A Christians Walk and Work on Earth, Chapter 2
Of a Religious, Godly and Chriſtian Converſation in the General. CHAP. II.
1. AS all thoſe three names aforeſaid, (to Wit, Religion, Godlineſs and Chriſtianity) do joyntly agree in this one great truth, that man muſt ſerve his Maker both in heart and life according to his revealed Will; not only in the harſher diſpenſation of Moſes (whoſe firſt Miracle was the turning water into blood) but alſo, and that eſpecially, in the ſweeter diſpenſation of the Meſſias whoſe firſt Miracle was, the turning of water into Wine, that cheers the heart of Man) and therefore Chriſtianity (the laſt of the three) doth contain in it the whole duty of Man to God; yea in the neareſt and deareſt Relation, to wit, in Chriſt: even ſo, the laſt of thoſe three (to which Chriſtianity communicates an effectual influence) to wit, converſation, may (in its Latitude) comprehend the concerns of Conſcience and communication alſo, as appears by the Sequel.
2. The Apoſtle Peter tells you of (all manner of Converſation) 1 Pet. 1. 15, and of (all holy Converſation) 2 Pet. 3. 11. Thoſe two Expreſſions are extenſive, comprehending the whole duty of Man (Relating to God, to himſelf, and to others) in thought, word and deed; all converſation, and all manner of converſation. There is one converſation of your thoughts, another converſation of your words, and a third converſation of your deeds, and all reſpecting either your God, or your ſelf or others in wharſoever capacity or Relation you ſtand either in Church or World.
3. Touching your converſation in the general (before I deſcend into particulars) you muſt know it muſt be a worthy converſation, worthy of that ſacred name that is called upon you, the more unworthy that a Chriſtians converſation is, the greater pollution is caſt upon that Sacred name which is put upon him: the more Sacred his name is, the greater is his guilt, and the more accurſed. Such an one is the baſeſt of Men, and like a wither'd Vine good for no uſe, Ezek. 15. 4. Or like Unſavory Salt not ſo much as good for the dunghil, Matth. 5. 13. but to be trodden under foot.
4. 'Tis a good converſation that commends a Chriſtian, and that only: heart-ſervice doth (indeed) pleaſe God beſt, but never without life-ſervice too, which honours God moſt. Matth. 5. 16, where the heart is made Suitable to Gods nature, there the life will be Subject to his Law. If Chriſt have his throne upon your Conſcience, his Scepter will appear upon your communication and upon your converſation alſo. Thus an holy converſation doth not only commend a Chriſtian before God, Angels and Men; but it alſo commends the God of the Chriſtians to the World; they glorify their Father, Matth. 5. 16. Eſa. 61. 9. Peil. 2. 15.
5. Beſides, your Chriſtian converſation muſt not only commend you for a Chriſtian, but it muſt prove you to be a Chriſtian. It would not be Miracles, if you could work them; nor Revelations; If you could be dignified with them; nor ſignes and wonders, if ſuch a power were given from above to you, that could (any or all, ſeverally or joyntly) prove you a Chriſtian: All thoſe have been given to workers of Iniquity, and ſuch as have caſt out Devils; have been caſt out to Devils (themſelves at laſt) as Judas who was a Devil (himſelf) Matth. 7. 22, 23. Joh. 6. 2, 70. So then 'tis the converſation, which is all in all, and juſtifies before Men, yea and glorifies God too.
6. Our Lord ſaith thus of himſelf, if I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. Joh. 10. 37, his works ſhould teſtify of him, what he was, Luk. 7. 20, 21, 22. His works muſt be the ſtandard by which they muſt meaſure him, whether he were the Chriſt or no, and ſo a fit Foundation for their Faith: Chriſts Vicar, the Pope (who cauſeleſly calls himſelf ſo) will not ſay thus as Chriſt ſaid; but will have all his precepts diſpatched not diſputed, obeyed, not examined (though we be bid to try the Spirits, 1 Joh. 4. 1,) and although by his evil Example he drew thouſands to Hell, yet none muſt ſay ſo much as what doſt thou?
