Seven Treatises, Treatise 6 · Chapter 7
CHAP. 7. Of the fifth priuiledge: namely, The gracious helpes by which he hath graunted them to grow in faith and godlineſſe.
ALl this that hath beene ſaid of theſe foure priuiledges laſt mentioned, will be graunted in generall to be true I doubt not, for all profeſſors are literall and ſpeculatiue Chriſtians: they ſay, and doe not. But when this doctrine ſhould be brought to vſe of them in particulars, and when they are to be preſſed with the practiſe of it, then many will anſwer: They hope that it doeth not appertaine to them, neither are they able (they ſay) thus to hold ſtedfaſtly the certaintie of gods fauour by faith, and to ſubdue and ouercome their ſinnes, to lead a godly life, nor to riſe vp againe when they hauehave fallen dangerouſly: (thereby ſhewing, that they doe not looke to be ledde by the word in their actions:) but I go not about to perſwade ſuch, that they hauehave any part in theſe priuiledges. And they might ſpeake with good reaſon, obiecting thus of all other as well as of themſelues, if God had not appointed and taught them by what helpes and meanes, they may doe this. But therefore we are to know that God hath beſtowed this priuiledge vponupon his children, ouer and beſide the former, that by ſuch meanes and helpes as he hath acquainted them with,It is a great priuiledge, to vſe the helpes which God hath giuen to his. and taught them to vſe, they may be able to inioy the foreſaid liberties (which without them, and by their owne ſtrength they can not ſo much as go about) and to preuaile ſo farre by inioying them, that they may finde their liues more ſweet and comfortable, then other can in what eſtate or condition ſoeuer, if they hauehave not their part in them.
And that it may be ſeene that theſe helpes are priuiledges, (as I hauehave ſaid) behold it briefely in the particular helpes, and eſpecially ſuch are to be vſed daily;And namely praier: as for example: What a benefit is it, that by praier we may come vntounto our God for whatſoeuer we hauehave need of that is good for vsus, and may obtaine it? that we may come to him, (I ſay) breake our minde, lay open our griefe and commune familiarly with him as with a friend, when we will: he neuer being wearie of vsus,Ioh 15.15. Mat. 7 7. nor taking ſcorne of vsus or reiecting vsus? when yet, to hauehave this acceſſe to an earthly prince but at ſome time & for ſome one pleaſure or other, is few mens caſes to obtaine, and hardly inioied. But this is yet more, that we know how to come before the Lord with confidence and reuerence,If we know how to pray. ſo as we need not doubt but he will heare and regard vsus, and ſo to come with delight; when yet praier is counted a cold helpe to men of the world to be vpholden by.
Of watchfulneſſe to ſay a little alſo: what a treaſure is this, that whereas the diuill deceiueth thouſands,Alſo it is a goodly priuiledge to be watchfull. they being not wiſe & wary to eſcape his ſleights; yet he teacheth his, farre greater wiſdome and care to take heed to themſelues? for he draweth ſome to whoredome and vncleaneſſe: ſome to vaine and dangerous expence of the precious time in play and folly: ſome to hunt after the wealth of this world, with pined and hunger ſtarued ſouls: and vndoeth others after ſundry other waies; when yet we may by watchfulneſſe ſhift and ſhunne them, and not be taken in the ſnare, as others are; and the oftener that we hauehave preuailed, we may be the better able to preuaile ſtill for heereafter: and that we thus reſiſting and ouercomming in the greateſt danger, we may much more auoide the ſmaller. But neither our gaine by it, nor their loſſe who are not acquainted with it, is greatly conſidered of them till they hauehave throughly ſmarted for the neglect of it.
