6. It gives a check to daily temptations, for if we cannot deny a little ease of the flesh, alas! how shall we deny pleasures, treasures, honours, and be so upright and faithful with God as Moses was ? We should be ashamed to hear of such things, we that give up at the first assault, and are borne down with every petty temptation, and even ' sell our birthright for one morsel of meat,' Heb. xii. 16 ; when every sloth- ful suggestion can take us off from God ; when we cannot overcome, though but a little profit and respect, that we may manifest our inte- grity, and show our faithfulness to God when we are disallowed and discountenanced.
7. It should teach us patience, if God should retrench us in our worldly conveniences, if he should lessen us by his providence, if he should make us go back some degrees in the state wherein we have lived before. Shall we not yield to God's power, and submit to that which we must bear, whether we will or no ? God did not snatch them from Moses, but he left them by choice : and shall we murmur in such cases ? But if God sees these comforts too good for us, and therefore takes them away, shall we be merely passive ? No, we sliould be active, show our willingness to part with them by a quiet submission. And such kind of instances help us.
8. It is of use to us : and now I come to the main tiling I am upon, to check ambition and affectation of worldly greatness, and the scram- bling for honours and great places, either gain, power, or government
VeR. 24.] SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XL 443
in the world which cloth possess the hearts of men. Moses was in the possession of these things, and did quit them ; and shall we hunt after that which he quitted for God ? And here are sundry considerations and motives.
[1.] The true value of life is by service to God. It is not who lives most plentifully, but who lives most serviceably to God's glory ; there- fore honour and greatness should not be the game in chase, but service. All our care in the world should be to serve God in our generation, to be an instrument to do his pleasure : Acts xiii. 36, ' David, after he had served his generation according to the will of God, fell asleep.' Every one hath his office and use, from the king to the peasant. We mur- mur if creatures made to serve us should fail in their seasons ; and therefore since we were born for this, and sent into the world for this end, to serve God in our seasons, these for this age of the world, and those for that, therefore this should be our aim. We live to ourselves when our honour, and great, and commodious subsistence is more regarded than our work and service, for then self is put in the room and place of God.
[2.] Our service is determined by the call of God's providence. He is the great master of the scenes, that assigns to every man his calling and state of life, and appoints him what part he is to act ; therefore if we do not submit to his will, we take his work out of his hands. We must not be our own carvers, and prescribe to God at what rate we will be maintained, and what work we will do. God is our potter, he will make one vessel to honour, and another to dishonour ; he appoints to every one his calling and work, and doth dispose of every one's condi- tion in the world : Prov. xxix. 26, ' Many seek the ruler's favour ; ' every one would have the ruler's countenance and respect. But, alas ! our affectation meets with shameful disappointment ; for ' every man's judgment cometh from the Lord ; ' he rules all things according to his own pleasure. Servants that have no relation to you may covenant and make their bargain whether they will be employed in the chamber or in the kitchen. But we are at God's absolute dispose. If the master will use us as vessels of honour or dishonour, we must be contented. God appoints a man to his calling, not only in fitting him and giving him abilities, — therefore the apostle dateth his calling from the womb : Gal. i. 15, ' But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb,' when men's parts and temper are framed, — but in giving us occasion to exercise those abilities and gifts. If God hath a mind to use thee, he knoweth when and how without thy care and trouble. We must not fit the garland to our own heads : he that exalteth himself, God sets himself against him to pull him down. In all such cases we must tarry till the master of the feast sets us higher. What a man should use for God, he must take it out of God's hands : John xvii. 4, ' I have glorified thee on the earth ; I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do ; ' that is, the work to which I was fitted by God, inclined by God, and disposed by God in the course of his providence. There is indeed a question, How far a man may offer himself to places of gain or government, either in church or commonwealth ? Ans. A man may desire the employment of his gifts in a suitable way : 1 Tim. iii. 1, 'If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.' Out of