A Guide to Godliness, Book 5 · Chapter 40
CAP. XL.
Of ſuch reaſons moouing vsus to the duties of a godly life as reſpect our ſelues.
§. Sect. 1 The firſt reaſon taken from that dignity vntounto which God hath called vsus.
IN reſpect of our ſelues, there are alſo many effectuall arguments and reaſons, which may mooue and perſwade vsus vntounto all duties of a godly life. As firſt, that high and heauenly dignity, vntounto which, God of his free grace and goodneſſe hath called vsus, out of a moſt miſerable and wretched condition, which ſhould effectually mooue vsus to walke worthy this high and excellent Eph. 4. 1.calling, as the Apoſtle exhorteth vsus. For wee were in darkeneſſe and in the ſhaddow of death, but the Lord hath called vsus into a marueilous light, reuealing cleerely vntounto vsus the knowledge of himſelfe and his will, the great myſtery of ſaluation by Ieſus Chriſt, and the meanes whereby we may be made partakers of the fruits and benefits of it; in which reſpect it becommeth vsus to walke as children of light, circumſpectly, not as fooles, Eph. 5. 8, 15, 16. 1. Th. 5. 5, 6, 7, 8 Col. 1. 10.but as wiſe, redeeming the time, becauſe the dayes are euill. He hath called and ſeparated vsus from the world, which lieth ſtil dead in ſinne, and hath made vsus his owne peculiar people, who are made partakers of all the priuiledges of his Kingdome, to the end that we ſhould no longer faſhion our ſelues to the world, but that we ſhould walke worthy of God, who hath called vsus vntounto Rom. 12. 2. Tit. 2. 14.his Kingdome and glory, and ſerue him as it becommeth his ſubiects, being zealous of good workes; and be no more earthly-minded, but hauehave our Phil. 3. 20. Col. 3. 1, 3.conuerſation in heauen, whereof wee are Citizens, and minde thoſe things which are aboue. He hath iuſtified vsus, and forgiuen vsus all our ſinnes, that being freed from ſinne, we ſhould become ſeruants of righteouſneſſe. Hee hath made vsus a choſen generation, a royall Prieſthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; Rom. 6. 18.to the end we ſhould behaue our ſelues as becommeth thoſe who are thus dignified, and that wee ſhould ſhew foorth the praiſes of him, who hath called vsus out of darkeneſſe into this marueilous light, as the Apoſtle Peter teacheth 1. Pet. 2. 9.vsus. He hath made vsus liuing ſtones, that wee might adorne the ſpirituall building of his Houſe and Church; and an holy Priesthood, to offer vp 1. Pet 2. 5.ſpirituall ſacrifices, acceptable vntounto God by Ieſus Chriſt. Yea, he hath made vsus Temples of the holy Ghoſt, which it becommeth to bee purged from all pollution of ſinne, which is odious vntounto him, and to be decked and adorned with holineſſe and righteouſneſſe, wherein hee is chiefly delighted, whereas naturally we were like cages of vncleane birds, and the lothſome habitations of ſinne and Satan. And therefore we muſt beautifie our ſelues with theſe ornaments which ſo much pleaſe him, and keepe our ſelues vndefiled from the filth of ſinne, which he hateth and abhorreth, leſt leauing vsus vntounto Satan, as more fit for his dwelling, wee become worſe then Baals temple, which was turned into a common draught houſe, and receptacle of all pollution. Finally, he hath called vsus who were the children of wrath, and bond-ſlaues of ſinne and Satan, vntounto the glorious Rom. 5. 15, 16.liberty of the Sonnes of God, and hath made vsus his owne children by adoption and grace, and co-heires with Chriſt in heauenly happineſſe; 1. Pet. 1. 17.and therefore wee muſt carry our ſelues in holineſſe of conuerſation, as it becommeth children of ſuch an holy Father. For let vsus aſſure our ſelues, that the Lord, who hath called vsus to theſe great and heauenly priuiledges, will attaine vntounto his end, and make thoſe fit to receiue them, vponupon whom hee beſtoweth them. Neither will he, who hath commanded vsus not to caſt holy things to dogges, nor pearles before ſwine, commit Mat. 7. 6.this errour himſelfe, by giuing his choyce and beſt gifts vntounto Dogges and Swine, who neglect the wayes of holineſſe and righteouſneſſe, returning to their vomit, and to wallow themſelues in the mire of 2. Pet. 2. 20, 22.ſinne.
§. Sect. 2 The ſecond reaſon is, becauſe hereby we are aſſured that we ſhall proſper in all our wayes.
