The Crown and Glory of a Christian, Part 4
4ly, Of your Converſation reſpecting both others and your ſelf.
1. In reſpect of others, both thoſe without and within.
1. To thoſe without.
1. You muſt walk wiſely to them, and honeſtly with them, Col. 4. 5. Neither giving offence careleſly, nor taking offence cauſeleſly, 1 Cor. 10. 32, Giving no offence to any, either Greek or Jew, but walking handſomely, (as the word foreign ſignifies) 1 Theſ. 4. 12. That by your well-doing you may not only put to ſilence the ignorance of fooliſh men, ſtopping their mouths from ſpeaking evil of you, 1 Pet. 2. 15. But alſo by your convincing-life cauſe them to open their mouths in commending you, that all which ſee you, may acknowledg you, that you are a ſeed which the Lord hath bleſſed, Iſa. 61. 9.
2. You may not be conformed to the corrupt cuſtoms and courſes of this preſent evil world, Rom. 12. 2; eſpecially thoſe that are ſet down, Rom. 13. 13. Eph. 4. 18, 19, 20. 1 Pet. 4, 3. Plain Jacob can never be comely in the rough garments of prophane Eſau: but you muſt be transformed (or metamorphos'd as the word ſignifies) by the renewing of your heart and life, the old frame muſt be diſſolved, and a new one acquired, that you may prove (by your practice) what is good, that perfect and acceptable will of God, and ſhew to all men that [Ego non ſum Ego] I am not the ſame man I was, (as the Convert did to the Harlot ſolliciting him again to leudneſs) that all may behold an heart-changing, and a life-changing work wrought effectually in you.
3. Be careful that the world outſtrip you not in any moral action; you may not do leſs than others, when your Lord commands you to do more than others, Mat. 5 47; as Chriſt hath done ſingular things for you (in ſhewing you ſingular grace and mercy) ſo he both expects and requires ſingular things from you; you muſt be eminent in good works, Tit. 2. 14. and get above others, having your feet where other mens heads are; The way of the righteous is above to the wiſe, Prov. 15. 24. He goes an higher way to work, than the ordinary frame of the world; he knows, that more than the common ſtint is required of him, he muſt do that which the world will never do, and that is, he muſt walk [foreign,] accurately, endeavouring to get up to the very top of godlineſs, as the word in the original ſignifies, Eph. 5. 15.
4. Let your righteouſneſs and innocency be as a breaſt-plate and brazenwall to you againſt all reproaches; knowing aſſuredly, that there will be a Reſurrection of Names as well as of bodies at the laſt, Pſal. 37. 6, God will bring forth your righteouſneſs as the morning-light; though the earth be covered with darkneſs while night laſts, yet the morning drives it away; while your life gives your reproaches the lye, God will clear up your wronged innocency; dirt may ſtick upon a mudwall, but it will not do ſo upon Marble.
5. Evermore account it better for you to ſuffer an hundred injuries, rather than to offer one; the latter will bring guilt on you, but the former comfort. Had David ſhed the blood of Nabal, &c. (from which he was prevented by Abigals prudence) it would undoubtedly have been greater grief and offence of heart to him (as ſhe told him, 1 Sam. 25. 31.) than all his ſorrows and ſufferings from bloody Saul. Abigail argued thus with him, As thou never took revenge heretofore, ſo thou may not now; and David bleſſes God for preventing him, v. 32.
6. Beware the ſociety of ſuch perſons, from which you cannot come off without either guilt or grief, and amongſt whom you muſt either countenance ſin, or contract ſin. While Peter was warming his hands (amongſt the enemies of Chriſt in the Hall, Luk. 22. 55, 56, &c. alas, his heart froze into a ſtupefaction, which melted not till a look of love from the Sun of Righteouſneſs kindly thawed it again, v. 61. as the Sun of the Firmament doth when it looks upon a bank of ſnow. Evil company is contagious, and ſin is more catching than the plague; Peter out of curioſity (to ſee the iſſue of Chriſts Captivity) ſat with the ſervants of Chriſt-murderers, and ſo tempts Satan to tempt him; no doubt but the damoſel was ſet on by the devil to occaſion Peters denying Chriſt.
