Moses Choice, Treatise · Part 2 · Chapter 23
CHAP. XXIII. How ſhould Gods people ſo walk, as to draw others in love with their communion.
BUt how ſhould Gods people ſo walk, as to bring Quest.others in love with their communion?
Firſt, in the general, take heed of thoſe ſins Anſw.eſpecially, that thoſe which you converſe with are guilty of, that they be not able to ſpy the ſame ſins in you, which their conſciences accuſe themſelves of: take heed of the pollutions of the world. Cant. 6. 10. Who is ſhe that looketh forth as the Morning, fair as the Moon, clear as the Sun, and terrible as an army with banners? The Church of God ought to be fair as the Moon, but the Moon hath ſpots, and therefore it follows, Clear as the Sun, and then, ſhe is terrible as an army with banners: Either ſhe will draw the hearts of others to love her, or ſhe will daunt their hearts. Yea, let them not ſee any defilement anſwerwable to their defilement: for wicked men, though they cannot ſpy evils in the godly, yet ſurely they think they are guilty of the ſins which they live in, as well as themſelves: as Nero, becauſe he was unchaſt, thought all the world was unchaſt: and therefore the godly ſhould labor to keep themſelves from ſuch ſins as the world is guilty of, that they may not ſpy ſuch in them. A godly man ſhould not onelyonly labor to be kept from outward defilement; that may be done by the ſtrength of a natural conſcience, without any ſanctifying grace: and it ſhould be a ſhame to one that hath grace, if he ſhould not do that; if he cannot do that, how can he purge himſelf from ſecret, and ſpiritual evils that are in the heart?
Secondly, if you would walk ſo as to draw others in love to communion with you, walk in ſingleneſs and uprightneſs of heart. Acts 2. 46, 47. They did eat their bread with gladneſs, and ſingleneſs of heart, praiſing God: mark what follows; having favor with all the people, and God added to the Church: Singleneſs of heart makes Church-communion lovely.
But what is that uprightneſs, and ſingleneſs of heart Queſt.that we are to walk withal?
By that I mean this; namely, to be ſure that there Anſw.be an anſwerableneſs in our converſation unto all thoſe principles of godlineſs that we profeſs: for take the moſt ſtrict principles of Religion, and the men of the world cannot ſpeak againſt them, and when it comes to, this is all they have to ſay, Ah! if it were in truth, and in ſincerity, it were ſomething, but they are hypocrites: they acknowledge the principles are right, but they think the principles are ſo ſtrict, that it is impoſſible to walk up to them: Ah! ſay they, give me one that does walk up to his principles, and we will ſay ſomething to you.
And therefore, you that are godly, conſider of the many principles of godlineſs that you profeſs: as namely, that the leaſt ſin is a greater evil, then all the evils in the world; and labor that all your whole life What ſingleneſs of heart is.may hold out this principle, fearing the leaſt ſin, and the leaſt occaſion of ſin. It is our principle, that we muſt make the Word the Rule of all our actions: Now let your converſations hold out this principle before others; And that the peace of conſcience is of infinite more value, then all the delights of the world: Hold out this principle; That the glory of God is the thing to be aimed at in all things. Now the care of Gods people, if they would ſo walk, as to draw others in love of communion with them, is not to talk of theſe things, but to hold them forth in their lives, that men that converſe with them, may read them in their lives; Gods people ſhould ſo walk, that if there were no talking of ſuch principles, yet they may be found in their converſations.
Thirdly, if you would ſo walk, as to draw others in love of communion with you, then walk ſo, that 3.thoſe that are without may ſee a conſtant evenneſs, and proportion in your ways, that one action may be proportionable to another; let them take us when they will, and where they will, we are always the ſame: though there be never ſo much forwardneſs in ſome of Gods ways, if there be not forwardneſs in others, there can be no conviction, and there is no beauty: As in nature, ſo in grace; The beauty of nature is proportion; the beauty of nature is not in the greatneſs of one member, or in colour, but in the proportion: So the beauty of a Chriſtians converſation, lies in the proportion of a Chriſtians converſation; that there may be ſuitableneſs between one thing and another, that the men of the world may not ſee us halt: Many are hot in ſome one thing, and remiſs in others: I condemn not forwardneſs in any way of God, but where a man is forward in one thing, and remiſs in another, there is a diſproportion in his ways, he goes long and ſhort; as where one leg is ſhorter then another, there muſt needs be halting; this is a diſhonor to Religion, this takes away the beauty of Religion, and ſuch as theſe are, will never convince any of the excellency that is in communion with the Saints.
