Use for reproof of several sorts of persons 1/4

 

Use Second.  The improvement of the preceding doctrine for reproof of several sorts of persons.

1. All those who content themselves with their unholy state wherein they are.  Such is the state of ev­ery one by nature.  These, alas! are so far from main­taining the power of holiness, that they are under the power of their lusts.  These give law to them, and cut out all their work for them, which they bestow all their time to make up.  And is not that a sad life, sirs, which is spent about such filthy, beastly work as sin and unrighteousness is?  Well may the ‘bond of ini­quity’ and ‘the gall of bitterness’ be joined together, Acts 8:23.  The apostle is thought to allude to Deut. 29:18, where all sin and unrighteousness is called ‘a root that beareth gall and wormwood.’  He that plants sin and unholiness, and then thinks to gather any other than bitter fruit for all his labour, pretends to a knowledge beyond God himself, who tells the natural fruit which grows from this root is ‘gall and worm­wood.’  Who would look for musk in a dog’s kennel?  That thou mayest sooner find there than any true sweetness and comfort in unholiness.  The devil may possibly for a time sophisticate, with his cookery and art, this bitter morsel, so that thou shalt not have the natural taste of it upon thy palate; but, as Abner said to Joab, ‘knowest thou not that it will be bitterness in the latter end?’ II Sam. 2:26.  In hell all the sugar will be melted wherein this bitter pill was wrapped.  Then, if not before, thou wilt have the true relish of that which goes down now so sweetly.  O how many are they now in hell cursing their feast and feast‑maker too!  Do you think it gives any ease to the damned to think what they had for their money?  I mean what pleasures, profits, and carnal enjoyments they once had on earth, for which they now pay those unspeak­able torments that are upon them, and shall continue for ever without any hope or help?  No, it increaseth their pain beyond all our conceit, that they should sell their precious souls so cheap, in a manner for a song, and lose heaven and blessedness, because they would not be holy, which now they learn too late, was itself —however once they thought otherwise—a great part of that blessedness, and now torments them to consider they put it from them under the notion of a burden and a bondage.  But alas! alas! how few thoughts do unholy wretches spend with themselves, in considering what is doing in another world!  They see sinners die daily in the prosecution of their lusts, but do not more think what is become of them—that they are in hell burning and roaring for their sin—than the fish in the river do think what is become of their fellows that were twitched up by their gills from them even now with the angler’s hook, and cast into the seething-pot or frying-pan alive.  No, as those silly creatures are ready still to nibble and bite at the same hook that struck their fellows, even so are men and women forward to catch at those baits still of sinful pleasures, and wages of unrighteousness, by which so many millions of souls before them have been hooked into hell and damnation.
2. Those who are as unholy as others, naked to God’s eye and Satan's malice, but to save their credit in the world, wear something like a breastplate—a counterfeit holiness, which does them this service for the present, that they are thought to be what they are not.  ‘Verily they have their reward,’ and a poor one it is.  For the Lord's sake consider what you do, and tremble at it.  You do the devil, God’s great enemy, double service, and God double disservice, just as he comes into the field and brings deceitful arms with him, he draws his prince’s expectation towards him as one that would do some exploit for him, but means nothing so, yea, he hinders some other that would be faithful to his prince in that place where he, a traitor, now stands.  Such a one may do his prince more mis­chief than many who cowardly stay at home, or rebelliously run over to the enemy's side, and tell him plainly what they mean to do.

Application or Use For Information On Two Points as To Holiness

          

 Use First.  The information afforded in the preceding, bearing on those two particulars, viz. as to maintaining the power of holiness, and as to the pos­sibility of doing so.

