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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96372	A treatise of the power of godlinesse: consisting of three parts. 1 wherein it consists. 2 cautions against, and discoveries of, several mistakes and hinderances, most common to the people of God. 3 several means and helps for attaining of it. / By Thomas White, preacher of Gods Word in London.	White, Thomas, Presbyterian minister in London.	1658 (1658)	Wing W1848; Thomason E1848_1; ESTC R209711	168,479	438

commend this only upon that account not as a thing of absolute necessity but if any better way can bee found for the performance of those duties mentioned in this Chapter or a better model for keeping a Diary as I doubt not but many may be use them but in the mean time neglect not the using of any because you cannot have the best 5. I understand not this question it is somewhat like a question once proposed to me I pressing one of my Parishioners some years since to minde holiness make it his business and to spend one hour a day reading and praying c. and giving more particular directions for the daily time set apart for Gods service after by many evasions and excuses hee endeavoured to shift off this exhortation all which by Gods assistance I having taken off and answered hee at last in some discontent asked mee why I should offer to press him to spend an hour a day in the immediate service of God c. Had I prest any of the neighbours to it or did I ever press it to any other before Why should hee be the first that I should speak to So it is for you to ask Why should I bee the first that should keep a Diary Though let mee tell you thou art not the first as I suppose of thousands yet because Scripture is the soundation of all matters of Piety therefore I shall shew many places where the year the moneth the day of the moneth is set down when such and such things were done when the waters abated and the tops of the mountains first appeared when the Ark rested when the earth was quite dry the very day when Moses spake to the people such and such things the very moneth day and year of Solomons Reign and from the children of Israels coming out of Egypt is set down when the Temple began to bee built and the very day when it was finished the very year and moneth and day when Nebuchadnezzar came up against Jerusalem and when the famine began c. Gen. 8.4 5 13 14. Exod. 19.1 Deut. 1.3 1 Kings 6.1 38. 2 Kings 25.1 3 8 2 Kings 25.27 And as for the Prophet Ezekiel hee hath kept a perfect Diary of several times when the Word of the Lord came unto him and divers other circumstances added also besides the year moneth and day as of place where and persons with whom hee was as by these places following plainly appears Ezekiel 1.1 2. Ezek. 8.1 Ezek. 20.1 Ezek. 24.1 Ezek. 26.1 Ezek. 29.1.31.1.32.1.40.1 Why should the Spirit of God write down so particularly the year the moneth and the day surely it is for our instruction there may bee some spiritual advantage got by knowing the very day when the Lord did bestow such or such a mercy c. then only to know that God did bestow it on us but not know when This was not only the practise of Ezekiel but of other Prophets also as Jer. 29.1 2 Hagg. 1.1 Hagg. 2.1 10 20. so if you observe the book of Psalmes there are 99. that are ascribed to David 74. have his name prefixt 25. of them have no name prefixt yet some of them the Scripture it self entitles David to Acts 4.29 Heb. 4.7 and Ainsworth supposeth the rest of the 25. to bee his also Now you shall finde in those Psalmes as it were a Diary of the most remarkable passages of Davids life nay you shall finde in many of the Psalmes the very prayers and meditations that David had upon several particular occasions as in these Psalmes following 51.52.54.56.57.59.60 so Psal 3. and many others as by their several titles do appear How often do you finde mention of Nathan the Prophet Gad the Seer Ahijah the Shilonite Jaddai Shemmajah Iddo c. these were private Records or Diaries kept by them of remarkable passages that concern'd the Church of God and that expression is not this written in the book of Jasher Joshua 10.13 and 2 Sam. 1.18 cannot bee meant of any particular person for the same person could not live from Joshua till the time of David but the meaning is Is it not written in the book of the Just for holy men in those times and since used to keep Records of the special mercies and judgements of God as Grotius observes and the very title of the book of Chronicles signifies the words of daies Now it is evident that in civil matters also not only the Kings of Israel and the Kings of Judah did keep Diaries for where you read Is it not written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel and in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah those are meant but even Heathen Emperours as Julius Caesar writ his own Commentary that is Diary so the word signifies Tyberius Caesar and Augustus Caesar had their Diurnos Commentarios as Gasper Sanctius in his Prolegomena to the Kings observes So Ahasuerus and the Kings of Persia had Secretaries by them continually to write down all that they did and said and all that befel them as Diodate upon Hester 2.23 observes I have been a little larger in this business because people think it is a new thing and that there are no Scripture