The Combat Between the Flesh and Spirit, Sermon 3
SERM. 3.
Queſt. 4 Rule 3. How to moderate our ſorrows for the loſs of worldly comforts.I Have now one Query more, and that is in the fourth place, to ſhew you what Rules or helps you are to uſe, ſo as to keep your ſorrows for worldly croſſes within bounds, to weep as if you wept not. I ſhall here likewiſe give you 11. or 12. directions for the performance of this duty.
1. If you would keep your ſorrow within bounds, uſe this help, look upon thoſe things, for the want of which you do ſo exceſſively grieve, as meer nothings. You will ſay it is a childiſh thing for a man to cry for nothing; why many ſuch childiſh pranks do we play very often, we do grieve and mourn, and weep for meer nothings, which if we did ſeriouſly conſider, when we do mourn for the loſſe of this or that comfort, it would allay our ſorrows, ſeeing they are meer nothing: Oh but you'l ſay, my Trade failes, ſo much of my Eſtate is loſt, and do you call this nothing? yes I do, for ſo the Scripture calls them, Prov. 23.5. ſaies Solomon, wilt thou ſet thy heart upon that which is nothing? for riches take unto them wings and fly away: and if ſo, why ſhould we ſet our hearts ſo much upon them, as to grieve for them in the want of them. When King Agrippa came to paſſe judgement upon Paul, Acts 25.23. Its ſaid, he came with great Pomp; foreign.but in the Originall it is, he came with a great fantaſie. Such fancies and nothings are all worldly Pomps and comforts, in compariſon of the great and waighty things of ſalvation: there is but one thing neceſſary ſaies Chriſt, and that is to get an intereſt in him; Luk. 10 42it is not neceſſary that you ſhould have riches and honour in the world, the only thing neceſſary is to get Chriſt, and therefore why ſhould we ſpend our time, and take pains about that which is not bread, and after that which will not profit us, which are but meer nothings. What a Childiſh part was it in Haman, Eſa. 55.2.when he had ſo many priviledges and dignities as the favour of the King, to ſit at the Kings Table, and ride upon his Horſe, &c. that he ſhould be ſo much grieved and troubled, becauſe Mordecai would not reverence him? what a poor ſmall matter was this, to interrupt all his comfor…s? and Ahab, &c. he could not have Naboths Vineyard, when he had ſo many of his own: many men ſuffer themſelves to be over-whelmed with ſorrow for poor ſlight triviall things. Seneca ſets out ſuch a man that hath a ſtately houſe, fair Orchards and Gardens, with much fruit, yet ſhould grieve becauſe a few leaves fall off.
2. If you would keep your ſorrows within bounds, then take heed you do not place an inordinate and immoderate love, upon any comfort you enjoy here below. If you love any thing too much in the enjoyment of it, you will grieve too much for that thing in the loſſe of it, and therefore let not your hearts be glewed to any comfort here below. Let the comforts of the world be to you as Gloves to your hands, and not as the skin to your fleſh; you cannot pull off the skin from your fleſh without a great deal of pain and torment, but you may pull of your Glove from your hand without any trouble. If your hearts be glewed too much to the love of worldly things, the loſſe of thoſe things you did ſo immoderately love, will provoke you to exceſſive ſorrow and grief. A man will never grieve for the loſſe of that which he hates, but for that which he loves, and you can never keep your ſorrow within bounds, if you do not keep your love within bounds. As it is with a Picture, if you put it into a frame, and hang it up againſt the wall, you may eaſily take it down again; but if you glew or paſt it to the wall, you cannot take it down without tearing it all to pieces. So if your love to the World be like a Picture, glewed to the wall, you will not part with the things of the world, but with a great deal of ſorrow and trouble and vexation. Gen. 37.3.35.It is ſaid of Jacob when he heard his Son Joſeph was dead, that he wept and would not be comforted, and the reaſon was, becauſe he loved Joſeph exceedingly, and more then all the reſt: his exceſſive love to Joſeph did make him ſorrow ſo much in the want of him.
3. Look upon all comforts here below, Scio me geuniſſe mortelem.as loſeable and uncertain. God in his wiſdom hath not joyned permanency to any comfort here below. Look upon your comforts as mutable and periſhing: have you loſt a Child? why ſay, I knew before that I had begotten a mortall Child: there is an appointed time for us all once to die, and the comforts we enjoy here below, are not like the Anchor in the bottom of the Sea that holds faſt in a ſtorm; but like the flag upon the top of the maſt that turns with every wind; and therefore ſeeing in your greateſt comfort you are ſubject to an alteration every moment, why ſhould you immoderately ſorrow in the loſſe of them, and grieve ſo much for that which you may loſe you know not how ſoon. A man ſhould ſit looſe from things loſeable, and never give way to certain ſorrows, for the loſſe of ſo uncertain comforts.
