth is the ſlaughter houſe that belongeth to hell; hearts that are made fat are killed on earth, and roſted in hell. We dwell in Gods kitchin and the devils ſlaughter-houſe, in earth: this is low, and this is the firſt thing: earth ſpeaketh a lower room.
'Tis common: Lions and Bears, Wolves and Men are all in one room in earth: Frogs and Toads, Snakes,2. Common. Serpents and Men are all in one room in earth: good men bad men, yea and devils, all in one room together in earth: this room is ſo common that the devil is not ſhut out of it, he hath a doore out of hell into earth, and leave to walk from one end of the earth to the other when he will. And the Lord ſaid to Sathan whence comeſt thou; and he ſaid from going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. The earth is the devils heaven, he hath his walk allowed him here: Earth is ſuch a common place, that you cannot walk alone in it if you would give never ſo much; go never ſo privately, yet if in earth you will have men or devils with you, and juſt in your walk. Many together is troubleſome, eſpecially when of contrary ſpirits; the devill and man never do well together in one walk. Community leſſens priviledge here, 'tis a hell to be where all variety and all contrariety dwell together; and yet ſo 'tis here, ſcarce two of one ſpirit throughout the earth, and yet theſe muſt live together in one room, agree together as they will; fight or ſcratch, or kill one another all is one, there is no remedy, in ſeventy, eighty, ninety, no poſſibly not in a hundred years. Heaven hath ſome community in it; there dwelleth Eaſt-country, Weſt-country, North-country, South-country men, but then they are all one ſpirit; no walk above in which there is hearing, ſeeing, taſting or ſmelling, any contrary thing: though there be many millions more above then are here; as having been the receptacle of all travellers from hence for this many thouſand years, beſides the natives of the place, and yet not two ſpirits amongſt all theſe innumerable numbers that diſagree, or will in the ſpace of eternity. But here one cannot walk any where, but one contradicting and afflicting thing or other meets a man: here I ſee a Toad, there I feel a Serpent; here I heare a Lion, there I ſmell a Fox; and yet all theſe claim a dwelling juſt where I do, in earth. This is the ſecond thing: earth ſpeaketh a common room.
3. Dark.'Tis a dark room: In earth we ſee earth, but nothing elſe; we cannot ſee Heaven in earth, no not any manſion there how ſtately 'tis, we cannot ſee Heaven nor any heavenly thing in earth; Angels are inviſible, Chriſt is inviſible; Chriſt cannot be ſeen now in earth, though the Sonne of the braveſt world: The Father is inviſible, the Sonne inviſible, yea the Spirit by which theſe two work here in earth (as the wind which bloweth in your eyes, yet you cannot ſee it) inviſible. We are here a great wide Common full of moles and mole-hills, all heaving and heaping up earth, but blind and do not ſee what we do. Bring forth the blind that have eyes, and the deaf which have eares, ſaith God. Earthen creatures look one another in the face, as if they had eyes and yet are all blind; ſome ſitting in darkneſſe, others walking in darkneſſe, not knowing whither they go. The beſt perſons here, are as Samſon when his hair was gone, and taken by the Philiſtines, of ſome good ſtirrings and deſires, but weak and blind, not able to find a pillar but as led to find a pillar but as led to it. Man is but of yeſterday, and knoweth nothing, becauſe his dayes upon [earth] are but a ſhadow, ſaith Job. Earth is a great room full of fools which know nothing, and ſet alone by themſelves to wrangle and talk non-ſence to no bodies diſquiet but their own. This is a third thing: earth ſpeaketh a dark room.
'Tis a filthy room: the earth is corrupt, full of ſnails,4. Filthy. that with creeping up and down, leave their ſlime and pollute all. One creature polluteth another, and man polluteth all the earth he treadeth on; Bloud defileth the land, ſaith God. Sinne rendereth not onelyonly the perſon, but the very place where that perſon liveth deteſtable. The earth is curſt from Heaven all over, which ſpeaketh out the ſtrength of divine deteſtation: 'tis a great brave body, with face blaſted, breaſts ſeared, bowels torn, guts and filth hanging out, poyſoning and putrifying the inhabitants. which firſt poyſoned and putrified it. All runneth into this, we dwell in a very baſe place: A low, common, dark, filthy room, in earth; and ſo indeed is the originall Hebrew word Adamah, for earth, uſed.
