Two Treatises, Treatise 1 · Chapter 16
CHAP. XVI.
Containing a Third Uſe for Examination in Five Queries.
IT will now be Requiſite, that I Inlarge Ʋſe 3 for Examinationa Third Uſe, for Examination and Tryal, whether we believe God to be All-Sufficient; and whether in all times, we will ſtay, and depend upon him. This nearly concerns every one of us, to put our ſelves upon a ſtrict Tryal and Inquiſition. In purſuance of this Uſe, I ſhall propound theſe enſuing Queries.
Whether we acknowledge God's abſolute Quer. 1 Whether we acknowledg God in the Relations he hath over us.Power, Soveraignty, and Dominion? And, do we acknowledge him, in thoſe Relations he hath over us? Do we acknowledge him our Creator? If ſo, we may conclude, that a Creator will take care of his Creatures. Do we acknowledge him our King and Governour? If ſo, we ſhall confeſs that a King will Defend, Protect, and Rule his Subjects? Do we acknowledge God our Father? Then a Father will provide for his Children. Do we acknowledge God, our Lord and Maſter? Then a Maſter will provide for his Family. If we did conſider theſe Relations between God and us, How much would our Spirits be ſettled and eſtabliſhed?
To Conſider, That God is our Portion, Lam. Pſal. 23. 1. Gen. 15. 1.and Shepherd, our Shield, and exceeding great Reward, a tender Father, full of Bowels, a God of all Conſolations; theſe things ſhould keep us from ſinking in the greateſt Storms and Tempeſts. If we had Faith enough to make uſe of our Pronoun, My, and apply God, as My God, there's abundantly enough to Support and Revive us, under the heavyeſt Preſſures, that can befal us. Deus Col. 3. 11.meus omnia, God is all in all, and with God, the moſt Bitter thing is Sweet, and without God, the Sweeteſt thing is Bitter.
A Second Query is, Whether we have Quer. 2 Whether we have recourſe to God, as our Counſellor.continual Recourſe to God, as to our Counſellor, in all Conditions, both in Proſperity and Adverſity? Do we Ask Counſel of God, and beg the Guidance and Direction of his Spirit? Many Ask Counſel of Fleſh and Blood, Corrupt Intereſts, and Carnal Relations, and have no regard to the Word of God; and they Proſper accordingly. Saul Ask Counſel of the Witch of Endor, and Ahaziah ſent to Ask Counſel of Baal-Zebub, the God of Ekron; but they paid dear for going to ſuch Counſellors: But a true Believer makes God his Counſellor; he's ſenſible of his want of Wiſdom, and he Asks Wiſdom of God; he knows not what to do, not how to wind himſelf out of intricate and perplexed Affairs; but he falls upon his Knees, and begs Directions from Heaven.
Abraham's Servant made Applications to God by Prayer, and he was Succeſsful in his Journey. Jacob Prayed to be Delivered from his Brother Eſau, when he came againſt him with Four Hundred Men; where to Ask Counſel elſe, he knew not, nor would not Ask of any, but of God alone.
It's eaſy to Judg, how much a Man reſpects his Counſellor, and how much Confidence he repoſeth in him, when forſaking all others, he adviſeth with him alone, in all his doubts, and applieth himſelf to Him alone, in all his Difficulties.
If then we repair to God by Prayer and Supplication, and beg his Direction and Aſſiſtance, and Wiſdom from him to Counſel us, and if we rely upon the Counſels of his Word; it's Evident, that we believe him to be All-Sufficient, and put our Truſt and Confidence in him.
What a ſtir was there amongſt Philoſophers, foreign.to find out the meaning of one Word; Inſomuch, as Hermolaus Barberus went to the Devil, to know the meaning thereof, and he left him more unſatisfied, than he found him. What a busſle do Star-Gazers, and Judicial Aſtrologers make, in giving their Judgment upon Conjunction of Planets? And how falſe they are in their Judgments, is notoriouſly Apparent. Such Chaplains of the Devil have their Doom, as the Prophet Denounceth, Iſa. 47. 13. Let now the Aſtrologers, the Star-Gazers, the Monthly Prognoſticators ſtand up, and Save thee from thoſe things that ſhall come upon thee. Behold, they ſhall be as Stubble, the Fire ſhall Burn them, they ſhall not deliver themſelves from the Power of the Flame, there ſhall not be a Coal to warm at, nor Fire to ſit before it.
