Shepherdy Spiritualized, Tract · Chapter 1
CHAP. I. Proeme.
Antiquity enobles Shepherdy:
It doth ſo peace and ſincere Piety.
E'Re we fall on this diſcourſe, we have here Room enough (did it ſuit our preſent purpoſe) to Rhetorize; and from the Antiquity and Honourableneſs of Shepherdy to commend it to men. We hinted even now from one of the Rabbins, how contemptibly ſome have thought and ſpoken of that Trade of Life: But it were eaſie with the Pens of others, to daſh out that Reproach, and reconcile Authority and credit to it from daies of old wherein, and Perſons of eſteem in the world, by whom, it hath been attended. We may not tarry long on theſe things: briefly only to hint it, as in our paſſage: For the Antiquity of it, we need give none other inſtance than that of Abel, Gen. 4. 2. The firſt Man's imploy was properly that of a Gardner, Chap. 2. 15. though before, and without, Sin, it had been his Recreation, rather than an Occupation. His Sons, the Text tells you, were Cain an Husbandman, to Till the Earth, and Abel a Keeper of Sheep: thus to diſtinguiſh their diſpoſitions, bDeſcribit quo pacto diſcernit Deus pios a reprobis & ut formet vitam eorum. Cain attentus erat ad rem, et lucrum: Abel De… liberiùs vacare voluit (ad quod accommodatior erat vita paſtoralis.) & opiliones mitiori ingenio eſſe creduntur; & paſcendi munere vivaciùs admonentur Dei & beneficiorum illius. Fag.alſo: Cain being of a more rough temper, and having greater reſpect to his profit: Abel as of a meeker Spirit delighting to contemplate God and his benefits. Thus early in the world was this innocent and uſeful imployment. And for the Dignity of it, the greateſt have not eſteemed it beneath them to feed and keep Sheep, as both pleaſant and profitable. 'Tis the firſt Article in the Inventory, both of Abraham, Gen. 12. 16. ver. 24, 35. and of Job, Chap. 1. 3. Great men were anciently much addicted to Husbandry and Shepherdy, as Ʋzziah the King, 2 Chron. 26. 10. the Patriarcks and the Old Romans, who held it commendation enough for a man to be called and counted a good Plough-man, &c. and ſent for Senators, yea, Generals from the Plough-tail, as Cincinnatus, Senanus, and others. Plinie reports, Corn never ſo cheap in Rome, as when the ſame Man ploughed the ground, and governed the Commonwealth, cQuaſi ganderet terra laureato vomere, & aratro triumphali.as if the Land brought forth the more, becauſe thus honourably ript up and ſowed by triumphant hands. But now the caſe is otherwiſe, as Beza complains on, Iob. 1. 3. that Husbandry and Shepherdy are left for the baſeſt and ſimpleſt men, and for ſuch as all others might Prey upon. But from the beginning it was not ſo. Meſha thought a King of Moab judged it not below his dignity to feed and breed Sheep, 2 King. 3. 4. dErat pecuarius, Paſtor, rei pecuariae ſtudebat, quod olim magni …iri ſ… perſ…nâ non indignum putabant, Oſiand.Some derive the word which we tranſlate Sheep-maſter, from a root that ſignifieth to mark, becauſe ſuch Keepers, were and are wont to mark or brand their Sheep to diſtinguiſh them from others. A King diſdained not this imployment.
Application.
ANd is not the way of Holineſs, of pure Religion, of heedful and holy walking, an ancient and an Honourable way? Have not the People of God in all ages been found walking in thoſe paths? We find now indeed purity and ſtrict converſation reproached as Novelty; a Vizard which Satan in theſe laſt and worſt daies hath put on real Godlineſs, to ſcare men off from it. But whoſo will conſiderately enquire ſhall find Holineſs an ancient path. Though every antient way be not good. Sin and errour were early in the world; yet the way of Truth and purity will be found the moſt antient way. The good way is the old way, Ier. 6. 16. Antiquity diſjoyned from verity is but filthy hoarineſs: (remember the Gibeonites, Ios. 9. 12, 13, 14.) and deſerveth no more reverence than an old Fornicator, who is ſo much the more odious becauſe old; yet we know what is moſt antient *Quod Antiquiſſimum est veriſſimum.is moſt true, truth and holineſs were before falſhood and Sin.