1. If we are thus to endeavour the maintaining of the power of holiness, then sure there is such a thing as righteousness and unrighteousness—holiness, and sin that opposeth it.Yet there is a generation of men that make these things to be mere fancies, as if all the existence they had were in the melancholy imagina­tions of some poor-spirited timorous men, who dream of these things, and then are scared with the bugbears that their own foolish thoughts represent to them.  Hence, some among us have dared to make it their boast and glorying that they have at last got from under the bondage of that tyrant conscience; they can now do that which we call swearing, lying, yea, what not, without being bearded and checked by an im­perious conscience; yea, they assert that there is no sin to any but him that thinks so.  These are worse fools than he the psalmist speaks of, Ps. 14:1.  He doth but ‘say in his heart there is no God;’ but these tell the world what fools they are, and cannot hide their shame.  I do not mention these os much to confute them—that were to as little purpose, as to go prove there is a sun shining in a clear day because a mad frantic man denies it—as rather to affect your hearts with the abominations of the times, ye holy ones of God.  O how deep asleep were men, that the enemy could come and sow such tares as these amongst us! Perhaps they thought such poisonous seed would not grow in our soil, that had so much labour and cost bestowed on it by Christ’s husbandmen; that such strong delusions would never go down with any that had been used to so pure a gospel diet!  But alas! we see by woeful experience that, as a plague when it hits into a city that stands in the purest air, oft rageth more than in another place, so when a spirit of delu­sion falls upon a people that have enjoyed most of the gospel, it grows most prodigious.  It makes me even tremble to think what a place of nettles England, that hath so long continued—without wrong to any other church Christ hath in the world—one of his fairest, fruitfullest garden‑plots, may at last become, when I see what weeds have sprung up in our days.  I have heard that reverend and holy Master Greenham say, he feared rather athe­ism than Popery would be Eng­land’s ruin.  Had he lived in our dismal days, he would have had his fears much increased.  Were there ever more atheists made and making in England since it was acquainted with the gospel, than in the com­pass of a dozen years last past?  I have reason to think there are not.  When men shall fall so far from profession of the gospel, and be so blinded that they cannot know light from darkness, righteousness from unrighteousness, are they not far gone in atheism? This is not natural blindness, for the heathen could tell when they did good and evil, and see holiness from sin without scripture light to show them, Rom. 2:14, 15.  No, this blindness is a plague of God fallen on them for rebelling against the light when they could see it.  And if this plague should grow more common, which God forbid! woe then to England!
2. If we be to maintain the power of holiness, then surely it is possible.God would not command what he doth not enable his own peculiar people to do; only here, you must remember carefully the dis­tinction premised in the opening of the text, between a legal righteousness and an evangelical righteous­ness.  The latter of these is so far from being unat­tainable, that there is not a sincere Christian in the world but is truly holy in this sense, that is, he doth truly desire, and conscionably endeavour—with some success of his endeavour through divine grace assisting—to walk according to the rule of God’s word.  I confess all Christ’s scholars are not of the same form.  All his children are not of the same stature and strength.  Some foot it more nimbly in the ways of holiness than others, yet not a saint but is endued with a principle of life that sets him at work for God, and to desire to do more than he is able.  As the seed, though little in itself, yet hath in it virtually the bigness and height of a grown tree, towards which it is putting forth with more and more strength of nature as it grows, so in the very first principle of grace planted at conversion, there is perfection of grace contained in a sense;—that is, a disposition putting the creature forth in desires and endeavours after that perfection to which God hath appointed him in Christ Jesus.  And therefore, Christian, when­ever such thoughts of the impossibility of obtaining this holiness here on earth are suggested to thee, reject them as sent in from Satan, and that on a design to feed thy own distrustful humour—which he knows they will suit too well, as the news of giants and high walls, that the spies brought to the unbe­lieving Israelites, did them—and all to weaken thy endeavours after holiness, which he knows will surely prove him a liar.  Do but strongly resolve to be conscientious in thy endeavours, with an eye upon the promise of help, and the work will go on.  Thou needest not fear it, ‘for the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly,’ Ps. 84:11.  Mark that ‘grace and glory,’ that is, ‘grace unto glory.’  He will still be adding ‘more grace’ to that thou hast, till thy grace on earth commenceth glory in heaven.

Satan's Third Stratagem Defeated; viz. That in Which He Represents The Christian’s Breastplate as Bringing in The Opposition of The World 2/2

           

  Answer Second.  Suppose thy holy walking stirs up the wrath of ungodly ones against thee, know that there may be more mercy in their hatred than in their love.  Commonly the saints get good by the wrath of the wicked against them, not so oft by their favour and friendship.  Their displeasure wakens their care, and makes them more accurate (thus David prayed God to ‘make his way plain for him,’ because of his observing enemies), whereas their friendship too oft lays it asleep, and proves a snare to draw them into some sinful compliance with them.  Jehoshaphat was wound in too far by his correspondence with Ahab, so hard is it to keep in with God and wicked men also. Luther professed he ‘would not have Erasmus’s hon­our for a world;’ indeed the friendship he had with, and respect he had from, the great ones of the world made him mealy-mouthed in the cause of God.  The Moabites could not give Israel the fall at arm’s length, but when they closed in alliances with the children of Israel, then they were too hard for them.  Not their curses, but their embraces did them hurt.  Again, we can never lose the love, or incur the wrath of men, upon better or more advantageous terms than for keeping our ‘breastplate of righteousness’ close to us.

