The Sacred Diary, Section 30
SECT. XXX. Of the Improvement of all Means, Gifts, and Abilities, inward and outward beſtowed upon us.
LEt every one labour to improve all inward Gifts, Means, and Abilities, beſtowed upon them.
1. Whoſoever hath a larger Underſtanding, and a more ſearching Head than others, God requires the more of ſuch an one; his Brains ſhould not be buſied in hatching crafty and miſchievous Plots againſt God and his Service, againſt the Church of God, or againſt his Neighbour. God did not allow that great Politician Achitophel, to uſe that wit he had given him to invent, nor his Tongue which was an as Oracle, to deliver a peſtilent Counſel againſt his Anointed, a Man after God's own Heart, not to teach the Son how to kill his Father. This is the height of Satan's wickedneſs, that whereas the Lord made him a glorious Angel of Light, and endued him with an admirable underſtanding and knowledg, he on the other ſide abuſeth it moſt wickedly to the Diſhonour of God his Maker, to oppoſe his Glory, to enſnare his Servants, and weaken his Kingdom.
Some Men have notable Heads, and great Apprehenſions, but they fill them meerly with Earth, the World poſſeſſeth them altogether; they are wholly buſied in laying plots for Gain, or in compaſſing and graſping more of the World than they can well rule when they have it; as if God had given them more Wit than others, that they may be greater Drudges and Slaves to Mammon than others. Some again do abuſe their Wits in frothy Jeſting and Scoffing at others, in wanton and licentious Rhimes and Poems. A witty Poem of one Licentius, a young Noble Man, coming into the hands of St. Auguſt. Epiſt. 39. ad LicenAuguſtine, (whoſe Scholar he had ſometime been) the ſaid Father perceiving he had wickedly abuſed his Wit therein, writes to him in this manner: I have read this Poem of thine, and I know not with what Verſes to lament and mourn over it, becauſe I ſee a pregnant Wit in every Line, but ſuch an one as I cannot dedicate unto God. Then he exhorteth him, Da te Domino meo, &c. Give thy ſelf unto my Lord, who hath given thee this excellent Wit. If thou hadſt found a Golden Cup, wouldſt thou not have given it to ſome publique uſe? God hath given thee a Golden Wit, thy Ʋnderſtanding is a Golden Cup, and wilt thou let thy Luſts drink out of it? Or wilt thou drink thy ſelf to the Devil in it? Know thou, that Satan ſeeks to make thy Wit an ornament to him, and thy Parts the credit of his Court and Cauſe. The beſt Wits are fitteſt for the beſt and higheſt Employments: It is pity that Men of excellent underſtandings, ſhould be ſet to dig in the mines of baſe Employments. They ſhould uſe them in ſearching the Scriptures, and in gathering Knowledg out of the Word of God, who doth not require of the unreaſonable Creature that it ſhould know his Will in his Word, but of Man to whom he hath given a more excellent Spirit. But this is to be lamented, that Men that naturally have notable Underſtandings, quick Wits, and ſolid Judgments, are very blind and ſhallow in the knowledg of God's Word. How will theſe ſtand before the Lord at the laſt Day, when he ſhall ſay unto them, I gave thee a great Underſtanding, but thou kneweſt any thing rather than me, whom thou ſhouldſt have laboured to know above all things. How haſt thou buſied thy Wits? Didſt thou not think me worth thy knowledg and acquaintance? Thou kneweſt the way to thrive and get Wealth, to pleaſe and get the good will of Men; but didſt not care to know the way to pleaſe Me, to find out the way which I had ordained for thee to walk in: Thou kneweſt how to ſpeak unto Men, but didſt not care how to call upon my Name. Then wilt thou cry out, Oh! that I had had a ſaving knowledg of God and his Will, although all that had known Me, had derided me for a Fool, and contemned me for want of Worldly Wiſdom! Oh that I had known Jeſus Chriſt, and him Crucified, though I had known nothing elſe! Oh that I had throughly and ſpiritually known the Scriptures, which would have made me wiſe unto Salvation, though I had not known my right Hand from my left! Wo is me, that I buſied my Head about Trifles, and cared not to know the Way of Life, and everlaſting Peace! Alas! all my Wit, my Craft, my Policy, now faileth me; it will not ſerve to help me with one excuſe, whereby to ſhift off the Wrath and Juſtice of God, it doth me no good now that I am to appear before my Judg. Labour then for ſuch knowledg, as may tend (ſome way or other) to your furtherance in Godlineſs; and uſe your Underſtandings alſo, to bring things about as well as ye can for the promoting of God's Glory: For, as the Lord doth by his infinite Wiſdom defeat, and bring to nought the crafty malicious plots of Satan; ſo alſo he would have his Children (to whom he hath given better Underſtandings, and more Wiſdom than to others) to oppoſe their Wits againſt the Craft of wicked Men, and uſe their beſt skill to uphold Religion, and to overthrow the ſtrong-holds of Satan. Thus was Huſhai among all David's followers, choſen out to match Achitophel, and to be a means to defeat his crafty Counſel, and turn it into Fooliſhneſs.
