Light from Heaven, Part 2
Godlinesse.
Godlinesse, what.Godlinesse, is either the Principles of Christian Religion, or the inward disposition of the soule towards them, the inward holy affection of the soule; the word implyeth both: for Godlinesse is not onelyonly the naked Principles of Religion, but likewise the Christian affection, the inward bent of the soule, sutable to Divine Principles, there must be a godly disposition, carrying us to godly Truths. That Godlinesse includes the Truths themselves, I need goe no further then the connexion: In the last words of the former Verse, The Church is the Pillar and ground of Truth; and then it followes, Without controversie, great is the Mysterie (he doth not say of Truth, but of Godlinesse; in stead of Truth, he sayth Godlinesse.
The same word implyes the Truths themselves, and the affection and disposition of the soule toward them Truths, to shew that both must alway goe together. Wheresoever Christian Truth is knowne as it should be, there is a supernaturall Light; it is not onelyonly a godly Truth in it selfe, but it is embraced with godly affections. These blessed Truths of the Gospel, they require and breed a godly disposition; the end of them, is godlinesse, they frame the soule to godlinesse. Thus we see the Truths themselves are godlinesse, carrying us to God, and holinesse; that I need not much stand on. But that there must be an affection answerable, and that this Truth breeds this, is a little to be considered, Why is Religion it selfe called Faith, and the grace in the soule also called Faith? To shew that Faith, that is, the Truth revealed (as we say, the Apostles Faith) it breeds Faith, and must be apprehended by Faith: therefore one word includes both the object, the thing beleeved, and likewise the disposition of the soule to that object: So, here godlinesse is the thing it selfe, the Principles of Religion, and likewise the disposition of the soule, that those Truths worke, where they are entertained as they should be. Hence followes these other Truths briefely.
First of all, that no Truth breeds godlinesse, Divine Truth onelyonly breed… goodnesse.and pietie of life, but Divine Truths; for that is called godlinesse, because it breeds godlinesse: all the devices of men in the world cannot breed godlinesse; all is superstition, and not godlinesse, that is not bred by a Divine Truth.
Againe,From what reasons we must be godly. hence, in that Divine Truth is called Godlinesse, it shewes us, if we would be godly, we must be so from reasons of Christianitie: not (as I said) by framing devices of our owne, as gracelesse foolish men doe; as we see in Poperie, it is full of Ceremonies, of their owne devising: but if we will be godly, it must be by reasons and motives from Divine Truth; that breeds godlinesse. It is but a bastard godlinesse, a bastard Religion, that is from a good intention, without a good ground: therefore the word implyes both the Tenent, the Doctrine, and the frame of Soule answerable to that Doctrine. Good Principles without an impression of it on the soule, is nothing, it … but helpe us to be damned; and godlinesse, without a frame of doctrine, is nothing but superstition: godlinesse in doctrine, frames the soule to godlinesse in conversation. There are many, that out of a naturall superstition (which is alway accompanied with a poysonfull malicious disposition against the Truth of God) they will have devices of their owne; and those they will force, with all their power: but if we will be godly, it must be from reasons fetched from Divine Truth.
True Christian, who.Againe, hence we may fetch a rule, of discerning when we are godly, what makes a true Christian? When he nakedly beleeves the grounds of Divine Truth, the Articles of the Faith, when he can patter them over, doth that make a true Christian? No; but when these Truths breed, and worke godlinesse: for, Religion is a Truth according to godlinesse, not according to speculation onelyonly, and notion: Wheresoever these fundamentall Truths are embraced, there is godlinesse with them; a man cannot embrace Religion in truth, but he must be godly. A man knowes no more of Christ, and divine things, then he values, and esteemes, and affects, and brings the whole inward man into a frame, to be like the things; if these things worke not godlinesse, a man hath but a humane knowledge of divine things; if they carry not the Soule to trust in God, to hope in God, to feare God, to embrace him, to obey him; that man is not yet a true Christian: for Christianitie is not a naked knowledge of the Truth, but Godlinesse.
Religious Evangelicall Truth,Divine Truth, Wisedome. is Wisedome; and Wisedome is a knowledge of things directing to practise: A man is a wise man, when he knowes so as to practise, what he knowes: the Gospel is a Divine Wisedome, teaching practise as well as knowledge; it workes godlinesse, or else a man hath but a humane knowledge of divine things. Therefore, he that is godly, he beleeves aright, and practiseth aright: he that beleeves ill, can never live well; for he hath no foundation, he makes an Idoll of some conceit he hath, besides the Word: and he that lives ill, though he beleeve well, shall be damned too. Therefore a Christian hath godly Principles out of the Gospel, and a godly carriage sutable to those Principles. And indeed, there is a force in the Principles of Godlinesse (from Gods love in Christ) to stirre up to godlinesse: the Soule that apprehends Gods Truth aright, cannot but be godly. Can a man know Gods love in Christ incarnate, and Christs suffering for us, and his sitting at the right hand of God for us, the infinite love of God in Christ, and not be carryed in affection backe to God againe, in love, and joy, and true affiance, and whatsoever makes up the respect of godlinesse? It cannot be. Therefore, it is not a cold naked apprehension, but a spirituall knowledge, when the Soule is stirred up to a sutable disposition, and carriage, that makes godlinesse. Now this godlinesse is