1. When we lose for this any love from men, we gain God’s blessing instead of it.  ‘Blessed are ye, when all men speak evil of you falsely, for my name’s sake,’ Matt. 5:11.  God’s blessing is a good roof over our head to defend us from the storm of man’s wrath. O it is sad, when a Christian opens the mouths of the wicked, by some unholy action, to speak evil of him! No promise will open then its door to hide thee from the storm of their railing tongues.  Man reviles and God frowns.  Little welcome such a one has, when he returns home to look into his own conscience, or con­verse with his God; but when it is for thy holiness they hate thee, God is bound by promise to pay thee love for their hatred, blessing for their cursing.  And truly that courtier has little cause to complain, that for a little disrespect from others, that cannot hurt him, is advanced higher in his prince’s favour.
2. While thy holy walking loseth thee some love from the world, it gains thee the more reverence and honour.They that will not love thee because thou art holy, cannot choose but fear and reverence thee, at the same time, for what they hate thee.  Let a saint comply with the wicked, and remit a little of his holi­ness to correspond with them, and he loses by the hand—as to his interest, I mean, in them—for by gaining a false love he loses that true honour which inwardly their consciences paid to his holiness.  A Christian walking in the power of holiness is like Samson in his strength, the wicked fear him; but when he shows an impotent spirit, by any indecency in his course to his holy profession, then presently he is taken prisoner by them, and falls under both the lash of their tongue and the scorn of their hearts. They can now dance about such a one, and make him their May-game, whose holiness even now kept them in awe.  It is not poverty, or the baseness of thy out­ward state in the world, that will render the contemp­tible, so long as thou keepest thy breastplate of righ­teousness on.  There sits majesty in the brow of holi­ness though clad in rags.  Righteous David commands reverence from wicked Saul.  The king himself does this homage to his poor exiled subject, ‘He wept, and said to David, Thou art more righteous than I,’ I Sam. 24:17.  Ay, this is as it should be, when carnal men are forced to acknowledge that they are outshot by the holy lives of Christians.  O Christians, do some singu­lar thing—what the best of your merely civil neigh­bours cannot do—and you sit sure in the throne of their consciences, even when they throw you out of their hearts and affections!  So long as the magicians did something like the miracles Moses wrought, they thought themselves as good men as he; but when they were nonplussed in the plague of lice, and could not, with all their art, produce the like, they acknowledged ‘the finger of God’ to be in it, Ex. 8:16.  Do not more than carnal men do, and you stand but level with themselves in their opinions of you, yea, they think themselves better than you, who pretend to holiness more than they.  It is expected that every one in the calling he professeth should more than a little exceed another that is not of that calling, which if he do not, he becomes contemptible.  We come to the applica­tion, in which we shall be the shorter, having sprink­led some­thing of this nature all along as we handled the doctrinal part.

Satan's Third Stratagem Defeated; viz. That in Which He Represents The Christian’s Breastplate as Bringing in The Opposition of The World 1/2

           Third Stratagem.  Satan endeavours to make the Christian throw away his breastplate, by scaring him with the contradictive opposition and feud which it brings from the world.  This is yet a third stumbling-block which Satan useth to lay in the way of a soul setting forth in this path of righteousness.  ‘O,’ saith Satan, ‘this is the ready way to bring thee under the lash of every tongue, to lose the love of thy neigh­bours, and contract the scorn, yea hatred, of all thou livest among.  And dost thou not desire to live friend­ly and peaceably with thy neighbours? canst thou bear to be hooted at, as Lot was among the Sodomites, and Noah amidst the old world, that were all of another way?  This holiness breeds ill blood wherever it comes.  Own that, and you bring the world’s fists about thy ears presently.’

           Truly, though this be a sorry weak objection in itself, yet, where it meets with a soft temper, and a disposition tendered with a facility of nature, one in whom love and peaceful inclinations are predomin­ant, it carries weight enough to amount to a danger­ous temptation.  No doubt Aaron stumbled at this stone in the business of the golden calf.  He did not please himself, surely, in the thing; but it was an act merely complacential to the people, as appears by his apology to Moses, ‘Let not the anger of my lord wax hot: thou knowest the people, that they are set on mischief,’ Ex. 32:22.  As if he has said, ‘I did not know what they would have done to me upon my denial. What I did was to pacify them, and prevent more trouble from them.’  There is need we see to be armed against this temptation, which that thou may­est be, seriously weigh these two particulars.

           Answer First.  Thy God, Christian, whom thou servest, commands the tongues, hands, yea hearts, of all men.  He can, when he pleaseth—without the least abating in thy holy course—give thee to find favour in the eyes of those thou most fearest.  ‘When a man’s ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him,’ Prov. 16:7.  Laban, in a fury, pursues Jacob, but God meets him in the way, and gives him his lesson how he should carry himself to the good man, Gen. 31:24; and, ver. 29, he doth in­genuously confess to Jacob what turned the wind into a warmer corner, and made him so calm with him, that set out so full of rage, ‘It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt: but the God of your father spake unto me yester-night,’ &c.  Thank him for nothing. He had power to hurt Jacob, but God would not let him.  Mordecai, one would have thought, took the readiest way to incur the king’s wrath, by denying Haman that reverence which all were, by royal com­mand, to pay him.  But the holy man’s conscience would not suffer his knee to bow.  And yet we see, when that proud favourite had done his worst to be revenged on him, he was forced himself to inherit the gallows intended for Mordecai, and leave Mordecai to succeed him in his prince’s favour.  Thus God, who hath a key to king's breasts, on a sudden locked Ahasuerus's heart against that cursed Amalekite, and opened it to let this holy man into his room.  O who would be afraid to be conscientious when God can, and doth so admirably provide for his people’s safety, while they keep close to him!

