Two Treatises, Treatise 1 · Chapter 1 – Chapter 2
CHAP. I. Of Examples of Godly men, and how far they ſhould prevail with us: Opened in Six Particulars.
SOme reade this Particle [For] [But:] But our Converſation is in Heaven. Our Converſation is not as theirs: Certainly the Apoſtle doth intend this, to make a diſtinction from, or a difference between the Saints waies, and the waies of thoſe that were Enemies to the Croſſe of Chriſt: They mind Earthly things: But our Converſation is in Heaven: But becauſe of the particle, [For] our Converſation; therefore I think that it hath reference unto the 17 verſe, for the 18. and 19. verſes are in a parentheſis, and therefore if you would know the ſcope of the Apoſtle in it, and what this hath relation to; (for) it is in the 17. verſe, Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk ſo as you have us for an enſample; for our Converſation is in Heaven, to it is to follow: he made a little degreſſion when he ſaid, Make us your example; then he ſpeaks of others, but many there are that walk thus and thus, and are enemies to the croſs of Chriſt, Whoſe belly is their god, whoſe glory is their ſhame, whoſe end is deſtruction, who mind earthly things; But our (or, for our) Converſation is in Heaven. As if he ſhould ſay, Take heed of following of thoſe whoſe belly is their god, who mind earthly things, for their end is deſtruction; but rather follow thoſe whoſe Converſation is in Heaven, for their end is, ſalvation: that's the ſcope of the words. Now then from the ſcope and the coherance of them, follow us for an example, For our Converſation is in Heaven; ſo they are to be joyn'd together: from whence (firſt) before we come to ſpeak of this Heavenly Converſation that the Apoſtle mentions, we have this point, That the Examples of men whoſe Converſations are heavenly, are to be followed. Follow us as an example, for our Converſation is in Heaven. They are guided by the ſpirit of God, and the end of their Converſation is good, and therefore 'tis ſafe to be followed. In Prov. 2. 20. there the Wiſe man ſpeaks of an argument, Why we ſhould imbrace wiſdom, becauſe that would teach you to walk in the way of good men, and to keep the paths of the Righteous. We ſhould obſerve the way of good men, & keep the paths of the righteous. It's true, that the examples of the beſt men, though never ſo holy, are not a ſufficient rule for any action, If a man or woman doth any thing, though it be never ſo good, meerly upon the example of another man, yet this that they do will prove ſin to them: I ſay, though the thing be good & thou doeſt it upon the example of other good men, yet if that be al thy rule, the action wil be ſin to thee; for that is the rule of Chriſt to us, Whatſoever is not of faith is ſin. Now no example can be a ground ſufficient for faith; therefore, example alone is not a good rule. Yea, and ſomtimes we know that Satan himſelf may transform himſelf into an Angel of light: and may for the prevailing of ſome evil make a great ſhew of ſome holineſs: and ſo, many groſſe Hypocrites for a time have had much ſeeming holineſs in their lives: and therefore it muſt be taken for a certain truth that the examples of men never ſo holy are not a ſufficient rule. But yet thus far examples of men that are holy ſhould prevail with us.
Firſt, They ſhould prevail with us more than other examples, than examples of the moſt learned men; let men be never ſo great Rabbies, the example of one holy man whoſe Converſation is in Heaven, ſhould be more to us than the example of many Scholers. For many men that are learned may be very corrupt, they may go againſt their own conſciences; as certainly many do.
1. It ſhould prevail againſt the example of great rich men, who have goods laid up for many yeers: you ſhould rather follow the example of thoſe that appear to be holy, than the example of the richeſt and greateſt in the places where you live.
2. It ſhould be more than the example of the Multitude, Joel, 3. 14. you have a notable Scripture there againſt following of Multitudes of men, you may ſee there that multitudes go to deſtruction; Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of deciſion.
3. It ſhould be more than the example of thoſe that are meerly related unto us: as children ſhould rather look at the example of godly men and women though they be ſtrangers, than of Father or Mother, or Uncle or Aunt, or the neereſt kindred, though their examples be not rules for our faith, yet they ſhould be more than the examples of any others.
