and concerns of this Life And according to the difference of these it comes under different denominations When it directs to most utility in managing the common course of our own Lives and the ordinary affairs and accidents thereof 't is common Prudence When to what is most reasonable and equal to be exacted mutually or allow'd in the course of Negotiation or worldly intercourse upon any dealings or differences 't is the prudence of Negotiators or men of Business When to what is most decent and conversible in our carriage to befit our own condition and circumstances and to keep up fair Respect Favour and Society with and procure the same from others 't is the prudence of Conversation When 't is shewn in the government and conduct of other men if it Directs to what is best and the way to compass it in War 't is Military Prudence if to what makes most for common Safety Order and Benefit in the conduct of a Family 't is domestick or oeconomical if of a State 't is civil or political Prudence But in matters of Religion which as they are to have some separate times so are also to run through direct and influence all the other actions and affairs of this Life when it shews us what are the ways of Salvation and how we may compass and go on in them 't is moral religious spiritual Prudence By the other sorts we may pass for worldly wise but this is to be wise to Salvation Now for the better understanding of true Religious Wisdom or Christian Prudence I shall reduce what I have to say upon it to these Heads Christian Prudence lies 1. In seeing and following right Ends of Religion and pursuing them only by fit and Christian ways 2. In taking for these the most advantageous seasons in tempering them to circumstances and shewing caution to prevent harm thereby or ill consequences 3. As for all other inferiour and worldly Prudence about things of this Life in so ordering the ends and over-ruling the ways thereof as to keep them subservient to Religion or as best becomes Christians 1. Christian Prudence lies in seeing and following right Ends of Religion and pursuing them only by fit and Christian ways 1. It is to see and set out to us right Ends. The first sign of Wisdom or Prudence is the choice of wise and fitting Ends. And the first care of Christian Prudence is always to propose such Ends as are becoming Christians It is to propose such Ends that we may aim at them and to make us see and understand those Ends that we may perceive and know what we are to aim at These Ends are the Glory of God or what will bring in most Honour to him The Perfection and Advancement of our own Natures or what will make us most like to God and afford us the fullest and truest injoyment of him and of our selves and of any thing else that is beatifying The Good and Happiness of others or what makes most for common good and the real benefit and advancement of our Brethren Now all these Ends are best served by Doing of our Duty We are in the best way of glorifying God and perfecting our selves and benefitting our Neighbours whilst we are in the way of holy Obedience And therefore to aim at these Ends is in other words nothing else but to aim to observe the Rules and seek the Honour of our Religion and to do our Duty in all points So far as concerns the End then which it prescribes Christian Prudence is 1. In the first place to propose in every point to Do our Duty True Wisdom it Places in an entire obedience And accordingly all wickedness is call'd Folly and wicked men Fools in the holy Scriptures We must never know any wisdom in doing unrighteously nor set up for Prudence by any breach of God's Commandments All the Rules of Duty are the most pure and perfect Wisdom They are the wisdom of God and who can think to shew himself wise by pretending to correct God's Rules or running counter unto them When any breach of Duty makes shew of being Prudent 't is a mere show it is only a false Light that may misguide any out of the real way of Happiness but lead none into it Let it promise what it will 't is all fiction and flattery and if we will trust God before it we must ever esteem such a breach when offer'd or suggested to us only to have put on the mask of wisdom but under that and in Truth to be mere folly 2. Next in every point to direct and make us see what is our Duty that so we may understand whether we Do it or no. This must go through all particular Duties and tell us what things are aimed at and what offices are required of us by Each What they ought to Do for instance who would approve themselves to be resign'd to God to love or trust him to be patient or devout towards him to be meek humble sober and mortified to this world to be true and just peaceable and charitable among their Brethren 'T is the part of Christian wisdom to teach us what we must propose to our selves that we may discharge any of these or any other Duties To shew what are the instances and expressions of all particular Virtues which should be the mark and aim of all their Professors and Undertakers Prudence is the directing Virtue 't is Eyes to all the rest All Virtue observing as Aristotle says 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as a prudent Man shall define True and sincere Prudence saith S. Basil lies in the knowlege of those things which are to be done or which are not to be done Whereto whosoever adheres will never desist from the Actions of Virtue or be left in the destruction of Wickedness And being to direct the Practice of each Virtue it must imply the Skill to see wherein the Practice thereof lies What is to be Done in any that we may Deserve the Name of just humble sober c. and what in every case or on any occasion is to be the Work of such a Person Now this is an admirable and most excellent Part of Spiritual Prudence to know what is to be done in any Duty as we are called to discharge it by God's Providence And 't is great shame a Professor of any Virtue should not be able to say wherein the Discharge of it lies when he comes to need and is called out to make use thereof This has all the reproach of being ignorant of what a Man doth profess and of being to seek in his own Business as if an Artist were ignorant and knows not when he comes to set to it what he has to do in the way of his own Art which in the estimate of all Persons is one of the most censureable and shameful sorts of Ignorance Yea 't is extreme and desperate Folly considering that as he is here called upon to practise
the third Commandment taught men to break the fifth not suffering a man to do any thing for his father and mother after once he had said It is Corban that is a gift by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me or I interdict what I have by the vow Corban from ever being helpful unto thee a Form among the Jews of forswearing to help others Which instead of being an approved way of keeping first Table-Duties our Lord charges as setting up the Commandments of men for Doctrines and making void God's Law through their Traditions Mat. 15.5 6 9. Mar. 7.11 We must not suffer our selves to be carried on to break the fifth sixth eighth ninth tenth Commandments i. e. to throw off Duty to our Parents Natural or Civil or any Obligation of Morality of Justice Truth or Gratitude towards men for the Honour and Glory of God or for either the new setting up and erection or the continuance and preservation of a more Orthodox pure and spiritual way of Worship and Devotion It is too common among the worldly wise to consent to several violations of Morality for the Preservation as they say of God's Church or Advancement of his Glory Meaning thereby the Glory and Preservation of a true and Orthodox Profession of Faith and of a pure and Gospel-Worship And the Glory sought thereby for these is to make them externally glorious to seat them in worldly Sway Power or Priviledge that men may own the Confessions and pay the Worship with external ease and encouragement to themselves or without Persecutions But is not God to be glorified and obeyed in his other Precepts as well as in these Confessions of Faith and pure Devotions And is it a way to glorifie him in one point by disgracing him in others Will he receive so much Glory and Service by the Orthodoxy as Disservice and Dishonour by the Immorality Is not God glorious in his Moral Attributes of Justice Faithfulness and the like as well as in the Unity and Spirituality of his Nature And is it not as necessary for those that would duly glorifie him to copy out and display his Glory in these Moral Excellencies as to own and declare it in the other Nay is he not particularly careful to call us to an imitation and Transcript of his Glory in these to be merciful as he is merciful Luc. 6.36 and holy as he who hath callâ—d us is holy and that in all manner of conversation 1 Pet. 1.15 16 And to tell us that to be created after his Image the new man must put away lying and other immoralities and be formed in Righteousness and true Holiness Eph. 4.24 25 c. And must not the Church be preserved in true ways of Justice and Moral Duties as well as of Worship and Confessions of Faith Ought it not to be as much concerned for good Practice as for good Prayers and will it not get as much by good Life as by being Orthodox Nay can immoral men be saved in any Religion or will a good Worship recommend any to God in evil-doing or shall they enter into the Kingdom of Heaven that call Christ Lord Lord but do not obey him There is no way of glorifying God but by being intire in our Duty and performing all that he prescribes us Nor of advancing his Church but by advancing the Practice of all those Duties which are to recommend to save and signalize his Church We may confess the true Faith and Practise a pure and spiritual Worship in keeping all the other Commandments and without the breach of any yea and that in Persecutions if we please and dare run hazards And so may all other persons if they have the heart to do like us And 't is not for us to transgress any of them only as a way to remove hard Tryals from them or from our selves Which is not to glorifie God or our Duty or advance his Church but to discredit and disserve both for our own carnal ease and advantage 2. Secondly That a true Christian be ready to suffer for any point of Morality and Justice as well as for any point of Orthodoxy in Faith or Purity in Divine Worship For upon which soever of these they suffer the cause is Religious and they are alike Confessors The Duties of the first Table indeed have God not only for their Author but likewise for their Object and so are more particularly stiled Piety or Duties towards God on that account As are likewise some Duties injoined in the second Table viz. those of the fifth Commandment towards Parents and Magistrates who are in God's place and on that Account are sometimes in Scripture call'd Gods Thou shalt not revile the Gods saith the Law meaning thereby the Rulers Exod. 22.28 And thus St. Paul calls it shewing piety at home when Children relieve and requite their Parents 1 Tim. 5.4 And the undutiful are stiled â—ons of Belial and impious and Disloyalty impiety or Secundum Sacrilegium a Second Sacriledge as Tertullian's Phrase is But all other Duties are injoined by God and performed for his sake and are as truly Parts of Religion and he accordingly stands upon them as those which are more immediately referr'd to God himself For Religion lies in keeping of the Laws of God at large or in all the Duties of Justice and Morality as well as in the Duties and Acts of Piety The Grace of God which bringeth Salvation that is the Christian Religion consists in living soberly and righteously no less than in living godly in this present world according to St. Paul's distribution of Duties Tit. 2.11 12. And pure and undefiled Religion St. James describes by the moral Acts of visiting the fatherless and widows in their affliction and keeping ones self unspotted from the world Jam. 1.27 And the Kingdom of God or the Religion of Christ the Apostle makes to consist in Righteousness and Peace those second-Table and moral Duties as well as in joy in the Holy Ghost Rom. 14.17 So that to suffer for any second Table-Duties is to suffer for God's sake since God injoins them And to suffer for Religion since Religion implies them Tho they do not so immediately respect God yet are they as much required by Religion and as truly parts thereof as those that do Now it is suffering for Religion that makes men Confessors and Martyrs And this they do who suffer for the moral parts thereof What the Gospel declares blessed is being persecuted for Righteousness sake Blessed are they which are persecuted for Righteousness sake Mat. 5.10 And if ye suffer for Righteousness sake happy are ye 1 Pet. 3.14 And there is as true and acceptable Righteousness in moral Duties as in any Confessions of Orthodoxy or Purity of Worship and Devotions The Confession which Christ requires of us is to confess him and his words Luk. 9.26 And the Martyrs in the Revelations are expressed by suffering for the Testimony of Jesus and for the word of
God Rev. 20.4 And we have as good word and command for these as we have for any others The Sufferers he respects are those that suffer for his Name Mat. 10.22 But all the Duties required by his Gospel are call'd by his Name And all the Acts of Morality which stood before on Natural Obligation now since he has injoined them and his Spirit helps us to perform them being practised out of Christian Principles and through the Grace of Christ are all become Christian. And the Losses he recompenses are Losses for his sake he that loses his life for my sake shall find it Mat. 10.39 Or as 't is in St. Mark For his sake and the Gospels Mark 8.35 And is it not purley for his sake and in regard to him that we perform any second Table-Duties when we are sure to lose by them And are not those Losses for the sake of the Gospel which are purely out of Conscience to Gospel-injunctions Thus are all the Comforts and Encouragements the Approbation and Acceptance of Gospel-Sufferers common and alike to both Tables And he is as true a Confessor that in Peril of Suffering gives his testimony against any Acts of Unrighteousness and Immorality as he that doth the same against any false Articles of Faith or Acts of false Worship and Idolatry I know among Good things there is a difference in degrees And especially he that suffers for owning Jesus to be the Christ suffers for the whole of the Gospel which is more than some particular Duties thereof whether relating to Faith Worship or moral Practice But sufferings for any are all of the same kind and quality they are alike Religious and the Sufferers alike Christ's Martyrs and Confessors And suitable is the received Judgment concerning Sufferers in these cases John the Baptist was one of God's blessed Martyrs tho the Cause he suffer'd for was that of the seventh Commandment or declaring against an unlawful and incestuous Marriage Mat. 14.3 4 5 10. The persecuted Prophets were brave and Noble Confessors among the Jews Tho what they suffered for and sought to revive was not always or only a right Worship but the Duties of Morality and Justice in Declaring freely and undauntedly not only against Idols or Calves and Groves and High Places but against Falshood and Rapine and Violence and Perversions of Justice and other Grievous immoralities wherewith the Jewish State was over-run in those Degenerate and Corrupt times Thus the Holy Women and Virgins were ranked in the List of Confessors and Martyrs who would Dye or Disfigure themselves rather than yield their Bodies to the Lusts of Tyrants and Persecutors And St. Dionysius of Alexandria tells Novatus It would be as Glorious a Martyrdom nay in my judgment says he a Greater for a man to