The Life of Faith

CHAP. XV. How to be poor in spirit. And how to escape the pride of Prosperity.

THough no man is saved or condemned for being either rich or poor ; yet it is not for nothing that Christ hath so often set before us the danger of the rich, and the extraordinary difficulty of their salvation: And that he began his Sermon, Mat. 5.3. with, Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. The sense of which words, is not as is commonly imagined, [ Blessed are they that find their want of grace. ] For 1. So may a despairing person. 2. The text compared with Luke 16. where simply the poor and rich are opposed, doth plainly show another sense; agreeing with the usual doctrine of Christ. And whereas Expositors doubt whether Christ spake that Sermon to his Disciples, or to the multitude, the text maketh it plain, that he spake it to both, viz. that he called his Disciples to him, and as it were pointed the finger at them, and made them his text on which he preached to the multitude; and the sense is contained in these Propositions; as if he had said [ See you these followers of me: You take them to be contemptible or unhappy, because they are poor in the world; but I tell you, 1. That poverty maketh not Believers miserable: 2. Yea they are the truly belssed men, because they shall have the heavenly riches: 3. And the evidence of their right to that, is, that they are poor in spirit, that is, their hearts are suited to a low estate, and are saved from the destructive vices of riches and prosperity. 1. And their outward poverty is better suited and conducible to this deliverance, and this poverty of spirit, than a state of wealth and prosperity is. ] All these four Propositions are the true meaning of the text.

That we may see here what is the special work of Faith, we must know which are the special sins of prosperity, which riches and honors occasion in the world. And though the Apostle tell us, 1 Tim. 6.10. that the love of money is the root of all evil, I will confine my discourse to that narrower compass, in the enumeration of the sins of Sodom, in Ez • k. 16.49. PRIDE, FULNESS of bread, IDLENESS: And of these but briefly, because I have spoken more largely of them elsewhere (in my Christian Directory.)

And first of the Pride of the rich and prosperous.

PRIDE is a sin of so deep radication, and so powerful in the hearts of carnal men, that it will take advantage of any condition, but Riches and Prosperity are its most notable advantage. As the boat riseth with the water; so do such hearts rise with their estates. Therefore saith the Apostle, 1 Tim. 6.17. Charge the rich that they be not high minded. High-mindedness is the sin that you are first here to avoid. In order whereunto I shall give you now but these three general Directions.

Direct. 1. Observe the masks or covers of High-mindedness or Pride, lest it reign in you unknown. For it hath many covers, by which it is concealed from the souls that are infected, if not undone and miserable by it.

For instance: 1. Some think that they are not Proud, because that their parts and worth will bear out all the estimation which they have of themselves. And he that thinketh of himself but as he really is, being in the right, is not to be accounted proud.

But remember that the first act of Pride is the overvaluing of ourselves: And he that is once guilty of this first act, will justify himself both in it, and all that follow. So that Pride is a sin which blindeth the understanding, and defendeth itself by itself, and powerfully keepeth off repentance. When once a man hath entertained a conceit, that he is wiser or better than indeed he is, he then thinketh that all his thoughts, and words, and actions, which are of that signification, are just, and sober, because the thing is so indeed. And for a man to deny God's graces, or gifts, and make himself seem worse than he is, is not true humility, but dissimulation or ingratitude.

But herein you have great cause to be very careful, lest you should prove mistaken: Therefore 1. Judge not of yourselves by the by as of self-love; but, if it be possible, lay by partiality, and judge of yourselves as you do by others, upon the like evidences. 2. Hearken what other men judge of you, who are impartial and wise, and are near you, and thoroughly acquainted with your lives. It's possible they may think better or worse of you than you are: but if they judge worse of you, than you do of yourselves, it should stop your confidence, and make you the more suspicious, and careful to try left you should be mistaken.

2. And remember also that you are obliged to a greater modesty in judging of your own virtues, and to a greater severity in judging of your own faults, than of other men's; though you must not willfully err about yourselves, or any others, yet you are not bound to search out the truth about the faults of another, as you are about your own. We are commanded to prefer one another in honor, Rom. 10.21. And verse. 3. For I say, through the grace given to me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly, than be ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of Faith.

2 Another cloak for Pride is, the Reputation of our Religion, Profession or Party, which will seem to be disgraced by us, if we seem not to be some what better than we are. If we should not hide or extenuate our faults, and set out our graces and parts to the full, we should be a dishonor to Christ, and to his servants, and his cause.

But remember 1. That the way by which God hath appointed you to honor him, is, by being good, and living well, and not by seeming to be good, when you are not, or seeming better than you are: The God of Truth, who hateth Hypocrisy, hath not chosen lying and hypocrisy to be the means by which we must seek his honor It is damnable to seek to glorify him by a lie, Rom. 3.7.8. We must indeed cause our light so to shine before men that they may see our good works, and glorify our heavenly Father, Mat. 5.16. But it is the light of Sincerity and good Works, and not of a dissembled Profession that must so shine.

2. And the Goodness of the pretended end doth greatly aggravate the crime: As if the honor of God and our Religion must be upheld, by so devilish a means as proud Hypocrisy.

3. And, though it be true, that a man is not imprudently without just cause, to open his sins before the world; when it is like to tend to the injury of Religion, and any way to do more hurt than good: yet it is as true, that when there is no such impediment, true repentance is forward to confess, and when the fault is discovered, defending and extenuating it, is then the greatest dishonor to Religion. (As if you would father all on Christ, and make men believe that he will justify or extenuate sin as you do.) And then it is a free self-abasing confession, and taking all the shame to yourselves (with future reformation) which is the reparation which you must make of the honor of Religion. For what greater dishonor can be cast upon Religion, than to make it seem a friend to sin? Or what greater honor can be given it, than to represent it as it is, as an enemy to all evil; and to take the blame, as is due, unto yourselves?

3. Another cloak for Pride, is the Reputation of our offices, dignities and places. We must live according to our rank and quality: All men must not live alike. The grandeur of Rulers must be maintained, or else the Magistracy will fall into contempt. The Pastors Office must not by a mean estate, and low deportment, be exposed to the people's scorn. And so abundance of the most ambitious practices, and hateful enormities of the proud, must be veiled by these fair pretences.

Answ. 1. We grant you that the honor of Magistrates must be kept up by a convenient grandeur ; and that a competent distance is necessary to a due reverence: But Goodness is as necessary an ingredient in Government, as Greatness is; and to be great in Wisdom and Goodness, is the principal Greatness: And Goodness is Loving, and humble, and condescending, and suiteth all deportments to the common good, which is the end of Government. See then that you keep up no other height, but that which really tendeth to the success of your endeavors, in order to the common good.

2. And look also to your hearts, lest it be your own exaltation which you indeed intend, while you thus pretend the honor of your office: For this is an ordinary trick of pride. To discover this, will you ask yourselves these Questions following?

Quest. 1. How you came into your offices and honors? did they seek you, or did you seek them? did the place need you, or did you need the place? If pride brought you in, you have cause to fear, lest it govern you when you are there?

Quest. 2. What do you in the place of honor that you are in? Do you study to do all the good you can, and to make men happy by your Government? and is this the labor of your lives? if it be, we may hope that the means is suited to this end. But if you do no such thing, you have no such end: And if you have no such end, you do but dissemble, in pretending that your grandeur is used but as a means to that end which really you never seek. It is then your own exaltation that you aim at, and it is your pride that playeth all your game.

Quest. 3. Are you more offended and grieved when you are crossed and hindered in doing good, or when you are crossed and hindered from your personal honor?

Quest. 4. Are you well contented that another should have your honor and preferment, if God and the Sovereign Power so dispose of it, so be it, it be one that is like to do more good than you?

By these Q • estions you may quickly see if you are willing, whether your grandeur be desired by your pride for self-advancement, or by Christian prudence to do good.

3. And I must tell you, that there is abundance of difference betwixt the case of the Civil Magistrates, and the Pastors of the Church in this. Magistracy must have more fear and pomp: But Pastors must govern by Light and Love: When his Apostles strove for superiority, Christ left a decision of the controversy for the use of all following ages. It is the contempt of the world, and the mortifying of the flesh, and self-denial, that Pastors have to teach the people, and withal to seek a heavenly treasure: And will not their own example further the success of their Doctrine? The reverence that a Pastor must expect, is not to be feared as one that can do hurt (For all coertion or corporal force is proper to the Magistrate: ) but it is to be thought one that is above all the riches and pleasures of the world, and hath set his heart on higher things: Such a one therefore he must both be and seem. A Pastor will be but the sooner despised, if he look after that riches and worldly pomp, which is seemly for a Magistrate: If he have a sword in his hand, it's the way to be hated: If he have teeth that are bloody, or claws that can tear, he will be accounted a wolf, though he have the clothing of a sheep. When our Divines give the reason of Christ's humiliation, they say, that if he had preached up heavenly-mindedness, self-denial, and mortification, and had himself lived in pomp and fullness, the people would not have regarded his words: And surely the same reason holdeth in some measure as to all his Ministers. Again, I say, that if ever the Church be universally reformed, the Pastoral office must be only encouraged with necessary support, to keep the Pastors from despondency, and distracting cares ; but it must not be made a bait of ambition, covetousness or sloth ; but must be stripped of that which makes it thus desirable to a carnal mind. Otherwise we must expect, that except when Princes are very holy, the Churches be ordinarily guided by carnal and ungodly men; who will do it according to their minds and interest. All the world cannot answer the reason of this: which is, Honors and wealth will be certainly sought with greatest industry by the worldly, that is, the worst of men: and not by the heavenly mortified persons: And they that seek shall usually find: And so while the humble, holy person stayeth till he is called, and the proud and worldly, who have the keenest appetite, use all their art and friends to rise, the conclusion is as sure as sad, and hath been so proved by woeful experience almost 1300 years.

4. Another of Pride's pretences is Decency, and the avoiding of reproach and scorn: If we live not as high as others, we shall be derided or contemned ; or thought to be sordid, beggarly or base.

Answ. 1. This is one of the signs and effects of Pride, that it maketh a greater matter of other men's thoughts of you, than you ought to make: It cannot bear contempt and scorn so easily as Humility can do: Too careful avoiding of contempt, is the proper work of Pride. 2. It is granted that you should not be contemptuous of your just reputation; and also that you must not by any causeless affected singularity, or by any practice which is indeed uncomely, make yourselves the scorn of others. But it is as true that you must not desire a higher estimation than is really your due; nor yet be over solicitous for that which is your due indeed; nor must you follow the proud in anything which is contrary to true humility, for the keeping of their good report, nor go above your rank to avoid contempt. 3. And forget not whose good word it is that you should especially regard: Your truest honor is in the esteem of God, and all good men, and not in the opinion or praises of the proud. They that are addicted to this vice themselves, perhaps may deride those that go below them (and yet they will more envy those that go above them:) But the humble will think much better of you for being humble, and nothing can make you viler in their eyes than Pride. If you were humble yourselves, you would prefer your honor with humble, wise and sober persons, above the opinions of the proud, who know not good from evil.

5. Another cloak of Pride is opinionative and doctrinal Humility: When we have heard and read much against Pride, and can speak (or preach) against it, as freely, and fluently, and vehemently, and movingly, as any others; and in all company and conference signify our dislike of it; when we are much in dissuading others from it, and in extolling humility, and lowliness of mind; this doth not only deceive others, but very often the speaker himself; and makes him think that he hath no great degree of Pride.

But speculation, and opinion, and talk, are one thing, and a renewed truly humble soul is another thing. If all this while you are as great, and wise, and good in your own esteem, and make as great a matter of men's opinion of you, as others do that speak less against Pride, your speeches and preachings serve but to condemn yourselves. It is as easy to talk against covetousness, gluttony, and other sins, whilst he that condemneth them, continueth in them, and condemneth himself. Talking against an enemy, obtaineth no victory; and talking against sin, may signify what you have learned to say, or perhaps what dislike you have to that sin at a distance, or in specie, or in another, when yet you may damnably love it in yourselves. It were well for Preachers, if it were as easy or common to conquer sin, as to preach against it: But alas it is not so.

6. Another cloak of Pride is, The presence of a real partial humility, together with an outward humble garb. A man may be really humble in some, yea in many respects, and yet be exceeding proud in others : He may be vile in his own eyes, because he is conscious of many great and odious sins, and because he knoweth that sin is a thing odious to God, and all that will be saved, must be humbled for it; and because he knoweth that his body is earth, and must return by death to filth and dust: And he may go in sordid poor apparel; and such may have a humble tone and manner of speech; and perhaps speak so self-abasingly, as if there were none so lowly as they: And yet they may be exceeding proud of their supposed wisdom, or spiritual understanding, and of a supposed extraordinary measure of holiness, or revelations, or interest in God, or of this humility itself: Yea their common natural pride may not be taken down, though there be frequent expressions of great humiliation.

And if the proudest Gallants can, with their hat at your foot, profess themselves your humble servants, why may not Religious Bride go as far?

