A Christian Directory Volume I Part 70

_Direct._ VI. Consider what your mirth is like to prove to others as well as to yourselves. If it be like to stir up sin in others, or to be offensive to them, you must the more avoid it in their presence, or manage it with the greater caution: if it be needful to cheer up the drooping minds of those you converse with, or to remove their prejudice against a holy life, you must the more give place to it: for it is good or bad as it tendeth unto good or bad.

_Direct._ VII. Never leave out reason or G.o.dliness from any of your mirth. Abhor that mirth that maketh a man a fool, or playeth the fool: and take heed of that unG.o.dliness which maketh a man merriest when he is furthest from G.o.d, like the horse or ox that leapeth and playeth for gladness when he is unyoked or loosed from his labour. Something of G.o.d and heaven should appear or be dropped into all our mirth, to sweeten and to sanctify it.

_Direct._ VIII. Watch your tongues in all your mirth; for they are very apt to take liberty then to sin. Mirth is to the tongue as holidays and play-days to idle scholars; who are glad of them as a time in which they think they have liberty to game, and fight, and do amiss.

_Direct._ IX. If a word break forth from yourselves or companions to the wrong of others in your mirth, as of backbiting, evil-speaking, jeering, scorning, defaming, (yea, though it be your enemy,) rebuke it, and cast it out, as dirt or dung that falleth into your dish or cup.

_Direct._ X. If profaneness intrude, and any make merry with jesting at Scripture, religion, or the slanders or scorns of G.o.dly persons, with a tendency to make religion odious or contemptible; if they are such as you may speak to, reprove them with reverend seriousness to their terror: if they are not, then show your abhorrence of it by turning your backs and quitting the place and company of such devilish enemies of G.o.d. Be not silent or seemingly-consenting witnesses of such odious mirth against your Maker.

_Direct._ XI. If the mirth of others in your company grow insipid, frothy, foolish, wanton, impious, or otherwise corrupt, drop in some holy salt to season it; and something that is serious and divine to awe it and repress it. As to remember them of G.o.d's presence, or to recite such a text as Eph. v. 3, 4, "But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not be once named amongst you as becometh saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting; which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks."

[Sidenote: Considerations to repress excessive mirth.]

_Direct._ XII. If mirth grow immoderate and exceed in measure, and carry you away from G.o.d and duty by the very carnal pleasure of it, have always at hand these following considerations to repress it. 1. Remember that G.o.d is present; and levity is not comely in his sight. 2. Remember that death and judgment are at hand, when all this levity will be turned into seriousness. 3. Remember that your souls are yet under a great deal of sin, and wants, and danger, and you have a great deal of serious work to do. 4. Look on Jesus Christ, and remember what an example he gave you upon earth; whether he laughed, and played, and jested, and taught you immoderate or carnal mirth; and whether you live like the disciples of a crucified Christ. 5. Think on the ordinary way to heaven, described in Scripture; which is through many tribulations, afflictions, fastings, temptations, humiliations, sufferings, and mortifications; and think whether a wanton, jesting, playful life be like to this. 6. Think of the course of the ancient and excellent christians, who went to heaven through labour, and watchings, and fasting, and poverty, and cruel persecutions, and not through carnal mirth and sport. 7. Think of the many calamitous objects of sorrow that are now abroad in the world! of the millions of heathens and Mahometans, and other strangers or enemies to Christ! of the obstinate Jews; of the dark corrupted lamentable state of the Greek, Armenian, Ethiopian and Roman churches, where religion is so woefully obscured and dishonoured by ignorance, error, superst.i.tion, and profaneness: of the papal tyranny and usurpation; and of the divided state of all the churches, and the profaneness, and persecution, and uncharitableness, and contentions, and mutual reproaches and revilings, which make havoc for the devil among the members of Christ.

_t.i.t._ 5. _Directions against sinful Hopes._

Hope is nothing but a desirous expectation; therefore the directions given before, against sinful love and desire, may suffice also against sinful hopes, save only for the expecting part. Hope is sinful, 1.

