Circumspect Walking, Chapter 29
CHAP. XXIX.
Rules of walking wisely towards good men.
THE first of these rules is in respect of our affection,1. Rule brotherly affection. to louelove the godly with brotherly louelove. Heb. 13. 1.It is true indeed, all men must be loued, but here is required a more speciall louelove, as betweene brethren, of which Saint Peter saith, 2. 1. 7. Ioyne with godlinesse brotherly kindnesse, because they are of the same father and family of God. The reason of this rule is this: the nearer any man comes to God, or expresseth him, the more right he hath into our affections for Gods image sake: and here is a straiter bond then that of nature. The Apostle makes this a mark of Gods child, to louelove the brethren, 1 Ioh. 3. 10. and Dauid professeth, that all his delight was in the Saints, Psal. 16. 2.the excellent on earth: and Rom 2. 10. Be affectioned one to another with brotherly louelove. Many things in Gods child…ē might draw our eyes vntounto them.And because this cannot be, except men see more in Gods pople then ordinary, therefore labour to see, 1. Their high birth and true nobility, Ioh. 1. 13 Not of bloud, nor of the will of flesh, but of God. 3. Their kindred and alliance: they are Sonnes of God, brethren of Christ, who was not ashamed to call them brebrethrē, Heb. 2. 11. 3. Their high office and place, whom Christ the faithfull witnesse, the first borne from the dead, and the Prince of the Kings of the earth, hath loued and washed from their sinnes by his bloud, to make them Kings and Priests vntounto God, Reu. 1. 5. 4. Their beauty and glory, being couered with long white robes of righteousnesse and holinesse; such as Kings anciently were distinguished by, wherein they appeare most louely and gracefull to God, Angels, and good men: nothing is wanting to their perfection of beauty, seeing they are complete in Christ the head of all power, Col. 2. 10. 5. Their present wealth, and future expectation: Their goods are God the chiefe good, Christ giuen them of God for righteousnesse, the holy Ghost sent into their hearts for sanctification and consolation; eternall election, effectuall calling, iustification. And their future expectation is the City of God, the heauenly Ierusalem, which God hath prepared for them, Heb. 11. 16.
Now were it a wise course for a man to disaffect the chiefe fauourite of his King? and are not Gods children Gods chiefe fauourites? Were it a safe thing to hate the people of God, to disaffect them, to lowre vponupon them, seeing the Lord obserues what lookes are cast downe vponupon his children, as in Cain? How was Balaam slaine by the Lord for desiring euill to Israel, though himselfe could doe them none but by his wicked counsell? These are the last times in which men are louers of themselues, and of men onelyonly for their owne aduantage, 2 Tim. 3. 2. they louelove them for their wealth, ease, and pompe, not for God and his graces.
2. Wee must not onelyonly affect their persons,2. Rule. Faithfull communion. but also embrace a fruitfull fellowship and society with them in the Gospell. This is the Apostles rule, 1 Pet. 2. 17. LoueLove brotherly fellowship: and how glad was hee for the fellowship of the Philippians in the Gospell, Phil. 1. 5.
Now the meanes of fruitfull conuersing with the godly,Meanes of fruitfull ronuerse. are these:
First, to consider one another, what need the best hauehave to bee prouoked and whetted on, especially in these euill and cold dayes, yea, such times as nip and blast piety, and the feare of God, Heb. 3. 13. Exhort one another daily, least yee be hardened through the deceitfulnesse of sinne. Think what a fearefull thing it is to fall from the grace of God, yea or the degrees of it; and would we suffer a brother to runne into this danger?
Secondly, chuse fit matter to conferre of in company, either by calling to minde things heard, or by stirring vp to profitable hearing, diligent proceeding, in offensiue walking, watchfull speaking, and the like: or if need be, of admonition, exhortation, or reproofe, shew thy louelove therein; full clouds will distill rain, light will shine abroad, and charitable knowledge is communicatiue.
Thirdly, bee sure to performe these priuate Christian duties in good, and holy, and vnrebukeable manner: as, 1. orderly, those beginning which are fittest in gifts and place, as Elihu spake in his turne: 2. humbly, none seeking to speake beyond his skill and reach: 3. wisely, watching the fittest time, and best occasion: 4. meekly and louingly, without reasonings and murmuring, Phil. 2. 15. none crossing others, but through louelove one forbearing another, aduising in the spirit of meekenesse, and with offering to submit themselues in other cases to receiue words of exhortation and admonition: 5. Conscionably, so as in all such meetings and conference, eueryevery one be an helper to the truth, 3 Iohn 8. to finde it out, not to obscure or weaken it. By these meanes we shall hauehave cause to reioyce in our Christian fellowship, as Ionathan and Dauid, 1 Sam. 23. 14.
Fourthly, obserue the graces that are in others, for a patterne to our selues, 1 Thes. 1. 7. for our owne prouocation and imitation: Yea, spie and encourage the graces of God in the weakest and meanest Christian, so framing our selues to that marke of a good man, who honours all that feare the Lord, Ps. 15. 4. Neither let the strongest scorne to ree…iue helpe from the weakest: Moses was content to be aduised by Iethro, and Dauid by Abigail: and note Pauls humility, Rom. 1. 12. he hoped to come and be comforted by their faith, as wel as to helpe theirs.
Fiftly, in the vse of good company, beware of giuing any occasion of scandall, or offence to any, Matth. 18. 7, 8. leaue no ill smell behinde thee: auoide the note of pride, conceit, forwardnesse in speaking, frowardnesse, or stiffenesse in thine owne sense, 1 Iohn 2. 10. He that loueth his brother, there is no occasion of stumbling or scandall in him.
