A Guide to Go to God, Petition 5 · Section 158 – Section 160
§. 158. Of doubling our care for the good of our ſoules.
Q. WHy are there two Petitions for our ſpirituall good?
A. 1. The things concerning our ſpirituall eſtate are farre more excellent: as the ſoule is more excellent then the bodie,Things of the ſoule moſt excellent. and as things concerning eternall and heauenly happineſſe ſurpaſſe ſuch as concerne onelyonly a temporall and earthly contentment.Mat. 13. 44, 45, 46. The Merchant that ſold all that he had to buy the treaſure hid in the field, and the pearle of price, was not ignorant hereof.
2. They are more abſolutely neceſſarie.Things of the ſoule moſt neceſſarie. We may want the temporall things of this world, and yet not be miſerable. God can turne that want to our aduantage.Luke 10. 42. But the want of ſpirituall bleſſings maketh vsus extreamely miſerable. True happineſſe conſiſteth in the fruition of theſe. Yea the happineſſe of our temporall well-fare conſiſteth in our ſpirituall well-fare. No benefit, no comfort can be receiued from all that this world affordeth, vnleſſe ſinne be pardoned and we freed from the power thereof.
3. We are by nature more dull and backward to ſeeke after things ſpirituall,Man careleſſe of his ſoule. then temporall. Theſe are viſible, and the ſweetneſſe of them is more ſenſible, ſooner diſcerned, and more eaſily taſted. The other being inuiſible, are more inſenſible. So as we hauehave more need to be the more earneſt in ſeeking of them.
Q. What are we taught hereby?
A. Our care for ſpirituall things muſt be double. With much more earneſtneſſe muſt we ſeeke ſpirituall then temporall bleſſings. It is of ſpirituall good things that Chriſt ſaith,Mat. 6. 33. foreign. Firſt ſeeke, &c. Both before and aboue all other things ſeeke them. Firſt, doth not onelyonly note out the order, but alſo the manner of ſeeking.2 Pet 1. 10. foreign. Of ſpirituall bleſſings it is That Saint Peter ſaith, Rather giuegive diligence, or giuegive the more and greater diligence to make them ſure. Our mind muſt with the vtmoſt of our endeauour, euen with full bent be carried that way.
A due conſideration of this point doth manifeſt thee2. Pet. 1. 9. blindneſſe, and aggrauate the folly of them who preferre temporall before ſpirituall bleſſings:Mar. 5. 17. like to the Gadarens, who made more account of their ſwine then of Chriſt. Into this ſhip of fooles may they well be thruſt
1. Who put of the time for ſeeking the good of their ſoules,Who preferre things temporall before ſpirituall. but will looſe no time for aduancing and encreaſing their temporall eſtate. They who put off their prouiding of oyle till the houre wherein the Bridegroome came are ſtiled fooliſh Virgins.Mat. 25. 2, &c.
2. Who put bie the opportunities that by Gods prouidence are afforded for doing good to their ſoules. As Felix, who when by Pauls preaching his heart was ſo ſmitten as he trembled, Acts 24. 26, 27.ſaid, Go thy way for this time: and yet watched all opportunities for a bribe.
3. Who ſo eagerly purſue the things of this world, wherein they take delight,Gen. 25. 29, &c. or from whence they expect profit, as they neglect the care of their ſoules. Such an one was prophane Eſau, who followed the profits and pleaſures of the field till hee fainted, and then ſold his birth-right for a meſſe of pottage.
4. Such as ſeeke the ſpirituall things of their ſoule, but ſo looſely and careleſly as if they cared not much for them. Theſe are like the Luke-warme Laodiceans who can expect nothing but to be ſpued out of the mouth of Chriſt.Reu. 3. 15, 16.
Let vsus be otherwiſe minded: and for that end,
1. Well diſcerne betwixt things that differ.Direction. Till the vnderſtanding be throughly enformed in the difference of matters, and know which are the more excellent, the will cannot encline it ſelfe to one more then to another. This therefore doth the Apoſtle pray for in the Philippians behalfe,Phil. 1. 10. foreign vt dignoſcatis quae diſcrepant. Pſal. 4. 6. To diſcerne things that differ.
2. Wiſely prefer…e the more excellent. As Dauid, who, when others ſaid, Who will ſhew vsus any good? (meaning temporall goods) thus prayed to God, Lord lift thou vp the light of thy countenance vponupon vsus?
3. Stirre vp the gift of God. 2. Tim. 1. 6.That deſire, that louelove, that delight that in any meaſure is in thee towards the ſpirituall good things of thy ſoule, nouriſh, and encreaſe, that they neither decay nor die in thee.
4. Helpe the weakneſſe of nature.Mat. 26. 41. When the ſpirit is ready, the fleſh will be backward.Rom. 7. 21, 23. And when one would do good, euill is preſent with him. A law in the members warreth againſt the law of the mind. This oft maketh vsus dull, heauie and ſluggiſh. Wherefore (as the wiſe man aduiſeth) when the iron is blunt, Eccl. 10. 10.put to more ſtrength.