And as for thoſe that have not ſo good Natural Underſtandings as theſe, yet according to their meaſure they muſt uſe their Talent, for which they are accountable to the Lord: Even weak natural Parts may be excellently perfected and bettered by Grace, and raiſed to an higher degree than could be expected; therefore none muſt give over exerciſing their Gifts, although they cannot match ſome that are more excellent.
II. In the ſecond place as to the Memory, ſome Men have a great Gift this way: They can remember things even to the admiration of others, who cannot come near them in this reſpect. Theſe muſt glorifie God according to this Ability. It is your duty, O Chriſtians, to treaſure up ſtore of Heavenly Things, which ye may reade and hear; and be helpful unto others, whoſe Memories are not ſo firm and faithful; but do not contemn thoſe to whom leſs is given in this kind. It is lamentable to conſider how many notable Gifts of this kind are abuſed or neglected. If a Man could look into the Memories of ſome that are naturally ſtrong and firm, ſuch as will hold Water, what ſhould a Man ſee there but Ballads, wanton Songs, Play-books, Romances, idle News and Stories, old Grudges, Wrongs and Injuries of many years ſtanding, or ſome things like to theſe? Yea, many a Man makes his Memory a meer Counting-Houſe, it is as it were a Shop-book full of Reckonings: But it is empty of Heavenly Things; it hath let ſlip the things which he hath heard in that kind.
O Man, the Lord did not give thee thy Memory for ſuch ends, but that thou ſhouldſt remember thy Creator, remember to keep holy the Sabbath-Day, remember your latter end; and remember that for the actions which you do in this Life, God will bring you to Judgment.
Come we to ſome Perſons, and enquire of them concerning ſuch points of Faith and Religion, as they have heard many times, they remember nothing of it; the thing is gone from them, as Nebuchadnezzar ſpake of his Dream; and their-excuſe is, They are not Booklearn'd: But ask them about ſome Worldly things, which they never heard nor ſaw more than once perhaps, and they will give you a ready anſwer; the reaſon is, theſe things ſuit with them, their Hearts are towards them; theſe take with them, ſo do not the other; therefore theſe ſtick and abide by them, when the things of God ſlide away out of their Memories. Put clean Water into a Veſſel that hath but a little chink, and it will ſoon get out; whereas that which is thick and muddy is not ſo apt to leak. The Word of God (compared to Living Water in Scripture) is ſoon loſt and forgotten, becauſe it is pure and holy; whereas thoſe muddy things, of which we ſhould rather cleanſe our Memories, than keep them there, are apt to abide in us.
