The Christians Apparelling, Part 3 · Section 25 – Section 28
Section. 25.
Par. 3. §. 25But the true Chriſtian, to helpe him ſtrongly to walke in Gods wayes,The ſound Chriſtian, to helpe him in doing his duty, hath, as proper to him. hath ſuch affections to follow and attend him, which the wicked want: all of them iſſuing out of his faith, as the ground both of them, and of all ſtrength in the ſoule ſtirred vp by them.
1 Faith.Firſt, as is ſaid, the true Chriſtian by vertue of his faith in God, and in his promiſes, is able to ſay, I am able to doe all things through Chriſt who ſtrengtheneth me. This Faith is laid downe by the Holy Ghoſt, as that by which onelyonly the holy Patriarks performed all their workes of obedience, euen in the hardeſt commands of God, & moſt difficult duties.Heb. 11.8. —17.18. By faith Abraham — obeyed, and went out, not knowing whither he went;— yea, by faith being tried, he offered vp Iſaac, though of him it were ſaid, In Jſaac ſhall thy ſeed bee called. So by faith, and through it,Heb. 33.34. Others ſubdued Kingdomes, wrought righteouſnes, — and out of weaknes were made ſtrōg, waxed valiant in fight, & turned to flight the armies of the aliens, as did Dauid: 1 Sam. 17.40This faith of his was that ſling, which, firſt holding and containing, then throwing & ſending foorth one of thoſe fiue ſmoothe ſtones, flew the mighty gyant Goliah, by which the whole armie of thoſe brauing Philiſtines were put to flight. A weake meanes a man would thinke; and ſo it was, for a youth, vnharneſſed, with a ſling onelyonly and a ſtone, to incounter with a man of war from his youth, whoſe height was ſixe cubits and a ſpanne, armed with a coat of male, whoſe weight was fiue thouſand ſhekels of braſſe, his helmet on his head, 1 Sam. 17.4.5.6.7.of braſſe, and ſo his greaues and target, the ſtaffe of his ſpeare like a weauers beame, the head of it weighing ſixe hundred ſhekels of yron: what inequalitie was here if we looke to humane ſtrength? But Dauid had an vnſeene coat of male, and ſuch armour as made him ſtronger then his enemy, and ſtrengthened him to vndertake the combate, in full aſſurance of victory, and that was his faith in God, ſtrenthened by former experience of Gods power and aſsiſtance; with this he came armed, and confronts his brauing and bragging enemy, ſaying to him,verſ. 45.46. Thou commeſt to me with a ſword, with a ſpeare, & with a ſhield; but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hoſts, &c. this day will God deliuer thee into mine hand, &c.
Now this is that Name of God in which eueryevery faithfull man is confident, euen that which the Lord proclaimed before Moſes, The Lord, Exod 34.6.7the Lord God (or ſtrong God) mercifull and gracious, long ſuffering, and abundant in goodneſſe and truth, keeping mercy for thouſands, forgiuing iniquitie, &c. This mercy, truth, and ſtrength of God, laid hold on by faith, as the ſling, are as the fiue ſmoothe ſtones out of the brooke (of which Chriſt,Pſal. 110.7 in whom God is all theſe to vsus, ſhall drinke in the way, and lift vp the head) by which each true Chriſtian dares deale, and that with aſſured hope of victory, with his ſtouteſt enemy that would ſtand in his way, as an hinderance to good duties. When he finds himſelfe otherwiſe weake, naked and vnarmed, he then clothes himſelfe, by the application of faith, with this name of God, & diſtruſting his owne ſtrength, truſts perfectly in it, and in the power, might, mercy and goodneſſe of God in Chriſt, and ſo ſets vponupon the moſt difficult taske and worke of obedience inioyned him, though he meet with many and ſtrong enemies in his way to withſtand him.
This being the ſtrength of a Chriſtian, who only hath this truly bold and venturous ſpirit, how weake on the contrary muſt they needs be,2 Cor 4.13 who wanting this Spirit of faith, and hauing onelyonly humane helpes and motiues to incourage them, and ſet them on worke, faint page missing crucified him, and after by dying for him,Iohn 21.19. glorifie God, and magnifie this his power in him.