And note here, that this Religious Pride, is of a higher and more aggravated strain than the other: 1. Because it is committed against more humbling means. 2. Because it is a sin against more knowledge. 3. Because it is accompanied with the profession of Humility, and so is aggravated by more hypocrisy. 4. Because it is an abuse of more excellent things: It is more odious to turn the pretence of wisdom, revelations, humility, godliness, good works, &c. into pride, than to be proud as children are of their fine clothes ; or as addle-brained women are of their precedencies. 5. Because it most odiously fathereth itself on God, as if it were but the grateful magnifying of his graces: To put God's Name into the boasts of Pride, and say, I thank thee, Lord, that I am not as other men, nor as this Publican (Luke 18.11.) To say, God hath revealed more to me than to you; or hath made me more holy and spiritual than you, Isa. 65.5. Stand by thyself; come not near me; for I am holier than thou: This is, when Pride speaketh it, most odious blasphemy; to father the first-born of the Devil upon God.

There are two sad instances of this kind of Pride, which are now too familiarly seen among us.

The one is in the case of many convinced Hypocrites, yea and many passionate feeble Christians, who are affrighted with the terrors of the Lord, and partly disturbed by their guilt, or passions, and partly take it to be an honorable sign of humility to condemn themselves; and therefore will fill the ears of Ministers with sad complaints of their fears and doubts, and sins and wants, as if they would hardly be kept from desperation. And yet if they know that another doth believe them, and think and speak as bad of them as they speak of themselves; yea if he do but sl • ght them, and prefer others before them, or plainly reprove them for any disgraceful sin, they swell with the wrath of Pride against him, and will not easily think or speak well of such a one: And they love him best that thinketh best of them, and praiseth them most, even when they most dispraise themselves; which showeth that a man may be really humbled in some respects, and seem to be humbled in more, and yet at the heart be dangerously proud.

The other instance is, in the common separating Spirit of Sectarians; and in particular, in those called Quakers in these times (For against commanded separation from sin, by self-preservation or discipline, I am far from speaking.) Their great pretence of singularity is, to avoid and detest the Pride of others; they cry out against Pride as much as any. Their garb is plain; humility, and self-emptiness, and poverty of spirit, is their profession. And yet when they are so ignorant, that they can scarce speak sense; and when they understand not the Catechism or Creed, but have need to be taught which are the principles of the Oracles of God; they think they are taken into the counsels of the Almighty; they think they abound in the Spirit, and in wisdom, in revelations, and in holiness; and the wisest and holiest of Christ's Ministers and People, who are as far above them in knowledge and godliness, as the aged are above a stammering Infant, are proudly despised by them, and openly and impenitently reviled and railed at, as ignorant fools, and ungodly, worldly, self-seeking men, and as the deceivers of the people, and as void of the Spirit; which could never proceed to the height that we have seen it, and which their words and writings utter at this day, without a very strange degree of Pride, and such as either maketh men mad, or is made by madness, or little less.

And here note also, that it is no wonder if Religious Pride can despise the common applause of the world, and bear a great deal of ignominy from the vulgar ; because they have learnt so much as to know that wicked men are fools, and base, and their judgment is no great honor or dishonor to any man; and that godly men only are truly wise, and their judgment most to be regarded. And therefore it is with them whom they think highliest of themselves, that they desire to be thought highliest of; and it is among the Religious sort, that Religious Pride doth fish for honor: even as men that are proud of their Learning, do hunt after the applause of learned men, and can despise the judgment of the unlearned vulgar, as quite below them.

I know that this last instance of Pride, is not always an attendant of Prosperity: But oft it is, a kind of wantonness thence arising, which is much restrained in suffering times: And being speaking of the rest, I thought not meet to pass it by.

Direct. II. Understand which are the ordinary effects and characters of Pride, that you may not live in it, and perish by it, whilst you thought you had overcome it. At this time (having said more of it elsewhere) I shall recite but these marks of prosperous Pride, and show the contrary signs of lowliness.

1. The high-minded are self-willed, and much addicted to rule and domineer. They would have their own wills, in all their own matters, and are hardly brought to submit to the judgment and will of others. Obeying goeth quite against their grain, any further than they like the commands of their superiors: And if they are in any hope of reaching it, they aspire to be the Governors of others, that they may still stand uppermost, and have their will in all the matters about them, as well as in their own. If there be a place of Power and Preferment void, the proud man is the forwardest expectant ; and maketh no great question of his fitness; but thinketh that he is injured if he be put by, how worthy a man soever be preferred before him: He snuffs and scorns at inferiors that stick at his most sinful and unreasonable commands; and thunders out the charge of Rebellion or Schism against those that question his infallibility, or that will stick at obeying him before God, and against him; as if he had been born to rule, and other men to obey him ; and all do him wrong, who fall not down and worship not his will, at the first intimation: Though perhaps he be but a Minister of Christ, who should be as a little child, and the servant of all, and should stoop to the feet of the poorest of the flock, and should receive the weak, and bear with their infirmities; yet Pride will there lift up the head, and forget all the humbling examples and admonitions of Christ, and will either seek to draw Disciples after it, by speaking perverse things, Acts 20.30. or forget 1 Pet. 5.3. Neither us being Lord's over God's heritage, but examples to the flock.

But on the contrary, the poor in spirit are readier to obey than rule, as knowing that ruling requireth the greater parts and graces; and are inclined to think others to be fitter for places of Teaching or Authority than themselves (further than clear experience constraineth them to know the contrary:) For in honor they prefer others, instead of striving to be preferred before others: They have a tractable, humble, yielding disposition, except when they are tempted to sin. They are gentle, and easy to be entreated, James 3.17. and can submit themselves to one another ; yea and be their voluntary subjects, 1 Pet. 5.5. Ephes. 5.21. (Yet not becoming unnecessarily the servants of men; but choosing it rather when they may be free. ) They are as little children, in that they expect not rule, but to be ruled, Matth. 18.3. They have learned to serve one another in love, Gal. 5.13. and take it not for Christian love, that can do good only upon terms of equality, and cannot stoop to voluntary service. They can go two mile with him that compelleth them to go one: No man more obedient when you command not sin. For as he affecteth not to be called Master, or Rabbi, or to have the highest seat or name ( Mat. 23.11, &c.) So he hath learnt not to please himself, but to please others for their good to edification, Rom. 15.2. Especially if he be a Pastor of the Church, though he do by an excelling light, and love, and good life, keep up the true honor of his calling; yet is he the more averse to Lord it over the flock, because he knoweth that he must be an example to them: And it is not an example of pride, but of lowliness, which Christ did give, and he must give ; and therefore both are joined together, 1 Pet. 5.3, 5.

2. The Proud do make too great a matter of that honor which perhaps may be their due: They plot for it: they set their hearts upon it. If they are slighted, or others preferred before them, their countenances are cast down, as Cain's ; or they are troubled, as Haman ; or they will revenge it, as Cain, and as Joab upon Abner: Touch their honor, and you touch their hearts: Despise them, and you torment them, or make them your enemies.

But the Poor in spirit regard their honor, as they do other matters of this world; that is, with moderation, and so far as it is conducible to the honor of Religion, or their Country, or to the service and business of their lives. They will not be Prodigals of that which they may serve God by: and they will not be over desirous of that which may be a bait to Pride, and a snare to their souls, though it gratify the fleshly fancy. They will seek it, as if they sought it not; and possess it, as if they possessed it not, remembering how vain a thing man is, and how little his thoughts or breath can do, to make us happy: God is so great in a Believers eye, and man and worldly vanity is so small, that a lowly mind can scarce have room and time to regard the honor which is the proud man's portion; because he is taken up with honoring his God, and esteeming the honor which consisteth in his approbation.

Therefore it is tolerable to him, to be made of no reputation ▪ to be laden with reproaches, to be spit upon and buffeted; to be made as the scorn and off • scouring of the world, and to have his name cast out as an evil doer, so he be not an evil doer indeed, 1 Cor. 4.13. Luke 6.22. Whatever you think of him, or whatever you say of him, he knoweth that it is little of his concernment: your favor is not his felicity; nor are you the Judge, whose sentence must finally decide his cause. He humbleth himself, and therefore can endure to be humbled by others. He chooseth the lowest place himself, and therefore can endure to be low, 1 Cor. 4.3, 4, 5. Luke 14.11. & 18.14. & 14.10.

3. The high-minded are ashamed to be thought to come of a low descent ; or that their Parents or Ancestors were poor: And if their Ancestors were rich and great, that little honor doth help to elevate their minds; because they want that personal worth which is honorable indeed, they are fain to adorn themselves with these borrowed feathers.

But the lowly know that if Riches prove such a hindrance of salvation, and so few of the rich proportionably are saved, as Christ hath told us, it can be no great honor to be the offspring of the rich: It is a sad kind of boast, to say [my Ancestors are liker to be in Hell than yours; or if any of them be in Heaven, they came thither as a Camel through a needles eye.] We know we are all of the common earth, and there our flesh will all be levelled, and our noblest blood will turn to the common putrefaction: We are all the seed of sinful Adam ; our Father was an Amorite, and our Mother an Hittite, Ezek. 16.3. And good men have used humbly to lament their forefathers pride and wickedness, instead of boasting of their worldly wealth; as you may read, Neh. 9.16, 39. Dan. 9.

4. The high-minded are ashamed to be thought poor themselves: Because wealth is the Idol which they most honor; they think that it will most honor them. Because they see that most men admire and honor it in the world; therefore they being of the world, do judge as the world, and confirm themselves to its opinion. Even the poor that is proud, is ashamed of his poverty, and would be fain accounted rich.

But the lowly are not ashamed to say with Peter, Acts 3.6. Silver and gold have I none ; while they have better riches to rejoice in: They are glad, when with Paul they can say, We are poor, but making many rich, 2 Cor. 6.10. They will not deny, or cast away any riches (which God doth lend them) because as his Stewards, they must be accountable for them to their Lord. But they take it to be no shame to be liker Christ than Croesus ; or liker his Apostles than the Prelates and Cardinals of Rome ; or to be of those poor that are poor in spirit, who are rich in faith, and heirs of Heaven, James 2.5. Matth. 5.3. Nor is it any desirable honor to have our salvation so much hindered and hazarded, as the rich have. God, and Angels, and wise men, do think never the worse of a good man for being poor.

5. The high-minded are therefore usually addicted to some excess in ornaments and apparel, because they would be taken to be rich and comely (unless when their Pride worketh some other way.) Yea, if they be never so mean and poor, they would seem by their clothing to be somewhat richer than they are; or would be rich in hypocrisy, or outward appearance, except it hinder their relief. They that wear soft clothing were wont to dwell in the houses of Kings, Matth. 11.8. but now they dwell in the houses of most Citizens, Tradesmen, Husbandmen; yea of Ministers themselves; wives, children and servants are commonly sick at once of this disease: And though it be one of the lowest and foolishest games, which Pride hath to play; yet women, and children, and light-headed youths, do make up the greater number for this vanity; while the pride of the graver wiser sort, doth turn itself to greater things.

But the lowly who are not ashamed to be poor, are not ashamed of poor apparel: Though they are not for uncleanliness, nor for an affected singularity, for ostentation of humility; yet they had rather go below their rank, than above it, as taking Pride to be a greater shame and hurt than poverty: If their clothing be convenient to their health and use, and not offensive to others, it sufficeth them: and a patch, or a rent, or a garment that is old, will not make them blush: they have learnt, 1 Pet. 3.3. [ Whose adorning, let it not be that outward, of plating the hair, or of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; but the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.

6. The high-minded have high thoughts of worldly pomp, and wealth, and greatness; and think of such as excel in these, with great esteem and reverence: They bow to the man that hath the gold Ring, and the gay apparel, while they slight the b • st and wisest that are poor: They bless the Covetous whom the Lord abhorreth, Psal. 10.3. And they think if they be poor and low themselves, how brave a thing is it to be high and rich: And had far rather be rich than gracious, and be higher in the world, than to have a lowly mind.

But the humble have learnt of Christ to be meek and lowly, Matth. 11.29. and are still learning it of him more and more: They had rather have Paul's heart, that counted all things as loss and dung for Christ, and learned to abound and to suffer want, and in every state to be content, than to be lifted up with worldly vanity. They know that it is better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoils with the proud, Prov. 16.19. And as the brother of low degree (being sanctified Believer that can use all for God) must rejoice when he is exalted; so must the brother of high degree, when he is made low, Jam. 1.9, 10. They pity a Dives in his purple and silk, more than a Lazarus at his gates in rags. They wish not too eagerly for so dangerous an exaltation, from which they see so many terribly cast down. They much more honor a poor Believer, than a pompous sinner. For in their eyes a vile person is contemned; but they honor them that fear the Lord, Psal. 15.4.

7. The high-minded are ashamed of low employments: If they be seen doing such work as is accounted base, or proper to poor inferior persons, they think they are dishonored: If the proud sort of the Pastors of the Church, had been sent as Paul and the Apostles, to travel about the world on foot, and to preach the Gospel in their humble self-denying terms, they would have said that this was an unsufferable drudgery; and Christ must have provided more encouraging rewards of learning, or else he should have been no Master of theirs. Yea a servant that is proud, will disdain the lowest works of your service, as if it were a disgrace to stoop so low.

