Works, Part 4 · Religious instruction · Chapter 9 – Chapter 12
CHAP. IX. Of our generall and speciall calling.
CHrist doth passe by vsus, see vsus, and call vsus, when wee little respect him. InHow Christ calleth vsus. law cases, and pointes of Physicke we goe with our best feete, wee will doe all our selues, or els sue by some speciall friend to them, who can farre lesse profite vsus than Christ can: but in Christianitie, vnlesse Christ himselfe come and ring a loud peale in our eares, wee neuer vouchsafe to be Christians. It is therefore well with vsus that Christ so comes to call sinners to repentance: for hee may come from heauen and returne againe oftē, before we seeke him or cal vponupon him. It is well therfore that Christ would come to cal sinners to repentance, for he may come from heauen, and goe to heauen againe, ere we will call h…. Indeede we read of certaine poore diseased men in their bodies constrained by outward paine, and some hypocrites, who rather to boast than beg holines, came to Christ But who els would? Surely one that said he would follow Christ wheresoeuer hee went, but when he said so, he had thought he would not hauehave gone farre: he looked for better lodging than Christ was able to afford him. And when hee sawe that, he could giuegive him leaue to walke alone, and when he saw Christ to hauehave none of the great buildings in Hierusalem, he would goe no further with him than the townes end.
2 It is certaine▪ Paradise is our natiue Countrie, and wee in this world be as exiles and as strangers: wee dwell here as in Meshech, and as in the tents of Kedar, and therefore wee be glad to be at home. The path and high way to our countrie is the path of Gods commaundement: We stray when wee bend to superstition or prophanenesse. The LordOur loadstar to Paradise. hath appointed his word our load-star and cloudy pillar to conduct vsus to the land of promise, and hath instituted faith to attend vponupon the word; but the diuell hath substituted carnall reason, but if wee deliberate long with carnall reason, wee shall hardly or neuerCarnall reason. How to obey Christ when he calleth. come to Paradise.
3 If we must hauehave reason to hearken and to obey the calling of Christ, let vsus remember and consider: Christ hath followed vsus, and therefore we ought to follow him. Christ hath gone far out of the way to make pursuite after vsus (for what neede had he to stir out of heaven) and therefore we must goe after him. The Sonne of man came to seeke that which was lost, and therefore by good proportion wee that are lost should seeke him. The analogie is good, for seeking requires seeking. Elizabeth said to Mary the mother of Christ, comming to … e…er. Whereof commeth it that the mother of my Lord should come to me? If Elizabeth esteemed so reuerently the comming of Mary vntounto her, much more may we say, whereof commeth it that my Lord the redeemer of the world should come vntounto me?
4. The Lord doth often cast out men, by decay of gifts: as they pray, Psal. 137. If I forget thee O Ierusalem, then let my right hand forget her cunning. Wee see this daily: So long asDecay of Gods gifts. men serue God in their callings; and apply their gifts to his glorie, so long their gifts are good and receiue an increase; but they are soone washt away, when wee vse them not, or if we vse them not aright.
5 When Moses was in his calling, the Lord called him againe. So Dauid, and the shepheards to whom Christs birth was reuealed. Our calling makes vsus fit for the Lord, & helpsIdlenesse. Angels. against the Diuell and his temptations: and idlenesse yeelds occasion and matter for sinne and Sathan to surprise vsus. So long as we walke in our wayes, the Angels hauehave charge ouer vsus, Psal. 91. but if wee goe astray they forsake vsus.
6 Many are hastie to vndertake a matter, but afterwards faint in following it. Wee may not be rash to enter into any calling if wee will discharge it with conscience. Examples for this are, Moses Ieremy, &c. They can teach vsus that we take no calling vpō vsus without commandement,Not to enter into any calling rashly. that we thinke nor too wel of ourselues, that we attend the Lords calling, and when he calleth vsus, and hath giuen vsus gifts to testifie his calling, let vsus trust in his power and feare no danger, for he is all in all in vsus.
7 Moses had infirmities of speech, and yet the Lord vsed his ministery: wherefore wee may not for eueryevery infirmitie be drawne from our callings; neither if wee minde to take aOur infirmities in our calling. Ministerie. calling vponupon vsus must we refuse it, though all things do not answere our desires. How be it if we want that which is most essentiall and pertinent; as in a minister learning, and the wisedome of the Spirit, we must be wary how we enter in. Our infirmities are left in vsus for our further humiliation, and that Gods holy worke may the better appeare.
8 Wee must be well perswaded of the truth of our calling, as well to Christianitie as to any other particular calling: so troubles shall not moue vsus, nor feares disquiet vsus. If weeTruth of our calling. doubt, we soone faint, but then let vsus behold him that is inuisible, as Moses Heb. 11. 26▪ and then no sight nor euill shall dismay vsus.