Secondly, Though they ſhould not be rules or grounds of faith, yet they ſhould be enough to take off prejudices that come from accuſations of men. If men will accuſe the waies of godlineſs, and if there be any prejudices taken up againſt the paths of Sion without ground, the example of godly men ſhould be enough to make us ſtand out againſt them; it may be you hear many crying out bitterly againſt ſuch a way of Worſhip, and many falſe aſperſions are caſt upon it, becauſe it is not a National way of Worſhip, for few there be that follow it. Now do but obſerve what manner of perſons do worſhip God in that way which ſome cal Hereſie, are they not of holy and blameleſs Converſations according to the Goſpel, the ſtricteſt Puritans? Now though you muſt not do as they do meerly from their example, yet their example ſhould have a great deal of power and influence upon you to take off prejudices, and anſwer accuſations, and to calm and ſweeten your angry and bitter ſpirits.
Thirdly, Examples though not ſufficient ground and rule for faith, yet they ſhould be enough to make us to enquire after thoſe waies, and to examine and try, whether they have any footing in the Word, becauſe the followers of them, are very upright and circumſpect in their way. Let me at leaſt enquire after theſe waies, let me examine them by the light of the Goſpel, ſurely there is ſome probability that theſe waies are the very paths of Sion, and lead to the gate of Heaven, becauſe the Profeſſors of them are ſuch friends of Jeſus Chriſt; It's likely that theſe men ſhould know the mind of God that do converſe with God moſt, that lie in his boſom, as the beloved Diſciple in Chriſts: Is it not more likely that a man that is a familier friend, and converſes daily with ſuch an one that this man ſhould know his ſecrets, his will rather than a ſtranger? ſo all men in the world are ſtrangers to God, but only the Saints: they converſe with God, they are the men of his Counſel, and his heart, and therefore of all men in the world it's moſt likely that they ſhould have all the Wils of God revealed unto them: All Learning and Natural wiſdom cannot ſhew the mind of God ſo much as converſe with God, and an holy humble familiaritie with him; God loves to open his boſom to his hidden ones, to reveal his mind to them; and therefore when we ſee men that are godly whoſe Converſation is in Heaven, that they walked in ſuch and ſuch waies, it ſhould make us to think it is like there is, more good in theſe waies than I am aware of at the preſent, it's like that ſuch men as God ſmiles upon, that they ſhould know the mind of God more than other men: therefore though I will not preſently conclude it's the mind of God, and do it meerly becauſe they do it, yet I'le examine and ſearch whether it be not the mind of God or no according to the Scriptures.
Fourthly, The example of godly men ſhould prevail thus far, to make us to take heed that we do not oppoſe thoſe waies except we have very cleer ground to the contrary: then we may oppoſe them as Paul oppoſed Peter, and reſiſted him to the face, becauſe he did not go in a right way: let men be never ſo holy and godly, yet they may be oppoſed in their way; If upon any examination you ſee cleerly this is not the way of God, I find it to be otherwiſe, not others think it's not the way of God, and ſuch and ſuch are of a contrary mind; No, but I have been examining it by the Word of God, and laying the rule to my conſcience, and my conſcience to that, and I find it to be diſagreeing to the mind of God, then ye may ſpeak or write againſt it, but do it not otherwiſe. If ye ſee men holy, men whoſe Converſations be in Heaven, don't oppoſe it becauſe men do, be ſure your ground be good, and you be cleer in it if you do oppoſe it, otherwiſe you may be in danger of fighting againſt God when you oppoſe them: therefore make ſo much uſe of the example of godly, holy men, as not to oppoſe the way but upon cleer Scripture-evidence to the contrary.
Fiftly, The example of godly men ſhould prevail thus far with us, As to prepare us to let in any truth that they do profeſs and practice. When we come to examine what is in the waies of God, and Heaven, in our examination, come with prepared hearts to let in the Truths God ſhall reveal unto us, the rather becauſe we ſee ſuch holy & godly men have imbraced thoſe truths before us; when precious Goſpel-Truths are delivered to us by the hands of the ſervants of Jeſus Chriſt, then thoſe very Truths in our eye are like apples of gold in pictures of ſilver, as beautiful as golden fruit in ſilver diſhes.