suffer Death to prevent Schisms and the rending and tearing of the Church among themselves as to suffer the same for Profession of Christianity at the Hands of Persecutors So long as we are suffering for any Duty of our holy Religion be it of Piety or of Justice and Morality the difference as to this is not much To make a Martyr or Confessor it matters not for which Table 't is so long as it is for either And accordingly to be beheaded for the Word of God which extends alike to both is the Character of the Martyrs Rev. 20.4 Now contrary to this is the visible sense and carriage of too many persons For many alas even of those who are free to expose themselves and to suffer in testifying against False Worship and Idolatry seem much more indifferent and unconcern'd about suffering or standing out and Declaring against Unrighteousness and Immorality By Religion they are wont to mean chiefly Confession of Articles and Purity of Worship And to rate that to be suffering for Religion when they suffer for them or that to be acting for the Glory of God and the Good of Religion when this acting is to serve them Nay when 't is only to serve and secure those worldly Interests and Priviledges which are tacked to them And tho in Performance of this Service they take a greater Liberty and make bold with Moral Duties only that they may secure such external Freedom and Encouragement for such pure Worship and Confessions As if that God who has commanded one had not commanded the other as much Or as if we could oblige him by breaking some of his Commands to save others Yea when there is no need of or help by any such Breach to save any but all the intent and use thereof is only to save our selves Which tho it be Right and Reasonable in the Eye of the worldly Wise is not sure the way to be wise for God or for his Glory so far as that is made to lie in our Duty nor must ever pass for that Wisdom which comes by Christ Jesus CHAP. II. Other Ends of Christian Prudence A Fourth End proposed by Christian Prudence is as to discharge the Duties so to serve and promote the Honour of Religion To be wise for God is to be wise for Religion which is the only acceptable and effectual way of serving and honouring him And to contrive wisely for Religion must always study and seek the Honour of Religion For proportionably to the Honour and Esteem the World has for it is like to be their Acceptance and Observance thereof Spiritual Prudence therefore must ever take this care of Religion by acting so in all things where it is concern'd as may set it up highest in mens Opinion and gain it the most cordial Respect and greatest Reverence from them They must consider in these matters what serves best to convince men of the Truth and Sincerity to manifest the Power and Efficacy to set out the Worth and Excellency thereof And never take up with any ways how promising soever on other Accounts that would afford considerate men a Ground in Reason to suspect Religion as if it were a fictitious thing and the Profession thereof as if it were Hypocrisie Or to fansie all its magnified Power to be real weakness and unable to carry men on to the Practice of what before they did profess when in any trying Case they are brought to the push Such Reflections bring Religion under the greatest Dishonour and Disadvantage And therefore whosoever would act prudently for it must have an especial Eye to avoid any thing that would make Religion evil spoken of For this God was highly offended with the Jews that through them the Name of God was blasphemed among the Gentiles Rom. 2.24 And for this the Apostle had great indignation against some False Christians that through them the way of Truth was evil spoken of 2 Pet. 2.2 And to prevent any thing of this among Christians are those Commands of God of walking worthy of the Gospel Eph. 4.1 Phil. 1.27 So as becometh Saints Eph. 5.3 Of adorning the Doctrine of God our Saviour in all things Tit. 2.10 Of walking
worthy of God and those high Priviledges of his Kingdom and Glory 1 Thess. 2.12 and worthy of the Lord Col. 1.10 Thus would Christ have it the care of all his Followers not meanly and sneakingly to serve Religion but affectionately to espouse and industriously to answer and adorn to magnifie and do it Honour in the eyes of men To approve in every thing its Verity and Sincerity to demonstrate its Efficacy to maintain its Dignity and manifest its Worth and Excellency before them Whatever it receives at the Hands of other men yet thus must Wisdom or Religion be justified i. e. declared just and made victorious and triumphant by her own Children Mat. 11.9 A prudent Christian is to provide for good Report Phil. 4.8 for things honest in the sight of all men 2 Cor. 8.21 And from this I note That the aim of Religious Prudence contrary to what too oft appears in Fleshly wisdom is to own and do Honour to any Duties 1. Not only internally in our minds but externally in our outward Carriage That must be made visible before others which doth Honour to it before others And this is what every Duty of Religion or every necessary Point of Christian Faith and Practice claims at our hands We owe it an external as well an internal Service and must not only pay our acknowledgments to it inwardly and invisibly in our own minds but as we are call'd thereto visibly and apparently before others Provide for honest things says St. Paul not only in the sight of the Lord who sees what is inward or in the heart but also in the sight of men who see it not till externally owned and exposed to view in Conversation 2 Cor. 8.21 We must offer up and present to God our Bodies and bodily appearances as well as our Souls and their invisible motions for a living holy and acceptable Sacrifice Rom. 12.1 Glorifying God both with Souls and Bodies which are both his 1 Cor. 6.20 Whatever ye do let all be done to the Glory of God 1 Cor. 10.31 And by making our Good things visible he is most glorified We please him by internals which are secret and which will do him Glory at the last when they come to be openly exposed But what Glory do they to him at present if they are not externally manifest Gloria multorum indiciis constat says Seneca Est consentiens laus bonorum incorrupta vox bene judicantium de excellenti virtute says Cicero So what doth glorifie must be notified to many And this appearing externally honourable or glorious in the eyes of men is what God stands much upon having many times forborn what otherwise he had resolved to do lest his Name should be polluted before the Heathen among whom they were and in whose sight he had made himself known unto them Ezek. 20.9 14 22. Some Virtues indeed are not so observable by men being more purely Spiritual in their Natures and less Publick in their Use and Exercise And others that fall more under view good men will seek to keep as private as they can to preserve the greater Purity of intention and prevent all by-ends of worldly interest or ostentation as our Saviour directs about private Devotion Alms and Fasting Mat. 6.1 5 16. But what Duties are publick he expects we should practise publickly and whensoever we have a Call to profess or perform them before others that we should externally shew them forth and not smother any They must then not only burn within us but shine out to others Among ill men and in a crooked Generation we must shine as Lights to guide them Phil. 2.15 Our inward Wisdom must be shown forth in our works and good Conversation Jam. 3.13 Our Light must shine before men that they may glorifie our Father which is in Heaven Mat. 5.16 We must be blameless and harmless as the Sons of God without rebuke not only before God but likewise before them Phil. 2.15 As Zachariah and Elizabeth walked in all the Ordinances of the Lord blameless or not to be taxed by the world for any apparent Breaches Luk. 1.6 On all such occasions not content with an inward they are careful to manifest an outward Holiness not neglecting any Duties or appearing like those who either transgress or omit a Virtue when they are call'd to an open Discharge thereof And this external owning of every Part of Religion especially when we are brought in danger for it which is the great Temptation to conceal or dissemble it is the Virtue of Confession This Christ himself did before Pilate before whom as St. Paul says he witnessed a good Confession 1 Tim. 6.13 And this he expects from all his Followers He that confesseth me before men him will I also confess before my Father which is in Heaven But whosoever shall deny me before men him will I also deny before my Father which is in Heaven Mat. 10.32 33. The Faith of the heart says the Comment of an Ancient and Learned Author upon this Place will no more avail without the Confession of the mouth than the Confession of the mouth will without the Faith of the heart And if it must be enough for Christ that we know him tho we confess him not before men therefore it must be enough for us that he knows us tho at the last he confess us not before men 'T is not sufficient for any to say I with-hold the Truth in my heart and in the mean while disown it before the World And therefore he says not he that confesseth me in his heart but he that confesseth me before men This Confession or Denial of him is the Confession or Denial of any Point of Faith or Practice or Part of his Doctrine Whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words says he in another Place Mar. 8.38 Luc. 9.26 'T is not enough in heart inwardly to receive these unless on just occasion we are ready openly to profess them For with the Heart man believeth unto Righteousness and with the mouth Confession is made unto Salvation Rom. 10.10 This Confession is made one way by words as St. Paul speaks of Confession with the mouth unto Salvation And another way by Actions for a man may deny a Duty in deed as well as in word as the Scripture speaks of those who profess God in words but in works deny him Tit. 1.16 And a Duty is thus denyed in deed when 〈◊〉 any just and publick Call to Practice it we 〈◊〉 and dissemble it 'T is not enough in this case 〈◊〉 pretend we adhere to it in our Minds unless 〈◊〉 shew our selves to be among its Adherents by 〈◊〉 Practice Our Deeds as well as our Words 〈◊〉 among the necessary Acknowledgments 〈◊〉 every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall ente◠into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth 〈◊〉 will of my father which is in Heaven Mat. 7.21 2◠The manifestation of the Principle must be by
all of Almighty God It overthrows as all the Rules so all the Design of Religion and the Grounds of good Practice It can come into the Thoughts only of worldly-wise not of truly Religious Persons who never urged a Temporal Necessity against a Spiritual Duty being not men of this World but of a better There can never be any Necessity of Sinning to him that dare suffer And he who is resolved against Suffering may think himself a worldly-wise man but God will account him no good Christian. But this now is otherwise in the Wisdom of this World Necessity it thinks a Reason not to be argued or disputed And what it calls Necessary is what is necessary to one who is resolved to keep this World not to one who can part with it What is necessary not to one that would set God and Religion above the World but that sets the World uppermost and so makes a God of it If it talk of any thing being necessary for the Interest of God and Religion it means only for the worldly things about them It looks not what is necessary to keep Innocence for other things it accounts more necessary than that but what is necessary for carnal worldly Convenience It is more for things necessary to present Safety than for those which are necessary to good Hopes of Eternity And to make men safe here by affording visible Humane Securities not by ingaging the Protection of God and the Guard of an unseen Providence 2. Secondly Spiritual Prudence will never allow us to justifie any Breach of Duty by the Plea of Providence This is the way of worldly-wise men who are ready to catch at any thing as a good Argument of a way 's being approved by God and pleasing to him if it profits them If God give Success when they use unlawful ways and Expedients especially if in bringing that success about there are any surprising or remarkable Circumstances they cry up the Hand of God and think his prospering it so signally is his approbation God himself here say they is willing to become a Party and such Success is his Testimony But Spiritual Wisdom teaches us to take the Morality of Actions and the goodness or illness of things from Laws not from Providence It is the Laws of God in Nature or Scripture that must teach us our Duty and tell us what will please God or what will offend him Sin is the Transgression of a Law as St. John says and Obedience is the keeping of them And these Laws are publish'd in the Nature of things and the Word of God which are a plain and sure Promulgation of them But as for Providence its Design is not to be a Publisher of Precepts God's Providence is not an Act of his Legislation but of Judicature and Execution It s part is not first to shew and promulge Laws but supposing those promulged before to supervise the Carriage of those they were promulged to and execute their Sanctions Or to recompense Actions by suitable Events according as they have either transgressed or kept them The Judgments of God according to his Will before promulged we may read in the Events and Issues of Providence But what his Will is the Observance or Breach whereof Providence thus rewards or punishes we must read in the Moral Nature of Things and the Holy Scriptures 'T is a bad Use therefore of Providence to make it take off our Eyes from the Morality of Things and the plain Voice of Laws and look for what is pleasing to God and according to his Will only in the Events of Actions Which is like leaving the clear Light of the Sun to go to read by that of a Glow-worm 'T is to go read our Duty where it was not intended to be writ and Neglect or over-look the perusal of that where it is writ And 't is worse when we see both to make Providence carry against plain Laws and the Moral Nature of Things which is to turn the Signification of Providence not only against the Laws but against it self For the use of Providence is to be a Government according to those Laws and the Morality of Things It is to be a Maintainer of them by just Retribution and so is only to back and strengthen but never to oppose them And therefore Providence must never be urged in Favour of an ill and unlawful thing For since its right use is to be a Retribution of Laws and to reward Dutifulness all its right Signification and all our right Remarks thereupon must be only for Encouragement to keep our Duty but not to transgress it It must never be pressed against Laws but always for them and must only draw us to trust and depend upon God in a good thing but never in an ill one which Nature or the Holy Scriptures have forbidden Indeed as Providence is the Administration of God's Judicature here on Earth and he permits or disposes of Events of things or Actions in way of Government and Justice there is a Signification of his Liking or Disliking in these Disposals But 't is hard and unsure to fix this on Persons and Actions to say from these Issues of Providence alone who or what he is Pleased or Displeased withal For in the same Issues and Events Providence is Concerned with a Number of Persons of the most contrary Qualifications they are fatal to one and favourable to another But yet since therein he has an Eye at both from the Event alone we cannot say which God likes and which he dislikes whether the Success is to Reward the Actors Righteousness or to punish the Sufferers Wickedness Nay oft-times in the Justice of Providence God makes some Sinners the Executioners of others and punishes one by anothers Offences making them Grind each other to Pieces So that here on which side soever the Shew of Favor or Success falls it doth not Signifie that God is pleased with either He will speed one to punish another when he is offended with both The Assyrians Success was only as the Rod of God's Anger to scourge the wicked Nations Which once done he and his Ways being no more pleasing to God than the others were he was to be broken himself and fall under like Judgments Is. 10.5 12 16 c. The wicked who in their Course of Wickedness are far from being pleasing to him yet says the Psalmist are a Sword of thine and so long find Success therein Psal. 17.13 Yea as the Thriving of some is not always to shew Favor so the Sufferings of others in Events of Providence is not always to shew Displeasure For many times their Sufferings are not Designed to punish the Sufferers but only to try their Patience and refine and manifest their Virtues and rowze a sluggish World with the Sight of brave Examples Such was the meaning of David's Sufferings and Persecutions under Saul Such was the Signification of Providence in the Sufferings of Job of the holy Prophets of
