118 THE FAITHFUL FOLLOWEUS OF CHRIST [LUKE IX. 57-r2.
for no great matters here. A\'e must exi)ect persecutions, crosses, losses, wants, defamation, injuries; and we must get that furniture of heart and mind ^Yluch may support and comfort us in such a day of trial.
2. It informeth us ^vhat fools they are that take u[) religion upon a carnal design of ease and plenty, and will follow Christ to grow rich in the world ; as this scrihe thought to make a market of the gospel, as Simon ]\Iagus did, Acts viii. I'J, 20; he thought to make a gain by the power of miracles. There are conveniences wdiich religion afFordeth in peaceable times, but the very profession at other times will engage us in great troubles ; and therefore men do but make way for the shame of a change and other mischiefs, that hope for temporal com- modities by the profession of the gospel. There are few that are willing to follow a naked Christ upon unseen encouragements, but this must be ; for they that aim to seek the world in and by their religion are disclaimed by our Lord as unfit to be his servants, and indeed sorry servants they are who cannot live "without honour, ease, and plenty ; therefore turn and wind to shift the cross, put many a fallacy upon their own souls: Gal. vi. 12, ' As many as desire to make a fair show in the flesh, compel you to be circumcised, only lest they should suffer persecution for tlie cross of Christ.' If that be their only motive, they are apt to desert or pervert Christ's cause. Again, the apostle telleth us of some ' who are enemies to the cross of Chi'ist, whose god is their belly, who mind earthly things,' Phil. iii. 18, 19. Men that have no love to God, but only serve their fleshly appetites, and look no higher than honours, riches, pleasures, and applause with men, will never be faithful to Christ. They are such as study to vsave themselves not from sin, but from danger, and accordingly accommodate them- selves to every interest. As the men of Keilah dealt with David, — entertained him for a while, but when Saul pursued him were resolved to betray him ; they would come into no danger for David's sake. So they deal with Christ and religion. They profess Christ's name, but will sufter nothing for him. If they may enjoy him and his ways with ]>eace, and quietness, and conveniency, and commodity to themselves, well and good ; but if troubles arise for the gospel's sake, immediately they fall off; not only these summer-friends of the gospel, but the mo.st, yea, the best, have a secret lothness and unwillingness to con- descend to a condition of trouble or distress. This is a point of hard digestion, and most stomachs will not bear it.
3. It informs us what an unlikely design they have in hand who would bring the world and Christ fairly to agree, or reconcile their worldly advantages and the pi-ofession of the gos{)el. And wdien they cannot frame the world and their conveniences to the gosi)el, do fashion the gospel to the world, and the carnal courses of it. It is pity these men had not been of the Lord's council when he first contrived and preached the gospel, that they might have helped him to some discreet and middle courses, that might liave served turn for heaven and earth too. But do they what they will or can, the way is narrow that leadeth to life, and they must take Christ's yoke upon ihem if they would find rest for their souls. They will find that pure and strict religion will be impleasing to the ungodly and the carnal ; that the enmity between the two seeds will remain, and the flesh and the world must not alwavs be
Luke IX. 57-3-.] must expect troubles in this world. 119
pleased ; that there is more dant^^er of the worhl smilin,^ than frowning. As to the church in general (in Constantino's time), Ecclesia facta est opihus major, virtidibus minor ; so to believers in particular, that the lieart is corru[)ted by the love of the world, and men never grow so dull and careless of their souls as when they have most of the world at will ; and that we are more awakened, and have a more lively sense of eternal life, when under the cross, than when we live in the greatest ease and pomp ; that Christ ])ermitteth troubles, not for want of love to his i)eoi)le, or want of power to secure their peace, but for holy and wise ends to promote their good.
Use 2. Is instruction. When you come to enter into covenant with Christ, consider —
1. Christ knoweth what motives do induce you: John ii. 25, 'He needeth not that any should testify of man, for he knoweth what is in man.' Some believed, but Jesus committed not himself unto them ; he knoweth whether there be a real bent or carnal bias upon the heart.
2. If the heart be false in making the covenant, it will never hold good. An eri-or in the first concoction will never be mended in the second: Deut. v. 29, ' Oh that there were such an heart in them, that they Avould fear me, and keep my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever.' So Matt. xiii. 21 ; The stony ground received the word with joy, ' Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth but for a while ; for when tribulation or perse- cution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.' Some temporal thing sitteth too near and close to the heart ; you are never upright with God till a relation to God and a right to heaven do incomparably weigh down all temporal troubles, and you can rejoice more in the testimonies of God, fatherly love, and right to eternal life, than in outward things : Ps. iv. 6, 7, ' There be many that say. Who ■will show us any good ? Lord, lift thou up the light of thy counte- nance upon us. Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased.' David speaks in his own name, and in the name of all those that were alike minded with himself. And Luke x. 20, ' Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.'