Moderation a Virtue, Treatise · Section 7
SECT. VII.
If there be any Vertue, if any Praise, we should study, think upon, acquire and exercise Moderation. I shall not discuss whether Moderation be a single Vertue, or a Cluster of Vertues? whether it be a Grace adorning the Christian Court? or, rather a Queen that governs and imploys other Graces in their several Services and Offices? We are sure that Mankind was first spared, and afterwards restored, and ever since governed by Divine Moderation. Man's first Constitution was tempered by Moderation: There was an Union, or a Combination of Heaven and Earth, of Spirit and Body, to make him up compleat and perfect Man. An excellent happy Creature! Visible between the Creator and other Creatures in a middle state of Freedom and Obedience to his Maker, and of Dominion over other Creatures, lower than Angels in respect of his Earthly Extraction, equal to Angels in respect of Holiness, above Angels, because of his Dominion, and Authority to stamp what Name he pleased upon the Creatures. And once more see the Moderation of the disposal: Adam had the Name and subordinate Power, but God retained the absolute Soveraignty. God had the Right to bestow them, Adam had the use of them, because he had the need, and was to have the Comfort of them.
Had he kept this Middle Station, he had continued happy; but aspiring to an Extream of Ambition, he fell to an extream Condition of Poverty and Misery.
In this State Goodness and Forbearance did first forbear him: God stays till the Cool of the day before fearful Adam heard his Voice, that he might have time to study if he could find a Remedy, or find some Shift, or lye down at the Feet of Mercy, which was not promised to him before. Infinite Mercy did interpose between Holiness and Justice, and the inexcusable Offender, whose Excuse made his Case the fouler.
What course did God take to save him? He went a middle way by a Mediator, God and Man. Grace shall save the Sinner, and Righteousness lose nothing thereby: The Law broken shall be perfectly fulfilled; the Curse shall be born, and taken away by him that bare it.
Every Man that is saved and called, is put into a middle State of Grace in this Life; he is advanced from a Slavery to a Sonship, but a Son under Age. Now are we the Sons of God, it doth not yet appear what we shall be.
And ever since Sin made the great and lamentable Alteration in the World, by bringing in Death among us; God hath governed it by a glorious perfectly Divine Moderation. He governs, commands and judgeth by a Law that is holy, just and good, and so his Ways are equal.
They are the best and happiest Men in the World, both in themselves and to others, that are renewed after his Image, and act according to his Laws in imitation of him; and they are they who are the most moderate, that govern themselves and govern others, or are governed by the Rules of Moderation.
A Moderation of Elements and Humours makes the best Constitution of Bodies; Grace and Vertue gives the best Temper of Soul, which keeps the mean between the Excess and Defect; and in the State of Grace the Exercise of Grace is the shewing of our Moderation.
Christ, to whom all things are committed of the Father, rules his Church by it, and all the Members of it are to shew it to all Men; to them that are without, and to them that are within. This is like the Stifness and Flexibleness of the Nerves and Arteries; the soft and smooth Ends of the Parts and Members of the Body, where they joyn and meet.
In a word, Moderation is the Ballance of the Ship, and the Cement of the Building, the just Proportion of the Mystical Body. If the whole Body were an Eye, where were the Hearing? If the whole were Hearing, where the Smelling? &c. But God hath so tempered the Body together that there should be no Schism in the Body. 1 Cor. 12.17, 24, 25. foreign; Vno quodam temperamento inter se conjunxit, adeo que conglutinavit: Dr. Slater in loc. All Christians are joyned together by one Temperament, that there might be no Schism: that's God's design, to prevent Division, and casting out, or cutting off of Members, or any Carriage of Men of higher Gifts, to offend, and neglect the inferiour and weak. And the words of the grave and excellent Musculus (in 1 ad Corrinth. c. 12. v. 25.), are worthy a recital. Significat ipsissimum esse Schisma Ecclesiae, quandi membrae illius ab hac sum mutuâ solicitudine aliena, quiquid tandem Verbis ac Ritibus prof… tiantur. For the Unity and Integrity of the Church (saith that excellent Man) doth not only consist in an outward Conformity of Religion and Ceremonies; but also, yea and more, in the Consent, Concord and Unity of the Mind of Spirit. Detur autem è tot millibus Ecclesia una, in quâ mutua ista Membrorum cura vigiat, & locum hoc genus Schismatis non habeat, quo planè Schismatici sunt Ecclesiarum Capita & Praesides, quorum pectora nulla inferiorum Membrorum curâ tanguntur. The very head of Schism, which divides it self into so many Channels, rises from Disaffection; and mutual Care and fellow-feeling of the Sufferings of any Member, is the Effect of this Temperament; and the Cure of Schism is effected by the Application and Exercise of Love, Care and Sympathy: And the Schism so plainly spoken of in 1 Cor. 12. might, one would think, come sometimes into the Consideration of Men who insist upon other Notions.