Firſt, it was the way in which the Saints of the moſt High in all ages have walked, who have thence their Name, from their holy hearts and walks. This Eliphaz hints to Iob, Chap. 5. 1. and hence to us they are called a cloud, Heb. 12. 1. becauſe of a directive or leading virtue in them, in alluſion to the Cloud that load the Children of Iſrael in the Wilderneſs. What the Scripture ſpeaks of each of theſe, ye know: briefly to hint one or two, David was a man after God's own heart (ſuch a one as he deſired, and therefore was his Corculum) and did fulfill all his Wills, Act. 13, 22. from 1 Sam. 13. 14. Iacob was a plain man, Gen. 25. 27. Heb. foreign ePerſectus, nemp… …irtutibus, integer operibus, Jun. Trem.perfect in his heart, upright in his life: the ſame word that is uſed of Noah, Chap. 6. 9. where Juſt reſpects his Faith, Heb. 11. 7. perfect his life. Abraham was the Friend of God, and he walked with and before the Lord. So Enoch Gen. 5. 22, 24. walked with God, i. e. holily; they that walk otherwiſe, walk with the Devil.
Secondly, It was the way of Man before Sin: The conſtitution of man in his Creation, was that he ſhould walk holilywith his God. God made man upright, Eccl. 7. 29. in the image of God, Gen. 1. which conſiſted in Wiſdom, Righteouſneſs, and Holineſs, Col. 3. 10. Epheſ. 4. 23, 24. Baſil referreth image in Gen. 1. 26. to the reaſonable Soul in man, likeneſs to, a conformity to God in holy Actions. Before Sin then, and had it not been for Sin, Adam had walked in perfect Holineſs before God.
Thirdly, It was and is the way of the bleſſed Angels, who were made before man, and whoſe Relation as Creatures keeps them in obedience to their Maker. Hence they are ſaid to do his Commandments, hearkning to the voice of his word. Pſal. 103. 20. The wicked Angels ſinning, is called the leaving their firſt eſtate, 2 Pet. 2. 4. with Iude 4. i. e. their original integrity and obedience to their Lord and Maker in all things. The good Angels dothe will of God readily, chearfully, univerſally, and with delight, Dan. 9. 21.
Yea Fourthly, ſo ancient as the way of God himſelf. God is called the Ancient of days, Dan. 7. 9, 13, 23. i. e. he that was before daies, or time or any other Creature: ſo the Pſalmiſt excellently expounds it, Pſal. 90. 2. God's Eternity and wiſdom is ſet out by that Name Ancient of dayes: and what is his way? The Scripture tells us, Pſal. 145. 17. The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works. Not only are all the ways wherein the Lord walks, righteous; and the works he doth, holy: but he can go in no way, but a righteous way, nor do any work, but a work of Holineſs. Hence Holineſs is called the Life of God. Epheſ. 4. 18. becauſeit is from God, as the Author; unto God, as the End; and according to God, as the pattern. And ſhall we need go any higher to prove the holy way the old way, than to ſay, it is the way of the Eternal God? And for the Honour of it, the ſame hints may ſuffice. Let it not therefore move any that a Vizard of novelty is put upon an aged Face to make a ſcare-Crow to frighten weaker Judgments from cloſing with truth and Holineſs. The beſt of men from the firſt of time have walked thus.
Reflections.
