The Combat Between the Flesh and Spirit, Sermon 14
SERM. XIV.
1 Cor. 7.31.
—And they that uſe this world as not abuſing of it, for the faſhion of this world paſſeth away.
THere is yet ſomething behind by way of uſe from this Doctrine, That Chriſtians in the uſe of lawfull things, muſt take heed that they do not abuſe them, which I ſhall finiſh this morning, and leave the inducement, (becauſe the faſhion of this world paſseth away) till the after noon.
Uſe. The uſes that I ſhall make of it, are only two.
1. By way of caution, and
2. By way of exhortation.
1. Is it ſo, that Chriſtians ſhould be carefull in the uſe of lawfull comforts, not to abuſe them; but ſo to uſe the world, as if they uſed it not, then beloved, take theſe few cautions along with you.
Caution. Caution 1. If you muſt not abuſe worldly things, then much more ought you to take heed, that you do not abuſe ſpirituall things in your uſe of them. You muſt be carefull that your practiſes be anſwerable to your Profeſſions, and not profeſs much, and practiſe little. Do not make Religion a Cloak to impiety. You uſe to come to Church, and frequent the Ordinances of God; but take heed that you do not abuſe this practiſe, and make it a Cloak to cover ſome ſecret villany or impiety. Do not abuſe the word of God, nor uſe thy tongue to ſcoffe and jeer at the Scriptures; do not abuſe your gifts, nor graces, nor contemn and deſpiſe thoſe that want them. If a man be carefull not to abuſe an Iron tool or Inſtrument, he will be much more carefull, that he does not abuſe a ſilver or a golden one; if you muſt not abuſe things of an inferior and baſer nature, then much more ſhould you not abuſe things of a higher and more excellent nature. If you muſt not abuſe worldly things, then much leſſe ſpirituall things; therefore abuſe not Ordinances, abuſe not Sacraments, nor Sermons, nor the means of grace, by living unfruitfully, and unprofitably under them.
2. Take this caution, that theſe advices of the Apoſtle, to weep as if we wept not, & to rejoyce as if we rejoyced not, & to buy as if we poſſeſſed not, are not to be extended to any ſpiritual performances; but only to outward things. The Apoſtle does not bid you weep for ſin, as if you wept not, neither doth he bid you rejoyce in God, and Chriſt, as if you rejoyced not; nor does he bid you uſe ſpirituall things, as if you uſed them not, and buy the things of God, as if you poſſeſſed not: there are many men, that in the uſe of worldly things, will rejoyce as if they were made up of nothing but joy and mirth, and as if all their bliſſe & happineſs did conſiſt in theſe outward comforts; and many there are that can almoſt diſſolve into tears, for outward loſſes, troubles, or afflictions; but when they come to rejoyce in ſpirituall things, they can then rejoyce as if they rejoyced not, and in mourning for ſin, they can weep as if they wept not, and uſe the things of God as if they uſed them not. Oh how oppoſite and contrary do men go to the rule of the bleſſed Apoſtle here, they can pray as if they prayed not, they do not pray, even while they are a praying. Men ſhould uſe a moderation and indifferency in the things of the world; foreign.but you ſhould not do ſo in ſpirituall things, but in them you muſt pray as if you were praying, as 'tis ſaid of Elian, James 5.17. and powre forth ſtrong cries to God, and hear the word of God, as if you were a hearing of it, and do every duty with your whole ſtrength and might.
Uſe. Exhorta∣tion. Ʋſe 2. Let me perſwade you (by way of exhortation to yield to, and pat in practice this Apoſtolicall Rule, to uſe the world as not abuſing of it. And the better to ſet home this exhortation upon your hearts, I ſhall lay down before you theſe ten preſſing conſiderations by way of motive: and Beloved, in regard of the coldneſs of the ſeaſon, I ſhall very much ſhorten my meditations, and give you only the heads and pith of things,
1. If you would uſe the world as not abuſing of it, Ten conſiderations to perſwade men to uſe the world as not abuſing of it.conſider, That in ab…ſing the things of the world, you do pervert the end of God in giving you the things of the world; for the end that God aims at is, that every Creature ſhould lead thee to the Creator, that thereby you may the more admire his goodneſs, and advance his praiſe and glory; he looks that every bleſſing he beſtowes upon you, ſhould be as a Perſpective-glaſſe, through which you may have a clearer ſight, and view of himſelf, though you are at a great diſtance from him. In 1 Tim. 4.4. Every Creature of God is good, and to be received with thanksgiving. As Doves every grain they pick look upward; ſo ſhould Chriſtians; and therefore if thou doſt abuſe any of his Creatures, thou doſt pervert the end of the moſt High. God did ordain food for thy uſe, to ſatisfie thy hunger, and not to feed thy gluttony. He gave thee drink to extinguiſh thy thirſt, and not to provoke thee to drunkenneſs. God gave thee Apparell to cover thy nakedneſs, and to keep thee warm, and not to be an inſtrument of pride in thee, and ſo of any other comfort: this is the firſt Conſideration.
