Josephs Party-Colored Coat, Sermon 2
HOW FAR EXAMPLES ARE TO BE FOLLOVVED.
RVTH. 1.15.
And Naomi said, behold thy sister in Law is gone backe unto her people, and unto her gods, returne thou after thy sister in Law.
IN these words Naomi seekes to perswade Ruth to returne, alleaging the example of Orpah, who as she saith was gone back to her people, and to her gods; where first wee find that all the Heathen, and the Moabites amongst the rest did not acknowledge one true God, but were the Worshippers of many gods; for they made every attribute of God to be a distinct Deity. Thus in stead of that attribute, the wisedome of God, they fained Apollo the God of wisedome; in stead of the power of God, they made Mars the God of power; in stead of that admirable beauty of God, they had Venus the Goddesse of beauty: But no one attribute was so much abused, as Gods Providence. For the Heathen supposing, that the whole world, and all the creatures therein was too great a Diocesse to bee daily visited by one, and the same Deity; they therefore assigned sundry gods to severall creatures. Thus Gods Providence in ruling the raging of the seas, was counted Neptune; in stilling the roaring wind Aeolus in commanding the powers of Hell Pluto; yea sheep had their Pan, and Gardens their Pomona; the Heathens then being as fruitfull in faigning of gods, as the Papists since in making of Saints.
Now because Naomi used the example of Orpah, as a motive to worke upon Ruth to returne; wee gather from thence. Examples of others set before our eyes, are very potent and prevalent Arguments, to make us follow and imitate them, whether they bee good examples, so the forwardnesse of the Corinthians to beleeve the Iewes, provoked many: or whether they be bad, so the dissembling of Peter at Antioch, Drew Barnabas and others into the same fault: But those examples of all others are most forcible with us, which are set by such who are neer to us by kindred, or gracious with us in friendship, or great over us in power.
Let men in eminent places, as Magistrates, Ministers, Fathers, Masters, (so that others love to dance after their Pipe, to sing after their Musick, to tread after their tract) endeavour to propound themselves examples of piety, and religion to those that be under them.
When wee see any good example propounded unto us, let us strive with all possible speed to imitate it: what a deale of stirre is there in the world for civill precedency and priority, every one desires to march in the Fore-front, and thinkes it a shame to come laging in the Rear-ward. Oh that there were such an holy ambition, and heavenly emulation in our hearts, that as Peter and Iohn ran a race, who should come first to the grave of our Saviour, so men would contend, who should first attain to true mortification; and when we see a good example set before us, let us imitate it, though it be in one, which in outward respects is far our inferior: shal not our Masters be ashamed, to see that their men, whose place on earth is to come behind them, in piety towards Heaven to goe before them? shall not the Husband blush to see his Wife, which is the weaker vessell in nature, the stronger vessell in grace? shall not the elder Brother dye his cheeks with the colour of vertue, to see his younger Brother, who was last borne, first reborne by faith, and the Holy Ghost? yet let him not therefore envie his Brother, as Cain did Abel, let him not be angry with his Brother, because hee is better than himselfe, but let him be angry with himselfe, because hee is worse than his brother, let him turne all his malice into imitation, all his fretting at him into following of him. Say unto him, as Gehazi did of Naaman; As the Lord liveth I will run after him: and although thou canst not over-run him, nor as yet over-looke him; yet give not over to run with him, follow him, though not as Azael did Abner, hard at the heeles; yet as Peter did our Saviour, a farre off; that though the more slowly, yet as surely thou mayest come to Heaven; and though thou wert short of him while hee lived, in the race, yet thou shalt be even with him when thou art dead, at the marke.
When any bad example is presented unto us, let us decline and detest it, though the men be never so many, or so deare unto us. Imitate Micaiah, 1 King. 22. to whom when the Messenger sent to fetch him, said, Behold now the words of the Prophets, declare good unto the King with one mouth, let thy Word therefore I pray thee be like to one of them; Micaiah answered, As the Lord liveth, whatsoever the Lord saith unto me, that will I speake. If they be never so deare unto us, wee must not follow their bad practise: so must the sonne please him that begot him, that hee doth not displease him that created him; so must the wife follow him that married her, that she doth not offend him that made her; wherefore as Samson, though bound with new cords snapt them asunder, as tow when it feeleth the fire; so rather then we should be led by the lewd examples of those, that be neere and deare unto us, let us breake in peeces all their engagements, relations whatsoever.