According to this admirable Temperament and Moderation, making such a Connexion between the Superiour and Inferiour, the stronger and weaker Members of this Body, hath our Saviour, the Head and Law-giver, made those general Laws for the perpetual Government of his Church: And in the first Councel of the Apostles and Elders, they determined that Controversy and Debate with great Tenderness and Respect to all the Members of the Church, not laying any other Yoke upon the Necks of the Disciples, than things necessary, Acts 15. And the same Mind which was in Christ Jesus and his Apostles, should be in all Christians, as to this very Grace of Moderation, and Duty of shewing it to all Men. And because it is a Grace which we cannot be without, and having attained it, must not conceal but shew it, I will detain you a little, while we look into the Text where it is enjoyned us, and wherein the Glory of Christ is much concerned and seen. In the Text Philip. 4.5. the word in the Original foreign, cannot be rendred by one word; one word cannot hold its Signification, say some learned Men: It is rendred mitis, aequus, facilis, mansuetus, tenis laudabilis, sedatus, moratus frugi, modestus, civilis, prelus, in Constantine's Lexicon. By Christian Expositors it is rendred, Modestia, Moderatio, Lenitas, Aequitas, Humanitas, Candor, Probitas, Meekness, Clemency; in our English Bibles, it is englished Clemency, Acts 24.4. Genteel, 1 Pet. 2.18. Gentleness, Tit. 3.2. Jam. 3.37. 2 Cor. 10.1. Patient, 1 Tim. 3.3.
And to find out the meaning of the Word; Learned Men give the Etimology of it from foreign and foreign, like, equal, even, agreeable: So Musculus and Zanchy, or of foreign, cedo, to give place, or yield, as Zanchy and others. It is a Word of a vast Extent, and a Vertue of general Use. It is known sometimes by its Contrary, sometimes by its Company, sometimes by the Quality of the Persons of whom it is required, or by whom it is exercised, and the various Objects upon whom or which it is acted: In a Philosophical Sence, it is as much as that which is decent, meet, convenient; in a legal, it as much as equal, to which rigor, or exact, strict, Justice is opposed, and too large a remitting or evacuating of the Law, and it is to be shewed in the Constitution, Interpretation, and Administration or Execution of Laws; and it is very commonly taken in this Sence: But we must search for it in the Theological or Moral Sense of it; and in the Strictness and Limitation of it to Christians, Let your Moderation be known, and in the extent of its Object, to all Men: which doth include all matters and occasions of Conversation. It is here rendred in a Word of a large Signification, that signifies as much as Rule and Government, and the observing of the just Mode and Mean of a Christian Carriage; and is as much as behave, carry, govern your self so towards all Men as under the Eye, and as ready to give your account to the Lord, who is at hand to judg and reward you.
This Moderation, Temper, or Government is internal and secret, or external; and that either publick or private, according to the Place and Condition of the Person, as his Occasions are of conversing with all kind of Men, in all manner of Conversation, whether publick or private, religious and civil. The Regulation of a Man's own self, is pre-required to the Regulation of his Conversation towards all Men.
It cannot be expected that I should run out into a large Discourse upon this excellent Subject. We may, with great Profit, read the excellent Discourses of eminent Divines upon this Text, such as Mr. Perkins, Bishop Reynolds, Bishop Wilkins, Mr. Joseph Hill, in the Morning Exercises at Cripple-Gate, Serm. 16. And Mr. Evans, in his Sermon before my Lord Mayor, hath spoken upon some things very clearly and well.
