A Guide to Go to God, Petition 6 · Section 190 – Section 194
§. 190. Of maens proneneſſe to ſinne after forgiueneſſe.
Q. VVHat may be obſerued from the inference of the Si…t Petition in the Fift.Ne fortè in eadem recidamus poſt acceptam veniam peccatorum, orandus à nobis idem ipſe eſt, ne nosinducat in tentationem, &c. Bern. in Quadr. Serm. 6.
A. After pardon men are proue to fall againe. Otherwiſe there were no need for ſuch as hauehave aſſurance of the pardon of ſinne to pray againſt temptation, or for deliuerance from euill. As wofull experience in all Saints, euen the beſt that euer liued, doth verifie the truth hereof, ſo alſo the dayly ſacrifices which vnderunder the Law were appointed. For eueryevery propitiatorie ſacrifice gaue the beleeuer aſſurance of a full diſcharge for his ſinnes, yet after one was offered vp, another, and another, time after time was to be offered.aIoh 13. 10. Grace of iuſtification rooteth not out all remainder of ſin. He that is waſhed needeth not, ſaue to waſh his feet. His feet therefore need to be waſhed. And why ſhould he that is iuſtified need to waſh his feet, if he were not ſubiect to foule them againe and againe?
The grace of iuſtification doth not vtterly root out all remainder of ſinne.Ne ipſis quidam apoſtolis licet Sanctificatis de fuit malitiae. The fleſh abideth in the beſt ſo long as they abide in this world. WitneſſebRom. 7. 18, &c the complaint of that iuſtified Apoſtle Saint Paul. Hilar. apud Aug. l. 2 cont. Iuu. foreignWickedneſſe remained in all the Apoſtles, notwithſtanding they were truely ſanctified.Aug. Har. 38.
There were of old a certaine Sect called Puritans, who indeed were plaine Hereticks,Iſidor. Elym. l. 8. c. de her. and ſo adiudged by the Church, who profeſſed themſelues to be perfectly holy and pure. Their Hereſie is plainely confuted by this Petition.Rhem. on Luk. 15. 1. & on Gal. 3. Yet is it againe reuiued by Familiſts, yea and by Papiſts too. For they hold that ſome are ſo righteous in this life as they need no repentance,Ne quisquam ſi bi puro & immaculo pectore blanaditur. Quia nemo eſſe ſine peccato poteſt, quiſquis ſe inculpatum eſſe dixerit, aut ſuperbus, aut ſtultus eſt. Cypr. ap…d Aug. l. …. cont. Iul. but keepe the Law of God, and by their righteouſneſſe free themſelues from the curſe thereof. If theſe be not Puritans, I know not who be.
For our parts, let none boaſt of a pure and immaculate heart; Seeing no man is without ſinne, whoſoeuer ſaith hee is without fault▪ is either proud or fooliſh.
Let vsus euen after wee hauehave good euidence and aſſurance of the pardon of our ſinne, remaine watchfull againſt all enticements and temptations to ſinne, and well remember that caueat, which Chriſt gaue both to him that he healed at the poole of Betheſda, Ioh. 5. 14.and alſo to her whom, notwithſtanding ſhe were taken in the act of adulterie,—8. 11. he abſolued, Sinne no more. This caueat doth not imply that a man may keepe himſelfe pure from all ſinne, but that hee ought with the beſt care and greateſt watchfulneſſe that hee can endeuour to bee ſo pure. Care therefore muſt be taken to preuent ſinne to come, as well as to ſeeke redreſſe for ſinne paſt: otherwiſe ſinne will ſoone creepe vponupon vsus againe. If Satan be caſt out of a man, he will endeuour to returne into the houſe from whence hee was caſt out;Math. 12 43. 44, 45. and if hee finde it empty he will ſoone take his opportunitie, and enter with ſeuen other ſpirits more wicked then himſelfe. They who take notice of Satans ſubtilty in this kinde, doe by wofull experience finde, that after their moſt frequent prayers, ſtricteſt obſeruation of the Sabbath, ſincereſt participation of the bleſſed Sacrament, ſolemneſt humiliation of their ſoules on a day of Faſt, in and by which holy duties, they hauehave obtained great aſſurance of the pardon of their ſinnes, and much comfort to their ſoules, Satan hath beene very buſie in tempting them afreſh, and drawing them to wallow in the mire of ſinne. Though therefore Chriſt himſelfe ſhould ſay to vsus at once hee did to the man which was brought on a bed to him,gMath. 9. 2. Be of good cheere, your ſinnes are forgiuen you, yet hauehave we no cauſe to bee careleſſe and ſecure, but rather to bee the more watchfull, leſtfMath. 12. 45. Opus eſt nobis quotidiana ſanctificatione vt qui quotidie delinquimus, delicta noſtra ſanctificatione aſſidua repurgemus. Cypr. de Orat. dom § 9. Satan by a re-entry make our laſt eſtate worſe then the firſt. Wee hauehave need therefore of dayly ſanctification, that wee who ſinne dayly may cleanſe away our ſinnes by continuall ſanctification.