But know ye, that the Lord who fearcheth the Heart, and every corner of it, will ſee what is in your Memories and Affections. God is not unjuſt to forget your labour of Love, ſaith the Apoſtle; ſo God is not unjuſt to forget your forgetfulneſs of Him and his Truth, when he hath given you excellent Memories, and ſuch as might be of great uſe in his Service. Lord, remember me (ſaith the repenting Thief unto our Saviour) when thou comeſt into thy Kingdom. As ye deſire that God ſhould remember you for good at the laſt Day; ſo do ye remember him now and his Word, otherwiſe it will be utterly in vain for you to call for Mercy, or Remembrance at the laſt Day. Many Perſons are now wilfully and affectedly forgetful, and it is juſt with God to puniſh them in this Life, with a final Stupidity and Sottiſhneſs, who to give ſatisfaction to their own vile Luſts, did caſt his Word behind their backs, and willingly let the Devil ſteal it away from them. Look to it in time, and take heed that you do not provoke God by a wilful Careleſsneſs, to bring upon you a fearful Sottiſhneſs. Take heed of thoſe Sins that intoxicate the Brain and the Memory, eſpecially Drunkenneſs, Filthineſs, &c. How many able Bodies, active Minds, pregnant Wits, flouriſhing Memories, have theſe overthrown!
But for thoſe that are forgetful by any accidental Caſualty, or natural Infirmity, I would rather ſay ſomewhat to comfort them, than to reprove them. Doubtleſs many of God's dear Children are ſubject to this defect, and daily complain of their Forgetfulneſs, and how weak their Memories are to retain any good thing that they hear. — But grant it be ſo; yet perhaps thou underſtandeſt more than thou art able to expreſs; this is to be born withal. Perhaps thou remembredſt the Matter, though thou canſt not remember the words of a Sermon, This makes ſome amends: Perhaps thou remembreſt it not to make Repetition of it, yet thou remembreſt it to make Practice of it; this is beſt of all. Tully commends two excellent Orators, for their excellent Memories, Lucullus and Hortenſius; but he commends Lucullus moſt, becauſe he remembred Matter, the other but Words. If thou canſt remember the Matter of a Sermon, though thou canſt not remember the Words: Or if thou canſt remember to practiſe it, though thou canſt not remember it, thou haſt the leſs cauſe to complain. But if thy Defect be as great as thou complaineſt, it may be ſome comfort to thee, that thou haſt an Heart to complain of it: The complaining of a Burden is ſome eaſing of it. How many thouſands be there in the World, have their Sin lie heavy upon them, yet it is no matter of trouble to them: Ever remember, that it is a good ſign, to be ſenſible, either of the burden of Sin, or of the want of Grace. There be four things about which your Memories ſhould be daily exerciſed; your Sins, that you may daily confeſs and bewail them; Death, that ye may prepare for it; God's Juſtice, that ye may fear; and his Mercy, that ye may not deſpair.
III. Another gift of the Mind is Courage, wherein ſome naturally go beyond others. Theſe Men then are bound to make uſe of this to the Glory of God. If thou haſt a reſolute Spirit, the Lord requireth that thou ſhouldſt ſhew it on his ſide, and not in oppoſition of Him and his Ways. When a Prince hath a Souldier, or Captain, of tried and approved Valour and Courage, he relieth more on him, looketh for more notable performance from him, than from others who have not that Spirit and Courage which he hath. So when the Lord hath given ſome Men more Courage and Reſolution than others, he requireth they ſhould be valiant for his Truth, and not hide their Heads, and yield to his Diſhonour. It is ſtrange to ſee how ſtout Men are in their own Quarrels (right or wrong) who are afraid of every Buſh almoſt, when God's Honour is concern'd, and have no Spirit to plead for God, or to appear for his Goſpel and Glory.
When Gainas the chief Commander of the Forces of the Emperour Arcadius, being an Arian Heretick, deſired one of the chief Churches in Conſtantinople, to be aſſigned unto him for the exerciſe of his Blaſphemous Religion, the Emperour wanting Courage to deny him, (he, it ſeemeth, being too hard for him, as the Sons of Zerviah were for David) Chryſoſtom being then Biſhop of the place, undertook to give him his anſwer in the Emperours preſence, which he did with admirable Zeal and Courage. And when he heard him propoſe his Demand, and plead Merit, and tell what great ſervice he had done for his Prince, the Biſhop told him plainly, that the Emperour's rewards had been far greater than his Merits; and that his Service to the Emperour was far below thoſe Riches and Preferments he had received; and told him withal, That whilſt he had Life, and continued in that Biſhoprick, he ſhould neither have the chief Church, nor any other in that City, wherein to blaſpheme his Lord and Maſter Jeſus Chriſt, and to deny his eternal Godhead conſubſtantial with the Father.
