The Power of Godliness, Treatise · Part 3 · Chapter 10
CHAP. X. Of the ſixth help to a godly life, which is the getting and obſerving of rules, to guide us in indifferent actions.
THe next means for the advancement of holineſſe, is, the treaſuring up and obſerving rules for the directing us what to do in indifferent actions. As for thoſe things wherein the word of God is plain, either in commanding of them as good, or forbidding of them as evil, to deliberate what to do in ſuch a caſe, argues either a weak head, or a weaker heart, either want of knowledge, or want of love of God, and wee need no more in ſuch caſes, but to bee converſant in ſcripture, that wee may know what God would have us to do, and in prayer, that we may do it.
But for thoſe things that in themſelves are indifferent, and the ſcripture hath determined neither way, it is good to get ſome general Rules, fince we have no particular directions in the word of God, ſome of which I ſhall endeavour to ſet down.
Firſt, When thou art in doubt what to do, walk by this Rule, conſider with thy ſelf, what in thy conſcience thou thinkeſt God-will allow of, and what thou ſhalt dare to own, as for the matter of it at the day of judgement; and what thou thinkeſt thou ſhalt be afraid to own then, bee afraid to do now; and conſider whether thoſe excuſes, and reaſons, and ſhifts (whereupon thou neglecteſt to do what otherwiſe is a duty) will have weight in them at that day; doeſt thou in thy Conſcience think at the Day of Judgement, it will be a ſufficient excuſe for thee to ſay, ſuch a one provoked mee, and therefore I ſwore? Doſt thou think that this will be a ſufficient excuſe for thy ſin, that moſt did ſo, or that I ſhould have diſpleaſed ſuch a friend, if I had not done it? I remember it was ſtoried of Ignatius Jordan, whoſe Life is lately publiſht, and worth peruſal of all Chriſtians, eſpecially Magiſtrates; though this ſtory be not in the book, if I miſtake not, a ſervant of the Biſhop, who had alwayes been a loving friend to Mr. Jordan, was drunk, and brought before him, and hee ſet him in the ſtocks ſo many hours as was directed by the Statutre; and being known whoſe ſervant hee was, by his Badge and Livery, the Biſhop took it as a high affront to him; and therefore upon a Court day, when hee and his, &c. ſat in Court, Mr. Jordan was ſent for, and the Biſhop began a long Oration, and told him how much hee had been his friend, and how that he took it as a diſgrace, and a high diſcourteſie from him, that hee ſhould ſet his ſervant in the Stocks: Mr. Jordan gravely, piouſly, and mildly anſwered; My Lord, when at the great Day of Judgement, if I had neglected my duty, it ſhall bee ſaid unto mee, I made thee a Magiſtrate to bee a terrour to evil doers, and why didſt thou bear the Sword in vain, in that thou didſt not carry thy ſelf as the Miniſter of God, to execute wrath upon him that doth evil? Such a day, ſuch a one was brought before you drunk, why did you not execute the Law upon him? My Lord, Do you think it will bee a ſufficient anſwer for mee to ſay, that hee was the Biſhops ſervant, who had done mee many a courteſie, and therefore I thought it fit to bee more tender of his honour, than of thine? Do you think that God would take this anſwer: If you think hee would not, I pray bee ſatisfied, that I have judg'd it fit, rather to pleaſe God, than man.
It is related alſo in the book of Martyrs, that the Preſident of St. Julian, and other, ſent to the Angrongians, made enquiry for one dwelling at Angrogne, and examined him, whether hee had not baptized his childe at Angrogne, and wherefore hee had ſo done? The poor ſimple man anſwered, that hee had baptized his childe at Angrogne, becauſe baptiſme was there adminiſtred, according to the inſtitution of Chriſt. Then the Preſident in great rage, commanded him in the Kings Name, to baptize his childe again, or elſe hee ſhould bee burnt: The poor man deſired the Preſident, that hee might bee ſuffered to make his prayer to God, before hee ſhould make anſwer thereunto, which after hee had done in the Hall, before all the company there preſent, hee required the Preſident that he would write & ſign the ſame with his own hand, that he would diſcharge him before God at the Day of Judgement of the danger of that offence, if hee ſhould baptize his childe again, and that hee would take the peril upon him and his: The Preſident hearing this, was ſo confounded, that he ſpake not one word a long time after, then hee faid in a great fury, Away thou Villain, out of my ſight; and after that hee was never called more.