7. Be not too talkative amongſt thoſe where providence caſts you. Conſider, God hath given you two ears, and but one tongue, yea, and that ſhut up with a double door, the one of fleſh, and the other of bone, to wit, your lips and your teeth; this ſhould teach you to ſpeak ſparingly, and to hear twice as much as you ſpeak; and when you ſpeak let your ſpeech be favory, ſeaſoned with ſalt (of a gracious ſpirit) Col. 4. 6; the ſalt of grace muſt preſerve your common communication from putrefaction and rottenneſs; leave you the favour of Grace in all companies where you come.
2dly, Your Converſation to thoſe that are within.
1. As you may not be blind in charity, ſo neither muſt you be raſh in cenſure; 'tis better to be over credulous than over ſuſpicious, and over cenſorious. God puts a charitable conſtruction upon the caſe of the betrothed Damoſel, Deut. 22.27, as there was none to ſave her, ſo there was none to hear her; yet 'tis taken for granted there, that in ſuch a caſe, ſhe cried out, therefore ſhe ſhall not die: this ſhews us, that always in doubtful caſes, we ſhould put on the beſt conſtruction.
2. Be ſure you ſee grace, where ſin is; as well as ſin, where grace is: Keep warm your love to thoſe that truly fear God, becauſe of thoſe graces that ſhine forth in them; and take heed of leſſening your love to them, becauſe of thoſe Infirmities that do attend them; 'tis pity the worſt part ſhould be ſeen, and the beſt part either not ſeen, or (at leaſt) not acknowledged; the Lord (himſelf) would not ſee iniquity in Jacob, nor ſorcery in Iſrael, Numb. 23. 21. When there was (non peccatum flammans) no flaming ſin at that time among them in his eye, and therefore Balaam counſelled their enemies to entice them to fornication, which would be a flaming God-provoking ſin; enormities indeed cannot, but infirmities may and ought to be covered with a mantle of love; God is a good copy to write after.
3. Take heed of imitating the greateſt favourite heaven in any of his failings; you are (indeed) compaſſed about with a great cloud of Witneſſes in the ſacred Scriptures; Heb. 12.1. yet know, that this cloud like that cloud in the Wilderneſs) hath a black ſide as well as a bright; to wit, their infirmities are recorded, as well as their graces; you may not imitate Joſeph in his ſwearing, but you muſt in his chaſtity; you may not follow Job in his paſſion and impatiency, but you muſt in his patience and piety; and ſo of the reſt. The frailties of thoſe eminent Saints are regiſtred in holy writ, juſt as dangerous Rocks are marked out at Sea, not to run upon them, but to ſhun them: they are penned down as examples of caution, but not of imitation. You muſt know, that they which follow'd the dark ſide of the cloud (in the Red-ſea) were Egyptians, and were drowned; but they that follow'd the bright ſide of it were Iſraelites, and paſſed ſafe, not only over the Red-ſea, but into Canaan.
4. Have not the faith of Chriſt with reſpect of perſons, but be careful to love grace in rags, as well as in robes: Grace may (indeed) commend Gold, but Gold can never commend Grace; the leſſer muſt be bleſt of the greater: 'tis true, that Gold may beautifie the Temple, but 'tis ſtill the Temple that ſanctifies the Gold. Perſons (though never ſo rich, or never ſo richly arrayed) are at the beſt but ſilken duſt, and they may be no better than golden damnation.
The ſecond part of your Converſation is that which reſpects your ſelf, &c.
