The Marrow of the Oracles of God, Chapter 1
CHAP. I.
Containing the Preface, which shewes the drift, warrant, profit and vse of the ensuing Treatise.
THE only thing intended The scopein this Treatise is, to collect for thy vse (Christian Reader) those directions scattered here and there in the Scripture, which may, throughout the whole course of thy life, tell thee, what thou must do in the right order of thy conuersation: how thou shouldest behaue thy self towards God, and how thou shouldest carry thy selfe towards men, in all the occasions of thy life: in company out of company: in all duties either of righteousnesse or merciemercy: and how thou shouldest dispose of thy selfe in affliction, and out of affliction, at all times.
And thou maiest bee the more encouraged to studie and practise Thy warra….these rules, because thou hast the most expresse and apparant word of God to warrant and require thy obedience herein.
Be not so profane, as to thinke, that heere is more to doe then needs, or that I burthen the liues of Christians with a multitude of vnnecessarie Precepts, and so make the way harder then it is: For I require thy obedience in nothing thou hast not reason to be perswaded to be enioyned thee by the pure Word of God: and thou must know, to the confusion of thy securitie, that he that will walke safely, must walke by rule, Gal. 6. 16. He is yet in darkenesse, and walkes on in darkenesse, and sees not what he doth, or whither he goeth, that doth not make the Word of God the light vntounto his sect, and the Lanterne vntounto his paths, Ps. 119. There is an holy order of life commended in the godly, Col. 2. 5. And Gods promises are made to such as will dispose of their whole wayes aright. A loose conuersation is an ill conuersation; and if euer we would see the saluation of God, we must be at the paines to dispose of our wayes, and to see to it, that wee dispose of our wayes aright, Psal. 50. vlt.
The benefit thou maiest reape The profit of the course.by this Treatise, is much eueryevery way, if the fault bee not in thy selfe: for here thou maiest briefly behold the substance of a godly life; thou maiest in a short time informe thy knowledge in that great Doctrine of practicall Diuinitie: But especially thou maiest by the helpe of this Treatise, see a sound way how to beautifie thy owne conuersation, with the addition of diuers rules, which perhaps, hitherto thou hast not taken notice of: God hath promised much peace, and comfort vntounto such as will walke according vntounto rule, Gal. 6. 16. Yea he hath promised, that they shall see the saluation of God, that dispose their way aright, Psal. 50. vlt. It is true, it is a greater labour to trauaile in the way, then to shew it; but yet it is a greater benefit to bee shewed the way. Howsoeuer, it may not bee denied, but it is a greater glory to obserue these Rules, then to know them, or prescribe them.
It may be thou wilt obiect, that the Rules are so many, thou canst The easinesse of the course.neuer remember them, and so not profit by them. I answer:
If I hauehave made the Rules no more in number then God hath made them in his Word, thou mayest not finde fault with me.
Secondly, No man that is to learne any Trade or Science, but he meeteth with more directiōs then he can on the suddain reach to, or practise, and yet he reiects not his Trade or Science, because in time hee hopes to learne it all. Would we put on a resolution to serue a Prentiship to Religion, and to worke hard one seuen yeeres: Oh what worke would we dispatch! How many Rules and knowledges would we grow skilfull in! But alas, after many yeeres profession of Christianitie, the most of vsus, if all were put together, hauehave not done the worke that might hauehave beene done in few dayes.
Thirdly, I answer, that it is not Marke this direction.necessarie thou shouldest lay all these Rules before thee at once, but marke out certaine choise Rules, so many as thou canst well remember, and striue, by daily practise, to bring thy selfe to some kinde of dexteritie in obseruing them. There bee some Rules of each kinde, which, if thou bee a true Christian, thou knowest and obseruest alreadie: These thou mayest continue to obserue still, without loading thy memory about them. Now if those be omitted, then consider of the rest that remaine, which of them do most concerne thee, or would most adorne thy practice and profession, or are such as thou neuer hitherto didst make conscience of: Extract or marke out so many of those at that time, as thou wouldest in daily practice striue to attaine, and when thou hast learned them, then goe on, and prescibe to thy selfe new Lessons. To a carnall mind all the way of godlinesse is impossible, but to a godly and willing mind, all things, through the power and assistance of God are possible. God will accept thy desire and endeuour, and will adde strength and might, and encourage thee in all his wayes. By prayer thou mayest forme any grace in thee, by reason of the power the Lord Iesus hath to preuaile for any thing thou dost aske the Father in his name.
The last benefit may come to thee, if thou daily reade these directions, is that they wil quicken thee to a great care of weldoing, and giuegive thee cause to walke humbly with thy God, and abase thy selfe for thine owne insufficiencie. The Lord giuegive thee vnderstanding in all things, and vnite thy heart vntounto his feare alwayes, that thou mayest obserue to doe, as hee commandeth thee, and not turne from the good way all the dayes of thy life.