Seven Treatises, Treatise 4 · Chapter 3
CHAP. 3. Of the ſecond reaſon, of a daily direction conſiſting of two branches.
BVt let vsus proceede to other reaſons: Therefore,Prou. 10.9. Gal. 6.16. Pſal. 119.9. for further proofe thereof, I ſay, that ſeeing it is commaunded vsus in the ſcriptures that we keepe a certaine courſe in ſeruing God, and walke in a certaine and plaine beaten way, namely, after the word; and the ſame courſe is commaunded there alſo, to bee daily and eueryevery day: it followeth therefore, that the Chriſtian life is a certaine, daily, and eueryevery dayes directing of vsus in our way, and not an vncertaine, generall,VVhat is ment by this daily direction. and confuſed liuing according to knowledge when we thinke good. By a certaine direction I meane, not that the ſelfe ſame particular actions and duties ſhould be eueryevery day, but yet all euill auoyded eueryevery day, and ſuch good done as in our calling and life ſhall be occaſioned.
And ſeeing it is ſo, if wee diſpence with our ſelues to lay aſide this care any day (as though it were allowable before God, and lawfull for vsus ſo to doe) euen that libertie taking is our ſinne, and that intermitting of dutie any ſuch day is a breaking off of our courſe, and a going out of the way, euen into croſſe paths and by-wayes; wherein the leaſt danger, is to returne backe againe: Which if it were but the loſſe of one dayes iourney (eſpecially when we goe about any matter of weight) would be no ſmall griefe, eſpecially, when our buſines is weightie and requireth ſpeede; and therefore much more in this Chriſtian courſe, being the high way to heauen, from whence when wee hauehave ſtrayed willingly, wee cannot eaſily come into the way againe, but rather goe further to our exceeding hurt and daunger. This with much inconuenience beſides, will follow, if the word of God requiring a daily walking with him after ſuch rules as hee giueth vsus, wee notwithſtanding ſhall not regarde them, but walke at randon; and ſome day frame our ſelues thereunto, and ſome day not at all: or one day keepe compaſſe, and another day none: or be well occupied in ſome part of it; and in the other, doe what we liſt.
But for proofe of both points of this reaſon ſomewhat is to be ſaid, that ſo waightie a matter, and ſo hardly perſwaded to many (namely, that eueryevery day wee are to follow ſome certaine direction for the well ordering of our liues througout the ſame) may not depend vponupon my bare report and credit.
For the firſt poynt therefore, that a Chriſtian muſt bee directed in his whole life,The proofe of the firſt part of the ſecond reaſon, namely, That a certaine courſe of godlines is commaunded in the word. Pſal. 119.9. and therefore may not be left to his owne diſcretion and gouernment, that which is written in the Pſalme doth cleerely proue it: when a queſtion was put forth by Dauid the man of God in the perſon of a young man (who of all other is hardlieſt kept in order) for the edifying of the whole Church, ſaying: By what meanes may a young man, who hath had his ſinnes pardoned, clenſe his wayes afterward, that ſo he may be bleſſed? He anſwereth the queſtion himſelfe, thus: Euen by taking heede thereto according to thy word, O God. And as he taught this in doctrine, ſo he brought his owne example in the ſeuen verſes following, to ſhew that hee ſought to proue himſelfe happie the ſame way. And this all will graunt, that Gods word muſt be our guide: in generall tearmes this will be affirmed of the moſt, but what is this which they ſay?
For they obiect through the ignorance that is in them, and other infirmities carrying them, as a whirlewinde, that they are not to bee vrged to follow this word of God ſo particularly; for it diſtracteth them ſore, but eueryevery man in the ſtate he is in (they ſay) is to carry himſelfe, as he thinkes good in his common actions and buſines: they hope men be no children, to be appointed what they ſhould doe: when yet, God ceaſeth not to ſound this in our eares continually, 1. Cor. 10. Whether we eate or drinke, &c. So that I may well anſwere them that God hath not onelyonly left his Scriptures among vsus, to the end we ſhould in ſuch a looſe manner looke after them, and fall into groſſe errors for not knowing them, and ſo become nothing the better for them: but he hath taught vsus to draw (as it were) a copie, and a certaine platforme for our liues out of the ſame, the poore, the rich; the old, the young; the married and the vnmarried: all are (I ſay) to draw out of them, direction for their vſe.
