CHAPTER VI.
_Of Christian discretion._
1. AS flesh and blood is commonly inclined either to exceed or fall short in matters of duty; so it is easy, while we avoid the fear of man, to run into presumption, rashness, and inconsiderateness. Therefore it is necessary that we be continually on our guard, that so our boldness may be ever tempered by wisdom; that wisdom I mean which cometh from above, and is called by St. _Luke_, _the wisdom of the just_. And so St. _Paul_ stiles it the spirit of a sound mind: _God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind_. For indeed one spirit works all this in man; and through him again in others; making him not only discharge his duty with undaunted courage, and giving him a pure desire to promote nothing but the glory of God, and the good of his neighbour, but enabling him also, in all his doings and sufferings, to behave with divine prudence and wisdom. And _if any lack this wisdom, let him ask of God, and it shall be given him_. It shall surely be given him, who continually keeps a watchful eye over his own spirit; who is ever humbling himself in the sight of God; and, like a helpless infant, praying to God for discretion and understanding, and taking the word of God for his constant counsellor.
2. Where this foundation is laid, we need not fear any hurt from the boldness of faith. And though perhaps, for want of experience, it may not always be exerted in due time and place, yet we are to take heed, as soon as we are sensible of it, not to be too much dejected for this imperfection; but to praise God, who therefore shews us our failings, that we may mend them, and who will himself supply what is yet behind. And whenever we observe such failings in others, we ought to be particularly cautious how we judge them. For God will not judge according to our, but according to his own mind; and _out of the mouths of babes and sucklings he hath_ often _perfected praise_.
But hereby we do not in the least reflect upon any one, who, from a long experience in the ways of the Lord, doth, in the spirit of love, mind his brother of the failings, which have overtaken him in any of his actions. By this he doth not stifle any good that is in him, but rather prunes the good tree from its superfluous, irregular shoots, taking care of, and having an eye over it, that it may bring forth its fruit in due season.
3. And that we may be assured of so doing, we must, before all things, consider, that as there is no true faith, without repentance; so neither can there be any true boldness of faith, unless a man exercise himself daily in it. For the undauntedness of faith is no such groundless rashness, as is found in a wild soldier: but it is the fear of God, which having taken possession of the heart, expels the fear of man; and where the spirit of man is truly humbled, and broken under the mighty hand of God, there the Spirit of God dwells and exerts itself so gloriously, that there is no room for the flesh to boast. Let no man deceive himself. There is no true faith, without holiness of heart and life. Whatever is separate from this, cannot last long, be the appearance of it ever so glorious.
*4. Again, the true boldness of faith, is known, by its continually working by love. By faith a man is made a lord over all; but by love a servant of all. By faith he is a king; but by love a spiritual priest, ministring, not lording, in Christ’s sanctuary. Now when a man doth not abide in love, but is swayed by anger, hatred, or the like, and perhaps breaking out in scoffing, railing, or bitterness, he must not pretend to boldness of faith: and though he may have had some ♦degree of it before, it is now corrupted and lost. Therefore in this case, a man ought first to humble himself before God, and when he is sincerely renewed in the spirit of his mind, then to press on again in the work of faith, the patience of hope, and the labour of love.
♦ “degreee” replaced with “degree”
5. To keep up this boldness, we must continue in prayer, and in child like communion with God; for by this the mind is best guarded from vain excursions, and inspired with meekness towards all men. And whoever, by humble, fervent, and constant prayer, labours after a stricter union with God, will not only be fortified against all precipitancy and hastiness of spirit, but also against tempting God; of which men of little faith are particularly careful to caution him.
6. Neither doth this boldness of faith at all interfere with the obedience which inferiors of every kind owe their respective superiors; only remembring, that we are never to pay any one so unlimited, blindfold an obedience, as to prefer the authority of man before the clear command of God.
This caution is highly necessary; there being but too many who think they act entirely in faith, when indeed they are only following their own fancy, without any warrant from the word of God. And this distemper is the more dangerous, the less remedy can be applied to cure it. For those that _walk in the light of the fire of their own kindling_, if they are advised to true humility, discretion, and obedience, are apt to suspect that it proceeds from a design of lording over their consciences; and that all the advice given them, is no better than the fruit of unbelief, and the fear of man. They think themselves happy that they do not adhere to men, without taking notice how deep they are enslaved to themselves. But he is truly wise who humbles himself more and more, and is always ready to submit to all men. For where humility is, the enemy finds no room for his most dangerous temptations.
7. Let us then continually join the exercise of daily repentance, the denial of ourselves and of our own wills, of true humility, obedience, submission, prayer, of the meekness and patience of Christ, of hearty love for our brethren, and compassion for their failings, and all other virtues that flow from the wisdom which cometh from above. Let us, I say, join and knit all these together with the chearful exercise of faith and trust in God. Let us excite one another, with comfortable words, to cast ♦off all fear of man. Wheresoever God hath wrought a good will, let us take heed of damping it in any of the least members of Christ; but let us cherish it by the word of the gospel, and by the rules of true Christian discretion, keep it within such bounds, as may bring it to a fuller and more substantial maturity.
♦ “of” replaced with “off”