:no mating it as a means to fame higher end, the fervice of God and our own or other mens greater good: And furthtr than it conduceth to fome of thcfe, it muCl: be allmofi indifferent to us what men think or fay of us: And the di(plca[ure of all men, if unjul1, mufi be reckoned with our light afjjliltiom. · §. '7· 6. One truth of God, and the fmallefl duty, mu{\ be prefer>ed before the pleafing and favor of all the men in the world : Though yet as a means to the pro":10ting_of a greater truth or duty, the favor and pleafing of men mull be preferred before the uttc:rmg at a ldfcr truth, or doing a ltf: fer good at that time: ( bccaufe it is no duty then to do ir.) §· 18. 7· Our hearts are fo felfifh and deceitful naturally, that when we are very follicitous about our reputation, we mufl: carefully watch them ldl [elf be intended , while God is pretended : And we mufi take fpecial care, that we be fure it be the honour of God, and Religion, and the good of fouls or fomc greater benefit than honour it {Clf, that we value our honour and reputa– tion for. 9· 19. 8: Mans nature is fo prone to go too far in valuing our dleern with men,that welhould more fear lett we err on that hand, than on the other, in undervaluing it. Ar d ir j., tar faftr tcrdo too little thall; too much in the vindicating of our own reputation, whether by the magifiratcs jufiice> or by difputingor any contentious means. §. 20. 9· We mufl not wholy refl on.the judgement of any about the flare of our fouls, nor take their judgement of us for infallible; but ufc their help that we may know our felv~:s. ~· 2 I· lO· If Minifiers or Councils called General do err and concradid: the word of God, we mufi do our beft to difcern it; and difcerning it mufi defert their error rather than the uurh of God. " As Calvin, and after him Par£111 on 1 Cor. 4· 3· fa.y, [We muft give an account of our dollrine tD aU mm that require it, cfpedaUy to Minif~erJ and Councils; But whw a faithfttl Pa}tor perceivttb him[tlf op– p,·cffid.with unrighteour and pcrverfe defignJ and [11l1iom, and that there Hno place for equity and truth he ougbt to be carcltfi of mans eftcem, and t!J appeal to G11d, and fly to hi1 tribunal: And if rve fu ou~ fclves condemned our caufc being uhpleaded, and judgement pt1jfod our cau{e being ttnheard, let us lift up . our minds to thif msgnanimity, a; drfpijing mens judgement, to cxpell with boldnefi the judgement of Gcd J and fay with Paul, TVitb me it it a {mal matter to be judged, ofyou, or of man1 judgement; I have pne that judgctb me, evm tbe Lord. Pfdm 30 . ~· 9· 22. 1 I· God mufi be enough for a gracious foul, and we mufl know that in his favour ; 1 lift, PI"aim 63. J· and his loving k.jndncfs i.r better than life it filf; and this mufi be our care and hbour that whether ~Cor.~· 9· living or dying we m.J:y be accepted of him ; and if we have his Approhation it mull fatisfie us, though Rom.S 33,34• aU the world condemn us : Therc:forc having .faithfully done our duty, we mull Jeave the matter of our reputa~ion to God ; who if our waies pleafe him ca.n make our enemies to be at peace wirh us (or be harmldS to us as if they were no enemies ). As we mull quietly leave it to him what mea: fure of wealth we fhall have, fo alfo what rneafure of honour we Ihall have : It is our duty to Love and Honor, but 110t to be beloved and honoured. Mu. Jc, ~· 23· u. The prophefie of our Saviour mufi be fiill believed, that the world will bate ur, and his Jokn 1 S· e_xarnple mull be !till before our eyes, who fubmined to be fpi.r upon, and fcorn~d, and buffeted, ~1:1:. , 7 . and flandered a'S a rrayror or ufurper of the Crown, and made hm1felf of no reputatzon, and induruJ Htb.u.I,2,3. the Crofi, and di{pi[ctl the jhame : leaving us an example that we jhould f vllow hit fltpi, ,.,bo did 1 u 1 • I Pet. ~. ~ r, ji 11, neithir wrn guile f ound in his memh ; who whtn. he war reviled, reviled not af{Ai;z; when he fuffered he threatncd trot, but c<.ll1lmitt£d aU to him that judgeth righteoujly. Tbis is the ufage that mull be the Chrifiians expectation, and not to be well lpoken of by all, nor to have the appl•ufe and hanor of the world. . We mun eo §. 24• 13· It is not only the approbation of the ig11ora>ll and u11godly that we mull thus fet light further rlull by ; but even of the moO: Learned and Godly thcrn(t:lves, fo as to bear their cenfures as an ealie Smcawho bmdeo when God is pleafed this way to try us : and to be fatisfied in God alone, and the expedati– ~~L)~;~~ur~e on of his final judgement. ~~~e;aN ~~n;~ M1rr. c~tq, fi LL!it~s f~pie:u, fi duo ScipiDIUSilb l~ucr~ntur: nunc malis•difpliccre, laudari eft. Dire[/. 3· Dirc[/.4. 9· 2 5• Direct. 2. Remember tbat tbe favQur and pleafi.ng of malt i.r one of your Jitaru; that wo 11 l::l prev•il againft yo:tr pleajing God: Therefore watch agamlt the danger of It, as you rnufi do againfi other earthly things. 9· 26. Direct. 3· Remember bow filly a creature maui.J; and that his f.zvour can he no bctttr th,m bimfeif. The thoughts or words of a moital wotm, are matters of no confiderable vallle to us. §. 27· Direct. 4· Remember 1bat it is the jutlgemellf of God alone that your life or death for .ever dotb depend upon ; and how little )'OU are concerned in the judgement of ma11. 1. An humbled foul ,. that hath felt what it is to have difpleafed God, and what it is to be under his curfe, and what it is to be reconciled tO him by the death and intercellion of Jefus Chrill, is fo taken up in feeking the favour of God, and is fo troubled with every fear of his difpleafure, and is fo delighted with the. fertfe of his Love, as that he can fcarc_.e have while to mind fo fmall a matter as the favour or dif~ pleafure of a man. Gods favour is enough for him, and fo precious to him, that jf he find that he hath this, fo fmall a marrer as the favour of a man, will fcarcc be miH b'y him. , ~· 28. 2· God only is our fupream judge, and our Govert~ors as Officers limited by him: But for ·others, if they will be ufurpers, and fct themfelves in the throne ofGod, and there let fly their ,..cenfiues upon things and perfons which concern them not, why thould we feetn much concerned in jq
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