causeth vs not in pride and selfe-conceit to content our selues with that we haue but seeing our imperfections to labour in the vse of all good meanes after a greater measure till by attaining to one degree after another wee doe in the end obtaine with perfection of knowledge perfect happinesse But yet in this imperfect knowledge there are diuers degrees which accordingly are diuersly required that they may be acceptable vnto God and sufficient for vs and our saluation First in respect of the diuers times of illumination for in the twy-light of the Law when as the Sunne was not yet risen there was not so great a measure of knowledge required as in the broad day of the Gospel when as God requireth some proportion between our sight of knowledge and the light of his truth shining vnto vs. Otherwise wee can haue no assurance that we are in the number of his Church and of those Esa 11. 9. Ier. 31. 34. Ioel. 2. 28. with whom the Couenant of grace is made vnlesse the Prophecies foretold of such be verified in vs and among the rest that we who are taught by his Sonne and Spirit shall know God and his will in farre greater perfection then they did which were vnder the Pedagogie of the Law So in respect of the meanes God requireth a greater measure according to their greatnesse expecting much where he hath giuen much as more of those where the Gospell is freely and openly preached then of those who liuing in times of persecution haue it only by stealth and with many difficulties and dangers And in a flourishing Church such as ours is hee requireth the greatest measure where hee hath planted the most faithfull Ministerie And therefore in this cleere light of the Gospel and liberall meanes which God alloweth vs wee are to labour after a like measure of knowledge as the Apostle exhorteth the Colossians Let the Word of Christ Col. 3. 16. dwell in you richly in all wisedome to which end we must not cease to pray for our selues as the Apostle for them that wee may be filled with the knowledge Col. 1. 9. of Gods will in all wisedome and spirituall vnderstanding Finally that our knowledge may be acceptable there is a diuers measure required in respect of diuers callings As that the Ministers must exceed the people seeing they are appointed their teachers and guides and the Priests lips Mal. 2. 7. must preserue knowledge that the people may seeke the Law at their mouth That the rich exceed the poore because they haue more leasure liberty and opportunity to vse the meanes that the husband exceed the wife and the father the children because they are bound by their places to teach and instruct them And finally that they who haue beene long Schollers in Christs Schoole doe excell those who are nouices and but newly admitted for want of which proficiencie the Hebrews are sharply reprooued by Heb. 5. 12. the Apostle But yet wee are to know that in all true members of the Church who are of age and capacity it is required that they vnderstand the maine principles of Christian Religion which are contained in ordinary Catechismes that they may bee able to render an account of their 1. Pet. 3. 15. 1. Thes 5. 21. 1. Ioh. 4. 1. Act. 17. 11. faith to those that aske them to instruct those who are vnder their gouernment and to know and discerne the voyce of Christ from the voyce of a stranger to try the spirits whether they bee of God or no and not hand ouer head receiue whatsoeuer is deliuered by those who are in the habit and place of a Minister but to discerne at least in maine points necessary to saluation the sound doctrines of their faithfull teachers from the errours and vntruths of false seducers §. Sect. 2 Of the quality of our knowledge that must be effectuall The last thing required in our knowledge respecteth the quality of it that it be sanctifying effectuall and sauing knowledge Neither doth euery kind of knowledge make vs and our liues acceptable vnto God for 1. Tim. 1. 4. 6. 20. there is a false knowledge consisting in vaine speculations fables quirkes and conceits of wit endlesse and vselesse genealogies which minister questions rather then edifying which is in faith and making men rather more proud and contentious then more holy and religious which is odious vnto God And there is a litterall or speculatiue knowledge swimming in the braine which not being effectuall for the sanctifying of the 1. Cor. 13. 2. 8. 1. heart and amendment of the life doth not profit but rather hurt those that haue it pussing them vp with pride and making them disdaine those that want it The which as it increaseth their sinne because it is committed against knowledge and conscience and leaueth men without excuse so doth it make their punishment more grieuous and their condemnation more intolerable for the seruant that knoweth his masters will and doth Luk 12. 47. it not shall be beaten with many stripes and it shall bee more easie for Sodom Mat. 11. 21 22. Iohn 9. 41. and Gomorrah at the day of Iudgement then for Corazin and Bethsaida because hearing Christs Word and seeing his workes they repented not This knowledge though it be true in respect of the obiect which is the Word and truth of God yet is it vaine in regard of the effect being vneffectuall to a godly life and to the assuring vs of life eternall in which when we excell neuer so much yet shall wee come short of many wicked men who are in the state of death and condemnation yea of the deuils themselues who in theory and speculation know more then wee Yea in truth such knowledge is no better then ignorance in Gods estimate seeing we know onely so much in Christianity as we bring into vse and practice according to that of the Apostle Heereby we doe know that wee know God if we keepe his Commandements he that saith I know him and keepeth not 1. Iob. 2. 3. his Commandements is a lyer and the truth is not in him And againe Whosoeuer abideth in him sinneth not whosoeuer sinneth that is in whomsoeuer 1. Iob. 3. 6. sinne ruleth and reigneth hath not seene him neither knowne him §. Sect. 3 That sauing knowledge is necessary to a godly life And therefore if we would be accepted of God and haue our liues and wayes pleasing in his sight wee must not content our selues with such a Stude non vt plus alijs scias sed vt melius Seneca Tit. 1. 16. 1. Tim 4. 8. Ioh. 4. 24. Psal 16. 8. Gen. 5. 24. Gen. 17. 1. knowledge as swims in the braine but labour after such a sauing effectuall knowledge to be the guide of all our works and actions which maketh vse of all we know for the sanctifying of our hearts and affections and the reforming of our liues and conuersations For example
is no better backed then with the strength of a bubble To thinke that we can constantly hold Gods gifts which in their owne nature are the wages of those that feare and serue him when as by multiplying our sinnes and especially our pride and presumption we daily prouoke his wrath and moue him in his iust displeasure to take them from vs Finally what greater signe of extreme securitie then to be proud of our Masters wealth committed to our keeping as if it were our owne and because we are more indebted and haue a greater account to make then other men as though we should neuer be called to a reckoning §. 6 The fift signe is customable sinning The fift signe is customable sinning without renuing of repentance especially if these sinnes be committed not through frailtie and infirmitie but against knowledge and conscience For howsoeuer he that feareth God may fall into sinne yet the secure person alone committeth commonly knowne sinnes which either wound or feare the Conscience Though he may fall often as the wise Man speaketh for in many things we sinne all Yet he maketh not a custome Eccles 7. 20. Iam. 3. 2. of it neither is it his way but his slips and errors but it is the secure man onely that maketh sinne his vsuall trade that walketh in the Psal 19. 1. counsatle of the vngodly as his way that standeth in the way of sinners as his place of abode that sitteth in the seate of the scornefull as in the place of his rest and chiefe repose Finally though the faithfull through his owne wickednesse and strength of Satans tentations may grieuously fall into haynous sinnes yet it is not his but a propertie of a secure Worldling to continue in such sinnes without repentance It is a great signe of carnall securitie to commit a knowne sinne for the base hire of earthly vanities seeing if God take him with the manner and lay it to his charge it is the bane of his Soule the losse of Heauen and purchase of euerlasting torments in Hell fire And who not blinded with securitie could run these hazards for things of such small value But how much more if hauing often hardly escaped these dangers we make a common practise of thrusting our selues into them by our ordinary course of sinne and by carelesse liuing in these sinnes without repentance For who not drowned in securitie could imagine himselfe to be in any safety that hath the halter about his necke and the knife at his throat and is euery minute in danger of execution yea who can cast himselfe vpon the Pikes and take deepe draughts of this deadly poyson of sinne and yet presume of health and safetie §. 7 The sixt signe abuse of Gods Patience to impenitency Rom. 2. 4. The sixt signe of securitie is when a Man taketh incouragement by Gods patience and long suffering and his owne impunitie for his former offences of multiplying his transgressions and of going on in sin without repentance For the riches of Gods goodnesse and patient forbearance should as the Apostle saith leade vs to repentance filling our hearts with sorrow and our faces with shame because we haue so long and so often offended a God so gracious and mercifull And besides it is a notable incouragement to make vs hasten our repentance seeing vpon it we are sure of pardon For we shall surely find him gracious in our returning whom we haue found so gracious in our backsliding he will vndoubtedly shew mercy and pardon our sinnes vpon our repentance who hath so long time patiently wayted that he might take occasion vpon our true conuersion to haue mercy vpon vs. But if we abuse and despise so great a mercy and vnspeakable goodnesse and take occasion of Gods patience and loue the more to prouoke him and to goe on more carelesly in our sinfull courses what doth this argue but an hard and secure heart which cannot repent but treasureth vp vnto it selfe wrath against the day of wrath and reuelation of the righteous Iudgement of God who though now he be patient yet shall at that day render vnto euery man according to his deeds Rom. 2. 5 6. rowsing him vp with greatest torment and smart who hath liued in his sinnes with greatest securitie and inflicting vpon him the sorest Apoc. 18. 7. punishment who hath most contemptuously abused his greatest patience §. 8 The seuenth signe presumption on Gods mercy The seuenth signe is presumption on Gods Mercy whereby the impenitent sinner perswadeth himselfe that sinne he neuer so much yet God is so gracious that he will forgiue him and so taketh occasion hereby to giue liberty vnto his carnall lusts that they may glut themselues with their sinfull delights and imbrace all wicked obiects without feare of danger Now this argueth an heart destitute of all grace and desperately hardned with carnall securitie For though Gods mercy be great and infinite yet he hath none for them who thus grosly abuse it but for those alone who take occasion thereby to reuerence his goodnesse and to shun with greater care his displeasure according to that of the Psalmist There is mercy with thee that thou mayest Psal 130. 4. be feared and they onely are his true Israel and Vessels of Grace in whose saluation he will glorifie and set forth the prayse of his rich Mercies who returne and seeke the Lord their God and Dauid their King that is the sonne of Dauid and his holy anoynted Iesus Christ and feare the Lord and his goodnesse as the Prophet speaketh Hos 3. 5. §. 9 The eight signe is the contempt of the meanes of saluation The eight signe is the contempt and vtter neglect of the meanes of Grace and Saluation as the Hearing Reading and meditating in the Word Prayer the Sacrament of the Lords Supper communion with the Faithfull and the rest or the cold and carelesse formall and negligent vsing of them without any desire or indeauour to profit by them For they whose hearts are seasoned with any true feare of God at all doe feare and seeke his Face and fauour in his holy Ordinances they tremble at his Word as the Prophet speaketh they worke out their Esa 66. 2. Phil. 2. 12. saluation in the vse of all good meanes sanctified for this purpose with feare and trembling as the Apostle teacheth vs their hearts long after the Waters of Life like the thirstie Lands and as the chased Hart Psal 42. 1. bray after the Riuers of Water and if they bee restrayned from comming into Gods holy Assemblies passionately crie out with Dauid O how amiable are thy Tabernacles O Lord of Hosts my Soule longeth Psal 84. 1 2. yea euen fainteth for the Courts of the Lord my heart and my flesh cryeth out for the liuing God! And when they heare the Law their hearts melt as did the heart of good Iosiah they are astonyed in the sight of sense of their sinnes and heare the
also striue against Gods Spirit and quench the good motions thereof either mouing vs to good or restrayning vs from euill then it is iust with God to giue vs vp vnto our Gen. 6. 3. owne lusts seeing we will needs serue them and not let his spirit alwayes striue with vs to blind our minds and vnderstandings not by putting out our eyes but by with-holding the light of his holy Spirit whereby alone they are illuminated to harden our hearts not by infusion of corruption but leauing them to their owne naturall hardnesse and denying to giue the Oyle of his grace whereby they might be softned and to cause the many wounds which we haue giuen vnto our consciences to take away the sense and feeling of it and so turne vnto a deadly Gangrene or incurable Canker So Augustine saith that Iustissima poena vt qui sciens rectum non facit amiâ—â—at scire quod rectum De lib. Arbit lib. 3. it is a iust punishment from God that hee who knoweth to doe well and doth it not should also be depriued of the knowledge of well-doing Thus when the Gentiles sinned in the highest kind against their consciences and knowing the true God by the light of nature and by reading in the great Booke of the Creatures did not worship him as God but fell into grieuous Idolatrie and committed spiritual Whoredome with all the Creatures the Lord as the Apostle saith that they might receiue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that recompence Rom. 1. 27. of reward which was due vnto their willfull error gaue them ouer to their owne vaine imaginations to become Fooles to the vncleane lusts of their owne hearts and vile affections and to a reprobate mind to commit sinne with greedinesse and without any sense or feeling So when the Iewes would take no warning neither by Gods Words nor Works but wearied his Prophets with speaking vnto them and himselfe with smiting and correcting them so that he excuseth his neglect of fatherly chastisements because hee found them vnprofitable and bootlesse Wherefore should you be stricken any more seeing yee will reuolt Esa 1. 5. more and more At last as a reward and iust punishment of their impenitency hee giueth them vp to their blindnesse of mind carnall securitie and hardnesse of heart Goe and tell this people heare yee indeed Esa 6. 9 10. but vnderstand not and see yee indeed but perceiue not Make the heart of this people fat and make their eares heauy and shut their eyes lest they see with their eyes and heare with their eares and vnderstand with their heart and conuert and be healed Thus when they liued in vniustice and Zach. 1. 10 11 12. oppression and would shew no mercy nor harken to Gods Prophets calling them to repentance their hearts also became as hard as the Adamant stone And thus the Lord threatneth that hee will bring distresse Zeph. 1. 17. vpon them and make them to walke like blind men without light of comfort or sight of vnderstanding because they had sinned against him And this of all other punishments inflicted in this life is most grieuous and fearfull and therefore with greatest care to bee auoyded For other punishments being sanctified by Gods Spirit to our vse doe open our eyes but this shutteth and maketh them starke blind others make vs to flee vnto God and draw neere vnto him for ease and comfort but this maketh vs to flee further from him as though we needed not his helpe Others bruise our hearts and make them contrite causing them of stone to become flesh but this doth more and more harden them as frost doth the water which it conuerteth into Ice and of flesh maketh them to become stone Other afflictions doe helpe to cure our spirituall sores and to draw out the Core of our corruptions but this makes them to rot and fester by neglecting those holesome salues whereby they should be healed Others refine vs like good mettall in the fiery furnace and like Files doe scowre away our rust but this maketh vs to rust the more and couereth vs ouer with filth and drosse Others make vs crie out vnto God by prayer and more diligent in his Esa 26. 16. seruice this shutteth our mouthes that wee cannot and hardneth our hearts that wee will not call vpon him and maketh vs to neglect all good duties Others correct vs and make vs better this corrupts and Heb. 8. 12. Apoc. 3. 19. 2. Tim. 2. 12. 3. 12. Act. 14. 22. makes vs worse Finally they are the way to Gods Kingdome for we must suffer with Christ before we can raigne in him yea they helpe vs forward in the way of Righteousnesse that leadeth vnto Happinesse and so as the Apostle saith cause vnto vs a farre most excellent and eternall 2. Cor. 4. 17. waight of glorie but this punishment of carnall securitie and hardnesse of heart doth make vs vtterly to neglect this way and thrusteth vs into the broad way that leadeth to destruction CHAP. X. Of the meanes whereby we may be preserued from carnall securitie As first auoyding and taking away the causes of it §. 1 The first remedie is to auoid ignorance and labour after knowledge BY that which hath beene said in the former Chapter it may manifestly appeare that the sinne of carnall securitie is out of measure sinfull a capitall euill and most dangerous disease of the soule which is more heartily to be abhorred and more carefully to be auoided then the plague leprosie or corporall lethargie But for as much as it is not sufficient that we see the manifold mischiefs of this Spirituall sicknesse and thereby bee mooued to hate it and earnestly to desire to be freed from it vnlesse wee also know by what meanes our desire may be satisfied I will in the next place propound the preseruatiues which may keepe vs from this disease and the medicines which may cure and recouer vs if we be alreadie fallen into it First then if we would be cured of this Spirituall lethargie we must imitate skilfull Physicians who to effect a perfect cure doe labour chiefly to take away the causes of the sickenesse and withall to strengthen and confirme the affected part that being expulsed they may be able to keep them from re-entring Which not being obserued there can be no perfect cure but the Patient will be readie vpon the next distemper of heat cold or misdiet to relapse dangerously into his former disease And if we Ibi maximè oportet obseruare peccatum vbi nasci solet Hieronym would take away these malignant and poisonous streames of carnall securitie it will be to little purpose to lade and emptie them in the current vnlesse we damme and stop vp the Well-head and Fountaine from which the Spring To which end we will propound them in the same order wherein they were formerly handled And first if wee would be freed from carnall securitie wee must labour to
all and euery creature to be esteemed more or lesse good as they more or lesse tend to mans benefit and blessednesse And finally because Almighty God is the supreme end he is also the chiefe Good and all creatures to be esteemed in worth and excellency as they most serue for the magnifying of their Lord and Creator and the aduancement of his glory for which end they haue their being §. Sect. 2 That the practice of Religion and godlinesse is to bee preferred before the theory and bare knowledge of it And thus the end of all arts and sciences is the practice of them and therefore the habit of skill shewed in the exercise of the artsman is much to be preferred because it is the end of theorie and speculation And as this is to be confessed in all other arts so cannot it be denied of Diuinity and Religion the practice whereof doth in excellency surmount the knowledge and theorie as being the maine end whereunto it tendeth For to what purpose doe men spend their spirits and tire their wits in discerning the light of truth if they doe not vse the benefit of it to direct them in all their waies Why doe they rise betimes to see the Sunne if they meane to sit idly still and doe nothing which better suiteth with palpable and Aegyptian darkenesse Why doe they with such care and labour heape vp these rich treasures of learning and knowledge if miser-like they onely looke vpon them and neuer make vse of them for the benefit of themselues and others Why doe they spend their whole liues in sowing the seede and neuer reape the crop or hauing brought in the haruest and filled their barnes and granaries what good will all this doe them if they let it there must and mould and neuer eate the fruit of their labours How vaine therefore is their practice who spend all their strength in polemicall disputes to euince errour and finde out the truth if when they haue found it they will not walke in this light nor let it be the guide of their liues like herein to foolish boyes who striue for a ball which when they haue gotten with much sweate and haue no competitour to contend further for it they cast into a corner with carelesse neglect or hauing fought euen vnto blood to beate others off a Mole hill as from a fort of strength doe make no further vse of it when they haue gotten quiet possession How fruitlesse are the labours of such Pastours and Preachers who spend all their time in painefull studies to barrell vp that knowledge which they meane neuer to vse propounding no other end of their knowledge but to know and as though they enuied all others their esteemed Iewell neuer communicate it by painefull preaching vnto their people who through their negligence haue no more vse of their gifts then poore neighbours haue of a misers treasure which is fast locked vp from them in their barred chests nor are more edifyed by their knowledge then if they were ignorant ideots and destitute of all learning Heerein also rich misers indeed in that they doe not only depriue others of the vse of their wealth but defraud their owne soules of the benefit of it letting it rust without the vse and practice of it in a godly life whereby as they should shine vnto others by a good example so they should make their own calling and election sure and strengthen their faith in the assurance of eternal blessednes which is not promised to them that only know but also do the will of their Joh. 13. 17. Master Finally how bootlesse and vaine is the practice of such professors of Religion among the people who in their diligence to heare Sermons and reade the Scriptures take care onely to inlighten their braines with knowledge which they wholly spend in proud disputes and lauish discourse but neuer suffer it to descend into their hearts to warme and cherrish any holy affections nor to shine out vnto others in the light of a godly life to the glory of God and edification of their brethren by their godly example §. Sect. 3 That the practice of godlinesse is an infallible signe of the sincerity of our knowledge and profession Againe as the practice of all Christian duties in a godly life is to bee preferred before knowledge and profession of Religion so is it the signe and seale whereby we may know if our knowledge bee sound and sauing Luk. 12. 47. Ioh. 13. 17. Luk. 11. 28. and our profession in truth and without hypocrisie For an idle and fruitlesse knowledge furthereth not our saluation but rather leaueth vs without excuse aggrauateth our sinnes and increaseth our condemnation for they are not blessed who know the greatest mysteries of Christs Kingdome but they who make an holy vse of what they know not they that know these things saith our Sauiour but they who doe them not they that heare the Word onely but they who keepe it are blessed Not the hearers of the Law but the doers thereof are iustified saith the Apostle Paul And the Rom. 2. 13. Apostle Iames exhorteth vs to be not onely hearers of the Word but doers also seeing otherwise we shall but deceiue our selues and vtterly lose all the Jam. 1. 22. fruit of our labours Without which practice knowledge puffeth vp not 1. Cor. 8. 1. making vs solidly wise but like bladders filled with winde easily tossed vp and downe at the pleasure of those who extoll vs with their praises and is no christian knowledge though it comprehend the greatest mysteries of Christianity seeing we truely know onely what we practise For as the Apostle Iohn teaching vs to examine the truth of our knowledge saith Heereby we know that we know him if we keepe his Commandements And hee 1. Ioh. 2. 3 4. that saith I know him and keepeth not his Commandements is a lyer and the truth is not in him Finally the more wee know the more grieuous shall our sinne and punishment be if we doe not practise it For the seruant that Luk. 12. 47. knoweth his masters will and doth it not shall be beaten with many stripes Our profession likewise without this practice is but hypocritical making vs to resemble the stony ground which brought foorth a faire greene blade but no fruit to due maturity like the fig-tree which hauing leaues but no figs was accursed like the tree in the Garden which cumbring the ground with its fruitlesse presence was threatned to bee cut downe like Glow-wormes which haue some lustre and brightnesse but no heate seeing such Professours shine with some light of knowledge but without all warmth of Christian charity Neither is that pure Religion and vndefiled Iam. 1. 27. before God which like an emptie barrell maketh a great sound in an outward profession but that which exerciseth it selfe in the duties of Christianity as to visite the fatherlesse and widdowes in their affliction and to
vs. §. Sect. 4 That the Spirit of God is the Author of spirituall life 1. And if we thus gaine his company and giue him friendly intertainement when he dwelleth in vs possessing our vessels in sanctification and honour Thes 4. 3. Eph. 4. 30. 1. Thes 5. 19. that they may be fit Temples for this pure Maiestie and not vexing and grieuing this holy Ghest by quenching those good motions which he suggesteth vnto vs then will not he be idle in vs but will direct and guide vs in all our wayes and inable and strengthen vs vnto all Christian duties of holinesse and righteousnesse nor come alone to dwell in vs but accompanied with the sweet society of all sanctifying and sauing graces And first of all he will quicken vs in the life of grace who were before dead in trespasses and sinnes and giue vnto vs spirituall motion in all holy actions Eph. 2. 1. the which though at first it be but weake and scarcely to be discerned like a child newly quickned in the wombe yet shall it increase by degrees vntill we be strengthened for the spirituall birth and grow vp from age to age and from strength to strength vnto a perfect man and vnto the Eph. 4. 13. measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ of which life the Spirit of God is the principall Author according to that of the Apostle If the Spirit of Rom. 8. 11. him that raised vp Iesus from the dead dwell in you he that raised vp Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortall body by his Spirit that dwelleth in you without the which we cannot once mooue in the wayes of godlinesse nor after that we haue begun proceede or grow vp vnto any perfection And therefore when we finde our selues dead and dull vnto all good actions we are earnestly to pray with Dauid that God will reuiue and quicken vs Ps 119. 25 107. by his grace and holy Spirit that we may become actiue and able to performe the duties of a Christian and holy life §. Sect. 5 That the Spirit inlighteneth vs in the wayes of godlinesse Secondly hauing giuen vnto vs this life of grace hee will in the next place indue vs with spirituall light and illuminate the blinde eyes of our mindes that we may vnderstand the will and wayes of God reuealed in his Word and attaine vnto such a measure of sauing knowledge as may be sufficient to direct vs in all our thoughts words and actions And this is that voyce of the Spirit which in our conuersion vnto God secretly whispereth in the eare of our minds as it were behind vs saying This is the way walke yee in it when ye turne to the right hand and when yee turne to Esa 30. 20. the left This is that day-spring which the Sunne of righteousnesse with his arising hath caused to appeare and visit vs to giue light vnto vs who sate Luk. 1. 78 79. in darkenesse and in the shaddow of death and to guide our feete into the way of peace This is that Comforter which our Sauiour promised to send after his resurrection who should leade his Disciples and with them all the faithfull into all truth This is that grace of God which hath appeared teaching Iohn 16. 13. Tit. 2. 11 12. vs to deny vngodlinesse and worldly lusts and to liue soberly righteously and godly in this present world This is that holy oyntment and precious eye-salue which openeth and illighteneth the blinde eyes of our minds that we may know all things appertaining to our saluation so as we need no Tutor to teach vs any other doctrine but as the same anoynting hath 1. Ioh. 2. 20 27. taught vs of all things Whereof he is called the Spirit of truth not onely because he is most true and Truth it selfe but also teacheth and guideth vs in the wayes of truth And the spirit of illumination and wisedome not onely Ioh 14. 17 15. 26. because there is in him a measure without measure of light and knowledge but also illighteneth our minds darkened with ignorance and maketh vs who were only wise vnto euill wise vnto good and to the eternall Ier. 4. 22. saluation of our owne soules And vnlesse we be thus illightened by the Spirit of God and haue the way of saluation reuealed vnto vs it remaineth an hidden mysterie of which we are not capeable in our naturall vnderstanding for as the Apostle teacheth vs The naturall man vnderstandeth Eph. 3 3 5. not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnesse vnto him neither can 1. Cor. 2. 14. he know them because they are spiritually discerned and the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God and they vnto whom by the Spirit they are reuealed Vers 10. 11. Vnlesse this light shine in our hearts we remaine in more then an Aegyptian darkenesse sitting still in errour and sinne and not being able to mooue in the actions of holinesse and righteousnesse neither is it possible that we should walke in the wayes of God vntill by the light of his Spirit they be reuealed vnto vs. Finally we must first know the will of God before wee can doe it and so attaine vnto euerlasting blessednesse And Ioh. 13. 17. therefore in the next place if we would leade this godly life we must desire to be inlightened by Gods Spirit in the knowledge of his will and to haue the light of spirituall wisedome added to the life of grace that knowing it in our vnderstandings we may yeeld obedience vnto it in our liues and conuersations praying to this purpose without ceasing for our selues as the Apostle for the Ephesians That the God of our Lord Iesus Christ the Eph. 1. 17 18. Father of Glory would giue vnto vs the spirit of wisedome and reuelation in the knowledge of him the eyes of our vnderstanding being inlightened that we may know what is the hope of his calling and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the Saints c. §. Sect. 6 That we must bee ingrafted into Christ before wee can leade a godly life The second maine thing required in those who are to leade a godly life is that they be ingrafted into Iesus Christ by vertue of which vnion he becomming their head and they his members they haue communion with him and are made partakers of the vertue of his death and resurrection Rom. 6. 12. whereby their sinnes are mortified and crucified so as they can no longer raigne in their mortall bodies and they quickned vnto holinesse and newnesse of life and so inabled to bring foorth the fruits of obedience in the whole course of their conuersation For we are naturally dead and buried in the graue of sinne and not able to stirre or mooue in the actions of godlinesse but no sooner are we ioyned to him and touch his body crucified by the hand of faith
