perisheth as the Wiseman speaketh CAP. V. Of the loue of God and diuers vertues which spring from it §. Sect. 1 Of the loue of God what it is and wherein it consisteth and of the measure and meanes of it THe next mayne and principall dutie is the loue of God when as knowing beleeuing and remembring his infinitenesse in all goodnesse excellency beauty and all perfection and his inestimable loue grace and bounty towards vs we doe loue him againe with all our heart soule minde and strength aboue all things and all other things in him and for his sake So that the causes of our loue towards God are his goodnesse excellencie beautie and perfection in himselfe and his goodnesse grace and benignity towards vs. For goodnesse is the onely obiect of loue neither doe wee loue any thing which is not either truely good or at least appeareth good vnto vs. And therfore seeing God is the summum bonum and chiefe goodnesse when his nature appeareth to be so we should loue him chiefly and place our chiefe happinesse in his fruition But yet because in this state of corruption we are full of selfe-loue therefore wee cannot loue God perfectly and absolutely for himselfe as we ought till wee bee assured of his loue towards vs and haue it shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost for we loue him because he loued vs first as the Apostle speaketh Now the Rom. 5. 5. 1. Ioh. 4. 19. measure of our loue wherewith we are to loue God ought to be without measure both because he is immeasurable in goodnesse in his owne nature and also because his loue towards vs hath exceeded all measure the which appeareth not only in our creation whereby he hath giuen vs vnto our selues and made vs his most excellent creatures but also in our Redemption wherein he hath giuen himselfe vnto vs euen his onely begotten and dearely beloued Sonne of the same nature with himselfe to die for our sinnes and rise againe for our iustification and that when we were not friends but of no strength strangers sinners enemies vnto him and his grace the slaues of Satan and children of wrath as well as others And therefore if he thus loued vs when we merited no loue yea when we deserued wrath and hatred how much more if it were possible should wee loue him who is most louely and infinitely deserueth our loue But because our nature being finite we cannot loue him infinitely wee ought therefore to loue him as much as is possible for vs with all our hearts soules and strength Or if we cannot thus doe in respect of our corruption yet at least we must loue him in sincerity and vprightnesse of heart as much as we can and be heartily sorry that wee can loue him no better We must loue him aboue all things in the world as house lands parents children wiues yea our owne liues and be ready with all cheerefulnesse to lay them downe for him as he hath first laid downe his life for vs. For if we ought to loue all things in him and for him then ought wee to loue him much more preferring his glory euen before our owne saluation when as they come in comparison the one with the other And this is that loue of God which is to be imbraced of vs as being in it selfe a most excellent vertue and in diuers respects to be preferred before faith and hope 1. Cor. 13. 13. and to vs most profitable feeing it assureth vs of Gods loue and remission Luk. 7. 47. of our sinnes transformeth vs after a manner into the diuine nature for where is loue there is likenesse and it is the nature of it to change the louer as much as may be into the party beloued and finally weaneth our hearts from the loue of the world and earthly vanities and lifteth vp our affections and thoughts vnto God and heauenly things maketh all that we doe or suffer for Gods sake easie and tolerable yea sweete and comfortable for it seeketh not her owne beareth all things endureth all things it inableth 1. Cor. 13. 6 7. vs to offer vnto God cheerefull obedience and to performe all duties of holinesse and righteousnesse required vnto a godly life with ioy and delight which without it are irkesome and vnpleasant yea intolerable and impossible vnto flesh and blood Now the meanes whereby our hearts may be inflamed with this diuine fire of Gods loue are first that we often meditate vpon Gods infinite goodnesse excellency beauty and perfection which make him worthy of all loue and how hee hath exercised these sauing attributes towards vs in our creation and preseruation in our redemption giuing his only Sonne to die for vs and for his sake forgiuing vs all our sinnes and in bestowing vpon vs all the good things which wee inioy in this life or hope for in the life to come §. Sect. 2 Of the zeale of Gods glory what it is and wherein it consisteth Now the vertues and graces which arise and issue from loue are diuers as zeale of Gods glory ioy and reioycing in God thankefulnesse and obedience Zeale is the fruit and effect of our feruent loue towards God and as it were a flame arising from this diuine fire whereby we are made most carefull and earnest in seeking Gods glory both in aduancing and furthering all meanes whereby it is furthered and in opposing hindring and remoouing all the impediments whereby it may bee hindred And this is to be shewed in all other vertues as being the intension of them and in all duties which we performe vnto God So the Apostle telleth vs generally that it is good to be zealously affected alwayes in a good thing Gal. 4. 18. Our loue towards God and hatred of sinne must be zealous and hot and not cold or luke-warme our repentance must bee ioyned with zeale Bee zealous and amend We must zealously worship and serue God according Apoc. 3. 19. to that of the Apostle feruent in Spirit seruing the Lord. Wee must not Rom. 12. 11. Tit. 2. 14. 1. Thes 3. 10. onely doe good workes but be zealous of them Wee must pray with zeale exceedingly and powre out our hearts like water before the Lord with Lam. 2. 19. zeale we must preach the Word and be inwardly affected with that wee speake that so also we may affect others and we must with zeale heare the Word and euen hunger and thirst after this spirituall food of our soules 1. Pet. 2. 1. that we may grow vp thereby But yet our care must be that our zeale be guided with knowledge and not shew it selfe in all things but as the Apostle speaketh onely in a good matter and also that in aduancing of the Gal. 4. 18. meanes of Gods glory and remoouing the impediments wee keepe our selues within the limits of our callings Now the meanes to attaine vnto this zeale is to consider often and seriously how great things
neuer examine their actions by it yea rather being carried through the violence of their carnall lusts and passions into all disobedience and sinne and resoluing in themselues to goe on in their course doe cast the Law out of their sight and remembrance lest conscience hauing it to iudge by should accuse and condemne their euill actions and so abate their pleasure which they take in them But especially if we would haue good consciences we must apply vnto our selues the sentence of the Law which condemneth Deut. 26. 27. Gal. 3. 10. all of sinne and subiecteth them vnder the curse who doe not continue in all that is written in the booke of the Law to doe it For vntill the Law doe conuince vs of sinne and that we cannot be iustified before God in our own righteousnesse we shall rest in it neuer seeke to be partakers of the righteousnes of Christ by which alone we can be iustified before God and consequently by it only obtaine peace of conscience In which regard it is not sufficient to know and apply the Law vnto vs for this will worke in the conscience terrours and feares and no peace but onely vse it as a schoolemaster to teach vs our owne vilenesse and sinfull corruption and that we are in our selues most miserable in the feareful state of death and condemnation that so it may bring vs vnto Christ in whom alone we can be iustified and obtaine sound and secure peace And therfore if we would haue good consciences wee must also know the Gospell in which God of his free grace doth offer vnto vs peace and reconciliation in Iesus Christ wee must acquaint our selues with the couenant of grace which is the maine foundation of all our peace when as thereby wee are assured not onely that Gods mercies are infinite and Christs merits all-sufficient but that they belong vnto vs performing the condition of the couenant that God for Christs sake will forgiue vs our sinnes be reconciled vnto vs and Esa 32. 40. write his Law in our hearts that we may not depart from him §. Sect. 3 The third meanes of a good conscience is a liuely faith Thirdly we must not for the obtaining of a good conscience only know the Gospell and Couenant of grace with the sweet promises therein contayned but also apply them by a liuely faith and in a speciall maner interesse Rom. 5. 1. Heb. 9. 14. Col. 1. 20. our selues in them by performing the condition of the couenant which is our restipulation that we make with God For we must be iustified by faith before we can haue peace with him or peace of conscience Our consciences must be purged by the blood of Christ from dead workes and from the guilt and punishment of all our sinnes before they will speake peace vnto vs. The Charter of our peace must be drawne vpon the Crosse sealed with the effusion of Christs blood and must be receiued and pleaded by faith before our consciences will cease accusing and condemning or stand with vs vpon any tearmes of peace Now this faith must be approued to be vnfayned sound by the fruits which it bringeth forth in vnfained repentance by the changing of our hearts and renewing of our mindes our hatred of euill and loue of good our sorrow for our sinnes past and resolution to leaue and forsake them for the time to come and to serue the Lord in the contrary duties of holinesse and righteousnesse without which fruits faith is no liuing Tree but a dead stocke which will giue vs no assurance of peace with God in the remission of our sinnes and consequently will bring with it no peace of conscience And hereof it is that the promises of the Gospell are as often made to repentant sinners as to those that beleeue in Christ because though faith only be the condition of the Couenant yet it is such a faith alone as is fruitfull in repentance Neyther can this faith be so easily seene and discerned in it selfe but onely by the fruits that spring from it which necessarily inferring this good Tree from which they spring the promises are made to them because these being more sensible they may be more easily applied §. Sect. 4 That the exercises of repentance are notable meanes to get a good conscience also the loue of God and our neighbours Fourthly the exercises of repentance are notable meanes to worke peace of conscience as our often humbling of our selues before God in Luk. 1. 53. 1 Pet. 5. 5. Esa 57. 15. Pro. 28. 13. the sight and sence of our vilenesse and vnworthinesse whereby our stony hearts are broken and our spirits made contrite our dayly confession of our sinnes vnto God and earnest crauing of pardon for them seeing our fayth will assure vs and answerably our consciences will witnesse with vs according to the rule of Gods Word that humbling our selues we shall be exalted that being empty of all grace and goodnesse and hungring after it we shal be filled and satisfied that the God of peace wil dwell with vs and bring his peace vnto vs being of broken hearts and contrite spirits and finally that confessing and forsaking our sinnes we shall finde mercy seeing it standeth vpon the truth of Gods promise according to that of the Apostle If we acknowledge and confesse our sinnes he is 1. Ioh. 1. 7 8. faithfull and iust to forgiue vs our sinnes and to cleanse vs from all vnrighteousnesse Of which we haue experience in the example of Dauid who being afflicted in the sight and sence of his sinne with terrours of conscience vsed this meanes to quiet it and get peace I acknowledge saith he my sin Psal 32. 4 5. vnto thee and mine iniquity haue I not hid I said I will confesse my transgressions vnto the Lord and thou forgauest the iniquity of my sinne Lastly the vnfained loue of God and of our neighbours is a notable meanes for the obtayning of a good conscience for if we loue God our consciences will witnesse vnto vs that he loueth vs seeing his loue shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost worketh this loue in vs and is that diuine fire and flame from which this heate commeth for we loue him because he loued 1. Ioh. 4. 19. vs first as the Apostle testifieth And this loue of God towards vs and our loue towards him will make vs carefull to keepe our consciences vnspotted of any knowne sinne and zealous in doing all things which may be pleasing in his sight From which sense of our mutuall loue will spring peace vnspeakeable wee resting securely vpon him who so loueth vs and whom we so loue According to that of the Apostle Aboue Col. 3. 14 15. all things put on charity which is the bond of perfectnesse and let the peace of God rule in your hearts §. Sect. 5 Of the meanes whereby a good conscience may be preserued And these are the meanes
either from the causes which are efficient or finall or from the subiect and adiuncts of our afflictions And first in our meditations we are to consider that God himselfe is chiefe cause and principall Author of all our afflictions whatsoeuer bee the meanes and instruments The which may confirme our patience and comfort vs in our afflictions seeing they must needs be good and iust as comming from him who is the chiefe Goodnesse in himselfe and the Authour and fountaine of all goodnesse which is in the creatures Secondly that hee hath not onely in some generall manner in his eternall counsell preordained our afflictions and left all the rest to bee disposed by chance and fortune but that hee specially ordereth and ruleth them with his most wise iust and gracious prouidence both in respect of their manner measure and continuance making the ends of all inferiour causes to serue for his supreme ends which are his glory and our saluation Thirdly that the meritorious causes of all our afflictions are our sinnes which are so many and grieuous that our greatest afflictions are farre lesse and lighter then by our sinnes we haue iustly deserued Fourthly that our afflictions are not signes of Gods hatred nor the punishments of a iust Iudge but the chastisements and corrections of a gracious Father and that they proceed from his meere loue the which appeareth first in the measure of our afflictions both in respect of their quantity and time of continuance For he hath appointed a measure which cannot be exceeded and this quantity is small and light and how long also they shall last and continue the which time is short and momentany in comparison of that super-excellent and eternall waight of glory which they shall cause vnto vs. Yea he so measureth our afflictions vnto vs as that they do not exceed our ability to indure 1. Cor. 10. 13. them seeing he is alwayes ready to lessen our burthen or to increase our strength that we may be able to beare it Neither doth the Lord take delight in our smart to inflict vpon vs more then is needfull but measureth our afflictions not according to desert but so much onely as is necessary for his owne glory and our saluation §. Sect. 4 That our afflictions tend to the setting foorth of Gods glory Fifthly let vs also consider the ends of our afflictions which God propoundeth vnto them wherein his great loue shineth and appeareth The first and chiefe whereof is his owne glory seeing he manifesteth his power and goodnesse by assisting vs in our afflictions and by taking occasion thereby to shew and try his spirituall graces which he hath bestowed vpon vs the which should comfort vs in all our troubles seeing God heereby vouchsafeth vs this high priuiledge to be instruments of his glory The second end is the good both of our neighbours and our selues They receiue much good by our afflictions seeing they learne by our example to feare God in his iudgements and are restrained from the same sinnes which they see corrected in vs. Secondly as wee are ensamples of Gods graces shining in this fiery triall and also through our infirmities of humane frailty that seeing Gods perfection in our imperfections and his power and wisedome in our folly and weakenesse they may take occasion to glorifie him Thirdly because by our afflictions wee are made more compassionate and more able and ready to comfort others with those consolations wherewith our selues haue beene comforted The which also should make vs patient in our troubles yea euen to be thankfull and greatly to reioyce in that God vseth vs as meanes and instruments of our neighbours good whom wee ought to loue as our selues and as much as in vs lieth to helpe them in all things which may further their saluation §. Sect. 5 That God vseth our afflictiōs as means of our owne good Secondly let vs consider that the Lord vseth our afflictions as notable meanes of our owne good and of deriuing vnto vs many singular benefits both in respect of this life and the life to come For first hee vseth them for trials for the discouery of those spirituall graces which he hath giuen vs not vnto himselfe who knowing all things needeth no such helpes but vnto vs and others that hee may bee glorified in them and take occasion thereby to glorifie vs by crowning his gifts when by this Iam. 1. 12. triall they are approoued and may also edifie those who obserue them in vs and mooue them to follow our good example And likewise for the making knowne of our infirmities and corruptions that wee may be truely humbled in the sight and sense of them In which regard our greatest trials not exceeding our strength as God hath promised should bring vnto vs an answerable measure of sound comfort seeing they are assured signes vnto vs of the greatest measure of sauing graces in vs. Secondly hee vseth them as effectuall meanes to further our conuersion fitting and preparing vs thereby for the more diligent hearing of the Word and so working in vs by both ioyned together true contrition and humiliation Thirdly hee vseth them as speciall meanes to preuent sinne and to preserue vs from falling into it and also to mortifie and subdue those corruptions by all good meanes which adhere and cleaue vnto vs as pride carnall concupiscence selfe-loue and loue of the world The which should greatly increase our patience and comfort vs in afflictions for if we are willing to indure so much to be eased of bodily and temporall euill how much more should we chearefully indure any afflictions to bee Heb. 12. 9. freed from those which are spirituall and euerlasting as the Apostle reasoneth Fourthly he vseth them as notable helpes to increase in vs all his spirituall graces as sauing knowledge and remembrance of God a liuely faith vnfained repentance firme affiance hope loue feare patience and humility both by making vs more carefull in the vse of the meanes whereby they are begun and increased in vs and by exercising them with these trials And also to bring forth the fruits of these graces by new obedience prayer and more zealous performance of all other duties of his seruice Finally by our afflictions the Lord also maketh vs more forward to imbrace all vertues and to performe all Christian duties which concerne both our neighbours and our selues For whereas prosperity vsually incourageth men to wrong and oppression affliction being sanctified vnto vs is a notable motiue to perswade vs to carry our selues iustly in all our actions to be mercifull and compassionate towards others in their miseries and to bee meeke humble and courteous towards all men So also they increase the knowledge of our selues our courage Christian fortitude and strength to beare our crosses and miseries as being the spiritual exercise of these graces and finally our temperance sobriety modesty chastity as it were easie to shew if we could heere insist in these particulars In respect also
our selues liable to the fearefull curse thereof and to all the plagues punishments of this life and the life to come Neither is there any power in vs to helpe our selues out of this misery being as vnable to renew our nature as the Blackamore to change his skin or the Leopard his spots Yea when by thy Spirit wee are regenerate and haue some desires and indeuours to serue and please thee wee are vtterly vnable to satisfie thy Iustice for the least of our sinnes past seeing if thou lookest vpon vs with thy pure eyes our best righteousnesse will appeare like a polluted cloth so mingled with our imperfections and stayned with our corruptions that it cannot challenge any other reward as its due but thy displeasure and euerlasting death O Lord wee humbly beseech thee let vs not securely rest and please our selues in this our wofull condition but hauing a liuely sense and feeling of our sinne and misery let vs labour aboue all things to be freed from it And seeing there is no name in heauen or earth whereby wee may bee saued but by Iesus Christ alone thine onely Sonne and blessed Redeemer whom thou hast purposely sent into the world to saue sinners O Lord let vs renounce our selues and all creatures in heauen and earth as being vtterly vnsufficient to satisfie thy Iustice and saue our soules and let vs rest vpon him alone hungring and thirsting after his righteousnesse and desiring aboue all things that wee may bee found in him And for his sake we humbly beseech thee to magnifie thy mercies in the free forgiuenesse of all our sinnes and as they in their waight and number doe exceedingly abound so let thy grace abound much more in their forgiuenesse Enter not into iudgement with thy seruants for in thy sight shall no man liuing bee iustified Wee are not able to answere vnto thy Iustice one of a thousand but Christ our surety hath payed our debt and now as our Aduocate pleadeth for vs that by him thou hast thy due and that thy Iustice shall sustaine no losse in setting vs free seeing hee hath made full satisfaction for vs. Heare him then deare God thus pleading for vs Heare vs holy Father in his mediation pleading for our selues forgiue vs all our debts and cancell the hand-writing by which wee were obliged that it may neuer bee produced in iudgement against vs. Contrariwise wee beseech thee write the new couenant of grace not in tables of stone but in the fleshy tables of our hearts and not onely enrole the great Charter of our peace in the volume of the Booke containing in it the glad tidings of the Gospel but ingrosse and ingraue it in the booke of our consciences by the finger of thy Spirit that wee may with inestimable ioy dayly peruse it when wee haue it in our owne custody And not only worke in vs this peace in our assured freedome from the guilt of all our sinnes but also inward and outward purity in our soules and bodies by bathing and washing them in the blood of Christ from all sinfull corruption And sanctifie vs throughout that our whole spirit and soule and body may bee preserued blamelesse vnto the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ make vs in him more then conquerours ouer all the enemies of our saluation and spirituall Kings raigning especially ouer our corruptions that they may not by their might and malice disturbe our peace Reuiue vs more and more with the Spirit of Grace and power that we may walke with cheerefulnes in the waies of thy commandements performing throughout the whole course of our liues all Christian duties of holinesse righteousnesse and sobriety Indue vs plentifully with all sanctifying and sauing graces and let vs bring forth the fruits of them all in our new obedience with all sincerity vprightnes of heart Open our blind eyes that we may see the wonderful things of thy law increase our faith that the gates of hel may not preuail against it preserue vs from carnall security and hardnesse of heart and as wee daily renew our sinnes so let vs daily renew our repentance and sorrow for them Confirme our affiance in the assurance of thy power and loue strengthen our hope worke our hearts to thy feare inflame them with thy loue and with feruent zeale of thy glory giue vs humility patience and spirituall reioycing in the assurance of thy fauour euen in our afflictions and tribulations Make vs zealous of good workes that wee may approoue our faith by the fruits of it and let vs neuer bee weary of well-doing Arme vs against all the assaults of our spirituall enemies against the feare of death and iudgement to which end let vs keepe alwayes our accounts euen that we may not be loth to be called to a reckoning Prepare vs for the dayes of affliction and persecution that wee may be ready with wisedome constancy and courage not only to doe but also suffer all things for thy sake Accept with these our suits and prayers our praises and thankesgiuing for thy manifold blessings and benefits both corporall spirituall and eternall for thy inestimable loue and that singular pledge thereof thy deare and onely Sonne whom thou hast giuen vnto vs to worke that great worke of our Redemption for our being and well-being all thy graces in this life and assured hope of glory and happinesse in the life to come For our continuall preseruation in the whole course of our liues this night past and this day hitherto for our quiet rest and all other comforts of this life For all which and all other thy mercies thy blessed name bee praised and magnified Wee beseech thee good Lord continue thy mercy and loue towards vs in the whole course of our liues and namely in the residue of this day watch ouer vs with thy gracious prouidence and thereby preserue vs from all sinne and danger and so rule all our thoughts words and deeds that being holy and righteous they may be acceptable in thy sight Let vs so spend this day in thy feare as though it were the last day of our liues and let vs with all care and watchfulnesse so arme our selues against all the tentations of our spirituall enemies as that they may not preuaile against vs to make vs slothfull in thy seruice Finally giue vnto vs all things necessary for our soules and bodies and so sanctifie all thy blessings to our vse that they may be helps and furtherances vnto vs in seeking thy glory and our own saluation Vouchsafe these and all other blessings not onely vnto vs but also to thy whole Church and euery member thereof as if particularly wee had named them and so ioyne vs in the holy communion of grace as that we may for euer inioy the communion and fellowship of thy blessed Saints and Angels in the Kingdome of glory Heare vs and helpe vs O God of our saluation in all these our suits for thy Sonne and our Sauiour
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
hearts good out of which we bring it More especially the purity of our hearts appeareth in the purity of our words when as we delight in the language of Canaan and cheerefully intertaine one another Col. 4. 6. with holy conferences and when as our speech is powdred with the salt Eph. 4. 29. of wisedome and ministreth grace vnto the hearers edifying one another in our most holy faith So also pure hands are a signe of a pure heart being inseparable companions that alwayes goe together and both infallible notes of a Citizen of heauen and the workes of holinesse and Psal 24. 4. 73. 13. righteousnesse are signes of an holy and righteous heart euen as cleere streames are a signe that the fountaine is pure from which they spring Whereas if the hands be full of blood crueltie and oppression bribery and extortion fraud and deceit it is more then manifest that our hearts remaine still polluted with fleshly lusts whatsoeuer profession we make of purity and sincerity §. Sect. 3 The meanes of a pure heart is highly to esteeme it Now when by these signes as it were by the pulse we come to know the state of our hearts whether they be choaked vp with the grosse humors of sinfull lusts or inliued and quickened with purity and holinesse as it were the vitall spirits of grace which inable vs to the actions of a godly life in the next place we must carefully vse all good meanes whereby we may attaine vnto this purity of heart if we haue it not or preserue it in vs if we already haue it And first we are to haue it in high esteeme as being a most precious iewell not to be valued with any worldly wealth For it is the fountaine of loue from which all true obedience floweth according to that of the Apostle The end of the Commandement is loue out of a pure heart a good conscience and faith vnfained So that if the heart be not purified 1. Tim. 1. 5. by faith this holy ghest of diuine loue will not lodge in it without which we cannot performe any dutie commanded towards God or our neighbour or if we doe yet not growing from the roote of loue it faileth of its end and consequently is done in vaine It is the chiefe place of residence where Gods holy Spirit dwelleth exercizing his vertue and shewing his diuine power and Maiesty for if our bodies be the temples 1. Cor. 3. 16. 6. 19. of the holy Ghost then sure our hearts being purified are the Holy of Holiest which being his owne peculiar no man may enter or prie into it and if we be the habitation of his holy and glorious Maiesty then is the sanctified heart his priuie chamber in which he suppeth with vs and his bedcamber Apoc. 3 18. in which he lodgeth It is that pure Cristall Fountaine which purifieth all our actions making them accepted as white in Gods sight which in themselues are spotted and causeth all other gifts of God to bee pure vnto vs for to the pure all things are pure but vnto them that are defiled and vnbeleeuing is nothing pure but euen their minde and conscience is defiled Tit. 1. 15. Finally it is this purity of heart whereby we attaine vnto assurance of blessednesse according to that of our Sauiour Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God And the Psalmist propounding this great question Matth. 5. 8. Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord and who shall stand in his holy place Psal 24. 3 4. thus resolueth it He that hath cleane hands and a pure heart c. And if thus considering the excellency of this Iewell we doe esteeme it according to its true value it will be a notable meanes to attaine vnto it For according to that estimate which we set vpon Gods rich gifts such is his bounty in bestowing them if wee thinke them much worth we shall haue much if of little value we shall haue them but in little measure but if we contemne and neglect them as things of no price and as those Ruffians who obiect purity as an imputation and esteeme this cleanenesse of heart and hands the foulest blemish and aspersion the Lord will giue vnto vs none at all but will pronounce against vs that fearefull saying He that is filthy Apoc. 22. 11. let him be filthy still For he will not cast his Pearles before swine that will tread them vnder their filthy feete he will not giue much of his graces to them who haue but small esteeme of them but to those who prize them highly he will giue them liberally because the thankefulnesse of their hearts will hold proportion with that price which their iudgement shall set vpon them In which respect Dauid was neuer neerer slipping into the puddle of impurity then when he preferd worldly prosperity before Psal 73. 13. sanctity and cleanenesse of soule Neuer was he neerer to a polluted heart then when he concluded that he had cleansed it in vaine Besides the more wee esteeme this purity the more dearely will wee loue it and the more earnestly will we labour in the vse of all good meanes whereby we may be plentifully inriched with it begging it of God who is the sole giuer of it by feruent prayer and desiring that he will worke it in our hearts by his holy Spirit And so the Lord liberall in himselfe to bestow his gifts vpon them who esteeme them wil giue this purity vnto vs with a much more bountifull hand hauing freely bound himselfe heereunto by his gracious promise that if we aske we shall haue and if we seeke we shall find Matth. 7. 7. the Lord being as ready to blesse the meanes that they may bee effectuall to their ends as we can be to vse them §. Sect. 3 Of the manifold euils accompany a polluted heart On the other side let vs consider of the manifold euils which doe accompany an heart that is polluted and defiled with sinne for it maketh 1. King 21. all appearances of graces though neuer so excellent to be nothing lesse in truth and but sole semblances and shewes wherein is nothing but meere hypocrisie Our humiliation like Ahabs which was not in the heart but onely in the outward habit and like the Israelites who hanged downe their heads like a bulrush and afflicted their soules onely in the Esa 58. 5. day of their fast their hearts remaining full of pride and crueltie Our zeale like Iehu's who destroyed Idolatry to build vp his owne kingdome 1. King 10. 28. Our obedience like Herods which was but to the halues and only so farre as would stand with his carnall lusts Our profession and following Christ like that of Iudas which was no further then he saw it would stand Ioh. 12. 5 6. with his ambition and couetousnesse Our bounty in the workes of mercie like that of Ananias which was to be