And ſo I may ſay of the viewing of, & looking backe vntounto our whole courſe of life in the day,An other is, to view the day at our lying downe. when we are ready to lie downe at night: What a ſweet liberty is this, that whereas the moſt are either ſtung or wounded at night with the remembrance of their euill ſpending of the day or a great part of it, or ſome euill that they hauehave done in it; or elſe, thinke not of it at al, but digeſt it merily and forget it (which, of the two, is farre more dangerous, as that which ſurfiteth them:) yet we may by this priuiledge of looking backe to our beſtowing of the day, auoid both the one and the other of theſe daily ſickneſſes; or if we remember any thing to hauehave eſcaped vsus amiſſe, we are ready to bewaile and acknowledge it to our God, and to pray for pardon in faith, and renounce our ſinne: and yet who ſeeth not, that for the moſt part, we may be ſure to finde little to accuſe vsus then at our lying downe, or to hinder our ſleepe, becauſe we were watchfull againſt it through the day, while we were awake? The ſame I may ſay of the reſt.
For as he hath promiſed to bleſſe the vſing of theſe helpes, ſo he draweth our hearts to beleeue it that he will doe ſo indeed,For we beleeue that which God hath promiſed. Ioſ. 1.3. and thereby to looke for the accompliſhing of his promiſe euen as certainly, as if it were already performed; as Ioſua did in all the Lords battels which he fought for the people of Iſraell, when God had ſaid of the whole land of Canaan: I hauehave, or (which is all one in God) I will giuegive it into thy hand; he beleeuing that he would doe ſo indeed, was incouraged thereby to fight for it, and to goe againſt their enimies and make warre with them, in an other maner of proceeding, either in cheerefulneſſe or confidence, then they which came againſt him. And ſo (to ſay the ſame of the particulars) when the Lord ſaid: I hauehave giuen Iericho and Ai into thy hands, the king of Ieruſalem with his band of other kings and their men of warre, the king of Haſer with all the kings and people that came with him, Ioſ. 11.6.whoſe multitude was as the ſande of the ſea ſhore; what was his munition or armour, but his faith? wherein lay his ſtrength but in this, that he beleeued, that the God of heauen and earth was ſtronger then all they; and that he which had promiſed, would alſo doe the ſame although he was inuiſible? For the which cauſe, it is written in the ſcriptures,Hebr. 11.30. that by faith the walles of Iericho (a thing in reaſon moſt abſurd) yet by faith, and not by battery or ſtrength or pollicy, they fell downe. The ſame I might (but for auoiding tediouſneſſe) ſay of many other; who beleeuing, that God would bleſſe the ſame meanes, which he commanded them to vſe, hauehave with great courage interpriſed them:Gen. 6.22. Hebr. 11.17. as Noah in making the arke, Abraham in offering to kill his ſonne; who if they had not beleeued, that God would bleſſe their indeuours and turne them to their great good, would neuer hauehave attempted the ſame.
And thus hauing made this matter plaine by examples, I will now proceed in applying them to the preſent occaſion. Therefore, as Ioſua hauing promiſes giuen him of God, beleeued them and thereby preuailed againſt difficulties and diſcouragements: ſo Gods ſeruants hauing the like promiſes, are ſtrengthened by God to beleeue them, as he was, and by beleeuing them obtaine that which is promiſed. For God promiſeth,1. Ioh. 5.4. that by the helpes which he hath giuen, he will inable his people to get victory ouer their ſinnes, to leade a godly life: and when they fall by any infirmity,Mich. 7.8. not to ſuffer them either to faint and diſpaire of forgiueneſſe, on the one ſide; or to make light of their ſinne and to be careleſſe about it, one the other ſide.Dan. 9.5. 1. Sam. 12.19. Theſe promiſes therefore whoſoeuer beleeue, they by the helpes which they vſe, obtaine the bleſſing, namely the thing that is promiſed. So that it is not the bare vſing of theſe helpes which effecteth, much leſſe meriteth any ſuch fruit or bleſſing; but that they are vſed in faith, and the parties who vſe them, looke conſtantly for bleſſing vponupon the ſame, and power and ſtrength from God to helpe their weakeneſſe.
