The Balance of the Sanctuary, Treatise · Chapter 14
CHAP. XIIII. That by all that hath beene ſayd and ſhewed before, we muſt learne to liue in the true feare of God, and ſincere holineſſe, and more and more practiſe the ſame.
SEeing the caſe then ſo ſtandeth, as moſt euidently appeareth, that whatſoeuer men doe, whether they liue holily and godlily, or wickedly, and irreligiouſly, yet it auaileth them nothing in this reſpect, to wit, that they cannot thereby wholy free and deliuer themſelues from all troubles and aduerſities of this life, nor yet bereaue themſelues vtterly of all outward wealth and proſperitie, but that the ſame things may happen vntounto them whither they liue godly or wickedly, & that alſo it further ſtandeth ſo with men that if they liue godly both their proſperitie and aduerſitie are bleſſings vntounto them, and on the contrary, that if they liue wickedly, as well their proſperitie as their aduerſitie is a curſe vntounto them; and that to either of them in ſo high a meaſure and degree, that the proſperitie and aduerſitie of the godly are either of them a furtherance vntounto them to euerlaſting ſaluation, and as it were, a pawne, that hereafter both here and for euer it ſhall goe well with them Pſal. 23. Phillip. 1. 28. 2 Theſſ 1. 5. 6. 7. Whereas vntounto the vngodly, both their proſperitie and aduerſitie are a meanes to further their eternall damnation, and as it were, a pawne and aſſurance vntounto them, that hereafter both here and eternally it ſhall goe euilly, and hard with them, Leuit. 26. Luke 16. 19. Apoc. 18. 7. We muſt learne therefore, and be admoniſhed hereby, if we hauehave not made a couenant with hell, and giuen our ſelues ouer to the Deuill, to forſake and abandon wickedneſſe, which is ſo much accurſed, and ſo damnable; and on the contrary to cleaue vntounto godlineſſe, which is ſo happie, and ſo much bleſſed; and in this regard ſhould we in this manner argue and reaſon with our ſelues;
I know very well that a godly courſe of life and conuerſation, is much better then a looſe vngodly, and wicked courſe, as yet I hauehave ſo much feare of God in me, and if I can in any ſort effect that which I deſire by good and honeſt meanes, I rather deſire ſo to liue, then to follow lewd, wicked, and vngodly courſes, and to vſe wicked, wrong, and euill practiſes to obtaine onelyonly ſome profite, pleaſure, credit, furtherance, and benefit, which thereby I hope to get. But now I am taught, that in reſpect of the outward things of this life, it fareth almoſt alike both with the godly & vngodly, therefore I may much better attaine vntounto an vpright life by the way of godlineſſe, then by the way of vngodlineſſe. And withall, if I conſider it well, I cannot but remember, that to the godly, both proſperitie and aduerſitie are bleſſings; and on the contrary, that to the vngodly, both proſperitie and aduerſitie are curſes, for that there is an after-reckoning to bee made in the world to come, wherein eueryevery one ſhall bee rewarded according to that which he hath done, whether it be good or euill, and after that followeth the eternall Iudgement, whereby the vngodly are diſpoſed of, and preſently ſent downe to the bottome of hell, where there is weeping, and wailing, and gnaſhing of teeth, world without end; and on the contrary, the godly are taken vp into heauen, where all joy aboundeth, and happie life eternall is obtained for them by our Sauiour Ieſus Chriſt. And if in any wiſe I ſhould doubt of theſe things to come, yet the ſame are of ſo great waight and conſequence, that it behooueth eueryevery man earneſtly to thinke on them, and to hauehave a care to make ſure worke thereof, ſeeing that wiſedome teacheth vsus, not to prepare onelyonly for difficult inconueniences, which wee know certainely will come, but to bee carefull alſo to preuent ſuch as may come vponupon vsus▪ and the rather cauſe to ſeeke to attaine vntounto theſe outward things that I deſire by godly meanes, for that by following godlines in true faith, without feare of any aduerſitie, my meate will not be leſſe ſauory, nor my ſleepe leſſe ſweete, yea, all my actions will thereby bring and procure more fruit and comfort vntounto mee; and how much more, ſince that then I ſhall liue without feare of death and hell, and in an aſſured hope of heauen, and eternall ſaluation? In regard hereof therefore I am fully determined to leaue and aband on all vngodlineſſe, and to follow godlineſſe, and to deny my ſelfe, and to giuegive my mind wholly to ſerue the Lord my God, and no longer to fullfill the deſires of the fleſh, whereon ſo many miſeries do depend, but to follow the will of God, (which onelyonly is good) during my mortall dayes, that hereafter I may alwaies liue eternally in heauen. In this manner, or the like by thinking vponupon the things before declared, ſhould we ſet our harts vponupon the way of godlineſſe and the feare of God, & ſo caſt our lot into the lap of the godly, knowing that without doubt it ſhall goe well with ſuch men. And to the end that wee may bee enduced and enabled the more diligently to follow godlineſſe, by meanes of Gods workes done here vntounto vsus and others, which he bringeth to paſſe in this world, wee will endeuour further to declare and ſhow how, and in what manner wee muſt prepare our ſelues, to know, learne, and reape ſome good out of Gods workes, for the furtherance of the feare of God and godlineſſe in vsus, and what ſpeciall fruits we may reape thereby.