hinder them from sinnes and from falling hinder by al means reproach from their profession and danger from their persons 2. If thou findest a good man sâ—iptinto an infirmity labour to couer it make the best of it as may be vaunt not thy selfe ouer him but consider thy selfe and by al good means cure it if it lye in thy power 3. If thou finde a good man stand in need of inward comfort and cast downe helpe to raise him againe Christ was sent to speake a word of comfort to the wearie and euery Christian hath receiued of his annointing When Dauid was in deepe distresse his faithfull friend Ionathan comforted him in the Lord his God 1 Sam. 23. 16. 4. If thou knowest a good man helpes and without outward comforts thou must now shew bowels of mercy and compassion gladly receiuing the poore Saints communicating willingly and freely to their necessity 1 Pet. 3. 8. Loue one another as brethren be pittifull 1 Ioh. 3. 17. He that hath this worlds good and seeth his brothers need and shuts vp his compassion from him how dwelleth the loue of God in him To stirre vs vp hereunto consider these motiues 1. Say with thy selfe What am not I a member of the same body with him Is not he of the same family and houshold of Saints This is the Apostles argument especially do good to the houshold of faith 2. What shall I gaine if by word or deed I shall make sad the hearts of good and godly men Cannot Cain cast downe his lookes but God lookes on it Cannot Ismael laugh at Isaac but the Lord arraigns and condemnes him of high persecution Surely then cannot I carry the like indignities scotfree 3. Doe I read Merioz accursed because she came not out to helpe the people of God though she had no hand against them Iudg. 5. 23. Surely I must nor only not haue a hand against good men but I must set my hand to helpe them else is not my heart so right as it should Pilats wife wished her hsuband to haue nothing to doe against that iust man but happy had Pilate beene who was not violent against Christ to haue beene earnest and resolute for his deliuerance the defect whereof was his ouerthrow And so it shall bee heauy enough in the day of iudgment that wicked mens hands haue not helped the godly seeing the sentence shall not run because they had hurt them but because they helped them not CHAP. XXX Rules how to walke wisely towards euill men 1. in generall THe generall rule is in Col. 4. 5. Walke wisely towards them that are without that is the Gentiles who were not conuerted without the border of the Church for euen in the Church some are of Gods domestickes some without as strangers that want faith as yet And godly men must walke so much the more warily not onely because they haue Gods eye and godly mens eyes on them but euen eyes of men yet vnconuerted who must not be cast backe or confirmed in their errour or hardened against the truth but by all wise walking if it be possible won to the loue and liking of it Now towards all vnbeleeuers and vnconuerted men in generall these parculars are worthy obseruation 1. That euery Christian auoid all known euils offences by which euill men might be occasioned to abide out of the Church The law is Thou shalt put no stumbling blocke before the blind for this is a feaâ—â—full iudgement of God on men vnconuerted they would willingly bee blinded and hardened in their naturall estate Now our rule is being our selues pulled out of danger to helpe others out also nay our light must reproue their darkenesse their couetousnesse by liberality their pride by humility their impatience by patience c. 2. All vnconuerted men hate the light and are prone to blaspheme the Gospell and to reproach the holy profession of it Wise Christians therefore must cut off occasions from them and take heed of defiling their owne neast 1 Tim. 5 14. Giue no occasion to the aduersary to speake euill and Dauid prayeth that none might be ashamed because of him Ezec. 36. 20. the Lord complaines that the Israelites among the heathen polluted his name and made them say These are the people of the Lord and are gone out of his land A lewd childe saith Salomon dishonoureth the whole house Nay on the contrary the meanest Christian in his place by his wise and Christian walking must adorne the profession of Christ so the Apostle to Titus 2. 10. Seruants must be no pickers but shew all good faithfulnesse to adorne the Gospell of the Lord Iesus An holy course of life will make the Gentiles say as they in Esay 61. 9. They are the seed of the blessed of the Lord. 3. All vnconuerted men esteeme of doctrine by the life and the profession by the practise of professors for they haue no taste of the doctrin in it selfe and therefore in the cariage of our profession wee must apply our selues if it be possible to win them So the Apostle 1. Pet. 2. 