about with their flattering words and faire pretences to deceive â—od Psal. 78. 36. 6 As in the old tâ—stament so alâ—o in the new the upright are called pure in heart as Mat. 5. 8 and the upright heart is called a heartâ— Tim 1 5 â—im 2. 2â— 1 Pet 1. 22. 7. Lastly to walk uprightly is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to go with a right foot Gal 2. 14. neither treading awryâ—y dissimulâ—tion nâ—r halting as the Israelites did betwixt God and Baal 1. King 18 nor declining to the right hand or to the left Deut. 5. 32. 28. 14. 2 Chro. 34. 2. or as the Apostle speaketh Heb. 12. 13. to make steight or right pathes to our feet according to the exhortation of Solomon Prov. 4. â—6 as it is rendred by the 72. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 make right pathes to thy feet and order right thy wayes decline v. 27. not to the right hand nor to the left and as he exhorteth v. 25. let thine eyes look right on and let thine eye-liddes look straight before thee would you know then what it is to worship God in holinesse before him it is to walk with God or before God without hypocrisie in sincerity and truth with perfect with pure with our whole hearts that is to say with entire or upright hearts walking in the way of religion and godlines with a right foot looking right before us declining neither to the right hand nor to the left neither treading awry by dissimulation nor halting down-right either as neuters in religion betwixt CHRIST and Anti-Christ or as worldlings between GOD and Mammon nor worshipping or obeying GOD by halves but approving our selves to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 entire and sound Christians to him that tryeth and searcheth the heart and the reynes setting God alwayes before our eyes and behaving our selves as in his sight and presence doing that which is right in his sight Arguments to move us to integrity Now that we may be moved to labour for this integrity and uprightnesse of heart I will use the 3. usual arguments of commendation viz. the excellency the profit and the necessity of it as it were a triple chaine 1. The excellency of ir is such that first it goeth under the name of perfection and those thing which are done though with great weaknesse and much imperfection with an upright heaâ—t that is to say with a sincere desire unfained purpose and upright endeavour to please God are accepted of God as done with a perfect heart 2. Uprightnesse is the inward beauty of Christs spouse in regard whereof though she be outwardly despicable in the eyes of the world yet she is glorious within Psal. 45. 13. like to the Tabemacle which was a type of the Church which though outwardly covered with Rammes skinnes and Badgers skinnes Ex. 36. 19. which made but a homely shew was neverthelesse most beautifull and glorious within Or as the spouse in the Canticles c. 1. 5. saith I am black but comely black without as the tents of Kedar who were scenitae having tents of sackcloth comely within as the hangings of Solomon within his house as the lining thereof 3. Integrity is of all things most pleasing to God Psal. 51. 6. Behold thou art delighted with truth in the inward parts I know also my God that thou triest the heart and hast pleasure in uprightnesse 1 Chron. 29. 17. Yea I may say more that to be upright is not only pleasing to God but also the pleasing of him Prov 11. 20. the upright in the way are Gods delight The Hebrew word jashar which signifieth right is translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pleasing and the verbe wâ—iâ—h signifieth to be right signifieth also to please 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is often times so translated as the noue Exo 15. 6. Deut. 6. 18. 12 25. 13 18 21. 9. the verbe Iud. 14. 3. 7. the young woman of Timnah was right in Samsons eyes that is she pleased him well so 1 King 9. 12. 2 Chro. 30. 4 Ier. 18 4 Dan 4 24 but most plainly Num. 23. 27. perhaps it will seeme right in the eyes of God that is as we also translate it peradventure it will pâ—ease God In like manner the phrase of walking with God or before God is every where by the 72. translated by the verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to please God As Gen. 5. 2â— 24. where it is said that Henock walked with God they read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he pleased God so Gen. 6. 9. 17. 1. 24. 40. 48. 15. Psal. 116. 9. the sonne of Syrach speaking of Henoch observeth the same translation Eccles. 44. 16. so doth the Author of the book of Wisedome ch 4. 10. and so doth the Apostle himself Heb. 11. 5. Henoch before his translation had this testimâ—ny 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he pleased God 4. The excellency of uprightnesse is such as that it is that vertue which God cheifly reâ—uireth Gen. 17. 1. Michâ— 6. 8 1 Sam. 12 24. which he most highly esteemeth Gen. 5. 22. â—4 which hath alwayes been the chief commendation of the faithfull as of Eâ—och Noah Iob c. 1 King 3. 