Courage in a Chriſtian, taketh its riſe and wing from Faith. Witneſs Gideon, Barak, Sampſon, Jephtab, Samuel, David. Heb. 11.33, 34. Who through Faith ſubdued Kingdoms,— ſtopped the Mouths of Lions, — out of weakneſs were made ſtrong, waxed valiant in Fight, turned to flight the Armies of the Aliens. Much Faith, and much Courage; and Men of little Faith ever ſhake hands with the Puſillanimous. Courage is a goodly Grace, wherein God greatly delighteth, and whom can it ſo well become as a Believer, who hath more reaſon and better ground to be Valiant, than the greateſt Spirit in the World that wanteth Faith. Thoſe falſhearted Spies, and cowardly Iſraelites, at the ſight or news of Giants in Canaan (notwithſtanding God's Promiſe and Preſence) counted themſelves but Graſhoppers in compariſon of the Anakims, Numb. 13.33. And all the Congregation fell a howling, as if God and Moſes had betrayed them: Whereas Joſhua and Caleb, Numb. 14.9. looked on the Giants but as Bread for one Breakfaſt for the People of God. So great is the odds between Faith and Infidelity, in caſes of difficulty.
IV. Quickneſs and Livelineſs is another gift of the Mind, wherein there is much difference between Men and Men. Some are even naturally of lively, ſtirring Diſpoſitions, whereas others are more ſlow by Nature, more heavy, and not ſo ready and preſent for any thing they go about. Now if God hath given thee this quickneſs of Spirit, thou muſt uſe it to his Glory. As John was more nimble than Peter, ſo he uſed this Agility of Body, and came ſooner to our Saviour's Sepulchre than Peter did. So if thou haſt a more quick and active Spirit, thou muſt uſe it in out-running others in the Ways of God's Commandments. If a Maſter have a Servant whom he knoweth to be quick, and can travel well, he looketh that he ſhould make more haſte when he ſendeth him in Buſineſs, than one that is Lame or Sickly. So if thou art of a quick and lively Diſpoſition, the Lord requireth thou ſhouldſt every Day ſhew it in his Service, and be more forward and affectionate than thoſe which are of ſlower Spirits.
But we ſee that many who boaſt of the quickneſs of their Wits and Spirits, and do deſpiſe others Dulneſs, are themſelves Dull, yea, altogether dead in the Service of God: Many that go moſt nimbly about their Profits and Pleaſures, that are full of Mettle (as they ſay) bring them to the Service of God, and put them upon any thing tending to the Glory of God, ſet them in a courſe of Holineſs, and how ſlowpaced are they? They are as if they had no Life in them, the Services of God are a deadning to their Spirits. Natural quickneſs is of good uſe, when it is ſeaſoned by the quickning Grace of the Holy Ghoſt, and the Spirit of a Man becometh fervent ſerving God, when the Heart is lively, and full of feeling in Prayer, Meditation, Reading, Hearing, &c. otherwiſe it will be a means to encreaſe ſuch a Man's Condemnation, if being naturally quick and ſtirring, he remain ſpiritually Dull and Dead: But where activeneſs of Spirit is put forth in God's Service, ſuch a Man will not let the Fire go out, but blows up the Coals; it makes a Man put on Zeal as a Cloak, and not only to wear this Livery of Chriſt, and go in his Errand, but to mend his pace; and not only do his Work, but do it with all his might.
Of the improvement of External Gifts, Means, &c.
Not onelyonly in regard of inward Abilities, but alſo in reſpect of outward gifts of Body or Eſtate, Men ought to ſerve the Lord.
