Seven Treatises, Treatise 4 · Chapter 4
CHAP. 4. Of the third reaſon of the daily direction.
FVrthermore, if ſo many parts of a daily direction, as will ſufficiently direct a man, be inioyned in the word of God, to be daily vſed, then a certaine and daily direction is commaunded of God: but the firſt is manifeſt and cleere: therfore the latter cannot be denied. Now for proofe of this, that ſo many parts of direction, as may well guide a Chriſtian through the day, are ſet downe in the word of God, it is cleere: for we are directed there, how to begin the day, how to proceed in the ſeuerall actions of the ſame, and how to end it, I exclude not any one. We are directed alſo how to carrie our ſelues in companie, how alone, how at home, how abroad: how to beare troubles when they come, and to prepare our ſelues for them before they come: and how to vſe proſperitie, as health, friends, peace, libertie, goods, and whatſoeuer bleſſings beſides, God ſhall any day beſtow vponupon vsus.
In al theſe (I ſay) with other ſuch, we are directed in the word of God, and how wee may eueryevery day, as well as ſome one, ſerue God in them, as occaſion ſhall be offered, which ſhall more cleerely bee ſeene afterwards in ſundrie particulars. Which if it be ſo, what ordinary actions in any lawfull calling are to be done of a Chriſtian through the day, but God hath in his word guided him how to doe them, in ſuch wiſe, as hee by the helpe thereof, may with peace and comfort bring it to an end: and contrariwiſe, he that knoweth his will therein, and walketh not after the ſame, ſhall neither finde peace in his life, nor happines after. Which, if it were duly weighed and conſidered, would keepe Chriſtians in another and that more ſafe, well ordred, and heauenly courſe, then they now are which know it not, or hauehave not conſcience to ſeeke experience of it: whereas without it, many, who might bring great glorie to God by their liues, and themſelues liue very ſweetly; yet becauſe they are ſtrangers from ſuch a daily courſe keeping, doe neither of both, or at leaſt, very meanely: and yet becauſe they hauehave no acquaintance with any better, are not content to be diſquieted, and rouſed out of that vnprofitable courſe wherein they are.
But becauſe I thinke it will be looked for, that I ſhould prooue that by the Scriptures, which I hauehave ſaid of the parts of the direction, that ſo many as may well guide a Chriſtian throughout the day, are as well particularly required eueryevery day at our hands to be obſerued, as generally all our life long: I will therefore ſatisfie the teachable reader in that which hee deſireth. And firſt where I ſaid, that we are guided by the word how to begin the day, and how to goe through it; Salomon in one ſentence directeth to both: for when he had ſaid,Prou. 6.22. The commaundements and inſtructions ſhould be alwaies bound to our hearts, that is, had in continuall remembrance, and tied about our neckes, that is, as iewels had in ſpeciall account: hee addeth; that at our awaking, they ſhall talke with vsus, and when we walke, they ſhall leade vsus. As if hee ſhould ſay, if the word of God be carefully kept in mind, and held in precious eſtimation, it ſhall guide vsus from the morning to the euening, euen from our vpriſing to our lying downe: ſo that, God hath not left the gouerning of our liues in our owne hands, as though hee had taken no order for them, but hath appointed in his word how the whole day ſhould be paſſed.
And further where I ſaid more particularly, that the Chriſtian life, which we are daily to leade, conſiſteth in a carefull declining from all euill, and contrariwiſe in well liuing, and bringing forth the fruites of faith and amendment of life: and alſo in the vſe of ſuch helps and meanes, by which this faith and holy life are nouriſhed, and preſerued: It is very true: For there are no meanes neceſſarily to be vſed eueryevery day, nor any parts of godly life, which we are bound to performe daily, but the ſcripture doth particularly require thē to be vſed daily.The parts of a godly life to be practiſed daily. That which I ſay of the helps ſhal be proued afterwards. And for the parts of good life, which we muſt needes practiſe daily, they are, that we ſhould be daily occupied in thoſe good workes, which in our place and calling, we can ſee to bee required of vsus: as brotherly kindnes, louelove, ſobrietie, patience, iuſt dealing towards all, mercifulnes, meekenes, and ſuch like. And theſe be like neceſſarie all the dayes of our life, as in any one; ſo that it is our ſinne, when we doe the contrarie.
