Seven Treatises, Treatise 4 · Chapter 2
CHAP. 2. Of the firſt reaſon, why there ought to be a daily direction to guide the beleeuer.
THerefore to come to the firſt point, becauſe it is like it will be denied to bee neceſſarie, by many, whoſe practiſe little ſauoureth of it, I will ſet downe ſome reaſons to prooue the neceſſitie of it, namely, that wee ought to bring the godly life into eueryevery daies practiſe: and that not at aduenture, as eueryevery man thinks beſt, before he hauehave learned how to goe about it, but to be directed therein by ſome certaine rules in the word of God, without which, he ſhall faile exceedingly, whoſoeuer he be. Theſe I will ſet downe, both to take away all ſcruple and doubt from the weake Chriſtian, that I goe about to draw him after any noueltie, whereof God is not author (though I feare it is ſomewhat too new to moſt men:) and to ſet before the eyes of the careleſſe and prophane, how farre they are off from that which they thinke they hauehave: and I hope to them that hauehave well begun alreadie, it ſhall not be vnprofitable, though I know that the vrging of this (that it muſt bee looked to eueryevery day) will be ſo vnſauourie to many (with whom little godlines will ſerue) that the diuell will open the mouthes of ſuch, to diſgrace and diſcredit (as much as lyeth in them) whatſoeuer is more then they are willing to follow, till they moſt diſgrace themſelues among thoſe who are godly indeede.
And firſt to ſhew, that Gods word doth direct the Chriſtian beleeuer, how hee ſhould liue eueryevery day (and therefore that it is to bee knowne and practiſed) all that liſt,The firſt reaſon, conſiſting of proofes out of the word. 1. Pet. 1.17. 1. Pet. 4.2. may eaſily ſee, by that which the Apoſtle Saint Peter writeth, namely, that we (who call God father) ſhould paſſe the whole time of our dwelling here in feare: and that we ſhould ſpend as much time as remaineth of our life, not after the luſt of men, but after the will of God. Now therefore if we bee commaunded to liue in the feare of God and according to his will, the whole time of our dwelling here, vntounto our end; then are we commaunded to doe this eueryevery part of this whole time; and conſequently eueryevery day, and throughout the day,Heb. 3.12. as we may attaine to it: Whereunto belongeth that which is written to the Hebrewes 3.12. Take heede that there be not at any time, in any of you an euill heart, therefore not any day.
To the which moſt liuely agreeth that which wee reade in the ſong of Zacharias the father of Iohn Baptiſt, Luk. 1.75.Luke 1.74.75. who teſtifieth that, God had ſworne that he would grant vntounto vsus, that we being deliuered out of the hands of our enemies might ſerue him in holines and righteouſnes before him all our dayes without feare. By all which it followeth, that we ſhould cal in our hearts and affections from carrying vsus diſordredly, and againſt dutie eueryevery day; and in one day as well as another to conſecrate our ſelues to God, and according to our knowledge to walke with him, whatſoeuer our workes, dealings, or buſines be, that therein wee may keepe our peace with him, and declare that we feare and honour him thereby: which is it, that I contend for, and ſeeke to drawe Gods people vntounto, and would thinke I had obtained a great matter at their hands, if we agreed and conſented herein.
For it is too manifeſt, that this is farre off from the very perſwaſion of many,Many, if God be publikely worſhipped on the ſabboth looke no further. who are yet to be hoped well of, and yet reſt in this, that ſo as the ſabboth be paſſed in religious exerciſes, it is not ſo great a matter, if the other dayes be parted betwixt God and them: I meane, they looke not to be called to ſo narrow a reckoning, as to ſee their words and workes, eſpecially the thoughts of their hearts, to be framed after the will of God. Nay the Sabboth it ſelfe is farre enough off from being had in due regard, euen of the moſt which goe for Chriſtians, but is ſpent idly and vnprofitably, if not in worldlines or vanitie, eſpecially a great part of it, euen almoſt as much of it, as is free from publike exerciſes; and yet I would euen that part of the day were not iuſtly to be complained of, that men did preſent themſelues reuerently before the Lord to their profit when they come together, 1. Cor. 11.17. But what may then be looked for of ſuch vponupon other dayes?
Many of good hope thinke it not needefull to liue godly eueryevery day.It is too manifeſt, that it is not ſo much as ſetled in the iudgement of many which are of the forwarder ſort, that eueryevery day our greateſt care ſhould be, how God is pleaſed and ſerued in it, and that it ought to bee our chiefeſt worke: and yet where men thinke ſo; how many make conſcience of it, or ſhew, that they dare doe no other but hold faſt and nouriſh their good deſires to ſerue God, day by day, one day as another; ſo that there might be felt and found ſome agreeablenes betwixt eueryevery dayes ſeruice, the one and other, except it be to make them all alike in ſecuritie? For then there ſhould not be in many, that profeſſe with the beſt, ſuch bold taking of libertie, on ſome dayes to be ſecure and licentious; and others, who beare ſhew aboue many, ſhould not hauehave ſo many apparant and foule blemiſhes, and yet mixed with ſundrie good actions (which iarre witneſſeth, that no euen nor conſtant courſe is ſought after of them) that I ſay nothing of their many ſecret wounds of conſcience. All theſe and ſuch like patternes in Chriſtians (as they are hoped to be) doe prooue, that few are acquainted with this, to looke to be guided in the whole courſe of their liues by the word of God, one day as well as another: and therefore that they goe aſtray daungerouſly, ſeeing Gods word directeth vsus how to liue eueryevery day.