And what other thing is contained in the words of the Prophet? for in ſaying that we muſt take heede to our wayes, that is, our courſe of life and the actions thereof, doth he except any one more then another? So that it is manifeſt both by the doctrine of the word of God, as alſo by the examples thereof, that not onelyonly there ought to be a generall guiding of Gods people by the word, but alſo a particular trying of their wayes thereby, and that this ought to be as a trade to be followed in one poynt as in another, according to the knowledge of eueryevery one, and therefore to be made an ordinarie courſe, to ſeeke to hauehave direction in all things. So that in the more actions of our liues, that we are ignorant and to ſeeke, whether we doe them lawfully or no; the more wee muſt ſee our debt to God, and finde fault with our ſelues, that we may ſee the greater neede to ſue for pardon, which few doe ſee. And therefore are the particular duties ſet downe almoſt in eueryevery epiſtle, both which all Chriſtians ought to performe, and the contrary ſins, that they may ſee according to the occaſions offered, how to imploy themſelues: and alſo more ſpecially of men and women; old and young; rich and poore; maiſters and ſeruants; both inward affections, and externall actions: all which, to what end ſerue they, or why ſhould they hauehave been ſet downe, but to teach this, that men muſt tie themſelues ſhorter, and denie many noyſome liberties, which now they take and runne after: and alſo to teach, that eueryevery part of a Chriſtians life requireth direction, that hee muſt ſhun that which is naturall (I meane his owne) and be guided by that which is ſpirituall, namely, by the word of God.
And therefore it is not to be counted as a common ſinne, but as the head of many ſins, that (as though the Scriptures were among vsus but for faſhion, or for the deciding of ſome rare and hard doubts, and controuerſies in religion, which is but one vſe of them) the moſt thinke themſelues by their naturall wit and skill, able to direct their waies: which opinion with their practiſe, what doth it differ from that which is written of the Heathen Gentiles? God in times paſt ſuffered all nations to walke in their owne waies, Act. 14.16. And this be ſaid for the proofe of the firſt part of this former reaſon: namely, that all their actions muſt bee ſquared after the rule of Gods word, throughout their life.
The ſecond part of this reaſon, namely,The ſecond part of the ſecond reaſon: namely, that it muſt be brought into practiſe eueryevery day. Prou. 28.14. that it ought to be daily and eueryevery day, and ſo through the day, the ſaying of the Lord doth cleerely prooue: Bleſſed is the man that feareth alwaies. And againe, 1. Cor. 10.31. Whether ye eate or drink, or whatſoeuer ye doe elſe, doe all to the glorie of God. And to Ioſua, 1.8. Thou ſhalt meditate and exerciſe thy minde in this booke of the law day and night: as if he ſhould ſay, early and late, all times of the day, that his heart being well ſeaſoned with the ſweete ſauour of knowledge, his tongue might vtter the ſame, and hee might be exerciſed by the helpe thereof, in the manifold actions of his life. S.1. Tim. 5.10. Paul alſo when he writeth of the widow that ſhould be choſen to looke to the poore, deſcribeth her by this one note, whereby a good Chriſtian is diſcerned amongſt men, namely, if ſhe hauehave been daily giuen to eueryevery good worke.
And hee whom it may well beſeeme vsus to follow, did not onelyonly make it his daily trade to bee directed by the doctrine of Gods word, but euen through the day did the ſame, diuiding (as it were) the day into one good doing or other, for theſe are his words: Oh Lord, what a louelove hauehave I to thy law? Pſal. 119.97.all the day long is my meditation in it, that is, I am muſing ſtill how I may pleaſe thee, whatſoeuer my actions are, which I goe about; Againe,Pſal. 71.15.… EueryEvery day will I praiſe thee: Euen ſo (if it may be) let vsus be doing good, and that in an holy and right manner eueryevery day, and when wee cannot; yet let vsus auoide and ſhunne euill. But if thou wilt doe neither, nor endeuour after the ſame conſtantly from day to day, then renounce Gods word, and doe what thou luſteſt.