effectuall liuely and full of spirituall sap faith springeth as it were the mayne body of the tree and from it all other vertues and graces like the boughes and branches and the profession and practice of Christianity in good workes and the duties of godlinesse like the leaues and fruits doe proceed and grow For first we know God and his sauing attributes and then by faith we apprehend and beleeue them And vvhen by an effectuall knowledge we conceiue by a liuely faith beleeue them as that Iehouah who is our God is infinite in all perfection omnipotent omniscient omnipresent and all-sufficient most good and gracious most mercifull and true then doe we trust in him loue him and grow zealous of his glory obey and serue him praise and reioyce in him and in all things submit our selues to his good pleasure And so when we know and beleeue the former attributes ioyned with his iustice and hatred of sinne they worke in our hearts the true feare of God humility and awfull reuerence moouing vs to honour and worship him in spirit and truth to imbrace and practise all vertues and holy duties because they are acceptable vnto him and to flye and forsake all vice and wickednesse because they are odious in his sight So that sauing knowledge as the roote doth comprize in it the life and sap of all other graces whereof it is that in the Scriptures it is put for them all and comprehendeth in it alone all Religion and the duties of godlinesse Thus the Lord prohibiteth vs to glory in our wisedome strength and riches but let him that glorieth glory in this that hee Jer. 9. 24. vnderstandeth and knoweth me And our Sauiour telleth vs that This is life eternall to know God and whom hee hath sent Iesus Christ It is the maine Ioh. 17. 3. ground and cause of all true obedience and therefore the Lord before he giueth his Law which hee would haue kept and performed prefixeth a Preface wherein he describeth himselfe that his people might know him I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the land of Egypt and out of the house of bondage And Dauid exhorting his sonne Salomon vnto Gods seruice doth first require that he should know him And thou Salomon my sonne know thou the God of thy father and serue him with a perfect heart 1. Chro. 28. 9. and a willing mind Neither will any doe him chearefull seruice till they Heb. 11. 6. know what a mighty and gracious Lord he is and what bountifull wages both of temporall and eternall blessings hee giueth vnto those that faithfully serue him It comprizeth in it the summe of all Gods promises concerning his gifts temporall and spirituall in the couenant of Grace I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts c. and Ier. 31. 33 34. they shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest of them saith the Lord. It is the cause of all other vertues for before we know them we cannot so much as desire them as our Sauiour implyeth in his speech to the woman of Samaria If thou knewest the gift of God and who it is that saith to Iohn 4. 10. thee Giue mee drinke thou wouldest haue asked of him and hee would haue giuen thee liuing water More particularly it is the cause of faith for we cannot come vnto him nor beleeue in God till we know him and what hee Heb. 11. 6. is And affiance for as the Psalmist saith They that know thy name will put Psal 9. 10. their trust in thee for thou Lord hast not forsaken them that seeke thee Of our loue of God for we must know how louing and louely he is before we can loue him and as the Apostle saith We loue God because hee loueth vs first And the vsuall speech is There is no loue of that of which there 1. Ioh. 4. 19. is no knowledge To which purpose Augustine saith that we may loue Ignoti nulla cupido Inuisa possumus cupere incognita nequaquam Rom. 10. 15. things vnseene but not vnknowne Of our inuocation and prayer for how shall they call vpon him in whom they haue not beleeued and how shall they beleeue in him of whom they haue not heard It is the cause also of our conuersion vnto God and of turning to him from our sinnes by true repentance For the first grace wrought in vs by the Spirit is illumination whereby our mindes are inlightened with a sight of our misery and our hearts inflamed with a desire to come out of it And to this purpose it is said that the Apostle Paul was sent vnto the Gentiles first to open their Act. 26. 18. eyes and to turne them from darkenesse to light and then to recouer them from the power of Satan vnto God c. In a word by knowledge of God we attaine vnto all grace and peace requisite to life and godlinesse according to that of the Apostle Grace and peace bee multiplied vnto you through the 2. Pet. 1. 2 3. knowledge of God and of Iesus our Lord according as his diuine power hath giuen vnto vs all things that pertaine vnto life and godlinesse through the knowledge of him that hath called vs to glory and vertue So that grace and glory holinesse and happinesse are deriued vnto vs by this sauing knowledge and that in such measure as this knowledge is vnto which we haue attained Heere in this life our knowledge is but begun and so with it our sanctification and glory and that being but in part these are imperfect also but when we haue this knowledge in perfection wee shall be perfect also in righteousnesse and blessednesse and when the dim glasse is remooued and we see God face to face and know as we are knowne then shall we in his presence 1 Cor. 13. 12. haue fulnesse of ioy and pleasures at his right hand for euermore To which purpose Psal 16. 11. 1. Ioh. 3. 2. the Apostle also saith Beloued now are we the sonnes of God and it doth not yet appeare what we shall be but we know that when he shall appeare we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is §. Sect. 3 That ignorance estrangeth vs from God and the life of grace and glory Contrariwise want of this knowledge and ignorance of God and his will maketh vs strangers from God and the Common wealth of Israel and Ier. 31. 33 34. Ioh. 10. 14 4 5. howsoeuer we be the Church yet to be no true members of the Church For God hath promised to all that are in the Couenant of grace that hee will put his Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and that they shall all know him from the least of them to the greatest of them And our Sauiour saith that he knoweth all the sheepe of his fold and is knowne of them
and that they know his voyce and are able to discerne it from the voyce of a stranger And as it makes vs strangers from God and the Couenant of grace so also from the life of God or the godly life which he commandeth as we see in the example of the Gentiles who hauing their vnderstanding darkned were alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that was in them because of the blindnesse of their heart And contrariwise thrusts vs headlong into all manner of sin for as the Apostle saith in the same place When the Gentiles through their ignorance were thus estranged frō the life of God they became past feeling and so gaue themselues ouer to lasciuiousnes Eph. 4. 18 19. to worke all vncleannesse with greedinesse So Hosea hauing set downe a Catalogue Hos 4. 1 6. of many grieuous sins which made the Iewes liable to Gods heauy iudgements doth after shew that the cause of all their sin and punishment was because they lacked the true knowledge of God in the land Whereof it also is that sinners of all kinds are included vnder the name of ignorant persons who know not God So the Psalmist Powre out thy wrath vpon Psal 79. 6. Ier 10. 25. the heathen that haue not knowne thee and vpon the kingdomes that haue not called vpon thy name And the Apostle saith that the Lord Iesus shall come with 2. Thes 1. 7 8. his mighty Angels in flaming fire to take vengeance on them that know not God And therfore if we would haue any portion in Gods sauing graces or part in heauenly glory if we would not be strangers from God and aliants from his Church if we would performe any duty of a godly life or not be caried headlong into all wickednesse if we would not be subiect to Gods iudgements and fearefull destruction nor exposed to the imprecations of the faithfull in this life nor to the vengeance of a terrible Iudge when Christ shall appeare at his second comming let vs not liue in ignorance but vse all our indeuour to attaine vnto the sauing knowledge of God and his will Neither let vs with ignorant people content our selues with our own good meanings and blind deuotions as our guides in godlines for then our seruice of God will be but will-worship and the carnall conceits of our owne braines and all our Religion being nothing else but bodily exercise and Esa 1. 12. 29. 13. ignorant superstition will be reiected of God as odious and abominable §. Sect. 4 That God is the chiefe Author and efficient cause of sauing knowledge Seeing therefore knowledge is so necessary vnto a godly life we will a little further insist vpon it shewing what it is and the nature and properties of it whereby we shall be the better able to labour after it in the vse of all good meanes and know to our comforts when we haue attained vnto it Sauing knowledge then is a grace of God wrought in vs by his holy Spirit which inlighteneth our minds to know those things which are reuealed of God and his will by his Word and workes that we may make an holy vse of it for the sanctifying of our hearts and direction of our liues in all duties of holinesse and righteousnesse Whereby we may perceiue that not nature but God onely is the Author and efficient cause of this knowledge and so much onely doe we know of God as we are taught of God According to that couenant of grace in which God promiseth that hee Ier. 31. 33 34. will put his Law in our inward parts and write it in our hearts and that wee shall know him from the least to the greatest So our Sauiour speaking of his Elect saith that they all shall be taught of God And againe No man knoweth the Iob. 6. 46. Sonne but the Father neither knoweth any man the Father but the Sonne and he vnto whomsoeuer the Sonne will reueale him Neither is this knowledge a naturall habit of the minde but a grace of God which is not purchased by vs or our owne merits or therefore bestowed vpon vs rather then others because God foresaw that we would vse it when we had it better then they but Gods free gift promised in the couenant of grace The which he worketh Ioel 2. 28. in vs first by sending his Sonne his true essentiall wisedome who hath reuealed vnto vs his Fathers will and being the great Prophet of the Church hath made knowne vnto vs the counsels of God and all things necessary for our Saluation and that not onely nor chiefly to the wise of the world but to the weake and simple according to that of our Sauiour I thanke thee O Father Lord of heauen and earth because thou hast hid these Matth. 11. 25. things from the wise and prudent and hast reuealed them vnto babes And secondly his holy Spirit who was and is sent from the Father and Sonne to teach and lead vs into all truth as our Sauiour promised his Apostles And this is that holy anointing of which the Apostle speaketh whereby wee Iob. 16. 13. know all things and neede not that any teach vs but as this anointing teacheth vs of all things And that Collyrium or precious eye-salue which Christ Apoc. 3. 18. promiseth to giue to the Angell of the Church of the Laodiceans to inlighten their blind eyes in the knowledge of the truth So the Apostle telleth vs that we cannot see nor conceiue the things which appertaine to Gods Kingdome but God hath reuealed them vnto vs by his Spirit for the 1. Cor. 2. 10. Spirit searcheth all things euen the deepe things of God And hence it is that he is called the Spirit of wisedome reuelation and illumination and the Ephe. 1. 17. Iohn 16. 13. Spirit of truth because he is both light and truth himselfe and also inlighteneth our mindes which are naturally full of darkenesse and leadeth vs into all truth needefull for our saluation And therefore if we would haue this sauing knowledge we must goe to the chiefe Fountaine and Author of it and pray often and earnestly that he will for his Sonne and by his holy Spirit take away our naturall blindnesse and open our eyes that we may see the wonderfull things of his Law Psal 119. 8. §. Sect. 5 Of the instrumentall causes of sauing knowledge The instrumentall causes of this knowledge are first the Booke of nature secondly the Booke of Grace The Booke of nature for euen this light being sanctified by Gods Spirit is helpefull to the regenerate for the reuealing of God and his will vnto them And that both the eternall booke of nature which is the conscience and the externall Booke which is the great volume of the creatures For if there be in all men some reliques of the light of nature shining in their consciences which conuince them that there is a God and that this God is most
good powerfull iust bountifull a liberall rewarder of good and reuenger of euill according to the saying of the Apostle That which may be knowne of God is manifest in them for God hath shewed it vnto them then how much more clearely doth this light Rom. 1. 19. shine in the faithful when as it is renewed and made much brighter and clearer by Gods holy Spirit The Booke also of the creatures doth conuince all men that there is a God and that he is infinite in wisedome and power omnipresent and full of goodnesse according to that of the Apostle The inuisible things of him from the creation of the world are cleerely seene Rom. 1. 20. being vnderstood by the things that are made euen his eternall power and Godhead so that they are without excuse And therefore how much more may the faithfull profit by learning and reading this Booke who haue the holy Spirit for their Tutor which openeth their eyes that they may see Gods wisdome goodnesse and power shining in them and their hearts that meditating on them they may make an holy vse of this knowledge for the stirring of them vp to render vnto God prayse and thanksgiuing The Booke of grace also is either the internall writing of Gods Law and will in the heart and inward parts by the Spirit of God which the Lord promiseth to doe in the couenant of grace or the outward Booke of the Ier. 31. 34. holy Scriptures in which are contained all things necessary to be knowne of God and his will for the saluation of our soules And lastly Gods Ministers are his instruments whereby he reuealeth himselfe and his will vnto vs who doe expound vnto vs his written Word and vnfold the mysteries and difficulties thereof that we may vnderstand them And therefore if we would attaine vnto the knowledge of God and his will we are to vse the helpe of those instruments which he hath ordained for this purpose especially we are to desire that inward writing of the Spirit in our hearts and to make vse by reading and meditation of the Scriptures and by often hearing of them expounded and applied vnto vs by Gods faithfull Ministers CAP. VI. Of the obiect of sauing knowledge namely God himselfe and his attributes his Word and workes §. Sect. 1 That there is a God and how we may know it ANd these are the causes of sauing knowledge The obiect of it is God his will and workes Where first we are to know that there is a God who is to be worshipped and serued of vs. Vnto which we attaine by the light of nature which reuealeth this principle vnto vs and conuinceth all men of this truth by the Booke of the creatures in which the infinite wisedome power and goodnesse of the Creator shineth by the terrours of conscience following the commission of heynous sinnes though neuer so secret by the series and dependancy of causes one vpon another in the disquisition whereof there is no end till we come to the cause of causes who hauing his being of himselfe giueth being vnto all things by the goodly order which may be obserued in the creatures and the motion of the heauens and the celestiall bodies by the finall causes one thing being referred to another till wee come to the summum benum and supreme end of all things which is God by the accomplishment of Prophecies foretold long before their euents by the consent of all Nations in acknowledging this principle and finally by the iudgements and punishments executed vpon the wicked euen in this life by all which we come to the cleare vnderstanding of this truth that there is a God although in truth it is so euident in it selfe that no argument can be brought to illustrate it seeing nothing is so cleare and manifest §. Sect. 2 Who this God is and how he may be described Secondly we are to know what this God is or rather who he is For what he is in his owne essence he hath not reuealed in the Scriptures neither are we capeable of this knowledge nor any other creature seeing he is infinite and we finite But who he is he hath made knowne in his Word namely that he is Iehouah Elohim a Spirit infinite in all perfection one in nature and three in persons the Father Sonne and holy Ghost By which description it appeareth that God is primum ens and the first being who hath his essence of himselfe and giueth being to all things as his name Iehouah signifieth that he is vncreated and a Spirit as our Sauiour John 4. 23. the wisedome of the Father hath made him knowne vnto vs not so much thereby shewing his essence what he is which is ineffable and incomprehensible as distinguishing him from all corporeall substances That he is but one because he is infinite in all perfection wisedome power presence and the rest and it is against the nature of infinitenesse to bee more then one because hee made and gouerneth all as supreme Monarch in which Monarchy there can be no copartners and because he is the cause of causes from which all things haue their being and vpon which they wholy depend §. Sect. 3 Of Gods attributes and how they are ascribed vnto God Thirdly we must know that this diuine essence is infinite in all perfection The which perfection is seene in his properties which are not properly in God who is all essence and no qualities for whatsoeuer is in God is God but according to the capacity of our shallow vnderstanding neither doe they differ from his essence nor one from another for God is one and of a most simple nature admitting no diuision into parts faculties or properties nor yet any essentiall distinction but onely in our comprehension or maner of vnderstanding So as we must not take his properties to be any parts of his essence seeing euery essentiall propertie is his whole essence and therefore howsoeuer distinguished in respect of his diuers manner of working towards the creatures yet not in themselues but are inseparable one from another In which respect the wisedome of God is the wise God the power of God the powerfull God and so in the rest And his wisedome power mercy goodnesse iustice truth are all one in their essence there being in God but one most simple and pure act vnto which diuers names are giuen in the Scriptures to shew vnto vs how it is diuersly exercised towards the creatures §. Sect. 4 Of Gods primary attributes and how they may be described Now these Attributes are of two sorts First primary Secondly secondary Primary are those which declare vnto vs the essence of God as he is absolutely in himselfe of which there being no similitude in the creatures they are attributed vnto God alone without communication to any other And in this number are Gods Simplicity Infinitenesse Eternity Immensity Immutability and Omnipresence all-sufficiency and omnipotency His simplicity is an essentiall attribute by which
is signified that Exod. 33. 20. the diuine essence is vndiuided and absolute without composition parts or accidents inuisible impassible and all essence so that whatsoeuer is in God is God His Infinitenesse is whereby is signified that hee is in his essence vncircumscribed and aboue all measure of time place or any thing else but simply immense and incomprehensible The Eternity of God is Psal 102. 27 28. Apoc. 1. 8. Esay 44. 6. an essentiall attribute which signifieth that he is infinite and vncircumscribed by time first and last without beginning or ending absolute without succession wholy all alwaies and at once His immensity is an essentiall Psal 139. 7. 145. 3. Ier. 23. 23. 1. King 8. 27. attribute whereby is signified that the diuine essence is without dimension and circumscription of place wholy euery where present within the world and without the world contayning all things and being contained of nothing His Immutability is an essentiall property whereby is signified that the diuine nature being infinite absolute most simple Mat. 3. 6. Iam. 1. 17. Psal 102. 28. and perfect is subiect to no change of generation corruption augmentation or diminution passion or alteration but euer remaineth one and the same His all-sufficiencie is an essentiall property of the diuine essence whereby is signified that in himselfe alone he is most perfect and absolute and in all things sufficient both for himselfe and for all creatures Finally Gen. 17. 1. Mat. 15. 48. Iob 42. 1. Mat. 19. 26. his Omnipotency is an essentiall property of Gods nature whereby is signified his infinite and transcendent power whereby he is able to doe all things which are not repugnant to his nature and will §. Sect. 5 Of Gods secondary attributes and how they differ from those shadowes of them which are in the creatures The secondary attributes of God are those which are spoken of God in a secondary relation as he is the first and the chiefe Agent working in the creatures especially man some similitudes and resemblances of his owne essentiall attributes which are therfore though improperly called communicable in respect of some analogie and likenesse that they haue with the properties which are in the creatures For there is no perfection or good thing in them to be desired of which the Idea and arch-type is not in God most absolute infinite and eternall But as they are essentiall properties of Gods nature they cannot be communicated to any creature seeing they are most simple and indiuisible but only as it were some shewes and shadowes of them which in many respects differ from those attributes which are in God for in him they are his essence and by it he liueth vnderstandeth and is good gracious and iust but in the creatures they are qualities and bare properties In him they are all most perfect infinite absolute and most excellent immutable and eternall in which regard he may be sayd not only to be wise iust good and blessed but wisdome iustice goodnesse and blessednesse it selfe So that these secondary attributes in God being his nature and essence are to be vnderstood by the primary as by their rule and measure and therefore are to be attributed vnto him most perfectly simply infinitely and absolutely But in the creatures the qualities which are some similitudes of these attributes are mixt imperfect finite and mutable In God all and euery his attributes being his essence they can be but one as his essence is one simple and indiuisible so that by the same essence whereby he is wise he is also true and that by which he is good he is also iust mercifull and blessed But in the creatures their properties are diuers and differ from one another in their formes and operations For by one faculty a man is wise and willeth by another and his qualities of iustice mercy goodnesse truth are different properties one from another §. Sect. 6 What Gods secondary attributes are and how they may be described Now these secondary attributes of God though they be all but one in him yet in our comprehension and conceit who can only iudge of them according to their seuerall kinds of working towards the creatures they are manifold as Gods life and immortality his wisedome truth will goodnesse holinesse beneficence loue grace mercy clemency long suffering patience his iustice anger and hatred all which are needefull to be knowne of euery Christian not onely that wee may take notice of Gods actions and operations towards vs but also may accordingly frame our actions and liues that so being agreeable to his pure and holy nature they may be acceptable in his sight And therefore I thought it necessary to describe them briefly and seuerally referring the Reader who desireth to haue them fully handled to such Treatises as purposely intreate of this argument a Deut. 32. 40. Iohn 1. 4. Acts 17. 28. The life of God is an essentiall attribute whereby is signified that the diuine nature liueth worketh and moueth in himselfe and giueth vnto all things life and motion b Exod. 3. 14. 1. Tim. 6. 16. 1. 17. The immortality of God is his essentiall property whereby is signified that he liueth eternally and neuer dyeth but hath doth and shall for euer liue worke and moue himselfe and giue life action and motion to all things that haue life and motion c Iob 42. 2. Heb. 4. 13. The wisedome of God is his essentiall property whereby is signified that God truely and perfectly with one eternall act of vnderstanding at once doth know himselfe and all things and that not onely externally but also internally in their essence not successiuely by discourse of reason but at once most distinctly and cleerely Of which wisedome there are two parts First his d Rom. 8. 29. 1. Pet. 1. 2. prescience whereby he hath from all eternity seene and known all things which are haue been or shal be with infallible knowledge as being all present to him though past or to come in respect of vs. Secondly e Pro. 8. 14. 16. 4. Acts 2. 23. his counsell whereby hee resolueth to rule and gouerne all things in the best and most wise manner for the setting forth of his owne glory The f Iohn 17. 3. Rom. 3. 4. truth of God is his essentiall attribute whereby he is made known vnto vs to be in himself most true in all his words and works yea truth it selfe the Author of all truth which is in the creatures The g Rom. 9. 18. Ephes 1. 11. God is his essentiall attribute whereby is signified that God with one will of most free and iust act willeth all things approuing or disapprouing whatsoeuer he knoweth The h Marke 10. 18. Iam. 1. 17. Psal 145. 7. goodnesse of God is his essentiall property whereby is signified that he is infinitely good in and of himselfe and the Author of all good in and towards all the creatures The
or speciall The generall is either the creation of all things of nothing or the gubernation of them being made by his prouidence The speciall execution of his decree respecteth either Angels or men To say heere nothing of Angels wee are to know that God hauing created the earth of nothing did make man of the earth in respect of his body and breathing into him the breath of life did create him a liuing soule that man was created according to Gods owne image in wisedome holinesse and righteousnesse made Lord of all the creatures and happie in the vision and fruition of God and his fauour and of the ioyes and pleasures of Paradise That being created good and yet but mutable God left him to the freedome of his will and to be tempted of the deuill Vnto which tentation when hee had yeelded by transgressing Gods commandement in eating of the forbidden fruit he fell from this estate of happinesse into the state of sinne misery and death The which sin is imputed vnto vs who sinned in his loynes he being no priuate person but the roote of mankind and the corruption of his nature deriued vnto all his posterity by naturall propagation the which we call originall sinne whereby Gods image is defaced in vs and we disabled vnto all good and made prone vnto all euill From which originall corruption which is the fountaine of all maliciousnesse haue sprung the cursed streames of actuall transgressions whereby wee haue broken Gods whole Law and euery commandement of it in thought word and deed both by omitting the duties which are commanded and committing the sinnes which are forbidden Whereby we haue made our selues subiect to the curse of the Law and all the plagues and punishments therein threatned both temporall and eternall out of which miserable estate and condition it was altogether impossible to recouer by our owne meanes or the helpe of any or all the creatures §. Sect. 10 Of our recouery out of our misery And this was the execution of Gods decree in respect of mans creation fall and misery Vnto which we must adioyne the knowledge of our recouery out of this wretched condition To which purpose we must know that when we were thus deepely plunged into this state of death and condemnation and in respect of our selues or any meanes of our owne hopelesse and helpelesse for our recouery it pleased the Lord of his meere grace and free mercy to send his Sonne into the world to take our nature vpon him and therein to worke that great worke of our redemption The which hee did perfectly performe both by his merits and efficacie The former hee did by satisfying Gods iustice both by his actiue obedience in fulfilling the Law for vs and by his passiue obedience in suffering death in his body and the anger of God in his soule The which is a sufficient price of redemption for all that doe apply it because he that did this for vs was God and man And so as his humane nature made him capeable of these sufferings so the diuine nature which was the Altar vpon which this sacrifice was offered sanctifyed the gift and gaue vnto it infinite value and dignitie so as it became a sufficient and fit satisfaction for sinne For as sinne being nothing in it selfe but a priuation became of infinite guilt in respect of the infinite Maiesty of God offended by it so the sufferings of Christs humane nature though temporary became of infinite value in respect of the dignity of the person who suffered being God and man And as thus Christ saued vs by his merits so also by his efficacie applying the vertue of his merits vnto vs by his Spirit and Word which begetting in vs a liuely faith that bringeth foorth the fruits of vnfained repentance we performe thereby the Couenant of grace and so are made partakers of Christ and all his benefits which are therein promised For in the preaching of the Gospell this couenant is proclaimed and we are effectually called to the knowledge and participation thereof God giuing Christ vnto vs to be our Sauiour and vs to Christ to bee saued by him yea vniting vs vnto him in one mysticall body whereof hee is the Head and we his members by vertue whereof as we are partakers of him so haue we also right and interest vnto all his benefits Of which vnion the chiefe bond on Gods part is his holy Spirit and on our part a liuely and iustifying faith which is wrought in vs by the preaching of the Gospell made effectuall by the inward operation of the Spirit of God and confirmed and increased by the vse of the Sacraments which are the seales annexed to the Couenant to assure vs that God will not faile to performe all his promises And these things are the obiect of our sauing knowledge or the maine points which we are to know vnto saluation and to inable vs to walke in the way of a godly life that leadeth vnto it The which I would not heere haue touched were not this knowledge necessary heereunto or would haue handled them more fully and exactly but that I feared that they would cause this Treatise too much to swell and farre to exceed the limits which I haue proposed vnto it and also considered that there are already published many Catechismes and summes of Diuinity in which all men at their pleasure may finde these and many other the like points of our Christian Religion thorowly discussed CAP. VII Of the quantity and quality of sauing knowledge and how necessary it is to a godly life §. Sect. 1 Of the quantity of knowledge and the diuers degrees of it THe next point to bee considered in our knowledge is the quantity and measure of it the which is imperfect in the greatest perfection which in this life can be attained For as the Apostle though he had receiued aboundance of the Spirit and such reuelations as were not lawfull to bee vttered confessed of himselfe together with others We know but in part and see 1. Cor. 13. 9 12. 8. 2. through a glasse darkely and if any man thinke that hee knoweth any thing namely in perfection he knoweth nothing as he ought to know For wee 2. Cor. 5. 7. Heb. 11. 1. walke by faith and not by sight And faith is of things vnseene and not in vision and fruition Neither can wee attaine to perfect knowledge vntill we attaine vnto perfect happinesse which is not in this life but the life to come when we shall see God face to face and shall know as we are knowne not by the knowledge of faith which is but by hearing signes semblances and reuelations but of vision fruition and most firme experience For the perfection of our knowledge heere consisteth most in the knowledge and acknowledgment of our imperfection and not in the high degree of quantitie but in the sincerity and truth The which knowledge discouereth our ignorance that we may bewaile it and