This was neceſſary for me to ſay, how and in what caſe the meanes and helpes, which we vſe to the conſtant practiſing of a godly life, become effectuall vntounto vsus; namely, when we beleeue God that he will bleſſe them to vsus.No fruit of the beſt helps, if we vſe them not in faith. Iam. 1.6. And indeed otherwiſe, let not men looke to receiue any thing thereby; which the apoſtle Iames affirming of one eſpecial helpe, namely of praier, is as truly ſaid of all the reſt: that he which doubteth and wauereth (when he ſhould beleeue) whether by thoſe helpes he ſhall be furthered and bettered or not; let not that man looke to receiue any thing. Therefore we muſt learne to be acquainted with faith, euen as we deſire to be acquainted with God (for by no other meanes can we know him, or hauehave acceſſe vntounto him:) and thereby we receiue power and ſtrength through the helpes which we vſe, to liue well and godly. Theſe helpes what they are, and which ought to be vſed eueryevery day, and which by other occaſions, I hauehave before ſet downe in the third and fourth part of this treatiſe.
Now, foraſmuch as God hath giuen this liberty, as a ſingular priuiledge to his people, to vſe theſe helpes conſtantly and continually, it is our part to ſee, whether we doe ſo or not;2. Pet. 3.17. or whether we ſuffer our ſelues to be plucked away with the errour of the wicked, and ſo fall from our ſtedfaſtneſſe. For if we finde not our liues, and our whole courſe in all dealings and affaires through the day, to be ſo paſſed as that we hauehave peace to God-ward throughout, and with peace lie downe at euen, it is our owne ſinne; God hath taught vsus, and alſo prouided how it might hauehave beene otherwiſe with vsus, if we had beene but as carefull to finde it, as we were carefull about our liuing and maintenance, or to ſeeke vp a ſtraied beaſt which we had loſt, and to bring it into the paſture againe.
And to ſpeake more plainely, if we doe not ſo begin the day with thankſgiuing,How the day is to be begun and continued. confeſſion of ſinne, and praier when we may doe it conueniently, and ſo arme our ſelues with the whole armour of a Chriſtian, ſo watch and pray after, ſo vſe Chriſtian exerciſe in family, and remember Gods bounty towards vsus; and laſtly ſo looke backe to our paſſing of the day, that we may ſee by all theſe that we hauehave beene guided by God, and that we hauehave beene holden in our courſe without any iuſt cauſe to wound our conſcience: then it is the diuill, who hath detained and kept our right from vsus, and depriued vsus of ſo good a portion as our God hath bequeathed vsus, when he ſhewed himſelfe willing to hauehave had it otherwiſe.
And whither through ignorance, we know not how to be ſafely led through the day; or that which is little better, although we know, yet for ſlougth, or for that we louelove darkeneſſe more then light,What it is to neglect duty, or to commit offences. we let paſſe many knowen duties, or ſuffer ſundry offences to paſſe from vsus in the day: it is all one, as if we would ſuffer our ſelues to be depriued of our owne proper inheritance by ſome couſener, who ſhall tell vsus that it belongeth not vntounto vsus, when yet we are able to ſhew cleare and ſufficient euidence for it. For when the Lord ſhall ſay:Reuel. 3.11. Let no man take away your crowne; then the diuell ſheweth himſelfe manifeſtly in detaining it from vsus. And therefore we muſt remember that to vſe theſe helpes rightly,The ſweeteſt liberties of a Chriſtian are wretched bondage to a man of the world. is no bondage nor ſeruitude, as men of the world count them, who ſtraine themſelues and ſtriue mightily to be deliuered from the holy and ſpirituall vſe of them, and not to be tied thereto: we muſt rather be perſwaded, that they are moſt precious liberties, peculiar to gods deereſt ſeruants; and a ſingular benefit of God, that in ſuch a dead world, and frozen age as we liue in, we may be counted meet, and made able to honour our God, (which to moſt men is tedious) and to hauehave peace with him throughout the day; and that we may be taught of him to vſe the helpes thereto, which others are well content not to be acquainted with.