7. Whereas works muſt be the ſtanding ſtandard, whereby all Men (as well as Chriſt) yea the Pope himſelf, muſt be meaſured, whether they be in Chriſt, and Chriſt in them. If you do not the works of Chriſt (to wit, ſuch as he hath propoſed for your Example; Imitable works) 'tis a vain belief, yea a mere conceit only to think your ſelf a Chriſtian, and you do but put an everlaſting cheat, upon your own Immortal Soul: your works tell the World, what you are, for thoſe the World ſees and hears, and by them you either glorifie your Father in Heaven, or give clear evidence, that you have denied the Lord, that bought you, 2 Pet. 2. 1, and would Redeem you from a Vain Converſation. 1 Pet. 1. 18, & 2, 12.
8. Tis true, you may be a Chriſtian in truth though ſomething of Sin remain in your heart, yet then it muſt not be liked there, Rom. 7. 15. and although ſomething of Sin remain in your life; yet then it muſt not Reign there, Rom. 6. 14. And for the main courſe of your life, you muſt be chaſt, modeſt, temperate, meek, gentle, kind, and pittiful. You muſt bridle your paſſions, mortifie your inordinate affections; and in a word, exerciſe all the graces of his Spirit in you and Godlineſs, 1 Tim. 4. 7.
9. Your practice muſt be anſwerable to your profeſſion. You who carry Chriſts name (that Sacred worthy name) how exactly ſhould you carry your ſelf, and what manner of perſon ought you to be, 2. Pet. 3. 11, even a perſon to admiration (as the word foreign ſignifies) how accurate and how elevated above the Ordinary ſtrain! You muſt have your feet where other Mens heads are, Prov. 15. 24, the way of life is (above) to the wiſe; you muſt be a choice perſon as you have a choice name, that the name of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt may be glorified in you, and you in him, 2. Theſ. 1. 12. This glory of Chriſt ſhall rebound unto your glory, and Chriſt accounts himſelf glorified therein.
10. You muſt therefore be Holy in all manner of Converſation, 1 Pet. 1. 15. your very civility muſt favour of Sanctity, and your common commerce reliſh of Religion: Holineſs to the Lord ſhould be Writ upon your Bridle when you Ride, and upon your Cups when you Drink, Zech. 14. 20, 21, you ſhould (as 'tis ſaid of a Reverend Divine) Eat and Drink and Sleep Eternal life; Thoſe very common Actions are as ſo many Steps, in your Chriſtian walk and way, and therefore you ſhould not deſpiſe them, but (with all ſeriouſneſs) refer them to the glory of God. 1 Cor. 10. 31, do all to God and his glory.
11. Such as name the name of Chriſt ſhould depart from Iniquity, 2 Tom. 2. 19, and this, looſe profeſſours not doing, doth exceedingly promote Atheiſme. There is nothing enlarges the Gulf of Atheiſme more then that [foreign] wide paſſage between the profeſſion and the practice of pretenders to Chriſtianity: how can the profeſſion of that be looked upon by others to be Honourable, the practice whereof is not looked on by themſelves to be ſo? If the Sum of Chriſtianity be good, why do they not practice it, and if it be not good, why do they ſo much as profeſs it.
12. See then that your Converſation may be in Heaven, while your commoration is on Earth, Phil. 3. 20, 'tis ſo; Iſh. Exemplarily, while you are Writing by Heavens Copy: and 2dly. Analogically, according to Heavens Rule; living by Heavens Laws: yea 3dly. Theologically, going about your Earthly matters with an Heavenly mind; which a carnal heart (that makes Earth his Throne and Heaven his footſtool) can never do: a Fly cannot make that of a flower that a Bee doth. The Carnal man is like to the Duke de Alva; that ſaid, he had ſo much buſineſs upon Earth, that he had no leiſure to look up to Heaven: but you muſt have ſo much buſineſs in Heaven, as to have no time to look down (ſo as to love the vain and vexing things hereupon Earth.)
13. You muſt ſet Chriſt before you as the moſt perfect pattern, of an Holy and Heavenly Converſation, who (as Athanaſius ſaid of him) while he went about doing good upon Earth, carryed about him every-where an Heaven; you muſt reſemble Chriſt, (If you be a Chriſtian) and walk as he walked: you muſt live as one that comes down from Heaven to Earth, and expects to go up from Earth to Heaven: Chriſt did his Fathers will upon Earth (and it was meat drink to him to do ſo, Joh. 4. 34,) as the Angels doth it in Heaven: you muſt Imitate Chriſt, and though you cannot do ſo in his Miracles, yet you may and muſt in his Morals; you muſt walk in Chriſts ſteps, here or never expect to reſt in Chriſts boſome hereafter.
