Part 4 › Chapter 1: A Christian Directory. TOM. IV. Christian Politics., A Christian Directory by Richard Baxter (1673) | AskReformation

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2. The Upright are the Pillars of humane society, that keep up Truth and Justice in the world; without whom it would be but a company of liars, deceivers, robbers and enemies, that live in constant ⟨p. 2⟩rapine or hostility. There were no Trust to be put in one another, further than self-interest did oblige men: Psal. 15. 1, 2. Lord who shall abide in thy Tabernacle? Who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. Therefore the wicked and the enemies of Peace, and destroyers of Societies, are still described as Enemies to the upright: Psal. 11. 2, 3. For lo the wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow upon the string that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart. If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do? Job 12. 4. The just and upright man is laughed to scorn. Psal. 37. 14. The wicked have drawn out the sword, to slay such as be of upright conversation. And indeed it is for the uprights sake that societies are preserved by God, as Sodom might have been for ten Lots. At least they are under the protection of Omnipotency themselves. Isa. 33. 15, 16. He that walketh righteously and speaketh uprightly, he that despiseth the gain of oppression, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ear from hearing of blood, that shutteth his eyes from seeing evil; He shall dwell on high; his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure; Thine eyes shall see the King in his beauty; they shall behold the Land that is very far off: Prov. •8. 10. The upright shall have good things in possession: Prov. 14. 11. The house of the wicked shall be overthrown; but the tabernacle of the upright shall flourish.

2. The Upright are the Pillars of humane society, that keep up Truth and Iustice in the world; without whom it would be but a company of lyers, deceivers, robbers and enemies, that live in constant ⟨p. 2⟩rapine or •ostility. There were no Trust to be put in one another, further than self-interest did oblige men: Psal. 15. 1, 2. Lord who shall abide in thy Tabernacle? Who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. Therefore the wicked and the enemies of Peace, and destroyers of Societies, are still described as Enemies to the upright: Psal. 11. 2, 3. For lo the wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow upon the string that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart. If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do? Job 12. 4. The just and upright man is laughed to scorn. Psal. 37. 14. The wicked have drawn out the sword, to slay such as be of upright conversation. And indeed it is for the uprights sake that societies are preserved by God, as Sodom might have been for ten Lots. At least they are under the protection of Omnipotency themselves. Isa. 33. 15, 16. He that walketh righteously and speaketh uprightly, he that despiseth the gain of oppression, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ear from hearing of blood, that shutteth his eyes from seeing evil; He shall dwell on high; his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure; Thine eyes shall see the King in his beauty; they shall behold the Land that is very far off: Prov. •8. 10. The upright shall have good things in possession: Prov. 14. 11. The house of the wicked shall be overthrown; but the tabernacle of the upright shall flourish.

3. Uprightness affordeth Peace of Conscience, and quietness and holy security to the soul. This was Pauls rejoicing, the testimony of his conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity he had had his conversation in the world, and not in fleshly wisdom, 2 Cor. 1. 12. And this was Davids comfort, 2 Sam. 22. 22, 23, 24. For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God: For all his judgements were before me, and as for his Statutes I did not depart from them. I was also upright before him, and have kept my self from mine iniquity. Therefore hath the Lord recompensed me according to my righteousness,—with the merciful thou wilt show thy self merciful, and with the upright thou wilt show thy self upright: Yea, peace is too little; exceeding joy is the portion, and most beseeming condition of the upright. Psal. 32. 11. Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice ye righteous, and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart, Psal. 33. 1. Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous, for praise is comely for the upright, Psal. 64. 10. The righteous shall be glad in the Lord, and trust in him, and all the upright in heart shall glory. Psal. 97. 11. Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart. The Spirit that sanctifieth them, will comfort them.

3. Uprightness affordeth Peace of Conscience, and quietness and holy security to the soul. This was Pauls rejoycing, the testimony of his conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity he had had his conversation in the world, and not in fleshly wisdom, 2 Cor. 1. 12. And this was Davids comfort, 2 Sam. 22. 22, 23, 24. For I have kept the wayes of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God: For all his judgements were before me, and as for his Statutes I did not depart from them. I was also upright before him, and have kept my self from mine iniquity. Therefore hath the Lord recompensed me according to my righteousness,—with the merciful thou wilt shew thy self merciful, and with the upright thou wilt shew thy self upright: Yea, peace is too little; exceeding joy is the portion, and most beseeming condition of the upright. Psal. 32. 11. Be glad in the Lord, and rejoyce ye righteous, and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart, Psal. 33. 1. Rejoyce in the Lord, O ye righteous, for praise is comely for the upright, Psal. 64. 10. The righteous shall be glad in the Lord, and trust in him, and all the upright in heart shall glory. Psal. 97. 11. Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart. The Spirit that sanctifieth them, will comfort them.

5. He that will walk uprightly, must have both a solid and a large understanding, to know things truly as they are, and to see all particulars which must be taken notice of, in all the cases which he must determine, and all the actions which his integrity is concerned in. 1. There is no walking uprightly¹ in the dark. Zeal will cause you to go apace; but not at all to go Right, if Judgement guide it not. Erroneous zeal will make you do evil with double violence, and with blasphemous fathering your sins on God, and with impenitence and justification of your sin. This made Paul mad in persecuting the Church. Prov. 15. 21. Folly is joy to him that is destitute of wisdom; but a man of understanding walketh uprightly. No man can do that well which he understandeth not well. Therefore you must study and take unwearied pains for knowledge: Wisdom never grew up with idleness, though the conceit of wisdom doth no where more prosper. This age hath told us to what desperate precipices men will be carried by ignorant zeal. 2. And the understanding must be large, or it cannot be solid: When many particulars are concerned in an action, the over-looking of some one may spoil the work. Narrow minded men are turned as the weather-cock, with the wind of the times, or of every temptation; and they seldom avoid one sin, but by falling into another. It is Prudence that must manage an upright life: And Prudence seeth all that must be seen, and putteth every circumstance into the balance: For want of which, much mischief may be done, while you seem to be doing the greatest good. The prudent man looketh well to his going, Prov. 14. 15 See therefore that ye walk circumspectly (at a hairs breadth) not as fools, but as wise.

5. He that will walk uprightly, must have both a solid and a large understanding, to know things truly as they are, and to see all particulars which must be taken notice of, in all the cases which he must determine, and all the actions which his integrity is concerned in. 1. There is no walking uprightly¹ in the dark. Zeal will cause you to go apace; but not at all to go Right, if Judgement guide it not. Erroneous zeal will make you do evil with double violence, and with blasphemous fathering your sins on God, and with impenitence and justification of your sin. This made Paul mad in persecuting the Church. Prov. 15. 21. Folly is joy to him that is destitute of wisdom; but a man of understanding walketh uprightly. No man can do that well which he understandeth not well. Therefore you must study and take unwearied pains for knowledge: Wisdom never grew up with idleness, though the conceit of wisdom doth no where more prosper. This age hath told us to what desperate precipices men will be carryed by ignorant zeal. 2. And the understanding must be large, or it cannot be solid: When many particulars are concerned in an action, the over-looking of some one may spoil the work. Narrow minded men are turned as the weather-cock, with the wind of the times, or of every temptation; and they seldome avoid one sin, but by falling into another. It is Prudence that must manage an upright life: And Prudence seeth all that must be seen, and putteth every circumstance into the ballance: For want of which, much mischief may be done, while you seem to be doing the greatest good. The prudent man looketh well to his going, Prov. 14. 15 See therefore that ye walk circumspectly (at a hairs breadth) not as fools, but as wise.