Seven Treatises, Treatise 4 · Chapter 1
CHAP. 1. Of the ſumme, order, and parts of this treatiſe.
NOw that I hauehave ſhewed who is a true beleeuer, and next, deſcribed the godly life, in the ſecond part of this booke; and hauehave ſet downe laſt of all, the helps and meanes by which a Chriſtian groweth in the ſame: it might ſeeme that any ſeruant of God hauing theſe three before him, ſhould neede no other direction to helpe to the practiſing of this godly life, but might eaſily doe the ſame. And ſo ſhould I thinke (hauing been once of that minde) but that I hauehave perceiued by diligent marking and experience,This treatiſe is neceſſarily to be ioyned with the former. that it is ſeldome ſeene and hardly found ſo. Generally (I confeſſe) it is obtained: but particularly it is with them, as with the ſurgion, who hauing learned what is a good medicine for a daungerous ſore, can lay it to; but hauing not particular skill how to prepare the ſore, how to diet the partie, and when and how to apply the medicine, doth long keepe him at one ſtay, or ſometime better, ſometime worſe, but healeth him not; neither doth by degrees bring it to any good eſtate: ſo the Chriſtian who hath onelyonly ſome knowledge how and by what meanes he muſt growe in godlines, and reſiſt the diuell, and ouercome his ſinne, ſhall finde it hard and awke in particulars, and on one day as well as another to doe it with peace, except hee hauehave full reſolution as well as knowledge and skill how, to vſe and apply the meanes eueryevery day to the diligent obſeruing of his wayes, both at home and abroade, that he may hauehave the teſtimonie of a good conſcience, and reioycing thereby.
The generall ſumme of this treatiſe.And this is it, which I meane in this treatiſe, to acquaint the reader with, namely, that the godly life, which is to be continued by the many helps before ſet downe, is neither left to men ſometime to be practiſed, and at other times may be neglected, nor generally (which is far off from Gods meaning and will) but particularly in al their actions, and eueryevery day, and throughout the day, to bee looked vntounto and regarded. This is my meaning, and that which I ayme at in this preſent treatiſe: which is thought of many to be too ſtrict a tying of men to dutie, who are ſo giuen to ſeeke carnall libertie: and it is counted ſtrange that they ſhould be holden within bounds eueryevery day and hower, who are not wont to call themſelues to any great account through the whole weeke or more: who if they be reprooued neuer ſo iuſtly once in a yeere; for it is to be feared, that few reproofes are vſed (to ſuch a point the world is come) they count them nice and too holie which rebuke them, they are ſo little vſed to it: Will they not (thinke we) ſtraine hard to caſt off this yoke of watching and obſeruing their liues, and (as they ſhall ſee cauſe) to finde fault with themſelues throughout eueryevery day?
I hauehave had experience how hardly ſuch hauehave been able to heare a kinde and friendly rebuke for fooliſh ieſting, ſwearing, vnſeemely talking, &c. but they hauehave counted it preciſenes: there is no doubt, but they will impatiently beare it, to hauehave their whole bad courſe controuled and brought within compaſſe.Some good Chriſtians thinke ſtrange to be held in compaſſe eueryevery day. It is out of queſtion therefore (I ſay) that both ſuch as I hauehave here ſpoken of, and many better then they, and which hauehave the Chriſtian life in more reuerence, then many ſuch, hauing giuen themſelues much libertie in their liues, will thinke it ſtrange that eueryevery day care ſhould be had ouer their hearts and waies. But why thinke they ſo; but for that partly through ignorance and ſecuritie, and partly through cuſtome in both, they hauehave long bin eſtranged and held backe from it, and ſo are vnacquainted with it? Alſo they ſee few examples to leade them to it. Among whom, yet (God be bleſſed) there are ſome, yea numbers, I am well aſſured, who if they knew better, would imbrace it.
Such therefore, as are readie to caſt any miſts of fleſhly obiections before the eyes of the ſimple, and moſt of all to put out their owne light, that thereby they may be hindred from ſeeing the pathway of this chriſtian direction, to the end they may not walke in it, I exhort to heare me patiently: To whom, as to all other who ſhall regard it, I offer a cleerer knowledge of the will of God, which hath long been ſmothered by the bold contempt of ſome, and a ſafer way to their owne happines, then is commonly found of the moſt Chriſtians, that is, that as I ſaid, they muſt eueryevery day looke to their waies and liues, and ſettle themſelues conſtantly therein, and not think they doe well till they doe ſo, but hold it for a great offence to God and a bold tempting of him (howſoeuer they offer him ſome manner of ſeruice:) and therefore ſhall pay deare for it, when they dare let any one day in the weeke paſſe by them without good regard had of pleaſing God.
This was the principall end of my writing,The end why this treatiſe was written. euen to helpe to bring the Chriſtian life into practiſe, and conſequently into price and eſtimation with profeſſors; yea with ſome good perſons and people, more then it is. For though in word many profeſſe themſelues followers of Chriſt, and that they ought ſo to doe; yet with their deedes they denie him, Tit. 1.16.and the power of godlines alſo. And likewiſe though the Chriſtian life be in ſome account with others, yet it commeth to paſſe,Note. that it is not in chiefeſt reckoning with them aboue other things, without the which it is neuer practiſed to any purpoſe. Which is one great cauſe, why both many weake Chriſtians are not better then they be, and why the bad and vnreformed perſons pleaſe themſelues in their ignorance and looſe eſtate, and make ſo ſlow haſte (as they doe) to amend and be changed.
