Seven Treatises, Treatise 2 · Chapter 20
CHAP. 20. The laſt obiection againſt the godly life anſwered.
THere is yet another obiection, that I will anſwere, and it might be a great weakning of the holie courage of the ſeruants of God, if they ſhould not be well fenced againſt it. And this it is:The third obiection: againſt the godly life. Seeing we teach publikely the ſame, which I hauehave before ſet downe of the eſtate of the godly, and profeſſe without feare, that thus the people of God muſt walke, and wee affirme that Gods is not pleaſed with this darke and dead life, which is led by mens good intents, without any certaine rule to guide them, much leſſe with that which is contrarie to godlines, diuers take great offence hereat, and ariſe vp againſt vsus in this manner, ſaying: Ye goe too farre, and bragge of that which is not in you: and againe, remember how many hauehave fallen, which were more like to hauehave ſtood then you, as Dauid, Peter, and others. It is therefore good (ſay they) for all men to profeſſe no more then others doe, that there may bee no great wondring, when any great treſpaſſe ſhall be committed by them. To which kind of men, for the better ſetling and quieting of Gods weake children, I anſwere.
Anſwere.By the grace of God, bragging is farre off from vsus, as wee alſo heartily deſire it may be:1. Pet. 1.17. & 4.1. neither doe we goe too farre, his word being our warrant. But wee are not afraid to vtter that which wee know; nay wee dare not doe otherwiſe, though it be againſt our ſelues, as much as others, if wee ſhall ſet light by it at any time: neither feare we, that ſhamefull falles, ſhall any thing the ſooner take hold of vsus, for ſpeaking the truth boldly, but remoued more farre from vsus,Prou. 19.23. whiles we are nothing more afraid, then to offend thereby. And if either our pride or boldnes ſhould breake out ſo farre, as that it ſhould cauſe the Lord to chaſtiſe vsus,Bitter fruit of declining. or that wee ſhould be ſo careles, and improuident ouer our ſelues, that Sathan ſhould againe bewitch vsus with the deceitfulnes of ſin, we looke for none other,Mich. 7.7. but to beare our burthen of an vnquiet minde, and the reproch due to vsus thereby, and our puniſhment, which ſhall befall vsus, becauſe of our offence:VVe ſhall recouer. but though we ſhould ſo be ouertaken, yet ſhall we riſe againe: and though many of vsus ſhould fall from our ſtedfaſtnes; yet for all that, this is true, namely, that God will hauehave the holie and Chriſtian life, which I hauehave ſet downe, practiſed of others: and howſoeuer wee ſhould be turned out of the way for a ſeaſon, and whatſoeuer might become of vsus; yet he that is able of ſtones to raiſe vp children to feare him, will prouide true worſhippers of him, whatſoeuer become of vsus: and the truth of God remaineth, that ſuch as will be worſhippers of him,2. Tim. 2.19. Fall of Dauid. muſt depart from iniquitie.
As for Dauid, by the great wiſedome and goodnes of God, his fall was a glaſſe to behold Gods merciemercy in, not to imbolden any to ſinne thereby: and that like treſpaſſers who poſſibly might deſpaire,1. Tim. 1.16. ſhould not caſt away hope of forgiuenes. The ſinne it ſelfe aroſe from the nouriſhing, and giuing place ſecretly to his heart in ſuch vnlawfull deſires (as by his eyes were occaſioned) ſuch as in this treatiſe I labour to call men from; as appeareth by his owne confeſſion in the Pſalme, where hee ſaith: Againſt thee, O Lord, Pſal. 51.4.againſt thee hauehave I done this euill: as if he ſhould hauehave ſaid, though my offence be horrible before men, yet from hence it came, ſeeing I feared not before God ſecretly, whiles yet the offence came not foorth openly. And this I ſay, that we may learne to beware of inward temptations, and outward occaſions of ſinne, and boldly profeſſe to doe both.
And thus I hauing anſwered this doubt of Dauid, that no wiſe bodie need to take hurt by it: yet becauſe I know how ſome doe draw ſuch examples to libertie in ſinning, and euen this one example as much as any other, turning it againſt themſelues, which they ſhould take good by; I will adde this one thing, which I would otherwiſe hauehave omitted, ſeeing I hauehave made mention of it before: That Dauid did that which was right in the ſight of the Lord, 1. King. 15.6.and turned away from nothing, that he commaunded him, all the daies of his life, ſaue only in the matter of Vriah the Hittite. As therefore it was no vſuall thing with him, neither did he oft thus offend in caſes ſo well knowne vntounto him: ſo it is no cauſe why wee ſhould be diſcouraged from a ſound courſe, for feare, leaſt we ſhould fall after the like manner, but watch in all things, that wee may be the further from ſuch feare.
Peter (to ſay ſomewhat of him) before Chriſts aſcenſion,Peters fall. howſoeuer hee was faithfull, and in many parts of his life commendable, yet had he no ſuch great ſtrength and growth in grace, that wee ought to be content to be as he was: but rather looke to bee lights and good examples in all good workes, leaſt we ſhould fall away daungerouſly, when ſuch an one as he was, did denie his maſter. I knowe God can correct the deareſt of his ſeruants in as fearefull a manner. But (bleſſed be his name) wee know thus much of his minde, that he taketh no pleaſure in their troubles, neither delighteth he in their ſufferings, much leſſe doth he take aduantage of their infirmities.Lam. 3.33.
