A Guide to Godliness, Book 4 · Chapter 6
CAP. VI.
Of thoſe properties which reſpect our hearts and affections.
§. Sect. 1 That we muſt performe all duties of a godly life with cheerefulneſſe.
ANd theſe are the properties which reſpect the cauſes of all Chriſtian duties. Thoſe which concerne our diſpoſition in doing them, doe either more principally reſpect the heart and affection, or the carriage generally of the whole man. In reſpect of the heart, this is the property of all the duties of a godly life, that they be done heartily; according to that of the Apoſtle, Whatſoeuer ye doe, doe it heartily, as vntounto the Lord, and not vntounto men. But of this in the generall I hauehave before ſpoken; and therefore will heere inſiſt vponupon two ſpeciall branches of it; the firſt is alacrity and cheerefulneſſe, the ſecond is feruent zeale in all good duties. Concerning the former, we ought to performe all the duties of a godly life with alacrity and cheerefulneſſe, as being an inſeparable property of them, if they be ſincere and vpright. And this the Lord requireth generally in all Chriſtian duties, that we be ready vntounto eueryevery good worke; and more ſpecially in the duties Tit. 3. 1.of his ſeruice and all the parts thereof. For wee muſt not onelyonly ſeeke and ſerue the Lord, but alſo make him our chiefe delight. We muſt ſerue Pſal. 37. 4. Pſal. 100. 1. & 95. 1, 2.the Lord with gladneſſe, and come before him with thankeſgiuing. Wee muſt come before his preſence with thankeſgiuing, and make a ioyfull noyſe vntounto him with Pſalmes, as the Pſalmiſt exhorteth. And wee muſt ſerue God with a 1. Chro. 28. 9.perfect and a willing minde, as hee perſwadeth Salomon his ſonne. Neither muſt we goe to the place of Gods ſeruice lumpiſhly and heauily, but bee glad and reioyce, when we mutually exhort one another to goe vp to the Pſal. 122.Houſe of the Lord. For as in the time of the Law, God could not indure a dead oblation, but would hauehave a liuing ſacrifice, or the life of it, and eſpecially the inwards and heart offred vntounto him; ſo can he not abide, that we ſhould tender vntounto him a dull, dead, and heartleſſe ſeruice, without any ſpirit, life, and cheerefulneſſe, which is no more pleaſing then a dead carrion in his ſight. More eſpecially, we muſt not onelyonly ſerue God on his Sabbaths, but we muſt account them our delight. In our prayers, we muſt Eſa. 58. 13, 14.with the Apoſtle make our requeſts with ioy. We muſt in our thankeſgiuing Phil. 1. 4.reioyce before God, according to that of the Pſalmiſt; O come, let vsus ſing Pſal. 95. 1. & 33. 1, 2.vntounto the Lord, let vsus make a ioyfull noyſe to the Rocke of our ſaluation. And againe; Reioyce in the Lord, O ye righteous, praiſe him with harpe, &c. Our preaching muſt be, not by conſtraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of 1. Pet. 5. 2.a ready minde. Our oblations towards the building of the Tabernacle, and Exod. 35. 5, 29.furthering the meanes of Gods ſeruice, muſt, like the Iſraelites, be offered with a willing heart. And this alacrity and cheerefulneſſe muſt bee vſed in all other Chriſtian duties, if we would hauehave them acceptable vntounto God. Our Almes muſt be giuen with cheerefulneſſe, and not as wreſted from vsus 2. Cor. 9. 7.by importunity, becauſe the Lord loueth a cheerefull giuer. Our benefits muſt be beſtowed not grudgingly and ſlowly, but readily and with alacrity; Philem. v. 14.for it is a double benefit when the heart goeth with the gift; and (as the Heathen man ſayd) Hee giueth twice, that giueth ſpeedily and readily. Seneca.Finally, ſeeing, if wee be ſeruants, and doe our duty aright, wee Eph. 6. 6.ſerue God and doe his will, therefore alſo we muſt doe it cheerefully and from our hearts.