Now here it will be a labour, worthy discourse, to consider how farre the examples, even of good men in the Bible are to bee followed. For as all examples have a great influence on the practise of the Beholders, so especially the deeds of good men registred in the Scripture (the Kalender of Eternity) are most attractive of imitation.
Wee find in Holy Writ nine severall kinds of examples.First kind of examples. First Actions extraordinary, the doers whereof had peculiar strength, and dispensation from God to doe them. Thus Phineas in an heavenly fury killed Cozbi and Zimri; Samson slew himselfe, and the Philistims in the Temple of Dagon; Elias caused fire to descend on the two Captaines of fifties; Elisha cursed the children, the children of Bethel.
These are written for our instruction,Vse of them. not for our imitation, if with Elisha thou canst make a Bridge over Iordan with thy cloake, if with him thou canst raise dead children, then it is lawfull for thee, with Elisha to curse thy enemies. If thou canst not imitate him in the one, pretend not to follow him in the other.
Abuse of them.When men propound such examples for their practise, what is said is imputed to Phineas for righteousnesse, will bee imputed to us for Iniquity, if being private men by a Commssion of our owne penning, wee usurpe the Sword of Iustice to punish Malefactors.
Second sort.Actions founded in the ceremoniall Law, as Abrahams circumcising of Isaac, Hezekiahs eating the Passeover, Solomons offering of sacrifices, &c.
Vse of them.We are to be thankful to God, that these shadows in Christ the substance are taken away. Let us not therefore superstitiously faine, that the ghosts of these Ceremonies may stil walk, which long since were buried in Christs grave.
Abuse of them.By those who still retaine them. Excellently Ignatius, Epist. ad Magnesios, foreign. Yea, wee must forfeit the name of Christians, if we still retaine such old Rites. Let those who are admitted in the Colledge of grace, disdaine any longer to goe to the schoole of the Ceremoniall Law, which truly may bee called the Schoole of Tyrannus.
Third sort.Actions which are founded in the Iudiciall Law, as punishing theft with foure-fold Restitution, putting of Adulterers to death, and raising up seed to the Brother, &c.
These oblige men,Vse of them. to observe them so farre, as they have in them any taste or tincture of a Morall Law; and as they beare proportion with those Statutes, by which every particular Countrey is governed. For the Iudiciall Law was by God calculated alone, for the elevation of the Iewish Common-wealth. It suted onelyonly with the body of their state; and will not fit any other Common-wealth, except it be equall to Iudea in all Dimensions. I meane in climate, nature of the soyle, disposition of the people, quality of the bordering Neighbours, and many other particulars, amongst which the very least is cosiderable.
When men out of an over Imitativenesse of Holy Presidents,Abuse of them. seek to conforme all Countries to Iewish Lawes. That must needs breake, which is stretched further, than God intended it. They may sooner make Sauls Armour fit David, and Davids Sling and Scrip become Saul, then the particular Statutes of one Countrey, adequately, to comply with another.
Actions founded in no Law at all, Fourth sort.but onelyonly in an ancient Custome, by God winked and connived at; yea tolerated at the least wise not openly forbidden in precept, or punished in practise. As Poligamy, in the Patriarkes having many wives. Indeed when God first made the large volume of the world, and all creatures therein, and set it forth, Cum regali privilegio, Behold all things therein were very good, hee made one Eve for one Adam. Poligamy is an Erratum, and needs an Index expurgatorius, being crept in, being more than what was in the maiden coppy: It was the Creature of Lamech, no worke of God.
Vse.We are herein to wonder at, and praise the goodnesse of God, who was pleased herein to winke at the faults of his deare Saints, and to passe by their frailty herein, because they lived in a darke age, wherein his pleasure was not so plainely manifested.
Abuse of them.If any in this bright sun-shine of the Gospel, pretend as a plea for their lust, to follow their example.
Fifth sort.Doubtfull examples, which may so be termed, because it is difficult to decide, whether the Actors of them therein did offend or no: so that should a Iury of learned Writers be empannelled to passe their verdict upon them, they would bee puzzelled, whether to condemne or acquit them, and at last be forced to find it an Ignoramus. As whether David did well to dissemble himselfe frantick, thereby to escape the cruelty of Achish, King of Gath. Whether Hushai did well, in counterfeiting with Absolom, or whether therein hee did not make Heaven to bow too much to earth, I meane Policie to entrench upon Piety; and so in this act was so good a States-man, that hee was a bad man.