But the lowly do learn of Christ another lesson. He stooped to wash and wipe the feet of his Disciples, to teach them what to do toward one another. Not as the Pope doth once a year wash some poor men's feet, by a Scenical ceremony (For Piety and Charity are both turn • d into imagery and ceremony by Satan, when he would destroy them) but seriously to instruct his Ministers themselves, what lowliness they must use towards one another, and to all the flock. Christ went on foot to preach the Gospel, and so did his Apostles; not to oblige us to do so when weakness doth forbid us; nor to deny the benefit of a horse, when we m • y have it; but to teach us that neither Pride shou • d make us ashamed to go on foot, nor lazyness make it seem intolerable, when we are called to it. When Christ would appear in state at Jerusalem, he rode upon a borrowed Ass, to fulfill the Prophecy, Zech. 9.9. Behold thy King cometh unto thee, meek and sitting upon an Ass, Matth. 21.5. Paul refused not (with other Preachers) to labor at the trade of a Tent-maker, Acts 18.3. And Timothy was not ashamed to bring him his cloak and parchments, so great a Journey, 2 Tim. 4.13. Nothing is avoided by the lowly at a shame, but that which is displeasing to God, and disagreeeble to his Christian duty: But not that which he can call the service of God, and which God accepteth and will reward.

8. The high-minded are ashamed of the company and familiarity of the poor (unless when they seek for applause by populari • y:) And they greatly affect the savor and company of the rich, James 5.4, 6. Therefore Solomon saith, that the rich hath many friends, Prov. 14.20. When the poor is hated of his neighbor.

But the lowly choose to converse with the low. For so did Christ who was our pattern: and it is his Law [ Rom. 12.16. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Christ was not ashamed to call us brethren, Heb 3.11. nor will he be ashamed so to call the least of his true Disciples before God and Angels at the dreadful day, Matth. 25.40. & 28.10. Joh. 20.17. They are the most honorable company, who are likest to Christ, and are the wisest, and the holiest ; and not those who are likest to his crucifiers and enemies, and have their portion in this world.

9. Pride is usually attended with vain curiosity: curiosity in ornaments, in fashions, in distressings, in attendance, in furniture, in rooms, and in abundance of small inconsiderable circumstances. The proud (who go this lower way) do make a great matter of so many such trifles, that their minds have no room for the greatest things. They do not only trouble themselves with many things, while the one thing needful is the more neglected ( Luke 10.42.) but all about them must be partakers of the trouble. What abundance of trades doth Pride maintain? and how many are continually at work to serve it?

But the lowly who mind not vain ostentation, do save themselves all this unprofitable pains: They can avoid undecent sordidness, at a cheaper rate than by proud curiosity. They are accurate and curious in greater matters, in doing good, in securing their salvation, in escaping sin, and in pleasing God; which will one day prove a wiser curiosity, than to be curious in courtship, and complements, and dressings, and other impertinent childish things: Though the least just decency is not to be neglected in its place, it is foolish pride to prefer it before things of importance and necessity. Mans mind and time are not sufficient for all things: Somewhat must be omitted; and its wisdom which chooseth to omit the least, and folly which chooseth to omit the greatest. As in Learning, they prove the soundest Scholars who spend their studies on the most excellent and useful parts of learning; whilst those that too much study things superfluous, are ever empty of necessary knowledge: It is so also in the actions of our lives: As Paul so vehemently condemneth vain jangling about unnecessary and unedifying questions, though yet truth was not contemptible in those matters: so also vain curiosity, and unedifying diligence (though about things not altogether contemptible) is but the perilous diversion of the mind, from greater things, 1 Tim. 1.6, 7, &c.

10. The high-minded cannot endure to be beholden (unless necessity or covetousness prevail against their Pride.) But they would have all others beholden to them, that they may seem as petty Deities in the world. O how it puffeth them up to have the people depend upon them, and acknowledge them for their benefactors, and to have crowded sacrifices of thanks and praise to be offered them as they go about the streets: If they were accounted such as the world could not live, nor be happy without them, as being the most necessary parts or pillars thereof, nothing could more content their humor.

But the lowly mind desireth rather to do good, than to be known to do it: And it is not men's unthankfulness that will take him off, because it is not their thanks which is his reward. He would be as like God as he can in doing good, but not for his own glory, but for God's. As he is God's Steward, it is with God that he keepeth reckoning; and if his accounts will pass with him, he hath enough. And if God will have him to need the help of others, he is not too stout to seek and be beholden. Though every ingenious man should value his freedom from the servitude of man, 1 Cor. 7.23. and if he can be free, should choose it rather, verse. 21. (And the borrower is a servant to the lender, Prov. 22.7.) And we may say with him in Luke 16.3. To beg I am ashamed: Yet here humility will make us stoop, when God requireth it. Christ himself refused not to be a Receiver, Luke 8.3. No nor to ask a draught of water, John 4. And poverty is oft a great mercy to the proud, to take them down, and make them stoop. The rich answereth roughly; but the poor useth entreaties, Prov. 18.23. So much of the Marks of Pride.

Direct. III. Overlook not the odiousness and peril of Pride. I will name you now but a few of its aggravations, because I have more largely mentioned them elsewhere.

1. It is the most direct opposition to God, to set up ourselves as Idols in his place, and seek for some of his honor to ourselves.

2. It is the first born of the Devil, and an imitation of him whom God in nature hath taught us to take for the greatest enemy of him and us; and the most odious of all the creatures of God.

3. It is madness to fall by that same sin, which we know was the overthrow of our first Parents, and of the world.

4. And it is sottish impudency in such as we, who know that our bodies are going into rottenness and dust, and think in what a place and plight we must there lie, and that those days of darkness will be many: And who know that our souls are defiled with sin, and if we have any saving knowledge and grace, it is small, and mixed with abundance of ignorance and corruption; and the nature of it is contrary to Pride.

5. It is contrary to the design of redeeming grace, which is to save the humble contrite soul.

6. It betrayeth men to a multitude of other sins (as vanity of mind, loss of time, neglect of duty, striving for preferment, quarrelling with others, upon matters of reputation or precedency, &c)

7. And it is a sin that God is specially engaged against, and the surest way to dejection and self frustration, 1 Pet. 5.5. James 4 6. Isa. 2.12. Prov. 15.22. & 16.5. & 21.4. Psal. 138 6. & 31.23. Job 40.11, 12. Luke 14.11. & 18.14.

II. After these three general Directions, I shall briefly name a few particular ones.

Direct, 1. Remember continually what you are, and what you were, what your bodies are, and will be ; and what your souls are by the pollution of sin; and how close it still adhereth to you; and from how great a misery Christ redeemed you: He neither knoweth his body, nor his soul, his sin, or misery, nor Christ, nor grace, who is a servant unto Pride.

Direct. 2 Remember the continual presence of the most holy dreadful God: And can Pride lift up the head before him?

Direct. 3 Look to the example of a humbled Savior, and learn of God incarnate to be lowly, Matth. 11.29. From his birth to his ascension, you may read the strangest Lecture of Lowliness, that ever was delivered to the haughty world.

Direct. 4. Turn all your desires to the glorifying of God; remembering that you were not made for your own glory, but for his.

Direct. 5. Think much of the heavenly Glory, and it will cloud all the vain-glory of the world.

Direct. 6. Think what it is that is your honor among the Angels in Heaven, and what is most approved and honored by God himself; and therein place your honor; and not in the conceits of foolish men.

Direct. 7. Lastly, Make use of humbling occasions to exercise yourself-denial and lowliness of mind. I commend not to you the pious folly of those Popish Saints, who are magnified by them for making themselves purposely ridiculous to exercise their humility (as by going through the streets with their breeches on their heads, and other such fooleries:) For God will give you humbling occasions enough, when he seeth good: But when he doth it, be sure that you improve them to the abasing of yourselves: and use yourselves to be above the esteem of man, and to bear contempt when it's cast upon you (as Christ did for your sakes) though not to draw it foolishly or willfully upon yourselves. He that hath but once born the contempt of men, is much better able to b • ar it afterwards, than he that never underwent it, but thinketh that he hath an entire reputation to preserve: And he that is more solicitous of his duty, and most indifferent in point of honor, doth usually best secure his honor by such neglect, and always best undergo dishonor.

CHAP. XVI. How to scape the sin of Fulness or Luxury by Faith.

THE second sin of Sodom, and fruit of abusrd Prosperity, is Fulness of Bread, Ezek. 16 49 Concerning which (having also handled it elsewhere more at large) I shall now briefly give you these general Directions first, and then a few that are more particular.

Direct. I. Understand well what sinful Fulness: It is sinful, when it hath any one of these ill conditions.

1. When you eat or drink more in quantity, than is consistent with the due preservation of your health: or so much as hurteth your health or reason. For the use of food is to fit us for our duty; and therefore that which disableth and unfiteth us, is too much. But here both the present and future must be considered.

2. When you have no higher end in eating and drinking, than the pleasing of your appetite. Be it little or much, it is to be judged of according to its end. A beast hath no other end, because he hath no reason, and so properly hath no end at all▪ But we are bound to eat and drink to the glory of God, and to do all to further us in his service, 1 Cor. 10.31. The appetite may be pleased in order to a higher end ; that is, 1. So far as it is a true directer what is for our health, and will be best digested: 2. So far as by moderate and seasonable exhilaration, it fitteth us by cheerful alacrity for our duty: and therefore it hath been good men's use to have holy feasts, as well as holy fasts. But the appetite must be restrained and denied, 1. When it is against health: And 2. When it hindereth from duty: Or 3. When it would be the ultimate end of our repast, and there is no higher reason for it, than the appetites delight.

It is not said that the Sensualist in Luke 16. did eat too much : but that he fared sumptuously every day, and that he had his good things here: that is, that he lived to the pleasing of his flesh. It is not said of him in Luke 12.19, 20. that he ate or drank too much ; but that he said, Soul, take thy ease, eat, drink, and be merry ; that is, that he preferred the pleasing of his appetite or flesh, before the everlasting pleasures. The sin of the Israelites was, that they were weary of eating Manna only, so many years, and desired flesh only to please their appetite: and therefore is is said, that they asked meat for their lust, Psal. 78.18. that is, to gratify their flesh or sense. And the terrible threatenings thundered out by James against the rich, are on such accounts, James 5.4, 5. Ye have lived in pleasure on earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts as in a day of slaughter. And we are commanded to make no provision for the flesh, to satisfy the wills or lusts thereof ; that is, merely or chiefly to please our senses.

3. It is sinful Fulness, when you needlessly strengthen either lustful or sluggish inclinations by the quantity or the quality of your food. I know nature must not be famished, nor our health and life destroyed, under pretence of conquering sin: But when necessity of life and health doth not require it, all that must be avoided, which cherisheth any vicious disposition. And these two are the usual effects of fullness. 1. Some, especially idle youths, abound with lustful thoughts and inclinations, which fullness greatly cherisheth; and pleasing their appetite, is the fuel of their lust: when as if they would drink water, and eat courser food, and little of it (and withal be laborious in some serious work) their lusts would be more extinguished: These persons are guilty of sinful Fulness, if they take but near as • uch as other men may do; because for the pleasing of one lust, they seed another.

2. Others that are flagmatick and dull, can never feed fully, but they are heavy and drowsy, unfit for prayer, and unfit for work: usually the health, as well as the consciences of these persons, doth require a spare kind of diet; and that which is but enough for others, is too much for them. Because the avoiding of sin, and the performance of our duties, is the measure of our food.

4. It is sinful Fulness, when any of God's creatures are taken without any benefit, and in vain. It is a sin to take anymore than we have cause to think is like to do us good; though we thought it were like to do no harm. That which is used only to gratify the appetite, or for any other unprofitable cause, and neither furthereth health nor duty, is sinfully cast away. And if vain words be forbidden, vain eating and drinking can be no better.

The evil of the sin is, 1. Because man being a rational creature, should do nothing in vain: 2. Because we are God's Stewards, and must give an account of all our talents: 3. Because God's mercies are not to be contemned, nor cast away as nothing worth. 4. But especially because there are thousands in want, while you abound ; and if you spend that in vain, which others need, you wrong God, and rob them, and show that you want love to your brethren, and prefer your appetites before their necessities. If you think anything that you have is absolutely your own, you are but foolish pretenders against God: But if you know that God hath lent it you for his service, how dare you cast it away in vain? Joh. 6.12. When Christ had multiplied food (or satisfied men's appetite) by miracle, he saith, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost: Nothing then must be lost, on yourselves or others.

5. To bestow too much cost upon the belly, is a sinful Fulness too; though the quantity of food be never so small. Cost is too much when it is more than is profitable ; or when the cost exceedeth the profit. The reasons of this are the same as of the former; because we are God's Stewards, and must give account of all that we have, and must improve it all to our Masters use; and because thousands want what we might spare, and superfluously expend. What are the occasions which will justify some extraordinary costliness, is too long now to explicate. In general, it must be for some end and benefit, which is better than any which might be procured otherwise by that expense: But pride or appetite are no justifying causes of it. It was faring sumptuously which was that carnal Gentlemens sin, in Luke 16. It is sa • d of such, Phil. 3.18. that their belly is their God ; for they daily sacrifice much more to it, than they do to God: Many hundred pounds a year, is little enough for many men to sacrifice to their throats. It is such a sacrifice which James calleth, the cherishing of their hearts as in a day of slaughter, James 5.5. This is the hid treasure which their bellies are filled with, Psal. 17.14. The rich man's full barns, Luke 12 20. were but to fill his belly, and please his flesh [Thou hast enough laid up for many years. ] For what? why for ease, and eating, and drinking, and mirth ; They think it is their own, and that they may spend it on themselves ; but O the terrible account! As David would not offer that to God which cost him nothing, 2 Sam. 24.24. so neither will they offer too cheap a sacrifice to their bellies. But lust deserveth not much cost: He that is your God, is the God of others as well as of you; and careth for them as well as for you; even when he giveth them less than you: And he giveth it you, that you may have the trial, and the honor of giving it according to his will to them.

