A Guide to Go to God, Preface · Section 77 – Section 80
§. 77. Of the duties to be obſerued; by reaſon of the third Petition.
Q. VVHat duties ought we to endeuour after by vertue of the third Petition?
A. 1. We ought to ſearch the Scripture that we may know the will of God.1. Search the Scripture. For in them is the will of God contained. This is that ſearching, Prou. 2, 4, 5.to which knowledge and vnderſtanding is promiſed. And for our better helpe herein, wee ought diligently to frequent the Miniſterie of Gods Word: as it is noted▪ of the conuetted Iewes,Act. 2. 42. that they continued ſtedfaſtly in the Apoſtles doctrine: whereby is declared that they were diligent and conſtant hearers of the Apoſtles, and alſo faithfull profeſſors and practiſers of their doctrine. The former was the cauſe of the latter. The preaching of the Word is a great helpe to bring vsus to doe the, will of God: and that in a double reſpect. Firſt, becauſe the will of God is thereby the more clearely, diſtinctly, and fully opened vntounto vsus. Secondly, becauſe it is a meanes ſanctiſied of God to breed credence to the truth of that which is reuealed, and a…ſiance therein: yea, and to bow our will, heart, and affections to yeeld thereto, and to bee ſetled thereupon. In this reſpect ſaith the wiſedome of God, which is eſpecially ſet forth in the preaching of his Word,Pro. 8. 33. Bleſſed is the man that heareth me: watching dayly at my gates, waiting at the poſts of my doores.
2. We ought to hide Gods Word in our heart, 2. Remember the word.wee may not careleſſely let it ſlip. So will all the fruit and benefit of our reading and hearing be loſt,Pſal. 119. 11. as meate, or phyſicke that is vomited vp ſo ſoone as it is taken.Heb. 2. 1. But by retaining Gods Word in minde and memory, wee ſhall be prouoked the more to doe Gods will, and kept from tranſgreſſing it: to which purpoſe the Pſalmiſt ſaith,Pſal. 119. 11. Thy word hauehave I hid in mine heart, that I might not ſinne againſt thee. Col. 3. 16.Wherefore let the word of Chriſt dwell in you richly.
3. We ought oft and ſeriouſly to meditate on the excellencie of Gods will, 3. Meditate on Gods word.to draw our hearts the more to it. Whoſe heart was euer more ſet vponupon Gods will to do it thengPſal▪ 119. 5, 20. Dauids? and who did moreh—97, 99, 148. meditate on the excellencie thereof, then he? It was his meditation day and night. The manyiPſal. 19. 7. &c. excellent properties and effects which he doth attribute thereto: and the many kPſal. 119. 72, 103, 127.ſweete and pretious things to which he doth preferre it, do ſhew how excellent he accounted it to be.
4.4. Vow. We ought by ſolemne vow and oathlPſal. 119. 1…6. to bindour ſelues to do Gods will. This is an eſpeciall meanes to keepe our words, thoughts,2. Chro. 15. …, 14, 15. and actions within the compaſſe thereof. For ſacred vowes,Neh. 10. 29. and oathes are as Tutors and Schoole-maſters, which will oft put vsus in minde of that which we hauehave vowed: and when we are about to ſtart there-from they will reſtraine vsus, and hold vsus in.
5. We muſt keepe our owne will from rebelling againſt Gods. 5. Auoide rebellion.There is naturally in our will an antipathie and contrary inclination to Gods.Rom. 7 23. It is very prone to oppoſe and reſiſt the will of God. As therefore we hold in head-ſtrong horſes with bit and bridle, ſo muſt we hold in our owne will: no way yeelding vntounto it, but rather croſſing it, when it riſeth againſt Gods. This is an eſpeciall branch of denying our ſelues.Math. 16. 24. Enitendum vt ſit nobis cum di… vna voluntas: & quaecunque ei placent, placean… etiam & nobis. Bern. in Quadr. Serm. 6.
6 We ought to endeauour that our will may be one with Gods (as Chriſts was, who ſought the will of his Father in all things. Ioh. 5. 30.) and that whatſoeuer pleaſeth God, may pleaſe vsus: ſo ſhall the will of God bee done by vsus indeed.
