Works, Chapter 29
CHAP. XXIX. Rules of walking wiſely towards good men.
1 Rule, brotherly affection Heb. 13.1.THE firſt of theſe Rules is in reſpect of our affection, to love the godly with brotherly love. It is true indeed, all men muſt bee loved, but here is required a more ſpecial love, as between brethren, of which Saint Peter ſaith, 2 Pet. 1.7. Joyn with godlineſs brotherly kindneſs, becauſe they are of the ſame Father, and Family of God. The reaſon of this Rule is this: The nearer any man comes to God or expreſſeth him, the more right hee hath into our affections for Gods Image ſake; and here is a ſtraighter bond than that of Nature. The Apoſtle makes this a mark of Gods childe, to love the brethren, 1 Joh. 3.10. And David profeſſeth, Pſal. 16.1.That all his delight was in the Saints, the excellent on earth. And Rom. 12.10. Bee affectioned one to another with brotherly love. And becauſe this cannot bee, Many things in Gods children might draw our eyes unto them.except men ſee more in Gods people than ordinary, therefore labour to ſee, 1 Their high birth and true nobility; Joh. 1.13. Not of blood, nor of the will of fleſh, but of God. 2 Their kindred and alliance; they are Sons of God, brethren of Chriſt, who was not aſhamed to call them brethren, Heb. 2.11. 3 Their high office and place, whom Chriſt the faithful witneſs, the firſt born from the dead, and the Prince of the Kings of the earth, hath loved and waſhed from their ſins by his blood, to make them Kings and Prieſts unto God, Rev. 1.5. 4 Their beauty and glory, being covered with long white Robes of righteouſneſs and holineſs; ſuch as Kings anciently were diſtinguiſhed by, wherein they appear moſt lovely and graceful to God, Angels, and good men; nothing is wanting to their perfection of beauty, ſeeing they are compleat in Chriſt the head of all power, Col. 2.10. 5 Their preſent wealth, and future expectation: Their goods are God the chief good, Chriſt given them of God for righteouſneſs, the Holy Ghoſt ſent unto their hearts for ſanctification and conſolation; eternal election, effectual calling, juſtification. And their future expectation is the City ot God, the heavenly Jeruſalem, which God hath prepared for them, Heb. 11.16.
Now were it a wiſe courſe for a man to diſaffect the chief favourite of his King? And are not Gods children Gods chief favourites? Were it a ſafe thing to hate the people of God, to diſaffect them, to lowre upon them, ſeeing the Lord obſerves what looks are caſt down upon his children, as in Cain? How was Balaam ſlain by the Lord for deſiring evil to Iſrael, though himſelf could do them none but by his wicked counſel? Theſe are the laſt times, in which men are lovers of themſelves, and of men onelyonly for their own advantage, 2 Tim. 3.2. they love them for their wealth, eaſe and pomp, not for God and his graces.
2 Wee muſt not onelyonly affect their perſons, 2 Rule, Faithful communion.but alſo imbrace a fruitful fellowſhip and ſociety with them in the Goſpel. This is the Apoſtles Rule, 1 Pet. 2.17. Love brotherly fellowſhip; And how glad was hee for the fellowſhip of the Philippians in the Goſpel? Phil. 1.5.
Now the means of fruitful converſing with the godly, are theſe:
Firſt, To conſider one another, Means of fruitful converſe.what need the beſt have to be provoked and whetted on, eſpecially in theſe evil and cold dayes, yea, ſuch times as …ip and blaſt piety, and the fear of God; Heb. 3.13. Exhort one another daily, leſt yee bee hardened through the deceitfulneſs of ſin. Think what a fearful thing it is to fall from the grace of God, yea or the degrees of it; and would wee ſuffer a brother to run into this danger?
Secondly, Chuſe fit matter to confer of in company, either by calling to minde things heard, or by ſtirring up to profitable hearing, diligent proceeding, in-offenſive walking, watchful ſpeaking, and the like; or if need bee, of Admonition, Exhortation, or Reproof, ſhew thy love therein; full clouds will diſtill rain, light will ſhine abroad, and charitable knowledge is communicative.
