Characters of a Godly Man, Address · Letter 3
Sirs,
I have now made you a ſmall Looking-Glaſs. Need I intreat that you carry it in your Pockets alway, and uſe it often? I preſume ſome will ſo do; and I do deſire all. It is, through the Grace of Chriſt, a ſmall thing unto me, to be by many ſo treated as you know. I am bold to ſay, If I am beſides my ſelf it is for your ſakes. I do therefore reject the Requests of ſome miſtaken Friends, and deſpiſe the Tattles and Scribbles of prophane Adverſaries; becauſe (as the Goſpel teaches) and Experience demonſtrates) the fooliſhneſs of God is wiſer than men, and the weakneſs of God is ſtronger than men. That of God (ſaith Mr. Baxter) which Men count fooliſhneſs and weakneſs, and deride, doth overcom their pretended Wiſdom and Strength, and do that which they cannot do, and proveth them to be but Folly and Weakneſs. I will promiſe you to Preach and Write as Men will call more Learnedly, as ſoon as I become indifferent whether I do them Profitably, or no. In the mean time I ſhall labour to Exerciſe my own, and Serve your Faith and Joy, in my Plainneſs, or (as it muſt be ſtyled) Rudeneſs. Knowing, that he whom we look for from Heaven, will ere long come, as we are certified by Canonical Scripture. And then, as it is not amiſs expreſſed in the Apocryphal Writings,
Then ſhall the Righteous man ſtand with great Boldneſs before the face of ſuch as Afflicted him, and made no account of his Labours. When they ſhall ſee it, they ſhall be troubled with terrible fear, and ſhall be amazed at the ſtrangeneſs of his Salvation; ſo far beyond all they looked for. And they, repenting and groaning for anguiſh of ſpirit, ſhall ſay within themſelves; THIS IS HE whom we had ſometimes in Deriſion, and a Proverb of Reproach. WE FOOLS accounted his Life madneſs, and his End to be without honour. But how is he numbred amongst the Children of God, and his lot is among the Saints? Wiſd. 5.4, 5.
Brethren, ſuffer ye a word of Caution and of Exhortation, and I have done.
The Religion of moſt Profeſſors ſeemeth Dead, the Religion of many ſeerneth Dying, the Religion of very few ſeems Thriving. It is the Exerciſe of Grace that ſtrengthneth the Habits; and it is the induſtrious Performance of univerſal Duty that maintains that Exerciſe. Neither is there any Thriving in Religion without both of them. In theſe things do our Souls Live, and in them doth their Proſperity conſiſt, and appear. And unto theſe things have I endeavoured to Direct and Quicken you. I will not tell you, with how careful a Soul I have ſo done. Full often I do think, and often I would have you all to think, of the three Evangeliſts account of Chriſt's Reproof of his Diſciples. In Matthew it is thus; Why are ye ſo fearful, O ye of LITTLE Faith! In Mark it is thus; How is it that ye have NO Faith! In Luke it is thus; WHERE is your Faith? Mat. 8.26. Mark 4.40. Luke 8.25. The Difference is exceedingly eaſie to be reconciled; and the Doctrine is as exceedingly deſirable to be obſerved and improved. Weak Faith is Little; Little Faith is next to none; and Faith that is in its Degree next to none, will, as to its Exerciſe, often be to ſeek, as if it were none. They that have but little Grace, will very often have it to ſeek, when they ſhould have it to uſe. By means whereof, the Comforter, which would otherwiſe relieve their Souls, is oftentimes far from them. And long it is ere he ſpeaketh Peace to them, or lets them ſpeak it to themſelves, or be comforted by all that Miniſters can ſpeak or write.
