Seven Treatises, Treatise 3 · Chapter 9
CHAP. 9. Of our owne experience, and what a ſpeciall helpe it is to the leading of a godly life: Alſo of the vſe of companie and family exerciſes.
Of our owne experience.I HaueHave ſhewed how the forementioned three priuate helps, (watchfulnes, meditation, and the Chriſtian armour) are ſingular furtherances of vsus to a godly life: Now I ſhould paſſe to the next, that is, to the vſe of companie by conference. But I muſt here ſtay a while, to lay foorth the benefit of experience, which I had done in handling the doctrine of the Chriſtian armour, ſeeing it belongeth to one part of it: but I could not conueniently ſpeake of it there, but as I hauehave done, briefly, leaſt among all the parts of the armour, which I hauehave deſcribed in a ſhort manner, this which is but a branch of one of them, ſhould hauehave been diſcourſed of more largely, then all they together, which I did not thinke expedient. Now therfore of this our experience, as it ſhall be fit for the preſent purpoſe; namely, what an helpe it is, to confirme vsus in faith and obedience: which ſhall bee prooued, after that I hauehave ſhewed what it is, and how farre it reacheth. Now it is a branch of that part of the armour,What it is. which is called the ſword of the ſpirit, that is, the word of God: and that knowledge which we learne by proofe and triall for the bettering of vsus. I call it a branch of it, ſeeing there is another beſides it: and I ſay, it is the knowledge which wee gather by proofe, ſeeing the other is that which men get out of the letter of the Scripture onelyonly, and ſo hauehave it but by rule. For by the word of God we learne both: and that ſuch knowledge doth better vsus, ſhall appeare afterwards.
Now, if wee will ſee more cleerely what this experience is, conſider of it after this manner: Compare it with experimentall knowledge in all trades and ſciences, what a difference there is betwixt it, and bare and naked skill in the ſame without experience. So it ſhall the better appeare what this is, in matters which are heauenly and ſpirituall, in reſpect of the bare knowledge, that men hauehave by rule or inſtruction onelyonly. He that hath been trained vp in an occupation, it may be, hee hath got knowledge and skill in his ſcience or trade: but he is not able to vſe it to the beſt aduantage and his owne greateſt profit, neither how, where, and when, to buy and to ſell, and how to diſpoſe of all things, that hee may not decay and grow behind hand, but thriue and proſper. Theſe (I ſay) and ſuch like, he is ignorant in, and all for want of experience: All which, he that hath been exerciſed in, and acquainted with, is able to doe, as God ſhall ſee good to bleſſe him in the ſame.
Euen ſo it is in the ſpirituall trade. For a man that hath bin taught ſoundly and plainly out of the word of God, & catechized in the principall points of Chriſtian religion, is able by the helpe thereof, to make a confeſſion of his faith, and giuegive an account of the hope that is in him: and to anſwere ſoundly to queſtions that ſhall be put foorth to him. But all this is but the knowledge of the letter, if hee goe no further: and may delight a good man to ſee it in him, rather, then yeeld any great fruite, towards Gods kingdome, to himſelfe. But the Chriſtian, who hath had the proofe of this knowledge, that is, how it hath been effectuall to him: how it hath aſſured him of his owne ſaluation: reformed and chaunged him, and caſt out the filthines of heart and life, which was in him before, and ſo hath wrought in him many other waies; he (I ſay) that hath experience of this, hath receiued another manner of bleſſing then the other, and is like daily to receiue much more.
Such a thing is experience: for hee conſidereth, obſerueth, and applieth the things which he heareth, ſeeth, and doth, to his owne vſe: and by things paſt thus duly regarded, hee learneth and getteth wiſedome to aduiſe and guide him for the preſent, and the time to come: no otherwiſe, then the experienced husbandman doth in his calling and dealings. And by this wee may gather what experience is. Now to ſhew how farre it reacheth, we may vnderſtand, that it maketh vsus wiſe in all things, which are profitable to godlines, and eternall life: in ſo much, as our life is little worth if it be not helped by this. For till wee begin to marke how true eueryevery part of Gods word is, and that God doth daily execute that in the world, which he ſaith in his word, he wil bring to paſſe, we reuerence it not, neither regard it, but only in ſpeech and in ſhew: till we marke and obſerue, how God puniſheth the hollow hearted, and the workers of iniquitie, we feare not to doe ill: and ſo on the contrarie, till we find how ſweete and pleaſant a thing it is, to be gathered vnderunder the Lords wings, and what a ſhelter and defence he is to his faithfull ſeruants, wee make no reckoning of his ſeruice, but it is vnſauourie and vnwelcome to vsus. But the experience of Gods dealing toward vsus, and of the carriage of our ſelues toward him, in what courſe we beſt proſper and finde moſt reſt to our ſoules, this bringeth the true feare of God, which is the onelyonly wiſedome. For the due conſideration and remembrance of the time paſt, and Gods worke therein, is a forcible meane, through his bleſſing, to make vsus goe forward better and better in the Chriſtian way. For when wee can ſay, vponupon good proofe and triall,Experience of the fruite of a godly life, the beſt meane to continue it. that wee hauehave ſeene that it hath alwayes gone well with ſuch as are vpright in heart, and innocent in their liues, and with our ſelues, when wee hauehave walked after the ſame rule; and that when wee hauehave kept our ſelues from the defilements of the world, we hauehave ſeene good dayes, and liued comfortably: this eſtabliſheth vsus in the ſame courſe moſt firmely and conſtantly afterwards: and when wee hauehave obſerued, that God hath puniſhed ſecuritie, an ill conſcience, raſhnes, and wilfull ſinning (as they are very blind that marke not that) this experimentall knowledge bringeth great wiſedome, in the choyce of our wayes, and cauſeth vsus to take heede to our ſelues, that it may goe well with vsus.