|Mr. Gataker.A Reverend, and Eminently Learned Divine, Encounters theſe Star-Gazers, and (though they oppoſed him as Jannes, and Jambres reſiſted Moſes, yet) he abundantly confuted them. Such Annotations of Mr. Gatakers.(ſaith he) as tell before hand the Occurrents of each Month, as our Prognosticators alſo do, theſe are under the Judgment of that Text. But whither ſhould a People go, but to their God? He isIſa. 9. 6. Heb. a God of Wiſdom; Chriſt is a Counſellour, and the Wiſdom of the Father. To go for Counſel elſe-where, we ſhall …e ſure to ſpeed worſe. What befals thoſe, Who Ask Counſel at their Stocks? But to be given over to vileſt Abominations, and ſo left Incorrigible, Hoſ. 4. 12, 13, 14. What's their Puniſhment, Who ſet at Naught all the Counſels of God? Read Prov. 1. 26. I alſo will Laugh at your Calamity; I will Mock when your Fear cometh.
Wherefore let's reſolve as Naomi gave Counſel to Ruth, not to be found Gleaning in any other Field. Let's not Conſult with Carnal Intereſts, and Selfiſh Ends and Deſigns; but let us be much upon our Knees, ſeeking God for Direction, begging Wiſdom of God, for Ordering all our Affairs. We may Ask of Men, Counſel, and meet with Reproaching, Upbraiding Language from them; but the Apoſtle tells us, Jam. 1. 5. If any of you lack Wiſdom, let him Ask of God that giveth to all Men Liberally, and Upbraideth none, and it ſhall be given him. The Gifts of ſome are foreign, like the Trojan Horſe, with an Ambuſcado in it, and as a Greek Author ſaith,Timeo Danaos & dona ferentes. Virg. Aen. 2. Iſocra. foreign, They rather make a Market, than do a Courteſy: But God is a Liberal free Donor; God gives foreign, ſimply and ſingly.
A Third Query is, Whether we in all Quer. 3 Whether in all our dangers, we have recourſe to God as our Refuge?our Dangers, have Recourſe unto God, as our Refuge? That's a Sign of our Affiance in God, and of our dependance on him; When in our greateſt Dangers, we make him our Refuge, and our hiding Place. Thus the Pſalmiſt begins, Pſal. 46. God is our Refuge and Strength, a very preſent Help in time of Trouble. This Pſalm comforted Luther in all his Afflictions, he would ſay, Come let us Sing, Pſal. 46. And then we will not Fear.
God's Children have a place of Refuge, Prov. 14. 26. And who is this Refuge, we Read, Iſa. 25. 4. For thou hast been a Strength to the Poor, a Strength to the Needy in his Diſtreſs, a Refuge from the Storm, a Shadow from the Heat, when the Blaſt of the Terrible one, is as a Storm againſt the Wall. Chriſt is this Refuge promiſed, Iſa. 32. 2. A Man ſhall be as an Hiding place from the Wind, and a Covert from the Tempeſt, as Rivers of Waters in a Dry place, as a Shadow of a great Rock in a weary Land.
Who Seeks not in Danger, ſome Refuge or other? Even brute Creatures Seek after a Refuge and Shelter. The Conies (ſaith Solomon) are a feeble Folk, Prov. 30. 26.yet make they their Houſes in the Rocks. The Birds of the Air have Neſts, Foxes have Holes; the Beaſts of the Field (when a Storm is a coming) make haſt to Shelter themſelves under the Defence of great Trees.
Amongſt Men, there are variety of Refuges; For Inſtance, The Jews had their Cities of Refuge. The Romans had their Aſylum. And amongſt variety of Men (as their Fancy leads them) they make choice of various kinds of Refuges. The Voluptuous Man hath recourſe to his Pleaſures, the Ambitious to his Honours; the Covetous Man toJob 31. 14.. Prov. 18. 10. his Riches; the Wedg of Gold is his Confidence, and ſtrong City. And Malicious, and Implacable Perſons comfort themſelves with Hopes of Revenge; that's their Refuge: And others betake themſelves to lying, diſſembling, and equivocating: But all theſe are broken, deceitful, and fading Refuges, which will fail a Man in the greateſt Extremity; when he hath moſt need of Help, then they will Deceive, and give him the Slip: But the Child of God, applyeth himſelf to God for Refuge: God is a Refuge, a ſtrong Tower, Bulwark, and Rock of Defence. God is the Believers Strong Tower from his Enemies. A ſtrongPſal. 61. 3. Tower for Security, Prov. 18. 10. The Name of the Lord is a ſtrong Tower; the Righteous runneth to it, and is ſafe. i. e. When God's Name is call'd upon in Sincerity and Truth, there's ſtrongQuaquaverſum ſe verterit anima, ad dolores figitur alibi, p…aeterquam in te. Aug. Confeſ. l. 4. c. 10. Ground of Security againſt Trouble. When People, through an inconſtant, fickle Spirit, have made tryal of ſeveral Refuges, they find by Experience, that there's no Security, but in God; no Reſt for a Chriſtian, but in Chriſt. God is ſaid to be Centrum quietativum, the Center of all Reſt: no reſt nor Quietneſs elſewhere. All the letters in the Name Iehovah (as ſome Rabbins, and others obſerve) are Quieſcent; I amQuia f…isti nos ad te, inquietum eſt cor noſtrum don…c requie…cat in te. Ang. Confeſlib. 1. c. 1. ſure, there's no Acquieſcency for a Chriſtian, but in God.