any respect stand in neede of our helpe of the other sort are inward eiaculations and lifting vp our hearts in our secret prayers at all times and vpon all occasions and holy meditations of Gods mercies or our owne miseries or on the meanes whereby we may be inriched with all grace and enabled vnto the performance of holy duties For this priuiledge the heart hath aboue all other parts that whereas they cannot exercise their duties but when fit opportunity is offered as the eare cannot heare the Word but when it is preached nor the hand performe workes of mercy but when it hath meanes to doe them and fit subiects to worke vpon the heart needeth neuer to be idle and out of holy exercise but euen when our bodies are taken vp with the workes of our callings or honest recreations wee may 1. Thes 5. 16 17. 18. on all occasions pray giue thankes and exercise our hearts in holy meditations Psal 1. 2. eyther reioycing in the Lord and his mercies or sighing and sorrowing in the sight and sense of our owne miseries And if our hearts be thus exercised being wholy taken vp with Gods seruice they will haue no leysure for the imployments of the diuell the world and the flesh whereas if they be swept cleane of all spirituall grace and holy duties the diuell will easily enter with whole swarmes of noysome lusts and Math. 12. 46. so pollute them at his pleasure with all manner of poysonous abominations CAP. XII Of Conscience in generall the nature properties and effects of it §. Sect. 1 That the nature of Conscience may partly bee knowne by the name THe last ground of a godly life is a good conscience without which it is impossible to please God or to performe any duty acceptable in his sight In speaking whereof wee will first generally shew the nature of conscience then more particularly intreat of a good conscience The nature of conscience may bee partly knowne by the name which signifieth to know together or with another for as the minde vnderstanding the nature of things is sayd to know them so when another ioyneth with it in this knowledge they are sayd to know together Now there is no creature that can ioyne with man in the knowledge that is secret in his minde according to that of the Apostle No man knoweth the things of a man but the 1. Cor. 2. 11. Spirit of a man that is in him Whereof it is that humane lawes take no notice of the thoughts of the heart either to reward or punish them but it is only the Lord that searcheth the heart and reynes who knoweth and taketh notice together with our mindes of all the secrets which are knowne vnto it Whereby the nature of conscience in part appeareth namely that it is such a faculty in the soule as taketh notice of all our actions and beareth witnesse of them before Gods Iudgement seate eyther with vs when they approue them as good or against vs when as they condemne them as euill So that the conscience is a certayne diuine power which is placed by God in the soule of man as a third party indifferent betweene him and vs somtime speaking for vs and sometime against vs as the equity of the cause requireth It is Gods Monitour which he hath set ouer vs to take notice of all wee doe that hee may either reward our well-doing or punish that which is done amisse And because simple knowledge might see and conceale what it seeth and knoweth God to this science hath added conscience which being placed in vs on the behalfe of the great King of heauen and earth will not let any thing lie hid and smothered but giueth vnpartiall witnes of whatsoeuer is done before his Tribunall eyther excusing vs when wee doe well or accusing vs when we haue sinned against him Not that the Lord needed any such witnesse or Monitour to informe him of our actions for he seeth and knoweth all things past present and to come with one perfect and simple act but because he would in the administration of his iustice proceede in a legal manner that wee hereby might be conuicted of the vprightnesse of his iudgements hauing in our selues a witnesse that iustifieth and approueth them §. Sect. 2 What conscience is being generally considered But that we may yet more clearely discerne the nature of conscience what it is we will thus define it Conscience is a faculty or power placed by God in the soule of man which reflecteth the vnderstanding vpon it selfe causing it to apply its generall and contemplatiue knowledge of truth and falshood good and euill to practicall vse for the ayming and determining of all our particular actions according to the generall rules of reason either with vs or against vs. It is a faculty and not a naturall habit which may bee got and lost for howsoeuer the operations of it may be hindred and deadded for a time by carnall security hardnesse of heart and the violence of our lusts and passion euen as reason it selfe cannot exercise its functions in the time of sleepe or drunkennesse that it neuer vtterly fayleth but when it is awakened by affliction it sheweth it selfe in the actions of accusing condemning and terrifying as in former times Neither is it a bare art of vnderstanding as some would haue it but a distinct faculty working power which in it own vertue produceth diuers So the Apostle Paul speaketh Rom. 2. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is their reasonings the meane while accusing or else excusing one another actions For when the vnderstanding in the Thesy and Theory by way of generall contemplation approueth of any action as good or condemneth it as euill the conscience applyeth it in the Hypothesy vnto a mans owne particular actions and by vertue of those generall notions in the vnderstanding determineth of them either with or against vs that they are good or euill And this it doth as the schooles speake in a practicall Syllogisme in which the reason or contemplatiue vnderstanding so called because it is exercised in contemplation and in seeking out the principles of all knowledge is in respect of this office named also by Diuines 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it is the keeper and conseruer of those notions implanted in vs concerning good things to be imbraced and euill things to be shunned of vs this contemplatiue vnderstanding I say doth in this Syllogisme offer vnto vs the Maior or Proposition The conscience which they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because as I haue shewed it knoweth not to it selfe alone but with God maketh the Minor or assumption and the facultie of iudgement determining of the fact inferreth the conclusion As for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 example The vnderstanding suggesteth this Proposition Hee that serueth God who is the supreme cause and chiefe Good performeth a good dutie The conscience assumeth But thou hast serued God the supreme
find that we haue it then are we to reioyce in it vsing all good meanes whereby wee may preserue and keepe safe so precious a Iewell The meanes by which we may get a good conscience if we want it are diuers The first is in our iudgements highly to esteeme it as one of Gods speciall graces and richest gifts and in our hearts and affections to loue and desire it aboue all earthly things And so will the Lord be more willing to bestow it vpon vs when we esteeme and desire it according to the worth and value of it and we also shall be more earnest in vsing all good meanes to get it and more thankefull vnto God for it when wee haue obtained it Now that wee may esteeme and desire this gift of God let vs consider First that it is most excellent and one of the chiefest parts of our happinesse giuing vs a taste and entrance into the ioyes of heauen euen whilest we are vpon earth For as the Apostle saith The Kingdome of God is not meates and drinkes but righteousnesse and peace and ioy in the holy Ghost But to what end should I speake of the excellencie Rom. 14. 17. of it which is vnspeakeable or labour to set foorth the beauty and brightnesse of this heauenly light which no mortall eye can behold in its perfect glory seeing as the Apostle telleth vs it passeth all vnderstanding Phil. 4. 7. And therefore I will content my selfe to shaddow it darkely and to giue some glimpse of it as of the Sunne in the water by touching briefly the profit and necessitie of it And for the vtility of this grace that may bee said of it which the Apostle speaketh of godlinesse that it is profitable vnto all things hauing the promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come Like a witnesse it giueth euidence on our side before God and excuseth vs of all those faults which Satan accuseth vs of or the Law layeth to our charge like an Aduocate it pleadeth our cause and prooueth that wee are iust and innocent through the righteousnesse and obedience of Iesus Christ As a iust Iudge vpon this euidence and plea it absolueth vs and the iudgement thereof shall neuer bee trauersed or reuersed in this world nor in the world to come But looke what sentence good conscience passeth on earth the supreme Iudge will ratifie at the great Day of assises in which respect if it condemne vs not heere then may wee haue confidence towards God that hee will not condemne vs hereafter As a 1. Joh. 3. 21. comfortable and true friend it alwayes beareth vs company incouraging vs when we doe well and reproouing vs when we doe amisse admonishing and warning vs to looke to our footing when wee walke in slippery places and are in danger of falling and to rise if wee doe fall for want of care in taking warning by renewing our repentance In our prosperity it is our guide to leade vs on and direct vs in the right vse of it in our afflictiō it is our comforter which speaking peace within doth make vs with patience and ioy to beare all outward crosses and calamities In time of peace or rather cessation of that conflict with the spirituall enemies of our saluation it is a faithfull Watch-man which leaues vs to inioy our rest and quiet when there is no danger but yet admonisheth vs to sleepe in our Christian armour seeing they are not gone but haue onely withdrawne their forces for their greater aduantage and in time of warre Si rectè facies hic murus abeneus esto nil conscire sibi nulla pallescere culpa Horat. ad Moecenet Ep. 1. when the enemie approcheth and is ready to incounter vs it not onely soundeth the alarme that we may start vp and stand in readinesse but also is armour of proofe and euen a brazen wall to keepe vs from danger when they assault vs. Finally it performeth all good duties to all sorts of men at all times and all places accompanying the Iudge to the bench the Lawyer to the barre the Diuine both in his Study and Pulpit the Tradesman in his shop and the Buyer and Seller in the market teaching and admonishing them how they shall carry themselues in all cases and both approouing them when they performe their dutie and rebuking them when for feare or fauour glory or gaine they doe neglect it And from hence also the necessity of a good conscience appeareth seeing it bringeth with it so much good of all which they are destitute that liue without it Yea they are subiect to the contrary euils hauing in them a witnesse that daily accuseth them and a Iudge that condemneth them no guide to leade them no friend to admonish them to incourage them in good or discourage them in euill Neither can they doe any thing pleasing vnto God for the end of the Commandement is loue out of a pure heart a good conscience 1. Tim. 1. 5. and faith vnfained of which end they faile that are destitute of it and can doe nothing but sinne against God and bring vpon themselues fearefull condemnation for if our corrupt consciences condemne vs God the righteous and vnpartiall Iudge who is greater then our consciences 1. Joh. 3. 20. will much more condemne vs as the Apostle Iohn speaketh §. Sect. 2 Of the second meanes to obtaine a good conscience Secondly we must labour to know the will of God reuealed in the Scriptures and to apply what we know vnto our selues for our owne vse For the conscience iudgeth and witnesseth with God for vs or against vs and therefore we must know what he approueth and condemneth if we would haue our iudgement and euidence to agree with his otherwise our consciences being vniust and erronious will iudge vniustly of our actions and giue in false euidence when wee put our selues vpon them for triall More especially we must labour after the knowledge both of the Law and the Gospell for the Law as it is the rule of our actions according to which they ought to be wholy conformed so also it is the rule of our consciences whereby they discerne whether they be right or crooked good or euill It is the municipall law for the peculiar gouernement of Gods subiects and the booke of Satutes set out by our Soueraigne according to which conscience is bound to iudge and giue euidence which it cannot doe vnlesse it know and be able to examine our actions according vnto this law In which regard the consciences of ignorant men do in most things misleade them into manifold errours because they are not able to iudge of their actions according to Gods Law which they know not but giue sentence of them according to their owne wills humane traditions and their owne inuentions superstitious conceits and good meanings And the like may be said of those who hauing some knowledge of Gods Law doe through negligence or prophanenesse
no contentment in their greatest abundance but like sweete drinkes encrease thirst and as fuell put into the fire inflame the heate of carnall concupiscence Or if they giue some seeming content in the time of health yet how little pleasure doe we take in them vpon our sicke beds though they haue some taste vnto our carnall appetite in the time of life and strength yet what an after tang leaue they at parting and how little comfort and contentment bring they against the terrours of death and the dreadfull apprehensions of approaching Iudgement §. Sect. 4 The third reason which is taken from the necessity of piety The third reason is taken from the necessity of piety seeing without it wee can haue no assurance of any spirituall benefit neither in this life nor in the life to come For it is the end which God hath proposed vnto Ephe. 1. 4. them all vnto which he most certainely attaineth if we euer attaine vnto them seeing he who is infinite in wisedome and power can neuer faile of his end which he propoundeth to his actions Now the Lord hath chosen vs that we should be holy hee hath redeemed vs out of the hands of all our Luke 1. 74. Col. 1. 22. spirituall enemies that we should worship him in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our liues We are reconciled by Christ in the body of his flesh through death that hee may present vs holy and vnblameable in Gods sight He hath adopted vs for his children that wee may be holy as he is holy He hath iustified and pardoned all our sinnes that being freed from Leuit. 19. 2. Mat. 5. 45. Rom. 6. 18. sinne wee may become the seruants of righteousnesse And therefore without this holinesse we can haue no assurance that we are elected redeemed reconciled adopted or iustified and consequently that we shall be saued for though it be not the cause of our happinesse yet it is the way that leadeth vnto it in which if we walk not we shal neuer come into that place of blessednes for without holinesse none shall see the Lord as the Apostle teacheth vs. Heb. 12. 14. §. Sect. 5 The fourth reason perswading vs to piety which is the consideration of Gods manifold mercies and of Christs comming to Iudgement Vnto these reasons we may adde the consideration of Gods manifold mercies in Iesus Christ which ought to bee notable inducements to moue vs to the imbracing and practising of piety For what greater incouragement can we haue to make vs zealous and cheerefull in the duties of Gods seruice then to consider how gracious and good God hath beene vnto vs in our creation redemption and continuall preseruation in giuing vnto vs his Sonne and pardoning our sinnes in freeing vs out of the cruell bondage of all our spirituall enemies and in multiplying his blessings vpon vs both in spirituall and corporall things And this argument the Apostle vseth to this purpose I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that yee present your bodies a liuing sacrifice holy acceptable Rom. 21. 1. to God which is your reasonable seruice And as the fruition of Gods present fauours ought to make vs forward in his seruice so also the consideration of his gracious promises concerning better and more excellent things in time to come euen the full fruition of his glorious presence and eternall blessednesse in his euerlasting Kingdome And this reason also the Apostle vseth to this end Hauing therefore these promises dearely beloued let vs 2. Cor. 7. 1. clense our selues from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit perfecting our holinesse in the feare of God Finally the consideration of Christs comming to Iudgement should perswade vs vnto holinesse when as the heauens being on fire shall be dissolued and passe away with a noyse the elements melt with feruent heate and the earth with all the workes thereof shall be burnt vp For then onely they shall bee happy who haue beene holy and raigne with God in glory who haue faithfully serued him in holinesse and righteousnesse in the Kingdome of grace And thus the Apostle Peter reasoneth Seeing then saith he that all these things shall be dissolued what manner of persons ought yee to be in all holy conuersation and godlinesse But I shall 2. Pet. 3. 11. haue hereafter occasion to speake more fully of this point when I come to shew the manifold reasons and motiues which may induce and perswade vs vnto a godly life and therefore for the present I will content my selfe thus briefly to haue touched them referring the Reader for his more full satisfaction to the following discourse CAP. III. Of our adhering and cleauing vnto God with the full purpose and resolution of our hearts §. Sect. 1 Of the summe of the first Commandement WE haue spoken of piety which is the summe of the first Table And now it followeth that we speake briefely of the particular precepts the first whereof is contayned in these words Thou shalt haue no other gods before me or before my face The maine scope and summe whereof is this that wee know acknowledge and worship Iehouah the Father Sonne and holy Ghost in Trinity of persons and vnity of Essence and no other gods besides him For to haue God is in our mindes and vnderstandings to know and acknowledge him to bee our God all-sufficient incomprehensible omnipotent immutable eternall iust mercifull and infinite in all perfection in our hearts and affections to adhere and cleane vnto him with faith affiance hope loue zeale whom we know to be the chiefe Goodnesse and supreme cause of all our happinesse in our wills with all earnest desire and constant resolution to serue and obey him in all his Commandements with all the power and faculties of our bodies and soules whom we know and acknowledge to be the chiefe end of all things and so infinitely good gracious vnto vs and with our bodies actions and indeuours to worship and serue him alone with all our might and strength So that the true sauing knowledge of God is the ground of all other vertues and obedience as we haue shewed and therefore if wee would imbrace any vertues or perform any Christian duties of a godly life we must in the first place labour to haue our mindes inlightened with the knowledge of God and his truth without which our deuotion will bee no better then superstition and all our indeuours in the performance of religious duties meere will-worship and idolatry as wee see in the example of the Idolaters who in stead of worshipping the only true God worship stocks stones and Images Saints and Angels and in stead of doing Gods will in their deuotions do their owne wills and therefore tire themselues and spend all their strength in vaine §. Sect. 2 Of adhering to God what it is and the necessity of it But of this knowledge of God which is the maine ground of a godly life wee
the fountaine with vnbeliefe it is not our vnworthinesse can keepe them from vs. Finally the spirituall enemies of our saluation doe daily and continually assault vs and the chiefe meanes to repell the firie darts of their tentations is the shield of faith which in it Eph. 6. 16. selfe is not so impenetrable and of high proofe were it not strengthened and made effectuall to preserue vs by Christs mediation but that it is often Luk. 22. 32. much battered and bruised in the conflict of tentations And therefore seeing their malice neuer ceaseth which maketh this shield of faith alwayes necessary and their daily assaults doe cause it to be of daily vse it is our wisedome to let no day passe without reuiuing and renewing it that we may by such meanes as God hath appointed repaire and strengthen it so as it may bee fit to preserue vs against all assaults of tentation Ioyne we then with the daily exercise of renewing our repentance this also of renewing our faith and the rather because they mutually further and strengthen one another being conioyned but being seuered both are weakened and dismembred and either cannot at all be exercised of vs or but lamely and to little purpose in semblance and shew not in deed and truth For faith is the cause and very life of repentance none truely mourning for sinne but such as by faith being assured of Gods loue are grieued in their hearts that they haue grieued so louing a God and without this filiall affection proceeding from faith our repentance would be but like that of Cain and Iudas a worldly and desperate sorrow that worketh 2. Cor. 7. 10. death And contrariwise repentance is the very breath of faith which if it haue free passage then faith not onely liueth but flourisheth and thriueth so that heereby as by an infallible signe we may know and discerne it from security and presumption but if it faile then the life of faith also faileth and becommeth a dead carcasse without all vertue and vigour sense or motion §. Sect. 2 What this renewing our faith is and the meanes wherby we may be inabled to doe it which consist first in diuers meditations Now this daily renewing of our faith is nothing else but after we haue humbled our soules in the sight and sense of our sinnes by vnfained repentance to refresh and strengthen it and as it were to heale the wounds which our sinnes haue made by applying Christ with the soueraigne salue of his precious blood and the sweete promises of the Gospell made in him assuring vs of the remission and pardon of all our sinnes Now the meanes and helpes whereby wee may be inabled to renew our faith and in the application of these benefits may confirme and strengthen it against doubting and incredulity doe either respect meditation or action We must meditate on the eternall and immutable free and vndeserued loue of God euen before we were created and after that by sinne wee had made our selues strangers and enemies which mooued him to giue his best Beloued to the death for vs and from hence conclude for the strengthening of our faith that he will neuer cease to be gracious vnto vs when as by Christ being reconciled wee adhere and cleaue vnto him with vnfained loue and hearty affection Secondly on Gods inestimable and infinite mercies which are farre aboue all his workes and therefore may assure vs that they will bee much more powerfull and all-sufficient to saue vs then our sinnes though neuer so innumerable and grieuous can bee to condemne vs. Thirdly on Gods truth which will neuer faile in any of his promises and omnipotent power and wisedome whereby he is infinitely able to accomplish them Fourthly on the all-sufficiency of Christs obedience and satisfaction for the discharging of all our debts and satisfying of Gods Iustice for all our sinnes if wee make them our owne by a liuely faith Fifthly on the Couenant of grace which is free and assureth vs of the pardon of our sinnes and saluation of our soules vpon no condition of workes or worthinesse but onely of faith bringing foorth the fruits of vnfained repentance Sixthly on the promises of the Gospell which being generall and indefinite exclude none though neuer so sinfull and vnworthy if they will thankefully receiue them as they are freely offered and apply them to themselues by a liuely faith Seuenthly wee must meditate on the Sacraments and seales of the Couenant whereby God hath giuen vnto vs as it were into our hands Christ Iesus and all his benefits and of his most infallible oath whereby he hath confirmed his promises vnto vs as also of his Spirit whereby he hath inwardly sealed vnto vs our redemption and saluation Eighthly on the manifold examples of his mercy and goodnesse extended to all repentant sinners and that he being no respecter of persons is as ready to make vs partakers of them if wee doe not reiect them through vnbeliefe Ninthly on the manifold experience which we haue had of them towards our selues both in temporall and spirituall benefits and that being vnchangeable in his nature and gifts he is still ready to be alike good and gracious if by faith we will rest and rely vpon him Neither is it enough that wee know and habitually beleeue that God hath giuen vnto vs many and singular priuiledges as his Sonne to be our Sauiour and Redeemer his Word Sacraments and holy Spirit by which he hath effectually called vs to the knowledge and participation of this great worke of our redemption iustification and remission of all our sinnes reconciliation and adoption whereby we are made not onely children of God but also heires of his Kingdome assurance of continuall preseruation in this life and of saluation and glorification in the life to come but we must actually exercise our faith by allotting some part of the day to thinke and meditate on the excellency of these priuiledges as what a blessed thing it is to bee saued by Christ and deliuered out of the power of all our spirituall enemies and to liue and die in the state of saluation What a singular benefit it is to haue all our sinnes pardoned and our debts cancelled so that we neede not feare at any time to be called to Iudgement and to giue vp our accounts seeing Christ hath satisfied for all and made our reckonings euen for vs What a sweet and comfortable a thing it is to haue peace with God and peace of conscience and the beames of his fauour continually shining vpon vs and warming our hearts with ioy and gladnesse What an inestimable priuiledge it is to be the child of God and heire apparant to the Kingdome of heauen which considerations if wee seriously thinke on them will be singular meanes to inflame our hearts with Gods loue to rauish them with spirituall ioy and to make them cheerefull in Gods seruice throughout the whole day yea to the very end of the longest
Heb. 6. 5 6. by repentance It is impossible that if euer we truely felt the incomparable pleasure of Gods presence but that we should seeke to inioy it more and more til we attaine vnto fulnes of ioy in our ful fruitiō in Gods Kingdom §. Sect. 2 What it is to seeke God Let vs then make it our daily exercise to seeke the Lord our God whom to finde and to bee happy and blessed is all one and whom to misse and lose is to be miserable and accursed though we should gaine and inioy the whole world and all the happinesse which it can offer vnto vs. And to this end let vs consider what it is to seeke God so as we may be sure to finde him Secondly the manner and properties of this seeking Thirdly the inestimable benefits which accrew vnto them who daily seeke and finde him And lastly the euils miseries and mischiefes which befall all those that neglect this holy duty For the first to seeke God is to labour daily in and through Christ to recouer and make him our owne whom wee haue lost through the fall of Adam and our owne originall Esa 59. 2. corruption and actuall transgressions that being reconciled and revnited vnto him and so becomming one with him and he with vs we may bee Ioh. 17. 21 22 23 happy and blessed in his fruition For in and through Christ alone God is to be sought of vs and by him and no other possible meanes can we euer finde him in him onely Gods Iustice is satisfied and wrath appeased in him as our alone propitiatory sacrifice he is well-pleased and being reconciled 1. Ioh. 2. 1. in the body of his flesh through death of a seuere Iudge and terrible enemie he is become our gracious Father and chiefest friend And so perfectly hath hee made our peace through the blood of his Crosse that hee hath left Col. 1. 20 21. nothing for vs to doe but ioyning with his holy Spirit to labour that this inestimable benefit may be applyed vnto vs which is chiefly done by seeking and suing with earnest desires and hearty indeuours to obtaine and make it our owne by faith §. Sect. 3 What is required vnto the seeking of God First that wee daily labour more perfectly to know him and remember him And to this seeking of God and his fauour in Christ there are diuers things required first that wee labour daily more and more perfectly to know him not so much what he is in his owne nature essence and attributes as what he is in Christ vnto vs that is infinitely wise to gouerne vs and all-sufficient by his Word and Spirit to make vs wise vnto saluation that he is omnipotent to defend vs and giue vs victory ouer all our enemies that he is immutable not onely in his owne nature but in his loue goodnesse and gifts vnto vs that he is true to performe vnto vs his gracious promises and mercifull to forgiue vs our sinnes and saue our soules that Christ is an all-sufficient and perfect Redeemer to deliuer vs out of the hands of all our spirituall enemies and to bring vnto vs full redemption that the Spirit is not onely holy in his owne nature but also to worke in vs sanctification and holinesse In all which and all other respects we are not so much to labour to know these things in speculation as in practice and experience nor to apprehend them in the braine as to feele them in our hearts nor to conceiue of their excellency and sufficiency as causes but experimentally to feele and finde their efficacy in producing their effects and bringing foorth their fruits in vs. And this is that excellent knowledge which the Apostle so much and continually laboured to Phil. 2. 10 11. 1. Cor. 2. 2. attaine vnto as a thing which being of most excellent vse was also of great difficulty and therefore he was content to be taken vp wholly of it and in comparison of it to neglect all other knowledge not onely to know that Christ died and rose againe and the vertue and sufficiency of them for his iustification and saluation which were but the study of a few dayes or houres and is easie to bee found and learned in euery Catechisme and therefore it is not to be thought that the Apostle who was of such excellent gifts and illuminated with such an extraordinary measure of knowledge did take so much paines and spend his chiefest time and strength in attaining vnto it but to finde and feele the power and efficacy of Christs death and resurrection in his owne heart for the strengthening of his faith the inflaming of his loue the mortifying of his corruptions and his spirituall quickening vnto new obedience and holinesse of life And as wee are thus daily to seeke God by labouring more perfectly and effectually to know him so also by indeuouring to haue these things thus knowne in continuall remembrance that thinking and meditating on them wee may take all good occasions to reape the fruit and benefit of them for our owne vse to speake of them as opportunity is offered for the good and edification of others and to draw this knowledge into continuall practice for the reforming and amending of our liues and conuersations To which purpose we must daily indeuour to purge our memories and to cast out of these store-houses the rubbish and trash of sinfull vanities which doe but cumber the roome and take vp the place of spirituall riches and heauenly prouision and as it were to blot out of these tables all lessons of impiety which in the dayes of our ignorance were written in them with all vaine carnall and corrupt motions and conceits which will bee so many distractions to withdraw our minds from God and spirituall meditations and in place heereof wee must striue to write in them all profitable instructions which we haue formerly learned and those especially which we haue obserued in our last holy and spirituall exercises And if wee thus like scholers daily say our part and recall to our remembrance the lessons which we haue learned the last Sabbath or any day of the weeke besides they will be so deepely imprinted in our memories that they will not easily be forgotten neither will the learning of new lessons be a meanes to put out the old and make vs forget what we haue formely learned §. Sect. 4 The second thing is that we adhere vnto him with our hearts and affections Secondly vnto this daily exercise of seeking God it is required that wee doe continually adhere and cleaue vnto him with our hearts and affections that wee labour and indeuour daily more and more to weane Col. 3. 1 2. them from the world and worldly vanities that they may wholly be fixed and fastned vpon him not affecting and doting vpon earthly and momentany trifles which profit not but minding spirituall and heauenly excellencies and seeking those things which are aboue where Christ
