knowing that there is a God we must worship and serue him and professing him with our lips we must not deny him in our liues Knowing that he is a Spirit we must not rest in bodily exercise which profiteth nothing but worship him in spirit and truth Knowing that he is infinite and omnipresent we must with Enoch walke with God and in all things carry our selues as before him Knowing that he is all-sufficient we must trust in him for all things both in the presence and absence of inferiour meanes Knowing that he is omniscient and the searcher of our inward parts wee must approue our hearts as well as our workes vnto him and make conscience of committing secret sinnes as well as those which are open and manifest to the world Knowing that he is omnipotent we must depend vpon him for preseruation from all euill and defence against all enemies and that in greatest difficulties and dangers because things euen impossible to men are possible with God Knowing that he is the chiefe Good we must loue him aboue all things knowing that he is true yea truth it selfe wee must beleeue his Word and promises Knowing that he is iust we must feare to offend him that he is mercifull we must hope in him that he is bountifull we must do cheerefull seruice to so gracious a Master Knowing that he is but one God wee must worship him alone and not false gods and grauen Images and set vp no Idols in our hearts as the earthly Mammon with the couetous worldly honours and vaine glory with the ambitious and carnal and sinfull pleasures with those that are voluptuous Finally knowing that he is one in essence three in persons we must worship the Vnity in Trinity Mat. 1. 6. Knowing that God the Father is our Father in Christ we must reuerence 1. Pet. 1. 17. Luke 1. 74. feare and loue him that God the Sonne is our Redeemer we must worship and serue him in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the daies of our liues and knowing that the holy Ghost is our Sanctifier 1. Thes 4. 4. 1. Cor. 6. 19. and dwelleth in vs wee must possesse our vessels in purity and honour that wee may bee fit temples and habitations for this holy Ghest c. §. Sect. 4 Of the meanes of sauing knowledge And this is that sauing knowledge which is necessary to a godly life the which we haue not of our selues for euery man is a Ier. 10. 14. beast in his owne knowledge b Ier. 4. 22. 1. Cor. 2. 14. wise vnto euill and vnto any good without vnderstanding but it is a grace and free gift of God as before we haue shewed And therefore if we would obtaine it wee must carefully and conscionably vse all good meanes which hee hath appointed for this purpose And first we must begge this grace of God by feruent and effectuall prayer according to that of the Apostle Iames c Iam. 1. 5. If any man want wisedome let him aske it of God that giueth all men liberally and vpbraideth not and it shall be giuen him as we see in the example of d 1. King 3. 6. Salomon and desire him to send his holy Spirit into our hearts which will e Iohn 16. 13. leade vs into all truth and like a f Apoc. 3. 18. precious eye-salue will open and illighten the blind g Psal 119. 18 27. eyes of our vnderstandings that we may see the wonders of Gods Law The which our prayer will be more effectuall to preuaile with God if we craue this knowledge to this end that we may glorifie him by it according to that of Dauid Make mee Psal 119. 27. to vnderstand the way of thy precepts so shall I talke of thy wonderous workes and make our knowledge the rule of our liues practising the things we know in the whole course of our conuersation to which end Dauid beggeth it of God Teach me O Lord the way of thy statutes and I shall keepe it Vers 33. 34. vnto the end Giue me vnderstanding and I shall keepe thy law yea I will obserue it with my whole heart Secondly let vs be diligent in hearing reading and meditating of Gods Word which giueth h Psal 19. 7 8. 119. 130. Pro. 1. 3 4 5. light and vnderstanding vnto the simple and is sufficient to make vs i 2. Tim. 3. 15 16 17. wise in all things vnto saluation and to make the man of God perfect and throughly furnished vnto all good workes Thirdly we must vse holy conferences with others whereby we shall inrich our mindes by communicating with them in their stocke and more firmely imprint in our memories that which we know already according to that of the Apostle Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisedome Col. 3. 16. teaching and admonishing one another Fourthly we must labour to be reconciled vnto God in Christ and then becomming his friends hee will make vs acquainted with his will and counsailes according to that of our Sauiour I haue called you friends for all things that I haue heard of my Father Iohn 15. 15. I haue made knowne vnto you Fifthly let vs labour to haue our harts fraughted with Gods feare for if any man feare the Lord him shall he teach the way Psal 25. 12. 1. Pet. 5. 5. Psal 25. 9. Matth. 11. 25. 1. Cor. 3. 18. that he shall chuse Sixthly let vs decke our selues with humility for hee giueth his grace to the humble and teacheth him his way he reuealeth his secrets to little babes and hideth them from those who are wise and prudent in their owne conceits And therefore we must be fooles to our selues and to the world if we would be wise to God and our owne saluation For there is no true wisedome but in the sauing knowledge of God and his will and holy obedience yelded vnto them according to that of the Prophet The wise men are ashamed they are dismaied and taken lo they haue Ier. 8. 9. Deut. 4. 6. reiected the Word of the Lord and what wisedome is in them Seuenthly wee must labour after holines for God reuealeth his mysteries vnto his Saints but Col. 1. 26. will not suffer his wisdome to enter into a prophane and malicious soule as we see in the experience of the greatest Prelates and Doctors of the world who liuing in prophanenesse and all sensuality haue not so much feeling sauing and experimentall knowledge of God and the mysteries of his Kingdome as many silly women and simple Ideots Lastly wee must put those things in practice which we already know and then will God reueale more vnto vs and fasten that which we know already in our hearts and memories for as our Sauiour saith If any man will doe his will he shall Iohn 7. 17. know of his doctrine and we shall with Dauid be wiser then the ancient yea Psal 119.
perfect obedience Hee is infinite and therefore the actions of all things finite must tend vnto him and bee determined in him as their supreme end And being infinite hee is but one onely God and therefore requireth our whole seruice there being none other to be worshipped and serued but he alone He is an holy Spirit and therefore must be serued not onely outwardly with our bodies but also with our soules in spirit and truth He is in his nature most pure Joh. 4. 24. and simple without mixture or composition and therfore we must yeeld vnto him simple and pure obedience without any by-respect or the mixture of humane inuentions with his most pure and perfect will Hee is eternall and is therefore to be serued and glorified in all ages and from the beginning to the end of times seeing he is to day yesterday and Heb. 13. 8. the same for euer and alwaies liueth to reward those that serue him and to take vengeance of them who rebell against him He is immutable and vnchangeable in himselfe and in his loue goodnesse bounty mercie and iustice toward vs and therefore ought to be serued of vs dayly and constantly without any leuity or wauering seeing there is no change in him towards vs. He is immense and omniscient so that wheresoeuer we are we are in his presence whatsoeuer we doe we are in his sight and therefore we are alwaies and in all places to carry our selues in all dutifull obedience as being euer in the view of our Lord and Master who standeth by and taketh notice of all our actions He is all-sufficient to reward our seruice and to preserue all those who depend vpon him against all enemies and therefore we must not be discouraged in his seruice by any worldly or spirituall wants seeing he is abundantly able to supply them nor by the aduerse attempts of any that oppose vs seeing he alone though we had no other helpes is sufficient to protect vs and to bring to nought whatsoeuer might or malice seeketh to hinder vs in the waies of godlinesse He is God blessed for euer yea blessednesse it selfe in whose fruition consisteth all happinesse and therefore ought to be serued with all the powers of our bodies and mindes seeing he only is able to make vs blessed He is Almighty and able to doe whatsoeuer pleaseth him the which also should effectually withdraw vs from all 1. Cor. 10. 22. Ier. 7. 19. sinne seeing thereby wee prouoke him to wrath who is powerfull to punish vs and moue vs to serue him in all Christian duties seeing hauing all power in heauen and earth he is able to reward vs in our wel-doing He is true yea truth it selfe and in this regard ought to be serued seeing he will most assuredly make good all his gracious promises which he hath made to all that serue and please him and contrariwise will bring to passe all his fearefull threatnings against those who neglect and disobey his commandements His will is absolutely good and the most perfect rule of righteousnesse and therefore our wills and actions must be conformable vnto it seeing so farre as they digresse and differ they are wicked crooked and erroneous So also the Lord is good yea the chiefe and supreme Goodnesse vnto which all things are to be destinated as their principall and supreme end the which should make vs deuote our selues wholy vnto his seruice seeing thereby both wee and our actions doe attaine vnto their supreme end and chiefe perfection and contrariwise become vaine and to no purpose if we and they be not thus imployed He is holy yea holinesse it selfe and therefore ought to be serued in holinesse and righteousnesse of all that approch neere vnto him and would be esteemed of his family for being himselfe holy he delights in those who are like him in holinesse neither can his pure eyes indure sinnefull pollution as being most contrary to his diuine nature He is gracious bountifull and munificent and therefore is to be serued with all diligence and cheerefulnesse seeing he who is so beneficent and liberall to all his creatures will be vnspeakeably bountifull towards those who glorifie him by their willing obedience He is louing gracious yea Grace and Loue it selfe and therefore being also infinitly louely deserueth worthily all loue and that wee should bring forth the fruits of it by doing all things that are pleasing in his sight He is most mercifull gentle patient and long-suffring and therefore is to be serued with all cheerefulnesse and comfort seeing he is so mercifull that he pardoneth all our sinnes so milde and gentle that he passeth by all our infirmities so patient and long-suffring that when wee are slack and slothfull in our dutie he doth not presently inflict deserued punishment but beareth with vs and expecteth our amendment He is iust yea Iustice it selfe the which also should make vs spend all our time in his seruice seeing without any respect of persons Act. 10. 34. he is the same to all that obey him and will not faile to recompence to the full our labour of loue nor to giue vnto vs that rich inestimable wages wherewith he hath graciously bound himselfe by couenant to reward our seruice nor contrariwise to inflict deserued punishments vpon those who being bound to serue him neglect their dutie And thus also those attributes which are improperly ascribed vnto God as shewing rather his actions then affections and his workes towards vs rather then his nature in himselfe may also yeeld vnto vs powerfull reasons which may moue vs to serue him As his anger and hatred against sinne and sinners which is nothing but his rewarding Iustice recompencing them as they haue deserued may moue vs effectually to flee all sin and wickednesse seeing his wrath is a consuming fire and wee like stubble before it in which regard it is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the euerliuing God His ioy whereby he Heb. 10. 31. delighteth himselfe in those that feare and loue him and so also replenisheth them with all ioy and happinesse in the fruition of him and his loue His sorrow and displeasure when wee vnkindly grieue him by our sinnes who hath beene so kinde vnto vs and if we make him sorry who is our ioy who shall glad our hearts in the day of our sorrow and comfort vs in our mourning His repenting in doing vnto vs the good he hath promised when wee doe euill and in bringing vpon vs his Iudgements threatned when wee turne from our sins and reconcile our selues vnto him by our wel-doing Finally his iealousie which is mixt of loue and anger should make vs wholy deuote our selues to his seruice seeing he can abide no corriuals in our loue and dutie but will be loued serued with all our hearts and with all our soules and therefore wee must not deuide our selues betweene God Matth. 22. 37. and the deuill the world and our
vs. §. Sect. 4 That the Spirit of God is the Author of spirituall life 1. And if we thus gaine his company and giue him friendly intertainement when he dwelleth in vs possessing our vessels in sanctification and honour Thes 4. 3. Eph. 4. 30. 1. Thes 5. 19. that they may be fit Temples for this pure Maiestie and not vexing and grieuing this holy Ghest by quenching those good motions which he suggesteth vnto vs then will not he be idle in vs but will direct and guide vs in all our wayes and inable and strengthen vs vnto all Christian duties of holinesse and righteousnesse nor come alone to dwell in vs but accompanied with the sweet society of all sanctifying and sauing graces And first of all he will quicken vs in the life of grace who were before dead in trespasses and sinnes and giue vnto vs spirituall motion in all holy actions Eph. 2. 1. the which though at first it be but weake and scarcely to be discerned like a child newly quickned in the wombe yet shall it increase by degrees vntill we be strengthened for the spirituall birth and grow vp from age to age and from strength to strength vnto a perfect man and vnto the Eph. 4. 13. measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ of which life the Spirit of God is the principall Author according to that of the Apostle If the Spirit of Rom. 8. 11. him that raised vp Iesus from the dead dwell in you he that raised vp Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortall body by his Spirit that dwelleth in you without the which we cannot once mooue in the wayes of godlinesse nor after that we haue begun proceede or grow vp vnto any perfection And therefore when we finde our selues dead and dull vnto all good actions we are earnestly to pray with Dauid that God will reuiue and quicken vs Ps 119. 25 107. by his grace and holy Spirit that we may become actiue and able to performe the duties of a Christian and holy life §. Sect. 5 That the Spirit inlighteneth vs in the wayes of godlinesse Secondly hauing giuen vnto vs this life of grace hee will in the next place indue vs with spirituall light and illuminate the blinde eyes of our mindes that we may vnderstand the will and wayes of God reuealed in his Word and attaine vnto such a measure of sauing knowledge as may be sufficient to direct vs in all our thoughts words and actions And this is that voyce of the Spirit which in our conuersion vnto God secretly whispereth in the eare of our minds as it were behind vs saying This is the way walke yee in it when ye turne to the right hand and when yee turne to Esa 30. 20. the left This is that day-spring which the Sunne of righteousnesse with his arising hath caused to appeare and visit vs to giue light vnto vs who sate Luk. 1. 78 79. in darkenesse and in the shaddow of death and to guide our feete into the way of peace This is that Comforter which our Sauiour promised to send after his resurrection who should leade his Disciples and with them all the faithfull into all truth This is that grace of God which hath appeared teaching Iohn 16. 13. Tit. 2. 11 12. vs to deny vngodlinesse and worldly lusts and to liue soberly righteously and godly in this present world This is that holy oyntment and precious eye-salue which openeth and illighteneth the blinde eyes of our minds that we may know all things appertaining to our saluation so as we need no Tutor to teach vs any other doctrine but as the same anoynting hath 1. Ioh. 2. 20 27. taught vs of all things Whereof he is called the Spirit of truth not onely because he is most true and Truth it selfe but also teacheth and guideth vs in the wayes of truth And the spirit of illumination and wisedome not onely Ioh 14. 17 15. 26. because there is in him a measure without measure of light and knowledge but also illighteneth our minds darkened with ignorance and maketh vs who were only wise vnto euill wise vnto good and to the eternall Ier. 4. 22. saluation of our owne soules And vnlesse we be thus illightened by the Spirit of God and haue the way of saluation reuealed vnto vs it remaineth an hidden mysterie of which we are not capeable in our naturall vnderstanding for as the Apostle teacheth vs The naturall man vnderstandeth Eph. 3 3 5. not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnesse vnto him neither can 1. Cor. 2. 14. he know them because they are spiritually discerned and the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God and they vnto whom by the Spirit they are reuealed Vers 10. 11. Vnlesse this light shine in our hearts we remaine in more then an Aegyptian darkenesse sitting still in errour and sinne and not being able to mooue in the actions of holinesse and righteousnesse neither is it possible that we should walke in the wayes of God vntill by the light of his Spirit they be reuealed vnto vs. Finally we must first know the will of God before wee can doe it and so attaine vnto euerlasting blessednesse And Ioh. 13. 17. therefore in the next place if we would leade this godly life we must desire to be inlightened by Gods Spirit in the knowledge of his will and to haue the light of spirituall wisedome added to the life of grace that knowing it in our vnderstandings we may yeeld obedience vnto it in our liues and conuersations praying to this purpose without ceasing for our selues as the Apostle for the Ephesians That the God of our Lord Iesus Christ the Eph. 1. 17 18. Father of Glory would giue vnto vs the spirit of wisedome and reuelation in the knowledge of him the eyes of our vnderstanding being inlightened that we may know what is the hope of his calling and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the Saints c. §. Sect. 6 That we must bee ingrafted into Christ before wee can leade a godly life The second maine thing required in those who are to leade a godly life is that they be ingrafted into Iesus Christ by vertue of which vnion he becomming their head and they his members they haue communion with him and are made partakers of the vertue of his death and resurrection Rom. 6. 12. whereby their sinnes are mortified and crucified so as they can no longer raigne in their mortall bodies and they quickned vnto holinesse and newnesse of life and so inabled to bring foorth the fruits of obedience in the whole course of their conuersation For we are naturally dead and buried in the graue of sinne and not able to stirre or mooue in the actions of godlinesse but no sooner are we ioyned to him and touch his body crucified by the hand of faith
and that they know his voyce and are able to discerne it from the voyce of a stranger And as it makes vs strangers from God and the Couenant of grace so also from the life of God or the godly life which he commandeth as we see in the example of the Gentiles who hauing their vnderstanding darkned were alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that was in them because of the blindnesse of their heart And contrariwise thrusts vs headlong into all manner of sin for as the Apostle saith in the same place When the Gentiles through their ignorance were thus estranged frō the life of God they became past feeling and so gaue themselues ouer to lasciuiousnes Eph. 4. 18 19. to worke all vncleannesse with greedinesse So Hosea hauing set downe a Catalogue Hos 4. 1 6. of many grieuous sins which made the Iewes liable to Gods heauy iudgements doth after shew that the cause of all their sin and punishment was because they lacked the true knowledge of God in the land Whereof it also is that sinners of all kinds are included vnder the name of ignorant persons who know not God So the Psalmist Powre out thy wrath vpon Psal 79. 6. Ier 10. 25. the heathen that haue not knowne thee and vpon the kingdomes that haue not called vpon thy name And the Apostle saith that the Lord Iesus shall come with 2. Thes 1. 7 8. his mighty Angels in flaming fire to take vengeance on them that know not God And therfore if we would haue any portion in Gods sauing graces or part in heauenly glory if we would not be strangers from God and aliants from his Church if we would performe any duty of a godly life or not be caried headlong into all wickednesse if we would not be subiect to Gods iudgements and fearefull destruction nor exposed to the imprecations of the faithfull in this life nor to the vengeance of a terrible Iudge when Christ shall appeare at his second comming let vs not liue in ignorance but vse all our indeuour to attaine vnto the sauing knowledge of God and his will Neither let vs with ignorant people content our selues with our own good meanings and blind deuotions as our guides in godlines for then our seruice of God will be but will-worship and the carnall conceits of our owne braines and all our Religion being nothing else but bodily exercise and Esa 1. 12. 29. 13. ignorant superstition will be reiected of God as odious and abominable §. Sect. 4 That God is the chiefe Author and efficient cause of sauing knowledge Seeing therefore knowledge is so necessary vnto a godly life we will a little further insist vpon it shewing what it is and the nature and properties of it whereby we shall be the better able to labour after it in the vse of all good meanes and know to our comforts when we haue attained vnto it Sauing knowledge then is a grace of God wrought in vs by his holy Spirit which inlighteneth our minds to know those things which are reuealed of God and his will by his Word and workes that we may make an holy vse of it for the sanctifying of our hearts and direction of our liues in all duties of holinesse and righteousnesse Whereby we may perceiue that not nature but God onely is the Author and efficient cause of this knowledge and so much onely doe we know of God as we are taught of God According to that couenant of grace in which God promiseth that hee Ier. 31. 33 34. will put his Law in our inward parts and write it in our hearts and that wee shall know him from the least to the greatest So our Sauiour speaking of his Elect saith that they all shall be taught of God And againe No man knoweth the Iob. 6. 46. Sonne but the Father neither knoweth any man the Father but the Sonne and he vnto whomsoeuer the Sonne will reueale him Neither is this knowledge a naturall habit of the minde but a grace of God which is not purchased by vs or our owne merits or therefore bestowed vpon vs rather then others because God foresaw that we would vse it when we had it better then they but Gods free gift promised in the couenant of grace The which he worketh Ioel 2. 28. in vs first by sending his Sonne his true essentiall wisedome who hath reuealed vnto vs his Fathers will and being the great Prophet of the Church hath made knowne vnto vs the counsels of God and all things necessary for our Saluation and that not onely nor chiefly to the wise of the world but to the weake and simple according to that of our Sauiour I thanke thee O Father Lord of heauen and earth because thou hast hid these Matth. 11. 25. things from the wise and prudent and hast reuealed them vnto babes And secondly his holy Spirit who was and is sent from the Father and Sonne to teach and lead vs into all truth as our Sauiour promised his Apostles And this is that holy anointing of which the Apostle speaketh whereby wee Iob. 16. 13. know all things and neede not that any teach vs but as this anointing teacheth vs of all things And that Collyrium or precious eye-salue which Christ Apoc. 3. 18. promiseth to giue to the Angell of the Church of the Laodiceans to inlighten their blind eyes in the knowledge of the truth So the Apostle telleth vs that we cannot see nor conceiue the things which appertaine to Gods Kingdome but God hath reuealed them vnto vs by his Spirit for the 1. Cor. 2. 10. Spirit searcheth all things euen the deepe things of God And hence it is that he is called the Spirit of wisedome reuelation and illumination and the Ephe. 1. 17. Iohn 16. 13. Spirit of truth because he is both light and truth himselfe and also inlighteneth our mindes which are naturally full of darkenesse and leadeth vs into all truth needefull for our saluation And therefore if we would haue this sauing knowledge we must goe to the chiefe Fountaine and Author of it and pray often and earnestly that he will for his Sonne and by his holy Spirit take away our naturall blindnesse and open our eyes that we may see the wonderfull things of his Law Psal 119. 8. §. Sect. 5 Of the instrumentall causes of sauing knowledge The instrumentall causes of this knowledge are first the Booke of nature secondly the Booke of Grace The Booke of nature for euen this light being sanctified by Gods Spirit is helpefull to the regenerate for the reuealing of God and his will vnto them And that both the eternall booke of nature which is the conscience and the externall Booke which is the great volume of the creatures For if there be in all men some reliques of the light of nature shining in their consciences which conuince them that there is a God and that this God is most
the Sunne and the breath of the winde hath some resemblance to the breath of life §. Sect. 3 That all those deceiue themselues who disioyne faith from a godly life Where by the way wee may perceiue that diuers sorts of men are notably deceiued and coozen themselues of their owne saluation As first carnall gospellers and prophane protestants who bragge of their faith as being strong and certaine and yet liue in all impiety and vnrighteousnesse bringing forth no fruits of their faith in good workes and the duties of a godly life Secondly ciuill worldlings and superstitious Papists who pleasing themselues with their blinde deuotion will-worship humane inuentions and some outward shewes of good workes as fastings penances almesdeeds hospitality and such like doe thinke God also pleased with them and will reward them with heauenly happinesse when as they are destitute of true faith and vtterly ignorant of God and his will making no conscience of the duties of the first Table to performe them in that manner which God hath required but eyther neglect them altogether or else doe them according to their owne meanings wills and humane inuentions and traditions Thirdly such as being touched with some inward guilt of conscience for their sinnes through some affliction or vpon the hearing of some powerfull Sermon doe somewhat grieue for their sinnes and so betake themselues at least in many things to a new course of life The which their sorrow accompanied with this reformation they thinke pleasing to God and sufficient to secure them of their saluation though they bee destitute of the sauing knowledge of God and a liuely faith in Christ and doe these duties not out of loue towards God following their assurance of his loue towards them but out of selfe-loue and seruile feare either of temporall punishments or eternall death and condemnation But let them all know that a liuely faith and a godly life are inseparable companions which neuer goe asunder for as well may we part the heate from the fire the light from the Sunne and make a good tree retaining still its nature barraine of fruit as separate true faith and a godly life one from another And therefore that the strong faith of carnall Protestants is nothing else but fruitlesse security and fond presumption that the deuotion and good workes of ciuill worldlings and ignorant Papists are blind superstition will-worship and glorious sinnes like trees that haue no roots and faire buildings that haue no foundation and that the sudden flood of sorrow raised by some tempest of conscience or storme of affliction and springeth not from the fountaine of faith is but worldly sorrow that causeth death which commonly lasteth but a while and when the causes of it are remooued doth easily giue place to the contrary extreme of worldly reioycing and carnall liberty §. Sect. 4 Of a generall faith Now the faith that is required vnto a godly life as the ground and foundation of it is either generall or speciall The generall faith is a common gift of the Spirit by which we beleeue and giue firme assent to the whole Word of God as true and certaine It is called generall because the obiect of it is generall euen the whole Word of God and euery part of it and but a common gift of the Spirit because it may be in the reprobate as well as in the elect seeing it applyeth not Christ and his benefits for our iustification For by this faith Ahab beleeuing and assenting to the truth of Gods threatnings outwardly humbled himselfe and so adiourned his punishments And the Nineuites beleeuing the truth of Gods Word in the mouth of Ionas repented as they beleeued that is after a generall and legall manner out of feare to bee attached with those heauy iudgements which were threatned and so escaped them Yet this faith is more then a doubtfull opinion seeing it firmely assenteth to the whole truth and is to be preferred before naturall knowledge and persvvasion grounded vpon the euidence of sense and reason seeing it resteth vpon the sole authority of Gods infallible truth and consequently is more firme and vndoubted 2. Pet. 1. 19. because sense and reason may be deceiued but the truth of God can neuer faile Againe though it be not a sanctifying gift of the Spirit yet it is more properly then the other a gift of the sanctifying Spirit and necessary vnto iustifying faith as being a degree leading to it as also vnto a godly life seeing it is required that not onely all wee doe be agreeable to the Scriptures but also that we beleeue and be perswaded that they are agreeable for as the Apostle teacheth vs whatsoeuer is done in doubting whether it please God or no and hath not this warrant of faith to make vs confident it is though materially a good action yet formally no better then sinne in Gods sight Rom. 14. 23. §. Sect. 5 Of iustifying faith what it is and what are the things required vnto it The speciall faith which is the maine ground of a godly life is a true liuely and iustifying faith which is a sanctifying grace infused by Gods holy Spirit whereby wee doe firmely and effectually beleeue and assent vnto the promises of the Gospell especially those which offer Christ and his benefits vnto vs and also them particularly vnto our selues with assurance that they all doe belong vnto vs and so rest wholly vpon them for our iustification and saluation whereby it appeareth that there are foure things required vnto iustifying faith First knowledge of Gods Word especially the gracious promise of Christ and all his benefits to all that will receiue him as their Sauiour and rest vpon him for their saluation For first we must know the promises before we can beleeue them according to that of the Apostle How shall they beleeue in him of whom they Rom. 10. 14 17. haue not heard namely by the preaching of the Gospell for as faith commeth by hearing so this hearing is only of the Word of God Secondly assent to the truth of the Scriptures especially the promises of the Gospell for after that our mindes are inlightened with the knowledge of Gods truth by which is reuealed vnto vs first our sinne and misery and that we cannot by our selues nor the helpe of any creature come out of it to the end that we may be humbled and despaire of our owne strength and secondly the infinite loue of God and his free mercies in Iesus Christ together with the gracious promises of the Gospell made in him whereby is offered vnto vs mercy reconciliation the forgiuenesse of our sinnes and the saluation of our soules to all that beleeue and will receiue them by the hand of faith bringing foorth the fruits thereof in hearty repentance and new obedience then doth Gods holy Spirit by his secret operation make the Ministery of the Word effectuall to worke in vs a firme assent to this truth of God respecting our saluation not