4. If you would keep your ſorrow within bounds, conſider that you have no cauſe of ſorrow for the loſſe of worldly things, if God leaves you enough for the neceſſities of your life, though he doth not leave you a ſuperfluity for the complacency and delight of your life, having food and rayment, let us therewith be content. 1 Tim. 6.8If thou haſt bread, though not junkets, be contented with it: if you have rayment, though not Ornaments, yet be contented. If you have food and rayment, though never ſo courſe, being enough but meerly to maintain life, you have no cauſe to complain, but to be contented. Jacob was a richer man then any of you that hear me this day; yet ſaies he in Gen. 28.20. if ſo be thou wilt give me bread to eat, and rayment to put on, it ſhall ſuffice me. If the Lord gives us meat and rayment, though the meat be homely, and the rayment courſe, yet we ſhould be content with it, and ſay it ſhall ſuffice me: though God doth not give us abundance for our delight and conveniency, yet if he gives us enough to relieve our neceſſities, we ſhould be contented, and therefore have no cauſe of exceſſive ſorrow in that particular.
Help the 5th 5. Do nothing that may commemorate or call to minde your former or preſent afflictions, ſo as to renew your ſorrows thereby. Beloved, it is an ill courſe that many people take, when they have loſt a friend, as a Husband, or a Wife, or a Parent, or a Child, they will be looking upon the Picture, or Clothes, or any thing elſe of their deceaſed friends, which make their ſorrow to renew, and their wounds to bleed a freſh, do nothing that may call to mind your ſorrows. It is a notable inſtance to this purpoſe, and very obſervable, that which you find in Gen. 35.17,18. It is ſaid there of Rachel, that when ſhe was a dying, the Child being born, ſhe called its name Benoni, the Son of my ſorrow; but now mark, Ja…ob would not let it be called by that name the Mother called it by; but he called it Benjamin the Sonne of my right hand. And Divines give this Reaſon of it, becauſe if Jacob had ſuffered the Child to have been called by that name, every time he had heard it, it would have been a means to recall to mind the loſſe of his Wife, who died while ſhe was in labour with him, and ſo have revived his grief and ſorrow for it: therefore we ſhould not call to mind our afflictions, ſo as to renew our ſorrows.
6. If you would keep your ſorrows within bounds, live much in the meditation and contemplation of divine things. The reaſon why you mourn ſo much for things below, is becauſe you meditate no more on things above; were your contemplations raiſed up to the ſpeculation of divine and ſpirituall things, the joy of theſe would ſwallow up your ſorrow for the loſſe of any thing here below. Adam in innocency did ſo converſe with God, that he did not ſee his own nakedneſs. I have read of the Eagle, that ſhe is of a temper and condition contrary to all other Birds: whereas all other Birds that fly when they are hurt, or in want, will cry and make a noyſe; as the Crane will chatter, the Dove will mou…ne, the Raven will croake, all creatures will make a noyſe when they are hart or in want: but now the Eagle ſhe will flye aloft towards the Sun, and there recreate her ſelfe with its warme beames. Oh now beloved that you would be Eagle like, to ſoare up in your meditations heavenward; to raiſe up your thoughts to ſpirituall and heavenly things; and this would greatly allay your ſorrowes for the loſſe of any outward comfort.
Rule 7 7. Labour to mourne for ſin more, and then you will mourne for outward afflictions leſſe, when once the conſcience is touched with a penetentiall ſorrow for ſin, it will then ceaſe ſorrowing for the loſſe of worldly comforts. Oh Beloved, the letting your ſorrowes run out upon ſin, will divert them from any other object, becauſe when once the ſoul is in a veine of weeping for ſin, it ſees and apprehends ſin to be ſo great an evill, that no evill in the world is ſo much a ground of ſorrow as that: and therefore if you would weep as if you wept not for outward troubles, weep more for ſin, and the corruptions that are in your own hearts; I may ſay of ſorrow as it is ſaid of feare in Eſay 8.12,13. ſayes the Text, Feare not their feare, neither be afraid, but ſanctifie the Lord of Hoſts himſelfe, and let him be your feare, and let him be your dread. They that feare the Lord will not feare men; they that have a religious feare, will not have a worldly feare: ſo if you have a godly ſorrow for ſin; it will keep you from any immoderate worldly ſorrow; and therefore I could wiſh, when you finde your ſorrowes breaking out for the loſſe of worldly comforts, and things goe croſſſe with you here below, that you would conſider, that you have greater evils, to mourne for, and a great deale more cauſe to let your ſorrowes run in ſins Channell, then for any outward croſſe or affliction.