7. We muſt lay it downe as a rule not to be altered,7. Preferre God before man. and as an inuiolable law to obey God rather then man. For there is no compariſon betwixt them. Yet is our fooliſh and corrupt heart readie to yeeld to ſuch things as they who are ouer vsus,Acts 4. 19. or from whom we may expect any aduantage, will hauehave to be done, yea though it be expreſly againſt Gods will. But the forenamed ſetled reſolution will be an eſpeciall meanes to keepe vsus, as it kept the Apoſtles, Acts 5. 29.from preferring mans will to Gods. Thus this blocke being remoued out of the way, we ſhall much more readily do the will of God.
8. We ought ſtedfaſtly to beleeue that all things are ordered by God: 8. Beleeue Gods prouidence.and that moſt wiſely. This is the beſt meanes that can be preſcribed to bring vsus to a contented ſubmiſſion to Gods determined counſell and will manifeſted by euents.Rom 11. 36. He that beleeueth that as God is a Lord of abſolute ſoueraignty doing what he will (will or nill the creature) ſo he is a God of vnſearchable wiſedome,Math. 10. 29. and infinite goodneſſe, ordering all things to the beſt,Ier. 51. 15. will not grudge againſt that which God doth. For he well knoweth that as there is a neceſſitie of yealding to his will, becauſe it cannot be reſiſted, ſo there is alſo great equitie therein, becauſe it cannot be bettered.
9. We muſt euer be ſtriuing to do the will of God more and more: 9. Preſſe forward.better and better. This dutie ariſeth from the patterne here ſet before vsus. While we are on earth we cannot attaine to the perfection of them who are in heauen.Phil. 3. 13, 14. We muſt therefore forgetting thoſe things which are behind, and reaching forth to thoſe things which are before, preſſe toward the marke for the price of the high calling of God in Chriſt Ieſus. And as we were taught before to deſire the beſt gifts, and therein to ſeeke to excell, ſo for this end we muſt ſtir vp the gifts of God in vsus,2. Tim. 1. 6. and to the vttermoſt put forth that ſpirituall ſtrength which the Lord is pleaſed to beſtow vppon▪ vsus: wiſely obſeruing both what is to be done, and after what manner it is to be done.
10. We ought,10. Pron…ke others. as much as in vsus lyeth, to prouoke others to do the will of God. For we pray not onelyonly for our ſelues, that we may do it, but for others alſo, that it may be done eueryevery where through the earth. Our endeauour muſt be anſwerable to our deſire. Therefore Miniſters, Magiſtrates, Parents, Tutors, Schoole-maſters, Gouernours of families, and all that hauehave authoritie and charge ouer others, muſt moſt eſpecially looke to this: becauſe they hauehave beſt meanes to cauſe others to do the will of God. Thus ſhall they the better diſcharge that charge which is committed to them, and alſo much better accompliſh the extent of that which is here deſired:1. Theſ. 5. 11. in which reſpect euen priuate Chriſtians muſt alſo prouoke one another hereunto.Heb. 10. 24.
§. 78. Of ſinnes againſt Gods will reuealed by his word.
Q. VVHat are the things which we ought to bewaile by vertue of the third Petition?
A. Both tranſgreſſions againſt the Petition it ſelfe, and alſo againſt the Direction added thereto. Againſt the Petition are all manner of ſins both againſt the reuealed word of God, and alſo againſt the manifeſted workes of God.
Sinnes againſt the reuealed word of God to be bewailed by vertue of this Petition are ſuch as theſe.Sinnes againſt the word of God.
1. Ignorance of Gods will reuealed by his word.1. Ignorance. Is it not a lamentable caſe that the Creator ſhould be carefull to reueale his whole counſell ſo farre forth as is requiſite for the happineſſe of his creatures, and yet the creature be careleſſe in taking notice thereof?Ier. 5. 4. This was a thing whereof the Prophets much complained. And it is a matter for which we that liue vnderunder the bright light of the Goſpell hauehave great cauſe to complaine.Hoſ. 4. 6. Neuer was there more meanes of knowledge: yet very ſmall is the meaſure of knowledge whereunto many hauehave attained.Quo pacto voluntatem dei praeuiam ſequar, vbi ignoro …am. Bern, in Quadr. Serm 6. How can it be thought that ſuch as know not the will of God ſhould do it? Can he that knoweth it not, follow it as a guide?
