A Guide to Godliness, Book 3 · Chapter 9
CAP. IX.
Of the fifth and ſixth daily duties, which are to conforme our ſelues to Gods Law, and to ſubmit our ſelues to his good pleaſure.
§. Sect. 1 That we muſt conforme our thoughts, words, and actions, according to Gods Law.
THe fifth maine duty wherein we are daily to exerciſe our ſelues, is, that we rightly diſpoſe of all our thoghts, words, and actions, ſo as they may in all things be conformable Phil. 3. 20. Matth. 6. 33. Col. 3. 2.to the Law of God. In reſpect of our thoughts, our care muſt be, that we be not earthly minded, like Citizens of the world, nor ſuffer them to be fixed and faſtened vponupon earthly and momentany vanities, which profit not; as how we may get or keepe the honours, riches, and pleaſures of the world, by carnall and vnlawfull meanes, which are too baſe obiects for them which are of ſo high and diuine a nature; but that they be chiefly taken vp, and exerciſed about ſpirituall, holy, and heauenly things: as of their excellency, profit, and neceſſity, by what meanes we may obtaine, or hauing them in ſome meaſure, may be more inriched with them; how we may ſafely keepe them and bee ſecured from feare of loſing them. How wee may bee more and more vnited vntounto Chriſt, and aſſured that both he and all his benefits doe belong vntounto vsus. How wee are ſo to carry our ſelues, that wee may more ſenſibly and feelingly apprehend the power and efficacie of his death and reſurrection working in vsus, and repleniſhing our hearts with Phil. 3. 10.ſweete conſolations, and ioy in the holy Ghoſt. How we may be daily more aſſured of Gods grace and fauour, and feele and diſcerne the light and warmth of his louing countenance ſhining vponupon vsus, and inflaming our hearts with his louelove. How we may withſtand tentations, and get maſtery ouer our ſtrongeſt corruptions; and how wee may daily bee more renewed and ſtrengthened in all grace and goodneſſe, that we may increaſe in bringing foorth more fruits of holineſſe and righteouſneſſe. And with theſe and ſuch like holy and heauenly meditations, our mindes muſt chiefly be taken vp; and when wee exerciſe them about earthly things, and the duties of our callings, it muſt be, as vponupon meanes which tend to theſe endes, and (like birds) we muſt vſe the earth as a helpe to raiſe vp our ſelues, and to gather wing, that wee may ſoare aloft in heauenly meditations. The which wee ſhall doe, if we performe the workes of our callings, in faith and a good conſcience, in louelove and obedience vntounto God, as duties of his ſeruice which hee hath required at our hands, with prayer for good ſucceſſe and thankeſgiuing, when by Gods bleſſing wee hauehave obtained it; and when wee vſe them as meanes to further our maine ends, namely, the aduancement of Gods glory, and the eternall ſaluation of our ſoules.
§. Sect. 2 Of the right ordring of our tongues, and the meanes of it.
The like care and indeuour we muſt daily vſe in the right ordering of our tongues and ſpeeches, either by ſeaſonable ſilence, when wiſdome, diſcretion, and grauity requireth it; of which, the generall rule is, that it is better to forbeare and ſay nothing, then to vent that which is vaine, vnprofitable, or worſe then ſilence: or elſe by ſpeaking that which is vſefull and neceſſary for the aduancement of our maine ends, which are Gods glory, the profit of our brethren, and the comfort and ſaluation of our owne ſoules. God is glorified by our ſpeech, when as we doe not preſume to ſpeake of him, his attributes and perſons, his name, Word or workes, vponupon any light or ſlight occaſion, vainely or in ieſt; but when the cauſe is waighty and important, and then grauely and ſeriouſly, with all humility and due reuerence. Our neighbour is profited, when as our ſpeech is Col. 4. 6.gracious, powdred with the ſalt of wiſedome, and either tending to ſpirituall edification, by inſtruction, admonition, exhortation, reprehenſion, Ephe. 4. 