§. Sect. 2 Reaſons which may mooue vsus to this cheerefulneſſe.
Now that we may thus ſerue God with alacrity and cheerefulneſſe, let theſe reaſons perſwade vsus. Firſt, becauſe it is moſt acceptable vntounto God, and in much more high price with him, then the worke and duty it ſelfe, be it neuer ſo excellent in outward appearance. For if euen mortall men, who neede the duties and ſeruice of others, are much more delighted with the kindneſſe and louelove of the giuer, then with the gift it ſelfe: And if Parents and Maſters are better pleaſed with the willing cheerefulneſſe of their children and ſeruants, then with their duties which they performe, being done with grudging and repining: then much more is the Lord delighted with our alacrity and readineſſe in the duties of his ſeruice, rather then with the outward workes and actions, ſeeing we can in nothing bee profitable vntounto him; yea, as we hauehave ſhewed before, hee eſteemeth no bodily ſeruice which is not en-liued with this ſoule of cheerefulneſſe; whereas contrariwiſe though our duties of his ſeruice be full of manifold imperfections and corruptions, yet if they be performed with ready and cheerefull hearts, he doth accept of them for perfect obedience. For hee accepteth in the ſeruice of his children the will for the deed, and if there be 2. Cor. 8. 12.a willing minde, a man is accepted, according to that he hath, and that power of performance which God hath giuen, and not according to that he hath not, as the Apoſtle ſpeaketh. Secondly, this cheerefulneſſe and alacrity maketh our otherwiſe vnperfect ſeruice, like vntounto that which is performed by the bleſſed Angels, who are alwayes ready, as ſoone as they heare Gods Pſal. 103. 20, 21.voyce, to doe his pleaſure, as the Pſalmiſt ſpeaketh; they ſtand about his Throne continually, and no ſooner receiue his Commandements, but haſten to execute them with winged ſpeed. Thirdly, becauſe cheerefulneſſe and delight in Gods ſeruice, as it is moſt highly eſteemed, ſo is it aboue all other moſt richly rewarded, for if wee delight in the Lord, hee will giuegive vsus the deſires of our hearts; if wee delight in him, and call his Sabbaths, which Pſal. 37. 4.are conſecrated vntounto his ſeruice, our delight alſo, hee will greatly honour Eſa. 58. 13, 14.and aduance vsus, and inrich vsus greatly with all his bleſſings, as hee hath promiſed. So the Apoſtle ſaith, that in reſpect of the bare act of his preaching the Goſpel, he had nothing to glory of, becauſe a neceſſity of performing this duty was laid vponupon him, and a woe denounced if he performed it not; but if he did not by conſtraint, but willingly; then hee ſhould 1. Cor. 9. 16, 17.hauehave at Gods hands a reward. Finally, let vsus ſerue God with this cheerefulneſſe, becauſe thereby we ſhall get vntounto our ſelues an infallible marke and ſigne that we are in the eſtate of bleſſedneſſe. For the Pſalmiſt deſcribing a bleſſed man, bringeth in this as one of his ſpeciall properties, that his Pſal. 1. 2.delight is in the Law of the Lord; ſo that hee meditateth in it day and night. And therefore let vsus not content our ſelues with cold, careleſſe, and formall ſeruice, but performe it vntounto God with cheerefulneſſe and delight, without which, it is neither pleaſing vntounto him, nor profitable vntounto vsus And ſeeing this is not a flower which groweth in natures ſoyle, but a gift of God, who worketh in vsus, both to will and to doe of his good pleaſure; whereof it is that Dauid acknowledgeth the free-will offerings of himſelfe and his Phil. 2. 13.people, towards the building of the Temple, to hauehave wholly proceeded 1. Chro. 29. 14.from God, who had giuen them both theſe gifts, and alſo willing hearts to returne them; therefore let vsus begge it daily at Gods hands, that taking away our dulneſſe and drowzineſſe, our auerſeneſſe and backwardneſſe vntounto holy duties, he will giuegive vsus grace to ſerue him in all things with alacrity and cheerefulneſſe, ioy and delight.
