Two Treatises, Treatise 1 · Chapter 13
CHAP. XIII.
Containing an Uſe of Exhortation, wherein are laid down moving Conſiderations to depend, and rely on God's All-Sufficiency.
for Exhortation.I Come now to a Second Uſe, which it for Exhortation, that from the Conſideration of God's All-Sufficiency, we would endeavour quietly to ſtay, repoſe, and eſtabliſh our Spirits. In purſuance of this Exhortation, ſome Motives or Perſwaſives are to be Urged: ſome Impediments to be removed, and ſome Duties to be Practiſed.
First, For Motives or Perſwaſives, to this grand Duty of repoſing our Strength, and Confidence in God's All-Sufficiency, take theſe following.
Firſt, There's an Inſufficiency, andMot. 1. There's Inſufficiency in all Creatures. utter Impotency in all the Creatures in the Univerſe. If you make an Extract of the choiſeſt, and moſt admired Creature-Comforts; they cannot give any rea…, and ſolid Satisfaction. They are in their beſt Eſtate, Vanity, and Vexati… Eccleſ. 2. 11. Iſa. 55. 2. Eccleſ. 1. 8.on of Spirit; and no way able to ſatisfy an Immortal Soul. The Eye is not ſatisfied with Seeing, nor the Ear filled with Hearing. The Heart of Man is Triangular, and the World is a Circle, and it's impoſible for a Circle to fill a Triangle. Take all the Melodious Muſick to tickle the Ear, and all the gaudy Pageants to pleaſe the Eye, and all the admirable Fancies, Contrivances, and Imaginations, to affect the Heart; yet upon a ſerious deliberate Review, there's Vanity, Inſufficiency, and Diſſatisfaction in them all. The deſire is Inſatiate, crying out with the Horſe-leeches Daughter, Give, give. When Men are upon their Sick-beds, and Tormented with great Pains, What help can Riches afford? When Men are troubled in Conſcience, & the Guilt of Sin flies in the Sinners Face, |Multo difficilius est conſcientean afflictum conſolari quam Mortuos texcitare. Luth. in Gen.What can the Pomp and Riches of the World do, to quiet and ſettle the Spirit? A Man may as ſoon hoard up the Graces of Faith, Love, Patience, and ſuch like in his Coffer, as ſatisfy his Soul with Gold and Silver. The Soul is Immaterial and Infinite; the things of the World are Material and Finite, and between Material and Immaterial, Finite and Infinite, there holds no Rule of Proportion.
Secondly, Confider, whatſoever isMot. 2. All thats Good, is derivative from God. Good, Amiable, and Deſirable in any of the beſt Creatures, it is derivative, and borrowed from the Creator. Creatures are, when compared to God, not ſo much as the Dust to the Ballance, nor ſo much as a Ray to the Sun, or a Drop to the Ocean. God is not only Eminently Good and All-Sufficient, but Excluſively; for he admits no Competitors, nor Corrivals with him. God is a Fountain opened,Zach. 13. 1. Jer. 2. 13. and a Fountain of Living Waters. An inexhauſted Fountain, which never fails, nor can be drawn dry. Creatures are oftimes Pits without Water, and what Water they have at any time, it's borrowed elſewhere. But the Spring never fails. The Fountain of Grace and Mercy, is a Well of living Water, Springing up unto Eternal Life.
Thirdly, God is infinitely Excellent,Mot. 3. God is infinitely Excellent. abſolutely perfect, and what he doth is Compleat, and every way Perfect, Eccleſ. 3. 14. I know that whatſoever God doth, it ſhall be for Ever; nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it, and God doth it, that Men ſhould fear before him.
It's ordinary amongſt Creatures, for one Artificer to mend the Work of another; becauſe one Man hath more Dexterity and Sagacity, in managing his Trade, than another. Every one hath not Arrived to the Skill of Bezaliel and Aholiab, who were filled with Wiſdom from God. Nothing more common, than for one to find fault with anothers Work. And many Eyes may See Plus vident oculi quam oculus.more than one. It's not unuſual for the ſelf-ſame Man to mend his own Work, for One day may learn of another. But allPoſterior dies eſt prioris diſcipu…u…. God's Ways are abſolutely Perfect. And God alone is able to perſwade the Heart, to Acquieſce, and reſt ſatisfied in him alone. Whereas no Creature-comfort can quiet the Heart, and remove all diſcontents. The want of a bended Knee more vexed, and diſpleaſed Haman, than all his Court-Favours, and Promotions pleaſed him, |Omnia haec non habent pretium, valorem, dignitatem apud me. Lud. de Dieu.Eſth. 5. 13. Yet all this availeth me nothing, ſo long as I ſee Mordecai the Jew, ſitting at the King's Gate.
