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.
- 1Prov. 1. 5. & 10. 23. & 17. 27. & 3. 4. Psal. 111. 10. Ephes. 1. 18. Acts 26. 18. Col. 1. 9. & 2. 2. 2 Tim. 2. 7. 1 Cor. 14, 15, 20. Luke 24. 45. Mat. 15. 16. Ephes. 5. 17. 1 Tim. 1. 7. Prov. 8. 5. John 12. 40. 2 Pet. 2. 12. Rom. 3. 11. Mat. 13. 19, 23 Isa. 52. 13. Hos. 14. 9. Prov. 14. 15, 18. & 18. 15. & 22. 3. & 8. 12. Ephes. 5. 15. Psalm 101. 2.