It is every man's duty to choose the cheapest diet (and other accommodations) which will but answer his lawful ends; that is, 1. His health and welfare: 2. And the meet entertainment of others, and the avoiding of those evils which are greater than the charge.

He that loveth his neighbor as himself, will not see multitudes cold and hungry, while he gratifieth his own sensuality with superfluities. Though all men are not to live at the same rates, yet all are to observe this common rule of charity and frugality. The Rule given by Paul for apparel, must be used also for our food ; that women adorn themselves with modest apparel, with shamefastness and sobriety, not with broidered hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array, 1 Tim. 2.9. So must we feed with moderation and sobriety, and not with too rich and costly food.

6. And it is a great aggravation of this sin, to bestow too much of our time upon it: When those precious hours are spent in needless eating and drinking, or sitting at it, which are given us for far greater work. Though no set time can be determined for all men, yet all must feed as those that have still necessary business upon their hand, which stayeth for them, and for which it is that they cherish themselves: And therefore let not time pass away in vain, but make haste to your work, and feed not idleness instead of diligence.

7. And the root of all this mischief, is, when the hearts of men are set upon their bellies ; and their fancies and wits are slaves unto their appetites: when they are not indifferent about things indifferent, but make a great matter of it, what they shall eat, and what they shall drink, beyond the necessity or real benefit of it. When they are troubled if their appetite be but crossed, and they are like crying children or swine, that are discontented and complaining if they have not what they would have, and if their bellies are not full. When they are like the Israelites, that wept for flesh, Numb. 11.4. Because they serve not the Lord Jesus, but their own bellies, Rom. 16.17, 18. But the poor in spirit, can live upon a little, and mind the things of the Spirit so much, that they are more indifferent to their appetite. And custom maketh abstinence and temperance sweet and easy to them. For a well-used appetite is like well-taught children; not so unmannerly, nor craving, nor bawling, nor troublesome, as the gluttons ill-used appetite is. It troubles men's minds, and taketh up their thoughts, and commandeth their estates, and devoureth their time, and turneth out God, and all that is holy; and like a thirst in a dropsy, it de • oureth all, and is satisfied with nothing, but increaseth its self, and the disease: As if such men did live to eat, when the temperate do eat to live.

8 Lastly, It is the height of this sin, when you also cherish the gulosity and excess of others. When for the Pride of great house-keeping, you cause others to waste God's creatures and their time; and waste your estates to satisfy their luxury, and to procure their vain applause, Hab. 2.15. Woe to him that giveth his neighbor drink; that puttest thy bottle to him, and makeest him drunken also. This is the Fulness which is forbidden of God.

Object. But is it not said that Christ came eating and drinking, and the Pharisees quarrelled with him and his Disciples, because they did not fast as John and his Disciples did; and they called him a gluttonous person, and a wine-bibber, a friend of Publicans and sinners.

Answ. 1. John lived in a wilderness, upon locusts and wild honey: and because Christ lived not such an austere eremetical life, the quarrelsome Pharisees did thus calumniate him. But Christ never lived in the least excess. Mark that part of his life which they thus accused, and you will find it such as the sensual will be loath to imitate. 2. Christ was by office to converse with Publicans and sinners for their cure: And this gave occasion to the calumnies of malice. 3. There was a difference of Reasons for John 's austerity, and Christ's. But when he, the Bridegroom was taken away, he foretelleth that his followers should fast. 4. Christ fasted forty days at once, and drank water, and lived in perfect temperance: Imitate him, and we will not blame you for excess: His example preached poverty in spirit.

Direct. II. Remember the Reasons why fullness and gulosity are so much condemned by God, viz.

1. A pampered appetite is unruly ; and feedeth your concupiscence. The flesh is now become our most dangerous enemy ; and therefore it must be dangerous to pamper it, to the strengthening of its lusts: When even Paul was put to buffet and tame it, and bring it into subjection, for fear of proving a cast-away after all his wondrous labors.

2. The pleasing of the appetite too much, corrupteth the delight and relish of the soul. Delight in God, and Heaven, and Holiness, is the sum and life of true Religion; and the delights of sense and fleshly appetite, turn away the soul from this, and are most mortal enemies to these true delights. For they that are after the flesh, do mind or savor the things of the flesh; and they that are after the Spirit, the things of the Spirit, Rom. 8.6, 7. And the carnal mind is enmity to God: if it cannot be subject to his Law, certainly it is unfit to relish the sweetness of his Love, and spiritual mercies.

3. And the Thoughts themselves are corrupted and perverted by it: They that should be thinking and caring how to please God, are thinking and caring for their bellies. Even when all their powers should be employed on God, in meditation, or in prayer, their thoughts will be going after their fleshly appetite, as Ezekiel's hearers were after their covetousness, 33.31. And as some of Christ's hearers were after the loaves.

4. The use of pleasing the fleshly appetite doth make men need riches ; which is a misery, and a snare. Such must needs have their desires satisfied, and therefore cannot live on a little: And therefore if they have riches, their flesh devoureth almost all, and they have little to spare for any charitable uses. And if they have none, they are tempted to steal, or get it by some unlawful means. And so it tempteth them to the love of money (which is the root of all evil) because they love the lust which needeth it.

5. And it maketh them utterly unfit for suffering (which Christ will have all his followers to expect.) He that is used to please his appetite, will take that for a grievous life, which another man will feel no trouble in: If a full fed Gentleman or Dives were tied to fare as the poor laborer doth at the best, he would lament his case as if he were undone, and would take that for half a martyrdom (if it were on a pious pretence) which his neighbor would account no suffering, but a feast. And will God reward men for such self-made sufferings? How unfit is he to endure imprisonment, banishment and want, who hath always used to please his flesh? If God cast him into poverty, how impatient would he be? How plentifully and pleasantly would most poor Country-men think to live, if they had but a hundred pounds a year of their own? But if he that hath thousands, and is used to fullness, should be reduced to an hundred, how querulous or impatient would he be?

6. It maketh the body heavy and unfit for duty: both duties of piety, and the honest labors of your calling.

7. It maketh the body diseased ; and so more unfit to serve the soul. It is to be noted, that the excess reproved by Paul at their Love-feasts, was punished with sickness, and with death: And as that punishment had a moral suitableness to their sin; so it is not unlike that (according to God's ordinary way of punishing) it was also a natural effect of their excess.

8. It is a most unsuitable thing to such great sinners as we are, who have forfeited all our mercies, and are called so loud to penitent humiliation; when we should turn to the Lord with all our hearts, with fasting, weeping and mourning, to be then pleasing our fleshly appetites with curiosities and excess, is a sin that God once threatened in a terrible sort, Isa. 22.12, 13. Fasting is in such cases a duty of God's appointment, Joel 2.12. Luke 2.37. 1 Cor. 7.5. Cornelius his fasting and alms-deeds came up before God, Acts 10.30. Daniel was heard upon his fast, Dan. 9.3. Christ fasted when he entered solemnly on his work, Matth. 4. And some Devils would not be cast out without fasting and prayer: And is luxury fit in such a case?

9. Lastly, Remember what was said before, that others are empty, while we are full: Thousands need all that we can spare: And they are members of Christ, and of the same body with us: And so much as we waste on our appetite, or pride, so much the less we have to give. And he that seeth his Brother in need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him (when he cannot deny superfluities to himself) how dwelleth the Love of God in him! When the poor we shall have always with us, that we may always have exercise for our love: And he that glutteth his own flesh to the full, and giveth the poor but the leavings of his lust, if it were a thousand pound a year that he giveth, must look for small reward from God, however he may do good to others.

More particular Directions may be as followeth.

Direct. 1. Understand well how much the fl • sh in this laps • d state is our enemy ; and how much gulosity doth strengthen it against us; and how much of the work of grace lieth in resisting and overcoming it; and what need we have to serve the Spirit, and not to be helpers of the flesh: And the true consideration of these things may do much, Gal. 5.17, 18, 19, 22, 23. Rom. 8.6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13.

Direct. 2. Set yourselves to the work of God according to your several places; and live not idly: And then mark what helpeth or hindereth you in your work. If you play not the loitering hypocrites, but make your duties the serious business of all your lives, you will quickly find how inconsistent a brutish appetite, and a full belly, and a curious, costly, and time-wasting pampering of the flesh, is with such a Christian life.

Direct. 3. Study well the life of Christ, and the example of the ancient Saints. Remember what diet was in use with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob ; with the Apostles, and holiest servants of Christ. And that it was Solomon the most voluptuous King of Israel, that was told by his Mother, that it is not for Kings to drink wine, but for them that are of a sorrowful heart: And that the description of the luxurious then was [ riotous eaters of flesh, Prov. 31.5. & 23.20. And that it was the mark of fleshly Heretics, to feast themselves without fear, Jude 12. And that they were destroyed by God's wrath, though they had their desire who murmured for want of flesh, after many years abstinence in a wilderness; and it's called, Asking meat for their lust, Psal. 78.18. I doubt many of our servants now, would be discontented, and think their bellies too hardly used, if they had no better than the milk and honey of the Land of Promise; yea or the Onions and flesh-pots of Egypt.

Direct. 4. Think what a base and swinish kind of sin it is, to be a slave to ones guts or appetite: And how far it is below, not only a Christian, but a man, and what a shame to human nature.

Direct. 5. Look often to the grave, and observe those skulls into which once the pleasant meats and drinks were put; and those jaws that were so oft employed, in grinding for the belly: And remember how quickly this will be your case, and think then whether such a carcass deserve so much care, and cost, and curiosity, to the neglect and danger of an immortal soul.

Direct. 6. Lay a constant Law upon your appetite, and use it not to be pleased without cause and benefit ; but use it to a wholesome, but not a full, a costly, a curious, or a delicious food: And use will make intemperance to be loathsome to you, and temperance to be sweet.

Direct. 7. Learn so much reason as to know truly what is most conducible to your health, both for quantity and quality ; and mark what diseases and deaths are usually caused by excess: It is more reasonable to be temperate for prevention of diseases, than under the power and feeling of them; when pain and sickness force you to it, whether you will or not. If you will not obey God so carefully as your Physician; yet obey the preventing counsels of your Physician, before you need his curing counsel.

Direct. 8. Neglect not the manly and the sacred delights which God alloweth: I mean, the pleasures of honest labors, and of your calling, and of reading and knowledge, of meditation and prayer, and of a well ordered soul and life, and of the certain hopes of endless glory. Live upon these, and you will easily spare the fleshly pleasures of a Swine.

CHAP. XVII. How to conquer sloth and idleness by the Life of Faith.

THE third sin of Sodom, and of abused Prosperity, is Idleness, Ezek. 16.49. Concerning which I shall first tell you the nature and signs of it, and then the evil of it; and then give you more particular Directions against it: But this also but briefly, because I have done it more largely in my Christian Directory.

I. That you may know who are guilty of this sin, and who not, I shall first premise these Propositions.

1. Nothing but disability will excuse any one from the ordinary labors of a lawful calling. Riches or honors will excuse none. They are the subjects of God, as well as others that have less: And he that hath most, hath most to use, and most to answer for: To whom men commit much, of them they require the more, Luke 12.48. & 19.23. Greatness and wealth is so far from excusing the forbearance of a calling, that it will not allow any one the omission of one hours labor and diligence in his calling. If God give the Rich more wages than others, it's unreasonable to think that therefore they may do less work.

2. Yet when mere necessity compelleth the poor to labor more than else they were obliged to do, even to the detriment of their health, or shortening of God's Worship, the rich are not bound therefore to imitate them, and to incur the same inconveniencies; because they have not the same necessities. As in their diet, the rich is not allowed to take anymore for quantity or quality, than is truly for their good, anymore than the poor: but they are not bound to live as those poor do, who want that either for quantity or quality, which is truly for their good ; so is it also in this case of laboring.

3. The labors of every ones calling must be the ordinary business of his life ; and not a little now and then instead of a recreation. If it be a man's calling, he must be constant and laborious in it.

4. Yea no interposed recreation or idleness is lawful, but that which either is necessitated by disability, or that which is needful to fit the mind or body for its work: As whetting to the mower.

5. All men's callings tie them not constantly to one kind of labor ; but some may be put to vary their employments every day: as poor men that live by going on errands, and doing other men's business, under several Masters, several ways: And as many rich people whose occasions of doing good may often vary.

6. The rich and honorable are not bound to the same kind of labor as the poor. A Magistrate or Pastor is not bound to follow the Plow; nay, he is bound not to do it ordinarily, lest he neglect his proper and greater work. Some men's labors are with the hand, and some men's with the head.

7. Every man should choose that calling which is most agreeable to his mind and body: Some are strong, and some are weak: some are of quick wits, and some are dull: All should be designed to that which they are fittest for.

8. Everyone should choose that calling (if he be fit for it) in which he may be most serviceable to God, for the doing of the greatest good in the world: and not that in which he may have most ease, or wealth, or honor: God and the public good must be our chiefest ends in the choice.