I'le Conclude what I have to ſay of this Particular, with the Experimental Speech of Moſes, the Man of God, Deut. 32. 31. For their Rock is not our Rock, even our Enemies themſelves being
A Fourth Query is, Whether we make Quer. 4 Whether we make God our Treaſures.God our Treaſure? Where the Treaſure is, the Heart will be; And if we make God our Treaſure, our Heart will be fixed upon him.
Now, to get and keep a Treaſure, there's required great Diligence, high Appretiation, and a provident Carefulneſs.1. There is required Diligence.
Firſt, There's required great Diligence, much Labour and Induſtry: For getting of Pearls, and pretious Stones,Non niſi ſublato reperitur gemula ſaxo. many Scramble upon Rocks, and others Dive into the Indian Ocean. Some for Treaſures, Digg in the Mines, and beſtow indefatigable Pains. What abundanceImpiger extrem…s currit mercat…r ad Indos. of Pains doth the Merchant take, in his Voyage to the Indies, for to compaſs the Treaſures there? And, if there be ſuch Pains taken for Temporal Treaſures; O! What Pains ought to be took for Eternal Treaſures? All the Treaſures in the Univerſe, are not to be compared to the Treaſures of Wiſdom.
Throughout the whole Book of Proverbs, by the Name of Wiſdom, are ſet forth Christ, and his Graces: What an high Commendation given of Wiſdom, is upon Record, Prov. 8. 11. Wiſdom is better than Rubies; and all the things that may be deſired, are not to be compared to it. This is prefer'd before the Gold of Ophir, the Onyx, and Saphire, Coral, Pearl, the Topaz of Aethiopia, Job. 28. 16, 17, 18. &c.
What pains then, and what diligence muſt be imployed, for the Attainment of Divine Wiſdom? There's required Crying after Knowledge, lifting up the Voice, Seeking and Searching: All muſt concur to the finding of the Knowledge of God, Prov. 2. 5.
Then Secondly, There followeth an high2. There muſt be an high prizing of God, & all his Ways. Appreciation of God, and all his Ways. That Soul that's Diligent to make ſure his Intereſt in God; O! How will he prize God, and the Graces of his Spirit? God is his Riches and Treaſure; he reckons of no Riches, beſides the Riches of Chriſt, and the Riches of Faith; andforeign Ezek. 34. 29. Cant. 5. 10. Chriſt is Pretious, or an Honour in the Eſtimation of all true Believers, 1 Pet. 2. 7. Christ is a Plant of Renown, the Chiefeſt of Ten Thouſand. A Pearl of Superlative Eſtimation; which, whenMat. 13. 45.. Nimietates & exceſſus debentur Deo. the Wiſe Merchant found, he Sold all for the Purchaſe thereof. We cannot think too vilely of Sin; we cannot think too highly of Chriſt.
Thirdly, There followeth a Provident3. There is a Provident Carefulneſs. Carefulneſs: If we have been at great pains to get this Treaſure, and know how to value it; then it will follow, that we ought to Exerciſe all the Provident Carefulneſs we can, to keep this Treaſure. We throw not Treaſures careleſly on the Ground; but we lock them up in our Cabinets; Chriſt is our Chiefeſt Jewel; we muſt keep Him in the Cabinet of our Hearts. God is our Treaſure; we muſt ſet at nought all other imaginary Treaſures, in Competition with him, or Oppoſition to him.
We muſt take faſt hold of VViſdom, and not let it go, for it is our Life. Let all that's deareſt and neareſt go for God. Let's part with the greateſt Riches, which the Univerſe can afford, rather than loſe our Intereſt in God. The fooliſh young Man, Mark 10. 22. could not brook the Doctrine of Self-denyal: He would rather part with Treaſures in Heaven, than Treaſures on Earth. Multitudes braid of his humour, who prefer Earthly, before Heavenly Riches; who graſp with all Greedineſs, Earthly Accomodations, and Secular Intereſts; and in the mean time, neglect the great Things of Eternity: Theſe verify a Vulgar Proverb, to be Penny-wiſe, and Pound-Fooliſh. But our Duty is, to make ſure of a durable Subſtance, of Riches and Treaſures, which will abide unto all Eternity.