2. The ſecond rule to guide us in indifferent things, is, to think with thy ſelfe, what do I in my conſcience think I would wiſh I had done, when I come to die, and do likewiſe; bleſſed is the man, the remembrance of whoſe life is ſweet unto him, in the hour of his death; Where is that man that ever repented on his death-bed, that hee had redeemed ſo much time by prayer and meditation, &c. that hee had forgiven too many injuries, or given too much to the poor? I queſtion ſince the world began, whether there can bee one inſtance found of this kinde; therefore do thoſe things that thou art confident ſhall not bee a grief, nor an offence of heart to thee, when thou ſhalt come to breath out thy laſt breath.
3. When thou ſtand'ſt in doubt of two things, which to do, and the Scale hangs even, then conſider which of theſe two the Saints would like, if they knew what thou didſt, and do likewiſe, for we should do our duties of holineſs before God with that reverence, &c. as if all the world beheld us; and do what wee do in matters of the world, conſidering that God beholds us.
4. Do that, which if thou wert to make a deſcription of a Saint, you would put into his Character: As thus; Suppoſe there were a Sermon preached at ſuch a womans Funeral, and the Miniſter (when he came to ſpeak of the deceaſed perſon) ſhould ſay, Shee was a woman, when shee was dreſſing her ſelf ſo exceeding curious, that shee would not have a pin nor hair awry, and shee went very rich and fashionable, would any one take this as any part of her praiſe? would they not rather think, this argued her to bee a Saint, that when shee was making of her ready, shee was ſo buſied about dreſſing of her ſoul, that shee neither cared what, nor how shee went, as to her cloaths: So if there were no place of Scripture for family duties, yet this I think will carry it to any conſidering Chriſtian, that this is not a ſpeech that agreeth with it ſelf, ſuch a man is a very holy precious Chriſtian; for hee will never have any family duties, never prayed with his Wife, nor never inſtructed his family, doth not this ſpeech contradict it ſelf? So for a Magiſtrate, who would ever think this to bee his Character? that hee was for matters of Religion like Gallio, never cared for thoſe things, ſo that men lived peaceably, as to the Commonwealth, nothing regarding, whether they prophaned the Sabbath, or blaſphemed God, or committed never ſuch groſs idolatry.
5. If thou canſt finde an example of thoſe whom the Scripture canonizeth for Saints, to direct thee of that wherein thou doubteſt, and their example bee rightly circumſtantiated, and commended, that will ſerve to decide the controverſie; but if thou canſt finde no example, then conſider what thou thinkeſt in thy conſcience ſuch a Saint would have done, had they been in thy ſtead, and eſpecially what thou thinkeſt Chriſt would have done in thy caſe; for wee having ſuch honourable thoughts of the Saints, and eſpecially of Chriſt, whatſoever our conſciences think to bee evil, wee ſhould never think they would have done, and our thinking that they would not have done it, it ſtrongly argues, that our conſciences judge it to be evil, and then by conſequence wee ſin if wee do it, for whatſoever is not of Faith, is ſin.
6. Whatſoever thou commendeſt in others, do likewiſe; whatſoever thou condemneſt, do not; for though it bee no ſure rule to judge of actions by, that that is certainly evil in it ſelf, which I condemn in another, for my condemning of it, makes it not evil in it ſelf, but makes it ſo to mee, if I do it; nay, it makes mee not only guilty, but inexcuſable; that of the Apoſtle is clear in this caſe, Rom. 2.1. Wherefore thou art inexcuſable, O man, that judgeſt, for wherein thou judgeſt another, thou condemneſt thy ſelf; for thou that judgeſt doeſt the ſame things: It may bee, that which thou doeſt condemn him for, is no ſin, or if it bee, yet hee might not know it to bee ſo, and ſo might ſin out of ignorance; but thou art inexcuſable, for it can bee no ſin of ignorance in thee, for thy condemning it in another, manifeſtly ſhewes that thou thinkeſt it to bee evil.
7. Conſider, whether thou canſt beg a bleſſing of God upon thy endeavours in ſuch a matter, ſo that whatſoever thou dareſt not ask Gods bleſſing upon, do not do, for it will bee unſanctified to thee, ſince all things are ſanctified by the word and prayer.