The Marrow of the Oracles of God, Chapter 7 – Chapter 8
CHAP. VII.
Rules that concerne the preseruation of our louelove to God.
HItherto of the Rules that concerne the manifestation of our louelove to God: The rest of the Rules serue to teach vsus, how to preserue in vsus this louelove to God. Now that wee may continue in our louelove to God, wee must obserue these rules:
1. We must separate our selues from all others, to be his, Leuit. 20. 26. auoyding fellowship with the seruants of a strange god, that might any way entice vsus from the louelove of God; yea we should so much alienate our heart… from all idols, that wee should not make mention of their names, and therefore daily confirme our hearts in that purpose to cleane to God alone, Mal. 2. 11. Exod. 34. 11, 14, 15. and 23. 13. Act. 11. 23. Iosh. 23. 8.
2. We must beware, that wee forget not God, nor goe too long without effectuall remembrance of him. They that can liue whole dayes and weekes without any care to thinke of God, may bee sure their hearts are voide of the louelove of God; and as euer wee would continue to louelove God, we must be carefull eueryevery day to remember him, and thinke vponupon him, Deut. 6. 12. & 32. 18.
3. We must labour to edifie our selues in our most holy faith; wee must build vp our hearts in the assurance of that wonderfull louelove God hath shewed to vsus: and this will preserue and keepe vsus in our louelove to him againe, Iude 20.
4. Wee must pray in the holy Ghost, as is shewed in the same place: prayer preserues acquaintance with God, and exceedingly quickens the heart; and besides, drawes from God new pledges of his louelove to vsus, which may serue to kindle our affections towards him.
5. In the same place another rule is imported: and that is the daily expectation of the comming of Christ: for the terrour of that Day will mooue vsus to shew all possible louelove to God, and so will that singular glory we are assured to receiue in that day.
6. In the vse of all Gods Ordinances, we must be carefull to seeke out the face of God, which is that speciall presence of his grace. For the louelove of God will decay in vsus, if once we come to vse the meanes only for forme, and an outward shew, Psal. 105. 4. And if we misse of God in his Ordinances, we must neuer be quit, till we finde him whom our soule loueth, Cant. 3. 1. Psal. 63. 1.
7. We must preserue the truth he hath deliuered to vsus; yea, we must contend for it: for sound do…rine laid vp in our hearts, will preserue in vsus soundnesse of affection to God, Iude 3.
8. We must get Catalogues of Gods praises in particular, and fill our hearts with the knowledge and contemplation of them.
9. If we would be preserued in the louelove of God, we must labour to attaine to the abilitie to reioyce in God, and delight our selues in God. A wife that would increase her louelove to her husband, must striue to solace her selfe often with her husband, and to forme in her heart a speciall delight in him: So must wee doe to God. This is miserably neglected, and yet exceedingly necessarie. Nor is it an ordinarie ioy we should take in God, but we should ioy in him, first, with all our hearts: secondly, not for a time, but alwaies, eueryevery day; nor with common, but with exceeding ioyes, Phil. 4. 4. Psa. 37▪ 4. and 68. 3, 4. & 105. 3. Now that this About reioycing in God.point may bee the better vnderstood, I will consider of two things: first, what it is to delight and ioy in God: secondly, what we should do that we might delight, and take pleasure in God.
For the first, this delight in What it is to reioyce or delight our selues in God.God hath in it foure things distinctly.
First, a spirituall satisfaction, or contentment, arising from the assurance of Gods louelove to vsus, as …ing enough, that hee regards vsus; thus Dauid saith, his soule was …tisfied as with marrow, Psal. 63. 5. and 149. 2.
Secondly, a ioyfull entertainment of all passages of louelove betweene God and vsus; especially in the vse of his Ordinances.
Thirdly, a delightfull contemplation of God and his mercies.
Fourthly, a glorying in God, and extolling of his praises, as by discourse, so by singing of Psalmes, 1. Cor. 1. 31. Psal. 33. 1. & 105. 3. & 68. 3, 4.