1. Firſt of all, Health is a great Bleſſing, and a ſpecial means to enable you for the Service of God, and accordingly as the Lord hath given you Health, ſo he requireth Health to be given up to his Service. Aſſure your ſelves, the more Health ye have, the more Work ye are to do for God; and God requireth more of you that are Healthy, than of thoſe that are ſickly and Diſeaſed. When a Maſter knows his Servant to be in Health, he ſuffers him not to lie long in Bed in a Morning, but calls him up to his Buſineſs, whereas he that is Sick, ſitteth, or lieth ſtill, without a Check, though his Maſter looketh upon him.
Ye that are Healthy, be wiſe and careful for the preſervation of your Health; do not throw away your Health upon your Luſts, do not expoſe your ſelves to laſting Pains and pining Sickneſſes, for the ſatisfying a wanton ſenſual Appetite. The health of the whole Body is more worth than thouſands of thoſe vaniſhing Delights.
Yet how many are there that run themſelves to the Graves Mouth, and into the thickeſt throngs of deſtroying Diſeaſes, for the taking up of ſuch poor and periſhing Pleaſures? Who to pleaſe their Fleſh for a few moments in Surfeiting and Drunkenneſs, in Chambering and Wantonneſs, bring many Days, yea, Months and Years, pain and torment upon their Fleſh, and ſhorten the number of their Days, as to what they might probably have had by the courſe of Nature.
There are many others who make their Health even a priviledg unto them to neglect the Service of God, thinking the thorow performance of God's Service never in Seaſon, till they are on their Sick-beds, and ſee Death at hand. Such are all thoſe without exception, who put off their ſerious and ſound Repentance, until the time of Sickneſs. Health is one of the beſt outward Abilities for the Service of God, now when this is beſtowed on the ſervice of Sin, it is not without much robbery againſt God. To give unto God only the ſervices of our Sick-beds, when he requireth the beſt performances of our Health, is as if Abraham ſhould have offered the worſt Lamb in his Fold, when God called for his beloved Son Iſaac.
Ye have no aſſurance, if ye neglect God in your Health, that he will accept your ſickly Devotions. But on the other ſide, if whilſt ye have Health, ye dedicate that to God, then when Sickneſs ſhall come, ye may be aſſured, that the Lord will accept your weak, becauſe ſincere endeavours. God will then ſay, ſuch a Man ſerved me in his beſt Health, when there were no apparent ſigns of Death near him; he remembred me his Creator before the evil Days came, therefore now I receive him as mine own, and I will make his Bed in his ſickneſs; I will ſupport and ſtrengthen him, I will cheriſh him now in his Sickneſs, as well as I accepted him heretofore in his Health.
They alſo that are Sick muſt think of the Service of God when Health is gone. The want of Health, and vigour of Spirits, muſt needs be a great diſadvantage where-ever it lighteth; yet where Grace is, and ruleth, the Heart is lifted up to God, the Soul breaths after him, and his bodily Infirmities are an help to Mortification, to Patience, to the neglect of Worldly Things, and a provocation to long for his Salvation, as old Jacob did upon his Death-bed. David attained to the beſt temper and meaſure of Spiritual Health, when he was moſt overlaid with Bodily Sickneſs.
2. To Health we may joyn Bodily Strength, which is a great help to Spiritual Aſſaults, which work more upon Weakneſs, Age, &c. than upon others, in whom Nature ſanctified, can afford more helps to the inner Man aſſaulted by Frowardneſs, Timerouſneſs, or the like; as one well noteth. Young Men have more ſtrength than others overworn by Age; and if they have the Word of God abiding in them, they are ſtrong indeed to overcome the evil one. Many Men out of their ſtrength of Body might ſpare more time from their ſleep to ſpend in Religious Duties, which others of weaker and feebler Bodies cannot ſpare, who if they ſhould miſs of ſufficient refreſhment in this kind, would be unfit for any holy performance. Many occaſions alſo may the ſtrong take in travel for the doing of many good Services, which cannot be ſo well performed by the weaker ſort: Yea, ſuch Men may wreſtle the more earneſtly with God in Prayer, and in performing other holy Exerciſes may be the more vehement, which weak Bodies are unable to perform.