VVhen the Trojans (as they ſay) loſt their Palladium, all was loſt: That's a fabulous Story of Poets. But I am ſure, if we loſe our Intereſt in God, if we loſe his Favour, we are altogether loſt, and utterly undone to all Eternity.
He then, that knows the Infinite Dignity, Price, and Value of this Treaſure,Fidelis homo, cujus totus mundus divitiarum eſt, & quaſi nihil habens omnia poſſidet inhaerendo tibi cui Serviunt omnia. Aug. l. 5. Confeſ. c. 4. what an high, and excellent thing it is, to make God our Portion; what a rich Treaſure it is, to be a Poſſeſſor of Divine VViſdom; what an unſpeakable happineſs it is, to have the Lord for our God; to have an Intereſt in his Promiſes, and the Conſolations of the Spirit: That Man (I ſay) who knoweth the high Valuation of theſe things, he would not loſe them, for all the Kingdoms of the VVorld, and the Glory of them.
The Martyr cried out in the Flames▪ John Lambert.None but Chriſt: So, none but Chriſt, can inrich, and comfort a Chriſtian.
The Fifth and Laſt Query is, Whether Quer. 5 Whether we make God our chiefeſt Joy.we make God our chiefeſt Joy. There's in every one, ſomething or other, that they moſt rejoyce, and delight themſelves in the ſerious Meditation thereof. Some fancy one kind of Joy, ſome another; and there are many varieties of Fancies, as Philoſophers reckon upon ſeveral Apprehenſions of Felicity. We Read in Scripture, of Joy in Harvest, Joy in Eſpouſals, and Joy in taking of Spoils; but noneQuam ſuave mihi ſubito factum eſt carere ſuavitabus nugarum, & quas committere metus fuerat, jam dimittere gaudium erat. Aug. Confeſ. l. 9. c. 1. of theſe are laſting Joys: But a Believers Joy is in God; He never fails.
Upon a ſerious deliberate Conſideration, there's no Joy elſewhere. What's the joy of debaucht Jovialiſts, but like the Crackling of Thorns, a blaze, and ſuddenly gone? What's the joy of Ambitious Men, ſuch as Haman's were, but daſht upon a ſudden? When the King was Angry at him, His Face was covered, and he immediately was carried from a Banquet, to a Gallows. What became of the Joy of Belſhazzar amidſt hisDan. 5. 5. Quaffing and Carrowſing? He was ſuddenly doomed to Judgment. Laughter and Mirth, are vanity; and Joy, and Rejoycing in the World, are but that Laughter, which is called, Riſus Sardonicus; Tumultuoſis varietatibus dilaniantur cogitationes meae, intima viſcera animae meae, donec in te confluam purgatus & liquidus igne amoris tui. Auguſt. Confeſ. l. 11. c. 29.which endeth in Bitterneſs and Mourning.
Here then lieth our Duty; To make God our Joy. So did Nehemiah comfort the Jews, in a time of Heavineſs, Nehem. 8. 10. The Joy of the Lord▪ is your Strength.
Amidſt variety of perplexing Thoughts, Comforts from God refreſhed David's Soul, Pſal. 94. 19. Amidſt the great decay, and failing of Creature-Comforts, there was ſtill matter of joy, and rejoycing in God, Hab. 3. 17, 18.
If then we can, amidſt Sorrows and Troubles, make God our Joy, and Rejoycing; if we can delight, and comfort our ſelves, in God's Conſolations, when all Worldly Conſolations fail; this evidently proves our Truſt in, and Dependance upon God.
Joy in God (as Aaron's Rod ſwallowed up the Rods of the Egyptians) ſwall…weth up Worldly Joys, and Worldly Sorrows. To rejoyce in Wife and Children, Corn and Wine, and Gold and Silver, are uncertain Joys: But Joy in God, is an abiding Joy. The greateſt Worldly Joys may have their Changes: Worldly Joys are fading and deceitful, like the River Jordan, that emptieth all its Sweetneſs into a ſtinking, and ſulphureous Lake; But Heavenly Joys are laſting, and bend not to a Declination.
Therefore it's an excellent Expreſſion of |Aug. Sol. c. 35.an Ancient Father ſpeaking of this Joy; O Gaudium ſupra Gaudium, Gaudium vincens omne gaudium, extra Verum gaudium non deſinit, nec in contrarium vertitur. Sen. Epiſt. 59.quod non eſt gaudium.