Now for the attainment of the ioying in God:
1. We must mourne often for our disabilities herein, and pray What wee must doe that wee might bee able to ioy in God.to God to forme this delight in vsus.
2. We must restraine carnall ioyes, and cares: for the excesse of both doth exceedingly dull the heart, and withdrawes it care of delight in God, Phil. 4. 4, 5, 6.
3. Wee must exercise our selues with all the ioy wee can in the Word of God, Psal. 119. 14, 16.
4. We must take heed of listening to Obiections against the louelove of God to vsus, whether they arise from Satan, or our owne flesh.
5. Wee must often obserue the miseries of the wicked, in comparison of our happy estate in Christ, Hab. 3. 17, 18.
6. We must seeke a delightfull conuersation with the godly.
7. We must take heede of domesticall euils, our home sinnes, the corruptions that would daily preuaile in vsus, Iob 22. 23, 26.
8. Wee must restraine our owne beliefe about the acceptation of the good duties wee performe; and to this end wee must take heed, that we bee neither iust ouermuch, by attributing too much to our selues: nor yet wicked ouermuch, in condemning all wee doe, as hatefull to God. For this last doth maruellously hinder vsus from ioying in God.
CHAP. VIII.
Containing generall Rules about Gods seruice.
HItherto of the first sort of Rules, that concerne o…r carriage towards God, namely, those tha… concerne our louelove to God. Now the second sort of Rules follow, and that is, those Rule… about the seruice of God.that cōcerne the seruice of God; and these may bee cast into two rankes: for they either concerne the parts of Gods worship, or the time of Gods worship.
The Rules that concerne the parts of Gods worship, are either generall, which binde vsus to the good behauiour in all parts of Gods worship; or else certaine specialties of Direction, that concerne some part of Gods worship onelyonly.
Now for the generall rules, 9. Things to bee remembred in eu…ry part of Gods worship.we should know and remember, that there are nine things to bee looked to, and brought to the practice of eueryevery part of Gods …orship.
The first is preparation: wee must i… some sort conferre with …ur owne hearts, and prepare …m, before we goe before God to doe any seruice, Iob 11. 13. Psal. 4. 4. Ezech. 7. 10.
Secondly, we must come with …ll reuerence and godly feare, Heb. 12. 28. Psal. 2. 11.
Thirdly, wee must performe the seruice in repentance for our sinnes: Wee must not come before God in the louelove of any sinne; if wee doe, wee lose our labour, and God will loathe our workes, Esay 1. Iob 11. 14. Wee must hauehave cleane hands, and a pure heart, or else no seruice of God will be accepted, Psal. 119. 11. & 24. 4.
Fourthly, it must grieue vsus, that others will not serue God, Psal. 119. 139.
Fifthly, wee must performe eueryevery seruice in the name of Christ, or else it cannot be accepted, b… r…ason of that euill that cleane to our best workes: whether w… pray, or giuegive thanks, or whatsoeuer we doe, we must doe it in the name o… Christ, Col. 3. 17.
Sixtly, in eueryevery seruice of God wee must, as neere as it may bee, giuegive God the first prayse, preferring the respects of God and his worship, before our selues, or the regard of others: wee must serue him betimes, seeking God in the first places, Iob 8. 5. Matth. 6. 34. Psal. 5. 3.
Seuenthly, when wee doe any seruice to God, wee must doe it with all our hearts, with as much willinguesse as may be, so as it may appeare, that wee louelove to be his seruants, as the Prophets phrase is, 1. Sam. 16. 7. 1. Chron. 28. 9. Esay 56. 6.
Eightly, in all seruice wee must striue so to serue God, that wee may please him: not onelyonly carefull to doe t… dutie, but carefull of Gods acceptati…. … good duties being chies… carefull to see Gods appro…ation, not caring so much for the pr…ise of …as as the praise of God. …n e…ery part of Gods worship our praise m…st be of God an… not of men, Heb. 12. 28. Rom. 2. 29.
Ninthly, wee must cleane to God, with detestation of all things o… persons that might a… way draw vsus away from his s… uice, Deut. 13. 4, 5.