Secondly, if wee ſet our ſelues to ſerue God in the duties of holineſſe and righteouſneſſe, we ſhall be heereby aſſured, that we ſhall proſper in Pſal. 1. 2, 3. Eſa. 3. 10.our wayes, and that whatſoeuer troubles we indure for the time, yet it ſhall goe well with vsus in the latter end. For he that delighteth in the Law of the Lord, ſhall be like a tree planted by the riuers of waters, which bringeth foorth his fruit in his ſeaſon, his leafe alſo ſhall not wither, and whatſoeuer hee doth, ſhall proſper. So the Lord biddeth the Prophet to ſay to the righteous, that it ſhall be well with them, for they ſhall eate the fruit of their doings; and to denounce a woe to the wicked, for it ſhall be ill with him, for the reward of his hands ſhall be giuen him. Innumerable places might be alleadged to this purpoſe out of the Scriptures, and eſpecially the Booke of the Pſalmes, which ſet foorth the happineſſe of thoſe in all eſtates and conditions, who feare and ſerue the Lord, ſeeing he watcheth ouer them, vpholdeth them Pſal. 37. 6, 17, 19, 40. & 34. 9, 10.when they are ready to fall, preſerueth them from danger, protecteth them from all enemies, deliuereth them out of all their troubles, prouideth and giueth them all that is good, feedeth them in the dayes of famine, and ſupplyeth plentifully whatſoeuer is wanting either to their ſoules or bodies. So that if we put on this breſt-plate of righteouſneſſe, that is, bring foorth the fruits of holineſſe and righteouſneſſe, with an vpright heart and good conſcience, it will be armour of proofe, to preſerue vsus againſt the incounters of all euill; And we ſhall be ſecured by it againſt all dangers, according to that of Salomon; He that walketh vprightly, walketh ſurely: ſo that though they fall into many troubles, yet they ſhall not Pſal. 34. 19.periſh in them, becauſe the Lord deliuereth them out of all; though their Pſal. 37. 37. Verſ. 35. 36.beginnings may be turmoyled with many croſſes, yet their end is peace, as the Pſalmiſt ſpeaketh. And though the wicked may exceed them in worldly and momentany proſperity, yet when they are ſo rooted out, that their place can no more be found, the righteous, after many ſtormes, ſhall ſafely arriue in the Hauen of their hopes. According to that of Salomon, Though a ſinner doe euill an hundred times, and his dayes bee prolonged; yet Eccleſ. 8. 12, 13.ſurely I know it ſhall be well with them that feare God, which feare before him. But it ſhall not be well with the wicked, neither ſhall he prolong his dayes, which are as a ſhaddow, becauſe he feareth not before God.
§. Sect. 3 The third reaſon, becauſe without this indeuour all outward exerciſes are vaine.
The third reaſon may be this, that without this ſtudy and indeuour to ſerue the Lord in the duties of a godly life, all outward exerciſes of Religion are vaine and vnprofitable, as the hearing and reading of the Word, the receiuing of the Sacraments, Prayer, Faſting, profeſſion of Religion, and the reſt, ſeeing they cannot pleaſe God, yea, are odious vntounto him; nor profit vsus, nor we take profit by them. Thus the Lord profeſſeth, that hee abhorred their new Moones and ſolemne feaſts, their Sacrifices and Oblations, Eſa. 1. 11, 12, 13, 14.becauſe they neglected the workes of righteouſneſſe, and liued in their ſinnes. That he who killed an Oxe, was as he that ſlew a man, he that ſacrificed Eſa. 66. 3.a Lambe, as if he cut off a Dogs head, &c. becauſe their liues were not reformed, but their ſoules delighted in their abominations. So when the people reiected Gods Law, and thought to hauehave pleaſed him with Oblations, and (as it were) to hauehave ſtopped his mouth with bribes, the Lord reiecteth their ſeruice as vaine and vnprofitable. To what purpoſe (ſaith he) Ier. 6. 20. & 7. 22, 23.commeth there to me incenſe from Sheba? and the ſweet cane from a farre Countrey? your offerings are not acceptable, nor your ſacrifices ſweet vntounto me. Thus the Lord reiecteth their ſolemne feaſts, becauſe they were not ioyned with Eſa. 8. 4, 5.the workes of Iuſtice and mercy. So Salomon telleth vsus, that the ſacrifice of Pro. 15. 8.the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but the prayer of the vpright is his delight. And Dauid ſaith, that if he did regard wickedneſſe in his heart, the Lord Pſal. 66. 18.would not heare him. Whereas in other places hee telleth vsus, that the righteous cry, and the Lord heareth them, and deliuereth them out of all their Pſal. 34. 17, 18.troubles.
§. Sect. 4 The fourth reaſon, taken from the conſideration of our loſt time before our conuerſion.