2 To ſeeke to and truſt in Gods power and promiſe.2. He that is weakeſt and leaſt confident in himſelfe (as is onelyonly the ſound Chriſtian) is alwayes moſt couragious in God, whiles by faith he lookes to his promiſe: for God calling him to his dutie, and to be ſtrong and couragious, premits this his promiſe,Ioſh. 1.5.6.7 I will bee with thee, I will not faile thee, nor forſake thee. This made Ioſhua vndertake the expulſion of many and great nations, and accordingly effect it.1 Chron. 28.20. This made Salomon vndertake the building and finiſhing of that moſt magnificent, and for outward glory, matchles Temple. This makes ordinary Chriſtians ouercome all feares of want, and perfectly truſt in God and in his prouidence, in the greateſt ſtraits, euen becauſe they hauehave the like promiſe.Heb. 13.5. But this, & the like promiſes made for our incouragemēt to well-doing, is little thought on by preſumptuous and arrogant Chriſtians, who will hauehave euer ſomewhat of their owne to inable them, ſome power of their owne free-wil for the doing of the good inioyned, whereby, they in effect, and as God takes it, arrogate all or moſt to themſelues, ſaying, when ought commanded is done by them, with that proud King of Aſſyria, Iſa. 10.13.By the ſtrength of my hand hauehave J done it, and by my wiſedome, for I am prudent. But this diſcouers their hypocriſie; and this their ſtrength is as weake as Sampſons, after hee had loſt his locks, and forſaken God, and his couenant, by breaking the law of Nazarites. His ſtrength was not in his haire before, but in his God, whom, by letting his haire bee cut, contrary to that law, he thus forſooke.
Now beſides this faith, as the ground of the godly mans ſtrēgth, they hauehave many graces in them, as daughters or attendants of faith,Par. 3. §. 26. by which they are holpen, and vntounto which we muſt all bee exhorted.2 Pet. 1.5.6.7.8.
Section. 26.
But eſpecially they hauehave three affections, which as good ſeruants and attendants,2 He hath to helpe him 3 Sanctified affectōis. waite on them, and doe helpe to ſtrengthen them, and further them in their godly indeauours; all which the wicked want: theſe are, 1. LoueLove to God and man. 2. Deſire. 3 Ioy.
1 LoueLove to God and man.1. LoueLove; this in them is as ſtrong as death, and conſtraines them to doe their duty; and ouercomes the ſpirit of feare, and therefore in Scripture it goes coupled with the spirit of power, 2 Tim. 1.7.which it makes more ſtrong. This louelove being ſtronger in Mary Magdalen towards Chriſt (ſhe louing much,Luk. 7.47. as hauing many ſins forgiuen her) and in the other Mary, then in the Diſciple, made them ſhew more courage, then the Diſciples ſhewed, and ouercome all womaniſh feares in them, whileſt they early came to ſee the Sepulchre where Chriſt was laid.Mat. 28.1. This in the godly ſtirres them vp to all kind of duty both towards God and man. If this godly man be a Miniſter, this louelove of God, and of Chriſts flocke alſo, will compell him to feed Chriſts ſheepe, and that with diligence;Ioh. 21.16. yea, to frame his teaching in that manner (and herein to ouercome himſelfe) as whereby he may moſt edifie Gods people. If a priuate Chriſtian, this ſpirit of LoueLove will ſtirre him vp, both to admoniſh and exhort others, though it be a harſh duty, and a thankeles Office with man; yea generally, this, with Faith & Hope, from which it is inſeparable, ſaith the Apoſtle, will make you that yee ſhall neither be barren nor vnfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt. 2 Pet. 1.8.It ouercomes all difficulties, and expells all feares and diſcouragements, and addes courage & conſtancie to the weakeſt, and furthereth our going vp into Chriſt,Epheſ. 4.15. which without it would not bee.
