Gods Husbandry, Sermon 1 · Chapter 13
CHAP. XIII. Wherein are handled the vſes of this point in regard of others.
AND theſe bee the vſes of this point, which eueryevery man muſt make for himſelfe: now two things more follow, in regard of other men, with whome wee liue. For ſeeing Chriſts body hath in it ſome ſound members, ſome rotten (I meane his viſible body), therefore muſt wee bee warie, in not truſting all that carry an appearance of goodneſſe, and farre from condemning all as hypocrites, becauſe ſome proue ſo. Firſt then, let the plaine words of Chriſt in this text, aduertiſe vsus to put away ſimple and fooliſh credulitie, in taking all for that they ſeeme; and putting our ſelues into the hands of a man, ſo ſoone as euer any good things appeare in him.Wee muſt not be lightly credulous. Let vsus rather vſe all good diſcretion, and bee reſerued from men, vntill by long experience, wee hauehave gotten very good aſſurance of their ſinceritie. Our Sauiour hath made himſelfe a patterne to vsus of this prudent warineſſe, as well as of all other graces: for many beleeued in him,Iohn 3. vlt. as Iohn tels vsus, with whom hee truſted not himſelfe, becauſe he knew what was in man. Wee cannot tell particularly, as he could, what is in the hearts of all thoſe, whoſe countenance is framed to goodneſſe: but yet this we know in generall, that much hollowneſſe is in all, and that many are altogether hollow and guilefull; wherefore till long continuance in goodneſſe, till the euident demonſtration of truth, and the cleare ſhining of vertue, in the much and often denying of themſelues, hauehave verified and approued the ſoundnes of mens hearts;But hold our ſelues in ſuch tearmes, that men may not hurt vsus if they would. wee muſt hold our ſelues in ſuch termes with them, that they may not hauehave power to hurt vsus (through our ouer-ſpeedy openneſſe towards them), euen though they ſhould afterwards grow ſo naught, as to deſire our hurt. I meane not, that any man ſhould bee bold to conclude againſt his brother, ſure hee but diſſembleth, and I will not truſt him. Nay, we ſhould feare to conceiue ſo almoſt of any man: for euen a true Chriſtian may giuegive ſhrewd ſignes ſometimes of hollowneſſe: but my meaning is, that we ſhould thinke and hope the beſt, and be well perſwaded of eueryevery man, whoſe outſide giueth vsus cauſe of a good opinion; but yet ſo, as ſtill to remember, that wee are not able to ſearch the heart, and that guile and hollowneſſe may goe very farre, and therefore not to aduenture too farre vponupon them, in hope that they be ſuch, as will neuer deceiue vsus. Thou knoweſt not, that ſuch a man is a diſſembler, therefore thinke well of him. Thou knoweſt that there is a poſſibility he may be a diſſembler, therfore come not within his danger; giuegive him no ſuch aduantage, through laying open thy ſelfe vntounto him, that if hee ſhould proue guilefull, thou mighteſt be hurt by him. Credulitie is the fault of honeſt hearts; becauſe they bee ſingle themſelues, they looke to find all like themſelues: but Chriſts words ſhould giuegive vsus warning, to try before we truſt. If any man ſay, that this retiredneſſe will cut off the practice and exerciſe of all Chriſtian communion betwixt the members of Chriſts body: I anſwere,Which will nothing hinder the communion of Saints. hee ſaith amiſſe that ſo ſpeaketh; a man may doe many (and almoſt any) office of Chriſtian charitie, to thoſe with whom he liueth, and yet hold himſelfe in ſuch euen termes with them, that though they ſhould prooue falſe brethren, yet he ſhal not receiue any hurt by them. There be many acts of godly ſocietie, which may be practiſed without any perill, eſpecially in the peaceable times of the Church, and theſe (nothing hinders, but that) wee may indifferently exerciſe towards all: but if at any time ſome ſtormes ariſe, we muſt beware before whom, and towards whom, we carry our ſelues ſo, that they may hurt vsus, if they liſt. Take heed whom thou truſteſt with thy goods, whom with thy name, whom with thy ſafetie, and to whom thou ſo farre ingageſt thy ſelfe, that hee may (if hee will) deceiue thee, betray thee, moleſt thee. There be ſome ſo true hearted, that the world ſhall ſooner remoue out of its place, then that they will prooue falſe. There be others, that will quickly change their hue, and be foes, in ſtead of their ſhewes of brotherly louelove. Pray to God to giuegive thee vnderſtanding, to walke wiſely towards them that are within, as well as towards them that are without.
And if any man deſire to receiue information of the ſureſt notes of truth,Notes by which we may beſt diſcerne of another mans integrity that are diſcernable to others, & in others, let him marke theſe two things well. The more humble any man is, the leſſe forward to put forth himſelfe, and to ſhew himſelfe, and the more he can deny himſelfe, and ſhew himſelfe louing and pittifull towards thoſe, that yet ſeeme farre from goodneſſe; the more ſoundneſſe and truth doe lodge in his boſome: but hee that is apt to ſet out himſelfe, and cannot brooke another, that goeth not ſo farre as himſelfe: that man doe thou ſuſpect, and from him be thou reſerued. Humilitie and meekeneſſe in ones carriage, and a patient waiting for them, that are not yet eſcaped out of Satans toyles, are (mee thinketh) the ſureſt and cleareſt meanes of diſcouering the truth of another man. For hypocriſie in ſpight of it ſelfe, will ſhew it ſelfe proud and cenſorious, and bitter: but truth, euen when it intendeth no ſuch matter, will ſhew it ſelfe humble and lowly, and gentle-minded, conſidering it ſelfe how bad once it was, and how much heereafter it may be ouertaken.