Fourthly, if you would walk ſo, as to draw others 4.in love to communion with you, then labor for to be eminent in thoſe things that the men of the world have skill in.
As firſt, the works of juſtice: The men of the 1.world think men muſt be juſt in all their ways, and all their dealings; and though it be true there may be juſtice where there is onelyonly morality, yet there can be no Religion where there is not Juſtice, for Religion teaches Juſtice more then morality does; it is a ſhameful thing for men that make profeſſion of Religion, not to be raiſed above moralities: now when the men of the world that have skill in this, ſhall ſee that godlineſs teaches men to be juſt, and that their's is a more accurate juſtice then that which is in the world, this convinces men; but when they ſhall ſee men talking ſo much of godlineſs, and Church-diſcipline, and yet when they come to deal with them, they are then ſo cunning, and will fetch over men as well as any, as griping as any, and men know not where to finde them, theſe are burthenſome Members to a Church, that wrong Religion: your injuſtice in dealing with men, is a greater evil then the injuſtice of any moral man, in this regard, the injuſtice of a moral man does not make men ſhy of dealing with all moral men, but injuſtice in you makes men ſhy of dealing with any that make profeſſion of Religion, and to ſay, none are ſo deceitful as they; and though that objection does come uſually from malice, yet it cannot be denyed, but thoſe that make profeſſion, give too too much advantage for it.
Secondly, labor for an eminency in performing the duties of your relations, and your callings. As 2.wives ſhould fulfil their duties, and every one be faithful in the duty that God requires of their places, and if this be not in you, you may talk your hearts out of the excellency of communion with Gods people, they will not believe you: And therefore the Apoſtle, when he urges the Church of God ſo to walk as to convince others; mark how he inſtances in the duties of relation, 1 Pet. 2. 12. Having your converſation honeſt amongst the Gentiles, that whereas they ſpeak againſt you as evil doers, they may by your good works which they ſhall behold, glorifie God in the day of viſitation: But what good works muſt we do, which they beholding ſhall glorifie God in the day of viſitation? You ſhall finde he inſtances in the duties of relation, as between Magiſtrates and Subjects, Maſters and Servants, Husbands and Wives.
And therefore, you ſervants that are under ſubjection, eſpecially under carnal Governors, let them ſee, ſince you have joyned with Gods people, that you are more faithful and obedient then ever before, and that they never had any ſervant in their lives, ſo ſubject, and obedient, and faithful as you are, that did not make that profeſſion that you do. And ſo wives, carry ſuch reſpect, and ſhew ſuch humility towards your husbands, though they be naught, that they may ſay, Since my wife made this profeſſion of Religion, I finde it in her carriage; and ſo children. It is a wonderful ſhameful thing that any ſervant or childe, that is but civil, ſhould go beyond a godly ſervant or childe in diligence, and obedience, and faithfulneſs; ſays Jerome, What a ſhameful thing is Ut non praeſtet ſides, quod praeſtitit infidelitas.it, That faith ſhould not enable to do that, which Infidels are able to do?
Thirdly, The men of the world have skill in 3.peaceable diſpoſitions, labor to be of a peaceable diſpoſition: Bleſſed are the peacemakers; let them not ſee rigidneſs in your ways. The Jews obſerve upon Exod. 25. 3. that there was no iron amongſt the ſtuff of the Tabernacle: What do rigid iron diſpoſitions in Gods Tabernacle, in Gods Church?