         

Satan’s Second Stratagem Defeated That viz. In Which He Represents The Christian’s breastplate as PREJUDICIAL TO HIS WORLDLY PROFITS 2/2

1. It is a great sin.The devil sure would tempt Christ to no small sin.  We find him, laying this gol­den bait before him, when he ‘showed him all the kingdoms of the world,’ and promised them all unto him, if he would ‘fall down and worship him,’ Luke 4:5-7.  What was the foul spirit's design in this demand, but to draw Christ to acknowledge him the lord of the world, and by worshipping him, to declare that he ex­pected the good things of the world, not from God, but him?  Now truly, every one that by unrighteous­ness seeks the world’s pelf, he goes to the devil for it, and doth in effect worship him.  He had as good speak out, and say he acknowledges not God, but the devil, to be lord of the world, and to have the dis­posing of it; for he doth what God interprets so. Now, how much better is it to have poverty from God, than riches from the devil?  Here is a daring sin with a witness, at one clasp to take away God’s sovereignty, and to bestow it upon the devil, to do what he pleases with the world!
2. It is a foolish sin.‘They that will be rich’ —that is, by right or wrong—‘fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish...lusts,’ I Tim. 6:9.  What greater folly than to play the thief to acquire that which is man's already?  If thou beest a saint, all is thine the world hath.  ‘Godliness’ hath the ‘promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come,’ I Tim. 4:8.  If riches be good for thee, thou shalt have them, for that is the tenure of temporal promises; and if it be not thought good by God—who is best able to judge—to pay thee the promise in specie—in kind, then another promise comes in for thy relief, which assures thee thou shalt have money-worth.  ‘Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee,’ Heb. 13:5.  If God hath given thee riches, but calls thee to part with it for his name’s sake, then he gives thee his bond upon which thou mayest recover thy loss, with ‘a hundred-fold’ advantage ‘in this life,’ besides ‘eternal life in the world to come,’ Matt. 19:29.  And he is a fool, with witness, that parts with God’s promises, for any secur­ity the devil can give him.
3. Unrighteous gain will appear to be a dear bar­gain,from the heavy curse that cleaves unto it.  ‘The curse of God is in the house of the wicked,’ Prov. 3:33; but ‘in the house of the righteous is much treasure,’ Prov. 15:6.  You may come to the righteous man, and find, possibly, no money in his house, but you are sure to find ‘a treasure;’ whereas there is no treasure in the wicked man’s house when much gold and silver is to be found, because the curse of God eats up all his gains.  God’s fork follows the wicked's rake.  It is most righteous for him to scatter what such gather by unrighteousness.  They are said therefore, to ‘consult shame to their house,...for the stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the timber shall answer it,’ Hab. 2:10, 11.  O who that prizeth the comfort of his life would, though for tons of gold, live in a house thus haunted!—where the cry of his unrighteousness follows him into every room he goes, and he doth, as it were, hear the stones and beams of his house groaning under the weight of his sin that laid them there!  Yea, so hateful is this sin to the righteous Lord, that not only they who purse up the gain thus got are cursed by him, but also the instruments such use to advance their unrighteous projects.  The poor servant, that to curry favour with his master, advan­ceth his estate by fraud and unrighteousness, God threatens to pay him his wages.  ‘I punish all those that leap on the threshold, which fill their masters’ houses with violence and deceit,’ Zeph. 1:9.  This is spoken of either servants standing at the door to hook in customers they may cheat; or else of great men’s officers that came with absolute power into men’s houses to take by violence from them what they pleased; these, though their masters pocketed the gain, shall be punished—their masters as the great devourers, and they as their sharks to seek and pro­vide prey for them.

Satan’s Second Stratagem Defeated That viz. In Which He Represents The Christian’s breastplate as PREJUDICIAL TO HIS WORLDLY PROFITS 1/2

          

 Second Stratagem.  Satan endeavours to make the Christian throw away his breastplate, by present­ing it as prejudicial to his worldly profits.  If thou didst not stumble at the former stone, the devil hath another at hand to throw in thy way.  He is not so un­skilful a fowler as to go with one single shot into the field; and therefore expect him, as soon as he hath discharged one and missed thee, to let fly at thee with a second, and tell thee, ‘This holy life and righteous walking thou hadst best never meddle with, except thou meanest to undo thyself, and all that depend on thee.  Look upon the rich and great men in the world, how dost thou think these heap together such vast estates, and raised their families to such dignity and grandeur in their places? was it by their righteousness and holiness?  Alas! if they had been so strait-laced in their consciences as thou must be, if thou tiest thyself up to the rules of a holy life, they had never come to so good a market for this world as they have done; and if thou wilt thrive with them thou must do as they have done—throw off this breastplate of righteous­ness quite, or unbuckle it, that it may hang loose enough, to turn aside when an advantage is offered, or else you may shut up your shop‑windows, and give over your trade, for all you are like to get at year’s end.’  To defend thee, Christian, against this assault, take these few considerations, from which it will not be hard to draw an answer that will stop the mouth of this objection.

