Chap. XXXVIII Of the Good Government of Ourselves in Outward Things, and of Having Recourse to God in Dangers
1. Son, thou must diligently make it thy aim, that in every place, and in every action or outward employment, thou be inwardly free, and master of thyself; and that all things be under thee, and not thou under them.
That thou mayest be lord and ruler of thy actions, and not a slave or bondsman:
But rather a freeman, and a true Hebrew transferred to the lot and to the liberty of the children of God;
Who stand above the things present, and contemplate those that are eternal; who look upon transitory things with the left eye, and with the right the things of heaven.
Who suffer not themselves to be drawn away by temporal things to cleave to them; but they rather draw these things to themselves, to make them serviceable to that end, for which they were ordained by God, and appointed by that Sovereign Artist, who has left nothing in all his works but regular and orderly.
2. If likewise, in all events, thou rulest not thyself by the outward appearance; nor lookest on the things which thou seest or hearest, with a carnal eye; but presently, on every occasion, doth enter like Moses into the tabernacle to consult the Lord; thou shalt sometimes hear the divine answer, and come out instructed in many things present and to come.
For Moses always had recourse to the tabernacle, for the deciding all doubts and questions; and fled to the help of prayer, against the dangers and wickedness of men:
So must thou in like manner fly to the closet of thy heart, and there most earnestly implore the divine assistance: for Joshua and the children of Israel, as we read, (Joshua ix.) were therefore deceived by the Gabaonites; because they did not first consult the Lord, but too easily giving credit to fair words, were deluded with counterfeit piety.