Fourthly, they have skill in affability, and courteouſneſs; Religion does not teach men to be ſowre, 4.but as courteouſneſs and affability is a moral vertue, ſo it is to be carried in a higher way in Chriſtians then in others. Many men who have no grace, ſeem to carry themſelves like Chriſtians; what a ſhame then is it for Chriſtians, who have grace, not to carry themſelves like men?
Fifthly, the men of the world have skill in love, and therefore be eminent in that, that they may ſee your 5.love towards one another, bearing one anothers burthens. As the curtains of the Tabernacle were joyned together by loops, ſo ſhould the members of the Church be joyned one to another by love. In the Primitive times we finde the Heathens, and enemies of the Church, did acknowledge there were no people in the world did love one another ſo as Chriſtians did. The Church of Philadelphia is blamed for nothing; Philadelphia ſignifies brotherly love; when brotherly love rules in Churches, they grow to a blameleſs converſation before God and man.
Sixthly, be bountiful, and liberal: The men of the world having skill in theſe things, and they ſeeing no 6.eminency of theſe in you, they ſay, Let them make what profeſſion they will in thoſe things we have no skill in, we believe them not, they are a company of falſe hearted people.
Fifthly, if you would walk ſo, as to draw others in love to communion with you, labor to manifeſt the power of godlineſs, by doing ſuch things as the men of the world cannot do; if the men of the world can ſee, that men that make profeſſion of Religion are able to do that they cannot do, they ſee now there is ſome reality in Religion. You know how it was with Pharaoh and his Magicians; all the while Moſes wrought ſuch things that Pharaohs Magicians could do, Pharaoh was not convinced; but when Moſes did ſuch things, that the Magicians could not do, this convinced them: and ſo for you to do that the men of the world do, or can do, this does not convince them; ſays Chriſt, If I had not done ſuch things as no man did, you had had no ſin.
What is it to do thoſe things which the men of the Queſt.world cannot do?
Firſt, the reſiſting of ſtrong temptations; every Anſw.ſlight temptation overcomes them, but when they 1.ſhall ſee you ſtand out againſt powerful temptations, they ſee you have a power beyond theirs. When Wherein a Chriſtian outſtrips the men of the world.Nebuchadnezzar ſaw the three Children in the fiery furnace, and they were not touched by the fire, he was convinced; ſo when the men of the world ſhall ſee you in the midſt of prevailing temptations, and you keep your ſelves untouched, they will be convinced, and ſay, Surely there is a power with theſe that we have not.
Secondly, the overcoming of ſtrong paſsions, this convinces them: When as thoſe you live withal, ſhall 2.know there was a time you were outragious, and forward at every thing that did diſpleaſe you, and ſince God hath wrought on your hearts, you can be meek, and patient, and thoſe paſſions and temptations cannot overcome you now, that did before. When Chriſt commanded the winds and ſeas, and they were ſtill at his word, they wondred and ſaid, Who is this, that the winds and ſeas obey him? And ſo, when you have ſtorms and paſſions ariſe in you, and you by the word of God can make all quiet, men will wonder, and ſay, Who is this?
Thirdly, if you be able to deny your ſelves in your wills and ends, this is a thing they cannot do; but 3.now the godly, if there come any word of God to ſhew their wills are not right, they do not only change the thing their will is upon, but their will is bowed to Gods word. And as it was with David, when he had Saul at an advantage, and might have had his own will upon Saul, and yet ſpared him, how did this convince Saul? Who having his Enemy, would have ſpared him? As if he had ſaid, If I had had thee at an advantage, at my own will, I muſt have had my ends; And ſo is there any thing that the men of the world can ſee you may have your ends in, you ſhould rather deny your ſelves in them.
Brethren, Gods people are to ſtrive, and contend with the world above all people, and that for God; now then, that we may manifeſt unto the world, that when we do contend with them, that it is meerly-for God, when it comes to our ſelves, and our own cauſes, we ſhould be the moſt yieldable people in the world. There is a time when we muſt contend with the world, our conſciences put us upon it, and the cauſe of God puts us upon it, and then they ſay we are ſtubborn proud ſpirits; now to take off this reproach, and to convince them, it is not ſelf-will; therefore when it is onelyonly your own cauſe, yield to the utmoſt you can, and this will convince them, when you do not yield, that it is not for ſelf, but for God, and conſcience.