table-conferences either propound or admit knotty and hard questions or polemicall disputes and difficult and subtill controuersies both because these often-times through pride and ouer-eager handling doe heate the heart and cause wrangling and contention and also because they are not suteable and seasonable to the time and the ends at which wee ayme For it is a time of refection and refreshing and not of toyle and labour either to body or mind and we must let our bowes stand vnbent that they may afterwards be more fit for shooting and not be still drawing our arrow to the head It is a time to recouer our spent spirits not to consume and waste them which will not onely make our mindes vnfit for imployment for if we toyle them when they should rest they will bee dull and slothfull when they should labour but also much hurt our bodies and impeach our health whilst these ouer-earnest discourses about points of great difficultie doe disperse the naturall heate and dissipate the spirits calling them away from the worke in hand to assist the soule in the exercise of the braine and so cause ill concoction and indisgested crudities §. Sect. 4 Of the choyce of our company at our meales The last duty in our eating and drinking respecteth the choyce of our company for if we be of ability it were to be wished that we would follow Iob 31. 16 17. Iobs practice who would not eate his morsels alone making to this end choyce of fit company to consort with vs. Neither is it commendable in a Christian to keepe open house for all commers and so to make it worse then a common Inne a cage of vncleane birds and a place of all mis-rule and disorder which was the hospitality of able men in the dayes of ignorance who are more to be praised for their bounty and zeale to house-keeping then for their piety and prudence But seeing our ghests must be our companions for the time of which there ought to be made great choyce therefore besides those whom bonds of society kindred trading and commerce and such like respects and those that resort vnto vs as strangers or by some casuall and extraordinary accidents wee are in our common course as neere as we can to make choyce of such only as are knowne vnto vs at least in the iudgement of charity to be vertuous and religious and among these such especially as are most fit for our spirituall trading either to make vs more rich in knowledge faith obedience and all spirituall graces or at least to be inriched of vs. By which kind of meetings we might receiue singular comfort and benefit seeing this good society and kind familiarity betweene Christians is a notable bond of loue and an excellent and effectual meanes for the mutual stirring vp of Gods graces in one another and for their strengthning incouraging vnto euery good duty In which respect it were much to be desired that that ancient custome in the Primitiue Church of loue-feasts among Christians were more in vse in these Act. 2. 46. dayes that we might not so deseruedly lye open to that aspersion of worldlings namely that where Religion is planted there all good neighborhood and friendly meetings are almost quite laid aside To which end let vs take notice of the causes of this decay that so they being remoued this communion and fellowship among the faithfull may be restored And first when men are wholly carnall and set altogether on fleshly delights it is no maruaile if they take pleasure in one anothers company seeing they are mutual helpers in this worldly ioy and so if we were in any perfection spiritually minded we would take much more delight in consorting together because it would tend much to the increasing of our Christian comfort but when by the preaching of the Gospell those carnall ioyes and vnlawfull pleasures are so cryed downe that some forbeare them out of conscience and some to auoyd the shame of profanenesse there followeth a breach of society and familiarity because the bond is broken that held it together The which is not repaired and re-vnited till in stead thereof there be a spirituall bond to linke vs together and this being so weake among most Christians which still remaine more flesh then Spirit it is no maruaile if there be seldome any good meetings seeing the bond is no stronger of such society and familiarity whereas if they were more spirituall they would finde in them more spirituall ioy and so entertaine them with more ardencie of affection Another cause which is but a branch of the former is that in the time of the Gospell carnall loue which was of old a strong bond of fellowship is not so hot and strong as it was neither to mens persons nor yet to the pleasures of sinne and delights of the flesh nor spirituall loue so feruent as it should be either vnto our neighbours themselues or yet to Christian conferences religious duties and exercises and those sweet comforts which we should take in mutuall society and should be the chiefe motiue to bring vs together for were we inflamed with this ardent loue it would make vs greatly delight in one another and to seeke all good occasions of such sweete society §. Sect. 5 Of the manifold abuses of our feasting one another Vnto these we may adde the many abuses of these meetings which are notable meanes of their dissolution as because we faile in the maine ends of them not chiefly ayming at our spirituall good and that we may mutually stirre vp Gods graces in vs by Christian conferences edifie and strengthen one another vnto all good duties and reioyce together in the Lord by setting foorth his praises the which were the ends that the Saints in the Primitiue Church propounded to their feasts of loue but for the most part inuiting one another to pamper the belly with good cheere and to please the flesh with carnall pleasures which leauing behind them a sting of conscience it is no maruaile if we take small comfort to meete after this manner often together seeing the sweete is exceeded by the sowre and keepe our hand from tasting of the honey which indangereth vs to be wounded with the sting of sinne and though it be sweete in the mouth yet is turned in the disgestion into bitter choller And as wee faile in our ends of meeting so also in our carriage when wee are met together in which regard we iustly deserue the Apostles censure that wee come together 1. Cor. 11. 17. not for the better but for the worse For either the time is spent in idle and vaine talking vnprofitable discourses hurtfull inuitations to excesse in eating and drinking Or if some religious conference bee admitted yet through pride and want of charity it is often crossed of the mayne ends For not being as we ought fast linked together in the bond of loue euery difference in opinion disioynteth our affections and wanting
gouernours to stampe first Gods seale vpon their children that thereby also they may bee marked for the children of God before Satan hath preuented them by sealing them for his slaues and stamping vpon them the markes of perdition Let them instruct them in the principles of true Religion when as by their docible age they are most fit to learne and most strong and able to retaine what they haue learned in faithfull memories lest neglecting this duty Satan and the world teach them in their schoole of impiety all prophanenesse and wickednesse or if they incline at all to some Religion doe by their instruments seduce them from the truth sow in their minds the seeds of errours schisme and heresies and draw them away from God by teaching them to offer vnto him for his pure seruice their owne or other mens inuentions and traditions will-worship superstition and idolatry §. Sect. 6 Examples of the faithfull who haue catechized their family Lastly the examples of the faithfull in all ages who haue been diligent in the performing of this duty may perswade vs vnto it Thus wee reade Gen. 4. 1 2. that Cain and Abel serued God by sacrifices which they could not haue done there being then no written Word for their direction vnlesse they had beene instructed in Gods true Religion by their parents So Abraham is commended for this duty from whom God would not hide his secret counsels because he knew that he would command his children and his houshold Gen. 18. 19. after him that they might keepe the way of the Lord. Thus Salomon was instructed 1. Chro. 28. 9. Pro. 30. by Dauid his father and by Bathsheba his mother from his tender youth to his riper age as himselfe professeth I was my fathers sonne tender Pro. 4. 3 4. and onely beloued in the sight of my mother He taught me also and said vnto me Let thine heart retaine my words keepe my commandements and liue c. And we reade that Iehoash the King was instructed from his tender youth 2. King 12. 2. in the knowledge of God by his good vncle Iehoiada the Priest So also in the New Testament this duty was practised for there were two sorts of Catechumenoi or such as were catechized first such as were adulti and of ripe age who were catechized in the principles of Christian Religion before they were baptized as Theophilus the Eunuch Cornelius and his houshold Apollos and many others whereof these principles were called Heb. 6. 2. the doctrine of Baptismes And the second sort borne in the Church who being in the Couenant were baptized in their infancie and after that catechized and then confirmed by the imposition of hands whereof the principles were called the doctrine of the imposition of hands in the same place because at their confirmation they first rendred an account of their faith And thus Paul remembring Timothies vnfained faith saith that it dwelt 2. Tim. 1. 5. first in his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice of whom hee maketh honourable mention because they had instructed him from his youth in the doctrine of it And therefore if wee would bee numbred in the Calender of the faithfull or be made happy in their rewards let vs follow their example and as we haue opportunity and conuenient time let vs catechize and instruct in the principles of Christian Religion all those that being capeable of knowledge are committed to our charge §. Sect. 7 Reasons moouing children to submit themselues to be catechized And these are the reasons which may perswade gouernours to performe this duty of Catechizing vnto which we will adde some others which may mooue those who are vnder their gouernement to submit themselues willingly vnto this Ordinance of God to receiue instruction from them and attentiuely to heare them carefully to treasure vp in their hearts and memories what they haue learned and chearefully to render an account of it when they are called thereunto The which I thought necessary in respect of the backwardnesse which is to be obserued in most families and congregations amongst all sorts not onely nor chiefly among children in yeeres but especially such as being riper in age are notwithstanding children in knowledge The which is caused by their naturall auersenesse to these religious duties by the corruption of their iudgements perswading them that they are vnnecessary by the worldlinesse and prophanenesse of their hearts which hindreth them from attending vnto instruction and consequently maketh them vnwilling to bee called to account because they finde themselues vnable to answere and giue any satisfaction to their teachers by carnall pride and proud bashfulnesse which causeth them scornefully to cast off Christs yoke and contemptuously to refuse subiection vnto his Ordinance because they feare to be disgraced before others for their ignorance and small profiting in the knowledge of Christian Religion and finally by the subtill malice of the deuil which casteth before them all discouragements which hee can deuise or raise against this profitable exercise because he well knoweth that it is a most powerfull meanes to dispell the mists of ignorance through which hee misleadeth men to prophanenesse heresie hell and destruction and to inlighten mens minds with sauing knowledge to beate him from his throne and to cast downe the strong holds of sinne and to set vp and establish in their hearts the gracious Kingdome of Iesus Christ by which they shall be brought to all glory and heauenly happinesse §. Sect. 8 Reasons moouing those which are of yeeres to submit themselues to be catechized if they be ignorant Now these reasons concerne not onely children in yeeres but also children in knowledge though they bee ancient in respect of age The first Eph 2. 10. Luk. 1. 74. Deut 28. 14. Deut. 12. 32. whereof may be taken from the end of their creation and redemption for they are created vnto good workes which God hath ordained that they should walke in them they are redeemed out of the hands of their spirituall enemies that they should serue God in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the dayes of their liues they are not their owne but bought with a price that they might glorifie their Redeemer in their soules and bodies But none can truely serue the Lord vnlesse they know him his will and Word from which they must not decline to the right hand nor to the left and neither adde any thing to it nor detract ought from it for else through naturall ignorance they will as our Sauiour chargeth the Samaritans worship they know not what Ioh. 4. 22. and in stead of his true seruice offer vnto him their owne will-worship and inuentions Neither can wee come to this knowledge but by the meanes which God hath ordained one of the chiefe whereof is this religious exercise Secondly we haue vowed in our baptisme that we will fight vnder Christs Banner against our spirituall enemies which wee cannot doe without receiuing a
shamefull ouerthrow vnlesse our Christian Armour be put on and fastened vnto vs with the girdle of verity and vnlesse wee be trained vp in this Christian warfare and taught rightly to vse the sword of the Spirit the Word of God Now if vowes must be paid without delay then Psal 76. 11. how much more this which importeth vs as much as our saluation A third reason may be taken from Gods loue and fatherly care and prouidence watching ouer vs and preseruing vs from all perils and dangers in the time of our infancie and childehood vnto which as we were naturally most prone so were wee vtterly vnable to auoid them by our owne prouidence or to vse any meanes to helpe our selues Which consideration should moue vs as soone as we are come to knowledge and discretion to testifie our thankefulnesse by learning his waies that wee may walke in them and thereby glorifie him who hath so graciously preserued vs. Fourthly let vs consider that the Law was giuen not onely to the ancient and them of ripe age but also to children and young men that they might cleanse their wayes by taking heede thereunto according to Gods Psal 119. 9. Word which made Iosuah to reade it vnto them all alike And both old Iosh 8. 35. and yong shall be called to giue an account of their workes and waies at the last day according to that in the Reuelation I saw the dead great and Apoc. 20. 12. small stand before God and the bookes were opened c. and the dead were iudged out of those things which were written in those bookes according to their workes And therefore the young as well as the old must prepare themselues for their reckoning and learne both what strength the Booke of the Law hath to indite and condemne him and how by the Gospell they may trauerse this inditement and be acquitted from that dreadfull sentence of condemnation by pleading full satisfaction by Iesus Christ And therefore when his soule wallowing it selfe in carnall delights saith vnto him Reioyce Eccles 11. 9. O yong man in thy youth and let thine heart cheere thee in the dayes of thy youth and walke in the waies of thine heart and in the sight of thine eyes then let him remember that for all these things God will bring him to iudgement Fifthly consider that this age aboue all others is most fit to receiue and retaine instruction and information in the wayes of the Lord as also reformation and amendment of our sinfull courses Which if it bee deferred to riper age they will be lesse able to learne the will and wayes of God to hold them in memory or to obey and walke in them For the faculties of the soule will bee more enfeebled and they distracted with earthly cares and loue of the world ambition couetousnesse voluptuousnesse they will then be more apt to content themselues with their ignorance wherin they haue bin so long nuzzled their passions will grow strong and violent and custome of sinning laying fast hold on them will pull them backe from the schoole of piety yea will make them openly to professe that they are now too old to learne by all which who seeth not how desperately they hazzard their saluation who put off instruction and neglect the meanes of it in the time of their youth And therefore let vs hearken to the Wise mans counsell and remember now our Creator in the daies of our Eccles 12. 1. youth while the euill daies come not nor the yeeres draw nigh when thou shalt say I haue no pleasure in them Sixthly let vs remember that God would haue first fruits offered vnto him as a type to teach vs that the prime of our age is an oblation wherein he chiefly delighteth that our Sauiour was much pleased when little children entertained him with their applause Crying Math. 21. 15. Psal 8. 2. Hosanna to the Sonne of Dauid that God out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hath ordained strength because of his enemies that he might stil the enemie the auenger Finally that in the time of the law they were inioyned to offer vnto God the yong and lusty not the old and lame to shew that the Lord would haue the prime of our age and strength consecrated to his seruice although in the Gospell all are inuited to the marriage Supper the poore Luke 14. 21. maimed halt and blinde because so we bring with vs the wedding garment it is better in our age to come halting to the feast and through the dimnesse of our sight groping for the right way then to frame worldly excuses and absent our selues altogether §. Sect. 9 Of the great profit of this exercise of catechizing Lastly let the profit manifold benefits which accompany this dutie be an effectuall meanes to perswade vs vnto it For they only are saued who Ioh. 3. 16 17 36 Mar. 16. 16. Rom. 10. 15 17. haue faith and they faith alone who haue knowledge both which come by hearing as the Apostle teacheth vs How shall they call vpon him in whom they haue not beleeued and how shall they beleeue in him of whom they haue not heard and how shall they heare without a Preacher So then faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the Word of God And this the Apostate Iulian well knew and therefore to roote out the Church he thought it the most effectuall way to put downe Christian Schooles and Religious exercises that being depriued of all meanes of knowledge hee might leade them in their ignorance which way hee listed Secondly it is a notable meanes to free them from errours and heresies when they are grounded in the knowledge of the truth and the analogie of faith that will serue them as a touchstone and rule according to which doctrines must bee examined which whoso want may easily be led euen into fundamentall errours For as the Apostle saith there must bee heresies in the world vnto 1. Cor. 11. 19. which men naturally are more inclined then vnto the truth and therefore we must not hand ouer head hearken vnto euery spirit nor when we heare iudge of them according to our naturall reason but wee must as the Apostle Iohn exhorteth vs try them whether they be of God or no by 1. Ioh. 4. 1. bringing them to be examined by the touchstone of his Truth The which wee shall be vtterly vnable to doe if we be not acquainted with the Scriptures and haue no knowledge of the maine principles and the analogie of faith contayned in them Where by the way wee may note the cause why Popery so much increaseth amongst vs namely because for want of catechizing in many places the people remaine ignorant of the principles of Christian Religion and so vpon the alleadging of any carnall reason plausible to corrupted nature they become an easie prey to the Priests and Iesuites Thirdly It helpeth notably to the hearing of Sermons with profit
vertue vice or other thing handled the causes effects and common affections the subiect place the time and other adiuncts the dissentanies and contraries the distribution of the whole into the parts or of the generall into the specials and how euery branch is followed prooued illustrated and applyed Or if the Sermon want method or wee skill to conceiue it or memory to retaine it for it sometime happeneth that method which is the chiefe help of memory through too much curiosity and multiplicity of diuisions is a meanes to confound it yet let vs at least obserue those things that are deliuered which we knew not before for the increasing of our knowledge and bettering of our iudgement what vices are reproued or vertues commended with the reasons and illustrations of them both what hath most conuinced our consciences what hath been well pressed and wrought effectually vpon our hearts and affections for the withdrawing of them from any sinne their inflaming with the loue of any thing that is good and the stirring of them vp to the imbracing and practising of any Christian and holy duty §. Sect. 3 That we must stay in the Church from the beginning to the end of the Sermon The last duty in hearing is that we continue from the beginning of the Sermon to the end and as we are to come with the first so wee must not as the manner of many is depart till all the exercises of Religion being fully concluded the whole Assembly bee dismissed For as it is great vnmannerlinesse at a solemne feast to rise before the table is taken away vnlesse it be in case of sicknesse weaknesse or some important businesse so they which depart from this spirituall Feast before it be ended are either very vnmannerly and voyd of due reuerence and respect of Gods presence and his holy ghests and if they be not troubled with bodily infirmities doe shew the sicknesse of their soules when their spirituall appetite is so queazie that they loath their nourishment or that they thinke the imployment which they goe about of greater waight or at least much more necessary then the feeding of their soules with this spirituall Manna and vsing the meanes of their saluation Neither must we haste away after the Sermon is ended as though wee would rush out of prison as soone as the doore is opened but we must stay still that we may ioyne with the Minister and the Congregation in prayer and thankesgiuing if any bee as there ought to be after the concluding of the Sermon seeing as in receiuing our corporall food so also in the spirituall we haue as iust cause and occasion of praising God for benefits receiued as of praying for his blessing vpon them before we receiued them But if it bee omitted wee must supply this defect in respect of our owne particular by lifting vp our hearts vnto God praising him for causing the light of his Gospell to shine still vnto vs and for all the wholesome instructions admonitions reproofes and consolations which he hath graciously at that time imparted vnto vs. And if there be a Psalme sung we must ioyne with the Congregation praising the Lord with minde and voyce and making melody vnto him with our hearts which being ended we must expect the blessing of God pronounced by the mouth of his Minister with all reuerence and deuotion esteeming it of great efficacie as if God himselfe did blesse vs by them For so we reade that God appoynting Aaron to pronounce Num. 6. 23 24 c. such a blessing vpon the people saith that he should hereby put his name vpon them and he himselfe also would blesse them And therefore being of such importance we must not through ouer-much haste leaue it behinde vs as a needlesse complement §. Sect. 4 Of our duty in receiuing the Lords Supper And if the Sacrament of the Lords Supper bee administred hauing duly prepared our selues we are to communicate with the rest of the Congregation Luk 22. 19. and not vnmannerly depart from this holy Feast being inuited when we see it set vpon the Lords Table For it is a part of Gods publike seruice which is not left as arbitrary at our choyce to doe or leaue vndone but expressely inioyned by our Sauiour Doe this in remembrance 1. Cor. 11. 24 25 26. of me It is a notable meanes of confirming and increasing our faith being the Lords Seale wherewith he hath ratified his Couenant of grace and saluation with vs the which being often shaken with tentations and wounded and weakened with our sinnes needeth often to be strengthened and renewed It is the badge and liuery whereby we are knowne to bee Gods seruants and therefore comming to doe him seruice we ought not to cast it off when the rest of the family put it on It is a testification of our thankfulnesse to God and his Christ for all their benefits especially that great worke of our Redemption and a profession of our faith that we rest vpon the mercies of God and the death and merits of Christ for our iustification and saluation which wee are not to neglect when others performe it but to take all good occasions of testifying our faith loue and thankfulnesse vnto them It is a notable meanes to put vs in mind of Christs death and to apply all the fruits and benefits thereof vnto our selues when as wee see him crucified his body broken and his blood powred out before our eyes It is the Sacrament of our vnion with Christ and communion one with another wherein wee are knit together in the bond of loue and make profession that wee are fellow-members of the same body whereof Christ Iesus is the Head whereof if wee refuse to communicate hauing no good and necessary ground for it wee shall make a rent in the body and deny the communion and profession of our loue one with another §. Sect. 5 Of our duties to be performed when Baptisme is administred So likewise if the Sacrament of Baptisme be administred wee are not to depart before this holy action bee finished but to continue in the Congregation not as idle spectators but as being tyed heereby to performe diuers Christian duties both vnto God our selues and the party baptized In respect of God we are to stay the administration of this Sacrament that wee may shew our reuerence to his holy ordinances and glorifie his blessed Name for granting vnto his Church and vs the vse of them Secondly in respect of our selues that wee may renew our Couenant with God by calling it afresh to our remembrance together with his sweet mercies and gracious promises in Iesus Christ and also our owne vow and couenant which we haue made with him in our Baptisme that we may renew our resolutions and indeuours to performe it daily in more perfection and in the meane time take occasion vpon our slips and failings to bewaile our wants and imperfections That we may also call to mind what
to all but to apply a fit portion vnto all sorts of hearers and a great measure of wisedome and vnderstanding through the outward helpes of study and learning and the inward illumination of Gods Spirit that he may bee able to instruct those which are ignorant according to that in the Prophet Malachy The Priests lips should keepe Mal. 2. 7. knowledge namely as Iosephs corne in the store-houses for the common vse and not a close Prisoner with whom none may bee admitted to conferre sauing his Iaylour and the people should seeke the Law at his mouth Vnto which knowledge and skill there must bee added industrious diligence whereby he is ready to preach the Word in season and out of season reprouing 2. Tim. 4. 1 2. and rebuking with all long suffering and doctrine although hee seeth small fruit of his labours For though the Minister be neuer so rich in the spirituall treasures of learning and knowledge yet if miser-like he doe not communicate them but locketh them vp in his owne braine the poore people are neuer the better but may perish in their ignorance euen as he Ezek. 33. 8. shall doe in his sloth and vnfaithfulnesse Thirdly he must haue his heart affected with sincere loue of the people whereby hee is mooued in all 1. Pet. 5. 1 2. things to seeke their good and to preferre their saluation before his owne priuate profit The which loue in the teacher will make way in the hearts of his hearers not onely for his instructions and comforts but also his admonitions and reproofes seeing they come not out of any spleene but out of meere loue and feruent desire of sauing their soules In the act and execution of his Ministeriall function he is to speake nothing but Gods Truth as from him and as before him in his pure sight which discerneth all errour and in his glorious presence who hateth and abhorreth all vanity and hypocrisie And that not after his owne manner chiefly ayming to magnifie himselfe in the ostentation of his owne learning and gifts but in the demonstration of the Spirit aboue all desiring and indeuouring to glorifie God in the saluation of his hearers §. Sect. 5 That the word must be preached powerfully and plainely Whereunto these two things are required namely that he preach the Word powerfully plainly powerfully to the consciences of all plainly to the capacity as much as in him lieth of those which are most simple Of both we haue the Apostle Paul for our patterne who though he were most learned aboue all other the Apostles both in arts and tongues and all other learning of the Iewes yet came not in excellency of speech nor the 1. Cor. 2. 1 2 4. inticing words of mans wisedome but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power desiring to know nothing that is to make shew of no other knowledge sauing Iesus Christ and him crucified and preferring fiue words spoken to the vnderstanding 1. Cor. 14. 19. of his hearers aboue ten thousand in an vnknowne tongue Yea we haue heerein our Sauiour Christ himselfe as our Precedent who preached the Word not like the Scribes and Pharises after a ieiune and Scholasticall manner but with all power and authority And though hee were the wisedome of his Father in whom all treasures of knowledge and learning were Col. 2. 3. hid and the word of his Father exceeding in sound eloquence both men and Angels yet preached the Word in a plaine phrase and humble manner of speech not respecting what hee was able to speake but what his Disciples were able to heare conceiue and carry away like a louing and Mar. 4. 33. Ioh. 16. 12. carefull nurse chawing the harder and stronger meate in his mouth that they might the better receiue it whilst he explained more difficult points by easie and familiar similitudes Neither had hee onely care of more thorowly informing those who were men growne in knowledge by teaching them the high and hidden mysteries of his Kingdome but also of Ioh. 3. 3 4 5. instructing his little children and yong nouices in the first principles of true Religion as it was prophesied of him by Esayas All thy children shall Esa 54. 13. be taught of the Lord and great shall be their peace And like a faithfull and Ioh. 6. 45. carefull Shepheard hee did not onely apply himselfe to feed his whole flock but extended his care and loue chiefly to his yonglings gathering his Esa 40. 11. Lambes with his arme and carrying them in his bosome and gently leading those which were great with yong The which care and charge when hee was to ascend on high hee deputed to the Apostle Peter and in him to all the whole Ministery that they should feed his tender Lambes as well as his older and stronger Sheepe And therefore though the ouer-wise Grecians account the simple preaching of Christ crucified foolishnesse and the learned 1. Cor. 1. 23. Doctors of the world make themselues sport with this easie plainenesse Let all that truely feare God chuse rather to imitate Christ and his Apostles in their course of preaching labouring to speake vnto the capacity of the meanest and simplest seeing the charge of their soules is commended vnto them by our great Shepheard as well as theirs who are of greatest vnderstanding and the soules of all being alike deare vnto God they shall giue account of one as well as of another of the little Lambes as well as of the Rammes of the flocke And seeing we must not only take care for our selues that wee may goe to heauen alone but are appointed Captaines and Leaders of Gods Armies wee must not skorne plaine wayes wherein all our company may goe with vs the weake and sicke as well as the strong and healthy and mount aloft in learned discourses and Scholasticall speculations as it were vpon the Alpes which are no lesse high aboue their capacity then cold and heartlesse giuing no warmth to their zeale and deuotion or trauell in the craggy and rough wayes of knottie controuersies needlesse genealogies and abstruse difficulties where wee shall leaue all our hearers afarre off behind vs but chuse rather such faire wayes and beaten paths as will bring vs and our company with vs with most speed and safety to the end of our iourney For though heereby we cannot commend our strength and swiftnesse though we outrun others that haue set out before vs because they go in mountainous wayes farre about yet we shall commend our wisedome and prudence in that we haue chosen the fairest and neerest way And surely if an vnpartiall view were taken of seuerall congregations and iust tryal made whether those haue best thriuen in the Christian growth who haue bin diligently fed with ordinary food and daily bread or those who are sometimes feasted with a banket of delicate dishes I doubt not but it would be found that as sometime Daniel Dan. 1.