           Answer First.  Consider, it is not necessary that thou shouldst be rich, but  it is necessary that thou shouldst be holy, if thou meanest to be happy.  You may travel to heaven with never a penny in you purse, but not without holiness in your heart and life also.  And wisdom bids thee first attend to that which is of greatest necessity.

           Answer Second.  Heaven is worth the having, though thou goest poor and ragged, yea, naked thither.  There are some in the world that will accept God's offer thankfully, may they be admitted into that glorious city, though God doth not bribe them, and toll them along thither with great estates here.  And therefore, for shame, resolve to be holy at all peradventures.  Do not stand indenting with God for that, which if you were actually possessed of, and loved him, you would leave, and throw at your heels with scorn, rather than part with him.

           Answer Third.  A little of the world will give thee content, if holiness be kept in its power, as few clothes will serve a hale strong man.  And better is the warmth that comes from blood and spirits within, than that from a load of clothes without.  Better, I trow, the content which godliness gives the Christian in his poverty, than the content—if there be such a thing in the world—which the rich man hath from his wealth.  ‘Godliness with contentment is great gain.’ The holy person is the only contented man in the world.  Paul tells us he had 'learned in whatsoever state he was therewith to be content,’ Php. 4:11.  But if you ask him who was his master that taught him this hard lesson, he will tell you, he had it not by sitting at Gamaliel’s feet, but Christ’s.  ‘I can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth me,’ ver .13. What the philosopher said is a brag, that the holy soul, in truth and soberness, can say through Christ, when he is lowest and poorest, that his heart and condition are matches.  We would count him a happy man—stilo mundi, after the fashion of the world—that can live of himself without trading or borrowing; or that, when he would buy or purchase, hath ready cash for the purpose in his coffers; when he would indulge his fanciful appetite with varieties, hath all the rarities the several elements can afford within his own pale, and needs not to send abroad to this market and that for provision.  Godliness is so rich a con­tinent, that it is able to maintain the Christian of its own growth, as I may say, and out of its own store, with all that his gracious heart can desire, without begging at the creature’s door, and hazarding unworthily his holi­ness to attain.

           Answer Fourth.  Consider what a dear bargain they have who part with or pawn their breastplate of righteousness for the world’s riches.  This will appear, 1. In the sin.  2. In the heavy curse that treads upon the heels of that sin.

Satan’s Stratagems to Disarm the Christian of his Breastplate Defeated 4/4

2. It is a life with God.A gracious soul, he walks in God’s presence, and keeps communion with him. If you would meet a saint, you know his haunt, what company he keeps.  ‘That ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ,’ I John 1:3.  See the ingenuity of a holy soul, ‘truly our fellowship’ is with God, we tell you no lie.  An unholy heart dares not be thus free, I warrant you, and tell what company his soul walks with from day to day.  We see there is no danger of going among holy men; they will bring you acquainted with no ill company; they will carry you to God where their greatest resource lies.  And tell me now, must not that man live a pleasant life that walks with God?  Let it be but a man you ride with in a journey, one that loves you well, and is able to enter­tain you with good and cheerful discourse; doth not the delight you take in his company, strangely, yet sweetly, beguile you of the tediousness of the way?  O what joy must God bring with him then to that soul he walks with!  ‘Blessed is the people,’ saith the psalmist, ‘that know that joyful sound, they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance; in thy name shall they rejoice all day.’  The sound of the trumpet, which called them to their religious assem­blies, is called there ‘the joyful sound,’ because in his worship God sis especially manifest himself to his people.  The heaven of heavens is to be where the Lord is; surely then, that which the saint hath of God's presence here is enough to make the Chris­tian’s life joyous.  O Christians, is it not sweet to walk with God, to God!—to walk with God here below, by his assisting, comforting presence, to God manifesting himself in all his glory above in heaven!  O all you that are for pleasant prospects in your walks, and out of your windows, see here one that the world cannot match—the prospect that a gracious soul hath, walking in the paths of righteousness.  He may see God walking with him, as a friend with his friend, and manifesting himself to him; yea, he hath not only the sweetness of God’s present company with him, but he hath the goodly prospect of heaven before him, where God is leading him, and in this way of holiness will certainly bring him at last.  Whereas the unholy wretch, walking in the company of his lusts, though they sweeten his mouth with a little frothy pleasure at present, that soon is melted off his tongue, and the taste forgotten, yet they show him the region of dark­ness before him, whither they will bring him, and where they will leave him, to repent of his dear-bought pleasures in torments easeless and endless.
3. It is the life of God himself.  Read the expres­sion, ‘being alienated from the life of God,’ Eph. 4:18.  That is the life of godliness.  A holy life is the life of God.  But how?  Not only as God is the author of it; so he is of the beast's life.  Thus the wicked are not alienated from the life of God, for they have a natural life which God gave them.  But the expression carries more in it, and that is this.  The life of God is as much as a life which God himself lives.  He is a living God, and his life is a holy life.  Holiness is the life of his life.  Now, I pray, friends, do you not think God himself lives a life of pleasure?  And what is the pleasure of his life but holiness?  He takes pleasure in the graces of his saints, Ps. 149:4; how much more in his own essential holiness, from whence those beams which shine so beautifully to his eye in his children were first shot!  Thou, whoever thou beest, hast an art above God himself, if thou canst fetch any true pleas­ure out of unholiness and unrighteousness.  And let me tell thee also, it is not the lowest of blasphemies for thee to charge the way of righteousness and holi­ness, to be an enemy to true pleasure, for in that thou chargest God himself to want true joy and pleasure: who has no pleasure if holiness will not yield it.  But away with such putrid stuff as this is.  The devils and damned souls themselves, that hate God with the most perfect hatred of any other, yet dare not say, they cannot say so.  They know God to be glorious and happy, yea, ‘glorious in holiness,’ and the crea­ture’s bliss and glory to consist in a participation of that holiness which makes God himself so blessed and glorious.  This, Christian, is the utmost that can be said of thy happiness, either here or in heaven hereafter.  That makes thee glorious which makes God glorious.  Thy joy and pleasure is of the same kind with the pleasure God delights himself in. ‘Thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures,’ Ps. 36:8.  Mark that phrase, ‘the river of thy pleasures.’  God hath his pleasures, and God gives his saints to drink of his pleasures.  This is the sweet accent of his saints’ pleasures.  When a prince bids his servants carry such a man down into the cellar, and let him drink of their beer or wine, this is a kindness from so great a personage to be valued highly.  But for the prince to set him at his own table, and let him drink of his own wine, this I hope is far more.  When God gives a man estate, corn, and wine, and oil—the com­forts of the creature—he entertains the man but in the common cellar.  Such as have none but carnal enjoyments, they do but sit with the servants, and in some sensual pleasures they are but fellow-com­moners with the beasts.  But when he bestows his grace, beautifies a soul with holiness, then he prefers the creature the highest it is capable of.  He never sends this rich clothing to any, but he means to set such by them, at his own table with him, in heaven’s glory.