1. Be not quick-ſighted abroad, and blind at home; this is to be a Benzoma, as the Hebrews phraſe it, to be extravagant, or ſeldom at home, (as the Harlot, Prov. 7. 11.) ſeldom communing with your own heart; you muſt hate ſin in others, but eſpecially in your ſelf; know that your heart is full of Harlotry; and if you ſeek your ſelf too much abroad, you will (at laſt) find your ſelf but loſt at home; but if you be much at home (as indeed the greateſt part of the work of a Chriſtian lies within doors▪ then ſin will not dare to haunt your houſe or heart; or however neither ſins little or great can then live peaceably within you.
2. Be ſure you give not place to little ſins, for they will wear away the tenderneſs of your Conſcience, and like little thieves (creeping in at the windows) they will open the door for great ones; little wedges do make way for the greater, and ſo your ſoul may be cloven aſunder thereby: every ſin (be it ſmall or great) ſhould be a ſtranger to you, and not an home-dweller in you. Thus Davids ſin was but a traveller, that came only to viſit him, but not to take up any continuing lodgings with him. Thus 'tis ſaid in Nathans Parable, there came a traveller unto the rich man, 2 Sam. 12. 4. It is Chriſt (and not ſin) that muſt lye all night between the Spouſes breaſts, Cant. 1. 13; ſhe will have no home-dweller but Chriſt.
3. Live not at random, but ſquare your life by the rule of Righteouſneſs, (to wit, the word of God) in thought, word, and deed; and account every tranſgreſſion of that rule to be your ſin; at night call your faithleſs heart to a faithful account how oft, and how much you have come ſhort of that rule the day paſt; a ſenſible frame of ſpirit will eaſily find out, that Gods Commandments are exceeding broad, Pſal. 119. 96, but your obedience is exceeding narrow, and that your ſins are more in number than the hairs upon your head, Pſal. 40. 12: ſo innumerable, that you cannot reckon them, (who can tell the errors of his life? Pſal. 19. 12,) and if you cannot reckon them, ſure I am, you can never be able to reckon for them, that muſt be the work of your bleſſed Surety, our dear Lord Jeſus.
4. Let not any one tranſgreſſion of that divine rule, live peaceably in you, not ſo much as a vain thought muſt take up lodgings in your heart, Jer. 4. 14; as water that is ſprung into a ſhip, is preſently pumpt out again in leaky Veſſels for fear of ſinking. So when any ſoul-ſinking ſin ſprings in upon you which certainly will come faſter in than water into a Veſſel at Sea), then be ſure you ply the pump of Prayer and Repentance, and never give over pumping, till your Veſſel be cleanſed, and till you have ſome ſenſe that your ſin is pardoned; you will not go to bed with a bone out of joint, but it muſt be ſet right with expedition; 'tis pity that the ſoul (disjointed with ſin) ſhould be ſo long neglected.
5. 'Tis a bleſſed frame of ſpirit to nouriſh in you both the ſenſe of your own ſin, and the fear of Gods wrath for your ſin: The heavier that your ſins are to you, the lighter will your afflictons be on you; 'tis wind and rain coming both together, that makes the ſtorm upon our bodies. So 'tis ſin and affliction joining both together, that makes the ſtorm in our ſouls; when your ſin is your burden, 'tis then repented of, and ſo pardoned; this will make your affliction a far lighter burden.
6. Take heed of putting holineſs upon you as a looſe garment, to caſt off or on at pleaſure (according to your differing companies and occaſions), but be ſure that you gird it cloſe to you with the golden girdle of truth, Epheſ. 6. 14, that in all places you may be what you ſeem to be; that you be to God, what you ſeem to be to man; and that you be to God at all times, what you ſeem to be to man at any time.