Ends and Ways are likewise necessary Requisites of Prudence which is not only for Doing a Good thing but for Doing it well and wisely And Christianity is for Ruling this Part of Prudence by the Laws of Christ and lays on us sundry Restraints which in this matter are easily and ordinarily broke through by the worldly wise 1. First in the Execution of our Purposes by the ways aforesaid Christian Prudence is for taking the most Advantageous Seasons To every thing and to every purpose as the Wise Man says there is a Season Eccles. 3.1 And every thing is both most easie to effect and most Beneficial and Beautiful when it is effected in its Season He hath made every thing Beautiful in its time Eccles. 3.11 And a word fitly spoken or in its Season is like Apples of Gold in Pictures of Silver says Solomon Prov. 25.11 'T is the work of Prudence to see these Seasons or to Discern Opportunities and take them A Fool still slips his Opportunities and sees them not but a wise man's heart Discerns both time and judgment Eccles. 8.5 His Eyes says he again are in his head to look before him and round about or to espy both what to Do and when Eccles. 2.14 And this is one part of that Circumspection or walking Circumspectly which the Scripture calls upon us to use that we may appear to act not as Fools but as Wise Eph. 5.15 For that Circumspection or looking about us is as for the most commodious ways so for the fittest times and best opportunities of Performing Actions or bringing about any Business And as the Prudence of Worldly Men is shewn in taking their best opportunities for the things of this Life So must the Prudence of Christians be shewn in a Commodious Timing and Watching the most Advantageous Seasons for what they Do in care of their Souls and in Service or Honour of Christ Jesus But here care must be taken in determining what are Good Seasons for Religious Actions either Professions of some Points of Faith or Practice of some Duties Of this there is the more Danger because Religion says one thing and Flesh and Blood another in this Matter So that when Spiritual Prudence that minds Religion says one time is a Good Season for such a Profession or Practice Worldly Prudence that minds outward Ease will often â—ry they are most unseasonable But Christian Prudence must not take its Seasons from the Serviceableness of any Duty to worldly Purposes but to its own Ends. To prevent our setting aside any Duties as out of Season at the Suggestion of Carnal Wisdom when indeed we have an obliging Call and Season to Discharge them I shall note these things following 1. First in Determining the Seasonableness or Unseasonableness of Professing any necessary Truths of Christ or Practising any Christian Duties we must not say there is no Season for such Practice or Profession when there is hazard in them This indeed is the way of Worldly Wisdom which thinks Suffering in this World to be Seasonable at no Time and so accounts persecuted Suffering Duties to be ever out of Season To call for the Fruits of Righteousness or Morality when 't is Loss of Power or Place of Goods or it may be of Life it self to produce them it looks upon as a most unreasonable and unskilful miss-timing of things As bad as to come to the Trees to gather Fruit in the Spring e're 't is put forth or in the Depth of Winter when both Fruit and Leaves are fallen off long before The only Season it owns of Doing them is when it is like to Do it self no worldly hurt thereby but when they bring Suffering it cries out This is no time to talk of them But this is to Rate the Seasons for Spiritual Duties not by Ends of Virtue and Religion or the Advancement and Honour thereof which are Spiritual Considerations but only by Present Interest and Security which are Worldly Motives and lye ever closest to a Worldly Mind It is to make the Duties of our Religion not to be Duties at all times As if the Truths thereof were not to be professed or the Laws practised when we are call'd to Suffer but only when in Worldly account we are like to get or at least to save by them But these men never consider that Christianity as I observed before is a Doctrine of the Cross or a Suffering Religion all the Truths whereof were published and its Duties prescribed not for a Thriving but for a Suffering time Instead of excepting them it was Calculated for Days of Persecution since in such it enter'd and begun in such it got footing and daily maintained and enlarged what it had got among men All its Duties look for their Reward in another world and so must be duly observed when they draw after them the Greatest Dangers or Losses in this world Persecution tho' 't is no Good Season for getting or keeping any worldly Goods by Discharge of Duties yet is as Good as any nay better than others for getting Heaven thereby Though 't is no Season to serve Flesh and Blood 't is the properest Season to serve Truth and Virtue which are then most especially to be defended by us when others attack them and to be own'd by their stedfast Friends when their Enemies Explode and their own Dependants are ready to Desert them And these being the Ends of Spiritual Prudence instead of esteeming Persecutions which conduce so much thereto as unseasonable for Christian Duties it accounts them as I have before shewn the most obliging and Advantageous Seasons 2. Secondly We must not say there is no Season for Christian Duties when there is no worldly Appearance of Doing Good by Discharging them This is usually taken up by Worldly Wisdom when any necessary Truth or Virtue is born down with a Torrent They say it is in vain for the Servants and Professors thereof to practise or appear for it which would be only to oppose their single selves against an Host and to endeavor by their own Strength to stem a tide when the course thereof is most violent and drives away all before it This they think is only to Destroy themselves without doing their Duty any Good which however it may be pitiable as well intended yet say they is not commendable as being a Service altogether miss-timed and most imprudent But here men should consider that their Obligation to profess the necessary Truths or perform the Laws of God as they are call'd to them is not only for their Serviceableness as an Expedient but for their own sakes In Free and Discretionary things indeed men are to look to the usefulness and to go according to the probability of doing Good therewith But in the necessary Truths and Laws of Christianity which are bounden Duty towards God there Duty its self is their End and they have enough to ingage them to any Act without looking further if they do their Duty therein They
are not left here to Prudence or to Do it or let it alone as they see Cause but are bound in Conscience to Do the thing and if thereby they are like to Do no more yet is the keeping of the Commandment it self or the Doing of their Duty a sufficient Purpose Besides when men are Doing their Duty though there is little Appearance of any effect on others yet will it be like to do more Good among them than they are apt to think or are aware off For when they have discharged their Part by doing of their Duty God will manage it as to Events and make it turn to more use for the Ends of Religion anâ— hiâ— own Glory than they ever Dreamed of It is then out of their Hands and Care and in the hands of Providence which will thereby stop some from being ill and others that are ill already from going on without Check and Remorse and growing worse Truth and Goodness though Ordinarily driven out thence by Prejudice Interest and vile Affections are most Natural and near akin to all our Souls and so have a secret hank upon us and a hidden Friend that lurks in all our Bosoms And this the Providence and Spirit of God strikes upon by our Profession or Practice thereof before their Eyes operating thereby on some at this time and on others at that on some more on others less according to his own good Pleasure and their Predispositions So working much Good and many blessed Effects that pass betwixt himself and them whilst we are insensible of any and think of nothing less Our Free Practice and Profession at such times as he requires and calls for them but worldly men say we shall do no Good with them he uses to Encourage and Strengthen the hands of the Strong to Establish the Wavering to call back the Stray'd Sheep and to lift up those that fall to work Remorse in its Deserters and Fear and Faintness in its Persecutors to retrieve a Truth or Duty when to Humane Eyes 't is almost lost and to beget anew a Respect and Reverence for it when it was all in Disgrace and seemingly quite Exploded The Practice of a Right Good thing tho' but by a very few will quickly draw in more Though only ten among us should appear for Doing a Duty says St. Chrysostom yet would these ten quickly be made twenty those twenty fifty that fifty an hundred that hundred a thousand and that thousand the whole City And as by lighting up of ten Candles a man may easily fill all the whole house with Light So also in Spiritual Good Deeds if only ten of us Do our Duty we shall kindle one intire flame through the City yielding Light to them and bringing Security to us For the Nature of Flame it self when fallen on combustible matter is not so sure to kindle still and seize the wood that lies next to it as the zeal of Virtue fallen into a few Souls is by going on and still inflaming more to fill the whole City Thus doth God when we put it into his Conduct do Great Good and accomplish great Effects by our discharge of our Duty when we thought nothing could be hoped from thence Thus in all times he has done and daily still doth and will do in the World the Experience of all Ages and the Successfulness of Generous and Brave Asserters of seemingly destitute and unfriended Virtue frequently witnessing on that side And in confidence of this or however if that should fail in Discharge of their own Good Conscience Good men in all times have been careful still to Confess the Truths of God and Do their own Duty when there were the fewest that seemed capable of being thereby wrought upon and they had none to stand by them but strove altogether against the stream having the whole World to oppose them As Noah wrought Righteousness Elias was zealous for the true God Jeremy was an asserter of his Mind and Precepts and many other Holy Men and Prophets yea our Blessed Lord and his Apostles were the undaunted Preachers and Practisers of Decryed Godliness in the most Degenerate Deriding and Persecuting Ages when they seem'd to have the fewest prepared Hearers or Spectators all many times appearing ready to contradict and few or sometimes none to stand by and back them as I formerly noted 3. Thirdly We must not say Christian Duties are unseasonable when they Do not suit with some Designs carrying on or are against some Seeming and much Desired Good of Church or State This is the way of Worldly Wisdom which when any Truths or Duties hinder some worldly Good they are pursuing for Religion or the Kingdom bids the Professors thereof to â—eep their Practice and Professions of them for some fitter time If these are Truths and Duties say they at such times let them give way to Publick Good and the Advancement of true Religion which are of more importance And let those that believe them take care whilst they embrace these to approve themselves withall as Good Members of the Publick whereof they all receive the benefit by seeking and setting on not retarding or obstructing the Good of Church or Common-Wealth You may shew your care of them will they suggest when it will be as a Good so a Wise and Prudent care and hinder no Greater thing But never bring them in play now to stop the Great and much and Generally wish'd for Good that is going on For this is a Critical time for it and if this opportunity is over-pass'd the like may never return again But are not we all Disciples of Christ and Professors of Religion as well as Members of a settled Church and Kingdom And must we not first take care to acquit our selves as Good Christians before we seek how to shew our selves Good Statesmen and Politicians Is it not our Profession to be more for another World than for this And may such Professors go out of the way of being happy there when that serves to make themselves more happy here A Good Christian must never be wanting to his own Duty or go beyond it to Do Good to any nay to a whole Nation And so must never think of setting aside the Season for Discharging his Duty for a Season of serving of the Church or Nation He must never slip the Season of shewing himself Good for a Season of making himself or others Secularly Fortunate or the Season of Practsing and Professing as the Servant of Christ for the Season of serving any Interest or Condition though never so Great and Publick in this World There is no Doing Evil that Good may come Good publick or Good private as I have shewed before Besides 't is not for a Good man to think of Doing Good to a Church or Nation by Evil-Doing The Greatest Good to them in his Opinion is to engage God for them And that must be by keeping his Commandments and practising and professing them as we have