9. And in the labors of our calling, the getting of riches must never be our principal end: But we must labor to do the most public good, and to please God by living in obedience to his commands.

10. Yet every man must desire the success of his labor, and the blessing of God on it, and may continue his work as best tendeth to success. And though we may not labor to be rich, Prov. 23.4. as our principal end; yet we must not be formal in our callings; nor think that God is delighted in our mere toil, to see men fill a bottomless vessel; but we must endeavor after the most successful way, and pray for a just prosperity of our labors: and when God doth prosper us with wealth, we must take it thankfully (though with fear) and use it to his service, and do all the good with it that we can, 1 Cor. 16.2. Lay by as God hath prospered every man, Ephes. 4.28. Let him work with his hands the thing that is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth, James 1.9. Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted.

11. The lowness of a man's calling, or baseness of his employment, will not allow him to be negligent or weary of it, or uncomfortable in it: Seeing God must be obeyed in the lowest services, as well as in the highest; and will reward men according to their faithful labor, and not according to the dignity of their place: And indeed no service should be accounted low and base, which is sincerely done for so great and high a Master, and hath the promise of so glorious a reward, Col. 3.23, 24.

12. The greater and more excellent any man's work and calling is, his idleness and neligence is the greater sin. It is bad in a Plow-man, or any day-laborer; but it is far worse in a Minister of the Gospel, or a Magistrate: Because they wrong many and that in the greatest things, and violate the greatest trust from God: Christ biddeth us pray the Lord of the harvest to send forth Laborers into his harvest, Luke 10.27. and not proud, covetous, idle drones, that would have honor only for their wealth and titles: And he saith, that the Labourer is worthy of his hire, but not the loiterer. Among the Elders that rule the Church, it is especially the laborers in the word and doctrine that are worthy of double honor. Dr. Hammond noteth on 1 Thes. 5.12. that the Bishops whom they are required to know and honor, were those that labored among them, and were over them in the Lord, and admonished them ; and that it was [ for their works sake ] that they were to esteem them very highly in love. ] The highest title that ever was put on Pastors, was to be [ Laborers together with God, 1 Cor. 3.9.]

And the calling of Magistrates also requireth no small diligence. Jethro persuadeth Moses to take helpers, not that he might himself be idle, but lest he should wear away himself with doing more than he could undergo, Exod. 18.18.

So the calling of a Schoolmaster, and of Parents and Masters of families, who have rational souls to instruct and govern, requireth a special diligence: And negligence in such is a greater sin, than in him that neglecteth sheep or horses.

So also it is a great sin in a Physician, because he doth neglect men's lives ; and in a Lawyer, when by sloth he destroyeth men's estates: The greatness of the trust, must greaten men's care.

13. He that hath hired his labor to another (as a Servant, a Lawyer, a Physician) is guilty of a thievish fraud, if he give him not that which he hath paid for: Owe nothing to any man, but love, Rom. 13. Hired labor is a debt that must be paid.

14. Religious duties will not excuse idleness, nor negligence in our callings: (but oblige us to it the more:) nor will any bodily calling excuse us from Religious duties ; but both must take their place in their seasons and due proportions.

Q • est. 1. But what if a man can live without labor; may not be forbear who needeth it not? Answ. No, because he is nevertheless a subject of God, who doth command it: and a member of the Common-wealth which needeth it.

Quest. 2. What if I were not brought up to labor; am I bound to use it? Answ. Yes, you must yet learn to do your duty, and repent, and ask pardon for living so long in sinful idleness. What if you had not been brought up to pray, or to read, or to any needful trade, or ornament of life? What if your Parents had never taught you to speak? Is it not your duty therefore to learn it when you are at age, rather than not at all?

Qu. 3. But what if I find that it hurteth my body to labor; may I not forbear? Answ. If it so hurt you, that you are unable to 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 do it, there is no remedy: Necessity hath no Law: Or if one sort of labor hurt you, when you can take up another, in which you may be as serviceable to the Common-wealth, you may choose that to which your strength is suitable: But if you think that every sudden pain or weariness is a sufficient excuse; or that some real hurt will warrant you in an idle life, you may as well think that your servant, and your Horse or Ox may cease all their labor for you, when they are weary: or that your candle should not burn, nor your knife be used in cutting, because that use consumeth them.

Quest. 4. What if I find that worldly business doth hinder me in the service of God; I cannot pray, or read, or meditate so much? Answ. The labors of your callings are part of the service of God: He hath set you both to do, and you must do both ; that is, both spiritual and corporal work: And to quarrel with either, is to quarrel against God who hath appointed them.

Quest. 5. But is it not worldliness when we follow worldly business, without any need? Answ. 1. Yes, if you do it only from the love of the world, and with a worldly mind: But not when you do it in obedience to God, and with a heavenly mind. 2. He cannot be said to have no need, who hath a body that needeth it, or liveth in Common-wealth that needeth it, and is a subject to God who commandeth it.

Quest. 6. But what if I find by constant experince, that my soul is more worldly after worldly business, and more cold and alienated from God? Answ. What if you should find it so after giving to the poor, or visiting the sick, or providing for your family? What then must you do? You must lament the carnality of your minds, and beg of God for such grace as may fit you for your duties: And not cast off your duty, because you are so bad; but labor to be better, and to do it better. And 2. You must not judge of the benefit only by present feeling : But if God hath promised a blessing to you, believe it ; and you shall certainly meet with it at the last. Many a one thinks that to forsake all bodily labor, and to do nothing but the duties of Religion, doth benefit them more at the present; when perhaps in a little time, the sickness of their bodies, or the melancholy destraction of their minds, doth lose them more than they had gotten, and make them unfit for almost any duty at all. And many a one that think their spiritual benefit is interrupted by their callings, do find all God's Promises fulfilled at last, to their satisfaction.

Quest. 7. But is it not lawful to set ones self only to Religion, as John the Baptist, Anna, &c. did?

Answ. It is a duty to be as religious as you can: But it is also a duty to labor in your calling, and do all the good you can to others. The aged and impotent that cannot labor in a calling, are excused from it: And they that give up themselves to the Magistracy, Ministry, Physic, &c. must meddle with no lower things, which would hinder them in the higher. But no man can be excused from doing all the good he can to others, by any pretences of looking to his soul; For he can no way more surely further his salvation; nor cahe hinder it more, than by sinful negligence and sloth.

Quest. 8. But was not labor and toil a curse upon Adam after his sin? and any man that can may labor to escape a curse.

Answ. 1. Adam in innocence was set to dress and keep the Garden. 2. The curse was in the toil and the frustration of his labor. 3. And even that is such a curse, as God will not take off, or remit.

Quest. 9. Doth not Paul say to servants, If ye can be free, use it rather? Answ. True: But he saith not, If you can be idle, use it rather. A free man may work as hard as a bondman.

Quest. 10. May not a man that hath several callings before him, choose the easiest? Answ. Not merely or chiefly because it is easy: but he must choose the most profitable to the common good, be it easy or hard, if it be such as he can undergo. Yet he may avoid such a calling, as by trying his body, indisposeth him to spiritual things; or by taking up all his time, will deprive him of convenient leisure for things spiritual. But he that only to ease his flesh, doth put by more profitable employments, because they will cost him labor, doth serve his flesh, and cast off his duty to his God.

II. The signs of wealthy-idleness are these:

1. When men think it unnecessary for them to labor constantly and diligently, because they are rich, and can live without it ; or because they are great, and it is below them. The confutation of which error, I gave you before, and shall give you more of it anon. The poor in spirit, think not a laborious life below them.

2. When men have time to spare: This is a most evident mark of Idleness: For God hath given us no time in vain; but hath given us full work, for all our time. They that have time to play away needlessly, to sleep away needlessly, to prate away needlessly, do tell the world that Sodom's Idleness is their sin. Especially poor souls, who are yet unsanctified, and are strangers to a renewed heart and life, and are utterly unfit to die, O what abundance of important work have these to do? And can they be idle, while all this lieth undone? Indeed if they are in despair of being saved, it is no wonder: And one would think by their lives that they did despair: For surely a man so near another world, that must be in Heaven or Hell forever, would never live idly, if he had any good hope that his endeavors should not be all in vain. The poor in spirit have no time to spare: Labor is their life: Eternity is still before their eyes. Necessity is upon them; and they know the woe that followeth Idleness: Repentance for sin, and negligence past, is a constant spur to future diligence. And their work is sweet, and incomparably more pleasant to them than Idleness. If the Devil be so diligent, because he knoweth that his time is short, Rev. 12.12. it is a shame to them that are not so, who call themselves the servants of the Lord.

3. When men's labor hath but the time that's due to Recreation; and Recreation and Idleness hath the great part of time that's due to labor. The labor of the idle Sodomite, is like the Religion of the reserved Hypocrite: It is but the leavings of the flesh, or somewhat that cometh in upon the by. But God is not inconstant in his mercies unto us: He is still preserving us, and maintaining us: The Angels are still guarding us: The faithful Ministers of Christ are constant in teaching us (and loath that Satan should hinder them, and save their labor:) Faithful Magistrates also watch continually, to be a terror to evil doers, and a praise to them that do well, as the Ministers of God for our good: And can a short and idle kind of laboring then excuse us? Christ said, It was his meat to do his Fathers will, when he was endeavoring man's salvation, John 4 34. And that he must do the work of him that sent him while it was day, John 9.4. And shall Idleness be excused in us? even in us who must be judged according to our works, Rev. 22.12. Mark 13.34. by him that hath commanded every man his work? Yea when we are redeemed and purified to be zealous of good works, Titus 2.14. and are his workmanship created to good works in Christ, which God hath ordained, that we should walk in them, Ephes. 2.10.

4. When men make a great matter of all their labor ; and of that which to a diligent man is small. The sluggard hath his thorn hedge, and a Lion in the way, Prov. 22.13. & 26.13, 15, 16. But the diligent say, when they have done their best, We are unprofitable servants: Nothing is so weary to them as unprofitable idleness (except hurtful wickedness.) They think still, O how short is time! and how much work is yet undone! And as every faithful Minister in his calling, is never so well pleased, as when he doth most for the good of souls; so is it with every faithful Christian in his place. A Candle if it be not burnt, is lost, and good for nothing.

5. The idle Sodomite hath a mind which followeth the affections of his body: And as soon as his body is a little weary, his mind is so too, and suffereth the weariness of the body to prevail: Because the flesh is King within them. Nay a slothful mind doth oft begin, and they are weary to look upon their work, or to think of it, before it hath wearied the body at all: And what they do, they do unwillingly; because they are in love with idleness, Mal. 1.13. But the lowly and laborious are in love with diligence and work: and therefore though they cannot avoid the wearyness of the body, their willing minds will carry on the body as far as it can well go. The diligent woman worketh willingly with her hands; her candle goeth not out by night, &c. Prov. 31.13, &c. Servants must do service with good will, as to the Lord, Ephes. 6.7. If Ministers preach and labor willingly, they have a reward, 1 Cor. 9.17. But not if they are only driven on by necessity, and the fear of woe, 1 Pet. 5.2. What shall we do willingly, if not our duties? He that sineth willingly, and serveth God, and followeth his labor unwilingly, shall be rewarded according to his will.

6. The idle Sodomite doth love and choose that kind of life which is easiest, and hath least work to be done. This is the chief provision by which he fulfilleth his fleshly lust. An idle servant thinketh that the best place, in which he shall have most ease and fullness. An idle Parent will cast all the burden of his children's teaching, upon the Schoolmaster and the Pastor. An idle Minister thinketh himself best, where he may have no more labor, than what tendeth to his public applause; and when he hath the most wealth and honor, and least to do, he taketh that to be the flourishing prosperity of the Church. And indeed if our calling were like the soldiers to kill men, and not liker the Surgeons to cure them, we might think it is the best time, when we have least employment.

But the faithful servant will be most thankful for that state of life, in which he doth most good: And as he taketh doing good, to be the surest way of getting and receiving ; so he taketh the good of another as his own; and another's necessity is his necessity: He knoweth that he is best, who is likest unto God; and that is he that is the most abundant in love, and doing good: Like the Sun that never resteth from moving or giving light and heat. The running spring is pure, when the standing water is muddy and corrupt: The cessation of motion quickly mortifieth the blood: He that said as to works of charity, Be not weary of well doing; for in due time, you shall reap, if you faint not, Gal. 6.9. hath said so too, as to our bodily labor in our common callings in the world, 2 Thes. 3.13.

I know that a servant may be glad of a place where he is not oppressed with unreasonable labor, and where he hath competent time for the learning of God's Word: And a poor man may be glad when he is freed from necessity of doing that which is to his hurt: But otherwise no man but a fleshly brute will wish or contrive for a life of idleness.

Object. Is it not said, Blessed are the dead, for they rest from their labors? Rev. 14.13. Ans. True: but mark that their works follow them: And what are the works which follow you? And note, that it is not work or duty that they shall rest from: (For they rest not crying, Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God Almighty, &c. ) But it is only their labors ; that is, the painful sort of work and suffering, proper to this sinful life. The blessed indeed are freed in Heaven from this; because they were not freed 〈◊〉 it on earth, as the ungodly and slothful servant are.