Thirdly, Bee ſure to perform theſe private Chriſtian duties in good, and holy, and unrebukeable manner: As 1, Orderly, thoſe beginnings which are fitteſt in gifts and place, as Elihu ſpake in his turn. 2 Humbly, none ſeeking to ſpeak beyond his skill and reach. 3 Wiſely, watching the fitteſt time and beſt occaſion. 4 Meekly and lovingly, without reaſonings and murmuring, Phil. 2.15. none croſſing others, but through love one forbearing another, adviſing in the ſpirit of meekneſs, and with offering to ſubmit themſelves in other caſes to receive words of Exhortation and Admonition. 5 Conſcionably, ſo as in all ſuch meetings and conference every one bee an helper to the truth, 3 Joh. 8. to finde it out, not to obſcure, or weaken it. By theſe means wee ſhall have cauſe to rejoyce in our Chriſtian fellowſhip, as Jonathan and David, 1 Sam. 23.14.
Fourthly, Obſerve the graces that are in others, for a pattern to our ſelves, 1 Theſſ. 1 7. for our own provocation and imitation: Yea, ſpy and incourage the graces of God in the weakeſt and meaneſt Chriſtian, ſo framing our ſelves to that mark of a good man, who honours all that fear the Lord, Pſal. 15.4. Neither let the ſtrongeſt ſcorn to receive help from the weakeſt; Moſes was content to bee adviſed by Jethro, and David by Abigail; and note Pauls humility, Rom. 1.12. hee hoped to come, and bee comforted by their faith, as well as to help theirs.
Fifthly, In the uſe of good company, beware of giving any occaſion of ſcandal, or offence to any, Matth. 18.7, 8. leave no ill ſmell behinde thee; avoid the note of pride, conceit, forwardneſs in ſpeaking, frowardneſs, or ſtiffeneſs in thine own ſenſe, 1 Joh. 2.10. Hee that loveth his brother, there is no occaſion of ſtumbling or ſcandal in him.
Motives thus to carry our ſelves in good company.Motives to provoke us wiſely to carry our ſelves in good company.
1 Conſider how in our company wee are eſpecially to watch, ſeeing in no part of our life wee are ſooner corrupted than in that, ſeeing in no part of our life wee do ſo much diſcover our ſelves, and ſeeing in no part thereof, wee do either more good, or more harm, ſeeing wee do nothing without witneſs, and ſhould do nothing which wee would not have exemplary.
2 As Satan layes ſnares every where, ſo alſo in our company one with another, not ſo much to bring the godly to ſuch exceſs of riot, as hee effecteth in wicked ſocieties, where is ſwearing, gaming, drinking, rayling, &c. but to make them unfruitful, and keep them from the good they might do; and ſo far prevaileth, as ſometimes impertinent ſpeech, ſometime debate and detracting ſpeeches ariſe, and the moſt tolerable ſpeech is worldlineſs which ſtealeth away the heart, and the time; ſo as ſome who intended more good to themſelves and others, carry away hearts ſmiting them, for not better imploying that opportunity.
3 There is apparent loſs, when wee watch not to do or receive good, in company with good men. For godly men by reaſon of their Callings, and diſtance of places, ſeldome meet; and when they do, they loſe the gain of that time in their ſpecial Calling; and it they get it not up in the furtherance of the general calling of a Chriſtian, it is utterly loſt. And what but this makes the mindfulneſs one of another ſweet in their abſence, when there was reaped ſo good fruit one of another in their preſence?
4 By this wiſe and fruitful carriage of company and meetings of good men, Chriſtians ſhall ſtop the mouthes of ſuch as are ever complaining of, and accuſing Chriſtian meetings to bee ſcarce to any other purpoſe, but to detract, defame, ſlander, cenſure, to ſtrengthen one another in faction, and the like. Or if ſuch mouthes will not bee ſhut, yet the conſcience of Chriſtians may rejoyce in the contrary innocency, and not bee dejected by ſuch falſe teſtimony.