are not their own as all those False Messiah's were who came to impose themselves upon the Fold before him v. 8. But also from all Mercenaries who though entring in by the Door i. e. by himself or under him the true Lord and Pastor yet look to his Sheep only with an Hirelings indifference and not with a true Pastoral Spirit and Affection Instead of watching them with his Life in his hand as the true Shepherd doth He that is an Hireling whose own the Sheep are not i. e. who looks to them not with an Owners care and heartiness but only for his pay when he seeth the Wolf coming he leaveth the Sheep and fleeth to save himself The Hireling fleeth because he is an Hireling and careth not for the Sheep but for his own safety v. 12 13. The Note of the Hireling is the want of Care for the Sheep in time of Danger or of Pastoral Affection As St. Paul also intimates when he laments the want of the Pastoral Spirit and sets it off by having â—one by him like-minded to Timothy that good Shepherd who would naturally care for their Spiritual State and by finding all to seek their own not the things which are Jesus Christs Phil. 2.20 21. And this disposition as our Lord notes the Pastors shew when in times of Danger they leave their Flocks destitute and unprovided scandalised or dispirited and instead of standing at the peril of their Lives by their Charge flee away and shift for themselves Indeed if when some go who are more particularly obnoxious to a Persecutors Fury others are still left to supply the needs of the Saints these Servants of God have more Plea to withdraw themselves As St. Polycarp did at the importunity of the Brethren as the Church of Smyrna write when he was sought for by Name And as Athanasius did when Persecuted by Syrianus Who yet in that Barbarous Outrage which drave him away was Resolved to be one of the last in the Church and see how the Flock escaped the hands of the rude and merciless Souldiers before he would attempt to escape himself Or if they are like at one time to be taken off more privately or before strangers they may think fit by Flight to escape that storm that with the more Advantage to God and the Church they may offer themselves before their own People there by their own Practice more effectually confirming those Exhortations to Martyrdom which they had formerly made among them And thus St. Cyprian in the last Epistle he wrote to them tells his Church that when Officers were coming to fetch him to suffer at Vtica he had withdrawn and waited in his Recess 'till he should hear the Proconsul was returned to Carthage intending then to return to his own House that he might suffer before their eyes This Liberty I grant is indulged us not only for God's sake and the Churches as St. Cyprian used it in this last instance but also for our own We are allowed to fly not only in way of well husbanding the Opportunities for serving God and our Brethren at St Clement of Alexandria leaves a mind that neither seeks nor fears Death to Determine this Point by the Glory of God and the Benefit of Mankind but also in mercy to humane weakness But this Permission to humane weakness is in subordination to the Glory of God and the Good of the Church So that when the Pastors cannot withdraw themselves without dishonouring God and Religion scandalising their Flocks or leaving them deâ—â—itute they are not to flye but to abide by the Dangers though at the Peril of their Lives But this Caution of Spiritual Prudence lying in preventing Worldly Harm and Consequences Worldly Wisdom is forward to extend too far and turn into a Doing Harm to our Duty to keep off Harm from our selves To keep out Harm and ill Consequences as far as we can so long as we keep not out any Duty or part of Duty together with them is what God allows and what Prudence guided by the Spirit is to take care of Accordingly it doth not run into a Duty of outward Harm as I say before it has a Call and when by a Faithful Discharge of Duty Suffering is drawn on by Flight or Concealment it may save it self from it if it can But Worldly Prudence is for Providing against the Harm though it be by making no Provision at all for the Duty being always ready rather to omit the Doing what is Good than to Suffer what is Evil. To prevent this we must take along with us these Rules in all our Deliberations about these matters 1. That Caution is never Good which Drops or Violates a Duty The Caution of a Christian is only to beware against Harm whilst he doth his Duty never to beware of doing his Duty lest he suffer Harm thereby Religion owns no hurt like the hurt of Sin and so prescribes no Caution against any thing so much as against Evil-Doing The Breach of Duty is never to be taken up as an Expedient but the Performance of it must always be our first and chief End Do that when we are called and do nothing against it and then be as Cautious of any hurt that is like to come thereby as we can But this must never be neglected or let fall that a Worldly Good or Convenience may be secured Tho' this is so much the way of Worldly Prudence viz to be wise and wary against Worldly Harm by the Omission of any Duty which is like to Draw it upon us that when men have a Call to Discharge a Duty 't is really thought by many somewhat a suspicious thing to hear them ask after the Prudence of it that being God knows much oftner the method of those who are seeking and have a mind Prudently to Omit than of those who have a mind Prudently to Practise it 2. We must never shew more Care and Caution to prevent ill Consequences to our Worldly Interests than to prevent ill Consequences to our Spiritual Interests The Interest and Honour of Religion and Virtue of Truth and Righteousness is to be above any Worldly Interest in a Christan's Thoughts And therefore in looking about to descry Consequences his Eye should soonest fix upon and his Care and Wariness Provide for those Consequences in any way which are like thereby to befall these It will consider and see in the first place when a Course is proposed whether Virtue and Religion are like to get or lose by it whether it will bring any Truth of God or Duty of Godliness under good or ill Report whether it will lay Hindrances and Incumbrances in its way or afford Encouragements whether it will stagger or confirm others in the Belief seduce them from or invite them to the Practice of Truth and Holiness The Consequences to Duty and Religion are far beyond any Consequences of this Life and all truly Religious men as they ought
OF CHRISTIAN PRUDENCE OR RELIGIOUS WISDOM Not Degenerating into IRRELIGIOUS CRAFTINESS IN Trying Times LONDON Printed for Jo. Hindmarsh at the Golden Ball over against the Royal Exchange in Cornhil 1691. THE CONTENTS CHAP. I. Christian Prudence seen in chusing Right Ends. ITS Ends are 1. In every Particular to do our Duty 2. In every Point to make us see what is our Duty Both these are contrary in Fleshly Wisdom 3. It is alike for taking care of both Tables And as ready to suffer for any Point of Morality and Justice as for Purity of Worship and Orthodoxy of Faith CHAP. II. Other Ends of Christian Prudence 4. A Fourth End is as to perform the Duties so to promote the Honour of Religion Of honouring it externally in our Carriage Of Confession Of not changing Doctrines as we change Interests Nor being glad of any Temporal Advantage by ill things CHAP. III. Christian Prudence for Pleasing God and a good Conscience Against Popularity A Fifth End is to please God This will take us ofâ— from Popularity And to please our own good Conscience Of the contrary ways of worldly Wisdom Greatness of Numbers should not draw to anâ— ill thing nor want of Number drive from a good one CHAP. IV. Of not Doing Evil that Good may come This not justifiable by Pretence of Serviceableness to God To the Publick To our selves As accomplishing by these ways some approved Predictions CHAP. V. Of the Plea of Necessity Providence or Prophecies for doing ill Spiritual Prudence allows not of setting aside any Duty 1. On Plea of Necessity 2. Nor justifies it by Plea of Providence 3. Nor by Plea of Prophecy CHAP. VI. SECT I. Of Christian Simplicity and Sincerity And of not Deceiving by Actions Simplicity sometimes notes Unwariness which is no Virtue The difference between the Wariness of the Virtuously simple and of the Fleshly wise Virtuous Simplicity implies 1. Veracity in opposition to Falshood and Lyes Against telling a Lye in Words Or in Actions Of Profession by Observance of instituted Days for Religious Purposes Of Breach of Simplicity herein and in other Actions and by the Libellatici in the Primitive Church 2. A double Tongue A double Practice 3. Openness opposite to Concealment and close Reserves and Plainness opposite to misleading Dress 4. Harmlesness opposite to Dolus Malus The Ground of this Simplicity Preservation of Equality In what Things especially to be shewn and by whom Of the contrary Method of worldly Wisdom CHAP. VI. SECT II. Of Christian Simplicity and Sincerity A second thing implied in Simplicity is Singleness opposite to double Dealing Against a double Mind and Heart CHAP. VII Of not discharging Relative Duties for Ends of Religion or of our own Ease No Discharge of Relative Duties when they grow burdensom for Ends of Religion or of our own Ease No such Discharge towards Relatives of different Religions Or that perform not their part towards us Instead of putting by 't is wont to accomplish Fears This proved from remarkable Instances and Rules of Scripture A Rule to prevent being intangled therein CHAP. VIII Of the Imprudence of pursuing our Ends by unlawful Means The Prudence as well as Religion of not betaking our selves to unlawful Means CHAP. IX Of partaking in the Sins of others He partakes in an unlawful thing 1. That Orders and Commands it 2. Who when in place and station for it doth not duly shew himself to stop and prevent it Thus Magistrates and Parents partake And Ministers when they fail to warn against a Sin or mislead people therein or teach it by corrupt Doctrine or inventing Salvo's for Sin Instances of these among the Jews The great Guilt and sad Consequences hereof 3. Who under another ministers in an unlawful business 4. Who as an Equal helps it forward Several ways of doing this 5. Or who approves it afterwards which set off in sundry particulars 6. Who caused others to sin or gave Scandal by ill Example CHAP. X. Of Relyance on Providence and the Benefit Religion makes by outward Sufferings A third Rule of Christian Prudence about Means is in compassing Effects to look more at Providence than at Humane Appearances A Fourth is to see how well it may compass the Ends of Christianity by Sufferings Christianity is a passive Religion and Christians are to have passive Spirits Some Rules to ingenerate passive Spirits CHAP. XI Of Spiritual Prudence chusing Seasons and tempering to Circumstances 1. It is for taking the most advantageous Seasons in its Prusuit Three Rules to prevent setting aside any Duties as out of Season in compliance with carnal Wisdom 2. It is for tempering what we do to Circumstances Three Rules to prevent such tempering thereof as would impair or give it up for our external Quiet 3. Of flight in Persecutions Of Flight of Pastors Some Rules to keep off from doing harm to our Duty in Caution to avoid harm to our selves CHAP. XII Of Caution in preventing Harm by any Duties and of Flight in Persecutions 3. It is for shewing Caution to prevent ill Consequences Of staying for a Call in persecuted Duties CHAP. XIII Of Spiritual Prudence in Worldly Matters or as over-ruling all other inferior Prudence about things of this Life And of Solicitude The Rules of Religion are the truest Wisdom for the Ends of this Life When worldly Wisdom thwarts these Rules in pursuit of any Ends of this Life it over-rules it in such Motions Thus when it is apt to transgress about Ends or about Means Some Rules for this The point of Solicitude stated Of fleshly Wisdom are all so many Branches of Jesuits Morals which are not to be taken up to drive out Popist Superstitions CHAP. XIV A Recommendation of Christian Prudence The Prudence and Simplicity hitherto described recommended from St. Paul's Practice 2 Cor. 1.12 The contrary Rules ERRATA Pag. 16. lin 22. dele the figure 1. p. 18. l. 14. for Equal read Equally p. 24. l. 5. purly r. purely p. 36. l. 16. drive r. drove p. 41. l. 20. necessity r. necessity p. 55. Ch. 3. after the Title dele the first five lines and begin the Chapter Fifthly and lastly p. 136. l. 11. p. 151. l. 5. fool r. foot p. 200. l. 3. dele Take p. 207. l. 21. in justice r. injustice p. 264. l. 3. r. St. Peter p. 320. â—27 far r. for OF GODLY WISDOM OR Religious Prudence Not Degenerating into irreligious Craftiness in Trying Times MAnkind were formed and placed by God in this World but design'd for another And the condition and employment of our Life here is to be a passage through this World in pursuit of and preparation for a better And whilst we are duly careful for the next and omit nothing that is to bring us to the end of our Stage we may wisely provide for this too and contrive for our quietness and convenience by the way The way to the other World of true and perfect Joys are all the Duties and Directions of Religion
each of these Duties so must he hereafter to answer and be tryed by them Now Christian Prudence is to prevent this by storing up clear Notions of every Duty and of the Offices thereof against such time as we shall have a call and opportunity to discharge them The Wisdom of the prudent says Solomon is to understand his way i. e. to know what he ought to do on all occasions Prov. 14.8 And this the Scripture expresses by having our Senses exercised to discern both good and evil Heb. 5.14 and calls for as a necessary Preparative to our walking accurately or exactly The walking 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 circumspectly or accurately which S. Paul requires Eph. 5.15 he tells them is to walk as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not as fools but as wise or prudent Wherefore adds he be ye not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imprudent or unwise but understanding what the Will of the Lord is Since if they did not understand it they were not like to be very exact in keeping it v. 17. Now opposite in this matter to both these is the way of fleshly or worldly Wisdom For 1. Instead of proposing in every Point above all things to do our Duty It aims and Proposes in the first place to secure our external Quiet to serve our worldly Peace Prosperity or Temporal Interests It seeks not in all things what is virtuous but what is safe And being for worldly Safety it never seeks to do what 't is like to suffer by It s Eye is first for keeping or encreasing these worldly Emoluments and enjoyments for our selves our Friends or Families for the Church or State It may fix upon Religion as well as the things of this Life and carry us out for the Church as well as for the Common-Wealth But then what it aims at or seeks in rhe first place to secure in these is not the inward Excellence but the outward Appendages not their integral Parts and Spiritual Substance but their worldly Accoutrements and Advantages If Religion is taken in among the Good things of this World and stands guarded and enriched by secular Laws and Privileges Riches and Honors Worldly Wisdom will be carried out as far to secure these worldly Appendages when they are about Religion as when they are about any thing else But as for the proper and essential Parts of Religion it self which lies in doing our Duty in every thing or in the integrity of Faith and good Life the Wisdom of this World sets them only in the second place It may shew fair respect and carry Decently towards them even where it will give it self no trouble about them As we see several that have no serious value for Religion will yet be Civil to it in point of good Breeding and as sensible of the need there is however 't is neglected by them that it should be kept up in the esteem yea and practice too of other Men. Nay worldly Wisdom when it rightly understands it self will aim at it in most Cases as serving its own wise Purposes beyond any thing else True Virtue being for the most part best fitted and conducing to the Happiness and Enjoyment of both Worlds But where it thus bâ—ars the best good Will to the inward and essential Ingredients of Religion it is only whilst they are subservient or consistent with its own worldly Designs being ready to thrâ—w them aside when once they oppose it On such Competitions The carnal mind is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can be Rom. 8.7 It considers then not their intrinsick Goodness and Excellence but their Expedience and will give them up for what it accounts higher Ends or dearer Interests On such occasions its Questions are not What will become of this Duty or another of Innocence and a clear Conscience but what will become of our Estates our Liberties our outward Peace Powers Honors Privileges or other Enjoyments of this Life by such