Satan’s Stratagems to Disarm the Christian of his Breastplate Defeated 3/4

2. The Christian has more true pleasure from the creature than the wicked,as it comes more re­fined to him than to the other.  The unholy wretch sucks dregs and all—dregs of sin and dregs of wrath —whereas the Christian’s cup is not thus spiced.  (1.) He sucks dregs of sin.The more he hath of the crea­ture’s delights given him, the more he sins with them. Oh, it is sad to think what work they make in his naughty heart!  They are but fuel for his lusts to kin­dle upon.  Away they run with their enjoyments, as the prodigal with his bags, or like hogs in shaking time; no sight is to be had of them, or thought of their return, as long as they can get anything abroad, among the delights of the world.  None so prodigi­ously wicked as those that are fed high with carnal pleasures.  They are to the ungodly as the dung and ordure is to the swine, which grows fat by lying in it. Their hearts grow gross and fat, their consciences more stupid and senseless in sin by them; whereas the comforts and delights that God gives in to a holy soul by the creature, turn to the spiritual nourishment of his graces, and draw these forth into exercise, as they do the others’ lust.  (2.) The unholy man sucks dregs of wrath.  The Israelites had little pleasure from their dainties when the wrath of God fell upon them before they could get them down their throats, Ps. 78:30.  The sinner’s feast is no sooner served in, but divine justice is preparing to send up a reckoning after it; and the fearful expectation of this cannot but spoil the taste of the other.  But the gracious soul is entertained upon free-cost.  No amazing thoughts need discompose his spirit, so as to break his draught, or make him spill any of the comfort of his present enjoyment from the fear of an approaching danger. All is well.  The coast is clear.  He may say with David, ‘I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety,’ Ps. 4:8.  God will not—all beside cannot—break his rest. As the unicorn heals the waters by dipping his horn in them, that all the beasts may drink without danger, so Christ hath healed creature-enjoyments, that there is no death now in the saints’ cup.

           Answer Third.  I answer by way of affirmation. The power of holiness is so far from depriving a man of the joy and pleasure of his life, that there are in­comparable delights and pleasures peculiar to the ho­ly life, which the gracious soul finds in the ways of righteousness, enjoys by itself, and no stranger inter­meddles with.  They lie inward indeed, and therefore the world speaks so wildly and ignorantly concerning them.  They will not believe they have such pleasures till they see them, and they shall never see them till they believe them.  The Roman soldiers, when they entered the temple, and went into the holy of holies, seeing there no image, as they used to have in their own idolatrous temples, gave out in a jeer that the Jews worshipped the clouds.  Truly thus, because the pleasures of righteousness and holiness are not so gross as to come under the cognizance of the world’s carnal senses, as their brutish ones do, therefore they laugh at the saints, as if their joys were but the child of fancy, and that they do but embrace a cloud, in­stead of Juno herself—a fantastic pleasure for the true.  But let such know that they carry in their own bosom what will help them to think the pleasures of a holy life more real than thus.  The horror, I mean, which the guilt of their unholy and unrighteous lives does sometimes fill their amazed consciences with, though there be no whip on their back, and pain in their flesh, tells them, the peace which results from a good conscience, may as well fill the soul with sweet joy, when no carnal delights contribute to the same, as at any other time.  There are three things consid­ered in the nature of a holy righteous life, that are enough to demonstrate it to be the only pleasant life. It is a life from God; it is a life with God; it is the very life of God.