foorth the fruits of our inward sincerity in our outward practice that men seeing the light of our Mat. 5. 16. 1. Pet. 2. 12. godly liues may take occasion thereby to glorifie our heauenly Father for heerein he is glorified if wee bring foorth much fruit the which being Ioh. 15. 8. the maine and supreme end of all things we are in whatsoeuer wee doe chiefly to aime at it as the Apostle exhorteth Thirdly wee must ioyne 1. Cor. 10. 31. outward conformity vnto our inward sincerity to testifie our thankefulnesse vnto God for his innumerable benefits both spirituall and corporall without which we shall fall into the vice of vngratitude which is so odious both to God and men In respect of our neighbours also wee must approoue our inward piety by our outward practice that wee may edifie them by our good example for if our lights shine before them they will glorifie our Father which is in heauen if we haue our conuersation honest among Mat. 5. 16. 1. Pet. 2. 12. vnbeleeuers they will giue glory to God in the day of their visitation Secondly to auoyd offence which they are ready to take when they see our conuersation 2. Cor. 6. 3. contrary to our profession Now we must giue no offence in any thing because there is a fearefull woe denounced against those by whom offences Mat. 18. 7. come and that iustly because as much as in them lyeth they destroy those for whom Christ hath died Thirdly that we may hereby gaine them 1. Cor. 8. 11. to Christ when they see our holy conuersation coupled with feare Wherein we are to follow the Apostles example who pleased all men in all things not 1. Pet. 3. 1 2. seeking his owne profit but of many that they might be saued In respect of our selues we are to approue our sincerity by our outward practice in an holy conuersation that heereby we may be assured that our hearts are vpright before God seeing the goodnesse of the tree can no otherwise be knowne Mat. 7. 17. Iam. 2. 27. then by the good fruits which it beareth nor the life of Grace discerned but by the breath of holy and righteous words and actions Secondly because we can no otherwise haue the peace of a good conscience in the assurance of our election and saluation vnlesse we bring foorth in our liues the 2. Pet. 1. 10. fruits of sanctification Thirdly because by our outward obedience our inward graces are exercised and by exercise increased which otherwise will faint and languish Neither will God giue vs the Talents of his graces vnlesse we will put them out to vse that he may be glorified and our brethren aduantaged by their increase Whereas if like good Vines we be fruitfull in the duties of piety and righteousnesse he will purge and prune vs that Joh. 15. 2. we may bring forth more fruit Fourthly that we may adorne our profession when as we walke worthy that high calling whereunto we are called and approoue Eph. 4. 1. Mat. 5. 48. our selues to be the children of God and heires of heauen by resembling our heauenly Father in holinesse and righteousnesse according to that of the Apostle As he that hath called you is holy so bee ye holy in all 1. Pet. 1. 15 16 17. manner of conuersation Because it is written Be ye holy for I am holy And if ye call him Father who without respect of persons iudgeth according to euery mans worke passe the time of your soiourning heere in feare §. Sect. 3 That Christian apologie and outward profession of the Truth is required Now as wee are to exercise the wholy body in the outward practice of obedience and the duties of a godly life as our eyes in seeing our eares in hearing c. so especially must we approoue our practice of piety both by our words and workes By our words both by Christian profession and holy communication For if our hearts bee vpright before God and serue him in sincerity and truth then will wee make an outward profession of what wee inwardly beleeue namely that God is our God and we his Children and seruants and that wee imbrace his truth of Religion and will in all things conforme our selues vnto his reuealed will So the Apostle saith that as with the heart man beleeueth vnto righteousnesse Rom. 10. 10. so with the mouth hee confesseth to saluation And the Psalmist I beleeued Psal 116. 10. and therefore I spake the which as it was his owne practice as appeareth in those words I will declare thy Name vnto my brethren in the Psal 22. 22 23. middest of the Congregation will I praise thee so in the next words hee telleth vs that it is generally the practice of all that feare God Yee that feare the Lord praise him all yee the seede of Iacob glorifie him The which profession of our faith ought not to bee forced and constrained but free and liberall as oft as wee haue any hope thereby to glorifie God or edifie those that heare vs according to that of the Apostle Peter Sanctifie the Lord God in your hearts and bee ready alwayes to giue an 1. Pet. 3. 15. answere to euery man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekenesse and feare For otherwise if our profession is likely to tend to Gods dishonour by exposing his Truth to skorne and blasphemy and our persons to the rage and violence of prophane miscreants our Sauiours rule must take place Cast not that which is holy vnto Dogs nor pearles Mat. 7. before Swine c. And as wee are to bee free and cheerefull in our profession so also to bee bold and couragious not fearing the face of man nor denying or suppressing the truth for feare or fauour either to please men or to auoyd our owne trouble according to the example of Dauid who professeth that hee would speake of Gods Testimonies Psal 119. 46. before Kings and would not bee ashamed and the Apostle Paul who professed before the Gouernour that after that way which was called Act. 24. 14. heresie by the enemies of Gods Trueth hee worshipped the God of his Fathers beleeuing all that was written in the Law and the Prophets To which purpose wee are alwayes to remember that saying of our Sauiour Christ Whosoeuer shall confesse mee before men him will I confesse also before Mat. 10. 32 33. my Father which is in heauen But whosoeuer shall deny mee before men him will I also deny before my Father which is in heauen Secondly vvee must testifie our integrity of heart by our holy communication the principall scope whereof must bee the glory of God according to the example of Dauid who professeth that hee had not hid Gods righteousnesse Psal 40. 10. within his heart but had declared his faithfulnesse and saluation and had not concealed his louing kindnesse from the great
their present state and condition and most likely to yeeld vnto them the best nourishment for the strengthening and preseruing of their soules in their spirituall good liking and better inabling them to all good duties Lastly seeing our soules as well as our bodies haue their satiety by feeding often or much at the same time vpon the same dish therefore hauing such great plenty set before vs it shall bee our wisedome to take the benefit of this variety not feeding ouer often vpon the same dish which made the Israelites loath Manna it selfe though a heauenly food nor too much of any thing at one time which made their dainty Quailes through satiety to come out of their nostrils but whetting on our appetite by change of diet euery meale and euen at the same time helping the weakenesse of our stomakes with some little variety when as we finde them glutted let vs when we are weary of meditating ouer-long on one point insist no longer vpon it but passe vnto another Prouided alwayes that wee doe not heerein giue place to fickle inconstancie nor liberty to our rouing hearts passing loosely from on◠thing to another and not bringing any point to a good issue §. Sect. 11 That we must conclude our preparation vnto Meditation with Prayer And thus hauing prepared both our persons and matter the last thing required in our preparation is that we conclude it and make entrance Iam. 1. 17. into our Meditation by effectuall prayer for Gods direction and blessing vpon our intended exercise For seeing of our selues wee are not able so much as to thinke a good thought but all our grace and goodnesse commeth from God the Father of lights from whom euery good and perfect gift descendeth therefore let vs not fondly presume vpon our owne strength as though we were able to atchieue so waighty and difficult a businesse without his ayde but acknowledging our owne weakenesse and auersenesse to this holy duty let vs craue the assistance of his holy Spirit which only can inable vs vnto it Besides Prayer and Meditation being of like nature and fruits of the same regenerating Spirit are mutuall helpes one to another Meditation preparing matter for our Prayers and bringing vnto them feruencie of zeale and heate of deuotion and Prayer returning againe to our Meditations this borrowed seruour and vigour when ascending into heauen it hath fetched it from God And as the naturall heate and moysture preserue one another and both faile when one is defectiue the one perishing for want of heate and the other for want of nourishment Or as there is betweene the stomacke and heart such intercourse as preserueth them both in their well-being the stomake preparing matter and nourishment for preseruing in the heart the vitall spirits and the heart returning these spirits againe to the stomacke which giue it naturall heate and warmth whereby it is fitted and inabled to make good concoction so is it betweene Meditation and Prayer which are mutuall helpers one to another and neither of both retaine long their vertue and vigour if either of them doe faile the other But this Prayer which is to prepare vs for Meditation is rather to bee pithy and feruent then long and in many words seeing it is not the mayne duty which is heere intended but onely a preparatiue making way vnto it wherein acknowledging our owne debility and insufficiency wee are to craue the assistance of Gods holy Spirit in some such forme as this which followeth O Lord my God who art infinitely good and gracious in thy selfe and the chiefe Author of whatsoeuer goodnesse there is in me both as thou mouest me thereunto by thy commandement and enablest me vnto it by thy holy Spirit I most humbly beseech thee to pardon my manifold and grieuous sinnes whereby I haue made my selfe vnworthy to approach into thy glorious and holy presence and vnable to performe any dutie of thy seruice and purge mee throughly from the guilt punishment and corruption of them all in the precious blood of Christ that they may not be as a wall of separation betweene thee and me to hide thy face and to stop the sweet influences of thy fauour from me And seeing thou requirest this dutie which I am now about to performe and hast inclined my heart to yeeld obedience O thou who art onely able to bring it to good effect vouchsafe vnto me the gracious assistance of thine holy Spirit and thereby inable me to atchieue it in some such manner as may be acceptable vnto thee and profitable for mine owne saluation Inlighten my darkened vnderstanding that I may rightly conceiue of thy Truth sharpen mine inuention strengthen my memory incline my auerse will to this holy duty sanctifie supple and soften my hard and rebellious heart and inlarge it with holy and heauenly desires inflame it with the loue of thee and spirituall things with feruent deuotion and with an ardent zeale of thy glory Rectifie the disorder of my corrupt affections and tumultuous passions curbe and keepe in my wandring thoughts and rouing heart and knit them fast vnto thee in the bonds of thy loue and feare that they may not range after worldly vanities and distract me in this duty but grant that they may be so wholly intent to this present exercise that I may bring it to some profitable and good issue And so blesse me therein that I may finde the fruit and benefit of it in mine owne soule by hauing the point on which I am now to meditate better cleered to my vnderstanding for the increasing of sauing knowledge more thorowly imprinted in my weake memory that it may bee alwayes ready for vse and more effectually wrought into my heart and affections that I may heereby finde my corruptions more subdued and abated the sauing graces of thy Spirit increased and my whole man more and more inabled to performe vnto thee with cheerefulnesse and diligence all the duties of a godly life to the glory of thine holy Name and the comfort and saluation of mine owne soule through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen CAP. XIX Of our progresse and proceeding in the exercise of Meditation and what is required therein §. Sect. 1 That we must proceed orderly in this exercise laying downe the grounds in our vnderstandings and building vpon them in our hearts and affections ANd thus much of our ingresse preparation to Meditation the second point propounded is our progresse proceeding in the exercise it selfe wherein we must auoyd disorder and preposterous handling of the point propounded to our Meditation which is the author of tumultuous confusion by which being tired we either breake off the exercise or continue it without fruit and contrariwise proceed in an orderly course first laying the grounds of this exercise and then building vpon them To which purpose we are to know that there are diuers ends of this exercise as the inlightning of our minds with sauing knowledge and the imprinting of
liueth an entrance into thy Kingdome not onely by the assurance of faith and hope but also by letting him haue a liuely taste of those heauenly ioyes which thou hast prepared for him Moderate his griefes and paines that they may not hinder his soule from mounting aloft in diuine contemplations and secretly whisper vnto his heart sweet comforts by thy Spirit when as he is through weaknesse insensible of outward consolations Inflame his heart with feruent loue towards thee and his brethren yea euen his enemies for thy sake that he may bee assured that his sinnes are forgiuen of thee because thou giuest him grace to forgiue all men Strengthen him against the tentations of all his spirituall enemies and manifest thy power in his weaknesse by giuing vnto him a full and finall victory ouer them Frustrate the malice of Satan defeat his policies and confound his power that he may not preuaile against him in this last conflict Arme him against the feare of thy wrath and seuere iustice by assuring him that Christ hath appeased the one and satisfied the other Comfort him against the feare of death by perswading him that Christs death hath swallowed it in victory pulled out the sting thereof and made it harmelesse yea exceeding profitable as seruing now for a passage to glory and happinesse and by strengthening him to apply vnto himselfe these consolations by a liuely faith Weane his heart from worldly cares that they may bee no distractions to hinder him in his heauenly iourney and let the assurance and taste of immortall ioyes take away all lothnesse to leaue earthly comforts Set a guard of thy blessed Angels about him and let them serue as thy Messengers and Ministers to conuey his soule as soone as it is separated from his body into thy Kingdome that it may bee there crowned with glory and immortality Finally wee beseech thee giue vs all heere present an holy vse of these examples of our mortality that thereby our hearts being weaned from the world wee may make it our chiefe businesse to prepare our selues against the day of death and Iudgement that so wee may with ioy and comfort appeare before thee when thou shalt bee pleased to call vs to giue vnto thee an account of our Stewardship Heare vs we beseech thee in these our suits and supplications for thy Sonne and our Sauiour Iesus Christ his sake to whom with thee and thy holy Spirit be ascribed all glory and praise power and dominion both now and for euermore Amen A Prayer for Children O Almighty God and my most gracious Father in Iesus Christ I humbly confesse that I am a most wretched sinner and altogether vnworthy to bee in the Couenant of grace and saluation For I was not onely conceiued and borne in sinne and corruption whereby thy glorious Image was defaced in me but I haue added thereunto many actuall sinnes by breaking thy Commandements in thought word and deed whereby I haue deserued thy iust anger in this life and eternall death in the world to come But seeing thou hast vouchsafed to receiue me into thy Couenant of thy free mercy giuing me the signe thereof the Sacrament of Baptisme and hast sent thy Sonne Iesus Christ to dye for and by his death to redeeme the young as well as the old I beseech thee for his sake to pardon all my sinnes and to wash them all away in his most precious blood to receiue me into thy loue and fauour and to make mee thine owne child by adoption and grace Giue me thine holy Spirit to sanctifie rule and gouerne me that according to my age and small ability I may labour to serue thee Make me daily to increase in grace as I increase in yeeres inlighten my mind with the knowledge of thee and my Sauiour Christ and his truth Sow in me the seeds of faith and let it shew it selfe assoone as I am capable thereof in repentance and true obedience Make mee louing dutifull and awfull to my Parents and Gouernours and let mee learne by obeying them in my tender youth to obey thee in my riper age Giue me grace to hearken to their good admonitions and instructions and to profit and amend by their reproofes and chastisements Make me humble courteous and meeke modest and sober diligent to please in all good things and vertuous in my whole course of life that so I may increase in fauour with thee and all good men And as I beg these benefits at thy hands so I yeeld vnto thee all humble and hearty thankes and praise for all benefits both spirituall and temporall vouchsafed vnto me and namely for that it hath pleased thee to giue mee quiet rest and sleepe this night past and hast safely preserued mee from all perils and dangers to which my fraile life is daily subiect Continue O Lord thy loue and fauour towards mee for euer and especially this day take mee into thy fatherly protection preserue mee from sinne and perill and grant that being diligent and industrious in learning such good things as are taught me I may increase in knowledge and profit by instruction in such vertues and good qualities as are fit for me O Lord blesse and preserue my father and mother my brethren and sisters with all other my kindred and friends together with thy whole Church and grant that we may liue in thy fauour dye in thy faith and after death inherit the ioyes of thine euerlasting Kingdome through Iesus Christ our Lord to whom with thee and thy holy Spirit be all honour and glory both now and for euermore Amen FINIS Faults escaped in Printing Page 27. line 23. reade be in the Church p. 29. l. 12 r. internall booke p. 30. l. a fin 8. r. he hath made p. 33 l. 5. r. The will of God and l 7. r. will and most free p 28. l. 11 r. and make men p. 42. l. 12. r. Sunne p 30. l. 17. r. strong corruptions p. 52. l. 7. r. act of p. 57. l a fin 11. read end that we may p. 62. l. 23. returne to their p 66. l. 30. r. for the scanning l. 36. r. yet it neuer l. 39. r. bare act 41. Thesi p. 71. l. 3. r. strong wind l. 37. r. freed from p. 73 l. 4. r. when ceasing and l. 38. r. vpon vs. p. 74. l. 5. r. carry it quietly p. 75. l. 35. r. in a storme p. 85. in Margine l. 15. 16. r. bons viri p. 95. l. 24. r. not deuided and line 2◠r. Chap. 2. Of piety which is the summe of the first Table § Sect. 1. page 125. line 17. reade dominion ouer all p. 125. l. 17. r. one lawfully and l. 33. r. not men p. 128. l. 16. r. God and vs. p. 138. in Margine l. 2. r. The manner p. 140. l. 13 r. dampe it p. 142. l 4 r in our neighbours p. 156. l. a fin 9. r. Frier like affectation p. 179. l. last r. any intercision p. 181 l. 7 r. in
A GVIDE TO GODLYNESSE Or a Treatise of a Christian Life Shewing the duties wherein it Consisteth the helpes Inabling the Reasons parswading vnto it the Impediments hindering the Practise of it and the best meanes to Remoue them Whereunto are added diuers Prayers And a Treatise of Carnall Securitie By JOHN DOVNAME Batcheler in Diuinitie and Minister of Gods Word Jeremiah 6. 16. Aske for the old pathes where is the Good way and walke therein and you shall finde Rest for your Soules Printed at London by Felix Kingstone For Ed. Weuer W Bladen at the North dore of Pauls Charitie Humilitie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iohn Payne sculpsit TO THE MOST REVEREND FATHER IN GOD GEORGE BY GODS PROVIDENCE ARCHbishop of CANTERBVRY his Grace Primate of all England and Metropolitane and one of his Maiesties most Honourable Priuie Councell I. D. wisheth all happinesse temporall and eternall SEeing there is nothing most Reuerend so highly to bee esteemed or so much to be desired of all Christians as the glory of God in the saluation of his people as being the principall and chiefe end of our creation and being of our preseruation and continuing in the world therefore it behoueth all men who would not faile of their end and so liue in vaine in their seuerall callings wherein God hath placed them to haue this alwaies in their eye as their chiefe marke and to propound it as the principall scope of all their actions vsing all good meanes whereby it may be furthered and aduanced As Princes and Magistrates by enacting good lawes and seeing them duely executed making their owne liues as it were rules of that obedience which they require of the people and liuely examples and patternes for their imitation Ministers by leading those which are committed vnto their charge in the waies of truth and godlinesse not onely by their preaching and writing instruction admonition perswasion and exhortation but also by practizing those duties which they teach others and shining before them in the light of a godly life Finally the people by yeelding their cheerefull obedience to the godly lawes of Gouernors and by imbracing the found and profitable doctrine and imitating the Christian and religious examples of their godly Teachers The consideration whereof hath moued me to imploy my talent both by preaching and writing for the aduancing as much as in me lieth the glory of my great Lord and Master and the good saluation of my fellow seruants or rather to cast my mite into the Churches treasury hoping that he will accept it though not in its own value and worth yet because I haue desired to be faithful in a little and willing in my penury to offer vnto him all that I haue And studying how I might best imploy my paines and indeuours for the aduancing of the former ends I could finde no one part of Diuinity more profitable in these times for me to spend my strength vpon then that which consisteth more in experience and practice then in theory and speculation and more principally tendeth to the sanctification of the heart then the informing of the iudgement and the increasing of knowledge and to the stirring vp of all to the practice of that they know in the duties of a godly life and in bringing foorth the fruits of faith in new obedience then to fit them for discourse For as in the ciuill state wee neede not so much to haue new lawes enacted as to haue the old executed and obserued nor to haue these cleared to the vnderstanding by the learned in that Science as to haue them obeyed and practized by all estates and conditions so in the Church knowledge so far exceedeth our obediēce not that which is sauing and experimental which is neuer seuered from vse practice but that which is curious and vselesse that we more neede all good helpes to worke that we haue into our hearts for the inflaming of them with feruent zeale and true deuotion then to haue a greater measure of this light infused into our heads which beeing destitute of feeling and practice in which the power of godlinesse chiefely consisteth doth as the Apostle speaketh but puffe vs vp and maketh vs rather 1. Cor. 8. 1. more learned then more godly and religious Againe seeing the Lord aboue all other parts requireth the heart as being the first mouer and chiefe agent in this little world of man which ordreth and disposeth of all the rest me thinks his Ambassadours cannot better spend their paines then in wooing and winning espousing and vniting them vnto him in those inuiolable and inseparable bonds of feruent loue and deuout zeale and in perswading and enabling men to approue the sincerity of these holy affections in their godly liues and vertuous actions Finally these discourses of practicall Diuinity tending to stirre vp deuotion and to excite men to the duties of a godly life are most fit and necessary for these times First because the world is already full of such bookes as doe fully handle the Doctrine of Diuinity in all the points and parts of it and also of learned controuersies wherein the truth is sufficiently defended and all errours which doe oppose it refuted refelled Secondly because our long peace and prosperity haue much cooled and quenched the feruour of our zeale and deuotion and haue caused vs contenting our selues with some cold formalities and slight profession to neglect the sincere practice of those substantiall duties which are required to a godly and Christian life Lastly because in these declining times wherein many men waxing weary of the Truth and being glutted with long feeding on the spirituall Manna do desire to returne to the fleshpots of Egypt and for carnall respects doe fearefully relapse into Popery and superstition there is no meanes more effectuall to stay them from apostacie and backsliding then that first by catechizing they should be soundly grounded in the knowledge of the Truth which we professe In which regard wee haue iust cause to praise God for our Soueraignes care in reuiuing this holy exercise which hath long languished in many places through carelesse neglect And secondly that being by this meanes inlightned in the knowledge of the Truth they haue it by powerfull perswasions wrought into their hearts and affections that they may also practise it in their liues and conuersations without which all other meanes will be vneffectuall either for the inlightning of the minde with sauing knowledg or the inclining of the wil to imbrace it and to continue firme and resolute against errors and heresies For whereas sound and sauing knowledge of the truth and the constant acknowledgement and profession of it are the gifts of God which none can attaine vnto but those vpon whom he pleaseth to bestow them he vouchsafeth these graces vnto those alone who loue his Truth and bring forth the fruits of it in their holy practice To these only this rich talent of truth is intrusted to these it is doubled and redoubled