That which remains of my Design (having wip'd off the Aspersions, or if that be too hard a Word, and calls to mind some unhandsome Usage, having washed off the Colours that made the Moderate Man look with a dark and doubtful Countenance, unlike himself) is to represent him, if not exactly, yet in some of his noble and amicable Accomplishments. And that we may take him right, the Copy is to be taken from the Divine Hand, and Pencil of the Holy Ghost in Scripture; for we do not now look upon him, as in a State of Nature, and mere Morality; but of Christianity and under Grace. But if you looked upon him in the State of Morality, you would most admire him of all Men in that State; he is the fairest of Men, among Men crept out of Darkness, and the Pit of Corruption, into a Light adorned and beset with the most compleat Suit of Moral Vertues.
But alas! the Moderate Christian, the most perfect Piece of Grace in this Life, is but an imperfect Piece, if you turn up the Robe of Righteousness in which he is justified before God, and view him, as having Sin yet dwelling in him, and groaning under his Body of Death. And it will prove too true of the unskilful Hand that represents him, as Pliny said of Painters; Pictores pulchram absolutamque faciem raro nisi in pejus effingunt.
First; A Moderate Christian is a Man renewed after the Image of Christ; if he is not renewed, with all his Acquisitions and Formalities, he is but an heartless Image of a living Image of his Maker.
Hence you may understand that the reason why there are so many Exorbitancies, Extravagancies, and Excesses among Men, is, because there are so many that prove not to be real living Christians; and why Christians themselves are defective in their Moderation, is, because they are short-sighted, too much conceited, and not enough mortified.
Secondly; He is the wisest, best, and happiest Man, that is most moderate: The wisest, because best; the best, because wisest; and the happiest, because best and wisest.
1. He is the wisest Man; for he is endued with the highest and divine Wisdom, that which comes from above, from whence he is also born: The Wisdom that is from above, is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, (or moderate, the very same Word as in the Text) and easy to be entreated, full of Mercy and good Fruit, without Partiality, and without Hypocrisy. Jam. 3.17.
2. He takes the sure way to be wise: for, 1. He goes for it where it is to be had, and by such means as the Giver of Wisdom doth direct him: If any Man lack Wisdom, let him ask it of God. He asketh, and he receiveth. 2. He ceaseth to be wise in his own Conceit, and becomes a Fool that he may wise. 3. Having obtained Wisdom, he considers his latter End, his highest and chiefest End and Good, and all Means tending to it.
3. He advanceth in his Wisdom, 1. By Observation and Imitation of the only wise God, and Christ, who is the Wisdom and Power of God. There is a likeness in his renewed Nature of the Properties and communicable Attributes of God: And as God doth manifest the Glory of his Attributes in the Government of the World, especially his Church and peculiar People; so he is a Follower or an Imitator of God, Ephes. 5.1. And he never errs, but when he deviates from his Example. 2. He walks by a Law, which maketh wise the Simple. 3. As God is his End, and the Law directs him to it, so he keeps his End in his Eye.
II. He is the best Man: for altho he is defective, and often out of Order, yet he hath,
First; The best-temper'd Soul of any Man. He hath the best Soul; for,
1. He hath the best Mind or Head.
2. The best Will and Heart; and by consequence,
3. The best qualified Affections and Passions.
2dly; The most regulated sensitive Appetites.
3dly; And by consequence he lives the best Life, and doth the most Good in his Place and Calling.
1. He hath the best-temper'd Soul and Spirit, for he hath the best Mind or Head. He hath the best Mind, 1. For Apprehension. 2. Discretion. 3. Dijudication. For,
(1.) He is illuminated by the Spirit in the Law, which enlightneth the Mind; he hath an Understanding given him; he perceiveth the Things of God.
(2.) He apprehending, 1. Things of a contrary Nature, as good and evil; 2. Things good, but in differing degrees; 3. Things of an indifferent Nature, capable of being good or evil, according as they are used; he discerns between Things and Things.
(3.) By Dijudication, or an Act of Judgment, he separates Things evil, to be rejected; Things good, to be embraced; Things indifferent, to be used or let alone, according to Use, End, and Circumstances.