2. Obſtinacie of our will againſt Gods. This may be in ſuch as know the will of God. Chriſt complaineth of the Iewes obſtinacie againſt the good will of God made knowne to them.2. Rebellion of will. The not doing of Gods will is hereby much aggrauated:Math 23. 37. and in that reſpect the more to be bewailed.Luke 12. 47.
3. Slipperineſſe of memory, whereby the will of God made knowne is forgotten. By this the benefit of knowledge is loſt. eIer. 2. 32.God much complaineth hereof: andfHoſ. 4. 6. threatneth for this to forget their children.
4. Deadneſſe of Conſcience, which is the cauſe that men go on in ſinne greedily and ſecurely. The Apoſtle complaineth that men hauehave their conſcience ſeared with an hot iron:1. Tim. 4 2. who being paſt feeling, giuegive themſelues ouer to laſciuiouſneſſe,Epheſ. 4. 19. to worke all vncleanneſſe with greedineſſe.
5. Hatred of Gods word, which is that light that ſheweth the good will of God.iPro. 1 29. Wiſedome complaineth of theſe. There is no hope that ſuch ſhould do the will of God: forkIoh. 3. 20. Eueryman that euill doth hateth the light. Wherupon God thus expoſtulateth with ſuch an one,lPſal. 50. 16. What haſt thou to do to declare my Statutes, ſeeing thou hateſt inſtruction?
6. Actuall tranſgreſſions. Theſe did Dauid much bewaile.mPſal. 119. 136. They are directly contrary to that which is deſired in this Petition. Yet without hoe are theſe eueryevery where, by all, of all ſorts committed. O what cauſe hauehave we to be humbled for our owne ſinnes, for the ſinnes of others that are vnderunder our charge, for the ſinnes of our families, for the ſinnes of the Pariſh, Towne, Citie, or Nation where we liue and for the ſinnes of the times wherewe liue! In this reſpect we hauehave as great cauſe, as euer Ieremiah had,Ier. 9. 1. to wiſh and ſay, Oh that mine head were waters, and mine eyes a fountaine of teares, that I might weepe day and night for the …ranſgreſſions which are daily committed againſt the will of God.
§. 79. Of ſinnes againſt Gods will manifeſted by euents.
Q. VVHat are the ſinnes, againſt Gods manifeſted workes, which we ought to bewaile?
A. 1. Inward diſcontentedneſſe.Sinnes againſt the worker of God.
2. Outward impatiencie.
The former is the cauſe of the latter.1. Diſcontentedneſſe. It is noted of the Iſraelites that firſt they tempted God in their hearts (namely by their diſcontentednes at that prouiſion which he had made for them) and then it is added,2. Impatiencie. that they ſpake againſt God: of both which the Pſalmiſt there complaineth.Pſal. 78. 18.—19. When that which God cauſeth to fall out, any way croſſeth our deſire, as when children or others whom we louelove are taken from vsus, when ſickneſſe, paine, penurie, or any other croſſe is laid vponupon vsus, then we grow diſcontented in our minds, we mutter with our mouthes, and bewray much impatiencie in our actions, and many times ſpare not to blaſpheme the ſacred Name of God, and to ſay, as that prophane King did,2. King. 6. 33. Behold, this euill is of the Lord: what ſhould I waite for the Lord any longer? Who hath not cauſe in this reſpect to be much humbled for the bitterneſſe of his owne and other mens ſpirit, out of which much gall is oftentimes ſpit into the very face of God himſelfe?
§. 80. Of ſinnes againſt the manner of doing good.
Q. VVHat are failings againſt the direction which we ought to bewaile?
A. aIſa. 1. 11. &c.An euill manner of performing good things: as when they are performed
1.bIſa. 29. 13. Hypocritically, in ſhew and appearance onelyonly, and not in truth:
2.c1. Sam. 15. 13, 14. Partially, or by halues: ſo farre as ſeemeth good to our ſelues, but no further.
3.d2. Cor. 9. 7. Grudgingly, as if it were done more by compulſion then by any free diſpoſition of will:
4.eIer. 48. 10. Negligently, and careleſly, without heed-taking, or ſuch reſpect as beſeemeth ſo weightie a matter.
5.fReu. 3. 16. Luke-warmly, without any feruour of affections:
6.gReu. 2. 4. Inconſtantly, as if we repented of that good we had done, and thereupon refuſe to hold on therein.
Hitherto of the three firſt Petitions which concerne the glorie of God. The three other which concerne our good are next to be handled.