or such a Course when 't is deliberated on 2. Instead of seeing in every Case what is our Duty worldly Wisdom is for continuing ignorant of and not seeing a Losing Duty It cares not for the Knowledge of troublesom or afflicted Truths It is ready to look upon and let in such as consist with worldly Ease and Interests But afraid to understand because 't is loth to practice others Conviction of a Duty serving only to encrease the Guilt and disturb the Quiet of those who will not practise it Hence comes that sleightful Saying of fleshly Wisdom in these Cases of Leaving every Man to his own Persuasion and not censuring any much if he act therein according to his own Conscience They represent such Cases as if it mattered not much which Side a Man takes and there were no important difference in the things themselves but only in the different Opinions and Belief of Men about them So that let a Man but have a Persuasion of that Side which is most easie and favourable to worldly Interest as Men are ready enough to have in trying Cases if that will Do and nothing else will greatly harm him in these matters Hence comes also that backwardness of Conversing and Discoursing with those of the other Opinion who are both ready to practise and able to plead for a Duty when 't is oppressed and has the Cross upon it 'T is a Rule of fleshly Wisdom at such times to look on such as dangerous Persons whose Company is not safe Their Discourses such Men imagine can only serve to make them more uneasie in the way they have a mind to go They will start Scruples to dissatisfie and unsettle a Mind that had no such Doubts before but had easily satisfied and settled it self upon the saving side Or if they come in the way of such Discourses especially when fit to do Right to Truth by setting it off to advantage they receive them against their Wills and meet them not with a religious Desire but worldly Fear They are not thankful for the offer of a saving Truth but sorry for and troubled at it and ready to say to the Messengers thereof as Ahab did to the Prophet who still called upon them to hear what they had no Will to understand that he was his Enemy and the Troubler of Israel 1 Kings 18.17 and Ch. 21.20 When they seâ— worldly Safeties above religious Innocence they fear and hate the Light as our Saviour says which reproves the secure ways they desire to take Minding not to follow it they use care not to be hamper'd and troubled with it and as the Scripture speaks will not have the knowledg of his ways Job 21.14 Hence lastly when they allow themselves to enquire and examin the Truth comes that Hastiness and Partiality in taking any thing for sufficient proof that makes for the safe side Any serviceable but ill grounded Presumptions about Words or Things shall hastily be taken up and pass for
also Reverence viz. that which corrects Fatherlike and gives Demonstration and keeps to the old Way not rejoycing in Innovation Not that Multitude which is hired by Gifts and Flatteries or hurryed aside by Ignorance and Unskilfulness or which is lapsed by Fear and Terror or that prefers a Momentany Enjoyment of Sin to eternal Life says that Good Father to those who took the judgment of the Multitude for 〈◊〉 Proof and Evidence of Truth Thus has it been the care of Good Men in all times and must be ours when God shall call us to the Tryal if we will be their true followers to stick firmly to their Duty whether with or without Company They were resolved to adhere to it tho all the World did Desert it They had Determined beforehand to sacrifice every other Interest to that and to stand or fall with it And therefore wheresoever it called they readily followed not considering whether it were with the Cry or against it whether any body else went along to back them or all stay'd behind Whaâ— the Poet said in the Character of the Good and Upright Man that neither the Madness and Heat of the Rabble calling for an ill thing nor the Face of â— Tyrant Menacing and Commanding it can shake 〈◊〉 virtuous Stedfastness is a Pitch that whilst otherâ— content themselves to talk of they still made visible in their Practice I add in the last place concerning all the forecited Ends of Christian Prudence that tho being Flesh as well as Spirit we are allowed to have other lower Ends yet is it one of its Rules when we cannot serve both to give up the inferior to serve the main End It will part with our Worldly Goods and Convenience to preserve all the foresaid Ends of Duty and Innocence of the Honour of Religion and a good Conscience and forego any Good of our Bodies for the Greater Good of our Souls This is implyed when this Prudence is recommended and required by our Lord under the Name of the wisdom of the Serpent Mat. 10.16 For his chiefest care as has been commonly noted is to save his Head And as the Serpent says S. Chrysostom upon the Place gives away all first tho it be his Body it self to be Cut in pieces that he may thereby Preserve his Head safe in like manner says our Lord be thou ready to Surrender up all things tho all thy Possessions tho thy Body yea tho thy Life it self to preserve thy Faith For that is the Head and Root of all And so long as that is kept tho thou losest all the rest yet shalt thou recover all again with Greater Magnificence at last Requiring thee to shew the Wisdom of the Serpent â—e warns thee not to lose what is of most account and when a Blow doth come never to receive it in a Principal or most Vital Part. And this is a Rule of Worldly Wisdom too to give up what is of less account for the Preservation of what is of more But its Fault here is to subject Spiritual to Temporal Ends as may be seen in all the Preceding Instances thereof which in all Right and Reason ought to be set above them CHAP. IV. Of not Doing Evil that Good may come AS Christian Prudence is in the first place to fix the Mark whereat we are to aim and to see and set out to us Right Ends So is it 2. Secondly to pursue those Ends only by fit and Christian Ways Prudence is most taken up in Choice of Means appearing either in Sagacity and Acuteness by Discerning them instantly or in Counsel when it Discovers them by Thought and Study And opposite to this is Imprudence which has no Due Understanding or Consideration about Ways and Methods and doth not either see or stick to those Means which are fittest for the Ends it aims at Sometimes it misses them through inordinate Haste not staying to take Counsel or Deliberate which Course is best As it happens when Men are push'd on rashly by their own Will or Passion not taking time and pains first to reflect with themselves and call to mind former Experience and past Success of the same Course or view present things and Circumstances or consider what may be the Effects and Consequences or Reason and Compare one thing with another or where there is need thereof shew Docility and Regard to other Mens Skill hearkening to a good and wise Adviser These and such like are the orderly and intermediate Steps whereby the Mind should proceed from Proposal of a thing to pursuit thereof and Guide it self as need requires in consulting about the Fitness of Ways and Methods And when without such orderly Process in a Case that needs it it fixes on a wrong way in haste at the impulse of its own Will or Humor or of some external impellent without having taken Counsel about it This uncounsell'd Choice or inordinate haste in fixing is call'd Precipitancy And this where it is not only a blind Festination but bears with it a plain Contempt of known Laws and Rules which should have kept it in or such an headstrong Motion as is a clear Effect of Pride and Presumption is call'd Temerity At other times when it stays to Consult about them Imprudence misses the right Way and Means by not viewing sufficiently but Contemning or Neglecting the Circumstances of things especially those that are necessary to form a Right Judgment of them Which act of Imprudence is called Inconsiderateness Or lastly when it has done all in point of Deliberation a third Act of Imprudence about the means is not to stick to what has been once Resolved upon or be stedfast in Right Purposes which is Inconstancy Precipitancy is a Fault and Defect in Consultation Inconsiderateness in Judging and Inconstancy in point of Persisting or Sticking to what had been well fixed or judged before Now as Prudence is thus taken up in Choice and Use of means so is Christian Prudence in the Choice and Use of such only as are fit for Christians As Prudence it must Direct to fitting Means And as Christian to such as are agreeable to the holy Religion and Laws of Christ Jesus One part of this and that of Great Wideness and Importance is to see what Ways and Means are fittest for the Attainment or Encrease of all particular Virtues All Duties have their proper Means which make way for their Performance and Hindrances that do obstruct it And 't is the Part of Prudence in one that would be wise to Do his Duty to Discern and Direct what these Means are in the Case of each that seeking them always in wise and right ways he may labor after them with the more Success To shew what these are through all particular Virtues what Means are best accommodate to their several Natures or to our Needs and Temptations in the Exercise or Discharge thereof is besides my preseâ—â— purpose and may be learned as occasion requireâ— from those
is to serve as the Motive and Encouragement of Dutifulness to serve as a Plea to justifie the Breach thereof Thirdly To this Plea of Providence for justifying of ill Actions I shall annex another not unlike viz. that of Prophecy When Men think themselves authorised to Do an unlawful and forbidden thing by fancying it the accomplishment of some Prediction which God will applaud and take Pleasure in I tax not here all Application of Scripture-Prophecies in the Revelations or other Books Albeit those Prophecies being made concerning the Future State of Christ's Church which reaches out both to such a Length of Time and Latitude of Places must needs be very Difficult and generally unsure especially before the Final Events have brought a full Light to them to apply to particular Times and Countries And therefore it becomes Men not to be too Positive and Peremptory but to shew Modesty therein which a little time makes the most confident Interpreters and their Admirers for the most Part to see had been their best Security and truest Wisdom But what I now blame is the like use of antecedent Prophecies as was before of subsequent Providences and Events viz. To take off Mens Eyes and Attention from the Morality of Actions and instead thereof to presume God's Approbation of them from their Fansied Fulfilling what the Scripture justifies and speaks well of in some Predictions 'T is of mighty use to Men in any Great and Daring Attempt to have their Followers and others think there is Destiny in their Behalf that they are only accomplishing what God has long before Designed they should and Doing his Business This renders them both most violent in their Motions and incurable either by any Admonitions or even almost by any Unsuccessfulness and Discouragements thinking themselves all the while God's chosen Instruments for effecting what they have in hand and sure of Success as having his immutable Decrees and Predictions on their side And the Serviceableness of such a Belief to their woâ—lâ—ly Projects and Undertakings tempts as sometimes mistaken Zealots or Enthusiasts so at others Designing Men to clap a Prophecy especially a Scripture one to what they are Driving on tho really it be a most unjust Thing Well knowing if once it be Received that God has foretold their Success that by all Persons of a strong Faith as Persons of most Devotion will most endeavour to be their Work will be esteemed as sure as if it were already Done The Law of God and the Voice of Nature pronounce most plainly and loudly Thou shalt not forswear thy self or falsifie thine Oaths Honor thy Father and Mother i. e. thy Civil as well as Natural Parents Thou shalt not Kill Thou shalt not Steal Thou shalt not bear false Witness Thou shalt not covet thy Neighbors Goods But when Men have been running headlong and to the Greatest Extremities in the Breach of all these Moral Duties as they were by Name in our late Distractions and Civil Wars in 41 they have Fancied themselves and been Cryed up by others as authorised to all this by a confident Exposition and Application of Prophecies or as the Accomplishers of Predictions Particularly that of the two Witnesses in the Revelalations who were to shut the Heaven that it should not rain i. e. say they to restrain the highest Powers in Church and State from their wonted Influence and to turn the Waters into Blood or as they explain it a still Nation into War and Bloodshed Rev. 11.6 Which by making it a Prediction of what should fall out at that time in Great Britain they turn'd into a Call and Justification of all that horrible Violence Injustice Perfidiousness and utter Breach of Moral Precepts which the Parliament and their Adherents were most wickedly and ungodly Driving on against the King and Church Here by settinâ— aside the Morality of Actions and fetching thâ— Approbation of God from fanciful Approbatioâ— of Prophecy they made themselves God's chosâ—â— Witnesses spoken of in the Revelations not whilâ— they are testifying for him as Martyrs by theâ—â— own Blood and Sufferings or with Faith anâ— Patience which is the Voice of his Precepâ—â— But whilst they are doing it as Rebels 〈◊〉 Arming against their Lawful Sovereigns 〈◊〉 are God's Vicegerents and running on 〈◊〉 Murders and Robberies Committed after 〈◊〉 Liberties of War without any Lawful Commiâ—â—sion and Warranty upon the Persons and Eâ—states both of their Prince and Fellow Subjects which are all out of the Way of Morality anâ— expresly against all those Precepts And this is leaving off to be Guided by Laws which are plain and certain Rules for Propheâ—cies which Designing Projectors and heate fanciful Enthusiasts will accommodate as theâ— please It is running boldly against Gospel-Duâ—ties and the Practice of Obedienâ—â— and Holinesâ— on Pretence we are ministring under the Spiriâ— of Prophecy and serving Predictions As if thaâ— same Spirit which is the Spirit of Prophecy werâ— not also the Spirit of Obedience Or had not Dictaâ—ted all our Moral and Gospel Duties as well 〈◊〉 Gospel Predictions Or as if he wanted Power or Care to Preserve one without Destroying 〈◊〉 the other and would not verifie all his own Predictions without help of our Sins nor could remain true if we remain innocent It is not a thing incident to any sober and obedient Christians but either to Designing and Hypocritical Impostors or vain and wicked Enthusiasts Their Vanity soon appears in the Events when they anâ—wer not their bold and confident Prenunciaâ—ions And their Wickedness in that they not only run headlong under this Cover into Immoralities and wicked Courses but profane and â—â—use the holy Scriptures to Patronize Ungodliness Press and Wrest Prophecies to Countenance Breach of Precepts urge the Authority of God against himself and intitle him to their Abominations And indeed a man must needs be far forsaken of God as he always is that is fallen from moral Honesty and an obedient Temper before he can overlook the plainest moral Duties and boldly transgress them on such Fancies CHAP. VI. SECT I. Of Christian Simplicity and Sincerity And of not Deceiving by Actions FRom these Pleas to Palliate Doing ill I come now to tax some main and most considerable Instances thereof particularly the use of insincere Arts and throwing off of Relative Duties to serve Publick or Private Good wherein great Liberty is taken and pleaded for by the worldly Wise. 1. First Christian Prudence is never for serving Ends by Deceit but is against all Use of Falshood and Insincerity Deceit is the great Art of worldly Wisdom It has recourse to Tricks when it cannot compass its aim by Truth and Openness and serves it self of Men by Imposture and Delusion The Folly of Fools says the wise Man so he calls worldly Wisdom which is mere Folly in the Account of God and Religion is Deceit i. e. it lies all in Cheating and Deceiving what it cannot bring about fairly seeking to accomplish by Arts of Falshood and
