66 and to the glory that fades not away, which our gracious God has both proposed and promised to those that love and fear his name; even to them, who, by patient continuance in well-doing, seek for glory, immortality, eternal life; and these look not at the things that are seen, but to those which are invisible and eternal. 3 IT STRENGTHENS AGAINST TEMPTATIONS. And though in these his conflicts the true Chistian finds his own weakness, yet he depends on Christ, who is merciful to his little ones, and has respect to them in all their temptations, having been tempted in all things like as they are, yet without sin, and is both able and willing to help them in their temptations, that they being delivered by him, may ascribe to him the praise. Thus being supported by the Lord, he endures as a faithful follower of the Lamb in the regeneration; through many tribulations entering the kingdom; feeling as exercises abound, consolation doth also much more abound; and by daily tasting that the Lord is gracious, is encouraged to hold on in the self-denying life.. Which state of self-denial is necessary to the being a Christian; for by dying to those things that are evil, whereby in time past the enemy ruled over him, he comes to live to God a new life. Of this the Apostle gives testimony, where he saith, "I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.' And this mor tified state was the life and choice of the holy Apostle. "8 (1) Rev. xi, 18. (2) Rom. ii, 7. (3) 2 Cor. iv, 18. (4) Heb. ii, 18. (5) Matt. xix, 28. (6) Acts xiv, 22. (7) 2 Cor. i, 5. (8) Gal. ii, 20. of CHAPTER XXVI. an Holy Life, that it is our duty and our interest, and is a life of great enjoyments. THOUGH the severities of an holy life may be esteemed by some of this world as not to be chosen, yet if we consider the excellent pattern of our Lord, it will not seem strange his true followers should in some measure be like him. Of his great example herein, the said author speaks We many times hear of our "Saviour's sighs and groans, but never that he laughed; so that through his whole life he did exactly answer that character given him by the prophet of old, that he was a man of sorrows, and acquainted with griefs."1 No wonder, then, if those that follow him are an exercised people, first in making war against the enemies of their own houses, those hurtful inclinations in themselves. Secondly, in withstanding temptations from without. How do many men delight to provoke others to sin, and where they can prevail, rejoice. But if a man, in fear towards God, resists their provocations, and dares not run with the multitude to do evil, then they scorn, revile, or ridicule, and are too apt, as Bishop Burnet says, to judge such persons are morose and sullen. And it need not be admired, that ungodly men's censures on those that follow Christ in the regeneration,o are as harsh as they were against our Lord in the days of his flesh, of which the learned Gell takes notice in his Paraphrase on those words, "Enoch (1) Scougal. (2) Matt. xix, 28. walked with God and was not." "1 Where be shews, How contemptuously and basely the world accounts of Enoch and his Enochites, the exact walkers with God. For in such base esteem are these with the evil world, which think and speak slightly of them, as the Sodomites of Lot, 'This fellow, &c.': the apostate Israelites of Moses, This Moses': and the Jews of Christ, This fellow; and we found this fellow perverting the nation': and of St. Paul, ‘A pestilent fellow.' And what good man, who endeav ours to walk with God, and please him, can hope to please the Cainish generation, or expect any better opinion of him from them."? · And he shows the reason of it, saying, of the evil world, "They put good for evil, and evil for good; darkness for light, and light for darkness; bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter. Why then should it discontent any of the true Shem's children to be disesteemed by the wicked world."3 But though this be met with from the world, yet from the Lord they have a better portion. "What though the evil one cast his fiery darts at us? What saith God to Abraham the Enochite, and every one of his children-walk before me, and be thou perfect; I am thy shield, that will quench all the fiery darts of the evil one, whom the Lord hides in his temple and tabernacle, and the secret of it, that is, in himself, must needs be safe: for as the Enochites are his tabernacle or temple, so he is theirs; he hides them in the rock, that is, in Christ, where Moses was hid when he saw God."4 So those that are of an inward retirement of mind, to see the Lord and walk with him, and have their (1) Gen. v. 22. (2) Gell's Essay. (3) Ditto. (4) Ditto. THOUGH DESPISED OF THE WORLD. 669 conversation in heaven, it is no wonder that these are pilgrims and strangers to the ungodly world, unknown to them as to their spiritual state; and as the aforesaid author notes from the Apostle, “their life is hid with Christ in God; and therefore bath no glorious shew or appearance in the world, and to the natural spirit will seem mean and insipid."1 "The glory of the world, and the gaieties of it dazzle not their eyes, because that eye is opened in them which can look to better objects; and having, according to the Apostle's instruction, learned not to fashion themselves according to this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of their minds;3 they see the fashion of the world passeth away, but the goodness of God endureth continually; and, they having had a sweet taste thereof, are daily concerned to enjoy more of it." And he further observes in another page, "Alas! what words shall we find to express that inward satisfaction, those hidden pleasures, which never are rightly understood, but by those holy souls that feel them? 'A stranger intermeddleth not with their joy." " And as the world is a stranger to their joy, so they labour and watch that the joy of this world (in the sinful follies of it) may be a stranger to them; and though they receive the lawful comforts with thankfulness to God, yet like his ancient servants they as pilgrims or sojourners here are seeking that city that hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God, pressing forward thereunto, that they may attain an habitation therein, even with God through the Spirit.8 (1) Gell's Essay. (2) 1 Peter i, 14. (3) Romans xii, 2. (4) 1 Cor. vii, 31. (5) Psa. lii, 1. (6) Prov. xiv, 10. (7) Heb. xi, 10. (8) Ephes. ii, 22. 70 PILGRIMS AND STRANGERS TO UNGODLY Again the aforesaid author says, "If our heavenly country be much in our thoughts, it will make us as strangers and pilgrims abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul, and keep ourselves unspotted in this world, that we may be fit for the enjoyments and felicities of the other.”1 And here I shall insert a little from that religious poet, Quarles: "What ravished heart that feels those melting joys, It is a truth to be lamented, that some, when they have had good beginnings of desires to walk so before God, that they may have acceptance with him, have yet stumbled at the cross, when they have seen, strait is the gate, and narrow the way, which leadeth unto life, of which our Lord said, few there be that find it; and fewer there are that find how to walk therein, when they find they ought to "renounce the devil and all his works, the pomps and vanities of this wicked world, and all the sinful lusts of the flesh."4 Here seems an exercise to some too hard to be surmounted; but it will not appear so difficult if men consider help is laid on one that is mighty;5 that an all-sufficient power is present with us to carry on the work of God in us, and us in a discharge of our duty (1) Gell's Essay. (2) Quarles's Emblems. (3) Mat. vii, 14 (4) Baptismal Vow in Church Catechism. (5) Psa. lxxxix, 19 |