Hitherto of the generall matter common to the two laſt Petitions.
§. 159. Of the bleſſings which Pardon of ſinne bringeth.
Q. VVHat proper thing is to be conſidered about the order of the fift Petition?
A. 1. The inference of it vponupon the fourth.
2. The Precedence of it before the ſixt.
Q. What doctrine doth that inference afford?
A. By pardon of ſinne the things of this world are made true bleſſings. All the things which in this prayer we are taught to craue, are ſo to be craued as bleſſings. But ſinne is as deadly poyſon to daily bread: while it remaineth vponupon vsus vnpardoned, nothing that this world affordeth can be a true bleſſing: for ſinne bringeth a curſe vponupon euerie creature that we vſe:Deut. 28. 16, &c. but pardon of ſinne taketh away that curſe, and ſo maketh all that wee vſe to be true bleſſings.Pſal. 32. 1. That man therefore is pronounced bleſſed whoſe tranſgreſſion is forgiuen.
Learne hereby in the vſe of all temporall bleſſings to ſeeke for pardon of ſinne. It is one end of Grace before meate (according to the*1. Sam. 9. 13. Math. 14. 19. Luke 24. 30. Acts 27. 35. ancient and commendable cuſtome of Gods people) to hauehave the curſe taken away from the creatures we vſe, and to hauehave them turned into a bleſſing. Do the like, craue pardon of ſinne, before thou goeſt about the worke of thy calling, before thou takeſt a iourney, before thou goeſt to any recreation though thou knoweſt it to be lawfull and meete, before thou goeſt to bed, when thou riſeſt vp, in all things, at all times ſeeke remiſſion of ſinne. Neuer thinke thy ſelfe well or ſafe, no not in thy greateſt abundance or beſt proſperitie till thou hauehave aſſurance thereof.Gen. 4. 7. Sinne not remitted lieth as a bondage at the doore, and keepeth all Gods bleſſings from entring.Lam. 3. 44. Sinne, like a cloud, hideth from vsus the bright Sunne-ſhine of Gods fauour. Sinne like the accurſed thing which Achan ſtole,Ioſ. 7. 11. &c. 2. King. 4. 40. maketh vsus a prey to our deadlieſt enemies. Sinne, as the wilde gourdes, bringeth death with it, and that into ſuch things as are otherwiſe wholeſome,Dan. 5. 5, 6. and good. Sinne, like that hand-writing which on a wall appeared to Bel-ſhazzar, in the middeſt of our greateſt iolletie, will change countenance, trouble thoughts, looſe ioynts, and make knees to ſmite one againſt another. Is there not then great and iuſt cauſe in all things at all times to ſeeke pardon thereof?
This of the Inference of the fift Petition on the fourth.
§. 160. Of the precedence of Iuſtification before Sanctification.
Q. VVHat Doctrine doth the precedence of the fift Petition before the ſixt import?
A. Iuſtification goeth before Sanctification. For the former of the two laſt Petitions concerning our ſpirituall good ſetteth out our Iuſtification, the latter, our Sanctification. This precedence is to be applyed rather to Order, then to Time. For at that very moment that Chriſt pardoneth ſinne, he conueigheth his Spirit into vsus whereby ſinne is mortified. S. Paul therefore where hee ſetteth downe theſe two together, ſetteth Righteouſneſſe before Sanctification.
Iuſtification cauſeth Sanctification:1. Cor. 1. 30. in which reſpect the Apoſtle ſaith that we are ſanctified by faith in Chriſt, Acts 26. 18.that is, faith vniting vsus to Chriſt, by whom we are iuſtified, receiueth grace for grace, a further grace to ſanctifie vsus.
Sanctification declareth Iuſtification:Iam. 2. 24. in which reſpect Saint Iames ſaith, that we are iuſtified by workes: that is, declared ſo to be. As by vertue of our Iuſtification wee are preſented blameleſſe before God: ſo by vertue of our Sanctification wee are declared to be righteous before men.
As the cauſe therefore goeth before the effect, and as the effect followeth the cauſe, ſo are Iuſtification and Sanctification in their order one to another.
1. This order affordeth one ſound argument againſt Iuſtification by workes.Rom. 3. 28.—11. 6. All good workes are parts of Sanctification. If by the merit of them we be iuſtified, Sanctification muſt goe before Iuſtification.
2. This order proueth our Iuſtification to be free.Rom. 3. 24. Becauſe in order of nature it goeth before any good thing that wee can do.
3. It alſo demonſtrateth the precedence of faith before acceptable repentance, in order of nature. Faith is the inſtrument of our Iuſtification, Repentance a principall grace of our Sanctification.
4. It layeth downe the ground of pardon of ſinne:Pſal. 51. 1. which is, nothing in our ſelues, but the meere free grace of God, which is to be pleaded for obtaining pardon.
Thus much of the Order of the fift Petition. The particular good things to be craued, are next to be declared.