So when we are able to ſay we hauehave in our troubles humbled our ſelues to God, confeſſed our ſinnes, and ſought pardon in faith, and had hope to ſee a good ende of it,Experience how affliction hath beſt end and is a rule for euer after. Pſal. 120.1. 1. Sam. 17.34. and patience to beare it, and hauehave (though it ſeemed very vnlike for the time) found and obtained it; this is a cleere demonſtration to vsus, that therefore in the like trouble, we ſhall finde the like bleſſing by the like meanes vſing. And this experience neuer faileth, if wee rightly ground it, that is, if that which wee hauehave marked to bee wrought by God, hath been agreeable to that which in his word hath been ſpoken by him. This wee finde to hauehave often ſtirred vp the deare ſeruant of God,Pſal. 77.10.11. Dauid, both to bee comforted in his affliction, becauſe before he had ſo been, and alſo to bee conſtant in a godly life, becauſe that hee had marked that it euer bringeth a peaceable ende.Pſal. 37.37.
And what maruaile ſhould this be to any, who are trained vp in the Lords houſe? For this we know, that as in all trades or ſciences, the beginnings are hardeſt and fulleſt of diſcouragements; ſo it fareth with Chriſtians, namely, that their firſt entrings are moſt doubtfull, and fulleſt of weakenes: yet who cannot remember that euen then, God wrought moſt louingly for them, and dealt moſt tenderly with them, when their faith was yet ſo weake and young, that they could not well diſcerne it? For how hath he kept many of them from ſore falles, holden them from manifold and great afflictions, and not brought many of their ſinnes to light at once, leaſt they ſhould hauehave been diſcouraged (euen as he hath promiſed to regard their weakenes) whereas otherwiſe they muſt needes hauehave been driuen to great extremitie?
Theſe and many other ſuch like, why hath the Lord done them, but that his children ſhould marke and obſerue them, to learne experience by them againſt the times which ſhall come after? and that they might ſafely and boldly promiſe vntounto themſelues, greater proofe of his aſſiſtance and fatherly kindnes towards them? And why hath he giuen a good end of their former chaſtiſements when they penitently deſire it? euen to this end, that their hope may be ſtrengthened for the times that ſhall come after: As the Apoſtle ſpeaketh of himſelfe and other godly people; God hath deliuered vsus, doth deliuer vsus: and we truſt in him, that yet hereafter he will deliuer vsus. Alſo why preſerued hee them from fearefull falles, when they earneſtly craued it; or made the way of godlines more eaſie, then they could hauehave hoped for? but to hearten them on to looke more confidently for the like grace and bleſſing, when they hauehave now receiued longer proofe of Gods kindnes toward them, and of his keeping promiſe with them,2. Cor. 1.10. if they ſhall ſeeke him in the ſame dutifull manner that they were wont to doe?Eſay. 59.1. For the Lords hand is not ſhortned that he cannot helpe, but is neerer to them,Rom. 5.5. as they are better acquainted with him to beleeue it. So that as men who hauehave found out the way to bring in profit, cannot be diſſwaded from it: euen ſo it fareth with theſe.
But wofull it is, that where ſo great benefit and gaine might bee reaped by ſo ſmall trauaile,VVofull that men learne not experience. euen by marking Gods manner of dealing with his ſeruants: yet that ſo few ſhould be brought to this wiſedome, and perſwaded to ſeeke out the beſt and happieſt way, Prou. 14.6.which yet is not hard to them that would gladly finde it. For I muſt ſpeake the truth, and God hee knoweth it, that few ſet themſelues about this worke to get this experience, when yet they hauehave oft ſmarted for their fooliſhnes: but for all that they louelove to lie in it ſtill, more fooliſh then children, who cannot bee made to come nigh the water, when they hauehave once been in perill of drowning: and ſo they verifie the words of Chriſt, Prou. 1.22. O ye fooles, how long will ye louelove fooliſhnes? Which is the cauſe, why not onelyonly the moſt part of hearers are dead and cold practiſers: but euen many of the teachers, though they do boldly vtter that which they hauehave read, yet are faint followers of that which they teach: or conceale much of that which they ſhould deliuer, becauſe they finde the contrarie to be done of themſelues, which they ſee, they ſhould teach others; and would ſhunne the reproch of the prouerbe; Phyſition heale thine owne diſeaſe. But they who turne their thoughts, conſideration, wiſedome, and ſtudie, to this, marking what is the bleſſed courſe of life, and how it is attained vntounto: as they ſhall declare that they are wiſe; ſo ſhall they bee ſure to finde a ſingular helpe to godlines, which they ſhal neuer repent of trauailing for.
It followeth in the next place, that we ſee, how God hath prouided no leſſe helpe for vsus in companie, which becauſe we hauehave much vſe of,The fourth and fift priuate helpe. and occaſion to be often in it,Of the vſe of company in familie exerciſe, and conference, &c. therefore leaſt we might poſſibly returne out from it worſe then we went into it (as the moſt companies are ſuch as doe make men more corrupt then they were before) therefore the Lord hath taught his people how to carry themſelues in all their meetings with others, in ſuch wiſe, as not onelyonly they may ſhunne the harme which is eaſily gotten therein, but alſo hauehave much helpe and furtherance thereby to goe better forward in Chriſtian duties. But this point is handled at large in the next treatiſe. Therefore I referre the reader thither.