seruant haue securely gone on in their sinnes and haue vtterly neglected the spirituall watch hoping that the Masters comming was farre off wee would be mooued heereby to shake off all carnall security and thinke no care and diligence too great in keeping this watch that wee may not bee taken vnprouided and vnprepared at the comming of our Lord. And these are the meanes which if we carefully vse will much helpe vs in keeping this watch But let vs take heed that wee doe not rest wholly or chiefly vpon our owne watchfulnesse seeing when we haue done all we can wee shall with the wise Virgins bee ouertaken sometimes with drowzinesse and intermit our watch but seeing if the Lord the great Watchman of Israel who neuer slumbreth nor sleepeth doe not watch ouer the house of our earthly Tabernacle and City Psal 121. 2. Ps 127. 1 2 3 4. of our soules all our watching is but in vaine let vs often and instantly pray vnto him that hee will continually watch ouer vs and inable vs with his Psal 141. 3. grace and holy Spirit to watch ouer our selues and waite vpon him knowing assuredly that if hee giue ouer his watch and leaue vs to our owne we shall soone be ouertaken of carnall security and fall into the dangerous Lethargy of sinne and death CAP. XIIII Of Meditation which is the second priuate meanes of a godly life what it is and the causes thereof with the reasons which may mooue vs to this holy exercise §. Sect. 1 The reason why it is heere handled THe second priuate meanes whereby we are inabled vnto the duties of a godly life is Meditation For howsoeuer reading of the Word and of other holy writings doth goe before it in order of nature because it inlighteneth the minde and teacheth vs how to meditate and also prepareth and ministreth vnto vs matter of Meditation the which must be first knowne before we can thinke and meditate vpon it or make vse of it by working it vpon our hearts wills and affections yet seeing it is an action done by our selues alone and the other is a duty which may and ought to be performed both by our selues and others with vs I will reserue the handling heereof till I come to intreate of the resâ— which are in this respect of like nature Concerning Meditation it is so much beaten vpon and thorowly handled already both by more ancient Writers and also moderne who of later times haue spent much study and paines about it and whose Mr. Rogers Practice of Christianity herein excellently inlarged in the abridgeing Art of Meditation by D. Hall workes are extant both in our owne and â—â—her languages that it might well haue saued me a labour this Treatise now beginning to swell aboue the bounds and bankes which in my 〈◊〉 intentions I had prefixed vnto it Yea so exactly sweetly and sauourly is it handled in a compleate Treatise purposely written of this Argu 〈…〉 e who in his kind leaueth all others farre behind him be 〈…〉 Physician for the soule that he is able by his Art to ioy 〈…〉 eloquence with holinesse wit with spirituall wi 〈…〉 â—holesome Physicke and euen purging Medicines as 〈…〉 s taste as banketting dishes that I should haue beene 〈…〉 quite discouraged to haue written as it were an Iliads after 〈…〉 any thing of this Argument did not the necessity of perfecting â—hiâ—â—reatise impose it vpon me in which being â—n essentiall member It could not haue beene wanting without a maime In which regard rather then I would leaue the Reader in his studious course to a new disquisition I haue made bold with this learned Authour to borrow some materials for my building of him who is so rich to lend and to inrich my Cabinet with some of his Iewels though set out after an homely manner in mine owne foyles seeing these spirituall treasures are of such a nature that community hindreth not propriety and he that lendeth hath neuer the lesse §. Sect. 2 What Meditation is how it differeth from other exercises of the mind But that we may proceed to our purpose Meditation in a generall signification is nothing else but to thinke aâ—â— consider of any thing often and Meditari nil aliud est quà m multoties rem aliquam considerare Th. Aquin. seriously And as we heere more strictly â—â—ke it restraining it to a speciall subiect Meditation is a religious exercise of a Christian wherein he purposely applyeth his minde to discourse diuersly vpon some diuine subiect spirituall or heauenly that heereby hee may glorifie God and further his owne saluation by improouing the light of his vnderstanding increasing the sanctity of his heart and affections and the better inabling him vnto all duties of a godly life The which description in some sort both shevveth the nature of Meditation and also distinguisheth it from other acts and exercises of the mind vvhich may seeme somevvhat like vnto it For it differeth from cogitation vvhich is but a simple act of the minde thinking of its obiect slightly and ouerly and so leauing it whereas Meditation is more aduised and serious and reflecteth its light vpon the heart will and affection to direct them in their choyce both in chusing and imbracing that which is good and the refusing and abhorring of that which is euill It differeth also from consideration which is exercised in deliberating about some thing doubtfull true or false good or euill that discerning it aright we may know whether to take or leaue it but Meditation is conuersant about things in some measure knowne in the vnderstanding that by this further discourse of reason they may not onely bee better knowne but also that this knowledge may reflect vpon the will and affections and be made more effectuall for our vse in the well ordring of our liues It differeth also from Prayer in that howsoeuer both are the speech of the minde yet in that we speake to our owne soules but in this we speake directly to God himselfe Notwithstanding there is such affinity betweene them that in the Scriptures they are both signified by the same word and often taken the one for the other For they haue both for the most part one subiect-matter and both alike effectuall for the obtaining of all things needfull seeing whether we confesse our sinnes vnto God or acknowledge our wants or craue supply in a Meditation directed to our owne soules or in a prayer to him he alike heareth both and is alike ready to satisfie our desires in 〈…〉 soeuer they are presented vnto him Neither doe wee conf 〈…〉 lay open our wants for his better information to 〈…〉 e already but that wee our selues may take notice 〈…〉 g to a more thorow sense and feeling of them m 〈…〉 amed with feruent desires to haue our sinnes pardone 〈…〉 wants supplied which are no other then prayers in his estima 〈…〉 what forme soeuer they are expressed Finally howsoeuer in nature â—â—ere is
it and haue a plaine example to leade vs as it were by the hand and to inable vs to frame the like vpon other occasions The reasons may be reduced to the same heads which I propounded in the generall consideration of this duty all which doe specially and chiefly belong to this kind of meditation as being aboue the other much more excellent profitable and necessary For if it bee a priuiledge of excellency to come into Gods sight then much more for some good time to continue and conuerse with him if wee may thinke our selues highly aduanced if we may for the least moment be admitted into his presence and suffered to salute him then how much rather when we may be permitted to haue free conference with him and our soules in his presence But as it is truly said of all things excellent that they are also hard and difficult so may both these be truly verified of this exercise then the which as no other is more excellent prayer and contemplation excepted which exceed in some degrees in the same kind so there is none besides them of greater difficulty First in that our corrupt nature is not more auerse vnto any other duty both because we take our whole delight in things that are connaturall and subiect to the senses and our mindes are soone tired with meditating seriously vpon those things which are meerly intellectuall and abstracted from the senses and also because our carnall hearts which take their chiefe pleasure and contentment in thinking vpon and affecting worldly things are ready to murmure and repine when they are restrained of their liberty and kept hard to this spirituall taske and to breake loose and fly out euery hand-while that they may roue and wander after their wonted delights Secondly because in other spirituall exercises as hearing the Word reading and conferring with others we haue but to deale with men as we conceiue it at least in respect of immediate actions obiects and intercourse which wee performe with greater alacrity because the senses are exercised in them about outward things But in this exercise of meditation wee are soone wearied as the senses exercized about excelling obiects both because the subiect matter about which we discourse in our minds is spirituall and heauenly and also because vve cast vp our accounts lay open our sinnes search out our vvants and vveaknesses seriously examine our hearts hovv vvee haue behaued our selues in the doing or neglecting of our duty and laying them naked before God without all hypocrisie confessing our sins of which we finde our selues guilty accusing our selues where wee are faulty discouering our wants and weaknesses wherein we are defectiue all which are not done before our equals but before the glorious King of heauen and earth as malefactors before their Iudge whose might and Maiesty soueraignty and power of life and death may iustly ouer-awe vs. The which difficulties notwithstanding must not so much discourage vs from this exercise as the excellency must incourage vs to vndertake it with so much the more strong resolution and earnest indeuour §. Sect. 4 The singular profit of ordinary meditation To which purpose let vs further consider that as this kind of meditation is aboue all other most excellent so also it exceedeth in vse and profit For it is the spirituall food of the soules by which they liue and thriue in all sauing graces and are strengthened vnto the performance of all Christian duties It weaneth our soules from the world and worldly vanities and sequestreth and appropriateth them to religious vses More especially it inlighteneth our vnderstanding and maketh vs in discoursing of spirituall things to see them much more cleerly and perfectly for as wee are wont to say of our bodily parts and members Vse them and haue them because their exercise is the meanes to continue their health and increase their strength so may it also be truly said of the inward faculties of the soule the vnderstanding and discourse of reason which if they bee vsed grow more strong and vigorous but if we accustome them to sloth and idlenesse they will soone languish and waxe faint and weake in their functions and operations Now by this inlightening of the mind wee come to a more cleere knowledge of God and Iesus Christ whom to Joh. 17. 3. know is life eternall By it we vnderstand more perfectly his Word and will in which respect meditation may be fitly called the hearts commentary and are thereby guided in the way of his Commandements For if by meditation we bind them continually vpon our hearts when wee goe they Pro. 6. 22 23. shall leade vs as the Wise man speaketh By it also we attaine vnto the true knowledge of our selues and of our owne hearts which are so deceitfull that they cannot otherwise be well discerned For as our Sauiour hath Mat. 12. 34 35. taught vs such as the thoughts are such also is the heart such as the streames are such likewise is the fountaine from which they spring And therefore euill thoughts doe argue an euill heart euen as contrariwise good thoughts and holy meditations doe shew that the heart is good also For howsoeuer our words and workes are liable to much hypocrisie because in them we may often aime at worldly respects and to approoue our selues vnto men rather then vnto God yet it is not so with our thoughts which are onely knowne to God and our owne consciences and not subiect to the view and censure of any other By it wee come to the knowledge of our manifold corruptions and the malignity of our natures and to discerne the blindnesse and worldlinesse of our mindes the peruersenesse of our willes the security and hardnesse of our hearts and innumerable other vices and corruptions which otherwise would bee vnknowne vnto our selues euen as they are now vnknowne to others Yea by this disquisition we doe not onely finde out this noysome filth and heapes of vncleannesse as it were in secret corners but also are set aworke to vrge out of our hearts and mindes these wicked thoughts and filthy lusts which would otherwise like pernicious humours in the body lye lurking in them and bee the causes of our soules sicknesse and innumerable euils and being emptied of these wicked thoughts and noysome lusts wee are heereby mooued and stirred vp to replenish our mindes and hearts with heauenly cogitations and holy desires and when wee haue admitted them to hold them fast that the other may not returne and recouer their possession Moreouer by this Meditation our memories are exceedingly strengthened and made faithfull Registers of good things Our consciences are preserued pure when as heereby wee are kept from falling into any knowne sinne or if wee haue falne through infirmity doe not lye in it but purge away these spirituall defilements by faith applying vnto them the blood of Christ and by rising out of sinne through vnfained repentance Our iudgements likewise heereby are much improoued
the Word though for want of Meditation and thinking vpon it afterwards they retaine little of their spirituall food but cast vp all againe sauing some reliques which vpon occasions will come into their mindes but they cannot be in good plight and increase much in spirituall growth and strength vnlesse they disgest what they heare and reade by Meditation and make it truely their owne by applying it to themselues And as those beasts that haue that property of chewing the cud are neuer in good health but when they are either feeding or chewing so is it to be thought of vs though we seeme to feed neuer so eagerly seeing it may as well be a disease as the goodnesse of our stomakes if we take no care afterwards to ruminate and meditate vpon it Neither hath it onely the necessity of food but also of Physicke for the preseruing and well ordering of our spirituall liues And if we would but duly consider how full our hearts and inward parts are of noysome lusts and the corrupt and glutinous humours of vice and sinne how false and fickle how slippery and wandring how soone weary of good things and how ready and prone to all euill we would easily conclude that it were more then necessary that besides our ordinary diet we should sometimes vse this wholesome Physicke which is most effectuall to purge out all these corruptions and to preuent and cure these spirituall diseases and to set purposely some time apart for this holy exercise that we may keepe our hearts in good order and auoyd the mischiefes which these corrupt humours of sinne will bring vpon our soules if we suffer them to lye still lurking in vs and take no care to be purged of them Finally this exercise of Meditation hath in it the necessity not onely of sustentation but also of defence as it is a notable meanes to spie out the wiles and subtilties of our spirituall enemies to discouer their might and our wants and weakenesses and to fit vnto vs the spirituall armour without which wee cannot stand in the day of battell and consequently the neglect thereof a ready way to lay vs open to all danger by denying one of our best helpes and giuing opportunity to our enemies of all aduantages CAP. XVI Containing answeres vnto diuers obiections made against this exercise of Meditation §. Sect. 1 The obiection of difficulty acknowledged and answered ANd thus I haue spoken more largely of the profit necessity of this holy exercise then some perhaps will think either necessary or profitable because I well knew how auerse backward our corrupt nature is vnto it In which regard we no more need to be instructed in the knowledge of it how we may doe it aright then strong motiues inducements to inforce the practice of that we know For when our iudgmēts are inlightened in the right vse of this exercise we are still ready to frame excuses to blind and delude our reason and to stop the cry of our consciences when they accuse vs for the neglect of so necessary a duty and euen when wee are ready to goe about it our sloth and security pretendeth such necessary impediments and casteth such stumbling blockes in our way that wee are discouraged from proceeding in it As first we are ready to alleadge that it is a matter of great difficulty for vs that are in the world to sequester our mindes wholly from worldly things that they may be wholly taken vp with those which are spirituall and heauenly and are so farre out of the reach of our naturall abilities And surely it cannot be denied but that this duty as all other things excellent is hardly atchieued for being but children in knowledge and weakelings in grace it is no more easie to attend any serious exercises profitable for our soules health then it is for boyes to banish out of their mindes childish vanities and to apply themselues wholly to their studies that they may get learning and become good schollers But this must not make vs to neglect this exercise but considering how excellent profitable and necessary it is we must be so much the more earnest in our resolutions and diligent in our indeuours to set our selues seriously about it by how much it appeareth to be of greater difficulty To which purpose let vs know that as children finde most discouragements and greatest difficultie in attaining to learning in their first entrance but afterwards when they are come to some proficiency finde it more easie and tasting the sweetnesse of it goe on in their studies with cheerefulnesse and delight so the greatest difficulty is in the first beginnings of this holy exercise seeing vse and practice will make it easie and familiar and the sweetnesse which we shall find in it to our spirituall taste and the fruit and benefit which we shall reape by it richly recompencing all our labour will take away all tediousnesse and make vs to performe it with all cheerefulnesse And as those which haue beene trained vp in the delightfull studies of Poetry Philosophy and History in the Vniuersities can hardly apply themselues to the study of the Law yet doe at the first bend and euen inforce their minds to it being incouraged with golden hopes and afterwards comming to practice proceed with delight when they become sensible of the gaine so our mindes hauing beene inured to wander about earthly things which are most pleasing to our carnall appetite can hardly apply themselues to spirituall and heauenly Meditations which are harsh and vnpleasant to our corrupt nature but euen then we must with an holy violence bend our minds vnto them being incouraged with our more then golden hopes and then without doubt when we haue made some good proceedings in our spirituall practice the sensible sweetnesse which we shall rellish in it and the manifold benefits and plentifull fruits which wee shall reape by this exercise will incourage vs to proceed in it with much comfort and delight §. Sect. 2 The obiection of naturall want and weakenesses in performing this exercise answered Secondly we are apt to pretend our naturall weakenesse and imbecillity to performe so high and hard a duty as the ignorance of our mindes the auersenesse of our hearts the coldnesse of our zeale deuotion and such like But these wants and inabilities should not discourage vs from this exercise but mooue vs to vse it so much the rather because it is a chiefe meanes ordained of God to increase our strength and to bring vs to more perfection We doe not because we are weake and sickly in our bodies abstaine altogether from food and Physicke but the rather vse them that we may recouer our health and strength Yea when our appetite is small we force our selues that by eating a little at once we may get a stomake We doe not shut the windowes because the house is darke and wee dim-sighted but are ready the sooner to open them to let in the light of
their present state and condition and most likely to yeeld vnto them the best nourishment for the strengthening and preseruing of their soules in their spirituall good liking and better inabling them to all good duties Lastly seeing our soules as well as our bodies haue their satiety by feeding often or much at the same time vpon the same dish therefore hauing such great plenty set before vs it shall bee our wisedome to take the benefit of this variety not feeding ouer often vpon the same dish which made the Israelites loath Manna it selfe though a heauenly food nor too much of any thing at one time which made their dainty Quailes through satiety to come out of their nostrils but whetting on our appetite by change of diet euery meale and euen at the same time helping the weakenesse of our stomakes with some little variety when as we finde them glutted let vs when we are weary of meditating ouer-long on one point insist no longer vpon it but passe vnto another Prouided alwayes that wee doe not heerein giue place to fickle inconstancie nor liberty to our rouing hearts passing loosely from on◠thing to another and not bringing any point to a good issue §. Sect. 11 That we must conclude our preparation vnto Meditation with Prayer And thus hauing prepared both our persons and matter the last thing required in our preparation is that we conclude it and make entrance Iam. 1. 17. into our Meditation by effectuall prayer for Gods direction and blessing vpon our intended exercise For seeing of our selues wee are not able so much as to thinke a good thought but all our grace and goodnesse commeth from God the Father of lights from whom euery good and perfect gift descendeth therefore let vs not fondly presume vpon our owne strength as though we were able to atchieue so waighty and difficult a businesse without his ayde but acknowledging our owne weakenesse and auersenesse to this holy duty let vs craue the assistance of his holy Spirit which only can inable vs vnto it Besides Prayer and Meditation being of like nature and fruits of the same regenerating Spirit are mutuall helpes one to another Meditation preparing matter for our Prayers and bringing vnto them feruencie of zeale and heate of deuotion and Prayer returning againe to our Meditations this borrowed seruour and vigour when ascending into heauen it hath fetched it from God And as the naturall heate and moysture preserue one another and both faile when one is defectiue the one perishing for want of heate and the other for want of nourishment Or as there is betweene the stomacke and heart such intercourse as preserueth them both in their well-being the stomake preparing matter and nourishment for preseruing in the heart the vitall spirits and the heart returning these spirits againe to the stomacke which giue it naturall heate and warmth whereby it is fitted and inabled to make good concoction so is it betweene Meditation and Prayer which are mutuall helpers one to another and neither of both retaine long their vertue and vigour if either of them doe faile the other But this Prayer which is to prepare vs for Meditation is rather to bee pithy and feruent then long and in many words seeing it is not the mayne duty which is heere intended but onely a preparatiue making way vnto it wherein acknowledging our owne debility and insufficiency wee are to craue the assistance of Gods holy Spirit in some such forme as this which followeth O Lord my God who art infinitely good and gracious in thy selfe and the chiefe Author of whatsoeuer goodnesse there is in me both as thou mouest me thereunto by thy commandement and enablest me vnto it by thy holy Spirit I most humbly beseech thee to pardon my manifold and grieuous sinnes whereby I haue made my selfe vnworthy to approach into thy glorious and holy presence and vnable to performe any dutie of thy seruice and purge mee throughly from the guilt punishment and corruption of them all in the precious blood of Christ that they may not be as a wall of separation betweene thee and me to hide thy face and to stop the sweet influences of thy fauour from me And seeing thou requirest this dutie which I am now about to performe and hast inclined my heart to yeeld obedience O thou who art onely able to bring it to good effect vouchsafe vnto me the gracious assistance of thine holy Spirit and thereby inable me to atchieue it in some such manner as may be acceptable vnto thee and profitable for mine owne saluation Inlighten my darkened vnderstanding that I may rightly conceiue of thy Truth sharpen mine inuention strengthen my memory incline my auerse will to this holy duty sanctifie supple and soften my hard and rebellious heart and inlarge it with holy and heauenly desires inflame it with the loue of thee and spirituall things with feruent deuotion and with an ardent zeale of thy glory Rectifie the disorder of my corrupt affections and tumultuous passions curbe and keepe in my wandring thoughts and rouing heart and knit them fast vnto thee in the bonds of thy loue and feare that they may not range after worldly vanities and distract me in this duty but grant that they may be so wholly intent to this present exercise that I may bring it to some profitable and good issue And so blesse me therein that I may finde the fruit and benefit of it in mine owne soule by hauing the point on which I am now to meditate better cleered to my vnderstanding for the increasing of sauing knowledge more thorowly imprinted in my weake memory that it may bee alwayes ready for vse and more effectually wrought into my heart and affections that I may heereby finde my corruptions more subdued and abated the sauing graces of thy Spirit increased and my whole man more and more inabled to performe vnto thee with cheerefulnesse and diligence all the duties of a godly life to the glory of thine holy Name and the comfort and saluation of mine owne soule through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen CAP. XIX Of our progresse and proceeding in the exercise of Meditation and what is required therein §. Sect. 1 That we must proceed orderly in this exercise laying downe the grounds in our vnderstandings and building vpon them in our hearts and affections ANd thus much of our ingresse preparation to Meditation the second point propounded is our progresse proceeding in the exercise it selfe wherein we must auoyd disorder and preposterous handling of the point propounded to our Meditation which is the author of tumultuous confusion by which being tired we either breake off the exercise or continue it without fruit and contrariwise proceed in an orderly course first laying the grounds of this exercise and then building vpon them To which purpose we are to know that there are diuers ends of this exercise as the inlightning of our minds with sauing knowledge and the imprinting of