           1. It is a life from God, and therefore must needs be pleasant and joyous.  Whatever God makes is good and pleasant in its kind.  Now life is one of the choicest of God’s works, insomuch that the poor­est, silliest gnat, or fly, in this respect, exceeds the sun in its meridian glory.  To every life God hath appoint­ed a pleasure suitable to its kind.  The beasts have a pleasure suitable to the life of beasts, and man much more to his.  Now, every creature we know, enjoys the pleasure of its life best when it is in its right temper. If a beast be sick, it droops and groans; and so does man also.  No dainties, sports, or music please a man that is ill in his health.  Now holiness is the due tem­per of the soul, as health is of the body, and therefore a holy life must needs be a pleasant life.  Adam, I hope, in paradise, before sin spoiled his temper, lived a pleasant life.  When the creature is made holy, then he begins to return to his primitive temper, and with it to his primitive joy and pleasure.  O sirs! men fall out with their outward conditions, and are discon­tented with their rank and place in the world, but the fault lies more inward—the shoe is straight and good enough, but the foot is crooked that wears it.  All would do well if thou wert well, and thou wilt never be well till thou art righteous and holy.

Satan’s Stratagems to Disarm the Christian of his Breastplate Defeated 2/4

        

   (2.) They are sinful when not rightly timed.  Fruit ate out of its season is nought.  We read of ‘a time to embrace and a time to refrain,’ Ecc. 3:5.  There are some seasons that the power of holiness calls off, and will not allow what is lawful at another time.  As,

(a) On the Lord’s-day.  Then all carnal, creature-pleasures are out of season.  God calls us them to higher delights, and he expects we should lay the other aside, and not put our palates out of taste with those lower pleasures, that we may the better relish his heavenly dainties.  ‘If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words; then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord,’ Isa. 58:13, 14.  Mark! we can neither taste the sweetness of communion with God, nor pay the honour due to God in sanctifying his day, except we deny ourselves in our carnal delights.  If a king should at some certain times of the year invite some of his poor subjects to sit and feast with him at his own royal table, they should exceedingly dis­honour their prince, and wrong themselves, to bring their ordinary mean fare with them to court.  

Do glor­ified saints in heaven call for any of their carnal de­lights, or miss them, while they are taken up in heav­en praising God, and feeding on the joys that flow from the full-eyed vision of God?  And doth not God make account he gives you to enjoy heaven in a figure, when he admits you the service of his holy day?  (b) In days of solemn fasting and prayer.  We are on such occasions to afflict our souls, and creature-pleasures will fit that work no better than a silver lace would do a mourning suit.  (c) In times of public calamity in the church abroad, especially at home.  And this a gracious heart cannot but count reasonable, that he should deny himself, or at least tie up himself to a very short allowance in his creature-delights, when Christ in his church lies a‑bleeding. Sympathy is a debt we owe to our fellow‑saints —Christ mystical.  And truly the cords of others’ af­flictions will be little felt through our soft downy beds, if we indulge ourselves, I mean, to a full enjoyment of our ease and carnal delights.  What child that is mer­ry and pleasant in his own house, and hath a father or mother lying at the same time in great misery at the point of death, but unknown to him, will not, when the doleful news at last comes to him, change his note, yea, mourn that he did not know it sooner, and had not rather have been weeping for and with his dear relations in the house of mourning, than passing away his time pleasantly at home?  Hitherto I have answered by concession, confessing what pleasures a holy and righteous life denies and forbids, and I hope they appear to be no other than such as may, without any loss to the believer’s joy, be fairly dismissed.

           Answer Second.  Now, in the second place, I come to answer by way of negation; viz. that though a holy righteous life denies the Christian the pleas­ures forementioned, yet it doth not deprive him of any true pleasure the creature affords; yea, so far from this, that none doth or can enjoy the sweetness of the creature, like the gracious soul that walks in the power of holiness, as will appear in these two particulars.

1. The gracious person hath a more curious pal­ate,that fits him to taste a further sweetness in, and so draw more pleasure from, any creature-enjoyment, than an unholy person can do.  The fly finds no honey in the same flower from whence the bee goes laden away.  Nor can an unholy heart taste the sweetness which the saint doth in a creature.  He hath indeed a natural fleshly palate, whereby he relisheth the gross carnal pleasure the flesh affords, and that he makes his whole meal on; but a gracious heart tastes something more.  ‘All’ Israel drank of the rock, ‘and that rock was Christ,’ I Cor. 10:4.  But did all that tas­ted the water’s natural sweetness, taste Christ in it? No, alas! they were but a few holy souls that had a spiritual palate to do this.  Samson's father and mother ate of the honey out of the lion's carcass, as well as Samson, and may be liked the taste of it for honey as well as Samson; yet he took more pleasure sure than they.  He tasted the sweetness of God’s providence in it, that had delivered him from that very lion that now affords him this honey, Judges 14.