Job 22. 2. Psal 16. 3. profit or extend vnto him but for our owne good and benefit that he may crowne our obedience with eternall blessednesse For hee that keepeth the Law happie is he and he that heareth Christs Word and keepeth it is by Pro. 29. 18. Luke 11. 28. him pronounced blessed Lastly let vs often propound vnto our selues the examples of Gods Saints and Seruants that haue gone before vs and set before vs their obedience as a patterne for our imitation For more cheerefully may we trauaile in this way of holinesse and righteousnesse if wee see a plaine path beaten by those that haue gone before vs. But especially let vs set before vs the neuer-erring example of our Sauiour Christ who tooke more delight in doing his Fathers will then in his meate and drinke and in all things was obedient vnto him to the death euen the John 4. 34. Phil. 2. 6 7. bitter death of the Crosse as the Apostle speaketh §. Sect. 7 Of passiue obedience and patience in afflictions The second kinde of obedience is passiue and is called patience which is a fruit of our loue and thankfulnesse towards God whereby we submit our selues meekely and constantly to beare all those crosses and afflictions Gal. 5. 22. which it shall please God to lay vpon vs. The causes of which patience are diuers the first and principall is the Spirit of God of which it is a fruit Secondly a liuely faith which not only apprehendeth the promise of eternall happinesse with which our temporarie afflictions are not to be compared but Gods speciall promises of strength to indure all trials and of helpe and deliuerance in Gods due time Thirdly trust and affiance in God who hath promised to be with vs in all our afflictions and neuer leaue vs to our owne weakenesse or to the malice and fury of our enemies vpon which we conclude that though he kill vs yet we will trust in Iohn 13. 15. him But the loue of God is the next and immediate cause of our patience which maketh vs meekely to suffer whatsoeuer he imposeth who so loueth vs and whom we so loue For loue endureth all things and the greatest difficulties are not hard vnto it It is stronger then death the waters 1. Cor. 13. 7. Cant. 8. 6 7. of afflictions cannot quench it and the floods of calamities cannot drowne it The obiect of this patience is afflictions which the Lord imposeth for the tryall or correction of his children for all whom he loueth he chastiseth and whosoeuer will be Christs Disciple must denie himselfe take vp Heb. 12. Luke 9. 23. his Crosse and follow him that is that crosse and measure of afflictions which God himselfe imposeth vpon him Neither are we to take vpon vs burthens of our owne making but such only as the Lord allotteth vnto vs which are those alone that we cannot by lawfull meanes auoid or without falling into sinne The manner how we are to beare these afflictions is first voluntarily with a meeke quiet and contented minde as being sent of God for our good yea cheerefully and ioyfully as they are signes and seales of our adoption and speciall meanes to further and assure our euerlasting saluation Secondly we must beare them constantly so long as it shall please God to continue them vpon vs that is till he giueth vs honest Iam. 1. 4. and lawfull meanes to be freed and deliuered from them not thinking it inough that we haue borne some few or many afflictions but holding out vnto the end for he is not crowned who hath fought well for a time but he that neuer giueth ouer till he haue obtained the victory acording to that of our Sauiour Be faithfull vnto the death and I will giue thee the 2. Cor. 4. 16. Apoc. 2. 10. Crowne of life But of these points as also of the meanes whereby wee may be enabled with patience comfort and ioy to endure afflictions I haue written largely * Christian Warfare the third part elsewhere and therefore will content my selfe thus briefly to haue touched them in this place CAP. VI. Of the feare of God and humility which ariseth from it ioyned with his loue And of Gods externall worship with the body §. Sect. 1 Of the feare of God what it is and the causes of it THe fourth and last mayne vertue required in this Commandement is the feare of God whereby I vnderstand not that seruile and slauish feare which is in wicked men and the very deuils themselues in the apprehension of his iustice wrath and power in punishing sinne but that filiall and sonne-like feare whereby knowing beleeuing and remembring not onely Gods Iustice truth maiesty power and dominion our all creatures but also his infinite loue goodnesse and mercy towards vs in Iesus Christ we feare his displeasure who is so glorious and gracious as the greatest euill In which description is expressed the grounds and causes of the true feare of God namely the knowledge beliefe and remembrance of Gods attributes As first that hee is a iust God and will not let sinne goe vnpunished with which consideration Mat. 10. 28. our Sauiour inciteth vs to Gods feare because he iustly casteth into hell those that sinne against him Secondly that he is true of his Word in his promises to those that serue and please him and his threatnings against Psal 33. 7 8. those that displease and sinne against him Thirdly his maiesty and glory in that he is the supreme Lord and most glorious King of heauen and earth which is alone sufficient to strike an awfull feare of God in the hearts of all creatures Fourthly that he is a most powerfull and mighty God and so able to execute all his iudgements and not onely to kill the body but also to cast both body and soule into the euerlasting fire of hell as our Sauiour speaketh Lastly his dominion ouer all creatures whereby Luk. 12. 5. they are obnoxious and liable to his iustice and punishments is effectuall to strike feare into the hearts of all men according to that of Malachie If I be a master where is my feare and that of Ieremie Who would not feare Mal. 1. 6. Ier. 10. 6 7. thee O King of nations for vnto thee doth it appertaine For howsoeuer the faithfull being in Christ can receiue no hurt from these attributes for his iustice is satisfied for their sinnes and there is no condemnation vnto Rom. 8. 1. them his threatnings doe not belong vnto them but contrariwise his sweete and gracious promises his maiesty power and dominion are arguments of ioy and comfort seeing they are wholly for their protection and preseruation yet doe the children of God feare in respect of these attributes when they consider them in their owne nature and see the effects of them in wicked men euen as the sonne feareth his father when he seeth him punish his slaue though he be sure
haue others do vnto vs and consequently seeing we desire that our neighbours should with all the powers of their minde and body aduance as much as in them lieth our good in all things respecting our soules bodies and states Iustice and righteousnes requireth the same at our hands towards them namely that to the vttermost of our power we be euer ready to doe all things which tend to their good and to the preseruation of their honour person life purity chastity wealth and good name not so much as intertaining a thought or first motion in our minds or hearts which in any of these or other respects may tend to their hurt and preiudice Of which Iustice or righteousnesse there are two parts the one distributiue whereby we doe giue vnto euery one their due and that which of right appertaineth vnto them in which is to be obserued a geometricall proportion which hath respect in this distribution vnto euery man according to their place person and such other relations and circumstances and is in all things carried with due regard of equity and moderation The other is commutatiue which is vsually exercized in commerce and mutuall dealings and trading one with another as in changing borrowing lending buying selling letting setting and such like affaires of this life The generall rule whereof is that we keepe from no man his right but pay euery man his debt and due In which is to be obserued an Arithmeticall proportion performing all these duties of Iustice in a strict equality without any respect of place or person §. Sect. 2 Of the dutie of sobriety towards our selues The other maine duty is sobriety which comprehendeth vnder it all duties which respect our owne persons the which in a generall sense as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Marke 5. 15. Luke 8. 35. Acts 26. 25. Tit. 1. 8. 2. 12 it is to be here vnderstood signifieth soundnesse of minde which ordereth all things to the good and safety of our persons and state And thus the word which is translated sobriety is taken in the Scriptures for a sound minde so it is said that the demoniacke was by our Sauiour Christ restored to his right minde And the Apostle saith that he was not mad but spake forth the words of truth and sobernesse that is of a right and sound minde which tended to the safety and saluation of himselfe and others and exhorteth all men to be wise vnto sobriety or to thinke soberly not straining Rom. 12. 3. their wits aboue the measure of their gifts which is the next way to cracke and lose them And thus elsewhere hee opposeth these two the one against 2. Cor. 5. 13. the other to be sober and to be besides our selues Sobriety therefore is a vertue or habit proceeding from a sound minde spirituall wisedome and iudgement whereby wee are enabled to rule and order our selues with all our powers and faculties of minde and body and all things else about which they are exercised to our good safety and saluation First it ruleth and ordereth the minde to the vsing of all good meanes whereby it may be more and more inlightened with sauing knowledge the memory as a faithfull register to retaine good things the conscience to performe its office rightly in excusing and accusing the will to chuse the good and refuse the euill and in all things to be conformable to the holy will of God the affections to couet after spirituall and heauenly things with vnlimited desires and temporall good things with moderation temperance and purity and the body in all holinesse and honour that it may be a fit temple for the holy Ghost and a ready instrument vnto the soule for all good actions And thus it ruleth the whole man and euery faculty and part of him as they are exercised about their seuerall and particular obiects causing the minde to approue or condemne the memory to retaine or cast out the conscience to accuse or excuse the will to chuse or reiect the affections to loue and desire or to hate and contemne the body to doe or leaue vndone all things good or euill when they are propounded vnto them And in respect of these seuerall sorts of obiects this vertue of sobriety hath place and is commanded in euery precept of the second Table For as it ruleth and ordereth vs about the preseruation of our honour and authority it is required in the first Commandement as about the good preseruation and saluation of our liues our soules and bodies in the sixth as about our chastity purity temperance and sobriety in the vse of meates drinkes and apparrell in the seuenth as about our goods and possessions either in getting or vsing them righteously and iustly in the eighth as about the preseruing of our good name in the ninth as about withstanding the first motions and suggestions vnto sinne and the recouering of originall righteousnesse and holy concupiscence in our mindes and hearts in the tenth and last §. Sect. 3 Of the duties of charity But seeing our Sauiour hath comprized both these duties of righteousnesse and sobriety vnder charity and hath made loue the whole summe of Matth. 22. 39. 19. 19. Gal. 5. 14. the Law our loue towards God of the first Table and our loue towards our selues and our neighbours of the second Table I will consider of them both vnder this one first generally and afterward more specially in euery seuerall Commandement For charity and true loue towards our selues mooueth vs out of a sound and right minde to performe in thought word and deed all good duties which tend to our safetie and saluation and charity towards our neighbours as it mooueth vs to loue them as our selues so to performe all duties of righteousnesse and mercy which we doe vnto our selues or would haue others doe vnto vs. Now this charity is a gift or grace of God infused into our hearts by his holy Spirit which out of the sense of Gods loue towards vs in Christ working true and feruent loue towards them againe doth mooue vs to loue our selues and all men as our selues and as Christ hath loued vs for Gods sake and in obedience to his Commandement It is a gift of God and no naturall habit for naturally as wee are haters of God and men so euen of our selues neither is any hatred of an enemy so hurtfull and pernicious vnto our soules and bodies as carnall selfe-loue which is a chiefe cause and meanes of depriuing vs heere of all grace and of glory and happinesse in the life to come And therefore the Apostle exhorting vs to loue one another telleth vs where we must haue this gift Let vs saith he loue one another 1. Ioh. 4. 7. for loue is of God Neither is it a common gift of God but a sanctifying and sauing grace of his holy Spirit for as the loue of God towards vs as the cause so our loue towards God as the effect of it is shed
abroad Rom. 5. 5. in our hearts by the holy Ghost as the Apostle testifieth §. Sect. 4 Of the meanes and manner of working charity in vs. The meanes and manner of working this grace in vs is first by perswading vs that God in Christ loueth vs and will giue vnto vs the remission of our sinnes his grace heere and glory heereafter with the liuely heate of which loue our hearts are inflamed with feruent loue towards God againe from which springeth an holy affection towards our selues who are thus beloued of God members of Christ and Temples of the holy Ghost whereby we seeke the fruition of our chiefe goodnesse and consequently of our owne saluation and eternall happinesse which whilest we were destitute of the loue of God and were poysoned with hatred of God and carnall selfe-loue we neglected and contemned And from hence also ariseth the like affection towards our neighbours whom vvee loue for Gods sake not onely as Gods creatures and bearing his image but also in obedience vnto his Commandement So that it is impossible to loue either our selues or our neighbours as wee ought and for our owne and their good vnlesse wee loue God in Christ Iesus first and chiefly from whose sincere loue the other springeth and floweth But when we sincerely loue God and so yeeld our obedience vnto the first Table our loue towards our selues and our neighbours which is the summe of the second Table will necessarily and inseparably follovv For as our loue tovvards God is exercized immediately in religious vertues and holy duties of piety vvhich vve performe in his seruice so mediately by performing in obedience to his Commandements the duties of a true and Christian loue towards our selues and our neighbours For when our little goodnesse bounded in narrow limits will not reach vnto God for the manifestation of our loue towards him wee extend it as farre as wee are able and doe what good we can our of a holy and sanctified affection to our selues and our neighbours to shew our loue towards God in yeelding obedience vnto his Commandements As we see in the example of Dauid who being rauished with the apprehension of Gods loue and desiring to shew his loue towards him againe could no otherwise doe it then by taking Psal 116. 13. the cup of saluation and praising the name of the Lord and by causing his goodnesse to extend to Gods poore Saints that are in the earth and to the excellent Psal 16. 2 3. which in respect of its smalnesse and Gods all-sufficiency could in no sort reach vnto him Where by the way we may note that if wee loue Act. 17. 25. our selues and our neighbours out of our loue towards God and in obedience vnto his Commandements performing these duties of the second Table in and for him then doe wee when wee doe most good to our neighbours and our selues shew most loue towards God and performe vnto him such acceptable seruice as he requireth of vs and will richly reward in this life and the life to come For he hath sworne that all those Luk. 1. 74 75. whom he hath redeemed shall serue him as well in righteousnesse as in holinesse all the dayes of their liues And his grace appearing hath taught vs to deny not onely all vngodlinesse but also all worldly lusts and to liue as Tit. 2. 12. well soberly and righteously as godly and religiously in this present world §. Sect. 5 What charity is and the properties of it But let vs come to speake of this dutie of charity as in our Sauiour Christs words it is propounded vnto vs out of the Law of God Thou shalt Mat. 19. 19. 22. 39. Leuit. 19. 18. loue thy neighbour as thy selfe Wherein we are to consider two things the dutie commanded and the manner of doing it In the duty wee are to consider the act of louing and the obiect of our loue which is our neighbours and our selues the first plainly expressed the other necessarily implyed in the manner when as we are commanded to loue them as we loue our selues The duty of loue containeth in it First an affection or motion of the heart wherewith we are affected and inclined towards that we loue Secondly an earnest and longing desire that we may inioy it by being as it were vnited vnto it Thirdly ioy and delight in the fruition of it and a contentation whereby we rest according to the measure of our loue and fruition satisfied with it The properties of it are principally two the first that it be sincere and vnfained So the Apostle requireth that our loue be without dissimulation and vnfained and the Apostle Iohn disswadeth Rom. 12. 9. vs from lip-lip-loue which is onely in profession but fruitlesse and 2 Cor. 6. 6. 1. Ioh. 3. 18. vneffectuall in action Little children saith he let vs not loue in word neither in tongue but in deed and in truth The other that it be feruent and effectuall according to that of the Apostle Aboue all things haue feruent charity among your selues And this is that sincere and feruent loue which is so much and often commended and commanded in the Scriptures So our Sauiour Christ This is my commandement that ye loue one another as I haue Ioh. 15. 12. loued you And againe A new commandement I giue vnto you that yee loue Ioh 13. 34. 1. Ioh. 3. 23. one another as I haue loued you that yee also loue one another The Apostle likewise Walke in loue as Christ also hath loued vs and hath giuen himselfe Eph. 5. 2. for vs c. §. Sect. 6 Of the obiect of charity which is our neighbours The obiect of this loue plainely expressed is our neighbours whereby we are not with the Pharises to vnderstand our friends onely nor according Mat. 5. 43. to the vulgar vse of the word those that dwell neere vnto vs alone but all men without exception who are of the same nature with vs consisting of a reasonable soule and body whether they bee strangers or acquaintance friends or enemies vnto vs. For all men are of the same flesh Act. 17. 26. and created according to the same Image of God and also our brethren as they haue all alike descended from the same first parents And this is implyed in the Law where that Commandement which is giuen for the helping of our enemies Oxe or Asse being repeated in another place is Ex. 23. 4 5. com Deut. 22. 1 2 3. Esa 58. rendred thy brothers Oxe or Asse And the Prophet Esay maketh it a worke of mercy to couer the naked without any exception of stranger or enemy because hee is of our owne flesh But our Sauiour plainely presseth this duty both by precept But I say vnto you loue your enemies Mat. 5. 44. blesse them that curse you doe good to them that hate you and pray for them that despitefully vse you and persecute you propounding the
example of God himselfe for our imitation that you may bee the children of your Father which is in heauen for hee maketh his Sunne to rise on the euill and the good and sendeth rayne on the iust and on the vniust And also by his Parable of the man which fell among theeues who being a Iew Luk. 10. 29. 30. was relieued by a Samaritane though an enemy to that nation and therefore approoued as a neighbour vnto him All men therefore being our neighbours they are all in respect of their persons to bee loued of vs with such loue in respect of the qualitie as is sincere vnfained and feruent euen as wee loue our selues although in respect of the quantitie wee may and ought in our loue to obserue diuers degrees For seeing wee loue others in and for God therefore wee must loue those aboue others which are of the houshold of faith and our kindred in the Spirit brethren of the same heauenly Father and fellow members of the same body in whom the Image of God most brightly shineth so the whole Church and Common-wealth more then a priuate man and among priuate men our parents children kindred Gal. 6. 10. 1. Tim. 5. 8. familiar friends and benefactours more then strangers or ordinary men §. Sect. 7 The meanes of louing our neighbours namely as our selues The manner of our loue towards our neighbours is that we loue them as our selues In which the loue of our owne persons is necessarily implied Leuit. 19. 18. Mat. 22. 39. for if the loue of our selues be the rule of our loue towards our neighbours then must our charity begin at home and from it as from the fountaine the streames of brotherly loue must spring and flow And howsoeuer we haue in the Scriptures no direct precept inioyning vs to loue our selues yet it is necessarily implied First when we are cōmanded to loue God for seeing loue vniteth vs vnto him who is the chiefe Good and fountaine of all happinesse we chiefly loue our selues in louing him in whose fruition consisteth all blessednesse and felicity Secondly in all those Commandements which require of vs that we seeke our owne good and preseruation both in respect of our soules bodies and states temporall and eternall both by auoyding all sinne which would hurt vs as selfe-murther vncleannesse prodigality exposing of our fame and good name to slanders and imputations and by imbracing all vertues and practising all good duties which may further our euerlasting saluation Besides where our Sauiour saith that whosoeuer loueth his owne life better then him Eph 5. 28 29. is not worthy of him he implyeth that wee ought to loue our selues but with such a loue as is subordinate to the loue of him who hath loued vs better then his owne life And the Apostle in pressing a mans loue towards his wife which ought to exceed all other naturall loue because of that neere vnion betweene them whereby they become one flesh vseth this as a reason that no man euer hated his owne flesh implying thereby that seeing man and wife are both one therefore we should loue our wiues as our selues and consequently our selues first according to which rule we are to loue them §. Sect. 8 That naturall and carnall selfe loue is not the rule of louing our neighbours but that which is holy and spirituall But seeing our naturall loue of our selues is carnall and earthly plunging vs head-long into sinne and death and is no better then true hatred in respect of those miserable effects and fruits which it produceth both to our soules and bodies therefore this carnall loue ought not to be our rule in louing our neighbours although in truth wee can loue them with no other whilest this loue ruleth and swayeth in vs but first this loue must be mortified in vs and in stead thereof our hearts must be replenished with a iust and holy loue whereby we loue our selues in and for God for the aduancing of our temporall and spirituall good and the eternall saluation of our soules and bodies in the fruition of him whom wee chiefly loue and with him of euerlasting ioy and happinesse And when wee thus truly loue our selues according to this rule wee must loue our brethren So that when we are commanded to loue our neighbours as our selues Leuit. 19. 17. it is not required that we should so loue them as we loue our selues in the state of corruption with a carnall and earthly loue which would draw them together with vs into eternall death and destruction and is therefore to be esteemed no better then hatred but as wee ought to loue our selues in the state of regeneration with a right lawfull and holy loue which is alwayes subordinate to the loue of God and louing him first and chiefly doth cause vs to loue them in and for him and not in such respects as are carnall and sinfull In which regard as we are bound to loue all men euen our enemies yea the most wicked in the world in respect of their persons which are Gods workemanship so not our dearest friends in respect of their vices or their vices together with them seeing our loue must be subordinate to the loue of God and for his sake and as we loue their persons which he also loueth so must wee hate their sinnes and corruptions euen as wee ought also to hate our owne because he hateth and abhorreth them And wee must loue our selues and them according to Gods will and not contrary vnto it so farre foorth as it may stand with Gods loue and not when there is any opposition betweene them And thus Dauid who mourned for his enemies because they Ps 119. 136 137 Psal 119. 113. Psal 139. 21 22. kept not Gods Law and prayed for them in respect of their persons yet hated them in respect of their sinnes which vvere hatefull to God as he often professeth §. Sect. 9 The properties of lawfull selfe-loue Novv the lavvfull and right loue of our selues hath diuers properties for first it is vnfained and not counterfeit and dissembled and seated and settled in the heart and not in the tongue and lips onely Secondly it is feruent and effectuall and not cold remisse and carelesse Thirdly constant and permanent and not fickle and mutable alienated and estranged by frailties and infirmities And such ought our loue to be towards our neighbours sincere and vnfained feruent and effectuall seeking by all meanes their good not onely in word but in deede and action doing Mat. 7. 12. that vnto them which we would haue them do vnto vs and finally we must loue them with a constant loue and not alienate our affections from them in regard of their frailties and imperfections And thus wee are to loue our neighbours either with a common and naturall loue sanctified by Gods Spirit or with a special and spirituall loue In respect of the former as euery man out of a naturall loue doth seeke
his owne good the preseruation of his life the welfare and health of his body the chastity of himselfe and his wife the prosperity of his estate and his owne credit and good name so ought we vvith like loue to seeke by all meanes the good and preseruation of our neighbours in euery of these and all other respects The speciall and spirituall loue vvhereby a man loueth himselfe causeth him chiefly to seeke the inriching of his soule vvith all sanctifying grace and to further by all meanes his euerlasting saluation and vvith such loue also vve must loue our neighbours doing them all the good vve can both in respect of their bodies and states but principally in seeking their spirituall good and the eternall saluation of their bodies and soules §. Sect. 10 That we must loue our neighbors as Christ hath loued vs. But because our loue of our selues by reason of our naturall corruption is whilst we continue in this life weake and imperfect and therfore no fit rule for our loue towards our neighbours to be squared by therefore our Sauiour hath propounded vnto vs a much more perfect patterne for our imitation euen that most admirable and diuine loue wherewith hee hath loued vs This is my Commandement that ye loue one another as I haue loued Ioh. 15. 12. you As therefore Christ hath loued vs first before we loued him or any waies deserued his loue and hereby moued vs to loue him againe so 1. Ioh. 4. 19. ought wee to preuent one another with our loue and thereby prouoke them to returne vnto vs the like dutie Secondly as Christ loued all his Rom. 5. 8. elect freely without any respect of merit yea when we were strangers sinners and enemies not because of any goodnesse in vs but that by his Loue he might bring vs to good so ought our loue to be free and not mercinary so farre foorth as it may redound to our owne profit but we must loue strangers that thereby we may make them our familiar acquaintance Our enemies that we may make them our friends and euen those that are now euill and sinners that we may bring them to grace and goodnesse Thirdly as Christ loued all the elect without respect of persons both old and young rich and poore base and noble wise and simple so ought we to loue all sorts and conditions of men in whom we finde already or may hope to finde heereafter the signes and markes of Gods election Fourthly as Christ loued vs perfectly in respect of the manner with a sincere and ardent loue and not in tongue and profession onely but in deed and truth so as no waters of affliction nor death it selfe could Cant. 8 6. drowne or dampe so ought we striue to loue one another and to be ready according to his example when iust occasion is offered to seale and approoue 1. Iohn 3. 16. our loue towards them euen with the shedding of our blood Fifthly as Christ loued vs who were in him elected of his Father in a speciall and peculiar manner aboue all others and out of this loue hath giuen himselfe for vs according to that of the Apostle Who hath loued me Gal. 2. 20. and giuen himselfe for mee so ought we to loue all with a generall and common loue but Gods elect with a peculiar and speciall loue aboue the rest and be ready as the Apostle speaketh to doe good vnto all but especially Gal. 6. 10. vnto those who are of the household of faith Lastly as Christ loueth vs with a constant loue and to the end and will not reiect vs for our frailties and infirmities because in his loue he respecteth not his owne profit but our saluation So ought our loue to be constant towards our neighbours and not to languish and faint vpon slight occasions respecting herein not our owne profit but their benefit and aboue all the euerlasting saluation of their bodies and soules CAP. X. Of the reasons which may moue vs to imbrace charity §. Sect. 1 Of the excellency of charity ANd thus haue I shewed what is that charity both towards our selues and our neighbours which is required in the second Table In the next place I will set downe some reasons which may moue vs to imbrace it all which will reduce vnto these their heads the excellency vtility and necessity of it The excellency of this charity herein appeareth in that our Sauiour Christ maketh it the summe of all other duties and vertues required in the second Mat. 22. 39. Table so that if we haue charity we haue all morall vertues if that bee wanting we are destitute of them all Yea the Apostles not without the direction of his holy Spirit doe seeme to goe further making this charity the epitome and summe of the whole Law He that loueth another saith Rom. 13. 8. Paul hath fulfilled the Law If ye fulfill the royall Law saith Iames according to the Scripture thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe ye doe well Where either by a Synecdoche of the whole for the part we are as some doe to vnderstand the second Table onely or because true obedience to it doth necessarily inferre our obedience to the first in that it is an inseparable fruit and vndoubted signe of it it may not vnfitly comprehend our totall obedience to the whole Law Secondly in that the Apostle preferreth 1. Cor. 12. 31. 13. 13. it before those chiefe and fundamentall vertues Faith and Hope and that both because if we consider them meerely in themselues it is of a more excellent nature and also in respect of the extent both of latitude and time for whereas they respect our selues only and our owne saluation this extendeth to the good and saluation of many others and whereas they continue onely for this life charity attaineth to its greatest perfection in the life to come and shall euer remaine as a principall part of our euerlasting ioyes And thus also the Apostle Peter commendeth charity vnto vs aboue all other duties Aboue all things saith he haue feruent 1. Pet. 4. 8. charity among your selues for charity shall couer the multitude of sinnes Finally the Apostle sheweth the excellencie of charity whereas hee exhorteth vs aboue all things to put on Charity as being the bond of perfectnesse or the most perfect bond seeing wee are thereby vnited vnto Christ our Col. 3. 14. Head and as fellow-members one with another For howsoeuer we are thus vnited first and principally by the Spirit of God and a liuely faith yet this bond of vnion is perfected and made more firme and strong by this grace of charity which transforming and changing vs into the very nature of the things beloued doth cause vs to become one with them and so inseparably vnited that nothing in the world no not death Cant. 8. 6. it selfe is of sufficient force to pull vs asunder §. Sect. 2 Of the profit of charity in