To conclude then; ſome be falſe brethren:Truſt thē leaſt that are moſt deſirous to bee truſted, and angry if they be not truſted. wherefore truſt not all too farre, that carry themſelues for a time, as if a man might truſt them; and truſt them leaſt, that ſeeme moſt deſirous to be truſted. Againe, doe not condemne all of falſehood, becauſe a number diſcouer their guilt daily. When many of thoſe that ſeemed leaders of the Army of Chriſtians, fall off from their good beginnings, and caſt away the very ſhewes of goodneſſe, turning openly profane or worldly, and perhaps alſo bitter againſt thoſe, that ſeeme to be ſuch, as themſelues once ſeemed.Diſlike not piety for their ſakes that proue diſſemblers. Let no man take offence at theſe ſtumbling blockes: let no man hence entertaine a thought of diſlike againſt Pietie and Religion, nor an hard conceit of thoſe, that yet continue in good courſes. Such terrible examples ſhould make vsus feare our ſelues, and flie to heauen for diuine ſuſtentation, they ſhould not make vsus reiect the louelove of godlineſſe, and account all rotten branches, becauſe ſome are ſo. Hath not Chriſt told vsus before-hand, that ſo it will be, that when we finde it ſo to be, we may not be offended, as he tells his Diſciples in another caſe. The fooliſh worldling ſtumbleth exceedingly at the ſlips, faults, and imperfections of Gods true-hearted children; and becauſe hee ſees faults in them, that beare before them a forwardneſſe in religion, he condemnes them all for groſſe diſſemblers, and cannot away with theſe ſmooth-faced hypocrites. But if at any time ſome prooue ranke hypocrites, he takes that as a warrant for his tongue to out-laſh againſt all, ſaying, that ſurely the beſt of them is no better. But how could they be ſo fooliſh, but that they delight in folly, and are glad to make themſelues obſtinate in euill; and to confirme their inbred hatred of pietie, by turning all occurrents to that purpoſe? were it not (I ſay) for this malitious blindneſſe of theirs, how could they be ſo fooliſh, as not to hauehave learned of our Sauiours moſt plaine words, that in him there will be fruitleſſe branches, that muſt bee cut off, and caſt out, as well as fruitfull, that will continue and encreaſe in fruitfulneſſe? Would any but a very blocke, or a blind man, ſtumble at a blocke, that is plainely ſhewed vntounto him, and warning hath often beene giuen him, that it will ſurely bee caſt in his way? would any but a man voyd of all vnderſtanding, abhorre all the Apoſtles, becauſe Iudas turned traytor? I pray you therefore, ſo many of you as ſhall liue to ſee ſuch miſerable examples, that you draw good, and not euill concluſions from the falls, reuolts, and back-ſlidings of other men, and of hypocrites. Say thou, I am ſure Chriſt hath good ſheepe, as well as goates; and though ſuch and ſuch hauehave manifeſted their guilefulneſſe, by forſaking the former pathes of righteouſneſſe, wherein they appeared to walke; yet I will not be hardly conceited of any body elſe, for their ſakes. In this caſe the prouerbe ought to be hearkened vntounto, that tels vsus, EueryEvery Horſe muſt carry his owne burden. In truth, hee that ſtands ſo ſlenderly affected, either to goodnes and piety it ſelfe, or to the ſeruants and followers of ſo noble a miſſtreſſe, as piety is; that becauſe of the wickedneſſe, and out-ſtrayings, and finall reuolts of ſome of thoſe, that ſeemed once to attend vponupon her, and to be admitted into her traine; therefore he cares not for pietie it ſelfe, nor will euer thinke well of any of thoſe, that weare here cloath hereafter; he (I ſay) that ſtands ſo ſlenderly affected to Wiſdome and her retinue, ſhall be ſure, neuer to want occaſion of imboldening himſelfe in ſinne, and of being more and more eſtranged from that, the entertaining of which, is the onelyonly way to make him happie. Yea verily, hee whom the back-ſliding of ſeeming Chriſtians, doth driue to ſo much madneſſe, as that he can turne ſo lamentable a ſpectacle to no better a purpoſe, then to triumph and exult ouer all, and barke againſt al, and vpbrade all with ſuch euill examples: diſcouereth himſelfe plainely not to hate the ſinne of the back-ſlider which hee lately fell into, but the very ſhewes of goodneſſe wherein once he walked, and from which he is faine. In a word, he that ſcornes pietie and religion, and thoſe that follow after it, becauſe diuers turne taile, and prooue notably wicked at end, ſhewes himſelfe plainely to be voyd of all religion, & all piety. When the true ſeruants of God doe ſee and heare ſuch tidings, it grieueth their ſoules, it maketh them mourne in ſecret, and pray in ſecret, and fall a freſh to examine and trie themſelues, leſt they alſo ſhould be in like manner ouertaken. But he that fleereth, and ieſteth, and exulteth, and ſcorneth, and caſts the dung of one, in the face of others, and would faine blemiſh all religiouſneſſe, by the ſtaines and faults of thoſe that once ſeemed religious: hath nothing in him but malice and bitterneſſe, and the very ſpirit of the diuell. Beware therefore of making thy ſelfe appeare ſtarke naught, by ſo ſtumbling at the breaking out of ſome other mans long hidden naughtineſſe.