The Christians Daily Walk in Holy Security and Peace, Treatise · Chapter 2
CHAP. II. How to walke with God in all things, at all times.
THE Commandement to Man muſt walke with his God in every point of time.walke with God, is indefinite, without limitation, therefore muſt be underſtood to be a walking with him in all things, and that, at all times, in all companies, and in all changes, conditions, and eſtates of your life whatſoever. To walke with God in groſſe, is not sufficient.
You are not diſpenſed with for any momēt of your life: but all the daies of your life, and each day of your life, and each houre of that day, and each minute of that houre; you muſt paſſe the time, the whole time of your …welling here in feare; even tPro. 23. 17.all s1 Pet. 1. 17…he day long, ſaith Salomon. You muſt indevor to have a conſci…nce voyd of offence uActs 24. 16. 1 Pet 4. 2.alwaies, …s ſaith the Apoſtle. You muſt …ive the reſt of your life, not to the luſts of men, but to the will of God; taking heed leſt at any Heb. 3. 12.time there bee in you an evill heart of unbeliefe, in departing from the living God.
1. For this end Chriſt did redeemeReaſons why a man muſt walk with God at al times you from the hands of your enemies, that you might ſerve him in holineſſe & righteouſnes (which is the ſame with walking with God) xLuk. 1. 74 75.al the daies of your life without feare.
2. The end of the inſtructions of the Word, which is the light to your feet in this walking, is, that it be bound upon your hart … continually to lead, keepe, and yPro. 6. 21 22.…alke with you at all times.
3. The luſts of your owne …eart, and your z1 Pet. 5. 8Adverſary the devill lye alwayes upon the advantage to ſtay you, or to divert you out of your godly courſe; ſo that, upon every intermiſſion of your holy care to pleaſe GOD, they take their opportunity to ſurpriſe you.
4. You are accountable unto God for loſing & miſ-ſpending all that precious time wherin youEphe. 5. 15 16. doe not walke in his wayes.
5. Beſides, he that hath much worke to do, or that is in a long journey, or is running a race for a wager, hath no need to loſe any time. If you be caſt behinde in your work and race, you will hardly recover your loſſe but with much ſorrow, with renued …aith, and with more than ordinary repentance.
Wherfore, when you do awake in the night, or in the morning, and while you are awake in the day, and when you betake your ſelfe to ſleep at night, you muſt as Chriſt (foreſhadowed David) did, have thoughts on …d, and aPſa. 16, 8 Acts 2, 25.ſet him alwayes before …. bPſal. 139. 18When I awake, I am ſtill with …, ſaith David, & in the cPſa. 63▪ 6night remembred God, and his hope … dPſal 119 1…7, 148 Iſa. 6. 9.meditation was on Gods word. …iah (in the perſon of all the …hful) saith, With my ſoule have …ſired thee in the night, yea, with … ſpirit within me will I ſeeke …e early.
…. In the Inſtant of awaking letHow to awake with God. our hart be lift up to God with … thankfull acknowledgement …f his mercy to you. For it is he …at giveth his ePſ. 127. 2beloved ſleepe …ho keepeth you both in ſoule and body fPro. 6. 22while you ſleepe: Who …enueth his mercies every gLam. 3. 22, 23morning: for, while you ſleepe, you …e as it were out of actuall poſ…ſſion of your ſelfe, & all things …ſe. Now, it was God that kept …ou, and all that you had, reſto…ing them againe with many …ew mercies when you wake.
2. Ariſe early in the morning, (if you be not neceſſarily hindred) following the example of our Savior Chriſt; and of the good Ioh. 8. 2. Pro. 31. 5.houſewife in the Proverbs. For this, ordinarily, wil make much for the health of your body, and for the thrift, both of your temporall, and ſpirituall ſtate; for hereby you ſhall have the day before you, and ſhall gaine the moſt, and the fitteſt times for exerciſes of Religion, and for the workes of your calling.
3. In the time betwixt your awaking and ariſing (if other pertinent & profitable thoughts offer not thēſelves) it will be uſeful to think upon ſome of theſe, I muſt hEph. 5 14 1 Cor. 15 34.awake from the ſleepe of Sinne to Righteouſneſſe, as well as out of bodily ſleepe unto labour in my calling. The iRom. 13. 11, 12, 13.night is far ſpent, the day is at hand, I muſt therefore eaſt off the works of darkneſſe, and put on the armour of light. I muſt walke honeſtly as in the day, I am by the light of grace and kowledge, to ariſe and walke in it, … well as by the light of the Sun … walke by it. Think alſo of your waking out of the ſleepe of death, …d out of the k1 Cor. 15 54, 55.graue at the …und of the l1 Theſ 4. 16.laſt Trumpet; even … your bleſſed reſurrection unto …ory at the laſt day. It was one … Davids ſweet thoughts (ſpea…ing to God) mPſ. 17. 15When I awake, I …ll be ſatisfied with thy likeneſſe. When you ariſe, and apparell Fit meditations when a man doth apparell himſelfe.…our ſelfe, loſe not that prime …ime (when your wit is freſheſt) with uncertaine, imperti…ent, boundleſſe and fruitleſſe …houghts, as it is the faſhion of moſt men and women for to …oe. This is a fit time to thinke upon the cauſe why you have need of apparell; namely, the fall and ſinne of your firſt Pa…ents, which from them is derived to you. For before their fall, their nakedneſſe was their nGen. 1. 31.comelineſſe; and ſeeing it, theyoGen. 2. 25. were not aſhamed. It will likewiſe be to good purpoſe to conſider what baſe ſtuffe th… wiſe providence of God hath appointed to bee the matter o… apparell. The ri…ds of plants, th… skinnes, haire, or wooll of brui… beaſts, and the Spittle of th… Silkworm; very excrements and cast apparell of vnreaſonable creatures. Which, as it doth magnifie the wiſdome, power, and goodnes of God in chuſing, and turning ſuch meane things to ſuch excellent uſe: ſo it ſhould humble and keepe downe the pride of man. For what man, who is in his wits, will bee proud of the badge of his ſhame even of that arparell, for which (under God) he is beholding to very plants and beaſts?