proofes at all for it to prove it either a profitable or an ancient practise among the people of God but doubtless as I have said if there were no spiritual advantage to be got to know the particular times of matters the Scripture would never have been so punctual and particularly in setting of them down But to prosecute this a little further do but consider that whether you keep a Diary or no God doth Revel 20.12 and in his Diary are all your sins and all your good works set down surely if it were possible for us to see it every minute wee should see something written either in the black Register of our sins or in the Records of our good works and it would startle us if an Angel should be by us and we should see him write down every idle word as wee speak it and tell us this you must answer for at the day of Judgement it would make us more watchfull yet though wee cannot see this done nor read what is written in those books yet wee may do something towards it by keeping a Diary of our own and by judging and condemning our selves out of our own wee may prevent our being judged and condemned out of Gods Diary nor was David ignorant of this truth that God doth keep several books of Records to speak after the manner of men some where our sins are written down Psalm 51.9 for blotting out supposeth writing down and other where the members of our bodies are set down Psalm 139.16 A third book that David observes that God keeps is of the afflictions and tears of his people of their several wanderings when they are driven from place to place and as for their tears hee bottles them up and writes

what book soever you read or Minister you hear when you do understand what they mean you are to examine whether it be a truth or no which they teach but as for the Scripture you are not to say How can this be but whether this bee the meaning of the words for the sense of the Scripture when once known is not to bee examined any further since there is no truth more evident by which the Scripture it being taken for the Word of God can bee tryed for since it is Gods Word it is as true as that God is true for since truth is essential unto God it is all one to deny that God is true as to deny that God is as since roundness is essential to a circle it is all one to say it is not round as to say it is not a circle 7. Wee are to read it applyingly Indeed divers commands were personal divers are in respect of their Office as to Ministers Magistrates divers were typical those that were personal as the command to Abraham to offer his Son so is not to bee applyed to any other save only to the equivalency of it viz. that nothing should bee so dear unto us but though in case God do require it wee should bee willing to part with it As for those commands that are typical they are ceased those that belong to any one as having such an Office are not to bee applied to any but of that office but as for the promises wee must not think that they were made to those to whom they were made because they were such or such but because they were so qualified viz. the promises were not made to Abraham as Abraham but to Abraham as believing Abraham and that promise which was made personally to him and confirmed with an oath was not made or confirmed by an oath that Abraham should have strong consolation only but that all the heirs of promise should have strong consolation also Heb. 6.14 17. compared together 8. Thou must read it frequently But because I have spoken more largely in that little Treatise viz. Directions to Christian Perfection I shall proceed to nominate what other books I would advise you to read CHAP. V. Wherein is set down a Catalogue of several books for the ignorant and poorer sort who in respect of their poverty cannot buy and of their ignorance cannot understand books of greater value and depth AFter my commending of the constant daily serious understanding reverent applying believing and conscionable reading of the holy Scriptures to all persons whatsoever 1. Bee they never so learned since the very Angels themselves desire to look into those mysteries though they despise the learnedst book that ever were writ by men as wonderfully below them 2. Though they bee the holiest knowingest and most experienc'd Saints since the Prophets and Apostles who themselves were pen-men of Scripture did read and meditate on and admire and study the Word of God as David Daniel Peter c. and did account it not less sure than the Revelations that God gave them Wee have a surer word of Prophecy 2 Pet. 1.19 and the more experience wee have of Gods goodnesse should not make us abate at all of our earnest desires of the Word of God for if wee have tasted how good the Lord is wee should still as much desire the sincere milk of the Word that wee may grow thereby delighting and being affected with it as wee were with that Sermon or that truth of Gods Word by which wee were converted as wee were the first day that wee were born of God 1 Peter 2.2 3. I say after such reading of the Scripture that the truths therein contain'd may be better understood and the commands thereof better practis'd to those specified in the title of this Chapter I commend these books following 1. The Plain-mans Path-way to heaven a book which partly because it goes by way of Dialogue as also because it answers the common objections of simple