Circumspect Walking, Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII.
Containing rules of wisedome concerning the innner man; and first of the minde, thoughts, and will.
BEing to entreat of the rules of wisdome concerning man & the things of man, good order requireth that wee begin with such as concerne 1. ones selfe, and 2. others. They which concerne a mans selfe, respect either the inner man, or the outward. The inner man in fiue particulars: 1. in his minde, 2. thoughts, 3. will, 4. conscience, and 5. affections.
For the minde,Rules for the mind. these rules of wisedome are necessary to be remembred.
1.1. To enlighten it. To furnish it with necessary, profitable, and humble knoledge: The mans eies are in his head, Ecl. 2. 13. This is a wisedome to sobriety, Rom. 12. 13. where also the Apostle condemneth curiosity and conceitednesse, which wastes out time, aud brings infinite idle questions, wherein men presume aboue that which is meet. The Prophet Dauid professed hee medled not with things too high for him.Psa 131. 1. And the Apostle Paul desired after his conuersion to know nothing but Iesus Christ, 1 Cor. 2. 2.and him crucified. As for humblenesse in knowledge, Salomon saith, The way of a foole is right in his owne eyes, Pro. 12. 15. and, A wise man in his owne conceit is more hopelesse than a foole, Pro. 26. 12. 16. Our rule therfore must be to grow vp in wisdome, and as wee grow in knowledge, so to grow in humility: for the more sound knowledge a man attains, the more shall hee see in himselfe to humble him.
2.2. To dec… it. To decke and adorne the minde with humility, holinesse, modesty, shamefastnesse, &c. 1 Pet. 3. 4, 5. and, Col. 3. 12. As the elect of God, put on tender mercy, kindnesse, humblenesse, and meeknesse▪ but aboue all things put on louelove, v. 14.
The second sort of rules concerns a mans thoughts.Rules for the thoughts. The generall is in Pro. 4. 23. Keepe thy heart with all diligence: for it is slippery and deceitfull; more than necessary to watch and suspect it, and to set time apart to check and reclaime it. But for the better keeping of thy thoughts in order, thinke on these particulars: 1. GiueGive God the first thoughts1. GiueGive God thy first thoughts, that he may hold the chiefe part in thy heart: and this will sweetly relish the heart, and by estranging it from worldly impediments, fit it, and keepe it in preparednesse for all good occasions▪ Psa. 108. 1, 2, 3. Dauid prepares his heart, and will awake early to praise the Lord: the way to walke safely and comfortably all the day, is first to reforme that which is within.
2. Examine2. Examin them whence they come and whither they goe. thy thoughts whence they come, and whither they go, and what they doe in thee: By which meanes thou shalt banish a number of idle and wandeing thoughts, which like roauing vagrants, being worth nothing, come euer to steale something, either time or grace: and so shalt thou make and keepe roome for better. And doe this betime, because the first motions of sinnefull thoughts defile a man. This rule is in 2 Cor. 10. 5. to draw weapons against eueryevery strong imagination, that is exalted against the knowledge of Christ.
3.3. Pul them from the world. If thy thoughts concerne the world, pull them backe, keepe them from the world, saue as much as needs must for the moderate maintaining of thy selfe and thine, lest heauenly thoughts bee drowned and hindred, 1 Tim. 6. 9. The reason is, because our hearts being earthly, doe presently conceiue a sweetnesse in earthly things, and are presently distracted from the louelove of the Creator, to the louelove of the creature. Now spirituall wisedome requireth, that wee diminish the louelove of the creature, that we may in crease our louelove of the Creator. But, if they will run vponupon the world, then turne the course of them a little, to consider the va…ity and misery of this euill world, the painted vizor of the pleasures of it, the vncertainty of life, the deceitfulnesse of riches, how they be not ours, what euils and incumbrances we hauehave receiued from the world, what fools they hauehave made vsus in treasuring on earth, whose home and expectation is in heauen.
4.If they concerne thy selfe or others, see they be humble. If thy thoughts concerne thy selfe, or others thy brethren, labour to think better of others than thy selfe: for thou seest no such thing in them as in thy selfe: Phil. 2. 3. Let eueryevery one esteeme better of another than of himselfe. Yea, the more thou seemest to excell others in gifts, the more humble labor to be. An hard rule, and difficult to be practised: and therefore it is often cōmended to vsus, as Rom. 12. 16. Make your selues equall to them of the lower sort▪ and elswhere. For this purpose, conceiue not onelyonly what thou hast receiued, but what thou wantest, and what good things thou art without: and then with Paul, say thou hast not yet attained to perfection.Phil. 3. 12.
5. If thy thoughts concerne any sinne,5. If they concerne sin. be sure it bee to hate it be sure it be to hate and reno…nce, to bewaile and mourne for it, in thy selfe or others. For there is a slynesse and subtilty in sinne, which while we thinke of, it easily gaineth some tickling and consent, which at least hindreth that through-hatred that wee ought to maintaine against it.
The third rule for the inner man concerneth the will,Rules for the will. namely,Concurrence of our will with Gods will. that our care must be, there bee but one will betweene God and vsus: for so hath the Lord taught vsus to pray, Thy will bee done. 1. Wherein soeuer God hath reuealed his will to vsus,1. reuealing. in that we must rest. 2. Whatsoeuer his will determineth of vsus,2. determining. that wee we must account holy and iust, whether with vsus or against vsus. 3. Whatsoeuer his will prescribeth to vsus,3. prescribing. whether obedience to the law, or faith of the Gospel, wee must hold our selues fast bound in conscience vntounto it, let it seeme neuer so crosse to vsus, or contrary to his law, as Abraham did in offering his sonne. 4. Whatsoeuer his will disposeth to vsus,4 disposing. prosperity or aduersity, sicknesse or health, life or death, or whatsoeuer else; all is from a most wise hand, disposing eueryevery thing for the good and saluation of his elect, and so should bee entertained. Thus Eli said,1 Sam. 3. 18. It is the Lord, let him doe what is good in his eyes: Esa. 39. 8.and Hezekiah, The word of the Lord is good, euen when it threatned the ouerthrow of his house and Kingdome. So Dauid, Psa. 39. 9. I held my tongue, and said nothing, because thou Lord didst it: Ch. 1. v. 21and Iob, The Lord giueth, and the Lord taketh, blessed be the name of the Lord.