But, the Hypocrite, becauſe he hath not this Spirit of LoueLove,Reuel. 21.5. hee is timerous, and his character is fearefull, hee dares not venture vponupon neceſſarie duties, if once they threaten him with danger; hee ſhewes no courage for the truth and goodneſſe, becauſe indeed he loues them not,1 Ioh. 4.18. for themſelues: feare makes him abſtaine from doing good, whereas, if the louelove of God and goodneſſe were indeed in him, it would make him couragious for God and goodnes, and fill him with an holy zeale, and not at all careful for the pleaſing or yet diſpleaſing of man; as it was an euident ſigne of Ionathans true louelove to Dauid, when, he feared not the diſpleaſure of Saul his Father, for the louelove hee ſhewed to Dauid.
Section. 27.
2. The godly mans faith is followed with deſire of good,2 Deſire which, being ſtrong in him, (he hungring and thirſting after righteouſnes) will not let him take any repulſe,Par. 3. §. 27. how difficult ſoeuer the duty bee; as we vſe to ſay, hunger will make a man breake through a ſtone wall. This makes him poure out ſtrong cries to God by the prayer of Faith, and whiles hee wreſtles, hee prayes, and fights crying, as did Moſes, I…hoſaphat, 1 King. 22 32.but eſpecially Iacob, who would not let God goe till hee bleſſed him; wherefore his name was called Iſrael, for ſaith God to him,Gen. 32.26.28. as a Prince haſt thou power with God, and with men, and haſt preuailed. Such, in their meaſure, are al the true Iſraelites of God; whileſt they ſtriue with the difficulties of their duty, and herevnto take vntounto them other parts of their ſpirituall Armour, they feeling themſelues weake and neare foyled, hauehave recourſe preſently to their Generall and grand Captaine Chriſt Ieſus, who is euer, when he is fartheſt off, in the Rere, and of him, by prayer obtaine new forces, ayde and ſtrength, whereby they are vndoubtedly conquerours in the end. But, on the other hand, Hypocrites and counterfeit Chriſtians, wanting this spirit of Prayer, as not truly longing after righteouſneſſe, they are as faint and languiſhing in all good endeauours, as they are in their deſires, and ſo for want of true deſire, and of faith whereby they ſhould in their faintings, retire to God, & ſeeke for ſtrength according to his promiſe, they quite giuegive ouer the purſuite of goodnes, when eſpecially it proues difficult, or preiudiciall to their naturall, carnall, or earthly deſires: and thus, by their want of deſire to goodneſſe, they ſhew they hauehave no courage for it, and by their want of courage, they ſhew themſelues deuoid of Gods ſpirit, which is a ſpirit of ſtrēgth, and ſo conſequently, that by it they hauehave not put on Chriſt; ſo do they alſo, by their want of Ioy, Delight and ſweete content in the doing of their duty for it ſelfe,Par. 3. §. 28. which is a third affection which the godly hauehave to helpe and further them withall, which thoſe other want.
Section. 28.
This comfort from well doing from the spirit of comfort, 3 Ioy and delight in doing his duty.or the Comforter, both quickens, & heartens them to it through Hope, and in the doing of their duty, ſweetens it to them, and ſo leſſens the irkeſomeneſſe of it, & when it is done, it both giues good content, wherby they thinke their labour and paines well beſtowed, as alſo leaues in them a deſire and readineſſe to ſet vponupon it againe, or the like duty, and in the comfortable experience of Gods aſsiſtance, not to deſpaire, or yet to be diſcouraged, but more eagerly and couragiouſly to performe the ſame againe.
All things are contrary in the Hypocrite; he doth the ſtricteſt duties (if at all, then) with little chearfulneſſe,Par. 3. §. 29. or delight, he halfe-repents of his labour, loſſe, coſt, &c. and in regard of former diſcouragements attending or following them, he hath leſſe heart then before, (whileſt he foreſaw not the inconueniences he now finds) to returne to, or to doe the ſame or like duties againe: the oftner he doth them, the more hee wearies of them, and leſſe reioyceth in them, vnleſſe perhaps it be vponupon carnall and by-reſpects.