Gambar halaman
PDF
ePub

come by them, except, in appearance at least, he becomes extraordinary zealous in some points of religion that he meddled not with before; may he not use this means to obtain this end, and yet be a right honest man?

Mr. Money-Love undertook to answer this question, and the crooked policy of his conclusions jumped well, you may be sure, with the minds of his companions, first concerning ministers, second concerning tradesmen. Dr. Paley would have done well to have read over this chapter in Bunyan before composing some of the chapters in his Moral Philosophy, and his sermon on the Utility of Distinctions in the Ministry. The philosophy of Money-Love and By-ends is that which the god of this world teaches all his votaries, and, alas, when motives come to be scrutinized, as they will be, at the bar of God, how much of our apparent good will be found to be evil, because in the root that nourished both the branches and the fruit, there was found to be nothing but self-interest carefully concealed. You seek me, not because of the miracles to be witnessed, or the grace to be gained, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.

66

Suppose a minister," said Mr. Money-Love," a very worthy man man, possessed but of a very small benefice, and has in his eye a greater, more plump and fat by far he has also now an opportunity of getting it, yet, so as by being more studious, by preaching more frequent and zealously, and because the temper of the people requires it, by altering of some of his principles: for my part, I see no reason

why a man may not do this, provided he has a call, yea, and more a great deal besides, and yet be an honest man. For why?

1. His desire of a greater benefice is lawful; this cannot be contradicted, since it is set before him by Providence; so then he may get it if he can, making no question for conscience' sake.

2. Because his desire after that benefice makes him more studious, a more zealous preacher, &c., and so makes him a better man, yea, makes him better improve his parts; which is according to the mind of God.

3. Now, as to his complying with the temper of his people, by deserting, to serve them, some of his principles, this argueth: (1.) that he is of a selfdenying temper; (2.) of a sweet and winning deportment; and (3.) so more fit for the ministerial function.

I conclude, then, that a minister who changes a small for a great, should not, for so doing, be judged as covetous; but rather, since he is improved in his parts and industry thereby, be counted as one that pursues his call, and the opportunity put into his hands to do good.

And now to the second part of the question, which concerns the tradesman you mentioned; suppose such an one to have but a poor employ in the world, but by becoming religious he may mend his market, perhaps get a rich wife, or more and far better customers to his shop; for my part, I see no reason but this may be lawfully done; for why?

1. To become religious is a virtue, by what means soever a man becomes so.

2. Nor is it unlawful to get a rich wife, or better customers to my shop.

1. Besides, the man that gets these by becoming religious, gets that which is good, of them that are good, by becoming good himself; so then, here is a good wife, and good customers, and good gain, and all this by becoming religious, which is good; therefore, to become religious, to get all these, is a good and profitable design."

Now is not this logic of Money-Love very barefaced? And yet these men considered it perfectly triumphant, and an argument that Christian and Hopeful could not possibly contradict. Whereupon they resolved to propound the same question to them, and so puzzle and defeat them. But to their astonishment, Christian declared at once that none others than heathens, hypocrites, devils, and witches could be of their opinion, and then he went on to prove this so clearly and powerfully out of Scripture, with instances in point, that the men were completely staggered, and stood staring one upon another, unable to answer a word. What, said Christian to Hopeful, will these men do with the sentence of God, if they cannot stand before the sentence of men?

This passage in the pilgrimage is full of instruction, and we might dwell long upon it, and upon the danger of evil motives under the guise of a good cause, or of unholy motives in a holy cause. The motive is every thing; it makes the man. An eye single makes a single-minded man: an eye

An eye

double makes a double-minded man. single is good in whatever a man undertakes, considered even merely in reference to the things of this life, and as requisite to decision of character. In this view the children of this world are wiser in their generation than the children of light; what they do for this world they do with energy and whole-heartedness, which is just what, as Pilgrims, we want for Christ. We want, in all things, an eye single for God, for his approbation, for his glory, and this is the precious motive that excludes every other, or keeps every other subordinate, and turns every thing to gold. "Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not as unto men.” The very drudgery and toilsomness of our pilgrimage is turned into a divine and holy service, by this precious singleness of heart for Christ! Oh how desirable is this in every thing! This is the body of that beautiful composition by Herbert, which is perhaps the best series of stanzas he ever wrote, entitled, The Elixir. It is good to drink this on our pilgrimage, especially after such a conversation with By-ends and Money-Love. By ends are almost always bad ends, but love to Christ, singleness of heart for Christ, sets them at a distance, and shows them at once in their native hypocrisy and deformity.

Teach me, my God and King,

In all things Thee to see,
And what I do in any thing,
To do it as for thee.

Not rudely, as a beast,

To run into an action;

But still to make Thee prepossest,
And give it Thy perfection.

A man that looks on glass

On it may stay his eye;

And if he pleaseth, through it pass,
And then the heaven espy.

All may of Thee partake;

Nothing can be so mean,

Which with this tincture for thy sake,
Will not grow bright and clean.

A servant with this clause,

Makes drudgery divine:

Who sweeps a room as for thy laws,

Makes that and the action fine.

This is the famous stone,

That turneth all to gold;

For that which God doth touch and own
Cannot for less be told.

Now we must go on with our Pilgrims. They had now a short interval of pleasant going, over a plain called Ease, but it was soon passed, and again they entered into danger. Bunyan has put in the margin, The ease that Pilgrims have in this life is short. The temptations which they now encountered was that of filthy lucre, for they came to a silver mine in the side of a hill, and were invited by a very gentlemanly man, Demas to turn aside for a little, and examine this mine, and perhaps undertake a small speculation for themselves. Hopeful was for going, but Christian held him back, while he examined Demas, who declared that the working in this mine was not very dangerous except to those who were careless. There are many Pilgrims who reason thus, or are ensnared by such reasoning. They think that if other men have perished by the love of money, it was because they went too far; but for themselves, they mean just to enter the mine, dig a little, and

« SebelumnyaLanjutkan »