When it is placed ultimately upon a forbidden object: as to hope for some evil to yourselves which you mistakingly think is good. To hope for felicity in the creature, or to hope for more from it than it can afford you. To hope for the hurt of other men; for the ruin of your enemies; for the hinderance of the gospel, and injury to the church of Christ.[335] 2. When you hope for a good thing by evil means: as to hope to please G.o.d, or to come to heaven by persecuting his servants, or by ignorance, or superst.i.tion, or schism, or heresy, or any sin. 3.

To hope ungroundedly for that from G.o.d which he never promised. 4. To hope deceitfully for that from G.o.d which he hath declared he will never give. All these are sinful hopes. But it is not these last that I shall here say much to, because I have said so much already of them in many other writings.

_Direct._ I. Hope for nothing from G.o.d against faith or without faith; that is, for nothing which he hath said he will not give, nor for any thing which he hath not promised to give, or given you some reason to expect. To hope for that which G.o.d hath told us he will not give, or that which is against the holiness and justice of G.o.d to give, this is but to hope that G.o.d will prove a liar, or unholy, or unjust, which are wicked and blaspheming hopes. Such are the hopes which abundance of ignorant and unG.o.dly persons have; who hope to be saved without regeneration, and without true holiness of heart or life; and hope to be saved in their wilful impenitence and beloved sins: who hope that G.o.d forgiveth them those sins, which they hate not, nor will be persuaded to forsake: and hope that the saying over some words of prayer, or doing something which they call a good work, shall save them, though they have not the Spirit of Christ: or that hope to be saved, though they are unsanctified, because they are not so bad as some others, and live not in any notorious, disgraceful sin: all these believe the devil who tells them that an unholy person may be saved, and believe that the gospel is false which saith, "without holiness none shall see the Lord," Heb. xii. 14; and they hope that G.o.d will prove unholy, unjust, and false to save them, and yet this they call a hoping in G.o.d. Hope for that which G.o.d hath promised, and spare not; but not for that which he hath said he will not do, yea, protested cannot be, John iii. 3, 5.

_Direct._ II. When thou hopest for any evil to others, or thyself, remember what a monstrous thing it is to make evil the object of thy hope, and how those hopes are but thy hastening unto chosen misery, and contradict themselves. For thou hopest for it as good; and to be greedy for evil on supposition that it is good, doth show thy folly that wilt try no better the objects of thy hopes: like a sick man that longs and hopeth for that which if he take it will be his death. Thus sinners hope for the poisoned bait.

_Direct._ III. Understand how much of the root of worldliness consisteth in your worldly hopes. Poor worldlings have little in possession to delight in; but they keep up a hope of more within them.

Many a covetous or ambitious wretch, that never reacheth that which he desireth, yet liveth upon the hopes of it: and hope is it that setteth and keepeth men at work in the service of the world, the flesh, and the devil; as divine hope doth set and keep men at work for heaven, for their souls, and for Jesus Christ. And many a hypocrite that loseth much upon the account of his religion, yet showeth his rottenness by keeping up his worldly hopes, and going no further than will stand with those.

_Direct._ IV. Hath not the world deceived all that have hoped in it unto this day? Consider what is become of them and of their hopes; what hath it done for them, and where hath it left them: and wilt thou place thy hopes in that which hath deceived so many generations of men already?

_Direct._ V. Remember that thy worldly hopes are a sin so fully condemned by natural demonstration, that thou art utterly left without excuse. Thou art certain beforehand that thou must die; thou knowest how vain the world will be then to thee, and how little it can do for thee; and yet art thou hoping for more of the world!

_Direct._ VI. Consider that the world declareth its vanity in the very hopes of worldlings. In that it is still drawing them by hopes, and never giveth them satisfaction and content. Almost all the life of a worldling's pleasure is in his hopes. The very thing which he hopeth for, doth not prove so sweet to him in the possession, as it was in his hopes. A hoping and still hoping for that which they never shall attain, is the worldling's life.

