By THOMAS BOSTON.
III.
(Continued from p. 243.)
Fourthly, It implies a renouncing of our own wisdom. It must not be the guide that we must follow, Matth. xvi. 24. Paul would not preach with wisdom of words, 1 Cor. i. 17; he did not follow the rules of carnal wisdom. Therefore, O my soul, renounce thine own wisdom. Seek the wisdom that is from above; seek to preach the words of the living God, and not thine own. Since thou wast most set to take this way, and prayed most that thou mightest not preach that which might be the product of thy own wisdom and natural reason, but that which might be given thee of the Holy Ghost, thou hast found that God hath signally countenanced thee. Take not the way of natural wisdom, follow not the rules of carnal wisdom. Its language will always be, Master, spare thyself; have a care of thy credit and reputation among men. If thou speak freely, they will call thee a railer, and thy preaching reflections; every parish will scare at thee as a monster of men, and one that would preach them all to hell; and so thou shalt not be settled. Such and such a man, that has a great influence in a parish, will never like thee. That way of preaching is not the way to gain people; that startles them at the very first. You may bring them on by little and little, by being somewhat smooth, at least at the first; for this generation is not able to abide such doctrine as that thou preachest. But hear thou and follow the rules of the wisdom that is from above: for the wisdom of the world is foolishness with God; that which is in high esteem among men, is nought in the sight of God. The wisdom that is from above will tell thee, that thou must be denied to thy credit and reputation, &c. Matth. xvi. 24; Luke, xiv. 26. It will tell thee, Let them call thee what they will, that thou must cry aloud, and spare not; lift up thy voice like a trumpet, &c. Is. lviii. 1. It will tell thee, that God has appointed the bounds of men’s habitation, Acts. xvii. 26. It will tell thee, that not many wise, not many mighty, not many noble are called, &c. 1 Cor. i. 26. Whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, thou shalt speak God’s words unto them, Ezek. ii. 7. It will shew thee rules quite contrary to those of carnal wisdom. Let me consider then what carnal wisdom says to me, and what the wisdom from above says—
CARNAL WISDOM.
Thy body is weak, spare it, and weary it not; it cannot abide toil, labour, and weariness; spare thyself, then. Labour to get neat and fine expressions; for these do very much command a preaching to the learned; and without these they think nothing of it. Endeavour to be somewhat smooth in preaching, and calm; and do not go out upon the particular sins of the land, or of the persons to whom thou preachest. If thou wilt not do so, they will be irritated against thee, and may create thee trouble; and what a foolish thing would it be for thee to speak boldly to such a generation as this, whose very looks are terrible? It is a dangerous way to speak freely, and condescend on particulars; there may be more hazard in it than thou art aware of. Thou wilt be looked on as a fool, as a monster of men: thou wilt be called a railer; and so lose thy reputation and credit, and thou hadst need to preserve that. Men will hate and abhor thee; and why shouldst thou expose thyself to these things? Great people, especially, will be offended at you, if you speak not fair to them, and court and caress them. And if you be looked down upon by great people, who are wise and mighty, what will you think of your preaching? Our people are new come from out under Prelacy, and they would not desire to have sins told particularly, and especially old sores to be ripped up. They cannot abide that doctrine. Other doctrine would take better with them. Hold off such things; for it may well do them ill, it will do them no good. If you will preach such things, yet prudence requires that you speak of them very warily. Though conscience says you must, yet speak them somewhat covertly, that you may not offend them sore, and especially with respect to them that are but coming in yet, and do not fill them with prejudices at first: you may get occasion afterwards. Be but fair, especially to them that have the stroke in parishes, till you be settled in a parish to get stipend. If you will not do so, you may look for toiling up and down then: for parishes will scare at you, and will not call you, and how will you live? And so such a way of preaching will be to your loss; whereas otherwise it might be better with you.
SPIRITUAL WISDOM.
Your body is God’s, as well as your spirit; spare it not for glorifying of God, 1 Cor. vi. 20. In weariness and painfulness, 2 Cor. xi. 27. He giveth power to the faint, and to them that hath no might he increaseth strength, Is. xl. 29. This thou hast experienced. Christ sent thee to preach the gospel not with wisdom of words, 1 Cor. i. 17. Go not to them with excellency of speech, or of wisdom, 1 Cor. ii. 1. Let not thy speech and preaching be with enticing words of man’s wisdom, ver. 4. Cry aloud, and spare not; lift up thy voice like a trumpet; shew my people their sins, Is. lviii. 1. Open rebuke is better than secret love, Prov. xxvii. 5. Study to shew thyself approved unto God, rightly dividing the word of truth, 2 Tim. ii. 15. He that rebuketh a man, afterwards shall find more favour than he that flattereth with the tongue, Prov. xxviii. 23. I have experience of this. Fear them not, neither be afraid of their looks, though they be a rebellious house. I have made thy face strong against their faces, Ezek. iii. 8. 9. Experience confirms this. He that walketh uprightly, walketh surely, Prov. x. 9. Whoso walketh uprightly shall be saved, chap. xxviii. 18. Thou must become a fool, that thou mayest be wise, 1 Cor. iii. 18. We are made a spectacle to the world, chap. iv. 9. See verse 10. The servant is not greater than his lord, John, xv. 20, compared with chap. x 20. He hath a devil, and is mad; why hear ye him? If thou wilt be Christ’s disciple, thou must deny thyself, Matt. xvi. 24. If the world hate you, ye know it hated me before it hated you, John, xv. 18, says our Lord. Accept no man’s person, neither give flattering titles to man; for, in so doing, thy Maker will soon take thee away, Job, xxxii. 21, 22. Few of the rulers believed on Christ, John, vii. 48. Not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called, 1 Cor. i. 26. Speak thou God’s Word to kings, and be not ashamed, Psalm cxix. 46. Thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, for they are most rebellious, Ezek. ii. 7. Give them warning from me. If thou do it not, they shall die in their sins, but their blood will I require at thy hand, chap. iii. 17, 18. What the Lord sayeth to thee, that do thou speak, 1 Kings, xxii. 14. Cry aloud, and spare not, Is. lviii. 1. Cursed be he that doeth the work of the Lord deceitfully, Jer. xlviii. 10. Handle not the Word of the Lord deceitfully. Peter, at the first, told the Jews that were but coming in to hear Him (Christ) ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain, Acts, ii. 23. Work while it is called to-day; the night cometh wherein thou canst not work, John, ix. 4. To have respect of persons is not good; for, for a piece of bread that man will transgress, Prov. xxviii. 21. The will of the Lord be done, Acts, xxi. 14. God hath determined your time, before appointed, and the bounds of your habitation, Acts, xvii. 26; and his counsel shall stand, oppose it who will, Is. xlvi. x. It is God that sets the solitary in families, Psalm lxviii. 6. If thou be faithful, thou shalt abound with blessings; but if thou makest haste to be rich, thou shalt not be innocent, Prov. xxviii. 20.
(To be continued.)