7. Lastly, Idleness is seen by the work that is undone, Pro. 24.30. The sluggards Vineyard is overgrown with weeds. If your souls be unrenewed, and your assurance of salvation, and evidences yet to get, and few the better for you in the world, and you are yet unready for death and judgment, you give too full a proof of idleness. The diligent woman, Prov. 31.16, &c. could show her labors in her treasures, her Vineyard, the clothing and provisions of her family, &c. show yours by the good which you have done in the world, and by the preparation of your souls for a better world. Let every man prove his own work, that he may have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another, Gal. 6.3, 4. What case are your children in? Are they taught, or untaught? What case is your soul in? your fruit must judge you.

III. The mischiefs of this Sodomitical Idleness, and the reasons against it, are (briefly) these.

1. It is contrary to the active nature of man's soul ; which in activity exceedeth the fire itself. It is as natural for a soul to be active, as for a stone or clod of earth to lie still. And this active nature animateth the passive body, to move it, and use it in it's proper work. And should this heavenly fire be imprisoned in the body, which it should command and move? Psal. 104.23. Man goeth forth to his work and to his labor till the evening.

2. It is contrary to the common course of nature. Doth the Sun shine for you as well as for others? or doth it not? Doth all the frame of nature continue in its course (the air, the waters, the summer and winter) for you as well as for others, or not? If not, then you take not yourselves beholden to God for them: And if you have no use for the Sun and other creatures, you have no use for life: for by them you live. But if yea, then what is it that they serve you for? Did God ever frame you so glorious a retinuue, to attend you only to sleep, and laugh, and play, and to be idle? what, is all this for no higher an end? or rather do you not by your idleness forfeit life, and all these helps and maintainers of your lives?

3. It is an unthankful reproach and blasphemy against the God of Nature ; yea and against the Lord your Redeemer; to think that the wise Almighty God, did make so noble a thing as a soul, and place it in so curious an engine as the body, where spirits, and blood, and heart, and lungs, are never idle, but in constant motion; and that he hath appointed us so glorious a retinue as aforesaid, and all this to do nothing with, or worse than nothing? To sleep, and rise, and dress yourselves, and talk, and eat, and drink; to tell men only that you are not dead, lest they should mistake, and bury you alive? what is it but to put a scorn on your Creator and Redeemer, to live as if he had created and redeemed you for no better and nobler ends than these?

4. You do as it were pray for death, or provoke God to take away your lives. For if they be good for nothing else but idleness, and beastly pleasures, why should you expect to have them continued? or at least, why should he not use you as Nebuchadnezzar, and take away your reason, and turn you into beasts, if the life and pleasure of a beast be all that you desire? Could not you eat, and drink, and sleep, and play, without an intellectual soul? Cannot the birds make their nests, and breed, and feed their young, and sit and sing, without an intellectual nature? Cannot a swine have his ease, and meat, and lust, without reason? what should you do with reason for such uses?

5. You show a stupid senseless heart, that can live idly, and have so much to do ; and have so many spurs to rouse you up: To live continually in the sight of God, to have a soul so ignorant, so unbelieving, so unholy, so unfurnished of faith and love, so unready for death, so uncertain of salvation; nay in such apparent danger of damnation, and to be still uncertain of living one day or hour longer; and yet to live idly in such a case, as if all were well, and your work were done, and you had no more to fear or care for: O what a mad, what a dead, what a sottish kind of soul is this! to see the graves before your eyes; to see your neighbors carried thither; to feel the tokens of mortality daily in yourselves; to be called on and warned to prepare, and yet under this to live as if you had nothing to do, but to show yourselves in the neatest dress, and as a Peacock, to spread your plumes for yourselves and others to look upon, or to pamper a carcass for worms and rottenness! O what a deplorable case is this! The Lord pity you, and awaken your understandings, and bring you to your wits, and you will then wonder at your own stupidity.

6. Idleness is a sin which is contrary to God's universal Law: The Law which extended to all times and places. Adam in innocence was to labor: He that had all things prepared for his sustenance by God, was yet himself to labor: He that was Lord of all the world, and was richer than any of our proud ones whosoever, was yet to dress and keep the garden. Cain was a tiller of land, and Abel was a keeper of cattle, when they were heirs of all the earth. Noah also was Lord of all the world, and richer than you, and yet he was an Husbandman. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were Princes, and yet keepers of sheep and cattle: It is not a bare permission, but a precept of diligence in the fourth Commandment [ Six days shalt thou labor, and do all that thou hast to do. ] Christ himself did not live idly, but before his Ministry they said, Mark 6.3. Is not this the Carpenter? And afterward how incessantly was he doing good to men's bodies and souls? And what laborious lives did his Apostles live? See 2 Cor. 6.5. & 11.23. Acts 18.3. And are you exempt from the universal Law?

7. You show a base and fleshly mind. The noblest natures are the most active, and the basest the most dead and dull. The earth it not baser than the fire, in a greater degree than an idle soul is baser than one that is active, and spendeth themselves in doing good. Methinks your Pride itself should keep you from proclaiming such a dead and earthen disposition.

8. Idleness is of the same kind with fornication, gluttony, drunkenness, and other such beastly sins: For all is but sinful flesh-pleasing, or sensuality: The same fleshly nature which draweth them to the one, doth draw you to the other; and they do but gratify their flesh in one kind of vice, as you do in another. And it's pity that Idleness should be in so much less disgrace than they. And truly if you cannot deny your flesh it's ease, I cannot see if the temptation lay as strong that way, how you should deny it in any of those lusts ; so that you s • em to be virtually fornicators, gluttons, drunkards, &c. and ready to commit the acts.

9. And hereby you strengthen the flesh as it is your enemy for the time to come. When you have long used to please it by idleness, it will get the victory, and must be pleased still: And then you are undone forever, if grace do not yet cause you to overcome it. For if you live after the flesh you shall die: but if by the Spirit you mortify the deeds of the body, you shall live, Rom. 8.13. None are freed from condemnation, nor are members of Christ, but they that walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit, Rom. 8.1. For the carnal mind is enmity against God, v. 7.

10. Idleness is a sin much aggravated by its continuance. A drunkard is not always drunken, nor a swearer is not always swearing, nor a thief is not always stealing; but an idle person is almost always idle: whole hours and days, if not weeks and years together. O what a continual course of sin do our rich and gentile drones still live in! As if they were afraid to do anything, which when death cometh, they could comfortably be found doing!

11. And O what a time-wasting sin is Idleness! O precious time, how art thou despised by these drowsy despisers of God and of their souls! O what would the despairing souls in Hell give for some of that time which these Bedlams prate away, and game and play away, and trifle and fool away, and sleep and loiter away! And what would they give for a little of it themselves, upon the same terms, when it's gone, and when wishing is too late!

12. Idleness is a self-contradicting sin: None are so much afraid of dying as the idle (and I do not blame them if they knew all) and yet none more cast away their lives: They die voluntarily continually: He that loseth the use and benefit of life, doth lose his life itself: For what is it good for, but as a means to its ends? What difference between a man asleep and dead, but only that one is more in expectation of usefulness when he awaketh? It is a pitiful sight to a man in his wits, to see the Bedlam world afraid of dying, and trembling at every sign of death; and in the mean time setting as little by their lives, as if they were worth no more, than to spend at cards, or dice, or stage-plays, or dressings, or feastings, or ludicrous complements.

13. You teach your servants that life which yet you will not endure in them: For why should they be more careful and diligent in the work which you command them, than you in the work which God commandeth you? Are you the better Masters? or, will you find them better work? or, will you pay them better wages? I know God needeth not your service, as you do theirs: But he commandeth it, for other ends, though he need it not. And should any be more careful • to please you, that are but worms and dust, than you should be to please your Maker? If an idle life be best, why do you blame it in your servants? If it be not, why do you live such lives yourselves?

14. By Idleness you show that when you do labor, it is but for your carnal selves, and that it is not God whom you serve in your daily callings. He that will labor when he is poor, and feeleth the necessity of it, and will give over all, and live idly, and playfully when he is rich, doth show that he laboreth not in obedience to God (or else he would continue it) but merely to supply his bodily wants. You have your reward then from yourselves, and you cannot in reason expect any from God. But true Believers have another rule, by which they live, Col. 3.23, 24. Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not to men; knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance, for ye serve the Lord Christ.

15. Idleness is a forfeiture of your protection, and of your daily bread. God is not bound to keep you to play, and loiter, and do nothing. You have not a plenary right to your meat, if you live in willful idleness. I shown you God's Commands before. God's Promise of prosperity, is, Thou shalt eat the labor of thy hands, Psal. 128.2. (And if many in England that have most, should eat no other than the labor of their hands, it would cure their fullness.) The diligent woman, Prov. 31.27. doth not eat the bread of idleness. And Paul maketh it a Church-Canon, 2 Thes. 3.6.10, 12 and commandeth and exhorteth us, in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, that all work with quietness, and eat their own bread; and that the Church withdraw themselves from every Brother that walketh disorderly ; and that if any would not work, neither should be eat.

16. The idle rob themselves and others: You rob yourselves of the fruit of your own labors; and you rob your Masters, or your Families, or whomsoever you should labor for, Prov. 18.9. He that is slothful in his work, is Brother to him that is a great waster, Prov. 21.25. The desire of the slothful killeth him, because his hands refuse to labor ; that is, 1. The sluggishness of the wisher famisheth him: And 2. The hunger or desire tormenteth him when he hath not the thing desired, Eccles. 10.18. By much sloth the building decayeth; and by idleness of the bands, the house droppeth through, Prov. 19.15. Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger. And he that provideth not for his own (kindred and relations) but especially for those of his family, hath denied the Faith, and is worse than an Infidel, 1 Tim. 5.8. Hath no one need of you? hath no one hired you? hath no one any right to your labors, that you are so long idle? If none have need of you, what do you in the world?

17. The idle are drones and burdens of the Common-wealth: And the best ordered Governments have made Laws against them, as they did against other pernicious crimes, 2 Thes. 3.8. Paul labored day and night, that he might not be chargeable to any. And you think because you have enough, that other men must labor for you, but you may live idly without any blame. You live then upon the labors of others, but who liveth upon yours? Yea I have known some lazy persons, that because they are professors of zeal in Religion; or because they are Ministers or Scholars, live idly in their callings, and take their ease, and think that all others that have riches are bound to maintain them (like the Popish begging Friars) and they say, He is covetous that cher • sheth not them in idleness; and he that giveth not to them, doth them wrong; when Paul commandeth that they should not eat: And when we ask them how they live, they say, Upon the providence of God: And when the tenderness of people causeth them to contribute to relieve these drones, they hypocritically admire the providence of God, who provideth for them, and live in idleness, and call it living upon providence.

18. Idleness depriveth you of the great delight of doing good. There is no such pleasure in this world, as is found in succesful doing good: No man knoweth it but he that trieth it, (and that without any conceits of merit, in commutative Justice.) To do good in Magistracy for the piety, peace and safety of the people; to do good as Ministers, for the saving of souls; to do good as Parents, to educate a holy seed; to do good as Physicians, to save men's lives, &c. It is a pleasure exceeding all voluptuousness. And this the idle willfully reject.

19. You lose all the reward of well doing at the last, and fall under the doom of the unprofitable servant, Mat. 25. who must be cast into outer darkness. You must answer for all the talents of time, and health, and strength, and parts, to him who will judge all according to what they have done in the body: And where shall the idle then appear?

20. Idleness will destroy your health and lives: Nothing but fullness (which is its companion) doth bring so many thousands unseasonably to the grave. And do you neither love your souls, nor your lives? Are you only for your present ease?

21. Idleness breedeth melancholy, and corrupteth the fantasie and mind, and so unfitteth you for all that is good. Therefore the Idle that will do no good, are fain to devise some vanity to do; some game, or play, or dress, or complement, &c. or else they would grow addle-brained, and a shame and burden to themselves. The constant labors of a lawful calling is one of the best cures of melancholy in the world, if it be done with willingness, success and pleasure.

22. Lastly, Idleness is the Nursery of a world of vices. It is the field of temptation, where Satan soweth his tares while men are sleeping. When they are idle, they are at leisure for lustful thoughts; for wanton dalliance; for idle talk; for needless sports, and plays, and visits; for gaming, and riotous feasting, drinking and excess; for pride, and an hundred vain curiosities: Yea for contentions and mischievous designs: Needless and sinful things must be done, when necessary duties are laid by.

And if they are poor, idleness prepareth them to murmur and be discontent, and fallout, and contend with one another; to defraud others, and to steal. These and more are the natural fruits of Idleness.

But here I must annex two Cautions.

1. That none make this a pretence for a worldly mind and life; nor think that Religion is a fruit of Idleness; nor say as Pharaoh did of the Israelites, when they would go sacrifice to God, Ye are idle, Exod. 5.17. It is Idleness that maketh most men ungodly: They are convinced that it is better to meditate on God's Word, and call upon his Name, and give all diligence to make our calling and election sure; But they are idle, and say, There is a Lion in the way; what a weariness is it? we shall never endure it: As if their souls and Heaven were not worth their labor, and as if they would go to Hell for ease; and as if the feast of joy and glory were not worth the labor of eating or receiving it.

