iJur. is. 20; 2 Chron. xi. 15 ; Amos v. '25, 26 ; 1 Cor. x. 20 ; 1 Tim.iv. 1 ; Ezek. viii. 3.
440 THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY.
God. ' The devil,' saith Synesius, * is as glad to be worshipped in an idol, as he was by Israel in a calf,' Exod. xxxii. 4 : there being nothing tliat provokes God to destroy poor sinners more than this. The learned Jews have a saying, ' That no punishment ever happened to them in which there was not an ounce of the golden calf,' ground- ing it on Exod. xxxii. 34, ' Nevertheless I will remember to visit this sin upon them.' The Egyptians worshipped a pied^ bull, and whereas some tlionght it strange that when one died, they should have another of the same colour, Austin thinks that the devil, to keep them in idolatry, might do with their cows as Jacob did with the ewes, pre- sent to them when they conceived the likeness of such a bull. Cer- tainly Satan will use all the art he can to keep |K)or sinners in ways of false worship, it being the most compendious way that can be to engage God to destroy them. She knew, (3.) That that worship that is not according to the word hath destroyed the most flourisliing churches and nations ; witness the church and nation of the Jews, the seven churches of Asia, and the whole eastern parts of the empire : see Hosea viii. 5-7 ; Rev. ix. 20 ; Ezek. x. 2 ; 2 Chron. vii. 20. She knew, (4.) That that worship that is not according to the word is a cursed worship. It is the observation of one well skilled in the Jewish learning, that there is only one verse in the prophecy of the prophefe- Jeremiah which is written in the Chaldee tongue, all the rest being in Hebrew: and that is Jeremiah x. 11, '-So shalt thou say, Cursed be the gods who made neither heaven nor earth ;' and this is done by tlie Holy Gliost, on purpose that the Jews, when they were in captivity, and exhorted by the Chaldeans to worship false gods, might be able to answer them in their own language, ' Cursed be your gods ; we will not worship them, for they made neither heaven nor earth.' That God that made heaven and earth is only to be worshipped according to his own word ; for he will own no worship but what he will accept of, no worship but that ; he will bless no worship but that, nor he will reward no worship but that. Your glorified mother kept close to instituted worship when she had health and strength ; in this it will be your wisdom to write after her fair copy. But,
5. Fifthly, Imitate her in justify iyig of the Lord under the sharpest, bitterest, and most afflictive providences and dispensations. How often have I heard her to justify the Lord, even whilst he has been a- writing bitter things against her ; when gall and wormwood hath been put into her cup, hath she not said with Ezra, chaj). ix. 13, ' God hath punished us less than our iniquities deserve ;' and with Nehemiah, chap. ix. 33, ' Howbeit thou art just in all that is brought upon us ; for thou hast done right, but we have done wickedly;' and with Job, chap. i. 21, ' Oh ! the Lord gives, and the Lord takes, and blessed be tlie name of the Lord ;' and with Daniel, chap. ix. 14, ' The Lord our God is righteous in all his works which he doth.' You know what afflictive piovidences she has been under, botli in respect of her person, and in tlie loss of her husband, and in those variety of weaknesses that attended her body, and in the great losses that some of you have met with in the world, b-^sides several other exercises ; yet how has she commonly been taken
' ' P;irfi-ooloiircd,' spelled 'pide.' — G.
THE EPiaTLE DEDICATORY. 441
up ill blessing of Grod, and in justifying of God, and also in admiring the goodness of Grod, that it lias been no worse with her ; and here I am satisfied she would not have exchanged her gains by afflictions for all the gains of the world. Stars shine brightest in the darkest night. Torches are better for the beating. Grapes come not to the proof till they come to the press. Spices smell sweetest when pounded. Young trees root the faster for shaking. Vines are the better for bleeding. Gold looks the brighter for scouring. Glow-worms glister best in the dark. Juniper smells sweetest in the fire. Pomander becomes most fragrant for chafing. The palm-tree proves the better for pressing. Camomile, the more you tread it, the more you spread it. Such is the condition of God's children ; they are the most triumphant when most distressed, most glorious when most affiicted ; as their conflicts, so their conquests ; as their tribulations, so their triumphs. God's people are true salamanders, that live best in the furnace of afflictions ; so that heavy afflictions are the best benefactors to heavenly affections. When afflictions hang heaviest, then corruptions hang loosest. And grace that is hid in nature, as sweet-water in rose-leaves, is then most fragrant when the fire of affliction is put under to distil it out. But,
6. Sixthly, Imitate her in the standing, bent, and course of her life and conversation. No man is to judge of the soundness or sincerity of his spirit by some particular acts, but by the constant frame and bent of his spirit, and by his general conversation in this world. Una actio no7i denominat. If particular actions might determine whether a man had grace or no grace, whether he were in Christ or not in Christ, whether he were a saint or no saint, whether he were sincere or unsound, we should many times conclude that those have no grace who indeed have, and that they were not in Christ who indeed are, and that they are no saints who indeed are, and that they are not sincere who certainly are true Nathanaels. The best saints on this side heaven have had their extravagant motions, and have very foully and sadly miscarried as to particular actions, even then when the con- stant course and bent of their spirits and main of their conversations have been God-wards, and Christ-wards, and holiness-wards, and heaven-wards, <fec. Witness David's murder and adultery, Noah's drunkenness, Lot's incest, Joseph's swearing. Job's cursing, Jonah's vexing, Peter's denying, and Thomas his not believing. Such twink- lings do and will accompany the highest and fairest stars. As he that foots it best may be sometimes found all along,i and the neatest^ per- son may sometimes slip into a slough ; he that cannot endure to see a spot upon his clothes, may yet sometimes fall into a quagmire ; so the holiest and exactest Christians may sometimes be surprised with many infirmities and unevennesses and sad miscarriages. Certainly particular sinnings are compatible with a gracious frame, though none are with a glorified condition. Our best estate on earth is mixed, and not absolute. Glory annihilates all sinful practices, but grace only weakens them. The most sincere Christian is but an im- perfect Christian, and hath daily cause to mourn over his infirmities,
' = fallen and 'lying all along.' — G.
- 'Cleanliest,' 'most exact." C£. Sibbes, Glossary, ,;. v. — G.