Circumspect Walking, Chapter 5 – Chapter 6
CHAP. V.
Describing some meanes to attaine this wisedome.
NOw before wee passe this point, it shall not bee amisse to direct the Reader by the way to some meanes to attaine this wisdome,Meanes of spirituall wisedome. to walk exactly: as,
1. A diligent and frequent vse & acquaintance in the word of God,1. Acquaintance with the Scriptures. as men become wise Politicians by often vsing the booke of statutes. This law of God, hath Gods wisedome contained in it, and makes vsus truly wise for the matter and measure, as God would hauehave vsus. Hence the holy Ghost eueryevery where cals foolish men, to giuegive eare to vnderstanding, and to heare the words of wisedome, Prou. 8. 5, 6. and v. 33. Heare instruction, and be wise. Neither must we heare till we get a smattering knowledge of some generall grounds of religion, in which most rest themselues; but to vnderstand the whole will of God, which is our rule: and not onelyonly to vnderstand it, but to apply it to our seuerall occasions, that it may not only be light in it selfe, but a lanthorne to our feet, Ps. 119. 115and that in all our steps. This is the high priuiledge of the Scripture aboue all writings, that these alone are able to make men wise to saluation, 2 Tim. 3. 15. Most men reade humane histories, mens sayings and writings, politike essayes, and obseruations of prudent men: and this furnisheth them with some modell of humane and earthly wisedome: But onelyonly the wisdome of Gods word, can make vsus truly wise to saluation; without which all the wisest Gentiles, professing wisdom, and abounding mortalities,foreign. proued starke fools, Rom. 1. 22. Cast Gods booke of wisdome aside, thou shalt proue a foole in the end.
2. Meditation2. Meditation. of that a man heares and reads: for, to bee wise, wee must not onelyonly receiue the ingrahted word, Iam. 1. 21. but keepe it, Luk. 11. 28. Blessed are they that heare the word of God, and keepe it. Now an especiall way to keepe the word, is meditation, which digests it into the seuerall parts. Mary heard the sayings of Christ, and pondered them in her heart. And Dauid vsed this meanes to become wise: yea, by constant meditation in the testimonies of God, he professeth how hee became wiser than the prudent, than his teachers, than his ancients, than his enemies, Psal. 119. 97, 98, 99, 100. And the reason why many heare a long time, and are neuer the wiser, is because they neuer care to fasten it by meditation, and make it their owne: but wise men will lay vp knowledge, Prou. 10. 14.
3.3. Embracing of admonition. A louing and thankfull embracing of admonition and rebuke. Prou. 9. 8, 9. Rebuke a wise man, and hee will louelove thee: GiueGive admonion to the wise, and he will bee the wiser: Teach a righteous man, and hee will increase in learning: but rebuke a scorner, and hee will hate thee: and, fooles scorne admonition. And therfore we are commanded not to speake in the eares of a foole: for hee despiseth the wisdome of our words, Pro. 23. 9. The way for a man to grow wise, is, daily to discouer his owne folly, and make vse of their words, who would helpe him in this businesse. Thus Dauid grew sensibly wiser by the reproofe of Nathan, 2 Sam. 12.when hee made him confesse he had done very foolishly. This is Christian teachablenesse, when a man is apt to receiue a reproofe.
4.4. Company of the wise. Frequent the company of godly and wise men: for hee that walkes with the wise, foreign. Theorg.shall be wise, Prou. 13. 20. and 9. 6. Forsake the foolish, and walke in the way of wisdome. In the company of the wise a man may bee sure to doe good, or take good: the lips of the righteous feed many: he will speak out of a good store-house; he wil deale faithfully with his brother, to helpe his soule out of sinne; his name from infamie, his person from scandall. Besides, he shal be resolued in doubts, encouraged in well-doing, and directed by such both by good instruction and good example.
5. Be feruent in prayer: It is a spirituall wisedome, and a gift of the Spirit; therefore if any man lacke wisdome, let him aske it of God, Iam, 1. 5. It is wisedome from aboue, Iam. 3. 17. This wisedome is not the birth and issue of great wits, and quicke conceits, …ut is seated in the heart …hat is humble, and in sanctified soules, that are familiar with God, and frequent in prayer. For as Moses when he was long in the mount with God, his face shined when he came downe: so those that continue in the mount of diuine meditations and petitions, shall shine in wisedome & knowledge. How or whence got Salomon all that measure of wisedome (in which hee was an eminent type of Iesus Christ, in whom were hid treasures of wisdome) but because he asked it of God as his chiefe choice? And Dauid in the 119. Psalme, makes no end of begging wisedome, vnderstanding, good iudgement from God; because hee knew there was the fountaine.
These are the meanes that are set apart by God, for the attaining of wisedome. If we faile in them, let vsus blame our selues, if folly eat vsus vp.
CHAP. VI.
Leading into the particular rules of Christian wisedome, with the generall distribution of them.
BEcause this wisedome is not a contemplatiue, but an actiue knowledge, wee must acquaint our selues with the precepts of it, to guide vsus to this exact walking, that the whole man may bee led by the rules of Christian prudence in all things. This is that which the Apostle prayeth for the Colossians, cap. 1. v. 9. that they might be fulfilled with the knowledge of his will, and all wisedome in all things, to walke worthy of the Lord, and please him in all things. And because knowledge is of generals, and wisedome of particulars, therefore for our better direction, let vsus here consider some particular rules of spiritual wisdome grounded in Gods word; which hee must be carefull of, that would walke not as vnwise, but as wise; according to this Apostolicall counsell.
Rules of wisdome, concerne
1 God, and the things of God.
Man
himselfe; in his
Inner man;
1 Minde.
2 Thoughts.
3 Will.
4 Conscience.
5 Affections.
Outward man, in his
1 Calling.
2 Estate, of
Prosperity.
Aduersitie.
3 Speeches.
4 Actions, in
Generall, for
Triall.
Vndertaking.
Speciall, of
1 Mercy.
Iustice.
Necessity.
2 Indifferēcy, in
Generall.
Speciall, for
Meat….
Sports.
Apparell.
Others in
1 Generall, toward all.
2 Special; …
1 Good men.
2 Euillmen▪ in,
1 Generall.
2 Specia…l
1 Scorners.
2 Haters of our selues.