Furthermore, the workes which muſt of neceſſitie be done daily, are to carry our ſelues both in proſperitie, and vnderunder all bleſſings rightly, that is, cheerefully, thankfully, and fruitfully: and in our afflictions patiently and with contentation. And who doth not know, that theſe both ſhould bee daily?In proſperitie. For, firſt that praiſes and thankſgiuing in our proſperitie are required to be daily, as long as that eſtate abideth, conſider what the pſalmiſt ſaith, my tongue ſhall talke of thy righteouſnes daily, Pſalm. 71.24. and that meant Saint Iames, 1. Theſ. 5.19.Chap. 5.13. In our proſperitie to ſing praiſes, and Saint Paul wiſhing vsus to giuegive thankes in all things, bringeth vsus to the ſame dutie eueryevery day.
And although the word (daily) be not there mentioned, and where he ſaith, reioyce in the Lord alwayes, Phil. 4.4. yet who doubteth that he can meane any leſſe then this, when hee ſaith, in all things: euen ſuch, as come to paſſe daily and eueryevery day? and yet euen this word (daily) is in other Scripture vſed.Lam. 3.23. For as the mercies of God are renewed daily vponupon his: ſo Gods people are in the example of the man of God (whoſe praiſe is ſo great in the Scripture) taught, that as they enioy them eueryevery day; ſo they are eueryevery day to ſound forth his praiſe thankfully and cheerefully, as ſuch who feele and acknowledge thereby, the exceeding ſweetenes of Gods louing kindnes and benefits, and that is to make the true and right vſe of them.
In afflictions.And as daily praiſes are to be offered for benefits, ſo muſt the patient and right bearing of afflictions bee daily alſo, and earneſt prayers to God made for the remouing of them; as we reade the Prophet Daniel did daily, and three times in the day, Two things required about afflictions. Iam. 1.5. 2. Chr. 20.3.4. Lam. 3.27.Dan. 6.10. But about afflictions God requireth theſe two things of vsus: the one that we ſhould prepare and make readie our ſelues to beare them as from him, in ſuch quiet manner, as that we be not vnſetled nor troubled at the heart by them, when we heare of them: the other, that when they come, we ſhew our ſelues to be ſuch indeede,Pſal. 32.6.7. 2. Sam. 15.26. and through the incouragement which we hauehave from him, we ſubmit our ſelues (euen as our necke vntounto the yoke) willingly to goe vnderunder them. Now though no wiſe man doubts, but that Gods meaning is that we ſhould be patient and obedient in one as well as another, and one time as well as an other; yet that it may plainely be ſeene, it is to be knowne, that both theſe are giuen vsus in commandement eueryevery day.
For firſt God hath taught vsus in the fourth petition (giuegive vsus this day our daily bread) ſo to pray for all things needefull to this preſent life,Firſt that we prepare our ſelues for them, before they come. as his moſt wiſe prouidence ſeeth meeteſt and beſt for vsus; and therefore if he in wiſedome doe ſee afflictions fit for vsus, though we are not to pray for them, we offer our ſelues readie to receiue them, and take them as a part of our daily bread; or elſe we vnderſtand not what God teacheth vsus to pray for, nor what we offer to him in making that prayer. For we deſire of God in it bleſſing fit for the time, wherein we are eueryevery day: and therefore not onelyonly in peace and proſperitie, the bleſſing of thankes, &c. but vnderunder affliction, patience, contentation, and ſuch like graces, euen the thing of the day in the day, as Agur ſaith,Prou. 30.8. that is, eueryevery thing in his time, and as the time requireth. For in proſperitie, the time requireth one bleſſing; in affliction another: that ſo wee may hang on God eueryevery moment.
By this it may bee ſeene, that Chriſtians ought eueryevery day to prepare for troubles, and that is a ſpeciall part of their dutie in the day.Second, that we beare them rightly, when they come. Luk. 9.23. The other thing about afflictions is, that wee beare them willingly when they come eueryevery day. And this is that which our Sauiour Chriſt teacheth, when he ſaith, he that will come after me, muſt deny himſelfe, and take vp his croſſe daily: and this is an other part of our dutie in the day, ſo needfull to be looked vntounto, as none more.
So that God hath taught his, that whether their life be incombred with afflictions, or whether it be paſſed in the vſe, commodities and benefits, they ſhall in both eſtates learne of him how to be directed daily. Yea and to ſhut vp this poynt, and make it more full: not onelyonly eueryevery day he hath directed vsus how to liue in both eſtates, but euen through the day alſo, according to that which is written by Moſes in Deuteronomie:Deut. 33.12. Matth. 26.41. The beloued of the Lord ſhall dwell in ſafetie vnderunder his protection all the day long. When Chriſt ſaith watch and pray, leaſt ye fall into temptation, what day, or part of the day, doth he warrant vsus to be free from daunger, without theſe meanes, as experience alſo ſheweth?
