A Guide to Go to God, Petition 5 · Section 157
§. 157. Of taking care for our ſpirituall welfare.
Q. VVHat is the generall matter nf the two laſt Petitions?
A. Spirituall. Such as concerneth our ſoules. As in the fourth Petition wee were taught to pray for ſuch temporall bleſſings as were meet for our bodies,Poſt ſubſidium cibi petitur & ve nia delicti, vt qui à Deo paſcitur in Deo viuat: nec tantum praeſenti & temporali vitae, ſed & aternae conſulatur. Cypr. de Orat. Dom. §. 16. and for our outward eſtate in this world: ſo in the fift and ſixt Petitions wee are taught to ſeeke ſuch ſpirituall bleſſings as concern the good of our ſoule, that he who is fed of God may liue in God.
Q. What are we taught hereby?
A. We muſt take care of our ſpirituall welfare. Care muſt be had for the good of our ſoules as well as of our bodies.aIoh. 6. 27. Where Chriſt moueth vsus to moderate our immoderate care for the things of this world, he preſſeth vsus, earneſtly to care for our ſoules. And that not without iuſt cauſe.Mat. 6. 33. For
1. Our happineſſe conſiſteth in the ſpirituall well-fare of our ſoules.Pſal. 32. 2. Bleſſed is the man vntounto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquitie, and in whoſe ſpirit there is no guile.
2. Herein lyeth a maine difference, not onelyonly betwixt reaſonable and vnreaſonable creatures, or ciuill & ſauage men, or Profeſſors of true religion and idolaters, but alſo betwixt all naturall and ſpirituall men. The naturall man, whether he liue in the Church or out of it, mindeth onelyonly the things of this life. The things of the Spirit of God, 1. Cor. 2. 14.which concerne his ſoule and the ſpirituall good thereof, He receiueth not; for they are fooliſhneſſe to him. OnelyOnly the ſpirituall man, who is both in the Church and of the Church, enlightned and guided by that Spirit which is in the Church, and in eueryevery part and member thereof, well diſcerning the things of the Spirit of God, tending to the happineſſe of his ſoule, doth carefully ſeeke after them.
The folly of moſt men is hereby diſcouered.1. Reproofe. For their care is wholly and onelyonly for the things of this life. They neglect their ſoules, as if they had no ſoules at all to care for, or cared not what became of them. Their owne Prouerbe verifieth as much againſt them, which is this, Let God take care for my ſoule, and I will take care for my bodie. A curſed Prouerbe. In both the parts thereof it ſauoureth ranke of Atheiſticall prophaneneſſe. The latter part implyeth a deſperate caſting off Gods care for their bodies: the former, a preſumptuous thruſting of their ſoules on God, againſt that courſe which he hath expreſly preſcribed.
Let vsus learne wiſedome from this ground of wiſedome taught by him that is the wiſedome of God.2. Aduice. Let vsus not diſioyne the care of theſe two ſweete companions, which God hath ſo nearely linked together, our bodie and ſoule. Let both in their place and due manner be cared for. Let ſpirituall things be prouided for the ſoule, which is a ſpirituall ſubſtance, as well as earthly things for the body which is of the earth. By that care which nature moueth vsus to take for the temporall good of our bodies, we ought to be ſo farre from reſting therein, as we ought rather to be raiſed vp thereby to ſeeke how we may procure good to our ſoules. Surely Chriſt by inferring the Petitions for our ſoules good, immediatly vponupon that which concerneth the good of our bodies, intendeth thereby, that by ſence of our bodies need we ſhould be made ſencible of the ſoules need.
For this end, let vsus
1. Take notice of our ſpirituall needs. Ignorance of need maketh men negligent of prouiding things needfull. Laodicea not knowing that ſhe was wretched, Reu 3. 16, 17, 18miſerable, poore, blind and naked, regarded not the gold that might make her rich, the white rayment that might couer the ſhame of her nakedneſſe, and the eye-ſalue that might make her ſee.
2.Prou. 2. 4. Enquire after the meanes of helpe.—4. 5. The wiſe man doth oft much preſſe this dutie of ſeeking and ſearching after the things that are needfull and vſefull.—8. 5.
3. Conſcionably and carefully vſe the meanes which are afforded for helpe. This was the counſell which Chriſt gaue to the forenamed Church of the Laodiceans, to buy gold tried in the fire, and white raiment, Reu. 3. 18.and to annoint her eyes with eye-ſalue.