Circumspect Walking, Chapter 7
CHAP. VII.
RVles of wisdome concerning God,Rules of wisedome concerning things of God. and the things of God, are foure.
1. That God is to be loued aboue all, and that for himselfe,1. LoueLove God as the chiefest good. being the chiefe good. This is the scope of the whole first table, the first and the great commandement, Mark. 12. 33. To louelove God witb all the heart, all the vnderstanding, all the soule, and all the strength, is more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices, as the Scribe confessed; whereupon the text inferres hee answered (foreign, cordaté,) discreetly, wisely, and that in Christs iudgement. This is wisedome, to giuegive God the first place, first thoughts, first seruice, chiefe prayse and precedency:Rom. 11. 36. for, of him, and through him, and from him are all things.
2.2. Purchase Christ aboue all gaine. Another chiefe point of spirituall wisedome in the things of God, is, to purchase Christ and remission of sinnes aboue all things in the world. The sound Christian is that wise marchant, that sels all to buy the pearle, that is, Christ and his righteousnesse: that wise builder, that layes Christ a sure foundation in his heart: Hee is of the number of those wise Virgins, that will be sure (what euer they lacke) to furnish themselues of oyle in their lamps to meet their bridegroome. Wisedome will procure the best commodities,Phil. 1. 21. and chiefe gaine, which is Christ both in life and death. Paul was a wise marchant, who esteemed all things drosse and dung in comparison of Christ. So were the Disciples, saying, Master wee hauehave lest all and followed thee. …So were the Martyrs, whom the world accounted simple fooles, in following Christ with the losse of life and all. Happy is that soule, and filled with found and sauing wisedome, that comes to Christ with this resolution, Master, thou hast the words of eternall life, and whither shall I go?
3.3. Chuse best things first. Let vsus preferre in our election and choice things of higher nature, before things of inferiour: for wisdome keeps a method, by which it euer subordinateth lower things to higher. This rule our Sauiour prescribeth, Mat. 6. 33. First seeke the Kingdome of God, and his righteousnesse, and then the things of this life▪ first prouide for hea…en, and then for earth. By which rule of wisedome, 1. all profits and pleasures must giuegive place to piety: for all is but pidling gaine to godlinesse. 2. By this rule of wisedome, the speciall calling and trade of life must giuegive place to the generall calling, which is the trade of Christianity. 3. By this rule a Christian must chuse to bee rich in God and good workes, rather than in the world: which because the rich man in the Gospell neglected,Luk. 12. 20 hee is called foole for his labour. 4. By this rule wee must with Dauid, more affect one glimpse of Gods fauour and countenance,Psal. 4. than all corne, wine, and oyle, that is, the most necessary and delightful profits in the world. 5. By this rule wee must make more account of pardon of sinnes locked vp in our breasts, than of the whole treasury of a Kingdome in our chests. 6. By this rule wee must esteeme a graine of grace aboue a million of gold: and 7. a poore godly man aboue a wicked Prince: Eccles. 4. 13. Better is a wise childe than an old foolish King; which will not be admonished.
4.4▪ Feare Go… and keepe his Commandements. Feare …od, and keepe his Commandements: for this is the whole man, Eccles. 12. 13. This is to apply our hearts to wisedome, to set our hearts to keepe Gods Commandements, and do them: this is our wisedome, Deut. 4. 5. Who is a wise man among you, endued with knowledge? let him by good conuersation shew his works in meeknesse of wisdome, Iam. 5. 13. A wise man will attend the mouth of the King, and will feare the danger of the law: so a wise Christian will walke in the law of the Lord, Psa. 119. 1. and will be sure to keepe him to this rule and warrant contained in the word of God, Gal. 6. 16. And as a wise man is carefull to keepe his assurances and euidences for the certainty of his lands and earthly liuelihoods, and is loth to forfeit any of them by failing in any of the conditions: So it is the wisedome of a godly man to keepe the Word safely in his heart, which assureth him of his estate in heauen, and which hee is loth to forfeit by failing in the conditions and clauses of it