Circumspect Walking, Chapter 12 – Chapter 13
CHAP. XII.
Rules of wisedome concerning a mans estate, and first for aduersity.
THe rules of wisedome concerning a Christian mans estate,One general rule for all estates, is to think the present estate best for thee. are these: first, generall; secondly, speciall.
The generall rule for all estates, is this: Be prepared for any estate, contented in eueryevery estate, and assure thy selfe the present estate (whatsoeuer it is) is best for thee, though not euer in thy sense, yet in Gods gracious and wise ordering of it. This lesson the Apostle Paul had well learned, Phil. 4. 11, 12. I can want, and abound; I can be full, and hungry: I hauehave learned in all estates to be contented.
The speciall rules are either for prosperity, or for aduersity.Rule for affliction. Concerning aduersity & afflictions, these are the rules of Christian wisedome:1. God may be as well inioyed in aduersity as prosperity.
1. Consider thou art not placed here in the world by God to enioy the pleasures of the world, but to enioy God, which thou maist doe as well in affliction as in prosperity, and to cleaue to him in his seruice, looking for nothing but afflictions, as a pilgrim going to thy Countrey, the way whereunto, lyeth through afflictions. This ground not laid; men count troubles a strange thing, 1 Pet. 4. 11. and start at the mention of them, as the Apostles, Ioh. 11. 8. when they heard Christ speaking of going into Iurie, where the Iewes had lately sought to stone him. And note it to be a corruption of the heart, to bee more grieued for thine owne troubles than the troubles of the Church, for priuate than publike euils.
2. La… vp strength and comforts aforehand:2 Lay vp strength and comfort aforehand. as 1. Humility, to ouer-master and tame the pride and rebellion of our hearts, and to bring in contentednesse to sweeten our troubles; and our labour will be well spent: for if we can rellish the hardest part of our life, our whole life else will assuredly be more sweet and ioyfull. 2. Growe vp in the knowledge of God, which will make thee rise vp in much comfort, and will bring in comfort against that confused heauinesse, distrust, and dangerous affections & passions, which else in trouble might beat vsus downe, and off him. 3. Get assurance of faith, which will sweetly warme the heart in the sense of Gods louelove in Iesus Christ: The fruit of which will be, First, to enable vsus to trust our selues with God in any estate, and bee assured the Lord is with vsus in fire and water, in the midst of the valley of the shadow of death. Psal. 23▪ 4.Secondly, to depend on him for strength: for howsoeuer Satan would make vsus bel…eue our affliction is greater than it is, or wee are for it; yet wee shall assure our hearts that the Lord hath measured it out for our strength, and not aboue. 1 Cor. 10. 13.Thirdly, to wait vponupon him for a good issue and seasonable deliuerāce, who hath promised to turne it to the best. Rom. 8. 28.This shall keepe vsus from fainting, distrust, and despaire.
3. In all euils of punishment take occasion to set vponupon the euill of sinne,3. In euils of punishment to set vponupon euill of sinne. and reuenge vponupon that: complaine of it to God & men, murmure and grudge at nothing else. If affliction be sharper then ordinary, it is sure some sinne or lust addes a sting vntounto it. But this rule mortifies sinne and vnruly passions, and will weaken the heart, and make a man say with the Church,Mic. 7. 9. I will beare the wrath of the Lord, because I hauehave sinned.
4. Make them no heauier then God maketh them,4. Make them no heauier than God hath made them. by impatience, frowardnesse, and loosenesse of heart. God sometimes layes on a little finger, and the froward heart laies on the whole hand and loines, to make the burden heauier with faithlesse heauinesse and distrust, which is but an addition of new and worse troubles then the former. How inconsiderately doe many men load themselues with troubles too too light in themse…us, and on the shoulders of wise men, who can make a vertue of necessity, and st…p ouer a number of rubbes, which others stoope to remoue and infinitely toyle themselues? How doe many in smaller troubles, as discurtesie of neighbours, vnrulinesse of children, vnfaithfulnesse of seruants, smaller losses and crosses in family-matters, giuegive place to vnquietnesse, impatience, and passion, till their folly hauehave (by seeking to ease their burden) increased it from a dram to a talent? And now how vnmeet are they for the seruice of God? how vnprofitable in any Christian society? how sowre and heauy in countenance, disguised in speech, and impotent in their behauiour? All which testifie the frowardnesse of the heart, wherein had there beene a dram of Christian wisedome and moderation,…cuius fit patientia. Quicquid corgere est nefas. the passion had not swelled to the cause, much lesse so far exceeded it.Horat.
5. Make not haste from vnderunder any affliction.5 Make not too much haste from vnderunder them. Hee that bèleeues, makes not haste. But labour for a right vse of it rather than the remouall:Isa. 18. 16. attaine once a right vse, and doubt not of a good issue. Gold is not presently puld out of the fire so soone as it is cast in, but must stay a while till it bee purged. A Musician strains vp a string, and lets it not downe, lest the harmony and musicke be spoiled: So the Lord deales with his children, but neuer forgets mercy nor measure; nay, it is mercy so to measure them,Esa. 27. 9. as they may be purged by them.