§. Sect. 3 That we muſt ſerue God in all holy duties zealouſly and deuoutly.
The ſecond property reſpecting the heart, is true zeale, which as wee heere conſider it, is a deuout conſecrating of our ſelues wholly both in ſoule and body to the ſeruice of God, and an ardent deſire, ſtudy, and indeuour to glorifie him, by walking before him in the duties of a godly life. So that it is nothing but the intenſion of our louelove and cheerefulneſſe vntounto theſe holy exerciſe, and of our anger, and miſlike againſt all the impediments whereby wee are oppoſed and hindred in them. And this is commended vntounto vsus in the Scriptures as an excellent grace, the beauty and brightneſſe whereof, no where ſhineth more cleerely, then in this ſubiect. For if it be good (as the Apoſtle ſaith) to bee zealous in a good matter, Gal. 4. 15.where can this zeale more exceed in goodneſſe, then when it is imployed and ſpent in the duties of Gods ſeruice and of a Chriſtian life, then the which, nothing can be better? It is the vitall heate, and, as it were, the very ſpirits, which intendeth all other graces, and with the warmth of it, increaſeth their vertue and vigour, giuing vntounto them motion, and making them actiue and operatiue in their ſeuerall functions. And it is giuen vsus of God, as a ſingular Antidote againſt that cold and killing poyſon of carnall formality, and that ſtupid blockiſhneſſe, and ſenſeleſſe dulneſſe and deadneſſe, which naturally hath ouerſpred all the powers of our body and minde in performing the duties of Gods ſeruice. And if it bee wanting, we will ſoone grow cold and careleſſe, either neglecting them altogether, or performing them with a luke-warme indifference for forme and faſhion ſake, not greatly regarding whether we doe or leaue them vndone; which will make them lothſome in Gods ſight. But if our hearts bee inflamed with this zeale, then will we feruently affect all holy duties of Gods ſeruice, as being notable meanes of aduancing his glory; and not ſuffer our ſelues to be withdrawne from them by worldly vanities, which wee neglect and contemne, in compariſon of the other. And then will we alſo with an holy anger oppoſe and ouercome all impediments and hindrances which ſtop vsus in our Chriſtian courſe, and eſpecially make warre againſt our owne corruptions, which dull our deuotion, and make vsus ſlacke and backward to holy duties; which that we may doe, let vsus conſider that this zeale is the end of our Redemption, and an vndoubted ſigne, that Chriſt hath purchaſed vsus vntounto himſelfe with the price of his owne blood. For therefore gaue Tit. 2. 14.he himſelfe for vsus, that he might redeeme vsus from all iniquity, and purifie vntounto himſelfe a peculiar people, zealous of good workes. So that if we doe not ſhew our zeale in all vertuous actions and Chriſtian duties, we doe not attaine to this end, and conſequently, plainely declare that we are not redeemed by Chriſt, who being God equall with his Father, and infinite in wiſdome and power, cannot faile of thoſe ends which hee propoundeth vntounto himſelfe. Let vsus conſider alſo, that this zeale is an inſeparable fruit of true repentance, 2. Cor. 7. 11.as the Apoſtle plainely ſheweth. Whereof it is that Chriſt in his Epiſtle to the luke-warme Laodiceans ioyneth them together, Be zealous Apoc. 3. 19.and repent, becauſe they could no otherwiſe approoue themſelues true conuerts, till leauing that ſtate of tepedity and luke-warmeneſſe, they were inflamed with feruent zeale of Gods glory. For when we ſoundly & ſeriouſly repent vsus of our ſins, and eſpecially our ſloth & ſluggiſhneſſe, coldneſſe and careleſnes in holy duties, then bewailing & hating our former courſes, we ſet our ſelues with all earneſtneſſe to reforme theſe corruptions, & become zealouſly deuout in all holy duties, that we may redeeme our former loſt time, which we hauehave fruitleſly miſpent in their neglect; wherby it appeareth that our repentance cannot be vnfained, vnleſſe this zeale be ioyned with it, nor any duty of a godly life ſincere, which is not approu'd by this property.