29.counſaile or comfort; or to his temporall good in his worldly affaires. And our owne comfort and ſaluation is furthered, when vntounto theſe former wee adde ſuch ſpeeches as more properly tend to our owne good, as to the increaſing of our wiſedome and knowledge, the ſtrengthening of our faith, the increaſing of any other ſauing grace; as when we mutually informe one another, and ſtirre vp the graces of God in vsus by holy conferences; or elſe ſuch as are profitable in reſpect of our temporall eſtate, as about the ordinary buſineſſes of our callings and earthly affaires, in which wee are daily conuerſant. Now that wee may thus rule our tongues, and order our ſpeeches in this holy manner, abſtaining from all light and vaine words, friuolous and vnprofitable diſcourſes, and rotten and vnſauoury communication; let vsus conſider, that God hath giuen vsus this excellent gift of ſpeech that wee might thereby glorifie him, and benefit one another, eſpecially in the beſt things: & therefore they who neglect theſe, and direct their ſpeech to contrary ends, doe moſt fearefully abuſe this excellent gift, and thereby iuſtly deſerue to be depriued of it. Secondly let vsus conſider, that God is alwaies preſent with vsus, and is an eare-witneſſe of all our ſpeeches; and therefore let vsus bluſh for ſhame, to ſpeake any thing in his hearing, which we would not vtter in the preſence of a graue, wiſe and religious ſuperiour. Thirdly, let vsus continually remember that fearefull ſaying of our Sauiour, that wee ſhall giuegive an account of eueryevery idle word at the day of Iudgement, and that by our words we ſhall either Mat. 12. 36, 37.be iuſtified or condemned. And therefore let vsus not vainely and cauſeleſly increaſe our accounts, not onelyonly by idle and vnprofitable, but rotten and vnſauourie ſpeeches, nor vſe this winde of words, as bellowes to kindle againſt our ſelues the flame of Gods wrath here, and the fire of hell in the life to come. And to this purpoſe let vsus with the Prophet Dauid, take heede Pſal. 39. 1.to our waies, that we offend not with our tongue, and conſidering that it is an vnruly euill, and as the Apoſtle Iames compareth it, like an headſtrong Iam. 3. 3, 4.Horſe, that will ſtand on no ground, let vsus breake it with the terrours of Gods Iudgements, and curbe it in with the bridle of his feare, that it may not ruſh into any vnprofitable & wicked ſpeeches. And becauſe we cannot by all our force and skill, care and watchfulneſſe, tame this wild and vnruly beaſt, but that it will breake out and vtter ſuch things as are either vaine and vſeleſſe, or hurtfull and ſinfull, let vsus often deſire the Lord who gaue vsus our tongues, that he will by his grace and holy ſpirit, rule and order them, and that he will ſet a watch before our mouthes, and keepe the doore Pſal. 141. 3.of our lips, that we may ſpeake onelyonly thoſe things which may tend to Gods glory and the mutuall good of one another.
§. Sect. 3 Of the right ordering of our workes and actions.
Finally, our daily care and indeuour muſt be, rightly to order and diſpoſe of all our workes and actions, that they may be conformable to the Law of God, both in doing the duties which he hath commanded, and in leauing vndone the vices and ſins which he hath forbidden and condemned, and that whether they reſpect God or our neighbours and our ſelues. For our time and ſtrength muſt be ſpent either in the religious duties of Gods ſeruice, or in the workes of iuſtice, charity and mercy towards our neighbours, or of temperance, ſobriety and Holineſſe towards our ſelues; either in the generall duties of Chriſtianity, or the ſpeciall duties of our callings, or in vſing the meanes and helpes whereby wee may bee the better fitted and enabled vntounto all and eueryevery of them: That ſo wee may Matth. 5. 16. 1. Cor. 10. 31. 2. Pet. 1. 10. Ephe. 4. 1.glorifie our heauenly Father, by hauing the light of our godly liues ſhining before men, edifie our brethren by our good example, make our owne calling and election ſure, walke worthy of our high calling, adorne our profeſſion, gaine others to the profeſſion and practice of the true Religion, and by our fruitfulneſſe of obedience obtaine a plentifull harueſt of ioy and happineſſe, when Chriſt ſhall come to Iudgement, and render vntounto eueryevery one according to their workes. Neither muſt we onelyonly take care, that our mindes and hearts bee taken vp and furniſhed with good thoughts and holy affections, and our tongues exerciſed in Chriſtian communication, and ſpeeches ſauouring of grace and godlineſſe; but alſo that wee bring them to good effect, by practizing what wee thinke and ſpeake, in all our workes and actions. Nor that wee mortifie ſinne in our ſoules and affections, but alſo in our earthly members, Col. 3. 5.and outward man; and if through frailty wee hauehave entertained into our minds and hearts ſinfull thoughts and deſires, or broken out into raſh and inconſiderate ſpeeches; yet at leaſt, let vsus ſtay heere, and not produce it into act, which is to giuegive this curſed birth full growth and ſtrength, and to conſummate and bring it to full maturity and perfection.Jam. 1. 14, 15.