12. wisheth the Iewes to haue their conuersation honest among the Gentiles that they might glorifie God in the day of their visitation And women are commanded so to watch their whole behauiour as their husbands might be wonne by their godly conuersation Priuate men must conuert others by their priuate conuersation Motiues so to doe are these 1. Christians are on a mount set on a scaffold nothing they doe escapeth sight and censure all is marked they stand or fall not alone but to many 2. They haue a light with them which drawes all eyes vpon them and discouers all 3. The eyes of the wicked are not on others but on them to disgrace them and through them to smite Christ himselfe 4. The will of God is By weldoing to silence the ignorance of foolish men 1 Pet. 2. 15. 5. What a glory is it to slaughter enuy it selfe to stop an open mouth and cloath an aduersary with his owne shame that he that would accuse vs must accuse the Sunne of darknesse when it shines 6. Hereby we shall be conformable to Christ whom when Satan came to sift he found nothing in him wicked men shall say as Saul said to Dauid Thou art more righteous then I c. CHAP. XXXI Rules how to walke wisely towards euill men in speciall and first for scorners NOw wee come to speciall rules concerning speciall sorts of euill men of whom some are exceeding euill in themselues some are euill also to good men Of the former ranke are scornefull persons of the latter hurtfull For scorners obserue these rules 1. If we know men to be so farre naught as they scorne goodnesse good men and good things we must auoid their company so much as wee may For what comfort can a godly man take in such company where all good and godly communication must either be banished or
conceiue a sweetnesse in earthly things and are presently distracted from the loue of the Creator to the loue of the creature Now spirituall wisedome requireth that wee diminish the loue of the creature that we may in crease our loue of the Creator But if they will run vpon the world then turne the course of them a little to consider the vaâ—ity and misery of this euill world the painted vizor of the pleasures of it the vncertainty of life the deceitfulnesse of riches how they be not ours what euils and incumbrances we haue receiued from the world what fools they haue made vs in treasuring on earth whose home and expectation is in heauen 4. If thy thoughts concerne thy selfe or others thy brethren labour to think better of others than thy selfe for thou seest no such thing in them as in thy selfe Phil. 2. 3. Let euery one esteeme better of another than of himselfe Yea the more thou seemest to excell others in gifts the more humble labor to be An hard rule and difficult to be practised and therefore it is often coÌ„mended to vs as Rom. 12. 16. Make your selues equall to them of the lower sort and elswhere For this purpose conceiue not onely what thou hast receiued but what thou wantest and what good things thou art without and then with Paul say thou hast not yet attained to perfection 5. If thy thoughts concerne any sinne be sure it be to hate and renoâ—nce to bewaile and mourne for it in thy selfe or others For there is a slynesse and subtilty in sinne which while we thinke of it easily gaineth some tickling and consent which at least hindreth that through-hatred that wee ought to maintaine against it The third rule for the inner man concerneth the will namely that our care must be there bee but one will betweene God and vs for so hath the Lord taught vs to pray Thy will bee done 1. Wherein soeuer God hath reuealed his will to vs in that we must rest 2. Whatsoeuer his will determineth of vs that wee we must account holy and iust whether with vs or against vs. 3. Whatsoeuer his will prescribeth to vs whether obedience to the law or faith of the Gospel wee must hold our selues fast bound in conscience vnto it let it seeme neuer so crosse to vs or contrary to his law as Abraham did in offering his sonne 4. Whatsoeuer his will disposeth to vs prosperity or aduersity sicknesse or health life or death or whatsoeuer else all is from a most wise hand disposing euery thing for the good and saluation of his elect and so should bee entertained Thus Eli said It is the Lord let him doe what is good in his eyes and Hezekiah The word of the Lord is good euen when it threatned the ouerthrow of his house and Kingdome So Dauid Psa. 39. 9. I held my tongue and said nothing because thou Lord didst it and Iob The Lord giueth and the Lord taketh blessed be the name of the Lord. CHAP. IX Rules for the conscience THe fourth sort of rules for the inner man concerns the conscience 1. Beware of doing any thing with a blind conscience A blind man swallowes many a gnat and a blind conscience swalloweth any sin This is a wicked conscience to which no sinne so great shall come but a man shall thinke hee doth God good seruice in it as Christ speaks of them that would sâ—ay his Disciples Why doe heathens persecute Christians and Papists pursue Protestants euen to death but out of blinde zeale and conscience that they root out a false religion And whatsoeuer a man doth by an erroneous and seduced conscience is sinne the rule of conscience to heathens being the law of nature and to the Church the law written euen the whole word of God as a pillar of cloud and fire to direct it in all the way to heauen Therefore let the word of God dwell plenteously in you in all wisedome Col. 3. 