Circumspect Walking, Chapter 34
CHAP. XXXIIII.
Answering obiections against circumspect walking.
ANd whereas our age aboundeth with men of prophane mindes and mouthes, who would turne all this our glory into shame, and censure this speech of the holy Ghost, which prescribeth a strict, precise, and accurate walking: (why? say they: what need men be so strict? and, shall no man come to heauen, but such as are so strict and curious?) and the whole world, almost, thinkes it a most idle and needlesse course: wee will therefore answer some obiections that are made against it.
Obiect. 1. A great many hauehave liued honestly and well, that were neuer so foolish and strict. I hope to serue God, and doe no man harme, and what need more?
Answ. 1. Wee must walke by rule, not by example, except it be of the best, not of the most.
2. The Pharisies led a ciuill life, were outwardly very iust to the tything of Mint and Anise, and very deuout in their worship: and yet if our righteousnesse exceed not theirs, we can neuer enter into the kingdome of heauen, Mat. 5. 20.
3. The righteousnesse of God goes beyond all ciuill and outward righteousnesse; it is inward, in spirit and truth; it cuts off not onelyonly outward acts of murder, vncleannesse, theft &c. but inward motions of hatred, wantonnesse, couetousnesse: it strikes at roots and branches, and hates the least and secretest euill, which ciuill righteousnesse makes no bones of.
Obiect. 2. But this circumspect and strict walking is taken vp but by a few, and those of the meanest: some men of great wisedome, place, and learning fauour it not, but scorne and oppose it.
Answ. 1. Christianity was euer hated by the most of the world, because of the crosse: the Church is blacke, Cant. 1. 5.because the sunne lookes on her, but comely to God and his Angels; and this makes few enter that way. 2. The Apostle directly meets with this obiection, 1 Cor. 1. 27. Not many mighty, not many noble, not many wise: Zeph. 3. 12.but God hath chosen a few poore people, and they shall call vponupon his Name: And why not many of those? Because they cannot so easily deny themselues and this euill world, which they must doe that will be saued. 3. Let vsus not wholly cast our eyes vponupon the examples of the world now declining; and, as at last, so at worst; but vponupon such as formerly hauehave been set as eye-markes in the Scripture, and we shal find some, both great, and noble, and learned, going before vsus in strict and circumspect walking. The holy Patriarks; Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Iacob; godly and zealous Kings, Dauid, Salomon, Iosiah; the holy Apostles, who endeauoured alwayes to hauehave a cleare conscience before God and all men, Acts 24. 16. yea, the most wise, noble, and learned that euer was, the Sonne of God, whose conuersation was such as none could accuse him of sin. These are the cloud of witnesses, which we must follow in running the race set before vsus, Heb. 12. 1.
Obiect. 3. But what an impossible commādement is this, and who can beare it? Can wee be Saints in this world, thus to order our selues in eueryevery thing? Wee are sinners, and must be sinners, and cannot be thus strict as you require. Wee hope wee generally meane well, and God (we hope) will supply the rest.
Answ. 1. The scope of this plea is, to giuegive ouerall, because they cannot attain all: which is but a false fire, by which the deuill discourageth many from the narrow way, and the narrow looking to their owne way. For true it is, that we call with the Scripture for a keeping of all Gods commandements, alwayes, and to liue with God, and walk with him: but with Euangelicall interpretation, which accepteth the will, desire, and endeuour to walke with God in eueryevery thing; which cannot but in some measure be found in a true beleeuer, and cannot but in Christ be accepted, where it is true and hearty. Thus the Scriptures interpret themselues: 1 Chr. 28. 7. If Salomon shall endeuour to keep my commandements, &c. Hos. 6. 3. Wee shall endeuour to know the Lord. What can God accept lesse, or a good heart tender lesse than hearty wishes, where strength is wanting to please God in all things? 2▪ Let vsus by the straitnesse of the Commaundement consider whence we are fallen, and see our impotency, and confesse our failings, but not therefore allow our selues in any euill, or venture on any sin which wee might by this circumspection auoid, or remit our endeuour in the respect of all Gods Commandements. 3. For such as thinke it sufficient to meane wel in generall; consider this, that as no Master is pleased, if his Steward bring him in a generall bill of great sums spent, wherein hee may hide much deceit; but sets downe no dayes accounts, or weekes bils of parcels: no more in the matter of heauenly treasure, is it enough to hide himselfe in generall good meanings, but in eueryevery particular to auoid deceit and suspition of it. And as it is with a traueller in an vnknowne way, who will not goe at random, nor count it a sufficient direction to bee set Eastward or Westward, but he will aske eueryevery man of eueryevery Towne, and take good heed of eueryevery marke, to passe him from one place to another: so in this our passage to heauen, we must keepe our speciall directions, and walke with God in eueryevery thing, if we wil happily passe vntounto heauen.
