The Rules of a Holy Life, 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. What wee must do to preserue the louelove of God in vsus.Now that wee may continue in our louelove to God, wee must obserue these Rules.
1 Wee must separate our selues from all others to be his, Leu. 20. 26. auoiding fellowship with the seruants of a strange God, that might any way intice vsus from the louelove of God; yea, wee should so much alienate our hearts from all Idols, that we should not make mention of their names, and therefore daily confirme our hearts in that purpose to cleaue to God alone, Leu. 20. 26. Mal. 2. 11. Exod. 34. 11. 14, 15. Exod. 23. 13. Act. 11. 23. Iosh. 23. 8.
2 Wee must beware, that we forget not God, nor go too long without effectual remembrance of him. They that can liue whole daies and weekes without any care to thinke of God, may bee snre their hearts are voide of the louelove of God: and as euer we would continue to louelove God, wee must be carefull eueryevery day to remember him, and thinke vponupon him, Deut. 6. 12. & 32. 18.
3 Wee must labour to edify our selues in our most holy faith; we must build vp our hearts in the assurance of that wonderfull louelove God hath shewed to vsus: and this will preserue and keep vsus in our louelove to him againe, Iude. 20.
4. We 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 toward 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 wee are assured to receiue in that Day.
6. In the vse of all Gods Ordinances, wee must bee 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 wee come to vse the meanes onelyonly for forme, and an outward shew, Ps. 105. 4. And if wee misse of God in his Ordinances, we must neuer be quiet, till we finde him whom our soule loueth, Cant. 3. 1. Psalm. 63. 1.
7 VVee must preserue the truth hee hath deliuered to vsus; yea, wee must contend for it: for sound doctrine laid vp in our hearts, will preserue in vsus soundnesse of affection to God, Iude 3.
8. VVee must get Catalogues of Gods praises in particular, and fill our hearts with the knowledge & contemplation of them.
9 If we would be preserued in the louelove of God, wee must labour to attaine to the ability 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 exceeding necessary: Nor is it an ordinary ioy we should take in God, but we should ioy in him, first, with all our hearts: 2. not for a time, but alwaies, eueryevery day; nor with cōmon, but with exceeding ioyes, Phi. 4. 4. Ps. 37. 4. & 68. …, 4. & 105. 3.About reioycing in God. Now that this point may be the better vnderstood, I will consider of two things: first, what it is to delight and …oy in God: secondly, what we should doe that might delight, and take pleasure in God.
1. For the first,What it is to reioyce or delight our selues in God. this delight in God hath in it foure things distinctly.
1 First, a spirituall satisfaction, or contentment arising from the assurance of Gods louelove to vsus, as hauing enough that he regards vsus; thus Dauid saith, his soule was satisfied as with marrow, Psal. 63. 5. & 149. 2.
2. Secondly, a ioyfull entertainement of all passages of louelove betweene God and vsus; especially in the vse of his Ordinances.
3. Thirdly, a delightfull contemplation of God and his mercies.
4. 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 attainement of the ioying in God.
1. VVee must mourne often for our disabilities herein,What wee must doe that wee might bee able to ioy in God. & pray to God to forme this delight in vsus.
2. VVee must restraine carnall ioyes, and cares: for the excesse of both doth exceedingly dull the heart, and with-drawes it from care of delight in God, Ioh. 2. 8. Phil. 4. 4, 5, 6.
3. VVee must exercise our selues with all the ioy we can in the Word of God, Psal. 119. 14, 16.
4. VVee must take heed of listning to Obiections against the louelove of God to vsus, whether they arise from Sathan, or our owne flesh.
5. VVe must often obserue the miseries of the wicked in comparison of our happy estate in Christ, Hab. 3. 17, 18.
6 VVee must seek a delightfull conuersation with the godly.
7 VVee must take heed of domesticall euils, our home sinnes, the corruptions that would daily preuaile in vsus, Iob 22. 23, 26.
8 VVee must restraine our owne vnbeleefe about the acceptation of the good duties we performe, and to this end wee must take heed, that we be neither iust ouermuch, by attributing too much to our selues: nor yet wicked ouermuch, in condemning all we do, 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 our carriage toward God, namely, those that concerne our louelove to God. Now the second sort of Rules follow, and that is,Rules about the s…ruice of God. those that concerne the seruice of God, and these may be cast into two rankes: 1. for they either concerne the parts of Gods worship: 2. or the time of Gods worship.
The Rules that concerne the parts of Gods worship, 1. are either generall, which binde vsus to the good behauiour in all parts of Gods worship: 2. or else certaine specialties of Direction, that concerne some part of Gods worship onelyonly.
Now for the generall rules, we should know and remember, that there are nine things to bee looked to, and brought to the practice of eueryevery part of Gods worship.Nine things to be remembred in eueryevery part of Gods worship.
1. The first is preparction; wee must in some sort conferre with our owne hearts, and prepare them, before wee go before God to doe any seruice, Iob 11. 13. Psal. 4. 4. Ezech. 7. 10.
2. Secondly, wee must come with all reuerence & godly feare, Hebr. 12. 28. Psal. 2. 11.
3. Thirdly, we must performe the seruice in repentance for our sinnes: wee must not come before God in the louelove of any sin: if wee doe, we lose our labour, and God will loath our workes, Isai. 1. Iob. 11. 14. VVee must hauehave cleane hands, and a pure heart, or else no seruice of God will be accepted, Psalm. 119. 11. & 24. 4.
4. Fourthly, it must grieue vsus, that others will not serue God, Psalm. 119. 139.
5. Fifthly, we must performe eueryevery seruice in the name of Christ, or else it cannot bee accepted, by reason of that euill that cleaues to our best workes, whether wee pray or giuegive thankes, or Whatsoeuer we doe, wee must doe it in the name of Christ, Col. 3. 17.
6. Sixtly, in eueryevery seruice of God wee must so neer as it may be, giuegive God the first place, preferring the respects of God and his worship, before our selues, or the regard of others: we must serue him betimes, seeking God in the first place, Iob 8. 5. Math. 6. 34. Psalm. 5. 3.
7. Seuenthly, when we doe any seruice to God, we must do it with all our harts, with as much willingnesse as may be, so as it may appeare, that we louelove to be his seruants, as the Prophets phrase is, 1. Sam. 12. 10. 1. Chron. 28. 9. Esay 56. 6.
8. Eightly, in all seruice wee must striue so to serue God, that wee may please him, not onelyonly carefull to doe the duety, but carefull of Gods acceptation. In good duties being cheefely carefull to see Gods approbation, not caring so much for the praise of men, as the praise of God. In eueryevery part of Gods worship, our praise must be of God, and not of men, Heb. 12. 28. Rom. 2. 26.
9. Ninthly, wee must cleaue to God with detestation of all things, or persons, that might any way draw vsus away from his seruice, Deut. 13. 4, 5.