respect of our neighbours Secondly charity is to be imbraced of vs as the most profitable vertue both to others and our selues To others because it maketh vs willing and 1. Cor. 13. 4. ready to performe all Christian duties of holinesse and righteousnesse which we desire of others to be done vnto vs for it suffereth with all patience and long-suffering all wrongs and iniuries and seeketh to gaine them who are thus iniurious by all duties of loue It is so kind that being prouoked it seeketh not reuenge but laboureth to ouercome euill with goodnesse It enuieth not the prosperity of those that are aboue vs but causeth vs to reioyce with them in all their happinesse It is not puffed vp with pride nor vaunteth it selfe aboue those who are inferiour vnto vs either in vertues or in those rewards with which God in this life crowneth them It doth not behaue it selfe vnseemely but obserueth a iust decorum and a Verse 5. modest and sober course in all conditions It seeketh not her owne but ioyntly aduanceth our neighbours good in many things departing from her owne right when greater benefit may redound to others it is not easily prouoked to vniust anger but beareth with many faults for their better reformation in consideration of humane frailty and infirmity It thinketh no euill nor intendeth hurt vnto any neither is it suspicious to take any thing in the worst part which may admit of a more fauourable interpretation It reioyceth not in iniquity nor sporteth it selfe in other mens falls and infirmities Verse 6. but rather in the sense of humane frailty it lamenteth their sinnes and desireth their repentance and reformation that they may bee saued And contrariwise it reioyceth when as they approoue their profession of truth in their practice of righteousnesse It beareth all things with meekenesse Verse 7 8. and patience and reuengeth not iniuries but leaueth vengeance to God vnto whom it belongeth It beleeueth all things credible and easily admitteth all iust apologies and excuses which tend to the manifesting of innocency in others or at least lesse faultinesse It hopeth all things and when there is no apparance of good in our righteousnesse expecteth their reformation and amendment and despaireth not of their future repentance Finally it indureth all things and couereth a multitude of euils and is not wearied in well-doing but continueth constant in doing and suffering all things which may any waies tend to the good of our neighbours §. Sect. 3 Of the profit of charity in respect of our selues And as it is profitable to all others so most of all vnto our selues For it replenisheth our hearts with all sound ioy and true comfort as it is an infallible signe of all good in vs and belonging vnto vs of all grace in this life and glory and happinesse in the life to come For hereby wee are assured that God loueth vs and hath sent his holy Spirit to dwell in vs If we loue one another saith the Apostle God dwelleth in vs and his loue 1. Ioh. 4. 12 13. Gal. 5. 22. 1. Iohn 4. 7. is perfect in vs. Hereby we know that we dwell in him and hee in vs because he hath giuen vs of his Spirit It is an vndoubted signe which assureth vs of our regeneration and new-birth Let vs loue one another for loue is of God and euery one that loueth is borne of God Of our illumination by the Spirit and of sauing knowledge for euery one that loueth is borne of God and knoweth God as it followeth in the same place And againe He that 1. Iohn 2. 10. loueth his brother abideth in the light and there is no occasion of stumbling in him It assureth vs of faith for faith worketh by loue as the Apostle Gal. 5. 6. speaketh and that by it we are truly iustified before God for if we bee so charitable as to forgiue men their trespasses then hath the Lord promised Mat. 6. 14. that he will forgiue vs our trespasses So also it is an infallible note of our adoption for in this the children of God are manifest and the children of the 1. Iohn 3. 10. diuell whosoeuer doth not righteousnesse is not of God neither he that loueth not his brother and assureth vs that we are the true Disciples of Iesus Christ if in this we follow his example and doe his will For this is his Commandement Iohn 15. 12. that we loue oue another as he hath loued vs. And by this shall all men Iohn 13. 35. know that we are his Disciples if we haue loue one to another It is an vndoubted signe of all other graces dwelling in vs and principally of our loue of God for euery one who loueth him that begate loueth him also that is begotten 1. Iohn 5. 1. 1. Iohn 4. 20. of him And if any man say I loue God and hateth his brother he is a lyer for he that loueth not his brother whom hee hath seene how can he loue God whom hee hath not seene And of the truth of our Religion for if wee loue 1. Iohn 3. 18 19. Iam. 1. 27. not onely in word and tongue but in deede and truth we may hereby know that we are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before God It expelleth all seruile feare and bringeth peace of conscience for there is no feare in loue but perfect loue casteth out feare Yea it is a notable meanes also of outward 1. Iohn 4. 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gregor Nazian Pro. 10. 12. 1. Pet. 4 8. 1. Iohn 3. 14. 4. 17. peace with men whilst it beareth with infirmities passeth by offences and couereth a multitude of sinnes Finally it assureth vs of euerlasting happinesse for we know that we haue passed from death to life because we loue the brethren §. Sect. 4 Of the necessity of charity Lastly the necessity of charity may mooue vs to imbrace it For without charity humane society cannot subsist and stand seeing it is the maine bond whereby they are combined and knit together Neither is it alone a chiefe motiue to make men entertaine mutuall fellowship and entercourse one with another but also a principall meanes to make them to continue with delight and comfort in this societie For charity couereth a Pro. 10. 12. multitude of sinnes and causeth vs to passe by many frailties and infirmities and either not to see and take notice of them or by extenuating and excusing them to make them pardonable and easie to bee disgested Whereas if charity be wanting there will easily creepe in iealousies suspitions sinister interpretations iniuries both offered and reuenged deadly hatred and implacable contentions for as the Wiseman saith Hatred stirreth vp strifes from whence must needes follow diuisions and Pro. 10. 12. vtter breaking vp of all society For if two cannot walke together vnlesse they Amos 3. 3. be agreed as the Prophet speaketh with what bond can
of Oxen or the grunting of Hogs Yea as the same Author saith If I be delighted more with the musicke then with the matter in stead of seruing God I fearefully sinne And therefore diuision and fraction of voyce broken repetitions and reports which take away the sense hinder the vnderstanding both of the singer and hearer and tend onely to affect the eare with the melody and not the heart with the matter are not to be vsed in this holy exercise For this is to sing not like men indued with reason but rather Aug. enarrat in Psal 18. like birds which are sensible onely of the tune but haue no vnderstanding of the matter and ditty §. Sect. 3 That we must diligently reade the Scriptures and the great profit of this exercise Vnto prayer and praysing of God by singing of Psalmes we are to adioyne another religious exercise which is reading of the Scriptures and other holy writings of which we will onely heere speake as it is a daily duty to bee performed of vs referring the more full handling of it vnto another place when we are to intreate of the meanes whereby we may be inabled to leade a godly life Here let it suffice to shew that it is a duty no day to bee neglected if wee can borrow any time from other necessary imploiments and find any conuenient leysure and fit opportunity to performe it For wheras we should labor after a daily increase in spiritual graces there is scarce any meanes more effectuall for this purpose seeing it is a notable helpe for the inlightning of our mindes in the knowledge of God and his will according vnto which we are to frame our liues for the Word of God is a lampe vnto our eyes and a light vnto our paths it inlighteneth the Psal 119. 105. Psal 19. 7 8. Pro. 1. 4. eyes and giueth vnderstanding vnto the simple It giueth wisedome to the ignorant and to the young man knowledge and discretion It is a singular helpe for the strengthening of our faith when as we haue daily before our eyes the couenant of grace and the sweete promises of the Gospell made vnto vs in Iesus Christ and obserue the infinite mercies of God extended to all without respect of persons who haue beleeued and trusted in him It much inflameth our loue towards God when in reading of them we obserue his loue towards vs and maketh vs zealous of his glory when we take notice of the infinite bounty of our Lord and Master and what a rich rewarder he is of our poore and imperfect seruice It will serue for a looking-glasse wherein we may see our spots and spirituall deformities and bee directed also by it to reforme and amend them It is a fit guide in the time of prosperity which will teach vs to vse Gods blessings aright so as they may be not onely truely comfortable in themselues but also as they are pledges of Gods loue and earnest pennies of our saluation It will be our comforter in our aduersitie whilst it teacheth vs so to profit by them as that they may be signes of our adoption and notable meanes to assure vs of Gods loue and our owne saluation It containeth in it the euidences of our heauenly inheritance and teacheth vs how to get them into our owne keeping without feare of losing them and who cannot daily with much comfort spend some time in perusing these assurances wherein so rich and glorious a Kingdome is ratified vnto him It is a diuine treasury of all spirituall and heauenly riches and who is so vnwisely moderate in his spirituall desires as not once in a day to please his eye with the sight of these treasures Finally it is our spirituall armorie in which is munition of all kinds and all sorts of weapons fit to defend our selues and offend our enemies and therefore seeing we are daily in the Christian warfare and continually assaulted by the enemies of our saluation why should we not also daily goe into this armory to fit our selues with spirituall armour and to take out of it the most preuailing weapons Now for the time of the day when this duty must bee performed in respect of priuate reading it cannot bee limited but must bee left to bee prescribed by mens leasure and opportunity And for that which is vsed as a family-exercise it is most seasonable as I take it before prayer either morning or euening because then they are assembled together and multitudes of occasions will hardly admit of often meetings CAP. XVIII Of our daily exercise in the duties of our callings and of diuers vertues required in them § Sect. 1 That we must make choyce of lawfull callings HAuing thus begun the day by the performance of these religious duties we must in the next place betake our selues to the duties of our lawfull callings Neither can we sufficiently approoue our selues vnto God if we doe not ioyne these with the other for he will be serued not onely in the generall duties of Christianity but also in those speciall duties which are peculiar vnto those places and callings in which he hath set vs either in the Church or Common-wealth Neither is it sufficient for him who is called to be a Magistrate Minister Master of a family or seruant that hee performe those duties which are common vnto him with all Christians vnlesse he also with like care and indeuour performe those speciall duties which belong to his owne place and calling And heere first is required that our calling be lawfull and agreeable to Gods will and Word that is such an one as our labours in it may tend to Gods glory the good of the Church and Common wealth and the furthering not onely of our temporall but also our spirituall good and the eternall saluation of our soules and not such as being vnlawfull hindreth these ends as those that liue by vnlawfull Artes and Trades Players Gamesters and such like for then the greater paines wee take in such callings the greater is our sinne the more wee dishonour God hurt our neighbours and hinder our owne saluation Secondly that wee bee in some measure qualified with such gifts as are fit for our callings for those whom God calleth vnto any place hee furnisheth them with such competencie of gifts as that they may profitably performe the duties required vnto it And if our calling bee lawfull and wee thus fitted for it then may wee say with the Apostle Paul that wee are called by the will of God and may with cheerefulnesse 2. Cor. 1. 1. and comfort goe on in it expecting his blessing vpon our labours and in the end of our liues a rich reward for doing him therein faithfull seruice Thirdly our minds and hearts must be settled in our callings so as we neither shift and change vnlesse it be vpon waighty and necessary causes nor intrude and busie our selues in the callings of others for this were to ouerthrow all order and bring
mistresse whom hee vsed Gen. 39. 11. as his wicked instrument to assault his chastity And thus hee assaulted righteous Lot vnto incestuous lust not in Abrahams company nor yet in Gen. 19. 30 31. Sodom it selfe though in respect of their professed filthinesse it was a fit Theater for such a fearefull Tragedy but when hee liued solitarily in the mountaine and had none but his daughters to beare him company who were to prouoke him vnto this vncleannesse And thus when hee would tempt Dauid vnto lust he chooseth his time when hee walked alone vpon the roofe of his house and then allured him by presenting vnto his sight a fit obiect of vncleannesse The which he found by often experience to be so great an aduantage that when he was to combate with our Sauiour Christ he made choyce to set vp his lists in the wildernesse that hauing in this Matth. 4. solitary place none of the former helpes hee might haue full liberty to bend against him all his engines of battery and vse without any interruption the vttermost of his power and skill to giue him a foyle Finally as solitary places are fittest for Satans filthy imbracements and to pollute Iam. 1. 12 13. the soule with sinne so also for the vnlawfull conceptions of our wicked lusts which afterwards are brought to the birth and grow to their full maturity in outward actions when wee come into company as the Apostle Iames implyeth in the like Allegory Thus also the Prophet Micah denounced a woe against them who deuised iniquity and in their meditations Micah 2. 1. plotted the worke of wickednesse vpon their beds and when the morning is light practised it because it was in the power of their hands And when they had by themselues coueted their neighbours fields they did afterwards seaze vpon them with open violence c. In which regard wee are in our solitarinesse to watch most carefully ouer the purity of our soules because they are then most indangered to these spirituall rapes and in vaine shall wee labour to hinder the birth and growth of sinne when wee come into company if when vvee are alone we be not as carefull to shunne Satans imbracements and so to preuent its first conception CAP. XXVII What duties wee ought to performe when wee are in company §. Sect. 1 That ciuill conuersation excelleth solitarinesse BVt howsoeuer there is a fit time for solitarinesse vvhere in the former duties belonging to it are to be practised of vs yet we are not chiefly to affect it much lesse to put such perfection in it as to deuote our liues wholly vnto it contemning and shunning all ciuill conuersation and all entercourse and dealings with one another but leauing vnto it due place and deserued commendation if it bee seasonable we are if they come in comparison generally both in respect of persons and times to preferre ciuill conuersation before solitarinesse and a life taken vp in vertuous action before that which is spent in bare theorie and contemplations For God is more glorified the Kingdome of Christ aduanced and inlarged the good both of Church and Common wealth with all the members of them both more furthered and increased and our owne present comfort and future ioyes in our heauenly happinesse much more multiplied and augmented when by our Christian conuersation and vertuous actions our holy profession and good example our admonitions exhortations counsayle consolation our workes of iustice charity and mercy and all other good offices mutually performed we edifie and build vp those which are about vs in their most holy faith and draw many others to accompany vs vnto the Kingdome of heauen then in the strictest course of a solitary life to goe by our selues alone vnto this place of happinesse And this the Lord hath ratified by his Word when as he said that it was not good for man to Gen. 2. 18. bee alone and two are better then one because they haue a good reward for their labour namely in that mutuall society and in those good offices of piety and Christian charity which they performe to one another for if they Eccl. 4. 9 10. fall one will lift vp his fellow but woe to him that is alone when he falleth for hee hath not another to helpe him vp And the Apostle layeth it as a charge vpon all men that they should consider and watch ouer one Heb. 10. 24 25. another to prouoke vnto loue and to good workes not forsaking the assembling of our selues together as the manner of some is but exhorting one another c. The which also is commended vnto vs by his workes both of creation and renouation For he hath made vs in our natures not like vnto wilde beasts who take their pleasure to lurke alone in their dennes but politicall and sociable creatures who take all their chiefe ioy and and comfort in conuersing with one another and so in his wise prouidence hee hath disposed of vs that we should not bee absolute and able to liue of our selues but neede the mutuall helpe one of another so that the King needeth the subiect as much as the subiect the King the rich the helpe of the poore as well as the poore the hire of the rich the city the countrey as well as the countrey the city and so hath hee combined and linked all men together into societies as it were particular members of the same bodies and hath so furnished them with diuersity of gifts and seuerall abilities vnto sundry offices that no sort of men can bee wanting without a maime nor any part vtterly pulled from the whole but that hee must necessarily become a dead and vnprofitable member and worke his owne ruine by this divulsion and separation So in our renouation wee are as it were anew created into one body whereof Christ Iesus is the Head and as diuers members haue our seuerall functions and offices allotted vnto vs which are not onely for our peculiar vse but for the good of the whole body and of euery other of our fellow members as the Apostle excellently sheweth in his first Epistle to the Corinthians So as none are so perfect in themselues that they neede not their fellowes that there might not bee any schisme in the body 1. Cor. 12. 1. but that the members should haue the same care one for another and that they Vers 15. 25 26. might both suffer together and reioyce together Of which sweete society singular benefits redound to the whole body and to all the particular members of it for they are linked together by the same Spirit and in the bond of loue performing all mutuall offices of Christian charity which may aduance their good They communicate in the same blessings and reioycing in one anothers good haue according to their number their ioyes redoubled in their troubles and afflictions they also communicate in one anothers griefe euery one comforting his fellovv and making the burthen
on the Spirit of meekenesse and patience which will enable vs to put vp iniuries and to passe by offences and to beare with the infirmities of our brethren till by some good meanes they may bee amended the Spirit of humility which will make vs to deny our selues our owne wills and obstinate conceits and to thinke better of the good parts of our brethren then our owne candidous and ingenuous simplicity whereby we are apt to interprete the words and actions of our brethren in the best sence and euen to season them if they be somewhat sowre or bitter with the sweetnesse of our nature and disposition §. Sect. 3 That our whole carriage and conuersation must be religious ciuill and honest And thus we are to prepare our selues before we goe into company if we desire to profit by it Now after we are come into it diuers duties are to be performed of vs some whereof generally concerne our whole conuersation and some more specially respect our workes and words Generally there is required that our carriage and conuersation bee holy and religious in respect of spirituall things and ciuill and honest in respect of the things of this life And first that chiefely ayming at Gods glory and our owne saluation wee labour by all meanes to aduance them and shunne all occasions in our whole conuersation whereby they may bee any waies impeached and hindred Secondly that wee be innocent and vnblameable in all our words and actions and giue no ill example scandall or offence vnto any that keepe companie with vs but shine before them in our faith and holy profession and in the light of a godly life that so they seeing our good workes may glorifie our heauenly Father and by our holy example may be gayned vnto Christ So the Apostle exhorteth Matth. 5. 16. vs to abstaine not onely from all euill but also from all appearance of 1 Pet 2. 12. it propounding himselfe an example of it vnto the Thessalonians for their imitation Ye are witnesses saith he and God also how holily and iustly and 1. Thes 2. 10. vnblameably we haue behaued our selues among them that beleeue for whom hee also prayeth that their whole spirit and body might be preserued blamelesse 1. Thes 5. 22 23. vnto the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ. Thirdly wee must bee iust and righteous in all our conuersation obseruing truth in our words and equitie in our actions giuing vnto euery one their due and dealing with others as wee would haue them to deale with vs which is a mayne bond of all good society and maketh it to hold together with peace and comfort And thus the Apostle exhorteth the Philippians to imbrace whatsoeuer Phil. 4. 8 9. things are true honest iust pure louely and of good report vertuous and praise-worthy and then the God of peace would dwell with them And telleth vs that they vnto whom the grace of God bringing saluation hath appeared are thereby taught not onely to liue holily towards God and soberly Tit. 2. 12. 1. 8. towards themselues but also righteously towards all that conuerse with them Fourthly we must be feruent in loue towards those with whom we consort which will make vs ready to performe all other duties vnto them according to that of the Apostle Owe no man any thing but to loue one another for he that loueth another hath fulfilled the Law Loue worketh no ill to his Rom. 13. 8 10. Col. 3. 14. neighbour c. And this loue will vnite vs together for it is the bond of perfection or a most perfect bond which knitteth vs together one with another Fifthly As we are of the same company so wee must labour to 1. Pet. 3. 8. be of the same minde and to minde the same things and to bee of the Rom. 12. 15. Phil. 3. 16. same affections reioycing with them that reioyce and weeping with them that weepe and to walke by the same rule as the Apostle speaketh so farre foorth as will stand with truth and iustice For if our bodies be vnited by society our minds and hearts being disioyned and disioynted wee shall bee but tyed together like Samsons Foxes by the tailes with firebrands betweene them and looking with our faces a contrary way shall hinder one another in all good proceedings Sixthly we must not carry our selues proudly towards one another nor being wise in our owne conceits mind high things Rom. 12. 16. for this will make vs so stiffe in our opinions that we will not bow vnto any mans iudgement but rather breake off all friendship and society about euery trifle then we will seeme to take the least foyle But contrariwise we must be of humble mindes and meeke spirits towards one another condescending to men euen of low estate in matters of truth and things indifferent and of small waight or dissenting from them in loue and after a meeke and peaceable manner Finally wee must bee patient and peaceable in all our conuersation and be much more ready to beare then offer iniuries according to the Apostles rule Recompence vnto no man euill for Rom. 12. 17 21. euill Prouide things honest in the sight of all men Bee not ouercome of euill but ouercome euill with good To which end wee must as elsewhere hee exhorteth vs Put on as the elect of God holy and beloued bowels of mercies kindnesse Col. 3. 12 13. humblenesse of minde meekenesse long-suffering forbearing one another and forgiuing one another if any man haue a quarrell against any euen as Christ forgaue vs. §. Sect. 4 How we must carry our selues in the company of those which are worldly and wicked And this ought to be our conuersation when we come in company with our brethren But what if by accident or by our necessary occasions wee Mat. 10. 33. fall into the company of meere worldlings and such as are irreligious and prophane Surely we are not to cast off the cloake of our profession and the badge and cognizance of vertuous and religious behauiour as though we were ashamed of our Master for if we thus deny him before men he also will deny vs before his Father which is in heauen And much lesse ought we to approue and applaude them in their wicked courses or because we would not displease them indure their reproches disgracefull taunts for our profession and practice of Religion countenance their ribauldry swearing and profane iests with our smiles or ioyne in the same gracelesse courses running together with them into the same excesse of riot that they may 1. Pet. 4. 4. not speake euil of vs. But so long as we are in their company we must labor by all meanes to reclaime them and to gaine them to Christ out-countenancing their leuity and profanenesse by our grauity and piety shining in our words countenance and conuersation And first our care must bee that in all our carriage we be vnblameable although their
we seldome admit such holy conferences as tend to Gods glory whom we haue found so gracious and bountifull a Master or being entred into them doe waxe weary and soone giue them ouer vpon euery slight occasion for want of loue and zeale to his seruice Yea let vs consider with what pleasure and delight our selues haue beene taken vp in the dayes of our ignorance with idle and hurtfull communication and let this make vs to redeeme our lost time by being diligent and frequent in good conferences and seeing wicked men are and we were not ashamed to spend much time in speaking to Gods dishonour and our owne and our neighbours hurt let it now bee a shame vnto vs to bee backward and bashfull slacke and meale-mouthed to speake freely vnto his praise or to omit any good occasion of discourse which may further the saluation of our selues or our brethren CAP. XXX Of those duties which concerne our workes and actions one with another both out of contracts and in our buying and selling §. Sect. 1 That we must labour both to do and receiue all the good we can in our dealings with others AND thus much concerning those duties which are to be performed in our society and conuersation respecting our speeches and conferences Now we are to speake of those which concerne our workes and actions And these either respect our simple and ordinary dealings out of contract or those which are to bee obserued in contracts and bargaines one with another Concerning the former I shall not neede to say much more then I haue written before of those duties which are generally to be performed in our whole conuersation and society with our neighbours Only let vs obserue this principall rule that when wee come in any company with our brethren wee indeuour by all good meanes both to receiue and doe all the good wee can vnto our selues and them improouing our society for the best aduantage to all parties And first for our selues we must not idly and vainely spend our time when we are in company but labour as much as in vs lyeth to reape what fruit and benefit we can by it setting our selues to listen vnto and lay vp for our vse the good speeches instructions counsels exhortations admonitions or reproofes which we shall heare from any and those especially which are superiour vnto vs in Gods gifts and graces as also to take notice of those good examples of piety or Iustice faith affiance in God humility meekenesse patience and such other vertues that they may serue as patternes for our imitation according to that of the Apostle Brethren be followers together of mee and marke them which walke so as ye haue vs for an example and elsewhere hee exhorteth the Hebrewes Phil. 3. 17. to follow the faith of those who were set ouer them and had spoken vnto them the Word of God But because such rules through humane frailty Heb. 13 7. doe sometime faile we are not hand ouer head to conforme our selues to such ensamples but in any doubtfull case to bring them to the maine Standard the Word of God and to consider if they agree or swarue from it and to our chiefe Patterne and Precedent Iesus Christ to see how their example agrees with his seeing the Apostle though excellently graced would not propound himselfe as an absolute patterne to be followed in all things but onely so farre foorth as he was a follower of Christ 1. Cor. 11. 1. §. Sect. 2 That we must take all occasions of gayning others to Christ And as we must labour when we are in company to receiue so also to doe what good we can vnto those who associate vs. Especially wee must indeuour to take and seeke all good occasions and opportunities of speaking or doing any thing which may further their saluation and to vse all good meanes both to gaine them vnto Christ if we see no signes of their conuersion or to build them vp in him to inrich them with all spirituall graces and to confirme and strengthen them vnto all Christian duties if being conuerted they belong to the same houshold of faith Of the former we haue the Apostle Paul a worthy example for our imitation who though 1. Cor. 9. 19. to 22. as he professeth he were free from all men yet he made himselfe seruant vnto all that he might gaine the more To the Iewes hee became a Iew that hee might gaine the Iewes that is as he expoundeth himselfe in the next words to them that were vnder the Law as vnder the Law that hee might gaine them that were vnder the Law to them which were without Law as without Law though hee were not without Law to God but vnder the Law to Christ that hee might gaine them that were without Law To the weake hee became as weake that hee might gaine the weake and in a word made himselfe all things to all men that he might by all meanes saue some And in the next Chapter he saith that he indeuoured to please all men in all things not seeking his owne profit but the profit 1. Cor. 11. 33. of many that they might be saued In respect of our brethren which are already conuerted we must when we keepe them company performe all Christian duties which may inrich or confirme and strengthen in them all the gifts and graces of Gods holy Spirit To which end we must obserue and watch ouer one another not as curious busie-bodies to intermeddle with their affaires which belong not vnto vs or to spie out their infirmities that wee may blaze them abroad to others but seeing their weakenesses that we may helpe and support them and their wants that we may vse all good meanes to supply them and in the meane time to couer them vnder the vaile of charity And finally that we may prouoke and stirre vp one another to the imbracing of all holy vertues and the practising of all Christian duties according to that of the Apostle Let vs consider one another Heb. 10. 24. to prouoke vnto loue and good workes §. Sect. 3 That in all our dealings and bargainings we must carry our selues vprightly and honestly In our contracts and bargaines whereby we alienate or exchange the things which of right appertaine vnto vs vpon some equall and honest conditions diuers duties are to bee obserued of all Christians who haue trading and dealings one with another some whereof are generall to all contracts and some more specially respect selling and buying In all our contracts and dealings there is generally required that we carry and behaue our selues simply and vprightly honestly and with a good conscience as in the sight and presence of God who seeth not onely our outward actions and dealings but also the inward thoughts of our hearts and our most secret and hidden intentions according to that of the Apostle We trust we haue a good conscience in all things willing to liue honestly And Heb.
