tremble to think in what a forlorn case a soul may be, though set off and accomplished with the rarest endowments of this kind ! Mat. vii. 22. We read, that many shall say to Christ in *' that day. Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name, and ^' in thy name cast out devils," &c. and yet themselves at last cast out as a prey to devils. How divinely and rhetorically did Balaam speak and prophesy. Numb, xxiii. What rare and excellent parts liad the Scribes and Pharisees .? who upon that account, were stiled PrincU pes seculi^ the princes of the world. Cor. ii. 8. What profound and excellent parts had the heathen sages and. philosophers ? These things are so far from securing the soul from the wrath to come, that they often expose it unto wrath, and are as oil to increase the eternal burnings ; but now gracious principles are the era zy^oi/jzm acari^^'ag, as* the apostle calls them, Heb. vi. things that accompany and have sal- vation in them. These are the things on which the promises of sal- vation run ; and these treasures are never found but in elect vessels. Glory is by promise assured and made over to him that possesses^ them. There is but a little point of time betwixt him and the glo, rifled spirits above. And how inconsiderable a matter is a little time, which contracts and winds up apace ? For now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. And hence the scripture Speaks of them as already saved, Rom. viii. 24 : " We are saved by hope," because it is as sure as if we were in heaven. We are made to sit in heavenly places^
4. Gifts may damnify the person that possesses them, and it may be better in respect of a man's own condition he had never had them. Knowledge (saith, the apostle) ptiffeth up, 1 Cor. viii. 1. makes' the soul proud and flatulent. It is a hard thing to know much, and not to know it too much. The saint's knowledge is better than the scholar's ; for he hath his own heart instead of a commentary to help
THE HEAVENLY USE OF EARTHLY THINGS 71
him. Aristotle said, a little knowledge about heavenly things, though conjectural, is better than much of earthly things, though certain. *« The world by wisdom knew not God,"" (saith the apostle, 1 Cor. i. 12.) i. 0. Their learning hanged in their light, they were too wise to submit to the simplicity of the gospel. The excellent parts of the old heretics did but serve to midwife into the world the monstrous birth of soul-damning heresies. Cupit abs te ornari diabolus, as Austin said to that ingenious young scholar ; the devil desires to be adorned by thee. But now grace itself is not subject to such abuses, it cannot be the proper univocal cause of any evil effect ; it cannot puff up the heart, butalways humbles it, nor serves the deviPs designs, but ever opposes them.
5. Gifts may be given a man for the sake of others, and not out of any love to himself; they are but as an excellent dish of meat which a man sends to a nurse, not for her sake so much as for his child's that sucks her. God, indeed, makes use of them to do his children good, the church is benefited by them, though themselves are but like cooks ; they prepare excellent dishes, on which the saints feed, and are nourished, though themselves taste them not. They are dona ministrantia, non sanctificantio, ministering, but notsanctifyinggifts, proceeding not from the good- will of God to him that hath them, but to those he benefits by them. And O what a sad consideration will this be one day to such a person, to think 1 helped such a soul to heaven, while I myself must lodge in hell ?
6. Sin in the reign and power of it, may cohabit with the most ex* cellent natural gifts under the same roof, I mean in the same heart. A man may have the tongue of an angel, and the heart of a devil. Thev/isdomof the philosophers (saith IjanctantiUH) non ea:cindit vitia sed abscondit, doth not root out, but hide their vices. The learned Pharisees were but painted sepulchres. Gifts are but as a fair glove drawn over a foul hand : But now grace is incompatible with sin in dominion, it purifies the heart. Acts xv. 6. cleanses the conscience, Heb. ix. 14. crucifies the affections and lusts of the flesh. Gal. v. 24. is not content with the concealment, but ruin of corruptions.
7. And lastly. Gifts must leave us at last. " Whether there be " knowledge that shall cease. All flesh is grass, and the goodliness '' of it as the flower of the grass ; the grass withereth, the flower " fadeth, but the word of the Lord abideth for ever,'*' Isa. xl. 6, 8. Many times they leave a man before death. One knock, if it hit right, (as one saith) may make a wise man a fool : but, to be sure, they all leave us at death. " Doth not his excellency which is in him go *' away ?^ Job iv. 21. yea, then all natural excellency departs : Death strips the soul of all those splendid ornaments ; then the rhetorical tongue is struck dumb ; the nimble wit and curious fancy shall enter- tain your ears with no more pleasant discourses. Niinquamjocos da- bis, as Adrian said to his departing soul ; but grace ascends with the
72 HUSBANDRY SPIRlTrAIIZED; OR,
soul into eternity, and there receives its perfection, and accomplish- ment. Gifts take their leave of the soul as Orpah did of Naomi ; but grace saith then, as Ruth, Where thou goest I \vill go, and, where thou lodgest I mill lodge, and nothing shall separate thee and me. Now put all this together, and then judge whether the apostle spoke hyperboles, when he said, " Covet earnestly the best gifts, " and yet I shew unto you a more excellent way," 1 Cor. xii. ult. And thus you have the choiceness of these principles also.
The gracious souTs The lines are fallen to me in a pleasant rejlection. place, may the gracious soul say : How de-
fective soever I am in gifts, yet blessed be the Lord who hath sown the true seeds of grace in my heart. What thougii I am not famed and honoured among men, let it suffice me that I am precious in the eyes of the Lord. Though he hath not abounded to me in gifts of nature, " Yet blessed be the God and *' Father of my Lord Jesus Christ, who hath abounded to me in all '' spiritual blessings, in heaveniv places in Christ Jesus," Eph. i. 3. Is not a true jewel, though spurned in the dirt, more precious than a false one, though set in gold ? Why art thou troubled, O my soul, for the want of these things which reprobates may have ? and art not rather admiring and blessing God for those things which none but the darlings and favourites of heaven can have ? Is not an ounce of pure gold more valuable than many pounds of gilded brass ? What though the dews of Helicon descend not upon my head, if in the mean time the sweet influences of Sion fall upon my heart ? O my God ! how much soever others are elated by the hght of their knowledge, I have cause, with humility to adore thee for the hea- venly heat with which thou hast warmed my affections.