3 Rule. In our ſpeeches, let us bee Proctors and Solicitors for the Saints, ſpeak wiſely and willingly of the good wee know in our brethren, 3 Apology.and maintain the cauſe, perſon, and name of good men to our power. The ſincerity of love between David and Jonathan was manifeſt, in that Jonathan defended Davids innocency to Saul his Father, not onelyonly to the loſs of his Kingdome, but the danger of his own life. Ebedmelech the Blackmoor ſpake a good word for Jeremy, and was ſaved from deſtruction, when his Maſter Zedekiah was ſlain. Nicodemus even in the beginning of grace ſpake for Chriſt, when the whole Council was againſt him. And how dangerous is it to deviſe and invent words againſt Gods children, as Davids enemies, to belye, or reproach them, to raiſe or receive ſlanders againſt them? If ſuch as ſtand not for grace ſhall fall, then much more they that ſtand againſt it. How needful is this Apology for them, againſt the reproaches and ſcorns of this age? How earneſtly would children ſpeak for their parents, brethren, or kindred? Even ſo ſhould it bee here. It is nothing to ſpeak for a man when others ſpeak for him.
4 Rule. Concerning our actions towards good men, 4 Rule, Helpfulneſs.wee ſhould every way beſtir our ſelves to procure their good and welfare: Wee muſt to our hearts and affections joyn our hands, and help to do them good, yea, bee ready to lay our hands under the feet of the Saints Gal. 6.10. Do good to all, but eſpecially to the houſhold of faith.
Now in ſpecial, 1 Wee muſt prevent from them all the evil wee can, Means of it.hinder them from ſins, and from falling, hinder by all means reproach from their profeſſion, and danger from their perſons. 2 If thou findeſt a good man ſlipt into an infirmity, labour to cover it, make the beſt of i… as may bee, Vaunt not thy ſelf over him, but conſider thy ſelf, and by all good means cure it if it lye in thy power. 3 If thou finde a good man ſtand in need of inward comfort, and caſt down, help to raiſe him again: Chriſt was ſent to ſpeak a word of comfort to the weary, and every Chriſtian hath received of his anointing. When David was in deep diſtreſs, his faithful friend Jonathan comforted him in the Lord his God, 1 Sam. 23.16. 4 I… thou knoweſt a good man helpleſs, and without outward comforts, thou muſt now ſhew bowels of mercy and compaſſion, gladly receiving the poor Saints, communicating willingly and freely to their nec…ſſity, 1 Pet. 3.8. Love one another as brethren, bee pitiful, 1 Joh. 3.17. Hee that hath this worlds good, and ſeeth his brothers need, and ſhuts up his compaſsion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?
To ſtir us up hereunto, conſider theſe Motives: 1 Say with thy ſelf, Motives to the former duty.What? am not I a member of the ſame body with him? Is not hee of the ſame family and houſhold of Saints? This is the Apoſtles argument, Eſpecially do good to the houſhold of faith. 2 What ſhall I gain, if by word or deed I ſhall make ſad the hearts of good and godly men? Cain caſt down he▪ looks, but God looks on it: Cannot Iſhmael laugh at Iſaac, but the Lord arraigns and condemns him of high per…ecution? Surely then cannot I carry the like indignities ſcot-free, 3 Do I read Meroz accurſed, becauſe ſhee came not out to help the people of God, though ſhee had no hand againſt them? Judg. 5.23. Surely I muſt not onelyonly have a hand againſt good men, but I muſt ſet my hand to help them, elſe is not my heart ſo right as it ſhould. Pilates wife wiſhed her husband to have nothing to do againſt that juſt man: But happy had Pilate been (who was not violent againſt Chriſt) to have been earneſt and reſolute for his deliverance; the defect whereof was his overthrow. And ſo it ſhall bee heavy enough in the day of judgement, that wicked mens hands have not helped the godly, ſeeing the ſentence ſhall not run becauſe they had hurt them, but becauſe they helped them not.