8. If you would allay exceſſe in wordly ſorrow, ballance your outward wants with your inward and ſpirituall injoyments; and your outward croſſes with your inward comforts; and ſee whether the ſcale of your ſpirituall comforts doth not exceedingly weigh downe the other: and if God make your ſpirituall mercies to outvy your outward afflictions, you have more cauſe to rejoyce then to mourne. This courſe David tooke in 2 Sam. 25.5. ſayes he, Although my houſe be not ſo with God, yet he hath made with me an everlaſting covenant, ordered in all things and ſure, for this is all my ſalvation, and all my deſire, although he make it not to grow, as if he ſhould have ſaid, although I have not an affluence and confluence of all worldly happineſſe, yet I care not, ſeeing God hath made with mean everlaſting covenant, ordered in all things and ſure; though things goe amiſſe without, yet all is well within; God hath made with me a covenant, and that is all my deſire, and all my ſalvation, ſo that now if you would with David ballance your outward croſſes with your inward comforts, Pro. 14.14you would there ſee more cauſe of joy then outwardly of ſorrow. A good man (ſaith Solomon) ſhall be ſatisfied from himſelfe; he hath that within him which will afford him comfort, whatſoever his outward condition be.
You that are dejected with worldly ſorrow, reaſon thus with your ſelves, what though my condition be ſaid, and I want neceſſaries for this life, and have not a houſe to put my head in; or if I have, it is but a poore ſmoky Cottage; yet why ſhould I be troubled, ſeeing I have a houſe not made with hands, eternall in the heavens, though I have no habitation here, 2 Cor. 5.1.yet Chriſt is gone before me into heaven to prepare a place for me there. What though I am a man of a meane eſtate, and can ſcarce with all my labour and paines bring the yeare about? Joh. 14.2.yet God is my portion, and I have an inheritance among them that are ſanctified by faith in Chriſt: what though I am in debt, and in continuall danger when I goe abroad to be arreſted and impriſoned, yet my great debt is paid, Chriſt hath ſatisfied divine juſtifice for me: and I ſhall never goe to the Priſon of hell to all eternity: what though I have no money in my purſe to buy bread? yet I have a treaſure in heaven, that ſhall never be exhauſted; what though I have ſcarce cloaths to cover my nakedneſſe? yet I have the long Robe of Chriſts righteouſneſſe to cover my ſinfull nakedneſſe: and though I have ſcarce meat and drinke to put in my belly, yet I doe feed upon the bread of life, the Lord Jeſus Chriſt: what though I am reproached and ſcandalized and defamed in my good name? yet my name is written in the booke of life, and though I have never a foot of Land here to enjoy, yet I am an heire to a Kingdom. A Prince in diſguize in a forraign Country meets with ill uſage; but it troubles him not much, why? becauſe he is heire to a Crowne, and knows that when he is in his owne Kingdome he ſhall have reſpect enough. Beloved let theſe inward and ſpirituall enjoyments allay all worldly ſorrow, conſidering that if thou doeſt ballance thy ſpirituall enjoyments with thy outward wants, and thy inward comforts with thy outward loſſes, the former will infinitely preponderate and outweigh the latter.
9. Would you keep your ſorrowes within bounds? then make the moſt of the mercies you receive, and the leaſt of the afflictions you endure; it is the property of a ſorrowfull ſpirit to make the moſt of his afflictions, and the leaſt of his mercies; but if you would keep your hearts from exceſſive ſorrow, you ſhould amplifie and inlarge Gods mercies to you, and extenuate and leſſen your afflictions in your memories, and you will greaten your thankfulneſſe, and leſſen and abate your murmurring and ſorrowes. Conſider with your ſelves that the leaſt mercy that you doe enjoy is more then you doe deſerve, and the greateſt affliction you endure, a great deale leſſe then your demerits; and conſider likewiſe, that you brought nothing into the world, neither can you carry any thing out; and that if you doe eſcape hell torment hereafter, it is a greater mercy, then if you ſhould enjoy all the treaſures and pleaſures in the world: but many people if they meet but with one day of adverſity, they will pore upon their miſery, and amplifie their ſorrowes, and never thinke of thoſe loads of mercies which God hath heaped upon their heads: you have more cauſe to rejoyce that God gives you the leaſt mercy, then to rpine when he ſends on you the greateſt affliction.
