The Christian Governor in the Commonwealth and Private Families, Exposition 1 · Part 8
In the midst of mine house.
THe place where the Prophet will rightly order his way, or vprightly walke, is his priuate house, or more priuate chamber. Where his meaning is that he will be no changeling, and that among his household-people, where few behold him, he will be the same that hee is abroad, where many eyes see him. Yea, he will doe wisely in his chamber, as if he were vponupon the tribunall: and be godly at home, as if hee stood in the temple. Here (also) by the midst of his house, he meaneth the priuatest roomes of it, as his priuie-chamber, or bed-chamber: and euen in these hee promiseth to doe nothing that shall be vncomely.
Doct.From whence this doctrine ariseth; That Christians should carry themselues in their houses, or alone by themselues, as if they were in open place. Many will pretend holinesse, and professe honestie while the are ouer-looked by two good Tutors, Open-place, and Day-light; but (otherwayes) when they be priuate or alone, they giuegive themselues to wantonnes, to worke all vncleanenes, euen with greedynesse, Eph. 4.19. Then, because they are not vnderunder the eye of men, they perswade themselues that the Lord shall not see them, and that the God of Iacob will not regard them, Psal. 94.7. and thus they flatter themselues in an euill way, while their iniquitie is found worthy to be hated. Iob speaking of thieues, saith, that they digge through houses in the darke, making darknes the couer of their sinne, Iob 24.16. So the eye of the Adulterer is sayde to waite for the twylight, making that kinde of light, a kinde of Bawde to his lewde life, vers. 15. And of the Murtherer it is sayde, vers. 14. that he riseth early, or at breake of day to kill the poore, making the morning as the shadow of death, wherin to murther the innocent. So they doe that in darknesse, that they would not dare to doe in the light. But Christians will walke vprightly as well at breake of day as at noone-day, and vponupon their bedds at night, as in open places bef…re the Sunne, and in the darkest twylight, as in the cleerest day.
The Reasons.
God, who is holyer, and mightier then all men seeth vsus eueryevery where; there is not a thought in our heart, nor a word in our tongue, but hee knoweth it altogether, Psal. 139.2.4. And, our turning of deuices shall be but as the Potters clay, when we seeke deepe to hide our counsell from the Lord, Esa. 29.14.15. Now doth the righteous God, who knoweth the hearts and reines, Psal. 7.9. and, who will bring eueryevery worke to iudgment, with eueryevery secret thing, Eccles. 12.14. behold vsus; and shall we not care how he seeth vsus occupyed? Doth the presence of a mortall man or woman (sometimes) bridle vsus from that we would doe? and vvill vve giuegive the bridle to all manner vvickednes, God looking on? Will a thiefe steale before him that he knoweth shall be his iudge? and shall we not tremble to doe euill in his sight who shall iudge the world? Gen, 18.15. Secondly, it is playne Idolatrie, more to feare Man, whose breath is in his nosthrils, then to feare God, who is the Father of spirits, Esa. 51.12.13. and yet some, when they are in company vvith those vvhom they cannot but reuerence for their calling and graces, of vvhom they desire to be vvell thought and spoken of, vvill make great shew of a desire to doe vvell themselues, and to bring their houses to good order, who (neuerthelesse) hauehave no care (afterwards) eyther for their owne persons, or their houses to doe thereafter.
Vses.
A reproofe to those,Vse …. who if they doe any thing well, doe it in open places, and before men; that they may hauehave prayse for the same, Mat. 6.2.5. but in their houses, and when they are alone, they turne to their race, as the Horse rusheth to the battell, Ier. 8.6. or, as wee vse to say, They are Angels abroad, and Diuels at home: the Sabbath is prophaned, Gods fearefull Name dishonoured, the wife and seruants shamefully abused, no measure kept in chafing and fretting for eueryevery trifle, somtime without cause, sometime without shew of cause. And this is an hypocrite in kinde: by his fruits you shall know him, Math. 7.20.
An instruction to beware of secret sinnes,Vse 2. that the closenes of the place doe not enbolden vsus to doe that priuately, that wee would be ashamed should be brought before the face of men, and light of the Sunne: for there is nothing couered that shall not be disclosed, nor hid, that shall not be knowne, Mat. 10.26. the scrowle and register of our close sinnes shall be layde open before the Lord, and before the Angels, and before men. Mens great places (perhaps) may priuiledge them for a while, yet at their death, the sting of Conscience, and worme of tormenting feare, will greatly worke vponupon them, and force them to some desperate confession; and being dead, there is no farther sparing of them. Their name that was Honourable in the signe and in a figure onelyonly, will now in speech and truth, be most shamefull after their death, when that chanell is raked into, and the filthynesse of their secret sinne is brought to light. Dauid, Gods owne King, the authour of this excellent Psalme, was not spared long after his sinne, which is so much marked in Scripture, both by himselfe in the Psalmes, and by him that wrot his Story. He went closely about it, and had (no doubt) men of secrecie and counsell, whom he vsed in it: vvhen the woman was brought vntounto him, hee had men (that could keepe counsell) to bring her, 2 Sam. 11.4. and either hee wrot himselfe, or had some trustie Secretarie to write to Ioab. vers. 14. So all vvas done secretly and cunningly, no tongue did mutter of it, 2 Sam. 12.12. But the iust God would not let matters so passe, and therefore sends a Messenger to him, one of a thousand, first, to round him in the eare, by a parable or darke speach, and then to tell him plainely and openly, what he had done, and that by a deede, so dishonourable in Gods great Seruant, he had caused the enemies of the Lord of blaspheme, vers. 14. and after to pricke him to repentance with the goade of the Lords seueritie, whom hee had prouoked so much by his abhominable sinne: then the whole matter came out by himselfe, and now the whole Church rings of his impious fault to this day.
Now if they be reproued that closely doe euill,Vse 3. how much more they, who with no bridle of shame, or common ciuilitie, can be held from acting those impieties, and doing that thing publikely in the sun-shine, and at noone-day, which others cannot, without blushing and the helpe of darknes doe. And (then) vvhat a Monster was Absolom, who spread a tent vponupon the top of his Fathers Palace, and blushed not to goe in to his Father: Concubines in the sight of all Israel? 2 Sam. 16 22. And what Monsters were the Sodomites, who declared their sinnes, and hid them not? Esa. 3.9. Though painted Tombes be spoken against, that is hypocrites, so resembled: yet better be a paint…d Tombe then a filthy Sincke, foule without, and foule within. And may we not thinke that the fiue foolish Virgins were more tolerable then that great Whore, that sitteth vponupon many waters? Apoc. 17.4 5. Is it not better to hauehave Lamps without store of Oyle, then to hauehave neyther Lamps nor Oyle; that is, neyther meanes nor meaning to attend Christ? and better to doe some good, then to professe all wickednes? and better to seeme holie, then neyther to seeme, nor be? So much for those protestations that concerne the Prophets owne person: they vvhichwhich concerne him, vvith others, follow.