And if we be throughly perſwaded of this, that it is a libertie, a benefit, and honour to vsus, to hold our mindes willing from day to day to the reuerent vſe of them; and be reſolued, that we hauehave no worke more needfull to be done of vsus any day then this: we ſhall not need to doubt of ſuch fruit heereof, as is not to be repented of; euen ſuch, as will cauſe vsus to confeſſe that the meanes and helps to grow in godlineſſe, and a minde to vſe them daily againſt the diſcouragements and hinderances of the day, are a ſingular prerogatiue to a Chriſtian. And otherwiſe, how precious ſoeuer they be in themſelues, yet if we thinke not ſo of them, but ſhall be well content,Note. by euerie light occaſion to omit and neglect them, or ſleightly and houerly to paſſe them ouer, I teſtifie,A ſleight and formall vſing of the meanes will not profit. that we ſhall get no good by them, no more than the common ſort do: but as they hauehave loſt their beautie with vsus; ſo we ſhall loſe our fruit of them. Conſider what I ſay, and the Lord giuegive thee vnderſtanding.
For be this knowen to the profaneſt and proudeſt contemner of God,The beautie of the worſhip of God is too glorious for the armeyes of prophane perſons to beholde. which ſeldome, and onelyonly for faſhion doth pray or heare a ſermon, that theſe helps, whereby we grow conſtant in a Chriſtian life, are not of little account becauſe they are ſo with him; but that they are ſo glorious that he is not woorthy of them, nor to reape the profit that commeth by them: his light eſteeming of them cauſeth me to ſet the more by them: his vnſauourineſſe that he findeth in them and wearineſſe of them, cauſeth me to commend them the more highly, and the more to admire the Lords kindneſſe to me, who maketh them ſo ſweet and gainfull to me, which are to him very gall and wormewood.That which is common to all, is no priuilege. For otherwiſe, how could they properly be called priuiledges, if they were a like precious to good and to bad? or were in as good reckoning with the one,Note. as with the other? For, the euill ſort are not perſwaded thus of them, therefore they finde nothing. They either know not theſe helps, (which may truely be ſaid of the moſt of them) or if they doe, yet they know not how to vſe them in faith, eſpecially (I may ſay) not conſtantly, one day as another, or one of them aſwel as another, (that it may go better with their ſoules thereby:) but thinke, that though they vſe them not at all, it is no great matter; and if they doe vſe them, though it be but in ceremonie and neuer ſo houerly, then they thinke, that euen for that very cauſe they highly pleaſe God. Which maner of vſing them, is neuer able to proue to them, what fruit and benefit may be reaped by them.
But we who beleeue in him, may know them, and rightly practiſe them,Who they are, that are conſtant in the ſeruice of God. (though full weakly at ſome time we do it) and looke for fruit by them, and inioy it: and when we ſee what bleſſing he giueth vsus therof, (as he doth, and that very great, to the end that we may hauehave the better experience how manie waies he keepeth promiſe with vsus, and how he inricheth vsus) then we waxe more conſtant therein, and are the more hardly withdrawen by any occaſions from holding out in the ſame. This (I ſay) we may do, although with griefe it may be ſpoken, that many euen of vsus, are too farre off from inioying this libertie as we might do. But let all ſuch know, that it is their owne ſinne, who cannot therefore praiſe God for this ſweet helpe, while they be not the better for it. Therefore to ſhut vp this point, let this be perſwaded to all Gods faithfull ſeruants, that he hath of ſingular fauour giuen the helps which ſettle them in a Chriſtian life, as a great prerogatiue and priuiledge: and therefore, when vnderunder colour of weakneſſe we yeeld to the waiwardneſſe of our hearts, which are ſoone vntoward to theſe gracious helps, and wearie of them, we muſt repent of ſuch vnthankfulneſſe, and of the nouriſhing of ſuch fleſhly libertie as ſhaketh off ſo needfull dueties. So ſhall we ſhew our ſelues wiſe, though the world count vsus fooles; and be in good ſaftie, when their danger ſhall be great.
Now I would hauehave proceeded to lay foorth before the Chriſtian Reader an other priuiledge, which in this place would very fitly come in; and that is, that God hath ſurely prouided, that they who are thus farre beautified and bleſſed of him, ſhall thus continue vntounto the end: but ſeeing it is the laſt that is inioyed in this life, it ſhall hauehave the laſt place among the temporall priuiledges. But yet I thought not amiſſe to mention ſuch a thing here, both to ſtay them which after the hearing of ſo bleſſed beginnings and proceedings, would be glad to heare of the end anſwerable to them both: and alſo that they may looke for it in the place aſſigned.