their carriage and gouernement but behaue themselues in all things grauely and with a kinde of Christian Maiesty and authority according to the example of Iob who obserued such grauity in his carriage that when the young men saw him they hid themselues and the aged arose and Iob 29. 8 9. stood vp the Princes refrained talking and laid their hand on their mouth The which as it gaineth authority to gouernours so the contrary leuitie and lightnesse of behauiour doth expose their persons to scorne and their gouernement to neglect and contempt Thirdly there is required that piety iustice and sobriety doe shine in the whole course of their conuersation that so they may become examples vnto their inferiours of an holy righteous and vnblameable life then the which nothing is more powerfull and effectuall to draw inferiours to imitation of those vertues which they obserue in them And therefore Dauid intending a strict reformation of his house beginneth first with himselfe that hee might be an example vnto all the rest and resolueth that he will behaue himselfe wisely in a perfect way and walke within his house with an vpright heart and then that hee will banish out the wicked from his family and entertaine and countenance the religious and faithfull of the land Whereas contrariwise if they take neuer so much paines in teaching them their duties yet if they doe not make their owne liues examples of their rules but run a contrary course in their practice they shall not so much further them in the wayes of godlinesse by their instructions as discourage and hinder them by their bad example Fourthly they must not insult ouer their inferiours with tyrannicall pride and cruelty nor doe all they may by reason of their power and authority to keepe them vnder as base vnderlings out of a fond and false opinion raysing the pitch of their absolutenesse and greatnesse out of their slauish deiection who are vnder their gouernment but they must mixe with their power and authority parent-like loue brotherly humanity and Christian mildnesse and modesty that their inferiours may honour them as fathers as well as feare them like Lords and may yeeld vnto them free cheerefull and voluntary obedience subiecting to their gouernement Rom. 13. 5. not onely their bodies and outward actions but also their hearts wills and inward affections For if the hearts of Kings themselues must not bee lifted vp aboue their brethren then much lesse should the hearts Deut. 17. 20. of inferiour gouernours in families bee thus exalted Fifthly they must gouerne in the Lord as his Vice-gerents and Deputies and chiefly ayme therein at Gods glory remembring that from him they haue all their authority and that they exercise not their owne but the iudgements of the Lord according to the saying of good Iehoshaphat to his Iudges Take 2. Chro. 19. 6. heede what yee doe for ye iudge not for man but for the Lord who is with you in iudgement And this must make them chiefly to aime by their gouernement to containe their inferiours in the duties of piety and righteousnesse that God may be glorified both by themselues and also by all those which are in the family And finally they must make it appeare in all their gouernement that they doe not wholly ayme at their owne particular and priuate profit but also at their ioynt good which is the chiefe cause why the Lord hath made them superiours vnto others not that they may serue their turne of them and looke no further but that they may like the head the members of the body gouerne them for their benefit And this argument the Lord vseth to perswade inferiours to honour their superiours that it might goe well with themselues in the land which the Lord gaue Deut. 5. 16. them And the Apostle mooueth them to doe that which is good vpon the like reason because their gouernours were the Ministers of God to them for good if they did well Rom. 13. 4. §. Sect. 2 Of the iustice loue which are required in gouernement The things required vnto the administration of their gouernement are iustice and loue the which must be tempered the one with the other that loue may moderate and sweeten iustice and iustice may keepe loue vnpartiall and vpright lest our actions sauouring of nothing but iustice seeme rigorous and expose vs to hatred and loue not guided nor backed by iustice degenerate into doting fondnesse and so expose vs to contempt whereas both rightly mixed the one with the other will cause reuerence and obedience The which mixture must bee vsed in all our actions towards all vnder our gouernement although these vertues are to bee exercised diuersly and the one to be more manifested then the other according to occasion time persons and deserts For though we ought to loue all yet those especially who excell in Gods graces and profit most in all religious Christian and ciuill duties and to such our loue must bee most manifested to incourage them to go on in their good courses and to draw others to follow their example The which was Dauids practice as he professeth who though he were indifferently iust towards all his subiects yet his loue exceeded towards the faithfull of the land and those which walked Psal 102. 6. in a perfect way But especially our loue and iustice must appeare in our rewards and chastisements which are the mayne bonds and very sinewes of gouernement We must reward those who deserue well partly by our words commending their good actions which is a great incouragement to well-doing as the Apostle implyeth when hee vseth it as a reason to perswade inferiours to their duty Doe that which is good saith he and thou shalt haue praise of the same the which our Sauiour will vse to Rom. 13. 3. his seruants at the last day Well done good and faithfull seruant thou hast Mat. 25. 23. beene faithfull ouer a few things c. And partly by deeds the which must sauour both of iustice in giuing them their due wages and of loue and bounty by giuing according to our ability gifts to incourage them in their well-deseruing Chastisements also must be vsed towards them who will not otherwise be reclaimed from their faults nor kept in due order either in words only by gentle or more sharpe reproofes according to the quality of the offence or by stripes when nothing else will serue For otherwise we shall offend against God in neglecting being his Deputies to glorifie 1. Sam. 2. 29. him in his Iustice against our selues by becomming accessary to their sins against the parties offending whom we reclaime not but suffer them to go on in their wickednes to their destructions against those of the same family whom by this impunity we incourage to follow their ill example and the whole society which is hereby made obnoxious to Gods Iustice But this correction is only good when it is necessary being like
towards hell and destruction §. Sect. 3 That in our prosperity we must take heed lest we forget God that his blessings doe not draw our hearts from him and that we be not vnthankfull More especially let vs take heed that by these temporall blessings we be not made more forgetfull of God vnto which vice we are naturally prone Luk. 15. in the time of our prosperity because when wee inioy all wee desire and haue neede of nothing wee are not sensible that wee want his helpe nor so apt to remember him that wee may giue him thankes for that wee haue as to begge at his hands the things wee want as wee see in the example of the Prodigall who thought not on his father when hee was in prosperity but when he is pinched with pouerty then hee thinketh of returning vnto him Whereof it is that the Lord so often warned the Israelites that when they inioyed ease and plenty in the Land of Promise they should beware that they did not forget him the which notwithstanding they neglected for as the Prophet complaineth As in their pastures so were they filled they were filled and their hearts Deut. 6. 10 11. 8. 10 11. Hos 13. 6. were exalted therefore they haue forgotten mee Which that wee may not also do let vs often consider that it is a foule shame for vs to take occasion by these tokens of Gods loue the sooner to forget him which he hath purposely sent to put vs in minde of his loue and bounty towards vs. Let vs as often as wee looke vpon them remember that they are not chiefly Psal 127. 1 2. purchased by our owne indeuours for how many seeke and cannot inioy them who farre exceede vs in wit and industry but that wee haue them from God and by his blessing vpon our labours Finally let vs often remember that though wee abound in these earthly things yet they will not doe vs any good vnlesse God giue his blessing in their vse and make them effectuall to those ends for which hee hath giuen them Secondly let vs bee carefull when wee abound with temporall blessings that they doe not draw our hearts from God as they surely will if wee esteeme them as our chiefe treasures and in our affections dote too much vpon them according to that of the Apostle Iohn If any man loue the world the loue of the Father is not in him To 1. Ioh. 2. 15. which end let vs consider that it is extreme folly to loue the creature better then the Creator seeing whatsoeuer beautie goodnesse or excellency is in them it is infinitely more in him from whom they haue it as a small drop out of the maine Ocean That it is horrible ingratitude and vnkindnesse to loue Gods gifts better then the giuer and when as a gracious Bridegroome hee sendeth them as loue-tokens or deputies to woo our hearts wee neglect him and dote vpon his messengers Thirdly let vs take heede that by how much the Lord is more liberall in bestowing his benefits that wee bee not by so much the more vnthankefull which might seeme a needelesse admonition if wee did not see by daily experience that wee are in our pouerty more thankefull for euery small trifle which relieueth our present necessities then in our riches and abundance when wee haue our wants supplied before they pinch vs that wee are more ready to praise God for a little ease in a great sicknesse then when wee inioy perfect health and for a little sleepe after much restlesse waking then when wee haue long taken our naturall and quiet repose without any let or the least disturbance For wee see the worth of Gods blessings more in their want then in their fruition and the better wee know them the more thankefull wee are for them Besides wee are apt to bee made wanton by our prosperitie and to vex our selues more in longing after superfluities then others in the want of necessaries And if we be crossed in these desires and haue not our appetite satisfied to the full wee are ready vngratefully to forget all the good things which wee inioy and to murmure and repine as if wee had nothing Which odious vice that wee may auoid let vs consider when wee finde our selues inclining vnto it how many good things wee inioy that others want who better deserue them that God is as sufficient and ready to giue vs what wee want as what wee haue if in his wisedome and goodnesse he did see them fitting for vs. That we indanger our selues to be depriued of our present blessings by doting so vpon the things wee haue not that we bee vnthankefull for that we haue for God seeing that our discontents arise from wantonnesse rather then want will wisely take away the greatest part of his benefits that wee may bee more thankefull for those that remaine §. Sect. 4 That in our prosperity we must beware of pride security and hardnesse of heart licentiousnes and contempt of spirituall and heauenly things Fourthly let vs in our prosperity watch ouer our selues that we be not puffed vp with pride vnto which this estate through our corruption maketh Exod. 5. 2. Esa 10. 8. 47. 7 8. Psal 10. 10. 73. 6 9. 2. Sam. 24. 1. 2. Chro. 32. 25. 1. Cor. 4. 7. vs prone as we may see not onely in the examples of former times as Pharaoh Nebuchadnezzar Babylon and of those wicked men of whom the Psalmist speaketh who being inclosed in their owne fat spake proudly with their mouth and flourishing in all earthly aboundance put on pride as a chaine about their neckes yea holy Dauid and good Ezechias were thus ouertaken and though in the time of their trouble they were meeke and humble yet were their hearts lifted vp in their prosperity The which the experience of these times doth make too manifest wherein not onely meere worldlings but euen many of the faithfull are taynted with this odious vice by reason of their earthly aboundance and long prospering in their worldly desires Which that we may preuent let vs consider that we haue nothing but what we haue receiued not as absolute gifts but as our Masters goods lent onely vnto vs for our vse for which wee stand indebted and must giue an account at the day of Iudgement and what reason haue wee to bee proud of our debts that God so hateth this vice of pride that hee will rather withdraw from vs his spirituall graces and his gracious assistance in the time of tentation that by falling into other sinnes we may be cured of this and haue our soules adorned with true humility and therefore how much rather will hee depriue vs of temporall benefits and things of farre lesse value then we should continue infected with this vice which aboue all others he most abhorreth And when the greatnesse of our gifts and possessions beginne to puffe vs vp let vs thinke how we haue imployed them and whether we
choake in vs the seed of Gods Word and hinder in vs the growth of his spirituall graces the which through our corruption they are apt to doe as our Sauiour teacheth vs in the Parable of the Sower partly by catching hold of vs and hindring vs Mat. 13. 22. from going into the holy assemblies as wee see in the example of those who being inuited to the Kings Supper pretended excuses and would not come and of the Iewes who when God spake vnto them in their prosperity Ier. 22. 21. professed that they would not hearken vnto him nor obey his voyce And partly by distracting our mindes and hearts when we are there so as wee cannot attend vnto the things deliuered as we see in the example of the Iewes who when the Prophet preached vnto them with their mouthes Ezech. 33. 31. made iests and suffered their hearts to runne after couetousnesse Which that we may auoyd let vs hold them in our hands as ready to imploy them in Gods seruice and for the good of our brethren but not suffer them through carnall loue to take rooting in our hearts which is Gods portion and fairest field allotted to receiue the seede of his Word for the growth of spirituall graces Or if the enuious man hath sowed any of these tares and weedes in them let vs roote them out with all care and diligence before wee goe into the holy assemblies that they may not choake in vs that spirituall seede nor hinder the growth of sauing graces and let vs as the Apostle exhorteth vs mortifie our earthly lusts and flie carnall concupiscence when we desire to bee furnished with Gods graces by the Ministery of the Word and to follow after righteousnesse godlinesse faith loue 1. Tim. 6. 10 11. patience and meekenesse §. Sect. 6 That we must carefully arme our selues against the tentations vnto which this estate is indangered and take heede that it hinder not our heauenly happinesse Tenthly let it be our care when wee are in prosperity to set a double watch ouer our selues that we be not ouercome with those manifold tentations 1. Tim. 6. 9. Deut. 7. 25. vnto which this estate doth chiefly expose vs as loue of the world earthly-mindednesse ambition couetousnesse voluptuousnesse and the rest To which end let vs consider that in these worldly thickets Satan cunningly layeth his most dangerous ambushments to surprize vs with his tentations at vnawares that they are his traps and snares in which hee intangleth many and keepeth them in his slauery and his vsuall baites whereby he allureth vs to come within the compasse of his nets of perdition vnto which who so stoope with a greedy appetite fall into many foolish and noysome lusts which drowne them in destruction Finally that they are his common wages which he offereth as his hire to draw men to serue him in the workes of darkenesse wherewith hee hath preuailed with so many that he thought it his strongest inducement to perswade our Sauiour Math. 4. 9. Christ himselfe to yeeld vnto him and doe him seruice And therefore as we desire to stand in the day of tentation to preuent our foyles and would not hazzard the eternall saluation of our soules let vs in our prosperity watch ouer our selues and also earnestly desire the Watchman of Israel to watch ouer vs that wee may be preserued from all these dangers Finally let vs when we inioy prosperity and temporall blessings aboue all things carefully take heed that they do not hinder our heauenly happinesse by being burthens on our shoulders which will tire vs in our iourney thitherwards and as the Camels bunch vpon our backes which will hinder vs from entring into the straight gate The which our care must be redoubled by the greatnesse of the danger seeing it is a most hard thing for the same man to inioy earth and heauen to haue temporall felicitie in the full fruition of worldly things and eternall happinesse in Gods Kingdome to haue the honours riches and pleasures of this life and eternall glory lasting riches and heauenly ioyes in the life to come For the Apostle telleth vs that not many wise men after the flesh nor many mighty 1. Cor. 1. 26. nor many noble are called vnto them and our Sauiour hath taught vs that it is easier for a Camell to passe thorow the eye of a needle then for a rich man Matth. 19. 24. to enter into the Kingdome of God For preuenting of which danger and the auoyding of this incomparable losse let vs vse these earthly things as though 1. Cor. 7. 31. we vsed them not or as not abusing them making them to serue as helpes in our pilgrimage to further vs in our way by imploying them to all good vses and when they begin through our carnall loue to cling vnto vs and to become heauy burthens to hinder vs in our race let vs as the Apostle exhorteth vs cast them off that we may run more cheerefully and parting Heb. 12. 1. with our superfluities for the reliefe of others necessities let vs retaine onely so much as may further vs in our iourney §. Sect. 7 That we must not too highly esteeme nor too earnestly affect and seek after earthly things But especially let vs take heed that wee doe not value them in our iudgements affect them in our hearts nor seeke after them in our actions and indeuours more then spirituall graces and heauenly happinesse that we doe not make Idols of them by louing them more then God taking more paines to get them and more care to keepe them and more griefe to lose them then the assurance of his fauour or to carry our selues acceptably in his sight finally though we doe not vtterly reiect them from hauing some place in our hearts yet let vs beware that wee doe not giue them the chiefe seate but let them haue entertainement according to their owne ranke and condition as things indifferently good and farre short in excellencie vnto spirituall graces and heauenly glory that though wee possesse them yet we be not possessed of them nor become their slaues whereas God hath made vs their Lords and gouernours And that wee may not thus excessiuely esteeme and immoderately loue them let vs consider that in themselues they deserue it not being in comparison of grace and glory of no worth and though they were to others of some value yet not vnto vs who professe Christianity In themselues they are in the former comparison to be lightly esteemed and slightly affected seeing they bring not vnto vs any absolute true and certaine good because in their owne nature they haue not in them any such degree of goodnesse being vaine and of no solidity whereof it is that they doe not satisfie those that haue them and not onely vnprofitable to their owners for the chiefe and best vses and ends but also mixt and distasted with many euils and miseries which doe attend vpon them Or
hand for euermore so farre foorth as the frailty and infirmity of nature will suffer and not disable vs through drowzinesse caused by want of sufficient sleepe vnto the publike duties of Gods seruice And therefore farre bee it from vs that professe Christianity to imitate the practice of carnall worldlings who rise betimes vpon the weeke dayes to goe about their owne businesse but when the Lords Day commeth lie long in bed and as they say take vp their penny-worths of sleepe in which they were scanted by their earthly imployments because they thinke it an idle time wherein they haue nothing to doe sauing to make themselues ready and goe to Church but rather according to our profession let vs imitate the example of our Sauiour Mar. 1. 35 38. Christ who did awake betimes to doe the workes of God rising before day to pray and afterwards preaching in the Synagogue §. Sect. 2 Of meditations fit to be vsed on the Lords Day Secondly being awakened out of sleepe we must in the first place settle our selues to performe those religious and holy duties belonging to euery morning of which we haue formerly spoken but with these differences first that wee respect in them the Lords Day and make speciall application of them vnto that present occasion And secondly that we doe in an extraordinary manner stirre vp our selues to performe them with more ardent zeale and greater deuotion then at any other time For example we must awake with God and in our first thoughts set him before vs and our selues in his presence that we may in a speciall manner performe the peculiar duties of his seruice which that Day aboue others he requireth of vs. And first we must deuoutly lift vp our hearts and soules to praise his holy Name for preseruing vs the whole weeke and night past from all perils and dangers continuing still vnto vs life liberty and all good meanes and opportunities whereby wee are inabled yet once againe to sanctifie his Sabbath by performing vnto him the duties of his seruice earnestly desiring the continuance of his fauour and the gracious assistance of his holy Spirit to guide and leade vs thorowout the day following that wee may therein carry our selues in such an holy and religious manner as that all the seruice which we performe vnto him may be pleasing and acceptable in his sight and may wholly tend to the aduancement of his glory the edification of our brethren the inriching of our soules with all spirituall graces and the furthering and assuring of our saluation After which short Prayer we are to spend some time in holy meditation the subiect and matter whereof may bee the infinite and inestimable loue and mercies of God innumerable wayes shewed vnto vs but especially in giuing vnto vs his onely begotten and dearely beloued Sonne to dye for our sinnes and as this Day to arise againe for our iustification In which we may inlarge our selues as time and leasure will serue by calling to our remembrance the particular parts of Christs Passion as his miseries and afflictions in the whole course of his life his betraying and apprehension his haling to the Iudgement seate of mortall men who was the Soueraigne Iudge of heauen and earth his accusing and condemning who was innocent that hee might acquit vs who are malefactours Also how he was railed and spit vpon scourged and tormented clothed with purple and crowned with thornes scorned and derided numbred among the wicked and crucified betweene two thieues died the death the bitter ignominious and cursed death of the Crosse and in his soule bore and indured for our sakes the anger of God much more heauy and intolerable then all his other sufferings which made him in that his bitter agony to sweate water and blood and to cry out vpon the Crosse My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Vnto which we may adde in our meditations Iob. 3. 16. the manifold and exceeding fruits and benefits of his death and resurrection redounding vnto vs that so we may not onely bee stirred vp to vnfained thankfulnesse vnto God the Father who hath of his meere loue Rom. 5. 8 10. Phil. 2. 6. giuen his Sonne euen when wee were strangers and enemies to doe all this for vs and to God the Sonne who hath being equall with his Father thus humbled himselfe to worke the great worke of our Redemption and to God the holy Spirit for applying the fruits and benefits of Christs passion and resurrection vnto vs making them effectuall for our iustification and saluation but also hauing our hearts inflamed with the apprehension of this their loue we may be mooued heereby to loue them againe and bee made zealous in their seruice thinking nothing enough which wee can doe to glorifie them who haue beene so good and gracious vnto vs. We are to meditate also on our sinnes which we haue falne into especially since the last Lords Day either in the omission or imperfect performance of good duties or in the commission of euill that we may seriously bewaile and repent of them before we present our selues in the holy assemblies to performe the publike duties of Gods seruice Seeing hee will be Leuit. 10. 2. honoured in all that draw neere vnto him either in his mercy by forgiuing the sinnes of the repentant or in his iustice by punishing those that continue in their impenitency So also wee are to examine and search out those sinnes and corruptions vnto which our fraile nature is most inclined and wherewith wee haue beene most often ouertaken that so going into Gods spirituall armorie wee may fit our selues with such weapons as may defend and strengthen vs against them and get such wholesome preseruatiues as may keepe vs from being tainted and infected after our recouery with the like contagious poyson Wee are likewise to examine our wants and in what graces of Gods holy Spirit we are most defectiue and in what holy duties wee are most backward and sluggish that so wee may supply our defects when wee come into this spirituall market by applying such doctrines and instructions admonitions and exhortations as shall be most fitting for this purpose §. Sect. 3 Of Prayer Thankesgiuing and reading the Scriptures priuately on the Lords Day After some time spent in these and such like meditations we are in the next place to performe the duty of priuate prayer which is to be fitted to the Lords Day For prostrating our selues before the Throne of grace in the mediation of Iesus Christ we are to confesse and acknowledge as our other sinnes so those especially whereby wee haue offended God in respect of his Sabbaths and the duties of his seruice as our originall corruption whereby we haue vtterly disabled our selues in all the powers and parts of our soules and bodies to all holy duties and religious worship and become apt and prone to the contrary sinnes and our actuall transgressions whereby we haue broken all Gods Commandements
Congregation And next vnto it our speech must tend to the furthering of our owne saluation and edification of our brethren For if our hearts bee sincere and holy such also will our conferences bee as before wee haue shewed more at large §. Sect. 4 That we must practise what we know in our works and actions Secondly with our words and outward profession wee must ioyne also our workes and actions in doing seruice vnto God without which wee cannot approoue our hearts to bee vpright before him Neither is it sufficient to make vs accepted of God that wee speake religiously and make a glorious profession of the Truth vnlesse our practice be sutable in the works of holinesse and righteousnesse It is not enough as our Sauiour hath taught vs to cry Lord Lord for entring into Gods Kingdom vnlesse we Mat. 7. 21 23. do the wil of his Father which is in heauen no nor yet that we haue prophecied and preached in his Name seeing we shal be excluded depart from him if we be workers of iniquity For not the hearers and talkers of the Law but the Rom. 2. 13. doers therof shall be iustified Neither will God render vnto vs according to our outward profession but according to our deeds we shal receiue at Christs Rom. 2. 6. 2. Cor. 5. 10. Tit. 1. 16. appearing to Iudgement not according to our words and shewes but according to that we haue done whether it be good or bad Yea in truth bare profession without practice doth make vs the more odious in Gods sight And if we deny God in our works whō we professe to know with our words we become abominable hypocrits who dishonour him more by their sins then any other In which regard the Lord would haue none to make profession of Religion who do not indeuour to practise what they know in their liues What hast thou to doe to declare my Statutes or that thou shouldest take my Couenant Psal 50. 16. into thy mouth seeing thou hatest instruction and castest my words behind thee And such our Sauiour reprooueth Why call ye me Lord Lord and doe Luk. 6. 46. not the things which I say Before therefore we compasse Gods Altar to offer vnto him with our tongues the sacrifice of praise wee must first with Dauid wash our hands in innocencie If we would approoue the sincerity of Psal 26. 6. our faith outward confession of the Truth we must with those beleeuers in the Acts of the Apostles shew it by our deeds If we would make it manifest Act. 19. 18. that our harts are inwardly inflamed with the loue of God we must shew it by our actions rather then by our words according to that of our Sauiour If ye loue me keepe my Commandements And againe He that hath my John 14. 15 21. Commandements and keepeth them is he that loueth me Yee are my friends if ye doe whatsoeuer I command you Iohn 15. 14. §. Sect. 5 Diuers reasons perswading vs to good workes By all which it appeareth that vnto the duties of a godly life there is required reall practice in our workes as well as verball profession with our mouthes neither doth an holy profession alone make any man holy but only bindeth him to the duties of holinesse The which though it bee acknowledged of all men yet because it fareth with the most as with men grieuously sicke who hauing lost their appetite approoue good meate in their iudgment and discourse but when they are mooued to eate of it put it by because it is lothsome to their corrupted stomacks therefore it will not be amisse that we inforce this point a little further that I may set an edge on their appetite and as the Apostle requireth may prouoke them vnto Heb. 10. 24. loue and good workes First therefore let vs consider that as the Lord requireth an vpright heart and holy profession so also the fruits of them both in good workes For he would haue vs not onely hearers of his Word but also doers of it and chargeth vs to doe good vnto all to be rich in good workes Iam. 1. 22. Gal. 6. 10. 1. Tim. 6. 17 18. 2. Thes 3. 13. Tit. 2. 14. Luk. 1. 74 75. 1. Tim. 2. 10. and neuer weary of well-doing Secondly that he hath created vs vnto good workes that we should walke in them and redeemed vs that wee should not onely doe good workes but also bee zealous in doing of them Thirdly that they are the chiefe ornaments of Christians which much more decke and beautifie them in the sight of God and all good men then all Iewels gold and gorgeous apparell Fourthly let vs consider the exceeding profit of them seeing God doth richly reward them both in this life and the life to come Fifthly that they are notable and singular meanes to assure vs of all Gods graces in this life and eternal happinesse in the life to come whereby we attaine vnto spirituall comfort peace of conscience and ioy in the holy Ghost For they are the assured signes of our election and effectuall calling seeing if we doe these things we shall neuer fall They are the 2. Pet. 1. 10. fruits of our regeneration and new birth whereby wee are assured of our spirituall life euen as the naturall life is knowne by action and motion and that we are trees of righteousnesse which Gods owne hand hath planted for the tree is knowne by the fruits seeing a good tree cannot bring foorth Math. 7. 17. 12. 33. those which are euill nor an euill those which are good They assure vs of our iustification for he that doth righteousnesse is righteous as the Apostle Iohn 1. Job 3. 7. Rom. 2. 13. telleth vs. They are signes of our adoption and spirituall kindred with Christ for they that heare the Word and doe it are his brethren and sisters By them we may be assured that our wisedome is spirituall and heauenly according Mat. 12. 50. to that of the Apostle Iames Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge amongst you Let him shew out of a good conuersation his workes with Iam. 3. 13. meekenesse of wisedome That our faith also is liuely and iustifying For they and they onely doe truely beleeue in God who are carefull to maintaine good workes seeing as it inwardly purifieth the heart so also it worketh outwardly Tit. 3. 8. Act. 15. 9. Gal. 5. 6. Iam. 2. 14. 17. 26. by loue And therefore the Apostle Iames concludeth that such a faith as bringeth not forth these fruits doth nothing profit vs for our iustification and saluation because it is dead and not a liuing body but a dead carkasse which breatheth not So that though workes doe not iustifie vs but faith onely for wee are first made righteous before wee can bring foorth the fruits of righteousnesse yet that faith which is alone doth not iustifie vs because it is a dead faith