who make best vse of it for the glory of him that gaue it by causing it to shine in their liues and conuersations As we see in the example of Dauid who became wiser and of greater vnderstanding Psal 119. 100. then the Ancient yea then his Teachers because hee kept Gods Precepts Vpon these alone is bestowed the gift of discerning betweene the sauing Truth and the traditions and precepts of men according to that of our Sauiour If Iohn 7. 17. any man will do his will he shall know the doctrine whether it be of God c. As for them who hide this rich talent without vse the Lord will depriue them of it and giue them ouer to their owne ignorance and errours And those who allow a place for it onely in their heads and will afford it no roome in their hearts by louing imbracing and practizing it it is iust with God to send them strong delusions that they should beleeue 2. Thes 2. 10 11 lies that they all might be damned who beleeue not the truth but had pleasure in vnrighteousnesse As we see in the example of many in these times who hauing beene inlightned with the knowledge of true Religion haue become a prey to Priests and Iesuites and though otherwise of good vnderstanding haue beene seduced and perswaded to beleeue the most sottish absurdities in all Popery of which there can be giuen no other reason then this that they did not loue the light of Gods Truth nor were carefull to walk by it in an holy conuersation but resolued to continue in such profane wicked courses euen against knowledge and conscience as would suffer them to finde no shadow of peace and comfort in the Doctrine of the Truth and therefore they haue sought it in popish dispensations and absolutions which allow them after that they haue with the harlot in the Prouerbs wiped their mouthes to returne againe to their former vncleanenesse in which regard I doubt not to affirme that whereas errour and ignorance do make one Papist loose licenciousnesse and resolued profanenesse doe make many Finally whereas those who haue the knowledge of the truth only seated in their braynes and haue no feeling of the power and efficacy of it for the sanctifying of their hearts and the reforming of their liues are easily seduced with cunning sophistry when as they are puzzled with subtil arguments which they are not able to answere they contrariwise who haue found and felt in themselues the efficacy of truth for the changing of their mindes and hearts and the renewing of their liues will neuer forsake it but will imbrace and professe it vnto the death and cheerefully seale it with their blood when for want of learuing and Art they are not able to defend it against the subtil obiections cunning sophistry of their aduersaries As we see in the example of many of the holy Martyrs who being vnlettered haue maintained the truth in the impregnable fort of their hearts when their heads haue beene too weake to preserue it from violence In which regard it were much to bee desired that all Ministers who haue the charge of soules committed vnto them would be carefull after that by catechizing they haue throughly grounded their people in the sound knowledge of the truth in the next place to worke it into their hearts and affections and to perswade them vnto an holy practice of it in their liues and conuersations both by shining before them in their light of doctrine and also of an holy example by the one shewing vnto them the way of truth and by the other leading them in it like good guides as it were by the hand At which marks as I haue aymed in the whole course of my Ministery both by preaching and writing so especially in these my present labours the which I haue made bold to dedicate vnto your Grace that they may remaine vnto the world as a testimony how much I loue and honor you as being in these perillous times a chiefe piller vnder his Maiesty to vphold the sincere truth of Religion against all errors nouelties and heresies which otherwise were likely to grow too fast amongst vs and also a principall Patrone of sound and solid preaching which you are ready vpon all occasions to countenance both with your authority and also by your painefull practice as on the other side to decry as much as in you lyeth that vaine or vanitie of such Preachers which only seeke to preach themselues by making ostentation of their wit learning and reading without any care to speake vnto the capacity of the people as though their maine end were rather to make the excellency of their gifts knowne for their owne praise or preferment then to communicate them vnto others to the Glory of God that gaue them or the good of their fellow seruants for whose sake they were entrusted vnto them The Lord long continue your Grace to be a singular instrument of his glory by maintaining the purity and practice of his true Religion in his Church to the ioy of all that wiâ—h well to Sion and the increasing of your owne glory and happinesse in the life to come Your Graces humbly deuoted in all Christian duty and seruice IOHN DOVVNAME TO THE CHRISTIAN READER IT is the duty Christian Reader of all who desire to approoue themselues faithfull subiects and seruants to our great Lord and Soueraigne that they consecrate themselues wholly vnto his seruice not only in the spirituall Warfare by fighting his battels euen vnto the death against the many and mighty enemies of his glory and our saluation but also in the time of peace by doing his will and performing all holy duties of his seruice which in his Word he requireth of them And therefore as I haue indeuoured heretofore according to the measure of grace receiued to prepare and fit all those who vouchsafe to peruse my poore labours that they may performe the duties of valiant Souldiers in my Bookes of the Christian Warfare so perceiuing that those my paines haue much aboue their worth found good acceptance with all those that feare God I haue now also beene incouraged to vndertake the other and not only to describe the duties of a godly life in which we ought to serue our Lord and Master but also to shew the meanes wherby we may be inabled hereunto and how we may remoue the impediments which otherwise might hinder vs from entring into or proceeding in the wayes of godlinesse The which my labours if they prooue as profitable to those that reade them as they haue beene painefull vnto me in framing and composing them I shall thinke my selfe abundantly recompenced and much more reioyce when I see the haruest of my hopes then euer I had cause to sigh and grone through wearinesse in my laborious seed-time Of which though I should faile as I hope I shall not yet as it is said of Vertue that it alwayes bringeth a reward with
the other for as a weake hand may as truly liue and mooue as a stronger but yet is not so powerfull in motion nor possibly able to doe so much worke and as a little tree newly planted may bring foorth good fruit as well as one that is come to perfect growth yet cannot doe it in equall quantity So he that hath the weakest faith liueth an holy life doth some good workes and bringeth foorth some fruits of godlinesse and righteousnesse but his workes are not so many not his fruits in such plenty and abundance as theirs whose faith is growne to an higher degree Neither in truth is it possible that it should be otherwise seeing weakelings in faith haue more to doe and lesse abilitie to performe For the deuils policie binds him to vse all meanes to supplant them when as he hath most hope and to pull vp faith by the rootes when it is newly planted and his malice rageth most against those who haue newly escaped out of his bondage and refuse any longer to be gouerned by him The world more vehemently laboureth to hinder the good proceedings of those who haue newly separated from it as conceiuing more hope of their reclaiming and the corruptions of their owne flesh are much stronger to betray them into the hands of their forraine foes So that they are in the same case with Nehemiah and his fellowes who must in one hand hold their working instruments and in the other their weapons that they may bee ready to repell their enemies And therefore hauing these and so many other difficulties with innumerable discouragements to hinder them and fewer and weaker comforts to harten them on in their Christian course it is no maruaile if they doe not make so good riddance of their worke nor bring foorth such plentifull fruits of godlinesse in their liues as those who are stronger in faith and haue ouercome these difficulties and after the conquest of their spirituall enemies haue now attained to some peace and rest And hereof it is that they that are weake in faith are more vnsettled in the Christian course one while going forward another while intermitting their labour one while standing still and soone after slipping and falling in their way or wandring out of it into the by-wayes of sinne because they haue strong opposition and are weake to make any resistance onely the Lord who hath promised that none of his shall be tempted aboue their power and 1. Cor. 10. 13. 2. Cor. 12. 9. delighteth to glorifie his might in their infirmities doth assist them with his Spirit and thereby inableth them to ouercome all difficulties and when they slip preserueth them from falling or being falne raiseth them vp againe reneweth their strength when it is decayed and giueth them in the end a good issue out of all their tentations and an happy victory ouer all their enemies CAP. IX Of the meanes whereby wee may obtaine a liuely faith and daily increase it from the least to the highest degree §. Sect. 1 Of fiue speciall meanes wherby we may obtaine a liuely faith SEeing then faith is so necessary to a godly life and higher degrees of it for attaining of higher perfection and making of a further progresse in the wayes of holinesse and righteousnesse it behooueth euery one who desireth to leade a life acceptable vnto God to vse all good meanes whereby he may attaine vnto faith and hauing the first degrees of it not to rest in them but to vse all indeuour whereby he may grow from faith to faith vntill he attaine vnto fulnesse of perswasion Now the meanes of attaining faith are many The first and principall is prayer which is not onely in it selfe a powerfull meanes to obtaine it of God but also of making all other meanes effectuall to those ends for which we vse them For faith is not of Eph. 2. 8. our selues as the Apostle teacheth vs but it is a free grace and gift of God and as our Sauiour saith It is his worke that we beleeue on him whom hee hath Ioh. 6. 29. sent And none haue it but they vnto whom it is giuen according to that of the Apostle Vnto you it is giuen in the behalfe of Christ not onely to beleeue Phil. 1. 29. on him but also to suffer for his sake Now the way to get Gods gifts is to beg them at his hands by effectuall prayer according to that If any Iam. 1. 5. man want wisedome let him aske it of God that giueth all men liberally seeing he hath tyed himselfe by his gracious promise that if we aske wee shall receiue Matth. 7. 7. and that whatsoeuer we desire in his Sonnes name he will giue it vs. And Iob. 16. 23. therefore if we would haue faith wee must bee frequent and feruent in prayer and after that by Gods Spirit it is like a small seede sowne in our hearts and scarcely to be discerned being hidden from our sight vnder the clods of our corruptions we must vse the same meanes to bring it to some growth saying with the Apostles Lord increase our faith and with Luk. 17. 5. the father of the possessed child Lord I beleeue helpe thou mine vnbeleefe Mark 9. 24. The second meanes is that we adioyne our selues to the true Church of God where the Word is sincerely and powerfully taught and the Sacraments duely and rightly administred For howsoeuer our faith is not built vpon the Church yet doth it prepare our hearts to the receiuing of it not onely in respect of that authority which it hath to mooue vs to the imbracing of that which it imbraceth and commendeth vnto vs but also as it offereth the meanes which onely are effectuall for the begetting and increasing of our faith being the Master of the Rowles which hath the custody of all our spirituall euidences and the keeper of Gods Seales whereby our faith is assured of the truth of his promises The third meanes is the carefull and conscionable hearing of Gods Word with a desire to profit by it for faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the Word of God Rom. 10. 17. 1. Cor. 3. 5. in which respect the Preachers of the Gospel are called Ministers by whom the people beleeue because their Ministerie is the ordinary meanes of begetting faith in them The fourth meanes is the vse of the Sacraments which are as Seales annexed to the Couenant of grace whereby wee are vndoubtedly assured that God will make good vnto vs all his promises of grace and saluation in Iesus Christ The fift is Christian conferences and holy examples whereby wee gaine subiects to Christs Kingdome and build vp one another in our holy faith as we see in the example of the woman Joh. 4. 59. of Samaria who by her sayings drew many to beleeue in Christ and of Aquila and Priscilla who by their holy conferences informed Apollos Act. 18. 26. 1. Pet. 2. 12. more perfectly in the
as perfect and what they did seemed iust and 1. King 15. 11. right in his eyes Whereas on the other side how glorious soeuer our words and actions seeme to be yet if we regard wickednesse in our hearts the Lord Psal 66. 18. will not regard vs nor our prayers if we will not lay Gods Word to our heart Mal. 2. 2. to giue glory to his name he will send a curse vpon vs by which euen his blessings shall be accursed §. Sect. 3 That God respecteth no duty vnlesse it proceed from a pure and sincere heart Neither can any duty of a godly life which we performe vnto God be approoued of him vntill our hearts bee first approoued And as Dauid 2. Sam. 3. 13. Deut. 6. 6. would not accept of Abners seruice nor let him haue the fauour of seeing his face except he brought his wife with him so neither will the Lord regard any seruice which we offer vnto him if we leaue our hearts behind vs which are aboue all other parts espoused vnto him by solemne Couenant In all our obedience the heart is chiefly required These words which I command thee this day shall be in thine heart ye shall lay vp these words in your heart and in your soule and binde them for a signe vpon your hand that they may be as frontlets betweene your eyes And againe Set your hearts vnto Deut. 11. 18. 32. 46. all the words which I testifie among you this day In our conuersion vnto God the heart must first turne vnto him Turne ye vnto me with all your heart c. and rent your heart and not your garments and turne vnto the Lord your Ioel 2. 12 13. God Breake vp your fallow ground and sow not among thornes circumcise your selues vnto the Lord and take away the foreskin of your hearts In our Ier. 4. 3 4. spirituall warfare against the enemies of our saluation the Court of gard must keepe the carefullest watch about the Castle of our hearts that it may not be surprized neither by the secret treason of the flesh nor the open violence of the deuill or the world seeing if we lose this fort we shall lose the life of grace which is preserued in it according to that of Salomon Keepe thine heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life The curing Pro. 4. 23. our soules of their spirituall diseases must beginne at the heart and the inward cause of corruption must thence bee purged before there can bee any true reformation or sound health in the outward parts Euen as the heate of the face is not much abated by casting vpon it water or cooling things but by allaying inwardly the heate of the liuer Finally our seruice of God if wee would haue it accepted 1. Tim 4. 8. must not bee performed onely with the outward man for as the Apostle speaketh Bodily exercise profiteth little but it must bee the seruice of the heart and performed in spirit and truth Otherwise it Ioh. 4. 23. will bee vaine and but lost labour according to that of the Prophet cited by our Sauiour This people draweth nigh vnto mee with their lippes but their heart is farre from mee But in vaine they worship Matth. 15. 8. mee c. If wee wash our hands and not our hearts and make cleane the outside of the cup and platter and let the inside bee defiled with corruption and sinne wee shall not exceed the Pharises who by our Sauiours censure did not exceede the hypocrites and were worse then Publicanes and professed sinners and if wee gild the outside by a glorious profession and inwardly in the heart nourish our corruptions wee shall with them bee rightly compared to painted sepulchers which were outwardly glorious but within full of dead mens bones and all vncleannesse Mat. 23. 25 27. §. Sect. 4 That all true reformation repentance must begin with the consecrating of our whole hearts vnto God And therefore when we goe about the reformation of our liues let vs first begin witht he purging of our hearts and offer them vnto God as a Psal 40. 8. Psal 119. 112 167 141. 4. free-will offering and the first fruits of our new obedience if wee meane to haue a good crop of godlinesse and the whole haruest sanctifyed to our vse And this was Dauids practice watching chiefely ouer his heart that he might consecrate it aboue all other parts to the Seruice of God I delight saith he to doe thy will O my God yea thy Law is within my heart And againe I haue inclined mine heart to performe thy Statutes alway euen vnto the end My soule hath kept thy testimonies and I loue them exceedingly So Moses prayeth vnto God in behalfe of himselfe and the people Teach vs so to number our dayes that we may apply our hearts to wisdome Neither is it sufficient eyther to please God or to attaine vnto sanctification and a godly life to consectate our hearts in part only vnto Gods seruice and to reserue part for the seruice of the world For wee cannot serue two masters so contrary in disposition nor at once please God and Mammon as our Sauiour hath taught vs. We must not halt betweene two opinions but if God be God wee must serue him If Baal be God we must serue him God Matth. 6. 24. 1. King 18. 21. is a iealous louer and will indure no corriuals in the heart which aboue all parts he chiefely loueth And therefore if we intend to leade a godly life and to please God in all our courses wee must set our whole hearts to seeke and serue him and as he requireth loue him with all our heart and Deut. 6. 5. Mat. 22. 37. Psal 119. 10 34. with all our soule and with all our mind So Dauid With my whole heart haue I sought thee O let me not wander from thy Commandements Giue mee vnderstanding and I shall keepe thy Law yea I shall obserue it with my whole heart And thus Asa and his people entred into a Couenant to seeke the Lord God of 2. Chro. 15. 12. their fathers with all their heart and with all their soule §. Sect. 5 That we must take speciall care for the purifying of our hearts and wherein it chiefely consisteth By all which it appeareth how necessary it is that intending to lead a Godly life we deuote and consecrate our hearts yea our whole hearts Esa 66. 3. to the seruice of God And because he being most pure can indure no corruption or pollution and therefore will abhorre our most formall seruice if our hearts continue and delight in their abominations yea will as much hate the heart it selfe polluted with sinne if it be offered vnto him as Swines blood or a dogs head therefore from hence also it appeareth how necessary it is when we set our selues to please God by a godly life to take speciall care to
true holinesse So Hierome to this purpose saith That there are two kinds of Gods Duo sunt genera mandatorum in quibus clauditur tota iustitia c. Ad Celantiam Commandements in which all Iustice is comprehended The one forbiddeth the other commandeth for as euils are prohibited so good things are inioyned There cessation and rest worketh here study and indeuour There the minde is restrained here incited Here it is a fault to Innocentiae imprimis fundamentum ponatur supra quod facilâ—us possit arduum culmen iustitiae erigere Hieron ibid. doe there not to haue done And therefore to the leading of a godly life it sufficeth not as many thinke to bee harmelesse and innocent vnlesse wee also bee diligent and constant in doing of all holy and iust actions but we must as hee addeth vpon the foundation of innocencie erect the building of righteousnesse Yea in truth a godly life more principally consisteth in doing then not doing in action rather then in forbearance And he no lesse displeaseth God and sinneth against his owne In quouis proposito in quouis gradu aequale peccatum est vel prohibita admittere vel iussa non facere ibid. soule who neglecteth the good which he requireth then he who committeth the euill which he forbiddeth The Idolater offendeth no more haynously in worshipping a false god then the Atheist that acknowledgeth no God nor the superstitious person who worshippeth him in a false maner then the prophane worldling who worshippeth him not at all He that hid his talent was cast into vtter darkenesse because he did not vse it to his masters aduantage as well as they that abuse and misspend it Diues was cast into hell for not feeding Lazarus as well as others that rob and oppresse the poore the foolish virgins were shut out who had not in their lampes the oyle of grace and the light of a godly life And they at Christs left hand shall at the day of Iudgement haue their portion with the deuill and his angels who did not feed the hungry and clothe the naked as well as they who spoile them of their food and rayment seeing there is but this difference betweene them that the one withholdeth their right which God hath allotted them the other taketh it away when they already haue it The one like the nurse withholdeth the brest from the hungry child entrusted to her care and keeping the other pulleth the teate out of his mouth when he hath taken hold of it Or if they differ at all as in some cases there is some difference there shall be onely this difference in their punishments that these innocent and harmelesse men who haue power to doe good and doe it not shall be damned in hell but not in so deepe a degree of condemnation as the other §. Sect. 2 That a godly life consisteth in euangelicall obedience both in forsaking that euill which God forbiddeth and in doing that good which he commandeth Vnto a godly life therefore it is required that wee hate and forsake all euill and that we imbrace and practise that which is good that is that we abhorre and renounce sinne in all kindes without exception and those most of all which whilest we liued in the state of infidelity we most loued and to which as yet our corrupt nature most inclineth seeing they are our greatest and most dangerous enemies like traytrous Rebels raising intestine warre within vs doe as much as in them lyeth expose vs to the malice of our open enemies the deuill and the world In which totall relinquishing of sinne we must bee constant in our resolutions and indeuours and not doe it by fits and flashes as wee shall see heereafter And with the like constancie we are to settle our selues in imbracing and practising all good duties whether they be hard or easie pleasant or displeasant profitable to our worldly estate or to our losse and hinderance Now because the Word and reuealed will of God is the rule and squire according to which we are to iudge of good and euill that being good which it commandeth and euill which it forbiddeth therefore a godly life consists in our conformitie obedience to Gods will reuealed in his Word or to all Gods Commandements contained both in the Law and Gospell For because we cannot performe obedience to the Law legally that is in that perfection which the Law requireth therefore a godly life is not as wee vnderstand it in this Treatise an absolute conformity vnto the Law though it bee most absolute when it is most conformable but when we conforme our selues and all our actions according to the rule of the Law after an Euangelicall manner that is desire resolue and indeuour to performe vnto it as perfect obedience as we can which because through our frailty and corruption it is defectiue and nothing imperfect can be acceptable vnto God therfore vnto such a godly life as may be pleasing vnto him there is required that to our obedience of the Law we adde our obedience to the Gospel which requireth a liuely faith in Christ whereby applying vnto our selues both him and all his benefits the imperfections of our obedience are couered with his perfect righteousnesse and our sins and corruptions washed away in his blood And also that we shew foorth the fruits of this faith in our vnfained repentance whereby we bewaile our sinnes past and resolue and indeuour to leaue and forsake them for the time to come lament the imperfection of our obedience and labour and striue after more perfection without which obedience to the Gospell our imperfect obedience to the Law will not be accepted of God nor intitle vs to this godly life which is pleasing in his sight §. Sect. 3 That we must in a godly life performe obedience to the Law after an Euangelicall manner Our obedience therefore to the Law is required seeing it is the rule of holinesse and righteousnesse according to which all our thoughts words and actions are to be conformed and our obedience to the Gospell to supply and amend what is imperfect and defectiue through our frailty and corruption and to make our workes straight in Gods sight when through ignorance or impotencie we haue swarued from our rule The Law must be obserued of all that will leade a godly life because as a Schoolemaster it teacheth vs what is good and what is euill what we must doe and what wee must leaue vndone The Gospel also with no lesse care because it sheweth vs how it is to be done and also ministreth courage and strength whereby we are inabled to performe our duties We must make the Law the Canon according to which wee must carry our selues in all our thoughts words and workes because so farre foorth onely as they are conformable vnto it they are holy and righteous but withall the Commandements of the Gospel requiring faith and repentance must be obeyed that what is
no contentment in their greatest abundance but like sweete drinkes encrease thirst and as fuell put into the fire inflame the heate of carnall concupiscence Or if they giue some seeming content in the time of health yet how little pleasure doe we take in them vpon our sicke beds though they haue some taste vnto our carnall appetite in the time of life and strength yet what an after tang leaue they at parting and how little comfort and contentment bring they against the terrours of death and the dreadfull apprehensions of approaching Iudgement §. Sect. 4 The third reason which is taken from the necessity of piety The third reason is taken from the necessity of piety seeing without it wee can haue no assurance of any spirituall benefit neither in this life nor in the life to come For it is the end which God hath proposed vnto Ephe. 1. 4. them all vnto which he most certainely attaineth if we euer attaine vnto them seeing he who is infinite in wisedome and power can neuer faile of his end which he propoundeth to his actions Now the Lord hath chosen vs that we should be holy hee hath redeemed vs out of the hands of all our Luke 1. 74. Col. 1. 22. spirituall enemies that we should worship him in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our liues We are reconciled by Christ in the body of his flesh through death that hee may present vs holy and vnblameable in Gods sight He hath adopted vs for his children that wee may be holy as he is holy He hath iustified and pardoned all our sinnes that being freed from Leuit. 19. 2. Mat. 5. 45. Rom. 6. 18. sinne wee may become the seruants of righteousnesse And therefore without this holinesse we can haue no assurance that we are elected redeemed reconciled adopted or iustified and consequently that we shall be saued for though it be not the cause of our happinesse yet it is the way that leadeth vnto it in which if we walk not we shal neuer come into that place of blessednes for without holinesse none shall see the Lord as the Apostle teacheth vs. Heb. 12. 14. §. Sect. 5 The fourth reason perswading vs to piety which is the consideration of Gods manifold mercies and of Christs comming to Iudgement Vnto these reasons we may adde the consideration of Gods manifold mercies in Iesus Christ which ought to bee notable inducements to moue vs to the imbracing and practising of piety For what greater incouragement can we haue to make vs zealous and cheerefull in the duties of Gods seruice then to consider how gracious and good God hath beene vnto vs in our creation redemption and continuall preseruation in giuing vnto vs his Sonne and pardoning our sinnes in freeing vs out of the cruell bondage of all our spirituall enemies and in multiplying his blessings vpon vs both in spirituall and corporall things And this argument the Apostle vseth to this purpose I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that yee present your bodies a liuing sacrifice holy acceptable Rom. 21. 1. to God which is your reasonable seruice And as the fruition of Gods present fauours ought to make vs forward in his seruice so also the consideration of his gracious promises concerning better and more excellent things in time to come euen the full fruition of his glorious presence and eternall blessednesse in his euerlasting Kingdome And this reason also the Apostle vseth to this end Hauing therefore these promises dearely beloued let vs 2. Cor. 7. 1. clense our selues from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit perfecting our holinesse in the feare of God Finally the consideration of Christs comming to Iudgement should perswade vs vnto holinesse when as the heauens being on fire shall be dissolued and passe away with a noyse the elements melt with feruent heate and the earth with all the workes thereof shall be burnt vp For then onely they shall bee happy who haue beene holy and raigne with God in glory who haue faithfully serued him in holinesse and righteousnesse in the Kingdome of grace And thus the Apostle Peter reasoneth Seeing then saith he that all these things shall be dissolued what manner of persons ought yee to be in all holy conuersation and godlinesse But I shall 2. Pet. 3. 11. haue hereafter occasion to speake more fully of this point when I come to shew the manifold reasons and motiues which may induce and perswade vs vnto a godly life and therefore for the present I will content my selfe thus briefly to haue touched them referring the Reader for his more full satisfaction to the following discourse CAP. III. Of our adhering and cleauing vnto God with the full purpose and resolution of our hearts §. Sect. 1 Of the summe of the first Commandement WE haue spoken of piety which is the summe of the first Table And now it followeth that we speake briefely of the particular precepts the first whereof is contayned in these words Thou shalt haue no other gods before me or before my face The maine scope and summe whereof is this that wee know acknowledge and worship Iehouah the Father Sonne and holy Ghost in Trinity of persons and vnity of Essence and no other gods besides him For to haue God is in our mindes and vnderstandings to know and acknowledge him to bee our God all-sufficient incomprehensible omnipotent immutable eternall iust mercifull and infinite in all perfection in our hearts and affections to adhere and cleane vnto him with faith affiance hope loue zeale whom we know to be the chiefe Goodnesse and supreme cause of all our happinesse in our wills with all earnest desire and constant resolution to serue and obey him in all his Commandements with all the power and faculties of our bodies and soules whom we know and acknowledge to be the chiefe end of all things and so infinitely good gracious vnto vs and with our bodies actions and indeuours to worship and serue him alone with all our might and strength So that the true sauing knowledge of God is the ground of all other vertues and obedience as we haue shewed and therefore if wee would imbrace any vertues or perform any Christian duties of a godly life we must in the first place labour to haue our mindes inlightened with the knowledge of God and his truth without which our deuotion will bee no better then superstition and all our indeuours in the performance of religious duties meere will-worship and idolatry as wee see in the example of the Idolaters who in stead of worshipping the only true God worship stocks stones and Images Saints and Angels and in stead of doing Gods will in their deuotions do their owne wills and therefore tire themselues and spend all their strength in vaine §. Sect. 2 Of adhering to God what it is and the necessity of it But of this knowledge of God which is the maine ground of a godly life wee
