The Disabled Debtor Discharged, Part 22
Seeſt Thou.]
Not onelyonly with the bodily Eye, for with that hee ſaw, and miſtooke: But with Conſideration and Obſervation.
Doct. The Deportment of a true Penitent is worth our ſeeing; Their Carriage and Converſation is worthy Obſervation.
Thoſe good effects which S. Pauls letters wrought in the Corinthians are graced with an Ecce, we are willed to Behold and conſider them well, 2 Cor. 8.11. Behold this ſelfe ſame thing that you ſorrowed after a godly ſorrow, &c.
Many Penitents are brought upon the State of Chriſtianitie in holy Scriptures,Mat 9.9. Luk. 19.1-10 Joh 9.36. Luk. 17.11. Luk. 23.9. acting their parts before a world of Spectators: As Matthew, Zacheus, the Blinde man, and Lepers, the Thiefe on the Croſſe, &c. to what purpoſe if they be not ſeene? In a full Theater you would thinke you ſee ſo many lines drawne from the Circumference of ſo many Eyes and Eares, whilſt a good Actor is the Center: What one doth fainedly there, the true Penitent doth really here: he weepes in good earneſt, fights in good earneſt, forgives in good earneſt, &c. And none ſo Acts to the life, as doth the Penitent. The Character that is given of a good Actor (by ſome wits) may truly be applied to him. The Actor doth not ſtrive to make Nature monſtrous: nor the Penitent Grace: It is ſeene in the ſame Scene with him,S. Thomas O. verburyes Charact. but neither on Stilts nor Crutches. The voice of the one is not lower then the Prompter, nor lowder then the Foyle and Target; not is the voice of the other, but as the Spirit ſhall give utterance; groaning with the Turtle, not Screaming with the Peacocke; the one by his Action fortifies morall Precepts with Examples; ſo doth the other Divine: In his generall Carriage we ſee the force of the Rule: the one adds grace to the Poets labours; ſo doth the other to the Preachers: For what in the one is but Ditty, in the other is both Ditty and Muſicke, yet what is averred of the one, that all men have beene of his Occupation, and are (for who plaies not his part on the worlds Theater?) cannot be affirmed of the other, few there are that truly act Repentance. How ever, of all men living (ſay ſome) a worthy Actor in one kind is the ſtrongeſt motive of Affection, Ʋſe. when he doth weepe in jeſt, he makes others weepe in earneſt: So ſhould the true Penitent, affect much more. S. Gregory being to ſpeake of the Repentance of this Mary begins thus. Flere magis libet quam dicere. He was full and could rather deſire to ſhed teares then uſe words; we have all ſinned, we have not all lamented. To helpe us in it, Behold this woman. And you that are heere preſent with your Bodies, bee preſent with your mindes. It is an Example deſerves pondering, we were ſummoned by the ſound of a Trumpet before, verſe 37. and therefore all both high and low Behold: the Sunne hath ſhined upon this Diall; who can now but looke on the Shadow, And behold the Stroakes?
And as this woman is commended to our Obſervation in Particular: So the Deportment and Behaviour of every good Penitent in generall ſhould be regarded: God hath ſer them up as a Light-houſe by the Seaſide, whereby the Marriners both faile aright and avoid danger: their unfained Humiliation and gratious acceptation is propounded for our Imitation and encouragement, Pſ. 32.6. Which if we obſerve not, we ſhall loofe the Comfort, and God much of his Glory.
All the workes of the Lord are great (ſaith David) and to be ſought out of all them that have pleaſure therein. Pſal. 111.2.In his Creation, he is wonderfull to aſtoniſhment; In his Providence paſt finding out, &c.Pſal. 8.1.139.14. Rom. 11. But when we looke upon the worke of Converſion, we muſt cry, O the height, &c! his way herein is beyond admiration. Let his goings be obſerved; and his exceeding greatneſſe of grace and power be for ever magnified, Eph. 1.19.
Ʋſe. 2 And if the Deportment of a true Penitent cals for our regard, it will not be unſeaſonable yo admoniſh all, who profeſſe themſelves to be ſuch, that they be very carefull of their carriage: you may make or marre Gods markets. Much lies on your hands to bring others on, or keepe them off from God. If your workes beſeeme Repentances, your light is like that of the Sun, It will cauſe the Beaſts of prey to lye downe in their Denns, Pſ. 104 The benefit of good examples and danger of bad. See in the good Samaritan pag. 226.and draw men out unto their labour, be a meanes to winne others (as our Saviour ſhews,) Math. 5.16. 1. Pet. 2. v. 12, 15. & Chap. 3.1. But if you counterfet and diſſemble you are like a falſe light or lanthorne by the Seaſide which Shipwracks thoſe that truſt it, and are guided by it.
Remember, all Eyes are called on to Behold you; before your Converſion no regard was had, you were then (like an Actor) within the Tyring-houſe, where you were Rampant and ſwoare oathes that you never cond: But now you are upon the Stage and none had more need be wary of words and actions.
You know that no ordinary blemiſh, ſcratch nor ſpot is regarded in a Table, before an Image bee drawne upon it; But after the Image or Effigies is portraited, every little ſpot is obſerved in it: Such is the difference of ſpots in Chriſtians before Converſion and after, and no leſſe regarded. Therefore have a care that your well ordered life ſhews a well ordered heart. For as it is in a Clocke, when the Hammer ſtrikes well, and the hand of the Dyall points well, it is a ſigne that the Wheeles are right ſet: So a good life and Converſation argues a true Penitent, and good Christian. And thus much of the Act, now for the Object.