and therefore cannot apply vnto vs Christ our Righteousnesse Though they doe not iustifie vs before God yet they iustifie vs before men that is declare that we are iustified Though they be not causes yet they are necessary and inseparable effects of our iustification Though they are not required vnto the act of iustification but faith onely vniting vs vnto Christ our Righteousnesse yet vnto the party iustified for as hee that doth righteousnesse is righteous so hee that is righteous 1. Ioh. 3. 7. doth righteousnesse the cause and effect alwayes concurring and going together Finally though they bee not meritorious causes of saluation which is Gods free gift an inheritance and not a purchase made by our selues yet they are the meanes which assure vs of it and though they be not the cause of our raigning yet they are the way to the Kingdome Finally they are the vndoubted signes and as the Apostle calleth them the proofe of our loue whereby we may try whether it be vnfained or hypocriticall Ioh. 14. 15. for if we loue God we will keepe his Commandements and also of the truth and sincerity of our Religion which is not so well knowne from that Iam. 1. 27. which is false by an outward profession as by the holy practice of it in the workes of piety iustice mercy and Christian charity §. Sect. 6 Of the rewards of good works Lastly let vs consider that the Lord will richly of his free grace reward these workes with glory and happinesse in his Kingdome For though the strength of our title stand vpon Gods free gift yet wee are entred into the possession of it by the workes of mercy as being infallible signes that wee are the true and lawfull heires vnto whom this heauenly patrimony doth belong by right of Couenant according to that of our Sauiour Come ye Mat. 25. 34 35. blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world for I was hungry and ye gaue me meate I was thirsty and ye gaue me drinke c. So the Apostle saith that at the day of Iudgement Christ will render to euery man according to his deeds To them who by patient continuance Rom. 2. 7 8. in well-doing seeke for glory honour and immortality eternall life but to them that are contentious and doe not obey the truth but obey vnrighteousnesse indignation and wrath c. Whereby it appeareth that if euer we meane to attaine vnto euerlasting happinesse we must not content our selues with an opinion of our inward piety and sincerity nor with an outward profession of Religion but we must bring foorth the fruits of them both in the workes of holinesse and righteousnesse For not euery one that saith Lord Mat. 7. 21 22. Luk. 11. 28. Ioh. 13. 17. Apoc. 1. 3. Lord shall enter into Gods Kingdome but they that doe his will And they only are pronounced happy who heare the Word of God and keep it As for those who please themselues with the profession of piety neglect the practice in the fruits of obedience and duties of a godly life they are presently in danger to be cut off like hypocrits dead branches with Gods iudgemēts according to that of Iohn the Baptist Now is the axe laid to the root of the trees Mat. 3. 10. Ioh. 15. 2. Therefore euery tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewne downe cast into the fire And in the World to come shall be excluded from Gods presence and haue their portion in euerlasting fire prepared for the deuill and his Mat. 7. 23. 25. 41. angels not only as workers of iniquity but also as neglecters of the workes of mercy and Christian charity to the poore members of Iesus Christ CAP. IIII. That we must performe vniuersall obedience to the whole will of God §. Sect. 1 That only vniuersall obedience to Gods will Word is accepted of him AND thus haue we shewed that our obedience ought to bee vniuersall in respect of the subiect or the person that performeth it In the next place we are to shew that there is also an vniuersality required in respect of the obiect whereby we vnderstand the whole will of God reuealed in the Scriptures Neither is it sufficient that we performe some or many duties and neglect the rest but wee must in all things bee conformable to all Gods Commandements which is not so to be vnderstood as though we could actually doe all that God requireth for in many things wee sinne all but of Iam. 3. 2. an habituall obedience and disposition of our hearts whereby wee desire resolue and indeuour in all things to doe Gods will in as great perfection as we can bewailing our wants and imperfections when we faile and come short of our desires Of which we haue an example in Dauid who Psal 119. 6. had respect vnto all Gods Commandements and in the remnant of the Captiuity who bound themselues by couenant and oath to walke in Gods Law Nehem. 10. 29. and to obserue and doe all the Commandements of the Lord their God and in Zachary and Elizabeth who were righteous before God walking in all the Luk. 1. 6. Commandements and Ordinances of the Lord blamelesse The contrary whereof we see in the example of Iehu who obeyed God in destroying the house 2. King 10. of Ahab and Baal with his Priests for the establishing of his owne Kingdome but not in taking away the golden Calues In Herod who Mark 6. 20. heard Iohn the Baptist willingly and obeyed his doctrine in many things but would not leaue his Incest In Iudas and Demas who performed many good duties but would not forsake their couetousnesse and loue of the world And finally in Ananias and Saphyra who were content to share Act. 5. with God but kept part of the possession which they had wholly consecrated vnto him for their owne vse But our obedience must be vniuersall keeping no sinne as sweet vnder our tongue but we must in the disposition Job 20. 12. desire and purpose of our hearts renounce all sinnes whatsoeuer without exception be they neuer so pleasing or profitable yea wee must with greatest hatred pursue those vnto which our corrupt natures are most inclined making warre as against all these wicked enemies of God so most earnestly against this Canaanitish brood which dwell in our Land And contrariwise we must loue and imbrace all vertues and practise all Christian duties which God hath commanded though they be neuer so hard and difficult to our corrupt disposition yea the more auerse our sinfull natures are vnto them so much the more earnestly we must labour to imbrace and practise them For if we make any composition with Satan and our owne flesh to giue willing entertainement vnto any sinne or to neglect any vertue or Christian duty our obedience is but hypocriticall and fained and the sinne reserued like a
14. if we hold out the beginning of our confidence stedfast to the end And therefore if we meane to haue any part in Gods promises we must constantly perseuere in the profession and practice of true godlinesse and the Christian duties of an holy life The second meanes of perseuerance is carefully to The second meanes of perseuerance is to auoyd the causes and meanes of apostacy and defection auoyd the causes and meanes of apostasie and defection And these are diuers first voluntary liuing in any knowne sinne which will harden the heart and dead the conscience and so make way for many others till wee be wholly carried away from God in a streame of wickednesse Secondly we must carefully take heed of the least declinations in Christian graces and holy duties for if we be once going downe the hill wee shall hardly keepe our selues from running headlong to the bottome vnlesse wee stop speedily in the very beginning And as for the preseruing of our bodies in a sound estate we labour with seasonable physicke to preuent diseases and when we finde our health to decline a little doe vse all good meanes at the first because if the sicknesse seaze thorowly vpon the vitall parts it will hardly be remoued and indanger our liues so must we take the same course for the good of our soules carefully obseruing the first declinations of our spirituall health that we may stop them at the beginning before they breake out into any extremities And considering that those diseases both of body and soule are most dangerous and desperate not which come suddenly with some sensible violence but which steale vpon vs by degrees vpon no apparant causes and impaire the health by little and little because they are hardly discerned and when they are knowne not easily cured as in the outward man the consumption hectique feuer and the like and in the inward and spirituall part carnall security hardnesse of heart and others of like nature let vs not therefore neglect the least declinations in sauing grace and holy duties but keepe a carefull watch ouer our selues that none of these diseases of our soules steale vpon vs and become desperate before we discerne them Let vs bee as good husbands for our soules as wee are for our clothes houses and grounds mending little holes before they teare out into great rents repairing the first decayes ere they become rotten and ruinous and making vp the breach as soone as wee discerne it before it come to an inundation and carry vs away in a floud of wickednesse And this counsell the Apostle giveth vs. Lift vp saith he the hands which hang downe and the feeble knees and make straight paths to your feet lest that which is lame be turned out of the way but let it rather be healed c. Looking diligently lest any man faile of the grace of God lest any root of bitternesse springing vp trouble you and thereby many be defiled A third cause of apostasie is a great opinion of our owne strength which causeth God to leaue vs that we may see our weaknesse as we see in the fearfull defection of the Apostle Peter And also a fond conceit that we are so rich in grace that we may spend vpon the stocke and labour for no more and that we haue already so well profited in religious duties that we need not take any care or paines to make any further progresse For there is no standing still in the wayes of Christianity but when we cease to goe forward wee begin to goe backward when in our owne opinion we are at the full we will begin to wane and decline towards a change and when our godlinesse is come to a standing water it presently declineth and neuer ceaseth vntill it be come to a low ebbe For the preuenting whereof let vs not measure our vertues and good proceedings by the false mete-yard of pride and selfe-loue which will make vs ouerweene our owne gifts and good parts nor compare our selues with our selues or others that come behind vs and haue not attained vnto Gal. 6. 4. our measure but with the perfect Law of God which like a looking-glasse will discouer our blemishes and imperfections and with our Sauiour Christ the perfect paterne of holinesse and righteousnesse according Ephes 4. 13 14 15. to whose Image we ought to be conformed A fourth cause of defection from God and godlinesse which we must shunne is the immoderate loue of the world and worldly vanities which cooleth and quencheth in vs the loue of God and of spirituall and heauenly things and so choketh in vs all good desires and indeuours of seeking after them that wee may obtaine them For as our Sauiour telleth vs we cannot serue God and Mammon Math 6. 24. Jam. 4. 4. And the Apostle saith that the amity of the world is enmity with God and therefore whosoeuer will be a friend of the world he is Gods enemy Which argument the Apostle Iohn vseth to disswade vs from this carnall loue Loue not the world saith he nor the things that are in the world If any man loue the world the loue of the Father is not in him A fifth cause is slacknesse 1. Ioh. 2. 15. and negligence in the vse of those meanes which both beget and begin Gods graces in vs and also nourish and preserue them when they are begun as the hearing of the Word reading prayer meditation the Sacraments and such like For as the strength of the body languisheth and consumeth if we refuse our bodily food whereby it is preserued so must also our soules needs fall into a consumption of all grace and goodnesse if we neglect that spirituall nourishment by which onely they are sustained in vs. A sixth cause is the grieuing of Gods Spirit dwelling in vs by quenching the good motions of it and defiling our soules with sinnes Ephes 4. 30. 1. Thes 5. 19. that waste the conscience being committed wilfully against the knowledge which loathsome filthinesse polluteth our soules and bodies and maketh this holy Ghest weary of his lodging going away to withdraw also with him his gifts and graces by which alone wee are inabled vnto all good duties And therefore if wee would not fall away from all grace and goodnes let vs louingly entertain the Author of them and not grieue Gods holy Spirit by resisting those good motions which he putteth into vs and by making our hearts and bodies which should be his holy temples and place of residence a loathsome stie of sinfull vncleannesse A last cause of apostacy is neere and inward familiarity with prophane and wicked persons who will corrupt vs with their euill examples and poyson vs with the contagion of their sinnes alluring and drawing vs by degrees Deut 7. 2 3 4. to accompany them in their euill courses vntill at last wee runne on Pro. 22. 24 25. with them into the same excesse of outragious wickednesse and so giue a
our selues but wee must also with like care and circumspection watch ouer our brethren seeing the Lord hath not committed vs to our owne single watch but hath inioyned vs to be mutuall obseruers and keepers one of another not curiously to pry out one anothers faults to censure and aggrauate them but charitably to take notice of them that wee may helpe to amend them Thus the Apostle inioyneth vs to consider one another to prouoke vnto loue Heb. 10. 24. 3. 13. and to good workes and that we should exhort one another daily while it is called to day lest any of vs should be hardned through the deceitfulnesse of sinne For this care and watchfulnesse being an inseparable effect and fruit of Christian charity extendeth it selfe not onely to our owne persons for this were nothing but selfe-loue but as farre as it stretcheth that is to all our neighbours Thus Dauid tooke notice not onely of his owne sinnes to mourne for them but saith that riuers of waters did runne downe his eyes because Psal 119. 136. other men did not keepe Gods Law Yea this his care extended to his enemies My zeale saith he hath consumed me because mine enemies haue Vers 139. not kept thy Word But though our care must extend to all yet wee must keepe this watch in a speciall manner ouer those who are committed to our speciall charge as the Housholder ouer his family and the Pastour ouer his flocke according to that of the Apostle Take heed to your selues Act. 20. 28. and to all the flocke ouer the which the holy Ghost hath made you ouerseers c. Which whoso neglecteth and taketh care onely for himselfe hee is worse then an Infidell and plainely discouers that hee is of Cains speech and spirit Gen. 4. 9. thinking it enough to looke to himselfe and scorning to bee his brothers keeper CAP. XII Of the reasons whereby wee may bee perswaded to keepe this Christian watch §. Sect. 1 That this watch is necessary because God requireth it THe next point to be considered is the meanes whereby wee may both be stirred vp and also inabled to keepe this Christian watch which are partly reasons that may mooue vs to vndertake it and partly helpes inabling vs to performe it The reasons which may perswade vs vnto this watchfulnesse are diuers all which may be reduced vnto two heads 1. Because it is most necessary 2. Because it is exceeding profitable The necessity of it appeareth diuers wayes First because God hath expresly required it Take heed to Deut. 4. 9. Luk. 12. 36. thy selfe keep thy soule diligently c. Let your loynes be girded about and your lights burning and ye your selues like vnto them that wait for their Lord when he will returne from the wedding that when he commeth and knocketh ye may open vnto him immediately So Ioshua exhorteth the people to take diligent heed to doe the Commandement and the Law to loue the Lord their God and to Ios 22. 5. 23. 11. walke in all his wayes and to cleaue vnto him and serue him with all their heart and with all their soule And our Sauiour Christ exhorteth all to watch and Mar. 13. 33 37. pray because we doe not know when the time of his comming should be And stirreth vp the Church of Sardis to be watchfull and to strengthen the things Apoc. 3. 2. which did remaine and were ready to die The which his Commandement he powerfully and effectually presseth by diuers parables as of the goodman Luk. 12. 37. of the house who carefully watcheth the comming of the thiefe that hee may not rob and spoile him Of the wise and faithfull seruant who watcheth for the comming of his Lord that hee may finde him imployed in his businesse who being found faithfull is richly rewarded for his care and diligence And of the euill seruant who neglecting this watch is fearefully punished And of the ten Virgins whereof fiue were wise and fiue Mat. 25. 1. to 14 foolish the wise watching diligently for the comming of the Bridegroome and being found prepared were receiued with him into the bridall Chamber of ioy and happinesse the foolish through their carelesse negligence being taken at vnawares and vnprouided were excluded from his glorious presence for euermore So that no duty is more straightly inioyned and earnestly inforced then the spirituall watch to the end wee might obserue it with the greater care and diligence or if wee neglect it hauing had so many and effectuall warnings wee might bee left without excuse §. Sect. 2 Other reasons shewing the necessity of keeping this watch The second reason to inforce the necessity of this watch is taken from our estate and condition heere on earth First because through our corruption we are exceeding weake and full of frailty and infirmity by reason whereof we are prone vnto sinne and easily ouercome with the tentations of our spirituall enemies if wee neglect the keeping of this vvatch and be taken vnprouided The which reason our Sauiour vseth to inforce the necessity of vvatching and praying Watch and pray saith he lest ye fall into tentation The Spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weake So the Apostle Mat. 26. 41. in this regard vvilleth him that thinketh he standeth to take heed lest he 1. Cor. 10. 12. fall and exhorteth vs to worke out our saluation with feare and trembling And the Wiseman pronounceth him blessed vvho in the sight and sence of Phil. 2. 13. his ovvne frailty and infirmity feareth alwayes For as it is necessary for Pro 28. 14. those vvho haue vveake and sickly bodies to obserue a strict diet and for those Citizens vvho being besieged by mighty and malicious enemies and haue many breaches in their vvalls to be very diligent to make them vp againe and in the meane time to keepe a carefull and strong vvatch ouer those vveake places because their enemies are ready to take all aduantages and to giue the fiercest assaults vvhere they are likeliest to haue the speediest entrance and least resistance So vve vpon the same grounds must thinke it necessary to double our vvatch because our soules are sickly and full of vvants and vveaknesses and many breaches are made in the chiefest Bulvvarkes of our ovvne strength by the cruell and continuall assaults of our spirituall enemies Secondly our care is necessary in keeping this vvatch because naturally vvee are drovvzy and sleepy like those in a Lethargy vvho need to haue some continually standing by and to keepe them avvake by pricking and pinching them that they may not fall into the sleepe of death Yea and after that vve are regenerate and are espoused vnto Christ vve are apt vvith the fiue vvise Virgins to nod often and take a nap vvhen as vvee should vvaite for the comming of our Bridegroome And if hee did not avvake vs daily by his Spirit knocking at the doore of our hearts and his
next vnto faith vpon Luk. 24. 37. which hee would haue them to preach in his Name A duty that belongs vnto all and is neuer vnseasonable alwayes necessary An Euangelicall grace and chiefe fruit of faith in which it liueth without which it is dead So that as faith is the life of our soules by applying Christ vnto vs in whom we liue so repentance in respect of our sense and feeling which can no otherwise iudge of the hidden roote but by the outward fruit is the life of this life As faith is the onely condition of the Couenant of grace which assureth vs of all good things temporall and eternall so repentance as a counter-bond assureth vnto vs this assurance by a sensible infallibility outward euidence perswadeth vs that we performe this condition of beleeuing in Christ and apprehending all the promises by faith vnfained Now that thou mayest O my soule proceed in some order what is this repentance but an Euangelicall and sauing grace of God wrought in thine heart by his holy Spirit applying by faith as by his instrument Christ and all his benefits which inflaming thine heart with feruent loue doth make thee looke vpon him whom thou hast pearced to bewaile thy sinnes as the chiefe causes of his death to hate and forsake them and to turne vnto God offering vnto thee grace and pardon by amendment of life and bringing foorth the fruits of new obedience So that it is a grace and free gift and no naturall endowment which commeth by inheritance or else procured by thine owne purchase It is the gift of God who giueth vnto thee all good things It is a gift of his free grace preuenting thee when thou didst neuer so much as thinke of it by putting into thy mind the profit and necessity of it and into thy heart some desire of receiuing it preparing and fitting thee for it by the preaching of the Law working humiliation contrition and legall sorrow and fitting thy mind and will that they might consent and obey the motions of the Spirit outward in the Word and inward in the heart and conscience working it first in thee by changing the mind and heart and turning them from sinne vnto holinesse and righteousnesse co-working with thee that thou mayest continue renew and increase in the practice of it and perfecting thy repentance in the parts and degrees of it which himselfe begun It is hee that calleth vs to repentance and inableth vs to repent He striketh our stony hearts and maketh them to relent by sound contrition before these rocks will yeeld any waters of true repentance It is he that powreth the Spirit Ezek. 11. 29. 36. 26. Zach. 12. 10. Act. 5. 31 11. 18. 2. Tim. 2. 25. of grace vpon the house of Iudah before they can lament for their wickednesse and that giueth repentance to the house of Israel and with it remission of sinnes Thou canst not turne vnto him O my soule before hee first turne vnto thee nor weepe bitterly with Peter till hee thaw thy frozen heart by reflecting vpon thee the beames of his gracious countenance Yea when he turneth thou canst not turne till hee turning his face turne also thine heart as it is running away with feare and neuer looking backe that thou mayest behold his gracious countenance promising nothing but good and his stretched out Arme to receiue thee vnto grace and fauour Surely saith the Church after I was turned I repented and after that Ier. 31. 19. Lam. 5. 21. I was instructed I smote vpon my thigh No man can sorrow for his sinnes nor resolue to forsake them but hee that hateth them nor any hate them but they who loue God nor any loue him whose hearts hee first inflameth not by sheading abroad his loue in them by the holy Ghost which hee giueth vnto Rom. 5. 5. 1. Joh. 4. 19. vs. Neither doth he worke alone but together with his Sonne and holy Spirit For it is the blood of this Lambe of God which worketh our adamantine hearts to this relenting softnesse and the water which issued out of his pierced side which being beheld with the eye of faith doth draw out of our eyes the brinish waters of repentant teares And therefore because he is the Author of our repentance both as hee procured it by the meritorious vertue of his death and worketh it by his blood-shed applyed by faith he inioyneth his Apostles to preach repentance in his Name Finally Luk. 24. 47. it is the oyle of the holy Spirit which suppleth and softneth our hard and stony hearts It is this diuine fire which warming our cold hearts with the flame of Gods loue and the hot blood that issued from our Sauiour causeth them to send vp into our heads these salt yet sweet waters of vnfained repentance which distill by our eyes and in trickling teares drop from our cheekes This winde of the Spirit must blow vpon vs yea must blow into vs before wee can returne vnto God one sigh to expresse our sorrow for our sinnes And therefore O my soule seeing God is the principall cause of thy repentance rob him of no part of his due but ascribe vnto him the whole glory of his owne worke Which though hee could effect by his sole immediate power yet hee is pleased to vse in it many subordinate causes meanes and instruments by which he worketh this grace in thee As ministeriall and helping causes namely the Ministers of the Word who in this worke are co-labourers with Christ sent by him to open mens eyes and to turne them from darkenesse to light and from Act. 26. 18. the power of Satan vnto God that they may receiue forgiuenesse of sinnes and inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith in Christ in which respect they are called spirituall fathers begetting them to God by the seed of the 1. Cor. 4. 15. Word So likewise instrumentall causes which are inward precedent and immediate as sauing knowledge shewing the way to repentance a liuely faith vnfained loue and true feare of God both in respect of his mercies and iudgements especially the last and generall Iudgement at Act. 17. 30. the end of the world or else outward which either lead and draw or else mooue and perswade vs to repentance Of the former sort are many instruments and meanes to bring vs to it As the Ministery of the Word and first the preaching of the Law which prepareth vs for it and of the Esa 55. 7. Gospel which worketh it in vs by assuring vs that if wee will turne to the Lord he will haue mercy vpon vs and forgiue vs our sinnes So also crosses Psal 119. 71. Luk. 13. 1 2 3. Rom. 2. 4. and afflictions either vpon our selues or others Gods blessings and benefits either promised or bestowed The moouing and perswading causes are innumerable as the loue of God towards vs his patience and long suffering his truth in his
first entrance into Christianity and from making any further proceedings in the waies of godlinesse Yea rather if we can in the iudgement of charity thinke that the little good in them is in sincerity and truth we must as the Apostle exhorteth take such vnto vs and vse all good meanes in loue and meekenesse whereby we may Rom. 14. 1. draw them on by degrees to more perfection For babes in Christ being vnable to helpe themselues had most need of tender cherishing and those that are sicke hauing some life of grace in them had most neede of good Nurses and skilfull Physicions as our Sauiour hath Matth. 9. 12 13. taught vs by his owne example And the Apostle exhorteth vs not to neglect the weake but to lift vp the hands that hang downe and strengthen the feeble knees and to hold such an euen course that those which Heb. 12. 12. are lame in the profession and practice of Religion be not through our harshnes quite turned out of the way but rather that they may be healed so Acts 3. may like the Cripple in the Temple together with vs glorifie God and loue vs aboue others who haue beene the meanes of their spirituall cure But such onely are here vnderstood who haue let the reines loose to all impiety and are of professed prophanenesse not caring to make shew of it vpon euery occasion and either scorne and scoffe at the exercises of godlinesse or neglect and contemne them in the whole course of their liues Neither may we reiect such as shew some willingnesse to conforme themselues to our good courses and to ioyne with vs in the exercises of Religion though for the present we see in them little power of godlinesse but onely such Ismaels and Esau's as hold them in contempt are worthy to be expulsed out of all societies Neither are we so to vnderstand it as though it were vtterly vnlawfull to come at all into the company of such wicked men for then as the Apostle saith we must goe out of the world and 1. Cor. 5. 10. euery place almost abounding with such we cannot chuse but oftentimes at vnawares come amongst them but that we doe not purposely make choyce of such company and if vnwittingly we happen to come into it that we quit our selues of it as soone as wee can Nor are wee debarred from hauing any entercourse and commerce with such in worldly affaires as trading and merchandize buying and selling and all other such contracts as are ordained for the benefit of humane society whereby we may doe or receiue good in our outward estate nor from performing any ciuill or Christian dutie to our friends allies kindred and neighbours or any worke of mercy towards those that are in misery and neede our helpe so that we entertaine their company no longer then is necessary for these vses and then be carefull that we goe not without our preseruatiues about vs that we may not in seeking to do them good hurt our selues with the contagion of their wickednesse nor receiue more detriment in our spirituall estate then they or we profit in respect of outward things Though in truth it is most safe conuersing with wicked men when we minister vnto them in their extremities seeing when they are benummed with the cold of their afflictions they cannot spit out their venome and poison but like frozen serpents may be taken into our hands without receiuing any great hurt Besides that their necessity importuning our helpe will be a curbe to restraine their malice at least till their turne bee serued that they may make vs more cheerefull in relieuing their miseries But this onely wee vnderstand to be vnlawfull to stretch our action further then our excuse will reach that is vnder any or all these pretences to conuerse with wicked men more then we neede And much more to make them our bosome friends and to entertaine familiar acquaintance and society with them being either bewitched with their naturall and morall parts or allured with some baytes of worldly benefit or carnall delight For though wee may not out of hatred towards the persons of euill men be enuious against them yet in detestation Pro. 24. 1. of their sinnes wee must not desire to bee with them as Salomon teacheth vs. §. Sect. 2 That the Scriptures often warne vs to shun wicked company And for this we haue many caueats and expresse inhibitions in the Booke of God both in the Old and New Testament for in them both Pro. 4. 14 15. these beasts are vncleane So Salomon chargeth vs not to enter into the path of the wicked nor to goe in the way of euill men Auoid it saith he passe not by it turne from it and passe away For though he be about other matters so short and sententious yet wisely fore-seeing the greatnesse of this danger he thought he could scarce vse words inow in warning vs to shunne it And the same reason maketh him to beate so often vpon it in other places Forsake the foolish and liue and goe in the way of vnderstanding Pro. 9. 6. My sonne walke not thou in the way with the wicked refraine thy foote Pro. 1. 15 16. from their path for their feete runne to euill c. And amongst other sinners he specially inhibiteth vs to keepe company with drunkards and gluttons which in the world are esteemed the only good fellowes and boone companions because they aboue other sinners are most dangerous seeing they both allure vs with their ill example and draw vs by their inuitations that way to which our carnall appetite is naturally too prone Be not saith he amongst wine-bibbers amongst riotous eaters of Pro. 23. 20. flesh Thus the Apostle also in the New Testament inhibiteth vs to keep cōpany with wicked men Haue no fellowship saith he with the works of darknesse Eph. 5. 11. but rather reprooue them And againe We command ye brethren in the 2. Thes 3. 6. Name of the Lord Iesus Christ that ye withdraw your selues from euery brother that walketh disorderly and not after the tradition which yee haue receiued of vs. And If any man that is called a brother be a fornicatour or couetous or 1. Cor. 5. 11. an Idolater or a rayler or a dunkard or an extortioner with such an one I haue written you should not keepe company no not to eate But aboue all other societies with the wicked we must take speciall care that wee doe not match with them in that neere bond of marriage according to that of the Apostle Bee not vnequally yoked together with vnbeleeuers for what fellowship 2. Cor. 6. 14. hath righteousnesse with vnrighteousnesse and what communion hath light with darkenes what concord hath Christ with Belial or what part hath he that beleeueth with an Infidell For if holy Dauid match with scoffing Michol 1. Sam. 18. 21. 2. Sam. 6. 16 20. shee will be a snare