_Direct._ VII. O turn your souls to those blessed hopes of life eternal, which are sent you from heaven by Jesus Christ, and set before you in the holy Scriptures, and proclaimed to you by the messengers of grace. Doth G.o.d offer you sure, well-grounded hopes of living for ever in his joy and glory? And do you neglect them, and lie hoping for that felicity in the world which cannot be attained, and which will give no content when you have attained it? This is more foolish than to toil and impoverish yourselves in hope to find the philosopher's stone, and refuse a kingdom freely offered.

_t.i.t._ 6. _Directions against sinful Hatred, Aversation, or Backwardness towards G.o.d._[336]

The hatred to G.o.d and backwardness to his service, which is the chief part of this sin, is to be cured according to the directions in the first chapter, as a state of wickedness is: and more I shall say anon, about the wors.h.i.+p of G.o.d; and chap. iii. direct. xi. containeth the cure also. Only here I shall add a few directions to a G.o.d-hating generation.

_Direct._ I. The first thing you have to do, is to discover this to be your sin. For you are confident that you love G.o.d above all, while you hate him above all, even above the devil. You will confess, that this is horrid wickedness, where it is found, and well deserveth d.a.m.nation: take heed lest thy own confession judge thee. Remember then that it is not the bare name that we now speak of: I know that G.o.d's name is most honoured, and the devil's name is most hated. Nor is it every thing in G.o.d that is hated: none hateth his mercifulness and goodness as such.

Nor is it every thing in the devil that is loved: none loveth his hatred to man, nor his cruelty in tormenting men. But the holiness of G.o.d, which is it that man must receive the image of, and be conformed to, is hated by the unholy; and the devil's unholiness, and friends.h.i.+p to men's sin and sensuality, is loved by the sensual and unholy. And this hatred of G.o.d (and love of the devil) one would think you might easily perceive:

1. In that you had rather G.o.d were not so just and holy; you had rather he had never commanded you to be holy, but left you to live as your flesh would have you: you had rather G.o.d were indifferent as to your sins, and would give you leave to follow your l.u.s.ts. Such a G.o.d you would have: and a G.o.d that will d.a.m.n you unless you be holy, and hate your sins and forsake them, you like not, you cannot abide, but indeed do hate him.

2. Therefore you will not believe that G.o.d is such a holy, sin-hating G.o.d: because you would not have him so, you will not believe he is so; and so hate his nature, while you believe that you love him; and love but an idol of your unholy fantasies.[337] Psal. 1. 21, 22, "These things hast thou done, and I kept silence: thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes. Now consider this, ye that forget G.o.d, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver."

3. You love not the holiness of the word of G.o.d, which beareth his image. You love not these strict and holy pa.s.sages in it, John iii. 3, 5; Luke xiv. 26, 33; Matt. xviii. 3; Rom. viii. 13; Col. iii. 1-4; 2 Cor. v. 17, with abundance more. You had rather have had a Scripture that would have left you your ambition, covetousness, l.u.s.t, and appet.i.te to their liberties; and that had said nothing for the absolute necessity of holiness, nor had condemned the unG.o.dly.

4. You love not the holiest ministers or servants of Christ, that most powerfully preach his holy word, or that most carefully, seriously, and zealously obey it; your hearts rise against them, when they bring in the light, which showeth that your deeds and you are evil, John iii. 19, 20. They are an eyesore to you: your hearts rise not so much against wh.o.r.emongers, swearers, liars, drunkards, atheists, or infidels, as against them. What sort of persons on the face of the earth, are so hated by the unG.o.dly in all nations, and of all degrees, and used by them so cruelly, and pursued by them so implacably, as the holiest servants of the Lord are?

5. You love not to call upon G.o.d in serious, fervent, spiritual prayer, praises, and thanksgiving: you are quickly weary of it; you had rather be at a play, or gaming, or a feast: your hearts rise against holy wors.h.i.+p as a tedious, irksome thing.

6. You love not holy, edifying discourse of G.o.d, and of heavenly things: your hearts rise against it, and you hate and scorn it, as if all serious talk of G.o.d were but hypocrisy, and G.o.d were to be banished out of our discourse.