§. Sect. 4 Of the ſixth maine duty, which is, to ſubmit our ſelues to Gods good pleaſure in all things.
The ſixth maine dutie which we are daily to performe, is, to ſubmit our ſelues in all things to Gods good will and pleaſure, and to reſigne our Rom. 5. 3.ſoules, bodies and ſtates to be gouerned and guided by his prouidence, without murmuring or repining, being contented with whatſoeuer hee ſendeth, and to indure what he inflicteth, not onelyonly with meekeneſſe and patience, but alſo with cheerefulneſſe and ſpirituall ioy, of which wee hauehave the Apoſtle Paul an example for our imitation, who had learned in all eſtates to be content, ſo that he could be abaſed and abound, full and hungry, yea was able to doe all things, through the helpe of Chriſt that ſtrengthened him. Phil. 4. 11. 12.To the attaining of which contentation, we are to conſider, that the Lord is infinitely wiſe, and knoweth what is better for vsus then we our ſelues, infinite Matth. 6. 32.in power, and able to do that which in his wiſedome he knoweth to be beſt, and infinite in goodneſſe, mercy and compaſſion towards vsus, and therefore that he will doe that vntounto vsus and for vsus, which in his wiſdome hee knoweth moſt profitable, eſpecially for the eternall ſaluation of our ſoules. That by his prouidence he ruleth all things in heauen and earth, and moſt wiſely and powerfully directeth them to the good of all that depend vponupon him, that in an eſpeciall manner he doth thereby watch ouer them that feare and truſt in him, and will not ſuffer them to want any Pſal. 34. 9.thing that is good. Finally, we are to remember his gracious promiſes, whereby he hath aſſured vsus, that he will turne all things, euen our troubles Rom. 8. 28. Pſal. 84. 11.and afflictions, vntounto our good; that he will be a Sunne and a Shield, and will giuegive grace and glory, and withhold no good thing from them that walke vprightly; that if we firſt ſeeke the Kingdome of God and his righteouſneſſe, hee will Matth. 6. 33. Heb. 13. 5.giuegive vsus all other things as aduantages to the bargaine. VntoUnto which, if we adde the conſideration of Gods infallible Truth in making good all his gracious promiſes, we may well be contented in all eſtates, ſeeing hee will neuer faile nor forſake vsus, as the Apoſtle ſpeaketh. And laſtly, if we would hauehave this contentation in all eſtates, wee muſt caſt our eye as well vponupon that which we hauehave, as vponupon that which we want; and thinke vponupon thoſe innumerable bleſſings which we inioy, the leaſt whereof we hauehave not deſerued, as well as vponupon thoſe things wherein we are defectiue: wee muſt not ſo much looke vponupon thoſe few that are preferred before vsus, as vponupon thoſe multitudes that come farre behinde vsus, who want many of thoſe good things which wee poſſeſſe, though it may bee, they hauehave deſerued them better then we. And if by theſe and the like meanes we nouriſh this contentation, then ſhall wee hauehave a ſalue in readineſſe fit for all ſores, a medicine againſt all maladies; and cordiall water which will reuiue and comfort vsus againſt all thoſe qualmes of earthly diſcouragements, that hinder our proceedings in the waies of godlineſſe, and make the ſeruice of God diſpleaſant and irkeſome vntounto vsus. Wee ſhall goe on cheerefully and ioyfully in our Chriſtian courſe, without murmuring and repining, when we finde a foule paſſage or ſtumbling blockes in our way; and the better pleaſe God in all things, when as in all things we are well pleaſed with him.