Of any Text in the Bible, I beſeech you, as on my bended Knees, remember Gal. 5.16. WALK IN THE SPIRIT, AND YE SHALL NOT FULFIL THE LUST OF THE FLESH. 1 You have oppoſite Principles in you, Fleſh and Spirit. Impurity and Purity. Original Sin planted Impurity in you, Temptations water it, Satan gives it encreaſe. Free grace plants Purity in you, free grace waters it, free grace gives it encreaſe. 2 You have a liberty of walking according to each of the foreſaid Principles. To the Fleſhly, and to the Spiritual one; the Pure and the Impure. If you cannot live ſinfully at all, you are perfect in Grace; if you cannot live holily and acceptably unto God, you are void of Grace. Young Joſeph hath ability to repel Temptations; and Older David hath ability to comply with Temptations. Satan cannot force us unto Evil, and the Holy Ghost doth not ever force us unto Good; it is voluntarily that we do all the Evil and the Good done by us. Grace doth find us ſinful Men, and free unto Evil; and it makes us ſincere Chriſtians, and free unto Good. It doth not, as Glory doth, take away our poſſibility of ſinning; in Mind, Will, or Work. Our ſtate on Earth is one, and that in Heaven is another: 3 Your Duty of Duties it is (therefore) to make the beſt uſe of your Liberty. To ſide with the Spiritual Principle, againſt the Carnal. To take the part of Purity againſt Impurity. And ſtrain hard to live according to the Spirit in every Walk; not allowing the Fleſh one ſtep: To keep the Candle of the Lord, your internal Light ſhining. And the fire on the Altar of your hearts, your holy Zeal burning. To ſee that your Minds be blinded by no Objections, and your Wills blunted by no Oppoſitions, and your Lives blackned by no avoidable Abominations. For why? God rewards Grace with Grace; and your Obeying the new Nature in you, ſtrengthens it. And the ſtrengthning thereof is the weakning of Sin, its oppoſite. It doth make, and ſhew it to be weak. But on the other hand, let it be awefully conſidered! It is a frightful Sin to receive in vain the offer of Grace in the Goſpel; and far worſe it is to make vain, and not improve, the very Work of Grace in one's Soul. This is no leſs than going about to deſtroy that which is Conceived in us of the Holy Ghoſt. For the new Nature in us, like a new-born Child, quickly languiſheth if it be not tenderly cheriſhed. And, beſides, the Holy Ghoſt, who is the Parent of it, will be more than a little incenſed, if it be but little made of, and not by all poſſible means nouriſhed; wherefore bleſſed are they, who ſet not themſelves to gratifie, but to crucifie, their Senſes, Appetites, and Paſſions. And content not themſelves to Poſſeſs, unleſs they do alſo exerciſe and Increaſe, their ſpiritual Gifts, Graces and Comforts. Going forward in them; and going apace ſo; and that ſenſibly and viſibly.
Knowing that ſhortly I muſt put off this my Tabernacle — I have thus endeavoured that ye may be able after my Deceaſe to have theſe things always in remembrance. For if theſe be in you and abound, they make you that ye ſhall not be Barren nor Unfruitful in the Knowledge of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt. And an entrance ſhall be miniſtred unto you abundantly into his everlaſting Kingdom. Amen, and Amen.
Biſhop Wilkins his Character of the beſt Chriſtians is here added for your Profit, and for the ſhame of ſuch as traduce us for Newfangled Opinioniſts, and contrary to all the Learned of the Church of England.
THey are Perſons of a Moderate and healing Temper, of Catholick and Comprehenſive Charity: They do not Baptize their Religion with the Name of a Sect, nor Eſpouſe the Intereſt of a Party, but love all Good men that Fear God and work Righteouſneſs.
They are not guilty of the Corinthian Vanity, in crying up a Paul, an Apollos, or a Cephas, but look upon it as the great Deſign of Chriſtianity to make men good, and where it hath not that Effect, they know it matters not what Church ſuch a Man is of, becauſe a Bad Man can be ſaved in none.
They ſhun the dangerous Extreams, and keep the Regular mean, and in Divine Worſhip prefer a reverend Decency before pompous Superſtition, or popular Confuſion, neither bowing down to the Altar of Baal, nor Admiring the Calves of Bethel.
They are true Primitive Chriſtians, and think it lawful to hold Communion with any true Church of Chriſt, that is ſound in the Subſtantials of Religion, notwithſtanding ſome Circumſtantial Differences in the External Modes of Adminiſtration: And they ſuſpect it ſinful and Schiſmatical to ſeparate from any true Chriſtians, who Agree in Apoſtolical Doctrine, and maintain the Diſcipline of the pureſt Ages.
They prove all Things, and hold faſt only that which is Good, and are perſwaded thoſe Chriſtians are moſt in the Right, who chooſe out of all Parties, whatſoever things are true, whatſoever things are honeſt, whatſoever things are juſt, &c. and not they that think every thing to be ſo that's maintained by their own party.
They place Religion more in the ſerious practice of Piety than in the Obſervance of Ceremonious Forms; they are neither fond of needleſs Rituals, nor yet moleſted with groundleſs Scruples, but long for the Philadelphian State of the Church, wiſhing that all the World might with one mouth glorifie the Eternal God.
They pay a great Deference to Antiquity, yet they are not ſo fond of Error as to fall in love with it meerly for its gray Hairs, but make uſe of their own Reaſon to judge of the Reaſonings of other men: Though they apply themſelves to ſpiritual Guides, yet they love to enquire the Way to Sion, and not follow them in the Dark, except they carry a Lanthorn in their hands.