the day of Iudgement and that we are Stewards and not absolute owners of the gifts which we haue receiued and so our greater gifts wil work in vs greater humility seeing they are but receipts and consequently debts for which we shall be accountant vnto God how we haue imployed them Ninthly let vs remember that though we haue neuer so many vertues and graces yet if pride bee mixed with them it will spoile them all seeing it is the poyson of all vertues a small portion whereof will infect a great quantity of wholesome meate and drinke Whereas humility is such an ornament as will adde much to their natiue beauty and make them truly glorious in the sight of God and men Tenthly let vs set before vs the examples of Gods seruants who as they haue excelled in all other graces so also in humility as of Abraham Iob Dauid Paul but especially of our Sauiour Christ himselfe the most perfect patterne of humility who being the Soueraigne Monarch of heauen and earth disdained not to wash his Apostles feete and being equall with his Father in all glory and Maiesty yet made himselfe of no reputation and tooke vpon him the forme of a seruant and being made like vnto men humbled himselfe and became obedient vnto death euen the death of the Phil. 2. 6 7 8. crosse Lastly if we would attaine to true humility we must not content our selues with the sparing and seldome vse of these meanes but exercise our selues daily in them because pride will not easily leaue his hold and though it be once or twice or many times repelled yet will it recouer new strength and make against vs fresh assaults yea it will spring sometimes from the roote of vertues and euen like the Phoenix when it is consumed with the fire of Gods Spirit it will re-enliue it selfe and out of its owne ashes recouer birth and being §. Sect. 7 Of externall worship with our bodies And thus much concerning those vertues whereby wee haue God inwardly in our hearts Besides which there is also required that wee haue him outwardly in our bodies and externall actions and that is when as with the outward man wee serue and worship him The which also we owe vnto God seeing hee hath created and redeemed both our 1. Cor. 6. 20. soules and bodies that wee should in both performe seruice vnto him And though alone it bee of small value for as the Apostle saith Bodily 1. Tim. 4. 8. exercize profiteth nothing yet doth the Lord require it with the other and that with the sweete incense of the heart and minde wee offer Rom. 12. 1. our bodies also a liuing sacrifice holy and acceptable vnto him which Daniel thought to bee a matter of such moment that hee chose rather to Dan. 6. bee cast into the Lyons denne then to neglect it for the space of a few dayes Our Sauiour also requireth not onely that wee haue in vs the heate of spirituall graces but that also that wee cause their light to shine out before men that they seeing our good workes may glorifie our Father Matth. 5. 16. which is in heauen For as naturall fire doth retayne its vertue and strength when as it hath some outward vent and when that is stopped is choaked and presently dies so doe our inward graces and vertues liue and flourish when they haue the outward vent of corporall obedience and externall workes of piety and righteousnesse but soone languish and are extinguished if they neuer put foorth themselues in these outward exercises Now this externall honour is either in outward signes or actions Of the former sort is religious adoration in externall signes and gestures as prostrating the body vncouering the head bending the knee lifting vp the hands which being considered as religious gestures are proper and peculiar to God alone Of the other sort is the outward seruice of God in calling vpon him vowing vnto him Apoc. 19. 20. 22. 9. swearing by his Name celebrating feasts to his honour and all outward obedience to the Law which in respect of the person to whom they are to be performed namely God alone and no other are all required in the first Commandement CAP. VII Of the duties which are required in the second Commandement as Prayer hearing the Word and administration of the Sacraments §. Sect. 1 Of the things generally required in the second Commandement WEE haue shewed that the first Commandement requireth that wee serue and worship Iehouah the onely true God In the three other Commandements of the first Table is shewed how he is to be worshipped and the time when The manner of his worship is how hee is to be serued in his solemne and set seruice required in the second Commandement or how he is to be glorified at all times in the whole course of our liues in the third The time when hee is principally to bee worshipped is vpon his Sabbaths required in the fourth Commandement In the second Commandement God requireth that we worship him the true God after a right and lawfull manner and by such meanes as are agreeable to his nature and which in his Word hee hath prescribed vnto vs vnto which wee ought not to adde from which wee ought not to detract any thing as hath before beene shewed For this is our reasonable seruice to worship so great a God not after our owne phantasies but according Deut. 4. 2. 12. 8 32. Ios 1 7. Pro. 30. 6. Apoc. 22. 18. to his owne will and with such a seruice in which hee delighteth Now hee delighteth in such a worship as is agreeable to his nature which being spirituall and true yea Trueth it selfe it followeth that wee must worship him by spirituall and true meanes and after a spirituall and true manner that is wee must conforme all the seruice which wee offer vnto God according to the prescript rule of his Word And thus wee are to worship God both inwardly with our soules and outwardly with our bodies Priuately by our selues in our families and publiquely in the congregation in which wee are to performe all our seruice with vnanimitie and ioynt affection as if wee all worshipped God with one heart and minde and with vniformity in all outward rites and actions as if wee had all but one body Act. 2. 1. 8. 6. Contrariwise the Lord in this Commandement forbiddeth both the contempt and neglect of his worship which is the sinne of Atheists and profane persons and also worshipping him by false meanes and after a false manner as first all will-worship and superstition which is deuised by mens braine and out of a good meaning and intention offered vnto him in stead of his true seruice of which sort is the making of any Image to represent God thereby or any other for religious vse the worshipping of these Images or of any thing else besides the true God by offering vnto them any part of that religious seruice which
in them Pro. 6. 6. Matth. 6. 26. Psal 32. 9. that which the Scriptures propound as good for our imitation and auoyding the contrary And finally that wee receiue them with thankesgiuing 2. Pet. 2. 22. 1. Tim. 4. 5. and sanctifie them to our vse by the Word and Prayer So also here is required that wee make an holy vse of the creatures in respect of Gods gouernement and prouidence as first for the determining of doubts and controuersies which can no otherwise be cleared and decided by casting of lots in the vse whereof we are to vse prayer vnto God and sometimes Pro. 16. 33. Act. 1. 23 24. when the occasion is waighty fasting desiring of him that by his good prouidēce he wil direct them to the right end for which we vse them And Pro. 18. 18. as before they are cast we are to referre our selues wholy to Gods determination so after wee are to rest contented and well pleased with his sentence Secondly we are to make an holy vse of Gods prouidence first in conferring rewards and blessings either vpon our selues or others In respect of our selues wee make a right vse of Gods blessings and benefits When as in our hearts we bee vnfainedly thankefull vnto God for them Psal 144. 6. 26. 12. 66. 16 when in our words we praise and magnifie his bounty and goodnesse towards vs and tell what great things he hath done for vs and when in our workes and actions we referre them wholy to Gods glory and both Psal 130. 4. Rom. 2. 4. our owne and others good taking occasion of his mercy and goodnesse to feare him and to turne vnto him from our sinnes by vnfained repentance In respect of Gods blessings bestowed vpon others we carry our selues holily when as we reioyce with them in Gods bounty and goodnes 1. Cor. 12. 26. and ioyne with them in praises and thanksgiuing The like holy vse we are Psal 35. 17. Gal. 1. 23. to make of Gods prouidence in respect of punishments and afflictions whether they bee inflicted vpon our selues or vpon others As when Iob 1. 20 21. God layeth his hand vpon vs by his iudgements and chastizements wee are to be humbled in the sight and sence of our sinnes and beare them with patience and thankfulnes acknowledging Gods mercy in that we are Lam. 3. 22. not vtterly consumed and profit by them both for the mortifying of our sinnes and for our spirituall quickning vnto new obedience So when Heb. 5. 8. we see Gods Iudgements vpon others we are to take warning by their example and communicate with the faithfull in their sorrowes bearing Iosh 22. 20. 1 Cor. 10. 6. Rom. 12. 1. Psal 58 11. a part of their griefe and magnifying Gods Iustice which hath found out the wicked to inflict vpon them deserued punishments §. Sect. 2 Of the sanctifying of Gods name in lawfull oathes More especially there is required in this Commandement that wee glorifie and sanctifie Gods name by our oathes and vowes First by our oathes Deut. 6. 13. Esa 45. 23. vnto which is required first that we honour Gods name in swearing by it vpon a iust and necessary occasion acknowledging thereby Gods infinite wisdome from which nothing canly hid his Truth which abhorreth all lies and falshoods his Iustice which when he is called to be a witnesse and Iudge will neither suffer truth and innocency to goe vnrewarded nor vntruth and guiltinesse vnpunished without respect of persons Secondly that we sweare only by the name of God either directly Esa 65. 16. Ier. 12 6. or indirectly and by no creature in heauen or earth Thirdly that wee sweare after a lawfull manner vnto which is required that we sweare in truth that is to that which is true and truly according to the perswasion Ier. 4. 2. Rom. 9. 1. of our mindes In righteousnesse binding our selues thereby only vnto things lawfull and in iudgement whereby we discerne the necessitie of it in regard that we can no otherwise cleare the truth nor be beleeued in a matter of importance which much respecteth Gods glory or our owne or neighbours good And so come to the performance of this high and holy action with all reuerence as in Gods presence duly weighing and considering the conditions and circumstances of our oath according to the Scriptures Lastly that we sweare vnto a right end namely to the glory Iosh 7. 19. of God by reuealing and ratifying a necessary and vnknowne truth which could no otherwise bee made manifest and to the good of our neighbours Heb. 6. 16. and our selues that they may be satisfied all controuersies and strifes ended all doubts and suspitions remoued and our owne truth and Exod. 22. 11. innocency declared and cleared §. Sect. 3 Of the sanctifying Gods name by making and performing our vowes The second speciall thing here required is lawfull vowes whereby we cheerefully promise vnto God some thing which may be acceptable vnto him either because we haue already found him gracious and good vnto vs which moueth vs to doe this duty out of loue and thankefulnesse or because we expect his mercy and goodnesse for some benefit to be receiued or punishment to be auoided or remoued out of our faith and hope grounded vpon Gods promises Vnto which vowes that they may bee lawfull and acceptable vnto God there are two things required namely that we make them lawfully and truly to performe them Vnto the making of a lawfull vowe is required First that it be performed as a religious Psal 76. 11. act to God and none other Secondly that it bee done after a religious and holy manner 1. In truth with a sincere and cheerefull heart 2. In 2. Chro. 15. 15. righteousnesse vnto which is required in respect of the person that hee haue power in himselfe to vow that thing or haue the consent of his gouernours Secondly that the thing vowed be lawfull and acceptable vnto God as being good and commanded or of an indifferent nature but in respect of vs good and profitable and therefore to be vsed or hurtfull and inconuenient and therefore to be auoided Thirdly that we vowe in iudgement whereby we discerne that our vowe is in the former respects lawfull and very profitable either for the aduancing of Gods glory or our owne good The last thing required is that we make it to a right end as Psal 66. 13. namely to the glory of God the good of our neighbours and our owne benefit for the exercising of our temperance and sobriety or the renewing 61. 8. and furthering of our repentance or for the strengthening of our Num. 30. 14. 1. Sam. 1. 11. faith and our good purposes and resolutions about the performance of good duties In respect of performance of our vowes there is required Eccles 5. 3. Num. 30 3. that it be done at the time appointed and without delay and
euill And of the Apostle Paul Wee must all appeare before the Iudgement seat of Christ that euery man may receiue the things done in his body according to that he hath done whether it bee good or bad And then naked sincerity will shine most gloriously when the gilded vaile of hypocrisie being pulled off the filthy corruption which was hid vnder it will appeare vgly and abominable in the sight of the holy Saints and blessed Angels Then shall the vpright in heart hold vp their heads in the confidence of a good conscience when the hypocrites and dissemblers shall be confounded with shaine their deceit and secret wickednesse being discouered in the sight of all men Then shall they who haue serued God in sincerity and truth receiue their heauenly Inheritance with triumphant ioy when guilefull and double-hearted men shall bee banished out of Gods presence and cast into outer darknesse Math. 24. 51. where shall bee weeping and gnashing of teeth CAP. III. That we must ioyne with inward integrity the seruice of the body and the outward man §. Sect. 1 That God requireth outward seruice to be ioyned with the inward BVt howsoeuer the Lord doth chiefly require and delight in the inward seruice of the soule and the integrity and sincerity of the heart yet doth he not rest in it alone but requireth also the seruice of the body and outward man and that we should at all times and vpon all occasions expresse and approoue our inward piety in our externall practice and the vprightnesse of our hearts which is onely knowne to him by our holinesse and righteousnesse shining in the whole course of our liues and conuersation which is subiect to mans view that thereby we may be iustified that is declared righteous before them as by the other we are knowne vnto our selues to be iustified by faith before God of which that inward holinesse and obedience is a principall fruit And because euery one would be ready to boast of the sincerity of the heart which cannot be discerned God would haue vs to approoue and make it knowne by bringing foorth the fruits of it in our outward and bodily seruice So the Apostle exhorteth vs not to let sin raigne in our bodies that we should obey it in the lusts thereof neither yeeld our Rom. 6. 12 13. members as instruments of vnrighteousnesse vnto sinne but yeeld our selues vnto God as those that are aliue from the dead and our members as instruments of righteousnesse vnto God And as we haue yeelded our members seruants to vncleannesse and to iniquity so we should now yeeld our members seruants to righteousnesse Vers 19. vnto holinesse That we should present not onely our soules but our bodies likewise a liuing sacrifice holy acceptable vnto God which is our reasonable Rom. 12. 1. 1. Thes 4. 3. seruice that we should possesse our vessels in purity and honour and preserue our bodies from all defilement as it becommeth the Temples of the 1. Cor. 3. 16. holy Ghost For God who hath created redeemed and doth continually preserue both soule and body will bee serued and glorified by them both and as he is in these respects Lord and owner of the whole man so hee will haue the whole to serue him according to that of the Apostle Ye are bought with a price therefore glorifie God in your body and in your spirits 1. Cor. 6. 20. which are Gods The inward seruice of the heart therefore is not sufficient vnlesse it be expressed in the outward seruice of the body but wee must be sanctified thorowout and our whole Spirit and soule and body must be preserued blamelesse vnto the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ 1. Thes 5. 23. And we must clense our selues from all filthinesse as well of the flesh as of the Spirit and perfect our holinesse in the feare of God We must with the Apostle 2 Cor. 7. 1. Act. 24. 16. Heb. 13. 18. Rom. 12. 17. Inter Christianum gentilem non fides tantùm debet sed etiam vita distinguere diuersam religionem per diuersa opera monstrare Hier. ad Celant exercise our selues to haue our consciences voyde of offence both towards God and towards men and labour not onely to haue in all things a good conscience before him but also to liue honestly in the view of the world and prouide things honest in the sight of all men as well as those which are holy and religious in the sight of God For as one saith Not onely faith ought to distinguish betweene a Christian and an heathen but the life also and our diuers religions ought to bee demonstrated and shewed by our diuers workes Yea in truth these will alwayes necessarily and inseparably goe together neither is it possibly for a man to haue a sincere and vpright heart but it will shew it selfe in the outward conuersation words and actions seeing it is the fountaine and roote from which they flow and spring and such as it is either good or euill cleane or polluted such will they be also For if the heart be the Inditer of a good matter the tongue will Psal 45. 1. 108. 1. be the pen of a ready Writer If the heart be prepared so will the tongue also and both ioyning together will sing and giue praise whereof it is that the Apostle Iames concludeth that if any man seeme religious and bridleth not Iam. 1. 26 27. his tongue this mans religion is vaine And also that pure Religion and vndefiled before God will shew it selfe in the workes of mercy and Christian charity before men for as in the bodily so in the spirituall estate the health and welfare of the heart is best discerned by the pulse in the hand neither can there be an vpright heart where the actions are vniust And therefore the Psalmist describing a true Citizen of Heauen doth ioyne heart hand and tongue all together He that hath cleane hands and a pure heart speaketh Psal 24. 4. 15. 2. the truth from it and hath not lift vp his soule vnto vanity nor sworne deceitfully §. Sect. 2 Reasons mouing vs to performe outward seruice Now the reasons which may mooue vs to ioyne outward practice with inward integrity respect God our neighbours or our selues In respect Mat. 5. 16. of God first because he commandeth that we haue not only in our selues the oyle of Grace but that we also cause the light of it to shine outwardly before men He would haue vs inwardly to repent with vnfained contrition in our hearts but withall that we bring forth fruits meete for repentance in Mat. 3. 8. our liues He desireth aboue all that we should loue him with all our hearts Ioh. 14. 15. 15. 12. and soules but he would haue vs also to approoue the sincerity of our affection by keeping his Commandements especially by louing one another as Christ hath loued vs. Secondly we must bring
and weary of holy exercises do stand still or turne backe againe into their old sinfull courses and in stead of seeking the Kingdome of God and his righteousnesse doe spend the chiefe of their strength in pursuing of worldly vanities How many of those who would bee thought good husbands for their soules that are wholly negligent in the spirituall husbandry euery hand while intermitting their paines and diligence sometimes vsing the meanes of growing and thriuing in grace and sometimes neglecting them praying onely when they are pinched with afflictions hearing the Word at their best leasure and most ease in the Countrey when the weather is warme and the wayes faire in the Citie when they cannot walke abroad about their pleasures or profits as in time of winter when the foulenesse of the way and weather and darkenesse of the night leaueth vnto them no other imployment and at no time taking any care after the seede is sowne to couer it in their hearts by Meditation or conference that it may not be stolne away but take roote and bring foorth fruit in due season So also receiuing the Sacrament only at Easter or some of the chiefe festiuals and neglecting to come to the Lords Table though often inuited all the rest of the yeere besides and finally reading the holy Scriptures and other profitable writings vnconstantly and by vncertaine fits when they haue nothing else to doe or cannot well tell how to put away otherwise the tediousnesse of idlenesse Through which vnconstancy after long vsing the meanes they little profit by them but like those of whom the Apostle speakes they are euer learning and neuer able to come vnto the knowledge 2 Tim. 3. 7. of the truth they are old truants and though in profession ancient yet children in growth They are like those of whom Seneca speaketh who are alwayes but beginners euen to their ending and but about to settle themselues in the course of a godly life when death approching will force them to finish it Finally they either like Non-proficients stand at a stay without any increasing in knowledge faith and other sauing graces or the fruits of them in a godly life or else de-ficients falling backe from their profession and betaking themselues to the seruice of Satan the world and their owne sinfull lusts Now what doe all these but spend their precious time and vnsettled indeuours not onely in vaine but euen oftentimes vnto losse What doe they but make the practice of their Religion a Penelopes web one day vndoing that which they haue done in another or like vnto Sysiphus his fained labour rowling vp the stone till it be almost at the hill top and then suffer it to tumble backe againe and so giue them occasion to renew their labour All which vnconstancy and euill fruits which spring from it doe proceed from the corruption of our natures and the imperfection of our sanctification the reliques of sinne still remaining in vs which make vs apt and prone to returne to our old courses like a Horse to his trot that is not thorowly paced or an Hawke to turne Haggard that is not well manned §. Sect. 4 That constancie in all Christian duties is strictly required in Gods Word But let vs not please our selues with this state of imperfection but labour and striue daily after more perfection and seeing how vnsettled wee are euen in the state of regeneration in all Christian courses let vs bewayling our vnstayednesse indeuour to attaine vnto more constancie in the imbracing and practising of all good duties For God requireth at our hands that we should serue him not by fits and flashes but constantly in all our courses and not onely that we doe well but that wee continue in well-doing Thus Samuel chargeth the people that they should take heede 1. Sa. 12. 20 21. not of forsaking the Lord and renouncing his seruice but that they should not turne aside after vaine things which would not profit nor deliuer them from danger So the Wiseman requireth that we should continue in the feare of Pro. 23. 17. the Lord all the day long and the Apostle that we should neuer be weary of Gal. 6. 9. well doing seeing in due season we shall reape if we faint not and exhorteth vs to be steadfast vnmooueable alwayes abounding in the worke of the Lord 2. Thes 3. 13. because we are sure that we shall not labour in vaine And this constancie we 1. Cor. 15. 58. must shew both in chusing and holding vs to the right way and also in walking in it In professing constantly the truth of Religion and liuing accordingly in our holy practice For the first we must be constant in imbracing and professing of Gods Truth and not by fits onely when it will best stand with our worldly aduantage So the Apostle exhorteth Watch yee 1. Cor. 16. 13. stand fast in the faith quit you like men be strong And againe Stand fast 2. Thes 2. 13. Apoc. 2. 25. Col. 1. 22 23. and hold the traditions which yee haue beene taught whether by word or our Epistle Vnto which constancie in the truth hee limiteth and appropriateth the benefit of our Redemption by Christ For he saith that we are reconciled by his sufferings if we continue in the faith grounded and settled Eph. 4. 14. and bee not mooued awry from the hope of the Gospel So elsewhere hee chargeth vs that we hencefoorth be no more children tossed to and fro and carryed Gal. 3. 3. about with euery winde of doctrine The which hee condemneth in the Galatians as extreme folly And reioyceth in the contrary constancie of the Colossians ioying and beholding their order and the stedfastnesse of their faith in Christ And the like constancie we must also shew in the practice of all Christian and religious duties according to our profession for as we must not bee weary of bearing vpon vs the liuery of our Christian profession and be ready to cast it off when the sunne of persecution shineth so neither in doing the duties of our Lord and Masters seruice but we must labour to bee stablished in euery good word and worke as the Apostle prayeth 2. Thes 2. 17. for the Thessalonians And desire with Dauid to keepe the Law of God continually for euer and euer Our practice of godlinesse must not with Ephraims goodnesse be like a morning cloud which vanisheth ere noone nor like Hos 6. 4. the dew which falleth ouer-night and goeth away the next morning But neglecting all things in comparison of this one thing necessary we must make them giue place to the constant performance of religious duties when as they cannot stand together whereof wee haue an example in Daniel who setting all things apart would not neglect his constant course Dan. 6. of calling vpon God three times a day though thereby he hazzarded the fauour of the King yea euen his owne life Whose example if we would
grace receiued To which purpose let vs consider that the Scriptures require that wee should exercise our selues in the duties of a godly life according to the measure of grace giuen vs and not in such things as are aboue our reach and strength They doe not command that we should torture our deuotion by setting it vpon the racke and vndertaking things aboue our ability but that our seruice of God should be a free-will offering and performed with cheerfulnes delight not that Christians should be all of one size and spirituall growth and performe their duty in equall perfection but that we performe that which we are able in sincerity and truth according to the measure of the gift of grace receiued and that wee should grow vp by degrees vnto a perfect age in Christ So the Wise man willeth Eccles 7. 16 57. vs not to be righteous and wise ouermuch whereby hee meaneth not onely a righteousnesse and wisedome of our owne framing and fancying which is contrary to the Word of God for so it is not lawfull not onely ouermuch but not at all to be wise and righteous but that we doe not take vpon vs more outward shew and semblance of wisedome and righteousnesse then our inward substance of grace will beare out in sincerity and truth or such a degree of it as is quite aboue our reach and strength To which purpose the Apostle speaketh and exhorteth that no Rom. 12. 3. man should thinke of himselfe more highly then he ought to thinke but to think soberly according as God hath dealt to euery man the measure of faith And this is that which our Sauiour meaneth when excusing his Disciples for not fasting like the Pharises he saith that no man putteth a new piece of cloth into Mat. 9. 16 17. an old garment nor new wine into old bottles namely that there is no wisdome to impose strict and hard exercises vpon young beginners and tender weaklings in faith seeing it is the next way to discourage them quite in their good proceedings and to bring all to nought For when the duties which they vndertake exceed their strength and the measure of their faith and inward grace hauing no internall vertue to support themselues they grow presently faint and wearie both of their practice and profession When they haue put themselues into an vnpleasing prison they are neuer well till they haue broke out taking their liberty euen vnto licentiousnesse Displicent mihi in â—eneris maximè immoderata ieiunia c. Hieron ad Laetam Pâ—râ—â—s cibus venter sâ—mper esu â—ens tridua nis ieâ—uâ—ijs praefertur ad Puriam When in the course of Christianity they haue ouer-loaded themselues they are soone tyred and cast off their burthen in the mid-way When in running the spirituall race they striue and straine themselues at their first setting out euen aboue their strength they are presently out of breath and giuing ouer the race leaue the goale and garland vnto those who wisely fit their pace to their power and actiuity so as they may hold out vnto the end In which regard one of the Ancients otherwise strict enough professeth that immoderate fastings especially in weaklings did much displease him because he had learned by experience that an Asse wearied in his way is ready to seeke many turnings And preferreth sparing and sober diet and a stomacke alwayes retaining an appetite before fasts of three dayes continuance §. Sect. 5 That they who vndertake matters aboue their strength cannot doe them in sincerity but in shew onely Againe for small proficients in Christianity to tye themselues vnto the same exercises which are performed by those that haue attained to greatest perfection both in respect of matter and manner measure and degree what is it but as if a child should trauell in a mans shooes what is it but to bring the exercises of Religion vnto a fashion of which euery one must be who will be in any esteeme what is it but to fit all bodies with the same garment and to make all Christians of one size and stature leauing no distinction of childhood and riper age And what doe they who thus doe but open a gap to grosse hypocrisie and shut sincerity out of dores For how can wee be sincere when wee haue no measure of inward 2. Cor. 9. 7. grace in any proportion answerable to the shew of our outward duties or how can wee performe seruice vnto God in them heartily and cheerefully as hee requireth when as wanting a support of inward gifts we toyle our selues aboue our strength Finally how can we thinke that to exercise our selues in things aboue our power and reach is to take vpon vs Christs yoke and burthen and not rather such as are of our owne making and imposing seeing he hath taught vs that his yoke is easie and burthen light bringing quiet rest vnto our soules and not an intolerable waight Mat. 11. 29. which pressing vs downe and vexing vs maketh our liues vnpleasant vnto vs and our hearts neuer at ease vntill wee haue againe cast them off Rather let vs imitate the example of Dauid who hauing an humble conceit of himselfe and his owne gifts euen like a child new weaned kept Psal 131. 1 2. himselfe quietly within his compasse and did not exercise himselfe in great matters or in things too high for him To which purpose let vs obserue these two rules first that wee doe not set foorth all that wee doe gloriously to the shew but alwayes so order the matter that our practice of Christian duties doe not come short but alwayes exceede our outward profession and that wee bee more holy and religious in truth then wee desire to bee in outward appearance For nothing maketh men so forward to vndertake great matters which are aboue their strength as a desire to gaine a greater esteeme of their inward gifts and outward duties in the sight of men then they any wayes deserue in their true worth Secondly in the vndertaking of any exercise of godlinesse let it bee our care that wee haue a sufficient measure of inward grace and spirituall strength to support vs that wee may continue constant in it vnto the end For if the fountaine bee not sufficient to nourish the streames they will soone grow dry whereas if it bee full they will plentifully flow of their owne accord If wee haue not an inward stocke of grace to maintaine our expenses in outward and bodily exercises all quickly will bee spent and consumed and we shall become beggers and bankrupts in all grace and goodnesse And vnto this our Sauiour aduiseth vs in the parable of the wise builder who intending to erect a Tower sate downe first and Luk. 14. 28 29. counted the cost whether hee had sufficient to finish it lest happly after hee had laid the foundation and not being able to finish it all that beheld it should begin to mocke him c. §. Sect.