Fourthly, do good for evil, this is that which the men of the world cannot do. We muſt labor to do 4.ſome ſingular thing for God; if you onelyonly do good for good, the Publicans can do ſo, but we muſt do good for evil. As it is reported of Biſhop Cranmer, they uſed to ſay of him, If they would have Biſhop Cranmer their friend, let them do him ſome ill turn: Do you not think how you may be even with them that have done you an ill turn, but rather go home, and all the way you are going, be muſing, and ſtudying how you may return ſome good to that man that hath done you wrong, and ſo you ſhall not be even with him, but above him; by this you ſhall heap coals of fire upon his head: This beſeems the people of God, that are the peculiar of God. It was a notable ſpeech that Balaam had in Numbers 23. 9. Lo, the people ſhall dwell alone, and ſhall not be reckoned among the Nations: They are a people peculiar amongſt themſelves; if they be ſuch a people as are ſo peculiar, as they muſt not be reckoned amongſt the Nations, then they muſt do ſuch things, as cannot be reckoned amongſt the ways and works of the Nations. If we ſhould read all Authors of the Heathens, yet we may finde ſuch things in Gods people, as we cannot finde in all the Authors.
Fifthly, be joyful in affliction, rejoycing in God 5.and Chriſt, then when all outward delight fails in very convincing: If people ſpeak ſo much of faith, and living by faith on the promiſes, and yet if they be croſt in any thing in the world, their hearts are as low and ſinking as the hearts of any; when men of the world ſee this, they ſay, Where is all their faith? But if they ſee when affliction comes, even ſuch as would make their hearts ſink, and the people of God carry them out chearfully, they will ſay, Surely there is ſome real principle in them that we cannot ſee. As Juſtin Martyr, when he ſaw the Chriſtians ſuffer ſuch great things ſo chearfully, ſays he, Surely theſe men have more then the men of the world, they have other principles, and ſo he enquired what maner of people they were, and ſo came to embrace the truth.
It is not ſo much to be merry and joyful over their cups; the people of God cannot be merry and joyful in ſenſual delights, but put them into afflictions and hardſhips, and they can be chearful more then you, they are not ſo dumpiſh and ſad as the men of the world think they are. Chriſt ſaid, I have meat to eat of which you know not of: The light of the candle is fed with ſtinking tallow, but the light of the Sun hath influence from Heaven to feed it, and ſo is not ſoon blown out: And ſo the joys of Gods people have other matter to feed them, and are not ſo ſoon puffed out as the joys of the world.
Sixthly, in the people of God there ſhould be ſeriouſneſs mixed with chearfulneſs, and the mixture 6.of both theſe makes Religion beautiful; for if profeſſors of Religion will be merry, they preſently run into a lightneſs, and vanity of Spirit; and if they think to be ſerious, they preſently grow dumpiſh and ſullen; but if we could do ſo, be ſo chearful in our way, as to manifeſt ſeriouſneſs, and ſo ſerious, as to manifeſt chearfulneſs, this will be a mighty convincement to the world.
Seventhly, the men of the world cannot be humble in the encreaſe of gifts; but the more encreaſe 7.of gifts Gods people have, the more humble they ſhould be. They ſhall ſee ſince the people of God did cloſe one with another, they are encreaſed in gifts; a poor boy, or girl, or ſervant, that underſtood nothing before, now they can underſtand more, and with their underſtanding their hearts are more humble then before; this is a great convincement, That in the exerciſe of your gifts, there may not appear much of your ſelves, but much of God, is that you ſhould much labor after in the exerciſe of your gifts; let them ſee that God hath acquainted you with ſuch divine myſteries, as ſhould make them admire; Gods people ſhould not onelyonly labor to have words that are flat, but to have ſuch gifts, as that they ſhould know the ſecrets of God, and of their own hearts, and of the hearts of others. You know when he in 1 Cor. 14. that was ignorant came into the Church, and ſaw gifts ſo exerciſed, as the ſecrets of his heart were opened, he ſaid, Surely God is there. We ſhould not exerciſe gifts ſo, as to ſhew our parts in them, but exerciſe them in ſuch an humble maner, as to convince the world of the excellency in communion with the Saints.