Conſid. 2 2. To keep you from the abuſe of the things of the world, conſider, that thou art not a proprietor, but only a poſſeſſor of thoſe bleſſings thou injoyeſt in the world. It is true, there is a common Proverb amongſt men, when they are reproved & taxed, for abuſing the Creatures, they will preſently reply, may not I do with my own what I pleaſe? why no beloved you may not, for you have nothing that is your own, they are all Gods. As in Pſal. 50.10,11,12. Every beaſt of the Forreſt is mine, and the Cattle upon a thouſand hills. I know all the fouls of the Mountains, and the wild Beaſts of the forreſts are mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell thee, for the world is mine, and the fulneſſe thereof. Hoſ. 2 8 9.So that if you abuſe the things of the world, you abuſe that which is none of your own, but Gods. And you know, it is a part of diſhoneſty to abuſe another mans goods. All that you have in the world, they are but borrowed bleſſings, God only hath a right and propriety in them He does but only lend them to us for our uſe, and keeps the propriety of them to himſelf. If there be any thing (amongſt all thoſe things we call our own) may be properly ſaid to be our own, it is our bodies, for that is neareſt us, and yet this is not our own neither; for the Apoſtle ſaies, in 1 Cor. 6.19,20. What, know you not that your body is the Temple of the Holy Ghoſt, and ye are not your own, but you are bought with a price? therefore glorifie God in your bodies, & in your ſpirits which are Gods. When a man borrows a thing, he that lends it prayes him to uſe it wel. Eliſha's Servant borrowing but an Axe to cut down wood, and it falling into the water, cryed, alas Maſter, 'twas but borrowed, 2 King. 6.5. The mercies you have are rather lent then given you; ſhall I wound a man with his own Weapons? yet thus thou doſt to God, when thou abuſeſt any of his bleſſings.
Conſid. 3 3. To keep you from abuſing the lawfull comforts of this life, conſider, what was noted before, that men are more apt to miſcarry in the uſe of lawfull things, then in committing thoſe things that are in themſelves ſimply unlawfull: there are more a great many die by ſurfetting upon wholſome meats, then there do by taking of poyſon. Beloved, millions of men miſcarry by the uſe of lawful things.
Conſid. 4 4. Conſider, that it is not ſo eaſie for men to repent for the abuſe of lawfull things, as for the commiſſion of groſſe ſins, they are more eaſily diſcernable, and the conſcience does often check and controle, and rebuke men for ſuch notorious and palpable ſins; but a man may ſoon miſcarry in the uſe of lawfull things, and yet not perceive it. Who ſuſpects lawfull things? theſe ſins are not ſo evidently diſcerned, and therefore cannot be ſo eaſily repented of.
Conſid. 5 5. Conſider, that the Creatures that you abuſe in this world, they ſhall riſe up as a witneſs againſt you at the laſt day. Jam. 5.3. Deut. 4.26.Your ſilver and gold ſhall riſe up and witneſs againſt you; not as if the unreaſonable Creatures, as ſilver and gold, ſhould by a vocall expreſſion plead againſt you; but when God ſhall condemn thee, he ſhall declare that he proceeds thus againſt thee for the abuſe of his Creatures that he has given thee, as ſilver and gold, riches and poſſeſſions in the world. The very Creatures that thou haſt abuſed, ſhall be a witneſs againſt thee to condemn thee. As in Hab. 2.10,11. ſaies the Prophet there, The ſtone ſhall cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the timber ſhall anſwer it againſt wicked men and oppreſſors at the day of judgement. Not as if the ſtones and timber ſhould have a voice; but God ſhall then ſay, the cries of the very ſtones and timber in my ears, which thou haſt gotten by violence, does witneſs againſt thee. And Chriſt ſhall then ſay, when he condemns thee, the word that hath been ſo often preached to you in my name, inviting and beſeeching you to come in and accept of mercy and pardon, and you would not hear nor obey, but rejected it, and caſt it behind your backs, that word does now witneſs againſt you.
6. Conſider, that it is a part of the Creatures curſe, and bondage to be abuſed, by thoſe that make uſe of them; in abuſing the Creatures you make them grone under you, I will give you a very full Text for this, in Rom. 8.20.21.22. for (ſaies the Apoſtle) the Creature was made ſubject to vanity, not willingly, but by reaſon of him that hath ſubjected the ſame in hope, becauſe the Creature it ſelf alſo ſhall be delivered from the bondage of corruption, into the glorious liberty of the Sons of God, for we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain untill now. The great burden and bondage of the Creatures is then, that being created by God to be inſtruments of his glory, and to provoke thoſe that uſe them to advance his praiſe, they are notwithſtanding imployed by wicked men to the diſhonour of God, and ſcandall of Religion. Under this bondage do the Creatures groan, that although they were made to promote their Creators glory, yet they are made to be inſtruments of his diſhonour, and ſubjected to the luſts of wicked men, and therefore conſider of it, when thou doſt abuſe the Creatures to exceſs, either in drunkenneſſe or gluttony, or pride, if it were poſſible, thoſe Creatures would ſigh and groan, that they are thus neceſſitated to ſerve thy luſts, which ſhould be inſtruments of their Creators glory.
