Background Image
Table of Contents Table of Contents
Previous Page  641 / 808 Next Page
Basic version Information
Show Menu
Previous Page 641 / 808 Next Page
Page Background

E

R.15.

ephefianJ,Chap.

5.

62i

i

Now

the Apoftle

commeth

to

a

new

precept

:

the

conneâion

of

it

is

to

be marked,in

the word

[w

herefore,]which

efpecially bath reference

to that [partake not with them, but

rebuke

them

rather;]

for this pre-

cept

is

the

way

to performe that

:

The

matter which

firft

is

fet

downe,

Walke

circum

fpel7ly

,

(i,

e.

)

exallly

,

accurately.

2. Is

either

c

xpounded,walke

as

wife

men fhould

walk

;

or

amplified,

as

I

take it,

firft

from the

reafon

binding to it, for this particle

[as]

(like

to the Hebrew) doth not

alwayes make

comparifon, but fome-

time render

a

reafon

:

a.

leis

amplified

from

an

effet

that

teflifieth

of

a

circumfpet

converfation,

redeeming the

time

;

that

is,

forgoing

any

thing, rather then letting goe

an

occafon

of

well doing, which

bath

his

reafon

fer

downe,becaufe

the

dayes

are

evil!:

3.

He

doth

am-

plifie this

walkecircum!pelly

from the meane

of

attaining

ir,

which

is

the knowledge

of G

ids will rcvcaled

in

his

Word.

Now

firft

we fee,

What

is

the

duty

of

us

all,

to

be

precife

and careful!

in

our whole

converfation,

Walke

exaólly;

we

muff

not

live

wittingly

in any

kinde

of

evil!,

any

degrees, any occafions, any

appearances,.

but

as

the Lord fpeaketh, follow

him exaEtly,

neither turning to

the

right

hand nor left

:

thus Paul walked

exaäly,

as he

wirneffeth

of

himfelfe,

s

t6,

24.16.

r

have

endeavored

alwayes

to keepe

a cletre

con-

feience both

before

Ged

and

before men

:

thus Zacharie

and

Elifabeth

wal-

ked in

all the

Commandements

of God

without reproofe, Luke

1.6, For

that,

mutt

needes be exabt,

which

all

of

it

mutt be

drawn

by

line and

rule,

as

the

lives of

Chriftians mutt

:

Somany as walk

after

this

rule,

Galas.

6.

Now

it doth infold

three

things

:

r.

That

we walke

avoiding every cxtremitie

(both the tight

and left

;)

for this circumfpeétion doth keep us,

that

wee

fall

not into

one vicewhile we flye

another.

2.

Walking

cauteloufly,

that

we be not deceived with

falfe

colours,

for

the

devil

doth

fometime dye

vice

in

the co-

leur

of

venue.

3.

Walking

providently, for

he

that walketh

circumfpedily

mull

be double faced, he

mutt not onely

fee

the things

prefect, but

have eyes

behind,

eyes

to looke before him,

to

procure

and

provide

good

things,to prevent

evil!, im-

pediments to good.

And there

is

great

reafon

why Chriftians

fhould walk

thus

exaEtly

:

The

way they

are

to

walke in, it

is a

ftraite

way,

ftcepe, having

fearefull

downefalls,

narrow

:

Such

as

have feene

narrow,dangerous,

cliffie

wayes, may conceive

the comparifor.

Again,

if

one fhould

walkeamongftnetsand

fnares, had he

not

neede

of

circu*ifpedtion

Now

what

is

this

world,

but

a

place

full

of

lime

twigges which the

de-

vil

layeth,that

he

might bring

us

to

deftrubtion.

Our

owneflates;weare

heticall

perfons,alwayes more or

leffe

in

an

ague; now little errors

in fuch perfons

breed great hurts at diftempers:

So

finif

we begin with

I

know

not

the

man,it will come

to

forfwearing.

Circumfpedion

is

required

in

regard

of

others,that

they who watch

H

h

h

3

our

Don.