A Guide to Go to God, Petition 6 · Section 200
§. 200. Of duties required in the laſt Petition.
Q. VVHat duties are we to endeauour after by virtue of the laſt Petition?
A. 1. To abſtaine from all ſinne. For this is the maine thing heere prayed againſt. This is it which maketh temptation ſo hurtfull as it is. The more we forbeare ſinne, the leſſe damage ſhall we receiue from any temptations.aPſal. 34. 14. Many,Am. 5. 15. many therefore are the dehortations of Scripture againſt ſinne.Rom. 12. 9.
2.c2. Cor. 7. 1. To perfect holineſſe. For vnderunder the auoiding of any euill, an endeauouring after the contrary good is alwayes in Scripture implyed. YeadIſa. 1. 16, 17. they are very oft ioyned together.3. Ioh. ver. 11. Now holineſſe is perfected both bye2. Pet. 1. 5, 6, 7. adding one grace to another, and alſo byf1. Pet. 2. 2. continuall growth in eueryevery grace.Eph. 4. 15.
Theſe two duties ariſe from the generall Summe of the laſt Petition.
3. To be iealous ouer our ſelues, Heb. 3. 12.—4. 1.fearing leſt at any time wee ſhould be ouercome by any temptation. For we are not onelyonly weake, eaſie to be ouertaken, and ouerthrowne by eueryevery temptation, but alſo very proane to yeald to Satans temptations, becauſe they are either agreeable to our corrupt humour, or elſe we ſo fearefull, as to thinke we ſhall neuer ſtand out againſt them. This Chriſtian iealouſie will make vsus the more inſtantly and conſtantly to ſeeke helpe of God.
4.*See §. 192. To auoide all occaſions of euill. Occaſions of euill are temptations to euill. Should not they then who pray againſt temptations, auoide them as much as poſſibly then can?
5. To withſtand beginnings. So did the Apoſtle wheniGal. 2. 5. hee would not giuegive place to falſe brethren (who were dangerous tempters) no not for an houre. Thus much alſo he intendeth in this exhortation, kEph. 4. 27.GiueGive no place to the diuell: which is as if he had ſaid, If Satan at any time tempt you, yeald not an inch to him, let him get no aduantage at all, which he cannot but get, if at the beginning ye yeald any whit at all to him. Much good is got by a due obſeruation of this dutie, and much wiſedome is manifeſted thereby. For that euill which in the beginning is eaſily preuented,Obſta principijs ſerò medicina paratur, Cum mala per longas conualuere moras. Ouid. de Triſt. can hardly, if at all, without very much dammage be redreſſed, after it hath found ſome entrance. Inſtance poyſonous and peſtiferous diſeaſes, fretting and feſtering ſoares, fiers, breaches of water, and enemies entring within the walls of a Citie.
6. To watch continually. lMat. 24. 42.This is a dutie whereunto in Scripture we are much exhorted: and that not without cauſe. For our ſpirituall enemies are alwayes readie to tempt vsus,Turpius eijcit… qu…m non admittitur hoſlis. narrowly prying where to get any aduantage againſt vsus. And ſoone they will get too great aduantage, if we be not the more watchfull.Acts 20. 31. To ſhew that this dutie is fitly inferred out of this Petition,1. Cor. 16. 13. Chriſt expreſly ioyneth it with prayer againſt temptation,2. Tim. 4. 5. ſaying, Watch and pray that yee enter not into temptation.
7. To be m1. Pet. 5. 8.ſober and nLuke 21. 34.temperate: where theſe are not, eueryevery tempter will rule as he liſt. For intemperancie and all exceſſe blind the vnderſtanding, and open a paſſage to all manner of euill deſires and filthy luſts, and make vsus vnfit to pray, to watch, to fight, and to defend our ſelues againſt our ſpirituall enemies.
8. To caſt off eueryevery burden. Heb. 12. 1.By burdens are meant not onelyonly ſuch things as are ſimply euill in themſelues, but ſuch alſo as being in their nature good, and may lawfully bee vſed, yet through our weakneſſe and inabilitie to vſe them well, proue impediments to vsus in our ſpirituall combate: as the riches of that Ruler whom Chriſt aduiſed to ſell all that he had,Luke 18. 22. and to giuegive it to the poore. Thus if honours, offices, recreations, companies which we frequent, or any worldly thing wherein wee delight proue a burden to vsus, and make vsus vnfit to reſiſt temptations, yea rather make vsus yeald to temptations, we are to caſt them off, to auoide and forſake them.
