SECTION XXIX.

OF THE CARRIAGE OF CHILDREN, SERVANTS, AND INFERIORS.

CHILDREN, servants, and inferiors, must not slacken their pace. If they should perceive much backwardness to do that which is good in those that are above them, they must stir up the gift that is in them, and labour to go as far before others in the ways of God, as they are behind them in place and dignity. For, although their superiors should outrun them in zeal and holiness, yet they have no warrant to tarry for them, when they see them loiter. Ahab should have been more careful than his servant Obadiah, in saving those hundred prophets from Jezebel's rage; yet though Obadiah saw his master rather yield to his wife than fear the Lord, he did not allow his example to influence his conduct, but hid the prophets by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water. Nabal should have been more ready to relieve David's wants, and more provident in saving his family from danger, than his wife, the weaker vessel; but when Abigail seeth him fail in both, she doth not sit still, and put all to the hazard, but supplieth that wherein her husband was defective. The zeal of an inferior person ought to be attended with humility, and comeliness of behaviour; yet must he not, under colour of humility, modesty, or keeping distance, neglect his duty. Young Elihu, though his heart was so full that it was ready to break, would not speak before his elders had said what they could; yet when he saw the ancients silent, he thought their unseasonable

silence a warrant for his younger years to speak those things which they ought to have delivered. Job xxxii.

SECTION XXX.

HOW EVERY ONE IS EVERY DAY TO EMBRACE ALL OPPORTUNI TIES OF DOING GOOD.

OPPORTUNITY is many times a special means which a man of gifts and place hath to do good above others, and above himself at other times. Sometimes things fall out so fitly to a man, that they even put him upon some service tending to the glory of God, whereas others have not the like. In such cases, the rule is, Do as thine hand shall find; do as occasion shall serve; do as opportunity shall invite thee. Many are called by the Lord's providence giving them opportunity, to do somewhat for his glory, whereunto others have not the like occasion. And when men fail herein, they show some neglect, or disobedience towards the Lord's calling; and therefore when God offers an opportunity, we must not stand questioning or muttering, why do not such, or such, go before us? Why do not such do it rather? as Moses in his weakness told the Lord. But every one should think thus with himself; This is my work; the Lord puts it upon me, and I must do it. This falls out in many cases, for which there is not a full direction to be looked for.

Thus it may happen, that a man may sometimes, by

opportunity, be put upon a work of mercy, to relieve one in want, when we meet him, through God's providence, and we have something at hand whereby to help him. This was the Samaritan's case, who found in his journey the poor helpless man, robbed and wounded, and so as occasion was given, he mercifully relieved him. Now, this opportunity both enabled him to relieve him, and was a calling to the work which others had not, that came not that way.

So again, when men's cases are more clearly made known to us than to others, by familiar converse with them, or by some other means, and thereupon special suit is made unto us. David's case

was specially made known to Nabal, by the familiarity passing between him and Nabal's servants in the wilderness, and special suit was also made unto him by all the rich men thereabout; and therefore he had a special opportunity and calling to relieve David, and was more specially bound to it than some others.

Sometimes a man shall have a special opportunity given him, to admonish another of his sin: he may meet him alone; he may perhaps have some advantage of him, and may make him beholden to him some way or other, and so have occasion to deal the more boldly with him. As Moses, when

Pharaoh stood in need of him and his prayer, to remove the plagues which came so thick upon him, made use thereof, and admonished him of his unfaithful dealing, and hardness of heart.

I have read, that when a great persecutor of the Protestants in France was smitten with a most grievous disease, and was forced to make use of a Protestant physician that feared God, the said physician took this as an opportunity to tell him closely

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of the great sin, in shedding the blood of the saints, and that this disease was God's revenging hand upon him. And when our Saviour had made the blind man especially beholden to him for the cure of his blindness, he took the opportunity to give him a seasonable admonition; "Sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee," John v. 14.

Thus, when another has need of thine alms, thy counsel, or thy help, in any way, and opportunity is given thee to deal plainly with him for any special sin that thou seest him lying in, (and perhaps thou findest him in a better temper than usual,) you may then think the Lord has fitted and made him ready to thy hand, and given thee an opportunity to work upon him; and you must think yourself bound to take it. There are many cases, and a great variety of this kind, which a man shall ordinarily meet with, and which every one must watchfully observe, and take for the glory of God, and his own furtherance in the ways and work of God.

Finally; all Christians truly sanctified, are enabled with heavenly means and graces, far above those that are in their natural state. The wise man says, "A living dog is better than a dead lion," Eccl. ix. 4. The meanest Christian, of the weakest capacity, and ordinary natural parts, being raised to the new life of grace, is better able to do the service of God, than he who is dead in sin, though enriched with higher natural endowments. Ruffinus, in his Ecclesiastical History, tells us a memorable story, that when the emperor Constantine the Great, had caused the clergy to come together to dispute about the opinion of Arius, there came to the assembly divers philosophers and logicians that were exquisite in their faculty, and were highly conceited

of themselves. Among the rest there was one that was very famous as a logician, and every day he disputed with the bishops, that were good logicians also. Many very learned men came to hear those conflicts, nor could the philosopher be put to silence. Nay, so cunning he was, that when he was thought most of all to be caught and taken, like a slippery eel he would slide away from them. But that God might show that his kingdom is not in word, but in power, there was among the bishops, one of the confessors standing by, a man knowing little, save Jesus Christ and him crucified, who when he saw the philosopher exulting over the bishops, and boasting himself upon the skill that he had in arguing and reasoning, desired of all that stood by to give him room, that he might talk with that philosopher. The bishops and their party, that knew the simplicity of the man, and his unskilfulness in that kind, were afraid and blushed, lest that holy simplicity of his should perhaps be exposed to the scorn of those crafty antagonists. But the old man persisted in his purpose, and thus began:- 1s O philosopher, in the name of Jesus Christ, hear thou those things which are true. God that made the heavens and the earth, and gave man a spirit, whom he framed of the dust of the earth, is one he hath by the virtue of his Word created all things both visible and invisible, and strengthened them by the sanctification of his Spirit. This Word and Wisdom, whom we call the Son, taking pity upon human errors, was born of a virgin, and by the passion of his death, hath delivered us from everlasting death, and by his resurrection hath given us everlasting life, whom we look for to be the Judge of all we do. O philosopher," said he, "believest thou