preseruing and nourishing of all our other parts §. Sect. 2 That the ministery of the Word is a chiefe meanes of our spirituall life The first meanes of a godly life is the ministery of the Word the which is the ordinary meanes of begetting vs to the life of godlinesse and of beginning in vs all spirituall and sauing graces by which as inward causes we outwardly mooue in all Christian and holy duties Of raising vs from the death of sinne and cleansing and purging vs from the guilt and corruption of it and also of so quickening and reuiuing vs that we are inabled to performe the actions of holinesse and to bring forth the fruits of a godly conuersation Thus the Apostle calleth it Gods Rom. 1. 16. strong power whereby hee pulleth vs out of the state of death into the the state of life and saluation and the Apostle Peter The immortall and incorruptible seed which begetteth vs vnto God liuing and abiding in vs for 1. Pet. 1. 23. euer And hence it is that the Ministers of the Word are called our spirituall 1. Cor. 4. 15. fathers who beget vs vnto God because being dispensers of the Word of grace they are instruments and meanes of our Regeneration Thus our Sauior saith that the houre was comming yea euen then was that Joh. 5. 25. the dead should heare his voyce and liue that is those which were dead in trespasses and sinnes should be quickened and haue their part in the first Resurrection by vertue of his Word preached for at this death and Resurrection that whole discourse aimeth And as we haue first our spirituall life from the ministery of the Word so also our cleansing and sanctification from the corruption and filth of sinne whereby we are wholly disabled vnto all holy duties of a godly life For so our Sauiour telleth his Disciples that they were cleane through his Word which hee had spoken vnto Ioh. 15. 3. them By which meanes he desireth his Father in his holy Prayer to sanctifie them more and more Sanctifie them with thy truth thy Word is truth Ioh. 17. 17. So the Apostle saith that our Sauiour gaue himselfe for his Church that hee Ephes 5. 26. might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word and implyeth elsewhere that we cannot ordinarily haue faith by which the iust man liueth but by the preaching and hearing of the Word How can they Rom. 1. 17. beleeue in him of whom they haue not heard and how shall they heare without a Preacher And after expressely affirmeth That faith commeth by hearing and 10. 14 17. and hearing by the Word of God And in another place he intimateth that we cannot put off the old man and being renewed in the spirit of our minds Ephes 4. 21 22. put on the new which after God is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse vnlesse we haue first heard Christ and been taught by him in the ministery of his Word But here we must take heed that we doe not attribute our new birth and spirituall cleansing vnto the Word preached as hauing in it any inherent power to giue life and grace in it owne nature or as it is by man preached vnto vs for then all that heare it would be quickened vnto holinesse and new obedience whereas common and wofull experience teacheth vs that after the Gospell hath been long preached in diuers places the greatest number remaine vnregenerate and dead in their sinnes nor yet as vnto a principall and chiefe cause of reuiuing vs for this were to make an Idol of it by attributing vnto it Gods prerogatiues and peculiar Math. 23. 9. actions who alone is able to regenerate vs as hee onely could first create vs. But we are to attribute this vertue of giuing spirituall life to the Word preached not as comming from man but as it is the Word of God and his holy ordinance which hee hath instituted and sanctified to this vse of giuing spirituall life and the begetting and increasing of his graces in vs. By vertue of which ordination and the blessing of God vpon it the Word receiueth all its power and vigour to quicken and preserue our spirituall life euen as by the ordinance of God and his blessing wee receiue our naturall life by generation and the preseruation of it by food and clothing which in themselues exceed not other creatures in their vertue for these vses but onely so far forth as God by his blessing inableth them vnto them The which if he withdraw our meate will not nourish Math. 11. 21. Luk. 12. 47. vs but rather become our bane and poyson and the Word preached will be so farre from being a Word of life and saluation that it will become the sauour of death vnto death to our deepe condemnation In which regard 2. Cor. 2. 16. wee must not rest in the preaching and hearing of the Word as in the deed done for the begetting of Gods graces and beginning in vs the life of godlinesse for thus it is onely the Spirit that quickeneth making the Ioh. 6. 63. same Word and at the same time effectuall vnto some for these ends by an inward secret and powerfull operation which for want hereof is heard of others without any profit but vse it as Gods ordinance vnto which his blessing is promised and doth so ordinarily accompany it in the harts of all those that vse it in obedience to God and desire to profit by it for the former ends that we may as well hope for spirituall life by feeding on this food as for the preseruing of naturall life by meate and drinke seeing both alike are Gods ordinance and by his power he is effectuall in the one as well as the other And so contrariwise the neglect of this meanes when God giueth it doth take away all hope of the spirituall life of grace seeing we tempt the Lord in refusing the meanes and despising his ordinance like those who pretending that they rest vpon Gods sole power and promise for the preseruing of their liues should vtterly refuse to eate or drinke Againe whereas I say that the preaching of the Word is the ordinary meanes of life and grace when the Lord granteth it vnto vs we are to beware that we doe not limit Gods power vnto it as though hee could not any other way quicken sanctifie and saue vs. For he is able without all meanes to doe all these by the sole and secret worke of his holy Spirit being such an All-sufficient workman in himselfe that he needeth not the helpe of any instruments as we see in his sanctifying and sauing of elect Infants dying whilest they are vncapable of outward meanes for euen in them these two goe together seeing the rule is generall that without holinesse no man shall see the Lord. And hee is able to sanctifie other Heb. 12. 14. meanes for these vses as he ordinarily doth where
bring the poynt in hand within the compasse and reach of our vnderstandings Which when wee haue done we must further amplifie and inlarge our matter that yet our minds may more cleerly and distinctly conceiue and comprehend it and our willes hearts and affections may afterwards worke vpon and apply it for better and more plentifull vse in the inflaming of our loue and stirring vp our deuotion by bringing it through the common places of inuention according to the rules of art which being but the polishing and perfecting of naturall reason it will not seeme hard or strange vnto vs if we haue but the helpe of some good directions and fit examples for our imitation Now these places of which I speake are the causes of all kinds as the efficient cause procreant or conseruant principall or instrumentall the matter of which and the forme by which it existeth the finall cause for which it is and whereunto it tendeth the effects and fruits of it the subiect place wherein it is or the obiect about which it is exercised the adiuncts properties and as we call them the appurtenances belonging to it what things are diuers from it or opposite or contrary vnto it either in relation or nature The things whereunto it may bee compared either in quantity or quality and by what similitudes it may be illustrated and made thereby both more easie and familiar and more fit to make in the memory a deeper impression and to worke with greater efficacy vpon the heart and affections The names and titles of it which being rightly giuen doe shew the nature of the thing which is called by them The which are best considered when wee define the thing whereof wee meditate where beginning with the name of the thing defined wee may proceed to the parts of the definition But aboue all other places we are to preferre the diuine testimonies of holy Scriptures which are most effectuall for the inlightening of the vnderstanding the conuincing of the iudgement the perswading and inclining of the will and the working of the poynt in hand vpon the heart and affections In which respect it is most profitable that we call to our remembrance those places which are fittest for our purpose to prooue or illustrate the matter in hand and to apply them for the strengthening and confirming of all the other places of inuention as proofes of them orderly proceeding from one to another in that method and manner before expressed To all which purposes the testimonies of holy Scriptures are most pregnant powerfull and profitable for howsoeuer humane testimonies are aboue all other arguments of least authority and efficacy in any art because their whole strength resteth vpon the credit of men who are all liers and subiect to errours yet in matters of Diuinity testimonies of holy Scripture are of greatest validity and authority and farre aboue all other arguments and proofes produced by humane reason seeing they are the Oracles of God who being truth it selfe can neither deceiue nor be deceiued and being sufficient to all spirituall vses will yeeld vnto vs plentifull matter to furnish our meditations though we were vnable to make vse of the other Notwithstanding those other helpes by bringing the poynt in hand through all the common places of inuention especially these testimonies of Scripture being ioyned with all and euery of them to confirme and strengthen them are not to be neglected because they will much further vs in our orderly proceeding and for the amplifying and inlarging cleering and prouing the poynt whereon we meditate and furnishing vs with variety of matter Yet heere too much curiosity is to be auoyded in bringing euery poynt through euery head or common place of inuention because euery theame whereon we meditate will not admit such considerations As God infinite in all perfection and farre aboue the reach of humane reason cannot in our meditations of him be brought through the most of those common places seeing he hath no causes being Iehouah the cause of causes and hauing his being in himselfe giueth being to all things Neither hath he if we speake properly any place seeing hee containeth all things and is contained of nothing nor any accidents or qualities seeing all his attributes and properties are his Essence nor any contraries seeing there cannot be the like reason of things finite and him that is infinite and nothing can truly oppose his omnipotent nature although they doe it in shew and in our weake apprehension neither can hee be compared in quantity or quality seeing he is aboue all comparison and nothing is equall or like vnto him And finally he is not subiect to any distribution being a most simple nature and indiuisible who hath neither Genus nor species parts nor members nor vnto any definition seeing his infinite nature is vnsearchable howsoeuer he may be described by that which he is not rather then by that he is though he be the chiefe being that wee may in some darke manner conceiue of him in our shallow capacity Besides there are other theames which we cannot bring through diuers of these heads without much difficulty especially the specificall matter and formes which in most things are vnknowne vnto vs. And therefore our course must be among many places of inuention to take those which being most pregnant and profitable doe with some ease offer themselues to our meditations as the causes efficient and effects properties and qualities and not tye our selues too strictly to finde out all which would rather distract then helpe vs in this exercise But chiefly aiming in all this discourse of our vnderstanding at the right vse and maine end of it which is not curiously to play the Artists but to spend our time in a religious exercise for the increase of our deuotion our inriching with spirituall grace and for the strengthening of vs vnto all duties of a godly life when we finde any difficulty in our inuention or stop in our way we must passe by it and thinke on that which is next and more easie to bee found §. Sect. 3 That we are in our meditations chiefly to respect our will harts and affections our liues and actions And thus we are to proceed in the first part of meditation which respecteth the discourse of our mind and vnderstanding The second part respecteth the practique faculties the will heart and affections the life and actions vnto which in this exercise we are to haue chiefe regard that they may thereby be sanctified and nourished in all spirituall graces and strengthened to the performance of all holy duties with cheerfulnesse and delight Neither is it sufficient that we do by the former meanes prouide plenty of spirituall food fit for the nourishment of our soules vnlesse we also feed vpon it and apply it vnto them for their speciall vse It is not enough that wee prepare abundant meanes and matter for our spirituall good vnlesse wee fit and apply them to those ends and vses for
our seeming wisedome be not foolishnesse and that wee mistake not the stained cloth of our imperfect obedience for the pure white linnen of perfect sanctity and so grosly abuse our selues for if a man thinketh Gal. 6. 3. himselfe to be something when he is nothing he is deceiued and coozeneth himselfe of his owne saluation With which deceit it is easie to be ouertaken with proud Iusticiaries by reason of our selfe-love if wee doe not often and seriously examine our selues according to the perfect rule of Gods Law and in this cleere Looking-glasse behold our blemishes and the manifold wants and imperfections of our best actions Furthermore the necessity of this examination heereby appeareth in that the neglect thereof is the cause of all sinne For what is the reason why men rush headlong into all manner of grosse and notorious wickednesse Why they blaspheme Gods holy Name for no worldly aduantage but vpon meere vanity Why they displease God and disable themselues vnto all duties of his seruice by surfetting and drunkennesse without any gaine yea to the discredit of their persons and ruining of their estates Why they commit filthinesse and vncleannesse thereby weakning their bodies and shortning their liues and why they continue in these and many such sinnes with impenitency and hardnesse of heart Surely not so much through the ignorance of their mindes or because their iudgements are not conuinced that these are grieuous sinnes which for the present draw Gods fearefull plagues vpon them and will heereafter be punished with euerlasting death For they heare these things daily sounding in their eares in the Ministery of the Word and see fearefull examples and presidents continually of them in others who haue liued in the like wickednesse But because though they haue sight and knowledge yet they haue no vse of it the deuill hauing so hud-winkt and blind folded the eyes of their minde that they neuer examine their state nor consider with themselues what they doe whither they are a going nor what will be the issue and end of these things And so like hooded Hawkes are carried quietly by the deuill into all wicked courses which leade them to destruction §. Sect. 4 The former point prooued by the Scriptures Esa 1. 3. And this is manifest by the Scriptures which in many places shew that men commit many of their sinnes and liue in them without repentance because they examine not their estate nor enter into due consideration what they doe Thus it is said that the cause of the Israelites vngratitude and rebellion against God was because they did not consider either Gods goodnesse and bounty nor their owne wickednesse and the manifold euils which thereby they brought vpon themselues That the cause why many of them followed drunkennesse and sported themselues in this sinne with all sensuall delight was because they regarded not the worke of Esa 5. 11 12. the Lord neither considered the operation of his hands That they forsooke the Lord and worshipped stockes and stones the works of their owne hands Esa 44. 19. because none considered in their hearts the vanity of Idols and that themselues had made them of the same tree wherof they had burned a part and conuerted other parts of it to other vses That the cause of Babylons insolency pride wherby they tyrānized ouer Gods people was because they did not cōsider that God had made them only scourges rods to correct his people which hauing done he would cast thē into the fire which things Esa 47. 7. 57. 11. they did not lay to heart nor remember the latter end namely their destructiō and the deliuerance of Gods people And as neglect of this consideration is the cause of sinne so also it exposeth vs to fearefull punishments for if we will not iudge our selues we shall be iudged of the Lord if we forget his Iudgements and neuer thinke of them hee will rub our memories and helpe vs to recouer our lost wits by whipping vs like Bedlems and making vs sensible by smart who were insensible of reason Thus the Lord saith that the whole Land was made desolate because no man laid it to Ier. 12. 11. heart And thus he threatneth the Israelites that because they did not remember and consider his former mercies and their owne sinnes and vnworthinesse therefore he would recompence their wayes vpon their head and Ezek. 16. 43. make them to know him by his Iudgements when as his mercies would not make them acknowledge him Lastly this may shew vs how necessary this examination is seeing it must of necessity bee done either in this world or the world to come For all shall render a reckoning of all that they haue done in the flesh and therefore if wee doe not examine and iudge our selues heere God will examine and condemne vs heereafter If we doe not call our selues to account in this life when as finding our selues short in our reckonings we haue time to sue through the Mediation of Christ for the pardon of our debts and to procure a generall acquittance and discharge we shal be accountant to Gods Iustice at the day of Iudgement when the Day of grace and saluation being past there will bee no place for procuring of pardon but being much indebted and hauing nothing to pay we shall be cast into the prison of outer darkenesse without hope of mercy or deliuerance from that endlesse misery Which fearefull Iudgement and condemnation if we would auoyd let vs heere whilst the Day of saluation lasteth examine iudge and condemne our selues that wee may turne from our sinnes by vnfained repentance and so hauing Christ to be both our Aduocate and Iudge we shall then escape Gods seuere and strict Iudgement seeing he will answere for vs and our examination and iudgement being already dispatched in this life nothing shall then remaine but that he our Iudge should pronounce the sentence of absolution and enter vs into the full fruition of that heauenly happinesse and euerlasting ioyes of his Kingdome which by his death and merits he hath purchased for vs. CAP. XXV Of the fourth priuate meanes of a godly life which is walking daily with God §. Sect. 1 That we are alwayes in Gods presence THe fourth priuate meanes of a godly life is with Enoch to walke with God that is to set our selues in his presence alwayes Gen. 5. 22. remembring that he is with vs hearing all our words and beholding all our actions yea euen the very secret thoughts of our hearts And that not as an idle spectatour but as a righteous Iudge who is both able and willing to reward vs bountifully if wee doe well and to punish vs seuerely if wee doe euill Wherein wee haue holy Dauid for our example who professeth that hee Psal 16. 8. did set the Lord alwayes before him Which that wee may imitate let our iudgements first be thorowly informed in this truth that howsoeuer God keepeth his chiefe
2. Tim. 3. 15. 2 Iohn ver 1 4. our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might haue hope The Apostle Iohn likewise writing to children young and old men plainely implyeth that no age is exempted but euen little children must reade that they may be seasoned with the knowledge of Gods truth from their tender age like young Timothy and the children of the elect Lady and so being trayned vp in the way which they should chuse when they are old they will not depart from it and hauing this sound foundation of knowledge layd they may haue the building of faith and piety more easily erected and set vp in them And young men also must reade the Scriptures that being armed with this sword of the Spirit they may be the better enabled to resist the tentations of the diuell the world and their own flesh which in that age are most strong and violent Finally old men after they haue gotten much knowledge must still diligently studie the Scriptures that they may be the better confirmed and settled in the things which they know recall those things to memory which that age otherwise is apt to forget and that hauing knowne God and his Christ from the beginning not onely by reading and hearing but by much experience they may be refreshing and renewing this knowledge be the better able to walke themselues in this cleare light and guide and direct others also by their fatherly instructions in the right way that they should chuse But yet in a more speciall manner this dutie of reading the Law and Word of Deut. 17. 18 19 Iosh 1. 8. God is pressed vpon Princes and Gouernours that being inlightened with the knowledge of Gods will and truth they may themselues yeeld obedience vnto it seeing hereby they shall not onely saue their owne soules but also bee a meanes of the saluation of many others their liues and actions being exemplarie and powerfull to draw those which are vnder them to follow and imitate them in that which is either good or euill And also that hauing this light to guide them they may administer righteous iudgement and gouerne the people committed to their charge in the feare of the Lord establishing amongst them Gods true Religion and maintaining in all their dominions iustice and truth But aboue all others the Ministers of Gods Word are religiously bound to exercise themselues diligently in reading the Scriptures seeing they must not onely haue skill to direct themselues and their owne families but to instruct all others committed to their charge in the Word and will of God for the Priests lips Mal. 2. 7. must preserue knowledge and the people must seeke the Law at their mouth for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts And he principally more then ordinary Christians must giue attendance to reading exhortation and doctrine 1. Tim. 4. 13 16. and continue in them because in so doing he shal both saue himselfe and those that heare him §. Sect. 2 That we are chiefly to be exercised in reading and studying of the Scriptures The second generall point to be considered is the subiect matter of our reading of which wee must make good choyce seeing it were much better not to reade at all then to spend our time in perusing such bookes as are prophane teaching nothing but vanitie and lyes wantonnesse ribaldry and contempt both of Religion common honesty in which number are books of scurrilous iests plaies and Machiauellian policie For as we say in the prouerbe Where God hath his Church there the diuell hath his chappell and apishly imitating the diuine Maiesty that he may blinde his followers get from them the like glory and especially that he may disgrace Gods holy ordinances as God hath his Sacraments Ceremonies so he will haue his to seale vp to his vassals their more assured condemnation And as God hath his bookes of holy Scriptures contayning his will and Lawes for the sanctifying and gouerning of his people so the deuill will haue scribes inspired with his will to set forth bookes of hellish impieties and damnable policies for the corrupting of mens iudgements the poisoning of their hearts and manners and the trayning vp and gouerning of his subiects in all sinne and wickednesse And therefore all those who desire to please God in the duties of a godly life must with as much care flee such bookes as Mariners doe the rockes and sands and as they professe themselues Gods seruants so they must make choyce of such bookes as will better their knowledge and practice in his Lawes as they professe themselues of the Christian Religion so they must read and studie such bookes as being religious will further them in Christianity and enable them to performe vnto God more diligent and faithfull seruice In which respect the Booke of holy Scriptures contained in the Old and New Testament is to be preferred aboue all others seeing it is the foundation and ground of them all which hauing God for it Author is of infallible truth and is to be beleeued in its owne sole authority and needeth not the confirmation of reason or any humane testimony but shineth like the Sunne in it owne light Whereas all writings of men who are subiect to errours are onely so far foorth to be beleeued and imbraced as they are consonant and agreeable with it For all men are lyers and through their ignorance subiect to errors apt to deceiue and to be deceiued and therefore are no further to be credited then as their sayings and works are approoued by the Canon and rule of Gods infallible truth Besides that the Word of God is of more maiesty power efficacie then any mortall mans and his more immediate ordinance which being more effectually assisted and wrought into our mindes and hearts by his holy Spirit is of greater efficacie for the inlightening of our vnderstandings the mollifying of our hearts the strengthening of our Faith and sanctifying of our affections then all other writings without it And this Dauid found by experience professing that by studying and meditating in the Booke and Law of God he became wiser then the Ancients and of more vnderstanding then his teachers Psal 119. 9◠100. §. Sect. 3 Their obiection answered who pretend the obscurity of the Scriptures Neither let any man pretend that the Scriptures are of such difficulty and so hard to be vnderstood that priuate men must not presume to Psal 19. 7 8. Pro. 1. 4. read them seeing they haue plainely taught vs that the Law of the Lord inlighteneth the eyes and maketh wise the simple And wise Salomon telleth vs that this was one chiefe end of his penning that portion of holy Scripture that he might giue subtilty that is more then common knowledge to the simple and to the young man knowledge and discretion So that though the Scriptures finde men simple and ignorant yet they doe not leaue them so seeing they
were purposely appointed by God to illuminate the eyes of the blinde and to make the foolish wise And therefore to forbeare the reading of the Scriptures because we are rude and of small vnderstanding is all one as if we should refuse the medicine because we are sicke the eye-salue because we are blinde and the light of the Sunne because we are in the darke or dim-sighted It is true that all places of holy Scriptures are not alike cleare but though some be easie and plaine yet other are so high and mysticall hard to be vnderstood and of such abstruse difficulty that the best wits and most learned may euen their whole liues be exercised about them and yet neuer reach to their height nor sound them to the bottome But this must not discourage the simplest from reading of them because it is not necessary nor required of all that they should vnderstand euery place but so much as is necessarie for their saluation and according to the measure of their gifts which they haue Rom. 12. 3. receiued which if they exceed they come vnder the censure of curiosity presumption And for the attayning of that maine end at which euery one must ayme the Bookes of holy Scriptures are fit to be read of all sorts of men being not only as that learned Father obserued Augustine in many places a deepe sea wherein the Elephant may swim but also in as many others shallow Foords wherein the Lambe may wade Yea so gracious is the Creator and Redeemer of all men that in penning the holy Scriptures he hath taken care of the simple as well as of the wise and learned And as in course of nature he hath made those things most common which are most excellent profitable and necessary as the Sunne ayre fire water bread and cloathing and hath onely reserued to the rich and noble peculiar priuiledges in things of lesse vse and necessity as gold siluer precious Iewels so made and called not by nature but by fantasie and opinion silken garments delicious cates and such like trifles So he hath layde out in common the maine points of Religion necessary to saluation by making them so easie and familiar that the meanest capacities may comprehend them if they will vse the meanes and helpes which he hath sanctified for this vse as feruent prayer for the assistance of Gods Spirit to inlighten our blinde eyes reading meditation comparing one place with another the publique ministery and priuate conference And hath reserued other things lesse necessary in abstruse obscurity as Chronologies Genealogies quiddities and intricate questions to exercise the curiositie of such as scorne to be vulgarly wise and would gaine vnto themselues an opinion of their learning and knowledge Yea euen the same maine points of Religion which are in some places plainely expressed to the capacity of the most simple are in other places more obscurely deliuered that all sorts of men might be imployed in this holy exercise of reading the Scriptures the simple hauing no cause of discouragement by their difficulty nor the learned and men of greater gifts any cause of contempt or idle sloth through their easinesse but might haue matter deepe enough to sound and search out by their greatest wit and most industrious indeuour So one saith that the Quamuis omnem scientiam doctrinam sacra Scriptura sine aliqua comparatione transcendat c. Gregor holy Scriptures without comparison excell all other science and learning for they publish and preach the Truth call vs to our heauenly Country inuite the heart of the Reader from earthly desires to imbrace heauenly excellencies the which are not so shut vp in obscurity that we neede to feare them nor so open that we should contemne them but the more they are vsed the lesse they are loathed and the more they are loued the more they are studied c. Notwithstanding euen in this Paradise which aboundeth with all manner of flowers and medicinable hearbs fit for vse necessity and delight there may generally at all times be choyce made of such as are most profitable and comfortable and specially vpon seuerall occasions For howsoeuer all contained in them be excellent and fit for diuers vses so that no part in our reading is alwaies to be passed ouer and neglected yet there are some places aboue others wherein we may haue the food of our soules in greatest plentie and variety and better prepared for our weake stomakes And though they admit of no comparison with other writings yet in themselues one part may excell another if not in respect of their Author or nature yet in respect of our vse and edification as contayning and setting forth the maine points of our saluation more fully and plainely then others In which respect the Prophets are to be preferred before the Bookes of Moses as being a Commentarie and exposition of them The Prouerbs of Salomon before diuers of them as being full fraught with heauenly Wisdome and contayning diuine precepts and counsels fit to guide vs in all our courses And aboue them all the Booke of the Psalmes as being the liuely Anatomie of a true Christian in all estates and conditions a treasurie of heauenly meditations diuine wisdome holy doctrines and precepts and a cleare glasse wherein we may see how in all estates and conditions God dealeth with his children and they with him And finally the New Testament is to be preferred before the Old because God therein hath more cleerely manifested himselfe and his will the sending of our Sauiour Christ and the great worke of Redemption wrought by him with all the meanes whereby we may be made partakers of him and all his benefits Gods spirituall graces in this life and eternall saluation in the life to come For howsoeuer they are both all one in substance containe the same things yet with this difference in respect of vs that the Old Testament is the New hid and shadowed the New Testament is the Old vnfolded and reuealed §. Sect. 4 That we must not reade the Scriptures onely but also other religious writings But though a Christian man is to studie and read the holy Scriptures chiefely that he may out of them as out of the fountaine know God and all the duties of a godly life in which respect their practice is absolutely to be condemned who are so wholy taken vp in reading the Fathers Schoolemen and late Writers that they can finde little time to reade and meditate in the Booke of God and so are greatest strangers where they should be best acquainted and like ill merchants who buy all their wares at the second or third hand yet we are not so wholy to be conuersant in them as to neglect or to want time to peruse the writings of godly and learned men who by the helpe of their feruent prayers the gifts of learning and tongues and their serious studies and diligent labours haue giuen the true sense and meaning
Apostle perswadeth Christians in diuers callings to performe their duties in them that they might not cause the Word of God to be blasphemed 1. Tim. 6. 1. Tit. 2. 5. seeing it is the common custome of worldly and wicked men to to lay the faults of Professours vpon their profession and to impute their scandalous sinnes to their much going to Church and hearing of the Word as though their profession and hearing were the cause of their wicked and vnlawfull courses whereas in truth they would if they abused them not bee as strong cables to draw them from all impiety and vnrighteous dealing And contrariwise he would haue them to liue in an holy conuersation that they might adorne the doctrine Tit. 2. 10. of God our Sauiour in all things For men are apt to speake of the Religion and truth which wee professe either in the better or worser part according to the fruits which we bring forth of it in our liues thinking our Religion to bee pure and good if we approue our selues to bee so by our holy and Christian practice and conuersation but contrariwise if like those of whom the Apostle speaketh wee haue onely a forme of Godlinesse and in our liues deny the power there of or professe 2. Tim. 3. 5. that we know God but in our workes disclaime him being abominable and Tit. 1. 16. disobedient and vnto euery good worke reprobate wee shall open their mouthes not onely against vs but also against all Professours of Gods true Religion yea euen against the Religion and Doctrine of truth it selfe which we professe For if euer Dauid himselfe fall into foule sinnes it will not onely tend to his owne dishonour but also giue occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme as though he were 2. Sam. 12. 14. a patrone or approuer of such crimes §. Sect. 5 The 1. reason that we may auoid giuing of offence And so much of those reasons which respect God The second sort respect our neighbours from whom also wee may draw diuers arguments 1. Cor. 10. 32. to perswade vs to an holy conuersation And first because we shall being vnblameable auoid giuing vnto them any iust offence eitherby laying stumbling blockes in their way whereby they should be hindred from the professing of the true Religion when as they are able to take exceptions to the liues of Professours or if they bee religious bee grieued in their righteous soules when they see our liues full of blots and blemishes or make the weake fall by our ill 2. Pet. 2. 7 8. example The which we must carefully auoid because our Sauiour Matth. 18. 7. pronounceth a fearefull woe against those by whom such offences come and contrariwise labour with the Apostle to exercise our selues Acts 24. 16. dayly in this that wee may haue alwaies a conscience void of offence towards God and towards men Secondly we may be moued to the practice The second reason of al holy duties of a godly life that we may gaine those that are without to Christ to imbrace that true Religion which we professe For if we haue our conuersation honest among the Gentiles they seeing our good 1. Pet. 2. 12. workes will glorifie God in the day of their visitation And this argument the Apostle Peter vseth to perswade wiues vnto their dutie that they which 1. Pet. 3. 1. obeied not the Word might without the Word be won with their Christiā conuersation The which so much preuailed with the Apostle Paul that he vtterly denied himselfe and his owne will and became all things to all men that he might gaine some to Christ and was content to please all 1. Cor. 9. 19 22. Chap. 10. 33. men in all things not seeking his owne profit but the profit of many that they might bee saued And how much more then should we with all willingnesse walke in such a course of holinesse and righteousnesse which in gayning others will profit our selues and not onely saue them by gayning them to Christ through our good example but assure our selues also of our saluation Finally wee may be perswaded vnto all The third reason holy and Christian duties because they so much tend to the good and profit of our brethren who are in the same holy communion with vs. First because by the light of our godly liues we shall moue them together with vs to glorifie our heauenly Father who is the Author Matth 5. 16. and Fountaine of all good things which they see in vs. Secondly because we shall edifie them by our good example and moue them to imitate those good things they shall see in vs and by our communion and fellowship with them like kindled coales on the same heape wee shall inflame their zeale and by an holy emulation make them striue to match vs in their Christian duties as the Apostle sheweth in the example of the Corinthians whose zeale in Christian beneficence 2. Cor. 9. 2. had as hee saith prouoked many And thus hee perswadeth Timothy to bee an example vnto beleeuers in word in conuersation in charity 1. Tim. 4. 12. in spirit in saith in puritie And exhorteth vs all to consider one Heb. 10. 24. another to prouoke vnto loue and to good workes To which purpose nothing can bee more effectuall then good examples when as we see those duties constantly performed by our brethren with much comfort and delight which wee feared as tedious troublesome and almost impossible and in this regard durst not vndertake them Finally wee shall doe good to our brethren euen in the duties themselues both of piety by teaching admonishing exhorting comforting and counselling them that neede our helpe and also of mercy by feeding the hungry clothing the naked visiting the sicke and such like workes of Christian charity whereby wee minister vnto their necessities CAP. XL. Of such reasons moouing vs to the duties of a godly life as respect our selues §. Sect. 1 The first reason taken from that dignity vnto which God hath called vs. IN respect of our selues there are also many effectuall arguments and reasons which may mooue and perswade vs vnto all duties of a godly life As first that high and heauenly dignity vnto which God of his free grace and goodnesse hath called vs out of a most miserable and wretched condition which should effectually mooue vs to walke worthy this high and excellent Eph. 4. 1. calling as the Apostle exhorteth vs. For wee were in darkenesse and in the shaddow of death but the Lord hath called vs into a marueilous light reuealing cleerely vnto vs the knowledge of himselfe and his will the great mystery of saluation by Iesus Christ and the meanes whereby we may be made partakers of the fruits and benefits of it in which respect it becommeth vs to walke as children of light circumspectly not as fooles Eph. 5. 8 15 16. 1. Th. 5. 5 6 7 8 Col.