duties which they command and committing the sinnes which they forbid Whereof I shall not need heere to set downe the particulars according to which triall is to bee made seeing I haue done it already in the former part of this Treatise vnto which I referre the Reader who desireth to make vse of it for this purpose Only let vs know that the Law of God being a most perfect abstract of his will doth containe in it all vertues which he commandeth and vices which he forbiddeth and though it be briefe in words yet as Dauid saith it is in the sense and meaning exceeding Psal 119. 96. large And therefore when we goe to examine our selues according vnto it we must not looke so much to the bare words of euery Commandement as to their sense being inlarged according to the rules of extention which are grounded vpon the Scriptures and euen vpon reason and common equity As first where any vice or sinne is forbidden there the contrary vertue or duty is commanded and contrariwise Secondly where one particular vice is forbidden or duty commanded there all vices or duties of the same nature and kinde are forbidden or commanded as our Sauiour hath taught vs in his exposition of the Law Thirdly Mat. 5. 21 22 the Law being perfect doth require perfect obedience of the whole man and euery part inward and outward soule and body so also whole obedience vnto all and euery Commandement for hee that breaketh one of Iam. 2. 10. them is guilty of all and not onely that our obedience bee whole and totall in respect of the parts but also in respect of degrees that it bee in that perfection which this perfect Law requireth Fourthly the Law being spirituall and hauing a spirituall sense and power doth binde not Rom. 7. 14. onely the outward man to externall obedience but also the soule and secret thoughts the heart and conscience Yea the first and last Commandements haue a large extent aboue all the rest reaching euen to our thoughts and first motions which haue not the consent of will ioyned with them Fifthly where any vertue or vice is commanded or forbidden there also all the meanes and occasions are commanded or forbidden Sixthly where any duty is commanded or vice forbidden there also the signes of them both are also inioyned or prohibited for wee must haue a good conscience both before God and also before men and auoyd not Act. 24. 16. onely the euill it selfe but also all appearance of it And lastly the common rule of charity binding vs to loue our neighbours as our selues and that God may be glorified in their obedience as well as our owne the Law of God requireth that wee should not onely obserue all that is contriued Psal 119. 139. in it our selues but also prouide as much as in vs lyeth that it bee likewise obserued by our neighbours yea euen by our enemies §. Sect. 5 How we must aggrauate our sins in respect of circumstances And if by helpe of these rules we inlarge the Law of God according to the true sense and meaning of it and examine our selues answerably in all the duties which it commandeth and all the vices and sinnes which it forbiddeth we shall heereby come to a cleere and liuely sense and feeling of our sinnes in all the sorts and kinds of them vnto which when we haue in some measure attained we must then further examine our selues how often and innumerable times we haue reiterated and multiplyed the same sinnes against euery of Gods Commandements in thought word and deed And then wee shall plainely see that our sinnes in number exceed the haires of our head and the starres of heauen Which when we haue done we must in the next place consider how haynous they haue many of them beene in respect of their quality and degree Where we are carefully to take heed that we doe not as corrupt nature pride and selfe-loue perswade the most excuse minse and extenuate our sinnes but that wee looke vpon them in their naturall vglinesse and outragiousnesse and aggrauate them by all their circumstances of persons manner time place and the meanes which God hath giuen vs to preserue vs from committing them or of raising vs out of them by repentance As that wee haue thus and thus sinned not onely when wee were the vassals of Satan vncalled and vnregenerate with full consent of will and with all delight and cheerefulnesse but since wee were called regenerate and inlightened by Gods Spirit and since we haue giuen our names to Christ and professed our selues to be his seruants we haue oftentimes done seruice vnto Satan his arch-enemy by committing many sinnes not onely through frailty and infirmity either through ignorance or because we were taken vpon the sudden and at vnawares but oftentimes wittingly and willingly against knowledge and conscience yea sometime wilfully being transported with the violence of our carnall lusts and passions and as it were with an high hand against God That we haue thus sinned not onely in secret committing that wickednesse in Gods presence which wee would haue forborne in the presence of a mortall man but also openly and scandalously to the dishonour of God and slander of our profession That wee haue not seldome falne into these sinnes but often and many times yea euen after that we haue repented of them and haue resolued vowed and promised that we would leaue and forsake them That we haue committed these sinnes not against an enemy a stranger or one of meane condition like vnto our selues but against God omnipotent in power and glorious in Maiesty and vnto vs so infinite in grace and mercy that with all other blessings which we inioy or hope for he hath giuen the Sonne of his loue vnto vs and for vs that he might by his death worke that great worke of our Redemption and giue vnto vs life and happinesse who were the slaues of Satan dead in our sinnes enemies to God and our owne good and the children of wrath as well as others That we haue not by strong inducements beene drawne to offend so great and gracious a God but for meere trifles and the contemptible wages of worldly vanities That wee haue committed these sinnes being the members of Iesus Christ our Head and so as much as in vs did lie haue defiled him with the taint of our sinnes and drawne him as much as we could into communion with vs in our wickednesse that shed his precious blood to purge and purifie vs that we might be holy and without all blemish of sinfull pollution That we haue by our sinnes grieued the good Spirit in vs vexing him who is our Comforter by quenching his good motions and obeying the suggestions of Satan and the lusts of our sinfull flesh That we haue thus sinned and hauing falne haue lien in our sinnes without repentance notwithstanding the plentifull meanes which God hath granted of grace and sanctification As the
some delay we haue most doubted of them Finally knowing that he is good and gracious mercifull and bountifull both vnto all his elect and particularly vnto vs wee must seeke to confirme it vnto our selues by our owne experience and by calling to mind how often he hath pardoned our former sinnes and sealed this pardon in our hearts and consciences by the testimony of his Spirit how often we haue tasted how good he is in the fruits of his bounty and in the sweet feeling thereof haue had our hearts comforted and refreshed The which experience of times past will much strengthen our faith and hope Rom. 5. 4. for the time to come make vs wholly to depend vpon him and to consecrate and deuote our selues to his worship and seruice with all cheerfulnesse and couragious resolution notwithstanding all oppositions seeing by manifold experience we haue found that the God whom wee serue is Dan. 3. most mighty to defend vs most gracious true of his promises and bountifull in performance richly rewarding all those who feare and depend vpon him Thus knowing the vertue and efficacy of Christs death in taking away by the inestimable merit thereof the guilt and punishment of our sinnes we must striue to finde and feele it in our owne experience by obseruing how it hath been powerfull and effectuall in vs for the mortifying and crucifying of our carnall lusts and sinfull corruptions which heretofore haue ruled and raigned in vs. And this Paul meaneth when hee saith that he desired to know nothing but Iesus Christ and him crucified 1. Cor. 2. 2. namely this vertue and efficacie of it in himselfe in the crucifying of his flesh with the lusts thereof and not onely to know the truth of it which might easily be attained vnto by the relation and instructions of others In which sense he saith in another place that he accounted all things but losse Phil. 3. 8 9 10. for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Iesus and that he laboured aboue all things to know him and the power of his Resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable vnto his death that is not barely to know these things or to beleeue them by faith but to haue the experience of the vertue of his Resurrection in raising him from the death of sin to holinesse and newnesse of life giuing him a full conquest ouer his corruptions and spirituall life and strength to serue God in some perfection Thus knowing the holy Ghost to be our sanctifier we must neuer rest till we haue some good experience of it in our selues in his purging vs thorowout body and soule from all sinfull pollutions and in our spirituall renewing and reforming according to Gods Image in wisedome holinesse and righteousnesse Thus we must know the workes of God both towards our selues and others not onely by hearing reading and discourse but also by our owne obseruation and experience How liberally from time to time he hath rewarded our poore indeuours and imperfect seruice with manifold blessings and how hee hath corrected our sloth when as wee haue been cold and carelesse formall and negligent in his seruice with his fatherly chastisements How he hath visited our sinnes with crosses and afflictions yea speciall sinnes with speciall punishments which haue sprung as fruits from those cursed rootes and by following them as at the heeles haue plainly shewed from what causes they came or else haue bin so fitted and proportioned vnto them in likenesse and similitude that the correction hath as it were by the hand led vs to the sight of our sinne And how vpon our repentance and humiliation he hath graciously spared and freed vs from our afflictions when wee least thought of any deliuerance The which as it will notably preserue vs from falling into those sinnes for which wee haue been formerly corrected so when wee haue falne it will effectually mooue vs to rise out of them by vnfained repentance and confirme thereupon our affiance in God that seeing he is immutable 2. Cor. 1. 10. in his goodnesse he will now againe be alike gracious vpon our humiliation to deliuer vs from present and future euils Thus also in Gods dealing with others we may haue experience of his truth in his promises towards those that feare and serue him and in his threatenings against those that are wicked who make no conscience of their wayes but rebelliously sinne against him of his Iustice by obseruing his Iudgements executed vpon the wilfull transgressours of his lawes and his goodnesse and mercy towards those who indeuour to serue and please him whereby we Eccles 8. 12. shall be made fearefull to offend him and carefull to carry our selues so in an holy conuersation as that we may be accepted in his sight And as this experimentall knowledge of God and his workes will bee a notable meanes to restraine vs from all sinne and to further vs in all the duties of a godly life so also the like knowledge of our selues and our owne courses and actions will be a singular helpe to the same ends as when we not only know that we are wholly corrupted in our soules and bodies with originall sinne but also experimentally feele the venome and vigour of it working in vs disabling vs vnto all good duties and making vs prone vnto all wickednesse whereby we are made more carefull in the vse of all good meanes by which wee may be inabled more and more to mortifie and subdue it when as wee not onely after a generall manner know our naturall weaknesse and frailty whereby we are often ouertaken with manifold actuall sinnes but also obserue by particular experience our speciall slips and falls what corruptions are most potent in vs and vnto what sinnes our nature is most prone and wherewith we are most often foyled to the end that we may not rest vpon our owne strength which so often faileth but vpon the power and promises of God and with more feruency craue the assistance of his holy Spirit to strengthen vs against our corruptions and to subdue their power that they may not preuaile against vs as in former times When as we see that wee are defectiue in all good duties we must also by experience obserue vnto what speciall duties we are most auerse and which we performe with most difficulty bewraying in them our greatest wants and imperfections that so wee may goe about them with greatest resolution and vse our best indeuours to performe them daily in more perfection When as wee not onely know that we are continually tempted by our spirituall enemies but also finde by experience their particular tentations wherewith they most assault vs and most often foyle and ouercome vs that so wee may in these regards keepe a more speciall watch take more paines in repairing these particular breaches and arme our selues with more courage and resolution to withstand them in the next incounters §. Sect. 2 The experimentall
knowledge of our owne estates in respect of our contrary courses Againe wee are thus by our experience to marke and obserue our selues in respect of our diuers and contrary courses in our liues and conuersations Psal 84. 11. and 27. 1 3. As when we are watchfull ouer our wayes to please God in all things and carefull to serue him in all Christian duties what singular blessings and benefits wee reape thereby How wee are comforted with Gods gracious presence and feele the beames of his loue cheering our hearts and the light of his countenance so refreshing them that no afflictions can dismay vs how our faith is strengthened against all tentations in the assurance of the remission of our sinnes and the saluation of our soules how our heads are lifted vp with hope ioyfully expecting the performance of all Gods promises euen when they are delayed and how Psal 23. 4. and 3. 5. Joh. 14. 27. Rom. 8. 31 32 c. confident we are in the middest of desperate dangers in the assurance of Gods presence and protection What peace we haue vvith God and in our owne consciences which passeth all vnderstanding and how therein we triumph ouer all worldly oppositions and the worst that the might and malice of the diuell and all his adherents can doe against vs. Finally Ioh. 16. 27. what rauishing and vnspeakeable ioyes replenish our hearts which Rom. 5. 3. none can take from vs no not afflictions and persecutions nor the dreadfull face of approaching death On the other side when wee neglect our watch and are ouertaken with any grosse sinnes when we carelesly omit the duties of Gods seruice or performe them slothfully negligently after a cold and formall manner wee may out of experience obserue either how we are hardened through the deceitfulnesse of sinne and lye snorting in carnall security without any sense or motion of spirituall life or if our consciences be awakened and wee come to some feeling of our wretched estate how we are dismayed with the absence of God when he hath withdrawne Cant. 3. 1. and 5. 6. Psal 23. 1. Psal 32. 3. Psal 6. 1 3 6. Psa 38. 1 2 3 4. Psalm 77. 2 7 8 9. Psal 88. 15. from vs the sense and feeling of his grace and fauour how wee are terrified with the apprehension of his wrath and with the sight of our manifold and grieuous sinnes how our faith is assaulted with doubting and incredulity our hopes vanished our affiance weakened yea oftentimes turned into diffidence and distrust Our peace disturbed with the accusations of a guilty conscience and our ioy turned into sorrow and heauinesse Of both which estates when we haue had feeling experience it will be an effectuall meanes as any other to make vs flee all manner of sinne to striue continually against our corruptions and imperfections and to indeuour with all care and good conscience to please God in all things and to performe vnto him zealous seruice in all the duties of a godly life §. Sect. 3 That no knowledge is to be compared with this of experience In a word there is no knowledge alike vsefull and profitable vnto this which is seasoned by obseruation and experience For as in ciuill affaires that knowledge which is gotten by reading and mentall discourse is of little vse or worth vntill it be perfected by practice and experience so is it much more true in the knowledge of Christianity Wee see that men by much reading and speculation attaine vnto great knowledge but seldome to sound wisedome which hath giuen way to that common Prouerbe that The greatest Clerks are not the wisest men It is no lesse certaine though it may be lesse obserued that speculatiue knowledge not being seasoned with experience doth not make men spiritually wise vnto saluation whereof it is that the great Doctours of the world who are richest in it are commonly poorest in grace and godlinesse hauing no sense and feeling of those things whereof in their learned discourses they make a great shew and are well able to teach others that way which themselues neuer trauelled It is not much reading nor speculatiue skill in the writings of State-policy that will make a wise Councellour and much lesse a prudent Prince and Gouernour but when this knowledge is seasoned with experience which teacheth where the rules hold and where they faile and how they are varied by circumstances which being innumerable cannot be comprehended in any precepts but are onely to bee determined by wise prudence which is gotten by experience It is not only booke-knowledge that will make a good Generall or skilfull Pilot no not so much as a cunning Artificer but when this knowledge is perfected by practice and experience and so surely though wee abound neuer so much in litterall knowledge it will be farre from making vs good Christians vnlesse wee bring precepts into practice and by feeling experience apply what we know to our owne particular vse and benefit Yea in truth amongst all those poynts of Religion which wee comprehend euen by the sauing knowledge of faith those aboue all others are most sweet and comfortable vsefull and beneficiall which haue been confirmed and sealed vnto vs by most experience A man truly wise may cleerly discerne of good and euill and of that which is either safe or dangerous and may not onely beleeue without any doubting what he knoweth but may be able by effectuall reasons to perswade others either to imbrace or shunne them and yet neuer come to a sound vse of his knowledge till it be seconded and better cleered by experience As for example hee may know the danger of suretiship and how many men haue been vndone by it losing not onely their wealth but also their friends for whom they haue been ingaged and yet be so blinded with deceiuing hopes that with some little importunity he is content to be ingaged but if his generall notions be seasoned by experience and if being left in the lurch he hath found and felt the smart of his forwardnesse afterwards a threefold Cable is not strong enough to draw him into bonds and hazard himselfe vnto so many miseries So a man may know that this or that meate may bee dangerous and of hard digestion and yet be drawne by his appetite to feede vpon it but if he haue once surfetted and haue felt the smart of a tedious sicknesse which hath indangered his life he is afterwards alienated from it both in iudgement and appetite so that hee will bee sure to take heed of that dish though he will venture to feed on another no lesse dangerous in his opinion but not tryed to be so by experience and thus it is in all other dangers which wee more carefully shunne as wee haue with more difficulty escaped out of them So contrariwise that which our iudgements approue as good is not so much loued and imbraced till we haue by experience found it to be so vnto vs neither haue
2. Tim. 3. 15. 2 Iohn ver 1 4. our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might haue hope The Apostle Iohn likewise writing to children young and old men plainely implyeth that no age is exempted but euen little children must reade that they may be seasoned with the knowledge of Gods truth from their tender age like young Timothy and the children of the elect Lady and so being trayned vp in the way which they should chuse when they are old they will not depart from it and hauing this sound foundation of knowledge layd they may haue the building of faith and piety more easily erected and set vp in them And young men also must reade the Scriptures that being armed with this sword of the Spirit they may be the better enabled to resist the tentations of the diuell the world and their own flesh which in that age are most strong and violent Finally old men after they haue gotten much knowledge must still diligently studie the Scriptures that they may be the better confirmed and settled in the things which they know recall those things to memory which that age otherwise is apt to forget and that hauing knowne God and his Christ from the beginning not onely by reading and hearing but by much experience they may be refreshing and renewing this knowledge be the better able to walke themselues in this cleare light and guide and direct others also by their fatherly instructions in the right way that they should chuse But yet in a more speciall manner this dutie of reading the Law and Word of Deut. 17. 18 19 Iosh 1. 8. God is pressed vpon Princes and Gouernours that being inlightened with the knowledge of Gods will and truth they may themselues yeeld obedience vnto it seeing hereby they shall not onely saue their owne soules but also bee a meanes of the saluation of many others their liues and actions being exemplarie and powerfull to draw those which are vnder them to follow and imitate them in that which is either good or euill And also that hauing this light to guide them they may administer righteous iudgement and gouerne the people committed to their charge in the feare of the Lord establishing amongst them Gods true Religion and maintaining in all their dominions iustice and truth But aboue all others the Ministers of Gods Word are religiously bound to exercise themselues diligently in reading the Scriptures seeing they must not onely haue skill to direct themselues and their owne families but to instruct all others committed to their charge in the Word and will of God for the Priests lips Mal. 2. 7. must preserue knowledge and the people must seeke the Law at their mouth for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts And he principally more then ordinary Christians must giue attendance to reading exhortation and doctrine 1. Tim. 4. 13 16. and continue in them because in so doing he shal both saue himselfe and those that heare him §. Sect. 2 That we are chiefly to be exercised in reading and studying of the Scriptures The second generall point to be considered is the subiect matter of our reading of which wee must make good choyce seeing it were much better not to reade at all then to spend our time in perusing such bookes as are prophane teaching nothing but vanitie and lyes wantonnesse ribaldry and contempt both of Religion common honesty in which number are books of scurrilous iests plaies and Machiauellian policie For as we say in the prouerbe Where God hath his Church there the diuell hath his chappell and apishly imitating the diuine Maiesty that he may blinde his followers get from them the like glory and especially that he may disgrace Gods holy ordinances as God hath his Sacraments Ceremonies so he will haue his to seale vp to his vassals their more assured condemnation And as God hath his bookes of holy Scriptures contayning his will and Lawes for the sanctifying and gouerning of his people so the deuill will haue scribes inspired with his will to set forth bookes of hellish impieties and damnable policies for the corrupting of mens iudgements the poisoning of their hearts and manners and the trayning vp and gouerning of his subiects in all sinne and wickednesse And therefore all those who desire to please God in the duties of a godly life must with as much care flee such bookes as Mariners doe the rockes and sands and as they professe themselues Gods seruants so they must make choyce of such bookes as will better their knowledge and practice in his Lawes as they professe themselues of the Christian Religion so they must read and studie such bookes as being religious will further them in Christianity and enable them to performe vnto God more diligent and faithfull seruice In which respect the Booke of holy Scriptures contained in the Old and New Testament is to be preferred aboue all others seeing it is the foundation and ground of them all which hauing God for it Author is of infallible truth and is to be beleeued in its owne sole authority and needeth not the confirmation of reason or any humane testimony but shineth like the Sunne in it owne light Whereas all writings of men who are subiect to errours are onely so far foorth to be beleeued and imbraced as they are consonant and agreeable with it For all men are lyers and through their ignorance subiect to errors apt to deceiue and to be deceiued and therefore are no further to be credited then as their sayings and works are approoued by the Canon and rule of Gods infallible truth Besides that the Word of God is of more maiesty power efficacie then any mortall mans and his more immediate ordinance which being more effectually assisted and wrought into our mindes and hearts by his holy Spirit is of greater efficacie for the inlightening of our vnderstandings the mollifying of our hearts the strengthening of our Faith and sanctifying of our affections then all other writings without it And this Dauid found by experience professing that by studying and meditating in the Booke and Law of God he became wiser then the Ancients and of more vnderstanding then his teachers Psal 119. 9◠100. §. Sect. 3 Their obiection answered who pretend the obscurity of the Scriptures Neither let any man pretend that the Scriptures are of such difficulty and so hard to be vnderstood that priuate men must not presume to Psal 19. 7 8. Pro. 1. 4. read them seeing they haue plainely taught vs that the Law of the Lord inlighteneth the eyes and maketh wise the simple And wise Salomon telleth vs that this was one chiefe end of his penning that portion of holy Scripture that he might giue subtilty that is more then common knowledge to the simple and to the young man knowledge and discretion So that though the Scriptures finde men simple and ignorant yet they doe not leaue them so seeing they
Scriptures and other religious bookes yea though we were like many of the Iewes so conuersant in the Booke of God that we could say the most of it by heart and were able to tell precisely how many words and letters were contained in it all this would yeeld vnto vs no spirituall nourishment nor make vs to thriue any whit in grace and godlinesse §. Sect. 3 That we must come with a purpose to make good vse of all we reade Finally in our preparation we must come to reading with a purpose and resolution to draw all we reade vnto our owne particular vse either for the informing of our iudgements or sanctifying of our affections or reforming of our liues by putting those good duties in practice which we know and learne The which purpose Dauid expresseth in these words Teach me O Lord the way of thy Commandements and I will keepe them vnto Psal 119. 33. the end Otherwise wee can haue no assurance that God will by our reading inlighten our mindes and increase our knowledge for why should be giue vs more if we make no good vse of that we haue Yea why should he not rather take away his Talent if we hide it vnprofitably in a napkin or at least leaue it with vs to increase our account and with it our punishment for the seruant that knoweth his Masters will and doth it not shall bee Luk. 12. 47. beaten with many stripes Let therefore as one exhorteth the holy Scriptures Sint ergo diuine Scripture semper in manibus tuis iugiter mente volâ—â—ntur c. Hyer a 〈…〉 Iâ—â— Scripturas sacras lege vt semper memineris Dei illa verba esse qui legem suâ—m non solùm sciri sed etiam impleri iubet c. Ad Demetriad be alwayes in thy hands and meditate on them in thy minde yet doe not thinke it sufficient for thee to haue Gods Lawes in thy memory if thou forgettest them in thy workes but therefore know them that thou mayest doe what thou knowest for not the hearers of the Law are iust before God but the doers of it are iustified And as the same Author perswadeth in another place So reade the holy Scriptures as that thou alwayes remember them to be the Word of God who requireth not onely that we should know his Law but also fulfill and obey it For it profiteth not to know such things as ought to be done and not to doe them Thou vsest well thy reading of Diuinity if thou settest it as a glasse before thee that thy soule may behold it selfe by looking in it and may either amend deformities and blemishes or more adorne it selfe where it is already beautifull §. Sect. 4 That we must pray before we reade Lastly that we may performe both the preparation and action the better we must lift vp our hearts and when in respect of place and company we conueniently can our voyce also desiring in some short and pithy prayer that the Lord will assist vs in this exercise by his grace and holy Spirit that thereby it may become effectuall for the inlightning of our mindes with sauing knowledge the informing of our iudgements the sanctifying of our affections the nourishing and increasing of our faith repentance and all sanctifying graces and the strengthening of vs in the inner man vnto all the duties of a godly and Christian life to the glory of his holy Name and comfort and saluation of our soules through our Lord Iesus Christ The which inuocation of Gods holy Name is necessary before the reading of the Word for we are naturally blind and therefore had need to pray with Dauid Open mine eyes O Lord that I may see the wonderfull things of the Law Naturally we vnderstand not the things Psal 119. 18. of the Spirit of God neither can we know them because they are spiritually discerned 1. Cor. 2. 11 14. and it is onely the Spirit of God that knoweth the things of God and Luk. 11. 13. reuealeth them vnto vs which we can no otherwise hope to obtaine then by feruent and effectuall prayer CAP. XXX Of the duties required in the action of reading that we may profit by it §. Sect. 1 Of the ends at which wee must ayme in our reading ANd thus much concerning those things which are required in our preparation In the action of reading diuers points are to be considered The first is the ends which wee must propound vnto our selues in it Which are either principall or subordinate The principall end which wee must ayme at in this exercise is the glory of God namely that heereby knowing his will we may glorifie his holy Name by yeelding obedience vnto it and by putting in practice the things which he requireth in the whole course of our liues and conuersations The subordinate end is generally the edification of our selues and our brethren and the saluation of their and our owne soules according to that of the Apostle Attend vnto reading 1. Tim. 4. 13 16. and continue therein for in so doing thou shalt both saue thy selfe and those that heare thee More especially wee must reade the Scriptures to those ends for which the holy Ghost hath commended them vnto vs as vsefull and profitable And first for doctrine and instruction in which regard 2. Tim. 3. 16. we are to reade them for the further inlightning of our minds and informing of our iudgements in the knowledge and acknowledgement of Gods will that we may be directed thereby in all our wayes for the leading of our liues in such a course as may in all things bee acceptable vnto God For we are naturally blind and ignorant and walking in darkenesse and in the shaddow of death we know not what to chuse and what to refuse but the Word of God is a lampe vnto our feet and a light vnto our Psal 119. 105. paths which shining vnto vs in this darkenesse guideth our feet into the way of peace Of which light if we depriue our selues we shall passe our Luk. 1. 79. liues in a more then Aegyptian darkenesse and groping at noone day shall easily be mis-led into all sinne and errour according to that of Salomon for the soule to be without knowledge it is not good and he who wanting Pro. 19. 2. this light to guide him hasteth with his feet sinneth being ready to deceiue and be deceiued The second end at which wee must ayme in our reading is that we may be established in the truth being inabled to defend it and also to refute and conuince the errours and false doctrine which are contrary vnto it especially those wherewith it is most oppugned in the times and places wherein we liue For if wee be conuersant in the Scriptures we shall be able to try the Spirits whether they be of God or no 1. Iob. 4. 1. and not receiue all we heare hand ouer head and so be carried away with euery wind