16. 2. Doe nothing with a doubtfull conscience for whatsoeuer is done with a scrupulous conscience is sinne and is not onely an offence of God but of the conscience too which is as a little God within vs for it is not of faith nor obedience to the knowne will of God Rom. 14. vlt. Hee that doubteth is condemned because his action is not of faith Therefore vers 5. he saith Let euery man bee fully perswaded in his minde 3. Labour to get a good conscience aboue all things Act. 23. 1. I have endeuoured in all good conscience till this day A pure conscience by nature hath no man but made pure by the bloud of Christ sprinkled vpon it by faith in that he hath obtained full remission of sinne and by his bloud also merited the Spirit of Sanctification by which the conscience of the beleeuer is daily cleansed 4. Labour to get a pure conscience in all things A man by obseruing many things may get himselfe good credit but a good conscience must bee in all the things of God The Pharisies might not goe into Pilates iudgement hall lest they should bee polluted and yet at the same time they could dispence with their conscience to crucifie the Sonne of God a sinne defiling heauen and earth whiles the Sunne was ashamed and the earth trembled at it The Papists may not eat flesh in Lent their consciences will not suffer them but to kill Kings and blow vp Parliament-houses their consciences giue them good leaue Many Protestants will not steale kill commit the act of adultery but their conscience can dispense with couetousnesse vnbridled anger wantonnesse filthy speeches c. But if Gods word be the same so must the conscience and hee that serues God as Paul did in pure conscience 2 Tim 1. 3. will doe so at all times in all places and things and will auoid sinne in his closet as much as in mosâ— publike meetings yea small sinnes as well as great 5. It is as great wisdome to keepe things well as to purchase them therefore we must if we would wallâ— wisely bee as carefull to keepe good conscience aâ— to obtaine them and therunto obserue two things 1. Daily take away matteâ— of accusation which is sinne by repentance 2. Rather displease all men than thine owne conscience thy friends thy family thy rulers nay thy owne selfe before thy conscience So did Daniel and his fellows So did Cyprian as Augustine relates it when the Emperor in the way to his execution said Now I giue thee space to consider whether thou wilt obey me in casting a graine into the fire or be thus miserably slaine Nay saith hee In re tam sanctâ deliberatio non habet locum there needs no deliberation in this case The like we reade in the hystory of France In the yeare 1572. presently after that tragicall and perfidious slaughter and massacre of so many thousands
him Daniel would open his window and pray as hee was wont euen when his life was sought after Secondly euents of actions doe often and much trouble vs for remedy whereof obserue two rules 1. That of the Wise-man Eccles. 11. 4. He that obserues the wind shal not sowe it is a foolish husbandman who for sight of a cloud either his seed time or haruest So for sowing workes of mercie he that sticks in doubts and saith I may bee poore or old long diseased full of children or persecuted for the Gospell and must prouide for one neglects his seed time by looking at winds and clouds So many a carnall Gospeller saith If I should goe so often to Church as some and be so forward in religion I shold lose much profit and incurre much rebukes and reproches Therfore 2. we must learne to leaue euents and successes to God for it is not in man to direct his steps God disposeth as he pleaseth The Saints of God are often frustrate of their godly purposes as Dauid in purposing and preparing to build an house for the Lord but 1. they lose nothing if they doe their duty 2. Gods Ouer-ruling hand will dispose all to the best therefore there let them rest CHAP. XXIII Rules for actions indifferent 1. in generall A Great part of mans life is spent in the doing of naturall and indifferent actions which in themselues are neither good nor euill but as they are vsed and being so common and ordinary many sinnes creep into them because we take our selues free and loose to doe as we list in them which conceit growes out of ignorance of Gods wisedome who by his word hath tied vs as strait in the vse of them as in things most necessarily inioyned For there is no action in which we must depart from God Obiect They are therefore indifferent because they are neither commanded nor forbidden and therefore as they be free so be we also in them Answ. Although there bee no word commanding or forbidding yet there is a word directing and ordering in them as wee shall see in some generall rules concerning them all and in speciall rules applied to some particulars The generall rules concerning them all as meat drinke apparell recreation houses marriage and the like are these 1. The most indifferent action that is must be vsed by warrant and leaue from God warrant is from the word leaue is by prayer and thus must euery creature of God bee sanctified by the word and prayer 1. Tim. 4. 