at the Day of Iudgement If wee haue beene faithfull and diligent in our Masters seruice wee shall haue nothing to doe then but to receiue with ioy our reward and wages If wee walke not after the flesh but after Rom. 8. 1. the Spirit wee are in Iesus Christ and there is no condemnation due vnto vs for hee was condemned that wee might bee acquitted and suffered the punishment of our sinnes that Gods Iustice being satisfied and wrath appeased wee might bee freed from hell and death If wee bee partakers of the first Resurrection from the death Apoc. 20. 6. of sinne to the life of righteousnesse the second death shall haue no power ouer vs. Now what stronger motiues can there bee vnto a godly life then to bee thereby assured of deliuerance from these greatest euils For how terrible a thing is it to fall into the hands Heb. 10. 31. of the euer-liuing God and to bee called to account before his Iudgement Seate who searcheth the heart and reines and will call vs to a reckoning for euery idle word Whose iustice is so perfect and his examination so strict that though wee were as Matth. 12. 33. iust as Iob yet wee should not bee able to answere one of a thousand Iob 9. 2 3. Though wee were as holy as Dauid yet had wee neede to pray with him Enter not into Iudgement with thy Seruant O Lord for Psal 143. 2. in thy sight shall no man liuing bee iustified How fearefull and intolerable endlesse and easelesse are those hellish torments which they must indure who are not in this life acquitted from them And consequently how inestimable is this benefit and worthy to bee valued more then ten thousand worlds to bee fully assured that wee haue through Christ escaped this seuere Iudgement hellish condemnation and euerlasting torments with the deuill and his angels which assurance wee can no otherwise attaine vnto then by seruing God in the duties of a godly life and bringing forth the fruits of our faith in repentance and new obedience But I shall not neede to presse these points any further although much more might bee said of them as being most effectuall motiues to perswade vs to flee all sinne and to practise all Christian duties in the whole course of our liues seeing they are much beaten vpon and largely handled by many others there beeing scarce any that omit them who write of and perswade vnto Christian resolution CAP. XLII Other reasons taken from those singular priuiledges which are peculiar vnto those who serue God in the duties of a godly life §. Sect. 1 The first priuiledge is that the image of God is repayred in vs. ANd so much concerning the priuatiue benefits which accompany a godly life The positiue benefits which we receiue by it are manifold For first hereby the image of God is repayred in vs and wee are made like vnto him seeing this image chiefely consisteth in wisedome holinesse and righteousnesse whereby knowing God and his will we are transformed in all holy obedience vnto it So the Apostle saith that we haue put on the New man which is renued in knowledge after the image Col. 3. 10. of him that created vs. And exhorteth vs to bee renewed in the Spirit of Ephe. 4. 23 24. our mindes and to put on the new man which after God is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse So that if we be renewed in wisedome and knowledge in holinesse and righteousnesse we shall become like vnto God hauing his image through Christ renewed in vs after which wee were created but had it defaced in vs by the fall of Adam And this argument the Scriptures doe often vse to perswade vs vnto an holy and righteous life So the Lord himselfe presseth this reason to his people For I am the Lord your God ye shall therefore sanctifie your selues and Leuit. 11. 44. Leuit. 19. 2. 20. 7. yee shall bee holy for I am holy And againe Yee shall sanctifie your selues and be ye holy for I am the Lord your God And our Sauiour Christ exhorteth vs to bee therefore perfect that as children of our heauenly Father Matth. 5. 45 48 wee may resemble him in perfection So the Apostle would haue vs to approue our selues to be the sonnes of God by being blamelesse harmelesse Phil. 2 15. without rebuke in the midst of a crooked peruerse nation And the Apostle Iohn teacheth vs how we may approue our selues to haue fellowship 1. Iohn 1. 6 7. with God namely by walking in the light as he is in the light And Eph. 5. 1. finally the Apostle Peter perswadeth vs to an holy life by the same reason As he that hath called you is holy so bee yee holy in all manner of 1. Pet. 1. 15 16. conuersation because it is written Be ye holy for I am holy Neither in truth can any thing bee more effectuall to perswade vs to an holy life then this argument if it bee well waighed For the neerer wee come to this most absolute and perfect patterne the more we shall bee restored to that state of excellency and perfection in which we were created the more wee resemble him who is the chiefe Goodnesse and blessednesse the more wee shall exceede in goodnesse and glory in holinesse and happinesse the which alwaies accompany one another The more like we are vnto God the more communion we shall haue with him the more hee will loue vs and delight in vs as a Father ordinarily best loueth that childe that most resembleth him in fauour and nature though oftentimes out of meere selfe-loue because hee seemeth to liue in him and not for any excellencie that is in those parts and qualities which hee loueth in him And if generally likenesse causeth loue when there is no worth in the thing beloued how much more will God infinitely loue vs when as by our likenesse we shall be made most louely and that for his owne sake with a pure and perfect loue because his Image is stamped in vs and he after a sort liueth in vs and we in him his holinesse and righteousnesse being manifested in our godly life and conuersation §. Sect. 2 The second priuiledge is that by a godly life we haue title interest in all Gods promises and first of temporall blessings Secondly by a godly life wee haue interest vnto all Gods promises whereby he hath assured vs of all his blessings and benefits both temporall 1. Tim. 4. 8. Psal 34. 9 10. Psal 84. 11. 2. Pet. 1. 3 4. and eternall according to that of the Apostle Godlinesse is profitable vnto all things hauing the promise of the life that now is and that which is to come So the Psalmist saith that they which seeke and feare the Lord shall not want any good thing For the Lord God is a sunne and shield he will giue grace and glory and no good thing will hee
the world hath been from the beginning the Gen. 3. 15. portion of all Gods Saints and seruants whom it hath pursued with deadly malice because they haue been beloued of God Yea aboue all others did it most hate and maligne our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ and therefore we must not thinke much if it pursueth vs with the like malice For as he hath told vs The seruant is not greater then his Lord If they haue Joh. 15. 19 20. persecuted me they will also persecute you Fourthly the worlds hatred needeth not to discourage vs in the wayes of godlinesse seeing it is vnto vs a comfortable euidence that we are not of the world for then it would loue his owne but that we are the true Disciples of Iesus Christ whom he hath chosen out of the world Yea contrariwise if the world should loue vs we had iust cause to suspect our selues seeing loue ariseth out of likenes neither could we be so much in the worlds fauour vnlesse we too much fauoured it Fifthly the worlds hatred cannot discourage vs if wee consider that it is abundantly recompenced with the loue of God and of his Saints and blessed Angels For the worlds malice can but bring some temporary trouble ioyned with much inward and spirituall comfort but in the fauour of the Lord is life and blessednesse And therefore Psal 30. 5. as no wise man who is highly in the fauour of his Prince his chiefe Nobles and the best of the people will greatly care for the hatred of base gally-slaues and the abiects of the Land especially when the fauour of both will not stand together so if we be truly wise for our owne good we will not if we be assured of Gods loue and all his faithfull seruants regard much the hatred of the world which can loue none but those whom God hateth Finally this hatred of the world for righteousnesse sake will not dismay vs if we alwayes remember that it shall be rewarded with euerlasting happinesse according to that of our Sauiour Blessed are Luk. 6. 22 23. yee when men shall hate you and when they shall separate you from their company and shall reproch you and cast out your name as euill for the Sonne of mans sake reioyce yee in that day and leape for ioy for behold your reward is great in heauen for in the like manner did their fathers to the Prophets §. Sect. 3 That the former poynt ought to be held with diuers cautions But yet some cautions must be heere obserued as first that howsoeuer we are not to loue the world nor to maintaine neere and inward familiarity Rom. 12. 18. with Gods enemies yet in respect of our priuate carriage we must behaue our selues innocently and iustly towards them and as the Apostle speaketh as much as in vs lyeth haue peace with all men Secondly we must so hate their sinnes their worldlinesse and prophanesse as that in the meane time we loue their persons performing vnto them all ciuill and religious duties whereby we may gaine them to Christ and bee meanes as much as in vs lyeth of their conuersion and saluation Thirdly that vnder colour of hating the world we doe not carry our selues cynically and harshly peeuishly and contentiously with those which remaine still professed worldlings but goe forward in the practice of all holy duties with all meeknesse of conuersation opposing them in nothing but when they oppose vs in piety and righteousnesse For the world is ready to hate vs too much already for our profession and practice of Gods true Religion though by our peruerse behauiour and rigid stiffenesse euen about things indifferent we doe not giue it any cause to hate our persons And therefore let vs auoyd their errour who when they haue taken vpon them the profession of Christian Religion thinke themselues bound to professe open enmity against all those who are contrary minded and that they best approue their Christianity when as the fire of dissension by their tart behauiour is kindled betweene them because Christ came to Math. 10. 34. Luk. 12. 49. bring a sword and fire vpon the earth and to set at variance euen those which are of a mans family For in many other places wee are earnestly exhorted to vse all meeknesse and loue that we may win them by our conuersation who are without vnlesse it be in the cause of God and the defence of his truth And therefore that place of our Sauiour is not to bee vnderstood so much of the doings of the faithfull whereby standing vpon tearmes of hostility they should prouoke the enemies of the Gospell against them but rather of their sufferings and persecutions which for Christs sake and the Gospell they should indure at the hands of the wicked though they behaued themselues as meekly and mildly as innocently and louingly as the cause of God and defence of his truth would suffer them Or if at all of their doings and oppositions against prophane worldlings yet not in such things wherein they might lawfully agree but in matters weighty and important as concerning Gods glory and their owne saluation and not in spleene and spite or priuate reuenge but when they haue lawfull authority to suppresse their fury curbe in their malice or by an open war according to the Law of God and Nations proclaymed against them Finally we must take heed that we doe not esteeme all them as worldlings who goe not as farre as wee in the profession of Religion and the practize of holy duties for there are Christians of all sizes and ages and as well babes as growne men in Gods family But those onely are to be ranked in this number of worldly opposites who are professed enemies of Christian Religion or onely haue the name of Christians but are in truth grosse idolaters or wickedly prophane who in their liues deny the power of that truth which they outwardly professe maligning and hating all those who loue and feare God euen for their godlinesse sake and displaying their banners of impiety against all grace and goodnesse Neither doe I thinke that formall Christians who liue ciuilly amongst vs professing Christianity and ioyning with vs in the publique exercises of Religion are to be reckoned amongst these worldlings who oppose vs and whom we oppose though wee cannot obserue in them any signes of sound conuersion or of the sincerity and power of godlinesse seeing our Sauiour himselfe is sayd to haue loued the yong man who yet had not so farre proceeded in the course Marke 10. 21. of Christianity but prophane persons lewd liuers notorious blasphemers professed scorners and malicious opposers against the Professors and practisers of Gods true Religion §. Sect. 4 Of the false iudgement of the world shewed in their bitter censures of the godly And thus we may incourage our selues in the duties of a godly life against the hatred of the world and wicked men Let vs in the next place consider
Lord our own consciences shal approue iustifie vs. Let vs consider that as the praise applause of men Matth. 7. 1 2. is mutable and momentary so likewise their contempt disprayses and false censures of which wee within a while shall be acquitted and they being repayed according to their owne measure shall be iudged and condemned The which argument the Prophet vseth to incourage vs in this case Harken vnto me ye that know righteousnesse the people Esay 51. 7 8. in whose heart is my Law feare yee not the reproch of men neither be afraide of their reuilings for the Moth shall eate them vp as a garment and the Worme shall eate them vp like wooll but my righteousnesse shall be for euer and my saluation from generation to generation Finally let vs remember that it hath beene alwaies the lot of the Righteous who haue truely feared God and made conscience of all their waies to be vilified and basely esteemed amongst wicked worldlings Thus the Israelites because they serued God according to his will by offring vnto him such sacrifices as he required were so contemned and despised of the Gen. 43. 32. idolatrous Egyptians that they accounted it an abomination to eate with Gen. 43. 32. them Of this the true Church complayneth and against this it prayeth Haue mercy vpon vs O Lord haue mercie vpon vs for we are exceedingly Psal 123. 3 4. filled with contempt Our soule is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease and with the contempt of the proud So likewise Dauid complayneth I am small and despised yet doe I not forget thy precepts Psal 119. 141. And the Apostle Paul speaking of himselfe and of other Gods faithfull Ministers saith that they were made and reputed as the filth of the 1. Cor. 4. 13. world and the off-scowring of all things Which Saints and seruants of God wee must be contented to accompany in their contempt and vile esteeme when by the profession and practice of the truth we fall into it if euer wee meane to accompany them in glory Yea our Sauiour Christ himselfe was content for our sakes to be contemned and Esay 53. 2 3. despised amongst men as it was foretold by the Prophet and whilest he performed the duties of his calling to be accounted a friend and companion of Publicanes and sinners yea to be himselfe esteemed a notorious sinner a prophaner of the Sabbaths whilest hee healed on them a Sorcerer whilest he did miracles a Wine-bibber whilest he consorted with sinners after a familiar manner that he might call them to repentance and lastly after a despised life to die a contemptible and reprochfull death euen the death of the Crosse and thereby to be numbred amongst the wicked And therefore why should the members looke for honour and high esteeme where the Head was so scorned and contemned Why should wee not for his sake deny our selues and our owne credit and reputation amongst men who therefore despise vs because wee deuote our selues vnto his seruice Why should wee not thinke such contempt our chiefest glory and the base esteeme of the world sufficiently recompenced when wee are dignified with the title of Gods seruants and sonnes and with that precious account which he maketh of vs Why should we not with patience and ioy follow our Head in the same way by Heb. 12. 2. which he ascended vnto glorie comforting our selues according to his example against all contempt and reproch by looking vpon the ioy which is set before vs CAP. VI. Of externall impediments whereby the world hindreth vs in the duties of a godly life and first slaunders and derision §. Sect. 1 How we may be armed against the slaunders of the world ANd these are the impediments which are internall in the mindes and iudgements of wicked worldlings Those which are externall arise from their words and actions Concerning the former the world seeketh to discourage all those which truely feare God in their profession and holy practice by their contumelies and foule aspersions slaunders and reproches For when they haue nothing in truth to obiect against them in respect of their holy and vnblameable conuersation then imitating their father the deuill who is a false accuser of the brethren they loade them with calumnies and slaunders either by laying to their charge the things which they neuer did or reporting things materially true after a false and malicious manner that with these obloquies and reproches they may discourage them in their Christian courses and discountenance and disgrace euen their best actions Thus Ahab accused Elias to be a troubler of Israel and Amazias 1. King 18. 17. Amos to haue conspired against the King in the midst of the house of Israel Amos 7. 10. and that the Land was not able to beare his words Thus they slaundered Stephen that he had spoken blasphemous words against Moses and against Act. 6. 11. God Paul and Silas that they were troublers of the Citie and State that Act. 16. 20. 17. 7. 18. 13. they did contrary to the decrees of Caesar saying that there was another King one Iesus That they perswaded men to worship God contrarie to the Law That Act. 21. 28. 24. 5. they taught all men euery where against the People Law and Temple and had polluted that holy place by bringing Greekes into it And thus by Tertullus they slaundered Paul affirming that he was a pestilent fellow and a mouer of sedition among the Iewes throughout the world c. Yea so malignant are these blacke mouthes that they dared to cast foule and false Matth. 12 24. 26. 61. Luk. 23. 2. aspersions vpon our Sauiour Christ himselfe and blot and blemish the white and pure robe of his innocencie with their vniust and reprochfull calumnies And such measure his Saints and seruants found at the hands of wicked men in the time of the persecuting Emperours such haue they found since and shall doe vnto the end of the world Against which discouragemenst if we would be armed wee must remember that this needeth not to seeme any strange thing vnto vs seeing our Sauiour Christ hath foretold that this should be the lot of all his seruants to be reuiled and slaundered for his sake and the Gospels That our Head and Lord hath borne these reproches for our sake and therefore wee his members and seruants must not thinke much if wee suffer the like for him and his truth That there was neuer any so deare vnto God nor innocent amongst men who haue not beene whipped with the scourge of malicious tongues and therefore we must not thinke to goe alone vpon earth but must here beare them company if euer wee hope to enioy their society in that heauenly happinesse Secondly if we would not be discouraged with Nos modò id agamus vt malè de nobis nemo loqui absque mendatio possit Hieronym ad
their heads and made themselues merry with his lamentable crie and pittifull complaint My God my God Matth. â—7 27. to 4â— Luk. 23. 31. Matth. 10. 24 25. why hast thou forsaken me Now if they haue done these things to a greene tree fruitfull in all grace and goodnesse what will they doe to a drie and barraine If they haue thus scoffed and derided our Lord and Master let vs not who are his poore and vnworthy seruants thinke much to be thus vsed If he haue suffred all these taunts and scornes for our sakes why should wee thinke it much to suffer with patience and ioy the like or greater if it were possible for his sake and the Gospels Yea if he haue meekely borne our sinnes and sorrowes and shed his precious blood and indured the heauie wrath of God due vnto vs that he might saue and deliuer vs out of the hands of all our enemies how vngratefull are we for all his loue if wee will not for his sake indure a taunt a spitefull scorne or reprochfull name but chuse rather to neglect the duties of his seruice and to runne with wicked worldlings vnto the same excesse of riot So oft therefore as the scoffes of prophane men discourage and dis-hearten vs in Christian duties let vs animate and strengthen our resolutions in them by looking with the eye of faith vpon our Sauiour Christ hanging naked vpon the Crosse and dying a shamefull death for our sinnes contemning this disgrace and swallowing vp this shame with the infinitenesse of his loue Let vs be content to accompany him in despising these despites that we may also accompany him in glory and happinesse according to that of the Apostle Let vs runne with patience the race which is set before Heb. 12. 2 3. vs looking vnto Iesus the Author and finisher of our faith who for the ioy that was set before him indured the Crosse despised the shame and is set downe at the right hand of the Throne of God For consider him that indured such contradiction of sinners against himselfe lest wee bee weary and faint in our minds §. Sect. 4 Of the necessity of Christian Apology and profession of the truth Secondly let vs consider that this Christian apology in the profession of the truth and practice of all holy and Christian duties is a matter of Luk. 9. 23. vrgent necessity which as neerly concerneth vs as the euerlasting saluation of our soules For they that will be Christs Disciples must take vp their crosse daily and follow him and bee contented for his sake and the Gospels to forsake kindred and friends houses lands and life it selfe if they be called thereunto Now how shall we with patience and constancy indure for Christs sake wounds and stabs if wee shrinke for words and scoffes How shall wee euer hope to suffer rackes and gibbets fire and sword for the profession of the truth and the practice of Christian duties if we be daunted with euery small disgrace and discouraged in them with reprochfull names and scornefull taunts Let vs thinke with our selues that if we cannot indure causelesse shame before men which is accompanyed with true glory how shall we be able to beare that euerlasting shame and confusion of face when as Christ shall be ashamed to acknowledge Math. 10. 33. Mark 8. 38. vs for his before his Father his holy Saints and blessed Angels because we haue been ashamed of him and his truth Now that wee may performe this duty which is so necessary with cheerfulnesse and delight and contemne the derisions and scornings of gracelesse men when they scoffe at vs for the performance of Christian duties blushing for shame that we should be thus ashamed let vs consider that when wee are most derided of the wicked world for the conscionable performance of any Christian duties we are then most approued of God and therefore when they seeke to daunt vs with their scoffes and to driue vs from our Christian hold with gibes and reproches let vs oppose this as a shield of strength against them saying vnto our soules My defence is Psal 7. 10. of God who saueth the vpright in heart Let vs comfort and cheere our selues with the peaceable testimony of a good conscience and our inward ioy in well-doing and with the applause of the holy Angels who looke vpon vs and the approbation and praise of all that feare God Let vs remember that they are pronounced blessed by our Sauiour who are Mat. 5. 10 11. Luk. 6. 22. thus abused for righteousnesse sake and that they shall raigne with him in his glory who haue suffered with him in these disgraces that then for Esa 61. 7. their shame they shall receiue double honour and for confusion they shall reioyce in their portion and euerlasting ioy shall be vnto them In which respect the Apostle Peter exhorteth vs to reioyce in as much as we are partakers of Christs 1. Pet. 4. 14. sufferings that when his glory shall be reuealed we may be glad also with exceeding ioy And therefore let no scoffes and scornes discourage vs but let vs with the Apostle approoue our selues in all things by honour and dishonour 2. Cor. 6. 8. euill report and good report and accompany our Sauiour Christ bearing his Heb. 13. 13 14. reproch that we may accompany him in glory for we haue heere no abiding City but we seeke one to come as the Apostle speaketh CAP. VII Of worldly persecutions and how we may be strengthened against them §. Sect. 1 Of the worlds cruelty in persecuting the godly WE haue shewed in the former Chapters what impediments the world and wicked men cast in the way to hinder our profession and practice of the true Religion which respect their iudgment and affections their words and outward gestures and now we are to intreat of those which respect their works and actions And these are their contumelious and malicious handling of them and the bitter persecutions which they raise against them that they may either hinder them wholly from proceeding in the course of Christianity or at least cause them to goe on with much discouragement and discomfort The which contumelies and persecutions are great and manifold as the pursuing of them with all malice and extremity from place to place apprehending them as malefactours haling them before their Iudgment seats false accusations vniust condemnations imprisonments and banishments fire and sword tortures punishments executed and inflicted in the most exquisite manner which wit and malice can deuise and impose And this malicious rage of wicked men the Prophet Esay in liuely manner expresseth The act of violence saith hee is in Esa 59. 6 7 8. their hands Their feet run to euill and they make haste to shead innocent blood their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity wasting and destruction are in their paths The way of peace they know not and there is no iudgement in their goings Neither doth
