A plain discourse upon uprightness shewing the properties and priviledges of an upright man / by Richard Steele ...

SECT. IX.

3. AN upright man labours after Con∣stant Religion. His sanctity is a * 1.1 second Nature in him, now that which is natural is constant; There is great diffe∣rence between the natural heat of an heal∣thy man, and the praeternatural heat of an Ague; such is the difference between the true Saint and the hypocrite. An hy∣pocrite may have some fits of Piety, but they are adventitious, they flow from some outward cause, and accordingly they last but for a while; and when that cause ceaseth, (suppose some sharp judge∣ment fear'd or felt, some qualm of Con∣science, or shallow Sermon-sickness) then a cold fit follows, as bad or worse than before: alas, it is praeternatural, it was no habit, but the upright man hath a constant heat, he fears alwayes and maintains constant duty, though he can∣not keep equal heat therein.

And here's the difference between the inconstancy of an upright man and of an hypocrite; the inconstancy of the hypocrite is in the Substance of the duty it self; one while he prayes, another while he

restrains prayer; one while he is strict and cautious; and shortly loose and careless; whereas the upright man keeps on in the course of his duty, though he cannot do it alwayes alike; he prayes, and would not b•…•… hired from it, though the thread of his prayers be uneven: there may be remis∣ness in it, but not an intermission of it: there's constant Religion, though not e∣qual Religion. The hypocrite makes a Cloak of his Religion, which he puts on, and off, as it serves his purpose; the up∣right man wears it as his every day cloathes, and puts not off his integrity, till he dye. There may be some Parentheses in his holy course, wherein vanity and sin may be written, (too many of these God knows in the best mans heart and life) but still the sentence runs current; the sence and scope of his heart runs Heaven∣ward: whereas on the contrary, the full sence of an hypocrites heart is to please or promote himself; though there may be some parentheses of Religion, no part of the scope of his soul: you have their character, Psal. 78. 36, 37. Nevertheless they did statter him with their mouth, and they lied to him with their tongues: for their heart was not right with him,

neither were they steadfast in his Covenant. No greater sign of a rotten heart, than a fundamental unstedfastness in the Co∣venant of God, when a man is rul'd by times and companies to shew good or evil, this mans heart is not right with God.

Its true, a tempest may bend the boughs of a living tree, or perhaps the tree it self, if the storm be great; but they return to their straightness, they come to themselves, but the rotten sticks and branches are broken and overturn'd; just so, some strong temptation may drive an upright man out of his honest way, but he soon returns, and by mending his pace, makes amends for his stumbling. Three Scriptures give the upright man his character, concerning this mat∣ter. Proverbs 28. 14. Happy is the man that feareth alwayes. To be al∣wayes afraid looks like a miserable life among men; but to have a wa∣king eye, and careful heart for fear of sin, is no more a misery, than to walk, or ride, with a vigilant regard to prevent a fall. This fear is not troublesome or vexatious at all, he's an happy man that uses it, and no wise man will count the other hapy for going, running, riding without fear

or wit in danger every moment to break his bones. Again, Hos. 12. 6. Keep mer∣cy and judgement, and wait upon thy God continually. The whole life of a sincere Saint is a continual waiting upon God; whatever his work be, whoever his com∣pany, wherever he goes, whenever he eats or drinks, yet in all these he waites upon his God, and serves the will of his heavenly Father. And agreeable to this is the other passage, Prov. 23. 17. Be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long. Most emphaticall both for the duty commanded, and for the term of the duty, both most apposite to set out an upright man. The fear of the Lord, that is universal Religion, be thou in th•…•…, more than if he had said, let the fear of the Lord be in thee; be surrounded with it, swallowed up in it. And then, this all the day long, not only a fit of Religi∣on at thy prayers in the morning and a∣nother at night, but work and walk, eat and drink in it all the day long, yea all thy life long, which is but a long day.

The Religion of an hypocrite is like a tireing horse, which may go apace in the morning, and shew much mettal for

a while; but the upright man, though more soberly, yet goes more constantly; and in this sense that is most true, Prov. 10. 9. He that walks uprightly, walks surely. You shall finde this man with savoury thoughts in his heart at noon, with Ejaculations at his work, and there is a coherence between his duties and his life. In a word, and so I'le end this point, the Upright man hath four Walks towards God, which will set him forth to the life.

1. The upright man walks Before God. Gen. 17. 1. Walk before me, and be thou perfect, or upright. And that is whereby the upright man habitually alwayes, and actually as much as in him lies, Sets the Lord alwayes before him; and still thinks, and speaks, and acts, as if he lookt on, weighing not only the matter but the manner, and motives of his wayes, ac∣quitting himself still to his God, 2 Cor. 2. 17. As of sincerity as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ. Happy for ever that Minister, that can call God to record on his soul, that as no errours corrupt his Doctrine, so no base ends corrupt his heart; but that he preaches

Christs will sincerely, as if the Lord him∣self look'd on.

2. The upright man walks with God. So Enoch, Gen. 5. 22. And Enoch walked with God. That is, so to live, as if the Ho∣ly God were in person walking with you on Earth, or as if you were walking with him in Heaven. If God should visibly walk with you on earth, as he was a while with Abraham, O with what humility, sanctity, watchfulness, love, and fear would you continually live? what an hum∣ble and serious regard would you have to∣wards him? much more if you were to walk a while with him in Heaven: what a frame would you there be in? why this sence hath walking with God, which no man hath skill in save the upright man; he is constantly religious.

3. The upright man walks After God, Deut. 13. 4. Ye shall walk after the Lord your God, and fear him, and keep his Com∣mandments, and obey his voice. Where he can see his God walk before him, like a dutiful child, he will, though not aequis passibus, walk after him as fast as he can. This was the praise of Caleb, Numbers 14. 24. that he followed God fully. That

word I am the Lord thy God, makes every Thou shalt of his, and every Thou shalt not, acceptable to an upright man. Come sayes God, here's a work I must have done, here thou must give, here forgive, here's a Saint must be loved for his own sake, here's a sinner must thou love and pity for my sake. Ready (Lord) saith the upright man, by thy Grace it shall be done, this is to follow God fully, this is to walk after God.

4. The upright man walks Like God, 1 John 2. 6. He that saith he abideth in him, ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. Now, how did our Lord, Jesus walk when he was upon earth? why, a mirrour and pattern of all humi∣lity, justice, charity, meekness, self-de∣nial. Think often when you are eating, how did Christ order his meales? do I give thanks like him? discourse at table like him? think often when you are hearing and praying; did he hear and pray in such a manner as I do? How would he carry himself among such neighbours? how would he instruct and guide this Family? how would he bear and improve these reproaches, wants and troubles? how would he appear for

God is in such company? how would he sanctisie the Sabbath? how would he deal with such parents, such children, if he were in my place? how quiet, when provok'd? how chast, when tempted? how just and true in his dealings? how cautious of others names, and how con∣tent with his own estate? Put him often into your case and remember, if ever you will live with him, you must live like him. And by this fruitful and good life you shew, that God is upright, and that there is no unrighteousness in him, Psal. 29. last:

Notes

• * 1.1

  §. 9. Constant Religion.