or no as may be justly questioned in some instances usually alledged in this case particularly the Midwives Answer to Pharaoh 2. But besides this Instance of Veracity or not lying in Words there is also another Part of it which Christian Simplicity takes care of too and that is not to tell a Lye or deceive in Actions There is a Signification in several Actions as well as there is in Words and Expressions Some 't is true are more arbitrary and unsetled in their meanings and may signifie as men please But others are of more fixed and stated Significations I mean not only as Natural Signs and Indications of our Approbation or Dislike or other inward Sentiments But there is also as good Authority of Law or Institution or common and received Use and Custom to settle the Signification of some Actions as there is for Words themselves And accordingly in all reasonable Apprehension men are as much understood to have professed or declared things by some Actions and in all Courts shall stand as firmly bound by them as if they had utter'd the same things with their Mouths And being there is equally a setled Signification in Actions there is also room for our being true or false for affirming or denying in them as well as there is in words themselves Thus the Scripture mentions those who deny God in their works Tit. 1.16 And if my mouth hath kissed my hand the known and received Profession of Worship to the Sun or Moon saith Job I should therein have denied the God that is above Yea says he it had been an iniquity to be punished by the Judge or as good a Declaration of his being an Idolater whereof the Judges then took Cognizance as if he had professed so with his Lips Job 31.26.27 28. Thus they thought and believed in the Primitive Church teaching that men might confess or deny with other Faculties as well as with their Tongues by complying in Actions as well as by verbal Declarations If says the Ancient and Learned Author of the Commentary on St. Matthew whom for his Skill in expounding Scripture Erasmus in his Preface to the Reader Equals to St. Chrysostom himself If any one says he shall say unto thee Thou shalt not eat of things offer'd to the Idol but only view and behold the Idols how beautiful they are If thou lookest upon them on such a provocation thou hast denied Christ with thine eyes Not that 't is any thing to look on an Idol but herein is the Sin to look on such an invitation And if thou shalt refuse to look by such Refusal thou confessest Christ. Therefore it is written Turn away thine eyes lest they behold Vanity Psal. 118. But if he shall say to thee I ask not that thou shouldst look upon the Idol only listen and give ear how that Gentile blasphemes Christ that he may glorifie his own Gods if thou standest to hearken with thine ears thou hast denied Christ. If he shall say to thee I seek not to have thee hear Christ blasphemed but lo how they are offering Incense to the Gods only stand and receive the Odour of that Incense if thou comest near and smellest it by thy Smell thou hast offended Christ. Again if he says to thee Do not chew the flesh with thy teeth but only seem as if thou didst and feigâ— thy self to eat of the Sacrifice if thou shalt feign a Taste tho thou dost not taste it by thy Taste thou hast that way denied Christ. But if thou wilt not feign thou hast therein confessed him as Eleazar who by eating flesh that was really of his own provision would not fallaciously make as if he had eaten that of the Sacrifice commanded by the King 2 Macch. 6. If he shall say to thee I would not have thee feign thy self to eat of the Sacrifice but only touâ—h the Idol with thine hand or hold an 〈…〉 if thou touchest or handlest it by thy touch thou hast denied Christ but if thou refusest by thy Touch thou hast confessed him as it is written If there be any iniquity in my hands For all the Faculties and Members either of thy Soul or Body God hath created not only with an Eye to thee for use but also to himself for his own Glory And since men may thus affirm or deny in their Actions as well as in their Expressions they may be alike true or false shew Veracity or Lying in both We may do a Lye as well as tell a Lye and deceive by working no less than by speaking as the Scripture tells us of working Deceit Psal. 101.7 and of Deceitful workers 2 Cor. 11.13 calling those False Apostles So who as Chrysostom notes assuming only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Person and outward appearance of Truth thus acting a Part served the Purposes of Errour all their fair shews being only acting a Part to deceive men And as this is true of Facts so likewise of Non-Facts or Omissions in things which we are bound to do and profess The not doing these as I formerly noted when we are called to them signifies our being ashamed of them or denying them as the same would be signified by our Expression Confession of a Duty may be by our Practice as truly as by our Words and Denial thereof may be by the same And therefore if we refuse to do it when God gives us a just Call thereto in our visible Practice we disown tho it may be at the same time inwardly in our hearts we joyfully embrace it Now Christian Simplicity will not allow us to falsifie any of these ways As we may not lye concerning any of the Articles of Faith So neither concerning any of the Duties or Laws of Practice And as it is against the Duty of speaking the Truth in our heart to speak against what we inwardly believe of them in Words so likewise to do against it in Actions Truth must be kept in Doing as well as in Speaking the same Sincerity shewn in the use of either Sign since both are of fixed and instituted Signification Among significant Actions there is more particularly a Signification in the Observance of Days which are known and plain Professions of what is aimed at in such Observations To observe a Day of Thanksgiving for instance for any Event is to profess that we are glad of that Event and thankful to God for it To observe a Day of Fasting if it be impetratory or for obtaining something future is a Profession that we are desirous of that future thing and would ingage God to bring it about Or if it be chiefly penitentiary and for bewailing something past that we are sorry for it and seek to appease his Wrath provoked thereby Now if men would deal with the Simplicity of Christians in these Observances unless in heart they are inwardly affected as the keeping of these Days testifies and rejoyce or desire as such Observance professes they should not joyn or
is not founded in Grace Indeed Grace confers Titles and has its Claims but those are in another Life where all Possessions will be measured out according to the Degrees of Mâ—ns Graces and Religious Performances But here without any regard to the Graciousness of their Hearts or Carriage this World's Properties are all to pass among men according to humane Rights and Titles No man can make out that he has Right to anothers Power or Property by pleading that his Faith is more Orthodox or his Life more just and holy i. e. that he is more Gracious Nor that the Legal Owner has forfeited his Right to them by his Apostasie from Truth or Holiness or turning Graceless The Truth is the World needs nothing more to make them sensible of the iniquity of this than to bring it home to their own Case For if one man may turn another out of his Legal Power and Property on Pretence he has not the Grace to keep in the Right way to the other World nor to use and employ them well for the Good of this what Change would this make among Proprietors and how would it Dispossess the Greatest Part of the Inhabitants of the Earth Yea particularly of those who are most uneasie and cast the most envious and malignant Eye at the Power and Property of others So that it would quite throw out this Pretence of Discharging our selves of Relative Duties or Disseising Relatives of their Legal Rights and Claims because of Heresie Non-Performance c. i. e. of Ungraciousness if men would but allow their Relatives and Rulers common Justice who if any â—ure should have Preference and do by them as they would be willing to be dealt by themselves Honour thy Father and Mother and Thou shalt not steal are Precepts universal securing the Powers and Properties of the Graceless as much as of the Gracious Just therefore we must be to Power and Property wheresoever we meet it lodged by Law whether in the good or bad And thus just we shall be to the worst and most ungracious Relatives if we will allow them the common Benefit of God's Laws as made for their Protection as well as ours and grant them to whom we owe not only Justice but Reverence what in common Right and Equality we all claim for our selves From all this I observe when men stand in Relation to any Person we must distinguish what they do in discharge of Duty to him as a Relation and what in Favour of his ways and Religion It is either a Great weakness or a Great wickedness in men to suspect all those that are for shewing inviolate Duty to a Popish King as being Favourers of the Popish Religion and for paying all that is due to a King when he breaks the Laws as if they affected and were for setting up a Power Arbitrary and lawless As if there could be no Duty to his Power and Person without inclination to his way and Religion What would these Persons have said to St. Paul and the holy Apostles had they lived in those days Would they have accused them as secret Friends to Heathenism and as having heathen Gods as now they are wont to say of others that they have a Pope in their Bellies because they preach'd up a strict and inviolate Subjection to the Emperors and other Powers for all they were Heathens Or that they were Enemies and Betrayers of the Roman Liberties and for making the Empire more absolute than it was because those Emperors were for grasping at the small remains of Liberty and for being more and more lawless Their Duty as I have shewn they must perform to them and do all that is just to such an one both as a man and a King in Duty to his Person and Relation Tho at the same time they bear the most unmoveable averseness and opposition standing out to the last in such ways as their Duty to God and him allows them to make use of against his way and Religious Persuasion 'T is only in Conscience of what he is not in good liking or approbation of what he doth that they pay these things to such a Person I note also That in speaking of these Duties even in the Case of such Persons we must not talk as if we performed them not from Principles of Conscience but only from Humane inducements 'T is the way of too many God knows to discourse in these things as if the hank these Duties have on us towards such unpleasing Relatives were not on our Conscience but on our Convenience Their Care and good Carriage they will allow as a Reason of our Duty and Observance but their Faults and Failures as a Reason also to justifie ours They insist upon Reasons of Ingenuity in this Case and ask How one could expect more that perform'd no more or dealt no better And look on the ripping up their Rulers Non-performance as a Reason to vindicate their own All which is as if God had required nothing in the Relation but all we owed were to the Carriage of the Person 'T is to act only by Principles of Interest or at best of Ingenuity but not out of Principle of Conscience which is the same when they go wrong and when they go right or not from any regard to God or sense of Duty at all CHAP. VIII Of the Imprudence of pursuing our Ends by unlawful Means HAving said thus much of this First Rule of Spiritual Wisdom viz. Not doing Evil that Good may come or not making use of any unlawful ways for the compassing our Ends or Desires Besides what I have hitherto said of the Religion I will now add a little in the last Place of the Wisdom of this Course and shew how prudent it is never to take up with any Sin in Pursuit the most desired Design Prudent I mean not only for the next World but for the accomplishment of our Designs here in this If worldly men would really be wise for worldly things and take the way that is best here at present they must not sin against God to bring their Ends about which however promising it may seem to them is not really the way to make but to mar them The Reason of this is because the compassing of any Effects depends more upon God and his Providence than on any humane Means The best and likeliest Preparations can never bring them about when he goes not along with them and the lowest and most unlikely are sure to do it when he doth Now the way to have God with us is by trusting him and keeping in his ways If we dare rely on Providence and trust God he will not fail those that trust him but take the tenderest care of them and shew himself remarkably in preserving and speeding their matters on I mean those matters which in consistence with the Designs of his Providence he sees fit to take effect and no means or methods can bring about any things else As