But it is ſad to ſee wicked Men, notwithſtanding their bodily weakneſs, to be never the weaker Servants of Sin. The Adulterer rolls over his ſin in his Heart, though diſabled by his own Wickedneſs as well as by Age, from the actual committing of that Sin; he is a filthy perſon ſtill, as in his greateſt bodily vigour, and a greater teacher and provoker of others to the ſame Wickedneſs. So Witches, and other envious Perſons, Malice in them ſupplieth the defects of natural abilities, or want of power or opportunity: And rather than fail, they ſummon in Satan to aſſiſt them in their helliſh deſigns. So others in time of their Weakneſs, grow more croſs and froward to all about them, and being more impatient, do murmur againſt God, and are ready to Curſe and Blaſpheme, becauſe they have not Health, Limbs, Strength, as well as others. Theſe are not unlike the Vaſſals of Antichriſt, juſtly ſuffering extraordinary Plagues for their voluntary Slavery, That gnawed their Tongues for pain, and blaſphemed the God of Heaven, becauſe of their pains and their ſores, and repented not of their deeds. Rev. 16.10, 11.
But the weakeſt Body muſt labour to be ſtrong in Spirit, that the power of God's Spirit may be manifeſted in its Weakneſs, whilſt the inner Man is renewed day by day, though the outward Man decayeth.
3. Youth alſo is an advantage in the Service of God: Young Men have more abilities and helps than Old Perſons, their Wits being freſh, their Affections lively; all the powers of Nature are then in their prime, and God requireth more of them in regard of outward performances. Let young Men now remember their Creator in the days of their Youth, and the prime of their Days, [while the evil days come not.] The days of Old-age are evil Days; but thou muſt ſerve God in thy beſt Days: give him not the dregs of thy time, let him have the principal and choiceſt of thine Age; think thy beſt days not good enough. The Years will approach, wherein thou wilt ſay, I have no pleaſure in them. Doſt thou think God will delight, and take pleaſure in that Age of thine (if thou then begin to ſerve him) when as thou thy ſelf canſt find no pleaſure in it? The Lord is to be ſerved with gladneſs of Heart for the abundance of all things; and wilt thou hope to ſerve him, and be accepted of him, if thou begin not till then, when thou thy ſelf ſhall take contentment in nothing, when Old Age ſhall take away the joy of thine Heart, and comfort of thy Life?
Yet muſt the Aged labour to excel in a ſettled Conſtancy, in Gravity, in holy Examples, in ripeneſs of every Grace and holy Affection. But the Younger ſort muſt do more than the Aged can do, in regard of the exerciſes of Religion, and that in many reſpects.
4. So alſo in reſpect of outward Eſtate, and therein in regard of Wealth; Honour the Lord with thy Subſtance, and with the firſt-fruits of thine Increaſe, Prov. 3.9. St. Paul bids Timothy, Charge them that be rich in this World, &c. that they do good, that they be rich in good Works, ready to diſtribute, willing to communicate, laying up in ſtore for themſelves a good Foundation againſt the time to come. Where ye ſee the Lord requireth an open Hand and Heart in them who are enriched with outward Bleſſings. Every one is to lay by him, as the Lord hath enabled him. There be many things here required of the Rich, which the Poor cannot do, as to maintain the preaching of the Goſpel, where Means are wanting; to relieve the Poor and Needy; to ſtrive againſt the danger and deceitfulneſs of Riches; in the poſſeſſing and enjoying theſe outward things, to be as if you poſſeſſed them not; being as ready to leave all for Chriſt, as they that have leaſt; and to be ready according to your portion of Wealth, to ſet forth the Glory of Chriſt; to make Riches the fuel of your Graces, and the inſtruments of your Duty towards God and Man. To have the Houſe full of Riches, and the Heart full of Grace, this is an happy Conjunction, and cauſeth matter of great admiration. It is an evidence of much Grace, when a Man is very holy in the midſt of abundance of outward Riches. As Pineda ſpeaks of Job: That the holineſs of Job, Exingentibus Jobi divitiis valdè locupletatur ejus ſanctitas. Pineda.was enriched by his great Riches. But uſually Riches do impoveriſh the Soul, and devour all care of Heaven; they make Men to forget God, yea, to kick and ſpurn againſt him, as it is ſaid of Jeſurun. They are often made the Bellows of Pride, the fuel of Luxury and Wantonneſs, the inſtrument of Revenge, and cauſe their owners to contemn, deſpiſe, and oppreſs their poor Brethren; and to make no other uſe of them, but to ſatisfie their Luſts, and clog their Souls, faſtening them to the things below.
