276. THE ABSOLUTE DOMINION 2. It is the chiefest delight of a man devoted to God to see Christ's interest prosper and prevail. It doth himmore good to see the church flourish, the gospel succeed, the souls of men brought in to God, and all things fitted to his blessed pleasure, than it would do him to prosper himself in the world; to do good to men's bodies, much more to their souls, is more pleasing to him than to be honorable or rich. To give is sweeter to him than to receive. His own matters he respects as lower things, that come not to near his heart as God's. But with the unsanctified it is not so: their prosperity and honors are most of their delight, and the absence of them their greatest trouble. 3. With a man that is truly devoted to God, the interest of Christ doth bear down all contradicting interest in the ordinary course ofhis life. As his own unrighteous righteousness, so his own renounced carnal interestis loss and dung to him in compar- ison of Christ's ; Phil. iii. 8, 9. He cannot take himself to be a loser by that which is gain to the souls of men, and tendeth to promote the interest of his Lord. He serveth God with the first and best, and lets his own work stand by till Christ's be done, or rather owneth none but Christ's, his own dishonor being lighter to him than Christ's, and a ruined estate less grievous than a mined church; therefore doth he first seek God's kingdom and its righte- ousness, (Matt. vi. 33.) and chooseth rather to neglect his flesh, his gain, his friends, his life, than the cause and work of Christ. It is far otherwise with the unsanctified: they will contentedly give Christ the most glorious titles, and full-mouthed commendations, (Luke vi. 46.) but they have one that is nearer their hearts than he : their carnal self must sway the sceptre. God shall have all that the flesh can spare: if he will be content to be served with its leavings, they will serve him ; if not, they must be excused ; they can allow him no more. The trying time is the parting time, when God or the world must needs be neglected. In such a strait, the righteous are still righteous; Rev. xxii. 11. But the un- steadfast in the covenant do manifest their unsteadfastness,and though they will not part withChrist professedly, nor without some witty distinctions and evasions, nor without great sorrow, and pre- tense of continued fidelity, yet part they will, and shift for them- selves, and hold that they have as long as they can ; Lgke xviii. 23. In a word, the sanctified are heartily devoted to Cod, and live to him ; and were they incapable of serving or enjoying him, their lives would afford them little content, whatever else they did possess. But the unsanctified are more strongly addicted to their flesh, and live to their carnal selves ; and might they securely en- joy the pleasures of this world, they could easily spare the fruition of God, and could be as willing to be dispensed with for his spir-
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=