Fourthly, God is an Univerſal GoodMot. 4. God is an Univerſal Good. at all times, in all Caſes, Places, and in all Conditions. Creatures at the beſt, are but particular Goods, and ſerve for uſe only, in ſome particular Caſes, and in others, are not uſeful, nor helpful at all. For Inſtance; Fire, and Cloaths warm the Body, but cannot ſatisfy Hunger, nor quench the Thirſt; Friends may be willing to help, but are abſent, and cannot convey help, or if they be preſent, they may not be able. They cannot help a Man to Health in Sickneſs, nor to Riches in Poverty, nor to Peace in a time of War. But God is every where, by the Ubiquity of his Preſence, and alwayes able to help. All Creatures are at God's Command. All Cattle on a Thouſand Mountains are at God's Diſpoſal. In all Conditions, Wants and Diſtreſſes, Supplies, Helps and Relief come from God. It hath pleaſed the Father, that in Chriſt ſhould all Fulneſs dwell, Col. 1. 19.
There's Fulneſs of Wiſdom to Counſel, of Power to Defend, of Mercy to Pardon, of Righteouſneſs to Juſtify, ofHabet omnia qui habet poſſidentem omnia. Auguſt. Holineſs to Sanctify, of Grace here, and of Glory hereafter. Now He hath all, who hath Interest in him, who Poſſeſſeth all.
Fifthly, God is an Eternal Good. HisMot. 5. God is an Eternal Good. Jer. 31. 3. Pſ. 130. …. 2 Sam. 23. 5. Inter peritura vivimus. Sen. Love is Everlaſting, his Mercy Endureth for Ever, his Covenant Everlaſting. No Creature in the Univerſe, is of any long Continuance. Time is ſhort, and Riches are but for a ſhort time. Health, Peace, Friendſhip, Relations, deareſt and neareſt are Tranſient, and of ſhort Continuance. It's to be Obſerved, when Solomon Breve est quod delectat, aeternum quod cruciat▪ Bellar. de Contemptu mun…i.reckons a time for ſeveral Purpoſes and Conditions, Eccleſ. 3. 1, 2, 3. &c. He Mentions no time to Live. Orimur, morimur. From our Cradle to our Grav…, there's one continued progreſſive Motion. There's ſomething cutting at the Root, and haſtening us each Moment to our Grave. Where then ſhall we Reſt, and confidently Secure our …elves? We muſt Aſcend from Earth to Heaven, from Tranſient and Fading Creatures, to an Eternal and Unchangeable God. No reſt for Noah's Dove, till She was took into the Ark; no reſt nor acquieſcence for a Chriſtian, butIn omnibus quae percurro non invenio tutum locum animae meae niſi in te, quo colligantur ſparſa mea, nec a te quicquam recedat ex me. Aug. confeſ. l. 10. in God. Whereever I go (ſaith Auguſtin) I find no Safety, but in Thee. Let's then have continual Recourſe unto God. In his Preſence there is fulneſs of Joy, and at his Right Hand, there are Pleaſures for Evermore. Withal Holy Greedineſs, and unwearied Pains, let us purſue the Wayes of Wiſdom: There's a great Incouragement, Prov. 8. 18. Riches and Honours are with me; yea, durable Riches and Righteouſneſs. Other Riches, which the World injoyes; if God be not there amongſt them, what are they elſe but Poverty. |Omnis mihi copia quae Deus meus non eſt, egeſtas eſt. Aug. Confeſ. l. 13. Col. 3. 2.A Painter ſaid, Pingo Aeternitati. I am ſure, a Chriſtian ought to have Eternity in his frequent, and deliberate Thoughts, and to Labour to get his Heart weaned, from things Tranſient, and fixt upon things Permanent, to Set his Affections on things above, and not on things below.