7. You cannot abide the serious, frequent thoughts of G.o.d in secret; but had rather stuff your minds with thoughts of your horses, or hawks, or bravery, or honour, or preferments, or sports, or entertainments, or business and labours in the world; so that one hour of a thousand or ten thousand was never spent in serious, delightful thoughts of G.o.d, his holy truths, or works, or kingdom.

8. You love not the blessed day of judgment, when Christ will come with his holy angels to judge the world, to justify his accused and abused servants, to be "glorified in his saints, and admired in all them that do believe," 2 Thess. i. 8-11. And can you be so blind after all this, as not to see that you are haters of G.o.d?

_Direct._ II. Know G.o.d better, and thou canst not hate him; especially know the beauty and glorious excellency of that holiness and justice which thou hatest. Should the sun be darkened or disgraced, because sore eyes cannot endure its light? Must kings and judges be all corrupt, or change their laws, and turn all men loose to do what they list, because malefactors and licentious men would have it so?

_Direct._ III. Know G.o.d and holiness as they are to thee thyself; and then thou wilt know them not only to be best for thee, as the sun is to the world, and as life and health are to thy body, but to be thy only good and happiness; and then thou canst not choose but love them.

Thy prejudice and false conceits of G.o.d and holiness cause thy hatred.

_Direct._ IV. Cast away thy cursed unbelief. If thou believe not what the Scripture saith of G.o.d and man, and of the soul's immortality, and the life to come, thou wilt then hate all that is holy as a deceit, and needless troubler of the world. But if once thou believe well the word of G.o.d, and the life everlasting, thou wilt have another heart.

_Direct._ V. Away with thy beastly, blinding sensuality. While thou art a slave to thy flesh, and l.u.s.ts, and appet.i.te, and its interest reigneth in thee, thou canst not choose but hate that holiness which is against it, and hate that G.o.d that forbiddeth it, and tells thee that he will judge thee and d.a.m.n thee for it if thou forsake it not: this is the true cause of the hatred of G.o.d and G.o.dliness in the world. G.o.d's laws condemn the very life and pleasure of the fleshly man. G.o.dliness is unreconcilable to concupiscence and the carnal interest. Lay by thy fleshly mind and interest, or, as sure as thou art a man, thou wilt be judged and d.a.m.ned as an enemy to G.o.d. Dost thou not feel that this is the cause of thy enmity, that G.o.d putteth thee on unpleasing (holy) courses, and will not let thee please thy flesh, but affrighteth thee with the threatenings of h.e.l.l?[338] Rom.

viii. 6-8, "For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace: because the carnal mind is enmity against G.o.d; for it is not subject to the law of G.o.d, neither indeed can be: so then they that are in the flesh cannot please G.o.d." Ver. 13, "If ye live after the flesh ye shall die." "It is hard for thee to kick against the p.r.i.c.ks," Acts ix. 5. "Woe to him that striveth with his Maker," Isa. xlv. 9. Read Luke xix. 27.

_Direct._ VI. Draw near and accustom thy soul to serious thoughts of G.o.d; for it is strangeness that maketh thee the more averse to him. We have less pleasure in the company of strangers than of familiar acquaintance. Reconciliation must be made by coming nearer, and not by keeping at a distance still.

_Direct._ VII. Study well the wonderful love and mercy which he hath manifested to thy soul in the redemption wrought by Jesus Christ, in the covenant of grace, in all the patience he hath exercised towards thee, and all his offers of mercy and salvation, entreating thee to turn and live. Canst thou remember what G.o.d hath done for thee all thy life, and how patiently and mercifully he hath dealt with thee, and yet canst thou hate him, or thy heart be against him?

_Direct._ VIII. Judge not of G.o.d or holiness by the faults of any men that have seemed holy. No more than you will censure the sun, because thieves rob by the light of it; or because some men are purblind. G.o.d hateth sin in them and you, wherever he findeth it. Judge of G.o.d and holiness by his proper nature and true effects, and by the holy Scripture, and not by the crimes of sinners which he condemneth, who, if they had been more holy, had less offended.