14. You muſt be the true Picture of Chriſt, (as every true Chriſtian ought to be.) Every dawber cannot draw the Kings Picture; ſome ſuch make ſtrangers think ſtrangly of the Kings Perſon, becauſe of his dawbed ill-favoured pourtraiture. And ſhall thoſe dawbers be puniſhed for Expoſing a Miſhapen Picture of the Kings perſon to open View, then what ſhall become of thoſe titular, (yet looſe and licentious) Chriſtians; (whoſe lives ſhould be a lively Repreſentation of Chriſt) If by their Carnal, careleſs, and ſcandalous Converſations, they do cauſe the Name of Chriſt to be blaſphemed among Unbelievers, that do Judg of him by this counterſeit miſhapen Repreſentation. Surely Chriſt will not own thoſe workers of Iniquity: Though they have propheſied in his Name, and eat and drunk in his preſence. Matth. 7. 23. Men uſe to hang out their well-drawn Pictures (of ſome ſpecial friend) in the moſt conſpicuous place, that it may appear to all beholders, they rejoyce in it as a grace and ornament to them: So muſt you ſhew forth the praiſes of him that hath called you, 1 Pet. 2. 9. If the Image of Chriſt be ſtamped upon your heart, you muſt ſhew it in your life, in a good Converſation. Jam. 3. 13.
15. Thus you ought to aske your own heart, whoſe Image and Super-ſcription is this? Is it Chriſts, or is it Satans? God forbid, that Satan ſhould Imprint his limbs and lineaments upon your Soul, unraſed out by Chriſt; you have born the Image of the Earthly Adam (in your natural Eſtate) If you belong to Chriſt and Salvation, you muſt bear the Image of the Heavenly Adam. Chriſtianity (being both the Imitation and the participation of the Divine nature) is the reducing of the Image of the firſt and fallen Adam, into the ſecond; 'tis the bringing back of the Earthly Image, of fallen Man into the Heavenly Image of the holy God; wherein Man was firſt Created in Righteouſneſs and true Holineſs, 1 Cor. 15. 48, 49. Eph. 4. 24. This being done for you and in you, you have the Right Picture of Chriſt, your practice anſwering both your principles and profeſſion.
16. The true Chriſtian is like a pair of compaſſes, that keeps within compaſs; the one foot, to wit, his principles, ſtanding faſt in the Centre, and the other foot, to wit, his practice, walking round the circumference, yet both feet do correſpond ſweetly together in paralel lines, each with other. Thus ought there to be a ſweet Harmony, betwixt your principles and your practice, and your Converſation muſt not give the lie to your profeſſion: you muſt make ſtraight your paths, Heb. 12. 13. 1 Sam. 6. 12. The Kine held ſtrait on their way to Bethſhemeſh. So muſt you to the houſe of the Sun of Righteouſneſs, (as the Word Bethſhemeſh ſignifies) your Eyes muſt look Right on, and your Eyelids look ſtraight before you, Prov. 4. 25. 'Tis the crooked Serpent, Eſa. 27. 1, that brought Man to crooked wayes, Pſal. 125. 5. Corrupt Nature runneth in a Crooked channel, but 'tis Chriſts work to make things crooked ſtraight, Eſa. 40. 4.
17. Some creatures are commended for being comly in their goings, Prov. 30, 29, ſure I am, every true Chriſtian ſhould be ſo, he ſhould lead a convincing life, and be of a comly and commendable converſation, ſuch an one as becomes the Goſpel, Phil. 1. 27, and as becometh Holineſs, Tit. 2. 3. both young and old, Male and Female ſhould be of a comly deportment; you muſt walk worthy of God, who hath called you to his Kingdom and glory, 1 Theſ. 2. 12, his livery you muſt wear, his Image you muſt bear, and his Kingdom you are called unto, and therefore you muſt carry as Children of a King, Judg. 18. 18, and as Children of the Kingdom. Remember (ſaith Menedemus to Antigonus, when he was to go to a Feaſt, where a Famous Harlot was to be a gueſt) that you are a Kings Son, do nothing unworthy of ſuch an Honourable Title. Scipio African (when ſolicited to filthineſs by an Harlot) Anſwered, (Vellem ſi non eſſem Imperator) It is below an Emperor: and Nehemiah ſaid better, ſhall ſuch an one as I flee? Neh. 6. 12.