§. 191. Of Mans anſwering Gods Mercy by dutie.
Q. VVHat other Doctrine may bee obſerued from the inference of the Sixt Petition on the Fift?
A. The mercy of God to man requireth dutie of man to God. The Fift Petition noteth out Gods great mercy in diſcharging our debt: and the ſixt, our bounden duty in auoiding that which diſpleaſeth and diſhonoureth him: and, by the rule of contraries, in endeuouring after that which pleaſeth and honoureth him. It is ſaid of them, to whomaZac. 13. 9. God ſaith, It is my people, that they ſhall ſay, The Lord is my God.
Equitie, and gratefulneſſe require as much. Moſt iuſt and equall it is that the goodneſſe of a Soueraigne ſhould bee requited with all the duty that a ſubiect can performe: and not to do it, is a great point of vngratefulneſſe.
The vnrighteouſneſſe therfore,Mans vngratefulneſſe. & vngratefulnes of man to God is too manifeſtly declared. Though man hauehave rebelliouſly riſen vp againſt the Lord, & taken part with his enemie, yet hath the Lord graciouſly offered pardon to man: and notwithſtanding his gracious offer of pardon, man will not be drawne from the enemies ſide, but as a ſworne Slaue continueth to fight vnderunder his colours.bDeut. 32. 15. God doth much complaine hereof.
Let vsus be better aduiſed: and firſtcEpheſ. 3. 18, 19▪ take notice of the kindneſſe of the Lord to vsus, and then endeuour todCol. 1. 10. walke worthy of the Lord. Let vsus therefore bee as conſcionable in performing duty to God, as wee are deſirous to receiue mercy of God. That ſo wee may manifeſt a true childlike diſpoſition to God, and ſhew we reſpect him as well as our ſelues in our deſires and endeauours.
§. 192. Of auoiding temptations.
Q. VVHat may bee gathered from connexion of the latter part of the Sixt Petition with the former part?
A. For auoiding euill, temptations muſt bee auoided. To this purpoſe tend the many diſſwaſions in Scripture from temptations, as, aProu. 1. 15.Walke not in the way. Refraine thy foot.b—5. 8. Come not nigh the doore.c—4 15. Auoid. Paſſe away.dIſa. 52. 11. Touch no vnclean thing. eEpheſ. 5. 11.HaueHave no fellowſhip with the vnfruitfull workes of darkneſſe. f2. Cor. 6 17.Come out from among them.
Temptations to ſonnes of Adam are as fire to dry ſtubble,Danger of temptation. dry Tinder, yea and dry Gunpowder. A little ſparke ſoone cauſeth a great flame. Temptation firſt brought man, euen in his innocent eſtate to euill. If then corrupt man auoid not temptation, how can he be free from euill? Obſerue the great euils whereinto the Saints in any ages hauehave fallen, and you ſhall find them to be occaſioned by temptations.gGen. 9. 20, 21. Noahs drunkenneſſe, h—19. 33.Lots Inceſt, i2. Sam. 11. 2.Dauids Adultery, k2. Kin. 11. 4.Salomons Idolatry, lMat. 26. 69, &cPeters deniall of Chriſt, were all euill effects of temptations.