things which we desire to practise in our liues §. Sect. 2 That by reading the mind is much inlightened in the knowledge of Gods will More especially this exercise of reading doth singularly further vs in a godly life as it doth inlighten our vnderstandings in the knowledge of Gods will vnto which we are to yeeld obedience and sheweth vnto vs the way in which we must walke To which purpose no exercise whatsoeuer is so vsefull and effectuall For howsoeuer the preaching and hearing of the Word haue a superiour priuiledge in the worke of our Regeneration and conuersion and for the working of sauing graces in vs as faith repentance and the rest yet for the inlightening of the mind with the full knowledge of the truth after wee are conuerted and illuminated in some measure this exercise of reading hath many speciall priuiledges For first wee may vse it as oft as wee will and haue any desire to gaine knowledge but the other can be had but at certaine times nor then neither in euery place Secondly by reading we may in short time if we be studious and diligent be thorowly instructed in the whole body of Diuinity and in all the seuerall parts thereof which by preaching we cannot come to know but in long time though our Pastour take the best and most direct course of ioyning Catechizing with Preaching nor in our whole liues in any great perfection if this be neglected seeing in a Sermon some few of innumerable poynts are vsually deliuered and they rather pressed vpon the affection for vse and practice then sufficiently cleared to the vnderstanding Thirdly because by reading we may helpe our vnderstanding by reuiewing ouer and ouer againe that which at first we conceiued not and by the same meanes also may recall to our remembrance the things which after once or twice reading wee haue forgotten the which helpes hearing affoordeth not especially when wee most stand in need of them Finally because we may at our owne pleasure fit our reading for our owne occasions and furnishing vs in the knowledge of those poynts wherein we are most defectiue for the resoluing of our particular questions and doubts and for the informing our iudgements in all poynts whereof for the present and vpon euery occasion wee haue speciall vse whereas the Preacher speaking generally for the good of the whole Congregation and not being acquainted with our defects in knowledge seldome or neuer speaketh of all those poynts wherein we need instruction and often of such as we know already In all which respects it is hard to finde a Christian thorowly grounded in all poynts contained in the body of Diuinity though hee be neuer so diligent in hearing the Word preached and may haue some competency of knowledge necessary to saluation and some good measure of faith and other sauing graces if he vtterly neglect this duty of reading §. Sect. 3 That reading bringeth with it many other benefits Againe as reading singularly inlighteneth the mind so also it affoordeth many other helpes of a godly life for it is a speciall meanes to relieue the memory and to mooue the will inclining it powerfully vnto good and withdrawing it from euill though not in that degree of efficacy as the Word preached It worketh vpon the hart for the mollifying softening it and vpon all the affections for the purging and sanctifying of them inflaming our loue towards God and all good things and our hatred against all that is euill it kindleth our zeale when it groweth luke-warme and stirreth vp our deuotion when it is cold and sluggish It much increaseth all Gods graces in vs as faith affiance repentance patience peace of conscience and the rest by imparting vnto them that spirituall food whereby they are nourished It amendeth our liues and maketh vs as the Apostle speaketh perfect vnto euery good worke It specially inableth 2. Tim. 3. 13 17. vs to the fruitfull hearing of the Word of God when as we can with the Bereans search the Scriptures whether the things we heare be so or no and try Act. 17. 11. the spirits of those wee heare whether they be of God or no by examining their doctrines according to the touch-stone of this Truth besides that it maketh vs well acquainted with the Scriptures both for matter and history so that when they are cited they are familiar vnto vs. Whereas without this benefit of reading we cannot tell whether the testimonies quoted be in the Canonicall Scriptures or no or if we take this vpon our Teachers word yet we cannot tell where they are nor easily turne to them vpon the sudden It teacheth vs to manage the Sword of the Spirit whereby we are enabled to defend our selues and repell the tentations of our spirituall enemies as we see in the Eph. 6. 17. Math. 4. 3. 4 c. example of our Sauiour Christ Finally if we vse this exercise carefully and conscionably to profit by it we shall be assured of euerlasting blessednesse For blessed is he that readeth and they that heare the Words Apoc. 1. 3. of Gods Booke and keepe the things which are written therein Blessed is Psal 1. 1 2. the man who delighteth in the Law of the Lord and meditateth therein day and night All which being duly considered should be effectuall motiues to make those diligent in reading who are able to performe it and greatly to humble those who are not in the sight and sense of this great defect and either to labour that yet they may attaine vnto this skill if they be capable and haue meanes or else to supply their wants by resorting often vnto others that they may reade vnto them the euidences of their saluation and heauenly inheritance which themselues for want of skill are not able to peruse CAP. XXXII The last ordinary meanes of a godly life is the choyce of our company shunning the society of the wicked and consorting our selues with the godly and Religious §. Sect. 1 That we must carefully auoid the society of wicked and prophane persons THe last ordinary meanes of a godly life is that we make good choyce of our company vnto which two things are required first that we shun and auoid the society of the prophane and wicked the other is that we consort our selues with the godly and religious By the former we are not to vnderstand that we must forbeare the society of all who are not as forward and zealous in their profession and practice as our selues or who bewray in their course and conuersation many infirmities and imperfections as though those were to be esteemed wicked and prophane who haue made but small progresse in their sanctification if any sparkes of grace and goodnesse appeare in them though as it were raked vp vnder the ashes of many and great corruptions for then we should breake the bruised reede and quench the Matth. 12. 20. smoking flaxe and by our censorious neglect vtterly discourage them in their
perfection yet they suppose that there is no necessity of seruing God so strictly and sincerely but that all is spoken for forme and fashion sake otherwise they who are so earnest in perswading vs would leade vs the way by their good example For the remouing of which impediment we are to know that howsoeuer Ministers excell others in the common gifts of the Spirit as knowledge learning and such like yet the sauing graces of God are free not tyed to any calling or profession more then others And therefore seeing in this regard the learned hath no priuiledge aboue the vnlearned the Doctor aboue the Artificer or the Pharisee before the Fisherman it is no great maruaile if the greatest Rabbins in the world bee as small proficients in Matth. 11. 25. 1. Cor. 1. 26. Matth. 23. 2 3. grace and in the practice of holy Christian duties as those which they scorne for their ignorance and simplicity But yet so long as they sit in Moses chayre wee must not onely heare them but doe as they say though not as they doe seeing their speeches are not grounded vpon the authority of their persons or actions but vpon the Word of God vnto which wee owe simple and absolute obedience whosoeuer bee the Messenger that bringeth it vnto vs. But of this I haue written more largely in the first part of my Warfare vnto which I referre the Reader who desireth in this point more full satisfaction §. Sect. 6 Of the publike impediments which respect the people The common impediments of a godly life which respect the people are also diuers As first when they content themselues with a forme of profession and Religion without any desire to finde in themselues the power efficacy and fruite thereof for the sanctifying of their hearts and reforming of their liues As when they professe Religion because the State establisheth it goe to the Church and heare the Word because the Law requireth it pray in the Congregation and goe to the Communion because it is the custome of the Countrey and other of their neighbours doe it as well as they But this is to rest in a shadow without a substance and in a forme of godlinesse but denying the power thereof Which if wee would auoid our care must 2. Tim. 3. 5. bee to serue God in obedience to his Commandements to worship him in Spirit and truth and to ioyne the inward seruice of the heart and soule with the ourward seruice of the body and finally that in all these duties wee propound vnto our selues right ends namely to profit by them in knowledge faith and the practice of all holy duties of a godly life that we may glorify God in the further assurance of our saluation The second impediment respecting The second impediment the people is the neglect and contempt of the Preaching of Gods Word as a thing vnnecessary for their saluation For howsoeuer they suppose that there is some vse of it for their conuersion vnto God the inlightening of their mindes with some knowledge of the truth and the working of faith in some first degrees yet they hold it a needelesse taske to bee continually tyed to these religious exercises and that it is sufficient to vse them sometimes at their best leysure Which impediment if wee would shun wee must remember that as the Word and the ministery thereof is the immortall seede which begetteth vs to God so it is the spirituall food of our Ephe. 4. 11 12 13. soules whereby they must bee continually nourished that the graces of the Spirit begun may bee increased and confirmed in vs vntill we come to a perfect age in Iesus Christ That it is the sword of the Spirit whereof we haue daily vse in our spiritual warfare which lasteth as long as our liues last for the repelling of our enemies the ouercomming of all their dangerous temptations That it is the only true light which guideth vs in all our waies whereof if through negligence wee depriue our selues we shall walke in darkenesse and sit in the shaddow of death That it is our counsellor in all our doubts and our comforter in all our troubles the meanes to strengthen and vphold vs when we stand and to recouer and rayse vs when we are falne the chiefe helpe we haue to keepe vs in the way of truth and to recall vs when we erre and goe astray our food in time of health and our physicke to cure and restore vs when we are sicke The third impediment to the The third impediment life of grace and godlinesse is when as the people are content to heare the Word but without any cheerefulnesse and delight with cloyed stomacks and lost appetites whereof it is that this delicious Manna is loathsome to their carnall and surfetted taste and yeeldeth no wholesome nourishment because it is eaten against the stomacke Which if we would remoue wee must labour often to quicken our appetite that wee may with Dauid finde and feele the sweetenesse of Gods Psal 19. 10. Word farre exceeding the hony and the hony-combe and earnestly hunger and thirst after it that we may profit by it and haue the graces of Gods Spirit nourished and increased in vs. To which end wee must often meditate vpon the excellency profit and necessity of it as being a Pearle aboue all price and the onely chiefe treasure which will make vs truely rich The fourth impediment is want of diligence reuerence The fourth impediment and attention in the hearing of the Word whereby most of this precious liquor spilleth beside and is vtterly lost and want of care to treasure it vp in our memories or to meditate vpon it afterwards that we may bring it home to our hearts and consciences and practise it in our liues Which if we would remoue we must consider that it is not the deede done which will make Gods ordinances truely profitable but the right manner of doing them that God will neuer blesse vnto vs the meanes of our saluation if wee only bring our lips and eares and outward man vnto them and do not performe these religious duties with our heart and spirit And finally that for our spirituall nourishment it is not sufficient that we haue plenty of food set before vs vnlesse we feede on it with good appetites retaine it in our memories as it were in the stomacke and well digest and apply it to our vse by serious meditation which duties if wee neglect either not feeding vpon the food of our soules or casting it vp againe as soone as it is eaten we can neuer attaine vnto any spiritual strength but must needs grow faint and languish in the life of godlinesse The last impediment which I The fifth impediment will here speake of in the people is too much curiosity both in their hearing and applying of the Word For such itching eares haue many that they loath the sincere milke of the Word and all
to serue and please God in those holy duties which he requireth but presently it opposeth vs discourageth vs in all good courses hangeth as it were about our neckes as an heauie Heb. 12. 1. burthen and tyreth vs in our iourney hampereth and fettereth vs that we can but slowly and not without much paines and difficulty proceed in any Christian duties and laboureth might and maine to shake off the yoke of new obedience that it may regaine wonted liberty and glut it selfe in the pleasures of sinne with sensuall delight Neither in truth would it be an hard thing for vs to ouercome all those difficulties and remoue those impediments which the diuell and the world cast in our way if our corrupt flesh did not betray our Christian resolution and willingly admit these discouragements and if it were not as ready to stumble at these blockes that it may take occasion thereby to stand still or turne out of the way as our other enemies to cast them before vs. So that aboue all impediments which hinder vs in the course of Christianity we carry those which are most dangerous in our owne bosomes euen the rebellious reluctations and oppositions of our owne sinfull flesh which hinder vs wholly from all holy duties or so interrupt vs in them that we performe them at the best with much weaknesse and manifold wants and imperfections And thus the flesh hindreth vs either by its frailty and weaknesse whereby it disableth vs to performe the duties of Gods seruice as we see in the example of the Apostles who through naturall drowzinesse could not watch and pray as their Lord inioyned them according to that of our Sauiour The spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weake or else Math. 26. 41. by its maliciousnesse which maketh it wilfully to oppose and hinder the spirituall part in all good duties according to that of the Apostle The Gal. 5. 17. flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other so as we cannot doe that good we would Of which impediments caused by the flesh the Apostle pitifully complaineth To will is Rom. 7. 18 22 23 24. present with me but how to performe that which is good I finde not For the good that I would I doe not but the euill that I would not that I doe I delight in the Law of God after the inner man but I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captiuity to the law of sinne which is in my members O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer mee from the body of this death Which impediments if we would remooue we must daily make warre against our sinfull flesh and corruption of nature from whence they arise and strike at the root if wee would kill the branches which spring from it We must labour with God by prayer for the assistance of his holy Spirit that thereby we may be inabled to mortifie and subdue the flesh and all its sinfull lusts which fight against our 1. Pet. 2. 11. soules and quickened in the inner man vnto new obedience and holinesse of life And hauing gotten the mastery ouer this enemy we must not content our selues with our first victories but we must still keepe it vnder like a slaue and by daily buffetting and beating of it hold it in subiection 1. Cor. 9. 27. that it may not rebell against the spirituall part nor hinder it from performing the duties of a godly and Christian life But this I will thus briefly passe ouer because I haue already intreated of it at large in the fourth part of my Christian Warfare §. Sect. 2 That ignorance is a great impediment to a godly life The speciall impediments which the flesh vseth to hinder vs in the duties of a godly life arise either from the corruptions of nature or from those manifold obiections whereby it discourageth vs from entring into or proceeding in it The impediments of the former kind are internall in the soule or externall in our workes and actions Concerning the first the soule is so generally corrupted in all the powers and faculties of it that it wholly disableth vs vnto all the duties of a godly life The which corruptions are either in the mind and vnderstanding or in the heart and affections The mind and vnderstanding doe hinder vs in the practice of all Christan duties both by ignorance which hindreth and disableth vs from knowing those things which are necessary to saluation and to the practice of all holy duties and by curiosity which maketh vs to affect the knowledge of such things as are needlesse and vnprofitable For first we are hindred in the duties of a godly life by our naturall ignorance of God who is to be worshipped and serued by them especially when wee doe not vnderstand and know his sauing attributes as that hee is omniscient to take notice of all our thoughts words and actions and omnipotent to reward them if they be good or to punish them if they bee euill that he is iust and will call all we doe to account and mercifull to pardon our infirmities and imperfections if wee labour and indeuour to doe vnto him the best seruice we are able that he is all-sufficient and infinite in all goodnesse most bountifull and gracious and a rich rewarder of all those who seeke and serue him All which being singular motiues and incouragements vnto all Christian duties the ignorance of them must needs be a notable impediment to hinder vs in them For who can with cheerfulnesse serue such a master as he knoweth not or be faithfull and diligent in his duty when as he cannot vpon any well-grounded knowledge be assured that his seruice is accepted or shall be rewarded Who can performe duties agreeable to Gods nature when he vnderstandeth not what it is or performe any spirituall seruice if he know not that he is spirituall vnto whom it is performed Thus also wee are hindred in the duties of a godly life by being ignorant of Gods reuealed will for seeing no seruice is acceptable which is not agreeable vnto it all deuotion not guided by it meere superstition and all will-worship inuented by our owne braine though with neuer so good intention odious and abominable who seeth not that he who is ignorant of Gods will is no more able to walke in the way of his Commandements then hee who wanteth his bodily eyes to goe in a strange and difficult way without a guide Yea suppose that we were set in this way and led as it were by the hand by the directions of others yet if we doe not see with our owne eyes and be not able of our selues to discerne the right way by the light of Gods Word shining vnto vs how easily if our guides doe but a little leaue vs shall we through the malice of the diuell and our owne corruption erre
and goe astray And if we be not able to try the spirits of our Teachers 1. Joh. 4. 1. Act. 17. 11. and to examine their doctrines by the Touch-stone of Gods truth how apt are wee to become a prey vnto seducers and false teachers and to fall into sects schismes and damnable heresies like blind men who not seeing their way doe stand wholly at the deuotion of their guides to goe with them whithersoeuer they shall be pleased to leade them Againe ignorance of Gods speciall prouidence is a notable pulbacke from pious duties whereby in a gracious and iust maner he doth euen in this life administer dispense his rewards to those that serue him preseruing them from all dangers and from the malice and fury of all enemies who oppose them in their Christian conuersation and prouiding for them all things necessary for their soules and bodies in such a competency and sufficiency as is most fit for his owne glory and their saluation and also his iudgements and punishments to them who neglect his seruice and spend their dayes in the workes of darknesse performing ready seruice vnto sinne and Satan For when we doe obserue no profit accruing vnto them who are carefull to please God by doing his will nor any discommodity or punishment accompanying those who walke in the sinful imaginations of their owne hearts we are much hindred thereby in all Christian duties and ready to take any course which may further our worldly and wicked ends seeing wee are neither restrained from euill by Gods feare nor stirred vp vnto any good duty by his loue neither terrified from sinne by his affrighting iudgements nor incouraged vnto vertuous actions by the expectation of his gracious rewards Finally ignorance is a notable impediment to a godly life because if we doe not know the duties which are required vnto it nor the chiefe things wherein it consisteth it is not possible that we should performe them If we doe not know what is pleasing and what displeasing vnto God what he requireth in our seruice of him and what he forbiddeth and condemneth as odious and abominable we shall mistake the one for the other yea be much more ready to doe such things as he hateth then such as are pleasing vnto him because our corrupt nature is prone to the one and auerse and backeward to the other Besides if we be ignorant wee cannot see the excellency profit and necessity of all Christian duties belonging to a godly life which as they are singular motiues to perswade vs vnto the imbracing and practising of them so the ignorance of them doth make vs vtterly carelesse and negligent In all which respects if we would remooue this impediment it is most necessary that we labour after the sauing knowledge of God and his attributes his will and prouidence and of all those duties of holinesse and righteousnesse which he requireth of vs and to this end carefully and conscionably vse all good meanes whereby we may attaine vnto it of which I haue spoken in the beginning of this Treatise For be wee well assured that so long as wee continue ignorant of these things it is not possible to performe any duty acceptable vnto God Neither let vs content our selues with a speculatiue idle and fruitlesse knowledge swimming in the braine in which though we excell all others we shall not become more godly and religious but rather more proud and vaine-glorious but let vs labour after that sauing and experimentall knowledge of God and his attributes his will and works whereby we find and feele the things wee know effectuall for the sanctifying our hearts and affections and for the renewing of our liues in all holy obedience vnto Gods will §. Sect. 3 That vaine curiosity is a great impediment to a godly life The other impediment respecting the vnderstanding is vaine curiositie when as neglecting to know those things concerning God and his will which he hath reuealed vnto vs in his Word we pry into his secrets which belong not vnto vs spending our wits in spinning such Spiders webs as are vtterly vnprofitable for any vse For whilest we delight our selues in the study of these captious curiosities we wholly neglect all vsefull knowledge of the mayne points of Christian Religion as being matters too obuious and common for our sublimated and subtle wits yea are so wholly intent vnto idle speculations that we can find no leasure for the practice of any Christian duties like those star-gazing Astrologers who so fixe their eyes vpon them to obserue their magnitudes motions and influences that they cannot discerne their way but are ready to stumble at euery stone and to slip and fall into euery ditch Which impediment if we would auoyd we must labour to mortifie our spirituall pride which is the mother and nurse of this idle curiosity Secondly wee must be wise vnto sobriety not presuming to vnderstand aboue that which is meete Rom. 12. 3. knowing that the secret things belong vnto God and onely things reuealed vnto Deut. 29. 29. vs. Thirdly let vs in the first place bend our studies vnto the attaining of such knowledge as is most profitable and necessary wherein we shall find such plenty and variety such high contemplations and diuine Mysteries that we shall haue little leasure or pleasure in looking after idle speculations and fruitlesse curiosities Finally let vs propound vse and practice as the maine end of all our knowledge and condemne as vaine and friuolous that which doth rather hinder then aduance it for the more we spend our time and strength about curious nicities the lesse remaineth for the gayning of solid knowledge and the practice of it in holy duties Other impediments there are which arise from the sinfull corruption of our intellectuall faculties which respect either our mindes imaginations and discourse of reason or our iudgements and conclusions which arise from them In respect of the former it is a notable hindrance of a godly life when as all our cogitations are so wholly bent vpon worldly things that we neuer enter into any consideration of our spirituall estate whether we and our actions are accepted of God or no or whether that wee doe please or displease him Nor euer thinke with our selues whether we are in the state of grace and saluation or of corruption and condemnation and whether wee take that course and walke in that way that leadeth to life and blessednesse or that which bringeth all that goe in it to hell and destruction And finally when as we as are so wholly sensuall and addicted to the present fruition of earthly vanities that we neuer consider whether the meanes be good or euill whereby wee may compasse them nor take any notice of the manifold euils both spirituall and corporall temporall and eternall which our sinnes will bring vpon vs if we continue in them without repentance nor yet of the manifold and vnspeakeable comforts and contentments blessings and benefits which accompany
my life that therein I may doe thee seruice and vse all good meanes for the furthering and assuring of my saluation O Lord giue mee a true sense and feeling of thy loue that I may loue thee againe and a liuely apprehension and taste of thy rich mercy and goodnesse that mine heart and voyce may returne vnto thee the praises that are due Yea so much the more O Lord increase my thankfulnesse by how much the lesse worthy I am of the least of thy mercies by reason of my manifold and grieuous sinnes For I confesse vnfainedly that miserable estate in which I am by nature both in respect of my originall corruption in which I was conceiued and borne whereby all the powers and faculties of my body and soule haue beene wholly defiled and vtterly disabled vnto all duties of thy seruice for which I was created and that I haue made my selfe much more miserable by adding heereunto actuall transgressions whereby I haue broken all and euery of thy Commandements in thought word and deed both by omitting the duties which thou hast commanded and committing the contrary vices and sinnes which thou hast forbidden the which as they are for the quality of them haynous so doe they in number exceed the haires of mine head and the starres of heauen Yea Lord I haue not onely thus sinned against thee in the dayes of my ignorance when as I neither had any knowledge of thee and of thy will nor so much as any desire to serue and please thee but euen since the time that thou hast called mee to the knowledge of thy Truth and by the good motions of thy Spirit hast perswaded mee to imbrace professe and practise it since thou hast allured mee by thy gracious promises to serue thee and hast incouraged mee heereunto by innumerable blessings and large testimonies of thy fauour I haue often sinned against thee through frailty and infirmity and not seldome against my knowledge and conscience Oftentimes I haue neglected thy seruice to serue in the meane while mine owne sinfull lusts and when I haue vndertaken it I haue performed it oftentimes after a cold and formall manner with much weakenesse and wearinesse vnchearefulnesse and deadnesse of heart and spirit By all which my sinnes thus multiplyed against thee I haue iustly deserued to bee depriued of all thy blessings and benefits and to bee ouerwhelmed with all those fearefull punishments threatned in the Law respecting both this life and the life to come O Lord my God affect my heart with vnfained sorrow in the sight and sense of this my sinne and misery And as it is a burthen too heauy for mee to beare so let mee haue such a feeling of it that I may hunger after the righteousnesse of Iesus Christ and apply it vnto mee by a liuely faith and so make good the Couenant of grace which thou hast made with mee one speciall branch whereof is this that thou wilt remember my sinnes no more I confesse that I haue offended thy Iustice but my Sauiour Christ hath satisfied it by paying my debt to the vttermost farthing accept therefore of his satisfaction and impute not vnto mee that debt which hee hath discharged I haue deserued eternall death and condemnation but hee was condemned that I might bee acquitted and hath suffered the bitter death of the Crosse and thine anger due vnto my sinnes that I might bee freed from death and thy displeasure and therefore O Lord I beseech thee for his sake to take away the guilt and punishment of all my sinnes that they may neuer bee imputed vnto mee in this life nor in the life to come And being thus iustified by faith and at peace with thee let mee also obtaine peace of conscience in the assurance of the remission of my sinnes and thy loue and fauour in Iesus Christ Giue vnto mee thine holy Spirit and thereby seale mee vp vnto the day of my Redemption and make mee thine owne Child by adoption and grace Let mee approoue my selfe to bee thy Child by resembling thee my heauenly Father in holinesse and righteousnesse by hating and forsaking all that is euill and by louing and imbracing all that is good Sanctifie mee thorowout in my soule and body and let mee not onely make an holy profession with my mouth but let it proceed from my heart and bee expressed in the whole course of my life Encourage mee in this worke against all difficulties by assuring mee that thou wilt bring it to good effect and let mee apply vnto my selfe thy gracious promises which assure mee as well of my sanctification and victory ouer my corruptions as of my iustification and freedome from the guilt and punishment of my sinnes Let mee set continually before mee thy Law as the rule of my life and labour to conforme my obedience in all things thereunto denying vngodlinesse and all worldly lusts and liuing holily and religiously in respect of thee righteously and charitably in respect of my neighbours and temperately and soberly in respect of mine owne person Let mee labour to obserue thy whole Law in forsaking all sinne especially that which is most sweet and pleasing to my corrupt flesh and in imbracing all vertues and Christian duties which thou hast commanded especially those vnto which my nature is most auerse Let mee not content my selfe with such an hypocriticall holinesse as is destitute of righteousnesse nor with such a meerely morall righteousnesse as is without holinesse but let mee approoue my piety to bee sincere by my iustice charity and mercy and let these bee sanctified by my true godlinesse and religious deuotion Let mee not stand at a stay contenting my selfe with that small measure of sanctification which is begunne in me but let mee daily striue in the vse of all good meanes whereby I may attaine vnto more perfection and so sanctifie them vnto mee by thy holy Spirit that they may bee effectuall to perfect that good worke which thou hast begunne Inrich mee more and more with all sanctifying and sauing graces with the knowledge of thee and thy will a liuely faith in Iesus Christ vnfained repentance for my sinnes firme affiance and confidence in thee feruent loue of thee and my neighbours yea euen mine enemies for thy sake Inflame mine heart with an ardent zeale of thy glory replenish it with thy feare that it may neuer depart from thee Strengthen mine hope in the assured expectation of all thy gracious promises especially those which concerne my euerlasting happinesse giue mee patience in all my troubles thankefulnesse for all thy benefits peace of conscience spirituall ioy in the assurance of thy loue and the grace of perseuerance in the profession and practice of thy true Religion vnto the end Remoue all stumbling blockes of offence out of my way comfort me against all discouragements and arme me against all the tentations of my spirituall enemies that they may neuer preuaile against me Take me into thy gracious protection
