A Fathers Testament, Chapter 18
CAP. XVIII.
What is the Second?
THe second branch is Righteousness, or Iustice; that grace, whereby We render to all their dues, (Rom. 13.7.) not only which Civil, but divine laws prescribe. And the fulfilling of all righteousness (in one word) is love. (Read, Rom. 13.7, 8, 9, 10.) The object of love is general, All men, e…en enemies not excluded, Matth. 5.44. The …ubject, or seat of love is not the mouth in …omplement, (1 Ioh. 3.18.) but the heart, …ithout dissimulation, Rom. 12.9. The mea…ure, or quantitie must be dispensed accor…ing to those relations in which God hath …ed us. Some must have an higher place in …ur hearts than others, 1 Thes. 5.13. The …ruit of love is doing good, which must be …rdered, and distributed, generally to all …en, specially to the houshold of faith, Gal. ….10. To handle all these particulars would …k a large volume; For that referring you … your best Father, and his divine instru…ions (fully set out unto you in his double… …estament) I desire to cull out some few d…rections, and commend them to your practice, and his blessing.
In conversing with men look first to your heart, secondly to your actions. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath, (Psal. 37.8.) put it off, (Col. 3.8.) Be not hasty in spirit to be angry, (Eccl. 7.9.) for discretion in a man deferreth his anger, Prov. 19.11. In anger si… not, Eph. 4.26. Be sure the cause be just, (Matth. 5.22.) and the extent justifiable: for it rests in the bosome of fools, Eccl. 7.9. and where it lodgeth all night, it hath the Divel for a bedfellow, Eph. 4.26, 27. Hate nothing in any man but sin, and his hate of God, and therefore hate the sin, because ye love the man: and love the man to cast out that hate, and plant in the love of God. Fall not out with any man but so as to reconcile him to God. See, Lev. 19.17. Above all beware of repaying hate for love, Psal. 109.5. and tremble to hate whom God loves, Psal. 38.20. It is the brand, and seal of Satan upon his cattel.
Have nothing at all to do with Envie; Anger, and Hatred may be, and often are evil, but Envie cannot be good. Love can b… angry, and love can hate, but love cannot envie, 1 Cor. 13.4.
The mouth is the dore of life, (Prov. 13.3.) …ep it therefore under lock, and key. Hel… it self is not a more proper shop of the Divel than a wicked mouth. His special warehouse is a sinful heart, and an evil mouth his shop where he readily vents his wares. Thither he brings that fire of hell, Jam. 3.6. Wicked lips are a burning fire, Prov. 16.27. The tongue his hammer, by which he frames those hellish weapons, lies, slanders, mocks, to sadd the hearts of the righteous, to arm, and strengthen the hands of the wicked, Psal. 109.2. Remember the tongue is an unruly, and untamed evil, Jam. 3.8. Deal with it as that man after Gods own heart. He watches it, keeps it as with a bridle, (Psal. 39.1.) But finding his own hand too weak, he calls in better help; Set a watch, oh Lord, before my mouth, and keep the dore of my lips, Psal. 141.3. Learn that excellent lesson: Speak evil of no man, Tit. 3.2. Iugde no man, Rom. 14.13. Neither only keep your tongues from wounding other mens ears, but barricado your ears also, and keep out wicked tongues. The ear is the hearts factour, (Prov. 18.15.) and if the ear be naught, neither heart, nor hand is good: for a wicked doer gives heed to false lips, and a Lier gives ear to a naughty tongue, Pro. 17.4.
Love peace, (Zech. 8.19.) follow peace with all men, (Heb. 12.14.) yea all things which concern peace, Rom. 14.19. If it be possible, as much as lies in you, have peace with all men, Rom. 12.18. And if you dwell with them that hate peace, be you for peace when they are for war, Psal. 120.6, 7.
The world will advise you to take no wrong, but God commands you to do none, Ier. 22.3. Not to take wrong (here) I think is impossible; and not to do wrong requires as much wisdom, as patience. But it is better to suffer an hundred injuries, than to do one, 1 Cor. 6.7. for God will certainly punish the doer, (Col. 3.25.) but thank the sufferer, 1 Pet. 2.20.