6. The chief thing wherein the faithfull are to rejoyce in time of prosperity 2 Cor. â— 2 and their chiefest stay and comfort in dâ—stresse Esaiah 38. 3. Act. 23. 1. The profit 2. Put come we to the profit by which most men Psal 4. 6. are drawn In generall it is said that God is good to those that are of a clean heart Psal. 73. 1. according to Davids prayer Psal. 125. 4. more particularly Psal. 84. 11. the Lord is a sun and shield the Lord will give grace and glory and no good thing will 〈◊〉 withhold from them that walke in uprightâ—esse He is a sun that is the Author of all â—omfortable blessings which are signified â—y light according to that Psal. 112. 4. to the upright there ariseth light in darknesse that is to say comfort in afflictions yea to them that are upright the conscience of their own integrity doth minister singular comfort It was Ezechias his stay and comfort when he had received the sentence of death Es. 38. 3. and this was Paul his rejoycing the testimony of his conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity he had his conversation here in the world 2 Cor. 1. 12. Act. 23. 1. For God to him that is good before him that is upright â—iveth joy Eccles. 2. 26. yea to them all 〈◊〉 joy and praising of God with joy and â—ladnesse is appropriated Psal. 32. 11. 33. 64. 10. For lighs is sowen for the righteâ—us and gladnesse for the upright inâ—heart Psal. 97. 11. And as the life of the upright is comportable is upright conscience being unto â—im as a continuall Prov. 1. 15. feast â—his end is happy Psal. 37. 37. Observe the perfect man and behold the upright for the end of that man is peace So Esay 57. 2. which is further proved because uprightnesse
is godly 3. Having thus by application of the promises to our selves as having the condition thereof attained to some measure of assurance we are to be carefull to use all other meanes which GOD hath ordained for the confirming of this assurance The first meanes is Prayer both for the spirit of adoption and for the encrease of our Faith As touching the former forasmuch as speciall Faith is the work of the Holy Ghost shedding abroad the love of God in our hearts we are therefore to entreat the Lord that he would give us his Spirit which he hath promised to give to those that aske him Luke 11. 13. the spirit of adoption crying that is by whom we cry in our hearts Abba Father Gal. 4. 6. Rom. 8. 15. testifying with our spirits that we are the sonnes of GOD and if sons then also heyers heyers of God and coheyers with Christ Rom. 8. 16. 17. by whom we are sealed to the day of our full redemption who also is the earnest of our inheritance 2 Cor. 1. 22. Ephesians 13 14. 4. 30. And as for the other because full assurance is the highest degree of speciall faith unto which we do never so fully attaine but that still more and more may and ought to be added therefore we are to pray continually for the increase thereof saying with the father of the Damoniack Mark 9. 24. I believe Lord but help thou my unbelief and with the Apostles Luke 17. 5. O Lord increase our faith For as Augustine saith fides fundit orationem fusa oratio fidei impetrat firmitatem De verbis Do. serm 36. 2 Unto prayer we are to adjoyne repentance for our sinnes without which neither is our faith lively nor our prayers effectuall the rather because to it and to the severall duties of it as proper notes and evidences of a true faith the promise of forgiveness is made as namely to confession of our sinnes to contrition in being displeased with our selves and grieved for them to deprecation in craving pardon for them to an unfained desire and purpose to forsake them and to practise the contrary duties Yea if a man shall as truly desire to confesse his sinnes to bewaile them and to forsake them as hee doth desire the forgiveness of them such an one may undoubtedly be assured of the remission of them For most gracious are the promises of God made unto penitent sinners as Prov. 28. 13. Whosoever confesseth and forsaketh his sinnes shall have mercy so Jerem. 3. 12 13. Levit. 26. 40 41. Hos. 14. 1 2 3 4. 2 Chron. 7. 14. More particularly as I said to confession 1 John 1. 9. Job 33. 27 28. Psal. 32. 5. Luke 15. 21. To contrition Mat. 5. 4. Psal. 34. 18. 51. 17. Esay 57. 15. 61. 1 2 3. 66. 2. To humble deprecation Zach. 12. 10. Luke 18. 13. Hos. 4. 2. To conversion unto God and forsaking of sinne Deut. 4. 30 31. 30. 2. 10. Es. 1. 16 17 18. Jerem. 3. 1. 22. 18. 8. Ezech. 18. 27 28. 30 31 32 33. 11. Joel 2. 12. Zach. 1. 3. Mal. 3. 7. 3. To prayer and repentance we must adde the diligent and conscionable hearing of the Word by which Faith Rom. 10. 17. as it is at the first begotten so it is nourished and encreased 1 Pet. 2. 2. 