Obiect. 4. But what need such daily and continuall troubling of our selues? What was the Sabbath made for, but for Gods seruice? and wee keepe our Church as well as any: but for the weeke-dayes, wee hauehave callings to follow, and cannot intend such things: and it were better if some of these nice fellowes were more diligent in their calling, as we be.
Answ. 1. Seeing the rule by which we must walk, is to serue God in holinesse and righteousnesse all our dayes, Luk. 1. 75.we hauehave no liberty to part the weeke betweene God and vsus. Neither must wee put on holinesse as an holy-day garment, to put it off at night: neither may wee be lesse holy on other daies than on the Sabbath: howsoeuer wee must exercise our holinesse in the publike worship of God on that day, and in the priuate worship, and in the personall callings on the other dayes. 2. Hee is a good Christian, that keeps a perpetuall Sabbath, and is not onelyonly one on the Sabbath day. The triall of soundnesse is at home,Psal. 101. 2. in the middest of a mans house; and not at Church, where the Pharisie is often aboue the Publican. 3. Thou hast a calling on the weeke-day, in which thou must sweat and abide who euer thou art; but thou must not so play the good husband, as to become a worldling.1 Cor. 7. 3… Vse the world as not vsing it, as not affecting it: and acknowledge thy special and personall calling to be subordinate to the generall: for in the whole exercise of thy special calling, thou must shew forth thy knowledge, and religious keeping of a good conscience: once diuorce these two, and neuer look for successe on thy labours.
Obiect. 5. But this is fitter for Ministers and cloistered persons, who hauehave giuen themselues to continuall deuotion, than for ordinary and common men, who are not acquainted with such nouelties.
Answ. 1. If all Christians be alike subiect to sinne, al hauehave need to be continually alike fenced against it. If all hauehave the same enemies, all had need stand vponupon their ground. If one mans heart be as wicked as anothers, eueryevery man had need set a watch round about himselfe. And if any hauehave more need than other, it is vnlearned and simple persons, who want such means of helping themselues, as learned Preachers hauehave. 2. As for the nouelty of this circumspect course, wee must needs say it is so to such as are of Festus his suit, who thinkes Paul learned euen to madnesse, to call him to such strictnesse: or Gallio his Disciples, Act. 18. who being of no religion, cannot bee at leisure to giuegive it hearing. But we hauehave seene it to be no nouelty to the Spirit of God, eueryevery where charging it vponupon vsus: nor to the godly guided by his Spirit, who can neither be idle nor vnfruitfull in the worke of the Lord.
Obiect. 6. I like such as can be so strict, and I could wish so to be; but then I must part from the pleasure and ioy of my life: for this continuall watch and circumspection is full of melancholy, and vncomfortable: it hinders neighbours from sports and merriments, breakes of good company, and makes the husband and wise often look heauily one vponupon another: and besides, I should lose some profits and customers, and wrong my estate by neglecting it.
Ans. 1. This is a cleane contrary iudgement to Gods Spirit: Pro. 3. 17. Her wayes are the wayes of pleasures. Gods wisedome, ordering the wayes of man, brings true ioy and pleasure. For, is there no ioy in God, in his word, which was wont to be as sweet, Psal. 19.as the hony-combe, nor in the Spirit of God, which is called the Comforter?Ioh. 16. Is it such a thing of heauinesse to liue with God? Alas! what is such an heart made of! 2. What delights doe we call men from, but such as are carnall, foolish, perishing, and vnlawfull; stollen waters so sweet and sauoury to corrupt flesh, the forbidden fruit which a Christian should neither touch nor taste, and happy he were if he neuer saw it? 3. There is no sorrow in godly life; but all the sorrow of Gods seruants, is, that they cannot bee more godly. Lay this for a ground, that God is thy chiefe delight, and no man may be so moderately ioyfull as thou. 4. For pleasant companionship, thou losest no good company, but exchangest for better: thou hast now fellowship with God, vnion with Iesus Christ, the inseparable presence of Gods blessed Spirit, the attendance of the Angels, the Communion of the Saints, the benefit of their prayers, conference, comfort, and example. This is a pleasant thing for brethren in the faith to liue together in vnity. Psal. 123. 1And what true ioy is there in the company of gamesters, drinkers, swearers, riotous or idle persons, who are neuer merry vnlesse they bee mad, and neuer glad but when they hauehave driuen away the remembrance of God? 5. As for the losse of any part of thy estate, trust God on his word: Pro. 3. 16. In her right hand is length of dayes, and in her left hand, riches and glory. Neuer did true piety weaken any mans estate: but godlinesse hath beene the true and constant gaine: this makes a small portion sweet and pretious, and entailes a blessing vponupon it, when it passeth into the hands of our posterity after vsus.