And why ſhould not mens hearts be daily giuen to the Lord, who is moſt worthie of them? what hauehave we to doe in the day more neceſſarie, as it ſhall appeare one day to all, who now will take no knowledge of it? Weigh what I ſay, and the Lord giuegive thee vnderſtanding, that in thy heart and life thou maiſt eueryevery day ſerue him: doth the holie Ghoſt, Prou. 4.23. and 25.25. when hee ſaith, Keepe thy heart with all diligence; and againe, let it be in the feare of the Lord continually, doth he (I ſay) meane any certaine time, or one day, and not eueryevery day? ſo when rules for praying are giuen, are they not to direct vsus in all our prayers for euer? If thou ſaiſt, why is this then ſo ſtrange to men? I ſay, firſt naturally men deſire to ſatisfie God with a little, and ſoone to hauehave done with him, and few will weigh particularly and daily, what they ought to be, and how to walke one day, as well as another, but are content to goe the eaſieſt way to worke (as they thinke) and ſlubber vp their ſinnes: and are therefore neuer long confident in, nor bold with God, as they might bee, and as ſome others alſo of his deare children be, and they themſelues alſo perhaps ſometime hauehave been. Whereas if it were the matter which is in account with them, who doubteth but that it would be daily looked to.
Obiection.Againe, if ye ſay, why are wee troubled with theſe nouelties now, more then in times paſt? I ſay, men are content to hauehave ſuch things to be nouelties vntounto them,Anſwere. with which they deſire not to bee acquainted: for els, theſe are not nouelties in the Scriptures, and that is ſeene, ſeeing there are diuers, who, as they hauehave learned it to be the will of God, that al good duties, as they may, ſhould eueryevery day be practiſed: ſo they doe carefully and conſcionably prune off that behauiour in the day, which could not well be thought vponupon and remembred at the euening, without an vnwelcomed wound and accuſation. For what can leſſe be gathered out of the Scriptures before alleaged, then that Chriſtians ſhould bee daily giuen to eueryevery good worke, that is, to aime thereat, though when they hauehave done all, they may finde themſelues to bee much behind hand, and vnprofitable ſeruants?
Act. 24.16.And what meaning elſe hath this Scripture? Herein I exerciſe and occupie my ſelfe, that I may hauehave a good conſcience both before God and men alwaies, that is, (I take it) one time as well as another: and therefore much more one day as well as another, ſeeing it reacheth further, that is, euen to one part of the day as well as the other. The which if it can bee done, except a man doe tie himſelfe to take heede to one, as well as to another, I know not what to make of it. And if he had meant herein, but a generall looking to his conſcience, he could as eaſily hauehave ſaid and left out the words (before God and men) which include both inward and outward actions: likewiſe, the word (alwaies) and to hauehave reſtrained it to ſometimes. The like ſaying is in another chapter: To the which thing hoped for, Act. 26.7.or to the which promiſe made to our fathers, our twelue tribes ſeruing God day and night alwaies, doe truſt to come. He ſaith not barely that they ſerued God (which all will graunt ought to be) but that they looked to it, day and night, euen early and late, yea and alwaies, that is to ſay, conſtantly, and with continuance.
And as theſe and ſuch like Scriptures doe prooue that a godly life ſhould be alwaies and eueryevery day: ſo in other places of the word, the ſame thing is ſet downe in another manner, as by that in the Pſalme may bee gathered: where the Prophet expreſſeth it by the meanes and helpes, whereby ſuch a life is led,Pſal. 145.2. that is, by prayer and praiſes, ſaying thus: eueryevery day, or according to the Hebrue words, foreign on eueryevery day, I will bleſſe thee and praiſe thy name for euer and euer. So that howſoeuer few aime at it, that they may by their owne experience hauehave the proofe of it; yet it is euident by the Scriptures, that it ought to be thus, which is the thing that I hauehave taken in hand to prooue, that there may be more conſcience made of it among the godly hereafter. Therfore if the Scriptures commend vntounto vsus a certaine courſe to walke in with God, and a particular directing of our liues (of what calling or eſtate ſoeuer wee be, according to his word) and further requireth the ſame to be daily kept and followed of vsus (as hath been ſhewed) then Chriſtians muſt bee guided by ſome daily direction in the leading of their liues.