4. Because Faith begotten by the Word consisteth at the first in assent without actuall application therefore to the hearing of the Word is to be adjoyned the worthy receiving of the Sacraments which were ordained to this very end that those who have the â—irst degree of Faith may proceed to the second and go on therein Dost thou therefore truly believe that Christ is the Saviour of all those that believe in him the Sacrament which thou receivest is a pledge unto thee and an assurance that he is thy Saviour a pledge I say communicated to the receivers severally to assure every one that believeth truly according to the first degree of faith that as certainly as he receiveth the Sacrament so he is made partaker also of the thing signified which is the participation of Christ and all his merits to his justification and salvation 5. To these we are to adde reading meditation conference c. 6. The practice of piety or leading of a godly life making conscience of all our wayes and walking upright before God For hereby especially we are to make our calling and our election sure 2 Pet. 1. 10. for hee that doth these things shall never be removed Ps. 15. 5. And this is confirmed by the order and conjunction of justification and sanctification mentioned before pag. 37. More specially by brotherly love 1 Iohn 3. 14. and the fruits thereof in giveing almes Mat. 25. 35. 1 Tim. 6. 18. 19. and forgiving the offence of others Mat. 6. 14. and therefore our Saviour teacheth us to use this argument in our prayer for the confirmation of our faith Mat 6. 12. but more plainly Luke 11. 4. So much of the first doctrine CHAP. IX Two other uses of this property NOw followeth the second doctrine For if we be enabled to worship the Lord without servile feare as being freed from the terrour and coaction of the law then it followeth that we are to worship the Lord with willing mindes as David exhorteth his son Solomon 1 Chron. 28. 9. and promiseth for himselfe Ps. 119. 32. I will runne the way of thy commandments when my heart is set at liberty For therefore hath the Lord freed us from the servitude of sinne and bondage of the law that we might serve him with free and willing minds The people redeemed by CHRIST become a voluntary people psalm 110 3. or as Paul speaketh his peculiar people zelous or studious of good workes Tit. 2. 14. Thus the duties both of piety towards GOD and charity to our brethren are to be performed with willing mindes and cheerfull hearts In the duties of piety we are to serve the Lord with gladnes Ps. 100 2. I rejoyced saith David Ps. 12. 21. when they said unto me let us goe into the house of the Lord. More particularly The Word of God is to be preached 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 willingly 1. Pet. 5. 2. that we may say with the Apostle Rom. 1. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as much as lyeth in me I am willing to preach the Gospel for it must be done in love to CHRIST and zeale to GODS glory Iohn 21 15 16 17. Act. 20 28. in love and zeale of our brethrens salvation 2 Cor. 11. 2. It is to be heard with willingnes after the example of the Beraeans Act. 17. 11 who received the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with all readines of minde desiring 1 Pet. 2. 2. and longing after it Ps. 119. 131. To be conversant therin should be our delight Ps. 1. 2. the Word ought to be sweet unto us even as the hony and the hony combe Psal. 19. 11. 109. 103. and we should rejoyce in it as in
wisâ— a◠〈◊〉 â—o also simplâ—â— as dâ—ver Mat. 10. 16. that thâ—y may be blameâ—esse and simple or sincere as tâ—e so â—nes of GOD wiâ—hout reâ—uke Pâ—il 2. 5. For that which in this behalfe is required in the dutyes of servanâ—s is â—o be observed in aâ—l the duty â—s of righteousnesse which we are to performe unto men in singlenesse of heart as unto Christ not with eye-services as men pleasers but as the servants of Christ doing the will of GOD from the heart Eph. 6. 5 6. or as the same Apostle speaketh to the like effect Col. 3. 22. 23. not with eye-sâ—rvices as men pleasers but in singlenesse of heart fearing GOD. And what soever you do doe it from the heart As to the Lord and not to men Commended 1. as an excellent vertue as being that for which the first Christians are highly commended Act. 2. 46 that they conversed together in singlenesse of heart As that wherein we are to take comfort and to rejoyce namely when our conscience testifieth unto us that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisedome but by the grace of God we have had out conversation in the world 2 Cor. 1. 12. 2 As most profitable as having the reword not onely of safety and security for he that walketh in integrity walketh safely But he that perverteth his wayes as dissemblers doe she'be knowne that is shal be made an example of punishment Pro. 10. 9. but also of blessednesse Ps. 32. 2. Blessed is the man in whose heart there is no guile 3. As necessary as being the proper marke and cognizance of those that shal be saved For the Lord being consulted by David who is a true Christian and an inheâ—itour of the kingdome of heaven returneth this answer he that walketh before God uprightly without hypocricy and towards men sincerely and without guile speaking the truth that is in his heart Ps. 15. 