their societie wee shall giue them occasion to enter into a consideration of their estate and of their sinnefull courses which make them lothsome both to God and all good men and moue them at least to an outward reformation out of naturall shame to be thus shunned according to that of the Apostle If any man obey not our Word haue no company with him that he may be ashamed 2. Thes 3. 14. §. Sect. 5 Other reasons to disswade vs from euill company And these reasons though there were no more are sufficient to withdraw all that intend to leade a godly life from inward friendship with wicked persons Vnto which if it were needfull many others might be added As that such society may be vnto vs a strong presumption that we are not truely righteous and vpright in heart but that we still halt between God and the world For if as Salomon saith An vniust man Pro. 29. 27. is an abomination to the iust and he that is vpright in the way is an abomination to the wicked how can we delight in one anothers company And if as our Sauiour hath taught vs we were not of the world but in their Ioh. 15. 9. 1. Ioh. 2. 15. number whom he hath chosen out of it then would the world hate vs and we it and little comfort should we take in conuersing familiarly one with another Againe as society with the wicked is dangerous for feare of being tainted with their sinnes so also because it maketh vs Iam. 4. 4. liable to their punishments For as the Lord often spareth the wicked for the righteous sake so also he punisheth with temporall iudgements the godly for the wickeds sake and pulleth them from them with violence as Lot from the Sodomites when as for earthly respects they are loth to leaue their company And therefore if we would not perish with Corah and his companions we must leaue the Tents of those wicked men and come out of Babylon if we be Gods people that Num. 16. 26. Apoc. 18. 4. we may not be partakers of her sinnes and that we receiue not of her plagues Finally the vtter leauing of familiar society with the wicked will be vnto vs a comfortable euidence of our eternall happinesse seeing the Spirit of God hath pronounced them blessed that walke not in the Counsell of the vngodly nor stand in the way of sinners nor sit in the seat of the Psal 1. 1. scornefull that is who doe not conuerse nor communicate with them in any of their sinfull courses §. Sect. 6 That we must consort our selues with the godly and vertuous The second point is that as we are carefully to shun the company of the prophane and wicked as being notable pulbacks in the waies Pro. 13. 20. of godlinesse so must we with no lesse care consort our selues with the godly and vertuous as being a singular furtherance vnto all Christian duties For being naturally backward and auerse vnto all that is good and after that we are regenerate fraile and feeble in all duties of a godly life here if any where is Gods Word verified that it is not good for man to be alone but that an helper is needfull vnto him and that Gen. 2. 18. two are better then one because they haue a good reward of their labour for if they fall the one will lift vp his fellow c. And therefore wee must not to shun the company of the wicked run into the contrarie extreme and keepe company with none seeing God hath made vs politicall creatures who are preserued by mutuall society and fellow members of the same body whereof Christ is the head and therefore we must not by withdrawing our selues makea Schisme and rent but continue together in louing society that we may be ready to performe mutually all good offices whereby we may edifie and benefit one another According to that of the Apostle Let vs Heb. 10. 24. consider one another to prouoke vnto loue and to good workes not forsaking the assembling of our selues together as the manner of some is but exhorting one another c. For the more we conuerse with the godly religious the greater increase shall we finde in our Piety Faith Loue Zeale and all others graces as coales layd together doe if any of them be kindled kindle one another and so all together make a great fire which if they be seuered one from another giue but little heat and in a short time will goe quite out And this we see in the example of Dauid who greatly reioycing in the communion of Saints and in the fellowship of the Faithfull excelled also in Piety and Holinesse So he professeth that all his delight was in Gods Saints that his eyes were to the Faithfull of the Psal 16. 3. Psal 101. 6. Land that they might dwell with him That though he were a King yet he made himselfe a companion of all them that feared God and kept his precepts Psal 119. 63 79. and that he inuited such to come vnto him and reioyced greatly when they said Let vs goe together into the House of the Lord. And it may be obserued that then Christians flourished in greatest purity and Psal 122. 1. best thriued in all grace and godlinesse when this community and fellowship was most frequent amongst them For so it is said that they continued Acts 2. 46. 9. 31. daily with one accord in the Temple and breaking bread from house to house did eate their meate with gladnesse and singlenesse of heart praysing God and hauing fauour with all the people §. Sect. 7 That good company taketh away all tediousnesse in good exercises More especially this society with the godly and religious doth much further vs in all duties of a godly life because it taketh away the tediousnesse of our iourney when we haue good company to trauaile with vs Seeing they draw vs on by their good discourses and put out of our mindes the tediousnesse of the way they comfort and encourage vs when we begin to be weary they are ready to help vs if any euil betide vs to secure vs by their assistance from feare of our spirituall enemies who are ready to rob vs of the treasures of Gods graces and when we are slothfull they much better our speede because we would not be cast behind Againe the fellowship of the godly doth much further vs by their good example seeing their zeale and diligence conuinceth our luke-warmenesse and negligence and their good workes of piety and righteousnesse are good patternes and presidents for vs to imitate For though the Law of God bee the most perfect rule and the example of our Sauiour Christ the most exact squire according to which all our actions and whole conuersation are to be framed yet these being of such incomparable excellency and so farre aboue our low growth in grace and short reach would altogether discourage vs in the
sence of our imperfections if wee did not also obserue men subiect to the like infirmities walking before vs in the wayes of godlinesse and inuiting vs to follow them who though they goe not so swiftly as they should yet haue much outstripped vs in the Christian race Furthermore this society and communion with the faithfull is a notable meanes to make vs familiar with God and to inioy the fellowship of his holy Spirit which is the chiefe bond that vniteth vs together in this holy communion For where two or three are gathered together in Matth. 18. 20. Christs name and Gods feare to performe Christian exercises and to further one another in the waies of saluation there he also is in the midst of them taking notice of their actions and making himselfe better knowne vnto them his face and fauour his bounty and goodnesse whereby they are incouraged with more chearefulnesse to doe him seruice §. Sect. 8 That good company preserueth vs from falling into many sins and inciteth vs to many duties Finally it is a notable helpe vnto a godly life because it is a powerfull Magna pars peccatorum tollitur si peccaturis testis assistat Seneca Epist 11. Malum quippe quod nemo videt nemo arguit c. Bernard Epist 115. meanes to restraine and pull vs backe when as we are ready to fall into any sinne In which regard that wise heathen man perswadeth his friend to suppose some graue man to bee present when he was alone because men would not easily offend if there were alwaies some by to bee witnesses of their faults And one of the Ancients vseth it as a reason to disswade from a solitary life because thereby wee become more prone to sinne seeing that euill which none seeth none rebuketh and where there is none to reprehend both the tempter assaulteth more securely and the offence is committed more licentiously If thou doest any good things in good company no man prohibiteth But if thou wilt doe euill thou art not suffered for presently thou art by many obserued reproued and amended whereas contrariwise if they behold any good they all admire it honour and imitate it In which respect also good company doth no more forcibly restraine vs from euill then incite and prouoke vs vnto that which is good For as iron sharpeneth iron so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his Pro. 27. 17. friend that is one friend by the presence of another is whetted on and prouoked to doe such good duties as deserue his approbation In which respect the Apostle exhorteth Christians to obserue one another that they may whet and sharpen each other to loue and good workes For if euen Heb. 10. 24. hypocrites and men of ingenuous natures though they care not for good exercises are ready to ioyne with their friends in them to get their allowance and loue Then how much more will it quicken those that are truely religious vnto euery good worke and Christian dutie which they like and loue when with the approbation of their friends they haue the allowance of God and their owne consciences And if Saul himselfe prophecied by keeping company with the Prophets being as it were rap't and rauished for the time with a diuine furie how 1. Sam. 19. 20 21. much more shall those that are truely religious bee much inflamed with zeale and deuotion in all holy exercises when being in good company they are rap't vp and rauished with the diuine breath of the holy Spirit which bloweth amongst them §. Sect. 9 That by good company wee are fitted to performe Christian duties one towards another Lastly good company is a singular helpe vnto a godly life as it fitteth and enableth vs to vse all Christian duties one towards another whereby we doe mutually further one another in all holy and religious actions tending to edification to the inriching of vs with all sauing graces and the strengthening of vs vnto all good workes The first whereof is mutuall obseruation and watching ouer one another that we may take all occasions of doing good both by restrayning those from sinne that are ready to fall into it and by inciting and prouoking one another vnto all vertuous actions Vnto which the Apostle exhorteth Let vs saith he consider one another to prouoke vnto loue and to good workes For Heb. 10. 24. the Law of charity requiring that wee should loue our neighbours as our selues bindeth vs to seeke their good as well as our owne and to this end to watch ouer them that we may take all good opportunities whereby we may further them in the waies of godlinesse And therefore let vs not thinke that wee haue discharged our duty when as wee haue vsed the meanes of our conuersion and saluation and that we haue nothing to do with other men seeing our Sauior requireth that when we Luke 22. 32. are conuerted we strengthen our brethren And the Apostle giueth vs in charge that we should not onely looke on our owne things but that euery man should also looke on the things of others And not to take care of our brethren Phil. 2. 4. as well as our selues is plainely to discouer that we are of Cains spirit Gen. 4. who refused to be his brothers keeper and no true members of Christs body whose property is not to respect their owne good alone but as it is conioyned with the good of the whole bodie and of all the rest of their fellow members The second Christian dutie is instruction whereby with all readinesse we informe the ignorant in all the waies of godlinesse inlighten them in the knowledge of God and his truth and open their eyes that they may turne from darkenesse to light and from the Acts 2◠18. power of Satan vnto God that they may receiue forgiuenesse of sinnes and inheritance amongst them which are sanctified by faith in Christ. Whereby also wee reclaime the erroneous which wander out of the way of truth which is a speciall dutie required by the Apostle Brethren if any of you Iames 5. 20. doe erre from the truth and one conuert him let him know that he which conuerteth the sinner from the errour of his way shall saue a soule from death and shall hide a multitude of sinnes Which duties if we performe wee shall be richly rewarded in Gods Kingdome where they that turne many to Dan. 12. 3. righteousnesse shall shine in the light of glory like the Starres in the firmament as they shined here in the light of truth The third dutie is admonition whereby wee put our brethren in minde of their dutie when they seeme to forget and neglect it by falling into sinne and lying Rom. 15. 14. 1. Thes 5. 14. in it without repentance or omitting the duties of Gods seruice either those which are generall and belong to all Christians or those which specially belong to them in their seuerall places and callings of which I haue spoken
for their sinnes and all others who should beleeue in him And such a solemne thankesgiuing was made by Deborah Iudg. 5. and the people for their victory ouer Sisera and their freedome from the tyranny of Iabin King of Canaan who had long oppressed them By Dauid when as God had deliuered him out of the hands of all his enemies and especially out of the hand of Saul and by Hester Mordecay and the Iewes Hest 9. of the Captiuity from that feareful conspiracy of Haman who had plotted the destruction of the whole Nation And such a feast of thanksgiuing we worthily celebrate vpon the fifth of Nouember for that maruellous and almost miraculous deliuerance of our King and State from that horrible and vnmatchable Powder-treason by giuing wisdom to our gracious Soueraigne to interpret their darke riddle as he did somtime to Daniel for the expounding of Nebuchadnezzars dreame when the wisedome of the wisest in the Land could not vnfold it Of the other we haue an example in Abraham who made a solemne feast that he might render vnto God Gen. 21. praise and thankesgiuing for giuing vnto him contrary to all hope a son in his old age of whom should come that promised seed in which both himselfe and all the Nations of the earth should be blessed §. Sect. 2 When this solemne thanksgiuing is most seasonable how it differeth from that which is ordinary and the kinds of it Which examples we ought to imitate consecrating vnto God some day for solemne thankesgiuing whensoeuer wee receiue from him any great and extraordinary benefits either priuatiue consisting in deliuerance from some imminent or present euill or positiue when as he vouchsafeth vnto vs some great and vnexpected blessing But aboue all other times we must performe this duty when wee celebrate the Sacrament of the Lords Supper in remembrance of that inestimable benefit the great worke of our Redemption wrought by the death and Passion of Iesus Christ whereby we are deliuered out of the hands of all our spirituall enemies The which is called the Eucharist or a Sacrament of thankesgiuing because therein wee doe in a solemne manner render vnto God thankes and praise for Christ and all his benefits the pardon of our sins and that great Charter of our peace sealed first by his blood and now by this Sacrament instituted to put vs in remembrance of it and as it were afresh to renew his Couenant and to put our Pardon into our owne hands Now this extraordinary thankesgiuing to bee vsed vpon such speciall occasions differeth from that which is ordinary not in the matter which is one and the same but in the manner and measure which according to the occasion ought to be extraordinary in quantity and degree For our hearts must be more then vsually inflamed with the apprehension of Gods loue and goodnesse and inward ioy in the speciall fruition of his singular blessings which must affect them with extraordinary zeale to glorifie and praise him and to expresse our thankfulnesse by renewing our couenant with God binding our selues by firme resolution that in sense of his present fauours wee will be more deuout and zealous in all duties of his seruice for the time to come then euer we haue been in time past And by continuing our thankesgiuing in a solemne manner for a longer time then ordinary setting it apart as a Sabbath of rest from all our worldly labours that it may be wholly spent in Gods praises and in testifying our loue and inward ioy and reioycing in him by outward feasting and more liberall vse of meates and drinkes and all other comforts of this life and in shewing our loue and bounty in obedience to God by entertaining at our table and by sending gifts and rewards vnto our poore neighbours that they also may reioyce with vs. And this solemne feasting and thankesgiuing is according to the occasion of it publike or priuate Publike for some publike benefit which concerneth the welfare of the Church or Common-wealth which is to bee appoynted onely by the publike authority of Christian Magistrates and is to be celebrated in a most solemne and publike manner all sorts and conditions of men assembling together in the Church to magnifie and praise Gods holy name and to craue the continuance of his loue and fauour The which prayers and prayses are profitably conioyned with the preaching of the Word for the stirring vp of the whole Assembly to extraordinary thankfulnesse when as thereby the greatnesse of the blessings receiued and the inestimable mercie of God is set forth vnto them Priuate for some speciall benefits bestowed either on a particular person or a whole family which is to bee solemnized by singing of Psalmes prayer and thankesgiuing reading of some portions of holy Scriptures fit for the present occasion holy conferences whereby wee are to magnifie Gods mercies and to recount and tell what great things hee hath done for vs and also expressing our inward ioy by a more free and liberall vse of Gods creatures whereof wee must also cause our poore neighbours to haue some taste The which kind of feasting and solemne thankesgiuing is a notable helpe vnto true godlinesse as it worketh our hearts to a more liuely sense feeling of Gods loue stirreth vs vp to more zealous performance of all religious duties vnto him who hath been so gracious and good vnto vs and as it giueth vs occasion to renew our couenant with God and to confirme our resolution that wee will be more diligent and zealous in doing all things which may please and glorifie him CAP. XXXIIII Of the second extraordinary meanes which is solemne fasting §. Sect. 1 What a true fast is and how it differeth from all other fasts THe other extraordinary meanes of a godly life is an holy fast of which it is my purpose to speake briefly though the vse and benefit of this duty is so great that it well deserueth a more full discourse because it is already so excellently and exactly handled in diuers Treatises purposely written of this argument and especially in one which is called The holy exercise of a true fast and in another intituled The Christian exercise of fasting written many yeeres since by the right Reuerend Father and my most deare brother that nothing materiall can be added vnto it And therefore I will content my selfe to set downe after mine owne manner some of those poynts briefly which are most essentiall and necessary vnto this exercise for how should I in a Chapter expresse all fully which would require a whole Treatise referring the Christian Reader vnto those learned Treatises if he desire more thorow satisfaction and particular direction in any of them And first that wee may begin with the description of this duty A fast as we here vnderstand it is a voluntary religious and solemne action vndertaken vpon some extraordinary occasion wherein we seriously humble our selues before God in the sight and sense of
owne sinfull lusts but we must consecrate Rom. 12. 1. 1. Cor. 5. 20. our bodies and soules vnto the seruice of God alone in the duties of a godly life seeing he is a iealous God who is impatient of any copartners and will haue all or none §. Sect. 2 The second reason taken from Gods loue towards vs. The workes also of God doe yeeld vnto vs most effectuall reasons to perswade vs vnto all duties of a godly life but especially his manifold and inestimable benefits which he hath vouchsafed to bestow vpon vs whether wee consider the Fountaine from which they all spring or the blessings and benefits themselues which as streames doe issue and flow from them The fountaine of them all is his diuine and incomprehensible loue whereby of his free grace and meere goodnesse Ier. 31. 3. he hath loued vs from all eternity without any respect of our deserts and worthinesse The which he hath manifested when as we were dead in our sinnes and the children of wrath as well as others when we Eph. 2. 1 3. were weake and of no strength hauing not so much as any power to desire Rom. 5. 8 10. his fauour and mercie to free and deliuer vs out of our wofull misery When as wee were like poore impotent infants new borne whose Nauell was not cut and who wallowed in the filthy and bloody Ezech. 16. 4 5 6 gore of our naturall corruptions no eye pitying vs nor hauing any friend that was able to help vs or to wash vs cleane from our corruption For euen then when we were helpelesse and hopelesse this loue mooued him to take compassion on vs and to say vnto vs whilest wee were in our blood You shall liue And when wee were so deepe stained yea euen in-grained in the filthy dye of our sinnes that all the waters in the world could not make vs cleane he in this incomprehensible loue gaue his Son to the death that we might be washed in the Lauer of his precious blood and so purged from our crimson and scarlet sinnes Esa 1. 26. both in respect of the guilt punishment and corruption of them that thereby we are restored vnto a snowie whitenesse and being washed with the blood of his innocent Sonne are recouered and cleansed from our incurable Leprosie O how ought this vnspeakeable loue to affect and warme our frozen hearts with vnfained loue towards him againe How should our soules cleaue vnto him and be inflamed with most feruent affection towards him who being infinite in all goodnesse and perfection and needed neither vs nor any thing from vs yet vouchsafed to set his Loue vpon vs who were so vnlouely and vnworthy yea so sinnefull and wicked that wee iustly deserued his wrath and fearefull vengeance How can we chuse if we thorowly consider this but haue our hearts thorowly inflamed with most feruent affection towards him who is the chiefe Goodnes most amiable in himselfe and most gracious vnto vs How can we sufficiently expresse our loue by doing or suffering any thing for his sake How fearefull should this make vs to offend him and how carefull in all things to please him How zealous should wee be of his glory and how diligent and cheerefull in doing him faithfull seruice by performing all duties of a godly life How should this weane our hearts and affections from the loue of the world and earthly vanities and 1. Joh. 2. 15. make them to become as bitter as gall and wormwood to our spirituall Iam. 4. 4. taste seeme they neuer so sweet and pleasant to our carnall appetite when as they are offered as the deuils bayts to withdraw our hearts from God and to make vs more slothfull in his seruice §. Sect. 3 The third reason taken from Gods decree of our election The fruits also and effects of Gods Loue towards vs doe serue as strong arguments to moue vs vnto a godly life As first his decree of election whereby from all eternity he hath chosen vs in Christ out of the corrupt masse of mankinde vnto eternall life and happinesse and vnto all the meanes which may bring vs vnto it What greater mercy can be imagined then that God of his free grace should chuse vs in Christ who were vtterly lost in Adam dead in our sinnes and the children of wrath as well as others not vnto some meane estate or low degree of happinesse but to the highest greatest priuiledges as to be his owne peculiar people and seruants of his owne family yea to be his adopted children coheires with Christ not of some earthly patrimony or worldly kingdome which though it were neuer so great and glorious yet is it mutable and momentary but of an heauenly 1. Pet. 1. 4 5. inheritance which is incorruptible vndefiled and fadeth not away as the Apostle speaketh The which benefit will be much amplified if we consider his infinit Maiesty and Glory who hath thus chosen vs and our owne vilenesse and vnworthinesse whom he hath aduanced to these rich and wonderfull priuiledges seeing we were dust and ashes corrupt and sinnefull strangers yea enemies vnto God which if it be well weighed may iustly make vs cry out with the Psalmist O Lord what is Psal 8. 4. man that thou art mindfull of him and the Son of man that thou visitest him Especially if we consider vnto what dignity wee who were so low are exalted For if it had beene a matchlesse mercie for vs that were so base to haue beene made the meanest of Gods family euen doore-keepers in the House of our God what incomparable kindenesse and loue is this to be made his owne Sonnes and Heires of his Kingdome The which mercie is not indefinitely communicated vnto all though all haue deserued it as well as we but to the least part of mankinde and yet such is his goodnesse towards vs that passing by many great Kings and Monarches many rich noble and wise in the world he hath vouchsafed to make vs of this small number Not because wee deserued such extraordinary fauour more then others that want it but of his meere grace and free good will O how should our hearts be inflamed with the Loue of God in the sight and sense of such an inestimable benefit How should it fill our hearts with thankefulnesse and our mouthes with his prayses How zealous and diligent should it make vs in his seruice And to thinke all time lost which is not spent in doing something which may tend to his glory who of his meere Loue hath done so much for vs Out of the same lumpe of Rom. 9. which haue beene made so many vessels to dishonour he hath chosen vs that he might make vs vessels of grace and honour O how should we delight to be seruiceable to so gracious a Lord and to shine in the light of godlinesse to his glory who hath thus aduanced vs He hath chosen vs which were children of wrath
as well as others out of that huge multitude and cursed crue to be his owne children by adoption and grace how then should this inflame our desires to glorifie so gracious a Father and to carry our selues in all things as beseemeth his children But if the meere Loue of God will not worke this in vs let vs consider further that the Lord hath propounded this end to the decree of our election that we should glorifie him by our Holinesse and vnblameablenesse according to that of the Apostle He hath chosen vs in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and Eph. 1. 4. 1. Pet. 2. 9. without blame before him in loue and therefore vnlesse we thinke that God infinite in wisedome and power can faile of his end we can haue no hope that we are elected to happinesse vnlesse we attaine vnto some measure of Holinesse He hath predestinated vs that we should be conformed to the image of his Sonne as in glory and blessednesse in the world Act. 14. 22. to come so in this life both in his sanctity and suffrings and therefore as we must not thinke that we can by the broad way of carnall pleasures attaine to Christs heauenly happinesse and to be crowned with him before wee haue suffred with him so much lesse let vs imagine 2. Tim. 2. 12. that we shall euer come into his ioyes if wee doe not follow him in that path of righteousnesse which he hath beaten before vs seeing the Apostle hath plainely told vs that without Holinesse we shall neuer see God Heb. 12. 14. So that the consideration of our election ought to be a strong motiue to perswade vs vnto a godly life both that we may glorifie God by our holy conuersation who hath beene so gracious and good vnto vs and that we may be assured that he will glorifie vs by attayning vnto that end of Holinesse for which we were elected Whereof it is that the Apostle hauing largely intreated of the doctrine of Gods predestination doth out of this doctrine inforce this vse that we should offer Rom. 12. 1. vp our selues a liuely and holy Sacrifice acceptable vnto him by our reasonable seruing of him And the Apostle Peter perswading vs to make our election 2. Pet. 1. 10. sure could prescribe no other course for the obtayning of this assurance then by ioyning one vertue and grace with another and bringing forth the fruits of them all by doing these things that is seruing and glorifying God who hath chosen vs in the duties of a godly life §. Sect. 4 The fourth reason taken from the benefit of our creation The second fruit and effect of Gods Loue and cause or meanes of our saluation and happinesse is our creation by his Almighty Word and preseruation being thus made by his powerfull prouidence Concerning the former whereas God might haue left vs without a being which is to be esteemed amongst the greatest euils he created vs of nothing or which is all one of the dust of the earth which came of nothing by sole vertue of his powerfull Word and whereas hee might haue made vs the vilest and basest of the creatures which creepe vpon the earth yea worse then they euen wicked deuils ordayned to condemnation he created vs according to his owne image in wisedome holinesse and righteousnesse indued vs with an immortall and reasonable soule and made vs Lords ouer all the rest of the creatures vpon the earth and onely inferiour to himselfe that wee might bee ruled and gouerned by him and by our seruice glorifie him who hath created vs and giuen vs our being The which if it be rightly considered is an vnspeakeable benefit as being the ground of all that follow it Neither could wee euer attaine vnto well-being vnlesse we had first a being nor vnto our finall end eternall saluation vnlesse wee had found an entrance and passage vnto it by our creation In lieu of which great benefit God requireth nothing at our hands but that by our seruice we glorifie him for which end he gaue vs our being Not that his glory needs our seruice seeing it is in it selfe absolute infinite but out of the same loue which moued him first to make vs that hee might honour vs in this life by vsing vs as instruments to manifest his glory and might hereby take occasion to glorifie vs in the world to come by crowning our seruice of his meere grace with heauenly ioy happines The which also is a most effectuall reason to perswade vs that we deuote and consecrate our selues vnto Gods seruice in all duties of a godly life seeing hee is our Lord and Maker who hath created vs vnto good workes that wee should walke in them to the glory Ephe. 2. 10. of him that hath giuen vs our being and that to this end that wee should for euer bee partakers with him in glory For what can bee more iust then to giue euery one his owne that hee who soweth his owne seede in his owne ground should reape the fruit of his labours that he who buildeth a house should haue the benefit of dwelling in it that he who planteth a Vineyard should eate of the grapes and drinke of the wine and that he who lendeth any thing vnto another should haue his owne repaide vnto him And how much more iust then and equall is it that the Lord who hath not fashioned and framed vs of pre-existent matter but of nothing hath created our soules and bodies should haue them wholy deuoted and Ephe. 4. 24. consecrated to his seruice which was the end for which he made vs and gaue vs our being vnto which end if wee attaine not it is a signe that we neuer thinke of the end for which we came into the world or imagine that wee were sent by God hither that we should serue our owne lusts and in fulfilling them the diuell himselfe and not that wee should serue him who hath right vnto vs by this great benefit of our creation Yea if we doe not spend our time in Gods seruice we fayle of the mayne end for which wee came into the world and so spend all our life and strength in vaine But though we faile of our end which is by seruing and glorifying God to attaine vnto happinesse which also is Gods end reuealed in his Word yet we shall neuer frustrate the end of his secret counsailes which is either to glorify his mercy in vs if we feare and serue him or his Iustice if we neglect his seruice and yeeld obedience to sin and Satan For the Lord being the summum bonum and supreme end of all things hath as the Wise man speaketh made Pro. 16. 4. all things for himselfe euen the wicked forthe day of euill §. Sect. 5 The fifth reason taken from the benefit of our preseruation The benefit of our preseruation and gouernement doth also iustly challenge this seruice at our
the mind are not onely preserued but also much improoued by continuall exercise so vertuous actions and workes of piety and righteousnesse being the exercises of our faith doe tend much to the strengthening of it whereas contrariwise by the neglect of these duties it is much weakened and by the contrary vices and acts of sinne exceedingly shaken and grieuously wounded In which regard the Apostle ioyneth the holding of faith and a 1. Tim. 1. 19. 1. Cor. 15. 58. good conscience because the one will not stay without the other being such louing twins as cannot be diuided but liue and die together More especially the duties of a godly life doe confirme our faith in the assurance of our election not as causes for the election of God is free of grace and Rom. 11. 6. Eph. 1. 4. not of workes but as the effects and fruits of it and as the end vnto which wee are elected for wee are not chosen because wee were holy but to the end that wee might bee holy as the Apostle sheweth Thus the Apostle Peter exhorting vs to make our calling and election sure 2. Pet. 1. 10. prescribeth this as the onely meanes the ioyning of one vertue and Christian duty with another telling vs that if wee doe these things wee shall neuer fall The Psalmist likewise setting downe the markes and signes whereby wee may know whether God hath chosen vs to dwell in his holy mountaine maketh this the first chiefe to walke vprightly and work righteousnesse Psal 15. 2. 24. 4. and to haue cleane hands and a pure heart Secondly hereby our faith is perswaded of Gods grace and loue in Christ For by keeping of Gods Commandements we are assured that we loue God according to that of the Apostle Iohn Whoso keepeth his Word in him verily is the loue of God perfected 1. Ioh. 3. 6. 1. Ioh. 4. 19. and consequently that he loueth vs seeing we loue him because he loued vs first our loue being but a sparke of that diuine and infinite flame Thirdly of our effectuall calling this being the meanes which the Apostle prescribeth to make it sure For heereby we know that the grace of God 2. Pet. 1. 10. Tit. 2. 11 12. bringing saluation hath shined vnto vs when as we are taught thereby to deny vngodlinesse and worldly lusts and to liue soberly righteously and godly in this present world that wee haue in a sauing manner heard Gods Word when hauing receiued it into honest hearts wee haue brought foorth fruits Luk. 8. 15. with patience That wee are ingrafted into Christ the true Vine when Ioh. 15. wee bring foorth the ripe Grapes of holinesse and righteousnesse That wee are trees of righteousnesse of Gods owne planting when like the tree planted by the riuers of waters wee bring foorth fruit in due season That wee are good men when out of the good treasure of our heart Psal 1. 2. Mat. 7. 17 18 20 we bring foorth that which is good That wee are of God and the Sheepe of Christ when we heare Gods Word and follow him And that wee are truely Luk. 6. 45. a kinne to Christ when wee doe the will of his Father which is in heauen Ioh. 8. 47. Mat. 12. 50. Fourthly by a godly life and the workes of piety and righteousnesse our faith is assured of it selfe that it is liuely and vnfained for as our good workes doe shew it vnto others so also they approoue it vnto our selues as being the fruits of this tree and the very breath of this body without which it is but a dead stocke and rotten carkasse For as the Apostle Iames Iam. 2. 17 26. telleth vs Faith if it haue no workes is dead being alone And as the body without the spirit is dead so faith without workes is dead also Fifthly our faith is heereby assured of our iustification and of all the fruits and benefits that doe accompany it As that we are freed from our sinnes both in respect of their guilt and punishment by the death and resurrection of Iesus Christ when as by the vertue and power of them we feele our selues deliuered from the corruption of them so as they doe not rule and raigne in vs as in former times and quickned in the inner man vnto holinesse and newnesse of life That we are reconciled vnto God when as we feele an earnest desire and constant indeuour wrought in vs of pleasing him in all things That we are his children by adoption and grace when we liue as it becommeth his children and resemble our heauenly Father in holinesse and righteousnesse That we are sanctified by his Spirit when as wee bring forth the fruits of our sanctification in a godly and Christian life That we haue vnfainedly repented of our sinnes when as wee bring forth fruits worthy amendment and doe daily exercise our selues in good workes Finally that we are Citizens of heauen and heires of euerlasting happinesse when as we haue our conuersation there setting our hearts and affections on things aboue and not on things beneath and when hauing Phil. 3. 20. Col. 3. 2. Joh. 3. 2 3. this hope that we shall be made like vnto Christ we haue purged our selues as he also is pure §. Sect. 4 That a godly life strengthneth and increaseth our hope and confidence in God The second spirituall benefit of a godly life is that it strengtheneth and increaseth our hope and confidence in God grounded vpon this assurance Psal 34. 15. that hee will preserue all those that feare and serue him from all euill all perils and dangers and the malice and might of all their enemies and that he will prouide for them all things necessary seeing he who is so bountifull euen to his enemies will not let his owne children want any thing that is good who haue a desire to serue and please him So that they which feare the Lord haue great cause to trust in the Lord as the Psalmist Psal 115. 11. exhorteth because he is their helpe and shield And this made the three Children so confident that they cared not for the rage of the Tyrant nor for the fiery Furnace though seuenfold hotter then ordinary because they had serued God with a good conscience and thereby were assured that the God whom they serued was both able and willing to deliuer them Dan. 3. 17. This made Daniel to serue God constantly whom hee had formerly serued notwithstanding the cruell edict of the King because he well knew that the God whom he serued was able to deliuer him from the Lions as Dan. 6. 16. Darius also acknowledged From which confidence there arise diuers other singular benefits as inward ioy and comfort in all estates seeing in this confidence we haue cast all our care vpon God patience in all troubles seeing we trust assuredly in God for helpe and deliuerance in that time which shall be most seasonable both for his glory