wickedness 1 Sam. 2.17.24 And thus it is when the Ministers of God shall go before the People in an idolatrous or superstitious worship Or in prostituting and prophaning of Prayers and Praises to immoral uses immorality and injustice being as certainly abominable to God in worship as superstition is applying all the Solemnities of Prayer and Thanksgiving to the countenancing and carrying on of wicked and unrighteous things As the Jews who whilst they were going on in the greatest immoralities as Theft Murder Perjury c. would in the midst thereof recommend themselves and their ways to God in his own house so prophaning the most sacred Services of Religion to credit and set off their wickedness and say we are deliver'd to Do or as the Syriack deliver us O Lord whilst we are Doing all these abominations By which prophane usage his house as he says was become a den of Robbers or a place to protect to shew forth and carry on injustice in their eyes Jer. 7.9 10 11. Or when they go before them in horribly perverting the Solemnities of Repentance their Fastings and Humiliations not to cure but to carry on their unrighteousness As the Lord complained of the Jews who fasted for unjust strife and debate and to smite not in a righteous cause but with the fist of wickedness not with intent to let the oppressed go free and to break every yoak or depraved judgment and sentence as the Chaldee nor to loose the bands of wickedness i. e. tied on by the Congregation of wicked Judges in fraud of the innocent as from the Chaldee Grotius notes but to bind those bands still faster on Isa. 58.4.6 Or lastly when they shall lead them on in gross hypocrisie and dissimulation uttering those desires or affections to God in words which they neither have themselvâ—s nor would have others to have in their hearts which may come under the sending forth hypocrisie through the Land or gross dissimulation and plain mockery of God that according to the rendring of the margin is so severely threatned Jer. 23.15 When the Ministers of God who in Prayers and Devotions are the mouths of the People shall by these or any other ways put ill things into their mouths and lead them on not in a pure but in a polluted and prophane Service or otherwise in any wicked or unrighteous thing tâ—ey are accountable for their followers as well as for themselves and must expect to share in their Peoples unrighteousness or impiety as well as to bear the burthen of their own 3. Thirdly Through false Doctrine when they teach them to take darkness for light preach peace where they should denounce judgements and so either at first seduce or afterwards sâ—rengthen and confirm them in any ungodly or unrighteous thing This is like to be the consequence of the former For if once the Guides go before the People in an unlawful thing their practice will be headed by a Doctrine to call in others and to justifie and bear out both what their People and themselves have done And thus to teach Men to sin is to be guilty of their sins with a witness He that shall break the least of these Commandments and shall teach men so shall be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 5.19 And thus it is when the Ministers of Christ instruct and hearten on their followers to do any thing contrary to right and justice to Christian simplicity truth and faithfulness to their Promises or Oaths to the Duties they owe God or God's Vicegerents or to any Commandment respecting either God our Neighbour or our selves This teaching others to go against the obligation of any of God's Laws is commonly by distinguishing away a Duty so to shorten and abridge it that it shall not reach us Or to blanch and varnish over our own actions with palliations or fair Pleas and Pretences of excuse that they may not be thought to oppose or infringe it This pains in making such Fig. leave covers for moral Nakedness and starting plausible Palliations for foul Practices God taxes as daubing in the false Prophets One that is the People Built a Wall says he viz. of ill manners and loe others i. e. the false Prophets whom he there accuses Daubed it with untempered Mortar i. e. palliated or blanch'd it over with fair Colours and Pretences that thro these as Grotius notes men might not see the filthiness of their Vices Ezek. 13.10 Such was their Pretence who bore the Jews in hand that the securing of Religion or of Gods Temple and Service would defend and warrant them in any Acts of immorality and unrighteousness The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord was what they had to oppose as a sufficient defensative against all denunciations of judgments for perversion of Justice and which therefore God tells them were lying words and would fail those that relyed on them Jer. 7.4.8 And when there was nothing but Bribery and Corruption the Heads judging for Reward and the Priests teaching for hire and the Prophets Divining for Money yet would they say none evil can come upon us and that leaning on the Lord because the Lord is amongst us Mich. 3.11 And this Grotius conceives was the Salvo of those false Prophets of Jerusalem who so strengthened the hands of evil-Doers that none returned from his wickedness viz. as he explains it by flattering them in their vices and promising things prosperous because of the Temple and the House of David Jer. 23.14 These Salvos and Palliations they woâ—ld still start anew as in the way they were iâ—gaged in any came to need them and fit them to every ones case Which God in Ezekiel calls making Kerchifs or Vales for every Stature i. e. as he Comments fair Pretences to cover the sins both of great and small Ezek. 13.18 And these base flatteries to please and bolster up Sinners St. Paul absolutely disclaims thro' the whole course of his Ministry Neither at any time used we flattering words courting favour by speaking pleasing things or suiting our Preaching and Doctrines to the humours or necessities of Men like the temporizing Gnosticks 1 Thess. 2.5 These Palliations and Pretences they would still change as put to it by new necessities Or go off from one when it was sore pressed or seem'd more weak to another that could promise to help them better out and was thought able to bear up that wicked or unrighteous Act which they sought to defend by it And accordingly of the False Prophets the Spirit of God observes that they caused his People to err as by their Lyes so by their Lightness Still shifting Principles and Pretences as serving turns and necessities did inforce thinking and saying now this thing and anon that very unconstantly as Vatablus explains it Jer. 23.32 And by such Salvos and deceitful Pretences shifted as oft as their Necessities or new Tryals would require it they bolstred up Sinners in their sins and made their
shall briefly observe how we are taught all this both to keep to one way and to shun the other in St. Paul's Practice For this is the Account which that blessed Apostle gives of himself Our Rejoying is this the Testimony of our Conscience that in Simplicity and Godly Sincerity not with Fleshly Wisdom but by the Grace of God we have had our Conversation in the World 2 Cor. 1.12 He Disclaims having had any Conversation by Fleshly Wisdom i. e. by having suited his Conversation to Fleshly Ends or Governing himself by Fleshly Methods Wisdom is seen in proposing of Ends and in choice of Means And Fleshly Wisdom is such as is fittest for Fleshly Purposes pursuing Fleshly Ends by Fleshly Courses especially by Deceit and Craftiness By Fleshly Wisdom he here means not Eloquence but Wickedness and Craftiness says Theodorit And to pursue all Things to Deal and Converse with all Persons of this World by Fleshly Wisdom is to serve the Ends or Appetites of our Flesh by them to take up at every turn with such things as are easiest to Flesh and Blood or make most for it and to compass them as need is by any Method especially by Craft and Deceit So that then men Converse by Fleshly Wisdom when they Govern their Conversations by Fleshly Considerations and Worldly Maxims and Compâ—ss their Ends by Unlawful and Deceitful ways and steer their Course in every thing they do or meet withall in this World as may give them most and best enjoyment of Worldly Things And this all they count wise who are fixt to this World and look no further But this the Blessed Apostle tell us was not his measure not by Fleshly Wisdom But by the Grace of God That is bâ— Religion or the Rules of the Gospel which is called the Grace of God as Containing his Graciâ—â—â—â—â—â—lings and Intentions towards us and aâ— both Declaring to us what we should Do and Offering us Grace whereby to Do it The Grace of God bringing Salvation teaches us c. saith St. Paul i. e. the Gospel doth Tit. 2.11 So that his Conversation he ordered all along not aâ— might get him or keep him most ease and interest in this World but as might best secure his innocence in every thing and the Rules of Religion His chief Care was at all times and in every Action to Do his Duty to keep the Orders and serve the Honour of Christianity All his Study and Deliberation was as a Man of another World not of this as one that sought to save his Soul not to pamper his Body what way he might be most innocent and holy not what would make him a more wealthy worldly easie or happy Person If a way or thing was never so cross to his Worldly Interests and to the Cravings of the Flesh to Discharge his Duty and keep a Good Conscience he would take or Do it And in any thing if a Duty was called for by the Gospel or the Grace of God for any Considerations of this World he would not forego it Not in Fleshly Wisdom but in Simplicity and Godly Sincerity which I have before explained at large and by the Grace of God or Rules of the Gospel I have had my Conversation in the World Lastly I shall Note the Comfort and Satisfaction he found in all this This is our Rejoycing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our Glory and Triumph the Testimony of our Conscience c. Such a Cause of Rejoycing his Conversing in all Things without Fleshly Wisdom and by the Grace of God proved to him most fully afterwards But whilst he was Practising this Rule though he had plenty of inward Comforts and Satisfaction yet he found outward Trouble enough therein As he had no regard for this World or for the Rules of Fleshly Wisdom So had this World no more Favour or Regard for him All this time whilst he held on in the way of Simplicity and of the Grace of God he run through as much Rage and Rudeness and Persecutions of the World as any man This indeed was one thing he was still sure of and the great exercise of his Life in every Place So the Holy Ghost as he says witnessed to him that in every City Bonds and Afflictions abode or waited for him Act. 20.23 Nay these he met with in the highest Degrees Conflicting not only with the Malice but with the Downrighâ— Rage and Madness of the People They were ready to tread him Down like Dirt under their Feet and valued him no more than the sweepings of the Streets We are saith he as the Filth of the World and as the off-scouring of all things unto this Day 1 Cor. 4.13 Here had he need enough to betake himself from Simplicity and the strict Rules of the Gospel or Grace of God to Fleshly Wisdom could any thing on Earth have driven him thereto And he met with outward Trouble and Sorrow enough for his Conscientious and Religious Stiffness that he would not And yet after all this he doth not in the least Repent of all his Sufferings nay were they all to be suffer'd over again or as many more set before him he is as ready as ever he was to hold on still in the same Course He looks upon those Sufferings in this way with other eyes than common Spectators do rating them as Favours and the truest matter of Glorying and Joy His Case all this while seemed most miserable to others but they saw only the outside and viewed it at a distance whereas in truth it was all the time happy to himself The Pains of his Sufferings were soon gone but the Peace and Joy thereof were lasting Whilst the Pains and Troubles were most pressing upon him he had still a stream of inward Joys and Consolations coming in that did refresh and support him under them God comforting him as he says in all his Tribulations and still as the Sufferings of Christ abounded in him so his Consolations also in Proportion abounding by Christ 2 Cor. 1.4 5 But though these Joys came with his Sorrows yet they did not vanish with them but staid and stuck by him afterwards for a full and abundant Compensation And this is the Comfort of all truly Religious and upright Sufferers as this Holy Apostle was they are best pleased with themselves when others are most displeased with them Though they have not the Joys of this World yet they have Joy in it Joy whilst they lose the good things thereof yea therefore joy because they lose them and still a greater measure of joys the greater their loss is if it be for Discharging a Good Conscience towards God or for keeping the Rules of Righteousness and the Service of Jesus And they have a clear Prospect of most ineffable and lasting Joys so soon as ever the Scene shall change and they shall be taken and removed from hence Come thou Good and Faithful Servant enter thou into the joy of thy Lord Mat. 25.21 But
we live in a time when to the greatest Numbers Popery that is indeed a very Corrupt Religion seems more formidable than any other thing And to call a way Popish sounds worse in the ears of the Populace than to say it is Unchristian And therefore to conclude this Subject I shall note in the last place how all the foresaid Methods of the Worldly Wise which I have taxed before are no better than Popish Corruptions There are Popish Morals as well as Popish Superstitions and Idolatries The Depravations of Good Practice and of Moral Honesty and Justice by a Number of their Casuists have been as scandalous and will prove as fatal to those Souls who are deluded by them as their Depravations in Matters of Faith and Devotion And the forecited Rules of the Worldly Wise are among those very ways whereby too many Papists have Corrupted Christian Morals Nay they are the Morals of Jesuits who are the worst of Papists and whose scandalous accommodations of Christ's Rules and Precepts to comply with Fleshly Passions and Interests suiting Religion to Self-Ends and basely bending Moral Duties to serve Corrupt Turns and Worldly Necessities are Condemned in these and such other Points by the sober Papists themselves And this I the rather note because I see so many Reverend and Worthy Persons who seem the strictest and truest Examples of Moral Integrity among us and stand out against all these Unlawful Compliances and Insincerities of the Fleshly Wise appearing as the Patterns and Confessors for Honesty and Morality in a Day of General Temptation and Defection are yet among other Marks of common hatred and scorn branded with the Name of Papists notwithstanding all the opposition they made to Popery and some of them most Eminently when the Day of Tryal was for these their brave and truly Christian oppositions of Popish Morals Yea and that by those who content with a Zeal against Popish Errors in Faith and Superstitious Devotions in the midst of all their heat against them are running into the worst parts of their Morality sucking in the rankest Poyson of Jesuitish Honesty unawares For as to the Points before mentioned such as these are the Jesuits Principles all Taught by some or other for God forbid I should Charge all therewith in that Order They are for Doing Evil that Good may come This is the meaning of that Grand Salvo so much magnified and made use of among them viz. The Right Direction of the Intention which affords them such wonderful help in an unlawful Thing Thus they clear men of the worst Crimes as Simony False Witness Thefts Duels and Murther it self Plead but Necessity and say there is need of it for Religion or the Church or their Society for the Publick or a Man 's own Private Good to preserve his Life Estate or Reputation and then the Breach of the Precept they make to be without Guilt if therein a Man â—oth but Direct his Intention aright permitting the Evil of the Action if the Actor doth but take care to purifie his Intention They are Notorious for Giving a Discharge of Relative Duties particularly towards Princes when those Duties grow Burthensom or Vnsafe under Impious or Oppressive Rulers For of all others they are the men that are foremost leading others and fullest in Asserting the Deposition and Dethroning of Kings the Absolution and Discharge of Subjects from the Obligation of their Natural Allegiance and the Lawfulness of Rising in Arms against Heretical or Tyrannical Princes There is scarce any one thing wherewith for so many years last past not only this Order of 〈◊〉 but the Church of Rome have been more â—earnedly Charged and more Shamefully Silent'd Yea 't is the Test of Popery by our Laws the Legal Conviction of Papists being by the Tender of the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy which were made to Secure and Defend our Princes against the Poison of these Tenets They are infamous for all Arts of Insincerity and Fallaciousness Having been the Pest of Humane Society by their Doctrines of Equivocation or using of Doubtful Words and Ambiguous Speeches which the Parties concern'd shall take otherwise than they mean them And of Mental Reservation Reserving in their own Minds some hidden and unexpressed Clauses in their Declarations or secret and unexpected Conditions in their Promises So to make their Speech a Truth to themselves though it be a Lye to others Of getting and compassing their Ends by Deceitful Suggestions or setting out so much Truth as to serve the turn and craftily hiding what would hinder it And instead of that Plainness and Simplicity which is prescribed by Religion studiously assuming all counterfeit Shapes and inventing and propagating all those Fallacious ways or Liberties of Dissembling which the Father of Lyes can suggest to their hearts whereby to overthrow the Faith of Men. Whilst they Reserve their Minds or inward Service for God they are for Giving the External Service or outward Appearance to any Wickedness expected from them Thus as the Author of the Provincial Letters observe◠〈◊〉 they allow'd the Chinese to worship a Chines◠〈◊〉 if they were careful to hide under their Cloaths an Image of Jesus Christ to which by a Mental Reserve they were to pay those Publick Adorations which in visible Appearance the Idol Receiv'd They are for Tempering their Duty to Circumstances of outward Convenience Doing so much as they safely may without Worldly Loss or Disadvantage Contenting themselves as they did in the Indies to Preach up a Glorified Jesus to those that would not hear of a Crucified Jesus And abating the Duties of Religion till they have brought them Down to the Pitch and Proportion the Wants and Worldly Necessities of those that consult them They are for Changing Doctrines as they Change Turns and Interests Not only in Different Turns of their own or their Societies Affairs but of their Disciples Having one Resolution for one man and at one time and a contrary at another By this looseness taking in all comers and fitting and reconciling all Times and Persons to their own Ends. They are for Holding and Maintaining what is once ill got And make Unjust Possession a Just Title to it And order Easie Amends and Restitutions for Wrongful and Evil-Deeds no more than can consist with the Offenders own Credit and Convenience They have invented Salvo's whereby men may keep innocent and yet Act in an Vnlawful Business and Minister and help other Men to Sin without Sinning themselves They vacate at their Pleasure and put by the Laws of Morality as they lye in their way rendring them insignificant and of little or no Force or Obligation Either by Interpretation of Terms or so expounding the Terms used in Prohibiting any Sins as shall exempt all or almost all their own Transgressions from coming under them Or by allowing the Thing not under the Name whereby it stands forbidden but the very same thing in another Form like to what they Resolved in the