Be wiſe now therefore, O ſonnes of men. You eſpecially that indeed deſire to be free from euill.Meddle not with temptations. Dally not with temptations: but rather, as Chriſt aMat. 4. 4, 7, 10.did, reſiſt them manfully and put them away as farre from you as you can. Men will not bring barrels of Gunpowder neere the fire, but lay them in places farre from fire. Shall they be more carefull for their earthy houſes, then you for your heauenly ſoules? Boaſt not of thine abilitie to quench the fire of all temptations. Thine abilitie in this kinde muſt then be greater then Peters, or Salomons, or Dauids, or Lots, or Noahs, yea or Adams in his innocencie. For a man to caſt himſelfe into temptations, and to receiue no euill from thoſe temptations is as great a miracle as the preſeruation of Shadrach, Dan. 3. 26, &c.Meſhach, and Abednego in the midſt of the hot fiery furnace, was.
§. 193. Of calling on God for all things.
Q. WHat may bee obſerued from directing all the Petitions, which any way concerne our good, to God?
A. God is all in all. The fourth Petition ſetteth him out a aforeign.Giuer of good things. The fift abforeign forgiuer of debts. The former part of the ſixt, acforeign. preſeruer from danger whereunto wee are ſubiect. The latter part of the ſixt, adforeign deliuerer from euill whereinto wee are fallen. On this ground might Dauid well ſay, Whom hauehave I in heauen but thee? Pſal. 73. 25.and there is none vponupon earth that I deſire beſides thee.
They who know and beleeue God to be as hee is, all in all, cannot but deteſt that heatheniſh and blaſphemous diſtinction of white and blacke gods: the former of which they made Beſtowers of good things, 1. Cor. 8. 6.the latter Deliuerers from euill things. But to vsus there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and wee in him. Of him wee ought to ſeeke eueryevery good thing wee want. To him we ought to fly for ſuccour againſt all euill. So we are here taught: ſo let vsus doe.
§. 194. Of the general points for which wee are taught to pray in the laſt Petition.
Q. VVHat are wee to pray for by vertue of the laſt Petition?
1. Such things as concerne the whole Petition in generall: or the diſtinct parts thereof in particular,
1. In regard of the whole, we ought to pray for Sanctification. Thus doth Saint Paul pray for the Theſſalonians, 1. Theſ. 5. 23.The very God of Peace ſanctifie you wholly. As our owne happineſſe moueth vsus to pray for Iuſtification, in the former Petition, that wee may be acquitted of ſinne, for which we ſhould otherwiſe be damned: ſo the honour of God ſhould moue vsus to pray for ſanctification.1. Theſ. 4. 3. For this is the will of God, our ſanctification, and thereby is the holy God much honoured.
2. In regard of the manner of ſetting downe this Petition negatiuely, we are taught to pray for Freedome againſt the power of ſinne, Pſal. 19. 13. 13.as the Pſalmiſt doth where hee ſaith, Cleanſe meè from ſecret faults: keepe backe thy ſeruant alſo from preſumptuous ſins; let them not hauehave dominion ouer mee. For in ſinne there is a guilt which maketh vsus lyable to Gods vengeance (this is prayed againſt in the Fift Petition) and a power which holdeth vsus in bondage, and maketh vsus ſuch ſlaues thereto, as wee cannot ſerue God.
3. For this end we are taught to pray for Participation of the power of Chriſts death, and
4. Participation of the Spirit of Chriſt. For in Chriſts death there is diſtinctly to be conſidered a Merit, and a Power. The Merit thereof freeth from the guilt and puniſhment of ſinne. The Power thereof from the dominion, yea and by degrees from the very act of ſinne: which in the Saints after the death of their body ſhall vtterly ceaſe. Of this power of Chriſts death thus ſpeaketh the Apoſtle,Rom. 6. 4, 6. We are buried with Chriſt by Baptiſme into death, &c. And againe, Our old man is crucified with him, that the body of ſinne might be deſtroyed, that henceforth wee ſhould not ſerue ſinne. This power of Chriſts death is conueighed into vsus by the Spirit of Chriſt.Epheſ. 2. 1. For wee are dead in ſinne. Rom. 8. 11.But if the Spirit of him that raiſed vp Ieſus from the dead dwell in vsus, it will quicken vsus. Wherefore that wee may partake of the power of Chriſts death, wee muſt pray for participation of the Spirit of Chriſt. Dauid well knew how requiſite this Spirit was to keep downe the power of ſinne, and therefore hauing prayed for pardon of ſinne,Pſal. 51. 11. further prayeth that God would not take his holy Spirit from him.
Theſe are the generall things which by vertue of this whole Petition we are to pray for. We will further note out ſuch particulars as concerne the diſtinct parts.