18. A Godly converſation is very graceful to the Goſpel, and the Goſpel gains much glory by you, if you walk in the beauty of Holineſs; you are called not only to his Kingdom, but alſo to his glory; 1 Theſ. 2. 12. and therefore the Spirit of glory ſhould reſt upon you, 1 Pet. 4. 14. This is the ſmooth bark that evidences the good Tree (as well as the Root, bole, branches, leaves and fruit) to be a Tree of Righteouſneſs, the planting of the Lord, Iſa. 61. 3, to be of Gods (not of the Devils) planting and watering; a clearskinn'd Tree (not full of Bur-knots) is the moſt hopeful for fruit. So is the Man that hath a ſhining converſation: as the ſhining of Moſes face, ſo the ſhining of your life, doth evidence you have been with God in the Mount. They took notice of the Apoſtles that they had been with Jeſus, Act. 4. 13. This makes even a Nebuchadnezzar confeſs, theſe are the ſervants of the moſt high God. Dan. 3. 26. Thoſe Virgin-Souls that followed the lambe, had their Fathers name Writ in their foreheads, Revel. 14. 1, 4. though you ſhall be Judged, according to Men in the fleſh, yet ſhould you live according to God in the Spirit, 1 Pet. 4. 6. and not do folly in Iſrael, Gen. 34. 7.
19. The Levitical Law doth likewiſe tell you, what beaſts are clean, and what unclean, all which are a ſhadow of things to come, Col. 2. 16, 17. Whereby Iſrael was taught to ſtudy purity, and to know that the very Creatures are (all) defilled, with Mans Sin. Thoſe beaſts were accounted clean, that both chewed the Cud, and divided the hoof. Therefore the Camel was numbred amongſt the unclean, though he chewed the Cud; becauſehe divided not the hoof, by all which you muſt underſtand (in Levit. 11. 3. &c.) That it is not enough for you to ruminate upon the word of God; in your moſt ſerious Meditations (which is your Spiritual chewing of the Cud) but you muſt part the hoof too, in putting a difference betwixt good and bad Actions. You muſt not only think on the Commandments of God, but ſo think on them, as to do them, Pſal. 103. 18. Cleanſing your ſelf from all filthineſs hoth of fleſh and Spirit, 2 Cor. 7. 1. you muſt not only profeſs the word, but you muſt practice it alſo; you muſt add to your Faith, Virtue, Temperance, &c. 2 Pet. 1. 5. and then are you accounted a clean Sacrifice to the Lord. To practice Sermons you hear is the beſt kind of Repeating Sermons; live Sermons as well as hear them.
20. As the Law concerning clean beaſts, Levit. 11. 6, doth teach you that good Meditation ſhould end in a good Converſation, (for a Copy is not only to be Read over,) (by him that learns to Writ) but it muſt be Written after alſo, and Leſſons of Muſick muſt be practiced by thoſe that would learn it.) So the Law concerning clean Fiſhes teachs you the ſame; they muſt have Fins and Scales. Firſt Fins to ſteer their motion, ſo muſt you have the Fins of knowledg, Faith, and Divine diſpoſitions to direct you, and to ſet you forward in the things of God. And ſecondly Scales for ſmoothing their paſſage, for their Ornaments and ſafety: So your Scales of good works muſt be ſet ſo cloſe and ſo neer one another, that no Air (of Temptation) may come between them; as Job. 41. 15, 16, 17. Levit. 11. 9. You muſt have the Scales of Piety, Patience, and the Fins (which are as Wings) of Divine affections, to carry you cheerfully end ways into Divine Actions, that you may be holy as God is, Ver. 44. (which is the end of this Law) and clean meat to Gods ſight and palate.