White Salt, Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII.
WE have ſpoken laſt of a virtue which makes more nearly a connexion betwixt obedience to the firſt and ſecond Table, and that is charity; which hath the well-head plainly in the firſt Table, for it is an internal duty, the love of God; yet ſtreameth in the ſecond Table to our Neighbour.
And this then may conveniently lead us to a little conſideration of the point of piety, wherein is the third part of our obedience to God. And here God is the object of the internal and external act of our obedience: for the actions of piety do not only regard him in his command, and in the end of their performance; but alſo in the object of the matter. And therefore here comes in the godlineſs in a proper ſenſe, becauſe here the matter reſpects God immediately.
For this ſhall every one that is godly make his prayer unto thee in a time when thou mayſt be found, Pſal. 32.6.
This prayer is an act of piety wherein we acknowledge God in his Beeing, and in his Attributes, Omniſcience, Omnipreſence, Wiſdome, Power, Juſtice, Goodneſs, Faithfulneſs to his promiſe. He hath given us a commandement and a promiſe together of it, Pſal. 50.15. Call upon me in the time of trouble, and I will hear thee, and thou ſhalt praiſe me. This act of religious worſhip doth properly belong to God: ſo he ſaith; Call upon me in the time of trouble, and I will hear thee, and thou ſhalt praiſe me; which perſonalities ſeem to be excluſive, Call upon me, and I will hear thee, and thou ſhalt praiſe me; our commandement is to God; our hearing we have from God himſelf; our object of praiſe is God himſelf. We have no order to pray to Saint or Angel: we have no certainty they do hear us: we have no leave, much leſs injunction to praiſe them; becauſe they cannot perform our requeſts.
Hereupon the Pontifician is put to diſtinctions, two or three. Firſt, they do not pray to Saints or Angels, ſo as that by them the prayers of thoſe on earth ſhould be made known to God; for they deny not that he hears them: but ſo, that by their merits and prayers thoſe requeſts ſhould receive accompliſhment; as Aquinas diſtinguiſheth in his 2da. 2dae. 83. q. 4. ar. To which is added another diſtinction, that the Saints or Angels are not immediate to God, as if they were above Chriſt: for they confeſs Chriſt to be the next Mediator to God: but they are they ſay, Mediators betwixt us and Chriſt.
To which two diſtinctions one text is ſufficient of St. Paul, in 1 Tim. 2.5. There is one God, and one Mediator betwixt God and man, the man Chriſt Jeſus. If they ſay there are more Mediators; Chriſt is the only Mediator of Redemption, others of Interceſsion; the text doth contradict, there is one; as one God; ſo one Mediator; as is noted: ſo that there is not one for Redemption, another for Interceſſion: If they ſay though there is none betwixt Chriſt and God, but betwixt us and Chriſt; it is anſwered from the text, that there is one betwixt God and us; not betwixt God and Saints, or Angels: ſo that our prayers are immediately commended to Chriſt, and by him to God. Eſtius upon the place here ſaith, that here is not excluded other Mediators of an imperfect account: But what account ſhall we make of any other, when in their own confeſſion Chriſt is a perfect Mediator, and others are imperfect? And what eſteem can we make of their interceſſion, when Chriſt is acknowledged to be the only Mediator of Redemption?
For 1. they do not keep this diſtinction in their practice, but pray to the Saints, as if they were alſo Mediators by redemption.
2. If they do perform an office of interceſſion under Chriſt, they do it by their merits; as Aquinas before: That they do not intercede thus, appeareth thus;
1 Becauſe they cannot prove any. merit. 2 If they have any, they have none to ſpare for others ſurely. 3 If they have any to ſpare, they have all from Chriſt. And if they have ſo much from Chriſt as ſome ſuperfluous, what hinders but that they ſhould be Mediators of Redemption, as well as of Interceſſion? For Chriſt intercedeth by the ſame whereby he did redeem: now he redeemed by his merits; therefore he intercedeth by his merits: therefore by the ſame proportion that they do intercede for us by their merits, they may alſo redeem us by their merits; and ſo they enterfeer in their own diſtinction. But to leave this diſcourſe.
This prayer is an act of high worſhip which belongs to God by Chriſt: to him we ſhould go in our prayers; and by Chriſt we ſhould: we have warrant for this.
And in the frequency of this devotion doth goodneſs appear, as we take it in the latitude. Goodneſs ſtrictly hath in it a reſpect to communication: but yet as it hath ſome reſpect to grace, ſo it alſo attendeth the means of reception. And if we cannot give well without charity; and cannot have charity but from God; and cannot have it from God but by prayer; then goodneſs will be exerciſed in prayer to God, that he would be good to us, in giving us that grace, which moſt properly doth denominate us good.
The Heathen could ſee that we are not good by outward goods; and therefore if one hath a better eſtate, he is not the better man, but hath the better eſtate; ſo if he hath the better horſe, he is not the better man, but hath the better horſe; if he hath better clothes, he is not the better man yet, but hath the better clothes.
