The Marrow of the Oracles of God, Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII.
Thus of the directions that concerne the first sort of gifts: concerning the attainement of the other graces, the directions now follow.
AND first for the attainment How to increase sauing knowledge.of sauing knowledge, and the increase of…, these directions are of excellent vse:
1. In hearing or reading the 1 He must be wise for himselfe.Scriptures, hee must bee wise for himselfe, that is, marke distinctly what he heareth or readeth, that may especially concerne himself, Prou. …. 12.
2 He must study those things 2 He must study only profitable things.exactly, which most concerne him, auoiding vaine questions, and fruitlesse contemplations, and vaine ianglings, and controuersies: he must especially labour to know Gods Nature aright, and the distinct manner of Gods true worship, how he may serue him: he must studie to know his owne particular offences, and Christ crucified as his Sauiour, with the benefits of his mediation, and the necessary things that concerne his owne Iustification, Sanctification, and finall Saluation.
3. He must redeeme the time, 3. He must redeeme the time.and by forecast and order, prouide so, that some time may be daily allowed for holy studies to recouer his former time lost.
4. Hee must enquire and take 4. He must propound… his doubtscounsell, hee must take heed of smothering his doubts, but must carefully seeke satisfaction to his conscience, as occasion ariseth. There is more profit in this rule, then many Christians are aware of.
5. Hee must take heede of 5 He must not consult with flesh and blood.consulting with flesh and blood: he must not regard other mens opinions, or his owne carnall reason; but resolue to giuegive the glory to Gods Word, so as to submit himselfe to what he shall finde therein required to be beleeued, or done, or auoided,
Other rules he may finde in the directions for the priuate reading of the Scriptures: as also in Rules of life.
Thus of sauing Knowledge,
That thou maiest inflame in How the louelove of God may bewrought in thee.thy heart the louelove of God:
1. Thou must auoid with speciall care, these things:1. Thou must auoid forgetfulnesse of God, and the louelove of the world.
First, Forgetfulnesse of God; Thou must not dare to go whole daies, or weekes without communion with God, or remembring his holy presence.
Secondly, the louelove of the World; We cannot louelove the Father, while our hearts dote vponupon any earthly thing. Of necessity some degree of the contempt of the world must be bred in vsus before we can louelove God.
2. Wee must labour for a distinct 2. Thou must study Gods praises.knowledge of the dreadfull prayses of Gods Nature and Workes, as they are described in the Scriptures, or may be obserued by experience. This is a needfull direction, and miserably neglected.
3. VVe must frequent his house; 3 Thou must frequent his house.especially when his glory doth shine in the power of his Ordinances in his Sanctuary.
4. Wee should especially studie 4 Thou must study Gods mercies.the mercies of God, and all the good things hee hath promised, or giuen vntounto vsus, that wee may after a solid manner cause our hearts to know how infinitely we stand bound to God.
5. Wee should obserue carefully and daily, our owne sinfulnes, 5Thou must obserue thy daily infirmities.and vilenesse, and vnworthinesse: For vnlesse wee cast out selfe-louelove, wee shall neuer get in the true louelove of God.
6. Wee should pray much; 6 Thou must pray much.for an holy course in prayer doth breed in men a wonderfull louelove of God; and admiration of that fellowship, which thereby they hauehave with God.
7. We should resort often to 7 Thou must r…sort to experienced Christians.such as vse to speake much of the praises of God, and marke the experience of Gods wonderful prouidence, or the glory of his Word.
8. It will much further the 8 Thou must behaue thy selfe louingly towards the godly.louelove of God, to get and increase in vsus a louing respect of, and behauiour towards such as feare God, and beare his Image.
Thus of the louelove of God.
Concerning the louelove of the brethren, two questions may bee demanded: The one, what wee must doe to get a hearty louelove to What wee must do to get the louelove of the godly.the godly: and the other, what we must doe to preserue it when it is gotten.
For the first, hee that would heartily bee affected towards all the godly with a brotherly louelove, must obserue these Rules:1 Auoide the company of the wicked.
1. Hee must not haunt with vicious persons, nor goe with dissemblers, nor hold needlesse society with such as hate godlines and godly persons, Psalme 26. 4, 5.
2. He must much meditate of Gods louelove to him, and of the 1. Meditate much of Gods louelove to vsus.great things were done by Iesus Christ, and of those rich mercies are offered him in Christ, and of the wonderfull louelove that God and Christ do beare to true Christians, and how glorious they shall be in the kingdome of heauen.
The arguments taken from Gods louelove to vsus or Christs suffering for vsus, are often vsed in the first Epistle of Iohn, to perswade vsto the louelove of the brethren, as 1 Iohn 4. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12. Psalme 16. 2, 3.
3. Hee must take notice of 3. Consider Gods CommandemétGods peremptory commandement, who requireth this of him as one principall duty, that hee louelove the godly: with an vtter disclaiming of him, if hee doe not louelove them, 1 Ioh. 3. 10, 11, 12, 13.
For the second, That he would continue and increase, and abound in louelove.
1. He must seeke, and hold, and For the preseruatlon of our louelove three things must bee looked to.not forsake the fellowship that he hath with the godly in the Gospel, but make them the constant companions of his life, Heb. 10. 25.
2. When he finds his affections stirred vp, he must make vse of all opportunities, by his deeds to shew the fruits of his louelove vponupon all occasions of merciemercy and welldoing, else affections will dye in him. The fruits of righteousnesse must be sowed by practise, 1 Ioh. 3. 18. If affection bee onelyonly in shew, or in words, or in the conceptions of the heart, and be not expressed and made fast by the engagements of practise, it will much decay, if not wholly be lost.
3. He must by all meanes take heed of discord with any of them, striuing with a resolution to take things in the best part, to beleeue all things, and endure all things, suffering long without enuy, or reioycing in iniquity; doing all things without reasonings or murmurings, or censuring or complaining; auoiding vaine ianglings and selfeconceitednes, begging of God an ability to beare with the infirmities of others. See further directions about this point, in the Rules of Life.