2. Make not this a pretence to oppress your servants with unmerciful labors, beyond their strength; or such as so weary them, and take up all their time, that they have not leisure so much as to pray. It is God's great mercy to servants, that he hath separated the Lord's day for a holy rest; or else many would have little rest, or means of holiness. Some think that others can never labor enough for them, because they pay them wages; and yet that they are bound to do nothing themselves, even because God hath given them more wages and wealth than he hath given to others.

More particular Directions are as followeth.

1. Give up yourselves by absolute subjection to God as his servants; and then you can never rest in an idle unserviceable life.

2. Take all that you have, as God's talents, and from his trust; and then you dare not but prepare in the use of them, for your account.

3. Live as those that are certain to die, and still uncertain of the time, and that know what an eternal weight of joy or misery dependeth upon the spending of your present time: And then you dare not live in Idleness. Live but as men whose souls are awake, to look before them into another world, and you will say (as I have long been forced to do) O how short are the days! how long are the nights! how swift is time! how slow is work! how far am I behind-hand! I am afraid lest my life will be finished before the work of life; and lest my time will be done, while much of my work remaineth undone.

4. Ask yourselves what you would be found doing if death now surprise you? and whether work or idleness will be best in the review?

5. Try a laborious life of well-doing a while, and the experience will draw you on.

6. Try yourselves by a standing resolution, and engage yourselves in necessary business, and that in a set and stated course; that necessity and resolution may keep you from an idle life.

7. Forsake the company of the idle and voluptuous, and accompany the laborious and diligent.

8. Study well how to do the greatest good you can, that the worth of the work may draw you on. For they that are of little use, for want of parts, or skill, or opportunity, are more liable to be tempted into idleness, as thinking their work is to no purpose: when the well-furnished person doth long to be exercising his wisdom and virtue in profitable well-doing.

CHAP. XVIII. How by Faith to overcome unmercifulness to the needy.

IV. THE fourth sin of Sodom, and of Prosperity, mentioned, Ezek. 16.49. is, They did not strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. Against which at the present I shall give you but these brief Directions.

Direct. 1. Love God your Creator and Redeemer, and then you will love the poorest of your Brethren for his sake. And love will easily persuade you to do them good.

Direct. 2. Labor most diligently to cure your inordinate self-love, which maketh men care little for any but themselves, and such as are useful to themselves: And when once you love your neighbors as yourselves, it will be as easy to persuade you to do good to them as to yourselves; and more easy to dissuade you from hurting them than yourselves: (because sensuality tempteth you stronglier to hurt yourselves, than anything doth to hurt them.)

Direct. 3. Overvalue not the things of the world ; and then you will not make a great matter of parting with them, for another's good.

Direct. 4. Do as you would be done by: And ask yourselves how you would be judged of and used, if you were in their condition yourselves.

Direct. 5. Set the life of Christ and his Apostles before you ; and remember what a delight it was to them to do good: And at how much dearer rate Christ shown mercy to you and others, than he requireth you to show mercy at to any.

Direct. 6. Read over Christ's precepts of Charity and Mercy, that a thing so frequently urged on you, may not be senselessly despised by you.

Direct. 7. Remember that Mercy is a duty applauded by all the world: As human interest requireth it; so human nature approveth it in all. Good and bad, even all the world do love the merciful: Or if the partial interest of some proud and covetous persons (as the Popish Clergy for instance) do call for cruelty against those that are not of their mind, and for their profit; yet this goeth so much against the stream of the common interest, and the light of human nature, that mankind will still abhor their cruelty, though they may afright a few that are near them from uttering their detestation. All men speak well of a merciful man, and ill of the unmerciful.

Direct. 8. Believe Christ's promises which he hath made to the merciful, so fully and frequently in Scripture: As in Mat. 5.7. Luke 6.36. Prov. 11.17. Psal. 37.26, &c. And believe his threatenings against the unmerciful, that they shall find no mercy, Prov. 12.10. James 2.13. And remember how Christ hath described the last Judgment, as passing upon this reckoning, Matth. 25.

Direct. 9. Live not in fleshly sensuality yourselves: For else your flesh will devour all; and if you have hundreds and thousands a year, will leave you but little or nothing to do good with.

Direct. 10. Engage yourselves (not by rash vows, but by resolution and practice ) in a stated way of doing good, and take not only such occasions as fall out unexpectedly. Set a part a convenient proportion of your estates, as God doth bless you; and let not needless occasions divert it, and defraud the poor, and you of the benefit.

Direct. 11. Remember still that nothing is absolutely your own, but God who lendeth it you hath the true propriety, and will certainly call you to an account. And ask yourselves daily, How shall I wish at the day of reckoning, that I had expended and used all my estate? and do accordingly.

Direct. 12. Forget not what need you stand in daily of the mercy of God; and what need you will shortly be in, when your health and wealth will fail you. And how earnestly then you will cry to God for mercy, mercy, Prov. 21.13. Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.

Direct. 13. Hearken not to an unbelieving heart, which will tell you that you may want yourselves, and therefore would restrain you from well doing. If God be to be trusted with your souls, he is to be trusted with your bodies. God trieth whether indeed you take him for your God, by trying whether you can trust him. If you deal with him as with a bankrupt, or a deceitful man, whom you will trust no further than you have a present pawn or security, in case he should deceive you; you blaspheme him, instead of taking him for your God.

Direct. 14. Let your greatest mercy be shown in the greatest things; and let the good of men's souls be your end even in your mercy to their bodies. And therefore do all in such a manner as tendeth most to promote the highest end. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.

CHAP. XIX. How to live by Faith in Adversity.

IF I should give you distinct Directions, for the several cases of poverty, wrongs, persecutions, unkindnesses, contempt, sickness, &c. it would swell this Treatise yet bigger than I intended. I shall therefore take up with this general Advice.

Direct. 1. In all Adversity remember the evil of sin, which is the cause, and the Holiness and Justice of God which is exercised ; and then the hatred of sin, and the love of God's Holiness and Justice will make you quietly submit. You will then say, when Repentance is serious, I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against him, Micah 7.9. And, why doth living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins? Lam. 3.39. Let us search and try our ways, and turn again unto the Lord; for he hath smitten, and he will heal, &c. v. 40, 41.

Object. But doth not Job 's case tell us, that some afflictions are only for trial, and not for sin?

Answ. No; it only telleth us that the reason why Job is chosen out at that time, to suffer more than other men, is not because he was worse than others, or us bad ; but for his trial and good. But 1. Affliction as it is now existent in the world upon mankind, is the fruit of Adams sin at first, and contained in the peremptory unremitted sentence. 2. And this general state of suffering mankind, is now in the hand and power of Christ, who sometimes indeed doth let out more on the best than upon others, and that especially for their trial and good; but usually some sins of their own also have a hand in them, and procure the evil, though his mercy turn it to their benefit.

Direct. 2. Deal closely and faithfully with your hearts and lives in a suffering time, and rest not till your consciences are well assured that no special provocation is the cause, or else do testify that you have truly repented, and resolved against it.

Otherwise you may lengthen your distress, if you leave that thorn in your sore which causeth it: Or else God may change it into a worse; or may give you over to impenitency, which is worst of all: Or at least, you will want that assured peace with God, and solid peace of conscience, which must be your support and comfort in affliction; and so will sink under it, as unable to bear it.

Direct. 3. Remember that the sanctifying fruit of Adversity is first and more to be looked after, than either the comfort, or the deliverance. And therefore that all men, no nor all Christians, must not use the same method, in the same affliction, when as their spiritual cases differ.

A cleared conscience, and one that hath walked faithfully with God, and fruitfully in the world, and kept himself from his iniquity, may bend most of his thoughts to the comforting promises, and happy end. But one man hath been bold with willful sin, and his work must be first, to renew repentance, and see that there be no root of bitterness left behind, and to set upon true reformation of life, and reparation of the hurt which he hath done.

Another is grown into love with the world, and hath let out his heart to pleasant thoughts and hopes of prosperity, and alienated his thoughts more than before from God. This man must first perceive his error, and hear God's voice which calleth him home, and see the characters of vanity and vexation, written on the face of that which he over-loved; and then think of comfort when he hath got a cure.

Another is grown dull and careless of his soul, and hath lost much of his sense of things eternal, and is cold in love, and cold in prayer, and liveth as if he were grown weary of God, and weary of well doing. His work must be to feel the smart of God's displeasure, so far as to awaken him to repentance, and set him again with former seriousness, upon his duty: And when he mendeth his pace, he may desire to be eased of the rod and spur. But to give unseasonable cordials to any of these, is but to frustrate the affliction, and to hurt them, and prepare for worse. Nay, and when they are comforted in season, it must be with due caution: Go thy way, and sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee. It is p • rnicious unskillfulness in those comforters of the afflicted, who have the same customary words of comfort for all; and by their improper cordials unseasonably applied, delude poor souls, and hinder that necessary repentance which God by so sh • rp a means doth call them to.

Direct. 4. Remember that your part in affliction is to do your duty, and to get the benefit of it: but to remove it is God's part: Therefore be you careful about that part which is your own, and then make no question but God will do his part. Let it be your first question therefore [ What is it that I am obliged to in this condition? ] What is the special duty of one in this sickness, this poverty, imprisonment, restraint, contempt, or slander, which I undergo?] Be careful daily to do that duty, and then never fear the issue of your suffering: Nothing can go amiss to him that is found in the way of his duty.

And let it be your next question, What spiritual good may be got by this affliction? May not my repentance be renewed? myself-denial, humility, contempt of the world, patience, and confidence on God, be exercised and increased by it? and is not this the end of my heavenly Father? Is not his rod an act of love and kindness to me? Doth he not offer me by it all this good?

And let your next question be [ Have I yet got that good which God doth offer me? Have I any considerable benefit to sh • w, which I have received by this affliction since it came? ] If not, why should you desire it to be taken away? Play not the Hypocrite in speaking that good of an afflicting God, which you do not seriously believe: If you believe that God is wiser than you, to know what is fittest for you, and that he is better than you, and therefore hath better ends than you can have; and that really he offereth you far greater good by your sufferings, than he taketh from you: Let your affections then be agreeable to this belief: Are you afraid of your own commodity? Do you impatiently long to be delivered from your gain? are you so childish as to pull off the plaster, if you believe that it is curing the sore? and that it cannot be well and safely done without it? Do you call it the fruit of God's Wisdom and Love, and yet be as weary of it, as if there were nothing in it but his wrath? Trust God with his work who never faileth; and be careful of your own, who are conscious of untrustiness.

Direct. 5. Look principally to your hearts, that they grow not to an over-valuing of the prosperity of the flesh; nor to an under-valuing of holiness and the prosperity of the soul. For this unhappy carnality doth both cause affliction, and make us unprofitable and impatient under it.

1. He that is a worldling, or a voluptuous flesh pleaser, and savoreth nothing but the things of the flesh, will think himself undone, when his pleasure, and plenty, and honor with men, is taken away. Nothing maketh men grieve for the loss of any worldly commodity, so much as the over-loving of it. It is Love that seeketh it when you are in hope, and Love that mourneth when you are in want, as well as Love which delighteth in it when you possess it : As sick men use to love health better than those that never felt the want of it; so it is too common with poor men to love riches better than the rich that never needed: (And yet, poor souls, they deceive themselves, and cry out against the rich, as if they were the only lovers of the world, when they love it more themselves, though they cannot get it. ) Never think of bearing affliction with a patient and submissive mind, as long as you over-love the things which affliction taketh from you: For the loss of them will tear those hearts which did stick so inordinately to them.

2. And if you grow to an undervaluing of Holiness, you can never be reconciled to afflicting providence. For it is for our profit that God correcteth us; but for what profit? that we may be partakers of his holiness, Heb. 12.10, 14. If therefore you undervalue that which is God's end, and goeth for your gain, you will never think that you are gainers or savers by his rod. In correction God doth as it were make a bargain with you; he will take away your riches, or your friends, or your health, and he will give you (if you refuse it not) increase of patience, and mortification in the stead of them: he will exchange so much heavenly-mindedness, for so much of the treasures or pleasures of the world. And now, if you do not like the bargain, if really you had rather have more health, than more holiness; more of the world, than more heavenly-mindedness; more fleshly pleasure, than more mortification of fleshly desires, you will never then like the correcting hand of God, nor rightly profit by it: You will grudge at his dealing, and wish that you were out of his hand, and in your own; and that your estates, and health, and friends, were not at his disposal, but at yours; and you will lose the offered benefit, because you value it not, and accept it not as it is offered you.

3. And those that have some esteem of Holiness, and yet neglect the duty which should procure the exercise and increase of grace, do make correction burdensome by making it unprofitable to them. For to hear that they may be gainers by affliction, and to find that they are not, will not reconcile them to it. Whereas if they had really got the benefit, it would quiet them, and comfort them, and make them patient, and thankful to their Father. What have you to show that you gained by your sufferings? Are you really more mortified, more penitent, more humble, more heavenly, more obedient, more patient than you were before? If you are so, you cannot possibly think that it hath been to your loss to be afflicted: For no one that hath these graces can so undervalue them, as to think that worldly prosperity or ease is better. But if you have not such gain to show, what wonder if you are weary of the medicine which healeth not? and if, when you have made it do you no good, you complain of it, when it is yourselves, that you should complain of. If you could say, that before you were afflicted, you went astray, but now you have learnt and kept God's precepts, you might then say by experience, It is good for me that I was afflicted, Psal. 119.67, 71. And men are taught by natural self-love, not to think ill of that which doth that which doth them good, if by experience they know it. You will then confess that God in very faithfulness afflicteth you, Psal. 119.75.