Sixthly and Laſtly, Conſider, If we believeMot. 6. We ſhall Speed the worſe, if we do not depend upon God's All Sufficiency. not God's All▪ Sufficiency, nor depend upon his Power, and Goodneſs, and Wiſdom, for Proviſion Supplies, and Aſſiſtances, but betake our ſelves to any Creature, we ſhall ſpeed the worſe. To our Peril be it: For to leave God's Way, and to follow a deviſed Way of our own; to leave a Fountain, and to repair to a Cyſtern, is the High-Way that leadeth to our own Ruin, and utter Deſtruction. Who ever Proſpered by any indirect, irregular Way? For any to make haſte out of a Trouble, and through Impatience betake themſelves to wrong Remedies, as by lying, diſſembling, and rendring Evil for Evil; this is a Remedy worſe than the Diſeaſe; this is to throw away the Plaiſter, before the So…e be Healed, and a ready means to cauſe the Wound to Bleed afreſh, and renew the Pain. For Inſtance, Abraham and Iſaac, both Sinned greatly in Denying their Wives, and thereby they expoſed themſelves to great Temptations: Jacob compaſſed a Bleſſing by indirect means; though now he obtained the Bleſſing, yet he met with variety of Afflictions; he was an Exile Twenty Years, for fear of his Brother Eſau; he endured a rigorous Servitude under his Uncle Laban, and many Domeſtick Croſſes he met with amongſt his own Children. Some in their Straights, betake themſelves to a broken Refuge of Lyes; But obſerve the Judgment Iſa. 28. 17. The Hail ſhall ſweep away the Refuge of Lyes, and the Waters ſhall overflow the hiding Place. Others in Extremity, betake themſelves to Carnal Compliance with Men; they even commit Idolatry with them, like the Antient Perſians, who Worſhipped the Riſing Sun. The Charge of the Apoſtle, is, 1 Cor. 7. 23.Mentes ve…tras libe… …ma… habete, neque eas unquam aut beris veſtris, aut ullis hominibus ſubijcite; ſed ſoli Chriſto a quo empti eſtis▪ c…r quum ſervipis, ne exiſtimate vos hominun, ſed ſcitote vos ſolius Chriſti▪ eſſe ſervos. Lu… de Die…. Ye are bought with a Price, be not ye the Servants of Men. And the Apoſtle Profeſſeth his Integrity, and Reſolution againſt Men pleaſing, Gal. 1. 10. Do I ſeek to Pleaſe Men? For if I pleaſed Men, I ſhould not be the Servant of Chriſt. And ſuch as truſt in Men, are under a dreadful Curſe, Jer. 17. 5. Thus ſaith the Lord, Curſed be the Man that trusteth in Man, and maketh Fleſh his Arm, and whoſe Heart departeth from the Living God. What ſaid Saul to the Benjamites, Will the Son of Jeſſe give you Fields and Vineyards, and make you Captains of Thouſands? So ſay I, Will any thing under the Sun give you any real laſting Comfort? Will any Earthly thing help you in a Day of God's Wrath, then eſpecially, when a Guilty Conſcience flies in thy Face? Will thy Riches and Greatneſs carry thee beyond this Life; and lead thee to Eternity? Upon Experience we ſhall find that we are diſappointed, and croſt moſt, when we expect moſt; How was David croſt in his Beautiful Son Abſolom? And how was he croſt in his Darling Adonijah, whom he never once reproved? When Judas had moſt need of a Word of Counſel and Comfort, then he was Anſwered by the High Prieſts, after a ſlight and careleſs manner,Ad modum Caini loquuntur, vera progenies Caini. Grot. Mat. 27. 4. And they ſaid, What is that to us? See thou to that. Abſolom had never ſo much need of his Mule, as when his Head was caught under the Thickets of an Oak; but then his Mule went from under him, and left him Hanging between Heaven and Earth, a ready Mark for the next Enemy that came, to thruſt him through, as Joab did. Mephiboſheth had never more need of Ziba's Service, than at that time, when David fled from Abſolom (and Mephiboſheth that true Hearted Loyal Subject, had a willing mind to wait on the King; but could not for want of Legs) yet then Ziba raiſed a notorious Lye againſt Mephiboſheth, and accuſed him falſly, who was a faithfuller Subject, than his Accuſer. Let all theſe Conſiderations ingage us to truſt God, and diſtruſt Creatures; and to this purpoſe, I ſhall remove ſome Impediments, or Obſtacles, which hinder our truſting, and depending on God.