5. Hereunto we may add Reſpect and Eſteem from the World: wherein ſome Men have a greater part than others, and (if they would rightly uſe it) a greater advantage to glorifie God; and ſo accordingly the Lord requireth more at their hands, than can well be performed by others.
Firſt of all, Some have favour with great Men: So Nehemiah had with the Perſian King, and he might be bold to ſpeak for Jeruſalem, the City of the Lord, when it lay deſolate; and ſo he did. An ordinary Iſraelite had not the like opportunity. This ſhall be laid to the Charge of many, who being in favour with great Princes, and ſeeing many things amiſs, will not make uſe of this their Intereſt, nor glorifie God according to thoſe Means, Advantages, and Opportunities which they have. Many ſuch might be heard if they would ſpeak, and have many fit times to ſpeak, which others have not. So many a Man hath ſome ſpecial relation to ſome inferiour Magiſtrate (ſuppoſe a Juſtice of Peace, or ſome other) he might prevail with him perhaps for Reformation of ſome Abuſe, for puniſhing of ſome ſcandalous Sins, which are committed and continued in deſpight of the World; he might ſpeak in ſome poor Man's caſe, and ſpeed too: He might prevail in the behalf of ſome innocent and faithful Perſon, that is like to be trodden under foot by one that is mightier than he. Such Advantages ſhould be improved.
So even the Favour of the Multitude is many times an help to a Man in ſome caſes, for the furtherance of God's Glory. A Man being gracious with them, may ſometimes draw them from ſome ſinful Cuſtom, over-ruling them in ſome ſort, and perſwading them againſt ſome ungodly Courſe. But commonly Men that are thus in favour with the Multitude, as they got their Love by fawning upon them, humouring them, and ſaying as they ſay; ſo they will ſeek to keep it by the ſame means, and rather let God loſe his Honour for them, than they will adventure to loſe the good will of the People, by croſſing them in any degree.
How may you ſee thoſe Men that can do any thing with the People, to make uſe of them for their own ends! they can carry any Buſineſs, and it is their glory. But if it cometh to a matter that concerneth the Glory of God, the reforming of ſome ſinful Abuſes, &c. wherein God is diſhonoured. Theſe great minions of the Multitude, ſtand ſtill with their hands in their Boſoms, like Gallio, they care for none of theſe things. Yea, it were the more tollerable if that were all: But themſelves many times are the moſt dangerous Engines of the miſchiefs done by the Multitude; they either ſet them on work, or elſe countenance them in their wickedneſs, and let them know ſo much of their mind, that they find them pleaſed with their doings.
That Town-Clerk of Epheſus ſhall riſe up in judgment againſt many ſuch, who though he were an Idolater, and ſubſcribed to their Cry, Great is Diana of the Epheſians; yet he uſed his beſt endeavours to ſtay their Rage, and to ſtill the Uproar which they made againſt St. Paul, and his Fellows. So Gamaliel, (though a Maſter-Phariſee) yet ſhall condemn many others, who wiſely and peaceably prevented the danger of the Apoſtles, being one that had great Authority among the People. And to him (ſaith the Scripture) they hearkened.