people against Religion as also because it writes very plain and stoops to the capacitie of the meanest I do highly commend it to such people to read The next is The Practice of Piety These two books I think next to the Scripture have done as much good as any two books in the Christian world The next book I shall commend is Mr. Balls Catechisme a book of great use and much solidity The next which is of super-eminency in its kinde is The Confession of Faith the larger and shorter Catechismes of the Assembly of Divines Another book of small price and bulk which after you are wel grounded in the principles of Religion set down in the former is a book called The fiery Pillar which hath very much in a little You may add to these for the better stirring you up to holiness and discovering of your spiritual condition Mr. Wheatleys New birth and his Sermon of the Redemption of time and Fenner of final impenitence and Mr. Shepherds sincere convert and sound believer Mr. Scudders daily walk is also a solid and very useful book Mr. Perkins his six principles and Mr. Dod upon the Commandments I am not willing to omit For those that are of a troubled conscience Doctor Sibbs his Bruised Reed and Souls Conflict As also Simmons his Deserted Souls case and cure are very good of which the two former are the plainest Mr. Baxter of the same subject 2. For those who in respect of their estates and capacities are able to buy books of greater price and understand books of higher knowledge FOr those that desire to encrease further in knowledge let them read Amesius his Medulla and Cases of Conscience and Calvins Institutions which are all translated into English for those that have large families especially of children I shall commend B●ards Theatre of Gods Judgments as also Clerks Martyrology not but these two last books as well as the rest are fit for men of riper Judgements to read but because they are most fit for children and others of weak capacity for examples are easily remembred and understood and take deeper impression generally than precepts The Theatre of Gods Judgements sets down the Judgements of God upon blasphemers murderers swearers drunkards Sabbath-breakers disobedient children and therest of the sins against the ten Commandments and the Martyrology setting down the innocence holiness constancy of the Martyrs as also the mighty supports comforts that God gave unto them in their sufferings it will exceedingly provoke them up to an holy resolution to suffer for his sake who never leaves his comfortless nor forsaken and that which I very much intend in the reading of Martyrology is that they may bee brought to an utter hatred and detestation of Popery for they shall finde that there have been more massacred and butchered and greater cruelties and breaches of oaths vowes covenants by the Papists than ever were used since the world began by all the enemies of God and for a further

vindicate God from those aspersions that his providences seem to cast upon them Sometimes they serve for both as Revelations 6.10 The Holiness and the truth of God serve to strengthen their Faith in believing that God would deliver his people from their persecution for hee was ingaged in point of Holiness not to prosper the wicked against the Saints and in point of truth to perform his threatnings against the wicked therefore if thou canst not because thou wantest the sense of it praise God for his love yet praise him for his loveliness Suppose hee should do nothing for thee must not hee have the praise that is due to his Name Suppose some learned wise holy man should seeing a Toad crawling in his bed-chamber cause it to bee put out of doors but would not have it killed should hee loose the glory of all his wisdome and the love and praise due to his holiness because hee would not suffer the Toad to continue still in his Chamber nay rather was not his meekness to bee wondred at that hee should forbid the destruction of such a creature or have any regard what became of it So though God should never suffer thee to see his face that art more odious in respect of sin to God than a Toad can bee to us shall God therefore want the glory of his Excellencies because hee takes no more care of such an inconsiderable thing as thou art With this saying I shall conclude That the very damned in the midst of their torments though God bee powring forth the vials of his wrath upon them yet they ought to give God the glory of his Excellencies and they do ill to blaspheme him So it is also in the matter of repentance though thou canst not finde thy heart affected with the sinfulness of sin therefore thou thinkest vain for thee to confesse thy sins but it is not vain for thou must confess thy sinnes that thou mayest bee sensible of them and though thou canst not confess with sense of sin confess without it But this caution is to bee observed lest I bee mistaken When I wish thee to confess sin though thou hast no sense of sin I wish thee to use such confession as a meanes not to rest there and this is not to do as wicked men do for they do outward actions and duties not as a meanes and a help to do more for they do not desire to do more but whosoever useth this as a meanes to attain to higher performances do certainly that which God requires and accepts for hee that saith Lord here are my two mites though I owe ten thousand