Ʋſe. How do you like your dwelling? Men are carried by corruption againſt truth, and pitch affection upon that which is baſe. O how damnably do many love their dwelling in earth! When the body dwelleth in earth and the ſoul too, Ah Lord! that is damnable dwelling in earth indeed. Though God hath placed your bodies in earth, yet he looketh that you ſhould place your ſouls in Heaven; but ſhew me a man that thus doth. God made your bodies earthy, but you make your ſouls earthy your ſelves, and you will anſwer for it. I wonder what you find in earth, that you ſhould make your ſouls dwell here. Do you not find it a low common dark unclean room? And yet muſt your ſouls dwell here becauſe your bodies do? then you will periſh as beaſts, worſe.
I might go along this way and do well, but I muſt turn another way and tell you, that you have a baſe dwelling here, and therefore expect things anſwerable. Chriſtians have no art to quiet their ſouls when things go hard: you may gather patience from the very place you dwell in; you live in a baſe place, and what can you expect but baſe uſage? When your dwelling is removed from earth to Heaven, things will be better preſently, as well as you would wiſh. You dwell in earth, and in earth dwelleth all ſorts, and every one will act according to his property, and how can it be helpt here? Some are back-biters, and they will kill your name: ſome are ſycophants, and they will kiſſe you and hug you to death like Judas; ſome are hypocrites, wolves in ſheeps cloathing, and they will not onelyonly kill your bodies, but your ſouls too. The earth yields variety of deadly vermine, and you cannot tread upon all, ſome will tread upon you, ſome will crawl about you and ſting you, do what you can. Diſtreſſe ſhould make mortification, but not vexation; ſo it did with David, it tooke him off from all in earth but one, whom have I in earth but thee? Diſtreſſe ſhould not diſturb but ſubdue the heart, and yet 'tis hard to keep the ſpirit quiet when baſely uſed, tell it what one will, Fallen creatures are full of paſſion, and ſtrong paſſion can bear nothing, and yet muſt bear it ſelf, which is the heavieſt burden of all. All things in earth do like themſelves, and therefore turn aſide my ſoul from them: whom have I in earth in compariſon of thee, O Chriſt.
There is one good in earth, and thats all I know: get acquaintance with him, yea that would find comfort in your dwelling here. Bleſſed be one good neighbour, or how ſolitary ſhould we be in earth. Defile not the land which ye ſhall inhabite [wherein I dwell] ſaith Chriſt, Numb. 35.34. The earth would be hell did not Chriſt dwell in it: you have much miſery kept off by one good neighbour you have, and you might have more if you did but get more acquaintance with him. You have lived a great while in the earth, and ſo hath Chriſt: do ye know him? do ye love him? he maketh the earth a bleſſing as baſe as 'tis, to ſuch. A mans felicity dependeth altogether upon the favour of God. let his dwelling be where 'twill. Earth is heaven, hell is heaven when God dwelleth with one there. Mourning creatures tell me, where do ye dwell? In a vally of tears? In earth doth Chriſt dwell with you? doth he dwell in earth too, in your hearts? then be cheared for he will wipe all tears from your eyes: and if your hearts be a reſt for him, he will be a reſt for them, when you have none in earth. When the earth trembles and melts, you have one that dwelleth in it that will ſee you ſhall do well. Chriſtians viſit your next neighbour often, lie in his boſome whileſt you live on earth, you will live very deſolate elſe were the earth a better place then 'tis.
I pitty all that live in this world 'tis ſo baſe and miſerable, but them that live without God in this world, my heart bleedeth over them. Some live where they have no good neighbour, nor no friend, and they truly have a bad life on it; ſome live ſo in earth, that it were as good they were in hell almoſt; whipt in body, tortured in ſoul, longing for death and yet it muſt not be, becauſe not yet full ripe for hell, Ah Lord! here is a dwelling in earth indeed: what difference now between earth and hell? All you that live in earth and live in your ſinnes, expect ſuch a life every houre. The earth groneth, it beareth ſo many and ſo naught: ſinners do not you grone too? Do not you grone to Chriſt to be better? The earth will be eaſed of her burden quickly, but not you; your place will be changed quickly, but not for the better; all that are now in earth will be anon in hell, that do not leave their ſinnes quickly; the ſword and ſtrange diſeaſes are going about for this purpoſe, and do you not ſee how they ſweep the earth?