Now alſo is a good time to cal to mind what rules …reto be obſerved, that you may apparell your ſelfe ſo as becommeth one that profeſſeth godlines: namely,1 Tim, 2. 9 10 That your apparell for matter and faſhion doc ſuite with your enerall and ſpeciall calling, and …ith your …ſstate, pDe…. 22. 5 1 Cor. 11. 13, 14. 15ſex, and age.
That your wearing your appa…ell q 1 Cor. 12 23be for health, honoſtic, and …comelinesse.
3 That you rather goe with … loweſt, than with the higheſt of your ſtate and place.
4. That the faſhion be neither1 Z…ph. 1. 8 ſtrange, immodeſt, ſingular, or …idiculous.
5. That you be not over curions, or overlong, taking up too much time, in putting it on.Iſa. 3. 18 to 24
6 Neither the making nor wearing of your apparell muſt ſavour of pride, lightnes, curioſitie, laſci…iouſneſſe, prodigaliti…, or baſe Phal. 4. 8. 1 Cor. 11.covetouſneſſe: But it muſt be ſuch as becommeth holineſſe, wiſedome, thrift, and honeſty, and ſuch as is well reported of.
7 Follow the example of thoſe of your ranke and meanes, which are moſt ſo…er, moſt frugall, and moſt diſcreet.
While you apparel your ſelfe, it wil be ſeaſonable and profitable alſo, by this occaſion, to raiſe your thoughts, and to fixe them Rev. 3. 18.upon that your apparell which doth cloath and adorne ſ1 Pet. 3, 4your inward man, which is ſpirituall, and of a divine matter, which never is cut of faſhion, which never weareth out, but is alwaies better for the wearing. Thinke thus, If I goe naked without bodily apparell, it will be to the ſhame of my perſon, and to the hazard of my health and life: But how much more will the filthy tRev. 3. 17 Rev. 16. 15 Exo. 32. 25nakedneſſe of my ſoule appeare to the eyes of men, of Angels, and of God himſelfe, whoſe*Hab. 1. 13 pure eyes cannot abide filthineſſe; whereby my ſoule will be expoſed to moſt deadly temptations, and my ſelfe to Gods moſt ſevere Iudgements; except I have put on, and doe keepe on mee theuRev. 19. 8 white linnen of Chriſts Spouſe, the righteouſneſſes of the Saints, that is, Iuſtification by faith in …st, and ſanctification of every … by the Spirit of Chriſt?
…nd becauſe every day you …be aſſaulted with the world, …esh, and the devill, you ſhall …veli to conſider whether you …e put on, and doe improve … coat of male, that complete ar…, preſcribed*Epheſ. 6. 11 to 18..
…hen it ſhall happen that you … uſe your looking-glaſſe, andIam▪ 1. 23, 24, 25. …xperience find that it ſerveth …iſcover, and to direct you …w to reforme whatſoever is …omely, and out of order in …r body: you may hereby re…mber your ſelfe of the neceſſi… and admirable uſe of the mir…r and glaſſe of Gods Word, and …spell of Christ, both read and …ached, for the good of your …le. For, this being underſtood, … beleeved, doth not onelyonly …w what is amiſle in the ſoule, … how it may bee amended; … insome meaſure will enable you to amend; for, it doth no… onelyonly ſhew you your owne face but the very face and glory … God in Chriſt …eſus, which b… reflexe upon you, will through the Spirit worke on you a mo… excellent effect than on Moſ Exod. 34. 29, 30.face in the Mount; which yet w… ſo glorious, that the people cou… not endure to behold it. For … this Gods glory, which by fait… you behold in the Word, yo… ſhall be changed into the ſame … 2 Cor. 3, 18mage, from glory to glory, even … by the Spirit of the Lord.
Touching theſe things whic… I have preſcribed to be though upon, when you ariſe, and p… on your apparell in the morning and thoſe other which I ſh… preſcribe when you put off yo… apparel at going to bed at nigh… my meaning is not to urge th… as neceſſary, as if it were ſinne… omit any of theſe particulars: b… except better come in place, … moſt cōvenient. Wherfore ta… theſe Cautions. Firſt, (as I ſaid) if other perti…ent & more profitable thoughtsCautions to the former directions. …ffer not themſelves, or if you be …rren of other holy meditati…ns, uſe theſe.
Secondly, the bare ſimilitudes, …nd alluſions, with all ſuch re…emblances which are free (not …ommanded by God, but in our …oyce to take up from things …atural & artificiall, to put vsus in …ind of ſpirituall things, and to …eare our judgements therein) …uſt beuſed with puttinga wide …ifference betweene them, and …hofe which are Sacramentall. …or the Sacramēts, beſides their …aturall aptneſſe to ſignifie what …hey doe repreſent, they have di…ine inſtitution from GOD, whereby to the beleever, they …re through Gods Spirit effectu…ll, not onelyonly outwardly to ſigni…ie, exhibit, & ſeale; but inward…y to apply and confer the thing ſignified; theſe not ſo, yet as …elps to your memory and understanding theſe are of ſingular uſe. For our Saviour in his speeches while hee lived upon the earth, and in his writings in the holy Scripture, is frequent in the uſe of them, as you may obſerve in the manifold parables and ſimilitudes in the Goſpell.