9. To mortifie our members on the earth. Col. 3. 5.The fleſh, that is our corrupt nature,Exponded. which containeth in it the maſſe of all ſinne, is ſtiled abRow. 6. ….—7. 24. Body. This bodie is made vp of ſeuerall particular luſts, and euill motions, as a body of members. And as a bodie exerciſeth all functions by the members, ſo the fleſh executeth all miſchiefes by particular luſts: and one luſt helpeth another, as one member another, and as deare are theſe luſts to the naturall man, as the members of his body. Thoſe particular luſts are therefore fitly ſtiled members, and they are ſaid to be members on the earth, foreign.1. In oppoſition to the ſpirit, and the graces thereof which come from heauen, and bring men to heauen. 2. In their own condition, which is, as the earth, baſe, filthy, corrupt, and vaine: 3. In their operation, whereby they make men grouel and dote on the earth, and the things therein. By mortifying theſe, the foreſaid Bodie (which is a dangerous tempter) will in time be depriued of all ſtrength, & we freed from the danger of the temptations thereof. Be diligent therefore in ſearching them out, and hauing found them ſpare them not ase1. Sam. 15. 9. 33. Saul did the fat beaſts: but deale with them as Samuel did with Agag: and fIoſ. 10. 26.Ioſhua with the kings of Canaan.
10. To beate downe our bodie. This is done by forbearing to pamper our ſelues,1. Cor. 9. 27. and to ſatisfie our carnall deſires, that ſo the fleſh may not waxe wanton, and like a pampered iade become vnruly: but that wee may liue within the compaſſe preſcribed and limited by Gods word.
11. To renounce the world. The world is ſuch a tempter, as bIam. 4. 4.the friendſhip of it is enmitie with God. c1. Ioh. 2. 15.If any man louelove the world, the louelove of the Father is not in him. d2. Tim. 4. 10.Demas, that old Diſciple Demas by embracing the world was brought to renounce his Chriſtian profeſſion. It is therefore moſt meete thateGal. 6. 14. the world be crucified to vsus, and we to the world: that our hearts bee cleane alienated one from another, and that wee hauehave no more to do one with another then the liuing with the dead. Thus ſhall wee bee ſure not to bee ouertaken by the temptations of the world.
12. To reſiſt the diuell. 1. Pet. 5. 9.This is the onelyonly way to eſcape his temptations. He is like a wolfe, which fiercely purſueth and neuer leaueth ſuch as fearefully flie from him: but flieth from ſuch as manfully ſtand againſt him.Iam. 4. 7. So ſaith the Apoſtle, Reſiſt the diuell, and he will flie from you.
13. To put our truſt in God. Pſal. 62. 5, 6, 7, 8.To what end do we elſe pray vntounto God?
14.mIam. 5. 8. To ſuffer afflictions patiently. All croſſes and afflictions are temptations.Reu. 2. 3. By a patient enduring of them, wee keepe our ſelues from being ouercome by them.*See the whole Armour of God, on Eph. 6 15. Let patience therefore hauehave her perfect worke.
The laſt 12 duties ariſe from the firſt part of the laſt Petition.Treat. 2. Part. 5. §. 16.
15. To auoide that which is any way euill. This we praying againſt, muſt carefully auoide.1. Theſſ. 5. 22. The Apoſtle exhorteth to abstaine from all appearance of euill.
16. To returne from that euill whereinto we are fallen. Ier. 3. 1.For they which pray to be deliuered from euill, muſt not lie in euill. All the exhortations in the Scripture to repent, Reu. 2. 5.tend to this purpoſe.
17. To take heed of relapſe. A relapſe in bodily diſeaſes is dangerous: much more in the ſoules diſeaſe. It is a doggiſh tricke to turne to his owne vomit againe.2. Pet. 2. 22.
18. To keepe the enemie from returning after he is caſt out. Mat. 12. 43, 44, 45.Hee will ſeeke to reenter. If he get what he ſeeketh, our laſt eſtate will be worſe then our firſt.
19. To ſtand alwayes armed. Eph. 6. 13.While we liue we ſhall be tempted. Though the tempter be repulſed neuer ſo oft, he will ſtill be prying where to get an aduantage. Therefore ſaith the Apoſtle, Hauing done all, ſtand.
20. Be faithfull vntounto death. Reu. 2. 10.Death bringeth a finall end to all aſſaults.1. Cor. 15. 26. It is the laſt enemie. He who is faithfull vntounto death, by death receiueth full deliuerance from all euill.Perſeuerantia tantum electorū eſt. Bern. in Serm. paru. Serm. 61. Perſeuerance giueth euidence of election to life: for it is proper to the elect.
Theſe ſixe laſt duties ariſe from the laſt part of the laſt Petition.