O brethren, labor to practice theſe things: O what a bleſſed thing were it that all of us might come to convert ſouls! Though women may not preach in the Church, they may preach abroad in their lives, and in their families, by their humble and godly converſations; 1 Cor. 7. 16. What knoweſt thou, O wife, whether thou ſhalt ſave thy husband? Labor ſo to walk, as ſome ſoul may bleſs God for you, and bleſs God for your joyning with his people: Heretofore I was a poor ignorant wretch, and minded nothing but to ſatisfie the fleſh, and heard many Sermons, and they never wrought upon me, but now I ſee the holy converſation of ſuch, this works upon me; No member of a Church ſhould ſatisfie himſelf, until he have ſeen himſelf to work upon ſome by his converſation. The people that God intends to bring to joyn with his Church, are ſaid to flye like Doves to their windows, Iſaiah 60. 8. Now Doves love white, clean, and lightſome places; wherefore ſuch ſhould be our converſations, ſo white, clean, and lightſome, as thoſe in whom God begins any work of grace, to be of Dove-like diſpoſitions, may come flying to us; and this is the fourth branch of the exhortation.
Fifthly, if there be ſo much good to be had in this communion, labor to walk ſo one with another, that 5.when any come to joyn with you, they may finde that made good which they heard of: though they do ſuffer affliction to come and joyn with you, yet when they are come in, they may finde all made up, that they may ſay, Before I heard by the ſpeech of others, there was ſuch a comfortable life in communion with ſuch, which made me venture much, and now I have found it made up to the full; yea, half of it was not told to me: O let us not give occaſion to any to go and complain to God, and ſay, I heard there was much good to be had in communion with thy people, and thereupon I was content to venture much to enjoy it, and now I finde no ſuch thing, I finde nothing but jealouſies, and wranglings, and pride, and as much earthlineſs as before: If you give any occaſion to go to God, and to make his moan thus, it will go ill with you; but give occaſion to others to bleſs God for you: therefore let there be a ſweet union among you. It is a promiſe in Zeph. 3. They ſhall ſerve the Lord with one conſent, with one ſhoulder, ſo the words are: So every one of you ſhould ſet your ſelves to ſerve the Lord, quickning one anothers ſpirits, careful for one anothers good.
And when you come together, bring your living ends together: When you lay brands together, you do not lay the dead ends together, they will never kindle, but you lay the living burning ends together, and ſo they kindle: And ſo when you come together, lay your living ends together, that when you go away, you may ſay, I feel my heart warmed; you ſhould never meet together, but that you might bleſs God for your meeting, and by this you ſhall ſhew there is a power in this Ordinance of God.
It is obſervable, the great ſtrength that there is in a civil Ordinance, one would think there ſhould be more in a ſpiritual Ordinance: How comes it to paſs, that two, that it may be a monethmonth or two before were meer ſtrangers, and yet they coming to joyn in marriage, if it be a true joyning, their hearts cloſe more together, then to Father or Mother, to their children, that came out of their own bodies, or brother, or ſiſters that lay in the ſame womb, they cannot have their hearts ſo knit together, as theſe two have: From whence comes this? From the vertue of Gods Ordinance; if it were not an Ordinance of God, it could not produce ſuch an effect: If marriage, which is an Ordinance of God in civil things, and ſo a civil Ordinance, have ſuch power to unite the heart, how much more ſpiritual Ordinances, and communion, which is the higheſt Ordinance for uniting the heart? and therefore we ſhould look for more then a natural power in it: For people to love one another, and to do good to one another, hath a natural power to unite the heart; But do you look upon this communion as having the greateſt power to unite the heart, by vertue of an Ordinance, that ſo all who have ſuffered never ſo much to joyn with you, may ſee all recompenced up to the full, and never have a repenting thought for that they have ſuffered and ventured.