_Direct._ IX. Come among the G.o.dly, and try a holy life awhile, and judge not of it or them that use it by the reports of the devil and wicked men. Malice will speak ill of G.o.d himself, and of his holiest servants. Can worse be said, than was said of Christ himself, and his apostles? The devil was not ashamed to belie Job to G.o.d's own face, and tell G.o.d that he was such a one, as that a little trial to his flesh would turn him from his G.o.dliness. But those that come near and try the ways and servants of G.o.d, do find that the devil did belie them.

_Direct._ X. Remember thy near approaching end, and how dreadful it will be to be found and judged among the malignant enemies of holiness. "And if the righteous be scarcely saved, where then shall the unG.o.dly and the sinner appear?" 1 Pet. iv. 18. Then what wouldst thou give to be one of those holy ones that now thou hatest? and to be judged as those that lived in that holiness which thy malignant heart could not abide? Then thou wilt wish that thou hadst lived and died as the righteous, that thy latter end might have been like his.

_t.i.t._ 7. _Directions against sinful Wrath or Anger._

As anger is against the love of our neighbour, I shall speak of it afterwards: as it is against the soul itself, I shall speak of it in this place. Anger is the rising up of the heart in pa.s.sionate displacency against an apprehended evil, which would cross or hinder us of some desired good. It is given us by G.o.d for good, to stir us up to a vigorous resistance of those things, which, within us or without us, do oppose his glory or our salvation, or our own or our neighbour's real good.

Anger is good when it is thus used to its appointed end, in a right manner and measure: but it is sinful, 1. When it riseth up against G.o.d or any good, as if it were evil to us: as wicked men are angry at those that would convert and save them, and that tell them of their sins, and that hinder them from their desires.[339] 2. When it disturbeth reason, and hindereth our judging of things aright. 3. When it casteth us into any unseemly carriage, or causeth or disposeth to any sinful words or actions: when it inclineth us to wrong another by word or deed, and to do as we would not be done by. 4. When it is mistaken, and without just cause. 5. When it is greater in measure than the cause alloweth. 6. When it unfitteth us for our duty to G.o.d or man. 7. When it tendeth to the abatement of love and brotherly kindness, and the hindering of any good which we should do for others: much more when it breedeth malice, and revenge, and contentions, and unpeaceableness in societies, oppression of inferiors, or dishonouring of superiors.[340] 8. When it stayeth too long, and ceaseth not when its lawful work is done. 9. When it is selfish and carnal, stirred up upon the account of some carnal interest, and used but as a means to a selfish, carnal, sinful end: as to be angry with men only for crossing your pride, or profit, or sports, or any other fleshly will. In all these it is sinful.

_Directions Meditative against sinful Anger._

_Direct._ I. Remember that immoderate anger is an injury to humanity, and a rebel against the government of reason. It is without reason and against reason; whereas in man all pa.s.sions should be obedient to reason. It is the misery of madness, and the crime of drunkenness, to be the suppressing and dethroning of our reason; and sinful anger is a short madness or drunkenness. Remember that thou art a man, and scorn to subject thyself to a b.e.s.t.i.a.l fury.

_Direct._ II. It is also against the government of G.o.d: for G.o.d governeth the rational powers first, and the inferior by them. If you destroy the king's officers and judges, you oppose the government of the king. Is a man in pa.s.sion fit to obey the commands of G.o.d, that hath silenced his reason?

_Direct._ III. Sinful pa.s.sion is a pain and malady of the mind. And will you love or cherish your disease or pain? Do you not feel yourselves in pain and diseased while it is upon you? I do not think you would take all the world to live continually in that case yourselves. If you should be still so, what were you good for, or what could you enjoy, or what comfort would your lives be to you? Why, if a long pain be so bad, a short one is not lovely. Keep not wilfully so troublesome a malady in your mind.

_Direct._ IV. Observe also what an enemy it is to the body itself. It inflameth the blood, and stirreth up diseases, and breedeth such a bitter displeasedness in the mind, as tends to consume the strength of nature, and hath cast many into acute, and many into chronical sicknesses, which have proved their death. And how uncomfortable a kind of death is this!