100. his Testimonies and keepe his Precepts he giueth more wisdome and vnderstanding then to the ancient or then to their teachers The which should be a powerfull reason to mooue vs vnto the practice of all holy duties in a godly life seeing hereby wee are assured of this spirituall illumination and heauenly Wisedome which is so high a priuiledge that it farre exceedeth all worldly treasures in so much as he who best knew it could not tell how to value it or to equall it with any price Happie saith he is the man that findeth wisdome and the Pro. 3. 14 15. 8. 11 19. 16. 16. man that getteth vnderstanding for the merchandize thereof is better then the merchandize of Siluer and the gaine thereof then fine Gold She is more precious then Rubies and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared vnto her c. So Iob But where shall Wisdome be found And where is the Iob 28. 12 13. c. place of vnderstanding Man knoweth not the price thereof neither is it found in the Land of the liuing It cannot be gotten for gold neither shall siluer be weighed for the price thereof It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir with the precious Onix and the Saphir c. And therefore if men thinke no paines too much to obtaine gold and precious treasures how much more should wee labour without wearinesse for the getting of this Spirituall Wisdome which in true worth doth so farre exceed them What care should we take to be in the number of the godly to whom this diuine Light onely shineth Yea to be richly stored with this treasure of godlinesse wherein this heauenly Wisdome chiefly consisteth For the feare of the Lord is Wisdome and to depart Iob 28. 28. from euill is vnderstanding Or as the Psalmist speaketh The feare of Psal 111. 10. Pro. 9. 10. the Lord is the beginning of Wisdome a good vnderstanding haue all they that doe his commandements §. Sect. 3 The third speciall priuiledge is Sanctification by the Spirit The third speciall priuiledge bestowed vpon the godly is that the Spirit of God sanctifieth them changing and renuing their natures from sinnefull corruption to sanctity and holinesse For it so inlighteneth their mindes that they behold sinne as it is in it owne nature most vgly and deformed and causeth them to condemne it as the greatest euill It worketh their wills hearts and affections to a loathing and detestation of it so that they consent not vnto it so farre forth as they are renued euen when the Law of their members warring Rom. 7. 23. against the Law of their mindes doth leade them captiue Neither can they sinne as in former times with full consent of will because it is in part sanctified nilling that which the flesh willeth in which regard the Apostle Iohn saith that he who is borne of God sinneth not for 1. Ioh. 3. 9. his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is borne of God And as being thus sanctified they are inwardly kept from sinne in respect of the loue of it and free and full consent vnto it so also from innumerable outward acts of sinne into which others fall partly because they looke more carefully conscionably to their waies but especially because the good Spirit of God dwelling in them quencheth the fiery darts of Satans tentations by his holy motions and monitions Gal. 5. 17. which oppose and fight against them and so stayeth them when they are ready to slip and vpholdeth them when they are ready to fall Yea by renuing and changing of our natures it worketh in vs so farre forth as we are sanctified an vtter auersnesse to sinne and maketh vs spiritually to hate it as much as euer we naturally loued it so that it is no paine to vs nor any violence offered vnto our will when wee resist and flee from sinne as it is to the wicked and vnregenerate who naturally drinking in iniquity as the Fish water are as it were tormented Iob 15. 16. with thirst when they are forced to to forbeare it But though there were no shame nor punishment to restraine them no law to condemne them nor heauen or hell to reward or punish them yet they would be a law to themselues and with all cheerefulnesse flee and forsake sinne out of that hatred and detestation which they haue conceiued of it And as they are thus preserued from sinne so beeing quickned by the Spirit of God dwelling in them they receiue power and spirituall strength whereby they are inabled to doe Gods will and to serue and please him in the duties of a godly life that not with that irkesome tediousnesse which the vnregenerate feele in themselues because Gods will and theirs are opposite and contrary one to the other but with cheerefulnesse and delight as the Angels in heauen because their wills being changed and renewed are conformed to the will of God so that in doing his will they doe their own in which regard it is their meate and drinke when as with our Sauiour they Ioh. 4. 34. performe the will of their heauenly Father Now what a singular priuiledge is this to bee freed from the tyranny of sinne and Satan so as they haue no dominion ouer them to rule and carry them which way they list to their vtter ruine and destruction To leaue sinne not as wicked men for feare of punishment though they loue it better then the first borne of their bodies yea then their owne liues but out of meere Micah 6. 6. hatred and detestation of it because there is an auersenesse of their renewed nature vnto it To yeeld obedience vnto Gods Law not out of terrour and constraint but out of loue and liking To long and Psal 84. 2. thirst in our soules after Gods presence and the fruition of his holy ordinances and euen to breake with longing after Gods Iudgements at all times Psal 119. 20. that wee may yeeld vnto them that perfect obedience which he requireth and we desire To esteeme sinne the greatest bondage and to complaine most bitterly when we are led captiue by it Finally to be freed from all burthen and wearisomenesse in our obedience and to esteeme Christs yoke light and easie yea sweete and pleasant seeing Gods glory and our saluation our obedience and eternall Psal 1. 1 2. Luke 11. 28. blessednesse are inseparably linked together All which inestimable priuiledges accompanying a godly life may as effectuall reasons moue vs to imbrace it §. Sect. 4 The fourth speciall priuiledge is internall and spirituall ioy The fourth speciall priuiledge which the Spirit of God bringeth to the godly is internall ioy which the Apostle numbrâ—â—â— among the fruits of the Spirit and is a grace that ariseth out of our iustification Gal. 5. 22. and reconciliation with God peace of conscience and assurance of our saluation which cannot be crossed by any
Stewards of his family who must haue in Matth. 13. 52. store both new and old that they may giue a fit portion to all their fellow seruants They are Gods Ambassadours vnto the people 2. Cor. 5. 20 21. who represent his owne person and deliuer vnto them the glad tydings of the Gospell wherein God offereth vnto them peace and reconciliation and therefore being so highly honoured they must not be slacke in doing their message Finally they are their spirituall Fathers 1. Cor. 4. 15. ordained of God as his instruments to beget them vnto himselfe by the immortall seed of the Word which if they neglect the people through their default remaine the children of wrath and dead in their sinnes Secondly let them remember that heauy woe and dreadfull curse denounced against those who preach not the Gospell 1. Cor. 9. 16. or doe the worke of the Lord negligently Thirdly let them haue Ier. 48. 10. in minde that fearefull account which those haue to make at the day of Iudgement that through their sloth worldlinesse or vnconscionable kinde of preaching are found guilty of destroying the soules which were committed to their charge Fourthly let them be incouraged to the diligent performance of their dutie by that inward peace of conscience and vnspeakable ioy and comfort which all Gods faithfull Ministers finde and feele in their owne hearts and consciences when as by their Ministery they see God glorified in the saluation of his people committed to their charge Finally let them incourage themselues in their painfull labours by calling to minde that vnspeakeable recompence of reward promised to all those who conuert others vnto righteousnesse seeing they shall shine as starres of Dan. 12. 3. the firmament in the glory of Gods Kingdome §. Sect. 4 Of other meanes respecting the people Secondly the people for their part are to vse all good helpes and meanes for the remouing of this impediment And first their care must be to place themselues vnder sufficient godly and faithfull Ministers who will carefully and conscionably breake vnto them the bread of life And if in the dayes of their ignorance they haue seated themselues vnder blinde guides ignorant insufficient Ministers or if such be imposed vpon them against their wils in those places where their lands and liuings trades and meanes doe lie they must not onely sigh and mourne vnder this burthen but also vse all lawfull meanes to be freed from it as soone as they can either by procuring some better meanes by their care and charge or by remouing their habitation though with some worldly inconuenience vnto some other place Esteeming this one thing necessary to enioy the meanes of their saluation and with the wise Merchant purchasing this pearle Matth. 13. 45. and treasure at the highest rate rather then be without it For if wee would be hired with no worldly gaine to liue in such places as affoord no food for the nourishment of our bodies let vs be no lesse wise and carefull for our precious soules and not hazard them to death and destruction by continuing in those places for our worldly aduantage where there is a continuall famine of the Word but rather then want it wee must wander from sea to sea and from the North to the East that Amos 8. 11 12. we may seeke and finde it But if the Ministers vnder whom God hath placed vs haue sufficiencie of gifts and yet through sloth and negligence worldlinesse or want of care and good conscience neglect their dutie we are not so easily to abandon them before wee haue vsed all good meanes whereby they may be made more painefull and diligent And first wee must labour with God by our feruent prayers that he will sanctifie their gifts and giue vnto them such faithfull and honest hearts as that they may more conscionably set themselues to seeke Gods glory in the saluation of the people committed to their charge and so imploy their talents which they haue receiued as that they may be able to make a cheerefull account when as they shall be called to giue vp their reckoning For if those which are most faithfull and diligent in discharge of their dutie need these helpes which made the Apostle so often to desire the prayers of the people how much more doe they need them who haue so many defects in the worke of their Ministery Secondly we must indeuour to draw them on to more diligence by our good counsels and admonitions in the Spirit of loue and meekenes without all spleene and bitternes or any disgrace offred to their persons Thirdly we must labour to win and encourage them not onely by auoyding causelesse wranglings and contentions but also by paying vnto them iustly and honestly their full due which Matth. 10. 10. by the Lawes of God and men belong vnto them and not take occasion vpon the neglect of their dutie to neglect ours Yea rather with open hearts and hands wee must carry our selues liberally towards Gal. 6. 10. 1. Cor 9. 7. Heb. 13. 5. 1. Tim. 5. 17. them according to our ability that gayning their loue they may become more carefull to seeke our spirituall good communicating vnto vs their ministeriall gifts when they see vs willing to communicate vnto them our corporall blessings Fourthly we must not vilifie and contemne their Ministery though there be therein some wants and imperfections nor runne from them to others who in our iudgement doe exceed them but beare with their infirmities and doe our best to reforme and amend them Finally when they preach vnto vs we are to heare them with all diligence and reuerence whereby we shall make them more carefull to deliuer things worth our hearing and more ready to take greater paines when they see them so much regarded For as the sucking of the childe draweth downe the mothers milke and causeth it to come in greater plenty whereas if the brest be not drawne all the milke is soone dryed vp so is it in this case betweene the Minister and the people By all which and the like meanes if wee preuaile nothing wee are if possibly wee can to remooue our selues from vnder their charge seeing it is not much materiall vnto vs whether they cannot or will not teach vs the way of saluation and no lesse necessitie lyeth vpon vs of hearing then vpon them of preaching the Gospell nor a lesse woe if through our owne negligence wee heare it not §. Sect. 5 Of the impediment of a godly life arising from the euill liues of some Ministers The last publique impediment respecting the Ministery is the euill liues of many who take vpon them to perswade others to the practice of Christian duties For ordinarily the people imagine that they goe fast enough in the waies of godlinesse if they keepe full pace with those which are their Teachers And though they heare them often in the Pulpit vse many arguments to draw them on to more
of the fruits of this hatred from which diuers impediments doe arise that hinder many in the wayes of godlinesse And these are either internall in the minde and iudgement or externall in the words and actions of the former sort there are two notable hinderances and discouragements The first is the false iudgement and erroneous opinion of wicked worldlings shewed in their hard and harsh bitter and vncharitable censures of the godly whereby they condemne their persons and all the good graces of God in them with all the vertuous actions which are done by them as euill and faultie Their feruencie of deuotion in religious exercises they iudge to be grosse hypocrisie their wisdome and Christian prudence they repute wilinesse and subtilty their simplicity folly their zeale 2. King 9. 11. madnesse their patience Stoicall apathy and stupidity their frugalitie niggardly auarice their bounty lauish wastfulnesse their Christian forbearance and long-suffring pusillanimity and base cowardize their seuerity cruelty their resolute and absolute obedience to Gods Law they condemne as no better then rebellion against Princes and Magistrates their contempt of the world and earthly vanities is reputed by them cynicall and melancholike sottishnesse and folly In a word if wee set our selues seriously to please God nothing that wee can doe will please the world but all is taken at the worst and euen our best vertues will be branded and blemished by their vniust and vncharitable censures as blameworthy and vicious But that this may not discourage vs in our Christian courses let vs consider that this hath beene euer the portion of all Gods children to be condemned by his enemies Thus the Prophets were censured to be opposites to Princes and States the Apostles to be seditious Matth. 11. 18. persons and brochers of nouelties Iohn the Baptists abstinence Matth. 26. 8. and austerity was counted deuillish Maries loue and bounty reputed needlesse and lauish wastefulnesse Yea our Sauiour Christ himselfe escaped not these false and vniust censures but had his best actions blemished with the malicious censures of wicked men His miracles done by the vertue of his diuine nature were deemed to be done by the power of Beel-zebub the prince of the deuils For his benigne sociablenesse he was iudged a boone-companion and a friend to Publicanes and sinners and all his gracious words wrested and misconstrued vnto the worst sense which wit and malice could giue vnto them And therfore if we will walke in their steps we must looke for the like measure which both our fellow seruants and our great Lord and Master haue found before vs. Againe let vs remember that we stand or fall to our owne Master and as it will doe vs little good to be approued of the world when he condemneth vs so as little hurt to be condemned of the world when God and our consciences doe approue and iustifie vs. Finally let vs know to our comfort that the day will come when all these vniust censures and sentences pronounced by the mouthes of malicious men shall be wholy reuersed and all the sorrow and griefe caused by them swallowed vp with rauishing ioy when we shall heare that last sentence of approbation pronounced by our Lord and Sauiour Well done good and faithfull seruant c. applauded Matth. 25. 23. by the acclamation of all the Saints and Angels §. Sect. 5 Of worldly contempt vnto which the godly are liable The other impediment whereby the world laboureth to discourage all that in the sincerity of their hearts feare and serue God is to Mal. 3. 17. haue them aboue all other men in greatest contempt and basest esteeme For whom God prizeth as his choysest Iewels the world vilifieth as abiects and the refuse of all things whom the Lord honoureth with the glorious titles and priuiledges of his owne children and heires apparant to his heauenly Kingdome the world despiseth as men vnworthy to liue in any humane society And no sooner are they admitted into that holy and happy communion with God and fellowship of his Saints but presently worldly and wicked men shunne them as vnworthy their company For as the vniust man is an abomination Pro. 29. 27. to the iust so he that is vpright in his way is abomination to the wicked And this was that stumbling blocke which being cast into the way hindred many of the Rulers from following Christ and from imbracing and professing that truth of which their consciences were conuinced because they feared lest hereby they should impeach their reputation and expose themselues to the contempt of their consorts louing the praise of men more then the praise of God This kept the parents Ioh. 12. 43. Joh. 9. 23. of the blinde man from confessing Christ and iustifying his miracle because the Iewes had decreed that if any man did confesse that Iesus was Christ he should be put out of their Synagogue and banished from their societies and publique assemblies Which impediment if we would remoue wee must learne to esteeme basely of the worlds estimate and neither to thinke better of our selues when it honoureth vs nor worse when it vilifieth and despiseth vs. To which purpose let vs consider that when wee are for righteousnesse sake most contemned in the eyes of the world wee are most magnified in the eyes of God and contrariwise when we haue most the applause of men in our euill courses we are esteemed of God most vile and abiect according to that of our Sauiour That which is highly esteemed amongst Luk. 16. 15. men is abominable in the sight of God Let vs remember that we cannot immoderately affect the applause of men and maintaine faith and a good conscience For as our Sauiour demandeth How can yee beleeue Ioh. 5. 44. which receiue honour one of another and seel not the honour that commeth from God onely That we can neuer hold out constantly in our course of Christianity vnlesse we can with the Apostle esteeme it a very small 1. Cor. 4. 3. thing to be iudged of mans iudgement and can be content with him by honour and dishonour euill report and good report to goe forward in the duties 2. Cor. 6. 8. of a godly life which if wee performe with neuer so much diligence zeale yet if therein we doe not ayme chiefely to please God more then men we shall not be the seruants of Christ but of the world Gal. 1. 10. seeing we will be willing to lay aside our profession and holy practice when the world censureth and condemneth them Let vs know that it will little auaile vs at the day of death or iudgement to haue had the approbation and applause of men when as God and our owne consciences shal condemne vs nor be any cause of griefe at that day when we call to minde that for the pleasing and honouring God in all Christian duties we haue displeased the world and brought our selues into contempt with men when as the
not possible to be condemned if wee conscionably vse the meanes of attayning to saluation or to be saued if wee neglect these meanes and walke in the wayes of wickednesse which leade to destruction For whom he Rom. 8. 30. hath predestinated to saluation those also he calleth iustifieth and sanctifieth Those whom he hath chosen he hath also ordained that Eph. 1. 4. they should be holy and without blame before him in loue and hath elected 1. Pet. 1. 2. them through sanctification of the Spirit vnto obedience and sprinkling with the blood of Christ Those whom he hath ordained vnto glory he hath predestinated them to be conformed to the Image of his Sonne and hath created Rom. 8. 29. Eph. 2. 8. them in him to good workes And therefore if wee be effectually called iustified and sanctified we may thereby be assured that we are elected to saluation but if none of these can be found in vs wee still continue in the state of reprobation seeing the meanes and end doe inseparably goe together Finally when as the Scriptures teach vs that Faith alone iustifieth as being the onely instrument that applieth vnto vs Christ our righteousnesse loose Libertines doe hence conclude that that Faith which is alone iustifieth and therefore so they beleeue in Christ they haue liberty to liue as they list and need not to take any paines to serue please God in the duties of a godly life Wheras the Apostle plainly telleth vs that we shal be iudged according to our works 2. Cor. 5. 10. whether they haue bin good or euill And our Sauiour hath taught vs that he will pronounce the last sentence according to the workes of mercy either Matth. 25. 34 35 36. performed or neglected by vs as being the signes and vndoubted euidences of our Faith whereby it is approued as sound and sincere or condemned as counterfet hypocriticall And the Apostle Iames expresly affirmeth that Faith without works is dead like a carkase without Iam. 2. 17 26. breath or life And therefore though good workes are not required as causes to the act of iustification yet they are necessary as effects to the Matth. 25. 34. Rom. 6. 23. party iustified though they doe not merit euerlasting happines seeing it is a gracious inheritance Gods free gift yet they are the way that leadeth vnto it in which we must necessarily walke if we wil be saued for without holinesse we shall neuer see the Lord as the Apostle telleth vs. Heb. 12. 14. §. Sect. 6 That infidelity is a great impediment to a godly life Againe the corruption of our intellectuall faculties doth exceedingly hinder vs from seruing God in the duties of a godly life not onely as it blindeth them with ignorance and misleadeth them with errour but also as it poysoneth them with cursed infidelity which is the roote of all other sinnes and the chiefe impediment of all Christian duties the ground of all which is a liuely faith For as the Apostle speaketh No man can come vnto God vntill he first know that God Heb. 11. 6. is nor performe any faithfull seruice vnto him vntill he be perswaded that he is a rich rewarder of them who diligently seeke and serue him Againe Without faith it is impossible to please God because whatsoeuer is not Rom. 14. 23. done of Faith is sinne Without Faith wee cannot be ingrafted into Christ seeing it is the bond of this vnion nor bring forth in him any fruits of new obedience for without Christ we can doe nothing Vnlesse Ioh. 15. 2 5. by Faith we be assured of Gods loue towards vs we cannot loue him for as the Apostle Iohn saith We loue him because he loueth vs first and 1. Ioh. 4. 19. without loue there is no obedience seeing it is the summe of the whole Law And therefore if we would leade a godly life wee must with all care and indeuour remooue this impediment then the which none is more pernicious for how should wee flee from that sinne which we naturally loue or practise those duties vnto which our natures are auerse if wee neither beleeue Gods threatnings restrayning vs from sinne nor his promises alluring vs to obedience And to this end wee must carefully vse all those meanes of which I haue before spoken both of begetting Faith in vs if it be wanting and of confirming and increasing of it if it be begun CAP. X. Of those manifold impediments of a godly life which arise from our sinnefull and corrupt hearts and affections §. Sect. 1 The first impediment is an heart hardned through the deceitfulnesse of sinne ANd thus haue I shewed how we may remooue those impediments of a godly life which arise from the corruption of the intellectuall faculties Those which respect the heart and affections are many and dangerous The first is when our hearts are hardened through the deceitfulnesse of sinne and so habituated and accustomed to euill courses that it is death to vs if we indeuour to forsake them and to serue God in the duties of a godly life Of this wee haue many warnings in the Scriptures as being a most dangerous rocke vpon which many haue suffred shipwracke To day if you will heare his voyce harden not your hearts Psal 95. 7 8. And Take heed brethren lest there be in any of you an euill heart of vnbeliefe in departing from the liuing God But exhort one another dayly while it is Heb. 3. 12 13. called to day lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulnesse of sinne Which impediment if we would remooue let vs withstand sinne in the first motions of it and if at any time we be ouertaken let vs carefully take heed that wee doe not lie in sinne but rise againe speedily by vnfained repentance Let vs beware that wee doe not often fall into the same sinnes after wee haue repented of them seeing by many acts wee come at last to an habit and custome Or if this custome hath already preuailed and is now come to haue in it the strength of a Law and to be as it were a second nature let vs not suffer it any longer to continue inuiolable but bend all our power and strength to disanull and breake it Neither let our corrupt nature pleade prescription for sinne or the neglect of holy duties as though because we haue long done that which God forbiddeth or not done that which he hath commanded therefore we must be borne with if we doe so still seeing this is no excuse at all but rather the greatest aggrauation of our sinnefulnesse and negligence For though they might be somewhat excused if they were done but once or twice they are altogether intolerable when they grow common and customable And therefore our long liuing in sinne and in the neglect of Christian duties should be so far from excusing our continuing in these courses that it ought to be a strong motiue to
consider first that this is a shamefull and horrible abuse of Gods mercy and goodnesse which hee will neuer let goe vnpunished to take occasion thereby the more to offend and diplease him by wilfull continuing in sinne and neglecting the duties of his seruice To prouoke God to wrath because he is patient and long-suffering and to sinne against him because hee is good and gracious and ready to forgiue And finally to neglect all duties of his seruice because he is such a bountifull Master that he giueth of his free grace and mercy rich wages and rewards without all merit and desert For these should rather be arguments to inflame our loue towards him and to make vs so much the more zealous of his glory and fearefull to offend so gracious a God according to that of the Psalmist There is mercy or forgiuenesse with thee that thou mayest bee feared Or if through Psal 130. 4. frailty and infirmity we haue contrary to our purpose and resolution been ouertaken of any sinne this patience and loue of God should be a strong motiue to make vs to rise out of it by vnfained repentance according to that of the Apostle Despisest thou the riches of his goodnesse and forbearance and long-suffering not knowing that the goodnesse of God leadeth thee to repentance Secondly let vs consider that as the Lord is infinite in mercy and compassion so hee is no lesse infinite in iustice and truth that as he is mercifull Exod. 34. 6 7. and gracious long-suffering and abundant in goodnesse and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiuing iniquity to ansgression and sinne so also hee is iust in all his wayes and holy in all his workes and will by no meanes cleare the Psal 145. 17. guilty visiting the iniquity of the fathers vpon the children vnto the third and fourth generation that as he is a mercifull Sauiour so also a iust God and Esa 45. 21. Psal 11. 7. a righteous Lord who loueth righteousnesse and will not let sinne goe vnpunished but will iudge euery man according to his works and that he is a terrible 2. Cor. 5. 10. Iudge especially to those who abuse his mercy and long-suffering And therefore let vs not disioyne these things which cannot be seuered nor imagine such a mercy in God as will not stand with his Iustice which were to mayme the Diuine nature and to pull as it were one of his hands from him which outragious violence offered vnto his holy Maiesty hee will neuer suffer to goe vnpunished Let vs with Dauid so acknowledge that hee is good as that wee doe not deny that Psal 25. 8. Psal â—01 1. hee is also vpright and in our songs so sing of his mercy as that wee doe not disioyne his Iudgement from it Let vs remember that in God and in all his workes mercy and truth doe meete together righteousnesse Psal 8â— 10. and peace doe kisse each other Let vs not say His mercy is great he will Ecclus 5. 6 7. be pacified for the multitude of my sinnes for mercy and wrath come from him and his indignation resteth vpon sinners Neither let vs presuming on Gods mercy and patience make any tarrying to turne vnto the Lord nor put it off from day to day for suddenly shall the wrath of the Lord come foorth and in thy security thou shalt be destroyed and perish in the day of vengeance Thus the Apostle telleth vs that if we despise the riches of Gods goodnesse and forbearance Rom. 2. 4 5 6 which should leade vs to repentance we shall after our hardnesse and impenitent heart treasure vp vnto our selues wrath against the day of wrath and reuelation of the righteous iudgement of God who will render vnto euery man according to his deeds And the Lord threatneth that if any man hearing the words of his curse against sinners doe blesse himselfe in his heart saying I shall haue peace though I walke in the imagination of my heart to adde drunkennesse to thirst that he will not spare him but that his anger and iealousie shall smoake against that man and all the curses that are written in the booke of the Law shall Deut. 29. 19 20. lie vpon him and the Lord shall blot out his name from vnder heauen Let vs remember what the Apostle teacheth vs namely that no outragious sinners continuing in their wickednesse without repentance shall inherit the Kingdome of Christ and of God and therefore exhorteth that wee suffer no Eph. 5. 5 6. man to deceiue vs with vaine words seeing because of these things commeth the wrath of God vpon the children of disobedience Finally let vs consider that though Gods mercies be in themselues infinite and aboue all his workes and all his gracious promises which are in Christ yea and Amen yet they are limited by his infallible truth and appropriated vnto repentant sinners and therefore cannot extend to the presumptuous who take occasion from his mercies to continue impenitently in their sinnes but he will glorifie his iustice in punishing them as hee glorifieth his mercy in pardoning the sinnes of all those who turne vnto him by vnfained repentance And therefore let vs acknowledge with the Psalmist that the Lord is good Psal 73. â— and gracious yet not to all but onely to Israel euen to such as are of a cleane heart and that as the eyes of the Lord are vpon the righteous and his eares open to heare their cry so the face of the Lord is against them that do euill to cut off the Psal 34. 15 16. remembrance of them from of the earth Let vs not presume vpon Gods mercy whilst we continue impenitently in our sins but let vs stand in awe of Gods Iustice and Iudgements and sin not and offer first the sacrifice of righteousnesse Psal 4. 4 5. and then put our trust in the Lord. Those likewise who presuming vpon the all-sufficiencie of Christs death merits and satisfaction doe take occasion thereby to continue in their sinnes without repentance and to neglect the duties of a godly life may easily remooue this dangerous impediment out of their way if they will but seriously consider that this is a most fearefull abuse of his inestimable loue who hath done so much for vs when as we vse his helpe to vphold vs in our sinnes and his death and merits as a pillow whereon we may sleepe more securely in our wickednesse Whereas he came not to ratifie and confirme but to dissolue and abolish 1. Ioh. 3. 8. the workes of the deuill And gaue himselfe for vs not onely to free vs from all sinne in respect of the guilt and punishment but also to purge Tit. 2. 14. vs from all iniquity and that being his peculiar people we should bee zealous of good workes He hath redeemed vs out of the hands of all our spirituall enemies Luk. 1. 74 75. that wee may serue him in holinesse and righteousnesse