Direct. 6. Remember that nothing can be amiss which is done by God: For where there is perfection of Power, and Wisdom, and Goodness, no actions can be bad. And there is nothing done by any of your afflictors, which is not governed by the will of God, Amos 3.6. Shall there be evil in a City, and the Lord hath not done it? 2 Chron. 10.15. So the King hearkened not to the people; for the cause was of God, that the Lord might perform his Word —God who would not cause the sin, is said to be the cause of the event as a punishment, because he wisely permitted it for that end, Acts 2.23. Him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain —Acts 4.28. The people of Israel were gathered to do, whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done: That is, he willed by his antecedent will, that Christ should be a sacrifice for sin; and he willed by his consequent will, (as a Judge and punisher of man's sin) that the rebellious Jews should be left to their malicious wills, to execute it. And that God which moderateth the wills and actions of the most malicious men and Devils, will restrain them from violating any of his promises for his servants good.

Direct. 7. Always keep before your eyes the example of a crucified Christ, and of all his holy Apostles and Martyrs which have followed him. Look still to Jesus the author and finisher of your Faith, who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, and despised the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the Throne of God. Consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest you be wearied and faint in your mind, Heb. 12.2, 3. If you did determine to know nothing but Christ crucified, and by his cross had crucified the the world, (1 Cor. 2.2. Gal. 6.14.) you would be able to say, I am crucified with Christ, yet I live, that is, not I, but Christ liveth in me, Gal. 2.20. And to look on the pleasure and glory of the world, as the world did look on a crucified Christ, when they shook the head at him as he hanged on the cross. You would love the narrow suffering way, where you see before you the footsteps of your Lord, and of so many holy Martyrs and Believers: You would say, sure this is the safe and blessed way, in which Christ, and all the heavenly Army have passed hence unto their Crown: You would say, Is the servant greater than his Lord? If thus the innocent Lord of life, and Master of the house was injured and afflicted, am I better than he? Though he suffered to save me from Hell, yet not to save me from the purifying trials here on earth. Doubtless you would count all things but loss, for the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ, and count them but dung that you might win him— and that you might know him, and the power of his resurrection▪ and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable to his death, Phil. 3.8, 10.

Direct. 8. Keep the eye of Faith still fixed on the eternal glory; that you may understand what affliction is, when you take it with its end. Remember what eternal Joyes it leadeth to; and what thoughts you will have of all your pain, when you find yourselves in the everlasting rest. Remember where all tear • shall be wiped from your eyes; and who dare blame that way as narrow or soul, which bringeth us to such an end, Psal. 126.5, 6. They that s • w in tears, shall reap in joy: He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him, Mat. 5.4. Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted. Is not eternal joy sufficient for you? When you are suffering with the Church militant, look up to the Church triumphant; and remember that they were lately as low, as sad, as sorrowful as you, and you shall shortly be as high, as glad, as joyful as they. Look into Heaven, and see what you suffer for, and think whether that be not worthy of harder terms than any you can undergo. Rom. 8.17, 18. If we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together: For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time, are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us, 2 Cor. 4 16, 17, 18. For which cause we faint not: but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day: For our light affl • ction which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory: While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: For the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the Heavens. Heaven well believed, will enable us patiently and cheerfully to bear all things. He will account the very reproach of Christ, to be greater riches than the treasures of the world, who looketh believingly to the recompense of reward, Heb. 11.26.

Direct. 9. Learn to die, and then you have learned to suffer. He that can bear death, by the power of faith, can bear almost anything. And he that is well prepared to die, is prepared for any affliction; and he that is not, is unprepared for prosperity.

Direct. 10. Remember still that life being so very short, the afflictions of Believers are as short. We have so little a time to live, that we have but a little while to suffer. And if thou faint in the day of adversity, when it is so little a while to night, thy strength is small, Prov. 24.10.

Direct. 11. Remember that thou bearest but the common burden of the Sons of Adam, who are born to sorrow as the sparks fly upward: And that thou in like to all the members of Christ, who must take up their cross, and suffer with him, if they will reign with him: And that thou art but going the common way to Heaven, which that heavenly society hath trod before thee: And canst thou expect to be exempted both from the lot of human lapsed nature, and from the lot of all the Saints? If thou wouldest be carried to Heaven in the Chariot of Elias, and couldest expect to escape the jaws of death, yet must thou endure the persecution, weariness and hunger of Elias before such a change.

Direct. 12. Think also how unreasonable it is, for one that must have eternal glory, to grudge at a little suffering in the way, and for one that is saved from the torments of Hell, to think it much to be duly chastened on earth. For a Lazarus that must be comforted in Abraham 's bosom, to murmur that he waiteth a while in poverty at the rich man's doors? Shall a wicked worldling venture into endless pains, and put himself out of the hopes of Heaven, and all this for a short and foolish pleasure? And will you grudge to suffer so small and short a chastisement in the way to an endless rest and joy?

Direct. 13. Think why it is that Christ hath so largely commended, and blest a suffering state, and chosen such a life for those that he will save : And why he so often pronounceth a woe to the prosperous world: It is not for want of love to his Disciples; nor for want of power to secure their peace, Matth. 5. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven: Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are they that are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. Luke 6.24, 25, 26. Woe to you that are rich, for you have received your consolation: Woe to you that are full, for ye shall hunger: Woe unto you that laugh now, for ye shall mourn and weep: Woe unto you when all men shall speak well of you, for so did their Fathers to the false Prophets, James 1.2, 3. My Brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations (that is, trying afflictions) knowing that the trying of your faith worketh patience —James 5.1, 2. Go too now ye 〈◊〉 men, weep and howl for the miseries that shall come upon you — All these words are not for nothing: And judge how he should think of adversity who believeth them.

Direct. 14. Mark well whether you find not that yourselves and others are usually much better in affliction, than in prosperity: And whether there be not something in the one to make you better, and in the other to delude men, and make them worse. O look and tremble at the dangers and dol • full miseries of most that are lifted high! how they are blinded, flattered, captivated in sin, and are the shame of nature, and the calamity of the world! And mark when they come to die, or lie in sickness, how enlightened, how penitent, how humble, how mortified and reformed they then seem to be, and how much they condemn all sin, and justify a holy life: And observe yourselves whether you be not wiser and better, more penitent, and less worldly in an afflicted state: And will you think that intolerable, which so much bettereth almost all the world? Alas, were it not for affliction, there are some Nebuchadnezzar's that would never be humbled, and some Pharaohs that would never confess their sins, and some Manasseh's that would never be converted. Many in Heaven are thankful for affliction, and so should we, Eccles. 7.2, 3, 4, 5, 6. It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to the house of feasting: For that is the end of all men, and the living will lay it to heart. Sorrow is better than laughter; for • y the sadness of the countenance, the heart is made better. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth. It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools: For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of a fool.

Do you not perceive that a merry prosperous state inclineth to folly, levity, rashness, inconsiderateness, stupidity, forgetting the latter end, &c? And that a sadder frame is more awakened, illuminated, fixed, sensible, considerate and fit for great employments? Quarrel not then with your Physician, because he dyeteth you as tendeth to your cure, and turneth you not over to the diet of desperate patients, or of fools.

Direct. 15. If God afflict you, add not causeless affliction to yourselves. If he touch your friends, or body, or estate, do not you therefore touch and tear your hearts. If you have not enough, why do you complain of it? If you have enough, why do you make yourselves more? He that hath said, Blessed are they that mourn, did never mean that those are blessed that mourn erroneously, for nothing, or for that which is their benefit, or that plevishly quarrel with God and man, or that willfully by pride or impatiency torment themselves. He meant not to bless the sorrow of the covetous that grieveth because he is not rich, or because he is wronged, or is a loser in some commodity; nor to bless the sorrow of the proud, who is troubled because he is not observed, honored or preferred: Nor the sorrow of the sensual, who grieve when their lusts and pleasures are restrained: Nor the sorrows of the idle, who grieve if they are called to diligent labor; nor the sorrow of the envious, who grieveth to see another prosper; nor the sorrows of the cruel, who grieve when they cannot be as hurtful to God's servants, and their neighbors or enemies, as they desire. It is neither wicked sorrows, nor willful self-vexation, which Christ doth bless: But it is the holy improving, and patient enduring the sufferings laid upon us by God or man.

Direct. 16. Let Patience have its perfect work. He that believeth, will not make haste, James 1.3. Isa. 28.16. God's time is best; and eternity is long enough for our ease and comfort. It is by patient continuance in well doing, that glory, honor and immortality must be sought, Rom. 2. We shall reap in due season, if we faint not, Galat. 6.9. James 5.7, 8, 9. Be patient therefore Brethren unto the coming of the Lord. Behold the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient: stablish your hearts; for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. When others by impatience lose themselves, do you in your patience possess your souls, Luke 21.19. Rom. 5.4. Patience worketh experience, and experience hope, which maketh not ashamed. If we hope for that we see not, thee do we with patience wait for it, Rom. 8.25. Through patience and comfort of the Scriptures it is that we have hope, Rom. 15.4. Therefore we have need of patience, that when we have done the will of God, we may inherit the promise, Heb. 10.36.11.

CHAP. XX. How to live by Faith, in troubles of Conscience, and doubts or terrors about our spiritual and everlasting state.

HAving written a Treatise called, The Right Method for Spiritual Peace and Comfort, &c. upon this subject already, I must refer the Reader thither, and here only add these few Directions.

Direct. 1. Distinguish of the several Causes of these troubles ; and take heed of those unskillful Mountebanks, who have the same cure for every such disease, and speak present comfort to all that they hear complain; and that think every trouble of mind is some notable work of the Spirit of God; when it is often the fruit of the manifold weakness or willfulness of the troubled complainers.

Direct. 2. When it is some heinous sin committed, or great corruption indulged, which doth cause the trouble, be sure that sound Repentance be never omitted in the cure; and that a real reformation prove the truth of that Repentance. For Christ never died to justify and save the impenitent sinner: And a deceitful Repentance is the common self-deceit and undoing of the world. And how can that be true Repentance, which changeth not the will and life? God will not give you peace and comfort, as long as you indulge your willful sin.

Note here the difference between 1. The grossly impenitent: 2. And the mock-repentance of the Hypocrite: 3. And the true Repentance of sound Believers.

1. The grossly impenitent cannot bring his heart to a serious purpose to let go his sin, nor to a consent or willingness, that God should cure him, and change his mind: but he had rather have his pride, and covetousness, and sensuality, to be fully pleased, than to be mortified. Like a fool in a Feaver or a Dropsy, that had rather have drink, than have the cure of his thirst.

2. The mock repentance of the Hypocrite hath some purposes under an extraordinary conviction, to leave his sin; and for a time may seem to do it. But when the temptation is as strong again, he is the same, and returneth to his vomit; or else exchangeth his sin for a worse. And if you ask him whether he had rather have the mortifying of all his lusts, or the pleasing of them, his understanding and conviction may cause him truly to say at the present, that if God would presently mortify his sin, or offer him this in choice, he would rather consent to it, than take the pleasing of them. But mark it, 1. That though he consent that God should do this himself ; yet he will not consent to use the means, and do his duty to attain it. If a cold wish, or bare consent would change his soul, and take away all sinful inclinations at once, that he might never more desire the pleasure of sin, nor be put to any conflict to overcome it, nor any great difficulty to deny it, and all this might be done without any labor of his own, I doubt not but the Hypocrite would consent to be so mortified. But to watch, and pray, and read, and meditate, and use the means which God appointeth him, both to get mortification, and to use it for the conquering of every temptation; this the Hypocrite will not consent to.

2. And what he doth consent to at the present, he consenteth not to when his sinful pleasure is revived by the next temptation.

3. But the true penitent Christian is both willing to be changed and had rather have his lusts to be killed, than pleased ; and also willing to use God's means both to mortify the inward lust, and to overcome the outward sin: And this in sincerity is his habitual state.

Direct. 3. Never forget that 1. The gracious nature of God: 2. The sufficiency of Christ's Sacrifice and Merit: And 3. The truth of the universal • ffer or promise of pardon to all (if they will accept the offer) are the foundation of all our faith and comforts ; and are that universal grace which is before our special grace or faith, and is presupposed to it: On this foundation all our faith and peace is to be built.

Direct. 4. The particular application of this to ourselves, is, 1. By Believing, and then by knowing that we do believe ; and then by discerning our privileges upon believing.

1. Our believing itself is, 1. Our Ascent to the truth of the Gospel: 2. Our Acceptance of the good (even Christ and life) which is offered in it, and consent to the Baptismal Covenant with God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: And 3. Our Affiance in Christ and his Covenant.

2. To know that we do believe (somehow) is easy, when we do it: But to be sure that this belief is sincere and saving, is more difficult, because of the deceitfulness of the heart of man, and the mixtures of unbelief, and other sins, and the weakness of grace where it is true, and the counterfeits of it, and the insufficient degrees which are in Hypocrites; so that it is not easy to discern whether the faith which we have be sincere, and predominant above our sense and our unbelief (as it must be.) But yet it may be known by such means as these.

1. By laboring to strengthen and increase our faith and grace, that it may not by the smallness be next to undiscernable. 2. By