Creatour Fourthly because in our sharpest persecutions we are so inwardly comforted with the consolation of Gods Spirit that in our greatest sufferings our ioy may well exceed our griefe For as the 2. Cor. 1. 5. sufferings of Christ abound in vs so also our consolation aboundeth by Christ as the Apostle found in his owne experience And this is that lasting and full ioy that our Sauiour promised to giue and so to continue it vnto vs Ioh. 15. 11. that no man should bee able to take it from vs. This is that ioy which causeth vs to reioyce in tribulation singing vnto God with Paul and Silas Psalmes of praise when our backes are torne with stripes and our feet Act. 16. 25. fastened in the stockes §. Sect. 5 Of the patience which the Saints haue shewed in suffering persecutions Fourthly let vs incourage and comfort our selues against all persecutions by remembring the patience and meekenesse the ioy and thankfulnesse which the Saints and holy Martyrs of God haue shewed in suffering all crosses and calamities tortures and grieuous paines which the wicked world could inflict vpon them For wel may we go forward in this afflicted way with ioy and comfort when as we haue the Word of God to be our guide the holy Martyrs of former ages as precedents for our imitation and the faithfull that now liue with vs to beare vs company Thus wee reade that the Apostles reioyced that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for the Name of Christ Thus the Saints tooke ioyfully the spoiling of their Act. 5. 41. goods knowing in themselues that they had in heauen a better and more induring Heb. 10. 34. substance And when they were tortured accepted not deliuerance that they might obtaine a better resurrection Others had triall of cruell mockings Heb. 11. 35 36. and scourgings bonds and imprisonment They were stoned sawne in sunder tempted and slaine with the sword c. And thus the holy Martyrs of the Primitiue Church and of later dayes euen tyred their tormentors with their patience and constancie out-faced their most bitter tortures with their cheerefull countenances reioyced in the scorching flames and euen before they died triumphed ouer death And therefore as the Apostle exhorteth seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses let vs Heb. 12. 1. lay aside euery weight and the sinne which doth so easily beset vs and let vs run with patience vnto the race that is set before vs c. §. Sect. 6 That our persecutions for righteousnesse sake shall bee richly rewarded Fifthly let vs consider the great and rich rewards which are giuen graciously vnto all those who suffer for the truth and righteousnesse sake For Phil. 1. 29. first in it selfe it is an high and holy priuiledge to suffer any thing for the name of Christ which the Apostle maketh a higher degree of dignity then simply to beleeue in him to iustification which is common to ordinary Christians For vnto you saith he it is giuen in the behalfe of Christ not onely to beleeue on him but also to suffer for his sake which is a prerogatiue peculiar to the holy Martyrs In which regard the Apostle Iames would haue vs to account it not an ordinary matter of common reioycing but of exceeding ioy when wee are thus tempted and tryed But how Iam. 1. 2. much more haue we cause of vnspeakeable ioy in our greatest afflictions and persecutions if we consider the present comfort which wee feele in conscience of well-doing and the inward peace and ioy in the holy Ghost which alwayes accompany our sufferings for the profession of the truth and practice of holy duties and the future rewards which God hath promised to all that indure them with constancie and patience For if wee lose this life which is mortall and momentany we shall in lieu thereof find such an one as is immortall and euerlasting If we suffer with Christ we shall Ioh. 12. 35. also raigne with him If we be persecuted for righteousnes sake we are by Christs 2. Tim. 2. 12. owne mouth pronounced blessed because the Kingdome of heauen belongeth Mat. 5. 10. vnto vs. So the Apostle Peter If ye suffer for righteousnesse sake 1. Pet. 3. 14. happy are ye and be not afraid of their terrour neither be troubled yea rather as our Sauiour exhorteth Reioyce and be exceeding glad for great is your Mat. 5. 11. reward in heauen And the Apostle Peter likewise willeth vs to reioyce in as 1. Pet. 4. 13. much as we are partakers of Christs sufferings because when his glory shall be reuealed we shall be glad also with exceeding ioy And surely if we consider well of it there can be no greater cause of sound reioycing seeing there is no comparison betweene our present sorrowes and future ioyes betweene our smart of afflictions and solace of heauenly delight either in their quantity or continuance according to that of the Apostle I reckon that Rom. 8. 18. the sufferings of the present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be reuealed in vs for after that we haue suffered but a little while 1. Pet. 5. 10. God will call vs into his eternall glory by Christ Iesus and as the Apostle speaketh These light and momentany afflictions shall cause vnto vs a farre more 2. Cor. 4. 17. exceeding and eternall weight of glory And therefore let vs not looke to the sorrowfull seed-time but to the ioyfull haruest not to our present labours but to our Sabbath of rest not to our bleeding wounds in the Christian Warfare but to our victory and euerlasting triumph not to the fire and faggot gibbet and sword but to the glorious Crowne which Apoc. 2. 10. shall be set vpon his head that fighteth vnto the death Let vs looke to Iesus Heb. 12. 2. the Author and finisher of our faith who for the ioy that was set before him indured the Crosse despising the shame and is now set downe at the right hand of the Throne of God that so following his example wee may partake with him in ioy and happinesse On the other side let vs set before vs the dreadfull estate of those men at the day of Iudgement who either to please men or to gaine their worldly ends or finally for feare of punishment haue denyed Christ and his Truth either verbally with their mouthes or really in their actions For amongst other desperate sinners the fearefull Apoc. 21. 8. shall be reiected of Christ and haue their portion in that lake which burneth with fire and brimstone And as they haue denyed him before men so he will Mat. 10. 33 34. 7. 23. deny them before his Father in heauen saying Depart from me ye workers of iniquity I know yee not Suppose therefore that wee could by neglecting all Christian duties attaine vnto the honours riches and pleasures of the earth
in vaine lest in that great Day of accounts the blood of these men who haue perished by their euill example be required at their hands Let them remember that counterfet piety is double iniquity that the hypocrite shal be cut off his hope perish that the seeming holy Pharise is much more odious in Gods sight then Publicanes and open sinners seeing they more dishonor God disgrace his holy truth then any other Finally that God wil be honored in all those that draw neere vnto him either by rewarding their sincerity or punishing their hypocrisie and that aboue all others the hypocrite shall be assuredly plunged into that bottomelesse Gulph of hellish condemnation in which regard when our Sauiour speaketh of the vndoubted punishments of desperate sinners he vsually saith that they shall haue their portion with hypocrites in outer darkenesse where shall be weeping and gnashing Matth. 24. 51. of teeth Those also who are not yet called and regenerate are to be admonished as they tender the euerlasting saluation of their soules that they doe not suffer themselues to be hindred and discouraged by this scandall of the euill liues of hypocrites and weake Christians from the profession of Gods true Religion and the practice of holy duties And to this purpose that they ascribe these enormities or frailties to any thing rather then vnto the profession of the truth or the outward practice of it in any Christian duties of Gods seruice As namely to the malice of the deuill who with his tentations assaulteth professours with more hellish policy fury then other men because their sins fals doe most dishonor God and blemish the beauty and brightnesse of his shyning truth to the wily spite of worldlings who with all their indeuour intice or compell those that make any shew of Religion to accompany them in their wicked courses that they may countenance their actions by their examples or escape their admonitions and reprehensions when as they are now become alike faulty Or to their deepe and poysonous corruptions which notwithstanding their outward profession doe still lye secretly lurking in their hearts which cause them to breake out into those sinnes which their owne consciences inlightened with Gods truth doe vtterly condemne Neither can they with more shew impute their scandalous sins and foule falls to the iust and pure Religion professed by them then the crookednesse of the worke to the right and perfect squire or the foulenesse of their hands to the pure cristall fountaine which if it were rightly vsed would wash and make them cleane For what are all their faults but crooked aberrations from this straight way of truth What are they but such sinnes as are continually condemned and beaten downe in the preaching of the Gospell For how can they haue any incouragement to goe on in their wickednesse by their often hearing of Gods Word wherin his fearfull Iudgements are daily denounced against all those who liue in their sinnes And therefore accursed be that foule mouth if it bee not washed in the teares of vnfained repentance that dare belch out such a blasphemie against Gods holy truth as to say that if there were lesse preaching and hearing of the Word there would be more obedience towards superiours and more loue and charity towards equalls and inferiours And likewise thrice vnhappy they who will so stumble at this stone of offence cast into their wayes by the euill liues of hypocrites as that they refuse to take vpon them this holy profession or to bring forth better fruits then they in their Christian practice As if all should refuse physicke because some dye that take it or wholsome food because some who haue their stomackes full of corrupt humours are not nourished thereby but becomming more sicke doe presently cast it vp againe without profit Finally let no weake Christians bee discouraged by the euill liues of hypocrites from making open and bold profession of Gods truth and bringing forth the outward fruits of it in the practice of all Christian duties because they would not be thought like vnto them For what were this but to deny Christ before men because we would shun their reproches and to be in truth impious in the neglect of Christian duties because we would shunne the suspicion of hypocrisie What were this but to esteeme more of the vaine and false censures of prophane worldlings then of the approbation which our good actions and holy duties shall haue from God and a good conscience What were this but to refuse to be Gods true treasure and pure gold because there are in the world many counterfeit slips to grow in his field and to lye in his barne like good wheat because there are tares in the one and chaffe in the other What were this but to giue ouer our lawfull callings and honest labours in them because there be some of the same trade that discred it themselues and their calling by their fraudulent and deceitfull dealings But if this preuaile with vs let vs also be ashamed to eate wholsome food because some haue surfeted on it or to drinke such drinkes as others haue abused to drunkennesse Yea rather because others haue disgraced the pure and true Religion which we professe by their wicked liues let vs who are sincerely minded make open profession of it that we may adorne it by our holy conuersation for the more it is blotted and blemished with their fruits of iniustice the more it needeth the hands of innocents to wash and restore it to its natiue purity And thus much of that scandall which ariseth from the euill liues of hypocrites of that which is caused by the bad example of euill Ministers I haue before spoken and therefore refer the Reader to that which hath been said CAP. IX Of the impediments of a godly life arising from the flesh and first such as arise from the intellectuall faculties §. Sect. 1 That the most dangerous impediments arise from our owne corrupt flesh IF there were no other or greater impediments to hinder vs in the wayes of godlinesse then those which are already handled yet were there no cause why we should flatter our selues with a vaine conceit that we may goe forward in this course with much ease as being a thing so slight and ordinary that the atchieuing of it needeth little care and small indeuour But how much more will this fond opinion vanish and the necessity of vniting all our forces cleerly appeare for the attaining vnto any perfection in spirituall graces and the outward practice of them in the duties of a godly life if we further consider that there are many more and far more dangerous impediments which arise from our sinfull flesh and the inbred corruption of our polluted nature the which is so auerse and contrary vnto the sincere and spirituall seruice of God that nothing in the world seemeth more irksome and tedious vnto it In which regard wee can no sooner set our selues seriously
are so bitter and vnpleasant to the flesh that they make vs immoderately sorrowfull and to breake out into some impatiency as though they were signes of Gods wrath and displeasure and not of his fatherly loue correcting vs for our amendment Seuenthly and lastly this sorrow ariseth in the hearts of weake Christians when as they compare themselues with others that haue made a better and greater progresse in the graces of Gods Spirit and in the duties of a godly life being hereby moued to think that the graces which they see in others are wholly wanting in themselues because their lesser light is obscured by a greater and seemeth nothing because it is not of equall brightnesse Or if they haue any at all yet that it is false and hypocriticall because it is but of slender growth and much inferiour to those which we obserue in many others whom notwithstanding we haue as much exceeded in meanes as they vs in the fruits of them By which sorrowes and heauinesse arising from these and such like causes the poore Christian doth more more weaken the operation of Gods graces in him in the duties of a godly life because he doth too much already apprehend their weaknesse and more disableth himselfe because he seeth his inability For hauing with immoderate griefe weakened his body and spent his spirits oppressed his heart and terrified his conscience he is made lumpish and dull vncheerfull and vncomfortable in all the duties of Gods seruice For the remouing of which impediment we must carefully take heed that we doe not disioyne faith from our repentance but as wee haue one eye vpon our sinnes that wee may sorrow for them so the other eye vpon our Sauiour Christ who hath fully satisfied for them Secondly we must not dreame vpon any perfection of sanctification in this life though we labour after it and then we shal not be too much deiected and mourne immoderately for our imperfection whereas if we fancy vnto our selues a farre greater measure of grace and holinesse then it is possible for vs to attaine it will be a cause of excessiue sorrow when we finde how farre we come short of our hopes Thirdly we must looke vpon Gods graces and the fruits of them in holy obedience as testimonies of Gods loue and euidences of our sanctification and not as being any meritorious causes of his fauour and our saluation For then we need not to stand so much vpon the quantity and degree of them as vpon their sincerity and truth which when we finde we may reioyce in the assurance of Gods free grace and loue through Iesus Christ Whereas if we looke vpon them in their worth and worthinesse the sight of their imperfections will bereaue our hearts of all sound comfort Fourthly we must consider that the first and least degrees of true grace are accepted of God and will make vs also acceptable vnto him For hee will not breake the bruised reed nor quench the smoking flax He respecteth Math. 12. 20. and tendreth his young lings and weaklings as well as those who haue attained to greater strength and he hath pronounced them blessed who Math. 5. 6. hunger and thirst after righteousnesse as well as those which are perfectly righteous Finally as we must take notice of that wee haue not that wee may labour after it so also we must not neglect what wee haue that wee may be truly thankfull vnto God from whose free grace we haue receiued it among which we may number spirituall life whereby onely we can be sensible of our wounds and weaknesse the sight and sense of our sinnes by which we are moued to deny our selues and to fly vnto Christ hungring desires of grace and holinesse seeing wee haue Gods promise that they shall be satisfied And so we shall ioyne faith with our repentance ioy with our mourning loue and thankfulnesse with our meeknesse and humility §. Sect. 5 Of desperation and that it is a great impediment to godlinesse Finally these scrupulous feares and carnall sorrow if they bee not remoued or moderated will bring vs by degrees into that fearfull gulph of deepe despaire whereby we shall cast off all hope of Gods mercy and reiect the all-sufficient merits and satisfaction of Iesus Christ through our incredulity as though the multitude and hainousnesse of our sinnes did farre exceed them And this is the very cut-throat of all piety and the diuels strongest and most horrid chaine to inslaue men in his seruice and to hinder them from entertaining so much as a thought or desire of seruing God in the duties of a godly life For it wholly discourageth a man from proceeding in such a way as offreth no hope of bringing him to his iourneys end It maketh a seruant wholly to neglect his duty when as hee is quite cut off from all expectation of reward It causeth men to giue themselues to all sensuality voluptuousnesse and prophanesse when they haue no other hopes but what this present life offereth vnto them and the rather that they may hereby put off for a little while their terrours of conscience and griefes of minde as it were by drinking of cold water in the fit of a feauer And wanting faith by which wee are vnited vnto Christ in whom a lone we can bring forth fruits of holinesse and righteousnesse how can we otherwise chuse but be vtterly barren in all true obedience and like wild Oliue trees bring forth onely fruits of impiety and wickednesse Which impediment if we would remoue we must remember that the Lord is infinite in grace and mercy as he describeth himselfe Exod. 34. 7. in his Word so that though our sinnes be many and grieuous yet they are infinitely exceeded by them for his mercies are aboue all his workes Micah 7. 18. That he taketh delight in shewing mercy toward repentant sinners seeing hereby he exerciseth his nature and magnifieth his holy name in the manifestation of his grace and goodnesse That he loued vs when we were his enemies yea so loued vs that he sent his onely begotten and dearely Ioh. 3. 16. beloued Sonne to dye for vs and therefore will not now reiect vs when as through Christ we sue and seeke to be reconciled vnto him That he hath made his free couenant of grace with vs wherein hee hath promised the remission of all our sinnes vpon the alone condition of faith bringing forth the fruits thereof in vnfained repentance and that his promises are indefinite without exception of any sinners and therefore shall assuredly belong vnto vs if we doe not reiect them through vnbeliefe That the merits and satisfaction of Christ are of infinite value and an all-sufficient satisfaction for the sinnes of the whole world if they were applyed by faith and that he hath giuen vnto vs his couenant in writing and ratified it by his Sacraments which he hath annexed as seales to the great Charter of our peace that there might no place be
spirituall enemies before we can obtaine full victory or triumph in glory All which as on the one side they must not daunt and dismay vs because our ioyes exceede our griefe our comforts our crosses and they which are on our part those that are against vs so on the other side they should keepe vs when we enter into the course of Christianity from dreaming of ease or pleasing our selues with a vaine conceit that we shall finde pleasures without paines and vndertake such a worke as is so easy that we may go about it betweene sleeping and waking easily ouercome it though we be neuer so negligent And contrariwise make it appeare how necessary it is that before we goe about this building we cast vp our accounts when we haue resolued vpon it that we arme our selues with courage fortitude that ouercōming all difficulties and oppositions we may be able to perfect and finish it §. Sect. 7 Of the meanes whereby wee may attaine vnto Christian fortitude Now the meanes of attaining vnto this Christian fortitude whereby we are made ready to doe whatsoeuer God commandeth and to suffer whatsoeuer he imposeth are first to consider what our Sauiour Christ hath done and suffered for our sakes what pouerty and contempt shame and disgrace slanders and reuilings blindfolding and buffeting scourging and crucifying what inward sorrowes and bitter agonies in the sight and sense of Gods wrath due vnto our sinnes hee hath meekely and patiently indured for vs. And this argument the Apostle Peter vseth to strengthen our resolution against all difficulties For as much then as Christ hath suffered for vs in the flesh arme your 1. Pet. 4. 1. selues likewise with the same minde seeing as Apostle speaketh He therefore indured these things lest we should bee weary and faint in our mindes Heb. 12. 3. And then also let vs thinke with our selues who it was that suffered all this namely Iesus Christ the innocent and righteous who neuer sinned and in whose mouth there was no guile the glorious and eternall Sonne of God equall vnto his Father in might and Maiesty And for whom he suffered all these great euils euen for vs and for our sinnes which were strangers and enemies vnto him dead in our sinnes and the children of wrath as well as others and the motiues and manner of these sufferings not vpon our intreaty and much lesse desert not by any compulsion or constraint but vpon his owne accord and out of his meere grace and good will meekly and cheerfully To consider likewise what our Sauiour hath done for vs namely forgiuen the infinite debt of our sinnes ouercome all the enemies of our saluation reconciled vs vnto God vnited vs vnto himselfe whereby we haue communion with him in all his benefits imparted vnto vs some portion of his sauing graces and innumerable pledges of his loue and fauour which are also earnest-pennies of our saluation For who can thorowly ponder these things and not be thereby armed with a magnanimous resolution of doing and suffering any thing for Christs sake For did our Lord and Master suffer all this for vs and shall wee not be ready and willing to suffer much lesser things for him Shall our Captaine and Generall lye in the field and indure much hardnesse and many sharpe and dangerous conflicts and shall wee take our ease at home and solace our selues in worldly delights Did hee indure many afflictions and grieuous persecutions for our sakes that hee might purchase for vs euerlasting life and happinesse and himselfe leade vs the way vnder his Crosse and will we dreame of going to that place of ioy without paine or difficulty as it were lying in an Horse-litter and sleeping in a bed of Downe Was his loue towards vs so great and inestimable that nothing could hinder him from emptying himselfe of glory and comming to vs that he might worke that great worke of our Redemption and shall wee not be willing and resolute to goe vnto him thorow thicke and thin fire and water euill report and good report affliction and persecution that he may make vs partakers of his glory and crowne vs with his happinesse Could no difficulty daunt and discourage him from shewing the infinitenesse of his loue in doing all things necessary for our saluation and shall we thinke any taske too hard to bee vndertaken which may expresse our loue our desire to glorifie him and care to please him Secondly we may strengthen our selues in this magnanimous fortitude and resolution by obseruing the courage and constancy of Gods Saints and seruants of former ages and in our owne times whom no difficulties could discourage either from doing that which God requireth or suffering that which hee inflicteth Of both which we haue for our imitation the examples of the Patriarches Enoch Noah Lot Abraham Isaac Iacob Iob Dauid and the rest of the Prophets and holy men of God the Apostles of Iesus Christ and the deuout and godly Martyrs which succeeded them who were not onely content to spend their sweat and labour in Gods seruice but were also prodigall of their blood and patiently indured the most cruell and exquisite torments which wit and maljce could deuise rather then they would leaue their holy profession and practice of Gods truth And therefore if these Saints of the same nature with vs and bearing about with them the like infirmities did vpon the same grounds which wee likewise haue in common with them couragiously withstand all oppositions and valiantly rush thorow all difficulties which stood in their way and hindred them from following their Lord and Master Iesus Christ why should euery small danger daunt vs and a little labour and short paines dismay and discourage vs from going on in the duties of a godly life If they thought it too little to expresse their loue towards their Sauiour to indure with patience and ioy death it selfe and exquisite torments shall wee thinke it too much to take a little paines in mortifying our sinfull flesh and the lusts thereof Were they content to suffer the rendings and tearings of wilde beasts rackes gibbets fire and sword and will not we to shew our loue to God and his Christ our blessed Sauiour who hath done and suffered so much for vs take a little paines in the duties of a godly life as fasting praying watching and the rest that we may glorifie them by our holy conuersation Finally if wee would attaine vnto this magnanimous fortitude which easily ouercommeth all difficulties wee must continually haue in our eye the eternall recompence of reward according to the example of our Sauiour Christ the Authour and finisher of our faith who for the ioy Heb. 12. 2. that was set before him indured the Crosse and despised the shame For if hope of a little gaine make Merchants so resolute and valiant that they dare expose themselues to the dangers both of sea and land if souldiers are so full of courage and fortitude
may be reclaimed from going on still in this erroneous and tedious course and that others may not be discouraged by their example from resoluing to lead a godly life let vs know that there is no ioy comparable vnto that which is or ought to be in Christians that desire to serue and please God in their holy conuersation For if as Bernard hath Oblatus siquidem Isaac sanctificatus est non mactatus Non Isaac sed aries morietur non peribit tibi laetitia sed contumacia c. Bernard sermo de verbis Petri Ecce nos reliquimus omnia excellently obserued wee can be content with Abraham in faith and obedience towards God to offer and sacrifice our Isaac First our laughter and ioy it shall onely be sanctified but not slaughtred and killed Thy Isaac shall not die nor thy mirth perish but the Ram only that is the peruersnesse and prophanenesse of thy pleasure and ioy which endeth alwayes in griefe and anxiety Isaac thy ioy shall not die as thou supposest but shall surely liue onely it shall be lifted aloft vpon the Altar and vpon the wood that thy ioy may be holy and heauenly sublime and lofty not in the flesh and things beneath but in spirituall things in the crosse of Christ those high and holy priuiledges which we haue through him For howsoeuer Christians in their first conuersion and humiliation chiefely act the part of sorrow heauines in the sight and sense of their manifold and haynous sinnes and shead teares of bitter griefe looking vpon him whom they haue pierced yet being Zach. 12. 10. Rom. 5. 1 3. iustified by faith hauing peace with God in assurance of his mercy and remission of their sins they triumph with ioy euen in their afflictions and tribulations and though they sow in teares yet they reape in ioy though they haue a dropping and sorrowfull seed-time yet their haruest which yeeldeth vnto them a fruitfull crop of sauing graces which yet are but the first fruits of their succeeding ioy and heauenly happines is full of mirth gladnes So that with Dauid they reioyce Psal 4. 7. more in the bright beames of Gods gracious countenance shining vpon them then worldlings doe or can doe when their corne and wine is increased And though they be in respect of their afflicted estate As sorrowfull yet they are alwaies reioycing as the Apostle speaketh because 2. Cor. 6. 10. they know that all things euen crosses and calamities themselues worke together for their good The which will more manifestly appeare if we a little further consider the testimonies and examples of holy Scripture For the Psalmist telleth vs that the voyce of reioycing and Psal 118. 15. saluation is in the Tabernacles of the righteous And Salomon speaking of Wisdome which consisteth in the sauing knowledge of God and his truth and the practice of it in all holy and religious duties saith that her wayes are wayes of pleasantnesse and all her paths are peace So Dauid saith Pro. 3. 17. of the Church and children of God the liuely members of it That Psal 36. 8. they should be abundantly satisfied with the fatnesse of his house and that he would make them drinke of the riuers of his pleasure Our Sauiour also promiseth vnto the Disciples and in them to all the faithfull that he Iob. 16. 22. would giue them such a permanent ioy as no man should be able to take it from them And finally the Apostle setteth it downe not as a common gift but as a speciall fruit of the Spirit not drooping sorrow and disconsolate heauinesse but ioy and peace And this also appeareth Gal. 5. 22. by the examples of the holy men of God recorded in the Scriptures Thus Dauid saith My soule shall bee ioyfull in the Lord it shall reioyce Psal 35. 9. in his saluation Neither did he onely thus reioyce in the testimonies of Gods fauour and conquest of his enemies but also in his obedience and keeping of Gods Law I haue reioyced in the way of thy Psal 119. 14 16. testimonies as much as in all riches I will delight my selfe in thy Statutes I will not forget thy Word And againe I delight to doe thy will O my God Psal 40. 8. yea thy Law is within mine heart Thus the Apostles reioyced euen in Act. 5. 41. their persecutions because they were thought worthy to suffer for Christs sake and Paul and Silas when as their backes were torne Act. 16. with sore stripes and their feete locked in the Stockes Thus the Apostle found matter enough to glorie in through Iesus Christ in things Rom. 15. 17. pertayning to God And tasted such vnspeakeable ioy in the knowledge of Christ and him crucified that he disclaymeth all other Gal. 6. 14. ioy And else-where he professeth that he had no scant measure of this sweet delight but that he was filled with comfort and was exceeding 2. Cor. 7. 4. ioyfull euen in all his tribulations Neither is this ioy whereof I speake in which the Christian exceedeth all other men sensuall and carnall in the pleasures of sinne and the fruition of earthly vanities not in rioting and reuelling in swilling and drinking dicing and carding vaine dalliance and good fellowship chambring and wantonnesse for such Eccles 2 1 2. pleasure he accounteth vanity and such mirth madnesse and chuseth rather to goe into the house of mourning then into the house of such feasting reioycing because such ioy laughter is but short and momentany like the crackling of thornes vnder a pot and alwaies endeth in Eccles 7. 2 6. sorrow and anxiety It is not in mad mirth and in sinfull and vnlawfull delights for Christian charity reioyceth not in iniquity but reioyceth in the 1. Cor. 13. 6. truth and this ioy is alwayes ioyned with righteousnes and the peace of a Rom. 14. 17. good conscience in which the Kingdome of God consisteth For being subiects of Christs Kingdome such as it is such also is their ioy but his Kingdome is not of this world but spirituall heauenly and therefore their ioy and reioycing is likewise of the same nature And howsoeuer Gods children may and ought to reioyce euen in his temporary blessings as they are testimonies of their heauenly Fathers loue and also in honest sports and recreations of which I haue before spoken wherby they are fitted for higher duties as musicke shooting hunting hawking and such like those cautions before set downe being duely obserued yea howsoeuer in these respects they haue greater more iust cause of ioy and reioycing then any worldling because these are but vsurpers who haue a fearefull account to make of their intrusion whereas the other haue their right restored vnto them by Iesus Christ yet these are not the chiefe ioyes which they rest vpon as being in cōparison dull and heartlesse cold and comfortlesse only they vse them for the