But neither are we ſaid formally to be good by faith and hope; becauſe the acts of thoſe habits are terminated towards us; but the actions of charity are terminated from us; either to God, or our neighbor for God.
Why ſhould we not then uſe this excellent mean of ſupplication for this excellent quality? How can we do better then in asking that gift from God, whereby we are diſpoſed to do good? Not that we ſhould begge this only; (for it will not go alone) but becauſe unleſs we beg it of God, we ſhall not have it; and unleſs we have it, thoſe that begge of us are like to go without; and we ſhall do no good in the world. The uncharitable man is the man foreign, that conferreth nothing to the publique.
Indeed we have other virtues to ſolicit the Throne of grace for. There is faith the prime virtue, as being the root of other virtues, which denies any thing in us towards ſalvation, and layeth hold on Chriſt and his righteouſneſs. There is hope, the Anchor of the ſoul, amidſt all the ſtorms of afflictions. There is humility, which is in ſeaſon, when we are in proſperity; there is patience, which is proper, when we are low and in adverſity: there is meekneſs, when we are inraged or provoked. But charity is all, or ſuppoſeth all. That which it is not, it doth include. Particularly it ſuppoſeth faith. By faith I go out of my ſelf, that I may receive Chriſt, and happineſs by him: but by charity I go out of my ſelf, that I may be wholly Gods, becauſe he hath made Chriſt mine: and as he giveth me Chriſt by faith; ſo I give my ſelf to him and to others for him by charity.
Therefore if thou wilt de any thing, pray: and if thou wilt pray for any thing, pray for charity; which hath relation to all the world; God, Neighbors, Enemies, Infidels; all.
St. Chryſoſtom hath a conceit that no temporal thing is to be the object of prayer; foreign; nothing that belongeth to this life of ours: ſo much that holy Archbiſhop was for mortification, ſo little for the world: and therefore that petition for daily bread they underſtood of ſpiritual and Sacramental bread. As if they only had underſtood and practiſed that precept of our Saviour, Matth. 6.33. Seek ye firſt the kingdom of God and his righteouſneſs, and all theſe things ſhall be added unto you; in way of overplus. But then by this account this grace of charity is moſt to be deſired: for this is it which throwes about here and there theſe temporal things; this is it, without which the poor cannot live. Although the begging poor are not wont to have any virtue: yet they live by a virtue in others, and that is charity. That which is not neceſſarily connexed with our happineſs, we refer to Gods infinite wiſdom, and ſo ſave our ſelves the care of it; but that which no man can uſe ill, (as a principle) that which God worketh in us, and without us; that which is it, whereby we live well, (as he deſcribeth virtue) that we muſt deſire; and that if any other, is charity.
And for our incouragement, if we requeſt ſpirituals, we make an argument not to be denyed; becauſe they are ſuch; and ſuch as do belong to Evangelical promiſes; which like election, are abſolute; yet not without means; and therefore we muſt pray for them. In things temporal we may loſe our hope: but in things ſpiritual, we cannot; if we do not loſe our hold. So then, let us never give over prayer, let us pray continually, as the Apoſtle bids us: not as if we ought never to leave off the act of prayer, as ſome anciently conceived; but never leave off the duty; and continually in regard of ſeaſons and need. And therefore how often we ſhould pray, who can tell? for who can tell how often we ſhall have occaſion? At evening, and in the morning, and at noon-day will I pray and make a noiſe, and he ſhall hear my voice, Pſal. 55.17. In the beginning, and in the middle, and in the end of the day prayer hath its ſeaſon; for it is the beginning, and progreſs, and perfection of a Chriſtian; though not ultimately; yet diſpoſitively. For this way he beginneth, he continueth, he is perfected in goodneſs, becauſe thus he attaineth what God diſpenſeth. For prayer is directed to God, as Thomas noted, not as to change Gods purpoſe; but to obtain, what he hath by his Providence diſpoſed for us.
In this good action were all good men converſant! Surely in this ſome hypocrites are much: but without it was never any which was real. It is not therefore a trial of our goodneſs, but a neceſſary condition. It is not a diſtinctive property, but a certain ingredient. He that uſeth it may be bad, as the Phariſees were, who prayed long for a pretence, and devoured widows houſes: but none that do not uſe it, can be good. How can we be children without prayer?
So it is more eaſie to diſcern the negative; he is not good, becauſe he doth not pray; then the affirmative; he doth pray, therefore he is good; For the act may be done in hypocriſie: and that is worſt of all. Indeed inward acts of duty, or acts of inward duties are good arguments that we are good; as if we love God, fear God, rejoyce in God, hope in God: but outward acts are not, as ſuch; as outward; becauſe they may be done extrinſecally for the end. God loveth Adverbs, as he ſaid, becauſe they reſpect the internal act of the performance, and have relation properly to the form, not the matter of the action.
Yet let not the hypocrite make thee an Atheiſt: as if becauſe he doth not pray but for ſecular ends; therefore thou ſhouldſt not pray at all. Do that which he doth, but do it not as he doth it. Pray better; and pray that he may pray better.