6. Obserue and marke thy troubles,6. Obserue both the trials and the fruits. and thy disposition in them: first, to grow vp in wisedome and experience by them: thus thy sufferings will become wholsome instructions. foreignObserue where thou wast most pinched,foreign ▪ and wherein thou tookest the greatest comfort: secondly, to grow vp in an infallible hope of Gods goodnesse, and a good issue for time to come. For this, obserue Gods seasonable hearing of thy prayers, and the proofes of Gods helpe in most needful times; which shall bee a strong meanes to keepe thee from fainting, feares and despaires from time to come. So did Dauid in the case of the Lyon & Beare,1 Sam. 17. 37. and through all the 23. Psalme. Thus the Apostle from obseruations of times past, gathers assurance for the time present, and to come, 2 Cor. 1. 10. —who deliuered vsus from so great death and doth deliuer vsus, and in whom wee trust, that he will yet hereafter deliuer vsus. Thirdly, to be able to comfort others with such comforts as our selues were vpheld with in our troubles, 2 Cor. 1. 4. which comforteth vsus in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in affliction, by the comfort where. with our selues are comforted of God. Thus to the godly ariseth light out of darknesse, sweet comes out of sowre, and out of the eater meat.
CHAP. XIII.
Rules of wisedome for prosperity.
IN prosperity take these directions.Rules for prosperity.
1. If riches increase, set not thine heart vponupon them, Psal. 62. 10. For why shouldest thou, considering the danger1. Consider the danger of it. how easie it is to waxe wanton? how hard for a rich man to be saued? how few by outward things are drawne to the louelove of heauenly? how many are insnared and choaked with them? how flitting and vncertaine they be? how certainly we must leaue them, or they vsus, and come to account for them.
2. In the carriage of thy prosperity be suspicious of thy selfe,2. Be suspicious of thy selfe. thankfull to God, and returne the glory of it to him of whom thou receiuest it. Dauid, while he had liberty, easily strayed, Psa. 119. 67. Thankfulnesse is Gods tribute, which being denied him, hee re-enters on his owne, Deut. 28. 47. Because thou seruedst not the Lord with ioyfulnesse, and a good heart, Has aeterna sa…s consequitur d…pes.in the abundance of all things, thou shalt serue thine enemies in hunger, in thirst, Has aeterna sit…s.—Sen.and in neede of all things. So doe many Prodigals.
3. Feare the crosse before it come,3. In thy calme prouide f…r a storme. and prouide for it. The thing that I feared is come vponupon me, Iob 3. 25. and, he waited for his changes. It was an addition to the great plague of Babylon, Isa. 46. 11. that euill should come on her, and shee not know the morning thereof: Destruction shal come vponupon thee suddenly ere thou be aware. Luk. 14. 28.Therefore cast the costs of religion and well-doing beforehand.
4. Neuer account thy selfe prosperous if it be not well with Gods Church:4 Thinke not thy selfe prosperous, if the Church of God be not. Good Vriah would not rest as long as the Arke of the Lord was abroad, and his Lord Ioab in the field: as a good child being in health mournes and droupes for the mothers sicknesse.2 Sam. 7. 2. Dauid thought it not fit to dwell in seiled houses, and the Arke of God lie in tents: for the neglect whereof, the Iewes are reproued, Hag. 1. 4. Nehemiah, euen before the King, was of a sad countenance, and sorrowfull at heart, when he receiued euill tidings of Ierusalem, chap. 2. vers. 2. Hester and Mordecai ioyed not in the greatest aduancements, so long as the sentence against the Iewes was vnreuersed. And Moses might hauehave liued well, and at pleasure, in Pharaohs Court: but he chose rather to suffer affliction with Gods people, Heb. 11. 25.than to enioy such pleasures.
5. In thy prosperity consider the affliction and aduersity of others.5. In thy prosperity cast eye on others afflictions. The contrary hereof was the sinne of the Princes of Israel liuing in prosperity: Amos 6. 6. They lie on beds of iuory, and stretch themselues on beds, drinke wine in boles, and annoint themselues with oyle, but none remembred the affliction of Ioseph. The like of Diues his inhumanity towards Lazarus. Yea, sometime it shall be wisedome to goe into the house of mourning, Eccles. 7. 2.which will strike a deeper impression; and to visit others in aduersity, and marke their speeches, who embraced these outward pleasures with greatest and sharpest appetite, and thou shalt finde the affliction farre more bitter, and their sorrow in the losse so much the sharper, as the louelove was eager in inioying their peace: and perhaps they will tell thee, they were neuer such gainers by all their prosperity, as they were losers by it, or gainers by that present affliction.