He draweth them out of deepe dangers, when they hauehave plunged themſelues into them. And if we prouoke him not,If we prouoke not God, no feare of ſoule luſts. there is no feare of reprochfull euils to be ſent vponupon vsus by him: and therefore, if we count it pleaſure to pleaſe him, and to bee watchfull againſt the occaſions of ſinne, this giueth vsus holy boldnes and confidence, that we ſhall be kept from fearefull falles,Note. 2. Pet. 1.10. rather then to be afraid of them, by being too godly: Neither was Peter thus armed, when he ſo offended, but as we may eaſily ſee, therefore he fell, becauſe he was naked and vnarmed.
And ſo it is with all others in this caſe, that ſo diſhonour God as he did. Now if he did fall, and we may alſo fall, whiles we are yet not without confidence in God, what is to be thought of our beſt actions, if we ſhould doe as many would hauehave vsus, namely, to ſhew and profeſſe no more then others do; & ſo make cōmon profeſſors examples, to be rules for our liues: what ſhould our liues then be, but a very dunghill fraught with vnſauourie filthines, and not an offending of God lightly now and then? Neither let men ſay,Obiect. they can liue no otherwiſe then they hauehave done, nor diſcontentedly ſay, wee would hauehave them take no delight in any thing; but husband and wife muſt ſit and looke heauily one vponupon another: neither may neighbours be merrie together.
For ſuch may vnderſtand, to the firſt point of their obiection, where they ſay, they cannot leaue the courſe, in the which they hauehave liued (that is in ſmall knowledge of God and his will; following the world with greater pleaſure then the word of God: and hauing their other reioycings in things here below, & vſing their labour but euen as toyle &c.) they may (I ſay) vnderſtand, that if they cannot change ſuch courſes, their owne mouthes ſhall be their accuſers: for ſuch cannot be in good ſtate. For I vrge no other change vponupon them, then they themſelues ſhall be forced to confeſſe to be required by God of them, and that for their beſt.
Great folly not to deſire a better condition.And being ſo, I would aske this of them, who is he, which hauing liued long in a cottage full of penurie and wants, cannot frame himſelfe to a more wealthie eſtate, if it befall him, and to enioy greater abundance of all good things meete for this life, and that becauſe he hath of long time been accuſtomed to a meaner and poorer condition? Is any ſo deſtitute of common reaſon, or ſo wilfull, that when his diet may be wholeſome and ſweete, his apparrell cleanely and ſeemely, his habitation commodious, and well fenced againſt all annoyance of winde and weather, he will yet refuſe all theſe being offered him, for a portion in pouertie, where his wants cannot be ſupplied?Note. And yet what compariſon is there betwixt theſe things, and the high degree of felicitie, which in the Chriſtian courſe I propound, in reſpect of the deceiueable, vaine, and painefull pleaſure (for ſo I may moſt iuſtly call it) which they inioy, who follow their old cuſtome, and luſt of their ignorance?
Therefore they muſt needes confeſſe, that their blindnes is to be bewailed: alſo the heardnes of their heart, and deepe vnbeliefe, which holdeth them at this ſtay, that howſoeuer we can bring them tidings of a better; yet hauing been long bewitched with their darkenes, and ſinne, as the people were with Simon Magus his ſorceries,Act. 8. they cannot change their old courſe.
All carnall delights onelyonly loſt.To the ſecond part of their obiection, where they with miſliking, ſay, we would hauehave them delight in nothing, that they hauehave, as wife, children, goods, neighbours? if I would hauehave them liue after ſuch rules as I preſcribe them:Anſwere. Epheſ. 4.22. Rom. 7.5. & 8.7. I anſwere: that their whole conuerſation muſt be put off indeede, wherein they hauehave liued after the manner of the world. That ought to be no ſtrange thing to them, which is ſo common a truth in the Scriptures; euen all that they hold of their owne,Rom. 12.1. both in heart and life, as farre as can be, muſt be auoyded:Matth. 16.24. and therefore their lightnes, reioycing in euill, taking pleaſure in the creatures more then in the creator, & the making of theſe things their chiefe delight: all theſe with corrupt mery-makings, muſt be pruned off from them, (euen as we would pare off the vnderboughes which ſucke vp the ſappe and iuyce from the good vine branches:) which, if they were fitte to ſee it, hauehave troubled themſelues and others, more then all their fond liberties hauehave pleaſured them, and therefore both they and others ſhould be the more glad of ſuch change. And what account is to be made of ſuch reioycings with wife and other friends, which muſt bee repented? But if it be according to knowledge, who forbiddeth it? when it is well knowne, that both the marriage and other fellowſhips, which true religion hath made amongſt people, is of all other, ſweeteſt and moſt comfortable. As for other, let them be broken off.
For what hauehave they loſt (to ſpeake of the beſt) who doe ſo, but that which may be ſpared aſwell, as the paring of their nayles? If any will ſpeake better of it, it is onelyonly he, whom God hath not taught to ſpeake. Therefore to conclude, as theſe and ſuch other obiections are too friuolous, to iuſtle out a godly life from the practiſe of true Chriſtians and beleeuers: ſo when it ſhall be gone about, as I hauehave taught and ſet downe in this treatiſe, then they ſhall leade the life of faith, euen the life which pleaſeth God: and conſequently, then they ſhall liue happily in eueryevery eſtate and lawfull calling whatſoeuer: For he walketh ſafe and ſure who walketh vprightly. Prou. 10.9.And he that doth otherwiſe, and peruerteth his wayes (as I hauehave ſhewed how, by going from the truth which he knoweth) God will finde him out, and he ſhall meete with plagues and ſorrow enough.