Circumspect Walking, Chapter 35
CHAP. XXXV.
Markes of a man walking circumspectly.
ANd seeing most men beguile themselues with the goodnes of their present course,Markes of a circumspect walker. and esteem a ciuill life & external honesty, not onelyonly vnblameable enough, but iustifiable and sufficiently commendable; Be it known to them that if they examine not the goodnesse of their course by this doctrine, they are farre from Gods approbation, whatsoeuer they may conceiue of themselues. In which examination I will help them with a few notes and signes of a circumspect Person, by whose wayes as by a right line they may both see the crookednesse, and at length begin to straiten the obliquity of their owne.
1. A circumspect man watcheth all occasions for his owne good and aduantage, and if they be offered, slips them not: So a circūspect Christian looks round about him, and thinkes it not sufficient to take occasions of grace and well-doing, being offred, but will seeke them. How might eueryevery moment of our liues make vsus more stored with grace then other, if we would seeke occasions of good to our selues? What a rich stocke of grace might we hauehave attained? How rich in good workes? How should we hauehave furthered our reckoning?
2. A circumspect man lookes round about him, and so ordereth his many businesses, as one hinder not the other, but all may goe forward, and so saueth one commodity as another be not lost or lie in hazard: So a circumspect Christian casteth his occasions; as, seeing eueryevery Christian duty is enioyned him, he hath respect to all Gods Commandements. Duties of piety shall not iustle out ciuill duties, nor ciuill duties eate out duties of piety; but as one hand helpes another, so one table shall further the other, one calling forward another: yea, he lookes to the thriuing of all his graces. Hee will walke very humbly before God, but so as hee maintaine his ioy in God. His moderation shal not damp his zeale, his zeale shall not out-runne his knowledge. His prouidence shall not lessen his faith, nor his faith destroy his prouidence. His louelove with mens persons brings him not into louelove with their sinnes, and his hatred of their sinnes, impeacheth not his louelove of their persons. His righteousnesse to men hindreth not his mercy, neither doth cruell mercy withstand or thrust down needfull iustice. Thus he is busie in maintaining all his graces, all of them being of great vse, and all of them flowing from the same Spirit.
3. A circumspect man will be sure not to disaduantage himselfe by his words, but will speake to his owne profit: So a circumspect Christians words make for his owne best aduantage. Hee will speake for Gods glory, for good men, and good causes. He will be sure to profit himselfe and others with gracious & religious speeches,Gal. 4. 6. and be silent where fruitfull speech will not bee heard. Exercise to good speeches brings a dexterity and readinesse of wellspeaking, to which eueryevery Christian is exhorted, Col. 4. 6. Let your speeches be gracious alwayes▪ and powdred with salt, that yee may know how to answer eueryevery man.
4. As a wary and circumspect man proues a good husband for the world, so circumspect Christians are the best husbands for their soules: such a one hath wisdome and will to increase his estate of grace by eueryevery thing, and thinkes himselfe then truly rich, when hee thriues in the best commodities. He conceiues himselfe rich, not when hee hath things about him to leaue to his heirs, but when hee hath his wealth personally in himselfe, and for himselfe, such wealth as he carries to heauen with him. A circumspect Christian will not winne the whole world with the losse of his owne soule, which is nothing but to make his heires happy in his owne eternall misery. A circumspect Christian is not so carefull to heape vp gold, as good workes in abundance, and by workes of mercy and louelove, hee makes himself bags that wax not old, a treasure in heauen that can neuer faile, where the thiefe commeth not, nor the moth corrupteth, Luk. 12. 33. A circumspect Christian is not so carefull for the soyling, tilling, and sowing of his ground, the mounding of his pasture, the weeding of his field, the pruning of his trees, the feeding of his cattell; as in fencing the heart against temptation, in sowing the seed of Gods word, in weeding of sinne by the roots out of his soule; in feeding and fostering of grace. Here is a good husband for himselfe: hee hath that within himselfe that is better then all without him, and requires more tendance then they all.
How improuident then are we in our generall callings, whiles wee take not opportunities of good in publike or priuate, but slip many lessons, Sermons, and comforts on the Sabbath, and on weeke-dayes? and whiles wee will not offer a sacrifice of almes, when God sets vp an Altar before vsus? How doe our speciall callings eat out our care of the generall, and are all in ciuilities, whiles for the thrift of grace, wee are altogether idle and vnprofitable? How many vaine and vile speeches, vnfruitfull, vnsauoury, and hurtfull, doe our corrupt hearts send out, according to their owne fulnesse, by swearing, slandering, lying, cursing, and the like? How bad husbands are men for their soules, whiles they hauehave not a horse, a pig, a sheepe, yea, scarce a dog about their house, but is more tended, and better prouided for than their soules? whiles they will scarce let any dunghill lye about their house, so nasty as their soules? nor any patch of ground so neglected as their owne hearts, that they grow like nettles and brambles, to bee cut vp and cast into the fire?
FINIS.
End of the text · Thomas Taylor, Circumspect Walking (1631)