For they ſee in many hot profeſſors, that there is no euen and conſtant courſe kept in the practiſe of godlines one time as wel as another, and in one thing as in another. Generally we ſay all (as I ſet downe before) wee muſt liue godly:Few doe reſolue to liue godly eueryevery day but in particular the godly life is ſeldome and hardly found, euen amongſt thoſe who ſay ſo. And as for any certaine time when this ſhould be practiſed (as no time ſhould be free from ſome part of it) though wee affirme that it ſhould be ſo to the end of our life, it is ſo little conſidered, that it is moſt cleere that ſundrie euen good men do ſhine but dimmely, & are too often times, yea and too groſſely, out of the way. And as there are many which doe not honour God by a good conuerſation (as they know they might) if they would bend themſelues to it (for this point of wiſedome is eaſie to him that would vnderstand, Pro. 8.9) ſo a great number (who gladly would) cannot tell how to goe about it.
For many a one may approoue of a Chriſtian life, and giuegive good precepts to another, finding them in the word, which he neuer followed nor practiſed in his owne life. And thus, whiles it is not found nor ſeene by experience, what is the beautie, fruite, and comfort of this Chriſtian life, but amongſt few, and they for the moſt part not of credit with the men of the world, to perſwade that which they know, it lieth dead in a manner: and ſo Gods exceeding kindnes in appointing vsus ſuch an happie and ſweet way to his kingdome, is not onelyonly not enioyed, but of the moſt counted weariſome and tedious.Note. I ſay more, it is vile and in no reckoning nor account with many, without which they forgoe a great part of their happines. It is not miſſed among men, nor asked after, though it be the beſt of all other.
It might worthily grieue him who knoweth the gaine, beautie, ſweetnes, and honour of it, to ſee ſo many hunt after all theſe, where they cannot bee come by; and if they bee attained, yet as a flower they ſoone fade and are gone: and to beſtow no labour for them, where they may all be had, and conſtantly kept and enioyed. And whereas it is graunted, that one day in the godly life is better then a thouſand elſewhere: Pſal. 84.10. Prou. 8.11.18.yet what curteſie is amongſt men who ſhould begin to make proofe of it? and what holding backe is there, leaſt they ſhould doe too much? And therefore that this Chriſtian life may be brought into ſome more eſtimation and reckoning with men, then for a long time it hath been with the moſt, I hauehave taken ſome little paine to vnfold and lay out this happie eſtate, and to teach a more ſound vſe of it, then the moſt that profeſſe, hauehave acquaintance with, by ſhewing how it is to bee made an eueryevery daies worke, and to be brought into daily practiſe, that ſo the whole being ſeene in her parts, eueryevery thing in it may be better perceiued and diſcerned, with the manifold priuiledges and benefits thereof; as a great houſe,A ſimile. when the ſeuerall roomes of it, are with their furniture particularly viewed, and not confuſedly beheld.
Daily directing of our liues after Gods word, is a ſafe and peaceable eſtate.For by the faithfull obſeruing of our liues through the day, and taking heede thereto by the helpe of ſuch rules, as God laieth out to vsus in his word, we ſhall ſee our ſelues carried through the diuers and manifold actions of the day, ſafely and peaceably; ſeeing the following of a well ordred courſe bringeth greateſt peace and ſafetie: and thereby wee ſhall learne what to auoide, and what to imbrace, and that with ſuch eaſe and freedome from vnquietnes and daunger, that we ſhall ſay, wee neuer ſaw the fruite of godlines ſo ſweete and great, nor the true ſeruing of God (though to the fleſh a yoke, Matth. 11.29.as it is meete it ſhould be) ſo eaſie, ſafe, and comfortable. And thus hauing declared what I intend and propound in this treatiſe, with ſome reaſon thereof, I will ſhew how I meane to handle this point.
Firſt therefore I will by good proofe declare,The parts of this treatiſe foure. that the beleeuer and true Chriſtian muſt hauehave direction for his life eueryevery day, and that Gods word doth lay it out to him, and leaueth it not to himſelfe, to ſerue God by the great, nor the groſſe, as we vſe to ſpeake.
Secondly, I will ſhew what this direction is, and what are the parts thereof.
Thirdly, I will helpe him againſt all thoughts of counting it too tedious, by ſhewing how much to be deſired it is, yea profitable, and comfortable.
And fourthly, I will adde an inlargement of the direction and parts thereof, more briefly handled in the ſecond point of this treatiſe. But I will ſay no more of the daily directing of a Chriſtian in generall at this time, nor of the fruite and comfort that it bringeth, nor in the commendation of it: it ſhall ſpeake for it ſelfe, what benefit the faithfull practiſe of it doth bring to eueryevery one, as he ſhall endeuour to performe this dutie carefully; and for that I hauehave appointed in the third part of this treatiſe to ſpeake more particularly of the benefit of it.