Have not I been kept off from liking, and walking in the ways of *For a prejudiced Soul.Truth and Holineſs, by a ſuſpition of Novelty? How much like ſpirited have I been to him, who with ſlight enough, was wont to ſay, that between the old Mumſimus, and the new Sumpſimus, a great ſtirr was kept? Fooliſh Soul! How blockiſh haſt thou been, to condemn all as Novel, which hath ſhone with any more than common brightneſs? As if I ſhould affirm the Sun new riſen at Noon, becauſe then it brake out from under a Cloud. Was it not enough for profane Romaniſts tauntingly to ask Proteſtants, where was your Religion before Luther? But muſt carnal Proteſtants enveigh againſt all that endeavour any further Reformation than at firſt appeared with Luther, as Schiſmatical and pragmatically curious? We expect not the Sun at noon-height as ſoon as riſen in the morning; and after ſuch a night of ignorance, even of the very letter of the Scripture, and terrible perſecution, to expect a meredian Sun-ſhine as to all truths of the Goſpel, is to dream rather than reaſon. Even they that thus ſpeak preſume in rituals to excuſe themſelves from humane inventions and additions in Divine worſhip, by diſtinguiſhing between the infancy of the Church and its grown eſtate; which how much place more it hath here, they whoſe reaſon is not quite proſtituted to humour, will judge. Shake thy ſelf therefore, O my Soul! from theſe miſapprehenſions, and ſet Truth and Reaſon on the Throne, not humour. Prejudices are dangerous eſpecially in matters of higheſt moment. Prejudice rooted in the heart even of an honeſt Nathaniel had almoſt barr'd the door againſt the Meſſiah, Jo. 1. 46. Philip ſpake ill enough, verſ. 45 Jeſus of Nazareth, the Son of Joſeph; few words, and ſcarce ever a true one. Epidemical diſeaſes are ſoon caught: Epidemical errours are very catching: But Nathaniel ſpeakes worſe, Can any good, &c? The interrogation is a vehement negation. Nazareth was a City of Galilee: the Galileans were hated of the Jews, becauſe they were for the moſt part ſprung form them whom Salmanaſſer had brought thither from Aſſyria, 2 Kin. 17. who had corrupted the Iſraelites Religion with their Countrey rites. Take heed, my Soul! take heed, leſt what thou contemneſt, yea condemneſt as New, be found as Old as the Truth of God. Paul through prejudice againſt Chriſt and his Truth, thought it Duty to perſecute the Profeſſours of it, Act. 26. 9. and is it not ſo with thee, O my Soul! is it not with thee as Tertullian reports of ſome in the Primitive times againſt Chriſtians, fNomen damnatur, non crimen, aut ſcelus. Solum nomen innocuum hominibus innocuis est pro crimine, Tertul.that their name was their crime, and this only was condemned in them? And Tacitus not much unlike, when Nero had ſet Rome on Fire for his pleaſure, and then Fathered it upon the Chriſtians, a great Company of them were preſently ſlaughtered not gHaud perinde in cirmine incendij, quam odio humani generis convicti. Tacit.ſo much for their guilt in burning the City, ſaith the Hiſtorian, as becauſe they were hated of Men. What if reproach and perſecution be found the Injunction or Inſtitution of Jeſus Chriſt? Were it not ſafer to kiſs the Son, than to take Counſel againſt him? Be wiſe yet at length, O my Soul? Lay judgment to the line, and righteouſneſs to the plummet. Judge righteous Judgment, explode and riſe againſt nothing as novel, which is found to have the image and ſuperſcription of Chriſt. Truth and Holineſs can never be antiquated, nor yet an innovation.
Be not diſcouraged *For the humble holy heart.nor aſhamed, O my Soul! to own the ſlighted and reproached Truths of thy Lord. 'Tis not now a new thing for the waies fo God to lye under the ſlights of men. In moſt Ages grey-headed Truth and Holineſs have been diſguſted as new and freſh. The Sodomites check Lot's zeal againſt their Beaſtiality with ſuch a kind of argument, Gen. 19. 9. This one fellow came in to ſojourn, and he will be hperpetuus est morum Cenſor. Malv.Judge: q. d. Muſt we be controuled by ſuch an Ʋpſtart, ſuch a Novelliſt as this? The Idolatrous Jews could plead Antiquity, Nobility, Univerſality for their ſervice to the Queen of Heaven, Jer. 44. 17. which pleas are very frequent in the Mouths of Romaniſts to this day. It is the old Religion, ſay they, and hath Potent Princes for its Patrons, and is practiſed in Rome the Mother Church, and hath plenty and peace where it is profeſſed, and where they have nothing elſe but Maſs and Matins. But alas, who ſees not through theſe coverings, they are ſo thin? Truth, O my Soul, is more ancient than a lye, and Holineſs than Sin. Be not therefore afrighted from the ways of God, becauſe reported but of Yeſterday, or but a few years. It hath been well obſerved by our famous Jewel concerning the Men of Rome, that iNoſtra omnia ut peregrina & nova condemnant: ſatis enim ſciunt nihil iſt is nominibus popularius eſſe, aut in vulgus gratius. Juel. Apol. Eccleſ. Angl. p. 114, 115.they condemn all that we hold, adding the reaſon, becauſe they know this pleaſeth the multitude to decry things as novel. Follow thou, O my Soul, the Old way that is good, and the good way, for thou mayeſt be ſure it is Old. Let my heart be upright, and my feet ſet ſtraight in the ways of God, and I need not fear Mens cenſures as a Novelliſt. Whilſt I keep cloſe to ſcripture-purity, I need not fear to check with pure Antiquity.