desire thine is the power might whereby thou art able to grant our requests and thine also is the glory both of giuing all good things and also of all good things giuen and therefore thou wilt be willing to heare our suits seeing they tend to the aduancement of thy glory And so Lord we ascribe vnto thee vniuersall Kingdom whereby thou rulest and gouernest all things and acknowledge thy wisdome power and prouidence to thy prayse in disposing of them at thy pleasure we acknowledge and ascribe vnto thee the glorie of being our King who preseruest and defendest vs rulest and gouernest vs with the Scepter of thy Word holy Spirit We ascribe vnto thee all power wherby thou art able to doe whatsoeuer thou wilt and magnifie thy Name for keeping ruling vs with this power vnto saluation We render vnto thee all glorie and the deserued praise of all thy goodnesse magnifying thee according to the multitude of thy mercies and the excellencie of thy gifts wherewith thou hast inriched vs desiring that wee may ascribe all the good wee haue done or can doe to thy glorie as being the supreme end of all things And this thy Kingdome Power and Glory wee doe not limit with the longest time but ascribe them vnto thee from euerlasting to euerlasting euen as thou thy selfe art without beginning or ending And thus holy and heauenly Father we testify our faith and the truth of our desires by saying Amen and giue the assent of our hearts to the words of our mouthes in all our petitions beleeuing that thou in thy good time wilt grant all our suites which we haue made according to thy will as shall best stand with thy Glory and our saluation in which perswasion we conclude our prayers and attend thy leisure through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen A priuate Prayer for the Morning O Lord our God most glorious in maiesty and omnipotent in power who fillest heauen and earth with thy presence and yet in a more speciall manner vouchsafest to dwell with those who are of a broken heart and contrite spirit to heare and helpe them in all their necessities I thy poore humble seruant in the mediation of Iesus Christ doe make bold to approch into thy glorious and dreadfull presence that I may lay open before thee my wretched estate and condition by reason of my manifold and grieuous sinnes and those fearefull punishments both temporall and eternall vnto which by their guilt they haue most iustly obliged mee For though thou diddest create me holy and righteous according vnto thine owne Image yet I haue falne from that state of innocency and blessednesse in the loynes of my first father Adam and by beeing guilty of his sinne am become also liable to his punishment And as I am partaker of his sinne by imputation as being one of his taynted posterity so also of the corruption of his nature by propagation the which like a fretting leprosie or running canker hath wholy ouerspred all the powers and parts of my soule and body vtterly disabling them vnto all duties of thy seruice and making them the ready instruments of sinne and Satan And whereas in their creation they were fit habitations for thine owne Maiesty to dwell in by thy Spirit through this naturall corruption they became cages of vncleane birds yea noysome sinkes exhaling and breathing out the lothsome sent and poysonous vapours of carnall concupiscence and filthy lusts Mine vnderstanding is so darkened with ignorance that it is naturally vnacquainted with thy will and waies and though it bee wise to euill yet vnto that which is good I haue no knowledge my carnall reason and wisedome is enmity against thee and vnderstandeth not the things of thy Spirit but so foolish it is that it iudgeth them foolishnesse My iudgement is so corrupted that it hath no spirituall discerning being ready to mistake euill for good falshood for truth and wrong for right My conscience is either seared or superstitious either senselesse of sinne or scared with shadowes my minde and imaginations are onely and continually euill rouing wholy after earthly things and neuer minding spirituall and heauenly My memory is become a storehouse of iniquity with which it is so fully fraughted that there is no roome for good instructions and the rich treasures of thy sauing Truth My will is so corrupted that it standeth in flat opposition to thine holy will approuing and chusing that which thou dislikest and condemnest and refusing and abhorring that which thou likest and commandest My heart is wholy turned from thee and cleaueth to world and earthly vanities and is full of infidelity security and impenitency hardned in sinne and vnflexible to all good Mine affections are wholy corrupted and disordred louing fearing and trusting in the creature more then in the Creator and all the members and parts of my body are sluggish and slothfull vnto all duties of thy seruice but the apt and ready instruments of my sinfull soule for the acting of all manner of wickednesse From which cursed fountaine of originall corruption haue plentifully flowed those poisonous streams of actuall transgressions whereby I haue violated broken thy whole Law in thought word and deede For in stead of doing thy Law I haue wholy transgressed it in stead of obseruing the duties commanded I haue committed the vices forbidden in stead of continuing in obedience I haue continually disobeyed it from my tender infancy to this present day A great part of my time I haue lien starke dead in trespasses and sinnes not being able to thinke a good thought or entertayne a good desire because both my minde and will were enslaued vnto Satan in the chaynes of sin And all this while my eares were deafe mine eyes blinded and my heart without vnderstanding so as I could neyther heare see nor discerne the things which concerned thy glory and mine owne saluation but vtterly neglected thy many and gracious calls inuiting me to thy seruice Yea Lord since the time that thou hast through thy mighty power and of thy mere grace quickned and raysed me from this death of sinne how haue I like Lazarus come out of the graue bound hand and foote and still so fettred and hampred with the relikes of my corruptions that I walke slowly and lamely in the wayes of thy Commandements oftentimes neglecting vpon euery slight occasion the duties of holinesse and righteousnesse and oftentimes performing them with such weakenesse and imperfection as it is hard to say whether they were not better vndon then so done O how often doe I forget euen the mayne end for which I liue namely that by glorifying thee I may liue eternally and as though I were a citizen of the earth how haue I my conuersation here spending my thoughts and strength about worldly vanities which profit not and not so much as minding spirituall and heauenly things How slowly alas do I come to the duties of thy seruice who art so infinitely bountifull in thy
performing our promises made vnto thee if thou shouldest looke to the perfection of our graces and outward actions and not vnto the inward truth and sincerity of our hearts For wee haue not thorowly acquainted our selues with the knowledge of thy sauing truth concerning this great mystery of our saluation nor searched and examined these spirituall Euidences for the cleere vnderstanding of them and much lesse for the bringing of them home to our hearts and consciences that in them we might haue sound peace and comfort in the assurance of thy loue and our owne saluation Our faith hath beene exceeding weake in apprehending and applying Christ and thy gracious promises made in him and wee too too negligent in vsing those blessed meanes which thou hast graciously affoorded vs for the strengthening of it For we haue not onely beene exceeding negligent in hearing reading and meditating in thy Word the great Charter of our peace which containeth in it all our spirituall and heauenly priuiledges but also in making right vse of thy Seales the Sacraments annexed vnto it especially this of our Lords Supper which thou hast ordained for the spirituall food of our soules to nourish them vnto euerlasting life Wee haue not highly esteemed of this holy banquet but haue often pretended excuses and absented our selues when as thou hast graciously inuited vs vnto it Wee haue not hungred and thirsted after this heauenly Manna and waters of life but with cloyed appetites haue carelesly neglected them when as they haue been set before vs. And when we haue presented our selues at this holy feast we haue come to thy Table after a cold carelesse and formall manner without all due preparation and haue performed this holy action with prophane and vnwashen hands more for custome then for conscience sake Wee haue come in much ignorance of thee and thy truth thy gracious Couenant and the Seales annexed vnto it and that little knowledge wee haue had hath beene more in our heads then in our hearts and affections in idle speculation then in vse and practice Wee haue not rightly discerned the body of our Lord nor put that difference which wee ought betweene these elements consecrated to this holy seruice and those which are for common vse We haue not duly considered as became vs the relation betweene the signes and the things signified but haue too much stucke in the outward elements and actions not looking to the spirituall graces signified and sealed by them We haue not approoued our selues as worthy ghests by renewing carefully and conscionably our faith and repentance but haue presented our selues before thee with much infidelity and great impenitencie though since our last comming to thine holy Table we haue often renewed our sinnes neither haue we brought foorth such plentifull fruits of charity towards our brethren for thy sake as thou requirest and as it becommeth the true members of Iesus Christ either by liberall giuing vnto those that want or free forgiuing those who haue offended vs. Wee haue not shewed our Sauiours death in this holy action nor thankefully remembred the great worke of our Redemption by his precious death and blood-shed And though wee haue professed our selues thy seruants by wearing thy liuery yet wee haue not indeuoured to walke worthy this high calling by glorifying thee our Lord and Master O Lord our God shame and confusion couereth our faces not onely in the sight and sense of our manifold and grieuous sinnes both originall and actuall but also of our great imperfections and corruptions which wee shew in the best duties of thy worship and seruice Wee confesse holy Father that if thou shouldest enter into iudgement with vs and deale with vs according to our deserts thou mightest iustly make voyd thy Couenant with vs depriue vs of these meanes of our saluation or else make them vneffectuall and of no vse vnto vs whilest wee inioy them But seeing wee are heartily sorry for our sinnes and not onely vnfainedly bewaile our imperfections but also desire and labour after more perfection promising for the time to come that wee will more carefully vse all good meanes whereby wee may bee inabled to performe all duties of thy seruice in a more perfect manner Good Lord wee most humbly beseech thee for Iesus Christ his sake to pardon graciously all our wants and weakenesses to accept according to thy gracious promises our will for the deed our poore indeuours for perfect performance and to couer all our imperfections vvith Christs perfect righteousnesse and obedience and to wash away all our corruptions in his most precious Blood And seeing wee doe now againe intend to performe the holy duties of thy seruice in hearing thy Word Prayer and receiuing of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Good Lord wee earnestly beseech thee for thy Sonnes sake to assist vs so with thy grace and holy Spirit as that wee may performe these actions of thy seruice in some good and acceptable manner for the aduancement of thy glory the comfort of our soules and the furthering and assuring of our owne saluation More especially wee-intreate thee to inable vs with thy grace that wee may bee duely prepared and come as worthy ghests to thy Table Giue vs a liuely sight and sense of our sinnes and imperfections wants and weakenesses and let vs hunger and thirst after Christ and his righteousnesse and after the spirituall food of his Body and Blood for the nourishment of our soules vnto eternall life Let vs not coldly and formally performe this high and holy dutie but bend all the powers of our soules to the doing of it in some such manner as may bee acceptable in thy sight Inlighten our mindes more and more with the sauing knowledge of thee and thy truth and especially of the great worke of our Redemption and thine infinite loue shining in it of the Couenant of grace and Seales annexed vnto it and let not this knowledge reside onely in our vnderstandings but let it also descend into our hearts that it may bee profitable for their sanctification Inable vs rightly to discerne our Lords Body and feelingly to vnderstand the relation betweene the Signes and the things signified applying both vnto our selues in their right vse To this end indue vs with a true and liuely faith that wee may not onely receiue the outward Elements but also may inwardly feed vpon the precious Body and Blood of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ that thereby wee may be inriched with all sauing graces strengthened vnto all good duties and nourished vnto euerlasting life Inable vs also to bring foorth the fruits of this faith in vnfained repentance bewayling our sinnes past hating those corruptions which still hang vpon vs and resoluing to leaue them for the time to come and to serue thee in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our liues And as wee haue daily renewed our sinnes so giue vs now grace that wee may renew our faith and repentance bathing our soules and
meate offerings I will not accept them c. But let iudgement run downe as waters and righteousnesse as a mighty streame So the Lord professeth that hee would not be pleased with thousands of Rams Micah 6. 6 8. or ten thousand riuers of oyle no not with the first borne of their body for the sinne of their soules vnlesse also they would doe iustly and loue mercy And though we be neuer so iust in our dealings and so bountifull that wee could bee content to giue all our goods to the poore yet if it bee not ioyned 1. Cor. 13. 3. with piety and charity and doe not proceed from sauing knowledge and a liuely faith true obedience and a good conscience it is all worth nothing and no better then glorious sins in Gods sight And therefore if we would haue our seruice accepted we must according to the Apostles example liue both holily towards God and iustly and vnblameably towards 1. Thes 2. 10. men If we would approoue our selues to be the redeemed of the Lord we Luk. 1. 74 75. must serue him in holinesse and righteousnesse before him and that not by fits and flashes but all the dayes of our liues But of these points I haue spoken before at large when I intreated of integrity and constancy the inseparable properties of a godly life and therefore referre the Reader to that place §. Sect. 3 Their obiection answered who pretend that they haue outgone many others Furthermore being deluded with the flesh we are ready to obiect that though we haue not attained to that perfection which were to be desired yet we are forward enough in the course of Christianity seeing wee haue outrunne many others although there are many also who are farre before vs. For answere whereof we are to know that he who thinketh that he hath proceeded farre enough hath not as yet set one foot forward in the Christian Race and though we had made some good progresse yet if wee now stand still and doe not continue running till wee come to the goale wee shall neuer obtaine the Garland And therefore imitating runners who striue for a prize we must not looke so much to those whom wee haue outrunne as to those that are still before vs that wee may ouertake and get before them to the marke seeing if wee stand still and rest in that which we haue already done he that is furthest behind yet continueth running will soone ouertake vs get the Garland from vs. We must not please our selues in our good proceedings and runne no more for in the wayes of Christianity hee that goeth not forward goeth backward and when we cease to be better we begin to be worse neither must we looke how farre we haue proceeded but how much of the Race remaineth still vnrunne and how farre we are yet from the Goale of perfection And with the Apostle forgetting those things which are behind and reaching Phil. 3. 13 14. foorth to those things which are before we must presse towards the marke for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus Hee that is ambitious is not pleased with his present honours because hee is preferred before many others but if there bee yet any aboue him hee is not quiet in his minde till hee haue matched or exceeded him O then why should wee bee so sluggish about spirituall and heauenly preferments which are incomparably of greater worth and excellencie why should wee not be as religiously ambitious in aspiring euen vnto the highest degrees of heauenly glory and happinesse which is permanent and euerlasting as in striuing after worldly honours which are contemptible in their worth and momentany and mutable in their continuance seeing man that is in honour Psal 49. 12. abideth not but is like the beasts that perish as the Psalmist speaketh §. Sect. 4 Their obiection answered who affirme that Ministers only are bound to the strict performance of religious duties Moreouer the flesh is ready to obiect that howsoeuer this strict performance of Christian duties be required of Ministers who haue more knowledge and many helpes which many others want and also fewer lets and distractions hauing by reason of their small imployments about worldly things little else to doe then to attend vnto spirituall exercises yet those who are of the common sort of people as Trades-men Artificers and Husbandmen cannot by the same reason be so strictly tied to religious duties seeing they are simple ignorant and vnlettered and haue much more businesse and imployment in the works of their calling To which I answere first that though Ministers be tied to exercise themselues aboue all others in those personall duties which belong to their speciall calling as reading Meditation and studie in the Scriptures and other religious duties which are more proper and peculiar vnto them yet the generall duties of Christianity as Prayer Thanksgiuing receiuing the Sacrament watchfulnesse and such like doe lye out in common both to them and all other men that are true members of the Church In regard whereof there is no distinction or difference between one and another seeing our Sauiour Christ hauing with his precious Blood washed vs all from our sinnes hath made vs all alike Kings and Priests vnto God and his Father Neither Apoc. 1. 5 6. hath he selected some onely from among the rest vnto whom he hath appropriated the religious duties of Gods seruice but hath made vs altogether indifferently a chosen generation a royall Priesthood an holy Nation a 1. Pet. 2. 9 5. peculiar people that wee should shew foorth the praises of him who hath called vs out of darkenesse into this marueilous light and to offer vp spirituall sacrifice acceptable to God by Iesus Christ And howsoeuer the publike performance of these religious duties doeth more peculiarly belong vnto them in respect of their publike calling in the Church yet priuate deuotions and the duties of Gods seruice and a godly life belong indifferently vnto all without exception or exemption of any person Neither are the admonitions and exhortations vnto these duties in the Scriptures directed onely vnto Ministers as that they should keepe the spirituall watch examine themselues put on the Christian Armour pray continually and in all things giue thankes but vnto the whole Church and people of God Secondly howsoeuer Gods Ministers ought to shine as lights in the world to bee good examples vnto their flockes ouer which God hath made them ouerseers to bee guides vnto the rest of the faithfull that they may leade and direct them in the wayes of godlinesse and to bee Captaines of the Lords Armies to goe out and in before them yet it is to this end that the people should walke in their light and no longer sit in darkenesse and in the shaddow of death that they should imitate their holy example and propound them as good patternes and precedents for their imitation that they should follow their guides
be directed by them and tread in their footsteps so long as they goe before them in the wayes of truth and godlinesse and finally that they should march after their spirituall Captaines and Leaders and ioyne with them in fighting against the enemies of their saluation For it were as good for them to want these burning and shining Lights if they sit idly still and doe nothing to haue no such examples if they neuer imitate them to bee without guides if they will not follow them and these Captaines and Leaders if they let them sustaine alone the brunt of the battell and not like faithfull Souldiers ioyne common forces against common enemies Thirdly I answere that if the speciall imployments of our particular callings might make vs dispence with the generall duties of Christianity and Gods seruice the Ministers calling if we faithfully walke in it and diligently performe our duties hath as much businesse and imployment and not many fewer or lesse distractions from priuate religious duties then those which are of other professions As besides his priuate studies Reading and Meditation vnto 1. Tim. 4. 15 16. which hee must seriously attend that hee may prepare and fit himselfe for the publike seruice of the Church and the gouernment of his owne family hee must also watch ouer his flocke visit the sicke strengthen the weake comfort the afflicted priuately admonish those that erre and goe out of the way exhort those that are sluggish and rebuke those who wilfully offend and continue in their sinnes All which if they be performed with that conscionable care which they ought will leaue them as little time as other men for their priuate deuotions although vnder this pretence they must not bee neglected Finally though more bee required of Gods Ministers in respect of degree seeing where the Lord bestoweth a greater measure of his gifts and graces there hee requireth that they should in a greater measure bring foorth the fruits of holy obedience yet the same duties are to bee performed of all Christians according to the proportion of their grace receiued and both alike are tyed to yeeld vnto God their common Master religious seruice although those who exceed in knowledge and other gifts are bound to doe them in more perfection And howsoeuer a greater measure of knowledge is required of the Minister then the people because his lips must preserue Mal. 2. 7. it as in a common Treasury that they may haue recourse vnto him for the supplying of their wants yet as all men must liue by their owne Habac. 2. 5. faith so also they must walke by their owne sight and haue such a measure of knowledge and illumination of the Spirit as may be sufficient to direct them in all Christian and religious duties For their soules being alike precious vnto them as theirs are who are called to the Ministery and the way and meanes the same which bring both to eternall life and happinesse it behoueth them both alike to labour after this common saluation in the performance of the same Religious duties which are also required of both as common vnto them §. Sect. 5 Their obiection answered who pretend the want of meanes But here againe they are ready to obiect that if they had such means of knowledge and other sauing graces as others enioy and such helpes and furtherances in the duties of a godly life as many abound with then with some reason they were to be blamed if they did neglect them But alas they are vnder some ignorant or idle minister which cannot or wil not instruct them or such vnconscionable guides as shine not in the light of a good example but rather lay stumbling stones of offence before them by their enormious and scandalous liues and neglecting all good duties themselues doe dis-hearten and discountenance them who are carefull to performe them rather then any wayes encourage them either by their words or actions In which regard they thinke that they may be excused if they be not so zealous and forward in performing the Religious duties of Gods seruice and of a godly life To which I haue in part before answered namely that if this be our case first we must vse all good meanes to moue them to their dutie especially that we powre forth our hearty prayers vnto God for our Pastours and Ministers intreating him that he will inlighten their mindes and sanctifie their hearts and affections and so make them as able as willing to performe those high and holy duties vnto which they are called And secondly if the courses which they still hold affoord vs no better hopes then accounting the glorifying of God in the eternall saluation of our soules that one thing necessary which is farre to be preferred before all earthly commodities wee must labour to place our selues vnder such Pastors and Teachers as will carefully and conscionably breake vnto vs the bread of life and shine before vs not onely in the light of doctrine but also of an holy life conuersation In the meane time these outward wants must not make vs neglect the Religious duties of a godly life or if they doe they cannot be sufficient to excuse our negligence which doth not so much proceed from the want of externall meanes or those discouragements which are without vs as from the secret corruptions that lie lurking within vs. Which if they were thorowly mortified and our hearts inflamed with feruent zeale and true deuotion we would not be moued by these publique defects and discouragements to neglect the priuate duties of Gods seruice yea rather wee would vse them with more diligence as being through want of the other pressed vpon vs with a greater necessity For he that hath no friends or parents to looke vnto him or such as greatly care not whether he feed vpon wholesome food or famish for want of bread findeth that he is the more bound hereby to prouide for himselfe Whereas contrariwise these corruptions which make vs neglect the duties of Gods seruice still remayning in vs and quenching in our hearts all zeale and deuotion would make vs alike cold and negligent in our priuate exercises of Religion although the publike meanes which we enioyed were neuer so excellent Of the former we haue an example in Dauid who when he liued in the barren wildernesse had his soule so watred with the dew of Gods grace that it neuer brought forth more better fruits of holines and so inflamed with the fire of Gods Spirit that he was neuer more deuout in religious exercises nor more zealous in the priuate duties of Gods seruice though being banished and exiled from the Tabernacle and the publike place of Gods worship he was withall depriued of the ordinary means of his saluation And the like we see in the example of the persecuted Martyrs who neuer were more feruent in their priuate deuotions then when they durst not shew themselues in open assemblies but hid their heads frō