Satan’s Stratagems to Disarm the Christian of his Breastplate Defeated 1/4

First. Satan attempts to make the Christian throw away his breastplate of righteousness, by pre­senting it as that which hinders the pleasure of his life.

           Second. He endeavours to make the Christian throw away his breastplate, as being prejudicial to his worldly profits.

           Third. He endeavours to make the Christian throw away his breastplate, by scaring him with the contradiction, opposition, and feud which it brings from the world.

Satan’s first stratagem defeated; that, viz. in which he represents the Christian’s breastplate as hindering the pleasure of life

           First Stratagem. Satan attempts to make the Christian throw away his breastplate, by presenting it as that which hinders the pleasure of his life.

           He labours to picture a holy righteous life with such an austere sour face, that the creature may be out of love with it.  ‘O,’ saith he, ‘if you mean to be thus precise and holy, then bid adieu to all joy.  You at once deprive yourselves of all those pleasures which others pass their days so merrily in the em­braces of, that are not so strait-laced in their con­sciences.’  How true a charge this is, that Satan lays upon the ways of holiness we shall now see.  And tru­ly he that desires to see the true face of holiness in its native hue and colour, should do well not to trust Satan, or his own carnal heart, to draw its picture.  I shall deal with this objection first, by way of con­cession, then by way of negation, and lastly by way of affirmation.

           Answer First. I answer by way of concession, viz. that there are some pleasures which, if they may be so called, are inconsistent with the power of holiness.  Whoever will take up a purpose to ‘live righteously’ must shake hands with them.  They are of two sorts.

1. Sort.  All such pleasures as are in themselves sinful.  Godliness will allow no such in thy embraces. And art thou not shrewdly hurt, dost thou think, to be denied that which would be thy bane to drink?  Would any think the father cruel that should charge his child not to dare so much as taste of any rat’s-bane?  Truly, I hope, you that have passed under the new work of the Spirit, can call sin by another name than pleasure.  I am sure saints in former times have not counted themselves tied up, but saved, from such pleasures.  The bondage lies in serving them, and the liberty in being saved from them.  The apostle be­moans the time when himself, and other saints, were ‘foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures,’ Titus 3:3; and he reckons it among the prime benefits they received by the grace of the gos­pel, to be delivered from that vassalage, ‘but accord­ing to his mercy he saved us’—how?—not by pardon­ing only, but—‘by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost,’ ver. 5.  However the devil makes poor creatures expect pleasure in sin, and promiseth them great matters of this kind; yet he goes against his conscience, and his own present sense also.  He doth not find sin so pleasant a morsel to his own taste that he should need to commend it upon this account to others.  Sin’s pleasure is like the pleasure which a place in the West Indies affords those that dwell in it.  There grows in it most rare luscious fruit, but these dainties are so sauced by with the intolerably scorching heat of the sun by day, and the multitude of a sort of creatures stinging them by night, that they can neither well eat by day nor sleep by night to digest their sweet-meats.  This made the Spaniards call the place ‘comfits in hell;’ and truly what are the pleasures of sin but such comfits in hell? There is some carnal pleasure they have which de­lights a rank sensual palate, but they are served in with the fiery wrath of God, and the stinging of a guilty, restless conscience; and the fears of the one, and the anguish of the other, are able sure to melt and waste away that little joy and pleasure they bring to the sense.
2. Sort.  There are pleasures which are not in their own nature sinful.  Such are creature comforts and delights.  The sin lies, as to these, not in the us­ing, but in the abusing of them.  This is done in two ways.

           (1.) When a due measure is not kept in the use of them.  He cannot live holily and righteously in this present world that lives not soberly also.  Godliness will allow thee to taste of these pleasures as sauce, but not to feed on them as meat.  The rich men's charge runs thus, ‘ye have lived in pleasure on the earth,’ James 5:5.  They lived in pleasures as if they had lived for them, and could not live without them.  When once this wine of creature contents fumes up to the brain, intoxicates the man’s judgment, that he begins to dote of them, and cannot think of parting with them to enjoy better, but cries, loath to depart—as those Jews in Babylon, who, beginning to thrive in that soil, were very willing to stay and lay their bones here for all Jerusalem, which they were called to re­turn unto—then truly they are pernicious to the pow­er of holiness.  Though a master doth not grudge his servant his meat and drink, yet he will not like it if, when he is to go abroad, his servant be laid up drunk and disabled from waiting on him by his intemper­ance.  And a drunken man is as fit to attend on his master, and do his business for him, as a Christian, overcharged with the pleasures of the creature, is to serve his God in any duty of godliness.