Let us not meddle with imitation of these actions,Vse of them. that are so full of difficulty and danger, that our judgements therein may easily bee deceived: The sonnes of Barzillai, Ezr. 2.63. Because their Genealogies were doubtfull and uncertaine, were put by the Priest-hood, till a Priest should rise up with Vrim and Thummim, by which wee may understand some especiall man amongst them, who by Gods Spirit might be able to decide the controversies, which were questioned in their pedigrees. So let us refraine from following these doubtfull examples, till (which in this world is not likely to bee) there arise an infallible Iudge, which can determine in these particulars, whether these actions were well done or no.
By such who though they have roome enough besides,Abuse of them. yet delight to walke on a narrow Banke, neere the Sea, and have an itch to imitate these doubtfull Examples, wherein there is great danger of miscarrying.
Mixt examples which containe in them a double action,Sixth sort. the one good, and the other bad, so closely couched together, that it is a very hard thing to sever them. Thus in the unjust Steward, there was his wisedome to provide for himselfe, which God doth commend; and his wickednesse, to purloyne from his Master, which God cannot but condemne. Thus in the Hebrew Midwives, Exod. 1. when they told the lye, there was in them, Fides mentis, & fallacia mentientis, the faithfulnesse of their love to their Countreymen, and the falsenesse of their lying to Pharaoh.
Vse of them.Behold, here is wisedome, and let the man that hath understanding, discreetly divide betwixt the Gold and the Drosse, the Wheat and the Chaffe; what hee is to follow and imitate, and what to shun and avoyd. In the first yeare of the raigne of Queene Elizabeth, the students of Christ-Church in Oxford, buried the bones of Peter Martyrs wife in the same Coffin, with the ashes of Fridswick a Popish Saint, to this intent, that if Popery, (which God forbid) should ever after over spread this land, Papists should bee puzled to part the ashes of a supposed Heretike, from one of their canonized Saints. Thus in some actions of Gods Saints in the Bible, which are of a mixt nature; wickednesse doth so insensibly unite and incorporate it selfe with that that is good, that it is very difficult to sever and divide them without a sound, and well advised Iudgement.
In such as leave what is good,Abuse of them. take what is bad, follow what is to bee shunned, shunne what is to bee followed.
Actions absolutely bad, Seventh sort.so that no charitable Comment can bee fastned upon them, except wee will incurre the Prophets curse and woe, To call good evill, and evill good; such were the Drunkennesse of Noah, the Incest of Lot, the lying of Abraham, the swearing of Ioseph, the Adultery of David, the Deniall of Peter.
Let us reade in them first a Lecture of our owne Infirmity:Vse of them. who dare warrant his Armour for proofe, when Davids was shot through? Secondly, let us admire and laud Gods mercy, who pardoned and restored these men on their unfained Repentance. Lastly, let us not despaire of pardon our selves, if through Infirmity over taken, God in like manner is mercifull to forgive us.
When men either make these their patterns,Abuse of them. by which they sin, or after their sinning alledge them for their excuse and defence. Thus Iudith did, Iudith 9.2. For whereas that murder, which Simeon and Levi did commit upon the Shechemites, Gen. 34.12. was cursed by Iacob, as a most hainous and horrible sinne; yet shee propounds it as an heroick act, and the unworthy President for her imitation: O Lord God of my Father Simeon, to whom thou gavest the Sword to take vengeance on the strangers, which opened the wombe of a Maid, and defiled her, &c. Well, if the Arme of Iudith had beene as weake as her judgement was herein, I should scarce beleeve, that shee ever cut off the head of Holophernes.
Eighth sort.Actions which are onelyonly good, as they are qualified with such a circumstance, as Davids eating the Shew-bread in a case of absolute necessity; which otherwise was provided for the Priests alone. Such are the doing of servile workes on the Lords day, when in case of necessity they leave off to bee Opera servilia, and become opera misericordiae.
Vse of them.Let us bee sure, that in imitating of these, to have the same qualifying circumstance, without which otherwise the deed is impious and damnable.
Abuse of them.In those which imitate the example without any heeding, that they are so qualified, as the action requires.
Ninth sort.The ninth and last sort remaines, and such are those, which are eminently good; as the Faith of Abraham, the Meeknesse of Moses, the Valour of Ioshua, the Sincerity of Samuel, the plaine Dealing of Nathaniel, &c. Follow not then the Infidelity of Thomas, but the Faith of Abraham; the Testinesse of Ionah, but the Patience of Iob; the Adultery of David, but the Chastity of Ioseph; not the Apostasie of Orpa, but the Perseverance of Ruth here in my Text.