5. Our meat our apparell our houses our recreations must all be vndertaken and vsed First by the warrant of the word for else it cannot be done in faith Rom. 14. 23. and whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne The word must direct me in this particular meat apparell recreation that it is lawful in it selfe and to me or else I sinne in it Secondly by prayer for we must lift vp our hearts at least in the vse of them all 1. In inuocation for an holy vse suspecting all our wayes and our inclinations to corrupt our selues in euerything 2. In thanksgiuing for our liberty in all the creatures that were iustly forfeited and Gods blessing in them This neglected 1. Wee may haue the creature but want the blessing haue bread but not the staffe of bread haue money but not a bagge to hold it cloathes but no warmth marriage but not the comfort of it and so in the rest 2. Wee doe not distinguish our selues from the bruit beasts who liue by things before them and neuer looke aboue them to the giuer 3. We haue no title recouered in any of them but they all remaine vncleane as was signified in all the vncleane beasts as all other had beene but that they were permitted by special leaue without which we are but vsurpers 4. God is not acknowledged the author of our life liberties and so is depriued of his honor homage which no Lord among men will endure in such as hold the least coppy vnder them 2. The most indifferent action that is must bee donâ— for God that is to the glory and honour of God whatsoeuer wee eat or drinke c. 1 Cor. 10. 31. For while we take our part in the comforts of the creatures God will not lose his part of them that is his glory by them Doth my eating and drinking make mee heauy and vnfit for the seruice of God to performe it with cheerefulnesse Here I haue sinned in a lawfull thing for God lookes to bee serued with cheerefulnesse and a good heart in the abundance of all things Deut. 28. vers 47. Doth my apparell tend to pride vp and aduance my selfe This is a sinfull vse of a lawfull thing wherein I should glorifie God Doe my recreations and sports not onely iustle out my duties of Christianity of reading and meditating and priuate prayer but ingrosse my time so that I neglect my special calling Herein I vse my liberty vnlawfully and turne it into a wicked licentiousnes Recreation was neuer ordained by God to bee an occupation but onely an helpe vnto it 3. The most indifferent action that is must be vsed in loue as well as in faith to edification as wel as in sanctification This generall rule is in 1 Cor. 14. 26. Let all things be done to edifying Rom. 14. 21. It is euill to eate with offence and it is good neither to eat flesh nor to drink wine nor to doe any thing wherby thy brother stumbleth or is offended or made weake and Paul would neuer eate rather then offend a weake brother In case of offence in different things loose their indifferency and become sinnes and must not be done be they neuer so small neuer so profitable neuer so powerfully enioyned by authority because an higher authority of God bids vs not offend our brother the conscience of our brother must be more tender vnto vs than our owne peace and preferment Daniel and his fellowes refusing the Kings meat might seeme very vnwise and too strict for so small a thing to lose the Kings fauour and their owne aduancement but it was not frowardnesse in them nor disobedience to the King but conscience and obedience to Gods commandement in a case offensiue to themselues and others so they would not doe the least euill for the greatest good So is this garment lawfull to mee and offensiue to other of Gods children Then haue I no liberty in it Is this eating or drinking or tobacco-taking lawfull to mee and may it offend in circumstances I must auoid occasion of offence Is this sport and recreation lawful in it selfe and to others but is it offensiue in mee a puulike man a professor a Preacher Wisedome teacheth to refraine it So the Apostle saith All things that is indifferent of which he there speakes are lawfull but all things are not expedient Now as we must be farre from offending any so our endeuour