Case of Vsury permitting it not under the Name of Vsury but of the Contract Mohatra i. e. Selling any Person that wants Money any Commodities on Trust at a Great Rate and he presently Selling them again for ready Money to the same Person at so much less as the use would come to Or by nice and vain Distinctions eluding all the Force of a Duty by limiting it to some such Bounds or making it to bind only for such Reasons as they will be in little need to transgress Or running it into such thin and subtile Notions till they have lost both it and themselves Or by the Plea of Favourable Circumstances which in Carnal Estimate call for Ease and Indulgence and which they are most Liberal in Granting at God's Cost to save themselves Or by Shifting of Intentions confining the Malignity thereof to Doing it for certain Ends which they can easily Evade by proposing other Ends therein to themselves The main Study and Boasted Subtilty of their Casuistry lies not in Explaining but in Defeating Moral Duties in Spreading Plasters for all Sores and inventing Salvo's for Sins And instead of Instructions and Inforcements how to keep venting among their Disciples Palliations and Devices to shew them how without Sin they may break God's Commandments In Sum not to lengthen out this Point by any more Particulars they are extreamly tender of Fleshly Wants and Necessities But this as they that are for more Flesh than Spirit shewing no tenderness far God but making as bold as may be with Religion and its Duties Theirs is an accommodating and complying Theology and their Great Care is not to bear but to avoid and shift off the Cross and temper and bring Down the Strictnesses and Severities of Christ to the Pitch and Measure of a Fleshly Mind And this wicked Policy or Suiting the Rules of Morality and Holiness to Carnal Ends and Inclinations they call Religious Wisdom or being wise to retain or multiply the Followers to serve the Ends and Interest of the Lord Jesus It would be too long to annex particular Sayings and Proofs of all these and other such like Opinions and Maxims of Fleshly Wisdom advanced by some or other of these Carnal Politiâ—ians They who list may see enough from their own Authors or without giving themselves trouble to look further for them in the Mystery of Jesuitism or Provincial Letters and in the several Extracts of Propositions from the Jesuits Writings in the Additionals Thus are the foresaid Rules and Worldly Maxims Declared against in the Preceding Chapters no better than Jesuits Principles which Secular Reason and Carnal Interests and Self-Ends are ready enough to Suggest to Fleshly Natures of all Sects and Parties but which they above all others have cultivated to Perfection So that as these Rules of Fleshly Wisdom take Place and come in use the Jesuit creeps in and revives amongst us And if Jesuits Morals must come in to Drive out Popish Superstitions and Idolatries as much and as bad Popery will come in at the Back Door as goes out at the Fore-Door and there will be no Deliverance from Popery that way to boast of I have an hearty Aversion to Popery whilst I pity their Persons and am I thank God ready to perform all that is Just and Charitable to them at the same time mightily condemning their Persuasion as a most corrupt Religion Accordingly I think it a mighty Preservation to be kept by God's Grace and Good Providence from those most Dangerous and Mischievous Errors or from all violent Temptations to them But I confess I am for keeping out Popery or any other ill Religion only by Orthodox Tenets and true Christian Practices Which God be thanked whatever it is of too many of its Members is the way of this Church in all her Authentick Doctrines and Offices that set as much by Good Life as by Orthodox Belief and are not more for Professing Truth than for Practising a strict and inviolable Morality and Holiness As all her Children and Sons must be too who will not Revolt or break off from her Principles And I think it a most lamentable Unhappiness for Men in their Zeal against so blame-worthy a Religion to run headlong into some of its most heinous Vices and even when they are opposing it with the greatest seeming Fierceness from sound and intire Protestants to become in Truth Part-boyl'd Romanists or Drive out Popish Superstitions by the use and help of Jesuitish Immoralities Which really is Done as I have shewn as often as the fore-condemn'd Rules of Fleshly Wisdom and others like unto them do find Place amongst us FINIS A Catalogue of BOOKS Printed for Jo. Hindmarsh PArey's Surgery Davela's History of the Civil-Wars of France Evelin's Sylva Saunderson's Sermons Bishop Brownrigg's Sermons Snape's Anatomy of an Horse Dr. Rawleigh's Sermons Dr. Outram's Sermons Mackenzie against Stilling fleet Discourse of Primogeniture Practical Rule of Christian Piety L'Estrange's Tully's Offices Doctors Physician or Dialogues concerning Health The whole Art of Converse Arbitrary Government display'd Hudibras Fourth Part. Alamode Phlebotomy or a Discourse of Blood-letting Eutropuis in English or a Breviary of the R. History Chalmer's Spelling-Book Behn's Miscellany Poems The Whole Duty of Man in French The Works of Mr. John Oldham Tate's Miscellany Poems Maimburg's Prerogative of the Church of Rome The History of Count Zozimus Discourse of Monarchy The French Bible The Testament in French Titus Andronicus Majestas intemerate Dr. Pelling's Apostate Protestant Dr. Curtis's Sermon Dr. Allestree's Sermon Sheridon's Case Gouges Principles Spirit of Meekness Stafford's Tryal The History of Passive Obedience Compleat 3 Parts The Case of the Afflicted Scotch Clergy History of the Scotch Persecution Don Sebastian Modern Policy Rebels Catechism writ by Doctor Heylin Scotch Memorial Proteus Ecclesiasticus Answer to Obedience and Submission to the present Government Demonstrated from Bishop Overall Perjur'd Phanatick Essay on Pride Dr. Talbor of Agues Venice Preserv'd a Tragedy Elliot against Oates The History of Edward the Third a Tragedy The Mistake or False Reports A Play Slainees Sermon Hindmarsh's Sermon Hool's Vocabulary Erasmus Colloquies 24 s. Ingratitude of a Commonwealth Aristella Castalio's Latine Testament City Politicks Plays Sir Courtly Nice Plays Banditti Plays Dame Dobson Plays The Poets Complaint of his Muse by Mr. Otway Seneca's Morals Martin's Letters Disappointment or The Mother in fashion a Play Rolls's Loyalty and Peace Hesketh's Sermon Robert's Sermon Loyal Satyrist Vindication of the Church of England Pelling's Good Old Way FINIS * Ad Nicom l. 2. c. 6. †De prospera adversa Fortuna de Prudentia Conc. 21. Tom. 3. p. 582. * The wise Servant made Ruler 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the same as prudent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 24.45 As the wise as serpents 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 10.16 and wise virgins Mat. 25.2 * Joh. 3.20 * Mat. 13.9 43. c. 11.15 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †1 Sam. 10.27
which are those paths the Wisdom of God sees necessary to perfect and spiritualize our Natures and which the Goodness of God has prescribed to lead us to himself and to the Regions of eternal Life Whatsoever God in his holy Gospel calls us to profess or practise that is the way to the World above And if we hope to arrive safe there and attain the Glory and Blessedness thereof whatever hardships occur or accidents befal us therein we must never go out of the way When upon any consideration we turn out thence all our steps are wrong and will never be right till we return into it again The way to make the most of this World and secure to our selves the greatest ease advantage and injoyment in our passage are the Rules of humane Prudence and worldly Wisdom And as we are call'd upon to hold on constantly in the former by the more still voice of Conscience and the Laws of God So are we reminded to make use of these later as occasion serves by the more importunate cravings of our sensual Nature and Necessities and the more loud voice of Flesh and Blood Now as our fleshy Nature and Necessities require so doth Religion allow us to serve our selves of these Rules of Humane Prudence so long as we keep within a due compass That is whilst we betake our selves only to such ways of external quiet and injoyment in this World as go not out of any way of Religion or path of Happiness leading to another World Whilst the Rule of Wisdom is only such as affords ease or comfort in our passage but doth not carry us out of our way or stop our progress When be sent out his Disciples as sheep in the midst of wolves be wise says our Lord to them as serpents so long as they took care first to keep as innocent or simple and plain-carriaged as doves Mat. 10.16 But fleshly Nature is glad of any way that affords ease here however it hinders or misleads us from the paths of those greater Joys which we should all seek to secure and prepare for hereafter It runs to them and that with greediness So that when any Duty of Religion gainsays it and calls another way there is a tryal of our Love and Affection for the two Worlds When any way of Righteousness for instance becomes burden'd with the Cross and a way of worldly and unrighteous Wisdom can avoid it or it may be lead to be not only safe and easie here but seemingly happy and prosperous then doth God make a tryal whether Religion or Flesh and Blood have most Force whether this or the next World are of greatest weight with us Worldly Reproaches and Persecutions upon a Duty are the true Test of its worthy and faithful Votaries and discover who they are that set it above this World And God is careful in the course of Providence still to annex worldly sufferings to some Duties of Religion or other to separate the impure dross from the pure Gold the light chaff that a storm of Persecution can drive away from the solid Wheat and as a Touch-stone to make manifest who are those truly worthy and sincere minds that will love and steadily practise any Duty when left to it self and stript of all external Bait of worldly inducement There must be Heresies saith St. Paul which as they increase grow still into Factions and Persecutions against the Orthodox that they who are approved may be made manifest 1 Cor. 11.19 To be ready to approve our selves to him in such Tryals it highly concerns us all to understand clearly what are the ways of fleshly Wisdom that at such times we may take more care to keep back from them There is the more need to be clear in this before-hand because the time of determining and practising is not the fittest for deliberating upon it For Flesh and Blood starts first and calls loudest on such occasions It presents variety of these ways to our minds And tho the ways are wrong yet through the biass of fleshly inclinations our minds are leaning and very willing to believe them right The generality of Mankind are prone to see and assent on that side which appears most safe and consistent with this present World They are apt to bid a hearty welcome and listen to any one that speaks for that way and are easily convinced by him being willing to be Deceived and 't is well if not active to Deceive themselves into such a persuasion And when Flesh and Blood are like to be so busie and powerful on such occasions to recommend such ways of worldly Prudence it is very necessary our Minds and Consciences should not be without their Armour but have clear convictions of their folly and unlawfulness to oppose against them To afford some Help in this Point to such sincere Tempers as would be thankful to be shew'd a losing Truth and glad to approve themselves to God on such occasions I shall offer something tho imperfect to set off the way of true Wisdom and to shew what are the limitations of Religious Prudence and what the contrary liberties of fleshly Wisdom or worldly Craftiness That so they may not err for want of information when in course of Providence they are brought on such Tryals CHAP. I. Of the Nature of Christian Prudence and how seen in chusing Right Ends. WIsdom or Prudence at large is being wise for our selves or seeing and following what Reason sets off as best for us It is Reason contemplating not the mere Truth of things which is Science but their Goodness and Desirableness or what are best for us to seek or practise And about this Practice it considers not only how to do things skilfully which is the consideration of Arts but how to do them profitably respecting either their future accountableness for Rewards or Punishments or implying moral good or ill and being directed by or promotive of any Virtues or their worldly usefulness and advantage to the end we are driving on or have to serve in this Life It notes Reason not only contemplating these things but influencing and effecting them For Prudence speaks the commendableness of several Powers It carries with it the virtue of our Wills as well as of our Understandings and besides the skill to see what is good for us includes also such influence over our other Powers as makes them follow it and take up therewith A man may be a knowing man that acts against the true Dictates of his own Reason But he only is a truly wise and prudent Person who follows and is guided by them And accordingly the wicked tho otherwise of never so much Knowledge are call'd Fools in Solomon's Proverbs and other Scriptures Thus is true Wisdom or Prudence the same as Reason well applied to Practice or Reason directing and influencing us unto what is profitable and best for us in any case Now this takes in the greatest variety of matters even all the managements