9 It were to bee wished that eueryevery man would search his owne heart whereunto in affectionTriall of our selues before we enter into any calling. and action he is most seruiceable to God, and profitable to his brethren, and to pursue specially this gift most carefully and continually, yet without pride in all humilitie.
10 The Lord loueth our obedience, but so that it be in our callings.
11 When Christ calleth vsus to heauen, wee must follow him through the wildernesse of this world Hee must be our guide and goe before, and we must follow after. Many make strange to follow his call, they will not giuegive vp their names, they wil (it may be) goe beforeReason to Christ is an euill seruingman. him, or euen by him, or cheeke by cheeke, but they will not follow after. And wherefore? Surely they will doe all with reason. But Christ requireth faith; and reason to Christ, is a very euill seruingman. A great number already taught in the word, will not follow it, but if any thing proceed from the forge of their own reason, that they magnifie, that they wil follow. So Ezech. 20. certaine prophets would not follow God and his word, but their own spirits; and yet there is no greater ods in the world than betweene our owne reason and Gods wisedome, as Esa. 55. My thoughts (saith the Lord) are not as your thoughts. Well, if wee will follow Christ, wee must follow him, not as a great Lord, to graunt vsus great leases, fat farmes, or high towers, but as a man contemned, as the reproch of the world, as a man fullChrists two crownes. of sorrowes: Christ hath two crownes, the one of thornes, the other of glorie, he that wil be honoured with the last, must be humbled with the first.
CHAP. XII. Of Conference, and Godly wisedome in the gouernment of the tongue.
AS we often speake of things lawfull, but yet for want of wisedome toConference. examine the time, place and persons, when, where, and with whom we talke, Sathan laboureth to make vsus strict & silent in our speech, whenNot to be too strict and silent, whē occasion of good speech is offered. often we might speake to Gods glorie, to the auoyding of which temptation, we must endeuour to speake when God giueth occasion, and that with thankefull acknowledging of Gods spirituall grace, by the motion whereof we speake: as also with humble acknowledgement of our weakenes, who being measured with Gods iustice, we should be found to hauehave stained our speeches and Gods graces with great corruptions, and to faile in many circumstances. How be it, if we do it in a single heart, and euen because we louelove Gods word, and in zeale of Gods glorie: we may boldly speake, committing the successe which on vsus (if we obserued all circumstances) did not depend, to the omnipotencie of God, to the blessing of Christ, and to the working of the holy spirit; for we being neither God, nor Christ, nor Angels,Note. must not thinke to preuaile of our selues, by our speeches, nor stay vntill we thinke our selues most fit, but cōmend our hearts to the Lord, who vndoubtedly spareth weakelings.
2 Being Christians, we must not stay our selues in our meetings for others to beginGood speeches. good speeches, but if God giuegive vsus any good thing in our mindes, let vsus with all humblenes put it forth to be examined; if we feele nothing, let vsus complaine of our dulnesse and deadnesse: euen thereby we shal giuegive occasion of good conference. For as in silence among euil men one euill word setteth abroch many, so in deadnes among good men, one good word may quicken many.
3 It were to be wished, that godly men in their meetings would first by prayer offer vp their speeches to God to vse them aduisedly, reuerently, and not passing their bounds of knowledge: and if they could not speake of any thing, yet they should aske some thing: if they could not aske, yet they might speake of the communion of Saints: if they could say nothing, yet at the least they should complaine of the dulnes of their mind; so that of their dulnes and deadnes should arise quicknesse and life of speech againe.Our speech is insigne potentiae diuinae, vinculum societatis humanae.
4 We must be carefull in vsing, and watchfull in restraining the tongue. Dauid prayed for a watch before his tongue, and for a porter at the doore of his lips, he would keepe his mouth with a bridle, that it should not go riot nor open oft without a cause. The eie glaunceth, our hands slip, our foote treads awry; yet if we hold our tongue qualified, we shall doe the better. It is a little peece of flesh, small in quantitie but mightie in qualitie; it is soft, but slipperie; it goeth lightly, but falleth heauily; it striketh soft, but woundeth sore; itTenera, mollis & ex…gua. goeth out quickly but burneth vehemently; it pierceth deepe, and therefore not healed speedily; it hath libertie granted easily to goe forth, but it will finde no meanes easily to returne home. It is compared with perillous things, to a sharpe two edged sword, to a razor,Iam. 3. 6. to sharpe arrowes, to an Adders sting, to the poyson of an Aspe, to fierie coales, and being once enflamed by Sathans bellowes, to the fire of hell.