talents and though this be far from being all that I owe yet it is all that I have and God will accept according to what wee have and not according to what we have not CHAP. XX. The next impediment is that wee are not convinced of and affected with the vanity of the things of the world ANother impediment is that wee are not convinced of and affected with the vanities of the world Of things that are seen God hath done abundantly enough to satisfie us There are two things of which it hath pleased the Spirit of God to write two whole books that we might bee satisfied viz. the vanity of the creature and the love of Christ And what Argument almost can bee greater to convince of the difficulty and necessity of believing these truths than this that the Spirit of God hath been so industrious if I may so say in clearing these two truths Surely all the wayes whereby any thing can bee made manifest to us these truths are made out all things subject to the trial of the senses wee evidently discern the vanity of them for the eye is not satisfied with seeing and for the other senses 't is evident their delights are more bruitish but not more satisfactory and 2. reason doth abundantly convince us that riches which is the golden Image that Satan hath set up and all Tongues Languages and Nations fall down and worship I say as for the insufficiency of riches the very Phylosophers as Epictetus Seneca Aristotle c. have seen by the light of reason 3. As for experience as far as ever our own went wee cannot but set our seal to it whether it bee pleasure profit or honour wee must needs set our seal to it that all is vanity and vexation of spirit How often do wee nauseate those things when wee have them which wee impetuously desir'd until we had them And 4. for the experience of others since the beginning of the world to this day it hath not been heard of any whose desires have been satisfied with the creature and 5. as for the Word of God that is so clear that they that run may read it But is not this wonderful that notwithstanding sense reason experience faith show us so clearly the truth of it yet not one of an hundred of those that call themselves Christians live as men convinc'd of this truth but their whole love joy delight endeavours are plac'd upon and run out after these things and yet whensoever they read in any book or hear in any Sermon a discourse concerning this matter they think it to bee a moral discourse much below them but they should know that whatsoever truth they have not practised is rather above them Let no man nor your own heart deceive you with vain words it is as much sense to say there goes a godly Drunkard there goes a godly Harlot as to say there goes a godly covetous man And bee not deceived one may as truly say such a man drinks every day while his tongue faulters his feet reel c. but hee is no drunkard such a man never speaks as hee thinks nor doth as hee speaks and yet hee is a true Nathanael an Israelite in whom there is no guile as truly you may say all this as to say such a man hath a great estate and yet is as earnest to get more as if hee had not to buy bread gives not the fortieth part of his incomes to the poor nor of his time to God such a man will ride many score of miles to a Fair but will not go cross the street to a Sermon hee will talk with a great deal of understanding of the things of the world but either is silent or speaks ignorantly of the things of God but yet hee is not covetous Though the substance of this Chapter been neer of Kin to something that hath been spoken before yet the love of the world is such an Epidemical evil that though it bee some labour yet I hope it will not bee lost I think fit to inculcate the same again and again And so I shall now come to the means and helps of a godly life but as it is in recovering of health food nourisheth not unlesse the peccant humours bee removed by Physick so unlesse these impediments bee taken away the following meanes will not

detestation of Popery against which we need now especially more than ever to arm our selves You may read Mr. Squires Lectures or Sermons upon the 2. of Thes 2. I shall also commend to those who have a larger purse Mr. Hildersham upon the 51. Psalm and fourth of John books that are written as the oracles of God who is the fullest of Scripture and the best Text-man that ever I read or as I think is extant in the world and is so singularly eminent a book so plain and so profitable that it may bee understood by the lowest capacities and admired by the greatest Divines that was famous through the Christian world for learning and for piety and humility of those that were acquainted with him The Arch Bishop of Armaugh did exceedingly prize Hildersham Doctor Prestons works are singularly good the best of them is his Tract of Gods Attributes Mr. Baxters Saints everlasting rest is a book for piety and working upon the affections so eminent that I do not know any beyond it I must not forget to commend that solid Orthodox spiritual book Anthony Burgesse his spiritual Refines There is also a small rational spiritual searching and very eminent book called Pinks Tryal of our sincere love to Christ Memorandum that through ignorance not knowing the books or through inanimadvertency or for want of judgment or because I would not multiply Authors it may bee I have not named many