And now we may call a moderate Man, an understanding, discerning, judicious Man.
He is judicious, and hath three sorts of Things before him: 1. Matters of Faith. 2. Matters of Opinion. 3. Matters of Practice.
(1.) In Matters of Faith, necessary to be believed to eternal Life, there is no place for Moderation, in the common sence of Moderation; for we must earnestly contend for the Faith which was once delivered to the Saints.
A moderate Man, taught of God, is zealous in all Things which he ought to hold fast; and this Zeal in its highest strain, and advanced, is but moderated and directed according to the everlasting Importance of those precious and necessary Things.
(2.) In Matters of Opinion, probable, but not evident, he is only stiff and zealous according to their derivation and tendency: If grounded upon Scripture, he is so far zealous, as he is in love with the Word of Grace and Truth: If they tend to God's Glory, and Man's spiritual Good and Salvation, he is so far tenacious of them, as he apprehends their tendency to be to promote that. But he is moderate in Matters of Opinion, reconcileable to Truth, consistent with Holiness and Charity; he contends not for or against these Things, but with modesty and sobriety.
(3.) In Matters of Duty and Practice, such as respect God and Man; these stand in a different degree, and according to their place in God's Commandment, a moderate Man doth intend or remit, rise or fall. And all these Things may be Matters of Debate and Controversy; and in the Controversy he makes a Difference of, 1. Things, 2. Persons; and governs himself according to the Rule of God's Word, right Reason, and Prudence.
2. His Head hangs not loose, but his Heart and Will is become conformable to his Mind; and so his Heart and Will are made better by the goodness of his Mind, his Mind being enlightned, and a Judgment passed upon Convictions of Good and Evil; so he nills the Evil, and wills the Good. He understands and knows what God declares and pronounces; he judgeth in himself according as God pronounceth; and willeth and nilleth, according to his Judgment; and being obedient to his Judgment, he is a consciencious Man.
And hence another true part of the Character of a moderate Man appears:
A moderate Man is a true-hearted, honest, sincere, consciencious Man, and therefore comes into the Rank of the best of Men.
3. And by consequence his Affections are the most orderly and regular. He loves that which is good, approved and commanded of God; hates that which is hateful, disallowed, and forbidden of God. It is a hard Work to moderate the Affections and Passions; it is a Work for Grace, Vigilance, Prayer, Care, and Time; a strait Hand must be kept upon them, with a watchful Eye, or they will flie out like a mettall'd Horse. They are easily moved, and put out of order by a watchful Tempter, who hath the advantage of a Constitution of Body in every Man, and knows how to come upon us by Surprize; but no Man sits so even in the Saddle, as a Man of a moderate Judgment. If he cannot prevent their flying out, he can soonest restrain them, and recall himself. And if his Affections are inclined or hang by a partiality, 'tis towards real good Man, and for that which appears in them, which is most worthy of our strongest Love, namely, God and Godliness. And he is not inexcusable himself, who is apt to excuse them whom he hopes God will pardon; yet still his Judgment is not perverted from a right Judgment of Sin and Infirmities.
A moderate Man is subject to Commotions, but he allays them soonest, and keeps an Eye and a Guard upon them.
Thus you have seen his Inside, his Head, Heart, and Affections, the inward Goodness of the best Man. Now observe the Moderation of,
2dly; His Sensitive Appetites.
God's Word revealing to him a Kingdom, a Treasure, a Crown in the World to come; and God's Spirit convincing him of that Glory and Blessedness, and drawing his Heart to Things above; the same Word convincing him of the Vanity, Temptations, and Danger of the World; and his own Judgment and Experience weighing with him, he grows, as his Faith and Love to God and Heaven grows, most indifferent, cool, and slack, or in one Word, moderate toward the Things that are in the World.
(1.) He grows moderate in his Desires and Pursuits, looking most to his Duty, and the right Use of the Things of this World.
(2.) Moderate in using and enjoying them.
(3.) Moderate in bearing the Crosses, Disappointments, and Losses of them.
And hence he commends himself to us as a temperate, contented, patient Man.