7. Conſider, that by abuſing the lawfull bleſſings you enjoy, you provoke the Lord to take away thoſe bleſſings from you. As in Hoſ. 2.8.9. ſaies God there, becauſe I gave thee Corn and wine, and Oyl and ſilver, and gold, and thou haſt abuſed them, therefore will I return and take away my Corn in the time thereof, and my wine in the ſeaſon thereof, and will recover my wooll and my flax given to cover her nakedneſs, the abuſe of mercies does many times provoke God to ſtrip us of them, we ſee by experience, that many that abuſe their wealth and Eſtates come to beggery before they die, and many that abuſe their wits become very fools.
8. To diſſwade you from the abuſe of lawfull bleſſings, conſider, that ſuch practiſes will nouriſh in your hearts ſecurity, and careleſneſs in preparing for the coming of Chriſt to judgement, Mat. 24.38.Luke 17.27. As it was in the dayes of Noah, ſo ſhall it be alſo in the dayes of the Son of man; they did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, untill the day that Noe entred into the Ark, and the flood came and deſtroyed them all, and as it was in the dayes of Lot, they did eat, they drank, they bought, they ſold, they planted, they builded, till it rained fire and brimſtone from Heaven, and deſtroyed them all, even thus ſhall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. Beloved, many of you have your hands and heads, and hearts ſo full of the world, that you are ſecure and heedleſs in preparing for the laſt day, at leaſt in preparing for your laſt day, the day of your death.
9. Conſider, that by abuſing the Creatures, you force them to do that which by naturall inſtinct, they have no inclination or promptitude to do, in Rom. 8.19. The Creature was made ſubject to vanity, not willingly, that is, the Creature is imployed in vain and ſinfull uſes, not by its naturall inſtinct, or by the Creatures naturall inclination, but unwillingly; thy hand that is imployed in any ſinfull action, or thy leggs that carries thee to a Stage-play, or thy tongue that is an inſtrument of lying, or ſwearing, &c. they do not do theſe things willingly, or by naturall inſtinct, they are not enclined to do it, but rather to ſet forth their Creators glory. The Sun does not willingly ſhine to give light to wicked men, to deceive and oppreſs their Neighbours in their Shops. No Creature does give a willing conſent to be imployed to his Creators diſhonour, the Creatures are made ſubject to vanity, not willingly, but by reaſon of him that hath ſubjected the ſame in hope (that is) in hope that alwayes the Creature ſhall not be thus ſubject to wicked men, and inſtrumentall to their ſin, and of their Creators diſhonour. The Creature is ſubjected in hope to be ſome time or other freed from this burden of being made uſe of by wicked men to Gods diſhonour.
10. Conſider, that you cannot uſe the things of the world long, and therefore you ſhould uſe them well: this is the Argument in the text, It remains Brethren (ſaies the Apoſtle) the time is ſhort, therefore let him that weeps be as if he wept not, and he that rejoyceth as if he rejoyced not, and they that buy as if they poſseſſed not, and thoſe that uſe the world as not abuſing of it; why? becauſe your time is ſhort, you cannot enjoy them long▪ and therefore you ſhould uſe them well.
And thus beloved I have done with theſe Apoſtolicall Directions: there now remains behind, only the reaſons or motives why we ſhould not uſe the things of this world abuſively, becauſe the faſhion of this world paſſeth away. Why muſt we weep as if we wept not, and rejoyce as if we rejoyced not, and buy as if we poſseſſed not, and uſe the world as not abuſing of it, why? becauſe the faſhion of this world paſſeth away. The faſhion of this world: The word ſignifies a mathematicall figure (as hath been noted) which is a meer notion, and nothing in ſubſtance, ſuch a thing is the world: all the pomp and glory and honours, or riches and greatneſs of the world, they are all fading vaniſhing comforts, they are continually paſſing away, like the gliding ſtream. The faſhion of this world. The word, ſaith another Authour, ſignifies ſuch a faſhion as is in a Comedy, or Stage-play, where all things are but for a while to pleaſe the eye; A man acts the part of a King that is but a Beggar: ſo all the comforts and glory, and honours of the world, they are paſſing away, like the water of a River, they are continually running away from you. Budaeus reads it, deceiveth, as an ignis fatuus.
Doct. I ſhould in the firſt place handle theſe words in a relative conſideration, as a reaſon why we muſt uſe the world as not abuſing of it, becauſe the faſhion of this world paſſeth away, and fom thence you may obſerve.
That the ſerious conſideration that all the comforts and bleſſings of this world ſoon paſſe and fade away, ſhould be a ſtrong motive to Chriſtians, not to ſet their hearts upon them.
Doct. 2 Who would ſet his heart upon that which ſo quickly paſſeth away? as the running water poſteth ſwiftly away; ſo the things of the world are ſoon gone, and therefore this ſhould provoke Chriſtians not to abuſe them; but to uſe them well, ſeeing they are paſſing away.
But I had rather handle the words as an intire propoſition of themſelves, and then the Doctrine from them will be this, That all the comforts and conditions of this world, are paſſing away from us, even while they are with us. This is the Doctrine I ſhall ſpend an hower upon in the afternoon.