him by an absolute faith when there is no reason for it but wee must examine his tentations by the rule of Gods Word which will easily discouer the fraud weakenesse and maliciousnesse of them For nothing giueth Satan more aduantage against weake Christians then their readinesse to giue credit to his tentations without bringing them to the touchstone of Gods Truth Fourthly if Satan taketh aduantage from the humour of melancholy abounding in vs to fill and fraught our hearts with these scruples feares we must vse the helpe of the skilfull Physician for the remouing of this cause that so the effects may cease And withal aske the counsel of some iudicious faithful Diuine who may direct vs in our wayes resolue our doubts vpon whose iudgement grounded vpon Gods Word we must more rest then vpon our owne weake conceit and opinions especially being thus blinded with those blacke and foggie mists which false feare and melancholy haue cast before them Fifthly wee must labour to haue our hearts possessed and replenished with the true and filiall feare of God springing from Faith and Loue whereby we shall be made zealous in Gods seruice and then there will be no roome for these Panicke and superstitious feares nor any aduantage giuen to Satan of seazing vpon vs with his suggestions Lastly we must carefully take heed that we doe not yeeld our selues ouer to be ruled by these scruples and feares either to doe or not to doe any thing because of some euill threatned but in things indifferent it is our best course to resist the tentation by doing the contrary to that which is suggested if Christian prudence tell vs that it is conuenient all circumstances considered And in things lawfull or vnlawfull we are to performe or omit them not out of scrupulous feare of any euils threatned by the tempter from which God is al-sufficient to shield vs but in obedience to God because he in his Word hath commanded or forbidden them §. Sect. 3 That carnall feare is a great hinderance vnto godlinesse and the meanes to be freed from it Secondly we are hindred by carnall feare in the duties of a godly life whilest thereby we are mooued to thinke that we shall neuer be able to performe them though we vse all our indeuour or if we haue begunne well yet we shall neuer hold out vnto the end by reason of our owne frailties and infirmities the afflictions and troubles which crosse vs in these courses and the manifold and malicious tentations and persecutions which are raised against vs by the enemies of our saluation By which feares our mindes are troubled our hearts vexed and turmoyled our courage quailed our resolutions weakned and we vtterly disabled and discouraged from entring into this course of Christianity when as we haue little or no hope of proceeding continuing inâ—â— vnto the end that we may be saued The which tentation is much strengthened when we see the many faintings and faylings of others that haue gone before vs who professing Christianity haue either neglected the duties belonging to it or performed them to little purpose in a cold formall carelesse maner and in the end haue wholy desisted returned back to their old prophanenes Which impediment if we would remoue we must know that neuer any did seriously sincerely seeke God in the waies of his commandements but they haue assuredly found him And therfore we must not be discouraged with the faylings and relapses of hypocrites temporaries if our owne conscices testifie vnto vs that we labour to serue and please God in the vprightnesse of our hearts Secondly our faintnes and weaknesse must not discourage vs from entring into and proceeding in the waies of godlinesse seeing we walke not in our owne strength but by the power of God assisting vs nor by vertue of our own resolutions indeuours but of Gods gracious and free promises made vnto vs in Christ that he will not onely iustifie but also sanctifie vs free vs as well from the corruption of sin as the guilt and punishment The which if we apprehend by a true liuely Faith we shal be able to ouercome all difficulties and to serue God in some good acceptable maner as I haue more fully shewed in the beginning of this Treatise Finally we need not to feare our perseuerance in the duties of godlinesse vnto the end if disclayming our owne strength we rest and rely wholy vpon Gods power and promises seeing he is able and al-sufficient to perfect that good worke which he hath begunne to enable vs likewise who are impotent in our selues to doe all things necessarie for his glory and our saluation Phil. 1. 6. 4. 13. Ioh. 10. 28. Rom. 8. 35 36 38. through the power of Christ which strengtheneth vs. To arme vs against all the tentations of the deuill the world and our owne flesh so that all the power of hell the prosperity or persecutions of the world nor any thing else whatsoeuer shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God or to put out and extinguish our loue of him in our hearts or to hinder our proceeding in the wayes of godlinesse vntill by walking in them wee attaine vnto euerlasting ioy and happinesse §. Sect. 4 That carnall sorrow is an impediment to a godly life Againe we are much hindred in the duties of a godly life by carnall sorrow and lumpish heauinesse For if as the Apostle saith 2. Cor. 7. worldly sorrow causeth death both in respect of the life of grace and glory then must it needs also disable vs vnto all actions of life being made as vnfit for them hereby as a man in the state of death to performe any works of the liuing Now this heauines excessiue sorrow ariseth from diuers causes as first from the sight sense of our innumerable grieuous sins when as it is not mixed with faith the loue of God but meerely ariseth out of seruil feare self-loue apprehending Gods terrible Iudgments against vs for our sins Secondly from the imperfection in our sanctification whereof it is that our vnmortified corruptions doe rage sway in vs disabling vs vnto Gods seruice and making vs prone vnto sin That the duties which we performe are so ful of wants weaknesses that we can with no coÌ„fort looke vpon them That the graces of Gods Spirit are imperfect continually assaulted with our contrary corruptions our faith with doubting our affiance with diffidence our humility with pride our repentance with security and hardnesse of heart and so in the rest Thirdly from our weaknesse in faith perswading vs of the remission of our sinnes and of our reconciliation and peace with God Fourthly from spirituall desertions whereby God estrangeth himselfe from vs and seemeth to haue left and forsaken vs. Fifthly from our fainting and failing in the waies of godlinesse and often relapses into sinne Sixthly from our manifold and sharpe afflictions which
their pursuers in secret corners and solitary places And of many others in our owne times who being necessarily debarred of all publique helpes discountenanced discouraged in their godly courses by those which should be their guides and leaders yet being inwardly furnished with sauing graces doe outwardly exercise them in all religious holy duties For howsoeuer the publike Ministery is the ordinary means to begin as also to preserue and increase Gods graces in vs and to giue vnto vs not onely birth and spirituall life but also growth and strength whereby wee are enabled vnto all duties of a godly life so that whosoeuer neglect it when they may haue it can neuer looke to thriue in grace or to haue any ability to serue God in any acceptable maner because they despise his holy Ordinances fancying vnto themselues alife which needeth no nourishment yet we must hold it to be but a meanes and instrument wherby God who is the supreme cause chiefe Agent is pleased ordinarily to worke but yet when he depriueth vs of them can effect his owne good worke of grace and sanctification either without them or when they are weake and insufficient as well as with them and when they are most excellent in greatest plenty Of the other we haue an exāple in Iudas who being full of inward corruption could not thriue no not vnder Christs owne Ministery and Demas Ananias and Sapphira vnder the Ministery of the Apostles who performed no acceptable seruice vnto God by all these helpes because their hearts were not sincere vpright but stil remained carnall defiled with worldly loue Yea we may haue experience of it in many vnthriuing Christians of these times who though they liue vnder a most powerfull and excellent Ministery abound in all the spirituall meanes of grace and saluation yet remaine as worldly and carnall as auerse and backward vnto all duties of a godly life as those who are vtterly destitute of them §. Sect. 6 Their obiection answered who pretend that it is not safe to be more forward then other men Finally men mis-led by carnall corruption are ready to excuse thēselues for not entring into the course of Christianity though their iudgements are conuinced of this truth that it is aboue all others most excellent profitable and necessary by obiecting that it is neither good nor safe to make greater profession then other men or to be more strict in our liues then ordinarie Christians because we are not sure that we shall be able to hold out in our sincerity and holy practice and if we should relapse our latter end would be worse then our beginning Neither can we tell in respect of humane frailty whether we may not fall into some grieuous and haynous sinnes or at least such as are contrary to our strict profession which if we doe our faults will be more obserued in vs though they would be little regarded in ordinary men and more bitterly censured and condemned yea wee our selues shall be a wonderment to all that know vs and both shame our selues and our profession To which I answer first that none can make any greater profession of strict performing all Christian duties then that which we all make at our Baptisme when we enter into couenant with God that we will renounce the seruice of sin and Satan the world and our owne sinfull lusts and betake our selues wholy to the seruice of God in all duties of holinesse and righteousnes Which if we doe not all still make and renue vpon all occasions what doe we but disgrace our selues by casting off our Lords liuerie denying and renouncing our promise and profession and returning into the ancient seruitude of sinne and Satan Yea what doe we else but dayly play the hypocrites when as praying that wee may doe Gods will in earth in that purity and perfection which the Saints and holy Angels doe it in heauen and that we may serue God in holinesse righteousnes and sobriety all the dayes of our liues we are notwithstanding so farre from desiring or going about it that we are ashamed to professe that we haue any such meaning Secondly I answer that wee are all bound one as well as another to make this profession of holinesse and sincerity neither is it left vnto vs as a thing arbitrarie and at our owne choyce but expresly commanded and enioyned that we should glorifie God by professing our selues his seruants and liuing according to this profession which none refuseth to doe but such as are destitute of a liuely Faith whereby we are assured that God is in Christ our gracious Lord and Father and we his seruants and people for as with the Rom. 10. 10. heart man beleeueth vnto righteousnesse so with the mouth confession is made vnto saluation According to that of Dauid I beleeued therefore haue I Psal 116. 10. spoken Thirdly I answer that feare of falling away or of being ouertaken with some grosse sinnes must not hinder our profession and practice of piety but rather this profession and practice must therefore be vndertaken that we may hereby be moued more carefully to vse all good meanes of perseuering in all grace and godlinesse and to obserue our wayes with greater diligence and make straight steps vnto our feete that wee doe not slippe nor hault nor turne aside out of the way And if wee with these mindes take vpon vs the profession of Christianity and indeuour to bring forth the fruits of it in our holy practice the Lord who hath begunne this good worke in vs will also finish it he will vphold vs that wee shall not greatly fall or if wee doe yet hee will not suffer vs to lie still and perish but will so assist vs with his grace and holy Spirit that wee shall rise againe by vnfained repentance In the meane time no man hath iust cause to wonder if wee fall through infirmitie though it be into some greater sinnes then many commit who make little or no profession at all if either he consider humane frailty common to all the reliques of corruption remayning still in vs after regeneration and the combat which thence ariseth betweene the flesh and the Spirit that sometime preuailing and this againe getteth the vpper hand the malice of the deuill who most fiercely assaulteth with his tentations those who haue renounced his seruice and in whom the Image of God most clearely shineth or else the examples of the Saints in former ages who haue beene subiect to like frailties and infirmities though they were iust and vpright in all their waies and men in their ordinary and common carriage according to Gods own heart and haue beene sometimes though rarely ouertaken with grosse sins as Noah Lot Dauid Peter and the rest And therefore it is no maruaile if wee likewise haue our slips and falls yea rather it is a great wonder if we who come so far short of them in grace and obedience should stand in
comfort your sinnes are forgiuen you Strengthen our weake faith in the assurance of thy loue and the remission of our sinnes and let vs labour earnestly in the vse of all good meanes whereby it may bee more and more increased and confirmed that so without wauering and doubting we may apply Christ vnto vs with all his benefits and thy gracious promises made in him Let vs not weaken and wound it with sinnes committed against our knowledge and consciences but nourish it by bringing foorth the fruits of obedience in a godly life Assure vs that wee are thy children by adoption and grace and heires of that heauenly inheritance reserued for thy Saints and let vs approoue our selues to bee so by demeaning our selues in all things as it beseemeth thy Sonnes Let vs loue reuerence and obey thee our heauenly Father and thinke all too little which wee can doe or suffer for thy sake that thereby we may expresse our loue towards thee Let vs aboue all things be zealous of thy glory reioycing when it is magnified and grieuing when it is neglected either by our selues or others Let vs not hazzard our heauenly inheritance by wilfull sinning for the gayning of the whole world but let vs labour to make our calling and election sure and worke out our saluation with feare and trembling Giue vnto vs peace of a good conscience and replenish our hearts with spirituall ioy in the assurance of thy fauour Let vs vndoubtedly expect the performance of al thy gracious promises made in Christ euen when thou seemest to delay them especially that mayne promise of euerlasting life and happinesse and hauing this hope let vs daily purge our selues as hee also is pure But especially giue vs grace that wee may bring foorth the fruits of our faith in true hearty and vnfained repentance bewayling our sinnes past hating our present corruptions which still hang vpon vs and both purposing and seriously indeuouring to leaue and forsake our sinnes and to serue thee in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our liues Let vs not deferre our repentance from day to day but seeing the necessity thereof vnto saluation let vs lay hold of the acceptable time and whilest it is called to day let vs not harden our hearts but turne vnto thee with all our soules Let vs as we daily renew our sinnes renew also our faith and repentance and haue an earnest and serious study of pleasing thee in all things Let vs not content our selues with a small measure of repentance seeing our sinnes are many and grieuous but let vs aspire to the highest perfection hating sinne with a perfect hatred and bewayling it with bitter griefe Finally let vs constantly perseuere in the practice of repentance and hauing begun in it let vs continue it to the very end of our liues And as wee begge these benefits at thy hands so wee yeeld vnto thee most humble and hearty thankes for all thy mercies and fauours vouchsafed vnto vs especially for all thy spirituall graces concerning eternall life and aboue all for that inestimable pledge of thy loue thy deare and onely Sonne whom thou hast giuen to the death that hee might free vs from all our spirituall enemies and purchase for vs euerlasting happinesse Wee praise thee for that thou hast watched ouer vs with thy gracious prouidence in the whole course of our liues and namely this day past preseruing vs from all dangers and furnishing vs with all necessaries and blessing vs in all our labours and indeuours Wee beseech thee holy Father to continue with our thankfulnesse thy loue towards vs and care ouer vs. Take vs this night into thy gracious protection and watch ouer vs with thy prouidence waking and sleeping and thereby preserue vs from all perils and dangers and from the malice and fury of all our enemies spirituall and temporall especially of that raging and roaring Lyon the deuill who seeketh all aduantages to worke our destruction Let vs not sleepe like others the sleepe of sinne which bringeth death but let vs still keepe the spirituall watch that wee may alwayes bee prepared for the day of death and Iudgement and haue our accounts continually in readinesse that when wee are called to a reckoning wee may with comfort appeare before our Iudge Preserue vs in the darke from the workes of darkenesse and let vs day and night behaue our selues as in thy sight and presence making no lesse conscience of secret sinnes then of those which are open and manifest Let vs whilest our bodies rest haue our mindes exercised with holy and heauenly Meditations and let them bee so seasoned with thy grace and guided by thy good Spirit that they may not in our sleepe giue way to sinfull thoughts and vaine imaginations Giue vnto vs such quiet and moderate rest that our bodies may thereby bee refreshed and their decayed strength repaired and so blesse and sanctifie our sleepe vnto vs that it may bee a meanes of preseruing our health and of making vs more fit for all duties of thy seruice Heare vs gracious God in all these our suites and vouchsafe these and all other blessings which in thy wisedome thou knowest needfull not onely vnto vs but also to all thy children and seruants and especially such as bee of this Church the Magistrates Ministers and whole people euen for Iesus Christ his sake In whose Name and words wee conclude our prayers as hee himselfe hath taught vs saying Our Father which art in heauen c. Another Prayer for the Family in the Euening O Immortall inuisible and onely true God most wise mighty iust and mercifull holy and infinite in all perfection Father of our Lord Iesus Christ and in him our most gracious and louing Father Thou hast in thy Word inuited sinners to come vnto thee promising that if wee confesse and forsake our sinnes wee shall finde mercy if wee lay them open thou wilt hide them and if wee acknowledge and bewaile them thou wilt shew thy selfe faithfull and righteous in forgiuing them wee thy vnworthy seruants being loaden with sinne and misery doe heere humble our selues before thee and in the mediation of Iesus Christ prostrate our selues before the Throne of grace suing vnto thee for mercy and forgiuenesse We confesse vnto thee holy Father that wee are by nature dead in trespasses and sinnes and the children of wrath as well as others loaded with the guilt both of that corruption in which wee were conceiued and of innumerable actuall transgressions whereby wee haue violated thy whole Law and so made our selues subiect to the curse thereof and euerlasting death of body and soule The which our sinne and misery is much aggrauated in that wee haue long liued without any sense of it or any desire to be freed from it but tooke all our delight in displeasing thy Maiesty and in performing cheerefull seruice vnto sinne and Satan Yea Lord after that thou of thy free grace hast giuen vs a sight of our
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
Matth. 26. 33. secure in his owne strength before hee was tried but when hee seeth himselfe in some perill euery skar-crow maketh him afraid And as Pro. 28. 1. the true feare of God expelleth other feares like that winde which is strongest in a whirlewinde where diuers meete according to that of the Apostle We haue not receiued the spirit of bondage to feare againe Rom. 8. 15. but the Spirit of adoption and because as Saint Iohn saith perfect loue 1. Ioh. 4. 98. casteth out feare as the ayre giueth place to the good liquor when it is powred into a vessell and all other lights vanish at the appearing of the Sunne So contrariwise carnall securitie which is most contrarie to feare when it is vpheld with worldly safetie and peace doth giue place in the time of danger vnto it which being entred causeth vs to feare shadowes as well as substances and not onely that which hath being in truth but such false dangers as wee giue being vnto by imagination and fearefull apprehension According to the saying of the Psalmist There were they afraid where no feare was and that of the Psal 53. 5. wise Man The Wicked fleeth when no man pursueth but the Righteous Pro. 28. 1. are bold as a Lion §. 11 The seuenth signe is to run from God and to rest on inferiour meanes in danger and affliction The seuenth signe is when we run from God in the time of danger vnto secundarie causes and inferiour meanes which fayling we wholy distrust God as not able or willing to helpe vs and being forsaken on all sides we are wholy possessed with feare and so by it are plunged into despaire For as hee that truely feareth God for his Goodnesse All-sufficiency Iustice Mercy Power and Prouidence is moued by the same Attributes to put his trust and affiance in him in all dangers like the louing child who the more he feareth and reuerenceth his Father the more readie he is to flee vnto him in confidence of his helpe when any perill approcheth because the same motiues serue for both and as they who sanctifie the Lord of Hosts by letting him to be their feare Esa 8. 13 14. and dread may bee assured that hee also will be their Sanctuarie vnto which when they flee in time of danger they may be in safetie as the Prophet Esay speaketh So he whose heart is destitute of Gods feare and taken vp with carnall securitie neuer thinketh of those Attributes which seeme to worke in vs both feare and affiance but thinketh that God sitteth in Heauen not regarding what is done vpon the Earth and saith in his heart the Lord will doe neither good or euill The Zeph. 1. 12. which as it taketh away from him all feare of God so also all affiance neither will hee who hath neglected to reuerence him as his Father flee vnto him in time of danger with any confidence as his Patron and Protector but will rather cast himselfe vpon inferior meanes wherein he trusteth and flee any whither then vnto God from whom his heart being wholy estranged he expecteth no helpe at his hands in the time of trouble §. 12 The eight signe is contempt of Gods Ministers Lastly it is a signe of carnall securitie when as in our hearts we doe not reuerence his Ministers and Ambassadors who in the worke of their ministerie represent his Maiestie and in an especiall manner beare in them his Image For as he that truely feareth his King doth in the execution of their Office reuerence not onely the Lord Chancelor and Chiefe Iustice but euen the meanest Major or Bayliffe who represent his person and come in his name to inioyne that which he hath commanded so he that feareth the King of Kings reuerenceth also not onely the person of Kings and Princes because they beare in them the Image of his Power and Soueraigntie but also his Ambassadors who bring vnto vs his Word of Truth which hath no lesse power in spirituall and heauenly things then the word of the greatest Monarch speaking on Gods behalfe about things that are earthly and temporall for they haue authoritie giuen them to iudge the people Ezech. 20. 4. as the Lord speaketh to the Prophet and they haue a large Commission giuen them for the execution of their Office and ministeriall Function both for absoluing the penitent Beleeuer and condemning the vnbeleeuing and impenitent sinner not in their owne authoritie which the Popes challenge as belonging inseparably to their Sea and Place which inableth them to binde and loose absolutely without respect of persons penitent or impenitent or any condition to be obserued by the partie sauing such as respect the Popes profit but declaratiuely as Gods Messengers speaking in his Name according to that of our Sauiour Whos 's soeuer sinnes ye remit they are remitted Ioh. 20. 23. vnto them and whose soeuer sinnes ye retayne they are retayned In which respect it is an euident signe of a secure sinner whose heart is destitute of Gods feare when as he sheweth no reuerence and respect to his Ambassadour sent vnto them on so waightie a message which concerneth them as much as their eternall life or death Besides it argueth plainly that their heart is still possessed with carnall securitie who shew no reuerence vnto the Preachers of the Gospell for they are the onely meanes of awakning and rowsing men vp out of this spirituall Lethargie wherein otherwise they would sleepe to their euerlasting perdition and therefore it is not possible that any who haue receiued this great benefit by their meanes and ministerie but that for euer after they should respect and reuerence them who vnder God were and are the alone instruments and meanes of conferring and preseruing this benefit vpon them And so much for the signes of carnall securitie according vnto which if we carefully examine our selues we may cleerly know in what case wee stand and whether our hearts are possessed with the true feare of God or being quite destitute of it they be wholly taken vp with carnall securitie To the end that if we find our selues infected with this dangerous poyson wee may vse the meanes following as spirituall Antidotes to ouer-come and driue it from our hearts or if we find our hearts purged alreadie in some measure from it and indued with Gods feare wee may vse them notwithstanding that we may be more and more cleansed from this securitie and that the feare of God may be still preserued and increased in vs. CHAP. VIII Of such Reasons as may mooue vs to abhor carnall securitie and to vse all meanes either to preuent it or to be freed from it §. 1 That it is necessary to haue our hearts wrought vnto the hatred of this Vice IN the practice of physick it is a thing of greatest difficultie to discouer truely and throughly the disease of the Patient and the state of his body and yet this skill is most necessary
him to keepe him in all his wayes c. If with Dauid we put our trust in the Lord wee shall not need to feare what Psal 56. 4. flesh can doe vnto vs. If wee trust in the Lord wee shall bee blessed and Ier. 17. 7 8. like a Tree planted by the Waters that spreadeth out her Rootes by the Riuer which shall not see when heate commeth but her leafe shall bee greene and shall not bee carefull in the yeere of drought neither shall cease from yeelding fruit §. 5 The third cause Charitie The third cause of spirituall securitie is Charitie for as the Apostle telleth vs there is no feare in loue but perfect loue casteth out feare 1. Ioh. 4. 18. Col. 3. 14 15. and if wee doe aboue all things put on charitie which is the bond of perfectnesse then also will the peace of God rule in our hearts and worke in them this Christian securitie For if wee truely loue God it is an euident signe vnto vs that he loueth vs for as the Apostle sayth Wee loue him because he loued vs first and being assured of Gods loue wee 1. Ioh. 4. 19. need not to doubt of his protection whereby hee will keepe vs from all euill and of his prouidence watching ouer vs which will prouide for vs all things necessarie And finally if wee vnfainedly loue the Lord then may we be secure in all dangers and in the middest of all troubles and crosses because the Lord through his infinite wisedome and power will cause all things euen afflictions themselues to worke together for good to them that loue him and will so weaken the Rom. 8. 28 35. strength of them that they shall neuer be able to separate vs from the loue of Christ §. 6 The fourth cause the true feare of God The fourth cause is the true feare of God for this feare remooueth all other feares whatsoeuer and if with filiall affection wee feare God Psal 34. 9. as Sonnes we may thereby be freed from the seruile feare of Slaues So also this feare of God will free vs from feare of Men and the feare of our Creator will quite expell the feare of the Creature It will free vs from feare of all danger of euill seeing nothing shall be able to hinder our happinesse For Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord hee shall not be mooued for euer but shall be had in euerlasting remembrance Psal 112. 1 6 7. He shall not be afraid of any euill tidings his heart is fixed trusting in the Lord. His heart is established he shall not be afraid vntill he see his desire vpon his enemies The fift cause is Iustice and righteousnesse both in our hearts words and actions because as the Wise-man sayth He that walketh vprightly walketh surely for the righteous shall neuer be remooued and there Pro. 10 9 10. 12. 21. shall no euill happen vnto the iust And that because the Lord watcheth ouer them to deliuer them in the time of danger and prouide for them in the time of want For as the Psalmist saith The eyes of the Psal 34. 15. 1. Pet. 3. 12. Lord are vpon the Righteous and his eares are open to heare their crie so that none shall bee able to harme vs if we follow that which is good And vnto them hee hath made his promises of peace and protection The worke of righteousnesse shall be peace and the effect of righteousnesse quietnesse and assurance for euer and my people shall dwell in a peaceable Esa 32. 17. habitation and in sure dwellings and in quiet resting places And againe In righteousnesse thou shalt be established thou shalt be farre from oppression for thou shalt not feare and from terrour for it shall not come neere Esa 54. 14. thee In assurance of which promises the righteous is bold as a Lion Pro. 28. 1. and disdaineth to goe out of his way of iustice and godlinesse though he be affronted with many dangers because being armed with this brest-plate of righteousnesse he is assured they cannot hurt him Eph. 6. 14. §. 7 The last cause is new obedience The last cause of this spirituall securitie is new obedience For when like dutifull and louing children we doe desire and endeauour to doe the will of our heauenly Father at all times and in all things and perform as much as we are able that obedience which his law requireth not onely in our outward actions but also in our hearts and inward affections and bewaile our wants and imperfections when we come short of that measure and degree which wee desire to attaine vnto it will worke in our hearts a child-like confidence in the loue of our God and make vs securely to repose and cast our selues in all estates and conditions vpon his gratious prouidence for the supplying of all our wants protection from all dangers and deliuerance out of all afflictions And so much the rather because wee are hereby strengthned in our Faith and enabled to applie vnto our selues all those sweet and comfortable promises which God hath made vnto those who bring foorth these fruits of new obedience especially those which concerne spirituall peace and tranquillitie of mind and this holy and Christian securitie So the Lord promiseth That if wee will keepe his Statutes and Iudgements wee shall dwell in the Land in Leuit. 25. 18 19. safety And in another place That if we keepe his Statutes and walke Chap. 26. 3 5 6. in his Commandements to doe them the Lord with all other temporall benefits promiseth peace and safetie and that wee shall lie downe and none shall make vs affraid And Zophar telleth vs that if wee prepare Iob 11. 13 15 19 our hearts to seeke God and stretch out our hands towards him that then we shall be steadfast and without feare lie downe securely and be freed from the feare of all things So Wisedome promiseth that who so hearken vnto her and obey her voice they shall dwell safely and shall Pro. 1. 33. be quiet from feare of euill Yea the Lord hath not onely said but sworne it that all his redeemed shall worship and serue him without feare Luk. 1. 74 75. in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the dayes of their life §. 8 Of the effects of spirituall securitie And these are the causes of this spirituall securitie The effects of it are quite contrarie to those of carnall securitie for it doth not make vs more slothfull and sluggish in the seruice of God but more watchfull ouer all our wayes that wee may doe all things which are acceptable vnto God from whom wee enioy so great a blessing and not commit any thing against knowledge and conscience which may disturbe our sweet peace or depriue vs of the inward ioy of this spirituall securitie It doth not make vs more negligent and backward in holy duties but to performe them with all diligence and