3dly, and lastly; He is the best Man, lives the best Life, and leads the best Conversation. The Inside being made clean, the Outside will not be endured to be unseemly; the Tree being made good, the Fruit is good.
Here I need not speak,
1. Of his conversing with God, which is, 1. Dependent upon meer Mercy, the Mediation of Christ, and the Assistance of the Spirit. 2. Reverent, as becomes Dust and Ashes. 3. Fervent, as a needy Creature, in solliciting his Happiness and Salvation.
Nor, 2. With himself, which is intimate, impartial, frequent, as having Work enough.
But, 3. With others.
And in his Conversation with others, in what Place, Rank, or Calling soever he is placed, he labours to govern himself according to the Rule of his Calling in general, as a Christian, according to the Gospel; and of his particular Calling, whatsoever that is. And he is a Man that minds his own Business, and is no Busy-Body in other Mens Matters, and acts from a threefold Principle, 1. Of Self-denial, 2. Of Charity, 3. Of Righteousness.
1. He leads his Life according to the Principle of Self-denial. If Self be in the Scale, the Hand of Moderation can never hold the Ballance even, but when Self is denied. He desires only so much of the World, as may help him in his Duty and Way towards Heaven, neither Poverty nor Riches, but Food convenient. He stands in no Man's way that climbs for Preferment, envies no Man in it, justles no Man out of it. He modestly refuseth what others ambitiously seek, and soberly useth what others abuse. Ambition makes him neither Head of a Faction, nor Emulation to follow a Party. He serves no Interest in the World, but God's. He knows he should have the same Mind which Christ also had, that he should not preach himself, but Christ; nor do as they who seek their own, Things, but, like Timothy, seek the Things of Jesus Christ.
2. He walks charitably. If he hath Faith in doubtful Things, or Things indifferent, he hath it to himself; but he hath Charity to others: His Charity extends to Enemies, to pray for them, to relieve them, to forgive them. He is charitable, even to hope all Things that are hopeful, to believe all Things that are credible; he is charitable in Constructions of Things doubtful, and in his Censures of Men and Actions. He is a Man of so much Love, that he is a Man of Peace.
3. He walks equitably. He is ready to receive according to the same Measure he distributes: Whatsoever ye would that Men should do to you, do ye even the same to them. And this hath respect to all sorts of Men. He gives to all their due; to Superiors, Honour, Tribute, and Obedience. The Moderate Man is not turbulent to the Government, but to his power supports it, and doth not shake it. If Controversies arise about his Civil Rights; 1. If the Things be sufferable, he suffers Wrong; if not, 2. He seeks then by just Practices to attain Righteousness. 3. He dares not revenge; for that is to be unjust to God, who saith, Vengeance is mine. If in Religious Matters: If about the Foundations and Vitals, he is tenacious of an Iota, zealous and resolved; but useth soft Words and hard Arguments, as holy Mr. Dod said, aiming to recover Truth, and not to revile Persons. If about Things meerly Accidental and Ceremonial,
1. He thinks, as our Reformers thought, that Christ's Gospel is not a Ceremonial Law; but it is a Religion to serve God, not in the Bondage of the Figure or Shadow, but in the Freedom of the Spirit. Of Ceremonies, why some be abolished, &c.
2. That Decency and Order is necessary to the solemn Worship of God, and only such Things as are reducible to those two Heads.
3. Edification is one End and Fruit of Ordinances and Duties, and not of Ceremonies. 1 Cor. 14.26. Our glorified Saviour gave Gifts to Men, when he ascended, and gave Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, for the edifying of the Body of Christ; upon the same Reason, to the same End, from the same Goodness, he would have given Ceremonies also, for the Edification of the Body, if they had been necessary.
4. He rarely and unwillingly engages in the Disputes about Rites and Ceremonies, having Reason for his Practice, he would have his Practice pass for a Reason. These Disputes often run upon great Mistakes, in the state of the Questions, mis-applied Scriptures, Prejudices pass for Arguments, and they blow up Heats, waste Time, enfeele Men in the performance of great Duties, and do more frequently end in Divisions, and Separation of Minds, than Satisfaction.