7. Take heed of grieving the good Spirit of God, wherewith you are ſealed to the day of Redemption, Epheſ. 4. 30; and which is a delicate thing (as ſome reads, Pſal. 143. 10,) res delicata eſt ſpiritus tuus; and therefore loves to live in a clean houſe, in a clean heart. 'Tis a foul fault to grieve an earthly father; but 'tis far greater to grieve this holy Spirit: If you grieve the Holy Ghoſt, how can you expect that he ſhould comfort you? When you are grieved, you cannot do your work as you are wont, and neither can the Holy Spirit do his work in and for you: a gueſt that is grieved, may leave the houſe that grieves him; ſo this delicate thing (the Spirit of God) may leave your houſe deſolate, when grieved with your ſins, Mat, 23. 38; and then wo to you if God and his good ſpirit depart from you, Hoſ. 9. 12.
8. But above all, take heed of quenching the ſpirit, 1 Theſ. 5. 19, to wit, in his motions and graces: If God have kindled from heaven the holy fire upon the altar of your heart, be careful that it be kept burning there continually (in your love to Chriſt, and zeal for him) it muſt never go out, Lev. 6. 12, 13. You muſt ſtir up this fire (as the Apoſtle counſelleth, 2 Tim. 1.6, and not deſpiſe Prophecying; for the Prieſts lips blows it up into a flame; it may be quenched either by withdrawing of fuel, to wit, neglect of Ordinances; or by caſting on water, to wit, by falling into foul courſes: you muſt beware of both.
9. Be not aſhamed to become a fool for Chriſt, 1 Cor. 3. 18. Self-conceit, ſelf-will, and ſelf-love, (like Noahs three Sons) hath ſpread themſelves over the whole World; you muſt deny your own ſelf-conceit and carnal wiſdom: you muſt account your ſelf more brutiſh than any man, (with Agur, Prov. 30. 2, 3,) when you come to Ithiel and Ʋcal (which is Chriſt, both goodneſs and power) to be inſtructed in Chriſts ſchool, Act. 4. 13. Remember it was the Devil that ſpoke in the ſubtile Serpent, Gen. 3. 4; and it was God that ſpake in the ſilly Aſs, Numb. 22. 28. Remember alſo, how it was an Aſs that carried Chriſt to Jeruſalem, Mat. 21.5.
10. Yet, though you muſt be as ſilly as Doves, you muſt alſo be as wiſe as Serpents, Mat. 10. 16. You muſt have the ſillineſs and the meekneſs of wiſdom, Jam. 3. 13. As you muſt be wiſe to ſalvation, ſo you may be wiſe to ſafety in Gods way, and not caſt your ſelf upon needleſs dangers; Chriſtianity allows you as much of the Serpent as of the Dove; the Dove without the Ser▪ is eaſily entangled, and the Serpent without the Dove is venomouſly hurtful; the head of the Serpent, and the heart of the Dove makes up the beſt and the moſt bleſſed compoſition; piety without policy is too ſimple to be ſafe; and policy without piety is too ſubtile to be good.
11. You muſt chuſe any ſuffering rather than the eaſt ſinning; you muſt not chuſe iniquity rather than affliction, Job 36. 21, for there is more evil in the leaſt ſin, than in the greateſt ſuffering, in as much as Moral evil is far worſe and greater than that which is meerly Natural: Quas non ergo oportet mortes praeeligere, ſaith Zuinglius; therefore what deaths ought not a man rather to make choice of, what torments not rather undergo, yea into what deepeſt gulf of Hell (it ſelf) not rather enter, than wittingly and willingly to ſin the leaſt ſin againſt God? The ancient Martyrs would not accept of deliverance upon ignoble and the ſinful terms, Hebrews 11. 35. They would not throw ſo much as one grain of frankincenſe to the Idol, though it would have ſaved their own lives; hence Daniel choſe rather to be caſt to the Lions, than to violate his Conſcience, and ſo to have a lion roaring in his boſome; he knew that in an angry Conſcience he might feel the unbearable ſtrokes of an angry God; and a man had better anger all the Witches in the world, yea and all the Devils in hell, than anger God.
