(3.) Moderation is good in things indif- ferent. Things ought not to be rigorously imposed on God's worship which are not of divine injunction ; God never made gover- nors of the church to be like ])ilots of a ship, to steer men's consciences which way they please. Moderation and Christian for- bearance, in things indifferent, would much tend to the peace and unity of the church. All this moderation is commendable, and shews the wisdom of the serpent : but re- member to join the dove with the serpent, — we must so exercise moderation as withal to cherish zeal. St. Paul in some things was moderate, he did not press circumci- sion. Acts XV. 25., he was tender of laying a yoke upon the consciences of the disci- ples ; but he had zeal with his moderation ; when he saw their idolatry at Athens, the fire of his zeal broke forth. Acts xvii. 16., " His spirit was stirred in him." It was good advice Calvin gave to Melancthon, that he should not so affect the name of moderate, as to lose all his zeal. To be cool and silent when God's blessed truths are undermined or adulterated, is not mo- deration, but lukewarmness, which is to God a most hateful temper, Rev. iii. 16., " 1 would thou wert cold or hot ;" and any thing but luke-warm. This is to shew pru- dence and holiness, when we are moderate, yet zealous.
9. To unite serpent and dove, consists in this, when we defend the truth by argu- ment and adorn it by life ; defending the truth is the serpent's wisdom ; an intelli- gent Christian can convince gainsayers. This wisdom of the seri)ent was eminently in Stephen, Acts vi. 9, 10. : " There arose certain of the synagogue, disputing with Ste- phen, and they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake." We read in the acts and monuments of the church, John Fryth, martyr, being opposed by three papists, he, like another Hercules, fiffhtinof with all the three at once, did by his wisdom so convince them, that one of
them turned from popery and became a zealous protestant. Herein is the wisdom of the serpent, not only to love them that profess the truth, but silence them that op- pose it. But with this wisdom of the ser- pent, there must be joined the innocency of the dove ; together with defending the truth by argument, there must be adorning it by life. Tit. ii. 10., " That they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour." There are some who can dispute for the truth, but disgrace it by their bad living ; this is to act both the serpent and the dove, when we not only plead for the truth, but walk in the truth, like Nazianzen, of whom it was said, he did thunder in his doctrine, and lighten in his conversation.
10. The uniting the serpent and the dove, is to be serious in religion, yet cheerful. Seriousness puts the heart in an holy frame, it fixeth it on God ; seriousness is to the soul, as ballast to the ship, it keeps the soul from being overturned with vanity ; the heart is ever best when it is serious. But this seriousness in religion must be mixed with cheerfulness; cheerfulness conduceth to health, Prov. xvii. 22. It honours re- ligion, it proclaims to the world we serve a good master ; cheerfulness is a friend to grace, it puts the heart in tune to praise God, Ps. Ixxi. 21. Uncheerful Christians, like the spies, bring an evil report on the the good land : others suspect there is some- thing unpleasant in religion, that they who profess it hang their harps upon the wil- lows, and walk so dejectedly. Be serious, yet cheerful, Phil. iv. 4., '• Rejoice in the Lord alway." Why was Christ anointed, but to give the oil of joy for mourning ? Isa. xvi. 1. Joy is as well a fruit of the Spirit as faith, Gal. v. 22. One way of grieving the Spirit, saith Heinsius, is by Christians' uncheerful walking ; if you would render the gospel lovely, mix the dove and the serpent ; be serious, yet cheer ful in God.
11. The uniting of the serpent and the dove, wisdom and holiness, consists in this, when we so lay up as we lay out. It is a duty to provide for our charge, 1 Tim. v. 8., '* If any man provide not for his own, he is woi'se than an infidel." To lay up for our farailv, — here is the wisdom of the ser-
ox BECOMING A NEW CREATURE.
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