2. this is Iacob or this is the generation of Iacob that is Israell Ps. 24. 6. who fâ—om his integrity or uprightnesse is called Ieshurun Deut. 33 5. 26. Es. 44. 2. for he is not a law that is one outwardly but he that is inwardly whose praise is not of men but of God Rom. 2. 28 29. And by the testimony of our Saviour he is a true Israelite in whom there is no guile Ioh. 1. 48. For a true Christian doth in some measure resemble the disposition of Christ who left us an example that we should follow his steps who did no sinne neither in his mouth was found any guile 1. Pet. 2. 21. 2â— And thereâ—ore as he was called a lambe so his follwers must be as they are called not foxes nor wolves but sheepe But if our minde being corrupted with dissimulation and guile doe degenerate from that simplicity which becommeth those that are in Christ Iesus 2. Cor 11. 3. or if as Iob speaketh chap 31. 5. we have walked in vanity and leasing or if our feet have hasted to deceipt we discover our selves to be no true Israâ—liâ—es nor sheepe of Christ. For if they be true Christians in whom there is no guile what shall we think of them in whom no simple or plaine dealing is to be found If true Christians be the sheepe of Christ imitating the simplicity of the lambe of God in whom was found no guile what may we think of those foxes and wolves who resemble the old serpent in guile and deceipt If those which shall inhabite the mountaine of God be such as walke uprightly both towards God and towards man where shall all hypocrites and dissemblers have their portion see Mat. 24. 51. If in the remnaur of Isreall that shal be saved a deceiptfull tongue shall not be found Zephâ— 3. 13 then doe they not belong to the Israel of God whose hearts are fraught with â—uile and their tongues are full of deceipt To conclude this necessity is proved from this oath of the Lord. Who hath sworne that he will give to all true Christians who are the children of Abraham that they being delivered from the hand of their enimies shall serve him in righteousness before him that is with simplicity and singâ—enesse of heart without doubling dissimulation or guile They therefore whose conversation is in dissimulation or guile can have no assurance that they are the redeemed of the Lord. But of this argument of integrity and uprightnesse I have now spokâ—n the more briefly in this and some other poynts because I have handled the same more largely in my lectures on Ps. 15. 2 Whereunto I referre the Christian reader as to the first treatise that ever I saw of this most pâ—ofitable and necessary argument CHAP XII Of the certainty of Persevâ—rance and the necessity of this doctrine THe third property of our new obedience is constancy or perseverance noted in these words All the dayes of our life The meaning of the words Sect. 1 Of which words the meaning is not that all those who are in the covenanâ— of grace doe alwayes worship God in holinesse and righteousnesse from their first birth for who then could assure himselfe that he is within the covenant of grace but from their new birth and from the time of their actuall redemption and reconciliation with God For so God hath promised to all the heyres of promise Luk 1. 73 74 75 that he will give us that being delivered from the hand of our spirituall enimies we should worship him all the dayes of our life But before we be actually redeemed by the merits of CHRIST that is actually made partakers of the benefit of redemption justified by faith and reconciled unto God we cannot worship God aright as before wee have shewed Neither are the words to be understood of every day and every moment as tho the Lord did promise to the faithful that they shall continue in a perpetuall course of obedience without any interruption or intermission whatsoever Indeed every man that is redeemed is bound with his perseverance to joyne both assiduity in a continuall practise of piety every day and also to increase dayly in godliness and in the grace of the Spirit being renewed in the inner man from day to day 2 Cor. 4. 16. But yet this is not the thing which by oath the Lord hath promised in the covenant of grace to all that are redeemed for who then might not think himself excluded out of the covenant of grace seeing in many things we offend all Iam. 3. 2. and there is not a righteous man upon earth that doth good Eccles. 7. 20 and sinneth not But they are to be understood of our whole life neither do they so much import quando when as quam diu how long as being uttered in the accusative case 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For the children of God howsoever they fall in many particulars besides or contrary to their generall purpose yet for somuch as they alwayes rise againe and hold out to the end having a constant purpose to serve