Authors which are better than those which are here nominated but these are very good and the best that I think I know in their kinde and for those persons and that end for which I have given these directions CHAP. VI. The next great help for the attaining of holiness is communion with Saints and first of solemn conferences and how to mannage them THere are many rare spiritual advantages that are to bee gain'd by our communion with Saints by conferences and combinations with them by their example gifts graces c. of which I shall speak in order Now conferences are either occasional or solemn As for occasional conferences I shall say little onely I shall advise that you should improve your acquaintance with every Saint according to your intimacy with them mark what grace they are most eminent in as suppose it bee humility observe their carriage especially as to that grace for their example will bee much more eminent in that than in other graces so that from their carriage you will understand that which I have spoke of in the beginning of this Treatise wherein the power of Godliness consists as to humility If their eminency lies in their ability to confute errours then enquire of them what are the best arguments against such and such an errour if they are most able for the resolving of spiritual doubts or cases of conscience direct your discourse that way as Scholars use to discourse with other Scholars of that wherein they are most eminent But I shall especially treat concerning solemn and set conferences and those may bee mannaged several wayes to much advantage some of them I shall mention The first way is for a number of understanding and experienced Saints to meet 1. at a prefixt hour for else it will occasion the loss of much time if that be not observ'd 2. Let the question they intend to speak to bee given the week or meeting before for their discourses will bee much more mature solid and deliberate 3. Let every one speak to the question succinctly pertinently orderly and when all the rest have spoken let the Minister for I judge it convenient hee should bee one give his judgement and resolution of the point This hath been one way that I have known of mannaging Christian conferences another hath been this some select experienced prudent Saints of a long standing met together they begin with a short but fervent prayer for a blessing upon their conference the subject of their conferences was only spiritual experiences viz. every one told the manner and method of their conversion which took up several meetings they communicated their answers of prayers those that have been in desertions if they remember how they fell into them what their doubts were and how resolv'd and how afterwards they were delivered at other times to communicate their experiences as to joyes and as to the manifestations and discoveries that God made of himself unto them what promise or other place of Scripture was the golden pipe that conveyed these cordials to them for the Spouse desires to bee kist with the kisses of his mouth for joyes that spring not from the Word of God are to bee suspected They told also what were the effects of those joyes Another subject of their discourse was to tell what they knew of other Saints and their experiences concerning the former matters Another was to tell what their life and conversation was and the rules they walked by as to eating drinking sleeping c. At another time they have brought forth the chief places of Scripture which they have written down wherein they have found most relish most support best directions in matters concerning their conversation or those that they accounted most eminent upon any spiritual account especially in those cases for which it is hard to finde out places of Scripture to direct us in As for example What example what place of Scripture have you to prove that the thoughts that Christ had of his own excellencie makes him more ready to give an example of love and humility to his people methinks that is a singular place John 13.3 4. that Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands and that hee was come from God and went to God hee riseth from Supper c. What place doth set forth the superexcellencie of God most Nehemiah 9.5 Blessed bee thy glorious Name that is exalted above all blessing and above all praise And so Exod. 15.11 Who is like unto thee O Lord among the Gods Who is like thee glorious in holinesse fearful in praises doing wonders And when all was done one repeated the substance of what was spoke and this they did one by one in their course one one day and another the next Another way was this divers Christians being met together and the subject being proposed the meeting before every one brought their answers in writing confining themselves to half a quarter of a sheet of paper which papers that no one might know whose papers they were that were to bee read were put into a book by them that writ them that whatsoever was amiss in any paper they that own'd it might not have the shame of their errour or ignorance it not being known whose it was then all the papers being read what was amiss was corrected and what was wanting was added what was doubted of was resolved by the Ministers that were present when all was done the papers were committed to one who wrote all of them into a book where they did not speak