Take great heed of thrusting God out of his throne, and seating your selves in it. This you do, when you usurp that highest office of God, to recompence injuries, and to avenge your selves. It is Gods Prerogative royal: To me belongeth vengeance, and recompence, (Deut. 32.35.) Vengeance is mine, I will repay, …aith the Lord, Rom. 12.19. It is his Regal Title. The Lord God of recompences, Jer. 51.50.
Print upon your hearts that golden rule of Gods blessed Spirit: In honour prefer on… another. Mind not …igh things, but condescend to men of low estate, Rom. 12.10, 16. In lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than himself… Phil. 2.3. There is nothing more hated, o… scorned by God, or man, than a proud heart, and haugh…y eye, Prov. 6, 17. In the house o… …ride, Shame waits at the gates, (Prov. 11.2.) Strife, and Contention in the hall, (Pro. 13.10.) and at the back stayers Destruction, (Prov. 16.18. & 29.23.) Put on therefore …umbleness of mind, Col. 3.12. There is no ornament of so great price with God as a low priced spirit, (1 Petr. 3.4.) nor in the eye of man any thing more lovely than a lowly carriage. Humilitie (the Queen of virtues) is ushered by favour, supported by honour, (Prov. 29.23.) and followed by exaltation, Iam. 4.10.
Observe all men in their degrees: Honour Governours, and obey them: reverence superiours, respect equals, be courteous to inferiours, and to all (and above all) carry your selves humbly. Submit your selves one to another, and be clothed with humilitie, 1 Pet. 5.5. Thus shall you travel through the world with much peace: for certainly, as only by pride comes contention, (Prov. 13.10.) so the meek shall delight themselves in abundance of peace, Psal. 37.11. As a general motive to all these duties seriously consider:
All mankind is but one Adam, and all men as one man. Man the body, men the members of that body. Adam was the root, Eve the stock, (issuing from the root) and we all, the branches produced from both. She the mother of all living, Gen. 3.20. All these numberless branches are united in the root, (that …rst Adam) and all Christians reunited in that Root of Iesse, the Second Adam. No creatures so united as man; united in the bond of humanitie, they are one flesh: (all nations made of one blood, Act. 17.26.) reunited in the bond of Christianity, they are one spirit, 1 Cor. 6.17. Eph. 4.4. How strongly then …rom this union doth our Lord press upon us that unity of affection by love. And that u…ity of our actions by peace. How naturally do all these precepts of righteousness, or justice flow from this principle? were men not …nnatural, how could they be so full of unrighteousness? (filled with all unrighteousness, &c. and without natural affection, Rom. 1.29, 31…) were we not carnal, how could we maintain strife, and divisions? when there is among you envyings, strife, divisions, are ye not carnal? 1 Cor. 3.3. Haters of men cannot be ranked among men: we are all one flesh, and never any man hated his own …lesh, but cherisheth, and nourisheth it, Eph. 5.29. We are members one of another (all one body,) (Rom. 12.5. Eph. 4.25.) yea one spirit: and who but Bedlams, and Demoniacks wound, and destroy themselves?
Fasten these truths upon your hearts, and in all your conversation with men have them in your eyes: so will you with ease (as your Lord, Psal. 11.7.) love righteousness, and be loved of him, who loveth them who follow after righteousness, Prov. 15.9.
Some thing of this truth that dark light of nature discovered unto that Philosopher, who thus sweetly sings it.
Boetius. Libr. 3. Metr. 6.
I.
The stock of man, the Root, the body, Boughs, (skies)
(Whose breadth or'e-spreads the earth, height tops the
One Parent hath; he Sir…, and Dam; he plowes,
Plants, waters: he our birth, growth, all supplies.
He fills the Sun with Seas o… …lowing beams;
Surrounds, and drains the Moon with changing streams.
II.
Hé peoples Seas with fish, the Heaven with Stars,
Plants ayer, and earth with living Colonies.
He pounds mans God-like Spirit in fleshly bars,
And by that spirit earth to himself allies.
Men are of high descent: their Petigree
Mortals derive from great Eternitie.
III.
Boast ye o… Sires? and Grandsires? search ye earth
For Heaven? Heavens Register will shew your race.
Heavens King your Sire: from Heaven, in Heaven your birth
A noble, royal line. No man is base
But such, as …or base earth Heavens birthright sell,
By vice cut off …rom Heaven, and grafted into Hell.