The fourth argument may be taken from the conſideration of our loſt time, which we hauehave miſ-ſpent before our conuerſion, whileſt we liued in ignorance, and in the ſtate of Infidelity, when as we wholly neglected all duties of Gods ſeruice, and the meanes which might hauehave inriched vsus with all ſauing graces, and furthered the aſſurance of our ſaluation; and hauehave ſpent all our ſtrength in purſuing of worldly vanities, and in the vnfruitfull workes of darkeneſſe, to the great diſhonour of our good God, the wounding of our conſciences, and the burthening and defiling of our ſoules with the guilt and corruption of ſinne. The which ſhould bee a powerfull reaſon, after that we are effectually called, to make vsus more zealous of Gods ſeruice, that we may in the remainder of our liues, as much glorifie him by our holy conuerſation, as wee hauehave before diſhonoured him by our ſinfull liues, and that we may by our extraordinary indeuour and diligence, attaine vntounto the treaſures of his ſpirituall graces, whereby we may be inabled to trauaile in the wayes of godlineſſe with ſo much the greater ſpeed, by how much we hauehave beene more late in ſetting foorth in our ſpirituall Iourney, and more ſluggiſh and ſlothfull in trauailing in this way which leadeth vsus to our heauenly Countrey. And as thoſe who hauehave miſ-ſpent their youth in riotous liuing, neglected all meanes of thriuing, and waſted their ſtates by prodigall courſes, when they come to riper age, and ſee their folly, being beaten by their owne experience, doe not onelyonly deſiſt from their former vaine and prodigal courſes, but are ſorry and aſhamed of them, and ſet themſelues with ſo much the more care and diligence to recouer and repaire their decayed eſtates, and with the greater earneſtneſſe vſe all good meanes of thriuing; And as thoſe who being to trauaile about important buſineſſe, neerely concerning them in their life and ſtate, if they hauehave ouer ſlept themſelues in the morning, or trifled out their time, about things of no worth; when they ſee their errour and folly, doe make more haſte in their way all the day following, that they may not be benighted, and ſo comming ſhort of their iourney, be fruſtrated of their hopes: ſo muſt we doe in this caſe, labouring with ſo much more earneſtneſſe, after the ſpirituall riches of Gods grace, and the aſſurance of our heauenly hopes, by how much the longer wee hauehave neglected this ſpirituall thrift, and trauelling ſo much more ſpeedily in the wayes of godlineſſe, by how much the longer we hauehave deferred our iourney, and hauehave loytered by the way, fearing (as the Apoſtle ſpeaketh) leſt a promiſe Heb. 4. 1.being left vsus of entring into Gods Reſt, we ſhould come ſhort of it, for want of care and diligence. And this argument the Apoſtle vſeth, that ſeeing wee hauehave formerly liued in darkneſſe, and hauehave ſpent our time in ſleepe and ſluggiſhneſſe, we ſhould now, when we are awaked, walke circumſpectly, not Epheſ. 5. 8, 14, 15, 16.as fooles, but as wiſe, redeeming the time, becauſe the dayes are euill. And ſeeing we hauehave been ſcandalous in our ſinfull courſes, hindring others from the profeſſion and practice of godlineſſe by our ill example; therefore as hee exhorteth, we muſt now walke in wiſedome towards them that are without, Col. 4. 5.redeeming the time, by a more earneſt indeuour in ſeeking their conuerſion, by our holy communication and gracefull ſpeeches, and by ſhining before them in the light of Godlineſſe, that we may mooue them to glorifie our heauenly Father. So, perſwading the Romans to ſanctification and holineſſe of life, he putteth them in mind of their former condition, and the little fruit which they receiued by it, that it might bee as a ſpurre in their ſides, to haſten their ſpeed in the Chriſtian race. For as ye hauehave Rom. 6. 19, 21, 22.(ſaith he) yeelded your members ſeruants to vncleanneſſe and to iniquity, vntounto iniquity (hauing no other fruit of ſinning, but ſinne) euen ſo now yeeld your members ſeruants to righteouſneſſe, vntounto holineſſe, &c. What fruit had ye then in thoſe things, whereof ye are now aſhamed? for the end of thoſe things is death. But now being made free from ſinne, and become ſeruants to God, ye hauehave your fruit vntounto holineſſe, and the end euerlaſting life. And thus the Apoſtle Peter 1. Pet. 4. 2, 3.exhorteth vsus, that we ſhould no longer liue the reſt of our time in the fleſh, to the luſts of men, but to the will of God; becauſe the time paſt of our life may ſuffice, to hauehave wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in laſciuiouſneſſe, and in all wicked and ſinfull luſts.