By theſe things which I hauehave now ſpoken of, namely, daily to be giuen to eueryevery good worke, and to looke to our ſelues, that both in proſperitie and aduerſitie we be daily well ordered; we ſee that a Chriſtian may be able to gouerne himſelfe ſafely through the day, although hee had no further direction. But yet more particularly the word of God doth direct them how to paſſe the day in their calling, in company, alone by themſelues, and conſequently in all the actions of the day. Which becauſe I hauehave appointed afterward to prooue it, and would auoyde tediouſnes in not repeating it againe, I will deferre it, till I come to the more particular handling of the daily direction.
But yet the meanes and helps, whereby a godly life is preſerued daily, as I promiſed before,Helps to a godly life are to be vſed daily. and leaſt I ſhould not ſo particularly handle them in the direction following, I will in few words ſet downe: and ſhew, how God hath inioyned ſo many of them, as doe neceſſarilie helpe to the practiſe of godlines, daily to be vſed; and though not the ſame, yet one or other, as prayer, meditation, exhorting one another, praiſe and thankes, attending to the publike meanes of the word daily, as oft as we may inioy it. Theſe meanes God doth not onelie inioyne daily to bee vſed, but alſo in ſuch wiſe, as he who weigheth how the commaunding of them daily to be vſed, goeth with the commaunding of the godlie life daily to be continued by the helpe of them, ſhall cleerelie ſee, that God meant not coldlie and ceremoniouſlie to hauehave them performed of vsus; but that of them both, a true and holie ſeruing of him daily, ſhould bee framed: that ſo we might be one daie, as another, and not fickle and chaunging alwaies, as otherwiſe we muſt needes be.
Prayer and praiſes. Pſal. 55.16.17 & 119.164. Prou. 6.22.For prayer and praiſes, in Dauids example thriſe in the day, we are taught to offer them: beſides occaſions at other times of the daie, which a man that looketh well to his waies ſhal finde to be many. Watchfulnes, which is a due conſidering of our waies, & a taking heede to them, is required to be through the daie,Watchfulnes. Pſal. 119 97. and all the daie long, not on ſome, more then other. Our exhorting one another, Exhortation. Heb. 3.13.is commaunded to be daily, as we ſhall hauehave occaſion, howſoeuer the practiſe of it be ſtraunge, and out of vſe with many Chriſtians, who yet are they which ought to vſe it, if any bee; and this when wee hauehave opportunitie, is to be vſed to ſupplie the roome of other helps which cannot then be well inioyed.Reading. Ioſh. 1.8. As for reading the booke of his law and ſpeaking of the infinit wiſedome of God reuealed in the ſame, howſoeuer that place of Ioſua doth not ſo preciſely and ſtrictly tie them to euerie daie, as other ſcriptures doe to prayer, thankſgiuing, &c. (becauſe the daie may poſſiblie be paſſed in the ſeruice and worſhipping of God aright without that, but not without theſe: and a good Chriſtian may neceſſarilie bee hindred from that, by other duties for a time more neceſſarie) yet who doubteth,How farre we are tied to them daily. that euen that was commaunded by the Lord to be vſuall and oft, that is, ſo farre daily vſed, as when more neceſſarie things in the way doe not occupie vsus? The ſame I ſay of publike hearing the word of God,Publike hearing. Pro. 8.33. Act. 2.46. as may be gathered by that in the Prouerbs, in theſe words: Bleſſed is the man that watcheth daily at my gates, and giueth attendance at the poſtes of my doores. And the like is the ſaying of Saint Luke of the godly who were in Ieruſalem, that they continued daily in the temple, hearing the Apoſtles doctrine. I goe not about to tie any (as I ſaid) to the vſe of the ſame particulars eueryevery daie, which cannot poſſiblie be vſed eueryevery daie, but onelyonly of thoſe that may: and of the reſt, but one or other, that we may be well able to anſwere for the Chriſtian paſſing of eueryevery daie. The ſumme therefore is this, that God hath commaunded, and in his word ſet downe ſo many parts of a daily direction for a Chriſtian, as by the which hee may bee guided holily and ſafelie through eueryevery daie: and therefore that one daie as well as another, is to be conſecrated vntounto God, and not left free to our ſelues, to paſſe it, as we thinke good, and as too many (in a very vnprofitable manner) doe, and yet ſuch as profeſſe the Goſpell.