Motiues to prouoke vsus wisely to carry our selues in good company.Motiues thus to carry our selues in good company.
1. Consider how in our company we are especially to watch, seeing in no part of our life we are sooner corrupted then in that, seeing in no part of our life wee doe so much discouer our selues, and seeing in no part thereof, we doe either more good or more harme seeing wee doe nothing without witnesse, & should doe nothing which wee would not hauehave exēplary.
2. As Sathan laies snares eueryevery where, so also in our company one with another, not so much to bring the godly to such excesse of riot, as he effecteth in wicked societies, where is swearing, gaming, drinking, rayling, &c. but to make them vnfruitfull, and keepe them from the good they might do: and sofarre preuaileth, as sometimes impertinent speech, sometime debate & detracting speeches arise, and the most tolerable speech is worldlinesse, which stealeth away the heart and the time; so as some who intended more good to themselues and others, carry away hearts smiting them, for not better employing that oportunity.
3. There is apparant losse, when we watch not to doe or receiue good, in company with good men. For godly men by reason of their callings, and distance of places, seldome meet; and when they doe, they lose the gaine of that time in their speciall calling; and if they get it not vp in the furtherance of the generall calling of a Christian, it is vtterly lost. And what but this makes the mindfulnesse one of another sweet in their absence, when there was reaped so good fruit one of another in their presence?
4. By this wise and fruitfull carriage of company and meetings of good men, Christians shall stop the mouthes of such as are euer complaining of, and accusing Christian meetings to be scarce to any other purpose, but to detract, defame, slander, censure, to strengthen one another in faction, and the like. Or if such mouthes will not bee shut, yet the conscience of Christians may reioyce in the contrary innocency, and not bee deiected by such false testimony.
3. Rule. 3. ApologyIn our speeches, let vsus be proctors and sollicitors for the Saints, speake wisely and willingly of the good we know in our brethren, and maintaine the cause, person, and name of good men to our power. The sincerity of louelove betweene Dauid and Ionathan was manifest; in that Ionathan defended Dauids innocency to Saul his father, not onelyonly to the losse of his Kingdome, but the danger of his own life. Ebed-melech the blackemoore spake a good word for Ieremy, and was saued from destruction, when his master Zedekiah was slaine. Nicodemus euen in the beginning of grace spake for Christ, when the whole Councell was against him. And how dangerous is it to deuise and inuent words against Cods children, as Dauids enemies; to belie, or reproach them, to raise or receiue slanders against them? If such as stand not for grace, shall fall, then much more they that stand against it. How needfull is this Apology for them, against the reproaches and scornes of this age? How earnestly would children speake for their parents, brethren, or kindred? Euen so should it bee here. It is nothing to speake for a man when others speak for him.
4. Rule. 4. Rule. Helpfulnesse.Concerning our actions towards good men, we should eueryevery way bestirre our selues to procure their good and welfare: we must to our hearts and affections ioyne our hands and helpe to doe them good, yea, be ready to lay our hands vnderunder the feet of the Saints. Gal. 6. 10. Doe good to all, but especially to the houshold of faith.
Now in speciall,Meanes of it. 1. We must preuent from them all the euill we can, hinder them from sinnes, and from falling, hinder by al means reproach from their profession, and danger from their persons. 2. If thou findest a good man s…iptinto an infirmity, labour to couer it, make the best of it as may be, vaunt not thy selfe ouer him, but consider thy selfe, and by al good means cure it if it lye in thy power. 3. If thou finde a good man stand in need of inward comfort, and cast downe, helpe to raise him againe: Christ was sent to speake a word of comfort to the wearie, and eueryevery Christian hath receiued of his annointing. When Dauid was in deepe distresse, his faithfull friend Ionathan comforted him in the Lord his God, 1 Sam. 23. 16. 4. If thou knowest a good man helpes, and without outward comforts, thou must now shew bowels of mercy and compassion, gladly receiuing the poore Saints, communicating willingly and freely to their necessity, 1 Pet. 3. 8. LoueLove one another as brethren, be pittifull. 1 Ioh. 3. 17. He that hath this worlds good, and seeth his brothers need, and shuts vp his compassion from him, how dwelleth the louelove of God in him.
To stirre vsus vp hereunto,Mot…ues to the former duty. consider these motiues: 1. Say with thy selfe, What? am not I a member of the same body with him? Is not he of the same family and houshold of Saints? This is the Apostles argument, especially do good to the houshold of faith. 2. What shall I gaine, if by word or deed I shall make sad the hearts of good and godly men? Cannot Cain cast downe his lookes, but God lookes on it? Cannot Ismael laugh at Isaac, but the Lord arraigns and condemnes him of high persecution? Surely then cannot I carry the like indignities scotfree. 3. Doe I read Merioz accursed, because she came not out to helpe the people of God, though she had no hand against them? Iudg. 5. 23. Surely I must nor only not hauehave a hand against good men, but I must set my hand to helpe them, else is not my heart so right as it should. Pilats wife wished her hsuband to hauehave nothing to doe against that iust man: but happy had Pilate beene (who was not violent against Christ) to hauehave beene earnest and resolute for his deliuerance; the defect whereof was his ouerthrow. And so it shall bee heauy enough in the day of iudgment, that wicked mens hands hauehave not helped the godly, seeing the sentence shall not run because they had hurt them, but because they helped them not.