Sixtly, The example of godly men ſhould prevail thus far, as after we have examined, and found their way to be according to the Truth indeed, then their example ſhould confirm us in the Truth: ſhould help to ſettle us more in the Truth, ſhould comfort and encourage us in ſuch and ſuch holy courſes; becauſe we find not only that we are convinc'd of it, and we ſee it to be the way of God, and have experience of it, but others ſee it and they are convinc'd of it, others that are ſo godly they find much communion with God in it; now this ſhould mightily ſtrengthen and further us in that we go on in the ſame way that the Saints of God go on in: And indeed, it ſhould be a very great grief to any godly man, that he ſhould differ from other godly men, though it cannot be but that we ſhould differ ſometimes, becauſe we are imperfect here, yea, and ſometimes a weak Chriſtian knows that which a ſtrong Chriſtian may be ignorant of, (I ſay) it fals out ſo ſometimes, that God in ſome things reveals himſelf to thoſe that are weak and hides himſelf from thoſe that are ſtrong; ſo that here in this world it cannot otherwiſe be expected for the preſent, till the time that the New Jeruſalem ſhall be let down from God out of Heaven, and then the Saints will be all of one mind and walk all in one way, but till then there cannot be expected but that there ſhould be different waies of the Saints; but yet I ſay it ſhould be a very great heart-trouble to godly men to ſee that they are neceſſitated to go in different waies from other godly men: and on the other ſide a great encouragment and ſtrengthening when the Saints go on in one way together with their faces towards heaven.
CHAP. II. What's to be done when Examples of Godly men are contrary?
IF you ſay, What ſhould we do when we have contrary examples, and both ſides godly men; ye very godly men whoſe Converſation is in Heaven, ſome go one way, and others as godly as they go another way? what ſhall people do then, when they ſee that either way holy men go in?
Anſ. To that I anſwer only theſe two things.
Firſt, God by this means puts you to more ſtrict examination of things, and doth teach you by this, that every Chriſtian though never ſo weak, yet ſhould have a bottom and ground for their faith, and practice out of the Word themſelves, and never did God teach this leſſon more ſtrongly than now he doth, that we ſhould all of us, not ſatisfie our ſelves in any point of Religion, nor in any practice of Religion, but what we can our ſelves find and feel footing for out of the Word. In former times Chriſtians were very much led by examples, and a few examplary godly profeſſors would carry all the well affected in thoſe places with them, all that did pretend towards godlineſs would be very loth to go in a different way to ſome eminent godly men, but though perhaps their affections were good, and God may accept of their good affections, yet certainly they were not ſo grounded and eſtabliſhed in the truth as God would have them; but now the Lord ſeems to go another way with his people, and puts every one, the weakeſt, the meaneſt ſervant, to ſearch and to find out the truth themſelves, and to have the knowledge of it themſelves, and we hope the time is at hand for the fulfilling of that promiſe, That all the people ſhall be taught of God, ſhall be taught to underſtand themſelves what are the reaſons and grounds of the practice of Religion, and thoſe tenents and opinions which they hold, and when people come to underſtand the grounds themſelves, they have a great deal more ſtrength, and they will come to be eſtabliſhed more than formerly they have been, this good will come of it.
Secondly, When you ſee examples on both ſides go contrary one unto the other, and both godly, yet examine but this, Which way hath moſt earthly inducements, for that way that hath moſt earthly inducements to draw or bias the heart, that way lies under the moſt ſuſpiſion; for men that are godly, yet they are but godly in part, and though they may be as godly as other men in ſome other things, yet there may be a temptation, the temptation for Earthly contentment if it lies more one way than the other, you are to be more wary of one than the other. But that we may paſſe this point, becauſe it is but from the coherance, by way of uſe but in a word or two.