10. Compare your afflictions with others, that have endured greater afflictions with more patience, and leſſe ſorrow, then you have done; conſider the patience of Job, and the end that the Lord made with him: you never loſt ſo much as Job loſt, he loſt 7000. Sheep, 3000. Camels, 500: yoake of Oxen, and 500. ſhee Aſſes, he loſt ſeven ſonnes and three daughters, and all in one day, he endured a great deale of miſery in his body, and lay upon the very dunghil, and yet was patient under all theſe afflictions; Why nowconſider, that better men then thou art have had greater miſeries, and troubles, and afflictions then you, and yet have had a great deale more patience and leſſe ſorrow and griefe then thou. The Apoſtle Peter perſwaded men to patience in a ſuffering condition, 1 Pet 5.9.conſidering that the ſame afflictions are accompliſht in their brethren which are in the world; and Paul 1 Cor. 10.13. There hath nothing befallen you, but ſuch as is common to man; Nay Jeſus Chriſt himſelfe underwent many afflictions and miſeries, and yet he opened not his mouth, but as a Sheep before the ſhearers is dumbe, ſo he opened not his mouth. Thoſe that have more grace have leſſe mercy then thou, and thoſe that have leſſe ſinnes have more afflictions.
11. To allay your ſorrow, and keep it within bounds, conſider that 'tis better with you when you are at the worſt, then it is with wicked men when they are at the beſt; if this conſideration did lye neere your hearts, it would greatly allay all exceſſive ſorrow. A little that a righteous man hath is better then the revenues of the wicked, Prov. 15.6. In the houſe of the righteous is much treaſure, but in the revenues of the wicked is trouble; Obſerve, it is not ſaid, in the revenues of the righteous, is much treaſure, but in the houſe of the righteous; it may be a righteous mans houſe, may be a poore cottage, a beggars houſe, and in it not a ſtoole to ſit on, or a fire to warme him, or food to nouriſh him, &c. and yet ſayes Solomon, in the houſe of the righteous is much treaſure; but have wicked men treaſure too? no, in the revenues of the wicked is much trouble, he doth not ſay in the houſe of the wicked; but in their revenues, there is much trouble; there is the curſe of God upon all that a wicked man enjoyes, the poore beggerly cottage of a righteous man hath more treaſure and happineſſe in it, then the great revenues of wicked men, a godly man when he is at worſt, is better then a wicked man at beſt, Prov. 16.8. Better is a little with righteouſneſſe, then great revenues without right, a little with the feare of God, is better then a great deale that a wicked man hath. Why now will you lay this to heart? ſuppoſe you lye under great afflictions, and have loſt an eſtate, or wife, or children, or friends, or any thing: yet thou art a godly man; I dare aſſure you that in your worſt condition, you are better then a wicked man in his beſt eſtate; though there be little or nothing in your houſe, yet there is great treaſure; and though there be much in a wicked mans houſe, yet there is likewiſe a great deal of trouble, and ſorrow. I have only one conſideration more and I have done.
12. If thou wouldeſt allay exceſſive ſorrow for worldly croſſes, conſider that you will live a great deale more happy, in being contented with what you have, then you can doe in over much grieving for what you want, for thou doſt by this meanes pierce thy ſelfe through with many ſorrowes. A man may be a very rich man and drive a great Trade, and yet that man may be a miſerable man, and have a hell in his conſcience, and a hell in his family. Therefore if you cannot bring your eſtate to your minde, you muſt bring downe your minde to your eſtate, for the comfort of a mans life doth not conſiſt in riches, but in being contented with his condition, therefore rather bleſſe God for what thou haſt, then mourne and grieve for what thou wanteſt: for this is the way to make thy life uncomfortable, and full of trouble and ſorrow, take the Apoſtles adviſe Hebr. 13.5. ſayes he, Let your converſations be without covetouſneſſe, and be content with ſuch things as you have. And thus I have done with theſe twelve helpes or conſiderations, to keep your ſorrowes within bounds. Uſe. We come now to the uſe which ſhall be of reproofe, to thoſe that can mourne for every triviall and inconſiderable loſſe they meet with in the world; that have heads like Fountaines, to poure out rivers of Teares for any worldly croſſes or afflictions: and yet when God calls for mourning and weeping and baldneſſe, their heads are like a Rock, that cannot ſhed one drop: though they can mourne for ſmall light afflictions, yet they cannot ſhed a teare either for their own ſins, or the ſinnes of the Nation, theſe men are juſtly to be reproved for their prepoſterous ſorrow.