this day and euer preserue me with thy prouidence from all dangers vphold me with thy Spirit that I fall not into sinne Direct me with thy Wisdome and strengthen me with thy power in all my thoughts words and workes that they may be acceptable in thy sight Blesse and assist me in the generall duties of Christianity and in the speciall duties of my calling that they may haue good successe and wholy tend to the aduancement of thy glorie the edification of my brethren and mine owne spirituall and euerlasting good Blesse thy whole Church and euery member thereof especially this in which I liue with all the Magistrates Ministers and people this Family and all to whom I am bound in any speciall bond of dutie beseeching thee to giue vnto vs all according to our seuerall necessities all those gifts and graces which thou in thy wisdome knowest needfull euen for Iesus Christ his sake to whom with thee and thy holy Spirit I ascribe all glorie and prayse power and dominion both now and for euermore Amen A Prayer for the Family in the Morning O Lord our God who by thine infinite wisdome and power hast created all things in heauen and earth and by thy gracious and all-ruling prouidence dost continually sustaine and preserue them wee thine humble and vnworthy seruants doe here in the mediation of Iesus Christ prostrate our selues before the Throne of Grace acknowledging that vnto thee belongeth all glory and prayse but vnto vs shame and confusion of face for whereas thou diddest create vs according to thine owne Image in wisdome holinesse and righteousnesse we haue falne in the loynes of our first parents from this blessed estate by transgressing of thy Commandement and thereby haue defaced thy glorious Image in vs depriued our selues of all happinesse and become liable vnto death of body and soule Yea wee haue deriued from our first parents not onely the guilt of their sinne but also the corruption of their nature which hath so ouerspred all the powers and parts of our soules and bodies that they are vtterly impotent and insufficient to performe any duties of thy seruice for which end they were created but most forward and cheerefull in the seruice of sinne and Satan From which roote of originall sinne wee haue brought forth those cursed fruits of actuall transgressions which we haue multiplyed against thy Maiesty by breaking all and euery of thy Commandements in thought word and deed euen from the beginning of our dayes to this present time Many haue beene our secret sinnes of which thou alone and our owne consciences haue beene witnesses and many haue wee committed in the view of the world to the dishonour of thy blessed Name and slander of our Christian profession Many haue beene our sinnes of ignorance the which vnto vs are vnexcusable because thou hast reueiled thy selfe and thy will so clearely vnto vs and many likewise haue beene our sinnes against knowledge and conscience and the good motions of thy holy Spirit Oftentimes haue wee sinned through frailty being surprized vpon the sudden with the violent and subtill tentations of our spirituall enemies and oftentimes wilfully aduisedly and deliberately after many vowes and promises of repentance and amendement We haue sinned against thee before our conuersion when as Satans throne being set vp in our hearts wee performed vnto him in all things cheerefull obedience and suffred sinne to raigne and rule in vs without any gainesaying or resistance and since wee haue beene called to the knowledge of thy Truth though wee haue submitted our selues as subiects of thy Kingdome to be gouerned by thy Word and Spirit yet haue we much failed in yeelding that obedience which is due vnto thee being so led captiue by our corruptions that wee could neither doe the good we would nor leaue vndone the euill we would not and though by thy holy Spirit wee haue cast Satan out of his Throne and vanquished the flesh with the lusts thereof so as they could not reigne ouer vs as in former times yet these enemies of our saluation doe still fight against our soules and being not quite cast out are as thornes in our sides and as prickes in our eyes disturbing continually our peace wounding our consciences and leading vs captiue vnto sinne And hereof it is that wee haue so often and vpon such slight occasions vtterly neglected the duties of thy seruice and when we haue set our selues about them haue done them so coldly and carelesly and discouered therin so many wants and weakenesses imperfections and corruptions that if thou shouldest deale with vs according to thy righteous Iudgement euen the best duties that euer we performed could not escape vnpunished O Lord our God make vs truely apprehensiue of our sinne and misery that we may humble our selues vnder thy mighty hand and turne vnto thee by vnfained repentance and not onely bewaile our sins past with vnfained sorrow but amend our liues for the time to come and so accept of vs in thy Best-beloued and whilest we are returning vnto thee meete vs in the way and like a tender Father imbrace vs in the armes of thy mercie Doe away all our sinnes and blot out all our iniquities and so wash and purge our defiled soules and bodies in the precious blood of thine innocent Sonne from the guilt and punishment of all our sins that they may neuer be layd to our charge neither in this world nor in the world to come Yea Lord let vs not only haue the benefit of thy grace in thy free pardon but also the comfort and peace of it by hauing it sealed through the inward testimony of thy Spirit in our hearts and consciences and for our better assurance let vs finde and feele the power and efficacie of Christs death and Resurrection thereby applied vnto vs as effectuall for our Sanctification as for our Iustification and for our freedome from the corruption of sinne that it may haue no longer dominion ouer vs and spirituall renuing vnto newnesse of life as well as from the guilt and punishment It is enough Lord and too much that Satan and sinne haue thus farre preuayled not onely for the bringing of vs into the state of death and condemnation but also for the condemning and crucifying of the Lord of life the nayling of his innocent body to the Crosse and the shedding of his precious blood Now Lord reward them as they haue deserued and pay them double into their bosome Breake the head of the old Serpent that though he hisse against vs with his tentations yet he may not hurt vs nayle our body of sinne vnto the Crosse of Christ and by vertue of his death crucifie our flesh and the lusts thereof that they may no longer haue dominion ouer vs but may like slaues be held in perpetuall subiection to our spirituall part Yea subdue the power of sin in all the faculties and parts of our soules and bodies Mortifie the corruption of our mindes and
Iesus Christ his sake to whom with thee and thy holy Spirit one true and euerlasting God we ascribe the glory and praise of all goodnesse and perfection both now and euermore Amen A Prayer for the Family in the Euening O Lord our God most high and holy most dreadfull and glorious in thy might and Maiesty vnto all creatures terrible and like a consuming fire vnto all impenitent sinners but a most gracious and louing Father vnto all those who are reconciled vnto thee in Iesus Christ Thou hast commanded vs to call vpon thee in all our necessities and hast incouraged vs hereunto by thy most gracious and free promise that where two or three are gathered together in the name of thy Sonne there thou wilt be present amongst them by thy holy Spirit to heare their suits and relieue their wants In obedience to which Commandement and in some assurance of thy gracious promise we thy poore and vnworthy seruants doe heere in the mediation of Iesus Christ humbly prostrate our selues before thy Throne of grace and mercy acknowledging our selues guilty of innumerable sinnes and thereby lyable to as many fearefull punishments but yet in the merits of thy Sonne and in the truth of thy promises pleading for pardon and forgiuenesse We confesse vnto thee that wee were conceiued and borne in sinne hauing all the faculties and powers of our soules and bodies so wholly defiled with originall corruption that wee are vtterly disabled for thy seruice and prone vnto all manner of wickednesse and haue in the whole course of our liues multiplied against thee our actuall transgressions by breaking thy whole Law and euery Commandement thereof in thought word and deed Wee are naturally full of ignorance and blindnesse of mind neither knowing thee nor thy truth and after that thou hast caused the light of the Gospell to shine vnto vs for many yeeres our minds are still full of darknesse We content our selues with a small measure of knowledge and continue children in vnderstanding when we should be of ripe age not striuing after more perfection neither according to the measure of our meanes are we rich in knowledge and in the fruits of new obedience We are full of infidelity and doubting and negligent in the vse of the meanes whereby our faith should be confirmed and strengthened and are full also of impenitency security and hardnesse of heart and doe both seldome and slightly bewaile our sinnes past and but weakly and vnconstantly resolue and indeuour to amend our liues for the time to come We are ready to trust in the creature more then in thee the Creator and cannot as we ought rest vpon thy power and promises in the absence of inferiour meanes We are apt to forget thee when thou most remembrest vs and the more that wee abound with thy blessings the lesse mindfull wee are of thee from whom we haue receiued them Wee haue loued the world and earthly things more then thee and heauenly excellencies and haue preferred the pleasures of sinne before thy loue and fauour being ready to hazard these rather then to forgoe them We are full of selfe-loue and haue been moued hereby to sow vnto the flesh of which we can reape nothing but sin and punishment and haue set our hearts so much vpon carnall vanities that they easily draw them away from thee We doe not patiently and constantly hope and waite for the accomplishment of thy promises though we haue great experience of thy power truth and goodnesse towards vs. We are cold or luke-warme in our zeale and haue not with any feruency aduanced the meanes of thy glory nor remoued the impediments whereby it is hindred Our reioycing is more in the flesh then in the Spirit in worldly things and the pleasures of sinne more then in thee the Fountaine of all true ioy in the fruition of thy present fauours and expectation of heauenly happinesse Wee are vngratefull vnto thee for thy manifold benefits and oftentimes when we praise thee it is with our lips onely and not with inward ioy and cheerfulnesse of our hearts Wee doe not approoue our loue and thankefulnesse vnto thee by our fruits of obedience but haue been negligent in the duties of holinesse and righteousnesse that wee might giue glory to thy holy Name and all wee doe is maimed and imperfect full of wants and weaknesses and stained with many corruptions Wee are ready to murmure and repine in our least afflictions and doe not beare thy fatherly corrections with patience and thankfulnesse being more sensible of the smart then of our sinnes which haue caused it and looking more to the rod then vnto thy hand which thereby chastizest vs for our amendment Wee doe not feare to displease thee by our sinnes nor auoyd thine anger as the greatest euill or if we doe feare thee at all it is not so much for thy mercies as to auoyd thy Iudgements We haue not adorned our selues with humility and meeknesse in the sight and sense of our owne vilenesse and vnworthinesse but are full of spirituall pride arrogating vnto our selues those gifts we haue not and ouerweening those we haue or ascribing the praise of them vnto our selues which is onely due to thee We are negligent in the duties of thy seruice and doe not performe them in Spirit and truth but either neglect them vpon euery slight occasion or doe them without due preparation coldly and formally without any feruency of zeale respecting thy glory or our spirituall good We haue often taken thy holy Name in vaine and abused thine holy ordinances and prophaned thy Sabbaths not doing thy will onely on thy holy Day but speaking our owne words walking in our owne waies and seeking our owne carnall delights We haue also neglected the duties of righteousnesse charity and mercy towards our neighbours and of temperance and sobriety towards our selues By all which and many other our sinnes wee haue made our selues subiect to thy wrath and the curse of the Law and haue iustly deserued to be depriued of all testimonies of thy loue and to bee ouerwhelmed with all thy iudgements and punishments both in this life and the life to come O Lord our God affect our hearts with sonne-like sorrow because we haue so much and often displeased thee our gracious Father and let vs be grieued in our soules that wee are so little grieued for our sinnes whereby we haue pierced our Sauiour and grieued thy good Spirit dwelling in vs. And further wee beseech thee in the multitude of thy mercies to remit and forgiue all our sinnes and wash vs cleane from the guilt and punishment of them all that they may neither depriue vs of thy loue and manifold blessings temporall and eternall nor expose vs to thy wrath and fearfull punishments And not onely remit our sins and heale our soules but speake comfortably to our consciences by the secret voyce of thy Spirit as once thy Sonne did to the sicke of the palsie Sonnes be of good
thinke most glorious that they are abominable in Gods sight And also by telling vs that we haue peace with God and are highly in his fauour and peace with all the Creatures so as nothing will doe vs any harme when as all things in Heauen and Earth are at enmitie with vs and when God doth but giue the signe of battaile will set vpon vs with all their furie In the other respect hee secureth vs by setting before vs the infinite mercies of God inferring thereupon that we may safely goe on in our sinnes because God is so mercifull that few or none shall bee condemned and that though wee deferre our repentance to the last houre yet euen then wee shall haue pardon if we haue but leisure to say Lord haue mercy vpon me the all-sufficient merits of Christ which are a full price of redemption for the whole World the gracious and indefinite Promises of the Gospell made vnto all Men without exception the impunitie of sinners and namely of themselues hauing long continued in their sinfull courses the prosperitie of the wicked who glut themselues with the pleasures of sinne the afflictions of the faithfull who are precise and strict in all their wayes and diuers other motiues of which wee shall speake more fully hereafter from all which hee concludeth that wee may lay aside all feare and take libertie to satisfie our carnall lusts because there is no danger at all of either present or future punishment And thus in stead of that securitie which we had in our creation and in the state of innocencie accompanying the assurance of Gods loue and protection whereby wee should haue beene made more chearefull and couragious in the duties of Holinesse and Righteousnesse because wee serued such a gracious and powerfull Lord as was both able and willing to protect vs from all perils and to safe-guard vs from all enemies Satan laboureth to worke in vs this carnall securitie whereby wee are encouraged to performe seruice vnto himselfe with all confidence and chearefulnesse perswading vs that we are safe from all danger though we be daily obnoxious to Gods wrath liable to his fearefull Iudgements and in the very jawes of Death and Hell With which securitie hee bringeth more to destruction then with all his terrors and feares whereby hee indeauoureth to plunge men into desperation yea in truth then with all other tentations though neuer so vgly and terrible in their outward appearance In which regard it behooueth all Christians as they loue their soules and would either escape Death and Hell or attaine vnto saluation and euerlasting happinesse that they keepe a narrow watch ouer themselues and that being wounded by this viperous Serpent with the sting of sinne they doe not thereupon fall into this pleasing slumber or rather dead sleepe of carnall securitie the which bringeth all ouer-taken with it into destruction and condemnation of Body and Soule CHAP. II. Of carnall securitie and what it is §. 1 Of the general Parts of this Treatise TO which purpose let vs now speake more specially of it And for our more orderly proceeding I will first shew what it is that so knowing wee may the better auoid it Secondly the causes of it and meanes which Satan and our owne corruption vse to worke it in vs. Thirdly the diuers sorts and kinds of this Vice Fourthly how we may know the one from the other Fiftly the signes whereby we may discerne whether and how farre forth we are tainted and infected with this deadly poyson and lastly the meanes whereby we may either be preserued from falling into it or recouered if we be alreadie ouer-taken §. 2 Carnall securitie defined Concerning the first wee will make it plaine not onely by a Definition or Description but also by Testimonies and Examples of it recorded in the holy Scriptures It may best bee defined if in all things we oppose it to that Vertue whereof it is the priuation namely the true feare of God after this manner Carnall securitie is a Vice or vicious habit whereby forgetting or neglecting both the iustice and power of God in punishing sinne and also his infinite Loue and Goodnesse in Christ his Merits and Iudgements his Promises and Threatnings with the manifold benefits which we haue receiued from him we doe cast off all feare of him and so quietly and securely goe on in sinne without repentance promising vnto our selues immunitie from all punishment and not onely for the present the constant fruition of our carnall delights but also euerlasting saluation in the World to come Vnto this description for the better clearing of the point in hand we may adde that of Bernards describing an hard or secure heart It is that saith he which is not rent with compunction nor Bernard de Consid ad Eugenium lib. 1. softned with pietie nor moued with prayers nor yeeldeth to threatnings and is hardned with stripes It is vngratefull for benefits vnfaithfull for counsailes fierce in respect of iudgements shamelesse in regard of things filthy and dishonest vndaunted in dangers inhumane in humane actions rash in diuine forgetfull of things past neglectfull of things present improuident for things to come It is that which remembreth nothing past but injuries loseth the benefit of all things present and fore-casteth and prouideth for nothing to come but reuenge And that I may in a word comprehend the euills of this horrible Vice it is that which neither feareth God nor respecteth Man So that if we would haue a briefe definition of this Securitie it is nothing else but the absence and priuation of the feare of God for as securitie generally considered is the freedome of the mind from all feare so this speciall kind of it carnall securitie is that horrible Vice which emptieth the heart wholly of the true feare of God And thus the wise Man opposeth them the one against the other Happy is the man saith he that feareth alwayes but he that hardneth Pro. 28. 14. his heart shall fall into mischiefe §. 3 Testimonies of Scripture shewing what it is And this is that securitie of which Dauid speaketh The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart that there is no feare of Psal 36. 1 2. God before his eyes For he flattereth himselfe in his owne eyes vntill his iniquitie be found out to be hatefull And describing the prosperous estate of the wicked he saith That continuing in their corruption and being couered with violence as with a garment They speake loftily Psal 73. 8 9 11. and set their mouthes against the Heauens saying How doth God know and is there knowledge in the most High And Iob discoursing of the same subiect namely wicked men flourishing in worldly prosperitie saith that their houses are safe from feare neither is the rod of God vpon Iob 21. 9. them They take the Timbrel and Harpe and reioyce in the sound of the Organs they spend their dayes in wealth and in a moment
vpon Gods power and all-sufficiency goodnesse promises and prouidence they begin to depend vpon their owne strength and to put confidence in their owne graces and gifts as though they were sufficient to preserue them in all good and defend them from all euill And hereupon they grow secure presuming that they haue a staffe of strength in their owne hands which is able to support them from falling into sinne to beate backe the violence of any tentation to protect them against all enemies and so to assist them in all their good indeauours that they shall be able to hold out without faynting in the wayes of Righteousnesse which moueth the Lord oftentimes to withdraw his grace and assistance from them to leade them into tentation and giue them ouer to their owne strength the which fayling them when they most relye vpon it so as they fearefully fall into grieuous sinnes they learne by lamentable experience to giue all glorie vnto God by whose strength alone they stand and in all humilitie to acknowledge their owne frailtie to cast away all-selfe-confidence and presumption of their owne strength and to build their securitie on a surer foundation euen Gods power promises and prouidence which will neuer fayle Austine speaketh well to this purpose God saith he sometime taketh Deserit aliquando Deus vnde superbis vt scias non tuum sed eius esse discas superbus non esse De Natur. Grat. cap. 28 c. 7. c. 743. from thee that whereof thou art proud that so knowing that it is not thine but his thou mayest learne not to bee lifted vp with pride An example whereof we haue in the Apostle Peter who through spirituall pride ouer-weening his owne abilities and resting securely vpon the strength of his owne courage and resolution and on the great measure of his loue towards his Master vowed that he would neuer forsake him but would adhere vnto him in all dangers Yea so confident and presumptuous was he that when our Sauiour who better Matth. 26. 33. knew him then he himselfe fore-told his fearefull fall he contradicted Truth it selfe and would not from his Mouth take notice of his frailtie and infirmitie vntill he had found and felt it by his owne experience CHAP. V. Of the differences betweene the carnall securitie of the Vnregenerate and the Regenerate §. 1 That the carnall securitie of the vnregenerate and regenerate are in many things alike WE haue shewed diuers kinds of carnall securitie as they are distinguished by their diuers Subiects and Degrees Now because those who are possessed with these diuers kinds are apt to mistake the one for the other the Regenerate being ready especially in the time of tentation to make their state worse and the Vnregenerate better then it is It is necessary in the next place that we set downe the differences whereby the one may be knowne from the other for the comfort of the godly and humiliation of such as are lifted vp in their owne conceits The which I confesse is a thing hard to doe if we consider the securitie of the Faithfull as it is in them in the highest degree and that which is in the Vnregenerate somewhat abated and weakned with the accusations of conscience and the common motions of Gods restrayning Spirit stirred vp in them at sometimes by the ministerie of the Word and afflictions especially if in this case we iudge according to present sense and feeling For they are for the time both alike destitute of the operations of the spirituall Life of grace and so both alike dead in outward appearance Both alike without the vertue and vigour of the sauing Knowledge Remembrance and consideration of those sauing Attributes which worke in our hearts the true feare of God both taken vp alike with selfe-confidence and drunken with worldly prosperitie Both vsually sinning and abusing Gods Patience and Mercy vnto presumption and deferring of repentance and both alike neglecting yea loathing the meanes of saluation Both neglecting to apply by Faith or misse-applying the Word which they heare preached vnto them and delighting rather in a flattering Ministerie which will soothe them then in a faithfull Ministerie which will reproue and checke them in their euill courses Both abusing as well the Mercies as the Iudgements of God and neither profiting by his benefits nor corrections Both alike negligent in the seruice of God and in obseruing his Commandements or in formalitie and outward shew only Finally both alike senselesse and without all feeling of their miserable estate and so without any desire or indeauour to come out of it because they thinke themselues well and that they haue need of nothing as wee see in the example of the Angell of the Church of Laodicea and of Sardis who had a name that she liued but was dead that is in Apoc. 3. 1 2. 17 18. a deadly swound as appeareth in the Epistle sent by Christ vnto him §. 2 Of the differēces between the carnall securitie of the vnregenerate and that which is in the regenerate in the highest degree But yet howsoeuer in many things they agree notwithstanding in some things they differ For the securitie of a Christian though in the highest degree springeth from the flesh as it is in part mortified and so together with it hath receiued a deadly wound by the Spirit of God of which it shall neuer recouer although like a Man mortally wounded it may for a while performe some actions in as great strength as when it was in perfect health and vigour and like a Candle giue as great a blaze when it is ready to goe out as euer it did before but the securitie of a Worldling is a fruit of the Flesh in its full vigour and as it were the child of his strength and therefore like the Father vigorous and long liued and daily increasing and growing in force and might as it increaseth in age The securitie of a Christian is the fruit of his worst part euen of the old Man and part vnregenerate and so like an old mans child decrepit with age hauing almost quite spent his naturall heate and moysture it is weaker in his constitution and shorter of life though for a while it may seeme in all things to match a child gotten in maturitie of age and full strength but the securitie of a Worldling is the fruit of the whole Man and in his full vigour without any abatement That like Esau is but a Twin in the wound resisted by one that is stronger then he and will preuayle and howsoeuer it hath the prioritie of Birth and Age and for a time may seeme stronger and to carry all before it with force and violence yet it is matched and resisted by the true feare of God which like Iacob in wrastling with it will preuayle and in the end supplant it and get the vpper hand In the Christian euen in the height of his securitie there is the roote of Gods feare