They refer the Deciſion of all the Differences amongſt good Chriſtians primarily to the Sence and Meaning of the Holy Scriptures: And they know every man muſt Judge for himſelf, therefore, where they ſee men do all they can to find out the Truth, to pleaſe God, and to ſave their own Souls, they give them a Liberty of Interpreting, as knowing themſelves not to be Infallible.
They know there are many Controverſies amongſt Chriſtians, of that Intricacy, that the Day of Judgment muſt determin who are moſt in the right, therefore they dare not judge of mens final Eſtates, or of the Sincerity of their Hearts by their ſpeculative Opinions, or different Reliſhes of things, becauſe every man muſt believe what he can, and not what he will.
They admire to ſee ſome Chriſtians ſo egregiouſly miſtake in the Notion of true Catholiciſm, as to confine Salvation to their particular Communion, and they think it ſtrange to hear men contend for an Infallible Guide, when Moſes and the Prophets, Chriſt and his Apoſtles, do with one conſent declare, that the way to the Bleſſedneſs of the Righteous, is by obſerving the Rule and Exerciſe of Holy Living, from a Principle of Divine Life.
They never charge other mens Doctrines with ſuch odious Conſequences as they never intended, nor Aſperſe their Perſons with ſuch invidious Names, as they never deſerved; but make charitable Allowances for their different Educations, Conſtitutions, and Apprehenſion of things, ſuppoſing that other men may differ from them with the ſame Sincerity that they differ from others, and ſometimes from themſelves.
They are for, a Religious Loyalty, and prefer the Wiſdom of Publick Authority before their own private Judgments, in all ſuch Matters as are not Determined by the Soveraign pleaſure of their Maker: And if in any thing they differ from the Wiſdom of their Superiours, they do it with great Modeſty and Reſervation, and are always ready to change their Minds when better Information leads them to it, not thinking they undervalue their Judgments by ſo doing.
They are afraid of being infected with the Hereſie of Bigottiſm, and have great cauſe to fear that if the merciful God ſhould damn us all for ſuch things for which ſtrait-laced Chriſtians condemn one another, none could be ſaved. They think there is no particular human Form of Eccleſiaſtical Polity ſo acceptable to the great God, as the Exerciſe of Mutual Charity under our different Forms.
They neither make their Opinions Articles of Faith, nor their Modes Terms of Communion, but believe thoſe Principles, and practiſe thoſe Precepts which wiſe and good men are all agreed in, well Knowing if they ſhould happen to be miſtaken in thoſe things wherein they differ, they could not loſe the Way to Heaven, whileſt they ſincerely love God, believe in Chriſt, and obey the Motions of the Holy Spirit.
They are of peaceable and Reconciling Diſpoſitions, and neither call for Fire from Heaven, nor Kindle Fires upon Earth, to deſtroy all thoſe that follow not them; as well knowing that Truth cannot be engraven in the Minds of Men with the Points of Swords, nor can their Underſtandings be illuminated with flaming Faggots.
They neither make the Way to Heaven Broader nor Narrower than the Head and Pillars of the Univerſal Church have made it: And they walk on ſoberly, righteouſly and godly in that Path, which upon great Conſideration they take to be the Right, without rudely Juſtling thoſe whom they fear to be in the Wrong.
They think the beſt way to find out to what Mother the Child of Truth belongs, is to make uſe of Solomon's Teſt, viz. To give up the Cauſe to them that firſt lay down the Sword of Diviſion: When one Party ſaith, Lo here is Chriſt in this Church, and another ſaith, Lo he is there; they Believe what Chriſt himſelf hath told them, That where Two or Three are met together in his Name, there is He in the midſt of them.
They do not think their Zeal Luke-warm except it burn up their Diſcretion, but can joyn the Prudence of the Serpent with the Innocency of the Dove; and are grieved to obſerve men contend ſo Eagerly about the Pinnacles of the Temple, as that they threaten to overturn the Foundations of the Church.
They take more pains to make good their Baptiſmal Covenant, than to diſpute about the Manner of its Adminiſtration, as if they were Baptized with the Waters of Strife; and they are more frequent in a Devout Participation of the Lord's Supper, than in Metaphyſical Conteſts about the Real Preſence. They Know there's nothing required of Man as Neceſſary to Salvation, but what is clearly Revealed and beyond all Diſpute.
They chooſe rather to take up the Croſs of Chriſt, than wrangle about it; and more ſollicitouſly obſerve the Complexion of their own Souls, than the Colour of Miniſters Garments: Nor do they ſo contend about the Number of the Elect, as to Reprobate themſelves for want of Charity; but endeavour to perform the Whole Duty of Man, in ſo doing they know they are in the Way to the Saints Everlaſting Reſt.
FINIS.
End of the text · Daniel Burgess, Characters of a Godly Man (1691)