5. He hath a respect to the Customs of Churches, which commonly are sitted to the Genius of their Countries, while they retain their Innocency. He can use Ceremonies, well washed from Superstition, in his own Mind and Practice, by sound Doctrine. He is not ceremonious in the Use of Ceremonies, as religious divine Things commending him to God; and yet there is no Man more ceremonious than he, for he useth them but as Ceremonies, with respect to Men, as human Things ordained by Man's Authority. Artic. of the Church 34.
6. He doth not wonder that some Men are zealous for them, when he considers their Reasons; nor why others are against them, when he considers theirs. If he can give himself a Reason for their Use, he may use them upon his own Reason, tho not upon other Men's: But he cannot see a Reason, why they who cannot bring their Reasons to them, should be compelled to use them, should be buried alive, or excommunicated for their Non-observance of them. A Diversity of Ceremonies makes not a Diversity of Religions; they that think so, are tainted with Superstition.
7. He cannot see how our blessed Reformers could well do otherwise than they did, considering they were but few, not enabled with the Gift of Miracles, the gracious King young, the Nobility factious, the Priests and Popish Bishops numerous, the People superstitious, and the Government had enough to do to preserve it self; a moderate Course was necessary to be taken (which is highly applauded by the Learned Mr. Hales, in his Sermon of Dealing with erring Christians,) with respect to the Papists. And now, if he may be so bold as to speak his Opinion, it is Moderation, and it is but Moderation, that respect should be had to the present Times, and the Dispersion of Protestants dissatisfied all over the Land. These are not the Things that will ever bring in Papists; for they have more of them than we have; and if they came over to us for the sake of these Things, it would be so much the worse for us to bring in Papists, except they leave all that was meant by the old Word Papistry behind them.
8. He takes the whole Text together, All Things are lawful for me; (i.e. all Things indifferent, neither good nor evil in their own Nature) But all Things are not expedient. All Things are lawful for me; but I will not be brought under the Power of any. 1 Cor. 6.12. When they manifestly prove inexpedient, or when any Soul is brought under the Power of any of those Things in themselves lawful, in their Use they cease to be so. He observes and uses Things lawful, when they are enjoined by lawful Authority; but when he finds them inexpedient, and do not further the Gospel, or when Souls are become subject to them, he cannot but wish the Things in debate were left out of the Laws, or left at Liberty. And now he cannot but stand indifferent to Things that are indifferent.
III. Lastly; Lest I should forget my self, take the last Sight of a Moderate Christian, and you see him to be the happiest Man alive:
1st, Happy in himself, and happy with respect to others. He is happy in the best Temper of Mind, happy in a clear discerning and Judgment, happy in well-governed Passions, not hurried, inflamed, and transported, not blinded by Partiality to self. He maintains and keeps up the Banks of Sobriety, against the Breaches of Intemperance; he lies dry, when others are under Water. He is a Lover of Peace, a Moderator of Strifes, and by that means there is Peace in his Borders, when others are in Wars and Contention; yet he is not so tame, as to be run down with Insolence, or turn his Back upon true Religion, and leave it to the Abuses of Atheists, Papists, Hereticks. He is happy in the large and quiet possession of Contentment.
2dly; He is happy as an Instrument of Good to others, by bringing Things out of Disorder, into Order; by restoring a crazy, sickly State, into a happy Temper. And it were happy, if they that use desperate Applications, did in time observe their Operation, and all the Symptoms one with another. Moderation looks on, and knows, that at last the Father of the Family must call her in, and commit it to her to recover it, and direct it to preserve its Health.
Lastly; If the moderate Man cannot escape Trouble and Sufferings, he is happy in possessing his Soul in Patience, and that God will by his Grace help him to keep possession of his Soul; and when his Soul is dispossessed, the Lord will commend him as a wise Steward, that used Moderation, in writing down Fifty and Fourscore, for an Hundred that was due, and give him his Reward.
This moderate Man is now out of fashion, but (says Dr. Fuller, in his Holy State, p. 207.) Once in an Age he is in fashion; each Extreme courts him to make them Friends; and surely he hath a great Advantage to be a Peace-maker betwixt opposite Parties, tho at present he is crush'd between them.