12. You may not do the leaſt evil, no, not for the procuring of the greateſt good, Rom. 3. 8; do no evil, that good may come. If a lie would ſave your life, you may not tell it: Gods people are children that will not lie, (as their father is a God that cannot lie), Iſa. 63. 8; they will rather die than lie. Non ideo negare volo, ne peream; ſed ideo mentiri nolo, ne peocem: I will not therefore deny, leaſt I periſh; but therefore will I not lie, leaſt I ſin, ſaid the good woman upon the Rack: of whom St. Jerome writeth. And Auſtin ſaith, That a man ought not to tell a lie, though he might ſave the whole World from Hell thereby; for there is more evil in one lie, than there is good (ſaith he) in the ſalvation of all the World: and he would chuſe Hell rather than ſin, if ſet before him for choice. Thus the Primitive Chriſtians cried, [Ad Leones potius quam ad Lenones,] Throw us to your Lions, rather than to your Harlotry; though this would ſave our lives, yet would it deſtroy our ſouls. The Armenian Mouſe will die (ſome write) rather than be defiled with filth: inſomuch that if her hole be beſmeared with dirt, ſhe rather chuſes to be taken than polluted. Such ought all the ſervants of God to be.
13. Examine your call from God for every action you undertake; be oft crying [Quo warranto?] what warrant have I for this or that from the Lord, whom I ought to obey in all things: and for this end, mind thoſe four voices; 1. Of Providence, how it calls you: 2. Of Conſcience, what ſatisfaction you find there both concerning the lawfulneſs and the expediency of the action: 3. Of the word, which ought to warrant all our actions, as it is the rule of all Righteouſneſs: and 4ly, of the Spirit, which gives its teſtimony to all the aforeſaid (the fruits of the Spirit is in all, goodneſs, and righteouſneſs, and truth, Eph. 5. 9.) and witneſſes with our ſpirits that we are in Gods way, and in our own duty: The voice of Providence alone may deceive you, as it might have done David, had Abiſhai's apprehenſions prevailed with him (as 1 Sam. 26. 8. God hath delivered thine enemy (Saul) into thine hand this day,) he would not have David to tempt God any longer by letting ſlip this ſo fair an opportunity; but holy David had the three other voices to hearken unto, as well as that voice of Providence, ver. 9, 10, 11, neither the Word would warrant him, nor his own ſpirit, nor the ſpirit of God; which laſt hinder'd Paul and Silas from going into Aſia and Bithynia, Act. 16. 6, 7.
14. In things wherein ſelf may ſway, it is ſafeſt for you to be paſſive; in ſuch caſes you will be ſtrongly tempted (both by a ſubtil devil, and by a deceitful heart) to out-run God both in his Promiſes, and in his Providences; as Iſrael in Numb. 14.40, We will go up unto the place which the Lord hath promiſed: they muſt needs go up that very morning, for ſelf ſwayed their hearts that way, though the pillar of Providence (which was their guide by night, and by day) did not go before them; and though they plead Gods promiſe, yet they did not conſider, Gods promiſes are fealed, but they are not dated: You muſt wait therefore (in ſuch caſes of ſelf) Gods time; your time will be always ready, when Gods time is not yet, Joh. 7. 6. You would have your water of affliction turned into the wine of conſolation at your time: but Chriſt ſaith to you as he ſaid to his Mother, What have I to do with thee, woman? mine hour is not yet come, Joh. 2.4; the day you ſet down in your Kalendar, is not the ſame that God ſets down in his; we are all exceeding prone to poſt-date the divine threatnings, and to antidate the divine promiſes: we all put the evil day far from us, Amos 6. 3. Ezek. 12. 27. When God comes in his threatnings, we think he hath leaden feet, and is ſlow in pace, 2 Pet. 3.4, 9, but when we expect him to come in his promiſes, then we look upon him as a Roe and as a young hind in the mountains of Bether.